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itsworn · 7 years ago

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VHX Instrument Cluster Removes Barrier for LT1 Swaps

The last installment of our Mullet Camaro LT Swap series is not actually part of the engine or drivetrain, but is certainly related. You have to have gauges to monitor the engine and know how fast you are going, but the LT series engine makes that more difficult than your typical LS swap. The main factor is the tach. All of the other gauge sending units can be mounted on the engine so that you can use any type of gauge, but the LT-series ECM does not have a standard tach signal.

Instead of a tach signal, there is a camshaft signal on the black X2 connector, pin 39 (white wire). Because it is a camshaft sensor reading, it may or may not be able to be read by your tach, which has to be set to 4-cylinder mode and requires a pull-up resistor just like LS engines. Many LT ECMs are not even programmed for this signal, and the wire may not even be in that terminal on your wire harness. This makes adding a tach much more difficult. The solution comes in the form of a Dakota Digital BIM module.

The BIM module pin and the CAT5 cables for the gauge cluster were also plugged in and the module was mounted with double-sided tape behind the cluster. There is about ¼-inch of clearance once the new cluster is mounted, so it’s about perfect.

The BIM module connects directly to the OBD-II port, and pulls all of the pertinent information from the ECM, including oil pressure, water temp, speed (when wired to the ECM from the trans), and the tach signal. It is a plug and play unit, which really makes wiring easy. The only thing you don’t get is the fuel level, which you can pull from a factory GM fuel module if you use one in your tank. It makes installing custom gauges a breeze. Dakota Digital makes different BIM modules to operate their digital dash clusters or traditional swept gauges too.

We wanted to bring the Mullet Camaro into the 21st century, so we went with their direct-fit VHX series of gauges, which have traditional needles and look amazing in the dash. Combined with the BIM module, the entire system installed in just a couple of hours with minimal wiring. You can also use this gauge setup with the original engine too.

The new VHX cluster is held in by two screws: the two upper center-most screws. Drop the cluster in and align it with those holes. The original bezel then drops in over the cluster.

The installation is fairly straight forward. You need a wiring diagram for the factory gauge cluster, which does not come with the kit, so you will need some basic google-fu skills to find what you need, depending on what you want to connect. The control module can read the factory warning lights, as well as turn signal, hi-beam, cruise, etc. All of the trigger wires are in the two factory terminals. We selected the wires we wanted to use (turn signals, hi-beam, ignition 12V, and fuel level), cut them from the plug, then taped up the terminals for safety. You could remove the terminals altogether, but it is not necessary.

The only thing that remains is to program the control and BIM modules, which varies by application and needs, but only takes an hour or so. The new gauges look great! Now we need to do something about that steering wheel…

Everything else we need comes from the BIM module, which we secured under the steering column trim cover. If you need to access the OBD-II port for tuning or checking codes, simply disconnect the BIM module plug. Installing the Dakota Digital gauge cluster is likely the simplest gauge install you could do, it really is that fast and easy. The only wires you can’t get from the factory terminals are ground (which are available in the terminal, but we didn’t trust the wire size) and battery power, which we pulled from the fuse box.

Without gauges, you’re just flying blind. Our LT-swapped third-gen IROC Camaro is getting Dakota Digital’s VHX cluster (part No. VHX-82C-CAM, $795) and the company’s OBD-II / CAN interface (part No. BIM-01-02, $99.95).

They certainly fit the malaise-era of automobile design, but the vintage Camaro gauges are not capable of reading the signals from the new LT-series ECM, so they have to go.

The trim bezel on the dash is retained by several T15 Torx screws. They look like they are fake, but they are real. Keep the screws, you will need them later.

The bezel comes off and exposes the cluster itself. There are two hidden 10mm fasteners inside the warning light cavities. Remove these and the cluster is free.

To get the cluster out, you will need to lower the steering column. There are two nuts under the dash. Loosen them until the column drops enough to allow the cluster to come out. You don’t have to drop the column all the way, just lower it.

We cleaned the bezel and removed the factory warning light lenses on the bottom. The Dakota Digital kit comes with replacement covers. We used super glue to secure them in place.

The Dakota Digital BIM module attaches to the OBD-II port on the bottom of the dash. We previously installed the new LT ECM port in the same place as the factory port.

We then secured the module to the dash behind the column trim plate. This will need to be accessed for programming.

Before moving to the wiring, we used some tape to mark off the wiring ports we won’t be using for the install. This is not necessary, but it keeps things easy when you are in the dash. These gauges are capable of displaying nearly all the info you get from a factory dash.

There are two terminals behind the cluster, one on each side. You will need to pop it out to access the wires behind it.

We cut the wires we needed and connected them to the new wires we are using for the control module. The passenger-side terminal wires we are using are blue (RH turn signal), pink/black stripe (ignition 12v), and pink (fuel level). The driver-side plug wires are blue (LH turn signal) and green (high-beam indicator).

Each wire is routed to the control module, trimmed, and installed into the terminal rails. The module uses reliable clamping blocks, which is nice.

Two plugs connect to the cluster itself: the turn signals and the CAT5 cable.

We installed the original fasteners into the bezel and the cluster. This secures everything so you can finish installing the rest of the bezel fasteners.

The post VHX Instrument Cluster Removes Barrier for LT1 Swaps appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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josephkitchen0 · 7 years ago

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Grease Zerk Fittings to Keep Things Running Smoothly

When and how to grease Zerk fittings is something many of us don’t think of often, but regular greasing is a crucial part of routine maintenance for your tractor and other critical equipment. Homesteading today still requires us to do lots of things ourselves, including the mundane tasks of greasing the squeaky wheels around the farm. I’ve been greasing equipment for longer than I care to remember, and I’ve learned a few things about these elusive little fittings, but first let’s explain exactly what is a Zerk fitting.

What’s a Zerk?

Zerk fittings are found wherever grease is required. It could be a needle bearing in a universal joint, a ball joint, a pin that allows parts to rotate or an area that has two hard surfaces that slide upon each other. There are Zerks on your tractor, your car, truck, bush hog, log splitter and even some wheelbarrows. They’re everywhere, especially on old tractors like in our compact tractor comparison article.

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In a nutshell, the actual Zerk fitting is a small nipple that threads into a hole. That nipple has a ball bearing in the tip that keeps grease in and keeps contaminants out, but its design allows grease guns to push fresh grease into the fitting. When you grease Zerk fittings it allows you to deliver lubrication to the hard-to-reach component where it’s installed.

This universal joint has a threaded hole to screw the Zerk fitting into (pictured above)

Different Zerks for Different Applications

Most Zerks are in a precarious position, and access may not be easily gained. To compensate for weird angles and obstructions when you grease Zerk fittings, they come in different angles such as 90°, 45°, 22° and straight fittings so that, if needed, you can install an angled fitting to make your life easier.

Not only are there angled fittings, but there are also remote fittings which are a fantastic thing to have. Remote grease fittings are usually found clustered together, many times in the back of a tractor or other equipment. You may find a plate with five or six Zerks attached. When you grease Zerk fittings like these, you’re actually pushing grease down a long hose or tube, possibly several feet long, which leads to the area that needs to be greased. New tractors are employing these more and more so that farmers don’t have to crawl under the tractor as much to perform basic maintenance.

This Zerk fitting is recessed into the loader arm

Where to Look

Like I’ve said, Zerk fittings can be elusive little buggers. First, check owner or maintenance manuals to see if their locations are designated. If you don’t have a manual to reference, you can hunt them down. Here are a few places to check.

Steering Components: Ball joints, tie rod ends and other steering components need to be greased if you want them to perform smoothly or stay operational. Your steering column may also have a Zerk.

Drive Shaft Joints: Drive shafts and PTO shafts usually have Zerks in the body of the joints. The typical universal joint (AKA U-Joint) has a Zerk near the center of its body. When you push grease into the fitting, the grease gets delivered to the ends of the body where the spindle bearings reside.

Loader Arms: Your tractor’s loader arms rotate on pins. Without grease, these metal on metal connections will creak, groan, grind and seize. On a tractor, these are usually the most vocal when they run dry, but avoid the squeaky wheel syndrome by keeping them greased. Be aware that it’s commonplace for some Zerks to be recessed into the loader arms, so check holes to see if they’re actually access points for greasing Zerk fittings.

Hydraulic Pistons: Hydraulic pistons or cylinders are on all sorts of things. Your loader arms are moved by them, your log splitter has one and every modern backhoe has them. Either end of these pistons rides on a pin, and that rotating surface needs to be greased.

3-Point Hitch: Your top link, adjustable hitch arms and various other joints in the area of your 3-point hitch should have Zerk grease points. Greasing these and working them regularly will ensure that you can adjust them when you need to without an inordinate amount of effort.

This mini pistol grip grease gun is my favorite tool for a quick 1 or 2 fittings

Tools of the Trade

The concept of greasing Zerk fittings is simple, the action of reaching them can be difficult. There are a few tools I’ve found to be quite useful, and a few that are more hype than help.

