Tales of another reality. Reminiscences of my time in the sick people business, and random thoughts otherwise clinging to my attention, like a baby monkey on a weimaraner.
Today, as I write this, 15 people were killed (and one asshole) in Sydney Australia. In addition, in Providence RI, two people were killed and nine injured (lamentably, the asshole has not been reported to be dead/injured).
Then, there is the 20 rounds discharged at a Jewish family’s home, associated with Hanukkah decorations (with fortunately no injuries. There are some indications that this was not a firearm, perhaps an airsoft gun) (Apparently, no assholes were injured. Sadly enough.)
This reminds me of that feat of pistol handling displayed on 07/17/2022, at the Greenwood Park Mall, by Elisjsha Dickens. Mr Dickens, a civilian concealed carrier, produced his Glock handgun, fired ten rounds, striking the asshole with 8 of them, and ended the shooting, reportedly 15 seconds after the asshole initiated shooting. This was a distance of 40 yards.
Miguel Gonzalez, of the Miguel Gonzalez Substack commented on the Sydney (“Bondi Beach”) shooting, estimating it to be a shot of around 60 yards.
Now, *I* am not that good. I am presently not capable of reliably making a 40 yard, let alone 60 yard, shot with a handgun. On the other hand (a) I, reliably, will have a handgun on my person, and (b) I suspect that incoming fire will disturb the assholes’ attack tempo. Perhaps, The Patron Saint Of Good Guys’ Accuracy will guide me to hit one, or both, while they are reloading, and therefore not moving. (And, should Kharma Be A Thing, never moving ever again thereafter!)
The other day, The Darling Wife-Mark II and I went to the range. Her arthritis has been acting up, and so I brought our “repel boarders” rifle, an AR pattern modern sporting rifle, for re acquaintance, as well as a pistol in .380 and a Ruger 22-45 in 22 long rifle.
She shot the rifle ok, which, since it was a firearm familiarization day, was pretty much everything I expected.
She shot the 22-45 well, but found that the 1911 sized grip was large for her hands.
She shot outstandingly well with the browning 1911-380. The grip is more svelte that a full sized Colt pattern handgun, the recoil is considerably less than from her 9 mm, and she affirmatively enjoyed herself.
Those insights led to her shopping for another handgun. She settled upon a Smith and Wesson Bodyguard, in 380. Now, we are waiting for the conjunction of a nice day, a day off (for me) and (relatively) caught up projects (for the both of us).
Recently I wrote of my battery adventures. Well, as it develops, that entire “Battery Checklist” thing?
Incomplete.
I found that my (battery powered) hearing protection, had not been checked since they had joined the household.
Oops.
I did not discover this when the electronic hearing protection went belly up (thankfully). Rather, after a visit to our local range, I was putting things away, and said to myself, “Ya know, Self, if you were to look inside these electronic muffs, and ensure that the batteries were functional, why, I bet that they would function just so much more effectively!”
Likely so.
And, having a medical sort of bent, once upon a time I observed that (insert name of on line big ass marketing enterprise, here) had fingertip pulse oximeters on sale for something on the order of ten dollars each.
Since I had worked, once upon a time, for an establishment that approached preventive maintenance with all the enthusiasm that third world militaries are reputed to demonstrate, well, from time to time, when I was curious about how well a particular patient was oxygenating, and the “house” oximeter was hors de combat, well, I went to my Bag of Tricks (h/t to that Noted Medical Philosopher, Felix T. Cat), and retrieved mine, and voila’! I had an oxygen reading.
The Darling Wife Mark II thought that having that capability at home would be nice, since I am a geezer and she is wedded to a geezer. Now we have four.
If one is none, and two is one, how many is four?
As it develops, should one NOT place the pulse oximeters on the battery checklist, they may go for some time without being checked.
Then, there is the multi meter that I use to measure battery voltage, so as to form an educated opinion as to the readiness for service of each battery. THAT takes batteries. NOW, it has a fresh battery, as well as a label prominently displaying the last check date.
Of course, with Autumnal Equinox freshly behind us, there is the matter of checking the smoke alarms (and, for those of us who use wood heat, carbon monoxide detectors/alarms). My smoke alarms advertise that they a decade of service, non homeowner serviceable battery inside.
