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chatilliononline today!chatillion Blog (1,893)

5,054 Blog Comments1,893 Blog1,893 Blogs404 Forums142 Videos8 Threads5 Polls1 Recipes

That makes me famous...

Two weeks ago, I encountered an obnoxious and overly aggressive club member at the model airfield. He harassed me stating helicopters cannot fly at the main field. While it's normally used for airplanes, there are no rules stating helicopters cannot fly there. He stalked me from the minute I showed up... before he knew I had helicopters in my car.

I stood my ground, but his threats continued to the point of him calling the Sheriff and Park Ranger. I heard enough from this guy's mouth and put my phone on video to record the event. It was nearly 6pm and nearing sundown. That was enough for me to start packing up while he shouted profanities and stated I was the kind of person who was killing this hobby.

On the weekend, I met with the club president and filed a formal request. Since the video caught him mouthing off, he was easily identified. In an earlier blog I mentioned this event earned him warning number two. Another gets him ejected from the club and banned from flying at the park.

Last week, I had a day off before starting another job so I went to the field in the morning. I met a guy at the helicopter field who I haven't seen before. I introduced myself and he asked if I was the guy who had a 'run in' with another member the previous week.
blushing

Yeah, that must make me famous...
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Guitarrón Mexicano...

As a followup to my La Cucaracha blog, I did some listening to a few Mexican Mariachi bands to see a Guitarrón Mexicano that translates to "big Mexican guitar"
Very unusual instrument as it's large body overshadows a short neck. But... it's a 6-string acoustical bass guitar used in accompaniment by plucking (and not strumming) the notes.

The tuning is very different than a Spanish guitar so you have to learn a different scale to play the Guitarrón.

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It's an interesting instrument... I like it, but not enough to get one, nor am I feeling hungry for a burrito!

I could only play half of that video... the guy was giving me a headache!
laugh
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La Cucaracha...

All the condo buildings in my development decided to do renovations around the same time. More than 2 months of pressure cleaning, caulking and painting. New hall lights last week and now we are waiting for the unit numbers to be the icing on the cake.
For them to repaint the doors, they asked all residents to leave their units unlocked and the doors partly opened. Yeah, I made it a point to be home.
The one thing they did was pull off the foam weather strip I added before a hurricane came through 2 years ago so, they can seal the wood. I've got new stripping and waiting for a weekend when I have no specific plans to do the job.
In the mean time, you can see daylight through the edges of the door and jamb.
A few weeks ago, I noticed a small Cucaracha running across the kitchen floor and knocked him out with a spray of window cleaner. Days later there were a few tiny ones on the counter... they met with the same fate. That means war and using some non-aerosol bug spray I went around the cabinets before leaving for the day, with the windows open to air the place out.
All was quiet until until one morning when another Cucaracha came through the crack in the front door. It was a short visit that ended with a shoe burial.
The weatherman promised a cool windy weekend with no rain so maybe I'll actually do the work and make an end to mas Cucarachas.

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One less key tonight...

For a few reasons, I left a job at the end of February 2020 I had been working there for nine years. Short retirement, I was to start another the following Monday in March. Pandemic hit and we all took extended vacations. Coming back, lots of potential leads had drifted away and sales were below monthly quotas. Not ready to be retired, I gave it another shot and another shot but I wasn't happy there doing bathroom renovations.

The owner tried to convince me to stay... several times actually, but I wanted to be elsewhere. I promised to finish my projects and not leave him hanging (as 2 of his last designers/salesmen did) and to stay until he found and trained a replacement.

The new guy wasn't fitting well and his top salesman was scheduled for back surgery. COVID-19 came through the office on three occasions knocking out 6 of the 8 people working there. Thankfully, I was spared but my exodus was delayed a few times.
Every week, I checked a placement site for positions available in any related field. Some came up and I interviewed with a few companies, but nothing materialized.

I teamed up with a coworker and surprisingly, our success at closing jobs improved. My plan to leave hadn't changed and at some point I needed to refuse any new projects.
Currently, I'm finishing 1, starting 3 and have a large renovation in July.
All the detail drawings are done, materials have been ordered and I'll have to appear on a few jobsite meetings over the course of 2 months. Hopefully, nothing more.

