Gross Tooth Post (Warning, Graphic Pix)

The Fuzz's Back is pretty much functioning once again. He did manage to get back to work. But there was a new problem.
It so happened that on one of those evenings when he was laid up with his back, His Sweetie offered him a piece of Delicious Chocolate. As he was munching on this tasty treat, he asked, "Are there nuts in this?"
When he investigated further, the "nut" turned out to be a piece of tooth. And so today, it was time for a trip to the Tooth Dentist.
(The Fuzz apologizes for this graphic image, but it was necessary to illustrate the seriousness of the situation.)
But as can be seen, this sad situation has now been satisfactorily resolved.

Effelevin

There had to be more than these two involved in this horror. Porter had been on the phone to someone. Finster was sure they would be coming for him now. He checked the hall. Larry was nowhere to be seen. He decided not to look for him, and walked swiftly out to his car. He was just in time to see a truck speeding away.
As Finster drove back to town, his mind was reeling. He had just shot down an unarmed man. He could hardly believe what he'd done. But, if what Porter had said was true... What if it wasn't just this city? And the evidence seemed to fit.
He turned on the car radio and searched for any signal. There was none. He tried the other bands with the same result. It was as if the whole world had been shut down. Yet, Porter and his friends seemed to be doing fine. And now they knew he was here. He needed a place to hide.

As he drove into town, he thought about that pawnshop again. Maybe it would be a good idea to find a decent rifle. Finster had served a hitch in the army before going to work at the water department. He was determined that whoever they were, they wouldn't take him without a fight.

Mini Pie

The Fuzz's Sweetie and the Young Daughter took off for a Sewing Weekend with The Girls.
The Fuzz was left here alone.
Fortunately this tasty Mini Pumpkin Pie was left also.
As you can see The Fuzz has 4 pieces of this delicious treat ready to go here.
His Sweetie made it home OK, but this little treat was gone.

Eften

Finster stood there trembling. He had emptied the entire clip into Mr. Porter's chest. His finger was still on the trigger. If the gun hadn't emptied, he would still be shooting. Porter collapsed onto the floor, blood spurting from multiple wounds. He tried to move, and then lay still.

Finster was shocked at what he had just done. He stood still for what seemed like an hour, but was really only a minute or so. He heard a sound and looked up to see Larry standing in the doorway with a horrified expression on his face. The smell of gunpowder lingered in the air. As Finster's gaze turned to Larry, he fled.



*The Fuzz realizes that if someone were to actually read this stuff, they would be getting it sorta backwards. There is a link in the sidebar, "Finster", that will take one to another page with this mess in it's proper order.

April 15

Efnine

4 Welcome to the New World

"Welcome to the New World."
What was Porter talking about? Finster sat there watching him, waiting for an explanation.
"We had to do it," Porter said. "There was nothing else to do."
"What are you talking about?"
"The Earth, of course."
"The Earth?" This wasn't making much sense to Finster. He waited for Porter to continue.
"It was like a cancer, it had to be stopped." Porter got to his feet and went on. "It's like chemotherapy." He sounded like he was trying to convince himself now. It had all made more sense before he was trying to explain it to someone like Finster, who hadn't been part of it.
But then he got focused again.
"We did it to save the Earth."
"Did what?"
"They were a cancer, it was chemotherapy."
Slowly, at last, Finster began to understand what Porter meant. It seemed insane.
"You... killed... thousands of people?"
"Thousands?... No that wouldn't have helped. It was billions."
Porter was determined to make Finster understand.
"The Guardians will keep it all in balance now. It is a new era, a new world. This time we will keep it right."
Finster thought of his roommate. He thought of the dead wino, and the city full of bodies. But Porter was paying him no attention as he went on.
"But you're still here. We'll need to take you to them. They'll want to see you... make tests. There is a place for you here..."
Suddenly his eyes focused on the gun in Finster's hand. The last thing he heard was Finster's angry voice, as he emptied the pistol into him.
"You stinkin' son of a bitch!"


*The Fuzz realizes that if someone were to actually read this stuff, they would be getting it sorta backwards. There is a link in the sidebar, "Finster", that will take one to another page with this mess in it's proper order.

