First Time

Big Day

2012-02-14T07:22:00.005-05:00

Remember that satellite dish from before vacation? Well, it's on the pole, cables run, receiver received, and today is the day to point at the satellite. This dish is so huge I need a helper. This will be the first CayTronics employee! It is sometimes inexplicably difficult to find the satellite, and I hope this is not the case today.
More Costa Rica Pictures:

A Squirrel

The In-Laws Neighbors

The Costa Rican Moon, AKA La Luna.

It's MONDAY

2012-02-13T07:35:00.003-05:00

It's Monday, I got a lot to do today. But the hardest thing is just to get going. I'm not going to say much today.
Just that I don't think too many people say the pics of the house and grocery store that I posted yesterday, I think people stopped after the audio post. I may start doing more audio posts, but I can't get rid of the annoying blank spaces.
Last night I had a dream that I was going to buy something and it was a really good deal but I can't remember what it was I was going to buy.
Below are some pics from Costa Rica of the inside of my Mother In Laws church. I didn't attend services, but I went in after to see and take some pictures.
Have a good day everybody!

Test Post, Audio Again

2012-02-12T11:54:00.003-05:00

Superstar Of Air Guitar-Jessie Christopher Band

house and grocery store

2012-02-12T07:52:00.004-05:00

We got home last night, it was sad to leave, but good to be home. I have a couple years worth of Costa Rica pictures to show you, but I'll show you just a few.

Blue House next to the...

...Green Grocery Store

This is a guy I met in the park, I call him The Ice Cream Man, because he was giving away ice cream cones!

Today is unpack and relax and laundry. Tomorrow is back to work...

On Our WAY!

2012-02-11T04:51:00.002-05:00

We're on our way back to Grand Cayman, Home Sweet Home! The alarm went off at 3:30 AM and we're leaving for the airport soon. Good Bye Costa Rica!

Back From The Beach

2012-02-10T07:21:00.004-05:00

Today is our last day in Costa Rica, 24 hours and we'll be at the airport, waiting to head home. This trip went suddenly from: "We just got here" to: "It's almost time to leave", with nothing in between. I'm already looking forward to the next visit.

Yesterday we got back from the beach, near Ario, on the Pacific. It is a fantastic place. Below are a few pictures:

Noelia

My Shell Collection.

The Beach

Reflection On A Wet Beach

The Wifes Parents, The Wife, and me.

Elton John

2012-02-04T09:27:00.003-05:00

The concert last night was really good. I give it a 3.75 out of a 5. He played a little too much mellow stuff, but the sound quality was excellent.
It was cold, and it rained a little. Our seats were at the back of the floor, instead of on the side as we thought, but we could see pretty good. We were all very tired when we got home!
Today is a big Bar-B-Que for all my wifes friends to come over and see her.

Sorry for not commenting on your blogs, I'll catch up when I get home!

2012-02-03T09:15:00.002-05:00

This morning we're going into town till about noon
Wait a minute, a swarm of parakeets is going over, gonna see if I can get a pic. Too late, (Parakeets come in flocks, not swarms, I know)
We'll have lunch at Taco Bell! We didn't even see a Taco Bell in the US.
Then hang out this afternoon, concert tonight.
Couple pics from yesterday, randomly selected.

First Day In Costa Rica

2012-02-02T12:58:00.010-05:00

We made it last night Ok. Not much problems, an hour late leaving Miami but no biggie. We had a nice shopping day yesterday. I got some new shoes and a new SD card for my camera, my old one was broken in half, I had fixed it with epoxy. (Thank you miniature/microminiature electronic repair course!) It was working fine, but I wanted a new High Speed card that video would write to fast enough. If you go back and look at a video post of rain I took some time ago, you can see "jumps", that's because the card could not accept the data from the camera fast enough and loses some data. I shouldn't have that problem with my new Sony HD capable SD card.

Flying from Miami to Costa Rica, I saw Grand Cayman from the air. I tried to get some pictures, but dangit, I can't maneuver a round my camera controls quick enough. This is my best shot:

You can see the hammerhead of West Bay on the left, I can't explain the blurring around George Town.

It is nice and cool here. Like the perfect weather. Sleeping was good last night under heavy blankets. Today we have nothing on the schedule, pick some strawberries, and that's about it. Tomorrow night is the Elton John concert! I think we are all excited about that! I predict the first song will be Benny and the Jets. My Father-In-Law said it was the first time he bought concert tickets online. That's another thing that's worsened with time, I remember the good 'ol days, when you had to go to the ticket outlet early to be there when tickets went on sale to get really good seats. That was a party in itself and a lot of fun. I remember the thrill of having good seats and all your friends were admiring you because of your dedication and the anticipation of what a great time you were going to have at the concert. I remember being with our great floor seats up close before the show, and we could look around the arena and see my friends up there in the nosebleeds, and my other friends over there, and that group over there... And reversely, being in the nosebleeds and seeing my friends down there on or near the front row. Because we all knew where each other were sitting. Those were good times!

We have good seats up close on the side for tomorrow.

Internet access is new and improved at the In-Laws house, and I predict no problems posting from here. While we were in the USA yesterday, there was no internet as usual, unless you wanted to pay $10 an hour at the airport.

Anyway, have a good day! Tomorrow is Friday!
Concert Day!

At the airport

2012-02-01T07:24:00.000-05:00

On our way to Costa Rica! My first "road post"!

How To Pack For Vacation

2012-01-31T05:24:00.001-05:00

1) Put your big suitcase on the floor, open.

2) Put your little suitcase (that you already packed) inside.

3) Close 'er up and your ready to go! No fuss! No muss!

Tomorrow we're off to Costa Rica! I am so excited! I can't wait to get there, (tomorrow about 10PM after spending the day in Miami (on purpose!))

But today I have a lot of work to do. The concrete is now dry holding the pole for the satellite dish, and I'm off to get the dish on the pole, get the feedhorn assembly on and finish putting the whole thing together, get the cable ran and maybe get the dish pointed at the satellite!

Two Days and a Wake Up!

2012-01-30T00:14:00.010-05:00

What a weekend it was.. I think it was Friday I ate two cans of Sardines, one in Hot Sauce and one in Mustard Sauce. The Hot Sauce one was good, but the Mustard one tasted funny. Not bad, just funny. Did I mention the "Best when used by" date was 2008? (that rhymes) Well, I guess they were 'funny' because I was sick all weekend. Not stomach sick, I had a fever of 101.8 and a bad headache (that kinda rhymes too). It was like my eyeballs were Hors d'Oeuvres with toothpicks in them. And if I sneezed or coughed, it felt like the top of my head was going to come off. All weekend, I wasn't really sure if it was the sardines that made me sick, my stomach wasn't upset, although I didn't feel hungry. Then yesterday evening, I started feeling better. Then my digestive system clicked back on, (I didn't even know it was off) mumbling and grumbling and acting very active, and I was suddenly starving. That's what made me pretty sure it was the sardines. Ya know, when I was a kid, canned goods didn't have expiration dates on them, if it was in a can, it was good forever. Guess they don't can 'em like they used to!
My font color for today is sardine silver, in case you were wondering.

Two days and a wake up till Costa Rica! I am ready to go!!

Sheba, Queen of the Back Porch

2012-01-27T08:02:00.011-05:00

The other day, I gave Sheba a bath in the late afternoon. Because of her thick, luxurious, beautiful hair, she was still wet around bedtime. SOOO The Wife whipped out the hair dryer and dried Sheba. I thought Sheba would be afraid of the noisy, hot air blowing, wind machine, but nope, she loved it. Spoiled brat!

Yeah, we're both just girls, hanging out at the beauty salon. How'r you today?

Aren't you supposed to give me a magazine to read?

Yeah, I'll leave you a good tip... (snicker snicker....)

Also, I designed and installed an underwater lighting system for our pool. Below is a picture. Actually I just put one of my underwater scuba lights in the pool. Good for night swimming. It looks like this:

Last night I had a cool dream that I had a rats tail on the back of my head. It must have been back in my high school hippie days because I found it in my hair. I was going to cut it off, but hesitated because I figured there was blood and bone in there, so I didn't. I went to the doctor to have it removed but decided to keep it. Wouldn't it be cool to have a rats tail on the back of your head? You could thoughtfully scratch your forehead with it during an important conversation with your boss, and hundreds of other uses! I have made my font rattail gray for this paragraph!!!

It's Friday! Yeay! Have a good weekend everybody!!

