Watching the world go round

a brief update and some pictures!

2008-08-21T17:48:00.000-07:00

Hi folks,
Miss Morgen is growing like the grape vines... :-) We started our vineyard this summer with four Marquette Cold hardy vines. Our plan is to one day have around 20 acres of Marquette, Sabrevois, and Mareshal Foch grapes in the ground, that *should* be enough... One step at a time though, the first one being: can we get these to grow in the MT climate...the researchers say yes and so far they are right!

It has been a busy summer on many levels. For the sake of this post, though, I'll keep it light and fluffy. Morgen has picked out herself a little bicycle and with some metal shop modifications to the training wheels she is off and rolling! Please excuse the fingerprint in the middle of these pictures....what is it about camera lenses and little fingers??!!

We spent part of the summer in VA. Unfortunately, we were rotating through a sickness and we didn't get to do much visiting with the brethren.

I will end on this note: take responsibility for your relationship with God, keep your noses in your bibles, prove all things and hold fast to what is good and true.
have a good rest of the summer, if I don't get a post in sooner!
Ryan

A little Montana winter fun!

2008-02-06T12:54:00.000-08:00

a brief update

2007-10-23T16:22:00.000-07:00

Hi folks,
We are in VA now on Emil's business trip(since August) and looks like we will be planning a trip home to MT next month. Should be back out here in January....not sure, but looks like we will miss your wedding Annette :-(

We have been doing a little touristing here and there---mainly Civil War stuff. We went to Monticello (Thos. Jefferson's estate) recently and I have added a few pictures of Miss Muffet exploring his ground... she really likes to get outside and ramble about.

I will try to post a better update soon, but for the time being I wanted to get some pictures out there. Hard to believe she is almost 1 year old. WOW.

We had your parents over last night, Annette, they were well behaved :-D
E, R and M

The weekend thus far...

2007-07-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

Call us insane, but we decided to take our teething little Morgen out for a family camping safari--with Winston and Pat (and Pat's roomate Bethany). :-)

It has been hotter than hades here in MT, so we decided to hike in Friday night around dusk. Watched the sunset and the trail became dark really quickly. Found a lovely campsite, which was even lovelier in the daylight! Spent the Sabbath playing in the creek, snoozing in the sun and reveling in the creation. Very nice.

Miss Morgen did pretty well, especially considering it was her first time on an overnight camping trip. She chewed on everything in the tent she could find (including our toes) all of the rocks and grass around the tent, and every pine cone within reach. I thought I had carefully calculated the cloth diaper/clothing situation to a tee. But somehow she kept just slightly ahead of the drying schedule... Good times and no rashes!

We hiked out Saturday night while watching the sunset. And on the trail, we saw a skunk AND a grizzly bear cub. Apparently the bear cub didn't like Emil and my loud rendition of "Southern Cross" because he moved along quickly---a good thing, btw! We didn't see the momma bear, thankfully, and I am certain she wouldn't have liked our singing either...and perhaps would have indicated so.

In other news, Morgen is crawling like a mad woman! Nothing is safe. She doesn't have teeth yet, but at 8 months her gums are all swollen and it is looking like she may have some soon. She also says "mamamamamamamamamamamaamamamamama" and "dadaadadadadadadadadaaadaaaaada" which are important things to say.

We will be heading out for VA on August 12. Looks like we will be out there on business for several months. Will have more info on that once we get out there.

Hope everyone is doing well, I posted some pictures of Morgen on Safari and our campsite view of the mountains!

Ryan

This is specifically for Risa in Ohio :-)

2007-01-31T09:22:00.000-08:00

Been a good couple of weeks. Wiggles is sleeping through the night (thank you very much)and so are Emil and I ;-) We are getting ready for a trip East in march--Josie's wedding in NC, visit the family/friends in OH, and a business stop in VA. Did a picture for WESCO and am working on another little art/animation project on the side. I rigged up my drawing table so I can work with Wiggles in her carrier.

Emil finished up the power amplifier and we will be doing further testing in the coming months (make sure the toroid isn't a fire hazard or anything!). Progress is good. We have been spending a bit of time on MacDonald Pass looking at the moon with the telescope that we built. We are now up to four telescopes and are looking at some eyepieces to really beef out our power. Anyone know anything about optics and watching stars explode?? Ok, we haven't seen a star explode, per se, but we sure keep our eyes peeled just in case... We took Morgen up to the pass last Friday night for our star gazing date and she did pretty well. We are working on a design for a cartop mounted telescope stand so we can track stars/planets and improve our steadiness in general. We have found our current setup of using the sunroof as a stand to be fairly effective. It is incredible how crisp and clean looking the moon is, how unlike my kitchen floor right now... Anyhow, we find it to be quite enjoyable and are glad that Wiggles is game for our forays to the Pass.

I hear Morgen waking up so I will have to continue this later. Hope you are all well and in good spirits. I need to do an actual post one of these days and not just pictures!
E, R and M G.

things learned in the last five weeks...

2006-12-11T17:34:00.000-08:00

1. I already knew this, but my husband is an amazing man especially when it comes to caring for his womenfolk ;-)
2. our newborn went through 120 diapers in the first three weeks, I always wondered what that figure would be.
3. just because you want to sleep doesn't mean the baby does, last night for example...
4. those chest carrier things are a lifesaver when it comes to getting anything done in the kitchen
5. socializing wise, not everyone wants to hear about how her constipation is coming along
6. the United States Post Office charges handling fees (read: postage) if you buy stamps online... that seems weird.
7. read a baby shampoo bottle sometime, it promises silky and manageable hair... bcos. that is important to a 1 month old?? "I just can't get a comb through that rat's nest! It is SO unmanageable..."
8. Our porch "remodel" project is done. Morgen moved E and I out to the front porch, we put up an old door for the sake of the cold; had new outlets put in and extended the heating source to include the porch. Basically, E was taking conference calls with the Marine Corps while I tried to keep Wiggles quiet, this atleast gives us some "office" space.

Otherwise, things are going well here. I have a desire to go skiing, but don't forsee that happening this winter :-(

And bcos. I would be a lousy mother otherwise (that still seems weird)if I didn't load up a ridiculous (Emil has decided "Ridiculous" is going to be Morgen's first word) number of pictures of the child, here they be:

If you think she looks tired, you oughta see her parents!!

the child is sleeping, so work deftly...