Home Alone

One of the new luxuries available out here at our New Home In The Woods is a clothes dryer. On those cooler days, this is a favorite hangout for these poochies.

Regrettably, The Fuzz is down in his back again. He did work yesterday, but now questions the wisdom of that.
But with a bit of rest, he is hoping to be back in circulation soon.
Funny how a day off work seems like a good idea until one has to take it.

Frogger on Blogger

Still Still Here

We survived that big storm the other day. But it seems to that time of year again. Another one came though yesterday evening. This time it didn't get our High Quality Tarps. You can see some of the smaller debris laying on them.
The Hail that accompanied this storm was a bit rough on the Dogwoods though.
The Fuzz had to go out to pick up that Young Daughter after a party.
Fortunately, things had pretty much let up by then. He did drive though an area where the power was out, but we never lost ours out here in the woods.
There was a trailer that flipped over with 3 people in it. (Read it here)
Well, today the sun is out again.

Still Coming...

Spring continues to move upon us here in the woods.
It is true that we are about a week or more behind those folks over in town.
Here's a look at today's Dogwoods.
Compare to those of about a week ago!
The Fuzz and His Sweetie enjoyed their Friday off of work. These 3 day weekends are alright.

Tarped Up, Continued...

It may be remembered that last month The Fuzz occupied himself in replacing our worn out patio tarp.
It may also be remembered that a comment was made to the effect that, "sometimes ya get what ya pay for.....". Well, this certainly turned out to be the case. When that storm moved though here the other day, it took out 33% of our new tarping. Here is a look at a few of the remains.
So, it was time for yet another trip to that Home Improvement Store. That Frugal Fuzz had planned to purchase 1 replacement tarp until His Sensible Sweetie pointed out the foolishness of this policy. Here you can see the improvement in quality of these fine new tarps.
And so, we are here to report that these inferior coverings have all been replaced by the Real Deal.

Still Here

The Fuzz is happy to report that we are still here.
There was a major storm in the night with hail and everything. At least that's what His Sweetie tells him. He is getting a bit hard of hearing.
But the evidence seems to bare it out. The power was out when he woke, and didn't come back on till around 17:00.
There was a bit of damage in town. The roof blew off the Goat Mill. He couldn't get though some streets whilst on the job.
But things seem to be OK out here at our Little Home in the Woods.

Effeight

3 The Water Plant* (cont.)

Porter rolled his chair back from his desk a bit, and leaned back in it. He was watching Finster, and appeared to be sizing him up. Finally he spoke.
"There's no use trying to hide it, this has been a major disaster. We are shutting down here, and evacuating the town."
"Evacuating the town?" Finster repeated. There didn't seem to be anyone left to evacuate.

"Most of the people are already in the city."
Finster assumed he meant the larger city, about 50 miles away.
"What about the government?" he asked.
Porter looked at the other man again, and answered.
"We are the government."
Finster didn't understand. Porter was only the head of the Water Department of a small city.

"Things have changed." Porter continued. "It's a whole new world. And we need men like you, who know how to do the things that need to be done."
Something had happened for sure. But he didn't understand Porter's attitude. And he didn't like it, or his friend, Larry.
"Well, I'm glad you made it in. We'll need you to check things out. And get the plant ready to shut down, first thing in the morning. You can leave with us then."

None of this was making sense to Finster. But he went to his locker and picked up his tool belt and hard hat. He didn't know what else to do. As he began his rounds, he noticed Porter and Larry driving off, into town.

Finster moved though the plant, checking the machinery. Here and there he made some necessary adjustments. Then he found something unusual. Along with the usual chemicals, something different was being added to the water. He found some empty bottles labeled "V-48.3 (Water Borne)" and with the word "Caution" in red. There was also a date noted.
As he continued his rounds, behind the plant, he found something else. There was a pile of empty canisters dumped in the area behind the building. They were labeled, "V-48-7 (Air Borne)", with the same date. Finster realized that this date was shortly before they had all begun to get sick. Could this be a coincidence?

