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Friday night, worked my 4 hour shift and talked myself into driving to the outskirts of town to fill up the truck at the reservation gas station because they have the 2nd lowest prices and it is closer than costco. I didn't want to but I wanted to avoid the next price increase and save a few bucks. Well, my mind wandered a bit and I didn't slow down in time for the 30mph zone. When I saw the headlights turn on from the SUV parked on the other side of the road I knew exactly who it belonged to. 🚓🚨👮‍♂️ When the pretty red and blue lights came on I pulled over, rolled down all four windows, grabbed my wallet and set it on the dash, put one hand out the window and the other on top of the steering wheel....... and waited. Not sure what took him so long to come up the my truck, I used to get there in about 6 or 7 seconds. Anyways, he walked up on the passenger side, let me know I was doing 45 in a 30 and asked for my license. Before he walked back to his car I politely asked if I should mention I am a retired Police Officer. He politely said "No." Which is fine, rules are for everyone and if the officer wants to write a ticket I wont argue or be upset (at him). About 5 minutes later he came back, handed me my license and said something similar to "Have a good night, just watch your speed." I thanked him, said I usually do the speed limit or a little under but I was still arguing with myself about going for fuel and even though I wanted to be going home straight from work I also wanted to beat the next 25 cent price increase. He laughed and then we had a pleasant conversation. He asked where I used to work, said he used to live in the area I patrolled, and asked me if I wanted to join the department. I laughed, said "Sorry, I am tired of dealing with people." He laughed and said he understood but the small town he works for is very friendly towards the police and they use a "Community Police" attitude and after he explained that I realized they are not into writing lots of tickets or arresting lots of people, they simply try to explain why it is better to follow the rules so you can avoid getting into trouble.
Top notch experience. And, as I am proof reading this I decided I am going to cut and past it into an email to the Chief Of Police to compliment the Officer and his very professional attitude. I know the few times I was handed those letters I played it down and said I was just doing my job but I was thinking of sending an email after the stop anyways so I will use this casual write up as the basis of my complimentary email.

For the record, since I moved to Utah I make every effort to drive the speed limit, use my turn signals, and not tailgate. And, on my way home at night I usually drive 55 in the 65 because you never know when a deer will run across the highway and I can't afford to repair any damage, or replace airbags, on my truck. I knew the road through the old part of town was 30mpg and I was about to slow down, what I didn't see to remind me was the speed limit sign a couple hundred yards before I passed the cop, simply because my mind was wandering due to no other traffic on the road.

OK, had a couple drinks and it is almost time for bed. Guess I have to take a quick shower first, worked up a sweat at work. Not because I was working hard, but because I wear a back brace and my lower back was sweating like crazy. OK, TMI, sweet dreams.
Much better than my last experience w/ a cop - had to hop in my old rig for whatever reason. Driving speed limit on back road, pulled over for no seatbelt, cop giggling like a schoolgirl. I paid the ticket but commented that he was very unprofessional (could only add limited characters in space provided or would have said more.)
 
When they do blood work at the DR's office, they don't test for blood type. It is an extra test that costs more money.

You can buy a home test kit on Ebay for just a few bucks, much less costly than having the Doc do it. I need to do that myself. I believe I am O+ but I don't remember for sure.
I donate blood at the Red Cross a lot and they tell you your blood type.
 
I donate blood at the Red Cross a lot and they tell you your blood type.
I know they'll have it after the first time. It's not Red Cross here, it's called LifeServe, but as far as the blood goes it's the same thing. I went to their website and according to them all of Central Iowa is critically low on all O blood, all B blood, and A- blood. All AB and A+ are well stocked. I'm pretty sure mine is O+ so it'll be good for me to donate, and I can find out from them what it is after that...
 
Bible study, lunch with about 15 members of the local Czech genealogy group at Golden Europe. This lunch has been planned for a while, but we just heard that Golden Europe will be closing May 28th. I've actually never eaten there before, so I am grateful that I signed up to go. The group has eaten there before, but I wasn't able to go before. Golden Europe Restaurant
 
Walmart was not busy. Filled our carts, got a bunch of Chic fil a to bring back. My favorite cousin has four grandkids at home. They were busy choring, but saw us drive up and came to unload and hope their mom brought back chic fil a. Ha.
Bought four whole chickens to cook for lunch meat. Some I'll use for chicken tacos tonight. A cool day in the 50s with wind. I might do some planting after lunch.
Their baby formula at this Walmart....in a glass cabinet, had a big camera watching, and all shelves were empty except for a few cans of Enfamil powder at $27.99 each.
 
My brother woke me up this morning to tell me the freezer had gone out. We transferred as much stuff as we could cram in the smaller freezer. Plugged in the old sidebyside fridge/freezer, rushed to Walmart, got a big cooler that says it keeps stuff cold for 6 days, filled it with ice bags, got home, stuffed some ice bags in it, stuffed some of them in the freezer we plugged in, stuffed others in the old freezer, fed melted ice cream to dogs turned on all of the working fans in the house, and I've called the AC guy but got voicemail. Waiting for a callback. Walmart cashier told me he's out of jail and I found his number online. Well my brother was the one who messed with ice and food moving. I was outside cutting weeds around the AC unit. Some blackberry bushes and other thorny vines. There's also a small tree growing next to it.