Standard Size Grease Guns: Every mechanic in America has one of these lurking in their shop. These tools hold a full tube of grease and offer enough leverage to make it easy to produce pressure when pushing grease into stubborn fittings. Unfortunately, they are unwieldy when crawling under things and almost require three hands to operate. These are great when they have a long hose and a swivel or 90° head. I’ll use these when I need to thread the hose into a tight spot when I grease Zerk fittings.

Mini Pistol Grip Guns: These small and agile grease guns are great for crawling around and under equipment, but they run out faster because they hold much less grease. I like having two of these; one with a short non-flexible head and another with a 12” hose with a straight head. These two conquer most of what I encounter on the farm really well, just be sure to stock up on refill tubes.

Electric Grease Guns: This is the cat’s meow when you grease Zerk fittings. Use a cordless grease gun when you’re going to be greasing a lot of fittings, or when your hands just don’t work like they used to work. They’re far more expensive than a $10 mini pistol grip, but they save you so much hand fatigue and make it easy to maintain your equipment.

Rejuvenator: Sometimes neglected Zerk fittings seize or plug up. There are tools meant to clear these fittings usually called “grease fitting tools” or “fitting rejuvenators.” Typically they are two piece affairs that require you to load them with grease or diesel fuel, place them on the fitting and then strike them with a hammer to produce lots of pressure to clear the blockage. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. Good ones are not cheap, and cheap ones are not good, generally speaking. If the Zerk is in a bear of a spot, then a rejuvenator may be your best bet.

Replacement Zerks: Your local auto parts store, tractor dealer or farm store will likely offer an assortment pack of Zerk grease fittings. When fittings get smashed, rubbed, snapped, seized or plugged, I simply replace them and call it a day. They are cheaper than buying a rejuvenator and unless I can’t access the fitting, it’s easy to replace a Zerk.

Even my wheelbarrow has Zerks in the axle’s pillow blocks

Tips for Greasing Zerk Fittings

Listen for the Crack: When you grease Zerk fittings, listen for the crack. Once you have filled a void full of grease, the seals on either end usually make a crackling sound as they give way to let the overabundance of grease exit the joint. Stop before you blow out the seal.

Use Just Enough: Don’t overfill when you grease Zerk fittings. Usually three or four pumps of grease is enough and over-greasing a joint pushes grease out the aforementioned seals, which attracts dust, sand, and dirt. Contaminated grease can damage moving parts, so avoid having excess squish out the seals.

Keep them Clean: Carry a rag to clean off the Zerk after you grease. Again, exposed grease attracts dust, sand, and dirt. Avoid pushing contaminated grease into your fitting next time by cleaning it off when you grease.

Choose the Right Product: Not all greases are created equal. Find which kind of grease is recommended by the manufacturer for that fitting. Does it need a low-temp or high-temp grease? Crude base or synthetic? When in doubt, check.

Consider Compatibility: Not all greases are compatible. Don’t mix greases because they don’t all play well together. Be sure to stay consistent since mixing the wrong greases can cause reactions that result in more harm than good.

Wear Gloves: Disposable exam or mechanic’s gloves are perfect for greasing Zerk fittings, because you’re bound to get your hands covered in grease. I may change gloves two or three times while I’m greasing Zerk fittings on a machine just because it gets hard to grab tools. It’s far better than a rag or scrubbing your hands.

The Simple Act of Greasing

It really is as simple as pushing the grease gun’s fitting onto the Zerk (firmly), giving it a few pumps and pulling it back off. Done! Clean up and move on. It’s even easier than adding tractor tire fluids or hooking up your implements.

Did you find these tips helpful? Do you have a few tips of your own? Share in the comments below!

Grease Zerk Fittings to Keep Things Running Smoothly was originally posted by All About Chickens

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maciaslucymua-blog1 · 8 years ago

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7 Steps to Prep for a Healthy Home in Colder Months

New Post has been published on http://www.healthgoesfemale.com/7-steps-to-prep-for-a-healthy-home-in-colder-months/

7 Steps to Prep for a Healthy Home in Colder Months

Photo by Pixabay

By Danielle, Contributing writer

With the fall breezes finally blowing, and winter just around the corner, we are all stocking up on pumpkins, cough syrups, and even holiday decorations and shopping lists. But, is your home ready for the colder months?

I am not talking about the oodles of toys you need to keep your children entertained during a blizzard, nor gallons of bone broth, but preparations you can take to make your home a bit more healthy.

Most don’t think that there are actual steps you can take to keep your home healthy outside of using disinfectant, like bleach or your handy essential oil spray, to boost the health in your home, but there are!

Let’s first look at some of the reasons we get sick more often during the winter.

Why do we get sick in the fall and winter?

– Less vitamin D exposure. Vitamin D, the best source being the good old sun, is increasingly shown to be one of the best supporters of overall immune health. With virtually no sun exposure in the winter months, our system is sorely lacking.

– Limited exercise. Let’s face it. Even if you get to the gym often, you are not exercising, touching the dirt, or doing anything that sounds like that when it’s cold. I don’t blame you for opting for some cocoa and a warm blanket. But, this also means our muscles, ligaments, blood, and endocrine organs and fluids are also taking a break. More movement in the warmer months means more movement of our precious lymph fluid, which cycles and cleans toxins out of our system. In the winter? Not so much (turns on electric fireplace).

– We eat fewer fresh fruits and vegetables. With no farmer’s markets, our gardens frozen over, and produce prices up in the winter, we are simply consuming less vitamins, minerals, enzymes and phytonutrients from raw fruits and vegetables, which normally keep our immune system in top shape.

– Toxic air. Most of us, especially those in the north, get very little fresh air during the colder months. Our windows are always closed, and our heaters are cycling dusty air through our air vents (yuck!).

These few reasons, along with a host more, explain why we simply are more open to illness in the colder months. Now, there are tinctures and tonics, remedies and juices which can get and keep you healthy in the winter, and by all means get those brewing. Luckily, there are also steps you can take to make your home and its lifestyle ready to beat the winter bugs, as well.

Image by Pixabay

7 Steps to Prep for a Healthy Home in Colder Months

Open the windows! OK, no, not all the time. But find a day per month at least, once a week at best, and open up your windows. This allows all the nasties out, and some fresh air in. I check the weather and find the warmest and dryest day of the week, and open those babies up for 30 minutes in the afternoon. Yes, it’s chilly. Yes, I wear two pairs of sweatpants. But, we then huddle by a fire, turn the heat back on, have some cocoa and breathe in the fresh air.

Switch out the light bulbs. Those fancy, twisty CFL light bulbs may promise energy savings, but they also promise ill health. Go old school and use incandescent bulbs (230 Hz) or LED (350 Hz), not the new Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) bulbs (236,740 Hz). CFLs emit electromagnetic radiation which can cause headaches, fatigue, skin problems and even cancer. These bulbs contain enough mercury to 6,000 gallons of water when broken, so dispose of properly.

Turn down the heat! Please keep reading! I know you don’t like the idea of this, but hear me through. Aside from your bill, too much heat can actually breed those germs you are trying to kill. It takes a lot of energy for your body to acclimate to drastic temperature changes, energy it could be using to digest your latest meal or fight off a viral bug. Have you ever noticed, even in the summer, when going outside after being in the home how different the temperature is? It’s okay to be chilly in the winter – winter. is. chilly. Your body will acclimate (and so will your wallet) to cooler temps, and you will not suffer such a bone freezing when you walk outside. Fifty-five to sixty degrees is the lowest you want to go, so that your pipes will not freeze. Consider turning down the heat one degree or two until you find the temperature that keeps you warm, but not freezing. We keep our home at fifty-five degrees during the day when we are not home, and no warmer than sixty-two when we are home. Of course, we wear warm layers, but we do not suffer the temperature shock that others do.

Use natural disinfectant only when necessary. We are over-sanitizing everything today. Studies are showing that more disinfectant we use, the more ill we become. Opt for natural cleaners, or make your own natural disinfecting spray. Quick Recipe: 4 cups of white vinegar and 2 dried orange peels and 2 cinnamon sticks or your favorite essential oils. If using the oranges and cinnamon, place in vinegar for up to two weeks, then remove. If using the oil, add 4-5 drops of your favorite essential oil (Thieves, lavender, tea tree) to vinegar.

Turn off the cell phones and WiFi periodically. Cell phones and WiFi emit EMF’s, which can cause headaches, digestive issues, hormonal imbalances, and even cancer. Turn your cell phone off or in airplane mode when not needed. Consider also getting an EMF blocker on all your technological devices. Also consider putting your internet on cables, or turning off when not in use. I keep mine on a power strip, and turn it off every night.

Replace chemical air fresheners and candles. Air fresheners and candles contain harsh toxins shown to cause allergies and asthma. This is not what you want to be using during months when you are shut in! Opt for soy or beeswax candles, and make your own essential oil sprays (with water), or diffuse them. Another timeless way to bring good smells to your home is warming orange peels, cinnamon sticks, or pine needles in a saucepan on your stove.

Bring in the dirty! I did something a little crazy last year, I must admit. I was desperate to keep my little one playing in the microbial-rich dirt last fall, so I brought in an old sand table with dirt from our garden. I can’t tell you how many hours that entertained my little one in the basement! Throw a few tractors and trucks in, and you have days of fun, all while keeping those warm, healthy bugs in your life. Get creative and find ways to still enjoy the outdoors in the colder months.

