A Re-NEW-ed Kitchen Floor -- Mission Accomplished!

23 April 2012; Grumpy's Castle --

After "slaving" away on his hands and knees for several days, inhaling the revolting odor of Ammonia, Grumpy at last accomplished the engineering goal of removing the built-up wax (with embedded dirt) from the Armstrong vinyl flooring in his(now!) kitchen. Previously, Grumpy had undertaken a scientific investigation to determine what (if any!!) means would soften or dissolve the old waxy substance with the embedded dirt, to allow its removal from this otherwise good-looking kitchen floor. Here on the left is a "before" photo showing the darker color in the small recessed features of this faux-tile vinyl floor covering. The Ammonia Treatment appeared to be the most, if not the only, method.

By contrast, the "after" photo on the right shows the newly-cleaned floor, with the properly-applied Armstrong "Shinekeeper" finish applied. Notice particularly, the small, convex-shaped features, which were formerly "hiding places" for the combined dirt and wax that had built up over the years since Grumpy and the Grand Mother had had this flooring installed -- 25 years ago, or more?

Hopefully, now Grumpy can honestly say that a Peanut Butter and jelly sandwich, remaining on the floor no more than five seconds -- right-side up, of course -- is still good to eat.

What in the World is Grumpy Doing Now?

April up to tax-day 2012; In and Around the Sound --

I will just try to hit a few of the highlights of the various things I have done and places I have gone since getting back home from my travels out-of-State. Notice that I have dated this "April", rather than pinning it down to a specific day or days. My selfish reasoning is that I will probably not take the time to make multiple postings this month anyway; for one thing, I am not doing much that others may find interesting and for another, I am getting lazier in my old age to take the time to sit down and write many words.

Upon arriving back home, Grumpy was reminded that this was the school "Spring Vacation". Hence, the Grandson was visiting his Papa and Grumpy could be free to go visit at Fort Bale. After securing assurance that I would be welcome, Great Grandson A. suggested to his Mother (my favorite Swede) that she make a Lemon Meringue Pie for the occasion.

[Side Note: Ques: How and where did A. get a recipe for LMP? 

Ans: He had asked his Great Grandmother who replied, "Well, A., since you asked, I will give it to you!" (Grumpy had asked and pleaded many times! How come she never gave it to him?).]

Anyway, the results, shown in this photo do not do justice to the delectable taste of that delicious Lemon Meringue Pie. Grumpy can attest that it was the "real McCoy", with two notable differences: 1. The flavor of "free range" chicken eggs is different than "store-bought", and, 2. Grumpy did not get a stomach ache --- because he got to eat only two pieces instead of the whole pie.

The first Saturday, I rode with friend John M to Mt. Vernon WA to attend a luncheon get-together with SDSM&T alumni. Enroute to the site of the luncheon, John and I viewed some eye-dazzling daffodil fields.

We had a good visit with those who attended and look forward to more in the near future. One of the couples included a retired Boeingite with whom I graduated over half a century ago. John and I met them for berry pie and ice cream after the luncheon. Vernon (EE'50) was also a friend of brother Bob.

During the next week, Grumpy undertook the onerous task of stripping all of the old wax off of our kitchen floor. Not having his expert/housewife available any more to consult on the "formula" and/or most successful methods to use for such a task, he was reduced to his Boeing and college-days duty of doing "research and development" to find the best way or ways. Here is a summary of what he discovered:

1. Soap and hot water, with much "elbow grease":  Pretty much useless!!
2. Spic & Span liquid cleanser, with much "elbow grease": See 1.) above.
3. Spic & Span powder cleanser, with much "elbow grease": better than 2.) above.
4. Hot water and Ammonia, with much "elbow grease": Very effective at clearing the sinuses; but promising -- especially after a period of "soaking".
5. Pure Ammonia covered with a plastic sheet and left to stand for an hour: Eureka!! [Also, much kinder to the nose and eyes.]

Here are the before and after pictures, using method/formula #5 ("BEFORE" is on the left; "AFTER" is on the right).

Now, as soon as Grumpy completes the cleaning of the kitchen floor, he is thinking about replacing the faucet in the Master bathroom. [Perhaps he should post that in his "Grumbling" BLOG?]

