1) My hamstrings hurt. This is a good thing.
2) Looks as if I might be making it to Men's Raw Nationals after all.
To the training footage... minus the footage.
Jacob: startin' from scratch!
Bench
45 x 10
95 x 5
135 x 3
155 x 10lp
155 x 10p
155 x 10... first 5 paused, second five tng.
155 x 6... first five tng, sixth paused
155 x 7fp
Close Grip
135 x 5p
140 x 5p
145 x 3p
Charles
45 x 10
95 x 5
135 x 3
175 x 5p
190 x 5p
200 x 4p... got out of the groove on the third rep and fought three and four all the way. Missed five.
200 x 4p... but the form was good.
3 board
215 x 3p... ugly
225 x 1p... no tightness at all.
225 x 3p... good boy.
Gage
45 x 10
95 x 5
135 x 3
185 x 2p
225 x 5p
240 x 5p
250 x 5p.. PR!!!
3 board
265 x 3p
275 x 3p... looked better than first set.
290 x 2p... close on a third.
Jacob was hurting, but we have to start him light and with lots of volume. Charles suffered from lack of tightness and focus. Gage is a benching machine.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Training Log: The Night of a 1000 PR's and Finally, A Good Workout
Charles
Squat
45 x 10
135 x 5
185 x 3
225 x 2
275 x 1
315 x 1
340 x 1... PR!!
365 x 1... PR!!!
380 x 0... misload
380 x 0... Gave it a good ride, but it was a little too much. I wanted him to go 375, but he thought he could get the 380.
(Video quality sucks. Took it off a smartish phone, but at least they go right to youtube.)
Deadlift
Jacob
135 x 10
185 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 1
315 x 1
335 x 1... PR... He hitched it, but I will take it. He has had a rough cycle.
Gage
135 x 10
185 x 8
225 x 5
275 x 2
315 x 1
365 x 1
410 x 1
445 x 1... PR!!
455 x 1... PR!!!
Logan
135 x 10
225 x 8
315 x 5
365 x 2
405 x 1
435 x 3... Easy
465 x 3... looked a little harder.
490 x 4... Just like old times. I was talking horrible shit too him and he was getting MAD at the weight!
Pete 525 x 5... second set
On the second squat set, my hip was killing me. Just horrible every time I got under the bar, but I pushed through. Of course, after the set, my hip was a nightmare, but I tried to pull.
Deadlift: conventional
135 x 1... hip
135 x 5
225 x 4
315 x 3... finally loosening.
405 x 2
485 x 2... a bit slow on the first rep. Reset for second
485 x 2... better. Resets.
Deadlift: sumo: 90 seconds rest between sets
385 x 3... No Alibi, especially for the first one.
385 x 3... not much better
385 x 3... started to feel it
385 x 3 x 4... solid
385 x 3... FAST!
All in all a good night. Might have to give the hip a rest, but we shall see. I do not know why I squat better on Fridays in Blackshear than I do in Waycross on Tuesdays. Gonna bring the rack height up by one peg next week to see if that makes a difference. There was good energy tonight. It was fun.
Squat
45 x 10
135 x 5
185 x 3
225 x 2
275 x 1
315 x 1
340 x 1... PR!!
365 x 1... PR!!!
380 x 0... misload
380 x 0... Gave it a good ride, but it was a little too much. I wanted him to go 375, but he thought he could get the 380.
Charles 365 x 1... PR!!!
Deadlift
Jacob
135 x 10
185 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 1
315 x 1
335 x 1... PR... He hitched it, but I will take it. He has had a rough cycle.
Gage
135 x 10
185 x 8
225 x 5
275 x 2
315 x 1
365 x 1
410 x 1
445 x 1... PR!!
455 x 1... PR!!!
Gage 445 PR Deadlift
Gage 455 PR Deadlift
135 x 10
225 x 8
315 x 5
365 x 2
405 x 1
435 x 3... Easy
465 x 3... looked a little harder.
490 x 4... Just like old times. I was talking horrible shit too him and he was getting MAD at the weight!
Logan 490 x 4
Pete
I was so sore from Tuesday that I could not do body weight squats. I felt this was a bad thing.
45 x 10
135 x 8
225 x 5
315 x 3... started to feel right.
405 x 2
475 x 2
525 x 5... Did not feel great. I had trouble setting the weight right on my back.
525 x 5... This felt Good, but not as good as the video makes it look.
Pete 525 x 5... first set
On the second squat set, my hip was killing me. Just horrible every time I got under the bar, but I pushed through. Of course, after the set, my hip was a nightmare, but I tried to pull.
Deadlift: conventional
135 x 1... hip
135 x 5
225 x 4
315 x 3... finally loosening.
405 x 2
485 x 2... a bit slow on the first rep. Reset for second
485 x 2... better. Resets.
Deadlift: sumo: 90 seconds rest between sets
385 x 3... No Alibi, especially for the first one.
385 x 3... not much better
385 x 3... started to feel it
385 x 3 x 4... solid
385 x 3... FAST!
All in all a good night. Might have to give the hip a rest, but we shall see. I do not know why I squat better on Fridays in Blackshear than I do in Waycross on Tuesdays. Gonna bring the rack height up by one peg next week to see if that makes a difference. There was good energy tonight. It was fun.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
The Further Adventures of Proto-Mechanic: Home Edition or The Two Ceiling Fans
The Job: unhooking two old and installing two new ceiling fans.
The Place: Casa de Proto, "Den" and Living Room
Estimated Time to Completion: 2 hours total
A few shout outs:
1) to Big Dave who "always changes his ceiling fans after just switching off the light switch." You obviously have never dealt with my friend...
2) Dr. Frankenstein, who not only plumbed my house but apparently wired it as well. Rot in hell, you sonofabitch.
My first mistake was assuming that, after the difficulties of the Water Heater, this would be... sigh... a cinch.
I give you the Tale of the Two Ceiling Fans or Dr. Proto and Mr. Out-of-His-Damn-Mind Crazy Person.
So, after looking at the ceiling fans we bought a month ago gather dust under the window, I figured it was time to give it a whirl (hee-hee. Se what I did there?). First order of business was to take the old ceiling fan down in the living room. Switched the switch to "off." Ready to go. I mean really easy to take down. Only issue was that I lowered the motor shroud before undoing the blades and the shroud kept getting in the way as I removed the blades. If that were the worst of my problems, I... see, that was where I thought to myself, this is gonna be a cinch!
