Good morning!!!!

[PJSprog]

32°F and light snow flurries this morning, dropping all day into the low single digits tonight. Temp had dropped 9° during my 55 minute commute this morning. At 08:25, it's down to 19° already. Not as cold as L4N, but then Southern Illinois isn't Northern Ontario. Don't know how you guys do temps like that. No thanks. We got exactly none of the predicted 0-3" of snow last night.

So, Eric, it's a non-fox?
I actually have no idea how prepay works if you over-estimate. I know how much I generally spend to fill my tank, so I under-estimated that amount and it worked fine. Unfortunately, it also didn't fill my tank. I've frequented that particular station partly to help out a local business. It's actually a bit out of my way (by 4 miles) to go into town for gasoline, and I end up taking a longer route (I-64 instead of I-70) to work, a route which always has heavier stop-and-go traffic as well. Without the all-in-one purchase advantage now, there's considerably less reason for me to go there anymore. There are several other options for fuel along the shorter route.

Nothing wrong with $2.03, wngsprd. That's about what they're getting in Missouri. It dropped to $1.95 last weekend. Ours has been staying around $2.20-ish lately, which is about 40¢ below where it had been.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

PJ, I am curious about how pre-paying for fuel works. Does the pump automatically cut out when it has delivered what you paid for ? What happens if you guessed wrong and it didn't take as much to fill as you thought ? Or does it just have your credit card details and debits it once you have filled up ?

I run into this a LOT on the motorcycles, which have no gas gauge. I get quizzical looks from the clerk when they ask how much gas I want, and I tell them a fill up. Then they say how much is that, and I say I don't know, I just want to fill it up. At that point I get a dirty look for being a stubborn old man. They have to charge some amount, then I have to pump the gas, and come back to the clerk to either get a refund for the guessed amount, and then charge the pumped amount, or they do what I'm sure they consider high level math to determine the amount of a refund for the balance of the unpumped gas. More than once I've just turned around and left after the initial conversation tipped me to the idiocy of these policies. I've never seen them at national brand stations like Chevron, Exxon, or Shell. But smaller independent chains, especially in not so safe parts of inner cities do favor them as a way to avoid losses from folks that think it's OK to drive away without paying for what they pumped. I avoid using pumps that don't have a built in credit card reader because I don't like to make ANY trips inside where more often than not there's a line of people doing all manner of time consuming things like buying lottery tickets.

BTW, I try to use Chevron in the motorcycles, and now the van, as the additive package helps prevent intake valve deposits. Both these engines are 9.5:1+ compression as well, and the fuel resists detonation (what Eric would call pinking) much better than the no-name stuff.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

I've been making lots of salads...need to pull out the IP we bought a couple of weeks ago and figure out how to use and what to cook. As soon as I typed IP, an ad popped onto the bottom of the TBN page for a Ninja pressure cooker. Let me try again, IP IP IP. Yep.

Lots of IP recipes out there Wng, maybe start with one from the cookbook that came with it?

As for the ads, have you tried AdBlocker Plus? I use it, and have never seen an ad on TBN... Oh, and it's free.:thumbsup:

 

[lostcreekranch]

Good morning. It's 43° here and dry. Forecast is for 59° this afternoon. We've gotten just under 1 1/2" of rain over last 2 1/2 days and very glad to have it.

There is this HUGE Orange "thing" above our eastern horizon ... I called NASA and they believe it might be this body called ... the SUN.

I had some time at the 3nd of the yesterday to get back on my hydraulic pressure project. I removed the 20 ton jack and rigged up the portable crane to lift the frame up.



I decided to just remove the angle iron base pieces and drill the mounting holes, for the mobile base, on my metal drill press.




Drew ... hope the docs figure out what's going on.

Randy ... good news on your ECG! Do you feel better than before your procedure?

Ron ... two brothers, in Iowa, are reporting -10° and -4° actual temperature this morning. Hope your doggy feels better.

Irv ... welcome back! See what you created? 100,000+ post and climbing.

RNG ... I've got the HF portable mixer for small jobs ... anything of size, I'd probably just contract out. YMMV.

Hope everyone has an excellent "Valentines Eve".

Prayers to all.

 

[ronjhall]

Don, my haircut is $15 and the ladies are very friendly and good looking. :dance1:

 

[wngsprd]

RNG, thanks for suggestions. I'm using a very old laptop (son's hand me down), with only 2meg of memory (and only 18 gig of HD left) so am reluctant to install anything not absolutely necessary. I have been going through old trail cam photos and videos and deleting everything but the best to free up HD space. I probably need to delete some of the older Turbo Tax s/w...I still have the programs back to 2012 on the HD. I've never needed to go back and look at anything more than a year or two old. Sure thought this PC would've died by now, but keeps on ticking. :crossfingers:

 

[wngsprd]

Don, my haircut is $15 and the ladies are very friendly and good looking. :dance1:

I bet you tip well, too.

 

[300UGUY]

Welcome Home

Thanx!

