Monday March 31 2003
7:30p
     The Carolina Investors place was suppose to send out info about their situation on Friday. It hasn't got here yet. There was a short news report this evening and they played a recording of the phone message. It basically said the lawyers were working on recovering the largest amount possible for returning to the investors. I had thought it was going to be only a cash flow problem. It don't look all that good now. Maybe it never did. So I'm just waiting now like the others to see how much or if all of it has been lost.
     The war in Iraq is going on 13 days now. The Muslim world hates the States more than ever. So does a lot of the rest of the world. Bush and the political entities behind him have really created the worst possible situation for the States. They've under estimated half of everything and over estimated the other half. That would be everything bad that could go wrong and everything good that could go right.
     It's going to be a really long hot Summer in the Iraqi desert.
     There's that new desease going around now too. Some kind of resporatory virsus.
     Wars and pestilance and loosing money ... the end years are beginning.

Monday April 7, 2003
5:10a
     Looks like I might as well just quit writting in this Journal. I haven't been making entries like I use to. Looks like there's only one regular reader left too. Hi Lady.
     Mom's back has been hurting her for more than two weeks now. We had the EMS people come and get her Thursday and take her to the hosiptal. They only took an xray of the back to check the spine and there was nothing wrong. So the doctor wrote two prescriptions for muscles spasms and pain relief. The I drove her back home. The new medicines haven't been any help in releiveing the pain.
     Wednesday Mom had wanted to go up to the hospital that afternoon. So I stayed home after lunch that day. But her doctor was off that afternoon and we didn't go. She had called earlier that morning and learned the doctor was working that day. They just forgot to tell her she would be off in the afternoon. I stayed home on Thursday to do what we did that day. I didn't even go to work and just went into the front bedroom to lay down.
     Wednesday morning also Mom got a couple of calls and it was Eddie. He's left Chicago and was at his mother's in lower Illinois and was going to stop here on the way to live with his sister Frances. He got here about nine that evening. He hasn't changed his ways any and just talked the talk he always has. He either quit his job or got fired and now he's looking to free load off of his sister now.
     ... Oh I don't need to write anything about that. He stayed up most of the night talking on the phone so there will be a high bill to pay now. Then he got up and left early. He just wanted a free place to stay.
     Leander called that morning too and learn Eddie was on the way. So she had to fix food for supper. She did that and stayed till after nine. We watched one of the nature shows on PBS. She was just getting ready to leave when Eddie got here. I went outside to see her off. She was backing toward the Hunt's place because there was an extra car in the drive way. She was going to back over that little hill and I had to shout and wave my arms at her to get her to stop. I told her to back onto the grass below the car and then go down the driveway. She started backing toward the hill again and I had to wave at her again. I was getting so frustrated because she wouldn't do what I told her too. But she finally did and left.
     Mom's like that too. So are most everyone I talk to. It's as if there's a rule to never, never, ever do what Jerry says or suggests. I have gotten so tired and weary of it all.
     At work I spend most of the day just staring at the computer. Actually spend too much time reading the news and opinions and boards messages about the war in Iraq. And then I'm still thinking about Mom's problems and there's nothing I can do about it. If I don't start producing some work at work I'm going to get in trouble there too.
     And then there's loosing all that money invested with Carolina Investors. It's going to take me 2 or more years to earn all that over again.
     Brothers Daniel and Robert don't send email anymore. I don't know how long it's been since they've called on the phone.
     So anyway ... life's sad and getting sadder and I'm not going to keep this Journal up any more. It's too much like having to live through the bad times all over again.
     The End.