Unpack the ceiling fan and light fixture. Figure I would limit my above head work and attach the light fixture first. Mistake number one of eighty seven I would commit over the afternoon.
On a side note, a ceiling fan has roughly five hundred feet of wire in it. Proto will learn shortly that you have to trim these wires WAY back. Way. Back. That's called foreshadowing, folks.
So, with the fixture on you cannot put the fan blades on. Balls. I loosen the fixture to put the blades on.
Side note: Christan put together the fan blades. Did a real fine job of it, too. Only thing that went right from here on out.
Get the fan blades on and the fixture tightened up... and there is a bracket cover that needs to go over the motor and it probably needs to go on first, but Proto did not read the directions 'cause Proto knows all 'bout this shit and so Proto has to put the bracket cover on which says it only takes three screws with three lock washers but actually takes six and there are only three lock washers but HEY! Proto gets it on, so that part is done and the whole ceiling fan is together and that is yet another mistake.*
Go to put the support bracket up. No problem until... BLAM!
I see: A flash.
I feel: a jolt.
I hear:
Hot wires hitting metal: Blam!
Proto-Mechanic: "Son of Bitchin' Bulls%$T bastard! BLEEEEEEEEEEEEEP"
And like that the facade of control that has been Proto's life began its downward spiral.
Apparently there is still juice flowing. Thanks, Big Dave! I break out the voltmeter and, yes, a little bit of juice is flowing. Not much, but just enough to piss me off. So begins the search for the proper breaker. Oh, hey, thanks to Victor, there is not one. I turn all the power off to the house. (Ref: The Dishwasher Incident).
I cut the wires to shorten them, but not enough. How do I know that it is not enough? Lemme 'splain. We (Chris and Me) lift the WHOLE DAMN CEILING FAN up to the wires in order to splice them. This is the * from above. The thing is pretty heavy, but the wires are so long it is not a big issue. With a few delt resting pauses, I splice the wires and try to hook the fan's bracket cover over the bracket.
"It, will start, but it, it, it just won't go." (re: The Dishwasher Incident)
Finally get it locked into place, but it is a little catty whompus. I growl for Christan to turn the breaker and the thing is working. Light and all! Yay! But it is still crooked. I go to maneuver it and... Blam!
I see: 1) a flash and 2) smoke. Never a good sign.
I feel: an anger like I ain't felt in a looong time... and a jolt.
I hear: Lots of swearing.
I start: to weep. Not even kidding.
"Oh, yeah! Dave just does it by turning off the (bleeping) switch! Terry (proper name left out in my anger) does it with Jedi Mind tricks. (SWEAR!!!) Oh, and your brother (to Christan), your..." I begin to weep again.
Throw the breakers to the house, and pull the ceiling fan down. The wires were still too long (see, I told ya!) and got pressed against the bracket, cutting the insulation and completing the circuit of horror. The result: burned through wires.
The result: I lost my ever loving mind.
Five minutes later, I begin weeping again.
Christan: "Maybe you should step away from it for a while."
Proto with Madness in his Eyes: "No! I have to to finish it!" More weeping.
So, cut the wires down and then we wrestle with the fully assembled ceiling fan for twenty minutes before we have to stop. Christan just can't hold it up for long. Damn her and her weak delts. Lord, I wanted to kill her, though I recognize it was not her or her delts's fault. Now anyway. At the time it very well could have been.
I storm out of the house to get the ladder, but the power to the garage is off.
I lose my ever-loving mind.
Ten minutes later, I begin to cry.
Power on. Get the ladder. Power off. Set the fan on the ladder and in another fifteen minutes, we (yup, she hung around) we have a ceiling fan that works. The only down side is that the ceiling around the fan is 1) scorched and 2) ratty looking cause the old fan housing was way bigger.
Christan: "We may have to patch that."
Proto: "What?!"
Christan: "Never mind."
Proto: "I hope you die!"
Good news, the pull fobs for the fixtures are nice.
Fan one and Mr. Insane-O: 3.5 hours
Roughly twenty four hours later, I start to open the other fan box.
Christan: "Ah, feeling froggy, huh."
Proto: "Me-me-meh-meh." As any adult would. "Just put the fan blades together and hush."
Christan: Laughs with mocking eyes. I say nothing. I owe her one for releasing the madness twenty-four hours previous. Roughly.
I DO NOT attach the light fixture. I DO NOT attach the blades.
I DO use my voltmeter. I DO find a breaker that turns off the 115 volts flowing through those wires. I DO use a metal plate on the end of a broom to test whether the power is REALLY off.
We DO strain for a few minutes of rubbery delts to hook up the motor. Thirty minutes later, we DO have a fan and ten minutes later than that we DO have a light fixture and there is no sign of the crazy man from before though he was a shadow in Proto's eye when Proto cracked one of the new fixture glass bulbs.
Fan two and Dr. Proto: one hour.
Fan three: Screw that shit.
The Place: Casa de Proto, "Den" and Living Room
Estimated Time to Completion: 2 hours total
A few shout outs:
1) to Big Dave who "always changes his ceiling fans after just switching off the light switch." You obviously have never dealt with my friend...
2) Dr. Frankenstein, who not only plumbed my house but apparently wired it as well. Rot in hell, you sonofabitch.
My first mistake was assuming that, after the difficulties of the Water Heater, this would be... sigh... a cinch.
I give you the Tale of the Two Ceiling Fans or Dr. Proto and Mr. Out-of-His-Damn-Mind Crazy Person.
So, after looking at the ceiling fans we bought a month ago gather dust under the window, I figured it was time to give it a whirl (hee-hee. Se what I did there?). First order of business was to take the old ceiling fan down in the living room. Switched the switch to "off." Ready to go. I mean really easy to take down. Only issue was that I lowered the motor shroud before undoing the blades and the shroud kept getting in the way as I removed the blades. If that were the worst of my problems, I... see, that was where I thought to myself, this is gonna be a cinch!
