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This little sweet pic is from Magnum Photos. The artist is Eve Arnold. It was taken in 1955 at the Actor’s Studio in NYC. I assume you recognize the gentleman sitting front and center?
Sorry folks, but there is no political news today. Oh, well, not that there is no news, but I haven’t the time to cover it. We went off to Independence today to do some shopping. The weed eater gave its last gasp yesterday and since we have one of the “universal” motors that also runs our little weed tiller for the garden, it was imperative to replace rather quickly. The Contrarian wants to do what replanting is required tomorrow or Friday at the latest.
As we drove along Highway 150, after reaching that junction from Walker, the sad sight of farms along the way, penetrated fully, leaving the inescapable conclusion that the harvest this year is going to be poor to none. There is nary a field of corn that has grown more than four inches. Worse, there is still standing water in some places, and where it is not, you can still see the mucky tackiness of the soil. The yellowing is starting to be apparent as well. It is too sad.
We found a sump easily enough at Norby’s and they had a Walmart right at the point when you come into town. Although touted as a Supercenter, it was not on the scale of the one we go to in Cedar Rapids. No weed eater in either place either. So off to a True Value and then the local hardware in town. We also struck out there. We returned at near noon with most of what we had set out for, sans the weed eater of course.
The Contrarian attempted to hook up the new sump and of course, ran into another glitch. Some adapter wouldn’t release from the old one, and it is necessary to bridge the difference between two pipe sizes. I have concluded that this is but another area where women should be the designers of things rather than men. No woman would design products that don’t have such adapters included with the sump, nor would she have all these maddeningly different sizes of pipes that confound common sense.
So another trip to Walker was necessary and then off to Center Point to see if the lawnmower place there might have a weed eater. Weed eaters are of course easy enough to find, its the universality that is hard to find. Which of course might beg the question of how it’s so danged universal in the first place. Another item designed by a man no doubt.
Okay, so at the lawnmower place (I have no clue of it’s name, I just see a plethora of lawnmowers lined up outside in invitation), they have no universal one, of course, save their own brand. It is now clear that NOTHING is going to go well in this adventure. But, the Contrarian is somewhat happy, perhaps. It seems they have a Club Cadet which has all kinds of attachments which can be added to it. Now it “looks” like it might allow our tiller head to attach. Soooo, he now is taking the tiller head back, and indeed if it fits, he can buy it. The good news is,this is a 4-stroke engine, (somehow this is magnificently better than a 2-stroke engine) and means that it won’t break as fast as the 2-stroke one will. Again, men undoubtedly have designed flawed this to death as well. The bad news is of course, it costs wildly more, but remember it is a 4-stroke.
This issue of strokes seems important. I ran through my repertoire of what I understand about strokes. One is the bad thing that happens to the brain. Having one is definitely not advisable. I don’t know if they are numbered, but I don’t think so. If they are a 2 stroke probably is less damaging that an 4, but perhaps it might be the reverse. The only other stroke I know of is in regards to golf. Being 4 strokes ahead is better than 2 or being 2 down is better than 4. So I see no general assumption that leads to one being better than the other.
Thus, this engine business must be altogether different. I take it at face value, since the Contrarian certainly knows his strokes that 4 in this case is way better than 2. Are you still with me?
Well, the adaptor was not quite adapting as it should. So the Contrarian is off again, having left it as “farmer functional.” Now this term can means several things. It can mean it will work until the Apocalypse, but will look positively horrid to anyone who bothers to pull it out of the sump and takes a look. I rather doubt anyone will be doing that at our next dinner party.
It can mean that it will work for some time, but can fail at a moment’s notice. Given that the exact words were: “I put two pipes that don’t belong together, together with glue,” suggests that this may be the case here. He instructed me to listen, and if it didn’t shut off after a reasonable time (my guess I guess), then I should shut it off manually by turning of the basement light. Yes, isn’t that a wiring miracle? The pump is wired into the light switch at the top of the stairs. Don’t i have just the most marvelous little Mr. Fixit?
Of course, as I sit here, I don’t think I hear it running at all, let alone not shutting off. No doubt I shall have to wander down there and peer around, all to exactly no effect. But I can say that I did, and that always seems important. Also, the Contrarian thought it a grand idea to stop at McDonald’s in Center Point for dinner, since he won’t be back for our normal meal time. Always looking to make my day easier he is. I’ll certainly give him that.
Okay, so I better go check that pump, I don’t hear that fine little buzz at all. If you need Mr. Fixit to visit you just give me a holler. He really can do wonders with duck tape. I have the appliances to prove it!
Existential Ennui 