Projects

06 Apr 24

19:15 hrs

     Howdy Folkes,

     Another project has been completed here at the Wayward Inn.  My Better Half had a vision of extending the Catio out onto the lawn so our three fuzz balls can experience the great outdoors without being tied to a fixed point and safe from being picked off by one our resident big birds of prey (it happens a couple times each year). The main cage was a steel chicken coop that my Lobster saw on marketplace in River City. I was tasked with building a tunnel that would privide the kitties with safe travel between the Catio and the Annex. It is constructed of pine 1 x 2's with 3/4 inch mesh wrapped around it. The tunnel is 134" x 15" x 18" and was built in two sections. There is a hinged door at the Catio entrance to the tunnel.

     I hope they're happy!

11 Apr 24

08:30 hrs

     Today is the anniversary of the Oma-nator's passing. My Lobster and I were beside her when it happened. It was a release.  The last three weeks were hard on everyone but my Better Half bore the brunt of it as no one else could attend to Oma's needs as well as she had. Unless of course, if she has gone to palliative care but that was against her wishes which was to be in her home when it happened. It's surreal that she is physically gone but we think of her every day. Her room has been transformed twice. First, as a spare bedroom/games room and now more of just a games room as the Sr. Couch Monkey has brought in a huge gaming table for his group of Nerds to use.

     The Juice is dead at the age of 76. I heard it was cancer. Good. I hope it was painful, too. I doubt if there was a deathbed confession but as sure as the sun rises in the East there is a special place Downstairs for him for all eternity. 

     The Jr. Loin Fruit had his work interview yesterday. It was online. I hope he made a good impression as he is really ready to move ahead on his career path. Due to the military trade he has chosen he had to sign a NDA attesting that he would not record, photograph or divulge any of the questions that were put to him nor any of his responses. Sounds pretty Secret Squirrel to me. You may think it's pure BS but I assure you that this is often true. I was once on a training course Down East and at the start of one particular lecture the presenting officer informed the room that his lecture was for members of the Five Eyes community only. He then canvassed the room to find out who all was in attendance. Canucks, You-Alls, some Austin's and.....a few Chicanos. 

     "You'll have to leave."

     "?Que."

     "Your country is not a signatory of the Five Eyes Agreement and therefore you, and your staff, cannot attend my lecture."

     "Si Senor."

     After the lecture I reflected on what I had heard and there was nothing that could not have been gleaned from open outside sources. However, as this lecture was sourced from Five Eyes material the presenter had no choice but chuck out the Mexicans. I even told him so. His response? He was fully aware of the facts but rules are rules. 

12 Apr 24

08:45 hrs

     Yesterday my Lobster was taking Mr. Wilson out for a walk on a harness. They had started in the backyard and had moved to the front when suddenly he stopped and was looking into the bushes.

My Lobster looked and there was Jack the Escaped Convict. Somehow he had pushed his way out of the screen door on the Catio despite the dozen door holding magnets. Now in Jack's defense, he wants to be able to walk around the yard like the Orange Blunder but he refuses to wear a harness and when Wilson comes back in from walk Asshole Jack beats him up because he's jealous. Extra security was required and fast. First, I installed an over centre pin lock which I thought was pretty strong. But with his granite skull and iron will determination he managed to pop that open. So, back to Home Despot I went. I picked up two gate hooks and installed them on the screen door. One on either side. So now, either one must be engaged to keep Sir Jack contained. He doesn't like it. Tough shit.

13 Apr 24

09:15 hrs

     Yesterday I started the inspection o  the Mobile Wayward Inn. It's been a while since we had put it toady real use and now we are hoping to get out some more. 

     Everything was clean and dry on the I side. I pulled the batteries and had to top them off with distilled water. Both were down and needed to be recharged. I'm hoping the inverter is okay. When we had first purchased the unit I drove a Ford Sport Trac, which had been wired for our monstrous tent trailer. Now, unbeknownst to me, the grease monkey who did the wiring had done the job incorrectly. Oh, it worked great with the tent trailer but when we bought the travel trailer I quickly found out that there was a problem. 

     My Friend from Over the Hump had come to assist me in getting the unit home from the dealership up the highway. All went well. No issues at all. But, as I was backing it in at the Wayward Inn, with him ground guiding me, he noticed that the lights were not working correctly. Left was right, right was brakes, brakes were running lights. Weird shit. So, I contacted the company that had wired the truck. Now, that should have been a simple job as the trailer plugs are pretty much plug and play. Obviously not. Everything had worked right because he had rewired the truck AND the tent trailer as a single unit. Once hooked up to the travel trailer, which was clean from the factory, things were wrong. The original mechanic had retired and the new guy said to bring the truck and trailer down so he could perform a diagnostic on them. While enroute the wiring over heated, melted and shorted outlocking up the trailer brakes as I was heading down the hill into town. I was dragging 4500 pounds of dead weight leaving rubber on the road. I stopped the rig, set the parking brake and when I saw the melting wires I quickly disconnected the trailer from the truck. The trailer brakes released. 

     It took the guy three days to figure out what had gone wrong and in the end he simply removed the existing plugs and started fresh. He more or less had to as the trailer connector was fused. What I didn't know was the inverter, which converts 120VAC to 12VDC, had been pooched as well and over the next seven or eight years we suffered from dead batteries (at $$$ per battery). It took me some time to figure this out as I'm not a travel trailer mechanic. Once I did I contacted the dealership as to how much a replacement would be. Oh, really? That much, huh. And, how much for the installation? Okay. Next time kiss me first!

     I went looking for the inverter and found the part number, looked it up on Amazon. It was 1/3 of the dealer price and when it arrived I called my Friend from Over the Hump and he drove to the Wayward Inn to assist me in the installation. That cost a sandwich and a beer. So, if this inverter is screwed, and I'm hoping it's not, I'm quite sure that I can install a new one myself. I'll keep you informed.

     The editing of the cookbook has been completed and my Better Half is having me go through the editing to give it my approval. I'm adding a few more photos as I go but I can't think of a photo for the front cover. I think I'll put myself on the back cover, though. If you have any ideas drop me a line.

15 Apr 24

06:30 hrs

     It has now started. 

     The first criminal trial of a former Prez of the Hugh-ess. Any bets on when or how often he's going to be nailed for contempt of court?

     I'll get the popcorn.