2006-11-24T11:44:00.000-08:00

Well folks, little Morgen Joan G***z (means "morning gift of God") was born at 2:24 a.m. on Nov. 19th... after a very long Sabbath of "non-customary labor" she showed up just two hours later than her due date---I'd say that is pretty good for a first baby :-) Emil and I are quite taken with this little one and she doesn't get much "alone time" with us around (but at least she is too little to run into her room, slam the door and yell "leave me alone!" so we do have that going for us)

A few pics of the new Grandparents, Uncle Winston the tired momma, and the proud papa in the rocking chair of "bitterness and contention because Britt had her kid already" that I built last week. Emil sanded it the day after we had Morgen.

Take care all, it may be a while before I get on here again!
(btw, since the Buckeyes smoked Michigan on the day she was laboring, we were thinking Woody Hayes G***z as a name if she was a boy, probably a good thing she wasn't...)
E and R and M

well, Emil and I have a new nephew!!

2006-11-13T16:24:00.000-08:00

The latest addition...Mr. Noah Mack T*****k of Bradenton, FL (Britt and Cris's son #2)born Friday Nov. 10, 2006. She was due the same day as we were...guess we are saving the best for last :-) Yay for them though, he is a little cutie-pie!

Trace (Noah's big brother) "walking the estate" with his cousin Biffy from Ohio...

annnnnd since we are showing off the relations today in a demonstration of "no jealousy because Britt is done and we aren't" here is Hannah and her sidekick Biffy (a.k.a. Yoda---look at the ears on that kid!!) with my oldest sister Cammy (photographer, bro-in-law Eric)

annnnnnd last but not least (at least in girth these days, hahahaha!) since Annette asked you all shall receive: a picture of Octavian and I today (9 months minus 4 days) after working our buns off in the garage building a rocking chair out of scrap wood for the express purpose of keeping busy and distracted and away from the phone so Britt will quit calling and *bragging* about her amazing, timely and super intelligent offspring! (Britt is awfully cute about it though!)

That is it for now kiddies, we are as excited as ever around here and most impatient in our enthusiasum. I baked Emil a gargantuan batch of cookies today in case we go into labor and he needs some snacky foods...be prepared, be prepared

a few words of updatedness and such

2006-10-30T15:36:00.000-08:00

Lookie, lookie the husband and family business made the paper:-)

Leaner Marines Article

We are entering the last three weeks of the pgnacy business. I'll confess that I am ready to be done with this section and move on to sleepless nights for reasons other than being kicked in the ribs all night :-) We had a wonderful FOT 2006 up in Canmore with the family. Very relaxing, very low key, very nice...great messages and even though I was unsuccessful in converting the Penecostal woman who accosted me in the ladies room, we did have lovely fellowship. My 'converting' experience with this gal reminded me that many, many people have (1) heard of Mr. HW Armstrong at some point in their life and (2) they know many bits of truth but are unable to draw the lines and connect the proverbial dots in their heads and then ACT on their conclusions re: what the bible is telling them...

I'll also confess that dress shoes did not make the cut this FOT and I ended up wearing tennis shoes and Dr. Martens with all of my dresses (matching or not!)...yeah, played the PG card on that one.

We hope to have some kiddie pictures up here shortly, so stay tuned folks!
E and R

should we be reining in this behavior??

2006-09-11T17:12:00.000-07:00

so it hits E and I this evening, as we were aiming at a box on the sofa, that perhaps shooting BB guns in the house is something we will want to curb in the next few months... or then again we could be having a Daniel Boone and will need to get him a head start in these areas

:-)

(p.s. the sofa is not harmed in undertaking of these activites in case anyone was concerned of S.F.A.--serious furniture abuse)

for those with the curiousity...

2006-09-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

In light of the last post, some have expressed a curiousity as to how 'tubby' a skinny old Ryan can possibly get during pregnancy---well, sorry to disappoint you all but basically I look like a bean pole with a pea glued to the front...:-)

This was on Labor Day when Octavian and I were sanding his/her crib and Emil snapped a few photos of us in enough protective gear to make any mother proud... just look at the spoggles on that thing!
Ryan

an update of sorts ;-)

2006-08-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

We have had a busy few months out here in Montana. The biggest news since our last update is that we made it through the winter without becoming ice cubes…okay, that isn’t exactly the biggest news around here. We are officially expecting a wee one around November 18, if you haven’t heard this yet I suggest you get your keys outta your ears! Just kidding, mostly. The last few months have been very exciting for us as we watch my body change and grow and get used to the changes just in time for more to come along. Emil was the first to realize we were pregnant; apparently me sleeping full nights and taking on Dolly Parton dimensions somehow flew under my own radar, but my astute husband caught on quickly and here we are at week 27.

As we started looking around for birthing options, we found out that Montana has very rigid midwifery laws. (I wonder if insurance lobby groups are in on this??) We found a gal in Bozeman who will do a homebirth here in Helena, but Bozeman is two hours away. We decided to go with her anyway as there aren’t any other alternatives. When we got in touch with her we found out that she has been training a gal here in Helena who is finishing up her ‘clinical’ hours with our Bozeman midwife. Long story short, we have two midwives for the venture: one from Bozeman and one from Helena. This is nice because we can alternate visits between the two of them until the last two months, then we have to go to Bozeman every time. They both are experienced and knowledgeable, communicate our case well between each other and it is fully within Montana legalities for them to share us. The midwives are particularly excited about Emil and I as a family unit and even give us the courtesy of ‘getting our humor’…scary as that may seem! We had our first visit around week 13 and have heard the baby’s heartbeat at every visit. Emil always adds comments on the various tonal qualities of the heartbeat. I wonder if the midwives sometimes think we are weird, but they get over it quickly when they see our enthusiasm for such things. Anyhow, the baby is healthy. The pregnancy itself has been very gentle and pleasant especially in the sense of sleeping all night—haven’t ever slept this well. Hard to believe that we are well over halfway through this already—then we will be back to no sleep. The biggest thing, in all frankness, has been getting used to this ridiculous bosom…but I digress to a level of unnecessary detail.

Because everyone out here is asking, I will answer it for you folks out there, we do not know if it is a boy or a girl, however, we call ‘it’ a him and “Octavian Augustus” in the meantime…that isn’t the final name of course, it started a while back between Emil and I as a joke and has grown into a practice and a habit.