Less than a Week

2012-01-26T07:21:00.004-05:00

One week from now, The Wife and I will be waking up for our first day in Costa Rica! I guess you could say I've already started packing. I have some special cigars to smoke with my Father In Law packed, and that's a start. We are spending a day in Miami on the way there, so we arrive in Costa Rica about 10 PM.We are going to see Elton John in concert while we are in Costa Rica. It should be a very good show, and I hope I can get some decent photos with my teeny camera. We are also going to the beach on the Pacific ocean. We haven't been there in about 6 years.
Work is slow. The dang concrete man is slow. They just poured the concrete and I should be able to install the dish Monday.
I went to the doctors and got my stitches out yesterday, I think I'm going to have a pretty cool scar. I thought I wouldn't have one at all because the cut was so clean. I could tell it was time to get the stitches out because they were pully and itchy.
I've been having some trouble with my Linux computer. It did an upgrade from V10 to V11 and didn't like it, so I went back, but now things seem different in a way I can't really be specific about. Just slower and sluggisher. And weirder. I'm working on it, as I plan on taking the Linux computer to Costa Rica and actually rely on it.
This is a pretty random post. It seems that I'm going through a period where it is hard for me to post, or maybe I don't like my posts lately. Some mental phase.. It is noticeable that I think of good things to post during the day but suffer from the blank mind when I sit down to post..... I've had this problem before. Oh well, it will pass.

Worst Nightmare Ever

2012-01-25T05:29:00.008-05:00

Last night I had the worst nightmare ever. I was at some community event. My friend Jay was flying a helicopter. My Wife, our friend Carol, and several other people were going for a short ride. The helicopter took off and was hovering about 10 feet off the ground. Suddenly, faster than possible, the helicopter zoomed off and was instantly thousands of feet away over the trees. I thought "helicopters can't do that".

Then the helicopter started wobbling. Pitching a yawing and moving in a lazy arc toward trees. I thought everyone inside must be unconscious because of the sudden, impossibly fast acceleration, and no one was flying.
Then the helicopter went behind the trees and crashed with a huge explosion and fireball. I screamed. To say I was in extreme anguish would be an understatement. I freaked out worse than I have ever freaked. I didn't know what to do. I was crying "The helicopter crashed." "My wife was on it".
I thought about going over to where the crash was but I knew she was dead.
I tried to call my Mom and was surprised when my Dad answered. I told him what happened and got off the phone. I started heading towards the wreckage.
Next thing I know, I'm laying awake in bed. Thinking I won't make it since my wife is dead. I realize I talked to my Dad and he has been dead since for years, since before we got married. I look over and my wife is sleeping next to me. For the first time, I realize it was a dream. Normally I would hesitate before waking her up. Not this time, I wake her up and tell her what happened.
Damn. I'm glad it was just a dream.
Worst nightmare ever.

MyMo (My Monday)

2012-01-24T07:32:00.002-05:00

Today is My Monday. The plan of the day is:
1) Get stitches out of knee
2) Go see if the concrete man put the pole in for my dish
3) Make arrangements for said dish to be placed upon said pole.
4) Go to cigar store
5) Go to beach. (I haven't been to the beach since I got my stitches, because I've been avoiding sand.

Super Blow

2012-01-23T07:17:00.006-05:00

I watched both games yesterday. I don't think the two best teams are going to the Super Bowl. I don't think NY Giants line gives their quarterback vary good protection. San Francisco didn't impress me, but could have won if it weren't for their own mistakes. I wouldn't want to be that Baltimore kicker who missed that easy one to put the game in overtime.

Sunday Random Photos

2012-01-22T07:45:00.003-05:00

The cemetery where Cemetery Beach is.

Vespa

George Town Library

Stupid condos next to Cemetery Beach. I hear they haven't sold a single one and they have been completely empty since they were finished a long time ago.

Some Good Sh*t Man

2012-01-20T07:46:00.002-05:00

For as long as you've been reading my posts, you've heard me whine and complain about not being able to sleep. Well, My Wife got me some stuff, and I tell you, it's some good sh*t man! I take one of these before bed and the next thing I know it's morning.
So if you're a world class insomniac like me, and you want to retire from the insomnia-istic world of insomnia-ism, try some of these.
Now my wife beats me up every day.

New Website Found!

2012-01-19T07:57:00.002-05:00

I found a new website that I really like, www.physorg.com. THIS is kind of stuff that I find interesting! I got up this morning, got coffee and came here to post. but I found an article on Google News about a rare turtle being released into the wild that led me to the site. That was an hour ago. I've been reading articles on that site since, and had to pull myself away. So check it out. If yawanna.

Blood and Guts

2012-01-18T07:06:00.004-05:00

One thing I forgot to mention was that I cut my knee on the angle iron for the dish. I went to the hospital and paid $500 for 6 stitches and my medicine. Then I went back and finished putting together the dish.

Yow!

at the hospital

Twelve Foot Dish

2012-01-17T06:31:00.005-05:00

Here's some pictures of that 12 foot dish I've been working on. When I started, I had a box with eight petals, several bags of nuts and bolts, and a few stacks of angle iron. It's all together now, waiting to go on the pole. The pole is waiting on the hole, and the concrete man.
Happy Days asked why such a big dish... There could be several reasons. We could be on the edge of the satellite footprint. Imagine being in space over the same spot equator, shining a light on the the same spot at North America. The lit part is called the footprint. The signal from the satellite is kind of like the light from your flashlight. Down here in the Caribbean, we're on the edge of the footprint, so a bigger dish helps us get more signal.
Another reason could be that we may receive large amounts of data. Where you are receiving and using only one audio and video channel at a time, the broadcaster may receive numerous CD quality digital audio and video streams simultaneously, as well as data feeds.
Also, I have installed little 30 inch TV satellite dishes, and the strongest signal I could get was about 40% on my receiver signal strength meter. If it rained or got cloudy, you could see the TV picture get worse, or drop out completely. With this dish, I expect to receive 100% signal strength and a signal suitable for Radio Broadcast in any weather conditions.

Although, I must admit, I think we could do just fine with a 10 foot or even an 8 foot dish. But the receiver vendor insisted on a 12 foot and I was given a 12 footer to install.

"The dish is now strong enough to support the weight of the assembler"

The support struts.

Me on top of a dish that looks small in this picture.

Looking up.

Weekend-Over

2012-01-16T06:56:00.004-05:00

The weekend is over, It was cold and windy, I went diving Sunday and it was cold out of the water, not so bad in.

I have not much to say today, so I will say thousands of words with a few pictures.

A spotted lobster in a swim-thru from yesterdays dive.

A brick wall inside a tree. Click to enlarge, the tree grew over the wall. The rest of the wall was torn recently down and the land cleared so they could build a new shopping mall. I took this pic when I was sitting at a red light.

My feet at the grocery store, I took this pic when I was sitting at a red light. Not really, it was a long line... same thing.

Cayman Cookout

2012-01-14T07:52:00.009-05:00

Yesterday The Wife and I were invited by our Old New Friends, John and Diane, to the Cayman Cookout. It was a lot of fun with lots of food and drink on the beach by famous chefs from around the world. Here's a pic I took of Anthony Bourdain with my Gloriously Famous Wife, I've never heard of Anthony Bourdain.. Sorry Anthony!

(I stole this pic from my wifes Facebook page. I took the pic with her camera and didn't have a copy.)

Thanks again to John and Diane for generously inviting us to such a wonderful event! It was great to see them. I hope they get the chance to come over to our house this trip.

I'll say again what I've said many times: Facebook is good for finding old friends, Blogger is good for making new ones!

The Other Instructions

2012-01-13T07:39:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I started assembling the 12 foot (that's big!) Satellite dish. The instructions that were in the box were kinda lame. They said, basically, assemble the reflector assembly as shown in figure 2.1. Assemble the mounting assembly as shown it figure 2.1. Figure 2.1 was a picture of the dish.
I put it together, because this aint my first rodeo, but there were leftover parts, not in figure 2.1. I knew where they went, but since they weren't in figure 2.1, I left them out, knowing as Arnold said in Terminator, Ahlll Be Bock!
So this morning I downloaded and printed the "Other Instructions". They show all the steps to assembly and I will finish up the dish today.
Except the concrete pad and the pole for the dish aren't there yet. So I'll leave the dish there laying on the ground, all pretty.

Also Happy Friday the 13th! You know the guy in the pic below is happy today!
Friday the 13ths are usually lucky days for me!

Randomness

2012-01-12T07:29:00.004-05:00

Today I'm assembling the satellite dish, as much as I can. I went out to the transmitter site yesterday and was quite busy for a few hours, and got a lot done.

Although the days are supposed to be getting longer, it still seems darker each morning when I wake up. I'm trying to figure out the astronomical reason it seems like that to me.

I heard the weather yesterday, and today it's supposed to rain. I DO NOT want it to rain today or this weekend.

I got new wheels for my lawnmower. I will put them on before I mow again, which must be soon. I have problems with all my plastic wheels, but notice the one (newish) metal one I have on there is the only good wheel I have. So I got three new metal ones. And new axles.

I have found the next phone I want. The Samsung Galaxy Note. It's not out yet. It is a giant phone and/or a tiny tablet. Read the article by clicking the purple text above.

My wife showed me two big birds this morning, They looked blue with white beaks. She says they are Bald Plates. I didn't get a picture. They were cool looking. Big.

