What are you doing today?

[mrrsm]

I was looking for distraction on a Rainy Day and lighted upon a YT series of an industrious young man who spent three years building a GIGANTIC Two Story Log Cabin in what looks like the Deep Canadian Woods. It was total immersion after the first few minutes. But in one scene after an arduous day... he panned his camera up to what Hoagy Carmichael coined as "Butter Milk Skies" in a song he wrote back in the 1940s by the same name.

I rewound that segment and screen capped it for my Desktop for a while. Most of the time, I prefer having my own Oil on Canvas Paintings as my Backgrounds and cycle them from time to time. But God the Almighty handles his Prussian Blue, Indian Yellow and Alizirin Crimson brush strokes across the edge of the twilight evening sky in this image much better than anyone ever will:



Credit and Many Thanks to Nik Rijavec:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMjAl_0yeKwUAQ2A3tQFcnA

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

Teleworking again before the weekend when I am going to go...well, wait, never mind I aint doing shit

 

[NavyDave219]

What am I doing today? Well, I'm logging in here for the 1st time in 8 months. I've been off grid for awhile.

What rims are those in your profile pic? Wheel size and tire? They look awesome!

 

[Mooseman]

Gotta try to move my ass out of my La-Z-Boy.

 

[Matt]

Done did it already. Got the groceries done first thing this morning, filled up at Costco for $1.199 ($15.50), got some apple pie shine going and now going to do shit all nothing the rest of the day.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

In a group video meeting and then I may crack open one of my apple pie jars.

 

[TollKeeper]

In the Cubical... This essential worker thing is crap!

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

I am hoping they dont try to have me go back in on Tuesday.

I can do all my work from my remote office without going to a multi-story building full of people that have proven for years to come in sick and share germs.

 

[BrianF]

Back at work. the weather is finally turning for the better out here. Hell, this was the first night since last fall that we did not have to heat the horses water troughs through the night.

My back is acting up again, well my SI joint. I look like a cripple trying to walk around.

 

[Blckshdw]

Our CEO sent out an email that we'll be working 100% remotely starting Monday. I think maybe 10-15 people were still coming into the office cuz they can't really do a whole lot at home. They're gonna get re-tasked to help with busy work for other departments. Sucks to be them.

On my lunch break, took a drive to pick up my new batteries. Was gonna swap out these 7Ah models...




With these 35Ah models, but when I took the old ones out, the UPS didn't want to play nice without any batteries in them like my others have in the past.



I scrounged up 4 other random batteries from the garage and shed, wiped them off a bit so they weren't so grungy, and turned those in for recycling. Put my UPS batteries back in to hold me over until my other parts get here on Sunday so I can hook up the new ones. Took advantage of the lack of traffic, and hit the grocery store as well, still managed to get home before my lunch hour ended, to have a video call with the team.

Got some chicken in the slow cooker for dinner tonight, debating if I want to start making the battery stand tonight, or wait until tomorrow.

 

[Blckshdw]

Always a good day when you can break out your tools and get some stuff done.

Had some scraps of 2x4 in a corner from a washer and dryer stand I made years ago but didn't really need. Shortened 4 of them to size, which was easier than getting a large piece from the back yard and cutting it up. Cut out a small section of plywood from a scrap piece that was in the garage, drove a handful of screws through the top, and have a crude yet effective stand.





Turns out I didn't need my shrink wrap after all, since I had 10 gauge insulated terminals. The larger ring terminals were too big, and the smaller ones were just a touch too small. Since I have the tap and die set, I was going to tap the terminals for easy threading, and was proud of myself for thinking of it. Only problem is, I had no way to secure the terminals to hold them steady. Ended up grabbing the Dremel with a stone bit, and enlarging the hole just enough to thread the bolts in.




Got the battery connections in place, then it was time to turn to the closet. Needed to undo some of the cable management, since there wasn't enough slack to pull the computer out to sit on a TV tray. I've been LONG overdue for some cleanup in there, so the vacuum got a nice workout, followed by a wipe down of the cases and cabinet.






