So much to say during my limited time off. What can I say? The Week has been rather busy. I already mentioned the O2 sensor fiasco, which I was able to correct after being shown how amateurish I am. But that is OK! I will suffer any humiliation as long as the Silver Bullet Subaru runs perfectly! ( And World domination! If I HAVE to suffer humiliation, why not make it as HUGE as possible?)
But after that, they authorized overtime for the various projects that we were behind on. Cheryl and I volunteered and were trained on several smaller sections. They predicted that we would not be able to score them out until late Sunday....AND authorized 60 hours of overtime!
Rain, Rain go away!
Heat, Heat go Away!
I knew this was too good to be true, but we went for it and managed to gain a few extra hours during the week and on Saturday. Pearson added tons of additional scorers to catch the project up and we managed to finish just after noon on Saturday... So much for that juicy overtime.... However, we DID manage to get a full week with bonuses. Better than the Monday deadline they had initially mentioned. Hooray Team Allenbrite!
Cheryl tries to pet it.
Have I mentioned it is HOT? Currently, I'm sticking to the leather couch because the humidity and heat makes everything feel as if it were dipped in syrup. There is no escape! Even in the "comfort" of the air conditioning. Last weekend, it rained and was cool. We almost could not do our normal bike ride because of the heavy rain. ( actually, we did miss Sunday.)
But now, being outside feels like you are melting. We went on our bike ride early this morning and found it at least tolerable. I guess you get used to it after a few hours. But one of the cool things about going out in the heat is the things you see. Introducing... The 4th dimension.
Butterflies tend to love "Tropical Heat". This Great Spangled Fritillary, is a fine example. He was so busy stocking up on the milkweed that he barely noticed Cheryl petting him. She was trying to get him to open up his wings for the camera. The Silver spots on the underside are the most striking of the Fritillaries. They are easily distinguishable from the Regal Fritillary if you have both species side by side. This one was really large as well. Very pretty. It is unfortunate that people miss these little jewels when they are right there in front of people. It must be similar to seeing the 4th dimension.
I have been playing around in the yard trying to get my Tomato plants to grow. So far I think they may be out of the woods. They are about 24 inches tall and several plants are beginning to produce blossoms. I water them and have staked them up so they do not flop over. I have also been doting on my creeper vines and other plants.
Field Bolete.
Polypore spore dispersal.
While fussing, I discovered a new Mushroom growing near the edge of the apartment yard. Behold! The Hortiboletus campestris (“Field Bolete”) They are Edible! (I say "they" but I really only found one...so far.) I love finding new things and doing the research. Knowledge is power and knowing the land is a huge advantage in a survival situation... for the coming Zombie Apocalypse. Besides, this little guy is very colorful and cute. How could I NOT pick it?
Finding the Spore Print of each.
The rains have also triggered several other smaller species to bloom. I have a small population of Deer Mushrooms growing from stumps ( At least I think they are that species.) and a few small toadstool mushrooms I have yet to ID. I'm working on the Spore print now.
Let the Painting' begin!
And finally, Painting the Subaru. It has been almost two ( or maybe three!) weeks since I did all that work on the rust around the wheel hubs. Subie has been driving around with Primer on those areas for way too long. Primer is not a long term solution.
Something tells me the color is not right...
We have been waiting for the paint to arrive from the Subaru Paint Manufacturer and finally... it arrived. I took the moment Yesterday to begin the final painting stages.... However. The paint did not match!
I think you can tell...
I double checked the numbers on the Car. ( it tells you the specific color of the paint under the hood) and Cheryl double checked the Order. Everything checked out. BUt that still didn't make it match up. I was kinda bummed. I thought that perhaps it would finally match once I had several coats on and was able to sand and buff things out.
Off the Shelf can of paint...
Looks so much better!
But Cheryl talked me into buying another color directly from the Autozone paint department. I pulled off a piece of the Subie and we went in to match up the colors as best we could.
Slightly more shiny, but I'm ok with it.
