Note to the plumbers in my basement.

Travis;

Regarding the in-the-wall diverter: this item is special order at Home Depot, Menards and Lowe’s. No one carries it. Now you know.

So I guess we’ll just skip it and not install a hand-held shower head.

Regarding the “Rough-in Valve”: no plumbing employee at any of the big-box stores I visited or called had any idea what a “rough-in valve” was. After spending two hours driving and calling I went home and learned from the internet that a “rough-in valve” is the technical name for the back of the shower water/temperature control.

My advice would be that instead of telling Joe-homeowner that he needs to get you a “rough-in valve”, tell him that you need the “shower hardware” or “temperature-controller” or at least make sure they understand that they just need to go to any home store and pick out the shower head and handle that they want to install because you need “the back part of it”.

You should probably give them more than one day’s notice too.

Those things aside, it looks like you guys are doing a good job – that’s a hell of a task, I’m glad I didn’t seriously consider doing it myself.

Thanks
John

Bruno is funny

This has been sitting in my queue for months. Everything I'd read says the humor of Borat is gone and it's just tense and awkward. I laughed my ass off - there were so many funny scenes (self defense training), and so many funny quotes ("you've got your finger in my alley"). It's not subtle, but I haven't laughed like that since, well since the naked elevator wrestling in the first movie probably. Here twenty minutes later, I'm starting to think more deeply about the social commentary aspects too. Cohen is the modern Kaufman.

Sing me a song, you're a singer.

They say that life's a carousel

Spinning fast, you've got to ride it well
The world is full of kings and queens
Who blind your eyes and steal your dreams
Its heaven and hell.

Wow. Well I've increased my karma tonight.

Several days ago when I was watering I noticed a ripped paper grocery bag seemingly wedged between my car and the curb. It wasn't blowing away so I walked over to look at it. It contained about twenty super 8 movie rolls, and a paper envelope with four printed pictures in it. Usually stuff blowing into our yard belongs to the neighbors, but they were out so I put it on the porch to deal later.

A couple times during the week I poked at it. They're youth hockey pictures, full team and solo coaches. They all look happy. They're good pictures for what they are. The Target print date on the back says late March of this year. The envelope says "Jack Beason". The tapes are vintage though and they all have titles like "hockey - Andy" and "hockey - a good one" and "X-mas 1980" and "My Fair Lady - Emily 1979".

Our hispanic neighbors aren't the hockey type really though.

I can see some clues. The rink is clearly the "Huskies" where-ever it is. There are radio station sponsor adds on the rink walls - KOWZ.

Finally Friday, time to investigate... Google says the radio station is Owatonna. Huskies could be Rochester. Youth hockey there has a fair amount of picture results but nothing that color with that crazy bird-fire-thing logo, what the hell is that? Then other dead ends. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. I get out the magnifying glass. Is "Storm" a team name or an equipment manufacturer? Doesn't help. No Jack Beason anywhere.

Finally get back to a basic search of "Storm" and "Huskies". Find the 2010 playoff results of a youth hockey team, the Minneapolis Storm actually who played their games at the Rochester Huskies arena. Link to the team page works. Click the coaches button and I'm looking at pictures from the same series that I'm holding in my hand. I've found him. I sent the same email to each of the three guys pictured and the woman not, through the interface's we're not showing you their email address functionality.

I congratulate myself and go out to the garage for a beer. Surfing around for awhile... phone rings. It's Coach Emily. I soon discover, the same Emily that was it My Fair Lady. She's the webmaster too. Told her about my search, and heard the sadness of her car-breaking tragedy, now averted. What did she say, Hiawatha and 54th? She was kind of choking up at points, I was too actually. Points go to, John.

Happy Mother's Day my love.

Spent the weekend in the woods doing one of the things the mother of my children likes best, camping. William O'Brien State Park near Stillwater. We had the place to ourselves due to a rainy Friday and cool forecast. Froze our butts off overnight and enjoyed blue sky and sun over the marshland, fields and forest during the day. Controlled burns had exposed multiple bone-piles and other previously-hidden treasures across the open spaces between the cattails and the tree line. Sunday was a beautiful day with hikes and naps for all.

Evolution of the Human Animal: Part I

A funny and embarrassing thing happened at work yesterday, kind of nasty but mostly funny. I was standing up in the bathroom stall, thinking hard about the tangled code pretzel I had been working on all morning, and trying to tuck my undershirt back in without tucking in my shirt or sweatshirt with it. The sweatshirt complication throwing off my rhythm possibly. Open the door and step out towards the sink, just as a coworker is coming in and we exchange nods. As I get to the sink, I see him head into the stall, and I realize that I forgot to flush. I immediately hear the flush and I consider yelling out an apology, but it seems too weird, and there are others in the room, so I don't. I wash and go back to my desk.

We have all probably done that - but the key difference being that we were not immediately aware that we did. - And we also probably did not know - let alone work with - the person, that we caused to wonder about us before they sat down.

I thought about saying something later, but that also seemed weird so I didn't. Today when talking to him about work stuff, I search his eyes to see if he's thinking about it. Maybe wondering if I did it on purpose. Or perhaps he isn't thinking about it at all. Or maybe he always will the rest of the time we know each other. Or maybe only I will.

The Dead Weather - Sea of Cowards

I don't know if this is the final mix or not, I guess we'll find out in 7 days when it's released.

May Day Parade

I was out riding the Porsche today. In the wind. Greenway West was sometimes tough. Greenway East however was the fastest I've seen the ground move since Lutsen. First day with the new SIDI's too, due to pedal delay. It's official, I love it.

Mayday is Sunday

Parade at 1:00, BBQ after?