Cicero is back!
After going missing early in the week, our oldest 4-legged boy Cicero finally came walking in the back door late last night during a thunderstorm. He’s not in perfect health so we were really worried about him — pretty much just as worried as we’d be about a human family member gone missing.
So relieved he came home.
For cats, somehow I think he’s doing you a favour, lowly humans. Still, I’m glad.
That is good news!
@Hotbutton that’s awesome! 
Your little tuxedo looks almost like mine 
No real news to report today other than I’m awake and ready to have a big cup of tea 
I’m excited that I was just asked to give a presentation on accessibility for an online “summer camp” event for designers.
I also just got a new client—from the other side of the world—who reached out after seeing me give an accessibility presentation elsewhere.
I just finished Building a Story Brand too, which was really insightful.
Finally dropped 20lbs. Whoo hoo, only 20 more to go. But I got the old mountain bike out last night, aired it up and took it for a spin around the block. Well sort of. You know, you can forget how to ride a bike. Bet the neighborhood had a good laugh at the guy that looked like a cross between an old drunk on a bike and a kid having a good time (I will never own spandex. Ever.)
The good news is, I didn’t die of a heart attack. 
Congrats on the weight loss.
I chalk it up to not having to drive by 6 Dunkin Donuts on my commute for 6 weeks (actually x2 coming and going.)
Their loss too. 
You know, only elephants won’t forget. Us humans, all the time. Besides, elephants can’t get on a bike.
I’d be really impressed if they can ride bicycles.
After quite a few bike-less years, I thought “How hard can it be?” but, nope, it’s not “Just like riding a bike”. Good thing I give up easily.
Way to go PD!
My good news is my sister is coming over tomorrow … She hasn’t been here in months. I’ve only seen the kids through the window. So we are going to do lunch
The good news: Speaking of riding a bike, 5 weeks ago, my wife and I decided to get bikes and start riding as a means of casual exercise and recreation. On our first ride, she had to shake off a bit of rust, but despite the 45-year hiatus, I took right to it and really enjoyed it. We were really stoked about riding regularly.
The bad news: 4 weeks ago, my wife tripped, fell, and fractured her humerus in 3 places. A week later, a large piece of hardware and 12 screws were surgically installed to hold her arm together, and a long, difficult recovery commenced. The bikes have stepped up and volunteered to gather their share of dust in the garage.
The good news: The 60-gallon fish tank in our living room ISN’T leaking!
The bad news: It sure looked like it was . . . water on the floor and plenty of it . . . the water level in the tank almost 2 inches lower than yesterday. Ugh.
A freak leak: Overnight Wednesday into Thursday, our locale was blessed with heavy thunderstorms that caused all kinds of damage from flooding and downed tree limbs. We live in a heavily wooded development where one gigantic tree came down. It just so happened that particular tree was in close proximity to a couple utility poles holding transformers through which the entire development is powered.
So we were without electricity from about 3 AM to 7 PM yesterday. Apparently, when power was restored, the aeration pump in the cabinet under that fish tank failed to restart properly and actually became a siphon pump, pulling water from the tank through the aeration tube into its own housing, which of course isn’t watertight.
More good news: I discovered the unusual condition in time to avert a catastrophe, and the composite flooring I laid in that room handled the standing water without any damage. The cabinet is drying out now, and it looks like we’ll come out of it unscathed.
That’s an odd problem and would seem to be a design flaw. I wonder if a situation where it could act as a siphon was even considered. it’s good you caught it before any significant water damage occurred. Good news for the fish too, I suppose.
That’s a lot to process HB … whew! Never a dull moment I see
Sending healing wishes to the Mrs sounds awful 
Good news: going to get supplies to make my new custom standing desk tomorrow!
Never a dull moment indeed.
Thanks RKK!
I’m inclined to agree. Seems the “bellows” that would normally push air into and through the tube was closed while the power was out, and opened (that is, it pulled in rather than pushed out), upon restart and pulled some water in through the aeration stone that’s at the bottom of the tank. Once water was drawn into the tube, the pull-stroke of the bellows continued to outdo the push stroke due to the sealing effect of the water. Water-in won over air-out and eventually enough water entered the tube to establish a fully flowing siphon. As a system, these little things are rather unsophisticated, so the absence of a check valve to disallow such back-siphon isn’t terribly surprising.
I added an electric sit / stand base to my desk and really like it.