He had an uneasy feeling. But his curiosity had been aroused, and he headed up to the office once more. Porter was not back yet. But he found the office door had not been pulled completely closed, and swung open at his touch.
What were these bottles of V-48.3 and this V-48-7 about? He had never heard of them. Finster knew that there was a log kept of all the plant operations. He wanted to find it. After a short search he did.

On the date in question, along with the usual notations, he found "Operation 'Sneezy' initiated". But that was all. There was no indication of what "Sneezy" actually was. The entries continued for a few more days, and then stopped altogether.
Finster went over to Porter's desk. He was surprised to find that his computer was only asleep. It booted up with no password necessary. Finster was no hacker, but he did have a basic knowledge of the system. He began to search for "Sneezy" or "V-48". He had no luck, but did stumble onto a folder titled, "Initiate".

He read with growing disbelief the details of a plan to release a genetically engineered virus, V-48, into the environment. The plan had been carried out on that specific date, simultaneously, throughout the world. V-48.3 had been introduced into the water, and V-48.7 released into the atmosphere at numerous locations.
Finster searched unsuccessfully for more details. He was so absorbed in this that he did not hear Mr. Porter entering. He stood at the door watching Finster. Finally, he cleared his throat, and Finster looked up in surprise.

"I see you've been busy while we were gone." He walked into the office and sat in a chair facing Finster.
"I don't really understand why you're here. You were not one of us. But you are now," Porter said.

"Welcome to the New World."


*The Fuzz realizes that if someone were to actually read this stuff, they would be getting it sorta backwards. There is a link in the sidebar, "Finster", that will take one to another page with this mess in it's proper order.

It's Coming

Here's a look at some of the Dogwood blossoms starting to come out. We have a number of these trees scattered around in the woods here. Ours are a bit behind the ones in town though. These still have that kinda green look to them.
It's been cold and rainy here the last few days, so there's been no motorcycling. But it could be worse. At least there is no snow, or earthquakes, or tsunamis, or meltdowns.
But, we are expecting nicer weather soon.

Effseven

3 The Water Plant*

Finster started his car again.
The water plant was across town. But there was no traffic, and he was there in a few minutes. As he pulled into the parking area he could see a couple of trucks there. It looked like the lights were on inside. He unbuckled the 45 and slid it under the seat. Then after some thought, he pocketed the 380, just to be safe. Then, he headed for the office.
The outer office was empty. No one was at the receptionist's desk. That was no surprise. He could hear someone talking inside Mr. Porter's office.

"Yes, we've been all though the city. There doesn't seem to be anyone here... Well, of course we could have missed something... Yes, we'll be closing down soon... We'll make another quick sweep and leave in the morning."

Finster heard a phone snap shut. There must still be at least one carrier up. He was glad to hear another voice, but the conversation seemed odd. It put him on guard, and there was that odd memory of what he'd seen when he had been sick.

He knocked on the door, and heard a startled voice.
"What the hell?"
It sounded like Mr. Porter, and he sounded surprised.
He heard a chair being slid back, and heavy foot steps approached the door. There was a hesitation, and then it opened a crack. A man Finster didn't recognize peered out at him. Behind him, Finster could see Mr. Porter sitting at his desk.
"It's OK, Larry," Porter said, "Let him in."
As Finster entered, he was aware of the comforting weight of the pistol in his pocket.

"Finster," said Mr. Porter with an odd smile, "Where have you been?"
Finster noticed that the other man had shut the door, and was now behind him. It made him uncomfortable, but he didn't want it to show. There was a cell phone on the desk of a type he didn't recognize.

"I've been sick, Mr. Porter."
"Ah, yes. There seems to be a lot of that going around."
"What's going on, sir?" he asked.
"Well..." said Porter. He hesitated, he seemed to be searching for the words. Finally he began again.
"It seems to be some kind of Flu, a new type of Influenza we didn't know about. Highly contagious they say. Were you very ill?"
"I was bad sick. My roommate is dead."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
Finster didn't think he seemed all that sorry. He asked,
"You didn't catch it?"
Porter glanced at the man behind Finster and said,
"No, we were lucky."



