fishing for words

Gave up going to the movies today…unusual for me. But so far I have given the dog a haircut and shampoo and uploaded some more albums. (Check the sidebar for a few new ones. Still have to add the narrative.) Next I’ll be ventured out to the backyard to till the vegetable garden. The sun is out (was supposed to rain), so I might as well get to it. Sure hope to get a lot more out of it this year. Last year was sort of a bust, though we did have plenty of tomatoes and a good amount of potatoes. Have to check for volunteers this year as we may be close to having a self-perpetuating potato harvest. The biggest hurdle is ensuring it gets watered enough when I’m not around. Have a great weekend!

If all goes well, my son and I will head up to to the cabin next weekend get out for some trout fishing on opening day.  (The season east of Hwy 49 is only open from the last Saturday in April to mid-November.)  This will be our first time doing so, so it should be fun.  I’ve heard tell that it’s easy to limit out before the summer fishing pressure.  Figure we’ll try some new areas, maybe Moccasin Creek and Powerhouse Stream. 

If nothing else, the California DFG will help as their Web site says:

The following waters are scheduled to be stocked prior to opening day, April 29, 2006, if water, weather, and road conditions permit.

TUOLUMNE COUNTY: Basin Creek, Beaver Creek, Deadman Creek, Lyons Canal, Moccasin Creek, Pinecrest Lake (Strawberry Lake), Powerhouse Stream, Stanislaus River (Clarks, Middle, North and South forks), Sullivan Creek, Tuolumne River (Middle, North and South forks).

I guess the operative wording is if water, weather, and road conditions permit. There is some worry that the water is running too high, though it certainly won’t be too warm. 

Here’s to hoping for clear weather!

As my family and close friends know, I am a bit particular – maybe to the point of having a touch of OCD – when it comes to cleaning my car. Well, we finally had a sunny day, allowing me to give my “new” car (2003 Honda Accord but new to me) its first through washing, waxing and detailing. My son Chris thinks this car goes “18 dummy” (meaning it’s off the hook, dude). Sometimes it looks a bit sinister to me. Received the registration a few days ago, so soon I’ll be off to DMV to swap the plates to my amateur plates, then I’ll work on the dual-band radio installation.

How I came to own this car was summed up by why a fellow co-worker who said that “Pat has never met a new Honda or Toyota that he couldn’t trade in.”  The upshot is that I traded a 2006 Civic for this 2003 Accord because the seats in the Civic seemed to be designed for drivers with more delicate derrières.  Yeah, one would think I would have sensed this problem in the test drive, but it was oh-so subtle.  Sure, the seats were a bit stiff, but having not owned a new car in may years I said to myself, “Self, they’ll soften up over time.”  But a week into ownership, I found my right hip was beginning to hurt after my commute, and even the new-car smell did not assuage my feeling that something was wrong.  I thought it was the seat padding, so I tried a few things that I thought offer a bit more padding, even though I have plenty o’ padding on my hiney.  However, it didn’t help much.  I can’t say why, but one day during my commute, I came to me, and with an examination I confirm my suspicions that the seat belt latch was above the top of the side bolster — much higher than any other car I have driven — and that was digging into my hip.

After quickly firing off letters to the Honda dealership, the dealership owner and Honda corporate, I realized that (1) there wasn’t much that could be done and (2) I was unlikely that anything would be done.  With some quick research and bit of luck I found the Accord (for basically any equal trade and no extra money out of my pocket) and not once have I second-guessed my decision.  I, and my derrière, are much happier.

P.S. I must commend Honda’s warranty service, as my extended warranty on the ‘06 was fully refunded.