Shady Brook YMCA Family Camp

Our family has been fortunate to enjoy YMCA camp a couple of times and this year's trip lived up to the high expectations we have of camp.

Shady Brook is near Deckers, Colorado and has a history dating back to 1948.  It is well maintained and has several new buildings constructed in the last 20 years including the Loo Lodge where we stayed for 2 nights.

Overall the food was pretty good.  They can accommodate any and all dietary restrictions.

• Friday dinner - Pasta
• Saturday breakfast - Pancakes
• Saturday lunch - BLT sandwiches
• Saturday dinner - Pork tenderloin, portobella mushrooms, chicken nuggets
• Sunday breakfast - French toast

The activities are always the highlight of the trip

• Opening Campfire - Two camp songs and smores.  The perfect amount of activity.
• Climbing Wall - While only about 25 feet high, this was challenging and Diya was the only one to complete both routes
• Tomahawk Throwing and Sling Shot - This was new to all of us, but very entertaining.  It was really difficult to aim the sling shot, but I still managed to hit the long distance target
• Boating and Swimming - We skipped the canoe, but enjoyed kayaks and stand up paddleboards.  The swimming lane was chilly, but refreshing.
• Archery - This was fun for me on a 10 yard range.  I did well and the bows were brand new.  I wish I would have brought a finger tab.
• High Ropes - This was very challenging for everybody except Diya who made all of the lengths seem like a cake walk.  I was excited to complete 4 of the 6 lengths and thought they were difficult.
• Saturday Campfire - I skipped this one, but they did smores again
• Nature Hike - We skipped this, but took advantage of the disc golf course instead.

Overall it was a lot of fun.  The only thing that was missing was arts and crafts which are usually fun.  The activities were just right for our family, but a little much for families with younger kids.

2007 Subaru Impreza

After a lot of debate, we found ourselves back in the market for a vehicle for my daughter to drive to the school.  We originally planned on driving her everywhere for 6 months.  Then we started to consider letting her drive the 2024 Subaru CrossTrek, but we were not ready to have that car in the school parking lot.  Finally it was a debate between a sub $5K beater and and reasonable $10K car that should have a 5 year life span.

We took a look at a hail damaged car Subaru, an older Mazda that the current owner did not feel comfortable driving on the interstate and finally an older Subaru with high miles, some body damage, but overall seemed fine.

Mark McDowell fixes and flips Subarus.  He had (4) on his property in various states of prep.  He listed the 2007 Subaru Impreza with 165,000 miles for $3300.  The description read "Nice condition, AWD, automatic, 165000 miles, cold AC, aftermarket sterio, new tires, new timing belt and seals. Just serviced."  He talked us through the car about what to look for and what to feel for on a test drive.  It does have a REBUILT FROM SALVAGE title and is ineligible for collision coverage.

I noticed the tires had tread and the battery was dated 12/22  which should be good.  Cosmetic issues galore.  The front bumper has been replaced.  Lower end model without heated seats, etc.  Rear wiper blade needs to be replaced.  Front windshield is cracked.  No working key fob and only 1 set of manual keys.  It drove fine and we decided to take a chance.

Picking it up, I accidentally had it in 3rd gear the whole drive and the oil pressure overheated and the check engine light came on a the emissions testing place.  It did pass emissions and I drove it home.  We cleaned up the interior a little bit.  Hopefully the check engine light P0506 resolves.  If it does not, we may pay Mark or the dealership to fix it.

We need to get another set of keys and ideally a couple of key fobs programmed.  I have an appointment to get license plates tomorrow.  Then the plan is to drive it around town in non-essential situations before clearing it for my daughter to drive to and from school.  I fully expect to put another $1,000 into it over the next two years for minor repairs and will be relieved if the total is under that number.

Everything else we have seen in this price range has had higher mile or is significantly older.  This may not be a gem, but it will hopefully be a gem to us.  If we had to resell quickly, we might take a $1000 loss plus the cost of plates and title (~$200).

As I am still pretty new to used cars, I still feel like half treasure hunter/half test pilot.  I am searching for features and clues as to how the car operates.  I am also trying to gage acceleration, braking, cornering and every little sound is cause for alarm.

The win for today was understanding the Kenwood KDX-138 aftermarket stereo and included "Tragic Kingdom" CD by No Doubt.  Released in 1995, it features Spiderwebs, Just a Girl and Don't Speak among it's (14) tracks.

Atrezzo Salium SH408 tires (cheap modern all season tires 55,000 mile warranty) - Manufactured 11/23 - Should be good to 200,000 miles with rotations

I am seriously considering getting the CARFAX report.  It supposedly has reported flood damage among 48 other entries.  It does not have airbag deployment or evidence of odometer tampering.  It also has one open recall.

• Front Wiper Blades - 22 & 17
• Rear Wiper Blade - Rear 14-B
• Cabin Air Filter - Behind Glove Box
• Tire Pressure
• Oil Level
• Car Keys Made - Locksmith Pro (David, 303-489-0123) by appt only, meet at 12354 W Alameda Pkwy
• Deactivate Alarm
• 10W-30 (5W-30 per owners manual, but can use higher viscosity with higher mileage)
• MOA by BG Auto add 6 oz for up to 4 Liters of oil and 11 oz for 4-6 Liters of oil (additive for higher mileage engines).  $15/can from Amazon.

Piecing together the CARFAX

• Owner 1 - Purchased new in 2007, sold in 2009 to Mark Miller Subaru (Utah) with 33,383 miles
• Owner 2 - Purchased in 2009, sold in 2014, with 77,723 miles
• Owner 3 - Purchased in 2014, sold in 2014 passed emissions
• Owner 4 - Purchased in 2014, maintained at Amina Motors, totaled in 2017 (Water Damage) 122,000ish miles, salvage title issued, sold to dealer, rebuilt title issued, passed emissions in January 2018
• Owner 5 - Purchased in 2018, maintained at Grease Monkey, sold in 2021 with 146,000ish miles
• Owner 6 - Purchased in 2021, passed emissions in 2023 with 152,403 miles (battery dated 12/22)
• Owner 7 - Purchased in 2023, Rebuilt Title Issued weeks after emissions testing, likely drove it for 15,000 miles between April 2023 and summer 2024 (tires dated 11/23)
• Mark McDowell - Took possession of vehicle, fixed it up with timing belt, front end, oil change, full inspection, never titled the car and listed it for sale for $3300
• Sanjiv Gupta - Purchased the car in 2024 with 165,700 miles and intend to drive and maintain it for the foreseeable future.

Programming Key Fobs

• Unlock, open and close all doors including the trunk
• Get into the drivers seat, close the door
• Open and close drivers door
• Turn Original start key to ON and OFF 10 times
• Open and close drivers door - SHOULD HEAR TONE
• Program 8 digits using lock key to toggle 1, 2, 3, etc and unlock key to enter (For example 5 would be LOCK, LOCK, LOCK, LOCK, LOCK, UNLOCK) after the 8th entry TONE will sound and repeat, after keying in a second time TONE will sound
• Test Key Fob

We were able to program both new key fobs successfully, the car is not super happy when you switch back and forth, but otherwise fine.  I tried programming the original fob.  The Lock/Panic button works fine, but the Unlock button was not working.  We will keep it simply for posterity.

The MOSAFE gizmo is the mounting end of a magnetic phone holder.  Of 248 reviews it had 68% positive reviews.  Not sure what it originally sold for, but I decided to get some plates to give it a whirl with my phone.  The thin steel plates were $3.99 from Amazon.

Registration - I arrived at the DMV (8/7/2024) with the title, proof of insurance, ID and what I thought was DR 2710 the Branded Title Disclosure Form.  As it turns out, I had the incorrect form for a different car that was not filled out in its entirety.  Lesson learned to match VIN number on Title and Branded Title Disclosure Form and to get ID of seller as verification of address if there is any confusion.  Was able to complete title and license plate work at my next DMV visit (8/13/2024).  I should get the title in the mail.

Firestone - I have liked having routine maintenance done at Firestone and after successfully registering the car, I took it over there to have the tires rotated and fluids topped off (8/15/2024).  As expected, they found a laundry list of required/suggested repairs that would be $4,702.48 to have all done, but my plan is to pick them off over the next two years, barring a more serious issue presenting itself.

• Valve Gasket Leak - $600 - Authorized
• Brakes - $600 - Do Soon
• Ball Joints - $900 - Do Later
• Struts - $1200 - Do Later
• 60K Service - $1,100 - May do this at Dealership or Subaru Specialty Place
• Oil Change & Wiper Blades - $100 - Pre-Paid at Dealership

Lesson learned to look more closely for leaks and inspect the brakes.  Apparently the brakes were "pad slapped" meaning new brake pads were put on without replacing the rotors.  This is not the right way to do a brake job.  Regarding the suspension, it felt soft, but appropriate for an older car.  I kind of expected the 60K service and planned to put $1500 into the car over the next year taking my all in price to $5000.  Based on the estimate, my true all in price is closer to $7000 to have a highway capable strong runner for the next 30,000 miles.

Upon picking up the car, I had a chance to talk to the mechanic that worked on it and he was most concerned with the rack (rack and pinon steering system) that was in bad shape and likely a $1500 fix.  He said this was his top priority and even showed me how to check the power steering fluid level.  He recommended Shop Pro Power Steering fluid and said to avoid the Subaru recommended synthetic fluid.  With this knowledge the car is for sure mechanically totaled (in addition to being previously totaled for water damage in 2017).  I will keep an eye on the power steering fluid and will either walk away from this car if we can find a better one or repair the suspension for $2000 and try to sell it for $3300.  The rack was not included in the work estimate, because Firestone would have to source a rack and then charge for labor.

To make matters worse I was having a hard time putting the car into drive later that evening.  Is the automatic transmission fluid just low or will it need a new transmission as well?  Automatic Transmission Fluid is $10/quart.  A rebuilt transmission would be several thousand dollars.

Honest-1 Auto Care - I happened to run into Vanessa while in the Walmart automotive department and she mentioned that she works at a mechanics shop.  I decided to call after the visit to Firestone to get a second opinion and prioritize the work.  If they can do the suspension work in the neighborhood of $1500, I may just authorize it.

I got the estimate back from Honest-1 and they confirmed much of what Firestone had mentioned.  There were some discrepancies.

Misc

• Wiper Blades - recommended by Firestone, Honest-1 says they are fine

Suspension

• Rack & Pinon, Ball Joints, Struts, Differential Service recommended by Firestone.  
• Honest-1 also suggested the Differential Service
• Honest-1 also suggested Rack & Pinon, but said the Ball Joints and Struts are fine.  
• Honest-1 said the Constant Velocity Axle Assembly on the Front Left needed to be replaced.

Brakes

• Brake Fluid - Both Firestone and Honest-1 said the brake fluid was dirty and should be flushed
• Rotors - recommended by Firestone, Honest-1 was not concerned

Engine

• Spark Plugs - recommended by Firestone, not mentioned by Honest-1
• Engine Air Filter - recommended by Firestone and Honest-1
• Cabin Air Filter - recommended by Firestone, Honest-1 says it is fine
• Fuel System Cleaning - recommended by Firestone, not mentioned by Honest-1
• Timing Belt - recommended by Honest-1 based on mileage, not mentioned by Firestone
• Coolant Fluid Exchange - recommended by both Firestone and Honest-1

Costs were similar for the suspension so I went ahead and authorized the work.  At subsequent oil changes it will be important to pick off  (1) Engine Air Filter (2) Brake Fluid Flush (3) Front Differential (4) Rear Differential (5) Cooling Fluid Exchange more or less in that order.

Honest-1 also noticed it difficult to get the car into gear.  They thought it was not likely the transmission, but more likely the neutral engine cutoff.  They could diagnose it for $154 and then the cost of repairs.  I went ahead and authorized this on Monday morning.

Mercier Kilo WT

Ever since spotting a single speed at Goodwill a couple of weeks ago, I have been on the lookout to add one to my stable of bicycles.  The bike at Goodwill was unbranded but had pegs for racks and accessories.  It was listed for a very reasonable $45.

Since then I have been trolling Facebook Marketplace and keeping an eye out in the $50-$150 range.  This Mercier popped up a few days ago in Golden for $50 and I had to take a look.  It was beat up with spots of rust all over the place.  The tires were flat and the handlebar tape was unraveling.  However, the size felt good and despite being a little sluggish all signs pointed towards purchase.

Getting it home, I gave it a good once over.  I washed it, lubricated the drivetrain and tightened the brake cables.  I removed the rear flashing light that was no longer operational.  Finally, I patched up the handlebar tape as best as I could.  I do not want to clean it up too much as I do not want it to be a target for theft if I ride it around town.

No upgrades are necessary for the intended function.  I did order some new handlebar tape ($2.50 Temu).  I may still order ferrules ($7)  to clean up the cable ends.  The tires are the big wild card.  They are mismatched and the rear tire has an odd hump in it.  New tires would cost more than I paid for the bicycle, but are probably the most important maintenance item.  They range from $20-$40 each.  I am leaning towards the Schwalbe CX Comp 700c Wire Cyclocross Tire for $20 each.  Continental and Surly also have reasonably priced tires.

The Mercier Kilo WT currently retails for $600.  It comes in 49, 53, 56, 59 and 62 cm frame sizes.  It comes partially assembled, but still requires installing brake cables and handlebars.

I went ahead and measured the frame confirming it is a 53 cm frame size, 165 mm cranks.  Front chain ring is 44t and the rear is 18t.  Considering they currently ship with a 48/16 (3:1), I am somewhat relieved to have a 44/18 (2.4).

Cycles Mercier is a French brand with a long history.  I am not sure about fabrication of the current models, but they still using Reynolds 520 tubing and traditional geometry.  Starship Investments owns the brand and may return production to France.

UPDATE 7/28/2024:  The cable ferrules arrived and were installed with some effort and cursing onto the old cables.  They were easy to crimp with standard needle nose pliers.  New grip tape is on its way.  A new tire (Schwalbe CX Comp 700 Wire Cyclocross Tire; Black 38c K-Guard) has been ordered from Cambria Bike ($20 marked down to $18.60 less $1.86 10% off code plus $7.00 shipping and $1.25 tax = $24.99 delivered).

UPDATE 8/11/2024:  Tire installation and handlebar tape was pretty easy to install.  Ready to ride!

HVAC

One of the downsides of living in a 4000+ square foot home and having temperatures hovering in the 100 F range is that it is increasingly difficult to stay comfortable.

I am not sure if it is a function of more frequent extreme weather or if people just have a lower tolerance for discomfort, but more and more homes in Colorado tend to have air conditioning.

We bought our house in 2021 and in 2022 we decided to replace the furnace and primary air conditioning.  The furnace was original (1994) and though well maintained, was getting increasingly expensive to repair.  We opted for a equivalent units to what were installed and ended up with XX BTU Furnace (xx% efficiency) and a 5 Ton Air Conditioning unit.

The air conditioning unit was struggling to keep up.  Part of the problem was air flow.  Apparently return air needs to be coming through on the order of 400 cubic feet per minute (CFM) per ton for the air conditioner to work.  Our 5 ton unit was essentially starved at roughly 1000 CFM.  One fix was to add an additional return in the basement which got us to 1400 CFM.  This return air would have been sufficient for a 3 ton unit.  The 5 ton unit was overkill.  

Costs from Alpine Home Air for condenser (air conditioning) unit show:

1.5 ton - $1668

2.5 ton - $1710

3.5 ton - $2392

4.0 ton - $2350

5.0 ton - $2883

So while there is not a big price difference, it would have been better to size the unit correctly for the returns.

As a stop gap, we borrowed room air conditioners from a neighbor.  These worked remarkably well and we were tempted to purchase (4) of them from Costco for around $500 each.  It is a similar solution to getting space heaters rather than trying to heat the whole house in the winter.  This was working fine.  One potential issue was having to drain the condenser reservoir periodically.

Ultimately we opted to get a second air conditioning unit.  Rather than get a second furnace, we went with an air handler and a 2.5 ton unit.  The upstairs (4) bedrooms each have (2) registers/vents and there is a central return in the hallway.  So far it has made an incredible difference and will hopefully be more energy efficient to cool the upstairs at night and the downstairs during the daytime rather than trying to cool the whole house.

4th of July Scuba Bash

I think this was the 28th year that Coral Key hosted the Scuba Bash and my 7th year participating.  This year there were 62 divers which seemed pretty chaotic.  I dove with Mark and had a good dive besides being a little out of sorts myself.

Starting off I misassembled my gear by first forgetting to connect my low pressure inflator and second not having my fins with me.  Second, I lost my weight pocket (again) and was diving unbalanced from nearly the jump.

Navigation was good.  The water was warm and I should have gone with my 3mm instead of my 5mm wetsuit.  After 40 minutes we surfaced and I could not get back down with the remaining 6 pounds that I had.  I borrowed 6 pounds from Mark to finish the dive.  I am ready for a new mask and BCD.  Even if I do not get a new BCD, I am going to start permanently fixing my weight pockets.

They did some great prices again with masks, fins, Oceanic dive computer, torches and Space Fish Army rash guards.  They also had gift cards for $75 off gear service or specialty courses.

