Lights! Camera! BRAKES!

 What a busy week!   I had to go back in time and reread my old posts to see what I covered in my adventurous life!  The Haribo thing kind of stepped up in priority,   but I have honestly been busy with other things while NOT at work.   Things I hinted at in  my last post.   So now..on this Sunday evening,  I finally have time to catalog those events and achievements for my future self....  When I am in a home.   And can't remember who I am or what I'm doing.  

"Hey!  Mr. Allen... Why don't you read this cool blog about yourself?"   Maybe it will help me when the Alzheimer's kicks in...

So let's get to it....

Sometime this week,  I replaced all of the lights in the Garage.   There was a sale at Menhards and I simply could not resist!  Not to mention that the lights that were wired up looked TERRIBLE!   And probably posed a fire hazard.  ( eventually....)  So I ripped out all of the old wires and set up a single outlet for the lights to plug into .   The beauty of the lights are that they are LED and far brighter than the old ones. ( Flicker flicker....  Humm Hummmmmmm!)  And they can be linked up to 4 lights.   They simply plug into each other.  (up to four units!)   So after wiring up a single outlet to the breaker box,  I just had to set  up  a chain of lights in the former pattern.  

With the new lights up,  I was able to tear down the old ones!  Along with all of that CRAZY wiring that the previous owner set up.  I have to say,  many of the junction boxes looked like a disaster waiting to happen!   Now it is all down and cleaned up.  I was able to recover several yards of wire and have already been able to recycle some of it!   

Plus,  it all looks so much cleaner....

I also spent either Wednesday or Thursday hooking up the flood lights on the top of the Garage!  I tapped into the previous switch  circuit and attached a new switch.   It was helpful being able to look at my brother's work to figure out the best way to hook things up.   I think he would be proud!  

And best of all,   I now have the ability to light up my small backyard with light!   No more missing black cat in the dark!  ( Just kidding,  she does not go far when she is outside. )  

I worked Saturday to help clean things up at Haribo.   So that was pretty much all I accomplished.   But today,  I focused on repairing the brakes on the Silver Eagle Subaru!

 I have done brakes before with the Silver Bullet Subie.  I even did work on the Bean Subie.   But each time, I seem to learn something new.    That being said,  I have certainly gained confidence and tackled more and more each time.  The last time I actually put in a Caliper on Dave's KIA.  

So the Silver Eagle has been "wobbling" each time I press the brakes lately.   I purchased pads and rotors, but did not really get the opportunity to put them both on.   I think I had a small window last week so I just put on the pads.     While I was down there, I noticed that the old brake pads were not really that bad!   And upon telling a former mechanic, he mentioned it sounded like warped rotors.   I told him I would probably swap them out this weekend.  

And so that day was today.   Experience had taught me to be prepared for anything.   Including a broken bolt on the Caliper Bracket!   Therefore, I ordered new Brackets,  New Hardware (Bolts, etc) and since they were cheaper as a combo,  I ordered new Calipers for both sides!   The slide pins were seized up pretty good, and I simply did not want to deal with them.  ( not to mention I did not have the time or possibly the tools to deal with them....)  

So,  New pads, Rotors, Bolts, Brackets, and Rotors!   I even picked up some extra brake fluid, anti-seize,  and penetrating oil to round things out.  I was prepared for anything except a broken hydraulic line. 

I watched several videos just to refresh my mind and then started.   Every thing went surprisingly easy.  Granted, I was slow and methodical.   This was the first time changing out the Calipers on a Subaru, but it was pretty easy.   The only thing I would say was that I learned that it is best to leave the caliper swap for last.   I accidentally got brake fluid all over the place because I detached the brake line too early.   It just kept dumping out by drips.   I think  with Dave's KIA,  I clamped the brake line so there was not much of a mess.   But the You-tubers told me there was a chance that that could damage the line.   

Sooo... I chose to not clamp the hose.   Looking back, I think clamping the hose was probably a better choice.   Even doing a quick caliper swap near the end of the job on the other wheel still resulted in a mess.    BUT... I did not have a replacement hose.   So better to be safe and messy then sorry and stranded!

So everything looked good.   I even torqued down the bolts to the right specs.  I applied anti-seize to the bolts and calipers.   Everything buttoned up nice and easy.   And it only took 4 hours! ( I told you I was slow but cautious!   I was on my own here!) Time to fire things up!

And that is when I ran into a bit of a hiccup.   I have never had to "bleed the brakes" before.   So that was kind of a new thing when I stepped on the brakes and they went all the way to the floor without engaging!  Ummm....  Opps!  

Panic set in like a splash of cold water in the face!  My mind began to spin out of control with all the worst case scenarios  that would result in my having to  call a tow truck and missing a day of work because I could not get there.   Or having the brakes fail at a busy intersection!   Or having the Mechanics LAUGH AT ME for trying such an easy job as a DIYer and failing something so obvious....

Deep breath.   Go back online and find a  video about bleeding brakes.  How hard can it be?  

Well..  Funny thing.   All of the videos. (ALL OF THEM!@!!!!!)  suggested tools or special equipment in the event you were doing your brakes solo.  I don't have those tools.   I can't GET those tools... Now that my brakes are not working and I am stranded at home on a Sunday evening.  As Darkness settled in, I began to panic again.   

This is that moment where you pray.   Asking God to forgive you for believing you can do something so simple alone.   Not really alone!   (Not counting all of the online help and videos...) And asking him to help you figure things out.  To be the Spirit in your In-Spirit-ation.

The easiest, simplest, and cheapest videos I found wanted me to use a bottle and a rubber hose to get the air bubbles out of the line.   I might be able to find a Bottle.... But I would never find a small rubber hose!    

Then I remembered Andy ( my old brother in-law... And Subie Mechanic.) and he just opened the bleeder valve  and pressed the brake until the fluid sprayed out!   I followed his lead.

Remove tire. ( again.)  10 mm wrench to loosen the bleeder valve.  Get in car and press the brake two times.....  Get out and see if any brake fluid is being sprayed out. ( it was!)   Tighten up the valve....  Rinse and repeat on the diver's side. 

It Worked!   Hallelujah!  Don't think I skipped out on thanking God for the help.  Not only had he provided a beautiful day,  the tools,  the former experiences,  a FLOOD LIGHT to help illuminate the area, but he also provided that memory of watching how a Pro did it.  And having it work out.  

I took the car for a spin around the neighborhood to the local Kwik Trip.  There was plenty of stopping and starting, so I am now confident that I got the bubbles out of the line and things are as they should be.   PLUS I noticed that the shimmying is no longer there.   I must have solved the original problem with all the effort I put in today.  

Hopefully I did things just in time before any snow flies.   I hear we are scheduled to have a couple more nice days this week, but we have already had frost here in Kenosha.  My Morning Glories are now wilted and gone.  I will have to harvest some of those seeds before I clean out that area for next year.   And I'm sure snow will be on its way in no time.  

But I managed to get my project(s) finished and still found some time to blog about it.   I have a couple other projects in the works for next week, but we shall see how far I get on them.   Looking back, I somehow managed to finish a lot of stuff the last week.   Wiring up those outlets looks several hours, but now I have the ability to plug in power tools and work inside if I so desire.  And the new lights are awesome!   Both the interior and the Exerior ones!   I guess I will continue to work on the garage until the weather turns and forces me into the warmth of the house.   Until then I will do my best to make every second count. 

Adventures In Haribo!

 This week has felt more like we were Coal Miners rather than manufacturers of Candy.  And by that comparison I'm referring to the moment a Cave-in happens!    This week has been a week of "survival!" 

There are a number of factors that play into this comparison.   First,   We have been doing a LOT of production.  (96 tons the other day in our shift alone!... That's HUGE!)   And that would be fine... If everything that was automated worked as it should.

The AGV's ( Robot Fork Trucks), the Passerella, (The giant conveyer system that moves finished goods to the warehouse.)  And the Production lines have all had their issues.   But that is typical and normal.  And that is why the Material Handlers are there.  We fix the things that are stuck or stalled to keep the materials moving.  

