tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139334492024-03-07T19:38:13.608-08:00DIY InsanityIs it nuts to design, permit and build an addition to your house by yourself?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.comBlogger324125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-75723404394611974872012-11-05T11:17:00.001-08:002012-11-05T11:19:56.372-08:00Taphophile Tragics: Kaua'i Cemeteries<i>One of the things I write about on <a href="http://www.ouroakland.net">my Oakland blog</a> is history. And one way to learn about history is by <a href="http://blog.ouroakland.net/search/label/cemetery">studying cemeteries</a>, where you can learn about all sorts of people who made and lived history. K and I recently took a trip to Kauai for a family reunion for my parents' 50th anniversary, so I have some non-Oakland posts to write about.</i><br />
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To paraphrase Pascal, <i>"the present slideshow is a very long one, simply because I had no leisure to make it shorter."</i> As a farewell and thank you to Julie, who's been running the <a href="http://taphophile-tuesday.blogspot.com/">Taphophile Tragics</a> meme for almost a year, I included a bunch of cemetery and memorials from my trip this summer to Kauai.<br />
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There are three formal cemeteries represented; a traditional burial site for Hawaiian chieftans; and a memorial from a local beach. The cemeteries are at St. Raphael Church, the oldest Catholic church on Kauai near Poipu; the Koloa Cemetery, a public cemetery (<a href="http://diyinsanity.blogspot.com/2012/09/taphophile-tragics-john-doe-13.html">featured</a> back in September); and Christ Memorial Church, an Episcopal church in Kilauea. The valley is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honop%C5%AB_Valley">Honopū Valley</a> on the north shore. The beach is one of many out-of-the-way public beaches on the north shore. I wish I had more time to investigate the stories of the people behind all of these.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ezmkPyNO0QD8LNKfSc4I8NMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiWzee138AD30EPFJjL5hHebKURNtuLknlDnlnAFoBmFu7pChA0QT0ofF6wk3fmeYFeuYxkV_6kfXPKgj-8G2TjQru-7o6Gsz2IBQ2n-OFFYxiSHOJG_OuEF6d3P7Kw8_gUN0A/s288/DSC_8477.jpg" height="288" width="191" /></a> <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rPualNaXl_4vdqPqxica8NMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3iVDtqsJ_lgrjmnVNW8NeSmh7KMUORb4rVP7rZwl7SxJRaVtyeo0d27pwTfWXZ_omG9V_n_6ItHGBZNdvjb5-87JCe0bzc69bQUf0vCXpqQ5zJNXygAOZnU4hRpPy0jB3uiVk/s288/DSC_8534.NEF.jpg" height="288" width="191" /></a><br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/x33TajoFH2RlUR-SecdwA9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtA61qq4ZlffBb9Jfq5dViLe3YA9JRFgabXxZWoHaROvJfpn4YFzjQ9l7l2IM3NDKI-gGzGwbcZMbtei7Ofn_FFd8tgr-b8Fsz9i0Gxhkwv8hxTd7Uqt256CdzSDrmXpP19SUP/s288/DSC_8557.jpg" height="288" width="191" /></a> <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/9MTE7HrH1-ejIluB5ov5z9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTeMv6w6Prb97EKoAGkJIAy0F8VYHVmSFI9CqLbqqD_Y9rpKZH0Zbl3L3OLXdaUv8spKss1s9qIDnIbdxGiwU3sKFzewLgz1APPdctIk6OOdjhkE6Moh2UDBpo0tYA4Bgb0JOn/s288/DSC_8856.jpg" height="288" width="191" /></a><br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/jENa8BWiw5uI4Ef3c_YuDdMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaKxZbRw_rBkD1btpq5YNK5VduvBSQSb8yHHuZOhP79HgIJYVzOa323ptf5Rtraf_KE2B2G1Zd702EexCZSBzKTPnyS1MQSzGcFj7Wv-vCIuiESSSpbvcmbDa54f5y_iZV_3-W/s288/IMG_1022.JPG" height="288" width="216" /></a> <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pKK_IHfZwHM_mZ3h8wqXfdMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2YbpJbXliTJVft8FXK-eVYpZUxadKO_gMqimbbUC_Y_De5RHuZphrRtFnnv9ZWyZqWwmsIGLKcvqTNocGGnIOTPHz-EkT2edR7NZoXvCb-M3XTY5HiL9wOKG4NntsCJNoLLMj/s288/IMG_0972.JPG" height="288" width="216" /></a> <br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/108860713344732311264/KauaICemeteries?authuser=0&feat=directlink">Lots more pictures of the Kauai cemeteries:</a><br />
<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="600" height="400" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2F108860713344732311264%2Falbumid%2F5807395687949098001%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-54215800697512925182012-09-03T12:10:00.000-07:002012-09-03T12:10:46.096-07:00Taphophile Tragics: John Doe 13<i>One of the things I write about on <a href="http://www.ouroakland.net">my Oakland blog</a> is history. And one way to learn about history is by <a href="http://blog.ouroakland.net/search/label/cemetery">studying cemeteries</a>, where you can learn about all sorts of people who made and lived history. K and I recently took a trip to Kauai for a family reunion for my parents 50th anniversary, so I have some non-Oakland posts to write about.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumTusQJOQp5uLVo-N-dz2P_ZqC3jI6qLEaqR-GjY_hI0aQpuSKA-LWN9QEl4VU-GC4oRl7IDRHnogPVwjmOM8dxLBNR6t0c6xns5A_uG5PI8_hdjLBl2A4EKSGIZWj9ty9cRq/s1600/DSC_8505.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="265" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumTusQJOQp5uLVo-N-dz2P_ZqC3jI6qLEaqR-GjY_hI0aQpuSKA-LWN9QEl4VU-GC4oRl7IDRHnogPVwjmOM8dxLBNR6t0c6xns5A_uG5PI8_hdjLBl2A4EKSGIZWj9ty9cRq/s400/DSC_8505.NEF.jpg" /></a><br />
I dragged K along to examine a couple of cemeteries during our recent trip to Kauai. Initially she was being nice and tagging along, but she quickly discovered why cemeteries can be interesting places to visit. While exploring at the Koloa Cemetery, she discovered this small, plain marker. There were a number like this; some were generic markers where no one had bought or made a headstone, but there were a surprising number of "John Doe" markers. In the U.S., John Doe is used as placeholder name for an unknown or unnamed man; similarly Jane Doe (or Roe) for a woman, and Baby Doe for an infant. It can be used in a legal document, but is also commonly used to refer to unknown people.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fbaNaSrwfUjKRCCwGLtxEm0-dTBlwaf6i4V6nx8q5mlqYohB64ei_wm6LGWudaa_KdGYxAMR9HsI0zqR5Mp8rEIN2vUWqKXP9JPmikwtFXVUaS2fA2O7TkmzyswaG-U71c0B/s1600/DSC_8579.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="212" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fbaNaSrwfUjKRCCwGLtxEm0-dTBlwaf6i4V6nx8q5mlqYohB64ei_wm6LGWudaa_KdGYxAMR9HsI0zqR5Mp8rEIN2vUWqKXP9JPmikwtFXVUaS2fA2O7TkmzyswaG-U71c0B/s320/DSC_8579.NEF.jpg" /></a></div>I couldn't find out much about the Koloa Cemetery. It's outside of town, marked by a small sign. It seems to be the public cemetery for the area. A nearby Catholic church has its own cemetery, and there are other cemeteries in other towns across Kauai. It's a relatively small cemetery, but has a variety of markers from the 1920s to the present, and being in Kauai, is in a beautiful setting.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWSnskoPVVRBmN2RnYcXqEKdshj_7xGezhCrflhqFlUi9lOvwKq-ByjGgAAenBvfyT9SRzt38al68m6U6kOQNce31lkvm15KizXoWmzs11Smj7UjYYZEJA4BvhWPYKENNa3WD/s1600/DSC_8538.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="265" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWSnskoPVVRBmN2RnYcXqEKdshj_7xGezhCrflhqFlUi9lOvwKq-ByjGgAAenBvfyT9SRzt38al68m6U6kOQNce31lkvm15KizXoWmzs11Smj7UjYYZEJA4BvhWPYKENNa3WD/s400/DSC_8538.NEF.jpg" /></a><br />
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Visit <a href="http://taphophile-tuesday.blogspot.com/2012/09/taphophile-tragics-37.html">Taphophile Tragics</a> for interesting posts about cemeteries around the world.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-83588197695632469182011-11-08T10:50:00.000-08:002011-11-08T10:52:47.288-08:00repairing our front-loading washing machine<div class="pic"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjue86Hqc0TzhSUuwMJDvM1hqvTGsAkUJCWcNXOubHvI9EeJseS0gXR_tnW-NdVbRga8ZdYSS5bSZMkmJzMv1u2NGl-mVBk-NT3M5j_CqEdT4OV1FtswoEDWl16Dp4G8bO3AxYe/s1600/DSCN1543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjue86Hqc0TzhSUuwMJDvM1hqvTGsAkUJCWcNXOubHvI9EeJseS0gXR_tnW-NdVbRga8ZdYSS5bSZMkmJzMv1u2NGl-mVBk-NT3M5j_CqEdT4OV1FtswoEDWl16Dp4G8bO3AxYe/s320/DSCN1543.JPG" /></a><p>broken shock absorber</div>We've generally loved our front-loading Kenmore/Sears washing machine. It doesn't use much water or electricity, gets clothes cleaner, and leaves clothes dryer than our old top-loading machine ever did.<br />
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But for a while, it's been behaving strangely. It was vibrating a lot during the final spin, occasionally spilling water from the hose, and sometimes making a whomping noise audible in the rest of the house. Still, it was getting clothes clean, so I didn't worry about it too much. Then last week it stopped in the middle of a cycle—it had tripped the GFCI breaker, and resetting that didn't do any good.<br />
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That meant I actually had to do something about it—at least after some hours at work, then taking the half-done laundry load to the nearest laundromat to wash. I took the front panel off and immediately noticed the broken shock absorber-type thingy that connects the drum to the frame. There wasn't a great puddle of water or anything else obviously wrong that I could see, so I let it sit while I got some replacement parts.<br />
