Yesterday was a super exciting one at work. Members of my team printed a single voxel wide perimeter wall using a new and very novel method. This breakthrough will allow us to print with a minimum feature size three times smaller than we thought possible, produces the best wall finish we have ever seen and should enable us to print cantilevered structures. I can’t overstate what a major breakthrough this is for the company.
Having embraced the DeWALT cordless tool family, I own more than twenty tools and half as many batteries. The relatively new one pictured above is a 60V 6AH FlexVolt which no longer takes a charge. Given it costs north of $120, I decided it was worth trying to repair rather than sending it to the dump. After opening it up, I identified a single defective cell of the 15 in this pack. I then carefully carved away the plastic holding it in place and removed the spot-welded tab from both sides. It slid out easily and I ordered a replacement cell on Amazon for $4. It should be here in a week and I will report out if the patient survives the surgery.
Normally, I would never fly my drone over Walden Pond because of all the people that are present. Even during the off-season, many enjoy walking around the trail that borders the lake. After yesterday’s massive snowfall, however, I felt that I would not encounter a single sole while conducting a flyover.
Although it affords us a great measure of privacy, our 250 foot long driveway is much less of a desirable feature when it comes to digging out after a Noreaster that left us buried in 15 inches of snow. Having sold my snowblower prior to moving, we had to have the driveway plowed to the tune of $330 (everything here gets the Concord markup). Suffice it to say, I see myself acquiring a new snowblower, perhaps not this season, but definitely next. I can’t stand paying for work that I can do myself, especially when it offers the added benefit of outdoor exercise.
As the temperature fluctuates above and below the freezing point, the ice formations on the river change daily. Today, it took the form of an ice dam with water on one side and a thin sheet of ice on the other. With up to 18″ of snow forecast for later in the day, I decided to work from home and made sure those who did choose to drive in left early enough to avoid the worst of it.
This morning, Kyle hosted the family for breakfast and a soccer game-watching party (he is an avid Liverpool fan). Jeanine prepared a lovely Dutch Baby which disappeared very quickly. While these pancakes are derived from the German pancake dish, it is said that the name Dutch Baby was coined as the result of a child’s mispronunciation of the German autonym Deutsch.
For only the second time this year, we woke up to snow, a good three inches and still falling. The photo above was taken from inside our living room through window glass (talk about laziness or rather, a desire to remain cozy). In a further demonstration of slothfulness, I launched my drone from our tiny deck and then went back indoors to fly it. After taking a few aerial photographs, I nearly lost the drone because I could not find our house on return. Our house and property look very different when snow-covered and I found it impossible to locate. Fortunately, the drone defaults to an automated return to home function when the battery level drops. I held my breath until I could hear the drone come in for a landing.
When we purchased our new house, it was primarily for the river views. Little did we know that there would be treats for our ears as well as our eyes. When the river freezes and thaws, it makes the most unusual and wonderful sounds. Impossible to describe with words, I hope to make a future blog entry with an audio recording.
You know you are a nerd when you spend 2 hours driving around town looking at rooflines. Jeanine and I have decided that our new house design will include low slope (1:12 or less) standing seam metal roofs. These will likely be mono slope (shed) style or possibly a mix of mono slope and offset gable (for the garage). Before heading out, Jeanine agreed to a quick portrait which is the first I have taken in some time. Most of my good lighting equipment is in storage and I had to make do with a camera mounted flash. Expect to see many future photos with the river as a backdrop.
An office holiday party in the midst of the Covid pandemic presented some unique challenges. At Digital Alloys we held ours virtually over Zoom. The party featured a cocktail mixing class taught by our CEO and on-line games including a DA version of Jeopardy, Pictionary, and a true or false quiz. A sheet cake featuring a team photo I had taken a few weeks ago was the food highlight of the party. Employees participated from their offices, desks or from home.
It will come as no surprise to anyone who knows Jeanine that she is genetically programmed to nourish those she cares for. It is one of the things I love about her. When it comes to mouse eradication, however, this predisposition is not helpful. In response to the night time sounds of a mouse scurrying across the floor of a room above our shared office, Jeanine deployed several mouse traps. When I checked them to see if the culprit had been dispatched, I discovered what I can only describe as a cheese buffet for wayward mice (first image). Nice mouse-sized pieces of cheese spread in an area of the trap far from the trigger. To further ensure an undisturbed mouse dining experience, the trigger was set to the safe position, from which it cannot be actuated. Pictured below is my buffet for cats who like to eat dead mice.
This photo, taken by Kyle, features a rare albino squirrel. From a camouflage and heat absorption perspective, it seems that this guy is going to be in for a tough winter.
Maya shared this photo, taken with her friends, during a north country winter hike. Between work, the new house, and Covid concerns, Jeanine and I have had little time or interest in traveling far from home. We are both suffering from cabin fever and it may be time to take inspiration from our intrepid daughter to venture out.
Even though the kids now acknowledge that I was an early trendsetter for the bomber style hat fashion trend, they refuse to believe that my new high ear variation will go anywhere. It is most dramatic with both ears up. The one ear presentation is edgier. Only time will tell if I am once again at the leading edge of hat fashion.