Built us a Shed

Willice decided that we need a deep freezer.  We don't have any room in the house, so I decided that the best option was to get a Shed Kit and built it on the concrete parking pad beside the house - that we never use to park on.
We ordered the Majestic shed kit from Home Depot.  I went a got some more 2x4s after it came in to reenforce the floor a little bit.  The kit arrived on a flatbed truck and I tore into it immediately.

I got the foundation set up and leveled, with some help from George.  I quickly decided that it was better to work in the shade.  I used the canopy that I bought for taking to Thunder Ridge Motorcycle Rally.

Sweet relief from the blazing sun!!

The foundation plan called for 2' centers.  I added a few 2x4s and came up with something a bit off... but stronger.  The ones in the picture above are not screwed in, just laid out. 

Leveling was a bit interesting.

The plan called for having one 2x4 on this joint.  I bought the steel plate and make it two 2x4s for a stronger foundation.  There were two such joints, one on each side.  The shed is 12' long and they used 1 8' 2x4 and a 4' 2x4 to make the span instead of one 12' - because it all had to fit nicely onto the pallet.

The Floor coming together.  The shed kit didn't include the flooring, just the floor frame, so I went for a very sturdy floor!

Sawing, screwing, hammering, cutting, sweeping.  It gets exhausting.

Floor is done and the walls are coming together!  Well, I'm building the walls.  George is helping after the first wall.  Really need two people to lift if without breaking something.  The lumber is 2x3 and warped.  The walls also have the joint like the floor did, but I couldn't find a good way to make it sturdier.  I don't think I'd find a good 12' 2x3.

One wall flipped over and one wall laid out.

George checking out our progress.

I'm tired and those walls are flimsy.

The loft frame helps me feel better about the walls not falling outward.

All four walls are up and the roof is on.  With warped wood, Square is just a theory.

For all the warping, the only problem area on the roof is quite small.

I haven't been able to get the shingles yet, so the roof is tarp'd.  We are wanting to match the new shingles on the house and those are from Lowes, so we have to get the money and then go all the way across the county to pick them up.

The windows and the wrap-around shelf.

The Work-bench has already proven useful.

I have wired up two power outlets, two switch-controlled power outlets to run the lights and a switch for the soon-to-be mounted outside motion detection flood light.  Now I have to get an electrician to hook up the power.  Well, make sure that I haven't gotten something messed up, then connect the power.

Windows 8 Network Connection

So, I just updated my workstation to Windows 8.  We have a SAN - well, it was a SAN now its a NAS, but we still use the old name to get to everything since that was easier than changing every shortcut that went to it.

Anyway!  I could not get to our SAN - or very many network computers - after I finished my update.

The Solution - which I could not find and hopefully you have - is setting a registry value and adding a DWord value.  As below:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanWorkstation\Parameters]
"ServiceDllUnloadOnStop"=dword:00000001
"RequireSecuritySignature"=dword:00000000
"EnableSecuritySignature"=dword:00000001
"EnablePlainTextPassword"=dword:00000000
"OtherDomains"=hex(7):37,00,00,00
"RequireSecureNegotiate"=dword:00000000

Edit the Other Domains value to be 7
Add "RequireSecureNegotiate" and it should default to 0 (zero).

That fixes it all.

While we are on the subject of Windows 8 - some have complained that they can't run File Explorer as an admin.  Here is the fix for that :

Create new shortcut on the desktop...  right click in an open area and  select "new" and select "shortcut."

For the location, type "explorer.exe" and click "Next."

Type a name in - like "File Explorer (Admin)" and click "Finish."

Right click on the new shortcut and select "properties."  Click "Advanced."

Put a check mark in "run as administrator" and click "OK" until you are back at the desktop.

Presto! You can now browse as an admin!

Riding the Natchez Trace - The Plan

Sometime soon, I plan to ride the entire Natchez Trace and back.  The trip will take three days.

Well, one evening to get down to Natchez and camp, one day to get to the end of the Trace and backtrack to camp and one day to ride home via the Trace.



View Natchez Trace Ride in a larger map
This will be a good test for my packing skills and camping endurance for The Oregon Trail ride in 2014.

The trip will be 125 miles on the first evening to get to the campground in Vidalia, LA, then 494 miles on the Trace itself for day 2, which includes 50 miles of backtracking to get to the Fall Hollow campsite for the night.  That should make for 8 to 9 hours of riding time, plus stops for gas and food along the way.  The last day will be an easy 320 something miles home - via my grandmother's house for a quick visit.