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After it sat and dried for a couple of days, I tried it again, and it was ready to go. My theory is that it splashed itself during one of its violent episodes. So I unplugged the washer again, and set to replacing the shock absorbers. The old ones were challenging to remove, and the new ones almost as challenging to put in. Fortunately the parts came with instructions which helped, but it still involved a lot of awkward reaching, grunting and pushing and pulling pieces to get done. I ended up taking the back off, too, which helped get access to the plastic pins that hold each end of the shock absorber.<br />
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I also took the opportunity to clean out the water inlet filters. The hot water (which we don't use much) was pretty badly clogged. It was also interesting to note that there's a lot of empty space and some cement blocks (attached to the drum, to reduce vibration) inside the washer. And interesting to note that the replacement shock absorbers use a different design—I don't think we're the only ones to have this particular breakdown.<br />
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In any event, $35, some banged knuckles, and a test cycle later, the washing machine is back to its wonderful self.<br />
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<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcYUMQJp-jWUz1MgoXuRHzTEDICD5jpmZcknG8LW3FQ_zGkXML5a8qHY05rbTh90jAsUuV84SJ4rE9NaT5be5JnqqZ43Z0merWEf4lFfgUuymcP741jJkawaPXbDjualJu6d4/s1600/DSCN1548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcYUMQJp-jWUz1MgoXuRHzTEDICD5jpmZcknG8LW3FQ_zGkXML5a8qHY05rbTh90jAsUuV84SJ4rE9NaT5be5JnqqZ43Z0merWEf4lFfgUuymcP741jJkawaPXbDjualJu6d4/s320/DSCN1548.JPG" /></a></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0OREMiIE4UQEhqG6bhfhbcUYhDT2V4dt_vugxLC1mfaVQN0tC82fk9648A5jtSuxrDVghfvBDuNvQHJ15GMHKaxBUl97bl0hzWIOv5j5mcsGaeK8iJHkR-aVl1uIGsktC_HHK/s1600/DSCN1552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0OREMiIE4UQEhqG6bhfhbcUYhDT2V4dt_vugxLC1mfaVQN0tC82fk9648A5jtSuxrDVghfvBDuNvQHJ15GMHKaxBUl97bl0hzWIOv5j5mcsGaeK8iJHkR-aVl1uIGsktC_HHK/s320/DSCN1552.JPG" /></a></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lb8zLf5umBhXXuerXoHg8H4kOcWpD3JQ6eKmzjM88KA6NrXse0u4OFlUYXpn8NNebslERQ7QLYAKGFDaMx1o6aKxLDOAKGoQ5tz82y3U8s2KPMA_pMr1509y6WhDPog_tY-h/s1600/DSCN1553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lb8zLf5umBhXXuerXoHg8H4kOcWpD3JQ6eKmzjM88KA6NrXse0u4OFlUYXpn8NNebslERQ7QLYAKGFDaMx1o6aKxLDOAKGoQ5tz82y3U8s2KPMA_pMr1509y6WhDPog_tY-h/s320/DSCN1553.JPG" /></a></div><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-52962955025535497012011-06-20T13:37:00.000-07:002011-06-20T17:15:53.666-07:00solar in California<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQopJ97f1dpSoN9pHGfn4LBNIZNkbutR_5J0_slcAkOXnNB9tYBUagT9NkEvT031vu_vTSCSxYSEjrwCdhmkJF9zdnyZJ-BWOQKaLLWiG5bluEAREF6nrxATy9-1njv2Cy86ST/s1600/solar+california.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQopJ97f1dpSoN9pHGfn4LBNIZNkbutR_5J0_slcAkOXnNB9tYBUagT9NkEvT031vu_vTSCSxYSEjrwCdhmkJF9zdnyZJ-BWOQKaLLWiG5bluEAREF6nrxATy9-1njv2Cy86ST/s200/solar+california.jpg" /></a><span class="dropcap">T</span>here was potentially big news for solar in California. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) decided that PG&E and other utility companies have to <a href="http://www.baycitizen.org/energy/story/solar-panel-owners-can-start-earning/">pay homeowners for excess solar power</a>. In the past, it's been simple net-metering, and any excess was used to offset their bill. Now PG&E has to pay a market rate for the excess. In theory that means solar panels can be paid off sooner, and eventually even make money.<br />
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Why isn't this huge news? Because the price was set based on daytime wholesale electricity rates paid to power plant owners, which fluctuate daily based on market conditions. That means when supply is low and demand is high, all is good for power producers. But much of the day and much of the year, California has an excess of electricity available, which means low prices, sometimes even negative.<br />
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Part of my day job is writing software for a small power plant, one piece of which is a program to monitor the energy price through the day. The price is set by the <a href="http://www.caiso.com">California ISO</a> (CAISO), and is affected by supply and demand, loss, and transmission costs. After deregulation, companies like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enron">Enron gamed the market</a>, resulting in power shortages, rolling blackouts and high prices. CAISO is designed to hopefully eliminate that possibility in the future, in part by always making sure there's more than enough power to meet the demand.<br />
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This year in particular, prices have been relatively low in part because demand has been low due to cooler than normal temperatures (until last week), and in part because of higher supply. Why not just dial back production if there's too much? Some generation is hydroelectric, and generates 24x7 depending on water flow, which has been higher this year. Even fossil-fuel based plants that can be adjusted up or down usually can't be adjusted that quickly, so there's generally a large excess.<br />
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The other factor is that solar is still a <i>tiny</i> portion of the power generated in California. Yesterday, for example, solar in California accounted for 4,142 MW hours of power, mostly between 8AM and 7PM. That's out of total system demand of 602,261 MW hours, or less than 0.7% of the total. A residential solar install is going to be a tiny fraction of that tiny fraction. All that means that with prices set based on market rates, the payment amounts are going to be very small.<br />
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As noted in <a href="http://www.baycitizen.org/energy/story/solar-panel-owners-can-start-earning/">the article</a>, some people think this is fair, while others think the price paid should be higher to encourage further solar development. What's the right answer? I don't know, but in the short-term this doesn't change much, even for most solar owners. We still don't have solar power, but now that <a href="http://diyinsanity.blogspot.com/2011/03/changing-scenery.html">our neighbor's big tree is gone</a>, it may make sense.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-41271769184830840972011-05-02T19:39:00.000-07:002011-05-02T19:52:44.534-07:00gardening with a sawzall<div class="pic"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBbKiRtqJtlW1Lf-TNSA8GtZEVgnDSySt7AF4QJZjJ3lEE-naz_ziZ_wH3eXWkcq6hSTyAH1DnGb-rnHaxPYC9d8oLfh2ZXePE-pdLfw-MSPLQXkHlPrdBdzW3VWIZEI58DYcZ/s1600/pampas.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBbKiRtqJtlW1Lf-TNSA8GtZEVgnDSySt7AF4QJZjJ3lEE-naz_ziZ_wH3eXWkcq6hSTyAH1DnGb-rnHaxPYC9d8oLfh2ZXePE-pdLfw-MSPLQXkHlPrdBdzW3VWIZEI58DYcZ/s320/pampas.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602317176342522642" /></a><p>pampas grass</div><span class="dropcap">W</span>e're still getting used to <a href="http://diyinsanity.blogspot.com/2011/03/changing-scenery.html">the absent tree</a>. The additional light in K's office is nice, and I'm loving having fewer pine needles to clean off the roof and the front walk. And I've still got some work to do on the stairs from the carport. But all those improvements have made some other things more clear.<br /><br />One is the ugly mound of pampas grass that's been growing near the base of the stairs since forever. The plumes may look pretty when it's blooming, but the main mound is full of dry, yellowed leaves, and the green leaves have a nasty sharp edge to them. K has been wanting to get rid of it for a while, so today after I dropped her off at the airport, I came home and set to work. On Friday I'd purchased a machete from our local hardware store, and between that and judicious use of my sawzall to cut off the dense central clumps, I managed to get rid of 2/3rds of it. I filled our green bin, so after that's emptied on Wednesday morning I'll attack it again.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-67225577902729724332011-03-12T11:41:00.000-08:002011-03-14T11:29:02.176-07:00changing scenery<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcG0XM-5afvWoeZWTIHbTNsNlWYHqkJX9vNP2SpVZgLprgAusU2d4NZvyOTM4zxE1GWw1V7mGFP_vMQ_5x93PtDzrHco9mpr5dkfYYsVaHifsPbCUbHSfh5_isL9xY43w9wJGf/s1600/tree1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcG0XM-5afvWoeZWTIHbTNsNlWYHqkJX9vNP2SpVZgLprgAusU2d4NZvyOTM4zxE1GWw1V7mGFP_vMQ_5x93PtDzrHco9mpr5dkfYYsVaHifsPbCUbHSfh5_isL9xY43w9wJGf/s400/tree1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583380177224957762" /></a></div><br /><span class="dropcap">Y</span>esterday was not a productive day. I wasn't expecting it to be super productive, but I basically got no work done. Our uphill neighbor told us last month that she was going to have one of the big Monterey pines next to her house taken out. I've always been aware of the trees -- the many (non-Eucalyptus) trees are part of why I bought the house where I did. But this particular pine was right next to her house, with a major branch hanging over ours. Over the years, she had an arborist take care of it, but it had become somewhat unbalanced over the last few years. Even before that, K and I worried a bit during big storms or earthquakes that all or part might come crashing down. So I was torn when I heard it was time for it to come down -- it's beautiful, but can be a little scary.