The second Saturday Grumpy, accompanied by Margaret M., drove up to WWU to hear Granddaughter Rachel play her final piano performance before she graduates. On the way we toured the daffodil and tulip fields, finding this stunning view of Grumpy's favorite color. None of the vast acreages of single-color tulips could be found; evidently the tulips are later this year due to our cooler or wetter Spring weather.

Stay tuned for what happens to me after Tax Day!

Two Days of Fun with the Gang at Fort Bale -- Part 3

Thursday 21 April 2011; Clark County Country --

This morning the Grand Mother and Grumpy left our motel early to arrive at Fort Bale in time for breakfast. Breakfast comprised something delicious that the Swede called "Swedish Pancakes" and eggs -- lots of eggs (do you suppose this was some sort of promotional deal, or what!?). To put on the Swedish Pancakes, there was a sauteed combination of zucchini, onions and almond bits, and rhubarb sauce. Does that sound yummy or what!? (It definitely was, and this old German ate three of those Swedish delicacies even though it was "out of sight" vis a vis his diet.)

After breakfast, Grumpy was prevailed upon to "suggest" a design improvement for a "bottle rocket" design that Bee-Boo was intending to demonstrate in a couple of weeks. 

 

The basic design was modified to incorporate a "launch tube" (12" piece of 1/2" PVC pipe pointing straight up), with a 1/2" O-ring fitted into a groove around the lower part of the launch tube such that the friction between the O-ring and the neck of the 2-liter soda bottle would hold the bottle firmly in place until a certain air pressure was pumped into the interconnected PVC launch system and the empty volume inside the soda pop bottle.

The basic design used a threaded PVC fitting around which two or three layers of electrical tape was to be wound to provide friction to hold the bottle rocket until pressure, estimated to be around 30 psi had been pumped into the launch system. Upon "lift-off" from the basic design, the compressed air in the bottle would expel water from the bottle to "jet" the bottle to a height estimated at "about 30 feet".

Bee-Boo opined that the bottle should be filled about half full for maximum altitude. His goal was to exceed the 30-foot altitude professed for the basic design. "Stretch" (the Dad) appropriated his 12 volt electric-powered air pump for the first test. This device had dial pressure gauge incorporated at the outlet; this was a neat feature, allowing at least some engineering data to be taken on this first test launch.

Chief Rocket Project Engineer

Bee-Boo's modified design, with the 12 inch launch tube, prevented a large amount of water to be exhausted until the neck of the bottle cleared the top end of the launch tube. The theory behind this modification was that the bottle would be accelerated to some good velocity, primarily by the air pressure acting on the bottom of the bottle, until the neck cleared the launch tube, and then further accelerated by the expulsion of the water, "to reach unfathomable heights"! The first "dry run" was an outstanding success -- and anything but a dry run!! 

Upon applying power to the little air pump, Stretch and Bee-Boo both moved away some 10 or 15 feet. Grumpy, ever the curious engineer warily stepped up to the "safe" end of the launch system (about 3 feet from the vertical launch tube) where he could observe the pressure readings. When the pressure rose above about 5o psi, Grumpy "lost interest" in further pursuit of test data; he estimates that, when the pressure inside the PVC pipe and vacant part of the bottle finally overcame the friction holding the bottle on the launch tube, the pressure was probably 55-60 psi! Needless to say, the bottle took off like a cannon shot, straight up in the air, spewing water on the surrounding area -- including Grumpy who was standing 10 or more feet back by this time. No data were taken on the apogee of the bottle, but various estimates placed the altitude as "more than 600 feet above sea level"!

The smile on Bee-Boo's face was priceless as he returned from recovering the empty soda pop bottle from a tree 100 or more feet "down range" from the launch site. No, Grumpy stupidly did not think to take photos of the launch nor of the proud owner's big grin. It will just remain a Great Grandpa's happy memory of one very happy Great Grandson.

Upside-Down Tomatoes; A Comparison between Year One and Year Two

Grumpy's Castle; Two Different Years, Two Different Methods --

Grumpy stated, in a recent post, that his tomatoes were significantly better this year than last. In some respects, this is true. However, it depends on what one considers as "better", as the two photos below demonstrate. Note the red-ripe tomato on the 2009 "Early Girl" in the left photo; the much more robust 2010 "Early Girl" in the photo to the right can only  boast several somewhat larger but still green tomatoes!