*The Fuzz realizes that if someone were to actually read this stuff, they would be getting it sorta backwards. There is a link in the sidebar, "Finster", that will take one to another page with this mess in it's proper order.

Motorcycle Issues 2

Continuing with these Motorcycle Matters-
Now that the tank had been removed, The Fuzz could finally see what he was dealing with (a little) better. In checking out his shop manual, he had come across this interesting little note.This was something new. It also helped explain what was happening. It appeared that somehow this device was malfunctioning, allowing extra fuel, when it was no longer needed!
Here is a look at where the Choke Cable enters this little device. This is the port side carburetor. It turned out that there was a broken spring in the starboard side "Bystarter" Choke preventing it from returning to the "run" position.
So now, it appeared to be a simple matter of replacing a spring.Here is a look at how things were. At A you can see a diagram of this intriguing little device. At B is the little plunger that is supposed to close up on warm up. C is the broken spring (or what's left of it).
The Fuzz did not have a replacement spring handy. Of course, he does have a number of these odds and ends saved from various projects, but they were all at the Old Place, many miles away. With His Sweetie gone, there was no way to get one. At D you may notice a spring from a ballpoint ink pen. This was an unsuccessful attempt at "rigging" something.
But we are happy to report that The Fuzz was able to catch a ride with a friendly neighbor, and a hopefully suitable substitute was found.
As of now, it seems to be working OK.

Motorcycle Issues 1

It has been mentioned that The Fuzz has been working on getting his motorcycle back into service. Now he had the forks serviced, with new seals, and a brand new tire. But there was still an issue remaining. He had been having a problem with the motor not idling down once it was warmed up. This was embarrassing at best, and probably harmful to the motor. It was not a mere adjustment of the idle screw. The Fuzz suspected something Choke related.
But there was an inconstancy. Normally, if a Choke is stuck, the motor won't run at all. But there is usually a method of stepping up the idle during warm up. This was where he suspected the problem.
In order to address this situation, it would be necessary to have access to the carburetors, located beneath the tank. This was not a simple project. First the tank must be drained. Then, as can be seen, the seats and some other stuff had to go as well.
And here's another of The Fuzz's exciting Techno-Tips*! To assist in removing stubborn hoses and such, (like this one which had probably never been off) use Your Sweetie's hair drier to soften things up!
Well, The Fuzz did finally get that stubborn tank removed. We'll continue with this mechanical matter in the next post.

*Techno-Tips are a useful feature of Kinda Fuzzy. By sure and watch for them.

The Menu For The Evening

The Fuzz's Sweetie had taken the Young Daughter for an eye exam & new glasses. We won't go into exactly why at this point. But there were some complications, and The Fuzz was left to fend for himself.
The Fuzz is not exactly a gourmet chef. Here is-

The menu for the evening:
Bacon
Refried Beans
Fried Rice with:
Onions
Eggs
Garlic
Red Peppers
Tortillas
Kim Chee

Washed down with liberal quantities of cheap wine.

If this gets posted, you can safely assume that he survived. We do regret to report, that that Gluttonous Fuzz ate it all before we could get any pix.

On The Road Again

It may be remembered that The Fuzz's little motorcycle had been taken over to the shop. He was wanting to get a bit of work done on the forks.Well, it turned out that there was a bit of a delay, waiting for parts. And then, that Tsunami hit Japan. He began to wonder if it was a lost cause.
But then, the call finally came, and it was time to go get the beat-up little thing. Of course there was still that little matter of the dead tag. He asked His Sweetie to help out with that, since he has no time after work for these things any more. She did. And now we are thrilled to report that The Infamous Fuzz, is back on the road!

Effsix

Finster continued.*

He thought of his car. Did it still run ? But then, why shouldn't it. It started right up for him. He put some clothes and a sleeping bag in the trunk along with some of the canned goods. And then, he set out for the water plant across town.

