tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99507732024-03-07T04:03:40.811-05:00TreebeauTim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11942916683053648585noreply@blogger.comBlogger380125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-2886967184050262892013-01-07T09:28:00.004-05:002013-01-07T09:28:50.515-05:00How did I do?Hard to believe that it has been almost a year since my last blog entry. I do spend much more time at Facebook, putting up pictures and blurbs, rather than in Blogger telling stories.<br />
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What I said I wanted to do:<br />
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<li style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Finish more projects than I start (especially the dresser project that was started years ago and is close to done)</li>
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<li style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Well, I didn't finish MUCH, but I did make progress on things, didn't start too many things, AND finished the dresser!!</li>
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<li style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;"><span style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Do more cooking and baking.</span></li>
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<li style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;"><span style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Yes, I do more cooking and baking. That slacked off some over the summer, but I am back into it more.</span></li>
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<li style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;"><span style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Have a deck built (or at least the part out my bedroom door).</span></li>
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<li style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;"><span style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Nope! Maybe this fall I can have the part outside the bedroom door going.</span></li>
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<li style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Continue to de-clutter and make my house more organized.</li>
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<li style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">A work in progress. I have made more strides and have gotten a little bit better at keeping things organized and decluttered. A long way to go, but I am pleased and will continue.</li>
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<li style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Go camping once or twice.</li>
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<li style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Went camping once (ugh, disaster because of rain).</li>
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<li style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Go kayaking once or twice.</li>
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<li style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Went kayaking once (nice trip but felt a little rushed by JP).</li>
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<li style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Go skiing once or twice.</li>
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<li style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Nope. However, I expect to get out once or twice THIS winter.</li>
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So now this year's list.<br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Finish the bed (which is probably more than 2/3rds done).</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Finish the butterfly restoration (at least all the parts except the swing out "wings").</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Make visible progress on the Goosneck arm chair restoration.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Get the teardrop trailer built and weather tight for at least 1 trip (may not be complete, but hopwefully, useable).</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">More decluttering. Copy VHS tapes to DVDs, Cassettes to MP3. Would like to digitize pictures in albums. Would REALLY love to digitize old magazines.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Clean out the garage.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">?</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">?</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Yep, lots to do!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Happy 2013 everyone!</span></div>
Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05591443747823659616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-64915495138699702902012-01-11T14:41:00.002-05:002012-01-11T14:45:17.378-05:002011 New Year's Resolutions<p class="MsoNormal">This year I want to:</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul><li><span style="font-family:Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol"><span style="mso-list:Ignore"><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span>Finish more projects than I start (especially the dresser project that was started years ago and is close to done)</li><li>Do more cooking and baking.</li><li>Have a deck built (or at least the part out my bedroom door).</li><li>Continue to de-clutter and make my house more organized.</li><li>Go camping once or twice.</li><li>Go kayaking once or twice.</li><li>Go skiing once or twice.</li></ul>Any other suggestions?<p></p>Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05591443747823659616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-29117082748694601602011-07-05T08:56:00.003-04:002011-07-05T09:05:58.722-04:00Totally Random, and ConnectionsSometimes a totally random thought comes to me and I want to explore it. Today, while I was stripping finish off a table leaf a scene from "National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation" was in my head. The scene was in a casino. The Griswold's had lost all their money and were lamenting on what to do. Then, Sid Caesar won the big prize in Keno and had a heart attack. he gave the ticket to the Griswolds.<br /><br />Then, as I was preparing my coffee and washing dishes, a different scene came to me. This was from the original "Vacation" movie where the Griswold's were travelling to Wally World by car. They are out in a very rural area having lunch with Mrs. Griswold's cousin and that family. Out walks Imogene Coca and surprises Mr. Griswold by saying "You're driving me to Phoenix!!" On the way, she dies (and so does her nasty little dog).<br /><br />The connection. Both Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca die in those movies. Both were tremendous comedians. Both were regulars on a 1950's TV show called "Your Show of Shows." I was too young to have seen that show when it first aired, but have seen a clip here and there throughout my life.<br /><br />But WHY did my mind decide to make that connection today?<br /><br />By the way, I used to love a PBS show called "Connections" with a host named James Burke. In that show, Burke would pick up little bits and pieces of information and show how one thing led to a completely different thing over time. For example, he might demonstrate how Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo led to the discovery of Super Glue. Two things seemingly random, yet if you look deep enough you can find a connection.Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05591443747823659616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-33475488426612911112011-04-29T20:28:00.004-04:002011-04-29T20:48:27.677-04:00The last day at Aon...there's always something!Today was my last day working for Aon. It was not very eventful at the office, but outside the office a lot happened.<br /><br />1. I wanted to drive the Jeep because it was supposed to be a beautiful day. The Jeep had just been repaired (fuel pump and hoses) and was at the mechanic ready to be picked up. To get there (just 2 miles, mostly downhill) I took a bike. But it was colder outside than I planned for. Oh well, only 2 miles and too tough to pedal uphill to get home and dress warmer. I arrived shivering. The Jeep started up great, drove home, changed, and went to the office.<br /><br />2. The new PC was supposed to be delivered (for my job starting Monday) sometime today by FedEx. Got home at 2pm and there was a note on the door saying I could pick it up at the office. Why can't the deliveryman be late, like he would have been had I been home waiting? Had a late lunch and got there about 3. The lady said "the truck doesn't get back until 7. We close at 8. If you want, you can pick it up tomorrow". OK, wasted trip, but it was a nice Jeep drive on a beautiful day.<br /><br />3. Cleaned the birdbath and made some hummingbird food. Went to pick up my son (using the Jeep) and turned it off while waiting. 10 minutes later, with him in the car, it wouldn't start. I just picked it up from the mechanic TODAY! It already has a new coil, new starter, new battery, new battery cables, new fuel pump, new distributor, and new fuel line hoses. Turning the key causes the "battery gauge" to drop, so it all seems right. Decided to go into the Italian restaurant there and have dinner and let things under the hood cool down.<br /><br />4. After dinner, it still wouldn't start. Still enough daylight, I called my mechanically inclined neighbor. He came with a couple of tools. He seemed to be focused on the solenoid, which is between the battery and the starter. He said "it seems intermittent, but also registers ok...let me try something." He takes wires off and scrapes the bolts and terminals a little. They didn't seem corroded to me, nor did it seem like he made any difference. He put them back on and the Jeep fired right up... Amazing! On Sunday I will do a more thorough cleaning of those connections and put dielectric grease on it all to retard corrosion.<br /><br />5. Got home and decided my mailbox was just too beat up. I have had a new replacement in the garage ready to go for YEARS. Still plenty of daylight. I take off the old, put on the new, then go to put on the clasps and flag. Not enough screws, and not enough nuts. There should be a longer screw to go through the flag. Who packaged this hardware??? I look at the hardware package and stamped on it are the words "Packaged by the blind". If I don't put the flag on, there are enough screws, but still 1 nut shy. Luckily I am a handyman. I have plenty of spare parts in my shed. Found the exact nut needed and put the clamps on. Won't need the flag for awhile. Actually, I don't like the new flag. I want to use the old flag, but it attaches differently. So on Sunday I will trace the holes of the old box, drill matching holes on the new box, and mount the old flag on the new box.<br /><br />There's always SOMETHING...isn't there? It's going to be nice working from home and have the ability to do little tasks either during lunchtime or immediately after work...no commute to eat up daylight.Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05591443747823659616noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-25196671272955744592011-03-01T10:46:00.003-05:002011-03-01T10:55:17.427-05:00Need RTVAs we were growing up, my dad often referred to using RTV. Look it up and you will see that it stands for "Room Temperature Vulcanizing" rubber. It's a sticky product that is squirted out of a tube, then cures to a rubbery consistency. Amazing how many things my dad felt could be fixed by applying some RTV (fixing holes in sneakers using "Shoe-Goo" was just one use my dad had for RTV).<br /><br />Well, it has been years since I even thought about RTV. Then all of a sudden I have a need for it. I like my simple bluetooth earpiece (Motorola H3). It came with the older phone I bought and since replaced. Nothing is wrong with the bluetooth electronics, but a molder rubber piece has torn over the years and is starting to fall off. I set it on the shelf for a long time because using it was a little ear-ritating!<br /><br />And all of a sudden it hit me...I need RTV !! A judicious squirt here and there and I can stick that piece back on. Another squirt or two and some forming with a popsicle stick will make that piece good as new. It may not actually look like it came from the factory but it will work perfectly. And all for a little over a dollar.<br /><br />Good old RTV !Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05591443747823659616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-73698387750055820472010-07-14T18:32:00.005-04:002010-07-14T18:36:48.945-04:00I'm 50! And I can Kick and Streeeeeeetch, and KICK!Birthday card from my brother Duane. I passed the quiz.<br /><br />This is for all you guys out there.<br />Scroll down after you have a nice look.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5N9UHMme_-jwAEr80AKWb_Rtje7K9Ox1oKS3pLN1cF8cy5VIWogoKeSyOvlaQL4vILVb1BphbGvjeIjIPAJXSnRTYWtoJmSNsHOQYUQM5s4h7-GVEUTsVSftYvD0Yt20wUjUF/s1600/BirthdayCard1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 224px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493893617431362002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5N9UHMme_-jwAEr80AKWb_Rtje7K9Ox1oKS3pLN1cF8cy5VIWogoKeSyOvlaQL4vILVb1BphbGvjeIjIPAJXSnRTYWtoJmSNsHOQYUQM5s4h7-GVEUTsVSftYvD0Yt20wUjUF/s320/BirthdayCard1.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNqmaS6kxIDQogjLwgDwrZyUVSi9QeaN-TBtrw4hTLm72gILsMfVZtugIFWJpdO8F6ZNZRlY1tveeXD-qcOqWf9Iwr8IggYbPErTQBbyfLrFnuihyphenhyphenRmkXWF7l3q1vPbyoYsXM/s1600/BirthdayCard+2.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 293px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493893623867875618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNqmaS6kxIDQogjLwgDwrZyUVSi9QeaN-TBtrw4hTLm72gILsMfVZtugIFWJpdO8F6ZNZRlY1tveeXD-qcOqWf9Iwr8IggYbPErTQBbyfLrFnuihyphenhyphenRmkXWF7l3q1vPbyoYsXM/s320/BirthdayCard+2.jpg" /></a>Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05591443747823659616noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-38627485950695508112010-03-15T11:32:00.001-04:002010-03-15T11:46:50.325-04:00Moving forward, cautiously.I got a phone call, based on my last post, wondering if I was depressed and suicidal. Absolutely not! I just had a lot going through my mind that day and wanted to write. Sometimes that is therapeutic.<br /><br />So, now I have more on my mind and will do the same…don’t worry, I’m just fine.<br /><br />A few years ago I was dating a woman who started off our relationship with “Isn’t it amazing how much we have in common?” A few months after that, we stood in the exact same spot in her kitchen and she said she wanted to break up because we don’t have much in common. OK, no big deal, so I left. Less than 2 weeks later, she was calling me saying “I think I really made a big mistake in breaking up, and can we get back together?” Well, for me, that ship had sailed. Why could she not have taken the 2 weeks to reflect before making that decision to break up? It just seemed wishy-washy to me and I didn’t want to be in a potential “on again, off again” relationship.