So, there you have it. While we enjoy all the wonders of fall, we can still look ahead to the colder months knowing we have the resources to keep our little ones – and homes – healthy!

How do you prep to keep your home healthy in the colder months? Share with us!

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amaradjohnson · 8 years ago

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Lohanu (LU-C) Ukulele Concert Size Review

Learning a musical instrument, aside from boosting your brain power, is simply a joy.(1) If your future includes a UKULELE, there are a wide assortment of beautiful ukuleles. As you ponder this wondrous, potentially new, world, there exist areas that you need to examine. During this process, you will find the Ukulele Concert Size Bundle From Lohanu (LU-C) 2 Strap Pins Installed FREE Uke Strap Case Tuner Picks and be pleased.

Considerations before Purchasing a Ukulele

Key considerations before purchasing a ukulele include the quality of construction materials, the generated sound, and what goodies come with it. Bad construction can produce buzzing noises and tuning issues, which can turn your pleasant experience sour. Purchasing a poorly made ukulele will bring you unending frustration and hassle. If this is your first one, you will want it to be economical and dependable.

The Lohanu (LU-C) Ukulele Concert

Lohanu, the company that produces the LU-C, has high customer satisfaction and provides a lifetime warranty on their ukuleles. The LU-C is gorgeously constructed, with a Sapele/Mahogany shell, a Rosewood fingerboard, Aquila strings - the best strings for a ukulele -, handmade ABS bindings, chrome die cast tuning gears, and an arched back. The sound elevates it well past cheap ukuleles and nears high-end models! It comes with many accessories that improve your experience and save you money. The cost of entry into the ukulele world is little, being only $159.99. With an endless assortment of positive reviews, having over 1,200 on Amazon alone, the LU-C has passed the user test. Whether you are a beginner or you have been playing ukuleles for a while, this concert sized model will provide the sound and quality you desire.

Pros

All laminate body that looks like wood (great for changing temps)

Comes with everything a uke player might need at the beginning

Rarely needs to be tuned after being set

Cons

All laminate body that does not feel like wood

Not intended for high end use; doesn't have the sound quality

Gig bag does not protect instrument very well, except from dust

Check Current Prices

Features & Benefits

Quality Made

The quality is good, and the ukulele will last for years. While many terrible instruments are manufactured in China, this one, built in China too, is well made. Lohanu makes sure that each one carries a lifetime warranty and tests extensively for proper dimensions, sound, and comfort.

Visually Appealing

Care was taken when creating the Sapele/Mahogany top. It is pretty, and you may have friends comment on how pleasant it looks.

Value and many Goodies

The value is superb for everything you get with it. It comes with a tuner, online lessons, a carrying case, picks and holder, strap, the best strings on the market, and an additional set of strings. It will take get you through the beginner's stage with glee and comfort. The sound is superb and easy to create.

Dependability

With customer support stands that out among companies these days, Lohanu assures the satisfaction of each client. A company that takes care of their customers will give you less to worry about in the event of an accident. This ukulele will last a long time and work when you need it.

It is so Light!

It weighs significantly than others, 1.2 pounds vs. around 3 lbs. You can play for a longer period due to relieving the stress from holding it.

Alternatives

Donner Concert Ukulele Mahogany DUC-1 23 inch

Also made in China, this is $120 gem is well crafted, compared to others in this price range. The wood is beautiful, but not grade AAA. The shape is comfortable, but the ukulele is a little heavy at 3.1 pounds. The strings are of decent quality, but will not win your heart. The tone is pleasant and will perform well for a beginner. If you are looking for a cheaper alternative, albeit one with lower quality but still highly reviewed, the Donner Concert Ukulele Mahogany DUC-1 will suit you.

Comparison to the Ukulele Concert Size Bundle From Lohanu (LU-C):

The price is lower

The qaulity is lower

It has less goodies

The strings are not as good

Check Current Prices

Kala Learn To Play Ukulele Starter Kit

Another great ukulele for beginners, the Kala even comes with premium Aquila strings. It looks fantastic and is cheap, at only $69.99. Losing it or having a child accidently break it will not harm your bank account. The sound produced is above average, and the overall quality is good. It does go out of tune often, and if you are thinking of playing more than just a little bit, other ukuleles will better fit you. Although it comes with a bag, it is not very protective. At this price point, it seems that the emphasis is on replacement instead of repair if something goes wrong. It only weighs 1.4 pounds, so your arms will not be sore. It is highly received, with 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon. If you want a slightly above average beginner ukulele that can be lost or destroyed without causing you financial pain, the Kala may be of use to you.

Comparison to the Ukulele Concert Size Bundle From Lohanu (LU-C):

Quite a bit cheaper

Includes fewer goodies

Lower Amazon rating

Case is of a much lower quality, basically a tote sack

Check Current Prices

Luna MALU Mahogany Series Maluhia

Another ukulele that comes with Aquila strings, the Luna Malu is another excellent choice. Priced at $88.79, it is affordable. While there are less Amazon reviews, 67, they give it 4.8 out of 5 stars. It has a satin finish and rosewood fretboard and has a unique look. They etched the word "peace" in a variety of languages that flow across the board. The quality is excellent, and it weighs only slightly more than others 1.6 pounds. The sound is nearly deep with a resonance that is better than the majority of ukuleles. It is a pleasure to hold and balanced well. The Luna Malu deserves your serious glance.

Comparison to the Ukulele Concert Size Bundle From Lohanu (LU-C):

The price is lower

The sound is slightly deeper

It weighs slightly more

Visually impressive due to graceful etchings

Check Current Prices

Final Thoughts

The Lohanu (LU-C) is a light-hearted, enjoyable instrument. It will have you relaxing and smiling in no time. It is affordable and has a superb sound that will tickle your ears. With so many terribly made ukuleles out there, this one is a great find. You will be hard pressed to find another at this price point with similar features and reviews. If you are thinking about ukuleles, this one will not disappoint you.

The post Lohanu (LU-C) Ukulele Concert Size Review appeared first on Music Advisor.

source https://musicadvisor.com/lohanu-lu-c-ukulele/ from Music Advisor http://musicadvisorcom.blogspot.com/2017/09/lohanu-lu-c-ukulele-concert-size-review.html

0 notes

robertbjonesus80 · 8 years ago

Text

Lohanu (LU-C) Ukulele Concert Size Review

Considerations before Purchasing a Ukulele

The Lohanu (LU-C) Ukulele Concert

Pros

All laminate body that looks like wood (great for changing temps)

Comes with everything a uke player might need at the beginning

Rarely needs to be tuned after being set

Cons

All laminate body that does not feel like wood

Not intended for high end use; doesn’t have the sound quality

Gig bag does not protect instrument very well, except from dust

Check Current Prices

Features & Benefits

Quality Made

Visually Appealing

Care was taken when creating the Sapele/Mahogany top. It is pretty, and you may have friends comment on how pleasant it looks.

Value and many Goodies

The value is superb for everything you get with it. It comes with a tuner, online lessons, a carrying case, picks and holder, strap, the best strings on the market, and an additional set of strings. It will take get you through the beginner’s stage with glee and comfort. The sound is superb and easy to create.

Dependability

It is so Light!

It weighs significantly than others, 1.2 pounds vs. around 3 lbs. You can play for a longer period due to relieving the stress from holding it.

Alternatives

Donner Concert Ukulele Mahogany DUC-1 23 inch

Comparison to the Ukulele Concert Size Bundle From Lohanu (LU-C):

The price is lower

The qaulity is lower

It has less goodies

The strings are not as good

Check Current Prices

Kala Learn To Play Ukulele Starter Kit

Comparison to the Ukulele Concert Size Bundle From Lohanu (LU-C):

Quite a bit cheaper

Includes fewer goodies

Lower Amazon rating

Case is of a much lower quality, basically a tote sack

Check Current Prices

Luna MALU Mahogany Series Maluhia

Another ukulele that comes with Aquila strings, the Luna Malu is another excellent choice. Priced at $88.79, it is affordable. While there are less Amazon reviews, 67, they give it 4.8 out of 5 stars. It has a satin finish and rosewood fretboard and has a unique look. They etched the word “peace” in a variety of languages that flow across the board. The quality is excellent, and it weighs only slightly more than others 1.6 pounds. The sound is nearly deep with a resonance that is better than the majority of ukuleles. It is a pleasure to hold and balanced well. The Luna Malu deserves your serious glance.

Comparison to the Ukulele Concert Size Bundle From Lohanu (LU-C):

The price is lower

The sound is slightly deeper

It weighs slightly more

Visually impressive due to graceful etchings

Check Current Prices

Final Thoughts

The post Lohanu (LU-C) Ukulele Concert Size Review appeared first on Music Advisor.

from Music Advisor https://musicadvisor.com/lohanu-lu-c-ukulele/ from Music Advisor https://musicadvisor.tumblr.com/post/165007954652

0 notes

musicadvisor · 8 years ago

Text

Lohanu (LU-C) Ukulele Concert Size Review

Considerations before Purchasing a Ukulele

The Lohanu (LU-C) Ukulele Concert

Pros

All laminate body that looks like wood (great for changing temps)

Comes with everything a uke player might need at the beginning

Rarely needs to be tuned after being set

Cons

All laminate body that does not feel like wood

Not intended for high end use; doesn't have the sound quality

Gig bag does not protect instrument very well, except from dust

Check Current Prices

Features & Benefits

Quality Made

Visually Appealing

Care was taken when creating the Sapele/Mahogany top. It is pretty, and you may have friends comment on how pleasant it looks.

