Whew!
Where did 2009 go? I have been remiss in blogging for a few months. Let me catch you up. I will start with December.
Had I been writing recently I would have mentioned helping my neighbor Tom remove the V8 from his 1966 Mustang convertible. (Yep, there are two old convertibles on my street.) Why is it always cold outside when an engine is being pulled?
I would have also mentioned a couple of hiking trips - a few around Rainbow Mountain and a trip to Sipsey. The Sipsey expedition explored a few trails I had seen in quite a while. We visited Happy Rock and Ship Rock as well as locating a couple of great camp sites for possible use in the near future. We also successfully located an alternate route for returning home after leaving the trail. Some would say we got lost. I would disagree. Those were some of the nicest dirt roads I have ever driven and the GPS was quite aware of their existence. I will stick to the route I know next time though.
Progress on the '72 GMC truck has been pretty much non-existent since August. Hopefully I will get the dust and cobwebs cleared off in the not so distant future.
The Tuesday evening woodworking sessions did see us all (David, Danny, and myself) complete some nice little boxes this fall. As usual, I have not taken any pictures. Worse, I don't even know where the camera is right now. It has been MIA for better than a week. I am also in the process of finishing up another bookcase for Bri. And I started some benchwork for a model railroad that J and I will be building.
Time to make some biscuits.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
This weekend G and I celebrated our 15th anniversary. We drove up to Nashville for the weekend. On Saturday we drove even further north. G surprised me with a trip to the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY. That was a very nice surprise.
Funny thing happened there. I saw a Hawaiian style shirt that I liked. Obviously it was covered in vintage Corvettes. I walked over to check the price. Zowie! $75. I have a rule when buying those shirts and it goes something like this. It must be somewhat tacky and it should cost less than $10. It doesn't hurt if it has an old rusty truck on it as well. No way I am paying $75 for any shirt, much less an Aloha shirt.
Saturday evening we drove over to the Opryland Hotel and viewed the sights. While inside we enjoyed a pleasant meal at an Italian restaurant.
Funny thing happened there. I saw a Hawaiian style shirt that I liked. Obviously it was covered in vintage Corvettes. I walked over to check the price. Zowie! $75. I have a rule when buying those shirts and it goes something like this. It must be somewhat tacky and it should cost less than $10. It doesn't hurt if it has an old rusty truck on it as well. No way I am paying $75 for any shirt, much less an Aloha shirt.
Saturday evening we drove over to the Opryland Hotel and viewed the sights. While inside we enjoyed a pleasant meal at an Italian restaurant.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Songs of Ascent
It is a widely known that fact when U2 releases a new album, I put it in my CD player and leave it there. For a very long time. I don't remember how many years All that You Can't Leave Behind stayed in the CD player. I put that one in the day it was released and it was still there when the next one was released. It had spun around so many times some of the 1's were starting to look like zeros. Well times are a changing. No Line on the Horizon may not get the extended play that How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb received and All that You Can't Leave Behind before it.
What sayest thou? How fore can this be? U2 has already announced the release date of the next album. 2010. Bring it on I say.
Full disclosure: The CD changer in my car currently contains by NLotH and HtDaAB. I imagine there is room for one more U2 album without removing either one of these. Actually it contains 5 U2 CDs at this point. This was done a few weeks ago in preparation for the concert.
It is a widely known that fact when U2 releases a new album, I put it in my CD player and leave it there. For a very long time. I don't remember how many years All that You Can't Leave Behind stayed in the CD player. I put that one in the day it was released and it was still there when the next one was released. It had spun around so many times some of the 1's were starting to look like zeros. Well times are a changing. No Line on the Horizon may not get the extended play that How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb received and All that You Can't Leave Behind before it.
What sayest thou? How fore can this be? U2 has already announced the release date of the next album. 2010. Bring it on I say.
Full disclosure: The CD changer in my car currently contains by NLotH and HtDaAB. I imagine there is room for one more U2 album without removing either one of these. Actually it contains 5 U2 CDs at this point. This was done a few weeks ago in preparation for the concert.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
No school this week
This week was Fall break. The kids and I hung around the house most of the week, with the exception of the concert trip on Tuesday. Now that the week is almost over, I can't recall what I did this week. I suppose that is a good sign.
My plan for the week was to do nothing over the weekend, followed by nothing on Monday and the concert on Tuesday. Having gotten that out of the way, my schedule was all clear to do nothing on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. More of the same was planned for the weekend.
Saturday was Brianna's Birthday. She is now nine. She had a busy day between Girls Scouts and going out for a nice B-day dinner.
This week was Fall break. The kids and I hung around the house most of the week, with the exception of the concert trip on Tuesday. Now that the week is almost over, I can't recall what I did this week. I suppose that is a good sign.
My plan for the week was to do nothing over the weekend, followed by nothing on Monday and the concert on Tuesday. Having gotten that out of the way, my schedule was all clear to do nothing on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. More of the same was planned for the weekend.
Saturday was Brianna's Birthday. She is now nine. She had a busy day between Girls Scouts and going out for a nice B-day dinner.
U2 - 360 Tour
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Tuesday night Jordan and I went to Atlanta to see U2 at the Georgia Dome. We rode over with Ken and his son. Upon arrival we met up with my sister and his daughter.
Muse opened followed by U2. I had never heard Muse. They were quite loud. I must be getting old, because I did not comprehend a single word from their performance. Not even the speaking parts. Actually this probably had very little to do with my age and more to do with the fact that the volume was so loud the amps/speakers were being over driven.
U2 was great. This part of the show was not as loud. The show was easy to see thanks to the 360 degree overhead screen.
After it finished we drove back home. This was bad planning on our part as we did not get back home until after 3 am. Next time we will definitely spend the night.
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Tuesday night Jordan and I went to Atlanta to see U2 at the Georgia Dome. We rode over with Ken and his son. Upon arrival we met up with my sister and his daughter.
Muse opened followed by U2. I had never heard Muse. They were quite loud. I must be getting old, because I did not comprehend a single word from their performance. Not even the speaking parts. Actually this probably had very little to do with my age and more to do with the fact that the volume was so loud the amps/speakers were being over driven.
U2 was great. This part of the show was not as loud. The show was easy to see thanks to the 360 degree overhead screen.
After it finished we drove back home. This was bad planning on our part as we did not get back home until after 3 am. Next time we will definitely spend the night.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
So I was driving along in the zoom-zoom today when I noticed the climate was approaching ultimate camping weather.
Early in the day when I was walking about 100 yards in the rain with a heavy backpack on my back, I had the same thought, Hey this is camping weather.
Yep, the next camping trip is in the planning phase.
Early in the day when I was walking about 100 yards in the rain with a heavy backpack on my back, I had the same thought, Hey this is camping weather.
Yep, the next camping trip is in the planning phase.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
U2 - 360 Tour
Ever since last May when I heard U2 would be in Atlanta this Fall I had been thinking I would like to go to the concert. Unfortunately it was scheduled for a Tuesday night and that would require me to miss at least part of one day of school, probably two.
About two weeks ago I decided I really-really wanted to go and started trying to work through the logistics: transportation, a sub, etc. And then today it was pointed out to me that the concert was the week of Fall break. Well that makes it so easy!
I just finished ordering 3 tickets: One for me, One for J, and one for my seester. I'm ready.
Now I need to start saving my dimes for a t-shirt.
Ever since last May when I heard U2 would be in Atlanta this Fall I had been thinking I would like to go to the concert. Unfortunately it was scheduled for a Tuesday night and that would require me to miss at least part of one day of school, probably two.
About two weeks ago I decided I really-really wanted to go and started trying to work through the logistics: transportation, a sub, etc. And then today it was pointed out to me that the concert was the week of Fall break. Well that makes it so easy!
I just finished ordering 3 tickets: One for me, One for J, and one for my seester. I'm ready.
Now I need to start saving my dimes for a t-shirt.
Monday, September 07, 2009
Mundane Post #1109
A nice three day weekend. School has been keeping me busy.
Today I tried to catch up on some of the chores that needed to be done. Really exciting stuff like replacing a toilet and a door frame. The plumbing task is complete but the door still needs a little work.
The oil and plugs in the Miata were replaced this weekend, the odometer reading 111k miles. Filling up the tank today produced a a result of 31 mpg.
The garden is still producing tomatoes, peppers, okra, and cantaloupes thought it is mostly unattended.
I just completed a nice box made from black walnut and cherry sapwood. Perhaps that is premature, it still needs to be oiled.
A nice three day weekend. School has been keeping me busy.
Today I tried to catch up on some of the chores that needed to be done. Really exciting stuff like replacing a toilet and a door frame. The plumbing task is complete but the door still needs a little work.
The oil and plugs in the Miata were replaced this weekend, the odometer reading 111k miles. Filling up the tank today produced a a result of 31 mpg.
The garden is still producing tomatoes, peppers, okra, and cantaloupes thought it is mostly unattended.
I just completed a nice box made from black walnut and cherry sapwood. Perhaps that is premature, it still needs to be oiled.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
I have been busy for the last two weeks. I have had several thoughts in that time I wanted to share here but they have escaped me. Oh well!
Something odd happened with the odometers last week. On Sunday G's Tahoe rolled over 100,000 miles. On the same day, my Charger rolled over 20,000 miles and then on Tuesday the Miata hit 111,111 miles.
Something odd happened with the odometers last week. On Sunday G's Tahoe rolled over 100,000 miles. On the same day, my Charger rolled over 20,000 miles and then on Tuesday the Miata hit 111,111 miles.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Life is a Beach 2009
We hit the beach this week (Sunday-Thursday). Per our normal routine, we went to the Destin/Fort Walton area of Florida. We stayed at the Island Princess on Santa Rosa Blvd again.
We had nice weather for the week - one rain shower and temperatures in the 80's. It couldn't get much better.
Our diet consisted almost entirely of seafood the entire week. Sunday upon arriving in Destin we went straight to the Back Porch for a late lunch/early dinner. Monday we dined at Pompano Joe's, Tuesday we visited Louisiana Lagniappe, and the Wednesday was Graffiti's. Ginger's favorite was definitely Graffiti's.
Jordan was pleased to visit the water park and The Track (go carts) while in town. Brianna got to drive a go cart on the family track all by herself. She did very well and even passed a few carts. Go Bri!
It would have been nice to have stayed a few more days, but I had to return to HSV. The Summer of Rick is officially over. I started back to work today.
We hit the beach this week (Sunday-Thursday). Per our normal routine, we went to the Destin/Fort Walton area of Florida. We stayed at the Island Princess on Santa Rosa Blvd again.
We had nice weather for the week - one rain shower and temperatures in the 80's. It couldn't get much better.
Our diet consisted almost entirely of seafood the entire week. Sunday upon arriving in Destin we went straight to the Back Porch for a late lunch/early dinner. Monday we dined at Pompano Joe's, Tuesday we visited Louisiana Lagniappe, and the Wednesday was Graffiti's. Ginger's favorite was definitely Graffiti's.
Jordan was pleased to visit the water park and The Track (go carts) while in town. Brianna got to drive a go cart on the family track all by herself. She did very well and even passed a few carts. Go Bri!
It would have been nice to have stayed a few more days, but I had to return to HSV. The Summer of Rick is officially over. I started back to work today.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Logging
My neighbor, Mike, recently mentioned his buddy had some trees knocked down during a recent storm. Several of the trees were red oak. Would I be interested in having them cut into lumber. Certainly.
He we see Brian's truck ready to tow the first load of logs to the mill. It was no small feat to load the trailer using only a come-along and a couple of chains.
Here are our logs nicely stacked at the mill (H&K) waiting to be cut.
Here is the center of the operation - basically a pole barn and the mill.
And here is the mill.
We should get a call in a few weeks to retrieve our boards. Now I need to decide what to build.
My neighbor, Mike, recently mentioned his buddy had some trees knocked down during a recent storm. Several of the trees were red oak. Would I be interested in having them cut into lumber. Certainly.
He we see Brian's truck ready to tow the first load of logs to the mill. It was no small feat to load the trailer using only a come-along and a couple of chains.
Here are our logs nicely stacked at the mill (H&K) waiting to be cut.
Here is the center of the operation - basically a pole barn and the mill.
And here is the mill.
We should get a call in a few weeks to retrieve our boards. Now I need to decide what to build.
Friday, July 24, 2009
'72 GMC Update
My goal for three consecutive summers has been to get a rolling chassis. This year I finally reached the goal. Sure, there is still a lot of work to be done but no hurry here. After all, I am on afive ten year schedule.
I finally got the transmission all cleaned up and painted. The paint is from Eastwood and is called aluminum blast or something like that.
After painted the transmission, I cleaned up the torque converted and painted it. I used some of the leftover paint from the engine block on the transmission. Again the paint was from Eastwood.
Here is the engine reconnected to the transmission.
And here is the entire drive train mounted in the frame.
I still need to clean up and paint the water pump, alternator, fan, etc. Expect me to still be talking about these items three months from now.
My goal for three consecutive summers has been to get a rolling chassis. This year I finally reached the goal. Sure, there is still a lot of work to be done but no hurry here. After all, I am on a
I finally got the transmission all cleaned up and painted. The paint is from Eastwood and is called aluminum blast or something like that.
After painted the transmission, I cleaned up the torque converted and painted it. I used some of the leftover paint from the engine block on the transmission. Again the paint was from Eastwood.
Here is the engine reconnected to the transmission.
And here is the entire drive train mounted in the frame.
I still need to clean up and paint the water pump, alternator, fan, etc. Expect me to still be talking about these items three months from now.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Buggin' In July 2009
This weekend was the annual air cooled volkswagen show. This is usually my favorite car show of the year. The entire show consists of fewer than 100 cars but usually draws from a larger radius than most car shows. And the cars are all air cooled VWs. Surprisingly every single car is unique.
No surprise that the same weekend of the show, I found a very nice '65 Beetle nearby. The car was still mostly original and unmodified. My intention was to bring the car home and take it to a few shows while I continued to work on the '72 GMC. Unfortunately someone else bought it while I was still trying to make a decision. I will think faster next time I find an original car in that good of shape.
Happy Birthday Danny!
This weekend was the annual air cooled volkswagen show. This is usually my favorite car show of the year. The entire show consists of fewer than 100 cars but usually draws from a larger radius than most car shows. And the cars are all air cooled VWs. Surprisingly every single car is unique.
No surprise that the same weekend of the show, I found a very nice '65 Beetle nearby. The car was still mostly original and unmodified. My intention was to bring the car home and take it to a few shows while I continued to work on the '72 GMC. Unfortunately someone else bought it while I was still trying to make a decision. I will think faster next time I find an original car in that good of shape.
Happy Birthday Danny!
Friday, July 17, 2009
The kids and I drove over to Tuscumbia today to have lunch with my Dad. It was originally Terry's idea but we decided we should invade her plans.
On the way out of HSV I stopped to fill up the Charger. (Jordan pumped the gas.) Using mild hyper-mile-ing techniques I managed to achieve 25.5 MPG on the way to Tuscumbia. The original sticker listed the car as 18/25 so 25.5 was pretty good. Unfortunately the trip to lunch and then a short side journey dropped the average below 20. I did manage to get the trip average back up to 23.2 by the time I returned home though.
The side journey I mentioned was a quick trip out to Cane Creek Canyon Preserve for a short hike. Unfortunately everyone did not have good sensible shoes for hiking so we had to cut it short. We did get to see the water fall though so all was not lost.
On the way out of HSV I stopped to fill up the Charger. (Jordan pumped the gas.) Using mild hyper-mile-ing techniques I managed to achieve 25.5 MPG on the way to Tuscumbia. The original sticker listed the car as 18/25 so 25.5 was pretty good. Unfortunately the trip to lunch and then a short side journey dropped the average below 20. I did manage to get the trip average back up to 23.2 by the time I returned home though.
The side journey I mentioned was a quick trip out to Cane Creek Canyon Preserve for a short hike. Unfortunately everyone did not have good sensible shoes for hiking so we had to cut it short. We did get to see the water fall though so all was not lost.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Okra
A friend of mine has been encouraging me to try grilling some okra so on Monday night I did just that. It turned out well. I brushed the okra with olive oil and sprinkled it with seasoning including red pepper. Try it yourself.
Today I decided to try another okra recipe. This time I fried the okra but instead of using flour or cornmeal I used Parmesan cheese. This was surprisingly good as well. My motivation for this attempt was a recipe I saw while trying to memorize the entire internet. I didn't follow the recipe per se, but I did find motivation there.
A friend of mine has been encouraging me to try grilling some okra so on Monday night I did just that. It turned out well. I brushed the okra with olive oil and sprinkled it with seasoning including red pepper. Try it yourself.
Today I decided to try another okra recipe. This time I fried the okra but instead of using flour or cornmeal I used Parmesan cheese. This was surprisingly good as well. My motivation for this attempt was a recipe I saw while trying to memorize the entire internet. I didn't follow the recipe per se, but I did find motivation there.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
2009 Greater Tennessee Valley Antique Car Show
This weekend was the big car show of year. The location this year was at Point Mallard in Decatur. The show seemed smaller this year but it was still very large. (I heard there were over 700 cars but I didn't bother to try to count them.)
I didn't have a vehicle that was road worthy this year so I hitched a ride with my neighbor Brian in his '66 Mustang. We took some chairs, a large canopy, and a cooler and made a day of it.
This was my favorite car this year. Reminds me of my first car, only it was a '76 Mercury and it was yellow.
This weekend was the big car show of year. The location this year was at Point Mallard in Decatur. The show seemed smaller this year but it was still very large. (I heard there were over 700 cars but I didn't bother to try to count them.)
I didn't have a vehicle that was road worthy this year so I hitched a ride with my neighbor Brian in his '66 Mustang. We took some chairs, a large canopy, and a cooler and made a day of it.
This was my favorite car this year. Reminds me of my first car, only it was a '76 Mercury and it was yellow.
Monday, July 06, 2009
How Do You Clean a Transmission Case?
I don't know either. I have tried the pressure washer, engine de-greaser, carb cleaner, WD-40, brake cleaner, wire brushes, steel wool, emery paper, and a 50 gallon barrel of elbow grease.
So far the internet has been no help. I guess I will check it again in case any new information has been added since yesterday.
UPDATE: Easy Off oven cleaner is the best solution I have found. The one drawback is that it dis-colors the aluminum. This may not be a problem if your planning to paint the case.
UPDATE: Easy Off oven cleaner is the best solution I have found. The one drawback is that it dis-colors the aluminum. This may not be a problem if your planning to paint the case.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
For the past couple of weeks I have been walking 3 miles in the morning, starting out usually around 6:00 AM. Like most exercise, if you do it enough, it makes you feel better and you get the desire to do more exercise, so ... I decided to get out the old dumb bells and start pumping some iron again. And man am I sore now. Really sore. All over. Every where. Places I had forgotten I had.
My goal is to keep with the program for 90 days. Then all bets are off.
My goal is to keep with the program for 90 days. Then all bets are off.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
I Have Sand In My Ears
Again! Monday morning I started the day with a walk. By 7:30 am I was in the driveway setting up the sandblaster to strip down a couple of brake drums and backing plates. Sandblasting is messy. Especially on a really hot day when the sand sticks to your sweaty skin. Too much information?
The drums and plates cleaned up nicely and looked awesome after the rust had all been removed. After putting away all the blasting gear, I got out the paint gun and sprayed the parts a nice semi-gloss black. Who in the world paints a brake drum?
The parts are now ready to be re-attached to the rear axle assembly. I had forgotten the backing plates needed to be installed before the axle went back into the differential. I guess I will be pulling the axle out again soon.
The next step will be to install the new brake lines. After that is done I can finally put the engine back on the chassis. OK, that is not entirely true. First I will need to do something with the transmission. It doesn't need to be rebuilt but at a minimum it does need to be cleaned up. I am considering painting it. I don't want to use the same ORANGE paint I used on the engine. I would like some contrast between the block and the transmission. I also don't want to use black. In the event of a leak, black paint makes locating the source difficult. I am considering either silver or gray. I will probably go with gray.
After washing my hair 5 times I think I have gotten all the sand out of it. I am still finding sand in my ears though. Sandblasting is messy.
Again! Monday morning I started the day with a walk. By 7:30 am I was in the driveway setting up the sandblaster to strip down a couple of brake drums and backing plates. Sandblasting is messy. Especially on a really hot day when the sand sticks to your sweaty skin. Too much information?
The drums and plates cleaned up nicely and looked awesome after the rust had all been removed. After putting away all the blasting gear, I got out the paint gun and sprayed the parts a nice semi-gloss black. Who in the world paints a brake drum?
The parts are now ready to be re-attached to the rear axle assembly. I had forgotten the backing plates needed to be installed before the axle went back into the differential. I guess I will be pulling the axle out again soon.
The next step will be to install the new brake lines. After that is done I can finally put the engine back on the chassis. OK, that is not entirely true. First I will need to do something with the transmission. It doesn't need to be rebuilt but at a minimum it does need to be cleaned up. I am considering painting it. I don't want to use the same ORANGE paint I used on the engine. I would like some contrast between the block and the transmission. I also don't want to use black. In the event of a leak, black paint makes locating the source difficult. I am considering either silver or gray. I will probably go with gray.
After washing my hair 5 times I think I have gotten all the sand out of it. I am still finding sand in my ears though. Sandblasting is messy.
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Hiking on Monte Sano
Friday AM I went for a hike on Monte Sano Mountain. Our (David M. and myself) destination was the cuts. This is a pretty cool site on the top of a ridge that is basically a split in a large rock. It is probably about 30 or 40 yards total in length including a decent cave.
It had rained a reasonable amount on Friday so the trails were fairly damp. Downright muddy in some spots.
Having not hiked this particular trail in 13 or 14 years I surprised myself to be able to find the destination without a map. The trek required making the correct turn at about 5 forks in the trail. Even more surprising was that I believe I accidentally took the shortest route. Amazing!
Friday AM I went for a hike on Monte Sano Mountain. Our (David M. and myself) destination was the cuts. This is a pretty cool site on the top of a ridge that is basically a split in a large rock. It is probably about 30 or 40 yards total in length including a decent cave.
It had rained a reasonable amount on Friday so the trails were fairly damp. Downright muddy in some spots.
Having not hiked this particular trail in 13 or 14 years I surprised myself to be able to find the destination without a map. The trek required making the correct turn at about 5 forks in the trail. Even more surprising was that I believe I accidentally took the shortest route. Amazing!
What is wrong with this picture?
I put the second coat of paint on the block today. As you should recall, this is the engine from my 1972 GMC pickup. They call this a Chevy Small Block (SBC). And I painted it Chevrolet orange.
Got it? GMC truck. Chevy Small Block. Chevrolet Orange. Yes the GMC's came with Chevrolet Small Block engines painted Chevrolet Orange. Does this strike you as odd as well?
I put the second coat of paint on the block today. As you should recall, this is the engine from my 1972 GMC pickup. They call this a Chevy Small Block (SBC). And I painted it Chevrolet orange.
Got it? GMC truck. Chevy Small Block. Chevrolet Orange. Yes the GMC's came with Chevrolet Small Block engines painted Chevrolet Orange. Does this strike you as odd as well?
Monday, June 01, 2009
Laugh Out Loud
The very same day I planted my garden, I spotted a rabbit in the back yard and put up a chicken wire fence around the garden to keep the bunnies out.
Today I noticed something new. A little hole covered with grass clippings and bunny fur. And inside the hole are three (or more) little gray bunnies. I didn't notice the bunny clutch on Saturday when I was trimming the grass around the garden so I suspect the bunnies are less than 3 days old.
Did I mention the nest is on the inside of the fence? {Cue Laughter}
OK, I have now re-routed the fence to place the bunnies back on the outside. I also battened down the fence in the spot where I suspect the momma bunny may have accessed the garden interior (and cabbage).
On a related note, my cabbage took on the appearance of Swiss cheese almost over night. By that I mean holey. Today I sprayed some pesticide on it and the okra. After spraying the cabbage, several worms crawled out into sight on each cabbage plant. After inspecting each plant and counting the worms, I gave up on the cabbage, pulled them all from the ground and tossed them into the woods so the bunnies could feast tonight. I had been needing to thin the garden in that area anyway to make room for the ever expanding squash and cucumber vines. I don't think I will be planting cabbage again.
I mentioned the okra was also sprayed. The okra has aphids. I didn't notice the aphids, but I did spot the ants which were apparently feasting on the aphids. Hopefully the pesticide will clear that up whole mess. Once the aphids are gone, the ants will leave too as they don't really care for okra - boiled or fried.
The very same day I planted my garden, I spotted a rabbit in the back yard and put up a chicken wire fence around the garden to keep the bunnies out.
Today I noticed something new. A little hole covered with grass clippings and bunny fur. And inside the hole are three (or more) little gray bunnies. I didn't notice the bunny clutch on Saturday when I was trimming the grass around the garden so I suspect the bunnies are less than 3 days old.
Did I mention the nest is on the inside of the fence? {Cue Laughter}
OK, I have now re-routed the fence to place the bunnies back on the outside. I also battened down the fence in the spot where I suspect the momma bunny may have accessed the garden interior (and cabbage).
On a related note, my cabbage took on the appearance of Swiss cheese almost over night. By that I mean holey. Today I sprayed some pesticide on it and the okra. After spraying the cabbage, several worms crawled out into sight on each cabbage plant. After inspecting each plant and counting the worms, I gave up on the cabbage, pulled them all from the ground and tossed them into the woods so the bunnies could feast tonight. I had been needing to thin the garden in that area anyway to make room for the ever expanding squash and cucumber vines. I don't think I will be planting cabbage again.
I mentioned the okra was also sprayed. The okra has aphids. I didn't notice the aphids, but I did spot the ants which were apparently feasting on the aphids. Hopefully the pesticide will clear that up whole mess. Once the aphids are gone, the ants will leave too as they don't really care for okra - boiled or fried.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
After cleaning the block again today with TSP, I finally got around to painting it. Only one major catastrophe occurred. While painting the bottom of the oil pan, I had the gun tipped over too far and the lid fell off. Orange paint went everywhere including the garage floor, my shoe, and my leg. Later I discovered some on my elbow as well.
The block looks good so far. It appears dry but I have resisted touching it. Tomorrow I will check it out and decide whether to apply another coat.
I used Eastwood engine paint, the high temperature ceramic stuff, in the factory orange color. It's looking pretty good so far.
The block looks good so far. It appears dry but I have resisted touching it. Tomorrow I will check it out and decide whether to apply another coat.
I used Eastwood engine paint, the high temperature ceramic stuff, in the factory orange color. It's looking pretty good so far.
This One Goes to Eleven
Yesterday was Jordan's Birthday. The big eleven. He missed the last day of school as we had previously made plans before they scheduled the makeup day.
I started his day with a couple of plate size pancakes smoothered in buter and syrup. His grandmother took him (and his seester) to lunch and a movie and then last night we had pizza and a chocolate chip cookie cake with chocolate icing. He got several cards in the mail and has requested a trip to Wal-Mart and Best Buy in order to acquire some new stuff. Perhaps we will make a run to Wally-World tomorrow.
He seems to be settling into eleven just fine. Only four mores years until he gets a drivers permit. Amazing.
Yesterday was Jordan's Birthday. The big eleven. He missed the last day of school as we had previously made plans before they scheduled the makeup day.
I started his day with a couple of plate size pancakes smoothered in buter and syrup. His grandmother took him (and his seester) to lunch and a movie and then last night we had pizza and a chocolate chip cookie cake with chocolate icing. He got several cards in the mail and has requested a trip to Wal-Mart and Best Buy in order to acquire some new stuff. Perhaps we will make a run to Wally-World tomorrow.
He seems to be settling into eleven just fine. Only four mores years until he gets a drivers permit. Amazing.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Sipsey Adventure
J' and I went hiking in the Sipsey Wilderness this morning. We hiked a trail I am fairly familiar with as I have camped on it 4 times. J' let me blaze the trail on the way in so I would be the web catcher. We evaluated many campsites for future trips.
The Sipsey River was higher than I have ever seen it but still fairly low compared to the obvious water marks. I intended for us to cross at a fork in the river but alas the water was too deep today.
The color was off in most of the pictures I took today. It seems someone was playing with the camera recently and changed several settings including a color filter which caused an interesting effect on several shots.
In the first photo you see us at the trail head ready to begin our 2.5 hour hike. Looks like someone has been eating too many biscuits. The second photo is J' in the (very wet) cave, about to disappear around a corner. The squeeze through the cave seems to be getting tighter every year. Or perhaps someone has been eating too many biscuits.
J' and I went hiking in the Sipsey Wilderness this morning. We hiked a trail I am fairly familiar with as I have camped on it 4 times. J' let me blaze the trail on the way in so I would be the web catcher. We evaluated many campsites for future trips.
The Sipsey River was higher than I have ever seen it but still fairly low compared to the obvious water marks. I intended for us to cross at a fork in the river but alas the water was too deep today.
The color was off in most of the pictures I took today. It seems someone was playing with the camera recently and changed several settings including a color filter which caused an interesting effect on several shots.
In the first photo you see us at the trail head ready to begin our 2.5 hour hike. Looks like someone has been eating too many biscuits. The second photo is J' in the (very wet) cave, about to disappear around a corner. The squeeze through the cave seems to be getting tighter every year. Or perhaps someone has been eating too many biscuits.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Garden Update
The garden is rapidly progressing towards various stages of completion.
Squint and you can see two tommys.
For reasons I can't determine, the next two photos are being rotated 90 degrees. If I compensate for the rotation, it does not rotate them, yet they are still off due to the compensation. After fighting with the issue for a few minutes I decided the easiest way to fix the problem is for you the viewer to tilt your head sideways while viewing the next to pictures.
Look: two squash
And some cabbage and broccoli
You can straighten your head back now.
The garden is rapidly progressing towards various stages of completion.
Squint and you can see two tommys.
For reasons I can't determine, the next two photos are being rotated 90 degrees. If I compensate for the rotation, it does not rotate them, yet they are still off due to the compensation. After fighting with the issue for a few minutes I decided the easiest way to fix the problem is for you the viewer to tilt your head sideways while viewing the next to pictures.
Look: two squash
And some cabbage and broccoli
You can straighten your head back now.
Patience
Today I prepped the GMC's engine for painting. I had already removed the water pump, fuel pump, alternator, dizzy, etc. I spent a few hours cleaning up the block and taping off the holes. I was about ready to paint when I decided to call it a day. Let's call this practicing a little patience rather than simply procrastinating.
I was ready to paint but knew I should probably clean/degrease the block one more time before painting. By putting off painting one day, I didn't rush the final block cleaning. I expect the final result will be much better because I didn't rush to get the engine painted.
Learning patience is so difficult, especially when you want it now!
Today I prepped the GMC's engine for painting. I had already removed the water pump, fuel pump, alternator, dizzy, etc. I spent a few hours cleaning up the block and taping off the holes. I was about ready to paint when I decided to call it a day. Let's call this practicing a little patience rather than simply procrastinating.
I was ready to paint but knew I should probably clean/degrease the block one more time before painting. By putting off painting one day, I didn't rush the final block cleaning. I expect the final result will be much better because I didn't rush to get the engine painted.
Learning patience is so difficult, especially when you want it now!
Biscuits and Egg Rolls
When I was in high school, I worked at the golden arches for a couple years. During this time I worked a lot of weekend mornings making biscuits. No telling how many thousand biscuits I have made in my life.
Recently I decided I wanted to make some really good homemade biscuits. I have been hit by this desire before but have never found a recipe I really liked. Having recently eaten at Cracker Barrel I decided I would look up their recipe on the Internet. Their biscuits are usually pretty decent. After doing a little bit of reading online, I eventually decided the recipe I would try this time would be the one on the Lilly White bag of self rising flour: 2 cups of flour, 3/4 cup butter milk, and 1/4 cup Crisco. Simplicity. Some would say that using self rising flour is cheating. I would say to them, "don't ask me for a biscuit."
After making biscuits four days in a row, I would say I can now make a pretty decent homemade biscuit. I would eventually like to find a good recipe that does not use shortening. Perhaps I shouldn't mess with a good thing though. I still wish I had the recipe Mrs. Tice used.
What's next? I would like to learn to make a mean egg roll before the cabbage in the garden is ready. Anyone have a recipe they would like to recommend?
For the record, I like mustard and bacon on my biscuits. Mmmm.
When I was in high school, I worked at the golden arches for a couple years. During this time I worked a lot of weekend mornings making biscuits. No telling how many thousand biscuits I have made in my life.
Recently I decided I wanted to make some really good homemade biscuits. I have been hit by this desire before but have never found a recipe I really liked. Having recently eaten at Cracker Barrel I decided I would look up their recipe on the Internet. Their biscuits are usually pretty decent. After doing a little bit of reading online, I eventually decided the recipe I would try this time would be the one on the Lilly White bag of self rising flour: 2 cups of flour, 3/4 cup butter milk, and 1/4 cup Crisco. Simplicity. Some would say that using self rising flour is cheating. I would say to them, "don't ask me for a biscuit."
After making biscuits four days in a row, I would say I can now make a pretty decent homemade biscuit. I would eventually like to find a good recipe that does not use shortening. Perhaps I shouldn't mess with a good thing though. I still wish I had the recipe Mrs. Tice used.
What's next? I would like to learn to make a mean egg roll before the cabbage in the garden is ready. Anyone have a recipe they would like to recommend?
For the record, I like mustard and bacon on my biscuits. Mmmm.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
I am working towards repainting the GMC's engine block. Currently it is black. It will be Chevrolet Hugger Orange when I am done. Before stripping down the engine for the paint job, I decided to turn it over. It hasn't been cranked in quite a while. How many years has it been? After charging the battery, I sprayed a little starter fluid in the carb, hooked the ignition wire to the battery and tapped the starter wire on the (+) battery post. The engine turned over and a few cylinders fired off. Sweet! Oh yeah, and flames came shooting out of the exhaust manifold.
I have been obsessively checking the garden each day. Sometimes two or three times a day. On Friday I discovered I finally had a small tomatoes and squash. On Saturday the count was up to 6 tomatoes and 4 squash. Oh, joy.
I was glad to see the tomatoes coming in. My neighbor had announced a week before that he already had some golf ball sized tomatoes, but he had set his plants out two weeks ahead of me.
I am watching the okra closely as well. It seems too early for okra but I think I have spotted a few tiny pods. Maybe.
I was glad to see the tomatoes coming in. My neighbor had announced a week before that he already had some golf ball sized tomatoes, but he had set his plants out two weeks ahead of me.
I am watching the okra closely as well. It seems too early for okra but I think I have spotted a few tiny pods. Maybe.
Alabama Jubilee
Yesterday J and I went to a car show at Alabama Jubilee in Decatur. The jubilee is an annual hot air balloon rally. Also included is the car show, a antique tractor show, and some other stuff that currently holds no interest for me. This event falls on the weekend Memorial day each year.
J agreed to the car show under a single condition. He wanted to take pictures of the cars. No problem. He did a great job with the camera and we came home with lots of good pictures.
While at the show, I saw a 1968 Corvette convertible, triple black, which was for sale. The price was reasonable as well. I have been thinking about it.
Yesterday J and I went to a car show at Alabama Jubilee in Decatur. The jubilee is an annual hot air balloon rally. Also included is the car show, a antique tractor show, and some other stuff that currently holds no interest for me. This event falls on the weekend Memorial day each year.
J agreed to the car show under a single condition. He wanted to take pictures of the cars. No problem. He did a great job with the camera and we came home with lots of good pictures.
While at the show, I saw a 1968 Corvette convertible, triple black, which was for sale. The price was reasonable as well. I have been thinking about it.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
It has been raining like crazy here for the last few days. Besides a couple of tornado watches today, we are also under a flood watch or three. So you know what that means, right? I definitely don't need to bother watering the garden this week.
The plants are all progressing nicely. I planted some more corn and okra about 10 or 12 days ago. The conditions must have been good because the plants started peeking through after only 8 days. I have even seen a couple of blooms on the tomato plants but I don't expect I will be seeing one any time soon.
I put up a chicken wire fence around the garden the same day I put the first plant/seed in the ground. Good call as I have now seen three rabbits in the back yard, or perhaps one rabbit three times.
What day is it anyway?
The plants are all progressing nicely. I planted some more corn and okra about 10 or 12 days ago. The conditions must have been good because the plants started peeking through after only 8 days. I have even seen a couple of blooms on the tomato plants but I don't expect I will be seeing one any time soon.
I put up a chicken wire fence around the garden the same day I put the first plant/seed in the ground. Good call as I have now seen three rabbits in the back yard, or perhaps one rabbit three times.
What day is it anyway?
Monday, May 04, 2009
The shop has become a complete mess. There are so many partially finished projects and so little time. (Hopefully I will find time to move all the projects forward during the S.O.R.) I spent some time out there the last couple of days trying to do a little bit of organization and clean up. After many hours of effort, there are no visible signs of progress. Woo hoo!
Perhaps I should just focus on the truck. Surely putting a pickup back together will create some free space, unless an assembled truck somehow takes up more space than a disassembled truck. Not likely.
Perhaps I should just focus on the truck. Surely putting a pickup back together will create some free space, unless an assembled truck somehow takes up more space than a disassembled truck. Not likely.
Saturday, May 02, 2009
The Kruse Automobile auction was in Huntsville this weekend. I attended along with a couple of my neighbors. It was definitely a buyer's market.
There were several cars there I wanted to see drive across the block. Unfortunately there were a bunch of cars I had no interest in seeing go across first. We lost interest and went home long before the good stuff started to move.
Next year, instead of arriving an hour before the auction starts, I will arrive two hours after the auction starts. This will still allow me to see all the cars but I can miss the 'junk' that gets auctioned before the cars start moving. Hopefully I will miss most of the five to ten year old SUVs and Cadillac that they started with as well. Who wants to see that? Not me. I was there to see the muscle cars and older.
There were several cars there I wanted to see drive across the block. Unfortunately there were a bunch of cars I had no interest in seeing go across first. We lost interest and went home long before the good stuff started to move.
Next year, instead of arriving an hour before the auction starts, I will arrive two hours after the auction starts. This will still allow me to see all the cars but I can miss the 'junk' that gets auctioned before the cars start moving. Hopefully I will miss most of the five to ten year old SUVs and Cadillac that they started with as well. Who wants to see that? Not me. I was there to see the muscle cars and older.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Let the Summer of Rick Begin
Tuesday was the last day of my internship. The internship was a positive experience. I was amazed at the response from the kids on my last day. Many of them brought me gifts (in the form of office supplies). There was also a chocolate chip cookie cake and a chocolate cake. What a great day. The students in third block even framed my gold star.
My plan for May is to do some substituting while the kids are still in school. I decided to take Wednesday off and start sub'ing on Thursday. I had arranged for spots on both Thursday and Friday. Thursday was going to be in the class I had been teaching in all semester. (The students kept telling me they were going to miss me. I kept telling them they would hardly notice I was gone.) Wednesday night the school system's auto-dialing phone message system called up to let us know that school had been canceled for both Thursday and Friday due to swine flu. Yep. (We had bacon for dinner too.)
This morning I awoke with absolutely no plan for the day. It was nice to have the day off but with no direction I was concerned that I might waste a perfectly good day. I quickly came up with a plan of weeding the garden, trimming the grass back around the garden, and taking a nap. I also visited my neighbors garage to help him achive 0-p (Zero Productivity). The day went by nicely. I believe I actually got two naps. Talk about over achiving.
I have already begun planning my weekend. My plans include a play and a classic car auction. Should be fun. Next weeks plans are still up in the air. At this point, I am not suppose to sub again until Wednesday so I feel free, free, free.
Tuesday was the last day of my internship. The internship was a positive experience. I was amazed at the response from the kids on my last day. Many of them brought me gifts (in the form of office supplies). There was also a chocolate chip cookie cake and a chocolate cake. What a great day. The students in third block even framed my gold star.
My plan for May is to do some substituting while the kids are still in school. I decided to take Wednesday off and start sub'ing on Thursday. I had arranged for spots on both Thursday and Friday. Thursday was going to be in the class I had been teaching in all semester. (The students kept telling me they were going to miss me. I kept telling them they would hardly notice I was gone.) Wednesday night the school system's auto-dialing phone message system called up to let us know that school had been canceled for both Thursday and Friday due to swine flu. Yep. (We had bacon for dinner too.)
This morning I awoke with absolutely no plan for the day. It was nice to have the day off but with no direction I was concerned that I might waste a perfectly good day. I quickly came up with a plan of weeding the garden, trimming the grass back around the garden, and taking a nap. I also visited my neighbors garage to help him achive 0-p (Zero Productivity). The day went by nicely. I believe I actually got two naps. Talk about over achiving.
I have already begun planning my weekend. My plans include a play and a classic car auction. Should be fun. Next weeks plans are still up in the air. At this point, I am not suppose to sub again until Wednesday so I feel free, free, free.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Today was a wonderful day to be outside.
I drove over the Athens this morning (in the freshly painted Miata) to attend Cars on the Square. It was a really nice show centered around the old downtown square. It was a really big show considering it was only its second year. I ran into several folks I knew while I was there. I also looked over several old Corvettes with for sale signs in their windows. All in all, it was a very pleasant morning.
During the afternoon I finished planting the garden. I added cantaloupe, okra, cucumbers and more corn. For a small garden, I definitely over-planted. I will have to thin it out some once I see which plants are strong.
I drove over the Athens this morning (in the freshly painted Miata) to attend Cars on the Square. It was a really nice show centered around the old downtown square. It was a really big show considering it was only its second year. I ran into several folks I knew while I was there. I also looked over several old Corvettes with for sale signs in their windows. All in all, it was a very pleasant morning.
During the afternoon I finished planting the garden. I added cantaloupe, okra, cucumbers and more corn. For a small garden, I definitely over-planted. I will have to thin it out some once I see which plants are strong.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
On Tuesday nights this semester I have been taking a precision machines class. In this class I have basically been learning to use a milling machine and a metal lathe. I signed up for this class for no other reason than to learn about using these tools. I had no project in mind, it just seemed like it might be fun. And it has been.
Tonight I completed a small C-clamp. The clamp was made from solid stock aluminum. I even learned to cut threads on round stock. This was a pretty cool project though not very practical.
I still have four more weeks in the class. Before next Tuesday I need to come up with another project otherwise I may end up milling some aluminum door stops.
Tonight I completed a small C-clamp. The clamp was made from solid stock aluminum. I even learned to cut threads on round stock. This was a pretty cool project though not very practical.
I still have four more weeks in the class. Before next Tuesday I need to come up with another project otherwise I may end up milling some aluminum door stops.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Today I finally got around to transplanting the corn into the garden. I also put a small fence around the garden made of chicken wire to keep the cute little fuzzy bunnies out. Who is afraid of cute little fuzzy bunnies. Not me, unless they have fangs or they are after my veggies.
Besides the corn, I have some tomatoes, peppers, onions, cucumbers, and squash ready to be planted. Okra is in the plans as well but it is probably a little too cool still to get that started. This stuff will have to wait a few more days, as I have the precision machines class on Tuesday nights.
Besides the corn, I have some tomatoes, peppers, onions, cucumbers, and squash ready to be planted. Okra is in the plans as well but it is probably a little too cool still to get that started. This stuff will have to wait a few more days, as I have the precision machines class on Tuesday nights.
Foster Falls (Spring 2009 Camping Trip)
This weekend I made a trip up to Foster Falls in TN for a weekend camping trip with some friends. We stayed at the Father Adamz campsite due to our late start on Friday afternoon.
We had an excellent campsite (with the exception of college kids who showed up to setup at the next site over around 2:00 am.)
Friday evening we sat around the campfire and watched the flames dance. Dinner consisted of chili dogs. Saturday AM we scrambled some eggs and fried some bacon. The smell of frying bacon in the woods is awesome. After second breakfast, I took a leisurely stroll to the falls overlook and then followed the trail to the base of the falls. After crossing the suspension bridge I followed the trail along the base of the cliffs. We saw a total of about 20 people doing rock climbing. I stopped and watched for a brief time. It was pretty cool to watch, but you will never get me off the ground, hanging from a rope on the side of a mountain.
All in all the trip was nice. Early Sunday AM, probably around 3:00 it started to rain. The rained caused us to skip the planned pancake feast and pack up early and head for the nearest Cracker Barrel. Not a bad backup plan.
This weekend I made a trip up to Foster Falls in TN for a weekend camping trip with some friends. We stayed at the Father Adamz campsite due to our late start on Friday afternoon.
We had an excellent campsite (with the exception of college kids who showed up to setup at the next site over around 2:00 am.)
Friday evening we sat around the campfire and watched the flames dance. Dinner consisted of chili dogs. Saturday AM we scrambled some eggs and fried some bacon. The smell of frying bacon in the woods is awesome. After second breakfast, I took a leisurely stroll to the falls overlook and then followed the trail to the base of the falls. After crossing the suspension bridge I followed the trail along the base of the cliffs. We saw a total of about 20 people doing rock climbing. I stopped and watched for a brief time. It was pretty cool to watch, but you will never get me off the ground, hanging from a rope on the side of a mountain.
All in all the trip was nice. Early Sunday AM, probably around 3:00 it started to rain. The rained caused us to skip the planned pancake feast and pack up early and head for the nearest Cracker Barrel. Not a bad backup plan.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
The garden plot is waiting patiently for Easter to roll around so the plants can be transplanted into the ground. I have planted some seeds in containers hoping to start the plants myself, but if they don't spring forth in time, I am prepared to acquire a few plants from HD or WM. The weather has been decent and we have had plenty of rain lately so watering has been required.
F1 - Australia 2009
Last weekend was the first race of this years F1 season. I have been looking forward to it since the end of the last season. I usually pull for the red cars and this season is no exception. I also like the the drivers of the defunct Honda team newly christened as Brawn. I like many others figured they would be the underdogs this year. I guess we were all wrong. The Brawn cars driven by Button and Barrichello finished 1st and 2nd last weekend. Awesome race.
Last weekend was the first race of this years F1 season. I have been looking forward to it since the end of the last season. I usually pull for the red cars and this season is no exception. I also like the the drivers of the defunct Honda team newly christened as Brawn. I like many others figured they would be the underdogs this year. I guess we were all wrong. The Brawn cars driven by Button and Barrichello finished 1st and 2nd last weekend. Awesome race.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
The Next Obsession
Spring break started today at 3:00 pm. While I do have a lot to do in the next week (related to school), I should have adequate time to have some fun as well.
I have been planning a garden this year. I believe the last time I planted a garden was 10 years ago. Prior to the last garden, I had seen a segment on Square Foot Gardening on PBS. (I even bought a book on the subject.) This seemed interesting to me at the time and I ended up with a 12 square foot elevated garden. The garden consisted of two 3'x4' boxes set on platforms about 2.5 feet off the ground. In this small garden I planted two types of tomatoes, squash, okra, eggplant, bell peppers, water melon, and onions.
This year the garden will be in the ground. It will probably consist of four 4'x4' plots about three feet apart. My last garden suffered from limited sunlight. This will not be an issue as the intended garden location gets full sunlight.
I have not yet determined the complete list of crops this year, but it will certainly contain tomatoes, squash, and okra. Any requests?
As you can see, I have decided to recycle a previous obsession this year. Does this mean I am running out of new and original ideas. No way!
Spring break started today at 3:00 pm. While I do have a lot to do in the next week (related to school), I should have adequate time to have some fun as well.
I have been planning a garden this year. I believe the last time I planted a garden was 10 years ago. Prior to the last garden, I had seen a segment on Square Foot Gardening on PBS. (I even bought a book on the subject.) This seemed interesting to me at the time and I ended up with a 12 square foot elevated garden. The garden consisted of two 3'x4' boxes set on platforms about 2.5 feet off the ground. In this small garden I planted two types of tomatoes, squash, okra, eggplant, bell peppers, water melon, and onions.
This year the garden will be in the ground. It will probably consist of four 4'x4' plots about three feet apart. My last garden suffered from limited sunlight. This will not be an issue as the intended garden location gets full sunlight.
I have not yet determined the complete list of crops this year, but it will certainly contain tomatoes, squash, and okra. Any requests?
As you can see, I have decided to recycle a previous obsession this year. Does this mean I am running out of new and original ideas. No way!
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
I'm Not Quite Dead Yet. (Part II)
I was catching up on my blog reading when I came across this post. For just a second, I thought I was reading my eulogy. Then I remembered I was still breathing. I wonder if he realized he wrote that on my 40th birthday.
(Danny gave me a box of laxatives for my birthday. Oddly it did not appear to be a gag-gift. I now have plenty and I am willing to share.)
I guess it is time for me to get out the guitar and start practicing again. It seems Danny and I are starting a band. Look out Flatt and Scruggs.
I was catching up on my blog reading when I came across this post. For just a second, I thought I was reading my eulogy. Then I remembered I was still breathing. I wonder if he realized he wrote that on my 40th birthday.
(Danny gave me a box of laxatives for my birthday. Oddly it did not appear to be a gag-gift. I now have plenty and I am willing to share.)
I guess it is time for me to get out the guitar and start practicing again. It seems Danny and I are starting a band. Look out Flatt and Scruggs.
My List of the Top Ten Albums of Rock and Roll
Ken put me up to this. Originally the list was supposed to be 15 albums. His list was twenty-five. I have limited mine to just ten. It is a slippery slope from #11 to #50. The truth is adding another five would repeat a couple of the artists. Oddly this list does not include the first couple of albums I ever bought (one of which was Petra - More Power To Ya) which I listened to non-stop for over a year. Nor does it include the album that I have probably listened to more than any other album (U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind). I actually left this one in the CD player of my trucks for two plus years.
1. U2 - The Unforgettable Fire - This one seems to top everyone's list. I walked to Wal-Mart with my buddy Matt Ramon (before we could drive) to buy this one in cassette form. This was also the first CD I ever bought (1987). Every song on the CD is good and the sum is greater than the parts. "Dirt dry bones, sand, and stone."
2. The Choir - Chase the Kangaroo - I was introduced to this one during the summer of 1987. My friend, Preacher-Man John, whom I have know since kindergarten, had just gotten a bass and started a band along with Wade and Jeff. Their original music was definitely influenced by The Choir and U2. Actually The Choir was also influenced by U2. (Thinking about this reminded me of a road trip we made to Atlanta to see U2 and the rocking flying through my windshield on the way home. Also John's little incident at the parking deck, but I digress. Good times!) "November whispers and shakes a fist, leaves fall down with promises." But who rakes the leaves?
3. The Alarm - Strength - Another John (Thrash man) introduced me to this band back when I was flipping burgers at the golden arches. I had a hard time deciding whether Strength or Declaration should fill this slot. Ultimately Strength got it. Barely. "Who will light the fire that I need to survive?"
4. Sting - Dream of the Blue Turtles - This one was introduced by my imaginary friend Mike. Moon Over Bourbon Street and Shadows in the Rain are timeless classics for me. I continually use both to prove to others that I can't sing. And I shall continue to for a long long time. "Woke up in my clothes again this morning. Don't know exactly where I am."
5. Rush - Power Windows - This one comes complements of yet another John, Mr. Leeming. I heard this one for the first time while 'working truck' at McDonald's. This was totally unlike anything I had ever heard. "All the powers that be, and the course of history, would be changed for evermore..."
6. Van Halen - 5150 - I bought this one at Sound Warehouse on the way home from school one day. John Thrash was probably with me as we car-pooled for several years. Unlike may others, I liked Van Haggar. To this day I believe that Eruption from Van Halen I is the reason my hearing is not so good. Can you imagine what that must sound like in of a Chevette with 10 speakers including two 10" subs being pushed by 200 watts (peak :). "Summer nights and my radio, that's all we need, baby, don't cha know."
7. Triumph - Sport of Kings - This one is again courtesy of Mr. Trash. That guy had good tastes in music. "Is it fate, or random chance, how can I decided? Are we victims of circumstance when destinies collide?
8. REM - Document - Mr. Leeming again. John taught me how to play the first few notes of "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" on my electric guitar. For all of you I have tortured with this, he is to blame. Unfortunately I didn't have any inate musical talent. John, John, and I (and maybe John) went to see John's brother's band "My Three Sons" play at a club near TCU. They dedicated Electric Co. to me. "World serves it own needs, regardless of your own needs, feed it up a knock, speed, grunt no, speed no..."
9. Electric Light Orchestra - Time - As a kid, I heard "Out of the Blue" and "Discovery" time and again at Blair's house. I don't recall hearing "Time" back then but it is definitely my favorite ELO album. I will credit David E. with this one. "I met someone who looks a lot like you, she does the things you do, but she is an IBM." "...And she's also a telephone."
10. Boston - Boston - Flashback to the 70's and credit goes to Blair again. I think we nearly wore out his older brother's eight tracks. This was the first CD I listened to when I bought my first brand-new-car. Open up the sun roof and turn it up. "He smoked a big cigar, drove a Cadillac car, and said, boys, I think this band is out of sight."
So how would I fill out the next 40 or so? More U2, definitely The Joshua Tree, and The Alarm, probably Declaration and Eye of the Hurricane. And more Choir, especially the live one specially mixed to listen to in the car with the windows rolled down. Also throw in The Church's "Under the Milkyway", some Everclear, a few Barenaked Ladies, more Sting's Soul Cages (and The Police's Synchronicity) , and Pink Floyd, Green Day, and maybe the Offspring. And more Rush!
Now it is your turn to make a list. Let me know when you get it done so that I may check it out.
Ken put me up to this. Originally the list was supposed to be 15 albums. His list was twenty-five. I have limited mine to just ten. It is a slippery slope from #11 to #50. The truth is adding another five would repeat a couple of the artists. Oddly this list does not include the first couple of albums I ever bought (one of which was Petra - More Power To Ya) which I listened to non-stop for over a year. Nor does it include the album that I have probably listened to more than any other album (U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind). I actually left this one in the CD player of my trucks for two plus years.
1. U2 - The Unforgettable Fire - This one seems to top everyone's list. I walked to Wal-Mart with my buddy Matt Ramon (before we could drive) to buy this one in cassette form. This was also the first CD I ever bought (1987). Every song on the CD is good and the sum is greater than the parts. "Dirt dry bones, sand, and stone."
2. The Choir - Chase the Kangaroo - I was introduced to this one during the summer of 1987. My friend, Preacher-Man John, whom I have know since kindergarten, had just gotten a bass and started a band along with Wade and Jeff. Their original music was definitely influenced by The Choir and U2. Actually The Choir was also influenced by U2. (Thinking about this reminded me of a road trip we made to Atlanta to see U2 and the rocking flying through my windshield on the way home. Also John's little incident at the parking deck, but I digress. Good times!) "November whispers and shakes a fist, leaves fall down with promises." But who rakes the leaves?
3. The Alarm - Strength - Another John (Thrash man) introduced me to this band back when I was flipping burgers at the golden arches. I had a hard time deciding whether Strength or Declaration should fill this slot. Ultimately Strength got it. Barely. "Who will light the fire that I need to survive?"
4. Sting - Dream of the Blue Turtles - This one was introduced by my imaginary friend Mike. Moon Over Bourbon Street and Shadows in the Rain are timeless classics for me. I continually use both to prove to others that I can't sing. And I shall continue to for a long long time. "Woke up in my clothes again this morning. Don't know exactly where I am."
5. Rush - Power Windows - This one comes complements of yet another John, Mr. Leeming. I heard this one for the first time while 'working truck' at McDonald's. This was totally unlike anything I had ever heard. "All the powers that be, and the course of history, would be changed for evermore..."
6. Van Halen - 5150 - I bought this one at Sound Warehouse on the way home from school one day. John Thrash was probably with me as we car-pooled for several years. Unlike may others, I liked Van Haggar. To this day I believe that Eruption from Van Halen I is the reason my hearing is not so good. Can you imagine what that must sound like in of a Chevette with 10 speakers including two 10" subs being pushed by 200 watts (peak :). "Summer nights and my radio, that's all we need, baby, don't cha know."
7. Triumph - Sport of Kings - This one is again courtesy of Mr. Trash. That guy had good tastes in music. "Is it fate, or random chance, how can I decided? Are we victims of circumstance when destinies collide?
8. REM - Document - Mr. Leeming again. John taught me how to play the first few notes of "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" on my electric guitar. For all of you I have tortured with this, he is to blame. Unfortunately I didn't have any inate musical talent. John, John, and I (and maybe John) went to see John's brother's band "My Three Sons" play at a club near TCU. They dedicated Electric Co. to me. "World serves it own needs, regardless of your own needs, feed it up a knock, speed, grunt no, speed no..."
9. Electric Light Orchestra - Time - As a kid, I heard "Out of the Blue" and "Discovery" time and again at Blair's house. I don't recall hearing "Time" back then but it is definitely my favorite ELO album. I will credit David E. with this one. "I met someone who looks a lot like you, she does the things you do, but she is an IBM." "...And she's also a telephone."
10. Boston - Boston - Flashback to the 70's and credit goes to Blair again. I think we nearly wore out his older brother's eight tracks. This was the first CD I listened to when I bought my first brand-new-car. Open up the sun roof and turn it up. "He smoked a big cigar, drove a Cadillac car, and said, boys, I think this band is out of sight."
So how would I fill out the next 40 or so? More U2, definitely The Joshua Tree, and The Alarm, probably Declaration and Eye of the Hurricane. And more Choir, especially the live one specially mixed to listen to in the car with the windows rolled down. Also throw in The Church's "Under the Milkyway", some Everclear, a few Barenaked Ladies, more Sting's Soul Cages (and The Police's Synchronicity) , and Pink Floyd, Green Day, and maybe the Offspring. And more Rush!
Now it is your turn to make a list. Let me know when you get it done so that I may check it out.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
For the past few weeks I have been focused on school. It is amazing how one can be so focused that several days or weeks can pass without giving much thought to anything else. I believe the most difficult part is behind me now, though I still have plenty to do. Over the next couple of weeks I hope to have more free time and thus have some mildly mundane topics to speak of.
The contractors finished up repairing the garage either two or three weeks ago. I still have not moved the tools back in. I am eager to do so because the Miata has been parked in the driveway for the last couple of weeks. (This is the only time the Miata has been left outside overnight since I bought it however many years ago that was.)
The precision machine class has been very interesting. We are primarily working with a vertical milling machine, an E-Mill I believe. The project for the class is to mill a c-clamp out of a solid piece of aluminum. We should begin cutting threads in another week or so.
The Big-4-0 was completely painless. Especially since I got a box of laxatives as a gift. I have extras and I am willing to share.
The contractors finished up repairing the garage either two or three weeks ago. I still have not moved the tools back in. I am eager to do so because the Miata has been parked in the driveway for the last couple of weeks. (This is the only time the Miata has been left outside overnight since I bought it however many years ago that was.)
The precision machine class has been very interesting. We are primarily working with a vertical milling machine, an E-Mill I believe. The project for the class is to mill a c-clamp out of a solid piece of aluminum. We should begin cutting threads in another week or so.
The Big-4-0 was completely painless. Especially since I got a box of laxatives as a gift. I have extras and I am willing to share.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
"It has been a long time..."
First of all, my hand smells like tooth paste. Not as refreshing as you might think.
I have been busy lately. Real busy. The kind of busy that keeps me up past my bedtime busy. One, two, and three AM busy. All good things will pass. Eventually.
Most of the business is a result of doing my student-teaching internship. Some is also as a result of signing up for the precision machines class at the vo-tech school. The machines class is really cool. I am after all a kinesthetic learner.
Fear not, for I have not abandoned you (for Facebook), both of you, the two of you who read this blog from time-to-time. Once or twice a month. I shall return. Though it might be another seven days before you see another post.
Do you smell brownies?
Oh, yeah! Tomorrow I will be 40 and I am feeling pretty good about it.
"...since I rock-and-rocked." [power cord] [ power cord]
First of all, my hand smells like tooth paste. Not as refreshing as you might think.
I have been busy lately. Real busy. The kind of busy that keeps me up past my bedtime busy. One, two, and three AM busy. All good things will pass. Eventually.
Most of the business is a result of doing my student-teaching internship. Some is also as a result of signing up for the precision machines class at the vo-tech school. The machines class is really cool. I am after all a kinesthetic learner.
Fear not, for I have not abandoned you (for Facebook), both of you, the two of you who read this blog from time-to-time. Once or twice a month. I shall return. Though it might be another seven days before you see another post.
Do you smell brownies?
Oh, yeah! Tomorrow I will be 40 and I am feeling pretty good about it.
"...since I rock-and-rocked." [power cord] [ power cord]
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Crack Pipe
Today I repaired the pipe that froze last weekend. I decided it would be easier to go ahead and do the job myself rather than try to schedule a time for a plumber to come by.
After a quick trip to HD for supplies (solder, flux, 1/2" copper pipe caps, pipe cutter), I came home and learned a new trade. All my plumbing work in the past has been limited to PVC. Now I can included sweating copper pipe on my resume. I am currently looking to take on an apprentice.
Today I repaired the pipe that froze last weekend. I decided it would be easier to go ahead and do the job myself rather than try to schedule a time for a plumber to come by.
After a quick trip to HD for supplies (solder, flux, 1/2" copper pipe caps, pipe cutter), I came home and learned a new trade. All my plumbing work in the past has been limited to PVC. Now I can included sweating copper pipe on my resume. I am currently looking to take on an apprentice.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
This evening I invented the instant play feature for Netflix on TiVo. OK, maybe I didn't invent it but I did discover it. OK, maybe discover is a strong overstatement. But I did setup it up. Well that is not exactly true either. G' punched the code into the web browser to activate the feature. But I did pick the first thing we watched on the Tivo via the instant play feature at Netflix. Well technically we didn't watch all of it, but we did watch the first ten minutes before the kids interrupted the show. OK, maybe it wasn't exactly ten minutes, but you can't prove it can you!
We ended up watching Psych on the Tivo instead.
The instant play feature is pretty cool. Check it out.
We ended up watching Psych on the Tivo instead.
The instant play feature is pretty cool. Check it out.
Monday, January 19, 2009
MLK
School was out today so I had no place to be. Gotta love the extra holidays. I spent some time preparing for the school week but mostly I spent the day hooking up a new dual tuner Tivo and doing more cleanup work in the garage.
Our old Tivo was purchased in February of 2003 I believe. Yesterday it started making a horrible screeching sound. I believe one of the hard drives was ready to go. I unplugged it last night (to silence it) and today when I plugged it back in, it just didn't work. Unfortunately I had just recorded about 35 hours of Barrett-Jackson. I guess I missed it this year.
In the garage, I plugged a few holes in the ceiling with insulation and got the heater back online. The drip pan in the HVAC unit was full of water. There is a float switch in the pan which disables the unit when water is present. I vacuumed the water out of the pan and then turned the thermostat up to 50 and set the fan to on. Hopefully the constant flow of air will help dry the walls and stairs. Someone needs to change the air filter!
I also spent some time drying the grade-8 bolts that managed to get completely submerged in water this weekend. After drying them with a heat gun I packaged them in sandwich bags and labeled the bags. They are ready to go when I get another chance to work on the GMC. Drying washers/nuts/bolts with a heat gun is a zen-like experience.
And speaking of weather (someone did mention weather didn't they?), shortly after lunch some white stuff started falling from the sky. At first it looked like snow, then ice, and finally snow again. I made the little people come outside for a few minutes so they could look at a crystal-like shape of a few snowflakes. They were not impressed.
It is almost tax time. Yippee.
School was out today so I had no place to be. Gotta love the extra holidays. I spent some time preparing for the school week but mostly I spent the day hooking up a new dual tuner Tivo and doing more cleanup work in the garage.
Our old Tivo was purchased in February of 2003 I believe. Yesterday it started making a horrible screeching sound. I believe one of the hard drives was ready to go. I unplugged it last night (to silence it) and today when I plugged it back in, it just didn't work. Unfortunately I had just recorded about 35 hours of Barrett-Jackson. I guess I missed it this year.
In the garage, I plugged a few holes in the ceiling with insulation and got the heater back online. The drip pan in the HVAC unit was full of water. There is a float switch in the pan which disables the unit when water is present. I vacuumed the water out of the pan and then turned the thermostat up to 50 and set the fan to on. Hopefully the constant flow of air will help dry the walls and stairs. Someone needs to change the air filter!
I also spent some time drying the grade-8 bolts that managed to get completely submerged in water this weekend. After drying them with a heat gun I packaged them in sandwich bags and labeled the bags. They are ready to go when I get another chance to work on the GMC. Drying washers/nuts/bolts with a heat gun is a zen-like experience.
And speaking of weather (someone did mention weather didn't they?), shortly after lunch some white stuff started falling from the sky. At first it looked like snow, then ice, and finally snow again. I made the little people come outside for a few minutes so they could look at a crystal-like shape of a few snowflakes. They were not impressed.
It is almost tax time. Yippee.
It's Raining in the Garage
As the garage door opened on Sunday morning, I noticed something was wrong. It was raining in the garage.
After twisting the water cut-off value, I went into the garage to investigate. The entire place was a mess. A large part of the ceiling had collapsed over my '72 GMC and the workbench next to it. Everything on the bench was soaked. Across the room, water was rolling down the face of the cabinets that I had recently built onto another workbench below them. Many tools were lying in the torrent of water. Water was close to an 1" deep on the floor at the lowest spot in the garage.
The last few days have been really cold. I had heard this was the coldest winter we have had in 6 years. I spent several hours in the shop on Saturday just generally cleaning up. (And I finally got around to putting door handles on the cabinets as well as touching up the paint) The clean up effort was in vain, the place was a mess.
I spent most of Sunday afternoon dragging stuff out of the garage, and sweeping and vacuuming up water. After removing most of the water, I setup a box fan to assist in drying out the garage. (I took several photos before the cleanup effort began for the insurance company. )
It appears that a copper pipe in the unfinished upstairs area had frozen. The pipe has about a one inch split that runs lengthwise. After splitting, water sprayed upward. Some water went down the stairwell but it appears most ran across the floor and down into an A/C vent. The duct-work filled with water and the ceiling collapsed under the weight. When the ceiling collapsed, the duct was ripped in half above the ceiling. At this point water was running across the top side of the ceiling and downs the walls.
Upstairs, most of my hardwood supply got wet. I store the wood standing upright to save space. The bottom end of every board has soaked up water. About six to nine inches of each board is swollen. The boards will not dry back evenly. Hard wood is fairly expensive and my stash is all wet. This discovery made me sad.
Back down stairs, I noticed that my planer and chop saw had been subjected to the flow of water as well. I also had a soggy box of truck parts. On the truck, the new bolts had already started rusting. This was frustrating. For about three years now I have been working on the truck - taking it apart, sandblasting the parts to remove all rust, painting them, and putting it back together. It was discouraging to see some rust forming on the truck I had worked so hard to remove it from. I realize the truck would have eventually gotten wet, but my plan was to finish it first.
While cleaning out the garage, I was glad I had sold the 1925 Chevrolet. The ceiling caved in right above where the truck was normally parked. I am not sure that truck would have ever recovered from that much water.
As the garage door opened on Sunday morning, I noticed something was wrong. It was raining in the garage.
After twisting the water cut-off value, I went into the garage to investigate. The entire place was a mess. A large part of the ceiling had collapsed over my '72 GMC and the workbench next to it. Everything on the bench was soaked. Across the room, water was rolling down the face of the cabinets that I had recently built onto another workbench below them. Many tools were lying in the torrent of water. Water was close to an 1" deep on the floor at the lowest spot in the garage.
The last few days have been really cold. I had heard this was the coldest winter we have had in 6 years. I spent several hours in the shop on Saturday just generally cleaning up. (And I finally got around to putting door handles on the cabinets as well as touching up the paint) The clean up effort was in vain, the place was a mess.
I spent most of Sunday afternoon dragging stuff out of the garage, and sweeping and vacuuming up water. After removing most of the water, I setup a box fan to assist in drying out the garage. (I took several photos before the cleanup effort began for the insurance company. )
It appears that a copper pipe in the unfinished upstairs area had frozen. The pipe has about a one inch split that runs lengthwise. After splitting, water sprayed upward. Some water went down the stairwell but it appears most ran across the floor and down into an A/C vent. The duct-work filled with water and the ceiling collapsed under the weight. When the ceiling collapsed, the duct was ripped in half above the ceiling. At this point water was running across the top side of the ceiling and downs the walls.
Upstairs, most of my hardwood supply got wet. I store the wood standing upright to save space. The bottom end of every board has soaked up water. About six to nine inches of each board is swollen. The boards will not dry back evenly. Hard wood is fairly expensive and my stash is all wet. This discovery made me sad.
Back down stairs, I noticed that my planer and chop saw had been subjected to the flow of water as well. I also had a soggy box of truck parts. On the truck, the new bolts had already started rusting. This was frustrating. For about three years now I have been working on the truck - taking it apart, sandblasting the parts to remove all rust, painting them, and putting it back together. It was discouraging to see some rust forming on the truck I had worked so hard to remove it from. I realize the truck would have eventually gotten wet, but my plan was to finish it first.
While cleaning out the garage, I was glad I had sold the 1925 Chevrolet. The ceiling caved in right above where the truck was normally parked. I am not sure that truck would have ever recovered from that much water.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Precision Machines
I am taking an evening adult education class at the local vocational technology school. The class started this evening and meets for fifteen weeks.
The class I chose this semester is Precision Machines. In this class I will learn how to operate and effectively use a milling machine, metal lathe, metal shaper, and possibly a few more. These are skills I thought might be useful, interesting, or entertaining.
The first class met tonight. We covered the usual - safety first, followed by a brief tour of all the machinery as well as a description of what they can do.
One can never have to many mad skillz!
I am taking an evening adult education class at the local vocational technology school. The class started this evening and meets for fifteen weeks.
The class I chose this semester is Precision Machines. In this class I will learn how to operate and effectively use a milling machine, metal lathe, metal shaper, and possibly a few more. These are skills I thought might be useful, interesting, or entertaining.
The first class met tonight. We covered the usual - safety first, followed by a brief tour of all the machinery as well as a description of what they can do.
One can never have to many mad skillz!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
I started my teaching internship this week. Monday was orientation, Tuesday was the first class of the semester, and the rest of the week involves ARI training (strategies for incorporating content literacy in the classroom.)
The internship involves 75 days in the classroom. I have to teach at least 20 of the 75. Ten must be consecutive. I will be teaching Algebra II and Pre-Calculus during my internship.
The first day in the classroom went very well. I believe this will be a very positive experience and I hope to learn a lot. I just hope to not have to learn a lot the hard way.
The internship involves 75 days in the classroom. I have to teach at least 20 of the 75. Ten must be consecutive. I will be teaching Algebra II and Pre-Calculus during my internship.
The first day in the classroom went very well. I believe this will be a very positive experience and I hope to learn a lot. I just hope to not have to learn a lot the hard way.
Happy New Year and Other un-related Superflous Foo-Foo
On Tuesday December 30, we boarded a plane headed for Disney World. This time we stayed at Riverside in Port Orleans. I returned home on Sunday January January 4. The rest of the family stayed until Monday. (I had a school obligation on Monday.)
We managed to shut down almost park every night. Most nights at least one of the parks stayed open until midnight. That generally got us back to the room by 1 AM. The first night we were there, the Magic Kingdom was open until 3 AM. We split the scene around 2 AM.
If you can handle it, late night at the parks is a good idea. We generally managed to ride more rides in the last two hours than we had all day long due to the decreased crowds. A good plan is to head out early, return the room for an afternoon rest and then back at the park for the evening and late night hours.
While there I rode the Tower of Terror 5 times (in one night), Expedition Everest 13 times (over two days). Thunder Mountain seven times (over two days) , Spash Mountain twice, and Space Mountain twice. I also rode the train in two parks (yippee!), Pirates of the Caribbean (no wait), and many many more. We only rode Spaceship Earth once this trip. My favorite show was again Mickey's Philharmagic in the Magic Kingdom.
I got to see three complete fireworks shows (Epcot/Magic Kingdom/Epcot), the other nights we missed them while queued up for roller coasters.
My favorite Dining experiences this trip were Le Cellar (Canadian section of Epcot), Coral Reef (Epcot), and the BoatWright (Riverside at Port Orleans). I missed the trip to Ohonua (in the Polynesian Resort) because I returned home early, but it was fantastic the last time we were there. We also dined at the Mexican restaurant whose name I can't recall (Mexican section of Epcot) and The Wave (Contemporary Resort). The last two were good, but I would be willing to try something else next time.
January at Disney World provides primo weather. Sunny and 70 for the entire trip. Excellente!
Just like our last trip to Disney World (January 2007), I managed to lose track of what day of the week it was on this trip. That is the true sign of a great vacation.
On Tuesday December 30, we boarded a plane headed for Disney World. This time we stayed at Riverside in Port Orleans. I returned home on Sunday January January 4. The rest of the family stayed until Monday. (I had a school obligation on Monday.)
We managed to shut down almost park every night. Most nights at least one of the parks stayed open until midnight. That generally got us back to the room by 1 AM. The first night we were there, the Magic Kingdom was open until 3 AM. We split the scene around 2 AM.
If you can handle it, late night at the parks is a good idea. We generally managed to ride more rides in the last two hours than we had all day long due to the decreased crowds. A good plan is to head out early, return the room for an afternoon rest and then back at the park for the evening and late night hours.
While there I rode the Tower of Terror 5 times (in one night), Expedition Everest 13 times (over two days). Thunder Mountain seven times (over two days) , Spash Mountain twice, and Space Mountain twice. I also rode the train in two parks (yippee!), Pirates of the Caribbean (no wait), and many many more. We only rode Spaceship Earth once this trip. My favorite show was again Mickey's Philharmagic in the Magic Kingdom.
I got to see three complete fireworks shows (Epcot/Magic Kingdom/Epcot), the other nights we missed them while queued up for roller coasters.
My favorite Dining experiences this trip were Le Cellar (Canadian section of Epcot), Coral Reef (Epcot), and the BoatWright (Riverside at Port Orleans). I missed the trip to Ohonua (in the Polynesian Resort) because I returned home early, but it was fantastic the last time we were there. We also dined at the Mexican restaurant whose name I can't recall (Mexican section of Epcot) and The Wave (Contemporary Resort). The last two were good, but I would be willing to try something else next time.
January at Disney World provides primo weather. Sunny and 70 for the entire trip. Excellente!
Just like our last trip to Disney World (January 2007), I managed to lose track of what day of the week it was on this trip. That is the true sign of a great vacation.
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