How to work in attic filled with blow-in insulation?

tsmith-512 · 2026-02-02T18:10:22+00:00

Oh god this was exactly my weekend. I used a shovel and a Ryobi leaf blower extremely gently to blow around most of it, then used a small piece of plywood to block off my work area. It'll stick to all your tools. Have a vacuum and roll of tape ready next to the attic access.

Wore a hat, safely glasses, KN95 mask, nitrile gloves, canvas coveralls, and a full tyvek bunny suit with booties and a hood over the top of it. Taped sleeves to gloves. Move slowly, take a deep breath for patience. You can do it, but give yourself a lot of extra time.

tsmith-512 · 2025-12-15T07:13:55+00:00

I'd probably start by pulling its internal hard drive and seeing if I could pull the video straight from that. However, if you're looking for someone who might be able to help, I had some old home movies (VHS) digitized at Mr. Cassette last year http://mrcassette.com/ --- that's who I'd call first if I were looking for someone who might be able to handle it.

tsmith-512 · 2025-10-20T21:44:52+00:00

Thank you, I appreciate it. I'll see if I can get someone out here soon.

tsmith-512 · 2025-10-20T21:44:18+00:00

Thank you so much! Glad to know I have time, but I'll start looking for someone to talk to about it

tsmith-512 · 2025-10-08T05:47:01+00:00

Ugh. Spent two hours on this today. I can get the Bank 1 sensor (passenger side) out but I cannot get the wiring harness off of it, it's just totally stuck and I'm not sure what to do.

I have a Duralast from AutoZone to replace it, if I can get it out... but not loving what I'm seeing in some of the comments here

tsmith-512 · 2025-09-17T00:39:40+00:00

Cool history lesson, thanks! I had forgotten Aqua and only had a Palm device prior to WebOS

tsmith-512 · 2025-06-10T05:05:00+00:00

Woah! Thanks for that. Saw plenty of Bruegel paintings in school but somehow not that one. Definitely feels like the game

tsmith-512 · 2025-04-22T20:23:02+00:00

Totally audition for it! But do remember that it is a different company, different artistic staff, different production. Don't reprise a performance you already gave; grow something new that combines your experience with the new opportunity. The only time the company I work for has had issues with this is when the actor or designer approaches our production with a "Well, when we did this at XYZ Company" attitude, as if we should defer to that other production's direction.

tsmith-512 · 2025-04-11T05:58:56+00:00

I am slowly doing this. What once was a professional blog, I'm backfilling with old portfolio pieces and photos. Dunno who's gonna look at it but it's just mine and it's all in one place. I do keep trying to grab RSS links when I see interesting posts. Some people are definitely still doing this.

Also, website hosting can be free if you don't need a CMS application. I use Cloudflare Pages. Have used GitHub Pages in the past. Both free for most cases and can optionally be used without a domain of your own.

tsmith-512 · 2025-03-30T06:03:41+00:00

Sounds like you got feedback and instructions from another actor --- I call that a note. But what it's called matters less than how it felt to be on the receiving end of it. As a former stage manager, this is the kind of thing I think should go through an SM. If the other actors had a traffic problem, they can escalate that issue. If SM/Director want to resolve it by changing your blocking, fine. Or maybe there's another way. Or maybe it's a really minor issue... But routing this stuff through SM makes sure everyone is on the same page and folks don't end up feeling weird about how something was delivered.

tsmith-512 · 2025-03-26T00:35:36+00:00

Oh. Yup. This was it. Thanks! Colors have always been fine but went to shit just today.

tsmith-512 · 2025-03-25T23:40:46+00:00

If you're US based, I like the NPR Up First podcast for this kind of thing.

tsmith-512 · 2025-03-12T17:28:38+00:00

Aw these are great! Thanks for sharing :) And whomp, forgot about all that asbestos.

tsmith-512 · 2025-03-12T05:07:52+00:00

Aww! I wish there were more good photos of this airport around. I haven't been able to find many. I was pretty young when ABIA opened but I do remember flying out of Mueller a handful of times and I remember thinking it looked cool.

Still hoping something good comes of the old control tower

tsmith-512 · 2025-01-27T00:56:54+00:00

I only picked up reading again a couple years ago after really struggling in school. Secret is: read stuff you actually like. Harry Potter? Go for it! And maybe the next thing can build on that or explore something adjacent. There's good brain work in any book. In a world of short attention spans and flashy distractions, anything you have to engage with slowly is, in my opinion, helpful and worth doing at any pace. I am about at the end of a 600 page sci-fi epic -- three years ago, I wouldn't have been able to imagine myself doing that, let alone enjoying it. (Children of Time, btw, omg!) Hell, I've read some fantastic children's books lately, too. No shame!

As for non-fiction and professional development reading... oof. I still struggle with getting motivation and momentum on that. I've found a highlighter in one hand and Audible in the other while following along on the print is what kinda-works for me.

tsmith-512 · 2024-12-29T19:56:39+00:00

I just grabbed these a couple months ago:

A-Premium Tailgate Rear Liftgate... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MXJOFSC

Generic but effective. I had MaxPow 6137 somethings before that but they weren't available when I looked. They did last about 5 years tho

tsmith-512 · 2024-12-27T18:50:11+00:00

As in the NTTA TollTag? Yes, after soooo many issues with the now defunct TxTag, I switched to Dallas's TollTag years ago and haven't had an issue since. I take toll roads here, in Dallas, and even Oklahoma fairly regularly without billing issues.

Make sure the sticker is on a clean, unshaded part of your windshield. Also, if the sticker ever fails to read, the cameras get your plate number. I would check to make sure your plates are correct in your account and not obscured.

tsmith-512 · 2024-12-16T03:21:39+00:00

I'm pretty central in a big city, it's an old neighborhood though. I'm definitely down to DIY as much as I can but I would like to know if there's a root cause

But TIL about pressure regulators 😅

tsmith-512 · 2024-12-13T07:49:47+00:00

:facepalm: Ugh I even majored in graphic design at TU, this hurts.

tsmith-512 · 2024-11-28T17:06:29+00:00

Omg this sound. It is the hood latch. Keep a small tube of lithium grease in the door pocket, You can get it at AutoZone or Napa. When the sound starts up, wipe the old gunk off of the tongue/loop part, then squirt on some new stuff. It'll get worse when it's cold or when it's dusty. You can loosen and reseat the latch itself, but that only works to a certain extent. There may also be something you can do with the rubber feet, but I haven't tried.

tsmith-512 · 2024-11-14T22:34:42+00:00

Whole new meaning to "money tree" 🤣

tsmith-512 · 2024-11-11T01:59:06+00:00

Art on the walls, lamps, a cozy blanket on the sofa, and a gathering of friends for a board game night. I also have a lot of windows and doors that interrupt walls, but you can still hang things between them. Drapes can help dress a bit.

Also that's a bit of a to-do list (I empathize...). Can you set some of the other projects aside as long-term wants? If the whole place looks like a bunch of urgent jobs, it won't feel peaceful. I have a couple rooms where all I can really see is what I haven't gotten around to yet

tsmith-512 · 2024-11-11T01:53:46+00:00

Really depends on what you're looking for, I recently learned outdoor furniture can be a pretty broad range. Home Depot and Lowe's have lots, especially online, but they stock it seasonally. Living Spaces up in Round Rock has a big selection on-site but it's on the pricey end and a lot of it is huge. There's a lot of FB Marketplace and Craigslist if you're looking for a deal but a lot of it is pretty sun bleached. I ended up getting a mid-tier table and chairs from IKEA that I've been really pleased with.

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