one monkey typing

I can now definitively say, if you have trouble getting a good stick for blood donation, start going to the gym and doing weight training. Apparently my veins are significantly more "robust" now. I used to very commonly have bad sticks that needed adjustment, had bad flow causing the machine to be slowed down, needles with bad placement. Since starting regular weight training, I have not had a single bad stick. Every one has gone in smoothly and flowed freely without any trouble all the way to the end.

Choir rehearsals are going nicely. As previously mentioned, we did get a final date for the concert and unfortunately it directly conflicts with Capricon, so I won't be going. I was thinking about it last night and I guess this puts a little more weight on the idea of going to Minicon. I haven't been for...I don't even know. 20 years maybe? I hear it's back in vogue for Chicago GT to head up. I was thinking about going last year. It's a long drive, about 12 hours. I'm not averse to a 12 hour drive but it's significant. I might carpool as well, since I have to go through Chicago to get there anyway. If Jenn decides to come too, we will almost certainly drive the whole way.

I had my batteries die during rehearsal recording, so I ordered up some LiIon AA cells to try. I was using NiMH ones but they are sometimes unpredictable. My gripe with LiIon AAs is they have circuitry inside to put the voltage at exactly 1.5 volts, until they die. This means you get no warning, they show 100% full for hours, then the device just shuts off. I've been meaning to try them anyway. We get through a lot of batteries and maybe this could work for some of them.

I spent yesterday volunteering at a food booth at the U of M game. This was my first time doing this. They were playing Iowa which I'm told is a big deal, and there certainly were a lot of people there. Even when the game was going on, the lines never stopped, and every time I looked out, there had to be a couple of thousand people walking around outside the stadium. Most times there were probably over 100 in line for our food booth.

This is a fundraiser for the choir I sing with. We get 6% of profits and all tips. Last year we worked I think 6 or 7 games and raised > $20,000 for the choir, so it's a big thing. We have to have 14 people on the shift to keep our standing with the company. This year a new company is running this part of the concessions and the people who did it last year said things were significantly improved in many ways.

We had times when the 4 fryers couldn't make french fries fast enough to keep up, but I think there were really only 3 or 4 times when people had to wait between 1 and 2 minutes for an order. We did run out of hot dogs at least once, but again only for a few minutes.

I'll probably do this again, but my plan is to wait until it's a couple of days before and they still don't have a full roster to step in. There are something like 160 people in the choir this year, some of them can step up and apparently a lot of the new people have been.

It was billed as a "great way to get to know your fellow choir members" but this game was so busy there was definitely no time to talk much once things started rolling. Other games are more laid back I guess, but probably also less profit for the choir.

I'm printing the sheet music for the choir (OutLoud Chorus). This semester's packet is 163 pages (82 sheets) and we need 110 copies. I had about a case and a half of paper so I did run out. I ordered more via Amazon but it looks like it got caught up in FedEx.
This time for sure, never ordering paper from Amazon again, if they are going to ship FedEx it'll be a problem. I'm guessing the paper will show up eventually, but if it's like the last time, they tossed it around so much the box has burst and they're busy scraping it back together. I'm not accepting it this time, if the box is burst it's getting refused or returned.
I am going to have to go buy a case of paper locally, I have to have the printing done before I leave for rehearsal, 5:30 latest.

Update: I called Amazon just to get the tracking straightened out, and the offshore rep kinda went nuts elevating it and now I think they're shipping me a 2nd box of paper.

Meanwhile, I've gone to Staples and bought another case of paper. While shopping I realized that 3 hole paper is VERY much more expensive than plain paper - I'm sure because 3 hole never goes on sale. I picked up a case of regular paper for $48, while the cheapest 3 hole is $90.
So I've paid $90 for a 3 hole punch that can do 150 sheets at once. It'll pay for itself in a single print run.

Update 2: I told the seller they really didn't have to ship a 2nd box, they responded they did because the first box got returned to sender. FedEx is really terrible here.

The theme of the next concert will be announced on Monday at new member night. But I just finished printing (half of) the music (the second half isn't prepped for printing yet) and I have a pretty good idea what the theme is.
As for the printing, well, I think in the future, between large print runs, I'm going to remove the toner cartridge and keep it in a ziplock with a dessicant pouch. I bought the laser printer specifically to print music for the choir. I have been printing a page or ten a week just to keep the printer exercised, but the first few dozen sets of music I printed were definitely not as nice looking as after I switched to a fresh, sealed toner cartridge. I think it clumps up with humidity. I don't NEED to use the printer more than for these print runs so I think shutting it down and storing the toner between runs is best.

