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

[Major Tom]

No it doesn't
Yes it does
No it doesn't
Yes, it does
No, it doesn't
Yes, it does!
No, it doesn't!

"If you two don't stop that right now I'm gonna stop this car and put you out!"

No you won't
Yes I will...

You don't know how close you are. It's quite exhausting and I have only myself to blame

 

[REWahoo]

It's quite exhausting and I have only myselves to blame

FIFY

 

[NW-Bound]

I get a thrill out of just opening and closing the door for no reason at all, because it works so smoothly...

Now, the door is open.
Now, it is close.
It's open now.
Then, it is close.

Hey, aren't you going to wear it out?

I have a metal side door for my garage in the boonies home. It's sturdy and nice! This reminded me to replace the side door in this home that opens from the utility room. Metal exterior doors stand up to weather a lot better.

 

[FIREd]

One thing I did notice though, was that as we were sitting in the coffee shop, I was taking a few pictures, and no-one seemed to mind. If I'd been doing the same thing with my DSLR, I would have received a few looks. With the X100S - nothing. It did feel like more of a "stealth" camera, and as I'm particularly interested in street photography, this was a welcome revelation.

It definitely does not have the in-your-face feel of a SLR.

 

[W2R]

Now, the door is open.
Now, it is close.
It's open now.
Then, it is close.

Hey, aren't you going to wear it out?

I have a metal side door for my garage in the boonies home. It's sturdy and nice! This reminded me to replace the side door in this home that opens from the utility room. Metal exterior doors stand up to weather a lot better.

I hope I don't wear it out! The open/closed/open/closed sequence you described is exactly what I have been doing, and it is just beautiful to behold. The "click" when it closes is very satisfying.

This particular door is on a side of my house, where the wind is often greatly amplified due to whistling through a small channel between my house and the fence. At the same time, that door is often beaten very hard by the torrential rains we get from time to time. Like the doors at Major Tom's rental residence, it used to swell whenever it rained, to the point that I could not even open. My new metal door swings open and closed so easily.

 

[Chuckanut]

I baked a loaf of olive bread, did some exercise, and read. Also, vacuumed the floors and talked to my kids. I am wondering where all that extra time is to be bored??

 

[robnplunder]

If I turn into an old guy with millions in the bank who cannot bring himself to spend a bit of cash on having fun, will someone from this forum please put me out of my misery?

Once an LBYMer, always will be. I've tortured myself for 5 days on whether to buy an MX2 Midnight box ($100+) or not. At the end, I bought one but with a justification of canceling Netflix. The MX2 box would pay for itself in 10 months. After playing around with it for a few days, I've decided to keep Netflix.

 

[NW-Bound]

The problem with a life-long habit of frugality and delayed gratification is that we do not spend money easily. And the truth is that with time, we want less and the desire of something is easily cancelled out by the fear of buyer remorse if we get it.

And then, money represents the potential of converting that stored wealth into services, experiences, or material objects, but once we do that conversion, we don't have our money anymore. That potential is lost. And that potential is by itself something to behold. One can be just as happy counting his money and does not really have to spend it.

Do I sound like Uncle Scrooge just now?

"Money is much more exciting than anything it buys." -- Mignon McLaughlin


PS. Oh, there's another good quote from Mignon McLauglin that also explains our reluctance to spend.

"If it came true, it wasn't much of a dream." -- Mignon McLauglin

 

[steelyman]

I talked to a guy three days ago about lawn maintenance for the summer (I will be traveling).

The crew showed up today, cleaned up everything and blew out. They are like Navy Seals!

 

[Walt34]

Do animals react to it? In other words, do you have just one chance to get the shot or do they, for the most part, ignore the brief flash of light?

From what I've read they ignore it. At those distances the flash is only powerful enough to highlight the animal, not fully illuminate it. I've taken some flash shots of robins under my deck and they didn't seem to mind.

Today I didn't do a thing except putz around on the computer and with the camera, and ponder how to light the feeding process when the eggs in the nest under the deck hatch. I've done it with direct flash in the past but the light is harsh and since I'm better equipped this time I'd like to do better. Also if the eggs hatch in time I can use the photos in the class I'm in for bragging rights.

 

[W2R]

do i sound like uncle scrooge just now?

"money is much more exciting than anything it buys except a door." -- mignon mclaughlin

Ahem, FIFY

 

[splitwdw]

Harrumph! I have a 360 degree vista of subdivision... But I drink a lot of coffee, and like eggs and bacon.

This is so funny, I've got to remember it the next time a friend is bragging about their view.....only thing, I don't live in a subdivision but it's so funny!

Went to the doctor today.........My heart rate is 54, which I guess is pretty good. Looks like a life of bicycle riding, red wine drinking, and kitty cuddling is doing me good!
Being too cheap to buy a car can actually have health benefits too

YAY, for bicycles, wine and kitty power!

