Gerontius

I still get physical copies of magazines too! I’ve always preferred books and magazines to reading online :)

The idea came when I found out that 40% keyboards exist (very small) and when I realized I have a spare frame from an old office typewriter. It's another Remington--a Roaring '20s classic with "an open floor plan" inside. Perfect for alterations.

I write constantly. Screens & keys are vital. The screen is the part I want to make right--a 7 1/4" wide display made from a Fresnel lens magnifying a smaller LCD with the option of turning off the backlight. The keys will be Cherry MX Blue switches, very reliable.

Anyway the Pi is on the way and I'm looking forward to figuring out how to build this...Here's hoping.

The windows here are about 160 years old, and probably stuck--I'm scared to open one lest the glass come out of it. And this is a nice big old bat too. He'll get out eventually but he looks silly circling the light-bulb.

Update: went back there to fetch a needle & thread and a pair of trousers needed cut down into knickerbockers, but there was no bat. Hopefully he's gone out the window instead of roosting up in the joists or the ceiling over the old boiler.

And I am hoping he's gone & stays gone; I don't like living with animals in the house. Bats are mighty useful and beautiful creatures and I like them a lot, but there's something unsettling about something flying round like that in the house. Guy was the size of a redbird.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4673349/

@Gerontius Do you think you have SAD?

@Flown I don't think I do; I just hear about it sometimes & wonder how people deal with it. For whatever reason I'm feeling a lot better in general about a lot of things these last weeks, even after getting Covid. Odd but true.

Same here! And I’m just waking up now at 4am. First full night of sleep in almost a month :)

That is amazing!!

These are strange days and people are looking for anything to break the monotony.

I agree with Len. I’ve been going outside at night a lot too. Not my usual.
Please do get better soon, and I’m working on a reply to your latest PM, I’ve just had a stressful day.

How are you holding up physically? My nose has been runny and I keep hocking up loogies!

@Markness I'm fine! Why do you think I have all those heavy old wool jackets?
I just have to craft a new end for the electric cord (or probably build a new cord entirely.) They don't make the plugs any more. My space heater is about 90 years old so and the few bakelite parts finally gave out. Hey maybe I can try resin casting now!

As far as a runny nose in cold weather try to keep your core temperature up and your head warm, but let the extremities stay cooler. That helps. Also staying fairly acclimatized to cold weather helps. But don't do what I did a few days ago and run around in 20 degree weather and eat a ton of ramen. Hard on the throat.

Trying to. Pattern drafting is always hard. I'm trying to start making my own clothes so I don't have to rely on factory-made clothing...but it is really kind of tricky.

So I have one pair of shoes. The other pair needs resoled as I walked the bottoms off of them. The weather up here is a good way to get your shoes full of ice water so I am trying to draft a pair of gaiters and waterproof myself a little.

I've made clothing before, using existing clothes as guides. Is that how you're doing it?

You might like this video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAS-yAggn84

LOL… I just read that and now have been laughing :p

They are fun. I never owned one, but knew people over the years who did. My second GF had one in their garden. I remember taking off the trucks/wheels on my skateboard and just using the deck on the trampoline. It was a really fun, if slightly surreal experience doing tricks whilst bouncing absurdly high.

I saw the picture of you transporting the organ on the stairs, I think :)
That’s so fun!!
I had a film camera for a long time but now I have a DSLR. I have a Polaroid too though.
I haven’t seen a camcorder in years lol… I don’t know what happened to mine :( But it was not digital, this was like 2003. Lol.

I have a couple cameras -- my dad's old Minolta SLR, a 1929 Agfa folding camera, and an old 8mm Mansfeld. Haven't tried the movie camera out yet but it spins when you turn the crank.
And yes, the picture of what almost became a catapult-launch was real. You'd think I'd go buy an electronic keyboard.

I like the newer Sony camera as the micro SD card works in most computers--

Omg, I’m so sorry I didn’t see your last message! I didn’t get much sleep though. I have some vintage cameras too! Love the old Minoltas. I’ll have to upload photos of my vintage cameras… sadly I don’t think they work :(
Where do you find all your antiques/vintage things? I can’t find anyplace that sells them around here. That picture was epic lol. Makes for a much more interesting story than a keyboard!

On the floor??

Yep! Right there on the floor. I guess they fell out of my pocket.
Better there than in the yard!

I sometimes think I lost my keys, but they’re in the front door! Happens to most of us :)

Isn't that weird that we both have short attention spans but do artwork stuff for hours?
I had an awful time hand writing until I started the 1894 "Palmer Method" again--which is why I cannot reliably use a ball point pen. I have been using typewriters for a number of years now and "collect" them so there is a spare machine in case one breaks.

The novel itself is more of just a book about people doing normal human things--I like writing about peoples' characters & letting that carry the action.

Yes! I have no attention span for “regular” tasks but doing artwork or anything with dogs has my complete focus for a virtually unlimited amount of time.
What is the Palmer Method?
Are typewriters expensive to collect? How many do you have?
I used to write a lot and I love writing characters too :)

Aye laddie

@Skittlebisquit Considering the fact that I use the shower for a parts washer I doubt there will be any ladies visiting! lol

OMG hahahaha! @Skittlebisquit , that was quite a statement to visualize. My heart goes out to the brave lass.

But the whole dynamic upstairs bothers me; I feel like they want me as a temporary family member or a sort of exotic pet? Or at least the landlady. Worst of all she's faculty at the college so -- I have to avoid any ruffling of the feathers on Minerva's owl here. So you can guess this is weird

Anyhow @crewlucca_ good luck concealing all the sensitive stuff from neighbors. It can be tricky. Let's keep on keeping on & I wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. (Solstice is the 21st; I shall keep it by standing in the moonlight and frightening unsuspecting motorists with an unhinged stare.)

It is hard to hide… So far most of them have assumed I’m male, so I don’t bring up that I was ever otherwise. But some of them seem suspicious :/ Or they just don’t use pronouns at all.
Your landlady doesn’t seem very nice :( Her unsolicited gifts sound kind of creepy.
I wish you good luck too. And Merry Christmas to you too!! :) I enjoy talking to you on here. - Luca