I was mindful of my back, so extra careful getting the filing cabinet out, and more importantly up onto the stand after setting the batteries in place. Good thing it was mostly empty (extra cables and USB stuff mostly) but it was still kinda awkward in that small space. Got the new battery cables routed and tied in on the left side, then stripped and crimped the ends for the UPS connection.




After a self test, I'm looking at an estimated half hour of run time under steady conditions. I don't remember what I was getting when the other batteries were brand new, but I also wasn't powering the security cameras back then. This sure does beat the 2 minutes I was getting lately though.

With that productivity in the books, going to find something for a late lunch, and assume the position on the couch for the rest of the day.

 

[m.mcmillen]

Changing the front differential on a Trailblazer. I’ve been doing too many of these lately. Down to about 4 hours.

 

[djthumper]

Working on the inventory list of what was in my trailer that recently was stolen.

 

[Mooseman]

Changing the front differential on a Trailblazer. I’ve been doing too many of these lately. Down to about 4 hours.

Please tell which way you do it. From the top or ???

 

[m.mcmillen]

Please tell which way you do it. From the top or ???

Out the bottom. Jacked up the engine and pulled it over to the side.

 

[Sparky]

Day 1 of furlough. Took unused roof supplies back to Home Depot and bought fence posts. Going to finish a closet organizer shelf and order the rest of the fence supplies once I decide on a style. Made a list of projects and to do items by priority. Off to a good start.

 

[Mooseman]

Me and my son went over to the yard on the Quebec side for that 9-7x I spotted there. I also arranged to meet a guy there that needed to have a Nav radio programmed into a Saab 9-5. Man, the programming in those is wacky. I have the Saab card for the Tech 2 and was able to read it however, I needed security access to change the VIN in the radio and my Tis2000 doesn't do real Saabs. I think I need GlobalTis which I didn't have.

Went in the yard, found the 9-7x and it's a V8! So that means a 3.73 and 8.6 diff. So we start working on the diff and right away, I realize I didn't bring a 21mm socket or wrench for the link arm bolts . And I didn't really bring anything to undo the original style end links. I could just remove the bushing brackets and leave the arm there. Anyway, I'll have to go back another day. I'll crawl under my TB and check exactly what I need to bring for tools. And now that I think about it, I may grab the front sway bar, which is bigger on the V8.

Oh, and I grabbed both headlights, which were HID, for $40. Needed a polishing but they are both functional. I didn't need them but they should fetch a few bucks!

 

[northcreek]

Started working on next years garage heat, as you can see the Emerald Ash Borers helped me out on the supply side.

Here you can see how they steal the nutrients under the bark and kill the tree in a couple of years. Thanks again China...

 

[xavierny25]

I may grab the front sway bar, which is bigger on the V8.

Good info! I didn't know that. I may look for one myself and have it powder coated.

 

[Mooseman]

Good info! I didn't know that. I may look for one myself and have it powder coated.

Yep. 1.42" vs 1.34". I know that the Saab stays much flatter in curves. It's the same bar on the SS. Problem is finding one. And yours being an '08, it has the traditional end links, which were only available in 08-09.

Today, just watching the rain fall and planning another trip to the u-pull yard on Thursday with the proper tools.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

Teleworking again. Got some semi-local stuff to look over for once.

 

[Sparky]

Day 2 of furlough:

Went back to Homeless Despot (shamelessly stealing that term) this morning to get the rest of the fence supplies since I found I cannot do an online order with store credit. Call me crazy but I'm doing total DIY panels, which meant I could load it all in my pickup but it is a ton of boards.

Installed a motion sense flood light above the garage in place of the broken lantern fixture.

Cut down an ugly scrubby shrub next to the garage and cleaned out some junk.

Rest of the day - going to unload the pickup, clean the upper window in the entryway of the house, and install a dedicated circuit to the basement freezer and fridge so they don't shut down from being on the same circuit as a bunch of other things down there. Hopefully do some yard work too.

I haven't been this productive at home in a lomg while lol

 

[BrianF]

First of 2 days off. Caught up on sleep after 12 hours of ot last day.

Spring has sprung out here, actually about 14c so we raked up all the old hay and buildup in the alley between the horse paddocks. After lunch I will rotate the tires, grease the brake slide pins and hot up the other grease points.

Maybe after I will work on big blue, who needs tires rotated and some other preventative work done.

I got pork ribs all wrapped and ready to cook for supper tonight. Got a roast marinating for later week.

 

[Mounce]

Off day. Went and slapped a starter on a Sierra for one of my side job customers. Took all my tools back to work and put them back in the tool cart. Snagged a box of new tools I had shipped there and stashed them in the cart as well. Stopped by harbor freight, bought a couple piddly items and browsed. Had a 26" tool box sitting by the door on open box/scratch and dent sale for $60 below list. If it would've been orange like my cart I would have nabbed it but it was YELLOW. Still went and sat in the truck for about 15 minutes trying to talk myself into it as I'm overflowing my cart already. Have heard they'll negotiate on scratch and dent items and I'm so tempted to make an offer.. Might call them in the morning and see what they say. But at the same time I'd rather get a matching 44" oh the decisions.

Lastly got home and confirmed that I had incorrectly timed the injection pump on the tractor. Adjusted it and it fired right up. Go figure, I was nearing the end of my patience to fool with it. Reinstalled the timing cover and took her on a few laps on the driveway and got it smoothed out some, will need to put a couple more hours into it and aquire a couple loads of gravel to get it right.

 

[BrianF]

After filling my face with ribs, I went out and tackled the first leg with big blue. Tires rotated, slide pins cleaned and regressed. It is 3 years old with 86,000km on it. Took it for a test drive and she works great. Did some skid stops and spun the tires a bit. My pasty white ass got a bit sun burned to.

 

[Sparky]

Day 3 of furlough:

Ok I'm a little tired/sore from moving all that lumber multiple times yesterday. However, I'm likely going over to my father-in-law's to take apart a swing set, load it up, and bring it back here for our kids to use. Whether I actually get it rebuilt I do not know yet. It is all screwed together so in theory I should be able to just unscrew everything and, as long as I pay attention to how it came apart, be able to put it all back together (maybe use new screws depending on the condition of the existing ones).

Also plan on finishing the electrical to the fridge n freezer. I got the box mounted and wire run yesterday, but didn't get it hooked up. Also did not get the tall ladder out for the entryway window so maybe do that today too. Other odds n ends too I'm hoping, like some landscaping cleanup. Stuff is still overgrown from this house having been empty for 5 or 6 years before we got it.

Yesterday's lumber unload:

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

Working

 

[Matt]

Day 3 of furlough:

Ok I'm a little tired/sore from moving all that lumber multiple times yesterday. However, I'm likely going over to my father-in-law's to take apart a swing set, load it up, and bring it back here for our kids to use. Whether I actually get it rebuilt I do not know yet. It is all screwed together so in theory I should be able to just unscrew everything and, as long as I pay attention to how it came apart, be able to put it all back together (maybe use new screws depending on the condition of the existing ones).

Also plan on finishing the electrical to the fridge n freezer. I got the box mounted and wire run yesterday, but didn't get it hooked up. Also did not get the tall ladder out for the entryway window so maybe do that today too. Other odds n ends too I'm hoping, like some landscaping cleanup. Stuff is still overgrown from this house having been empty for 5 or 6 years before we got it.

Yesterday's lumber unload:
View attachment 94200

I really hope you're going to fix that great BBQ that's in the background.

 

[TollKeeper]

Work work work...

Did a employee audit at one of our contract locations, and for the first time in 4 weeks, everyone passed with only minor violations. The other contract company (the one we are replacing) failed at every turn. I now see why we are getting the entire contract, and not just bits and pieces of it.

 

[Mooseman]

Today, picked up a Firman 3100w inverter generator for boondocking with the RV. It's practically new and basically got it for half the price with the taxes factored in ($550). Then, a guy just came by to buy an old parted Ski Doo engine for $100. And what will I do with that bill? Spend it on a new Android HU that someone is selling. He had bought it from Amazon for $95 but wanted Sirius. That's OK, I'll take it for $70. The one in the TB is flaky at times and doesn't connect to my phone consistently.

 

[BrianF]

Cleaned the interior of the Tb and Big Blue. Took quite a while for each. Next step is to get the seats cleaned. Not sure if I will do it or just fork out the cash for someone else to so it..

