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

[bbbamI]

Not much. Tomorrow's forecast shows a repeat of the same.

[braumeister]

Spent nearly five hours using a jackhammer yesterday. First time I've ever played with one, and sincerely hope it will be the last. Impressively efficient tool, though!

[bruce1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braumeister Spent nearly five hours using a jackhammer yesterday. First time I've ever played with one, and sincerely hope it will be the last. Impressively efficient tool, though!

"Shakin All Over" (Guess Who and Johnny Kidd) would be transformed to "Achin All Over" for me. The thought hurts.

[TromboneAl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braumeister Spent nearly five hours using a jackhammer yesterday. First time I've ever played with one, and sincerely hope it will be the last. Impressively efficient tool, though!

I bet you're sore today, right?

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl I will have to split wood every day for the next two weeks or so, but I should end up with enough to heat our house all winter.

I sure hope you have a hydraulic wood splitter.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braumeister Spent nearly five hours using a jackhammer yesterday. First time I've ever played with one, and sincerely hope it will be the last. Impressively efficient tool, though!

Have you "discovered" any sewage drains or sprinkler pipes with it yet?

[freebird5825]

T-minus 6 days until Mr B becomes a full-time student. He went to pick up his books at the college today. He seems to be a little apprehensive about the coming w*rkload. However, he is very excited about fulfilling a dream of his to get the additional accounting and finance coursew*rk he needs to sit for the CPA exam.
I can't be of any help with the accounting classes, but I can proofread his homework before it is submitted for grading.
I have my indoor and outdoor projects all lined up to keep me occupied while he is in class (indoor projects) or studying here (outdoor projects). I am used to and usually prefer w*rking alone. All I need is some good tunes and the right tools.
I may have to invest in a wireless headset so I don't disturb him with my music while he is studying at home during the winter.

[jebmke]

Speaking of shaking all over, spent an hour or so surveying the house to make sure today's earthquake didn't do any damage. Fortunately, no. Was a bit spooky though. The cat was not amused.

[TromboneAl]

Another truckload of wood split (1 hour about .25 cord).



No hydraulic splitter, just this splitting maul and wedges and a sledge hammer. Most pieces I can split in two with the wedge, then use the maul to finish it up. For a big round, I can move around the periphery, biting off pieces.

The round shown by the arrow here:



Looks like this when halfway done:



and like this when completely split:



It's great exercise -- high intensity with about 300 1 second "sprints."

Then Lena dragged me out on a bike ride with a picnic lunch in impossibly good weather:



Then during the bike ride, unbelievably, Lena and I got separated. It goes to show that it can happen under any circumstances. She said let's go here, I said let's go there, and she was looking down at her bike when I started off. We both searched. She'd forgotten her phone, so I didn't see her again until I got home.

[braumeister]

The jackhammer was relatively small (the rental place called it the "35 pound model"). They wanted to give me the 70 pound model, but that looked like a lot for someone my size to manhandle around. The 35 pounder wasn't hard to handle, but yeah, I was sore afterward. The good news is that I forced myself to go out for a run this morning, and by the time I finished all the soreness was gone.

[Major Tom]

Had to get up early to go register and wait for emergency dental work at the County Hospital.

You'd think that this sort of scenario would be pretty grim, and I wasn't particularly looking forward to it. I got there at 7am and walked out the door just before 2pm, but the experience was quite enjoyable due to the company of 3 lovely and interesting people with whom I shared conversation while we waited. One was an unemployed social worker and the other two were an elderly man and woman originally from Louisiana who shared some great stories of Southern hospitality and how things used to be in the South generally.

When sitting in waiting rooms, I often hope to be able to enjoy a good conversation with the person sitting next to me but more often than not, they are either wearing ear-buds and are locked into their own personal worlds, or are otherwise disconnected from the here and now.

I'm now on a waiting list for an appointment to get a crown and I'm almost looking forward to the inevitable wait when I go back in a few months.

[Nords]

I've been working on the book for at least six years now, and writing the blog for nearly a year, but this is one of those days when it's still hard to believe it.

I got an e-mail at 5 AM from Military Times columnist Andrew Tilghman, who's writing a followup on the Defense Business Board proposal to destroy radically reform military retirement. He'd actually read my blog post (thank you, Google) and wanted interview quotes. I e-mailed him back, a few minutes later my phone rang, and we chatted for 20 minutes. I hopefully didn't babble too badly. I got a chance to cover the points of military retention, financial independence, and early retirement. He'll let us know when the article is published. I mailed him a copy of the book for him to write a review.

And then I went surfing in the 5-7 foot swells brought to us by the ragged remnants of Hurricane Fernanda falling apart into a tropical depression. This is the kind of hurricane weather I don't mind dealing with.

Quote:

Originally Posted by braumeister The jackhammer was relatively small (the rental place called it the "35 pound model"). They wanted to give me the 70 pound model, but that looked like a lot for someone my size to manhandle around. The 35 pounder wasn't hard to handle, but yeah, I was sore afterward. The good news is that I forced myself to go out for a run this morning, and by the time I finished all the soreness was gone.

Depending on how much dead-lifting and dragging you care to do from one spot to another, the 70-90 pound models actually seem a bit easier to operate.

The heavier ones must absorb the impact and beat right back down on the concrete, while the lighter ones beat up on the operator.

But the "Cool!" factor wears off pretty quickly, and the next-best thing about renting a jackhammer is returning it...

20 years ago I had the "opportunity" to rent a concrete saw and then follow up with some precision jackhammering. In a bathroom. To reroute the drain for a new whirlpool tub. The mess was simply indescribable, and I was rinsing concrete dust out of my orifi for days.

[braumeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords But the "Cool!" factor wears off pretty quickly, and the next-best thing about renting a jackhammer is returning it....

Very well put!
Fortunately, my exercise was outdoors, so one good shower afterward was enough.
I have a newfound respect for the guys who do this for a living.

[Free To Canoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl Another truckload of wood split (1 hour about .25 cord). No hydraulic splitter, just this splitting maul and wedges and a sledge hammer. Most pieces I can split in two with the wedge, then use the maul to finish it up. For a big round, I can move around the periphery, biting off pieces. The round shown by the arrow here: Looks like this when halfway done: and like this when completely split: It's great exercise -- high intensity with about 300 1 second "sprints." Then Lena dragged me out on a bike ride with a picnic lunch in impossibly good weather: Then during the bike ride, unbelievably, Lena and I got separated. It goes to show that it can happen under any circumstances. She said let's go here, I said let's go there, and she was looking down at her bike when I started off. We both searched. She'd forgotten her phone, so I didn't see her again until I got home.

You have mighty big "rounds" in those parts. What kind of wood is it?
Neat technique for splitting them.
Nice pics!

[TromboneAl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Free To Canoe You have mighty big "rounds" in those parts. What kind of wood is it? Neat technique for splitting them. Nice pics!

It's fir and some pine. All from trees that fell down in storms.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl It's fir and some pine. All from trees that fell down in storms.

I have never had a fireplace and live in the South where not many people do, so I am completely ignorant of this - - but I thought I read somewhere that burning pine will cause creosote build-up in the chimney over time, and cause a chimney fire eventually. Is this a worry for you? I probably just don't get it.

[TromboneAl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R I have never had a fireplace and live in the South where not many people do, so I am completely ignorant of this - - but I thought I read somewhere that burning pine will cause creosote build-up in the chimney over time, and cause a chimney fire eventually. Is this a worry for you? I probably just don't get it.

No, pine is OK, and I've never had any creosote problems. I know this because the guy who cleans the chimney is a good friend of mine: Namely, me!

Pine Causes Creosote?

I got another truckload today.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl I got another truckload today.

How is your back holding up?

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl I got another truckload today.

Wow, that's a lot of work! No need for you to go to the gym today, that's for sure. I just got back from the gym but you probably lifted more than I did, and then split it too.

Thanks for the information about burning pine. That makes a lot of sense.

[TromboneAl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo How is your back holding up?

It's totally OK, but I am being careful to not lift any rounds -- just roll them over to the splitting loc. I feel like I could lift them, that is, I feel as good as new, but I am no longer willing to take chances with my back.