Back to class

Back to the school routine, tonight I started what I hope is my last class I need for my degree. I chose to take the easy way out and take a welding class, I am already a proficient welder. The classes are open entry-open exit, meaning you can start them at any time and finish it as fast as you can or just take a whole semester to do a module, classes are broken up into generally 4 modules. Tonight I was able to complete Five welds, about a 1/5 of the module, this will become my Tuesday - Thursday routine for the next couple months.

The look of things to come

Won't be long now, temp will be dropping to the very low 30's by Friday and snow is in the forecast. Not that I mind, I enjoy the winter season and do what I can to make the best of it. Deer hunting is on hold for a few weeks if not done for the year, I will try to get out and do a little late season bow hunting if the weather is right. The next few weekends will be spent at home, the chores around here have piled up since I've been hunting almost every weekend from the 1st of October. Besides, normally don't have good ice before Christmas.

Summer pics

More of Michigan's beautiful upper peninsula. Chippewa county, click---> Tahquamenon falls

Pictures, I took this summer.

Auto Repair

I’ve been driving this 95 ford Windstar since this spring, and it’s had a bad left front wheel bearing the whole time, the thing growled like a bear. After doing an oil change this morning I decide to take a look at the problem. After removing the wheel, brake pads, caliper, and caliper mount all of which where quite rusted, had to put the torch on the caliper mount screws to break them loose, I can remove the rotor and see that I still have to remove the 30mm axle nut, it take a bit of heat but I manage to remove it. Having gotten this far I reassemble everything knowing the next steps are no return once taken. After dinner I drove into Muskegon, picked up a new bearing, upon returning home I began the repairs.

Changing this bearing requires that the steering knuckle, which holds the bearing be removed, quite the daunting tacks when you first look at it. The removal want quite well, and all was left was to replace the old bearing with the new. After applying heat to the knuckle I used a large piece of round stock and a 3 pound lead hammer to beat out old bearing, cleaned up knuckle installed the new bearing, and decided to take a break and watch a movie with the kids.

With the kids in bed I returned to the garage to put the whole thing back together. The reassembly went very well, although I still need to pick up a new retaining bolt for the lower ball joint, it’s recommended that it not be reused, I put it in anyhow and took it for a ride. It was like a day and night difference, it even seemed like it had better pick up.

I did notice a scraping sound, probably the brake pad. What is funny about the whole thing is that I’ve been listening to this bearing noise the entire time and it cost me less than $25 to fix it.

Hunting has been slow for sure! Tomorrow its back to work for the day.

Saturday December 24, 2005 - 02:40pm

I enjoy shooting, either at game or targets. I generally like military type weapons. Above is a selection of weapons I own. From top to bottom; The Mosin-Nagant , Weatherby-Vanguard in .270 Win, Yugoslavian SKS , and a J.C. Higgins model 30 in .22LR this old gun is one straight shooting rifle. Had it not been raining today I would have most likely had a couple of these down to the range this morning.

Saturday December 24, 2005 - 01:48pm

This is latest member to our home network. Dell Optiplex GX110 this baby has a Pentium 3 - one gig processor and 256 RAM. I got this unit for my dad from work, they putting them up for bid, got two W/ 15” monitor for $125 a piece. This one came back to me infected; nephew was doing some porn surfing. Well I finally got around to fixing this weekend and I like it so much better than my laptop (from work also) I may just hold on to it.

UPDATE

This computer has since gone back to my dad, and I'm now using a dell optiplex 750 I picked up at work for $ 111

Fun with Ronald

Saturday December 24, 2005 - 10:24am

Yesterday my daughter and I went to Mickey Dee’s it seems that she had entered a contest, drawing of sorts and you had to be present to win. Now, mind you I was going out to for some holiday human interaction, and my wife says, “Take Sarah to McDonalds for the drawing”. Ok, I’m game, should be no big deal its right there by Sam’s club anyhow. We get there to 12:50, drawings at 1:00, we walk in I ask a girl at the counter about the drawing, still on for 1:00. There are not many times I am hungry enough to eat at Mickey Dee’s and yesterday was one of them, but I ask Sarah if she would like something, to which she replies no. Having purchased no food, we sit down in a far corner and wait for the festivities to begin. Looking extremely out of place, sitting there with no food, we are approached by a woman with a large duffle bag she asks” are you here to see Ronald McDonald do the magic show?” and I say “no we’re here for the drawing” This is where I’m told we have to sit thru the magic show before the drawing. Ronald makes his grand entrance, I stop feeling sorry for myself when I see this guy. After some “slight of hand” Ronald says lets draw a name for the big prize! I would guess there were maybe a dozen kids there and the lady hauls out this box with oh, I would guess to say 300 entry forms, and the clown hits one out of the park with” you folks may want to order dinner” Luckily it was after only 30 or 40 names Ronald pulls out somebody who’s there. As the fanfare begins Sarah and I leave, oh well, better luck next time.

Nothing to do ,and all day to do it !

Friday December 23, 2005 - 08:30am

First day of my Christmas vacation, got up about 6:45 been down here fooling around waiting for kid to get up. Got to get out and get supplies for the ice fishing derby next week. We may stop over at Wolf Lake; check out what’s doing over there.

Food, food and more food

Thursday December 22, 2005 - 07:59pm

Today we ate and then we ate more! I hate eating like that, fun while you’re doing it, but you pay for it later in more ways than one. We had ham, scalloped potatoes, beans with sausage and apples, meatballs and that was just the main dishes. There was cake, pie, candy and soda. Chips, pickles, olives, vegetable tray, fruit tray, and we never even got out the shrimp. Way too much food for a dozen guys.

What a long strange trip its been

Monday December 19, 2005 - 09:49pm

While driving through the longest tunnel in Norway 24.5K, you will pass through three of these vast blue rooms. I believe they are to comfort those with phobia's http://www.bergen-guide.com/538.htmtunnel

Norwegian ink

Monday December 19, 2005 - 10:21pm


In the Norwegian country side tattoo shops are not everywhere. Although in the town of Hamer I found this place. The Hamer tattoo studio. My co-worker Roger sat and watched as I was given a dose of pain. Well its not my best tat by any means, but it is the only one I have from Norway,Thanks Hydro!

Another day in happy valley !

Things at work are just fine, for a change somebody else took the ass beating. I think my boss is starting to get the hint that I plenty to do, without other folks piling design work on me.

Thought I might go fishing this evening, But that was not to be. A walk was just the thing to take my mind off my situation. No wind blowing,so walking around the village was nice. I went to the cemetery to visit my son Max, its been some time now. Next I ventured into the woods, walking on the snowmobile tracks I went to a bridge over the stream, so quite, but for the sound of the water. Walking back up the main drag I almost stopped at the local dive for a drink, but that would be so unlike me, I just kept walking.

FTD day

From 12/20/05

Well, not much is getting done up here in "crows nest" today. Did a few details this morning and now I've lost all my ambition! My boss (the company) gave all the guys in the tool room a Gerber multi-tool for Christmas, very nice! I've already made up my mind, I won't be going to class this evening. Tomorrow is a day of feasting here in the tool room, not much will be done, besides eating.

Dumping 360

I will be posting all of my yahoo 360 posts over here. The next 100 or so post will be from almost a year ago to present. 360 has done some weird stuff lately, so I'm going to give it up. Blogger has more to offer anyhow.

I like this photo. It was taken at the mouth of the cut river in Michigan's upper peninsula.

Found my way back

Almost forgot about this place.