Merry Christmas!

 

Road Rage!!!

 I can see why there is so much road rage these days, drivers are stupid or just ignorant and have no respect for the other drivers. For instance... I drive the speed limit most of the time, other times a little under it and other times a little over it. If the speed limit is 55 MPH and I'm driving 55-60 MPH, people are passing me like I'm sitting still! I go 70 MPH (the speed limit), I still have people passing me like I'm sitting still! Yes, my speedometer is correct.

I really don't care how fast people are driving, but what really gets me are the ones going so fast that they pass you then they cut back in the lane right in front of you. I mean really, put a little distance between you and me before cutting back into my lane.

Another thing I been noticing a lot is people not using turn signals! What's up with that? I see a lot of people at stop signs and red lights and when they go, the turn without using a turn signal. Others I noticed is pass and changing lanes without using turn signals. How do they expect other drives to know what their intensions are if they don't use turn signals?

The other night we went out to look at peoples Christmas lights they put up and I'll bet 50% or more of oncoming traffic had their headlights on high beams (brights). I'd blink my high beams to let them know there lights were on high beams, nothing! So, I'd turn my high beams on and leave them on then they person would put their lights on low beams.

Some of the newer white lights its hard to tell if they are on high or low beam being they are so bright. If I can't tell, I'll put my high beams on. If the driver in the oncoming car blinks his lights from low to high beam, I'll then switch to low beam knowing his lights were on low beam.

That night I kins of wish I would have been in the Jeep being it has a super bright light bar on the roof above the windshield. I'd never leave those lights on to oncoming traffic because they are so bright but blinking them on/off would give the driver an idea what I see with his lights on high beams (nothing).

I don't know about drivers anymore, they don't follow the rules of the road, and they wonder why there is so much road rage out there...

I See This All the Time... Dumb.

 How many times have you seen cars like in the picture below? Maybe your one of those who do the same thing? Bad idea.

In the long run, you are doing more harm than good. When I first started seeing people do this with these wipers, I always though, don't these people think? When you pull your wipers away from the windshield like this, you're stretching the spring for long periods of time, and what happens when the spring loses its tension and it can't hold the wiper tight against the window? You end up with your windshield not getting cleaned off as it should and end up with streaks, etc.

If your wiper can't clean off the windshield as it should because the spring has been stretched, you're going to end up having to buy new wipers which can get expensive.

The only reason I posted this today is because I ran across a post where they thought as I did, pull the wiper up and end up stretching the spring.

The rubber band trap: The hidden reason your brand new wiper blades still leave streaks

Extension Cords

 Whoever used an inside extension cord outside? Of course, you're not supposed to. That's because an inside extension cord will break down from the weather and the sun. Also, an inside extension cord only has an outside sheathing to protect it, whereas an outside extension cord has more layers of insulation to protect it and is made to resist the sun's rays.

What you see in the video below is from an inside extension cord used outside, but... the same thing could have happened with an outside extension cord. It wasn't because of the extension cord its self-broke down, it because after being out in the weather for some time, ants, bugs, Alge, etc., etc., probably caused the flair up.

Where the extension cord flared up was at the female end (the end you plug things into it) and because of all of the above I mentioned probably had something to do with it. The only thing that was plugged into it was the light mounted on the shed. Even though it was wrapped in tape good, in time the tape can let loose letting water, bugs etc., get down into the plug.

We just came down from the fire pit when my wife looked out the door and see the sparks flying. She thought it was me setting off fireworks. Although it looks bad, it could have been a lot worse if the wooden outhouse caught on fire.

No Wonder USPS Is Going Under.

 Look at the movement of my package USPS is to deliver. I live in the East, and it takes the same package 2-3 days to arrive. Why would my package go from Kentucky, to Ohio, then Colorado?

It seems the postal service is always screwing up! And when they do screw it up, they post that it might be late because of the weather. The last time they messed up my delivery they again blamed it on the weather, problem was, all across the U.S. the weather was fine!

I just really get tired of USPS messing up my deliveries. FedEx is another one. A few times they messed up my delivery. The one time they stopped to make a deliver and my package wasn't even on the truck!

