SATR simply means: “Sunday Around the Ranch” where we cover a hugely and bigly of stuff going on in our lives. I have almost a dozen items on the list this morning including the art of buying things, LookingOutsidethOftheBox has before and after pix of his “cardboard bar” which is nearing completion. Plus the gobs of stuff here that make for an “interesting existence.”
Ure’s “Science of Shopping”
Since we talked about “Investing in Happiness” the subscriber side (Peoplenomics.com) Saturday, I wanted to follow up with an example of “multiple Realities” and how it applies to shopping.
You see, here in Texas, we don’t measure human aging the same as in less civilized places. One example is how to measure your age: Stated in BBQ years.
Down here, close to the Gulf, we BBQ all year. And for much of the year, it is humid as hell. We bought this place in 2003 and since then, we have been through four BBQ’s. Our age is therefore 4Q.
The current BBQ is on its last legs. I will be able to get one more slab of baby-backs and a half-dozen ears of corn out of it this afternoon (might even have a Rolling Rock of four), but it became clear last week this old Char-Broil was on its last legs.
Defining the BBQ Purchase Process
So, the first question is: Can I resurrect it by adding all the new parts it needs?
Well, yes, I can certainly do that. Except the parts – even shopping online – came to a hundred dollar bill.
The alternative is to simply by a replacement.
And it’s right here that we run into our first example of how, generally, people are crazy. They don’t put nearly as much emphasis on the “little decisions of Life” as they do the big ones. Which is one reason the world is so “effed-up.” People do mindless small things and then get all uppity and self-righteous about the big things.
When – if you know what “transurfing” is (go ahead, look on Amazon) – you’ll appreciate that one of the major points of Life is learning “choicing” and that means mindfully making all decisions. Not just the Big ones. The acts of deciding – choosing – large and small – are the boundary markers of life.
“ What could I really do today, if I wanted?” Ask yourself this before you get out of bed in the morning. And hold that question all damn day. Cheapest way to transform your life there is….
Back to BBQ Buying
Here’s the guts of the “stupid consumer” mindset.
Most people will buy a BBQ based on brand, color, speed of delivery, size of grill, and word of mouth advertising from friends.
That is not how a member of Ure’s Church of Monetary Sciences makes such Judgments.
If you open your ( KC Masterpiece-splattered) books to the “Book of Cost Basis” let us read together the Parable of Function :
“How do we Buy?” said the Master BBQ’er to the assembled flock.
There was a mighty silence.
So He spoke: “Buy for function, you heathen idiots!”
And lo, throughout the land, people continued buying the Devil’s way: based on brand, color, speed of delivery, size of grill, and word of mouth advertising from friends.
There came a voice of Thunder from the sky and it spoke:
“Buy based on BTU’s per square inch of cooking surface, you idiots!”
Confusion followed. Could anyone actually do that?
Next, open to the Book of Bezos and follow along:
Most of the low performance BBQs will only put out 55-65 BTU’s per square inch of cooking space. As everyone knows (from The Epistle to Steaks) that the hotter and faster a steak can be cooked, the better it will be.
The Char-Broil we have was in the low to mid 70’s. Iffy at best.
Simply the number of BTUs with all burners on – say 40,000 BTUs for a typical four-burner unit. Divide that by cooking area, such as 652 square inches. 61.34 BTUs per square inch isn’t going to do a servable steak! A Cuisinart we found did 100 BTUs to square inch – and that almost got ordered. The $5K unit with a dedicated 12,000 BTU searing burner just didn’t pencil out.
We watched a number of videos on the Char-Broil Tru-Infrared system which is reputed to be more efficient at converting BTUs to cooking energy. Because it’s a kind of radiative cooking rather than simply “hot air.” $306 on Amazon. OK…ordered.
We’ll let you know how it works – due to land next week. It means a trip to the propane emporium to fill a 40-pounder.
One last thing – in the videos we learned about how critical seasoning the infrared grills is. So take the time to season them. Hour of heat-cycling ought to be budgeted. (Which ripples into the beer budget, but I digress.)
Falling Down
No, not the Michael Douglas movie.
Wednesday morning, a bit of rain, in a hurry, mossy stairs, pitch black, holding hot coffee in one hand and fumbling to turn off the shop alarm key fob in my right pocket with the other, my foot slipped on the third stair and down I went.
As I did so, the left arm was dragged along the stair edge and left me with a hell of a bruise.
Worst of it? I have a pressure washer, a tub of spray-on moss kliller, and even yellow-edged 6-inch wide anti-skid stair edge tape. As the arm is reminding me, I do have to move this up the list of things to do.
But not too quickly though: I’m still in the “mindfulness” moment following such a stupid move. Such moments wear off in a month.
PCP Note (Primary Care Physician, not angel dust)
Since doc’s ask seniors questions like ” Have you fallen down in the last six months” – I will have to slide my next “wellness” appointment back to April of next year. The prospect of answering “Only when I do really stupid shit…” to the “:Have you fallen down in the last six months?” is appalling…
To the Bar!
A little early? Naw…Creativity knows no bounds. Especially for reader “Looking Out Of the Box – LOOB). He’s managed to begin with a cardboard box:
And turn it into essentially an all cardboard bar for a college-bound student in his family:
As he explains progress:
“The bar top is done.. I am still getting the counter done. I have a five year old that will paint it…the majority of it’s done. I did decide to take a angry apple ale box and turn it into a bar box. There’s a lot of color in the box it should be cool…I sent a picture of the front. The door will be done for the cooler tomorrow. The grandson will paint the bar counter Monday after kindergarten..
The grandson wanted to take it home yesterday lol lol I will give him a beer making kit and a five liter keg..
The six year old first grader painted the bar top. It was glued in place this morning….”
I think we ALL would have paid a lot more attention in K-12 school if we had “teaching moments” like this one.
This is a DANDY example of “Present circumstances can be adjusted to make your life incredibly cool no matter your position. Resources aren’t usually the problem in life. Gray-matter and making the “right choices” however, is…”
Ham Radio Notes
I feel terrible about missing a local simplex 2-meter net this week (or was it last? Insert blur…). Just busy as hell around here, though.
One ham radio project that’s kind of interesting? A week ago, I picked up a working Icom M-710 HF SSB radio for $200 on eBay. Hell of a deal. Came with power cord but not a mic. So that will up my cost basis to about $240. But, when cleaned up, it will make a dandy radio for (yet another ham radio project) ALE.
That’s short for Automatic Link Establishment – known as Fed Std 1045-1051. Read more on the HF-ALE (HFLink) website here, if interested.
Back in the day, circa 1998 or 99, when I was working with some folks at Mitre.org on deploying some of this, we could achieve amazing connectivity. For example, a radio from Washington DC to the US Embassy in Autralia was able to pass “order-wire” text traffic with extremely high (80% from memory) withing 6-hours, using the technology. Just 100 watts and a couple of good vertical (think big flagpole) antennas.
Which has me wondering, “If preppers are serious about prepping, my not just roll “all-in” and do a store-and-forward (nuclear survivable) text message system (the ALE order wire) while you’re at it?”
Back in the day, it was a Frederick Electronics ALE controller and an SGC SG-2000 radio with one of their SmarTuners. Worked good. I figure to cobble up the poor stepchild with a used Icom M-710 and AH-4… but (kinda like applying the moss killer to the stairs?) we’ll have to see how time works out for that project…torn at prioritizing competing projects like this.
Shop Project Preview
Now that the “sharpening bench” is done out in the shop – and there’s so much lighting hung from my “sky hooks” that you need sunglasses on some projects – the two next projects are a) lowering one bench by the shop windows and b) making up the Inverted Jigsaw.
Bought a not-terribly expensive saw. The foot switch for the project showed up this week – and that’s a good thing.
Now, it’s a matter of shop (and photography time).
Looking Like I Cook
(Had the coffee kicked-in earlier, I would have put this with the BBQ buying story…) No “wait for weight” around here…
Don’t think I’ve mentioned it, but Elaine’s got a hell of a hip problem going. Limiting her mobility and in times like these, going to the doctor or physical therapy is not particularly enticing.
So, she’s been doing multiple supplements, specific exercises, and we’ve even gone so far as to buy a new bed. Minor improvements, but we shall see.
“Hip springs Eternal?” Hip replacements are common these days and a very high success rate, but still…risk is risk. And CV-19? Yeah…well…
I’ve been doing a lot more around here than previously, as a result. Including cooking most dinners nowadays. Gives her time off her feet. I love to cook, anyway…
Unlike Elaine, though, I have no sense of portion control. The result is that instead of a cup of soup for lunch, we now have abundant left-overs. You can probably figure out what that’s led to? Been reading hoboing books from the Depression and Mulligans are an artform. A lunchable art form, at that.
