October 2022 – Hatchetation

Happy Halloween

Posted on October 31, 2022 by Markman

Here’s a spooky picture I took a while back in Wrentham, just passing by and happened to come upon the scene whilst we were out doing other things.

Had a good time the other night at the get together, I ended up grilling steaks, chicken and potatoes. LD made a coffee rub, with mixed results, but it was worth trying. In addition, we got the fire pit going and I even fired up the outdoor heater, which lit up like a charm. It works really well too after a couple of minutes being next to it. I got around to doing some yard work, and preparing a few things for the colder weather coming soon around here, such as shutting off the front faucets and storing the hose (leaving to beck one up for now) and replacing the front door screen with the glass pane to cut down on the chill that happens because Carson likes the door open to see what’s going on outside.

Speaking of Carson, he actually came down while our visitors were present, stayed, and interacted with them. For that, we were very proud of him. He even began to nod off while our visitors, who were in the same room, saw him on the Fuf XL, which is simply a large bean bag. He’s made significant progress in terms of being more sociable lately.

As for tonight being Halloween, we were ready to see what little ghosts and goblins would come up to the door. Final tally: about 100 kids!

Flooring Done but More to Come

Posted on October 29, 2022 by Markman

Haven’t had much time to do an update, so here’s a quick one. The kitchen floor is finally done and looks pretty sweet. I had to work with the electrician and the plumber to get the utility setups correct for the new appliances to go in (long story – let’s just say the former owners didn’t do things properly and leave it at that) so that everything is up to code and safe and whatnot. The appliances aren’t due to arrive till next week sometime so we’ll be winging it for cooking for the next few days. I did manage to get myself to play a Powerball ticket yesterday on the off chance I might actually win something, even though it’s a longshot. My first issue of Lighthouse Digest finally arrived yesterday and I was pleasantly impressed with the quality of it. Planning on having a get together with some friends out back late this afternoon, it’s been a while since we used the firepit or even the grill. Speaking of which, I need to get started on replacing the summer door screens with their winter glass pane counterparts, shutting off some outside utilities, and transferring some indoor plants that I wish to overwinter.

Flooring In (Just About)

Posted on October 26, 2022October 26, 2022 by Markman

Much of today was all about getting the new kitchen flooring installed and it’s just about done and I got to say, it looks pretty amazing. What I really like about it is how it appears almost seamless. Pretty cool to see actually. The old dishwasher and stove have been disconnected but we might have to wait a little bit for the new replacements to get installed, so it’s microwave, air fryer, grill and take out for a little bit it would seem, but we knew that going into it. Pictures when it’s all totally done. Again, it looks amazing!

Contented by Chrysanthemums

Posted on October 23, 2022 by Markman

A chrysanthemum by any other name would be easier to spell.”

A Little Sparkle to Brighten the Day

Posted on October 23, 2022October 23, 2022 by Markman

This afternoon we took a little ride over to the Sanctuary. We actually had not been there in quite a while. It was nice to visit with our animal friends for a while, and of course, the various goats! Other than that, it was another low key day. Afterwards I pretty just wanted to veg in front of the tv so that’s what I did. However, I plan to be much more productive tomorrow running errands, replacing the screens to glass panes in the doors because it’s starting to get colder now, and a bunch of other little things.

Oh, one cool thing that I was able to figure out yesterday morning, is streaming from the phone straight to the tv, so we were able to watch an educational medical conference that LD was interested in, right on the tv instead of looking at the little phone screen or computer screen, and we didn’t have to huddle over a little screen to watch it.

Pumpkin Spice and a Bivalent Booster

Posted on October 21, 2022October 22, 2022 by Markman

Went down to get my bivalent shot. Easy peasy lemonade squeezy. Before that I grabbed this pic of some of the pumpkins we have laying about. I have decided to call it “Pumpkin Spice.”

Watch List: Took a chance on Blonde on Netflix, a fictionalized account of Marilyn Monroe. I wanted to see what the buzz was about. My verdict? So-so. It started out pretty good but then, I don’t know, I started to lose interest. For one, it’s too long and also since a bunch of it is fictionalized you’re not sure what really happened or not. While I don’t doubt that some of that stuff happened I would have preferred a more factual representation. Just my two cents. The lead actress does do a great job though.

A Well Endowed Tool in Hand

Posted on October 20, 2022 by Markman

Not one to brag but my pencil is rather large.

I am proud to inform you that I surely do not suffer from pencil envy.”
– Me

Fresh Check on Your Mental Health

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Markman

Today is Fresh Check day, essentially a day to check in on your mental health so I thought I’d represent by wearing a Fresh Check shirt that I was able to obtain a while back from one of their events. It’s really for college kids but really everyone should stay on top of their mental health.

I will say that the logo though, seriously reminds me of Facebook. Maybe not the best choice since the little ‘f’ which a circle around it is pretty much facebook’s domain.

Damn, it was downright frosty this morning as I headed out to work. I knew it was going to be that way when I noticed the frost on the windshield, first time I’ve seen that since last winter! Luckily the day warmed up rather quickly and, in fact, this weekend they are saying we are going to be in the 70s. Hope that’s true!

Small Things that Kept Me Busy / New Ai Header

Posted on October 19, 2022October 19, 2022 by Markman

I was playing around with some new header images, which you might have noticed. These images were completely created by AI just by giving it some keywords and this is what popped out. For some reason the header images look huge on the desktop to me, but I really liked how they fit on tablet and mobile. Anyways, ultimately I didn’t go with any of them although it was kind of fun to play around with the AI. I was using Midjourney this time around, at least until my little free trial ran out. You can click on each one to see the whole picture. I’m still not really satisfied with my header image but I’ll keep trying.

Game time: Color Portal. Beat it, not too hard but I did find it pretty fun for a while.

Sunday Rest Day

Posted on October 16, 2022October 17, 2022 by Markman

A Tree changes color in Wellesley, MA 10/16/2022.

Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.”
– Emily Brontë

I booked my bivalent vaccine shot for Friday afternoon this morning. Should be pretty easy and it is time for me to get it done, so there’s that. We went to LD’s workplace in Wellesley later in the day, and while we were there, she spotted this magnificent tree, which I had to photograph. The light coming through was simply a lucky coincidence of being in the right place at the right time! This picture just screams Autumn to me. Other than that, today has been a pretty low key day, which is what we planned. Just some simple errand runs, some television watching getting caught up on some shows, sitting out in the warm sun. Like I said, low ley Sunday. I did finally get my haircut yesterday, I feel so much lighter!

Look at these Mugs! Hanging with Lenny!

Posted on October 14, 2022 by Markman

I got a chance to hang out with Lenny again! This time over at the yoga/healing arts studio that he’s been hanging out in on the weekends, talk about a lucky dog! His guardians were busy for part of the afternoon so I said I’d look after him for a bit. We had a good time together. I like Lenny – he’s my buddy! Anyways that was probably the best highlight for today.

The kitchen flooring has finally arrived. Pretty soon the kitchen will new floors and a couple of new appliances to go with – this place is really shaping up this year!

Oh, I forgot to mention something that happened the other day. It must have been around 6 pm or so and then I heard the doorbell ring and a pounding on the front door. I thought it was the stupid neighbor kid again saying that his ball flew over into the back yard and wanted to get it. However, when I got up and answered the door, a policeman with papers in his hand was there. Immediately in the back of my head, due no doubt to all the cop shows I’ve watched over the years, I thought, “Are they going to serve us papers or something?” However, come to find out, someone had reported their packages missing from their doorstep in the neighborhood and he was wondering if I saw anything, which I did not. He then went on to other houses in the neighborhood and tried to get as much information as he could. Anyways, it was quite a sight to see the guy all in the whole regalia and all on the front steps.

Ended with a massages tonight. – probably hadn’t had one in like, over a year, so I was definitely due. Tried out a new person, and it was pretty good, I would go back to her again. Now it’s off the watch some tv and settle in for the night. Have another busy day tomorrow!