Hurry Up And Wait

2012-01-11T07:12:00.003-05:00

I was supposed to be real busy this week installing a new radio station, but I'm not. It seems like there are endless delays. Right now I am waiting on a contrctor to do the concrete work for a pole that will hold a 12 foot satellite dish. I wanted to hurry up and get an adapter on order for the antenna cable. I hurry hurry hurry, and get it on order. Now it's a special part, and the vendor has to wait for it to come from the manufacturer.
I feel like it's my fault. I need to keep busy, even when events are beyond my control.

It seems odd that it's Wednesday already. The days crawl by but the weeks fly.

Mean Old Lady

2012-01-10T07:12:00.006-05:00

I woke up this morning in a pretty good mood. Jumped in the pool, made the coffee, got dressed and walked the dogs.

I had Ditto and Sheba on their leashes, and this little boy comes out of his house with his little dog. I made Ditto sit next to me, (because Ditto is a true killing machine and NOT to be trusted) . Sheba loves everyone, and she wanted to check out the tiny dog. I had Sheba laying on the road. She was at the end of the leash, pulling as much as she could laying down, trying to get closer to the little dog, who was slowly advancing toward Sheba.

The teeny dog looked like this

Then the mean old lady started talking to the boy in Spanish, and he picked up his dog, gave me a dirty look and went inside.
I asked the lady what she said, and she told me that she said that if the boy didn't want my dog to eat his dog, he should pick it up.
I told her that that was a mean thing to say, both dogs are on leases, Sheba wouldn't hurt anybody, and Ditto was with me. I am still pissed off about this.

This is the same mean old lady who told my Wife our cats were getting big enough to eat.

Sunday picture post

2012-01-08T07:40:00.007-05:00

I wasn't going to post anything today, but I figured it would be easy to post a few pics from yesterdays dives. Especially since I had one that I think turned out cool.

Click all pics to enlarge!!

This is the bow of the Kittiwake, it is from the same pic as the last pic in this post. I kind of bastardized the adjustments...

This is red rope sponge with (I think) the orange is elephant ear. I really like this pic, although as UW photos go, it's worthless.

This is a moray eel.

above is a juvenile spotted drum. Click pic to get a better view!!!

If you click this picture to enlarge it, you can see a really large grouper hiding in the little 'cave'

The stern of the Kittiwake. The whole wreck is much closer to the reef and I think it is in much better shape here than where it was before.

This is the bow of the Kittiwake. The first pic of this post came from this one

Happy Saturday!

2012-01-07T08:25:00.002-05:00

I'm going rebreather diving this morning. It is raining. Hear me whine!

Movie Industry Killing Films

2012-01-06T05:15:00.004-05:00

Famous film writer David Germain claimed that this year's box office receipts appeared below last year because the studios didn’t have a successful movie.

Back in 2010, they had Avatar and Dark Knight, but in 2011 they didn’t get a single must-see mass blockbuster. Nevertheless, this reveals one of the problems that the movie industry has been having adjusting itself to our digital era.

The movie studios have jacked up the price of a cinema ticket so much that they could now be compared to live concerts and restaurants. – Most people will just wait for the movie to come out on DVD and watch it at home.

The next problem is the inflated prices of food available in the cinema – indeed, it is unclear to everyone why popcorn and fizz, which have to be about the cheapest food products should cost so much.

The audience still loves films, but cinema theaters are losing their charm and the studios have lost the plot.

Meanwhile, the Motion Picture Association of America insists that everything will be all right if they could crucify some more file-sharing pirates.

Article from HERE.

First Signs of SPRING!

2012-01-05T07:42:00.006-05:00

Panorama from back porch this morning

It's not as windy as it has been the past few days. If it isn't cloudy, maybe we can warm up a little around here.
There are promising signs that spring is on the way. The days started getting longer December 21st, and already the first trees are starting to bloom.

IF you look closely, these clusters of tiny flowers. If I recall correctly these will soon release copious amounts of powdery pollen that will leave yellow dust everywhere.
This is the beginning of a spring that will spread it's way north, until you can see it too!

The Depths Of Winter

2012-01-04T06:44:00.005-05:00

Here it is freekin cold! Right now I'm wearing a stocking cap, long pants, sweatshirt and a jacket. When I got to the computer my blog thermometer said 70, which is cold!

This morning I was walking the dawgs. Our neighbor was walking her dog too. She has one of those little yippy purse dogs. When we met, my dog, Ditto, who is a killer (really) silently went straight for the little yippy dog. I yanked him back by the leash and all he got was a mouthful of fur. I put him on his back and he knew he fucked up, bad. She seemed Ok and her dog was completely unharmed. (Both the lady and her dog) I apologized profusely to the lady and kept Ditto on his back, reprimanding him until she was gone.
That was my morning excitement. Sheba, on the other hand, is the opposite, she would love that little dog to death, possibly licking her till she drowned.

Today I'm going to start to re-do the CayTronics Web page. I'm tracking down parts and waiting for a big satellite dish to arrive. this should be a good month, but I cannot see more than this month into the future.

Slow Motion

2012-01-03T08:00:00.002-05:00

This morning everything seems like it's going on slow motion. It took about a half hour to upload these pics from yesterdays dive.
This looks like it will be a busy week for me. I hope 2012 is a busy year. I need the money.

The second turtle

The First Turtle

First turtle

Snapper

Triggerfish

Even though it is Tuesday, it feels like Monday. But the reward will come when Friday gets here early! Have A good week!

2012

2012-01-02T07:57:00.005-05:00

Here it is 2012, seems like I should have something somber and meaningful to say to get the year started off, like "Look both ways before you cross the street". . . In 2012, use yer head. That's my somber and meaningful statement.

Yesterday the wife and I assembled and filled her new swimming pool.

Not quite full

Full

It started raining last night. Hopefully, it will be sunny today, as we want to go diving and use the pool. Plus it's the last day off before work starts back up.
Kind of sad, Christmas and New Years, you get all this time off work, and when it's over, it's sad. Kind of starts the year off in a sad note. Something ought to be done about that.
I think I've said it before, that I really can't tell how I feel. I think I always feel the same and can't detect changes in my day to day mood. Typing in my blog sometimes make me aware of how I feel. I think so far this morning my brain hasn't woken up and I am running on about 4 out of 6 cylinders...
I wonder if a jump in the cold cold pool in the rain will wake me up and cheer me up too? I wonda..

Have a Great 2012 everybody! remember to say please and thank you and don't eat yellow snow!

Happy New Year! Wishing You A Healthy, Happy And Prosperous 2012!

2012-01-01T14:49:00.001-05:00

Saturday, Last post of the year.

2011-12-31T09:09:00.003-05:00

It's Dec 31, the last day of the year, last post of the year.
I hope that 2012 is better for everyone than 2011, and that you all experience and appreciate a perceptible increase in the quality of life.

Here's a few pics to send you on your way!

The Moon and Sea from a boat at night

Two Sailboats from the beach yesterday

George Town Harbor from the deck of the pirate ship.

FRIDAY ERASED IN SAMOA!!!!! OUTRAGE!!!! RIOT!!!!!

2011-12-30T07:51:00.008-05:00

I remember when I was in the Navy, our ship crossed the international date line, and at least one crewmember lost his birthday. Now I have read a shocking article that says an entire country is doing the same! There are probably at least dozens who will suffer the same fate with this sweeping battleaxe move!

Article from HERE
APIA, Samoa — Sirens wailed and fireworks exploded in the skies over Samoa as the tiny South Pacific nation jumped forward in time, crossing westward over the international date line and effectively erasing Friday, Dec. 30, 2011, from the country’s calendar.The time jump means that

Samoans who had gathered around the main clock tower in the capital Apia cheered and clapped as the clock struck midnight on Thursday, Dec. 29, instantly transporting the country 24 hours ahead to Saturday, Dec. 31. The switch, also being observed by neighboring Tokelau, is meant to align the islands’ time with key trading partners in the Asia-Pacific region.

I, personally, doubt the Samoans were "cheering and clapping", They were probably rioting like I imagine all the Plutonians did when their world, Pluto, was flippantly voted no longer a planet in 2006!

I am sure the Plutonians on Pluto rioted when their world was voted no longer a planet.

MY Navy buddy will never get that birthday back. He is probably ridiculed because suddenly, he is one year younger than all his friends now, probably still suffers the emotional anguish of actually having his birthday taken away by the US Navy. I think we need to get on boats, and go down there an help the people of Samoa recover from this disaster. No one will be born in Samoa on Dec 30, 2011, not one single soul.

Or look at the bright side, no one will die in Samoa on Dec 30, 2011 either. AND Samoa’s 186,000 citizens, and the 1,500 in the three-atoll United Nations dependency of Tokelau, will now be the first in the world to ring in the new year, rather than the last..

but at least they could have erased a Monday, not a Friday!

Fallback

2011-12-29T06:50:00.007-05:00

Lea and coconut tree

I thought it was a new type of bird, but it's pigeon.

Snail

I'm going to do what I always do when I don't have anything to post about. More pictures.
Today I'm taking Sheba to the vet, she has been scratching and biting herself like crazy and her belly is all red.
I have a cousin visiting and he is New York Ranger fan, so last night we watched my Washington Capitals KICK their asses!
I ordered a bunch of stuff for the house, chairs, pipe for the downspout and a new trashcan. I hope they get delivered today.
Right now The Wife is off at her exercise class. That means she beat me up this morning.
That's it for today, Don't forget that it's time to start getting up for new years eve!

Sick and Petty Lowlife

2011-12-28T07:29:00.004-05:00

I hope this post doesn't offend any of my female readers, but I think these pics are both funny. This is one of those posts I've been trying to squeeze in there for a long time and haven't found a way.

Why men shouldn't write advice columns

Why Women Can't Fix Cars

(They can't fit underneath, HAha ha haaaa HA!)

NFL PLay of the Century

2011-12-27T06:49:00.005-05:00

Jerome Simpsons Front Flip Touchdown. From YouTube.
Jerome Simpson of the Cincinnati Bengals jumps over a would be tackler, does a flip in the air, lands on his feet like a gymnast. Both players are 6'2".
The video is one minute, eleven seconds... It's definitely worth a look even if you don't like football!

Boxing Day Fail

2011-12-26T07:22:00.024-05:00

It's Boxing Day, that day after Christmas when you take all your empty boxes to the curb for the Garbage Man to pick up. Well, this morning, I was in bed about 5:45 and heard the "BWEEP! BWEEP! BWEEP!" of the garbage truck reversing down our street. I jumped up and and ran outside in my jammies to get the can to the curb, but I didn't make it. You're probably shocked and appalled, but despite the disgustingness and unforgivablilty of the situation, I'm going to try my best to not let it ruin my Boxing Day, and I can only hope you will not let my MAJOR faux pas diminish your opinion of me.

Yesterday was nice. It was my Brother-In-Laws (hereinafter referred to as BRINLAW) birthday, and he had a birthday brunch at Tukka, a restaurant on East End. I assure you that I have no idea why, but it seemed a lot of people were out and about, apparently celebrating my BRINLAWs BDay as well.

The Foyer of Tukka.

BINLAW, back center

After that, The Wife and I ran home for a quick nap, and then went to my main dive buddys house for dinner. Their daughter and I behaved perfectly normally and acted totally natural.

By the way, she's a famous rock star, but I can't tell you who here, because she's too famous.

Then this morning I was walking the dawgs, with my camera, and, thinking myself the artistic photographer I'm not, tried tried to take some meaningful still life type artsy photos with the theme of 'Bicycles'..

Bicycle with building construction and decay.

Bicycle Man and Horse (The Horses name is Paloma)

I hope you had a great holiday weekend!

Just another Saturday

2011-12-24T06:27:00.004-05:00

Today is Saturday again. Not much going on today. Today is My Wifes friends birthday and we're going to her birthday party tonight.
Tomorrow is my Brother-In-Laws birthday and we're going to a brunch tomorrow with them.

Seems like there's something else going this weekend too....

Here's a couple of pictures I took yesterday, waiting for someone who never showed up....

Is it Friday? It's FRIDAY!

2011-12-23T06:49:00.008-05:00

Remember I told you about that job I got that I really wanted? Well, I wasn't even there a week and something happened that turned the milk sour. And I hated it since then. So yesterday I quit. I guess the owners thought my bullshit tolerance was higher than it was. I rekkon I was there like 5 weeks.
I always question and doubt myself. In almost any situation, I have all these conflicting thoughts in my head. This time it was like: "Should I quit? Maybe I'm the one fucked up, not them. Am I sure I have an accurate grasp on the reality of the situation?"

All I know is that after I quit, I felt soooo good all day.

I got up at the regular time this morning, and the moon was as tiny a crescent as it could be. I guess you're getting tired of the moon shots, but I can't help it. Below is the pre sunrise from the roof and the second is a zoom in of the same moon as the first shot. Click to view full size, as everyone knows I'm sure.

Ghastly Horrific

2011-12-22T07:13:00.004-05:00

I got up this morning, showered, dressed and was walking the dogs when I realized "I FORGOT TO MAKE THE COFFEE!" O horror of horrors! I made coffee after the dogs and I got back and I'm drinking some now. Whew! That was close! I coulda been killed!

While I'm on the topic of coffee, I guess I'll let you know that I'm pretty settled in on Cafe Bustelo. I did an image search for Cafe Bustelo, and this is what I found. Bikini Girl Bonus! Cafe Bustelo is good coffee and affordable. Plus what I like is that it is consistent. I use one level teaspoon per cup in the coffee maker and I get the same good strongish cuppa coffee every time. I still love the good cup of Costa Rican when I can get it, but Cafe Bustelo is the best all around coffee I have found.

Good News and Bad News

2011-12-21T07:07:00.004-05:00

Which do you want first?
The bad news is today is the first day of winter, and now is the start of the coldest season of the year. (Only if you live in the Northern Hemisphere of this particular planet)
The good news is that the days start getting longer now, and the sun will go down a little later every day from now on, for quite a long time! (Only if you live in the Northern Hemisphere of this particular planet)

You may notice that every year about this date, I post a similar post, (Only if you live in the Northern Hemisphere of this particular planet).

Tuesday Morning

2011-12-20T05:21:00.003-05:00

Here is a picture I took from Sunset House. It is looking north. To the left is West Bay, and along the center is Seven Mile Beach. The buildings on the right are George Town. The little light you see is the landing lights of an airplane coming in.

Again I can't sleep.

We got our internet fixed. I got a new modem. I thought it was the modem, until they told me that it was good. Turned out to the modem anyway. I hate dealing with our phone company. It is always a long and frustrating process.

Internet Woes

2011-12-18T18:48:00.003-05:00

Last week our internet was intermittent. I called to get it fixed. They came and had a look and "made some adjustments" Now it doesn't work at all.
I suspected a bad modem, and took it in Saturday, and was told it was OK...

I'm posting this from a restaurant, getting dinner to go.

Seriously Overdecorated House

2011-12-17T22:09:00.007-05:00

Our internet is down, I think our modem is bad, but the internet provider says our it's good. (I took it in today to have it checked). So, they're working on it.... Our internet has been coming and going for days, now it's gone. That's why I haven't been commenting on your blogs as much as usual. I'm sitting at a hotel, drinking 7-Ups, using their internet.

Tonight The Wife has an All Girls Party. So I got the boot. I've been out and about all night, killing time. I rode around on my scooter and took these pics, all one house.. This is what you call Overkill.

Various Seagoing Vessels.

2011-12-16T07:00:00.003-05:00

Here's a few pics from the week. Today could be a busy day but I don't plan on getting much done!!

Pirate Ship

Catamaran

Cargo Ship (Out past the limit for the rental waverunners)

Paddle Board

Your Thursday, My Friday

2011-12-15T07:17:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is my day off, so today is my Friday. Not you though, you suffer one more day before you get your Friday.
I anticipate having an actual day off, for the most part. I have some emails to do with Caytronics and that's about all.
I'm catching a cold.

Here is a video for you, in compliance with the season of the year. 2 minutes and 37 seconds, by Anna and Arkadiusz Szafraniec, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, on a glass harp. From Neatorama. You know I wouldn't post it here unless it was very cool!

Special High Intensity Training.

2011-12-14T06:44:00.003-05:00

Sheba is in the S.H.I.T. That's Special High Intensity Training. She knows it too.

I have to go into work early to man the shop whilst others take some paddleboards to be shipped to Little Cayman

In other news, I couldn't find my coffee cup this morning and I uncovered a diabolical plot to hide my coffee cup, therefore hindering my ability to drink coffee. The saboteurs were of course foiled when I found my cup washed and hidden in the clean dishes strainer. A brilliant plan, hiding it in the last place I would ever look...

I guess I'm feeling pretty dang goofy today. I can't really tell how I feel, unless I have something to compare with. The blog is a good 'test point'. Sitting here now, I can remember how it was siting here yesterday and days before.

It is really windy here today. I can here chairs and stuff rocking and rolling on the roof.

So Now What?

2011-12-13T07:04:00.002-05:00

Sheba our dog is trying to take over. She picked a fight with Ditto, then growled and snapped at me-twice.
She's in her kennel now, where, as far as I am concerned this minute, she will remain forever. Or at least till I feel less shook up and decide what to do.

Red Neck Woodpecker

2011-12-12T07:05:00.007-05:00

This weekend I was doing a computer job at Villas Pappagallo Condos. When I came out, this bird was admiring himself in my rear view mirror. I took a few pics and made this very short video with my phone camera. Eleven seconds, that's how long this very short video is, and there is sound!

