Home gym set up.

The Wife and I have had a hard time with our exercise. Part of it is even though the gym is only a couple of blocks away, it’s hard getting over there. I know, it only takes about five minutes to drive and maybe ten to walk. Still, it seemed like there was always a lot of prep to get to the gym. Plus, with the way the gym was set up, my back was to the main entrance when using the treadmill. After some local incidents that precipitated making sure I had a sidearm when we went to the gym, that bothered me. Especially since watching something on my phone was the best way to take my mind off the exertion. I don’t like exercise.

So, we found an inexpensive treadmill that was recommended by the Wirecutter. At that price, we could afford two if they worked out. So we bought one. The only real space we could use for a home gym is the garage. Here’s the thing about the garage. With the garage door opener and the sprinkler control plugged in, adding any additional load outside of battery chargers flips the GFI. When we put in the freezer and MIL’s old fridge, we needed to have separate GFI outlets put in. So, when I plugged in the treadmill, the GFI flipped. Great. So, how do we run the treadmill until we can get the electrician out to put in another new outlet? Oh yeah, we have those big Ecoflow batteries for house back up.

So, after testing, we ordered a second treadmill. My only real gripe is the little bracket barely holds my phone, and I really want to use my iPad down there. Easier to watch my anime while working out. I’ll figure something out.

Home back up power

The electrician came out and suggested two new outlets – one for the treadmills and one for the Ecoflow batteries. His company is looking to become certified with Ecoflow, and he was really impressed with them. After chatting, he also recommended that instead of a generator to recharge the batteries, I should get one of their big solar panels. It would work just as well, is designed to provide power while the batteries are plugged in, and it would be cheaper. Plus, I’m not having to store gas or propane. So, yeah, that was convincing. I have one of their big ones coming in.

I still have the plan of once we get the new plugs in and we get our portable AC back, I’m going to run a hurricane test of the Ecoflows. That may require sponsoring The Wife and MIL to take a small break somewhere. But I really need to see how long those batteries should last using what I would consider an expected load for storm.

The electrician also gave me some good advice about adding solar panels to my roof. First, pay cash – do not rent. Second, make sure those panels are connected to a Powerwall or something similar for storage. Three, make sure you have a roofer come behind the installers to make sure the roof is tight. He also mentioned there were new solar tiles that took the place of roof shingles. Is this something I want to explore further? Yes. Am I going to do so in the near future? Not according to the list of home projects awaiting funding.

Back at the office

My employer recently decreed that anyone within a specified distance would now be required to come in to the office one day a month. The party line is that it is a chance for us to “reconnect” and “collaborate” in an in-person fashion. One of the senior executives said the quiet part out loud and said we were coming in because we needed to prove that we needed the space.

The funny part is that the new job took over the space that my old day job was located. In fact, the office they assigned me was about two doors down from my old office.

The Brother and I both work for the same executive, and we were both required to come in. He’s recovering from some rehab surgery. So, we carpooled in. Which required me to drive about fifty miles north to pick him up, and then drive ten miles south to the office. I’m not complaining, because The Brother did need the help, but it was a heck of a lot of driving.

Taking care of old weapons.

Or making up for long-term neglect at least. Many, many moons ago, I bought a Starfire scimitar. Shortly after, my roommate at the time sold me one of their boarding axes. Over the years and moves, let’s just say they both fell into neglect. And rust.

While The Wife was testing the treadmill, I went to work on at least remediating the active rust. Let’s just say both have strong patinas that no amount of scrubbing with WD-40 and steel wool were going to take out. I applied this museum wax I was told about to keep them preserved. Now, I just need to figure out where I’m going to mount them. The office is getting a little cramped.