Christmas Morning 2018 Time-lapse

| December 25, 2018

Every tech-loving guy needs a subject for a new gizmo … my son-in-law Drew is no exception. He set up his new GoPro-like camera (gift from Katelyn) to time-lapse our Christmas morning. His effort was a little bit too fast for me to watch … so I stretched out the MP4 clip to last almost […]

Christmas 2018 project photos – a Maple Piggy Bank for Annalyn

| December 24, 2018

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Christmas prep and my iMac is still recovering from surgery

| December 15, 2018

Although Brenda and I are making steady progress in getting things ready for Christmas, the iMac surgery mentioned yesterday did not go as smoothly as planned, but at least I do have backups to rebuild things from. Currently the “way too many” cloud services that I’m using are working overtime as my Time Machine archive […]

The “looks like new” temporary second-hand spare tire arrived

| December 12, 2018

The final piece of converting our 2010 BMW X5 35d from run-flat tires to normal tires is now complete … a temporary spare. Unfortunately, I’ve lost much of my "under the rear floor" storage area (below), but have the security knowing that I have a spare tire and the tools to change it. The only […]

Security LED floodlights from the hardware store discount bin

| December 11, 2018

Who doesn’t fall for the “treasures” found in the hardware store discount bins? I’m always looking for a “good buy” when I’m walking through the hardware store … and such was the case in seeing this outdoor LED floodlight. The twin incandescent floodlights that were on the back of the pool house garage for security […]

Thinking about and planning another sewing project for 2019

| December 8, 2018

Read up a little bit more on upholstery last weekend while in Florida while thinking about a couple possible projects. I’m not sure about tackling something as big as a couch and loveseat (slideshow below), but perhaps a couple chair pillows and condo dining room chair cushions are do-able? My projects in the past have […]

BMW 528i Rear Window Seal and Variable Timing Solenoid

| December 5, 2018

My son Taylor has been putting off replacing the rear window seal on his 2008 BMW 528i for too long but before the snow starts again decided to come over after work to put it in. It was surprising that this task was easier than expected, considering just how much I dislike fiddling around with […]

Archive: Just a little condo rental prep and Encore upkeep

| December 3, 2018

Only one little piggy had a bad day down in Florida. It was unusual for me, but decided to wear the Sperry watershoes rather than leather boat shoes while working on Encore … basically just cleaning and getting her back to pre-hurricane prep form. Unfortunately we have not been sailing enough to justify even owning […]

As grandparents, what would we do without smartphones?

| November 30, 2018

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The snow is here, but the Pi cam still shows an autumn sky

| November 29, 2018

The weather has turned this week with temperatures in the 20s and our second snow in Cincinnati for winter 2018-19 (here’s first). My automated Raspberry Pi cam regularly tweets out a photo with this one still looking like an autumn sky … or perhaps winter since the sun looks pretty low in the southern sky? […]

Music Monday: Ooh La La, I wish that I knew what I know now

| November 26, 2018

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Happy Thanksgiving with an TBT memory from a few years ago

| November 22, 2018

This was probably not a Thanksgiving meal with my late mom and dad, but it was in the fall of 1987 and is a perfect #TBT memory. My daughter Katelyn was pretty close to her daughter Annalyn’s age and my brother Ron and Claire just engaged to be married. It seems like yesterday, but was […]

Granddaughter pleasure and driving with Waze GPS Navigation

| November 21, 2018

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Sidetracked again, this time added a drawing table drawer

| November 18, 2018

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Mid-November must be time to rake leaves in Ohio? #TBT

| November 15, 2018

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Pocket dust, the bane of micro plugs in our smartphones

| November 14, 2018

It is shocking just how much lint and dust can accumulate in the tiny holes and connectors of our smartphones. If you notice questionable connections and charging difficultly with your iPhone or Android phone your first look should be at the cord, plug and socket of your phone. In my case, the amount of lint […]

Phases of life – early retirement travel and in school already

| November 8, 2018

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Autumn chores and dinner for our Red Tailed Hawk

| November 5, 2018

It seems later in the season that usual to be just starting to rake leaves and get in a final mow before winter, but the weather was dry after a long stretch of rain, so chores for me it was. My back is now sore and contemplating taking an Advil as the muscle tighten. There […]

Catch up post – ZERO Trick or Treaters this year for Halloween

| November 3, 2018

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A couple last minute condo update improvements

| October 28, 2018

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Enjoyed a great week in Florida with Katelyn, Drew and Annalyn

| October 27, 2018

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This beautiful filler photo brings back mountain hiking memories

| October 21, 2018

Since I’m pre-occupied, a beautiful “daily post” filler photo that brings back memories of hiking in the Canadian Rockies or Glacier National Park in Montana works. Enjoy!

