Half Mile Trail Walk With Better Half

1/4 mile marker at Development Authority of North Country Nature Trail, Calcium, NY

I took a half mile walk with the Better Half today on the nature trail in Calcium, NY. She has long had a back and leg problems that have been limiting her walking. Her pain and discomfort during walking is abated when she pushes a shopping cart through a store. With that in mind we recently bought her a walker. Today we tried it out on the nature trail. WE made it to the first 1/4 mile marker, trned and went back, executing a half mile. This was a real milestone and morale booster. Especially since she is soon facing some surgery and the doctor would like her to get walking before hand so as to be better prepared for after surgery recovery.

Development Authority of North Country Nature Trail, Calcium, NY

It was a  lovely day after 2 or 3 days of rain. Breazy with a temperature about 68 degrees, low humidity. I also put a couple hours work in at our Clay St apartment house. My phone app says I walked 5,501 steps today.

Sink Cabinet Repair, Club Sandwich, Beer May 11 2024

Don't let the glass fool you. It contained Sierra Nevada IPA. I would NEVER drink Michalobe Ultra.

What I did Yesterday, May 11, 2024. 

BEFOR: Under the kitchen sink, apartment no 1, Clay St. 

I repaired the floor of kitchen sink base cabinet in apt No. 1 of our Clay St house. I used some scrap plywood to crudely replace the missing particle board of original cabinet floor. I then cvered it with some left over flooring planks. It is sturdy and looks good and is sealed up against bugs, mice and any other vermin that might show up unannounced. 

Couple scraps of 1/2 inch plywood to cover most of hole and support new flooring.

Final result: Strong, clean, attractive. 

About 6:00 pm we decided to take a drive, no place special, just toward the lake. Next thing you know we were at the Shangra La bar / restaurant on Point Peninsula. They just opened for the season. Musician Adam Netto was playing there. Nice surprise. I had a couple beers and a garlic pizza with chicken and bacon. The Better Half had a turkey club sandwhich. The food was delicious. Tab came to $51.00

An excellent turkey club sandwich served up at Shangra La on Point Penninsula, NY.

It was a quite pleasant day, mostly sunny, 55 degrees or so.

My iPhone says I walked 4,704 steps for the day. 

Medical Stuff Eats Up the Day

 

Some type of daisies at Onondaga Lake Park, Liverpool, NY

Yesterday (Wednesday the 8th) we left the house at 6:30 AM to make it to Syracuse  where Better Half had a colonoscopy scheduled for 8:30AM. Too much to go into now but later in the day,  at 3:00, she had a scan of some kind that can be done in lieu of a traditional colonoscopy. Between appointments we shopped a bit at Wegman's and hung out at Onondaga Lake Park in Liverpool. Very war and WINDY. Anyhow, all went well and we were home about 5:00. We were both quite tired. The day was shot in the ass at that point. We had pulled pork sandwiches for dinner. 

Artists Greg Lago Appears in My Dream

 

Greg Lago on the phone at Winged Bull Studio, Clayton, NY in 2007

My good friend Greg Lago appeared in one of my dreams a few nights ago. Greg was a multi-talented artist who owned and operated Winged Bull Studio in Clayton, NY. He died unexpectedly a year ago on his 74th birthday. I have missed him a great deal. Every day since then I have thought of him. 

In the dream Greg and I are going to visit  our mutual friend the artist Will Salisbury. Will had a home, workshop and studio in Omar, NY.  In the dream neither Greg nor I had heard from Will in awhile. He doesn't answer his phone. We are sure he is home. When we get there Will is nowhere to be found. It seems strange, a bit eerie. Somehow it dawns upon us that Will had passed away some ten months earlier and is no longer with us. Then, as dreams go, the scene changes and we are walking near a large body of water. In the distance there is a huge rusty hulled ship sitting upright, beached on the shore. There are many people milling around the vessel. As Greg and I talk and try to make sense of the news about Will Greg's voice becomes less distinct. He is moving towards the people and the ship on the shore. We look at each other as he recedes into the distance as if walking backwards. I am becoming confused. As Greg and this scene blurs and fades I gradually waken and realize I am dreaming. It is sad. I loved both of those guys. 

Pulled Pork and Haircut

Saturday, May 4, 2024

A new rub I tried out. It was good and I would recommend it, but my favorite is one from Emeril Lagasse.

    The morning began with some light on and off again rain, warming and clearing as the day went on. It ended a beautiful, partly sunny day. Temps hit 70 degrees. Most pleasant. 

I started a charcoal fire about 6:30 am and smoked a 14 pound pork butt roast. Purchased it on Friday at Hannaford Grocery store at $.99 a pound. A great buy. I used charcoal to initially start the fire and then used hickory and occasionally a little more lump charcoal to keep it going through the day. 

At 10:00 I got a haircut at Sportsman's Barber Shop in Watertown. 

The pork was ready to pull 5:00. I usually use a dry rub blend I mix from an Emeril LaGasse recipe. However, this time I tried one that I picked up at the Dexter Market. In the end I learned I like Emeril's better. Don't get me wrong, the pork was still delicious. 

A health app on my iPhone shows I walked 6,255 steps. 

14 lb pork butt after being in smoker for a couple hours at 250 degrees.

It doesn't take a lot of hickory wood to keep the fire and smoke going at a 250/300 degrees

It doesn't take a lot of hickory wood to keep the fire and smoke going at a 250/300 degrees

Another Auto Repair: Fuel Pump for 2011 Kia Sedona

Our 2011 Kia Sedona on a lovely April Day, perfect for repair work.

Today I replaced the fuel pump in my 2011 Kia Sedona van. The van has 176,315 miles on it. For the past year I've thought the pump was beginning to fail. Sometimes the engine would crank over longer than normal to start. Once in awhile it seemed to lose power. On Monday, April 29, it stalled as I was backing out of the Clay St. driveway. Very difficult to get it started again. Finally got it to run poorly and managed to drive it home. Brother Al followed me, just in case. 

By the time I gio home it was running good. The next morning it started right up. ButI knew it was time to replace the fuel pump. Got one yesterday at Auto Zone in Evans Mills. It was $288.35 with the tax. This comes about a week after repairing the brakes.

 The job was easy. Hardest part was removing the seat to access the fuel pump cover.

The old fuel pump I removed from our 2011 Kia Sedona .

The old fuel pump I removed from our 2011 Kia Sedona .

Auto Zone parts store receipt for 2011 Kia Sedona fuel pump.