Author: peterb51

28th October 2025

It was back down to Byron Center, this time I didn’t have to pick up John the wood, he was already at the barn. 

It was a wonderful drive even though the truck has developed a groan, possibly rear wheel bearings, I will need to get that checked. In the meantime I just turned the radio up a bit louder.

John was scurrying about when I arrived, the thicknesser was in pieces, and I didn’t understand why. The machine he had was old, but it could be converted into a sanding thicknesser, and also shaped cutters fitted to produce architectural details and skirting boards. 

As of now it can’t do any of those things, which was a shame as I had plans to machine timber for the base for my chair.

As it was, we spent most of the time bonding the last strip to the slabs, then once they had dried, we cut everything to shape.

I did return John to his home, and then I had to drive to Hudsonville to collect a cedar chest that Kelli had bought.

The guy that helped me definitely had a problem, he hardly said a word, and once it was loaded he turned around and went back inside his garage without saying a word, strange.

27th October 2025

My battle with technology continues. Since I set up the Mac Pro tower and discovered what was wrong, I have gradually ticked off the things that have got fixed.

I fitted the WiFi card which was missing, finding one on eBay that arrived without fixing screws. I complained to the vendor but just got silence in reply. I had to source M2 x 3 cap head screws from our friends in China. That was a breakthrough, with WiFi up and running I was able to get on the Avid website and download the version of Protools I needed.

However the email was quite unstable and kept crashing. I went on line enquiring if there were problems with the operating system installed, and email. Sure enough, there were conflicts with freezing and crashing reported, but there was also a number of fixes recommended.

I tried one of them, and it worked!

So once I had a stable email I could safely find the links that I needed for installation of the software.

Soon all that was done, I could run both the laptop and the Mac Pro on the same license, but not at the same time.

I was beginning to feel more confident, with the two successes under my belt.

Then I noticed that the interface unit that is the like between the recording side and the computer wasn’t connecting. A blue flashing light indicated problem.

I went on several Avid user sites looking for a similar problem, and there were many.

It looked like the interface needed new drivers to work properly.

With my new found confidence I located the site where all the downloads were and guessed on one. Hurrah! I chose right, the blue light stopped flashing and everything was talking to each other.

Now there were three successes in one day, I couldn’t believe it, could I do a fourth?

The last part I need to complete is to connect a drum machine to the system. 

So far everything is connected, but there is a piece of a puzzle missing, I have read up on it, hopefully I can get that working tomorrow.

26th October 2025

I did a solo run to collect the last of the wood floor pieces, now we have transferred the pile out there to our garage. Underneath the stack is a radiogram, that has never had to endure that amount of weight since 78 rpm records.

Now I have the task of removing the nails, a time absorbing experience. I tried a couple of sample boards, first I had to straighten them to the same angle for which they were applied, then hit the end with a hammer in a series of small knocks, a hard hit would just bend the nail, then you have to start all over again.

There is a knack to it which I’m sure I will perfect by the end.

Then we had to go to Kelli’s mum for Matt’s sixtieth, a number he refuses to acknowledge.

We bought him a tee shirt of an old eighties heavy metal band, as he lives in the past most of the time, it was perfect for him.

I met two of his friends that he has known since school, Kurt and Karl, identical twins. They had other brothers Kevin and Keith, it looked like his parents were members of the KKK and K club.

As they all had the same initials they could all wear the same socks.

It was enjoyable, and so was the cake, then it was back home for a walk with the dogs.

25th October 2025

Today was dedicated to recording, something I used to do a lot, but not for the last nine years.

To say I was a little rusty is an understatement.

My friend Chris, who I have recorded many times in the past, was coming over to record some of his latest music. 

He was a little late so it gave me the chance to set things up. I had played around with it during the week, so I thought this was just a simple process, I was wrong.

Protools is an industry standard, but it got more complex over the years.

I had set up a microphone, and I had a good signal coming in, but I could not hear it through my headphones, panic was setting in.

I followed all the routings and everything seemed in order, I repeated all the input/ output settings.

By now Chris had arrived, and I acted like I knew what I was doing, but my stomach was in a knot.

I was even prepare to set up my old laptop that had an even older version of the software, but I had forgotten how to use that, things were getting desperate. 

Fortunately Chris had guitars to tune, whilst I muttered to myself, then, the aha moment happened, I turned up the volume on the microphone, and suddenly I could hear it.

I kissed to table top, we were now in business.

