Makeshift Mosquito Net

Makeshift mosquito net materials

Last weekend, we had some hot and and very unseasonably humid weather for the San Francisco Bay Area.

As I live within a mile of Lake Merced and the house has no window screens, it makes me vulnerable to mosquito orgies. I have to be careful because my insect bites can really swell up.

When I was a kid in Ohio, I've had bites so bad my eyes and lower lip swelled to the point it looked like I lost a bout to Ronda Rousey.

Over the past 3 months, my attempts at non-toxic repellents included:

• large salt shaker of mint leaves in the window sill
• run a fan all night next to the bed
• citronella bracelets on my ankles and wrists. 

They worked with marginal success.

At my condo on 8th Avenue, I bought removable/adjustable window screens. I can't use them where I live now because I have a large window (84" L x 48" W) that opens out like a door. I then considered buying a mosquito net that works like a canopy over a bed. That would have meant drilling holes in the ceiling to suspend the canopy. No.

A failed trip to Home Depot led me to JoAnn Fabrics. Had a light bulb moment. Buy mesh by the yard. Hang it up with large clips (see above photo) and secure it with velcro. I ended up needing only the large clips and mesh. Total cost = $10.

With the return to cooler, seasonable weather, a nightly spray of eucalyptus, mint soap and a slather of camphor/menthol ointment over the eyelids, I have been for the most part, bite free.

Mesh serving as mosquito net in bedroom window

For now.

Welcome back, PWBA

PWBA Lubbock Sports Open
top 16 match play qualifiers

After a 12-year absence (see July 4, 2012 blog entry), the PWBA is officially back.

The 11-week tour began in Milwaukee with the USBC Queens. It will continue weekly throughout the summer and end with the PWBA Tour Championship on September 10.

Yesterday, former Wichita State standout Jazreel Tan defeated Stefanie Johnson (née Nation) 257-246 to capture her first PWBA title at the Lubbock Sports Open.

Jazreel is no stranger to women's bowling. She has been one of the mainstays on the Singaporean women's national team (see June 3, 2013 blog entry), a powerhouse in international bowling circles for the past 4-5 years. In the above picture, 3 of Jazzy's teammates (Cherie Tan, Daphne Tan, and Shayna Ng) made the match play cut (final 16).

For this professional bowling fan, I am extremely excited to see the PWBA tour's return. Here's video from last week's stepladder final at the Storm Sacramento Open.

Bloom County to return?

Opus the Penguin and Bill the Cat
source: ebay

From news sources Comic Book Resources and Raw Story, Berkeley Breathed's beloved comic strip, Bloom County, has made its return.

Admittedly, I only began following Bloom County in 1981 because of Opus, a large nosed, naive and perpetually optimistic penguin who was born in the Falkland Islands.

Next to Opus is Bill the Cat, who was at one time Opus's running mate for the National Radical Meadow Party.

I'm not one who follows politics very closely, but Bloom County enabled me to see the funny side of it.

As the author wrote today, "A return after 25 years. Feels like going home."

Welcome back.

2014 QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup - Video - Female Bowlers

source: Bowlingdigital.com

As an avid follower of professional bowling, I subscribe to several bowling channels on YouTube. Bowlingdigital.com covers tournaments and events in venues all over the world.

The coolest feature of Bowling Digital's channel is the Flavio Cuvo videos featuring the various styles in slow motion of the bowlers from a World Bowling Tour (WBT) tournament.

Below is video taken from the 2014 50th QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup. It took place from November 1-9, 2014 at 24-lane Sky Bowling Center inside the Sky Tower in Wroclaw, Poland.