I've spent my life trying not to be careless

I never dream.

I can not remember dreaming when i wake up.
Ever.

My JoJo says it appears physically as if i am dreaming sometimes, 

when she observes me sleeping.

Do I appear like a sleeping dog whining and 

dream running?

If I cannot remember dreaming---then do I actually dream?

Is having no memory of something is the same as not actually having it?
Am I facing the perfect dream storm of a Schrodinger's Cat thought experiment?

Schrodinger's Cat

I know that i have forced myself awake out of nightmares--

When that happens--I wake up gasping, disorientated--
At that instant of awakening, although i know i have forced myself awake,
 I cannot remember the nightmare that caused the awakening?
I remember nothing of the nightmare itself.
Research indicates that there is no
ill affects from being incapable of re-calling one's dream state.
Within humans there is variation, as with everything human--
 there are high dream re-callers---

 as well as low re-callers of dreams.
Low re-callers, such as myself are in the minority.
Psychology today

I was livin' the dream this morning.
In the cool, bright sunshine out front,
re-painting our bungalow's white picket fence.
Boombox at my side playing Art Pepper's Saxophone.
The perfect retirement morning---
  No one's the boss of me now.

Tea Partier Ted Cruz announced today he

 would run for the Republican Presidential nomination.

Cruz is the self proclaimed leader of the Republican Taliban wing.

Instigator of Government shutdowns, short time Senator,

climate change denier, and religious fanatic.

Born in Canada by a Hispanic mother,

he is a rabid control the border, stop immigration freak.

The reasoning behind his stance,

 you'll just have to figure out for yourself?

Can't help you on that one!

There have been several on target descriptions of Cruz---

My favorite is:

 "Sara Palin's irritating little brother."

but

Jerry Brown, the Governor of California, summed Cruz up perfectly

by publicly describing him as a man

"absolutely unfit to be running for office."

Cruz does has a following in the Republican Party.

Low in numbers but large in the noise factor.

The problem with this announcement really is that---

Now every conservative nut-bag with a following of more than two crackpots

will now be attempting to win 

the Republican Presidential lapdog

of the 1%---position.

The Republican Hunger games for their

Presidential Nomination has begun:

My opinion on both parties and all candidates remains unchanged:

I have a trashed, for restoration, boom-box in route.
A Marantz Superscope CRS-2100.
$9.95 invested....?
Shipping cost more than the box..

White paint dribbled down the black front exterior.
Acid melted battery box without a cover.
The antenna when extended comes apart in pieces.
It is claimed by the seller that both the radio and tape units function?

I'll believe that part when i hear it---
I intend this box to be an ongoing, in it deep rebuild project--?
I intend on detail stripping this unit down, repairing, repainting
and rebuilding. 
Hopefully to end up looking something like this when completed:

The fact that Marantz produced boomboxes in
conjunction with the Japanese company Superscope 
is not well recognized.
Reportedly the end result of their collaboration was 
well built, heavy, good sounding boxes
but never produced in huge quantities or varieties.
Attacking on the cheap for this collectible...

Announcements have been made that the X-files will
be produced again for six new shows....
Can't wait---

Why am I not surprised?

This guy, from Duck Dynasty was actually a speaker
 at a conservative political caucus recently...
Why do we make stupid people famous?

This week----Thelonious Monk.

Thelonious Monk

The Game
On DVD by the B.B.C.
Excellent

We watched this on streaming....

Excellent, really, really enjoyed it.

"Collecting is more than just buying objects."

Eli Broad

Gentlemen, you can't fight in here, this is the War Room!

That sleep thing still eludes me--

As I write this it is 0248 hrs.

It is not anxiety, or the uncontrollable manic side of manic-depression

 creating this insomnia.

Life is good, better than it has ever been.

No worries, you know?

I work hard each day on necessary, valuable goals

I enjoy the work---

I have yet to find the why behind not sleeping...

Strangely---

This seemingly on-going bout of insomnia over multiple days

has not affected my retirement project work performance or capabilities..?

Nor having i been acting weird or irresponsible due to lack of sleep---

Whining about my insomnia will do nothing---

I need to simply stagger through this time

till I fall asleep---

Other than the glitch in sleeping recently

retirement continues to be overwhelmingly enjoyable.

VOTE

'Merica already is gearing up for the next Presidential election.

