There's NO Fool Like An APRIL FOOL...
What a difference a day makes, eh?
There are days that make you happy to be alive, and days that make you curse the day you were born. There are days that make you feel ten feet tall, and other days that have you running for a nice deep hole so you can yank that real estate over your head.
Then there are days like yesterday...that are just plain OK for ALL the right reasons. And you have to love them, for they don't come along all that often, and especially NOT when you're wanting (or needing) them to.
I have to hand it to my wife, I must be rubbing off on her (after 10+ years), and that really makes me smile. Yes, a ray of hope in an otherwise banal existence.
Yesterday's weekend fiasco fallout had me all but beside myself, and yet, my darling wife managed to NOT ONLY take the ailing computer out to STONE way up North (The "initial" prognosis on the old-dog 'puter is that a "component failure" is the primary cause of the problem, and hopefully, by this Friday, we'll have things back in hand...only a lot more operational.), BUT ALSO...she :

1) got smokes for the week,

2) got her car an oil change and a lube job, and

3) got us BOTH lunch (mmmmm.....Wendy's)!
Yeah, I was thinking "wow" too.

Talk about efficiency!

Sounds like something I'd do...
(Damn good reason to keep her for at least ANOTHER year...!)
She managed to achieve (in a few short hours) the best use of resources at hand, combining all these trips into ONE and she was STILL back home for the noontime lunch hour! And let's face it, even with gas hovering in the low $3 range, ANYthing you can do to save a gallon or two is worth it (just a damn shame no one REWARDS you for your diligence).
So I decided that since we were on this "winning streak" (as opposed to the last day or so), I'd go into the (loft) "crawlspace" over the family room addition, and scope out the insulation (I had been wanting to amend the "R" factor in it for some time to save heating/cooling costs). And since today's temperatures were marvelously moderate, we got it in gear and tooled up.
We got out the 2-ways, my trouble light PLUS my headband light (one can NEVER have TOO much light in a closed, dark area), and it was time for "Tunnel Rat Bob" to go and get it done. I will say this: Anne Frank would have found the accomodations up there rather spacious ( Das ist eine Comfort Inn, Fraulein?)...
After about an hour of crawling, lying, stooping, and some more crawling about, I did reinsulate certain parts where it was lacking near the eaves of the roofline (and put some nails into the joists so I could hang my light as I went). Then, I figured it was time for MY "Great Escape"...all I needed was Charles Bronson behind me and Steve McQueen in front of me...LOL
As a finish to the "project", I added some weather stripping around the access door (at the top of the stairs) to the "roof/loft" area, as well as a knob for easier opening, replaced the dresser in front of it, and called it all done...finished...complete. (Miller Time, gang)
"A simple job for a simple person", as Dad used to say!
And if the women don't find you handsome, they should AT LEAST find you handy.
Words to live by.

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Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city...
Is it homicide #4?
No make that homicide #s 4,5,6,7,8.
At least it's sure looking that way. Goes to show you that what's OK for some (me), isn't OK for others (and their families OR the police department).

The FWPD had it's hands full as well yesterday when it was investigating 5 shooting deaths in the city. Looks like the Coroner's Office will be pretty busy this morning.
Two women were found dead from gunshot wounds in a home on Blum Drive, another man was shot near McKinnie and Lillie Streets (one of the "better" and not in a good way neighborhoods down here), and two men were found dead in an apartment in the 200 block of W. Masterson St.
Seems that some people just LIVE for nicer weather (and the chance to deny life to others in the process).
Now I had "officially" went on record (in a post a few months back) as saying that we'd wind up around 25 homicides AGAIN in this city, and it's looking better every day, thanks to people who are giving gun control advocates lots of "ammunition" (pun intended) for their case. I will also go on record as saying that every one of the guns used IN these latest homicides were NOT "at fault", but rather the people behind the sights, pulling the triggers are the ONES TO BLAME.

At least former mayor Paul Helmke is smiling.
Gee, I wonder what all these deaths have in common with homicides in other cities with similar "diversity"?

Sure glad it's NOT the fact that we have so many black, brown, and white trash sitting on their asses every day with nothing to do and plenty of time to do it (all bought and paid by the taxpayers of this fair city).

I'm also glad it's NOT the fact that drugs are rampant in many areas around this city.

And I'm also glad it's NOT the fact that we are emulating much LARGER cities when it comes to drug and gang problems (at least it sure looks that way from where I sit).
Remember...crime IS going down (and it WENT DOWN...in at least THREE neighborhoods yesterday).
Helluva "April's Fool Day", isn't it?