Thermostat is saying to change the filter but I just changed the filters and poured bleach down the condensate line.
 
It's hot here today, may get to 100 with 90% humidity, I tried to harvest spinach but the plants wilt as quick as you cut the stock, so I'll water them tonight and harvest them very early in the morning.

The daughter is making her way across the country heading west, my estimates have her just out of St Lewis MO now, I don't know if she will stay on 70 or switch north to 80 for the rest of the trip. She was hoping to get home (WY) tonight, but my estimates have her getting there around lunch time tomorrow. I think that they underestimated the distance by about 300 miles when they threw this trip together. All I can do is carry my phone, wait, and pray.
 
Yikes, that is very hot, Urban. I hope you're staying cool.
My friend told me the hvac guy got locked back up yesterday so he's not available. Ugh. No local places or big box stores carry the capacitor I need. Not even sure if it is the capacitor but its short-cycling and that is likely the issue. I need to get an outside hose working so I can spray the filters out but none of my outside faucets work.
 
It may be just from the 'old days'.
But everyone I knew that got a CDL had to have a Full physical first and the info turned over to the DMV. My first CDL listed my blood type on it.
My question to you is: do you think that information just evaporated at the DMV?
They call me and ask about cars I owned 30 years ago, so my guess is no.
They save everything!
Oh, and I hate to burst your bubble, but when it comes to the government having your info, HIPAA means nothing. :mad:
To get a CDL, you need to obtain a med card, which is not necessarily a full physical. A full physical does not include a blood type test. A blood type does not tell anyone anything about a persons health status. I worked in a doctors office and helped perform portions of the medical exam that CDL drivers needed such as basic vitals, urine test, and eye exam. To obtain a med card, blood does not need to be drawn unless there are special circumstances such as diabetes where an A1C would need to be obtained in order for the doctor to clear the driver. Even then, a test for blood type would not be run b/c there would be no reason for it. The DMV also does not get the exam specifics from the doctors office. They only get the card that the doctor signs saying that the driver is fit for duty. This is how it worked 20 years ago up until now. What they did before that I do not know.

You're not 'bursting my bubble'. :rolleyes: I'm quite well aware that .gov can get whatever information they want by whatever means they deem necessary......legal or not. However, there are laws in place to detur that. How you feel about those laws is irrelevant to the topic at hand. I'm just saying that the DMV does not have direct access to that information by the way current standards are, at least in my state.
 
*wanders in."
"Looks around and scratches chin."
"Wanders out after snatching a beer."
I wondered where my beer went. Neighborhood annual cleanup day, so got rid of 3 scooter tires and the the TV that died.

It's always funny, they require ID until I get out of the car, 3/4 of em know me, lived here 60 years.
 
I spent almost four hours this morning trying to clean up my raspberry bed. I had let it go last year as it's up against my neighbor's shed and he was going to reside it but that didn't happen until about a month ago so the weeds had really gotten thick in there. I'm still not done but it's hot and humid out and the boys wanted to go out to lunch so I'll have to finish another time.

After lunch (and a couple delicious drinks) I strung up some twine and planted some peas at the front of my shade garden to try to block some of the afternoon sun from beating on my lettuce and spinach. My son came outside to help, he wanted to make sure I didn't fall off the ladder. lol
 
My son renting with two other guys & he wants to plant a garden.
So we went to the farm & got some coffee chaff compost, it looks like peat & is about twelve years old.
We go two 55gallon drums full & he put it in the garage, because it was starting to rain & he did not want to spread mud. :oops:
 
I'm finally cooling off! It cost $90 for parts and I gave my friend an Otter Pop but he got it fixed for us. Turns out the guy who refused to come out felt bad so he walked my friend through the process (bc DUI guy made a mess of the wires). He couldn't come out bc he had his kids & boss didn't check with him.
Mewlatto is still stretched out in front of the fan. Puppies are in here chilling.

Freezer is still not working but can't win them all. At least the ice is helping to slow down the thawing. I will have to cook some of the meals we couldn't fit in the smaller freezer.

Hopefully my friend will call me soon to come stain his new door and help him put it up. I find staining/painting relaxing.

He's getting frustrated with the baby though. Kid keeps climbing on him and jumping on him & keeps hitting his kidneys. He pounces on my friend on my brother, but he doesn't do that with me-- maybe bc I never roughhouse with him. Any tips on how to keep a toddler from jumping on people when they don't want him to? The more forcefully my friend pushes him away the more fun the kid has bc he thinks its a game.
 
Great lunch today. We had a plan and a reservation before the closing was announced. Our reservation was for 11:30, opening time. All 15 of us got seated, beverages, orders taken and food served. Then the place got slammed! People were standing around in many places. Owner kept coming to help us, really, trying to hurry us out. Somehow, the organizers were short $100 when everyone had paid. I gave a great tip because the wait staff was so busy. Since the owner was trying to get us out the door, and the organizers were trying to figure it out about money, several of us left. I have no idea how the organizers figured out the bill. If they would have allowed individual tickets, it would have been easier, but a bill for $488 bill, written in gibberish, it was a little strange. I knew how much my food was, but was so interesting that some people had no idea. It was on the menu when they ordered. I used to work with a couple who always figured out how not to pay for their own food, or to only pay for part of it and to let others pick up the difference.
 
