Charlie Chaplin once won 3rd place in a Chaplin look-alike contest.

Click to enlarge so you can read the text.

This blog is titled Vagabond Thoughts, but on a Monday I don't have many thoughts, especially when my brain was in warp mode the day before. So if you were looking for profundity tonight change the channel.

This morning I glanced at my digital watch and it said 8:51. Except that when I looked at it the watch was upside down, so I read it as 1:28. The display for a 5 and a 2 are the same in a digital format. That got me to thinking: how many possibilities are there for times on a digital watch that would read as a real time right-side up or upside down?
My mind went from there to an analog watch. With a quick glance 6:00 could look like 12:30. More likely is 9:15 looking like 3:45.
Now that I think about it, 9:15 on an analog watch is a palindrome, right?
I told you Monday was a no-brainer.

PROBLEM SOLVED!!
Steve sent me this link. My triathlon problems are solved!
Floatsuits

As long as we're in link mode. you may well have seen this. But in either case, it's funny.
It's Time For Some Campaigning

Today is the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month. No, I can't explain the timing.
I am a fan of diversity. Our sons attended an elementary school that was 90% Hispanic and a Jr. High that was so diverse, with representatives from a wide variety of ethnic groups, that I don't think any race held the majority. We were thankful for the contribution both of those environments made to their growth. But at some point these designations are going to be a problem. We currently have Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Between those three we've used up 25% of the available calendar. How do we say no to Middle Eastern Culture month? It would, after all, show that we don't impute the evils of the extremists to anyone from that part of the world. The Asian population in the U.S. grew by 43% in the last decade and they predict a similar rate for this decade. Asian Month? And with Boomers representing the fastest growing age demographic in the country we need "Geezer's Month" to focus on issues of aging.

We haven't had a game in awhile. The controls for this one are simple but the little bit of time I spent on it didn't bring a lot of success. It's sort of like Tetris upside down. Or is that Sirtet?
Avalanche

When we lived in Michigan we frequently heard people say how much they enjoyed autumn. The temperatures moderate after the heat and humidity of summer, the apple harvest comes in - and with it comes cider - and the leaves begin to change color. That spectacle is awesome.
But I always had very mixed feelings about autumn. We owned a home with four huge maple trees, a mulberry and a cherry tree. That meant hours and hours of raking over several weeks. But mostly, the cooling weather of autumn meant that Old Man Winter was just around the corner. I like being outdoors (Seasonal Affective Disorder is real!) and a Michigan winter means going outside to shovel snow.
By contrast, I LOVED spring. Watching the daffodils and tulips emerge, the robins reappear, and my lawn return to green, never mind getting the motorcycle out of storage, the year's chicks from the hatchery and getting the rabbit hutch back into "activity." All of that is outdoors!

We're emerging from "winter" here. The heat during late summer months is so oppressive that any outdoor activity is done before 6 a.m., at which point everyone retreats to air conditioned spaces until the pre-dawn hours of the next day. June through September have daily highs in triple-digit territory. Yes, it's a dry heat, but so is what comes out of a hair dryer.
Besides beginning Hispanic Heritage Month, today marks the point when average temps are now back into double digits. We don't hit 90 until close to noon, meaning the morning hours are very pleasant (humidity in the 15% range makes 90 a whole different animal than it is in MI).
We're now sleeping with the windows open and I can go for my ride or run - or both - anytime before mid-morning and be fine.
So as my motorcycle-riding peeps in Michigan are realizing it's soon tome to get out the Stabil and switch the position of the mower and the blower in the garage, I'm thinking about a ride tomorrow and planting some new shrubs in back.
It seems that digital watches and weather both work upside down.