Then there is always the problem with delivery services "throwing" packages breaking what's inside, then you have to go through a bunch more bull shit. Else the mail person tries cramming something into your mailbox instead of delivering it. Even envelopes that state on the outside, "DO NOT BEND", they still bend it to get it in your mailbox!

And this one I really like too! If a bill or something is about due and you mail it from your mailbox and you check that the flag is up, when the mail is to be picked up that morning or the next day, guess what? If your not receiving any mail, the mail person doesn't have to stop to pick up your outgoing mail!! That really pissed me off! There are about 4 mailboxes beside mine, all mounted side by side, yet they couldn't pick up my mail when they delivered mail to the boxes right be side mine!

Then whatever happen to the mail person delivering your mail in the ice, mud, or snow? Any more you get a dusting of snow you don't see the mail person!

Onlooker shares photo of dangerous trend.

 People complain about the dumbest things. So, what that a truck is lifted, has big tires, etc., etc.? They say it's dangerous for a number of reasons, whatever that reason may be. So, what if a truck is lifted and has big tires? It's no more dangerous than a truck like that hitting you than it is a big tractor-trailer plowing into you.

If people think a lifted truck with big tires are dangerous, then maybe we should take those really small cars off the road, they too are dangerous. And how about electric cars weighing 6,000 pounds or more, that's a lot of weight plowing into you at 60 MPH or more!

Then there is the complaint a truck raised like that causes the headlights to shine in the eyes of the oncoming car. That's not all because the truck is lifted, it's also the fault of the owner for not readjusting his headlights after the truck was lifted.

There is also the complaint it's harder to see pedestrians. Well, isn't it partly the fault of the pedestrian's fault not looking before stepping out in front of the truck? Yes, I could see where a small child that wasn't noticed walk out right in front of the truck and not be seen. But then again, where were the parents and what was the child doing out in the street?

Again, we can go back to a tractor-trailer. Not only can you not see a child in front of these big trucks, but car get hit broadside if they cut right in front of these big trucks and pushed down thew road because they can't be seen by the drivers of these big tractor trailers.

Talk about these lifted trucks being dangerous... how many cars have you seen out there that looked like it should be at the scrap yard instead of on the road? I've seen a lot of cars that looked very unsafe to be on the road.

There is one thing I think looks stupid to be on the road, but that's up to the owner, that's the Carolina squat trucks, UGH! Ugly!

I think they made these illegal. Though I don't like it, I'm not going to complain about it. I guess with your front end that high, your headlights shine in the eyes of pilots.

If you want to read more about lifted trucks with big tires, you can click on the like below for the original article.

Onlooker shares photo of dangerous trend sweeping US streets: 'I … hate these things'

Time For A New Coffee Maker

 Looks like the old coffee maker is about to bite the dust. I been using a Keurig K-Elite now for about 4-5 years, but for about the last month it only brews like half of what it should. If you try and make a 12 oz. cup of coffee, you'll get around 4-5 ounces. No matter what setting you put it on, it's all wrong, from half the amount to even as little as a tablespoon full.

I'll probably get the same model as shown above. I looked at other models but not into the kind that make those weird coffees. I just like plain coffee. Although I had this model for a number of years, it did get used pretty hard. The only real complaint I had about it was it didn't make the coffee quite hot enough. I guess it is hot enough if you drink your coffee black, then it's pretty hot. I on the other hand like sugar and milk in my coffee. 

It brews coffee at its hottest at 192 Deg. F., which is probably fine, but when you had cold milk, it cools it off to much so I end up putting it in the microwave for about 40 seconds. The other downside is the pods cost so damn much!

I was thinking about going with the model that made from both pods and ground coffee in a pot, but any coffee maker that makes a pot of coffee never seemed hot enough. After it sits in the pot for a while, it goes from hot to like lukewarm sitting on the heating element.

Anyways... a new coffee maker is on the list.

New Battery for the Truck.

 About a week ago when starting the truck, it sounded pretty weak. Last evening it kind of grunted but it did start. So today I went and bought a new battery at Walmart.

A lot of people question EverStart batteries, but I think they are ok, I guess. I replaced the truck battery 6-years ago which had a 5-year warranty, which was the same battery, well almost. I wanted to replace it with another 5-year warranty battery, but there was none. All they had (even on the website), was 1-year, 3-year, and 4-year warranty batteries.

The batter above was the same as the old 5-year warranty battery, group 35, 640 CCA, but only a 3-year warranty. Also the old and the new battery had no caps to check the acid level inside. I could have bought a 4-year warranty battery for about $50+ but I wasn't paying that for an extra year. If the new battery lats as long as the old battery, I should get about 4-years out of it.

I could have went to an auto parts store and bought a battery for a few hundred bucks for the same specs as this battery. I also noticed the highest warranty was again 4-years. Maybe they did away with the 5-year warranty?

I also replaced the battery in the Jeep about a year or two ago. I think it to had a 5-year warranty. Anyways, neither battery ever gave me any problems.

First Snow This Season.

 Well, we got our first snow for this season. Wasn't much, maybe around 2-inches, not enough to get the snowblower out. I only use the snowblower when we get around 3-inches or more. As a matter of fact, if it was just me, I wouldn't even have a snowblower. I have always come to the conclusion, if I can't drive through it, I don't need to go anywhere.

Then there is the fact if we get a really deep snow, a neighbor somewhere will plow the lane. I'd rather they don't, but there just trying to be nice. It's like whoever plows the lane, usually digs it up more than it's worth plowing it. One year, someone plowed it and instead of pushing off to one side, they left a pig pile of snow right behind the truck that froze, and I had to dig that shit out.

If I was rich... well probably not even rice, but had the money, I'd have the lane paved, that would make everything much nicer, more so for the snowblower so you're not throwing stones all over the snowblower picks up.

Then also, I see a snowblower like a snowmobile, a waste of money. Oh, they are both great when and if it snows, but for the most part, both just sit most of the year. I bought my snowblower two years ago and only used it twice, once each year.

What Next!

 Seem's like it's always something! I put the new motor on the electric wood splitter the other week, which now runs fine. What did happen though is a piece of wood while splitting a log, got between the rail and the side piece and not only bent it pretty good, but it also broke off a bolt. I tried an EZ-out but that didn't work, so I had to drill out the old bolt, drill a new hole, tapped it and used a bigger bolt. So far, so good.

Then the wood catcher for the gas log splitter came and had to mount that, that was a pretty quick job.

Then yesterday I tried firing up the snow blower, no go. We are to get 2-4 inches of snow, so I wanted to get it all ready. I tried and tried but it wouldn't start. I even went with the electric starter, and it still wouldn't start. I thought maybe I flooded it, so I took out the plug, which was dry and there was a lot of spark. My next thought is it's not getting gas.

Ended up taking off the carb which was a job in itself being I had no idea what all I had to do to remove it. Turns out, it was quite a bit.

The picture above isn't my snow blower, but it looks almost like it. The difference is in the picture it has a manual speed control, mine has an electronic speed control. The big problem came when I removed the electronic control and a plastic piece fell out and I had no idea how it went back on.

After doing some searching a found a video of a guy with the same electronic control and I seen there was a spring in there, I didn't see any spring? So I went back out and looked, and there was a spring laying on the floor. But before reassembling everything, I took the bowl off the carb, removed the float, needle valve, etc., and the jet. I blew everything out with compressed air but really didn't see a problem anywhere.

The only problem I really seen was a little white stuff on the needle valve which I cleaned off and didn't think that was the problem being there was gas in the bowl when I removed it. After getting everything back together and hoping I got everything back together correctly, I put fresh gas in it, pushed the primer three times, and pulled the rope, it started on the second pull!

I then moved the knob for the speed setting, which it has three, and the motor speeded up when going to each setting then slowing back down when I went the other way with the speed knob.

So I guess there was a little dirt in the jet maybe that stopped the gas from flowing. I did use gas stablelizer in it the past two years but I guess it didn't work as well as I thought it would. This week I'm going to add Sea Foam to the gas, which seems to get really good reviews.