BS: Winter night projects.

Subject: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Divis Sweeney
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 02:47 PM

Firstly yes I am starting this thread to lift the mood a bit as the air around here is thick with cordite at the moment. So anyone got any Winter night projects planned for the long evenings to keep you sane ?

Last winter I stripped down my 1500 Goldwing and left it in showroon condition.

Few years back I built a room at the side of my house which is a walk down memory lane, full of bits and pieces from the 1940's to the 60's (thanks to ebay).

And there will be no politics on this thread please !

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: jeffp
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 03:11 PM

I'll be turning my basement into a recording studio.

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Emma B
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 03:18 PM

Tomorrow I'm trying to enrol onto night classes - how to get the most out of Paint Shop Pro and learning Arabic - I love a challenge :)

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Divis Sweeney
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 03:27 PM

Good luck to both of you.

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Blowzabella
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 04:13 PM

I'm continuing with tracing my family tree - and starting on my husband's. (Got mine back to about 1750 on my main branches, so hope to concentrate on the others a bit) Also, making some curtains, some clothes ... the prospects are endless...I love winter nights xxx

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: wysiwyg
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 04:25 PM

Probably make and print another Band songbook for congregational singing and work up a ton of new arrangements.

Good thread!

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Maryrrf
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 04:29 PM

I'm taking a creative writing class. Maybe I'll get a start on that novel I always wanted to write.

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Wesley S
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 04:30 PM

Moving into a new house in November.The old one sold { in three days } so now we're renting back our own house until the new one is finished.

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: number 6
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 04:35 PM

Those long nites will soon be here Divis.

get around to organizing the many, many photographs I have taken into some sort of catalogue ... selecting the best for enlarging and framing.

get around to finally finishing off some pieces songs I have written and recording them. This takes a lot of discipline for me.

My wife and I will be taking French classes together.

sIx

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 04:36 PM

Catalog my CD's and comic book collection.   Also brew a couple of batches of beer. I haven't had a chance to homebrew in a couple of years and I miss it!

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 04:36 PM

Not just nights and certainly nothing that's likely to do anything for my sanity.

Learn some Java and Javascript of which I've pretty well forgotten anything I might have known, try to improve on my limited php5 and mysql5 knowledge.

A review of folkinfo/annexe coding, features, etc.

Try to write a wysywig editor, probably "borrowing" a few ideas from whizzywig but more tailored to suit my own needs.

Do some LED lights for the garden.

Try to get to grips with some X10 Home Automation and microcontoller related stuff. Probably including attempting to write some of my own X10 software, having a RS485 network... I'll probably end up ripping all my hair out before giving up!

Try to enforce myself to play banjo or mandolin for an hour each day (I love playing in sessions but hate playing on my own and practicing) and see if I can manage to progress a little.

Think that's about it.

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Divis Sweeney
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 04:49 PM

Great folks, it's great to hear what your all doing. Keep them coming.

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Ebbie
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 05:50 PM

I want to get back to playing mandolin, and to progress beyond where I have been stuck for years. I've never required myself to play up the neck or with all four fingers- maybe this will be the year.

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: bobad
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 06:03 PM

I'll be picking up a project which I began last winter and abandoned once spring and outdoor projects took over ie. digitizing my vinyl LP collection. I didn't get too far last winter but did manage to get familiar enough with my wave editing program to be anxious to start up again.

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Tootler
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 07:14 PM

Signed up for Folkworks Caedmon classes again, so that's Tuesday nights taken care of.

Revamp my website. I have neglected it for too long.

I have recently been trying to get my tunes in some sort of order and turn them into little booklets so I can carry them to sessions without my bag being full of large, tatty folders.

I still have a pile of tunes that need notating into my computer. I will certainly get more courtesy of Folkworks.

Try and get some more tunes into my head so I don't have to rely on the dots so much.

Ditto with songs.

My wife is retiring and has plans for the house, so not much of this will get done as I will have to bow to the wishes of the domestic management.

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 07:51 PM

Great thread, Divis!

I hope to start digging out the storage shed; bringing in the bins and going through everything. I'll pack boxes for each of the kids, file all of the papers regarding my brother's music, family history, etc. AND, hope to give a lot of stuff away to people whom I know will treasure and/or need some of it as much as we once did.

Some other good ideas from previous postings: build a new website, digitise our vinyl, finish a book or two I've been working on for ages, but the last is real work, so I don't count it as a nightime, fun project.:-)

Probably a lot of it will get put aside, anyway, until we get the rest of the inside of the house painted. One room down and five to go!**bg**

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Elmer Fudd
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 08:29 PM

Seeing that it is STILL SUMMER, I plan to enjoy every last moment of light in the evenings, temperate weather and come what may. Winter doesn't start until Dec. 21!
Carpe Diem!

Elmer

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: bobad
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 08:31 PM

"Winter doesn't start until Dec. 21! "

That all depends on your latitude, my good person.

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: number 6
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 09:44 PM

Different attitudes at different latitudes.

sIx

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 10:00 PM

I am attending my first creative writing class tomorrow night. However I can't really think of anything I want to say, or anybody much I want to say it to - so perhaps its a mistake.