I wrote “Smoke Alarms” on my checklist, and then function tested each one. With hearing protection.
Once I had all my lanterns re-batteried, with known good batteries, I observed that my stock of AAA batteries was low.
As I have related in the past, I will not employ Duracell batteries: indeed, should The Battery Fairy gift me with Duracells, I will ash-can them at the earliest opportunity. I have been using Eneloop batteries recently, and so far they have performed as desired. They are made by Panasonic in Japan, and, while I would prefer made-in-USA, made-in-Japan appears to serve adequately.
During this adventure, noticing the various dates of service of my batteries (manifested by the thought, “When did I buy these things? How long ago was that?”), it occurred to me that labeling batteries with an in service date might be useful in making that sort of determination.
I present you with the labeled battery.
Thanks for your attention. Hope this has proven useful to some of you.
Continuing my jolly tale of Fun! Ways! To! Spend! Days! Off!, The Darling Wife-Mark II and I were chatting, and realized I had spent around 10 (ten) hours over 5 days, and while I had recharged the radio batteries, I still had not checked our crate-o-lanterns.
This crate is intended for camping use, as well as power failure illumination. There are two “C” cell Siege lanterns, one “AA” Siege lantern, 2 Coleman Quad Panel lanterns, along with several assorted “Brand X” cheapo lanterns.
I had observed to TDW that, even considering that I had halted my battery assay incomplete, due to, ya know, going back to work, every time I turned around I identified another light/stash of batteries that I had overlooked. This even in the face of the fact that, every time I inventory batteries, I update/edit my battery list.
The most recent of these revelations happened when TDW and I went camping. When we do so, we bring our two dogs along with us. When we do so, we make it our practice to walk them.
Crazy, right?
When we walk them, we have a small flashing light on each collar, so as to allow others (say, drivers at night/during twilight, in an unlit campground) to see that something is there, and maybe not hitting that something (us, and our little dogs) would be nice.
And so (try not to get ahead of me, here…), TDW observed that the beacons appeared particularly dim, and therefore wondered if replacing the BATTERIES might be smart.
Two each, CR 2016, to be specific.
Another insight was that the thermometers in the household are, themselves, battery powered. They, as well, had gone ever so long without examination.
That examination revealed unresponsive thermometers. (we have had a run of afebrile good luck) Investigation revealed that of the three we possess, two take LR 41 batteries (which I had in stock) and one took #384 (not in inventory: presently on the way). Two thoughts strike me from this: commonality of logistics is a good thing (make sure all my thermometers take the same batteries, and have those batteries on hand), and ensuring that my battery powered thermometers are on my BATTERY checklist, might be smarter than that which I have been (not) doing.
This last weekend I was performing my semiannual battery survey, assessment and replacement ritual. I have a list of (I had thought) every battery device, and it’s location, along with a hidey-hole for the batteries to replace those that required it. This list, in the summer 2025 edition, runs 3 pages of 14 point type. On my yearly planner, it is slated for January. (Yes, I am aware that this is September. Let us consider the gulf between plans, and actions, shall we?)
As it developed, as I was working my way through each page, I would pass one shelf in my basement. On one of my passes, I noticed that I had a thermal camera, bought last winter so as to have some basis for triaging which particular insulation/air infiltration fail I should address and in what sequence.
Not on the list. Powered by batteries.
Next to it sat an inspection camera, used to inspect voids such as you might see behind drywall, or on an exterior wall. Or, for that matter, where a bat might be hiding. It, too, runs on batteries. It, too was NOT on my list. Well, used to be not on my list.
I entered my “Pooh Room” (where I keep “my pooh”), and noted that I had optics on several of my rifles. These optics required (say it along with me, now!) batteries, and, as well, had NOT been on my “check the batteries” list.
When you have a rifle in your gun safe for a couple of years, and have not taken it to the range in that time, well, as one might have wondered, the batteries die. So, I was given the opportunity to replace the batteries, and re-inventory all my spares.
Since I have various optics, some are UTG/Leapers (purchased as test-of-concept), and some are Vortex or Sig Romeos, the “how do you turn it on” drill varies from one to the other. Similarly, the turn-it-off drill varies as well. And, on one of them, the battery compartment door was immobile. That one got a dollop of gun oil, and was set aside to vex me tomorrow.