 

[Khan]

Roasted a chicken today for the first time in several years (Gary persuaded me to buy a toaster oven).

 

[M Paquette]

Another day trip to the in-laws house to fix lighting and electrical problems. It's a 50 year old home with... novel wiring. BX cable everywhere, and about half the lighting boxes have relays in them, with the 'light switch' signalling the relay through a complex interconnected series of rat nests.

So, when I hear that a light "won't turn off", I load up the full set of tools, drills, stud finder and wire detector, electrician's 'fish', spools of wire, etc. I just know it's not going to be a simple failed switch.

Today, it actually was a simple failed switch.

 

[NW-Bound]

Relays for residential lighting? I have never heard of that!

My folks had a home that was built in the 40s. It was block-walled with no insulation or sheet rock for the interior. That's how old it was. But no relays! So, was that a standard, and what was the rationale for that?

 

[Ronstar]

Took a ride along route 66 from Gardner to Pontiac, Illinois. But I couldn't figure out this gas pump.

 

[Accidental Retiree]

Finished my first 5k.

Maybe next time I'll actually run!

 

[Gumby]

Awakened the Z3 roadster from its long winter slumber and took a nice ride. Stopped for lunch at a pleasant place right on the Housatonic River and then ice cream at Rich Farm in Oxford. Came back home and mowed the lawn for the first time this season.

 

[TromboneAl]

Today was the Tour of the Unknown Coast organized bike ride. I was ready for the 62-mile route, and Lena, the 50-mile. We didn't register ahead of time, because rain is always a possibility.

I can never sleep well when I have to, so I only got a few hours of sleep, and we got up at five AM and drove to the start in Ferndale. When we arrived it was cold and pouring rain. When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping, so we skipped the ride, and spent the $120 registration fee (plus another $230) on an Asus T100 Transformer book for Lena.

 

[braumeister]

Finished my first 5k.

Maybe next time I'll actually run!

Good for you. DW walked her first 5K a couple of years ago, and just completed her first half-marathon, also as a walker, but still faster than many of the slower runners.

One of the TV stations sponsors a 0.05K race for charity (Run/Walk/Crawl). The race ends ten minutes after it starts, so that might be an option for some.

 

[Accidental Retiree]

Good for you. DW walked her first 5K a couple of years ago, and just completed her first half-marathon, also as a walker, but still faster than many of the slower runners.

One of the TV stations sponsors a 0.05K race for charity (Run/Walk/Crawl). The race ends ten minutes after it starts, so that might be an option for some.

Thanks for telling me about DW. It's encouraging. I will shoot for 10k next time and thought it might be fun to train for a half or even a tri for late 2015, when I turn 60.

 

[braumeister]

Go for it!
What worked for her was to join a training group for regular support and good coaching.
If you check your local running stores, you should be able to find one that has training groups.

 

[braumeister]

Also, if it helps any, I ran my first marathon at 58. Hurt like hell, and I suffered mightily for a week afterward, but I finished!

 

[Accidental Retiree]

Also, if it helps any, I ran my first marathon at 58. Hurt like hell, and I suffered mightily for a week afterward, but I finished!

Yes, it does help. Thanks!

My big challenge to become more serious will be to find running shoes that fit my wide feet. Unless I put orthotics into a shoebox, I don't always have good luck. I tried ordering E width shoes on amazon, and those were awful. My old D width shoes are good, but I was thinking I need to upgrade and get better support.

Where does one go when one needs an especially roomy toebox? My heels aren't so fat, just the toe area, because of arthritis in one foot. Sheesh.

Pretty soon I'll be getting those same catalogs Amethyst receives . . . .

 

[M Paquette]

Relays for residential lighting? I have never heard of that!

My folks had a home that was built in the 40s. It was block-walled with no insulation or sheet rock for the interior. That's how old it was. But no relays! So, was that a standard, and what was the rationale for that?

Think of a 1960s version of a home lighting control system like X10. There are panels in various places with a rotary switch and a single 'light switch'. Dial the circuit number and flip the switch, and the lights on that circuit change state. There are additional panels that look like sets of 3 light switches, where each switch changes the state of one lighting circuit via the same relays.

It's definitely not a standard. It's a strange old GE system.

Here's the high end version: http://retrorenovation.com/2009/07/17/gretchens-1961-ge-solenoid-system-lighting/

Today was better for me, anyway. I made some progress on a nifty bioelectronic project I'm still not ready to announce anywhere, and took a break to do some mindless physical labor patching leaks in the irrigation system before I have to put it in service in a week or so. Varmints gnawing on the hoses, mostly, and the occasional Bigfoot stompage on a drip emitter. Oops...