Some YouTubers I Follow

Posted on October 13, 2022 by Markman

Thought it would be interesting to let you know some Youtubers that I watch regularly to get a sense of my tastes. So without further ado, here we go:

Britec09 – Little tidbits about Windows tips and tricks.
ChrisTitusTech – This one is really technical and lots of Linux information.
ComicTropes – really good channel. I don’t collect comics anymore but I still have a love for them. Very entertaining and informative.
JamieMarsland – really good tips and learning tools to get the most out of WordPress.
LonTV – this Youtuber does a lot of reviews and I also find him quite informative.
PowerCertAnimatedVideos – if you ever wondered about IT these videos explain them pretty well.
RickBeato – the man. He really knows music and has given me much appreciation about the craft.
TechsYouCantLiveWithout – a variety of videos showcasing the coolest products on the planet and ranked so you can pick the best.
TheReportoftheWeek – ReviewBrah is the man, keeping us up to date on the best fast food items.
The Art of Guitar – cool channel about music. For some reason the guy reminds me a little of John Cusack.
And finally for now, ThioJoe – more computer knowledge mostly.

You might be beginning to see a pattern here. Hmmm. Music, Computers, Fast food reviews. Maybe I should diversify a bit. Comment by clicking on this post if you have any Youtubers you follow that you think I might be interested in!

Thinking About Adult Happy Meals

Posted on October 12, 2022 by Markman

I finally got around to mowing the lawns late this afternoon, mostly just to pick up a lot of the leaves that had fallen. Those goats that visited a few days ago, although they were chomping through as many as they could get, they just couldn’t get it all. I’m kidding about them eating it all of course, most of the leaves are really starting to fall off the trees now up here. Speaking of eating, I am considering trying out that new “adult” happy meal that Mickey D’s has been promoting for the month of October. Yeah, I know it’s basically a glorified Big Mac meal for double the price but maybe I could score a Hamburgler toy, everyone seems to want that one but all you usually end up with is either Birdie or Grimace. Also for some strange reason the toys appear to have two sets of eyes. I rarely eat McD’s but I might have to make an exception in this case to see what all the buzz is about.

I need a haircut bad, probably going to get one on Saturday, as I plan at being down at Earth-1 for most of the day. Have to take my mom’s cats to get their nails done as well. Might as well just tie it all together and get a bunch of things done since I was enjoying the shore last weekend.

I voted today, filled out my ballot and put it in the box. Easy peasy, it’s the way to go in my opinion. I’m also going to book my bivalent booster shot, probably for next Friday sometime, would like to get that out of the way and done.

Lavallette Visit Year 2

Posted on October 11, 2022 by Markman

Spent a few days down in Lavallette, NJ at a Airbnb, in fact the same one we stayed in last year at this time. It’s a great location and a pretty good place to hang out. We had a some family stay overnight with us at the beach house and I do think they all had a fun time. We were able to see two sunsets (all three days had gorgeous weather), a full moon one night, and even whales breaching right off the shore. It was quite the sight to see, especially since they were so close to the shoreline. There’s a picture out there of one literally right next to a surfer, like he could touch it with his hand, it was that close. Had some good food (some takeout but we also made some stuff and gobbled that all down over the time stayed). We were able to enjoy the takeout meals while seeing the sunset at the end of a neighboring pier. The following night, we had our guests picked up by driving them to the JBJ rest stop area so that we wouldn’t have to travel all the way back to the Airbnb because we were spending an additional night. There were some amazing pictures taken there of LD belting out the hits with the guests. It was a really fun time. Maybe I’ll add some more pictures from this trip at a later time but these are some good ones for now. I’m a bit tired!

Waves crashing on pier. We ate out on the end of it watching the sunset both nights.

We had a late checkout in the morning, so we took our time, ate breakfast on the beach at a local coffee house we like called Lava Java, and enjoyed a little more time at the beach as the sun was feeling quite wonderful. As we were about to return to Boston, we decided to take a detour and visit our old friend Chris and his two young girls in Yonkers, New York. There was a park right next door where we could all hang for a bit outside and the kids could play in the meantime. Beautiful looking children too. Quite the weekend! Then the long ride back home last night. I had to get back because I had CPR training down at HQ this morning so I didn’t want to miss that. Needless to say I am certified once again.

Trolley Square in Autumn and Long Weekend Travels

Posted on October 8, 2022 by Markman

Autumn along the Somerville/Cambridge town lines

We’ve decided to take a trip for this long weekend we have in store. In fact, it happens to be a place that we visited around this time about two years ago. Long time readers may remember but I did list it as my second favorite location in a certain state. Anyways, they’ll be updates after I get back as I’m not bringing the Chromebook on this particular trip. There could be some updates on my socials in the meantime, Speaking of meantime, enjoy this picture of autumn from the Somerville/Cambridge line along the bike path that cuts through both cities. I used to bike this route on my way to work all the time, back when I worked in that area. Happening upon this scene I knew I had to capture it. The wagon like thing in the center is basically an artwork that depicts some of the tools that the locals used to make things in that area back in the day, In the early 1900s, the corner of Massachusetts and Cameron Avenues in North Cambridge is where trolleys for the original Boston street car system were stored and repaired. A hundred years later, the site has been given new life as a development named Trolley Square. So there you go! Be well and I’ll update soon.

The Mysterious Case of the Hurting Knee

Posted on October 6, 2022October 6, 2022 by Markman

Not really sure what I did lately to bring this one, but my knee was really bugging me this morning, enough so that I had to put my brace back on. I hadn’t been wearing the brace for a couple of months since it hadn’t been an issue. I’m thinking it could possibly be due to the rainy weather we’ve been having, or maybe it’s just that I am getting old. Either way, it’s annoying.

Watchlist: Yesterday I watched Hot Take: The Depp/Heard Trial on Tubi on my laptop to kill some time. Basically using actors to recount everything that came out in the trial and reenacted some key scenes from each others viewpoint. The breaking of the fourth wall that they a lot was interesting, if a little unnerving at first. It looked really awful the first five minutes or so in, but I kept watching it anyway, and actually I came to the conclusion that it actually wasn’t all that bad. The guy playing Depp nailed him down pretty well. It’s basically those one-of-the-mill type made for TV movies that jump on tabloid ready stories, but it kept me entertained. Your mileage may vary. Now the next show that I want to watch is called Blonde on Netflix.

Enjoy this throwback picture I took from Boothbay Harbor up in Maine.

An Appearance of the Goat-a-Gram

Posted on October 3, 2022October 3, 2022 by Markman

Goat-a-Grams for the Ladydoc

Yesterday I was able to get a couple of baby goats to visit LD for a continuance of her celebration this year. They were the cutest things, named Speck and Ziggy, brothers as it were. A nice thing that along with all the goat snuggles is that they were going to town on eating all the fallen oak leaves. I think they had as good a time as we did. It was a fun experience and they came right to the house. We also had a couple of guests visit which was also very nice. I’m glad the weather held out and didn’t rain. It was a bit windy (the remnants of Hurricane Ian) but nothing us hardly New Englanders couldn’t handle.

IF anyone in the area is interested in doing this sort of experience, hit me up and I can provide you with the details on how to get it all set up for yourself.

Visitors from Afar

Posted on October 1, 2022October 1, 2022 by Markman

I was able to take my my Mom from Somerville to Westwood to the local AAA place to get her license renewed yesterday and she passed. I was worried about the traffic but apparently Fridays are the way to go because we made it in record time. When I visited her Tuesday it took me slightly more than an hour and a half one way. This time the trip up and back took just about an hour, tops. Well, within the time I had allocated for us to get it done. So, score!

Today, an old collogue of LD’s swung by to pay a visit, as they were going to be in the area on other business. Ended up having a lunch/brunch with some takeout from the Muffin House that just opened up about a couple months ago down the road. It was a a fun little gettogether for a couple hours.