The owner is going away for a few days this Easter weekend so today I turned in commission reports and got a check. He knows where I stand to project manage the last group of jobs and said it was great having me work there... even if it wasn't profitable for either of us. The part that impressed him was my calm demeanor and high standard of professionalism. I handled everything they could throw at me.
laugh

I didn't 'burn a bridge' and know if I ever wanted to try there again, the opportunity is always available. Not 100% finished, I have to go back tomorrow collecting some furniture a computer station and have a short meeting with the field manager to pass needed information for the difficult projects.

A year out of my life and I learned many different things about that facet of manufacturing and supply. The goodbyes included thanks from both sides... as expected I'm carrying one less key tonight...
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66,669 you knew it was coming...

Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.
The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy brown dawgs...


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66,666

Yeah, yeah, I think so. Sunday a 2:10pm Hurray... !!!

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Weather Station...

There are several websites that offer weather services. For years I followed one from the local newspaper. Temperature, wind speed, radar and rain forecast. Basic stuff. Other weather data comes from a few local TV stations.
We have a saying that if you don't like the weather in South Florida, wait a hour and it will be totally different. This is true for summer months where afternoon downpours clear up in a matter of minutes.
Now that my hobby is model aviation, I'm concerned about wind speed because windy days are not good days for flying. It could be calm at 7am and by 9:30 the winds will kick up to 10 miles per hour. This runs most of the day and as temperatures change cooler after 6pm the winds drop down. That sometimes gives a window of low winds (good for flying) about an hour before nightfall.
I found the website Weather Underground that appears to have lots of smaller reporting stations linked to them all across the country with a few less than 25 miles from my location. I click the site and see a what's happening in my neighborhood. From one of the reporting stations, I was able to see the equipment they are using to send information to the main site.
One company making these weather detection devices is Davis Instruments. Prices from a few hundred to a few thousand, the different components can be used to have a fully functioning wireless weather station. I've seen these things like this on yachts before.

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I could get one of these units, mount it to the roof of my building, subscribe to the service and have my very own node on the Weather Underground. If I lived in a remote location it would be something to consider, but there are a handful of reporting units already near me... I'm sure they don't need another.
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Strike two...

Mentioned a few times, taking advantage of Daylight Savings, I sometimes go to the model airfield to catch a few flights before dusk. Because it's 'dinner time' the fields are usually 1 or 2 people, where on a weekend, you can see 20 pilots waiting to fly.

The county park is huge with 3 separate fields: air strip for planes, grassy area for helicopters and a smaller area for drones or control-line airplanes. The car and dune buggy track is a few hundred yards away.

Airplanes usually need a runway (to takeoff and land) and fly in long circuits, they can stay in one area. Helicopters can fly with less restriction usually in a boxed area.
There are no written club rules that say a helicopter cannot fly at the airplane field, but in the interest of safety, all pilots must notify the others when they are going up, flight pattern, encroaching on the space of another pilot and shout out for any landing, especially emergency.

I showed up one afternoon and as I carried my flight box out to the field one guy approached me asking if I had AMA. The Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) is the voice of anyone wanting to fly models. They have strict safety guidelines and offer liability insurance for members who fly at registered parks/fields and sanctioned events. AMA is a requirement and I put my equipment on the table to take out my card along with the club membership card and asked if he wanted to see it up close. He declined.

Back to my car and I carried 2 helicopters heading the the table where he tells me I cannot fly there. My statement was "That's not true" and he followed me back and forth to my car where I picked up more gear and another helicopter as he continues to tell me it's against club rules for a helicopter to fly at the airplane field. I stated "Are you saying I cannot fly here?" He 'blubbed' a few words and say's in the the rules posted at the gate.
So... I stand at the sign, read it out-loud. Nope, no helicopters mentioned.

2 guys with small planes in the sky and when I was ready to go up. One was on the far right side and the other finished. I advised both I'd be flying a helicopter. Both said no problem. Walking to the opposite side of the strip, probably 100 yards away from the other pilot.

This didn't stop the man who was now arguing about club rules. He threatened to call the police and park ranger. I invited him to do so. I placed my model on the edge of the runway and as I stepped back to the safety zone he's still 'barking at me' for not following the rules. Just then the guy from the opposite end of the field crash lands near me and his plane tumbles end over end off the runway. It's the pilot's responsibility to shout out a warning, especially since he flew until the battery died and had no power to control the landing. He didn't. By then I was being blamed for some safety violation and that I could have been decapitated by that 'crashed plane' for stepping on the runway.

I stated his constant harassment to me was a safety distraction in violation to the rules.

