Coffee 12-19-15

Last coffee before Christmas! So, enter, relax, enjoy a special Christmas coffee. Homefries & eggs will be done soon, and of course toast with Renate's home made raspberry jelly. Yummmm.

I still haven't fired the coal boiler. I've been putting it off because it's such a lovely Spring we are having this winter. Maybe another week. Certainly once the temps drop to "winter levels".

Linda went back to PA on Wed. We had a nice 10 day visit. She got home just in time... her boiler was out & evidence indicates it had gone out just hours before she got home. Perfect! Her cat cried for two days. Awwwww. We are thinking another visit is in the future.

Off to work I go... I'm doing graphics on a full size van for a refrigeration company. It'll take most of the day, but a nice paycheck just before the holidays.

Enjoy the season!

Mornin all, outstanding b-fast choice Freddy. Figured Linda went back, ya showed up on time Snowin & blowin here on the hill. 24* & around 3" so far. I'm lovin it. Probably been thru 1/3 ton of nut/stove mix in the old HITZER since Sept. 1. Enjoy the week-end people.

WHAAAAATT..... Last saturday coffee before Christmas??!!??!! Guess I better start thinking about doing some shopping.

I'll be at the local comm. college working backstage for the Nutcracker performances today and tomorrow. Funny how ya get swirled into stuff like that...they ask for some prop construction ideas, tips, then help building them and then they find other jobs for ya before ya get out the door.

Getting an early start on chores around here today since there won't be much time the rest of the weekend. Finally got some colder temps around here yesterday and last night even though by comparison to last year its still pretty warm. I lit the stoker back up on Thursday after about a week off and may think about shutting it down as we go back up into the high 60's again for Christmas. If its a 'cold' 60's I'll just let it keep burning - !

Have a great day!

Mornin everyone. A little chilly here this AM at 20 degrees. Got about 1 inch of snow. Great breakfast as usual Freddy, and glad to hear that another visit is in your future.

Take care and be safe all. Merry Christmas.

Don

Morning. Coffee is hot, stoves are just idling along. About 26 degrees out.

Driveway and sidewalks all shoveled. about 4-5" so far. still snowing. at least it's light and fluffy, not the heart attack snow. Then 60 by Wednesday.

Good morning friends sorry if I'm a little late way to much wine last night , Good food and drinks as usual here at the coffee house! I'm glad you two had a nice time together thats what counts Freddy!!
Well we did get about 3 to 4" of snow and its 28° right now but as the others have said 50's next week .

titleist1 wrote:WHAAAAATT..... Last saturday coffee before Christmas??!!??!! Guess I better start thinking about doing some shopping.

Hell now I don't feel so bad I just started yesterday!! I need to get the rest of it done today If possible but I'm not sure thats going to happen.

freetown fred wrote:Probably been thru 1/3 ton of nut/stove mix in the old HITZER since Sept. 1.

What, are you filling that stove one piece at a time? I'm up to maybe 900 or so since Nov12.
Ok folks have a good Christmas, stay warm(well that shouldn't be to hard for most of us anyways) and enjoy your families.

25* here this a/m,we are supposed to have a high of 38* today with 36 mph wind gusts,wind chill at 24*. The Crane is making our living area WARM,while the EFM is keeping the rest warm. My wife decided that grits would be a great addition to the eggs ,it has been a while since we had them last.Christmas day forecast has called for a high from 58* up to 70*,so we will wait to see what happens & decide then whether to keep the Crane going. I sure am enjoying this coal burning,now our second season,so little fuss.Gotta try to get some work done & out of the shop in the next few days,this is a bad time for our income as so many folks forget everything but Christmas.Keep warm,stay safe in that slippy white snow.Merry Christmas to all.

Good Mornin' Gang !! We bottomed out at 25* and received the accessory 3" of Ohio White on the overnight. Sure puts a much different image on things as Christmas approaches. Things are at Peace around 'Ol Ham's Hacienda as Our Youngest is Home from College and Our Oldest has to force herself to leave the warmth of a Florida Vacation to come back to the N.E.Ohio Blanket of Cold and Gray. That's generally why I stay,as if I'm used to it,I don't have to acknowledge the fact that there's a growing season in existence somewhere else in the World ! Here's to hoping All of You are keeping Coal Warm and enjoying some of the small,yet simple things that Christmas can provide !

30 degrees this morning for me. It is unusual that it is 5 degrees warmer at my house than you guys in the "South", but I'll take it. Things have a way of averaging out over the course of the winter. I don't have any figures handy, but my heating bill to-date has certainly been less than average.

Fred, any pictures of the Chevy with the new headlights?

Indeed there is. And here I just thought my eyes were getting old like the rest of me! Still waitin on new tail lights--looked at parking light lenses--to expensive!!!!!!!!!

Rob R. wrote:30 degrees this morning for me. It is unusual that it is 5 degrees warmer at my house than you guys in the "South", but I'll take it. Things have a way of averaging out over the course of the winter. I don't have any figures handy, but my heating bill to-date has certainly been less than average.

Fred, any pictures of the Chevy with the new headlights?

That truck has the same lights and front that my '94 did. I loved that truck, just hated the ride quality. Sold it with 266k on the clock. I replaced all the lights and grill on that thing - looked damn nice when I sold it.

You guys can keep that white crap out west there! I'm still driving around on my summer tires/wheels! Cold finally hit last night - was 31° this morning, windy, and hasn't gone up much since ...

Yesterday I spent a good chunk of the day trying to line my hopper with some polyethylene plastic my neighbor gave me. Looks like Plexiglass - clear and smooth, but much more brittle. Project didn't go well. I busted the top corner of it trying to hold it still while I cut it ... then I cut my piece 2" too small. Now I don't have enough to finish. GRR!! Now you see why I've done nothing with the house in 13 years - would just be more of this!!!! I managed to get one big piece on the back, and had to just do the very bottom angled sections. Should be good enough, I figure. All just resting in there - we'll see how that goes. Cracked the other piece trying to force it in position. Ahhh crap!!

After that got my blood pressure sky high, I decided to shut the boiler down and clean her out good. Removed the top & vacuumed out the pile of flash. Disassembled the connector pipe, ran the brush down the sections, and vac'ed up the pile of flyash off the floor. Removed the combustion fan, brought it outside, blew it out, oiled it with Amsoil, and vac'ed the mountain of fines that fell through the air holes in the burn plate. Boiler was out for 4 hours or more, but the house only lost 3°. Was surprised by that, since the temp was falling by the minute. She's all up and running again. Went through some coal last night, I'll tell ya! Been keeping the house at 73° this season. Talk about spoiled! Never been that warm in here ever, but wow does it eat the coal up. Think I burned 40 lbs. in 12 hours ... and it's not even close to January yet ...

Had the neighbor hose down my trailer and truck with Fluid Film the other day. Was still warm, so figured I'd better get it done now. Man does that stuff REEK! Been around some stinky stuff in the automotive field, but this stuff takes the cake! At least the truck might last another 5 years now anyway. Did a great job - got all up inside the doors, rockers, tailgate, frame and box tubes, on top of heat shields, etc.. Well worth the $$$.

I delivered this contraption out to Troy, NY the other day. Guy bought it for his buddy! I didn't think anyone would see the appeal of this thing (I sure didn't!) but as they say ... there's "someone" for every seat! It's called a "Jeep Ski", LOL. Fiberglass Jeep body on a gutted jet ski. 50HP Johnson out back. Could be fun, I guess ... but I'd be a bit embarrassed to be seen in it. Was bad enough having it on my trailer! Had a fun time winching that trailer up onto mine. Took some thinkin' time ...

I hear ya Windy on the slow time - I've been the slowest I've been in years here. Business just evaporated. Happens every year, but this year is the worst. Wife is picking up the slack though. At least cutting hair isn't slowing down much.

You all have yourselves a MERRY CHRISTMAS. God Bless & enjoy the holidays.

freetown fred wrote:Indeed there is. And here I just thought my eyes were getting old like the rest of me! Still waitin on new tail lights--looked at parking light lenses--to expensive!!!!!!!!!

Pretty fancy Fred. The local guys might think you are gettin' a bit uppity.

Uppity??? old woodpeckers thought I got a new truck!!!

It does look like a 2015,Fred !! Smitty,I don't even want to guess how that thing stays on an even keel and afloat !! Stay warm,Boys and Girls !!

freetown fred wrote:Uppity??? old woodpeckers thought I got a new truck!!!

That's not a new truck ????????????????? Looks good,too good for a farmer