May 2012

Welcome to the month of May! - It was a fairly nice day, a little hazy, with a stiff breeze piping up in the early evening. I did my stretches and ran three miles. I went to Kelly’s and we buried her kitty that had died recently.

  Wednesday 02 – The weather was hotter than the last few days with not much of a breeze to cool things off. I got up early to pick Kelly up and take her down to the Department of Social Services so she could talk to the VA Rep and get her paper work straightened out. This time the Rep showed up and, there being a backlog of cases from the Rep not coming in last Wednesday, it took over three hours of waiting for Kelly to see her. While we waited, we went over across the street to get coffee at Santana’s Mexican restaurant, something we’ll never do again. First there was no sugar. We asked the cashier for sugar and he said there was none. I held out my receipt and asked for my money back. He miraculously found some under the counter. Then there wasn’t any cream. I asked him and he said he was out. I then again held out my receipt and he asked if milk would do. I said yes it would do. The coffee was lukewarm and tasted like it was watered down. We decided to settle for that and took the cups back with us instead of sitting in the restaurant. We went to Burger King and had a Whopper with fries, shopped at Stater Bros. and went home.

  Thursday 03- it’s another pleasant day. I did my stretches and ran three miles. I updated the Copper Mountain Mesa Website and sent out the Newsletter. I went over and checked on a friend’s property while they’re away for a spell.

 




Friday 04- it was windy last night but stopped by morning then the temps rose into the 90s. I did my stretches, lifted dumbbells, rode my bike, core trainer, yoga, lifted weights, punched heavy bag, and ran up the hill and back carrying 5lbs in each hand. I heard a horrible squealing coming from outside underneath the desert willow tree. I ran out to see what it was about. There stood a prairie dog watching its mate being eaten by a snake. The little prairie dog was intent on trying to help its mate and looked me square in the eyes pleading for help. I was too late on the scene, its mate little body already crushed by those mighty muscles of the snake's. The prairie dog stayed with its mate until the end, knowing there was nothing to be done. It's the way of the desert, but it still made me sad. Mac came by with his laptop that we messed around with and kept us occupied for several hours. 


Saturday 05- the day started off windy but settled down to a nice cool day into the mid 80s. I went for a morning walk. I checked on Kelly’s mail I visited Mac and we jawed for a spell. I went outside and walked up the hill with my camera about sunset. I took a bunch of pictures of the SuperMoon; the closest approach of the Moon to the Earth this year until June of next. 


Sunday 06- ditto. I went for a morning walk- called friends and family. 

Monday 07- it’s been kinda windy all day I did my stretches, lifted dumbbells, rode my bike, core trainer, yoga, lifted weights, punched heavy bag, and ran up the hill and back carrying 5lbs in each hand. Linda Sibo called to ask if I wouldn’t mind coming over to help Blake move her giant brain onto a platform. Stacy from the Hi-Desert Star was coming over to take pictures of the Brain and interview Linda. The Brain is an approximately four foot round by three feet high paper mache applied to chicken wire brain shaped object that must have weighed over fifty pounds. We had to lift it and seat it upon four foot high stilts; we figured it out after a few attempts. Stacy came and took a bunch of pics and I went home to rest my poor body after all that work… 


Tuesday 08- it’s still a bit windy which is keeping the heat down. I did my stretches and ran one and a half miles. I videoed me playing a song that I wrote called “I See Your Smile” and posted it on Youtube. I went to pick up Kelly’s mail on my scooter. 


Wednesday 09- very nice day! I did my stretches, lifted dumbbells, rode my bike, core trainer, yoga, lifted weights, punched heavy bag, and ran up the hill and back carrying 5lbs in each hand. I picked Kelly up at 5:30pm and went to WalMart for what I thought was a fast go in and grab what we need and make a quick getaway- we didn’t get home until 11:30pm. We went to Staters Bros to get fried chicken and ate it at Del Taco where we discovered they had WIFI and played with our cell phone browsers. We finally got to her house and sat outside under the stars and yapped until we realized it was 2am!


