What did you do today? - 2023/2024 version

[CO-guy]

Took my family to some nearby thermal hot springs this morning. That plus lunch and they are passed out!

 

[Badger]

On my 4th day of eating leftover turkey sandwiches and stuffing. I might finish them in a couple of more days before the new year. Then I have to start cooking again.

 

[MC Rider]

Got a new 480 SF torch down roof cover on the front porch, and repairs to the shed corrugated steel roof. House roof was done in 2019. Not the most exciting purchase, but now it is done for a long time.

 

[1242Vintage]

Worked a few hours on paperwork at the construction materials lab today. Very slow so shut down at noon and went over to spend a couple hours with 98 y.o. FIL at his place.

 

[Jimonlimon]

Turned in my work phone, computer, and id badge.
Picked up my final paycheck.
Walked out the door RETIRED!

 

[Ronstar]

^^ Congrats!

 

[Venturer]

^^^^^ Ditto, give it a few days to sink in and then you'll really get it!

 

[street]

^^^It is as simple as that. Have a great retirement!!!

 

[chicamuxen]

Turned in my work phone, computer, and id badge.
Picked up my final paycheck.
Walked out the door RETIRED!

Congratulations! That first Sunday night and Monday morning will be memorable!

 

[pacergal]

Turned in my work phone, computer, and id badge.
Picked up my final paycheck.
Walked out the door RETIRED!

Isn't it a wonderful feeling? congratulations!


Today is DH birthday, kids and grandkids are coming over for a celebration. We are getting Chinese take out for dinner.
I bought DH an electric leaf blower, and a small torch for his craft work. (things he wanted, I simply ordered from Amazon)

 

[calmloki]

Our flat roofed desert house responded to 1.7 inches of rain by peeing with vigor on the living-room rug and separating drywall tape on the ceiling. While it's not leaking now I'm pretty sure it hasn't cured itself, so climbed a ladder and hunted the problem. Once up there I remembered that these days I get out of oxygen real fast and carting 5 gallons of elastomeric roof coat up and applying is probably pushing it, so I have a call out to a roofer. Gotta remind myself to be handy with money.

 

[Venturer]

Our flat roofed desert house responded to 1.7 inches of rain by peeing with vigor on the living-room rug and separating drywall tape on the ceiling. While it's not leaking now I'm pretty sure it hasn't cured itself, so climbed a ladder and hunted the problem. Once up there I remembered that these days I get out of oxygen real fast and carting 5 gallons of elastomeric roof coat up and applying is probably pushing it, so I have a call out to a roofer. Gotta remind myself to be handy with money.

Ohh that sucks for sure,good luck and hope you can find someone quick. I can sure relate to the out of oxygen since my copd has gotten a lot worse this year.

 

[Badger]

Our flat roofed desert house responded to 1.7 inches of rain by peeing with vigor on the living-room rug and separating drywall tape on the ceiling. While it's not leaking now I'm pretty sure it hasn't cured itself, so climbed a ladder and hunted the problem. Once up there I remembered that these days I get out of oxygen real fast and carting 5 gallons of elastomeric roof coat up and applying is probably pushing it, so I have a call out to a roofer. Gotta remind myself to be handy with money.

Sorry to hear about the leak. They are so troublesome to locate the actual source since water can enter under the shingles and travel sideways to a low spot.
I have had an ongoing leak around my chimney for a long time that has been frustrating. I'm waiting for the roof to fall in. I had a standing seam roof installed 10 years ago so I know it seeps in at the chimney. Someone came out and resealed at the flashing but water still comes in just not as much.
I built an alternating step ladder that should be safer to climb to get on the roof. If it works I will lather up the chimney with elastomeric paint and see if that stops the leaking. At 75 with some balance and weakness issues if I get half way up the ladder and it doesn't feel right I will be getting down and calling a painter.

 

[Time2]

Played around a bit with a new remote id module for R/C airplanes and drones (i.e., quadcopters and such). This topic can fill pages of debate and is somewhat controversial for some, but as the law is now any model/drone over 249 grams in weight has to have a broadcasting module on it, except when flying in specified pre-approved flying sites, such as those used by a flying club. This is a gross oversimplification of a complicated topic but that's the meat of it.

