Quickies

I really am obsessed with "time" things lately aren't I? Hm. Maybe there's a reason. Maybe I need to think, to ponder, to muse here ... But not today. For now, as usual, I'm pressed for time, so, in honor of my 100th post, I'm doing the blogging equivalent of a medley - lots of shorter items, not one big post ...

... I bought a gold pan today. No, not a pan made of gold but a panning pan. Yep, I found out that there's an active gold mine not 40 minutes from my house. I can't get into the mine, of course (private) but there's a stretch of public-land streambed just down from it. It's not Placer gold (you've figured out by now I'm east of the Rockies, right?) but all that means is it'll be harder to get at. I'm nothing if not tenacious, though, at least when it comes to gold ...

... Speaking of which, I've been watching way too much CNBC (and Jon Stewart) lately. No, I never actually thought there was a "war" between them, but I realized that everybody is looking for a scapegoat. Personally, after wading through video, print, and 'net denials of responsibility for the current economic troubles (mostly by the same people who were claiming credit just a couple of years ago for the previous prosperity) after sifting through bales of speculation (sorry, reporting) of the trail of greed-cash leading like empty Snickers wrappers to the current Lemming cliff (sidebarred by "Where The Smart Mob Leader Should Point His Angry Villagers: Three Experts Tell All"), and even after pulling up every graph and data table possible (including a quaint section of the 2005 budget, from the actual Budget Office, projecting anticipated revenues through 2010), what I've realized is ... drumroll please ... not a single person knows what the hell is really wrong or how to fix it. Apparently everyone (including me) keeps forgetting that statistics are great windows to the past, but are crap to see into the future with any confidence. So I've basically come to the conclusion that I have no problem with the current game of tossing spaghetti against the wall until something sticks - for as long as we can actually afford the pasta ...

... On the weather front, spring has sprung (open) its trap around here, and that means both tons of pollen and bags o' bugs. The pollen has sucked me dry (hence the short things - who can focus?) and the bugs are grossing me out. I'm not a fan of chemicals in any form, but I might have to break out the antihistimines. And I am (I'm ashamed to admit), after three unsuccessful years of natural remedies in the garden, I actually am going to break out the nukes. Those blasted brown stink bugs and the stupid box elder thingies are taking over my yard and my house, and ew. Sigh ...

... In other news, I have another week with little or no handy transportation, but this is good. I was bored stupid last week (yay) and so I got a couple of the nastiest jobs done. I will be worse this week (cha-ching). I just have to be careful of my hands and my back this time. And, of course, I really need to finish my taxes first ...

... Head Trip and I are starting a new web site, aimed at resourcing all the ways to live the good life on a much smaller budget, ways that both of us have found (the hard way) over the past few years. It won't be Paris-Hilton-level of living, but it should be quite something ... sort of a "Bunny Lite" - all the money things without all of (okay, most of) the philosophy ...

... My nighttime dreams lately have been filled with visions of this house as it can be. Now I need to find the stuff to make it so ... at yard sales and thrift shops and curbside ... and, of course, somehow get the work done ...

... I have two treasure-hunting trips planned as of now - one on 4 April, the other the first week of June (while on our way to my mother's 70th birthday celebration). There will be many impromptu trips and digs, as well, and not just to that gold-laden (I hope) stream. All, I promise, will be chronicled here ...

For now, I have a tutorial to attend to. Happy Spring, to one and all!

Now get out there and Hunt!