 

[northcreek]

Cleaned the interior of the Tb and Big Blue. Took quite a while for each. Next step is to get the seats cleaned. Not sure if I will do it or just fork out the cash for someone else to so it..

What is Big Blue ?....

 

[Sparky]

I really hope you're going to fix that great BBQ that's in the background.

Yeah. I gotta learn how to do masonry work. Neighbors said the guy who used to live here years ago built it and cooked on it. I'm not a cook exactly so I'd have to learn how to use it (I'm guessing different than your usual grill due to no lid etc).

 

[Blckshdw]

Another day working in the dining room office. The boss is supposed to be taking the day off, along with a couple of teammates, so I'm anticipating more TV watching than working

What is Big Blue ?....

Here is the Tb next to Big Blue. Kids in the back playing with horses.

 

[Matt]

Yeah. I gotta learn how to do masonry work. Neighbors said the guy who used to live here years ago built it and cooked on it. I'm not a cook exactly so I'd have to learn how to use it (I'm guessing different than your usual grill due to no lid etc).

I'd put a piece of thick flat steel on it and use it like an Australian "bbq". Wood for your heat source.



Or you could use a grill.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

I like the flat-top steel or cast iron japanese hibachi style with the wood idea. The flat-tops are great for everything unless you get off on having grill lines. Plus, they let you cook lots that you can't on a grill as well. Breakfast cooked outside is always fun.

 

[djthumper]

Day 3 of furlough:

Ok I'm a little tired/sore from moving all that lumber multiple times yesterday. However, I'm likely going over to my father-in-law's to take apart a swing set, load it up, and bring it back here for our kids to use. Whether I actually get it rebuilt I do not know yet. It is all screwed together so in theory I should be able to just unscrew everything and, as long as I pay attention to how it came apart, be able to put it all back together (maybe use new screws depending on the condition of the existing ones).

Also plan on finishing the electrical to the fridge n freezer. I got the box mounted and wire run yesterday, but didn't get it hooked up. Also did not get the tall ladder out for the entryway window so maybe do that today too. Other odds n ends too I'm hoping, like some landscaping cleanup. Stuff is still overgrown from this house having been empty for 5 or 6 years before we got it.

Yesterday's lumber unload:
View attachment 94200

Looks like a nice pizza oven on there too.

 

[Mooseman]

Went back to the yard on this beautiful day to pull the rear diff from that 9-7x with the V8 (with the required tools ) and it was going well until I looked at the cover. It's an 8.0"!!!! Recognized the cover with it's wider lip edge and shallower depth. Only thing that can explain it is that it was replaced at some point. I looked at some truck 8.6 in the yard and they were definitely different. It did have old rusty springs instead of bags and the backing plates were rusted to shit. Screw this! If I'm swapping the diff, it's for an 8.6 or I'll just get a new set of 4.10's for my current low miles 8.0 and front diff.

Trip wasn't a complete bust. Found a relatively rust free rear bumper for my son's Silvy as well as a working gauge cluster. I also grabbed the rubber hitch cover from that 9-7x.

 

[Sparky]

I like the flat-top steel or cast iron japanese hibachi style with the wood idea. The flat-tops are great for everything unless you get off on having grill lines. Plus, they let you cook lots that you can't on a grill as well. Breakfast cooked outside is always fun.

I just wouldn't want it to rust, remova le and take inside when not in use?

 

[xavierny25]

Went back to the yard on this beautiful day to pull the rear diff from that 9-7x with the V8 (with the required tools ) and it was going well until I looked at the cover. It's an 8.0"!!!! Recognized the cover with it's wider lip edge and shallower depth. Only thing that can explain it is that it was replaced at some point. I looked at some truck 8.6 in the yard and they were definitely different. It did have old rusty springs instead of bags and the backing plates were rusted to shit. Screw this! If I'm swapping the diff, it's for an 8.6 or I'll just get a new set of 4.10's for my current low miles 8.0 and front diff.

Trip wasn't a complete bust. Found a relatively rust free rear bumper for my son's Silvy as well as a working gauge cluster. I also grabbed the rubber hitch cover from that 9-7x.

Did you pick up my 1.42 front sway bar. Just kidding but did you grab it for your tb?