Photo: fooosco, Flickr.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

1. License Plate Map via Curbly
Channel your inner art maven and create a conversation piece that will keep your guests chattering for years to come!

What You'll Need: A license plate for every state, a pair of tin snips, and a map for reference.

DIY Rating? Complicated, but sooooo worth it.

2. License Plate Memo Board via Craftzine
Display your favorite road trip memories on this crafty memo board.

What You'll Need: Hardware, superglue, magnets and an old license plate.

DIY Rating? Easy as Georgia peach pie!

3. License Plate Scrapbook via DIY Network
Watch this creative how-to video and learn how to surprise your husband with a scrapbook even he can enjoy!

What You'll Need: Binder rings, drill, paper, hole-puncher and two license plates.

DIY Rating? Fun, fast and ferocious!

4. License Plate Purse via Craftster
Carry this purse and the boys will follow...

What You'll Need: Rivets, screws, drill bit, three license plates, hardware and clasp.

DIY Rating? Super hard to do, and must be handy with a drill bit. Enlist a friend!

5. License Plate Dustpan via MAKE
Clean your garage in total style.

What You'll Need: Rivets, blow-torch, two license plates.

DIY Rating? Difficult, but absolutely genius.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

A few years ago, I made my glamorous entrance into Italy with chapped lips, stained sweatpants, twisted glasses, disheveled greasy hair and an army of facial acne -- a true survivor of the stale cabin air. Yet, general excitement about being in Italy superseded any qualms about my appearance ... initially.

After being told that my luggage had not made my connecting flight in London, I made the connection that my carry-on contained nothing useful. My lost-luggage debacle tainted my first few vacation days as I strolled around one of the most fashionable countries in the world wearing the same sweatpants for three days straight.

My first piece of advice? Always keep essentials and valuables -- including medications, toiletries, and a change of clothes -- in a carry-on bag.

Despite learning from my Italy mistake, I experienced another instance of lost luggage a few months later that had me questioning the merits of checking a bag at all. Of course, the only way to completely avoid losing luggage is to carry it on. It eliminates the wait at baggage claim, and it's more economical since almost all airlines now charge a checked bag fee to offset high fuel costs. But for every pro, there's a con, so remember the 3-1-1 rule, which limits the amount of liquids and gels that you can bring. And don't forget to investigate your airline carrier's baggage size and weight restrictions.

Luggage-forwarding services like Luggage Forward are another alternative to avoiding the hassle of checked bags. Your suitcase is picked up and delivered to its destination. While the cost tends to run a little high, it may make sense depending upon the items you're tying to transport.

If you need to check a bag, there are unfortunately no guarantees that it will arrive with you to your destination. The reasons why luggage gets lost are infuriating, but taking a few precautionary measures can minimize the chances of it happening.

Keep these six tips in mind when you're planning your next trip to ensure your bags arrive on board:

1. If you have to connect, make sure that you leave ample time for both you and your bag to make it to your next flight. Having spent a ridiculous amount of time in Atlanta's airport, I am a huge proponent of direct flights!

2. Additionally, make sure that you leave time to properly check-in for your flight. Some bags don't make it on board because the luggage crew was simply too pressed for time to load it onto the plane.

3. Before checking a bag, remove any luggage tags from previous flights. In the luggage abyss that exists behind the check-in counter, some tags are misread and it's best to minimize any confusion as much as possible.

4. Save your baggage stubs! In the event that your luggage is lost, those stubs are invaluable in finding your bags.

5. Make sure to clearly distinguish and identify your bag. While airlines do lose luggage, it is also not uncommon for people to accidently or purposely take each other's bags. I was lucky enough to snag a bright orange luggage set a few years ago, but I definitely recommend marking more generic suitcases with colored tape or a bright ribbon. Don't forget to attach your name, phone number, and address.

6. Don't meander around the airport while waiting for the luggage carousel to start. Make sure that you are there to claim your bag or to stop someone else from doing so. Additionally, putting a TSA-approved lock on your suitcase may deter potential thieves from taking it.

If your bag really is lost, be sure to file a claims form before you leave the airport. And remember, you do have rights if your bags are lost. Most bags are found within 24 hours and can be delivered to an address that you provide. Only 2% of all baggage is truly 'lost forever. Happy traveling!

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Strap a brown-bag lunch to your wheels and head off to work. According to GreenYour.com, restaurants produce over 50,000 pounds of trash per year and consume more energy per square foot than any other U.S. industry. By steering clear of restaurants during your workweek, you can be part of a small change to decreasing both of those numbers (and probably decreasing another number while you're at it--- those dreaded numbers on your bathroom scale).

Luckily for you, reusable lunch bags are cuter than ever, and with this tutorial from Evil Mad Scientist, you can create your own over the weekend, green-ifying your work ritual by Monday.

Don't bike to work? The reusable bag is the perfect size for a weekend biking jaunt-- just right for nestling your keys, wallet and perhaps a great book to take to the park. Sure beats a plastic bag, and you're guaranteed the cutest bike on the block.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

• Waterless car wash exists, is cheap, and saves about 100 gallons of water with each washing.
• Taking your bike rack off your car when you aren't using it can save you about $30 a year.
• Don't forget to clean the lint trap in your dryer. That dryer fuzz is costing you about $34 a year.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Road biking and mountain biking are as different in style as they are in culture.

Road biking requires cyclists working together in order to maximize their performance through drafting and other strategies. In my experience, the drawback is that in contrast to working together to get a better time, road biking can be very "every man for himself" when it comes to helping others with mechanical issues.

Mountain biking, on the other hand, seems to have a culture of assisting anyone who looks like they are struggling, in spite of the need for individual talent and achievement in order to excel at the sport.

There is no drafting on an intense section of single track. I have been lent tools, tubes, chain parts, tech tips, and encouragement during various rides when things have definitely not been going well. Many of these offers came entirely unsolicited from complete strangers who just happened to pass me and my friends when we had stopped to deal with a situation.

After the break I will, in the true spirit of mountain biking, share a few of the more unusual repairs I have encountered when either parts or tools have not been present to do the needed repairs properly.

Flat tire, no tube

My brother-in-law, for his birthday, decided he wanted to bike from a starting point near his home to the beach. This would take our group of 10 over the Santa Monica Mountains and down to the beach, where our wives would retrieve us with cars.

Everything went fine until about halfway through the ride over the mountains, when a cousin got a flat. We had between us 4 tubes, 3 patch kits, a few CO2 cartridges, and 6 pumps. Sounds like an easy fix, right? No.

The size tube that was needed to replace the flat was not one that we has with us, so we opted for the patch; 3 patch kits later, we gave up on that route. We put in an undersized replacement tube that worked for a few minutes, until it got a pinch flat going around a curve in the trail when the tube got trapped between the tire and the rim.

It was decided that sacrificing the other tubes was just going to be silly. That was when the friend of a friend remembered hearing of another approach for an emergency fix.

First we put the original bad tube back into the tire. The we took grass and light brush and stuffed the tire with it. We made sure that we chose thornless vegetation, in order to minimize damage to the rim and tire. After a couple of re-stuffs to get the maximum amount of material in the tire, we turned around and set off for home.

The tire ended up looking half flat as he rode, but it worked fairly well. As the brush broke down under the wear of riding back, we re-stuffed the tire two more times before we got back to our starting point.

After the ride, our cousin immediately took his bike and dropped it off at a shop to get the tube fixed and his bike tuned up. While the shop reported that the tire and rim had suffered no damage due to the support given by the vegetation, they did laugh themselves silly when they discovered the contents of the tire, and they called our cousin to demand an explanation of just what had happened.

You should always carry a patch kit or replacement tube and an air source whenever you go out riding, but if you are ever caught without them and have a flat, remember that the trail-side vegetation can be used to get you back to civilization. Just avoid packing your tire with poison ivy, and be prepared to explain yourself if anyone happens to catch you before or after you stuff it.

Broken chain, no tools

How many people remember the old SNL skits about Lothar of the Hill People? I swear my brother-in-law and I channeled the spirit of the skits when I snapped my chain when I first started riding. This was the first time I had broken a chain, and was about the fourth off-road mountain bike trip with him. He had not packed all his tools, because it was going to be a quick ride; I had none yet, as I was not sure about how often I was going to be doing this. Halfway through the ride out, I broke the chain.

As we both stared glumly at the forlorn chain where it lay in the dust, we contemplated the long walk back to the truck. Matt suddenly picked up 2 rocks and announced that he was going to try to fix the chain. I laughed, but he proceeded to thread the chain through the derailleurs and sprockets.

After it was all set up, he laid the bike down, placed a large flat rock under the bent link, and used the smaller rock to pound the chain back together. I was nearly in tears laughing as I watched him re-enact a scene that smacked of the ape sequence from 2001: A Space Odyssey; I could almost hear Mike Myers cheering him on over the pounding movie soundtrack.

It did work, though! He managed to partially re-seat the pin back through the plates to effect a partial repair. I spun the tire and shifted gears while holding the bike's rear tire in the air to get it into an easy gear for a slow cruise back to civilization.

We had to "fix" it one more time before we got all the way back, but it was worth it for the story -- and for not having to walk all the way back. It taught me that even "short" rides need to be taken seriously, and to never leave home without all the tools you might need.

Taco tire

The worst "fixable" breakdown I have encountered is the dread "taco tire." This is when you hit something so hard that you cause the rim to fold over onto itself sideways. It is not easy to do, and it is harder to fix. The only real repair is to take it to a bike shop, and get a new rim. But if you find yourself stuck on a ride with a "taco" on your hands, I do have a "possible" solution.

The case I know of occurred on a long ride where carrying the bike out was literally going to be an all day project. This forced one of the ride participants to think "off the trail" to come up with a solution.

The rim was a loss anyway, he reasoned, so why not use a hard surface to try to bend the rim back into shape? He broached the subject with the bike's owner, who was willing to risk damaging the hub in order to not have to walk many miles to get back to his car.

The wheel was removed from the frame, and the hub was placed against a handy boulder. The beefiest member of the ride then put all he had into forcing the rim back into a shape resembling round. It took a few tries, but after the front brakes were disconnected in order to allow the still-tweaked rim to spin freely, it was serviceable.

Losing your front brakes is not a desirable outcome, but it beats an all day hike carrying a 25lb bike. Also, his brakes were not disc. That could inhibit this desperate repair as well, but it is good to remember that no matter the incident, it is usually possible to come up with an idea to make things easier... if you are willing to be unorthodox.

I hope that these stories brought a smile to your face, and that you never need to use these repairs. Be prepared. Take all the tools you might need every ride, but remember that even when things go wrong, there is probably a solution -- if you look hard enough for it.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

• Restoring cloudy headlight lenses - These usually don't have to be replaced at the crazy dealer price. Auto parts stores sell restoration kits to get them looking like new.
• Door hinges that squeak - If your door hinges are squeaking, they're already being damaged. Quench their thirst with some white lithium grease. Why not do this on a monthly basis?
• Corroded battery terminals - This is probably the most overlooked auto maintenance chore. When they corrode they put a strain on the charging system. Make them spic 'n span today.
• Rear window defroster grid DOA - A frosty or dewy rear window is dangerous in the morning. Pick up a Permatex Quick Grid Repair Kit at the auto parts store. You can get it working again in a flash!
• Changing your coolant - This should be done at least annually. Folks know about oil but forget coolant. The most important thing is to not mix colors. Coolant comes in blue, yellow, red, and orange flavors. Mixing colors makes mud and will hose your heater core. The cheapest replacement cost is about $400!
  

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

• Consider checking a website like GasPriceWatch.com, which is fed by tipsters but also has a Certified Pricing Program. (Driving all over town looking for low prices, however, will burn any pennies you save. Look for a station near where you'll be anyway on your daily travels.)
• Fill up at low peak times when prices are likely to be their lowest -- before sunrise, late at night, and -- in some states -- mid-week.
• Fill up when you hit 1/4 tank. Make sure the price on the sign matches the one on the pump and that it's set to zero when you begin fueling.
• Investigate ways to improve your gas mileage.
• Take good care of your car. Check your tire pressure regularly and unload seasonal items such as snow tires.
• Though many financial experts don't recommend using credit cards, according to Yahoo Finance, using a credit card with cash rewards can help you earn rebates when you buy gas.
  

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Everybody's on the go today. Nobody sits still to do anything; things have really changed in the past decade. From the moment the alarm clock goes off, life is just one big multitasking episode. And any time you step out your front door and turn the key, any number of things could conspire to prevent you from returning that night.

No, I'm not talking kidnapping (although that might not be beyond doubt). I am talking massive traffic jams, delayed or canceled flights, a rush deadline. But those necessities that you inevitably need are at home - in the medicine cabinet, in the closet, or on the bedside table. But it doesn't have to be that way.

Make your briefcase or backpack your home away from home for all those unexpected situations. Kevin Connolly has done the homework for you and lists the eleven essential things to pack for your daily adventure in Businessland. He covers medical must-haves, tech requirements (cell phone charger), emergency food, and more.

Check out the above link for the whole scoop. It's not only Boy Scouts that are "always prepared." It can be your motto too!

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Have you ever had an electrical problem with your appliances, car, boat, or motorcycle and thought, "Hey, I'm handy; I do mechanical work on my ride all the time. I can handle this." So you grab your book of wiring diagrams and unfold the page.

And then it sinks in. It's a totally foreign language and looks suspiciously like the spaghetti you had for dinner last night. Wiring diagrams can be tricky to trace through when troubleshooting an electrical circuit.

Don't despair; it takes a process and a bit of knowledge about electrical symbols. This Temperature Control Division site will guide you through the process of tracking down the problem. It makes the "overwhelm factor" a bit more manageable and gets you started on the road to electrical recovery.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

The U.S. Consumer Product and Safety Commission, in cooperation with All-Power America, has announced a voluntary recall of about 64,000 Strike Force portable air compressors.

The motor on the compressor can overheat and ignite the protective cover, posing a fire hazard. The cover might not prevent internal components of the compressor from being touched, posing an electrical shock hazard. Although no injuries have been reported, the firm has received four reports of fires.

The recalled twin air tank compressors were manufactured in China and exclusively sold nationwide at Advance Auto Parts stores, and online at www.partsamerica.com, from October 2006 through December 2007, for about $90. The model and serial numbers for the recalled compressor are located on the compressor's housing.

Stop using the air compressor and return it to any Advance Auto Parts store for a full refund. For more information on the recall, contact All-Power America toll free at (888) 896-6881 or visit www.allpoweramerica.com, or www.advanceautoparts.com.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Most of us have a can of WD-40 sitting around the house. Got a squeak? Give it a spray. Tight bolt? Squirt, squirt. But it might surprise you to see how many other uses it has (one of my favorites is the removal of adhesive goo).

I once worked for a very small company whose owner was, um, a bit peculiar. Shortly after moving into the new office, we were having a little house-warming party in the conference room. There was a huge white board on one wall.

During a particularly inspirational moment, the owner went over and wrote her name on the white board in five foot tall letters. The problem? She used a permanent marker. The solution? WD-40, a rag, and elbow grease.

But the uses of WD-40 don't stop there...

• Keep snow from messing up your satellite dish: spray the dish and the snow will slide off.
• Got a snow plow? Spray a coating on the blade and the snow won't pack up on it.
• Make it easier to remove light bulbs: spray the threads lightly before you install the bulb.
• Roofing tar on your hands from fixing a leak? WD-40 will get the tar off!
• Use WD-40 to remove grease and road crud from your car's fenders.
• Bug splats on your car's grill and fenders? WD-40 works better than expensive sprays.
• It kills weeds too!

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Let's visit the topic of vehicular fuel economy. It's not realistic to believe that the cost of a gallon of gas is going to markedly decrease, given the politics and economics of the world's available supply of petroleum. This feature won't cover alternative fuels, hybrids, water or compressed air cars; we'll hit common sense stuff you can do to stretch your mileage. Admittedly, some of the items are not in the "gee whiz" category, but every little bit helps, right?

Francesca Clark, in her excellent post, covered a number of tips; I'd like to explore a couple of those in depth and add several more that are (perhaps) off-beat or not generally considered when thinking about saving fuel in your daily drive.

But first, the gallery!

%Gallery-16221%

• Don't idle your engine excessively -- a no-brainer; if you are stopped in heavy traffic, you are getting zero miles per gallon; if I am going to be stopped more than 60 seconds, I shut the engine off.
• Cruise control -- if you've got it, use it on flat ground (if you drive a bunch in hilly country, the cruise will cause excess fuel use trying to maintain your selected speed); it prevents the engine from "hunting" to find the appropriate engine speed versus road speed; same goes for automatic overdrive, keeping the engine speed lower versus road speed.
• Don't drive excessively fast; we know (intuitively) that high speed driving uses extra fuel; aerodynamic drag is a major cause of excess fuel use. About 50-60% of engine power, at highway speeds, is used to overcome drag; it increases, roughly, at the square of the vehicle speed.
• "Time" your traffic lights; on my long trips, I try to slow down enough such that I don't come to a complete stop at a light; the downside here is that you tend to irritate the folks behind you, who want to rush to the light to use their PDA's or engage in mindless chatter on a cellphone.
• Trucks: several things. There has been much discussion about whether or not to leave your tailgate up or down -- even the Mythbusters hit this one; leave it up, according to a number of folks. I know it seems counter-intuitive, but facts are facts (I'm guessing the folks who make tail gate nets are not too happy with Adam and Jamie); tonneau covers reduce drag, also.
• Roof racks are a great convenience for trips, but aerodynamically, they are a real drag; at least get one of those babies that is streamlined, and remove it after your trip.
• Fuel economy is significantly affected by the weight of the vehicle (other things -- horsepower, for example -- being equal) so lets take a look at that. If you live in the northern climes and your vehicle is subject to snow and ice loading, or you tend to keep a bunch of junk in your car or truck, or you have a van that has extra back seats that are never used, clean them out. Gasoline is heavy (about 6 pounds per gallon); if feasible, only fill your tank half full each time; if you have a 30 gallon tank, the last 15 gallons costs you about 90 pounds of dead weight, although you gradually burn it off.
• Another significant factor in reduced fuel economy is rolling friction. Examples of this causing fuel waste are: four wheel drive engaged when not required; poor wheel alignment, where the tires are not pointing straight ahead when under load; improper inflation; brakes dragging; worn or improperly lubricated driveline components.
• Engine and driveline friction decrease your fuel economy; using "energy conserving" oils, keeping the engine and driveline fluids clean, and warming your vehicle properly (especially in cold weather) will all stretch your fuel mileage.

OK -- there you have it; I've done my best to enumerate some (certainly not all) of the tips to help you keep your bucks in your pocket. It's up to you now.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments