What did you do today? 2018 version

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Today, we went out to lunch and then came home to avoid traffic and to insulate our outdoor faucets since there is a hard freeze predicted. In New Orleans, can you believe it? It is SO COLD out there, windy, and getting colder every minute. There are firecracker sounds from every direction, as the New Year approaches soon. I can hardly wait for 2018.

Our European members are already living in 2018... so I started this thread a little early.
 
Only 11PM as I write this so I am still in 2017, but what the heck.

Roasted and skinned about 3 lbs of Anaheim chile to make green chili chicken. Even with a big pot and 3 lbs of chicken, I did not need that much chile, so froze the rest for future use.

Went looking for a temperature sensor chip I knew I had in a junk box somewhere, in order to integrate it into the BMS I am building. When I finally found it a couple of hours later, got tired and didn't feel like firing up the computer to do some firmware, so saved it for tomorrow and went shooting the breeze on this forum instead.

I think I will go make myself a glass of gin and tonic now before going to bed.
 
Yesterday was gym day, but the lookyloos were to much. We left and went out to eat.

We just got back from a walk and I saw a unique feature. My DW thinks I'm nutty and there's something wrong with my eyes. What color are clouds?

20180101_132246.jpg
 
Walt34 said:
To me the darker ones are gray with a touch of blue. The others are a lighter gray.
Click to expand...

Thanks.
I better get my eyes checked. I'm getting pink and greenish colors in some of them.
 
Put the new car battery in the Rav4 after yesterdays excitement when it died at -18C while shopping.

Had a little more excitement today. Toyota puts a stupid, pointless plastic cover in the engine compartment over top of the rad and battery, etc..
It is held down by little plastic nipples that were frozen in place (it was a balmy -13C today). Of course they wouldn't come out and some of them were brittle due to the cold and broke, etc.. Whatta system :facepalm:

While I was wrestling with them, the socket wrench fell down from where it was resting on top of the engine cover onto the battery, perfectly hitting the positive terminal and the chassis at the exact same time. What are the odds of that happening ?!

It created an impressive display of sparks !!:LOL:

Next time I will disconnect the negative lead before I start wrestling with all the stupid little fiddly bits that Toyota seems to think are somehow part of a good design ..
 
We had a fun time at a big New Year's Eve hotel party last night with a band, DJ and two dance floors. We came home a bit early as the dog usually freaks out over the blasts and booms at midnight but he actually slept though them this year, so we were happy about that. Today I have food poisoning but we made it through all the New Years weekend events we had planned and I'm on the mend so all in all a fun weekend even with getting sick.
 
Koogie said:
While I was wrestling with them, the socket wrench fell down from where it was resting on top of the engine cover onto the battery, perfectly hitting the positive terminal and the chassis at the exact same time. What are the odds of that happening ?!
Click to expand...

I'd say the odds are very good given the events that lead up to the wrench falling. I can work on cars and such, but sometimes, I let (pay for) others do it. My wife doesn't understand why, but I know that there are times everything just goes wrong. It doesn't happen on a 70 degree sunny day. No, the fun is reserved for the crap days (cold, rain, hotter than hell . . .).


Today, I stayed inside except for a quick trip to the meat market. Been switching over my phone in anticipation of retiring. So I've been texting people with my new number. In doing that, just found out a lady I've known for years (about my age - under 60 for sure) just had a heart attack and by-pass surgery. Another one of those events that force one to think about what's important in life and how that is typically not work.
 
Ate my black eyed peas so 2018 s/b good. Went to the grocery store today and saw a 70'ish y/o guy wearing shorts. Temp was about 25 at the time. Watched a lot of football today and viewing the Sugar Bowl now. Time for a toddy.
 
I gave in when I tried to cancel my Sirius/XM subscription last year and let them talk me into another year at a much cheaper rate. That expires tomorrow, so I called to cancel it again (you can't do it online).

Talking with the agent took fifteen minutes and saying "NO!" at least ten times, as she offered me version after version of a discounted rate, with the cost going down each time.

Even the last few offers, at very low rates, were more than I was willing to pay, since I've only used it for probably two or three hours total in the last year.

What an amazing hassle to get away from their clutches! And I suppose there are a few people who just let it renew at their exorbitant rack rate and subsidize everyone else.
 
braumeister said:
I gave in when I tried to cancel my Sirius/XM subscription last year and let them talk me into another year at a much cheaper rate. That expires tomorrow, so I called to cancel it again (you can't do it online).