SUCCESS! The difference is immediate! Cheryl looked up the manufacturer of that paint and he did get several "did not match the paint requested" feedbacks. My guess is that the recipe for that color of silver got messed up somewhere along the chain of command.
Three more coats and a little buffing.
So, for now, I'm working with the Silver that Chevy or Ford use. I'm not a fan of either of those brands, but I will suffer any humiliation to make Subie look nice. ( And World Domination! If I have to suffer the Humiliation of buying a GM product, I might as well make it as HUGE as possible.) Three more coats and some clear coat and Subie should look as good as new. OR at least as New as I can get him Fingers crossed when the job is done.
That was a HUGE post. So much to say about a week that was so busy. But thanks for stopping in. Looks like we are on a new project next week, so I probably will not be able to blog much then either. Hopefully, I will not have to save up too much. We shall see.
A quick post to remind my future self of the learning process and how I'm a "Trial and Error" kind of learner.... sometimes.
Remember the Subaru? And all those little "Quirks" that have been plaguing you for the last month or so? Well, turns out that the O2 sensor that I installed 5 months ago wiggles loose and rubbed against the front axle. The "Cylinder 1 misfire" code was caused by the O2 sensor shorting out after the axel had rubbed a nice hole through the heat wrap and into one of the wires.
I could go into detail how the Mechanics chose to inform us about this revelation, but I will spare myself that humiliation. I am well aware of how it went down and will remember it forever...probably.
But I continue to beat myself up over the fact that I simply could not accept that the O2 sensor could be bad. I "Just Changed It!" was my constant thought. It simply could not be that. I was wrong.
I even looked it over and thought about taking it out..."Just to look at it." But decided at the last moment that it would be too much trouble. How stupid and lazy I am....
Well, After the 60$ "finder's fee" the Mechanics charged us, and the 70$ for a new O2 sensor from Amazon, I just finished installing it. I made sure to use zip ties to lock it down this time. I will keep my fingers crossed that it holds. You see, the small clip that originally held it must have allowed it to slip out. The front axle is only a few CM mp to cause it to rub. I simply have no other way to prevent it from slipping out again. There are no other ways to secure the wire any farther away from the axle. So, I'm still at the mercy of the elements and Murphy's Law.
But at least the poor power and knocking are gone... for now.
I'm hoping the O2 sensor was the root of all of my problems. Had I caught it sooner... We might have been able to go to that Marathon and avoid the Mechanics all together. Grrrr. Anger and frustration can not accurately describe the emotions I feel. But maybe if this happens again, I will at least be able to look it up on the Blog and see if I can solve it myself.... again. Good Luck, Future Ethan! And My advice to you is: Never lose money, be a better everything, and try not to suck! You're Welcome!
Greetings from Wellman Iowa. What is that? Why am I not reporting from some Cool and Exotic location with the state of Wisconsin? Grab a cup of tea and get cozy; this may be a long story
I guess this is what is happening.
A few days ago, Subie set off his "Check Engine" light again. We have been dealing with Engine knock and ping, along with poor acceleration and hill climb. We thought we were making progress in dealing with the symptoms; even thought we had "cured" the problem all together. The check engine light had been off for several weeks and even with all those problems, nothing was tripped.
But then: BOOM! Check engine. Cylinder 1 misfire. WHY?
It is also hard to RUN...With Car issues.
This freaks out Cheryl when it is so close to Travel day. Running a Marathon already demands a lot of Brain Space. The last thing she needs on her mind is the thought of being stranded in Wisconsin... Miles from our home, our job, and our cat! What can we do?
OR...Rent a car instead.
Well, I notice very little change in the performance. Subie is still under powered and pings a bit... but other than that, he seems normal. Perhaps this was simply an "episode". I hook up the reading tool and reset the computer. No more check engine light.
But then it comes back... so quickly after the reset? Now Cheryl is really concerned and devises a plan "B". Rent a car. This was last night. She makes the reservation and we plan on picking up her packet on the morning of the race, because this plan will make us miss the Saturday Expo completely.
Unless they sell out ahead of time.