However I was still desperately trying to remember how to use the software, it was a new version, different from what I was used to, but gradually some of it came back to me.

Chris was having his own issues trying to keep in time with the click track, so between us we were slowly relearning how things worked, me the technology, him, his timing.

We spent four hours working on two songs, maybe they won’t be keepers, but we can only improve.

24th October 2025

We drove back out to the farmhouse to start loading the flooring. The lady had cleared a way through the barn making it less hazardous.

There was a lot of strips, in different lengths, but all with the nails that had attached them to the subfloor.

We started the job of loading them into the truck.

Kelli was in charge of off loading the pieces that I would carry, and load into our vehicle.

I’m sure there is far more than we would use, but if we could also do the laundry room that would be a bonus.

When we filled most of the available space in the truck, we drove home, no more than ten minutes away, the unloading began. I made sure that all the face were together and all the backs were together, I wanted to avoid any further scratches. Once that was done, we drove back for another load.

Repeating the same routine, although the main difference was that lady’s dog came into the barn, and close to where Kelli was standing, it did a huge dump, and it stunk the place out. Luckily I was close to the door, but even there my eyes were watering. Poor Kelli, she had to endure it until the lady cleaned it up. Now recovered, she continued to feed me with more wood strips.

With what there was left, there is at least another load,  which we will do on Sunday.

We had planned to have dinner with Lloyd and Nancy at a restaurant in the town, it made a nice change to have someone else doing the cooking.

As we were driving into the town, the was a van in front that had “Wood flooring fitted” now that was a coincidence I said.

She said they should be quick at doing it because they were Mexican.

I asked her how she knew that?, she then pointed, and said “ because his name is Manuel Rodriguez”

“Oh”.

23rd October 2025

I spent a wonderful afternoon with Tom Newhouse. Tom and his wife Jill had just moved from the house he designed forty seven years ago to a new townhouse two miles away.

I had never been to the house, and as Tom still had the keys, he invited me over, and gave me a tour. 

Over the years I had heard stories of it, but seeing it in the real was breathtaking. Although stripped of its contents, and just containing staged furniture to help sell the property, it had a warmth of a home that sat comfortably in its natural surroundings.

I asked the question, why? I could tell that it wasn’t an easy decision that they took, but he explained that it was for health reasons. He is suffering from arthritis in his neck, sometimes leaving him unable to do the necessary work on the large garden.

I don’t know if I could leave a place where I put my heart and soul into, it was not just a home, it was a personal environment built with sweat and tears, and whoever is the new owner is taking on someone else’s dream.

 After the tour, he drove me to a local pub where we continued to talk, he told me stories of his experience’s with George Nelson and Charles Eames, things that only he knew about. It was filling in gaps that have never been public. 

I have often urged Tom to write a book about his life in Design, I’m sure it would be an inspiration to any young student. I have even offered to write it for him, or at least document the details, whether that happens, I would like to think it could.

22nd October 2025

There was I sitting in the coffee shop waiting for Henry. I got there a bit before three, that allowed me to eat a cake and find a suitable table, Henry, on the other is fashionable late. Well it got to twenty past three, and I began to have doubts that he would turn up. 

I had finished my coffee and was deciding if I should have another one, instead I decided to call him. I think that is when he realised where he should have been, and started on a series of apologies. I hid my disappointment, he was still in the throes of remodelling so I helped him make the perfect excuse. 

That is when I thought that both him and John the wood were making old people look bad. Forgetfulness is not a funny subject, I have alway used a calendar to keep track of my appointments, it is my second brain. 

My failings are names and numbers,I can’t keep those in my head, I have to look in my phone for my own number, but times and dates, I never miss appointments.

There are many ways of keeping the memory in tune, mostly good food, and problem solving.

But it’s hard when a lot of damage has been done by vaccines, drugs and highly processed food all through our growing up years. 

I know what you’re thinking, “He’s off on a rant again”, and yes I am. I can’t understand why so many people just ignore the damage that is being done. Over here in the US a child has nearly seventy vaccines though it’s school times, most of which aren’t necessary.

That is why fifty to sixty percent of children have chronic illnesses, and still the penny hasn’t dropped.

Why don’t people listen? we know that all governments lie, there is nothing they do that is for the good of the people, just look at Covid.

Now the latest UK government plan is for digital IDs.

It is not for your convenience, it’s not for security, it the thin edge of the wedge for government control. It might be voluntary now, but once eighty percent of the sheep sign up for it, it will be mandatory.

