This is a light

Now this is a head light. Clean and somewhat compact unlike so many today that seem to try to hide the bumper or quarter panel they are attached to.

I have posted for awhile.....weather related blahs I guess. Can hardly wait until I can go out and sweat over both of my vehicles and detail them. One really needs it and one needs it because I say so, doesn't see much bad weather, only 18,500 miles and it is 8 years old this May.

Wish I had more than just the headlight above.....in my garage....and not airbrushed on the walls.

Not Yet

Well, I guess you could say I lied. I haven't started anything yet in the cupboard area. My last entry was right before Christmas and as always, there are things to do.

Another very important point that I failed to mention is that on the Friday morning before Christmas, about 2 in the morning, three of us got what appears to be a case of food poisoning. We had gone with a niece on Wednesday to assist in the purchase of a new TV. We went to her first choice (price drove us there) for her purchase and she saw why I kept saying "not a good idea". She tried two sales associates [get the hint of the location] and neither one could answer her questions or even find the remotes so she could check some things out. We made the decision to leave and to go to a place that specializes in the product she wanted. "How may we help you" couldn't do anything for her. Well, we left and decided to eat first. I made a choice on quick service and price. It was Mexican and that 's all I will say. We got seated quickly but waited on slowly. Plenty of servers standing around because we were ahead of the rush. When we did get our food, the niece and the wife said their foods were either tasting funny or not hot enough. I liked my food. Remember this is Wed. evening.

About 3 AM my wife disturbed me. She told me she had been up since 1 or 2. I got up to see if I could do anything for her and then went to the family room so I wouldn't disturb her if she got comfortable. It only took about a half hr. to hit me. Around 8 or so the niece called and said she wasn't' going to work, she wanted us to be sure not to get what she had......too late. We had not seen her for days before we got sick. The fact that we all got it within a couple of hours and that we had eaten at the same place a day and a half before just said food poisoning. We called the county health office and they took all of our individual statements and agreed that it sounded like the food was the issue. They are doing an investigation. I'm not, for some dumb reason, looking for restitution but there is a waiter or cook that needs to go home, south of the boarder.

To show someone how bad it was, we almost didn't have Christmas dinner because food made us sick and I didn't take one picture...........now that is unheard of. Just ask anyone in the family. They'll tell you.

I can safely say that it probably won't be for another week or so before I get to it. You know, when you're retired you never have time to do things. You even wonder how you got things done before.

Back soon, I hope.

Sup?

Wow, it has been a while since I have posted anything. Nov. 18th. I guess that since the official crash of the economy took place and I vented in my last post that there hasn't really been too much happening. After all, winter has arrived and the cold has been just that, cold! We've gone through Thanksgiving, that was good as usual. The economy still sucks. Congress has made a fool out of themselves again. This time they tried to cover it up by challenging the car companies while ignoring the outcries of what went wrong and where did the money go for the banking institutions. I will post more on this as I do have opinions, biased in some ways and just plain American in others. Remember, I am a car guy, all cars, but I do have feelings, American.

Now, on to more important issues. I do have a new project that I am going to take on. I will have pictures of the progression. It is a cabinet remodel, just one, but important. It starts out like this.

After we moved in and were here for a bit the wife kept complaining about a few things in the kitchen. One was a switch to the disposal. It was located six feet to the right of the sink while a foot on either side of the sink was receptacle. This I took care of by replacing the one on the left with a combo switch/receptacle setup. The switch parts flips sideways instead of up and down. I replaced the switch that to the disposal with a receptacle. Cut back all wiring and marked it for new owners in the future and ran a new cable to the disposal.

Next issue was the complaint that the dishwasher was too far from the sink. There is a bend in the counter top when moving from the sink to the right. Then there is a narrow cabinet for cookie sheets and then the dishwasher and then a lazy-susan corner cabinet. I looked at pictures I had taken of the model home so that we could try to make some decorating plans etc. When I went back and looked at them I discovered that the dishwasher and cookie sheet cabinet were reversed in our home. When our ten month inspection and repair came along I asked the contractor if the cabinet installer could make changes or if they had to go by a print or layout. He said layout. I pointed the issue out and he said he would move everything around. After this was done he said he was not satisfied with the number of holes in the cabinet and that he would order a new one and replace it. It did have two large holes in the back down low for the water and drain lines to go through. There was also extra holes where they ran some screws in to mount it....they weren't needed. The cabinet arrived and was replaced. When the guy left I noticed a split face on one side. I called them back real quick and he returned, took a look at his boo boo and said he would order a new on. The third cabinet comes and gets installed. This whole time the contractor doesn't want the old cabinets or doors. I now have, what I consider, two perfectly good cabinets that I am eventually going to use in my workshop.

