So my wife says to me"Honey, I think leaving the AC on during the day isnt doing anything for us. Lets turn it off today." This is the second hottest day on record. I come home today and find the house to be a balmy
95 Degrees...

Power venting the house, I have thus far managed to get the house down to 80 degrees...
There is sweat dripping on my table in front of my KB...
Seemed like a good idea at the time...

This is the reason nothing is getting done lately...too damn hot.

Okay.... 95 degrees in the shade is hot. 95 degrees in the house sounds like an air conditioned restaurant for dinner and a cot in the basement to sleep in.

The hottest I've been in was 140 degrees, 120 in the shade on the otherside of the world, middle east. Humidity must have been thru the roof cause the huge hardback shop tents (which I beleive were made of some fiberglass material) literally sweated on the outside when it's cooling systems where turned on.

Yup, nothing like a real hot day covered in sand dust and blowing in your face while sipping refreshing hot bottled water that sat in the sun at 140.

Well, its been a while since I have been in here.
Due to "life in general" everything came to a screeching halt.
Way too many things going on and I needed a little break...

Im currently on friendly terms with a theater lighting company in town and they are very interested in us. They thought I was nuts at first but I won them over when I sketched out the lumens to cost ratio of our current design. They are going to keep an eye out for parts for me.

This weekend promises to be good since its going to be in the low 70's. My wifes mother went home today so Im expecting a bit more free time...well sorta

Hopefully, we will see some progress this weekend...

Then we can start with the pro version...

Grand convergence? There are recent, similar rumblings of possible goings-on over at that idiot "Duraka's" plog. You go SJ!!! Pro man, pro!!!!!!!

( To the tune of "Rawhide")

Sanding , Sanding, Sanding...
Keep those elbows sanding...
A belt sander would be handy...right now!

Make some dust, Breathe it in!
Cough it out, Breath some more!
Ouch my hand! Tought it out!

Sanding!


Man, I really need a belt sander....

Harbor Freight? Even if it's crap it'll getcha through a few weekend projects. Some of my tools come from there. Gotta be selective. Big bucks for the stuff you'll use till ya die and go cheap for the stuff you'll use till ya die . . . but only 3 or 4 times!!! Dang . . . I coulda' stuffed an old belt sander in that package I just sent you.

Edit: I actually did get a little projector work done over the weekend.

So I was expecting to get some work done on the PJ this weekend, but I needed to clean out my HD so I took distinct advantage of Best Buy and grabbed 100 DVD-R's for 20 dollars. Gotta like that.

But then....There it was!
An expansion pack to my favorite game!
19 Bucks? Hell Yeah!

Another Sunday wasted right? Wrong!
I start to do the install and get called upstairs to aid in Hamster Rescue. Poor little thing's water bottle dropped off and no one noticed. She was all skinny and she wasnt moving very well at all. So I did what I could including hand feeding her some water from a dropper and getting her some cucumber. I also gave her one of her yogurt treats.
Madison was crushed. Its really tough to see you child in tears about a simple accident. Im not sure how long she was without water, but it was at least a few days.
I checked on her this AM. Shes still breathing very quickly and managed to crawl back up into her house. But her fur is all dry and she looks like a wreck. Quite frankly Im amazed she even made it through the night.
What the hell do you feed a hamster on the brink of death?
Guess we will find out...

PJ Update? Well the stand is still going strong. I finally managed to get most of the sanding done. Its really slow going.

you are as bad as durachko,,,,, ummm better build me a proper one too, i guess,,,

hope hammy makes it for your youngling

Mine is built....remember-ism?

Art Deco Model? 9x12 screen?
"20,000 leagues under the Sea" isms combined with "Diamond Age" isms
Big screen projectorisms!

I was hoping someone had some miracle cure that could bring the hamster back from the edge of death...

besides a new hamster, that is...

Hey! I resentism that remarkism!!!

And here I've beenism all morning longism forsaking workism to researchism rodent poultices on the webism. :angry:

Guess you'll just have to settle for my prayers for the little bugger.

Edit: Have you tried Hampsterade? It's next to Gatorade in the grocery store. Or maybe Hampstercare next to the Pedialyte? Both will restore vital electrolytes and have the little devil up-and-gnawing in no time.

(Seriously, I'm pulling for that poor dehydrated critter.)

Hahaha. Yeah Im awfully fond of the little rodent. I have been reading up on hamster dehydration during the times in between recompiles for the new app objects...

