A daughter changing her VW’s air filter makes me smile!

| March 13, 2024

My daughter Katelyn’s driving habits are reminiscent of both her mom and dad — long commutes and a lot of driving. With those longer than normal commutes comes higher than normal miles on cars … and attention to maintenance. Being a smart owner of her 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan, she sees to it that her VW […]

Maintaining server, blog and updating WordPress 6.4.3

| January 31, 2024

Full back up of MyDesultoryBlog.com and updated WordPress. Maintenance and Security Releases Version 6.4.3 addressed some security issues and fixed 21 bugs. For more information, see the release notes. Version 6.4.2 addressed a security issue and fixed 7 bugs. For more information, see the release notes. Version 6.4.1 addressed 4 bugs. For more information, see […]

Replacement parts headache for our Kubota ZD326 mower

| January 4, 2024

The LOW QUALITY, inexpensive replacement parts being sold these days is starting to irritate me; it is becoming a pet peeve. I have not notice this as much when purchasing OEM replacement part from the tractor dealerships or even for cars when it comes to big branded automotive part stores. Long gone are the days […]

Home Repairs: Toilets, Refrigerator shelf, Roof and Soffits

| January 2, 2024

With the slower than usual week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, I opted to work on a few home repair projects … really notice the toilet problems when the family was here over Christmas. I ordered a valve repair kit for the media/game room toilet in the basement and a new flapper set-up for […]

Archive: Leftover photos from closing pool and cleaning filters

| September 27, 2023

It is that time of year … Autumn is here and the leaves are starting to fall. I cut the lawn and closed the pool last weekend, hopefully before the bulk of the leaves started to fill up the pool. The weather has been nice and just the right temperature for yardwork.  BUT … I […]

Kubota ZD326 zero-turn mower repaired and semi-serviced

| August 9, 2023

Fifteen years for a diesel mower in my book is not old, but it does seem to be about the time for parts to wear and repairs to start (or continue). Last week was the second time that I’ve had to replace the fuel pump on our Kubota ZD326s zero-turn mower.  The Kubota has been […]

Repairing broken WP to Twitter API (plus #video)

| June 1, 2023

This is a lunchtime test post after the WP to Twitter API broken in mid-May 2023 (last @mydesultoryblog to Twitter was on May 19th). If all goes well, this will automate a tweet when a new post is generated as before.  For the fun of it, here is the latest trending video on the news […]

Replaced the 5-6 year old battery in the 2010 Acura RDX

| February 4, 2023

After 5 or 6 years, a car batteries no matter their indicated warranties, lose some of their cold cranking amps (CCA). If I were a “maintenance-focused only kind of guy,” I’d probably just replace batteries every 5 years rather than waiting forthem to fail. BUT … as usual … I wait until the winter when […]

Weekend BMW X5 35d Eurol Oil 5W-30 and Filter changes

| October 26, 2022

Last Saturday’s project was some overdue maintenance on what was a very nice day her in SW Ohio. The temps were warm at 77 degrees and the sky clear. I took the opportunity to start draining the oil in the BMW X5 35d with 195K miles in the morning, then drove the Mercedes 300d Turbodiesel […]

Changing the 2010 BMW X5 35’s oil is getting very expensive

| October 21, 2022

With inflation raging and oil prices sky high, opting for the most premium synthetic oil is no longer and option for my aging 2010 BMW X5 35d diesel. I’ve been using Ravenol and usually do my own oil and filter changes and although self-changing the oil on a premium diesel model is still better done […]

Keeping the economy going by buying more stuff: Wood glue, sanding drums, Kubota maintenance items and grass seed

| April 12, 2022

While ordering Titebond III glue in the 16 oz size (best choice for wood glue) from Walmart.com ($7.98) instead of Amazon, who happened to only have other sizes and bulk packaging (although gone is $67 Prime shipping), I needed to add another item to my order to avoid the shipping charges. The Kubota ZD326 zero-turn […]

Expensive maintenance: Let the pool opening repairs begin

| April 10, 2022

We have put off replacing the pool tiles long enough as I’ve long ago burned through the spare tiles and have made repairs and replaced the damaged tiles so far myself, but there is only so much that can be done to salvage what still exists. It is time … or as most rational people […]