<br /><br /><div class="pic"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTg0zvXqi2l8IOZZ_F00ZLtyQ3mqSCkrMfNEaF6kEEjCp7mU4FdRDWa8dz3HsMKj9GkWdh6-Ep6R848fg7NRYkdOnVTZUJorpfNogcYZZb_d9QGZL6PkX8cbVkeK_1hCx6Lyl/s1600/tree7.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTg0zvXqi2l8IOZZ_F00ZLtyQ3mqSCkrMfNEaF6kEEjCp7mU4FdRDWa8dz3HsMKj9GkWdh6-Ep6R848fg7NRYkdOnVTZUJorpfNogcYZZb_d9QGZL6PkX8cbVkeK_1hCx6Lyl/s400/tree7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583285293380790770" border="0" /></a><p>hecka big crane</p></div>Taking down a tree that large between houses and power lines is a tricky business. So they brought in a crane. It's a big tree, so it needed a really big crane. (They were also taking out a smaller dead cypress tree near the other side of the house, and the crane would help with that, too.) Between the crane, chainsaws, wood chipper, and general mayhem, I was anticipating a noisy day. I stayed home hoping to work and to deal with any issues that might come up, and K wisely went to the <a href="http://www.mercy-center.org/">Mercy Center</a> for a day-long retreat. Guess who was more successful?<br /><br />Friday morning we woke to the sound of a big crane lumbering its way up the hill. We also woke to the news of the massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Although we currently don't have family there, K's brother and sister-in-law used to live in Tokyo (their oldest daughter was born there), and I was there several times on business and worked with some software engineers from Toshiba for a couple of years. So I was not only distracted by the mayhem outside, but I was frequently checking the web for news, praying, thinking of former colleagues and was generally very distracted by the events there. Add to that the relatively minor worries about the tsunami striking California, and it was not a peaceful or productive day.<br /><br />Despite all that, the they did safely bring the tree down. They started by lowering a guy into the tree with the crane. He proceeded to tie off then cut branches, which were then lowered by crane to the ground for others to deal with. This went on all day, and by 6pm or so, it was all over but the cleanup. They did a lot of that last night, and then came and finished up this morning. We haven't counted the rings yet, but it was a very large tree. You can get some idea of how big it is from the picture of the slice in the back of the truck. It's about 5 feet across at the widest point.<br /><br />We'll miss the tree (not so much during storms), but removing it has already made a big change in the neighborhood. People further up the hill have new views. We have a lot more light on the north and east sides of the house. And I'll have a lot fewer pine needles and branches to clean from the roof and front walk. One downside is that the azaleas along the path will no longer be self-watering. During the summer, the fog would condense on the tree and drip down onto the flower beds below. Now we may actually have to water them some. On the other hand, it reduces the fire risk, and improves our prospects for solar PV panels.<br /><div class="picleft"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-t0lG9Hk2M9PAvhRtYQpOPUYYaGfSBVkI9JgB1ymQJmZUL0xKSwv9uFZgUac5jNslL6e0m6Qisy7EOqglUK7yPi2h5RlZNko59BEqZD6Rx7vxqgkofQP9eI5HlFd6uDf3PLhx/s1600/tree2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-t0lG9Hk2M9PAvhRtYQpOPUYYaGfSBVkI9JgB1ymQJmZUL0xKSwv9uFZgUac5jNslL6e0m6Qisy7EOqglUK7yPi2h5RlZNko59BEqZD6Rx7vxqgkofQP9eI5HlFd6uDf3PLhx/s400/tree2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583284499624109074" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div class="picleft"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPW-0LlapHLGV09OPwANb_-EQMUL7USNBACG6mWbOm8kngxyOpOPfZMOkVU1RzWukqHOaXs6RkkVodMt7WOYJJd_7kzOh4W5x0g_T8QMEGXhzgNUx2MjDR6p5DVBv0as-u3VA/s1600/tree3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPW-0LlapHLGV09OPwANb_-EQMUL7USNBACG6mWbOm8kngxyOpOPfZMOkVU1RzWukqHOaXs6RkkVodMt7WOYJJd_7kzOh4W5x0g_T8QMEGXhzgNUx2MjDR6p5DVBv0as-u3VA/s400/tree3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583284495497195026" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div class="picleft"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMslTUkDFcVWiXAkwe8UIN62q77sMV2saCJsV0GCoYRhPRKi4N04PqGIHox_7BUE0MTldQgmTMGm_dIEH2lDMGz4_CjX2kcGrdKRlYBKTn4Qb7q023yMR3iKdpSKgoGyKvY_W/s1600/tree4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMslTUkDFcVWiXAkwe8UIN62q77sMV2saCJsV0GCoYRhPRKi4N04PqGIHox_7BUE0MTldQgmTMGm_dIEH2lDMGz4_CjX2kcGrdKRlYBKTn4Qb7q023yMR3iKdpSKgoGyKvY_W/s400/tree4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583284487956215346" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div class="picleft"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwOxDxx6OVYIqqcYZugJ3iINFE-OP4VFXP2-bZ0riMtqQDC1Db6lYfieSM1PnyZZ9S1B0rRYLTjk-8mcKKBQEUpPnUuvZgLTb7HdjRNdCEbN00w_gvyZAKDAB-9gMrOisHAwU/s1600/tree5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwOxDxx6OVYIqqcYZugJ3iINFE-OP4VFXP2-bZ0riMtqQDC1Db6lYfieSM1PnyZZ9S1B0rRYLTjk-8mcKKBQEUpPnUuvZgLTb7HdjRNdCEbN00w_gvyZAKDAB-9gMrOisHAwU/s400/tree5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583284486317753938" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div class="picleft"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3cKwQWQezPCft82efIaUOjRwAYzrCQhvlbxct4IEjZVvCMdsI1nM47xLYE1p5akCH3GOfp4LlQx8M_xxEduYYDaRD5rAOIchNxhVmLHdAuhS7XuwwmqdfEQCdZ-wnS9reaiJ/s1600/tree6.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3cKwQWQezPCft82efIaUOjRwAYzrCQhvlbxct4IEjZVvCMdsI1nM47xLYE1p5akCH3GOfp4LlQx8M_xxEduYYDaRD5rAOIchNxhVmLHdAuhS7XuwwmqdfEQCdZ-wnS9reaiJ/s400/tree6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583284482175741218" border="0" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-37852091427675950112011-02-21T17:43:00.001-08:002011-02-22T11:27:40.253-08:00urban homesteading<span class="dropcap">I</span>'m still not 100% done with the stairs to the carport, but they're fully functional and passed the elderly mother-in-law test. I still need to add more spindles to the railings, and some more lighting, but the stairs and railings are there.<br /><br />Once that's done, I probably won't have as many DIY projects to blog about, so I plan to blog more about urban homesteading. I was inspired in part by Novella Carpenter here in Oakland, who wrote <span style="font-style:italic;">Farm City: the education of an urban farmer</span> and runs <a href="http://ghosttownfarm.wordpress.com/">Ghost Town Farm</a>. I've also found inspiration from <a href="http://cityhomestead.wordpress.com/">City Homestead</a> here in Oakland. They don't have much in the way of an urban or city homestead yet, but they both feel strongly about local food and are taking steps in that direction. Quite a bit further along are my friends at <a href="http://www.casadecrepit.com/">Casa Decrepit</a> in Alameda. They grow all sorts of fruits and vegetables, and have kept chickens for eggs for a number of years.<br /><br />But the real inspiration of where to head is from <a href="http://www.rootsimple.com/">Root Simple</a> (formerly known as Homegrown Evolution) and authors of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1934170011?ie=UTF8&tag=designsinlight&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1934170011">The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-sufficient Living in the Heart of the City</a>. Back when I was first reading <span style="font-style:italic;">Farm City</span> and started following various urban homesteading blogs, Root Simple was one of the first and best I came across. K didn't know I was following their blog at that point, but came home from a business trip with a book for me -- <span style="font-style:italic;">The Urban Homestead</span>.<br /><br />For me, it's not about saving money (though that's a bonus), it's about knowing where your food comes from. That's a large part of why I became a vegetarian over a decade ago -- the idea of factory farms and having no idea what's going into your food, and a process that's damaging the environment -- it's clearly not sustainable in the long run and not very healthy in the short run.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-30599170565439132852010-12-21T17:24:00.000-08:002010-12-21T18:06:56.747-08:00Steps Toward Steps<div class="pic"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaReKK6YHkHXQ2erIL5Co9lvwlurZGg65zb2ybRfQ9iMOqj2OL7-ytK_JYGmiobRCRigzq72tDc7ZfzHpCAxvwYVbrWy68S4CH78NwJUpfKxPylAsaZNH2wY77OgOfs7IaoBAb/s1600/steps1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaReKK6YHkHXQ2erIL5Co9lvwlurZGg65zb2ybRfQ9iMOqj2OL7-ytK_JYGmiobRCRigzq72tDc7ZfzHpCAxvwYVbrWy68S4CH78NwJUpfKxPylAsaZNH2wY77OgOfs7IaoBAb/s320/steps1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553312075959747106" /></a><p>the old carport stairs</div><span class="dropcap">I</span> haven't posted in a while, but I have been doing work on the house, the steps in particular. But I've been slowed by frequent rains (those of you who are getting buried under snowstorms have no sympathy for me, I know -- but avoiding that kind of weather is one of the reasons I moved here in the first place).<br /><br />I tore the old steps down pretty quickly. Once I got one board loose, I could use leverage to loosen others. The fact parts were rotted helped a lot, too. Note to those building exterior structures from wood: water will find its way in, so be sure to treat <span style="font-style:italic;">all</span> sides of the wood, not just the parts you can see after assembly. That goes double for any place with a horizontal surface where water can sit. The rotted ledger also lead to some rot and termites in one of the joists of the carport, so it took me a while to get a clean slate to start from.<br /><br />After a <span style="font-weight:bold;">lot</span> of thinking, measuring, re-thinking, re-measuring, and consulting various stair stringer calculators, I laid out the stringers for the stairs. I managed to screw up somewhere, so one stringer was re-purposed for other uses. After more measuring, thinking and consulting stair stringer calculators, I tried again. This time I was successful, so I spent a couple days cutting the 3 stringers. The bottoms of rest on concrete and/or the ground, and it's a generally wet area (under trees that catch the fog in summer, north of the <div class="pic"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkiW1sjSodfWbf-ulFRHffbL8X_EPGbFW2Y-GYmN3nr1BjGHXsawMRmeSBTfa5ZSRok3e-DowDp_H6H_BdF4wrAN9dpmW6qoqC_vouJdivvyZWDoY0iVO_ljDGz8o5bNLt-2ey/s1600/steps3.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkiW1sjSodfWbf-ulFRHffbL8X_EPGbFW2Y-GYmN3nr1BjGHXsawMRmeSBTfa5ZSRok3e-DowDp_H6H_BdF4wrAN9dpmW6qoqC_vouJdivvyZWDoY0iVO_ljDGz8o5bNLt-2ey/s320/steps3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553312067970431874" /></a><p>new stairs rising</div>house), so I used pressure-treated 2x12s for them. The added density of the wood from the PT process almost burned out my little skilsaw, even with a fresh blade part way through the process.<br /><br />I don't have a picture of the current status, but I cut, stained and installed boards up to the landing, as well as the rectangular part of it, so with the addition of a temporary piece of plywood, and the top railing on one side, we now have functional stairs. They're a long ways from finished, as I still have to do the trickier triangular part of the landing, and the rest of the railings, but given all the rain we've been having, it's nice to have functioning steps. That way we can avoid using our neighbor's steps, and tromping through the mud around the corner of the house.<br /><br />One other note: I said in <a href="http://diyinsanity.blogspot.com/2010/10/watch-that-first-step.html">my original post</a> that <span style="font-style:italic;">"I'm sore, stiff, and with bruises aplenty, but no broken bones."</span> So about that... I've been having some minor but lingering pains here and there after almost two months, so yesterday I went to the doctor. He said if I was 80, he'd worry I had compression fractures of my vertebrae, but at 44, I was probably OK. But he ordered up some x-rays to be sure. I heard from him a little while ago: the x-ray tech failed to do any useful x-rays of my lower back, but my mid back looked OK. However, the odd pain in my ribs in my side is because I have...a broken rib, with a mild displacement. There's nothing to do (except stop doing anything that makes it hurt), but I can expect some pain from it for the next 2-3 months. Sigh. At least it isn't too painful, but 2-3 months <span style="font-style:italic;">more?</span><br /><br /><div class="picleft"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh8VbxQnhwI3Ew-xThQeWRnYpkKLbdT-p_Q7VifMY0BVsSPo95RCkZ0bZWJlsDKRAvQzwkN2PVC2OpyNJ0KqLrhcUIGJVPHz3CnxUZJLKhHqujx2G5ANC3i8Z-VleX6DiZUPYJ/s1600/steps2.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh8VbxQnhwI3Ew-xThQeWRnYpkKLbdT-p_Q7VifMY0BVsSPo95RCkZ0bZWJlsDKRAvQzwkN2PVC2OpyNJ0KqLrhcUIGJVPHz3CnxUZJLKhHqujx2G5ANC3i8Z-VleX6DiZUPYJ/s320/steps2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553312074702832786" /></a><p>rotted post where landing was</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-15475850527646020232010-10-26T17:06:00.001-07:002010-10-26T17:20:20.517-07:00Watch That First Step...<div class="pic"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdDNrcCx6zd01oNLIQm4gP6J5B6n6BePDsPOYRCmiBkXxfeoaG1DMaojBf7O8aW9K6re9-NLUbIMvOSyRJERGmcllF1vUn9DurlOFOoXGSUKgm-L_EBESJpWXB82-J7lynEVGp/s1600/stairs.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdDNrcCx6zd01oNLIQm4gP6J5B6n6BePDsPOYRCmiBkXxfeoaG1DMaojBf7O8aW9K6re9-NLUbIMvOSyRJERGmcllF1vUn9DurlOFOoXGSUKgm-L_EBESJpWXB82-J7lynEVGp/s320/stairs.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532510779702487106" /></a><p>gaping hole...</div><span class="dropcap">I</span>'ve been planning for some time to rebuild the steps to the carport, at least <a href="http://diyinsanity.blogspot.com/2010/01/breaking-up.html">since January</a>. When I had concrete delivered, I put in the footings for the new stairs, but mentally the task has been on the "nice to have" list, not the "do sooner rather than later" or "do immediately" lists.<br /><br />Last night, it took a <span style="font-style:italic;">big</span> leap forward in priority. K and I took a walk around the block after dinner, and when we returned I stepped on to the landing at the top of the stairs...and kept going. I knew some parts were starting to get a little rotten, but it seems that was considerably further along than I thought. The ledger board that holds up one end of the boards for the landing was completely rotted. I dropped the 7 or 8 feet to the ground and landed on my back.<br /><br />Today I'm sore, stiff, and with bruises aplenty, but no broken bones. Once I'm feeling a little more limber (and I'm past the current work deadline), I'll build a new set of stairs. Fortunately we have our neighbor's steps to use, but I have to admit I was a bit nervous walking on them at first after last night's excitement.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-7607531879650362202010-10-11T17:20:00.000-07:002010-10-12T08:11:20.457-07:00Remodeling Really Fast<span class="dropcap">I</span>meant to post this a while back (say, back when I'd actually finished the work in early September), but didn't get around to unloading the pictures from the camera until today. In any event, here's a sped up version of process of renovating K's office. We tore out the drywall in the outer walls; ran new electrical, phone and Cat-5; straightened out the door; installed an exterior light outside the door; and insulated the walls. And of course repainted everything when we were done.<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxDivPMrFISqhE08Fz7hMqHfoZxkQ83bPY8USw8tjCUhTHxZ6tnhFGqHr_6H320F965lVgcRrZxq_8' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />While the walls are open, you can see why blown in insulation as a retrofit would be more difficult. Not only are there diagonal braces between the studs, but there are some horizontal braces here and there, too. So it would mean at least 3 holes in some stud bays.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-70798028546050972142010-10-04T08:07:00.000-07:002010-10-04T08:07:00.133-07:00World Habitat Day<a href="http://worldhabitatdaynews.org/"><img src="http://worldhabitatdaynews.org/images/banners/WHD10Square_120x240.jpg" width="120" height="240" border="0" style="float:right;"></a><span class="dropcap">T</span>oday is <a href="http://worldhabitatdaynews.org">World Habitat Day</a>. Millions of people live in substandard housing, and in particular children are more likely to develop diseases and less likely to graduate from school when they live in poor housing conditions. But this isn't just in developing countries in Africa or Asia, it's here in the United States, too.<br /><br />There are lots of way to support Habitat for Humanity. Check for <a href="http://www.habitat.org/cd/local/default.aspx">your local affiliate</a> to get involved, either by volunteering or donating or both.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7gLjpEzAUWa2PHQ1Av7XIXeQ-JMkoBwFxP-GLoY0Oaxmy-z4B_OAKx4qod79LWNSKSWVDgagAOtL_08sAgmu5m-nkFzKVmKo6CwUWP7IWsVH8g2PGWrOPGTHm5if7CPdc5vb/s1600/carters.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7gLjpEzAUWa2PHQ1Av7XIXeQ-JMkoBwFxP-GLoY0Oaxmy-z4B_OAKx4qod79LWNSKSWVDgagAOtL_08sAgmu5m-nkFzKVmKo6CwUWP7IWsVH8g2PGWrOPGTHm5if7CPdc5vb/s320/carters.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523514264387851442" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-89829693274856961672010-08-18T20:56:00.000-07:002010-08-18T21:07:28.574-07:00Just When You Thought it Safe...<span class="dropcap">A</span>pparently I can't stop working on the house. K has been out of town with her mom, so we arranged to take advantage of her absence by doing some work on her office. Starting with pulling the drywall off the outer walls, so I can run proper electrical, insulate the walls, and fix the door that sticks now that the house has settled. Other tasks (like work) keep getting in the way, but I've got most of the drywall pulled off and the boxes for the new electrical placed. Hopefully some pictures soon...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-62003046343557976792010-07-05T13:29:00.000-07:002010-07-07T17:19:29.033-07:00Déjà Poo<div class="pic"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjHO6iLh7L_kmMsIxXyIT1zotDFWUD2ERRbZxQmtoqCJRbz6-32ac3JkQcmBhIqAEixAJ1p8FNgw7v3p-2Q7YHjeTJZkyEMByF4xpadOj6Ry4gN5t8FtTgYxFMk-WEHnbCoyT/s1600/addition.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjHO6iLh7L_kmMsIxXyIT1zotDFWUD2ERRbZxQmtoqCJRbz6-32ac3JkQcmBhIqAEixAJ1p8FNgw7v3p-2Q7YHjeTJZkyEMByF4xpadOj6Ry4gN5t8FtTgYxFMk-WEHnbCoyT/s320/addition.