Bernard Walter

Category: Daily Update

  • January 17, 2025

    I’m inching closer to getting a self-water planter with lights working. Tonight, I managed to get the wiring together, after buying wire cutters and a soldering “helping hand.” I also ordered PETG filament because I read that PLA isn’t head resistant enough for a lamp.

    Over the last few days, I’ve been receiving several Amazon deliveries a day. It wasn’t intentional, but I’ve been buying things on Amazon so they’ve been getting delivered. The deliveries should’ve been more spread apart but delays and reorders lined up to create a steady flow of packages on our porch.

    One of my goals for this year was to buy less, to use what I already have. It seems that I’m always trying something new, however, so I don’t usually have what I need. Part of the problem is that I’m reluctant to make a solution for a problem when I can buy one.

    I could probably buy a self-water planter with LED lights instead of making one. In fact, I already have one. What I’m going after, more than anything, I think, is the challenge of it. Maybe the novelty is attractive, too.

  • January 16, 2025

    We’re just over two weeks into the new year and I already feel like I need a break.

    As we were leaving this morning, I looked for the package from Amazon that was marked as delivered but which I hadn’t received. I figured some porch pirates picked it up so I was a bit pissy during the drive to work. When I got to work, I placed another order for the same things, a drill bit and box of screws. I added in some woodworkers double-sided tape to help make myself feel better.

    The woodworkers double-sided tape and drill bit were a same-day delivery, and the screws should be delivered tomorrow. Luckily, I got today’s delivery.

    When I went to put my bag down in the office at home, I noticed a package on the floor, where I keep all of my deliveries, that looked like the package I was supposed to have received yesterday. It was the package that was supposed to be delivered yesterday.

    I had no idea that I picked it up and put it in my office.

    What I really should’ve ordered today was wire strippers. I’ll do that tomorrow morning.

  • January 15, 2025

    The 3D printed parts for the plant lamp fit together really well. I impressed myself. So, I designed the seed starter cups and sent them to print. While the test was printing, I decided to give soldering a go.

    My dad must’ve shown me how to solder at least a dozen times. He used to fix electronics. Me, I didn’t. I might have tried to solder some wires together three times before, but I wouldn’t bet on it. Today, really was, my first good go at it. At least, I kind of need to get it right to make these lamps.

    I figured it couldn’t be too hard. I closed the door to my office, so the cats wouldn’t disturb me, cleared away some papers on the desk, set down a piece of wood, so as not to burn through my desk, and tried to solder wires to LED lights.

    I had to call my dad to clarify whether it needed to be a series or parallel circuit. He told me that it needs to be parallel. I said the internet said it should be a series circuit. He told me to give it a go. I called him back to say he was right.

    There was an issue with the design, preventing me from running the wires nicely. I did a quick redesign for the LED brackets, added some vent holes, and sent it off to print again. Hopefully, I’ve gotten a little bit closer to getting it right. We’ll find out tomorrow when I try my hand at it again.

    On a different note, why did Amazon say they would deliver my order on Sunday by 10 pm, then by Friday, and then today it was marked as delivered but it wasn’t?

  • January 14, 2025

    For whatever reason, I want to 3D print planters. I imagine the idea is an extension of an idea I had for a cross-curricular project for my class in which they’d research, design, and build a vertical garden. It should be an interesting project but it’s going to take a fair bit of work to plan and implement properly.

    Since conjuring up the idea for my class back in November sometime, I’ve been wanting to design, print, and sell planters, especially self-watering ones, for myself. I started working out ideas during the winter break, setting a goal to have one good idea ready to go by the end of January. I think I’m getting close.

    Today, I felt ready to print out the idea I’ve been working on. It’s not entirely ready – the cups for the plants aren’t designed – but I want to work with something material. I’m hoping that all the pieces will fit together.

    One of the interesting challenges that I didn’t anticipate was designing the parts to optimize the printing. I also need to print it such that I can wire in the lights. One thing I forgot to include is a water level indicator.

    I’m looking forward to seeing how this turns out and what challenges will present themselves next.

  • January 13, 2025

    I am constantly amazed at what people are able to design and create when it comes to 3D printing.

    Back in December, I got myself a Bambu A1 3D printer to upgrade from my Creality Ender 3 Neo, which was just giving me trouble. The Bambu A1 is a huge step up, impressing me in every way a 3D printer can. The quality of the output it produces is at a professional level.

