Beach Body

Yeah, I don't have one.
But I am taking the body I have to the beach.
Hopefully, I'll be taking a little less of a body to the beach.
Two months. That's how long I have to get beach ready.

I'm really not that vain.
I would go to the beach today with the body I have and I would enjoy myself. But since I just booked us on flights to Puerto Vallarta, I think I'll take advantage of the incentive to lose a little weight and get conditioned for walking the hills to and from the beach.
House/cat sitting for the kids 400 meters from the ocean is tough work, but as parents, we feel it's important to show our support.

In other news...

Okay, I don't really have any other news.
I'm enjoying/enduring the hot, humid Midwest summer, the flowers are blooming, I might go to bike night again this week (I might not), and all of the other very typical, ordinary stuff that I do (and love doing) every day.
It's a pretty simple life (with or without the beach body).

I'm thinking about a new little project--a flowerpot smoker.
Here's one (of many) video on building one.
I haven't priced anything yet, but figure I should be able to get everything I need for less than a C-note.
I'll get back to you if I actually do this.
Other than that, I'll be doing the old man, retired guy thing while trying to do the beach body prep at the same time.

Enjoy the day. We're looking at another 100F (38c) kind of day in the Ozarks.

John

Reclaiming My Deck

You know that I spend a lot of time on the screened in deck. I practically live out here most of the year. Winter kind of sucks for spending time on the deck. Even sunny days can be challenging as winter breezes can be downright cutting.

I have managed to enclose the deck for the winter months. Transparent plastic sheeting is difficult to find and very expensive to order. Translucent is the best I could do with my limited budget and skill, but I did manage to make panels to keep the wind out and make the deck more habitable for the next couple of months.

Two of the upper panels are easily removable for days when it is nicer or when I just want to see out. I do miss the scenery, but will settle for just being out here for the time being. A space heater helps to warm the area near the futon enough that a sweater and sweatpants makes it comfortable enough to enjoy.
I imagine that I'll still be having my early morning coffee by the fireplace, but reading throughout the late morning and afternoons can be back on the deck. I may have to wear socks, but I can deal with that.

I'm ready for spring.

John

My Memorial Day

It is Memorial Day in the USA.

Memorial Day is a day that is set aside to honor those that have given their lives in service of our nation. It has been said that Memorial Day is a day of observation, not a day of celebration.
Many veterans recognize that this is not their day; it is a day to honor the ones that didn't make it home.
I think that we should also remember the ones that made it home, but are a part of the 22 veteran suicides per day.

To the family and friends of these fallen heroes, you have the gratitude and sympathy of this humble citizen.

It is customary to use the holiday weekend to give summer an unofficial kickoff.
Although the celestial beginning of summer is still three weeks away, this is the weekend when swimming pools open, lakes will be crowded, and many bbq grills will be fired up.

No special plans for us as Chris is working today.
During my career as an air traffic controller, there were many holidays that I was working while others enjoyed holiday time off. Today there is little difference from one day to the next. One of my senior cousins fed me this little bit of information as I entered retirement -- You don't get days off in retirement.

He was right.
I guess if I am to take a day off from retirement, I'll have to get a job.

While Chris is working today, I think I'll take a nice ride on the motorcycle.
I also need to take care of a couple of household chemistry projects in mixing some homemade weed killer and some mosquito repellent for the lawn.
The weed killer is made up of white vinegar, salt and a little bit of dish soap.
The lawn spray mosquito repellent is made up of cheap beer, blue mouthwash and epsom salt.
I've not tried either yet, so I'll let you know how well they work.

During your holiday activities, take time to remember.

John <><

Household hacks -- laundry

As the retired half of our household, a few more of the household chores have come my way. For several years, we have been making our own laundry soap. And when I say we -- I mean Chris has been making it and we have been using it. But the last few times that we have run out, making a new batch has fallen to me.

Just for something useful to write, I thought I'd share our laundry soap recipe.
We tried a few different recipes, including both dry and liquid. This one is modified a little from the original and works well for us. On occasion, we still add a little all fabric bleach and we still use bleach with some loads.

You will need:

1 bar of Fels-Naptha soap
1 cup of washing soda
1 cup Borax
5 gallon bucket or large container

Grate the bar of soap and add to a large sauce pan of hot water. Stir over low heat until the soap has completely melted and dissolved in the water. Fill your 5 gallon bucket to the halfway point with hot water. Add your melted soap and dry ingredients and stir until everything is dissolved. Fill the container the rest of the way with hot water.

The original recipe was for 10 gallons and called for 1 cup per load. We decided on 5 gallons and use 1/2 cup per load. We also fill an old detergent bottle to dispense from. The mixture will separate between uses, forming a thick layer on the top and will need to be shaken or stirred before each use.

We also make our own dryer sheets by soaking cloths in fabric softener, wringing them out and letting them dry. They will last for many loads. I suggest buying inexpensive wash cloths or shop rags. I make 5 at a time. They hang on a hook by the dryer and will last the two of us a season.

John <><

Homemade Household Stuff

So I spent part of my day yesterday taking care of a little house hubby stuff.
For several years now, we have been making our own laundry soap and dryer sheets. Usually, Chris has been the one to prepare them, but yesterday I took care of it.

The dryer sheets are easy. We use five uniform cloths and wet them with liquid fabric softener and then hang them to dry completely. We rotate through them as we do laundry and they will last us for several weeks.

For the laundry soap --
We tried a few different types -- both liquid and dry -- before settling on this one. We modified it slightly to better suit our needs. I guess it's a lot cheaper than buying detergent. You know what's in it. And it works.

You will need a bar of Fels Naptha soap, 2 cups of washing soda, 1 cup of Borax and a 5 gallon container (or larger) with a lid.

I start by finely grating a bar of Fels Naptha soap, adding hot water and "cooking" it in a large sauce pan until it is all melted.
Partially fill your container with hot water, add the melted soap and dry ingredients and stir until dissolved. Then use hot water to fill to 5 gallons and mix well. Use a half cup per load.

We use an old liquid detergent jug and fill it from our big bucket as needed. You will need to shake it well before using and stir the soap in the bucket before refilling your jug. You'll understand why. I suppose you could use some essential oils or other product if you wanted to add a scent to your detergent, we don't.

So there you have it!
Homemade laundry soap and dryer sheets!

John <><