Posted by Brad on June 30th, 2007 — Posted in Journal
Yesterday I finished connecting the water line to Harold and Beth’s refrigerator ice maker. I had started Thursday, but couldn’t find the water supply line I wanted. That was why I went to Lincoln on Thursday. And of course there was another part I needed, so off to Lincoln again. Lauren needed some more foam star stamps, so she went too. When we got back, I put the new part on, and turned on the water. Voila! Ice! (I think. I haven’t checked yet.)
Then last night, we all went to my mom and dad’s house for a Mexican fiesta dinner. It was delicious, and everybody was there, so it was a party. After eating, we all watched the kids feed a kitten in the back yard. The kitten didn’t have a collar, so we wondered if he was stray. He sure was hungry. Here he is gnawing on a corncob.
And of course we had to hold him.
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Posted by Brad on June 29th, 2007 — Posted in Journal
Yesterday I was going to reconnect Beth’s ice-maker water supply. I checked it all out and was ready to do the job, but needed some supplies. Being fussy about what kind of supply-line hose I’d use, I couldn’t find what I needed in Seward. That could mean only one thing: Lincoln trip!
Lauren went with me on my search for a metal-wrapped pvc water line. Also on the list: check out some more garden centers, get some star-shaped foam stamps from Wal-Mart, and look for a birthday present for our friends’ son Brighton. While we were there, my mom called and asked if we could stop by Bed, Bath, and Beyond as well.
The garden centers yielded some half-price selections. We only found one star stamp. The trip to Bed, Bath, and Beyond was the most fruitful. Not only did they have the silverware tray my mom wanted, but it was a happy surprise to stumble on a good birthday present there. They also had something I have been intending to get for a couple of days now: soap fingers.
I usually use Lauren’s shower soap while I’m here. Because this is a longer stay, I decided to get my own soap. Since there isn’t room in the regular soap tray, I’ve set it on the ledge beside the shower. But it gets gooey there, so I needed one of those finger things to lift it up so it could dry. Soap fingers! Here it is, and only 50 cents each!
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Posted by Brad on June 28th, 2007 — Posted in Gardening
I love to garden while I’m in Nebraska. I’ve been working on two beds at Lloyd and Lauren’s. One is alongside their house and one is in the yard. The one next to their house is pretty much complete. It is self-sustaining and full-looking. I imagine I will add something here and there, but it’s mostly just upkeep now. The bed in the yard is a cutting garden. I’ve had fun trying all different kinds of plants in it. It looks quite lush this year, but still a little thin on flowers, so I’ll continue to look for more long-blooming specimens.
My new fun is odd jobs here and there at Harold and Beth’s. Last summer I tried to establish some porcupine grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Strictus’) as a screen to hide a weedy area of the neighbors’ yard. Only two clumps lived, so I’ve planted some more. My next challenge there is a completely shaded bed against the neighbors’ garage. I’m so excited!
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Posted by Brad on June 27th, 2007 — Posted in Journal
My parents invited us to go to something called Jazz in June. It’s a series of outdoor Jazz concerts held on the campus of the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Last night’s presentation was of the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra. Their guest artist was Angela Hagenbach. It was quite fun. We brought some picnic-type foods and some lawn chairs and blankets. We also visited the food vendors. I got cinnamon almonds and cotton candy. Mmm…
Here’s Angela signing, accompanied by keyboard and egg shaker.
But the crowd really stole the show. If I could, I would’ve turned around and faced them. Such interesting people…
Here’s a dreadlock guy Lloyd and Lauren thought they knew. It turns out, it wasn’t him.
Here’s a guy wearing a velvet shirt. We thought it was snazzy, but it looks too warm.
Even Santa was there!
I wondered if this was some substitute for holding hands.
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Posted by Brad on June 26th, 2007 — Posted in Journal
It has been a long time since I read books in any quantity. Intending to get several Science Fiction books read this summer, I went searching for a list. I found a list of “Top 10 Science Fiction Novelists of the ’00s — so far”. This first book has been really good. I’m really looking forward to the next one. Thank you, Marc Andreessen, whoever you are.
The book I’ve finished is called Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan. It is in the cyberpunk category of Science Fiction, which is a little more pessimistic than things like Star Trek, where poverty and disease have been almost entirely eliminated, but that can make a story more realistic as well, so I really enjoyed it. Before I continue with my list, Lloyd is having me read an historical fantasy book. I don’t exactly know what that means, but he says it’s good, so I’ll read it.
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