A catch-up International Space Station viewing post

| October 20, 2018

Earlier in October, as well as mid summer, I’ve been trying to get a better nighttime view of the International Space Station (ISS) passing over our house. It has been tracking overhead for the last few weeks an hour or so after the the sun set. The angle was such that our sky was completely […]

When it comes to dentistry, be glad you live in the 21st century

| October 17, 2018

There was a time we winced at dentistry pre-20th century (some still do today), but imagine going to an Egyptian dentist back in 2000BC or there about? Yikes! "Egyptians were very comfortable with and knowledgeable about the human body. Mummifying bodies required them to drain the blood and extract the organs leading to a basic […]

A little tool/chisel history that should remain in our family

| October 16, 2018

While sharpening my chisels and practicing my hand-cut joinery last weekend, I remembered that I added a "new to me" wood chisel to my tool roll when sorting tools from my late father-in-law’s barn. It was too large for the current project, but looks as if the steel might hold an edge better than my […]

The 4-cycle Troy-Bilt String trimmer is great, but …

| October 14, 2018

Eleven years ago I replaced my noisy 1980’s 2-cycle John Deere brand "heavy" string trimmer with a much quieter 4-cycle Troy Bilt trimmer (Pony TB465SS). Both were, and are, used heavily as I’ve always had acres of yard to tend. At first glance it was obvious that the John Deere "back in the day" was […]

What a good looking car – 1982 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel

| October 13, 2018

A friend from a Facebook group posted a 1982 Mercedes Benz advertisement with a W123 beauty – I thought it looked pretty close to my ‘82 MB 300D Turbodiesel. Nice! When the W123 went out of production in 1986 it had surpassed the Stroke Eight as the bestselling Mercedes-Benz with more than 2.5 million cars […]

Hurricanes and the stock market – duh, it’s October

| October 12, 2018

Q: Why am I not surprised to see U.S. stocks extend Wednesday’s ugly losses with more selling on Thursday? A: Because it is October! Well because the talking heads that “I listen to” point out just how strong our economy is and that corporate earnings are strong, consumer confidence high and the regulation and tax […]

ISS & FaceTime with Annalyn brightens an otherwise sour day

| October 11, 2018

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Practiced my first hand-cut dovetail #woodworking

| October 9, 2018

One would think that will all the years that I’ve been tinkering with tools and woodworking that surely I would have made a few "hand-cut" dovetails? Nope, I’ve always used a simpler joint for hand made projects or for bigger "repeat" projects opted for a router and dovetail jig — which was handmade by me […]

What kind of rodent and varmint traps do you prefer?

| October 7, 2018

Each year about this time, rodents and varmints are looking at our garage and house as a place to call home when the weather cools. So I’m usually trying to stay ahead of them by sealing up and keeping the garage doors closed more often (challenging when the weather is so nice). The bigger varmints […]

More compliments for Ridgid Gen5X lithium powered tools

| October 3, 2018

If you use your battery powered drills as much as I do and are suffering with something a bit older than a couple of years, it is time to check out the new lithium powered tools. I can’t tell you how pleased I am with both my slightly older Craftsman Drill and Impact driver and […]

Annalyn visiting with her Oma and Bompa – part two

| September 30, 2018

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Happily busy with our granddaughter Annalyn these past few days

| September 29, 2018

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Final touches and cleaning after condo kitchen remodeling

| September 25, 2018

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We are looking forward to a couple days with Annalyn

| September 22, 2018

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Catching up with archiving several family weekend photos

| September 12, 2018

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Oh happy day – a FaceTime with Annalyn and Katelyn

| September 6, 2018

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Building a couple of toddler vanity/toothbrushing stools

| September 4, 2018

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Music Monday with The Band from 1969 – Happy Labor Day!

| September 3, 2018

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A face only another shark can love … or maybe not?

| August 28, 2018

Just a couple of different #sharkshares this past week – they always make “attractive” photos for the blog! #NationalToothFairyDay Are we sure we want to celebrate this? pic.twitter.com/5jDE5Uf8Hd — Big Peg, Diva of the Sea (@MakoPeggy) August 22, 2018