Looks like the cucumber was the right way to go. Damn good thing I didnt use a tomato. That would have killed her. Tonight she will have some banana, some apple and a tiny bit a cheese added to her sleep chamber. I really hope she makes it.
She has been a really great pet.

And after it pulls through this episode it's gonna be a rotten, spoiled brat!!!

You'll be serving up organic veggies every hour on the hour and it won't eat nuttin' else!!!

(BTW: I detest cucumbers so if ever ya find me lying alongside my hot tub in an alcohol and hyperthermia induced dehydrated state GO FOR THE TOMATO!!!)

uhhhh ummmm errrrrr.......Where would you have him place the tomato??
Not sure what "hyperthermia" is....hehehehe

Party at Durachko's !

Day 2:
Serena is looking a tiny bit better. Her fur isnt as gray as it was yesterday but she is still very stiff. I have been giving her water from a dropper every two hours and she has managed to eat a little banana and a little nibble on me. I take this as a good sign. Means she still has some fight in her. Madison is trying hard to hold her end up. Im hoping we can demonstrate the family value of commitment to our pets till the very end.
Who would have thought that a 19.99 rodent could bring so much debate into the house?

You've probably already found all these, but the british hamster association recommends lectade (?) for replenishing electrolytes and general re-hydration... The common american solution seems to be 1:1 diluted pedialyte, the second being water with salt and sugar in it.

hmmmm and a pint of guiness would not go atsray, neither,,

and some ,saki, for da two legged one..

Good for you. Too many people just don't honor the commitment they make by taking a pet into their home. My girlfriend and I had a pair of mice (Jacques and Phillippe) who got sick. They probably cost $5 each, but I think we spent close to $100 on vet bills, medicine, etc. and it ended up giving them both a couple more months, which is pretty significant life extension for a mouse.

Thanks ShamanDave,
The poor little thing expired last night. She just couldnt take the stress. I checked her this AM and she was cold. I didnt tell my daughter when she asked about her. I figure I will let her have a happy day and tell her later tonight. Actually considered the "switch the hamster" routine, but I dont want to insult my child.

Aw geez. I was really thinking it'd pull through. That was a lengthy death-vigil for such a short-lived critter.

Sounds like your kids are the type that'll pull through just fine though. You tell them Durachko expressed his sympathy. (Just don't show them my profile picture.)

When I was a kid we used to bury all our pets (and other dead animals found lying around for whatever reason for that matter) under my Aunt's back porch just up the street from my house.

It was a regular graveyard complete with mini-tombstones.

My one cousin actually had her sights set on becoming a nun and used to say the rosary over the graves and have a little Catholic funeral ceremony. I suspect you won't find any groups of kids like that these days - - - for better or for worse.

Over and out . . .

PS: I just thought of a new pic to post. Has to do with a recent "loss" of my own.

Ahhh man! We where so pulling for her.
Good call on not doing the switchy-roo. The loss of a pet pet is a good time (although not pleasent) to expose and explain the life death cycle to Kids.
Again sorry to hear she did not make it.

RD

Awww... I'm sorry to hear that, SJ, and I don't envy you having to explain it to Madison. From the stories you've told about her, she sounds like a pretty level-headed kid. I guess that doesn't make the chore of informing her any easier, but it'll help her deal with it in the long run.

My daughter is studying life cycle at school at the moment. She came home from school yesterday and proclaimed that she was now a vegetarian. Walking off to her room crying and muttering ”it’s just cruel, you’re all cruel, how would you like it if someone killed you and ate you?”
How did I counter this? Well it just so happens that last night is fast food night. Hmmm I think we will have MC tonight. Now I can say yes I am cruel, cruel to be kind.

Epilogue:
My daughter loves food, probably too much. Guess what she had for dinner?

The morel of this story is they get over things relatively quickly, maybe not as quick as my daughter does though. I’m sure she’ll have the emotions to go along with the death but there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

DJ

I'm sorry, SJ. We recently had the same thing happen with my niece's mouse.
Apparently it had a genetic disease, and there was nothing we could do.

She was pretty resilient about it, though... and we got her a new one about a
week later.

Thanks All,
Im sure Madison will be okay.
Serena will get a spot in the pet garden and the world will continue to turn...


We figured out that she had been with us for two years. She was full grown when we got her so she may have actually died from old age as well.

Still debating if Madison will want another one or not...

Mmmmmmm . . . I love morels!!!

Wow, that joke mushroomed pretty badly there, DC.
Its okay.
We still love you!
Youre a FUN-GI!

Makes me remember that fun-gal you posted a pic of from the amusement park.

OK.
Funerary rights are done...
Madison is okay. She thinks she might like a Rat next...