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490527146755265122" /></a><p>from the hammock</div><span class="dropcap">A</span>bout 2.5 years ago or so, <a href="http://diyinsanity.blogspot.com/2008/02/doh.html">the sewer backed up</a> into the laundry sinks, the lowest drain in the house. So yesterday when K went into the basement to get the hammock out, then promptly reappeared with an alarmed look and the dire news, I wasn't as horrified because I had some idea what to expect. More importantly, I knew what to do (i.e., call RotoRooter) instead of messing about myself, because the blockage was likely beyond what I could reach with a small snake. Since the problem was discovered early, and it wasn't 100% blocked, we were able to minimize the mess by reducing water usage, and so it wasn't déjà poo all over again.<br /><br />And not insignificantly, we could schedule them to come today, which is not a Sunday or holiday, and thereby pay normal rates instead. Regular rates are bad enough, but totally worth it. As before, we had to pay for a second plumber, because the cleanout is far enough under the house it needs one to run the machine and one to feed the snake in and out. So yesterday we relaxed in the hammock, secure in the knowledge that help would arrive today.<br /><br /><div class="pic"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7J1J2rErCh6EXJDo672s_TxIRBKK8iqrymwvmp8qomEJi8qGpYwOf9muxMGn1NjRkspxwJ1TZC4pr5rYyzo7U3amTEaTiPdtL0ffKLkVrdEEVYy9Vl-bDd2cFb5CnjpC8Zn9_/s1600/roots.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7J1J2rErCh6EXJDo672s_TxIRBKK8iqrymwvmp8qomEJi8qGpYwOf9muxMGn1NjRkspxwJ1TZC4pr5rYyzo7U3amTEaTiPdtL0ffKLkVrdEEVYy9Vl-bDd2cFb5CnjpC8Zn9_/s320/roots.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490527144112953746" /></a><p>$350 worth of roots</div>We actually got 3 guys for the price of 2, which worked out well. I was able to ask the 3rd guy questions while the other 2 were working, and found out a few things. First, we could install a <a href="http://www.sewersmart.org/devices.html">sewer backflow preventer</a>. However, besides requiring the digging of a really deep hole, it means the sewage backup would go somewhere in the yard instead of the laundry sinks. I'm not sure that would be an improvement. Another option is installing just an exterior cleanout. That in theory would allow a single person to run the snake, and probably be quicker, too, since they wouldn't need to snake as far as they do from under the house.<br /><br />While the two guys were running the snake, we listened around in the yard and got a better idea of where exactly the sewer line runs to the main. Sadly, that info points to our lovely little Japanese maple as a likely culprit for the root intrusion, but I now have a better idea of where to dig if I need to.<br /><br />The first thing to try though is something like <a href="http://www.rootx.com">RootX</a>, which kills any roots in the sewer line. The local RotoRooter used to sell it, but changing state regs meant they had to get a pesticide/herbicide license (in addition to a plumbing contractor's license), and it got increasingly difficult to comply with so they no longer sell root killers.<br /><br />In the meantime, I'm happy because we can use the bathrooms again without worry, and I've got a plan to deal with next time, by attempting to make sure there is no next time.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-86903969166555384882010-06-17T10:28:00.000-07:002010-06-17T12:49:25.102-07:00Rain Barrel Review<span class="dropcap">D</span>oubtless some of you were expecting dancing rain barrels, with feather headdresses and sequins, or given their watery connections, an overhead shot of them dancing in a pool. That would most commonly be a rain barrel <span style="font-style: italic;">revue</span>. Alas, this post is a bit more prosaic though hopefully quite a bit more useful. We've got two different varieties of rain barrels and I helped some fellow Oaklanders with a third, so when <a href="http://www.retrohousewifegoesgreen.com/">Retro Housewife Goes Green</a> tweeted wanting to know about rain barrels, I decided to finally post this.<br /><br /><div class="pic"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipIxQvawncONGmQfs_XADus7P52UYqIezDxye_MmHp4HbTNSbWXtx6rEs0zIysWxsPxCnvUwYtyEbPQH3QOw49tC37bQ-qgxN7uhMiPPud_t7Hyt8nsTUeWxq-cIPeZFhGS3v_/s1600/rb_gab.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipIxQvawncONGmQfs_XADus7P52UYqIezDxye_MmHp4HbTNSbWXtx6rEs0zIysWxsPxCnvUwYtyEbPQH3QOw49tC37bQ-qgxN7uhMiPPud_t7Hyt8nsTUeWxq-cIPeZFhGS3v_/s320/rb_gab.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483804960170858818" border="0" /></a><p>Great American Rain Barrel</p></div>First up is the <a href="http://www.greatamericanrainbarrel.com/page007.htm">Great American Rain Barrel</a> (GAB), which reuses food-grade plastic barrels. We got this one one because I wanted to better control the rain water that comes to the entry side of the house. Even before I built the addition, some <a href="http://diyinsanity.blogspot.com/2008/08/dear-mr-bildrong.html">construction flaws</a> with the original house led to water being an issue. The GAB comes with all the fittings and parts you need except an overflow hose (it includes the elbow fitting, just not the hose.) It's fairly easy to set up, though fastening the inside fittings takes some doing. (I highly recommend bracing the barrel before you try to wiggle inside it.) I don't like the fact that it's plastic, but I do like the fact it's made from a reused food barrel and that there were color options available. As with most rain barrels available, multiple barrels can be linked to collect more water. The only problem we've had with it is overflow. If it's raining really hard, or if the small holes in the lid are partially blocked with debris, more water comes down the downspout than can get into the barrel. That results in water splashing over the edge rather than making it into the barrel and out the overflow hose.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Specs:</span><br />60 gallon capacity, linkable, ~$169<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Pros:</span><ul><li>includes all fittings</li><li>colors available</li><li>reused food barrels</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cons:<br /></span><ul><li>pricey</li><li>lid clogs easily</li><li>doesn't include overflow hose</li><li>shipped from MA</li></ul><br /><br /><div class="pic"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLztDmPitVD5u2qZLQkvGixPJUW6FiB1__vp_NqBnRkS2hn2annZcMVIz3VBvhW6rvZuiRSiCx0t2_7wxQeIK3MWbCKLSuzRt2jMFTGyoexLQrN0Qq5VEACMBxJYDOOsOwAal7/s1600/rb_rbs.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLztDmPitVD5u2qZLQkvGixPJUW6FiB1__vp_NqBnRkS2hn2annZcMVIz3VBvhW6rvZuiRSiCx0t2_7wxQeIK3MWbCKLSuzRt2jMFTGyoexLQrN0Qq5VEACMBxJYDOOsOwAal7/s320/rb_rbs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483804965849419906" border="0" /></a><p>Rain Water Solutions</p></div>Next up is the Moby from <a href="http://www.rainwatersolutions.com/products/rain-barrels">Rain Water Solutions</a>. These barrels are made from recycled plastic, and have a custom shape. There are some color choices available though the non-black options cost a bit more. I got two of these through a <a href="http://www.oaklandpw.com/Page877.aspx">City of Oakland program</a> which sold them at a large discount (22% of list and no shipping) to residents. The design holds slightly more water, but the big difference to me is the lid. Instead of 16 small holes to let water in, the entire lid is slightly funnel shaped and leads to one large hole in the middle. There's plastic screen over the hole to catch debris and keep insects from breeding in the water. But the large hole makes it much less likely to clog, or clog enough that the overflow doesn't work. Again I'm not wild about them being plastic, but at least it's 100% recycled plastic. Reuse (theoretically at least) is better than recycling, as it uses an item that's already been manufactured, but recycled is better than made new.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Specs:</span><br />65 gallon capacity, linkable, ~$199 (black)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Pros:</span><ul><li>includes all fittings</li><li>colors available (though cost more)</li><li>recycled plastic</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cons:<br /></span><ul><li>even more pricey</li><li>shipped from NC</li></ul><br />Obviously given the program through the city, the price was much more attractive for us, and the shipping was theoretically more efficient since they shipped a whole truck load of them.<br /><br /><div class="pic"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmG1DuXThKyyzNKHctyVnWjNmR85tHn1dZGQwKUuCMF5UGwAEmWGm30nPupW9KuLB0148oTlbHSpU7EBHD_prtqeXh3WHZj80_UBdKt99b4d-BOfuYfmCUtolg9B6suFLFU070/s1600/rb_wine.