Lizard in van wheelwell
Monday, September 13, 2004
Saturday, September 11, 2004
Friday, September 10, 2004
Visit to our farm
Rob Cole posted pictures and stories over on his blog about his recent trip to our house.
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
Brakes
Just got back from the parts store. My expenses:
Quart of brake fluid - 3.77
Two Complete Calipers - 23.99 each
Two Brake hoses - 26.99 each
Gallon GoJo Fine Italian Pumice hand cleaner - 12.95
Two Tail light bulbs - 1.39
Two cans Fix-a-flat (One to replace what I owe eric, one to keep in my van) 5.98
Two sets Brake pads - 11.99
With tax, it came to $145.72 I'll get back $10 when I return my used calipers. It's from a thing called a core. It's like a bottle deposit for auto parts. You return the old parts so they can remanufacture them.
This is the first thing on my van I've actually HAD to fix. Everything else has been preventative maitenance. When I was driving my van around the block a couple of days ago to see how the exhaust system sounded, I got to a flat spot and applied the brakes. I hopped out to look at the skid marks to see if all 4 wheels had locked up properly. When I got back in, the right front brake wouldn't disengage no matter what I tried. I had to drive almost a mile back home with it stuck. My wheel smoked for quite a few minutes after I had parked it. I pried off the hubcap to let it breathe better and found burn/soot marks on the inside of the hubcap. Hmmm.
When I disasembled everything yesterday, my brake pad was firmly stuck to the rotor. I used a hammer to whack off the caliper. Sparks flew :-) Everything looks in fine shape now and rotates properly. I am going to pry off the cover and stick more grease in my bearings if they need it.
Charlotte has been pressuring me to get the van ready so I can take her camping. Liz has even started up a campain to run away with me and see how far the tank of gas will get us. She wants to go to Wanakena Forestry school with me. :-)
Quart of brake fluid - 3.77
Two Complete Calipers - 23.99 each
Two Brake hoses - 26.99 each
Gallon GoJo Fine Italian Pumice hand cleaner - 12.95
Two Tail light bulbs - 1.39
Two cans Fix-a-flat (One to replace what I owe eric, one to keep in my van) 5.98
Two sets Brake pads - 11.99
With tax, it came to $145.72 I'll get back $10 when I return my used calipers. It's from a thing called a core. It's like a bottle deposit for auto parts. You return the old parts so they can remanufacture them.
This is the first thing on my van I've actually HAD to fix. Everything else has been preventative maitenance. When I was driving my van around the block a couple of days ago to see how the exhaust system sounded, I got to a flat spot and applied the brakes. I hopped out to look at the skid marks to see if all 4 wheels had locked up properly. When I got back in, the right front brake wouldn't disengage no matter what I tried. I had to drive almost a mile back home with it stuck. My wheel smoked for quite a few minutes after I had parked it. I pried off the hubcap to let it breathe better and found burn/soot marks on the inside of the hubcap. Hmmm.
When I disasembled everything yesterday, my brake pad was firmly stuck to the rotor. I used a hammer to whack off the caliper. Sparks flew :-) Everything looks in fine shape now and rotates properly. I am going to pry off the cover and stick more grease in my bearings if they need it.
Charlotte has been pressuring me to get the van ready so I can take her camping. Liz has even started up a campain to run away with me and see how far the tank of gas will get us. She wants to go to Wanakena Forestry school with me. :-)
Monday, September 06, 2004
Where I've been
Pile of cucumbers
I've been working on my van a lot lately. Finished putting in the exhaust system, it sounds great! Slowly cleaning out the interior. You can read what I did today and see a good picture of me swearing at my brake calipers over on mom's blog.
As I was stomping on the lug wrench to get enough leverage to take my tire off, I was thinking about quality tools. I'm slowly building up my mechanical and carpentry tool cache. The slowness is due to lack of much money and the fact that I usually buy the best tools I possibly can. For instance; my miter saw. I could have saved $500 by buying a 10 inch stationary chop saw. Instead, I saved and saved, and bought a top of the line Dewalt 12" compound, sliding double miter saw. It cost me $600 and is worth every last penny. It's built to last and can handle almost every possible angle encountered on a job site. A smaller saw with lesser bevel angles would have worked at first, but also would be having me cursing its limitations by now.
Cheap tools are never worth it. They cause more problems in the long run that counter the initial cheap and easiness that attracted one to it in the first place. Quality tools feel and look good , do the job effectively and pleasurably, and they last. It's a wise lifetime investment to always go with the best. It pays off in droves over the lifetime of the tool.
This got me thinking of men. Why settle? Being in a relationship just because it's easy and convenient instead of being of high quality and built to last makes as much sense as buying a wrench from the Dollar Store, made in China. Both will break apart and leave you with frustration. You're left with less money, nothing to show for it, and a sourpuss attitude.
I'm waiting for quality.
I can amuse myself pretty well in the meantime. :-)
Sunday, September 05, 2004
Friday, August 27, 2004
Whatnot
I've been a bad, bad girl. No updates in almost a week? What was I thinking?
Life has been busy lately. I've been working my tail off doing more painting for the people who had the apartment. Now I'm doing the trim on the entire outside of their house, as well as the finish trim inside. I'm grateful for the work - my credit cards are smoking from the recent activity. I'm getting into the whole van fix-it project.
My van sat for quite a few months this year without me starting it. When I tried in the summer, it wouldn't even cough up a turnover noise. The culprit? A malfunctioning fuel pump. I bought a new one for $13.88 and installed it along with new fuel lines and shiny new clamps. Now it starts better than Eric's (Uncle) 1982 truck.
Two days ago I dropped the entire exhaust system out. I called about 3 dozen places trying to find a replacement y-pipe. It's the pipe that goes from the engine block into the other exhaust pipes. Nobody had it ... not junkyards, auto parts stores, muffler shops, dealers, even the factory stopped making them years ago. The muffler places wanted several hundred dollars to build me a new one. The people I know who weld didn't want to touch it for fear of igniting a nearby gas line. Finally found a place that had it!!! - 2 hours away. That's another story and a half.
Now all I need to get it on the road is to reinstall the exhaust system, buy some new tires, register and insure it. It'll only cost $600 more. Oh joy. :-)
It's so exciting to be so close to having my very own car! Charlotte (Cousin) keeps saying I have a sweet van. She especially likes the wooden ceiling. My aunt Liz thinks the disco ball is a bit outrageous. And Eric is suffering from engine envy ... I have a bigger one than he does.
Life has been busy lately. I've been working my tail off doing more painting for the people who had the apartment. Now I'm doing the trim on the entire outside of their house, as well as the finish trim inside. I'm grateful for the work - my credit cards are smoking from the recent activity. I'm getting into the whole van fix-it project.
My van sat for quite a few months this year without me starting it. When I tried in the summer, it wouldn't even cough up a turnover noise. The culprit? A malfunctioning fuel pump. I bought a new one for $13.88 and installed it along with new fuel lines and shiny new clamps. Now it starts better than Eric's (Uncle) 1982 truck.
Two days ago I dropped the entire exhaust system out. I called about 3 dozen places trying to find a replacement y-pipe. It's the pipe that goes from the engine block into the other exhaust pipes. Nobody had it ... not junkyards, auto parts stores, muffler shops, dealers, even the factory stopped making them years ago. The muffler places wanted several hundred dollars to build me a new one. The people I know who weld didn't want to touch it for fear of igniting a nearby gas line. Finally found a place that had it!!! - 2 hours away. That's another story and a half.
Now all I need to get it on the road is to reinstall the exhaust system, buy some new tires, register and insure it. It'll only cost $600 more. Oh joy. :-)
It's so exciting to be so close to having my very own car! Charlotte (Cousin) keeps saying I have a sweet van. She especially likes the wooden ceiling. My aunt Liz thinks the disco ball is a bit outrageous. And Eric is suffering from engine envy ... I have a bigger one than he does.
Saturday, August 21, 2004
Posting
I try to post something at least every 1,000 hits. Lately I haven't been up to par ... too busy working and having fun!
On Friday I finished painting an entire apartment. It now has sand motif walls and mission biege trim, cabinets and doors. It looks 10 times better! It used to be an institutional blue.
Tomorrow I'm making everybody Sunday brunch. It's going to be richly decadant french toast topped with strawberries and fresh whipped cream. I'm in the middle of baking the bread for it right now.
I've modifed the following recipe in a number of ways, such as using evaporated milk instead of half and half, more sugar, vanilla and butter. The recipe is from the book Inter Courses. (Steve, the nice ex, bought it for me :-) )
French Toast Baked In Honey-Pecan Sauce
4 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup half and half (or Evap Milk)
1/2 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
4 Slices thick French bread
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Combine eggs, half and half, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Pour half the mix into a baking dish. Place the bread in the pan and top with the other half of egg mix. Refridgerate, covered, overnight.
Melt the butter in a 9x13 inch baking dish and stir in the brown sugar, honey, maple syrup and chopped pecans. Add soaked bread slices. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes until puffed and brown. Serve immediately.
MMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!
I love cooking for other people. :-)
On Friday I finished painting an entire apartment. It now has sand motif walls and mission biege trim, cabinets and doors. It looks 10 times better! It used to be an institutional blue.
Tomorrow I'm making everybody Sunday brunch. It's going to be richly decadant french toast topped with strawberries and fresh whipped cream. I'm in the middle of baking the bread for it right now.
I've modifed the following recipe in a number of ways, such as using evaporated milk instead of half and half, more sugar, vanilla and butter. The recipe is from the book Inter Courses. (Steve, the nice ex, bought it for me :-) )
French Toast Baked In Honey-Pecan Sauce
4 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup half and half (or Evap Milk)
1/2 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
4 Slices thick French bread
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Combine eggs, half and half, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Pour half the mix into a baking dish. Place the bread in the pan and top with the other half of egg mix. Refridgerate, covered, overnight.
Melt the butter in a 9x13 inch baking dish and stir in the brown sugar, honey, maple syrup and chopped pecans. Add soaked bread slices. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes until puffed and brown. Serve immediately.
MMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!
I love cooking for other people. :-)
Thursday, August 19, 2004
This picture is from Friday evening, when I was returning home from a full day of volunteering over at Yestermorrow. I spent it fooling around with screen doors and insulating downstairs in the building where the interns stay. They wouldn't let me use power tools.
Doing a day at Yestermorrow was fun and very informative. There are a lot of nice people at Yestermorrow, but not much motivation to get things done. I practically screamed when I saw the utility room in the downstairs of the intern living quarters ... the sheetrock was unfinished and had become the victim of a steady drip of water down the pipes. There was a film of water on the concrete floor, and the sheetrock in the moistest corner was covered in mold. There were leaks around the foundation in other parts of the building, but no plans to fix them. And as far as I know, they don't plan to rip out the rotten sheetrock. Ewwwwww!!!
They wouldn't let me use power tools, even though they had seen the website and knew I built a house without accidentally sawing off any vital body parts. This is even after I signed the form that does away with my right to sue if I tried anything stupid that resulted in injury or death, such as flossing with a power drill.
They aren't very organized. They knew I had skills but were scrambling to find something for me to do, even though I had let them know I was volunteering a day ahead of time. They didn't have supplies on hand, so I ended up going to the lumber store for fiberglass insulation and polyurethane.
Now for the good stuff - I have enjoyed the free lecture series they've been hosting this summer. Very inspiring and lots of pretty pictures in the slide shows.
Heather In Warren
This is me earlier this evening near the Warren store. Tonight was the last in the free summer lecture series at Yestermorrow. Now what am I going to do with my Wednesday nights?
The Warren store is a pretty cool place. I bought myself an almond tart and read the paper out on their deck overlooking this river. Spent some time thinking about what to do next in life. So many possibilities! The ones I've been kicking around lately are going to Randolph Technical or Johnson State College, living in my van while working as a carpenter in Florida this winter, or starting another house project on our back 9 acres, in the form of a Scandavian inpired stave church type of dwelling. Lots of pointy things and dark wood shingles. Stained glass. An airy loft.
My better living through modern pharmaceuticals is going great, with one exception. If I don't take a second pill in the afternoon, I can't get to sleep. I feel too creative and alive to waste it by going to sleep. Guess who forgot to take her second pill today and is still awake as the clock inches closer to 2am on a worknight....?
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