In other news, we are having problems with our internet connection, our modem light keeps going from green to red, back to green.. back to red... I'm pretty sure it's the phone companys problem, or a bad modem. VERY annoying, we have to watch the modem, wait for the light to turn green, then click the link and hope the page has time to load before the light turns red again.

And last night I finally got to root for my Fathers New York Giants as they beat Dallas. It was a really good game, but I didn't stay up much past halftime, I went to bed. Of course, since I wasn't watching, the second half was much better than the first. I thought it was one of the best games of the season myself, that doesn't mean I'm losing sleep over it though.

I do not know where this weekend went. I can't believe it's Monday already.

A Grade School Song For You!

2011-12-10T05:15:00.001-05:00

On top of Spaghetti
All covered in cheese.
I lost my poor meat ball,
when somebody sneezed.

It rolled off the table,
and onto the floor.
And then my poor meat ball,
rolled out of the door.

It rolled through the garden,
and under a bush.
By then my poor meatball,
was nothing but mush.

But then the next summer,
There grew a great tree.
All covered with meat balls,
and Chef Boy Ar Dee!

Yeay! Wanna hear another one?

Busy Day

2011-12-09T06:50:00.004-05:00

Today is my 'Day Off', but at noon I have a meeting about an IT job and possibly I will do the job today. Maybe there will be a contract involved.
I also need to catch up on emails and research I am doing for a Radio Station installation, Having some major parts problems... Can't tell what kind of cable it is to order the connectors.
Also I wanted to do ALL my holiday shopping today. (not gonna happen I guess) I needed to get some pots and replant some plants, mowing COULD be done but won't reach jungle-like till next week. Also I have a list to-do on my phone calendar for today that isn't even listed here. I have two paychecks that I haven't had time to cash, 'cause I'm working all the time the banks are open! (I could have gone at a lunch hour, I rekkon)

So from here it's shower, and then emails. Then...

Mozilla Firefox Going Down the Tubes.

2011-12-07T07:17:00.006-05:00

I got a message that an update was available for my Mozilla Firefox. I had been avoiding the update to version 4, because I tried it and I don't like it. Usually, when you get a message for an update, it is an update for the version that you have installed. THIS TIME, it installed Firefox 8. I immediately hated it. I don't understand Mozillas logic. They had a superior product, crushed the competition, then they make their product worse and worse, like they are imitating the inferior product. Firefox 8, to me, looks like Internet Explorer. I uninstalled it, and put 3.5 back on, then I spent a while getting all my settings and customization re-done.
I think, in the next coupla years, there will be a new browser coming out. 'Cause I think Firefox is losing it. But for now, the the pic below truly shows the only thing that Explorer is good for. Although, as Explorer copies Firefox, it gets better, and as Firefox copies Explorer, it gets worse... STUPID....

Aliens, Seamonsters and Anomalies

2011-12-06T06:58:00.004-05:00

Yesterday on the beach I ~~made~~ found a weird footprint. It looks to me like an eight toed seamonster, or maybe a space alien.

In other news, the Wife is tired of me beating her up every day, and therefore tomorrow she says she is getting up at 5:20 AM, so she will be beating me up. My alarm goes off at 5:55 AM.

As most of you know, we have, allegedly, two dogs. However, I am beginning to think we have more than two. Yesterday, I was in the living room, and there was a big yellow dog laying in the middle of the floor. Of course she was laying in the most obtrusive, inconvenient spot. After carefully and with great difficulty, climbing over aforementioned large dog. I walked into the bedroom, where I found an identical dog, laying in the middle of the bedroom floor, also in the most obtrusive, inconvenient spot. Take my word for it that ~~I wasn't paying attention when she moved~~ it couldn't have been the same dog. Similar anomalies have occurred with the black dog. Scientific investigation to follow.

That's it for your Tuesday Stupid News.

Beach Bird Photos and Funny Signs

2011-12-05T07:01:00.005-05:00

Beach birds and funny signs go together like blood and guts, peanut butter and jelly, Romeo and Juliette, milk and cookies, chicken and dumplins, guns and ammo, duct tape and kidnappers.... Doncha think?

I went to the beach yesterday and took pics of this bird. And below that are some signs from my phone camera. After the beach I came home and watched my football team get whuupped.

Surf Walking Beach Bird looking at me.

Close up

Apparently, this umbrella DOES protect against meteors and falling coconuts

Hmmmm, how can I get around this?...

Saturday, What a Week it Was.

2011-12-03T06:51:00.005-05:00

This was a long long week. It has been cold and miserable. It's raining right now. Yesterday at lunch, I went to drop off the mortgage check then stopped by the beach for a few minutes. The seas are calming down.

I don't know if I already posted this, but my friends cruise ship didn't stop. I am super disappointed about that. She is a friend from Grade school who I met in probably 1968. Then we went to school together till I moved, one year from graduation. Since I graduated from a different school, I wasn't on the reunion mailing lists and gradually lost contact with everybody. Thanks to Facebook I have found a lot of old friends. If my friend would have stopped, it would have been the first time we saw each other since 1977, at the latest. So I'm bummed out about that.

I can't explain any other reason why it seemed like such a long hard week, that and the weather.

And also, last weekend, I wanted to go freediving with my wifes freediving class, and they go t done early, just as I was arriving. AND I have a new wetsuit I want to test out, AND I got my Lionfish culling speargun permit and was issued my speargun. (A Hawaiian Sling) SO it would be nice to eventually, someday, get back in the water.

I Won a Book!!

2011-12-02T06:30:00.002-05:00

A couple weeks ago, my blogger friend of many years, Penelope Marzec, had a contest on her blog. And I won!!! Yesterday I received a copy of a book she wrote, The Fiend of White Buck Hall. I will start reading it today.
Penelope writes inspirational romances and paranormal romances. Her books have been published by New Concepts Publishing. Awe-Struck Publishing, and Crescent Moon Press. She recently published one of her backlist books on her own.

In an email, she said that book is "a bit racy, but I can skip over those parts". Hmmm, I like the car chases, machine gun battles and whatnot, and I used to work at a race track, so I'll probably like the "racy parts" best!
You can buy her books at your local bookstore or online at Amazon.com

I will give you a full review after I finish the book, but I know it's going to be great!

Thanks Penelope, for sending me your book!

Stop Blowing

2011-11-30T07:37:00.007-05:00

I have a friend coming on a cruise ship tomorrow. The Carnival Magic. The weather here is very windy and there is a rumor that all the cruise ships have canceled this whole week because of rough seas. I sure hope not. I need the wind to stop blowing TODAY!!

The friend visiting is a friend from grade school and high school who I haven't seen in about 35 years. Thank you Facebook for helping me find so many old friends.

Drive Don't Ride

2011-11-29T07:12:00.003-05:00

I am taking the car today instead of the scooter. It is raining. Tonight we are having company over for dinner. We really need our back porch for company. If it is raining, we will be a little fukt but not too bad.

SNOW DEPTH NOT AVAILABLE

Last night I had a weird dream. This guy killed another guy, and wrote a contract for me and several others to sign, saying we wouldn't tell anybody. Nobody minded signing it because the killer was such a nice guy. We were at his house, and his garage was like a living room except you could tell the carpet was sitting on the dirt floor. And the contract was written on the inside of a cereal box. All the panels of the box were torn apart and the writing was on the inside.
I think it was in California.

There's not much for me to post about today, like I said yesterday, this is a long week. I am tired this morning, and would rather stay home on this rainy cold cold winters day.

Earthshine

2011-11-28T06:42:00.009-05:00

These are pics I took last night of the moon. You ever notice when there is a tiny crescent moon, and you look and you can see the whole moon, outlined? That is because if you were on the moon, looking at Earth, it would be almost a full earth, and the light you see the whole moon by is the light that is reflected off the full Earth. Hence the name, Earthshine

The whole potato, from our back porch, the moon and a planet, Venus I think but I'm not sure without looking it up

The bright part of the moon is in the sunshine, the dimmer part is visible because of Earthshine.

If I had a tripod, this could have been a decent shot, see the craters? I took all these pics holding the camera in my hand as still as I could.

Yesterday The Wife completed a freediving course. I went at about noon to get in on the final half day, the good parts, but they were getting out of the water as I arrived, finishing early. I was very disappointed I missed it. Then we came home and took naps. Then the weekend was over..
Today is Monday, but it seems like Tuesday. That means it's going to be a loooooonng week. Puh.

A person is smart, people are dumb

2011-11-26T07:17:00.014-05:00

I read about the USA's Black Friday, and the worldwide embarrassment caused by it. Spraying pepper spray at a line of people top get a video game. Fist fighting females for $1.88 towels. You may not be embarrassed, USA, but the world sure is laughing at you, and you behave like an idiot.

In the movie, Men In Black, Tommy Lee Jones said "A person is smart, but people are dumb". I believe this is true. People are idiots.

