More trip stuff

While I was perusing my freezer looking for what to make for dinner last night, I decided to pull out the cooler and load it.  It is more full than expected, but I still have a little room to take some beef back.  

These also came in today, which was much earlier than expected.  I wasn't sure they would make it in before I left.  The 12V is for the CR-V, basically gives it 2 12V plugs and a few USBs as well, which will make it easier to plug in all the stuff (I have my phone, the MP3 player, and the RF adapter).  The other is a generic o-ring set to try to find one that fits the excavator.  It goes all the way up to 2-1/8", so it should have one close enough.  

I went for a walk at lunch today.  It was gorgeous out.  Everything in Keene is starting to bloom.

It was so nice I decided to stay out when I got back and installed the rain guards for the CR-V.  My boss is out this week so I am sure he didn't mind.  These ones weren't as poorly made, but they seemed if anything a touch small for the car.  The CR-V doesn't have the automatic window sensor that my truck has, so hopefully they all just work.  Like the truck, I could hear them on the drive home, but no whistle or anything.

 

I am torn on whether to take the CR-V or the truck.  On one hand, I already did all the tetris for getting stuff in the truck, have it packed and ready to go.  On the other hand, this is precisely why I bought the CR-V in the first place, to take these miles off the truck.  I am just not sure I have everything figured out for the CR-V, and I am leaving in two days.   On the flip side, what better way to figure out what I need than to go on a trip?  

 

I decided not to be lazy this evening though, and got everything stuffed in the car.

 

I was surprised to see it had tie downs in the back, which is actually really nice.

 

I did play around with this a little at work.  I couldn't get it to play anything which is annoying.  It is blinking red and blue at me, but the manual doesn't tell you what that means.  

 

After I was done with tetris, some deer came out to see how well I did.   

Productive week.

The second half of the week last week was quite productive.  I started packing and meal planning for the trip.  

I am still missing a few things.  

I also had some more stuff come in: this is for the CR-V so I can just make SD cards and use them like I use USB sticks in the truck.  

More importantly though, I had a camera come in.  I concluded that it wasn't worth spending 2-3k on a new camera setup.  Yes, they are superior cameras to Heather's, but hers takes adequate pictures.  And this complete setup was only a few hundred bucks.  Well worth kicking the can down the road.

The previous owner thought very highly of packing peanuts.

It is the same model as Heather's, though it is a bit rougher from a body standpoint.

I also had my seat come in for when I convert the CR-V.  It is just a stadium seat since I won't have vertical space.

 

It folds completely flat so it should be easy to stow away somewhere.

 

The bag sock, the netting so that  I can leave windows open and not get bugs, and a couple of cargo nets that I can attach for more storage as needed.

 

I also went over and visited Barry.  We managed to get the cylinder apart with his vice and pipe wrench.  

That o-ring on top had a cut in it.

Friday was pack the truck day while I worked from home.  It was gorgeous out and I was able to leave the door open.  I did notice however that my window shades, which I was planning on using one to block the sun from hitting the fridge, don't fit on my rear windows.  Sigh.  Fortunately it doesn't matter (more on that in a minute).

 

I had to play some interesting tetris to get all the cabinets in.  It looks like it will be stormy on my way down, so they have to go inside.

 

I also went out Friday night and got some other trip stuff, most notably new insoles.  I think it is pretty clear from the old one why they needed replacing.  I am about to put a lot of miles on these shoes.

 

Saturday was rainy so I mostly finished up my packing and meal prep stuff.  I also went out in search of the o-ring to fix the excavator.  I tried Tractor Supply, Pinnacle View equipment (where I bought my tractor), Autozone, CarQuest, Home Depot, and a couple of hardware stores.  No luck.  I did find one at the hardware store, but it was a water o-ring, not a hydraulic one.  They are made of different materials and I don't believe them to be interchangeable.

 

My table did come in on Saturday.  This is my counter when I convert the CR-V. It is adjustable height, so I can make it a foot or so taller if I can cook outside.

 

I did get a short break in the rain in the afternoon, so I pulled out my chainsaw.  Unlike the rest of my equipment, it actually started and ran fine.  It did take a lot of pulls to get it to start, but to be honest, I am not actually certain that I even ran it last year, it might be going on two years since it was last run.  I didn't get very far though before bad things happened and it stopped and wouldn't pull the chain. 

 

I pulled it apart (I need a new one of those wrenches, mine looked like a mouse used it as a porter potty).  While I am sure Barry will laugh at me, after fumbling around with it for about an hour unable to get the cover off, I realized what was wrong.  The chain protection thing wasn't disengaging.  I slapped the handle back when it first happened, which normally works, but this time I had to really reef on it to get it disengaged.

I finished pulling it apart and cleaned it out anyways, since it had an oiling issue (which is why the bar is discolored).  

 

That didn't fix it.  That chain is bone dry.

 

I didn't have a lot to do with it though, so I got it finished up anyways by just pouring a little oil on the bar manually.  That tree is no longer sticking into the driveway.

 

Sunday was much colder and the wind was howling most of the day, so I mostly finished up some more trip stuff, though I did go out and put out some dunks.  

 

Apparently it has been a dry spring; I didn't need nearly as many as I normally do.  I had a flat with 2 and this little pack that I got from someone (I don't remember who).  I got all my laundry done and packed and everything.

