noise."The First of May · 12:32am May 2nd, 2018
Hooray, hooray, the first of May
And y'all know the rest.
As is tradition (at least when I remember), I blog on the first of May. Mostly about random stuff or how much the winter sucked or something like that. I suppose I could go back and look at what I've blogged about before, but where's the fun in that? It's not like any of you are going to do it, so I could say whatever I wanted to and you'd never know I was lying.
Wait, my microphone's still on?
Winter was long and hard, longer and harder than it usually was. And wet, and . . . erm, it was snowy. And then all the snow melted. And then it warmed up. And then it snowed again. Rinse and repeat about four times . . . seriously, last week it was in the 20s overnight. And I know, all of y'all from Alaska or Norway or Siberia are right now getting out your little tiny violins to play a sad song just for me. 
But whatever; winter's over! Time to think about summer!
And thinking about summer, my manager just sold his boat and got a motorcycle instead. I don't have a motorcycle because I've hurt myself enough on a normal bicycle. I expect the same thing would happen if I had a motorcycle, except it would happen faster.
I also found out today that the only temperature range he's comfortable in is 70 to 80 degrees. Remember earlier when I said it was in the 20s overnight? [By the way, that's Fahrenheit, not centigrade . . . for you metric folks, 20 is like minus 1,000.] Yeah, he complained about that. And then today it was about 80, and he was complaining that if it got any hotter he'd be uncomfortable.
I told him that he should really move somewhere where the temperature stays the same all year long.
Also, i completely lost track of what my point, if any, was.
I ambushed the baby foxen today. I saw them go onto my back porch, and so I decided that I'd see how close I could get to the little guys. Two of them were smart; they saw me coming and noped right out of there. The other two didn't. They hid under a shelf and I could hear them rustling around as they tried to come up with a good evacuation plan.
I figured that I was probably more patient than a pair of fox kits, so I got my phone out and waited for them to make a break for it. And then, thanks to burst mode, I managed to get a pretty good picture of one of them fleeing.
I mean, it's as good as you're gonna get with a cell phone, really.
I doubt I scared them off for good (probably didn't, to be honest). Their den is close [I know right where it is, and I'm not going to mess with it at all] and the porch is a fun place for them to explore. And it's probably good for them to learn caution.
I should also mention that I'm going to EFNW this year. Way back in January I said that I might, but I wasn't sure. Well, now I am sure; sure enough that I bought an airplane ticket and a hotel room. I even paid a bit extra for the optional hotel room upgrade--if there are available luxury rooms, they might put me in one that has a good view of the Olympic Mountains or SeaTac airport. And I'll be honest, I would almost prefer the airport view. Airplanes are fun to watch.
Actually, the room I had last year had a balcony (it's possible all the rooms do, but I didn't go in all the rooms so I can't say for sure) which I think would make it perfect for a pegasus. The Hyatt in Baltimore is nice, but their rooms don't have balconies, so all the pegasi have to either go to the ground floor like a common mudpony, or else land by the outside pool.
IRL updates:
My white van is officially dead. I blogged about how tough they are (and in fact bought a second one). I hadn't been driving it, and mice moved in, and they probably chewed some important wires, because the next time I went to drive it, I discovered that it only had second gear and the gear indicator was inoperative. Odds are that they took out the wiring to the transmission control module. Luckily, it was still driveable without that.
Then earlier this month I took it to the shop to pull off the trailer hitch and switch its good tires for the old bad tires on the blue van, and I lost my power steering partway to the shop. One of the lines had rusted through in the usual place (anyone who's owned one of these will know where I'm talking about). Before that happened, I thought that maybe I could fix the TCM wiring and sell it but it's not worth fixing the power steering. So if anybody wants a great deal on a rusted-out Dodge Caravan that only has second gear, has no power steering, and is mostly held together with zip ties, I can hook you up. If not, it's either going to the junkyard, or else just down in the backyard somewhere to serve as a new feral cat habitat (the old feral cat habitat went to the junkyard last year).
Story updates:
I'm not going to give you any official news on that front, 'cause it seems that every time I do, something in real life smacks me upside the head and I don't get it done when I say I'm going to get it done. Suffice it to say that whatever you're waiting on, there's a non-zero chance I'm working on it.
