Category Archives: DIY

Subaru Outback Emergency Rear Hatch Release

Posted on April 2, 2019 by Don

I’ve been looking at the idea of using our 2011 Outback as a quick overnight camping solution for times when I’m out on the road for dance calling gigs. With some minor rejiggering and construction, it is easy to put … Continue reading →

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Replacing Hood Release Cable on a 2003 Saturn Ion

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Don

Just a quick note on this one. We have an old Saturn with 155,000+ miles on it. Things are at the stage where lots of stuff is starting to break (exhaust, front brakes, starter) and need repairs, but it still … Continue reading →

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DIY Crock Pot Sous Vide System

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Don

On a visit to some friends I became aware of the whole topic of Sous Vide “under vacuum” (SV) cooking, the concept of using a controlled water bath to cook food (particularly meats) at low(er) temperatures for more consistent and … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking, DIY, Frugal Living, Handyman, Sous Vide | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Hack: Recycled Scrubbies!

Posted on July 9, 2015 by Don

We love to save money and the environment. Aways great when you can get a two-fer, and here’s one! Do you need non-scratching scrubbing pads for cleaning around the house? Did you know that the woven plastic netting from vegetable … Continue reading →

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OpenVPN on Tomato with Android and Linux Clients

Posted on January 11, 2015 by Don

I’ve been wanting to do this for a very long time. When away from home I sometimes need access to the systems (or data residing on those systems) back at home. I wanted to set up a secure means to … Continue reading →

Posted in Computer, Debian, DIY, Linux, Mint, Windows | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Spicing Up Your Dance Collection with Pepperplate

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Don

In this post I will lay out some history of how I have managed my dance collection and what I am currently exploring as a way to greatly simplify the work of building and maintaining that collection and making it … Continue reading →

Posted in Computer, Contra, Dance, DIY, Frugal Living, Linux, Recipes, Windows | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Better Than a Rooftop Box – Take 2

Posted on December 14, 2013 by Don

After a bit of a delay I finally got around to finish painting the trailer begun some time ago. I think it has turned out really well but is eggregiously over-engineered – hence it has a new acronym-derived nickname: MOET … Continue reading →

Posted in DIY, Frugal Living, Trailer, Travel | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Better than a rooftop box, and roomier too!

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Don

I’m one half of a “new parents” team focused on our little daughter. Wow, kids require so much stuff! So, we were planning an extended car trip and I knew we were not going to be able to comfortably fit … Continue reading →

Posted in DIY, Frugal Living, Handyman, Trailer, Travel | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Reviving “Dead” NiMH Batteries

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Don

I prefer to use rechargeable batteries whenever possible. Recently I noticed that several of our AA cells were being reported as dead (“null” when inserted) by the charger. Some of them were rather new, so I was a bit miffed … Continue reading →

Posted in DIY, Frugal Living | Tagged , , , , | 17 Comments