ATV initial ride ; prep for Florida trip ; starting to talk to contractors for basement-bath project ; iPad problem
(posted from home)
(This post covers 1 – 11, February, 2012)
-----------------------------
Saturday, 11 February -
Today I checked the local Gander Mountain store and found they didn't have the clay-bird launcher I'm looking for in stock-- I guess the sale cleared them out. I found the Harrisburg store had one left and Labashi needed a break today so we drove up to take a look. It didn't take long to confirm that this one was really the only choice and it's a rugged unit. I'm looking forward to this! I've got a lot of learnin' to do!
I also took a look through the ATV-accessories section and found just the thing. I hadn't considered a handle-bar bag but this was perfect.... a simple bag to hold maps, goggles, gloves, dust mask, permits, my SPOT, cell phone, etc--- and all for $10. I've been looking at ridiculously-expensive rack bags but haven't seen anything that seems right. I will probably come upon the right waterproof rack-bag eventually but this will be perfect for now and will remain useful later.
Late in the afternoon I watched an interesting documentary called 'The Parking Lot Movie' on Netflix. It's about employees of a parking lot in Charlottesville, VA. It's surprisingly interesting to hear the employees talking about--- well ---- life as a parking-lot attendant.
That evening we watched a documentary explaining the Boer Wars in South Africa. Good one!
---------------------------
Friday, 10 February -
Last evening as I was using the iPad it rebooted unexpectedly. I've had four or five of these since the new year began and two in the last two days. I researched it a bit on the web and decided it's time to take the iPad in for warranty service. Late last night I used the Apple web site to schedule an appointment with a tech at the Apple Store in Lancaster.
I had scheduled the appointment for this afternoon since we had another contractor coming this morning. This one turned out to be the best we've met so far. We could both sense that he 'got it' as we spoke. He has a similar sense of what we're looking for in our basement bathroom and a good solution for preventing a recurrence of our flooded basement should another Lee-like tropical storm happen.
On the way over to the Apple Store I dropped off the water-test samples and paid the $100 analysis fee. I could have gotten water-softener-specific tests free from a water softener company but I wouldn't be able to trust the results and it wouldn't include the bacteria tests-- the most important ones.
My Apple tech this afternoon was Jill, a very bright young woman with what looked like fish hook wires in her lower lip. I enjoyed our interaction as she ran diagnostics on the iPad and then restored its operating system and firmware. Somehow the operating system had gotten corrupted, perhaps from a static-electricity hit or perhaps from my connecting it to various HDTVs to show our Africa photos or perhaps from the Bluetooth keyboard / Evernote combination that seems to act a bit oddly and was in use on the first unexpected reboot.
Late in the day I again looked up the info I had saved from earlier research on an automatic clay-bird thrower for trap shooting. I've been thinking of taking one along to Florida. There's a perfect place for one at the shooting range in Ocala National Forest. With the Florida trip coming up shortly I needed to make a decision one way or the other today if I was going to have time to get one. I was considering driving up to Cabela's today for one. But when I found Gander Mountain has a 25%-off deal on them for the next few days, that made the decision for me.
---------------------------
Thursday, 9 February -
We had a bit more snow overnight but by mid-morning I noticed the roads were clear. Apparently the warmer-than-normal weather we've had this year has meant the roads retain heat more and therefore clear snow more quickly. After a few days stuck in the house I was ready to get out. I took the Concours to York to pick up a water test kit at Associated Laboratories. We've decided to do another water test before we spend money on a water softener and possibly a UV light.
After picking up the kit I rode on to Starbucks for a cappuccino then home. I'd like to have walked but the trails would be too sloppy so I rode on home. There I worked on the cargo trailer and ATV. I replaced the bad battery harness (the connection for my electric jacket liner) I had installed a few days ago. I also came up with a solution for the tie-downs at the rear of the trailer. I had installed removable tie-downs but I had installed them directly behind the rear tires. If I installed them further toward the sides of the trailer I'd have to step awkwardly past tie-down straps when entering and exiting the trailer. And if I installed them inside the tire line they wouldn't be as effective at preventing the ATV from rolling sideways or forward. The position is the best compromise but the eyebolts stick up too high to simply roll over them without risk to the tires. Unscrewing them and replacing them each time I unload/reload isn't a big deal but shouldn't be necessary.