There have actually been points where I've considered putting some kind of story update tracker on my home page, but honestly if I did, I probably wouldn't update it, and it would probably wind up making everybody sad.
Also, speaking of that (because this is somewhat related), y'all probably won't be surprised to know that during my week of madness (TM) I didn't publish all the stories I've got idling in the slush pile. In fact, I actually considered putting up Twilight Gets Pantsed tonight but decided that I probably have better things to do with my time than edit that particular story. Also related, there doesn't seem to be any SFW art of EqG Twilight getting pantsed. Just putting that out there in case some artsy type wants to fill that particular void.
I've been a bit behind on my blog schedule. I still haven't finished the harness blogs that I said I was gonna, and I feel like I've got a couple of other blogs just sort of waiting, including the case study on that dumb Sprinter van. While I can't say that I'm going to get caught up with that any time soon, I'll try if I get all the other projects done. What I really ought to do is get a whiteboard and write down all the stuff that's in progress.
I'll put that on my things-to-do list. 
rose lick is just so adorable in that art work.
and i see your pups are back the 4 doe that birth in my back yard last year are back and looking fat and it looks as if they brought last years fawns now yearling with them.
I'll be at EFNW too, but across the street because they ran out of hotel rooms. Three days with the wife cross-country there and three back. Oh, and our wedding anniversary falls in there too. Happy Anniversary, dear. We're going to a convention at the other end of the US.
Pray for me.
vinegar?
Outdoor fuckin' starts today! :V
The mob demands more baby foxen pictures/videos!
So cute!!
I actually don't know whatever saying that you're referencing up there at the beginning. The only association that I have is "Remember, remember, the fifth of November", and surely that can't be right...
Filthy groundwalkers lol
4851686
Send me one or two. I need to "mow" a lot of grass.
A week ago it was barely above freezing at night and I had the furnace on and my parents were asking for help in pulling some stakes out of their still partly-frozen lawn.
Yesterday, it shot up to the mid-80s.
http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm29255995
I wanted to start a fire and roast some bratwursts this evening in honor of May Day/Beltaine, but I took them out of the freezer too late and they'll take too long to safely defrost, so I fried a burger indoors on the foreman grill.
On your van, check the harness connector directly under the battery tray . It is connects the engine/trans wiring to the body wiring and battery acid has a tendency to invade it. Back in '01 I had to fix one under warranty which entailed replacing the engine wiring harness and the complete body harness (with removal of the seats, carpet, side panels, headliner, dash, and HVAC unit. One of the few times I made money of factory warranty time!) On yours you could probably just eliminate the connector and wire it direct. 32 years of doing this
crapwonderful line of work will make some of these problems stick in your head!4851806
Notice how titanium dragon commented?
Epona, stop bullying the tiny elf man!
(Ha ha, perspective.)
4851834
they are vary much tame last year i had 2 fawns that slept on my porch and one doe that would take treats out of my fingers and t-words the end of the year i code brush and pet her.
aww the country life or as we say hear in the states i am a country hick and dam proud to be a red neck.
No time for that.
On a related note, how was the NieR: Automata OST?
I love that Moon Dancer pic.
Boxen!
Really nice shot of the fox. I didn't know you had wildlife; is that in your house?
4851686
Isn't she? True story, Roseluck is adorable in everything.
They are! It's the closest to my house she's ever had babies, and even though I probably ought to kick her out of her den (it's under the slab in my back room) I really don't want to until all the babies are grown up and gone away.
Baby deer would be excellent, too. I don't have any of those, as far as I know.
4851702
4851774
That probably means I won't get my upgrade after all. Well, no matter.
There's a really good restaurant not too far from the convention. That's probably a good place to take her for dinner one night. Ideally not the night that a bunch of writers go there. Also, three days? I could do it in three from Michigan.
4851791
vinegar?
For why?
4851806
I put a tarp on my boat, that's practically the same thing.
4851825
If I was smart enough to figure out a good way to upload them somwhere that I could share them easily . . . and for that matter if I had something better than the Samsung potato-cam. . . .