<br /><br />She believed herself to be a very positive person. After a few months of observation, I got the feeling she was kidding herself into believing she was positive, but in fact was just denying reality. Just a casual glance around her house revealed books lying around by Deepak Chopra, and Eckhart Tolle. Why would a positive person need to have books like this lying at every turn? I believe that they were crutches to help her convince herself that she was a positive person, whenever she was feeling not so positive.<br /><br />Reality is what it is. Sometimes we are up, sometimes we are down. Sometimes things go right and sometimes they go wrong. I do not see myself as positive, nor negative…just accepting of the fact that there is this duality.<br /><br />One thing this woman said struck me as very interesting. We were talking one day about why my ex left me. She said to me “Tim, you need to look at this in a positive way. (gee, go figure) She knew what she was like (liar and cheater) and that it did not fit with your personality. She loved you SO much that, subconsciously, she gave you your freedom from living with someone like her.”<br /><br />I like that. It must be unconscious. My ex (wife or recent girlfriend) seem to just hate me. I have heard before that there is a very fine line between love and hate. That person who you once loved, for so many reasons, all of a sudden is someone you hate. But why? I know for a fact that they were treated well.<br /><br />Observe this text from one of the earliest emails I got from the ex-gf.<br /><br />“…I am amazed by you. Your passion for life, happiness, music, opera, JP, hobbies, future plans, and me is so unusual and refreshing. You are so different than anything else I’ve experienced and you were right under my nose. Amazing????????? Awesome???????? I am loving every second that we are together and think of you every second that we are apart.<br /><br />Relax your mind and know that I am a CONSTANT in your life. I don’t want to be overbearing, but I do love our time together. ….”<br /><br />How interesting that only a handful of months later, everything about me drove her crazy (like that my joints crack, or that I don’t put food in the garbage can, or that I don’t want to be in crowds and have my wallet stolen). And that “constant” that she SAID she was became a “variable” pretty quickly.<br /><br />So she has moved on…after just a few weeks I knew she was already in the next relationship, and is likely telling the new guy that he is amazing, passionate, etc. I have my doubts that it will last, though, because she is someone who needs rescuing.<br /><br />I learned something about myself recently…that I seem to be drawn to people and things that need rescuing. I much prefer to build or restore furniture than buy, for example. My ex (wife and GF) both had childhoods that they deemed unhappy, due to their relationships with their parents. I felt for them and stepped in as the good guy that they needed. But, inevitably it was shown that their troubled pasts could not be forgotten, and for all the love and attention I gave, it appeared to never be enough. All of MY flaws became major issues, and on they went to the next rescuer.<br /><br />So now I am taking my time in order to try to not become attached to yet another woman who needs rescuing. To that end I just had a wonderful second date. Let me describe.<br /><br />I met “K” through one of the online services. She lives in Greensboro and our first date was lunch a couple of weeks ago. She is very much into the performing arts and loves opera, but she never had any friends who would make consistent plans with her. I didn’t have a date for “Carmen” so asked her if she would like to see it. She had to check her calendar and let me know, but she got back saying she was available and would love to see it.<br /> <br />That second date was yesterday. We met at the parking lot next door to [removed] and drove down to Charlotte for the show. She had never been to one of the pre-show lectures (which I enjoy) and I assured her that the speaker was wonderful. Well, just a few words into the lecture and she leaned over and said “She’s so sassy…I love it!” and was smiling the whole time.<br /> <br />The opera was gorgeous. I had never SEEN Carmen, but was so familiar with the music. It had everything…love, lust, desire, anger, violence, insanity, and murder. It had strong vocals and some absolutely beautiful dancing! There is a scene where a song and dance is done by “cigarette girls”…they work in a cigarette factory. All of them wore dresses that flowed so beautifully and invoked imagery of cigarette smoke. Even the lyrics were about smoke. That’s choreography!<br /> <br />“K” LOVED the show, as did I. Afterward we walked a little and found an Italian restaurant that was not just your average pasta and sauce place. She had a seafood risotto and I had chicken marsala. We shared a portion with each other and had a bottle of Malbec. The conversation (and my date) couldn’t have been lovelier. On the drive back we talked about so many things and seem to be at a close/similar place in our lives, though not exactly the same place.<br /> <br />We talked of former relationships, books, authors, musicals, operas, and so much more. We don’t agree on everything, but the respect for different opinions was evident. I told her that I do not want to rush or push for a relationship and she thanked me for that. It is important for me to make sure that I do not play the savior role in another relationship, and that I have someone that is confident about herself…her looks, and her ability to take care of herself. She seems to have that confidence (and I told her so). She told me about former husband and some former relationships, and her desire to find a man who was mature enough to turn off the sports and communicate for a change. She doesn’t need someone who is 100% compatible, but compatible with a willingness to compromise with each other.<br /> <br />She’s a good looking woman and looked fantastic dressed up for the opera. We parted with a hug and kiss on the cheek. She is on the downside of a cold and it was evident that she was congested, sneezing, etc. Neither of us wanted ME to get sick.<br /><br /><br /><br />Sound nice? It was!<br />Looking forward to next time. One thing that is clear is that NEITHER one of us is jumping into the next relationship. To do so would just be needy/codependent.Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11942916683053648585noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-44838338357876089912010-02-16T17:10:00.002-05:002010-02-16T17:15:15.647-05:00Lies!I would like to live in a world where the women I date are honest.<br /><br />I was married for almost 13 years. Before that I was in a long term relationship for about 4 years, and after that in and out of short term relationships, culminating in a recent relationship of almost a year.<br /><br />What I discovered through these relationships is that the women are rarely honest. Lies were told to my face, thinking that I either would never find out the truth, or in some cases not knowing that I already knew the truth. I always gave my significant other the benefit of the doubt, and plenty of chances to be honest, or even change her tune. Other “things” were not discussed, or hidden (lies of omission). I am not naïve or stupid, and I have my resources. A liar is only kidding herself.