jc blog - tales of a modern-day nomadic hunter-gatherer

Follow jcomeau_ictx on Twitter This is the weblog of Intrepid Wanderer. You never know what you might find here; graphic descriptions of bodily functions, computer programming secrets, proselytizing for the antichrist, miscellaneous ranting and kvetching, valuable information on living off the land... if you don't share my rather weird interests you may want to try slashdot instead.

You can consider my Del.icio.us links an extension to my blog, as are my LifeTango goals and my other to-do items. My to-buy list is also public, but only for sharing any useful ideas that might be there; I'm not requesting charity, neither do I offer it.

You can find me easily in google searches, as jcomeau, jcomeau_ictx, or jcomeauictx. There are lots of other jcomeaus, but AFAIK I'm the only jcomeau_ictx out there so far.

If you want to comment on anything you see here, try the new Facebook comments, reachable by clicking the "[comment]" link at the end of each post. If for some reason that isn't working, go ahead and email me, jc.unternet.net. You know what to do with the first dot. Make the 'subject' line something reasonably intelligent-looking or it goes plunk! into the spambasket unread.

This RSS feed may or may not work. Haven't fiddled with it in forever. RSS Feed


2020-08-26-0131Z

Got me another server at hetzner.de, first in 6 years or so. That DigitalOcean droplet I had running the covid19 page updates had been bombing out for lack of RAM for the past 72 hours or so, and I didn't want to upgrade again when I could get a full dedicated server at Hetzner for about 20 euros a month.

So I spent most of today setting it up, and only a little time on my law studies. But that's OK. [comment]

2020-08-24-0328Z

I've thought about this before, but can't remember if I ever wrote it down or not. An easy-to-make drive mechanism for a human-powered vehicle (HPV) could be as simple as a piece of channel stock, steel or aluminum, with holes drilled at appropriate intervals and bolts with nuts through the holes. These could effect a rack-and-pinion drive using any bicycle gear bolted to a wheel. [comment]

2020-08-19-2321Z

Went and got my propane tank refilled at the Valero on east Washington. The guy didn't even check the date.

However, that didn't solve my problem. I can't count on that happening every time. So I shelled out another $50 or so at Friedman's for a full tank that I'll definitely be able to exhange, even though it's even older than my "illegal" one, 2004 compared to 2007. Just goes to show you that the "laws" are meant for the little people, and big corporations like Blue Rhino are seemingly exempt.

Found out that it's easier to carry them on a handtruck laid on their side, stacked one atop another, secured with a strap. [comment]

2020-08-17-1606Z

It finally happened. My dual-fuel stove started burning up as I was trying to make coffee. I guess my disassembly and retightening of the flame adjustment assembly made the gasoline leak slowly all over the inside of the stove. Whatever, I used my extinguisher on it, and now it's in the trash. I've got to come up with another idea for cooking before dinner time. [comment]

2020-08-17-0157Z

I remembered the $70 I have in savings at RCU, and combined with the cash balances I have at BofI and Schwab, I was $35 in the black for the month. So I went and took that out, and as long as I overcompensate when my SSA "check" comes in, I won't lose anything in fees. Now I've got enough money to get me through the last few days until payday without going to bed hungry.

Drank the last of that Dr. Jekyll's "Beer Attack" Irish-style red ale. What an unbelievable bargain that was at $2 a six-pack.

Tried out the bike lockers today for storing my Safeway purchases while I went to Grocery Outlet and Dollar Tree. The only thing I ended up buying was a knife from the latter, $1.08 with tax. Total expenditures for the day amounted to under $9, so I've still got $26 and change until the 20th. I'm really hankering for some meat, but didn't want to spend even the last-chance discounted prices at Safeway or Grocery Outlet. Too much for too little! [comment]

2020-08-16-0137Z

I keep forgetting to add: lately I haven't had any problem with my Coleman dual-fuel stove having a sooty yellow flame after turning it off. Maybe the kerosene I tried to use when I first brought it home after seeing it on English Street with a "Free" sign next to it has finally burned off. However, I'm getting gasoline on my fingers every time I start it, due to it leaking out of the flame adjustment packing nut, which I've already tightened as much as I dare. I guess I'll have to buy some packing. Still have at least 4 days to go until payday, and my usual reservations about spending beyond my means are bolstered by my Bank of America credit card failing on both the chip and magstripe. This is going to be challenging.

I tried making cornbread according to this recipe tonight, and if I hadn't forgotten to add the salt, it may have been pretty good. But I did (forget the salt). I'm thinking of trading some wine for salt and cabbage, so I can make some more sauerkraut. Payette's lasted me well over two months without refrigeration, better than anything I've ever done. [comment]

2020-08-15-0522Z

Bought my Flixbus ticket from SF to LA this fall, on my way to Tijuana where I already have a flight booked to La Paz. They supposedly have $1 fares just like Megabus, but because they have very few buses running every week, all the cheap fares are taken. I spent $22.24. I then found out they would have taken me all the way to San Diego for only about $10 more, but I didn't bother changing it because I don't know if I want to stay on the same bus for all that distance. I might be willing to spend a few dollars more to take Metrorail to Oceanside and take the NCTD buses and the MTA, or even walk the 60-something miles to the Tijuana airport. I'm going to have a few days, after all.

I've got 5 more days until payday on the 20th. Plenty of wine; barely enough carbs; no animal protein left. I've got about a dollar in change, and once I drink the rest of my beer I'll have enough cans and bottles for about another dollar. If that doesn't score me something I'll have to get creative.

Got one more case brief to write and then I can submit the whole batch to NWCU and see if I pass. Less than 200 pages left of the Contracts casebook to go, and probably a similar story on Torts and Criminal Law. Then it'll be mostly practicing for the FYSLX, or "baby bar" exam. [comment]

2020-08-14-0625Z

I've been making sprouts from one of those two cans of alfalfa that an elderly couple gifted me out of their Y2K reserves a few years ago. I can't remember what I did with the other can. Anyway, it takes very little to make a full 12 ounce jar of sprouts, so I've probably got enough to last until I leave for Mexico again in the fall. I've been making sprout-and-kraut salads as I did last winter and spring. Just add some olive and sesame oils and it's a quick and tasty meal. I followed it with some mac-and-cheese, made with Trader Joe's fusilli, about 1/3 of a bag, and 3 2-ounce sticks of Kraft cheese I got at Grocery Outlet, 6 sticks (12 ounces) for 97 cents. [comment]

2020-08-09-2126Z

Found crushed red pepper at Grocery Outlet today for 99 cents, first time I've seen it cheap anywhere since getting back from Mexico. Last time I bought it, early in June, at Petaluma Market, I paid 6 or 7 dollars. Ouch!

Also picked up two more 6-packs of that Full Sail Session Light lager at $2.50 per, plus tax and CRV. It's not a bad beer, and at only 3.5%ABV isn't likely to get me drunk. [comment]

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