foran_object

Last night at about 1:30 AM I awoke to the sound of an air raid siren. Ominous and scary, right away I knew what the sound was. The elementary school I attended had one, and as a little kid, they tested it occasionally. My mother said they would use it some day if war broke out, and planes started to bomb our city. If I ever heard it, I was to come home right away. She also explained to me that countries were getting along better than when the school was built, so it was unlikely that it would ever be used for real. Still though, the fear was forever implanted within me.

Being in the U.S., far from home, I right away was charged with adrenaline and scared. “Damn the Americans and their aggressive relations with every county whom they think is bad”, I thought. I thought to 9/11, and the fact that I was in the same state. “Why do they have to be attacked when I’m visiting?” I thought. My heart pounded in my chest.

I started up the computer to check for information on the Internet. As the siren wailed, I’ve never been so impatient watching the computer boot up. Finally when it came up, I checked CNN, CBS, and local news. Nothing…

I called the front desk of the hotel. My voice obviously panicked, the desk clerk explained that the siren was on the top of one of the other hotels nearby, and it was used to signal that a truck was leaving the nearby volunteer fire station, and that volunteers should come. Why a big city like Syracuse needs a volunteer fire department is beyond me. The siren was silenced shortly thereafter, but came back on several more times. It seemed as though it was pretty much as got I got back to sleep each time.

This morning I complained to someone from the company I’m visiting. They explained that there had been a bad car accident on the highway near my hotel. I searched the ‘net and found this:

Man dies in a crash early this morning
A man was killed on Interstate 481 today in a fiery crash in Cicero.

The Onondaga County Medical Examiners Office is scheduled to perform an autopsy later today to determine the motorist’s identity and the cause of death, state police troopers said.

Troopers say the crash happened about 1:30 a.m. The motorist was traveling south on I-481 in a 2004 Ford Taurus. The motorist lost control of the car and entered the median, troopers said.

The car crossed the northbound lanes and struck a guide rail. The Taurus then caught fire. When emergency responders arrived at the scene, the Taurus was fully engulfed in flames, troopers said.

Once responders extinguished the fire, they found the man, who was already deceased, in the car, troopers said.

I spent several days fighting and escaping. They were zombies or some other such menace. Deeply evil creatures of pure death that wanted to rip my face off. I was lonely; most of the new world had become inhabited by them. But there were still human people out there. Good strong people. Together we fought them, right to the bitter end, almost to the end of humanity. Still though, I chose to spend much of my time alone. Being with too many others increased the risk. If we were all caught, it might very well mean the end of all humanity. Also, we were easier to find and eliminate this way. As a group, we drew attention. At least that was my belief. There was disagreement among us.

When it got bad, really bad, we, the resistance decided to launch bitter attacks on them. Suicide attacks. Mother earth had become such a place that life was no longer worth living for us. If we were successful, at least there would be a good chance for the people who had taken to the mountains and to the forest, in hiding. A careful plan was created, and we were emotional, as anyone would be. On the morning of the planned day, I headed to the designated meeting place. It had been raided. My feeling was of despair. I was so mad and hopeless I rushed to the evil headquarters. Without a plan, my fierce rage, like a battering ram infiltrated their building. My body taking terrible injury I fought on. Surprised and fueled by my success I wreaked utter havoc on their kind. They had no expectation of my arrival, and as a single man, I slipped through their weak defenses. My mind racing, I chose once to evade rather fight. I hid and slipped through quietly. They made the age old mistake of thinking they had won, and that their shear numbers meant victory was in hand. My weeks of build up pain and anger led to insane fury.

Battered and broken I reached the inner sanctum, and the top of the tower. I burst in through the opening to their meeting place--the sacred place of their leaders. I challenged them, but they stood unflinching towards my vicious fury. I hated them, but I hesitated, and began to fear them. It was obvious this was the elite of them, the best. I had no chance. Absolutely no chance, probably not even to harm a single one of my most hated evils. I was done, drained of the momentum that had taken me this already incredible distance. Days without sleep, and lacking nutritious food, my weak body began to fail. It could fight no longer.