Brakes for both the Acura RDX and BMW X5 35d last weekend

| December 14, 2021

Looking at the rear brake wear on Brenda’s 2010 Acura RDX is not a sign that I’ve been taking good care of her car, but she did mention her brakes were squealing a bit last month. By the time I got around to ordering brakes and discs for both the dual-piston fronts and rears, it […]

The cooler weather has us enjoying working in the backyard

| October 2, 2021

As summer turned to autumn, Brenda and I found ourselves enjoying a few more evenings and weekends walking around and working in the backyard. Last week it was cleaning up “the mound” (although we have a few) and getting it ready for winter. I dug out some deeper rooted plants that had spread and planted […]

Tech Friday: An update to WordPress and added spam security

| September 10, 2021

In the never ending battle to thwart spam and fill WordPress and server vulnerabilities, a few new tools were added this week to MyDesultoryBlog.com. This security and maintenance release features 60 bug fixes in addition to 3 security fixes. Because this is a security release, it is recommended that you update your sites immediately. All […]

Archive: Labor Day 2021 Iron Fence and Gate Painting

| September 7, 2021

It was a home maintenance project that has been done before, but I’m still not fond of wire-brushing and repainting railings, our iron fence or rear gate … but since there was time at home this past Labor Day weekend, the project was started and finally finished. Besides digging out the rock at the base […]

Replaced a failed sump pump check valve after heavy rains

| June 26, 2021

Last weekend we had thunderstorms and tornado warning that dumped buckets of rain in our area. Thankfully no damage or serious flooding, but I did check on the sump and backyard pumps … I even added my spare pump to the pit in order to keep the water that builds up in the retention area […]

Tech Friday: A housekeeping update and WordPress 5.7.2

| May 14, 2021

MyDesultoryBlog.com was overdue for a backup and since I stepped away early from my desk on Thursday, I figured the end of the day was a good time to sync online and offline storage (the backups make for a sluggish computer and data connection). Besides backing up data, it also seemed like a good time […]

Flowers, some Kubota service and waking up the Packard Hawk

| May 11, 2021

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Encore diesel repair and last minute haul out in February 2021

| February 27, 2021

This past week was a semi-rushed haul out week for Encore in Florida. I headed south for 3 days of work on the “running hot” Volvo diesel auxiliary, as my assumption was that the heat exchanger was plugged up/calcified and needed to be taken off and cleaned (something I’ve never done). I met a friend […]

Time for another BMW X5 35d oil, filter and air filter change

| September 23, 2020

The weather has been just perfect for evenings in the garage or outside, so it is a good time to be checking off a couple of to-do list items – it was enjoyable. Although I’ve been slightly overdue for an oil change, the Ravenol oil I have been using is high quality synthetic oil so […]

John Deere 330 maintenance and a few photos from a friend

| May 19, 2020

As mentioned on Sunday, the delayed Amazon shipment of the Kubota fuel pump set my maintenance and repair plans back a bit, but I did get around to replacing the previously substituted fuel filter in the John Deere 330. We mostly use the old John Deere diesel tractor for trailer duty (and snowblowing), but ever […]

Experiencing website issues – an update is planned

| May 6, 2020

Today’s post serves as a test … since I’m having a few webserver and database problems. If you are a regular reader, this will also be a notice that this blog will likely be sporadic until it is fixed. Once my business sites are updated, then I’ll address my long-in-the-tooth (see below) Quickdex project site and […]

A trip to Florida so that Encore could function on 12 volts again

| January 30, 2020

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A Fluidampr Harmonic Balancer for the BMW X5 35d

| December 6, 2019

One of the engine components known to fail prematurely on BMW diesels is the weighty harmonic balancers on the 6 cylinder crank shafts. Perhaps the park is designed with the vibration rubber material that degrades or perhaps it is just the constant hammering of the diesel engine that is hard on the original design? In […]