On Thursday I took the LX200 telescope out to Peach Mountain and finally learned how to align it. Once that was done wow was that nice. I'm definitely reconsidering my stance on goto telescopes. However the hand controller leaves a lot to be desired. It's first generation, the buttons are flush membrane ones that you can't really feel, they're very touchy - no tactile feel when you push them, the backlighting is almost non-existent - there are 4 backlight LEDs but each one only lights the corner of one button.

But I found online that someone has designed a 3D printed replacement case that takes 3D printed buttons and tactile switches underneath. The reason they built that project is because these first generation controllers had tantalum capacitors in the regulator section, and with age they go bad, and when they go bad, they catch fire. Lots of them did this and when they did they melted the flex ribbon cable going to the keypad, and there are no replacements available. Mine isn't in that situation but I like the project just for having a better lit, easier to use in the dark keypad. I'm in the process of printing these parts (there are a lot of keys and it needs some tricky printing).

I'm also going to experiment with FORScan - an open source project that runs on Windows and allows access to features in Ford vehicles. Primarily I want to enable a mode that the vehicles have called silent mode - mainly it doesn't turn the truck into an alien spaceship when you open the door. At astronomy events this truck would be very much hated - even come near it with a key in my pocket and a ton of lights come on outside. The silent/no lights mode was made for police but it's what I want as well. I think it also doesn't beep the horn when you lock/unlock. Perfect. The truck makes way too much noise for my tastes.

I also read that I can change the default drive mode. I want the truck always in ECO mode - it adds 1 or 2 MPG and the performance is still well within what I want from it.

I had an annual checkup yesterday. Nothing surprising. Some aorta calcification found in a CT scan, but the doc says absolutely expected and minimal at my age, just monitor. Also a bit of a bulge there that bears monitoring, so I guess I get a CT scan every couple of years forever now. Also not unexpected, family history there. And I've got a PT referral for the shoulder - probably rotator cuff impingement or partial tear. Exercise definitely helps, even the normal stuff I've been doing makes it almost disappear, but I could use some targeted exercises designed by someone who knows more about body mechanics than I do, so I'll be trying to get an appt with them soon - backlog on PT around here can be a week or four. I'll call soon for that and see where I can get in.

Last night was looking to be relatively clear, and I feel like I've finally gotten my strength and endurance back up, so I'm not exhausted by evening and still feel like doing anything.

So I finally got telescopes out yesterday. I dragged the C8 out onto the deck and pulled all the bits of the 18" together and got that assembled and collimated.

Mainly I just needed to figure out what was working and what was not.

The exercise step I have to be able to reach the eyepiece of the 18" was about 2 inches too short. Only when I was packing up for the night did I notice that the legs on it have another setting that is 2 inches taller, so hopefully that's fixed.

I really need to have an observing table. I used to have a cheap steamer chest that I put legs on, but that's gone. I need to build something to hold charts and eyepieces/filters/etc.
Also if I'm going to do any amount of observing at home before about midnight, I need a light shield. Cars driving down the road in front of the house shine their headlights around enough to pretty much ruin any chance of getting dark adapted.

And of course, the main thing I need to do is to re-familiarize myself with the night sky. I was getting pretty good back around 2008 but it's been long enough that I really don't remember much. I can find M13, M57, maybe a couple of other things (I stumbled across M27 when just panning around Cygnus) but the majority of targets are not in my head anymore. And I honestly never was that good at constellations.

I wish there were some training software or a website to help learn. I looked around to see if anyone made a projector that would turn a regular room into a planetarium, but all I can find is random starfield projectors, nothing that is accurate.

What I really need to do is to start going to public open houses at Peach Mountain again. There's nothing like being among other, more skilled people to encourage me to work at improving.

The up north picnic went well. Nobody got injured that I know of. Lots of visiting, a few new projects, some nice photos and video. It was the first real outing for the new Sony camera I bought a few months ago (eBay) and it performed as well as I had hoped, it's quite good.

Last Saturday was Ann Arbor Pride where the choir sang at noon - the crowd was a bit sparse as we were the first thing on stage and people were just arriving, but still fun. I didn't get the chance to run the music before as I had hoped, but I think I still may have been one of the better memorized people on stage.

The next day was a family reunion across the state. It's gotten to where there are only about 10 of us showing up, basically my two brothers, my two closest cousins, and spouses.

On the way home (loosely speaking) I took the trailer and loaded up some equipment and hauled it to Kalamazoo. The guy with the equipment was preparing to go into assisted living and my friends wanted to bring some of that home for their shop.

