Welding & Racing & Cooking

Frank tells me I'm behind on my blogging. This is true. I've been spending my writing time working on a website. It's not published yet, but I'll let you know when it is. I'll be open to feedback.

For all you Chicago folks (and anyone else), who wonders if I miss the big city: not really. I miss WAD (West African Dance) and Ethiopian Diamond and friends...but overall, no. Check out this view I drive by once or twice a day:

Peoria is a beautiful little city or big town that's retained a lot of natural prettiness. I like that.

Overall, life has been good. I've been welding! At first, I really did not like it. But, as I have started to understand how I needed to adjust my technique in order to improve a weld, it has become a lot more fun. I enjoy focused work and learning new skills that require hand-eye coordination, and a different, deeper understanding of our environment--how electricity and metals behave--very interesting! The guys in my classes are fun, and very supportive of me (being a girl) learning to weld. I feel it is appropriate for me to learn how to weld in Peoria; so much industry and manufacturing in this town!

Below is a weld I did last night. It is an Vertical Upward weld on steel. Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) also known as MIG or MAG welding. The piece of metal is in a vertical position when I'm welding on it, and I'm moving up (not down) as I weld. This is one of the more difficult welding positions, because the melted steel is 2800+ degrees F and wants to pool and succumb to gravity, so I'm rather proud of it being (relatively) pretty. One of my classmates told me to "take it home and frame it." I thought I'd post it on a blog instead. This is a butt joint and a lap joint.

Below is a 3-layer pad in the Vertical Downward position with GMAW. Not so difficult, really. 3-layer pads are what they sound and look like: a pad of overlapping stinger beads, then a second layer of stringer beads in a perpendicular direction, and a third in the original direction. You want to get it as smooth as possible.

This (below) is a 3-layer pad with a Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW or ARC or stick welder) in a flat position with an E-6013 rod that I did on Monday. Stick welding has a lot more spatter because the rod is covered with a flux. Instead of the shielding gas (such as Argon) in GMAW, the weld pool is shielded from the harmful gases in the atmosphere by the gas given off by the burning flux. The flux turns to gas and to slag, which is sort of a cocoon for the weld bead. Slag protects the weld and slows down the cooling process, making the metal less prone to cracking and shrinking. But, slag is really annoying because you have to hammer and wire brush it off after ever weld, and any slag left behind will make any future welds done on top of it ugly and weak from impurities. Stick welding is more time consuming than GMAW welding, and doesn't make as pretty of welds. I do enjoy learning it though, because it is a much more difficult to do well.

*****

We went racing last weekend. I had a great time--I rode with Frank 5 of 10 times! Frank was frustrated by the poor handling of the mustang. I think that the chassis is floppy, but what do I really know?

Here is Frank buckling up for a test drive a couple days beforehand (I think he's so cute!):

Sig wanted to go too, but I pulled rank:

On the way there we stopped and visited with an old friend of mine in C-U. That was nice.

I tried to upload some video footage...but it was taking way too long. Anyhow, we raced.

*****

In other news, I tricked Frank into eating tofu again...by putting it in lasagna. Looks like cheese, right?

The sauce is my homemade sauce! plus Boca crumbles for the lasagna. I think we've just about nailed a recipe. Next time I made the sauce, I'll post it.

The lasagna put together:

Eric's old college recipe for lasagna. Yum!

And I've decided to start baking bread. I started some Sourdough starter today. I'm excited about this!

First the warm water, yeast, and sugar:

And 10 minutes later...yay, they're alive! (Yeast really take great pictures, don't they?)

Then mixing in the flour, to let it sit for 2-3 days.

My sister is going to be visiting her bf in Iowa City (from Boston), and I'm thinking of popping over to see her on Sunday. Maybe I'll have a fresh sourdough loaf for her, if all turns out well!

Frank and I are planning a trip to the Carolinas in a couple weeks to check out Greensboro, Charlotte, and Greenville. Frank is planning on graduating in May and we're exploring our options...more on that later.

DFW was eh

Yes, Mom, I will write a blog, though life has seemed largely un-comment-able. Frank and I took a roadtrip to Dallas-Fort Worth, to conduct a little reconnaissance. It left us rather cold, despite the heat. This is Dallas:

There was one house that was o-kaaay. Largely because it was different from the rest of them:
Because the others looked like this:
Which may have been fine, except they ALL look like this. And they all have the same brick mail box. It seems to be a thing in Texas: http://www.beautifulbrickmailboxes.com/ And when they didn't have mailboxes in front of the houses, they had mausoleum-like mailboxes at the entrance to the subdivision. Imagine the line of traffic at 5:00pm as everyone is stopping by to pick up their mail. Yes, we did see a couple people doing just that when we were driving by.

You know the old saying, "No shirt, no shoes, no service?" Well, this used car lot had a different spin on things in Fort Worth. The sign read something like, "WE FINANCE - no driver's license, no credit, no social security - NO PROBLEM." Interesting.

