Bureaucratic Paperwork.

I didn't do as much over the weekend as I would have hoped.  I made a quick out to Aunt's and Uncle's on Saturday to finish up the paperwork and test the gas mileage.  I had been averaging 24mpg the previous week, which is nice (the truck averages 17-19mpg everyday).

I drove it to Aunt's and Uncle's and when I got back, it claimed I was averaging 30.  When I filled it up I calculated it out to 28.5mpg, so like most cars the computer is about 1-2mpg high.  For this tank I was driving it the same way I drove my truck to Montana last year, which was keeping the speed slow and being gentle with it.

This despite driving home through this.  The wind was howling on the drive back.  When I got to Aunt's and Uncle's, it was averaging 30.5mpg.

I recall from driving it to KY with Aunt that it gets 25-26mpg if you let the speed drift upwards.  But still, a 4mpg increase on my trip last year would have saved me a few hundred bucks ($1071 in gas vs. $1304).

The cold returned on Sunday, though the weather hadn't yet returned to miserable.  To be honest, I ended up taking a nap late morning and then poof it was 2:30PM.  But I went out and installed some of the goodies I have been collecting.  I got the new cabin filter installed.  It needed it, the old one is supposed to be white.  

I installed a new cell phone holder.  I actually bought this one for the truck, but since it rotates, I put this one in the CR-V and put the one Aunt left in the truck which doesn't need to rotate.

I did a more thorough design for the kitchenette in the CR-V.  

Then I realized that I built it 4' high, and I didn't think the CR-V was that tall.  I was right. 

I ended up designing a shorter one.  I lost some of the storage, but it can't be helped.

 

Yesterday was disgusting, and it looks like winter is trying to make a comeback.  It was supposed to be few inches of snow, but instead I had to scrape almost a half inch of ice off the CR-V this morning.  I am very grateful that it has a remote starter though.  It is quite nice.  The Ford can be started via the app, but in order for it to work, Ford requires that you enable sending all the GPS data and everything else to them (which they almost assuredly sell).

 

 

I have all the paperwork to get everything transferred at this point, so I plan on going to the town hall this afternoon.  The CR-V also goes in for an interior detailing on the 31st, so everything is moving forward on that front.  I still hope to at least get the cylinder removed from the excavator, though it is supposed to be cold enough this week that everything will start re-freezing.  Ugh.

I also picked up a bunch of seeds this year with the intent of setting up one of the barrel planters, but looking at it, I might be a bit late in getting them started.  Oh well. 

Available Projects and annual tasks:

• Dunks and bug repellent.
• Clean up yard
• Take scrap metal away
• Finish cleanup on the pile in the back 
• Do something with the trailer.
• Fix excavator
  
• Finish drainage
• Build deck
• Push back trees
• Install concrete pilings
• Install landscape fabric and gravel underneath
• Build frame
• Lay decking
  
• Set up hot tub and pool
• Build insulated platform for hot tub
• Put down pool sand to level spot for pool
• Get water delivered for both
  
• Fix mowers
• Get tractor serviced
• Build travel station for CR-V/prep CR-V for travel
  
• Move carport
• Build the roof extension over to the rocks
• Fix front stairs 
• Test travel options (rent u-haul and test that, rent trailer and test that)
• Install storm doors
• Build overhangs for windows
• Insulate the water lines
  
• Front yard drainage
• Fix snowblowers (broken grease fitting on big snowblower, gas leak on small one)
  
• Gravel/hardpack driveway
• Fix grade to the shed
• Level a spot for a lean-to up the hill
• Build a small lean-to for off-season equipment
• Make shed mouse-tight 
• Create walking trails (put up markers, maybe put down some gravel).
• Clear and level a spot for orchard
• Build a bridge over the creek
• Build a gazebo or something on the other side

New car, it is even green for St. Patty's day.

During the week I didn't do much until Friday, mostly cleaning.  Turns out the pile of stuff I left in the guest room had developed a thick layer of dust on it. 

 

Friday I went out and filled in a hole in my driveway, since I had company coming this weekend.  I think it was caused by some rather unusual frost heave activity, where the driveway was only half frozen at this point.  

Saturday Aunt and Uncle came out.  They got a spiffy new car, and I really like the color.  It still has buttons too which was nice.  It felt narrower than it really was though. 

 

I am buying the old one.  I think it will fit better up here when I move all the sawhorses and stuff

 

Some pictures of the CR-V.  

 

They are letting me keep the organizer in the back.  

I definitely need to make a bit more room.

