Introducing Captain...back to Utah

Captain and I returned from Socorro on Sunday to find the house buried in several feet of snow.  Thanks to a debilitating condition I would rather not discuss (brought on by too much road food and too much time in the car) I was hardly up to the task of clearing the 30 feet of compacted snow and ice from road to driveway.  I did try, until I realized the next shovel full of snow would likely wreck my back as well.

Plan B was much simpler:  I locked the hubs on the F250 in our second driveway, threw it into 4x4, blasted out of the drift (think Steve Martin and John Candy in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles with Captain playing the role of Dell Griffith) and then drove over the snow in the driveway behind the truck to flatten in.  I beached the car and walked from there.  

But today, I have triumph.  It only took three days, but as I slopped the last heave of ice out of the way, I held the shovel above my head and howled "I have done it!!!!".  This had the added benefit of scaring away the two college punks looking at the rental house across the street.

But Captain is the real star.  He stood by me watching the street, rolling in and biting at the snow, and generally being a good dog.  I think he'll like it here.  

Later:

I just realized: I was playing the role of Dell Griffith, since I was driving.  I didn't want you to get the idea I let Captain pilot the truck.  I'm also sure I said "we need to rock it a bit."

Always listen to your spouse

When she says get a pup, get a pup!!

Radio astronomer communicates with another lifeform

A novel use of the VLA: Search for Canine Intelligence.

Cassie, The Best Dog Ever, 1997 - 2008

Our dear friend Cassie succumbed to canine lymphoma over Thanksgiving.  I am thankful that SG was here with us, and that Cassie went quickly.  She was a dignified pooch, and it is such a blessing that she did not suffer. 

Cassie, I will miss you more than I can say.  You have been an integral part of our lives for the past 10 years, and you have helped remind us of life's most important things: eat fresh bread every day (if you can get it off the counter), chase your dreams (even if they smell like skunk) and remember that "or" is a dirty word.  Thank you for being our best friend, and the Best Dog Ever.

New Rig: Update

I just got back from our maiden voyage to the grocery store, and what a smooth ride!  The trailer, no surprise, actually stabilizes the bike.  The drag does make the average speed of the bike about 30% less, but there is no noticeable increase in effort.  Again, even up hills, you just go slower, but it doesn't require much extra work, even under load.  The first trip included the following prioritized list of supplies:

1 six pack of beer

2 boxes of doggie snacks

1 lb butter

1 qt yogurt

1 pack cream cheese (for secret special thanksgiving breakfast)

1 can black beans

1 bottle laundry soap

1 bottle dish soap

1 bag fruit and nut granola

1 jar of chili garlic sauce (Sambal)

6 rolls of toilet paper

1 large bottle of olive oil

1 large bottle of balsamic vinegar 

1 small bag of jelly bellies

5 apples

2 lemons

2 limes

1 bunch green onions

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 bag of mushrooms

1 new hardback book (Stephen King short stories)

Not a bad haul for a guy on a bike!  

My new "rig"

There are a lot of gear rigs:

SG and I have a Ford F250 pulling a three-horse with tack and dressing room rig. 

Cassie has a six-foot leather quick-release leash and collar rig.

Larry and the "Daryls" have dual quick-fill, auto-release water dispensers and tempered metal feeding rig.

I am currently rockin"g" my Fender Strat with 10 W practice amp rig (everyone starts someplace). 

HARBOR has a Kenwood TM-D710 ham radio with 1/4 wave antenna and portable power supply rig for tracking the high altitude balloon in the field.

My blogging rig is a MacBook Air and iPhone.

But this, my friends, is my new rig: A Burley Nomad cargo trailer for my bike that can haul 100 lbs!  While I have been going the grocery store on my bike with saddle bags or hauling stuff by bus, now I am ready to do the big pre-T-day shopping trip...on my bike!  20 lbs of potatoes?  No problem.  Case of beer?  We can handle it, as long as we let it settle a bit before we drink it.

I'll post some pictures of it actually set up in a bit.  In the mean time, I have some details to work out.  It says it can haul 100 lbs, but I can't find a motor anywhere on the trailer.  Hmmmm.  Maybe that is sold separately?

FAIL!

I both won and lost at court today. I lost because the judge ruled I was in breach of contract. I won because he "felt my pain" and effectively deducted late fees and court costs from the plaintiff's case. The moral: submit all grievances in writing!

A scary detail: Nearly all of the other cases were "Money Lending Co." vs. "Person". The unseen costs of payday lending.

The only disappointment was when the bailiff came over and told the cub scouts it would be "less boring" in traffic court. Cub scouts have all the fun! I read over one scout's shoulder the following notes:

"Judge got mad 'cos someone didn't show up"

You will have more fun in traffic court!