Hey Everybody!
Yesterday I tried making this vlog post on our drive out to Virginia. Sorry, it is really rough, which is due to the fact that my computer can't handle video rendering very well. :-( Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
The Elantra Sold!
I don't know how many of you have heard about the Hyundai Elantra that I had for quite some time. But after four months in the shop (with many parts being replaced or rebuilt) it has finally gotten out, and last Saturday it SOLD! Praise the Lord!
Also, since it was finally out of the shop, I got a chance to get some pictures of it. Here are a couple of them.
Also, since it was finally out of the shop, I got a chance to get some pictures of it. Here are a couple of them.
My new truck
A couple weeks ago I got a new truck! I've been looking for a Diesel to possibly convert to run on Vegetable Oil, but haven't found one that had what I wanted within my price range. Basically I was looking for three things:
Basically what I wanted, and the price it had to be didn't match, so I was having a hard time finding anything half decent until...
This truck came along.
- I wanted a GM pickup, (or Suburban or Blazer).
- It had to be a 1993 model or older (in 1994 they started using electronic fuel injection which is no good for vegetable oil).
- I also wanted it to be 4x4.
- I also wanted it to be a 1993 (since that was the only year that they made a 6.5L Turbo Diesel engine with mechanical fuel injection)
- It had to be under $1500
Basically what I wanted, and the price it had to be didn't match, so I was having a hard time finding anything half decent until...
This truck came along.
This is a 1993 (YAY!) Chevy (YAY!) Pickup (YAY!), with 4x4 (YAY!) and the 6.5L Turbo Diesel (YAY!). Best of all they were only asking $1200 (YAY again!).
The problem was that the ad said the engine was seized-up (Grr, not so good!). I decided to call the guy anyway and ask what the symptoms of the problem were. He proceeded to explain the problem, and I got to thinking it was more of a starter problem than an engine problem. I went to look at it and it wasn't even a starter problem! The only problem was that one of the starter bolts had broken, and the other had bent! So with $10 I headed over to Napa Auto Parts and picked up two new starter bolts.
Now have have a great running truck that I couldn't have found anywhere else for less than $3500 at the least! I am so excited. It has a new:
The problem was that the ad said the engine was seized-up (Grr, not so good!). I decided to call the guy anyway and ask what the symptoms of the problem were. He proceeded to explain the problem, and I got to thinking it was more of a starter problem than an engine problem. I went to look at it and it wasn't even a starter problem! The only problem was that one of the starter bolts had broken, and the other had bent! So with $10 I headed over to Napa Auto Parts and picked up two new starter bolts.
Now have have a great running truck that I couldn't have found anywhere else for less than $3500 at the least! I am so excited. It has a new:
- Transmission
- Torque Converter
- Alternator
- Gas Tank
- Radiator
- Tires
- Exhaust system
- and now it even has two new starter bolts :-).
Concerts Friday and Saturday, April 20 & 21
Hey everybody! The Rock Valley College Concert Choir, Womens Choir and Chamber Singers are going to be putting on a joint concert Friday and Saturday, April 20 & 21 at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Rockford!
I am in the Concert Choir and the Chamber Singers, but I'm obviously NOT in the Womens Choir.
There are also two pieces that I'll be playing the piano to accompany the Concert Choir on. So if you've got either of the nights open, I'd love to see you there!
Tickets are $5 for adults and $4 for students. The concert begins at 7:30pm.
If you've got any questions feel free to send me an email, or post a comment.
I am in the Concert Choir and the Chamber Singers, but I'm obviously NOT in the Womens Choir.
There are also two pieces that I'll be playing the piano to accompany the Concert Choir on. So if you've got either of the nights open, I'd love to see you there!
Tickets are $5 for adults and $4 for students. The concert begins at 7:30pm.
If you've got any questions feel free to send me an email, or post a comment.
Update! 4-15-07
Oh my word! I can't believe it's the middle of April already! Here's a little update of what's been up over the past couple weeks.