Early Girl, July 19th 2009   Early Girl, July 23rd 2010

Grumpy believes the difference is due to: better watering in 2010; better soil used in 2010; only one plant per planter in 2010. Further, the cooler weather in 2010 probably accounts for the earlier ripening in 2009. He believes that, by the end of Summer, the 2010 tomatoes will produce much more edible fruit than was the case in 2009. And that is the purpose after all, isn't it?

Auburn Avenue Bread [Variation on Sullivan Street Bread]

Having eyed with envy and hunger the homemade breads of, first James', and then BoPop's, Grumpy concluded that, if James and BoPop could make good bread, then he "could do that, too"! The taste of a loaf of James' bread sent home when Grumpy last visited Fort Straw, was the "last straw" (pardon the pun) and so with no trepidation at all, but to the great consternation of the Grand Mother, whose fears of a messy kitchen aftermath were soon realized, Grumpy forged ahead.

Instead of following the Sullivan Street recipe exactly, Grumpy ventured into some exotic variations, including the addition of some brown sugar and a cup or so of various nut meats. The Grand Mother and Grumpy both like the coarseness of the whole wheat bread with multiple nuts that we currently purchase at Safeway. And instead of mixing for only 30-60 seconds, Grumpy used a fancy serving fork to "pull" the dry ingredients together with the liquid for about 5 minutes, or until the dough achieved a definitely "stringy" appearance due to the gluten being "activated" by this vigorous working of the dough.

The results of this, Grumpy's third loaf, is shown in the photo. Notice the fine, even textured bubbles and the nut meats that were sliced as this first piece was cut from the main loaf. Grumpy brushed some Sesame seed oil on the top surface of this loaf when it came out of the oven. After tasting, Grumpy recommends "sticking" with Virgin Olive oil instead!

Upside-Down Tomatoes-- Week Three

Saturday Morning; South King County --

This morning, Grumpy took some "update pictures" of his tomatoes. The remaining original tomato plants, shown here, are the Sun Gold and the Yellow Pear. These two varieties are of the small, "cherry" size; Grumpy and the Grand Mother are very much looking forward to tasting them starting in mid-June or early July and continuing until frost. The leaves on these plants originally did not have the lusty, dark green color that Grumpy would like to see. However, as you can see on the leaves that have emerged from underneath the planters they are now apparently benefiting from the nutrients in the soil above them; their stems are also nicely-broadened as will be necessary when they grow their "TOPS" (underneaths?!) and have the weight of their ripening fruit hanging down. [Is Grumpy optimistic or what!!??] Grumpy watered these plants the first time when he planted them back on the 26th of April. The weather being quite damp, he hasn't watered them since until today. They have never appeared wilty -- in want of water.

The newest tomato plants (replacing the original two obtained from Heidi) are the Glacier and what Grumpy hopes is another Early Girl. These plants were purchased at McLendon's and apparently were started at about the same time as Heidi's. Both of these plants are of a variety that produces a much larger "bush" than the so-called cherry tomatoes. Hence the reader will note the very husky stem on both these plants. Grumpy also calls to your attention the flowers that are showing already on both of these tomatoes! Of course these larger fruits will take longer to grow and probably to ripen, so it may be expected that the first ripe tomatoes from these vines will be mid- to late-July. [Grumpy's mouth waters!!]

Notice that all four of the plants are still maintaining a horizontal and outward growth tendency -- see the curving stem as it comes out of the bottom of the planter. In another two weeks, the weight of the larger vines will pull the stems more vertical. The stem will continue to grow larger and stronger, maintaining the ability to support the mass of vine and fruit which will develop below it.

Besides watering both planters, Grumpy dumped about half a cup of organic fertilizer (4-5-3) in on top of each planter before pouring about a third of a gallon of water in to each. Instructions that came with the planters suggested about 1/2 cup of fertilizer every two weeks (every ten days during tomato-growing season) and watering regularly, never allowing the plants to get wilty. It says that "you cannot overwater" the upside-down planter. As the vines become larger, Grumpy will apply more water (up to a half gallon at a time) and also more frequently (eventually twice a week).

