This late game comeback seemed improbable, but they did it. Shocker for Cincy. Looks like things are starting to click on offense. If only the defense can hold up…
Last of Summer
Had a nice crop of Petunias by the pond this year. They were about the only things that recovered well from the hailstorm. They’ll be gone soon. We came close to a hard freeze here last night – early in the season this year.
1st snow of the season came an hour after I took the shot above:
39° ambient ground temperature.
24 Nights
Most people who really know music agree Eric Clapton is one of the greatest guitarists of all time. I keep a healthy dose of his music on file, but ran across this gem for the 1st time only last week. It’s from a concert recorded at the Royal Albert Hall in 1990.
Torque Link II
After being outside and back on the road again it became clear the CTD’s rear springs were in need of another adjustment (3rd since new). My guess would be it got some improperly hardened Chinese rear leafs from one of their sweatshops lacking quality control. The fronts are fine, but the rears seemed to continue slowly sinking over the years. they will probably need replaced again at some point if I put some more miles on it. There is a good suspension shop I found in Denver where I can get better springs. In the meantime I thought I might get a couple more years out of the Skyjunkers by just putting in new U-bolts with 2½” blocks. This amplifies the high-torque axle-wrap issue, so on inspection I noticed the TorqueLinks didn’t look right and found half the rail bushings worn completely away in just under 10k miles. That explained the increasing noise level I noticed from them. They work great, but are noisy, heavy and obviously did not wear well. It makes little sense spending 4-5 hours rebuilding the rails if they won’t last more than 10k miles. So I ended up basically rebuilding the whole rear suspension and went back to the drawing board for a crack at TorqueLink-II.
The rear mounts only needed cut off and modded a bit to accept a bolt and re-finished. The main, 20lb portion of the bar(s) itself was scrapped in favor of 5lb. steel tubes, made possible by the new front link design. It is a simple slide joint made from an old shock mount, a 2x⅝ bolt and 3 big flat washers. After assembly it allows movement in any direction except forward. The shock bushing part has an inside radius to hold the bushing in place after being pressed in, so the slide fits through closely with static play in any direction. It should wear better over time because the link is not being constantly punished like the old design. It works like a slide hammer in reverse, moving around as needed with suspension flex, but stopping at torque-induced axle-wrap forward motion. A 1/4″-thick nylon washer in the 2003 Torquelink-III™ model provides the impact surface, mitigating any potential noise problem.
I put about 30 hours into the fabrication over a 9-day period, spending maybe $20 for a few bolts, washers and paint. The rest was all scrap metal I had onhand. Anyone seen bars like this before?
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The Big Tank
Time for another indoor aquatics update! The 190-gal main tank in the living room has fared quite well. In fact, the only real change it’s undergone apart from maintenance schedule adjustments is in the fish lineup. Most recently, we had a murder. But first, a little backstory leading up to it…
We got an Electric Blue Mbuna from one of Michelle’s friend’s about 4 years ago, IIRC. They were moving and could not keep him, so we gladly gave “Flipper” a new home. The only problem was he’s an African cichlid, and our tank has South American cichlids, so they are not exactly compatible. Exactly what that means and how it plays out depends on several different factors, but suffice it to say they just don’t like each other. The tank was lightly stocked and the cichlid population at the time including an Oscar and a Jack Dempsey were all nearly the same size range, so with little recourse I just watched to see how things progressed.
To make a long story even longer, The Oscar and Jack got too big and aggressive, so they were euthanized about a year ago. The Firemouth pair was busily spawning during that time, so there was alot of social unrest, but Flipper held his own throughout. The Firemouth parents also became large and aggressive towards everything else in the tank, so they eventually got the boot, as well. When the dust finally settled at the end of 2017, the fish lineup included 1 Chinese Algae Eater (oldest/original member of the group), 3 Figure-8 Puffers, 5 Pictus Cats, 1 smaller Firemouth of unknown lineage, 11 juvenile Firemouths and Flipper – a quite small load on this tank, with plenty of room for all, you would think. At ~5″ in length, Flipper is actually the biggest fish in the tank at this point and things seemed to have been quite peaceful lately.
But apparently he’s no match for 11 Firemouths less than half his size, because I’m pretty sure they killed him after finding his picked-clean skeleton on the bottom one morning last week. Must’ve been a frenzied gangland-style killing that night, cleaned up by the catfish, no doubt.
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Pond v5
The Backyard Pond Project came along well in the 5th year. We had a late start and early shutdown making for a short season this year. But all the problematic issues I’ve been working through over the past 5 years now appear to be solved. Late start was due to a protracted leak battle. The liner cracked badly in several spots at different times when subsidence stretched it a bit too hard. It’s been a slow process of basically reacting to settling ground and making repairs as it goes. It looks like it might be about ready to finish settling. Then a couple weeks ago I moved the fish inside, shut it down, drained and cleaned it early, expecting to get a preliminary layer of fiber-ed roof coating on before winter. That stuff takes 3 months to cure, so it will be coated again in January, and finished with 3 coats of truck bed liner prior to startup again in April 2018.
Filtration and associated water quality was the other niggling issue that finally got well sorted this year. Algae blooms came under control with the combination of barley straw and a UV sterilizer. The filter stack now consists of a super-efficient multi-layer setup of lava rock, coarse matala mat and finer polyester media that probably does a better job filtering the pond than the commercially built and sold units running on the aquariums inside. This was the first year the pond stayed crystal clear the whole time, right from the start. This pic, taken just before shutdown, shows a clear view to the bottom through 4 feet of water.
It will take another full cycle of the liner building process before attempting 365 operations. It’s starting to look like Pond v7 will be the finalized version. The 11 pics I kept from this year can bee seen at the top of this page.
More Nefarious Government Collusion
Conservative Modus Operandi: First you get control by stealing the election, then rush to implement as much of the agenda as possible, including diversionary tactics like re-scheduling a drug (but not it’s source), because some of this stuff is just so stupid you know another election win is totally out of the question.
A couple months ago, I posted a little quip about the end of the Marijuana Prohibition era. It’s truly un-deniable – it IS coming. Then you see stuff like this:
“In other words, rather than apply generally to all CBD-based products, the order applies to only those that have cleared FDA’s expensive and time-consuming approval process.”
So according to the DEA, Cannabidiol (CBD), the non-psychoactive, safe, highly effective and clinically proven compound occurring naturally in the Cannabis plant is still a dangerous drug with no medical application. Really? This is such total horseshit it almost defies comprehension. It benefits nothing and nobody except the drug companies and harms everyone without access, or who cannot afford it.
But comprehending the new DEA scheduling makes perfect sense. The collective conscious that is our government cares only about a few things. Near the top of that list is the monetary math supporting establishment and protection of wealthy political contributor’s unfair market advantage through (among other things) corrupt regulatory practices. The health and well-being of millions of citizens does not factor into that equation.
These pharmaceutical companies can profit from millions of people addicted to opiates, then get away with shyt like this. Our culture has already legalized Marijuana. The question is how long will it take for the laws to catch up. People need to stop promoting and buying the pharma garbage, starting with doctors who should be smart enough to know better.
Maybe enough of them are just too greedy to care as well.
Timbrens
I almost forgot to post this after being way too busy scrambling to get finished with the truck early last summer. Timbrens are basically big, compressible rubber bump stops. They work really well as helper springs for carrying heavy loads. The Skyjacker SoftRide springs make the truck’s ride bearable, but only just. It just rides like a softer buckboard. And cargo capacity was down, at least in terms of stability while handling heavier weights. The ass-end of this truck has numerous issues caused by my modifications making it squirrel-y under many conditions, exacerbated with higher power output. It could probably literally tear itself apart pushed hard under a heavy enough load. Dodge was testing the limits of light truck tech when they decided to put a Cummins in one of these things.
The first thing I decided to do when it came time to address the rear suspension (this time around) was upgrade the Timbren install. I adjusted the stops under them twice before along with the spring sag issue already. But it was a non-optimal process of basically rebuilding the part, so I designed a better, adjustable piece. Making the stops adjustable has 2 benefits and eliminates the Timbren’s only real drawback. They make the rear a little too bouncy sometimes with the stops positioned at the recommended 1/2″ clearance. It was only noticeable running empty on bad roads and speed bumps, so not that big a deal. Now I can leave a full inch of clearance and adjust them in for heavy hauling only when needed. And of course, any ride height issue from spring sag is easily compensated for now, as well.