But then there is the new line for the Mini's that was installed a few months ago.  It is finally operational.   And it works!    Way WAY too Well!   It is virtually impossible for us to keep up with the thing.  Whether it is to feed the front with boxes, totes, and pallets or to remove the finished bin goods from the back....  We need to dedicate a single material handler to grab the pallets from the back and take them to the scale... weigh them!  Then take them to the Passerella, Maxi line, or trailer parked at the docks.  Since the line started up,  it has actually taken TWO material handlers to keep things moving.  

And even THAT is not so bad.   Since they have added one of the "Back up" material handlers to our struggle. (Gabe or Dillon.)   Along with Patrick and sometimes Anthony ( Lead and Supervisor) jumping on to help out with breaks and "catch-ups"),  we have been able to keep our heads above water...

But the real issue this last week has come from the warehouse.   We filled it!   And now THEY are struggling to find room for stuff.   Add in that they have been short handed for a couple weeks now. ( Only three guys when there should be six!)  And you have a disaster!  

The trouble is they can not clear the passerella fast enough.  ( similar to our problem with the Mini's)  And as a result, the pallets back up.   So our side of the plant backs up.  So we have to find room for storage in a place that is crammed with production lines instead of storage lanes or racking!   

So things become crowded.  Pathways blocked.  Staging areas cluttered!  And ultimately,  normal production and SOP's become delayed or grind to a halt.   This makes for some fun moments for the Material Handlers!  To go back to the Coal Mine Analogy:  It feels like we are trying to dig ourselves out of a Tunnel Collapse using only a Spoon!

All that being said, it is moments like these that create those "Bonding Moments" for our second shift Team.  (I'll lump in third shift,   those guys work well together too!)  Just like those times in the Army...  Where the rain and cold and mud and shared Misery made us all closer and linked.   Shared Misery!   Sgt Dodge used to say our times in the field were: "Practice being Miserable!"   So when (or if) we went to war,  it would not be a huge shock.  

So finishing this post,  I will say that it DOES feel like we have went to war this week.  (Figuratively speaking....)   War with the Warehouse, ( Not really, those guys are working hard!) War with the Systems, (Kind of... We are still following protocols and safety practices.) And mostly:  War with the Gummies!   Those gummies never stop!   The upstairs Mogel guys dump 96 TONS of gummies on us and are happy to see them all go down the Ash System.   "Bye Bye Gummies!  Now you are Packaging's Problem!"  

And we have to juggle 96+TONS of gummies while the Warehouse sorts out their storage issues and employee retention problems.   Trying to load trucks for Sam's Club and Walmart when there are not enough trucks or people to load those trucks. 

And finally there is US!  The Material Handlers!  Stuck in the middle trying to keep everything running.   Pulling boxes and pallets off the Passerelle (When we finally get them...)  to bring to the lines,   while also trying to fill the Passerelle with finished goods that we have pulled off the lines. 

 Like the Blood in a circulatory system....  Trying to keep the oxygen moving while exchanging it for the CO2 that has to be removed.   All while struggling to flow through the narrow capillaries of the Body.  (That become more and more clogged as we age!)   Perhaps I should try to get back in shape!

Just my morning thoughts before I head back to work for this last day of a challenging week.  (Not true!  I work tomorrow as well!) There are other things that I wanted to blog about, but felt like this one had to get down before the week was over.  I can always blog about the "other things"  this weekend.   In the mean time,   I will continue the struggle!  Fight the good Fight!  And do my best to make every second count. 

Adventures In Garage Door Opening

 Today, I finished installing my garage door opener!   Hooray! 

A task that most people can complete in a single afternoon,  took ME an entire week to finish!   

Wanna know my secret?   

Well.  Lets get to it! 

First... I want to qualify the fact that time was a valued commodity for me.   I only had a few hours each day to work on the project.   ( 2-3 hours to be exact)   So don't be thinking that I'm some brain-dead monkey with a hammer and a bag of Cheetos.  I did what I could with the time that was allotted. 

First thing I had to do was get the actual unit up and connected.   I did that on day one.  ( Monday!)  I lucked out in having the day off because I went to Michigan for the funeral, and I happened to have that day off because I thought I would take a travel day in reserve.   Anyway,  I was able to contribute several hours to installing the unit. 

