# What are you doing today, II



## NorthernRedneck

Chiropractor this morning. Followed by another trip to the tire shop to get new tires installed on my wife's expedition. Home to do some hashing on the bathroom design and ordering fixtures. Next will be a trip to a few tile places in the city to pick out flooring, countertop, and shower tiles.


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## pirate_girl

I've had a nice Tuesday off.
That's it.
Did the usual housework, did my grocery shopping for the week, met my son Jeff on his lunch hour because he hates eating fast junk food in his car, then I tried to make him take half the stimulus pay I withdrew from my bank.
He said no.
Christmas was enough, but thanks Mom.

I've also been off and on the forums today checking out the new ummm "visitors"


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## FrancSevin

NorthernRedneck said:


> Hashing out plans for the bathroom reno with the war department. She who must be obeyed has decided against both a corner hot tub or air tub in favor of a freestanding soaker tub. In a different location then we originally agreed upon. Nothing much else going on.


One of the reasons I stopped flipping houses was because of the wife. Her inability to commit on a design and then follow through drives me crazy.
It is one of the reason our current house is still under construction some 45 years after we moved in.

Four years ago we settled on a design for the master bath.  I dug a 7 foot deep by 8 feet  by 6 feet hole for the foundation.  Since then we remodeled the master bedroom. Made some minor changes that one wouldn't think effected the bathroom design.

I was wrong!


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## NorthernRedneck

FrancSevin said:


> One of the reasons I stopped flipping houses was because of the wife. Her inability to commit on a design and then follow through drives me crazy.
> It is one of the reason our current house is still under construction some 45 years after we moved in.
> 
> Four years ago we settled on a design for the master bath.  I dug a 7 foot deep by 8 feet  by 6 feet hole for the foundation.  Since then we remodeled the master bedroom. Made some minor changes that one wouldn't think effected the bathroom design.
> 
> I was wrong!



Yes. We all know that when it comes to either any kind of inside reno, if momma ain't happy, then nobody's happy.   I wanted a jetted corner tub. We're getting a freestanding soaker tub without any jets.  Ideally we both wanted a 4x6 shower with full glass on 2 walls. Because of the layout We're forced to go with solid walls halfway up and glass at the top.


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## Melensdad

We flipped ZERO homes in 2020 largely due to the crazy inflation of housing prices here.  Bidding on homes was crazy.  I bid on 1 house, offered $15,000 over asking price, buyer rejected the offer and re-listed the house for $20,000 above my bid.  Other homes we looked at and walked away from had similar crazed prices.  So between that and Covid we sat the year out.

Today is supposed to be a 'vacation' day from too many chores.  Recovering from several weeks of holidays and moving Melen to her apartment.  

The tree may come down today ... I'm hoping it stays up another couple of days.  We have a bunch of other decorations already down but the living room remains decorated.  Before we de-decorate (_is that a word?_) the living room I'd like to return the other decorations to their appropriate storage places and pull out the bins/bags/boxes for the living room decorations.

I also hope to get to the workshop/garage and rearrange some things.  I have 8 parking spots + a car lift and currently have 2 vehicles parked outside.  We had all of Melen's furniture stored in there.  Most of that is moved out.  There are still a few pieces but she is not taking those to the new place.  Some of her remaining belongings may be sold, some may go to the burn pile, some to the trash, but I do not believe any of what remains has any real or sentimental value.  It should be an easy task to move a few things around and get 1 more vehicle into the garage.  Getting 2 vehicles in would be a monumental task, but getting 1 in should be less than an hour task.


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## FrancSevin

FrancSevin said:


> One of the reasons I stopped flipping houses was because of the wife. Her inability to commit on a design and then follow through drives me crazy.
> It is one of the reason our current house is still under construction some 45 years after we moved in.
> 
> Four years ago we settled on a design for the master bath.  I dug a 7 foot deep by 8 feet  by 6 feet hole for the foundation.  Since then we remodeled the master bedroom. Made some minor changes that one wouldn't think effected the bathroom design.
> 
> I was wrong!


I forgot to mention,  The hole I dug (by hand BTW) is still empty.


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## FrancSevin

Today I have to source some brushes for a Baldor motor.  Never had a problem getting these before.  However, nobody keeps inventory any more.  One supplier had two on the shelf.  The motor takes four.

I tried to get these  on line last year.  Three attempts and received the wrong parts every time. So I'll wait for the Baldor distributor to get them in.  Meanwhile 5 people are at home missing their pay.


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## NorthernRedneck

Homeschooling 6 kids all trying to do videochat and getting disconnected every 5 minutes because of a terribly slow internet connection. About as much fun as herding cats into a bathtub full of water.


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## waybomb

FrancSevin said:


> Today I have to source some brushes for a Baldor motor.  Never had a problem getting these before.  However, nobody keeps inventory any more.  One supplier had two on the shelf.  The motor takes four.
> 
> I tried to get these  on line last year.  Three attempts and received the wrong parts every time. So I'll wait for the Baldor distributor to get them in.  Meanwhile 5 people are at home missing their pay.


Grainger?


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## FrancSevin

NorthernRedneck said:


> Homeschooling 6 kids all trying to do videochat and getting disconnected every 5 minutes because of a terribly slow internet connection. About as much fun as herding cats into a bathtub full of water.


Homeschooling my 14 year old grandson is about as successful as getting him to pick up his socks from the bathroom.  Not only is there an issue with the overloaded internet, when we aren't watching ( 'cause we are at work,), his internet connection seems good enough for him to go gaming for a while.

Middle of the night, I catch him gaming. He sleeps in come morning and school work suffers.

Thankfully, our district opened up for regular class attendance.  So now he has to get up a 6:00 AM.


waybomb said:


> Grainger?


Yep, tried them too. 

I don't use them much anymore.  Too expensive.
They closed the shops near me so I have to travel 37  miles  to get stuff. 

Brushes came in today about 2:30 PM
  We'll be up and running in the AM.


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## NorthernRedneck

Today was a busy day. I headed over to my buddy's down the road first thing this morning to do experiment 626. Aka making peperettes with all the birds I shot this fall while out hunting. 7lbs of grouse combined with 3lbs of pork fat. Ground, stuffed, and smoked for 10 hrs. 










That brought me to lunchtime when I went home to work on the snowmobile. I had a wee little mishap last week and nailed a stump under the snow which bent both a-arm's on the left side. After changing the parts, I installed a taller windshield. 





Here's the bent a-arms.


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## pirate_girl

I'm officially prn at work. Woohoo!
This past year has been hell with covid and the impact it's had on my life and that of my family and friends.
Today for the first time in a LONG time I'm going to see my grandbugs!
That's the number 1 in my life right now:
Not covid, not politics, not social media.
Family.


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## Lenny

I'm going to a gun show about 12 miles north of me in Harlan, Iowa.  YAY!!!  (For all you girls, it's like you going to a shoe store LOL)


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## NorthernRedneck

Heading out for a snowmobile ride witb my oldest son. Not much else happening.


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## m1west

did some shooting today with my son, testing different loads in the Ruger


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## NorthernRedneck

Vacuum sealed the peperettes this afternoon. Ready for the freezer where they'll keep for up to two years.


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## norscaner

Ummm   9 packages  and a house full of kids. My guess  those wont last 2 weeks let alone 2 years. They do look good.


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## NorthernRedneck

Lol. I have to save a couple pkgs. Everyone at camp wants to try them.


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## pirate_girl

I had a perfect day.
??


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## m1west

Loaded bullets all day


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## pirate_girl

Had another perfect day.
My new trend in life.
?


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## FrancSevin

Got home late tonite after a long weekend at the Springfield bungalow.  Finished insulating the skirting. Laid out stakes and lumber to show the inspector the plans for the storage barn and new decking. Spent a wonderful amount of time chasing the wife around the place.  Two old people having sex like teenagers. WOW! 

Installed two new lounge chairs the employees gave us for Christmas. Getting the old couch out was a b!tch but we managed.  These chairs allowed us to turn the seating in front of the built in TV/fireplace.  Now we can both see the TV. 

The original couch is like new yet so it will go in the "barn" clubhouse or our grandson.  He'll have a bunk and a couch and a TV with a computer for gaming.  Can't have him in the bungalow when I'm chasing grandma around naked.


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## NorthernRedneck

Reinstalled a hanging light bar in the kitchen. When we bought the place, it was hanging over the counter between the kitchen and dining room. But the cupboard doors hit it every time we opened it so we swapped it out with two pendant lights. There wasn't a light over the sink so we kept the light bar to eventually repurpose for there. I also made a trip to the city to return floor tile samples and order them for the bathroom.


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## m1west

just got back, went to the field and picked up a piece of conveying equipment then new tires on the truck. After lunch, unload the truck and hook up the trailer and get packed for tomorrow.


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## pirate_girl

Spent 3 hours in triage last evening at the hospital.
Little Miss 89 year old isn't so frail after all. I thought she dislocated it! Lol
So, I'm wearing a frog for 5 days.


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## NorthernRedneck

Not much this week. My back has been flared up since Monday. Burning in the lower back which has made me pretty much chair bound. I did make it to physio this morning which aggravated it even more.


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## Melensdad

Picking up Dasha from the airport to bring her home.  She is flying home thru Istanbul because there is a flight ban preventing her from coming thru Germany.  It adds 4 hours to her flight to get home this way.  But as a non-citizen she is not allowed to travel thru an EU nation, or the UK, due to Covid restrictions

She tested Negative before getting on the flight, wearing a mask the entire flight, but the US won’t let her fly thru restricted nations because she doesn’t have a US passport.

Tomorrow we take her back to Notre Dame


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## FrancSevin

Putting away a carload of provisions.  We went to SAM's lasat night and stocked up on griceries and supplies. Snow torm ( it was nothing) kept people away and the place was empty.

But the car wasn't.  My word, but it took an hour to unpack.

We buy prime cuts and big chicken breasts.  I was up late processing them for the freezer.  We still had about 100 lbs from the bull we had processed last summer.  So I guess we have enough for whatever happens over the next week and months.

Checking ammo today. I'm good on every caliber but 45.  I don't own a 45 but my son does. It's been hard to find lately.

Today was supposed to be in Springfield digging a new gas line.  They got snow so I'm doing stuff here in the new garage addition.


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## NorthernRedneck

Back is still tender but I managed to get the garbage loaded for a dump run then took two of the girls for a short snowmobile ride.


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## m1west

back from a cabin trip, ass dragging


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## FrancSevin

Getting ready to head for Toledo Ohio. Picking up a 500 gallon mobile Diesel tank.  It comes empty but, with a pump.
I'll need it for my 310 John Deer construction back hoe.

Still looking for a trailer, 14K Lbs capacity, minimum 84" wide and 22 feet long. 


 I'll be gone for two days . Assuming the inauguration of the new leader of the free world doesn't put us under Marshall law,,,,;  Be back Thursday.


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## Melensdad

Kobe found Dasha's earring ... much to Dasha's surprise! 

I got Dasha back to campus late last night and got pummeled by lake effect snow on the way home from campus.  Dasha reports that she is now ranked #3 on the Notre Dame team and the highest ranked freshman on the team.  The NCAA and the ACC are allowing fencing events and she reports that their first competition will be at The OHIO STATE in early February. No visitors/audience allowed.  Lots of safety measures. 

Today I packed away the Christmas tree.  It was sitting, without ornaments, in the corner for the past few days but with Dasha flying in and other activities here it just remained a big bare tree in the corner until today. 

I've also put a coat of paint on the last 2 of Melen's new-to-her dining room chairs.  They were already primed and ready for paint.  With any luck they will get their new cushions installed this week and I'll be able to drive them up to her apartment this weekend.  There are 4 side chairs and 2 arm chairs.  I'd like to get at least the 4 side chairs up to her so she can use her table.  

To help with a craft project I painted about 2 dozen lids from baby food jars with "blackboard" paint.  I dunno why.  I just do what I'm told.


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## pirate_girl

I've been getting things done in the domicile today.
Around 6:00 myself and a few other friends are meeting in Wauseon to eat at Los Mariachis.
I had lunch there with my son recently, and told them how WOW! the place was.
I'd get a margarita but I'm driving home. ?


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## m1west

pirate_girl said:


> I've been getting things done in the domicile today.
> Around 6:00 myself and a few other friends are meeting in Wauseon to eat at Los Mariachis.
> I had lunch there with my son recently, and told them how WOW! the place was.
> I'd get a margarita but I'm driving home. ?


There are a couple good restraints we found there while working in Napoleon.


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## NorthernRedneck

Spent the day out in the garage working on the car again. I had ordered a new headlight and mounting bracket for it back in November. It arrived 3 weeks later but the bracket was broken. It's a plastic piece that goes from one headlight to the other and required me to remove the front bumper cover to access it. The replacement arrived yesterday so I got to work putting it back together.


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## pirate_girl

m1west said:


> There are a couple good restraints we found there while working in Napoleon.


I bet you liked Sullivan's and the Blue Ribbon diner? ?


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## FrancSevin

The wife and I will be only 20 miles away from Napoleon on Wednesday.  We are picking up a mobile diesel tank for the ranch.
Staying just north of Lima on Tuesday, picking the unit up on Wednesday morning, and hoping we don't get bad weather going back home.
About 8 hours each way.

Looking at highway 24 to Fort Wayne.  Might be an alternative.


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## Melensdad

Phycedelic said:


> I am celebrating MLK day.


Agreed.  I had a glass of bourbon in his honor.


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## m1west

pirate_girl said:


> I bet you liked Sullivan's and the Blue Ribbon diner? ?


I didn't make it to the blu ribbon but we went to Sullivans a lot, we were there in the summer when they had the hot rod nights. We liked that place. There was also a Cosmos but it wasn't as good as the one in Defiance. We stayed in Wauseon instead of Napoleon for the food.


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## FrancSevin

Just got back form our 1,000 mile round trip to Finley OHIO.  Pretty little town on the Maumee river.  Picked up the 500 gallon diesel tank on wheels.  Great shape. good tires. Not sure about the gasoline powered auxiliary pump.  If it doesn't run I will replace it with a manual pump.

It was cold (20 F) this morning.  But the place was pretty with a bit snow all around.  Highways were clear so no worries.

Most of the eat in restaurants had just reopened.  Staff was eager and pleasant.  Big tips and they earned 'em

Hotel had a hot tub.  Cathy always finds good places.  Sat in it four hours just talking and planning our new future. 
She looks great.  Not just for a 70 year old, she could pass for much younger. Me at 74 this March,,,,; not so much.
Great times now.


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## NorthernRedneck

Yesterday was a good day and much needed after being chair bound pretty all week last week. Temperature cooled off a touch so it wasn't as damp which takes a toll on the joints and muscles. 

I started the day with a solid 1 hr workout that included a warm up for 10 minutes, elastic band core strengthening for 20, 20 minutes of treadmill and a cooldown full body stretch for 10 minutes. 

After the workout I was feeling good with nothing to do so I loaded up the snowmobile and trailered 30 kms away to go exploring a big section of groomed trail. I put on around 100 miles on the sled. The trails were excellent and freshly groomed which made for great riding. I'm still getting used to the feel and power of the new sled. It rides great and has way more power then I'll ever need. At 70mph, I  can nail the throttle and lift the skis. I backed off at 95mph. Normally I ride the trails at around 30-40mph.


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## Melensdad

Up about an hour ago.

20 minutes on the exercise bike.  Working on my second cup of espresso.  Watching WGN9 TV news and reading the news on the inter webs. 

Dasha has a head cold at fencing practice and feeling a bit miserable.  She got it from our foster baby.  I warned her.  But she shared his pacifier while playing.  Anyway she reports that its not too bad, but she has a sore throat and nose congestion.  They are giving her another Covid test today.  She had one Thursday, another on Monday.  Negative to both of those.

I will be babysitting much of the day.  The lovely Mrs_Bob has plans to reupholster 2 chairs for Melen's apartment.  I refinished the frames on 6 chairs.  2 have been reupholstered already.  The plan is 2 today.  We will get to the other 2 some other day.  But we will be going back to her apartment this weekend and want her to have 4 chairs.  There is no real entertaining going on, so no need to rush to get her all 6.  Besides, we have other things to do here too!

Conversation late last evening with one of my former students.  She now works in Washington DC, she was my first Saber team captain, and I've been very close with her family for several years.  She was in a car accident.  In a tunnel in the right lane while a truck was in the left lane and the truck decided to move into the right lane.  Crushed her car against the railing and the wall of the tunnel.  She is fine.  Bruised and shaken.  But no serious injuries.  Her mom died in a car accident when she was a sophomore in HS so I'm guessing this is stirring up some nightmares.


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## m1west

So for the last couple weeks have working toward getting my lathe going, as I have to machine some 18" diameter cast iron cable conveyor pulleys. The cat got out of the bag to my customers that I am now going to be manufacturing these components and have been receiving order inquires via email for a couple weeks now. Yesterday I got the 1st one clamped to the face plate on the lathe. I got it to within .060 on the diameter and .010 on the flat can riding surface. I figure thats close enough for a raw casting to be machined into shape and drill the 1-1/4" hole for the shaft. I decided to drill the hole and hone it for final fit on the shafts rather than ream it.


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## pirate_girl

Sitting here enjoying receiving pictures of Ty and the family on vacation in North Carolina.
That's his fiancee's little girl Yazzy, and my grandbugs Maddie and Elaina.
?❤


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## NorthernRedneck

Kids are home from school today fror a regular professional development day.  Went to town to pick up a couple things. Nothing major planned for the day as the boss is working and kids are home.


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## FrancSevin

Bought Gold today.  Not because it was down but because it was available AND I had cash. Two things that seldom coincide.

Two place in town had some.  THE SCOTTSMAN which is a reputable coin shop in St Louis, and a local pawn shop that had my card if he came into some.
We bought some 1/10th oz pieces, some 1/4 oz pieces, a maple leaf and a 1 oz bullion bar.

We couldn't get responses from Lear or Rosslyn, so we went out looking.

Whilst at the pawn shop, he had a Henry lever action 22 that was in like new condition.  I mean pristine, like it had never been fired..  I bought it for my grandson. $270.00

All and all a good day.


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## m1west

Went to my neighbors funeral today. Not my favorite way to spend a day, but he was a friend.


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## NorthernRedneck

We put the kids to work this morning cleaning the whole house. With 6 kids, we figured a chore chart was in order which included 3 of the 4 bathrooms in the house. All floors swept and mopped. Their bedrooms cleaned and vacuumed. Not much else happening. It's supposed to snow tomorrow.


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## FrancSevin

Just finished wiring the new shop and the outside storage shed.

I still have to hook up to main power.  It's gotten really cold in there today so I'll wait until tomorrow for the  fireworks part of the project.


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## pirate_girl

Another precious picture.
This is my youngest grandbug aboard the USS North Carolina.
My son and the family toured the battleship museum knowing I'd like it.
Elaina posing for her Nana. ❤
I'll have to tell her the story about how her great GREAT Grandpa would have loved seeing this.??


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## Melensdad

Heading up to Melen's apartment today with some dining room chairs, a plant stand, a plant, some misc other stuff.  We'll be there for the afternoon.  Going to get Take Out Food from somewhere.  It's the lovely Mrs_Bob's birthday today.  So there will be a Dairy Queen ice cream cake involved too.  Expecting a birthday surprise FaceTime call from Dasha to wish a happy birthday to the lovely Mrs_Bob too.


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## DaveNay

Ghosting FF.


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## Melensdad

Hi Dave!  Welcome home.


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## pirate_girl

DaveNay said:


> Ghosting FF.


Hey! ?


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## Doc

DaveNay said:


> Ghosting FF.


Hey hey Dave.    Hope all is great with you and your neighbor wind turbines.    Are you still doing over the road driving?   My son jumped into that field a couple years ago.  driving for an oil and gas company.


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## DaveNay

Doc said:


> Hey hey Dave.    Hope all is great with you and your neighbor wind turbines.    Are you still doing over the road driving?   My son jumped into that field a couple years ago.  driving for an oil and gas company.


I've never been an OTR driver.

Still among the turbines for another six months or so.


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## NorthernRedneck

Went out with a buddy ice fishing for a couple hours. Didn't catch anything. Oh well. Came home and went for a snowmobile ride then plowed the driveway.


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## m1west

Did the maintenance on my generator and started machining parts for cable track.


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## NorthernRedneck

It's cold as f... outside today so I headed to the garage and sparked up a fire then got to work building a weight stand for our little gym area out of leftover pieces of wood from past projects.


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## pirate_girl

Yes, it's been pretty cold af here too.
Today, not so bad.
I'm not doing a darn thing today.
Hurray!


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## Doc

DaveNay said:


> I've never been an OTR driver.
> 
> Still among the turbines for another six months or so.


I'm sorry Dave.   Got you mixed up with John Day.  Your guys names sounded so much alike I got yall confused.   Moving away from the turbines?  Giving up your beautiful farm land?  Or are the turbines being closed down?


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## NorthernRedneck

Still cold today. -28c this morning. I'm out in the garage working on my buddy's dodge. Nothing major. His e brake cable is hanging down. When I'm done that, the older snowmobile is coming into the shop for me to tear the chaincase apart to change the seals.


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## Melensdad

I put the snowblower on the tractor.  Now it’s a safe bet that the predicted snowstorm will miss us completely.


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## NorthernRedneck

Another chilling morning at -28c. It warmed up though. I spent the day in the garage working on the older snowmobile replacing chaincase seals. It's a messy job but had to be done.


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## pirate_girl

Melensdad said:


> I put the snowblower on the tractor.  Now it’s a safe bet that the predicted snowstorm will miss us completely.  View attachment 134429


Lol
Yeah. They are predicting 5-8 inches here.
So for Ohio that can mean an inch or a foot.
I've been busy today doing all the usual stuff around the apartment.
Cleaning, laundry, no cooking though.
Jeff treated me to a nice lunch which was very satisfying.
I wanted to go to Churchill's in Toledo to do my grocery shopping but never got that far.


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## FrancSevin

Moved another tree today.
Last week I moved one of the four Dwarf Alberta spruce trees  in  our crescent garden which edges the brick patio.  Today I moved a second one.  They were really small when I planted them 12 years ago.  But grew to about six feet high and 3 feet in diameter.  They block our view of the pond and the bird feeders so I am moving them against the back fence.

Root ball and tree weigh in at about 200 lbs.  Because it is a raised bed I could remove bricks to make transport easy on a big snow shovel.   It took five long handled shovels and one 36" spade shovel to pry them from the beds.  I then roll the root ball onto the snow shovel ( actually a coal shovel I use for snow).  Lashing the tree truck to the handle lets me just pull the tree over the ground.

I only had to drag them about 20 feet to their new home and drop in pre-dug holes.  Luckily the ground was not frozen last month when I dug them. Slide them over and drop in the hole.   Cover with fresh humus.  I had commercial soil in bags thawed out to cover their roots.

I have one more to move but they promise a heavy raining Saturday.  It is the biggest of the bunch and has roots entangled with a redbud tree.  That'll be fun.  But the rain will help with the transplanting.  The fourth one will stay where it is. 

The wife rearranges the furniture in the house. I move trees and bushes in the yard. 
I have moved bigger trees but that was in my younger days.  This one today took all I had.


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## m1west

Yesterday started cutting up trees around the property that were blown down in the storm earlier in the week, today clean gutters and maybe shoot a little


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## NorthernRedneck

Meeting with a plumber soon for the bathroom reno to go over everything before starting this week. Nothing much other than that.


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## FrancSevin

Moving one more Alberta Spruce before the birds set up housekeeping in it.

I move trees and shrubs around a lot.  But I won't touch one with an active nest.


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## Melensdad

10” of snow has been removed from the driveway.  It’s still coming down.  

By the way who else is noticing the run up of Silver prices?  This could be another big short bubble like GameStop.


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## FrancSevin

Got it done despite the rain.   No sooner did I pat down the muddy mess and mulch the ground, it started to snow.


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## FrancSevin

Melensdad said:


> 10” of snow has been removed from the driveway.  It’s still coming down.
> 
> By the way who else is noticing the run up of Silver prices?  This could be another big short bubble like GameStop.


My son called me today to warn me Silver was  being hoarded.  It's going to go up as a result.

I've never been crazy for silver but we do have some, mostly coinage.


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## m1west

Just more machining of sheaves for cable conveyor, only 14 more to go to fill the first order. They take around 4 hours each to machine.
Yesterday I started training the help to  make

 them so I can move to getting the cable conveyor part going. there is 1400' of that to get fabricated. When the materials show up I likely will have to hire a couple workers in the shop to get it done in a reasonable amount of time.


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## NorthernRedneck

Dentist appointment this morning followed by a chiropractor appointment. Nothing planned for the afternoon so I loaded up the snowmobile and trailered 20 minutes away to join onto the snowmobile trail system. Nice ride this afternoon.


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## m1west

Stepped into the 21st century today with TV. Today I received my wireless jetpack from Verizon. Costs me $15.00 per month and comes with HULU and Disney. The wireless device was $200.00. Called DishNetwork and gave the young man that answered the phone a history lesson.
1- VHS took out drive in movie theaters
2- Cable took out video stores
3- And now internet TV is taking out Cable.
4- ????? will take out internet TV in the future.


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## pirate_girl

I haven't been enjoying this cold, snowy weather.
?


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## NorthernRedneck

Top of the mrning everyone.  It's a balmy -28 celcius with a windchill of -42 celcius.  We're starting demo on our bathroom this morning.  The cabinets all have to be removed carefully as they're being reused.  I will be heling the contractor remove them.  Once the actual construction starts, he'll be on his own.  So that'sthe plan for today.


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## Melensdad

Our plan is to leave Kobe with my cousins family for a few hours without us being there.  He has spent time ‘alone’ with them inside our home.  But never alone outside our home.  

I have other family here in Columbus so the goal is to drop off Kobe with one family member, then go visit the other.  A few hours later pick Kobe back up.  We want to work up to 5+ hours apart from him.  He’s never experienced that.  While I have no fears of separation anxiety from him (_they have 1 dog, 2 boys & lots of toys)_ it just seems prudent to remain close.  Their homes are literally 15 minutes apart so if there is an unexpected issue we will only be a few minutes apart.


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## pirate_girl

That's a good plan, Bob. ?
Good luck with all of that too.

I'm doing an afternoon shift today.
Nothing much going on here otherwise.
The weather won't allow it.
?


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## NorthernRedneck

Good plan Bob. When I was still working, that's the same approach we took up here for working with children either moving to a new foster home or reuniting with their families. In some cases though that wasn't possible. 

I'm hurtin after yesterday's demo day on the bathroom. It should be nearly down to studs today. We built a temporary wall between the bedroom and bathroom to help keep the dust contained to the bathroom only. 

It's another gorgeous day outside. All the school busses in town and in the rural areas are canceled this morning following yesterday's fiasco. They make the decision to cancel buses based on the ambient temperature at 6am at the airport in town. Generally it's colder in the country. Yesterday it was -28 celcius at the airport with a windchill of -42. The temperature before windchill has to be below -34. Well, that's what it was yesterday and most buses were 15 to 20 minutes late. That's too long for kids to be waiting outside by the road. Plus, buses where breaking down leaving kids stranded without heat.


----------



## Melensdad

We are still in Columbus, OH.  Going to drop Kobe off with my cousin, our plan is to come back to the hotel and pack up.  We don't have to check out until 1pm, at which point we will go back to my cousin's house, for a late lunch and Kobe and then head for home an hour or two later.

One of the things we want to do is learn their schedule better and how they do things inside their home.  So we can start to modify Kobe's schedule over the next couple of months to do things more in time with what they do, and more in the way they do.  It would make his transition easier.  As he will be in "strange" surroundings, despite the fact that this is the only other place he has ever visited, it is still not quite home for him.  We'll have a couple more visits here too.

Columbus got some snow.  Its supposed to end in a couple hours.  I gather it has already tapered off.  Looking out the window it looks like about 1.5" of snow.  I expect the roads should be clear by the time we head home.


----------



## m1west

Have a lot of running around to do today.


----------



## pirate_girl

Grocery shopping for one.
Then after that, who knows?

I've recently caught up with an old Navy family friend who lives in Rhode Island.
We've been friends since age 6, but lost contact sometime in early 2000.
She found me on (you guessed it) Facebook.
Talked for hours last night! ?


----------



## m1west

Yesterday afternoon when I came up from the shop when we finished for the day, Got a phone call from a plant and we were not finished. Worked until 9pm doing a conveyor repair.


----------



## FrancSevin

Drove to South Beloit/Rockford IL in the minivan. Picked up the '96 Dodge 3500 we bought off E-Bay.
190Kmiles and some minor body damage to the left rear fender. A work truck kinda trashed interior with some things that don't work.  All easy stuff to  fix.   Needs a rear bumper and some small damage repairs to the after market running boards
Driver's seat is torn.  Everything else was just dirty.

Dash was unbroken and immaculate.  Unheard of in these trucks when that old. Drove south to St louis at 70 to 75 MPH. No rattles or complaints.  Minor high speed vibrations when we left S Beloit, but smooth and silky by the time we go home.  I 'm thinking flat spots on tires from storage. Mechanically flawless.  Auto tranny shifted as it should.  No smoke even when cold. Outside was zero this morning. Cummins diesel was cold yet started right up.

Nice trip home to St louis. I think we got a diamond in the rough.


----------



## pirate_girl

This.
Relaxing, watching movies, waiting for the snow to hit hard.

❄


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Waiting for it to warm up. I'm going stir crazy couped up in the house


----------



## pirate_girl

NorthernRedneck said:


> Waiting for it to warm up. *I'm going stir crazy couped up in the house*


Not me.
At least I'm not over where I work covering for the shortage of staff.
They should have taken care of that before covid turned things to shit staff-wise AND before 3 of us nurses decided we're going prn into retirement.
Now with this weather situation oh boy!


----------



## olivegirl

Today I rode a horse all day. My hobby is horseback riding. I always wanted it since childhood. But it was expensive and difficult for my parents. So I started doing it when I was 22. The disadvantages are the same, it's expensive and I have to drive far out of town, but it's worth it. Horses are amazing creatures, they are powerful and noble. I adore them. That's why I try to ride horses every week. I already have a favorite horse, his name is Lightning, he is 8 years old and he is brown.


----------



## m1west

My son and I have been working on a broken industrial wicket oven for the last 8 days 24 hours per day. It derailed on the bottom and was complete full of wickets ( 3200 ) the rail in the picture is what caused the wreck. Every thing had to be removed straighter out and re installed. Not a fun space to work in.


----------



## Melensdad

Kobe is a the doctor's office with the lovely Mrs_Bob this morning for a check up.  That gives me a few hours of time when I can get some things done.  

Got a queen size mattress downstairs and dragged out to the garage.  Gravity made it come down the flight of stairs pretty easily.  The new, thicker and heavier mattress was still in the back of the pickup truck.  Backed that up to the front door and "rolled" it to the staircase.  Dragged it up.  Thankfully it has pretty secure grab handles on the sides.  It is now at the top of the stairs.  It can stay there until I get a helper to help me lift it and set it onto the bed.  I figured if I had a "helper" to get it up the stairs there would be yelling so I figured this was easier!   Having multiple BOSSES directing and relatively few WORKERS in the household often means its easier to work alone   

Melen texted earlier and said that her Corgi has an ear infection.  Apparently I have been drafted to take him to the local vet, but that appointment is not until next week.  Works out well because she is coming home for a few days and will be helping to celebrate Kobe's 1st Birthday next Saturday.  The girls plan to take him to get his 1st haircut at a children's salon and then buy him a birthday outfit at a children's store we used to get stuff for Melen when she was a baby.

Made up a small box of healthy snacks and treats to mail off to Dasha at college.  It should be there on Monday or Tuesday.  She is flying to the ACC Fencing Championships with her teammates tomorrow morning.  They will be in Raleigh, NC and Notre Dame is the heavy favorite to win the "team" title.  Several Notre Dame fencers are expected to win individual champion awards as well.  There are 6 individual awards given.  Men's and Women's for Epee, Foil and Saber.   One of Dasha's teammates is the returning Women's Saber champion for the past 2 years and is expected to win it again.  I'm hoping Dasha comes in the top 3 for Women's Saber.


----------



## FrancSevin

Putting  ink jet systems on our wrappers.  Everybody wants a production code & expiration date on each package. Such systems today are relatively simple installations.  So I had the maintenance people as well as  the machine set up staff gather to "Learn everything about the system and it's integration into our machines..  This group includes my son who (already knows everything when I am explaining it but) generally listens to other experts.

There should be five people in all working on this first installation. Every time I look, there are only two.  The product salesman and his technician

Guess who the production team members are going to come to later when they cannot figure it out?

Yeah.
Me.

"Too bad, so sad, I'm going fishing."


----------



## waybomb

Video-Jet?


----------



## FrancSevin

waybomb said:


> Video-Jet?


Yes. Not that brand but that style.

SmartiJet.
Cartridge ink system because we do not use it all the time.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Been running my a$$ off all day. Drove 2 of the kids to school as their bus was canceled due to a lack of drivers. Then drove to the opposite side of the city for physio. Followed by a couple stops then came home to begin installing a ceiling fan in our son's room. 5 minutes into it, I get a call from the school informing me that our youngest daughter has head lice and needs to be picked up. Great!  Back to the school to get her. Bring her home and my wife starts going through her hair and sends me out to pick up a different lice comb because the 4 we already have apparently aren't good enough. So back out I go. I get back 40 minutes later to find out that all it was is dandruff. Ugh. So I decide to put everything away to install the ceiling light. Now I head back out to pick up our youngest son as he was on the same canceled bus. The school is 20 minutes away. Fun.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

A little more relaxed today. The kids are home from school as a regularly scheduled professional development day for the teachers. I was over at my buddy's place this morning stuffing sausage (get your mind out of the gutter).  We processed 15lbs of moose meat and pork fat to make sausages. The meat from this morning is sitting in the smoker. Tomorrow morning, we're doing another 40lbs of Italian sausage.


----------



## pirate_girl

I was going to go to Toledo with the kids today, but Kasey has remote learning, plus other plans so we're doing that next week sometime.
I've been enjoying the feeling of freedom and happiness a lot lately.
Yup!


----------



## pirate_girl

I was never, ever going to mention this, but I have a perfectly wonderful man in my life.
We met through my eldest granddaughter.
He's one of her instructors at school.
A former EMT for Defiance county.
My son Ty knows him, so does Jeff.
Leave it to your kids to "fix you up".
I'm not in love per se, but I'm willing to take that chance.
He's 62 years old.
Handsome, bearded, has my same sense of humour, loves my cooking, loves my taste in music too.
So if ya'll wondered why I've been a bit absent lately.. now you know.
?❤


----------



## pirate_girl

Loralei D and Larry E ..k- i -s -s -i -n -g!
?


----------



## Lenny

pirate_girl said:


> Loralei D and Larry E ..k- i -s -s -i -n -g!
> ?


That's great!  I hope it works well for you!


----------



## Ceee

pirate_girl said:


> I was never, ever going to mention this, but I have a perfectly wonderful man in my life.


Good for you!


----------



## EastTexFrank

Great news PG.  I hope it goes well for you and you enjoy each other for many years to come.  Bless you girl.


----------



## FrancSevin

pirate_girl said:


> I was never, ever going to mention this, but I have a perfectly wonderful man in my life.
> We met through my eldest granddaughter.
> He's one of her instructors at school.
> A former EMT for Defiance county.
> My son Ty knows him, so does Jeff.
> Leave it to your kids to "fix you up".
> I'm not in love per se, but I'm willing to take that chance.
> He's 62 years old.
> Handsome, bearded, has my same sense of humour, loves my cooking, loves my taste in music too.
> So if ya'll wondered why I've been a bit absent lately.. now you know.
> ?❤


Awesome!

To be Franc-ly honest, I'm delighted you did bring it up.

Glad to hear it. You deserve a life of good friends.  Hope this works out.


----------



## m1west

Wife plugged the kitchen drain last night, this morning had to snake it and found  shredded plastic  pieces on the snake. Wonder how that happened? Maybe a sandwich bag in the disposal? Life is full of mysteries. Then when was pulling out the drain snake from the storage shed, I found a McCoulloch 3818 chainsaw in there I thought I pitched 10 years ago because it quit and wouldn't start. As I now need a small chainsaw for de limbing I took it apart and found a simple fix. The fuel line was hard and snapped off. I poured a little gas in the carb and it started. So to eBay I went and a carb rebuild kit with filter, primer bulb and lines, plus air filter element will be here next week. I can also use it on winter cabin trips to carry I the track van for down trees blocking the way.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Gotta love ebay. Lol. It's my go to site for most parts I need. Usually about a quarter of the price as in store. 

Not doing much today. I did head out earlier to buy a used motorized ice auger. It had a busted coil wire so I got it cheap. As soon as I got home, I fixed the wire (the rubber coating was cracked so it was arking against the metal engine housing. Some electrical tape fixed that problem. 2 quick pulls and it fired up. No more cranking the manual auger by hand for 20 minutes.


----------



## FrancSevin

m1west said:


> Wife plugged the kitchen drain last night, this morning had to snake it and found  shredded plastic  pieces on the snake. Wonder how that happened? Maybe a sandwich bag in the disposal? Life is full of mysteries. Then when was pulling out the drain snake from the storage shed, I found a McCoulloch 3818 chainsaw in there I thought I pitched 10 years ago because it quit and wouldn't start. As I now need a small chainsaw for de limbing I took it apart and found a simple fix. The fuel line was hard and snapped off. I poured a little gas in the carb and it started. So to eBay I went and a carb rebuild kit with filter, primer bulb and lines, plus air filter element will be here next week. I can also use it on winter cabin trips to carry I the track van for down trees blocking the way.


I miss my McCoulloch. I cannot remember the model but is was a budget buy with  a16" chain blade.  I replaced the carb once and the fuel tank.  This was before the internet and E-bay.  So when the clutch went I tossed it.  Nothing I have purchased since has been as dependable or as rugged.

When you are 50 feet up in a tree nothing is as irritating as a top of the line chainsaw that won't start.

Today I'm mixing concrete.  The foundation under the wing wall in my new garage annex had collapsed. Turns out that is how the squirrels made access to my garage. I've been hoping to do it for weeks but the severe  cold made it impossible.

Today we are also removing the stove which shorted out on the broiler a few weeks ago. It blew a hole in the oven liner wall. Literally not worth the cost of repair. Our company credit card earns points we convert to LOWES so we used a bunch of them the other day.  New stove arrives Monday but we want to clean behind the old one and also behind the frig. 

Cathy bought a commercial refrigerator that is too deep for the original space. It comes out into the kitchen about a foot.  Not really a design perk. I need to do a bump out of 12 inches out over the deck.  The roof already overhangs 16" so this should be a simple project.

But for the five cats who must be corralled whilst I do it.  I'm not sure when I will get this done but I can review stud positions, electrical modifications,  measure and plan.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Stuffed and vacuum sealed 20lbs of mild Italian sausage this morning then went to the city to pick up a light fixture that just arrived for the bathroom. Came home for a phone meeting with our foster daughter's worker. Then prepped a couple sheppards pie's for supper. We haven't had that in a while.


----------



## FrancSevin

Took the Crossfire SRT to the muffler shop today. Dual exhaust completely rusted out.  I could have done it myself but there are no parts available for this model anymore.

The shop has to bend and fabricate every pipe and hanger bracket in the system.  This is gonna hurt.

I only drive this car to rallies four or five times a year. But it is sooooooooo kewel.


----------



## pirate_girl

Since the snow has melted for the most part, I took a walk in Oakwood park, down all the way to the end and back.
Then I walked downtown to have coffee in the afternoon with some of the gals from work because they miss me.
Then I made dinner.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

m1west said:


> Wife plugged the kitchen drain last night, this morning had to snake it and found  shredded plastic  pieces on the snake. Wonder how that happened? Maybe a sandwich bag in the disposal? Life is full of mysteries. Then when was pulling out the drain snake from the storage shed, I found a McCoulloch 3818 chainsaw in there I thought I pitched 10 years ago because it quit and wouldn't start. As I now need a small chainsaw for de limbing I took it apart and found a simple fix. The fuel line was hard and snapped off. I poured a little gas in the carb and it started. So to eBay I went and a carb rebuild kit with filter, primer bulb and lines, plus air filter element will be here next week. I can also use it on winter cabin trips to carry I the track van for down trees blocking the way.


You jinxed me. I spent a while yesterday evening snaking the bathtub drain. Lol. Teenage girls with long hair leaving clumps of it in the tub almost daily. Lol


----------



## pirate_girl

FrancSevin said:


> Awesome!
> 
> To be Franc-ly honest, I'm delighted you did bring it up.
> 
> Glad to hear it. You deserve a life of good friends.  Hope this works out.


Francis, I have many good friends and my family surrounding me.
One rule I have and will always have concerning a love relationship with a man...
A. DO NOT get clingy.
B. DO NOT ever try to control me.
C. Separate space.
I've been both divorced and widowed.
I'm taking the advice I've always taken from my Aunt Rosemary.
She and "Uncle Harry" (they never married) kept a long union based on those rules.
I want to maintain my own life, while enjoying the company of him.
He understands that perfectly and surprisingly feels the same.


----------



## FrancSevin

Lollie, 
Like so many here, I care about you deeply.  Only wish for your happiness.
Friends and family are great.  However, having one soul with whom you can relate intimately, is a real plus in one's life.

I like your standards and hope it works out well for you and him.

All the best.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Congrats pg. Hope it works out for you. 

The kiddos are back to homeschooling again. Ugh. Slow internet connection speeds. 6 kids at 4 different schools that all have different breaks throughout the day. So I'm spending my day being a tech advisor/referee. Problem is that when they're on break, they want to get up and walk around and talk. Kinda hard to do that when others are still in class and need quiet. And trying to keep two girls with adhd focused on their work while making sure the other four are still connected is a task in itself. 

Here's what we're expected to use for a connection for 6 kids on 6 different devices. Add to that my wife is still working from home needing a reliable connection.


----------



## FrancSevin

So, we put the new stove in last night.  Only to find out it won't fit to the wall.  45years ago the electrician put the 220V plug on the floor at the wall.  ( That would have been me BTW)  I have had four stoves since and all of them had space at the bottom for this connection box.  The new one does not.  

I will have to breach the wallboard and set it into the wall.  Seems it is always something.

I am debating postponement of the problem until I am actually rebuilding the same wall to accept the refrigerator. Meanwhile, the Frig and the stove stick out into the room so it kinda matches. That said,, I'm betting the wife won't go for it.


----------



## pirate_girl

We went down to Spengler's pub tonight.
I got the fish and chips and a bottle of Blue Moon.
Fun times ?


----------



## Melensdad

Kobe, our foster son, gets his 1st haircut today.  There is a kiddie salon that gives certificates, with a lock of hair, for 1st timers so we got him an appointment there to after lunch.  His 1st birthday is tomorrow so he gets a trip to the fancy children’s store for a birthday outfit to wear to his party.


----------



## FrancSevin

Livin' large there Lollie!!!


----------



## pirate_girl

FrancSevin said:


> Livin' large there Lollie!!!


Not so much. Lol


----------



## FrancSevin

Finally got m recently acquired  '97 one ton Dodge back yesterday,  My '95 one ton last Wednesday. So I can now start on some projects.

I consider the'95 the "best wheel barrow" I have ever owned.  Saturday I will get a load of decorative gravel and finish the front driveway. The new concrete drive I laid last fall looks naked without the gravel mulching on each side.

The  recently purchased '97 has had new ball joints, tires, brakes, and  rotors installed.  It now passes safety inspection so ,,,; time to start on the cosmetics. Major cleanup on the interior.  The previous owner had duct tape allover the dash.  Not sure why. The tape and glue  is old and so dry  "Goo be Gone" doesn't dissolve it.

But mineral spirits and patience will.


Carpet is stained, mostly from greasy boots. That should scrub out with soap and water. Headliner is coming loose, but some spray adhesive should secure it for a while. The driver's seat is ripped and missing some foam. That is a project for a professional.  Do it later when I have the rear fender redone by a pro friend of mine.

A coat of vinyl sealer  and the wife should be happy.

The brake controller should arrive next week and once installed we can go to northern Illinois, pick up my new 24 foot dump bed trailer on the way to southern Indiana. There we load my  310 JD construction backhoe and bring it home.

