In My "Spare" Time: Year 17, Week 09, Day One (week 895)

Year 17, Week 09, Day One (week 895)
(January 17, 2000 was my first carving day.)
03-11-17 Saturday

    68 Early morning, 81 late afternoon. Mostly blue skies though some clouds slipped in a few times, light, almost unnoticeable breeze. This weather report is brought to you by the City Of Pompano Beach Department of Tourism.


    I ran most, but not all the full route of yard sailing I follow. I only found seven yard sales, stopping at six, (one has it all the time and never has anything I would want, mostly children’s clothes) even though the weather was predicted to be good all the reports during the week.. I saw signs for one but could not find it as they were missing a sign near their house. I learned later that it was next to a friend’s house,, which did not help me other than to know it was there..
    It is political election season in one area I drive and they have yard signs up. It makes it kind of tough when yard sailing, as you have to look with a bit more care at the signs to make sure they are not political signs. It is helpful that political signs look all the same, blue for one candidate, red for another, so one can pick those signs out easily. Open house signs and rent signs sometimes throw one off, but one soon picks them out quickly also.

    Your sign design helps shoppers a whole lot. These are tips on how to get more traffic to your home. The main thing is the house number and street. An arrow helps and also, a date sometimes helps if the sign is left out after you are done. Also write it big and clear. Walk to the other corner and if you cannot read it, it is too small.
    The problem with some people who use arrows, is they leave off the one that actually points to their street. More than once, I have followed arrows and never found the place.
    Some people set their signs out at night, and then decide not to have the sale or set out later than most of the traffic is out so we search for it and it is not there.
    Put your signs out on nearest high-traffic road. In some communities, there are sign post sites where people are always placing their signs. That is where regular yard sailors will look first for signs. It also helps to put it on the side of the road that people are to turn.

    Two of the yard sales were people who have had sales periodically and we knew each other. I did not get anything from them. The more a person has yard sales, the more likely their best stuff is sold off over time and there is less choice in the offerings.
    At one yard sale, I saw a book on pasta, and was going to pasta the chance to get it, then I saw a dispenser for drawing paper with a nice thick roll on it. I asked the price and that sounded good. I then grabbed the pasta book (decided not to pasta the chance to get it) and a book on dressings and marinades. I then grabbed up two beany baby teddy bears. I do intend to crochet clothing for my beany babies and give them out as presents so a couple more won’t hurt. At that point I decided anything more that I could find, would be getting carried away.
    At another yard sale, which I had some difficulty finding, I picked up a GAME BOY hand held game unit. I have a whole bunch of games and several players but it was a weak moment and I got it because it was available.
    At a third yard sale, I picked up what I think was a closet rod,. It was two inches in diameter and about six feet long. It might be Mahogany or similar looking wood. My woodworking mind took control and I was sticking it in the back of my truck when I realized I had purchased it. That yard sale had other things of interest, but I am not ready for those items. Maybe in six months. Will have to see.

    After I got home, I grabbed a couple knife blocks that I had disassembled previously to clean. When I tried to assemble them again earlier, they cracked. There was too much bow in the plastic rods.
    I worked some water proof white glue into the joints and clamped the joints tight. The first clamps I found were really long, three footers, I think and were cumbersome to work with as they stuck out so far. The blocks are six inches square at most. I found some the right length about the time I was about done and put them to work.
    I will leave them over night and check to see how the bond worked. I am not sure how strong this glue will be on that joint, and how much glue I actually got into it.

    The reports are questionable as there is supposed to be some weather coming through this week. If the weather is poor, one will not be able to work outside.

    I will see what happens tomorrow.

Year 17, Week 09, Day One (week 895)
(January 17, 2000 was my first carving day.)
03-12-17 Saturday

    74 degrees early morning with threatening skies to the south and to the east over the ocean. None of it showed after morning. Blue skies and patches of high puffy clouds most of the day. Good breeze to carry any heat of the 80 degree day. Can’t wait until summer comes and it will warm up....... This weather report is brought to you by the City Of Pompano Beach department of Tourism.

    After lunch at family started showing up and that took my time. I was also involved in helping with a couple computer problems. That killed any real projects.

    I removed the clamps on the cutting blocks and had to re-glue them and re-clamp them. I doubt a lot of glue got into the joint. I also found a couple of the plastic rods in one joint and figure that was part of the problem with it not closing properly. I re-glued both cracks and reinstalled the clamps. Mom and I are thinking of taking some sheet metal and cutting bands to put around the blocks as a decorative item but mainly to hold the crack shut add strengthen the rest of the block. I figure there is a whole lot of force on the sides when the rods are filled with knives.

    I accomplished little else today, especially not doing any wood turning.
    I have a turning club meeting Thursday.

    I will see what I do next week.
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