Me driving:

We stopped for a night in Little Rock, AR on the way home. I found this sign curious--it was in a bar/restaurant we ate at:

Little Rock was one sleepy town, but they do have a nice looking riverfront:
In other news, Frank has a race in October. Hopefully his car will be in good working order when the time comes. Once that weekend is over, we'll start tearing this apart:

My dad's old motorcycle that sat in a barn for 30 years. Every inch of it seems to be rusty. I can't even imagine what a project this is going to be. It's a 1967 Honda CB160, apparently it was quite a popular bike in its day, and still has quite a cult following. Here's a taste (and, yes, I have forbidden Frank from racing this thing, should it ever get running. Thankfully, he is not interested):

I've started my welding classes. I'll take some pictures of my work soon.

Sig seems to have a rodent ulcer, not cancer, as it is slowly responding to the most recent shot of steroid treatment. He's super annoying lately though--he's VERY talkative and wants to go outside all of the time. I'm thinking we need to move somewhere with a barn so he can just be a barn cat.

I've got a lot of availability in my work schedule right now, so if you know any people in Peoria, recommend they come see me for massage. I'll take good care of them. :)

Burglars Busted!

If you've been concerned about our neighborhood thief, put away your fears, the perpetrators have been caught!  The story even made the cover page of the Local & State section of the Peoria Newspaper (see above).  It was a much larger ring than we had suspected with 36+ break-ins and at least 6 people involved.  You can read the article here:  Peoria Journal Star.  There is also a more detailed story in the East Peoria newspaper, you can read that here: East Peoria Times Courier.  So, we're back to parking in the driveway, which is a good thing because we're picking up my dad's old motorcycle this weekend from my mom's house.  It hasn't been ridden in probably 30 years, so it'll be a big pain the ass or a fun project or maybe a little of both.  

Sig (my orange tabby cat) is having some medical problems.  Either a rodent ulcer or cancer, and the vet wants to do a biopsy...this could be a long story, but I'll just say I haven't completely decided on a course of action.  

I'm totally craving Ethiopian Diamond (the number 5 thing I miss about Chicago, I think it is).  Below Sara is modeling the food, from the last time I ate there, 2-3 months ago.  That's the longest it has ever been.  :(  Oh, Diamond, how I miss you so:

Frank and I are planning a reconnaissance trip to Dallas next week.  I'm really excited to be going on a roadtrip!  We found some really good deals on some really nice looking hotels with Priceline and Hotwire down in Dallas (like $42/night including fees and taxes!).  Probably because it's hotter than the gates of hell down there right now, and who would want to go there, right?  But, at least they have pools!  :)

The sound of the rain on the grass

The sound of the rain on the grass.  This is one of my favorite things here in Peoria, a sound I hadn't heard in a very long time.  In Chicago, rain makes the city loud.  Wet roads make for loud cars and there is enough of both in the city that there is a constant whir wherever you are.  But down here, there is not the incessant backdrop of city noise and when it rains I can hear it. 

The other day we woke up to the radio alarm, as per usual, but there was a National Weather Service alert.  Thunderstorm warning!  I'm always somewhat guarded about sensationalistic journalism, even from the weather channel, so a checked the radar.  A huge slash of red was rolling it's way across most of central Illinois.  So I went outside and saw this!  Now, don't be confused, the light color you are looking at is not cloud, that is the light shining through.  The dark gray is the cloud.  It was very beautiful.  The line between the dark cloud and the bright light was wonderfully and ominously distinct and extended from the northwest horizon to the southwest horizon.  I've never seen anything quite like it.

To the west:

To the east, still peaceful (Frank is on his way to school):

The storm was moving in at 40 mph, with wind gusts up to 60mph:

Above, the clouds were churning:

The wall of rain approached:
In other non-meteorological news: 

I've been trying to establish some fitness routine, which has suffered tremendously since the move.  I've started doing a little yoga again, and some walk-runs while listening to This American Life Podcasts, and I even took out a West African Dance video I had bought 2 years ago but never used.  I've been missing West African Dance classes something awful.  You Chicagoans are really lucky to have Idy Ciss teaching in town, and most of you don't even know it.  :)

I've also started working on some mosaics.  When I visited Portland 2 years ago, I discovered how much I loved mosaics and wanted to get into making them.  I had to move to Peoria to actually begin.  I'll post pictures when my first project is complete.  Guesses about what I'm working on?

Aaaaahnd...the news some of you have been waiting for: the unveiling of the new hobby!  I signed up today for some welding classes at the local community college.  Yep.  Welding!  More on this later.  :)

Wild Rides!

I went racing with Frank!  Three times I rode with him in his Mustang.  Very exciting.  Here's a video of him driving the track we were at, to give you an idea: 

Of course, what you can't get from the video is the feeling of your body being pushed around in the bucket seats with the g-forces with the decelerations and turns at the highest possible speeds.  Frank races time trials, which means he is racing against the clock, not for position against other cars.  And, it's not a race to see how fast he can go, or how fast he can accelerate, it's about how fast he can travel around the track.  Since it is a very curvy track, how fast can he drive around the corners is a big part of it, and makes for a very wild ride!  