Value and many Goodies

Dependability

It is so Light!

It weighs significantly than others, 1.2 pounds vs. around 3 lbs. You can play for a longer period due to relieving the stress from holding it.

Alternatives

Donner Concert Ukulele Mahogany DUC-1 23 inch

Comparison to the Ukulele Concert Size Bundle From Lohanu (LU-C):

The price is lower

The qaulity is lower

It has less goodies

The strings are not as good

Check Current Prices

Kala Learn To Play Ukulele Starter Kit

Comparison to the Ukulele Concert Size Bundle From Lohanu (LU-C):

Quite a bit cheaper

Includes fewer goodies

Lower Amazon rating

Case is of a much lower quality, basically a tote sack

Check Current Prices

Luna MALU Mahogany Series Maluhia

Comparison to the Ukulele Concert Size Bundle From Lohanu (LU-C):

The price is lower

The sound is slightly deeper

It weighs slightly more

Visually impressive due to graceful etchings

Check Current Prices

Final Thoughts

The post Lohanu (LU-C) Ukulele Concert Size Review appeared first on Music Advisor.

from Music Advisor https://musicadvisor.com/lohanu-lu-c-ukulele/

0 notes

jessestoddard · 8 years ago

Text

Today’s interview with Karen Marie Chase is part of my ongoing blog-to-book project: Life After High School: Secrets To A Successful Life By Those Who Have Had Twenty Years To Think About It (or) What They Didn’t Teach Us Gen Xers In High School. If you missed the last post, click here, otherwise, you can start at the beginning here.

Karen Marie Chase

(Formerly Karen Marie La Mesa)

Beverly, MA

My Life In High School

Who were you in High School and how did you feel about it?

Who was I in high school? I was a nice girl who didn’t really fit into a group. I was athletic but wasn’t a “jock.” I got good grades but wasn’t a “nerd.” I wasn’t a “stoner,” yet I had friends who smoked and did drugs. In fact, I’ve never had even a single drag off a cigarette or tried a drug in my life. I had lots of friends but wasn’t one of the “popular” girls. A girl who had nothing—but everything.

I am a child from a single parent family—the girl who would help anyone and expected nothing in return. I was an independent, hard working kid, (started babysitting when I was 9, got a paper route (delivering the Skagit Valley Herald) when I was 11, started bussing tables when I was 15 and moved into working in a kitchen when I was 16 and have been working ever since.

How did it make me feel? Honestly, I never really thought about it before, but as I write this I am feeling really proud. I never caved to peer pressure or did anything I didn’t want to do just because other people were doing it or tried to talk me into it. My mom taught me to treat other people the way I wanted to be treated. A motto I lived by then and one I still do my best to live by today.

What did you think your life would become when you graduated?

What do any of us think our lives are going to become after graduation?

I thought I’d graduate from college, get a job, get married, have kids and live happily ever after. Who doesn’t picture some version of that grandeur?

My Life After High School

What happened in your life to you, for you, and by you in the last twenty years (how have you used your time and who have you become)?

As mentioned I come from a single parent family. My mom was proud and didn’t have help from anyone, which meant, we (me, my mom and younger brother) moved… A LOT.

I went to five different first grades alone.

Born in Torrington, CT, we landed on the West coast fairly early. On our way to the west, we lived in South Dakota and Colorado before landing in Reno, NV. We spent time in California, and Oregon as well. When I had just four weeks of 6th grade left we moved to Anacortes.

My brother and I were in shock. We had two aunts there and had visited but never thought we’d live there. My mom sent us ahead of her because she thought it would be helpful for us to make friends for the summer.

The Anacortes School District separated my brother and I. They sent him to Island View and me to Mt. Erie. The week after we got to Anacortes we both got the Chickenpox. Then I got to go to Camp Orkila. Met some great friends at Mt. Erie. Friends I keep in touch with today.

The move to Anacortes wasn’t easy. I’d come from a big busy, 24-hour city with huge overcrowded schools to a small “island” that rolled up the sidewalks at 8:00 every night. We spent four years in Anacortes.

I struggled at first; most kids who lived there had lived there their whole lives. They already had their groups. It took me a long time, but I was beginning to find my way, and then it was time to move again.

I was so ANGRY with my mom for moving us again. It was the summer of 9th grade. I had friends, a boyfriend, was doing well in school and sports, a paper route. I didn’t want to move! I sat in the U-Haul with my arms crossed and didn’t speak to my mom the whole way. How could she be doing this to us again?

I started 10th grade in utter shock. I thought Anacortes was small! We moved to a town called Wilton and in 11th grade the next town over, Lyndeborough. These are truly TINY towns. The junior high and high school were combined, Wilton—Lyndeborough Junior Senior Co-Operative High School and only had 350 kids total for grades 7-12! I learned the definition of tiny. My graduating class had 43 kids and 40 of us graduated!

I started dating a guy who lived up the street from us. I dated him all through the remainder of high school and college. We broke up for a period of time when I was in college. I graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts with a Graphic Design concentration. After graduation, I got an apartment with that boyfriend. We broke up about a year later.

Finding a job after graduation was shockingly hard. No one will hire anyone without experience, but no one wanted to give experience. I finally got a job in a business card print shop making $11 an hour.

I was so upset at this. I did everything I was supposed to; I went to college and got a degree… And for what? To rack up $80k in student loans to make $11 an hour?! What a freaking joke! I could have skipped school and got a job that paid me $8 an hour and have no student loans.

A woman I was working with sort of put things into perspective for me. She said, “Karen, I’ve been working here 10 years and I bet your starting pay is very close to what I make.” It really made me think.

I stayed at that job for two months because as luck would have it, the job I really wanted called me. The person they’d hired didn’t work out and I was choice number two. I left the BC job and took a design position in Concord, NH. I replaced two designers and they had a temp in to help me but I ended up being the sole designer. I was doing the work of two people but only getting paid for one.

At this job, I learned Life Lesson #1: It was a small family company. One of the guys who worked there gave me the best professional advice I’d gotten to date, “Just remember kid, this is a family business and you ain’t family.”

I worked my ass off at that company. Doing the work of two people and it got me nowhere. I still worked my butt off though. If there is one thing my mom instilled in my brother and me, it was a strong work and moral ethic.

Because student loans were so expensive I needed to find another job to help pay for them. My aunt got me a job bartending at a small bar. From there I went to bigger bars, some a bit nicer, some a bit seedy. But I made good money no matter where I was. On a Wednesday night, I’d make what I made in a whole week at my design job.

I’d been a waitress through college but not a bartender. I LOVED it. It was a natural fit for me. I have never been someone who required much sleep and I love people, so two jobs didn’t effect me in any way other than making it easier to pay my bills. I had a great time bartending.

At the same time, I’d convinced my best friend from High School (Wilton) to get an apartment with me in Manchester, NH, aka MachVegas.

Boy did we have a blast! We had so much fun the cops showed up more than once. Let’s see… They came to our Halloween Party, our Pimp N’ Ho party, our Toga party. Heck, they showed up at our not-even-a-party card playing Saturday night…. Yep, we gave the Manchester police some funny stories to tell!

During this time I learned my second life lesson…

Life Lesson #2: Don’t date a guy you meet in a bar.

Working behind a bar you get hit on all the time and it’s very easy to turn these advances down. I decided to give one guy I met a chance. He seemed different. He was the nicest guy on the planet until you added alcohol!

Early on I disclosed that drugs (even weed) were not something I wanted in my life (this was the main difference between my high school sweetheart and me). Unfortunately, he smoked a lot of it. To his credit, he tried to give it up but that translated to more drinking. He got so bad that my friends and family didn’t want him around. Friends would tell me I was invited to things but that I couldn’t bring him.

I finally had enough when on a really bad snowy night he was being nasty and I said I was going home. It was a bad storm but I ran to leave anyway. I jumped in my car and went to back up and hit my breaks abruptly to his mom screaming to stop. He had thrown himself under my car and I nearly ran him over! Once he got out from underneath he ended up on the hood screaming at me to drive because he was going to die tonight. His parents came out and his father and I ended up wrestling him to the ground and pinning him down until he was foaming at the mouth. I didn’t even know that was real. Thought that was just some special effect you saw in the movies. The saddest part, the next morning he didn’t even remember doing any of it.

Why do guys always do too little until it’s too late then expect forgiveness? I’d been pushed to a point that I couldn’t return from.

I was trying to get away from him when I met David. It was a freak 80-degree day in the middle of February. The print shop I worked at had two buildings and I happened to notice a job sitting on the counter that was supposed to have shipped two days prior. Luckily, UPS picked up from our 2nd building later in the day. I grabbed the box and hurried down the hill.

As I was approaching the building there were two guys at the bottom the hill outside the main entrance to the building. One was on a motorcycle and said something. I didn’t know them so didn’t think they were talking to me and looked behind me. As I got closer I asked if they were talking to me and the guy on the motorcycle said, “Yes, do you need help carrying the box?”

I thanked him for the offer and kept going. When I was heading back they were still there. As I went by, the guy on the bike asked if I wanted to go for a ride. I said sure and kept walking. I caught him so off guard that he stumbled over his response which was, well I’d take you for a ride but I just got this bike today and don’t have the passenger seat yet.

I stopped and looked at him and said well then why did you offer? He tried to give me his phone number and told him if he was serious when he got his seat I worked at Town & Country and was the only Karen there. He could call me when the seat arrived. It snowed 6 inches the next day!

A week or so later I got the call. It was snowing again and he said while he got his seat in, it was snowing so perhaps I would like to get a cup of coffee. I told him I didn’t drink coffee. Radio silence. I laughed and said, “But I do drink other things!”

I invited him to get some friends together as some of my girlfriends and I were going out that weekend. He ended up coming alone…. My aunt said, “Oh, he’s a brave soul.” We dated for a year and got engaged that Christmas. We planned a wedding and sent out invitations and everything then I called it off after he broke my trust. We tried to work on things but it was never the same.

A few months shy of our 4-year anniversary—the day after Christmas—he said his feet were feeling funny to the point that I took him to the emergency room. He was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre´ Syndrome. An autoimmune disease that causes your immune system to attack your nervous system.

David was a Desert Storm Vet and I learned a lot about autoimmune diseases and the elevated number of Desert Storm Vets to suffer from them. The good news is if you are going to get an autoimmune disease this is the one to get. Ninety percent of people recover from it 100%, but it is a long slow recovery averaging 6-plus months. He spent a couple weeks in the hospital and a month in rehab. Every morning I would go to the hospital get him in his wheelchair and do laps around the hospital. Go to work, go home, walk the dogs and go back to the hospital.

By then I wasn’t bartending anymore but was a shot girl at a local bar. It was a hell of a lot easier than bartending and to my surprise much more fun! I met one of my very best friends in this job.

A funny thing that I can say with confidence is that I never judge anyone based on appearance. When being introduced to this girl on my first night, for some strange reason I looked at her and thought to myself: Oh man she’s going to be the biggest bitch ever!

I have no idea why I thought that. I was introduced to Amanda and seriously we were instant friends and have been the best of friends ever since.

That year, I left the bar early on New Year’s Eve—ran to the CVS and bought a bottle of sparkling cider and plastic cups and ran to the hospital, jumped the gate and waited outside the employee entrance until someone came out so I could get up to David’s room for New Years.

He was moved to rehab a few days later where I continued the same routine until it was time for him to come home. Sadly it was a downhill spiral from there.

Life Lesson #3: Don’t go down with the ship.

He had a hard time getting back to norm. In fact, he never ended up going back to work. I don’t remember why but he started doing drugs—heavy drugs. I tried to help, tried to get him back on track and to being well emotionally and mentally but I just wasn’t enough and he continued to spiral. We broke up, I moved out.

For the first time since before I graduated college I moved back home. This time, unlike when I left the long time beau, I took my things, things we bought together but I paid for and packed up. I made the mistake the fist time around of letting my Ex keep anything we bought together because my new roommate had furniture and I made better money than him, and I thought I’d be able to replace it sooner. I tried my best but can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved, so I said my goodbyes and moved on.

I started spending time with a guy I met in college. I’d gone back to school to see a friend graduate and bumped into him working. Eric and I became friends my junior year. I was a bank teller while in college and he came to my window.

Little did I know my whole life was about to change.

It turns out this guy worked at my college. We became pretty good friends in our senior year, but after graduation, I never expected to see him again. At my friend’s graduation, we reconnected.

We never talked again all summer then out of the blue he called me that winter and asked if I skied. I didn’t but had just learned how to snowboard. We started hanging out a lot that winter, while David didn’t.

After we broke up, I ended up doing some design work for him and he helped me build my office. I started a graphic design business and my mom lets me build an office and studio apartment in part of a building she owned. He came up on weekends to help me build it.

I got my little design shop up and running. Studio K was in operation for about 3 years. I was also working part-time at the chamber of commerce. I got my name out there, met other businesses and business owners.

I was more or less breaking even and then in May of 2006, my office and apartment were flooded in the Mother’s Day Flood. A huge portion of New Hampshire flooded when 14 inches of rain fell in a short time and flooded much of southern New Hampshire and parts of Massachusetts.

We’d been close but never single at the same time. For the first time in our friendship, we were both single. I also never saw anything working out between us because he had two children. His life was in Massachusetts; my life was in New Hampshire.

At the time I also had a 17-year-old cousin in my care. I wanted him to be able to finish high school and get off to college before I made any drastic changes.

Well, the Mother’s Day Flood changed all that. My office and apartment had been flooded out. Which forced my hand to move sooner than planned. We made arrangements for him to stay with a family friend until graduation and I packed up and headed to Massachusetts to start my life with Eric.

I’m not really sure how all that happened. I never imagined I’d ever go back to Massachusetts—let alone live there.

We had some serious ups and downs and some REALLY trying times with his kids. He was working two jobs so I spent the majority of the time with his kids. At first, it was fine as the kids were really good kids.

As time wore on their mother started to cause all kinds of problems for us. Such major problems that we almost didn’t make it. Jealousy is a very unattractive quality. After years together I finally told him it was time to take things to the next level, that I wanted a family and if he didn’t want the same things as me then we were wasting each others time. I felt if he didn’t know after 5 years, he was never going to know and told him I had a time set in my mind that if he didn’t make up his mind, I’d be forced to make up mine.

His deadline was New Years. If he didn’t make a move by then, I’d be moving out. In October he surprised me with a trip to Mexico. He’d arranged my mom coming to pick up my dogs to watch them. He bought suitcases and a bathing suit for me and a couple dresses. I was floored. I tried not to get my hopes up. We’d never been on a vacation and this was a fancy one and was a gift in itself.

We arrived on the morning of Halloween. My favorite holiday! And that night, to my shock—he proposed!

To his shock, I asked him if I could think about it.

He wasn’t sure if I was serious. I was. I asked if we could have a baby? He said he was close to saying yes. I told him kids were a deal breaker for me. I wanted a family so if we could have a family and do something about the situation with the kids (things were still really rocky) then I’d be happy to be his wife.

We saved for two years to pay for our wedding. I wanted to be married before we had kids. If I had known it would take so long to get pregnant then I might not have waited. I never dreamed of how hard it would be to get pregnant. It turns out there was an issue that was standing in our way, but as luck would have it after several years of trying we were finally blessed with good news. A baby was on the way.

Life Lesson #4: A healthy baby is truly the most amazing gift anyone could ask for.

I took for granted how difficult it would be to get pregnant. Then once I was, a healthy baby became the true blessing in life. During my pregnancy, my best friend (my partner-in-crime shot girl) lost a baby to a very rare umbilical cord accident when she was 7 months along.

She too had a hard time getting pregnant and this was very traumatic for her and her husband. Also while pregnant, another close friend’s baby was diagnosed with a severe heart condition while still in the womb. My niece stopped growing and arrived a month early. I had no idea what a blessing a healthy baby is on top of having the baby in the first place.

We did not know if we’d be welcoming McKayla Marie or Alexander James but were answered when Alexander James arrived on May 30th, 2015. It was a week late but perfectly healthy!

I have never felt more blessed than I do now. Everyone told me life as I knew it would change. I didn’t expect it wouldn’t but I had no idea it was humanly possible to love someone more every day! He is truly amazing.

I know I’m biased but he’s just perfect… If only he’d sleep!

I joke that I followed a boy to Massachusetts. I figure it’s ok since I married that boy and we now have the most amazing little boy and a couple wonderful stepchildren and hopefully a daughter-in-law in the works.

So that’s where I am family-wise. Career-wise, where am I? What was my path? It’s been a little bit of a bumpy ride.

I mentioned I went to college after high school, started out working in a couple print shops, left the second to be the art director at a magazine in Manchester, NH.

I got there and had one of the less-than-awesome experiences in my career.

Life Lesson #5: It’s not lonely at the top.

I got to this art director job and walked into a girl who was acting as art director and being more or less demoted. Their director had left and one of the girls working there had stepped up and was acting as art director.

She didn’t know I was being hired until the minute I walked through the door. What a way to start out!

I should have known better. This was also a small company and also run by a husband and a wife. The husband was fine, the wife—not so much. She was nasty and would play me and the rest of the designers against each other. She told me it was lonely at the top and that I couldn’t be friendly with the girls because I had to be their boss. I do not agree with that philosophy whatsoever. I believe if you are good to people they will be good back to you and I stuck with that philosophy.

Needless to say, it didn’t work out and this was what pushed me to open Studio K Graphics. I knew I could do a good job and make money at it.

I met a friend/former customer for lunch one day shortly after leaving and he told me he had something in his car he wanted to give me. I got there and he opened the back door and in the car was a printer, a fax machine, a computer and a few other office necessities. He said I was talented and could make it running my own business. I, of course, refused the gifts. There was no way I could pay for them. We went back and forth and I only agreed to take them if he’d let me pay him back in some way, even if that meant through trade.

So it worked out and that was how I started Studio K Graphics. Once I closed it down after the floods, I kept some of my customers, I just didn’t take on any new ones. I still have a couple I do some work for today.

When I was in college I worked in the kitchen for work-study. I called the guy who runs the kitchen at Endicott and asked if they could put me to work until I could find a job. I was in luck. So I worked in the kitchen at my old Alma Mater for a couple months until I landed an art director position at a company that published trade magazines.

So here we go again, a small company, run by a guy who had his daughter working there for the summer. Well, she was as “Royal Princess” as the piece of work he was!

What a disaster that place was. This was truly the worse job I’ve ever had. The guy was the type of guy who thrived on conflict. He wasn’t happy unless there was some drama going on and if there wasn’t any he created it. His daughter was a prima donna and ended up staying when the editor left. She took over.

Everything bothered her. You couldn’t put an article in her inbox without “disturbing” her. Augh! I hated that place. The guy squashed every shred of creativity out of me and made me a paranoid nervous wreck. Every day I’d go home crying. I only stayed there a year. I couldn’t take it.

This was during the time when the economy was having a rough time. Graphic design and web design jobs were often being combined into one and I had zero web training. I had several very successful interviews and even a couple second interviews in Boston. Something happened with all of them.

McKay Healthcare had a client they were hiring another designer for but got held up indefinitely with the FDA. They assured me not to worry; it would just be a couple weeks. Several weeks went by and when I checked they said they didn’t know how long it would be held up—could be a year.

The other, NSTAR, a union job working for an energy company needed someone with web experience. They had someone they also liked and had web experience. Elder Hostel loved me and I passed the test they gave me. They didn’t mind I didn’t have web experience because they were willing the train the right person. The manager was going on vacation for two weeks so she said she’d be in touch when she got back.

As luck would have it, Murphy struck again. While she was away, their web designer gave their two-week notice and now the manager was making her hire someone with web experience as there’d be no one there to teach me. Such a bummer. I was really excited about that job.

FINALLY, I was working through the career center to find a job and get my resume in good order and take some classes. I took the Myers-Briggs Personality test that I thought was a total load of crap. A bunch of stupid multiple-choice questions that supposedly would tell you what kind of personality you had. There are only 16 different personalities.

I found out I’m an ENFP and let me tell you it kind of freaked me out a little bit. It nailed my personality to a ‘T’. Also, it tells you some jobs people with your personality types have been successful in and some to stay away from.

What was even more profound was that it gave me insight as to other personality types and traits they exhibit and I learned why this last job was such a pure hell for me. My personality doesn’t need timelines to get things done, actually, they are often counterproductive. I can multi-task and flip back and forth between more than one project and be working on them all in tandem. Quiet time isn’t needed. Music and or people don’t distract me or prohibit my productivity.

The boss’s princess was the complete opposite. She had to have timelines, schedules, could only do one thing at a time, noises, music, and people were distracting to her. Again I learned so much taking this test about others and myself.

I finally decided that I needed to take a web design course or I was never going to find a job. I found a program at the career center that would pay for me to go back to school if I could prove that I needed to be retrained to get back in the workforce. It was a lot of paperwork but I was determined and when I tell you Murphy struck again, it’s true. The day I was supposed to start my first class, I got a call from a staffing agency, I do think the ONLY staffing agency in the area I hadn’t heard of before and likely the only one I wasn’t registered with.

They found my resume online and had a job they thought I’d be a good fit for, and asked if I could come in the next day for an interview. I said sure—why not check it out?

They sent me to Salem Five (my bank) the next day for an interview. They called me later that day, said they loved me and asked if I could start on Monday! I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to work while in the program of going back to school and of course my caseworker was on vacation and no one could answer me so I accepted the job. I couldn’t imagine them telling me not to work.

It was a 3-month contract job to cover a maternity leave. I was fortunate enough to make a good impression on all the right people and 8 years later here I am.

I started out as the graphic designer and when she came back a role was created for me. Half my job was charitable foundation administrator and the other half was an event planner. I was brought on during a hiring freeze so my salary was low but I loved this company so much, I would have cleaned toilets to stay.

One of my first projects I worked on was an internal newsletter. It had a birthdays and anniversaries section. People were celebrating twenty- and thirty-year anniversaries. In this day and age that is unheard of. It spoke volumes to me about the integrity of the company. The first year I worked there I was nominated for employee of the year! Whoot Whoot. I didn’t win, but to even have been nominated after less than a year, I felt pretty good.

My career has evolved at the bank. I started out as the designer, then charitable foundation manager, event planner, to PR specialist and social media manager. Two years ago I was promoted to Assistant Vice President and I know almost all of our 574 employees. The bank has grown from 18 branches when I got there 8 years ago, to 30.

As much as I’ve had a good run and learned a ton, I will be hanging up my hat and heading to another bank where I have accepted a Marketing Manager Position equivalent to my bosses role at Salem Five. I can’t wait! Looking forward to the new role and spending more time with my kiddo. The hours and pay are much better!

My Life Lessons

What were the major life lessons and wisdom that you gained during your journey over the last 20 years?

Nuggets of wisdom I’ve learned: Mom was right.

Work hard, and be a good person and good things will happen to you.

Everything happens for a reason.

Even if we don’t understand it at the time, I have to believe there is some reason/bigger/grander plan.

Old clichés you hear as kids are true, the older you get the faster it goes! People weren’t kidding about that! Eh, what do the grown-ups know? Clearly a lot more than any kid ever thinks.

Don’t work for husband/wife companies unless you are family. As my co-worker told me, this is a family business and you ain’t family.

It’s not lonely at the top. Screw the asshole who said that (Jody).

The former president at Salem Five shared this golden nugget with me. One day when talking to him about character flaws, he said, “Karen, a person’s biggest flaw is often their greatest attribute.” I will never forget that.

Letter To My High School Self

If you could write your 18-year-old self (or however old you were when you graduated) a letter, and send it back in time, what would you say? What lessons or wisdom did you learn? What encouragement or warnings would you give yourself?

If I could leave advice for my 18-year-old self, I’d say:

#1, Mom taught me, don’t ever do anything to someone you wouldn’t want to be done to you—live by that wisdom and you can’t go wrong.

Treat people the way you want to be treated.

Be yourself—don’t let friends or family define who you are.

Believe in yourself and have confidence. If you aren’t there yet, fake it. Confidence comes with experience—it will come.

Tell the people you care about that you care.

Give someone, anyone, a hug daily.

Tell your family (particularly your children and your parents) that you are proud of them.

Live your life for yourself and no one else. You can’t please others if you aren’t pleased yourself.

The older you get the less time you’ll have for drama and bull. You don’t have to be involved. Don’t let it weigh on you, and just walk away.

Be kind and others will be kind to you.

Appreciate the little things and be true to yourself. At the end of the day, the only one you need to please is yourself.

Smile! It increases your face value.

Lastly, roll with the punches. When life serves you lemons, make lemonade and DON’T, I repeat DON’T, hang around with negative or bad influences. People tend to become what their friends are.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

In the next post, I will wrap things up with Chapter 13.

Are you from Generation X? I want to hear what you think! Please comment below and participate in the conversation about What They Didn’t Teach Us Gen Xers In High School. What do you wish someone told you when you were eighteen?

[mailerlite_form form_id=4]

Life After High School: Interview with Karen Marie Chase Today’s interview with Karen Marie Chase is part of my ongoing blog-to-book project: Life After High School:

#Interview

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additionallysad · 8 years ago

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How We Picked Our Beach House Color http://ift.tt/2jlfFZG

Picking paint isn’t always easy, and boy did we have a hard time deciding on a beach house color. If you follow us on Instagram or Facebook, you probably saw us share a bunch of photoshopped options a few weeks ago that flashed by, slideshow-style, like this:

And if you listen to our podcast, you’ve heard all about the house colors next door and the other factors that need to be taken into account (like not wanting to paint our original wood door, for example). All of that’s in Episode #28, which you can play below to get all caught up. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you might have to click through to the post to see the player.

Podcast listeners were also the first to hear the conclusion of the debate this week in Episode #31, where we talked through a few of our initial instincts, how we changed our minds along the way, and what unexpected object finally inspired a firm choice. There’s no going back now, guys!

So consider this a visual recap of a lot of the details we shared in those two episodes above. We thought the most logical way to go about this was to address each potential color (or color category) one at a time, starting with…

The Existing Color

When we bought the house it was sporting a green-gray siding color with creamy yellow trim (see the before here). We knew immediately we were going to paint the trim white to make it look fresher and beachier (many of our neighbors have white trim, which looks great). So we photoshopped white trim into the picture above, and we fleetingly considered keeping the siding the same green-gray color. You know, to honor its existing look?

