The Bother Of The Bulge

On Monday, I took Abby back to her place at the University at night.

On the highway, in traffic I hit a pothole right on with my driver's-side front tire.  The hit was a mighty bang.

However we were able to continue on and get her home and it seemed all was fine.

On Thursday I met up with a buddy for lunch. On leaving the restaurant, we both noticed the front tire was looking kinda odd.

There was the biggest bulge I had ever seen in the tire. So much so that my friend was rather impressed it had yet to blow out.

Luckily we were close to Costco so I called ahead and they had tires in stock in my size so we drove there and my friend followed in case there was a blow-out.

Made it there all-right, trying to keep excessive maneuvers to a minimum.

The Costco tire tech was also of the opinion that the tire had to be replaced ASAP, and it was most likely caused by hitting a pothole, and I know the one I hit. Sigh. That bulge was most huge.

Had to replace all of the tires, which was unfortunate. The old tires had less than 50% of life remaining. The passenger rear tire already had an annoying slow leak from a nail where the puncture fix seems to have worked, but only kinda, with the need to refill it monthly.

Tires were replaced in an hour, and took it back today for the torque check.

So a very unanticipated bother and an unanticipated large expense, but it had to be done.

On the plus side, the new tires are Michellin all season tires and the car shows a seriously marked enhancement in handling and road-ride comfort as well.  Rather impressive what a difference really good tires can make.

Not Flying This Weekend

Well this weekend on Sunday I was set for my first international flight ever in the Archer.

Was going to fly to Toronto Island Airport, CYTZ. Being a slightly less than 2-hour flight, it would knock the pants of the typically 5+ hour drive time to get there.

Weather was great, finally.  

The night before I had filed electronically with US CBP as required a minimum of two hours before the fight, and called Canada Customs in the morning, also as required with no issues.

Filed an IFR flight plan direct to Toronto Island Airport, got the plane topped up with fuel and was ready to go.

Got my clearance direct, initial altitude 3,000 expect 7,000 in 10 minutes and good to go, headed to the run up area and started the run up.

All instruments good, all systems functioning, get to the flight plan portion and enter the flight plan enter CYTZ and:

Waypoint not found.

Blink.

Try again:

Waypoint not found.

Tried again, same result, tried other Canadian waypoints and nothing.

Well, so much for flying direct, and that hosed the trip as I would have had to cancel IFR, refile VFR, and then gotten routed around Toronto International's airspace which would have messed up the flying time considerably and would have required redoing the USBP clearance with a two hour minimum as VFR instead of IFR.

Turns out the maintenance guy for the club, without telling anyone, did not renew the subscription for Canadian maps for the club's GPSs.  To say I am not happy about that is an understatement.

Well, definite first world problem that, but quite annoying and it sure messed up the plans for the weekend.

Nailed It.

Not in a good way either:

That doth suck.

Quite a large nail, but interestingly, it held pressure pretty good and did not deflate the tire. 

 I only saw it when refilling all the tires as a cold snap made the low pressure light come on and all tires had dropped in pressure and it was face up staring at me as I came to fill the tire.

Sadly, it is apparently not a repairable nailing incident, and the tire needs to be replaced, which means replacing two tires as that tire model is no longer manufactured.

Not Flying - Simulator Fun And Follies

Simulators suck.  Way over sensitive,  instruments, switches and other stuff doesn't match that which is on the planes, and yes that sucks.

The only thing good about them is they cost less than the plane costs, by a lot.

Today, as you may have guessed, was not a good non-flying day.

Yep, I was all over the place, couldn't get used to the overly-sensitive and touchy controls after flying the planes all this time. As soon as I get it under control it doth go off yet again.

Oh, and my holds suck.  I simply do not get holds.  I get the theory, I can tell you which entry to fly to enter them - (Direct, Parallel or Teardrop)  except interestingly enough, when I'm on the reciprocal/same course for the hold - then the theory and system for knowing the right entry explodes, does not work, is as nothing. Crap.

Of, course today's hold was on that exact situation, flying a course of 097 degrees towards the fix to get back to the fix in a hold via the 097 radial (277 degree course).  Theory does not work and brain is now fried.   Not happy making.

Then the issue is of how exactly to actually fly the entries is a major pain, typically 45 degrees or 30 degrees to intercept the return course but how exactly to do it exactly is a major PITA. 

We could just follow the GPS guidance or use the hold advisor from Foreflight but that's not allowed.

Did I mention I now really hate holds? 

Yep, I really need to figure this crap out.

Follow Up To First World Problems: That Don't Look Good

When I unplugged the dryer there was a dried green substance around the plug and the wall. 

I don't think that's supposed to be there.

I've plugged the dryer back in and out a few times but still no activity at all.  Door switch seems to move freely.  I vacuumed out the lint from the dryer exhaust tube and it wasn't blocked anywhere I could see, but there was a fair bit of lint build up in there.

I fear this may get a tad expensive. 

Update Dec 14:  Turns out the green is some old paint, not corrosion.  But the problem was the wall receptacle had burned out.  My friend the electrician replaced both the receptacle and the dryer plug, and the dryer now works.    Yay.  Much rejoicing from the ladies of the house.

Today's First World Problems

Problem Numero Uno:  Ordered a part for a project I'm working on.  It's the last part needed, after waiting for many other parts that were out of stock.  Ordered from Amazon.  It was promptly shipped on Nov 28 by the seller via USPS.  

Tracking shows it arrived in Detroit, apparently even traveled out here for a day (which disappeared off the tracking which was curious), and since November 30 it shows it has been sitting in the Detroit Distribution center ever since and hasn't moved even as it states it was supposed to be delivered first December 3 and then December 4.  

