Day 2091

We made a serious effort to clean the rugs today. Some rugs went to the laundromat. Others got cleaned in the back yard. The rest just received a vigorous vacuuming. The house is cleaner now, although it still looks just as messy. It's hard to complain about the rugs though. They do their job. Dot is able to walk around the house without slipping and falling, which would be virtually impossible if she still had to deal with our slippery brick floors.

Whenever we do some serious cleaning, Janet tries to get me to clean out my office. There are probably a hundred good reasons to get rid of things, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I am surrounded by the remnants of decades of hard work and interesting experiences. If I got rid of these things, what would I replace them with? The ironic thing is that if I were really busy, it wouldn't bother me to work in a bare office. Now that I'm not so busy, I treasure the cluttered memories. My Dad's office was like this as he neared retirement. The University let him keep his cluttered office for a few years after he officially retired, but eventually he was forced to vacate what was probably the original man cave. He went downhill quickly after that.

I'm going to the gym earlier on Sunday's now. It probably doesn't make much difference, but I find that I have more time for other things if I do my workouts in the morning. The gym seems pretty empty on Sunday mornings. That's a plus too. I had a good workout today and still think the Apple Watch is keeping me from being lazy. I need to make an effort to get to the gym at least once more during the week. Maybe Tuesday or Wednesday. I'm holding my own now, but with two good workouts a week, I might actually start getting stronger.

When I was trying to figure out how to fix my computer's optical drive yesterday, I read that some people were wrapping a baby wipe around a credit car and sticking this crude cleaning instrument into the drive slot in an attempt to dislodge dust from the burner lens. This didn't really seem like it would work, but what did I have to lose? Eight people said this method cured their problem and one said it ruined his drive. This seemed like pretty good odds. I carefully inserted the baby wipe wrapped credit card into the slot several times and then tried to burn a DVD. It worked. I don't know if this is a short term or long term fix, but it sure beats buying a new computer.

Last week when I was taking a shower, I discovered there was a cockroach in the shower with me. Today, when I was washing my hair, I discovered a lizard in the shower. I don't know how these critters get in the house, but they don't appear to have much difficulty. At least we don't have a doggie door. People with pet doors in our neighborhood frequently find raccoons and possums crawling through them. When I was younger, I probably would have thrown the lizard down the toilet. Since I've mellowed quite a bit over the years, I carefully captured the small reptile and took is outdoors where I released it. You've got to be real careful with little lizards because it's easy to break their tails if they are handled roughly. This little guy did fine though and I was glad to see him wander off to join all the other critters in our yard.

Tomorrow is Labor Day. If my Facebook feed is any indications, a lot of people seem to get this holiday mixed up with Memorial Day. It's just another Monday to me.

April is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day