To lighten the mood a bit, I have to show you this....

Click to view attachment

Its what happens when your children hide a small pumpkin under the stairs...

So Im DONE with sanding. Its boring and I cant rationalize a belt sander so Im done...Here is the end result

Click to view attachment

A closeup of the end...

Click to view attachment

This is the end with the rotator piece. It will look like this from the outside...Except Im going to use something fun to plug the hole..

Click to view attachment

This the side of the PJ and how the slots will be filled. The weight of the PJ will transfer over to the round disc and the disc will mount inside the holes in the transfer rods.

Click to view attachment

End result? This will hold the PJ steady and in the air and I can adjust it for balance. Plus I dont have to drill the outside of the PJ...

Click to view attachment

The pressure from the rods will hold it in place and the wooden disks will keep the PJ from getting scratched up. Im happy with the design so far. I will probably add a few thin rubber strups to keep the friction up.

Nah, use home-tanned leather - more authentic.

Sorry to hear about the hamster.

A rat, huh? Can't get those here, and bringing in a rat to Alberta carries a hefty fine (Unless it's specifically for medical research.)

Stand looks good. I second the opinion about the leather, but home tanned? That's a bit over the top.

Just trying to slow everyone down to my speed.

Okay how about I used hard tanned leather, but chew it soft by myself?
( If I was doing homemade , I would go straight to buckskin...)

Perfectly acceptable but you gotta provide a video for proof.

Edit: AND INDEX IT ON THE FIRST PAGE!!!

"This week on 'SurvivorSamurai', Samuraijack is stranded in the wilds of Vermont and must make an LCD projector out of deer bones, raw leather and a car windshield..."

If you dont know the show this comes from check right here...

I like Man Vs. Wild better guess I just saw the pilot, but it was more interesting for some reason

I will have to check it out. I used to do a little of that for fun...

the difference is, the guy in man vs. wild doesn't just have to survive, he has to escape as well. He has 4? or 5 days to make it back to civilization after dropping from an airplane to a random location.

I vote for genuine Saskatchewan seal skin bindings.
(There's a TV show reference some of you should get)

Well I did manage to chew some leather last night...

My wife tried to cook a potroast.
You would think after 11 years she would be able to do a roast. I have tried to teach her but she still doesnt do it right. You would also think that after 11 years I would know better than to let her near red meat.

Thats why I do all the cooking. I love to cook!

Thats why I do all the cooking. I love to cook!
[/quote]


Someone once said " Real Men Cook"
I'm proud of you man - I love to cook myself except my wife does not want me in the kitchen.

Gawd how can ya bugger up a roast,,, luv doing them ,,,, mmmmmm

mmmm casserole tomorrow night,,, damn 10 hr cook job too,,, mmm

My wife cooks most things reasonably well. She still has some habbits from her English heritage that annoy me (like boiling vegetables) and she has a tendancy to make some dishes that I really don't like, but that's a mater of choice of foods rather than ability to cook them.

The exception is steak. She should never be allowed near a steak, unless it's to eat one prepared by someone else.

Granted that I don't tend to buy the best cuts, but I think seeing what she'd do to a nice striploin could make me cry.

I gues maybe she should pretend that it's a small, thin roast.

Super Dave!

Last time My Wife tried to cook a roast she left it marinading in the kitchen, Sampson My big dog following his mission statement "find food" had a feast. we left the roast unattended for 30 seconds. thats all it took. He is one sneaky dog. needless to say he didnt get dinner that night, neither did we. I like to cook too, thats why I have a grill. I stay out of the kitchen, She stays away from the grill.

Did I see it right? you did the sanding on the stand by hand. I have a belt and disc sander here, much easier.
well, faster anyway.

I am the master of my kitchen... Cooking for me is like meditation. I just go in , get creative and see what happens. All the men in my family are excellent cooks. No better way to attract a mate...


Yep. Did some with a palm sander, but still a huge pain. I could t quite rationalize a belt sander. I know I would use one all the time, but the universe keeps throwing stuff in my way...Have to relearn soldering skills this weekend...Replacing a faucet and sink...

I replaced a sink several months ago, no soldering involved. Just stainless steel braided flex tube from the local shutoff valves to the
new faucet and several new pieces of drain PVC. Took me the better part of a day though.

The contractor who put in this sink cut the ends and hard soldered the pipes directly to them. I figure Im lucky he put in shutoff valves. So Im going to cut them off above the valves, solder two fixtures for the flex tube and install it. The new faucet has receptors on it for flex tube.

Joy.