April 13, 2013

Michael Connor: Sneak it Through - Smuggling Made Easier
Michael Connor: How To Hide Anything








 - Today's first two books were inspired by the Wall Street Journal.  I read one of their online articles today about legislators discussing possible limits on the maximum size of IRAs.  Lovely.

Master Hei Long: 21 Techniques of Silent Killing


- Behold my new quinternary backup plan.  If IT, Plumbing, Metalworking, and Farming don't work out; I can always become a ninja assassin.  Wouldn't you agree? 

-  Today was a busy day.  I tilled one of our flower beds, fixed our swimming pool pump, gassed myself with mustard gas, got the swimming pool topped off and started, picked up a Mazda 6, turned the compost bins, taught the neighborhood kids about some edible lawn plants, asked them not to eat my entire lawn, played PlanetCraft 2 with the boy, bought daughter a virtual baby DS game, fixed my sons DS, went shopping for unmentionables, and read a couple of books. 

Mustard Gas is technically inaccurate.  I understand actual mustard not to be straight Chlorine (Cl2) but instead a heavier Chlorine Carbon Sulfur compound.  I dealt with what I suspect to be the former, thank goodness.  To explain, one of the pool's chlorine tablet containers leaked over the winter and was half full of water.  When I opened it a plume of choking yellow green gas emerged. presumably Cl2.  I poured the highly concentrate chlorinated water solution into the pool and dumped the tablets into a bin.  I rinsed the bin into the pool and dumped them into a clean container.  I then staggered away and let out the giant breath I'd been holding.  Hello Hypoxia.  Cough. Hack. Cough.  That's not healthy.  In hindsight I wish I'd thought to close the container back up when I saw the gas.  I read (in the Golden Book of Chemistry) that steel wool will spontaneously combust in a Chlorine gas environment.  I've always wanted to see that.  Perhaps another time.  Perhaps with a gas mask too.


One nice thing to report.  I broke a drain plug off in the pump.  I tried the broken screw extractors from the Handyman club of America.  They actually worked fantastic.  I was giddy that a.) the product worked as advertised b.) I'd been able to locate it in the garage.  Full Disclosure: I am no longer a member or customer of HCOA. 

The pool is running, that's a win.  The boy wants to have a swimover before school lets out.  I'd like to make that happen.
 Last bit:  I shared this blog with my lovely wife today.  Hi sweetie!