Talking with the agent took fifteen minutes and saying "NO!" at least ten times, as she offered me version after version of a discounted rate, with the cost going down each time.

Even the last few offers, at very low rates, were more than I was willing to pay, since I've only used it for probably two or three hours total in the last year.

What an amazing hassle to get away from their clutches! And I suppose there are a few people who just let it renew at their exorbitant rack rate and subsidize everyone else.
Click to expand...

Aha, I see we have had the same experience. The last time I renewed it (at a discount) I put the date on my calendar so I could contact them in time to cancel. But they charged my credit card before the date! I was so mad 😡. Well, now I have cancelled it and will ignore their cut price offers to get me back.
 
MRG said:
Thanks.
I better get my eyes checked. I'm getting pink and greenish colors in some of them.
Click to expand...

Before you do that make sure your display is calibrated. Photography is a hobby so I invested in the Colormunki Photo, which calibrates both the display and the printer, but unless you're really fussy about the printer color accuracy the Colormunki Smile will do. I bought one for my sister as a present, when it comes to computer stuff she is "challenged" and she had no difficulty using it.

Also this is probably cheaper than an eye doctor. If price is important shop around a bit, you may be able to find it a few bucks cheaper. I just linked to B&H Photo because they're a known good long-time reliable vendor.
 
braumeister said:
..........What an amazing hassle to get away from their clutches! And I suppose there are a few people who just let it renew at their exorbitant rack rate and subsidize everyone else.
Click to expand...
I got a "free" 90 day subscription with my new car. I let it lapse and they hounded me via telephone and email for months to renew. I finally had to get nasty with them to get them to lay off. What a bunch of azzholes.
 
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Walt34 said:
Before you do that make sure your display is calibrated. Photography is a hobby so I invested in the Colormunki Photo, which calibrates both the display and the printer, but unless you're really fussy about the printer color accuracy the Colormunki Smile will do. I bought one for my sister as a present, when it comes to computer stuff she is "challenged" and she had no difficulty using it.

Also this is probably cheaper than an eye doctor. If price is important shop around a bit, you may be able to find it a few bucks cheaper. I just linked to B&H Photo because they're a known good long-time reliable vendor.
Click to expand...

Walt34's solution is the right way if color is really important to you.
But you can do a somewhat less accurate job for free:
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-calibrate-your-monitor/
 
After ODing on college football yesterday and losing a c-note on the Alabama/Clemson game I woke up this morning, had my three cups of coffee, morning constitutional, light breakfast, paid my neighbor the c-note, hit the gym, back home, showered, transferred some dinero from checking into the savings to start the new year off at a decent lower balance and then retired to the internet to catch up and post some odds and ends. Sorry you asked, aren't cha ?
 
GalaxyBoy said:
Cloud iridescence maybe.
Click to expand...


That was my thought although I'd never heard or seen it when I took the photo. In person it was much more dramatic! The green and pink really popped. That's the only reason I took a picture of clouds(we see them, somedays).
 
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Bought an additional 5.6kWh worth of lithium batteries to have a total of 22.5kWh. Am nowhere near finished with this project, but realized that the existing batteries would be configured into 3 banks of 48V, and I'd rather have 4 banks for a nice even number. The cabinet to house them will also have a more pleasing symmetry. :)
 
NW-Bound said:
Bought an additional 5.6kWh worth of lithium batteries to have a total of 22.5kWh. Am nowhere near finished with this project, but realized that the existing batteries would be configured into 3 banks of 48V, and I'd rather have 4 banks for a nice even number. The cabinet to house them will also have a more pleasing symmetry. :)
Click to expand...
I'd like to see how you are doing this. Maybe a separate thread?
 
ERD50 also expressed an interest. I am tempted to do a thread, but still have quite a few technical decisions left to make. I would have to explain a lot of trade-offs which I am still trying to make.

So, I'd rather wait till things get more concrete, and I myself learn about stuff that I don't know. Yes, even as an EE, there were things I did not know that I did not know. I made up for lack of knowledge by reading a lot, as I usually do. It has been as much fun as things I did at work (but costs me money instead of paying).
 
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Here's something more exciting.

My stocks are up a collective 2.36% today. Combined with some MFs that I still have, cash, and bonds, the portfolio is up 1.59% today.

What happened? The Oracle of N'awlins lost her power? Is its effect delayed more than last time?
 
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