No danger of me starving in the odd high wind: I don’t have to “lean into it” (like idiot weather-fakirs on teevee) any more than Mt. Rainer leans into winds coming in from the Pacific.
High Dose Melatonin?
Chirs Tyreman sent along a note recently on how he’s gotten over some nagging health issues: He and his betrothed are both on high-dose melatonin. Reporting good results and banishment of many aches and pains.
Look around for Jeff Bowles’ book “Extreme Dose! Melatonin The Miracle Anti-Aging Hormone Anti-Alzheimer’s Hormone Anti-Baldness Hormone Menopause.”
Many details and we’re thinking about maybe…well…hmmm…
The dose for women is up around 70 mg and for men 120 mg, with another supplement… The highest dose melatonin I have been able to find off the shelf is 20 mg.
Melatonin and CV-19
Why consider this? Well, there’s this paper that came out on PubMed last month that is absolutely intriguing: “Melatonin potentials against viral infections including COVID-19: Current evidence and new findings…”
There was also an article in this month’s Discover Magazine under the heading “The Latest Supplement Touted As a COVID-19 Treatment? Melatonin
A Texas physician claims he treated hundreds of COVID-19 patients with everyone’s favorite sleep aid. But there’s reasons to be wary of the hype….”
Absolute utmost caution when tinkering with high-dose supplements. Can be hard of kidneys and who knows what else!
And yes, I dropped 5-HTP when doing higher melatonin at night since (if I read the medicalities right – and I’m no doctor) 5-HTP (think tryptophan derivative) is a melatonin precursor…
TALK TO YOUR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL — THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE!
OK, on to more coffee, a zillion projects, ribs on the grill with toasted corn for dinner…and more on the morrow…
Write when you get rich,
George@Ure.net
Old bbq plates cook the best . Plate gets flavour more and more in time . Love old bbq
The invisible rationing is here. This past week, my better half was placing an online pickup order at Walmart, and I asked her to order a dozen cans of sardines. The online cart only allowed 6 sardines. We had already been talking about rationing and shortages over the past several months, so this forced rationing was not a surprise. She did an end run around Walmart and placed four orders. I ended up with double my request.
No issues or limitations ordering any kind of canned goods here in the PNW – perhaps your allowable quantities is region specific.
That’s a nasty bruise. I used to get impatient with my mom, dad, and grandfather when they got older and seemed to walk slowly on purpose. I’ve since decided they were most likely measuring their steps and anticipating possible falls since I find myself doing the exact same thing now. I need to do some repairs to a couple of antennas but anything taller than a 6′ step ladder is iffy at best so those tasks keep falling down on the list.
I don’t answer the nosy questions from the nurse when I see the Dr for the annual check up unless I decide if they need one. This last visit was virtual and the nurse seemed to be put off when I refused to answer if I had thought about harming myself or if I had been unable to get to the store or the pharmacy and no I have not decided on the flu shot yet (probably not) yada yada yada. Doc’s camera pops up and she says well I see you are doing well. Your BP and weight look good so see you in the office next spring. Yay.
Jim in MO on September 27, 2020 at 08:30 : …when they got older and seemed to walk slowly on purpose. I’ve since decided they were most likely measuring their steps and anticipating possible falls since I find myself doing the exact same thing now.
You are right to take it slow and easy. Something that you and almost anyone can do to improve your balance is doing exercises that work on side to side movement.
We all automatically use our balance for forward and backward movement so we rarely fall on our faces or our butts. What puts us in hospitals or rehab centers is when we fall to our sides (very typical) and break a hip or punch through the ball and socket joint at the top of the femur bone. Long recoveries and buckets of money are the results.
There are many ways to exercise like this so pick one and practice building up your balance sideways as well as forward and backward balancing. You will likely live longer and in less pain if you do. Be Safe
Thanks. My dad while still with us and I both have knee and ankle weakness. Dad would be walking along and a knee or ankle would roll out unexpectedly. I used to think it was just not watching where you are going until it started with me.
Getting impatient..
Working in the medical profession..we had to wear name badges.. as you get older your fat tissue recedes and elderly skin slip..
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/004014.htm
Anyway when I was very young I was helping an aging woman into a chair and my name badge caused a skin tear.. for me it was one of the most horrible experiences I’ve ever endured .I would never do anything to cause someone pain and discomfort ever and there I was..I almost cried..after that.. I never wore a name badge.. I got reprimanded often.. I am sorry it’s not going to happen. I’ll gladly tell them who I am but I will not wear something that could cause someone else to be in pain.. now they changed name badges are easy break aways..