The main advantage of growing tomatoes in an upside-down planter is that it keeps the vines off the cool, damp ground. This helps the vine stay healthier and also helps the fruits to ripen better. Another advantage for Grumpy's yard is the fact that there is no place on the ground where tomatoes would have the advantage of having as much sun as they do hanging on this South corner of the house.They may also benefit from some secondary radiant heat reflected off of the walls a couple of feet away, as well as a warm convective current of air gently wafting up from the solar-heated wall of stonework below. We shall see.

Heat Pump Starts Operations

September 3, 2008:

Yesterday (September 2) marked the beginning of operation of the new heat pump. The installer (Kirtan) went to great pains (literally as well as figuratively!) to maximize the functional integration of the new heat pump with the existing oil furnace with its three-speed blower. I am disappointed that, at present, only a single speed of the blower is being utilized. I am hopeful that a review of the electronic control schematics will reveal a simple way by which more of the blower speeds can be automatically incorporated. Especially since the heat pump is a two-stage unit and a lower blower speed is best used with the lower stage function.

This morning at six a.m., we awoke to warm air coming from the heat registers. Now, at a quarter to ten, we are enjoying cool air! Ah, such conspicuous consumption!! But this will not last; Grumpy is determined that the Castle will be maintained at a comfortable temperature at all relevant times (like during breakfast, while First Wife is busy crafting delicacies such as her incomparable Lemon Meringue Pies (see current sample below!!), and at all other times when said Wife decides she would be more comfortable at a higher -- or lower -- temperature). The new thermostat, which communicates via three or four wires with a microprocessor-controlled unit mounted on the bonnet of the furnace, features an impressive array of touch-screen options allowing the resident to turn on the blower (for air circulation), turn the heat (or cooling) temperature up or down, etc. The control also allows an automatically-programmed schedule for each of four times during each of the seven days in a week. The program may be over-ridden by the Master of the Castle (also by Grumpy!) at any time; once over-ridden, the temperature is maintained until the next programmed event at which time it returns to the automatic program.

In the lower right hand area of the thermostat is displayed the outside air temperature -- looks like today will be a rather warm day! Hooray for the option to have air-conditioning!!

"Big Daddy" Computer Lives Again!!

After several frustrating days waiting for UPS to deliver my replacement power supply, it finally arrived yesterday (Monday, 19 November 2007). Son Jim had come up to visit so the installation was postponed while the Grand Mother and Grumpy enjoyed his visit. We continue to pray for his health to improve (although Grumpy is envious of his trim, athletic 170 pound frame!).

The power supply "slipped in" just as easily as the burned-out one had slipped out -- Difficultly!! But the mounting screws all fit and within 10 or 15 minutes Grumpy had connected all of the items to their respective connector (there are about 8 or 10 empty connectors available for more peripherals!)

So, here is a picture of the "Big Daddy" with it's cover off. (I couldn't resist!!) The power supply is at the upper left corner of this photo; the mother board is in the dark, central part of the photo. (Grumpy was relieved when the computer "booted up" as soon as the new power supply was hooked up, proving that nothing serious had damaged any other components in this powerful machine.) Excess power cabling is coiled up and "stashed" between the power supply and the CD-ROM drive which is at the upper right.

Harry, the computer hardware guru of the Z-clan, opined that the power supply failure was due to a capacitor rupture; Grumpy thought more likely it was the high-voltage windings on the transformer. He tested the 120 volt input pins and found them open. However, he was not able to establish that the high-voltage section of the transformer was open. Observation of the dissected power supply revealed a "sooty" deposit on a couple small, wafer capacitors mounted between the transformer and one of the high-power rectifiers. It seems that some kind of powerful electrical phenomenon occurred in this area. Until proven otherwise, Grumpy will accept Harry's diagnosis of what went wrong.

Grumpy is NOT planning further investigation to ascertain a repair strategy for this power supply! Its destiny is a recycling bin.

Great 2007 Auto Trip Data

Those who have been around for awhile know that Grumpy likes to brag about the performance of his Red Rocket, so if you are bored by statistics, just skip this post. But if you really want to know what a good car can do in the hands of a skilled (make that old & experienced) driver, then listen up!

