All posts by Tom Dills

Shave & A Haircut

Floyds Barber Shop in Downtown Mount Airy, NC

It’s been about 6 weeks since I had my hair cut, and while it was a good cut, it is getting kind of shaggy.  Fortunately it seems like the latest style and I’m on the cutting edge for once!

I have resisted the trend toward beards and mustaches and have maintained my every-other-day(-ish) shaving, but it’s going to probably be another month or so until I can get the hair trimmed again.  It will be interesting to see how people deal with their hair over the next few weeks.  At least we don’t have to worry about hair color like a lot of our friends and neighbors! 😉

The photo is from several years back at Floyd’s Barber Shop in Mount Airy, NC.  Mount Airy is known to many as Mayberry from the Andy Griffith Show.

Ordinary Household Objects: Day 34

Ordinary Household Objects: Scottish Ducks

Kathy & I drove into town yesterday for a doctor’s appointment, and were surprised by the number of cars on the road.  Traffic was lighter than usual, sure.  But it doesn’t seem like people are actually staying home, rather using their “free time” to venture here and there.  It will be interesting to see what things are like when stores start to reopen.

Ordinary Household Objects: Day 33

Ordinary Household Objects: W. T. Duck

For those who don’t know, What the Duck was a photography-oriented comic strip that ran from 2006-2016.  It is now published by Universal Press Syndicate under the name W. T. Duck.  There are a number of sources, but one is GoComics.  I bought this plush W.T. several years ago, and he sits on my desk in this mini beach chair.  He has a twin that hides in a closet somewhere in the house.

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A New York Times article (yes, I read a lot of the Times and the Washington Post) about the reopening of restaurants was interesting.  It’s worth the time, as it delves into a lot of the strategy and planning that goes into re-opening a restaurant under strict virus guidelines.  The article states that a restaurant in Atlanta is planning to open Monday, and that “it intends to sell what will likely be America’s first dry-aged porterhouse steak served by a waiter at a white-tablecloth restaurant in the midst of a global pandemic.”

The article goes on to talk about all of the precautions that restaurants will need to take in order to operate safely.  I don’t know about y’all, but that’s not the restaurant experience I want to return to.  I’m getting along just fine without restaurants, thank you very much.  And if going out to eat means “an experience that is more like a trip to the dental hygienist” I think I’ll keep cooking at home, thank you very much!

All this good eating has resulted in a 10 pound weight loss – the last restaurant meal we had was 6 weeks ago today. 🙂

Something’s Fishy

Fresh NC Snapper from Lucky Fish

I’ve always been a bit of a chicken when it comes to cooking fish at home.  But Kathy & I love good fish, and we recently came across a source for good, fresh fish that delivers to our home.  The son of one of our neighbors is a chef and operates a wholesale seafood business, selling to restaurants and also to individuals through local farmer’s markets.  I think he only delivers to our neighborhood because his mother lives here.

We had known about Michael and Lucky Fish for a long time, but after talking with one of our other neighbors who is a regular customer, we decided to give it a try.  We ordered some NC Snapper, and wow!  I grilled it on non-stick foil with a little zesty lemon seasoning, and it was perfect, accompanied by a bottle of Kendall Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Rose Wine (part of our ongoing experiment with grocery store wine).

I’ve already developed a reputation for being the “Steak Whisperer” when it comes to running my grill.  Maybe soon I’ll also be known as the “Fish Whisperer.” 🙂  It is sure going to make it even harder to go back to restaurants!

Ordinary Household Objects: Day 32

Ordinary Household Objects: Dresser

I’m constantly amazed by the images produced by the Hubble Space Telescope.  It’s even more amazing to realize that Hubble has been orbiting the Earth for 30 years.  Here is a link to a recent NYTimes article about that history, along with a stunning “Birthday Photo.”  Also be sure to follow the link to the 2015 article where various astronomers talk about their favorite photos.

Ordinary Household Objects: Day 31

Ordinary Household Objects: Gurgle Pot

On my walk this morning I was musing about how life is sometimes like a walk in the forest.  Sometimes there is a trail, clearly blazed.  Other times the trail is obscured, either by fallen leaves or by mud, rocks or water.  When the trail is hidden, we can’t see it more than a few feet ahead.  But with each step, the next step becomes clear.  Funny how our eyes always manage to tell our feet where to go next, while keeping an eye out for obstacles.  One step at a time.

Ordinary Household Objects: Day 30

Ordinary Household Objects: Table Lamp

Our governor announced yesterday that he is extending our stay-at-home order until May 8, at which time he hopes/expects to be able to implement a phased return to opening businesses. and getting people back to work  Based on that it may be June before we can return to many of our normal activities.  It’s a little frustrating but ultimately seems like a wise approach given the uncertainties.

It’s been interesting to read about the results of these so-called “antibody tests” that show whether or not you have had or have been exposed to the virus.  Evidently the numbers are suggesting that there are far more people that (a) have had the virus but didn’t know it, or (b) had symptoms which were not indicative of the virus but actually had some form of it.  It’s also interesting that the data suggest the virus may have been prevalent in our country a lot earlier than previously thought, and at a surprisingly high level.  I’d love to be able to get the test to see if either or both of us had been exposed.  Assuming that there is some level of immunity from previous exposure, it would be nice to have the peace of mind of knowing that maybe we had less to worry about.  I also think it is a key for getting people back to work again.

As far as these other states that seem to be jumping the gun on opening things up, I’m exercising my best Southern Hospitality and saying, “Y’all go ahead, I think I’ll just sit here and watch for a while and see how it works out.  Bless your heart.” 🙂

In the mean time, it sounds like I’ll be looking for more things to photograph around the house!

 

Ordinary Household Objects: Day 28

Ordinary Household Objects: Glass Bowl

I read an interesting article today about Carl Sagan and the idea of a Baloney Detection Kit from his book titled “The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark.”  It is a thoughtful look at critical thinking and how it is or could/should be applied to the way we view information and how we form opinions.  It inspired me to request the entire book from the library to read, and it is now on my Kindle.  Unfortunately it’s about 4th in line to read, but I’ll get to it!