I know some of the more progressive of
my friends will be shocked to learn that today my house begins the process of
converting to solar power. While I may not be a poster boy for most of the “head
in sand” progressive causes I’ve always been concerned for the environment.
Strangely it dates back to my 4th grade teacher in Lincoln School. Mrs.
Mason was instructing us about natural resources and made the point that while the
earth is blessed with abundant assets they are, in the long view, finite. At
some point in the future we are going to run out of oil, coal, and others. This
made a big impression on me and I’ve always sought information about renewable
energy sources. I know the industry’s answer is to always minimize the issue,
saying we have over a hundred years’ worth of oil reserves but in the back of
my mind I’ve always thought a hundred years is not a long time if you’re
talking about completely revamping energy resourcing and an economy built on
top of a fossil fuel industrial base. Anyhoo my small contribution is having a
solar array installed on my hilltop house and it will feed its output into the energy
matrix and I’ll be credited with what I produce off my electric bill. I know
some people are still are in shock at this revelation and not to worry, I won’t
be out gnawing on any tree bark.
 |
| Workers up on the Roof This Morning |
It was weird to take a shower this morning
with the installers pounding on the roof right over my head. They showed up, as
promised, right at 7am and immediately set to work. I was a little impressed.
My Favorite Panamanian was less so because she felt the floors needed sweeping before
workmen should be allowed to tramp through. Wifely logic I’m still trying to understand.
I know, fruitless. Granddaughters, this was in large part for you. Hopefully by
the time you’re reading this, many years in the future, the Saudis are back to chasing
camels and oil based energy will be a quaint memory.
 |
| FBR With a New Friend |
Both granddaughters checked in last
night in fine form. The BRS reportedly assisted a day care employee with a
crying peer yesterday. Apparently one of the other kids at the was crying after
waking up from their nap and the BRS went over, put her head on the crying kid’s
shoulder, and began rubbing her back. It was one of those moments that renews
faith in human nature. The FBR was full of her usual P&V anticipating our
visit there this weekend. She recently made the acquaintance of the new born
sister of one of her friends. I couldn’t help projecting a few years into the future
when they would be buddies. It’s so cool that my grandchildren will be able to
have their roots down that their itinerant, Army brat parents never did.
Date night so, so a movie was in the
offing, Rambo Last Blood. Old friend John Rambo certainly wears his years and
scars in full evidence. We last left him finally making his way home to the
Arizona ranch of his father. This latest movie picks up his story a decade
later and he evidently spent that time tunneling around underneath the ranch
and dealing with PTSD which makes a whole lot of sense considering what his character
has been through. A Mexican drug/human trafficking cartel makes the mistake of
taking someone close to Rambo and the bodies are soon piling up. There seemed
to be a rush to the signature revenge porn without the semi-necessary buildup.
We all know Rambo is going to spend the last third of the movie eviscerating
the bad guys but, again, it all seemed a little rushed. The bad guys are
certainly qualified to appear in one of Rambo’s patented kill montages through
their brutal acts. I wish they’d spent some more time exploring the life Rambo
built up in the preceding decade to highlight what was lost but that may be
just me wishing the poor bastard got a little bit of a break. This would be a
good place to end the series with Rambo literally riding off into the sunset.
We don’t need to see Rambo on Mars as an octogenarian dispenser of justice.
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RECURRING
CHARACTERS
BRS
- Blog Reader the Sequel
- second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog
Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA –
Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law; Wingman – my son in law; Keene
Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene,
NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt = my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since
grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to
attract women; Pittsburgh College
Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which
grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two
close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3rd musquetera
(musketeer); Riggins - also known as
the Grandpuppy, son's dog, surrogate grandchild while awaiting arrival of the
BRS; PanaGals – female
relatives/friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin
Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we
have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood
Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of
course); First Friday – celebrations
to mark the First Friday of the Week; Deckzilla
Dude – senior citizen carpenter/contractor; Voices of Inappropriate Worth - members of public who come to every
Worcester public meeting to complain, all are on public assistance along with
demeanor issues
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