This is Finn riding her convertible, in two parts: the first half is from my perspective, and the second is after I taped the Flip to the scooter.

Date posted: October 15, 2009 | Filed under finn | Comments Off on Riding in the Convertible.

I’m back at work after a lovely four-day weekend with my ladies, where we didn’t go far from the homestead but got a lot of important things accomplished:

  • Drained and cleaned one of the water barrels
  • Moved the remaining container vegetables inside the greenhouse
  • Took Jen in her inaugural first trip in the Scout
  • Spent money at the Home Depot
  • Mowed and edged the lawn (again, a three-week lapse)
  • Mulched the flowerbeds
  • Patched the side of the garage where critters have been entering and making nests
  • Cleaned up the backside of the garage (moved large auto parts into the eaves)
  • Brought in the lawn furniture
  • Moved our brickpile from the driveway to under the porch deck
  • Fixed the tailgate latch on the Scout

MELMO ATTACK!

  • Took the girl for a 1.5 hour hike with Mama
  • Removed one of the legacy phone jacks in the dining room
  • Battled an angry wasp infestation under the ledge of Finn’s front window (more on that story from Mama)
  • Cleaned the front gutters
  • Covered two open outlets upstairs
  • Sprayed a radiator cover and the bifold doors to the pantry with two coats of bright white trim paint
  • Finished trimming and caulking the new iceroom window in preparation for paint
  • Started wrangling the data cables in the basement into one group and adding them to a punchdown block
  • Fired up the furnace for the first time this fall
  • Looked for used radiator covers at Second Chance (no luck)

Second Chance

  • Cleaned the first floor of the house
  • Picked apples and pumpkins with Finn and Mama

two pumpkins
And just for the record, those are the best apples I’ve ever eaten.

Date posted: October 15, 2009 | Filed under family | Comments Off on Staycation.

oh, lord GOD make it stop

Well, it’s final: I powered up my MacBook Pro yesterday and was greeted with a dark screen where I could only see the faintest hint of items on the screen. It looks like the backlight on my LCD has finally crapped out, which means one of two things: either the cables to the display have frayed and worn to the point of breaking, or I’ll probably have to replace the LCD/backlight assembly. Only some hours spent cracking the case will tell for sure. Unfortunately, I don’t currently see any replacement cables for sale.

If it’s the cable, we’re talking $30. If it’s the display, then we’re talking $300. In the meantime, I’m using remote desktop to work on my laptop from my work machine, which is like looking through a slightly blurry windowpane at my monitor—but still usable.

Date posted: October 14, 2009 | Filed under geek | Comments Off on Darkness on the Edge of Town.

→ This is a syndicated post from my Scout weblog. More info here.

Date posted: October 13, 2009 | Filed under Scout | Comments Off on Enjoying the Sunshine.

So everybody’s heard that Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize, and just like me, the world has responded with a collective, huh?

At first, I was as confused as everyone else. Don’t you have to do something to win the Nobel? I mean, Jimmy Carter got a terrible rap while he was in office, but he worked tirelessly to broker peace in the middle east and sign the SALT II agreements, and he’s set the standard for ex-presidents in terms of activism, diplomacy and humanitarianism. Al Gore got the Prize for elevating the discussion about climate change to an international level. Mother Theresa? Nelson Mandela? Doctors Without Borders? Yeah, I get it.

There have been a lot of people complaining that Obama hasn’t done enough yet, that he’s not completed any of campaign promises, and that he’s no better than the last guy we elected. I don’t agree with that assessment if only because of the willingness he’s shown to talk to people and not just do whatever he wants.

What’s interesting is the viewpoint that we Americans have of ourselves vs. the rest of the world, though. Perhaps this isn’t all about what Obama has done, but more about who he is, and most importantly, who he isn’t. Maybe the Nobel committee looked at what what he’s done so far and seen such a contrast in this administration as opposed to the previous administration that they found cause for celebration. Maybe the tone of the conversation has shifted so dramatically, in the eyes of the rest of the world, that they found cause to reward him, with the unspoken suggestion: You’re doing good so far. Don’t fuck it up.

Date posted: October 9, 2009 | Filed under politics | Comments Off on Contrasts.

As noted yesterday, I put the soft top on the Scout over the weekend and drove it in yesterday with the windows down and the back panel rolled up. This morning, taking advantage of the mild weather and predictions of sunshine, I drove it in again but left the windows rolled up and the back panel zipped down mostly because I was running late. I’m pleased to report the fumes were almost nonexistent in the cab, which is a huge improvement over yesterday’s ride, and even having the top completely down.
This happened in my first Scout too—the aerodynamics of the body trap a lot of exhaust behind the tailgate and when braking it tends to creep forward into the cab; the fact that the carburetor is poorly tuned and leaking around the gasket to the manifold doesn’t help either. I think that having a proper set of door and tailgate seals will help keep out a lot of the exhaust from the rear (as well as soundproof the doors somewhat) and having the carb rebuilt/replaced will help with the smell of raw gasoline.

→ This is a syndicated post from my Scout weblog. More info here.

Date posted: October 8, 2009 | Filed under Scout | Comments Off on Minus Fumes.

I drove the Scout into work today for the first time in two weeks. Now that the soft top is back on, I’m noticing its glaring deficiencies-velcro stays that have dried up and come off, plastic snaps that are bent, and milky windows. I’ll have to invest in a boat snap repair kit and do some field modifications in order to keep the flapping and billowing to a minimum.

Otherwise, it was a great ride.

→ This is a syndicated post from my Scout weblog. More info here.

Date posted: October 7, 2009 | Filed under Scout | Comments Off on Covered Up For the Fall

This link to a visual guide to baby poop is making the rounds this week, which strikes me as funny for some reason. Jen and I get BabyCenter bulletins, and yes, we saw this, and yes, we looked at the poop. It’s surprising how analytical one gets about poop after having a baby.

Date posted: October 7, 2009 | Filed under life, shortlinks | Comments Off on Baby Poop

No Exit: The never-ending lunacy of Betsy McCaughey. A profile of the woman who’s trying to torpedo health-care reform.

Date posted: October 7, 2009 | Filed under politics, shortlinks | Comments Off on No Exit: The never-ending lunacy of Betsy McCaughey


I’m fighting off some kind of cold which has my nose draining and my throat sore, and which also means I’m snoring (keeping poor Jen awake) and getting lousy sleep. So today I’m viewing a spreadsheet through half-lidded eyes.
One highlight of the day is that I’m using the magnificent Data Rescue II to resurrect our failed photo archive disc; After almost having given up on it, I’ve been able to snatch all of 2004, 2006, and 2007 from the jaws of digital doom.

Date posted: October 5, 2009 | Filed under general | 1 Comment »