And boom, there goes the dynamite.


We got our first taste of snow on December 5th this year.
It wasn't much more than a dusting, and I still saw cars that had skidded off the highway.

December 3, 2009

I was 62 degrees out today, so I fired up the old motorcycle and drove it to Springfield where I do my radio show.

I never thought I would be riding the bike in December! It was a great day to feel the wind in my face as I cruised southward on the highway. I saw a few other bikers out today, too. Gotta get in every day that I can, because this year was not the best for riding. It was monsoon season this year, and I prefer not riding a bike in the rain.

There is something special about jumping on a motorcycle and just going. It really helps me recharge my internal battery.

Now that I wrote this, expect the foot of snow to fall anyday now...

Raindrops are falling on my head.

Woke up to the sound of water in the bathroom. The roof had started to leak. Fortunately it was leaking right into the bathtub! Time to re-roof the old homestead.

My roof seems to have gotten steeper in the years since I last repaired the roof.

Set up the ladder and started removing the roofing shingles. I used to be comfortable on the roof, not any more. My center of gravity has changed over the years.

Ripped off all the old shingles, installed plywood and new shingles, and hopefully I am good for another twenty years.

Those dumpster guys are greedy bastards. Dumping the old roofing materials has become a very expensive operation.

I liked the view of my neighborhood from my roof. It was pleasing to me to look out over the neighbor's houses and soak in my little place in the city.

It looks like a few other homeowners are working on their houses, too.

Spring 2009

Spring is finally attempting to break through the bindings of winter. I can tell, because I have new neighbors next door, and they are in lawn maintenance mode.

Some backstory is needed. The house next to mine has been sort of a transient space for the last few years as the owners, a couple in their fifties, both died unexpectedly in a close span of time. Their son took over the house. He's a young man in his early twenties, and he preferred to focus his energies in other areas rather than in the mundane chores of home ownership. He really wasn't too interested in things like lawn mowing and painting.

He's since moved on, and the new owners are pretty much absentee landlords. They did, however, make an attempt at fixing up the ole place; the fixed the roof and painted the outside. I have no complaints about them. They are ok, and the house looks one hundred percent better than it did.

We have come full circle; the house is rented, and the renters have a couple of small kids who run around in the yard. It's a good thing.

The renters have taken rakes and clippers and saws to the jungle that was the backyard. For a very long time the backyard was in a bad state of disrepair, and the new renters have basically cleared away all the debris. The yard is looking good now, and I am sure it is a much safer place for their kids to play in.

There are a lot of renovations going on in my neighborhood lately. A new roof on a house the next street over, new sheetrock going in across the street. The sounds of hammering and sawing. Spring seems like a good time for this. While people might not be buying houses, I am glad that others are repairing their places; it's good for the neighborhood.

Soon: it will be time to start up the motorcycle and prepare for riding season.

I can't wait.