Yesterday you stated data never lies No, the providers of data do. like the cdc and who
to get a better prospective of covid 19 data, read No medical justification for emergency measures , an open letter from medical doctors. Health pro’s urge an end to lock downs.
zerohedge 9/23/20 02;00
I took a backwards tumble off a porch step two February’s ago. Olympic gymnasts are updating their routines now that they know certain twists and flips are possible. I totally trashed my left shoulder rotator cuff in the process and am still recovering today despite the surgery.
It only takes one step. Fix the stairs.
About the hip surgery… Ever think of going to Mexico or India for the procedure? Despite your blue streak xenophobia, the experience might open up a door for your next stages in life. Just imagine a place where your sack of gold coins goes three times as far.
Amen Joe… if theres a hazard at home or on the car I get it fixed..
I am anal about a repair that could be hazardous.
The daughter bought a NEW car..that’s what they told her came off of a lease.. a week later she calls and says..dad I have a radiator leak and they said they can’t fix it I have to take it in to a radiator shop.. so she was afraid that the shop would take advantage of her being a woman.. in I go.. did she hit a rock or Something. Nope it’s from that horrible accident..what accident.. come to find out the dealer bought the car at San auction for fifty dollars super glue and bailing wire.. they bought it at an auction..the disclosure law only pertains to the customer not the dealer..luckily I was taking care of a pretty influential person whose son was a famous attorney..he couldn’t take the case because he was on retainer by the dealership the same as all the lawyers.. but he was going to make sure. I got the help I needed on this. He located the only arbitrary lawyer not under retainer wo took the case. It wasnt just totalled once but twice in less than six months. I got the sales slip from the auction house and the accident reports from another state along with six hundred photos of the hidden damage..
Today all cars are taken to. A body shop a transmission shop and my personal mechanic..before I buy it or cosign to buy it..
The last time I was in to the shop someone had a car in to be aligned that the frame was bent like a horseshoe.
At this point I am not sure if there is an arbitrary lawyer in this state that isn’t under a retainer.
new right hip 2+ years ago…doing well. pain of 11 before and after? not even tylenol. felt like someone kicked me in the butt for about 2 weeks. 2 weeks walker. nail parlor pedicures by nice Vietnamnese ladies, since could not bend down for a while.
First off we are huge on grilling.. Years ago I attended a green show. We were promoting the use of solar.. a college professor that speaks for ted asked me to be there..
Now your wondering what does that have to do with grilling…
Anyway at the booth next to us was an infrared smoker grill..
They had it setup for various things.. what was interesting was they had the bulb setup with a parabolic reflector..
They bragged 20 watts of power..
They grilled steaks burgers bratwurst, they smoked hams roasts ,turkeys etc. They shared.. everything was. Done perfectly..
They shared .. none of the snack shops sold a thing except drinks.. it was amazing.. the grill then was way over a thousand otherwise I would o wss n one.. lol..
My grill is a carry grill the smokey hollow stainless and a mr. Steak grill stand..perfect for steaks and burgers.. I have the Blackstone tailgater for potatoes and grilled veggies.
For smoking I have two a traeger pellet and a cold smoker attachment for homemade cheese and brats..
https://www.campingworld.com/smoke-hollow-stainless-steel-tabletop-grill-95630.html?gclid=CjwKCAjw8MD7BRArEiwAGZsrBTesoNLnrl9JzEJXNdexpf0vvI91FmjfCsSwjbFCr7KT2Ayk5nK7dRoCJdMQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
“U know the nearer Ure destination, the more Ure Slip Sliding away” -S&G
Just 4 shits and giggles – can U splain how U ole Texas boyz do a Brisket and or Porkalicous Baby Backs Low & Slow on an Infra Red?..where does the smokey Charcoal Flavor come from?
Ever try throwing a Skirt Steak(salted) straight on ashey coals for 1 minute – each side – then remove from Coals and wrap in Aluminum Foil for 10 Minutes. Slice on diagonal and enjoy the BEST Steak flavor EVER!
Speaking of the “Election Infection” – a hole in the Suns Corona has opened up – hopefully spewing enough gaseous “stuff” as to light off Auroras this week, while at same time as Earths Magnetic Fields start Cracking up around the Equinox (s).
