Helping Dave Remodel

Today, I helped a friend with the moving, lifting and carrying required to update his daughter's house.  We moved a bathtub into the house from my favorite place, Manard's.  Plumbing came next then a quick ride home.  We didn't work too long so I have some time for 'Daily Rambles'.

I have been learning about printer cartridges.  For the last six years, I have been running my 'free' IJ300 Compaq printer with color cartridges.  Lately, I switched to a rebuilt cartridge sold by Wal-mart under the brand, Nukote,  It is  a simple black cartridge but it cost only $18.00 while the color version is about $35.00.  Great so far.  When I tried it out, I got a double print.  The page was useless.  What could be wrong.  Ah ha,  Sue had used the printer to produce a picture she was painting.  She's the culprit.  I don't know why but.. she did it.  More inspecting.  She didn't do it.  I had to reconfigure the printer to print black and white.  With that done, I had no problem except.  Except, I run my printer on a computer connected to a network.  It turns out that other computers on the network used different copies of the driver.  One can be set to black and white while the other is good for color.  I was quite proud when I figured all this out.  All is well now and I am having a great day.

 

UAV's, UUV's, UGV's-Unmanned Vehicle is the Future

Yesterday, I had the time to go over all those Google Alerts I have pulled don on unmanned vehicles.  For those of you not in the know, UGV is unmanned ground vehicle, UUV is unmanned underwater vehicle, and UAV is unmanned arial vehicle.  Before most of us have learned the acronomn, the US military has got over twenty different types in service or coming soon.  The immediate goal is to make them autonomic

 (aw''to-nom'ik) self-directed; self-regulating; independent.
paramedicine.wikispaces.org/Medical+Terminology .  Next year, the military plans to conduct a combined exercise where different types of unmanned vehicles will conduct an exercise together.  The goal is to have many less human controllers than vehicles and to learn from the experience. 

Many companies are making parts for all these machines so I expect that civilian versions are closer than most people think.

My Life as a Docent

Yesterday, I lived the active life of a typical retiree.  I was up at 6 am reading over my notes on the uses and abuses of the Great Lakes.  Fifty kids from White Lake , Michigan were on their way to the Bay County Museum in Bay City, Michigan and I needed to try to make sure the trip was worth the effort.  

I learned about the size of the Great Lakes, shipping on the lakes, stories about the lakes..it was great.  When the kids came, they were great.  We learned about lampreys ... invasive species, and any thing else I could think of.  It was a great day.

Me and My Computer Network

Ah, my congoleration of old computers, printers, wireless, broadband, drivers- old and older, mazes of files straight from hell.  I love them all most of the time.  There has been nothing to show me better the confusion some old people have than my computer systems after about six years. 

 

In the past, I have killed the problem by getting a new computer and -even though - I told myself otherwise- never going back.  Now, with the network idea, I use all of these computers on the network. 

Yesterday, I used this system along with Google Notebook to produce a 30 page notebook on the uses and abuses of the Great Lakes.  It was a wonder of progress, but-at the end of the day--no INK.  Then NO Cartridge. Then, a trip to Walmart.  NO Cartridge, I try a refurbished cartridge from NuKOTE.  All types of strange things happened.  I think of all the things I would like to do to anyone from Walmart... The night passes.  Magic happens.  I pick a different instance of the driver on my computer.  All is well.  What happened.  I don't have a clue, but as I often say 'Trust the force'.

 

By the way, the Google Notebook is at http://www.google.com/notebook/public/08711604988481541671/BDSYJlgoQr7xi-Uh

Hanging Around, Hanging Drywall

We had a great day at Rachael Deland's house in Bay City.  It seemed that all the slow going yesterday was replace by jobs that went well and showed a lot. 

Dave and I hung ten foot sheets of drywall in one bedroom.  I used the Roto Zip for the cut outs.  It was fun to be back in this business.  We applied the first coat of mud to the seams and screw holes.  Everything went well.  It is ready for the second coat now and then the paint.

 

We also scabbed three 2x6's to the side of the damaged floor joists in the bathroom.  I plan to go back to help him some more tomorrow.

There is a chance though that we might skip working and go south of Flint to pick up a snowmobile.  That would be a fun ride. 

I am giving a 'Ghosts and Legends%' Trolley Tour in Bay City this Saturday so I will have to go over that material.  I haven't done that tour since tall ships so a brush up is required. 

 

 

If it's Wednesday, Winter is Here

The laundry is drying and I am sneaking in some time to get my  blog entry done.  We just lost power for a minute and I am glad that this laptop has a battery.  Sue is  off to Tawas for her clinic and I am not with her since I committed to help Dave Deland with his daughter Racheal's house in Bay City. It should be a good day.

I watched the debate between Dick Devos and Governor Grandholm last night.  Devos lost Sue and my vote because of his obvious anger and non-specific answers.  Jennifer can lick him whenever she wants in a debate. 

Yesterday was a museum day.  I went through the Boutel Gallery we have just added.  I was caught short on this because it is a substantial addition to the museum and somehow I didn't know about it until later. 

The exhibit has several beautiful marine pictures by Sprague that a  delight to see.  It also has a video on Ben Boutel, a Bay City captain and industrialist.  He is one of my personal favorites. 

Today, it will be carry materials, make plans, and hopefully do something.

 

 

 

One of Sue's Favorite Pictures

This picture is one of Sue's favorites.  It shows her favorite colors and something of the styles she likes.  I like this style too which says something about why I am so happy with her.