Whatever

We needed a longer than 25′ tape measure at work to do some department layouts, so instead of buying a 100′ wind up tape we bought an inexpensive laser distance meter. For a little more than twice the cost of a nice tape we bought a Prexiso X2.

It came with an 10 page instruction manual, 4 of which cover how to use it and the rest is full of the usual button meanings, safe practices, battery replacement, troubleshooting tips and FCC compliance statements.

It also came with a 144 page manual that included instructions in 27 other languages (there were about a half dozen I couldn’t even make out.)

My favorite is the one comes labeled GB for Great Britain. If you thought the US is very litigious or has too many government requirements for labeling, the first page and a half of their small print, 5 page segment is several sections of symbols, safety, areas of responsibilities and such. In Section 2, Safety and Dangers you are asked to “Avoid blinding other persons intentionally.” and to “Avoid aiming directly at the sun.”

My favorite comes from Section 3, Correct Ways of Employment, “Use the device exclusively in an atmosphere that is permanently inhabitable by humans.”

Yesterday morning as Donna and I sat outside the south-side DD eating breakfast and reading the paper, a couple exited with their three small children in tow. They ranged in age from probably 3 to 9-years old. She was carrying the smallest kid and he was holding a box with a half dozen donuts, plus a couple coffees and an OJ bottle. The middle child was walking right between them, while the oldest was off to one side carrying his own paper bag and bottle of chocolate milk. About a 4 or 5 steps out of the door, the oldest one says, “Can I have a hamburger?”

When we first moved to town this spot was occupied by a Shoney’s. About a dozen years ago, as Aiken’s population grew bigger, they tore down that building and built a newer, bigger Shoney’s on the spot. Whether due to Aiken’s changing tastes, more competition or the fact that their typical customer just didn’t like the transformation, the new, bigger Shoney’s closed its doors after about five years.

Three years ago they tore down the empty Shoney’s and put up a new building that houses two separate food businesses. One side is a DD and Baskin-Robbins combo. The other is a Five Guys Burgers and Fries, hence the oldest kid’s question.

We finally got around to watching the movie Lincoln tonight. It has been percolating in the rental queue from some time now and it finally bubbled up to the top. I’m glad that I didn’t really pay attention to American History in school because it sure made the movie more exciting. I was on the edge of my seat when they were voting for that amendment thing. And wow, the hero dude gets shot and killed, didn’t see that coming.

All kidding aside, this was a really good movie. I totally believed at times I was watching a documentary, Daniel Day Lewis nailed it. Plus it was kind of fun figuring out who the actors were under all that facial hair. Some were real easy, Tommy Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens and others were harder, like James Spader as W. N. Bilbo.

A quiet Memorial Day was spent doing a little shopping and then a little yard work. Finally washed the coating of pine pollen off screened porch on Sunday, so Monday I did the last bit of outdoor “spring” cleaning that needed done, blowing the oak pollen clusters off the roof.

Normally I do this kind of job in the early morning, but today I waited until mid-afternoon and I won’t do that again. Dark green asphalt shingles that have spent several hours with the sun beating down on them get quite hot. When I put my hand down on the roof to step off the ladder I swear I heard a faint sizzle.

Hopping off the ladder I only needed to place one hand down for a short while, but going down required balancing on both hands for a bit longer. I think I ended up with 1/2 degree burns. =:-O