Unpack the ceiling fan and light fixture. Figure I would limit my above head work and attach the light fixture first. Mistake number one of eighty seven I would commit over the afternoon.
On a side note, a ceiling fan has roughly five hundred feet of wire in it. Proto will learn shortly that you have to trim these wires WAY back. Way. Back. That's called foreshadowing, folks.
So, with the fixture on you cannot put the fan blades on. Balls. I loosen the fixture to put the blades on.
Side note: Christan put together the fan blades. Did a real fine job of it, too. Only thing that went right from here on out.
Get the fan blades on and the fixture tightened up... and there is a bracket cover that needs to go over the motor and it probably needs to go on first, but Proto did not read the directions 'cause Proto knows all 'bout this shit and so Proto has to put the bracket cover on which says it only takes three screws with three lock washers but actually takes six and there are only three lock washers but HEY! Proto gets it on, so that part is done and the whole ceiling fan is together and that is yet another mistake.*
Go to put the support bracket up. No problem until... BLAM!
I see: A flash.
I feel: a jolt.
I hear:
Hot wires hitting metal: Blam!
Proto-Mechanic: "Son of Bitchin' Bulls%$T bastard! BLEEEEEEEEEEEEEP"
And like that the facade of control that has been Proto's life began its downward spiral.
Apparently there is still juice flowing. Thanks, Big Dave! I break out the voltmeter and, yes, a little bit of juice is flowing. Not much, but just enough to piss me off. So begins the search for the proper breaker. Oh, hey, thanks to Victor, there is not one. I turn all the power off to the house. (Ref: The Dishwasher Incident).
I cut the wires to shorten them, but not enough. How do I know that it is not enough? Lemme 'splain. We (Chris and Me) lift the WHOLE DAMN CEILING FAN up to the wires in order to splice them. This is the * from above. The thing is pretty heavy, but the wires are so long it is not a big issue. With a few delt resting pauses, I splice the wires and try to hook the fan's bracket cover over the bracket.
"It, will start, but it, it, it just won't go." (re: The Dishwasher Incident)
Finally get it locked into place, but it is a little catty whompus. I growl for Christan to turn the breaker and the thing is working. Light and all! Yay! But it is still crooked. I go to maneuver it and... Blam!
I see: 1) a flash and 2) smoke. Never a good sign.
I feel: an anger like I ain't felt in a looong time... and a jolt.
I hear: Lots of swearing.
I start: to weep. Not even kidding.
"Oh, yeah! Dave just does it by turning off the (bleeping) switch! Terry (proper name left out in my anger) does it with Jedi Mind tricks. (SWEAR!!!) Oh, and your brother (to Christan), your..." I begin to weep again.
Throw the breakers to the house, and pull the ceiling fan down. The wires were still too long (see, I told ya!) and got pressed against the bracket, cutting the insulation and completing the circuit of horror. The result: burned through wires.
The result: I lost my ever loving mind.
Five minutes later, I begin weeping again.
Christan: "Maybe you should step away from it for a while."
Proto with Madness in his Eyes: "No! I have to to finish it!" More weeping.
So, cut the wires down and then we wrestle with the fully assembled ceiling fan for twenty minutes before we have to stop. Christan just can't hold it up for long. Damn her and her weak delts. Lord, I wanted to kill her, though I recognize it was not her or her delts's fault. Now anyway. At the time it very well could have been.
I storm out of the house to get the ladder, but the power to the garage is off.
I lose my ever-loving mind.
Ten minutes later, I begin to cry.
Power on. Get the ladder. Power off. Set the fan on the ladder and in another fifteen minutes, we (yup, she hung around) we have a ceiling fan that works. The only down side is that the ceiling around the fan is 1) scorched and 2) ratty looking cause the old fan housing was way bigger.
Christan: "We may have to patch that."
Proto: "What?!"
Christan: "Never mind."
Proto: "I hope you die!"
Good news, the pull fobs for the fixtures are nice.
Fan one and Mr. Insane-O: 3.5 hours
Roughly twenty four hours later, I start to open the other fan box.
Christan: "Ah, feeling froggy, huh."
Proto: "Me-me-meh-meh." As any adult would. "Just put the fan blades together and hush."
Christan: Laughs with mocking eyes. I say nothing. I owe her one for releasing the madness twenty-four hours previous. Roughly.
I DO NOT attach the light fixture. I DO NOT attach the blades.
I DO use my voltmeter. I DO find a breaker that turns off the 115 volts flowing through those wires. I DO use a metal plate on the end of a broom to test whether the power is REALLY off.
We DO strain for a few minutes of rubbery delts to hook up the motor. Thirty minutes later, we DO have a fan and ten minutes later than that we DO have a light fixture and there is no sign of the crazy man from before though he was a shadow in Proto's eye when Proto cracked one of the new fixture glass bulbs.
Fan two and Dr. Proto: one hour.
Fan three: Screw that shit.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Twenty years/Twenty songs: The Playlist
Well, I cheated. I came up with two playlists. The first is less meaningful. It has songs that remind me of certain things or filled with songs that have resonated with the two of us over the years. The second is the one that tells the story of us... in song.
Playlist One
1. Bootyliscious: Destiny's Child- My theme song
2. Wonderful Tonight: Eric Clapton- My sad 17 year old ass sand this to her when we were crazy kids.
3. The Mighty Quinn: Mannfred Mann- Was always on the radio when we got in the car back in the day.
4. Oh, What a Thrill: The Mavericks- snicker.
5. Do You Remember?: Phil Collins- Reminiscent of a tough time.
6. Runaway Train: Vigilantes of Love- I always think of Logan when I hear this song.
7. The Middle: Jimmy Eat World- Nathan.
8. April Showers: Caedmon's Call- Gage loved this song as a Toddler and it is the one I associate with him.
9. In The End: Linkin Park- The one hard band we can agree on.
10. Cumbersome: Seven Mary Three- snicker.
11. Gone Away: Lucy Schwartz- A song I got from Christan that reminds me of the difficulty of the mid-way point.
12. Pushit: Tool- Very much us at that time.
13. Roads: Portishead- Ditto
14. I'm Already There: Lonestar- Me on the road was yet another tough time.
15. Take Me as I Am: Tonic- You get to a point where you want to accept and be accepted as such.
16: Just Another Day: Jon Secada- This one has spanned the entirety.