I cut two 12” lengths of 2x4 and cut a large hole in the center of each (using a hole-saw). I can leave them in place over the eyebolts and of course they're easily removed if I need to have a flat floor for other cargo. When I tested them with the ATV I barely noticed the bump as I unloaded and reloaded it.
That evening I researched the web for the 'right' GPS mount for the ATV and ordered it and some wiring accessories (Battery Tender harness, power outlet, etc) as well as a specialized battery float-charger (a CanBus-compatible one) for the F650GS.
--------------------------
Wednesday, 8 February -
A bit of snow today-- only an inch or so. I woke with a headache but some Excedrin soon took care of it. I'm still under the weather a bit but feeling much better than yesterday.
We had an appointment with a contractor this afternoon. The guy seemed nice enough but we didn't really click. I don't imagine we'll be using him.
--------------------------
Tuesday, 7 February -
We had contractors in today. I felt awful much of last night and it's even worse today. I have nausea, a bit of fever, and am very tired and can barely stay up. Labashi talked with the contractors for most of their sessions, then I'd come in to ask/answer a few questions at the end and get a feel for the company. At this point I think we're going to have problems coming up with an acceptable contractor. I predict we cut back plans to just having the work roughed in and then finish it ourselves.
After the contractor sessions I went back to bed and slept for a few hours each time. That evening we watched a Boardwalk Empire episode and then I went to bed early. What a miserable day.
---------------------------
Monday, 6 February -
Today was another nice one, sunny and 50. I thought I might want to take the ATV out today but we have contractors coming to the house tomorrow to look at Labashi's latest projects so we had to talk through a few things.
That afternoon I rode the GS down to Starbucks, then to Rocky Ridge Park for my 5-miler. I finished in 1:43 today, walking part of it in short sleeves.
-------------------------
Sunday, 5 February -
We drove to Chambersburg today to see our friends Hardy-Har-Har and wife. We spent the afternoon reminiscing and catching up.
On the way home we stopped at Lulu's Grill in the Altland House in Abbottstown for supper. We've passed this way many times but never given this restaurant a try. I was happy to find they had conch chowder, turtle soup, and fish tacos on the menu and tried the latter two.
We made it back home by the second half of the Super Bowl so I turned it on to see what was happening. That happened to coincide with a drive by the Patriots so we ended up watching to the end... something we hardly ever do. This one stayed interesting to the end.
---------------------------
Saturday, 4 February -
Labashi and I drove to Messiah College today to see the Oakes Museum of Natural History. This nice little museum has some very interesting dioramas and taxidermy. The African savannah animals and North American bears are particularly impressive.
We then went looking for a new place to eat. I had taken a look at Yelp this morning and came up with Cedars Lebanese Restaurant in Camp Hill as one of the possibilities. We decided to drive by and check it out. We ended up having one of the five-mezza deals. 'Mezzas' are appetizers, sort of like having tapas. Ours featured things like pickled eggplant, aged cheese with onions and peppers, spiced ground beef, and others. Not bad at all! We'll be happy to go back and try other dishes.
That evening we watched 'Justified'-Season Two episodes.
-----------------------------
Friday, 3 February -
This morning I installed the bed-bolt tie downs in the cargo trailer. Since we again had nice weather I couldn't stand it to stay home any longer. I loaded up the ATV gear and drove Mocha Joe over to the Michaux State Forest ATV trailhead above Pine Grove Furnace.
At the trailhead I met a guy who lived in the area and was just out for a bit of a walk. He said a ranger had just been through on an ATV and warned me to be sure I had all the paperwork I needed for the ranger. We talked for few minutes about ATVs and traveling. He said he visits a friend in Montana and talked about riding forever-and-ever out there. Sounds good!
When I left the house I had planned to stop at the state forest office for a map of the ATV trails but as I drove it seemed that would take me well out of the way and put me late in the day by the time I reached the trails. I decided I'd go ahead without the maps and would carry along the GPS if I needed any assistance finding my way back out.
I spent the next hour and a half riding the ATV, exploring trails. The guy I had spoken with had given me some directions but those turned out to be wrong. But I didn't really have any problems getting lost.