I took stock of the situation, knowing that this was the end, and that I had done well. With my one life I had struck down incredible numbers of them. The only tragedy was that no human would know my success. No one would know that they could be defeated, here at their fortress--their ultimate inner home.

Guessing that I would be captured, likely tortured and experimented on in terrible ways, I ran, and with last of my strength, dove for the tall window opening. Breaking through the heavy glass, not even looking at what was beyond I began to fall. Free falling downward, my last thoughts were of thinking that this is what it felt like to fly. Then I landed. It was too early. Shocked, I realized I had hit something. A metal outcropping from the building caught my fall. The sheet metal, failing under my inertia, let go, and dropped me in towards the building. There I lay, my body broken and bleeding. I had just a few moments of cognizance before I blacked out. I don’t even remember my thoughts. Maybe wondering, “Would I die here?”

I awoke to the crashing sound and shuddering on the entire building. At first I was unable to move. I was sure my arm was badly broken, and congealed blood adhered my sticky clothes and skin to the metal and brick surrounding me. Suddenly, I realized that the evil building was taking damage. My brothers in arms had not been taken in the dawn of this morning as the raided meeting place had me to think. In fact they were alive and they were here and obviously having success. After my own attack had weakened them, and thrown them off, maybe our people could have a chance. I managed to sit up, and I could see them, hundreds of humans not 200 feet away taking the building by storm. At that point I knew today would not be the end of the human race. Tears began to emerge on my face, and I drifted off, off into the blackness.

to Syracuse:

Over the last week I've made slow progress on the shop. The floor is mostly done. I figure 3-4 more hours, and I'll be on to the walls. The worst obstacle is still the weather. I got a huge tarp to cover the whole floor. I have to spend pretty much the next three weeks on the road, so I wanted to seal it up well, especially now that insulation is in the floor. Naturally, today was the windiest day I've ever seen, and that doesn't go well with a 1200 sq. ft. tarp.

This afternoon I drove to Syracuse. The border guard looked through my car. Stuck his hand in the vent of my subwoofer box, asked me to play music to make sure it worked. Then he went through my suitcase, opening up my razor, and other stuff. Fortunately, my diabeties supplies where on my person, and he didn't search me. I really feel violated when they search my stuff. He ended up being satified with my car and my stuff, but not with my purpose for coming into the country. I knew it was bad when he kept my passport and stuffed an orange card in it. "Please go into the building", is all he says. I wait in line for a short while. Last time this happended, in 2004, I spent somewhere around 5 hours in the US customs while heading to Detroit. When the burly guy at the counter calls me up, I give them my usual explanation about going to visit a customer. ... He goes off somewhere for 15 minutes. When he comes back, the news is, "go home and come back with the proper paperwork." Not impressed, I politely challange him, and request he reconsider. Also, I decide to go out to my car to try and find any other paperwork that might satify him. I struck paydirt, a purchase order from the company I'm visiting. I don't think it's what he wants, but it might help. Turns out he likes it and let's me through. At least the whole episode was pretty quick, compared to last time, in Detriot. Also, he seems like a nice enough guy.

When I arrive in Syracuse, naturally, I get lost. I'm starving and tired. Dinner at Ruby Tuesday's sucks ass. Glad I didn't have to pay 30$ for it.

Current state of the workshop:

Beams are laminated, leveled, and bolted into saddles. Floor joists are going on top, but what is slowing progress now is the fact that I'm trying to weather proof the floor from the bottom with plywood and and housewrap on the very outside.

Very tasty Spartan apple from orchard near Renfrew

















Madawaska river near Calabogie















Grassy Bay on Calabogie Lake

pics:

the tubes after backfilling:
















foran_object chicken (dump a whole bunch of spices on chicken, pour on olive oil, brush, grill):





















un-backfilled tube, so inspector can see it

















aspen trees in back yard glow as sun sets

Roof and walls:

The plan for my workshop floor:

Foundation piers go in:

Thanks to all who came out on Saturday to help move dirt around! I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm exhausted.

Here are the "before" pictures. I'll have to take some "after" pictures.



tubehenge: