(or at least a round-numbers day) The blog just had its 7,500th page view, and it's five visits away from its 3000th visit. Who will be the 3000th visitor? (No, there's no prize this time, though who knows what might happen when we hit, say, 5000?)
The 7500th page viewer appears to have been . . . Caleb. That's a guess since it doesn't actually show the page view numbers, but somebody from Ithaca using rr.com made visit number 2994 with two page views, and I think the second page view was #7500. Who else could it be but Caleb??
Maybe sometime I will figure out how to post a visit counter on the blog itself so that people can watch the visit numbers mount up.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Friday, December 23, 2005
Christmas Contest!
We were going to forego a Christmas contest this year, but have decided to succumb to the pressure from certain quarters. This year's contest is a guess-the-number-of-hay-bales contest. What does hay have to do with Christmas, you ask. Well, the Baby Jesus was born in a manger. Around here, we put hay in mangers. Voila! A connection!
All you have to do is guess how many hay bales are in a section of our hay mow. If you are the closest, you win $25. Yes, that's right, twenty-FIVE dollars. There is no penalty for going over or under. Just be the closest. Unfortunately, it will take three to four months to determine the precise number of bales, as that is how long it will take me to feed them out. I will count every one and provide periodic updates. Ready?
Starting in the NW corner of the barn the section with this particular hay runs 36' along the west wall to the SW corner. It turns 90 degrees and runs along the south wall 16'. It turns 90 degrees and runs 10' in a northerly direction, and turns 90 degrees and runs 8' in an easterly direction to a post. It then runs 16' in a northerly direction to another post, turns 90 degrees, and runs 12' westerly to another post. It then turns 90 degrees and runs 10' northerly to the north wall of the barn. Lastly it turns 90 degrees and runs 12' along the north wall to the NW corner where it started. The average height of the hay is (very) approximately 10', with the peak height being about 14'. A hay bale measures 14" by18" by a short 3', with plenty of variation in dimension and shape.
Please note that not all 90 degree turns are in the same direction. If you diagram it, it will look like a large rectangle with two smaller rectangles removed from two corners. Also, some of the hay is "stacked" and some is not. Stacked hay packs more bales in the same space as unstacked hay. There is a small amount of loose hay under the bales. It is mostly insignificant except in an area right under the mow conveyor where it might displace a dozen or so bales.
Some pictures are provided for perspective. I'll gladly clarify anything that needs clarification.
Deadline for entries is 1/1/06 at 0000.
The post on the right is the second post in the description. The bales in the left foreground are not in the pile.
The first post again.
All you have to do is guess how many hay bales are in a section of our hay mow. If you are the closest, you win $25. Yes, that's right, twenty-FIVE dollars. There is no penalty for going over or under. Just be the closest. Unfortunately, it will take three to four months to determine the precise number of bales, as that is how long it will take me to feed them out. I will count every one and provide periodic updates. Ready?
Starting in the NW corner of the barn the section with this particular hay runs 36' along the west wall to the SW corner. It turns 90 degrees and runs along the south wall 16'. It turns 90 degrees and runs 10' in a northerly direction, and turns 90 degrees and runs 8' in an easterly direction to a post. It then runs 16' in a northerly direction to another post, turns 90 degrees, and runs 12' westerly to another post. It then turns 90 degrees and runs 10' northerly to the north wall of the barn. Lastly it turns 90 degrees and runs 12' along the north wall to the NW corner where it started. The average height of the hay is (very) approximately 10', with the peak height being about 14'. A hay bale measures 14" by18" by a short 3', with plenty of variation in dimension and shape.
Please note that not all 90 degree turns are in the same direction. If you diagram it, it will look like a large rectangle with two smaller rectangles removed from two corners. Also, some of the hay is "stacked" and some is not. Stacked hay packs more bales in the same space as unstacked hay. There is a small amount of loose hay under the bales. It is mostly insignificant except in an area right under the mow conveyor where it might displace a dozen or so bales.
Some pictures are provided for perspective. I'll gladly clarify anything that needs clarification.
Deadline for entries is 1/1/06 at 0000.
The post on the right is the second post in the description. The bales in the left foreground are not in the pile.
The post on the left is the second post in the description. The post beyond it is the third.
The post on the right is the first post in the description.
The first post.
The first post again.
Lileks' description of an all-too-familiar experience
Have to pick up Child™ from school. I leave early, because I assume – quite naturally – that if I am one minute late Hannibal Lecter will chloroform and kidnap my precious child. I hop in the car, hit the garage door button, turn on the radio, buckle up, check the rear-view mirror – blue sky. All systems go. Put the car in reverse, and JONK
All systems stop. That’s really the only term that sums up the sound of a vehicle slamming into a garage door: JONK. I get out. The door stuck 7/8ths of the way up. It cannot be budged. Wishing to compound my stupidity, I push the button again; the motor screams, smokes and dies. Let’s recap! I’ve busted the door, bent the rails, dented my hatchback, and destroyed the opener! Huzzah! Let’s complete the festivities by setting my hair on fire with hundred dollar bills! A repairman was summoned, and managed to exude bemused contempt waves without speaking; if you’d held up an Etch-A-Sketch behind his head, the words YOU FREAKIN’ IDIOT would have appeared on the screen.
What’s worse: I did this before. Last December. It’s a new tradition! All sing: Barreling barreling through the door, Christmas time is coming. Barreling barreling one time more, Christmas time is coming. Dredge ye out the pages Yellow / cut a check to workman fellow/ Ding dong ding dong . . . LECTER HAS YOUR DAUGHTER.
All systems stop. That’s really the only term that sums up the sound of a vehicle slamming into a garage door: JONK. I get out. The door stuck 7/8ths of the way up. It cannot be budged. Wishing to compound my stupidity, I push the button again; the motor screams, smokes and dies. Let’s recap! I’ve busted the door, bent the rails, dented my hatchback, and destroyed the opener! Huzzah! Let’s complete the festivities by setting my hair on fire with hundred dollar bills! A repairman was summoned, and managed to exude bemused contempt waves without speaking; if you’d held up an Etch-A-Sketch behind his head, the words YOU FREAKIN’ IDIOT would have appeared on the screen.
What’s worse: I did this before. Last December. It’s a new tradition! All sing: Barreling barreling through the door, Christmas time is coming. Barreling barreling one time more, Christmas time is coming. Dredge ye out the pages Yellow / cut a check to workman fellow/ Ding dong ding dong . . . LECTER HAS YOUR DAUGHTER.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
A White Christmas to All!
Check it out, and make sure your sound is on. (Click on "Play" when it opens.)
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
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