luke wisdom log

The Last Move

2010-01-13T02:18:00Z

The move to our new house is complete and we have converted the empty house into a nice little home. Due to freezing weather I have not had a chance to work in the yard much, but spring will be here soon with many opportunities for that. The shed is a work in progress as well, with one wall of peg-board complete and a light hung. In the next few months we will be improving the yard and getting ready for summer.

Here is the current list of projects:

Remove old fence (south) and tree stumps
Have new fence installed
~~Get rocks to make fire pit~~
Buy outdoor chairs and grill
Install shelf in shed and more pegboard
~~Run wire from house to shed for light~~
Till soil and plant garden
Get lawn mower and trimmer
Convince the grass to grow
Enjoy the summer outdoors

We had been living in apartments/rentals for the last five years, so a lot of this stuff is new to us. I am excited by the challenge that a yard brings, and also for the cook outs that I can have now. Looking forward to spring, luke.

The Dog Days

2009-08-27T08:13:34Z

About a month ago, we got a dog. His name is Linus (after Linus). I haven't had a dog in over ten years, so it's been interesting. I am tiring of following him around waiting for him to crap, just so I can pick it up. It seems that they should clean after themselves, like cats do. Well, here is a short video of Linus.

New Avery Video

2009-08-20T19:06:49Z

Here is a little video of Avery playing.

Tux Paint

2009-06-22T21:09:16Z

I have to get this information out: Tux Paint is amazing.

I tried Tux Paint a year or so ago and thought it was annoying and featureless. A couple months ago I tried it again, my mind has changed. Avery, now about 3 years old, loves it. Tux Paint is a paint program aimed at kids 3-12. You can paint freehand, draw shapes, use stamps (animals, cars, flowers, etc.) and use effects. It also has some pre-set backgrounds, including an airplane and a castle. It makes sounds as you paint and when you click on animal stamps. It also has the ability to save drawings and print plus many other customizable options (like locking down all keystrokes on computer so your kids can ONLY use Tux Paint until the program is exited).

This program reminds me of the experience I had with Apple IIgs when I was very young. All I knew of the Apple IIgs was that you could paint things on it and then make the picture come out of the printer. I was always puzzled that the dot-matrix printer we had didn't print my drawings in color.

So if you have or know anyone from 3-12, install Tux Paint for them.

Its available for Linux, Mac and Windows here. If you are running Ubuntu, just go to "Add/Remove Programs" and search for "Tux Paint". If you are running Windows, just switch to Ubuntu.

Coat Hanger Antenna

2009-06-20T17:58:33Z

I get PBS, and I am happy.

I recently turned my cable service off since we don't watch too much TV. The only down side was the trouble in picking up over-the -air stations. To resolve this, I decided to build a Coat Hanger Antenna. With Matt's help, it only took 30min or so to complete.

For supplies I spent less than $10. Here is a part list:

6 hangers - free from local cleaner
10 #6 3/4 screws - $0.98
20 #6 washers - $0.98
1 piece of 100 grit sand paper - $0.60
1 matching transformer - $5.50
a 1"x4"x30" board - $0.51

Total: $8.57

For more pics, see my Picasa page

Closer than before

2009-06-18T23:42:09Z

This is in reference to the issue discussed in the entryFIN. We are a little closer to the goal. For all the details (including two possible locations), send me an email.

I should be excited, but based on experience I am going forward very tentatively. I have found that when I get my hopes up, they are shot down right away. I will be excited for this event, after it is completed.

My first instructable

2009-05-28T17:32:20Z

Since my wisdom teeth were removed, I had a lot of exposure to Jell-O. While looking for something to put LEDs in, I decided to use a Jell-O Box. See Below...

The Jell-O Light - More DIY How To Projects