Another Year

The end of the year is upon us.  And it has been a year of change for The Fuzz.  Probably the biggest change has been retiring from his job of 33+ years with the city.  And what may have seemed a simple thing, is really not so simple.

The Fuzz is still dealing with this.  Before, his life was pretty much planned out for him.  But now...

Not to get the wrong idea here, he has plenty of things to keep him busy.  He has taken on a few more things around the house, notably- the laundry.  This has been a learning experience, he didn't realize it could get so complicated!  And of course there are the usual things, yard work, firewood, etc.  There has been more time for Motorcycling as well.  And there is that ongoing project of the Shed. 

And there is more time to spend with His Sweetie, which has necessitated some adjustments on her part as well.  But all in all, this has been a good thing.  As the Good Book says*, "Iron sharpens iron".

And so another year passes, and we look forward to the adventure that will come to us.

*"As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." (Proverbs 27:17)

Christmas Travel

One advantage of going north for Christmas is a better chance for that illusive, (in North Carolina) White Christmas.

But When The Fuzz and all woke Christmas Day, here it was.  Of course we're not talking blizzard here, but it was a nice touch.

The Fuzz and His Sweetie had a pleasant morning walk in this winter wonderland.

And besides, who actually wants a blizzard, especially when they are a long way from home?

The Fuzz had traveled north though the mountains.  This avoided most of those unpleasant cities with their nasty traffic.  But with winter storms imminent, The Fuzz bit the bullet and headed home on that infamous

I-95.

It was snowy-slushy-icy at Washington.  So it was not a good time to visit the zoo, and The Fuzz continued on southward, hoping to get out of this mess.

At Richmond, traffic came to a standstill, and there was plenty of time to admire this cool looking bridge.

And then, many hours later, there was this welcomed sight.

There was still a good bit of driving left, but they made it home safe and sound.

All in all, it was a good Christmas visit.

White Christmas?

This year, The Fuzz, His Sweetie and the Young Daughter are visiting family a bit further north then their Home in the Woods.

And it looks like this could be a White Christmas.

Here's a shot of the situation late afternoon on Christmas eve.

The Fuzz would like to wish every body a

Very Merry Christmas! 

40 Years!

The Fuzz and His Sweetie 40 years ago on this special day!

"Equipment Failure" Revisited

You may remember how things were not going well for The Fuzz in the laundry room.  Well, the part that he was waiting for did come in.  And so it was installed.  this was a surprisingly simple procedure.

Of course the The Fuzz would have to get in to the "guts" of the thing this time.  

But no problem!

Notice how these simple clips can be removed with a screwdriver.

This enables the whole cover to be tilted away from the "guts".

Here's a look at the old and new together.

Installation was simply a mater of slipping the new water inlet valve's tabs into slots in the back of the machine.  And then hooking up the water hoses.

The machine is working, even now at this moment.  But The Fuzz (ever the pessimist) couldn't help wondering if he had replaced parts unnecessarily.  But then His Sweetie pointed out that this view of things only robs one of the joy of having an operating washer again.

And of course, she is right.

The Christmas Tree Thing

The Fuzz used to be a purist about this Christmas Tree thing.  One just did not put it up until Christmas Eve Day!

But over the years they have worn him down.

So, here it is.

"Equipment Failure" in the Laundry Room

So what's that Fuzz been up to lately.  Well, really not that much.  But sometimes stuff happens.

Since he has given up the Garbage Business, at least on the previous scale, he's been involved in the laundry business- at least on the private level.

Unfortunately laundry equipment is also prone to "equipment failure".

But of course Our Fuzz's Motto is "I can fix that- Let me get my tools".

So here is a pix of the current situation.

Things started out with the thing quitting in mid-cycle.  It would fill, wash, drain and spin.  But then nada, zip, etc.  Our resourceful Fuzz managed to rinse that load by recycling into "wash", with no soap.  But then the thing died completely.  Various checks were made, and The Fuzz reluctantly concluded that the timer (A) was dead.

So a new one was ordered.  And the next afternoon installed.  
(Which was actually a piece of cake, thanks to You Tube*.  This thing was well designed for repairs.  Unfortunately, it needs them!)  

The Fuzz watched happily as the washer, with it's brand new timer, went enthusiastically back to work.  Unfortunately his joy only lasted till the rinse cycle.  

With the clothes piling up, The Fuzz and His Sweetie were forced to resort to the Laundromat. 

But now, a brand new water inlet thingy (at B) is on order.  It may even come today!

The Fuzz promises to keep all posted on these exciting developments.

*A great tool!

Zero Tolerance

"An AutoZone worker who stopped an armed robbery by retrieving a weapon from his truck said he was fired by the company for violating their gun policy."

Does this make any sense ?

