kids and driving: a nightmare

With all the struggles and challenges of changing our lifestyle it never occurred to me that having 3 kids at home ages 17,19 and 21 the idea of them driving and the constant nagging to get drive time experience is nerve wracking.  Gone are days when we had drivers ed taught to us in high school. PArents did not have to do anything but go with Junior to the DMV to get the permit  and the drivers ed instructor, usually an athletic coach did the hard job. When we completed the course at the end of the semester mom and dad  would take Junior to the DMV and wait patiently while they took their driving test.   LIFE was so much simpler then.

In todays world the kids bicker and nag every time a drive somewhere is needed. "Can I drive"  is the dreaded inquiry the parent gets.  When 3 kids start this at the same time  the notion of my patience wearing thin comes to the front.  And if you reluctanyl choose one the real fighting begins..  "Its not fair"  "Its favoritism"  or "its Bullshit you let her drive and not me"   What wonderful kids.  This is usually followed by me saying "F#ck it I am driving"  Makes almost any trip unbearable.   My favorite  response occurred the other night when my 21 year old avoided me completely and told her mother "Tell dad to let me drive". Mind you i was in the drivers seat at the time.  Clearly bypassing dad and beginning the trip with both mom and I facing unavoidable confrontation.

This entire scenario plays itself out like clockwork the moment I walk in the door after a full day at work and lasts at least the first few hours..  G-d how I miss the old days.. Has anyone else gone thru this scenario.

It makes me wonder what the fascination is with driving.. To me its an exercise in futility and an annoyance.  I prefer to walk, ride the bike or take a bus or Uber.  Less stress. 

2017 and a change in lifestyle

After several long months of subdued activity I am almost ready to begin the new chapter in Living With Trashdigger.  SInce my heart surgery 2 years ago and my mini stroke several weeks ago the wife and I decided a change is needed. 
With the house sold we are taking the Trash phamily into a temporary retirement. We have acquired a used 1 ton truck and a 5th wheel as our home base and will later in the year begin enjoying the freedom of not having a brick and mortar residence any longer .   This has not been an easy time but the end of one life and beginning of another is near.
I will still maintain employment in both my regula job and build my other businesses to the point where I can work from the road, the lake, the beach or anywhere else.
I also will be updating my YT channel  to reflect the changes as time allows. 
Stay tuned...

NOw its been a really long time.

Almost 2 years since i have posted anything here..  Where has the time gone.
In the past 2 years I have been delving into infosec as a sideline as well as the www.pipes.org website as a source of secondary income. Along with my full time government gig.
I also suffered a heart attack last June which required a quad bypass to get me back to normal.. Whatever that is. So I now live on meds and see useless doctors. I am also trying to eat better and get back to my gardening this spring. The beater bike has been restored somewhat and I am slowly able to ride again.
We are still living in old beater mobile home, the wife, 3 kids and now a little dog my daughter adopted.
During my recovery I was given a 42 in LED tv and a hacked Android streaming box to keep me entertained.  Having an affinity for old Sherlock Holmes and Science Fiction the Android has found me many hours of entertaining programming to keep me entertained. Thanx to my son who acquired this for me.
Hopefully I will be able to add things that interest me on here as time goes on and eventually get back to doing YouTube videos again. My studio is in disarray from the yeas of neglect. Hopefully that will change.
In the meantime I will be again posting somewhat regularly to this journal of my activities and hope the 56 readers are still out there.
Namaste

long time coming

It s been a real long time since last I posted.  I have been busy working on many other projects that have taken precedence..  www.pipes.org is one of those projects. As Is attempting to readjust the family homestead into a more mobile version.  While we are not there yet we are working diligently now that we have a few goals laid out.
 more to come if anyone is still reading this...

fall update

Now that the harvest, as small as it is, is in and things are settling down quite a bit for a long winter rest I finally have the time needed to rekindle my blog.. 
After spending the summer on numerous geek projects I now have the time and some energy to reconvene with my readers and catch up on the activities.
Facebook followers, Instagram followers  and numerous friends I have acquired this summer are leading me to the fall and winter slumber.
Summers are always busy time for old Trash. CLients use the summer months to upgrade their systems and technologies and that keeps old Trash busy. This summer was exceptionally busy. Lots of high dollar , high energy projects.
I have also delved more fervently into social media. WHile I got burned out doing videos weekly I also found Instagram for a quick fix of sharing and caring. Thru there I have increased my activity in the pipe communities and am working with a few other geek friends on rekindling the www.pipes.org website. While not a paid gig it is more of a labor of love for the lifestyle I have been involved in for over 40 years.  GO one over and pay a visit  here
Work in Babylon has also changed. I am still doing R and D and tech advising and tinkering but alot of my trivial work will now be done by the younger slaves. Giving me more time to meander and tinker. Both of which I love to do.
It is also time to prepare for winter around the stead. Gather supplies, collect project materials, etc.
The old studio is now a shambles as I am attempting to create a workshop out there for wood working projects long overdue. I hope to keep ya updated as I work thru this mess.
Good Sunday

a real long time

Oh yes it has been.
June 25 was my last post here so I presume everyone thinks I must have benn picked up by the guys in the black cars. Not so. I have been writing and devoting some time to my YouTube Channel over at drmacstudios.  I have been building quite a following since I began delving into the niche of pipe smoking.
Something I have been doing for over 30 years. Apparently the video world thinks old Trash has something to say. Ya''ll ought to take a look.
Anyhow life is SAMO SAMO on the homestead. Garden, self-sufficiency, dumpstering etc. All part of the day to day at the homestead.
I finished the GOod Lief Lab and working on the review. I am hoping to see Wendy and Mikey on Thursday at the Tattered COver LODO when they make a book stop here. I was rather impressed with the work and would suggest you all pick up a copy. A very worthwhile read.  

summertime blues

Since the last time I updated on fathers day I have been quite busy in both labs and attempting to keep the gardens from wilting and my compost from turning to clay. It has not been easy. But thus far it has been sucessful.

The gallery  surveillance gig is going well as well as several other  small projects I have been doing. Worked all day this past Saturday and came home and crashed on Sunday. Too much to do at the lab.  I am going to attempt a disconnect next week for a few days to regather and realign myself . We shall see how it goes.

In the meantime I keep pushing forward on projects and todo's. Hope y'all are doing well in this summertime season.