Walt's Corner

For those who need a solution for your Lance dinette booth drawers coming open even though you secure that pin in there, here’s your sign. I found it doesn’t matter how tight you get that pin in there, it eventually works its way loose and will let the drawer slide out and into whatever is in its way. I did this back in June of 2022 and it has held up well through 30 camping expeditions since then (today is July 30, 2023) requiring one tighten-up a couple months ago.

There is literally a hundred ways one could do this. Choose mine, or make your own similar mod based off this idea.

Each drawer will require a bolt, 3 washers, lock washer, nut, and a 1/2” conduit one hole strap. When it comes to the size of your bolts/nuts/washers, like my wife tells me, size doesn’t matter. Just make sure they can slip into the opening of that 1/2” conduit strap.

In the picture below you’ll find an example of the order in which all hardware will be installed. Picture this as your left-hand side booth drawer, and the pencil is left side outer wall of the booth. Reverse it for the right-hand side.

Required tools – screwdriver, wrench or socket, some drill bits based off the size hole you’ll be drilling, and possibly a small hole saw if the area you need to put the securing nut on the inside of the drawer support contains a support bracket. Mine did.

See video below to see final product in operation.

The Midland MXMC01 is a replacement/upgrade Speaker/mic for your Midland MXT275 or MXT 575 GMRS radio. When you can find it in stock, that is. Been especially hard to try to get one since it came out. Sells out fast. It boasts a much larger display that translates into more human words in the menu system rather than codes. The mic features Automatic Noise Cancellation to filter out unwanted noise when transmitting. And my favorite addition – a real power/volume knob instead of buttons. What’s conspicuously missing from the documentation is any reference to the built-in speaker of the the handheld mic. It does have one and here is how to choose between the mic and radio base speaker.

What it doesn’t have is the same method to change it in the menu system. It is missing from the menu but is still there and can be selected by short-pressing the Lock button and using the Channel up/down buttons to select.

To the bottom right of the active channel number you’ll see the same abbreviations you are accustomed to if you used that feature on the old display:

HF AO = handheld speaker is active/radio base speaker is off.
HO AF = handheld speaker is off/radio base speaker is active.
HO AO = both the handheld and the radio base speaker are active.

No confirmation button to select – wherever you leave it in the menu is where it will stay until you change it.

Click here to view the custom install of my GMRS radio install in my Ram Laramie.

When talking a great all around grill/smoker, the lowest common denominator is the Weber Kettle. You can set it up for direct or indirect heat as well as smoke on it. It’s been the gold standard for years. You look at the universal symbol for a BBQ grill and what do you see? The lovely Weber Kettle shape.

When camping, it’s a given that there will be some grillin’. That’s just how it is in my world. The problem with camping grilling is that you still want that classic grilling experience and flavor but without all the space and weight. Enter the humble Weber Smokey Joe. Small. Lightweight. Classic kettle experience.

Grilling steaks and smoking brats are my two favorites. I’m talking REALLY smoking them brats. Indirect heat. Put some cross hatch cuts in them things, throw a chunk of hickory or mesquite on the coals, and cook them low and slow for about 45 minutes. Brats don’t get any better than that.

So why not mod this baby to make it more like it’s big brother, right? That’s exactly what I did. I saw these mods done by other YouTubers and took a page out of their playbooks. I drilled/dremelled out the rivet holding the lid vent on, widened the hole, and inserted a Lava Lock thermometer with a lock washer and wing nut. Also, added a Lava Lock lever to the vent so I don’t have to grab some gloves to adjust the airflow. Same thing on the bottom vent – drilled a hole in the small grip and added a stay-cool lever.

What the Fuck was That? By Bridgett Nelson – a collection of 3 short-ish stories guaranteed to help keep you awake at night. Especially while camping. Alone. In the dark.

