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

[freebird5825]

I woke up to a dead battery in my Escape. Sometimes the seat belt does not retract all the way, so I'm guessing it might have caught in the door and the interior lights were on all night.
I tested the voltage at the terminals, and it read just slightly above 10 V. Hmmmm....not totally dead but not enough to crank it over.
When I opened the door to the car, no lights (interior or parking lights) came on. When I tried to start it, nothing but clicks and no dashboard lights.
OK, not rocket science.
I have it charging now. It is drawing 4.5 amps according to the charger meter. I will check the battery voltage in a few hours to see if it has improved. I did open the passenger door to get the snow brush after half an hour of charging, and saw the interior lights were on. A good sign.
The vehicle has 72,500 miles on it, so I am hoping it is just a battery going or gone.
I am very glad I know what I'm doing, thanks to my long ago summer j*b as a mechanic for Sears. I could call my regular mechanic, but I like the challenge of doing this stuff myself.

If the battery will not hold the charge, I'll send Mr B downtown for a new one. Between the two of us, we can install a new one.

The good news is the snow let up and there is no wind, so I can be comfortable outside, i.e. no blizzard conditions.

 

[W2R]

Today has been Downsizing Monday for me. I never seem to use my Dell desktop computer any more. Actually it hasn't been used for anything but multiply redundant backup storage for several years. Frank, on the other hand, loves fiddling with old computers, even one running Vista like this one. So to make a long story short, I'm giving him my Dell and he can play with it to his heart's content. My guess is that he will install Linux on it since he isn't fond of Vista. It's still a very adequate computer and surprisingly responsive for something that old.

I spent this morning uninstalling software, checking through other files to remove what I might want and delete the rest, and basically trying to clean it up for him. It's now in nearly pristine condition. I didn't bother to re-format/restore, but at least most of my [-]cr!p[/-] junk is off the hard drive. Honestly I don't care if he sees anything that was on there, so security is not a problem in this transfer. After uninstalling stuff, I disconnected everything and it is ready to go.

One more downsizing task DONE.

 

[Sue J]

Yesterday one of our sons called and said he had no hot water at his place (rental apt), could he come over for a shower? Sure, no problem! So he stayed for football and I made a big pot of chili because he appreciates leftovers.

I have a "snow day" as the schools are closed for the weather (I'm a school crossing guard) so I'm home hanging out while DH shovels the driveway and sidewalks. We have a snow blower, but he'd rather shovel.

 

[travelover]

I woke up to a dead battery in my Escape. Sometimes the seat belt does not retract all the way, so I'm guessing it might have caught in the door and the interior lights were on all night.
.....

I found the battery dead in my Escape recently, too. I'm impressed that the designers were not only able to design the front seat belts so that they always jam in the door latch, but the rear seat belts are also always jammed in the rear seat back latch.

I charged it up and had it tested and all is good.

 

[braumeister]

Arrived at the Colorado ski resort and will spend the rest of the week sliding down mountains.

I have been skiing for over 40 years now. The equipment keeps getting better, and injuries are (AFAIK) far fewer these days.

I've always thought it was about as much fun as you can have with all your clothes on.

 

[Hermit]

Arrived at the Colorado ski resort and will spend the rest of the week sliding down mountains.

I have been skiing for over 40 years now. The equipment keeps getting better, and injuries are (AFAIK) far fewer these days.

I've always thought it was about as much fun as you can have with all your clothes on.

DW's uncle (I think he is in his 70's or 80's) will be at Copper Mountain the end of the week. I will get to ski with him either Wednesday or Thursday.

The only thing better than skiing for a week is skiing every week.

 

[freebird5825]

I found the battery dead in my Escape recently, too. I'm impressed that the designers were not only able to design the front seat belts so that they always jam in the door latch, but the rear seat belts are also always jammed in the rear seat back latch.

I charged it up and had it tested and all is good.

Same here. I'm back in business.
I'll get the battery tested when it stops snowing. So far it is holding the charge just fine.
Funny thing...the headlamp rotary position switch to the left of the steering wheel decided it didn't want to w*rk in the automatic mode (11 o'clock position) for a little while. All other settings were fine.
Now it is operating in all positions, after I got the battery charged up.
Probably some damn sensor buried under the dashboard.