Frank's mom came on Sunday and took some pictures of me in the car (Thanks, Susan!):

The hood is not actually white.  It's aluminum.  Very lightweight, so good for racing.  Frank is all about dropping weight to be faster.

On my first ride with Frank, we had a flat tire--the eventual diagnosis was some sort of puncture wound.  Unfortunate.  But fortunately, we'd brought his other set of wheels in case it rained and he needed the knobbier tires.  It didn't rain, but it was good we had them!  

After we get off the track and take off our helmets, Frank is always super sweaty and hot looking.  Driving like that with no power steering and a very difficult clutch to push in is quite a workout!  

On his third time out, he cracked a rotor.  The rotor is the metal disc that the caliper clamps onto in order to slow and/or stop the car.  

I felt like I was in an iPhone commercial at this point--looking up and calling the nearest Autozones, Advance Autos, and Napa Auto Parts stores on the way into town.  There was a huge time pressure because Frank is an instructor and had to be back relatively soon to instruct.

Here is Frank quickly installing a shiny brand new rotor:

What these photos do not capture is the attention Frank's Mustang attracts.  Most (all?) of the cars out there look very pretty and expensive and fancy: BMWs, Porches, Corvettes, Lotus' (my personal favorite, based on looks and name alone), pretty new Mustangs, etc.  People spend time polishing them and putting on stickers and whatnot.  Frank's car does not look pretty or expensive or fancy, it looks somewhat homemade.  But it's fast! and inspires in other drivers something along the lines of respect and awe and curiosity.  Frank seems to have a reputation for being a crazy or daring or aggressive driver, but not in a bad way, in a fun way! 

We camped at the racetrack, which I prefer to staying at a m/hotel.  It was basically uneventful aside from some mole (I've decided it was) that was poking around on the edge of the tent.  

The sun setting Saturday night over Autobahn:

Camp fires aren't allowed, but I speculate we could bring a little grill or fire pit and cook on and stay warm with that. 

Last weekend we went to Springfield for a friend of mine's farewell to the United Arab Emirates Party.  She took a teaching job in Al Ayn.  Here's is the cake another friend made for her.  Isn't it spectacular?  A very good map of the area, on a very tasty yellow cake!

We spent the afternoon out on the boat on Lake Springfield.  It felt wonderful to be out on the water, in the sun.  

For the first time, I went to a show at the Riverfront in Peoria.  See the bridge in the background?  It was a performance of Hairbanger's Ball, which I did not know, is local to Chicago and plays at the Cubby Bear or something?  It was fun.  I like the Peoria-size of things.  There is breathing-room.  Everyone is not completely on top of each other, like they are at most every event I'd go to in Chicago. 

There's been a neighborhood thief stealing stuff from people's cars in their driveways.  So, as Frank is in charge of security, he's moved all the cars into the garage.  Amazingly, there's room for one big truck...

...one Mustang, two Echos, two bicycles, a riding lawn mower, and a helluva lot of tools...

...all with the door closed! 

We cleaned the garage yesterday.  Can you tell?

It's been more than a month already!

Well, its been over a month that I've been here in Peoria and life is good!  Here's some of what has happened since I've last written.  

I've started working at a massage clinic called Balanced Health Concepts.  It's an independent contractor sort of situation and so far I think it's what I'm looking for right now.  I've finished designing my first-ever brochure, flier, and coupon!  :)  Now it's time to recruit some new clients!

My sister and her boyfriend have visited.  She took some photographs of me doing massage and Thai massage for brochures and future website:

We also did a photo shot of Frank's band.   This was a lot of fun!  At an old gas station:

And on some railroad tracks:

And a photo of Matt being goofy when we were checking out some garage sales:

Sara has also visited and we went up a tall lookout tower in Peoria Heights...

Chicago is 127 miles away:

Not close enough to see...

I did the Batavia Triathlon on June 14th.  Frank super-surprised me by showing up 1) to the race and 2) to multiple places along the course.  Here are some photos he snapped.  On the bike:

And on the run:

 

Frank and I have been mulching and doing some landscaping.  Here's a before picture:

And here's an after: 

(See little Sig check out the newly pruned bush.  Sig and I both prefer the wild-jungle-look, but, we don't live in the country country and neighbors seem to like this highly groomed look.)

Frank took his Echo racing at Autobahn Country Club.  Making adjustments pre-race:

Little Echo on the track with all the fast cars:  

But after one 15 minute run on the track, the little car couldn't hold up and a wheel bolt broke:

Hopefully, now that Frank's Mustang is in working order again, it won't meet the same fate next weekend when we go back to Autobahn.  Check out his new light-weight aluminum hood!

Kitty update.  Look how everyone is getting along.  Everyone say awh...  :)