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I Don't Think So
Sometimes the physical match-up is just too lopsided. No way McDonald was getting tackled straight-up on this play:
And they managed to hold off a furious Fitzpatrick comeback on MNF at Tampa last night. I was not optimistic about the Steelers this season. We’ll see…
Shelly is Gone
Our little Skipperke Shelly, gave up the ghost last night. She lived to be 14 and was just a great little pup – never any trouble and ruled the zoo like a queen for many years. The worst she ever did was getting in the bathroom trash can and chewing up Phoebe’s underpants. I thought that was great, assuming it to be an excellent lesson to learn about picking up her room. Nice try Shelly!
Despite starting to lose her eyesight to cataracts a couple years ago she was still getting around quite well in familiar territory. As recently as this past spring she would go with Jax and me on what I call “the Creek Walk.” A few times a week when I was up for it, we’d take a little loop around the neighborhood along NoName creek. She really seemed to enjoy it as long as we stopped every so often and made a little noise so she could hear us. But lately she’s not been wanting to go.
Bye-bye Shelly – we’ll miss you!
My Collection
My vehicle lineup has been pretty stable for the past few years. The women are driving new Jettas, and I’m like the neighborhood truck guy who keeps a radical BMW hidden in his garage.
The ’91 is about done, for the time being. I still need to put some more time in on that door to get the lock working correctly and it needs a trim moulding after painting, but that stuff can wait. I think I will prioritize work on the Chrysler going into 2019. It needs the electrics gone through to get the windows working again and a few more things sorted. The rear axle will get a 3.91 Richmond locker and new set of Caltracs. Then I’ll finish it up with frame connectors and seal the underbody. The factory paint will stay for now and no fancy interior work – it is and always will be just a driver. I did find and remove a broken sway bar link after taking it for a warm-up yesterday, so I guess that project is now officially underway…
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It’s pretty amazing to me just how far cars have come in the last 50 years. An engine and 4 tires wrapped in glass, plastic and metal is the only real comparison.
Don't Mess with Mother Nature
Sometimes I just feel cursed. We had a devastating hailstorm a couple months ago. Then in the wee hours of the morning last Thursday the 6th of September, lightning struck the neighbor’s house. Yeah, they got it worse – blew a 3-foot hole in the top of their roof. But the effect of the strike impacted us harshly, as well. Here is the complete list (as of mid-November) of the electronic equipment lost:
Solar Inverter ($$$)
Sunfire Subwoofer ($$$$)
Both TVs
Server (recovered just last night – so you can see this! 😉
2 PCs – not even turned on
Garage Door Opener
2 UPS
Wineguard 8200U Long-Range Antenna
Aquarium Timer
Hot Tub Breaker (tub survived – yay!)
Security Cam DVR
8 of 10 Security Cams
5 of 6 network switches
Cable Modem
UV Sterilizer in the pond
2 Outdoor lighting transformers
2 Outdoor Lighting Timers
2 Outlaw 975 Preamp/Processors
2 Surround Amps
1 circuit in the garage (loose wire knocked clear out)
Numerous Wall Warts
Recumbent Exercise Bike
Elliptical Exercise Machine
2 USB chargers
1 Nano iPod
1 iPhone6
6 cans of beer
It was a big one – enough to open up the neighbor’s house and disintegrate the light pole on the corner it arc’d to ground on. It blew the nails out of the drywall in the rooms near where it hit and left black marks around the electrical outlets throughout their house. I can’t imagine what they are dealing with right now. Fortunately we had only 3 big ticket items not covered by warranty – the Sharp 70″ TV, Sunfire Sub and the server. The rest of it is either being replaced under warranty, or out-of-pocket. After a little fuzzy math, I determined the tipping point for filing an insurance claim considering expected future premium hikes was not quite reached. I would recoup only a couple thousand $’s after the deductible, so it’s just not worth the hassle and time spent doing that.