– more ENERGIES from space pouring into our atmosphere to the tune of “Jangle Bells” – “Dashing thru antifa protests, in 393 horsepower Hummer, Oer their heads we go, Laughing all the way…”
The wife uses Figaro Liquid Smoke to good effect on her roasts and briskets. Occasionally she’ll pre-cook it in the oven then do an over nighter in the pot or just in the oven if it’s too big for the crock pot. I usually can’t get enough of it but I’ve learned when I’d better stop eating in my old age.
That’s her general rule of thumb as she does mix and match procedures. We also have a Mexcian seasoning around the area called “Julios” that has a lot of MSG and the typical Mexican seasonings (for Texas) in it she uses along with a lot of fresh garlic. Look up the HEB grocery (https://www.heb.com/) website to get them to send you some. It’s addictive so be careful.
Oh, and it’s pronounced “Hoo-lee-o’s”. I spaced-out the apostrophe.
“do a Brisket and or Porkalicous Baby Backs Low & Slow on an Infra Red?..where does the smokey Charcoal Flavor come from?”
That’s an easy fix.. I use a smoke tube.. mixed with charcoal chips and hardwood smoke pellets..light one end and let it go..
I will either make apple wood charcoal then mix it with apple woo smoke pellets although sweet wood blend is nice..the other I use kingsford then break it up.. I am not sure what hardwood they use in their briquettes
We can’t get that smoke tube stuff in TX, lol
“We can’t get that smoke tube stuff in TX, lol”
Make one.. its really easy.. the same with making charcoal.. simple to do.. go to a hardware store get a paint can unused.. and fill it with your wood close it up and put a single hole in the lid small single hole to let the gases escape.. toss it in the fire.. the lack of oxygen and heat make your charcoal..
” I am not sure what hardwood they use in their briquettes”
Historically oak, but also ash, maple, and hickory. I don’t think Henry Ford was picky about the wood in his cars’ wheels, as long as they were round and didn’t break when someone hit a Michigan pothole…
From wonkypedia:
As of January 2016, Kingsford Charcoal contains the following ingredients:
Wood char – Fuel for heating
Mineral char – Fuel for heating
Mineral carbon – Fuel for heating
Limestone – Binding agent
Starch – Binding agent
Borax – Release agent
Sawdust – Accelerate ignition
Yum…
BTW there are huge disparities between the history books, the History Channel production, and the Wikipedia blurb. This is why I prefer history books which were written when their principal function was to portray history, not revisionism…
Everything can be a conspiracy on the Internet. “…and fold him just right…”
20 Dollar Bill Predicts Covid Masks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ru_fEuv7iY
George, glad you didn’t break anything beyond suffering a bad bruise – and probably one to your ego in the process. Love reading your daily pearls of wisdom – and wit!
“Help Me,,I’ve fallen and I can’t reach my RollinRock”,,,not funny when you fall,,but upon seeing that Ure OK, we can laugh but! fix it
https://www.fsindustries.com/more_info/grip_span_stair_tread/grip_span_stair_tread.shtml
“we need you”!!!
… is what Stroppy say at the end of each video. He is old gizzer down under who likes the Q post https://qagg.news/, I don’t watch TV or movies in the eve,,so I look around the net and found Stroppy me on U tube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPnJt34wXxGvH-ZaeTCO1kQ/featured
https://www.instacart.com/landing?product_id=19506915&retailer_id=144®ion_id=682258947&mrid=309554173&utm_medium=sem_shopping&utm_source=instacart_google&utm_campaign=ad_demand_shopping_food_mn_twincities_newengen&utm_content=accountid-8145171519_campaignid-1771040130_adgroupid-69066452575_device-m&gclid=CjwKCAjw8MD7BRArEiwAGZsrBVzQxHS0SAFPj45XK2QNWerqtK41aIhguUcI7tCnI9Zstt0lnJEBjBoCSNIQAvD_BwE
https://store.bravus.com/products/bravus-custom-beer-box?gclid=CjwKCAjw8MD7BRArEiwAGZsrBdVJx9CUbe5EphH6LIGKmgrddWFx_kqsGI_4-HpWQZCfP22TIHjYNxoC-y8QAvD_BwE&variant=32128110461009
I havent tried either of those yet.. but am totally going to. I lone NA beer.