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I've been very busy with school, esp. with all the piano and voice practice that I've been doing. Much of my practice time lately (basically all of it) has been towards a couple pieces that I'm accompanying the RVC Concert Choir on! They're both really neat. One is the 7th movement of the Beethoven Choral Fantasy (wow! that one is just plain fast!!), and the other one is a gospel piece "John the Revelator". This one is a lot of fun, and VERY different in style from anything I've played in the past.
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A couple weeks ago we housed a few boys from Bradley University after a concert that their Chorale and Chamber Singers gave. They were a great bunch of guys, and I really enjoyed their visit and the concert (which by the way was incredible!).
Here's a picture of me with the boys we housed, right before they left the next morning.
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Would you believe it! We got a snow storm this week! How crazy is that! This is April right?
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My Elantra remains locked up at the mechanic waiting for yet another replacement part to the electrical system. This should be in tomorrow, and it should be the last part.
___________________________
Yesterday the RVC Chamber singers (of whom I am a part), were guests at a concert by the RVC Consortium. This was so much fun! The RVC Consortium string ensemble (with whom we had the honor of doing a joint piece) were good beyond what my own uneducated pen can express. They were really seriously good, but I'm not even going to try to continue telling you how good they were. We sang Bach's Cantata #150 (with the Consortium), and then two pieces on our own: "Adijo Kerida", and "Done Made My Vow".
Afterwards, we went out for pizza which was fun, and, oh... It was one of the girl's birthday, so we sang "Happy Birthday". You can imagine me thinking, wow! I'm about to sing "Happy Birthday" with the Chamber Singers! This will probably be one of the best performances of this song I have ever heard! No! I was totally WRONG! I don't know if "Happy Birthday" is too far below the Chamber Singers for them to even consider stooping to that level, or what! But apparently it wasn't worth singing to them, so it was sung (or yelled) much louder and more monotone (right in the middle of the restaurant mind you) than I have ever heard this song sung! Boy, I REALLY wish that was recorded.
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There should be more regular updates to come, but no promises until the middle of May.
___________________________
I've been very busy with school, esp. with all the piano and voice practice that I've been doing. Much of my practice time lately (basically all of it) has been towards a couple pieces that I'm accompanying the RVC Concert Choir on! They're both really neat. One is the 7th movement of the Beethoven Choral Fantasy (wow! that one is just plain fast!!), and the other one is a gospel piece "John the Revelator". This one is a lot of fun, and VERY different in style from anything I've played in the past.
___________________________
A couple weeks ago we housed a few boys from Bradley University after a concert that their Chorale and Chamber Singers gave. They were a great bunch of guys, and I really enjoyed their visit and the concert (which by the way was incredible!).
Here's a picture of me with the boys we housed, right before they left the next morning.
___________________________
Would you believe it! We got a snow storm this week! How crazy is that! This is April right?
___________________________
My Elantra remains locked up at the mechanic waiting for yet another replacement part to the electrical system. This should be in tomorrow, and it should be the last part.
___________________________
Yesterday the RVC Chamber singers (of whom I am a part), were guests at a concert by the RVC Consortium. This was so much fun! The RVC Consortium string ensemble (with whom we had the honor of doing a joint piece) were good beyond what my own uneducated pen can express. They were really seriously good, but I'm not even going to try to continue telling you how good they were. We sang Bach's Cantata #150 (with the Consortium), and then two pieces on our own: "Adijo Kerida", and "Done Made My Vow".
Afterwards, we went out for pizza which was fun, and, oh... It was one of the girl's birthday, so we sang "Happy Birthday". You can imagine me thinking, wow! I'm about to sing "Happy Birthday" with the Chamber Singers! This will probably be one of the best performances of this song I have ever heard! No! I was totally WRONG! I don't know if "Happy Birthday" is too far below the Chamber Singers for them to even consider stooping to that level, or what! But apparently it wasn't worth singing to them, so it was sung (or yelled) much louder and more monotone (right in the middle of the restaurant mind you) than I have ever heard this song sung! Boy, I REALLY wish that was recorded.
___________________________
There should be more regular updates to come, but no promises until the middle of May.
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand.
This is one hymn that I have found myself singing a lot lately. It is always a refreshment and inspiration to me.
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.
Refrain
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
Refrain
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
Refrain
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
Refrain
~ Edward Mote
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.
Refrain
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
Refrain
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
Refrain
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
Refrain
~ Edward Mote
Random Photo of the Random Moment: Sweet Ride?
Random Photo of the Random Moment: Hmm... Sweet Ride?We saw this truck when we were in Maine a few years back. Not sure who the artist was, but a major commendation on the job!
Call Of Duty
Last Saturday we had some friends over to play Call Of Duty for my Birthday. It took us a while to get everything installed, but thanks to Daniel Hill and Grant Iler (who set up the LAN) all the computers connected very smoothly.
Many thanks to everyone that contributed to the evening! I had a blast (literally :-), and I hope everyone else that came did also. Here are some pictures from the evening.
Many thanks to everyone that contributed to the evening! I had a blast (literally :-), and I hope everyone else that came did also. Here are some pictures from the evening.
Team 1 from left to right: Myself, Luke VonHolten, Nathan DeLadurantey, Ethan Webb, and Sebastian Fowlks (plus Tom DeLadurantey who you can't see hidden in the back on the other side of Ethan)
Team 2 from left to right: Grant Strand, Josiah Erber, Grant Iler, Joshua Erber, Daniel Hill, and Joseph Erber.Spring Has Sprung!
Wow! Talk about warm (or HOT!) weather today! I think it got up to 72 degrees this afternoon!
I took a nice long bike ride today and didn't feel cold for a split second!
I love this weather!
It better not get any hotter for a while, I think I'd melt.
I took a nice long bike ride today and didn't feel cold for a split second!
I love this weather!
It better not get any hotter for a while, I think I'd melt.
Um, Hello?!?
Yes, I am still alive - but just barely! I've been swamped with school stuff (lots of music), and haven't really had time for anything other than that.
Liberty Day was a couple weeks back, which went very well! I personally had a lot of fun and I hope all the attendees were blessed.
On the car front, things haven't been going too well at all. A 1988 s10 pickup that I had blew a head-gasket a week and a half after I got it (I didn't lose anything on that, but I sure didn't make as much as I wanted!). Overall it was definitely worth getting the truck. It was a lot of fun driving around in a beater with that much guts, and let me tell you, that thing had guts!
My 1994 Hyundai Elantra GLS has been one problem after the next.
1: Due to some bad idle speed sensors I had to get those replaced.
2: Due to a tiny hole in the block and a jumped timing chain I had to get the engine replaced.
3: Due to a bad computer the car wouldn't start and the computer had to be replaced.
4: Due to the new computer I can now read all the codes and see everything else that is wrong with my car. Grr...
5: Due to a bad air-flow sensor I had to get that replaced.
6: Due to the fact that I was told I could pick up my car today from the shop, I drove 50 minutes just to find out that it wouldn't be ready until tomorrow.
Would somebody please accidentally run into my car so that your insurance will replace it?!?!
We'll see what tomorrow holds...
(Ok, that's not actually my car - mine is bright red, but that is what it looks like when I'm driving! ;-)
Liberty Day was a couple weeks back, which went very well! I personally had a lot of fun and I hope all the attendees were blessed.
On the car front, things haven't been going too well at all. A 1988 s10 pickup that I had blew a head-gasket a week and a half after I got it (I didn't lose anything on that, but I sure didn't make as much as I wanted!). Overall it was definitely worth getting the truck. It was a lot of fun driving around in a beater with that much guts, and let me tell you, that thing had guts!
My 1994 Hyundai Elantra GLS has been one problem after the next.
1: Due to some bad idle speed sensors I had to get those replaced.
2: Due to a tiny hole in the block and a jumped timing chain I had to get the engine replaced.
3: Due to a bad computer the car wouldn't start and the computer had to be replaced.
