We are back from another trip up north and back to GA. Over 2k miles in 5 days. We took a canoe north as well as picked up an unregistered camper trailer in Tennesee.
As usual, the trip was multi-faceted. I am doing some property line swaps with my neighbor. I am putting in a new driveway for a planned underground house. We met with some precast concrete folks and we are making plans. The surprise was that the surveyor found one of the property lines was about 200 feet from where we thought it was (in our mutual favor). The other neighbor hasn't got the news yet. After the property lines are worked out mathematically and iron pins set is when we will have that discussion. It hasn't been surveyed in 150 years. Surveying technology improvements is part of it, but generally over time people forget exactly where the property line is/was.
We did some driving on hunting and logging roads. I really enjoy my truck. It now has over 20k miles on it (4 out of our 5 cars have less than 50k miles). A panoramic photo of the building site. A pic of a rusty Upstate NY pickup truck. The salt does wonders breeding tin worms. I had to expain to a local the reason I took the pic is because people down south (and elsewhere) do not believe how bad it gets. Angie is showing off her favorite (mismatched) gloves she bought at Greggs in Whitney point. The gloves have travelled around the world.
It seems like all conversations are about whether you are Moderna, Pfizer or J&J. Because of weird scheduling and appointments I got my first shot in Dahlonega in the North GA mountains an hour or so away and Angie got her's in the old Sears about a mile from the house.
Most of what people went through in the last year will be soon forgotten. The people that have the most to remember of the events are now dead, perhaps dying. Otherwise, people are aggresively looking forward.
The weather has been great for working outside, so we have been. I may be working from home, but it doesnt mean I dont still show up for work on Monday sore from weekend efforts.
There is always something to do. The bobcat and chainsaw combo negated the need for stump grinding.
The new retaining wall has several purposes, one is that it acts as an outside workbench when working on lawnmowers and such. My workday zoom-room is in the background.
The cats sat for a family portait the other day.
The cats claim their respective cars. Jewell gets the Porsche. Gracie gets the Honda S2000.
My ex-wife Bonnie passed away.
Obituary
Angie has been working a crazy schedule at her job at a jewelry company. I decided to take a day off from work so we could do some advemture together. We decided to go visit a modern megalithic site here in Georgia. A road trip in Februray. The weather was clear, a bit chrisp, but sunny and clear. The Georgia Guidestones are about an hour and a half drive from Duluth. They sit in Elberton GA, where there are huge deposits and quarries of Blue Granite. I like to say "Gran-ITE". Since it is a mineral after all. We dont say "stalag-TIT" do we? Anyhow. It was a good day trip exploring Richard B. Russell lake and the back roads of Georgia. It struck me again how depresesed and unchanging Upstate NY is compared to Georgia.
The semi truck we saw splitting at the seams was exactly that. The suspension was flexing the trailer a lot. It seemed dangerous to me. I am glad I was not pulling it waiting for it to fall apart on the highway.
This pandemic thing really is something novel. I have no comparable experience in my 50+ years on the planet. My take is that it is a two year event. Things will go back to normal considering that "back to normal" is a idealist and comfort filled thought. Cities will continue to grow. People will continue to gather and it will all be forgotten as fast as it came upon us.
A couple of pics. 1.) Jewell the cat relaxing. If you twist the pic 90 degrees counter clockwise it looks like she may be dreaming about driving a car or something. 2 and 3.) A train on one of my walks through the woods, a bit of a power-move with 4 engines. The driver gave me two quick blasts on the horn to say hello. It was appreciated. 4.) I took a pic in my neighbors yard (not a game farm) of the local alpha bucks. ... they are conspiring, it appears. -- Who's stuff is whos? Whare are the girls? 5.) A pic out the back door of the house in Georgia. Winter has its own beauty even here in Duluth GA.
Our local Kroger grocery store made National news this week. We have two Krogers near us, the good Kroger and the shit Kroger. The shit kroger is the one that made the news.
Turns out some kid "processed returns" from stuff that was never sold. It is an ancient scam. I won't believe the store management was in the dark for that much money in that short amount of time. It had to be a case of gross management negligence or the kid is taking the fall for someone else.
>Atlanta news story
>Inside our store
I am putting the final touches on the master bathroom. This remodel included replacing the jacuzzi (sold it on Craigslist) with a fiberglass shower unit and added a bathtub. All new drywall, insulation, electric and plumbing. Interestingly, I didnt have to move the toilet. I incorporated LED lighting in the base moulding. This is the first time I installed an electric heated floor under the porceline tiles. Also included heated fog free mirror, and high-end plumbing fixtures (including a German temp sensing shower faucet).
I certainly feel I could have done better. But at least it is done.
Gracie doesnt like New Years eve much. I am not sure why.
Past destinations in the last few years on Chrismas day have been: Maui, Hawaii (we rented a plane) --- Lima Peru (Fanciest Hotel in Peru) --- Haloong Bay Vietnam (on a boat, kayak, etc) --- Panama City Panama (Trump Hotel) --- Granada, Nicaragua (the shores of Lake Nicaragua)
This year we spent Christmas in an exotic place,--Home. We have traveled mostly on Christmas day since there are good prices and we enjoy it. But we always have a quiet time whereever we are. At home this year a shot of the backyard and some Tennessee stacking boulders for a small retaining wall I am building this winter, 3788 pounds. The rock yard guy commented on the Christmas gift.