Updates: Mudroom painting, steps treads and a coffee warmer

| December 3, 2019

The more time I spend in the basement workshop, the more I enjoy having my coffee with me and “warm.” Usually I just use an insulated stainless steel coffee container, but lately I’ve gone back to a ceramic cup so it can easily go into the microwave for warming. When sidetracked by projects or working […]

Enjoying a nice drive, good weather and undeserved friendship

| September 22, 2019

Made my favorite “good weather” drive this past week on I-40 through Tennessee and North Carolina (photo above) and visited my undeserved friends Mark and Dar Jones who recently moved to a new townhouse outside of Savannah, Georgia. What a comfortable place for both of them … offering “walk-ability” for Dar with her limited eyesight […]

Falling back on fiberglass and autobody skills for house repairs

| July 30, 2019

The summer of 2019 around our house has meant more repairs and maintenance updates than usual. This means weekends have been busy with house projects and in also finding and hiring help to complete the updates that are too overwhelming for this one “aging” guy to handle on his own (although my 60th birthday celebrations […]

Server problem test post – Blood Moon for January 2019

| January 21, 2019

It has been a morning of computer server problems after updating Certbot on one of my Linux servers in order to keep the Let’s Encrypt certificates updating properly (the email warning below). For customers on Consolidated Printing and Publishing servers, there will not be a problem as the certs are commercial … but for my […]

The 2010 BMW X5 35d has a new set of tires to start winter

| December 6, 2018

The set of run flat tires on the 2010 BMW X5 35d were pushed about a long as I dare … since even my “risk tolerate” son said, “Dad, you really need to get those tires replaced before the snow.” He is right of course since I lecture him about “good tires being cheap insurance.” […]

A new Hunter outdoor ceiling fan after 20 years from the other

| June 21, 2018

Last weekend I notice one of the ceiling fans was no longer working … we could have used it with temperatures in the 90s – hey, it’s summer weather and to be expected in Cincinnati. Anyway, after taking apart the old Hunter fan, I could tell the inside was “growly” which indicated some corrosion. I […]

The BMW X5 35d diesel is set for another 15K

| May 16, 2018

The BMW X5 35d hit 170,000 miles and that meant it was overdue for an oil change. The last change was also the high end imported Ravenol, but required an extra quart about 4000 miles ago. I suppose that is par for the course now that this diesel is 8 years old? Nevertheless, I do […]

Twice rebuilt AO Smith pool pump motor is chattering again

| July 29, 2017

It is that time again … the pool pump motor is chattering and popping breakers. That is a likely indication that the bearings are worn and it is time to recondition or rebuild the electric motor. I’ve had pretty good luck the last couple of rebuilds, but this time I’m opting on ordering a new […]

It is always a nightmare when servers go down

| April 20, 2017

My apology for ignoring the blog these last couple of days, but duty calls when servers and networks go down for my clients … yes, for MyDesultoryBlog too. I’m red-eyed and frazzled, but hopefully by the end of the weekend all will return to normal on new hardware, but we’ll see as the tweaks continue.

Testing your car battery with only a simple voltage meter

| February 10, 2017

Great how-to YouTube video from ChrisFix on testing your car battery with a simple voltage meter.

Time for some Whitlock Pedestal Steering gear maintenance

| February 4, 2017

Spent a few days aboard Encore by myself this week doing a little (very little) needed maintenance. It’s amazing how "just sitting" is a killer for aging a sailboat! That’s not to say I’m ready to let her go, just that I need to give her more attention. One of the projects was to disassemble […]

Changing a cabin air filter in an older Honda Odyssey minivan

| October 22, 2016

My daughter took her "leased" Juke into the Nissan dealership in Minnesota for a $25 oil change and while it was in the service bay, the service department recommended she do a few additional maintenance items totaling $1200 … "but we can do it all today for a flat $1000" (don’t you just love it […]

Roses are red, natural gas pipes are grey

| September 26, 2016

Really just an excuse to post a beginning of autumn photo of roses from the flower beds … but for semi-straggly looking Knockout Roses, they add a bit of color to the greenery around our house. Actually I was painting the natural gas pipes on both the house and poolhouse as they were starting to […]