 

I then realized something: I can't get the steps out without being able to move the excavator, so I won't be bringing them down this trip.  This trip is already set up and all the reservations are made so it can't move.  I will just have to make another trip down later, maybe around 4th of July or something.  But it means I can take the CR-V for this trip, even though I spent a good chunk of Friday trying to fit the cabinets in the cab of the truck.   

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

Snowy visit.

Jess came up to visit on Friday.  This was the theme for the weekend unfortunately though.

We got even more on Saturday.

 

I ended up clearing the bank at the end of my driveway Saturday.  Fortunately it was melting fast and most of the driveway and the roads were clear before she took off on Sunday.

 

I didn't do a ton on Sunday, but I got a few minor things completed.  I took a look at my toilet.  It slowly fills all the way to the top of the drain.  Part of the reason is because the float wasn't able to smoothly lift and stop the fill, so I cleaned it.  It was pretty dirty.  This seems to have helped (it shuts off consistently where it is supposed to again), but hasn't fixed it.

 

I also got the rest of the felt pads installed on the CR-V conversion.  There are now pads at the corners, underneath the heavy stuff (the water and Jackery most notably, and one where I estimate the support will end.

 

The drawer for the conversion is now completely glued, I just need to install it.

 

Yesterday was gorgeous.  I "worked" from home yesterday.  It got up into the 60s, so I opened up the house and turned off the heat.   A few weeks ago, I might have impulsively purchased a few cases of the Arizona blueberry white tea.  They come in nice bottles, so I decided it might be worth washing the bottles and keeping them for longer camping trips, so I did that while sitting in meetings.

 

I went for a walk at lunch and took some pictures.  The trees are getting ready to start blooming, they were thankfully not damaged by the ice storm a couple weekends ago.  

Jess got a picture of them sticking up through the snow, but the dandelions are in bloom.  

Water levels are pretty typical for this time of year with meltoff happening.

 

Since I worked from home, I also got around to taking the cylinder off the excavator.  It uses rather large bolts.  That is the largest adjustable wrench I have.  

I had to go to a pipe wrench to try to get the end of the cylinder open.  It just didn't bite well enough.  So I am kind of stuck at the moment.  

I saw a bug while I was out walking, so I will need to put out the dunks and start my chemical warfare against the mosquitos and black flies this week.  

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

Another soggy weekend.

It actually got really warm on Friday after I wrote the prior post, so I opened up a bit for the afternoon.  It was nice to get fresh air in the house, this is the first time the windows have been opened for the season, even if it didn't last long.  

I also took advantage of the warmth to install the rain deflectors I ordered for the truck.  I am not too impressed with their manufacturing.  You can clearly see that they cut the deflectors with a knife to install the adhesive.  Way to weaken plastic that is already thin guys

 

Their installation was a pain, and I actually thought for a while I would have to remove the front ones; with those installed the auto up on my windows wasn't working, so I had to trick the truck to get the window to close, but I will see this week after they have had time to indent into the gasket a little bit if they still cause problems.  The back windows don't have the silly "something is stuck, lets open immediately!" sensors, so they should be fine.

 

The drawer organizers for the CR-V buildout arrived Saturday, so I played around with those a bit.  I think I prefer the double large on the right.  I have a bunch of leftover pieces if anyone wants them.  They are just bamboo silverware holder things.

 

vs

I started to glue them together.  The hope is that I can just glue them together and make them the drawer sructure.  That is why I bought bamboo ones instead of cheaper plastic ones.  This way I don't have to build a box around it that would take up valuable space.

 

I also went and installed the hooks and stuff it will need.  I plan to mount my emergency battery behind the basket.  

And bigger loops for a long bungee across the top to keep the toaster and microwave and stuff from bouncing.  

I tried to fit the cargo net I had picked up, but it clearly isn't as big as advertised.  It was advertised s 4x6, and this is only 5' wide and I had to reef on it to get this on.  I think I need a bigger one.  Unfortunately this one is past its return window.

 

I then got out the sander.  I started with the spice racks I made for Jess and Heather.  I assume Jess will be taking them back down with her, and I had kinda forgotten about them.  They were sitting on the sandpaper for my palm sander though, so I got reminded.

 

I also sanded down the build out.  Any surface where things slide got sanded, and all edges my fingers might find got sanded.  

 

It made a huge mess since I did it in the living room.  Not a good plan.

 

I also added a little gorilla tape to the tops.  One of them I wasn't quite straight enough when I drilled the pilot hole for the screw, and they are awfully thin dowels, so I figured a little reinforcement wouldn't hurt. 

For now, I am storing it in the master bedroom.  It isn't complete; I wanted to put felt pads on the bottom, and I only had a couple, so I will need to pick up more.  I moved the TV stand that was sitting here (empty) over by the window so I can put plants on it that I never planted.

 

I also got my window shades.  Those came in.  These are just to help me sleep in whatever vehicle I am in, and to keep the sun from blaring onto my fridge.

 

I am thinking about getting a set of window screens too.  The rest of Sunday was cleaning the sanding dust and vacuuming and stuff.   I otherwise don't expect that there will be too much going on during the week.  It is supposed to rain (or snow as I found out this morning when I woke up to everything being white again) the first half of the week, and Jess is coming out on Friday, so I really only have one evening.  I might try to get the excavator pulled apart then?  

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