17. The Dance: Garth Brooks- The only reason this one is not on the primary list is that the characters are no longer together. The sentiment rings true.
18. Seven turns: The Allman Brothers Band- Reminds me of Nathan and the passage of time.
19. Higher: Creed
20: The Club Can't Even Handle Me Right Now: Flo Rida- Chris's theme song.
The List is the Story
1. Unchained Melody: The Righteous Brothers
2. What a Good Boy: Bare-naked Ladies
3. Dulcinea: Toad the Wet Sprocket
4: U2: One
5. Stone: Adam Again
6. Somewhere North: Caedmon's Call
7. Somewhere out There: Our Lady Peace
8. Nothing Like a Train: Vigilantes of Love
9. Schism: Tool
10. Lie to Me: 12 Stones
11. Suspicious Minds: Elvis
12. What a Crying Shame: The Mavericks
13. Let it Fade: Jeremy Camp
14. Rise Above This: Seether
15. The Long and Winding Road: The Beatles
16. Beautiful: Plankeye
17. Collide: Howie Day
18. Colorful: The Verve Pipe
19. In My Life: The Beatles
20. Crazy Life: Toad the Wet Sprocket: The meaning of the song deals with the tragedy at Wounded Knee,. but I have always applied it to the continuance of the intent when all goes to shit. We are a good example of that and it's not over, it's not over, it's not over...
Playlist One
1. Bootyliscious: Destiny's Child- My theme song
2. Wonderful Tonight: Eric Clapton- My sad 17 year old ass sand this to her when we were crazy kids.
3. The Mighty Quinn: Mannfred Mann- Was always on the radio when we got in the car back in the day.
4. Oh, What a Thrill: The Mavericks- snicker.
5. Do You Remember?: Phil Collins- Reminiscent of a tough time.
6. Runaway Train: Vigilantes of Love- I always think of Logan when I hear this song.
7. The Middle: Jimmy Eat World- Nathan.
8. April Showers: Caedmon's Call- Gage loved this song as a Toddler and it is the one I associate with him.
9. In The End: Linkin Park- The one hard band we can agree on.
10. Cumbersome: Seven Mary Three- snicker.
11. Gone Away: Lucy Schwartz- A song I got from Christan that reminds me of the difficulty of the mid-way point.
12. Pushit: Tool- Very much us at that time.
13. Roads: Portishead- Ditto
14. I'm Already There: Lonestar- Me on the road was yet another tough time.
15. Take Me as I Am: Tonic- You get to a point where you want to accept and be accepted as such.
16: Just Another Day: Jon Secada- This one has spanned the entirety.
17. The Dance: Garth Brooks- The only reason this one is not on the primary list is that the characters are no longer together. The sentiment rings true.
18. Seven turns: The Allman Brothers Band- Reminds me of Nathan and the passage of time.
19. Higher: Creed
20: The Club Can't Even Handle Me Right Now: Flo Rida- Chris's theme song.
The List is the Story
1. Unchained Melody: The Righteous Brothers
2. What a Good Boy: Bare-naked Ladies
3. Dulcinea: Toad the Wet Sprocket
4: U2: One
5. Stone: Adam Again
6. Somewhere North: Caedmon's Call
7. Somewhere out There: Our Lady Peace
8. Nothing Like a Train: Vigilantes of Love
9. Schism: Tool
10. Lie to Me: 12 Stones
11. Suspicious Minds: Elvis
12. What a Crying Shame: The Mavericks
13. Let it Fade: Jeremy Camp
14. Rise Above This: Seether
15. The Long and Winding Road: The Beatles
16. Beautiful: Plankeye
17. Collide: Howie Day
18. Colorful: The Verve Pipe
19. In My Life: The Beatles
20. Crazy Life: Toad the Wet Sprocket: The meaning of the song deals with the tragedy at Wounded Knee,. but I have always applied it to the continuance of the intent when all goes to shit. We are a good example of that and it's not over, it's not over, it's not over...
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
The Further Adventures of Proto-Mechanic
The Vehicle: 2006 Dodge GRAND Caravan SXT (Tricky!) 3.8L of Glorious Power!
The Job: Replacing a failed power Window Regulator
Estimated Time: 4 hours (Proto has some Experience with this)
The Place: Proto-Mechanic Garage, Casa de Proto, corner of Hanley and Ben Couch Road next to the Woolworth's.
So, a week and change ago, the power window I replaced a few months back began to grinding and then it would not go all the way up by itself. As related in the last Proto entry, I got to it and found the glass had popped out of the retaining clip. When I went to fix that, the bolt on the clip snapped in half. Undaunted, I drilled the old bolt out and put a smaller bolt through the clips with a nut behind it. Worked like a charm. unfortunately, it did not fix the window.
Somehow or someway, the wires in the regulator had become frayed and were no longer working properly. On Sunday we headed off to Lowe's and then made my way down Memorial Drive hitting:
Aaaa-dvanced! Ahhhuto Parts!: they had one for eighty nine bucks.
Oh-oh-oh, O'Reily's: A hundred and two and would have to order.
The Zone... Dunta-dunta-dun-ta-duh AutoZone!: Good news, the part had a lifetime warranty, so they ordered it for me. I was to pick it up Tuesday. For free!
So, Tuesday, I call the Zone... Dunta-dunta-dun-ta-duh AutoZone! to see if the regulator actually came in. It did so I ran to the house and took the old one out. Took about fifteen minutes. Most of that was screwing with the new bolt I had put in (no pun intended). It would NOT come out. Called in the Beast known as Nate and we forced that window out of there. Got the regulator out, but the wires actually snapped in the process. Scared the crap out of me.
Off to the Zone...Dunta-dunta-dun-ta-duh AutoZone! Get my regulator... for free! Head off to the Casa de Proto and... one of the clips on the regulator is broken.
Balls nasty.
Back to the Zone... Dunta-dunta-dun-ta-duh AutoZone! where they give me my money back. All I can think about as I head to Aaaa-dvanced! Ahhhuto Parts! is that it is now seven o'clock and it is gonna take me three hours to put this thing in. Balls. Nasty.
