Erma’s Frozen Custard, et all.

Erma’s Is Open!!!
(Click for more moblog photos…)

So, I screwed up. I thought I had a dentist appointment today, so when arriving at my dentist’s office at 5:50pm, he was there alone, most of the lights were off, and he was rather surprised to see me. We discussed what’s going on with his computers for a bit, then I headed home. Well, that was the plan, but then I ended up heading over to Holland Ponds Park to wander around.

Here’s some photos from there. The one with the flag in it would have made a better title photo, but… Yeah. Just look at them:

· A nicely twisted, mangled tree in Holland Ponds Park in Shelby Township, MI.
· A plastic American flag hanging from some dead branches, found along the bank of the Clinton River in Holland Ponds Park.
· Another portion o the previously pictured engine which I came across in Holland Ponds Park.
· An engine block I came across in Holland Ponds Park.
· A nesting Canadian Goose setting on top of a fallen tree in the middle of the Clinton River in Holland Ponds park.

After that, I decided to use the last $2 in my wallet to head over to Erma’s Frozen Custard in Utica for some classic southeast Michigan frozen custard. Mmm. Erma’s being open means that springtime has definitely arrived.

And yes, that’s where this icon is from.

Now, I’m home. Just simply home. There are sheets in the laundry, the precipitate from disposing of the ferric chloride is drying in the garage^†, I’m making some final tweaks to my SIDbox’s board layout, and there is another bottle of Dark Horse’s Double Crooked Tree IPA chilling in the fridge, waiting for me to drink it later.

^† I use ferric chloride to etch PCBs. Well, the solution I have was becoming a bit weak, so I decided to dispose of it. In retrospect I could probably have used it a few more times, but… Oh well. It’s already neutralized.

In order to dispose of it, one needs to add a base (I used baking soda) until it’s pretty neutral, then it is let set in order to separate. The liquid can be poured off the top, and the precipitate can be thrown out. Unfortunately the precipitate stains with ridiculous vigor, so my laundry tub now has some brownish orange stains in it. Ah well.

In a few days I should be able to safely toss the containers of dry chemical, then head to the dollar store and get a few more. I’ll also have to source some more PCB etchant. That’ll be harder to find…