Happy birthday, Mik!!! That's definitely a milestone, too. I am hoping to retire in a year. I can't say much about my work, because it would be too identifying. I have enjoyed it immensely for over 20 years, with it overlapping my time teaching. It's time though. I'm ready. Hubby was shocked when I told him I want to retire next year. He wanted me to wait until he would also hit the right age to retire. I reminded him that I am older than he is. That was a strange and funny moment. I expect he will want to retire shortly after I do. I can see his mind working it out how to time it.

@Mik Oh, Mik, we have finally gotten tough on the marauders, the deer that love to eat everything in our yard. We fenced in the backyard, and also most of the front yard on one side. They have to be civilised deer now and walk all the way to our front yard if they want to enter. And I am sure they eventually will. Doggone deer ...

@Mik We hired it done this time. It took a crew of four to six people over three weeks to get it almost done. That included both the house and the carriage-house style garage. We use five colors, but it's still very subdued compared to some of the wildly painted Victorian houses. The painters are returning this fall to put the storm windows back in place, and to do some touch ups. Yes, we have the original windows and storm windows. Hubby is so proud of the little black bow-tie turn buttons I found for him to use with the storm windows. He paints them a shiny black so they stand out proudly. We are total house geeks!

Interesting article.

Further proof that Trump really no clue as to what’s been going on: During the press conference, Trump added that he was "a little bothered" by Zelensky's words regarding "constitutional approval" for land swaps as part of a potential peace agreement. "He's got approval to go into war and kill everybody, but he needs approval to do a land swap? There'll be some land swapping going on," Trump said. Does not get it….not at all.

https://www.flyingmag.com/victory-verticals-a-forgotten-and-restored-piece-of-world-war-ii-history/ You may be familiar with the concept of pianos used as weapons—it happened frequently in cartoons—but did you know that Steinway & Sons, the makers of pianos since 1853, had a military contract to build pianos during World War II? And that these pianos, packed tightly in specially designed crates, were often parachuted into war zones?

Dayum. https://x.com/dudespostingws/status/1955034639807938612?s=46

They may try to occupy the pot and edge forever.

Great pictures Horace, looks like a wonderful time.

[image: 1754935063662-ecd0074a-628b-4b57-a137-9d78ce70ef35-image.png]

Plumbing school FTW!

Wait, he's saying clouds shift? I like how he said "I don't care how many people say this is normal. It is not."

@jon-nyc said in We’re now in the business of shipping advanced AI chips to China: It’s not so much the tax it that we now have a financial stake in Chinese AI infrastructure buildout. Seems ….. misguided. Heard a podcast about it the other day.... the short version is China would eventually build chips as good as Nvidia, so might as well let a US company (Nvidia) control the market supply for as long as possible thereby letting our country control China's AI abilities, indirectly.

@jon-nyc said in so...this years summer vacation...: One girl my age was on the boat, also someone’s grandkid along for the ride. I walked up to her and said ‘I guess you and I are hanging out the next few days’. (No Mik, I didn’t close the sale) We are disappointed, didn't Juneau. @bachophile sounds great, I've heard similar reactions from others who have gone there (like my parents in law). Would be nice to visit one day.

We need an update.

Wow! That's got to be about the limit when there's all the pressure of the opposing team running you down. In rugby the record for a penalty is 81 yards; and it was at an angle, 5yards in from the touchline.

That GT63 is a midlife crisis car. A real finger-up to government car tax crap, and climate crisis whining