I've gotta change something around here

So today almost like out of the blue my sister asks me to check grandpa's push lawnmower because, as I suspect, for the past couple of days we've both noticed how much the grass has been growing and as such needs to be mowed. I know if Mom was looking at it from the bathroom window, she'd be saying the same thing.

She basically wants to see if it'll start. She put more oil in it (I don't think it really needed any more), and I see it's been left out front. So I do the usual prime push on the rubber bulb that primes it. I do this about 10 times, because it's been months since it was started. I'm sure lots of places say you should drain the gas from the tank for winter storage. This is something I don't do. I've never done it. I'm sure the more inclined and able people do this, but I'm not that sort of person.

So I prime and pull the rip cord. It's not even firing. I realize this sort of thing will require more priming - after all, it's sat around for months unused. It will require more than the usual amount of priming. I check the gas and add a little still in the old metal gas can. How old? My grandfather has had it for years and never bought a new one. Still in great shape.

The addition of a little more fuel to the mower obtains the desired result. The mower fires up to life and runs just fine. Some preliminary white smoke belches from the muffler (if it is a muffler), and after a while it subsides, but the mower is doing its job.

I would think my sister would suddenly appear, offering to take the reigns of the mower at this point. Certainly it's loud enough to tell her that yes Andy can do something for once and actually got a gas mower started after being in storage. But no. Anywho, I decide that for once I need to get up and do something. The problem here is that I usually plan for events like this. This means the use of some ibuprofen. Whatever I do these days usually requires some planning for the pain I get for payback for doing anything.

First goings of mowing the small side yard near the driveway (car park if you like) are not so bad. Toward the middle and clearly towards the end of doing this mowing I am winded. I do not recall ever being in this much pain for a simple mowing job as this. I try to breathe deeply, and it takes much of my quickly disappearing stamina just to pull through. I managed to finish the task, but not before I'm wheezing, pain in my windpipe, desiring of more comfortable surroundings and some water.

At first, before even this happened, I had been inside getting annoyed by the growing coldness, and I turned up the heat. But coming back in, the heat was overwhelming and I turned it back down. It doesn't help that indoor humidity is above 50% while during the winter I observed no more than 20%.

I really need to change something in my lifestyle and get more in shape so that I don't ever experience pain like that again. My big problem is that I don't know how to change it. Running up and down the stairs or something, any kind of physical activity just to be doing something instead of depressed and bored watching TV or trying to start my computer service business.


 

Seen At Big Lots: Wireless Mouth

And look! It's on sale!

The Dell CRT monitor is probably going bad

I've noticed for the past couple of days the Dell CRT monitor is doing this little flicker jumpy thing, like it jumps back and forth vertically like a couple scan lines. It doesn't happen when it's first turned on. It is about 6 or 7 years old by now (Mom got the computer in 2004 if I remember right). I would think it could be dusty inside. TVs also act up when too dusty, so perhaps this is the CRT showing dusty signs.  Maybe I just need to disconnect, open the case, and blow it all out. I do have a backup monitor which has a bad wire (the red cuts out if the cable isn't properly placed) just in case. Maybe it's time to find a decently priced LCD monitor. I don't know.

Always something

Sherriff called on redneck neighbors fighting out in the street

Ookami-den for the Nintendo DS

It's been about a year since I found a used but in good shape copy of Ookami for the PS2. I had traded in a bass fishing game Mom bought but never played (probably due to not having a fishing controller if there was one) and got a paltry 63 cents for the exchange. I had to also go online to find the cover to print out and a PDF for the instruction manual. I am thankful that Capcom supports their games in that manner.

Now I find out about a sequel game for the Nintendo DS, Ookami-den. After about 10 hours into game play, I'm stuck. But some reflections on what I've played so far.

There's no longer this nit-picky annoying collecting of 100 strings of beads. You don't have to feed any animals. I like that there's still the blooming of trees. Most of the locations in the original game are here and some new ones as well. So if you're used to Shinshu Field and the guy who does pottery there, you know you'll see that again. There's plenty of signs that this is a sequel - time has moved forth and some things are slightly different. It's nice to see more of the story.

What I greatly miss is seeing this game on a big screen TV. I guess I could still plug the audio out of the DS into the Dolby unit with a patch cable instead of using headphones. The look and music of the PS2 game are re-created for the DS, though there are more areas per game part likely due to the less RAM in the DS. I was used to Shinshu Field being one area in the PS2 version.

Funny how a lot of the treasure locations are the same, and there's new puzzles to figure out. I decided to go the Greenhorn aka Easy route to play even though I know what to expect in this version for the DS.

Brush techniques have to be re-learned again. You have different friends accompanying you in various parts. I was able to get to a point where I'm going to have to backtrack a bit due to unfinished business in one part. At least now there won't be a feeling at one point going "Is this all there is?" like I did last time only to find out there's more.

Some control of the camera is lost but the user interface helps make up for it. I like one difference from the original: No Falling Off of Cliffs. Or at least less of it.

I have lost sleep due to playing Ookami-den. I was up until 3:30 am last night before I realized I was up that late. It was similar to last year while playing Ookami on the PS2, but not quite as late.

I doubt there's a walkthrough to help me figure out what I forgot in the previous spot...

I'm glad I saved the gift card to help pay for this.