 

The tires on it are decent, though in the later half of their life.  I might consider changing them before winter, or I might not care and just drive the truck if the snow is bad.

 

The battery seems okay.  It feels a little weak, even when I took it out afterwards, but it is only a 500CCA.  

The clock works, but the date is off.  I knew about this, it is actually a really dumb Honda software error; their time/date is stored internally as time since an epoch point (pretty typical in software), but they used a smaller variable and it rolled over a couple years ago.

As I alluded to, I took it out to Otter Brook after Aunt and Uncle left to work off the big burger.  Their disc golf course was clear.  It was really nice out.

 

 

The water wasn't quite as high as I expected considering the rapid melting that was occurring.

The ice was beached on the rocks.

 

There has been a lot of nasty wind this spring.

I also finally got around to cleaning the air filter in my truck.  It looked a little rough.

 

I didn't realize that cleaning it washed out all the color, and the color is just the oil (some of it came back when I oiled it).

 

It was a nice sunset.  I am still thinking about cameras, but haven't decided on anything yet.  Pentax is for the most part dead, but I am still torn on mirrorless vs DSLR.  My use case strongly favors DSLR (better photos/bigger sensors), but mirrorless (better versatility, better video and speed) is where the industry is headed.  The lenses are not interchangeable between them either.  You can get adapters, but your mileage may vary as to whether the adapter loses the ability to autofocus or stuff like that (much like when DSLR replaced 35mm).  But when you consider that Pentax is dead in all but name, Olympus hasn't been a real player in higher end stuff in decades, Canon and Nikon are both saying they are not making new model DSLRs (only mirrorless), and the pickings are getting slim.  It also means I might be spending thousands of dollars that is obsolete in less than a year.  That all being said, any camera I buy will probably be fine for my uses for a decade at least (as long as the camera doesn't break; I am notoriously hard on equipment).  Speaking of being hard on equipment, mirrorless tend to get dirty and the sensors aren't in the back like DSLRs.  So no hard decision on that yet.

 

Sunday the storms rolled in, so I didn't do much.  Just my normal chores like laundry, and I also tried to clean one of the organizers that came out of the CR-V.  

 

It kinda worked.  It smells like laundry detergent now, and the stain is mostly gone.

 

The storms on Sunday were pretty nasty, and I had a tree come down.

 

 

I also started taking some measurements, but didn't finish drawing things up for the kitchenette thingy. After the rain on Sunday, my snow is all but gone, coverage is down to about 5%.  My yard is still soup though.

Available Projects and annual tasks:

• Dunks and bug repellent.
• Clean up yard
• Take scrap metal away
• Finish cleanup on the pile in the back 
• Do something with the trailer.
• Fix excavator
  
• Finish drainage
• Build deck
• Push back trees
• Install concrete pilings
• Install landscape fabric and gravel underneath
• Build frame
• Lay decking
  
• Set up hot tub and pool
• Build insulated platform for hot tub
• Put down pool sand to level spot for pool
• Get water delivered for both
  
• Fix mowers
• Get tractor serviced
• Build travel station for CR-V/prep CR-V for travel
  
• Move carport
• Build the roof extension over to the rocks
• Fix front stairs 
• Test travel options (rent u-haul and test that, rent trailer and test that)
• Install storm doors
• Build overhangs for windows
• Insulate the water lines
  
• Front yard drainage
• Fix snowblowers (broken grease fitting on big snowblower, gas leak on small one)
  
• Gravel/hardpack driveway
• Fix grade to the shed
• Level a spot for a lean-to up the hill
• Build a small lean-to for off-season equipment
• Make shed mouse-tight 
• Create walking trails (put up markers, maybe put down some gravel).
• Clear and level a spot for orchard
• Build a bridge over the creek
• Build a gazebo or something on the other side

Birthday and projects for 2025

Short mid-week update.  I got my cake for my birthday today.  Hannaford's selection of single serving pieces of cake was pretty poor this time, but I still found one that sounded good.  I ate it for breakfast this morning since I have been staring at it in the fridge since I went shopping on Monday.

It has been nice and warm this week for the most part.  I even broke out the shorts yesterday.  My truck is starting to realize that it is warming up too.  My passenger window started working again.  The window still goes up and down in the winter, but the auto functionality in it doesn't work in the winter.  

I noticed my gas mileage was exceptionally poor this winter, to the point where I was beginning if something was wrong.  In the summer, I get about 18-19mpg around town driving back and forth to work.  I had many tanks this winter where I only got ~14mpg (I even got under 13mpg once), which is a really stout drop for no reason other than it is cold outside.  But the most recent tank is climbing back up to normal.  This is the first time I have seen 16 in a while.