Looking out,,I quit drinking in 2013, tried N/A beer before, not my taste, the only alcohol I use is in my vanilla in my coffee and some tintures, got some Cinchona bark in everclear at the present time. I go sit in a bar in the afternoon and play a little Keno/drink coffee, sit next to people drinking and I don’t even get tempted to drink,,nothing good ever happened to me because I was under the influence of alcohol. I also quit smoking and changed my diet to healthy foods only,,funny thing is I am a no mask man that doesn’t get sick, the Dr office called me wanting an appointment, insurance pays for an annual visit, haven’t been in for 2 years, I’m 68, told them I’m fine, I wait until the virus scare is over.
In 2012 I had a massive blood clot in the artery Y that feeds the left and right lungs, not a good scene,,10 days in the horsepittle and 2 years of anti-coagulants, now I am a FREE man,,eat well and be well,,
Also, people don’t realize that every thing you read, listen to and watch becomes part of you, not so much as what we eat and drink, but it is there,,even todays getto music makes me feel(half time super bowl show crap) ,,ill, ill tempered, and angry,,its the junk food for the soul/psychic,,no wonder they riot in the streets, they are spiritually ill and do not realize it,,I’ve rambled enough ,,Cheers
“Looking out,,I quit drinking in 2013, tried N/A beer before, not my taste”
I think that is great Darrell… I don’t like to have my cognitive awareness affected.. I buy the NA’s so that when everyone insists that I have a cold one with them I can still sit around them and have a cold brew I got use to the taste.. I love to make beer and wine just because I can and I am really good at compounding.. I can taste the different mixtures.. the same with any chemicals. I spent a lot of years making various mixtures that I can sniff out the combinations.. but I drink very little.. I do enjoy a glass of wine once in a while..but rarely and I mean rarely will you ever see me intoxicated. I hate it.. quitting drinking is a really hard thing to do.. especially if you were addicted to it.. alcohol is hard on the body.. my drink of choice is COFFEE… and for that I drink pots of coffee.. it is a taste I truly love and enjoy.. I can drop it to.. the caffeine free coffees are similar to NA.. they take the caffeine out of it and the chemical changes leaves that after taste..
I commend you on your achievement of sobriety you have every right to be very very proud.
Holy cow! 120mg of Melatonin? I cut a 5mg tablet in half and sleep like a rock on nights after really stressful days when I figure I’m not going to unwind until about 2 AM without a good three fingered snort. What’s Chris looking for? Suspended animation?
Well, do the math: If you could suspend animate in sleep instead of living to 70, you could make it to 105….just saying…
LOL. I thought extended living was being a problem to your kids while doing what you love in all positions to the very end … while conscious.
I’ve had the grill you ordered for two months and your going to love it. I don’t consider myself a BBQ expert but with this grill I’m better than most. JUICY!
Off topic but if you ever want to hear some first hand accounts about the wildfires in Butte County California let me know. I’m the Supervising Building Inspector for Butte County and lost my home in the Paradise Camp Fire of 2018 so I’ve been fortunate to talk to many survivors from the area. I just finished up the damage assessments for the recent North Complex and between the two fires we’ve lost over 20,000 structures and 200,000 acres of beautiful Butte County mountains. It’s been tragic but a wonderful story of true human resilience.
Strips of aluminum with grooves on them, used for doorways in the home, to edge the flooring. The narrow ones. When my wife slipped down the frosty stairs out back I used those on the steps, two per, right where the ball of the foot goes on the tread. About 1.5 inches in between them. Worked like a charm.
Hi, George,
Sorry about your slipping on the stairs. Could a rubber coating or some type of non skid be applied to that set of stairs? It seems that what you currently have needs constant maintenance. Falling at our age is not recommended, as we don’t bounce like we used to. Also, hip surgeries are quite successful. My 92 year old mother just had one done after a fall.
I am with you Nancy.. they make some awesome coatings..
The other thing every home should have is a wheelchair accessible bathroom..hand rails.
When I built our home I made the hallway extra wide so that kids racing in winter could have room enough..I would if I did it over make some changes but its nice the way it is. When the time comes for us to move on I will give the house to the grandchild that needs it most that stays in the vicinity..let them have a decent affordable home.
Frost came to my area last Saturday (9/20) six weeks early. No way to prepare, didn’t see it coming.
Of the three remaining pumpkin plants one was destroyed and the other two severely damaged. I have five large pumpkins and several small. The smalls are soccer ball sized while three larges are about the size of a 351 Windsor. Not enough to carry me through the winter. Add those to the stack of the cucumbers.