They still have the part and it is exactly the same price as my refund (smile). Back to the Casa de Proto. I move the van under the carport for the light and focus my attention on the regulator. Time to wrestle this bad boy into spot. With any luck I will get it in within and hour.
Three minutes later I pause and eyeball the door where I have already gotten the regulator in. I figure that I did something wrong or was abducted by aliens who 1) probably probed me and 2) put my regulator in.
Turns out neither was the case. Less than an hour later I have the whole shooting match put together. The window works perfectly. I think the old one might have been defective, it never sounded this smooth. Sweet.
Son of a bitch. It took me twice as long to get the part as it did to put it in. Proto-Mechanic triumphant!
Actual Time: I am counting this as one hour and fifteen minutes. Not my fault the replacement part was broken. So there!
The Job: Replacing a failed power Window Regulator
Estimated Time: 4 hours (Proto has some Experience with this)
The Place: Proto-Mechanic Garage, Casa de Proto, corner of Hanley and Ben Couch Road next to the Woolworth's.
So, a week and change ago, the power window I replaced a few months back began to grinding and then it would not go all the way up by itself. As related in the last Proto entry, I got to it and found the glass had popped out of the retaining clip. When I went to fix that, the bolt on the clip snapped in half. Undaunted, I drilled the old bolt out and put a smaller bolt through the clips with a nut behind it. Worked like a charm. unfortunately, it did not fix the window.
Somehow or someway, the wires in the regulator had become frayed and were no longer working properly. On Sunday we headed off to Lowe's and then made my way down Memorial Drive hitting:
Aaaa-dvanced! Ahhhuto Parts!: they had one for eighty nine bucks.
Oh-oh-oh, O'Reily's: A hundred and two and would have to order.
The Zone... Dunta-dunta-dun-ta-duh AutoZone!: Good news, the part had a lifetime warranty, so they ordered it for me. I was to pick it up Tuesday. For free!
So, Tuesday, I call the Zone... Dunta-dunta-dun-ta-duh AutoZone! to see if the regulator actually came in. It did so I ran to the house and took the old one out. Took about fifteen minutes. Most of that was screwing with the new bolt I had put in (no pun intended). It would NOT come out. Called in the Beast known as Nate and we forced that window out of there. Got the regulator out, but the wires actually snapped in the process. Scared the crap out of me.
Off to the Zone...Dunta-dunta-dun-ta-duh AutoZone! Get my regulator... for free! Head off to the Casa de Proto and... one of the clips on the regulator is broken.
Balls nasty.
Back to the Zone... Dunta-dunta-dun-ta-duh AutoZone! where they give me my money back. All I can think about as I head to Aaaa-dvanced! Ahhhuto Parts! is that it is now seven o'clock and it is gonna take me three hours to put this thing in. Balls. Nasty.
They still have the part and it is exactly the same price as my refund (smile). Back to the Casa de Proto. I move the van under the carport for the light and focus my attention on the regulator. Time to wrestle this bad boy into spot. With any luck I will get it in within and hour.
Three minutes later I pause and eyeball the door where I have already gotten the regulator in. I figure that I did something wrong or was abducted by aliens who 1) probably probed me and 2) put my regulator in.
Turns out neither was the case. Less than an hour later I have the whole shooting match put together. The window works perfectly. I think the old one might have been defective, it never sounded this smooth. Sweet.
Son of a bitch. It took me twice as long to get the part as it did to put it in. Proto-Mechanic triumphant!
Actual Time: I am counting this as one hour and fifteen minutes. Not my fault the replacement part was broken. So there!
Monday, February 27, 2012
The Further Adventures of Proto-Mechanic: Home Edition
The Job: Installing a new hot water heater in the Casa De Proto
The Place: Casa De Proto, Pantry
Estimated Time of Completion: 4-5 Hours
So, headed to Lowe's for some wondrous stuff:
1) Hot water Heater... mid range, 50 gallon, 9 year warranty
1) Universal Hot Water Heater installation kit
1) Garden Sprayer (for Christan)
3) Ceiling fans
2) Ceiling fan light fixtures
1) Ceiling fan cleaning brush, 'cause I am worth it.
then hopped over to Sears to get a new drill set. My seven year old Ryobi went dead so I gathered my brain trust (Dad and Master of Sport Mechanic and All 'Round Great Guy, My Personal Mechanicing Lifeline Terry) and debated the pros and cons of getting a set with an impact drill or not. I opted to, 'cause I'm worth it. Dropped off the booty at the house and Christan went off to stock up on two dollar mulch. That would be the second of many, many trips to Lowe's over the next many, many hours.
Unpacked my tools and used the impact drill to put in a screw that had been mocking me for weeks. Gave it "What's for!" Already paid for itself has the impact drill.
I kill the water supply to the house, flick the breaker on the HWH (note my flicking the breaker on the dishwasher several moons back) and drain the old water heater. This goes much faster once the hot water tap has been opened, I found. Broke out the old Volt-Meter I got for the window repair/fiasco (foreshadowing, kids) and made my lone call to Master of Sport Mechanic and All' Round Gret Guy, My Personal Mechanicing Lifeline Terry to see how to use it. Indeed, I had the power off.
Broke out the Universal HWH kit, and unpacked the new HWH, read all the directions and was ready to proceed. I noted that none of the three pipe set ups going into the heater were the same. The hot water outlet was a copper tube about a foot long going into some PVC. The overflow valve was a huge copper fitting with smaller PVC and the cold water intake was a series of jointed metal pipes then hooked into smaller PVC. Yes, Dr. Frankenstein had apparently installed my old Hot Water Heater with parts cobbled together from the ol' homestead and junkyards in the area. But don't worry (foreshadowing teaser) it gets better! I was able to slip off the hot water hook up, but had to hacksaw the cold water and the overflow. No worries. After a very minor struggle, I got the old HWH out of the pantry and only broke the light switch a little bit, but I did find a mummified potato with tendrils of fear escaping it. Set the new water heater in the pantry. It just fit, I mean like a half inch of clearance. Never occurred to me to measure the doorway. Note to Self: Measure the Doorways. Struggled to get the HWH balanced onto several bricks. Yes, bricks, 'cause that was what the old HWH was sitting on. Nostalgia and all that.