And, I have not yet checked the batteries in the lights in TDW’s vehicle, the camper light box (home to several lanterns), nor the kerosene heater.
You cannot say I don’t know how to have a good time! (OTOH, should we lose power, at least TDW and I will not sit in the dark!)
One time The Darling Wife and I were camping. We had two coolers, one an icebox to hold out cold stuff, the other a “dry box” to hold our bread, paper towels, and suchlike, not in need of refrigeration.
We had our coolers in our screen room, thinking that they were secure. (remember this mistake). So, we went to bed in our camper.
Upon awakening, I dressed and thought that it might be nice to have some coffee. I exited the camper, and found that our “dry box” was opened, and, from the little hand prints, it appeared that the raccoons really liked the creamer, sugar, and cocoa (I prefer cocoa in my coffee).
It may be no surprise that our breakfast plans required rethinking.
Once we had returned home, I wondered how I could make our coolers vermin resistant. It occurred to me that, should I padlock our coolers shut, that would pose increased complexity to scavenging critters.
I purchased a couple of hasps and some epoxy. Selecting a cooler with a hinge, I liberally applied the epoxy to the lid and the body of the cooler. I placed the staple (the rounded piece) on the lid, and screwed it into place (counting on the epoxy to make up for the structural insufficiency of the thin plastic shell of the cooler), and mounted the hasp (the hinged part) such that the hasp, when folded and secured, would cover the screws holding it in place. This was also settled into a generous bed of epoxy.
Once I had shown my modifications to TDW-Mark II, she wondered if a padlock was required, as she was skeptical that your Mark I, Mod Ø raccoon could unravel the mysteries of your basic garden variety snap link.
So, snap link it is! Our next camping trip featured our coolers secured as described above. We had no further depredations against our innocent breakfasts. Good times!
Recently, one of our cats was sniffling. Then, not satisfied with sniffling, he started coughing, and we then could hear him wheezing. Then he was vomiting several times a day.
That is bad.
It progressed, until, one Sunday, TDW-Mark 2 bundled him up and took him to the emergency vet. I met her there after work.
Fun Fact: An emergency vet visit runs around $100. To start.
The vet there examined him, and determined that an x ray, and some labs, seemed appropriate. She shared this insight with us, and observed, “You know, it is difficult to hear heart sounds when he is purring so loudly!”
The x ray and labs showed that he was not CRITICALLY ill, although, he seemed like he would benefit from antibiotics and fluids. (his vomiting, and not drinking, seemed to have left him dehydrated).
A couple of hours later, the vet returned to inform us that, as she was preparing to discharge him, she performed another examination. This time, he (the cat) had coarse breath sounds, and a decreased level of oxygenation from what veterinarians expect from a healthy cat. So, young Oliver found himself on an all expenses paid vacation at the vet hospital.
Fun Fact Number 2: an overnight stay at the vet hospital, with fluids, medications and supplemental oxygen, runs a couple of thousand dollars.
BAD NEWS: I spent a couple of thousand dollars.
Bad News, Part 2: TDW and I did not REALLY want to go on a cruise this winter, anyway, I suppose….
GOOD NEWS: The next day, Oliver was discharged with medications, and a renewed appetite. He had been weaned off of the oxygen overnight. (for the curious, a cat gets supplemental oxygen not from a mask or a nasal cannula, but rather from an oxygen tent sort of thing. The More You Know!
GOOD NEWS PART 2: Since I am a bit of a pack rat, and (fortunately for this tale) that pack rattedness extends to squirreling away money, I DO have the requisite amount of unspent money, to finance Oliver’s “vacation”. Therefore, there is no present need to extend my portfolio of indebtedness, to new heights (Heights? Lows? Whatever: undesired, and not needful to add thereto!)
So, that’s the news from Lake Woebegone, where all the cats are handsome, the dogs are cute, and my life is above average.
Recently Miguel Gonzalez, of Miguel’s Substack posted a rumination on flashlights carried everyday. He observed that he had found the Coast HP-1 flashlights to be low cost and reliable: he cited something along the lines of 8 years of faithful service.
He was looking for more of them, and found them out of production, finding, instead, the Coast PX 22 on sale.