I’m going to have to be a cannibal. That’ll be a 400 year rhyme with the “Starving Time” from 400 years ago +/-. (1609–1610).
here on the farm, we solve slippry issues like that by painting the stairs and throwing a handful of sand into the wet paint or whatever you’re coating them with. This leaves you a much more “grippy” surface and isn’t a great deal of work. Hope it helps, ellen P.
This has nothing to do with this column, but Trump just tweeted today that he wants Biden tested for drugs before the debate…HMMM. Has anyone seen this video?
https://twitter.com/14Truth14/status/1310225898457780226?s=20
I replaced my 2nd worn out Char Broil propane grill 10 years back with a discontinued version (burner control knobs are on the side tray instead of the front of the unit) of the Weber Genesis 300 model propane grill, which was on sale at a big box store. Webers are expensive and I honestly would not have purchased this model at the regular price. But after owning it all this time, I can see why Weber charges more for their grills. Other than some of the shine dulling on the side metal trays and replacing the cast iron grill grates and all triangular ‘flavorizer’ burner covers twice, the unit still works as good as new, despite being kept outdoors year round in W. PA weather under nothing more than a standard issue Weber grill cover. When the time comes to retire the current model, chances are pretty good that I’ll replace it with another Weber, as their parts are easy to find or mail order.
Weber grills are great. Our current Weber BBQ has lasted many years. Weber are top rated by Consumer Reports.
Thoughts 4 Ure in order:
The ultimate affordable BTU’s per square inch:
https://www.amazon.com/GasOne-B-3600H-Propane-000-BTU-Brewing/dp/B07PHKT5XC/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1DDU45GI6TBOM&dchild=1&keywords=wok+burner+propane+outdoor&qid=1601229581&sprefix=wok+burner+%2Caps%2C424&sr=8-4
This one pencils out at 806.45 BTU’s per square inch. It costs $98.43 with free shipping. It doesn’t look like a BBQ, but what do I know – I don’t even eat meat.
Sorry to hear about the slip and fall. When talking to doctors, just lie. Ure paying them, not the reverse. I suggest cutting some 3/4 offset expanded metal and securing it to each step. It has sharp edges that will bite into Ure shoes and grip. Just don’t do the barefoot thing. I use that stuff for all kinds of things – just buy a 4×4 or 4×8 sheet and cut as appropriate.
I’ve known too many women that needed hip and/or knee surgery, including my own mom. In every case I know, it’s been successful. The tech is definitely getting better. Cost is a consideration, and medical tourism would be a good option in better times. Today – I don’t even know if that’s possible. My best wishes to Elaine. Supplements can help for a while but not forever.
I’ve read of major successes with melatonin as an adjunct medication for COVID for months. Nobody’s disputed its utility. I’m sensitive to 300 MCG’s, or about 1/10 of the “normal” dose and that works for me. The metabolic pathway to melatonin is:
Tryptophan–>5-hydroxytryptophan(5HT)–>5-hydroxytryptamine(seratonin)–>melatonin
so excess melatonin will tend to stall the metabolism of seratonin. That can affect those who load with the precursors and/or use seratonin analogs(many, including LSD) for trips and giggles. Theoretically, too much melatonin could lead to seratonin syndrome(not good), but I’ve never heard of this happening from that cause. Be especially careful if using an MAOI!
That burner’d be like walking the cow past a flame thrower! Like it!
My latest old man injury was a stabbing. While using the push mower at the farm for some tight spots, something flew out from the backside and knocked the beejeezus out of my shin. As I was almost finished, I just kept mowing. Before I got done, my foot was squishy in my shoe – filled with blood when I looked down. And there was something poking out of my leg.
Sat down and it was a bit of burned branch with a pointed end, fire hardened, and it had hit my shin bone and then skittered off of it into meat. I pulled it out, flushed it with a lot of saline, hit it with hydrogen peroxide, then alcohol (ouch?). Then I cleaned it up with water and bandaged it with an ace and some sterile cotton cloth, figuring gauze would be iffy later when it was clotted.
Had a bruise from ankle to knee, and a week later it’s still a tendy, but it’s healing fine.
