I'm a huge fan of lithium-ion battery technology. Lithium-ion holds a full charge for up to 18 months without draining, it's quick to charge and doesn't have the 'memory' problem that NiCad batteries have (i.e. if you don't charge them fully, they forget that they have extra storage, so they just get lamer and lamer over time until they're barely taking a charge at all).
I wish some manufacturer would produce rechargeable AA and AAA lithium-ion batteries but until that happens, Ryobi has created the Tek 4 lithium-ion battery (which contains enough juice to match three regular AA batteries). And they've also developed a bunch of very cool accessories that run on Tek 4, including noise suppression headphones that rock your own tunes, cell phone chargers, cameras etc. Available at the Home Depot.
This is a really cool, ultra-low power consumption (more efficient than LEDs), incredibly beautiful 'fairies and fireflies effect' technology for backyard lighting. You don't even need an electrician because you can run it off an extension cord with the available transformer, so you're done in under 5 minutes. And because you just have to aim one lamp to cover a huge 600+ square foot area, you don't even need ladders. Read more in my newspaper column (plus the manufacturer offers a discount to my readers).
Thistles suck and they resprout from a piece of root 1/8 of an inch long. Learn how to get rid of them without going to the dark side (i.e. chemical killers).
We re-graded the yard a year ago and its green pelt has sprouted a crop of thistles that would repel Norwegian invaders (which is exactly what happened in Scotland in the 13th century and that’s why Scots made the thistle their official plant. I hope they’re happy.)
Is it possible to eradicate the thorny infestation?
Before you answer, here’s some trivia about Canada thistle, the over-muscled cousin of Scottish thistle: • Its seeds remain viable for up to 21 years • Its taproot can travel to a depth of 5.5 meters (18 feet) • Lateral roots can extend as much as 6 meters (20 feet) in a single season • Those lateral roots produce colonies of clones • New plants can erupt from root pieces as small as 3 mm (1/8-inch)
Thistles are the zombies of the weed world.
Dandelions aren’t much better. They’re poking through my heavily mulched flowerbeds as if to say, “Nice try, but a 10-inch thick layer of mulch is like a 4 SPF sunscreen for us piss-a-beds.” (Dandelions used to be called 'piss-a-beds' because of their strong diuretic properties.)
I’ve found three effective, natural weed-disciplining techniques. One is cheap, one is easy and one is so much fun you’ll squeal.
1. Cheap Homemade Solution: Boil 1 pound of salt in one gallon of white vinegar until the salt dissolves. Add a squirt of dish soap. Pour the cooled mixture into a spray bottle. Apply to weed foliage. This concoction kills anything green in about 24 hours and that includes grass, so watch your aim. Cost: About $4
2. Scotts EcoSense Weed B Gon - The kid-and-pet-safe EcoSense formulation exposes weeds to excessive amounts of iron (absorbed through their leaves and roots when you spray it on). Oxidation damages the interior cell walls and the weed turns black and shrivels to nothing over the next five days. The beauty of EcoSense Weed B Gon is that it only attacks broadleaf weeds, not grass (iron is actually a nutrient for turf), so you can spray it all over your lawn and only the weeds will die. Suck it, weeds. Cost: $20 for 2 litres, available at most hardware and gardening centers.
3. Fiskars Stand-up Weed Puller - This is the squealy one. This tool rocks, literally and figuratively. You don’t have to bend over at all to pull out weeds, even stubborn thistles. At its business end, this lightweight implement has steel tines that grab the weed underneath the soil surface. When you gently rock back on the handle (using the foot rest as a fulcrum) the weed comes out easily with roots intact.
There are two Fiskars models - the basic model is $30 but it’s a bit short for good leverage, so if you can spend $50 on the extendable-handle model, it’s worth it for the extra length. TIP: The smaller the weed, the shallower you press the tines. This will limit the size of the resulting soil divot. Available at Canadian Tire.
I collected a heaping bushel basket of thistles in under an hour using my Stand-Up Weed Puller. It’s the most fun you can have while naked from the ankles down.
Humidity is the enemy of basements, and the cause of most mould and mildew. Reduce those musty smells in your home by insulating your plumbing pipes. It doesn't take long and it'll make you feel smug.
In just over 3 months I've lost more weight (10 pounds) than I originally planned (7 pounds) by using a MyTrak accelerometer to track exercise duration and intensity. I've also lowered my resting heart rate from 68 to 50. I haven't been this in-shape since birth.
I realized back in January that I had become a porker. My thighs puddled when I sat down. I had glutenous lumps where my hips used to be. And my bum was showing too much interest in gravity.
I had been sent a MyTrak M2 accelerometer to test in December so I finally opened the box and clipped the unit on my waistband. It's been an unbelievably speedy, fun journey back to being springy, strong and flexible.
The best part about wearing an accelerometer is that you lose weight by actually moving instead of focusing on food. I don't know about you, but dieting just makes me want to eat more. All day. Especially chocolate.
The company that makes these things has even lowered the price for the basic hardware (from $149 to $79) since I first wrote about MyTrak in my weekly column.
Now that I'm back in shape my new goal is achieving 'Cheetah' status on my MyTrak profile and becoming a marathon runner (if this guy can do it at 81, what's my excuse?).
What kid doesn't love building things? Here's an engaging design that looks like an Ewok hut from Star Wars. An adult can do the cutting, and kids can do the drilling with a hand drill or a small power drill. The rest of the tasks are easily shared.
Here's Part 2 - the roof
And Part 3 - the dramatic conclusion - plus Zander teaches me how to blow bubbles!
We're All In This Together Based on four years of interviews with Steve Smith, Mag's unconventional biography reveals the personal stories, sorrows and joys that continue to inspire the man behind the Red Green legacy.
How Hard Can It Be? Mag's quirky and entertaining book of home improvement projects for beginners.
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