Early August Update

Wow, August 8th already. I celebrated my birthday on the 4th by taking Walter, my 9 year old grandson to buy a bike and also ended up buying my wife car rack attachments for her kayak. It's a good thing my birthday only comes once a year. I couldn't afford it any more often.

Finished the master bedroom, including painting, setting up a grandfather clock and hanging curtains. It does look pretty good.

Did a little more work in the barn, got a few more supports in. With the lumber racks complete and most lumber stored on them the barn almost is useful. A few more supports and moving some stuff to the loft and some more to the basement, and moving some of the larger tools and a few more cabinets and benches, and running some more circuits [ if the electrician gets the new power installed in the barn] and I'll be ready to start work ....... or totally exhausted and unable to work.

In the last few days replaced the exhaust header and catalyst on my blue volvo, repaired the door handle and then sold it today! Still having withdrawal symptoms. We had some friends up from New Jersey, and went to my son's annual summer party at his home about four miles away on Saturday. About 75 people showed up despite intermittent rain.

With the blue car being for sale my maroon Volvo has been acting up, looking for attention I suppose. I'll try replacing the engine speed sensor/ ignition impulse generator Wednesday and see if that clears up the problem.

Speaking of looking for attention, our upstairs cat ( has come down only twice in the the two months she's been here), stands at the top of the stairs and meows at 9 PM every night insisting we come up and keep her company. She has a peculiar voice and often sounds almost human. Her name is Natalie and she is nominally my younger son, Daniel's, cat. His new digs in Ft Collins, Colorado do not allow cats, so she is ours for now. She is very territorial and every time our cat Sally tries to come upstairs Natalie chases her back down.

Been talking to plumbers about a new boiler and engineers, commissioners, and excavators about the required new septic system. . The electrician is supposed to return tomorrow and install our new connection with the utility and our new circuit breaker panel. We'll see.

Its a little frustrating not having important things directly in your own hands, but it will probably all work out.

Heard from several students which is always nice, and Mrs Mitchell's visit was a highlight. We are open to visitors most of the time.

Physics, or at least reading physics, has taken a back seat to all of the above. Am almost finished with An Old Man's Toy, which discusses cosmology at a " popular" level, but leaves many fundamental issues unaddressed. For example he writes about the rapidly expanding universe expanding so rapidly that light from one region can't reach another, without addressing the apparent contradiction with special relativity's limit on the speed of material object's to less than c. Expansion velocities are sort of not true velocities, but are the result of the enormous energy of the big bang. This is to my mind a contradiction. Oh well, I'll keep trying to get a fundamental understanding of this and I'll keep you posted.

Have gotten a few bike rides ( all hilly ones around here) and a little walking in.

So long for now.