So now I want him, the pilot who crashed and me to meet with the park ranger as I insist on filing a formal complaint. Asking his name he replied with profanity. That's enough, I set my phone to record the rest of the event, started packing my things. As I got a half mile away from the park, I see the ranger turning in. Too late, the party is over!

On our usually Saturday flying session, I told my story, to another club member who was the vice-president for 3 years and he calls the current president who comes right over to hear my story. I played the video and he's recognized. Trouble maker at best this guy has an attitude that gets him ejected from club meetings. A previous episode he was formally placed on a 90 day restriction... not allowed to fly. Three violations the member is banned from the club for good. His harassment and use of profanity to another member got him strike two.
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Euthanasia...

I received a call today from a woman who introduced herself as one of the veterinarians at the animal clinic where I surrendered a homeless cat yesterday. She asked if I knew about the history of the animal and the only information I could offer was, a week ago the cat showed up in the courtyard of my building and neighbors were feeding her. The cat was quiet and very friendly but homeless. The reason for me delivering the cat to their facility was to keep my neighbors out of trouble for violating the association rules for feeding strays.
The vet went on to explain the cat was in pain having enlarged lymph nodes and lumps in her intestines. Most of her teeth were missing and several teeth were infected into the gums.
At that point I asked "Are we talking about the same cat?"
She described the animal and stated the her condition with all the problems it wouldn't be long for the cat to live and the most humane thing to do is euthanize her so she doesn't have to suffer.

I tried several no-kill pet adoption places and this was the only place in 50 miles or so that would take the cat in for spaying, shots and microchip. To hear they had to put the cat down came as a total surprise... and not a good one.

So ended my Happy-Friday and a full moon on a clear night.
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Painted-on eyebrows...

High on my list of things that 'creep me out' are heavy painted or glued-on eyebrows. One woman (who is online often) shaved them off and painted some thin wispy eyebrows no thicker than a black sharpie marker. Another has them in so wide and dark it reminds me of football players anti-glare stickers... in reverse of course!

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Over the years I've seen some (expensive) work where individual hairs are glued into place.
I believe it's called threading and someone will correct me if I'm wrong on this.

By today's standards... there is no limit!

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chatillion's cat rescue episode...

I called a few places only to find they are at capacity. The first place I called earlier this week follows Palm Beach County guidelines (read: law) where they accept cats for processing and return the animal to the last known address they were picked up at or should they have a microchip, it's back the that location. They were the only place to accept this cat.

The stray I dropped off was neither spayed or chipped. The current ear mark must have come from a fight and not a Florida pet clinic.
They will clean the cat, spay her, chip, give shots, mark an ear and unfortunately, drop the animal to the last known address... my condo.

Probably 2 weeks from now.

Stay tuna !!
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Friday's Cat...

On my way downstairs this morning, I found a cat on the landing. This was new as I don't recall any cats around this building. Acknowledging the cat was there, I stopped and watched him as he looked at me. I continued down the stairs and (to my surprise) the cat didn't run away.

I did some errands and the cat was in the same place when I returned.
Okay, something's up.
Why here?
Maybe someone abandoned this animal as he's not afraid of me.

Flashback to when I was 12 years old and we had a cat named Tiki with the same markings... I get it, this must be a descendant of Tiki!!

So, I poured a small bowl of milk and Tiki2 (notice I've already named this cat I've known for less than 2 hours) started drinking the milk. I headed off to work and Tiki2 was at the bottom of the stairs when I returned after dark.

My wife suggested we feed the cat and I said if we do, he'll never go away and 3 minutes later I had a small bowl of Spanish style ground beef warmed in the microwave oven. By then Tiki2 was in the bushes possibly looking for food. Two seconds later the beef was on Tiki2's dinner menu!

Wanting to be a part of the virtual adoption, my wife called down to me saying the cat needed some rice. "Cat's don't eat rice", said I, but she had a scoop of rice in her hand and added it to the partly consumed bowl of beef. The cat stopped eating and walked away. Insisting cats eat rice, I agreed... maybe they do, but this isn't a Chinese Cat!
laugh

Anyway a few neighbors coming and going all noticed the cat today and none of know where the cat came from or where the cat belongs. One woman tried to reach animal services to pick up the animal and take him to a place for care and adoption but she was turned down as Covid has that department only handling emergencies.

So for now, Tiki2 has food and can seek shelter under the stairs when it rains.

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