So, busted out the Universal kit and, having read the directions, spread sealant on the male end of the flexible hose, and went to put it into the water heater...
eh?
There were already male ends coming out of the HWH. Weird. I checked everything and sure enough, this Universal kit would not work for my HWH. Took my second trip back to Lowe's and found yet another Universal kit that had female adapters on both ends of the hose. Two different kits claiming Universality makes neither one of them Universal. I was able to get my thirty-five bucks back for the bad Universal kit and was able to purchase the new Universal kit for twenty-five dollars and some PVC fittings that I thought would help when I had to hook everything back up.
Back at the Casa De Proto, I quickly ganked a flexible hose on to the hot water outlet and went to use a compression fitting on the 3/4 inch new pipe to the unknown but WAYYYY smaller copper tube. We struggled for half an hour before realizing that something weren't right. A quick call to Big Daddy Dave and, sure enough, my pipe is inordinately small (which is what she said, unfortunately). Back to Lowe's for the third time. Also, the emergency outlet valve is 3/4 inch but the pipe is... 1/4 inch. And the Cold water outlet is 3/4 inch and the pipe is... 1/2 inch. Damn you, Frankenstein. Damn, you, sir.
I tell the guy that the copper tube is prolly 1/4 inch. He claims that is ridiculous, no one in their right mind would use 1/4 copper tubing to install a hot water heater.
"Yeah, well, it could just be my internal rage getting the best of me, but it sho' nuff doesn't look like one of these here," I hold up a 1/2 inch tube, "half inch tubes."
So, I call Logan and have him measure it. Sho' nuff, he said it looked like a half inch to him. Balls. Guy at the Lowe's gives me a gator clamp fitting, says it will just click into place. Foreshadowing!
Back at the Casa De Proto, I gank the fitting onto the flexible hose and then attempt to just click the 1/2" tube into place. It spins like butter on a bald monkey. I mean, it ain't even close. Forty-five minutes later, I do manage to break the insert and that is that, though I know for a fact that something ain't right. Proto-Mechanic senses tingling and all.
Allow me to have an aside. Against all Proto-Mechanic history, I have managed to stay completely calm and lucid throughout this whole ordeal. Little to no swearing except for the obligatory "shit" and "sonnavabitch."
As Lowe's is now closed, I sigh heavily and figure the hot water intake is a wash, but I do hook up the cold water intake and, I tell you, it looks smartish! The emergency valve pipe? Not so much. See, the fitting I got would not work because the valve is too close to the heater, but with the flexible tube from the Universal Kit, I am able to finagle the 3/4 to 1/4 inch drop off nicely. Of course, three of the five steps involved fly directly in the face of what the book tells ya to do, but I figure Victor got away with it, so screw the book.
I am very down because my family cannot shower, wash their hands or flush the toilet until I get this solved...
In the Morning:
Back to Lowe's as they open. Thanks to the wonderful Janet I find out that my 1/2 inch copper tubing is actually 3/8" and they do not have a Gator Clamp bit that goes from one to the other. I make the executive decision to just use hot water PVC and say to hell with copper.
Back at the Casa:
It all goes together smoothly. Proto is an old hand at PVC work.
Moment of truth one: turning the water on and checking for leaks. Turn the supply on and...
Son of a bitch! No leaks.
Moment of truth two: turning the power back on. Ever since the dishwasher, I have been skittish about power supply. I told Gage to expect nothing, or a pop, a flash and a scream. Throw the breaker...
Nothing.
Proto-Mechanic and family have hot water once again.
Aside two: on the way home from Lowe's the windw in the van does not want to go down right. High on his success, Proto checks it all out... and snaps a very important bolt. That's the universe keeping it real, folks.
Toodles.
Actual time: 8 hours work time. If Victor had not been such a bastard, I would have dropped it in three. "He has a Creed in Three!"Oh, and I never lost my temper once. Ah, growth.
The Place: Casa De Proto, Pantry
Estimated Time of Completion: 4-5 Hours
So, headed to Lowe's for some wondrous stuff:
1) Hot water Heater... mid range, 50 gallon, 9 year warranty
1) Universal Hot Water Heater installation kit
1) Garden Sprayer (for Christan)
3) Ceiling fans
2) Ceiling fan light fixtures
1) Ceiling fan cleaning brush, 'cause I am worth it.
then hopped over to Sears to get a new drill set. My seven year old Ryobi went dead so I gathered my brain trust (Dad and Master of Sport Mechanic and All 'Round Great Guy, My Personal Mechanicing Lifeline Terry) and debated the pros and cons of getting a set with an impact drill or not. I opted to, 'cause I'm worth it. Dropped off the booty at the house and Christan went off to stock up on two dollar mulch. That would be the second of many, many trips to Lowe's over the next many, many hours.
Unpacked my tools and used the impact drill to put in a screw that had been mocking me for weeks. Gave it "What's for!" Already paid for itself has the impact drill.
I kill the water supply to the house, flick the breaker on the HWH (note my flicking the breaker on the dishwasher several moons back) and drain the old water heater. This goes much faster once the hot water tap has been opened, I found. Broke out the old Volt-Meter I got for the window repair/fiasco (foreshadowing, kids) and made my lone call to Master of Sport Mechanic and All' Round Gret Guy, My Personal Mechanicing Lifeline Terry to see how to use it. Indeed, I had the power off.
Broke out the Universal HWH kit, and unpacked the new HWH, read all the directions and was ready to proceed. I noted that none of the three pipe set ups going into the heater were the same. The hot water outlet was a copper tube about a foot long going into some PVC. The overflow valve was a huge copper fitting with smaller PVC and the cold water intake was a series of jointed metal pipes then hooked into smaller PVC. Yes, Dr. Frankenstein had apparently installed my old Hot Water Heater with parts cobbled together from the ol' homestead and junkyards in the area. But don't worry (foreshadowing teaser) it gets better! I was able to slip off the hot water hook up, but had to hacksaw the cold water and the overflow. No worries. After a very minor struggle, I got the old HWH out of the pantry and only broke the light switch a little bit, but I did find a mummified potato with tendrils of fear escaping it. Set the new water heater in the pantry. It just fit, I mean like a half inch of clearance. Never occurred to me to measure the doorway. Note to Self: Measure the Doorways. Struggled to get the HWH balanced onto several bricks. Yes, bricks, 'cause that was what the old HWH was sitting on. Nostalgia and all that.
