Winding down on Wednesday.

Monday, was a Monday. No need in beating that dead horse. Karma had a couple of parting shots as she left the area.

Right now? The sun is out full, it’s 95F with a heat index of 105F. I’m putting the grass mowing off for another day or two. I’m in the office, making sure I enjoy the AC as much as possible. The Solar panel is catching the late afternoon soon directly in the window, showing charge rate at 13 volts, and the two batteries here in the office are topped off in case we get any storms.

The office is on the end of the house that faces west. It’s only 11X11 but the 8,000 btu window AC is only holding the room at 83F. Surprising how a small drink cooler and computers can heat up this area. I might need to go 10,000btu next time.

On a positive note, I learned to play the intro to the Eagles “Hotel California”. Always wanted to learn to play that.

I hope your week has been smooth so far. We’re not that far from the end of this week. Then Saturday night and Svengoolie comes on, and I have my Spaghetti and Yoohoo. This week is “The Blob”.

Fun Facts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdXTJYtHXtQ

Have a wonderful Wednesday.

Dear Karma, I’m sorry I said anything.

Over the past few months, It has been quiet. At one point I even remarked, too quiet. Apparently, Karma was having a quiet week, and overheard that remark. So, karma dropped in this week.

  • This week has seen, two ambulance calls to the park. One requiring a county deputy (unknown reason). Another was a man having breathing difficulties. It was unbearably hot that day.
  • Another six inch thick limb came down yesterday, this one landed on the cable and phone lines that pass over the yard. Good thing, there were about eight lines, and they were able to sustain the weight till Popeye could come and cut it up. If this continues, I won’t have to purchase any firewood this season. I didn’t bother with a picture of it, as it was dark and raining lightly.
  • My forum went on and offline for 3 days. Power problems at one of the UK data centers.
  • My blog, decided to imitate the forum. Replacing the old theme seems to have fixed it. (Damn, I said that aloud didn’t I.)
  • I’m trying my hand at YouTube, and live-streaming. The old webcam died a horrible death. I think the squirrel (Trip) pouncing on it probably didn’t help. It was 9 years old, so it was time. Down to three wireless cams now and a desk cam. I need to see about an increase in my allowance from Michelle. Thank you, Ellie, for the like and subscription. I can use all the likes and subscriptions I can get, as you can tell.
Channel Intro.
  • While helping Michelle set up her 20 gallon Aquarium, I tripped over the wastebasket in her hobby room. Thankfully it was a lightweight wire decorative type. It now resembles more of a squat wire planter, 230 pounds will do that to light wire wastebaskets.
  • While watching TV I enjoyed too many White Castle Sliders, they are like the small Krystal burgers. That resulted in a sour stomach and two days of sleeping it off, due to the nausea meds. I never learn.

Yes, I know. Sounds strange

That, brings us to this morning. Since I was feeling a lot better, I decided to clean my office desk. I wipe it down each morning due to dust and hair that Reboot is kind enough to leave me. The keyboard is kept covered at night. Every 3 months or so, I even wax the top of the desk. Reboot doesn’t care for that ritual. Yes, I know. Sounds strange, but I wax the top to keep it nice, and easier to clean.

While putting away my items used in the cleaning, I hear a commotion that usually heralds a high speed game of chase. Reboot in the lead, and one of the small dogs right behind her. She raced in the door and leapt for the first high ground, which was the soft silver material area in the left of the picture. That would have been fine, but apparently she meant to put maximum distance between her and her pursuer. When she hit the freshly waxed surface of the desk, which I proudly use a high grade auto polish on, her momentum was not reduced.

She proceeded across the desk, performing some type of radical break-dance move. She scattered the three computer mice, keyboards, phone charger, and a Raspberry Pi (small computer with the blue on it). It reminded me later, of the opening shot in a billiards’ tournament. The small Raspberry Pi, was found in the window sill. A small penlight is still missing, probably behind the desk, where mere mortals shouldn’t venture.

The event, almost equaled the moment a few days ago. I forgot Reboot was asleep to the right of me in front of the window. I took out the can of compressed air, and started blowing any dust out of the keyboard. She has taken to sleeping over by the printer desk now.

Reboots new sleeping area

So, how was your week? Someone please tell me that the official week only has one day left. On a bright note, I woke up alive and feeling better.

Comments always welcome.

Commemorative Pin from 2017, for a Motor Officer.

I am reposting this, as the original photos were missing.

I was contacted in 2017, by a Sergeant with the Broward County Florida Sheriffs Motor Unit. He asked for, and was granted permission to use part of my Motor Officers Poem,  on a piece for Motor Officers. This pin, or “coin” as he called it, was for a recently fallen Motor Officer of Broward County, Fl. (his unit number on the pin) I get requests often for permission to use the poem, but most of the time, it’s for the sad occasion of a memorial, for a fallen motor officer. It would be great to see it used for present officers as well.

Front View
Back View

I was truly honored to have received this copy of it. 

Many times I see it in a book, magazine, poster or etching, with “Author Unknown”.

While storing away a print-out of this, I noticed another great contact I made the prior year. I was touched by her email.

On 11/07/2016 06:28 PM, Eileen Rodriguez wrote:

Mr. Walker,

I’m writing you In hopes to getting your permission to have this beautiful poem of yours put on a plaque for my son in law, who is a motor officer with California Highway Patrol.  He works out of Santa Fe Springs, CA.  He keeps this poem in his phone and reads it daily and each time he reads it to me it brings tears my eyes.  I can only pray, hope and wish that all our officers are always safe while on and off  duty.

This would be a big and wonderful  surprise for my son in law  as a Christmas gift.

I will wait for your response.

Finding this item again, really brightened my day after a long hard week. Now I’m off to read and post on some blogs.

Comments always welcome

In search of the perfect blog theme.

My Eyes, are tired. There is a headache screaming to escape the confines of my cranium. I have spent the last two days testing, searching for a blog theme that has what I need. The conclusion? It doesn’t exist for me. Just give me something between simple, and versatile.

In years past, you could find a free theme, with a sidebar. Nothing overly flashy, yet not so simple that you couldn’t dress it up a little with plugins or widgets. WordPress 2011 was the last one I ever used that just worked. You could customize it with a few bits of code. Of course, back then they weren’t cranking out an upgrade to the core every few days.

Today, the theme ecosystem is just a commercial catalog of themes that cater to businesses, or those that need a website instead of a blog. Giant in your face banners (just go ahead and call them pictures). Nearly taking up two-thirds of your screen, before you even see the first post is the new norm. Twirly, flashy, fading in and out graphics. Then the despised popup blocks as you start to leave the site, or heaven forbid, while you’re just sitting there trying to decide if you like the posts.

Give me that Money!

Yearly charges anywhere from $25 to $55 or more, just so you can get the update, if one of the numerous upgrades of the core breaks your theme. No, thanks. It would have to be a hell-of-a good theme, fitting all my needs for me to fork over the support money. Already paying domain fees, and hosting fees is enough. Of course, we all saw this coming years ago.

What little blogging I manage to do, is for fun and sharing with others. I don’t have a business. I have tested around 30 themes, and they all come up lacking in my basic needs. Maybe I’m too picky.

Perhaps, I should stop griping and learn to build a theme myself, but I want to enjoy it, not work on it all the time. My theme I currently use, is “Graphene” It does most of the things I need.

Share what theme you use, why you like it. What you look for in a blog theme.