Christmas Oi

With Christmas on the way, We got out the stack of Chrismas CDs.  The Fuzz's hearing is not so good any more, so he has a hard time getting the lyrics to a lot of songs.  But he thought he'd share these with y'all.

From "A Very Special Christmas 3"

No Doubt: Oi To The World Lyrics

Haji was a punk just like any other boy 

And he never had no trouble till he started up his Oi band 

Safe in the garage or singing in the tub 

Till Haji went too far and he plugged in at the pub 

'Twas a cold Christmas eve when Trevor and the skins 

Popped in for a pint and to nick a back of crisps 

Trevor liked the music but not the unity 

He unwound Haji's turban and he knocked him to his knees 

If God came down on Christmas Day 

I know exactly what he'd say 

He'd say "Oi to the punks and Oi to the skins 

But Oi to the world and everybody wins" 

Haji was a bloody mess, he ran out through the crowd 

He said "We'll meet again we are bloody but not unbowed" 

Trevor called his bluff and told him where to meet 

Christmas Day on the roof down at 20 Oxford Street 

If God came down on Christmas Day 

I know exactly what he'd say 

He'd say "Oi to the punks and Oi to the skins 

But Oi to the world and everybody wins" 

On the roof with the nun chucks Trevor broke a lot of bones 

But Haji had a sword like that guy in Indiana Jones 

Police sirens wailing, a bloody dying man 

Haji was alone and abandoned by his band 

Trevor was there fading and still so full of hate 

When the skins left him there and went down the fire escape 

(Oi, Oi) 

And then Haji saw the north star shining more then ever 

So he made a tourniquet from his turban saving Trevor 

They repelled down the roof with the rest of the turban 

And went back to the pub where they bought each other bourbon 

If God came down on Christmas Day 

I know exactly what he'd say 

He'd say "Oi to the punks and Oi to the skins 

But Oi to the world and everybody wins" 

If God came down on Christmas Day 

I know exactly what he'd say 

He'd say "Oi to the punks and Oi to the skins 

But Oi to the world and everybody wins" 

(Oi, Oi)

Kinda sweet song, ain't it. 

[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/n/no+doubt/oi+to+the+world_20101431.html ] 

Steampunk Geeks

While on a recent trip out into the wide world The Fuzz and his found themselves in Beggars and Choosers .  While having a look at some of the weirder things there, The Fuzz learned of a Steampunk Coffee Shop around the corner.  While not involved in this Steampunk thing personally, The Fuzz does find it a bit interesting.

So when he found this recently on the internet*, he thought it was worth a look.

"One of the world's first digital computers to replace the handwritten calculations of human "computors" is getting an official reboot..."

But what really caught his attention was this link.

Could the Computer Age Have Begun in Victorian England?

"The steam-powered "Analytical Engine"

The early computer concept — a brass-and-iron machine the size of a small steam locomotive— came from the mind of Charles Babbage, a famed mathematician who tinkered with different designs for the Analytical Engine until his death in 1871. The Plan 28 project aims to build Babbage's machine by raising $8 million (5 million in British pounds) over the next 10 years.

This is supposed to explain things?

*Yeah, he reads Fox News- so what!

Quiet Weekend

Things have been pretty quiet around our Home in the Woods lately.  But busy times are ahead with the holidays and all.

The Fuzz continues to improve.  On Saturday he was feeling good enough to suggest a walk to His Sweetie.

They had a fine time enjoying the countryside, and dodging dogs.  The Fuzz has found that it is always a good idea to carry a stout stick on these promenades.  

Well, it's time to start another week.  Let's just hope Our Fuzz can stay out of trouble.

A Bit Better

Well, The Fuzz is doing a bit better these days.  He has been to the chiropractor a couple of times.  This morning he actually managed to split a couple pieces of wood.  But don't worry, he's being careful not to overdo things.

Here's a pix of the yard.  Most of  the leaves have fallen already.  They seemed unusually colorful this year.

Wood Woes

It has been a while again.  The fact is that The Old Fuzz has not been doing too well.

It seems that in anticipation of the coming winter weather, he cut down a mostly dead tree along the driveway.

This actually went off pretty well.  

Next, he sawed up said tree, and rolled the firewood length pieces, in a wheelbarrow, to a convenient spot for splitting.  And then he did split up a few pieces.

The trouble came when he went to stack a few of them up.

And so Our Fuzz is once again Down In His Back! 

He thought he was getting over this as usual, but then made the mistake of attempting to bring a few pieces of this firewood inside.  Alas, it was relapse time.

And so today, it is off to the Chiropractor.  Here we go again.

Really a Lot of Cats!

A few weeks ago, whilst on a visit to that Big City, the Home of a  Famous University, The Fuzz and Family got to visit the Cat Refuge.

There's like over 300 Kitties camped here.  The Fuzz and Family have a few of their own, but, That's a lot of Cats! 

This is a labor of love and the Kitties are well cared for.

