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Showing posts from August 20, 2006

The Nissan Leaf Gets a New Rear Axle

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Well, I finally have a salvage title for the 2013 Nissan LEAF (Actually I dont have the title yet, but I think they mail it to me. We are far from settled with the insurance company for sure. It has been six months since Angie was rear ended. The following chart shows a very sad and disturbing trend. Insurance companies aren't paying out. It should be criminal. I went shopping for a new rear axle so I can get the car driving again. The rear ended axle was so bent, the car couldn't move. The new one with no connecting bits was over a thousand dollars. The cheapest used ones I could find on ebay were over 500 dollars. I finally scored at a local used parts place for 95 dollars (removed) and with associated bits such as bearings, bushings, parts of the brakes. It took me a concentrated day with cancelled and moved meetings to get the axle replaced and the car running again. The accomplishment felt good. I am now configuring the car with tractor tires and other modifications t...
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During the course of a day I often think of things that are blog worthy. It is tough to remember them just like it is tough to remember a dream. I remember when I was kid being labeled a day dreamer by my Mom. Actually, I like to consider it "thinking." I am excited about the adventure to be sure. I am looking at a stack of paperwork. It will take *US* a couple of hours to figure it out. I have a new laptop computer and a new camera ideally suited for terra incognita. I noticed the other day in my travels that a European geologist used some photos from one of the folks that had done my job a couple of years ago. I expect to be doing the same and getting some really good photos of stuff that matters. This is a more traditional representation of Antarctica. We even go as far as saying left is West Antarctica and the right is East Antarctica. I have purchased a few maps for the walls in Berkshire, NY. This map is used without permission from www.geographicguide.com I ...
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Word is getting out. I am headed to Antarctica this winter! I keep thinking about different musical ballads that seem appropriate. The Theme to the Beverly Hillbillies always seems pop into my head. However, I have not yet conjured the appropriate lyrics. The Ballad of Jed Clampett by Paul Henning - Beverly Hillbillies Lyrics Come and listen to a story about a man named Jed A poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed, Then one day he was shootin at some food, And up through the ground came a bubblin crude. Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea. Well the first thing you know ol Jed's a millionaire, Kinfolk said "Jed move away from there" Said "Californy is the place you ought to be" So they loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly. Hills, that is. Swimmin pools, movie stars. Well now its time to say good by to Jed and all his kin. And they would like to thank you folks fer kindly droppin in. You're all invited back a gain to this locality To h...
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Bonnie and I were making the usual visual survey of the back fields this evening after dinner. If nothing else, the exercise is relaxing. Tonight, we noticed something reflecting brightly. The binoculars revealed no clues so we decided to get in the jeep and head back there. I was doubtful that we would actually find what it was since our angle would change and so on. It was going to be like picking a needle out of a haystack. But we did find what was reflecting. It appears we have found the spot where kid’s balloons go after they let them go by mistake. They land on our farm. All you kids can now relax. The balloons are safe with us. We are in the land of lost balloons.