Year: 2009

Flux Capacitor

Last night at around 11:30 as I was lying in bed reading I heard a loud BRRRRRRRP noise that lasted for 5 or 6 seconds. It was right out side the window. It happened again but for a slightly shorter time. But this time it didn’t quit, the sound level went down to a dull brrrrrrrr…

The only only thing mechanical right outside our bedroom window is the A/C unit. When I opened the window I could tell that was where the noise was coming from. I checked the vent and air was coming out, but it wasn’t cold anymore. I shut off the thermostat and went to sleep. Tomorrow was another day.

This morning I called a repair place and they said they could have someone out to the house about 3 o’clock. I took the afternoon off from work not only to go home and wait, but to accomplish a couple small things around the house that needed doing. The fellow called at 2 to ask if it was OK to come over now. He made the call from my driveway. He had knocked, but didn’t get an answer. That was because I was on the back deck washing off a year’s worth of mildew and dirt with the pressure washer.

He was done in about a half hour, the only thing wrong was a dead Flux Capacitor. Actually the dual run/start capacitor for the blower and the compressor was shorted out.

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 218

Math Smath

Every Wednesday Firehouse Subs comes to ASCO and sells fresh made sandwiches. There is a three woman crew that makes about 70-80 sandwiches between 11:30am and 1:00pm. For the ease of it (and the shapes sort of fit), lets call them Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear. Papa Bear is the one in charge, the order taker and money handler. She recognizes the regulars, remembers their names and their usual sandwich of choice.

Donna and I sporadically take advantage of this service every couple weeks or so. Today was our monthly engineering department communications meeting/lunch where everyone buys a sub to eat while we watch a PowerPoint presentation and discuss current events, work related and otherwise. Usually Donna and I split a sub and she eats at her desk while I eat mine at the meeting, but today I was on my own as Donna didn’t want a sub.

I’m guessing to either eliminate boredom or perhaps give some cross-training, Papa Bear has started making the subs and Momma Bear has been handling the ordering part of the business. Now I’m sure Momma Bear is a nice kid and all, but I think when they were passing out brains she didn’t get in line because she thought they said trains and wasn’t interested.

I ordered a small steak sub, $4.50, added an iced tea, $1.25 and you could hear the gears turning, after a slight pause she said $5.75. I handed her a ten dollar bill and I think she stopped breathing for a second as she harnessed all her brain functions to do the math. It just wasn’t happening so she punted, “Papa..what’s.” I said, “$4.25.”

I think if I had said $7.25, she would have given it to me.

Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 218

Nothing To Say

That’s not really accurate, I have plenty to say, I just can’t get motivated to say it, rather wander the net. Serious case of BA tonight.

Started up, went down, back up, down again, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 216

Busy Bee

Chimney RockTim will be happy to know that I finally broke down and cut out the sheet rock to repair the holes in the bedroom wall from the plumbing incident. I suck at mudding up the seams.

I’ve been trying to get all my photo galleries transferred over to the new style. I’ve got most of them done, but I will still have to copy and paste titles and captions to the hundreds of photos. And that doesn’t include the 453 Post Office pictures…

Frantically trying to download all my Flickr images that I don’t have a gallery for here by tomorrow, so I don’t have pay them the $25.

Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 213

It Didn’t

The weather that is. It was raining when we got up, so we decided to take the Interstate back instead of US25. This put us off the Geocaching Along A Route plan, so that even when the sun did come out towards the end of the trip and the top came down we were nowhere near anything to look for.

Here is a photo from yesterday. The 404′ Hickory Nut Falls at Chimney Rock Park.

Hickory Nut Falls

Started up, went down, back up, down again, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 212

Chimney Rock

Chimney RockSpent most of the day with sister Diane and husband Allen.

We started the day at Chimney Rock Park where we spent about 3 hours walking up, around and about on the trails and stairs there. Lunch was on the outside deck at a small Mexican place in the neighboring town of Lake Lure where Donna and I had eaten a couple years ago on a fall leaf peeping expedition. It was as good as we remembered it.

From there we made another run to their now revealed secret hideaway. We drove around, got a tour of a model home where the decorating budget was probably more than the cost of our home in Aiken. Allan then took a look at a different lot and spent several minutes talking to the developer’s son trying to work a deal.

After a two hour break for afternoon naps we went back into downtown Hendersonville to see the end of the big plant & flower show and get some dinner. Two words: West First. Best pizza since, well, ever.

Between yesterday and today we are 6 for 6 in geocaches. Five of which Diane & Allen have done with us (we may have converts on our hands.) Tomorrow on the trip home we may do a few, weather permitting.

Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 209

Sneaky

We are in Hendersonville, NC for the next couple nights. My sister and her husband are visiting the area and seeing as this is closer than Connecticut we always try and meet them when they are here. For years they have been telling us that when Allen hits 55 he is going to retire early and move here.

Tonight while on a drive north of town they asked if we minded visiting a development where there are some nice home lots that they we thinking of buying in, we said sure. We drove up to near the highest point in the place and looked around. It was about 500 feet higher than the main road and the views were great. There were a couple/three lots still open, one had a for sale by developer sign, one had a for sale by a realtor sign and one didn’t have any sign except for what looked like a buried cable marker. All of them looked like a nice spot to put a home.

After we got back to the hotel my sister told us that the one without a for sale sign was theirs. They had bought it a couple years ago and wanted to get an unbiased opinion from us.

Sneaky.

Started down, went up, back down, up again, down once more, went back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 207