Wednesday April 16, 2003
5:10a
     Made another trip to the doctors yesterday. Mom's back problem is still muscles spasms or tension or strained or something. A different kind of pain medicine and increasing the valium dosage was the only change. They had to do another xray too. The one they did at the emergency room last time was too high on the back. This time is was for the lower back. So nothing much has changed.
     I had to go back to the doctors office to get a prescription for the increased dosage. It's one of those controlled substances and the pharmacist can't refill it too soon before its normal time, 4 days early is all they allow now. So I needed something to show there was a reason why the medicine ran out earlier than normal. It all has to do with some people and some doctors doing drug abuse. But it's all us normal people who have to go through the extra hassle of getting the medicine we need.
     There's a new regulation about patient information now too. It was on the news the night before I think. So at the doctor's office we had to sign another new form about how they can use patient information. Then again at the hospital for the xray thing. Then again, again at the pharmacy. More hassle for us common normal folk all because there was some law suit years about about an employee getting fired after the company learned he had a medicial condition.
     Saturday I got new mattress for Mom's bed. The old was the orignal one and was about 45 years old. I thought that might help Mom's back condition. But it will be weeks before there's any change happening.
     Time to go already. Bye.

Saturday April 26, 2003
3:45a
     There was a lightening-thunderstorm about 2:00 this morning. It was enough to wake me up and not get back to sleep. So I'm starting the day extra early and will be sleeping this afternoon. It seems like such a waste of the day to have to do that.
     I'm taking a week of my vacation now too. Of course I'm not going anywhere except maybe a day trip around the area. At least I won't have to go sit at work all day trying to get something useful done.
     Maybe I'll get back into write entries in this Journal. There's really been a few things I should write about, just to document them.
     So anyway, this is enough for now. I'm going to go do the rest of my morning rituals, washing the hair and scraping whiskers off the face. Then I'm going to lay back down and pretend to sleep. That's something I've thought of trying to do every morning, get all the usual stuff done and lay back down till Mom gets up.
     She's still not doing good. Her back is hurting all the time. None of the medicines seem to be working that well, the new mattress and chair hasn't made any difference either.
     Last night after she got ready for bed I went to check on her. She had just gotten onto the bed and was breathing really hard. It looked as bad as February 2000 when she went to the hospital for a week.

Monday April 28, 2003
4:30a
     Yesterday afternoon I drove down the the Walmart in Easley and bought a video camera. It also makes single frame pictures too.
     Robert called Mom yesterday morning too and they talked a while then we talked a little too.
     Today I got to get the grass cut, Mom's clothes washed, pay bills, go see about the CI bankruptcy thing, go to DSS and see what can be started for Mom, clean the porch, wash the car, get my truck over to the garage for long over due service and then Moms car too, get her car transfered to me.
     Oh joy joy ... and I'm suppose to be on vacation and get out and do stuff for myself.

Thursday May 1, 2003
5:25a
     Monday. Did the yard work, cut grass only; washed Mom's clothes that had been in the laundry room for weeks, 3 loads; made first videos with new camera toy, around Mom's house, Jay Cee park and Hagood Mill; probably some other stuff I've already forgotten.
     Tuesday. Washed Mom's car and the carport; drove down to Walmart again to buy more stuff for the camera, a picture memory chip 64 MB $35, tapes $8 and extra battery $15; stopped at the Highway department for title transfer form to buy Mom's car; drove back through Liberty via US 123 an US 178; stopped at county museum and made a video there; drove up to Lake Jocassee and made video there; Leander came up that afternoon with supper, hen and potato salad, watched the video.
     Wednesday. Unloaded everything out of the truck and took it over to Tweleve Mile garage for service, all the usual stuff, Lamar drove me back to Mom's; started to use Mom's car and found old insurance card in dashboard compartment, spent time looking for the new one, went up to insurance agent to get replacement, Mom found cards later that afternoon; drove up to Table Rock state park to make video there from about 11:00 to 2:30; drove back through Pumpkintown to Pickens and ate hotdogs at the old Bantam Chef, it's not as good there since the change in owners; went on to garage for the truck, paid Lamar and then went back to Mom's, got Mrs Pittman to take me back to the garage; ate supper and watch the new video.
     Thursday. I guess I'll get something done today. Probably sort through all that stuff that was in the truck and is now on the porch where it stayed last night. I really need to stop carrying so much around like I might need it once in a great while. Oh yeah, 54th anniversary of birhday, whoop-ti do.

