What happened to me today!

[Levina de Ruijter]

@StephenM
Sounds and looks like you had a good day!

 

[Chet]

Is that a mall? Do people still go to those? Fascinating!

 

[StephenM]

Is that a mall? Do people still go to those? Fascinating!

The unwary go there for Christmas shopping. Caveat - Brighton is (when I last saw it mentioned) the most expensive place to park in the UK outside London. A few years back, our local paper had a letter from someone who had gone Christmas shopping at Churchill Square (the centre in the photograph) and used the on site car park. They were not happy that their 4 hours shopping cost £25 in parking charges. We went by bus - which, as we are both too frail and infirm to walk anywhere by reason of advanced age (I assume that's the government reasoning), we have free bus passes so it costs nothing. (As far as my infirmities go, when I took our car in for a service earlier this month, I walked back from the garage after leaving the car, and walked back again to collect - about 50 minutes each way. No problems...)

Today was the annual Christmas gift fair at the West Blatchington Windmill (I'm a volunteer guide there). Here are some photos. The event was in the north barn, which has a "minstrels gallery" for want of a better term. One photograph was from there. We arrived two minutes after opening time, when it was raining, so not many people there then.

 

[Markuswelder]

Today we bought a new washing machine. Our old one has had a good life, new bearings once, other minor fixes, but it finally died just before Christmas. Not last year, possibly the one before that, since then I've been washing by hand. So a new machine will be quite fun.

Pressure washer for the win. I've killed a couple of washing machines due to my filthy work clothes. So what I do now, is throw them in a big bucket of detergent and water overnight, then lay them on the concrete in front of the garage, and give them a blast with the pressure washer. Not too close, or you will damage them. Works a treat Then just give them a run in the washing machine on the spin cycle to remove excess water. Quick, uses very little water, and does a great job.

 

[Chet]

Shoveled 3 times so far today, we've gotten 8" of snow out of 11". I tried to get the snow blower going 1/2 way thru the last shoveling, took the carb apart and cleaned it. I think the float needle is still getting stuck and preventing fuel flow. I did rinse out some gummy oil gas mix and replaced the filter. Bet the fuel line still had gummy gas in it. It's 31°F so the snow is wet and heavy, stuff sticks to the shovel when you throw it. I hate shoveling, our driveway holds 8 cars and has a section of stone which is no fun to shovel. Can't wait to see how much in total.

 

[Chet]

So now I'm wondering if the lens control board is shot. I tried to just open and close the aperture blades on the 50mm f1.4 and I get nothing. I have yet to break out the meter but one step at a time. Here was my setup to test the apeture motor.

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

So now I'm wondering if the lens control board is shot.

Could that be replaced? Or fixed?

 

[Chet]

Could that be replaced? Or fixed?

Probably not economically smart. I can get a used lens for $150. All the parts would exceed it's current value. What I did find though is I can sell the individual parts for about $100. Not the motors or electronic parts, just the barrels, gears, rotating pieces, and the lenses. I might do that with this one.

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

Probably not economically smart. I can get a used lens for $150. All the parts would exceed it's current value. What I did find though is I can sell the individual parts for about $100. Not the motors or electronic parts, just the barrels, gears, rotating pieces, and the lenses. I might do that with this one.

Sounds like a plan.

 

[LtDave]

I tried to get the snow blower going 1/2 way thru the last shoveling... no fun to shovel.

had an issue with my Toro a couple of years ago. No start. had a buddy look at it, he replaced the primer bulb because it was split.

started right up. i brought it home, it sat a week or so, and then again, No start...

then my wife got sick and i didnt bother even trying it again. now its winter AGAIN and ive not take care of the machine.... hate not having any ambition like this

 

[Chet]

had an issue with my Toro a couple of years ago. No start. had a buddy look at it, he replaced the primer bulb because it was split.

started right up. i brought it home, it sat a week or so, and then again, No start...

then my wife got sick and i didnt bother even trying it again. now its winter AGAIN and ive not take care of the machine.... hate not having any ambition like this

When anyone brings me a gasoline powered motor that isn't running, I always hit the bottom of the carb with a hammer. Many times the float is stuck and just not allowing fuel into the motor. Even on "older" carb vehicles you sometimes have to tap the side of the carb to open the floats.

Today I had to shovel another 6" of fresh snow. And it was colder outside. I sprayed a bit of starting fluid into the carb and it started and ran for 10 seconds. I hit the carb, primed it and sprayed it again. This time it wouldn't start. So I tried another of my snow blowers, opened the tank and realized it was metal and looked rusty. The rest of the snow blower looks fantastic. Alas, it wouldn't fire. So I grabbed my oldest snow blower that I got with the last house I had. That was about 16 years ago. The owner asked if I wanted it, it was in pieces. I said sure, and the 1st winter there I put it together and it fired up. It's just a very small Toro, no safety's, the paddles always spin. Well that ding dong thing always started back than. And it was already 15 years old. So today I thru some fuel in it, and go figure, it fires up. It wouldn't run without choke though, and died under load. So I put it to the side. I tried the original one and it fired up. Seems I flooded it once the float opened. I was able to do the concrete section of my driveway using it. The stone area I had to manually shovel.

I hate snow, but the blower works again. Now that it's running, it will continue thru the season.

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

Today I had to shovel another 6" of fresh snow.

6" that would be about 15cm. I can't remember the last time we had this much snow. Oh wait, that must have been in 2012 I think. It's that long ago. We had snow in later years but just a thin layer that would thaw and disappear quickly. I miss snow.

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

I had a root canal today. They used to do that by killing the infection in the canals with chemicals. They don't do that any longer as it's too toxic and unhealthy apparently so now they kind of file the infection out. Takes considerably longer though. I was in the chair for a full hour. But the local anaesthetic worked well so I didn't feel a thing. And there were none of the nasty smells that were there during the previous root canal treatments.

Being out and close to a small shopping centre I decided to shop for shoes after. Got me some warm and comfy home slippers (flip flops?) and a pair of warm winter shoes.

I'm happy.

 

[StephenM]

Based on my (painless) time in a dentist's chair, the worse part is the boredom from knowing I have to sit there, can't talk and can't read anything.

My old dentist (retired years ago) didn't use an anaesthetic for my fillings (my choice) as it wasn't painful. Now I suffer from the after effects of a numb jaw afterwards...

I've been collecting Amazon parcels today (mainly to support transition to a faster network) and getting ready for an overnight stay in Bath tomorrow for the Christmas market. Photos will follow if I take any.

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

Based on my (painless) time in a dentist's chair, the worse part is the boredom from knowing I have to sit there, can't talk and can't read anything.

My old dentist (retired years ago) didn't use an anaesthetic for my fillings (my choice) as it wasn't painful. Now I suffer from the after effects of a numb jaw afterwards...

I used to do the same until there came a time when they had to drill too deep and it began to really hurt. But I do hate a numb jaw/lip/face.

I've been collecting Amazon parcels today (mainly to support transition to a faster network) and getting ready for an overnight stay in Bath tomorrow for the Christmas market. Photos will follow if I take any.

Oh, but you absolutely have to, Stephen!