Author Archives: momdude

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About momdude

Space cadet | Family dude | Photographer | Music lover | Traveler | Science fiction fan | Hugo Award nominee | Writer | 5x NASA Social participant | KC Chiefs fan | LA Kings fan | Senior Director of Finance & Administration for ALS Network | Member & former staff Finance Officer at the Commemorative Air Force SoCal Wing | Hard core left-wing liberal | Looking for whatever other shenanigans I can get into
July 31, 2019 · 23:51

There Are Two Knobs

Speaking of adventures in driving, I’ve recently been routinely driving the Volvo for various reasons. It’s a nice car, but the dashboard layout is a bit unfamiliar to me still.

In particular, there are two big knobs in the center console, one above the other. One controls the fan for the heat and air conditioning, the other the volume for the sound system. There have been several instances (including again this evening) when I reach over without double checking. It’s been really hot, the car’s been sitting in the sun, and it’s important that I get the A/C kicked up to MAX AIRFLOW instantly if not sooner.

Guess what happens if I’m not careful?

Fortunately it was a good song. (“Dead Man’s Party” by Oingo Boingo.)

The ringing in my ears should go away in a day or two!

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Filed under Music, Paul

July 30, 2019 · 23:59

There Was A Bug

A ***BIG*** freaking bug!

Okay, so it wasn’t a huntsman spider from Australia or a camel spider. But it was far, Far, FAR bigger than I was expecting. Especially since I wasn’t expecting it at all.

I was driving at the time. I felt something on my left hand, on the steering wheel, and looked down to find SpiderZilla crawling across the back of my hand.

I used words my mother would not approve of at truly astonishing volume.

I did not lose control of the car. But not for lack of trying. My attention was definitely elsewhere, despite my speed and the number of cars and trucks surrounding me.

While screaming like a little girl expressing my dismay, since I couldn’t really use my right hand to swat at it, I shook my hand and it fell off.

Which is not necessarily better.

You see it, right?

SpiderZilla is now down on the floor. Or on the seat. Or on my leg. Or crawling up my pant leg. Or…

Should I pull over? Stop in the middle of traffic? While that would no doubt be my first move if it had been a rattlesnake, it wasn’t clear that blocking a lane in rush hour was called for. Not for a…

…a what? What kind of spider had it been, besides **BIG**? Was it actually a spider? It had looked…

I had only seen it for half a second as I was freaking out. Yeah, it was a bug, it might have been a spider – but it might have been a cricket or something else, I guess. Maybe.

It was brown. If it was a spider, was it a brown recluse, a “brown widow”? Did they get that big, and if so, why am I still living in this part of the world?

And then…

There it was, crawling up from below. Fortunately, not on me. It was coming up the side of the center console.

Yes, it was that big, probably at least four inches long. No, it probably wasn’t a spider. But no, I had no freaking idea what it was.

My best guess is some sort of mantis or “walking stick” bug. Not like anything I had ever seen before around these parts.

But now I wanted it dealt with. Permanently. Before I did lose control of the car and be without a decent excuse about why I caused the accident that was going to happen  if I didn’t deal with it.

So with a clear shot, while holding my lane and watching out for traffic ahead, I squished that little bugger into next week’s protoplasm.

Not what a good entomologist would do, but I was a physics major, so screw that!

 

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Filed under Critters, Distracted Driving

July 29, 2019 · 23:10

Yet Another Damn Near Perfect Movie

“Parenthood”

Ron Howard’s a genius. That ensemble cast is stellar. From scene to scene I can’t even decide who’s more perfect.

Jason Robards? The only movie I like more of his is “Something Wicked This Way Comes.”

Mary Steenburgen? Perfection.

Dianne Wiest? There’s a reason she got an Oscar nomination for this film.

Keanu Reeves? The scene where he explains to Dianne Wiest why her son is upset and depressed is freaking brilliant.

Tom Hulse? Just wanna slap his stupid punk ass up one side and down the other. Only his role in “Amadeus” is better.

Not a single bad scene in the entire film.

Agree with me or resign yourself to being wrong.

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Filed under Entertainment, Movies

July 28, 2019 · 23:18

The Nest

We’ve got a couple of bird nests on the back porch. We’ve seen the adult birds flying in and out, but I haven’t been bothering the nests or trying to peek in there to see if there were eggs.

Then it got noisy this weekend. REAL noisy.

By my account, there are at least four babies in there. Sometimes I think that I can see a fifth, but I never got pictures with all five, so we’ll call that fifth one Schroedinger.

There’s the troublemaker, who was already out and down on the vines. I’m not sure that’s a good career move at this stage of life, but you do you, dude! Then there’s the one above them, not in the nest by out on the 4×8 beam. They must have gotten tired of being in that crowded nest, where the two “good kids” have stayed where they were told to.

That was yesterday.

Today they were quieter, but I only saw three of them early in the day.

Later today, when I caught them being fed, there were just two.

Then this guy was seen hopping around on the ground

He wasn’t flying, he was hopping. I opened the door and he took off like a flapping little bat out of hell into the bushes. I let him go, despite my doubts about his life expectancy out of the nest.

He didn’t look close to being ready to fly, and out of the nest he wasn’t going to get fed. It was well over 100° out there, so that wasn’t going to help.

We put out some water and bread crumbs. We never saw this little guy partaking, but the mockingbirds and a squirrel were grateful.

Does anyone know what the mortality rate is on house wrens? I’m guessing about 50/50, but it’s a small data set. Either way, there seem to be plenty of them around. They’re hardly endangered.

We’ll see how many are there tomorrow.

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Filed under Castle Willett, Critters

July 27, 2019 · 22:35

Conejo Valley Panorama #2

Where yesterday’s panorama was taken looking due west toward Moorpark, this one was taken looking more northwest, toward the far western end of Simi Valley.

This was taken from the replica White House South Lawn at the Reagan Library, which can be seen at the left hand side of yesterday’s panorama. Naturally, this means that the location from which yesterday’s panorama was taken is seen at the far right side of this picture. (Geometry, FTW!!)

You do get some fantastic views from up here – probably one of the reasons they built the Library in this spot.

It must have been an amazing place to be last November when about 90% of what you see was on fire. I’ll let the built-in security cameras take those pictures. There are pretty much only two narrow roads in or out of the Library grounds. If it’s surrounded, you might have a “bad day” on your hands.

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Filed under Panorama, Photography, Travel

July 26, 2019 · 23:56

Conejo Valley Panorama #1

From last weekend, taken at the Reagan Library, looking out to the west toward Moorpark.

Who’s that in the turquoise, watching the goober out in the blazing sun taking pictures?

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Filed under Panorama, Photography, Travel

July 25, 2019 · 22:52

No Context For You – July 25th

Highlights! Interviews! Analysis!

None of the above!

Sometimes you’re just too tired to do much more than twitch. Good thing I’m not using any heavy equipment. Like, a pen. Or a paper clip.

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Filed under Photography

July 24, 2019 · 23:40

Monsoonal Moisture

None of it reaching the ground and it’s hotter than hell and muggy (not Mississippi muggy, but at least Indiana muggy) but it’s causing some interesting clouds with the high level winds blowing from the west at sunset.

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Filed under Photography, Weather

July 23, 2019 · 23:25

Sunset Remnants

After yet another loooooooooooooooooooooong day at the office, tonight I got to follow it up with a trip out to the hangar to deal with a situation.

Coming down the Camarillo Grade on the 101 northbound (by which I mean “due west”) out of Thousand Oaks there was a sunset that was a couple of steps above average. By the time I got to the hangar and parked it had faded, but it still didn’t suck.

Getting home at or after 22:00 and having just the time and energy to grab dinner and crash and burn (and post pictures) – now THAT sucks!

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Filed under Photography, Weather

July 22, 2019 · 22:58

Just What The Doctor Ordered

After a day at the office that was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long and stressful, I was sort of just vegging out, listening to some tunes.

Then came the opening beats, and I cranked it up to an eleven with the good headphones on…

I may have listened to it waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too loud (and I might have pulled something doing air drums) but the stress levels are a lot lower!!

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Filed under Music