Monday May 5, 2003
4:50a
     Friday. Took Mom to a doctor's appointment in the afternoon. She's suppose to have an mri scan done sometime and then start treatment for ostriophous(sp?) the bone deteriation desease. I've forgotten what I did in the morning. I don't think she will make an arrangements for the mri. She seems to no ambitious left to do things like that.
     Saturday. Did the usual things Saturday morning things of washing clothes. In the afternoon I rode out to Mile Creek Park and Keowee Toxiaway Park to make videos. There were campers already out there, I had forgotten it was a weekend and didn't have the park to myself, mostly, like I had thought.
     Sunday. Cook the cube steak and fixed some rice. Mrs Pittman brought a couple of plates from the church too. Took down the storm windows and put up screens and the air conditioner in the front bedroom. Washed and cleaned the kitchen windows too this time. The ones over the sink probably hadn't been cleaned in decades. Made some bird videos around the house again.
     So vacation week is over and I didn't go anywhere again. It takes me a vacation to get things done that normal people do over a weekend. I couldn't even make myself go to a local motel to sleep out one night.
    

Tuesday May 6, 2003
5:40a
     Last night I slept like a normal person should, as best I can remember how normal sleep use to be. I dreamt a dream, something about getting a young man's car back to his house. He and another young man were living there, college apartment type thing I guess. There was some kind of festival or get together on the streets too. But that's about all I remember of it now. Except the two were nude like they had just gotten up for the morning.
     I wonder if my mind is experiencing a brief relief from worrys and woes and depression?
     ... Thanks for the birthday card, Lady.
     Oh yeah. Yesterday at work I printed more of this journal, the parts 9.4-9.9. The stack of paper on the old science fair table at my house looks like it's two reams of paper high now. That would be about 1,000 pages, all single spaced full line width too.

Wednesday May 7, 2003
5:30a
     Sent that email to some State Representatives concerning renameing a highway in relation to the HomeGold and Carolina Investors episode.

Wednesday May 14, 2003
5:00a
     It has been a week, but I guess that's really obvious is it not. No response to the email sent last time either. But that was mostly expected anyway, no one is really listening to us common folk investors.
     The Madness continues ... this another topic by the way. It started on my birthday and that was after a really long period of suspression. I suppose it's the getting old thing that seems to have been happening on the more recent (last decade more or less) birthdays anniversaries. I'm back to searching this world wide web internet entity for youth experiencing their own natural discoveries of their own youth.
     Is that a high class literary way of saying, "looking for pictures of nude young people" or what?
     It sometimes feels like a madness, an obsession, to live this vicarious and/or voyuerism existence. Looking into the faces and eyes of today's youth in search of something that I've always felt was missing from my own. Maybe I'm just getting more desperate to ... to what? Wishing I had done more to have lived like I had imagined my life should have been lived? But that's seems to be how I've always lived. That was the way then, looking, watching, observing how the others of my own generation appeared to be living. But not me.
     So anyway, it's been going on for 11 days now. I had thought the Maddness had passed by a couple of days ago. But it still lingers.
     There's this other thought too. The universities have been connected by this internet thing for 6 or 7 or 8 years. I mean popularly connected. The pictures and images being exchanged, swapped, floated into the surffing space ... that is the now, the present. And then, there is the thought of what if ... what if such had been 35 or 40 years ago when I was young.

Friday May 16, 2003
3:50a
     How do you know it is not something else?
     Looking into the faces of youth ... it is looking into the future. Yet more so, it's looking into hope, dreams, and best wishes for ever better futures.
     It is more than easy looking ... more than the real time, perceived, rare image on a single campus. Those (my own past) were and (ever present youth) are only that ... a false perception. It was/is hard looking through a hazy fog with the mind's eye to see the multitudes on every campus.
     But that was then ... this, this wizardly, web, connected now easily blends a single fraternity on a single campus into one brotherhood on Earth.
     It's only within my own aged mind that there are visions of a lost past ... maybe not even that. Perhaps it is only the images of a bad, ill used life which is densely and dimmly obscurring past hopes, dreams and best wishes of my own then future.

Saturday May 24, 2003
4:40a
     At work this past week there was an ANSYS instructor here to show us things about nonlinear and contact analysis. That was four days of sitting in a room listening to him talk and show (computer) slides and doing workshops. He was from Scotland and we were in the same city (Glasgow) in April 1993. It's always interesting to meet up with someone from another part of the world and learn that we were in the same city at the same time years ago.
     Yesterday was a no work day, neither is Monday. I finally got the kitchen at my house cleaned out. I did throw out some things, mostly the stuff that normal people throw out with the trash. It was mostly just putting away everything else. Which means the kitchen is bare now but the back bedroom (storage rooms) have more stuff in them. Dumped some things into the study and living room too. But anyway, it only took me a year or more to get around to cleaning out the kitchen.
     After I got the kitchen done I spent the afternoon there making computer images of the old slides. I had gotten the slide holder and lights (desk lamp and that flood light) set up. I had the lights shine onto a white paper for the back lighting to the slide. Most of them looked like they got washed out. So I did it all over again later without the lights. And it seemed to work to only hold the slide right onto the lens too.
     Then I went through the process of getting them from the camera to the computer. It was interesting how I had the portable computer, digital camera and tape video camcorder set up on the small table in the kitchen. Using all this new technology to make images from 30 plus year old slides.
     This morning I woke up about 2:30. Then I started to smell a skunk so I had to get up and close the windows. But the order had already got into the room. I laid there till about 3:50 and then got up. The smell was in the kitchen too. Later I went outside with the flashlight to see if I could find it. But I think it was runned over on the Ridge road east of here.
     I guess today will mostly be a regular Saturday, haul off the trash, get groceries and cut grass.

Monday May 26, 2003
5:10a
     Yesterday afternoon I drove down to Clemson to walk around the central campus and make pictures with the new camcorder. So for about 2 hours I half way felt like I was living life a little, even though it wasn't much to get excited about.
     About half of the pictures were around the old English - Math - Physics buildings, the library pool. The other half were around the old dorm area and the front lawn. There were 10 or so people there, some playing the traditional frizbie. The last of the tincan dorms are gone. It's just an empty lot now. But there is still the front north section left. I guess they will keep those for tradition maybe.
     The last picture was over at the parking lot behind the architure building. That was the place where I spent most of the two years I was there. Sitting in the old green vw beetle parked in the gravel and dirt lot.
     Life is getting more difficult to cope with now. I'm so tired of being depressed, again. I waste away what's left of my days doing nothing but what has to be done. Can't even do that the way I think it needs to be done. Mom's condition and depression is wearing away at me now. Well I guess it always has done that, it's just catching up with me more now. ... On nevermind, I can't think about it. I'm not even going to get a few years to call my own. I've wasted away my years waiting for better times to come my way. It will be the same till the end days as well.
     The young Baghdad man has started posting to his journal. That was the first week of the May. So now I can keep up with a real person's account of what's happening there.
     Back to the "nude young people madness" ... the fever has broken, I hope, and the madness is fading away. It is/was/will always be the wishful thinking of how life could have been, or how I imagined it should have been. My youth days have long ago been wasted away. It's all about just getting older now and being envious, jealous, coventenous of the pretty and handsome youth.
     A person really has to study their faces and eyes to understand. Peering deeply into the young spirit within.
9:10a
     Huddle House Resturant. Ate Hasbrowns with a little of everything. Except little is really little now. It was mostly to wait till Staples opens and use the restroom.
9:40a
     Sitting in the truck at teh parking lot in front of Staples. More waiting till it opens. It usually opens at 8:00 but this is Memorial Day and I did decide to stop here. So it will be 10:00 when they open.
     I'm going to look at the scanners, especially one with a slide scanner. I culd get by with the backlighting thing I've already done and probably will when I see how much they cost.
     But anyway ... sitting here in the big parking lost makes me feel like I'm at the beach. That's because a big parking lot in the morning sun is the same everywhere. And eating breakfast at the Huddle House makes it feel lieka trip too. But all that is just wishfull thinking anyway.
     NPR is playing classical music too.
7:20p
     I did not get the scanner. I almost got one and it was only $80. But the sales person asked if I could use any help and I started asking about it. He said for scanner slides you need a higher resolution, especially if you're going to do any enlarging. The one he pointed to was $200. So I said I would have to think about it some more. I walked around looking some and then left.
     I went back to Walmart. I had already been there earlier this morning to get a printing calculator and a string trimmer (rotating, monofiliment, weed and grass cutting mechanism). The calculator was for Mom because the one I got years ago quit printing, the ink worn out and I could find any replacement. Actually I couldn't find where on the calculator the inking thing was. I did after I got back.
     But anyway I went back to Walmart to get a desk lamp. It's a halagon and maybe that will work better for backlighting the slides. I reflected the florescent light off of white paper before. Maybe this will work better. It'll work good enough for making my slides into computer images.
     After lunch I drove around, again. Like always I go over to my house and sit in the driveway thinking about where to go. This time I headed up toward Ceasar's Head. I really wasn't planning on going to the top. About half way up I passed that popular turn out. There's a large rocky area there with a good view. It's the place I've always remember stopping at one time back in the 1950s. It's about the only time I remember ever stopping there really. All the other times I've drove on by and just remember the place.
     So this time I rounded the curve and there were 10 cars already parked there and that was when I remember the place ... again. So this time I just decided to stop.
     I made some video of a small branch waterfalls and then the rocky area. You can see the back side of Table Rock from there. Most everything else is just northeast greenville county. I made a pan or two then went onto one of the side trails. It lead to place where there were clusters of Mountain Laural. So I made a few minutes of video there. There was a dragon fly on a log and I made some of it too.
     There were only 2 or 3 groups at the top area. I guess everyone else was wandering around down below. It must be a popular place for the young people. There were lots of graffitii painted all around. The usual stuff of boy + girl forever.
     I left there and drove down US 276 through to Marreitta and then 186 through Dacusville. And on back to my house for a short sitting.
     So that was the last of the four day weekend.
     I still feel bad anyway. It was only a fleeting moment of living. Now it's back into the depression zones.

