From Plum Island, a 1997 thriller by Nelson DeMille:
“Can you describe to the duties of the Gordons?”
“Yes… They were involved mostly with… genetic research. Genetic alteration of viruses to make them unable to cause disease, but able to stimulate the body’s immune system.”
“A vaccine?” Beth asked.
“Yes, a new type of vaccine. Much safer than using a weakened virus.”
On Saturday a few friends came out to the house to help me take the hardtop off the Land Rover and put the soft-top on. Didn’t do this last spring because COVID was rampant. Really missed driving around under the mesh top. Last time we had the top off was in 2019. Took more help to get the hardtop back on that fall.
I’ve stored the hardtop in different places. After it was nearly destroyed by a tornado, I kept it in the basement but that meant removing the top from the sides. With a little help from my friends we were able to squeeze it in under the deck. Going to see if I can improve the look with a section of plastic lattice. (see below)
My thanks to the crew: George Kopp, Dave Kempf, Gaston De La Torre, and Dave Trammel.
“She was big on patination. That was how quality wore in, she said, as opposed to out. Distressing, on the other hand, was the faking of patination, and was actually a way of concealing a lack of quality.”
— Zero History (William Gibson)
My friend George has a 1982 Jeep CJ7 that he’s owned since high school. It’s been through a lot, including a tornado that destroyed his business. It’s being held together with ingenuity, determination, love and ratchet straps. He was working on it when I stopped by today. (video :90)
I noticed a tiny, rusted tool in the console which George explained was used to turn the wipers on and off.
I drive by this house two or three times a day. Yesterday I spotted this truck and the image has haunted me. A dozen question immediately popped into my head (in no particular order):
I drove by the house later in the day and the truck was parked in the same spot but with all four tires… and the bed was empty.
Derek Chauvin convicted of the murder of George Floyd. For the first time in Minnesota state history, a white police officer has been held accountable for killing a Black man.
According to the New York Times, Derek Chauvin is being held in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day in Minnesota’s only maximum-security prison after he was convicted of murdering George Floyd and led out of a courtroom in handcuffs, according to authorities.
For the last year Barb and her sister Jan were diligent in keeping themselves and those around them safe. They were hunkered down. Now that they and their close family have been vaccinated, a few of them are spending a week at Barb’s place in Destin, FL. Well deserved. No indoor dining but lots of beach time.