This tough schedule will accomplish  acquisitions so we can begin building our Ozark ranch this summer.  A dream project that went on hold back in the Obama years.  Partially delayed by economics and also by the acquisition of two teenage grandchildren abandoned by their father.

I cannot wait to resume the process.

It all starts this weekend.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Another busy day at the house as our contractor and plumber were here installing the plumbing for the new bathroom. There'll be more tomorrow. 

We had been talking about getting a third snowmobile for a while. One came up for sale for a good price around 3:30pm. By 4:15 I was heading to go look at it. We struck a deal and I'll be bringing it home Monday. It's a little older but in excellent shape and low mileage for the year. This one will be for my wife. (Though I may have to try it out occasionally)


----------



## Melensdad

Kobe had his 1st birthday yesterday.  We had a party.  Gathering was small, mostly vaccinated people.  In fact the only 2 unvaccinated people there were Kobe and my daughter Melen.  But we also managed to get an appointment for Melen to get vaccinated so that actually is a double reason to celebrate.


----------



## pirate_girl

On this lovely day in Ohioland, I took a walk down to Oakwood park and saw the geese, an eagle, several rabbits, squirrels and yes, robins!
It's almost 70° out there.
Going to make a rustic dinner of roasted chicken and vegetables.
That's it.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Picked up the new to us snowmobile today. Did a bunch of other things in the city. Swore and cursed our crappy internet when none of the kids could log on to their virtual classes. Not much else.


----------



## m1west

finished the first cable conveyor drive for my Cannery project today, all made in house except the raw castings for the Sheaves and the bearings.


----------



## Melensdad

Went for a motorcycle ride with nowhere to go and nothing to do, so it was a great ride.  Visited the bison sanctuary, then meandered around mostly 2 lane country roads.  The ride was about 100 miles total and I got home just in time for dinner.


----------



## 300 H and H

Starting a 20 trailer load delivery of corn this morning. 
It is the first corn I have sold for over $5.00 in at least 6 years.
Good to be into the "green" for a change. 
High winds yesterday and today. Like 40 mph sustained and gusts to 50.
On my walk outdoors yesterday it was interesting. Milo my dog, even thought so lol..

Regards, Kirk


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Homeschooling the kids. I think a bad case of the runs would be more enjoyable and productive. We had a storm go through last night that dropped a few inches of snow but, like the liberal party, it was a lot of talk leading up to it but not much action. More wind than anything.


----------



## Melensdad

Went for an afternoon ride through a couple small towns in Illinois, crossed over the Kankakee River a couple times, wound though two preserves and made my way back home.


----------



## pirate_girl

Had a nice day with my man.
PG is a happy camper.?
Speaking of camping.. a trip is being planned when the weather cooperates.
He asked me if I've ever been camping.
I said have I ever been camping???!!
Lol
He's going to bring the girl scout out in me.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

pirate_girl said:


> Had a nice day with my man.
> PG is a happy camper.?
> Speaking of camping.. a trip is being planned when the weather cooperates.
> He asked me if I've ever been camping.
> I said have I ever been camping???!!
> Lol
> He's going to bring the girl scout out in me.


If the trailer (or tent) is rockin', don't come knockin'  ?


----------



## NorthernRedneck

We went out ice fishing again on a different lake. I couldn't believe how many ice shacks were out there. There's a 10km ice road on the lake so we were able to drive right out. As we were ice fishing, there was a steady stream of vehicles hauling ice shacks off the ice. There's still roughly 3ft of ice on the lakes but not much snow left after the warm weather the past week.


----------



## pirate_girl

NorthernRedneck said:


> If the trailer (or tent) is rockin', don't come knockin'  ?


No. It's not on that level ....yet.
We have fun. 
Lots of talking, yes we've kissed (a lot).
He even spent the night here once on the couch , because I insisted he did.
It's very respectful and refreshing on both sides.
I'm new to all this again!
I joked with a friend that after all this time I'm positively near being a virgin again. ?
That's what it's like.

Today I went to a zoom meeting at work.
It was most of our nursing staff touching base with others in other Northern counties.
Cripes it took half an hour just getting the whole thing organized. ?


----------



## jillcrate

Right now im just browsing the bases here on FF


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Nothing exciting. I hauled a shelving unit I had built a few months ago out to the garage to rebuild it as the original carpenter screwed up on the measurements and one side was almost an inch taller. 

The carpenter is here with a helper working on the bathroom tiles. He was having a hard time cutting the wall tiles yesterday so he rented a wet saw for today. It seems to be doing a better job.


----------



## pirate_girl

Deciding how to spend St. Paddy's.
To stay home or to go to the pub this evening.
I'll probably stay home (and dry).


----------



## Ceee

NorthernRedneck said:


> We went out ice fishing again on a different lake.


Did you catch anything, or did you just sit out there and drink beer?


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Hauled the snowmobiles to town to wash them before they get put to bed for the summer. Then I tackled slicing a 10lb chub of pepperoni and vacuum sealed them in individual packaging. After that I tackled dividing up a 10lb chub of ground beef into 2lb pkgs and vacuum sealed them.


----------



## EastTexFrank

Ceee said:


> Did you catch anything, or did you just sit out there and drink beer?


That sums up my one and only experience of ice fishing in Wyoming.  I can't even remember if we drilled a hole.  I did however end up with one of the worst hangovers that I've ever had.  In fact that led to my "I will drink but I'll never get blind drunk again" philosophy that I've maintained for over 30 years.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

With the extremely mild spring we've had, the snow has really taken a beating. So today, I head to camp to see how much is left there and whether or not I can open up.


----------



## Ceee

EastTexFrank said:


> That sums up my one and only experience of ice fishing in Wyoming.  I can't even remember if we drilled a hole.  I did however end up with one of the worst hangovers that I've ever had.  In fact that led to my "I will drink but I'll never get blind drunk again" philosophy that I've maintained for over 30 years.


I've never been ice fishing.  I've done a lot of night fishing off of a pier in Rockport with family.  Beer was involved, but it didn't get too wild because my mother was with us...kind of a little family vacation.


----------



## pirate_girl

Wondering where all these spammers are coming from.
?


----------



## Melensdad

pirate_girl said:


> Wondering where all these spammers are coming from.
> ?


I delete (via Spam Clean) probably 8-10 a day before they get to log in.  There are some that slip through Doc’s security and the Spam Clean process.  It’s getting harder to keep up!


----------



## NorthernRedneck

So the lovely missus and I had been talking about a hot tub for a while. This week, we decided we would hold off for a year. Fast forward to yesterday, I decided to go browse kijiji to kill time. What's the first and most recent ad that came up?  A year old 7x7 sundance hot tub. We went to look at it this morning and made a deal. It lists for roughly 15k new. We got it for half that.


----------



## Melensdad

Today was a day for healing.  Both for baby Kobe and for little dog Walter.  Happy to report that both are doing better.  

The baby is covered with spots bit they don't seem to actually bother him.  He's eating little bits but drinking a bottle so that is giving him his nutrition.  He is still a bit clingy, not quite full energy, but he's doing much better.  Fever is gone.  Fortunately Roseola, which is what the doctors suspect he has, is common and not a serious issue.  It just takes a bit of time to pass and looks like it is following its normal path.  

Walter the female terrier is on the mend.  She is walking pretty much normally.  She is jumping up on the furniture, and down.  But we have pillows on the floor to soften her landing when we can't stop her from jumping down.  We have managed to keep her off the stairs with baby gates and running outside has not been an issue. Mostly I carry her around when we change rooms/floors.  But once she is on a flat level, she is allowed to walk around on her own.  Honestly we were concerned that she'd lose the use of 1, and possibly 3 of her legs.  Spine injuries are always risky.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Good news about your dog and baby. Hopefully they both make a quick and full recovery. 

Nothing exciting today. I may head out to the garage to get a start at putting the snowmobiles away for the summer. I just have to move them in behind the shop and cover them. Then in a few weeks, haul the boat out from under the overhang on the garage and move them to where the boat was sitting.


----------



## Melensdad

Dog & babysitting today.

The lovely Mrs_Bob is at the grocery store getting milk, probably hit the Tractor Supply for some dog food.  She may make a few other stops.  She's feeling a little cooped up so I thought it best to let her go out and stretch her legs.  

Kobe was supposed to have a visitation with his grandmother today, we explained that he is just getting over some viral infection (probably roseola) and the doctor suggested he not be exposed to much.  But we did not cancel the visitation.  We left it to Grandma to decide, she decided it best to cancel and wait until next week.  

No other plans for today.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I had physio this morning then another round of shopping at home depot for more bathroom supplies and some deck stain. Our deck is approximately 60ftx25ft and is overdue for a freshening. So I came home and started scraping and staining all afternoon. I got it about a third done.


----------



## pirate_girl

9pm catch up.
Well let's see.
Things are groovy with my man.
Won't go into detail there because it's my business lol
PG don't play that game no more.
I've been happy, that's what counts right?
I've read good books, been avoiding work shortage calls because this nurse is on the bridge to retirement. Yay!
The kids are happy, I'm happy.
I guess there isn't a whole lot more to say.


----------



## Lenny

P_G, I'm glad things are going good for you!!


----------



## pirate_girl

Lenny said:


> P_G, I'm glad things are going good for you!!


Thank you bunches, my friend.
?


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I'm just guessing that things aren't "pg" anymore. Lol. I'm happy to see that you're happy. 

Absolutely nothing planned for today. Yesterday was a write off as the dampness kicked my butt leaving me chair bound. We had a storm go through that dumped 4" of snow. 

The only thing I've got today is to shovel off the lower deck so it's good and dry for Saturday morning when the hot tub gets delivered.


----------



## Lenny

Well, I won $4 on the lottery.....woo hoo!  I might use the money to go to that bar on the other side of town I've been wanting to go to for years. LOL

I have a ticket for a meet and greet to see former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.  I hope to get my picture taken and discuss a few things with him.


----------



## Melensdad

NCAA Fencing Championships are at Penn State, they start today and end on Sunday.  Dasha was chosen as an alternate, so she is there but likely will not see any competition.  Notre Dame qualified several alternates, but is only allowed to let 2 compete.  I know a couple other kids who are competing so I'll be trying to tune in and watch some of the bouts over the next 4 days.


----------



## FrancSevin

pirate_girl said:


> 9pm catch up.
> Well let's see.
> Things are groovy with my man.
> Won't go into detail there because it's my business lol
> PG don't play that game no more.
> I've been happy, that's what counts right?
> I've read good books, been avoiding work shortage calls because this nurse is on the bridge to retirement. Yay!
> The kids are happy, I'm happy.
> I guess there isn't a whole lot more to say.


Sounds like I should stop making plans to come and court you.  LOL

Glad to hear you are taken care of and happy.  I truly mean that Lollie.  You are the best and deserve it.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Well, I had originally planned on staining the deck this summer when the weather is nicer. But since we're getting a hot tub in the morning, I got to work the past few days scraping and staining the deck. Yes, there's snow. But temps were above freezing and I had shoveled it off a few days ago to let the sun dry it out before staining. There's a section that's ground level. So far I have the rails on one deck and most of the ground level deck stained. The rest will wait for warmer weather.


----------



## pirate_girl

FrancSevin said:


> Sounds like I should stop making plans to come and court you.  LOL
> 
> Glad to hear you are taken care of and happy.  I truly mean that Lollie.  You are the best and deserve it.


Mr. 6ft 2 was here for dinner.
He loved my stew.
You know that feeling you get that is thrilling, but you kinda held back when you were dating?
I didn't hold back.
I have to work this weekend, but he's staying with me.
Right here, all night.
I'm in orbit. Lol


----------



## Ceee

pirate_girl said:


> You know that feeling you get that is thrilling, but you kinda held back when you were dating?
> I didn't hold back.


You go, girl


----------



## pirate_girl

Ceee said:


> You go, girl


?
This is my weekend to work.
Got a nice surprise this morning from the kiddos dropping in with a huge delicious piece of tiramisu for my birthday.
If I hadn't been on this weekend, I would have gone with them to State College, PA.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Got the hot tub delivered. While we were there picking it up, I mentioned to the boss that I saw there were 2 10x12 metal gazebos in stock at home depot this morning and now there was only one. So she sent me over to buy it as everywhere else in town is out of stock. So I quickly drove down and bought it then went back later with the truck and trailer to pick it up. We went home to take delivery of the hot tub. The guy was having a difficult time backing up the driveway as it is a pain to back up a short trailer with a long box truck. I told him to just unhook it and then hooked it up to the side by side. (Yet another new use for it...lol)  It's now sitting on the deck ready to be filled and wired this week.


----------



## FrancSevin

pirate_girl said:


> Mr. 6ft 2 was here for dinner.
> He loved my stew.
> You know that feeling you get that is thrilling, but you kinda held back when you were dating?
> I didn't hold back.
> I have to work this weekend, but he's staying with me.
> Right here, all night.
> I'm in orbit. Lol


I've had that feeling for 53 years Lollie.

Enjoyed a similar night myself with the wife in our Springfield love nest.
Amazingly  invigorating.
Good for the body and the soul!
You'll live longer and happier.  Enjoy.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Well, yesterday ended up being a long tedious day that was unplanned. We had the electrician scheduled to come Wednesday to wire up the hot tub. He showed up at 8:30 am yesterday to see what was involved then came back at noon to connect it. Since it was wired, we started filing it. What should have taken 4 hours ended up taking the entire day. 

Since we're on a well, the pump just couldn't keep up with the demand all day and kept losing pressure. So I would go outside, run the water for 20 minutes, shut it off and go downstairs to reset the well pump. Often I had to shut the water off to rebuild pressure and wait 20 minutes to reset it. Then back outside to run the water some more. Then back downstairs to reset the pump. By 11:30pm, we had enough water in it to turn it on. By this morning, it was up to temperature. So I headed out to ad more water as it was at the bare minimum last night. It's now sitting there up to temperature and ready to use. That'll wait though as it's windy and raining today.


----------



## FrancSevin

Brain,  Those tubs can be a lot of work....; but worth it.


Enjoy


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I had a portable hot tub years ago. It was a bit of work to maintain but so worth it. I added another few inches of water this morning to it then our well pump totally died. Thankfully it was only a resistor that fried inside the house. The well guys were here to check it out and found the problem right away. 

Meanwhile, I had to make a run to the city to get a few chemicals for the tub and a loaner tool from home depot to cut a vent hole through the bricks outside for the bathroom. It's an hour round trip to get there and back. Of course I got home to discover that they gave me the wrong size bit. So, back to the city I went to get the right one. Good news is the hot tub is ready to use tonight. The water is working again (fun stuff with 9 people in the house and no water to flush toilets. I'll let you use your imagination as to the stench in the bathrooms. Even the toilet in the new master bathroom is now installed and working.


----------



## pirate_girl

FrancSevin said:


> I've had that feeling for 53 years Lollie.
> 
> Enjoyed a similar night myself with the wife in our Springfield love nest.
> Amazingly  invigorating.
> Good for the body and the soul!
> You'll live longer and happier.  Enjoy.


Francis, I am enjoying it!
Each and every morning when I wake up, he is the first thing on my mind.
It's been a very long time since I've felt this way.
Today I ran quite a few errands.
The grandies want Easter baskets so I scurried around finding baskets, grass, candy, stuffed animals etc...
Even Kasey asked me if she was too old for an Easter basket.
No kid, you are not.
I made a chicken stir fry for dinner, which if I do say was bomb as hell lol
I've got movies lined up tonight to watch for relaxation.
I'm going to LOVE retirement.


----------



## FrancSevin

pirate_girl said:


> Francis, I am enjoying it!
> Each and every morning when I wake up, he is the first thing on my mind.
> It's been a very long time since I've felt this way.
> Today I ran quite a few errands.
> The grandies want Easter baskets so I scurried around finding baskets, grass, candy, stuffed animals etc...
> Even Kasey asked me if she was too old for an Easter basket.
> No kid, you are not.
> I made a chicken stir fry for dinner, which if I do say was bomb as hell lol
> I've got movies lined up tonight to watch for relaxation.
> I'm going to LOVE retirement.


I cannot tell you enough, how much your excitement pleases me to hear.


----------



## Lenny

FrancSevin said:


> I cannot tell you enough, how much your excitement pleases me to hear.


I'm happy for PG too!!!!!!

PG, I hope all goes well!!!!!


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I'm happy that you appear so happy pg. 

I started out the morning with a refreshing hot tub at a balmy -7 celcius outside. It felt great on the back. 

Heading to the city soon for a chiropractor appointment. 

It was VERY windy yesterday. I made my weekly trip to the dump and could barely stand outside. I tell ya, trying to throw cardboard boxes out of a trailer into the wind isn't fun. Lmao. I had a mixture of cardboard and household garbage in bags. Even the heavy bags were no match being thrown into the wind.   

Nothing much on the agenda today.


----------



## FrancSevin

Packing up for another extended weekend in Springfield MO.

Loading Cathy's Husqvarna 52" deck mower  onto the trailer behind the new Cherokee.
Adding a compressor so I can re-inflate the tires on her walk behind Brush Hog.
Tuning up the Husqvarna 55 rancher chainsaw so I can cut trees and brush.
Plans are to leave St. Louis Thursday evening.
Big plans on the little ranchette.
And maybe, if I am a good boy, and she isn't too tired, a little romance in the bungalow.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Nothing wrong with that. Here's my plans for the evening.


----------



## pirate_girl

Had an unscheduled adventure with my son Jeff today.
He asked what my plans were.
I said oh, nothing much today.
So we went to Toledo lol
Ate at the famous Schmucker's.
Drove through the Lebanese district and I got a picture of Tony Packo's (often mentioned by Klinger/Jamie Farr on MASH) a Lebanese church as well.
After that we went up to Oregon over the bridge and took a very chilly walk on Lake Erie.
We were going to go to the Great Lakes museum, but it was getting late.
Fun day!


----------



## FrancSevin

NorthernRedneck said:


> Nothing wrong with that. Here's my plans for the evening.View attachment 136364


That puppy is big, really big!

No wonder you drained the well dry trying to fill it.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

FrancSevin said:


> That puppy is big, really big!
> 
> No wonder you drained the well dry trying to fill it.



Yes. It's 7'x7'.  It's supposed to be a 6 seater but I counted 7. Lol. Part of the problem with the well was a weak resistor inside the house that kept tripping the pump and shutting it off until finally it blew completely. The well company that did work on it when we bought the place 2 years ago is literally just around the corner so we called and they came within a few hours. Good guys to deal with. They drilled it down to 280' from 230' and fracked it. We're getting 5 gallons per minute return now. So water isn't the issue.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Spent the whole day non stop outside staining the deck. I'm still not done. But the worst is finished. All the rails and the lower deck are now complete. All that's left is the two upper deck surfaces but those are easy with a roller and long handle. I hear the hot tub calling me after supper. Lol. Maybe a beer or 4.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Another busy day of deck staining. 2 levels of the deck are 100% done. The one off the kitchen needs the main surface area done. Just had a nice evening hot tub now sitting out in the sun in a bathing suit.  There's still a few patches of snow in the yard but it's +17 celcius.

Our province is going into a full month of lockdown starting tonight. 90% of stores are going to be allowed to open at reduced capacity. All it means is only people allowed in the house are people who live there and no big social gatherings. All because our pansy assed prime Minister dropped the ball in securing vaccines and the ones we did get, he gave to less fortunate countries. We do have some but they're only vaccinating over age 65. And natives over age 18. Oh well. We're in a good place. I have no need to go to the city for anything.


----------



## m1west

Nothing but working nearly every day since Thanksgiving and looking at least another month of it.


----------



## pirate_girl

Well tomorrow is Easter dinner with the kids.
Ty made a pork butt in the smoker.
Maddie is growing like a weed and is excited over going out on the Maumee to fish soon.
I'm joking that she may soon be a wrecker operator.  She loves exploring her Dad's toolbox.
?


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Since we're in lockdown again and family easter gatherings are forbidden (unless you're a politician), I headed out after breakfast and got to work on the deck yet again. The main back deck is now done. I ran out of stain halfway through doing the side entrance off the kitchen into the dog kennel. I was done mid afternoon and very sore so the hot tub summoned me for an hour. As Jeff foxworthy said, "I got me a big deck!"


----------



## pirate_girl

Enjoying this beautiful day.
Got the windows wide open with a fresh breeze blowing.
Nothing out of the ordinary to report.
Life is just merrily rolling along.
?


----------



## Melensdad

Babysitter is coming here in a few minutes.  I plan to spend most of my time doing yard work, pulling the snow blower off the tractor, putting the mower deck on, dragging deadfall, maybe some mowing, etc. hard to get anything done with a 1 year old in the house.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

We're in a severe rain warning for the next 2 days. So not much work happening outside. That's alright. I'm still hurting from the past week of deck staining. With the rain, the hot tub won't see much action. Perfect timing as the soaker tub is currently being installed in the ensuite so we'll be able to use it hopefully tonight.


----------



## FrancSevin

Finally found out the story on the 2005 Cherokee.  Garage sent it "out" for analysis a dealer.  I happened to spot it at the "dealership" four weeks ago.  I demanded answers from the original shop. They had none.

Four weeks later, the Jeep was still in the dealer lot so I went in, car title in hand and asked WTF.  
But politely right?

Amazingly the service guy was polite and explained his understand was I was looking for a new ECM unit.  He then explained the wiring was all mixed up and they had sorted it but the SECM needed replacement.  Unfortunately, that is Old Chrysler Companystuff and they cannot get one from Fiat Chrysler. But I could from an aftermarket store.


Gave me the link.

I gotta say they handled it well at the dealership. The private garage, the same ones who said I needed a Cummins engine overhaul on my one ton '95 Dodge when all that was wrong was an alternator, I wouldn't let them  work on my bicycle.


----------



## waybomb

I am soooo glad I did not listen to mom, and learned all about mechanical stuff. I fix all my own stuff.
I don't know if I could contain myself Franc with that alternator deal.


----------



## FrancSevin

waybomb said:


> I am soooo glad I did not listen to mom, and learned all about mechanical stuff. I fix all my own stuff.
> I don't know if I could contain myself Franc with that alternator deal.


I generally fix myself but, My business has me working overtime and this year we are trying to finally get the ranch project started. that involves a house and a barn as well as clearing woods to pasture.  I am 74 and whilst not running out of energy, I am running out of time.  So, I am delegating some of the work I would normally do myself.

Besides, I have 11 vehicles in the fleet.  Most of them over 15 years old. That is a lot of mechanical work.


----------



## Melensdad

Hopped on the motorcycle and ran some errands, stopped at the post office, picked up lunch and then went back home.  I got out and switched the blower to the mower deck and got the front yard mowed.  The lovely Mrs_Bob took the pick up to the garden center to pick up a yard of mulch. 

Caught something under the right blade of the deck, started spinning the drive belt around the stuck spindle and got a good bit of smoke billowing out of the deck but not enough to destroy the belt before I switched off the PTO.  Drove back up to the shop, cleared the branch that was stuck, decided to take a quick break.

Rain is supposed to start up soon, I'll finish my Pepsi and get back out in a few minutes.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

It's been pouring on and off since last night. So I spent the day cleaning up the house and going through paperwork.


----------



## pirate_girl

It's raining here, but more a wind event right now.
I'm not doing much today.


----------



## FrancSevin

Headed to the Ozark ranch.  We call it Hippie Ridge because the locals named it so after a commune resided there in the 60's.

Cathy says we are going for some privacy and romance but she put a new chainsaw on the truck.  I suspect she has plans for tree cutting and land clearing. The only thing I'm likely to be spreading some gravel on the driveway.


----------



## Melensdad

The lovely Mrs_Bob and I are driving southeast to Columbus, OH with baby Kobe to visit my cousins who are trying to adopt Kobe.  There is also a "going away party" for another cousin who will be moving from Columbus to Florida.  We will return home on Sunday evening.  So a good bit of driving and plenty to keep us busy.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

It's been raining on and off since Wednesday. Nothing much exciting going on. The kids started their spring break that was moved from March to April. They've been homeschooling for a month but it was announced yesterday that they go back to in class learning in a week. 

Sitting in the hot tub is great for my back in this weather since I've been on arm crutches for 3 days to take pressure off my lower back which causes a loss of strength in my legs and feeling in my feet. I've been using it even in the rain.


----------



## Melensdad

Got home this evening from a weekend trip to Columbus, OH

One of my cousin's is moving to Florida so we went to her bon voyage party.  Her daughter is the one who wants to adopt our foster son Kobe so it was a good excuse to spend 3 days in Ohio.  The party was at her daughter's house. Unfortunately Kobe is teething and was crabby and clingy most of the time.  But he did spend a good deal of time with Denise (mostly in her arms) as he would cry when he was put down.  

Not sure it was a great weekend but it was a good one.


----------



## pirate_girl

To cut to the chase, I've been happy happy joy joy!
My allergies have been driving me nuts with the trees budding and the grasses being mowed.
Still picking up shifts at work when I feel like it.
My hunky man is just fiiiiine....❤?
Also, probably going to go with Ty and the family to the Carolinas in mid June.
There ya go!


----------



## Melensdad

Glad to hear your hunky man is fine, happy happy joy joy is a good thing.

I'm suffering from a toothache.  One of my several decades old root canals cracked.  I now have a mild infection.  Dentist prescribed antibiotics and I have an appointment on Thursday morning.


----------



## pirate_girl

Melensdad said:


> Glad to hear your hunky man is fine, happy happy joy joy is a good thing.
> 
> I'm suffering from a toothache.  One of my several decades old root canals cracked.  I now have a mild infection.  Dentist prescribed antibiotics and I have an appointment on Thursday morning.


Yes, it is a good thing.
As for your tooth situation.
Ouch.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Toothaches suck. Hopefully it's dealt with soon. 

Congrats on the happiness pg. You deserve it. 

I spent the half the day yesterday welding on my flat deck trailer. A few of the support bars on the ramp were rusted right through and needed to be reinforced. All winter, I have been using it every week to haul garbage to the dump once a week. So the road salt did a good number on it. 

Why oh why do women wait to do things until late afternoon then make their men work till dark?  We had bought a gazebo to go over the hot tub but hadn't assembled it yet. She who must be  obeyed decided to start on it ar 4pm. Of course I was voluntold to help. So by 9pm just as it was getting dark, I found myself balancing precariously on the top rung of a step ladder trying to line up some bolts for the roof. As we had to assemble it in place over the tub which left little room for a ladder. 

Today's task is completing the gazebo and possibly getting the lights strung around it.


----------



## pirate_girl

Thanks Brian ?

Today I've got two appointments, then I'm going with my friend Jules after she gets off work to Defiance. She's found a nice little house and today is the closing.
After that, we're going out for Chinese.


----------



## Melensdad

Pain pills and antibiotics seem to be helping my tooth.

Appointment is tomorrow morning to get the broken tooth removed, which can eventually be replaced with an implant after the hole from where they dig out the root heals.  Apparently it is a several month process?

Chinese food is good food.


----------



## EastTexFrank

Melensdad said:


> Pain pills and antibiotics seem to be helping my tooth.
> 
> Appointment is tomorrow morning to get the broken tooth removed, which can eventually be replaced with an implant after the hole from where they dig out the root heals.  Apparently it is a several month process?
> 
> Chinese food is good food.



Something very similar happened to me about a month ago.  I was flossing and a 25-year old+ root canal just snapped right off.  No pain.  Our dentist tried to put the old one back in as a temporary but that didn't work so he fitted me with an emergency temporary.   Two weeks later I had to go back in for my "permanent" temporary.  It's a months wait to get the permanent replacement installed.  He drilled out the old hole from the root canal and installed a peg so the permanent replacement should only take a few minutes to install.  All in all it will have taken about 2 months to complete but I'll have my sexy smile back.      

That's the second tooth that I've had just snap off at the gum line.  I thought that it was just my body that was falling apart but it seems that my teeth want to get in the act too.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

We got the gazebo finished. Looks great. I strung up outdoor patio lights inside for the late night hot tub parties. Lol. 

Not much else going on other then moving the large sectional couch downstairs in preparation for a regular couch coming tomorrow.


----------



## waybomb

Melensdad said:


> Pain pills and antibiotics seem to be helping my tooth.
> 
> Appointment is tomorrow morning to get the broken tooth removed, which can eventually be replaced with an implant after the hole from where they dig out the root heals.  Apparently it is a several month process?
> 
> Chinese food is good food.


More than a few months.
Wife has had 6 implants now. She had to have "grafts" (which aren't what you think they are) as well. More like almost a year.
There is a <wide> range of materials and process to set the implant. Do some research on the process, materials, and then the dentist.
Her doctor has an in-office machine that makes the replacement final tooth, and all the ones in between.

ps - it certainly was fun describing my wife's new implants to those that don't ask enough questions - firm, straight, pointing in the same direction, etc.


----------



## 300 H and H

I am waiting to plant corn. 
Soil temps at the surface are colder that at 4-5" depth.
Corn seeds need it to be warmer above them to grow towards the sun. If it is warmer below, they grow down toward the most warmth.
Then they die.


----------



## Melensdad

Farmers in my area are not planting either.  

Had my broken root canal dug out yesterday. 

Took a pain pill and taught an advanced beginner saber class with a partially numb face.  I did warn the class that if blood runs down my face I probably won’t feel it so I asked them to let me know if they saw it. 

Class went off fine.  I’m mildly sore this morning.  No pain pills test today.  None at bedtime either.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I packed up some odds and ends and headed to camp to open up and fill the water. I got here and heard a beer calling my name. Lmao. It's still a little chilly with the wind coming off the lake as the ice is still working on going out.


----------



## pirate_girl

Today is my Granddaughter Kasey's 19th birthday, but we're celebrating tomorrow afternoon because she's working tonight at her new job at Planet Fitness (she has a free membership for working there too!)
Next year we're looking forward to her being on the fire squad/ rescue for Defiance County.?
I'm so proud of this kid I could bust.


----------



## EastTexFrank

300 H and H said:


> I am waiting to plant corn.
> Soil temps at the surface are colder that at 4-5" depth.
> Corn seeds need it to be warmer above them to grow towards the sun. If it is warmer below, they grow down toward the most warmth.
> Then they die.



Amazing what you learn on here.  It's not all bombast and bullshit.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Went to camp yesterday and got a bunch of work done. Came home at first light this morning. Got a call from a camp friend asking me to haul their camper back out for them as it was in for work this winter. So I headed back out around 4 after going to get their camper. Got to camp around 5. Backed the trailer into their site and unhooked it. Back home at 8. Time for a beer or 3 and a hot tub.


----------



## Melensdad

Spent most of the day babysitting.  Also smoked some ribs and Burnt Ends in the smoker.  Baked some sweet pepper & onion cornbread to go with the ribs.


----------



## pirate_girl

It's a lovely day for a walk.
First I went to Oakwood park, then cut back and walked around Bauman Place.

?


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Nice. Our grass WAS starting to turn green. Now we have a foot of snow. 

I'm a hurting unit today. These damp cold weather changes knock me on my a$$.  We were supposed to be getting a used piano delivered today but the delivery guys called to say they were stuck on the road going in to where they were picking it up from. Meanwhile, I dragged my crippled butt outside to the plow truck down by the garage to clear a path for them when they got here only to find the battery dead. I had a new battery sitting in the garage for the boat so used it and a set of heavy duty cables to boost the plow truck. 

I was just about done when my wife informed me that they aren't coming today. So, I hobbled back to the house where I discovered the satellite TV is out due to snow build up on the dish outside. Back outside I went for a ladder and broom to sweep it off. 

The kids are still home from school for the next few weeks doing the online learning thing. That was a challenge getting them connected this morning as rogers wireless network is down across the whole country. Yes, it's one of those days here in the sticks of northwestern Ontario.


----------



## pirate_girl

Brian, we're supposed to get some snow.
They're saying a couple of inches.
Grrr lol


----------



## Melensdad

Quiet day planned for tomorrow.  Then packing and leaving for Notre Dame in the late afternoon.  We will be home early afternoon on Thursday.


----------



## pirate_girl

Sitting here hoping it doesn't snow.
Oh yes, also enjoying coffeeeeee..
?


----------



## Lenny

I suggested a way to get money from the Veteran's Administration to house homeless Veterans and then I presented it to the city council yesterday evening.  Today I followed up with the city manager, who I've been working with and he said the council liked my idea.   (YAY)  Another meeting set up and I will be compiling more information and ideas.


----------



## pirate_girl

I've been chilling out most days, walking, visiting the family, enjoying not being at work so much, but missing it all the same.
I go back this weekend for my prn shifts.
Also, me and what's his name have called it a day.
Remember when I said don't ever get clingy or controlling?
Yup.
It was amicable.
I'm not exactly shedding tears.
Some things just run their course and were good while they lasted.


----------



## FrancSevin

Sorry to hear that Lollie.

Picked up a deal on a wrapper today.  I have to go to Walnutport PA. Plan to go next week. 14 hour drive from St Louis.

$5K on a machine worth four times that much.  I was selling one of mine to a client but didn't really want to let it go.  This one fits him better and I get to keep my full stable of BRONCO's.  DOBOY Broncos are like Edsels.  Few if anybody likes them but me.  I pick them up for $2K and build them to compete with $40K machines.    I was part of the development team but they only sold 26 of them.  Good mid range machines. Originally priced at about $25 to $30K   We own three in house and I support some for other customers.

There is no factory support.  The machine I bought today however, has factory support which for my client, is a better deal.

And it was half what I was asking for mine. So, I'll make a little more margin and the client gets a better machine for less capital expense.  The client makes 3D glasses for theaters and we used to package them by the millions.  Now he does novelties like magic decoder toys and  special throwaway glasses for solar eclipse viewing.
Not enough volume to contract us so,,,;   Currently bagging them by hand. Tedious.

I've convinced him to go modern and package in house.


----------



## pirate_girl

Don't be sorry Francis.
Thanks.


----------



## pirate_girl

Well, today we have a staff recognition thing at work at 1pm. Hmmm
Cannot wait to see what that's all about.
Hopefully our corporate master will be there thanking us endlessly for all our work during our covid crisis.
?
The snow has all melted off, so I'm going to walk again at some point.
I'm making a rather large chuck roast for dinner in the slow cooker, so I don't have to mess around with being creative.
Dat's it.


----------



## Ceee

pirate_girl said:


> Also, me and what's his name have called it a day.





pirate_girl said:


> It was amicable.


Sometimes you have to cull a few to find the good ones.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

It's going to be a balmy 15 Celsius today which will make things nice and sloppy outside with 6" of fresh snow left from the storm the other day.   

We took delivery of a used piano today. It was free but we paid a moving company to deliver it. 

I installed some hooks on the gazebo over the hot tub to hang towels. 

Nothing much on the agenda as my back is shouting a big FU to anything strenuous today.


----------



## FrancSevin

NorthernRedneck said:


> It's going to be a balmy 15 Celsius today which will make things nice and sloppy outside with 6" of fresh snow left from the storm the other day.
> 
> We took delivery of a used piano today. It was free but we paid a moving company to deliver it.
> 
> I installed some hooks on the gazebo over the hot tub to hang towels.
> 
> Nothing much on the agenda as my back is shouting a big FU to anything strenuous today.


What style and brand piano?


----------



## FrancSevin

Cleaned the '95 Dodge one ton today.  Hosed out the vinyl insert and the bed of rock dust.  Limestone dust is worse than salt on corrosion.  I'm hauling a lot of it lately.

The Dodge one ton is my best wheel barrow ever. Last two week ends I hauled 8 tons of 3" gravel.  The road to my Ozark place is treacherous enough but the county has stopped maintaining it. So we have commandeered the power utility service road as our new driveway.  Originally just a dozer cleared path full of water holes and ruts, we are filling the soft spots with big rock and later I'll lay 1" clean on top. 

This week end should be the end of the sub surface work except for some culverts I'll do later when the 310 GD backhoe is down there.

This new drive traverses a 40 Acre section and then joins my old road for another 1/4 mile. That's a lot of shovel work buy hand so I cannot wait to get the JD down there. But we needed to shore up the sub road so we can get in there rain or shine.

This coming weekend I will be laying down two or three tons of 1"claen to restore the driveway and parking areas around the house and out buildings. I have a truck bed unloading system ordered but I doubt I will get it for this weekend.  So once again, unloading one shovel at a time.

The wife helps and frankly throws two shovels for one of mine.  Amazing woman and cute too!


----------



## mtntopper

Road trip today.


----------



## 300 H and H

Going to start planting the 2021 corn crop this after noon.
Time to get real busy!


----------



## pirate_girl

mtntopper said:


> Road trip today.


Did a girl in a flatbed Ford slow down to take a look at you? Lol

Cool!


----------



## mtntopper

pirate_girl said:


> Did a girl in a flatbed Ford slow down to take a look at you? Lol
> 
> Cool!


 I must of missed her yesterday. I stayed focused on the one to my right in the pic. One is enough trouble to deal with.....LOL


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Tore the dash apart on my son's car this morning to change the clock spring on the steering column. Getting to the actual part was a 15 minute job normally but some genius at gm thought that it would be a good idea to use locktite on the steering wheel even though it slides onto a splined steering shaft and is held on by a lock nut. Then the wiring harness that normally connects just below the steering column on most vehicles is located in behind the guage cluster. So that was a pain. It's still not totally done but I did get the old one off and new one installed. After a few choice words, I shifted my focus to building a handrail on the steps leading down to the hot tub. I had just enough treated lumber sitting around from other projects to get it done. I even scavenged some from the kids tree fort they never use. Lol. It still needs to be stained but I have to build a railing for the other set of stairs coming from the kitchen deck first.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Morning coffee and hot tub in progress. Followed by a whole lot of SFA all day. We have a light snowfall that is only supposed to amount to an inch. Very refreshing being in the hot tub at -1.


----------



## pirate_girl

Back to work this weekend.
Actually looking forward to it.


----------



## pirate_girl

pirate_girl said:


> Back to work this weekend.
> Actually looking forward to it.


Scratch that.
I wasn't even on the schedule for today!
Maybe I should just retire like right now.
??


----------



## FrancSevin

Started a slow rain last nite.  Still raining a slow gentle rain.  Everything is greening up. And,,,; SOGGY WET!!!

But we are still going to the Ozark ranch and hope for the best.  I have a ton of one inch clean gravel to put down Sunday.  Monday I will deliver and spread two more tons on the homestead drive and parking areas.  

The wife finally admitted the old 32' Mallard RV was un-salvageable so we may disconnect it from the deck and sewer drains so we can move it out of our way.  I'll  scavenge the water heater, fresh water tanks and electric fireplace heater.  We can use them in the new structure. 

This will be our last major rock work until I get the JD310 down there.

With all this rain the area should be very wet making it safe to have a big bonfire for all the brush we have taken out. Last fall we cleared 3 acres of 1" to 3" diameter saplings from the pastures and front lawns.  I also have a stack of lumber that we bought 12 years ago to build a house.  It is mostly useless now.  

I think most of the 4X8 siding panels are usable and all of the windows and doors were well preserved under tarps.  Much of the treated lumber is still usable.  Any of the clear pine 2X4's and 2X6's are worthless along with headers and joists.  Altogether a good $12k going up in smoke because the economy sucked in 2010  thru 2017.  We barely kept the company afloat and had no time or funds to build our dream.


----------



## Lenny

Went to a paranormal show but they had NO GUN signs on the doors so I left.  The American Legion about 10 miles from here is having rocky mountain oysters this evening so I'm going there.


----------



## pirate_girl

It's 82 beautiful degrees out there!
I've been out most of the morning/day so far just enjoying it.
Nothing else to report really.


----------



## Ceee

pirate_girl said:


> It's 82 beautiful degrees out there!


Y'all sure do have some weather swings.  Snow just a few days ago and now 82.

.....................

Although it's sprinkling right now, it's nice here too.  I'm on the countdown from my 2nd covid vac.   When I get to a full 14 days, I will be at the garden center with a big fat cart of goodies for my yard.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

It's finally warming up to shorts weather. So my buddy asked me yesterday if I want to go trout fishing an hour away from the shore of a river. So we headed out this morning in his old jeep that had been sitting for a year and was just put back on the road this week. 

Back to today, we drove to the city then started heading east. We get about 5 miles out when the steering wheel starts shaking. We pull over and get out to inspect. The passenger side tire and brakes was normal temperature but the drivers side was almost glowing red hot. Great. Brakes are dragging. So we let them cool down before turning around to head home. We get going and make it about a mile before the steering wheel is shaking again. We pull over and check. Yep, it's red hot again. We let it cool down and proceed. This goes on a few more times until we stop to check and my buddy gets an idea ?.  Hey,  we need water to cool it down. There's a bit of a snow in the ditch. We start throwing handfuls of snow on the brakes to to cool them down. Then get going again. A mile down the road, it's happening again. We stop on the side of the road and it's glowing red. We need to cool it down again. My buddy gets a little grin, whips out his...... and starts pissing on it. Meanwhile I find a plastic bottle in the back and take it down to the ditch beside us filled with water. A few trips back and forth to pour water on it and we were back on the road again. We ended up making it home taking the back roads with slower speeds then swapped vehicles and headed back out to a closer spot in town to go fishing. After an hour of no bites and several snags, we came home. 

I listed the truck camper for sale yesterday and sold it for more than I paid for it last fall but I have to deliver it. So I loaded it up into the truck this afternoon.


----------



## 300 H and H

Waiting on a field cultivator to finish a field, so I can get in there and plant. 3 more fields of corn, then a dozen fields of beans yet to go.


----------



## Melensdad

Not much.

Grocery shopping this morning.  Got home just as the sky opened up and the fields flooded.  Roads flooded.  Pretty much wet outside!

Rain has let up some, still coming down but not too heavy now.  Standing water in the fields.

I made meatloaf for dinner + 2 extra that will go into the freezer for another day.

Heading out to coach at the fencing club soon.  I have a bunch of new fencers that I've been working with and they usually show up on our Wednesday evening open fencing nights.


----------



## m1west

work work work work work work work work........................................................................................................................................................................


----------



## FrancSevin

I had an opportunity to buy a packaging line worth every bit of $15k from a guy who had no idea of what it was. $5K Buy it now on E-Bay; I picked it up 15 minutes after he listed it.

Already have it sold but I need cash in hand to get it, and modify it, for a client who has already agreed to a $20K to $25K price for a fully refurbished running system. I'll need all of that cash and $5K more to do it. Forty manhours labor and some parts and ,,,;done.  

We had $10K set aside for Hippie ridge but I need to use it to fund this project.   So I must delay some work at Hip[pie Ridge where we wanted to put a prefab bunkhouse up in place of the destroyed 32' Mallard camper.

The model we are looking to buy is just over $11K delivered.  14ft wide X 32 feet long. 2X4 construction.  Studs on 16" centers.
I hate missing out on a great deal, but the business gets first dibs on our cash when a profitable opportunity strikes.
Once everything goes through with the machine project, I can re-divert the funds back to the bunk house.  Hopefully in the same price range.


Totally un-finished inside, with solid walls a door and two windows.   I can wire it and put insulation in the walls and ceiling.  No finish for now just a camp kitchen dry sink and a porta potty.
Paneling the walls and ceiling will be done as time and funds make it  possible.  At least one 12' X 14' sleeping room can be reasonably furnished , tight and inhabitable..  Once the bunkhouse is up and inhabitable we can start on the main house project.   Which, if we do it, will take the better part of a year. But, at least in the meanwhile, we will have a warm dry unit in which to stay overnight.

That is the plan anyway for now.   Doesn't leave much time for trout fishing or sailing as I had hoped.  I'll get there someday.   Meanwhile, the wife is happy.  _Happy wife, happy life._ right?

Hopefully I live long enough to enjoy a reward for the work.


----------



## austonte

The usual, wake up early to work out. Work from home. Play with the kids. Help the wife with house chores and do a little bit of gardening.


----------



## pirate_girl

m1west said:


> work work work work work work work work........................................................................................................................................................................


Not me. ?


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Brought our oldest son for dental surgery to get his wisdom teeth out. The lovely missus took the second oldest son to an orthodontist appointment at the same time. This afternoon I will deliver the truck camper to the buyer.


