What did you do today? - 2021 version

[Gumby]

Yesterday, actually. Went to live theatre for the first time since 2019, at the Goodspeed Opera house in Haddam, CT. The past two years have been really bad for them, as they have been unable to have performances and therefore without income from ticket sales. In 2020, many subscription holders (including me) just donated the money they had already spent on their subscription. This year, they had hoped to have at least one musical in June, but we all know what happened this summer. So, starting last week, they had a tribute to Rogers and Hammerstein. A five person cast, no staging, minimal costuming, doing numbers from a variety of R&H musicals. 1:45, with intermission, so still a really substantial effort. The cast really put their hearts into it and the show was great.

The opera house was probably half-full, somewhat deliberately. They put an empty seat between each party and required masks for everyone except the performers and also required 100% vaccination, proof required upon entry (they asked for that before they asked for tickets). They had also installed a new ventilation system in the past year in anticipation of reopening. Obviously, they will struggle financially with a half-empty house, so I am hopeful that as vaccinations continue to grow in Connecticut and new infections fall, we can get back to a regular season with a regular crowd.

We were just so happy to recover this little bit of normalcy that had once been a great part of our lives that we didn't mind not having a full blown musical. We certainly intend to renew our subscription for next year.

 

[pacergal]

Ronstar--gorgeous photo and night time campsite!

 

[1242Vintage]

Cyclocross (CX) bicycle race this morning. Race course took us through a very rough and weedy field, around many tight turns with loose gravel waiting to take you down and through a big grassy field that was just watered … and now muddy.

Finished a respectable 7th in a field of 16.

Post retirement focus on diet, weight loss, strength training and cardio conditioning is paying off. Haven’t felt this good in a very long time.

 

[Gumby]

We hosted Porchfest today. This fellow was our assigned act. I really enjoyed his original music and his covers. The day was sunny but comfortably cool. The people who came enjoyed the show. I am disappointed only that we didn't have a bigger crowd.

 

[NW-Bound]

Started digging in the backyard to find the crack in the underground sprinkler circuit that my neighbor tree root caused. The water is coming up at an unexpected spot. Did I run a stub line there, did not use it, then forgot all about it? It's been so long, maybe 20 years. My "superior memory" is failing me. I hate that.

Always some problems to work on. I hate digging trenches, but am reluctant to look for someone to do the job.

Still working on the sprinkler repair. It should not have taken that long, but I got distracted by a few other things while digging in the yard. Darn tree roots everywhere. And it turned out the unknown PVC line was not put in by myself, but by the previous owner or rather his contractor. I got comforted by the fact that my memory has not degraded that badly.

The damn line went all over the place, and was not in a direct line between point A and point B as you would think. My wife suggested that the contractor made use of the trenches he already laid out for the sprinkler heads, hence ran a faucet line along the same trenches.

The darn thing zigzagged all over the place, and it was best to dig a more straightforward line, which is further away from the invasive tree roots from the neighbor's yard. I abandoned the lawn sprinkler lines long ago anyway, when I stopped having a lawn, and converted the backyard to a veggie garden.

Then, I took the occasion to do something I wanted to do for a long time. That is to add more faucets around the backyard, so that my wife does not have to drag two 50' garden hoses around each morning when she waters her beloved veggie garden.

Needed some threaded male copper fittings, in order to transition from the underground PVC to the copper riser pipe. Had to go to 2 Lowe's and 2 Home Depots to get the doggone $1.85 fittings. At the last HD, I got the last 3 that were on the shelf.

Took me 2-1/2 hours driving around. Doggone it! I guess perhaps this specific fitting is commonly used for home plumbing, and people are installing new bathroom and kitchen fixtures like mad.

 

[Trailwalker]

We hosted Porchfest today. This fellow was our assigned act. I really enjoyed his original music and his covers. The day was sunny but comfortably cool. The people who came enjoyed the show. I am disappointed only that we didn't have a bigger crowd.

Good stuff. Thanks for posting.

 

[street]

Good stuff. Thanks for posting.

X2

 

[pacergal]

Flu shot and Covid Booster done today for DH and I.
Didn't feel a thing on the flu vax, the covid booster stung a bit and so far that arm is a little sore.
We will see what tomorrow brings!
Glad they are both done.

 

[RobbieB]

Drove up to Stockton to visit my boat. Loaded in the life jackets and replaced the gunky steering wheel. Don't know how it got all the sticky greasy gunk on it but now at least you don't mind grabbing it.

Motor is now running good after re-jetting the carbs. Apparently Johnson and Evinrude did things differently in 2005, and the Evinrude specs my boat guy used didn't work for the Johnson.

Just needs a little caulking and new control cables and the fishing and fun can begin -

 

[whatnot]

Ron star- gorgeous picture!

 

[whatnot]

Gumby - Thanks for sharing the videos. I enjoy live music.

 

[MBAustin]

Like Gumby, I went to my first in-person performance this weekend. I'm visiting my sister in MD and we went to a show at a local college. Very nice male a capella group - ReVoiced. Although the school requires all students and employees to be vaccinated, they did not require it for the concert (the county has less than 50% vaccinated). However masks were required and only about 100 people attended in a venue that seats about 300, so it felt OK.
This was our favorite piece:
Sound of Silence

 

[Walt34]

Installed a "candy dropper" on an R/C airplane. I bought a couple of them on impulse over a year ago and just got around to installing one. It's a plastic clamshell thingy that opens with a switch, just like flaps or landing gear would, and of course it'll drop anything you put in there.

