Here comes the heat... I am staying indoors as much as possible the next three days. Already have the AC on as it is 90 degrees outside.

Jim

 

10:43pm and it is still 91 degrees outside....

Jim

 

It sounds like you need a cold beverage.

 

Happy Humpeth Day Nor Cal. Going to be 102 here for a high. Another day to stay indoors.

Jim

 

9n my block, there's a nice cool breeze.

Hummingbirds have been flying around the yard. I thought it odd. In my neighborhood, we don't see pigeons and gulls. But crows and jays, and now hummingbirds. There are skunks, raccoons. And cats. All breeding. And I suspect crossbreeding. There are cats around here which are marked like raccoons. Same colors, black mask, and rings on the tail. A cop in the area made an off the cuff remark that I should do something about it, since Animal Control will not. And don't call them. If they have a record of your call, you become the #1 person of interest any time an animal is tampered with. They will get a warrant for you if they find jaw traps and poison in the neighborhood.

 

Well, I chickened out and took her truck to Les Schwab for a nail removal and tire rotation. So nice to sit in the air conditioned store while it was 103 today.

I did find some Universal female air chucks to re plumb my compressor. Boy have they gone up in price since I first found them 20 years ago.

 

Everything has gone up in price since 20 years ago. Heck, everything has gone up in price from 6 months ago...Runaway inflation is the norm these days.

Jim

 

Is that still free? In the old days, tire shops used to plug and patch tires, rotate and balance tires - free - as long as you bought your tires there. Then it got to a point where some shops simply did free warranty work for anyone - even if you bought your tires somewhere else. It was a gimmick, of course. How many flat tires come in with nails? It got you in the door, so that they could sell tires to you.

I'm scared of flat tires. I buy jacks, breaker bars, wheel lock removal tools, 12 volt inflators, tire repair plugs....... I even bought the valve stem removal tool and a gallon of tire slime - which is a last resort. If the puncture is so bad, that air is still leaking from around the plugs, the slime will fill in the gaps. Then a tire shop has to deal with cleaning that stuff out.

I'm also scared of dead batteries. I've got those jumpstarts in every car. Years ago, I bought those jumpstart packs. Huge. Heavy. Now I have the small lithium jump starters.

Childhood fears. From when I was a teenager. Getting a flat tire, or a dead battery. I haven't been stranded on the side of the road, needing a jump start, since they started making cars that turn everything off with the key. You just can't leave the lights or radio on anymore. You can't even lock yourself out anymore. The car can't lock with the key in the ignition. And, you need to have the key fob in your hand to press the lock button. I had to jumpstart the truck a few months ago because the battery was dead. But that happens. The truck just needed a new battery. It wasn't because I left the lights and radio on. Maybe it's just luck that I haven't gotten a nail in my tire. No way to explain not getting a nail in decades. I did find a screw in my truck tire a few years ago. It was wedged in the big lugs, and sort of stuck between two lugs. No penetration.

 

I stopped buying clothes and shoes.

I only buy what is on sale at the grocery store.

I stopped going to movies, ballgames, live theater, musical shows, and concerts.

I now ride the motorcycle more than I drive the truck.

I stopped buying coffee from coffee shops. Just like the last time we had inflation, I make a Thermos full of coffee at home, and take it with me.

I have drastically cut back on eating in restaurants. No more nice meals. Only the occasional small meal, if I didn't have the time to pack my own lunch.

Change the oil myself, instead of letting the dealership do it.

No more political contributions. If they want my money, they need to fix the economy so that I can afford to give.

 

We have been buying our tires at America's Tire for almost 25 years now. When you purchase there, it includes lifetime tire rotation & balance plus flat repair. My SO once picked up a nail or something when she was on a solo trip down near Mojave. There was no America's Tire, but she got a replacement tire from a local dealer. When she got home, we took the car down to America's Tire & they re-swapped it with the matching brand (to the other 3), and covered it under warranty.

It got up to 90 here briefly yesterday, when the wind shifted to on-shore about 1 PM. Temp dropped to 78 almost immediately, and is in the low 60s this morning. Love that ocean breeze!

 

When I did buy clothes, it was at the local Amvets thrift store. Right across the street from the Walmart Neighborhood Market I go to. Ten percent discount to vets on everything.
I don't eat at fancy restaurants either, usually once a month or so, I'll eat at BK or MC D's but only if something I like is on sale.
I bought one of those portable tire inflators that also had a jumpstart function back when I bought the ranger. It didn't air up the tires, or jumpstart the ranger, so I threw it away. My friend in the apartments fished it out of the dumpster and says it works fine. Go figure.
Day 13 of my chest cold. Going to have to send the doctor an email asking if that is normal. Already taken two bottles of cough medicine this past week. No signs of it letting up. Also, have to ask him about my right heel. For some reason it is hurting really bad, and has been for about 2 to 3 weeks. Just on the outside though, inside doesn't hurt at all. Never heard of anything like that.
Thought it was supposed to be cooler today, but after checking the forecast, it is going to be 98 as a high. Tomorrow is the cool down day of 87.Going to have to go to the store tomorrow morning and stock up on liquids.

Jim

 

Jim. I hope you get everything checked out and feel better soon.

 

My feet build up callouses to the point that if I don't sand them off with a foot file, they will crack and hurt like hell. I go outside and sand them off about once a week to keep them from getting out of control.

 

Happy Friday Nor Cal. Today is cooler, so I went to the store and bought milk, chocolate milk, apple juice, and Simply Orange Juice. I usually get the generic orange juice, but decided to splurge today and get the expensive stuff. Tastes great, but cost twice as much. Maybe it will help defeat this nagging cold.

Jim

 

Sure you don't have COVID Jim? Just curious. How's your sniffer working?

This afternoon I'm making bacon-wrapped dates for a get together a bit later.