Let’s see other than the baby news; we have had a good year gardening thus far. The entire family came over in May for a work party. Dad G. and Emil cut all of the careganna bushes, lilacs, trimmed all of the trees and then worked with Winston, Pat, Mom G and I to get the garden spot turned up and several truckloads of topsoil hauled in from the parents’ house. The bushes and trees were quite overgrown and hadn’t been attended to in years. No joke, we had neighbors staring for weeks—sometimes slowing down as they drove by, tripping over their dog leashes as they were out walking, or just plain stopping at our gate with slack jaws—at first it looked like we did slash and burn farming in our front yard. I am certain the neighborhood was quite concerned for a while, but then it filled in and started looking better than their yards, so there wasn’t so much staring in a shocked way anymore; more of an embarrassed ‘let’s get on home and mow at least’ glance. We have a garden up at the parents as well. Mom G. and I share the responsibilities and produce for both and it works out nicely. We put in 30 hills of potatoes down here along with squashes, tomatoes, carrots and a little dinner table lettuce patch. Up at their place we have okra, eggplant, peas, green beans, wax beans, more tomatoes, peppers (hot and cold), herbies, radishes, turnips, kohlrabi, carrots, cucumbers and a raspberry patch we put in last summer that is going gangbusters this summer! Last year both dinner tables did quite well with our garden strategy and it looks to be panning out the same way this time.

Mom G. and I have been sewing things for the baby and getting ready in general. It sure has been a blessing to have them close by. This will be their first grandchild and they are all quite excited at the prospect. I will never be the seamstresses that Mom R. or Beth W. are, but I have enjoyed trying my hand at it. Thankfully, he/she will be too little to care that some of their items are not square or that their bedroom curtains don’t match their sheets!!

Pat just graduated from high school and in June we took her out on the Continental Divide Trail for a first of the summer hike/graduation present. Because of Emil’s diet, among other things, I make all of our hiking foods. I spent most of the first part of June dehydrating jerky, fruit, and soups; making bear grunt and trying to figure out if my hiking pants were going to still fit or not… I recalled the famous words of a Mr. Ted H. Wilson who once stated (to his esteemed sister and in reference to a pair of Cleveland Cavaliers gym shorts), “I could either sell these to you for a few bucks or I’ll just wear them until my butt busts through the back.” I took those words to heart apparently, and had stored them away for days such as these. So come hiking time, and as there were no offers of a few bucks for my pants, I had rigged up my pants to comfortably fit below my tummy pooch (which as Britt has kindly relayed to some of you, isn’t a very impressive tummy pooch, but enough to make a difference with my waistband); the pants fit otherwise, I lost no seams on the trail and enjoyed a bit of engineered ventilation for the hike. We did around 25 miles on the CDT, camped and then called it a hike. It was good to get up into the high country and enjoy the view from a trail that traversed ridge tops and permitted 360-degree views of our beautiful Montana. I hike Mount Helena (the one in our backyard, not the volcano as Britt tends to think) several times a week and I do believe that those weekly forays helped in making the CDT trip easier for a pregnant gal with 25 pounds of gear on her back. Emil and Pat took most of the gear, and it was quite nice to have a light pack; although Emil would have preferred that I didn’t have to carry even 25 pounds. But what are you going to leave?? the kitchen sink or the extension cord for Pat’s hair dryer… :-)

We did another shorter (10 mile) day hike a week or so later without any gear beyond a lunch and I found it quite comparable in comfort. I think that Octavian will be a little mountain goat as I have found that anytime the brain needs a rest, the back is hurting or the tummy is all messed up, an hour hiking up the mountain will get things settled back where they belong. Mount Helena is visible from our house; sometimes I will call Emil while he is working to wave at me when I get to the top of the mountain. I am sure the constituents of Helena wonder sometimes when there is some gal up on the mountain top waving wildly…then again they may be still recovering from our slash and burn practices and aren’t paying us any mind.

Emil has designed a power amplifier to complement our preamplifier. We have a working prototype of the power amp up at the parents where it is undergoing rigorous testing with Dad’s sound system. It sounds incredible and really completes the package. If you do an internet search for power amps and preamplifiers you will find a wide range of offerings as well as prices: from el cheapo to utterly ridiculous. The biggest thing that struck me when I was working through the price lists of our future competitors is that we as a nation have an excess of excess. When people are out there buying a stupid component for their sound system that is as much as a new car (yes, there are high end preamps selling for 20 grand—ours sound better, and we do it for a fraction of the cost without compromising design and quality); that should be an indicator of where we as a world stand with regards to fiscal priorities. ai yi yi. We hope to have both components in production by the end of the year including a pilot run with one of the music stores here in Montana. So far we have one prototype order from Jeremy…but hey, we will take them when we can get them!

We have made significant progress on the Volvo project. We took out the in tank fuel pump and noted that the bag filter had dissolved and left gunky residue in the bottom of the tank. Emil took out the gas tank and used some type of high powered cleaning solution to clean the gunk and then a sealant to redo the inside, just in case the cleaning solution had done more than we expected. It worked really well, and I just think I may try the cleaning solution on Nat’s shower next time we are out… J We had the car turning over and sputtering before the fuel pump conked out again (the one we repaired finally went kaput!) and decided to replace the fuel pumps while we were in the mess of it. We found both fuel pumps on the Internet for slightly less than an arm and a leg. That e-bay is pretty helpful for finding cheap parts. We bled the brakes and cleaned up the vital electrics and fired her up. As of last weekend (August 6) the car is running well and has made several maiden voyages around the block. We took it across town to the parents yesterday to power wash the undercarriage so we could better see what we are working with. All in all, she is a solid running car and we think she has great potential for our original goals—a cross-country touring vehicle/grocery getter! One big notable difference is that our Volvo has more low-end torque than our Honda, which will come in handy with the ski hills next winter. I am certain that Nat, Josie and Mr. Wilson would be proud of our car wrenching efforts; it sure has been a fun project for the both of us. We will be attacking the general maintenance list and get everything up to par since we have no idea when these things were checked or changed last. I think the timing belt and a leak-down compression test are on the agenda for the upcoming weeks. I am pleased to report that my mechanic-monkey suit still fits AND I can still slide under the car on my stomach without compromising Octavian’s comfort (this won’t be for long though!).