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmG1DuXThKyyzNKHctyVnWjNmR85tHn1dZGQwKUuCMF5UGwAEmWGm30nPupW9KuLB0148oTlbHSpU7EBHD_prtqeXh3WHZj80_UBdKt99b4d-BOfuYfmCUtolg9B6suFLFU070/s320/rb_wine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483824974014177506" border="0" /></a><p>DIY solution</div>Last, but not least, is the DIY solution. Given the title of my blog, you might have assumed I'd try this first. I probably would have, but I kept putting it off because of other DIY projects (like the addition and the kitchen remodel), and in the back of my mind I've been planning a larger, more elaborate system to store more water since it doesn't rain all summer here. That didn't happen, so my experience with DIY rain barrels is more limited. I did help the good folks at City Homestead with a platform for their <a href="http://diyinsanity.blogspot.com/2009/11/fun-with-rain-barrels.html">converted wine barrels</a>. These are locally sourced (less than 50 miles), reusing materials, and non-plastic. Others have used <a href="http://www.ochshorndesign.com/practice/06-02/06-02.html">reused food grade barrels</a> (very <a href="http://www.ochshorndesign.com/practice/06-02/06-02.html">helpful, step-by-step instructions</a>) like the ones the GAB uses. There may be other options in your area depending on where you live. The hardest parts of the DIY option are (1) finding a source for the barrel (2) getting the fittings to work with it. But the upside is that not only can you get the barrel locally, you may be able to get it for free or at least for very cheap. You'll still need to get the fittings, and those will cost you $10-$25.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Specs:<br /></span>55-80 gallons, linkable, free-$120<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pros:</span><br /><ul><li>cheap!<br /></li><li>sourced locally<br /></li><li>reused barrel</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cons:<br /></span><ul><li>finding a good source can be hard<br /></li><li>you have to find and install the fittings</li><li>wood barrels won't last forever</li><li>may not handle high volume well<br /></li></ul>So there you have it. As with many things, there are trade-offs to the different approaches: cost, greenness, difficulty, et al. With any of these, some may be more important to you or not an issue (e.g., if you live in MA or NC). But hopefully this provided a useful comparison.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-59548835451355208772010-06-06T13:09:00.000-07:002010-06-07T08:08:46.503-07:00Dual Flush Toilet Conversion<span class="dropcap">T</span>he rains finally seem to have stopped for the summer. This winter was an El Niño year, which helped make up for the previous years of drought. But that means that it's time to get ready for fire season, so I've been busy pulling blackberries and weed-whacking the yard. Each year usually gets a little easier, but this year the growth has been above normal with all the rain we've gotten.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&nou=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=designsinlight&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B002NKRR7Y" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" align="right"></iframe>I took a break from that to fix the toilet in the original bathroom. It's a 1.6 GPF toilet that I installed some years back that's worked fairly well. Lately the fill valve sometimes doesn't shut off, which can waste a large amount of water if it goes unnoticed. I decided to replace the flush mechanism at the same time with a dual flush conversion kit.<br /><br />I saw a similar product <a href="http://www.jetsongreen.com/2009/10/innovation-pipeline-west-coast-green.html">at West Coast Green</a> last year, then saw them install one on Ask This Old House. On <a href="http://www.gomjsi.com/hr/">the HydroRight website</a> they claim it can be installed without tools in 5 to 10 minutes. That's true, though it requires a pencil and a measuring bucket plus a few minutes to calibrate for optimal water usage.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&nou=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=designsinlight&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B000L87RKC" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" align="left"></iframe>Replacing the fill valve with their HydroClean valve took a little longer, though not much. The hardest part was removing the old fill valve and required a wrench. Installing the new one was very easy. The nut to attach the new valve underneath is even self-calibrating: you just turn it until it clicks once or twice, and it's properly tightened.<br /><br />My only concern is the long-term durability of the valve and flush mechanism. They seem well designed, but they're all plastic. That's pretty common for toilet parts these days, but does give me pause. The manufacturer, MJSI, offers a 5 year warranty on both, though hopefully it will last longer than that.<br /><br /><div class="pic"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmWvoYxsvGxQAJb9yc8V47gpM4ODeTXsB61sPsUqqBrqCyBN9DpiBGIgi30l_RUcycW_o5DGKIo3vGNQenoJkOL6_M9Xt546FTnZ9pySI09Fx1xQGm2WLSyR0ToxVUi3ytaeV/s1600/star.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmWvoYxsvGxQAJb9yc8V47gpM4ODeTXsB61sPsUqqBrqCyBN9DpiBGIgi30l_RUcycW_o5DGKIo3vGNQenoJkOL6_M9Xt546FTnZ9pySI09Fx1xQGm2WLSyR0ToxVUi3ytaeV/s320/star.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479780531400910786" /></a><p>enjoying the sun</div>As usual, Star was unimpressed. She was too busy enjoying the warmth and sunshine.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofQYrtaFAlXXgiV6CqeAE0LzUkktjDphtT1i60ntSqyCDRqaZHWxs_hzGo-uzNJTMhBSahWzzUGvfieZAzlRH_mX9-sDpso-5WEvaFChLVJwVNZcxHdw6QlzT8bmsGgty0cF-/s1600/toilet1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofQYrtaFAlXXgiV6CqeAE0LzUkktjDphtT1i60ntSqyCDRqaZHWxs_hzGo-uzNJTMhBSahWzzUGvfieZAzlRH_mX9-sDpso-5WEvaFChLVJwVNZcxHdw6QlzT8bmsGgty0cF-/s320/toilet1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479778953045510098" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEUPBbtEXRMTsrcoHZo2cqKNPqvSRPp2fp8rJSyIDHqnOGvmQl8FQjTQgSzwVqxHYCb4A8mkQ6NTw3-oaXSSfpOmfFpvFcfo2qRBW7amHbK6Z8RKopihUHMI5_aYi1cQzLOarP/s1600/toilet2.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEUPBbtEXRMTsrcoHZo2cqKNPqvSRPp2fp8rJSyIDHqnOGvmQl8FQjTQgSzwVqxHYCb4A8mkQ6NTw3-oaXSSfpOmfFpvFcfo2qRBW7amHbK6Z8RKopihUHMI5_aYi1cQzLOarP/s320/toilet2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479778949667514130" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdd3AS-aOJAi4PcEOzC5DmywDzc7y_g5JPVNhnVK54LSm5etm4hNtsprlRaoPprIaL76jz1vR2bI6RgOFpV30xGJ9S0SZKRbyNYB6gg1PM2EYk48UaCD0f5MvCfVdIOqCW1xtA/s1600/toilet3.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdd3AS-aOJAi4PcEOzC5DmywDzc7y_g5JPVNhnVK54LSm5etm4hNtsprlRaoPprIaL76jz1vR2bI6RgOFpV30xGJ9S0SZKRbyNYB6gg1PM2EYk48UaCD0f5MvCfVdIOqCW1xtA/s320/toilet3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479778941735958162" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1tJ8yOCCnS2uNJa_I14GZQsNms0yzMhYViC7qrffGV99NzCWgUr4PhJfkLF-4jU8igOhmU5J8apxPlKhzf1gBGZlQg_C9rDxlHhBBzvE6eiZ945R0aWVUBlaZWKZXYgQflYZv/s1600/toilet4.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1tJ8yOCCnS2uNJa_I14GZQsNms0yzMhYViC7qrffGV99NzCWgUr4PhJfkLF-4jU8igOhmU5J8apxPlKhzf1gBGZlQg_C9rDxlHhBBzvE6eiZ945R0aWVUBlaZWKZXYgQflYZv/s320/toilet4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479778937286274258" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Hey, FTC! I didn't receive any thing in exchange for this review. Though I'd be happy to if MJSI wants to give me something :-)</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-80049110413851902142010-05-24T18:04:00.000-07:002010-05-24T21:23:23.901-07:00Wedgewoodium Leviosa!<div class="pic"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFt93Qw0KI9WkO1hBlZ28tQCymJwjaWgljBGBoBSbENvrnXCDaDN-Clexfej9cDxolGxj3c6hz7DqT7mfsMi1S1BsDjI_YFhpmZPiMM1y37ujo4IxVRp45_BTaB5NFf-VKhCi7/s1600/jacks.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFt93Qw0KI9WkO1hBlZ28tQCymJwjaWgljBGBoBSbENvrnXCDaDN-Clexfej9cDxolGxj3c6hz7DqT7mfsMi1S1BsDjI_YFhpmZPiMM1y37ujo4IxVRp45_BTaB5NFf-VKhCi7/s320/jacks.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475018206955673986" /></a><p>my familar, Rosie</div><span class="dropcap">I</span>nstalling the cabinets and moving back into the kitchen before putting down the flooring had one big advantage: we had a working kitchen sooner rather than later. It had a number of disadvantages, not the least of which was dealing with our antique Wedgewood stove. It weighs a frakking ton (or in honor of the proposed term for 10^27, it's <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/techchron/detail?&entry_id=64240">hella</a> heavy.) Back when I bought the house and moved from an apartment in Berkeley, the movers complained about the weight. But one of them complained about <span style="font-style:italic;">everything</span>, so I didn't think much of it. When it came time for K and I to move it out and then back into the kitchen, I thought a lot more about it.<br /><br />So when I installed the linoleum, I cheated. Rather than move the stove out and back in a second time (moving it out made more difficult by the space being made to exactly fit it), I rented a couple of small house jacks and lifted it out the way. The minimum time for them was a day, but it was still very much worth it. Hella easier than moving the hella heavy stove twice.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-40570815197642396452010-05-06T17:55:00.000-07:002010-05-06T19:02:42.110-07:00Linoleum!<div class="pic"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yNgPkjfOo6ScPq0zEQ7fWFqP07jDu-tlVVgvFOJI036kzv3Gi2k_Q11Ohxyslnu_MNNqqjzEkE_Tc0dVfH0W9Mp6QV0fGG3H0pHVINfAMDA8xfMwMWgC_CELRokS4psli1ka/s1600/lino1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yNgPkjfOo6ScPq0zEQ7fWFqP07jDu-tlVVgvFOJI036kzv3Gi2k_Q11Ohxyslnu_MNNqqjzEkE_Tc0dVfH0W9Mp6QV0fGG3H0pHVINfAMDA8xfMwMWgC_CELRokS4psli1ka/s320/lino1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468337149401214882" /></a><p>100 lb. roller</div><span class="dropcap">A</span>fter much debate, some shipping delays, and yours truly moving slowly, we finally have real flooring in the kitchen and dining room!