 

[RedNeckGeek]

Good Morning!!!! 49F @ 7:00AM. Plentiful sunshine. High 67F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.

You guys are killin' me with $1.95/gallon gas. We're still pushin' $4/gallon for credit card premium out here, even more for evil Diesel #2.

Happy for your good medical news, Randy; hope you get some too, Drew.

Thanks for the concrete advise, kings! I'm getting pretty good at procrastinating on this concrete stuff, so a few days between pours from a couple of well spaced buggy trips would be no sweat at all. The only fly in that ointment would be the rental charges for the bull float, but maybe I could hand trowel a 5' x 12' pad? Any chance I could avoid an expansion pad with the smaller 5' width? Seems like every time I've had a pad with one, it's always filled with dirt and debris, and this one will be outside for at least a year.

Had a good visit from the fella that will do the propane tank swap on Friday. He didn't see any problems getting his truck in to snatch the old tank, and will put the new one anywhere I want. He also said he can install a WiFi gizmo on the new tank that will send me an email when the propane level gets low, and that I could use an app on my phone to read the level anytime. And he's supposed to get back to me on the cost of a wet tap I can use to refill my own propane bottles.

Finished the saw cuts on the pipe, but not before the old blade broke again. This time I replaced it, and wouldn't you know it, cutting times were cut in half (sorry, couldn't resist). That old blade felt sharp to my fingers, but not compared to the new one. Now I need to order another 50' of blade material, as I'm not sure there's enough left in the box for another one.

Got back to swapping out that tire on the motorcycle while I was waiting on the saw, and the saw was faster than the tire changing machine. So I finished up with the tire, then checked a couple other things off the motorcycle todo list. There was still some daylight left, so decided to see if the tractor could lift the generator, and it turned out to be no problem at all. That'll make installation sooooo much simpler.

Finished the day by driving stakes next to each of the post holes for the solar rack, then after the sun set tried to shoot a level line across all of them with the laser. Turns out my stakes are too short; there's too much rise in the hill in only 7.5' with 18" stakes. Got to make a grocery run today, so I'll swing by HD for some longer ones.

But I'll be driving the truck because the old insurance policy expired yesterday and the salesman picked a company for the van's new policy that doesn't allow camping or use on trips. I guess he didn't read the fine print, because I told him right from the beginning that those were the two primary reasons I built the Vanagon. Volkswagon has always advertised the Westfalia model as a "camper van", so it's not like I'm trying to hide anything.:duh:

Hang in there, gang, Friday's comin'!

 

[300UGUY]

Up @6 this am, off to my wife’s shop, a hour plus snowblower work, then some shoveling, my wife has a few customers today. I can’t wait to get her retired. When I get home, gotta plow snow, blow, shovel some more. Bet nobody, absolutely nobody, has ever done this in Hawaii. ��

Planning a new project, making a real workshop in my barn. Need to put in a ceiling, walls, and insulate. I like it, will be a nice change from snow.

 

[PJSprog]

I avoid using pumps that don't have a built in credit card reader ...

That was part of the story I think I omitted. I was going to use the pay-at-the-pump option, but the card reader wouldn't read my card. We just had that card replaced this week, so after trying a couple times, I just assumed it was the new card. After trying two other cards with the same lack of results, I determined it was the reader, so I had to pay inside. I also try to avoid going inside when riding. I either have to leave my helmet outside and risk someone deciding they need it more than me, or carry it inside and lose the use of that carrying hand while in the store. Too much hassle. Pay at the pump and be on my way.

 

[hawkeye08]

22F this morning, frosty grass outside.. looking out my office window, I see the Canadian geese in the field across the road.. only 6 or so. The pheasants and quail have been plentiful also.

Got a call last night after dinner, wife's father and a sister were T-boned in auto accident, both were life flighted to Harborview in Seattle, too critical for Spokane (happened in Moses Lake, center part of Washington state). He has broken femur, broken pelvis, kidney problems and she has broken ribs and pelvis.. My wife went last night, got there about 2:30am and was able to see them for awhile before checking in to local hotel for some sleep..

My FIL is 95yr old, had just got healed up from a broken ribs and arm he got from a falling a few months ago.. SIL is in her 70s.

Life happens, just take one step at a time..

Stay safe, prayers for all.

 

[sodamo]

70°F and no rain, but gusty win. Too gusty to even think about roofing metal.

Ordered set of wheels for my 20 ton dolly.

Prayers for all
Be safe
Have a great day

 

[Looking4new]

We've got about an inch of 'flurries' on the ground since this morning.

The overnight forecast for tonight has been changed to -27°F. Now that is getting a little chilly. Just about cold enough to freeze beer. Can't wait, beer sickles.

Price of gas here in town converted to U.S. gallons= $4.53 in CDN $.

As much as foxes look pretty, the only good fox is a dead fox.