Thursday 10- it’s getting hotter! I did my stretches and ran a mile and a half. Friday 12- it’s nice and hot, but with a little breeze. I did my stretches, lifted dumbbells, rode my bike, core trainer, yoga, lifted weights, punched heavy bag, and ran up the hill and back carrying 5lbs in each hand. I updated the Copper Mountain Mesa Website and sent out the Newsletter. 


Saturday 11- the temps are climbing to the high 90s. I did my stretches and ran a mile and a half. Cleaning up the yard and cutting up old cardboard boxes were on my list to do today. 

Sunday 12- the temps have now surpassed the century mark at 105 degrees! I did my stretches and ran a mile and a half. I visited my neighbor Mark for a short spell so he could get some work down before he has to leave. I jumped on the Harley and took it for a spin down to Joshua Tree and back, collecting my and Kelly’s mail along the way.



Monday 14- hot!
I did my stretches, lifted dumbbells, rode my bike, core trainer, yoga, lifted weights, punched heavy bag, and ran up the hill and back carrying 5lbs in each hand.
I went to the Neighborhood Watch and Community board meetings.

 Tuesday 15- hot!
 I took Kelly to Palm Springs to see her doctor- went to Sizzler for lunch/dinner.
I stayed up until 5am for no other reason than I couldn’t sleep.

 Wednesday 16- hot!
I woke up really late in the day and didn’t do anything much.

 Thursday 17- hot and windy!
I did my stretches, lifted dumbbells, rode my bike, core trainer, yoga, lifted weights, punched heavy bag, and ran up the hill and back carrying 5lbs in each hand.
John Massey took me to Home Depot in his truck so I could pick up some lumber to build a few projects I’ve been planning.
I went for a night run.

 Friday 18- not too hot but really windy!
I did my stretches and ran a mile and a half.
I went for an evening walk. About time I got to doing this again.
 I went outside to do a little stargazing- Saturn is still in Virgo, Mars is still in Leo, and Venus is hanging lower in the western horizon. I saw three satellites cross the starry darkness. I also saw a globular cluster that might have been M3.
I'm watching the first commercial launch of SpaceX Falcon9/Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station... history being made :) ‎ Well dang, it didn't launch tonight: "Launch aborted: slightly high combustion chamber pressure on engine 5. Will adjust limits for countdown in a few days." - But it did something I've never seen, it had already fired main engines and then they shut them down at plus 10 seconds. They'll try again on the May 22nd.

Saturday 19- hot!
I did my stretches and ran a mile.
I went for an evening walk.
I went for a night run.

 Sunday 20- the temps got into the double digits.
I went for a morning walk.
I called a few friends and family early in the day because I’ll be gone at 2pm to watch the eclipse.
 I arrived at the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor’s Center in Twentynine Palms a little after 3PM. There were around twenty folks and a few Park Rangers setting up and preparing for the eclipse that wouldn’t begin until 5:24PM.

One Ranger was using a paper hole-punch to make viewing devices out of thin cardboard stock. The lady Ranger told me she had 200 special eyeglasses for viewing the eclipse and she was hoping it would be enough for those who came to the event.
Two Astronomy volunteers were in the last stages of setting up their telescopes and people began to lineup to observe the Sun and its sunspots; the eclipse was still hours away.
There were folks from all over the world here to see the annular eclipse. I got into a conversation with a visitor from New York State. He came all the way out here to take pictures of the eclipse with his Cannon 7D and this humongous zoom lens stuck to the front.
 Around 4:15PM folks started showing up. The Rangers were showing the kids how to work the pinhole cardboard device, which we discovered later, had too big of hole from the punch and had to be redone by poking a new hole with a nail the Rangers supplied.
 By 4:45PM there were, by my best guess, upwards towards 400 parents with their kids standing in line to get those 200 special viewing glasses. Clearly there wouldn’t be enough. The Ranger asked that only one pair be handed out per family. I decided to wait so those who never seen an eclipse before would get a pair.
One Astronomer volunteers had connected his scope to a projector for viewing the eclipse on a large movie screen. And at 5:24PM the eclipse was beginning and by 5:30 could clearly be seen on that screen. There upon the table by the projector were a few pairs of glasses left and I made off with one. I held it up to the lens of my camera and started taking pictures of the eclipse. I don’t know if I was the first to try this, I didn’t see anyone doing this before I tried it, but now everyone was taking pictures through them using their cell phones and whatever that could go click.
I went here and there taking pictures and videos, listening to folks laughing, oohing and aahing, wearing those funny looking glasses that made it look like they were watching a 3D movie.
 It was mighty fine to see all these folks interested in astronomy. I listened in on one father explaining to his young son about the eclipse; this touched my heart.

At 6:38PM came totality or as close to it as we were going to get from where we were and it being an annular eclipse. You could really notice the dimming of the Sun. I lent my glasses to a young couple from Belgian. They were traveling America and were really excited to be here in our beautiful desert viewing this marvelous feat of nature. I took some fair pictures, but none as good as the ones I took as the Sun and Moon started to set together into the western horizon. I didn’t even need those glasses covering my lens. I just clicked away until the last little speck of light vanished; ending what was a wonderful day.

 The Park had a night program that started at 8PM. The Rangers setup two telescopes to view the night sky. Now I was in my element!







 Monday 21- hot 109!

I did my stretches, lifted dumbbells, rode my bike, core trainer, yoga, lifted weights, punched heavy bag, and ran up the hill and back carrying 5lbs in each hand.
A new dove nest has appeared on the side of my house. One egg in it so far.
I stayed up late to watch the SpaceX launch. The first attempt on the 19th was aborted just as the main engines fired up, so last night as the countdown reached t minus 0 seconds, me and thousands of like minded folks around the world were willing this rocket off the launch pad and into space! This is history in the making. This is the first commercial spacecraft to visit the ISS. This company is going to open up space big time and make it affordable, too! It cost $63 Million a seat aboard the Russian spacecraft. Wikipedia "At a 18 May 2012 NASA news conference, Space X confirmed that their target launch price for the crewed flights is $140,000,000 or $20,000,000 per seat if the maximum crew of 7 is aboard. This compares with the current Soyuz cost of $63,000,000 per seat."

 Tuesday 22- temp high of 102
I did my stretches and ran a mile and a half. I am making a garage out of the workshop so my car can share it with my tools. I did a rookie move trying to drive into the garage; I hit the side post and broke off my right hand mirror. I fixed it with Liquid Nails and it has held so far.
I went for an evening walk. About time I got to doing this again.

 Wednesday 23- it is very windy, too dang windy to do my run or walk.
I did my stretches, lifted dumbbells, core trainer, yoga, lifted weights, and punched the heavy bag.

 Thursday 24- a little windy, but cooler outside.
I did my stretches and ran a mile and a half.
I worked on the garage that I’m going to call a Carport for now on. I began reading Edgar Rice Burroughs “A Princess of Mars”.

 Friday 25- it got very windy around noon just as I completed my exercises.
I did my stretches, lifted dumbbells, rode my bike, core trainer, yoga, lifted weights, punched the heavy bag, and ran up the hill and back carrying 5lbs in each hand.
I updated the Copper Mountain Mesa Website and sent out the Newsletter.

 Saturday 26- it’s still a little windy, but nice and cool outside. I ran a mile and a half. I rode the Harley to mailbox and visited with my neighbors who are up for the weekend.

 Potluck was a pleasant surprise with over twenty-five folks showing up on a Memorial Day weekend. Marcie Hines came with her son Paul and cooked up some Spanish rice for us to enjoy. Cal Myers brought a large fruit dish. Chris Jonas made his fabulous macaroni salad. Rose Matich simmered some corn to perfection. Ruth Malton concocted a very delicate mush mellow color bowl jella that was mighty tasty. Marie Morrison got creative with her gooey chocolate brownies. Not to be outdone, Dorothy Jacobsen spent hours making up a sweet potato casserole, a Mexican casserole, and fig bars. Dyan Carrol’s seafood pasta salad and sugar lemon cookies were to die for, but being the polite folk that we are, we just shared them. Board member Tim Atzei brought beverages. Mary Koval cooked up a storm bringing Chicken Tetrazzini Florentine and wacky cake, while her daughter Chris amazed us all with a mixed bean and ham soup and cupcakes. Of course I brought my usual fare. We had a mighty fine time! Took some potluck over to Kelly's for her to fest on.

 Sunday 27- it was a very nice day! Worked on the carport.

Monday 28- a very pleasant day.
I did my stretches, core trainer, lifted weights, and punched the heavy bag.
I worked very hard on the Carport; worked my butt off getting it done. Now I am able to park the Cougar underneath in the shade.
I read a chapter of Edgar Rice Burroughs “A Princess of Mars”.

Tuesday 29- a little hotter today.
I did my stretches and ran a mile and a half.
I topped off my batteries with distilled water and checked all the solar panel connections.
I did my laundry over at Stoney’s and looked at the work Roger is doing on the stopped up tub drain. Many years ago the drain had stopped up and me and Stoney discovered that it was the roots of the creosote bush that had clogged it up. After cutting down the bush, I had to get down there with a shovel and dig out all the roots. Then Stoney put poison on the plant. I hope it hasn’t grown back.
Kelly and I went to the post office, Rite Aid, Berger King where we had a great time, and Stater Bros. where we picked up supplies.
I read a chapter of Edgar Rice Burroughs “A Princess of Mars”.

Wednesday 30- temps into the high 90s.
I did my stretches, lifted dumbbells, rode my bike, core trainer, yoga, lifted weights, punched the heavy bag, and ran up the hill and back carrying 5lbs in each hand.
I watered the plants; they were mighty thirsty.
I cleaned out the Cougar and put Armor All on all the interior plastic and leather. I cleaned and wiped down the Honda with Armor All, too.
I went for an evening walk. While I was walking I stopped off at John Massey’s to see how he be. I decided to see if I could get the lager SSD to work in the HP Mini Note. I took out the 8Gig and put the 32Gig in and did a fresh install of Win XP- still doing all the update.
I read two chapters of Edgar Rice Burroughs “A Princess of Mars”. I almost got caught up with my astronomy reading. I went for a night run and played the guitar when I got back.

Thursday 31- temps are 114 degrees or more!
I did my stretches and ran a mile and a half.
I updated the Copper Mountain Mesa Website and sent out the Newsletter.
I read a chapter of Edgar Rice Burroughs “A Princess of Mars”.
The Windows updates for the HP Mini Note are now done. All I need to do is install a word processor.
The red racer snake ate the dove eggs. I went to check on the nest today and the two eggs were gone. I saw the snake yesterday and shooed it off. That sucker is 8 feet or longer!
UPS came with some books I ordered from Amazon: “The Universe in a Nutshell” and “Grand Design” both by Steven Hawking and the last co-authored by Leonard Mlodinow. “Sky & Telescope’s Pocket Sky Atlas” by Roger W. Sinnott.
I finally got caught up with my astronomy reading. I was three months behind on “365 Starry Nights” that I’ve been reading for a bunch of years now and the pages are worn and a few are falling out. There is a paragraph or more everyday about some particular part of the night sky. Chet Raymo is the author.
I did a night run, and played the guitar a bit.
I started reading “Grand Design”.
Goodbye to May! You've been a fun month with all the astronomy I got to do and the people I got to meet :)