Still Chilly and Damp in Alabama

It is a grey damp morning today. The temperatures are supposed to get into the 60° range later in the day. Still I had to turn up the furnace when I shuffled out of bed at 4:00 as the house was a dank 53°. I HATE hearing that thing cycle!!

It stayed cool yesterday (Tuesday). I had hoped to work out in the yard after the Y. Instead finally I tore into the grandfather clock to replace the brass braided weight cables. The cable on the “time” side snapped before Christmas. I was just starting to wind it when the cable broke right at the winding barrel. Fortunately the weight was almost at the bottom of the case. It is not unusual to find the bottoms of these old clocks busted out from plummeting weights!

Those old cords have been in the clock since my first restoration was done on it in 1972. Hopefully these new cables will last out my lifetime.

It never fails. I had just sent out the order to Arizona for the new cables from one of the few remaining clock supply houses when the brass cable broke on my eight day Seth Thomas Weight clock! The weights for that clock are very heavy compared to what they would be for a 30 hour clock. I know those cables are at least 18 years old, as that is how long I’ve owned that clock. I should be able to use a parachute cord to replace that cable. That is the problem with antique mechanical stuff; you are always fiddling with it.

The Rowers Referee Workshop was Saturday morning a the University Recreation Center starting at 7:00 a.m. The room it was held at was FREEZING. Normally I dress with thermals etc, but this morning I just put on a tee shirt and a heavy flannel shirt. Usually those University buildings are overheated if anything. I never took off my Swiss Army Cammo jacket. Everyone present pretty much shivered through the five hour presentation.

There is so much to learn to be a certified referee. I was thinking I’d just learn what I could to be able to help out at the upcoming regatta in March. The man who did the main talking, Dick, was a referee at the Atlanta Olympics. His co host Donna was a good balance. I soaked up so much information and was so intimidated I was numb as I walked to my truck at noon. The air was still chilly, but the cab of my truck was toasty warm!!! That heat felt so good!

Before I left the house I put my white table linens from the previous nights dinner down to soak. The grease and wine stains were spot treated with full strength Awesome Cleaner. (from the dollar Tree) Then a plastic bucket was filled with cold water in which I added some dissolved automatic dishwashing detergent, and a cup of bleach. They soaked all morning. I then just dumped entire mess into the washing machine adding some of my normal detergent and cycled the load through a normal washing cycle.

Those double damask table cloths and napkins I use were acquired at an auction some 30+ years ago. If I remember right, that box contained over 50 napkins, and three table cloths that were the double damask, along with lots of cotton table cloths. The price was about $18.00 or so. I’ve been using that stuff ever since. I figure I’ve gotten my moneys worth from that sale many times over!

While that was agitating I took a nap with the cats under the down comforter to get my blood flowing and warmed up. The sun was shining brightly when I hung everything on the line an hour later. The humidity was low so everything dried very quickly. I needed sunglasses when I took those old napkins off the line they were so brilliantly white!
I was ironing up those napkins when I decided to attend the “Grand BAL MASQUE XVI” the annual fundraiser for the “West Alabama Aids Organization”. It seemed everyone I always attended with in the past with was out of town. I sometimes feel funny going to functions alone, but I know a lot of the people who would be attending.
Debbie had been hedging all day if she would show up or not. As I expected, she cancelled out. I’ve done this routine so many times it is like clockwork to get my outfit together. First I had to find a pink perfection Camellia for my Tuxedo lapel. The recent cold snap put rust brown on most of my blooms. Hunting real hard I found a perfect blossom buried in the inside of the bush.
Since I don’t have any black pants to match my Tux Jacket, I always wear my black leather jeans and polished work boots. I’ve done that for many years now. I can still squeeze into my tux shirt I bought back in the early 1980’s. My cummerbund still fits me at the 33 waist size. I was so proud of myself; I was able to get the bow tie done in only two tries. It is the real thing, no snap on for this boy!
It is a short walk to the theater where this is being held. There was a great crowd milling about. I noticed a bunch of guys wearing leather pants with their Tuxedos. I think I’ve started something!
This “show” is held in the Mardis Gras tradition the weekend before Fat Tuesday. Elaborate tableaus are presented, “Royalty” is crowned amid great ceremony, and beads are thrown with abandon into the audience. The costumes and drag are so inventive. One of the “filler skits” had a VERY pregnant lady walking across the stage. Then she reappeared pushing a pram behind a sign that read: Octet Mom. She was very distraught holding one baby after another, and then she threw each of these eight “babies’ into the audience! What a hoot!
I saw a lot of people I knew and had a great time. There was an after hours party, but by the time things finished up at 11:30 it was WAY past this boys bedtime!