4: Due to the new computer I can now read all the codes and see everything else that is wrong with my car. Grr...
5: Due to a bad air-flow sensor I had to get that replaced.
6: Due to the fact that I was told I could pick up my car today from the shop, I drove 50 minutes just to find out that it wouldn't be ready until tomorrow.
Would somebody please accidentally run into my car so that your insurance will replace it?!?!
We'll see what tomorrow holds...
(Ok, that's not actually my car - mine is bright red, but that is what it looks like when I'm driving! ;-)
A quote by Patrick Henry
"Adversity toughens manhood. And the characteristic of the good or the great man is not that he has been exempt from the evils of life, but that he has surmounted them!"
~Patrick Henry
~Patrick Henry
Skiing!
Yesterday we went skiing with some friends at Wilmot Mtn! Check out the report on our family's blog.
Random Photo of the Random Moment: The RV Crew with The vonTrapp Children
Random Photo of the Random Moment: The RV Crew (back row), with The vonTrapp Children (front row).I was organizing the photos on my computer when I came across this photo from May 2005 when The vonTrapp Children sang at the annual ICHE state homeschooling conference. If you can't tell, we're all doing our best not to smile for this picture.
The RV crew did the ushering and crowd control for the concert, therefore we're not in our usual uniform of blue on blue w/ burgundy bow ties.
The back row from left to right is: Joseph Erber, Adam Back, Dustin Webb, Jonathan Erber (me), Aaron Englund, Joshua Erber (the Boss), Nathan Back, Isaac Back, and Luke VonHolten.
The front row from left to right is: Justin, Amanda, Sofia, and Melanie vonTrapp.
1988 Chevrolet Diesel Suburban FOR SALE!
Firewood!
This morning I asked the tree trimmers that were on our road if I could pick up the wood that they were cutting. They said yes, and here's one of the loads of wood that we got.Hurray for free firewood!
The LaSalle Bank Do-It-Yourself Messiah
Thursday night our family along with about 65 other friends, rode the train into Chicago to the Civic Opera House to sing Handel's Messiah along with about 3,000 other people! The event was the LaSalle Bank Do-It-Yourself Messiah.
The orchestra and soloists were on stage, and the choir was us, the attendees! Maestro Stanley Sperber was our director. We did our best to stay together with the orchestra, but in spite of our best efforts we were still off at times. As a matter of fact, I don't think we've ever been more off before. I'm not sure the exact cause of this occasionally extreme division, but it was still a lot of fun.
On another note, I might add that I think the soloists were the best they've had!
Here are some pictures from the evening.
Getting ready to head out!
Many thanks to Michael Stallings and the use of the Millennium Falcon, in which seven of us were safely transported to and from the Crystal Lake Train Station.
Here comes the train!
Surprisingly, we showed up just as the doors opened and we were still able to get a seat all the way in the front! Here we are in the opera house lobby waiting for the doors to open, so we can find our seats.
Yeah! We got six seats in the very front row! Here's a picture looking back from our seats during the intermission.
On the far left you can see the bass soloist singing "The Trumpet Shall Sound". I am so glad that they had the trumpet soloist come to the front during that piece. They both were incredible!
Ahh, another one of my favorites, the tenor and alto duet "O Death, Where Is Thy Sting?". I might add that (as you can see in the picture) the alto part was sung by countertenor - Brian Asawa.
The orchestra and soloists were on stage, and the choir was us, the attendees! Maestro Stanley Sperber was our director. We did our best to stay together with the orchestra, but in spite of our best efforts we were still off at times. As a matter of fact, I don't think we've ever been more off before. I'm not sure the exact cause of this occasionally extreme division, but it was still a lot of fun.
On another note, I might add that I think the soloists were the best they've had!
Here are some pictures from the evening.
Getting ready to head out!
Many thanks to Michael Stallings and the use of the Millennium Falcon, in which seven of us were safely transported to and from the Crystal Lake Train Station.
Here comes the train!