But then I ran into a small problem.  The instructions tell you to measure to the "largest height of the garage door."  kind of vague...   All of the videos mention this as well without any clarity on just where I should be measuring.  I measures and thought I had the proper height all lined up.  

Guess what...   I measured wrong.  

The proper height is actually 2-3 inched MORE than what you think will be the top most height of the garage door.    So some adjustments had to be made. 

Luckily, not much.  I thought I could squeak by with cutting a small notch in the 2x4 that was blocking the belt trolly.  But I discovered that that would probably cause it to become structurally unsound over time.    And I also discovered that by giving support to the 2x4s with a short lifter board,  I could avoid cutting a 2 inch notch out of each support.  That little revelation took a day...

With the  unit installed, I had to set up the wiring for the safety features.   This took an additional day to complete.   You might not thing that it would be that difficult, but there are wiring paths that have to be considered.  And then there is the aesthetic to the whole thing.  ( I want it to look good!)   So.. on Thursday, I finished the on/off button and safety sensors that mark the edge of the garage door.  

And then it was time for the wiring.  I had to get power to the short power cable that is provided.   I guess most modern houses have a random power outlet in the roof of their garage?  Well mine didn't!  

So I had to wire up something.  ( Electricity 101 Recap!) Did I mention that this caused a number of other things that had to be done prior to the set up?  Oh yes!  

My brother and I managed to get power to the garage and lights.   However....  I discovered that many of the "pre set lights:" were disastrously set up  ( this coming from someone that is a first year apprentice electrician....) Sure, I  might have passed Electricity 201.... But even I know when things are not as they should be. 

All of these wires coming out of the junction box with no where to go.  I spent an afternoon sorting out things and eliminating the redundancies.  In the end I got down from 8 wires to 3.   And I think I will reduce that even more at a later date!

With the wiring set up and unit installed.  I had to run power to the drive motor.  I had just enough cable from the previous job to set up an single double outlet near the ceiling.  I ran the wire to the breaker box and hooked it up on a single circuit.

All things pointed to success!  But I still had to program the unit to the door  max height and close.  Time to read the instructions!

A simple task.   And eventually I got everything to work.   I even programmed the Remote!.  Time for celebration!  

It is true that I may have celebrated a little early ... But I think  few beers are called for when a project that was a week in the making is finally completed.   That means that any follow up tasks are now in question...   And I probably should double check any thing that I took on after.  ( I say this knowing that I am inebriated enough to know that I am compromised  in any decision making that may follow....) 

So the garage door opener works!   WooHoo!   Something that seems so routine and ordinary.   And that got me to thinking....

Why is it that we live in a world now where things like garage door openers are taken for granted?   Has anyone really stopped and thought of the awesome technology that  goes into such a thing...  You push a button and your garage door opens up.   You can even do it from your car?   No wires!  Amazing!  

And if the item breaks and faults... you get mad.   Why!?   The entire thing is already Magic!  And you are upset because it no longer works.  Just how far have we fallen to become so  dependant on simple things that no one knows how to repair or replace?   Wat would happen to these people in they were thrown into a situation where they had to revert back to basic shelter and survival knowledge?   Can they build a fire?   Build a shelter?  Cook basic food?

Every task and skill I acquire from this "University of Home Ownership"  is one I will treasure.   Not only does it give me something to blog about,  but it also gives me basic knowledge that I think is in short supply these days.  

The rest of the night was spent cleaning and organizing.   I have other projects that I have to tackle,  But those are best  executed when I have a clean area and proper tools set up.  (And a bit more sober mindset....)   I am already thinking of how I want to set up my outlets  for maximum efficiency. 

So now I have to end this because the beer is effecting my typing... really bad!  I just re-read it and there are a LOT of spelling mistakes.    So.. I best call it for the night and prepare for tomorrow.   And try to make every second count,  

The Passing Of Time...

 Earlier this month,  Mrs Noorman Died.  She was the Mother of my best childhood friends.   Mark and David lived right behind us and we did everything together with them.   

EVERYTHING!  

Fishing,  Camping, Hunting, Midnight Movies,  Vaccations,   Etc.   They were all in my wedding!  These guys  and their cousins ( Eddie and Joe Arnold.) were an extention of the family and like a second set of brothers to us.  