And speaking of cats, here's the latest here in the woods.  Anyone want a Kitty?

Elvis?

It finally happened.  Who would have thunk or thought it?  The Fuzz and Elvis?

Every year Sandy's Country Christmas kicks off the season with Elvis.

This year That Adventurous Fuzz got a wild hair and accompanied His Sweetie and the Young Daughter to the event.

No, we're afraid it's not the real Elvis.  But he seems as popular as ever with the ladies.

This is His special Blue Christmas hat.  

(Maybe Elvis is a Duke fan)

Tom Waxter, as Elvis.

More Ridin'

You may remember in a previous post, how The Fuzz's motorcycle ride to the mountains was cut short due to an issue with a tire.  With that straightened out he had a chance for another shot at it.

Again he took NC 80 up to the parkway.  Here's a look back over Buck Creek Gap from the top.

While The Fuzz was stopped up here for a short break, he could hear a couple more bikes on their way up.  NC 80 can be a pretty exciting ride.  He decided to wait for them to get some pix.

There are actually two bikes in this pix.  The 2nd is right behind the first one.

The Fuzz stopped at the same overlook as last time.  

You can see the change in a couple of weeks.

The picnic area had changed a lot as well.  This time it was easy to see the sky though the trees.

The Fuzz got to finish this ride the way he had intended, down NC 226A, and back into Marion.  Then he rode around Lake James, and took Old NC 18 home from Morganton, always a nice ride.
With the weather turning cooler now, Our Fuzz will have more incentive to do some local exploring.  But that is fun too.

Simple Matters II

Picking up where we left off...
The new switches worked fine.  We now had both light and ventilation.  But the exposed wiring remained.  The Fuzz realized that he would have to make a new box, for these wonderful new switches.
The first step would be to make a template, to cut the tin from.

The Fuzz used the original box as a pattern, and figured in the new measurements.  Then he drew a full-sized template on this heavy paper.  Next he folded it into shape, and tried the fit.  Amazingly, it did fit!

The choice of materials was #1- Old Roofing Tin, or #2- Aluminum Flashing.  The Fuzz decided to go with the Tin.  The Flashing would have been easier to work with, and prettier.  But it would also be a bit flimsy.  And no one will see this without getting into a contorted position over a hot stove.

The template was laid out, and traced onto a piece of the tin.

Then cut out with tin snips.

Next it had to be bent into shape.  Our Fuzz does not have one of those fancy Break-things, but he does have this extremely heavy piece of steel.  Some careful bending and a few taps with a hammer knocked things into shape.

Here's a look at the old, and new, together.

And lastly, the new box, installed.

It turned into a bigger project than The Fuzz had expected.  But life is like that sometimes.  Like Harvey Pekar has said, "Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff".

A Simple Matter

The Fuzz started the week with a simple (he thought) project.  Ever since we moved into this trailer, the exhaust fan in the hood over the stove has not worked.  He had previously determined that although the switch was bad, the fan motor was bad as well.  So he replaced the switch with a simple toggle, and there was light, but no ventilation.  This was not a terrible situation, as we were not used to such luxuries at the Old Place anyway.
But now with a bit of time on his hands, The Fuzz decided to replace the fan motor, and upgrade to a two speed fan (since that was the only ones there were now).  When the motor came, the instructions called for hooking it up as either a high speed- or low speed fan.  But Our Fuzz figured it would be a simple matter to install a second, two speed toggle switch to control the new fan.  Probably a 2 hour job.

The first problem came when he tried to take the fan box out.  He removed the 4 screws and then discovered why the instructions called for removing the whole hood.

It seems there were these little tabs holding it in as well.  They were, of course, inaccessibly located against the wall.  This thing must have been designed by a sadist.
So the Disappointed Fuzz proceeded to remove more screws and drop the entire hood.  Unfortunately he did not notice the little strap attached to the duct above.  So when the hood was lowered, it pulled the duct with it.  Getting the duct back where it belonged was an ordeal which even involved getting out a ladder to check on the vent on the roof.  But with a great deal of effort, resistance, and mess, it was accomplished.

Now it was time to ride into town to the Home Improvement Store where he did NOT find the switches.  So then, he shot over to the Radio Shack, a sure thing, he thought.  Not so.  Next he tried NAPA.  After a fruitless search, he was informed that the other NAPA store might have one.  Before taking another ride (in the freezing cold) our Persistent Fuzz stopped by the Auto Zone, where he was finally able to find the two switches desired.  They were mismatched, but at this point he was getting desperate.
Here's a look at the new motor installed in the box.

And after drilling a new hole, here's a look at the new switches, installed.

But, there was another problem.  The box covering the switches, was too small for the new ones!

But it was late now, and the 2 hour job was taking all day.  So The Fuzz decided to pack it in, and tackle that issue, tomorrow.
Check back, to see how things came out.