Monthly Maintenance: All Charged Up

| July 16, 2016

Use these tips for properly charging and monitoring AGM batteries to maximize their efficiency, output and lifespan. Source: Monthly Maintenance: All Charged Up

Maintenance on my old Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel

| April 26, 2016

Since I’ve been driving the 1982 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel most of the late winter and spring this year, I’ve been racking up the miles and am due for a full fluid and filter change. Tonight was the night and after 4 filters (2 fuel, 1 oil and 1 air) and 8 quarts of oil, […]

More to go … but recent evenings have been great for yardwork

| April 26, 2016

  Our lawn has never looked greener than this year (above, although cloudy in the photo) even if the landscaping and general cleanup leaves a lot to be desired. Which reminds me, we have a lot to do before calling it summer, but for now just getting the limbs and fallen trees cleaned up is […]

8 Ways to Maintain a Clean, Lean Ubuntu Machine

| March 29, 2016

Once in a while, you may want to do some maintenance on your Ubuntu machine and clean up unnecessary files that are chunking up large storage space in your hard disk. Here are 8 ways that you can use to clean up your Ubuntu[…] Source: 8 Ways to Maintain a Clean, Lean Ubuntu Machine – […]

Repairing the AC on the BMW X5 35d in the middle of winter

| February 10, 2016

My timing is probably not the best considering the temperature is in the teens this week, but since the BMW X5 35d is in the shop, I’m addressing as many “squawks” as possible. One of the known issues was that the air conditioning wasn’t working (paid less for the vehicle) … so after checking the […]

Thoughts on my Honda Pilot and a check engine light

| April 17, 2014

I’ve been plagued off and on over the past few years with a check engine light that the computers say indicates cylinder misfiring. It seems to come and go, to the point I begin to ignore it until someone points it out again. A few years ago, I suspected that I might have had a […]

Productive day of maintenance with a few setbacks

| November 10, 2013

I spend most of today in the “spacious engine room” (that’s a joke BTW) working on basic diesel auxiliary maintenance. The aging 27 year old diesel has worked hard most of it’s life pushing our Westerly Corsair II around the world bit by bit. Just as with most older gals, Encore no longer measures beauty […]

Continued maintenance and repairs on the Mercedes 300D

| June 23, 2013

Since I’m on a car repair roll at the moment, I’ll continue to update the condition of my 1982 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel. It has come apart this weekend primarily to set the clearances for the valves, something that has to be done regularly and manual as this is a pre-hydraulic valve adjusting kind of […]

VW TDI owners: Be sure to regularly clean your snowscreen

| December 31, 2012

One of the pleasures of life is tinkering with my favorite little diesel car … the Volkswagen TDI. My daughter’s Jetta TDI is “parked” in our driveway this weekend while she is in Iowa meeting her fiancé’s family — parked, cough, cough. With Sunday off, I was able to doing a little “needed” maintenance on […]

Encore displays her naked bottom for all to see

| October 11, 2012

After years of sanding/grinding paint off of boat bottoms, I've opted to have Encore stripped by professional soda blasted. In part due to limited time and the need to open up some gel coat blistering … and in part due to the hassle with the environmental prep requirements involved with stripping the paint on my […]

Needed maintenance has me really wanting improvements

| September 18, 2012

An article on “do-it-yourself” home improvement ideas for empty-nesters caught my eye since we’re at a place where updates and repairs are on my mind. I currently need to work on the pool tiles before closing, painting is an ongoing update and I know our AC and furnace are showing signs of age … unfortunately […]

Honda Pilot scheduled for more maintenance

| January 5, 2011

With decreasing fuel economy, part cold weather perhaps, I’m going to try and get my 2006 Honda Pilot looked at again. Last month I opted for some expensive spark plugs and a reset of the check engine light fault, but this month I think I’ll also do a belated timing belt change. It’s not an […]

Misfires, fuel efficiency drop and check engine lights

| December 4, 2010

My 2006 Honda Pilot has been rock solid for 120,000+ miles, but it looks like all good things come to an end and it might be time for some overdue maintenance. Oh, I’ve done the routine stuff, but I have neglected to replace the plugs at about 100K and haven’t tackled the belts including the […]

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
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