Earlier this spring, we put together a little woodshop in our garage and moved all of our tools from the parent’s garage. I think they appreciated that maneuver as the lawn mower is no longer stored on top of the freezer, which was balancing on the winter tire pile and held up by the tool chest…perhaps a wee exaggeration there! Anyhow, it has been nice to have our tools down here to putter about with. We built deer/bird-proof garden covers that we can move easily for access to weed and harvest. I found two more piles of wood this spring as well. The first was a pile of pine that I turned into a set of clothes and spare blanket shelves for our bedroom. Looks super classy. Last month I recovered a pile of wood that had been used to haul office equipment. It was a nice surprise though, as in addition to the expected pine, we got a nice pile of red oak. I designed a high chair for Octavian and have been working on building that out of our pile of red oak. Basically, if you have scrap wood laying about town I will ask for it and we will make something out of it. Emil designed a baby cradle/crib that we plan on building before November. I think we are going to use new wood on that though. We recovered pine pallets and built a shipping crate this past week for a set of Jeremy’s skis that we sold for him. I think the UPS man might have been concerned about our over-engineering, but we were having fun hammering.

Them's our projects here recently, I'll try to get some pictures out here at some point. Scanning back through this I note that the word 'baby' comes up alot....you wonder if we are a bit excited or something haha!

Ryan

some pictures for the last post

2006-03-21T20:09:00.000-08:00

Front of our house, last weekish.

The "new" hot wheels, okay, the project car.

From our front door looking out, last weekish.

Winter Update...

2006-03-20T08:35:00.001-08:00

Okay, way over due for an update, so here is a summary of our recent activities:

We started 2006 with some skiing at Big Sky, Montana—home of gorgeous Lone Peak. A lovely day for skiing, bluebird skies and fresh powder to play in. We haven’t skied a whole lot this year, but we were able to put together a MT Family Ski Weekend for the church folks over President’s day. We had decent turnout including a family from Washington and a minister from Wyoming (the famed and acclaimed Big Ben). It was –35 degrees (in the morning) at the ski weekend, and we decided to wait until the temperature rose to –20 before skiing—anything else would be lunacy! The last day we were able to ski a full day, because it was only –14 when we woke up.

We were/are trying to figure out ways to visit Ohio at least once a year without spending a fortune each time. I think our last trip was around 2 grand, which isn’t too bad. So if Laramie, Talia, Josie, Nat and Risa get hitched that is 10 grand right off the bat just in plane tickets and traveling expenses. So we have been thinking a great deal on how to continue the visits without dipping into our property savings. Last summer we had experimented on the way out to the Uncle’s ranches (Eastern Montana) with camping in the back of the Honda. We had fun! But the Honda with the back seat down and a futon pad into the trunk doesn’t leave a whole lot of space. We ended up fishing that day on the way out, so we had wet waders and all sorts of stuff packed in there with us! Good times. My point being, we have been looking for a better solution. A 1978 Volvo 245 DL wagon fell into our laps at just the right price---FREE! The previous owners had been using it for hauling kayaking gear, and stopped using it so they let it sit for a few years. We had answered an ad in the paper for which they were asking $300 for it. Well we checked it out and did some dreaming and scheming and were thinking about it some more. Two weeks passed and the guy calls us, and says, “listen you kids were the only ones interested so if you want it come get it for free, I am just looking to clear it off the property.” Whoo hoo! We called grandpa and he brought the truck and trailer up last Friday.
We started Sunday on it and now have it cranking with a good sputter. Emil is an excellent mechanic, and with his electrical engineering degree we have been just a diagnosing away! The car has two fuel pumps and wouldn’t you know, letting a car sit like that led to some stuck parts. We tore the main fuel pump apart and ungummed the workings with a WD-40 bath, a hammer and a block of wood to the rotor. The electrics in it look good; they were just a bit dirty. We also tore out the in-tank fuel pump and re-routed the fuel hose to a gas can for further testing. The main pump works great (saved $55 with Emil’s ingenuity!) and we have diagnosed the next stuck part to be the cold-start fuel injector (which we unstuck now). Nat (my brother who welds in the guest room of his house) would be proud, I allowed parts rinsing in my kitchen sink! We will continue with this project, it will likely take some time to get all of issues resolved. After we get the fuel pumps all back online, we need to look at the clutch plate and also the brake system.

In other areas, we have been brewing honey mead and rhubarb wine (for mom G.). Right now we have a 15-gallon capacity operation in our basement. Our first batch of mead was by far the best, that was last fall though, as it was of a nice thirst-quenching dryness with a mild yeasty nose. This batch is very different since we decided to experiment with the water (we used distilled water this time) and honey (we used our local unpasteurized source) and yeast types. It is amazing how the flavor, dryness (or lack thereof) and speed of fermentation can change drastically by manipulating those variables. We think the honey mead with freshly juiced ginger for flavor is the most refreshing so far, but not really dry enough for our tastes. We think if we let it continue to age (they say at least 6 months is best) a see how the flavor changes with time. Anyone else ever try making Mead?? We have also made some excellent root beer--but that is mainly a summer operation. Our goal when we get some property is to have a self-sufficient kind of operation, with our own bee hives, milk cow, garden big enough to provide for the year as well as the rest of the family etc, with a glass of mead to drink in the evenings.

Last year we were able to have a nice garden up at the parents (we tore out their back yard) that provided for both tables through the entire summer. We will do that again this year, with an additional garden here at our house. Mom G. and I were able to put up green beans from a church member’s garden that was over productive. We will be planning the gardens in the upcoming week. Mom G. and I have a standing ‘date’ on Thursday afternoons (in the winter) and Wednesday afternoons (in the summer) to do our gardening stuff and or plot and scheme to take over the world… I mean, quilt or something. We (and Jenny's mom)just finished sewing together a quilt made of squares from all of the church ladies for Miss Jenny. We then had a special fancy ladies tea on March 4 while the men were at Spokesman’s club in order to present the quilt to the gal. Anyhow, we were all supposed to wear fancy tea-going hats. Pat and I came up a bit short and showed up in pirate hats, which wasn’t exactly what the other gals were wearing. Good times though, and it sure has been fun putting together the quilt. (I know, I can’t believe I just typed that…) I made Emil a quilt before we were married, and he would like me to make a baffle-box quilt with goose-feathers to ward off the winter cold. I will as soon as I find out what a baffle-box is!