I remember the first Pay Per View event, a Mike Tyson fight. I was telling everyone I know, "If nobody signs up, Pay Per View will not exist, and TV will remain free". Everyone agreed, but nobody could miss one Mike Tyson fight. I have never seen any pay per view program.

Here in Cayman, after Hurricane Ivan, when the theater finally opened, they were charging almost $20 US for a movie. Everyone was outraged. I said, "If nobody goes, not one single person, they will lower the price." Everyone was pissed, but nobody could miss that new movie. I never went, and that theater went out of business, but the new theater charges about the same, because they know they can get away with it.

Cable TV, there are no moving parts, and once they're hooked up, there is virtually no cost to the vendor, yet it is a hundred dollars a month. Money out the window and into someone elses pocket. I haven't had cable TV in 20 years, and I remember when I got it turned off, the fear about how much I'd miss it. You know what? I never missed it for a second.

You know that feeling you get at Christmas? The one where you feel "What if the present I got them is not as nice as the present they got me?" "What if this person gets me a gift, and I don't get them a gift?" "What if my wife gives me 6 presents, and I only give her 5?" - "I can't afford it, but I'd better get it anyway."
Those feelings are what fucks everything up this time of year. Those feelings are what makes us idiots. I'm Jewish, I don't even celebrate Christmas, but I'm sucked up into it like everyone else around here.

I don't know the difference between left wing and right wing, conservative and liberal, republican or democrat. I don't know what a Tea Partier is or WTF is Occupy Wall Street. I've seen the pictures of poor 'ol son's a bitches holding signs with a sob story and ending in "I am the 99%"

I don't give a rats ass, 99% of us are idiots, the 1% left over is the ones collecting the money we throw away. I'm tired of hearing people whine about the 1% collecting the money. I'd do more if I could, but I can't by myself.

I know better, I can see it. But you make me stupid: What if you get me a nicer gift than I get you? I don't have any money, but I better get out there with the other idiots and get you something, or I might feel bad.
A person is smart, we make each other stupid. We have the power to control, but we don't use it.

Dear Sirs or Madams,

2011-11-25T06:59:00.022-05:00

I purchased one of your "Super Floatie" Floating Key Rings the other day. I sure did like it! The bright red color sure did make it easy to spot in your pocket or purse. Plus I liked the security of knowing my keys will float if I drop them in the water.
It was very convenient and easy the way the clip clipped on my keychain, and it seemed to be very stoutly constructed and a well engineered design.
I do have one question about the technical aspect of operating this keyring though, it didn't seem to be covered in the technical manual.
You see, I thought it would behoove me (for years, I thought it was 'be who of me,' until I recently saw the word printed) to test my new "Super Floatie" Floating Key Ring. Sooo as a test, I dropped it in 42857 fathoms of water. My question for your technical support department is, "How long does it take my "Super Floatie" Floating Key Ring to resurface"?

Sincerely Yours,

Mr. I. M. Steuupid

Paranoid Mode

2011-11-24T06:41:00.008-05:00

Where I work, the employee discount is 10%. I get 25 from the competition. I discussed this with my boss and he said that an ex employee was taking advantage of it so he changed it, but "Come to me, I'll give a better discount, no problem". So I bought a wetsuit. he rang it up with the 10% discount. He gave me a 10% discount when I didn't even work there! I was pissed off, but I didn't say anything, partly because I've learned it isn't a good idea to say anything when I'm pissed off, but I woke up this morning, and I'm still pissed.

I walked the dogs, freeking Sheba can't find a place to pee, obviously she's trying to keep me from drinking my coffee.

I found a dirty dish in the strainer. I start thinking that I have uncovered a huge conspiracy by the wife. She purposely left that spec of dirt there when she did the dishes, so that I'll get pissed, ban her from doing dishes, and then I'd do the dishes all the time.

This is the mode my brain is working in this morning. Paranoid Mode. I hate myself when I'm like this, and I hate feeling like this. I need a

Fisheye feature

2011-11-23T07:20:00.001-05:00

I found my camera has a fisheye feature, I can't imagine a reason to use this.

Twooos Day

2011-11-22T06:44:00.003-05:00

The Wife is in Cayman Brac, she went yesterday and is coming back today. Last night there was an additional cat at the later than usual daily cat feeding. Above is a pic. Same age group as all the others.
Although I slept pretty good, I'm still tired. I was 'aware' all night, even though I was asleep. I could hear the wind, and it seemed cold. I was watching the clock, and thinking about crap, but I was asleep.
Yesterday evening I bought a big hunka beef for the slow cooker. I'm gonna go do that right now, then go to work.
Blah.

A New Monday

2011-11-21T06:48:00.003-05:00

THE Wife and I went to the beach yesterday, it was a pretty nice day. Took some pics

Sailboat

Same Sailboat

Speckly Fish, I've been trying to get a good pic of one of these for as long as I've lived here and have not.

Needle Fish School. You must click it to see it, really.

A Sponge

A pic of me by me

Now it's Monday, ready to head back to work. Horrible football weekend. My Redskins have lost 6 in a row for the first time since sometime last century.

Sunday Stopover

2011-11-20T07:17:00.007-05:00

Here's a cool 3 minute animated video called 'Stopover' from Neatorama. It's about a little space dude who has to stop for a bathroom break and ends up with, among other things, a little car trouble.

Pizza Sandwich. My Saturday

2011-11-18T06:46:00.009-05:00

On the new job, I will be off Fridays and Sundays.
That means today is my Saturday.
Except I'm not off, I have to go out and install a new transmitter and a production studio. Hopefully I can get it done today, if I don't need parts.
I am drinking coffee, trying to think of what to say, there ain't much.
Below is a picture of a Zebra plant flower to be. It is growing on a long stalk, and I have been watching it. Later I'll show more pictures as it grows.
Yesterday for lunch I had a pizza sandwich. I'll give you the recipe, take notes, it's complicated.
1) Take two leftover slices of cold pizza
2) Lay them flat on your work surface, crust down, toppings up, pointy ends away from you.
3) Fold your right hand slice over onto the left*, like closing a book, so the crusts are out, toppings in. Take care to ensure proper alignment of the pointy ends.
4) Put in plastic bag and wait till lunchtime.
5) Eat like normal sandwich.
* If you are left handed, reverse the procedure, placing the left hand slice upon the right.
There you have it, a pizza sandwich. If you neeed more detailed instructions, leave a comment in the comment section, and I will consider dedicating an entire post, with photos, to make the procedure more clear.

Have a gooooooooood DAY!

Exercise.

2011-11-17T05:33:00.005-05:00

I set my alarm for 5:55 so I could get up and start getting more exercise.
I woke up at 4:30, laid there and laid there, finally got up and made coffee, and now I'm here in the pre dawn dark, starting to get sleepy again.

Bloggers Block

2011-11-16T07:30:00.005-05:00

The last few days I've been having trouble thinking of anything to post. As you may have noticed.

I like looking back in my blog and see what I was doing a year ago, two years ago, all the way back to six years ago. Six years ago I was going to the Brac. Lost my Yahoo account (I still don't trust and have nothing to do with Yahoo since)

Below is a picture of a cruise ship I took yesterday on my way home from work. It's not as dark as the camera makes it out to be. Notice there is a sailboat passing between me and the ship.

Bird Pics

2011-11-15T07:21:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I sat with my camera and book about 5 feet in front of the bird waterer. These are some of the pictures I got. (click to enlarge)

Crabby Monday

2011-11-14T07:56:00.007-05:00

Woke up kinda crabby this morning, Sometimes walking the dogs is like dragging around rocks on a string. I'm working today, yesterday was a horrible football day, nobody won.
I do gotta say that I am ever increasingly impressed with my new camera though. Hope this one lasts....
Below are some pics I took yesterday, wasting film.

A Kite, way way up there

A bird in our waterer.
This is a teddy bear cookie that my wife made, it is being sent to Greece. Ignore the mess behind me, this is My Area.
Have a pleasant week. Ye scurvy Dogs!

Pirates Week 2011

2011-11-13T06:26:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was the start of Pirates week 2011, with the Pirates Landing and the parade. It was a lot of fun! Below are some of the pictures

The Guy Harvey Float in the Parade

My Pirate Wife

Pirate Ship

The Ice Cream Man

Little Pirate

More Little Pirates

Carnival Girl

Girls from the Rum Factory

There was a very very good crowd

SATURDAY PORN PIC

2011-11-12T08:03:00.005-05:00

11-11-11

2011-11-11T11:11:00.008-05:00

I'm just posting about 11-11-11 because everyone else is too, and besides, next year we have 12-12-12, then that's it for a long long long time.

Yesterday at the new job was pretty good, and tomorrow is the Pirates Week Parade. Previously I was a Redcoat and a Pirate, this year I'm a "Float Parade Marshall." I don't know what that is, but I guess kind it's kind of like back in the old west. I wonder what a Marshall does during parade after a vicious attack by viscous bunch of viscous pirates?

