How it works

The point of this blog is to generate challenges to provide my life with adventure, personal growth, and to meet people in interesting ways. In order to do this, I need challenges. I expect it to take anywhere from a week to two months for me to complete my challenges, whether because I am preparing for some one-time event at the end of "training," because the opportunity to complete the challenge isn't a daily thing, or that is how long I need to do something.

To submit a challenge to me, reply to any post. While challenges can be as simple as "Do _____ while ______ing," but I would also appreciate more information, such as a suggestion of how long I have to complete my challenge, approximate costs if I have to buy all of the equipment involved, anything else that seems useful. After evaluating the entries, I will post about a few of them, and the ones with the best responses will be added to a poll to vote.

While I do reserve the privilege to decline challenges I do not see to be in line with the spirit of my adventure, I will give serious consideration to all submissions.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Challenge 5

Well, I have been contacted about a voluntary coaching position I have sought out. I will be helping coach high school boys cross country. The timing for this is a little unusual since I will be starting no less than 3 weeks into the season.  I foresee the potential for several mini-challenges, like learning everyone's names. This will end up being about two months of my life, so it conveniently fits quite well into the pattern of my adventure. Just waiting on a background check to be complete and to finish an online quiz required by the state and I can start.

Challenge accepted.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Challenge Requested 2

Not to sure where to go next. I need some ideas for new challenges I'm not already working on. Even if you're just a passer by, challenge me. I dare you.

On another note, eventually, I would like to run all the way to the next town and back, but I'm not sure when to attempt it. This coming weekend is available, but I have a race the following weekend. I'm not sure if it will be enough time to recover sufficiently to make a good showing. Most of October is very up in the air.

Challenge 4 expires

So I guess I failed this one. I had a whirlwind of an end of the week. Friday just disappeared on me. Saturday my long run occupied plenty of my day, along with additional working out. I also lost much of the evening to making monkey bread and 3 hr of driving to play Risk. 

I have some measurement issues to work out with my nerf homemade and some logistics to figure out concerning the smoker.  As a simple matter, I still did not touch the radio.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Challenge 4 Update

I presume my fourth challenge is going well.

I have not actually touched my radio project, but hopefully, that will simply be a matter of assembly.

The SNAP (homemade nerf gun) has made a significant progress in the respect of getting a barrel, since I found the local Ace Hardware, which had the desired brass tubing for the majority of the barrel. I intend to telescope, so I need to get the next size down from another local Ace. I still have to remeasure my plunger compression to correctly place the hole for my catch pin. My previous attempts were too far back. I also need to produce a handle and assemble the trigger mechanism.

The biggest disappointment could be my stovetop smoker. It would seem I did not look at enough of the plans I am modifying, as it did not totally occur to me I would be releasing a significant amount of smoke in my poorly ventilated apartment kitchen. I may have to be modifying my specifications to be a smoker that can be used without destroying a heating pad to make it. As far as construction goes, I have yet to cut the hole for the thermometer or mortar some of my pieces together. I also still need to get a cheap cast iron pan to use for smoldering the wood.

Where we go from here:

I still expect to finish my radio project and intend to get my SNAP assembled to the point where I only need to add the barrel. I still need to figure out how I will be mounting my brass tubing, since it is much smaller than the 1/4 inch threading of the adapter on the end of my pressure chamber. As for my smoker project, I am modifying the plan to be having the body of the apparatus finished, so I can focus on the other projects and still allow myself time for a long run on Saturday.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Challenge 4

Challenge 4: Finishing projects

I have a few projects lying around that I have been neglecting. In an effort to get them finished up, I am giving myself until next Saturday, the 10th of September to get them done.

Homemade Nerf Gun:
I have the pressure chamber mostly assembled, along with my plunger. I need to make the catch and trigger system and attach the adapter that will stop the plunger on the barrel end. I still need to find a barrel material that will fit my darts and/or find some foam backer rod to make my own.
I have a lead to find some places to try finding tube, but none of them are sure bets.
To consider this completed, I will need to be capable of dry-firing my gun, have a handle on it and have the trigger attached.
Frosting on the cake would be a working barrel for my intended darts.

Foxhole Radio:
I believe I have all the pieces for this. Completion will depend on if I can get it working well enough to hear static since I have not made a slider to adjust the frequency in this round. It is a first run trial.

Stove-top Smoker:
This is based on some of the smokers I have seen in instructables.com and I decided to modify mine to work with my stovetop instead of a reworked heating pad. To consider this completed, I will have to test it and either determine it is crap and in need of refinement or I must cook with it and make an instructable for it.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Challenge 2 Update

I totally forgot about my deadline for this challenge as I have considered it succeeded early. I have reached a level of functionality for this blog to be able to allow the proper level of interaction with visitors. It is a little bitter sweet, though, as I have not been posting updates as regularly as I had intended. At the very least, these should be weekly.

Since I have not gotten any votes for my next challenge, I shall unilaterally decide that it is to be finishing my DIY stovetop meat smoker project and my SNAP project (my first attempt at a homemade Nerf gun). These will be run in parallel with Challenge 3: Advertising. My next post is to lay out what should be considered success for Challenge 4 and the time frame.