Finster saw some dogs digging though the garbage, but still no people. He stopped to check on a wino sitting in a doorway. But when he touched the man, he fell over. He too, was dead.
He was in a rather run-down part of town. As he was walking back to his car, he caught what he thought was a movement, from the corner of his eye. But when he turned for a better look, he saw nothing.
Then, he heard a faint scuffling sound, and what sounded like something falling. The sound came from an ally between two buildings. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise.
Finster stood at the head of the ally. He could see that it ended in a small courtyard behind a rundown apartment building. There were a number of trash cans, overflowing with garbage. He entered warily.
Again he thought he saw a movement. This time a flash of red, or orange in one of the windows. But again, when he took a better look, it was gone. But now his attention was diverted by a sound behind him.
Several large dogs stood between him and the street. One growling menacingly. Finster looked franticly for a weapon. All he saw was a flimsy broom handle by one of the trash cans. He waved it at the dogs and they let him pass. They were more interested in the garbage anyway. From the street, he could hear them knocking the cans over.
Back in the street, Finster felt it would be a good idea to find a real weapon. Just down the block, he noticed the sign for a pawnshop. The door was locked, but he easily gained entry by breaking a window with a brick. The alarm didn't work. But under these conditions, he would have been glad to see the cops.
There was quite a selection to choose from. Finally, he selected a nice 45, and a pump action shotgun. As he collected some ammunition, he also slipped a small 380 into his pocket. It would be easy to carry. He added these to the collection in his trunk. Except for the 45, which he wore in a holster, under his jacket.
On the way back to his car, he stopped by the ally again. The dogs were still there, but they were busy, and payed Finster no attention. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. But as he scanned the windows, he could see no one. He felt like the last man in the world. He was sure that it was his nerves, and that sooner or later he would crack.
Finster walked slowly back to his car.


*The Fuzz realizes that if someone were to actually read this stuff, they would be getting it sorta backwards. There is a link in the sidebar, "Finster", that will take one to another page with this mess in it's proper order.

New Kitty

When we moved here, we brought a number of Kitty Cats with us. But over time the population has become somewhat diminished.
Life here in the woods seems to be hard on little Kitties. We were down to 2 of the furry little things. So when one of the fellows at work came up with this little thing, The Fuzz took her off his hands. This fellow was already dealing with 13 dogs of his own. A sort of a One Man Critter Rescue Operation as it were.
At any rate, The Fuzz would like to present to all his loyal readers, Gracie, the Kitty Cat.

Party Feets 5

And that's all, folks !

Party Feets 4

Effive

Finster spent the rest of the morning wandering though the streets, looking for someone, any living person. He remembered how those religious fanatics used to go around talking about how they would all disappear someday, and there would be car wreaks, and chaos everywhere. This wasn't like that at all. It was just that everybody was dead.

Everybody but him. It must have been that sickness, some kind of an epidemic or something. But why was he still here? And was there anyone else?

Well, at least he wouldn't starve. There was plenty of food in the stores. Some had been broken into, but not much was missing other then liquor and cigarettes. It was funny what people thought was important, even when they were about to die. Finster helped himself to some canned goods and put them in a bag. He was sure they would be OK to eat. The meat didn't look too good, and the produce was wilted.

He made his way back to the apartment. He tried the gas stove, and was not surprised to find there was no gas. Then, he thought to try the water. It worked. Strange, he thought, and wondered if anyone was down at the plant. Then he remembered Mr. Porter. But now he was not sure if any of that had actually taken place. It was so bizarre. What would Mr. Porter be doing in his apartment, and what was this "plan" they were talking about. He must have been delirious.

He tried his cellphone again, but there was no signal. The land line was still dead. All the utilities were out, except the water. He worked for the water department. He knew there was a backup generating system. But who was running it ?

He was eating cold beans from a can, when he decided he would have to check the water plant. There had to be someone there. And besides, he wasn't sure he wanted to spend another night in the apartment with dead bodies in the next room. In fact the whole building was full of them.

Party Feets 3

Party Feets 2

Party Feets 1

Here's
a
few
feet
from
Young
Granddaughter's
Birthday
Party!

Another One Bites The Dust

The weather has been getting warmer. But there is still the need for that little bit of extra warmth, and hence, Firewood.
We have been getting by all winter, by cutting some of the dead trees still standing around here. Well, we have pretty much got the easy stuff already.
This was one The Fuzz had had his eye on for some time. It was at the edge of the woods, along the road. But there was a bit of a complication involved. The tree was quite dead, and really needed to be taken down. But it was not quite vertical. It did have a bit of a lean to it. And that lean, would bring it down, right on top of the power lines.
This can be seen at the arrow in the pix at the right*.
And so, that resourceful Fuzz got out his 100 ft rope, and his trusty Comealong. His Sweetie helped out there, at the critical moment, and the tree was dropped where desired, thus sparing those important power lines.

*As always, Click on the Pix for an even better look!

Tarped Up

The winter had been hard on our Patio Tarp. But really, it was already old and quite warn out. But, we would be wanting one before long. So The Fuzz stopped in at the local Cheap Surplus Tool Etc. Place, and grabbed a few cheap ones.It turned out that "Cheap" was certainly the correct description. They are about as heavy duty as toilet paper. But since we already had them, The Fuzz put them up anyway. He and His Sweetie put their heads together, and came up with this confusing arrangement of tarps and ropes. It was in part inspired by something seen on a visit to one of those Big Cities, the Home of a Famous University.
The theory being, that 3 smaller tarps would catch less wind. Thus, being less likely to be torn to shreds. Well, time will tell. The Fuzz figured that even if these flimsy things tear up, it will be a relatively simple matter to replace them with some similar sized ones of better quality.

Sign of Spring

Friday and More

It's a rainy weekend here in the woods. And, one would suppose, on the road. But The Fuzz and His Sweetie did enjoy another Free Friday with the new work schedule and all.
They wanted to find a place where they could enjoy a small "Second Breakfast" and some coffee. They like to just hang out a bit for some sketching and perhaps a bit of writing.
In an effort to find a new place and a change of scene, they stepped into the local IHOP. As they were seated, and scanned the high priced menu, they realized this was not what they were looking for, and cut a trail out of there.
Their next attempt worked out a little better at Jack In The Box. It seems to be more their speed. The Fuzz's Sweetie even had a "buy one, get one free" coupon that came in the mail! And, they had Kona Coffee! So they did get to enjoy their Friday Coffee Outing after all.
The picture here, has nothing to do with that, of course. This is The Fuzz's Brother, and Family's little home away from home. We were pleased to enjoy a visit from them this weekend. It was a bit wet out here in the woods, but we had a good time, and were glad to see them.

Effore

By the time it was getting light, he had found some canned ravioli in a cupboard, and managed to open it somehow with a kitchen knife. He only cut himself once, and that wasn't too bad. He was hungry enough that even the cold ravioli tasted good. And he couldn't see the blood in the dark.

He still didn't know where everyone had gone. Even if the power was out, there should still be people out and about. The quiet was starting to get to him. And where was Jeffry, his roommate?

He found him in his bed, stone cold, with Cheryl beside him. Finster's blood ran cold. He backed out of the room. He needed to get out, but was afraid of what he might find in the passage outside. It seemed empty, looking though the peephole, so he got his nerve up and opened the door.

It was empty. He walked to the stairwell, and down the flight of stairs to the ground. Outside was empty silence. He walked to the strip mall at the end of the block. The stores were all locked. But it was still early, he reasoned. Crossing the street, he entered the Quickie Mart on the corner. The door had been open, but still, he saw no one. Then, in the back, he saw Raffi, the owner, asleep, sitting with his head on his desk. When Finster went to wake him, he found that he was dead too.

He began to panic. Running back to his apartment building he began pounding on the doors. No one answered. Finally, he used a cement block to break down one of the doors. Inside, he found nothing but corpses. Now he was sure he was mad.

In March

In March
the wind
blows down
the door
and spills
my soup
upon the floor
it laps it up and
roars for more
blowing once
blowing twice
chicken
soup and
rice!

Thank you, Maurice Sendak

Efthree

The next time he woke, all was quiet. It was dark, there was no TV. There was some light from the window. It must be the moon, he thought. But why were there no streetlights? And why was it so quiet?

He found that he could move again. And he was thirsty. He got weakly to his feet and stumbled toward the kitchen. The apartment was dark. When he tried the lights, nothing, but he found the refrigerator in the dim light from the window. The bottled water inside was warm, but he drank it thirstily. The power must have been off for a long time already.

He wanted something to eat and found some bread. But he was afraid of the ham he found in there. There was no telling just how old it was, and it was warm too. At least his appetite was returning. He found some cheese, and gave it the sniff test. It passed, barely.

He seemed to be getting his strength back, somewhat, and made his way to the window. The whole neighborhood was dark, and the street was empty. It was like the whole town was deserted. He wondered what time it was, or even what day it was. He looked at the clock on the TV, but with the power out, it was dead too. His cell phone was dead also.

He would just have to wait it out until morning. In the distance he heard a dog barking. At least there was something alive, somewhere.

Eftue

He became aware of the TV first. It was still on, but there was nothing but white noise and a blank screen. He was still on the couch. Indeed, he couldn't move at all. He wasn't even sure if he was still breathing. But he must be, assuming he was still alive. And he thought he was, even if he didn't feel like it.

Then, he became aware of the voices in the other room.
"A man and woman in here"
"And?"
"They're gone."
He heard someone enter the room, but the door was behind him and he couldn't see.
"And one in here."
The voice seemed familiar somehow.
"He's about gone too. Let's go."
Two men walked around the couch and toward the door. As they passed in front of the TV, Finster was shocked to recognize Mr. Porter. He wanted to call out, but even his voice was paralyzed. But in a moment he was glad for his silence, as he heard the men in the hallway.
"It's all going according to plan. Let's check the other apartments."
I must be delirious, he thought.

Efwon

No, he was not Ok. He woke with a nauseous feeling. His breathing was shallow. He was afraid to move, sure that he'd vomit if he tried. Lying on the couch, he could hear the TV newscast. It made no sense to him, but he didn't care anymore.

He heard a woman's voice though the ringing in his ears. It was Cheryl, his roommate's girlfriend. "Here, drink this she said". He opened his eyes slowly, and she handed him a glass. It was orange juice. Finster's hand shook so bad that he spilled half of it out, trying to reach his mouth. The TV droned on.

He had called in sick, yesterday, but couldn't even use the phone today. It must be that "Bug" that was going around. It seemed like half his coworkers were out with it already. Whatever it was, it was no joke. The supervisor was worried. They were already down to a skeleton crew, and somebody had to run the water plant. But the department head, Mr, Porter, seemed unconcerned.

He managed to catch a few words of the newscast. People were being advised to stay home if they were ill. The hospital was already becoming over crowded. It seemed like everybody was catching it. It had happened so suddenly. You had to wonder if it was a terrorist attack or something.

But the talking heads had assured all, that it was just a simple flu outbreak. The government was working on a vaccine which would be ready soon. There were rummers of some fatalities, but these were being blown all out of proportion it was said. Finster didn't know about that, but he did feel like he'd have to die, to feel better, himself. He drifted off again.

Motorcycle Repairs

The Fuzz's motorcycle has been off the road for a few months now. About the time the weather turned for the winter, his tag went dead. There were some issues involving State mandated inspections and such. He had a new tire waiting under the trailer. We hate to admit it here, but That Fuzz actually went outlaw for a bit and rode with a dead tag! Finally, one chilly morning, his clutch lever tore up. At that point, he gave up and parked the thing.With the new work schedule, and warmer weather, it is making more sense to get this machine back up and running, even legally.
And so, he went on over to the Motorcycle Dealer's Place, and ordered a Brand New Clutch Lever! Today, whilst enjoying his new Three Day Weekend*, he picked up his new lever, and made the swap.
There were some other issues to be dealt with also. I'm sorry to relate, that this time That Lazy Fuzz, elected to take it over to the shop. This required another "outlaw" ride. But the weather was beautiful, and he was able to avoid any unfortunate legal issues. It was a nice ride. Now all that remains is a wait. And no doubt a bill to pay. We'll let y'all know how this comes out.

*The Fuzz's Department is now working 4, 10 hour days, with Fridays off!

Still Here

Yes, The Old Fuzz is still living. But his health hasn't been quite 100% this past week.
He did manage to make it into work though. He's still fighting this cough though.
Last weekend he wasn't really up to working on the firewood situation. Fortunately, we were far enough ahead that that was not an issue. But that sort of thing doesn't last for ever. So, he did have to go out and work a bit on that this week.
This week we go onto a new schedule, 4 10 hour days. The Fuzz will have to get up a little earlier. And he will be later getting home. But those 3 day weekends should make up for it.
Here's a pix of the moon the other morning. The Fuzz keeps trying to make pix of it. It is a bit frustrating.

More MAINT REQ'D

It may be recalled, from our previous post, how That Industrious Fuzz revived from the depths of disease to preform that dreaded "Required Maintenance". It was also hinted that there was a bit more to this tale.
After his success at the oil change, he stepped inside to wash his greasy old hands.
Not having that fancy waterless hand cleaner, The Fuzz relies on that old standby, Dish Detergent. One drawback to this method is, that as a general rule, it requires water. As our hero was about to apply the stuff, he had a sudden flash of insight, and decided to see if there was any of that water available first. When he discovered a deficiency in this area, he slipped down under the house to investigate. It is not uncommon at this time of year, to turn off the pump, as a precaution against freezes.
The pump was, indeed cut off. But it had also, somehow, lost it's prime. Since The Fuzz's Sweetie has plans to use the house this week, he thought it best to address this situation as well. As he drew some water from the well, he discovered that there was a hole in the bucket. But since Eliza wasn't there, he said nothing about it. It was only a small one, and he was able to easily draw the necessary water to prime the pump.Happily, it only took a few tries to get things right. He was finally able to wash his hands, and His Sweetie will have water this week!

And don't forget about
Your Sweetie
today!

MAINT REQ'D

That dreaded moment had arrived. The Fuzz had ignored that little light long enough. Actually, he had been planning to take care of things this weekend. But then, he was struck down by disease. And it kicked his ass.
But, even an expert procrastinator, like The Fuzz, eventually has to face up to things like this.
He was beginning to feel like he had a bit of life in him again. So he headed off to town for the necessary supplies, oil, and a filter.
The Fuzz prefers to do this sort of thing back at the Old Home Place. Most of the appropriate equipment is there. And the ground is packed solid enough to support the necessary ramps. Out here in the woods, they would slowly sink down into the soft earth, lowering the vehicle on top of The Fuzz. This would make it difficult for him to breath. Perhaps, in his younger days, The Fuzz could have simply picked the car up and tossed it away in annoyance. But he has had to finally face the reality, that those days are gone.
The actual oil change went off without a hitch.
There is a bit more to this story, but we'll get into that later. Suffice it to say, that The Fuzz made it home intact. And with enough energy left for this post.
It looks like it's back to work tomorrow. There has been talk of switching to a 4/10 schedule here. But they keep putting it off. We'll just have to wait and see how that comes out.

Sickie

The Fuzz has been feeling a bit puny lately.
But this has given His Sweetie an opportunity to take on the roll of Nurse Stimpy.
It began at the start of the week with a scratchy throat. Tough guy that he is, he decided to just, "tough it out".
Even though he was starting to feel like crap, that loyal Fuzz still went in to work on Thursday.
But by Thursday evening, he felt more like this little guy.
We did feel it best to cancel our planned family gathering for tonight.
It was out of the desire to not pass this around any more.
We are glad to report, that as a result of this TLC, he is feeling a little better now.
He even felt up to this brief post.

Tequila

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Slow Day

A gloomy day.

The Fuzz is having just a bit of trouble with the old back again. Nothing serious, but he requested a day off to give it a bit of a rest. So here he is at home in the woods just keeping the fire going so it will be warm when His Sweetie gets home. He's mostly OK. But if he's up for long, he gets a bit sore.
He walked up to the Mailbox, but the flag was still up. So it looks like he'll have to try again later. Not a real exciting day. And it's only the First of February.