Raccoon!

To keep the dog from eating the cats' food, their bowl is out on the breezeway on a high table only they can jump up to. Their food is kept in a big plastic box with a latched lid. We leave the back door of the breezeway open so the animals can go in and out as they please.

Every few days for a while now, I'd come out in the morning and the bowl would be empty and the box would be tipped over and open. I thought at first it was just the cats, so I sort of wedged the big cat food box behind a chair so they couldn't tip it over. However, it kept happening. I started to get suspicious. Finally, I put the big box on a high shelf, where no animal could reach it.

Last night, I heard Gracie fussing and growling by the cat door from the kitchen to the breezeway, which was a bit weird for her. I went upstairs, flipped on the breezeway light, and looked outside.

Standing on the table, reaching up the brick wall toward the big box, was a BEAR of a raccoon. He was more than twice the size of one of our cats; I now guess he had grown strong and fat on Meow Mix. He was so clever, he recognized the box and was figuring out how to get it. Gracie ran out, not aggressively, but more like she wanted to be friends with it. The raccoon just turned around and stood there and growled at her, unimpressed. I called Gracie back in and shut the door, and a few seconds later I heard him shuffle out.

Mel was upset that she didn't get to see the cute guy, but I keep telling her it was NOT cute. It was huge! It was smart! It invaded my house without fear! It was not scared of my dog!

So now we're going to start closing that door at night.

Map of Kingdomland

This is for my Sunday game group, so you know where you are.

So there I was at the gym

Some things you need to know before I start this story:

1. I get to LCP at about 6:15-6:30 am, and I find an isolated spot to stretch before I start my reps.

2. They have a PA system that plays music, and occasional announcements of upcoming programs, including safety classes for kids.

3. I'm there to work out and jet, not to meet people. I exercise my misanthropy while I'm there, too.

Okay, the story begins here.

I'm sitting down, about halfway through my stretches, and a smiling older gentleman approaches me. He's wearing shorts that are a bit too short. He walks up to me and says, "I noticed something when you were bending over."

AT THIS MOMENT, on the PA system, is an announcement for a kids' safety class about "Stranger Danger!"

I am suddenly very, very nervous.

Moments later though, the man introduces himself as the owner of LCP, and he noticed that I was arching my lower back when I was touching my toes. This, he explained, is what leads up to the classic "I bent over to pick up a piece of paper and BAM my back went out" thing, as over time you keep working your vertibrae into going the wrong way. He suggested a different stretching technique, and some quad curls. I guess that if you strengthen that muscle, it helps hold you up so your lower back doesn't flex like that.

Also, Jacob wants you to know that he has a lightsaber.

And the meadow grows

I've been having problems with my riding mower.

The last time I used it last year, the belt that drives the blades broke. I bought a new belt, but I had to wait until it warmed up and the ground was dry to install it. A few weeks ago, I went to install it, and I had to detach the deck. When I pulled it out from under the mower, I found a bunch of broken brackets, so I had to load it in the Jeep and have my father-in-law weld them back on. When I got back, I had tons of trouble trying to get all of the pins and linkages to line up again. Eventually I got it back on, but then it wouldn't start. Turns out, by welding some parts back on, the rest of the thing was out of alignment, and the blade belt was constantly engaged, which prevented it from starting. And then the welds broke and I found more breaks.

I then decided to take it to a professional mower repair place up the road. It was a rainy day, and I drove the Jeep around back as I always do to pick up the deck. I underestimated how wet it was and got stuck, and my mechanic STILL hasn't found the part to fix my 4WD. I got out, but I dug some trenches on the way out.

So, now the deck is hopefully being totally fixed. Meanwhile, my backyard is getting deeper. Fortunately, my neighbor has offered to let me use his mower, but now I have to wait for the weather to clear up, hopefully on Friday.

I hope the old Craftsman will make it through one more season, and then next year I may shop around for something new. Our stimulus check is destined to repair our back patio roof.

Everything's going my way

I got my DS back from Nintendo a few days ago. Judging by the serial number and scuffs on the case, it's my DS, but I think they disassembled it and put in a new hinge bit. I had to reprogram my preferences when I got turned it on. Anyhoo, nice work!

Jacob's birthday party was a success over the weekend. Two of his friends from preschool showed up, plus Angel, Tahja, and Terrell. Loads of fun, and Jacob got several nice LEGO sets and other toys.

On Tuesday, I put on a pair of jeans I had not worn in a while. I buttoned them up, and then they just fell off! Also, when I finished my reps yesterday, I started running on the track. And I kept going! I felt coordinated and I didn't run out of breath! Pretty awesome. My new goal is to get below 200 lbs. I feel good, and I have more energy.

With the help of some hand-me-down tools from my father-in-law, I got my riding mower re-assembled, but now the battery needs to be charged up. Since it's been drizzly lately, I haven't been able to go out and plug in the charger.

I've gotta update more often... these dumps are a bit incoherent. Ah well.

FOOD UPDATE: I like coffee! Well, it needs a cream and 4 sugars to be palatable to be, but still. Thanks Dunkin Donuts!