Thursday, June 16, 2011

How bout them Mavericks?

Monday, February 28, 2011

Cool Fort & A Way In to Disneyland

Too Early to Go Home

My brother and I had just come out of a college basketball game at the Anaheim Convention Center and were about to head home when we saw a packet of A, B & C tickets in the glove compartment and thought "how can we put these to good use?" ---Next thing we know, we are parking our car in a motel parking lot about a 1/2 mile from from the entrance to Disneyland and thinking up ways to climb the fence and get in.

It turns out, there was a hedge that fully covered the 20-foot-high fence, just to the left of the main entrance. We quickly scaled the fence, but proceeded to get hung up clearing the top barbs, just as the lights from a security cart were coming around the service road on the inside of the fence, going toward the entrance to the right. We jumped down and hopped into the bushes --just in time to be out of sight, and proceeded to head the opposite direction to find a way into the park.
















My favorite free "ride" at Disneyland has always been the Swiss Family Tree House (now called the "Tarzan Treehouse"), and this became our route that got us into Adventureland for free-- There was a ridge between the Safari Boats and the Pirates of the Carribean rides that lead directly to one of the major branches of the Treehouse. We climbed over one of the rails onto the stairs and walked up, over and in!























No Need to Turn Us In

We ended up getting brought into the Disneyland security office, on a later trip and got our due . . . but this time we did the best we could using the tickets we had for Mr Toad's Wild Ride, Peter Pan and a couple of other "kiddie" level rides, before we almost got caught -- You'll have to ask my brother about that.

The lasting memories I have about this time (now 35 years ago), include:

  1. Bonding with my brother
  2. I couldn't have written a more exciting real-life adventure
  3. How much fun you can have with no money and a little ingenuity
  4. How cool the Swiss Family Tree Fort was (and how it made a way in--kept us from being stranded on the service road)

The parking lot is now California Adventure, and the motel was about where the Tower of Terror ride is now.

I hope we find ways to get out and do wild things (without getting hurt) --things that inspire us to think about having fun without the regular forms of entertainment.

Seems like work is work and play is play, but it's always great to find things that remind you how hard you worked at having fun--- every time I see a treehouse, I feel like a kid---

Monday, January 31, 2011

So, What's Your Problem?

Locale over Leaks

On a recent trip to Mexico, my wife and I were informed by the proprietor of the bed & breakfast we had chosen to stay at that "the plumbing isn't so good here," but we should be satisfied by the overarching reason most people leave happy - "the location is great." At the end of the visit, we were in fact happy . . . so, I guess she was right.

"Plumbing isn't so good" didn't refer to the selection of faucets or the toilet style, she was talking about the flow of water - both supply (in this case, hot water) and capacity of the drains. Bad plumbing tends to be about improper movement of water: too slow to drain, or come out of the tap-- Or, in the case of a leak-- coming out where its not supposed to--

One Step Beyond

Most building problems involve too much or too little flow (water, heat or electricity) - How's that for a bold generalization?

Think about the last time you had a serviceman to your home-- I bet it was for a stopped-up pipe, air conditioning that wasn't blowing cold air, or an electrical device that wasn't operating properly (not getting 'juice') --- Am I right? And I haven't even been to your house--

Consider these examples of common household repair problems:

  1. Roof Leaks
  2. Flashing or Caulking Leaks
  3. Slow Draining of Shower or Toilet
  4. Supply or Drain Line Leaks
  5. Stopped Up Sewer Drain
  6. Ponding on Flat Roofs or Parking Lots
  7. Erosion (due to excessive flow or channel failure)
  8. Insulation Leaks
  9. Electric Short Circuits
  10. (Insert your own household problem here)
These all have in common some type of unwanted flow issue--

















OK Popeye, What's the Fix?

Here are some thoughts to help avoid many of these problems:

  1. Water Flows Downhill - Ample slope is needed (top to bottom) and opening sized to allow proper speed of discharge.
  2. Water Pressure Can Be a Powerful Force - More water volume and restricted flow each can create increased pressure. Think about "pinch points" (desired and undesired), and problems can be avoided.
  3. Water Seeks It Own Level - Think about where the water "wants to go" (during rain, when the tap is on, when the drain is open, etc), and help it get there.
  4. Energy Transfer Needs a Conductor - For Heat, sealed air is the best insulator (conversely, open air is the cause of most heat/cooling transfer problems). For Electricity, overcurrent insulators are sized based on the amount of amperage in the conductor, to avoid danger in handling or routing the lines (short circuiting occurs when electricity "jumps" the insulator).
Generally, consider the source and natural tendency of the water, heat or electricity, and you will be well into solving, or better yet - avoiding common household problems.

So I'm Told--

This is not to say, I have solved all my household problems or even that I can solve them all myself - More often than not, these days I hire a professional. But I am at least more able to identify the problem, and help the pro get right to the fix.

Pros to Contact:

Here are some helpful Professionals I have worked with in the past on the Commercial Construction side:

PSG Consultants (no website) - Phone: (763) 755-4777
George D. Alan
ReevCon
New Millennium Engineers



Links to two Popeye cartoons (neither one results in a "fixed" problem at the end):

The Plumber Is A "Pipe"

House Builder-Upper