May 9: Project: halving the deck
Fact: We have a deck. Opinion: It's a good deck.
Fact: We have a back yard. Opinion: It's not so good.
Opinions, presented as facts in a pro/con list:
- Con: The deck is too big.
- Con: We don't use most of the deck.
- Pro: The deck railing blocks our view of our not so good back yard. (this one actually is a fact)
- Con: The deck railing blocks our view of our myriad bird feeders. (this one, too)
- Con: The deck feels like it is blocking us off from our backyard.
Computer generated result: reduce size of deck by 50% and remove back railing. This will make the deck flow into the back yard. This will make the back yard more inviting to humans. This will provide enough wood to build another, free-standing, non-close-in-ing deck just over there.This will provide plenty of room for sitting on deck and watching squirrels eat bird food. It will also continue to provide a location for the grill. It will also more or less approximate heaven on earth.
Factual Photos:
The deck from that one corner. Frame to hold upside-down tomatoes is lying in the foreground.
On the deck looking 'over there'
Unknown to the computer, we have already begun demolition of the deck. Since this picture was taken, it has rained almost continually, so no further work has been completed. Fact: the thing under the pretty blue tarp is my brother-in-law's massive roto-tiller.
Fact: We have a deck. Opinion: It's a good deck.
Fact: We have a back yard. Opinion: It's not so good.
Opinions, presented as facts in a pro/con list:
- Con: The deck is too big.
- Con: We don't use most of the deck.
- Pro: The deck railing blocks our view of our not so good back yard. (this one actually is a fact)
- Con: The deck railing blocks our view of our myriad bird feeders. (this one, too)
- Con: The deck feels like it is blocking us off from our backyard.
Computer generated result: reduce size of deck by 50% and remove back railing. This will make the deck flow into the back yard. This will make the back yard more inviting to humans. This will provide enough wood to build another, free-standing, non-close-in-ing deck just over there.This will provide plenty of room for sitting on deck and watching squirrels eat bird food. It will also continue to provide a location for the grill. It will also more or less approximate heaven on earth.
Factual Photos:
The deck from that one corner. Frame to hold upside-down tomatoes is lying in the foreground.
On the deck looking 'over there'
Unknown to the computer, we have already begun demolition of the deck. Since this picture was taken, it has rained almost continually, so no further work has been completed. Fact: the thing under the pretty blue tarp is my brother-in-law's massive roto-tiller.
May 5: No Holds Barred Pinewood Derby Car
I recently took part in a 'No Holds Barred Pinewood Derby' at my church. I had elaborate plans for a car that would use some sort of spring-loaded arm to knock the other car off of the track, but in the end I went with a simpler design. Actually, I forgot when it was going to be and rushed to just get something done. Luckily, almost everyone else was in the same boat.
As you can see, my car is the block of wood from the kit with a brick gorilla-glued to the top. I named it 'fast,' but also toyed with the idea of 'heavy' or 'rough.'
Side view showing off the fancy design work.
You know it's fast because the eye is watering.
I was doing pretty well, but then I decided to lubricate the wheels with a little oil that someone had brought. Some of it seeped onto the nails/axles which caused them to slip under the weight of the brick. By the end of each run, the wheels looked like this:
The wheels are supposed to be vertical...
I ran it one more time after the derby was over and one of the wheels came completely out causing a pretty horrific (for a pinewood derby) crash.
In the end, I was beat by the car with the monkey wrench duct-taped to the top and the car with the wind-up accelerator. I did win the following prestigious award, however:
I blew out the competition in this category.
I recently took part in a 'No Holds Barred Pinewood Derby' at my church. I had elaborate plans for a car that would use some sort of spring-loaded arm to knock the other car off of the track, but in the end I went with a simpler design. Actually, I forgot when it was going to be and rushed to just get something done. Luckily, almost everyone else was in the same boat.
As you can see, my car is the block of wood from the kit with a brick gorilla-glued to the top. I named it 'fast,' but also toyed with the idea of 'heavy' or 'rough.'
I was doing pretty well, but then I decided to lubricate the wheels with a little oil that someone had brought. Some of it seeped onto the nails/axles which caused them to slip under the weight of the brick. By the end of each run, the wheels looked like this:
I ran it one more time after the derby was over and one of the wheels came completely out causing a pretty horrific (for a pinewood derby) crash.
In the end, I was beat by the car with the monkey wrench duct-taped to the top and the car with the wind-up accelerator. I did win the following prestigious award, however:
As you can see, my car is the block of wood from the kit with a brick gorilla-glued to the top. I named it 'fast,' but also toyed with the idea of 'heavy' or 'rough.'
Side view showing off the fancy design work.
You know it's fast because the eye is watering.
I was doing pretty well, but then I decided to lubricate the wheels with a little oil that someone had brought. Some of it seeped onto the nails/axles which caused them to slip under the weight of the brick. By the end of each run, the wheels looked like this:
The wheels are supposed to be vertical...
I ran it one more time after the derby was over and one of the wheels came completely out causing a pretty horrific (for a pinewood derby) crash.
In the end, I was beat by the car with the monkey wrench duct-taped to the top and the car with the wind-up accelerator. I did win the following prestigious award, however:
I blew out the competition in this category.