The main trails were more jeep roads or logging roads with a lot of whoop-de-dos, puddles, and rocks. When I found myself atop a ridge at a good resting point, I stopped a walked about a bit and then ventured back a secondary 'trail'. The trail was very narrow-- barely wide enough for the Rancher-- and was more a series of marks on trees than a trail on the ground... at least with so many leaves down.
I was pleasantly surprised how well the Rancher handled the roughness of the trail, easily bounding over (small) downed trees and football-sized rocks and dealing with puddles. I did get myself into a couple of precarious-feeling situations. When side-hilling I had to be careful to counter-balance and felt vulnerable when I came to downhill-tilted dips. I felt I should have brought along the satellite-messenger. And when I came to a steep, rough off-camber downhill section, I backed out and turned back.
I was pleasantly surprised how well the two-wheel drive did. For the most part, that's all I needed. With four-wheel drive engaged I had more noise and more steering effort so I expect to use it sparingly. All in all, though, I was quite pleased for a first time out.
-----------------------
Thursday, 2 February -
I made a grocery-shopping run this morning. Later in the day I rode the GS down to Rocky Ridge and walked the five-mile end-to-end circuit.
We're still having unseasonably-mild weather with highs in the Sixties. It's certainly odd to be walking in short sleeves in February..... but nice!
Late in the day we learned the prospective buyers had rescinded their offer on House 2. Our agent didn't know the reason but thought they had had second thoughts on the whole idea of buying a house as they saw reconsidered the financial commitment. He said they had been talking of another offer but he later received a phone call saying they had decided to pull out entirely.
----------------------
Wednesday, 1 February -
I spent much of today considering an offer that came in on House 2 and preparing a counter after speaking with my brothers.
I also took time out to install a Gerbing battery harness on the ATV. However, it turns out the harness is bad and will have to be replaced. I contacted Gerbing and talked it through with tech support and they've put one in the mail. This particular installation was a bit of a pain because the screws in the battery post aren't quite long enough to accommodate additional thickness of the harness connectors and I had to wedge the nuts in place to get them to connect. I'll have to go through that again on the new harness.
************ END OF POST ***********
(posted from home)
(This post covers 1 – 11, February, 2012)
-----------------------------
Saturday, 11 February -
Today I checked the local Gander Mountain store and found they didn't have the clay-bird launcher I'm looking for in stock-- I guess the sale cleared them out. I found the Harrisburg store had one left and Labashi needed a break today so we drove up to take a look. It didn't take long to confirm that this one was really the only choice and it's a rugged unit. I'm looking forward to this! I've got a lot of learnin' to do!
I also took a look through the ATV-accessories section and found just the thing. I hadn't considered a handle-bar bag but this was perfect.... a simple bag to hold maps, goggles, gloves, dust mask, permits, my SPOT, cell phone, etc--- and all for $10. I've been looking at ridiculously-expensive rack bags but haven't seen anything that seems right. I will probably come upon the right waterproof rack-bag eventually but this will be perfect for now and will remain useful later.
Late in the afternoon I watched an interesting documentary called 'The Parking Lot Movie' on Netflix. It's about employees of a parking lot in Charlottesville, VA. It's surprisingly interesting to hear the employees talking about--- well ---- life as a parking-lot attendant.
That evening we watched a documentary explaining the Boer Wars in South Africa. Good one!
---------------------------
Friday, 10 February -
Last evening as I was using the iPad it rebooted unexpectedly. I've had four or five of these since the new year began and two in the last two days. I researched it a bit on the web and decided it's time to take the iPad in for warranty service. Late last night I used the Apple web site to schedule an appointment with a tech at the Apple Store in Lancaster.
I had scheduled the appointment for this afternoon since we had another contractor coming this morning. This one turned out to be the best we've met so far. We could both sense that he 'got it' as we spoke. He has a similar sense of what we're looking for in our basement bathroom and a good solution for preventing a recurrence of our flooded basement should another Lee-like tropical storm happen.
On the way over to the Apple Store I dropped off the water-test samples and paid the $100 analysis fee. I could have gotten water-softener-specific tests free from a water softener company but I wouldn't be able to trust the results and it wouldn't include the bacteria tests-- the most important ones.
