My Desultory Blog

RichC | December 7, 2019

One of the most impactful photos for me on Pearl Harbor Day is one we took while watching the oil still rising to the surface from the USS Arizona while visiting the memorial. It was a solemn visit and moving time for us, decades after the surprise attack by Japan on December 7th 1945. As […]

Category: History, Memories, Misc, Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: hawaii, memorial, pearl harbor, remember, roosevelt, uss arizona, war, ww2

RichC | 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 […]

Category: Automotive, BMW, Diesel | No Comments »
Tags: automotive, balancer, black friday, BMW, diesel, engine, fluidampr, harmonic, maintenance, parts, repair, sale, tunemyeuro.com, x5 35d

RichC | December 5, 2019

While searching for a photo of an accident when a helicopter landed in our backyard, I ran across a photo of one of the “tools” I miss the most: a Bobcat 743 purchased when we built our house back in 1995-96. I did the same thing with a more powerful tractor besides our John Deere […]

Category: Archive, Diesel, Memories, Personal, Photos, TBT, Tools | No Comments »
Tags: bobcat, brenda, building, cvs.com, diesel, ford 800, forklift, homes, house, richc, skid steer, skidsteer, soma.com, TBT, throwback, tool, tootsie, tractor, yard

RichC | December 4, 2019

This is when you know you need a mouse or RatZapper…  

Category: Human Interest, Humor, Video | No Comments »
Tags: cat, Humor, mouse, mousetrap, mp4, rat, rattrap, trap, zapper

RichC | 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 […]

Category: Archive, Misc, Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: coffee, garage, home, house, maintenance, mudroom, paint, painting, remodel, selfie, steps, treads, updates, warmer

RichC | December 2, 2019

Thanksgiving dinner with the Corbett, Oostra and Ankrom familes (click for high res) It is nice to have a few holiday rituals and for us, it is a Thanksgiving family feast with my brother and his family. Brenda, in particular, has now fully taken over the setting of a nice decorative table with all the […]

Category: Archive, Holiday, Memories, Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: ankrom, brother, corbett, dining room, dinner, family, food, ham, Holiday, oostra, schnieders, table, thanksgiving, turkey

RichC | December 1, 2019

Likely too busy to post something … but this is mesmerizing (I wish I had this kind of TIG welding skill!)

Category: Misc, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: ani, filler, gif, tig, welding