She Better Sleep In...

For the first time, someone made it to 12:00 a.m.

Happy New Year's Day!

Even Stuffed Cats Like the Fireplace

I swear I did not prearrange this picture.

Christmas is a Lot of Work

Charlotte wanted to catch Santa this year, and without telling us, she set two alarms for herself - one at 3AM and the other at 5. Having peaked early, she didn't make it through the opening of presents after brunch.

Getting up that early takes its toll on the rest of the family, too.

Christmas Eve '18: A Tale of Two Outfits

Dressed up before church:

Opening a PJ present after church:

Also taken tonight, (Warning: Bad Pun Alert!) A Tail of Two Kitties.

It Wasn't Unnecessary. It Worked!

Charlotte and I watched Daphne play her flute at church last night, so we went to school this morning while Daphne performed at church again. It was time to test the low and slow skateboard.

Because the building would be empty, Char thought it would be funny to wear PJs. If she was willing to try stand on the skateboard, I didn't care what she wore (as long as a helmet was involved.)

Here's her third solo flight:

Someone feels pretty proud of herself.

I love it when a plan comes together.

Unnecessary?

One thing that you do not see at thrift stores very often is a skateboard. Bicycles, roller skates, skis, roller blades, snowboards, and scooters are all common finds, but skateboards are elusive. Even poor quality boards are rare.

Maybe it's because a lot of used boards get re-purposed. I did a search for "recycled skateboard" on Etsy, and there are 3,029 results.

One Etsy shop is selling used decks for $50 a pop, and they only have one left.

I suppose that's why I have a couple of junky skateboards in my garage. I bought them because they were all I could find. I went through a skateboard phase about eight years ago, and now I don't remember where they came from.

One of these skateboards is a clunky Kryptonics that probably came from Walmart in 2005. The deck is thick, unwieldy, and slightly warped. Also, the artwork isn't cool enough to display. I decided the Kryptonics was a perfect candidate for a short-long board. 

I've mentioned these before. A short-long board is a standard skateboard that mimics the feel of longboarding by relocating the trucks to the far ends of the deck. This lowers the deck, and it adds more flexibility. Wedge (angled) risers are placed beneath the trucks to aid with turning. Some people add longboard trucks and wheels as well.

This project is completely unnecessary. I just wanted to do something with my hands and then write about it.

My method of marking the board for new bolt holes is far from a scientific process, but it's better than just eyeballing it - I think. I run a long strip of painters tape directly across the middle of two bolt holes and extend the tape to the edge of the board. I try to keep the tape as flat and straight as possible.

The next step is to place the truck in place and see if the tape strips cut through the middle of the truck's holes. If one strip of tape doesn't bisect both holes, then peal it off and try again.

I placed the truck 3/4 of an inch from the end of the deck. Using the truck holes as a guide, I marked the edge of the tape with a black Sharpie.

I like to use a nail, an awl, or better yet, a center punch tool to make a dimple in the wood. That keeps the drill bit from wandering off when I drill my hole. I also use a small drill bit to make the pilot holes first.

When a drill bit goes all the way through, it often splinters the wood as it exits. A scrap of wood clamped to the bottom of the deck keeps the exit holes in the skateboard looking clean. I had to move the c-clamp around as I drilled each hole.

The scrap of wood takes all the damage. The skateboard's grip tape just tore a little bit.

I like to countersink the holes so the bolts sit flush with the grip tape. You could just crank the bolts really tight, I suppose, but why overstress the wood?

The holes look okay to me.

Once the holes are done, reassembly is easy.

The bolts look flush.

Both trucks are installed.

Here's the Kryptonics' new stance. It's low, and unfortunately slow. I had to clean the rusty bearings.

The board didn't turn at all, either. Since I didn't have angled risers on hand, I replaced the plastic bushings with soft rubber bushings.

These blue bushing are way too soft for me to use on a regular skateboard set-up. They are meant for a much lighter rider (like Charlotte). They seem to work well in this application, though.

I had an idea while I was testing the blue bushings last night. A board that doesn't turn well could be perfect as a "trainer" skateboard for Charlotte. If I put the plastic bushings back, then the board will just go forwards (or backwards.) All Char will have to worry about is keeping her balance as she stands on it. Maybe a low board will feel safer and be a confidence builder for her? It's worth a shot.

Okay, maybe this project won't be completely unnecessary.

“Now, Dasher! Now, Unicorn! Now, Totoro, and Vixen! On, Comet! On Teddy! On, Scooby, and Tiger!"

Charlotte taped some paper together last night and called it her "sleigh." She then harnessed stuffed animals to the sleigh with red yarn. There are a few packages to give away as well.

It doesn't look much like Christmastime from my window at work.

But we're in the holiday spirit at home! "Ho Ho Ho!"

The First Gift of the Season

When Charlotte asked her mom what she wanted for Christmas,  Daphne told her she wanted to play a duet with Char at church. (Charlotte started taking piano lessons last year.)