You can probably imagine how things will work out. They could not reserve a car for us. We arrive with them trying to call us and tell us they are out of cars. Plan B is a BUST! Back to Plan "A".
Another Bad Sign!
I climb back into Subie. Turn the ignition. Check engine light is back on! This time with a new code! At this point even I throw in the towel. Look like we are going to miss the Marathon after all. Cheryl is bummed, Angry and worried. I just feel betrayed.
Why do Men love Cars so much?
Cars do not seem to reciprocate.
And here is where I digress. Why do Men fall in love with things that rarely love them back? We all have done it. Jobs, Cars, Sports teams, Hobbies, sometimes even wives! ( Thankfully, Cheryl does love me back...I hope.) We pour our love and affection into these subjects, only to have them kick you in the teeth when you really need them. Cheryl has been threatening to swap out the Silver Bullet for almost a year now. I have been VERY resistant to this idea, trying to fix Subie as best I can and even trying to make him look more presentable. I was so proud when I finally got all those check engine codes off.
At least dogs pretend to like you.
Iowa roads are tough on any car.... Even 15 year old Subarus
But even I realize Subie is getting old and we put a LOT of miles on him. The roads in Iowa are NOT vehicle friendly. Many bumps, cracks, gravel, and metallic farm equipment litter the roads. Not to mention Iowa is still part of the Rust Belt...
Watch out for Tractors!
Apparently. What car could possibly survive here unscathed? Cheryl really is the voice of reason here. But my opinion is clouded by a one sided love affair. No wonder women hate it when men buy sports cars when they hit middle age. It is probably similar to the "Other Woman" for them. Maybe they are right.
Subie may be basking in victory... for the moment.
Having a muse other than Cheryl can sometimes cause conflict. Today is one of those examples. Subie may have put his foot ( tire) down and demanded he did not want to do something Cheryl wanted. And, for the Most part, He WON the argument. But only in the short term. Each time he lets us down and embarrasses me with his antics, he seals his fate with being replaced sooner rather than later. When that day finally comes, It will be a sad day for both of us. (Subie and Me, of course!)
Our Mechanic looking for the "Problem."
For now, Cheryl and I are surfing the web to see if we can figure out why the fuel mixture is too lean, what is causing the Knock and ping, and if there is a vacuum leak near the fuel injector for Cylinder 1. We may have to call in the professionals on this one. The Mechanics at Central Auto can fix things right away... but seem to have trouble with diagnosing symptoms and problems. I shall keep my fingers crossed.
Kinda like this guy.... only I was not on a bridge. And I was driving a Subaru.
Hope everyone else is having a better day than we did. Before signing off, I should mention this little incident: While driving home with Subie all "broken", some Jerk decided to pass on a double yellow line.... RIGHT IN FRONT OF US, COMING RIGHT TOWARDS US .
Love can not be explained.
By the time I noticed. ( Milliseconds! Thankfully I was 100% paying attention.) I could only react by swerving for the shoulder. Had I not swerved, I'm positive I would have had a head on collision with that guy. I am truly thankful Subie has such superior handling. I felt like I was on a rail the whole time. I never lost traction or control. So after all that lamenting, We will still probably keep Subie around for a bit longer. And his replacement will most likely be another Subaru.
Cheryl's Birthday was yesterday. I would have blogged about it yesterday, but she forced me to driver her to some small race in Davenport. I guess it must have been important for some reason.
And Pusheen Cakes.
She has been spending all of our hard earned scoring money on things like Pusheen plushies and Birthday Balloon cake decorations. I know... what am I supposed to do?
Off to Davenport.
Bib pick up
But worse than all of that, we had to drive to Davenport after a long hard day or reading papers. Torture! I managed to persevere... But it was not very fun.
Cheryl tries to shake off the grumpy.
Her shirt is a little large.
For Cheryl! That is. I managed to have a ball cheering the total strangers on and taking pictures of my favorite subject.
Ethan Says: DRINK UP!
Mingling with the locals.
Cheryl may have been complaining about the heat a little, but I told her to hydrate up with some caffeinated cola and tough it out. Sometimes she can be so wimpy...
