My mom’s Jenny Lind bed will be Annalyn’s BIG bed someday
Posted By RichC on February 1, 2019
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A bit of my family legacy and our history found through tools
Posted By RichC on January 31, 2019
In my workshop there is a spot on the wall behind dad’s small drill press and my router table for old tools. As mentioned before, I use Brenda’s dads’ dental tools regularly and have put a few of DadH’s woodworking tools on the wall – it is too bad I passed on the dental chair. I suspect most of the tools were Brenda’s maternal grandfathers’ as he was a craftsman originally from Sweden who immigrated to the U.S. and ended up in Jamestown, New York building furniture. A coupleof the wood chisels I still use regularly … while others I’ve given to Drew and Taylor (tool stools) – most though have found a spot on my “tool legacy wall” (A few tricks of the trade can only be learned or shared on a blog). 
As for my side of the family, my dad had quite a few tools as well. Many of his were of the machine tool and electrical variety and a few have found their way into my inherited toolbox (below). A couple items were mentioned before, like the small drill press and the old Triplett meter – part of my dad’s 44 year career 
with Haughton Elevator and Schindler Elevator. Although he lived across the street (current Streetview of his childhood house & corn where DadC’s father’s service station was) and worked in Toledo until 1973, he retired from the electrical division in Sidney, Ohio (here’s 2008 newspaper story about the Toledo Haughton Elevator – PDF).
A couple other items recently added next to the “legacy tool wall” was a drill bit shelf by using one of my dad’s old wooden finger joint parts boxes. While doing this, I decided to add my Fostner bits and a few measuring instruments; they are often used to measure my unmarked drill bits.
What was interesting to me was to noticing for the first time, my grandfather, Earl Daniel Corbett’s name scribbled on the box. Not only did my dad “likely” inherit this boxed machinist micrometer from his father, but very likely he inherited it from HIS father-in-law, Frank Henry Hirth (see name in photo below). Anyway, I found this desultory information blogworthy.
It is cold and windy. Another layer of warm clothes please.
Posted By RichC on January 30, 2019
An ani-gif of our Canary driveway cam early Wednesday Morning – 1/30/2019
The … dare I say a hated and banished phrase … “polar vortex” has swooped down from the north and frozen everything. It is brutally cold, but then it is winter.
Schools, of course, are closed and even mail delivery in Cincinnati has been suspended. It reminds me that this is the time of year that it would be nice to be sailing where it is warm. What is wrong with us … or this guy from 12 years ago?
Time mellows the moment – The Great Christmas Tree Disaster
Posted By RichC on January 30, 2019
In an old spinnaker (sail) from our Thistle, I finally hauled out our larger than usual Christmas tree this past week. It was then that I realized I had neglected to archive the “Great Christmas Tree Disaster of 2018” story from December. Hm, how could I have forgotten … likely for the same embarrassing reason I didn’t post about my careless bumping the BMW X5 35d into a brick wall – 
photo below (parts/paint have been ordered). In the case of the Christmas tree disaster, Brenda and I have decided we are both to blame – but there is no escaping who is to blame for driving the car into the wall – sadly, that’s 100% my fault … but here’s the full Christmas tree disaster story:
Taylor and I (the men) have always been tasked with getting our yearly Christmas tree; it was cutting and hauling our Charlie Brown tree from Mom and DadH’s Green House, then farmhouse property, in the early years … and then picking one out and hauling home after sleuthing the local places after we moved to Cincinnati. Taylor always seem to apply the “bigger is better” principle, while I usually factored in the value vs dollar equation … which to my defense, didn’t always mean a “smaller tree.” Over the years, the duty finding the “perfect tree” became mine alone … although recently I’ve detected criticism: “Dad/Rich, the tree is too small” from Taylor and Brenda.
But not this year. This year, I splurged for a near perfect 15 foot Norwegian Spruce that according to both Brenda and Taylor, my biggest critics, “it was perfect.” 
Perfect meaning that it was big enough, full enough, nicely shaped enough and fresh enough to last until December 25th and beyond. I’ll admit, it was partially due to the scarcity of nice trees as well as knowing Annalyn would be here.
So, after hauling the tree home in the trailer, I shook the tree out, trimmed the trunk making my regular crisscross, tic-tac-toes cuts and the drilled a center hole for the tree stand. It stood straight and was so well balanced (key point), in fact so much so that I had no fear of it falling over when standing it up in the heated garage to acclimate.
In early December, Taylor just happened to be coming over in order to put the rear window seal in his car. He was able to help me haul the tree into the house. The rear door to our house is a tight squeeze for such a large tree, which is even more challenging when removing the dry and stiff tree after Christmas. This year I cut off the longer limbs before wrapping it up to go thru the door – it was still a tight fit. After we set the tree up in the house, it was time to get Brenda’s final approval for position and exact rotation (I suspect husbands understand the “every angle must be looked at” – it is as if they are trying on clothes).
Once set, it was my task to put on the lights, and then more lights. At this point I USUALLY add a couple safety wires or at least some heavy monofilament line … just to be sure the tree doesn’t shift. Again, this tree was PERFECT and so well balance that I wasn’t in the least bit worried. It was a BIG mistake – doomsday approached.