<br /><br />I never used to be suspicious, until I found out that my wife was cheating. She of course denied it, then during separation continued to deny being involved with the other man (“Ewwww, No!!!” she said). Then, less than 60 days after our divorce was final, she married him. She could lie right to one’s face and seem totally innocent, thus being the gold standard of lying. She set the bar.<br /><br />In a more recent relationship, when things started to appear dishonest, my guard went up. I became suspicious and found definite evidence to support my suspicions. She didn’t even come close to the gold standard. I gave plenty of chances for her to come clean, and she didn’t. Finally, SHE broke things off with the statement “My therapist says I should not be in a relationship with ANYONE.” Then, about 6 weeks after, she entered into another relationship… with the very next guy that came along. I am reasonably sure that she met him afterward. But doesn’t that seem bizarre, and even cowardly? Why lie? Why base a lie on someone else’s opinion, that she felt I could not follow up on? Why not say “I’m sorry, I want to break up. We’re too different and I can’t handle all the differences.” Did she think that I was never going to become wise to the deception?<br /><br />What is wrong with these people? Why the dishonesty? Is it to save my feelings? Well, I have news for people like that. Not only do the lies eventually get revealed, but they hurt twice. First for the situation that is being lied about, and second, for having trusted someone who turns out to be a liar.<br /><br />A person who enters into a relationship with ME is going to get the truth. I would much rather be open in communication and work through situations honestly, even if it involves breaking up, than to have someone lie to me. If I hurt feelings, at least it will be done with honesty.<br /><br />I don’t know if “she” still reads my blog, but I hope she does and sees this. To be fair, no names were used, but she should know who she is (particularly when it comes to the comment about the therapist's opinion). If anyone adds comments, please be fair and do not address a person in particular. I hope it leads her to a new path of honest communication. It's time to grow up. Lies are childish and she is now an adult.<br /><br />To her: I already knew (about him) when I made the vague reference about you being involved with the new guy. I was giving you an opportunity to be honest and you did not take it. You even said “Since I have nothing to hide…” and then lied. I couldn’t believe it, yet, there it was! You will never have a lasting relationship if this is how you conduct your life. Unfortunately, I will never have a lasting relationship either, because my world seems to be full of women just like you. <br /><br />I would love to live in a different world.Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11942916683053648585noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-70993887794928822252009-12-18T08:49:00.002-05:002009-12-18T09:02:02.115-05:00Bushed from de-bushing.If you've been following along here or on my FaceBook page, you know I'm restoring a piano. Right now, just about every task is repeated 88 times, but there are some things, like repairing 2 broken keys, that aren't...and those are nice diversions.<br /><br />Currently I am "de-bushing" all the keys. Under the front of each key is a hole that sits on a pin when installed in the keyboard "tray". The hole is oblong and the pin is round. The oblong hole allows for a pivoting motion when the key is played. Inside the oblong hole, glued to the "long" sides is some thin red felt, and it is called a "bushing". I suppose the felt keeps the key press silent (no wood on metal rubbing. Anyway, a lot of that bushing felt was deteriorated, so I am removing it.<br /><br />I can do about 10 keys in a half hour. I clamped a heat gun to my work table and set it on low heat. Then I wave a bushed hole over the heat, about 5 inches away to keep from scorching the wood. This softens the glue. It takes about 15-20 seconds for the glue to soften just right. Then I use a dental tool to pull the felt out. When it cools a little I scrape off most of the glue residue. That's a couple of minutes.<br /><br />So far 70 keys have been debushed. Replacement bushing felt will be ordered soon. A roll of it that is enough for all 88 keys is something like 4 bucks. Aluminum wedges, used to insert the new bushing material and hold it in place till the glue dries, cost about 10 bucks. The rest is just time. Not difficult at all and it should make for a quality restoration.Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11942916683053648585noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-28299082729154269492009-12-11T09:26:00.001-05:002009-12-11T09:26:50.601-05:00Ou sont les serviettes de table?Bonjour!<br />OK, enough of that.<br /><br />Is it the same for you? Whenever I go to McDonalds they do not just give me napkins anymore. I’m pretty sure that some accountant did some number crunching and decided that a lot of money was just thrown away by either giving away too many napkins, or people taking more than they need. So I imagine that employees have been told “Only give napkins if the customer specifically asks for them.”<br /><br />One problem could be those people who take extra napkins just to have in the car or the office. Guilty! However, I don’t throw them away unused. And now, when I am not just given napkins I want to take even more for “just in case.” Did the accountants think about that?Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11942916683053648585noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-77546853957772822712009-12-07T09:57:00.002-05:002009-12-07T10:02:45.118-05:0088: 12/07/2009Late last week I used my air compressor to blow much of the dust off the keys.<br /><br />Yesterday I used "Simple Green" to clean all the black keys, then started to scrape remaining glue residue off the white keys, where I had removed the ivory a few years ago. <br /><br />In order to glue on the pretty new white plastic keytops, I need to clean the sides of the keys first. I started scraping, but felt that was going to take off too much wood, so I will go back to what I did on about 10 of them before...scrub with bleach. Those that I bleached look really nice. Once I decided that course of action, I felt it was time to stop for the evening. Tonight I will do the bleaching on several more keys and and probably finish the residue scraping. Once the bleached keys dry I can do the final wood prep and glue on the new plastic.<br /><br />Pics next time.Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11942916683053648585noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-67355948540080851972009-12-03T15:20:00.001-05:002009-12-03T15:23:03.872-05:0088...times who knows what.<br /><br />Several years ago I was given a piano. It is a full upright with beautiful mahogany veneer. The finish is messed up, likely due to being stored in basements. I did some research back then and found that it was built in 1910. My plan was to renovate it as well as I could. Well, that was put on hold due to lots of reasons, but my idea was always to have it COMPLETE in 2010 and to rechristen it for a 100 year piano party.