Now to the point of the project..............................finally. I have one cabinet up on a bench and plan on using it as a template to make everything so that the cabinet in the kitchen can be used (1) easier (2) kept more neatly and (3) be more user friendly, hence ergonomically. I am going to build a slide out bottom with a divider so that the small hot divots, cutting boards and racks can be separated from the larger cookie sheets, racks and cutting boards. I will have pictures as I go as usual. Hopefully I will have this started shortly after the first of the year. Gotta celebrate Christmas and 40 years of marriage first. Also need to talk the wife into letting me take the table saw into the basement for the winter. Too cold in the garage.

Congress, the auto industry and the American way

You know, what congress is asking for from the auto industry is good but it should have been done when they ggave the 700 billion to the stinking financial and insurance guys that are blowing their gifts of cash on parties, not once or twice but real multiple times. STILL, no one is held accountable either in those companies or congress for that money. That's because they have egg on their faces. Yet, the auto industry can't even get a few million without deep interrogation and finger pointing. I wonder, how many of those in congress own an American car. They keep blasting the quality, hell, they don't know the quality. GM itself is above many foreign autos now in quality. The days of buy it on Saturday and take it back on Monday for warranty issues are long gone. Toyota just had a recall. Has anyone paid attention?

Congress is like so many people and they are just people. They rallied around an issue and almost 100% at the time were in favor of the action to be taken. Some since, have stood back and wondered or even denied being part of it. NOT enough questions were asked at the time. I'm glad and proud to say that no matter how many pictures Colon Powell showed me of some image and said it was a manufacturing facility, I didn't believe it. I didn't have x-ray vision. You have obviously guessed what I am talking about by now. The Irag war. Well, now Congress wants to ask questions but approx. a month ago when they became the cash cows for the financial and insurance groups, they, in all their wisdom couldn't stop and ask questions. Now that they have been taken for some sort of a ride they are going to ask questions and rightfully so, but... Time is of essence. GM, Ford and Chrysler need to get off their butts and give the real answers.

By the way, GM has more hybrids in it's stable than anyone I do believe. Have you looked at the American auto line up of small cars today and what is coming out? Go buy a magazine and read; Automobile, Auto Weekly, Road & Track and many more. Have you looked at the size of the foreign autos and checked out their mpg? This is NOT an auto industry issue as to why but an American issue as to wanting the BIG vehicle. Size, horsepower and torque.......the American way.

In Flight

Surpised me so I have shutter stutter, or shake, or the nervous hand.
Big red truck that startled the bird can be seen in the water reflection.
Running to take-off again.
Landing

Not much to write, self explanatory.

It's Dinner Time

12 3
1) Scouting out dinner. 2) Striking out for dinner. 3) Positioning the little fish.
4
4) Swallowing the little fish.

A Blue Heron landed in the pond behind our house today so I took some pictures, 90 to be exact. I've sense narrowed that down to something like 70 or so with more to go. I was afraid to try to go out for several reasons. First would be the obvious, startling the bird and second would be I didn't know if I would have enough time. The last time one of these birds came it didn't stay long. It was a younger bird. This one got scared by a big truck and flew a hundred feet away but then walked back and started feeding again. I will post some of the in flight shots. I must say, my pictures don't do the wingspan justice. It actually got spooked twice so I do have a couple of angles. Stay tuned for updates.

Sink and mirror installed

The sink and mirror for the bath are installed. Found a small sink with wainscoting on it to match the lower part of the walls in the bath. The faucet matches the light fixture that came out of the hall bath upstairs and this faucet came with a handle selection. We haven't decided whether the white one on the left or the all metal look as on the right is t he correct one for this room. Open for suggestions. Doesn't mean they will be used but if the suggestion is made with a point of interest than it will definitely be used in are process of elimination. Go ahead and post your thoughts or call, if you know the number.