 

[kimcdougc]

Getting dressed up (I never get dressed up since Ering in 2010) for DH retirement dinner with his group tonight. Tomorrow is his last day. I literally had to wipe the dust off of my suit I use to wear to work. The good thing is all my old work clothes still fit. They should work for the next 30 years of getting dressed up as they are classics.
So excited about DH last day tomorrow! Get to plan and take our retirement trip! Yay!

 

[LinCella]

Meeting another retired friend at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco for drinks and dinner at their Pied Piper Bar with the beautiful Maxfield Parrish mural.

 

[Dash man]

Getting dressed up (I never get dressed up since Ering in 2010) for DH retirement dinner with his group tonight. Tomorrow is his last day. I literally had to wipe the dust off of my suit I use to wear to work. The good thing is all my old work clothes still fit. They should work for the next 30 years of getting dressed up as they are classics.
So excited about DH last day tomorrow! Get to plan and take our retirement trip! Yay!

Dressed up for a retirement dinner There's something wrong with that. To me, the perfect retirement dinner would be pizza and beer with a few friends. I had Thai food for lunch on my last day, which wasn't bad either.

 

[Chuckanut]

what did you do today?

I did touch up painting on my walls.
Then I called the local newspaper to inquire about getting a digital subscription only in place of my current physical paper plus digital access. Foolish me, I thought I might save some money. Nope. Turns out the digital only cost is over a $1 a week more. It seems I am blessed with a favored rate of some type for the physical paper. It's just as good because if they tried to charge me more I would cancel.

 

[travelover]

Nice setup ! How much snow so far ?

.......

Got a grand total of about 14 inches of the white stuff. There was an additional 6 inches overnight, so I spent about 3 hours clearing out our three cul-de-sac neighborhood roads. The snow was piled so high on the edges that my snow blade wouldn't move the snow onto the shoulder, so I had to narrow the road just to clear it.

The good news is that various neighbors stopped me and stuffed $20 bills into my hand - cleared $80. Since I added the heater, it is hard to even pretend that I'm not having fun.

 

[freebird5825]

Got a grand total of about 14 inches of the white stuff. There was an additional 6 inches overnight, so I spent about 3 hours clearing out our three cul-de-sac neighborhood roads. The snow was piled so high on the edges that my snow blade wouldn't move the snow onto the shoulder, so I had to narrow the road just to clear it.

The good news is that various neighbors stopped me and stuffed $20 bills into my hand - cleared $80. Since I added the heater, it is hard to even pretend that I'm not having fun.

Sweet haul ! Better than cookies anyday.

I have a neighbor 2 houses away, a former co-w*rker who knows I have trouble with my hands and that Mr B has a heart condition. He comes by with his snowblower and clears around the mailbox for me when we have significant snowfall. I never see him do it because he normally does that while I'm sleeping in or not home.
I saw him the other day, threw on some boots and my coat, and ran outside with 2 Lindt Excellence chocolate bars. And gave him a big hug.

It's all good.

 

[davemartin88]

The good news is that various neighbors stopped me and stuffed $20 bills into my hand - cleared $80. Since I added the heater, it is hard to even pretend that I'm not having fun.

I clear 1.2 miles of a gravel road from our house to the closest paved road. First few years I used my small tractor or a Bobcat without a cab and boy was it wet and cold! This is my second winter with an upgraded Bobcat with full cab, heat, and a/c, and a window washer! Light jacket, turn on some music and it's an enjoyable couple of hours!

 

[Grigori]

No snow down here in Houston!

Went to yoga class, did some meditation, went to the gym and listen to a CD book , and then the Starbucks to read some of She Comes First.

I'm getting ready to try some recipes in the kitchen. Then watch some episodes of breaking bad with my wife.

 

[HFWR]

I sputtered Ti at 200W, 4mT Ar/N2 atmosphere for 40 minutes, yielding about 200nm of titanium nitride.


Sent from my iCouch using Early Retirement Forum

 

[Hermit]

I got to work on the house today! First time in a few weeks. I have all the support posts in at the windows now and I am ready to start putting up the walls on the upper level. I'm going to start with the garage walls so I can put off the extra hassle of sweeping snow around walls as long as possible.