No Pirates better get in my way, er I'll gun 'em down!Also, please notice that I posted this post at 11:11 on 11-11-11.

First Day, New Job

2011-11-10T07:07:00.012-05:00

Although CayTronics has been paying the bills, I have still had too much time on my hands, and today am starting a new job in a dive shop called Divers World. I will be doing sales and repairing and servicing dive equipment. CayTronics will stay in full operation, same as before.
When I was very young, I wanted to be a scuba diver. I subscribed to Skin Diver Magazine for years and years in landlocked Missouri.
When I graduated High School, I joined the Navy but didn't know what schools to try and get. I chose electronics because of a Heathkit Stereo my Dad and I built when I was a kid. I never had a craving to be an electronics technician or engineer. A lot of it had to do with doing something that my Dad would approve of. In the Navy, I got stationed in Pearl Harbor, and learned to scuba dive there at a Honolulu dive shop.
When got out of the Navy, and lived Virginia, I worked my electronics job from 7:30 till 3:30, then started at 4 PM at a dive shop, teaching scuba class and working in the shop.
I always considered making the switch from Electronics to Diving, but the scuba salary had been too low. Now, even though the salary is too low, the alternative is sitting at home, or go out beating the bushes to get more CayTronics business.
Maybe God is doing for me what I have not done for myself.

Beach Yesterday

2011-11-09T08:17:00.020-05:00

Although I predicted rain, yesterday turned out to be a really nice day, and I spent most of it at the beach.

Then, when I was feeding the cats in the afternoon, up strolled a newcomer. We've seen this one before, he is Big Tom*. BTK is the mother of all our cats ('cept herself, of course), Big Tom* is suspected to be the father. He looks in pretty good shape, I think he has a nice home somewhere.

Below is a picture of Al Bina especially for Yellowdog Granny, because I know she especially likes Al Bina. She's always in the yard, hunting and sneaking around. She has dirt in her eyes and dirt in her nose and dirt in her ears. I think she thinks she's a boy cat. (Al, not Yellowdog Granny!)
* The name "Big Tom" has NOT been approved by The Wife and therefore may be subject to change in the future. MarkD60 and/or any of his affiliates cannot be held responsible or liable for any confusion this may cause.

2011 Underwater Film Festival

2011-11-08T05:05:00.003-05:00

Last night The Wife and I went to the 2011 Underwater Film Festival at the Westin. There were about four really good underwater videos shown.
My favorite was the video on the wreck of the SS President Coolidge , which sank in WW2 in Espiitu Santo, Vanuatu.
There was another that was French that was several "actors" doing skits underwater, with no scuba gear on. It was pretty good too, but I thought it was a bit long.
Also there was a very good vid about IMAX movies and Great White Sharks. Those sharks are the coolest looking sharks.
It was a good evening, tonight is the annual induction in the Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, but we won't be attending that.
I think there's some weather coming, or something is going on. It was getting cloudy last night and rained a little, and I think it's going to rain more. I hope not. Cool wind coming from the north.

Monday Report

2011-11-07T05:58:00.011-05:00

It was a pretty good weekend for me. It was a lousy football weekend.
Yesterday we went to my brother in laws for a moving party, and it was pretty good, lots of food, and music. There was a lady who had a vibrating music bowl called a 'Tibetan Singing Bowl'. It works on the same principal as a wine glass resonating when you rub your finger around the top.
This was really cool and when you got it going, the water would bubble like it was carbonated. The one at the party was very similar to this one from the internet. I could feel it vibrate before I could hear it, and when I got done my hand was tingly like it was asleep.

Also, we stopped on the way to the party and met some friends so they could follow us, and while waiting we spotted a Cayman Parrot. They're only found here, in the Cayman Islands. The Wife took this picture, using my camera Above is a panorama view of my brother in laws back yard, the whole island, undeveloped.

And the pool, which I thought was too cold to get into, especially with the stiff breeze that was blowing!

All this was Sunday, I don't remember anything from Saturday right now, except that I didn't have to work, and I thought I might. Have a good week, I'm sure I will!!

Ukraine's School of Underwater Painting

2011-11-06T06:09:00.001-05:00

No description required, just watch the video. 1 m 55 s

Snapshot Saturday

2011-11-05T07:54:00.007-05:00

Yesterday I got done working at 1:30, so I went to the nearest beach. I took these pictures. The bottom one is a panorama I made. It is more than 180 degrees I'm going to try more of these panoramas, I think they're pretty cool don't you? They look like they were taken on a tiny island! The top one is just looking down the beach, the bottom one is the panorama.

Please click to enlarge my panorama!!

ON a sour note, I started having problems with my new camera, the Nikon S9100. It froze up. I turned it on, the lens came out and display came on, but none of the controls would work. I couldn't even turn it off. I had to take the battery out. When I got home, it started working again, but now I don't trust the camera.
I looked on the internet and there's a lot of people complaining about this. How can this be? I did a search and researched this camera before I bought it. It was five stars everywhere, number two on the top 10 for 2011. Now after I buy it, I look again and see it is rated poorly, with tons of complaints about the same thing. I'm thinking about selling it and trying to find yet another new camera.

Photo Friday

2011-11-04T07:42:00.005-05:00

It may be Friday but for me it's kind of Monday, CayTronics starts a new radio station installation today.

Here's a few photos from this week.

Back Porch

SeaGrapes

Clouds

Twin Waterspouts and a cruise ship rear.

Sleep Equals Pain

2011-11-03T07:47:00.009-05:00

Once again, I'm having a major sleep crisis. Every time I go to sleep I wake up with a tremendous head, back and neck ache.
Last night I was up from 2-3:30, pacing the floor or sitting in a chair waiting for the Tylenol to kick in.

Then I went back to bed after I got rid of my pillow, and laid flat on my back.
I don't understand pillows, what's the point? To drive your chin down into your chest? To crank your neck at an unnatural angle? If I walked around with my neck positioned like it is when I am laying on a pillow, I would be walking around looking at my toes. The only time a pillow makes sense is if you're laying on your side, to keep your head from flopping down on your shoulder.
I have tried every pillow in the house, the sofa pillows and everything. My wife has bought every type of ergonomic space foam hi tech pillow in the world and they all crank my neck the wrong way. Some are alright for a while, but eventually they all feel like a knife, stabbing me in the back of the neck.
I have never been a good sleeper, but now I'm going through a rough patch, I'm tired and cranky and want to sleep, but every time I sleep I wake up feeling worse than when I started.
I'll just tough it out.

Sunshower

2011-11-02T04:48:00.004-05:00

Here's a pic and video of the rain last week. I think the video is pretty cool, although it seems to 'jump' which I think is because the camera can't write to the card fast enough. I cranked the video quality down a notch from Super HD for future videos.

21 second vid

Halloween Party

2011-11-01T06:35:00.002-05:00

Last night The Wife and I went to a Haunted House Halloween Party. We dressed up kind of like the zombies in the Zombie Love Song.
The party was a blast.

A Halloween Love Song For My Wife

2011-10-31T00:01:00.010-05:00

Happy Halloween Baby! I love you and I want to nibble on them ears a little too! I can't remember my life before you came in it, I am and will always be the luckiest man alive because I found you!!!

Check out all the Your Favorite Martian Videos on YouTube

Just awoke from a dream 2:10 AM 30 0ct 2011

2011-10-30T02:43:00.007-05:00

2:10 AM 30 0ct 2011

Just awoke from a dream

I was in Calverton, left from somewhere and I got lost (looking for my luggage? Looking for my house?).. There was a road I never saw before and went down it and it was a dead end, the back of some apartments and a van parked there, I cut through somehow to the front and then I came upon these giant cliffs, I could see the rock face and the neighborhoods below. The roofs of the houses were symmetrical, and arranged in colored patterns like Indian beads. I was high, miles up.

Later I found out this wasn’t house roofs from a cliff, but some lady liked to arrange beads in her yard, and I was standing over them and the cliffs were an illusion. But they weren’t, I could tell I was way up high, and see the cliffs going down, and clouds over the houses….

Then I was at a Radio studio I had just finished installing, and was training the announcer. The announcer was this local drunk guy I see staggering around West Bay, a friendss brother, I forget his name. The studio had my folded clothes or something laying around, I remember the mic boom, sticking out of a pile of my folded clothes on the console. I had to go get a suitcase for all my stuff. But I was worried that a suitcase wouldn’t be big enough for all my stuff there.

I think that’s where I was going when I got lost and found the cliffs, getting a suitcase from my parents old house in Calverton.

Then I was going to the airport, my suitcase was tan with a zipper and huge, too big. I was carrying it down these steps or a hill that was made out of beads and Lego blocks. It was the ‘fields’ and ‘rooftops’ I saw before from the cliff top. I came upon some Lego/bead plants or bushes and had to backtrack to go around.. There were several other people, making their way down the hill.

We got in a big (1940s?) car and went to the airport.

Then I was at the airport on Cayman Brac, (But it wasn’t the Brac airport, it was like a warehouse with big wooden, hanging sliding barn doors). There was a big golf cart that seats about 20. It was important that I got my big suitcase on the golf cart but it was already full. Finally I got “My Replacement” to move something so I could put my suitcase in the front seat floor. It wasn’t important for me to get on, just my suitcase. Relieved after I put the case on, I went and sat on the floor of the warehouse.

“My Replacement” was a guy with slits for eyes, like he just woke up and his eyes were squinted shut from bright light. He was going with us on the plane, I don’t know why in my dream he was “My Replacement”. He had a white shirt, tan pants, squinty eyes. Like the guy on the Dilbert cartoon kinda.

Finally a big noise and someone peeked out one of the big sliding doors and said it was a plane, not our plane, but a regular plane. Someone said we should have just taken a regular plane and not the one we were taking. It was stupid to have to wait for the ‘special plane’ I peeked out the door and saw the Cayman Airways twin Otter switching passengers, and decided to go smoke a cigar.

I was walking somewhere to smoke and this guy had a cigar too and was teasing me with it, sliding it through a hole made with his fingers; He accidentally ripped the whole side of the cigar and gave it to me and left embarrassed. I looked and the only undamaged part was about the last inch on the end where you light it. I put my cigar aside, took my cutters, and cut off that good inch, and put it in my pipe like I do, to smoke. I put my cigar I was going to smoke in my pocket.

Then I woke up.

World’s Best Breakfasts

2011-10-29T07:46:00.010-05:00

HERE is a link to another blog with 50 breakfasts on it!. YUM. I'm waiting for the wife to wake up so we can have breakfast together and I've picked a few of what I think are the ones I'd like best!

Breakfast in Costa Rica – Gallo Pinto is the standard breakfast fare in Costa Rica. It’s made from black beans, rice, optional soured cream, salsa and a corn tortilla. Costa Ricans will often have a bit of avocado, fried ripe plantain or cold meat on the side.

A Brazilian breakfast - a delicious selection of meats, cheeses and bread is the normal breakfast fare here.

Polish Breakfast – known locally as Jajecznica, a traditional Polish breakfast consists of scrambled eggs covered with slices of custom-made kielbasa and joined by two potato pancakes.

A full English Breakfast – it must have beans, sausages, bacon, eggs, mushrooms, hash browns and toast.

Breakfast in the Dominican Republic – you need to try the mangu. Mangu is made from mashing boiled plantains with butter and either salami, cheese or eggs. Top it off with a hot chocolate and you’ve got yourself some traditional Dominican Republic fare.

Malaysian breakfast – A hot bowl of Mee – noodles mixed with egg, vegetable and tasty spices.

There's a lot more, HERE'S the link again, go check it out!

Blog about the Blog

2011-10-28T05:41:00.018-05:00

I really like my live traffic feed widget that I put on my sidebar not too long ago. It gives me a lot of information that I couldn't get otherwise, like what posts get the most hits, presumably from showing up on search engines.
The biggest repeats seem to be:
UPS Whoops Fed Ex's Butt
A Movie Called Red
Linux Ubuntu
I got the free widget, of course.

Also I really like the Shoutmix Chat widget, again vit the free one.
it's cool, but not too many people use it, and you have to beware of spammers. On this blog, I don't get any spam, but on my CayTronics page, I get tons and have to delete them daily, which is very very easy. I don't know why I get so much spam there and so little here.....

I just wish people used it more.

AND I love my Shark widget! If there's something wrong with your computer Sharky can get really slow, and is a good quick performance check.

Blogging is hard, sometimes frustrating work. Sometimes I post a post, then I wait a really really really long time, like 5 whole minutes!!!! Then I come back and look and I STILL don't have any comments, so it's good to have little toys to play with when you spend your days hitting reload.
reload.
reload.
reload.
Waiting for comments!

Have a good weekend!

And on the 13th Day

2011-10-26T07:32:00.017-05:00

This morning I woke up at 4:30, got up got dressed, made coffee and walked the dogs. Then I laid on the couch with my raincoat on and slept till 7:15. Then I went back to bed for a minute (without the raincoat) but said screwit and now I'm drinking re-warmed coffee.
I had that cold, and it gave me a day off I guess. I got all cold medicined for that party and felt better the whole next coupla days, then yesterday it hit me again full force.
And now The Wife is getting sick too. . .

On October 14, on this blog, I wrote: Yesterday started sunny, then thin haze took over the sky. The haze got thicker and turned into clouds. That means it got cloudy on the 13th. Today is the first day we have seen blue sky and sun since then, 13 days. It's still plenty cloudy and will probably rain today.

I believe a day of sun will cure my cold, and I want to gargle with sea water for my sore throat.
I am so tired of clouds and rain I cant stand it anymore.

Here's some random photos

Walkin' the dawgs, walk-walk-walkin' the dawgs
♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫♪♫♪ ♫♪♫♪ ♫♪ ♫ !

Headphones, the most noble rooster. He doesn't steal food from females.

Again vit de catz

Reading a Free Book On Photography

2011-10-25T07:34:00.005-05:00

I'm reading an eBook about photography that I downloaded free. It's called Going Candid. You can download it HERE. It's a PDF so works on your Amazon Kindle or other eBook reader I rekkon.
It seems like a really good book, although I've just started reading it. I can tell English isn't the authors first language, which makes me enjoy it even more.
These two pics were taken this morning on the dawg walk, from ground level.

Satellite dish and abandoned car

Chicken Bananas and Breadfruit.

Last night The Wife and I carved punkins. It was the first time ever in her life she carved a pumpkin. In her whole life. Also she has never had a Hostess Twinkie.

Disturbing Images

2011-10-24T05:49:00.004-05:00

I just woke up from a dream telling myself I am not worth shit. My life is going down the tubes. And it's what I deserve. I feel like I'm the only one in this situation.

I'm not even in a bad situation, yet. Although my situation is not sustainable, I have enough in the bank to last for a year, even if I make nothing for that year.

I seem to have a personality that tends to dwell in the past, and that is something I must fight.

Til Death Do Us Part-Dinner Game

2011-10-23T08:38:00.006-05:00

Last night The Wife and I went to a dinner party / game called Til Death Do Us Part. It was really fun. You receive and invitation and learn what your character is.
Then you come up with a costume for that character. I was Newton Polyester, a Vegas wedding singer.
Then you go to the scene of the crime dinner, and the game starts. There is a book at your seat with your characters name on it. You open up and learn about yourself. Then you come to a page that says "STOP! Don't read any further than this!"
Then all the guests question each other and try to figure out what's going on. Then you move on to another section of the book, stopping at every "STOP" and questioning and being questioned. At the end, everyone makes their formal accusations, and on the last page of each characters book is their explanation, (which you already knew if you figured all the clues and info correctly).
It was really fun and if you ever get the chance to attend or host one of these dinner games, do it!

Orionid meteor shower

2011-10-21T07:34:00.005-05:00

If you live somewhere you can see the sky, (here apparently you cannot) the Orionid meteor shower going on, and the best time to observe it should be this weekend. The Orionids generally begin on October 15 and end on October 29, with maximum generally occurring during the morning hours of October 20-22. The Orionids are barely detectable on the beginning and ending dates, but observers in the Northern Hemisphere will see around 20 meteors per hour at maximum, while observers in the Southern Hemisphere will see around 40 meteors per hour.

Read the article from where I stole this information here.

Location of the Orionids
For Northern Hemisphere Observers

For Southern Hemisphere Observers

On a different note, here it is still raining. Overnight my cold changed status from "going away" to "Very Bad". Last night was a horrid night, the bedroom air felt like freezing razor blades, under the blanket was molten fire, and nothing in between.
This morning, took the dogs for a walk and got soaked. The rain was almost horizontal. Just what I needed. Anyway, I'm grumpy and crabby. And nobody commented yesterday on my excellent post.

Ruff Morning

2011-10-20T09:16:00.006-05:00

For a week or so, maybe more maybe less, the wind has been from the south. Yesterday, it turned around and is coming from the north. I can hear the surf from the house.This morning, the dawgs and I walked up to have a look. Above is a pic. I made a video but it is too long. and boring.

Tonight the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce Business Expo starts. I'm going to go.

I started reading a book, you probably saw the movie..."The Caine Mutiny". I've read the first 6 chapters so far. It is going to be better than the movie. Did you know that "The Caine Mutiny" was a bestselling book, highly popular play, and top movie, all at the same time? 1954. There is a line in the book that touched me. "Wasted hours ruin a life, whether at the beginning or the end, but they're more noticeable at the end". I'm wasting a lot of hours these days.

Sheba Dog Drinking in Slow Motion

2011-10-19T07:40:00.005-05:00

Here is a 2 minute slow motion video of Sheba drinking. It is probably only cool to me. The last third is real time dog drinking.