random updates

The last few days have been nuts. But since people ask, here are some updates:

car: broken water pump, so the coolant went everywhere and made the belt slip, which is why I lost the steering. It's fixed. On the road again... I heart Wilton Garage!

microscope: new head/pod arrived today. I've barely had to chance to do more than unpack it and put it in stand but it looks fine!!! Woo hoo happy dance!!! HUGE improvement over the last one (internal optics were dirty, too risky/complex to clean). I need to get that all set up tomorrow. I still need to get some of those rubber eyecups, and maybe some day a headrest but I'm not sure any commercially available headrest will fit this scope. Duct tape and baling twine? ;-)

chickens: Eddie the 12 year old rooster still lives in the kitchen. I was starting to think of putting him outside again full-time but he's looking worse the last few days.