what did you do today? (2008-2015) (closed)

[freebird5825]

Give a man a fish...

Today I had fun helping a friend get his lawnmower running better. It is a mulching mower that bogged down and stalled in thick grass. I went through the ignition, carburetion, compression, and power sequence with him. I explained the fuel/air mixture balance and what running rich and lean meant.
I fine tuned the throttle/governor stop screw so it would run at higher RPMs. A new air filter made all the difference. I showed him how to tip the push handle down a little bit to let the mower deck clear itself of accumulated thick grass so the engine wouldn't stall under load.
For those wondering how a woman knows about these things, I repaired lawnmowers at Sears for a summer while being trained by a master mechanic and took a small engine correspondence course. I still w*rk on my own small engine powered equipment.
He was never taught anything about mechanical things. Talk about a quick study. I am proud to say that the world now has a new amateur small engine technician on the loose.
I love teaching.

 

[Tesaje]

I've been mowing & mulching with the grass for days. Right after mudding the front room & stairwell walls. Today I did some shopping including getting a copy of a 1099 so I can prove to the IRS that they missed a decimal point & I did not mis-add my 2008 tax. :-( then I went for a bike ride where I felt really exhausted on it. Rode 3.5 miles & finally figured out my front brakes were rubbing. & who shud happen by but a lady who used to be a bike mechanic. She showed me how to adjust it. Amazing how much easier it was to ride back. Tomorrow, more mowing & I can finally wipe the walls to get ready for painting.

 

[Nords]

My post today is actually an excerpt from a shipmate (& Vietnam vet) who retired from Navy F-4s in 1989. Lately he's been tinkering with his new laser engraver, and he's finally partnered up with another [-]sucker[/-] entrepreneur who's willing to handle everything else that happens after the glue is dry:

Our model cutaways are a hybrid of a model and a print. Every model is built from six layers of basswood mounted on a baltic blue matte board and sealed behind glass in a cherry finish hardwood frame. Every basswood layer is based on a painstakingly created line drawing that melds hundreds of blueprints and photographs into an accurate slice of the cutaway.
The result is a print that has real depth and shadows or, from a different perspective, is a model that never gets dusty and can be hung from the wall.
The hallmark of all of our titles is incredible detail and we are only limited by what the eye can see. We also strive for accuracy and all of our titles are based on blueprints, manuals, and photographs.

What did I do today? The more I stare at this thing, the more attracted I am. I'm trying to decide if it's really worth $300 for a personalized version of USS USETAFISH to hang on my I-love-me garage wall. What am I saving it for, indeed.

I don't know how far vBulletin can zoom in on this image. The original is at http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-24346686385087_2106_5858214

M_Paquette, Gumby, talk me down...

 

[W2R]

Nords, that is GORGEOUS and you should have it. It's not the Hope Diamond - - it's only $300. That isn't much money these days. Lots of people spend that much on a painting for their living room, and this means something to you and is SO much cooler than a painting. Buy it!!! Buy it!!! Buy it!!!

 

[Leonidas]

Nords, that is GORGEOUS and you should have it. It's not the Hope Diamond - - it's only $300. That isn't much money these days. Lots of people spend that much on a painting for their living room, and this means something to you and is SO much cooler than a painting. Buy it!!! Buy it!!! Buy it!!!

Woah, I'm going to have to get an exorcist for my monitor! Be careful Nords, to paraphrase Bobby Boucher's Mama, "W2R is da Debil!"

Resist the fall from LBYM - if you diligently search every city's Craigslist surely it will show up one of these days.

 

[Moscyn]

Woke up 5 am. Went to the club and golfed a round of 18 holes with DH and 2 friends. Had dumplings for lunch. Watched X Men Origins : Wolferine. A bit late in catching up but I think I am a mutant and vampire movie fan. Checked emails and this forum. Very hungry now waiting for DH for dinner.

 

[Nords]

Woah, I'm going to have to get an exorcist for my monitor! Be careful Nords, to paraphrase Bobby Boucher's Mama, "W2R is da Debil!"
Resist the fall from LBYM - if you diligently search every city's Craigslist surely it will show up one of these days.

Don't I know it. He says it only takes a few hours to cut & assemble. But getting the prints isn't supposed to happen until the entire class is decommissioned, and making the drawings takes weeks after that...

Hey, maybe he should do M-16s and CH-46s next!

 

[W2R]

Don't I know it. He says it only takes a few hours to cut & assemble. But getting the prints isn't supposed to happen until the entire class is decommissioned, and making the drawings takes weeks after that...

Well then, you have some time to save up for it! How long will it be before the entire class of sub that you served on is decommissioned? I have no clue. Maybe 20 years? You could save a dollar a week and in 20 years you'd have over $1,000 -- enough for the print. Pretty painless.

And besides, you KNOW that you WANT it!!! (I really AM da Debil! ) I just think that when you get to your "golden years", you will get a lot out of having the print and reminiscing about your time aboard.

 

[Leonidas]

Hey, maybe he should do M-16s and CH-46s next!

If he does a CH-53 I'm down with it.

 

[bbbamI]

Got sweaty and dirty again.

 

[RonBoyd]

if you diligently search every city's Craigslist surely it will show up one of these days.

I am in the "go-for-it" camp. Waiting on Craigslist will only deprive you of reminising during your formative years... don't wait until the passion has subsided.

 

[Leonidas]

I am in the "go-for-it" camp. Waiting on Craigslist will only deprive you of reminising during your formative years... don't wait until the passion has subsided.

It depends on the thing I'm wanting, but my comment was more directed toward Nords being a Craigslist vulture patiently waiting for his victim to be ripe enough to go after.

 

[RonBoyd]

It depends on the thing I'm wanting, but my comment was more directed toward Nords being a Craigslist vulture patiently waiting for his victim to be ripe enough to go after.