The plan worked, the parking spot for the CR-V is mostly cleared off.  My snow coverage is about 85%.  There are bare patches starting to appear in the back yard and in the woods.  It was gorgeous out yesterday, and even Sullivan almost hit 60.

 

As usual, it looks like Google post-processed all the color out, but it was a rather pretty sunrise this morning.

 

I'll be headed out for my birthday pizza at the Lab tonight, then it is time to do some cleaning before Aunt and Uncle get here this weekend.  I also got my truck scheduled for my annual ouchie (moreso than normal, my truck is due for a tune up in addition to the transmission servicing this year) next week, so I am not expecting to get anything else done this week.

 

Since all the winter projects are done, this is the project list.  Obviously this is more than can be done in a year, but I would at least like to get to testing travel options.  I have been thinking about the carport, and I might move it down the hill and put it side by side with the tiny home instead of moving it up the hill, and just put up a smaller metal carport thing up top for off-season storage (snowblowers and whatnot in the summer, and mowers in the winter).  That way I could also easily do a roof over when I start disassembling the tiny home.  I think it is safe to say at this point that I am never going to build a full detached garage down there, not with my current plans of not being here in less than a decade.

 

Available Projects and annual tasks:

• Dunks and bug repellent.
• Clean up yard
• Take scrap metal away
• Finish cleanup on the pile in the back 
• Do something with the trailer.
• Fix excavator
  
• Finish drainage
• Build deck
• Push back trees
• Install concrete pilings
• Install landscape fabric and gravel underneath
• Build frame
• Lay decking
  
• Set up hot tub and pool
• Build insulated platform for hot tub
• Put down pool sand to level spot for pool
• Get water delivered for both
  
• Fix mowers
• Get tractor serviced
• Build travel station for CR-V/prep CR-V for travel
  
• Move carport
• Build the roof extension over to the rocks
• Fix front stairs 
• Test travel options (rent u-haul and test that, rent trailer and test that)
• Install storm doors
• Build overhangs for windows
• Insulate the water lines
  
• Front yard drainage
• Fix snowblowers (broken grease fitting on big snowblower, gas leak on small one)
  
• Gravel/hardpack driveway
• Fix grade to the shed
• Level a spot for a lean-to up the hill
• Build a small lean-to for off-season equipment
• Make shed mouse-tight 
• Create walking trails (put up markers, maybe put down some gravel).
• Clear and level a spot for orchard
• Build a bridge over the creek
• Build a gazebo or something on the other side

The cap is now in the truck instead of on it.

I didn't do much on Saturday.  I got a hold of Aunt and Uncle, and they are tentatively going to drop off the CR-V this weekend (assuming the weather stays nice).  But otherwise it was snowing off and on, though no real accumulation.  And it was windy.

I tested the air fryer.  It makes a surprisingly good pizza.

 

Sunday I got back to work.  I went up and grabbed my reciprocating saw, and went to town on the cap.  This is what the innards look like if anyone is curious.  I said solid wood, but I should have said particle board.

 

One big pile of cap.  

 

I managed to not hit the truck with the saw (I cut it up with the cap still on the truck).  But one of the pieces fell outwards even though it was leaning in, and I have a couple new scuffs on the truck.  Sigh.

 

All automotive is safety glass, so I was a bit surprised that this window broke.  I wasn't exactly being gentle, but safety glass normally doesn't require it.  Oops.

It is in the back of the truck, ready to go to the dump today.

 

Next up I decided to clear this area up a bit.  This is where I plan to park the CR-V.

 

It didn't take long with the tractor and bucket, though I did the area in front of the grill by hand since there were cords and stuff there I didn't want to destroy.It is scraped down to the ice on the bottom, which should melt off by this weekend.

 

This marks the end of the winter projects.  I probably won't bother with the whole house filter to be honest.  It got added because of stains in the toilets, but they really aren't bad.  And then I have to remember to change the filter every couple of months and so on.  

Winter Projects:

• Build shelving for second room
  
• Design deck
• Eliminate cap
• Install whole house filter.
• Install new faucet in kitchen
• Install new faucet in master bath
  
• Access panel upgrades in master closet
• Cut trails, or at least mark paths.

2025 Projects

• Insulate the water lines
• Take scrap metal to Buffum.  Clean up trash.
• Storm doors
• Gravel the driveway
• Side yard drainage
• Build Deck
• Add the roof over to rocks
• Move carport up hill
• Smooth grade to shed.