Thank you Steve and Austin!

The green mossy crud on the north side of our house has been a constant source of embarrassment for me ever since we moved back to Indiana two years ago.

I rented a pressure washer and cleaned it off a few weeks before we moved to Arkansas in 2007, but it came back with a vengeance over the next 12 years.

I acquired a pressure washer in Arkansas, but found the renters somehow made my dad's big wooden extension ladder disappear during their ruinous time in our house.

So when Steve gave me a $150 Amazon.com gift certificate for my birthday, I ordered this nifty ladder. (Turns out Steve has one just like it.)

My stepson Austin consented to pressure wash the side of the house for a reasonable fee and accomplished a cosmetic miracle in 90-degree heat this afternoon.

Now I don't have to cringe when I come home and see the side of the house.

There is still much to be done, but it's a good start.

Steve and friends

Here's my son Steve (on the right with his bass) and friends at Microsoft's 2019 "Inspire" conference at the Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas on July 19.

Two observations: Steve is looking very fit and trim and it looks like thin neckties are back. I haven't had occasion to wear a tie for years, so I've been out of the loop for that part of men's fashions. They were thin when I was in high school and college, then widened substantially over the next couple of decades. I wish shawl collar sweaters would make a comeback.

Wow! That was fast!

A little more than a week after I completed the final step in my Indiana Concealed Carry Permit application process, my CCW card is in my wallet.

My Arkansas CCW permit hadn't expired yet, but since I am no longer an Arkansas resident, there is some question about whether it would stand up to police scrutiny here, even though Indiana has reciprocity with Arkansas.

A new Indiana law providing for the issuance of lifetime CCW permits went into effect July 1, so I began the online application part of the process that day and got fingerprinted at the sheriff's office the next day. The final step was an interview with my local town marshal, which occurred July 8 and - wonder of wonders - my permit was approved four days later and it arrived in this morning's mail.

Other people who applied earlier this year for the 4-year license had to wait weeks.

Now I can go back to wearing my NRA vest with the holster pockets.

OK, but not audiophile quality

Anyone who knows me or follows this blog knows that I love music and I'm a sucker for good headphones. I have been since high school.

The Amazon Vine Program has allowed me to indulge this passion somewhat extravagantly. Thus far, I've reviewed five Bang & Olufsen models, culminating in the new H9 3rd generation 'phones, along with headphones from ZIK, FILI and this week the new Sony WH-XB900N wireless headphones with EXTRA BASS. They retail for $248 - not cheap but not terribly expensive either.

First and foremost, the sound: Not bad but not great either. As I suspected, the Extra Bass seems like a gimmick that will appeal to some listeners. It can be tweaked with a graphic equalizer in the supporting iPhone and Android app. In my case, I prefer to boost the high end and suppress the low end. Even so, they sound muddy to me, especially when you let the bass loose to grotesquely dominate the music.

They have some nice features, like ambient noise canceling, the ability to receive (but not make) smartphone calls, and the ability to use Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa via the built-in microphones. The packaging also says you can use them with Apple's Siri, but the enclosed documentation and the app give no clues how to link with Siri. I posed the question online and got instructions from Sony that I can't seem to make work. That said, I accidentally found myself talking to Siri once, but was unable to replicate the experience. So I know it can be done, it's just a trickier proposition than with the Google and Amazon helpers.

The advertised 30 hours of battery life and the ability to get a quick 10 minute charge for 60 minutes of listening time are nice features, especially for a long travel day. I also like the ability to instantly lower the volume and turn off noise canceling by covering the right earphone with the palm of my hand - very handy when you have a conversation thrust upon you.

I thought the sound quality was reasonably good until I did a side-by-side comparison with my Bang & Olufsen H9 3Gs. It became immediately clear that these are not audiophile headphones - OK for travel and walking around, but disappointing when it comes to serious listening. They can't compete with the B&O headphones for balance and clarity. Granted, they're only half the price of the H9 3G 'phones, but they're also only half as good, in my opinion.

The retired writer in the sun

Here I am enjoying my morning coffee and my digital music library with my Bang & Olufsen H9 3G headphones on the back deck.

I'm testing a pair of Sony headphones for the Amazon Vine Program. They're half the $500 price of the B&O 'phones and about half as good.

Happy, healthy dogs

Thanks to the windfall escrow refund check, Jack and Dora are now caught up on their vaccinations, passed their heartworm tests and got their nails clipped.

That is a huge relief. They last saw a vet two years ago in Jonesboro, Ark.