Oh! I'm with you. I was speaking of this specific item.

 

[Nords]

The LAFAYETTE class of submarines barely made it into the 1990s, but the LOS ANGELES class will be around for at least another 20 years. But some of the prints of the early LA boats are probably floating around out there from their decommissionings. JAMES MONROE was decommissioned in 1989 and NEW YORK CITY was decommed in 1999. I think their hulls are still up at Puget Sound in case any of their parts can be re-used, and their reactor compartments are probably at the Hanford storage site for another 25 years or so until they're no longer radioactive.

Y'know, I was never big on certificates or photos. I never had any submarine memorabilia in any of my offices. Whenever I got a plaque, a week or two later I'd pry off the nameplate and give the blank back to the supplies guy. (It was a great way to make high friends in low places.) I'd always use the command's generic military art on my office walls.

When I retired I hung my carved-wood submarine dolphins in the garage. (Spouse had them made for me during her tour in Spain). I also have a framed photo of NEW YORK CITY which has a story behind it that can't be discussed until the statute of limitations expires. When NYC was decommissioned, two links of its anchor chain fell off the scrap-metal truck and ended up on my desk. Spouse and I have our swords framed on our walls because my dad built the swordcases from scratch. But we have far more furnishings & souvenirs from liberty ports and overseas duty. I don't even have a retirement flag or a shadow box.

I'm not big on art, either. Most of my wall objects are travel posters or cartoons that you'd find in the average college dorm. Spouse has her own collection, and we've agreed that since she actually understands décor then she's in charge of displaying the house collection. We don't have any more wall space for extra art, let alone a framed submarine model or two, so something has to come down before they could go up.

I used to make fun of guys who'd line their entire hallways with certificates and photos and awards and command insignia and cruise books and all the other stuff. I used to joke about framing my retirement orders but I've never gotten around to it.

Somehow I seem to be turning into the guys I've been making fun of. I'm going to have to think all of this through very carefully before bringing it up with spouse...

 

[freebird5825]

I went to the local American Legion and had a fabulous all-you-can-eat breakfast for the princely sum of $7. It's nap time now...
There is no need to cook dinner as I have already consumed my daily calorie quota.
I am pleased to report that my grapevines withstood their first critical winter and have sprouted leaves. It won't be long before I'm out there in my straw hat and cotton dress playing tender of the vineyard. Peas and lettuce need to go in soon.

Oh...did I forget to mention that it snowed 2" here today?
It's all melted now. Whew.

 

[W2R]

Frank took me to lunch at a local restaurant. I could only eat half of the jambalaya (so delicious and very, very spicy!), so brought the rest home for dinner. They serve it in a huge 16" bowl - - enough for a starving teenaged lumberjack, I think. It was GOOD... Not very weight loss friendly either, Freebird.

Today we celebrated not only Mothers' Day, but also the 6-month anniversary of my retirement!! Seems like only yesterday. This has been a truly wonderful six months. Much to my surprise, I can't think of a moment during the entire 6 months when I felt bored or at loose ends. In fact, I haven't had time to do everything yet. But that is why another 35 years or so of this would be just fine with me.

 

[happy2bretired]

My daughter took me out for brunch this morning. It was only a three course brunch but took two hours to eat...really yummy and lots of conversation with daughter between courses. We then went shopping for items needed for my daughter's first apartment. She's having so much fun right now thinking about moving out and into her first apartment. Now we just need to wait until next week to see if she's been approved.

 

[haha]

I went down to my favorite oyster bar in the market. I got there just about closing time. My friend who works there said OK this time, but try to get here earlier. Another guy said yes, let's give him a break, I think he has a date tonight.

So I said I need several days of eating oysters before I can do any good on a date, and they had a huge laugh and I think felt better about serving me late.

Yesterday I went to an upscale happy hour at a bar that featured oysters on the shell, and started with a plate with 6 different oysters and six half shots of various premium vodkas. Super good! A couple of cute young women sitting beside me at the bar were having the same and we got to talking. They were vacationing from Vancouver. They ordered a huge platefull of oysters that were fairly pump and although they got a few down they were a little intimidated by the size and pungency of these big oysters. They would have preferred them cooked. Anyway, they shared with me and basically I made a very pleasant dinner eating oysters, drinking vodka, and chatting with them. I think the darker stuff in the oyster is a vegetable.

Wonderful, sunny weekend all around.

Ha

 

[TromboneAl]

that were fairly pump

OK, that's a Freudian slip.

 

[haha]

OK, that's a Freudian slip.

Al, that is a typo, nada mas.

Ha

 

[REWahoo]

Al, that is a typo, nada mas.

He's right, Al...and we all know Ha's more into Victoria's Secret slips than the Freudian brand.

 

[CuppaJoe]

Spring has arrived in Helsinki, and look what popped up in a puddle!

 

[freebird5825]

Mowed the lawn. It had achieved almost billy goat height over the last 2 weeks due to a lot of rain. I felt like that old MacIntosh screen saver (Mowin' Man) having to go over it repeatedly to chop up all the long and clumped up grass.
It looks really great now.

 

[Dawg52]

Spent most of the day doing things with the mutt. We went hiking this morning, the normal 5 mile one at a local park. Good exercise there. And this afternoon I took him to the golf course. I played nine holes and he stayed on the seat in my cart the whole way. Didn't whine, bark or anything when I left him to hit my shots. The only moment of concern he gave me was when we were walking back to my car, he reached under a bush and came out with a dead mouse in his mouth. Luckily he dropped it when I told him to. I really didn't want to have to pull that mouse out of his mouth.

 

[Martha]

Hey Dawg that dog is turning out to be a keeper. What's his name?