The only woodworking project we have undertaken lately is a second table. This one is three times as large as our first table, which we use as our dining room table. The new table is Red Oak and measures 4’ by 8’ with a one (1) inch kerfed edge. We are going to pour an Enviro-tek hard top on it and use it primarily for assembling projects without damaging the oak surface. It is out in the mother-in-law suite until it warms up enough to pour the top. The mother-in-law suite, by the way, started as a joke when we moved in here. Mom R. and Mom G. have a place to stay when they come visit. Okay, one lives only a mile or two away, but we thought it would be funny if we had our shop room out behind the house designated for them both as their personal private quarters if they need a place to escape.

Oh, that reminds me. Our other big project this winter has been designing and building phase optimized pre-amplifiers for high-end sound equipment. We will be taking on Bose someday! What is a pre-amplifier and why would anyone care to have one?? Good question! When a CD is played in a CD player a laser moves across the surface of the CD and detects changes in the reflection of the laser which is determined by the bumps and pits on the surface of the disc. The changes in reflection are captured by an optical pickup in analog form. Analog is an older, less precise form of storing information, in which information is stored on variable but continuous wave forms (signal with an electromagnetic carrier). Radio stations have used this traditionally by attaching their signal of a varying frequency and amplitude (song with singers voices and musical instruments of different pitches) to a carrier wave of a given frequency of alternating electromagnetic current—which is why you can always get T-100 at 100.3 FM…. but I digress. When Edison originally scratched a tin foil with a needle in order to record a human voice, he was recording in an analog format. After playing the foil recording several hundred (or less) times, the sound would be noticeably different than the first time it was played. That is because the process as he designed it is purely mechanical. The tin foil was etched by a needle that vibrated with the diaphragm (microphone) into which he spoke. To play back the etching, the needle was passed along the foil, and as it bounced along the groove in the foil, the diaphragm (speaker) vibrated with the needle. With each time the needle ran along the foil grooves, the grooves became worn and the signal or sound became less and less like what was originally recorded. Kind of neat. In this way, the bumps and pits on a CD are very much akin to a vinyl record, or a tin foil etched by Edison himself. Anyhow, in a CD player the analog form of the signal is translated into a digital waveform by a digital to analog converter (DAC). The digital waveform is basically computer-speak. It means the analog or mechanical signal has been converted into 1’s and 0’s or binary—which is what most modern electronic equipment (computers, cell phones, CD’s, DVD’s etc.) use as their language. The new digital signal is based upon sampling of a sampling of the analog waveform and is consistent in its repeatability. This is why Garth Brooks always sounds the same when you pop in a CD—unless you have damaged the surface of the CD. Anyhow, the digital signal is very, very tiny and is sent to an amplifier, which then makes the signal large enough to hear through the electromagnetic vibrations of a speaker. A pre-amplifier (and yes, it took me that long to get to what we are making) takes the digital signal before it goes to the main amplifier (and speakers) and makes it larger in stages so as to avoid distorting the original signal. So the signal that goes to the amplifier is much, much larger than what would have been sent without a pre-amp. The kicker is this. A good pre-amplifier, meaning one that is phase shift optimized and lacks electric buzzings, is so good at preserving the integrity of the original signal that it will sound like Patsy Cline or Roy Orbison is right there singing to you in your own living room. An amplifier takes such a large step that the components of the original signal—think about the ranges of vocals, drums, guitars etc—are distorted and some parts can be left out in the sampling of the player. The pre-amp serves to preserve what the person originally did during the recording. It is really cool to listen to something without a pre-amp and then with a pre-amp. The difference is astounding. One of the large drawbacks is that most people listen to music and they don’t even notice that say the violins or the guitars are moving around the room on them and that there is a lack of clarity in the overall sound. A phase-optimized pre-amp can correct that flaw and keep instruments and vocalists in one place. The other drawback is that in the average radio, a pre-amp won’t make much of a difference, so quality of speakers, cables and electronic parts does also make a difference in the end-sound quality. The point being we have been making pre-amps to market to the high-end music stores here in Montana. They have wooden and chrome finished aluminum cases and look super-classy. As opposed to cheap and junky ;-)

[It is Emil’s area of expertise not mine…and here I rattled on like I knew what I was talking about. Anyhow, it has been a fun project for both of us, and we both have been learning lots of new things in doing it. Dad G. is our prototype tester guy since he got his hands on a set of fancy-dancy speakers some years back. (No, we haven’t burnt the house down yet with electrical fires!)]

So folks, there are the winter projects thus far: skiing, pre-amps, "junk" car fixings, brewing stuff and keeping each other out of trouble in general ;-)

What have you other non-updating bloggers been up to??

(p.s. only one of my pictures uploaded to this thing... so you all will have to wait to see the pre-amp and the amazing Volvo project car...) :-)

2005-11-22T20:54:00.000-08:00

:) with that said, gotta love moving stuff, never know what goodies you will find...;-)

The story called Silvia written in 11/1998--a little something found while moving stuff

2005-11-22T20:49:00.000-08:00

She pushed the straying strands of blonde hair behind her ears. The wind was no help, in that it desperately teased the wavy tendrils hanging loose about her forehead. The air was cold, and evening was well on its way. Her exhaling left small white clouds in the crisp autumn air. The girl tugged at the strings of her jacket; she obviously was impatient. Her fingernails were chewed closely to the quick, and she shuffled from side to side. Her face was pulled back in an odd sort of semi-grin, her upper teeth grazing nervously at the chapped lower lip. A mixture of anticipation, anxiety, and irritation dangled in the chilly air. She muttered softly under her breath the small white clouds accentuating her voice, a remark made only to sedate the rising frustrations. Her fingers were quite cold now and she rubbed them together to generate some warmth. They were red with little feeling as numbness settled into her hands. Reality was sinking in fast: she had been forgotten once more. No one else’s mother ever forgot.

Silvia had waited until the rest of her classmates had put their books back onto the shelves. Library time always seemed to end too quickly. She slowly, methodically, began to stack her papers and pile up her books. She made an effort to take her time. The pile of books that she had accumulated was quite substantial. It was not that she read all of them, or even looked at them for that matter, but using her foresight she always took the same large amount off the shelves. The books were her excuse for delay, the excuse fro her mother.

Silvia started to put her books away in their respective places. Around the complex she would walk, not too fast as not to finish quickly, but not too slow as to draw attention. She would act confused and lost, pausing in the aisles as if she did not know where the books went. But she knew. The librarians knew that she knew also, for they went about their clean-up and pretended not to notice the small girl who frequently glanced at the clock.

