October 7, 2013

           This is a 5” foam mattress with a water proof cover. This, like the vibration isolator, is one of those last minute can't-finds. But I will thank all the Florida geniuses and experts to quit telling me these articles don’t exist. Trust me, I was raised on a farm and know all I need to know about mental defectives who don’t believe anything they’ve never seen before. Do you know the real reason why a man has “been in the mattress business for 25 years”? Well, so do I, and in fact, he is probably the only one who doesn’t know. The nearest I can find is WalMart, who wants to ship me one by October 15th. Man, this country is going downhill.

           The weather channel got it wrong today. What a downpour, it was worse than a hurricane. Normally they drive us crazy announcing any storms a week in advance and plywood sells out. They blew it today. Visibility was barely across the street and everything got flooded out that could. Nor was it some freak local shower, Trent reports they got the same up in Ft. Lauderdale. And me without my camera for once.
           Laundry day, so I read the newspaper. The Hollywood police are going to put up license plate cameras. They told the media that if you are involved in a crime it will be easier to track you. Why, even if you aren’t involved in a crime, it will be easier to track you, but don’t worry, the local Sheriff’s office has only the pure and saintly working there. Like the one who threatened to arrest me for riding my bicycle on the “wrong” bike path.
           What’s this? They are now letting college students write the same exam twice. It seems too many were failing the first time. Why not just sell the degrees at an auction every month. They would be just as useful in the real world. I see the government is not recognizing degrees unless they are on an “official” database. The problem is, the colleges and universities are charging money for something they should be responsible for and they are demanding a lot more information than required. They are trying to validate you, not the degree.
           The government is now tracking the amount of cash transactions in the country. The estimate is that they lose $100 billion annually in unpaid sales tax. They can’t outlaw cash because something else would quickly take its place. So what are the Feds up to? My guess is they have pretty much everyone on file now so they’ve got a plan to catch anyone who spends more money than he earns. They do this in Canada by monitoring bank deposits. Ah, you think, so don’t put money in the bank. Yes, but when you get robbed, the Mounties just yawn at your case file. Sorry, Pierre, you should have kept all your money in the bank where we can watch it for you 24 hours a day.
           And youTube is clobbering RealPlayer’s downloader with some new app that puts a “download” button right on top of the video you are trying to watch. Is that stupid or what? YouTube has proven they are no smarter than the day they got off the boat by trying to prevent piracy. Idiots, they are just driving business away. Besides, they’ve replaced it with something called Free Download Converter which, ahem, does exactly the same thing—it downloads videos to your computer. But I didn’t click on it. I know a setup when I see one. Come on RealPlayer, get us the workaround.
           By nightfall, I got an e-mail from the band. They’ve accepted my suggestion that we defer a decision until all of us have a chance to learn some specific tunes that she (the lady who auditioned on Sunday last) might bring into the group. These guys keep a tight rein on any variances from their style and set lists, so I’m surprised to see Bonny Riatt in there. To me, she is more country than Linda Ronstadt, who is also on the list.
           I think there will be more surprises. This gal is a lead singer and unless she adapts super-quickly to background harmonies, she is in direct competition with the other singers. Except me, I don’t sing in this band. But four is enough. Another aspect is that very little of our existing music fits a female vocalist.

ADDENDUM

           If this camper leaks, then I don’t know how the other guys are making them. This is the sealer used inside and out on all seams. It was originally destined for the handicap door over at Wally’s Folly, but he was such a jerk about that now this silicon is going to be better off than he is. Way to go, Patsie.
           As the finishing touches go on, I’m making minor modifications to the plan. The front “toolbox” was going to be for show, but having a forward hatch there turned out to be so handy, I’m putting a hinge on it. I’m learning a lot that will help in other areas. The removable lid is going to be a two-man job once those solar panels are installed.
           I got three hours in this morning before the heat drove me inside. I’m making the breathing holes and designing a waterproof box for the electrical control panel. To block any light from the camper interior, I’m making plugs from that green pot-scrubber material. The only way to cut that material properly is with tin shears. Things are moving along and it is no big deal if I leave a few days late.

           Here is what the camper looks like with the silicon applied. The back edge of the camper is not permanently affixed, as I have not decided if I’m going to leave it in place. If I do, I can’t haul anything that won’t fit through the hatch. When complete, the camper will be rated at 480 pounds more than I will normally pull with it.
           If you look closely, you can see the new license plate behind the wheel. The two small flanges to hold down the lid are installed, the far side is visible just ahead of the axle centerline. All told, the camper is three times stronger than it has to be. We are talking six layers of paint. There are even dowels at the joints in addition to the corner brackets.
           Later, around six in the evening, the camper survived the monsoon. Maybe I didn’t do such a bad job of it after all. The air vents stayed perfectly dry. That leaves only the quality of the wood and paint to test, and they will probably last long enough to keep me happy.