Wednesday May 28, 2003
2:00a
     That skunk came by the house again. It was about 1:15 or so and I was already half awake. I was sleeping well and dreaming too. But that oder had to come drifting into the bedroom though the windows. I hurriedly got up and closed them. Now I wonder if I'll be able to keep leaving them open some to let the cool night air in. I sleep better when they are open.
     I laid back down for a few minutes but decide to get up, get dressed and go outside to see what I could find. I walked around the house, looking with the big flashlight, sniffing and checking wind direction. I think it was from the back of the house, maybe under the bushes on the neighbors yard, maybe in the inside corner next to the den.
     I gave up and came back inside and started the internet thing to pass the time. It's now 4:00 and I just came back in again from looking and sniffing more. It's not as bad now. I wonder if those things always smell like that or if it's only when they spray?
     My most concern is that one got under the house some how. All the vents are still screened, I checked those the last time.
     In a few minutes I'll go lay back down again. I've already had my cereal and coffee. So there's not that much more to do except past the rest of the early morning away, waiting for the real time to get up. Which is usually about now.
     The new computer at work is giving me problems now. It's still slow on some things and the ansys program won't run right either. It has become so furstrating I just can't get my mind into doing anything. It's part of that everything I touch turns to depressing disappointment. If I don't start producing some deceit work I won't have any job to work at soon.

Sunday June 1, 2003
5:05a
     It hasn't been good the last couple of days. I tried writing up what I learned from the hearing meeting on Friday. But couldn't really get anything going. Well I did get started but it's all just short notes that I can barely understand myself.
     I still do only the regular things around here and can't seem to get any sense of accomplishment.
     Last night Mom spilt her tray of food and buttermilk on the new chair in the den. I was cooking myself some eggs, sausage and grits but sat everything off the stove and tried to help her clean up. She still doesn't want me to do anything extra to help her. That always get me so frustrated and I let it show. I've started to mumble to myself when something like that happens. Well sometimes I mumble to myself anyway. So anyway it wasn't a good night last night.
     .... There's nothing more coming out of my mind that's coherent enough to write. Bye.

