Ash Wednsday
Cycled down to the post office today to look for my social welfare, alas, it’s not there until tomorrow, and I get a chunk of back pay, so Dave is on easy street this weekend. Dave is also going home this weekend, to a decent freakin’ camera.
I only noticed it was Ash Wednesday because I saw a woman in the post office with a cross on her head, and it threw me a little.
Holy hell, the vivitar produced a decent result.
Thinking about cutting my hair, any ideas for styles?
24th – Pancake Tuesday
Yeah, I forgot to make pancakes. Or look for pancakes, or even buy the basic ingredients to make pancakes. But then again, pancakes have always been a vague, failed experiment in my family so never mind.
Vivitar is still giving me shit, so it’s back to the webcam. Today’s picture comes from my bedroom, in the dark, lit only by my laptop screen: my natural state.
Awful awful awful picture. Might buy the powershot tomorrow. Save my bleeding eyes from the crumminess.
Did absolutely nothing today
Not a thing. Well, I finished reading the archive of a webcomic I started reading a few days ago. It’s really good and I suggest you all read it. But you know, be prepared to read back through 4 years of archive to get all the in jokes.
http://www.ctrlaltdel-online.com/
Anyway, today’s picture. In my room again, probably going to get an early night. Cooking dinner tomorrow, so I may put up a recipe, or some action cooking shots if I can get the vivitar working. Ooh, forgot to mention thinking about getting a decent camera – A canon powershot.
It’s hard to disagree with the features for the price, so I think I’ll get it either this week or next, depending on cash flow. If anyone can suggest a better camera for a cheaper price, I’m all ears.
EDIT: Got so wrapped up in all the news and non-news that I forgot to post the picture. There we go, all done.
Hung….over…
Two bottles of wine, and I’ve barely moved from my bed all day.
So today’s picture comes from my bedroom. Though the frame is so small you can’t really see anything except the shirt hanging on my door. Anyway, here’s today’s picture, and on a side note; I love Brylcreem.
Used the webcam today, the shitbox keeps giving me grief
Meet the parents
No not my parents, Sin’s parents.
And you don’t actually get to meet them, because I haven’t taken any pictures of them. We invited them over for dinner and a family friend, Craig, came over beforehand and cooked for them, and us. I got resoundingly drunk (I’m back posting this picture) but thankfully I took the picture in the morning so I look really contented after a great fry. Was delicious.
…The vivitar shitbox has really started to lose its mind. It’s insane. Cool picture though.
The Mad Carpenter: tech hacker
Ok, so I’ve been geeking on tech-hack all night, and I’ve been reminded of something I’ve wanted to do for months.
I bought an old camera in a charity shop, and was devastated when I found that they no longer made film for it. Hours of searching on the internet revealed that some people modified the old film canisters to take 35 mm film. Now, for a camera designed to be ridiculously simple, that seems complicated.
So I came up with an even more complicated idea! Why not strip out the innards and replace them with the innards of a digital camera? Then you’d have the look of a classically designed old camera, with the functionality of a digital camera.
I’ve never tried a tech hack before, but it seems right up my street. As soon as I gather all the relevant materials: digital camera to be wrecked, jewelers tools set, super glue and the instamatic body.
I’ll keep you posted as soon as I get started.
The mario cube project is still on hold, I don’t have paint supplies or a work bench…
Also planning on building a workbench. And I’ve been commissioned to build another coffin, so it’ll be fancier than the first. I’m thinking gold accents. It’ll be great
Seems like the mad carpenter is going to be very busy in the coming weeks and months. Thanks for the support.
Tech-hacking, a marvellous source of inspiration
I’ve been geeking all evening over at some weird blogs based on people who like to tech hack, and tinker with things.
I’m watching a video right now about an elliptical trainer/bike cross. You use an elliptical trainer motion to propel the back wheel, so you’re gliding along and standing upright. I think it’s genius.
They call it the Elliptigo glide bike. Check it out.
Today’s picture.
Proof once more, than blokes in shed are geniuses. Have a wonderful geeked out day.
The 19th
Received money today, and my family came over to see the new house. So it’s been a nice relaxed day. And the 204 euros from the dole came in very handy.
I introduced my brother the other day, and since the old boy is so often working in England and Wales, he doesn’t get to visit very often.
So since he’s over today, I wanted to show you all the man that inspired my love of tinkering, who put me through college, and who’s always there.
My father.
Shall introduce more people over the coming weeks.
Bought lots of wine today too. Hmmm, wine.
What did I do today? Nothing
But tomorrow my family is visiting the new house, and I’ll be getting things. So tomorrow shall be productive.
Onward, to a more productive tomorrow. I’ve had some whiskey to drink, I’m a little tipsy and babbling to Mary (picture forthcoming) about my family.
Had the inspired vision of all 6 of our parents meeting, in our house, for the first time. Very odd idea.
Fix it day
If I look contented in this picture, it’s with good reason.
I love doing things, especially handyman sort of things, so today, after getting back from collecting some money from the government; which had been lying in the post office since last Thursday, and no one mentioned to me until I trekked across town in morning traffic on a bike by the way… I’ve forgotten my point…
Oh yeah! The handle on Mary’s door was all keh-fucked, and I had offered to fix it. So after taking it apart and swapping handles between doors I thought I had it sorted. I moved the handle, and a god awful squealing chilled my handyman soul. I needed to lubricate the handle, but I didn’t have any WD-40, so I did what anyone would do…. Looked for another type of oil. I found cooking oil, and it worked really well.
Feeling full of man-pride, I decided to tackle the doorbell. For some reason, it just wouldn’t ring. Took the button off the door and found a little fuse looking thing which had, well… fused. It was broken. It was glassy in the middle though, not like a household plug fuse, so I set off walking into town as the sun was shining and I was being carried by my man-pride.
I showed my little metal and glass trinket to every shop employee I could find that worked in a shop relating in any way to hardware or electricity. Walked at least 2 miles back and forth around town, each shop assistant telling me to go to a different shop. Cut to 5 shops later. An hardware wholesaler, Irwin’s Electrical on the port road.
And say what you want about customer service these days, but those two old guys were helpful beyond belief! They took their time examining the little thing I showed them, and they told me it was actually a little light for behind the doorbell, and since it was fused, it wasn’t completing the circuit. Sold me a replacement, after making sure it was as close to the right thing as they could sell me, and then give me a receipt. Told me to come back if it was the wrong thing for money back and everything.
Got a taxi home, for I had the feet walked clean off me, and started working on the doorbell again. The copper contacts inside were grubby, the plastic casing was full of dead spiders, the wiring was corroded… nightmare.
So I bent the copper into the right place after cleaning it, stripped the flex cover off to expose clean wire, reassembled the unit, slotted the little fuse-bulb into place and pressed the button with gritted teeth.
My heart has never swelled more at such a simple “Ding-Dong”.
I had a moment of man-triumph today. And damn it all if it didn’t feel fantastic. It’s the simple little jobs that take the longest, but it’s so fulfilling to have something WORK after you’ve put in so much effort.
Oh and on a side note, I bought a decanter today, Put a deposit on it two weeks ago. It’s worth 150 euro, I got it for a third of the price. I’ll do a post about it tomorrow.
The moral of today’s story is: If you can fiddle with it until it works, why would you call someone to do it for you? It’s so satisfying to wipe the rust and grime off your hands knowing that something works better now than it did before you decided to fix it.
Happy tinkering carpentry fans