We filled the fuel tank to the very top as we left home on June 30th. Grumpy was not always so careful to fill it as full on subsequent refueling stops -- in particular, the fuel stop we made in Ontario OR lacked about 3 gallons of being a complete fill-up as the automatic shut-off on the fuel nozzle is highly respected by the lackeys who have to gas up your car in Oregon. In sympathy with them, Grumpy has to admit that it takes an inordinate amount of time to fill the Red Rocket tank "up-to-the-neck" point. Even Grumpy doesn't do this except when he wants to get an accurate measurement of the amount of fuel used between certain odometer readings, which he was careful to do at the beginning and near the end of this trip.

So, Grumpy topped off the tank to the very top of the filler pipe as we left town on the 30th of June and again when he filled up in Wenatchee (150 miles from home) on the 17th of July. In between those dates, the Grand Mother and Grumpy travelled 5,092 miles, consuming 157.457 gallons of unleaded regular gasoline, for an overall mileage of 32.34 miles per gallon. The "official" EPA rating for this model is 28mpg for highway miles (and that's probably at a cruise speed of 55 or 60), so Grumpy feels pretty good about being able to beat this number by a sizable amount. Grumpy won't say what his "normal" speed was, but suffice it to say that the Grand Mother was "not comfortable" some of the time. But some of the time on nice straight freeways, she was asleep! But she was wide awake at one point where I hit my maximum speed -- I think I was passing some trucks or something like that. At any rate, no traffic tickets were collected on the entire trip and a happy conversation was enjoyed most of the time.

Altogether, from start to finish, we drove 5, 245 miles in 19 days. We had reservations for motels at all planned overnight stops. Except we didn't plan where we would stop in a few places (North Dakota, western Nebraska, Utah and Oregon). We satisfied these accommodations by calling from the cell phone during the mid-morning of the day we were to arrive.

Grumpy grossly underestimated the amount of pavement he could stuff under the wheels and keep within the Grand Mother's tolerance for time sitting in one place, hence the first days, with stops across Montana, ended fairly early in the afternoon (even in the late morning when we pulled into Livingstone MT!). The steely nerve of the Grand Mother impressed Grumpy so that next year when we take this journey again, we will plan to stretch the miles between overnights a little and eliminate a day or two going and coming. That will leave us more time to spend visiting or seeing sights, which is what this sort of trip is aimed at in the first place.

Now, after a few days' rest and taking care of home obligations, the Grand Mother and Grumpy are taking a Delta 757 jet back to Maryland to see the four Great-Grand kids that she has not seen. (Grumpy has been fortunate enough to have flown with Uncle Bob to visit them a year ago.) We will celebrate son Harry's and Grumpy's birthdays while we are there.

The Delta 757 on which we will be flying is equipped with the all-electronic propulsion control system that was the highlight of Grumpy's career at Boeing. He was involved in the development of this system from initial concept trade studies, through prototype testing and finally to introduction on the 757. Grumpy rode in the flight test airplane (circa 1985) but this will be the first time he has ridden on a commercial flight in one. He is pretty excited about it all, especially considering he is not fully into his second childhood.

The Grand Mother and the First Wife

Due to the use on these pages of the titles "Grand Mother" and, more recently, "First Wife", it seems prudent to clarify the differences and similarities regarding these two persons.

Pictured at right is the Grand Mother; she may be characterized as being partial (even biased!) in favor of any and all Grand Children. I think this may also include Great Grand Children like the one she is holding, although none of the Great Grand Children have yet reached the point where they point out the failures and foibles of the Great Grand Father (aka, Great Grumpy Z) to the Grand Mother. On the other hand, the Grand Children seem to delight in getting their Grand Father into this sort of maximum mayhem so that she either threatens to "get the pan" (as in frying pan!!) or makes the ultimate threat of "no Lemon Meringue Pie -- forever!!!". (A very long time, in case anyone is keeping track!)

Next we come to the "First Wife" (see woman in photo at left, standing next to that handsome older gentleman). There have been rumors -- unfounded, of course, that the Great Grumpy has had his eyes on a Red-head if anything should happen to the First Wife. Now, seeing this lovely woman, why would any man in his right mind even THINK of substituting any other for this prize!?