Wednesday June 4, 2003
4:40a
     There's another mouse loose in the house. I saw it come out from behind the refrigrator and squeeze itself under the den room door. So I'll have to put out the traps again. I wish there was a way to catch it and let it loose somewhere else. I really don't like to kill them with those old traps.
     It's raining again, after serveral days without. The gutters need cleaning out too, I let them get clogged up with all the spring time seed stuff.
     I'm doing something new at work, finally. It's the sound quality program and I've got enough of it going to make recordings and make changes to the sounds. There's still some parts that we need and this is after months of waiting for one thing or another. I actually had to go buy some things myself. But anyway, at least it's something half way productive instead of waiting for something to happen. But it'll be like in the past too. Now that I've got an interest going there will be something urgent and complicated and frustating that needs to be done instead.
     Sunday morning I washed the car and carport. Then I fixed something for lunch. Then I did the trimming thing with the new rotating, mono-filiment, weed and grass cutter. Then I cleaned off the old tree stump area where I had put the sea shells and rocks. I was going to scrap up the weeds but there's nothing but dirt there now instead of wood chips. So I'll let that grow over with weeds and grass. Finally bagged up some of the trimmings and leaves from last Fall and took them over to my house. So Sunday I really got something useful done instead of sitting around and laying around and feeling sorry for myself like I had been doing for months.
     I still need to write up about the meeting over in Greenville last Friday. There's probably other stuff I need to write up too but it's been so long ago now I've forgotten what it was that needed to be written. Typical, put stuff off long enough and then you don't have to be bothered with it since it's been put out of mind too.
     That's all.

Wednesday June 11, 2003
3:30a
     This journal writing appears to have become the Loser's Weekly Report.
     There's a new tool design being worked on, it's a recipical saw with a totally new driving mechanism. Lots of moving parts so there's dynamic analysis required. Earl's doing that of course since I don't have a clue about how to the details of dynamics. I'm just getting the finite element models ready for when he gets the loads calculated. That's mostly done now too. And still there's other parts that should be looked at but they will just be guessed at. It all needs to be done by Friday. The designer was nice and gave us a week to do a months worth of work.
     Sunday afternoon I started making pictures of Dad's old slides. I had gotten that lamp a week or two ago to use for backlighting. And I got the slide holder and picture holder things I used a few years ago and brought them over here to Mom's house. So I set up the new camera and all the other stuff and started picking out slides that looked interesting. Mostly the ones with people. The pictures turned out reddish so I need a flourscent lamp also, the haligon lamp by itself is causing that. I should have been doing more of the slides this week but it takes a lot of time to get things set up just for a few minutes of picture taking.
     Friday evening the weather predicter said there would be rain on Saturday. I had let the grass go last week so I changed into my outdoors working clothes and cut grass that evening. That was different, it's usually Saturday when I do the lawn work. So I was riding the mower around the front yard and just finishing when the drizzling started. Sometime earlier I sort of felt something hit my eye but didn't pay it much attention. That sort of thing happens anyway and I finished up the cutting.
     Before I started the cutting I got on the roof and cleaned out the gutters too. They hadn't been cleaned since Fall or early Winter. The drains were clogged and that gutter over the front porch and come loose again too. So I pushed it back in place. I had heard the rain pouring onto the concrete porch the last time.
     So anyway I get cleaned up after that and the rest of the evening was mostly the same. Mom's neighbor did come up and brought some video cassettes. They have scenery and music together, that was something that was mentioned the last time she was up here.
     Saturday morning I'm getting ready to wash my hair and shave. I see my right eyeball is bloody. Whatever hit it the evening before did that. It still didn't hurt or feel irritated but it looked bad. It was a red spot about the size of a pencil eraser in the lower outside corner. Sunday and Monday started using eye wash and eye drops, not that that did much. But anyway it's mostly cleared up now.
     For several nights I've slept better than normal. I managed to actually stay lay there and half doze till 5:00 a couple or three mornings. But last night was restless for some reason and now it's back to waking up at 2:00 and 2:30.
     Still haven't written about the bankruptcy hearing over in Greenville a couple of weeks ago. Maybe if I put it off long enough it'll all just go away.
     I did finally make myself go by the stock and mutual fund place and give them more money. That was yesterday after work. The stock market is working it's way back up so I thought I'd put more money there and make it crash again. Can't let those kinds of things get to uppity. It makes me feel bad for it to be increasing without my money there. It's more normal for me to have money in the market and it go down.
     There'll be a news scandal about those particular mutual funds, or the broker agency, or bad economic news, or another terrorist attack within a few more months. The market and values will dive bomb and things will be back to normal for me. I took down Carolina Investors and HomeGold by having my money with them. I can do the same thing with a national stockbroker agency and mutual funds group and the nation's econmy too.
     There was tidbit of news last evening or the night before. There's been one of the big passenger airplanes missing since May 25th. An empty plane, except for whoever flew it, just went poof and disappeared somewhere in Africa. It'll probably pop back into sight later ... just before it crashes and burns into another building in the States.
     The national leaders and politicans in the States are to absorbed into filling their wealthy supports' bank accounts to really notice or care how much the rest of the world hates the States. But who can blame them (the rest of the world that is). The States are ripping off them the same as its own people.