My Apple tech this afternoon was Jill, a very bright young woman with what looked like fish hook wires in her lower lip. I enjoyed our interaction as she ran diagnostics on the iPad and then restored its operating system and firmware. Somehow the operating system had gotten corrupted, perhaps from a static-electricity hit or perhaps from my connecting it to various HDTVs to show our Africa photos or perhaps from the Bluetooth keyboard / Evernote combination that seems to act a bit oddly and was in use on the first unexpected reboot.
Late in the day I again looked up the info I had saved from earlier research on an automatic clay-bird thrower for trap shooting. I've been thinking of taking one along to Florida. There's a perfect place for one at the shooting range in Ocala National Forest. With the Florida trip coming up shortly I needed to make a decision one way or the other today if I was going to have time to get one. I was considering driving up to Cabela's today for one. But when I found Gander Mountain has a 25%-off deal on them for the next few days, that made the decision for me.
---------------------------
Thursday, 9 February -
We had a bit more snow overnight but by mid-morning I noticed the roads were clear. Apparently the warmer-than-normal weather we've had this year has meant the roads retain heat more and therefore clear snow more quickly. After a few days stuck in the house I was ready to get out. I took the Concours to York to pick up a water test kit at Associated Laboratories. We've decided to do another water test before we spend money on a water softener and possibly a UV light.
After picking up the kit I rode on to Starbucks for a cappuccino then home. I'd like to have walked but the trails would be too sloppy so I rode on home. There I worked on the cargo trailer and ATV. I replaced the bad battery harness (the connection for my electric jacket liner) I had installed a few days ago. I also came up with a solution for the tie-downs at the rear of the trailer. I had installed removable tie-downs but I had installed them directly behind the rear tires. If I installed them further toward the sides of the trailer I'd have to step awkwardly past tie-down straps when entering and exiting the trailer. And if I installed them inside the tire line they wouldn't be as effective at preventing the ATV from rolling sideways or forward. The position is the best compromise but the eyebolts stick up too high to simply roll over them without risk to the tires. Unscrewing them and replacing them each time I unload/reload isn't a big deal but shouldn't be necessary.
I cut two 12” lengths of 2x4 and cut a large hole in the center of each (using a hole-saw). I can leave them in place over the eyebolts and of course they're easily removed if I need to have a flat floor for other cargo. When I tested them with the ATV I barely noticed the bump as I unloaded and reloaded it.
That evening I researched the web for the 'right' GPS mount for the ATV and ordered it and some wiring accessories (Battery Tender harness, power outlet, etc) as well as a specialized battery float-charger (a CanBus-compatible one) for the F650GS.
--------------------------
Wednesday, 8 February -
A bit of snow today-- only an inch or so. I woke with a headache but some Excedrin soon took care of it. I'm still under the weather a bit but feeling much better than yesterday.
We had an appointment with a contractor this afternoon. The guy seemed nice enough but we didn't really click. I don't imagine we'll be using him.
--------------------------
Tuesday, 7 February -
We had contractors in today. I felt awful much of last night and it's even worse today. I have nausea, a bit of fever, and am very tired and can barely stay up. Labashi talked with the contractors for most of their sessions, then I'd come in to ask/answer a few questions at the end and get a feel for the company. At this point I think we're going to have problems coming up with an acceptable contractor. I predict we cut back plans to just having the work roughed in and then finish it ourselves.
After the contractor sessions I went back to bed and slept for a few hours each time. That evening we watched a Boardwalk Empire episode and then I went to bed early. What a miserable day.
---------------------------
Monday, 6 February -
Today was another nice one, sunny and 50. I thought I might want to take the ATV out today but we have contractors coming to the house tomorrow to look at Labashi's latest projects so we had to talk through a few things.
That afternoon I rode the GS down to Starbucks, then to Rocky Ridge Park for my 5-miler. I finished in 1:43 today, walking part of it in short sleeves.
-------------------------
Sunday, 5 February -
We drove to Chambersburg today to see our friends Hardy-Har-Har and wife. We spent the afternoon reminiscing and catching up.
On the way home we stopped at Lulu's Grill in the Altland House in Abbottstown for supper. We've passed this way many times but never given this restaurant a try. I was happy to find they had conch chowder, turtle soup, and fish tacos on the menu and tried the latter two.
