Rant Time!

Just the other day the local newspaper carried an column about traffic safety and cell phone use. Numerous studies were sited that pretty much indicate that driving while talking on a cell phone incurs about the same distraction level as say, having an animated discussion with someone riding in the car. I wonder who funds these things. Maybe there needs to be a study on near misses while driving and using a cell phone.

So today was just another day when someone talking on a cell phone while driving nearly clocked me. It was like my car was invisible until I honked the horn. He was exiting a driveway and started slowly rolling out onto the street and I thought, "OK, there's plenty of room for him to wait there for an opening in traffic."

Except he didn't wait, he actually started accelerating! Broad daylight, no visual obstructions, didn't stop until I honked and swerved. The look on his face was as if I had just suddenly appeared out of thin air. I'm usually not surprised if someone overlooks me while I'm driving the MINI, it is a smaller car. But I was driving a Mazda 3 sedan this time. And I've had people nearly run me off the road while I'm driving a big white pickup truck. It seems like at least half the time I can see the other driver is holding a cell phone against their ear.

Maybe they would be just as distracted using a hands free cell phone device, I don't know. The MINI is a manual transmission, so if I've got one hand busy holding a cell phone against my ear, that leaves one other hand to handle steering and shifting (and turn indicators, powering windows up/down, activating wipers, adjusting radio, etc.). So I do use a blue tooth device. I like driving with both hands on the wheel, except for during shifts. Having both hands on the wheel gives me an edge when I have to dodge those other drivers.

Fire Pit Done!

I am astounded at how long it took me to finish this project. Of course, if I knew what I was doing, it would have been a 3 day project instead of what, 3 weeks? I didn't work on it every day (its too hot, too cold, I just can't bear looking at it today), and some days only an hour or 2 but now it is finally done and I'm fairly content with the out come. I do have another rock project in the back of my mind, but there are other things to finish up around here.

Now that the pit is done, I have a few largish (largish - no way in h*** that I can pick this sucker up, but I can probably roll it) rocks to place as accents. Then I can start putting the flagstones (see 'em stacked on the wall in the pic?) back into place around the fire pit. The plan is to space the stones in a pleasing pattern with some wide blank areas in between, then use mortar and decorative rocks to fill in the blank areas.

Gee, there are other benefits besides the self satisfaction in doing these projects. My core muscles are getting a pretty good workout, and I'm hardly going anywhere, so my gas bill is staying low.

Still Hot!

Today is somewhat cooler, and the normal on-shore flow has returned. Its still plenty warm, but now there is some moisture in the air and I no longer break a sweat just by breathing. Work on the fire pit has resumed, but dammit am I slow at this. It is shaping up, but every time I'm satisfied with one section, I decide to redo another. Perhaps by tomorrow I'll be ready to mix up more mortar, and we can be roasting marshmallows by the weekend, provided its not too windy. I still need to have a spark screen/cover made up to fit over the top.

Power Plant!

We've a power plant on the roof! I flipped the switches yesterday and those panels are busy doing their thing! The electric meter is running backward for most of the daylight hours. I was surprised by how early the system started making power this morning.

Oh, I am still trying to get my fire pit built. I am appalled at how long I am taking to get this done. I have most of the rocks selected, just a few more and then I'll start with the mortar. I sure hope I like how it turns out. Its not like a knitting project, something that can be unraveled and redone.

Today is unseasonably warm, and I've convinced myself that I shouldn't be out in the mid-day heat. It would be nice to wrap this project up this weekend.

They're Installed!

All of the installation process finished up yesterday afternoon. I've been shown how to flip all the switches and start taking advantage of our very own roof mounted power plant. But I can't touch those switches yet. The city inspector was here this morning, and signed off his inspection. Now we wait for the power company to send their inspector out. Today is Friday, so hopefully by sometime next week we'll be converting sunshine into electricity!

Bang, bang, whir, zzzzzz....

That is what it sounds like inside my house right now. The solar panel installers are busily getting the panel mounting hardware installed.

Gettin Solar Powered!

Today the installers arrived, they're up on the roof making all manner of noise, pounding, tapping, drilling and thumping. In the garage too, where the control panel for the system gets installed. Everything should be finished and working by the end of the week. Pictures soon!