----------



## pirate_girl

I feel like a bunch of ya are like this ? right now.
Lol


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I had installed a rear seat on the camp golf cart last summer but with a couple people on the back, it was bottoming out over bumps. So I ordered a set of heavy duty rear springs. They arrived yesterday so I spent the morning installing them. Now my wife is making custom graphics to install on it before I bring it out to camp for the summer.


----------



## FrancSevin

I need to create side takes for my new 24' flatbed trailer with a hydraulic dump bed.  I'll be using 2X4's for the stakes and 5/4 decking for the side boards.    I will then cut 4X4's to fit across the bed and use them and wheel stops when hauling vehicles.  
Drive screws into the ends through the side boars and the vehicle is secured from rolling font to back. Add 16' 2X4's  screwed to the top on either side of the vehicle wheels.  That secures it side to side.

Chain it down with tensioners and the vehicle is securely going nowhere.

If I extend the sideboards up 24" high I can use the trailer as a bulk hauler for gravel, sand  and  even mulches.


----------



## Melensdad

So for my excitement today I installed a toilet in the guest apartment. 

This a one of those elongated bowl + tall "accessible height" thrones.  I'd never removed, nor installed one before so it was new to me.  Was easier than I figured.  I was missing one connection hose, so that required a trip to the store.  But otherwise not nearly the "project" that I was expecting it would be. 

The toilet is the tallest toilet known to mankind.  Honestly too tall for me.  It is 21" to the seat.  The ADA complaint toilets are in the 17.5 to 19" to the top of the seat.  A regular height is a couple inches shorter than the ADA 'accessible.  But as my sister in law lives in the apartment, and as she has trouble getting up/down, my wife thought that this oversized throne was the most suitable.

And it has the built in bidet lid, which, when I tested it, sprayed water across the room and out the window on the opposing wall!  I'm sure children (of all ages) will have fun with this add on feature.


----------



## FrancSevin

Got the side stakes done on the trailer today.  I cannot believe the effort wore me out.

Took a shower ,did new York strips over hickory for dinner with mashed potatoes, broccoli, sugared carrot and asparagras
Going to bed now so I can wake  at O' Dark Thirty and head for Walnutport PA. 15 hour drive straight through.  

After we load the machine on the trailer I'm heading to Ivyland PA ( near Philly)to puck up a load of wrapping film. The shipping lines are so overloaded right now it will take 10 days to get it to St. Louis.  Like it did last month. Our plant goes down on Wednesday if I don't have it in Wentzville Mo.

I won't be posting until Wednesday night.


----------



## pirate_girl

I've been worried since Thursday morning ever since my eldest son Jeff was diagnosed with what can be technically called heart failure.
He's been experiencing an arrhythmia, or as he described it- fluttering.
His doc set him up with a cardio appointment and they found his ejection fraction was at 38.
Of course I freaked out and haven't slept much at all.
After looking at his chart online, then speaking to some very knowledgeable nurses who know more than I, he's going to be put on a low dose ACE inhibitor and has been advised to watch his diet (sodium!).. stop the damn energy drinks and get more active.
We're not sure yet, but it's thought that he suffered a silent heart attack at some point.
So it's back to the cardiologist tomorrow morning and we'll go from there.
I had lunch with him today and he seemed fine.
Mama Bear worries about everything.


----------



## Colt Gomez

I am browsing this thread, as I wait for the food that I have ordered online. It's been a productive Monday at work.


----------



## Melensdad

Took all my tax information to my accountant today, he will prepare my taxes.  I'm pretty sure I will pay.  I always pay.  It's just the way of the world.  They take my money. 

I also went to the butcher shop and picked up an order that we placed with them.  Basically re-filled the freezer, beef and pork.


----------



## pirate_girl

I despise inept "doctors".
On the other hand, I'm VERY happy right now.
❤?


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Not a whole lot going on today. I did head out and took the cover off the boat, installed the batteries, opened up the Bimini roof. Then hooked up the lawn sweeper to the Jacobsen tractor and cruised around for a while picking up leaves, dead grass and misc debris in the yard.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Melensdad said:


> Took all my tax information to my accountant today, he will prepare my taxes.  I'm pretty sure I will pay.  I always pay.  It's just the way of the world.  They take my money.
> 
> I also went to the butcher shop and picked up an order that we placed with them.  Basically re-filled the freezer, beef and pork.


We did ours last week. Well, my wife did it as that's her expertise since she works for the cra (Canada revenue agency or the Canadian version of the IRS).  Her department is the one that calls you when you haven't filed your taxes in years and works with you to get them in. So she knows what she's doing and how to best enter the numbers for a sizeable return. We usually get money back every year. This year, let's just say that it's enough to pay our annual camp fees for the year and allow her to take July and August off without pay. We've worked out the finances so that she never has to work a summer again.


----------



## norscaner

pirate_girl said:


> I despise inept "doctors".
> On the other hand, I'm VERY happy right now.
> ❤?
> View attachment 137193


Great news PG


----------



## FrancSevin

We'll, It's Wednesday night and I made it back in one piece.  The Wife spent all four days in the truck cab with me and ,,,,, WE ARE SILL MARRIED>!!!

The Doboy Machine was in the condition I expected but they had already prepared and disassembled it so loading was easy.

Ran into some rain on the way down to Philly to load film.  I don't think it hurt anything on the machine. We put 1,800 lbs of wrapping film on the truck and headed for home.  Spent Tuesday night in Wheeling W Virginia.  Lovely evening, Longhorn Steakhouse, some Glenlivet neat and had a good night's rest.

Altogether 2,018 miles in the new (to us)'97  3500 Dodge Ramm dually. Except for acceleration up a entrance ramp, it performed very well.  Several steep grades brought it down to 55MPH but then I had 15K Lbs on and with the trailer and about 2K Lbs in the truck.  Most every truck on those hills with us was doing the same.   

15 MPG,  Diesel, not too bad.

It is gonna feel good to sleep in my own bed again.


----------



## Melensdad

FrancSevin said:


> We'll, It's Wednesday night and I made it back in one piece.  The Wife spent all four days in the truck cab with me and ,,,,, WE ARE SILL MARRIED>!!!


Congrats!  

We just celebrated our 36th Anniversary, but never locked her in the truck with me for 4 days in a row.  So you clearly got me beat.  


Bit of a hectic day here, got up and started cleaning the house.  Dept of Child Services was scheduled to show up at lunch time, our regular case worker + her brand new supervisor.  Kobe has been running a fever for the past several days, 3 trips to the doctor, so the house was a bit of a mess and dusty as we had more important things to worry about.

Meeting with DCS went well, it always does, our case worker is great.

This afternoon I had an interview with the local PBS station scheduled at our fencing club.  Rode the motorcycle in and it was 55 degrees (F) and sunny.  So a pleasant ride.  Had to be at the club at 5 so the crew could set up their cameras.  Did the interview, which lasted about 30 minutes.  He set up the questions, I had to reply is a specific format, covered pretty much everything.  It was finished prior to the club members showing up, the TV crew stayed for another 90 minutes and filmed the club members fencing, we talked about several of the members, focused on the fact that we are a recreational club but we do our best to support competitive members, often using outside coaches to come in for more expert instruction.  

Rode home at 9pm, 45 degrees, no sun, a bit of a cool ride home.


----------



## FrancSevin

Melensdad said:


> Congrats!
> 
> We just celebrated our 36th Anniversary, but never locked her in the truck with me for 4 days in a row.  So you clearly got me beat.
> 
> 
> Bit of a hectic day here, got up and started cleaning the house.  Dept of Child Services was scheduled to show up at lunch time, our regular case worker + her brand new supervisor.  Kobe has been running a fever for the past several days, 3 trips to the doctor, so the house was a bit of a mess and dusty as we had more important things to worry about.
> 
> Meeting with DCS went well, it always does, our case worker is great.
> 
> This afternoon I had an interview with the local PBS station scheduled at our fencing club.  Rode the motorcycle in and it was 55 degrees (F) and sunny.  So a pleasant ride.  Had to be at the club at 5 so the crew could set up their cameras.  Did the interview, which lasted about 30 minutes.  He set up the questions, I had to reply is a specific format, covered pretty much everything.  It was finished prior to the club members showing up, the TV crew stayed for another 90 minutes and filmed the club members fencing, we talked about several of the members, focused on the fact that we are a recreational club but we do our best to support competitive members, often using outside coaches to come in for more expert instruction.
> 
> Rode home at 9pm, 45 degrees, no sun, a bit of a cool ride home.


 Next week,,,; May 10th will be 52 years for us.


----------



## Melensdad

FrancSevin said:


> Next week,,,; May 10th will be 52 years for us.


Probably because you lock her in the truck with you for 4 days at a time.  I guess I need to try that!


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Yesterday was productive. I gave the flat deck trailer a fresh coat of paint. Then worked in the garage for 4 hours reassembling the steering column on my son's car. 

Depending on how my back feels, I plan on heading to the back of the property with a chainsaw to tackle a large spruce tree that fell during the winter.


----------



## pirate_girl

For the first time in a long time I feel like crap today.
All intestinal junk.
Ugh..
Soup for dinner, relaxing in my chair with a blankie.


----------



## Melensdad

Babysitting Kobe today.

Carpet installers are here today.   They are finishing what they started just before Easter.  Today its the long hallway and a flight of floating stairs.  The stairs are posing problems for them.

This evening I'll be back at the fencing club.  Tonight I teach the Advanced Beginner class.  It will be my last Thursday evening class for this session.


----------



## FrancSevin

When I left the plant last Friday they were having trouble with the sealing jaws on line one.  I came in this morning and they were still tinkering.  Which means that for three days I had a crew standing beside a non running machine which produced essentially nothing  billable.

I sent the crew to the back to reclaim any usable product in the mess they made.  It took me one hour to sort the issues and bring the machinery back on line.   I guess if the answer cannot be found on google, these folks are mystified!~!!

So much for going into retirement.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Split a bunch of firewood this morning with the log splitter. Then my back gave me a big FU and put me in the chair. After an hour soaking in the hot tub, it felt a little better. Nothing much on the agenda. Both older boys are working.


----------



## pirate_girl

Still taking it easy on my stomach.
Truthfully I think I had myself all worked up worrying about my son.
Better today, but I'm still being cautious.
Nuttin' else.
?


----------



## FrancSevin

We cancelled plans for Springfield and the ranch this weekend.  So much traveling in the last two months and we need to stay home for the kids.

The shop finally sorted the SRT Crossfire ECM communications with the tranny ( Good heavens I hate electronics in modern cars) so with the engine light out it will pass inspection.  But I have todriveitfor100 miles so the  emissions show OK.

We will likely take a drive to a winery Saturday to put on the miles.

Plates are February 2021 so, my luck I'll get stopped or a ticket.


----------



## pirate_girl

Lapping up the chapters in this book.
I've an old friend who lives in Rhode Island. She's retired from her years at the Naval War College. She's always been a huge fan of the Kennedy's like me.
Today I received a box of books from her.
I'll probably be up half the night reading.
Yes books! Remember those? Lol


----------



## m1west

Going to do a 1/2 day at the shop today, don't really have to but it will make it better for the field next week, so I will make the sacrifice.


----------



## waybomb

Celebrating 39 years of marriage tonight.


----------



## pirate_girl

waybomb said:


> Celebrating 39 years of marriage tonight.


Congratulations, Fred.
I know it's not really proper to congratulate couples on longstanding marriages- but that is something to smile about.
I hope you all are doing something fun and relaxing. ❤?


----------



## waybomb

Thanks pg.
Just relaxing drinking some good wine and watching tv. 
Played around in the boat a bit, then went to our favorite restaurant for lunch.


----------



## pirate_girl

Right now I'm remembering my Mother.
She was 16 in this picture.
She was the family rock.
Happy Mother's Day to her.
Navy wife, Mom of all of us including any kid in the neighborhood.
Best advice, best love, best Lady to pass on a wealth of strength to ALL who ever crossed her path.
Barbara Phillips. THE Mom y'all could have only wished you had.
❤?


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Bought a good used 5th wheel camper to replace the truck camper we sold last week. My parents bought it a few weeks ago to replace their truck camper to use for remote fishing and shorter trips. But they decided that they wanted something with a slide out. It's older but in good shape. Nothing fancy. Small enough to tow behind the f150 and haul the boat behind it. I'm getting a 5th wheel hitch installed on Tuesday.


----------



## norscaner

NorthernRedneck said:


> Bought a good used 5th wheel camper to replace the truck camper we sold last week. My parents bought it a few weeks ago to replace their truck camper to use for remote fishing and shorter trips. But they decided that they wanted something with a slide out. It's older but in good shape. Nothing fancy. Small enough to tow behind the f150 and haul the boat behind it. I'm getting a 5th wheel hitch installed on Tuesday.
> 
> View attachment 137257


LOL  at "used for remote fishing"


----------



## NorthernRedneck

norscaner said:


> LOL  at "used for remote fishing"


Every may long weekend, we head up to geraldton 3 hrs away and go approximately 30km north of there down an old logging road where we camp on crown land for 4-5 days near a lake where we go fishing. It's one of those lakes where you can catch your limit in 20 minutes then spend the day fishing for size. 

My brother races the dirt tracks in Fort frances, Kenora, and Winnipeg. So we wanted something smaller to ve able to load up and travel over to watch throughout the summer as well.


----------



## 300 H and H

We baby sat my Grandson last night while the daughter and her fiancé had a night alone for a change. 
What a perfect little boy. slept all night and woke up smiling and happy.   
And we received a good bit of much needed rain as well.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Been working my ass off the past 2 days. Literally, it's gone. Even my belt won't hold my pants up anymore. Helped a friend move into a new rental unit but half her stuff was at her old place and some at a storage locker and some at her boyfriend's place. So that meant driving around the city everywhere in a cube van they rented.
Yesterday we were beat by the afternoon so I came home and got to work on the new used fifth wheel. Of course course I had to take it for it's maiden voyage behind the truck to see how it handled. It did alright but I did have to adjust the hitch when I got back as it was sitting a bit too close to the box sides. Today, I'm replacing the interior front panel with some tongue and groove pine.




There's no water damage or rot but someone else had already replaced the front inside panel and frankly, it looks like crap. So it's been removed and is getting new pine installed today. We're also changing the mattress.


----------



## Melensdad

Yesterday I drove to Notre Dame with a bunch of empty boxes for Dasha so she could begin to pack up her dorm room.  ND's finals begin Friday/Saturday and end on May 19th.  Move out day is May 20.  Dasha's last final is May 19 at 4pm.  But she has a couple reading days now so I figured it would be good to get her started.  I got her winter clothes, fencing gear and several boxes go misc college junk.  It will make move out day go much quicker!

Returned home about 5:15pm, changed and rode my motorcycle to the fencing club four our novice championship event.  Mu students took 1st, 3rd(Tied), 5th and 6th places.

Today is babysitting day with Kobe.  The lovely Mrs_Bob is spending the day with her sister.  At lunchtime Kobe and I will meet with our agency case worker, not even sure why she is coming but I have some paperwork to hand off to her.  Should be a short meeting, they typically last about 15 minutes.  Weather looks to be sunny and reasonably warm (mid-60's this afternoon) so Kobe and I will probably go out for a walk in his stroller.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I spent the whole day outside working on the camper. I began by cutting the pine to size then applying a coat of clear varnish.





Next, I turned my attention to painting the frame at the front and bumper at the back.







After that was done, I went back and gave the wood a second coat of varnish. By then it was lunch time. After a quick break, I turned my attention to the bathroom in the hall where I removed the sink and counter in preparation for the new quartz counters coming tomorrow.

After removing the counter I returned to the camper to install the wood inside.


----------



## pirate_girl

I worked this afternoon 4 hrs but it felt like 8.
I hate admissions.
Always have.


----------



## FrancSevin

On my way to Springfield tonight.  Tomorrow is the only day with sun in the forecast and I need to put down gravel on the new road into the Hippie Ridge Ranch.  Saturday is rain off and on so I'll be finishing the  foundation deck for the new barn/storage shed we ordered for the Springfield house.. They promised five week delivery so I best get it done.

Sunday is also supposed to be wet but I think I'll be out at the ranch moving the old tractor and retaining wall out of the way for the new Bunkhouse.  We ordered it as well with a five week lead time. 14' X 32"  I need to set aside one weekend to jack up the old  Mallard RV, change some of the tires and then  and get it out of the way as well.  See you all again next Monday


----------



## NorthernRedneck

You sound busy. Tomorrow is going to be busy as we're finally getting a bunch of final renos in the house completed. Bathtoom counters in 2 bathrooms. 3 new sinks and taps. A 10 ft bank of cabinets in the kitchen and counter on that. Then I have to install all the faucets. But then I will get a break Saturday by going to camp for the day for another work project. I have no clue how I had time to work before?


----------



## m1west

Worked a couple hours in the shop, The big fabrication job is now complete, with a little to do in the field next week. Now today I started the 2 months that I am behind on the property, house and yard maintenance. Also plan to make a work cabin trip next week, I haven't been there since December.


----------



## Melensdad

Got Kobe his own lounge chair so he can watch Star Trek


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Kobe looks like he's enjoying his day. Lol

I ended up out at camp last night. Up at 6:20am. Dumped the sewage. Drove back to town. And got to work hooking up the sinks and faucets in two bathrooms.   I'm exhausted.


----------



## FrancSevin

Soaking rain all day  Saturday so we just stayed in the bungalow and watched Gunsmoke episodes from season 3, 4 & 5
But I did replace the water line into the Bungalow and the leaking galley faucet.

Sunday was so wet we didn't even try the roads into Hippie ridge.
Grandkids called complaining that Jessie had a fever, cough and lost his sense of taste.  So we scooted home early  to get him tested Sunday afternoon for COVID-19.   This is the third time for him. He always tested negative before. 

And he did so again.

Instead, it is a massive ear infection

Teddy is complaining of stomach cramps again.   Most likely Ovarian cists again. So that means more time at the doctor for her as well.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I swear the work never stops. I hit the ground running this morning and by 7am had a picnic table loaded onto the trailer and on my way to camp for a quick pitstop to drop it off at a friend's site then continued on another 10 km to an abandoned gravel pit that still has a large pile of crushed gravel. I quickly loaded up about a half of trailer full and headed back home. 

While I was gone (2hr drive to and from camp), a load of a gravel for the driveway by the garage was delivered and partially spread while it was dumped. So as soon as I got home, I shifted gears and used the side by side to move 13 loads from a pile to where I wanted it. Yes, all shoveled by hand. After I was done moving as much as I could, I grabbed the plow truck to spread it out evenly. That brought me to 1pm. Time for lunch and a hot tub then back to work offloading the crushed gravel we needed for a base for the planter boxes I built in the fall. At some point today I have to go to the dump.


----------



## Melensdad

I see by your photos that you own a shovel.

Rookie mistake.

Buy a Front End Loader and mount it on a tractor.  One of the best investments I ever made.  My back thanks me even weekend.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Yes. I shoveled all that gravel by hand. My buddy down the road does have a smaller kubota front end loader with a backhoe attachment. I asked him to help but he was busy with it digging a 100ft trench to bury a water line out to his greenhouse. Eventually I plan on getting one with a mower attachment to replace the Jacobsen.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

So yesterday was supposed to be a "I'm a hurting unit and need to recover" kind of day until my neighbor messaged me saying that he was done for the day with the tractor if I wanted to borrow it. A few minutes later I was bringing the kubota back to my place where I got to work. First, I filled each planter with a couple inches of crushed gravel then about 15" of premix soil. Then I tackled the ground level garden by first scraping down about 8" to remove grass in a 12x12' section then moved around 20" x 12x12' of the premix and spread it. 

It's raining today so not much is getting done outside. We need the rain though as we had a 120 hectare forest fire only miles up the road just the other day.


----------



## Melensdad

Got the truck emptied out, grabbed some packing tape and ratchet straps, drinking my coffee now.  Departing for Notre Dame shortly to pick up Dasha from campus to bring her back home.  She will stay with us until Monday evening when she flies off to Kiev and her real home.

If I am smart I will also take a bottle of Aleve for my muscles and some ear plugs to block out the Russian music she plays, loudly.  Typically she talks louder, so I can hear her, over the thumping of her Russian electro-punk music while she asks if i am enjoying the song.  Fortunately she doesn't do that in the house.

Maybe I'll just pull the fuse for the radio?


----------



## pirate_girl

Meeting at 1pm.
Nothing much else.
It's going to be hot the rest of the week.
?
No long walks for me!


----------



## pirate_girl

I did actually go out and wash the car.
?


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Day 2 of much needed rain. Not much on the agenda today as everything I have to do is outside. One nice thing about winter....if it's snowing, I can still get things done outside without getting soaked.


----------



## pirate_girl

Grocery shopping.
I'm probably the most frequent shopper at Chief supermarket.
Other than that, I'm staying in and staying cool.


----------



## FrancSevin

Plans are to assemble my new Oklahoma Joe's smoker pit tonight.

I have brat and beef sausages to do on the old BBQ for dinner tonite.
Then pack it up for a trip to the Bungalow next week.

I've got three roasts and a pork loin coming out of the freezer to smoke all day Saturday whilst I do yardwork.

That pile of deck lumber in my garden needs to be cut and used to replace the old deck.

Several flats of annuals are climbing out of the trays.  I'll get them in this weekend.


----------



## m1west

I had to postpone the work cabin trip after checking the weather, rain all weekend and snow above 5000' wtf its the end of May


----------



## NorthernRedneck

It was still raining this morning until the sun came out and quickly dried up the lawn. So I headed to the city to get a few things and came back to do a quick oil change on the Jacobsen mower then mowed the lawn.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

We had some extra dirt left in the pile so I borrowed the kubota again and widened the garden by almost double. The first section is already planted. Cucumbers peas carrots beans zucchini and a few other veggies. We'll also be doing tomatoes. I scraped down about 6" then brought up the dirt. The top layer I scraped off was reused to fill in between the drive to the garage and the tree line.


----------



## pirate_girl

My Granddaughter Kasey graduates next Sunday.
Her original plan was to stick with being an EMT/Firefighter.
Now she's asking me about being a nurse.
Go for it kiddo.
You've already got the basics under your belt.
My Grandchild wants to follow in my footsteps!!
I gave her reference names and locations in Defiance to apply to start clinicals.
I'm smiling!!!


----------



## FrancSevin

Spent the day moving deck lumber I bought two years ago.  Glad I did because prices have gone through  the roof.  But it is in the way so I moved it today near the saw so I can cut and install in this week.
Meanwhile the area it occupied is to be sodded and cleanup.  The chopping block is an old  40" diameter oak stump in the middle of a 15' circle.  I'll leave it with bark chips but circle the area with sod.

After clearing and grading the area I laid 15 pieces of sod.  I'm beat.


----------



## pirate_girl

I'm beat too, Francis.. and it's only past 10pm.
?
Guess I'll sign off and find a movie to watch.


----------



## FrancSevin

Wife and I sat on the back porch for hours with a fire going and the trickling water fall lulling us into sleep mode.
Just holding hands and cuddling close.
She is such a peach with which to live now.  We are on a constant honeymoon.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I decided to head out to camp and have a beer or nine ish. Lol. I was up at 620 and on the road home by 7 as I had work to do. I hooked up the trailer and went to grab a load of scrap wood from my parents new place for the firepit at home. While I was there, we had a visitor next door only a 100 feet away.


----------



## Melensdad

Looks like the bear wants to come inside!

Yesterday and again today I took out Dasha on my wife's motorcycle. As my bike has a cargo rack replacing the rear seat it probably would be far less comfortable for her to ride pillion on the back of my bike. She loves to ride, eventually wants to learn how for herself. We also had some helmet fun with Kobe


----------



## Melensdad

Baby sitting this morning.

Just had fun this afternoon. Rain was not supposed to start until 5pm, so, of course, it started at 2pm. 

But it was simply a great ride. I intended to go east but turned west and rode southwest before I figured out that I was going to continue that way. Ended up visiting the Bradley house in Kankakee designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the Prairie Style of architecture common during the early 1900’s. My home was designed in 1912 by one of Wright’s partners, in Wright’s Oak Park, IL studio, by an architect named Walter Burley Griffin. Griffin’s wife did a painting of the Bradley house, and was one of the early female architects.

On the way home I stopped at an old drive in where you park under a canopy.  Had some home-made root beer and a Chicago style Polish sausage as a late lunch.  Came home a different way and stopped off at a really cool church.  Temps dropped 10-15 degrees from sunny and pleasant to very cool and raining.  At the church I put on a Gore Tex jacket over my mesh, but armored motorcycle jacket, it blocked the wind and made the final leg of the ride much more comfortable.


----------



## 300 H and H

Sitting in my Mack trucks today delivering corn that will end up in Bush beer one day..... 4th of July if I were to guess lol.
We have several days left of trucking corn. Much cooler temps this morning are welcome, and the temp in the grain bins can get uncomfortable in a hurry in sunny hot weather. But this is the weather and time of year the most beer is being drank lol.


----------



## pirate_girl

?❤?‍?
She did it.

Now on to graduation from her home school in Defiance.
Proud Grandma me.


----------



## FrancSevin

I will be finishing the sideboards on my newest 24'  dump  trailer.

I built a box using 5/4 treated decking that is 8' wide  by 12' long and 20" high..

That should hold 160 Cubic feet or approximately 6 cubic yards.

Weight of a load of limestone should be12,000 lbs.       I will likely dial that back and keep loads limited to 5 tons.

My Dodge one ton holds just ,,,, well ,,,one ton of 1' clean gravel.  So this will save a lot of trips to the quarry.  So it well be5 to 1.

And the bonus,,,,;   I don't have to unload it one shovel at a time.


----------



## m1west

I'm at the work cabin, I ran the 1000' of 1-1/2" pvc I brought with me on Thursday. This morning I found 300' here in Susanville for $.10 more per ft. than Home so I bought all of it and ran another 220,' so now its from where I have to cross the road and run a couple hundred feet up the hill to the spring down the road a 1/4 mile then a hundred feet to the tank. So that means another couple hundred feet of pipe. I will pick up another 300' or so at home so I can finish and have a little extra. The guy at the pipe store said his supplier told him there is a polymer shortage and PVC the glue and most things plastic are going to get hard to find and expensive soon. I can't post any pics as the hotspot on my phone won't get it done. I am headed home tomorrow and will post in the camp life section.


----------



## Deadly.Sushi

I WAS going to go to a Christian retreat BUT I have strep. Im missing out on all the wonderful things I COULD be with!


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I had my arm poke yesterday morning then headed to camp for the night. I brought the side by side and went for a nice 70 mile ride. I crossed a creek on one section of the trail.


----------



## Melensdad

Kobe has an early morning doctor's visit so the Lovely Mrs_Bob will be taking him there.  

I'll be working on cleaning, priming and painting some old wood bookshelves for Melen's apartment.  They are in pretty good shape, but the finish is in trouble.  Plan is to paint them to match the new decor of her apartment.  These are BIG book cases.  3 units designed to sit side-by-side measuring 7' tall and 9' wide overall.  So it will fill her wall nicely when it is all done.  Found them on Facebook Marketplace for way cheaper than we could get cheap Ikea type bookcases, and these already look a lot better.

I've also got a lot of tree branches that need to go down to the burn pile.  Scattered around the property are 5 or 6 mounds of pruned lower branches that should have been cut long ago.  Makes a big difference to have them cut off, opens up some sight lines, makes things look nicer, will make lawn mowing easier under some of the low branches too.  NOT SURE that all of them will get down to the burn pile.  Pretty sure that might be a couple day project moving all of them down the paths to the pile.

This evening my fencing club is hosting a club from Chicago.  They are coming down to have their students fence ours.  Just a friendly get together of clubs, not a competition.  The owners of that club are good friends, they do a lot more competitions than we do so they want to expose their students to different fencers so they don't get into the same habits while fencing the same kids over and over.


----------



## pirate_girl

I've been asked to check up on my friends cat, Hazel the siamese.
Just go to her house, make sure her highness has food and water.
She said good luck with actually seeing her, she'll run and hide as soon as you open the door.
It's overcast and blah outside.


----------



## Bigus

pirate_girl said:


> I've been asked to check up on my friends cat, Hazel the siamese.
> Just go to her house, make sure her highness has food and water.
> She said good luck with actually seeing her, she'll run and hide as soon as you open the door.
> It's overcast and blah outside.


We’ve has Siamese for years.
They have a bad rap for being evil.
They are arrogant though.
Dogs need masters.
Cats, especially Siamese, require servants.


----------



## FrancSevin

Recovering from last week end's activities.

Loaded the new trailer with 10,000 Lbs of 1" clean limestone gravel and headed to Hippie Ridge.  Our Ozark Ranchette.

The trip down I-44 went well with no problems.  Until I got to the gravel road. The Dodge performed well and made the first steep 7% grade with ease. But it was a short hill. The next one was a 1/4 mile  narrow gravel piece with about a 3% grade until the very end.  About 7%.   The Truck just stalled spinning it's wheels in the loose creek gravel.

So I backed all the way down and made a faster run for it.  Backing was tedious and slow as braking in the loose gravel was dangerously heading my loaded trailer to the distiches on either side.

On the second try I got about 30 feet farther up the grade but the results were, again, failure.

As I backed all the way down again, a neighbor offered to put his 1500 GMC in front of me with 4 wheel drive.  He got set as I backed once again 1/4mile to make a good run. I put the truck in 2nd ( automatic) and stepped on the brake. Torque'd the truck up to 2,000 PM's, released the brake and let fly.  Wheels spinning, rocks flying,,,10 MPH,,, then 15MPH,,,,, then 20 MPH.   The Cummins was roaring near red line.

25MPH, 27 MPH,30 MPH the narrow spot coming soon , 32 MPH, 33MPH , 35 MPH ,,,passed the narrow spot ,then the washboard, then the 7% grade then...then 25MPH,,, then20 Then ,,,,,, full stop.

On the third attempt I came within 60 feet of the summit. Set my brakes and got out to attach chains.  His GMC attached, we easily reached the top. He unhooked chains, shook my hand as he refused any offerings for his help.


One more hill, not as bad.  20 MPH , 25MPH, 30, 33, this one we will make for sure.

Except just as I came within  reach of the summit.,  a JEPP came over the hill, MY JEEP, with MY WIFE IN IT!!!!

AWGHH!

"Where have you been,"    she asked?

"Where have you been?"  I retorted.

She had gone on ahead instead of staying close as we planned.  She was frustrated. , I was pissed!

"You could have helped.  The JEEP is four wheel drive!" I said.

"Really?"  I doubt it" She sneered

The rest of the way to Hippie ridge was level and  uneventful.

That is until.....;
...the driveway.  Where the trailer became stuck in the mud.  With not one but two flat tires.

"Back the JEEP up and tow me out." I said.


She scoffed, "It won't pull that big rig"

I looked a Joe, he shrugged and headed for the JEEP.

My son got in and backed it up. Chains connected to  both, the truck and the JEEP  moved forward, and,,,, connected, it pulled right out.

Easily!


Later, Standing by the loaded trailer with two flats,  "we don't have a jack to lift that." she said.

I thought for a moment, she's right.  How do we do this?

Then I thought of something kinda Micgiverish.
"YES we do!' I shouted.

I opened the locker doors and put the dump bed in tilt. as I raised it, the tailboard hit the ground and lifted the whole unit.

Awesome! Now all we have to do is remove the wheels and get the tires fixed or replaced.

"Piece of cake" I said.

WRONG!

Both wheels had cross threaded lug nuts!
Brand new trailer so those nuts were cross threaded at the factory.


After considerable effort , I had removed all but two of them.  All I had was a standard "X" wrench which didn't have the  leverage.

So,,,,;  It now sits, one spare on and one wheel still hung up with two bad lug nuts.

Next weekend I'll be there with anti seize spray and a 4' breaker bar.





I opened a cold Sam Adams and took it down in one gulp.

After that things looked a bit better.


Other than this little annoyance, it was a great day!

Met a new neighbor
Got the gravel load on the property.

Sunset was awesome.....


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Wow. Quite the adventure. Things don't always go as planned. 

I headed to the city for physio then came home and got to work. First up was swapping out a faulty speed sensor on the golf cart. Then a quick meeting with our foster care worker. 

After the meeting I headed back out to do some work on the old 5th wheel camper. It has a rear bumper hitch to tow a boat behind but the ball was the wrong size. Not only was it loose but it was rusted solid. So I hauled out the grinder since I don't have cutting torches. An hour and 3 grinding discs later I managed to cut through the ball stud and nut then installed a new 2" ball. 

I then turned my attention to the awning on the camper that had a few holes and was previously repaired using both red tuct tape and grey duct tape. I replaced all the tape with clear awning tape. Good enough for now. 

When I finished that, I tackled a leaking gutter on the house spraying flex seal on it from the inside. Not a huge fan of flex seal but it's what I had. 

So I figured I deserved a little fun down time and decided to take the side by side for a short ride. Wouldn't you know it, I managed to get a flat tire. Well, it was very low on air. So I limped it home and filled it up with air then decided to check on the hot tub chemicals and do a little maintenance and cleaning on it. I advised the war department that I wasn't cooking supper. She also didn't feel like cooking so she headed off to Kakabeka falls a few miles down the road to pick up chicken and wedges. The grocery store there makes it fresh and always has it hot n ready.


----------



## m1west

Worked in the shop yesterday making some cable guides from UHMW on the mill. I finished around noon when the temperature was rounding 90 with no wind. Spent the rest of the day doing paperwork.


----------



## FrancSevin

Getting prepared for the weekend at Hippie Ridge.
One new tire on a wheel
Breaker bar with a 1/2"drive 
1/2" extension and a 15/16 socket
1,))) BB's for the grandson's Daisy Rifle

( For the life of  me,I cannot reason why they named it "Daisy")

For the Springfield house 
Some 1"PCelbows fort he gas line jacket.
Duplex Wall plug  to replace the one that caught fire.
Sawzall to cut the back plastic wall of the storage shed.   

Bottle of scotch to celebrate.  Assuming all goes as planned.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Another busy day yesterday. No appointments for me for a change. I'm bringing the boat out to camp today along with my wife and the 4 younger kids for the first time this summer since restrictions were lightened this week. 

I wanted to test out the boat behind the fifth wheel to see if the lights all worked and take it for a test run. The trailer alone behind the f150 I can barely feel. It's only 23ft. I ended up spending about 2 hrs rewiring the connection between the truck and camper and then between the camper and boat. Aftee my test run, I came home and unpinned the boat and headed out again with just the camper behind to kakabeka falls down the road to get some extra keys cut for it. What my test run with the boat indicated is that I have to raise the hitch back to its regular position to get the boat and camper sitting level.


----------



## m1west

NorthernRedneck said:


> Another busy day yesterday. No appointments for me for a change. I'm bringing the boat out to camp today along with my wife and the 4 younger kids for the first time this summer since restrictions were lightened this week.
> 
> I wanted to test out the boat behind the fifth wheel to see if the lights all worked and take it for a test run. The trailer alone behind the f150 I can barely feel. It's only 23ft. I ended up spending about 2 hrs rewiring the connection between the truck and camper and then between the camper and boat. Aftee my test run, I came home and unpinned the boat and headed out again with just the camper behind to kakabeka falls down the road to get some extra keys cut for it. What my test run with the boat indicated is that I have to raise the hitch back to its regular position to get the boat and camper sitting level. View attachment 137786


If you can back that rig down the driveway, you are a much better trucker than me.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Lol. Actually, we have a long drive that turns towards the house and loops around so I can just drive in, unhook the boat then whip it around and back up to the garage. I could probably do it though as when I used to run the trail groomer, the machine itself articulated in the middle then the drag was about 22ft long. Backing that thing up down a narrow trail was interesting when the drag was 10ft wide and the trail was only 12 ft wide in some areas. And because it was in the snow with a narrow wheel base on the drag and the wheels cutting down in the snow, it made things interesting.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

We just got home from camp. While we were packing up on Friday to head out, I took a quick look on Facebook marketplace and noticed a gas powered golf cart for sale just listed. In less then an hour, I was going to pick it up. Comparing to other gas powered units, this one was priced for much less.  We already had a battery powered cart at home but the batteries were getting weak. I originally bought it last summer for 2200. I listed it for 3000 and had several people interested. I sold it for the same price we paid for the gas one.


----------



## FrancSevin

Gas/plumber company never showed up Friday. I dug the ditch and had the PVC  shrouding pipe ready but no show. Two calls were answered, "you are on the schedule."

Well somebody didn't get the message.  Saturday would have been emergency rates so we will reschedule again next week or so.

It two almost two hours of hard work with the 4' breaker  bar and some anti seize to clear the cross threaded lug nuts.  What was left was three virtually bare studs.  Out of the eight that holds the wheel on.  I managed to get the other 5 on and no empties two were together so we felt safe to bring the unloaded trailer home.

I'll be calling the manufacturer's rep in the morning.

The other issue is the rock would not dump.  With the bed all the way up we still had to pull the gravel down with a rake and some shovels. Not sure how I will solve that one.  That said, it was easier and a lot more per load even with that extra effort.


----------



## m1west

went and cleaned up my boat I am getting ready to sell.


----------



## Melensdad

Organized some of the garage shelving.  Moved some of it around to keep things more organized.  Shelving units are now dedicated to product types.  They started that way.  But over time things get mixed up, paint on the tool shelves, etc.  Now paint is with paint, cleaning supplies with cleaning supplies, etc.

Moved a broken refrigerator out of the garage.  It will not be replaced.  Honestly with the 2 of us, plus a tiny baby in the house, we just don't need 2 refrigerators + 2 freezers.  So when the garage refrigerator died, we decided that there was no reason to fix it.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Went to the city to run some errands. Came home and mowed the lawn. Too hot to do much else outside.


----------



## m1west

Worked in the shop 1/2 day then paperwork


----------



## Melensdad

m1west said:


> Worked in the shop 1/2 day then paperwork


I hate paperwork


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I spent the morning helping my neighbor install a pool liner at someone else's house down the road. He worked in the pool and hot tub industry for years and had a business with up to 75 employees at one point. He's now 49 and semi retired doing the odd pool job on the side. We started filling it with a simple garden hose to get a head start before the water truck delivered a large portion of water later today.


----------



## m1west

Went back out to the boat today. I scraped down and sand the bright work and started applying Sikkns Cetol. Its a clear coating for the wood that is tougher and easier to touch up than Varnish. Likely going to take a couple weeks of here and there to get it done.


----------



## m1west

went and picked up another 300 'of 1-1/2" pvc to finish the spring line at the work cabin. Headed there in the morning.


----------



## Melensdad

92(F) degrees.  76% humidity.  Sunny.  Pretty sure I could have cooked an egg on my helmet.  So I went for a ride, thru a swamp.


----------



## FrancSevin

I was lifting a car jack into my pickup when it slipped and fell on my right hand.  It slipped and took a four by three inch chunk of skin off the palm.

So instead of the work I planned this weekend at Hippie Ridge, I am at home nursing a scotch.

Oh well.
Maybe I can talk the wife into some sailing instead.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Packing up in a bit and heading to camp with two of the girls. The oldest boy has to work tonight and my wife has something happening tomorrow so she's staying behind with the other 4 kids.


----------



## Melensdad

FrancSevin said:


> ...
> 
> So instead of the work I planned this weekend at Hippie Ridge,* I am at home nursing a scotch.*


Silver lining?


----------



## m1west

headed to the work cabin in an hour


----------



## Melensdad

Looks like there is a strong possibility that I will be coaching at the USA Fencing Summer National Championship event for 3 days in July.  And no, it is not Dasha.  Another one of my students, actually a former student who I got started in fencing as a freshman at Marian Catholic H.S. is going and needs a coach.  Due to some odd circumstances, his "real" coach can't go to the event.  I'm actually good friends with his real coach, it looks like I will be the stand in coach for this young man.  He earned a scholarship to an East Coast school for fencing, just graduated from Marian, and asked me if I would be able to coach him.  

I've delayed giving him an answer, largely due to our situation with our foster son Kobe, but after meeting with Kobe's grandma today, both the lovely Mrs_Bob and I feel comfortable with me leaving for 5 days to go to Pennsylvania.


----------



## Melensdad

No day ever goes as planned.

Took Kobe to the hospital emergency room at 6:30am.  He now has his 3 bout of Bronchiolitis and was transferred from our local hospital to Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.  Of course a couple hours after he was transferred down there (3 hours + 1 time zone away) he started feeling better and they took him off the Oxygen assist.  I expect he will be released tomorrow.

He had a runny nose yesterday and was running around, smiling, chasing the dogs, doing kid stuff.  Today he is in the hospital, but at least he is feeling much better this afternoon.

I am home with the dogs. 

The lovely Mrs_Bob got a 'free' ride in the ambulance to Indianapolis.


----------



## m1west

Melensdad said:


> No day ever goes as planned.
> 
> Took Kobe to the hospital emergency room at 6:30am.  He now has his 3 bout of Bronchiolitis and was transferred from our local hospital to Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.  Of course a couple hours after he was transferred down there (3 hours + 1 time zone away) he started feeling better and they took him off the Oxygen assist.  I expect he will be released tomorrow.
> 
> He had a runny nose yesterday and was running around, smiling, chasing the dogs, doing kid stuff.  Today he is in the hospital, but at least he is feeling much better this afternoon.
> 
> I am home with the dogs.
> 
> The lovely Mrs_Bob got a 'free' ride in the ambulance to Indianapolis.


I had Bronchiolitis really bad when I was a kid in Mi. I was or am allergic to dust, and humidity has never been my friend. And yes you can go from good to can't breathe with that condition very quickly. Glad he is ok.


----------



## m1west

Made it back from the work cabin, got the water going, details in the camp life section


----------



## FrancSevin

Stuff like this is for adults.  Whilst we tough it out, ,,,'; It's tough on a kid. Hoping Kobe gets better soon.


----------



## m1west

Its so friggin hot here I have been working in the shop doing machine work from 6am ( it was already hot ) until 10am where its already pushing 100, it think its suppose to hit 109 today and there is 0 wind. At least low humidity but hot.


----------



## FrancSevin

Reading this,,, I feel so much better knowing I'm working in the cool 98 F here is St Louis.

Saturday we are going with the Crossfire car club to Steelville MO to float the Merrimac river.  It is supposed to be in the low nineties.

HOW COOL IS THAT???


----------



## pirate_girl

There were severe storms around for most of the day.
Thankfully the second round decided to head south after the 1,000 lightning strikes this morning.
Right now it's like a damn sauna outside.
I pruned my sad little geranium, made dinner then talked to Ty who is on vacation again in NC.
Jeff got hired in at Johns Manville today.
Thank God!


----------



## m1west

Thursday I had to go rescue my son with the hauler, He has had a rear main knock at startup for at least a year. I told him then to drop the pan and check thing out and if the crank looked OK to roll in a new set of bearings one at a time. He didn't listen and now I think the rear main bearing spun. Making lots of noise and oil leaking out. So today he is pulling the motor after ordering a long block and a clutch kit. $2500.00 later he will be back on the road. would have been $65.00 and an afternoon last year. It is the best option as used car prices are quite high right now.


----------



## Melensdad

Worked on filling the pool today.  And then cleaning the water.  And picking up debris.

We had a crack in our fiberglass pool.  Repair crew from the pool company finished the pool repair yesterday.  After draining the pool they cut out the bad fiberglass, repaired it, gel coated it and yesterday we used our well to put about 12" of water into the pool.  But our hose water is unfiltered and we have lots of IRON in our water so the water turned brown as it was exposed to oxygen.  

So we trucked in 8000 gallons of water today.  Then finished off again with the hose late this afternoon.

At lunch today I took some pumps and hoses back to my local pool guy.  His Honda VTX1300 (motorcycle) was parked in the back while we unloaded my truck.  He has been riding for about 18 months.  His wife rides a Honda Rebel 500.  They go on 90 minute to 2 hour rides but would like to take trips so I gave him some motorcycle Apps to look at that give turn-by-turn navigation and keep you off the interstate system.  

Came back home and did more work on the pool.  Had Kobe all asleep on my lap, and generally did nothing but babysit the pool and the baby.


----------



## pirate_girl

Nothing today!
By the way, Happy Father's Day to all ye menfolk lol
?


----------



## m1west

Kids coming over around 9am, we plan to do some shooting until its to hot ( around 11am ) then we are going downtown so I can enjoy lunch on the kids. Gonna be a good day.


----------



## Melensdad




----------



## NorthernRedneck

I


Melensdad said:


> Worked on filling the pool today.  And then cleaning the water.  And picking up debris.
> 
> We had a crack in our fiberglass pool.  Repair crew from the pool company finished the pool repair yesterday.  After draining the pool they cut out the bad fiberglass, repaired it, gel coated it and yesterday we used our well to put about 12" of water into the pool.  But our hose water is unfiltered and we have lots of IRON in our water so the water turned brown as it was exposed to oxygen.
> 
> So we trucked in 8000 gallons of water today.  Then finished off again with the hose late this afternoon.
> 
> At lunch today I took some pumps and hoses back to my local pool guy.  His Honda VTX1300 (motorcycle) was parked in the back while we unloaded my truck.  He has been riding for about 18 months.  His wife rides a Honda Rebel 500.  They go on 90 minute to 2 hour rides but would like to take trips so I gave him some motorcycle Apps to look at that give turn-by-turn navigation and keep you off the interstate system.
> 
> Came back home and did more work on the pool.  Had Kobe all asleep on my lap, and generally did nothing but babysit the pool and the baby.


 Just went through the whole pool procedure last week helping a buddy do a pool liner.


----------



## stevenkingg99

I'm just writing in this forum. Going for a dinner a few minutes after finishing this sentence. 

Bye.


----------



## FrancSevin

Spent the morning under a DOBOY wrapper fixing the pinion gear assy.  Messy job in a really bad place. My back is killing.  This wrapper is 35 years old. One of the first I bought when beginning my business. This is only the second time I've had to do this so, it's not so bad.

We have three of this model. They are mid budget machines who have outlived their cycle life's by at least 3 times.   But real moneymakers because they have been paid for many, many years ago.  So I guess a little intense  attention now and then is acceptable.
Still, my back is killing me.

Doboy only built 26 of these.  I was involved in the prototype and design because as a field tech I had feedback to offer. They had a design flaw that would have taken $60.00 to correct at conception but  accounting said no.  That flaw made the machine hard to operate and it soon lost favoring the market

I have bought, owned and sold about 13 of them including the very first model off the line. As a result, I often picked them up in the used market for $2K.  Did the $60.00 mod and sold them for $20K or more.  Original list new was $28K.

This one I fixed again today was that first off the line model.

I service and support what I sell so these machines are still making product, and money, for people, all over the country.

I have a standing offer with those customers if they want to trade up.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I was finally able to vamoose the old toilet and sinks from the bathroom reno as I was waiting for a second hand store to reopen following the bs covid shut down. Nice to get them out of the yard. 

Then I tackled the last couple tasks to complete on my son's car before it goes to the garage for a safety. 

In between rain showers, I made a trip to the dump. I heard the hot tub calling me when I got home so that's where I am now.


----------



## FrancSevin

NorthernRedneck said:


> I was finally able to vamoose the old toilet and sinks from the bathroom reno as I was waiting for a second hand store to reopen following the bs covid shut down. Nice to get them out of the yard.
> 
> Then I tackled the last couple tasks to complete on my son's car before it goes to the garage for a safety.
> 
> In between rain showers, I made a trip to the dump. I heard the hot tub calling me when I got home so that's where I am now.


Thanks for the suggestion Brian.  My hot tub is indoors but, it is now today's destination.

If the wife complains,  I'll blame it on you.


----------



## daryan12s

Today I'm saving myself from the heat sitting under the air conditioner and watching Netflix.


----------



## pirate_girl

daryan12s said:


> Today I'm saving myself from the heat sitting under the air conditioner and watching Netflix.


Welcome to the forum, daryan.
We have an introduction thread.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
?


----------



## FrancSevin

The whirlpool was great last night.  Coffee and a scotch made it better.   Slept like a baby but,,,,;    5:30 AM came early this morning and ruined the rest of my day. 
Two mechanic/techs out today.  (I only have two) so my day on the shop floor is hell.


----------



## m1west

just been working half days in the shop, the summer slowdown is almost here.


----------



## m1west

Yesterday I bought a 8D starting battery and wrestled it in the boat and got the old one out, they weigh around 130# and its a tight fit under the Salon area. Today I am taking the old one back for core deposit and some new battery terminals. Then headed back to the boat to finish the battery installation then bleed the engine that wouldn't start and get it going, shouldn't take long when the engine will turn over long enough to bleed the injectors. After that I will get back on re coating the bright work. The good news is it seem to be worth a lot more than when I bought it right after the 2008 crash.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Sold the older fifth wheel camper this morning. Delivering it Monday. Headed to camp soon for the weekend. Bringing the boat out to maybe do some tubing tomorrow.


----------



## m1west

Went back to the boat today, bought new battery lugs and returned the 8D core. I got the engine fired up that wouldn't start last time. Even when it cranked good with the new battery, I had to bleed the injector pump and injectors again, then it started right up. I have been neglecting it since I bought the cabin property, likely hasn't been started in the better part of 2 years. I ran the other engine and generator again also. I picked a spot on the bright work as a test se if I can blend in the new cetol where the old was coming off. I scraped the loose part off then sanded the wood and featherd it in. Its an area about 4" wide and a foot long. If it looks ok when dried it will be easy to do, but when I go back if it looks blotchy I will have to take all of the old stuff off and start over., Not something want to do but its a nice boat with low hours and I don't want to half ass it. Also there is paint peeling on the aft enclosure around the windows that needs attention.


----------



## Lenny

Today I worked with a city councilman to get a resource brochure together for people passing through.  It would have the businesses, their addresses and phone numbers so visitors can locate restaurants, lounges, gas stations, grocery stores, etc.  He wondered how it would be funded.  I told him you could charge each business, say, $25.  He thought that was reasonable.  We'll see.  I also stood in front of the city council Monday with some suggestions for the hospital.  The mayor put me in touch with the hospital administration and he likes my ideas.  And I've only been here two weeks...LOL.


----------



## FrancSevin

Drove to Arthur IL today early morning.  Took Old HWY 79 up to Louisiana and shot up to I-72 for a clean run east to Decatur.  Picked up the big trailer that was there for warranty work and cam e home. 
When the dealer mounted the tires/wheels they cross threaded the studs on three of the wheels.  Also, a pin in the front jack was broken.  

450 mile round trip.  Warranty paid for the repairs but I footed the cost of fuel and time.  All because some kid put the lug nuts in the air wrench  and just jammed 'em on.  The pin failure was just a flaw in the metal.

At lest I didn't have to be at work.  It has gotten pretty tense there lately with new contracts coming in and newly hired people are rare and unreliable.   Seriously, we have been trying to hire for weeks now.  Unemployment is high but nobody needs a job.

Biden says if I want employees to pay them more. But I cannot compete with the government's easy cash. 
Two years ago we paid $10 bucks an hour for manual labor.  Now it takes $15 to get them to come in. That's $18.75 a hour with overburden costs.  Insane.

Two of our former employees said it was more net income to stay home.  So we let them.


Adding to that, raw material costs up 150%, if we can get them.
Meanwhile Biden promises that businesses will foot the bill for new spending.


----------



## m1west

for some reason I can't get videos to load, anyway today was my sons birthday, so we shot about 50 rounds of 45 colt then ate downtown.


----------



## waybomb

Put up 6 4-lamp led shop lights on the garage. Like being out in the sun.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Up and at it bright and early at camp this morning. Packed up and on the road by 9am. I had to be in the city to film a music video with my band for the livestream July 1st service as we still can't play live due to covid restrictions. It's the first time since last year that we've been able to all play together. 

I spent the afternoon with my butt firmly planted on the couch and feet up. 

We had a memorial dinner at a restaurant for my band mate who passed away in January. We just haven't been able to do anything as restaurants only were able to resume outdoor dining last week. Indoor dining is still not allowed.


----------



## pirate_girl

m1west said:


> for some reason I can't get videos to load, anyway today was my sons birthday, so we shot about 50 rounds of 45 colt then ate downtown.


I watched it, Marty.
Cool ?


----------



## Melensdad

We spent the weekend in Chicago. 

Apparently Kobe is too young to get into bars.  We were locked out of Buddy Guy's Blues Legends, but while Kobe can't get inside he can groove to the music. 

Did have an interesting bit of "fun" when we rounded the corner at 11th and Wabash while on one of our walks and found a guy laying face down on the sidewalk, iPhone a couple feet away from his hand, some scattered change.  At first I couldn't tell if he was breathing.  Dialed 9-1-1.  A couple walked up while I was on the phone and asked what happened, they also stayed with Kobe and me.  We all waited for the ambulance to show up.  Was surprised when we got 2 fire trucks + an ambulance at the scene. 

On a more mundane note, we did get some amazing donuts from Stan's Donuts. 

I chatted with Dasha, she is on vacation in Cyprus, sent photos from the beach.  She seems to be having fun but said that there are no hot guys there. 





And Dasha is doing well this summer.  She has been in Kiev with her mom.  Now is in Cyprus.  Will be heading to Moscow with her dad for a while, then back to Kiev.  She will eventually fly into Boston for a summer fencing camp and then into Chicago where I will pick her up and take her back to Notre Dame.


----------



## Melensdad

Cities are never a boring place.  Kobe likes the party deck, it is his favorite quiet spot when we go up to the apartment in the city.  The excitement of the 911 call was a bit unusual for him.  Kobe got to see and hear firetrucks and ambulances.  And of course he got to eat donuts when it was all over.










After the excitement we proceeded on to STAN's DONUTS because, after all, we do have our priorities and we did our good deed for the day.


----------



## m1west

pirate_girl said:


> I watched it, Marty.
> Cool ?


That was wierd, i didn't think it loaded but it did.


----------



## m1west

Kid got the motor out of his truck, now gotta strip it and clean everything. His new long block shows up next Monday and he needs to be ready to put it back in. Also he picked up a new clutch, flywheel ,throw out and water pump. When it done there is not much else to go wrong for a while.


----------



## FrancSevin

Fabricating a  folding system to bi-fold a 4.5" X 5.5" pouch of infant laundry detergent to feed into our wrapping lines.

Customer called last week needed a rush quotation.  The product came last Friday.   I was out of town the team got started without me.
We finished design this morning and fabbed parts by noon. System will go on line tomorrow AM.    Three years ago we designed a similar product.  It took two weeks to get it right.

Good to have a bright team on the place for a change.

I used a new training method.    I have always tried to teach by leading and explaining,  Okay it's not really new.  But, it paid off.

This team recently did a ground up fabrication, assembly, and electrical, for an entire packaging system starting last December and completion in early June. They did full paint, calculated ratios and motor HP, and electrical voltage and AMP needs.  I basically made them do it without me involved in no more than a daily bitch about what they should have done different and why.  Great learning experience and it paid off today..

Mother nature is a great teacher but she gives you the test before the lesson.  It took a bit longer to get the project out but this teaching method surely worked out well.   I'm an @sshole either way so what matters is the they developed skill level and knowledge (they) retained from doing it over until they got it right.

Banging one's thumb with a hammer teaches most to move their hand out of the way much more deftly than warning a newbie of the danger..


----------



## Melensdad

Rained so hard I’m pumping water OUT of the pool


----------



## FrancSevin

Melensdad said:


> Rained so hard I’m pumping water OUT of the pool
> 
> View attachment 138268


UHH,,, Didn't you just pay someone to put some in?


----------



## Melensdad

FrancSevin said:


> UHH,,, Didn't you just pay someone to put some in?


YUP, I bought 10,000 gallons to top it off. 

Probably pumped out about 1000 gallons today


----------



## m1west

Went to the boat today and got about 90% of the cetol off of the wood


----------



## waybomb

What's the boat?


----------



## pirate_girl

IF it doesn't rain and since it's a bit cooler than it has been, I may squeeze a longish walk in today.
Just went over and sat in for whiteboard, so I can keep updated on what's going on in resident care.
As far as our facility goes, open for business.
?


----------



## FrancSevin

Trying not to get arrested for assault.

We have several new hires on staff this week as we ramp up for some big contracts. The attitude, the disrespectful talkback confrontations are annoying at best, angering at worst.  I've manages production crews in both union and non union shops for over 50 years and seldom have seen such antagonism  from  people  young and old.


----------



## FrancSevin

m1west said:


> Went to the boat today and got about 90% of the cetol off of the woodView attachment 138291


I have found it difficult to get much of anything in clear finishes to stay on teak.  So instead, I just oil the hell out of it.  The easiest to use is not a teak oil but Liquid Gold (tm).  It is a petroleum based product and furniture guys say "not good for wood" but then so are most varnishes.

Unfortunately, it has become hard to find lately.

Scrub the wood with soap and water, let it dry and apply.  You do not get the gloss of varnishes but then it doesn't flake off.

Our current boat is a 40 year old  Bahama Islander.  The previous owner was meticulous but he varnished the teak and then made covers so it wouldn't weather.  Pretty but it renders the handhold railing useless under sail..  I'm letting motjher nature sdo her thing and when it's all flake away I'll scrub sand and oil them.


----------



## austonte

Currently running on a treadmill.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Packed up and headed to camp this afternoon until Sunday. Alcohol may or may not be a factor in any decision making this weekend. It's supposed to be ?.  Like 34 Celsius hot. Oh well. The beer ?  will keep me hydrated I guess.


----------



## FrancSevin

NorthernRedneck said:


> Packed up and headed to camp this afternoon until Sunday. Alcohol may or may not be a factor in any decision making this weekend. It's supposed to be ?.  Like 34 Celsius hot. Oh well. The beer ?  will keep me hydrated I guess.


There is a reason the Egyptians invented beer.  We are told it was to purify the drinking water.

Bull Spackle

I consider the Egyptians to be much more clever than that.  And thank them for their contribution to civilized life.


----------



## stevenkingg99

NorthernRedneck said:


> Chiropractor this morning. Followed by another trip to the tire shop to get new tires installed on my wife's expedition. Home to do some hashing on the bathroom design and ordering fixtures. Next will be a trip to a few tile places in the city to pick out flooring, countertop, and shower tiles.



Right now I'm working at home. So it is WFH - Work From Home.


----------



## m1west

bacon the the boat again today. 99% of all of the cetol is off the wood. The rear enclosure wood around the windows on the stern has to be scraped and painted also with a little wood repair. Started cleaning the cetol off of the handrail stations, courteous of the previous owner who didn't  believe in masking tape. It takes about 10 minutes each with bronze wool  to clean them up.


----------



## FrancSevin

headed for a work weekend at Hippie Ridge.  

Moving the old 9N tractor
Moving 16 feet or retaining wall stacked block about 4 feet high
Moving a 10 X 30 floating deck out of the way so I can,,,,,
Move the old camper out of the way for the new bunkhouse.

The camper has a bump-out that has not moved for 15 years.
battery is stone dead soI have to charge something to even test the bump-out for retraction.
Jack up the old camper and replace 2 flat tires.
Hitch up to the truck and try to move it out of the way. 

Next weekend I plan to lay gravel for the 14' X 32' bunkhouse.  It comes in late July.

I'll be off internet and cellphone for three solid days.  Love it!

Stay safe guys and, assuming I don't die of heart failure, fatigue or a jealous lover,  we'll chat come Monday night.


----------



## m1west

Headed back to the boat for another round.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

This was our way of dealing with this heat wave. I dunked a few of the kids. Lmao.  Once the kids were done, I swapped tubes for a round one you lay on and hold on for dear life for a more thrilling ride for the teens and adults. One of the adults nearly lost his shorts last weekend so I advised him to make sure they were tied up tightly. They were however he experienced a slight wardrobe malfunction when he when skipping across the water at 40mph.


----------



## Melensdad

Went to lunch with the lovely Mrs_Bob.

We split a Chicago style Polish sausage, fries and a root beer.


----------



## pirate_girl

What else?
Boomers.. for the last hour.
Our fireworks aren't until tomorrow night down at the river park.
The neighbours behind me on the pond must have spent a fortune on fireworks.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Came home from camp yesterday after being there since Wednesday afternoon. I'm doing a turn n burn today. Spent a good part of the day yesterday finalizing packing up the fifth wheel camper getting ready to head out today for 3 nights fishing up at my annual fish camp. We normally go the third weekend in May every year when fishing season opens but like last year, the provincial government had a ban on crown land camping as they thought it would somehow increase the spread of covid. You know, I may catch it from a squirrel or tweety bird. 

I convinced a buddy of mine to come along so we'll be heading out this morning for the 3.5hr drive to get to the spot and set up. Hopefully we can get the boat in the water this afternoon for an evening fish.


----------



## FrancSevin

*Moving the old 9N tractor
Moving 16 feet or retaining wall stacked block about 4 feet high
Moving a 10 X 30 floating deck out of the way so I can,,,,,
Move the old camper out of the way for the new bunkhouse.

The camper has a bump-out that has not moved for 15 years.
battery is stone dead so I have to charge something to even test the bump-out for retraction.
Jack up the old camper and replace 2 flat tires.
Hitch up to the truck and try to move it out of the way.*

Okay, we got a lot of it done but...
I dismantled and removed the back blade on the tractor, and jacked the front bucket.  Didn't move the unit because we had started a  brush fire and it was in the way.  The brush pile was also in the way of the truck to hook up the trailer.

Batteries would not take a charge so we bought new ones.

Moved the deck
Moved the retaining wall

The old camper is still in place there but we did jack it up to replace a wheel.

My spare wheels didn't fit so we have to have some different ones or buy some new tires.

I did get a a chunk, maybe half,  of our huge brush pile  ( about 45 feet long and 8 feet wide) burned.  Also, about 1/3 of the ruined lumber we had stacked up for constructing the house.  Year ago I began buying lumber a little at a time.  I had a friend a one of the LOWES stores who gave me great buys on culled lumber and stuff they had been stuck with from custom buys that were returned or never picked up.  For instance a whole buck of 2X6's 14 feet long, custom buy. Customer never picked it up, I paid $1 per board.

Two 24 foot 2X12 laminated header beams, for $100 each.. Again, special order never delivered.

Two door units with slab glass and internal blinds.
The best was after a faulty sprinkler system got pallet racks  of siding, paneling and wafer board wet, I got the mall for $4 a panel.  Some 67 sheets of reverse batten Cedar. 40 sheets of wafer board siding. 54 sheets of fir plywood 1/2" exterior CDX siding/roofing panels.

Almost all of it ruined and needed to be burned.  The laminated beams were the most painful.  $600 apiece at the time I bought them.
NO idea their value today.  It kills me to burn 2X4's I got for $2 to $3 bucks 10 years ago that now cost $8.50

So I spent two days hauling brush from the big piles we made last fall. Clearing more saplings as the wife got tired of brush hogging around them.  Also had more work on the incoming drive.  I think we have put about 20 ton of Ballast rock and 1" crushed limestone on the driveway into our place.  Altogether it is about 1/2 mile long.  But we only added rock to the wet spots.  All of it one shovel full at a time.

My neighbor's son came by last week and told us my Case  360 Dozer  ( which has been parked for 10 years) does run, so we just need to make a connection to get the keys.   That puppy would be of great help on the road work.   My neighbor had used it last year to cut a new drive into our places.  Cannot wait to get my hands on it again.


----------



## austonte

Currently running on the treadmill.


----------



## m1west

The new roofing for the work cabin came in today, went to Sacramento and picked it up.


----------



## pirate_girl

It's been stormy today.
Here are some photos of a micro burst storm that hit a town 20 miles south east of here.
Deshler, Ohio.
Nice little farming community with a nice church, Immaculate Conception.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I've been out in the bush 3.5 hrs away camping and fishing for 4 days. Fishing was alright but nothing like when we normally go in may when the season opens. 

For the second year in a row covid restrictions put a stop to our annual fishing trip. The government consulted with their "experts" who all agreed that it's too dangerous to camp out in the middle of nowhere hours away from people as we may get covid from a squirrel or tweety bird so they placed a ban on crown land camping making it illegal.


----------



## m1west

NorthernRedneck said:


> I've been out in the bush 3.5 hrs away camping and fishing for 4 days. Fishing was alright but nothing like when we normally go in may when the season opens.
> 
> For the second year in a row covid restrictions put a stop to our annual fishing trip. The government consulted with their "experts" who all agreed that it's too dangerous to camp out in the middle of nowhere hours away from people as we may get covid from a squirrel or tweety bird so they placed a ban on crown land camping making it illegal.


Im sorry.


----------



## m1west

Just had a 4.9 shaker centered 15 miles away while typing.


----------



## Colt Gomez

I just checked my orders from 4WheelOnline just to see if the product is of good quality. I plan to install these automotive accessories over the weekend.


----------



## FrancSevin

I PUT IN 12 HOURS YESTERDAY. 
I cannot believe how much I hurt today.  I used to do 16 hour days all the time.  Must be getting old, or lazy.

Customer is coming in today on our big fruit cup line.  I gotta' clean the place up a little.  Especially my desk which I know exists somewhere's under a pile of papers, samples ,and coffee cups.

We have to pass on a big job for POKEMON.  Incredibly complicated, Large quantities and high security levels.  They were begging me to take it in.  Or,,, selling them one of my lines so they could do it themselves.   They are now willing to pay our price.

We are so busy I don' have the time or inclination to do either.  Besides, it would put us at risk for meeting contracts from regular customers.

We don't do that.

It's a project we bid on last Spring and were told we were too high. Lowest bidder got the job and has failed to perform. There is always someone who will do a job for less.  Companies that select on the basis of lowest bid deserve what they get when the sh!t hits the fan.


----------



## FrancSevin

Put in another 12 hours Saturday.  Whilst there, my box supplier stopped by on his way to his Silex Mo hunting cabin.

Doug has become a good friend over our 30 years of doing business. I told him about our Hippie Ridge project hand the 32'X14' prefab cabin we are having placed.

We bought a simple box with the lowest price package, one door and two windows.  I told him of our plans to modify it and finish the inside as a Bunkhouse cabin. I mentioned installing some old windows I had salvaged years ago.  He offered some original build double hung windows, virtually new.  Four @ 60" X 30", one at 60" X 108 ", one at 60" X 60", and one at 64" X60". All are double pane vinyl framed widow sets ready to be nailed up to the studs.

All for free. He was rehabing is father's house when his dad passed away.

To this assemble, I will be adding two 60" X 84" sliding glass windows that match the vinyl construction of what he offered.

We unloaded them today at my packaging plant.  Stored at his woodland farm for a few years, they need power washing.

So the 32'X14' basic box will be covered in thermo-pane glass windows.
I'm also changing out the simple basic 36" front door for a 60," double front entry, slab glass door set.
I'm not sure where all these glass panels are going but the wife will soon tell me.

Just a slight upgrade from the Crocodile Dundee shack I originally envisioned.


----------



## Lenny

Went to the Clay County Iowa sheriff's office and delivered a proclamation from a conservative group here stating that we would stand with and help the sheriff in case of any emergency.  I wanted to give it directly to him but the "gatekeeper" said she would give it to him.  Well, I'll meet him another time.  I've only been here a month so a lot to come. Then I did some shopping and chores before I went to the bar.  Interesting that a retired deputy was in the bar.  He said the sheriff is great so that is good to know.


----------



## Melensdad

If you want to see me, I was interviewed by the PBS station, it was aired this week.

Fast forward to just about 6 and a half minutes for my interview  

The editor did a good job cutting out my mumbling and rambling









						Friends & Neighbors | Season 3 | Friends & Neighbors | Episode 305 | Lakeshore PBS
					

Fencing Club. Balloon Artist. Friendship Botanic Gardens. Pondapalooza. Buckley Homestead.




					video.lakeshorepbs.org


----------



## pirate_girl

Melensdad said:


> If you want to see me, I was interviewed by the PBS station, it was aired this week.
> 
> Fast forward to just about 6 and a half minutes for my interview
> 
> The editor did a good job cutting out my mumbling and rambling
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Friends & Neighbors | Season 3 | Friends & Neighbors | Episode 305 | Lakeshore PBS
> 
> 
> Fencing Club. Balloon Artist. Friendship Botanic Gardens. Pondapalooza. Buckley Homestead.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> video.lakeshorepbs.org


That's awesome! ?


----------



## NorthernRedneck

It's going to be a hot one today. The sky is very smoky from all the forest fires. We haven't had any rain in weeks. A few communities have already been evacuated and others are on standbye. The sky is a hazy grey. I can smell the smoke in the air and my eyes are burning. 

We're at camp for the weekend. There's a fire ban which I'm personally fine with at it's dry. Yesterday we had sprinklers going on the road to cut down on the dust.


----------



## Melensdad

Kobe had his first OVERNIGHT visit with his grandmother last night.  The lovely Mrs_Bob is picking him up right now from the meeting point.   

This afternoon we have friends coming over for a pool day, food and to talk about a 2 family trip to the UK for next year, but it is overcast and not looking great for swimming.  Its warm enough but its just not nice outside.


----------



## FrancSevin

It's beautiful here in St Peter's MO.  70 F and puffy clouds.  Slight breeze. 
The wife and I went out on the back porch about 8:00 for morning coffee and bird watching.  It's been very pleasant.  So much so it's afternoon, and aside from brewing three pots of coffee, we have not done squat all morning

I'll be cutting and putting up 10" cedar siding on the bedroom bump out today.  About time as I built that bump out two years ago. I even primed and painted the cedar back then, so all I have to do is cut and nail it up. 

Some caulk and touch up paint ,the light fixture, still in the box, and wallah!


----------



## FrancSevin

Got most of the siding up.  Tomorrow we have some deck work to do.  Whilst at Home Depot for some deck screws, , we bought 6 bumndles of architectural  shingles to start the reroofing of our St Peter's home.  About 24 squares.

I did the roof myself some 25 years ago with standard three-tab shingle. This time we want the architectural look.   Back them the three-tab bundles weighed in at 60 Lbs.  So imagine my surprise when I lifted a bale of the architectural. I thought something was wrong with me.  I mean I could barely lift then onto my shoulder. Going up the ladder was brutal and flipping them off the shoulder was painful.

I'm thinking my age is finally catching up.  But when I looked on google I found the weight per bundle was 100 Lbs. Quite a relief to know I haven't yet become a helpless wimpy old fart, yes, but now I am exhausted.
After all,,,,;
I have 66 more of these puppies to load onto the roof.


----------



## Melensdad

The new shingles weigh a lot more, but are supposed to last longer!  

Good luck with the lifting!


----------



## NorthernRedneck

We packed up and came home from camp today. It's going to be another hot one as we're under both a heat and air quality advisory due to the thick smoke cover.


----------



## FrancSevin

Went to replace a "few" deck boards today.  The deck is about 10 years old.  Completely built with treated lumber.  To be honesst,i didn't put down a sealer or stain so no surprise there was some weathering and soft spots in the decking.  Image my surprise when I pulled back the old deck tofind the frame also rotted.  Treated 2X12'S covered in white fungus and completely compromised.

I always overbuild. Hence the 2X12's

This lumber was the first generation of treated woods after the government banned the Wholmanizing process. It seemed kids might die if they chewed on playground equipment made from the lumber treated with the wholmanized process. Wholmanizing contains arsenic.

Though no kids had ever died, it was a considered a dangerous product and banned.

This lumber was from LOWES and/or Home Depot.  I now only buy treated from Menards.  Theirs is guaranteed not to rot. And the decking is 1/4"thicker. Or Yellow wood, if I can afford it.


At any rate, I have to treat the entire frame, joists and foundation ribbon.  The foundation is concrete wall set 36" in the ground and 11" wide.  I could build an addition on it.  The inner floor is concrete with a drain.  That drain fouled and some standing water may have created the dampness but no how no way should white fungus be compromising the structure.


----------



## Melensdad

The lovely Mrs_Bob and I took baby Kobe to Chinatown in Chicago.  We picked up Melen too.  Did some sightseeing and ate Dim Sum.  Shockingly there was no shopping!  I should say there was shopping but there was no buying.  So I got off cheap.  We had a very nice day.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Been working on the fifth wheel camper for 2 days. It had a couple of soft spots in the floor. But the floor isn't wood but instead is a laminated composite material designed to be lighter. No wondering the thing only weighs 5000lbs dry. So I added 1/4 inch plywood and composite click flooring. I'm in the process of installing pvc corner round moldings to finish it off.


----------



## pirate_girl

Recovering from dehydration and messed up blood work results.
I mean really?? I'm a nurse, how do these things happen? Lol

Doctor's orders-
100 ounces a day of water.
4000 units of D3
Up my potassium
And now I'm on a low dose statin.
It's amazing how just drinking enough fluids can make such a difference in one day.
.... and I know better.
??


----------



## Lenny

pirate_girl said:


> Recovering from dehydration and messed up blood work results.
> I mean really?? I'm a nurse, how do these things happen? Lol
> 
> Doctor's orders-
> 100 ounces a day of water.
> 4000 units of D3
> Up my potassium
> And now I'm on a low dose statin.
> It's amazing how just drinking enough fluids can make such a difference in one day.
> .... and I know better.
> ??


I'm glad your health is okay.  I have a friend who is an orthopedic surgeon.  She really pushes D3, so you're doing good.


----------



## 300 H and H

I am laughing hard at our USA women's soccer team's humiliating loss to Sweden!   

Anyone who takes a knee during our national anthem honoring BLM idiots are the real idiots!! 

Thank you Sweden for destroying these useless idiots.


----------



## m1west

My sons pickup got a rod knock the 16th of last month, he ordered a long block from autozone that was suppose to show up in 6 days, then 14 days then then then it just showed up yesterday. He could have had the machine work done on his old motor and rebuilt it himself and been driving already at half the cost. Now is in the shop thrashing all weekend.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

We spent last weekend at our seasonal site as we do every weekend. Came back on Sunday and finished packing up the fifth wheel to head out for 3 nights camping at a provincial park with my inlaws a 2 5 hr drive away from home. My wife drove her vehicle hauling the boat so we could go fishing.


----------



## olivia24

Today im getting ready to go for a slice  of  pizza


----------



## Lenny

Went to the gym, did some grocery shopping, took a scenic drive and a political meeting this evening.


----------



## olivia24

Lenny said:


> Went to the gym, did some grocery shopping, took a scenic drive and a political meeting this evening.


Hope  its a good  meeting.


----------



## Lenny

olivia24 said:


> Hope  its a good  meeting.


It's a conservative group.  I also attend the GOP meetings.


----------



## olivia24

Lenny said:


> It's a conservative group.  I also attend the GOP meetings.


Make some  kind  of  plan to dump democrats fast, lol


----------



## FrancSevin

olivia24 said:


> Make some  kind  of  plan to dump democrats fast, lol


I'm liking you better with each post!

What are you doing in Virginia?


----------



## olivia24

I got  a  business degree and  i work in an HR dept.


----------



## Lenny

olivia24 said:


> Make some  kind  of  plan to dump democrats fast, lol


That's the plan!


----------



## olivia24

Sounds good!!


----------



## Lenny

olivia24 said:


> Hope  its a good  meeting.


It was.  Discussed a table at the upcoming county fair, helping a conservative running for senator, helping the sheriff in case of an emergency and a few other things.


----------



## Melensdad

Not much.

It has been a rough week with the baby.  He had high fevers on-and-off over the past several days.  In the hospital emergency room twice.  At the doctor's office twice.  Ultimately we found out that he has Strep Throat and is allergic to penicillin.  Of course they prescribed a penicillin type drug.  So that added to the complications because nobody knew he was allergic to it.  

Today I babysat while the lovely Mrs_Bob slept ... because she has been up with him overnight for the past few nights. I also had physical therapy late this afternoon for a knee problem and then had to go to the fencing club this evening to coach new fencers and do equipment repairs.  

I did manage to stop at the post office to ship back a new pair of hiking boots to R.E.I. for a refund because they were too narrow, and also stop at the local Stihl dealer and pick up my chainsaw that was in for repairs and also snuck into the Amish bakery for some awesome cinnamon rolls and donuts to take home after my P.T. appointment.  

Seems like I was busier than I was, really I mostly sat on my ass and played with a 17 month old baby.


----------



## olivia24

Hope the  baby is  better.


----------



## FrancSevin

Recovering from the last 4 weeks t work

Big Project for DOLE.  Unload four 53 foot trailers full of Mandarin orange slices in cups, Overwrap with a coupon, and pack out into carton. Then stretch wrap 106 pallets and load  back into four 53 foot trailers.

In this heat!

All whilst doing our regularly scheduled work.  I had to fill in for my son as well as doing my own functions here.  12 hour days everyone of them.

I woke up this morning completely numb.  Maybe, jus' maybe, I _am_ too old for this crap.


----------



## m1west

If you are still doing it you are not too old for it.


----------



## olivia24

FrancSevin said:


> Recovering from the last 4 weeks t work
> 
> Big Project for DOLE.  Unload four 53 foot trailers full of Mandarin orange slices in cups, Overwrap with a coupon, and pack out into carton. Then stretch wrap 106 pallets and load  back into four 53 foot trailers.
> 
> In this heat!
> 
> All whilst doing our regularly scheduled work.  I had to fill in for my son as well as doing my own functions here.  12 hour days everyone of them.
> 
> I woke up this morning completely numb.  Maybe, jus' maybe, I _am_ too old for this crap.


OMG.   im 24 and a day of sitting  in an office wears  me  out, lol


----------



## olivia24

Vordt said:


> I got a terrible headache all day... maybe magnetic storms...


Hope you feel better.


----------



## Melensdad

We had a large flowerbed that was literally overrun with weeds.  Hundreds of them, waist high.  The flower bed is on the wrong side of the fence, in an area that is basically out of sight.  We couldn't grow grass there so we turned it into a flower bed.  This spring we just didn't get to it and it got out of control.  I fixed that today.  Filled the bed of our side by side with 3 heaping loads of weeds.  Got most of them out by the roots.  Now we need to replant the area, it will mostly be filled with Hosta plants as it is under shade most of the day.  There are lots of perennials in the area now, but there are big open spaces.  Probably need 20+ shade plants to fill the area that I weeded.  

But now I'm sore.


----------



## olivia24

Melensdad said:


> We had a large flowerbed that was literally overrun with weeds.  Hundreds of them, waist high.  The flower bed is on the wrong side of the fence, in an area that is basically out of sight.  We couldn't grow grass there so we turned it into a flower bed.  This spring we just didn't get to it and it got out of control.  I fixed that today.  Filled the bed of our side by side with 3 heaping loads of weeds.  Got most of them out by the roots.  Now we need to replant the area, it will mostly be filled with Hosta plants as it is under shade most of the day.  There are lots of perennials in the area now, but there are big open spaces.  Probably need 20+ shade plants to fill the area that I weeded.
> 
> But now I'm sore.


Dont get too mad, lol. I came  home from work, checked  in here for  a  bit, then went to the  mall and got  a  nice skirt and top combo. Time to be  pretty  again!!


----------



## FrancSevin

olivia24 said:


> Hope you feel better.


You are only young once.  If you try hard enough one can pretty much stay that way.

From this perspective, If you can do it today, it's very  likely you can do it tomorrow.  So, if you want to do it tomorrow, best make a point to overcome and do it today.

My Grandpa
Irvin Rauscher


----------



## olivia24

FrancSevin said:


> You are only young once.  If you try hard enough one can pretty much stay that way.
> 
> From this perspective, If you can do it today, it's very  likely you can do it tomorrow.  So, if you want to do it tomorrow, best make a point to overcome and do it today.
> 
> My Grandpa
> Irvin Rauscher


Sounds  great!!


----------



## FrancSevin

olivia24 said:


> OMG.   im 24 and a day of sitting  in an office wears  me  out, lol


I gotta tell you, back when I was in my 20's and 30's, I used to have a cushy corporate job.  A day in the office wore me out too.


----------



## olivia24

FrancSevin said:


> I gotta tell you, back when I was in my 20's and 30's, I used to have a cushy corporate job.  A day in the office wore me out too.


Im the  low girl on the totem pole  in HR.   I do a  bit  of everything, Olivia, come  here, Olivia do this, Olivia go to payroll, lol. Im looking forward  to be able to conduct  interviews and  do recruiting


----------



## olivia24

It was casual friday today and there  is this really  cute guy that works in another dept. I wore some really hot  jeans and a  very  cute  top so he would  notice  me. I hope  he did!!


----------



## Lenny

olivia24 said:


> It was casual friday today and there  is this really  cute guy that works in another dept. I wore some really hot  jeans and a  very  cute  top so he would  notice  me. I hope  he did!!


I hope it works out good for you.


----------



## FrancSevin

olivia24 said:


> Im the  low girl on the totem pole  in HR.   I do a  bit  of everything, Olivia, come  here, Olivia do this, Olivia go to payroll, lol. Im looking forward  to be able to conduct  interviews and  do recruiting


The problem with being low on the ladder is when you look up, all you see is @sses.
I remember...;  No matter how high I got, there was still another butt in my view.
It's tedious and boring.

On the other hand, you have the company of others  and it's safe there.  Do your job with diligence, loyalty  and integrity, until your heart tells you different. And when that happens, do not be afraid to,,,,, listen.


----------



## Melensdad

Aleve this afternoon.  Bourbon tonight.  

Pain is gone.

Planning to ride motorcycles tomorrow with the lovely Mrs_Bob, maybe plant some flowers in the newly weeded flower bed.  I have a graduation party to attend in the afternoon and a hug to give to a lovely young lady who used to be one of my former students and now works for the D.O.D. and has returned to town and plans to spend some time visiting with me.


----------



## olivia24

Lenny said:


> I hope it works out good for you.


Maybe  i will find  out  next week.


----------



## olivia24

Melensdad said:


> Aleve this afternoon.  Bourbon tonight.
> 
> Pain is gone.
> 
> Planning to ride motorcycles tomorrow with the lovely Mrs_Bob, maybe plant some flowers in the newly weeded flower bed.  I have a graduation party to attend in the afternoon and a hug to give to a lovely young lady who used to be one of my former students and now works for the D.O.D. and has returned to town and plans to spend some time visiting with me.


Im glad the  pain is gone!!! Have fun with the former student. You and your wife should take  her someplace  nice!!


----------



## olivia24

FrancSevin said:


> The problem with being low on the ladder is when you look up, all you see is @sses.
> I remember...;  No matter how high I got, there was still another butt in my view.
> It's tedious and boring.
> 
> On the other hand, you have the company of others  and it's safe there.  Do your job with diligence, loyalty  and integrity, until your heart tells you different. And when that happens, do not be afraid to,,,,, listen.


Actually, i dont  mind  being the all purpose  girl. I get to learn alot  of  new things. My dept  manager says  i brighten the  place  up with my attitude and  personality. Dont worry, she  is a female, lol. She  is the  best  boss ever!!!


----------



## FrancSevin

olivia24 said:


> Maybe  i will find  out  next week.


Good luck with that but aren't you going to be strolling on a beach this weekend? Don't be thinking about next week so much, and miss an opportunity.

You never know,,,,

I met my wife on a cold Christmas afternoon because her voice came over my little brother's walkie talkie.  I was sulking a breakup of a two year engagement to be married.  I picked the toy radio up and asked how old she was,,,"17" ,,,,"where do you live?"  turns out to be right up the street,,,

After two hours of standing in the cold with her, her cousin and my brother,  her dad yelled out to "bring him in or send him home." She couldn't bring me in, because her _sorta_ boyfriend  was there playing pool with her brother.  As I left, I told my brother "I'm gonna marry that girl. She said the same to her cousin

Together now 55 years.

Like I said  You never know.,,,,,


----------



## olivia24

That amazing!! Yea, im going to the  beach tomorrow. Lay  out  in  the  sun and just relax. In the evening  maybe go out with a few friends to a really  nice  place we go to alot.


----------



## Melensdad

Franc, my wife and I got married in '85, a few years after we finished college/graduate degrees.  It is amazing you and your wife have been together for 55 years.  My wife hasn't killed me yet so I'm hoping we make it to 55+, eventually.


----------



## olivia24

Melensdad said:


> Franc, my wife and I got married in '85, a few years after we finished college/graduate degrees.  It is amazing you and your wife have been together for 55 years.  My wife hasn't killed me yet so I'm hoping we make it to 55+, eventually.


Wow, yall make  me  a  bit envious. I hope  i can find a  love as perfect as yours.


----------



## FrancSevin

olivia24 said:


> Wow, yall make  me  a  bit envious. I hope  i can find a  love as perfect as yours.


It's been my experience that you don't "find" love.  You have to work at it.

There is no happily ever after, there is only the arduous task of  making your partner happy and hope they return the sentiment.   Find the guy that proves he is looking out for YOUR better interests over his own and you may have a good chance at making it work.  But never forget, it is always going to be work.  Which is why you will then appreciate the the harmonious outcome.


----------



## Melensdad

FrancSevin said:


> It's been my experience that you don't "find" love.  You have to work at it.
> 
> There is no happily ever after, there is only the arduous task of  making your partner happy and hope they return the sentiment. . .


Yup, marriage is not easy.  It is worth it.  But it takes commitment.  It takes work.


----------



## m1west

Working today


----------



## Melensdad

The lovely Mrs_Bob and I rode our motorcycles to Kankakee, IL to have a wonderful lunch at the Blues Cafe.  After lunch we rode to the Gordon House.  It is a Frank Lloyd Wright designed house that sits right on the Kankakee river.  Headed north out of town and rode up thru Bradley, IL and over to St George's Church.  It is an old Catholic parish, church is made of stone and illuminated by beautiful stained glass windows.  Dates back to the late 1800s.  Then home.  Roughly an 80 mile round trip, so not too far away.

Had to be home in time to go to a graduation party for one of my former high school fencers.  She has been one of my students since she was in 6th grade.  Her sister was one of my team captains.  She would have also been team captain but we shut down that high school team.  Stayed in contact because I'm close to the family, she has been Kobe's only babysitter too.  Great party, great people, great time.


----------



## olivia24

I am doing absolutely  nothing today. Cant  believe  monday is almost  here.


----------



## FrancSevin

Nailing shingles to the roof.


----------



## m1west

Worked on the Cat and some yard work until it got too hot.


----------



## waybomb

Washed a few cars and put a new carb on one of the Carver's engines.


----------



## FrancSevin

Did two squares of Architectural shingles on the bedroom roof where the a tiny leak has spotted our newly coffered ceiling. Tomorrow I'll do two more and that should solve the leak.

My roof will take 26 squares all total.  I decided since there are no deck issues, and the shingles I laid twenty some year ago are fine, I'm not going to do a full tear off. I am adding 300 sq feet of new roof but that is a whole nuther matter.

20 years from now, when it matters, I'll likely be picking daisies. Or perhaps pushing them.


----------



## pirate_girl

I'm up early as usual lol
Finished my required weekend at work.
On the covid front, apparently there are 9 new cases in a nursing facility in a city near here.
Please God no.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

We've now been camping since a week ago Friday when we came to our seasonal site for the weekend. We got home last Sunday then left Tuesday morning for a provincial park 2.5 hrs away where we camped for 3 nights. On Friday, we packed up and came home. 

My son's car is finally on the road but he had battery issues while I was gone last week. It's got side posts only and the threads were stripped. So on Friday as soon as I got home, I unpinned the fifth wheel camper and headed to the city to get new battery posts. Came back and installed them then drove the car to my son's work to swap out with the neighbors car he borrowed while we were gone. Came back and returned the neighbors car then headed to camp for the weekend. It'll be nice to get home today and sleep in my own bed.


----------



## FrancSevin

Time to get the old JD 310 backhoe ready for the mountain property. Needs a battery and lubrication service.  I need to pump grease in  all the fittings for the bucket and the front loader.

The hydraulics on the stabilizers bleed off over time. Not sure, for my use, I need to worry about that.

Next weekend, I guess we will be preparing the site for the new 14' X 32' bunkhouse building. Hoping the weather cooperates.


----------



## Lenny

Going to the gym this morning and then do a little housework.  

Going to a city council meeting this evening.  I hope the city council wants to talk more about housing homeless Veterans because I have some additional ideas.  They liked my suggestions during the last meeting.


----------



## olivia24

Lenny said:


> Going to the gym this morning and then do a little housework.
> 
> Going to a city council meeting this evening.  I hope the city council wants to talk more about housing homeless Veterans because I have some additional ideas.  They liked my suggestions during the last meeting.


What are your  ideas? I had a super fun day at work, went to Ynot pizza and  had minnetrone soup and a  slice  of  pizza for  lunch then ran out  of stuff to do at  230 so had a  gabfest with the  other girls.


----------



## Lenny

olivia24 said:


> What are your  ideas? I had a super fun day at work, went to Ynot pizza and  had minnetrone soup and a  slice  of  pizza for  lunch then ran out  of stuff to do at  230 so had a  gabfest with the  other girls.


Upper floors of buildings in the downtown area are vacant and they want to make them into apartments.  I told them where and how to get government grants to house homeless Veterans.  I'm going to suggest trying to get a grant to house non-veterans too.  Also, help them get jobs in the city here.  There are a lot of HELP WANTED signs up.  I also want to talk more about getting Veterans any disability rating they deserve....the money they spend would be in town.  Non-veterans may be entitled to Social Security disability.


----------



## olivia24

Lenny said:


> Upper floors of buildings in the downtown area are vacant and they want to make them into apartments.  I told them where and how to get government grants to house homeless Veterans.  I'm going to suggest trying to get a grant to house non-veterans too.  Also, help them get jobs in the city here.  There are a lot of HELP WANTED signs up.  I also want to talk more about getting Veterans any disability rating they deserve....the money they spend would be in town.  Non-veterans may be entitled to Social Security disability.


Thats awesome. Hope  it works  out.


----------



## FrancSevin

Cleared more lumber off the rotting deck.  Not sure if the joists are compromised.  They have white fungi on them but seem solid.  I'm letting sunlight kill the fungus and will see.

The deck was over a foundation with a concrete floor. The drain system clogged and let water stand.  That has drained off but there is an inch or so of debris, mostly organic material that fell thru the cracks in the decking.  It is essentially rotted compost.  I'll shovel it  off and put the stuff on my flower beds.

Plans are to fix the drain system and deck over with manufacture decking that seals and/or make most of the deck into an kitchen addition. It will add a 10 By 16 foot space to the house. The foundation is 36" below grade so that should pass inspection.  I planned to do this 20 years ago when I built it but life got in the way.

Mostly my kid's life, which frankly sucks.

This house was originally a 1500 square foot "Starter home" that suffered a fire. I bought it to flip in 1976 for $19K.  I put $6,500 into it and instead of selling it for $48K  we moved in.  I've been flipping it ever since.

Now we boast 2300 square feet of living space.  This will make the total 2460 square feet. This does not include the 900 sq feet garden apt in what was the basement. Wood and ceramic floors throughout.  It is way overbuilt for the neighborhood but I don't really care.

Last appraisal was $248K mostly because the surrounding comps are at $210K.

We are not looking to sell so it matters little.


----------



## Ceee

Lenny said:


> Upper floors of buildings in the downtown area are vacant and they want to make them into apartments. I told them where and how to get government grants to house homeless Veterans. I'm going to suggest trying to get a grant to house non-veterans too. Also, help them get jobs in the city here. There are a lot of HELP WANTED signs up. I also want to talk more about getting Veterans any disability rating they deserve....the money they spend would be in town. Non-veterans may be entitled to Social Security disability.


I really like that you're doing this, too.


----------



## Melensdad

Lenny said:


> Upper floors of buildings in the downtown area are vacant and they want to make them into apartments.  I told them where and how to get government grants to house homeless Veterans.  I'm going to suggest trying to get a grant to house non-veterans too.  Also, help them get jobs in the city here.  There are a lot of HELP WANTED signs up.  I also want to talk more about getting Veterans any disability rating they deserve....the money they spend would be in town.  Non-veterans may be entitled to Social Security disability.


If this progresses you should start a thread about this, it might be useful in other areas and maybe could be duplicated.

I'd have to think that there are federal grants that would apply to all 50 states but more localized grants, from state/county and private groups would have to be source per location.  Still, it is the seed of the idea, growing it could help a lot of people


----------



## Lenny

Melensdad said:


> If this progresses you should start a thread about this, it might be useful in other areas and maybe could be duplicated.
> 
> I'd have to think that there are federal grants that would apply to all 50 states but more localized grants, from state/county and private groups would have to be source per location.  Still, it is the seed of the idea, growing it could help a lot of people


The VA has allocated $400,000,000 to house homeless Veterans.  Anyone can find that on line, so I suppose people could find assistance programs for non-Veteran homeless people.  Anyone could start the process by contacting their mayor, city council people and county supervisors.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Nothing too exciting today. I made a trip to the city to finally return excess plumbing supplies from the bathroom reno then went to order the backslash for the bathroom (finally).  It's Tuesday so that means dump day. I did that then picked out a nice comfy spot on the couch to park my butt for the afternoon.


----------



## olivia24

Well, work and i was going to go to the  mall this evening  but  its  just started to rain. Just  hang at  home  and do some  super exciting  clothes washing.


----------



## olivia24

FrancSevin said:


> Cleared more lumber off the rotting deck.  Not sure if the joists are compromised.  They have white fungi on them but seem solid.  I'm letting sunlight kill the fungus and will see.
> 
> The deck was over a foundation with a concrete floor. The drain system clogged and let water stand.  That has drained off but there is an inch or so of debris, mostly organic material that fell thru the cracks in the decking.  It is essentially rotted compost.  I'll shovel it  off and put the stuff on my flower beds.
> 
> Plans are to fix the drain system and deck over with manufacture decking that seals and/or make most of the deck into an kitchen addition. It will add a 10 By 16 foot space to the house. The foundation is 36" below grade so that should pass inspection.  I planned to do this 20 years ago when I built it but life got in the way.
> 
> Mostly my kid's life, which frankly sucks.
> 
> This house was originally a 1500 square foot "Starter home" that suffered a fire. I bought it to flip in 1976 for $19K.  I put $6,500 into it and instead of selling it for $48K  we moved in.  I've been flipping it ever since.
> 
> Now we boast 2300 square feet of living space.  This will make the total 2460 square feet. This does not include the 900 sq feet garden apt in what was the basement. Wood and ceramic floors throughout.  It is way overbuilt for the neighborhood but I don't really care.
> 
> Last appraisal was $248K mostly because the surrounding comps are at $210K.
> 
> We are not looking to sell so it matters little.


I can scrape  up 2000 for it!!


----------



## FrancSevin

olivia24 said:


> I can scrape  up 2000 for it!!


Save you money. The way things are going these days, you'll need that much to buy lunch


----------



## olivia24

With my brilliant  business  mind  i will be  sipping  margaritas on a  Bahama beach in 23.25 years, lol


----------



## FrancSevin

olivia24 said:


> With my brilliant  business  mind  i will be  sipping  margaritas on a  Bahama beach in 23.25 years, lol


Why Wait that long?


----------



## olivia24

FrancSevin said:


> Why Wait that long?


Well marriage and  1 or  2 kids are  in there somewhere, lol. Unless  i marry a really  rich guy!!


----------



## Melensdad

The lovely Mrs_Bob wanted me to map out a motorcycle ride for today.  Mapped out a rural round trip path to Notre Dame.  Trip would have been about 190 miles for the loop route.  She said she wanted to ride father.  So now its about 250 miles for the loop.  That is the plan.


----------



## waybomb

You can stop in Saint Joseph and visit....


----------



## m1west

There is another fire this year near the work cabin, ( Dixie fire ) Its a very big fire that already completely burned Greenville, a small gold rush town established around 1860. It is also threatening Chester which is a good sized tourist area around lake Alamnor. The way the wind is blowing while looking at the fire map, it may just skirt north of me up there. My cabin neighbor drove there from Reno yesterday to check out our places clean pine needles around the cabins. he called me yesterday afternoon on his way back to Reno, he didn't want to stay in case the fire came over the mountain during the night. I had planned to go there but decided not to, 1- not a good idea to stay there right now. 2- there are no hotel rooms available due to refugees from other towns that got evacuated. I looked at the fire map this morning and it is skirting north like I hoped, it just needs to keep going that way. Also the neighbors daughter climbed to the peak of the mountain in the direction it would come from and reported that side of the mountain is completely burned up from last year where there is no undergrowth and very few trees, so maybe the fire last year will save us this year.


----------



## olivia24

I was going to go to the  beach, but  its going to rain all day.


----------



## pirate_girl

Nowt, nada, zip.
I worked Thursday and yesterday.
May not pick up any shifts until the 21st.
 I am making chicken parmesan for dinner, that's as far as I've planned today.


----------



## FrancSevin

Back on the roof with new shingles.

We plan to buy enough for the entire roof today.  72 bales at 100 lbs each
About two pallets worth.  I'll haul them to the plant for storage and then take 3 to6 bales home on cool nights to install. The back roof faces south east so it has the old shingles in the worst condition.  It is also where we are adding a new roof over the existing deck.  I want to get that done whilst the trees are full of leaves and providing some shade.


----------



## Melensdad

Just got home.  Left at 8:30.  Home at 4:45.  Made several stops along the route.  A little sore across the shoulders.  Overall a nice ride, mostly 2 lane roads.  Started really getting hot as we got closer to home.  Thermometer was reading 91(F), it was humid too.  I think we felt it more because we were frequently in suburban type traffic with slower speeds and frequent stops.  As we got back to the country lanes and the speeds were 40+ mph it was far more comfortable.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I've been busy the past few days. Back up to last Wednesday. I went to camp with 2 kids and built a shed. It's not finished yet as I ran out of materials. Thursday my wife and the rest of the family joined us at camp. Friday I went fishing with a friend. We nailed them. Saturday was fun. We had adult games all day. I've taken a liking to beer pong. BURP!  

That brings us to today. So I had to bring my son to meet up with his mom who lives 14 hrs away on Monday. Well, my brother was racing an hour and a half drive further from where I was supposed to meet up with her for the exchange. So I decided to take the fifth wheel, my son and a couple of the other kids who wanted to come watch the races. 

Remember that I played beer pong most of the day yesterday. Well, I was up at 5:45am and by 6:15am was on the road to drive an hour east home to get the fifth wheel and my son to drive 6 hours west. When I went to hook up, I discovered a flat tire on the camper. Great. So I backed up the trailer to the garage to remove the tire. I grabbed my son's car and headed to the city to buy a new tire. There was a spare but I quickly found out that it was the wrong size. The store opened at 9am where I could find a tire on a Sunday. By 9:08am I had a new tire and was on my way back home. By 10am the tire was installed and we were on the road. 

We made it in time to check in to the campground and head to the races. 
		
		
	


	



my brother is in the red and white car.


----------



## FrancSevin

You're all gonna have to type louder today.  I put earwax cleaner in my left ear last night.  Not sure why but I cannot hear a damn thing this morning,
Right ear ( which I didn't touch) is diminished and the left ear is dead. It feels like swimmer's ear.  So hopefully it will clear up.


----------



## pirate_girl

I HOPE YOUR HEARING HAS CLEARED TODAY, FRANCIS! ?
Roger that? Lol

I was roused from my slumber by the crash, bang boom of thunderstorms grrr
All clear now.
Might as well fire up the Keurig!


----------



## FrancSevin

pirate_girl said:


> I HOPE YOUR HEARING HAS CLEARED TODAY, FRANCIS! ?
> Roger that? Lol
> 
> I was roused from my slumber by the crash, bang boom of thunderstorms grrr
> All clear now.
> Might as well fire up the Keurig!


I can hear you Lollie!  Thanks for the words.

Actually all is well and my hearing has improved immensely.
Thanks!

As for the Thunder, Tenueque ( our Havapooh puppy) spent the night under the covers with Daddy's protection.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Heading back to camp after 2 nights at home to finish building a shed I started last week. Then I plan on tackling installing some more permanent lighting in the outdoor kitchen.


----------



## FrancSevin

It's like 100 f outside.  i was going to do some shingles but not in that heat.

I woke up last night at 3:00 AM. could not return to sleep so when I arrive at the house this evening, I'm taking a snooze.


----------



## FrancSevin

olivia24 said:


> Well marriage and  1 or  2 kids are  in there somewhere, lol. Unless  i marry a really  rich guy!!


You might note that Cathy and i spent time in our late twenties in the Bahamas.  it's one of the pictures I posted. we had a kid then, he stayed at grandmas.  Never complained about it.

Do not put off you dreams.  Travel and do activities in your youth when you can make the most of them.  And if you find that guy, don't make money one of the qualities you need.  Just be sure he wants the same excitements in life as you do. 

It has been my experience that rich guys are usually boring, self centered and tend to be unfaithful to your best interests.

It is not irresponsible to live a good life, full of fun and activities many people put off.  For example, y brother in-law and is wife saved their Money for retirement.  He always scolded me for buying boats and taking expensive vacations.  I needed to be more responsible with his sister's future.

Today, my wife and I have many fond memories of our life together.  And her brother, he is laid up with a bad back and the infirmities of older age.
But, he does have a pile of money in the bank.

Btw, Cathy and I still do crazy stuff.  Zip lining, white water canoeing, long trips to far off places.  Sailing our 30 foot Yatch and building a ranch in the Ozarks. we like racing our two Chrysler Crossfire roadsters. ( hers is faster but mine wins in the twisties)  We are, in terms of money,  relatively broke.  But we are rich in life and living.

One should plan ahead, but the most important plan to have is the ability to look back on your  life and smile.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

NorthernRedneck said:


> Heading back to camp after 2 nights at home to finish building a shed I started last week. Then I plan on tackling installing some more permanent lighting in the outdoor kitchen.


Well, she's not pretty but she's solid. Built out of pallets and fence boards. She's not exactly air tight but good enough to hold the tubes and gas cans. Maybe a shovel and chainsaw.


----------



## FrancSevin

pirate_girl said:


> I HOPE YOUR HEARING HAS CLEARED TODAY, FRANCIS! ?
> Roger that? Lol
> 
> I was roused from my slumber by the crash, bang boom of thunderstorms grrr
> All clear now.
> Might as well fire up the Keurig!


Sorry I missed this before lollie.  Thanks for the kind words and yes, My hearing is back, in spades.

The wife is no longer chiding me to get hearing aids.

I think it possible that my eardrums were coated in wax that had hardened.  Perhaps the chemicals took time to soften and flush it away.


----------



## Melensdad

Rode our motorcycles 170 miles, round trip, for lunch.


----------



## Melensdad

Picked up Dasha in Chicago at Midway Airport.  

Later today we will get Kobe and bring him back home.

Going to be a full house for a short time.  Dasha moves into her campus dorm on Wednesday.  Kobe goes back to his Grandmother Wednesday evening.


----------



## m1west

Worked on the old Cat some, details where they should be.


----------



## pirate_girl

I worked first shift. It's been a while since I've done that.
Home relaxing.


----------



## FrancSevin

Spent a good bit of yesterday and to say getting our Brand new Husqvarna lawn tractor to run.  Despite a full tank, Cathy is walking up the hill claiming "I ran out of gas!"  Tank read more than half so it had to be something else

It would start but not run long and only with full choke.  There is only 8 hours on the engine.  This thing is still new.


I guess we got some really bad gas.  Took the furl filter off and cleared it.  The unit ran for about one minute.  Took the fuel pump off and cleared it, unit again ran for about one minute  New fuel filter and all lines cleared, it ran for about 3 minutes.

I had put Sea Foam in the tank but I got desperate and poured it right into the air intake.  White smoke everywhere but it ran and ran good.
For about five minutes.

Cathy comes walking up the hill and I grabbed my tools and went down.

I took the hose off the tank and let it drain about two gallons.  Didn't see anything but I suspected something in the bottom of the tank.  I pour the last of the Sea Foam into the fuel line directly into the carb.

Ran fine the rest of the day.

Meanwhile I worked the walk behind brush hog.  Gotta clear the new space for the Bunkhouse.

Did I say new??? Yep, every time I turn around the wife has a new idea about where the damn house should go.  I'm be so glad when it is finally delivered and set  on whatever site she choose.  Geezzus.

Keep in mind, this "Bunkhouse" is a 14' X 32' open box with no interior finish.  I cannot count the number of permutations on how we will be building it out. First is was to be simple with two bedrooms and a main kitchen dining area, all for guests. Next we had to fitin a bathroom because the bath house would be too far away in the middle of the night to go pee. Now it has a living space with a fireplace, one large bedroom and the kitchen /dining is an added bump out of one wall.

And the cedar lodge I planned last year down to the flooring colors and light fixtures???? It's officially off the table for now.

I will never get this  place done.


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> Spent a good bit of yesterday and to say getting our Brand new Husqvarna lawn tractor to run.  Despite a full tank, Cathy is walking up the hill claiming "I ran out of gas!"  Tank read more than half so it had to be something else
> 
> It would start but not run long and only with full choke.  There is only 8 hours on the engine.  This thing is still new.
> 
> 
> I guess we got some really bad gas.  Took the furl filter off and cleared it.  The unit ran for about one minute.  Took the fuel pump off and cleared it, unit again ran for about one minute  New fuel filter and all lines cleared, it ran for about 3 minutes.
> 
> I had put Sea Foam in the tank but I got desperate and poured it right into the air intake.  White smoke everywhere but it ran and ran good.
> For about five minutes.
> 
> Cathy comes walking up the hill and I grabbed my tools and went down.
> 
> I took the hose off the tank and let it drain about two gallons.  Didn't see anything but I suspected something in the bottom of the tank.  I pour the last of the Sea Foam into the fuel line directly into the carb.
> 
> Ran fine the rest of the day.
> 
> Meanwhile I worked the walk behind brush hog.  Gotta clear the new space for the Bunkhouse.
> 
> Did I say new??? Yep, every time I turn around the wife has a new idea about where the damn house should go.  I'm be so glad when it is finally delivered and set  on whatever site she choose.  Geezzus.
> 
> Keep in mind, this "Bunkhouse" is a 14' X 32' open box with no interior finish.  I cannot count the number of permutations on how we will be building it out. First is was to be simple with two bedrooms and a main kitchen dining area, all for guests. Next we had to fitin a bathroom because the bath house would be too far away in the middle of the night to go pee. Now it has a living space with a fireplace, one large bedroom and the kitchen /dining is an added bump out of one wall.
> 
> And the cedar lodge I planned last year down to the flooring colors and light fixtures???? It's officially off the table for now.
> 
> I will never get this  place done.


Just go wit the open floor plan, done.


----------



## Melensdad

Looks like a 'fun' day being a responsible adult for me.

Helping Dasha sort and pack her belongings into my truck.  Then, after the truck is parked in the garage, taking Dasha to Notre Dame, leaving most of her belongings at home.  Wait?  What?  Yep, taking Dasha to campus but not moving her into her dorm.  

She has to be on campus this afternoon ... but can't move into her dorm???

She will be staying with a group of international students in a hotel, without all their belongings, for the next day and a half.

Wednesday I will be taking her belongings to campus and moving them into her dorm room.  Seems like an incredibly inconvenient and ill conceived way to move kids into their dorms.  Granted, it only affects a couple dozen students who are acting as "international ambassadors" for the campus's incoming foreign student, but still.  Dum.  Stoopid.


----------



## FrancSevin

Saturday evening at the bungalow....




This is my Springfield MO girlfriend.  Don't tell the wife!


----------



## pirate_girl

FrancSevin said:


> Saturday evening at the bungalow....
> View attachment 139389
> 
> This is my Springfield MO girlfriend.  Don't tell the wife!


She's just as gorgeous as ever.
?


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Nothing exciting. Just a day of running back and forth to the city, a dump run, a run halfway to the border 25 miles south to pick up a cabinet for the bathroom, a run over to the village 10 miles away to drive our second oldest son to work, and a run back there later to look at another plow truck. How should I end the day?  Why not make another run to pick up our son after work. Will be nice when he's able to drive on his own. 

Not sure on the states but up here, we have graduated licensing which means that you have to drive with a licensed driver for a full year followed by being able to drive on your own with restrictions on passengers and not being allowed to drive on certain highways alone for a year.


----------



## FrancSevin

NorthernRedneck said:


> Nothing exciting. Just a day of running back and forth to the city, a dump run, a run halfway to the border 25 miles south to pick up a cabinet for the bathroom, a run over to the village 10 miles away to drive our second oldest son to work, and a run back there later to look at another plow truck. How should I end the day?  Why not make another run to pick up our son after work. Will be nice when he's able to drive on his own.
> 
> Not sure on the states but up here, we have graduated licensing which means that you have to drive with a licensed driver for a full year followed by being able to drive on your own with restrictions on passengers and not being allowed to drive on certain highways alone for a year.


Why?

Oh yes, I forget, driving is not a right but a privilege.

Same issues down here.

Most states you have to drive with a permit and a licensed driver.  Many require this for 6 months to a year, or more.

One ticket on your learners permit or provisional license,  and you have to wait until your 21 to get one. 

Me, I was driving the car to town at the age of 10.  But  that was some time ago.


----------



## FrancSevin

Melensdad said:


> Looks like a 'fun' day being a responsible adult for me.
> 
> Helping Dasha sort and pack her belongings into my truck.  Then, after the truck is parked in the garage, taking Dasha to Notre Dame, leaving most of her belongings at home.  Wait?  What?  Yep, taking Dasha to campus but not moving her into her dorm.
> 
> She has to be on campus this afternoon ... but can't move into her dorm???
> 
> She will be staying with a group of international students in a hotel, without all their belongings, for the next day and a half.
> 
> Wednesday I will be taking her belongings to campus and moving them into her dorm room.  Seems like an incredibly inconvenient and ill conceived way to move kids into their dorms.  Granted, it only affects a couple dozen students who are acting as "international ambassadors" for the campus's incoming foreign student, but still.  Dum.  Stoopid.


I'm trying my best to envision you as a "responsible adult."

Dasha has grown since her last photo.

Beautiful young lady


----------



## Melensdad

FrancSevin said:


> I'm trying my best to envision you as a "responsible adult."
> 
> Dasha has grown since her last photo.
> 
> Beautiful young lady


I'm just pretending to be a 'responsible adult' so it is only an illusion.

As for Dasha, she has matured from a pretty young girl to a beautiful young lady.  We are very proud of her, which seems sort of odd because we didn't raise her, but we do feel that she is part of our family.  Wednesday I move her into her dorm room.  It is supposed to be both hot and humid so I will likely be both sweaty and crabby.  Wish her luck, she will need it if I am crabby.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I finally found the time to spend a full day in the garage. First was a bit of a clean up as the guy who works out there is a bit of a messy mechanic. Lol. I have a bad habit of working on something and once done, getting too focused on trying out what I fixed/built and leaving the tools laying around instead of putting them away. I made a dent in the mess. Then installed a new/used tonneau cover on the truck. I've had a cheaper roll up one I bought 7 years ago that was coming apart and needed replacing. I found a solid fold up factory one for sale for a steal so I picked it up yesterday. 

Once that was done, I turned my attention to the Jacobsen mower. It has been sitting there for the past month as we've had little to no rain and the lawn was dying. I blew a few belts on the mower deck earlier this year and had ordered a few more. One to install and 2 spares. There's a shorter main belt that goes from the main center hydraulic pump to a pulley that controls the other two blades. It's a 72" triple blade lastec deck. The belt has two main pulleys and a spring loaded tension pulley that pivots on and keeps the belt tight. The height of the pulley can be adjusted by adding washers as spacers on the pivot shaft. It appears someone else had it apart in the past and didn't reinstall the correct amount of washers allowing some play which cause the belt to break. It's now lined up correctly and reassembled. It's also got a pin hole about halfway up the oil pan where the rear steering arm rubbed against it. That's tomorrow's task.


----------



## Melensdad

NorthernRedneck said:


> I finally found the time to spend a full day in the garage. First was a bit of a clean up as the _*guy who works out there is a bit of a messy*_ mechanic. Lol. . .


I know a guy like that too.

I did some garage clean up yesterday and some more today.  Also covered my motorcycle seat and then went for a 3.5 hour ride!


----------



## m1west

Took the wife to get blood drawn for a test, Went to Costco and stocked up while was getting poked. Timing was perfect, as soon as I pulled in the parking lot she came out. Now we are going to have a seafood salad with prawns, sea scallops, salmon with artichoke hearts and a little smoked cheese along with my favorite vinaigrette dressing. Wife is going at it, we will be eating in about 15 minutes


----------



## FrancSevin

Slowly catching up on yard chores.  Getting organized to work on floor joists for the deck overhaul.

Beautiful cool day with a nice breeze.  My heart says "Go Sailing."  But the project needs to  be executed.


----------



## Melensdad

Night ride tonight, can you see me with all these lights? 

I enjoy night rides but I hate the DOT mimimim lights on motorcycles so I added extras. 

My wife's brother & sister-in-law arrived in Chicago.  We met them in the city and went to the Printers Row book fair, stopped at a bar for an early afternoon beer just to escape the heat/humidity, stopped at Melen's apartment for a visit with her, then arrived home earlier this evening.  Quick ride for fun.  Bourbon now!


----------



## Rusty Shackleford

?


----------



## pirate_girl

Rusty Shackleford said:


> ?


Who dat?


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Spending time with my brother and mom today as a family. We're heading out to see the accident scene. It's hard knowing that he'll never be walking through the door again. ?


----------



## m1west

NorthernRedneck said:


> Spending time with my brother and mom today as a family. We're heading out to see the accident scene. It's hard knowing that he'll never be walking through the door again. ?


My dad passed in 2014, there isn't a day I don't think about him.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

We didn't make it to the accident scene. Instead, we went to empty dads personal possessions from the transport then went to the funeral home to begin planning for the service next week.


----------



## FrancSevin

Heading back to the Springfield Bungalow with my girl.   Weekend of romance if we are not too tired after working the Hippie ridge project.

Plans are to clear the space for  the bunkhouse since Cathy decided to move the location of the damn thing ,,,again.

If third time is the charm, we are way past charming.  However, once I move rock dirt, heaven and earth, I do hope she settles on a permanent place.

We are leaving tonite and be back Monday evening.


----------



## Doc

Well, I did something I'd never done until today. I rode my honda goldwing trike
in a VFW ride to support injured veterans. Similar to a poker run but they used dice instead. You rolled 3 die at each of the 5 stops and logged your total. At the end they add up your five scores. Highest score wins top prize. Lowest score got the 2nd place.
We rode over 160 miles of beautiful back roads. Truly enjoyed the ride.


----------



## Lenny

2 buddies and I have rooms at a hotel on Lake Okoboji in northern Iowa.   We've known each other since we were 7 years old.   We get together once a year here.  It's always fun.


----------



## m1west

Worked a half day in the shop, helping to get caught up


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Needed to escape and clear my head so I loaded up the side by side and headed to the bush to go riding for a couple hours. It didn't help.


----------



## Melensdad

I got invited to be a guest fencing coach for the Bradley University Fencing Club today.  Planning to go to their October 5th practice.  If it all works out I will take some of my fencing club members with me so we can coach and practice all 3 weapons. 

But as for today, mostly I spend time with Kobe today as a babysitter.  I did take Kobe and the lovely Mrs_Bob out to lunch today to a local restaurant.  Had a fried catfish sandwich.  Kobe had some soup and some avocado.  Not sure that my wife actually was able to eat much more than the tater-tots that were on her plate as she seemed busy tying to occupy the baby.


----------



## pirate_girl

NorthernRedneck said:


> Needed to escape and clear my head so I loaded up the side by side and headed to the bush to go riding for a couple hours. It didn't help.


Big hugs to you Brian.
You know over time, this hurt is going to heal.
When we're going through it, it sure feels like it won't.
I've been busy picking up shifts here and there at work.
We're on lockdown again because of one dietary worker testing positive for covid.
She was fully vaccinated.
Ugh...
I know I speak for everyone when I say, let's get back to NORMAL - whatever that is.
It's been raining non-stop since yesterday afternoon.
4.9 inches of rain in the forecast.


----------



## m1west

What ever I do today it has  to be better than yesterday. Yesterday morning I was headed out to do some work on the boat. My primary pickup started hesitating while driving then quit at the stop sign, check engine light came on as well as an extra traction control light that has never been there. Did some reading and I think that is where the problem is. It will re start but before you can go anywhere it quits. I have to get it to the dealer on Friday. It was hot next to a cow pasture and there were flies everywhere, the tow truck took 2 hours to get to me. Made for a bad day. As soon as got it home the FFL called and my BFR showed up and had to go do the gun safety test- $25.00, transfer $50.00 and the FFL receiving fee $50.00 and took 2 hours to get it all done. Now I have to wait 10 days for the background check to pick it up. This one almost went to rants and raves.


----------



## FrancSevin

Working on the deck rehab at home. The boss keeps making suggestions and I keep swallowing and being patient. My employment as a husband is under contract but the fringe benefits are extra, so patience is required.

We are adding a pie shaped addition to the 12 foot end of the deck. I have no means of support other than engineering a cantilever frame.  About four additional hours.  But she is right, it will make a huge difference in the available space.  And frankly it ties the angle of the back of the house together.


----------



## waybomb

Got a flat tire today on the wife's SL. I was waiting until next year to get new tires. They had planty of tread, but oldies. Car is 17 years old and only has 83,000 on it. Side wall blew out. Glad it wasn't highway. Of course, it blew out on a rainy day. My luck.  
Got Michelin Pilot Sport AS4 coming. 285-35/18 and 235/40/18.


----------



## Melensdad

Took Kobe to the hospital with a fever of 104.1

He was acting pretty normal today, just maybe a little quieter than normal.  We decided to take his temp about 4pm just in case there might be an issue?  We were not expecting the results we got.  Normally we meet his grandmother at 5pm on Wednesdays and she takes him until Sunday evening.  Tonight she met us at the hospital.

Turns out it was not a big deal???

We gave him Motrin right after we took his temperature and drove straight to the hospital.  It dropped from 104.1 to 102.6 by the time we arrived at the hospital.  They immediately gave him Tylenol.  Then they took a bunch of tests.  Couple hours later he was released and grandma took him home.  Instructions are to alternate Tylenol & Motrin.

Basically they said he has an undetermined virus.


Thursday morning we get up and drive to Notre Dame.  We are taking winter clothes to Dasha and will be going out to lunch with her then heading back home after lunch.  I have to help teach a fencing class at the club Thursday evening.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I went to physio yesterday for some attention on my back. Then went to mom's to help out. Plans are set for dads funeral. We worked at cleaning up his shop as we're using it as a drop in place after the funeral. I am seriously getting fed up with the stupid idiotic covid rules currently in place. I can go to a race track with 5000 people packed into the grandstands like sardines for 8 hours. But we can't have more than 40 people at dad's funeral in a chapel designed for 300. I can go to church now but we all have to be 6 feet apart and wear masks but once the service is over, we can leave the church, walk across the street and sit down together without masks at the same table to eat. It's pure bullsh-t. 

So because of covid. We have to have a wake on Saturday for 2 hours. Then another visitation for an hour before the service Sunday. And limited seating for the supper afterwards. So we cleaned up dads shop and will be hosting a drop in time to come pay respects. 

I spent some time yesterday cleaning up dads Harley as we're going to use it as a display for after the service.


----------



## m1west

Had to go down and save them at the shop again, Its happening far to frequently.


----------



## 300 H and H

Harvest in full swing here. My fist 80 acers of soybeans are out.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I lit a fire yesterday afternoon and kept it going all day. I sat there alone for hours reflecting on my dad and what he meant to us. Sometimes I just need to stop and smell the roses so to speak. 

We had my family over for a BBQ and evening fire which was a nice relaxing distraction from the funeral preparations.


----------



## FrancSevin

pirate_girl said:


> .........We're on lockdown again because of one dietary worker testing positive for covid.
> She was fully vaccinated.
> Ugh...
> I know I speak for everyone when I say, let's get back to NORMAL - whatever that is.........


No one is being _"fully vaccinated"_

It's not really a vaccine.

It is sad to hear when someone got the shot and still gets sick.  I have to wonder if our new leadership is even considering a push for a real vaccine.

We cannot achieve "herd immunity" without having a real immunity.


----------



## Melensdad

Coffee.  Coffee. More Coffee. Then I will start the day today. 

Yesterday after returning from our visit to see Dasha, I cut, sanded, stained and started to varnish a new shelf for Melen to mount her microwave.  I used Aspen wood, which is a little lighter than whatever wood her cabinets are made from but I mixed up some tint to get it stained up to a honey color that almost perfectly matches her cabinetry.  

Then off to the fencing club for our beginner class's first lesson.  Record class size, we had 23 people show up!  There were 6 coaches and it was a packed room.  

After the club I stopped at my local adult beverage emporium and sat in the back room with the owner for about an hour, sampling various bottles.  I also picked up a very special bottle ... my annual Old Forester Birthday Bourbon.  I heard that there were only 84 bottle available in the state.  Bottles resell on the secondary market for about $1000 each.  But if you have an honest retail who will save you a bottle, it has an MSRP of $199.  I get 1 bottle a year, open it up on my birthday.

It was 67 and sunny at home, 45 and raining at Notre Dame.  We delivered Dasha's winter clothes, had a nice lunch and a great talk with her.  And we posed for 'our photo' which we take in the same spot on campus each time we visit.


----------



## Melensdad

Went out for a few hours this afternoon, decided not to test the load capacity of this bridge that I found at the end of a gravel path.


----------



## Melensdad

Fencing tournament today.  I actually went to meet the new Saber coach at Northwestern University, he and I have traded some messages over the last competition season but our paths had never crossed.  My co-coach was fencing in a tournament at Northwestern so I figured it was a good opportunity to meet up with the new N.U. saber coach.  My co-coach earned a bronze medal in the event.  Worked out well for both of us.  She is on the far right in the photo below.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Well, we had dad's funeral yesterday. It was nice to get some closure. 

They say things come in 3. Well, my friend and band mate passed in January. We had her funeral 2 weeks ago on Saturday. On the following Monday, dad passed away suddenly. We did dad's funeral yesterday. Last night at 3am, our adopted daughters biological grandfather passed away. We knew him and had welcomed him into our family and had a good relationship with him. So now we move on to mourning grampa as well as my dad and my friend. We knew he was in palliative care and was nearing the end of life but it doesn't make it easier.


----------



## m1west

Just got back from trailering my 2015 Nissan Frontier with my 73 Dodge to be repaired. WTF


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Went to the funeral home to escort dad's coffin to the crematorium. He's going to be buried next spring.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

After the kids left for school, I decided that I need some "me" time and went to the bush to look for birds. Got 2. I just needed to be where I can get my head on straight again. It didn't work but was nice to get out. Then I headed over to mom's to haul back their older fifth wheel trailer to my place to sell for her so she doesn't have to worry about it anymore. They had just bought it this summer to travel to the races in the area and take it out fishing. Only used it once before dad passed.


----------



## m1west

Paperwork Tuesday, the Nissan dealer called and the repair on my truck will be about $850.00 total so I told them to fix it. Happy I took it in as the problem turned out to be a camshaft position sensor and the battery. The battery was starting it just fine, but they said when they start deteriorating it causes the computer to throw codes?? Anyway I would have put a lot of parts on it before I figured it out.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

It's a little after 6PM here and I got home from work less than two hours ago after getting started at about 5 in the morning. Tomorrow will be very much the same but at least the weekend is almost here. I'm planning on taking a three day weekend and I'll be cooking on Friday and spend some more time with my family - my adopted brother, sister and my dad.


----------



## FrancSevin

Wife's birthday tomorrow so likely a family gathering at Olive Garden. 

She is impossible to shop for. So I am doing small things.
Neutrogena has a body oil that smells of honeysuckle.  I giver her a full body massage about once a week with it. The product has been on short supply of late, putting our weekend cozy massage sessions at risk.  But, I found a source and bought 6 bottles. 
Also I contracted a candle maker to produce 12 jars of Honeysuckle mood candles.

Some cute cards  to sprinkle about for her to find all day. Yes, fresh flowers.  But she always has them on the nightstand from me.  Always.

(....last weekend she had to walk on a path of yellow rose petals just to get into bed.)

For the finish, I found a peasant blouse, and black choker necklace like she used to wear  40 years ago,   That's really for me but she has been looking for one for months.

After dinner, we will set the kids at home and head for the Springfield MO bungalow. A three hour drive. Some wine and those candles should make it perfect.


Yes, YES, I know. I have a deck to finish and a house site to grade and gravel. By comparison.....  UNIMPORTANT!


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Thanks for the ideas franc. It's my wife's birthday today too. It's also a new federal statutory holiday starting this year. National day of reconciliation. A day to show remembrance for all the children lost in the residential school system when the government gathered up many native children and sent them to live in residential schools. Many children died and were buried in unmarked graves at these schools over the years. 

We had an impromptu hot tub party last night on short notice with some of the locals we recently met. Much needed after the last couple weeks. Today, I'm going to help my neighbor install a pool liner. He is semi retired now but still does random jobs for people building swimming pools and replacing liners.


----------



## FrancSevin

Off to Springfield and the ranch


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Currently socializing with the fam. And having a drink.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Came out to camp this morning. First time back since dad passed. Much needed break from reality. Went out bird hunting in the rain with the side by side. Got soaked. Covered in mud. Saw 7 grouse. Shot 4. Still too much vegetation for them to hide in on the sides of the trails I go down. It'll be better once the leaves are gone and the first frost has killed all the low grass. The birds tend to flock up after the first frost and come out on the roads to warm up.


----------



## FrancSevin

It rained everyday and much of the night.  So,,,I spent the weekend wiring the10X12 portable barn in Springfield.
I installed a 6-12 breaker box  which would be great if I had a 50 or 60 amp power sources.  As it is, I only have 30 Amps on one leg.  So I will jumper the two buss's  to make it all work.

Three  15 amp circuits and one at 20 Amp.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

My back apparently didn't like the rain and getting soaked on the weekend as I can barely stand. This week's plan is to start with the annual fall swapping around of toys. Pull the three batteries from the boat, check the lower end oil, and back it under the carport on the side of the garage. That means the snowmobiles need to come out of there. Then I have to winterize mom's and my fifth wheel campers, tarp them, and store them away for the winter.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Back to work for the start of another work week, but today should be short and sweet as much of the week should be. I think I’ll throw a Chipotle crusted pork loin on the grill when I get in.


----------



## FrancSevin

I seem to be having trouble getting things done. This summer was a full schedule of construction, road work. Decks, excavations and remodeling projects.  Few of them are any where's near what would be my normal accomplishments.

Some time ago, like 3 months or so, I seriously strained my left shoulder.  The pain is intense, especially at night wherein I am awakened by it all night long.  Ibuprofen, aspirin and Scotch sometimes help but I just cannot get enough sleep.   Last night was the worst.

My chiropractor has been working on it to no avail.  I am about to see my medical doc just to get pain meds.  For me, that is abnormal.

Pain is normal and like most, I have suffered my whole life. A broken back and shattered knee joint in my teens, never kept me from doing anything..  But this one has me losing strength in my left arm.  Sunday, it was all I could do to turn a screw driver with my left hand. Picking up some bricks, my left hand would not hold them. 

I've had rotator cuff injuries before.  This is not the same.  Icepack and heat help briefly. At 74 I guess I am finally getting old.

Hate it!

My grandpa once gave me this advice, _" if ya' wanna' do something tomorrow, and the rest of your life, do it today no matter how much it hurts. If you can do it today, then most likely you can do it tomorrow."  _I have always heeded his advice.  But I think maybe there are some things I should stop planning on doing tomorrow.

This would be more appropriate in "Seriously Speaking Forum"  So I posted there as well.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Aches and pains suck. I totally get it. Lol. I woke up barely able to stand due to back pain. After the meds kicked in and a hot tub first thing, I felt a bit better so I headed out to take the batteries out of the boat for the winter. Since it was still early and things loosened up and it's sunny, I hooked up to the trailer and side by side and headed out to the woods looking for birds.  I love the fall time. Not too hot. No bugs. Beautiful fall colors.


----------



## FrancSevin

Off to Hippie Ridge for the week end

Gravel dumps for the drive road in 3 tons.

Seed the pasture

Burn more of the wasted lumber

Sunsets off the back deck.

See ya Sunday


----------



## Melensdad

For almost 2 moths I've been working to make arrangements to a group of high school fencers to a private club that is run by an Olympic fencer.  I got all the approval for the date and arranged for the bus to take the kids.  The head coach at the school approved everything.

Tonight I was at my fencing club giving lessons when the high school head coach texted me to say his school was not going to attend and told me (not asked) to cancel and reschedule.

WTF?

There were photographers and video crews schedules.  A field house was rented by the private club at their expense.  The Olympic fencer was going to give free advice to the high school kids.  The school coach decided he wanted to go away for a long weekend and texted me to reschedule.  Said he couldn't make it.  WTF???  This is the coach who gave me the date and got the bus scheduled and now, at the last minute, wants me to cancel.

Fuck him.  I went around him.  Contacted other schools, contacted private club fencers.  I'm cutting out his school and making this event happen with other kids.  How often do you get the opportunity to have your student trained by an Olympic athlete?   He is throwing away an opportunity of a lifetime.  I'm not.  But his kids lose out.

What are the odds that I do this guy, or his school, a favor in the future?

------------------- 0 ---------------------

But on a happier note, I was coaching fencing at Bradley University on Tuesday.  Bradley is a mid-size university located in Peoria, IL, which is about 2.5 hours away from me.  I spent the evening down there with their 30 member team.  It was a good night.  After coaching them they invited me to to go to Chick'fi-la with them for dinner and we all sat around talking until too late in the evening.  I got home about midnight.  It was a good night.  And they want me to come back.

Maybe I will change to college coach and skip the high schools after what happened with the high school tonight!


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Not a whole lot planned for today as it's raining. I do have to head to the city to run some errands later.


----------



## m1west

NorthernRedneck said:


> Not a whole lot planned for today as it's raining. I do have to head to the city to run some errands later.


same, its raining here too


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I’m getting ready to enjoy a lax evening at home. It’s time to chill!


----------



## PGBC

Been a beautiful sunny day here.

I fell a bunch of trees, clearing a spot for the new shop to be built.
Only worked 4 hours at my actual job today. 

Its the Thanksgiving long weekend here in Canada, but I work 12 your shifts all 3 days, then Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday off next week.


----------



## Melensdad

9 days early but the lovely Mrs_Bob and I are at Notre Dame and having an early birthday celebration with our Russian fencing "daughter" Dasha.  We share the same birthday.  41 years apart.  She will turn 20.  I will turn 61.

Waitress served her a Moscow Mule without checking her I.D. because she was with her parents.  She couldn't understand why Dasha had a Russian accent but my wife and I speak perfect English without an accent.  I tipped her well.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Ah. Another ca


PGBC said:


> Been a beautiful sunny day here.
> 
> I fell a bunch of trees, clearing a spot for the new shop to be built.
> Only worked 4 hours at my actual job today.
> 
> Its the Thanksgiving long weekend here in Canada, but I work 12 your shifts all 3 days, then Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday off next week.



Ah. Another canuck. Lol. Where in Canada? I'm in northwestern Ontario just west of lake superior. 

I didn't get much done yesterday due to the weather but did manage to get a dump run in. It's Thanksgiving weekend up here. We normally have a huge potluck supper at camp but this year, we stayed home as our 2 oldest sons worked yesterday. Plus, I'm not quite ready to handle a larger crowd yet after dad's sudden death less then a month ago. And we wanted to do a smaller Thanksgiving dinner for today. There'll be 12 of us here. First Thanksgiving without dad.


----------



## Doc

Made it to Daytona yesterday.   Nice lunch on the beach at Crabby’s.    Then drove the beach.  Beautiful day.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Enjoying the last day of my three day weekend. It's been what I've needed and I'm going to shoot again for another next week. It's been too long since I've had a vacation so I'll take whatever days I can.


----------



## PGBC

Melensdad said:


> 9 days early but the lovely Mrs_Bob and I are at Notre Dame and having an early birthday celebration with our Russian fencing "daughter" Dasha.  We share the same birthday.  41 years apart.  She will turn 20.  I will turn 61.
> 
> Waitress served her a Moscow Mule without checking her I.D. because she was with her parents.  She couldn't understand why Dasha had a Russian accent but my wife and I speak perfect English without an accent.  I tipped her well.
> 
> View attachment 140550




Awesome!!!


----------



## PGBC

NorthernRedneck said:


> Ah. Another ca
> 
> 
> Ah. Another canuck. Lol. Where in Canada? I'm in northwestern Ontario just west of lake superior.
> 
> I didn't get much done yesterday due to the weather but did manage to get a dump run in. It's Thanksgiving weekend up here. We normally have a huge potluck supper at camp but this year, we stayed home as our 2 oldest sons worked yesterday. Plus, I'm not quite ready to handle a larger crowd yet after dad's sudden death less then a month ago. And we wanted to do a smaller Thanksgiving dinner for today. There'll be 12 of us here. First Thanksgiving without dad.



PG (Prince George) BC.
Its in central BC.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Nice. We've been talking about heading to bc one year once the kids are all growed up. We want to tow the fifth wheel to the edge of the rockies then tour around for a week or so. 

Today, I'm recovering from a food baby.  We had a Thanksgiving dinner last night and as usual, there was enough food for 30 people and we only had 12. 

This morning, since it's a stat holiday and nothing is open and the kids are home, I'm taking the oldest son to dad's shop to clean out a 24ft car hauler they towed behind their motorhome. The unit is listed for sale now and is a sweet ride for a newmar diesel pusher. It's a 2005 with only 40000 miles. Asking 94000us. We can't cross the border yet to bring it down to the states but it's a sweet deal for any 'merican wanting to come up to get it.


----------



## 300 H and H

I finished harvesting soybeans last night about 9.   

On to corn today. From what I am hearing I will not be disappointed with the yields. Hard to believe we grew such a crop here with so little rain for the second year in a row. I look forward to being wet here once again. The trees are under visible stress, but my God the Black Walnut tree's made a nice crop some how. No bare footing around that part of my yard...


----------



## FrancSevin

300 H and H said:


> I finished harvesting soybeans last night about 9.
> 
> On to corn today. From what I am hearing I will not be disappointed with the yields. Hard to believe we grew such a crop here with so little rain for the second year in a row. I look forward to being wet here once again. The trees are under visible stress, but my God the Black Walnut tree's made a nice crop some how. No bare footing around that part of my yard...


Kirk,

Sounds like you are in tall cotton tis season. I know,  you don't grow cotton in Iowa.

Congrats on the yields and hope the bin buster doesn't bust the commodities market.

_Bon Chance!_


----------



## FrancSevin

On Sunday I worked on landscaping the new storage barn at eh Springfield Bungalow.
I was supposed to do electric but sitting on the deck for breakfast, It kept telling me,,_,"plant  some flowers around it."



_
So I did.



As with most mobile home sites the previous occupants often leave their unwanted stuff.  In my case they left a lot of landscape blocks, walls and pavers.  So i just dug them up and repurposed them.


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> On Sunday I worked on landscaping the new storage barn at eh Springfield Bungalow.
> I was supposed to do electric but sitting on the deck for breakfast, It kept telling me,,_,"plant  some flowers around it."
> 
> View attachment 140580_
> So I did.View attachment 140579
> 
> As with most mobile home sites the previous occupants often leave their unwanted stuff.  In my case they left a lot of landscape blocks, walls and pavers.  So i just dug them up and repurposed them.


looking good, looks like it time enjoy it, I'm still a couple years away from that at the work cabin


----------



## FrancSevin

m1west said:


> looking good, looks like it time enjoy it, I'm still a couple years away from that at the work cabin


Oh this Springfield MO  location is just the way station to the work cabin in the woods.

The and one half hours from St Louis, Springfield is the jump point for a one hour drive to either north to the sailboat or east to Hippie Ridge ranchette.

One of our Customers would like us to have a satellite plant in Springfield.  The Bungalow also gives us that option.
The Barn is being fitted as a secondary sleep cabin for the grandkids if they come with us for the weekend.

To be franc about it, the Bungalow is our love nest and I don't think  Cathy wants the kids to hear our bump and grind. Despite being in our 70's, after a 25 year gap in intimate activity,  we have a lot of loving time to makeup.  Last nite we came home late and exhausted.  We told them it was because of the weekend work of shoveling 3 tons of gravel and mowing the acreage.

Not sure they bought it.


----------



## FrancSevin

FrancSevin said:


> Oh this Springfield MO  location is just the way station to the work cabin in the woods.
> 
> *The and one half hours* from St Louis, Springfield is the jump point for a one hour drive to either north to the sailboat or east to Hippie Ridge ranchette.
> 
> One of our Customers would like us to have a satellite plant in Springfield.  The Bungalow also gives us that option.
> The Barn is being fitted as a secondary sleep cabin for the grandkids if they come with us for the weekend.
> 
> To be franc about it, the Bungalow is our love nest and I don't think  Cathy wants the kids to hear our bump and grind. Despite being in our 70's, after a 25 year gap in intimate activity,  we have a lot of loving time to makeup.  Last nite we came home late and exhausted.  We told them it was because of the weekend work of shoveling 3 tons of gravel and mowing the acreage.
> 
> Not sure they bought it.



CORRECTION
Actually it is 3 and one half hours from St . Louis. Which makes the trip to either the boat or the cabin at Hippie Ridge over four and one half hours.
  Plus an hour at Cracker Barrel for lunch and "shopping."


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> CORRECTION
> Actually it is 3 and one half hours from St . Louis. Which makes the trip to either the boat or the cabin at Hippie Ridge over four and one half hours.
> Plus an hour at Cracker Barrel for lunch and "shopping."


Thats the drive to the work cabin, 4 hours on a good day


----------



## FrancSevin

Headed to Memphis tonite.  Rented truck with a packaging line, we just rebuilt and custom tooled, on it.

Guy makes 3-D glasses which used to be very popular.  We once wrapped millions of them every year for his movie theater markets.

Now he does solar eclipse glasses. So I convinced him to bring it in house.

Plans are to install on Wednesday and follow up Thursday during production.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I’m going to shape some burger patties I can throw on the grill after I get home from work tomorrow. Nothing beats a long day like a good meal.


----------



## PGBC

NorthernRedneck said:


> Nice. We've been talking about heading to bc one year once the kids are all growed up. We want to tow the fifth wheel to the edge of the rockies then tour around for a week or so.
> 
> Today, I'm recovering from a food baby.  We had a Thanksgiving dinner last night and as usual, there was enough food for 30 people and we only had 12.
> 
> This morning, since it's a stat holiday and nothing is open and the kids are home, I'm taking the oldest son to dad's shop to clean out a 24ft car hauler they towed behind their motorhome. The unit is listed for sale now and is a sweet ride for a newmar diesel pusher. It's a 2005 with only 40000 miles. Asking 94000us. We can't cross the border yet to bring it down to the states but it's a sweet deal for any 'merican wanting to come up to get it.
> 
> View attachment 140575




What model of newmar is it?


----------



## Melensdad

1:31am and I have the sweats.

Woke up 2 hours ago with the chills.

I'd just like to go back to sleep. My throat started hurting yesterday, and my head has been congested for just that long.  I don't believe this is Covid, pretty sure it is just bit of a head cold with fever.

Of course I have plans for tomorrow.  And Friday.  And then I'm going out of town for a few days.  So I'm trying to heal and rest.


----------



## m1west

Melensdad said:


> 1:31am and I have the sweats.
> 
> Woke up 2 hours ago with the chills.
> 
> I'd just like to go back to sleep. My throat started hurting yesterday, and my head has been congested for just that long.  I don't believe this is Covid, pretty sure it is just bit of a head cold with fever.
> 
> Of course I have plans for tomorrow.  And Friday.  And then I'm going out of town for a few days.  So I'm trying to heal and rest.


Take it easy, my Covid symptoms sounded similar to yours for the first 5-7 days, very mild. Then in the second week is where things got dicey. Started off with stiff muscles and a headache that progressed into, low fever with chills and lots of sweating. Thats about the time I lost smell and taste. I think the worse part was having 0 appetite, where I had to force myself to eat for about 5 days. Then 3 more weeks of slowly returning to normal, where you can function as long as you don't over do it, or you melt like the witch in the wizard of oz. I hope its what you are thinking ,and just a cold.


----------



## m1west

Headed to the work cabin today, I haven't been up there since the first week in August, when I returned is when I got Covid, and been playing catch up with work since then. I really don't have time now but have to turn off the water and drain the walls as its getting cold there at night now. Also I need to change the battery packs on the solar that I need the batteries that are there for a solar project at home. I plan to replace them with some newer style batteries with more capacity. There is 14kw there now. when I swap them it will have right at 23kw. I will return Sunday with a full report and pictures.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Seems there's never enough time to get things done. Lol. 

I'm taking the day off from hunting to get things done around here. Not much at home actually but I've been compiling a list of things to get in the city all week. So today I plan on letting the back recoup a bit and getting a few things done. I have a couple of modifications on the side by side to make things more enjoyable. And I have to head to mom's shop to do a few things for her. 

Tomorrow I plan on being back at it hunting birds. Then a hot tub party in the evening. Saturday, we have a wedding to attend.


----------



## 300 H and H

One of my daughters and my grandson have covid, along with my wife.
Staying clear of the family is not all that easy to do. But so far nothing to report as for my condition.

Harvesting corn, spending lots of time out doors. A Doc here says some farmers are getting it, but with little in the way of Symptoms.


----------



## Melensdad

m1west said:


> Take it easy, my Covid symptoms sounded similar to yours for the first 5-7 days, very mild. Then in the second week is where things got dicey. Started off with stiff muscles and a headache that progressed into, low fever with chills and lots of sweating. Thats about the time I lost smell and taste. I think the worse part was having 0 appetite, where I had to force myself to eat for about 5 days. Then 3 more weeks of slowly returning to normal, where you can function as long as you don't over do it, or you melt like the witch in the wizard of oz. I hope its what you are thinking ,and just a cold.


Thanks, pretty sure it is not covid.

I have total head congestions but I still have taste and smell.  And I have an appetite.

After the shivering, and then the sweating, I now am actually feeling somewhat better.  Head is still congested.

This afternoon I go to the high school to give lessons.  I'll be coaching alone today.  But I only have 2/3rds of the team expected today, representing 2 of the 3 weapons.  That will make the task easier.  Directly after that I am supposed to coach a beginner's class at my club but I only assist with that class so I may skip it and go back to bed.

Tomorrow afternoon/evening I'm taking 1/3rd of the high school fencing team to fence with a club that is taught by an Olympic fencer.  His kids need some cannon fodder to practice on and I've got the fodder for them!  It actually helps his kids to get used to fencing sloppy new comers and it helps my kids learn proper techniques.


----------



## austonte

Woke up extra early to install the nerf bars that I recently ordered from 4wheelonline. Then, I plan to have my car detailed at a local detailing shop.


----------



## PGBC

My last day of work for the week, then tomorrow i am going to look at some equipment, and used fencing i saw for sale.
Haul some hay, and maybe even find a quad to buy.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

PGBC said:


> What model of newmar is it?


Not sure on the model. I believe it's a 37ft.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Bunch of errands all around the city. Didn't accomplish much there as everything I was looking for I either had to order or just couldn't find. I could've just sat my a$$ in the chair and ordered everything from Amazon and saved myself 3hrs, a quarter tank of gas, and the drive into the city. It's only 15 minutes but I'd rather be home or out hunting. 

I went over to dad's shop today to change out a tire on the matching trailer to the motorhome (I posted earlier).  They had a blow out on their way back from Arizona when covid started and had the spare on the trailer. Dad had a new tire ready to mount on the blown out rim but never got around to doing it. He also had a blown brake line on his gmc 2500 crew cab that needed to get changed so I brought that down to the garage to get repaired as well. It's also going up for sale soon. It's a 2005 but has barely seen salt and is in great shape for the year but is also at the stage where things are going on it.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I'm starting to finally wind down after kind of a hectic work week. After cooking tomorrow, I'll have family over tomorrow and we'll eat, drink and socialize and that's it for me until Monday.


----------



## m1west

Made the trip to the work cabin today, its friggn cold. It was 45 inside the cabin when I got here at noon. I did get the solar batteries swapped out. Tomorrow I am going to cut up a small tin shed that was destroyed in last years fire and haul it to the dump. This trip will be a short one, I will be headed home on Saturday morning. Main reason for the trip was the batteries, shut the spring water off and winterize the cabin. I will have to post pictures when I return, not enough band width up here off my phone. I am pleasantly surprised to see that a lot more trees are greening up. Starting to look a lot better.


----------



## FrancSevin

Memphis trip was awesome despite having a few glitches  with the packaging line.

Great customer, with whom I have worked for over 30 years now.

Beautiful weather until I came home.

Rain rain rain.


----------



## 300 H and H

Today was interesting. My daughter thought she had the roll tarp secured on the auger wagon two nights ago when in the dark we left the field. That night rain and wind dislodged it and nearly blew it off the far side. Pulled it in the yard out of the wind and fixed the tarp so it would close.
Today my nephew took a full load of 60,000 lbs to the semi to unload it. It did not go well. The drive line slip clutch was turned into a cloud of smoke as he tried to unload it. Turns out there was 4,000 lbs of corn left in it from the night it rained. No choice but open the bottom trap, but before this make sure the hydraulic door over the auger is closes so the tube is able to be emptied. This did not go well.... water came out first then some corn fell out, but mostly it was packed tight. The corn should have stopped running but kept on. Big pile on the ground. Oh I had to go to Carroll to get slip clutch linings. The New Holland dealer who sells J&M carts did not have the linings. But the parts guy took the one I had brought with me and found a Bush Hog mower lining nearly identical in size, just slightly larger diameter. A quick trip to the lathe fixed that...
We eventually discover the sliding door over the bottom of the auger, and 18" diameter tube.... big.... had bent the bottom lip to the point it caught on the auger flighting, bending it as well, back on itself to. It took 3.5 hours in the shop of cutting a 1" bar loose and hoisting out the entire sliding door out of a 900 bushel wagon... 100 Lbs of steel U shaped door to the floor for a rose bud torch to heat and straighten.
Eventually we got it all back in and the guild bar welded back in place. So far it is working well. I got into the computer on the tractor and cut the hydraulic flow to that circuit back to 10% to slow it down to a more reasonable speed.
Going to be stiff and sore in the morning I can already tell. Took my Aleve for inflammation an hour ago.

So far no Covid symptoms yet!


----------



## FrancSevin

Aleve.  I just started using it myself.
Amazing
  And I get to augment it will a little nip of the corn.  Sorry Kirk, that you'll have to take it from the grape.  Not as effective.


----------



## FrancSevin

300 H and H said:


> Today was interesting. My daughter thought she had the roll tarp secured on the auger wagon two nights ago when in the dark we left the field. That night rain and wind dislodged it and nearly blew it off the far side. Pulled it in the yard out of the wind and fixed the tarp so it would close.
> 
> Today my nephew took a full load of 60,000 lbs to the semi to unload it. It did not go well. The drive line slip clutch was turned into a cloud of smoke as he tried to unload it. Turns out there was 4,000 lbs of corn left in it from the night it rained. No choice but open the bottom trap, but before this make sure the hydraulic door over the auger is closes so the tube is able to be emptied. This did not go well.... water came out first then some corn fell out, but mostly it was packed tight. The corn should have stopped running but kept on. Big pile on the ground. Oh I had to go to Carroll to get slip clutch linings. The New Holland dealer who sells J&M carts did not have the linings. But the parts guy took the one I had brought with me and found a Bush Hog mower lining nearly identical in size, just slightly larger diameter. A quick trip to the lathe fixed that...
> 
> We eventually discover the sliding door over the bottom of the auger, and 18" diameter tube.... big.... had bent the bottom lip to the point it caught on the auger flighting, bending it as well, back on itself to. It took 3.5 hours in the shop of cutting a 1" bar loose and hoisting out the entire sliding door out of a 900 bushel wagon... 100 Lbs of steel U shaped door to the floor for a rose bud torch to heat and straighten.
> 
> Eventually we got it all back in and the guild bar w
> ed back in place. So far it is working well. I got into the computer on the tractor and cut the hydraulic flow to that circuit back to 10% to slow it down to a more reasonable speed.
> Going to be stiff and sore in the morning I can already tell. Took my Aleve for inflammation an hour ago.
> 
> So far no Covid symptoms yet!



So what you are saying is that farmers don't actually sit on the back porch and watch their crops grow.  They have to do actual hard labor!

My hat is off to all of you who till the soil so we can eat.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Ready to kick off the weekend. I’m sipping on a margarita and I’m about ready to have a hell of a meal. Beef stew with the works.


----------



## FrancSevin

Headed to Springfield to work on the grandson's little cabin.

We bought a beautiful little electric fireplace to heat the cabin.
Gonna need it this weekend.  I hope to finish the wiring and put up some insulation.

Sunny may have us out at Hippie Ridge to work. Or just leave my truck for next week when I ride in with the transporter delivering my JD 310 Backhoe to Hippie Ridge.

Then the fun begins!!!!


----------



## Melensdad

Leaving the house in about an hour to take the high school students to meet an Olympic Fencer by the name of Merek Stepien.  Merek was a Polish fencer in the Barcelona Olympics, World Team fencer and medals, fencing coach at Cambridge University in England, fencing coach at Notre Dame University in the US.  Now runs a private club.  

Not quite sure how it happened but he and I have become friends; he is an astonishingly great coach, very demanding, but very inspiring.  Last weekend he took four of his students (aged 14/15) to a college tournament and all four of them won medals.

He invited me to bring my kids to his club for some intensive fencing and lessons.  So I've got students going up there.  Should be a fun night.  My kids are going to get slaughtered, but hopefully will learn a lot.


----------



## PGBC

Went looking for equipment, a quad, and a new car today. All i can say is UGH


----------



## Melensdad

PGBC said:


> Went looking for equipment, a quad, and a new car today. All i can say is UGH


New cars are scarce on dealer lots and prices are crazy high.  

Last time I was in my local Honda Powersports dealer they had absolutely NO new quads, no side by sides, no street bikes, 3 scooters, 1 dirt bike.  Only a few used bikes.


----------



## m1west

Melensdad said:


> New cars are scarce on dealer lots and prices are crazy high.
> 
> Last time I was in my local Honda Powersports dealer they had absolutely NO new quads, no side by sides, no street bikes, 3 scooters, 1 dirt bike.  Only a few used bikes.


isn't off shoring all the manufacturing great


----------



## pirate_girl

I've just been watching the world go by today.
My eldest son took a friend to Toledo to the airport and witnessed the most horrific semi/car crash which is actually at this hour being covered on the news.
Then he made his way to Detroit to grab dinner at Eminem's restaurant.
What?? I would never go to Detroit.
Eeek, I was screaming lol
Not surprised though.
My kids are ballsy.. just like me.


----------



## Melensdad

Just got home, mostly I was just a good looking older gentleman standing around and not coaching.  I'm a saber coach.  This was an epee event.  But the kids needed a chaperone and the other coaches couldn't make it, plus I am the one coach who is friends with the ex-Olympian so I was there, like a fish out of water.  Saber & Epee are polar opposite styles, opposite strategies, opposite blade types.  So I was pretty much pointless other than being one of the designated adults who helped set it up.  

On the bright side one of my adult club members made it and he helps me coach the college fencing club at Bradley University.  He learned a lot tonight and Coach Merek gave him some pointers and advice for coaching so that was great.  I also met up with the dad of one of my former students who is now a Div 1 college fencer, on a full scholarship, great to hang out with him and talk.  Got reacquainted with the father of a kid I had met a coupe years ago at tournaments, the kid is now a HS Junior and looking at colleges.  So I traded phone #s with the dad, talked to him about college recruiting, gave him pointers and helped him with a few other things.  So ended up being a productive night and I enjoyed the adult conversations while the kids I chaperoned got in some great fencing.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Being a wedding crasher.  My wife became friendly with somebody at a program once. They continued chatting afterwards. We got an invite to her wedding. Sitting at a reception where I don't know a single person. Fun times.


----------



## Melensdad

NorthernRedneck said:


> Being a wedding crasher.  My wife became friendly with somebody at a program once. They continued chatting afterwards. We got an invite to her wedding. Sitting at a reception where I don't know a single person. Fun times.


Do they have an open bar?


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Melensdad said:


> Do they have an open bar?


Lol. I wish. That's alright. I'm still recovering from a hot tub party last night.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I actually prepared myself for this day as I don't care for wedding receptions or any other form of dance. See, what you do is make a big ole pot of chili two days before and eat the whole thing. Then just wander around letting things flow as they may.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Enjoying the last day of my weekend deep in thought. I used really hate Monday - simply because of my early start time in the morning for work but not as of late. It’s been fantastic these past three or four weeks now. I feel like I’ve hit a higher note lately.


----------



## FrancSevin

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> Enjoying the last day of my weekend deep in thought. I used really hate Monday - simply because of my early start time in the morning for work but not as of late. It’s been fantastic these past three or four weeks now. I feel like I’ve hit a higher note lately.


I remember having that same feeling once.  A long long time ago.    Right after I got fired.

Had a very stressful job with an A-hole for a boss.   My mother-in-law was his secretary, my wife was one of his targets for sexual harassment,andi caught him stealing wholesale from the company.

No one believed me. Except his stunningly gorgeous wife who knew he was a lying cheating jerk.

Getting fired was a relief.  

My only random thought why didn't I just kill the SOB.

I remember my worried wife, who had just quit, cried "what are we gonna do"

I replied,  "We are going out to dinner."

And life got better.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Sometimes things such as that are blessings in disguise.


----------



## Melensdad

Heading out of town until Wednesday evening.

Small cabin.  No internet.  No cellphone service.  

Hot tub.  Fire pit.  Charcoal grill.  Walking path through the woods that leads to a winery that offers free samples.


----------



## Lenny

Melensdad said:


> Heading out of town until Wednesday evening.
> 
> Small cabin.  No internet.  No cellphone service.
> 
> Hot tub.  Fire pit.  Charcoal grill.  Walking path through the woods that leads to a winery that offers free samples.


Paradise!


----------



## m1west

Lenny said:


> Paradise!


paradise burned down in 2019


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I'm trying to relax and not worry about tomorrow. I own my own business (food vendor) and I work for myself but lately, my job has become that much more stressful as of late. I've got to make an additional run early tomorrow morning before I can even go to work just to keep my customers happy when I've more often than not, only received half of what I need to make it through the work week. And honestly, I don't really think it's even possible to keep them even half way happy at this point. It's always something.


----------



## FrancSevin

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> I'm trying to relax and not worry about tomorrow. I own my own business (food vendor) and I work for myself but lately, my job has become that much more stressful as of late. I've got to make an additional run early tomorrow morning before I can even go to work just to keep my customers happy when I've more often than not, only received half of what I need to make it through the work week. And honestly, I don't really think it's even possible to keep them even half way happy at this point. It's always something.


Customers can be a paying in the @ss


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

FrancSevin said:


> Customers can be a paying in the @ss


Definitely.


----------



## FrancSevin

Loading up my JD310 Backhoe for the trip to Hippie Ridge.

Finally!!!

My trailer is covered with my son's household goods, so I had to contract it out.  A1 transport will be here this morning and we'll load it up and go.

I'll be in the wilderness by afternoon and unable to get any internet for three days 

Plans are to spend it moving dirt.  I have a prefab building coming in two weeks.


----------



## Lenny

At the gym.  A buddy is having cataract surgery so I'll be giving him a ride home and an American Legion meeting after that.


----------



## PGBC

Melensdad said:


> Heading out of town until Wednesday evening.
> 
> Small cabin.  No internet.  No cellphone service.
> 
> Hot tub.  Fire pit.  Charcoal grill.  Walking path through the woods that leads to a winery that offers free samples.



I just got back last night, from 3 days at a similar cabin, minus the winery. It had a small tv, and the q channel it did receive, was so fuzzy it was hard to see, we turned it on just to try it.
No radio, no internet, no cell service. Five minutes walk to a river with good fly fishing. We took our dirt bikes, explored many trails, spent evenings in the hot tub, it was just my daughter and I , what a fabulous little get away.


----------



## FrancSevin

FrancSevin said:


> Loading up my JD310 Backhoe for the trip to Hippie Ridge.
> 
> Finally!!!
> 
> My trailer is covered with my son's household goods, so I had to contract it out.  A1 transport will be here this morning and we'll load it up and go.
> 
> I'll be in the wilderness by afternoon and unable to get any internet for three days
> 
> Plans are to spend it moving dirt.  I have a prefab building coming in two weeks.


Well, I guess I'm not going today.  Transport company dropped the ball and there is no truck coming.

Shortage of drivers and rapidly rising fuel costs means a deal made two weeks ago cannot be met.  Not sure how this will turnout.  But likely another two or three hundred bucks  will be needed to make the deal work. Before you ask, I do have a quote in writing and I believe a down payment made.

I also have a deadline to meet.
We shall see how this goes.

I'm not really surprised or pissed about the money.  They should have called me to inform.  They didn't

Funny thing is, with the difficulty at the other end ( really bad roads) I planned to hand the driver a nice, off the books, $200 tip.  I guess we won't be able to call it a "Gratuity"


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Just walked in for the day. I'm going to chill for the rest of the day. Tomorrow will be longer by comparison as will Thursday. The impromptu meeting I had today with store management wasn't as bad as thought. We're approaching the Holiday season so their attention has been deviated for now and it's water under the bridge if I can get more product on a weekly basis. I can only do so much.


----------



## FrancSevin

Just contracted with another company.  Pickup Saturday10/23 and delivery that day.  $200 bucks cheaper.

Depending on how helpful he is, and how ear up the gravel he will go, I'll likely be tipping the driver the difference.


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> Just contracted with another company.  Pickup Saturday10/23 and delivery that day.  $200 bucks cheaper.
> 
> Depending on how helpful he is, and how ear up the gravel he will go, I'll likely be tipping the driver the difference.


Now that I am home from my work cabin, in the next couple days I will take some pictures of your new boat.


----------



## FrancSevin

m1west said:


> Now that I am home from my work cabin, in the next couple days I will take some pictures of your new boat.


I've got a 2005 Jeep Cherokee fresh from the dealer service who has had it for months. Currently on the auction block.
Red with a sun roof, all new drive train, tires and shocks.

Great shape.  Otherwise, the kitten thing did not go over well.

At any rate, looking forward to pictures.


----------



## 300 H and H

Looking at the weather and what we have left to harvest, we have been shutting down and going home at around 6:00 for several nights now.
Since we have been at it for 7 days a week for 4 weeks, I figure time to slow a bit and enjoy a small part of the day before dark. I get my 1.5 mile brisk walk in that way as well. My dog Milo is very happy with this new turn of events. My help is happy about this as well. Makes it more enjoyable for all involved.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

It’s still early yet but I can already tell it’s going to be one of those days today. A late delivery truck will throw me a full day behind. Can we skip to Friday now?


----------



## FrancSevin

Running out of time, lifespan, and patience.
Original truck line called and said they would be here today. I told them to shove it.
"But you signed a contract!"

"Yeah, and your agent cancelled it yesterday when he claimed the quoted price was too low."

I never saw a NEW contract so I put it out for bid again and signed a deal.

I have underbid contracts a few times myself.  It happens.  But, one has to have integrity so,,,; I  ate it every time.


----------



## PGBC

Did a 4am till 2pm shift today, so just finished work 9 minutes ago.
Now to work on the old quad I bought some, since I couldn't find any new ones I liked for sale.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Just walked in for the day. Truck was about 8-12 hours late today but the company is shorthanded at the moment so I suspect they've put bigger workloads onto the remaining drivers. A shorter day like today was is fine, but not when you lose $$$$$ on it.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I'm about to stuff my face, sit back, relax and count down until the weekend.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Took my son's car to get an oil change and a rad flush this morning. Then got a call from mom saying dad's truck was ready so I drove out to get it and bring it over to the shop where it'll live until it either sells or?  Then we used it to haul their 24ft car hauler to a repair shop to take care of a few maintenance items dad didn't get to before he passed.

Afterwards I came home and went to work with some modifications to the side by side. I had some 12x12" plexiglass cut to extend the doors up to hopefully prevent me from getting covered in mud. I also picked up a transport truck mudflap and cut it into strips and mounted them as fender flares.


----------



## PGBC

I was on call from 6pm last night, till 4am for my coworker who needed that shift off, he had been scheduled for. Then my previously scheduled shift was from 4am till 2pm today, which i did as well. Thankfully last night was slow, and the tech only called me 8 times while on call. Can see my ass going to bed early tonight.


----------



## Lenny

PGBC said:


> I was on call from 6pm last night, till 4am for my coworker who needed that shift off, he had been scheduled for. Then my previously scheduled shift was from 4am till 2pm today, which i did as well. Thankfully last night was slow, and the tech only called me 8 times while on call. Can see my ass going to bed early tonight.


What do you do for work?  I'm a retired field service engineer, meaning I worked on ATMs, network and other electronics shit.  Sounds like yours is something similar.


----------



## PGBC

Lenny said:


> What do you do for work?  I'm a retired field service engineer, meaning I worked on ATMs, network and other electronics shit.  Sounds like yours is something similar.



Radiologist, and business owner as well.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

PGBC said:


> Radiologist, and business owner as well.



Nice. Good profession. 

I was a social worker who worked with foster children until sidelined 6 years ago from a motorcycle accident.


----------



## PGBC

NorthernRedneck said:


> Nice. Good profession.
> 
> I was a social worker who worked with foster children until sidelined 6 years ago from a motorcycle accident.




Sorry to hear that.

It used to be a great profession, then the government screwed all of us Doctors.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

It’s been a week. Unhappy customers, a late truck and a longer than normal day today. I’m just glad it’s over. Should be a good weekend to just relax and take the edge off.


----------



## m1west

Delivered some platforms we manufactured at the shipper to be shipped.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Went out yesterday afternoon to our big scout camp to load up 6 canoes on a canoe trailer and haul it back to my place as we're going out canoeing for a few hours this morning. It's going to be a cold one with a high of only +8 Celsius. We can't complain though as only last weekend we were still in the 20s during the day. We've had a late fall.


----------



## FrancSevin

One more try ant getting my backhoe to Hippie Ridge.

Supposed to rain there today.

Delightful.


----------



## PGBC

Went to a friend's for dinner last night, did some work on the WRX this morning, and just ate lunch. 

Thinking about going for a motorbike ride with my daughter now. It is a beautiful sunny day here, so be a shame to waste it indoors.


----------



## mla2ofus

Doing nothing and no way to know when I'm finished.


----------



## 300 H and H

Today is the first time we have been rained out during this years harvest. 
I have several things on my plate I have not done due to being busy in the fields. I have a thermocouple in my furnace in my shop that needs replaced for the heat to work. Time for some more supplies for our pets, and for us as well.
We have about 35 semi trailers of corn yet to harvest and put in storage bins. Then 1,000 acres of corn stalks to disc rip and turn into the dirt for decomposition. 
The work is far from done, but the end is in sight. Hopefully the weather will cooperated and let us finish up before freeze up...


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I'm taking it easy today. Hopefully, this upcoming work week will be back to normal with no issues.


----------



## m1west

Changed oil on my Nissan pickup


----------



## NorthernRedneck

The canoe venture went well yesterday. The kids had a great time despite being only a few degrees above freezing.  

Today, I  was paying for it barely able to stand or walk. But she who must be obeyed was adamant that we drive to camp and double check that I grabbed everything when I closed up. So that's what we did this afternoon.


----------



## FrancSevin

I had a great day with two guys from Houston TX.  Big Ford 350 hauling my JD310 backhoe down to Hippie Ridge on a 30 foot flatbed.
Young guys who left the oilfields when things shut down. Bought a big rig and hire out specialty hauling.

These guys drove through the mud, weeds and trees to get my tractor ON MY PROPERTY!

It was raining so hard, we could barely see the trail at times.  They kept going.

IT was too wet to do anything once we got it unloaded, so I headed to Springfield to work on the shed/cabin there.
Came back tonight with the threat of tornadoes on my back the whole trip.  High winds and rain the whole way blew my big Dodge the truck all over the road.


Got a lot done and home safe.
I will sleep good tonite.


----------



## waybomb

Right eye cataract surgery for me today at 1145


----------



## Lenny

waybomb said:


> Right eye cataract surgery for me today at 1145


I hope it goes.  I had both eyes done and now I have 20-20 vision and better closeup vision.  I'm 74 years old.


----------



## FrancSevin

Lenny said:


> I hope it goes.  I had both eyes done and now I have 20-20 vision and better closeup vision.  I'm 74 years old.


I'm the same age, got the same results.  it's amazing


----------



## m1west

Got called off on the last platform delivery, they said they were flooded and short handed


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

waybomb said:


> Right eye cataract surgery for me today at 1145


I hope it went well for you.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I spent the morning outside starting the annual fall swap around of toys. Lol. 

The 3 snowmobiles are now out of storage and the boat is backed under the carport attached to the garage. Every spring and fall I do the swap as the snowmobiles are stored under the carport during the summer and the boat in the winter. No need to tarp anything.


----------



## Ironman

waybomb said:


> Right eye cataract surgery for me today at 1145


Hope it went good, the technology they have now is amazing. 
I had to have surgery for a retinal detachment, a vitrectomy. It wasn’t bad, fixed some of my eyesight, but I woke up early with a needle in my eye  and then the laser.


----------



## waybomb

Vision is still a big blurry, but man, what a difference! It was a cake walk, other than the nurse trying to find the vein for the iv. Bothered her moor than me though.
Thanks all.
Can't wait to do the other side


----------



## PGBC

It started with a short ride friday afternoon, just my daughter and I. We were only gone about 3 hours, came home, daughter says, lets pack a few things in the morning, get on the bikes, and take off somewhere for the weekend. Saturday morning we ate breakfast, put some stuff in our riding backpacks, and left. We had no schedule, or destination, those are the best trips.
We rode and rode, suddenly she passes me aggressively, had been following me, turns on her blinkers and stops on the shoulder of the hwy. Walks back to me, and says that sign we just passed sure sounds like an interesting place to stay. I said well you lead, and not 3 minutes later there we were at Crazy Creek. A quick check with the office, and yes they have 1 cabin left for the night. We checked in, and what a great little cabin, hot springs, and nice people. We rode to a recommended dinner spot just 10 minutes away, came back and had a 3 hour soak. Next morning we rode 2 minutes to a recommended hike, did this amazing hike, and back to our cabin. Packed up, and hit the road back the way we came. Maybe 20 minutes into our ride, we stopped for gas, my low fuel light was on, and no more than 400' away i can see a diner open, so we ate breakfast there, and chose a different route home, that took many back roads. We rode and rode, our route home was spectacular, but added hours to the ride. Instead of the 8 hours down, it was going to be 12 home, now in the dark, and bitterly cold, we said screw it, and checked into a hotel with 3.5 hours to go. After showeringto warm up, we headed out for dinner, went to this little hole in the wall looking place, we were assured made good pizza. Hoping the roof wouldn't cave in on us, we went in, sat down, and within 10 seconds decided to share a meatlovers with extra cheese. They say never judge a book by its cover, and it applies here. The decor left a lot to be desired,  but the pizza was 5 stars. Now stuffed, waddled back to the hotel, and watched a little tv before this old man fell asleep, while she stayed up watching the tube.
Being really damn cold out this morning, we elected to let mother earth warm up some first, so wandered around town, bought some more clothing, had a crappy breakfast at A&W, gassed up the bikes and finally hit the hwy about 11:30 am. Okay confession time, I love my new battery powered socks, down vest that just fit under my jacket,  winter gloves in XXXL so they will fit over my armored riding gloves, long thermal underwear under my pants, and thin balaclava that makes my helmet pretty tight, but is toasty warm. Best $800 i spent all year, outfitting my daughter and I in warm clothing.


----------



## FrancSevin

PGBC said:


> It started with a short ride friday afternoon, just my daughter and I. We were only gone about 3 hours, came home, daughter says, lets pack a few things in the morning, get on the bikes, and take off somewhere for the weekend. Saturday morning we ate breakfast, put some stuff in our riding backpacks, and left. We had no schedule, or destination, those are the best trips.
> We rode and rode, suddenly she passes me aggressively, had been following me, turns on her blinkers and stops on the shoulder of the hwy. Walks back to me, and says that sign we just passed sure sounds like an interesting place to stay. I said well you lead, and not 3 minutes later there we were at Crazy Creek. A quick check with the office, and yes they have 1 cabin left for the night. We checked in, and what a great little cabin, hot springs, and nice people. We rode to a recommended dinner spot just 10 minutes away, came back and had a 3 hour soak. Next morning we rode 2 minutes to a recommended hike, did this amazing hike, and back to our cabin. Packed up, and hit the road back the way we came. Maybe 20 minutes into our ride, we stopped for gas, my low fuel light was on, and no more than 400' away i can see a diner open, so we ate breakfast there, and chose a different route home, that took many back roads. We rode and rode, our route home was spectacular, but added hours to the ride. Instead of the 8 hours down, it was going to be 12 home, now in the dark, and bitterly cold, we said screw it, and checked into a hotel with 3.5 hours to go. After showeringto warm up, we headed out for dinner, went to this little hole in the wall looking place, we were assured made good pizza. Hoping the roof wouldn't cave in on us, we went in, sat down, and within 10 seconds decided to share a meatlovers with extra cheese. They say never judge a book by its cover, and it applies here. The decor left a lot to be desired,  but the pizza was 5 stars. Now stuffed, waddled back to the hotel, and watched a little tv before this old man fell asleep, while she stayed up watching the tube.
> Being really damn cold out this morning, we elected to let mother earth warm up some first, so wandered around town, bought some more clothing, had a crappy breakfast at A&W, gassed up the bikes and finally hit the hwy about 11:30 am. Okay confession time, I love my new battery powered socks, down vest that just fit under my jacket,  winter gloves in XXXL so they will fit over my armored riding gloves, long thermal underwear under my pants, and thin balaclava that makes my helmet pretty tight, but is toasty warm. Best $800 i spent all year, outfitting my daughter and I in warm clothing.


My wife and I found that spontaneous trips like that, with no real planning, just reacting to what happens in front of you,  were often the best.

Enjoy.

Cathy won't do motorcycles.  But we do have his and her Chrysler Crossfires.

BTW, hers is faster.


----------



## PGBC

FrancSevin said:


> My wife and I found that spontaneous trips like that, with no real planning, just reacting to what happens in front of you,  were often the best.
> 
> Enjoy.
> 
> Cathy won't do motorcycles.  But we do have his and her Chrysler Crossfires.
> 
> BTW, hers is faster.



Awesome!

We have a pair of Multistradas we rode.


----------



## FrancSevin

PGBC said:


> Awesome!
> 
> We have a pair of Multistradas we rode.


Ducati's are beautiful bikes.


----------



## Lenny

waybomb said:


> Vision is still a big blurry, but man, what a difference! It was a cake walk, other than the nurse trying to find the vein for the iv. Bothered her moor than me though.
> Thanks all.
> Can't wait to do the other side


I'm glad it went well


----------



## FrancSevin

waybomb said:


> Vision is still a big blurry, but man, what a difference! It was a cake walk, other than the nurse trying to find the vein for the iv. Bothered her moor than me though.
> Thanks all.
> Can't wait to do the other side


I have worn coke bottle glasses since age 12.  At 66 I developed a fast growing cataract in my right eye that went almost blind in a few months.  When the left eye I started I went to the doc and he scheduled back to back surgery. One week after the right i got in for the left. When I opened my eyes after the second surgery, I cried.

After not seeing anything but blur for 50 years,,,; 20/10 vision.

Be careful around the BBQ pit. It can change the lenses.
I settled for being farsighted after years of being nearsighted.


----------



## PGBC

FrancSevin said:


> Ducati's are beautiful bikes.



For longer rides, that aren't too far off actual roads, into the wilderness, they are perfect.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

My adopted brother is in his early 20's and just bought himself a Harley sportster. He told me that I should buy one myself because I'd enjoy it but at the moment, it's hard when my hands are tied up with other things and I'm in business for myself but should I ever opt to buy one myself, hell - I may ride off into the sunset and never return.


----------



## FrancSevin

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> My adopted brother is in his early 20's and just bought himself a Harley sportster. He told me that I should buy one myself because I'd enjoy it but at the moment, it's hard when my hands are tied up with other things and I'm in business for myself but should I ever opt to buy one myself, hell - I may ride off into the sunset and never return.



I had one back in the mid 90's for a few months. My neighbor, a good friend, bought it without telling his wife.  He wanted her to think it was mine until he got the courage to tell her.  

Great bike. New so I didn't have to fix anything.


----------



## m1west




----------



## m1west

Got the last of the platform and stairs dropped at the shipper today. Next week they will be in Wa. state and we have to go there too.


----------



## m1west




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## m1west

There are some dead trees on the property, I had a little extra time this afternoon so I cut one down and cut it into firewood, after looking around I think I have enough dead ones to burn all winter. It takes about 4 hours to wack up a weeks worth.


----------



## Melensdad

Friday the lovely Mrs_Bob and I are heading down to St Louis.  We are having part time foster son Kobe come with us for the weekend.  

I'll be picking up our Russian fencer Dasha from the airport, Dasha, our "non-adopted" daughter will be staying with us in St Louis at our condominium.  

There is a large national fencing tournament in the city.  Dasha competes, representing NOTRE DAME, in the Women's Saber event on Sunday morning.  She will be staying with us for the weekend.  And while an alumnus of my fencing club, she will be not represent the club, but rather will fence for her university.  I'm going to be there to "coach" her, but actually I'll take a back seat to her N.D. coach and I will really be there for moral support.  I'm totally OK with that.  The N.D. coach is considered the best Saber coach in the world right now and I am considered to be a crabby old man.  So that all considered, she is better off with her coach coaching her an me just there for moral support.  

No doubt pics will follow at some point this weekend.

Oddly, we will have our part time Foster Son, and our foreign exchange student 'daughter' with us but not our real daughter.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Early day today. I'm going to lay low, enjoy good food, kick back, relax and enjoy the weekend.


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## FrancSevin

Lack of work due to shortage of materials today, we will be closed to let the "supply chain" catch up.

Everyone likes the idea of a three day weekend.  Some have parties for Halloween. Sorta works out except for the smaller paychecks.

Therefore, I am the dock guy, janitor and greeter today.

Not hard work but,,,, the pay sucks


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Went out hunting this morning. Another 5 birds in the freezer. Having a fire tonight just because.


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## FrancSevin

It rained here all day yesterday and today.  So no progress on the room addition and deck.

Saturday should be dry but cool. I'll sleep in for a change and wait for the sun to warm the place a bit.

I did get three of the four support posts up.  Number four is an easy one.  So it is possible I will get to the plywood decking, and maybe the headers by end of day Tuesday.  Hopefully, the wife can get them primed and painted weather permitting.

But first I must install wiring and then a vapor barrier membrane and lots of insulation. 10' X 20' of the deck gets that treatment.

The balance will be outside and gets TREX.


----------



## Melensdad

Sitting in a condo in St Louis right now.  The October North American Challenge fencing tournament started earlier today.  Continues through the weekend.  Dasha will be fencing on Sunday morning.  We hope to have some fun in the city tomorrow, possibly taking Kobe to the zoo?


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## FrancSevin

Welcome to St louis.

We arranged to have the weather here to remind you of home.
Cold, wet and dreary

You're welcome


----------



## Melensdad

It is pretty crappy weather here.

We had dinner at some gourmet burger place downtown.  

Our apartment is a couple blocks away from the convention center.  It is a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom loft apartment.  No dining room table but we do have a pool table.

PRIORITIES???


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## FrancSevin

The number  one maintenance issue of the Convention Center here in town, is patching bullet holes in the roof.

I don't mean to be  impertinent, but why do you have an "apartment/condo" in downtown St Louis?


----------



## Melensdad

Why?  Because I can walk to the fencing tournament with Dasha.


----------



## FrancSevin

Good for you!

Again welcome


----------



## m1west

Helping one of the kids take his motorcycle home and loading up for my trip to Washington


----------



## Mack Deacon

Hi! Just taking my time after a hard week!


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## Melensdad

Mack Deacon said:


> Hi! Just taking my time after a hard week!


Sometimes, after a long hard week, just relaxing is the best thing.


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## 300 H and H

Today was the Iowa Pheasant season opener. Spent the day with some friends from the Des Moines are as we have for nearly 30 years hunting. Had some good shooting to, we ended the day with 14 birds. One of the guy s we hunt with is Maynard Reese's son. Maynard is a very well known wildlife artist. Real nice group of guys, I consider myself fortunate to know. Great day, and in the morning we are hunting again.


----------



## FrancSevin

We have two big contracts with printers and tight deadlines.  Both require collation and assembly of several components.  We cannot process the products because they cannot get all the various materials to complete the work.

Two more days at the very least, our employees must stay home without pay.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Took a drive out to camp to inspect the damage after the explosion over the weekend. All is well with our site but a newer camper that moved in this summer is a total loss along with a permanent camp next to it.


----------



## pirate_girl

Superman/Jeff took me to lunch on his break.
Of course I'm looking like hell as I just did a thorough fall clean of my apartment. Lol
I said let me shower real quick and get ready, sonny boy.
He did. 
I love my sons.
He's going to upstate NY this week with a friend and needed my advice about something.
Advice given.


----------



## echo

Raked leaves in the rain..


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## FrancSevin

echo said:


> Raked leaves in the rain..


Sorry to hear it.
That sounds like a perfect occupation for someone who cannot find something else to do.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I've procrastinated long enough with this, but I came home and threw a few burgers on the grill, swept and mopped the kitchen and dining area. While sometimes cleaning is more than a pain, the end result was well worth it.


----------



## 300 H and H

I cooked up 2 gallons of oysters for our Masonic lodge tonight. Boy they are getting spendy, up another $20 per gallon to $140.
Not nearly as uniform of a batch of oysters. For several of the last years they have been very large. This year there are all sizes in the mix. 
Not sure why. All of the gallon containers have been hand marked "select" what ever that means each year...


----------



## m1west

drove 600 miles, from Valley Springs Ca. to Yakima Wa.


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## Melensdad

After fencing we went to Blueberry Hill for and early dinner, then drove home.  Dropped off the lovely Mrs_Bob and Kobe then drove east to South Bend to drop Dasha off at her dorm.  Then back west to home and was asleep about 1:30am.

Today I was at high school fencing practice and then stopped at the fencing club for about 30 minutes to pick up equipment for tomorrow.  

Tuesday I drive down to Peoria to coach the Bradley University Fencing Club.  

A few photos from the weekend in St Louis.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I'm eating and enjoying what's left of my day. Hopefully tomorrow will go smoothly and there won't be another late truck due to driver shortages within the company. Fingers crossed.


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## m1west

Went to the plant today, lined out my son for the next 2 weeks and I'm headed home tomorrow


----------



## echo

m1west said:


> drove 600 miles, from Valley Springs Ca. to Yakima Wa.


I love Yakima and we used to go party with the Indian girls on the reservation.


----------



## Melensdad

Just got home from Bradley University, I guest coach the Bradley U Fencing Club.  Its sad, they basically self-coach each other and teach each other bad habits.  They want me there more frequently, but its a 2.5 hour drive to go there for a 2 hour practice, then I drive home 2.5 hours!  I wish I could get there more often.  

I taught them 3 new drills.  They can practice those drills to increase their reaction time, speed and consequently their skills.  There are 3 different weapons for fencing.  So one of the drills I showed them had 3 different variations, 1 for each of the specific weapons.  The other drills were non-weapon specific.  Hopefully they practice the drills!


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I had physio this morning (thankfully as my back has been sore enough to put me out of commission for a few days).  It helped so when I got home, I was up on the roof of the older fifth wheel changing the air conditioner cover then, since it's older, I added some bracing inside where the roof was beginning to sag from excessive snow. It's all tucked away for the winter now. 
		
		
	


	





Afterwards, I tackled the gazebo over the hot tub wrapping tarps around it for a wind/snow break in the winter as we still plan on using it.


----------



## m1west




----------



## m1west

Passing Mt. Shasta yesterday on the return trip from Wa. The pacific north west is a beautiful place. Too bad we are controlled by by a bunch of assholes, that needs to change.


----------



## Melensdad

We are PURGING the house of unnecessary clothing and items, sending them off to St Edward's Church for the charity sale.  Probably 50 silk ties from when I used to wear them daily.  Shoes, dress slacks, sweaters.  Dishes, household items, crock pots, and old microwave, blender, etc.  Figure we will have at least 1 full pick up truck worth of 'treasure' that someone else might think is something better than TRASH???

I've also finished the cutting and rough assembly of a new rolling shelving unit for the fencing club.  Made it out of wood.  Just got done priming it and will hopefully get it painted late this afternoon, maybe tomorrow?  I can't do final assembly until I get it down to the basement in the doctor's office were the fencing club is located.


----------



## FrancSevin

Hauling a deck I built for my son at his new residence.  For now he is lining in a 35 ft RV in an RV park for semi permanent living.  Gas water and electric hookups make it semi permanent.  Wish we had found aPark model but his budget wouldn't allow for the $30K units we did find.

Sadly there is one on E-bay _now,_ that would have been better, and in his price range.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Never fails franc. At least it's like that with me. I look for months to find something then settle on something else then a deal comes up that would have been perfect. 

I was busy all day helping mom deal with things after dad's passing. They had an older fifth wheel to use for local trips. I sold it last week for mom. Today, I was getting the rv and car hauler ready as someone is coming for it tomorrow. Dad's 2005 gmc 2500 diesel also sold and will be gone tomorrow so I got that ready to go. Sad day. So many memories. I know they're just vehicles but every thing that sells is a part of him going.


----------



## Lenny

Went to the gym this morning and then to an event where a friend of mine announced she is running for Iowa State Senator.  Then to a VFW meeting this evening.  The sheriff is a member and he was there.  I told him about some information I have for helping homeless Veterans.  He asked if I would bring some of that information to his office tomorrow, so that's on my agenda, as well as the gym in the morning.


----------



## FrancSevin

NorthernRedneck said:


> Never fails franc. At least it's like that with me. I look for months to find something then settle on something else then a deal comes up that would have been perfect.
> 
> I was busy all day helping mom deal with things after dad's passing. They had an older fifth wheel to use for local trips. I sold it last week for mom. Today, I was getting the rv and car hauler ready as someone is coming for it tomorrow. Dad's 2005 gmc 2500 diesel also sold and will be gone tomorrow so I got that ready to go. Sad day. So many memories. I know they're just vehicles but every thing that sells is a part of him going.


My son has a Bimmer worth about $30K.  He hardly drives it.  I told him he should sell it and get the camper on E-Bay.

Put the rest of the money in  the bank or buy some Tesla stock.

Not interested.  Go figure.


----------



## FrancSevin

On our way to Hippie Ridge. Four days of running my new to me JD 310 back hoe.

Cathy plans to brush hog a trail to the creek via the observation deck trail.

Plans are for that to be the launch point for the Zip Line


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I spent the afternoon dealing with dad's truck. I had already taken the plates off but mom decided that it needed an oil change for the new owners. So the plates were reinstalled and I took it down for an oil change. The new owner drove up from s ontario  17hrs to get it. 

I also went with my son to pick up a motorized lift chair for mom as her hip is shot and she's been on a waiting list for a new one.


----------



## FrancSevin

Back from three days of working on Hippie ridge. The new to me JD310 fired right up and we went to work. After clearing the overburden of grass and brush, we went deeper.  Cutting about 3 inches at a time into the hillside.

Plans are for a 40 foot by 36 foot deck set in ballast rock with 8X8 bunk timbers connected by 4X4 joists.  All treated lumber. 5/4 treated decking on top except where the house sits.  That will be on 12 Inches of ballast limestone and one inch minus.  All compacted.

So. I had to cut 12 inches down on the site.  Three inches at a time.

Between the small rocks and the boulders I could not do this in one pass with an 8 foot bucket with no rippers on the nose..  So I cut the soil with a front tine roto tiller and removed three inches at a time. Four passes and I now have a level hard base on which to lay and compact the limestone.

I used the back hoe to pull up the big boulders, some weighing well over 100 lbs.  And stuck in the mucky clay we call soil down there.
All together two days of hard work. One Monday we stayed over, staked out the building site, and then burned some of the ruined lumber.  So sad.

My wife took pictures I hope to have available Wednesday afternoon.  She was sick all weekend and  plans to have a COVID test in the morning.  Oh Joy!

Plans are to have the prefab building on site first of December.  Then the real fun begins.


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## NorthernRedneck

We said goodbye to the motorhome on Monday. Again, it was sad to see it go. 






Yesterday, I decided to head out hunting. I didn't do so well as the wind was picking up as a storm is coming. Score was Birds-4, great white hunter-2.


----------



## FrancSevin

That's me excavating on my JD 310 Backhoe

Took about 12 inches off the top 36' X 42'.

I will be backfilling with 3.0"  ballast limestone and 1.0"minus


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I’m wrapping up my last errand for the day and I’m going to go home, cook and chill.


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## FrancSevin

Sitting at home pinning.  Under county quarantine I have no choice.
Wishing I had the energy to get something done here at home.
The kitchen addition is calling but I just can't get 'er done today.


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## 300 H and H

Vaccuum cleaned all the carpet, swept the kitchen floor, and mopped it clean. 
Washed the windows in the kitchen while I was at it.
Things that need done. Business will be after lunch today.


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## Melensdad

I pee'd in the yard and don't apologize for my actions. 

Looking for our first snowfall of the season to come later today. 

This afternoon I'm taking a group of high school fencers to a club in western Chicago suburbs for a special event with a former Olympian and his students.


----------



## FrancSevin

Sorry to be gross but, there is no better way to explain it.

Peeing in your yard is like inseminating your wife.

It's how men claim what is theirs.

Every morning I let our poor excuse for dog out to pee. I join her.  Sha ain't mine so I miss her on purpose.

The act is so important to me that I spent over $2K and half a summer erecting a  solid cedar fence so my neighbors would not be offended. 

Enjoy your morning Bob.


----------



## FrancSevin

The wife and I had a disagreement the other day about the kids.  It has happened before but this time it got pretty hot. Apparently my standards are too high.  Despite my planning and cooking good wholesome means which I insist we sit down and eat together, I get resistant's.

They snack on the crap they want so seldom eat all of what I prepare. Omitting the veggies is common.  But sometimes they will only eat the meat.  Often not the full portion.

Because they filled up on junk,

The fridge is full of uneaten meals, fresh veggies and fruit, yet they won't get any of it out, but instead scavenge for junk food or have it delivered. if I had no junk food around, they would not learn to make good choices.

No attempts to install some discipline have been allowed.  Advice on proper etiquette and proper nutrition have also met with resistance.
My efforts are rejected or ignored altogether.
I'm at my wits end.

So I'm on strike for buying, preparing and cooking.  Shouldn't be doing so anyways as I have COVID.

So what am I doing today?  Waiting for the aftermath.


----------



## FrancSevin

I coined this axiom phrase to a good life in high school from advice given by my mentor teacher.  Francis Klasmann.

_Thank you Francis for the most important lesson of my life._
In his honor I repeat,,,;
*Discipline is actually and essential element of life satisfaction. A person who is well disciplined is never controlled by temptations of emotion, mind or the body.*
Happiness does not come with being rich in gold and assets, but being satisfied with one's choices in life.

It is the number one rule by which I live and all others are based on it's foundation.

I just wish I was allowed to install it in my children.


----------



## echo

Kids have to eat their veggies.
My idea worked once:
I did not serve any veggies to my kids. They asked where are theirs, I said they are too good for kids to eat.


----------



## FrancSevin

What I am upset about is whenever I try to impose decent standards, the wife interrupts with condescension's. It nullifies my message an de nudes my authority.

She wants them happy, I want them responsible.  Responsible people are inherently happy because they have pride and self-worth.  Happy kids just want more no matter how old they eventually become. Eventually, they become impossible to please in there  unhappiness.  Like a spoiled wife who has everything but wants to cheat to experience more.  It never works out.


----------



## m1west

Headed to Sacramento to pick up some platforms to modify


----------



## Melensdad

I'm recovering.  Taught high school fencing practice, which was actually pretty easy, because I had 2 guests come do the hard work.  Then I went to the fencing club and taught the advanced beginner class.  Normal class size is about 6 to 8 students.  I had 17 students in the room last night.  They ran me ragged, I already achy by the time I got home last night.  This morning I woke up and went straight for a prescription pain killer before my first cup of coffee.  It may be a long sore day.


----------



## 300 H and H

Picking up a new car for the Wife... 
She traded a 2018 Dodge Challenger R/T plus with 38K miles for another 2018 Challenger that is a T/A 392 Hemi with only an unbelievable 1,500 actual miles. Her old car has 375 hp, and the T/A version has 485 hp. 
Funny thing is her insurance bill will $260 per year cheaper on the much more powerful version. GO figure...


----------



## mla2ofus

Cheering Kyles acquittal!!


----------



## pirate_girl

mla2ofus said:


> Cheering Kyles acquittal!!


I did that in the middle of a restaurant when I got the alert on my phone earlier Lol


----------



## echo

Had to get and new TV as the old one blew up. It cost me thirty dollars to recycle the old TV.
The new one works fine.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Spent part of the day helping mom move trailers around her property before winter then got ready for tomorrow as I'm heading out with a crew of guys to clear downed trees on snowmobile trails after a severe wind/rain/snow storm passed through the area last week. This used to be a 15ft wide trail two weeks ago. We have 220 miles of trail to clear in the next few weeks. Many are on old logging roads and should be fine but others are like this.


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## Melensdad

echo said:


> Had to get and new TV as the old one blew up. It cost me thirty dollars to recycle the old TV.
> The new one works fine.


Next time save yourself $30 and put the old TV out at the end of a stranger's driveway on garbage day


----------



## m1west

Been cleaning up and re arranging the shop


----------



## Melensdad

BOOM!

This girl right here ... SILVER medal last weekend.  GOLD medal today.  

She is one of 'my' students.  Often I pass students to other coaches, or co-coach them with another coach for more specialized training.  Not this one.  She is just an astounding young athlete.


----------



## Lenny

Melensdad said:


> BOOM!
> 
> This girl right here ... SILVER medal last weekend.  GOLD medal today.
> 
> She is one of 'my' students.  Often I pass students to other coaches, or co-coach them with another coach for more specialized training.  Not this one.  She is just an astounding young athlete.
> 
> View attachment 141665


That's great.  I hope both of you put your heart and soul into it.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I was out for 9 hrs yesterday cutting trail with the snowmobile club. Only 4 guys showed up to help. But we put a dent in it. Doing about 4 miles of trail.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I’ve been on my feet since before 2 this morning. Hell of a long day at work. I’m just glad it’s over.


----------



## m1west

Busy day, estimates, invoicing, trip to the store and cut some wood for tomorrow.


----------



## echo

Raking leaves like a pro.


----------



## FrancSevin

First time in weeks I have felt like eating and doing.

The yard is knee deep in leaves, The back-room deck project is on hold but also full of leaves.

Since we are doing Cracker Barrel Thanksgiving, I hope to have some yard time.

Friday I must go to Springfield and set the house for cold weather.

Bought the Christmas tree yesterday.  I am assuming it will get decked whilst I'm gone.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Working on the old plow truck today. The starter went on it a few weeks ago and it was sitting there behind the garage dead in the water so I had to remove the plow and get it out of the way in order for it to be towed to the shop down the street. I did attempt to change it myself but laying on the cold damp ground with my hands up in a tight spot right behind the frame rail was slightly painful. It's back now running again. So I have to reinstall the plow and get it ready for the inevitable snow that should be coming within weeks.


----------



## Melensdad

Leaving shortly to pick up Dasha to bring her home for the holiday.  She returns to campus on Sunday


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## m1west

got up at 3am to get the turkey ready, and in the oven by 5 am


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Working today and I’m currently weighing the decision to work longer to take a four day Holiday. I work for myself and my hours are flexible so it shouldn’t be too hard if that’s the route I take. In all likelihood, that’s exactly what I’ll do. I don’t get much else time off other than the weekends.


----------



## FrancSevin

Mowing leaves.  So far two hours of it. And that was just the side yard.


----------



## m1west

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> Working today and I’m currently weighing the decision to work longer to take a four day Holiday. I work for myself and my hours are flexible so it shouldn’t be too hard if that’s the route I take. In all likelihood, that’s exactly what I’ll do. I don’t get much else time off other than the weekends.


Im in the same boat, also self employed. I have been working a lot myself. I have a plan to pay off my home by the end of 2022, its doable, but not much fun involved.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

m1west said:


> Im in the same boat, also self employed. I have been working a lot myself. I have a plan to pay off my home by the end of 2022, its doable, but not much fun involved.


I hit the floor before 2 yesterday morning to start working on some time off, and it’s almost been nonstop. I’m still working as I type this. Not much longer now, thankfully.


----------



## pirate_girl

I'm up way early.
I worked from 6am-2pm yesterday, which means I was beat for the rest of the day pretty much. At least we got a nice turkey day dinner! Was in bed by 10 and zonked.
Today I'm going to shop for some last minute things I need for Christmas decorating. Black Friday shopping? No way! In the store and out (hopefully) lol


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Working yesterday paid off. No work for me until Tuesday. I'm going to kick back and relax these next few days.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Worked on the old plow truck yesterday. The starter went on it a few weeks ago and it was sitting there behind the garage dead in the water so I had to remove the plow and get it out of the way in order for it to be towed to the shop down the street. I did attempt to change it myself but laying on the cold damp ground with my hands up in a tight spot right behind the frame rail was slightly painful. It's back now running again. So I had to reinstall the plow and get it ready for the inevitable snow that should be coming within weeks.  -13 Celsius with a windchill of -25 yesterday. With no snow, it's a little damp and chilly but I still get outside in the hot tub.


----------



## FrancSevin

Headed to the Springfield house.

Set it up for winter.  Maybe do some Christmas lights


----------



## m1west

Made a deal on a 1982 jeep. Likely pick it up next weekend


----------



## NorthernRedneck

FrancSevin said:


> Headed to the Springfield house.
> 
> Set it up for winter.  Maybe do some Christmas lights



I used to go all out with Christmas decorations outside until my accident in '15. Since I couldn't do a whole bunch for a few years, I bought one of those strobe lights that lights up the house with a bunch of different colors and patterns. It lasted a whole 12 hours before someone stole it. I also had a couple inflatables that went missing one night. I decided then that I was done with decorating the house outside. Now that we live in the country and our house isn't visible from the road, I don't bother with much for decorations. This place already had a colorful strobe light to light up the house that's tied up to one of the trees near the house so I just have to run an extension cord over to it and plug it in.

We're going to attempt decorating the inside this weekend. Honestly, I just couldn't be bothered but doing it for the kids.


----------



## m1west

same here, I have laser lights for outside, and the tree and decorations are yet to be assembled.


----------



## pirate_girl

Got up early and started cleaning and decorating my little abode.
Also found out the Toledo Symphony Christmas concert this year is only going to be strings. In that case, no thanks!


----------



## m1west




----------



## m1west

Today I spent most of the day casting, powder coating, cleaning brass, priming and assembling 50- 38 long colt 150 grain heeled bullet, 50- 45 long colt 250 grain bullet and 20- 45-70 405 grain bullet.
Tomorrow we are going to have a shoot O rama with the neighbors.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Dealing with a possibly broken nose today with our youngest son. He's 12. They were kinda rough playing over at a friend's house last night and another kid landed on him hitting his nose. So my wife took him in to emerg at the hospital. We live outside the city but it's only a 12 minute drive to get there.  She who must be obeyed will probably be spending a few hours there to confirm our suspicion. Hopefully they'll give him a medical exemption for wearing a mask as that wouldn't be the most comfortable sitting in school for 7 hrs a day having a mask pulling tightly against a broken nose.


----------



## pirate_girl

NorthernRedneck said:


> Dealing with a possibly broken nose today with our youngest son. He's 12. They were kinda rough playing over at a friend's house last night and another kid landed on him hitting his nose. So my wife took him in to emerg at the hospital. We live outside the city but it's only a 12 minute drive to get there.  She who must be obeyed will probably be spending a few hours there to confirm our suspicion. Hopefully they'll give him a medical exemption for wearing a mask as that wouldn't be the most comfortable sitting in school for 7 hrs a day having a mask pulling tightly against a broken nose.
> 
> View attachment 141867


Aww poor thing. ❤


----------



## m1west

NorthernRedneck said:


> Dealing with a possibly broken nose today with our youngest son. He's 12. They were kinda rough playing over at a friend's house last night and another kid landed on him hitting his nose. So my wife took him in to emerg at the hospital. We live outside the city but it's only a 12 minute drive to get there.  She who must be obeyed will probably be spending a few hours there to confirm our suspicion. Hopefully they'll give him a medical exemption for wearing a mask as that wouldn't be the most comfortable sitting in school for 7 hrs a day having a mask pulling tightly against a broken nose.
> 
> View attachment 141867


Yep, if you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tuff.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

m1west said:


> Yep, if you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tuff.



Lmao. Yep. So they took an x-ray but the emerg doctor couldn't tell if anything is broken. So we have to wait for the radiologist to review. Regardless if broken or not,  they can't tell if surgery is required until the swelling goes down. Oh well, it'll be a fun story for him to tell later on.


----------



## FrancSevin

Just got back from an event filled weekend in Springfield MO.
On the way down, about 6:00PM   Cathy's minivan threw a rod..  Engine ran fine with no vibration just a loud knock. I threw a quart of engine restore jelly in, the noise got quiet, but still there.  We were halfway to the bungalow so we pressed forward.
By holding the engine under 2,000 RPM's we nursed it all the way.

At the garage Saturday, Terry told me to "turn it over, I gotta hear it for myself,," then said "shut it down,,,she's toast."

I was all for a crate engine ( Jasper) and a $6,000 bill.  Itis a Dodge 2002 minivan but it is a custom with only 140K on the clock.

Terry said he would quote it, made sense if we liked the car that much.

Today Crumpy changed her mind.

No, we don't need another car. I own 9 of the damn things.  So, we will just tough it out.

Now, just 8.

Other than that, the weekend was awesome. Spent time at Hippie ridge, had a nice hike to the spring creek, and a sunset fire with my honey.


----------



## m1west

Did a shoot O rama with my neighbors today, I brought everything 45 and the wife's 38. they brought every Glock model, I think they ever made chambered in 9mm and one in 22. We shot everything and had a great time. We decided it will be a once a month event going forward.


----------



## Colt Gomez

I am searching for a new job, but I haven't filed a resignation yet.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Enjoying the last leg of my four-day weekend. It's a twice a year rare pleasure and my final go round for this year is during Christmas. It's been exactly what I needed. But I hate to see it end.


----------



## echo

Finished yard work and now time for a cold one.


----------



## FrancSevin

Spent the day at work catching up. Wents hopping for a pond water heater and a 100 lb propane tank for the Tiny house camper.

Local farm supply has one for $220plus about $80 for LPG.

Picking it up Tuesday.
We are putting the 19 foot camper at Hippie Ridge for the winter.

It will come in handy if we get cold or need to use the can.

I do have power so plans are to have a space heater keep the pipes from freezing.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Currently, I'm laying out plans on what I feel I'll be able to work tomorrow. By the looks of things, it's going to be another late truck and another hell of a day.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

When it rains, it pours. On top of a delivery truck that didn't leave until late this morning (through no fault of their own with all the BS that's going on) my work truck is now down with a transmission issue. A rental truck has been leased, but I can't pick it up until 9 in the morning. Going to be a hell of a day back to back.


----------



## FrancSevin

Our main customer finally settled on their new package size.  We start building new tooling tomorrow. 

And rearranging the plant layout.

One line is already done for the initial product "test."  That was months ago.

Now that orders are coming in,,, we will need a second line, about three months work.

Always a fun time at Excalibur Packaging.


----------



## pirate_girl

I haven't worked since Monday, which was a shitshow.
Today I found out one of my rehab patients passed.
That man was a Green Beret.
Not from covid.
He slipped silently into the arms of God.
Not to brag, but I was the ONLY nurse in our facility who could make that man talk or smile.
I'm going to miss you JF.
I will surely post his obituary as soon as I can.
Some of them passing hits me more than others.


----------



## Ironman

My work brought me to Waukesha today. I’m coming into town on 59, still kinda dark out and see this bright blue light. Then the guy across the street had one. Then you could see them on like every third house. Looked pretty cool. I shouldn’t have my phone out in the dump truck  Waukesha strong


----------



## FrancSevin

Off to Hippie Ridge again.

Taking the 60 gallon water tank so we can have a safe big fire.

Back Monday AM.


----------



## pirate_girl

Ironman said:


> My work brought me to Waukesha today. I’m coming into town on 59, still kinda dark out and see this bright blue light. Then the guy across the street had one. Then you could see them on like every third house. Looked pretty cool. I shouldn’t have my phone out in the dump truck  Waukesha strong
> 
> View attachment 142013


Cool.
Speaking of blue.


----------



## pirate_girl

FrancSevin said:


> Off to Hippie Ridge again.
> 
> Taking the 60 gallon water tank so we can have a safe big fire.
> 
> Back Monday AM.


Enjoy Francis.


----------



## fruit-basket

Today I... 

-Finished a week's worth of work in one of my college classes

-Learned the guitar riff for Blitzkrieg Bop

-Spent the rest of my day on the internet


----------



## pirate_girl

somefruitychristian said:


> Today I...
> 
> -Finished a week's worth of work in one of my college classes
> 
> -Learned the guitar riff for *Blitzkrieg Bop*
> 
> -Spent the rest of my day on the internet



Awesome! 

Don't forget to play the fun trivia game on here.
Lots of us do it daily.
Shows how smart we are, ya know.
Lol
❤


----------



## FrancSevin

Whilst we were home last week, Hippie Ridge suffered a Forest fire on the NW corner.  We were lucky. No serious damage or loss, just a few acres of underbrush and grass.
My neighbor lost a lot of pasture and some woodland but no structures.
He "borrowed my JD310 backhoe and cut a fire break.

Boy am I glad he, and my backhoe, were there.


We spent the whole day burning termite damaged lumber.  Beautiful evening sunset, and then doused the fire from the tanker


----------



## Lenny

Today I went to the gym, then to church and then to a pot luck Christmas party.  We drew names for gifts last month.  I got a lady who works at a beauty salon.  There is a nice restaurant near there so I bought her a gift card to it.  I got the same present given to me from someone else, which is great.  It was anonymous, so nobody knows who bought what.  Great time.  My neighbor is going out of town for some training at another hospital (he's a CRNA) so I asked him if he'd like to borrow a pistol for his wife because they only have one gun (weird) and he loved the idea because I let him use that pistol before to teach his wife how to shoot and she loves the gun.  I live in a great neighborhood but you never know!  Then did a few chores.


----------



## Ironman

I built a house today with my Grand Daughter.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

We did the gingerbread house thing last week with the kids.

I spent 4 hours clearing snow this morning from our first major snowstorm this Season. It started yesterday around noon and didn't let up until this morning.  There was grass showing yesterday.


----------



## Melensdad

Fencing tournament with 3 of my High School kids at Purdue University yesterday.  

Maggie, Za’Niya, Caleb & a crabby man


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Spent the first half of the morning working out of my F150 since my work truck went down last week because of the transmission. Went to the store, picked up a few things and threw a few burgers on the grill. Work will be no different tomorrow but at least I've got a rental reserved for at least a week until something else can be done.


----------



## echo

Trying to buy a music CD on the net.
At least they can show me what songs are on the damn CD.
I think I have bought enough dead horses in my life.


----------



## m1west

Got a call for an emergency repair, got my ass kicked all day but finished it.


----------



## FrancSevin

Had a good day at work.  Found out our wrapping film will be late but will arrive eventually by the end of the week.  We can still get our contracts done on time.

Had four new people on the lines and all worked out well.  Regular management staff returns Tuesday from COVID lockdown.

We just might still pull out a good December.
I'm looking for materials and parts for the up coming  three day weekend at Hippie Ridge.  Hopefully I find someone who will haul gravel on to my remote location.

Crumpy will spend two days burning the ruined lumber.


----------



## echo

Had some SOS for breakfast..


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Worked out of my personal truck today again and finished up early. Afterwards, I hitched a ride from family to pick up the rental today with little hassle. Blown transmission aside, at least things are starting to look partially normal again workwise.


----------



## m1west




----------



## m1west

About a week ago I picked up some platform parts from a customer to make a catwalk from the install it. The handrail supplied was rough. In the end it didn't come out too bad, for chicken pie made from chicken shit. After lunch I will load it up.


----------



## FrancSevin

Working today on projects and quotations I put off during my COVID vacation. 

Also discovering any stuff pushed under the rug, so to speak, whilst I was off.

All that said, I must admit,,,; It is good to be on the green side of the sod, so to speak.

I'm pretty close to being back to normal energies and mood.

We bought Oxygen bottles a few years ago at about$1oo each.

Went to replace them today at almost $300 each. I'm gonna pass.  I think we still have about five on hand.  I'll chance it.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

We're supposed to be getting another dump of snow tomorrow. Great! I love the snow and all but I have to bring one of the kids to the city for braces then bringing the expedition to a body shop for a quote for insurance. A deer picked a fight with it last weekend in the dark and lost. My wife was driving to get our son from work when a deer standing on the opposite shoulder of the road facing the bush did a 180 and ran across back into the front driver side.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Just walked in less than 45 minutes ago after a long day at work. Hit the floor at 3:45 and was at my first account at about 6. I had everything done just a little after 2 but got caught in a hell of a traffic jam. Bumper to bumper. What should have taken me about 30-45 minutes to get home took nearly three hours. But I at least got to see the sun going down.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Just got off from work. Early day today. I’m about to be knee deep in a little cleaning on a rainy Friday morning. Good day for it.


----------



## Melensdad

RELAXING ...

Been crazy with coaching fencing and travel this week.  Today is HOME DAY.  So most likely I'll be playing with Kobe and watching Cocomelon and Sharkdog cartoons.  

Tomorrow I'm back out with our Russian fencer Dasha, but she will be a referee and I'll be at a tournament with my saber students.  I just hope they don't embarrass me in front of her with their horrible skills.  Probably dinner with Dasha after the event too.  The kids ride the school bus, I do not!


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Same here. It's been a crazy week for appointments which means me running my a$$ off in the city all day everyday. 

It snowed about 5" yesterday so this morning, I headed out to plow for a bit which I enjoy. When we lived in the city, we had a regular driveway which took me close to 2 hours with the snowblower freezing my butt off. Now, I'm sitting in a nice fully loaded f150 with heated seats pushing snow around with the plow sipping a coffee while listening to tunes on the radio. This afternoon, I plan on taking one of the snowmobiles out to the back of the property to start packing down my little trail network. The kids like going back there with their friends playing hide and seak. I also plan on getting my scout troop out for the day some Saturday this winter for an afternoon of snowshoeing, orienteering with map and compass, and a fire. Our property also backs onto a large section of land owned by the fairgrounds about the size of a city block we can use in the winter for snowmobiling and snowshoeing.


----------



## m1west




----------



## m1west

Working at the shop today machining parts to build a cable conveyor take up assembly.


----------



## echo

Finished Christmas shopping and sent out my last card.
My present to myself is still on a ship in CA?. Almost a year waiting,,
Good stuff takes time.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

My brother and I helped get my dad's new washer installed today. He had it delivered from Home Depot and paid for the installation, but according to their records, it wasn't on their work order. He was however, issued a refund. It would have taken them up to one month to send someone else to install it. Crazy.


----------



## FrancSevin

Building a plywood box for hauling gravel in the pickup.  I'm tired of fishing the loose pieces from the corners and ends of the pickup bed.

Since Cathy's one ton Dodge has a fifth wheel bracket. we have a 4'X8' sheet of 3/4 plywood in the bed already.  So I will build on top of that.


----------



## m1west

Finished the cable conveyor take up today.


----------



## pirate_girl

Livin' the dream lately working few and far between hours.
That early retirement at 62 looms on the horizon. 
40 years as a nurse is soon going to come to an end.
Woohooo!


----------



## FrancSevin

pirate_girl said:


> Livin' the dream lately working few and far between hours.
> That early retirement at 62 looms on the horizon.
> 40 years as a nurse is soon going to come to an end.
> Woohooo!


On the one hand, sad to hear the profession is losing a good one.

On the other hand, the grandkids get more time from granny.

Yeah, once you retire, I'm gonna tease you about being an "olt" people.


----------



## pirate_girl

Francis, I am an old people in age (getting there!)
Not so much the way I look.
Signed:
Granny


----------



## FrancSevin

pirate_girl said:


> Francis, I am an old people in age (getting there!)
> Not so much the way I look.
> Signed:
> Granny


The next time Cathy and I are up your way, I'm gonna make you prove that.


----------



## pirate_girl

FrancSevin said:


> The next time Cathy and I are up your way, I'm gonna make you prove that.


You're on!


----------



## echo

Happy retirement. I have been retired for thirty years and stay busy. I did play-work when I wanted too. Picked the cherry jobs. Worked for the gas company part time and that was fun. No more dangerous jobs.


----------



## m1west

pirate_girl said:


> Livin' the dream lately working few and far between hours.
> That early retirement at 62 looms on the horizon.
> 40 years as a nurse is soon going to come to an end.
> Woohooo!


You beat me to it, congratulations. Im 63 been working since 17 and going to go 3 more years.
1- I will get full SS
2- Son still needs to learn a little more before taking the wheel.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I'm 40 and I've got a LONG way to go before I can say I'm retired.


----------



## m1west

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> I'm 40 and I've got a LONG way to go before I can say I'm retired.


I started my business when I was around 40, seems like yesterday.


----------



## FrancSevin

m1west said:


> I started my business when I was around 40, seems like yesterday.


I started mine at 38.  It does seem like yesterday.  A wild ride for almost 40 years.

Sometimes I feel incredibly old.  Mostly I still view the world with 38-year-old eyes.  Even the future.
Why not?   I have a youthful bride and a successful business.

I have no plans to retire. Did that when I was 38.


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> I started mine at 38.  It does seem like yesterday.  A wild ride for almost 40 years.
> 
> Sometimes I feel incredibly old.  Mostly I still view the world with 38-year-old eyes.  Even the future.
> Why not?   I have a youthful bride and a successful business.
> 
> I have no plans to retire. Did that when I was 38.


I have lost interest in what I am doing as I have been doing it for 46 years, first for someone else then myself. Its time for my son to take the wheel. I have big plans, with a good retirement income and everything will be paid for this year. Call me selfish but when I go, I don't even care to see another food can. Plans include travel ( to wherever its still safe, or allowed to go ) Finish the work cabin and remodel my home for the last time. I will spend a lot of time on the mountain among other things. One wobbler is I have been considering selling here in Ca. and moving just into Nevada around Lake Tahoe. Minden and Gardenerville are both nice, closer to the cabin by two hours and it aint California.


----------



## FrancSevin

m1west said:


> I have lost interest in what I am doing as I have been doing it for 46 years, first for someone else then myself. Its time for my son to take the wheel. I have big plans, with a good retirement income and everything will be paid for this year. Call me selfish but when I go, I don't even care to see another food can. Plans include travel ( to wherever its still safe, or allowed to go ) Finish the work cabin and remodel my home for the last time. I will spend a lot of time on the mountain among other things. One wobbler is I have been considering selling here in Ca. and moving just into Nevada around Lake Tahoe. Minden and Gardenerville are both nice, closer to the cabin by two hours and it aint California.


I can relate. Yes the temptation to just walk away is there. But my son isn't ready to take over, and we are poised to remain in business without a sales effort. I hate sales.

We have a good reputation, and I am often called to render advice and help to customers and their contacts. Even on matters that do not directly generate sales.  I enjoy that as well.

I come it at 7:00 AM most days but don't need to.  So if I'm late the gears and wheels still turn. And a couple days off render no wrinkles at work so I take them as I want. Sorta retired would be a good term

So as long as the stuff backs up to the dock door, I'm happy to continue.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

m1west said:


> I started my business when I was around 40, seems like yesterday.


I started mine around 23. Second generation. I'd be ALOT better off if I'd saved my money for a rainy day but I never did. Like any business, there are a lot of risks and this one isn't any exception. It's a love/hate thing, but I don't know what I'd do without it. But I originally majored in psychology in college and averaged around an A-. Sometimes I think I may have missed my calling.


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> I can relate. Yes the temptation to just walk away is there. But my son isn't ready to take over, and we are poised to remain in business without a sales effort. I hate sales.
> 
> We have a good reputation, and I am often called to render advice and help to customers and their contacts. Even on matters that do not directly generate sales.  I enjoy that as well.
> 
> I come it at 7:00 AM most days but don't need to.  So if I'm late the gears and wheels still turn. And a couple days off render no wrinkles at work so I take them as I want. Sorta retired would be a good term
> 
> So as long as the stuff backs up to the dock door, I'm happy to continue.


I hear you there, I don't do sales either. I have a closed loop of customers that I install and service there equipment for. I watched my ex boss sell the business to his son and partner, then basically run it for them so it wouldn't fail until he was 80. Not me. I have every confidence in my sons ability. He doesn't drink or do drugs and is un married. His work is as good as mine and at his 31 years has a bit of experience under his belt. All the customers like him, so it should go pretty good. It isn't a business that just runs itself, with some of the work very physically challenging even for a young guy, with lots of climbing and heavy lifting. I have had enough, the clock is ticking. Plus my son is over 30 and worked his ass off taking my abuse since high school. He deserves a shot at the big time. Peace out.


----------



## echo

Where I live, I asked why my taxes are so high, their answer: you retired


----------



## Lenny

echo said:


> Where I live, I asked why my taxes are so high, their answer: you retired


Where do you live?

Can you imagine if we discriminated against liberals like that?!?!


----------



## pirate_girl

Finishing up Christmas shopping at a large outlet village outside of Toledo.
I think we're eating at one of the restaurants there, unless we decide to go to Red Lobster.
I've promised several of my residents popcorn from Shirley's and cookies from Great American Cookies ❤
I'm hoping to find myself a new The North Face jacket or coat.


----------



## FrancSevin

Getting over a cold today. So, I'll be finishing the plywood rock box for my truck.  I'm tired of having to fish errant stones out of the corners of the truck bed.


----------



## Melensdad

Went to see Santa at Macy's (_the old Marshall Field's State Street flagship store_)

The kids don't get to sit on Santa's lap this year, they sit on a big box wrapped up like a present while Santa sits behind his desk.  I get it.  Kobe didn't know the difference.  Kobe smiled and was shy and was outgoing and Santa was great despite the little bit of distance.





As a side note, Marshall Field's was an amazing store.  The building is still in use but the Macy's chain has effectively stripped it, over the past decade, of its luxury, individuality, and subtle beauty.  The store clerks are still amazing this year, but a bit too far and few between.  There Walnut Room has been in decline as a Christmas dining destination since Macy's took over and we couldn't even get in this year because they have so dramatically cut down the hours of operation that there was no breakfast service.  We have a 26 year tradition of breakfast under the Great Tree in the Walnut Room . . . lost this year.  This is the first year we could not find the beloved Marshall Field's Frango Mints, literally none in the store.  WTF?!?  Oddly, Macy's has exhibits on the walls prominently featuring Marshall Field's rich history, in both photos and stories, yet the store is stripped of the service and character that was Field's.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Wrapped up work a little after 9 this morning. Tomorrow and Thursday will be different but it’s going to be worth it. I’m probably going to work for a few hours on Friday and cut it off until Tuesday. I’ll take any extra time I can get.


----------



## pirate_girl

I made a ham that was part of Christmas gifting from where I work.
Pretty quiet day really.
Then listened to Christmas music..
Breath of Heaven (Amy Grant) is my all time favourite Christmas song.


----------



## Melensdad

Booked a hotel and some flights.

It looks like I'll be coaching at the Junior Olympics in Salt Lake City in late February. A total of 7 of our kids qualified. 4 of which are actually my students. The other 3 are students I don't personally coach but are kids I work with, one I helped with college selection, another I hooked up with an Olympian to coach because she is way too good for me to help. 

Normally 1 have 1 student, or less, qualify. So normally no coach at the event. But 7. Unprecedented.


----------



## FrancSevin

Cathy and I sat outside tonite.  Clear sky with an almost full moon. No breeze, but about 35 F Degrees.

Fire in the firepit.  No kids, just us for a couple of hours.  Just talking and smooching.  How great it is to have a best friend for a wife.


----------



## FrancSevin

FrancSevin said:


> Getting over a cold today. So, I'll be finishing the plywood rock box for my truck.  I'm tired of having to fish errant stones out of the corners of the truck bed.


Been trying to get pictures of the rock box. 



Here's two.  The oversized tailgate becomes the transfer plate over the tailgate by slipping under the main 4X8 Bed plywood sheet.  It keeps stones out of the crack between the bin and the tailgate.


----------



## echo

Did yard work and now I'm having an adult beverage.


----------



## m1west




----------



## m1west

Been getting our ass kicked all week, we installed the chicken pie made from chicken shit platform I assembled in the shop a couple weeks ago, between two other platforms for quicker access.
That was Monday, then back to the shop getting ready for the next go. Looking like Christmas Day and New Years day will be the only days off for a while.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Glad to be home for a few days. I'm just going to kick back, relax and rest my left shoulder. I did a hell of a number somehow on it last week and the pain has radiated throughout my entire arm to my fingers. Moderate at the worst, it's since subsided and I'm feeling better. While no doubt an inconvenience, it blows when you don't have full use of your hand and it sometimes hurts like hell to drive.


----------



## FrancSevin

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> Glad to be home for a few days. I'm just going to kick back, relax and rest my left shoulder. I did a hell of a number somehow on it last week and the pain has radiated throughout my entire arm to my fingers. Moderate at the worst, it's since subsided and I'm feeling better. While no doubt an inconvenience, it blows when you don't have full use of your hand and it sometimes hurts like hell to drive.


I've beenexperiencing the same issue fo about 6 months now.  Especially when I drive.  Since most of my vehicles are manual tranny, that puts a lot of work on my left arm.

Hurts all night at times. Nothing seems to help, heat, cold, aspirin. No relief.   Scotch helps but how much of that therapy is good for you?


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

FrancSevin said:


> Hurts all night at times. Nothing seems to help, heat, cold, aspirin. No relief. Scotch helps but how much of that therapy is good for you?


I've taken Bayer briefly before I switched to Aleve. It nullified the pain, but I still experienced a few sharp, shooting pains mainly in the upper middle section of my left shoulder blade to my tricep and down towards my forearm. It's gotten better but damn....I hate the tingly/numb feeling in half of my left hand. It's under my index and ring fingers to my wrist. These two fingers just feel weak even typing this. 

As for the rest of my therapy, I've included a hot bath, heating pad and pain relieving creme mixed. I just hope to god this doesn't culminate in a doctor's visit.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

And hell, I couldn't find any real comfortable position for my left arm when driving for at least two to three days. The most comfortable position was resting my wrist over the steering wheel while driving with my right and that still wasn't comfortable. No way my job helps.


----------



## Melensdad

I find ADVIL (in the generic form ibuprofen) to be the most effective at controlling my various aches and pains.  Aspirin used to help.  I found Tylenol to be good for headaches, but not body aches.  ALEVE is good for minor general aches and pains, but if I have a specific joint or two, in fairly intense pain, I turn to ADVIL.   If it is too intense for Advil then I go to the doctor prescribed drugs.  But Advil seems to control most of my issue better than the other over the counter drugs.

Bourbon, of course, is a great pain killer.  A short glass at night helps.  Sometimes two.

There is also a TOPICAL GEL RUB that used to be prescription only but now is available in generic form.  It helps a lot.  Best if used a couple times a day for multiple days.  Seriously good medication.  *VOLTAREN* ... or generically *Diclofenac Sodium Topical Gel 1%*.  I used to buy it O-T-C in Europe and stock up to bring it back to the US.  But now CVS and Walgreens sell it and its 1/2 price generic variant.  Well worth it.  It does not work if you apply it one time.  But apply it over a couple days on those nagging pains that seem constant and it works very well.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I thought drinking instead. I've got Whiskey and Bourbon here. Emergency and cooking use only.


----------



## Melensdad

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> I thought drinking instead. I've got Whiskey and Bourbon here. Emergency and *cooking use only.*


Best joke I've seen in quite a while.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Melensdad said:


> Best joke I've seen in quite a while.


And my best line of defense when anyone asks.


----------



## m1west

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> Glad to be home for a few days. I'm just going to kick back, relax and rest my left shoulder. I did a hell of a number somehow on it last week and the pain has radiated throughout my entire arm to my fingers. Moderate at the worst, it's since subsided and I'm feeling better. While no doubt an inconvenience, it blows when you don't have full use of your hand and it sometimes hurts like hell to drive.