Seems Detroit doesn't understand the concept of distribution.

Message on tracking for the package reads:

Your package will arrive later than expected, but is still on its way. It is currently in transit to the next facility.

That "transit" is taking a helluva long time. I could've walked there and back by now if not a couple times.  Grr. It may almost be time to order the part again and see if it gets delivered.  Would like it here before the snow falls again so I can test the project out once complete.

Sadly their tracking system lacks an "Any Day Now" button,

Did I mention I'm really hating the Post Office? Especially when I have to go drop off mail there when they fail to pick it up at the office, or when they send important stuff from the courts weeks after the stuff was mailed and keep doing that.

Problem Numero The Second:   Went to start the clothes dryer, pressed start,  as one does, it seemed to hum to life for a moment, and went dead.  

Completely dead.  Not a light on to be seen. Nailed to its perch dead.

Now I have wet clothes hanging out to dry and a dead dryer.  Circuit breaker was good and the dryer did give off a little click sound when unplugged and  plugged in again, but did not come to life.  It may perhaps be a dead thermal fuse, so I will get the part and will try to replace that myself first and we'll see if that works.

In the grand scheme of things these aren't anything but annoying fixable problems.  Just annoyed at how things are supposed to reliably work and yet do not.

Nothing But Blue Sky

The Blue Angels and Air Force Units from Selfridge Air Force Base including both A-10s and KC-135s did a flyover of the state of Michigan.

Unfortunately both skipped the majority of Oakland County while doing so, and I saw neither wing nor exhaust from any of them as the flight paths were way outside of my viewing area.

Much sadness.

Yep no sign of them and air show season is toast this year for much sadness all around.

No Happy Glow Of A HALO

Murphy's Law reports on the successful completion of the transfer of his Gemtech HALO, which I did get to shoot when visiting him in the Big Easy.

We each bid on used Gemtech HALO's from the same dealer on the last day of the NRAAM - Paducah Tactical in Kentucky run by Stephen Douglass and both won our bids on used Gemtech HALO suppressors.

In April 2017, right after winning the bid I duly sent in my money via money order for the suppressor and $18 for shipping and my SOT FFL's paperwork for the transfer and patently waited for the NFA Branch to do their paperwork processing and waited some more.

Well, the day came when the initial transfer paperwork from Paducah Tactical to my dealer was approved and he then shipped it via Postal Service Priority Mail in June 2017 to my dealer, with tracking information. Should be simple, right?

Not so much.

Apparently the Post Office tried to deliver to my dealer on a day he was not open and they did not leave a notice that they had a package for him. They tried to deliver it once.

Then the package . . . . disappears.

The Post Office has no trace of it, it was not returned to Kentucky, it is not at my dealer's local Post Office where the last scan said it is, in fact it has vanished without neither a trace nor an explanation.

My dealer checks into it and is told by the Post Office that they don't have it here. Paducah Tactical says they check their post office and no record there either. Both request the Post Office trace it and nothing happens.

This gets to be more fun.

So it is clearly lost without a trace and my dealer both reports it as lost to the Post Office as a lost item and to ATF, as apparently does Paducah Tactical. I go personally to the Post Office and have them search for it again and also file a lost report. Unfortunately, I cannot make an insurance claim on the package as I'm not the sender, only Paducah Tactical and Stephen Douglass can do that.

Unfortunately Paducah Tactical and Stephen Douglass have failed to refund my money on this and he/they are the only ones who could do an insurance claim on the package as they are the senders. Requests for refunds have been met with silence.

As such, if you do any businessmen with Stephen Douglass and Paducah Tactical, I'd say its a 50/50 chance you'll either end up happy like Murph or screwed out of your money like me. You have been warned.

Look! Squirrel!

We've been hearing noises in the attic this winter so we had a pest removal company do an inspection a couple weeks ago when we heard some serious movement in the wall.

Four entry points found in the roof, and there was evidence of a squirrel infestation. The holes were patched and a one-way trap placed on an exit to catch anything that might be still living there.

It has been empty.

Until now.

That's one of the evil red squirrels that infest this land. Not a good thing when they get in your attic as they like to chew wires and everything else these evil furry rats can get their teeth into.

Where there's one, there's probably more. Drat.

An Extra Dry Drysuit Dive

No joy in Muddville for me tonight.

I arrived at Spring Mill Pond, all set up to dive and having just had my tanks filled at my friendly Local Dive Shop (LDS).

I geared up, got into my undergarments and drysuit and went through all the steps to be ready to dive by the car:

attach light to belt; remove light top from battery canister; turn and insert light top into battery canister so the light top is active and ensure its sealed; Get compass and computer on; check each regulator is firmly threaded into the tanks and hasn't backed out; turn on right post; make sure center valve is full open; turn on left post.....and drat.

The left regulator started immediately very heavily free-flowing. So I try to adjust it and it doesn't improve. Give it a good smack and nothing.

This is the same reg that free-flowed on my last dive so I figured it would settle down. It didn't. I borrowed a wrench and took it off the hose and tried to tighten down the internal adjustment - no luck still free-flowing.

Fortunately there was quite a bunch of divers at Spring Mill Pond tonight and one of them was a regulator technician. I figured he'd have it figured out in no time flat. No such luck. Apparently its got something interesting going on and I'll need to take it into the shop and have it worked on, so no diving for me tonight.

Even thought my primary regulator was working, going in with a dead backup is a great way of having Murphy come calling and terminally wrecking your dive plan, so I wasn't going to get wet tonight.

On the upside, apparently the visibility was absolutely trashed tonight so I didn't miss much. Just as well it chose to act up during a minor training dive rather than on a charter on the Great Lakes.