Basically anything with a chip in the direct dissipation path got smoked. The garage door and track seemed to focus the blast into the garage, despite being farthest from the strike. Only the parked cars and a couple primitive pieces like the bench grinder and compressor were OK, but everything else in there was fried. The basement was also hit hard, where it came in right through the ground. The last item on that list is telling in the nature of the strike on us. The blast effect did not appear to travel primarily in the wiring. It was ionizing radiation dissipating directly through the air and ground. It literally opened tiny pinholes in cans of beer sitting on the floor in our basement. Some of the damaged electronics was attached to apparently unhurt UPS units.
Sounded like an artillery shell hitting right outside the house. Scary. I’m tired.
Sophomore Year Begins
Volleyball season starts tomorrow with the first televised stream on the 4th. See a 2018 PSU V-Ball Schedule for all the details. Francie is nursing a sore shoulder from a summer injury and won’t be playing in at least the first match tomorrow. Her and 3 friends are in an apartment-type residence this year. I guess 1 year of dorm life was enough.
Pond v5
This 5th year for our backyard pond should be the start of really getting it right. I struggled with an all-new learning process from the time I began digging the hole five years ago. Issues ran the gamut from fluid dynamics to aquatic botany to stone masonry. It started small, growing bit by bit each year. Five of the original ten goldfish, now at 10″ in length, have four new youngsters bringing the school back up to nine this year. We lost one of the big fancy white guys to a random die-off over the winter. Liner problems are resolved and incremental upgrades to the pump and filter system are now set for the long term.
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The main improvement this year involves going to a dual-tandem internal circulation pump setup. This enables much greater fountain flow under normal conditions. A 3-way valve allows just one pump to maintain circulation internally, with the fountain turned off. This comes in handy for saving water on windy days. Ultimately I expect it to be the bridge to full 365 days/year operation. The filter design was always good. The only issue there was tweaking the media pack for optimal performance. I finally found the right stuff for that. The coarse malata provides a flat, firm porous surface with which to sandwich finer layers to mitigate channeling.
Only a couple days of stone-work along the bottom wall and BBQ flowerbed remain to finish this long-running DIY project.
The Old Bench Lives On
So I was left with a 80lb, seemingly useless ’91 Dodge truck bench seat in near-new condition after the interior upgrade. I offered it for free on the truck forum sell/trade pages, but nobody wanted it. So I scrapped it. In the process, I noticed that with a bit of cutting, bending and welding the large back frame piece might be a good candidate for a headache rack. I had more steel tube from some other scrapped furniture, so another fabrication project took shape.
The main front section is 1 1/8″ O.D, the sides are 1″ and the braces 3/4″, all assembled and contoured to match the cab shape(s). I spent a week putting it together with most of the time invested in grinding and going over the welds for a smooth, 1-piece look. The headache rack is nice for carrying long pieces of pipe or lumber more securely. But the two really cool things about it is how it works with the toolbox and being the mount for a new LED light bar. Every rack I’ve seen for sale involves some sort of compromise with the toolbox, either needing it moved back or just won’t work at all, depending on the design. Custom was really the only acceptable answer, to me. The light is a 150-watt Cree spot/flood combo and really lights things up well.
The light cost $49.99 off Amazon, bringing total project cost to 30 hours of my time and $80, including maybe $30 worth of welding wire, gas, sandpaper and paint. The truck now only just fits in kissing the weatherstrip under the 8-foot garage door after another rear spring adjustment. The skyjacker springs held up well in front, but the rears sagged quite a bit over the years, requiring several adjustments. So it is staying outside from now on while Phoebe’s new Jetta gets the CTD’s old garage spot.
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New Sophomore
We had little send-off dinner at the Mt. Fuji Japanese Hibachi joint with a few of Francie’s friends, Avery, Lauren and Geo. She flew back to New Hampshire yesterday, now with her eastern friend Annie for a couple days before moving into their new PSU digs. This year she leaves the old-school dorm for a little bigger condo-style unit. They plan to rent an off-campus house next year. Fun times.
Francie & Michelle spent a couple days in the mountains just prior. Here’s them at Hanging Lake:
