Remembrances of Fall

I posted my first video to Youtube. I think it turned out pretty well....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sA8Pik1Q0U

Notes:
1. Meridian Road
2. Driving south
3. Coming home from the Huntington Pioneer Festival
4. 12 to 14 mph

This is my Boy's favorite video.

With Friends Like These....

.... who need enemies?

Yesterday at work, we went to our normal group lunch event where the entire staff goes out to eat as a big group. We do this every Tuesday, and one person from the group picks the restaurant of their choice to go to. Yesterday, we went to El Meson, a very good Mexican restaurant in town. It is one of my favorites.

While at the restaurant, word leaked out to the wait staff that it was my birthday. As you may know, Mexican restaurants really like to celebrate birthdays, and I was easy prey in front of my 14 friends from work.

At the end of the meal, the wait staff rushed out and slammed a big sombrero on my head and placed a Fried Ice Cream dessert in front of me. The embarrassment didn't stop there. The head waiter then took a spoonful of whipped cream and plastered it across my face. The picture above is a little premature, and does not show the full effect.

I had so much whipped cream on my face I got it right up my nose. Not only did I have a hot sombrero on my head, 14 friends shooting pictures, and the entire restaurant watching in horror, but now I had breathing difficulties.

It really wouldn't have been so bad if they had left off the chocolate sprinkles as a topping, but those went up my nose, too.

On a positive note, my sinuses have been clean and clear ever since!

Christmas Highlights

Here are a few of the highlights from our Christmas in Michigan. We all had a good time, and put nearly 800 miles on the car with our travelling.

First, we started off in Frankenmuth, Michigan. The kids were in awe of the Franken-moose:

We were able to walk around the little shops within Frankenmuth, and happened upon a nice nativity scene with the Bavarian Inn Lodge in the background.

What? Sharing presents? Surely not my children:


Showing off her Dad's new slippers:


Showing off his favorite Christmas gift - a Tootsie roll from his Tootsie roll bank.

More Fluff - Part 2

Well, it's been just 2 days since we added the attic insulation. I had no expectations to see any difference until we received our electric bill in a few weeks. However, I think we have observed a few differences....

1. We keep our bedroom pretty cool. By the time we go to bed at 10pm, my thermometer reads 57 degrees. This is usually true when the outside temperature is anywhere between 0 and 35 degrees. However, last night and tonight, the temperature in the bedroom is a whopping 61 degrees. I have tried to turn down the thermostat, but the temperature does not drop. This is good.

2. In the kitchen, the temperature usually hovers around 61 or 62 in the evening time. Tonight, we it didn't drop below 64 degrees.

Thus, I know the insulation is working as it should. I am simply surprised we can tell a difference so soon. More data to come....

More Fluff

Our attic insulation iss been pretty thin. I estimate we have about 6 to 8 inches spread unevenly through out the attic. At an R-value of approximately 3.1 per inch, this equates to an R-Value of 18 to 24.

The minimum R-value for new construction is R-39. It is recommended that if you blow in insulation for an existing house to go up to at least R-49. So, we decided to take advantage of the tax rebate this year and put in some more fluff.


Our roof pitch is pretty low profile, so the attic is difficult to maneuver through. I had thought about blowing in insulation myself, but that would be a horrible job. I decided pretty early on the only way to go would be through a contractor that specializes in such a chore.

I got a couple of quotes, for a couple of different thicknesses. I chose to go with a more expensive quote, for the contractor seemed to know his stuff. I also opted for the thicker of the 2 options he gave us. The option we went with is for an additional 18 inches of insulation. That, right there, is approximately R-54, so add to that the existing few inches of insulation, and we definitely have some major insulation overkill. Here are a few descriptive before and after shots:

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

Exhibit C:

Exhibit D:

We should see a major savings in our electric bill, for our heat is produced from electric baseboard heaters. I find it kind of weird to look forward to the next electric bill, and to compare it to the previous 3 years.

My Invention

I invented a new thing: A Skate.

This is a tool I use to move and store my snowblade for my John Deere 316.


I had been moving it around by just lifting it up, but I'm not getting any younger these days. I made this skate to allow for easier moving, but it turns out that it makes for easier installation, too.


I used scrap OSB and 2 x 4s. The only thing I purchased were 3 casters at Menards for $1.49 each. So, for just under $5, my back has been saved and I can install the snowblade twice as fast.

I made two skates: one for this snowblade, and one for the snowblower. It sure is nice to move things around the shop without skuffing up the floor.

A "New" Diagnostics Tool

Or rather, the Diagnostic Center.

Welcome to the AC-Delco ST-210 Diagnostic Tune-Up Center. This unique piece of equipment was what all the shops and garages used before electronic On Board Diagnostics (OBD) took over. This unit is only good for old cars and trucks with no computers.

A friend gave this to me for free over the weekend. His Dad had bought it from a garage going out of business many years ago. The service manuals that came with this tool went back as early as 1966. While I haven't checked it out too completely, it appears to be a pretty cool tool. As you can see, it's in pretty good shape. It even has a red leather cover to protect the entire top of the unit.

I really like the holster specifically built for the timing gun.