“Oh dearie, that’s quite a pile of books you have there.” The woman’s enthusiasm did not match her expected personality. “Would you like an extra pair of hands to help you put them away?” Silvia knew at once that this must be a new one. No one else asked anymore. Everyone else already knew her answer.
“No thank you ma’am, I’m just fine.” Her voice tried to reflect some of the false enthusiasm, but it fell short and came out strained. The pair of violet eyes that peered at her through the tortoise shell frames maintained their eager look, and took the rejection well, for nothing showed in her face. The woman seemed satisfied with the response and she turned and walked away; her glasses chain making a light clinking sound as she returned to the counter with the bookstamps and colored cards. The others were waiting there, waiting patiently for the girl’s ritual to be finished. They knew why she did this, but they masked their understanding and sympathy with a glossy smile and artificial enthusiasm. They were very good at their jobs.

Silvia returned to her shelving. She was taking her time, and still there was no sign of her mother. All at once her friend Lisa came bursting through the main doors. She was breathless and talking quite loudly. She raced past the row of grinning women who automatically, in sort of a robotic way, raised their fingers to their lips.
“Sil, I think your ride is here!” Lisa spoke without a breath and with excitement. The possibility of arrival spurred Silvia to action. She flew about the library restoring the books to their places. She had never moved so quickly, but then her mother had never showed up on time, either. Lisa waited patiently for her friend. She knew that her friend was very excited by the news.

Silvia raced out of the carrels and past the row of women who were just as excited for her as she was. Out on the front step she scanned the north parking lot and then the south, there was no one there.

“Sorry Sil, false alarm.” Lisa’s voice seemed distant to Silvia. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes, but she held them back, determined to show no emotion this time. Lisa sensed her friend’s agony, and she stepped closer and put her arm around her in a semi-circle hug.

“Not today, she won’t forget today.” Lisa’s attempt at reassurance was met with a coldness that she had never felt from her friend before. She tightened her hug, but the ice would not crack. She let go and stepped away. She was taken aback at Silvia’s lack of reception.

At the end of the block a brown sedan swung around the corner and rose up slightly as it bumped over the curb. Lisa knew it was her mother. Lisa’s mom pulled up to the curb, jumped out and ran to meet her daughter who skipped down the steps toward her. They met in a warm embrace, taking care not to hold on for too long, so as not to make Silvia envious.

“Silvia, do you need a ride today?” Lisa’s mom asked the same question every day. Every day she was met with the same response.
“No thanks, my mother is just running a little late today, she probably stopped off at the grocery or something, she will be here soon.” Silvia had finally spoken, but her words were empty. They all knew what had really happened. Nothing was said about that.
“Well, give my regards to your mother, honey.” With that Lisa’s mom got in the car. Lisa turned as she reached the car door.

“Sil, I know how you feel.”

The happy car pulled away. The dejected girl on the library steps sat down and watched as the sedan turned the corner.
“No you don’t.” It was nearly inaudible, but she meant it.

She was all alone. Silvia waited and waited. She was getting cold, but her mother should only be a few more minutes. Just a few more minutes turned quickly into an hour, then two. It was starting to get dark, and the streets became shadowed. The street lights flickered on and she waited. She had been running in place and had counted the cracks on the sidewalk to the corner, and she waited. She had tucked her coat in tight around her, a desperate attempt at salvaging her dissipating body heat. Silvia considered her options. She could try to walk home, possibly even meet her mother on the way. Last time she tried that, her mother was angry with her, saying that she must not be a good enough mother, that her own daughter doubts her. She was three hours late that night, and by the time Silvia had arrived home, her mother hadn’t even left yet to go pick her up. If the librarians with the wide mouths had not left, then she could have remained inside unshelving and shelving more books. They would have waited. They always did before.

Silvia decided to run the risk of her mother’s wrath. She started the walk home. The three miles seemed longer at night and in the dark, but in due time she arrived at the front walk of her house. She stood there, waiting. She half-expected someone to come running out with kisses and apologies. She feared what else to expect. Silvia waited, but no one came. With a sigh, she half-smiled at the dismal situation and walked up to her front door. It was locked. The car was in the drive and the door was locked. Slightly confused, Silvia climbed over the back fence. The backyard was dark and strange, things looked and felt differently when all was black. Silvia made her way carefully to the back porch. Through the screen and glass she could see a pool of light from the kitchen doorway pouring out into the hallway. In the kitchen she could see her mother sprawled out on the table. Silvia’s anger was rising. The scene was all too common. The screen door squeaked and banged as she went inside. Her mother had a glazed happy look on her face. Her face was relaxed. The deep lines on her face from a hard life had softened. She looked young. She was beautiful. In her left hand was a half-full bottle of liquor. Her right hand cradled a squat glass filled with half melted ice and a dented wedding band. The wedding band was usually kept in the box on her mother’s dresser. Silvia had never seen her wear it. She closed her eyes, hoping that when she opened them it would all be gone, just a dream maybe. Slowly she reopened her eyes. Nothing had changed, her mother had escaped, her father still a questioned void. Her anger was fading, it was being replaced by a mature compassion, a pity or an understanding of sorts. Silvia smiled. She smoothed her mother’s blonde hair and tucked it behind her ear. Her hair was nearly the same color, a shade darker and without the gray infiltrates that lately seemed to be more populated.

Silvia flicked off the kitchen light and waked to the table. Gently, so as not to disturb her mother, she lifted the bottle of liquor from her mothers’ firm grip. In the dark tears started to slide gently down her cheeks. She went to the stairs and started up to her bedroom. She opened the bottle and took a long swallow. It burned and tingled at the same time as it drizzled through her. She was too young to appreciate its full flavor, yet old enough to realize its power. All she felt was the mellow feeling enveloping her body. She took another drink, letting it fall to the back of her throat and then drop. She felt light and dizzy. She looked down at her mother.
“Goodnight mommy.” Her childish words were spoken with a mature voice. “Don’t forget about me, again.” She was feeling good, as the liquor was at its play.

"you smell like you live in a bar" (thanks mom and Pat!)

2005-11-17T10:45:00.000-08:00

Because I am an oddball, I usually don't do 'life-details' as blog materials, but sometimes it seems necessary;-) Stage-setter: we are renting right now, until we find some property to purchase and on which to build a house and barn.

