Good Morning!!!! 57F @ 5:30AM. Cloudy skies. High 73F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
No rain in the 10-day, and we'll be back into the 80s by the end of next week.
I think it was Drew that surmised that automation would make things easier for us all. But as I look around at the automation that surrounds me, I wonder at what point in my life I'll no longer be able to maintain it myself, and if I'll be able to find someone competent enough to maintain it for me. I've already had misadventures that required multiple trips to dealerships, finally giving up on the problems and selling just to get out from under. Both the van and the solar power system were/are goat ropes, too. Perhaps when the time comes that I can no longer stay on top of things, the avenue I'll be taking is simplification, not automation.
After the massive increase in construction traffic after the Camp Fire, roundabouts were seen as a way to streamline traffic flow, and several new ones popped up in rural locations. But they weren't real roundabouts. Instead, they just rounded the corners, painted a circle in the middle of the intersection, and put yield signs where each road came to the "roundabout". It didn't take long before people weren't even slowing down, shooting straight across the lines on the road like they didn't exist. I've driven/ridden real roundabouts in the UK and Europe, and these home grown adaptations are anything but. Leave it to government to screw up a perfectly simple idea, and turn it into a safety hazard.
Sorry about the continued delays for your Honda, Drew. But at least the salesperson is communicating with you again. I've given up on modern vehicles, myself. They're so complicated, it's impossible for service techs to stay on top of the technology. And when something goes wrong, the manufactures shrug their corporate shoulders and tell you they've never heard of that problem. But when you google a little bit, you come to understand they're putting their head in the sand, leaving you holding the bag. You get something ten or more years old that's been out long enough for the problems to be identified, and the aftermarket to come up with solid solutions, and independant mechanics to learn the idiosyncrasies, and you run into less difficulties. You just need to find a reputable independant that specializes in that line of vehicle, and take their advice while you're shopping.
I can't remember the last time I purchased a used vehicle that turned out to be as represented by the seller, Rich. But glad you know the difference and have the wherewithal to make up for the deficiencies. Any chance you'll just throw a set of lights on it and license it for the street? That could be some fun on the back roads.
I was going through most of a tube for the backhoe and loader pins every 10 hours of operation, RS. That was every other day when I was doing all that trenching this past summer. Still have a few tubes of the green stuff left, which I'll continue to use, but I don't think I'll be going through it quite as fast. I'll still keep some on hand for bearings and such, but will switch to the moly grease in the next few months for the pins.
Made some progress on the new light switches in the garage, but still not there yet. Hope to get that finished this morning.
Got a call from the scrap yard that the railroad rails were ready for pickup. But the price was only about half what I expected. Did some googling, and it turns out that track is rated in pounds per yard, not foot. And that the number is part of the marking on modern rails. What we ended up with had "139" on the side, so each 7' piece only weighs about 325 pounds. That's about half what we expected, so that explains the price. Not sure it's enough, but I'll try it out and then decide if I should get another piece or not.
Hang in there, gang, Friday's comin'!