2016 - XS Scuba gear bag, never used

2017 - Tusa fins, traded to offset Atomic SS1

2020 - Akona Backpack, never used

2021 - SP Gadgets GoPro holder and case, donated to Boy Scouts

2022 - Tusa fins, traded to offset Bare Exotherm jacket

2023 - Oceanic Viper 2 fins, TBD

2024 - Hydroflask water bottle and Mask Strap - TBD

Colorado Backgammon Club

I stumbled upon the Colorado Backgammon Club in June during my birthday celebration at Hangar 101.  My daughter and I went to play pool and was reminded by the waitress that the bar was 18+ after 8 PM.  Mark was kind enough to chime in quietly that he had never seen anyone asked to leave.  He was wearing a backgammon shirt and we struck up a conversation.  He mentioned a couple of books and some youtubers that were worth watching.  I decided to park the thought.

Around comes July and I decided to RSVP on meetup and meet the group.  10 people were in attendance.  I cannot remember all of their names but Matt, Dan (Ike), Jan, Mark, Myra and Avi were among the bunch.  The two women were part of couples who played together.  A friendly, if somewhat rowdy bunch.

Prior to matches kicking off and all through the evening, Chouettes were in progress.  These are hard to describe, but are in affect team games with a captain, box and supporting cast.  The roles are designated by a rolls of the dice prior to starting.  Essentially, we are playing for $5/point and the team can start collaborating after the double.

The tournament is double elimination.  I played the first match to 7 points and the next two to 5 points.  Each game is worth one point, unless doubled (and a decision made to drop/take).  A gammon is worth double points and the extremely rare backgammon is worth triple points.  When one player is within a point of winning the match, the Crawford rule takes over and the doubling cube is not used.  There is also a 14 min and then 12 minute clock for matches.  Finally, a dice tumbler can be used and if using cups then 3 shakes of the cup must occur prior to rolling.

Match 1 (vs Matt to 7) - Lost first game after being doubled (0-2), Gammoned the second game after being doubled (0-6), Won third game with Crawford (1-6), Won forth game, Matt dropped after I doubled (2-6), Lost fifth game (2-7)

Match 2 (vs Dan to 5) - Not quite sure what happened, but won the match

Match 3 (vs Jan to 5) - I think we got to 1-4, I won the Crawford and she one the last game

I was done with tournament play by 11 AM.  The consolation bracket would likely go another hour.  The bar itself was hopping with lots of people bowling and playing pool.  I enjoyed the backgammon but was definitely outmatched.

During the Chouettes, I noticed people counting up points to determine when to double.  There is also a PRT model for doubling.  Finally, there is a tool called eXtreme Gammon (XG) which players use to analyze matches and play against the computer.  It is $60, but I would have to get a laptop to load it onto.  Myra highly endorsed it and said that competitive players could spend 20 hours per week training and analyzing their game.  One player actually recorded his game to load into XG later.

I am going to start with Backgammon Boot Camp and a US Backgammon Federation (USBGF) membership and go from there.

I do have to say a few words about the boards.  The boards and checkers they used were extremely nice and I am considering upgrading my set.  Most folks also had a clock (or clock app on their phones), dice baffle box and scoreboard.  My favorite score system was the deck of cards.  The nicest checkers were the 1-3/4" Nickel-Trimmed with leatherette accent.  They for for $99.95/15 checkers.  The marbleized plastic are $20/15 checkers.  The Wycliff boards go for $295.  1-3/16" doubling cubes are $18.  Baffle boxes from AP Backgammon Shop are $60, Leap Clocks are $16, Scoreboards are $30.  Myra had the nicest clock which was a ZmartFun II Digital Check Clock ($40 on Amazon).

My set is a very reasonable $95 tournament sized set with 1.5 inch (3/8" thick) checkers, 5/8" dice, 3/4" cube.  The only caveat is that the field surface is not the ultrasmooth we were playing on and the checkers were lighter in weight.

Summer Travel

Summer started off fast with more travel than I am used to.

Scottsdale Family Reunion - May 24 - May 28 - 4 nights

New Orleans RFA - June 7 - June 8 - 1 night

Philadelphia Veena Bua - June 13 - June 14 - 1 night

Las Vegas Sphere - June 19 - June 21 - 2 nights

Columbia, MO USAWA Nationals - June 28 - July 1 - 3 nights

That is (5) round trip flights and (11) hotel nights in just over five weeks.  Three of the five trips were for fun and the remaining two were important, but not fun.

I cannot really complain.  In that same five weeks, my daughter was on the Scottsdale trip, worked for a week at the Academy in Colorado Springs, went to Sterling for a week, worked for another week in Colorado Springs, went to Guernsey, WY for a week and is now working this week.  It would be easier for her to count the nights she spent in her bed.

The rest of the summer should be relatively smooth sailing.