So, right after the FOT 2005 in the lovely Canmore, AB we come home to new neighbors moving into the apartment beneath us. Okay, okay I note they are from FL and anticipate many mornings watching them scrape inches of ice off their windshield, and all the humor and such that they will bring to our peaceful little apartment building this winter. But I digress...

Anyhow, about 10 minutes after they move in, a distinct aroma starts to penetrate every orifice in my head and forms a thick cloud around it. Every belch of the furnace blasts us with another hit of the remnants from their alternative oxygen filters; they sit downstairs and cackle and crow in between rapid cycles of inhalations and exhalations. Damn smokers! I should have known that someone who takes 10 minutes to move in only packed an ashtray and a lighter in addition to a crate of cigarettes! So the whole place stinks and we know it is time to go as our little FL friends are firmly planted for the winter--who wants to move during the winter?!

The perfect timing of God, however, always wins. So we find a cute little house to rent for the same price as our current place--now officially located within the chimneys of Dante's Inferno. The new place is closer to the office for E, and has a little shop, a little garage and a big yard! Yay! We win, we may smell like we live in a bar, for now, but that will change next week folks! So the E and R Show have been painting the new place all week. I am starting to like the white streaks in my hair; accelerated aging kinda matches the smoky smell that follows me. Ha!

Anyhow, kids. We are well, in good spirits, living the high life... wait, the good life, and looking forward to wintering in our new little place. We have fun whatever we do. That is the only update I have right now, folks.

I still held out longer Michelle!!

2005-09-16T17:11:00.000-07:00

With all of that said, everyone have a full Sabbath!
The E and R Show

take the dictionary now...

2005-09-16T16:55:00.000-07:00

I have been mulling words lately, and for some reason I was reminded of the third, and oft overlooked, defintion of the word 'prostitute'. Wouldn't you know it states " a person who deliberately debases his or her talents". The unspoken portion of that definition is: in exchange for X,Y,Z. Next time you are writing or working, and are not doing the very best job that you can, you are just another prostitute on the job. Everyone has stayed up too late and cranked out papers or projects that certainly weren't the greatest (in exchange for a degree), however, I never considered all the different words that could be attached to such decisions. You crank the paper out, catch a few zzz's and go turn that puppy in for grading.
Really though, one could be quite silly about it and claim that currently the entire formal education process is nothing more than an exercise in intellectual prostitution. Not that I am dissing school, I just wonder sometimes if the bureaucratic processes get in the way of the real learnings... It will be neat to see how education is organized in the KoG.

Words are great, sometimes a little too illuminating, but great none the less.
With that said, there is a good chance that I have been spending too much time picking beans this week, as when else would such thoughts come?

hmm... any thoughts? comments? concerns?

amazing...

2005-08-24T17:54:00.000-07:00

I saw the most amazing thing on the way to the store. A feat of incredible concentration, flexibility, and dedication. There was a gal pushing a stroller, smoking a cigarette, and doing SIGN LANGUAGE all while walking and conversing with another gal... take a minute and try to visualize that one.

People are weird.

on a positive note, I met the most upbeat lady ever at the track this morning. She had some sort of crippling arthritis (I am guessing) and was hobbling about the track. I barely outran her;-) but anyhow, this gal really was into getting her exercise and it was so neat because she was equally as interested in what I was doing. Bizzare, although she could have been thinking "I am smiling because you are staring at me chicken legs..." We did chat for a minute and she really was as upbeat as I had assumed, in spite of her obesity and inability to walk correctly due to an overwhelming joint disease, just out enjoying the morning...

Some people aren't so weird.

2005-08-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

Since the local newspaper thinks my letters are too inflammatory to print, I think I will start posting them here. Sorry Ducky, the IR just isn't a conservative paper; or perhaps the editor himself is one of those guys who post themselves as a public distraction out on Montana and 11th every Friday afternoon;-)

----------------------------------------------
Dear Community,
I am always a bit dismayed, as any good American should be, when I drive by the sidewalk war protesters who insist that, by flapping their flimsy signs and requesting honks for support, they really are making a difference in their anti-war cause. In many ways, they remind me of a gaggle of geese, or a flock of noisy birds out there honking and flapping around but not really getting much done other than catching a worm or two and perhaps a small slimy fish that happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. An appropriate comparison I might add, and thus at least I find some humor in the sad and unpatriotic display. We as a nation have time and again reminded ourselves that we must never again allow veterans to come home to a lack of support, as they have in the past, and for the most part, the communities all over this great nation have done well; having parades, parties, and warm, heart-felt homecomings for our soldiers. However, what a double standard they face if the day after their welcome home party they drive by a scene as I described above? What are they supposed to think and feel? What a slap delivered to those who are just doing their job. A job that if they didn't perform and hadn't performed throughout history the freedoms of speech may otherwise be unavailable to the rest of us.
Ah, so freedom of speech must be what those little flappy and honky gatherings are about. Well, think about it people. You are not garnering support or making progress with your personal views of right and wrong and war or peace. You may accomplish getting a honk or two, here and there, that you can interpret as 'support' for your position. But there is also the chance that your fly is down and someone is trying to draw your attention to your oversight.
And then what? When the "demonstration" —which I call a display, as it is more of a display of spineless and unpatriotic beings in this great nation who insist upon distracting other drivers and really honking off the good Americans who happen to drive by—is over, do you go home, flip on the news, and rant and rave some more with no one really listening or caring about what you are saying? If you don't like the war then take it through the appropriate channels and voice your opinion: your congressman for example. If he isn’t doing a good job of representing your views, then don’t vote for him next time. You do have a voice right at the heart of the matter. However, the public displays where you may have a feel-good afternoon of two or three honks is not doing anything other than breaking down national morale and making yourselves look like passive idiots. I would recommend a change in tactics and perhaps a change in heart for the sake of the men and women who will return from the war with their own set of mental and emotional burdens to carry for the rest of their lives. Don't add to that weight by not supporting them. They signed up to do a job. With your current tactics, you are a distraction. In a time of war, as we currently find ourselves, your actions border on traitorous to this great nation to which we have all pledged our allegiance. Read article three, section three of the U.S. constitution if you think I am using my own words here.
In sum, to the flock that insists on continuing with their flapping and honking; there are two migrations per annum, at minimum, and in definite northern and southern directions. For birds such as yourselves the migratory season has begun. May I suggest any destination to the outside of America's borders; and either shut the flock up or get migrating!

