MORNING
I love a day off. To study, that is. And I’ve arrived at the conclusion I cannot come up with an Arduino project that is worth the effort. I hinted this before about the $35 price tag, and what I meant was I’d like the project to do something more than blink lights and run motors. I had done all of that by early 2011. Here is a picture of part of our Arduino inventory, at least four microcontrollers are visible here. Let me put this into perspective.
Nothing. That’s what I’ve come up with. I even considered the new camper pod with an Arduino working the lights, but I’ve accomplished that long ago with four dumb automotive relays. Nor can I come up with a game, though I’m still time to time thinking on that one. As for robotics, we have not yet built a chassis or an arm because we lack the mechanical skills and equipment. However, we could slap together a kit for appearances sake and make it work right.
As it stands, I’ll keep an eye out for something the Arduino can do that’s worth more than the $35, but only because that amount of money is wasted with these things sitting around not used at all. I’m investigating a way to log the amount of electricity that is really produced by the cPod solar panels. Don’t go thinking I said the Arduinos were a waste, no sir, just that we are already far beyond anything we set out to do in the strategic sense, and lack the cash to do the tactical. Unless you can lend us a gear-maker.
The value of the whole microcontroller project is better measured in what we’ve learned, the experience, and the spin-offs. We’ve learned not to waste time at Nova, that people in the coffee shop never call back, that we could take a house off the grid, and we’ve finally got enough tools to do it all. And the experience. We’ve
Example, because sharp people like an example. The experts show you a pretty chart and tell you where to point your solar panel to get the most electricity. Boo. We'll advise you to point it at the brightest part of the sky at the time of day you, not the damn panel, need the most power. Real experts don't work on commission, Ken.
NOON
Why look there’s two things you don’t see every day. A Chinese scooter with nearly 14,000 miles on it and a cloudless day in Florida. We need it after the last week. Reparations. And the weather is too cold, I actually had to wear a jacket driving to Starbucks. Where this photo was taken. I admit to going there now that they have put in that big study table. (They call it a conference table but you can’t fool me.)
It is not lost to us the rewiring took a lot of planning and hours to install. So many hours, in fact, that it would not be worth it for the regular Joe to do it himself, not to mention that he likely does not have the tools to do it right. Like 135° drill bits. Nor are there any standard wagons this size that are road-legal for sale in this area. Just those tinny off-road and garden wagons with tiny wheels. We may, I said may, build another one to see if it sells.
Which reminds me, I’m not getting in the required hours on the welder. It is not so much because it is a half-mile away, but because I accept the warnings that say not to weld alone, to always have someone else in the room. Makes sense. Nor can I find a source of scrap iron to practice on. Which further reminds me, the new clutch cable isn’t here yet so I can’t go get supplies anyway. And that’s how I wound up at Starbucks, that, and Panera was closed.
I was there nearly two hours, during which time I planned out four experiments and a possible wind powered radio. These are small items I’ve been waiting for a slow time to wire up, such as pilot lights and to solve the voltage divider or path of least resistance question once and for all. That last one is due to a contradiction in definitions. The book says electricity takes the path of least resistance, therefore, all the juice should go into the circuit instead of half of it as with a voltage divider. You can look that up yourself.
AFTERNOON
To America it’s Thanksgiving. To me it’s Thursday. Let’s talk about something important, like bingo. Blog rules say I tell you of anything unusual. Last evening, I was out on the town. Oddly, so were a lot of married couples. We all love the type of twerp who plays his crappy music on the juke box, but I’m the opposite. I’ll play what the crowd wants. Can I read ‘em or what? I got applause for my selections. Now come on, be fair—how many guys could get applause out of a crowd by playing the juke box. Thank you, thank you. (I take a bow.)
Music and entertainment stats. Next Saturday is the end of the bingo epoch, and not a bad one considering how it emerged from nothing. I had gone in one evening to get a microphone and the barmaid was trying something new, a bingo, and some noisy drunks were drowning her out. The Saturday final will be game number 281. This established gambling as the dominant moneymaker. I never missed or canceled a show while I was in town. Since August 22, 2009 it was a good run. The only stat of note is during that time, according to my records, $811.50 “went missing”. That’s petty considering the game is in a drinking establishment.
Other stats? The house gave me 677 bottles of Budweiser, nowhere near the regular staff allowance of 3 per shift. Bingo expenses were 1.1% compared to a whopping 52.4% for my music show. I spent more on batteries than bingo and that includes the gas to get there. The show, alas, was totally dependent on location so there will never be another Jimbos. Five years and four months and the free ride is over. There isn’t even another place within easy driving distance.
Well, now, not so fast. There is a small pub up near Wiley where the server lady, Barb, I think, will give you a quick barber trim for two bucks when business is slow. She’s not a barber, but the price is right. Just a touchup on the nape and crisp up the sideburns, one minute is all it takes. I’ll wager it pays her rent. The place lacks atmosphere, but so did Jimbos when I first arrived.
NIGHT
Okay, the guy wrote back about the sidecar. His English is awful twitchy but he correctly surmised my rig is not for sale. He wanted advice so I gave him my mechanics number. And gave him the usual warnings born of experience: special license required, poor gas mileage, hard to find parts, weak top end, cheap upholstery, weak electronics. See what a nice guy I am? Then I sent him 8 pictures of classy babes in the sidecar that even you have not seen. For reasons.
It was Florida, it turns out. This gets both better and worse. On my return trip from the aborted satellite launch on July 23 this year, I drove through St. Cloud on my way to Winter Haven. Are you with me so far? Good, because I really need a new tonneau cover for my sidecar. Now, St. Cloud is like, next to the ghost town of Holopaw. There is not much there, but they have an Ural dealership. Da-yum! That means I likely drove right past the place without seeing it. Now it is a 400 mile round trip even if I don’t carry on the extra 49 miles to Winter Haven.
This prompted me to look at the 2015 Ural prices. They won’t say until you give them your name, so I’ll calculate it from their credit offer of “10% down plus 60 pmts of $233 at 4.99% APR”. Tell you what, Ken, Patsie, Glen, and Hector. Since each of you are smarter than me and math is my worst subject, let’s have a race to see who comes up with the asking price first. I’ll even give you a hint so you don’t get mislead by a recursive. The payments less the interest component must equal 90% of the price. This should take about five minutes, I’ll give you until tomorrow. Go!
I don’t usually answer user questions (get your own blog) but somebody actually wanted to know what the guy was reading. The stinky guy from last day, the one who sits at your table in an otherwise empty library. That I will answer. He doesn’t read anything. He kind of just sits there, cracking his knuckles and watching you read.
Today’s Togla Treat
I just know this reminds you of Togla.
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