Tuesday June 24, 2003
4:25a
     It was last Wednesday or maybe Tuesday that I was sitting in the den and noticed that the air conditioner didn't sound right. It was like the compressor was bogged down and/or the fan not turning full speed. I think it was the next day that Mom had turned it off and left it off. So I tryed running it again. The plug felt warm so it was drawing too much current and I turned it off again.
     The rest of the week we did without air conditioning. Fortunately it was extra cool during the nights and not so hot during the day. It actually got down near 60 or even into the upper 50s a couple of mornings. I had work that really needed to be done at the job place. So I couldn't take time off to get a new one.
     That's what I did Saturday. Went down to Lowe's in Easley and got the least expensive one there. Hundred and sixty dollars for a 6,000 btu/hr size. Did that during the morning after getting the clothes washed and hung on the porch. Then I did the grocery shopping and ate lunch, or rather the other way around. The rest of the day was spent taking the old one out and putting the new one in. Seems like about half the time was spent making covers out of cardboard and plastic to fill up the holes around it.
     Uncle DM came up that afternoon too and stayed about an hour. He left about the time I finished cleaning up.
     The old one lasted only two summers. The old-old one, the first air conditioner for Mom's house, lasted from 1987 to 2001.
     Haven't done anything new with the old slides. I got 73 done the last time, that was when I first got things set up right for taking pictures of the slides. During the evenings it just doesn't seem like it's worth the trouble to set everything up and make only a few pictures. Now it's gotting warm/hot in the living room and running the lights and camera and computer in there would only make it hotter. I did put the pictures up on the website.
     Email ... junk mail ... spam ... most all of it sex related trash. I let 160 emails accummulate since Saturday morning. I had thought I could let the mailbox get full and start rejecting them. But that would take thousands and I don't know what size the mailbox is, probably a couple of megabytes and most of the emails are about a thousand bytes in size.
     A while back I tried using the remove from list link on a few. I really think they have it fixed so that only adds your address to more lists. Besides, the email providers have anti spam things that you can use but they cost extra. So it's in their interest to keep the spam flowing till you pay them to block it.
     I've thought about closing the account and start a new one but I'm not sure that would work either. It wouldn't take long before the new address is found out and the spam starts flowing into it also.
     The new recipical saw design is finished or at least the analysis of it. Now there's that other new thing to work on and then maybe I can get back to the sound quality project I started a month ago.
     Haven't heard much from anyone recently. I guess everyone is busy with their lives. Except me. I've been dwelling on how I've let the last 20, 30, 40 years go by without doing so many things I've wanted to do. Kept putting the rest of my life till things got a little better. But things don't really ever get better. ... Should have stayed in Virginia Beach after getting out of the navy in 1975 ... Or gone somewhere else to live ... Gone anywhere else ...