Yuck

This week has been miserably hot, and just as humid.  Monday I decided to go shopping, even though I didn't really need to, mostly because I wanted to go somewhere cool.  The house got up to 82, and even inside the humidity was around 80%.  It was still 89 in Keene when I was done shopping...  At 9PM.  The sunset was nice though, watching it from an air conditioned car.  Thankfully the AC in the CR-V still works great (better than my truck actually...). 

 

As I alluded to in the last post, the window unit actually helped quite a bit.  Tuesday was even hotter (my car said 103 in Keene, and that was after driving a half mile to get rid of the pent-up heat) and it was only 77 inside when I got home.  It also probably helps that the humidity had dropped a little.

Yesterday, I did do some little things until sweat was pouring into my eyes.  I got the bungee installed to hold the table in place.  I don't like how I got the hook eye in on the right side (crooked into the corner of the board), but for now it will work.

 

I noticed after I did that I could easily put a trash can or store something up on this shelf.  At the present moment I don't need the storage, but as I continually put more crap into the car it is a potential storage expansion option.

 

One of the main things I had noticed is that the stove falls out every time I go around a corner, and it rattles like hell.  I attempted to fix the rattle with some carpet squares I had lying around.  They helped tremendously and got it to the point where I didn't want to throw the stove out the window as I was driving, but didn't get rid of all it.  I might swap those for oven mitts and/or pot holders (more function) when I put some in there.

 

I also tried pulling some of the slack out of the cargo net.  It helped, the stove only slides partway out now, it doesn't fall down anymore.

 

Last night was mostly vegetating and consuming more AC and I began packing for the trip, I am headed to Krass' this weekend for a cookout.

 

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 and equipment
• 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

Toasty weekend, but excavator lives.

Last Thursday mother nature turned on the sauna.  My two portable units couldn't keep up.  It was down to 83 when I got home (the high was 86), but the house got toasty.

 

I ended up closing off all the other rooms.  It helped.  I still have concerns about when it gets to the 90s later this week.  The humidity has been obnoxious too, the dewpoint is now up in the 70s.

 

Friday I managed to get a couple of things done.  I got the support cut and sanded for the bed platform. 

 

I also got the drawer rollers installed on the drawer, and a couple of bolts just to make sure it holds together.  I don't trust the glue. 

 

Friday after work I went to pick up some free sand.  There is more there I could take, but it is well over an hour away, it is a bit further than I thought.

 

It was located at a power station.  There was some interesting stuff there, like a ginormous impeller.  

 

The view was quite nice. 

 

We had our first dry Saturday since about March.  Saturday was excavator day.  I got the charger put on it.  The charger said it was almost full, which was odd.  I left it on float for a couple of hours.

 

I also filled the hydraulic fluid.  I might have seriously overfilled it; everything I read online said it took 2 gallons, but this took at most 1.5 gallons.  Oops.

 

I got the trench finished.  At least kinda.  I need everything to dry out and get my level out to double check. 

 

Sunday I awoke to a thunderstorm since we can't have a weekend without precipitation.  All it did though was increase the humidity.  While everything was drying out, I took a short trip into town.  I needed a flat spot, so I went and brought my used oil to get it out of the carport.  I wanted to see how level the conversion was, and there isn't a single level spot in my driveway.  It was as bad as it looked.

 

When I got home I made some more minor modifications.  This is just so it isn't pressed against the driver's seat.   

I got another board put under the front to help level it.  It looks pretty good now.

 

The last thing was to get the cargo net over it.  This is supposed to keep the stuff from falling out.

I went out for a bit once it started to cool off.  Got to watch the sunset.

 

I was still roasting when I got home though.  My AC was struggling so I borrowed the fan I bought for the car.

 

This morning before it got too horrible I went out and loaded things into the conversion.  

 

My new sleeping pad arrived today too, which was faster than expected.  The other thing is a camping washer; a laundry washing bag.

That was the last piece, so I got the sleeping side all set up too.  The blue thing is the pad from my cot.  I have a sleeping bag I could put on top as well, but I don't think I will need that in the summer.

Today was brutally hot, the first of our days in the 90s.  Despite the ACs, it still got up into the 80s inside.

 

The only other AC I have is a window unit, and all my accessible windows have portable units in them, but I still tried installing it.  If it gets the second room down below the inside I will open the door and take any excess BTUs it has into the main living area.

 

All that really remains on the CR-V conversion is tweaks and customizations, which require testing.  I am hopeful that I will get to do that this coming weekend.

 

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 and equipment
• 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

 

Where did all my sockets go?

I worked from home on Monday when I wrote the last post, so I did some work during the day before the rain started in the evening.  I got all the sanding done during my lunch break.  

