BreakPoint
Random Posts (An alternate to side discussions)
Which reminds me of a true story.
<Set Story mode=True>
A few decades ago "Post-it" notes and carbonless paper forms were all the rage. (sometime after the invention of the printing press but prior to laser printers and e-fillable forms) I was working for a company that designed and built electronic systems. Part of the reciever was enclosed in a RF shielded box and we realized that our stock of coverplates for the RF enclosure was 0 (not very helpful if we want to ship the system AND have it work when it arrived) So a form was filled out to purchase said plate have it powder coated and silk-screened with the PN.
The form returned with a post-it note asking for amplification on when we wanted the parts to arrive. Amplification was provided and the form processed normally---- until we recieved the order. Properly manufactured, powder-coated and silk-screened
"Mfg PN# xxx-xxxx-xx Rev. A Damned ASAP!"
Things I learned this weekend:
- 1/4-tank of fuel in the truck isn't enough to make it from FtC to Laramie. Dumped in the jerry can I had in the trailer and made it to Laramie, where I put 33.5 gallons into a 34-gallon tank.
- Trucks need the crank position sensor to run. Fortunately it was just the harness/pigtail and not the sensor, and I was just a few miles out from Laramie.
- 85-octane is not enough when the truck's engine is pulling a trailer up the mountain.
- Dogs with elevation sickness can really make a mess.
At least the sled's running well.
New bumper and hood vents put on this summer.
Snow kinda sucks. Been so cold that what fell hasn't had a chance to set up, so anywhere that gets wind is all blown down to the ground, and in the trees it's all sugary soft stuff with no cohesion.
Hopefully it warms up a bit and this snow sets up into a good base before any new snow falls, or avalanches are going to be a big problem out here.
Been riding here for years and I've never seen this cabin before.
US uses an average of RON and motor octane (That's what the "(R+M)/2" is for on the stickers)... Then there's the 10% ethanol they blend with the fuel...
Truck's a Dodge 3/4-ton Power Wagon. Pulls the trailer great, but it is a heavy trailer, and you add in elevation and a revvy engine... gotta run decent fuel. The 5.7L Hemi motor revs a lot higher than the old 5.9's did, my old pickup redlined at 5k and this one revs to 5500 regularly.
I was looking pretty hard at the GM's when I was truck-shopping. Test-drove a few of the 8100 Vortecs with the Allison trans... Nice, but the interior's terrible in them. The few I found were in rough shape... then I found the power wagon, and it came home with me.
I keep a bluetooth OBDII adapter in the truck, I can clear codes right from my phone. 🙂
One of these is essential for any gearhead. They might be a bit spendy but, they are very well tested prior to shipment
@jcarmody wrote:
@jcarmody wrote:
Yesterday I ran in my first 5K race since high school (mid-80s). I came in 15th :). [...]
Today I ran in my first half-marathon; I finished in 1:56:40 (69th place out of 167 runners). I've never felt so beat-up in my life. My son took a video of my finish so, if you want to see a LabVIEW developer/Test Engineer getting a beating by a 13.1 mile race, look here.
I ran the half-marathon again this year. I came in 119th out of 151 (last in the 45-49 y/o age group), finishing in 2:21:59. I've been nursing a sore ankle/tendon since November and only ran a handful of times in December and January. Next year will be back under two hours, maybe. My next event is a trail-marathon on March 1. Yay!
I ran the Umstead Trail Marathon this weekend. I am extremely impressed that people can run that course in three hours. Wow.
Yes. It took me almost six hours. Those hills!
Nice job!
Speaking of racing... another one this weekend. Logged over 26 hours in the pickup in the last 3 days. 
Fireworks friday night
Quick riders meeting that evening
Line up for a 25-lap vintage oval race, $500 to the first place winner
And we got a winner!
Wet gloppy golf-ball sized snowflakes that made a *thud* when they landed all day saturday... outside for 3 minutes and you're soaked. Generator crapped out about halfway through the day too; hope it's not a terribly difficult fix (think it's one of the smaller windings on the stator). Spent most of the day under the tent doing avalanche equipment education, I didn't even get to break away to watch the sno-x events. 
A lot of people left after saturday's icky weather, and with most of the racers being from Colorado (race was in northwestern Wyoming), a bunch of them left so they didn't have to deal with a late drive home like we did. Sunday's weather was MUCH nicer... so... pulled on my gear, grabbed my camera and headed out on the track.
Kinda funny, a couple of the local photogs/journalists were there covering the event, but were stuck shooting from inside the spectators area. I was the only one allowed out on the track since I had the required safety gear. Damn it feels good to be a gangster. 
Got some great shots that I haven't gone through yet. Almost got run over too; was shooting about 25yds past the checkered on the flat drag track, splitting the lanes... right lane had some rough spots, two racers were neck-and-neck and the guy in the right lane lost control on those lumps... Couldn't jump into the left lane since the other rider was right there but did get out of the way before his spectacular wipeout (which I got some great shots of). Shot from a different spot for the 800 and 1000cc classes.