However, this unfounded rumor has resulted in the heartless committment by said First Wife to "never reveal the secrets for the making of the Lemon Meringue Pie", lest the Great Grumpy continue to be able to relish this delicacy after the First Wife is gone. Although the Great Grumpy has reassured First Wife of his dedication to her health and happiness forever (until death do us part, or maybe when we are both over 100 years old and neither of us can remember who the other one is anyway -- or at least until she REALLY stops making those Lemon Meringue Pies), she has remained skeptical such that when she seemingly weakened the other day and started giving the recipe to the Great Grumpy, she suddenly began inserting ingredients such as "vinegar", household lye and other such "secret herbs and spices". That's when the Great Grumpy realized she was SERIOUS!!

Now, a word of wisdom to the younger set out there from the Sage of Seattle, the Philosopher from Philip, the Oracle of the Oldies, the Great Grumpy Z: Be careful what you say and do around your wife! Especially when your grandchildren are around -- they seem to delight in pointing out the weaknesses and sins of their grandfather. And don't experiment with new recipes or variations (such as adding peanut butter on Lemon Meringue Pie -- by the way, just between you and me, it adds a mysterious new flavor!!) of your wife's special treats that she prepares with loving hands for you. No, leave all the experiments to the bride; the husband is to taste and praise but not to modify or suggest.

But in NO case does, has or will the Great Grumpy have eyes for a Red-head.

The Ideal Airplane

I have been having day-dreams (starting with an early morning real dream about a week ago) about having my own airplane. Uncle Bob and had been talking about the wingtip vortices issuing off the tips of wings or other sharp discontinuities on the trailing edge of an airfoil. They are visible when the moisture content of the atmosphere is near 100%, especially if the airplane is pulling a few g's. You've probably seen them during the Blue Angels' sharp pull-ups during their aerobatics over the Hydroplane race track.

My ideal airplane will have down-turned wing-tips; it will have its horizontal stabilizer in front instead of the back as in conventional configurations. With the horizontal stabilizer in front, the c.g. will be forward of the center of lift of the main wing. This improves the overall efficiency of the airplane because the horizontal stabilizer will be contributing to lift instead of negative lift and just drag as in the conventional configuration. The horizontal stabilizer will also have its tips turned down.

Now with four tips all pointing downward, my logical conclusion is to put landing gear wheels on each of these extremities; there would be no need to retract these wheels since only the lower half of the wheels are in the "breeze" and their supporting structure is useful airfoils which I will call "winglets".

This airplane will have a tandem seating arrangement, with both fore and aft pilots/passengers having a control stick and adequate view of instrumentation. The fuel (about 50 gallons) would be contained in two tanks located in the lower part of the fuselage more or less below the pilots. Tank switching will be used to manage center of gravity as necessary for landings.

It is my estimate that this airplane, with a 180 hp engine, will fly at about 200 knots (nautical miles per hour) consuming about 5 gallons per hour. (This estimate is an extrapolation from Uncle Bob's Mooney which has the same size engine but a conventional configuration.) This will give it a 9-hour range with an hour of reserve fuel for unexpected weather or diversion to alternate airports. Nine hours in the seat is plenty long enough, I have found -- Uncle Bob and I did a little over 7 hours once and we were both ready to stand on terra firma!

For the past two or three weeks I have been having a very interesting discussion with Uncle Bob via e-mail about wingtip vortices. He hasn't committed to an opinion regarding my configuration. What about the readers of this BLOG? All ideas cheerfully considered (grumble! grumble!! -- not really!).

Friday in Huntsville

Today was spent at the CIM lab where I helped a young grad student modify his test setup to properly support his test specimen. He was successful in conducting his experiment, which was to show the change in Helium leak rate when a thin film is pierced by a gold-ion beam.

Bob and I stopped at the local grocery store to stock up on the things we will eat while in the air. This included bottled water, pecans, grapes, raisins, oatmeal, pitted dates, instant coffee, powdered mild and Jonagold apples.

Tomorrow we will go out to the Mooney, load it with the things that are stored at Moontown and then fly it up to the paved runway in Tennessee, just north of Huntsville.

I'm getting psyched up!!