Off to the Races!
She runs past...
As the gun went off, Cheryl ran by in the pack. She was not expecting to perform very well in the heat.... after an injury ( months ago) and poorly trained ( excuses, excuses!) And all that Yadda Yadda. But I reminded her that this was merely a 5K and that she should try her best to get a new PR or DIEtrying. And if she failed, she should just give up running all together! ( It's my reverse psychology trick. I think she falls for it every time.) Yeah, I should try to sell my inspirational speeches some day. But Fame was never something I wanted.
On the way back.
She finishes! 45 seconds slower!
On the way back, she had left most of the pack behind. I could see that she was practically melting in the heat, so that was the perfect opportunity to run through several swarms of bugs and catch them on her face.
Cheryl the "Gnat Catcher!"
Ethan Says: DRINK UP!
After finishing, we checked out her results. Hmmm.. only 1st place in her age group... again. How disappointing. I guess we have to stick around now for a free beer and prizes. Oh the Bother!
Time for Beer!
I guess she wins something?
What could be better than a Brewery?
Crowded and noisy.
The after party was held in a local brewery. I think they only sell beer there. (A small food truck was outside for anyone wanting a meal or snacks.) I don't miss bars or noisy restaurants. It is alwasy difficult to hold a conversation.
Make-shift Mega-Phone.
Cheryl gathers her prize.
Even the MC had a hard time trying to announce the winners for each group. He had to use a Cone to amplify his voice.
20 BUCKAROOS! Better buy a hat.
On the way home. A little rain.
Cheryl won a gift certificate, and I got to enjoy a hoppy summer beer. Overall, it was fun. And migh have been even more fun had we not had to work that day AND if Cheryl had run faster... and had been better trained... In the heat... After an injury...
And BOOM! Lightning!
Kinda like this. Only more real!
On the way home, as if driving in the dark with the Subie was not enough of a hassle. The rain that had held out for so long had finally arrived. Along with the buckets of rain came LIGHTNING! I should mention that it was the first time in a LONG time that I actually watched lighting STRIKE something right in front of us! It was a transformer and SPARKS went a FLYIN'! The last time I remember seeing an actual lighting strike was when I was a kid and the tree outside our window got hit while I was watching it. Sparks flew then as well. Very exciting/scary.
At least there was a medal.
So now we have one more day before heading off to Cheryl's Marathon along Lake Michigan. The race is on Sunday and we will have to race home to be able to go to work on Monday. Our project will probably only last till then anyway, so we want to get as much money as possible.
Upcoming Marathon. This weekend!
Hope she had a Happy Birthday... Run.
As for the Marathon? Most likely, my next blog post will come from Wisconsin on Saturday. If everything goes well, that is. My old "travel computer" still does not like to maintain internet connections. But we will see how things go.
Along the Lake shore.
Wish us luck! Because Cheryl will most likely be running in the heat, Poorly trained, and after an injury again. So she DEFINITELY will not perform to her max potential. She should just give up now and take up knitting. But she never listens to me... Thanks for stopping in.
But after that, they authorized overtime for the various projects that we were behind on. Cheryl and I volunteered and were trained on several smaller sections. They predicted that we would not be able to score them out until late Sunday....AND authorized 60 hours of overtime!
Have I mentioned it is HOT? Currently, I'm sticking to the leather couch because the humidity and heat makes everything feel as if it were dipped in syrup. There is no escape! Even in the "comfort" of the air conditioning. Last weekend, it rained and was cool. We almost could not do our normal bike ride because of the heavy rain. ( actually, we did miss Sunday.)
Butterflies tend to love "Tropical Heat". This Great Spangled Fritillary, is a fine example. He was so busy stocking up on the milkweed that he barely noticed Cheryl petting him. She was trying to get him to open up his wings for the camera. The Silver spots on the underside are the most striking of the Fritillaries. They are easily distinguishable from the Regal Fritillary if you have both species side by side. This one was really large as well. Very pretty. It is unfortunate that people miss these little jewels when they are right there in front of people. It must be similar to seeing the 4th dimension.