The task of putting on the majority of ornaments and hydration was now Brenda’s (we do some together). She concocted her “witch’s brew” 
of some kind of hot blue liquid that she claims keeps the tree fresh and filled up the large base (admittedly our trees do seem to remain softer and hold their needles longer than I remember). The decorating was going great … and the tree looked fabulous. THEN … Brenda applied the Martha Stewart idea of wrapping the trunk in a spiral fashion from trunk to the top with a big wide ribbon. This was not a problem at the base, but when only working inside the tree as she got halfway up (said she wasn’t climbing in the tree, hm?). Thankfully she was not up on the ladder yet, BUT the wrapping and pulling on the ribbon caused the tree to tip … at first, she said “it was just a little creak,” but within seconds … TIMBER! Down it came falling on top of her, the couch and dumping the full pan of “witch’s brew” all over the floor. Lights, ornaments and decorations were everywhere; some glass ones were broken yet Brenda (thankfully was unhurt) managed to scramble to unplug the lights. It hardly needs to be said, but clean-up was not fun … and neither was untangling and setting up the tree all over again – this time with the “normal” safety wires. Later, I had nightmares thinking, “this could have really been bad” … remembering Brenda’s life-altering 2015 ladder and pine tree trimming incident. (more…)
The Super Bowl and tech humor shared by a Facebook friend
Posted By RichC on January 29, 2019
Just another "Patriots are in the Super Bowl" year again. Whoop-de-do.
Scott Bilik and I have been Internet “tech” friends for a long time … and humorously is my Twitter “Godfather.” He has suffered his share of heartache having lost his wife Michelle to cancer in 2013, but remains strong in his faith and marches ahead as a great dad for his 5 kids. He is also was Volkswagen TDI guy, so what’s not to respect?
Scott regularly includes me on his close friends and family Facebook posts which usual include lighthearted geeky humor, as he’s an engineer for Qualcomm. I shared one the other day with Brenda as she always asks me how Scott is doing … and like all women, “wonders if he has met anyone?”
While were on the subject of programmer, software engineer or server admin humor, here’s sudo joke from Scott as we approach Valentine’s Day. I suspect only those familiar with “command line and computer coding” will understand the graphic below … or my “Root, root, root … for the home team” comment back to Scott since we are only few days from Super Bowl. He lives a few miles outside of Boston and once again has a team to “root” for this year (a Patriots fan, how disgusting – same for my regular reader and friend Tim Hunter, also a tech guy. What’s wrong with them???).
By the way Superbowl LIII will be between the New England Patriots (again) and the Los Angeles Rams (questionable winners over the New Orleans Saints). I can’t say I really care this year.
“Poor Packard” – the old Detroit plant continues to degrade
Posted By RichC on January 28, 2019
It seems there is no end to suffering in the rustbelt when it comes to legacy automotive companies like Packard. The deteriorating Detroit plant which has seen years of neglect saw one more nail pounded into its coffin … the crosswalk collapsed and was cleaned up in January 2019 (photos above). The iconic name and plant continues to find a way to make it into the news … besides owning back taxes!
A depressing, yet artistic, video story from the Detroit Free Press below.
Miter Saw workbench project and things we take for granted
Posted By RichC on January 27, 2019
After finally removing my built-in radial arm saw from my workbench, I was able to rework the area attached to my workbench in order to fit my “somewhat new” 12” Hitachi Miter Saw. With this new sliding miter saw, I no longer have a need for bulky power tool duplication, and as a workshop accumulates “stuff,” 
space becomes a premium. Not to worry, I’m going to cut new base and sacrificial material for the 10” radial arm saw and set it up for Drew in hope it serves him as well as it did me.
The final steps in completing the miter saw’s new home was the dust box fabric surround. It is probably overkill, but I used some leftover Sunbrella from my generator project (started – finished) and Encore’s bimini patches with some sewing in cording and bungee cord stretch for cutting at angles. I’m not sure it does all that much to reduce dust, but along with the dust collection that plugs in where the bag usually hangs, I should help a little bit … at least it did for my radial arm saw.
2019 Figure Skating Championships in Detroit & Annalyn photos
Posted By RichC on January 26, 2019
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Sooner or later a close call with a drone will be too close
Posted By RichC on January 25, 2019
As more and more federal employees decide they aren’t going to continue to work without a paycheck, the focus has shifted to the unpaid in the Coast Guard, TSA and Air Traffic Control. Air travel has now moved front and center as the “shutdown-standoff” continues (the Senate is at least negotiating).
Flyers are feeling it in larger airports where the TSA worker shortage has been slowing down commercial aviation and irritating travelers. The thought of screeners being overworked and not paying attention leads me to think about other safety issues — close calls with drones and a bird-like strike of a wing of an aircraft. Sooner or later one is going to make contact.
No matter who in the Federal government you blame – President Trump, Speaker Pelosi or a combination of our elected leaders – their unwillingness to work together and negotiate is frustrating (its a debate that has very little to do with border security and everything to do with politics). I wonder that with the focus on our southern border and the felons, human traffickers, drug smugglers and terrorist crossing the border mixed with illegals from Central America and Mexico just seeking a better life, what about our lax security in other areas due to the shutdown?
Tech Friday: A virtual assistant showing a little humor
Posted By RichC on January 25, 2019
It won’t be long before virtual assistants end up in our car … question is, which one will it be? (from what I’m seeing as of 2019, it would be Amazon’s Alexa).
Currently Amazon has definitely taken the lead in our home as the affordable Echo Dots are now throughout our house. I … well “we” … use Alexa daily for a variety of simple tasks associated with home automation 
such as controlling the lights and TV, checking weather and playing music. I find myself saying her name accidentally even when talking to my Apple iPhone (although about all Siri does for me anymore is set a timer). This past week when I mistakenly addressed my phone incorrectly, Siri sarcastically commented, “very funny, Rich” as if realizing Apple, and to a lesser extent Google, have fallen behind in the virtual assistant race. Still, I appreciated the humor, even though I’d rather see a little more effort from into Apple into refining their products and working on the next big thing … whatever that might be. Personally I always thought they would simplify and refine the television … but they seem to have fallen asleep in putting their creative and simplification touch on that $1000 must have product … the window is closing?
Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee
- lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
- digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.