Eew! I never understand people like that.

You didn't mention if you had a good time - hope so! :)
It was great! We hadn't seen each other since before the virus hit. Hanging out with a bunch of Bohemians, aka Bohunks! The owner came over and called us Bohunks. In the Nebraska Bohemians group, there were people who would take offense to that. They were taught wrong! One woman had finished a book she has been writing, "Babi's Cookbook." Some of us participate in a group that helps us with writing about our ancestry in whatever form we wish. It took her 4 years to put this together, but if she were more experienced, she could have done this in a few weeks.
 
I'm sweating my fat behind off bc AC went out again. No idea what is wrong with it but fan and compressor won't come on. Power is on. It's 91° in cold areas. Hotter in my room and the dogs are panting their heads off.
Guess I'll have to call the AC guy again to figure out why its not working.
 
DW had to leave on an urgent road trip so I am doing my job.:thumbs:
Got MIL and myself fed supper. That put me behind the 8-ball. :oops:
So I have been racing to beat 60 to get all the plants watered, before the rain starts.gaah
(Yes, I will have to answer the question later: "So, didya?:waiting:")
I got it all done just in time, and even found time to feed one of our hungry mosquitos!:woo hoo:
 
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I don't want to jinx it but my brother (upon advice from our friend) pushed the fan with a stick and it started spinning and the compressor came back on. It is down to 89° in the coldest part of the house.

I want to open my windows to let some air in now that the sun is setting but, as Supervisor mentioned, there are mosquitoes.
 
Bible study, lunch with about 15 members of the local Czech genealogy group at Golden Europe. This lunch has been planned for a while, but we just heard that Golden Europe will be closing May 28th. I've actually never eaten there before, so I am grateful that I signed up to go. The group has eaten there before, but I wasn't able to go before. Golden Europe Restaurant
I got an update on my daughter, she is following 80, so my estimate is she will hit Lincoln NE around 9PM. I hope she stops there to get a few hours sleep before making the final leg into Wyoming.
Let us know when she's home safe!!
 
Put up some cattle panels in some of my raised beds. Started straining my tomatos on the ones in their beds. Got the one for cucumbers installed. Plants are just getting started, but I'm ready for them. Watered all the beds deeply this evening. Need to fertilze my late onions, maters, pepepers, cukes.
Started eating some of my early onions. No where near full grown, but the bed is a little over crowded so it don't hurt anything. They sure taste good
 
I have been working on a portable solar setup , I have 3# 12 volt 200 amp hour Agm batteries in a dewalt rolling chest/cart , a Renoligy 30 amp charge controller and a 5000 watt power inverter with a central hub to connect four of the new harbor freight 100 watt panels. All the panels can be folded up and can be rolled around with the cart, just a little heavier than a gas generator but without all the noise / fumes. Just another backup to my backup power supply.
 
I played outside a good part of the day. Did some weeding so now I have to go around with the wheelbarrow an pick up the piles of weeds. Also got the canopy cover on the frame so we ate supper au fresco for the first time this year. Now if my pole beans will grow, we will have a green wall on one side (it works well). It's a gorgeous day, blue skies with big fluffy clouds and a few thunder boomers. Hummers are loving the flowers and the air is sweet.
 
Went and bought hay today. Its gone up $30 to $150 for a 3x3x8 bale in the last month. My hay guy said it will probably be going up again this summer so we are buying our winter hay now. He said the fertilizer has doubled, the twine has almost trippled and then the diesel....
 
I know lots of CDL drivers.......this is not true. How in the heck woud the DMV have access to that information? It is protected by HIPAA and CDL drivers do not have to give a blood sample to get a CDL, so that statement makes zero sense to me.

I had a CDL and there's nothing in the paperwork about blood types being needed.
 
Yep, the last time this happened to me I was going from Tucson to Colorado Springs and the alternator went out in New Mexico, I had tools so I removed the part and did a foot tour of Santa Fe carrying an alternator. 3 auto parts and a chevy dealership later I had the part and was walking back to the van... It was August and it really didn't endure me to Santa Fe.......

But I was able to install the part and make the rest of the trip home safely. FYI, the wife and 3 kids were with the van while I was taking my walk... The wife did have a patrolman stop to complain about me parking on the side of the frontage road, but she told hem that the flames kind of limited my choices... He left without offering any help or assistance.... Like I said, the experience really didn't endure Santa Fe to me or my family...
I once plugged and inflated a womans tire in downtown santa fe on a sunday. Had my plug kit and 12 volt tire pump.
Just lit the propane catalytic heater in our small green house (10PM)....forcast for 30 degrees here in montana tonight and we have moved everything we have been starting out to the greenhouse. Maybe two more weeks before planting in the garden.
 

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