So, busted out the Universal kit and, having read the directions, spread sealant on the male end of the flexible hose, and went to put it into the water heater...
eh?
There were already male ends coming out of the HWH. Weird. I checked everything and sure enough, this Universal kit would not work for my HWH. Took my second trip back to Lowe's and found yet another Universal kit that had female adapters on both ends of the hose. Two different kits claiming Universality makes neither one of them Universal. I was able to get my thirty-five bucks back for the bad Universal kit and was able to purchase the new Universal kit for twenty-five dollars and some PVC fittings that I thought would help when I had to hook everything back up.
Back at the Casa De Proto, I quickly ganked a flexible hose on to the hot water outlet and went to use a compression fitting on the 3/4 inch new pipe to the unknown but WAYYYY smaller copper tube. We struggled for half an hour before realizing that something weren't right. A quick call to Big Daddy Dave and, sure enough, my pipe is inordinately small (which is what she said, unfortunately). Back to Lowe's for the third time. Also, the emergency outlet valve is 3/4 inch but the pipe is... 1/4 inch. And the Cold water outlet is 3/4 inch and the pipe is... 1/2 inch. Damn you, Frankenstein. Damn, you, sir.
I tell the guy that the copper tube is prolly 1/4 inch. He claims that is ridiculous, no one in their right mind would use 1/4 copper tubing to install a hot water heater.
"Yeah, well, it could just be my internal rage getting the best of me, but it sho' nuff doesn't look like one of these here," I hold up a 1/2 inch tube, "half inch tubes."
So, I call Logan and have him measure it. Sho' nuff, he said it looked like a half inch to him. Balls. Guy at the Lowe's gives me a gator clamp fitting, says it will just click into place. Foreshadowing!
Back at the Casa De Proto, I gank the fitting onto the flexible hose and then attempt to just click the 1/2" tube into place. It spins like butter on a bald monkey. I mean, it ain't even close. Forty-five minutes later, I do manage to break the insert and that is that, though I know for a fact that something ain't right. Proto-Mechanic senses tingling and all.
Allow me to have an aside. Against all Proto-Mechanic history, I have managed to stay completely calm and lucid throughout this whole ordeal. Little to no swearing except for the obligatory "shit" and "sonnavabitch."
As Lowe's is now closed, I sigh heavily and figure the hot water intake is a wash, but I do hook up the cold water intake and, I tell you, it looks smartish! The emergency valve pipe? Not so much. See, the fitting I got would not work because the valve is too close to the heater, but with the flexible tube from the Universal Kit, I am able to finagle the 3/4 to 1/4 inch drop off nicely. Of course, three of the five steps involved fly directly in the face of what the book tells ya to do, but I figure Victor got away with it, so screw the book.
I am very down because my family cannot shower, wash their hands or flush the toilet until I get this solved...
In the Morning:
Back to Lowe's as they open. Thanks to the wonderful Janet I find out that my 1/2 inch copper tubing is actually 3/8" and they do not have a Gator Clamp bit that goes from one to the other. I make the executive decision to just use hot water PVC and say to hell with copper.
Back at the Casa:
It all goes together smoothly. Proto is an old hand at PVC work.
Moment of truth one: turning the water on and checking for leaks. Turn the supply on and...
Son of a bitch! No leaks.
Moment of truth two: turning the power back on. Ever since the dishwasher, I have been skittish about power supply. I told Gage to expect nothing, or a pop, a flash and a scream. Throw the breaker...
Nothing.
Proto-Mechanic and family have hot water once again.
Aside two: on the way home from Lowe's the windw in the van does not want to go down right. High on his success, Proto checks it all out... and snaps a very important bolt. That's the universe keeping it real, folks.
Toodles.
Actual time: 8 hours work time. If Victor had not been such a bastard, I would have dropped it in three. "He has a Creed in Three!"Oh, and I never lost my temper once. Ah, growth.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
OMG! Have been so busy. But there is a lull and I am milking it, dammit! The week that was:
Monday 2/6/12
Squats
Jacob
45 x 10
135 x 5
185 x 3
205 x 5
215 x 5
225 x 5... PR!!!
Chris
45 x 10
95 x 5
135 x 3
165 x 2
190 x 1
205 x 3
205 x 3
205 x 3... Killing it
Pete
BW x 12 x 2
45 x 10
135 x 8
225 x 5
315 x 3
405 x 2
455 x 5
480 x 5
510 x 5... it nearly killed me. The weight was never in question, it was just heavy.
Called it. The stress and strain of work are killing me in the gym.
Wednesday 2/7/12
Bench
Jacob
45 x 10
95 x 5
135 x 3
180 x 5p
195 x 5p
205 x 5p... PR!!!
3ct pauses
165 x 5p
Chris
45 x 10
75 x 5
95 x 3
110 x 4p
120 x 4p
130 x 2p... PR, but she just did not have it tonight.
125 x 3fp
115 x 5p
Wides
105 x 8
I didn't do anything because of an elbow issue.
Friday 2/10/12
Deadlift
Jacob
135 x 10
185 x 5
225 x 3
255 x 5... done. Long story.
Christan
135 x 10C
185 x 5S
205 x 10C
205 x 10S
225 x 4 + 6 C
225 x 10S
Pete
Sumo
135 x 10
225 x 5
315 x 3
405 x 2
460 x 5 all reset
495 x 5 all reset
525 x 5... could only reset last one. It was just killing me.
Sunday 2/12/12
Christan: had to squat becuase of a meeting on Monday
45 x 10
95 x 5
135 x 3
165 x 1
195 x 1
215 x 1... a little ugly
230 x 3... TPR
230 x 3... PR for sets... looked pretty good.
Speed pulls: con
135 x 5
185 x 5
205 x 3
205 x 3 Sumo
205 x 3 x 6 sets
Pete: My whole Chi was messed up
P-Rows
225 x 5
255 x 5
275 x 5
295 x 5
Pullups off the Smith Machine
4 sets of eight
Standing abs
120 x 15
140 x 12
150 x 10
160 x 8
170 x 1
160 x 6
130 x 12
Front Delt Raises
20 x 10
25 x 10
30 x 10
Side Delt Raises
25 x 10
30 x 10
35 x 8
Monday 2/13/12
Squats: The return of the idiot twins show
Jacob
45 x 10
135 x 5
185 x 3
205 x 3
225 x 3
245 x 3... PR
Bench
45 x 10
95 x 5
135 x 3
165 x 1
195 x 3p
205 x 3p
215 x 3p... TPR, did not think he was going to get it.