I also spent some time in the afternoon looking for two things: my deepwell metric sockets and my sleeping pad.  I couldn't find either.  I couldn't find either my 3/8" or my 1/2" drive deepwell sockets to get the battery out of the excavator, and I was pretty certain my sleeping pad was located in this tote.  Grrrr.  So the battery still isn't out of the excavator.  

 

The other thing is that after the pancreatitis issue, I finally decided to pull the trigger on a meal service type thing, and the first shipment arrived Tuesday.  Fedex tried their best to screw things up and the gel ice packs arrived torn and made a mess, but I ate the first meal last night and it was pretty good. They are healthier than most of what I cook, and the fixed portions is also nice. 

 

I got a short 20 minute break in the rain last night and decided to go attach the flip up part of the bed platform.

 

I have the support brace measured and ready to cut as well.  This is the last piece.  I think I might make the notch on the right side a bit larger so I can shift it back a little, but everything is installed, and ready for the mattress pad I can't find.  In theory it is ready to test as soon as I get the last piece installed, which is quick. I do have the pad from my cot and a spare sleeping bag I could use instead if I wanted to try it.  Maybe this weekend?

It is supposed to rain today and tomorrow, so I don't expect to get a lot done before the weekend.  If I can't find my sockets tonight I might have to go pick up another set which annoys me, but getting the excavator fixed is paramount at this point; I only have two more weekends before going down for the 4th of July, and one of those is already booked.

 

 

CR-V getting close

It was rather toasty Thursday, but thankfully my house didn't heat up too much.  

 

I worked from home on Friday, so I had some time while on breaks to make the modifications required to the sleeping platform.   

 

Friday after work unfortunately it had started raining.  And it rained all day Saturday too.  I did catch one small break in the rain in the afternoon and decided to test fit the buildout.  

 

It unfortunately didn't fit the way that I originally planned.  Guess I should have tested it a bit better, or at all.  

 

After that it started raining again, so I waited until Sunday (Happy Father's Day Dad!) to make all the modifications needed.  They didn't take too long.  

 

It is a tight fit, but it fits.  It still needs sanding so it doesn't tear up the inside of the CR-V.

 

After that I turned my attention to the backyard and excavator.  I got the tarp that failed to cover the excavator for the winter removed.  It was full of critters so I will roll it up and throw it away later.

 

I got the back yard mowed.  The taller stuff in the back was up to the seat of the excavator.  I literally had to go over everything twice, and the thicker spots three times.

 

I got all the way back to the steps mowed.

 

I was pretty tired at that point since it was so tall the self propelling on the mower was useless.  I did get the front portion of the sleeping platform cut though.  

 

In case I needed to go in today, I got everything put in the CR-V needed to finish it up so I can finish it up at work if needed.

 

I then started to pull the battery out of the excavator, but was running out of daylight at this point.  

 

 

 

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 and equipment
• 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

Haying my yard.

Tuesday was my shopping day, so I didn't get anything done then (though Heather will be happy I found some of the blueberry tea for her assuming I don't drink it all...).  I had yesterday off because my follow up appointment was early in the afternoon.  I admittedly didn't get anything done until about 11AM other than napping. So after going to the appointment, and stopping to go for a walk around Otter Brook on the way back (I was the only person there which was nice), I decided to get some work done, despite the angry clouds that were around in the afternoon.  

 

The first thing I did was I mowed my way back to the excavator, and mowed the sides of the ditch.  It was really bad and needed it.  My ditch has frogs in it, probably since it has been wet for months now.

 

I then hayed the part of the yard over by the tiny home.  This is the first mowing for it for the year, but it needed it a month ago.  It was still really wet, but I mowed it anyways.

 

While I had the mower running (it hasn't liked starting this year), I mowed the rest of the yard too.  It needed it as well, but wasn't at the point where it could be used for hay since this is what I had mowed last week (or maybe it was two weeks ago at this point?).  

 

I was running out of daylight at that point, but I still got the piece of wood cut for the CR-V.  I just need to smooth it and fit it a bit better.  It is two feet wide, and if I measured correctly, should fit side by side with the conversion, even without any special fitting.  

 

I still need to make the hinged part (so I can access storage underneath on the floor).  This is the idea, the dot being hinged.  I am undecided on the bend being hinged; it doesn't need to be in the car, but it might make it easier to store when not in the car, though I expect once everything is installed, I won't be swapping it and the seats around often.

 

 

It looks like the weekend will once again be marred with rain.  Turns out this is a record for consecutive Saturdays with rain. I heard this nugget on the radio driving in today: https://www.wmur.com/article/concord-nh-rainy-saturdays-record-06102025/65027100

It is still too early, but I might have to put off the roof extension to next year at this point.  I think I might call it a year after the deck/patio, since I will almost assuredly not be able to afford to pay someone to do it (which was the original plan).  I did find some free sand (not ideal, but still usable), but it is over an hour away, which is annoying.  

 

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 and equipment
• 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