But it felt a little muddy and dull compared to many of the other colorful houses around it in this beachy and bright community. And ultimately we decided that we wanted a clearer signal to the neighborhood that this house is coming back to life (as if the dumpster out front isn’t a clue) and a new exterior color felt like a great way to do that. Plus if you’re paying all this money to replace rotted siding and repaint everything, it’s part of the fun to get to choose a new color. Also part of the fun: second guessing yourself a million times as you go!

Blue

We’re SUCKERS for blue (yes, that deserves all caps due to our extreme unwavering affinity). We’ve used it a lot in all of our houses, we painted our showhouse a deep blue, and our current house’s front door is a bold teal. There are so many great options to choose from (light blue-gray, navy, cobalt, aqua, teal) that would make for a pretty inviting beach house. The problem? All of our neighbors already had the same thought.

We’re one of four identical houses in a row on our block (same porch columns, same stained glass window up top, etc). And the other three are already some shade of blue. We debated going for blue too, so we’re all sort of a gradient or a little “blue house” team, but every instinct we had told us that it would be better to do something different instead of just blending in and becoming ombre house bros (ombre hombres?). We liked the idea of being “the _____ house on the street” versus being “yet another blue house on the street.” Plus some of the cutest parts of this town have more of a “painted ladies” feeling, so we moved on to the next option.

Green

Most of the greens we considered got nixed for the same reason above. We loved the idea of something minty or in the seafoam family, but every tester we tried just felt too close to blue (see the neighboring house colors peeking into frame above?). Even if we chose something on the yellower side of the green spectrum – you know, more avocado – we didn’t feel like it would bring enough contrast to the blueness on the street. We decided that if we really wanted to contribute to that happy almost rainbow feel of beach towns then we should choose more of a complementary color instead of one so close on the color wheel.

Gray / Beige

Now I realize it sounds weird to say a “rainbow feel” and then talk about painting ours a neutral color. But we do love a good neutral – especially because in this context it would allow us to pick bright porch furniture or even put colorful accents elsewhere on the house (some houses paint the eaves, the porch ceiling, or even some details around the window). We also thought that maybe a neutral would bring some balance to all of the bold blues on our side of the street. We spotted quite a few light tan and gray houses around town that look great, so we didn’t want to rule it out.

And when Sherry scoured her inspiration folders (she’s been pinning and tearing beach houses out of magazines for years), she realized light gray/tan houses were some of her favorites – and they still felt plenty beachy. Especially with all the colorful planters and furniture that can be layered into those pictures (don’t forget that staged colorful bike out front!).

(images found here & here)

In addition to Pinterest, we also looked around Cape Charles itself for what stuck out to us. As much as there are lots of colorful houses, the soft neutral houses with crisp white trim certainly felt at home near the water too. Our minds swirled around neutral colors like this for a while. Partly, I’m sure, because it’s a pretty “safe” choice – which isn’t always a bad thing. Heck, safe can also mean classic and relaxed (and not “that one all the neighbors hate because it’s crazy!”), right? Maybe we didn’t need to be too in-your-face with color after all? Hmm….

White

Heading down that same neutral rabbit hole was white. Man, if you thought Sherry’s Pinterest board had a lot of gray or tan beach houses, don’t even get me started on the whites. SO. MANY. WHITE. HOUSE. PINS. And after spotting some around Cape Charles too – including an immaculate bed & breakfast that is crazy charming – we were starting to seriously consider white. With a dark roof and a hit of tin (our beach house’s front porch has a tin roof) along with little hits of color (like a porch swing, planters, some colorful adirondak chairs, etc) we were definitely warming up to the idea. The white felt very crisp and undeniably beachy. There’s that bike again!

(image found here)

But two things poked holes in this idea for us: greenery & maintenance. On the latter front, we asked one of our friends about the white HardiePlank siding she put on her house a few years ago (which you’ve seen here on Instagram). She – like us – loves the look, but she warned us that it looks dirty faster than she’d like, so they have to clean it regularly (lots of power washing). That didn’t sound like a great idea for a rental house we were trying to minimize maintenance time/costs on.

Plus, we realized a lot of our pins – and even the local B&B – are often surrounded by beautiful, lush greenery that provides a colorful backdrop for the white to pop against. We don’t have that at our house since the houses are all lined up and pretty close to each other (no room for even a tree between them). So besides a few medium bushes, you definitely wouldn’t describe them as “lush” or “nestled in the trees.”

The nail in the coffin for white was that the cool ornate columns we have on our porch sort of get lost in the white-on-white look, and it feels sad to make all that architectural detail blend into the background. So the white house of our dreams was probably not the best choice in reality. Onward!

Yellow

Yellow was one of the most popular picks on Instagram and Facebook, despite the fact that many other people warned us that yellow fades the fastest and can show a lot of dirt (something I sense is an issue with any lighter siding color). We have this painting of my grandma’s house rendered yellow that we LOVE (the house is white in real life, but she loves yellow and the artist likes to paint houses to “match” their owners) so it felt kinda sweet to have a yellow house of our own.

Around this point our contractor called with a curveball that meant we had to reside the entire house (more on this in podcast Episode #31), which impacted our color debate because there were some stock, factory-finished colors that we could choose from. They’re more expensive than just the plain primed HardiePlank (which you then have to pay to get painted), so cost-wise it would be about the same, but we thought looking at their stock colors might help us narrow down our choices.

We’re going with HardiePlank fiber cement siding because it’ll hold up better to moisture/termites/cold temps/etc (it’s even fire resistant!) and doesn’t need to be repainted nearly as often as wood siding, which will save us money and maintenance in the long run. So we ordered a few samples of their stock colors. They mostly offer neutrals, but they did have a light buttery yellow option called Woodland Cream, along with some other grays, tans, and even a light green.

To better visualize the stock colors, we drove around some new construction neighborhoods near us to hunt down full houses sided with it (holding up our samples to make sure we were judging a true match). That was a really helpful exercise because aside from some of their neutrals, like light gray, white, and light blue-green, we realized we didn’t really love any of the stock colors. They were all nice, but a bit more muted than we could get away with in a fun little beach town (they’re probably best suited for the suburban neighborhoods they’re most typically used in). Obviously, we knew we could just order the primed siding and choose any yellow paint that we wanted, but seeing a bunch of yellow houses in person kinda cooled our excitement for it. I can’t really pinpoint why, but we just didn’t have that “this is it!” feeling.

Pink / Coral

Along with yellow, the other most popular pick in the comments on Instagram and Facebook seemed to be pink (can you believe over 1500 people weighed in?!). It certainly stands out as one of the more “fun” choices in the slideshow when you see them all flashing by, but a pink or coral color is a pretty far cry from the calm, classic blues and neutrals we’re used to decorating with.

We have a few small doses of pink in our house (some art here, a pillow there) but this would definitely be a BIG statement – and a BIG commitment – by comparison. But as you can see from one of our early batches of test colors below, pink was on our consideration list from the very start. It just felt like a good complementary color to go between the blue houses on either side AND to work with our wood door AND to feel colorful and fun and beachy. A pink house wouldn’t exactly fit into our suburban neighborhood, but in Cape Charles? Sure!

The idea of something in the pink family took a backseat during our detour to try to fall in love with a stock HardiePlank color (of course there were no stock pinks). But around the same time we decided to just order primed boards that we could paint any color we wanted, we happened to lay our eyes on this:

Yes, it’s a coffee cup. And it solved this entire dilemma.

It’s from a boutique hotel here in Richmond called Quirk, where my youngest sister stayed for one night over the holidays with her husband (to escape everyone with screaming kids! ha!) and this little paper cup came with her to our Christmas Eve gathering. Sherry spotted it and immediately said to me “beach house paint color?” with a gleam in her eye. It’s probably best described as peach, but also is definitely in the coral family (in fact the best match we’ve found is a Sherwin Williams color called Mellow Coral).

So less than a week later we were excitedly painting cup-matching swatches on the house and stepping back and feeling something we hadn’t felt before. Instead of “nope, keep trying” it was more like “yes, yes, yes!” – and when a few neighbors stopped by to stand back and stare at our 20+ swatches on the house (this isn’t an exaggeration) it was unanimous. Peachy coral beach house, here we come! This is but a lowly photoshopped rendering, but you get the idea.

I can’t say that we thought that after ALL THIS TIME our answer would come in the form of a friggin’ paper cup, but I’m not arguing with it. Best of all, we think it’ll really help the house stand out to renters and neighbors alike. If you look closely at the picture above you can see how great it’ll be between those two blue houses. Complementary colors for the win!

So there you have it, folks. The coffee cup that saved the day, and one HUGE decision made. Now we just have 572 more to go…

The post How We Picked Our Beach House Color appeared first on Young House Love.

#additionally sad home renovations

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josephkitchen0 · 8 years ago

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Grease Zerk Fittings to Keep Things Running Smoothly

What’s a Zerk?

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This universal joint has a threaded hole to screw the Zerk fitting into (pictured above)

Different Zerks for Different Applications

This Zerk fitting is recessed into the loader arm

Where to Look

Steering Components: Ball joints, tie rod ends and other steering components need to be greased if you want them to perform smoothly or stay operational. Your steering column may also have a Zerk.

This mini pistol grip grease gun is my favorite tool for a quick 1 or 2 fittings

Tools of the Trade

The concept of greasing Zerk fittings is simple, the action of reaching them can be difficult. There are a few tools I’ve found to be quite useful, and a few that are more hype than help.

Even my wheelbarrow has Zerks in the axle’s pillow blocks

Tips for Greasing Zerk Fittings

The Simple Act of Greasing

Did you find these tips helpful? Do you have a few tips of your own? Share in the comments below!

Grease Zerk Fittings to Keep Things Running Smoothly was originally posted by All About Chickens

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itsworn · 8 years ago

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The Terminator: Throttle Body Injection For The LS From Holley

There is little doubt that the hottest trends in the classic truck world are LS engines and electronic fuel injection. When you put the two together the combination is unbeatable, a sentiment shared by Randy Johnson at D & Z Customs in Kewaskum, Wisconsin.

Randy and his wife, Tobie, opened the doors to D & Z Customs in 2007 (the company is named after their two children Dylan and Zoey) and since day one they’ve produced a variety of award-winning vehicles. Given the quality work D & Z is known for, when it came time to build a shop truck it had to be something special, so Randy decided on an LS3-powered C10.

While the LS3 would provide all the power needed for chasing parts, the one area it fell short in was appearance. What Randy wanted was high-tech performance with a vintage look and he found it with Holley’s Terminator throttle body fuel injection.

Holley’s Terminator TBI is a bolt-on system specifically for LS engines. Kits are available for LS1/2/3/6 and 4.8/5.3 and 6.0 truck engines and are used in conjunction with a Holley dual plane LS intake manifold. All kits contain the popular Terminator EFI Throttle Body as well as the necessary wiring to plug directly into the factory LS coil sub-harnesses and factory sensors. A handheld controller is used to create an initial calibration for the system and allows for simple tuning changes to be performed. However, you can relax and let the system take care of itself as it self-tunes as you drive.

The Terminator ECU can be mounted inside the passenger compartment (preferable location) or in the engine compartment. If it is located under the hood it should be away from heat generated by the exhaust system and “electrically noisy” devices, such as spark plug wires and CD ignition boxes. The throttle body comes with sensors pre-wired for easy installation; the remaining harness connections are clearly labeled and simply plug into the factory sensors.

Important Wiring Dos and Don’ts from Holley An EFI system depends heavily on being supplied a clean and constant voltage source. The grounds of an electrical system are just as important as the power side. Terminator ECUs contain multiple processing devices that require clean power and ground sources. The wiring harnesses for them must be installed in such a manner that they are separated from “dirty” power and ground sources.

DOs

Install the main power and ground directly to the battery.

Keep sensor wiring away from high voltage or “noisy/dirty” components and wiring, especially secondary ignition wiring (plug wires), ignition boxes, and associated wiring. It is best that the plug wires not physically contact any EFI wires.

Properly crimp or crimp and solder any wire connections. Apply quality heat shrink over any of these connections.

It is critical that the engine has a proper ground connection to the battery and chassis.

DON’Ts

Never run high voltage or “noisy/dirty” wires in parallel (bundle/loom together) with any EFI sensor wiring. If wires need to cross, try to do so at an angle.

Do not use the electric fan outputs to directly power a fan. They must only trigger a relay.

Do not use improper crimping tools.

Don’t use things like “t-taps,” and so on. Use proper crimpers/solder and heat shrink.

It is never recommended to splice/share signal wires (such as TPS, and so on) between different electronic control units.

Do not connect the red/white switched +12V wire to “dirty” sources, such as the ignition coil, audio systems, or 12V sources connected to HID headlamps.

Fuel System Holley’s fuel system requirements for Terminator EFI systems are as follows: An electric pump capable of supplying 255 liters/hour or 400 lb./hr. of fuel at 45 psi. If using an inline fuel pump, there should be a coarse pre-filter before the pump. All systems should contain a 10-micron post filter after the fuel pump. An EFI fuel pressure regulator is required; it should be installed after the throttle body.

For convenience Holley offers four fuel system kits that meet all the requirements. They include detailed instructions (downloadable at www.holley.com) and contain all components except the return line. These kits are:

PN 526-1: braided stainless lines, billet pump, regulator, and filters

PN 526-2: Pro-Lite 350 hose, billet pump, regulator, and filters

PN 526-3: Super Stock hose, billet regulator, 12-920 fuel pump, and filter

PN 526-4: Super Stock hose, billet regulator, 12-920 pump, and metal filter

Oxygen Sensor The oxygen sensor is a vital part of the computer’s sensor network. The oxygen sensor should be mounted at a point where it can read a good average of all the cylinders on one bank. This would be slightly after all the cylinders merge. When using long-tube headers the sensor should be mounted approximately 1 to 10 inches after the collector with no less than 18-24 inches of exhaust pipe after the sensor. In this case Randy elected to use Hooker cast-iron exhaust manifolds (Hooker is a Holley brand). They fit into a wide variety of replacement and engine-swap applications and are available in plain as-cast finish or with various Hooker ceramic coatings.

Coil Covers With the throttle body installed Randy decided to disguise the LS3 even further. To complete the ruse he installed a set of Holley LS Coil Covers. Made from glass filled nylon composite they can be painted or left as-is and they simply snap in place. An oil fill adapter and cap are included.

LS Options Thanks to Holley those using LS engines have a wide range of induction options. Holley’s LS intake manifold can be used with a carburetor or throttle body injection. Terminator EFI systems are available to operate the original multi-point fuel injection system or a throttle body. Randy wanted an old-school look under the hood of his C10 with all the performance the LS3 had to offer and a way to control the 4L80E electronic transmission—he got all that with Holley’s Terminator EFI.

The handheld 3 1/2-inch color touch-screen is used to make initial adjustments; it does not have to remain in the vehicle after the vehicle is set up and running properly.

The regulator should set fuel pressure for the system to 43-45 psi with the fuel pump running.

Included in the fuel system kit are an inline pump, pre- and post-pump filters (course and fine, respectively) regulator, fuel line, and fittings.

Transmission controls can be used on 4L60E, 4L65E, 4L70E, 4L80E, and 4L85-E transmissions. (Note the 4L80/85-E have an input speed sensor the others don’t have.)

The ECU has two main connectors: J1A connector (34 pins) has all the sensor inputs and wideband oxygen sensor control. J1B (26 pins) is the “output” connector. It has eight injector outputs and outputs for other devices.

To ensure the firing order is correct, the coil connectors are labeled: the driver side is DIS CONNECTOR ODD; passenger side is DIS CONNECTOR EVEN.

There are two coil ground wires in the engine harness. They must be attached to the heads securely or the coils will not be grounded and the engine will run poorly and other issues may occur.

This is the cam sensor plug; depending on the engine, the sensor may be at the top, rear of the block, or in the timing cover on the driver side.

The Terminator wiring harness uses OEM-style plugs to connect with the factory senders. This example connects to the oil pressure sender.

As the crank sensor wire runs close to the exhaust, reflective heat shielding protects it.

It may take some searching to find the crank sensor. It’s located behind the starter.

A true plug-and-play system, all the wires and connections are clearly marked.

Terminator EFI systems come with a Bosch wideband oxygen sensor. The oxygen sensor should be mounted in such a way that the condensation in the exhaust tubing will not enter the sensor.

Two throttle cable brackets are included with the kit. One is for transmissions with a TV cable, the second for those without.

Fuel deliver is handled by four 80 lb./hr. at 43-psi injectors, two in the front, two in the rear. Fuel line connections are a supply and return.

To simplify installation the idle air control, air temp sensor, throttle position sensor, and the map sensor are installed in the throttle body and simply plug into the wiring harness.

The ECU comes with mounting hardware (stainless steel screws and nuts). The ECU has plastic shoulders on the mounting ears that must not be removed. The smaller unit is the handheld controller.

EFI kits are available for engines with 24x or 58x crank sensors. Base kits control fuel and spark—electronic transmission control is an option.

Holley’s throttle body is rated at 950 cfm and will support 250-600 hp. Available finishes are tumble polished and Hard Core Gray.

Holley’s LS intake manifold has a square 4150 mounting flange that allows the use of a carburetor or throttle body fuel injection.

Holley’s LS3 intake manifold is dual plane design with a street friendly 1,500- to 6,500-rpm powerband.

With the stock manifold removed the large, rectangular intake ports and the pattern of the 10-bolt attachment bolts can be seen.

The first step in the transformation is removal of the stock composite intake manifold, fuel injectors, and throttle body assembly.

While the LS3 offered plenty of performance it was lacking the traditional look Randy Johnson was after. (FYI, Holley does offer a plug-and-play computer system to operate the factory fuel injection).

Under the hood of D & Z Customs’ shop truck is a backdated LS3 masquerading as a big-block, thanks to the Holley Terminator TBI and intake manifold, Holley coil covers, and Spectre air cleaner.

The post The Terminator: Throttle Body Injection For The LS From Holley appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network http://www.hotrod.com/articles/the-terminator-throttle-body-injection-for-the-ls-from-holley/ via IFTTT

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