    One of the files it ships with is a print-in-place articulating panda. That toy is so much fun. I printed a pen holder to ship my pens in. Today, I printed a crayon-shaped crayon container. It’s incredible. The precision of the threads blows me away.

    What impresses me most is that someone conjured up that idea and designed it. That is the brilliance of the human mind. I’ve been messing around with making a self-watering planter, something that I recently saw a three-year-old video on. I’m kind of getting it right. I’m not sure that I have a mind, or eye, for design, but boy do I want to figure it out.

  • January 12, 2025

    It was an unusual Sunday only because I woke up rather early. At about 6:15, the cats had had enough of waiting and started whining for their breakfast. Hannah woke up to feed them. When she came back, I thanked her and fell asleep for maybe half an hour. Then, I found myself shopping for tools on Amazon for another hour while “watching” The New Yankee Workshop.

    (more…)

  • January 11, 2025

    I made a coffee grinder today.

  • January 10, 2025

    This week felt like a month. It was a long one.

    I’ve got to figure out a way to track my ideas for these posts. Throughout the day, something will happen that I think will make for a good reflection but I soon forget it or find myself too tired to write about it.

    I’m too tired now to think much more about it, but I’ve got to figure something out soon.

  • January 9, 2025

    I told my students the truth about my not leaving today. Of course, they already knew it was a joke after they found out.

    When I got home, I crawled into bed for a nap. I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I woke up with a cold.

    Karma.

  • January 8, 2025

    I may have taken the joke too far by letting my class leave school today thinking that this is my last week with them. The hallway monitor – a diminutive designation – visited my classroom after lunch to check in with the students. They were taking a while to settle down so he took the opportunity to use the story of my leaving to encourage them to show some respect. That simple untruth led us into an interesting afternoon.

    Many of my students forget as quickly as goldfish. Others carry their emotions like male seahorses do their offspring. The response to my leaving varied in kind.

    It reminded me of stories of people who host their own funerals, just to see how other people will respond. This was different because I didn’t die and didn’t plan to. Still, some of my students opened up in ways I wasn’t expecting.

    Of those who said anything, they kept asking why I was leaving, what the reason was. I told them that circumstances change so we have to adapt. They’d ask if it was them, their behaviour, or the distance of the school from my house. I told them that it was just the way things are playing themselves out. When they asked what school I was going to next, I told them it was one in the west end, which satisfied their curiosity.

    One student told me that I’m the first teacher of hers that her mom likes. Another said that I’m a great teacher so I should stay. Another’s face dropped, disheartened by the news. Most, however, seemed to just accept the news and moved on.

    I’ll probably set things straight tomorrow but we’ll see. It might be fun to play this out a little longer, feeding my ego for a few more hours. A few students were away and I’m curious to find out if they will have gotten the news over night.

  • January 7, 2025

    It was 9:30 pm before I finally put work away today. That’s too late.

    One goal I have for myself this year is to establish and maintain a better work-life balance, which includes building SANA Stationery & Gifts, my side hustle. I was supposed to do that work last year but I never got around to it.

    The problem with working too much is that I don’t then get enough room to gain enough perspective on the work I’m doing. Without that distant vantage point, I become entangled in the centre of a spiral. My worldview becomes less of a kaleidoscope and more of a paper towel tube.

  • January 6, 2025

    After falling asleep early last night, I found myself tossing and turning throughout most of the night. For two weeks, I slept well, waking up rested. In one night, it was undone.

    My students didn’t seem to sleep any better than I had. Eyes were bloodshot, half-closed, and fully-closed. Feet were dragging across floors and heads were resting on desks.

    The most common response to any question I ask is, “I don’t know.” Today, it was said with an indifference that intimated a complete lack of awareness or concern. Nothing could have roused them from the latent slumber of a winter break spent playing videos games, staying up late, and eating junk food.

    Of course, my break included much the same. I didn’t fair too well, either. My only goal for today was to get to the other end of it and I did. Tomorrow, I’ll introduce a little bit more work, as I will on Wednesday and the day after that, ad infinitum.

    Even still, I must remain steadfast in my commitment to ensure that I have the time and energy to do the things for myself that I enjoy.