For some readers, it may be puzzling that I’ve made virtually no mention of X2B recently. I mean, after nearly 20 years together, and now civil proceedings, surely I’d have something to say.
I really don’t.
What I document here is my life. Despite the fact that I wouldn’t be where I am without having passed through those 20 years, and acknowledging the uncertainty that accompanies divorce, X2B simply isn’t relevant to this life, this day, this moment.
A calculated strategy intended to break my spirit and preoccupy me has accomplished neither. I’m more alive, I’m stronger, I’m happier and, most important, I’m more present — not dwelling in some other life on which the sun of sentiment has set.
I don’t concern myself with matters that don’t matter, and so, naturally, you won’t read about them on Ubi Libertas Blog.
I put out 12 solar “stake lights” along the edges of the driveway two years ago, both for accent and to mark where it’d be unwise to put a wheel (or a foot) wrong. Over time, several of them have stopped working for whatever reason, and a few don’t stay on much past sunset. An Amazon delivery driver ran over one.
The sensible thing to do, it seemed to me, would be to pull all of them up, allow them to go through a few charge-discharge cycles in a spot where I could keep an eye on them, then replace batteries as necessary. If any still refused to work, they’d get pitched.
With time to kill before leaving for the post office yesterday morning, I collected the 11 survivors and laid them out together near where I park my truck. What should’ve been a simple task was complicated by colonies of red ants that had taken up residence in the plastic globes — within seconds, I was swarmed up to my elbows.
I brushed off the biting little bastards (there were a lot, so that took a couple of minutes) and then doused the lights with insecticide. Then I arranged them so that their solar panels all faced roughly northwest.
By the weekend, I should know which ones are worth keeping.
The purpose of my trip to the post office was to send a Priority Mail package. While I was in town, I hit the smoke shop and Miller Hardware.
The latter stop netted me four half-inch brass PEX elbows and a PVC P-trap. I believe those pieces are all that’ll be required (that I didn’t have already) to hook up the vanity.
It was shortly after noon that the dogs and I adjourned to the bedroom. That’s where the air conditioner is, the coolest spot inside the cabin. With the help of one of the box fans, it was damned delightful in there, which is more than could be said for the kitchen and living room.
Earlier, I remembered that I had another fan stored away with RVing leftovers — a Harbor Freight blower-style model that had ridden around in the motorhome. Maybe it’s been used on The Mountain once or twice.
It’s small, but at least it moves air. I dug it out of the loft in the shed, wiped it down, and put it into service.
Maybe I don’t suck as bad at electrical work as I thought I did.
The electrician rolled up the driveway shortly after 5pm yesterday. First he addressed the drop lights in the kitchen, only one of which I got to work. He put his meter on the troublesome box and got the same reading I had — no power.
Tracing backward, he discovered that he hadn’t connected a wire when he did the original work. He put it right, installed the fixture, and I have task lighting in the kitchen.
In the bath-laundry, the other day I’d installed a double fixture over the vanity, only to have it trip the breaker when I flipped the wall switch. I took it down and set it aside.
My electrician metered the wires at the box and got only 56VAC where there should’ve been 120VAC. Again, following the conductor back toward the switch, he found a wire that had been nicked, either during plumbing work or any one of numerous other projects.
He cut the damaged conductor and spliced the ends together inside a new-work box. Then he put up the fixture, and boom — I have lights over the vanity.
It didn’t take him long to do all that. I contributed supplies, tools, an extra pair of hands, and a step-stool.
Oh, I also screwed-in a light bulb.
That completes the bulk of the electrical work. There’s a ceiling fixture and a couple of exhaust fans still in my plans, and I’ll handle those myself in due time.
It’s good to have the lights working, though. And yeah, it’s great to be here.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable