Coffee 3-3-2012

"In like a lion" this year. Cold & snow.... I want January back!

Good morning! The Folgers smell is in the air. Eggs & sausage soon to be served. There are some raspberry tarts for those that need a snack now.

Come in, all are welcome. Share a tale, or just listen & share time with a neighbor. Plenty of seats & the coffee never stops.

Busy week here. One of those weeks that I chased my tail all week and seemingly got nothing done. I'm sure a few weeks from now a check or two will be in the mailbox & I'll think "I guess I DID get something done". But, you never know when life will throw a frustration at you. I did have one job that wasn't so profitable. Decals for an ambulance. It had been in an accident & I got the job to replace the damaged decals. Some of them I did, but some I had printed at a local shop as I couldn't print that wide on reflective. Well, there was a mistake and it needed to be reprinted. Maybe my fault, maybe a software compatibility issue, but the cost fell to me. No biggie, that one decal was only 10% of the job. But, it needed to be redone as fast as possible. I called the printer Friday just as they were closing. "It'll be done Monday by 10AM". When I arrived it wasn't ready. Oh man! They are having problems with the new $80,000 printer. He showed me a junk print they had just done. By the time they had a good one done they had surely lost money as well as a lot of a Monday on a single decal. I lost $40 and 5 hours. *sigh* Life goes on.

Today: A transmission gasket on my nephews '93 Jeep Wrangler and reupholster the drivers seat.

Hope you all have a fine weekend!

Thanks for the coffee Freddy. Eggs and sausage sounds great! I heard you guys got about 6 inches of snow the other day. It's suppose to rain today, so you shouldn't have too much left after tomorrow. Snow and the freezing rain for up here today. Not much on the agenda for this weekend besides work. Take care all!

Seems like I've walked into a little oasis here,Fred ! The coffee's great and it's good to get out of the wind for a minute. For openers,thanx for all the support. Our three funerals have started, and as if we didn't have enough to do,we've got to be ready to form a protective screen around the sites of the Church,Cemetery and for the other two Young Men,the Calling Hours at the Funeral Home. Mass for Daniel is at 10a.m. today. Seems like our "Friends" from the Westboro Baptist Church have reaches a new low and are supposedly coming here. Time for me to be a Dad and help out outside instead of attend with my Family as I had planned. Sad Folks,really...Well,ok,just this once,they're human garbage. Danny's Mom and Dad just don't have need for this. The coffee meant more than you know,the Fellowship means even more! As Always.Take Care,Gang !

Outstanding breakfast Freddy. HB, all that with the Westboro A-holes leaves me at a lack for words.Not much goin on, on the hill today, just listining to the wind howl. Have a good week end all.Stay strong for all those families Bob.

Good stuff Freddie, finaly landed a job this week in Harrisburg at what seems to be a good Hospital. When we moved here almost a year ago I was going to take a few months off to get us settled and let my wife get used to Passing Gas at her new job here at the regional hospital. Well time to go to work. Been raining here for a couple of days. The winter was kinda like Georgia. not bad at all. HB, "Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid." There is a gun show not to far so I probably will go see what kind of deals they don't have this afternoon. Have a safe weekend all.
Cracker

Once again a great cup of joe Freddy, Bob hopefully those Westboro scum will be a no show. The sane threat from them last year in Jamestown at the southern end of the lake, they said they were going to protest a local vets funeral & never showed. Then again maybe they thought better, there were more people there than they had streets & sidewalks. Strange how some feel that it's their right to protest something but yet have no problem with infringing on a families & communities right to see a loved one off, we have become a strange nation.

A damp day today. We missed the snow but that doesn’t break my heart. This mild winter is taking it easy on the heating bill and also gives me a little less work like less coal to shovel and less ash to remove. If this is global warming bring it on. The funny thing is I noticed that a lot of the record highs around hear were set back in the ‘30s and some in the ‘70s. Maybe this global warming has been going on for a long time. Why does every generation believe they are living in the end times? Only the last generation will be right.

Today I guess I’ll check out the vehicles to see if they will pass inspection. Two are due this month and the other in April. How the hell did I manage that? I also have to file taxes. Mine are not complicated but I just can’t help but put them off, maybe this weekend I’ll find the motivation to do them but I better not hold my breath.

God bless you all in Ohio Hambden Bob, a tragedy for sure. I don’t know about those Westboro folks, they don’t appear to act very Christian like, but that’s the nice thing about religion we all get to pick and choose the parts we like and conveniently overlook the parts that we don’t. I don’t know which book teaches protesting funerals. You just have to see them for what they are, attention seeking nuts.

GA cracker, Williamsport to Harrisburg, that’s a pretty long commute.

Au revoir

GAW, it's a 13 week contract job. I'll stay there a couple of days a week, then come home for a few. Negotations went well for extra $ in the contract.
Cracker.

I hope today goes OK Bob. It's a tough one. Thoughts of peace and strength to all those that are close.

Hang in there Bob. I'd love to head out that way and take one for the team by removing the W/B freaks for you guys - permanently.

God bless you guys there. Keep your heads up.

HI guys,

My weekend started early with Bee Class this morning and then I spent the afternoon helping a friend put together a rain barrel. That makes 3 I've put together in the last month with each one being just a little better and easier to do. This one fit right in a tight spot next to the deck and existing downspout like the house was built with the rain barrel in mind. That made things a lot easier.

It's hard to believe it's the first of March. We reached 70* again today. I'm considering shutting down the stove mid month 'cause it's just too hard to keep the draft. I'm sure we will get a couple more days of cooler days but nothing that's going to last. It's been a weird winter. Take care, Lisa

lowfog01 wrote:We reached 70* again today.

Sa-weet! Send some this way?

Lisa....it's tropical where you are!! Snow and ice all AM, sun at 3 to5, severe snow RIGHT NOW! Please package up some of the nice stuff and Fed-Ex it up! I got calls for "a couple more tons" 5 times today. 310 at ton bagged they tell me...

Didn't get out of the tractor until 17:50, boy I hate that heated cab, heated seat, A/C.....air ride seat....stereo, CD..blah blah blah. We got 10" on Thursday and then more today.
Skiing is GREAT! Snowmobile trails are thinly groomed.....Frost heaves are 7 on the 10 scale.

Hi Everyone.. it has been a frustrating day.. it started last night,, the wind started getting frisky around 10 pm. About midnight the power went out.. that 's three times this week.. all from wind. I wish the energy company [DTE] would do their jobs and trim the trees, and repair the poles.

So at midnight I just decided to go to bed. at 7 this morning my bedroom was down to 62*, not too bad considering the 40-50mph winds outside, but the temperature was around 35*.

So I got up, flipped the main breaker, and most of the big loads, like the well, freezers fridge etc.. I just wanted power for the boiler's building and the circulator pumps, fired up the little gasoline 5K generator, and took the dog for a walk, as I came back, I swung by the boiler building to check on the AA.. OOPS, it wasn't running,, hmm after 7 hours? Well the water was still at 160* ! but as I watched and checked everything, the water temp was dropping, the main circulator for the loop into the house was finally returning cool water, and soon the aquastat fired up the fan and stoker. Whew! I thought I had problems.

As I head back toward the house I notice lots of shingles ,, so I walk around and find about 80square feet of missing shingles on the garage.. well add another item to 'the list'..

Next I go in and fire up the coffee pot.. and you should have heard the generator when the coffepot heater kicked on !! I don't know what the wattage is for this thing, but It's significant. Maybe that's why my electric bill is so high the last few months.. the coffee pot stays on untill 2-3PM each day.. I think I'll let it get cool and just nuke the cup of coffee.. the microwave hardly made the genset grunt..

So I have this really nice 20kw genset, Kohler 4cyl turbo diesel.. nice unit, it was pulled from a service truck and replaced with a new genset. I got the old one.. I had to replace the brushes, and slip rings, and was going to set it up today, I thought I had only an hour or so of work to get it set up..

But it seems the crew that did the swap with the new genset had only hammers, an ax and a pipewrench to work with.. what a bunch of HACKS. Ghheeezh !! So after seeing the crushed oilpan from dropping the unit on the special extended drainplug [which they should have used on the new genset], and the demolished main Circuit breaker, they broke the plastic housing loosening the WRONG wires.. IDIOTS.

So I gave up on the 20KW set.. I really wanted to get it running, it's an 1800rpm unit.. almost silent compared to the Briggs and Stratton screaming at 3600rpm in the driveway.

Well I also have a 11kw generator, a 3pt hitch, PTO driven generator. but it has to be run at PTO speed: 540 rpm...and that is 2550rpm on my tractor.. which while not as obnoxious as the Briggs and Stratton.. it's still annoying, especially since I'm usually using less than 7-8KW.. oh well, I wanted to get all the freezers cold again, run the well and take a shower..

So I fired up the little tractor [JD 855 with 3cyl Yanmar, nice unit] got everything working well, turned everything on, and the tractor didn't even waver, just hummed along. I took a shower, and things were looking up.

The young guy who's been helping me with finishing some projects around the place, he's the wonderful craftsman that made my staircase in the new parts of the house. He shows up, and we make a few decisions about trim and paint.. he gives me a 'grocery list' for Home Depot, while he does a few odds and ends.. I run off to HD,, get the stuff, and head home..

When I get home and unload the pile, I notice the tractor slowing down, surging etc.. The guy says that it did that a few times while i was gone.. so I jog out to the tractor, it's barely holding 2200 rpm, and still slowing, so I flip the breaker, and even with no load, the engine continues to slow down, then catches and is back to 2550... Crap.. sounds like a clogged fuel filter..

So I shut down the engine, remove the fuel tank filter, it's a fine mesh cylinder/filter in a sediment bowl.. and it's full of slimy crud, the filter is solid.. I peel the 1/8" thick layer or snot off the screen, blow it out with brake clean and air. and replace.. the engine starts and runs. but not much better.. HMM I thought this tractor had only one filter.. so off comes the engine shroud, and there it is, another, larger sediment bowl, this one with a pleated paper filter.. it really doesn't look that bad, but when I start spraying it down with brake-kleen, I see I'm washing off a layer of crud.. I gently blow it out from the back side, and replace the bowl, first filling it with fresh diesel.. I pump the manual primer.. and start 'er up.. runs great..
I reengage the PTO and check the rpm, flip the breaker on ,and the whole place is powered.. all is well.

So I enlist the muscle of the trim carpenter, and we bring the stripped carcass of the 'Art Garland' stove from the basement to the mudroom of the main level in the house.. And I start making numberous trips up and back down the stairs to bring up the pieces to reassemble the 'Garland' stove,, taking photos as I go.

Then,, LIGHTS OUT !! Damn.. so out to the tractor, and the engine is running fine.. I take a look, and the PTO shaft has come apart at the front Ujoint.. One cap in on the ground, and one is barely in the yoke. Upon closer look, it appears that the Ujoint caps are meant to have the inside 'c' clips, and the yoke is meant to have the exterior clips. And since this was incompatable, the shaft assembler in ???? who knows where, just shipped it out.. If I'd inspected it, I'd have just put a spot of weld on the cap/yoke and it's be together still but now the Ujoint is trashed, and I'll have to reassemble it and try to get the shaft to run concentric..

So that genset is down for the count..

So I go back in the house, to start tripping breakers, shutting down the big loads again to prepare to run the little annoying B&S powered gen.. and I decide to try the main breaker, and FINALLY, something went my way.. the power is back on.. several hours before estimated. I have no cable or TV, but I can use my cellphone as my ISP for my laptop..

I guess I really need to get that Kohler 20kw unit installed.. then we won't have another power outage for 5 years.. that's what happened when I sufferd through 5-6 outages each year for the first few at the farm,, then I bought the little 5Kw gen,, then abot 8 years of NO OUTAGES.. figures.. so I'm thinking that Kohler 20KW ought to be good for ... 10 years of not outages??
Anyway glad today is almost over.. now I'll see how slowly my cell phone ISP uploads photos of the Art Garland's reassembly..

Hambden Bob. hang in there, and don't take any crap from those Fake Baptists'.. I think the local cops will look the other way if a few of them 'trip and fall'.

God bless..

Greg L.

Geeeze, Greg! That's a day for the record books! Good thing the 5K Briggs held up or you'd have fallen into the common mistake of not having a spare back-up for the back-up that was backing up the original. Yup, get that 20K sweetheart on line & you won't need it for years to come.

I can access my electric company account on line. I see they now have a check box for "request tree trimming for this account". I wonder if a neighborhood campaign of clicks would actually make a trimmer appear? We had "The ice storm" back in '99 and many lost power for weeks. Since then they really have done a good job keeping up with the trimming.

45 degrees today, headed to zero tomorrow night or Monday. I'm hoping for a strong "out like a lamb".