So I meant to post some copy with those last three photos but like so many things I never I got around to it.
Weekend Update
Saturday David M. and I drove up to Scottsboro to purchase some hardwood for the next couple of projects. We ended up buying some Leopard and Purple Heart. Both should make some spectacular boxes. Danny's next project will be from cedar. I already have a stash of cedar in the room above the garage so we didn't pick up any cedar at The Hardwood Center.
For Saturday afternoon the plan had been to drive up to Colombia, TN to ride the (model) trains but that little adventure was rained out again. I believe that was the third time in a row we planned to make that trip only to have it rain.
The previous photos show a piece of white oak joined with a piece of MDF, a photo of Danny using the joint jig we purchased back in the spring. Yes, that is the Morris in the background. The last photo is a shot of a weather balloon rising from Green Mountain in South Huntsville.
GMC Update: I painted the drive shaft this week.
And the Chainsaw! There I mentioned it, but it is not really news until I finish it.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Fly-In/Car Show
Saturday morning I drove over to Big Ed's Pizza. The local British Automobile club was meeting there and then driving out to the Moontown airport for the fly-in. The route was a nice scenic route over Monte Sano which included several miles of tree lined roads. The cars included several MG from various decades, the same Jag E-type I saw last week, Ernie's Fiat Spider, a Sunbeam Tiger, a Karman Ghia, a Volvo, and various German air cooled vehicles. In all there were probably about 30 and I am certain I left out a few very interesting cars.
The fly-in was pretty awesome. Lots of cool planes - old, new, single wing, bi-plane, etc. It was fascinating to watch them take-off, land, and fly by. The older planes were the most intriguing.
Last week I made the mistake of going to the car show with a dead battery in my camera. This week I did not make the same mistake. Instead my memory car was full. I wonder what my next trick will be?
I had such a great time on the drive-out, I was seriously considering joining the Brit. car club. There I was surrounded by a bunch of cool convertibles, driving my Miata! I told one of them it was an Austin. Next time maybe the Morris will be road worthy. In the midst of all this I met yet another guy from Rocket City Miata club. He attempted to recruit me for their club as well. I have been intending to join it but they meetings typically occur on a might I am busy. It turns out they are currently meeting on a night that I am free. Hmmm.
Saturday morning I drove over to Big Ed's Pizza. The local British Automobile club was meeting there and then driving out to the Moontown airport for the fly-in. The route was a nice scenic route over Monte Sano which included several miles of tree lined roads. The cars included several MG from various decades, the same Jag E-type I saw last week, Ernie's Fiat Spider, a Sunbeam Tiger, a Karman Ghia, a Volvo, and various German air cooled vehicles. In all there were probably about 30 and I am certain I left out a few very interesting cars.
The fly-in was pretty awesome. Lots of cool planes - old, new, single wing, bi-plane, etc. It was fascinating to watch them take-off, land, and fly by. The older planes were the most intriguing.
Last week I made the mistake of going to the car show with a dead battery in my camera. This week I did not make the same mistake. Instead my memory car was full. I wonder what my next trick will be?
I had such a great time on the drive-out, I was seriously considering joining the Brit. car club. There I was surrounded by a bunch of cool convertibles, driving my Miata! I told one of them it was an Austin. Next time maybe the Morris will be road worthy. In the midst of all this I met yet another guy from Rocket City Miata club. He attempted to recruit me for their club as well. I have been intending to join it but they meetings typically occur on a might I am busy. It turns out they are currently meeting on a night that I am free. Hmmm.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
British Car Show
I went to a British car show at nearby Joe Wheeler state park on Saturday. The show consisted mostly of MGs but there were a few others: Triumphs, Minis, Austin Healeys, Jaguars (including an E type), and even a Lotus Esprit.
The battery on my camera died after a just a few pictures, so I made due with my phone's camera. The above shot is a boattail end of a 1930 MG. I have more photos of this car but they are still on the phone.
My favorite cars were either the MGAs or the Austins.
GMC Update
Back at home on Sunday, I finally got around to cleaning up and priming the trans-axle and transmission yoke on the truck.
Labor Day Weekend
I started the long weekend with a quick trip to Florence to have breakfast at Cracker Barrel with John D. I also spent some time at has parents house visiting with his wife, kids, and mother. Great time.
From there I went by Danny's project house in Rogersville. The painting was complete by the time I arrived so I twisted his arm into taking the boat out on the Tennessee River. We were on the water no more than 10 minutes when we got hit hard by the rain. We had been watching it approach from the west but were oblivious to it also rolling in from the south. We were completely soaked by the time we got the boat back into the slip. Good times.
Because this post is a week overdue, I can't recall what I did the rest of the weekend. Something fun, I'm sure.
Tuesday Night Wood Working
Got behind on posting so I will try to catch up with a few quick posts.
During the Tuesday Night Woodworking sessions, we finished up a few more boxes. The picture above is David. M displaying a Maple box with Wenge accents. Danny's and my box were also Maple with Blood wood accents. All three of the boxes were finished with tung oil. The oil really made the color accents stand out.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
I have been watching an interesting show on BBC America called James May's Toy Stories. (James is also a host on Top Gear, one of my favorite shows.) It is really interesting buy you need to discover it for yourself. Today it was about Meccano. At least that is the British name for it. Previous episodes have been about Lego, and electric slot cars.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Yet Another Evening Of Small Engine Repair
For fifteen weeks, Monday night has became small engine repair night. I feel like I have learned a lot but knowledge is sometimes difficult to quantify. When it comes to fixing a small engine, one thing I have learned is that knowledge will only take you so far. Experience has a lot to do with it as well. The teacher has a _lot_ of experience. He certainly knows this stuff.
Tonight's challenge was repairing my pressure washer. The thing has never run well, at least until now.
This evening I removed the carb and cleaned it - basically the carb needed the varnish removed from the bowl and the main jet cleaned out. After that I replaced the spark plug and then adjusted the idle. Vrooom! Better than new.
Previously the engine would 'hunt' while running and it would only run with the choke on and the throttle wide open. The hunting was caused by the clogged jet. Running it wide open with the throttle mostly closed (aka running rich) caused the plug to build up a lot of black sooty carbon.
During the carb cleaning, I determined the way to keep this particular engine running well will be to remove the carb bowl after each us and drain it completely. This would certainly be overkill for some engines but not this one. A pain for sure, but it only takes a couple of minutes and it will keep the carb from needing to be cleaned again.
What can I learn about next?
For fifteen weeks, Monday night has became small engine repair night. I feel like I have learned a lot but knowledge is sometimes difficult to quantify. When it comes to fixing a small engine, one thing I have learned is that knowledge will only take you so far. Experience has a lot to do with it as well. The teacher has a _lot_ of experience. He certainly knows this stuff.
Tonight's challenge was repairing my pressure washer. The thing has never run well, at least until now.
This evening I removed the carb and cleaned it - basically the carb needed the varnish removed from the bowl and the main jet cleaned out. After that I replaced the spark plug and then adjusted the idle. Vrooom! Better than new.
Previously the engine would 'hunt' while running and it would only run with the choke on and the throttle wide open. The hunting was caused by the clogged jet. Running it wide open with the throttle mostly closed (aka running rich) caused the plug to build up a lot of black sooty carbon.
During the carb cleaning, I determined the way to keep this particular engine running well will be to remove the carb bowl after each us and drain it completely. This would certainly be overkill for some engines but not this one. A pain for sure, but it only takes a couple of minutes and it will keep the carb from needing to be cleaned again.
What can I learn about next?
Friday, August 27, 2010
It's a Musical Journey Really
Yesterday Netflix released their app for the iPhone. This evening I watched 'This Might Get Loud' on my phone. Surprisingly the screen doesn't seem too small and the sound quality was really good using an old pair of Sennheiser head phones I have.
It is amazing what a phone is capable of today.
If you haven't seen '...Loud' it is definitely worth watching, especially if your a U2, White Stripes, or Led Zeppelin fan.
Yesterday Netflix released their app for the iPhone. This evening I watched 'This Might Get Loud' on my phone. Surprisingly the screen doesn't seem too small and the sound quality was really good using an old pair of Sennheiser head phones I have.
It is amazing what a phone is capable of today.
If you haven't seen '...Loud' it is definitely worth watching, especially if your a U2, White Stripes, or Led Zeppelin fan.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Tonight's wood working session consisted of some time with the chisel insetting the hinges into the current box project. Working with a chisel and a hammer is very therapeutic. And of course there was a trip to Lowe's prior to the chisel time to purchase the hinges. David M. was absent tonight.
Next week we should finally begin finishing.
Next week we should finally begin finishing.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Small Engine Repair
Tonight was the second week of small engine repair. I have learned a lot so far but it has not gone as expected. What did I expect? I guess I expected a little bit of lecture time with a few pictures on a white board or overhead projector followed by some bench time. What it has turned out to be is pretty much all bench time.
The way it works is you show up with something you have that is not working and attempt to fix it. The instructor will answer any questions you have and guide you when your lost. This style of learning works well for some but it is not my optimal method. Regardless, I have learned a lot so far and even taken lots of notes in my spiral notepad. (I will type the notes up later so that I can re-read it later when my memory is failing me - next week.)
To get the most out of this class, I just need to arrive each week with a list of questions. The instructor does a great job of answering questions, but first someone has to ask them. Sign me up to ask the stupid questions and maybe even a couple of not so stupid ones.
While in the class this evening, I helped a man remove the carb from his edger, the type with a vertical bladed mounted to a motor with a horizontal axle. The engine on the edge was a Briggs and Stratton. It turns out this motor and its carb were identical or nearly identical to the roto-tiller I worked on this summer. That was an interesting surprise. And then later in the evening while looking at a tiller which happened to be an MTD, 5 HP, I noticed it also had the same Briggs and Stratton motor along with the same carb. What are the odds? Apparently pretty high which is a good thing because I have a pretty good understanding of how this carb works, including the funky little fuel pump.
Learning can be so much fun when it is something you are interested in knowing about.
Tonight was the second week of small engine repair. I have learned a lot so far but it has not gone as expected. What did I expect? I guess I expected a little bit of lecture time with a few pictures on a white board or overhead projector followed by some bench time. What it has turned out to be is pretty much all bench time.
The way it works is you show up with something you have that is not working and attempt to fix it. The instructor will answer any questions you have and guide you when your lost. This style of learning works well for some but it is not my optimal method. Regardless, I have learned a lot so far and even taken lots of notes in my spiral notepad. (I will type the notes up later so that I can re-read it later when my memory is failing me - next week.)
To get the most out of this class, I just need to arrive each week with a list of questions. The instructor does a great job of answering questions, but first someone has to ask them. Sign me up to ask the stupid questions and maybe even a couple of not so stupid ones.
While in the class this evening, I helped a man remove the carb from his edger, the type with a vertical bladed mounted to a motor with a horizontal axle. The engine on the edge was a Briggs and Stratton. It turns out this motor and its carb were identical or nearly identical to the roto-tiller I worked on this summer. That was an interesting surprise. And then later in the evening while looking at a tiller which happened to be an MTD, 5 HP, I noticed it also had the same Briggs and Stratton motor along with the same carb. What are the odds? Apparently pretty high which is a good thing because I have a pretty good understanding of how this carb works, including the funky little fuel pump.
Learning can be so much fun when it is something you are interested in knowing about.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Ardmore Car Show
Yesterday's excursion was to Ardmore for their annual car show. I believe the show coincides with school starting back and is a fund raiser for the football team.
I had meant to attend this one at least twice in the past. I finally made it this year and was surprised at the size of the show. I don't know for sure how many cars were present, but I estimate it was north of 400. The show is held within a park and a good bit of the cars are actually parked in the shade. The shade didn't help much though because it was just so hot.
There was a high turnout of late 50's Chevrolets as well as a bunch of late 60's Camaros and Mustangs - the usual stuff. Also several interesting trucks. I got several great pictures including the one of the previous post of James and Lisa's Firebird.
The show included a parts swap. I took a quick walk through in search of a 27 spline yoke to put behind the TH350 on the '72 GMC. (I didn't realize I even needed one until last Monday - mine is pretty well worn because the needle bearings seized on the front u-joint. When the bearing stopped spinning, the entire bearing cap starting moving which wore down the yoke.)
It was a good show. I will definitely go back next year as it is less than 30 minutes from my driveway. I ran into several people I knew. Between the chatting and car gazing, I only stayed about 2.5 hours. It was just too hot for me. I hit the Sonic on the way out of town for a Cherry Limeaide. It sure hit the 'I need something cold to drink' spot.
Yesterday's excursion was to Ardmore for their annual car show. I believe the show coincides with school starting back and is a fund raiser for the football team.
I had meant to attend this one at least twice in the past. I finally made it this year and was surprised at the size of the show. I don't know for sure how many cars were present, but I estimate it was north of 400. The show is held within a park and a good bit of the cars are actually parked in the shade. The shade didn't help much though because it was just so hot.
There was a high turnout of late 50's Chevrolets as well as a bunch of late 60's Camaros and Mustangs - the usual stuff. Also several interesting trucks. I got several great pictures including the one of the previous post of James and Lisa's Firebird.
The show included a parts swap. I took a quick walk through in search of a 27 spline yoke to put behind the TH350 on the '72 GMC. (I didn't realize I even needed one until last Monday - mine is pretty well worn because the needle bearings seized on the front u-joint. When the bearing stopped spinning, the entire bearing cap starting moving which wore down the yoke.)
It was a good show. I will definitely go back next year as it is less than 30 minutes from my driveway. I ran into several people I knew. Between the chatting and car gazing, I only stayed about 2.5 hours. It was just too hot for me. I hit the Sonic on the way out of town for a Cherry Limeaide. It sure hit the 'I need something cold to drink' spot.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Monday Night: Small Engine Repair
Brian, Danny and I attended our first class Monday. I learned several things during the first class. They probably did as well.
#1 Ninety percent of problems with small engines is simply bad gas.
#2 Of the other 10% of problems, 90% percent of those can be fixed by rebuilding the carburetor.
I also now know what is wrong with my pressure washer. Based on the instructors experience, its pilot jet is clogged. A carb rebuild should resolve the problem.
Tuesday Night: Wood Working
Tuesday evening's WW session consisted mostly of sanding. The boxes are nearing completion. The hinges need to be installed, a little touch up sanding, and then applying the finish. Total hours to complete: maybe 3. Total weeks until completion: maybe 12.
Brian, Danny and I attended our first class Monday. I learned several things during the first class. They probably did as well.
#1 Ninety percent of problems with small engines is simply bad gas.
#2 Of the other 10% of problems, 90% percent of those can be fixed by rebuilding the carburetor.
I also now know what is wrong with my pressure washer. Based on the instructors experience, its pilot jet is clogged. A carb rebuild should resolve the problem.
Tuesday Night: Wood Working
Tuesday evening's WW session consisted mostly of sanding. The boxes are nearing completion. The hinges need to be installed, a little touch up sanding, and then applying the finish. Total hours to complete: maybe 3. Total weeks until completion: maybe 12.
The Horrible Squeaking Dryer
After several months of the dryer producing a horrible squeaking sound which could be heard at the far end of the house through 3 closed door, it has finally been mended. Total labor cost $4. The parts cost was slightly more.
On Monday, I hired Bri to help me take it apart so that we could determine the part numbers we needed to order. Brianna did all the dis-assembly and reassembly. Dad supervised. Total labor cost: $2.
Two days later, I hired Jordan to help me take it apart again and replace the worn out parts. Jordan disassembled and reassembled the dryer. Dad swapped out the worn drum glides. Total labor cost: $2.
Pretty good deal - I suspect the repair man would have gotten at least $80.
And the best part - no more squeaking.
After several months of the dryer producing a horrible squeaking sound which could be heard at the far end of the house through 3 closed door, it has finally been mended. Total labor cost $4. The parts cost was slightly more.
On Monday, I hired Bri to help me take it apart so that we could determine the part numbers we needed to order. Brianna did all the dis-assembly and reassembly. Dad supervised. Total labor cost: $2.
Two days later, I hired Jordan to help me take it apart again and replace the worn out parts. Jordan disassembled and reassembled the dryer. Dad swapped out the worn drum glides. Total labor cost: $2.
Pretty good deal - I suspect the repair man would have gotten at least $80.
And the best part - no more squeaking.
Monday, August 09, 2010
The kids went back to school today. I don't think either was really ready for Summer (or their vacation) to be over.
Universal Joints
I wasn't ready either. Fortunately I had already planned to be off today. I spent spent a little time working on the truck. Not much was achieved. The plan was to blast and paint the drive shaft. Unfortunately it got hot before I was ready to start the blasting. Too hot.
First I had to remove the old u-joints. This turned out to be not as difficult as it first seemed. After viewing a couple of videos online and calling in reinforcements (Capt. Dan), I finally realized that my u-joints had their clips on the inner edge, not the exterior.
So I learned a little something about my truck today also. It turns out not only is the engine out of a later model ('82), the transmission and drive shaft are as well. Because the drive shaft is from a latter model truck, it has also been modified to connect to the differential on the '72. This made obtaining the correct u-joints a considerable challenge. Fortunately my reinforcement had in a previous life worked in a auto parts house and managed to manipulate the folks at the local parts store into handing him the parts catalogs so he could find the correct part numbers. The parts numbers from the computer were all wrong. We eventually prevailed.
I never did get around to the blasting or painting, but there is always next weekend.
I really enjoyed my day off. Back to work tomorrow. The 'Small Engine Repair' class starts tonight.
Universal Joints
I wasn't ready either. Fortunately I had already planned to be off today. I spent spent a little time working on the truck. Not much was achieved. The plan was to blast and paint the drive shaft. Unfortunately it got hot before I was ready to start the blasting. Too hot.
First I had to remove the old u-joints. This turned out to be not as difficult as it first seemed. After viewing a couple of videos online and calling in reinforcements (Capt. Dan), I finally realized that my u-joints had their clips on the inner edge, not the exterior.
So I learned a little something about my truck today also. It turns out not only is the engine out of a later model ('82), the transmission and drive shaft are as well. Because the drive shaft is from a latter model truck, it has also been modified to connect to the differential on the '72. This made obtaining the correct u-joints a considerable challenge. Fortunately my reinforcement had in a previous life worked in a auto parts house and managed to manipulate the folks at the local parts store into handing him the parts catalogs so he could find the correct part numbers. The parts numbers from the computer were all wrong. We eventually prevailed.
I never did get around to the blasting or painting, but there is always next weekend.
I really enjoyed my day off. Back to work tomorrow. The 'Small Engine Repair' class starts tonight.
On the Water
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Destin, Florida
OK, so if the picture from a couple of days ago did not give it away, let me just tell you straight out - We are at the beach.
The kids start back to school on Monday so it was time we made our annual pilgrimage to the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico.
Despite all the noise from the media, I have not seen any oil, tar, etc. Too bad because I was hoping for a free tank full for the ride home. The media has done a great job of scaring people away from the beaches. Unfortunately, the local businesses are suffering for it.
As usual, we are between Destin and Fort Walton Beach, Florida. We are even staying in the same condo as last year. We arrived Wednesday and will be heading back home tomorrow. We have hit most of our standard haunts: The Back Porch, Graffiti's, and The Track. Today we are going para sailing.
While it has been hot here, every time I have looked at the weather fore case, I have noticed the temperatures back home have been hotter. Perhaps we should stay a few more days.
OK, so if the picture from a couple of days ago did not give it away, let me just tell you straight out - We are at the beach.
The kids start back to school on Monday so it was time we made our annual pilgrimage to the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico.
Despite all the noise from the media, I have not seen any oil, tar, etc. Too bad because I was hoping for a free tank full for the ride home. The media has done a great job of scaring people away from the beaches. Unfortunately, the local businesses are suffering for it.
As usual, we are between Destin and Fort Walton Beach, Florida. We are even staying in the same condo as last year. We arrived Wednesday and will be heading back home tomorrow. We have hit most of our standard haunts: The Back Porch, Graffiti's, and The Track. Today we are going para sailing.
While it has been hot here, every time I have looked at the weather fore case, I have noticed the temperatures back home have been hotter. Perhaps we should stay a few more days.
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Monday, August 02, 2010
Sunday, August 01, 2010
The First of Very Few
So a couple of weeks ago the call came in. My iPhone was ready for me to pick it at the Apple Store. I had been wanting (but not really needing) a smart phone for many many years and I finally decided it was time.
[I started this post from my iPhone, but I am finishing it on the PC. I apparently don't have the patient to type several paragraphs on the phone.]
So far I am loving the phone. The coverage leaves a lot to be desired around here but there is not much one can do about that, other than perhaps getting a micro-cell. Yeah, I did. We now have five bars in the house, even with the death grip.
Hopefully Verizon/Sprint/T-Mobile will get the iPhone next year and I can make another carrier swap in two years. Until then I will enjoy my new toy and complain about the coverage.
What does the title mean? While I can post to the blog from the phone, I don't expect to do it too often. My typing skills are not quite up to par on the touch screen as they are on a real keyboard and I am rarely very far from a computer.
New Apple fan-boy signing out.
So a couple of weeks ago the call came in. My iPhone was ready for me to pick it at the Apple Store. I had been wanting (but not really needing) a smart phone for many many years and I finally decided it was time.
[I started this post from my iPhone, but I am finishing it on the PC. I apparently don't have the patient to type several paragraphs on the phone.]
So far I am loving the phone. The coverage leaves a lot to be desired around here but there is not much one can do about that, other than perhaps getting a micro-cell. Yeah, I did. We now have five bars in the house, even with the death grip.
Hopefully Verizon/Sprint/T-Mobile will get the iPhone next year and I can make another carrier swap in two years. Until then I will enjoy my new toy and complain about the coverage.
What does the title mean? While I can post to the blog from the phone, I don't expect to do it too often. My typing skills are not quite up to par on the touch screen as they are on a real keyboard and I am rarely very far from a computer.
New Apple fan-boy signing out.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Long Story, Short
Blogger discontinued FTP support. Boo.
I swapped to Word Press. "It's not you, it's me." Actually, my ancient web server just couldn't handle running software a decade younger than it. Not Word Press per se, but all the support software.
Back to blogger. No longer hosting on my server.
Will try to back port entries from WP in Blogger. There have not been many so it shouldn't take long.
If happen across a broken link, please let me know.
Blogger discontinued FTP support. Boo.
I swapped to Word Press. "It's not you, it's me." Actually, my ancient web server just couldn't handle running software a decade younger than it. Not Word Press per se, but all the support software.
Back to blogger. No longer hosting on my server.
Will try to back port entries from WP in Blogger. There have not been many so it shouldn't take long.
If happen across a broken link, please let me know.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Roger Update
This week a couple of boxes were delivered. One contained a new gas tank for the Morris Minor. The tank was purchased on Ebay. Another box contained a new fuel pump which I purchased from Amazon (lowest price), and the final box contained spark plugs, distributor cap, rotor cap, points, condenser, coil, and plug wires which I purchased from the web site of one of our local parts house chains. I am still expecting a final box containing a new stainless steel gas cap.
Some of the parts go on the car, some will be used to repay the nice guy who loaned me some parts at the recent car show. Hopefully I will get around to delivering/installing all these one evening this week.
This week a couple of boxes were delivered. One contained a new gas tank for the Morris Minor. The tank was purchased on Ebay. Another box contained a new fuel pump which I purchased from Amazon (lowest price), and the final box contained spark plugs, distributor cap, rotor cap, points, condenser, coil, and plug wires which I purchased from the web site of one of our local parts house chains. I am still expecting a final box containing a new stainless steel gas cap.
Some of the parts go on the car, some will be used to repay the nice guy who loaned me some parts at the recent car show. Hopefully I will get around to delivering/installing all these one evening this week.
Garden Update
The garden is producing nicely. I pulled a couple varieties of tomatoes along with one strawberry, a couple onions and cucumbers to complement dinner tonight. I was hoping for a couple of squash as well but all the squash had been left on the vines too long (I was out of town for the week) and were too tough.
The okra is about knee high now. Several blooms but I did not spot any pods. These plants are mostly from the third planting. Apparently rabbits will even eat okra if they are hungry enough. I decided to put up the chicken wire fence after the rabbits got the okra.
The watermelon and cantaloupe vines are growing like mad. I spotted a couple of small melons on the vines. Looking forward to enjoying more of the results of gardening.
The garden is producing nicely. I pulled a couple varieties of tomatoes along with one strawberry, a couple onions and cucumbers to complement dinner tonight. I was hoping for a couple of squash as well but all the squash had been left on the vines too long (I was out of town for the week) and were too tough.
The okra is about knee high now. Several blooms but I did not spot any pods. These plants are mostly from the third planting. Apparently rabbits will even eat okra if they are hungry enough. I decided to put up the chicken wire fence after the rabbits got the okra.
The watermelon and cantaloupe vines are growing like mad. I spotted a couple of small melons on the vines. Looking forward to enjoying more of the results of gardening.
June, Where has it gone?
I spent this near Jacksonville, FL on business. This was my third trip to this location. I spent most of the week out side and I have never felt so hot in my life. I am certainly glad to be back home.
Last weekend on Friday, I went on a one night camping trip with a David M, and Chad E to Savage Gulf in TN. During this trip, which was also hot and humid, I decided I would never again go camping in June, July, August, and at least the first half of September. I definitely prefer cold weather camping – no snakes and no bugs (especially ticks).
I spent this near Jacksonville, FL on business. This was my third trip to this location. I spent most of the week out side and I have never felt so hot in my life. I am certainly glad to be back home.
Last weekend on Friday, I went on a one night camping trip with a David M, and Chad E to Savage Gulf in TN. During this trip, which was also hot and humid, I decided I would never again go camping in June, July, August, and at least the first half of September. I definitely prefer cold weather camping – no snakes and no bugs (especially ticks).
Saturday, June 05, 2010
Roger's Day Out
Today we took the Morris to a Euro-Brit car show. Lots of Triumphs, MGs, Austin Healeys and Volkswagens. Quite a few Range Rovers, Minis and Porsches. On Ferrari, one Lotus, and one Morris.
The trip, fewer than 10 miles, to the show was uneventful. That is until I stopped for parking directions. At that point Roger refused to start. That has not happened before (when I had gas in the tank – I have already run out twice because the fuel gauge doesn’t work). Fortunately the car is British so no one was surprised when it wouldn’t start.
I popped the bonnet and a bunch of guys leaned in under the hood. These guys were great. And knowledgeable. And prepared. After checking to make sure there was fuel, they checked for spark. The spark was weak. Eventually they had replaced the distributor cap, the rotor cap, and the spark plugs. And Roger was alive again. The amazing part was that they had all these parts with them. And more.
I got the name of the guy that supplied all the parts so I could replace them. I also learned a lot through the process. Basically the car didn’t want to start because the spark was weak – it basically needed a tune up. The weak spark alone was not the problem. The plugs were also really dirty. The plugs were dirty because the car was running rich. And the car was running rich because the electric fuel pump was the wrong part.
Normally these cars have mechanical fuel pumps but they often get replaced with electronic equivalents. The problem was that this one pushes about 5-7 pounds of pressure where the carburetor only needs about 2 pounds. The increased gas pressure basically forces gas through the carb which is what has been causing the car to run rich. This all made complete sense, after it was explained.
The car has been running rich. I had been studying how to tune the carb in order to correct the problem. Using the instructions from my manual, I had tuned the carb down as lean as possible. I was baffled as to why it was running so rich. Now we know. We also know I need to replace the fuel pump. (One of the guys even offered to loan me one.)
I also found out that as the distributor wears out the car loses power at medium to high RPMs. I would say that based on this knowledge I would say my distributor was well worn. The car definitely felt peppier after the meta-tune-up.
And finally I received lots of good advice I plan to follow:
0. Replace the fuel pump. Soon.
1. Finish the tuneup. Replace the plug wires, the condenser, the coil, etc.
2. Carry some spare parts in the boot. Extra plugs, distributor cap, rotor cap. The parts are cheap and don’t take up much space.
3. Buy some extra tools and leave them in the boot as well. With a Harbor Freight nearby, I think I can accomplish this for about $20.
One of guys in my neighborhood invited me to this car show. I already knew about it and planned to attend. I had talked with him about my carburetor already. He was at the show and had brought me a copy of a tuneup guide for my carburetor. (Did I mention these guys were all really helpful.) Ernie is a very interesting and knowledgeable guy. He is also a Fiat guy. I believe he has 4 Fiats, maybe 5, 3 are convertibles. At least one is a parts car. He also has a couple of 1967 Datsun 1600s which are also convertibles and which I think are pretty awesome cars – I mentioned one in a post several years ago when I first saw one in a salvage yard. Most of his cars are still in the project stage and I suspect he is actually working on all of them. (And he is an accomplished brew master.)
Last night the local Euro-Brit car club went on a drive. I had wanted to attend but I was pretty sure Roger wasn’t up to it. It is a good thing I didn’t attempt the drive. Hopefully we will be up to it next year.
Overall, I had a very enjoyable day, even with the breakdown. The kids went with me and I think they had a pretty good time as well.
Today we took the Morris to a Euro-Brit car show. Lots of Triumphs, MGs, Austin Healeys and Volkswagens. Quite a few Range Rovers, Minis and Porsches. On Ferrari, one Lotus, and one Morris.
The trip, fewer than 10 miles, to the show was uneventful. That is until I stopped for parking directions. At that point Roger refused to start. That has not happened before (when I had gas in the tank – I have already run out twice because the fuel gauge doesn’t work). Fortunately the car is British so no one was surprised when it wouldn’t start.
I popped the bonnet and a bunch of guys leaned in under the hood. These guys were great. And knowledgeable. And prepared. After checking to make sure there was fuel, they checked for spark. The spark was weak. Eventually they had replaced the distributor cap, the rotor cap, and the spark plugs. And Roger was alive again. The amazing part was that they had all these parts with them. And more.
I got the name of the guy that supplied all the parts so I could replace them. I also learned a lot through the process. Basically the car didn’t want to start because the spark was weak – it basically needed a tune up. The weak spark alone was not the problem. The plugs were also really dirty. The plugs were dirty because the car was running rich. And the car was running rich because the electric fuel pump was the wrong part.
Normally these cars have mechanical fuel pumps but they often get replaced with electronic equivalents. The problem was that this one pushes about 5-7 pounds of pressure where the carburetor only needs about 2 pounds. The increased gas pressure basically forces gas through the carb which is what has been causing the car to run rich. This all made complete sense, after it was explained.
The car has been running rich. I had been studying how to tune the carb in order to correct the problem. Using the instructions from my manual, I had tuned the carb down as lean as possible. I was baffled as to why it was running so rich. Now we know. We also know I need to replace the fuel pump. (One of the guys even offered to loan me one.)
I also found out that as the distributor wears out the car loses power at medium to high RPMs. I would say that based on this knowledge I would say my distributor was well worn. The car definitely felt peppier after the meta-tune-up.
And finally I received lots of good advice I plan to follow:
0. Replace the fuel pump. Soon.
1. Finish the tuneup. Replace the plug wires, the condenser, the coil, etc.
2. Carry some spare parts in the boot. Extra plugs, distributor cap, rotor cap. The parts are cheap and don’t take up much space.
3. Buy some extra tools and leave them in the boot as well. With a Harbor Freight nearby, I think I can accomplish this for about $20.
One of guys in my neighborhood invited me to this car show. I already knew about it and planned to attend. I had talked with him about my carburetor already. He was at the show and had brought me a copy of a tuneup guide for my carburetor. (Did I mention these guys were all really helpful.) Ernie is a very interesting and knowledgeable guy. He is also a Fiat guy. I believe he has 4 Fiats, maybe 5, 3 are convertibles. At least one is a parts car. He also has a couple of 1967 Datsun 1600s which are also convertibles and which I think are pretty awesome cars – I mentioned one in a post several years ago when I first saw one in a salvage yard. Most of his cars are still in the project stage and I suspect he is actually working on all of them. (And he is an accomplished brew master.)
Last night the local Euro-Brit car club went on a drive. I had wanted to attend but I was pretty sure Roger wasn’t up to it. It is a good thing I didn’t attempt the drive. Hopefully we will be up to it next year.
Overall, I had a very enjoyable day, even with the breakdown. The kids went with me and I think they had a pretty good time as well.
Monday, May 03, 2010
Pictures from the Garden
It, the garden, was supposed to be smaller this year, but it ended up larger. That is what happens when your trade in the shovel for a rototiller for preparing the ground.
[UPDATE: Sorry, the picture got lost during the blog shuffle.]
May 3rd and there is already a tomato on the vine.
And a couple of strawberries.
And a couple of strawberries from the wild strawberry vine.
Volunteer. Possibly okra.
Three more volunteers. Probably squash.
Another volunteer. Also okra?
And all the okra that I actually planted.
It, the garden, was supposed to be smaller this year, but it ended up larger. That is what happens when your trade in the shovel for a rototiller for preparing the ground.
[UPDATE: Sorry, the picture got lost during the blog shuffle.]
May 3rd and there is already a tomato on the vine.
And a couple of strawberries.
And a couple of strawberries from the wild strawberry vine.
Volunteer. Possibly okra.
Three more volunteers. Probably squash.
Another volunteer. Also okra?
And all the okra that I actually planted.
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Rained Out, But No Rain
The car show that was rained out last weekend was reschedule for this weekend. Again we had rain fore-casted but since no rain was actually falling, I decided to go on. When I arrived at the Athens Town Square, I saw a single vintage car. It didn’t occur to me to check the Cars on the Square web site for the event. It turns out the event was reschedule yet again. This time for June 6th.
The car show that was rained out last weekend was reschedule for this weekend. Again we had rain fore-casted but since no rain was actually falling, I decided to go on. When I arrived at the Athens Town Square, I saw a single vintage car. It didn’t occur to me to check the Cars on the Square web site for the event. It turns out the event was reschedule yet again. This time for June 6th.
Mid-South Live Steamers
My backup plans for the day involved a trip to Columbia, Tennessee to see/ride the trains. Unfortunately the weather prediction there involves 100% chance of thunder storms. This is the second time in a row I canceled this trip due to rain. Checkout the pictures of previous events.
My backup plans for the day involved a trip to Columbia, Tennessee to see/ride the trains. Unfortunately the weather prediction there involves 100% chance of thunder storms. This is the second time in a row I canceled this trip due to rain. Checkout the pictures of previous events.
Friday, April 30, 2010
First
So here it is – same content different software. During the conversion from Blogger to Word Press I thought I had lost 10 posts. Which ones? Who knows. Upon further investigation, I found that I had several draft posts that had never been published … so no content was actually lost.
Perhaps someday I will include the missing posts in the Obsession Box Set release.
So here it is – same content different software. During the conversion from Blogger to Word Press I thought I had lost 10 posts. Which ones? Who knows. Upon further investigation, I found that I had several draft posts that had never been published … so no content was actually lost.
Perhaps someday I will include the missing posts in the Obsession Box Set release.
The blog has moved.
To find the most recent posts go to http://ram92.ods.org/blog/
Update: Now located at rickmartindale.blogspot.com
Update: Now located at rickmartindale.blogspot.com
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Tuesday night woodworking was not very productive. The greater we managed to make 24 precision cuts. OK, so maybe only 3 of them were precise, but we did try to at least cut the correct boards.
I also crawled under the Morris to find the gas leak. It turns out the leak is in the tank. This is quite unfortunate as the tank is pretty much full right now. And now it is slightly less full. And now ever so slightly less than it was a second ago. You get the picture. So in the very near future I suppose I will be dropping the tank, but first I must procrastinate for a while.
And finally it must be said Danny is now officially a bum. Bring on the summer and shred the list.
I also crawled under the Morris to find the gas leak. It turns out the leak is in the tank. This is quite unfortunate as the tank is pretty much full right now. And now it is slightly less full. And now ever so slightly less than it was a second ago. You get the picture. So in the very near future I suppose I will be dropping the tank, but first I must procrastinate for a while.
And finally it must be said Danny is now officially a bum. Bring on the summer and shred the list.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
What I Did and Did Not Do This Week
Last week was spent standing in a field in the middle of Ohio. I got back home Saturday at about 1:00 AM.
We got a dog Friday afternoon. His name is Yoshi. He is about 1.5 years old.
A camping trip had been planned for the weekend, but it was canceled because several of us could not make it. Turns out we had bad weather too.
There was also a car show on Saturday that I wanted to go to. It was postponed until next weekend because of the weather.
And finally there was a wood working show this weekend and I managed to get there on Sunday afternoon.
Last week was spent standing in a field in the middle of Ohio. I got back home Saturday at about 1:00 AM.
We got a dog Friday afternoon. His name is Yoshi. He is about 1.5 years old.
A camping trip had been planned for the weekend, but it was canceled because several of us could not make it. Turns out we had bad weather too.
There was also a car show on Saturday that I wanted to go to. It was postponed until next weekend because of the weather.
And finally there was a wood working show this weekend and I managed to get there on Sunday afternoon.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Hello Roger
Thursday night while browsing Craig's List, I came across an interesting ad: For Sale: 1967 Morris Minor, yada yada yada.
(To get a good idea how big this car is notice the Volkswagen Beetle in the adjacent spot.)
Thirty-six hours later it was parked in my driveway. When I saw the ad, I knew it would go quickly. I called the owner. He said two others had already made arrangements to come see the car. I made my appointment for earlier in the day!
This car is roughly the same size as a VW Beetle. The interior is spacious but sparse. The exterior styling is reminiscent of cars 20 years older that it. It has a very small engine (1 liter) and a fairly largetrunk boot. The paint looks good in the pictures and from about 20' - closer than that you can tell it needs some attention.
It quit once on the trip home. The previous owner said the gas tank was full. The gauge showed the tank was full. Fewer than 15 miles later I was out of gas. The gauge still showed the tank was full - it was not. In what seemed like a fortuitous event, the car ran out of gas right in front of a gas station. Unfortunately it was an unattended commercial refueling station. None of my cards worked there. My neighbor Brian who was still following me at this point, went and bought a gas can and brought me back some gas. At this point I headed straight for the station and filled up the tank and the empty gas can, just in case.
Did I say it quit once? It also developed a vacuum leak on the way home. This is kind of the opposite of quitting. The leak caused the engine to idle high. Nothing that couldn't be dealt with if I ever made it back home. Because it was idling high, I turned the motor off each time I had to stop for a light. (This reminded me of my hyper-mile-ing experiments the summer of 2008.)
Each time I stopped, there were one or more people there to ask me about the car. Two British car guys stopped to chat, they both wished me luck which I understand one needs when they have a car from the UK. Lots of people waving also. I think this car was getting more attention than the 1925 Chevy truck did. Amazing.
It has a few problems, but nothing we can't live without. I hope to get it running a little smoother soon. It won't be too soon though, my calendar is booked pretty solid for the next couple weeks.
Several folks have asked me what I am going to do with this car. The short answer is nothing. I don't plan on restoring it - basically I just want to keep it running and go get a milk shake from time to time.
Oh, yeah, we have decided to call it Roger, a name that stuck very quickly.
Thursday night while browsing Craig's List, I came across an interesting ad: For Sale: 1967 Morris Minor, yada yada yada.
(To get a good idea how big this car is notice the Volkswagen Beetle in the adjacent spot.)
Thirty-six hours later it was parked in my driveway. When I saw the ad, I knew it would go quickly. I called the owner. He said two others had already made arrangements to come see the car. I made my appointment for earlier in the day!
This car is roughly the same size as a VW Beetle. The interior is spacious but sparse. The exterior styling is reminiscent of cars 20 years older that it. It has a very small engine (1 liter) and a fairly large
It quit once on the trip home. The previous owner said the gas tank was full. The gauge showed the tank was full. Fewer than 15 miles later I was out of gas. The gauge still showed the tank was full - it was not. In what seemed like a fortuitous event, the car ran out of gas right in front of a gas station. Unfortunately it was an unattended commercial refueling station. None of my cards worked there. My neighbor Brian who was still following me at this point, went and bought a gas can and brought me back some gas. At this point I headed straight for the station and filled up the tank and the empty gas can, just in case.
Did I say it quit once? It also developed a vacuum leak on the way home. This is kind of the opposite of quitting. The leak caused the engine to idle high. Nothing that couldn't be dealt with if I ever made it back home. Because it was idling high, I turned the motor off each time I had to stop for a light. (This reminded me of my hyper-mile-ing experiments the summer of 2008.)
Each time I stopped, there were one or more people there to ask me about the car. Two British car guys stopped to chat, they both wished me luck which I understand one needs when they have a car from the UK. Lots of people waving also. I think this car was getting more attention than the 1925 Chevy truck did. Amazing.
It has a few problems, but nothing we can't live without. I hope to get it running a little smoother soon. It won't be too soon though, my calendar is booked pretty solid for the next couple weeks.
Several folks have asked me what I am going to do with this car. The short answer is nothing. I don't plan on restoring it - basically I just want to keep it running and go get a milk shake from time to time.
Oh, yeah, we have decided to call it Roger, a name that stuck very quickly.
Monday, April 05, 2010
Boring Stuff
Plowed up part of the yard for the garden today, right after I called my father-in-law to ask him if he put sugar in the gas tank. Turns out he didn't.
The tiller as it turns out is a bit finicky about being cranked. It will apparently run on old gas but refuses to be cranked using old gas. The trick to getting it to crank when the old gas is in the tank is to pour a little fresh fuel in the spark plug hole. Just enough to get it running. Once it is running, it will run fine on last years left over gasoline. I have learned this twice already in the last month.
Twice.
Plowed up part of the yard for the garden today, right after I called my father-in-law to ask him if he put sugar in the gas tank. Turns out he didn't.
The tiller as it turns out is a bit finicky about being cranked. It will apparently run on old gas but refuses to be cranked using old gas. The trick to getting it to crank when the old gas is in the tank is to pour a little fresh fuel in the spark plug hole. Just enough to get it running. Once it is running, it will run fine on last years left over gasoline. I have learned this twice already in the last month.
Twice.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
I finally got around to uploading some photos. Speaking of photos, I ordered myself a new camera recently. I have had such good look with the last one, a Canon Elph, I decided to get another one. My previous model apparently has been discontinue so after slogging through the specifications on Amazon and the Canon web site, I picked one out.
Don't expect this to turn into a photo blog. That would be too much work.
Don't expect this to turn into a photo blog. That would be too much work.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Somehow I ended up in Florida again. Two weeks ago I was here but in a different part of the state. This week I am here on business. Last time I was at Disney, this week I am in Jacksonville.
The weather was really nice when I arrived. I was disappointed when my rental car turned out not to be the yellow 2010 Corvette convertible parked next to my Ford sedan, or as the Europeans would say, salon. Maybe next time. Ha!
Trivia for the day - what group of workers went on a national strike in 1877?
Answer - Railroad workers.
The weather was really nice when I arrived. I was disappointed when my rental car turned out not to be the yellow 2010 Corvette convertible parked next to my Ford sedan, or as the Europeans would say, salon. Maybe next time. Ha!
Trivia for the day - what group of workers went on a national strike in 1877?
Answer - Railroad workers.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Sunday I spotted a '69 Chevy LWB pickup parked at an auction lot. The truck looked to be in good shape, probably parked in a garage for an extended period of time. Out of curiosity, I emailed yesterday to find out what they wanted for it. The response came in this morning - a very reasonable $1100.
I went by at lunch today to get a closer look. A mere 3 hours later it was already gone.
Missed it!
I went by at lunch today to get a closer look. A mere 3 hours later it was already gone.
Missed it!
Tuesday Night Woodworking
Tonight we did absolutely nothing. Not exactly true. I asked David about borrowing his roto-tiller. He broght it with him. He says it hasn't been cranked in 10 years.
Of course it didn't want to start right away. Fuel, fire, air yada yada yada. Spark - check. Air filter clean - check. Gas - check. Not running. OK, perhaps the gas is old. I don't remember when I bought it. Fresh gas - check. Still not running. It cranks fine when starter fluid is sprayed into the air filter but it doesn't seem to want to pull gas from the tank.
Next step - clean the carb.
Tonight we did absolutely nothing. Not exactly true. I asked David about borrowing his roto-tiller. He broght it with him. He says it hasn't been cranked in 10 years.
Of course it didn't want to start right away. Fuel, fire, air yada yada yada. Spark - check. Air filter clean - check. Gas - check. Not running. OK, perhaps the gas is old. I don't remember when I bought it. Fresh gas - check. Still not running. It cranks fine when starter fluid is sprayed into the air filter but it doesn't seem to want to pull gas from the tank.
Next step - clean the carb.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Randomness
Last nights sawdust session progressed at the standard pace. Slow.
I have arranged to borrow a rototiller from a friend. This should ease the ground breaking for the garden this year, assuming I can get it crank. Dave says it probably hasn't been cranked in 10 years. Should be fun.
I need to change a password. I keep typing in my home password at work and my work password at home. I think I will change them both to bullwinkle.
Next week the kids are out of school for spring break. It will be an awesome week.
Keep Austin Weird.
I rx'ed a book I had ordered in the mail today - "wxPython in Action".
Seven.
Last nights sawdust session progressed at the standard pace. Slow.
I have arranged to borrow a rototiller from a friend. This should ease the ground breaking for the garden this year, assuming I can get it crank. Dave says it probably hasn't been cranked in 10 years. Should be fun.
I need to change a password. I keep typing in my home password at work and my work password at home. I think I will change them both to bullwinkle.
Next week the kids are out of school for spring break. It will be an awesome week.
Keep Austin Weird.
I rx'ed a book I had ordered in the mail today - "wxPython in Action".
Seven.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
The Guild
Remember Dr. Horrible's Sing-along blog. I recently found The Guild. Three seasons worth, each episode is about 3-8 minutes long. The first two seasons are available on Amazon, or Netflix. (It can even be streamed from Netflix - watch it now!) The final season is available online at http://www.watchtheguild.com/
Unfortunately there is no singing in this one.
If you need some singing, Dr. H. is available on Netflix also.
And if you still need more singing it may be time for "Oh Yes Wyoming!", again.
Remember Dr. Horrible's Sing-along blog. I recently found The Guild. Three seasons worth, each episode is about 3-8 minutes long. The first two seasons are available on Amazon, or Netflix. (It can even be streamed from Netflix - watch it now!) The final season is available online at http://www.watchtheguild.com/
Unfortunately there is no singing in this one.
If you need some singing, Dr. H. is available on Netflix also.
And if you still need more singing it may be time for "Oh Yes Wyoming!", again.
Camping - Winter 2010 - Sipsey
I went camping this past weekend. We camped in Sipsey Wilderness again, but in a different area. This time we parked at Thompson trailhead and followed 206 in a short ways.
I had previously located a nice site right on the water. Fortunately there were not a lot of other campers out for the weekend so the site was empty even though we didn't arrive until dusk. (The forecast had the temperature down to 24F at night and up into the mid 40s during the day.)
First order was setting up the tents. Flashlights we required in order to complete this task. Afterwards we wandered the forest gathering wood for a nice warm fire. I don't think anybody really got cold. We were all prepared for the cold.
We only stayed a single night. I had been out of town the weekend before and wanted to spend at least one night at home this weekend.
Saturday we were buzzed many times by a helicopter. We also met many many people who were out searching for a lost hiker. We eventually found out a 76 year old man had gotten lost in the woods the day before. I read in the paper on Monday that they found him about 10:30 Saturday next morning. He had gotten lost and spent the night under a rock overhang covered with leaves to keep warm. Glad to hear he was ok.
I went camping this past weekend. We camped in Sipsey Wilderness again, but in a different area. This time we parked at Thompson trailhead and followed 206 in a short ways.
I had previously located a nice site right on the water. Fortunately there were not a lot of other campers out for the weekend so the site was empty even though we didn't arrive until dusk. (The forecast had the temperature down to 24F at night and up into the mid 40s during the day.)
First order was setting up the tents. Flashlights we required in order to complete this task. Afterwards we wandered the forest gathering wood for a nice warm fire. I don't think anybody really got cold. We were all prepared for the cold.
We only stayed a single night. I had been out of town the weekend before and wanted to spend at least one night at home this weekend.
Saturday we were buzzed many times by a helicopter. We also met many many people who were out searching for a lost hiker. We eventually found out a 76 year old man had gotten lost in the woods the day before. I read in the paper on Monday that they found him about 10:30 Saturday next morning. He had gotten lost and spent the night under a rock overhang covered with leaves to keep warm. Glad to hear he was ok.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Just finished packing for a camping trip. Heading out tomorrow afternoon. The weather will be dry but cold - 24F. tomorrow night.
Ready for a sing-along? It starts with Jethro Tull and goes from there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqZmtq5LhFo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlUlFvkQL0k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYnnmQ9x5tQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ5TajZYW6Y
Ready for a sing-along? It starts with Jethro Tull and goes from there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Woodworker Progress
Tuesday night was the weekly woodworking session that doesn't really meet every week because we sometimes have something, anything, better to do.
Last week, we worked on re-sawing and then planning down some maple boards to about 0.6" The S4S thickness will actually be 2/4" but we didn't know that at the time. Woody says "Plan your work and work your plan." During the planing (not planning) process we had no plan (but we did have a plane), just a vague notion that it was Tuesday. Without a plan, it is hard to plan your work. Without a plane, it is hard to plane your wood. We did have a plane though, so we did plane the wood. Not sure if we were following the plan though. At this point you may be asking yourself about woodchucks and woodchucking.
This week's session was very different. We still had no plan, though we still had a plane. The difference being that this week we forgot to pretend like we were making progress. That means when the guys arrived they sat down and watched as I pretended to clean off the work bench. After spending 15 minutes putting away many of the things that were piled up on the bench, I got tired of being heckled, and perhaps a little disgusted at the lack of benching top that I could see. So I sat down too. And they continued to heckle me. At least for a little while.
The conversation then switched to politics as it often does with these right-wing-wing-nuts. (Make sure you read both wings.) Health care reform, yada yada yada. I think we fixed it all.
Not a single piece of wood was harmed during the creation of this post, nor in the events that led up to the creation of this post. What does that make our average cuts per minute per person fall to? Don't answer. Speaking of numbers, I had no takers on a 40.
Tuesday night was the weekly woodworking session that doesn't really meet every week because we sometimes have something, anything, better to do.
Last week, we worked on re-sawing and then planning down some maple boards to about 0.6" The S4S thickness will actually be 2/4" but we didn't know that at the time. Woody says "Plan your work and work your plan." During the planing (not planning) process we had no plan (but we did have a plane), just a vague notion that it was Tuesday. Without a plan, it is hard to plan your work. Without a plane, it is hard to plane your wood. We did have a plane though, so we did plane the wood. Not sure if we were following the plan though. At this point you may be asking yourself about woodchucks and woodchucking.
This week's session was very different. We still had no plan, though we still had a plane. The difference being that this week we forgot to pretend like we were making progress. That means when the guys arrived they sat down and watched as I pretended to clean off the work bench. After spending 15 minutes putting away many of the things that were piled up on the bench, I got tired of being heckled, and perhaps a little disgusted at the lack of benching top that I could see. So I sat down too. And they continued to heckle me. At least for a little while.
The conversation then switched to politics as it often does with these right-wing-wing-nuts. (Make sure you read both wings.) Health care reform, yada yada yada. I think we fixed it all.
Not a single piece of wood was harmed during the creation of this post, nor in the events that led up to the creation of this post. What does that make our average cuts per minute per person fall to? Don't answer. Speaking of numbers, I had no takers on a 40.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Working!
Abyssws, PHP5, MySQL, and WordPress on Ubuntu 9.0.4. (And on AndLinux 2.6.22)
I got an email from blogger a couple weeks back that said they were ending support for FTP. At this point I decided I needed to look at other options for posting my blog.
I looked at a few and decided to continue hosting it on my own server but to switch to WordPress.
After making the decision, I spent a couple days running through a trail setup of WordPress, Php, MySQL, and Abyssws on my laptop using AndLinux. (AndLinux installs on top of Windows and can cooperatively carry a coconut. The Linux applications run along side the Windows applications on the Windows desktop. It is really nice. Check it out.) I took notes as I performed each step during the installation process. Once I had it all working, I was ready to do the install on the web server.
But first I decided to upgrade the OS on the server. I was running Red Hat 8 and had been for many many years. Re-installing the OS would require me to tar all my files and back them up. I decided to upgrade to Ubuntu 9 so while the tar files were being backed up, I burned an ISO of the Ubuntu install cd.
At this point I said my farewells to Red Hat 8, put the CD in the drive, and sudo'ed reboot. An hour layer I had a clean install of Ubu. Shortly thereafter I had my new web server up and running - I went with Abyssws this time over Apache. I never liked Apache. It was a pain to config' it.
I have all the aforementioned software installed and running now though I am still currently posting from Blogger.
As I was writing this, it occurred to me that the word support has many meanings. Did they mean they were turning off their FTP clients? I am using SFTP - are they discontinuing it also? Did they simply mean I could keep using FTP, but they weren't going to answer questions any more? What did they mean?
Did I waste all that time getting the new stuff working? I guess I should go read the blogger blog and see if I can shed some light on these questions.
Regardless, I am now ready to make the switch. First I have to import the blog into my database though. It will wait a few more days or weeks though.
Abyssws, PHP5, MySQL, and WordPress on Ubuntu 9.0.4. (And on AndLinux 2.6.22)
I got an email from blogger a couple weeks back that said they were ending support for FTP. At this point I decided I needed to look at other options for posting my blog.
I looked at a few and decided to continue hosting it on my own server but to switch to WordPress.
After making the decision, I spent a couple days running through a trail setup of WordPress, Php, MySQL, and Abyssws on my laptop using AndLinux. (AndLinux installs on top of Windows and can cooperatively carry a coconut. The Linux applications run along side the Windows applications on the Windows desktop. It is really nice. Check it out.) I took notes as I performed each step during the installation process. Once I had it all working, I was ready to do the install on the web server.
But first I decided to upgrade the OS on the server. I was running Red Hat 8 and had been for many many years. Re-installing the OS would require me to tar all my files and back them up. I decided to upgrade to Ubuntu 9 so while the tar files were being backed up, I burned an ISO of the Ubuntu install cd.
At this point I said my farewells to Red Hat 8, put the CD in the drive, and sudo'ed reboot. An hour layer I had a clean install of Ubu. Shortly thereafter I had my new web server up and running - I went with Abyssws this time over Apache. I never liked Apache. It was a pain to config' it.
I have all the aforementioned software installed and running now though I am still currently posting from Blogger.
As I was writing this, it occurred to me that the word support has many meanings. Did they mean they were turning off their FTP clients? I am using SFTP - are they discontinuing it also? Did they simply mean I could keep using FTP, but they weren't going to answer questions any more? What did they mean?
Did I waste all that time getting the new stuff working? I guess I should go read the blogger blog and see if I can shed some light on these questions.
Regardless, I am now ready to make the switch. First I have to import the blog into my database though. It will wait a few more days or weeks though.
Tuesday evenings wood working session reminded me that some of the tools don't get used very often. Starting with a piece of rough cut maple, I had to ask myself "where do I start?" to get a nice S4S board (surfaced four sides) .
After thinking about about it for a minute or so, it all came back to me. Surface an edge with the jointer; surface a side with the joiner with the surfaced edge against the fence so the two surfaced sides will be a right angle; using the table saw, make the second edge parallel to the first edge; and then using the planer, make the top side parallel to the bottom side.
I intended to resaw the boards on the bandsaw after the second step, to have a few pieces of thin maple instead of converting them directly to saw dust, but unfortunately the board was so twisted that it would not be feasible. So much for trying to plan ahead.
So, anyway, the current project is to make a few small boxes, approximately the size of a cigar box. Notice I did not say a jewlery box as these will be far to nice for storing silver and gold. The plan is to make two apiece, the first being maple with purple heart accents and the second being black walnut with maple accents.
We should be done in, oh, a year or so. Don't ask.
After thinking about about it for a minute or so, it all came back to me. Surface an edge with the jointer; surface a side with the joiner with the surfaced edge against the fence so the two surfaced sides will be a right angle; using the table saw, make the second edge parallel to the first edge; and then using the planer, make the top side parallel to the bottom side.
I intended to resaw the boards on the bandsaw after the second step, to have a few pieces of thin maple instead of converting them directly to saw dust, but unfortunately the board was so twisted that it would not be feasible. So much for trying to plan ahead.
So, anyway, the current project is to make a few small boxes, approximately the size of a cigar box. Notice I did not say a jewlery box as these will be far to nice for storing silver and gold. The plan is to make two apiece, the first being maple with purple heart accents and the second being black walnut with maple accents.
We should be done in, oh, a year or so. Don't ask.
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Well I have been working through getting Word press working on Linux (AndLinux) using php5 and MySql using Abyssws. Once it is functional, I will work through the same installation process on my web server but until then I am leaving it along.
AndLinux is based on CoLinux and Ubuntu so I will actually be putting Ubuntu on the server, but working with AndLinux is convenient for now.
Once it is all working, I will make the swap and probably write up a few things that I identified as confusing during the process.
My favorite part of this is that in order to import my blog from Blogger into Word Press, I have to reconfigure blogger to post the blog on blogspot, because the importer does not support FTP. The is the irony, because if Blogger hadn't announced their discontinuing of support for FTP, it would all be moot.
And the word moot reminds me of ...
"Who gets the car? The question is moot! I get the car" - Rev. Jesse Jackson playing the host of a fictitious game show "The Question Is Moot!" from Saturday Night Night (many years ago).
AndLinux is based on CoLinux and Ubuntu so I will actually be putting Ubuntu on the server, but working with AndLinux is convenient for now.
Once it is all working, I will make the swap and probably write up a few things that I identified as confusing during the process.
My favorite part of this is that in order to import my blog from Blogger into Word Press, I have to reconfigure blogger to post the blog on blogspot, because the importer does not support FTP. The is the irony, because if Blogger hadn't announced their discontinuing of support for FTP, it would all be moot.
And the word moot reminds me of ...
"Who gets the car? The question is moot! I get the car" - Rev. Jesse Jackson playing the host of a fictitious game show "The Question Is Moot!" from Saturday Night Night (many years ago).
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
I received an email from blogger today announcing their discontinuation of FTP support in the very near future. Because I am hosting this blog off my own server, I use the FTP feature to transfer the material to my server after generating each post.
So it appears I have a choice, either let them start hosting my blog, or migrate to another blog provider. I am leaning towards the second. Looks like I may becoming acquainted with word press in the near future.
So it appears I have a choice, either let them start hosting my blog, or migrate to another blog provider. I am leaning towards the second. Looks like I may becoming acquainted with word press in the near future.
We, the Madison County Woodworkers Guild, started our 2010 project tonight.
You might think we are getting a late start, it being February already, but we are not. We are fast workers so we will make up any time we have already lost. As an example, we actually made an average of 1.6 cuts per worker tonight in a 3 hour period. That is about 0.55 cuts per person per hour. Not bad considering we were using power tools. When you average that out over the past four weeks the numbers get unbelievable.
The wood we have selected for the project is a maple with purple heart accents on the first, and black walnut with maple accents on the second.
You might think we are getting a late start, it being February already, but we are not. We are fast workers so we will make up any time we have already lost. As an example, we actually made an average of 1.6 cuts per worker tonight in a 3 hour period. That is about 0.55 cuts per person per hour. Not bad considering we were using power tools. When you average that out over the past four weeks the numbers get unbelievable.
The wood we have selected for the project is a maple with purple heart accents on the first, and black walnut with maple accents on the second.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Not So Handyman
OK, I got around to the oven today. Long-long-long story short, the oven now works though I tried really hard to mess it up. Now that the oven is functional, I believe I will be making some biscuits in the not so distant future (Saturday).
And in other news, I put the freshly charged battery back in the Miata today and it started just fine so I went out for a while. And then when I got back home, I left the headlights on. Doh! I discovered this about an hour later. Hopefully it will stick crank on ... Tuesday.
All the signs indicate that today was a very bad day for me to try to be useful. Indeed, I did not try to fix anything else. I believe this was a prudent move on my part.
OK, I got around to the oven today. Long-long-long story short, the oven now works though I tried really hard to mess it up. Now that the oven is functional, I believe I will be making some biscuits in the not so distant future (Saturday).
And in other news, I put the freshly charged battery back in the Miata today and it started just fine so I went out for a while. And then when I got back home, I left the headlights on. Doh! I discovered this about an hour later. Hopefully it will stick crank on ... Tuesday.
All the signs indicate that today was a very bad day for me to try to be useful. Indeed, I did not try to fix anything else. I believe this was a prudent move on my part.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Errh, Errh, Errh
...is the sound your car makes when the battery is mostly dead.
Sunday afternoon the Miata needed to go out for a while. It hadn't moved in a couple of weeks but I was still a little surprised when I put the key in and turned it only to hear the motor go errh, errh.
Being determined to roll, I jump started the Miata and all was good, that is until Friday morning when I tried to start it again. This time it only went errh. Since I was on my way to the office, I left it be and drove the Charger in that day.
So this morning it occurs to me there aretwothree things I need to do today: 1) replace the battery in the Miata, 2) install the oven element that finally arrived, and 3) take a nap.
Replacing the Miata battery turned into a magical mystery tour. It turns out the battery is different. Three stops and I had not found one. At the third stop, they did offer to test it for me. According to the technician, the battery was just under charged. A good trickle charge and it should be ready to go. Hmmm.
I assumed the battery was dead and needed to be replaced because it is old. This is the battery that was in the car when I purchased it almost 6 years ago. I also assumed the recent cold snap had finished it off. It also probably didn't help that the car had only been run about once a week for the last month or so.
So I brought the battery back home and put it on the charger, which I probably should have done in the first place if it hadn't been so old, and so cold. Tomorrow I will put it back in the Miata. Hopefully next week it will still be fine. If not I will have them order me a battery.
Only two of the three items on my list got tackled today. I got my nap in as well.
...is the sound your car makes when the battery is mostly dead.
Sunday afternoon the Miata needed to go out for a while. It hadn't moved in a couple of weeks but I was still a little surprised when I put the key in and turned it only to hear the motor go errh, errh.
Being determined to roll, I jump started the Miata and all was good, that is until Friday morning when I tried to start it again. This time it only went errh. Since I was on my way to the office, I left it be and drove the Charger in that day.
So this morning it occurs to me there are
Replacing the Miata battery turned into a magical mystery tour. It turns out the battery is different. Three stops and I had not found one. At the third stop, they did offer to test it for me. According to the technician, the battery was just under charged. A good trickle charge and it should be ready to go. Hmmm.
I assumed the battery was dead and needed to be replaced because it is old. This is the battery that was in the car when I purchased it almost 6 years ago. I also assumed the recent cold snap had finished it off. It also probably didn't help that the car had only been run about once a week for the last month or so.
So I brought the battery back home and put it on the charger, which I probably should have done in the first place if it hadn't been so old, and so cold. Tomorrow I will put it back in the Miata. Hopefully next week it will still be fine. If not I will have them order me a battery.
Only two of the three items on my list got tackled today. I got my nap in as well.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Of things unspoken I shall now mention. Our oven decided to stop functioning in a normal manner on Thanksgiving day. Fortunately or unfortunately we did not notice until the next day. By that statement I mean that the oven did not impede Thanksgiving in any way whatsoever so we had that going for us. Something to be thankful for, yes.
At this point your eyes should begin to glaze over just like my wife's when I begin to explain how something works. Here goes: what happened when the oven quit functioning normally is that when it was turned off, it did not turn off. By that, I do mean the controls indicated the oven to be turned off, but the oven was hot, indeed very hot because the broiler was on - on at about 450 or 500 degrees.
My first guess was that a relay had welded itself shut. Way back when this happened I disassembled the oven and after looking at the main control board, decided to simply replace the entire control board rather than trying to replace a single relay. I made this decision because the relay in question did not appear to be stuck shut when power was removed from the oven. I believed that was the correct call then and I stand by it. Even though replacing the main control board did not fix the oven and has thus proven me wrong. (I now have a spare controller board in the event one quits!)
After that did not work, I took another look at what could possibly be the cause for the oven broiler being stuck on. (This is what you would the shot gun approach to trouble shooting an appliance.) On all the time that is. Well, not really all the time - if you unplug it, it does turn off. Or if you turn off the breaker. But anyway, after checking all the obvious stuff, I was just sitting around on the cold-hard-tile floor behind the oven trying to decide what to do next. Perhaps a walk in the park. Since I had a schematic and nothing was making much sense, I decided to check anything and everything I could based on the diagnostic information available on the schematic. - It turns out there are several interesting diagnostic modes built into the stove that working by pressing a super-secret-sequence of buttons. .
I eventually discover that the lower element in this oven (it is a dual oven) was open. By that I mean it measured zero ohms between the terminals. The schematic indicated what the resistance should be, but it was not. This did not make sense to me. One element is out, so the other one is on all the time. How can that be?
So anyway, even though it makes no sense whatsoever, I decided to go head and replace the faulty element (it really is bad, unlike the controller board). Once the element arrives I will install it and we will see if the oven magically starts working correctly. I don't really believe it will so therefore it probably will just to spite me.
To recap. The oven quit ON over a month ago. My first attempt to repair it was costly and a miserable failure. My second attempt to fix it is not so costly thought I don't expect it to work. And it has taken me about a month to get around to ordering the part which is not available locally. Why did it take me so long to order the park? Because I don't believe it will fix it. Why am I trying it anyway? Because the oven hasn't worked in almost six weeks.
And because the other oven is not cooperating with my homemade biscuits. :(
At this point your eyes should begin to glaze over just like my wife's when I begin to explain how something works. Here goes: what happened when the oven quit functioning normally is that when it was turned off, it did not turn off. By that, I do mean the controls indicated the oven to be turned off, but the oven was hot, indeed very hot because the broiler was on - on at about 450 or 500 degrees.
My first guess was that a relay had welded itself shut. Way back when this happened I disassembled the oven and after looking at the main control board, decided to simply replace the entire control board rather than trying to replace a single relay. I made this decision because the relay in question did not appear to be stuck shut when power was removed from the oven. I believed that was the correct call then and I stand by it. Even though replacing the main control board did not fix the oven and has thus proven me wrong. (I now have a spare controller board in the event one quits!)
After that did not work, I took another look at what could possibly be the cause for the oven broiler being stuck on. (This is what you would the shot gun approach to trouble shooting an appliance.) On all the time that is. Well, not really all the time - if you unplug it, it does turn off. Or if you turn off the breaker. But anyway, after checking all the obvious stuff, I was just sitting around on the cold-hard-tile floor behind the oven trying to decide what to do next. Perhaps a walk in the park. Since I had a schematic and nothing was making much sense, I decided to check anything and everything I could based on the diagnostic information available on the schematic.
I eventually discover that the lower element in this oven (it is a dual oven) was open. By that I mean it measured zero ohms between the terminals. The schematic indicated what the resistance should be, but it was not. This did not make sense to me. One element is out, so the other one is on all the time. How can that be?
So anyway, even though it makes no sense whatsoever, I decided to go head and replace the faulty element (it really is bad, unlike the controller board). Once the element arrives I will install it and we will see if the oven magically starts working correctly. I don't really believe it will so therefore it probably will just to spite me.
To recap. The oven quit ON over a month ago. My first attempt to repair it was costly and a miserable failure. My second attempt to fix it is not so costly thought I don't expect it to work. And it has taken me about a month to get around to ordering the part which is not available locally. Why did it take me so long to order the park? Because I don't believe it will fix it. Why am I trying it anyway? Because the oven hasn't worked in almost six weeks.
And because the other oven is not cooperating with my homemade biscuits. :(
Saturday, January 09, 2010
Finished up Bri's bookcase today. I can't believe I spent more time painting it than I did building it.
We had some snow Thursday and Friday. The schools shut down so the kids got to stay home.
I walked out by the creek in the backyard today. There was some ice along the edge of the water. I walked on it, so technically I was walking on water.
We had some snow Thursday and Friday. The schools shut down so the kids got to stay home.
I walked out by the creek in the backyard today. There was some ice along the edge of the water. I walked on it, so technically I was walking on water.
Monday, January 04, 2010
Someone finally did it. They created a sarcasm font. Now if you could just explain to me how to use it in my post.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
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.
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
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.
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