Tacos and photos

So I finally got around to posting the pictures from the wedding last weekend.  I didn't get many good ones, I didn't meander around enough and didn't have a lot of good angles.  The photos from the wedding can be found here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/3Q16Pt5GEyBDC5XeA

So the camera wasn't a complete waste.  While I was a little disappointed with how the low light pictures came out (I didn't realize that the ISO settings on the camera were limited), most of the shots were very good.  I didn't get out leaf peeping this year (the third thing I wanted the camera for) so I ended up 1 for 2, since I forgot the camera before the other wedding. 

Tuesday some friends from work and I went and did a taco challenge.  Margarita's has a challenge where if you eat a 2lb taco in one sitting that they give you a free taco every week for a year.  It wasn't a problem.  You'll have to forgive my phone for not being able to figure out the white balance.


Mine was down in under 10 minutes.

Ouch, brakes are expensive.

My truck went in for brakes and a battery today.  Ouch.  The battery is replaced too.  It all came to 850 dollars, and they only rebuilt the front brakes.  The fronts are completely rebuilt though, new calipers, rotors, pads, hardware, etc.  Hopefully this will alleviate having to work on them every couple of months.

The battery is smaller than I like, only a 600CCA, but it was the only one of the right style that he had in stock that would fit my truck.


I don't think the Nissan will make spring without more work, there is an exhaust leak starting to develop, and the car is getting noisier.  The rate of incidents with the transmission is starting to increase too, so I think I will probably be buying a new car this fall instead of next spring. 

While there is no chance of me completing the checklist at this point, this was one of the items on the checklist.

1. Propane
2. Smooth the yard.
3. Install Drainage.
4. Finish driveway repairs.
5. Fix the weed whacker.
6. Fix the push mower.
7. Fix the generator.
8. Replace the battery in the truck.
9. Refurbish the utility trailer.
10. Extend/insulate the front wall to prevent pipes from freezing.
11. Fix the power pole.
12. Build a lean to for equipment.
13. Clean the crap out of the shed.
14. Install windows in the shed.
15. Install power and lights in the shed.
16. Put in actual pilings for the shed.
17. Extend the roof on the shed to prevent snow from pushing on the side.
18. Paint the house.
19. Paint the shed.
20. Paint the ceiling of the house.
21. Burn the pile.
22. Get rid of the scrap metal.
23. Bury the power cables.
24. Install outside outlets at the panel.
25. Setup entertainment center
26. Build a real closet so I can hang clothes.
27. Install curtains and shelves.
28. Install trim.
29. Install a table in the house.

That time of year again.

We have hit the point of the season where it is dark when I go and when I get back, so I won't be doing too much during the week anymore, and my weekends are largely booked up until after Thanksgiving, so blog posts will start to become more scarce.  I have also been having problems getting dry weather.  We haven't had two days of dry weather in weeks.  I would really like to get the siding up and all that before winter, but it is at least sealed if I can't. 

D'oh! Nice traveling weekend.

So for starters, the d'oh is because I went to the lengths of borrowing a camera for the wedding I went to last weekend, and ended up forgetting some critical pieces at home.  I also forgot my invitation for the wedding which was kind of obnoxious.

Because of that, I didn't take too many pictures; most of the places I went to I have seen or posted pictures of before.  The only exception being Watkins Glen (which I have been to before, but the gorge trail was closed due to flooding last time).

Friday I went to Syracuse.  I was a little surprised to see that most of the trees in Syracuse hadn't turned yet.  Vermont was in peak foliage; the drive across the Molly Stark was beautiful.  But I went for a hike around Green Lakes in the morning and most of it was still green.


There were only a couple of hints of color, and you had to look for it.


The water levels at Green Lakes didn't seem low.  The brook was as lively as ever.


Round lake was also very peaceful.


I also visited Chittenango falls, but didn't get any good pictures.  The parking lot was closed for repairs, so I just failed at taking pictures as I drove by.

Saturday was the wedding.  I went and visited a couple of wineries while I was out there.  Unfortunately Bellangelo no longer makes the wine I liked the best, which was a

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Gewürztraminer and Riesling mix, but I still picked up a couple of bottles while I was there.  

Fortunately I remembered how to tie a tie.  


The wedding itself was in a gorgeous spot overlooking Canandaigua Lake.

Sunday was gorgeous, and I went to visit Watkins Glen since most of it wasn't open the last time I went.  Here are a few pictures, but I will upload the full set as an album here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/gSgp85PD4yxWKmLo9













I also went to stop at the Yancey's Fancy Cheese store on the way home, but apparently got the wrong place and went to the factory, not the store.  Since it was mid afternoon at that point, I bailed.  Maybe another time.  

Poof! Vanish without trace

So I spent the last couple of days trying to locate the sewer smell source, and came up empty.  The smell went away and hasn't come back. 

My theory was wrong, I crawled underneath and all the pilings were still on.




I checked every inch of pipe that I could find.  It also came up empty.


The only plausible explanation at this point is that it wasn't a broken pipe, it was a consequence of poor vent design.  My plumbing vent is less than a foot from the exhaust vent for the bathroom, so I bought the piping and everything required to make an actual stand pipe and have it exit the wall and go above the roof (which is what code actually requires). 

Other than that, I have gotten ready for the wedding, making sure I can find some of my dress clothes (I still haven't found my dress shoes).  I also made the applesauce.


It is all ready for Thanksgiving.  I might make another small batch.


I didn't realize when I went to make it that one of my pots (I have another) is pretty much toast.  This used to be teflon coated.

Missing pictures

The good news is that Linux can read the SD card seemingly without issue, so I will just use my work Virtual Machine to get them off.  So here are the missing pictures from yesterday:

The corner is now complete.




I miscalculated the amount of foam board I needed.  I have three complete sheets of 1/2" left.  They were naturally blown all over the yard.


Some of my leaves are confused about whether they should change or not.


A couple of foliage pics.  It is getting very pretty.




I went around and did a little leaf peeping Sunday, but it was raining so I didn't bring the camera.  I do like living on back roads in the country.

Unfortunately last night we got some real howling wind.  I was sitting on my couch and I felt the house shake and heard a couple of bangs.  I am not sure exactly what happened, but I did notice a septic smell starting to leak in.  My theory is that the wind pushed the house (since it isn't tied down) and knocked it off a piling (the first bang) which cause a little flex and one of the vent lines didn't appreciate the flexing (the second bang).  It was dark out, but I went and looked underneath the house, and it was still dry, so it isn't a major leak in the main.  I will need to investigate more today.  Fortunately the storms were bringing in warm air, so I just left the windows open with fans and kept the smell isolated to the bathroom (where it appeared to be coming from).

Wall extension completed minus siding.

Unfortunately I took all the pictures today with Heather's Pentax, which apparently formats the SD card in a way that Windows can't read, so I will have to post the pictures later.

I managed to finish the front wall extension though.  There was a little piece at the end that wasn't completed.  It took two trips to Home Depot to finish it because I am a noob, but it is done now. 

I also cleaned up my yard.  Some the foam pieces and whatnot were scattered everywhere.

It is supposed to rain tomorrow, so I don't expect to make too much progress.