Aren't they? I really want to pet one. I really, really want to. Even though I know how badly it will end for me.
4852433
If you do end up petting one, make sure to get it on video so that the rest of us can join in the enjoyment.
4851827
king starts today."
"Hooray, hooray, the first of May/Outdoor f
It's from a Jonathan Coulton song (or might predate that, even). I first heard it nearly 20 years ago from my crazy roommate.
4851830
I know, right? Pegasus master race.
derpicdn.net/img/view/2016/9/10/1245850__safe_artist-colon-ehfa_fluttershy_bust_cloud_cute_female_lidded+eyes_looking+at+you_mare_pegasus_pony_portrait_shyabetes_smug_smugshy_solo.png
4851834
How about sheep?
4852428
Don't ask me. Ask the green pony.
4851886
Is that old English?
The fire would melt them and cook them, y'know.
derpicdn.net/img/view/2014/5/16/628116__safe_artist-colon-nadnerbd_twilight+sparkle_alicorn_female_fire_magic_mare_pony_pyromancy_solo_twilight+sparkle+%28alicorn%29.png
4851905
I'm guessing that it's actually under the fuse box, because that's where I see a big mouse nest (although I too have repaired multiple wires in that giant loom where all the wires go). It's not worth tracking down, to be honest. The van's worth nothing any more, and I've got plenty of other cars.
camo.derpicdn.net/5411883a1bdd5a5e9a4e25ce916bbb1fdb459212?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FRhB9aHZ.jpg
This picture is from a year ago, and obviously doesn't show the extent of the front end damage, but it does give you a good idea just how bad the body rust is.
camo.derpicdn.net/cca7551293b4a14af72fdca056c91c052c7b82a6?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FC6amWn9.jpg
Also a year ago. That Aircat bumper sticker is covering a rust hole, too, and that length of wire is holding the third brake light into its hole, more or less.
4851923
He's everywhere.
4851972
(Ha ha, perspective.)
Epona, stop bullying the tiny elf man!
If she's really nice (and gives him back his sword), he might give her a ride!
derpicdn.net/img/view/2017/5/18/1439407__safe_artist-colon-anearbyanimal_blushing_crossover_cute_daaaaaaaaaaaw_earth+pony_epona_female_gray+background_grin_happy_holding+a+pony_human_.png
4852250
I know, right?
I listened to one of them that was linked and put the other on my WiL list on YouTube . . . can't remember which one I watched but I liked it.
4852254
It's sort of in (for some values of in). I've got a mostly enclosed back porch . . . I say mostly, because I haven't finished building it yet, so there's a rather large hole where screen door will go eventually, and that's where they were getting in and out.
I figure that it makes sense to put the screen door in last, since it's a lot easier to get stuff in and out when it's not there.
4852436
If I do, I will.
I'll also be sure to post picture of the inevitable scars that result.
4852442
Oh, right, the green pony that's looking at the chemical formula for vinegar (well, I'm assuming from the context that's what it is). Forgot that there are chemistry words on that chalkboard.
4852446
Middle English
mid-13th century trad.
And grilling over a fire while still partially frozen is almost guaranteed to be uneven and either totally charred on the outside and pink in the middle or both.
I suppose I could have microwave-defrosted, but I somehow manage to bungle that more often than not.
4852460
Oh, how many years have you actually been working on this? I was a bit confused by the presence of a refrigerator, and the forest's worth of detritus covering the floor.
Is that the right plural? TIL.
4852632
Ha! I got the language (almost) right for once.
If it's a cool fire, it should work out okay.
Microwaves can't defrost, and that's a scientific fact.
4852639
Depends on how you define 'actually working.' The short version is that until last year, the walls were incomplete, and there was no roof. After the township complained, I got motivated enough to put up all the walls (almost) and add the roof (I've had the parts for the job for nearly ten years).
The refrigerator is part of the wind bracing system, until all the floor anchor brackets get put in, which I'll get around to eventually.
I've also got a shed that's wind-braced by being tied down to a lawnmower. It's really effective, especially since the lawnmower has four flat tires and the deck is sunk partway in the ground.
4852881
It's only the correct plural in this universe, sadly: