Fin de la Fruit Fly

Recently a number of fruit flies decided to show up uninvited. We couldn't identify any specific reason they were there, but they were not welcome.

Had they been chipmunks, they would have quickly met their demise pursuing what they thought to be a bucket of seeds. Moles, the Juicy Fruit worm or loop trap. But fruit flies? How do you get rid of fruit flies? A quick internet search provided a possible solution. A paper funnel leading into a jar with red wine vinegar. Before long, there were fruit flies in the jar...but they were still alive. And when I went to dispose of them, they outwitted me and made their escape.

It was Barb who arrived at the successful solution. A small jar with a bit of apple cider vinegar and a drop of dish detergent to break the tension of the vinegar. They flew in, landed on the liquid and soon drowned. Much like my chipmunk trap. If I was a fruit fly, I would have found the jar appealing to the eye as well as the nose. Do fruit flies have noses? They must. They smell. Unless of course they smell with a different part of their anatomy.

Beware all ye varmints who enter here.

Big Oil Conspiracy

I like the convenience of having my oil changed by someone else. I like it better when it's only $9.95. That's what Gates Chevy World charged me the last time I got my oil changed, which happened to be the first time I got it changed there. I had heard that they offered a great deal on oil changes. I imagine they make up the difference in finding other things to do with your vehicle like...changing your disk brakes. Anyway, my philosophy on oil changes is 3 months or 3,000 miles, which ever is longer. Well, the 3 month's ended a week ago. So did the 3,000 miles. On the same day. That has never happened before. Usually the 3,000 miles is longer. I'm beginning to get a little suspicious. Ten dollar oil change, 3 months and 3,000 miles arrive on the same day. Maybe this is a dream, or reality is being controlled by ... the auto industry? No, it must be BIG OIL. It's not possible that it's just a coincidence that gas is currently $3 a gallon and that September is the 9th month (3x3=9) and that the oil change is now $9.99. Something big is about to happen! It's all coming into alignment! That's why I'm delaying my oil change. Maybe I can disrupt the forces.

_{(Okay, I fudged when I just said that the oil change was now $9.99. It just seemed to work so well into my conspiracy theory. But it doesn't mean that my conclusion is wrong. Right Dan? Or would you rather not say?)}

Labor Day

Labor Day. For many it's a day away from labor. That's what I had intended. Sleep in a little, go for a 13 mile bike ride, relax. For the most part, that's what I did. That's what I had hoped for my lovely wife Barb as well. She started her day with a three mile run. Then she went with me for a 13 mile bike ride. Then we were to return home and work for an hour doing some reorganization in the basement. Saturday evenings washer malfunction made this a good time to begin working on organizing the storage room in the basement. Friday night on my way to bed, I noticed that there was water on the laundry room floor. I quickly got some towels to clean up the water. I also noticed that it was going down the floor vent. A trip to the basement showed me where the rest of the water went. The discharge hose on the washer had come apart so instead of going down the waste pipe. It went on the floor and into the basement. Barb's hour turned into four or more hours. For her, it was indeed a Labor Day.

Blast From the Past

This is a photo from the mid 70s while I was at Bethel. As a commuter I sometimes would play a little table tennis between classes. This was in the Acorn which was then located in the basement of Shupe.

Off to College

As we drove home from work the other day, we saw Bob Evans advertising "Off to college gift card". And I thought to myself, "What college student is going to want a Bob Evans gift card?". Wouldn't Best Buy, Circuit City, McDonald's or even Goodwill been a better option for gift cards? I'm sure there are a few college students out there that would have made use of it, but when I think of Bob Evans, I think of the older generations. Give them something they will use. It's like me giving Barb a gift certificate to The Vicker's. It's something I would use, but she wouldn't get much use out of it.

Black is Black

Black is black, I want my baby back.
It's grey, it's grey, since she went away.
Oh-oh, what can I do??
'cause I-I-I-I-I,
I'm feelin' blue.

So the song by Los Bravos in 1966 went.

My version...

Black is black, I want my black socks back.
They're blue, they're blue, what shall I do?
Oh-ho, what can I do??
'cause I-I-I-I-I,
I'm seein' blue.

Some time ago, I bought a pair of black socks to go with my black shoes. In fact I bought a few pair of them. I also purchased blue socks to go with my blue pants somewhere along the line.

Now the other day, I put on my black socks, black pants and black shoes. Later on that day, Barb commented on my wearing Navy Blue socks with black pants. Huh? I didn't want to admit it, but they did look Navy Blue with my black pants. I hadn't noticed this before. So, the next time, I wear the same socks with my blue pants. Now they looked black. ??? What's up? Is this some kind of chameleon sock that I have that changes it's color so as not to match what I'm wearing? I'm not sure what to wear these socks with any more.

iPod Nirvana

An iPod is a great way to pass time, particularly on a long trip like a train ride to or from Chicago. The trip between South Bend and Chicago is a 2.5 hour trip with numerous stops along the way. About 35 minutes before arriving in South Bend with only the Hudson Lake stop between us and the end of the line, a young man removed the iPod ear buds and asked the conductor how far to the Michigan City Carroll Street stop. The conductor explained that we had already passed that stop and asked if the young man fell asleep. The response was no, he was listening to his iPod, so he did not hear his stop announced. His only option now was to complete the trip to South Bend and wait for the next train towards Chicago and get off in Michigan City. I hope it was a good artist he was listening to. It cost him 2 additional hours to what is an hour and a half trip from Chicago.