On friday I'm going to an auction of motorhomes and I might buy a cheap one and spend the winter evenings camped on the edge of civilisation. Yeh that's probably another non starter.

other than that - I've entered the write a folksong for lincolnshire comp. again this year. Also I need to address my attention to the hideously complicated portastudio, I bought a couple of months ago.

oh yeh and do my books for last year. and try to lose weight.

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Bert
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 12:25 AM

Any one or more of the following projects that I have been putting off.

Build a Hurdy Gurdy to my own design.
Build a beading loom which I designed a couple of years ago.
Write a few more songs.
Install a pick up on my guitar (NOT a truck, silly).
Build a custom neck for a guitar.
Produce at least one of my previous inventions.
Finish a tile estimating program for Rachael.

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Elmer Fudd
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 01:27 AM

Apologies--that was a smart-aleck post. More than anything, it was a reminder to myself to enjoy the moment. And at the moment it's still summer, both calendar-wise and, where I'm at, temperature-wise for the most part. Nevertheless, I have a backlog of books that await me. So many interesting books, so little time.

Elmer

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 05:32 AM

Sewing clothes, cross stitch, making Chr****as cards (is it too early to say that word yet?), learning how to digitise my LP collection (bobad, want a pupil?), choir practice for a concert in Dec, sorting the Secret Santa stuff, revamping my songbook, maybe even finishing that song I started writing 3 years ago....

The possibilities are endless.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 05:38 PM

I plan to freeze my tits off in a shed 6 miles away, stripping old epoxy off the good ship Skipjack, and putting her back in the water next summer looking as good as she did when launched in 1960.

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 06:18 PM

I would have thought freezing your bollocks off would be a better phrase for you, but I see you were out there last winter too....

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Ron Davies
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 08:43 PM

Duets with Jan

Piano-- more Joplin rags, waltzes etc,   more Bach and Beethoven, more parlor songs.

Possibly memorize some of these

Learn more songs--of course this is year-round--and fit chords to them

Choral Arts schedule will take up a lot of time-especially including groups for the family Christmas concert, Singers for All Seasons (Choral Arts' community outreach group) etc.

Try desperately to throw out old newspapers, magazines etc--without insisting on reading every last article I might possibly have interest in.

Try to work down the (considerable) book backlog a bit.

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: bobad
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 09:46 PM

Liz

I will be happy to share what I have learned with you, as far as digitizing music goes. I'm not terribly advanced at it but can do the basics. PM me if you are interested.

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: robomatic
Date: 07 Sep 06 - 12:17 AM

The Simple Screamer

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 07 Sep 06 - 07:32 AM

I'm going to build a time machine, (bit like a tardis), i got the bits already, [a big cardboard box, a clock radio and some cornflakes] just need to make the plans.

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 07 Sep 06 - 08:53 AM

Careful now, jOhn

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 07 Sep 06 - 08:58 AM

went to the creative writing group - didn't like it much. left at the interval. that time machine seems like a relatively good idea.

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Wesley S
Date: 07 Sep 06 - 11:13 AM

Liz - speaking of Chr****as I've already seen several stores that have displays of lights, ect. And the temps outside were over 100 that day. FYI there are ONLY 108 shopping days until Chr****as.

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: GUEST,Arnie
Date: 07 Sep 06 - 06:48 PM

I'm half way through scanning my old photo slides onto the computer (remember slides?) -this really is a winter task as it takes sooooo long for each reel which each contain about 120 slides. I can really reminisce though when I see again those shots of me in flares and my girlfriend in a miniskirt way back when!!

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: LilyFestre
Date: 07 Sep 06 - 07:35 PM

We have narrowed our choice of adoption agencies down to 3. I imagine it will take most of the winter to get through all the paperwork, home visits and interviewing.

:) :) :)   Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 08 Sep 06 - 01:49 AM

You want to adopt? You can have Limpit if you like... I'll even throw in £20 for food money for the first week (she'll live off pot noodles, boiled eggs and pasta).....!

I'm on lesson one of learning to digitise LPs (thanks Bobad) and I've put all my half-done cross stitch projects in one box.... It's been a while since I saw the wardrobe in the back bedroom so that may be my next project.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: LilyFestre
Date: 08 Sep 06 - 05:53 AM

LTS,

   Send her on over!!!!!!!!!!   :)

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: leeneia
Date: 08 Sep 06 - 08:41 AM

Sew clothes.

Learn how to cook fish.

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: freda underhill
Date: 08 Sep 06 - 09:52 AM

We are at the tail end of winter here in Oz. I have spent many a cold evening curled up on the couch, enjoying the warmth in my living room, mending two beautiful old patchwork skirts. Soft music in the background.. Cara, cara, cara..


In the last week, the trees in Canberra are bursting with blossom and people are sneezing..

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Crane Driver
Date: 08 Sep 06 - 06:00 PM

j0Hn - you'll also need two detergent bottles and some stickyback plastic - I'll post the plans last year.

Andrew

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Barry Finn
Date: 08 Sep 06 - 07:25 PM

Winter night projects! Fall's not even here yet & I'm still trying to complete my summer days projects. I'm presently painting the house. I gotta first scrape the 2 or 3 or4 layers of cracked & peeling paint then sand the bugger down. Give it a wash to clean of the remaining sanding dust & dirt. Then finally I get to the good part the painting. I'm usinging a special first coat oil base primer that's gotta sit for 3 weeks before I can apply the 2nd & 3rd coats of the latex paint. So I gotta play leap frog, goody for me, in order to just keep the project going. It's looking good though but still not that close to enough to being done. When this is over then I guess I'll start wondering about those inside projects that need doing. Like cutting out a wall to continue on with completing the addition as well as installing the kitchen addition ceiling. Then there's the.....

Hope every one's having a good time.

Barry

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Sep 06 - 11:10 PM

Barry, my sympathies. We painted the outside of our house over about three months of weekends. LOTS of scraping, sanding and washing, but it was worth it. I finally got to the front door this past weekend and I really like the way it turned out. The oil primer sounds good, but there is no way I'd have that stuff around. I remember how difficult it was to wash out of everything when I was married to a painter!:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Barry Finn
Date: 09 Sep 06 - 12:15 AM

Hi Kat

"The oil primer sounds good, but there is no way I'd have that stuff around. I remember how difficult it was to wash out of everything when I was married to a painter"

I've solved that problem. The only thing I now need to wash is me. I've been painting in the nude. Wait a minute, you mean those people watching me paint weren't admiring the new house's look? And here I was ready to pull a Tom Sawyer & buy the whole bunch of them paint brushes. Whoa, maybe I still can, do ya think that if I can pull off the Tom Sawyer trick I can get them to paint nude too? I'll install an outside shower?

Barry

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 09 Sep 06 - 03:02 AM

bloody winter! cold, snuffling people all round you, repeats of the Terry and June Christmas Special on the TV, The Great Escape, The Time Life collection of Seasonal Songs (not available in the shops!), iced up windows of the car, treacherous road conditions, psychotic trick or treaters and carol singers, keep warm take two paracetomal and plenty of fluids.....

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Morticia
Date: 09 Sep 06 - 06:48 AM

Learn to play my mandolin and autoharp.Learn at least two new songs really well. About a hundred thousand things that need DIY-ing ( so much so that it's overwhelming and I don't do any of it), and finish at least 2 craft projects I have on the go. I'd be happy if I get any of that done.

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Bert
Date: 09 Sep 06 - 04:20 PM

Here's a song that you might relate to, Barry.



Spare Time


When I was young and life was such fun
There were so many things I could do
There was football and schoolwork
and baseball and homework
And fishing and then there was you

I don't get enough of that spare time
There's too many things I must do
I don't get enough of that spare time
Need more just to spend it with you

I work twelve hour shifts and it's daylight I miss
Five days a week I feel blue
All Saturday I sleep and Sunday I keep
For them chores I've been meaning to do

I don't get enough of that spare time
There's too many things I must do
I don't get enough of that spare time
Need more just to spend it with you

When I'm old and gray and I'm home every day
I'll still have too much to do
For the old house is creaking the gutters are leaking
There's a hole in the ceiling the wallpaper's peeling
There's a crack in the door there's a bump in the floor
There's a leak in the basement and a creak in the casement
The ceiling fan's humming there's a drip in the plumbing.

I don't get enough of that spare time
There's too many things I must do
I don't get enough of that spare time
Need more just to spend it with you



Copyright Bert Hansell, 1996

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Zany Mouse
Date: 10 Sep 06 - 06:36 AM

I'm taking an OU course in French. I've just bought a cottage out there so I thought I ought to.

I love Winter. It's a dark, cosy, family time, full of richness.

Having said that I also appreciate there are some poor sods out there who feel different and who are in circumstances that make winter decidedly not fun, and for some, even life-threatening.

Rhiannon

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Divis Sweeney
Date: 10 Sep 06 - 07:12 AM

Every year I say I will sort out all my old photographs and slides and transfer them onto disc. I also say I will sort out all my records and tapes. I also say I will sort out the roofspace. Funny, it never seems to get done !

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Zany Mouse
Date: 11 Sep 06 - 02:28 PM

I MIGHT start looking for a cheap small camper too - something like Nutty's or a VW. So if anyone knows of one ...

Rhiannon

Subject: RE: BS: Winter night projects.
From: Rapparee
Date: 11 Sep 06 - 05:17 PM

Well...

*Finish the flintlock Jaeger I started three years ago, if I don't finish it sooner.
*Go to fencing and continue learning epee.
*Work on the collection of family photos, digitizing them and burning them to CDs, even identifying them!
*Read the books stacked up by my side of the bed -- it's (literally) about 2/3 of a meter high and still growing.
*Get my trumpet embouchre back -- finally!
*Continue learning the electronic keyboard I got for Christmas.
*Drink some good beer and whiskey and whisky.
*Decorate the house for Christmas.
*Go afield for the purpose of finding game -- and take their pictures.
*Visit Yellowstone National Park in the wintertime again, but this time stay longer than 3 days.