<br /><br />I picked up the order last week, and rented the one tool I didn't have, a 100 lb. roller. I've been working slowly but steadily since then, and installed the last pieces under the antique stove today. A couple things slowed me down (the antique and very heavy stove not the least of them), but overall linoleum tiles are pretty easy to work with. The aforementioned antique stove was a challenge to work around (or more to the point, under), and the irregular shape of the dining room by the back door made for some interesting shapes to cut, but the real sticker was that we'd decided to do a pattern with the tiles. And not just a pattern, but a pattern involving partial tiles. Whole tiles would have been a snap, but we decided that the size of the room wasn't large enough to look right with whole tiles, so we decided to do a border with half tiles.<br /><br /><div class="picleft"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3etq0ZzU4fayoFQkQesVSYdUsmGYVZGFrqf849vKfmzq312LVbgH2NS-8qOW5gqNH6YkOdwPcLLiGXyobc4QBdIwyM_dAeeHD0oB93qcfy1j-3a8L6FQlJ91QAujGR50wDOH/s1600/lino4.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3etq0ZzU4fayoFQkQesVSYdUsmGYVZGFrqf849vKfmzq312LVbgH2NS-8qOW5gqNH6YkOdwPcLLiGXyobc4QBdIwyM_dAeeHD0oB93qcfy1j-3a8L6FQlJ91QAujGR50wDOH/s320/lino4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468338830986521250" /></a><p>cornery goodness</div>Let me just smack you upside the head if you're thinking of doing such a pattern yourself. It's not impossible, but it does add a ton to the work. Even after I figured out to make a jig / miter board for cutting tiles in half, I still had to note which were 'left' halves and which were 'right'. The error in my jig was probably a 1/32 of an inch or less, but when all the full tiles are exactly the same size, and you don't have grout to hide the differences like with regular ceramic tile, that 1/32" adds up to a noticeable difference when you start putting halves together.<br /><br /><div class="pic"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFUS82CUpTeC0-J5uh_hTwwtWKVp7v8adCqnL1Xq6oje5jgK1nYAS8chySeOztpaBllxoEBUght_CJZpRdiSA_EeJqGtT0AyesG3_cmZx53n_ZN3OOFQy8Lk_1bUBJjcUezBK/s1600/lino2.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFUS82CUpTeC0-J5uh_hTwwtWKVp7v8adCqnL1Xq6oje5jgK1nYAS8chySeOztpaBllxoEBUght_CJZpRdiSA_EeJqGtT0AyesG3_cmZx53n_ZN3OOFQy8Lk_1bUBJjcUezBK/s320/lino2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468337140790000354" /></a><p>begin in the middle</div>If you're not doing some sort of insanity like a pattern with partial tiles, the layout for the linoleum squares is exactly the same as with regular tile. Find the middle of the room, adjust 1/2 tile width if necessary, and then snap some perpendicular lines.<br /><br />After I got past the 1/2 tile border in the dining room, things went pretty quickly. Except for the angle by the back door and the space under the stove, of course. But we're pleased with the results, and I even had enough energy left today to install the toe kick under the various cabinets (I'd measured and cut it ages ago, and temporarily taped it into place until we had flooring.)<br /><div class="picc"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzlW3mzjbXO4PB7vwu5U4dyp0g_26hPku-u16X59ySRT26bz8dfLrNS6iUvM3rUlbbe15jdMYJIM7WjJbQhEhHOE8lT9Uv7txw1KgltJY2ztCwX7SGjXKgMoY4aFp6a0w2FZP/s1600/lino3.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzlW3mzjbXO4PB7vwu5U4dyp0g_26hPku-u16X59ySRT26bz8dfLrNS6iUvM3rUlbbe15jdMYJIM7WjJbQhEhHOE8lT9Uv7txw1KgltJY2ztCwX7SGjXKgMoY4aFp6a0w2FZP/s320/lino3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468337134709593778" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-64810207621329253272010-04-28T08:08:00.000-07:002010-04-28T08:19:05.407-07:00Home Energy Efficiency<div class="pic"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQeZoS1LO3Vtrmrh1vcxE4qjfXLaHPFydHpjnT-BLXM7IVK0tsfLGXO_47JGXBSlVQyIK0C3N8jfFEEYhyO2yNLQivIVbpIx6-P9ukNkivYBB1YYQQ-g7VU4OoKA6GwDkRNRe/s1600/blower_door.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQeZoS1LO3Vtrmrh1vcxE4qjfXLaHPFydHpjnT-BLXM7IVK0tsfLGXO_47JGXBSlVQyIK0C3N8jfFEEYhyO2yNLQivIVbpIx6-P9ukNkivYBB1YYQQ-g7VU4OoKA6GwDkRNRe/s320/blower_door.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465207138619153682" /></a><p>blower door</div><span class="dropcap">G</span>reetings if you're coming from <a href="http://www.jetsongreen.com">Jetson Green</a>! An article of mine on <a href="http://www.jetsongreen.com/2010/04/energy-efficiency-energy-audit-existing-homes.html">home energy efficiency</a> was just published there. I had a home energy audit done recently and wrote about the results. In short it was well worth doing. For DIYer types, it includes links to some useful docs on the Energy Star website for better sealing your home.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-86785696407511564692010-03-19T17:11:00.000-07:002010-04-07T18:44:03.502-07:00power usage: first observations from PowerMeter<span class="dropcap">W</span>e've started getting data from the TED 5000 and Google PowerMeter. They display the same data, but in different ways. The TED 5000 web page gives more detailed info, but PowerMeter makes it easier to compare your current usage with past usage.<br /><br />First, let's look at a fairly typical day's usage in PowerMeter:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnzYrvyOK0N22_sGA9fXD4gv50Va6mt-j3YIL6wuUd3Qy9FLydhWr46MvIz-TK_PWd4jOgvBqCuUJtiGUYmQeszWHJCUihUTuo_vIIQDhCQzO5PXfjqSeK7zyNl_BLHZih-n4f/s1600-h/typical.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 111px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnzYrvyOK0N22_sGA9fXD4gv50Va6mt-j3YIL6wuUd3Qy9FLydhWr46MvIz-TK_PWd4jOgvBqCuUJtiGUYmQeszWHJCUihUTuo_vIIQDhCQzO5PXfjqSeK7zyNl_BLHZih-n4f/s320/typical.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450505976686718850" /></a><br />In the wee hours of the morning, you can see a regular spike about every hour or so. That's the refrigerator coming on. Around 6:30AM you can see the radiant heat in the bathroom coming on, lights, the coffee maker, etc.<br /><br />The other thing of note is the darker green band at the bottom. That's the "always on" power consumption I mentioned <a href="http://diyinsanity.blogspot.com/2010/03/i-got-power.html">last time</a>. It's only about 85 watts, but since it's always on, that adds up -- over 2kWH per day, which is more than 20% of the 9.7kWH per day we averaged last billing cycle. With our other source of info, the Kill-a-Watt, I've found about 25 of the 85 watts so far. Unfortunately nothing in that 25 is easy to get rid of, but I'll keep checking to find the other 60 and see what I can eliminate.<br /><br />Now let's move to a less typical day -- laundry day:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi850g-IU6Q6Kkk_KAP5KHqklZ7_opqZiP4xK9B2h1PArwFkhzd0rtAXa3KZLGBsnm6CKeBYbfzH9M_bwchbPUgyTRgoEzsXkT_kQWcAnsNAs-SJPZW4hQNpyaaL3lEA4nJZZIM/s1600-h/dryer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 109px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi850g-IU6Q6Kkk_KAP5KHqklZ7_opqZiP4xK9B2h1PArwFkhzd0rtAXa3KZLGBsnm6CKeBYbfzH9M_bwchbPUgyTRgoEzsXkT_kQWcAnsNAs-SJPZW4hQNpyaaL3lEA4nJZZIM/s320/dryer.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450516020291804114" /></a><br />Note that the scale has been stretched from 0-1.5kW up to 0-5kW. That's because running an electric dryer causes a <span style="font-style:italic;">huge</span> increase in power consumption. You can see the dryer running for two loads, plus a little secondary run after each to get rid of the last bit of dampness. This is a big vote for line drying your clothes to save energy. It takes longer than just throwing everything in the dryer, but clearly can save a bunch of power consumption since the sun is free.<br /><br />For more detail about power consumption, you can also view the TED 5000 web page for your device:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANUp3H_hLQXnp8b5wUn7qMoQejVB32ddMgUasF85W1wrSZoQSUFdss1O4oasFxQCdAF7-W73ms2aKwFzIePRXZBZjwgg98WBQY9t3QH_DaROOcZ41-f5LvmdjiZERhLj8W5A2/s1600-h/ted.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 174px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANUp3H_hLQXnp8b5wUn7qMoQejVB32ddMgUasF85W1wrSZoQSUFdss1O4oasFxQCdAF7-W73ms2aKwFzIePRXZBZjwgg98WBQY9t3QH_DaROOcZ41-f5LvmdjiZERhLj8W5A2/s320/ted.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450522886157135122" /></a><br />There's a live dashboard that shows your current power consumption, power used since midnight, etc. You can also view historical data. But the most useful is the graphing tab, which lets you see your energy consumption in near real-time, with more detail than the PowerMeter gadget shows. You can click on the graph to show the power consumption at any given time on the graph; that's how I determined the "always on" power was about 85 watts. The fourth tab allows you to set up load profiles when certain equipment comes on. My first trial with that wasn't very successful, but I'm going to try again to profile the refrigerator and some other appliances.<br /><br />So we haven't saved any energy yet, but we've got a lot more data about how to go about doing that now. Some of it, like line drying clothes is even pretty easy to do (at least when the weather permits) -- no fancy gadgets required.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-42288157018341124972010-03-15T18:13:00.000-07:002010-03-15T18:53:29.111-07:00So I Forgot...