Jan 24 - projects

Sandy's car is back.  Now for some test drives.  We didn't do the clutch; we did do the back coil springs and shocks, front drive axles.  A test drive or two will see if we still have a little vibration at 50-60mph and need/want to replace the driveshaft.  Before I do that, however, I'll likely replace the tires which will be due before heading up north.  It's possible that the vibration, if it's still there, is due to tire wear.  They still have some life but it's easier to replace them down here.  This time I'll go with All Season tires.

Steve Holmes is really good.  I highly recommend him.  He's like everyone else that we've dealt with in NSB.  He wants me to come back in before we head north so that he can give the car another full checkout.  Knowing him now, I expect that would be at no charge.

I got my hair cut.  That shouldn't be a major project but I just don't get around to these things so it seems major !  Also, by the time that I do go in, I'm long overdue.

Jeff finished up, grouting the tiles.  They look great.  Neither of us had any idea how long it would take to work with these glass tiles, how difficult the cutting would be.  I'm sure that there must be an easier way but I don't know what that might be.  I did the final touch, putting the receptacles back.

Arggh.  The grout work disturbed the faucet.  I then spent a couple of hours trying to get at it, eventually removing some plumbing under the sink to get the Moen long socket at that nut under there and using the wrench.  It's an impossible situation.  If this happens again, I'll relocate, somehow, the distribution manifold, loosen the faucet completely, put a bead of JBWeld on it, retighten, sell the house before it loosens again !

I hung the curtain rod that Sandy picked up for the sliding doors in the loft/den.  That sounds easy except that there's a steel header in there, apparently, and I had a devil of a time mounting the supports.  Nothing is ever easy !  That window now looks "dressed up".

Sandy has her own project underway.  She's taking 10 photos from her dance calendars over the years and framing them, running them down the wall of the hallway in the upstairs bedroom wing.  That will look fabulous.  It's a long hall and needs something like that.   The photos are all black and white and with the black frames, will be perfect. 

Jim and Sheryl left in the a.m. heading for Port Charlotte to visit friends down there.  They've left Sandy-doggy with us.  She wandered a little, trying to find her parents, but is comfortable with us.  She slept at the foot of our bed last night, as she normally does, and went the night through.  I took her outside when I got up and she wanted to go back to bed -- works for me.  I'll feed both dogs at the same time, i.e. 7am.  Abby will survive. 

Will Abby-doggy wonder why Sandy-doggy gets to sleep in our room ?

I had a 1/2 hour conference call with a couple of Randonneurs Ontario members early in the a.m. as we poured over membership lists.  We're trying to get some year-over-year membership consistency.

I think that's it.  Not sure if I'll ride today; we'll see.

Onward !