Skippy

Jorge: "Hey, you want to make a ton of money real quick?"

Me: "What's the catch?  Will I end up in jail?"

Jorge: "Load up your truck with bricks."

Me: "Why bricks?"

Jorge:" We can sell 'em in Madison(the state capitol) and make a bundle."

Jorge is pulling into his pole barn when I call with a plumbing emergency.  Bob the plumber along with the Mario Brothers attempts to saw a dead copper pipe in the former girl's bathroom in the basement.  The copper pipe formerly served the toilet which was removed prior to the purchase of the old school house.  The pipe dangles on a wall where I want to place a shelf for paint cans.  It's a small room with no hazardous equipment to start a fire, not that twenty odd cans of latex paint would catch fire.

I start sawing with my hacksaw.  When I finally hear the saw cut through the pipe, water starts to spurt out. Oh crap..  That's when I notice that there's a cap at the bottom of the loose pipe and a horizontal pipe near the bottom is shortened  and crimped .  The crimp is soldered shut.   Near the floor joists, in the open part of the basement is a shut off valve.  It's corroded open and won't budge. I quickly dismiss any thought of taking a pipe wrench to the valve.  It's part of a larger network of actual galvanized water supply pipe.

After numerous attempts to solder the cut closed, I call Jorge.He is unloading his SUV after attending a protest demonstration in Madison against the new bill proposed by Scott "Skippy" Walker, the new Governor. He promises to come over with plumbers putty. In the meantime I wind thin pipe thread tape around the cut. 

Less than a month in office Skippy's behind a bill that gives $150 million in tax cuts to the rich.  The 20 million surplus the previous governor left at the end of his term is now a huge deficit. In yet another attempt to create fiscal chaos emulating his term as Milwaukee's County Exec, Skippy, (Jorge's  ridiculing nickname for the Guv) backs a bill to end collective bargaing in Wisconsin.  Our state has enjoyed a long standing reputation for progressive reform with the likes of Fightin" Bob Lafollette. But every once in awhile some nut case like former grocery store owner Joe McCarthy pops up.

The Democrats in the state legislature walked out in disgust and a recall campaign of the Guv is in the works for 2012. www.change.org

Mandy can't believe the weather today!

A little before noon there's a flash of light and thunder.  Jorge says his dogs, Sam and Chase, wake from naps to the sound.  Sam being the dumber of the two starts barking.  Chase gets his name because that's what Jorge does quite often when he allows the dog to go out.  Chase manages to escape the outside pen even when he's tied to a tether line.  I'm thankful for my Blue Heeler who can be trusted to be outside on her own.  I've got two whistle versions for both animals when I want them to come inside.  Mandy loves the chance to barrel full tilt down the road when I encourage her with  "good girl" praise.  She leaves muddy paw prints on my jeans when she bounces off my leg.

I caution her to be careful today.  Early this morning it rained.  Both cars are outside and covered with ice.  Mid morning it started to hail.  By noon it was snowing large marshmallow flakes and on a short trip to the store for paint and eye drops it begins to sleet.On the bright side, on this date in 1926  the NWS says it was -40F in Richland Center.