Weird Weekend

Storm Rolling In

The sky was beautiful. The clouds were puffy and white with shadows of pink and gray, framed by the thickening black of the thunderstorms which rolled in from the west.

Mary Installs Tires

Mary, eager to get her new-used car into shape, eagerly took instruction in the removal and replacement of tires, exchanging the old ones which came with Sapphire for the new ones we purchased last fall for Ruby. She learned several new techniques, including the use of breaker bar extensions and proper jacking for unibody cars. She also got some first-hand experience in the proper application of leverage!

Rob Works on Brakes

Serenity II, also known as "Emerald", needed some attention in the brake department because one of the pistons on the right front caliper was stuck, causing an imbalance in the application of braking force; so I took the opportunity to demonstrate to Mary the proper method for removing and replacing brakes as well. We took a good set from Ruby (practically brand-new!) and swapped them for the bad ones in Sapphire. Then Mary helped me bleed the brakes.

Tools for the Cars

Due to the rusted nature of the brake components, we had to use a variety of tools to carefully apply torque. (Not shown: a can of PB Blaster, which is extremely critical to the goal of removing rusted bolts without destroying them.)  It took a lot of patience!

Basement Lights

After all the car fun was done, it was back to the main task of getting the basement ceiling done. Here's the "before" picture of the special panels I've constructed for the lights: a 2x2 sheet of 1/8-inch plywood which sits atop the ceiling panel to provide support for the lighting box.

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Did I mention we got to see Weird Al at the DeVos Performing Arts Center on Friday night?  It was a father-daughter date, just me and Mary.  We both really enjoyed the show.  Al has mastered the method of inserting extremely entertaining videos in-between the costume changes so that, from the audience perspective, there's never a dull moment!

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Cheryl, I hope you're having fun in Moline!  We miss you lots!!  And love you more than we can say! Come home soon!