I think this is me putting my toe in the wading pool of splatterpunk. It can’t be full on splatterpunk. That or I’m just desensitized, or I just way overhyped it to myself. Either way, I’ll give her other book, A Bouquet of Viscera, a read before jumping into what I think is the deep end. I’m looking at you, Woom. Ain’t lyin. I’m scared. Side note: I went to A Bouquet of Viscera after finishing WTFWT? when Amazon informed me that I already purchased it in April of last year. A nice surprise.

Getaway, Scars, and Belong comprise this collection. Getaway will make you think twice before taking up that cheap offer for an airbnb. Scars will immediately have you unfriending your favorite authors (Sorry Bridgett, it was fun while it lasted; really, it’s me, not you). Belong? Well, we all have that stalker we love to hate and hope they die in a grease-fire. And if you don’t, well, you’re probably that stalker!

So grab your copy and dive in if you haven’t already. Available in kindle or paperback. Or at least add it to your library. If you’re like me, the next book I add to my library will be the 22^nd book that’s in the queue.

I’m seeing a lot about iPhone beta testing, Re: prescreening calls, on Mastodon. Or maybe it’s part of an echo chamber. Either way, I’m seeing it in abundance.

If you are dead serious about the ultimate screening, lemme tell you what I do. I have not had to deal with a spammer since 2019

Part 1. By my choice/settings, phone is set to NOT alert me to any phone calls unless you are in my contact list. If it’s important, they’ll leave a message. If I feel like it, I’ll return it. To further assist in my introvert lifestyle, I go next level at night. I don’t get notifications from anyone or anything from 9PM to 7AM. Anything that happens overnight can wait until I’m good and ready to start my day. Even if it’s the apocalypse. That shit can wait too or kill me before I even know what’s up. I’m good either way.

Messages would like to send you notifications. Maybe. As long as they’re designated as a friend or family, sure. And we aint talking facebook friends either. If you’ve been to my house to eat my food, we real friends. But the time zone still applies. No notifications between 9PM and 7AM.

Messenger would like to send you notifications. Um… just those real family and friends. And during daylight hours.

Facebook would like to send you notifications. Nope.

Mona would like to send you notifications. Nope.

Mail would like to send you notifications. Nope.

Amazon would like to send you notifications. Nope.                                          

I’ll see there might be something new if I happen to be looking at the phone at the time and go check it out.

Word would like to send you notifications. WTF? Let me be crystal clear. There will never be a time in my life where Word will be allowed to send me a notification. Not in my life. Microsoft can fuck right off with that shit.

Voicemail greeting? Leave it the default “the person at nine… one… five…”

Using these settings, I have not dealt with a spam call in – I couldn’t tell you how long. Years.

Part 2 is having a separate personal work phone. That’s the number I give out to everyone at work both peers and clients. That’s the one I carry around at work. It gets shut off at 4PM and the weekend. My bizness…. Is my bizness, as Limp Bizkit would say. Yeah, I pimp with the Limp. And that takes me to my one big gripe about the iPhone. Give it a power button. Every workday I’ve got to go into settings>general>shut down. Deep down I think there has to be a way to put a shortcut on the Home Screen. But I’m also too lazy to research it. Yet.
Edit: my wife has shown me the witchcraftery that comes from holding the power-on and volume-up buttons at the same time. So my one big gripe is no longer.

It’s nice to be able to text with my customers and co-workers without using my own personal phone, but to maintain that severence you cannot have that personal work phone tied to your Apple ID Messenger service. Just text. Ya gotta green box it.

I don’t answer any calls that are labeled “spam risk.” When I do answer a regular call, I immediately respond with “<insert government office name> Retirement Services Officer, this line is unsecure, how may I help you?” Spammers immediately hang up. It’s like they don’t even want to talk to me! And that makes me feel good. Real good.

Voicemail greeting? Same as I answer this phone. Government office. Title. Unsecure. Don’t leave any classified information or PII. Trust me. They don’t leave messages.