The election on Tuesday went pretty well, with a few technical challenges. On the previous Saturday the phones and internet went down. I got things running again with a bodge, it failed again on Sunday, I applied a bigger bodge and ordered some new equipment. The bodge got us through Tuesday, and on Wednesday I installed new equipment to properly fix it. The problem was a faulty telecom UPS (48VDC output). The first bodge was dropping in a battery scrounged out of my motorcycle because I thought it was just a bad battery. But it turned out the AC input was dead and it was not charging the battery, just running from the battery and by Sunday the battery was dead. The second bodge was to put the original (not bad after all, and I had taken it home and charged it) battery back in and clip an automotive battery charger across it. I found that there's only one make and model that is a drop in replacement and the one US distributor had no stock. But I found an open box unit on eBay for very cheap, and it arrived in 2 days and was indeed new, with a new battery. All is well.

Yesterday I set off on a giant circle of tasks. First up to Fowlerville to pick up a bandsaw that was on Marketplace for $100. I talked for 45 minutes with the very interesting man who owned the one-man shop the band saw came out of. He just bought a bigger one (several years ago) and the little one hadn't been used in years. He gave me the two brand new Lenox blades he had for it also - they're $40 each so in effect I paid $20 for the bandsaw.

I went down to Ypsi to a friend's house - we were going to do something about the horrid lighting situation in their basement. About the time we had hammered out plans and were about to start work, Jenn texted that the asphalt guys were on site and working. I left for home.

But on the way I had already told a friend that I would be dropping by to pick up stuff he had borrowed and drop off stuff I had borrowed, and I didn't want to ghost that. And while I was there, I had old equipment from the township hall that needed to be e-wasted and Staples is on my way back to the expressway, so I took the 5 minute detour there as well.

As with the driveway pulverizing a few weeks ago, I arrived just as they were all loaded up and getting ready to leave. I had wanted to be there to make sure they understood exactly what we wanted, but I needn't have worried, they got it exactly right without us there. I wrote them a quite reasonable check for the work they did, signed up for their long term maintenance (seal coating every 2 years) contract and they're on their way.

I have some work to do to fill and smooth down the areas around the new driveway - it's significantly thicker than the old one and the new parking area in back is on a slope. I have a little soil remaining in a pile that I can use there, though I may have to buy/find more elsewhere as well.

Going forward this month, next weekend there's a GALA choir event in Lansing, I volunteered to drive, if anyone asks I'll be truckin' up there otherwise motorcycling. It looks like about 35 people said they were going (out of about 130 in the choir). Lots of the choir are students so summer events will have fewer people. I'd do choir events every week if they were happening.

Then over Labor Day is bridge walk, same procedure as last year ma'am. In the past we've buzzed up to the shipwreck museum at Whitefish Point. It'd be neat to find something similar to add to the mix, but if not it's still a very nice weekend in a cozy cottage in the woods with a few friends, then a walk with 50,000 other people.

Just a few days before heading north to the UP. First up a walk with 3 friends, 5 nights 6 days on Isle Royale. Then straight into Friday and Saturday on the sands. The schedule is not what I would have hoped originally, but it does minimize days away from home so that's good. I'm not sure if I'm coming home Sunday or Monday. I'd prefer Sunday because then I'd be able to get to the FCB concert on Monday, but it'll mostly depend on how I'm feeling Sunday.

I've done a test pack with 98% of the gear, food and water I need. A couple of minor things coming from Amazon today. I've permethrin treated my clothes but I have a couple more pieces to treat - the weather forecast for the first few days show the temps lower than typical for July so an extra layer is going in.

I think I'm OK for weight, right around 30 pounds. Sam is carrying a CPAP and batteries so he's likely to be doing 40ish. We may have to redistribute things, we'll find out a day or two in.

The park has had to close a couple of campsites, wolves are apparently getting in to them and even getting in to tents, and the rangers are carrying out a "hazing" operation on the wolves at those sites (yelling/stomping/blowing air horns at the wolves). My assumption here is that idiots are leaving food or food scented items (cooking material etc) in their tents. I expect we will get a lecture when we arrive.

I'm also prepping one activity for the sands. I have waved off on the two larger things, honestly I don't expect to be up to much by then other than hanging out, taking pictures and eating pasties.

I need to mow the lawn today and again on Wednesday to minimize the jungle effect before I get back. It shouldn't be too bad, I'll be gone only 11 days.

The choir concert for June is over. Just a few performances over the summer (pride fests, etc) to go.
My main thing now is to prepare for the Isle Royale trip in July - this means hopefully getting over this cold and NOT catching another one, and giving my arm time to heal more. I probably did a bit of damage on the concerts, I loaded up on pain killers, which made me feel great for the concerts but I probably overdid the choreo, because the arm was NOT happy the day after. But it's back to much better now. I think now I need to start pushing range of motion on it - the bruising was very deep, probably crushed a bunch of the one muscle that is bothering me, and I need to push the motion now to help flush out all the bruising remnants in there.

I also need to catch up on the stuff I didn't really get done over the last few weeks of concert prep and lying about trying to heal up. We theoretically have a new driveway going in, though we have not heard from the scheduler on that. We did tell them that we don't really have a pressing need so they are probably waiting for another job to crop up close-by that they can piggyback us on top of. It could be in a week or two, it could be in September. I have a little prep to do for that which I had planned to do when Jenn was out of town last week, but events and illness prevented that.

This coming week is concert week for OutLoud Choir and I'm excited for that.

Unfortunately it coincided with my MIL's 95th birthday. J and her sister are converging on NC this week for a celebration. It is to be a girl's tea so I'd have been scarce on the day anyway, but there are some museums of little interest to J that are not too far that I really want to see...

Anyway, I got a sore throat on Friday morning which turned into a mild cold so I'd have been unwilling to expose that to the community down there anyway so it's as best I didn't make plans.

I just got rid of a cough that lasted a month. I was pretty well for about 4 days before this started. It's definitely a different thing. I think I must be catching these things at choir rehearsals, since I pretty much don't do anything else around any number of people in an enclosed space.

I'm scheduled to song lead at church today, I'll go but stay away from people as much as possible and mask as much as possible.

Chelsea Pride march and picnic was yesterday. Just as I was getting suited up to go, I got a text from J that she left her purse here. I called back, gathered the purse and her wallet from her work bag and went down to Dundee to hand it off. I got back to Chelsea about 90 minutes later, the picnic was still in full swing and the speakers hadn't started yet. I carried the postcards for the upcoming concert and talked to a few dozen people about it, I think at least 3 or 4 of them will come. Many had heard about it and I asked the rep from the Jim Toy center to confirm they had a poster in their facility (they did of course but it doesn't hurt to be sure).

So far this cold is quite mild and isn't causing the coughing spells that the last one did so I'm hoping it'll be OK for concert. I'm going to mask at tech rehearsal on Monday, and probably dress on Wednesday as well.

The big flooring/misc stuff job I took on (with some others from choir) for a fellow choir member is about done. I finished the flooring and baseboard trim on Tuesday, along with the last of the little jobs - the water heater (I assumed installed by a pro) didn't have a drain pipe on the pressure relief valve, which I think is code. Washer and dryer hooked up and running, toilet leak fixed (which lead to having to replace some floor structure under it).

I got to the last 2 cuts (out of probably a thousand) on the baseboard and managed to slice a bit of my left index fingertip off. Not a big deal, just some band-aids and back to work, but for a day or two when I still had to tightly wrap it to keep the blood under control it made typing a bit awkward. It's down to one band-aid now and getting better.

Of course the day after that was all finished, the last parts came in - the custom nose for the stairways. I haven't done those before in vinyl plank flooring so I did some research and have a new tool on the way.
I also realized that I like the 18 gauge brad nailer a friend had more than the 15 gauge I had. The heavier nails in mine tended to shatter the polyurethane baseboard we were using, even if I dialed the pressure and strike depth way down. I searched and found a new/no box Ryobi battery powered nailer on eBay for a good price and have that coming. I've been meaning to investigate their battery nailers for a while; dragging a compressor and hose out every time I want to do some work is a pain.

In other news, I felt moved to volunteer to sing solos at church a few weeks back so now I'm singing something for Easter. Mainly I'm just looking for more performance opportunities. One of the pieces that Out Loud programmed this term was the main impetus here.

I got out to the garage yesterday and did the polishing on the old used crash bars I bought for the 1980 motorcycle, then when I went to fit them found that there's a bit of hardware missing, so off to Amazon - no place local stocks metric bits of the odd type I need for this. The crash bars did shine up very nicely on the new buffing machine I bought. When I do the next oil change (mid to late summer probably) I plan to shine up the clutch cover and maybe some other parts.

I'm excited to get going on the shed as well - the old 7x7 foot plastic shed we put up years ago is starting to deteriorate so I've decided on a gambrel roof 12x16 shed - a few square feet less than the max we're allowed to erect without permits. It should help immensely with the clutter and cramped conditions in the garage bays, and also I can get the lawn mower and other stuff out without having to move Jenn's car or try to squeak things past and risk scratching the car.

I'll have fun building the shed. Preparing the ground for the shed, not so much. I'm not that big a fan of shovel work.