Anyway, I was more interested in the technical details of simply seeing how the thing would work

I'm not an RCer, but I want a remote control variable resistor for a radio antenna. A friend gave me an old airplane transmitter/receiver. I spent the last two days, trying to understand it, then how to make a 270* servo have full travel with a transmitter/receiver that only makes it rotate 90*.
I did some resistive changes in the transmitter and got it to 180* but that was all I could get out of it. After lots of resistance and voltage measurements, I finally figured out the gimbles limit the travel of the potentiometers to about the middle 1/3 of their rotation. I removed the potentiometer from the gimble and now I have all the rotation I need. Now, I need to build an assembly to mount the servo and potentiometer on that will allow the servo to rotate the pot. I don't need the gimbles, my servo control will be panel mount. Some frustration for a bit, but I finally figured it out.

 

[Walt34]

I'm not an RCer, but I want a remote control variable resistor for a radio antenna. A friend gave me an old airplane transmitter/receiver. I spent the last two days, trying to understand it, then how to make a 270* servo have full travel with a transmitter/receiver that only makes it rotate 90*.

Most of the R/C transmitters and servos are designed for 60° of travel, but you can get some servos with 180° travel. I think those are mostly for sailboats though, as the airplanes and helicopters that I'm familiar with don't need that much travel. To my knowledge no one in the R/C hobby end of it wants or needs more than 180°.

 

[Walt34]

Took DW out for a late lunch at Outback Steakhouse (her choice). Had a nice time, then went home before the evening madness starts outside.

 

[street]

A stay-at-home day today. The kids stopped by for about 3 hours and had lunch. The 11-month GD was with them and the 6-year-old DG, was out at DIL family ranch. DS and DIL will spend year's eve with parents and her brother at their ranch.

I got a couple of walks in on this beautiful day. Planning for a day at the ranch tomorrow to start the year out right.

 

[brett]

Took down the Xmas tree.

Made a last minute charitable donation

Did some tax prep work on both of our tax returns.

Rewarded myself with a glass of cab. Perhaps two.

Then next door for dinner with good friends. Looking forward to Salmon Wellington.

 

[Walt34]

At DW's urgent insistence, I hauled the snow thrower out of the basement, fueled it up and moved it to the garage pending the impending snow storm she firmly believes is soon to bury us all. Now that the snow blower is in place and ready, I'm quite certain that if we get any snow at all the only tool needed will be a broom. That's the way it's been working the last few years anyway.

 

[Hermit]

DD and her family just left after an extended stay over the holidays. The grand kids are lots of fun to have around. The quiet with them gone is almost too much.

 

[REWahoo]

Up before dawn (a feature, not a bug), I calculated our RMDs and scheduled withdrawals for DW and I. She takes hers in a lump sum, I spread mine over 12 months. I was done before finishing my first cup of coffee.

 

[Gumby]

I went for an eye exam and used my new Medicare Advantage plan for the very first time. I also learned that I can now go to a variety of gyms around here for free through the Silver Sneakers program. Most importantly, I scored a perfectly ripe avocado at the grocery (we're making fajitas tonight).

 

[ls99]

Had a 6 CD changer sitting in my basement for some years. Installed it in my pickup truck. Fit nicely under the pasanger seat. It works via RF into car's radio. Routed RF cable under rug to rear of cab where Player's transmit antenna is close to the radio's. Works fine.

Now I have choice of a few hundred tunes of music via USB stick or CD. Don't have patience to copy CDs to USB stick.
Never listen to radio, tried a few times, as soon as commercial or blather came on, the experiment was over each time.

 

[pacergal]

DD and her family just left after an extended stay over the holidays. The grand kids are lots of fun to have around. The quiet with them gone is almost too much.

Having DGK around is so much fun, but can be tiring, too. Glad you had a great visit.
Good to hear from you, again Hermit!

 

[Walt34]

Now that the snow blower is in place and ready, I'm quite certain that if we get any snow at all the only tool needed will be a broom. That's the way it's been working the last few years anyway.

Hmmm. Perhaps I was a bit hasty in my assessment of the snow forecast. According to every weather site I've seen we're due for at least 5 inches of snow. It's about doggone time. Yay!

Now maybe I'll get some use out of that expensive snow blower I bought five years ago.