Nothing for me here--I'll pass this all by.

I got screwed the last time.

I've only voted in two Presidential elections.

Once for Ross Perot and once for Obama.

The last time---

I voted for change, hope and democratic social principles 

but

 what I got was the first Black Republican President!

The biggest bait and switch that the world has ever seen.

What a surprise

another Bush and another Clinton

 will probably wind up running for President---

Corporate interests and

the wants and desires of the 1% are

 the only thing either party or candidate cares about.

We the voter are simply little people.

Expendable--disposable---easily fooled.

No voting for me never, never again---

 unless--

Comacho runs---

only that would bring me out of voter retirement.

Idiocracy

FLY COMMERICAL

Earlier in my weird life, I literally flew around the world.

I am PD109, 9 cell, Parachute qualified.

 i am not afraid of flying---

but---

I have not for years and will NEVER again fly commercial aviation.

There are three reasons:

Reason #1

By panhandling at the entrance to any Wal-Mart

our lovely 'Merican public can attain the price of an

coach airline ticket to anywhere in the county.

new normal American passenger---

Reason #2

American passenger airlines

Reason #3

American Airports

There's just nowhere i want to be--

Nobody i want to be with--

No reason that could make me--

Put up with the pure shit required to

Fly again.

Spring has arrived.
I think everyone across the country is happy to see
this year's winter go away!

Time to shift to exterior projects.

Yard work, cleaning up the outside areas,

planting flowers.

I've already started on the spring to do yard list
I'll be raking, weed whacking and mowing for at least a couple of weeks.
Rain this week has slowed down starting a bit....
Yard work is my least effective area of operation.
I'm not as good at yard, outdoor projects, as i am at very small detail things.

This week I finished the last of the interior, winter based projects
for this year. 
Stripping and staining the door to our bedroom.
The completed door, displayed below re-finished and re-hung:

I studied how to measure a
cassette recorder drive belt.

It was actually somewhat complex and luckily
I had on hand several precision measuring tools i use for watchmaking
slide calipers, precision rulers etc. that i put to use. 
Having the correct tools on hand really helped...
Broken, or just plain gnarly drive belts are the #1 reason for
failure of an old cassette player/recorder.

Having obtained a how to handle on measuring drive belts.

I ordered replacements that i required and an assortment to

 have in stock for possible future repair requirements.

Now all i have to do is work out how to install them.

A Sony Zx-7
A very rare, mini-boombox complete with Sony's science fiction-like,
 APM digital speakers and five total watts of power.
The Zx-7 was one of Sony's top of the line units 
for the Japanese home market when released in 1984.

14 inches long, 4 inches high and deep with a weight of 6 pounds sans batteries, 
the Zx-7 features Dolby B, accessory line in and aux speaker lines out.
The Zx-7 has all the features of a home stereo system.
Huge, excellent sound from a very, tiny machine---
the Zx-7 produces the perfect sound to play my
analog Jazz mix tapes.
This was a real find.

After working my way through 5000 Q-tips dipped in alcohol to de-grime it--
I present my bargain Panasonic RX-5050

Everything works--a couple of problems as 
with all of these 30-40 year old electronics.
Eventually i am going to have to open this rascal up
and clean and maintain several problem parts.
but---even as it stands right now----
a great sounding box and it's turning out
to be quite the acquisition.

I have in my now elderly years, begun to develop a taste for Jazz.
Something i never cared for previously in life.
The TV show Bosch started me on appreciating 60's west coast Jazz.
The main character in the show is a Jazz and stereo hobbyist. 
I appear to be drawn to that sort of classic, mid-century modern, jazz.
I've been listening to random cuts by Art Pepper.
Dead by the mid-1980's.
Excellent musician, very dark, moody styling Saxophone.
Heroin addict of course, a union requirement for
Jazz Saxophone players i guess.

who is Art Pepper?

In my staggering around attempting to determine

what moves me in this genre,

Art Pepper definitely works for me.
As does Sonny Rollins.

who is Sonny Rollins

I am listing these artists I am listening to and recording as a method

for anyone else who might be interested in Jazz but

who is without an idea of where, or who to begin listening to.

On loan from a neighbor--

enjoying it.

On DVD--Excellent

On streaming
Excellent as well, very enjoyable 
and very historically accurate...

"The trouble with retirement is that

you never get a day off."

Abe Lemons