2005-08-22T08:55:00.000-07:00

this bloggin' business is still new, as are my efforts to draw on the cornputer...
just when I think I should stick to pen and paper, E thinks it is great;-)

2005-07-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

ooh, also a thought

2005-07-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

so, it has not been explained to me whether or not evolution is supposed to proceed evenly throughout time and space... because shouldn't we be seeing some *evolution* out on the moon, or mars or something? Or why do the laws of physics seem to hold a million miles away from here? How did those electrons and such 'decide' which laws to abide by??

The theory is flawed, this I know; and quite stupid, this I also know; but I am just a small thinker here, why don't other people question these things?

anyhow, disc was fun tonight. My little left leg is a bit sore as I think I pulled my quad a bit. Argh. reminds me of the days of bilateral quad pullage...ouch...that was a rough summer.

RG

shaking bacon...

2005-07-26T20:28:00.000-07:00

so we had a little earthquake here last night and I get a little excited about these geologic events... It is no secret that I have a fancy for rocks, but when they get to moving on you!! whoo hoo. so that isn't weird, just fascinated.

argh, computers.

2005-07-11T21:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, on a personal note this evening I have crashed a Corel drawing program a total of 5 times trying to render a cartoon of a bee... ai yi yi not rocket science, but it sure felt like it for a minute.

Oil sand recovery

2005-07-08T16:44:00.000-07:00

The idea of Canadian oil sands providing petroleum products for North America, quite frankly, is a novel and encouraging notion. Apparently, in northern Alberta there is plenty to go around and the techniques for extraction are only getting better and better. Suncor Energy is one of the major players in the business and looks to be a potential messiah for North America’s as we look critically at our reliance on oil imports from other continents. Geologists are estimating at least 50 years of sustenance beneath Alberta’s lush topography. Does this mean we can hope for brighter days in the future of our local energy supply? I certainly hope so. There has been a steady decline in North American crude production as our liquid reserves are depleting. Keep watching as oil sand recovery technology advances to the point where it may actually be fiscally sound to rely on our northern neighbors for America’s petroleum lifeblood. And why isn't anyone talking about this on the major newswires?? Until next time, fill your gas tanks and set the cruise control; good things are just on the horizon.
Ref:

Ref:

---Oil at record high.

Fuel cell motorcycle, where’s the beef?

2005-07-08T16:26:00.000-07:00

I admire the efforts of the transportation industry in building earth friendly clean-and-green vehicles. However, I am a bit taken aback by my own response to the latest and greatest zero-emission vehicle to grace the market. The fuel cell motorcycle with a whopping top speed of 50 mph. Well, hang on granny we are going for a quiet spin. Quiet? The grand entrance at the senior center will never be the same. Motorcycles are historically the epitome of bad to the bone. They speak volumes for the riders; well, perhaps nothing needs to be said, as the engine is generally too loud for chitchat. But at any rate, they do say something about the person straddling the seat as only tough guys (and gals) ride bikes. I can’t imagine a bike club silently creeping up to a lost- highway kind of bar and making the appropriate entrance. I think the only startle factor there would be the fact that they pulled up without my hearing and scared the beejeebies out of me by appearing suddenly at my elbow. Hmm. So much for the Hell’s Angels look. Anyhow, kudos to the industry for trying, but really in this vain American society are these things going to fly? Not only are bikes image-makers, they are also attention grabbers. Everyone looks when a bike goes by. Watch bikers themselves, the code of the road rules and they always, always, wave that index finger cool and casual wave, even if they are on the interstate in opposite directions. That’s cool, man. Very cool. I think I will have a hard time attaching a cool label to someone riding a zero noise bike at 50 mph. Maybe they should have an option for recorded rumbles and pipe belches that clicks on when the bike fires up. I use the term fire loosely, of course. This very well may preserve the tough guy image that most certainly is in jeopardy with our advancing transportation technologies. Until next time, ride fast and pop wheelies.

Revolution in Evolution: Galileo, Galileo!

2005-07-07T20:40:00.000-07:00

I feel like belting out some Bohemian Rhapsody but I am sure you don’t need my cacophonous attempts at Queen. However, good old Galileo does come to mind after reading reports from the World Summit on Evolution, which was held from June 8 to 12 this year. Nestled in and amongst the speech summaries and comments was a blurb about a Dr. William Provine who hails from Cornell University. The review of his speech wasn’t the greatest, but his topic certainly was of eyebrow raising interest, given the conference at which he chose to deliver his topic. You see, he grazed at the lush fields outlining the inadequacy of natural selection as a mechanism for evolution and outlined 11 problematic areas of the currently circulated role of natural selection. “Natural selection does not shape an adaptation or cause a gene to spread over a population or really do anything at all. It is instead the result of specific causes: hereditary changes, developmental causes, ecological causes and demography. Natural selection is the result of these causes, not a cause that is by itself. It is not a mechanism.” That is some moxie to have at an evolution summit, however, there were scientists present who agreed with what they could salvage from his poorly presented thesis. Of course, there were also some who didn’t see things that way. Statements like his are little ripples that could foretell larger waves. Whether he realized it or not, he put himself in the same boat as the intelligent design and creationist folks: he needs a mechanism that stands under scientific and factual scrutiny. That kind of levels the playing field if you think about it. So, with that said, I will make a prediction. We are on the edge of a scientific revolution. And no stopping it baby! Too many scientists and laymen realize the shortcomings of the current theory of evolution. The quest for a new mechanism of origin is imminent. The public will demand a better explanation, and even more appealing would be one that the average Joe could understand without wading through exceptions to the rule and outlying data points. With my prophecy stated, I am sure everyone and their mother will have something to say about why or why not a revolution is on the verge. And frankly, I am quite interested in those thoughts. At this point, I will put the Dr. Provine type thinkers on the back burner of my curiosity and see what comes of it. As with Galileo, Provine may be condemned for his ideas. Yet with time a revolution in thinking just may come about, as with Galileo’s ideas which we of this age firmly embrace and looking back it seems so simple and logical in the scheme of history. If we could only have the lessons of hindsight in advance. That sounds like a whole other topic though. Until next time, as I am off to combat mold "evolution" in my refrigerator.

Ref:

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa004&articleID=00020722-64FD-12BC-A0E483414B7FFE87"