Nov 5 - thanks for joining netflix

Yes, we've started a one-month free trial. We watched a movie. I have an adapter that connects to the mini-dvi port on my Macbook, then a DVI cable, then a DVI to HDMO adapter. I've had this for some time ... it does work.

There are several problems with netflix for us, not the least of which is the fact that it doesn't work up north. Having said that, I don't know how many bytes per hour we'd be streaming watching a video, so I don't know what it would cost for the appropriate level of satellite internet service to support that, nor do I know for sure whether our current service or upgraded service would even do it ... I'll have to try watching a video for a few minutes at Christmas, time that and see what volume it creates as well as whether it actually works.

So what did we watch ? -- "The Accidental Husband" was pretty silly. When I think of Uma Thurman, I think of "Kill Bill", not a comedy.

I did not go for a bike ride. The wind was wild and we had occasional showers so I bagged that idea, doing some things around the house (no, not netflix!). I'm going for a ride today.

I hung a mirror; I passed the vacuum ... which I've done every other day. The tiles accumulate little bits of grass etc. from our traffic in and out.

I also tackled two outdoor projects -- the X5 and the Whaler.

I'm trying to figure out whether I can replace the X5 thermostat on my own and I've come to the conclusion that I can. I have had to buy a pair of tools though -- a special wrench that holds the water pump static and a very narrow 32mm wrench that is used for removing the viscous fan clutch and fan. That fan clutch is what had failed when we did our trip out west.

There are two parts to the fan cowling that must be removed. The first is easy; it's also the intake for the air filter for the engine. It is removed with three (should be four) of those plastic rivets. Then there is the fan cowling itself. It cannot be removed without the fan and vice versa. I'm still chasing web sites to see if there is a way of removing them separately but I don't think so. There just isn't enough space between the engine and the radiator.

On the front of the radiator, by the way, is an electric fan that comes on with higher engine heat and/or the A/C. It's between the radiator and the grill. It stays in place.

So up and down, up and down, I've undone both parts of the cowling, gotten my hands in there and figured out how to do things but cannot take that fan off without the special tools. That's not completely true since the fan can be removed from the fan clutch by removing three allen screws ... but you're working between the radiator and the now-loose cowling and not recommended by the websites. So ... for $35 + $10 shipping, I bought a package of the two tools.

I also bought the thermostat itself. I expect all this to arrive in the next few days so then I'll have a project on my hands. I also researched coolant and by all that I've read, the recommendation is to simply get the BMW supplied coolant. I expect that they charge more than Prestone, but oh well.

Project two, once I stopped researching project one, was to get the Whaler into the water and running. I got stalled on that one too. Well, that's not completely fair, I didn't expect to finish the X5 project, that was just the investigation phase.

Having cleaned out the Whaler the day before, I brought down the battery, got it installed and then tried to move the motor ... the steering was completely frozen. Rats. Double Rats. Thinking that it was the cable but wanting to see if I could eliminate that, I disconnected it from the motor ... still frozen. Rats.

Still wanting to eliminate possibilities, I unscrewed the caps on where the cable passes through the motor and voila, the steering turned. It was the end of the piston that was rusted frozen inside the tube. It wouldn't move in or out, it wouldn't turn. Playing with it a while, I got a hammer and gave it a whack. Whack, whack, whack ... it finally moved in a little and would turn ... progress !

I got Sandy to help me by turning the steering wheel or at least putting pressure on the steering and while I rotated the piston back and forth, she turned the steering wheel in and out. All this time I was applying Liquid Wrench and grease, cleaning the piston each time in and out. Over and over and over we did this, probably spending a half-hour and finally it was working well enough to turn the motor from the steering wheel. It needs some more work, grease and cleaning but it's usable.

Next, try and start the engine. It's still out of the water but I figured that if I could get it to fire, I'd put it into the water and then have to deal with rinsing it. Well, the gas line leaks at the bulb. I played around some more but quickly gave up. My next step would have been to pop the cover and use some quick-start, but I didn't bother. I'll need to stop at K-Mart and pickup a gas line.

The sun and the salt does wonders for everything here. It gives you cancer; it rots your possessions.

Whoops. It's 6:40. I was thinking that it was 7:30 Mass but just remembered that it's 7:00. Time to change my shirt and go !

Dinner -- shrimp from the market good as always.

Oh -- Sandy spent most of yesterday working in the house, unpacking, cleaning and placing all the glasses and dishes etc. in the buffet / hutch in the dining room.

Onward !