They're popular at fun flys and open houses and the like - load up with (wrapped of course!) candy and drop it over the field and the kids can run out to gather up what they can find.

 

[Timeisprecious]

Played golf today with my group of guys over 72 years old. We did stop at Cracker Barrel for the $6.99 meatloaf lunch special on the way home.

I forgot about that lunch special; DW and I will have to stop in for that sometime soon. Nice that you're playing golf w/ some guys you enjoy - I've been playing table tennis on Tuesday afternoons with a fun group of people.

Last night we spent some time with a new group of people from church, all within about five years or so of our age. It was fun, and we "broke some ground." Tonight DW and I are going out for a meal and a movie - keeping busy. (Can't wait to begin our cruise - just a few more weeks! )

 

[Gumby]

This morning, I drove an hour through the rain to the Red Cross to make my first apheresis (platelet) donation. I've given about nine gallons of whole blood, but this was my first time with the platelets. It was pretty cool, actually. They take your blood out of one arm, run it through a machine that strips out the platelets, then mixes saline with the remaining red blood cells and injects them back into your other arm. I watched a Netflix movie while I sat there.

 

[ivinsfan]

This morning, I drove an hour through the rain to the Red Cross to make my first apheresis (platelet) donation. I've given about nine gallons of whole blood, but this was my first time with the platelets. It was pretty cool, actually. They take your blood out of one arm, run it through a machine that strips out the platelets, then mixes saline with the remaining red blood cells and injects them back into your other arm. I watched a Netflix movie while I sat there.

Thank you.. platelet transfusion literally saved my DH's life after his valve replacement...it was the second time for surgery and all the testing didn't show that some adhesions from his first one has attached to his rib cage. Yep, they started with the sternum saw and cut directly into his heart muscle. Without platelets I'm not sure he would have lived.

 

[street]

Fished this morning and set up some cameras for getting some pictures of moose. I placed one in an area where they have been traveling in thick cover.

 

[RobbieB]

Paid bills, hit the road for windshield wiper replacement blades for wife's car, had to hit both O'Reilly stores, one didn't have them. Had me a double-double at In-N-Out, hit the marina who called wondering where the boat is and do I still want the slip, got some boiled linseed oil to mix with the deck stain and re-finished the deck.

Then I made me some fried soft shell crabs & french fries for supper. Wife is out having fun with her visiting sister from Colorado.

Good day!

 

[Ronstar]

Went to the dentist for tooth reconstruction. (fractured cusp). Went shopping for fishing gear. Napped the rest of the day.

 

[WD40 or duct tape]

Had lunch with one of my college professors (from 25+ years ago) who is now working in the private sector. Listened to him rant about job and personal finance issues the entire lunch - a bit exhausting. I feel bad for the guy, but he does have quite a nice collection of classic cars. Almost bragging he said he only has payments on a few of them . As we're walking out to the parking lot he asked how my work was going. I told him that I had resigned several years ago and am "semi" retired. His jaw hit almost hit the ground and he looked at me like I had a third arm growing out of my head. I almost felt guilty but that soon passed. Drove home very leisurely with the windows down and the radio up. It was a good day.

 

[Souschef]

Little excitement last night. We had a little rain forecast (thank you Lord), but turned out to be a huge thunderstorm with lightning all around.
Power went off at around 6 PM. We were ready with our candles and flashlights, so just sat around.
Got a text message from Spectrum, our internet provider about the service interruption, and said it would be restored at 8:30. Lo and behold, the power came back on at 8:35.
Had to reset 4 clocks, turn off the video frames, and turn on the icemaker in the garage.

 

[street]

Today working on getting this land deal done. Got some more documents from attorney last evening and I'm doing some of the leg work for that today. Papers to sign this afternoon when wife gets back from volunteering and get faxed back to attorney.

Things are moving along slowly but moving to BTD. Papers have been sent to seller also so hope he can get them signed and delivered in a timely manner also.

 

[djsander]

Went out on our deck to watch the balloons at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. A couple came right over the top of our house and we live on the West side of the Rio Grande. Only been here a few months so the excitement hasn’t worn off yet.

 

[RobbieB]

Started out with coffee, picked up supper at the grocery and lunch takeout at the taqueria. Installed the new LED dimmer for the new fixture in the master BR. Then worked on modifying a Harbor Freight grinder for re-purpose as a knife sharpener.

Cooked up the burger for supper and took out one of the SRF cap of rib eye for tomorrow when wifey and my sister in law come by.

 

[pacergal]

Cleaned the house and decorated for Halloween.

Helped DS move back into his own place. He had lost his job during covid (substitute teacher, no jobs!), got a part time job last year at a brand new school, moved to full time this year. So after saving up money, he was able to get back on his feet and into his own place. I loved having him and DGS live here, but it is also wonderful to have them on their own and our space back! He's good kid and a great father. Fun to see him in that role.