I, myself, have carried a flashlight darned near everywhere I go, for something like 30 years. I got into this habit when I was a night shift ICU RN, and the shore power failed. AND, the back up generators did NOT energize. I might have spoken of this, previously.
I do not recall mentioning my problem: high lumen emitting flashlights, also emit A LOT of heat. And, an inadequate holder/holster does NOT protect the on button from activation. Oops.
So, if I am wearing pants, I have five flashlights (notice the little one on my key ring, adjacent to the left upper corner of the tourniquet holder). Notice, as well, the hole burned into the retention strap of the flashlight holder, said flashlight at lower left corner of the image, holster immediately above it. My primary, the aforementioned holster melting flashlight, is a Fenix PD 36R Pro. Output is 2800 lumens on high. Believe me, it will light a parking lot the fenomenon up!
THAT is why my secondary flashlight (right lower)has a kydex holster, with a cut out into which the power button sits, discouraging activation.
And, for the curious among you, the penlight with the (be generous) “violet” tape upon it, is my UV penlight for inspecting skin rashes and looking at fluorescein stained eyeballs looking for scratches.
As regards simply dropping one into a pants pocket, well, ya see…
I initially did so, with the Fenix, when I first got it. I noticed a warmth emanating from that pocket, sometime later, and, once I got home discovered that it had burned a hole through my pants pocket, as well as produced a (small) blistered burn on my thigh.
And, since I am a geezer, that burn took it’s sweet time healing.
Holsters, people!
I am presently searching for a Kydex holster, like the one for the other light, sized to hold the Fenix securely. Still looking.
When I am working, I have six flashlights: I have a coin cell light on my badge. Helpful in distracting infants who are not entirely on board with this whole “see-the-doctor” thing. (no, I do not attempt to explain the difference between a midlevel and a physician, to a child)
A couple of years ago, I had occasion to retrieve some tomato paste from my reserves in my basement. Having a can rack that allowed me to drop new cans of (whatever) behind those already on hand, I picked the front (oldest) can and started to turn to go.
I paused once I realized that the can in my hand was oozing some sort of black goo, wholly unappealing. I looked at the date of purchase (since I had written same on the top of the can), and noted that it was on the order of 3 years old.
Those of you in the audience who have stocked up food for several years, may already have mastered the lesson that follows. Please allow your classmates to follow along undistracted.
I selected the next can in line, also on the order of 3 years old, and, again, observed goo. Yuck!
This caused me to investigate: every can that was leaking, was discarded. Once I found cans that were not leaking, several were gathered up, and brought upstairs for further review.
The first can I opened, on the order of 2 years old, smelled off: away with you!
I continued opening, and sniffing, until I found a can that did not make me question what sort of culinary luck I might be having. THAT can was approximately 12 months old.
I cooked my meal and consumed it, and experienced no ill effects.
This lesson was: 12 months of tomato products was as deep as I wanted that part of my larder to get.
I was reminded of that experience a month or two ago. I went to my basement to retrieve a new container of mayonnaise. I selected the oldest of the half dozen I had on the shelf, and paused once I noted a grey discoloration in the mayonnaise near the bottom of the clear plastic jar.
I inspected all the rest, and gathered the suspect ones up. This found two jars, each around 6 months old, remaining on my shelf (I took one of these to place in service).
I opened the oldest jar, and observed that the consistency appeared “off”. The odor was sort of vinegar like. This was discarded.
I repeated this examination, finding that every jar older than about 12 months, was suspect and therefore was discarded. The jar that I placed in service demonstrated no off odor, did not display any off color nor any visible alteration in consistency.
Once again, my new paradigm is that one year of mayonnaise is sufficient.
Tales of another reality. Reminiscences of my time in the sick people business, and random thoughts otherwise clinging to my attention, like a baby monkey on a weimaraner.
Tales of another reality. Reminiscences of my time in the sick people business, and random thoughts otherwise clinging to my attention, like a baby monkey on a weimaraner.
Tales of another reality. Reminiscences of my time in the sick people business, and random thoughts otherwise clinging to my attention, like a baby monkey on a weimaraner.
Tales of another reality. Reminiscences of my time in the sick people business, and random thoughts otherwise clinging to my attention, like a baby monkey on a weimaraner.
Musings of A Stretcher Ape 