There is an article in Rider Magazine about a similar trip - only they stopped in Tupelo for the night.
I look forward to taking some photos and posting the trip blog!

Anyone want to join me?

Definitions!

Saw this in a comment on a gun site:

"Definition of a Democrat: Never let a good tragedy go to waste when it comes to the CORRUPT and SUBVERSIVE agenda of our SOCIALIST party."

I though I would add a few:

Definition of a Republican: Never let a good tragedy (we probably orchestrated) go to waste as long as there is profit to be had and benefit to the corrupt and cruel agenda of our FASCIST party.

Definition of a Liberal: Everyone has a right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness - right up until it infringes on someone else's rights to the same.

Definition of a Conservative: I have the right to do anything I want to do no matter who else gets hurt, screw everyone else.  It is my right to oppress anyone I am able to and the right of my corporate masters to oppress me any way they so desire!

Why I am so Weird

My wife and I have been trying to figure out why I am different - because I am very different.

Asperger's Syndrome has been proposed.

• Not pick up on social cues and may lack inborn social skills, such as being able to read others' body language, start or maintain a conversation, and take turns talking. (Check!)
• Dislike any changes in routines. ( eh, maybe.  Change in plans throws me for a loop )
• Appear to lack empathy. (Check!)
• Be unable to recognize subtle differences in speech tone, pitch, and accent that alter the meaning of others? speech. So your child may not understand a joke or may take a sarcastic comment literally. And his or her speech may be flat and hard to understand because it lacks tone, pitch, and accent. (Check!!)
• Have a formal style of speaking that is advanced for his or her age. For example, the child may use the word "beckon" instead of "call" or the word "return" instead of "come back."( Sometimes... )
• Avoid eye contact or stare at others. (Check)
• Have unusual facial expressions or postures. ( Oh, hell yes!  People can't read me!! At least not correctly! )
• Be preoccupied with only one or few interests, which he or she may be very knowledgeable about. Many children with Asperger's syndrome are overly interested in parts of a whole or in unusual activities, such as designing houses, drawing highly detailed scenes, or studying astronomy. They may show an unusual interest in certain topics such as snakes, names of stars, or dinosaurs. ( Uhm?? Nah. Well, maybe. ?)
• Talk a lot, usually about a favorite subject. One-sided conversations are common. Internal thoughts are often verbalized. ( Nope.  External thoughts are often internalized... I don't talk a lot, even when I should. And sometimes I don't use the right words.  Speaking is hard.)
• Have delayed motor development. Your child may be late in learning to use a fork or spoon, ride a bike, or catch a ball. He or she may have an awkward walk. Handwriting is often poor. ( Nah, I'm an excellent writer! )
• Have heightened sensitivity and become overstimulated by loud noises, lights, or strong tastes or textures. ( YES, YES, YES! - We were investigating CAPD! )

"Although most teens place emphasis on being and looking "cool," teens with Asperger's may find it frustrating and emotionally draining to try to fit in." (Check!) "They may be immature for their age and be naive and too trusting, which can lead to teasing and bullying." (Check!)

"Teens with Asperger's are typically uninterested in following social norms, fads, or conventional thinking, allowing creative thinking and the pursuit of original interests and goals." (Check!) "Their preference for rules and honesty may lead them to excel in the classroom and as citizens."  (Awww... thanks!)

I miss a lot of social ques.  I noticed this first a few years ago when it was pointed out to me that I can not tell when a woman is flirting with me.  I've learned a bit since then, but still find it hard to tell.  There are certainly other things I miss.  I have a lot of trouble starting or maintaining a conversation.  I tend to present facts and stop talking.  I don't venture to ask about someone else's personal life and usually don't offer details of mine.  Sometimes when in a discussion, I will relate personal experience that are similar to the other person's.  I suppose I can be hard to talk to as well, as I don't respond appropriately to conversation prompts.  Of course, when talking, I prefer to take turns talking.  People tend to just talk over me, which is another reason I don't engage in group discussions often or very well.  I guess I try to let others finish, then talk, but people 'break' in the order of talking, so I shut up.