<span class="dropcap">T</span>oday I finished insulating the attic. Or at least finished getting one layer down. If you've been following for any length of time, you may be surprised that I'm only now getting to that. When I bought the house, there was no insulation (except for <a href="http://diyinsanity.blogspot.com/2009/01/house-history.html">a bit of Kimsul</a> around the main vent stack). Over the years I put insulation in most of the attic, but about the time I was getting to the dining room and kitchen area was when we were deciding to build the addition and remodel the kitchen. So those parts of the house have sat without insulation in the attic, and well...I forgot about it.<br /><br />On Wednesday we're having a home energy audit, and it occurred to me that I'd never finished insulating the attic. So after a late start (thank you, Daylight Saving Time), I went and measured to figure out how much more insulation I'd need then made a trip to Home Depot. Ideally there'd be R-30 or better everywhere, but the odd joist spacing means there are some gaps, and the design of the roof means it gets pinched (as well as divided oddly, since the rafters don't match the ceiling joists) at the edges. But now there's at least R-25 in most of it except an area I used up some R-19 in. My plan is to put a second layer across the whole attic (well, except the edges where it won't fit) cross-wise. The energy audit should be detailed enough to give me some idea of how much that will help. But regardless, it's nice to know there's finally insulation in the whole attic, after 16 years of living here.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-66471099111950019962010-03-15T12:06:00.000-07:002010-03-15T12:14:36.497-07:00Berkeley zoning board member admits flouting city building rules<span class="dropcap">G</span>etting drawings and permits for your home improvement too expensive and onerous a process? Then just do what a zoning board member in Berkeley (just north of Oakland) did: don't. Ryan Lau, assistant to Berkeley City Councilman Darryl Moore, recently <a href="http://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_14665483?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com">admitted breaking the law</a> by tearing down his garage and building a new one without getting zoning clearance (from the board he sits on!) and pulling the required permits. Hopefully he'll have to pay the requisite increased fees that are normally charged when someone gets a permit after the fact, and face some other punishment, because of all the people who should have known better, someone sitting on the zoning board ranks right up near the top.<br /><br />The story was first reported in <a href="http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2010-03-11/article/34820?headline=Berkeley-Council-Aide-Skips-Permits-for-His-Building-Project">The Berkeley Daily Planet</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-41605218133701055332010-03-10T10:55:00.000-08:002010-03-10T11:24:03.800-08:00Blast from the Past<div class="pic"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1038/1245/320/steps.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1038/1245/320/steps.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><p>Edis at work 4.5 years ago</div><span class="dropcap">T</span>his morning I had a blast from the past: <A HREF="http://diyinsanity.blogspot.com/2005/10/muy-pesado.html">Edis</a>, who worked with me frequently while I was building the addition. He stopped by to say hello (we'd long since lost each other's numbers), and not surprisingly given the economy, see if I had or knew of any work for him. He's currently working part time at Target and doing some painting, but there isn't much of the latter work for him these days.<br /><br />We talked for a while (his English is much better), and I showed him the kitchen (which I did after he worked with me). I told him that I'd ordered linoleum for the kitchen and dining room floor (yes, that's right -- after lots of hemming and or hawing, I finally decided to go with natural linoleum). I'll call him when it arrives, but if any of you in the Oakland/Berkeley area are looking for a hard worker with some basic carpentry skills, email me at designsinlight and I'll hook you up.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-86643731159951732092010-03-09T10:50:00.001-08:002010-03-09T10:55:07.820-08:00Habitat Build-A-Thon 2010<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDD7niXhGo2znRx0ZQCAQ6qDWJY_aiI9LMnHNO7fukRZNe4LIOloO2e9GteFPayMg5eXL8XOvuGcrW1duffBn8LqtEB_qN8HLjfu7DhYh59aJu3EfMyFihiT23pBQXamhdO8ok/s1600-h/heb_logo.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 97px; height: 120px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDD7niXhGo2znRx0ZQCAQ6qDWJY_aiI9LMnHNO7fukRZNe4LIOloO2e9GteFPayMg5eXL8XOvuGcrW1duffBn8LqtEB_qN8HLjfu7DhYh59aJu3EfMyFihiT23pBQXamhdO8ok/s320/heb_logo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446709243224517858" /></a><span class="dropcap">I</span>'ll be participating in Habitat for Humanity East Bay's annual Earth Day build-a-thon. It's not just a blitz build to kick start the construction of homes for deserving families, it's also Habitat East Bay's biggest fundraiser. Any amount you can <a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/geneanderson">contribute</a> is appreciated! Or if you want to participate, check out <a href="http://www.habitateb.org/Build-A-Thon">the build-a-thon page</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-79899220191539481312010-03-05T12:51:00.000-08:002010-04-15T16:31:49.043-07:00I got the power!<div class="pic"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdnbypOvDq6PLrLwKHAfEi6vTFdU5U-OIV9E0dDTBZPibU45_oGTdLj2gFElXMD3crkmp1obretK2tLpujLnfYz5B2Y9pByER-z1m-B6Tz07aIuz5uARiFCXSN4BnE0gl64Gt/s1600-h/powermeter1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdnbypOvDq6PLrLwKHAfEi6vTFdU5U-OIV9E0dDTBZPibU45_oGTdLj2gFElXMD3crkmp1obretK2tLpujLnfYz5B2Y9pByER-z1m-B6Tz07aIuz5uARiFCXSN4BnE0gl64Gt/s320/powermeter1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445261328602487954" border="0" /></a><p>Google PowerMeter widget</p></div><span class="dropcap">A</span>ctually, we got the Google PowerMeter. K is a technical writer for Google and we're now the proud owners of a <a href="http://www.theenergydetective.com/index.html">TED5000</a> and using <a href="http://www.google.org/powermeter/">PowerMeter</a>.<br /><br />There was a control period where we weren't seeing the data, but now that's passed we'll be able to use the PowerMeter to figure out more of our electrical usage. We haven't had data long enough to get much yet, but one thing is clear already: we should try to reduce our "always on" power. It's not super high, but well, it's always on, so it adds up. I was trying to think of everything that contributes to that:<br /><ul><li>thermostat</li><li>water heater thermostat</li><li>various clocks</li><li>DSL modem</li><li>router</li><li>microwave (clock)</li><li>TV</li><li>cordless phones<br /></li><li>assorted wall warts</li></ul>The TV is EnergyStar rated so hopefully doesn't draw much when off, but it's probably non-zero. The water heater is a gas-fired on demand heater which has circuitry to decide when it needs to come on. In any event, between the PowerMeter and our <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009MDBU?ie=UTF8&tag=designsinlight&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00009MDBU">Kill-A-Watt</a> we should be able to figure out what's using power and cut back some.<br /><br />Installing the TED5000 was fairly simple, but it does require opening your electrical service panel and attaching clamps over the main feed wires. It was a little tricky to get it to fit and still get the panel closed, but not too bad. Google and TED recommend hiring an electrician for the hookup, but given I've run most of the circuits in the house, I felt comfortable doing it myself.<br /><br /><div class="pic"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1DLynExZLnsoc0Mq_jvjRPeKYnCH_xWl-ma3tCOS4Zqr5Y3_x8TXU55bVmtkW-PjjLNnC6horM8dzHfICg2PYEVNfFET_8LMD-ZfygKcYn38Qc5U-bUtPsE5Ro96Ba6rQNaw/s1600-h/powermeter2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1DLynExZLnsoc0Mq_jvjRPeKYnCH_xWl-ma3tCOS4Zqr5Y3_x8TXU55bVmtkW-PjjLNnC6horM8dzHfICg2PYEVNfFET_8LMD-ZfygKcYn38Qc5U-bUtPsE5Ro96Ba6rQNaw/s320/powermeter2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445261339815972210" border="0" /></a><p>TED dashboard</p></div><br />I'll be posting more as I figure things out. Much of it should be applicable to your electrical usage, too.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13933449.post-85088131069927109342010-03-02T16:56:00.000-08:002010-03-02T17:08:18.175-08:00Thank You, Blood Donors!<span class="dropcap">L</span>ong-time readers may know I regularly donate blood platelets (I got back from the Red Cross a little while ago.) I'd just like to thank all of you out there who donate blood. My sister-in-law is recovering from open heart surgery to repair an aneurysm in her aorta. It was considerably more complex than a bypass, as they had to put her on a heart/lung machine and cool her body down. So she received numerous units of whole blood and platelets from donors like you.<br /><br />If you don't donate blood but can, make an appointment at your local Red Cross to <a href="http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood">donate blood</a>.<br /><br />Thank you!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542931247957198888noreply@blogger.com1