Then everything will link to it, facial recognition, carbon footprint, travel allowances, and bank accounts before long it will be like China with social credit scores will govern what you will be allowed to do, it’s all out there, do your research. The media will all paint a positive picture and urge you to sign up, but they’re all liars too.

It is not for your convenience, don’t be taken in by it, think! And do your research, freedom is something we all take for granted, don’t let THEM take it away.

21st October 2025

I gave John the wood the usual call at 11.00am not expecting for him to answer, and I wasn’t disappointed. Now normally it’s because his phone doesn’t work, or he doesn’t hear it, but I left a message that he would never listen to.

When I arrived at my usual time, he looked surprised to see me, but then remembered who I was and what we had planned to do. 

We chatted on the way to the workshop, I asked him what he had been doing, and he mumbled something that he had to make for the church. 

It was the same story he told me last week when he showed me the laid up slab that he planned to cut up to make the piece. From what he said I did expect some progress, but when we opened the door, the slab was in the exact same state as last week.

I tried to urge him on by offering to help him cut it up, but he said that he had people coming to help tomorrow.

We then got on with my project, the pieces that I glued up last week looked good, and I was excited to get on and do the next part.

By the time we finished I did lay up the next pieces, and probably next week the slabs should be finished.

The wind was whistling around the windows, and the clouds were full of rain, mmm, only a few weeks ago we were complaining about the lack of rain, now there’s plenty of it.

20th October 2025

On the way to our shopping experience, we drove to an address that Kelli had found who were giving away loads, and I mean loads of solid flooring strips. They were stacked up in an old barn, apparently the husband was a contractor who acquired them from a house they were refurbishing. 

We had planned to put a solid floor in the sunroom, but that would have cost a few thousand dollars, but this was an amazing find.

We agreed to take the lot, but first we have to make room in the garage.

We did all our usual shopping, and then I had to go to Menards to find out why I hadn’t had my refund for the fence panels that were crap.

I found a suitable manager, I explained the problem, she went to check the returns.

After a while she came back, no paperwork was found. Several phone calls later, there was not documentation anywhere, however, she made the executive decision to reimburse me the cost of the old fence panels plus the tax.

I did some finishing touches to the fence, then the buyer of the buffet arrived to collect and pay the balance due.

I then started to tackle the CD/DVD drive mechanism, the shutter doors were a bit stiff, so with the aid of YouTube, I started to remove the shutter assembly. There were a total of five screws, four were the smallest I’ve seen, but I managed to remove them all. 

I thought the assembly would then pull out, but no. Of course the video did not explain just how difficult it was. There were two posts moulded to the assembly that were a tight fit in a metal bracket. With extreme force I managed to dislodge them. I did a small modification to the plastic webs, and then refitted it. However trying to refit the micro screws were difficult, so rather than get stressed out, I decided to tackle it another day.

19th October 2025

There was a lot of rain overnight, and it was still coming down in the morning, just like a typical day in England, I felt at home.

There was no plans to do anything today anyway, although I put another coat of finish on the top of the buffet. Kelli had a message from the prospective buyer, that they had a flood in their basement and wouldn’t be driving down to view it. Kelli took that to mean that they would pass on the piece, however another person popped up and paid half, phew!

I spent the morning trolling the internet for clues to why I could not get WiFi or Bluetooth on the new computer.

Everything I could find out on the internet did not help me define what the issue was.

The machine itself has been well designed with sliding cards and hard drives, so the whole of the insides can be easily stripped down.

After about the twentieth video I struck gold.

I took off the side panel and noticed a few wires with numbers on them, at the time I did not know what they were, but the video cleared that up.

The WiFi and Bluetooth board was missing, the numbered wires were the ariels. I sent off a message to the seller asking if he had a board that I could have, I was polite, after all it should have been fitted when I bought it.

I will wait to see if he responds.

It was a relief to find that out, I’m sure fitting it should be simple, after all the video itself was only two and a half minutes long.

Being Sunday it was Goodwill day, so hoping to find some reasonable priced furniture, we set off for the north side. 

It was obviously the Mexican family outing day, young children were wizzing about on scooters and generally being annoying.

There were no furniture pieces there, well there was a horrible dresser painted in black gloss paint, priced at twenty five dollars, not money I wanted to spend, so there it sits.

We had our weekly ice cream fix at Kelli’s mums, and then came home, exhausted.

I think I’m getting acclimatised for winter, I have trouble keeping awake in the evenings, it must be an age thing.