Making eye contact is creepy.  Just saying.  :)  I'm not too fond of being touched either.  Hugs, handshakes and stuff are cool, but lingering touch, not so much.  Its hard to explain.  Maybe not... touch is intimate, so only for a select few? Yeah, hard to explain.

The facial expressions is one that really irritates the hell out of me.  People ask me a question and I go to think about it and they jump back like I'm about to kill them.  I can only assume that my thoughtful or quizzical expression appears to be a murderous rage expression.  My murderous rage expression is apparently a blank look devoid of any emotion at all.  My mad expression looks like surprise.  Not sure what my surprise expression looks like.

All of this combines to where I will warn people, "do not try to manipulate me."  People trying to manipulate me, even without me being aware of their intentions, usually get the opposite of what they were going for.  I can only guess that I don't respond to normal manipulations as they expect - because I don't pick up on ques and I don't think normally.  Being honest and forthcoming is the easiest way to 'deal' with me.  Okay, maybe "Blatant" and "Specific" would be more accurate.

Still, it is all conjecture as I have no diagnosis.  I don't want to spend the money on finding out which issues that I have.  LOL!!

My issues cause some problems at work.  People don't know how to take me, so often they are upset and don't like me for totally inaccurate assumptions on their part.  I do hold some anger and frustration because the apparent fix is for me to constantly put on an act and change my facial expressions to fit with social norms and alter my speech patterns - which apparently are all 'easy' fixes.  But being 'in character' for 8 hours a day and switching to that character at a moment's notice are all just too much to deal with.  I've made efforts and I would love some effort in return.

Programming with VB needs an AutoIT3 helper!

So, I've got this code that goes out and checks on the timestamps of some files that are important to the BMC Bladelogic Client Administration (formerly Marimba) Tuner (aka Agent) on the endpoints.

Checking from a central location out to a couple thousand computers, the Visual Basic .NET (written using Visual Studio Express 2012) can't be trusted to get the latest time stamp.  I wrote the following function and this issue arises specifically when using the Mod.

    Shared Function GetFileInfo(ByVal ComputerName As String, _
                ByVal FiletoFind As String, info As String)        
        Dim Ret As String = ""
        Dim targetfile = "\\" & ComputerName & "\" & FiletoFind
        Dim fi As FileInfo = New FileInfo(targetfile)
        If fi.Exists Then
            fi.Refresh()
            Select Case info
                Case Is = "Exists"
                    Ret = fi.Exists.ToString
                Case Is = "Delete"
                    fi.Delete()
                    Ret = fi.Exists.ToString
                Case Is = "Created"
                    Ret = fi.CreationTime.ToString("MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss tt")
                Case Is = "Access"
                    Ret = fi.LastAccessTime.ToString("MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss tt")
                Case Is = "Mod"
                    Ret = fi.LastWriteTime.ToString("MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss tt")
            End Select
        Else
            Ret = "File Not Found"
        End If

        Ret = Ret.Replace(vbCrLf, "")
        Ret = Ret.Replace(vbCr, "")

        Return Ret

    End Function

So, it should be no problem, right?  Wrong.  Even with the fi.Refresh() in there, it still brings back an outdated time stamp.  You could go to Windows Explorer and UNC to the remote computer, browse to the file and right-click, bring up the properties and see the correct time stamp.  Oddly enough, after you do THAT, the above function gets the right time stamp!  Sometimes the difference between the two can be days!

So, I went to AutoIT3 and ... okay, I already had the code to check the files I wanted...

Func _FileTimeStamp($path)
    Dim $file,$astamp
    $file = $path
    $astamp = FileGetTime($file, 0, 0)
    If IsArray($astamp) Then
        $stamp = $astamp[1] & "/" & $astamp[2] & "/" & $astamp[0] & " " & _
                $astamp[3] & ":" & $astamp[4]
    ElseIf $astamp = 0 Then
        $stamp = "file not Found"
    Else
        $stamp = 0
    EndIf
    Return $stamp
EndFunc   ;==>_FileTimeStamp

The AutoIT3 code gets the right time stamp and makes the VB accessed 'ghost data' update. 

The reason to get the time stamps is to make sure that the Tuner is functioning as expected.  Too often, it is not.  So, WHEN a Tuner has an outdated channel, I wrote a little function to go through a little process that usually fixes the problem.