<br /><br />It’s now time to get busy again if I want to meet that goal. A lot of the work on the keys and hammers can be done in the basement next to the fireplace. I already had 87 of the hammers working and only 2 of the keys need repair. BUT there is a lot of cosmetic work…cleaning, replacing keytops, and replacing felt everywhere. If I can get all that done over the winter, then I can do the cabinet work (stripping, refinishing, fixing broken veneer) in the spring and summer. Would be nice if I got it all done and tuned for a summer or fall party, don’t you think?<br /><br />So, last night I set up a worktable in the basement and brought in the keys and hammers. They have gotten really dusty from sitting around and I think some mice chewed up some of the felt. I have to fix 2 broken keys, and a variety of simpler cosmetic wood repairs, and install new white plastic on the white keys (and only clean the blacks).<br /><br />In case you don’t know about a piano, it basically consists of 88 copies of 1 working mechanism. That mechanism transfers a key press to a hammer stroke against a wire. There are MANY MANY pieces in just 1 mechanism. That is why I put “88 times who knows what”. You never know what might need fixing or adjusting.<br /><br />Will take and post pics as I go. Of particular interest should be the wood repairs.<br />Stay "tuned".Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11942916683053648585noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-72850147246215453502009-11-18T09:18:00.001-05:002009-11-18T09:19:08.151-05:00Milestone reached, Christmas 2009Yesterday I completed all of the “B” parts for the Christmas gifts, 30 in all. So far there are 22 “A” parts done, so only 8 to go. One of those is ready for the lathe, and for the others I need to mill up the wood and glue into blocks. All should be done some time next week. Still needing pennies. If you have corks and 2009 pennies for me, how about dropping them in the mail for me. I know Mom has 7 pennies and Duane and Cheryl usually have a decent supply of corks.<br /><br />There are still a few other things to make, as well, before I close up shop for the cold winter. I think I will be doing work on the piano keys and hammers during the cold months.Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11942916683053648585noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-2623508264119727642009-11-11T09:03:00.002-05:002009-11-11T09:07:45.538-05:00To Everything (turn turn turn)...In previous posts (July and October) I mentioned the “things" I am making for Christmas.<br /><br />To read those posts:<br /><a href="http://treebeau.blogspot.com/2009/07/turning-and-turning.html">Click Here</a><br /><br /><a href="http://treebeau.blogspot.com/2009/10/how-many-will-i-need.html">and Here.</a><br /><br />At first I wanted to make 20 complete “things” which was 40 turnings. Then it was up to 25 (50 turnings). Now the estimate is up to 30 (60 turnings). I gave myself a break from the lathe for a few weeks but am back at it. So far, I’ve completed 23 part A’s and 20 part B’s, which means only 17 more parts to go. The B’s are simpler…I turned out 4 of them yesterday alone. If I keep at it, I should have it all done in time for Christmas.<br /><br />Stay turned…I mean tuned.Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11942916683053648585noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-3698126839955345132009-10-26T10:23:00.000-04:002009-10-26T10:24:40.476-04:00How many will I need?Hi all,<br /><br />As most of you know, I have been making the things I give out for Christmas for a few years. Sometimes these have been “1 per family” and sometimes “1 per person”. Last year was oval boxes which were 1 per person. This year I would also like to do a 1 per person, but would like to get a count of everyone who will be present at the Christmas gathering. <br /><br />Send me an email on behalf of yourself and your family members so that I can get an accurate count. <br /><br />Everything I am making this year will be similar, but each will be unique. My plan is for everything to be “laid out” and each person just picks whichever appeals to them the most (like we did with the pens a few years ago). I may find myself in a situation where I don’t have enough ready, so if you happen to get an “IOU”, don’t take it personally. Sean, Ryan, and Danny got IOUs a couple of years ago and I eventually made good on them. (Did you guys like the clipboards? Were or are they useful?)<br /><br />I’m making a guess that I will need 25 or more “things” for this Christmas. I’ve finished 7 of them, and am almost done with another 7. As you may know, I sometimes like to include a penny with the current year and it has been a big challenge in collecting 2009 pennies. If I had about 20 more 2009 pennies I could knock these out much quicker. If you’ve been saving corks for me, why not send them, and if you have some 2009 pennies, drop those in the package as well? 2009 pennies are easy to distinguish because they are very shiny and do NOT have the Lincoln Memorial on the back.Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11942916683053648585noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-13159631861963072642009-10-19T14:39:00.005-04:002009-10-19T14:54:00.246-04:00Poison Ivory…remember?If you have followed my blog for a long time you may remember “poison ivory”…that’s Poison Ivy to you and me, but pronounced by my less than literate neighbor.<br /><a href="http://treebeau.blogspot.com/2006/08/glass-and-poison-ivory.html">Click here</a><br /><a href="http://treebeau.blogspot.com/2007/04/dead-vile-weed.html">and here.</a><br /><br />I had this dead tree in the backyard that was FULL of foliage...all of which was poison ivy. I went out and cut through the vine, which was about as big around at the base as an elephant’s leg. The ivy all died back and I was pleased, although I had to continue to be careful around it, as there were several tendrils hanging that could still come in contact with me. The chemical inside stays active a LONG time as I understand, so dead poison ivy is still to be avoided.<br /><br />Recently that tree fell down. It’s root structure was consumed enough to allow a wind and soggy ground to topple it. It fell mostly on my backyard, but the top was a little into the neighbor’s. I wanted to get it removed because I did not want to come into contact with any of it.<br /><br />So I contacted a tree service. They came and looked and pronounced that it would be $585 to remove it and dump it in the woods next door. Yikes! This job would take me about an hour if it weren’t for the ivy. I declined. Then I went to the “sand and stone” seller about 2 miles from the house and explained what was there. The guy said “I can come out tonight with my bulldozer and push it into the woods for $30. Fantastic...and SOLD !<br /><br />I assumed that I would have to get home before him and cut the trunk into about 3 pieces, but by the time I got home he was done and leaving! There is a little bit of cleanup left to do, but should not be bad at all with rakes and a tarp. I gave him $50 and thumbed my nose at the professional tree service people. He did a nice enough job and stayed off the area of yard that has septic lines. The pushing made a line/trail of red dirt, but that will disappear next spring. Couldn't be more pleased, and I didn't get a rash.<br /><br />Just something to keep in mind, should you ever have a similar circumstance...don’t settle for the first price.Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11942916683053648585noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-20561655542528662122009-10-08T10:14:00.001-04:002009-10-08T10:17:29.827-04:00CDs and MP3sWhen CDs were first being developed, it was a design requirement that they be able to play at least 72 minutes of music. Why? Because some big-wig knew that Beethoven’s 9th Symphony was that long and he desired to hear it uninterrupted...not having to flip over a cassette or record album.