Gage
Squat
45 x 10
135 x 8
185 x 5
225 x 5
255 x 5
275 x 5... looked pretty good
Overhead Press
45 x 10
95 x 5
105 x 5
115 x 5
120 x 5
Pete
Squat
bw x 12 x 2
45 x 10
135 x 8
225 x 5
315 x 3
405 x 2
480 x 3
510 x 3
545 x 3... OMG it hurts us, my precious.
Once again, I crap out.
Wednesday 2/15/2012... This was our twentieth anniversary!!!
Bench
Chris
Close Grip
45 x 10
75 x 5
95 x 3
110 x 3p
115 x 3p
120 x 1p... got out of the groove.
120 x 1p
120 x 2fp
2 board close
125 x 1p..ugly
115 x 3p
120 x 3p... easy
125 x 2p.... good ending to a bad workout.
Gage: The triumphal return
45 x 10
95 x 5
135 x 3
190 x 5p... easy
215 x 5p... solid
225 x 5p... same as last set.
3 board
245 x 3p
255 x 3p
265 x 3p... Noone, including himself, thought he was gonna get the last one.
Pete
45 x 15
95 x 10
135 x 8
185 x 5
225 x 3lp
275 x 3p... guh
295 x 3lp... last pause was rough
315 x 3lp... did not intend on pausing the last one, but it felt good.
Close Grip
255 x 5p
275 x 3p... I stopped and Gage chastised me so I unracked and did 2p
295 x 1p... shoulder felt hinky and loose, so I called it.
then we celebrated our anniversary with chocolate, Chips Ahoy!, Pizza and Rolling Rock.
Squats
Jacob
45 x 10
135 x 5
185 x 3
205 x 5
215 x 5
225 x 5... PR!!!
Chris
45 x 10
95 x 5
135 x 3
165 x 2
190 x 1
205 x 3
205 x 3
205 x 3... Killing it
Pete
BW x 12 x 2
45 x 10
135 x 8
225 x 5
315 x 3
405 x 2
455 x 5
480 x 5
510 x 5... it nearly killed me. The weight was never in question, it was just heavy.
Called it. The stress and strain of work are killing me in the gym.
Wednesday 2/7/12
Bench
Jacob
45 x 10
95 x 5
135 x 3
180 x 5p
195 x 5p
205 x 5p... PR!!!
3ct pauses
165 x 5p
Chris
45 x 10
75 x 5
95 x 3
110 x 4p
120 x 4p
130 x 2p... PR, but she just did not have it tonight.
125 x 3fp
115 x 5p
Wides
105 x 8
I didn't do anything because of an elbow issue.
Friday 2/10/12
Deadlift
Jacob
135 x 10
185 x 5
225 x 3
255 x 5... done. Long story.
Christan
135 x 10C
185 x 5S
205 x 10C
205 x 10S
225 x 4 + 6 C
225 x 10S
Pete
Sumo
135 x 10
225 x 5
315 x 3
405 x 2
460 x 5 all reset
495 x 5 all reset
525 x 5... could only reset last one. It was just killing me.
Sunday 2/12/12
Christan: had to squat becuase of a meeting on Monday
45 x 10
95 x 5
135 x 3
165 x 1
195 x 1
215 x 1... a little ugly
230 x 3... TPR
230 x 3... PR for sets... looked pretty good.
Speed pulls: con
135 x 5
185 x 5
205 x 3
205 x 3 Sumo
205 x 3 x 6 sets
Pete: My whole Chi was messed up
P-Rows
225 x 5
255 x 5
275 x 5
295 x 5
Pullups off the Smith Machine
4 sets of eight
Standing abs
120 x 15
140 x 12
150 x 10
160 x 8
170 x 1
160 x 6
130 x 12
Front Delt Raises
20 x 10
25 x 10
30 x 10
Side Delt Raises
25 x 10
30 x 10
35 x 8
Monday 2/13/12
Squats: The return of the idiot twins show
Jacob
45 x 10
135 x 5
185 x 3
205 x 3
225 x 3
245 x 3... PR
Bench
45 x 10
95 x 5
135 x 3
165 x 1
195 x 3p
205 x 3p
215 x 3p... TPR, did not think he was going to get it.
Gage
Squat
45 x 10
135 x 8
185 x 5
225 x 5
255 x 5
275 x 5... looked pretty good
Overhead Press
45 x 10
95 x 5
105 x 5
115 x 5
120 x 5
Pete
Squat
bw x 12 x 2
45 x 10
135 x 8
225 x 5
315 x 3
405 x 2
480 x 3
510 x 3
545 x 3... OMG it hurts us, my precious.
Once again, I crap out.
Wednesday 2/15/2012... This was our twentieth anniversary!!!
Bench
Chris
Close Grip
45 x 10
75 x 5
95 x 3
110 x 3p
115 x 3p
120 x 1p... got out of the groove.
120 x 1p
120 x 2fp
2 board close
125 x 1p..ugly
115 x 3p
120 x 3p... easy
125 x 2p.... good ending to a bad workout.
Gage: The triumphal return
45 x 10
95 x 5
135 x 3
190 x 5p... easy
215 x 5p... solid
225 x 5p... same as last set.
3 board
245 x 3p
255 x 3p
265 x 3p... Noone, including himself, thought he was gonna get the last one.
Pete
45 x 15
95 x 10
135 x 8
185 x 5
225 x 3lp
275 x 3p... guh
295 x 3lp... last pause was rough
315 x 3lp... did not intend on pausing the last one, but it felt good.
Close Grip
255 x 5p
275 x 3p... I stopped and Gage chastised me so I unracked and did 2p
295 x 1p... shoulder felt hinky and loose, so I called it.
then we celebrated our anniversary with chocolate, Chips Ahoy!, Pizza and Rolling Rock.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)