I have a 2-burner ss Kitchen Aid for almost 15 years. Upkeep has been a new set of burners and replacing the original grill with stainless. Entire cost was $175 new and another $100 for parts over 15 year span. Being a small grill, it does things fast, as in steaks in 10-15 min, burger even faster. I’ve found it far easier and more controllable to make two separate cook cycles than trying to use one of the “big boy” grills. And I can roll this one all by my lonesome…
However, we are going to make a small smokehouse in a month or so – we have a lot of pig meat we are going to need to start making use of…
G, I already told E she should get the joint replacement. If I can do 2 of them in a year, then she can do one – it’s all in the rehab. And the light therapy gotta be a help too…
I’m really kind of enjoying the shitshow that is our government – the stupid is spread out in an amazing panorama across every event; the lies are showered over us as soft as the first snowfall; the politicians wet their beaks and jab them in the air, searching for wind direction prior to every utterance; the lobbyists are gathering their promises with a wild madness that only comes with the fall season.
You know it’s the turkeys that are slow to go for the bait that survive longest, right?
LOL
G: If you are still taking Magnesium, be careful with EXCESS “calming” supplements as one of magnesium’s functions is nerve impulse deadening. This, along with muscle relaxation, helps it help with pain management. YMMV: Remember I’m not a Doctor!!
Cooking on a propane grill is NOT BarBQue’ing. It tastes like “gas”. Yes low and slow is the way. Luckily for y’all, the best pitmaster in the world is now making and selling his own pits for the unwashed. Use his method and you too might have people lined up for 3 or more hours to get a taste. Franklin BBQ in Austin Texas. Aaron Franklin is a James Beard Culinary winner. Go rob a bank and get one https://franklinbbqpits.com/
Regarding Covid, we have been using melatonin, Quercetin and zinc fortified with copper. So far, so good.
73 to all the hams out there
Watching a game show the other day, the prize was a complex BBQ grill that was ‘WiFi-enabled to alert your device (phone) when your food is done”. WTF? Who walks away from their grill when cooking, waiting for it to ‘call you’? Unbelievable!
Four and a half years ago my wife could only get around the house with a cane, and if we went anywhere a walker. Osteoarthritis through her whole body, brought on by a bad car accident 20 years ago. She had been told by an Orthopedist she had bone on bone in both knees, and should have knee surgery. A friend told us about the BEMER medical device German invention. We bought one, expensive but it works. My wife now walks around like a normal person, no pain, no surgeries, and many other health challenges have improved too!
I took a spill some months back — was running to help out a distressed neighbor and stepped in a rabbit hole in the dark. I dropped like a rock, landing square on my right shoulder. I blew my shoulder — two months later damaging the left, as I was (obviously) favoring my right. After four months of therapy, everything still hurts, but works again.
Falls are not cool…
…and as we age, recovery time sucks.
An aside: Like many here, I often “play” with supplements. I began taking “Superbeets” about 6 months ago. At rest, I am a shallow, slow breather. My resting blood-oxygen typically hovers around 94%. At the hospital for the shoulder thing, my resting blood-oxygen was 99% — notably above the error margin of the test. The Superbeets was the only deviation in my supplement intake. Whether it does anything the commercials say it does, I don’t know, but oxygen boost — yeah, that happened. I’ve got nitric oxide boost pills — haven’t tried them to compare yet, because I got both supplements at the same time, and the Superbeets is an air & humidity sensitive powder…
it happens to the elderly all the time.. the three fall rule.. step wrong fall break a few bones or hip.. they favor themselves and are extra careful.. step wrong twice or be to careful.. fall the second time.. break a hip or a few bones.. they get back up but it takes longer more physical therapy.. the third time they are even more careful.. slip fall break a hip or a few bones.. this time they don’t get out of the chair because of fear and or are nursing home bound..
happens all the time..
seen the three fall rule thousands of times.. it it what keeps nursing homes in business.. lately it is the insurance companies.. you get sick need hospitalization insurance companies refuse to pay for hospital stays but will pay for a skilled nursing facility.. you go in and get your therapy or spend you month there.. then out or stay..
I really want a Big Green Egg. They are the most versatile “grill” (the Amish bake, broil, and fry with them), incredibly efficient, and they’re indestructible unless dropped. I’m just having a hard time justifying spending $800 on a charcoal grill…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, September 27, 2020
Vitamin C Treatment of COVID-19: Case Reports
http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v16n47.shtml
My normal walking pace is between 3½ and 4 mph — on pavement, even today. However, as I’ve aged, I have begun walking on uneven surfaces at less than two, and walk on slick surfaces, like wet or icy store flooring, like an 80yo man with osteoporosis. A hard-surface fall would be, at best, inconvenient…