They have been practicing for weeks, and on Sunday Daphne got her Christmas wish.

Grandma Betty and Great Aunt Renea were in the audience, and I have a suspicion that Grandma Deb was there, too.

Sunday was also the day for the Christmas program. Char had quite a few lines this year. 

She also played the bells. Don't expect a smile. Char takes this program seriously, and she concentrates on what she is doing. I have to respect that.

Besides playing the duet, the highlight for Daphne was Char's carolling bonnet. It looked very Victorian, and Daph loved it.

Whew. We survived another Christmas program!

Grace Period

The life span of a Great Pyrenees dog is averaged at 10 -12 years. Maggie will be 12 on her next birthday. We know that our days with her are numbered, and we've had a couple of scares this year.

Spoiler alert: The dog does not die at the end of this story. 

The first scare came last spring when she tore her ACL. We were able to use a beach towel to "wheelbarrow" her outside so she could go to the bathroom, and Daphne could give Mags medicine for the pain, but she was essentially a three-legged dog who spent all of her time in the basement. For the first time our dog didn't seem very interested in spending time with the family. The veterinarian had given us the "quality of life" speech, and we worried about taking the next step...

Then, all of the sudden in June, Maggie was able to climb the basement steps by herself, It wasn't pretty. She used her front legs to hop up one step at a time, and she dragged the injured back leg behind her. But she wanted to be with us again - that was the important thing. We used the blanket sling when she would let us, but before long she was using the stairs both ways. She now walks on all four legs, and she can even get into the car without any help.

We felt like we had dodged a bullet. 

Then, all of the sudden in October, Maggie stopped eating her dog food. We tried buying a new bag of Science Diet, but that didn't help. Cleaning her food container didn't work. Maggs even stopped eating her treats. We tried adding "gravy" to her kibble, but only helped for a few days. Excitement over canned food lasted just as long.

In desperation, we broke our cardinal food rule. We had never fed Maggie anything from our own plates. Leftovers and scraps were forbidden. If Charlotte dropped food from her high chair, we did our best to get to it first.  We weren't being mean. Dog food is formulated to be what a dog needs, and we also didn't want a dog who was always begging at or trying to steal from our table.

Now Daphne made pancakes and scrambled eggs for Maggie's breakfast. She baked chicken breasts for Maggie's dinner. Ground hamburger? Why not? I'd grill a steak if would help.

The idea was to keep Maggie alive. If giving her a dinner plate instead of her metal bowl helped, then here's come your plate, big girl. It worked, and Maggs would eat.

Then came the mistakes.

The dietary change might have kept her tail wagging, but it was playing havoc on her digestive system. That was a problem. How big? Let's just say that no one enjoys cleaning up diarrhea. Too make things worse, last weekend Mags decided that neither chicken, pancakes, or scrambled eggs were doing it for her any more.

On a whim, we tried Science Diet again. 

She wolfed down the kibble so fast we didn't see it disappear. We did cheer and applaud, though. We did that again after she cleared the second plate. Maggie hasn't had anything but Science Diet for breakfast and dinner this week. She clears her plate in seconds flat. She also hasn't had any more mistakes. We can tell that Maggs feels much better.

There is a slight catch, though. 

Because she has been eating what we eat, when we eat, Maggie has picked up one of our family traditions. She won't begin eating until we say the prayer. 

I'm serious. I noticed this five meals ago. We put the plate in front of her, and instead of chomping away like she used to, she waits until we say grace. 

Check it out:

Its not a great video, but that gives you an idea of what she has been doing.

Another example, Charlotte had pizza at an birthday party on Tuesday night. Daphne and I ate dinner on the run while we shopped for stocking stuffers. When we all got home, Maggie wanted diner. She was going to have to eat alone, though. Daphne filled her plate, and Maggs wouldn't touch the food until Daphne sat at the table and said the prayer for her. 

It's kinda weird, but also cool.

I don't know how long any of this is going to last. I'm not going to tempt fate or be ironic by saying Maggie is all better. I know the calendar will keep turning, and Maggs will continue to age. Eventually that bullet will find its target.

Since it's the holidays, I'll just count my blessings. I'm happy to come home and hear our big puppy thump her tail against the wall. I'm pleased to step over her when I get up during the night. I'm relieved when she comes up the stairs when I call her. I like that she still has the will to bark away evildoers that walk past our house.

I also appreciate her table manners.

Watch Dog

Because everyone needs a break once in awhile.

Waiting for Breakfast

Because no one likes to eat alone.

Pushing My Buttons

Last spring I got hooked on watching YouTube videos like "Let's Repair eBay Junk." These guys were buying and unboxing faulty electronics in the hopes of finding an easy fix and flipping the items. They also explained how they performed the repair.

I was envious, and I wanted to try that myself. I visited the same Japan4You Store on eBay that many had mentioned, and I decided to buy one thing. I chose a Bandi Wonder Swan Color console. I already have a few GameBoys in my collection, but I hadn't played a Wonder Swan before.