It took me and a buddy all of 12 hours to pour a 12x12 floor in the shed. He mixed and I wheeled and floated. I left it level, more or less and did not finish it. I absolutely despise smooth shiny concrete. When it gets wet it is real slippery, so I leave it rough.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

I also try to avoid going inside when riding. I either have to leave my helmet outside and risk someone deciding they need it more than me, or carry it inside and lose the use of that carrying hand while in the store. Too much hassle. Pay at the pump and be on my way.

Good point. I don't at all like leaving the bike unattended; too easy for someone to cut the tank bag off of it, or just push it off the stand and wheel it away down the street.

Helmet wise, I've been using a flipup for years, and just leave it on. I sometimes have to ask the clerk to repeat things, as I don't take the earplugs out, either, and they work REALLY well.:laughing: But having the helmet in place is also a tactical advantage, especially in some of the rougher areas of town I've found myself in. The bums give me wide berth, and in the one and only argument at the pumps I've ever had, I offered to let the other guy have the first swing, and for some reason he decided to get back in his car and leave...:laughing:

 

[sodamo]

RNG
Sounds like you’ll be planning for a cold joint. My guy would be placing rbar dowels in the first pour, probably 18-24 in spacing. Likely he would saw cut that seam after the pour. He did that in one place here at the house, concrete developed crack 1/2 inch away and parallel cut. Caused him no end of consternation, still looks at it and shakes his head more than 10 years later. As for me, likely forego the cut and just use edge tool on both.

Maybe look for bull float on CL or maybe buy one and resell yourself, the rental here is ridiculous. With your talent, you could make one.

I’ll have to research the propane level thing. I considered getting a wet tap as well, but was more trouble and no savings other than convenience.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

RNG
Sounds like you’ll be planning for a cold joint. My guy would be placing rbar dowels in the first pour, probably 18-24 in spacing. Likely he would saw cut that seam after the pour. He did that in one place here at the house, concrete developed crack 1/2 inch away and parallel cut. Caused him no end of consternation, still looks at it and shakes his head more than 10 years later. As for me, likely forego the cut and just use edge tool on both.

Maybe look for bull float on CL or maybe buy one and resell yourself, the rental here is ridiculous. With your talent, you could make one.

I’ll have to research the propane level thing. I considered getting a wet tap as well, but was more trouble and no savings other than convenience.

Thanks for the concrete tips, David. I'm going to follow along in the great tracks of Ted, Concrete King, and leave a foot of rebar sticking out of the first pad to tie into the second one. I've seen/heard of people burying a string a quarter inch below the surface to create a joint, then pulling it out before the concrete sets up completely. Might look into that.

I'll look at bull floats at HD today, and maybe snap a few photos. Could probably cobble something up with a piece of 2x12 and an old broom handle.

The company that makes the propane sensor is called Tank Utility. The pickup mounts on the gauge, and the gauge has to be compatible. But they also sell gauges that retrofit to older tanks, as long as the tank was made to a certain standard. It's all explained on their web site. I got an email from them today confirming that there was no subscription fee to use their app. There's even an API if I wanted to write my own data harvesting routine. But it does require WiFi; there's no Ethernet interface. So guess who will be running a CAT6 cable out to the generator with a remote network antenna?

 

[sodamo]

RNG, as I recall you are installing an Outback system. You’ll want ethernet/WiFi for your Mate3s to connect to OpticsRE and local connection.

Thanks for link.

 

[jbrumberg]

套 Life happens, just take one step at a time.. ? Hawkeye I am sorry to read about your FIL and SIL. My + thoughts, wishes, and prayers.

Irv- It痴 great to see you posting again. Good luck with your parents. My + thoughts, wishes, and prayers for you and your family.

Today痴 3" of accumulated*snow this morning compactly rather nicely with the freezing rain/rain this AM. Considering this weekend's predicted sub0ｺF temperatures I needed to do something to the driveway with its base of glare ice, topped with wood ashes and now topped with*the additional newly compacting snow. I decided the best option was using my box blade with the scarifiers down which did a decent job breaking up and shaving down the ice. It did great job on removing the hidden dog deposits on the driveway. This snow was wet and heavy making for nasty shoveling. I believe medicinal strength libation will be prescribed for Happy Hour.

Hopefully no more sliding while parked vehicles.

I hope that everyone is having a manageable day with no surprises.

My + thoughts and prayers.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

RNG, as I recall you are installing an Outback system. You’ll want ethernet/WiFi for your Mate3s to connect to OpticsRE and local connection.

You have an excellent memory, David! Yes, it's using Outback components. They'll be housed in the garage, and the generator is 100' down hill from there. There's a WiFi repeater in the garage, but because of the stucco siding, the WiFi signal is pretty weak even on the other side of the wall. There's a Pepwave Device Connector IP55/600M Outdoor access point on the pump house, but the garage sits between it and the generator, blocking a lot of the signal. But if I get another Pepwave and install it down by the generator, I will get strong WiFi at the propane tank, and maybe better WiFi at the back porch, too. And since I already have to run a conduit to the generator for control wires, it's not a big deal to run CAT6 down there, too. I even have a huge reel of the stuff left over from an earlier project.