I love my old vehicles but anytime I have to go out of town and be certain of getting to my destination, I rent. The guys at Enterprise know and love me. While waiting to turn in my keys this morning one of the Enterprise kids was on the phone to someone who had left not one, but two garage door remotes in the rental. When he finished the call I asked what is the strangest thing he has found in a rental. Continue reading
Getting back to my fighting weight
Coming up on three weeks since surgery and for the last week I have had a voracious appetite. Thinking three meals ahead! A good thing because I’ve lost weight in the last six months. Down from 140 to 125. (Yes, I look like Nazi death camp survivor)
I now know this weight loss was almost certainly due to undiagnosed acute diverticulitis which got tossed into the medical waste receptacle with my benign mass. Where was I? Right, my weight.
My goal is to get back to 140 by my 78th birthday (March 8) which means I need to gain ~1 pound every week, which I’m told is doable. Bowl of butter pecan ice cream at bedtime, big Towne Grill breakfast… easy peasy.
1920 Kennett High School Yearbook
My friend John got his hands on a copy of the 1920 Kennett High School yearbook and took the time to copy every (?) page. Here are a few of the images that caught my eye. Click the thumbnails below for larger image.
Gabby (11 weeks)
AirPods Pro 3 remote start and mic
This clip runs just under a minute. One feature of AirPods Pro 3 allows you to remotely take photo or record video on your iPhone. And use the AirPod to record audio.
What is a robotic colectomy?
Watch on YouTube (3:30)
Colorectal surgery for a non-malignant growth-when performed electively in a stable patient-has a survival rate exceeding 99%, making it one of the safest major abdominal operations in modern practice. It was a very long month.
Gabby Week One (cont)
Riley wasn’t sure about the new kid the first few days but finally started warming up to her. Here they’re relaxing after some vigorous play (video).
This is still your first time
Pretend your life ended years ago, and you’ve been living in some sort of agreeable afterlife. You don’t have real problems anymore. There’s no stress, no war, no worries, no shame.
The only downside, if you would call it that, is that you don’t get to live in the world anymore. Despite all the troubles of worldly life, most of your afterlife peers feel a bit of nostalgia about “being in the thick of it again.”
The afterlife community, among other activities, holds a weekly raffle. The prize is kept private – only the winners know what it is, and they must sign a non-disclosure agreement.
One week, you win, and accept the prize. An administrator congratulates you, you sign the papers, and he touches you on the arm.
Instantly your surroundings change. Continue reading
Gabby comes home (8 weeks)
Riggs Motor Company (1920)
From that same 1920 Kennett High School album. My favorite part: TELEPHONE No. 62. John liked: “We repair anything from a Motorcycle to an Airplane.”
Dodge Brothers Motor Cars was the name under which Horace and John Dodge began producing their own automobiles in 1914, after years of supplying parts to other Detroit automakers like Ford and Oldsmobile.
Founding and Rise – The Dodge brothers opened their first machine shop in Detroit in 1900, quickly gaining a reputation for precision-engineered components. They supplied Ford’s Model A with complete chassis assemblies and even held a 10% ownership stake in Ford Motor Company. In July 1914, they incorporated the Dodge Brothers Motor Company with $5 million in stock and introduced their first automobile—the Dodge Model 30–35 touring car—built in Hamtramck, Michigan.
Innovations – The 1914 Dodge car was marketed as a more advanced and durable alternative to the Ford Model T, featuring an all-steel body, 12‑volt electric system, and a 35‑horsepower four‑cylinder engine. These innovations helped the brand quickly achieve second place in U.S. sales by 1916.
Wartime and Growth – During World War I, the Dodge Brothers supplied commercial and military trucks as well as artillery recoil systems for the Allied forces. By 1919, production surpassed 400,000 vehicles annually, and the company introduced its first four‑door sedan.
Legacy and Ownership Changes – Both brothers died in 1920 due to complications from influenza, and without their leadership, the company struggled to maintain its early momentum. In 1925, their widows sold the firm to Dillon, Read & Co. for $146 million, and in 1928, Dodge was acquired by Walter P. Chrysler to become part of Chrysler Corporation.
Today, the Dodge brand remains part of Stellantis, continuing a legacy that began with the pioneering Dodge Brothers Motor Cars more than a century ago. (Perplexity)