It was a beautiful day at 45 degrees and no wind. Tomorrow we may get a little snow, but that's OK, I'm going skiing!

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I worked on decluttering and organizing again today. I dropped of 4 bags of clutter we didn't need at the thrift shop and came home with some things we did need including a couple of French presses ($6 for both!). I spent part of today cleaning those up and getting them ready to use.

Now that we are home more and cooking from scratch when we can I am tricking out our kitchen with all the gadgets I've ever wanted. I have realized sooner or later everything on my shopping list shows up practically brand new for pennies on the dollar at the local thrift shop. So today I cleared out 6 boxes of school and craft supplies we no longer needed from the buffet storage and made room for my new to me Cuisinart ice cream maker, Hibachi grill and pasta machine. Tomorrow I am going to call around and try to find some after school program to donate all the school supplies to.

 

[NW-Bound]

I have been planning the next RV trip. The missus has been appeased with a cruise later this year, so she agreed to another RV trip prior to that.

The missus has already exchanged the timeshare credit for a week in a coastal condo, and now I need to plan the itinerary to get there and back, going through new areas and towns we have not been to.

Drove the RV to Costco to fill it up although the trip will be in April. I missed the recent lowest price of $1.67/gal, and by being just a day late, had to pay $1.80/gal. Buying at the exact bottom is tough, whether gasoline or stocks.

 

[freebird5825]

I dance-ercised in my living room today while Mr B attended to his Legion duties. Lots of looong stretches and ballet to Soundscapes on the digital cable music channel. Nothing strenuous but I w*rked it.

Then I went out partying all day. Beer is good.

It's 12:25 AM and I decided to go to youtube to watch some music videos. I really miss MTV.
If you're feeling sassy like I am...try to keep up with this music and these dance moves. Start slow and then kick it up.

There's a reason dancers legs look so good. Christina does an excellent tribute to the Andrews Sisters and Rosie the Riveter in this retro performance. Go girl !


And a 1 and a 2 and a 3...rock it...

 

[BBQ-Nut]

Had a light breakfast, tidied up downstairs, then headed out to La Jolla Cove to walk the cliffs and rocky shore, watched the seals, gulls, pelicans, and surfers - a light fog still lingering along the coast.


Then drove to the top of Mt Soledad to enjoy the sun and the panoramic view of San Diego.


Back home for a lazy afternoon before a dinner of left over pot roast I made Tuesday.

 

[freebird5825]

I slept in and goofed off all day. My muscles were pretty sore all over from yesterday's exercise session so I gave them a rest.

I played with my newest toy...the amazing PedEgg Power buffer (woooooo ) for rough skin and callouses on the feet. Simple things for simple minds...

I usually don't go for stuff offered on TV but this little number w*rks great. I had the heels of my feet and callouses on the side of my big toes smooth in less than 15 minutes. No more doing it by hand with a foot emery stick.

I also smoothed out some rough skin on Mr B's elbow, which has been ripping through the material on his long sleeved shirts. I've repaired 3 shirts so far by hand. No more of that !

I also saw the news that one of the 3D printing companies I recently invested in, has won 2 govt contracts. One of the contracts is with my former employer. Talk about sauce for the goose.

 

[LinCella]

i didn't do much today but yesterday I had lunch with someone who retired three years before me. It was nice to see him but sad to learn his wife is not on board with the last life plan they had made and she continues to work and travel quite a bit for work. He feels like he is postponing the life he wanted to live.

I'm single (not by choice) and don't have that problem so I was feeling thankful.

 

[Walt34]

Got my first bill for Medicare - $314.70, WTH! Oh, it's a quarterly bill.

I guess they'll start taking it out of SS automatically when I start taking that.

 

[Hermit]

Went skiing yesterday. It snowed all day. It has been many years since I skied in a foot of powder. Great fun!

The roads were a mess for my daughter to drive back to Denver so I followed her, stayed at her place last night and drove back home this morning. Morning rush hour in Denver was no fun.

We did not make contact with late DW's uncle. I'll have to find out what happened when he gets home. It would have been fun to ski with him too.