We made it back home by the second half of the Super Bowl so I turned it on to see what was happening. That happened to coincide with a drive by the Patriots so we ended up watching to the end... something we hardly ever do. This one stayed interesting to the end.
---------------------------
Saturday, 4 February -
Labashi and I drove to Messiah College today to see the Oakes Museum of Natural History. This nice little museum has some very interesting dioramas and taxidermy. The African savannah animals and North American bears are particularly impressive.
We then went looking for a new place to eat. I had taken a look at Yelp this morning and came up with Cedars Lebanese Restaurant in Camp Hill as one of the possibilities. We decided to drive by and check it out. We ended up having one of the five-mezza deals. 'Mezzas' are appetizers, sort of like having tapas. Ours featured things like pickled eggplant, aged cheese with onions and peppers, spiced ground beef, and others. Not bad at all! We'll be happy to go back and try other dishes.
That evening we watched 'Justified'-Season Two episodes.
-----------------------------
Friday, 3 February -
This morning I installed the bed-bolt tie downs in the cargo trailer. Since we again had nice weather I couldn't stand it to stay home any longer. I loaded up the ATV gear and drove Mocha Joe over to the Michaux State Forest ATV trailhead above Pine Grove Furnace.
At the trailhead I met a guy who lived in the area and was just out for a bit of a walk. He said a ranger had just been through on an ATV and warned me to be sure I had all the paperwork I needed for the ranger. We talked for few minutes about ATVs and traveling. He said he visits a friend in Montana and talked about riding forever-and-ever out there. Sounds good!
When I left the house I had planned to stop at the state forest office for a map of the ATV trails but as I drove it seemed that would take me well out of the way and put me late in the day by the time I reached the trails. I decided I'd go ahead without the maps and would carry along the GPS if I needed any assistance finding my way back out.
I spent the next hour and a half riding the ATV, exploring trails. The guy I had spoken with had given me some directions but those turned out to be wrong. But I didn't really have any problems getting lost.
The main trails were more jeep roads or logging roads with a lot of whoop-de-dos, puddles, and rocks. When I found myself atop a ridge at a good resting point, I stopped a walked about a bit and then ventured back a secondary 'trail'. The trail was very narrow-- barely wide enough for the Rancher-- and was more a series of marks on trees than a trail on the ground... at least with so many leaves down.
I was pleasantly surprised how well the Rancher handled the roughness of the trail, easily bounding over (small) downed trees and football-sized rocks and dealing with puddles. I did get myself into a couple of precarious-feeling situations. When side-hilling I had to be careful to counter-balance and felt vulnerable when I came to downhill-tilted dips. I felt I should have brought along the satellite-messenger. And when I came to a steep, rough off-camber downhill section, I backed out and turned back.
I was pleasantly surprised how well the two-wheel drive did. For the most part, that's all I needed. With four-wheel drive engaged I had more noise and more steering effort so I expect to use it sparingly. All in all, though, I was quite pleased for a first time out.
-----------------------
Thursday, 2 February -
I made a grocery-shopping run this morning. Later in the day I rode the GS down to Rocky Ridge and walked the five-mile end-to-end circuit.
We're still having unseasonably-mild weather with highs in the Sixties. It's certainly odd to be walking in short sleeves in February..... but nice!
Late in the day we learned the prospective buyers had rescinded their offer on House 2. Our agent didn't know the reason but thought they had had second thoughts on the whole idea of buying a house as they saw reconsidered the financial commitment. He said they had been talking of another offer but he later received a phone call saying they had decided to pull out entirely.
----------------------
Wednesday, 1 February -
I spent much of today considering an offer that came in on House 2 and preparing a counter after speaking with my brothers.
I also took time out to install a Gerbing battery harness on the ATV. However, it turns out the harness is bad and will have to be replaced. I contacted Gerbing and talked it through with tech support and they've put one in the mail. This particular installation was a bit of a pain because the screws in the battery post aren't quite long enough to accommodate additional thickness of the harness connectors and I had to wedge the nuts in place to get them to connect. I'll have to go through that again on the new harness.
************ END OF POST ***********
posted by Bezabor&Labashi | 23:59
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