<br /><br />There was no MP3 compression format at the time. One could not “burn” one’s own CDs.<br /><br />Today, I put a CD into my computer here at work. It contains ALL NINE Beethoven symphonies. I “ripped” them from the originals that I purchased many years ago, and “burned” them in MP3 format to the single CD.<br /><br />Later I may add up the total play time of all 9, but don’t have the stats right now. But I looked at the CD using “My Computer” and “Properties”. The disc is not even HALF full. Close...335MB used, 345MB free. This CD will last for several HOURS of music at work without needing to change the CD.<br /><br />The guy in the office next to me listens to an iPod every day. I know that they can store a TON of music, however, once filled up you’re stuck. What if you want to hear something that isn’t in your iPod memory? You need to make room by getting rid of something else.<br /><br />I love classical music and have gotten spoiled by the CD. I rarely play them anymore because they run out too quickly (not all are 72 minutes) and I need to go change CDs. Yes, I know they make CD changers that hold many CDs, but I am somewhat of a cheapskate.<br /><br />What I need to do is start making my own compilation CDs, in MP3 format, of favorite music so that I can listen for many hours without needing to change out a CD. Rip and Burn on my newly upgraded home PC will be speedy. In fact, I can use the PC to play the CDs, my office laptop PC can play them, and the car can play them. No need to buy anything! More to come.Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11942916683053648585noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-88139167116429044512009-10-07T10:35:00.002-04:002009-10-07T11:09:41.333-04:00"Hansel and Gretel" was so-soWell, I went to see “Hansel and Gretel” last night. It was enjoyable, but I will not be in a hurry to see it again, so I rank it a “so-so”. I agree with Mr. Peter Perret, who reviewed it at <a href="http://www.piedmontopera.org/node/43">this link</a> but he says it much more eloquently.Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11942916683053648585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-69178475047021461912009-10-05T11:00:00.000-04:002009-10-05T11:01:51.892-04:00An almost perfect weekend.Last Friday was taken as a vacation day. The plan was to go spend the 3 day weekend in Raleigh, taking in an opera on Friday night and seeing the local sites for the remainder of the weekend. It was almost perfect. The only thing wrong was that I booked a room at a Motel 6, sight unseen, and it was in a part of town that was a little seedy. It was along a highway, so there was road noise. There were some less than desirable folks staying there. And for some reason the air conditioner went through phases of working and not working. If and when there is another opportunity, I will choose a Red Roof Inn nearby but looking to be in a slightly nicer area.<br /><br />It takes about 2 hours to drive from my house to Raleigh. We got there a little after noon, checked in, and went out to tour around. We walked around the Governor’s Mansion (beautiful and wonderful gardens) and then went to an administration building for a little bit. Susan once lived and worked in Raleigh, nearly 20 years ago, and thought she may still know some people that worked there. However, she found that everyone that she knew had retired.<br /><br />We then went to an area that is across from a park. It had shops and small restaurants. I forget the name of the area, but it is very close to a bus station, a Children’s museum, and an IMAX theater. We found an Irish pub that had been recommended called “Tir Na No’g”, and had sandwiches and beer. It was very good, although my beer was a little more hoppy than I like…still, it was just fine.<br /><br />We drove back to the Taj Mahal, I mean Motel 6, cleaned up and changed, and went to the opera, “Rigoletto”. The performance was nice, however, we were sitting a little too far away from the stage. I was not familiar with that theater when I bought tickets…next time I will try to get closer, or even just get a couple pairs of opera glasses. I have seen Rigoletto before and enjoy it very much. Before the show the conductor came onstage and apologized ahead of time for a sinus problem with the female lead of “Gilda”. However, I couldn’t find anything wrong with her…she sounded great.<br /><br />After the show we drove back to the area of the Motel and found a great place to eat called “Jack Astor’s”. Our waiter told us it was a Canadian chain and that there are only 2 in the states…Cary NC being one of them. The other in Buffalo NY ?? Anyway, it was fun. Like a sports bar with good food, and a flair for fun decorating. They had an Elvis shrine corner table. I will post pictures later.<br /><br />On Saturday we toured. Lots of time spent at the Natural History museum. We saw a show about Tornados and a live demonstration on Tropical areas, given by a fabulous speaker. Lots of geological history info and displays pertaining to NC. Across the way was the NC History Museum. Both of these were free, by the way, and reminded me of the Smithsonian. We didn’t get to spend as much time in the second one but may go back some day and do that and more.<br /><br />Breakfast that day was at a Bob Evans restaurant (my first time ever). Dinner was at a mall with “Crabtree” in the name, and we ate at a “Cheesecake Factory” restaurant. WOW, what great food and nice service. The place was crowded, attesting to how good it is.<br /><br />On Sunday, after checking out, we had a lighter breakfast at Bob Evans, and then we drove to a food store Susan wanted to see, called “Trader Joe’s”. She had been before and said that they are more well known in California. Nice place. Good fresh food. Then we went to Chapel Hill to walk around the campus of UNC. By the way, every day was just beautiful. Sunny but nice temperatures…no rain even though it was forecast. The campus is very nice and I found out later that it was “parent’s weekend.” And yes, I did see a lot of people who would be parents, but didn’t think anything of it at the time. There was also a street fair going on with many arts and crafts tents up and down the road.<br /><br />We ate dinner at the "Mellow Mushroom" in Greensboro. The MM had closed down from a different place, and reopened in their present location. Very nicely decorated inside. The pizzas were wonderful.<br /><br />Alas, all good things must come to an end and Monday came just a little too quickly. However, I got a decent night’s sleep at home after 2 not so good nights at the Motel 6.<br /><br />I will have JP for the next 2 weekends, and after that perhaps we may go…..CAMPING! (which would be my first time ever) Stay tuned!Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11942916683053648585noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-48494680260241272722009-09-28T12:30:00.004-04:002009-09-28T12:42:14.411-04:00Rainy Days and MondaysIt was a good weekend, despite the rain. On Friday Susan and I drove up to Roanoke Va. We had a few things on the list for Saturday. However, the weather was not very cooperative. It rained Friday night, all day Saturday, and all night. <br /><br />We did quite a bit of walking and looking into small shops downtown. We went to see the “O. Winston Link” exhibit at what used to be the major train station. “OWL” was an innovative photographer and was commissioned by the Norfolk and Western railroad to photograph it’s trains and lines at the end of the steam era. Over the course of 5 years he took a ton of photographs. They are tastefully displayed in the “museum”. There were a few that really stood out, but one that struck me as really cool was a picture of people in their cars at a drive-in theater, an airplane on the movie screen, and a train screaming past on the tracks right next to the theater. The picture can be seen at this link:<br /><a href="http://artblart.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/o-winston-link-hot-shot-eastbound.jpg">o-winston-link-hot-shot-eastbound</a><br /><br />We had lunch at a Mexican restaurant. We visited <a href="http://hotelroanoke.com/">“The Hotel”</a>. A gorgeous hotel that you just have to see to believe. We sat on rocking chairs out front and watched the rain.<br /><br />We later had a fabulous dinner at a restaurant called <a href="http://www.roanoke.com/entertainment/insideout/eat/wb/152382">“Red Clay”</a>. This restaurant was 2 or 3 doors down from the theater where we took in a play called “Elvis Blossom.” The story was about a woman, who apparently had some mental illness, and her fascination with Elvis. She believed that her child (conceived 10 years after Elvis’ death, by one of many unknown Elvis impersonators) was the child of Elvis. The story was told in flash backs and forwards. It was enjoyable, but I really thought there was going to be more humor. In the end it left one hanging as to how she was going to survive, after her child won an International Elvis contest and decided that he wanted to be his own person, not what his mother expected him to be. Also, her husband Jerry, decided to cast off his lifestyle of Elvis impersonator, to be his own person, yet vowed to take care of her (he only continued in the Elvis persona because it was her wish to be surrounded by all things Elvis).<br /><br />After that we drove back to Winston.<br />By the way, lodging was scarce in Roanoke because Virginia Tech was hosting University of Miami. That may not have been a very fun game for the spectators because of the rain.<br /><br />On Sunday, having no local plans, we decided to go to <a href="www.linvillecaverns.com">Linville Caverns</a>. That is about a 2.5 hour drive, yet still shy of going to Asheville. It was a beautiful day and the cavern was fun. At one point we were asked to stand still and they turned off the lighting. TOTAL darkness! You could not see your hand in front of your face…really amazing. When I was much younger, my family went to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky…now I would LOVE to go back there.<br /><br />Alas, all good things must come to an end. It is now Monday and I am already looking forward to the NEXT weekend.Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11942916683053648585noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-75752200478751302452009-09-15T09:21:00.001-04:002009-09-15T09:21:27.142-04:00PC UpgradeSo I decided it was time to upgrade my computer. A long time ago this was a straightforward process…way before Windows. Now, Windows really binds itself to your hardware and has all these internal hidden files. The process is tougher today, but supposedly still doable.<br /><br />I bought a new motherboard, CPU, hard disk, and memory. 2 Gig of Ram as opposed to 512Meg before. The hard disk is twice the storage of the old one. There is a process called “cloning” which allows you to copy all the data from an old drive onto a new one, byte by byte so that the contents are identical, except that the bigger one will have a lot of free storage when done. That software was a download from the manufacturer’s site.<br /><br />The new hard drive is a “SATA” and the old is “IDE”. My old motherboard does not have connections for SATA, though the new one has connections for both. Unfortunately the cloning needed to be done using the old motherboard. So I bought an adapter that converts SATA or IDE to a USB port. Nice, but slow. The cloning process was kicked off at about 8:30 PM Thursday and finished about 11:30 pm Friday. Yes, you read that right…27 hours I did not have to sit and watch this process.<br /><br />On the weekend I set to installing the hardware. When all hooked up nothing happened. Double checked and found that I forgot to plug the power cable into the new drive. Did that and the computer still didn’t boot into Windows, though it was close. There was some hardware error. With a few hours of checking, trial and error, I decided to “punt” and install Windows fresh. That required reformatting the drive, wiping out the 27 hours of cloning. At least I still had all my old data on the old drive AND that wonderful adapter that I could hook up when everything was done.<br /><br />Still had a little trouble but finally got a good install when I disabled the second processor on the CPU chip. I think I can re-enable that now, but it took me awhile to figure it out. In hind sight, that was probably what caused me to punt and reformat.<br /><br />Oh well, now I have reinstalled and downloaded all the latest and greatest patches and service packs. The machine flies compared to the old. And that is running only on one core. Would like to see it with the second enabled.<br /><br />My next problem was in getting to my old data. I hooked up the IDE drive to the USB adapter and found that the folders with my data were “locked up”. I had set up a user account on my old system and that protects the files. A little searching and about a half hour of doing a fix and waiting for it to be applied and now I have “taken ownership” of all the files on that drive. Thank you Microsoft Knowledge Base!!!<br /><br />So, now I can leisurely copy files from the old drive to the new. Everything works and is a joy. The system is faster, quieter, and boots in 1/10th the time.<br /><br />And to answer the inevitable question from my dad…no, I did not record the amount of time that I took to do this and calculate how much it would have cost due to my time being worth money. This was just hobby work.Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11942916683053648585noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-19109453514239691372009-09-07T19:17:00.000-04:002009-09-07T19:18:03.793-04:00Wireless MouseAfter weeks of working overtime and having my wired mouse get hooked once again on the pull out keyboard drawer, I just got a cordless mouse. It’s nice because the receiver plugs into a USB port and clips into the bottom of the mouse when travelling. I can use it at home and at the office. At home I placed a little 4 port USB hub at the base of the monitor and routed that to the USB connector in back with an extension cable. That is where I plug in the mouse receiver and a Jump drive. At the office there is a convenient USB port on the side of the place where I drop in the laptop PC. The package says that the mouse will work for about 6 months on one AA battery (included).<br /><br />Already using it at home and it is wonderful. I don’t see the need at this time for a wireless keyboard. I would highly recommend a cordless mouse if anything about your mouse has been bothering you. This one cost $23 but I have seen them for $20.Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11942916683053648585noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-51372737256677257362009-08-27T07:31:00.001-04:002009-08-27T07:33:35.044-04:00Annual EnrollmentOur company has gotten to a period called "Annual Enrollment". We handle the enrollment process for employee benefits for a number of clients. For the client that I work with, there are many changes. For example, all of the medical plans are being changed, the dental, the vision, group life insurance, and others.<br /><br />People are currently enrolled in a 2009 plan. When Jan 1 comes around we have to "map" them to a new plan so that they do not lose coverage, AND allow them to select what they want as well. This means that all the new plans and maps need to be set up way ahead of Jan 1. Along with all the plan changes are rate changes. And rates are sometimes based on geographic location and smoker/nonsmoker status. The list of details goes on and on.<br /><br />There are 3 of us working on this client setup. We have been working like dogs to meet a Friday morning deadline for some stuff. I have been putting in 12 hour days setting up and debugging a number of things. If all goes well I will have my piece done late today. Unless I fall over first.<br /><br />Since I am still new to the company, this is the first time that I am going through AE. Next year I will have experienced it and will have a lot more knowledge. Hopefully the client won't change so much next year.<br /><br />I hope to be able to eat and sleep better this weekend.Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11942916683053648585noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-3221778607698726052009-07-22T14:37:00.001-04:002009-07-22T14:38:29.283-04:00Turning and TurningIn a previous post I mentioned that I had started working on this year’s Christmas gifts. I don’t want to say WHAT they are because recipients read my blog and I don’t want to spoil the surprise. Perhaps my first blog post of 2010 will be pictures of these gifts.<br /><br />But I will say that I am making 20 of these things. Each thing is 2 parts, so that is 40 parts total. Each part is made on the lathe. Because of the size requirements, I need to glue up wood to make the raw material to mount on the lathe. That requires a lot of machining of flat boards, which involves several steps of cutting, planning, sanding, gluing, and clamping.<br /><br />The A parts, once the blocks are cut to size, require 4 holes to be drilled before mounting on the lathe. To do that I need to measure and make several pencil marks. The pencil lines come right off when the tool touches the wood on the lathe. The A parts are a pain in the butt to turn because they need to be “mostly” shaped, removed from the lathe, turned around and re-mounted in a special way, and finished. <br /><br />The B parts are MUCH simpler, just 2 holes to drill and no special mounting on the lathe. Although sometimes, the holes strip out and I have to plug them with glue and dowels, then redrill. <br /><br />When all the parts are made, there are still several things involved, such as gluing the parts together and adding 3 different embellishments. A little sanding may be required so that part A fits into part B. A “tenon” on part A fits into the bigger hole of part B. These final assembly details are much easier and most can be done sitting at the dining room table.<br /><br />So, where am I, you ask? In the past 2 days I was able to complete 7 parts. That makes 25 parts complete and 15 to go. 5 parts are ready to go on the lathe and then I will have to make up more raw material.<br /><br />I wish I had kept all the sawdust, for pictures. There is actually more sawdust than there is finished material, but that is the nature of working with a lathe.<br /><br />Anyway, I am pretty tired of lathe work and am looking forward to finishing these and moving on to another project. For those of you that are recipients, you will get a unique gift that took a lot of time and patience. I hope you like it, use it, and one day hand it down to your kids or grandkids.Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11942916683053648585noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9950773.post-28494136785262241792009-06-29T09:09:00.002-04:002009-06-29T09:20:40.918-04:00Adirondack Chairs 5Very near completion now.<br /><br />I had my son over the weekend, and putting 1 of the chairs together was on our list. We started by assembling the angled legs with the two crosspieces, one in front and one in back. Then we added the vertical legs, and the decorative arm supports. At this point we paused because it was a VERY hot day.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lhUIXZzhze3hNS1lKyXkJ0iwWAd5WRDUCTC9JluhzdsSlaci_Zt08hZYHVWCcu95VQuG6_c_jx6E_v1Gd7Dpfsw8yNlh53G_clbQw79I6xETh4U1O5DYK7khKGbH8J_Ue436ow/s1600-h/AC15.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lhUIXZzhze3hNS1lKyXkJ0iwWAd5WRDUCTC9JluhzdsSlaci_Zt08hZYHVWCcu95VQuG6_c_jx6E_v1Gd7Dpfsw8yNlh53G_clbQw79I6xETh4U1O5DYK7khKGbH8J_Ue436ow/s320/AC15.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352736369606441938" /></a><br /><br />A little later I added the arms and the upper rear crosspiece. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtu-SLqqmLBh5MChq-z_J-h3ET18rFcjeGgS65Wz0cZsMTJCa6UVfwIZe_DZ5pi0B45Naa1CJgkXxr55Zun0qMLkbHbozDX8iIHO2FGBTcqdr0MXzBvcMoQD9x5cSPZi9p1yBrKw/s1600-h/AC16.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtu-SLqqmLBh5MChq-z_J-h3ET18rFcjeGgS65Wz0cZsMTJCa6UVfwIZe_DZ5pi0B45Naa1CJgkXxr55Zun0qMLkbHbozDX8iIHO2FGBTcqdr0MXzBvcMoQD9x5cSPZi9p1yBrKw/s320/AC16.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352736371428465410" /></a><br /><br />I clamped on a scrap of plywood under the rear crosspiece, so that the back slats could be temporarily set in place.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBwhH47yZqlpUiEi0h87f83lb6VE8eAp6Szefnms3mnwPxCl830gt7Q1kz8CQUSJyfekVerSs-cqA4BSAb3Ts-e92bs1LBNLsighR1kkuOxXaSfuQSE0DAqgY4B10yUmupe0GvsQ/s1600-h/AC17.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBwhH47yZqlpUiEi0h87f83lb6VE8eAp6Szefnms3mnwPxCl830gt7Q1kz8CQUSJyfekVerSs-cqA4BSAb3Ts-e92bs1LBNLsighR1kkuOxXaSfuQSE0DAqgY4B10yUmupe0GvsQ/s320/AC17.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352736366732033170" /></a><br /><br />Once I made reference marks the back slats were screwed and nailed into place, then the seat slats were nailed in as well. This completed chair 1.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqHGLbudUO9szcphSwF8eCehpaUHr1X8uJVDtN63CE6l2nL4Rp5r4vj99JDWC8KsIkcFrtXIp7ZFDorI6JZwd3UvDly0Y-cGiOxPVjiRZOWKgqQ8djlVsc0G1jCSq_PUHBdgZSA/s1600-h/AC18.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqHGLbudUO9szcphSwF8eCehpaUHr1X8uJVDtN63CE6l2nL4Rp5r4vj99JDWC8KsIkcFrtXIp7ZFDorI6JZwd3UvDly0Y-cGiOxPVjiRZOWKgqQ8djlVsc0G1jCSq_PUHBdgZSA/s320/AC18.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352736360833581042" /></a><br /><br />I'm pleased. It looks and feels very nice. JP posed for the picture because he had a hand in milling the wood and helping with the assembly. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkGyjBHto4w-xOGTzMrbDWLdO0cMkDBT6u2hCDyRVEQ3fdXI4qH6DEgKEZv_UjqYgXhgrNYxOd_rCxkMhR_sPhcgo-33B7KjSPqhiJao6odLBRA0kdHIgIJSH96g6qFe1dOU_ceA/s1600-h/AC19.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkGyjBHto4w-xOGTzMrbDWLdO0cMkDBT6u2hCDyRVEQ3fdXI4qH6DEgKEZv_UjqYgXhgrNYxOd_rCxkMhR_sPhcgo-33B7KjSPqhiJao6odLBRA0kdHIgIJSH96g6qFe1dOU_ceA/s320/AC19.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352736356884758754" /></a><br /><br />Assembly of the second chair will begin tonight, but may not be completed.Tim B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11942916683053648585noreply@blogger.com1