Surprisingly, we showed up just as the doors opened and we were still able to get a seat all the way in the front! Here we are in the opera house lobby waiting for the doors to open, so we can find our seats.
Yeah! We got six seats in the very front row! Here's a picture looking back from our seats during the intermission.
On the far left you can see the bass soloist singing "The Trumpet Shall Sound". I am so glad that they had the trumpet soloist come to the front during that piece. They both were incredible!
Ahh, another one of my favorites, the tenor and alto duet "O Death, Where Is Thy Sting?". I might add that (as you can see in the picture) the alto part was sung by countertenor - Brian Asawa.
Driver Returns On Foot
Wow! Talk about a lot of snow! Two Fridays ago the plan was for me (Jonathan) to pick Jeremy up from the Mechanic at 8:30, and drop him off at his house on the way to Rockford. Well, as you may have guessed that didn't happen. I was allowing an hour and a half for me to get to school (due to all the snow), but I didn't even get out of the driveway until 8:45 (I'd been trying to get out since 8:00). When I finally got on the road, the snow was so deep that I couldn't drive more than 25 mph because I was going sideways half the time. Rte. 173 was a mess, occasionally I saw the two yellow stripes in the right wheel rut, but most everywhere else I'd guess that the snow was about 5" deep of heavy, packed road snow. Needless to say, I decided not to go to school.When I finally got into Harvard fifteen minutes later (that's about five miles, and I've gotten there faster on my bike), I had already passed one snow plow that was in the ditch (I think he missed the road), three cars in the ditch and one pickup truck stuck in the middle of the road.
The snow was falling so fast that my windshield wipers were clogged with snow, and the side windows were continually being covered with snow, so when I actually got to the mechanic I passed it by accident because (due to the limited visibility) I just didn't see it. I ended up driving the whole way home at about 15mph with my head out the window because the windshield wouldn't stay clear. I really felt like I was in a boat because with the engine speed going up and down spinning the wheels on the snow it sounded like a boat, and with the car sliding around it felt like it too.
With Rte. 173 being as bad as it was, we decided not to try to take my car down our road, so Jeremy dropped me off at the end of our road, and then drove my car back to his house. Thus I enjoyed a 1 mile walk through the snow in the middle of a snow-storm on the way home from what would have been school (just like the old days right?).
During my walk home I did get a call from a friend saying that RVC was closed. So much for what they said about community colleges never closing due to weather. :-)
We ended up with +16 inches of snow that day. Now two weeks later - it's all gone...
Will we have a white Christmas? We'll have to wait and see.
A New Mercedes
Ok, ok, it's not really new, as a matter of fact it's really not new!
Last weekend I went out to Ohio to pick up a 1980 Mercedes 300SD Turbo Diesel that I traded a laptop for. I rode to Toledo with everyone from my family that were on their way to Plymouth for the Vision Forum Faith and Freedom Tour. From there I boarded a Greyhound Bus and headed down to Dayton, OH where Adam and Nathan Back picked me up from the bus stop. I spent the rest of the day/night with them and headed back home on Sunday around 12:30am EST. The ride home was fortunately quite uneventful. I got back home at about 6:10 CST and needless to say, I was glad to be out of the car. Six hours in a car isn't bad, but when it's by yourself... ...well, I just don't recommend it.
Don't you love the hood graphics? Any guesses on what it says?
Last weekend I went out to Ohio to pick up a 1980 Mercedes 300SD Turbo Diesel that I traded a laptop for. I rode to Toledo with everyone from my family that were on their way to Plymouth for the Vision Forum Faith and Freedom Tour. From there I boarded a Greyhound Bus and headed down to Dayton, OH where Adam and Nathan Back picked me up from the bus stop. I spent the rest of the day/night with them and headed back home on Sunday around 12:30am EST. The ride home was fortunately quite uneventful. I got back home at about 6:10 CST and needless to say, I was glad to be out of the car. Six hours in a car isn't bad, but when it's by yourself... ...well, I just don't recommend it.
Don't you love the hood graphics? Any guesses on what it says?
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