 And as a result,  their parents were like a second set of parents for us.  Mrs Noorman,  ( I always called her Mrs Noorman.... Eric sometimes called her "Second Mom")   Would drive us to the cabin up north and we would fish and help David and Mark clear their yard of ferns and brush.   She would get mad when we stayed out too late fishing and when we chopped down trees that she was planning on cultivationg.   In short,  She was family. 

And when I learned that they were having a "rememberance event" this weekend,  I was torn.   I personally do not like funerals much.  And there are many reasons why...  But probably not what you may think.   I would sum it up as I think Funerals should be Happy Times in celebration of a life.  

 No matter how short or tragic the circumstances,  Life is precious and should be celebrated.   And what better time then at the end.   The living must go on.   The Sun Sets.  The curtain drops; and the story ends for that person.  (And being a Christian, I believe death is not even the real "end."....   But I digress...) 

All day Saturday,  I wrestled with the thought of attending.   I can not explain why.  (As mentioned before,  I do not like funerals....)  But maybe it was because I have not seen the Noormans in years.   About 25 years to be "specific!"  The last time I saw Mark was in Grand Haven Michigan and he had stopped in at Meijers for some camping equipment.   His two daughters were still in car seats!  

And David,   I think he might have stopped in briefly to the Property in Kaleva duing hunting season.  I can not remember the year.... But it was a Long time ago.   

And so the thought kept bugging me on how I could pull off my only free day to travel to Michigan and try to catch up with my extended childhood family.  I mentioned it to my boss just before leaving on Saturday and he suggested I should go.  (I love Haribo!)  He would approve the time off request and I could have Monday off for travel and rest if needed.   So now there were no barriers.  And no excuses....

There is not much you can do in three short hours to catch up the missing  30 years...  But we did our best.  It helps that Mark occasionally posts stuff on Facebook... So I have a vague idea of what the family is up to.   And it helps when  visiting with Ed and Uncle Bill a couple times a year while visitng my brother.  They usually fill me in with a few details of the Noorman Clan.  

Looking at all of those pictures of  Mrs Noorman and Mr Noorman as they met, married, and built a life together,   I was struck with a few moments of Clarity.  (Some of those pics were actually taken in Our House back when we were still kids!)  Mrs Noorman was not very well off those last few years. 

 Mr Noorman literally died trying to hide her condtion from the kids...  ( So they would not worry.)  And she apparently did not even know that Mr Noorman was gone after going to his rememberence party in the same location.   It must have been very difficult for both of them as age and dementia took its toll.  

To be married that long.   And look at the person who no longer looks like those early pictures....   And only seeing that person as you did 30, 40 ,  even 50 years ago.   Still young.  Still beautiful and alive with life.  And knowing....  That some day...  No matter how hard you try,   one of you will be leaving the other.   

And it will break your heart. 

And so it goes that now only Uncle Bill remains.  Mom, Dad, Aunt Rose, Mr Noorman, and now Mrs Noorman have all crossed over and are now regulated to our memories.   The memories of their kids and extended neighborhood kids who bothered them with questions and shenanigans.  All of those scenes of their lives are now foggy memories that live on in us.  

It was fun catching up with Dave and Tracy.  ( I introduced them to each other! ... oh so many years ago...)  And I briefly chatted with Samantha (the oldest Child of Dave and Tracy.)  If you ever read the story, you might understand that finally meeting Sam as an adult was kind of  fulfilling. 

And then  it was over, and everyone slowly faded away.  Including me.   I was one of the last people to leave,  wanting to make the moments last as long as possible.  But eventually all things have to end.   And I faded into the background along with all the others.  We mentioned that we should all get together again sometime,  but I know in reality,  the likelyhood of meeting up again will be slim.   We live of different sides of the lake.  And distance tends to dillute friendships over time.  Another leason we tend to learn as we age.  

There are many other things I wanted to blog about... But this post is long enough.   And I will finish it here.   A farewell to Mrs Noorman.   May she catch up with our other parents in that mansion in the sky.  And I will continue to try to make every second count.