Dodge Ram - New Rear Tires

Well I knew I needed new tires. But now is the time to get them. When I drove to Johnson Creek yesterday for my Doctor's appointment the truck was all over the road. It felt like a tire was going to blow. That rear passenger side tire kept going low and I was concerned it was going to blow. So I guess I have to bite the bullet and buy new tires. I was hoping I wouldn't have to till I went back to work following my knee surgery. But I don't think that's an option now.

Dani and I ran to WalMart this morning and picked up a pair of Goodyear Tracker 2 (120P), Size: LT265/75R16

I was a sucker for the sales pitch and got the Road Hazard Replacement. $15 for both tires and now after reading about it on the WalMart website, I kind of regret the purchase. It says "Repairable punctures will be repaired at no charge and tire replacements will be pro-rated based on the percent of usable tread remaining and the current Wal-Mart price". Kind of vague in their favor. So I probably won't get any use out of that. Oh well, live and learn!

Doctor Who: Matt Smith is the 11th and Youngest

Saturday was an exciting night for fans watching BBC1's documentary Doctor Who Confidential. Matt Smith was introduced in a grand unveiling as the 11th and youngest Doctor to play the role.

After much speculation that a major Hollywood player would step into the role, many hoping for the Underworld star Bill Nighy, some fans maybe disappointed with the youthful regeneration. Relatively unknown, Matt Smith has played two major roles - the literary adaptation The Ruby in the Smoke on BBC1 and Party Animals on BBC2. But David Tennant wasn't a big star either, prior to stepping into the TARDIS. It seems that big stars are reticent about joining the cast as the 900+ year old Time Lord, for fear of being locked in the role for many years, or worse yet, to become type cast.

But lets take a look at Matt. He has a youthful energy in his eyes, a love of life associated with the Doctor's outlook that quickly lends himself to the role. He has the hair for the role, that's for sure.

Smith is also personable and outgoing, which works well on screen as the extremely gregarious Doctor, and off screen when dealing with the media and a huge multinational fan base.

Smith says the next 6 months are a "time to build this Time
Lord…to learn the history of the show" and he spoke of "the sense of mischief" he got when he knew
he'd be the Doctor. His interpretation of the Doctor should be fresh and playful.

One thing is for sure, the adventures in time and space will continue!

Getting My Stitches Out

I went to Dr. Zambrano's office in Johnson Creek today to get my stitches out.



I was concerned about the swelling around my knee. But he said everything looks fine.

I'm happy to report I lost 12lbs. That makes it a total of 20lbs I've lost so far.

After visiting the Doctor, Dani and I went to the Pine Cone, had breakfast, and went grocery shopping at the Super Center.

Level 57 and Level 58

Hit levels 57 and 58 today. Discovered the Un'Goro crater, which was an interesting place.

Pale Ale - Brewmasters Log

Brewed up a Pale Ale today. Got to the brewery and found that 2/3rds the of the water in the brew kettle had boiled away. So I had to refill the kettle and wait for the temp to rise. It only took about an hour, so it was all good! The transfer went well and the only problem occurred when I had to close the brewery door after emptying the grain. Mark took care of that by fixing the lock.

Knots and Ladders - Firefighter's Log

Tonight's drills were on proper ladder techniques, knots, and safely mounting and dismounting the roof using ropes and harnesses.


Read my article "Chimney Fires, a Winter Nightmare" at MyFoxMilwaukee.com

Index of the Machinist

Quite fortunate, I have acquired the "Index of the Machinist". A rare artifact, it's dropped by the Clockwork Comparator in the Shadow Toolroom of the Bessemer Steel Works. Originally part of the mill head of Whitney's Golden Mill, it inspires improved metrology, tooling offsets, and saves against crashes and mis-loads.