Busy weekend … so here are a couple filler photos

| August 19, 2018

I thought these bear photos and stories were interesting …  but probably duped by the shocking images (the below is fake for the storyline). While looking for information on the photo below, I also came across the one above of a bicyclist trying to stay ahead of a bear in Alaska (probably fake too). Often […]

Margot Claire – 8/17/2018. Congrats to my niece Jackie and Ben

| August 18, 2018

Good news or more like great news! My niece Jackie had her first baby – a girl they named Margot Claire. Congratulations. Daddy Ben and Grandma Lynda probably have bigger smiles than Jax after just giving birth (at least that is what I’m imagining). So happy for them and to welcome a new healthy baby […]

Book and photo of WW2 bombs drop from a B-26 over Germany

| August 17, 2018

While monitoring a military history Twitter feed, decided to add this “bomb bay view” photo from the World War II bomber group my father-in-law flew with. He was the navigator for the 394th Bomb Group of Martin Marauder B-26s and flew nearly 50 bombing missions over Germany. They were known as the “Bridge Busters.” (Read […]

We all surprised Brenda to celebrate her 60th birthday

| August 13, 2018

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Distracted driving and a step closer to finishing the condo update

| August 11, 2018

Likely I’m not the best driver when it comes to not glancing at my phone in the car, but I am improving and in recent years am trying not to "read" or "text anything." Unfortunately we still have drivers who are "comfortable" (leg up???) with multi-tasking while driving. Ugh. I spent a few more days […]

Always great to see this view after a long drive back home

| August 10, 2018

It doesn’t matter if driving or flying (CVG), it is great to see the the Cincinnati city view when driving north on I-75/71 down the "cut-in-the-hill" and know that I’m almost home. What a great welcome … it almost has me singing this song – LINK.

Annalyn and potty training – the equipment has changed

| August 5, 2018

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With all the political animus, I debated this sticker on my cars

| August 2, 2018

Perhaps it is a sign of the times, but with all the political hate and violence over someone expressing their first amendment point of view, I had to second guess myself in wanting to add my NRA renewal stickers to my cars. In the end, I added them to the old Mercedes and BMW X5 […]

Fun and frustration rigging up an old Little Tikes swing

| July 22, 2018

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Storms and more storm in Ohio, but it sure looks nice up north

| July 22, 2018

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Our granddaughter is growing too fast and a shopping list

| July 17, 2018

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Looking back at to our early years of sailing Brenich #TBT

| July 12, 2018

While adding a photo to a post about Katelyn, Drew and Annalyn on Put In Bay earlier this week, I had a few more from our pre-kid days that might make for a good Throwback Thursday #TBT post. So here are a couple more sailing on Lake Erie from 1985 aboard Brenich our Baba 30. […]

Gender, asperations, family, careers and encouraging girls

| July 11, 2018

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Déjà vu for me, as my kids enjoyed the Lake Erie islands

| July 10, 2018

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When THIS is our Butler County sheriff on the 4th of July …

| July 7, 2018

When this is our Butler County sheriff on the 4th of July … … I know that I am living in the correct Ohio county! Sheriff Richard K. Jones

POTUS’s “Promises Made, Promises Kept” resonates with me

| July 5, 2018

Although Mt Wilber in Glacier National Park is beautiful (photo left, what a trip!), there is also something to be said for another beautiful thing … the signs behind President Trump at his Great Falls, Montana rally. Like the POTUS or hate him, he seems to be the rare politician working diligently to fulfill many […]

Taylor and his friends are pretty creative for July 4, 2018

| July 4, 2018

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Does a Lockeed SR-71 Blackbird call AAA for a tow?

| June 28, 2018

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird The SR-71 was designed for flight at over Mach 3 with a flight crew of two in tandem cockpits, with the pilot in the forward cockpit and the reconnaissance systems officer operating the surveillance systems and equipment from the rear cockpit, and directing navigation on the mission flight path. The SR-71 was […]

The power of a photo, no matter how manipulated or misleading

| June 24, 2018

While there is no doubt the "fabricated" Time magazine cover photo has impact and tugs at everyone’s heartstrings, the deeper story represents far more than the current illegal immigration debate over separating children from those who bring them across the U.S.-Mexican border, whether with parents, relatives or traffickers. ("fabricated" in that the photo is obviously […]

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.
My Desultory Blog