09/21/08 SSMC08 S.S. Member Cruise 2008 - Part 2!

[tikimack]

that is my 3rd 99th post!

Well, so much for Dan. That is the last time I don't act like a pirate! Arrrggghhhhhh!!!!!!

 

[manascarfan]

that is my 3rd 99th post!

WTG Kathy, what happened to Dan?

Is there a special number to call for magical gatherings?

 

[njprincess]

Geez, where did everyone go!

I waited and waited figuring the pirate had already been snatched!

 

[tikimack]

Geez, where did everyone go!

I waited and waited figuring the pirate had already been snatched!

I was waiting for Dan to post - he still shows as being on line.

 

[njprincess]

WTG Kathy, what happened to Dan?

Is there a special number to call for magical gatherings?

try this
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wd...landing?id=MagicalGatheringLandingPage&bhcp=1

 

[manascarfan]

I was waiting for Dan to post - he still shows as being on line.

I waited as well, we did try though

 

[njprincess]

I was waiting for Dan to post - he still shows as being on line.

Oh I'm sorry Mack! I thought I was helping...

 

[tikimack]

Oh I'm sorry Mack! I thought I was helping...

No problem, but next time.... I'll issue the order to raise the black flag! Arrrrgggghhhhh!

 

[manascarfan]

try this
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wd...landing?id=MagicalGatheringLandingPage&bhcp=1

Thank You Very Much!!

I knew someone on here would know!!

Dave

 

[njprincess]

No problem, but next time.... I'll issue the order to raise the black flag! Arrrrgggghhhhh!

Absolutely! My bad.

 

[njprincess]

Thank You Very Much!!

I knew someone on here would know!!

Dave

One of my co-workers used this for a similar celebration and was really happy with them. They take the onus off of one family member having to plan and contact everyone, collect money, etc. They do it all.

 

[danandnan]

On problem guys. I wasn't even watching. I will get one someday. Not the end of the World.
DAN

 

[manascarfan]

One of my co-workers used this for a similar celebration and was really happy with them. They take the onus off of one family member having to plan and contact everyone, collect money, etc. They do it all.

That is sounding better and better, as I have 5 siblings all with children as well.

Dave

 

[njprincess]

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's back to work I go...

I'll check in with you all later...

 

[WDWLVR]

Congrats to Kathy on the pirate!

A magical gathering is a great way to go. We did the wishes fireworks cruise with the DIS group back in 2006 and it was a lot of fun.

 

[goslingl]

Don't hesitate to ask your server for a Mickey Bar for dessert (off the kid's menu). They will be happy to deliver it to you. It comes in a bowl, covered with sprinkles! We find them to be a much better quality than the ones in the parks.

I've also heard you can order Mickey Bars from room service - now that is decadent

I hope they have enough on the ship for everyone else because I plan on pilaging the Mickey bars. ARGHHHHH!

 

[JOANNEL]

Good morning all your pirates,

Have a nice chilly day up north. Still 90 and disgusting here!

Happy Wednesday.

 

[MarkRG]

Welp, I've been here infrequently for the past month or so, with Mary really being the one more visibly involved of the two of us, and I'm about to show you why.

I work for these guys: Zengeler Cleaners(click) as engineer, basically in charge of all maintainance. It's a big operation, and I'll show you how much of one.

I keep getting the shocked response, even from the some of the subcontractors that were in on this, of how complicated a process it is to dryclean clothes. It is.

First, the solvent we use is not the dangerous one out there, perc, that news programs infrequently focus on as a health risk. We run on a health-safe petroleum solvent. The only risk was, the older solvent was flammable. So the room I'm about to show you had to be equipped with machinery that is entirely explosion-proof. What that term means everything has to be built extra heavy and anything electrical has to be airtight and heavily reinforced. The new version of the solvent is not that kind of flammable and doesn't have the same requirement.

This is the old cleaning room.
(click me)

On the right are the machines where we'd wash the clothes in the cleaning solvent then extract. Above them were the filters (2 housings per machine) that kept the solvent clean. On the left, once the solvent had been spin extracted, the clothes were transferred to these special dryers that would reclaim the remaining solvent from the clothes and dry them.

Now, because of the rules of the old solvent, anything going into the room had to be explosion-proof. The new equipment, which runs on a newer version of the solvent that is not flammable, is not. So we couldn't have both the old and new in the same room at the same time. With an operation as large as ours, outright shutting down the cleaning room to refit is not an option. So I came up with this.

(click me)
If you look behind the orange ladder you can see the doorway to the cleaning room. This area here is out in the middle of our plant, and my plan was to install two of the machines out here so we can continue operating while we dismantle the room. I did all the piping you see overhead with the valves hanging down myself.

(click me)
These are two of the four new cleaning machines installed and operational in their temporary location. These machines combine both halves of the cleaning process in that they both wash and dry the loads all in one process. Put the clothes in dry they come out dry and ready to be pressed. There are built-in filters that you can see on the top right of the machine, the round housings. They also have a built in device for refining the solvent called a still(the square part below the filters) that we had one in the old room in the back corner that had to be run manually and was a huge chore to operate.

(click me)
Here is the room in the intermediate stage of having most of the old machinery removed. Took us two entire days from before dawn to well after dusk to get all the main pieces out. Took another two days to remove all the support hardware of piping, conduit and that i-beam structure the filters sat on. What you can't really see in this picture is the entirely new electrical system consisting of 200 amp power panel and 400 amp power panel. Also overhead the black pipes you see are an entirely new run to supply steam to the new machines. These machines require a source of electric, steam, compressed air and water.

(click me)
Here's all the old machinery on the truck, including that aforementioned still on the back. It's all now in Oklahoma where someone plans on actually putting it all back in service.

(click me)
And here's how the room looked this past Sunday, with all four machines fully installed, finally. The fourth machine is on my immediate right and out of the picture. Since then, the walls have been painted and the floor is getting treatment in the next day or two to apply sealer.
In the picture you can see a white cabinet, it is something we didn't have with the two temp installed which used water directly from our cold water main. It is a water chiller, it recirculates water to and from the cleaning machine and uses refrigeration that is mounted on the roof above to keep the water at a set temperature of 50 degrees.

It has been a huge and sometimes rough project, but it is shaping up finally into the exact plan I have had in my head for the past five years. Back then, when I needed a part for one of the old washers, I was told due to the extreme age of the machine(they were built in 1964), any part I order for it is non-returnable and will take serious time as it has to be handmade, they stock nothing for it anymore. That was a huge red flag for me and started me thinking on how to make what you have just read through a reality.

Now you know what I've been doing for the past month, and with a little time spent catching up on things that got ignored during this project, I should be VERY ready for this trip!

 

[Eeyores#1Fan]

I'm hoping for the Jags-Colts game right after the Life-boat drill

Mace and I will be right there with you!

 

[Eeyores#1Fan]

We leave in 9 days... I'm very ready but more ready for my night away from the kids this weekend. Mace and I are going to Charlotte Sat. night to have dinner and a night alone and then a Panthers game on Sun. Then it's back to work and cont. count down til next Fri. All those leaving in 5, 6, 7, 8 days...see you on the 21st!

Mandy...Here's a hug for you I know that had to be hard. Just reading your post had me in tears.

Mark....Congrats on your project! I think you deserve a Mickey Bar as soon as you board

Kathy...Congrats on the pirate. Arrrggg!

Well.... let me get some work done. Mace and Gina laugh at me daily I'm soooo ready to go.