The listing stated that the unit would work. The problem was that the power button wasn't functioning properly. My guess was that the contacts were just dirty.

The shipping from Japan was cheap, but the package took three weeks to arrive. When the Wonder Swan did get here, I popped in a fresh battery to test it. The unit turned on after pressing the power button ten times, but it wouldn't turn off. I had to pull out the battery to cut the power. I put it on a shelf in the basement, and I forgot about it. After three weeks, I had lost my stride with this project.

Well, forgot isn't the right word. Every so often I'd catch the Wonder Swan looking at me in the eye, and I quickly look away in guilt.

"Stop looking at me, Swan!" - name that movie.

Last month I decided to give this fix a shot. I opened the Swan with a tri-tip screwdriver, and removed the rubber strip of buttons on the bottom.

I cleaned the contacts with isopropyl alcohol, and reassembled it. Nope. That was worse. It would not turn on no matter how many times I pressed the power button.

I did some research and found out that the lower buttons on these units often lose their conductive layers with age. When I cleaned it with alcohol, I probably wiped off what was left of the original layer. No wonder the Wonder didn't work.

A kid on YouTube fixed his button by gluing a strip of tin foil to the bottom, but that hack seemed too sketchy. I bought this stuff from Amazon instead.

This fix cost 45 cents more that the Wonder Swan itself, but there is enough Keypad-Fix to repair 197 more buttons. I bet this will come in handy for a guy who likes vintage electronics. 

You really have to stir this goop first. 

I cleaned the other two buttons with isopropyl alcohol first, then I applied a thin layer to each one. I used a clothespin to keep the buttons level. 

Many of the reviewers on Amazon said that they cured the "paint" by placing the button under a light bulb for an hour or so. 

After waiting for an hour, I impatiently installed buttons, but they didn't work. I only smeared the "paint." Then it was time to try again, and this time I'd have to follow the instructions and wait until morning for reassembly.

In the morning it worked! The Wonder Swan now successfully turns on and off with one light press of a finger. 

Since I was in a good mood, I used Novus 2 and 1 to buff out some of the scratches and to polish the screen. I didn't take a before photo, but I can tell you that it was scuffed up.

That looks better.

This is the only game I have for the system. Luckily, the Klonoa games are pretty fun.

Now when the Wonder Swan looks at me, I grin and say, "I am the smartest man alive!"

(I still can't read Japanese, though.)

Letting Her Choose

I spotted this skateboard auction on shopgoodwill.com a couple of weeks ago.

The only description was "small skateboard, no brand found." That wasn't true, though. This was a Locker Board. You can plainly see it on the middle sticker.

What's a Locker Board? It's a home project that a young man turned into a business.

"Carson Kropflof San Clemente, CA started Locker Board in October 2016, when he was 11 years old. He had just begun middle school and wanted a skateboard that fit in his backpack and locker... Now, he's designed the only non-folding, sustainable skateboard on the market that can fit inside a backpack, appeared on Shark Tank, and landed Sir Richard Branson as his investor." - from https://www.lockerboard.net

Since it was designed by a kid, I thought Char would think the Locker Board was neat. The auction's final bid was $5.99, so it wasn't much of a risk. She and I watched the videos about Carson on his website when the Locker Board arrived, and Charlotte was pretty excited to own one.

The previous owner had written "Vans Skate Park" in silver paint on the grip tape, so I offered to replace it with a grip tape of Char's choice.

She choose red grip tape. That wouldn't have been my first (or tenth) choice, but it's not my board.  (Must. Be. Supportive.)

Wow. That is red, alright. I figured that we might as well roll with the red theme, and I added red, rubber risers...

... and some Sector Nine red wheels.

To complete the project, we applied the all-important skateboard sticker. This is serious business, and we spent about ten minutes debating where we should put the Sector Nine logo. Charlotte choose where she wanted it to go in the end, and I had to agree that it looked nice there.

Her Locker Board is done, but we'll have to save riding this for a later date. Char needs to figure out how to ride a proper sized skateboard first. 

That's okay. I just like putting projects like this together.

Travels with Maggie

Maggie tore her ACL last spring. She has healed to the point where she can do stairs on her own, but we are hesitant to leave her at a dog kennel when we go on a trip. She might re-injure herself roughhousing with the locals.

So, this year Mags traveled with us to St. Louis for Thanksgiving with the grandparents. We took two cars, and our 95-pound-puppy got a backseat to herself. Although that's not where she wanted to be.

Somebody still thinks they are a lapdog.

Oatmeal Face!

Daphne and Charlotte shared their first facial mask together this week. 

Hey, how come I wasn't offered one? Oh yeah, because I would have refused. 

Now the new insult at our house is "Oatmeal Face." The two traded the insult all night long.

In the morning, Daphne had the last word before she left for jazz band practice.

Nicely played, Mom.