Hmmm. Maybe I’ll have to check our local Safeway out tomorrow when I’m running errands. Season up the ribs and fire up the smoker!

Of course it is supposed to be in the LOW 20’s here in the morning.

Rob, I did have some room in my rolling tool Cabinet for the electric tools, but no room for an air compressor. I do need to cull through the contents of the garage one of these days.

 

Every time I've thought about that, there's not 1 tool that I want to part with. It's terrible. I want every wrench, socket, hammer, screwdriver....... Even the Japanese Industrial Standard screwdriver (which cost a fortune to import), used for the screws on a Japanese Keihin carburetor, which came on American made Harley Davidson motorcycles. Harley has not used a carburetor since sometime in the mid 2000 decade - almost 20 years ago. Darn Harley. American made, with expensive import parts. Like the German Oetiker clamps on their fuel lines. Which of course means that instead of a $0.50 hose clamp, it cost $$$ for a special imported clamp - and even more $$$ for the special, imported Oetiker tool. Or, I spend $$$ on the Matco version of the tool. Harbor Freight didn't have a $1.50 version.

 

What a racket. American motorcycle company using overpriced-unnecessary-imported parts. Glad I don't own a Harley.
California gas prices highest in the nation. Government charges 51.1 cents per gallon to maintain the roads. Better get gas tomorrow before it goes up due to the invasion halfway around the world. So far, the local station has kept gas at $4.159, but I don't think he/she will be able to keep it there much longer.
Starting to worry about losing the Dodge come July. It is burning oil, and I doubt it will pass smog. It is in much better shape than the Ranger as everything works. Not to mention the sentimental value of it. I have not had the stereo/speakers installed yet, and now I think I will hold off on it until I know for sure I won't be forced to get rid of it. Don't want to keep it here with expired tags and have the tow company tow it away.

Jim

 

Brace yourself. The price per barrel for oil is going higher. That means everything is going up in price. Luckily, I see potato plants coming up in the yard. So I won't go hungry. When I can't afford to buy groceries, I'll just eat whatever is growing in the dirt. Potato, sweet potatoes, tomato, celery, garlic, onion, cabbage, melons, carrot, mint, squash. With the size of my yard, I could feed myself for 2, maybe 3 days.

It's cold outside. I just came back from my backyard. I took a few pieces off every fruit tree in my yard, and stuck them into a bucket of soil. With a lot of luck, since I don't know what I'm doing, those cuttings may root and I get an extra tree. No real reason to do it. Since I really don't have anywhere to plant another tree. But it was something that I had heard of, so I thought I would try it. Nothing to lose. I suppose I could always keep a cloned tree in a 5 gallon bucket until I find someone to adopt it. I suppose if I wasn't doing it at 10 o'clock at night, my neighbors wouldn't think I'm crazy. But my nocturnal activities keep them on their toes. While they're watching me, to see what I'm doing, they're keeping their eyes open.

If all goes well, I'll declare success in a year. I'll let everyone know on 2/3/23 or 2/23/23 if I have a bunch of new trees. Fig, tangerine, lime, plum, apricot, peach, loquat. Tomorrow, I'm going to try to graft them to each other. Tangerine and lime could work. Plum, apricot, and peach could work. If that works, then I'll have trees with more than 1 type of fruit growing on it. If any of that actually works, then I can sell multi-fruit trees in 5 gallon buckets.

 

Colder than average this morning

 

That is a big difference.

 

You are a hair warmer, but with a better chance of rain too.

 

I hear that over 40 is good. No frost. Sun is out here. It feels warm.

 

But even though they said low 30’s for night time, we still registered 29 at the house.

 

It's strange how in SF we get an average temp of 55. That's it. 10 to 15 degrees variance. Does not really get hotter than 65 or 70. Does not get colder than 40 or 45.

I'm on US 101, in front of City Hall. Sun is out. Does not feel like winter.

 

48 degrees here at almost 7pm. Too cold for me to go out without a jacket on.

Jim

 

Jim, yur durn tootin! It was low 40’s with a stiff breeze and too cold to be trying to diagnose a coolant leak on the Bronco.

The P.O. put an all aluminum “Performance “ radiator in, budget “Performance” parts usually aren’t. This weekend the boy and I get to remove and replace the radiator, since the one in there has multiple leaks on the welds holding the tanks to the core.

 

Safeway has a ground beef coupon. Win for me. I grab a handful of meat, and make burgers about 6 inches around in diameter. About 1 inch thick. I have no idea what they weigh. Not 1/4 pounders. Probably more than 1/2 pounders. Maybe 3/4 pounders. It could even be 1 pounders. Personal preference. I would rather have a big patty, than 2 small patties. Ground beef cooks a lot faster. Hot cast iron for just a few minutes. Flip. The flames shoot up from the burning fat. It's done. Just crispy on the outside. Tender and juicy on the inside. If prices keep going up, I'm only going to eat what's on sale, or discounted with a coupon. Wait. I'm already doing that. If prices keep going up, I may have to stop eating.

 

It looks like the fighting has started. Tomorrow morning, gas will go up.

 

Happy thirsty Thursday. Since it is 32 degrees here, I think I will go out and scrape up some ice to thaw and drink since it is thirsty Thursday.
So, it is finally official. Time to send a nuke present for Moscow.

Jim