Private Sub UpdateChannelFix()
        Dim runchannel As String = TunerPath.Replace("Tuner.exe", "Runchannel.exe")
        Dim Procedure(5) As String
        Procedure(0) = "Tuner,-stop http://MyBMCServer.Mycompany.local:5282/Marimba/Current/PatchService"
        Procedure(1) = "Tuner,-stop http://MyBMCServer.Mycompany.local:5282/Marimba/Current/InventoryService"
        Procedure(2) = "Runchannel,-subscribe http://MyBMCServer.Mycompany.local:5282/Marimba/Current/PatchService -reset"
        Procedure(3) = "Runchannel,-subscribe -update http://MyBMCServer.Mycompany.local:5282/Marimba/Current/InfrastructureService"
        Procedure(4) = "Runchannel,-subscribe -update http://MyBMCServer.Mycompany.local:5282/Marimba/Current/InventoryService"
        Procedure(5) = "Runchannel,-subscribe -update http://MyBMCServer.Mycompany.local:5282/Marimba/Current/SubscriptionService"
        For Each pStep As String In Procedure
            Dim rp As Process = New Process
            Dim rpi As ProcessStartInfo = New ProcessStartInfo
            Dim parts = Split(pStep, ",")
            Dim mExe As String = parts(0)
            Dim mCmd As String = parts(1)
            rpi.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden
            If mExe = "Tuner" Then
                rpi.FileName = TunerPath
            Else
                rpi.FileName = runchannel
            End If
            rpi.Arguments = mCmd
            rp.StartInfo = rpi
            Try
                rp.Start()
                rp.WaitForExit()
            Catch ex As Exception
                ' oops, nevermind - will catch it in examination
                AlertText = AlertText & vbCrLf & mExe & " " & mCmd & _
                    " <-- Failed to run"
            End Try
        Next
    End Sub

The program finds the path to Tuner.exe by looking in the registry for the Application entry.  Using that, the function uses Tuner.exe to stop the Patch and Inventory channels, which can sometimes get stuck in a running state and cause issues.  Then, it uses the Runchannel.exe program in the same folder to do a reset on the Patch channel.  The -subscribe makes sure that if the channel is not present, it will install it.  Then it updates or subscribes and runs the Infrastructure, Inventory and Subscription channels.  Running the Inventory channel will usually run the Patch channel as well.

Cool, huh?!? :)

Equipment I Need for the Long Motorcycle Trip

Note: I've updated the map with planned places to tent-camp for the night.  Next step in the map-making department is adding planned Gas stops and Food.

I have a Sissy Bar and luggage rack with a roll bag.  I have a standard tent ( I have to repair the poles on it ) and a sleeping bag.  I have a clothes roll.

Still, there are a few items that I feel that I really need before I make the almost 6,000 mile loop.

The first thing I need is a good seat.  I am looking at getting the Comfort Max Gel Jumbo Seat Pad. $114.95, sheep skin cover.  The AMA rider testing seemed to like it well enough.  I won't be doing any 'high spirited riding.'

The second thing I need is some Highway Pegs - without Highway Bars.  For this, I am looking at Comfort Ride Zone's peg support.  $74.99. I'll need to find some male mount pegs to go with them, but that should not be too hard.

The third thing I need is a way to charge my cell phone while on the go.  It could be a solar charger or a battery-connected usb charger for the motorcycle.  If I get a Tank Bag, then there is a charger for use with a tank bag or saddle bag.

The last thing that I really, really need is a good rain suit.  I think I want the blue Rev'It Pacific H20 Rainsuit. $119.99  Maybe the Frogg Toggs?  I just want to stay dry.  Another possibility is to spray my existing rain suit - which leaks like crazy - with the tent-waterproofing stuff.  Maybe some tape along the seams to help repel water.

In addition to the things that I really must have for the trip, there are some things that I really want to have!

I kind of want to have a different sleeping arrangement.  Sleeping on the ground, even with a sleeping bag, can be rough.  What I would like, is an Explorer Deluxe from Hennessy Hammock.

One of the things that I want to get out of this trip is the memories.  I already have a nice DSLR camera and a couple lenses.  What would be great would be to have video!  The Drift HD would be a great camera to capture the ride with.

Saddlebags ( check out vikingbags.com ) would be very useful on such a long trip.  A sleeping pad for the tent would make it a lot more comfortable, if I don't get a Hammock to sleep in.  A Rider backrest might be nice to have on a long trip.