Even though you are feeling it in your shoulder arm and reduced strength, it may be originating from one of your vertebra. Likely between your shoulders or neck.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

m1west said:


> Even though you are feeling it in your shoulder arm and reduced strength, it may be originating from one of your vertebra. Likely between your shoulders or neck.


That's what I'm afraid of. I've felt it up to the base of my neck.


----------



## m1west

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> That's what I'm afraid of. I've felt it up to the base of my neck.


Have you been doing anything that involved an opposing pulling action with your arms, similar to using a manual post hole digger? That action puts a lot of stress on your spine around the neck area. The weakness in your arm is telling you something, are you experiencing any numbness in your arm or hand?


----------



## FrancSevin

Mine is likely from picking up 100 Lb packs of Architectual Shingles with my left arm and walking up a ladder to put them on the roof.  The rotator muscles/ligaments on the back of my left shoulder are torn from their bone mounting. That is where most of the radiating pain comes from.  And yes, it often extends to the hand and fingers.

 And in addition, there is a nerve issue from the possible separation of vertebrae in the neck.

I use a chiropractor once to twice a week.  There has been improvement over time. But the ligament separation takes forever to heal


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

m1west said:


> Have you been doing anything that involved an opposing pulling action with your arms, similar to using a manual post hole digger? That action puts a lot of stress on your spine around the neck area. The weakness in your arm is telling you something, are you experiencing any numbness in your arm or hand?


There’s a little numbness when wake up in the morning, but it quickly wears off and later returns in the evening. I’m a vendor but some of our product is very heavy when packed in cases.


----------



## echo

Listening to her rattle the pots and pans in the kitchen.


----------



## FrancSevin

It is in the high 80's today, so I am doing the third and final leaf sweeping of the back yard.  The deck and patio are knee deep in oak leaves. As is most of my backyard.

Also, two of the Alaskan Evergreens I transplanted last winter did not survive.  So have new ones to plant. Along with a five-gallon Le6yland Cypress I bought some four years ago when it was just a pup. 

The wife is doing some last-minute shopping ala Wally World today.  I'm hoping she survives in time for dinner tonite.


----------



## m1west

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> There’s a little numbness when wake up in the morning, but it quickly wears off and later returns in the evening. I’m a vendor but some of our product is very heavy when packed in cases.


Yep, that action of bending over and pulling to your chest with both arms, is likely the cause. I would maybe suggest some rowing machine workout to strengthen that area if you plan to keep doing that chore without injury.


----------



## m1west

Christmas Eve, did a little wood cutting today and finished the last of the wrapping.


----------



## m1west

Christmas Eve, did a little wood cutting today and finished the last of the wrapping.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

It's been a nice day thus so far. It's windy outside and enjoyable even at 73. Spring like weather during the Winter.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Enjoying another day off. I'm deciding on whether or not to even go onto tomorrow. If I do, I'll take Friday through Sunday off again. Work shouldn't be too difficult this week.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Recovering from a food comma today. We had a big turkey dinner yesterday with all the fixings. 

My gutts can't handle much food these days since I had 2 separate hernia repairs. The double layer of mesh in my abdomen acts like a gastric bypass allowing me to only eat so much before hitting that wall where I can't take another bite then feel bloated for days.


----------



## pirate_girl

I've felt like I've been eating ham for weeks lol
Had a fairly nice holiday, or as good as can be expected considering Ty was not feeling it ever since his friend passed away, so I went to see the grandies at their Mother's house with their presents.
Jeff went to his Dad's, and Kasey is still in PA.
I worked overtime on Christmas Eve, then went to late church services with my friend Jules and her Mother.
Today is just quiet.


----------



## Melensdad

Left over standing rib roast, corn, garlic smashed potatoes and creamed onions for breakfast this morning!  

I will be assembling some toys today.  Pretty sure the lovely Mrs_Bob will be heading up to JoAnn Fabrics or some similar store to pick up crafting supplies to work on projects with Melen.  Melen is staying with us for 1 more night and will return to Chicago tomorrow afternoon.

We get Kobe back here tonight at dinner time after spending the last 4 days with his grandmother.  So tomorrow morning we will have another visit from Santa.  Just for the little boy.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Feeling a little blue today but I should count myself lucky. I've been depression free these past few weeks. No doubt it's the Holidays at play as it always is.


----------



## m1west

Layed around all day


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> Feeling a little blue today but I should count myself lucky. I've been depression free these past few weeks. No doubt it's the Holidays at play as it always is.


I can relate. I always get like that around Christmas. This year was especially hard after dad was killed in September. We had a quiet Christmas but made the best of it. 

Today is going to be another lazy day. There's been a big storm cell coming up from the states moving slowly that's forecast to dump up to 12" of snow by this evening.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

NorthernRedneck said:


> I can relate. I always get like that around Christmas. This year was especially hard after dad was killed in September. We had a quiet Christmas but made the best of it.


I’m sorry for your loss and I’m glad you all made the best of it. All any of us can try to do.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Back to work today. I didn’t even make up my mind until the alarm should have gone off.


----------



## Lenny

At the gym now and not sure about the rest of the day.   Santa's reindeer didn't poop on my roof, so I'm happy about that.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Lenny said:


> Santa's reindeer didn't poop on my roof, so I'm happy about that.


He didn’t even visit me this year. Lolz, I guess I was on the naughty list this year.


----------



## Lenny

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> He didn’t even visit me this year. Lolz, I guess I was on the naughty list this year.


He didn't know I was naughty because he left me a bag of coal barbecue pit.  LOL


----------



## m1west

tried to work today at plant, the just got set up, when they came a took the scissor lift they just gave us to use. due to a plant emergency. So we got sent home. There is work in the shop though.


----------



## FrancSevin

Spending some time at the plant today.  We are closed for the week.

However, we forgot to put signs on the doors for incoming freight lines to call.

We also need to check the mail for incoming payments.  Christmas was expensive this year.



Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> He didn’t even visit me this year. Lolz, I guess I was on the naughty list this year.


I'm betting he read some of your posts here. LOL.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

FrancSevin said:


> I'm betting he read some of your posts here. LOL.


Lolz, I can't argue there.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Been hurting for a few days with a bad back (internal barometer going off) as there was a storm coming. It hit here about 10am this morning and so far, we got 14" of the white stuff. It's supposed to taper off later but start again tomorrow afternoon. I went out and did a bit of plowing earlier just to get ahead of the game. 

I took a quick video around noon today as it was picking up. 




Your browser is not able to display this video.


----------



## echo

Great presents, great secret stuff, great food, Caught a bad cold that lasted for a day.


----------



## Ironman

echo said:


> Great presents, great secret stuff, great food, Caught a bad cold that lasted for a day.


It seems like everyone I know has a nasty cold right now. Including me.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Ironman said:


> It seems like everyone I know has a nasty cold right now. Including me.



Same symptoms as omicron?  We've had a bit of a cold going through the house here too. Just a sore throat and stuffy nose for a day or two.  

My plan today is to plow snow for a few hours then maybe haul out the snowmobiles for the afternoon.


----------



## pirate_girl

Lots of people have the coldthatsnotfreakingcovid lol
It's supposed to snow today.
1-2".. which in Ohio can mean nothing or a foot.


----------



## FrancSevin

Rain all day. Cannot do a thing outside so, stayed in bed until 10:00
Thunderstorm so all the animals were there too.  But one has the longest and sexiest pair of legs.  Worth the time.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Just got back in for the day. If all goes well, I'll work tomorrow and Thursday and both days should be shorter than normal. I'll soak up and enjoy another three day weekend since business is thankfully slow for once. Been a hectic few months.


----------



## Ironman

NorthernRedneck said:


> Same symptoms as omicron?  We've had a bit of a cold going through the house here too. Just a sore throat and stuffy nose for a day or two.


Kind of. Bad cough and heavily congested. My body aches from hacking and coughing. It’s a major snot event.


----------



## FrancSevin

I've had a bloody nose for several days now. This morning thinking it was again bleeding.  I went to clear it off but, 
,,,no it'snot


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Ironman said:


> It seems like everyone I know has a nasty cold right now. Including me.


I remember having one earlier this year but it was much nastier than normal. My brother has one himself now. No sense of taste or smell. He's got the sniffles and he's coughing. He went to visit his grandparents for Christmas and came back with something. I hope I'm not up for another one. Hope you get to feeling better.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Spent the morning out plowing. Followed by a trip to the dump then a drive to the reserve by the city to get cheaper gas. It was 134.9 per liter last week then shot up to 151.9 just before Christmas. It's currently 120.1 on the rez so worth the 20 minute drive to fill the truck and 4 Jerry cans.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I’m getting close to wrapping up my work day. Business wise, it’s slow. It’s a welcome change for once.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Another morning of plowing after we got another 5" of snow. I almost had to go on a rescue mission 3.5hrs away. My oldest son has a 2014 nissan rogue. He went out to see his mom's side of the family for Christmas and was loaded up to come back last night when he discovered that the interior fan wasn't blowing at all. Still heat coming from the vents but no fans to circulate. Not safe in the winter time at -20 on the highway. So he went with his older brother (born to his mom) and rented a uhaul trailer from 2 hrs away from where they live and drove back to load up his vehicle and tow it back here. We thought of just getting a dolly but as it's an awd, it can't be towed like that.


----------



## m1west

NorthernRedneck said:


> Another morning of plowing after we got another 5" of snow. I almost had to go on a rescue mission 3.5hrs away. My oldest son has a 2014 nissan rogue. He went out to see his mom's side of the family for Christmas and was loaded up to come back last night when he discovered that the interior fan wasn't blowing at all. Still heat coming from the vents but no fans to circulate. Not safe in the winter time at -20 on the highway. So he went with his older brother (born to his mom) and rented a uhaul trailer from 2 hrs away from where they live and drove back to load up his vehicle and tow it back here. We thought of just getting a dolly but as it's an awd, it can't be towed like that.


Blower fan fuse or breaker?


----------



## NorthernRedneck

m1west said:


> Blower fan fuse or breaker?



The fuses are all good. I'm thinking of the ac heater relay under the dash. I had one blow on my old f150 and the fan motor stopped working.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Rainy work day today. It’s relaxing for a change, but it’d also be the perfect day to just chill.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I ended up back at my favorite place in the world today. Emerg. I haven't been feeling well since Christmas barely able to eat. I started having sharp pains in my side yesterday morning and it was hurting to piss. They did a ct scan and some blood work. Turns out that I have a small kidney stone that should pass on it's own. Still painful nonetheless.


----------



## Lenny

NorthernRedneck said:


> I ended up back at my favorite place in the world today. Emerg. I haven't been feeling well since Christmas barely able to eat. I started having sharp pains in my side yesterday morning and it was hurting to piss. They did a ct scan and some blood work. Turns out that I have a small kidney stone that should pass on it's own. Still painful nonetheless.


No what?  Surgery?


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I’m not even sure what I even did but two and a half weeks later, I still don’t even have full strength in my left hand. It’s greatly improved, but I can’t shake this feeling. I haven’t been to the doc. I’ve ridden it out.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Lenny said:


> No what?  Surgery?


No surgery. They said it was a smaller stone and should pass on its own. Just have to wait it out. 



Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> I’m not even sure what I even did but two and a half weeks later, I still don’t even have full strength in my left hand. It’s greatly improved, but I can’t shake this feeling. I haven’t been to the doc. I’ve ridden it out.



Any other symptoms or is it just the left hand?  My brother is only 46 but has had 3 strokes in the past couple years.  He now has strength issues in his left hand and often can't tell what his hand is doing without looking at it.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

NorthernRedneck said:


> No surgery. They said it was a smaller stone and should pass on its own. Just have to wait it out.
> 
> 
> 
> Any other symptoms or is it just the left hand?  My brother is only 46 but has had 3 strokes in the past couple years.  He now has strength issues in his left hand and often can't tell what his hand is doing without looking at it.


Just my left hand. I pulled or strained that arm and this is the worst it’s ever been. Normally, I’m good to go after a few days but this traveled down from my shoulder blade to my hand and fingers over the course of a few days. It’s improved, but at times I couldn’t even open up a bottle, jar, roll the window down or turn on the water faucet without difficulty if I could at all.


----------



## FrancSevin

Just got home from a hard day at work. Customer calls me in a panic this morning, has to have product by noon tomorrow. It was supposedly due on January tenth.

The wife and I planned on being in Springfield MO Saturday.  The customer would come up from Cassville (about 30 miles) 

Turns out he doesn't need it until Monday AM but we still would have to run it tonight or change our travel plans.

Our son came in and we spent eight hours humping it out. Got home about 11:15 and made burgers for the clan.

I'm beat.

But, meanwhile, a new year has begun


HAPPY NEW YEAR YA'LL


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Laying low today once more. Happy New Year, peeps!


----------



## Lenny

Going to the gym and then a pot luck party at noon.  I'm bringing deviled egg salad (no potatoes) that I buy at Hy-Vee grocery store.  

I hope this year sucks less than last year.


----------



## m1west

Wife and I are meeting one of the kids " Tyler " Later for lunch.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

We went to a friend's place for the evening yesterday for games and a few drinks. Home by 11:30 and snoring by midnight. I don't get all googly-eyed and excited about new years. It's just a number. Not a single thing is different today than yesterday. And I predict that this year will be more of the same bs covid this covid that restrictions and government rules changing more often than I change my undies. I'm feeling more and more deflated by the day over all this bs covid crap. Don't get me wrong, it's real. But there are other things that are just as real and are being ignored as they aren't covid.


----------



## pirate_girl

NorthernRedneck said:


> I'm feeling more and more deflated by the day over all this bs covid crap. Don't get me wrong, it's real. But there are other things that are just as real and are being ignored as they aren't covid.


I'm feeling the same.
Yes, it's real, but it's beginning to wane.
The government want to keep us scared in lockstep.
Every single day it's a warning about this and that to keep the man in place.
I think we the people have had enough.
We don't have anyone now testing positive where I work.
I know of not a single person with covid now.
Flu? Yes.
No covid.
I had a quiet New Year's Eve.
Same as today.
That's a good thing.


----------



## echo

Finished my year end record keeping.
Made a crock of Spanish Rice that was delicious.
Went for a walk and someones outside water faucet was blown down the street from the global warming.
We refused to watch the ball fall down last night. No TV for us where they shoot their mouth's off.
It people are doing the reporting. Not many firecrackers last night. This is liberalville where they hate everything


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Finished up work early today and I'm waiting on the plumber. Whenever I flush, water fills the toilet almost to the brim but luckily doesn't overflow. It does, however, push the contents into the bathtub and I don't have the right tools for the job. I originally called someone else about on Thursday, but he never showed. Love it when that happens.


----------



## m1west

Just got back from a plant where we are doing a conveyor modification, when I asked for the parts they are suppling, I got a look like a deer in the headlights. They are scrambling now, because we already cut everything apart and modified the frame and they dont have the parts to put it back together. Also destroyed my scheduling for this week.


----------



## FrancSevin

m1west said:


> Just got back from a plant where we are doing a conveyor modification, when I asked for the parts they are suppling, I got a look like a deer in the headlights. They are scrambling now, because we already cut everything apart and modified the frame and they dont have the parts to put it back together. Also destroyed my scheduling for this week.


I have a DODGE truck up on the rack for two weeks now waiting for two small coolant lines for the tranny.

Welcome to Venezuela.


----------



## pirate_girl

I wondered why my water bill was outrageous this month.
Turns out the seal/clapper thing in the bottom of my toilet tank wasn't working properly.
I'd been hearing a slight little trickle from the damn thing, especially at night when it's quiet.
One of the maintenance guys is going to come over and fix it tomorrow.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Hopefully that fix won’t be a fortune. My bill was nearly $350 yesterday for not even 30 minutes worth of work for a clogged vent pipe.


----------



## FrancSevin

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> Hopefully that fix won’t be a fortune. My bill was nearly $350 yesterday for not even 30 minutes worth of work for a clogged vent pipe.


Reminds me of the lawyer who complained that the plumber's rates were too high.  After College and law school, he could justify $100 and hour but the plumber was asking almost twice that.  To which the plumber responded "$100 an hour? That's what I made when I practiced law.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

FrancSevin said:


> Reminds me of the lawyer who complained that the plumber's rates were too high.  After College and law school, he could justify $100 and hour but the plumber was asking almost twice that.  To which the plumber responded "$100 an hour? That's what I made when I practiced law.


I did hear back from the guy I originally contacted yesterday after I told him the job was done. He'd lost his snake and while things happen, a message would have been great. He wouldn't have charged even half of that.


----------



## m1west

Paper work Tuesday


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I'm a hurting unit today. I was in extreme pain a few days ago and went to emerg. A ct scan showed a kidney stone. The pain settled a bit for a couple days. Now it's back with a vengeance. Owwww.

I did manage to get a few things done though. A trip into the city this morning to help a family member who was taking delivery of a new washer and dryer. Then back home to help my son get his vehicle to the dealership for work. A couple hours later he got a call saying it was ready. We weren't expecting it until tomorrow or Thursday. So back to the city again to get it this afternoon. It's a 40 minute drive round trip. 3 trips in today. Plus visiting every washroom on the way due to the meds they put me on for the stone. Fun stuff.


----------



## Ironman

NorthernRedneck said:


> Same symptoms as omicron?  We've had a bit of a cold going through the house here too. Just a sore throat and stuffy nose for a day or two.


Yep, the test came back positive today.  I happened to be in the doctors office when the test came back positive flashing on his screen. He said leave and don’t come back lol.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Yawn. Rough night. Up at 12:20 trying to pass a kidney stone. Up at 1:40, 4:30, 5:30, 6:30 again trying to pass a stone. At some point during the night, I took a pain med which helped somewhat but left me dizzy. Walking down the hall this morning after waking up, I got a dizzy spell and barely made it to the bathroom to throw up.  Gonna be a long day. 

I bet some politician will try to somehow twist my symptoms into another case of covid to fit their agenda.


----------



## Lenny

NorthernRedneck said:


> Yawn. Rough night. Up at 12:20 trying to pass a kidney stone. Up at 1:40, 4:30, 5:30, 6:30 again trying to pass a stone. At some point during the night, I took a pain med which helped somewhat but left me dizzy. Walking down the hall this morning after waking up, I got a dizzy spell and barely made it to the bathroom to throw up.  Gonna be a long day.
> 
> I bet some politician will try to somehow twist my symptoms into another case of covid to fit their agenda.


Best wishes for a speedy recovery.


----------



## pirate_girl

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> Hopefully that fix won’t be a fortune. My bill was nearly $350 yesterday for not even 30 minutes worth of work for a clogged vent pipe.


It wasn't.
Took him about 20 minutes, if that.
It was the flapper thingy. Lol


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Finishing up work for the day. It was shorter than expected for once. One day closer to the weekend.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

NorthernRedneck said:


> Yawn. Rough night. Up at 12:20 trying to pass a kidney stone. Up at 1:40, 4:30, 5:30, 6:30 again trying to pass a stone. At some point during the night, I took a pain med which helped somewhat but left me dizzy. Walking down the hall this morning after waking up, I got a dizzy spell and barely made it to the bathroom to throw up.  Gonna be a long day.
> 
> I bet some politician will try to somehow twist my symptoms into another case of covid to fit their agenda.


I wouldn’t doubt it with anyone. F**king douchebags.


----------



## m1west




----------



## m1west

Today when I got a minute, I degreased and pressure washed the jeep engine, now I can change out the crappy plastic valve cover, thats leaking everywhere to the new aluminum one. Plus a new PCV valve and CCV filter. Hopefully that takes care of it, and the rear main or oil pan are not leaking too. The Jeeps with the AMC 6 are famous for that.


----------



## Mikemoto46

I'm Doing My work In my office.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

NorthernRedneck said:


> Yawn. Rough night. Up at 12:20 trying to pass a kidney stone. Up at 1:40, 4:30, 5:30, 6:30 again trying to pass a stone. At some point during the night, I took a pain med which helped somewhat but left me dizzy. Walking down the hall this morning after waking up, I got a dizzy spell and barely made it to the bathroom to throw up.  Gonna be a long day.



Yawn. Another rough night with sharp pains in my side. Thankfully today I may get some relief as I spoke with a urologist yesterday who booked me in this morning at the hospital for surgery to try going in to remove the stone.


----------



## FrancSevin

I really don't like hearing this.  You've already had enough surgeries for one life.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Wrapping up my work week. It’s currently cloudy out and it’s just nasty. Total buzzkill. But I’d sure love to see the sun more often than we have lately.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

NorthernRedneck said:


> Yawn. Another rough night with sharp pains in my side. Thankfully today I may get some relief as I spoke with a urologist yesterday who booked me in this morning at the hospital for surgery to try going in to remove the stone.


Best wishes for a speedy recovery.


----------



## m1west

NorthernRedneck said:


> Yawn. Another rough night with sharp pains in my side. Thankfully today I may get some relief as I spoke with a urologist yesterday who booked me in this morning at the hospital for surgery to try going in to remove the stone.


You would think they would have a way to break them up with sound waves or something similar. Kidney stones have been causing problems for a long time, and the only remedy is an operation??


----------



## NorthernRedneck

m1west said:


> You would think they would have a way to break them up with sound waves or something similar. Kidney stones have been causing problems for a long time, and the only remedy is an operation??



They do that when the first option doesn't work. I had lithrotripsy years ago to break one up. Only problem is the nearest machine is an 8 hour drive away.


----------



## FrancSevin

NorthernRedneck said:


> They do that when the first option doesn't work. I had lithotripsy years ago to break one up. Only problem is the nearest machine is an 8 hour drive away.


Since we are headed to having the same system, I'll not condemn the Canadian health care system.


----------



## FrancSevin

We bought a new car today.  2021 Chrysler Pacifica.
It is blue with white trim inside and black seats. Heated, of course.
A plethora of gadgets, electronics, and crap I don't know how to function.

It is for Crumpy.  
So , I'll let her tell the story.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

FrancSevin said:


> Since we are headed to having the same system, I'll not condemn the Canadian health care system.



It has it's flaws but it's not that bad. First time I talked to the urologist was yesterday. I'm on a stretcher now prepped for surgery. When I had my accident I got good care. I'm alive and walking. I've had a few surgeries since 2015. No real complaints.


----------



## echo

Get well


----------



## NorthernRedneck

echo said:


> Get well



Thanks. After waiting 9 hours in a waiting room outside surgical day care for covid results, they got me in for surgery. They gave me the option of being awake or asleep. I chose the second option. I closed my eyes at 8:30 and woke up at 9 in recovery. They were able to remove the stone successfully. Now it's just the recovery for a couple days. No incisions as they go in through the urethra with a miniature scope with clamps to grab the stone. Much less painful than the lithrotripsy I had done. They resort to that if the first method isn't successful.


----------



## Lenny

NorthernRedneck said:


> ..................They were able to remove the stone successfully. ..............



That's GREAT!  

9 hours?  WOW!


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I'm going to see about adopting two strays out today that we tried our hand at keeping, but it doesn't look like we can. They're great dogs but they're also a lot to handle. Beyond that, I'm mostly going to be relaxing today and cook a little later on. It's still cloudy and cold out, so it's going to be more well than worth it. Damn left hand still doesn't feel right. My pinky finger just feels almost like it's asleep and it has been.


----------



## Lenny

Since I got kicked off Fakebook I've been doing more politically, including working with a legal organization to sue them.  
I want equal just for conservatives and the right to know who the accusers are and the right to sue them too.  I'll be busy with that today, as well as going to the gym and some chores.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Lenny said:


> Since I got kicked off Fakebook I've been doing more politically, including working with a legal organization to sue them.
> I want equal just for conservatives and the right to know who the accusers are and the right to sue them too.  I'll be busy with that today, as well as going to the gym and some chores.


I hate FB. I’m mostly done with my account. How’d you get kicked off if you don’t mind me asking?


----------



## pirate_girl

Lenny said:


> Since I got kicked off Fakebook I've been doing more politically, including working with a legal organization to sue them.
> I want equal just for conservatives and the right to know who the accusers are and the right to sue them too.  I'll be busy with that today, as well as going to the gym and some chores.


You mean it wasn't just a temp ban??
Good luck with having anything legal done about it. You're probably one of zillions who feel unjustifiably kicked off.
I'm on there every day for a time, but you know I don't do the political stuff on there.


----------



## Lenny

pirate_girl said:


> You mean it wasn't just a temp ban??
> Good luck with having anything legal done about it. You're probably one of zillions who feel unjustifiably kicked off.
> I'm on there every day for a time, but you know I don't do the political stuff on there.


Others and I have got lawmakers off their asses before are we will do it again.


----------



## m1west




----------



## m1west

This morning I went on 2 job walks, then when I returned I put in another hour adding studs to the tracks on the mini mini van. Last year the cabin road was solid ice on steep hills, almost didn't make it. The pattern I am using is about 160 screws per track. in an hour I can get about 1/3 of one track done. I've done 2 hours worth and got another 10 hours to go.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Just finished watching Ghostbusters Afterlife after I bought it digitally on YouTube. If you haven't seen it, it's more than well worth the watch. The tribute to Harold Ramis (Egon) was fitting. My hat is off to them for that.


----------



## echo

I never got kicked off of FB.
I left after a comment I made about genealogy being a mess.
They ganged up on me. Do they ever let up?


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Ya know, at this point, I wouldn't give a damn if I got kicked off of FB. Save me the trouble of logging in every now and then. Just thinking out loud.


----------



## Lenny

pirate_girl said:


> You mean it wasn't just a temp ban??
> Good luck with having anything legal done about it. You're probably one of zillions who feel unjustifiably kicked off.
> I'm on there every day for a time, but you know I don't do the political stuff on there.


I'm pretty sure it's permanent.   My 30 day bans are usually associated with posts about liberals but they wouldn't tell me why on this one.


----------



## pirate_girl

Lenny said:


> I'm pretty sure it's permanent.   My 30 day bans are usually associated with posts about liberals but they wouldn't tell me why on this one.


When I saw you were like not there at all even on the messenger I felt like it's permanent.
There was this guy named Ben who used to post just random stuff. Nothing political at all. Thing is, he posted continuously from early am to night.
He said his was because of over-posting??
The times I got "jailed" wasn't because of anything outward shared on my timeline.
It was because of comments I made in the thick of a bunch of others on Inside Edition lol


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I've never been banned on Facebook but have had a post or two removed because they were too discriminatory by bashing newly landed immigrants from the middle east driving transports within a week of landing and causing daily crashes on the roads up here.


----------



## Lenny

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> Ya know, at this point, I wouldn't give a damn if I got kicked off of FB. Save me the trouble of logging in every now and then. Just thinking out loud.


I know.  I liked it but liberals are really sleazy.  Liberals are NOT liberal.


pirate_girl said:


> When I saw you were like not there at all even on the messenger I felt like it's permanent.
> There was this guy named Ben who used to post just random stuff. Nothing political at all. Thing is, he posted continuously from early am to night.
> He said his was because of over-posting??
> The times I got "jailed" wasn't because of anything outward shared on my timeline.
> It was because of comments I made in the thick of a bunch of others on Inside Edition lol


I got suspended for 30 days for quoting Hitler.  No meme, just this in the post:
"What luck for the rulers that men do not thing" Adolf Hitler.

Fakebook knows I'm involved with political groups and I'm a gun rights advocate.  They also want to make an example out of me because I have/had over 1200 friends.  And who knows; they're might have been one or more domestic terrorists (aka liberals) whining about me.


----------



## Lenny

Lenny said:


> I know.  I liked it but liberals are really sleazy.  Liberals are NOT liberal.
> 
> I got suspended for 30 days for quoting Hitler.  No meme, just this in the post:
> "What luck for the rulers that men do not thing" Adolf Hitler.
> 
> Fakebook knows I'm involved with political groups and I'm a gun rights advocate.  They also want to make an example out of me because I have/had over 1200 friends.  And who knows; they're might have been one or more domestic terrorists (aka liberals) whining about me.


By the way, I urge people to call their senators and congress-critters about this.  Say to them, if a conservative had a social media and harasser liberals and minorities the same way, "it" would hit the fan and rightfully so.  There should be equal rights for EVERYONE!


----------



## pirate_girl

Lenny said:


> I know.  I liked it but liberals are really sleazy.  Liberals are NOT liberal.
> 
> I got suspended for 30 days for quoting Hitler.  No meme, just this in the post:
> "What luck for the rulers that men do not thing" Adolf Hitler.
> 
> Fakebook knows I'm involved with political groups and I'm a gun rights advocate.  They also want to make an example out of me because I have/had over 1200 friends.  And who knows; they're might have been one or more domestic terrorists (aka liberals) whining about me.


Ahh yes, you did tell me about the Hitler thing. I forgot all about it.
I think you are targeted given the amount of times they've booted you.
-----You aren't missing anything on there.
It's (still) all Betty White and now Sidney Poitier dying news.
Last time I posted was on Monday.
You guessed it, my supper picture 
Or was it a meme?


----------



## Lenny

pirate_girl said:


> Ahh yes, you did tell me about the Hitler thing. I forgot all about it.
> I think you are targeted given the amount of times they've booted you.
> -----You aren't missing anything on there.
> It's (still) all Betty White and now Sidney Poitier dying news.
> Last time I posted was on Monday.
> You guessed it, my supper picture
> Or was it a meme?


I sure hope Trump does get a social media going soon.


----------



## Ironman

Fakebook If you go to >settings>Blocking -type in “fact checker” and block them.
.


----------



## pirate_girl

Ironman said:


> Fakebook If you go to >settings>Blocking -type in “fact checker” and block them.
> .
> View attachment 143034


What the heck??
I didn't know that existed.. or was a thing!
Lemme go check it out.
Lol

Edit > I blocked 15 altogether.
Lenny, I can still see you on Instagram.


----------



## Lenny

pirate_girl said:


> Lenny, I can still see you on Instagram.


Yeah, I check that once in a while.


----------



## Lenny

Ironman said:


> Fakebook If you go to >settings>Blocking -type in “fact checker” and block them.
> .
> View attachment 143034


I did that once but I suppose they have quite a few of those assholes.


----------



## echo

I don't know it it was FB.
I would post some comment and then I was the only person in the universe that could read it. I found out by a friend that I asked to read my comment, he said there was no comment.. Dontcha you love sneaky people.
Lets go back to the BB and a modem


----------



## pirate_girl

Lenny said:


> I sure hope Trump does get a social media going soon.


Look!
Former President Donald Trump’s new social media platform Truth Social *is expected to launch on Presidents’ Day, Feb. 21, according to the latest Apple App Store listing.*

Truth Social, which the 45th president announced in October, is the latest conservative alternative to large social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, which the former president has repeatedly slammed for censorship.










						Trump’s new social media platform set to launch on Presidents’ Day
					

Truth Social, which the 45th president announced in October, is the latest conservative alternative to large social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.




					nypost.com


----------



## Lenny

pirate_girl said:


> Look!
> Former President Donald Trump’s new social media platform Truth Social *is expected to launch on Presidents’ Day, Feb. 21, according to the latest Apple App Store listing.*
> 
> Truth Social, which the 45th president announced in October, is the latest conservative alternative to large social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, which the former president has repeatedly slammed for censorship.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Trump’s new social media platform set to launch on Presidents’ Day
> 
> 
> Truth Social, which the 45th president announced in October, is the latest conservative alternative to large social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> nypost.com


OUTSTANDING!!!  
THANKS!


----------



## Melensdad

Crazy 24 hours for my family.

Kobe our part time foster son turned 21 months old. He has been in our care since he was 2 months old.  His grandmother has Covid so while we normally have him 3 days a week, we have now had him for nearly 3 weeks!

Our daughter Melen's birthday is today. 

And Dasha, our foreign exchange student, who is now a sophomore at Notre Dame, won a medal at the North American Challenge, finishing 8th after being beaten by only by one of our US Olympians. She also earned her national "A" rating and moved up in the rankings. Notre Dame had 5 girls from the saber squad competing, including the team captain. All of them finished behind Dasha and outside of the medals. 

So I celebrated with a cocktail tonight.


----------



## m1west

dint have to work in the shop today, so I worked on putting studs in van tracks and pulled the old valve cover off the Jeep. Details in the appropriate places.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Chilling.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Enjoying the last day off from a longer weekend. Rainy day today.


----------



## FrancSevin

Taking down the Christmas decorations and the tree.

I have it easy this year as we did not put lights on the house.

The Tree will stand outside in the yard by the bird feeders.  The small birds will use it for cover when the Hawk flies overhead.

People say to put bread on it for the birds.  Bad idea.  It swells in their stomachs.
We are a certified bird sanctuary so, they will get suet, berries, and Sunflower seeds

Come spring the branches will go in compost and the tree trunk will be shredded or used in the fire pit.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Since it's -25 Celsius with a windchill of -31, I spent the day doing some plowing in the yard then brought up the bins to finally put away Christmas for another year. We did that this afternoon then I spent some time setting up a new cell phone.


----------



## 300 H and H

Last day of the season for Pheasant here in Iowa. Spent the morning with my dog and some friends in single digit temps. 
Saw birds, but they are pretty spooky with no snow and dry conditions. Dogs have little scent to fallow when it is this dry.
We ended up with 2 birds, but much fun and good exercise was had by all..


----------



## FrancSevin

300 H and H said:


> Last day of the season for Pheasant here in Iowa. Spent the morning with my dog and some friends in single digit temps.
> Saw birds, but they are pretty spooky with no snow and dry conditions. Dogs have little scent to fallow when it is this dry.
> We ended up with 2 birds, but much fun and good exercise was had by all..


I always enjoyed Pheasant hunting, This, whether I brought home birds or not.

Walking fields and woods with one's buddies, fresh air, some sport with the guns.  Always a good day.


----------



## m1west

worked on the jeep again.


----------



## Melensdad

Hosted 2 elite foreign fencers at our home overnight and then took them to Notre Dame.

Had Dasha, our foreign exchange student.  But also had Hansi, from Maylasia, who is a Foil fencer.  He is probably the best Foilist to have ever come from Maylasia or the South Pacific and is a very nice kid.  He is a Junior at Notre Dame.  Also met up with Marcelo, one of the best Foilists in the USA, but he did not stay at our home for the night.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Kids have been back to home schooling again since last week because of the dreaded omicron cold shutting everything down again. My wife is still working from home. It's a balmy -36 Celsius with the windchill. So that leaves me sitting on my butt all day.


----------



## FrancSevin

NorthernRedneck said:


> Kids have been back to home schooling again since last week because of the dreaded omicron cold shutting everything down again. My wife is still working from home. It's a balmy -36 Celsius with the windchill. So that leaves me sitting on my butt all day.



I may have to jettison my over coat this morning.  A balmy 15%F.
Nothing to do outside today. Just two quotations for more work second quarter.

Four no shows this morning.  So, we are only running one of the three lines needed to meet orders on hand.

The office is cold but, not as bad as outside.


----------



## PGBC

I've been working almost non stop for 2 months, finally have a week off. Servicing, and repairing some machines today. Mostly I want to sleep, rest, and relax. BC has been beaten up and battered the last couple of months by Mother nature. We had massive flooding, lost a large part of our road infrastructure, many bridges are just gone, not to mention towns, farms and more completely destroyed. The animals killed alone in it, just made me want to cry, rivers of cattle, chickens, and more just floating by. Then we went into a deep freeze, and a warm day was still -30, then the relentless snows came, and just kept falling. 
It was overwhelming to say the least.

Today I am in my own home for a change, which feels great. The wind is blowing so hard its howling, but at least the snow has stopped, and the temp is a very mild -3. 
Feels great to be home, warm, and sleep in till 6 am. 
I hope you are all well, and had a good Christmas.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Welcome back, @PGBC. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas as well.


----------



## PGBC

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> Welcome back, @PGBC. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas as well.




Thank you!


----------



## Misa

NorthernRedneck said:


> Lol. I have to save a couple pkgs. Everyone at camp wants to try them.



I am curious. What does your peperettes taste like, if you can please describe it? 

Does it taste like a combination of sausage and chicken? Or a different type of flavor altogether?


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Enjoying a lovely, microwaved meal since I'm currently too lazy to cook. Not really dreading tomorrow for a change.


----------



## pirate_girl

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> Enjoying a lovely, microwaved meal since I'm currently too lazy to cook. Not really dreading tomorrow for a change.


I wasn't too lazy to cook, but then again it was easy to make.


----------



## FrancSevin

pirate_girl said:


> I wasn't too lazy to cook, but then again it was easy to make.
> 
> View attachment 143209


PG that looks delicious

If I were a year younger and single.........


----------



## PGBC

Plowed out a few neighbors yards, interviewed another person, and went to look at puppies, seriously considering getting a pup.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

pirate_girl said:


> I wasn't too lazy to cook, but then again it was easy to make.
> 
> View attachment 143209


That looks amazing!


----------



## m1west

PGBC said:


> Plowed out a few neighbors yards, interviewed another person, and went to look at puppies, seriously considering getting a pup.


what kind


----------



## Ironman

m1west said:


> what kind


Yes. Breed?


----------



## PGBC

Kangal/golden retriever cross.

They are already big.
Going to be huge when grown up. 
Me the parents, both were nice.


----------



## PGBC

This guy was all about being with a person, over the other pups.


----------



## PGBC

The whole gang.


----------



## Ironman

PGBC said:


> Kangal/golden retriever cross.
> 
> They are already big.
> Going to be huge when grown up.
> Me the parents, both were nice.


I’d love to get another Golden. Smart beautiful pups.


----------



## PGBC

Ironman said:


> I’d love to get another Golden. Smart beautiful pups.


Kangals are also smart, protective, and great dogs.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Misa said:


> I am curious. What does your peperettes taste like, if you can please describe it?
> 
> Does it taste like a combination of sausage and chicken? Or a different type of flavor altogether?



They're a spicy garlic and a bunch of other spices. Texture very similar to typical beef peperettes. We did a 10lb batch. Mixed 7lbs of partridge with 3lbs of pork fat. Then smoked them 12 hrs. I'm gearing up to do another batch in late February. Because it's wild meat it's a touch dry. But not bad. We're going to increase the pork fat this time around.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Work was a total pain in the butt today. I think I’ll go home and have a few shots of whiskey. I need it at this point.


----------



## PGBC

New tires on my F350 finally, the factory tires are junk.
New puppy, and next is a trip to the pet store to buy some things. 
Also need to buy an oil filter, and change the oil in my new F350. I believe in an early first oil change, so will do so in the next few days.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Didn't do a whole lot today as the boss and I both went for our third jab yesterday. This one kinda knocked the wind outta me. We had to bring my son's nissan rogue back to the dealership yesterday. It blew a heater fan over Christmas and went in to get repaired January 4th. 3 days later it stopped working again. Before Christmas, a deer did a 180 on the shoulder of the road and ran back across into the side of my wife's ford expedition denting in the fender. So it's finally going in to get repaired today. I brought it to the body shop (which happens to be a subsidiary business of the nissan dealership where my son's car is currently).  We got a fully loaded dodge Durango as a rental until ours is fixed.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Wrapped up work early today and afterwards, I went in to extend a rental on my work truck and upon leaving I saw an older bleach-blond haired woman walk in and ask to speak to the manager. I sh*t you not. Couldn’t have left at a better time


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Today is going to be another day of nothing. It's a balmy -35 outside. The kids are doing their last day of home schooling and the boss is working. That leaves me sitting in the living room bored. Lol


----------



## Lenny

Staying at home today because of the ****ing snow.  I HATE it!


----------



## FrancSevin

I had two big projects to do last November, when the weather was perfect for it.
At home, finish the deck rebuild and add the insulation to it for the Kitchen addition.
At Hippie Ridge, reciveandspread36 ton of gravel on the new homesite and the new road coming in.

Covid prevented me from doing any of it.

Now, it is too cold to work on the decking project & I cannot get the gravel delivered.

This week in nice enough at Hippie Ridge but the driver says the ground is too wet and soft.

The building has been done for months and they want to deliver it by the end of January. We are running out of time.

Screw the weather.  It's next week or nothing.  I offered the driver a $100 bonus per load.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Speaking of snow, we're forecasted to get a light dusting on Sunday but it's more than enough for shoppers to hit the panic button and empty any remaining stocked store shelves of anything. Luckily, we're going to be spared the snow and ice storm half of the country will get. Last year was enough for me.


----------



## pirate_girl

We're in for a possible snow event this weekend.
Yay... not!
Anywho, I went to lunch with some of my partners in crime earlier.
Went to a zoom meeting at work, then grocery shopping.
I'm done for the day.


----------



## PGBC

Drove out to look at a potential job today, took my new pup along, who slept 95% of the 6 hours drive time, but he had plenty of energy while stopped and walking around. 
For just being day two with me, I couldn't be happier with him. He runs ahead while walking around looking at stuff, but he won't go more than about 40' or so, then he stops and waits for me to catch up, and bounds off again. When it was time to leave the area where we were out in the forest, he ran towards the truck, then sat and waited for me to open the door, and pick him up and toss him in. He figured that out very quickly. 
This little guy hasn't figured out fetch yet, but is smart, so it won't take long. So far fetch is me throwing the ball, him looking at it, then me walking over and picking it up. So it does seem he already has me trained to fetch it. Doesn't bark much, only if excited about being played with. 
Next is to try and find a puppy obedience class, largely to help him learn to socialize with strangers, and strange dogs, but learning basic commands is also good. 
Also found oil on sale half price at Canadian Tire, for those of you who are near one, and do your own oil changes.
The big jugs of Mobil 1 fully synthetic for $30, so I bought 20. Oil filters were also on sale half price. 
If something doesn't blow up work wise tomorrow, it should be a good oil change day, do the quad, new pickup, and both cars.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

PGBC said:


> Drove out to look at a potential job today, took my new pup along, who slept 95% of the 6 hours drive time, but he had plenty of energy while stopped and walking around.
> For just being day two with me, I couldn't be happier with him. He runs ahead while walking around looking at stuff, but he won't go more than about 40' or so, then he stops and waits for me to catch up, and bounds off again. When it was time to leave the area where we were out in the forest, he ran towards the truck, then sat and waited for me to open the door, and pick him up and toss him in. He figured that out very quickly.
> This little guy hasn't figured out fetch yet, but is smart, so it won't take long. So far fetch is me throwing the ball, him looking at it, then me walking over and picking it up. So it does seem he already has me trained to fetch it. Doesn't bark much, only if excited about being played with.
> Next is to try and find a puppy obedience class, largely to help him learn to socialize with strangers, and strange dogs, but learning basic commands is also good.
> Also found oil on sale half price at Canadian Tire, for those of you who are near one, and do your own oil changes.
> The big jugs of Mobil 1 fully synthetic for $30, so I bought 20. Oil filters were also on sale half price.
> If something doesn't blow up work wise tomorrow, it should be a good oil change day, do the quad, new pickup, and both cars.



Good to know. Lol. I do most of my shopping there. I used to do my own oil changes and brakes etc as I grew up in a small town with only 2 garages. (One of which I wouldn't bring my kids bicycle to get worked on).  Living near the city, it's so much easier to pull into one of those quick lube places. I still do my own brakes and other mechanical stuff as I don't trust the shops. Though I have had a few issues with the one chain of quick lube places. (They once pulled the inspection plug for my rear dif and forgot to put it back in. Another time, they used an impact gun on the drain plug and stripped the treads.)  They always try to upsell everything there. I once went through one with dad in his truck. They tried telling him he needed a transmission flush and showed him a dipstick with dirty black oil on it. He had just done the transmission fluid a week earlier so it was perfectly fine and clean oil. 

This weekend is going to be busy. It's 4am and I'm wide awake with excruciating back pain. We have my daughters pathfinder group (part of the girl guides) coming out this afternoon for snowshoeing and a fire. I have to leave early to play music at the church. My bandmate has been studying and working towards becoming an ordained minister. Today is her ordination and she wanted us to play music at her service.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I'm going to lay low once again today as it's supposed to rain today before a light dusting of snow pushes into tomorrow. Given that we don't get it here all that often (but when we do, we REALLY do) it's going to be interesting to see how people react in grocery stores over the weekend. I sell baked goods and I really wouldn't doubt walking into my stores to see empty shelves again. It was crazy for about two to three months non-stop because due to the supply chain issue, they'd buy anything and everything and there just wasn't enough to go around.


----------



## PGBC

NorthernRedneck said:


> Good to know. Lol. I do most of my shopping there. I used to do my own oil changes and brakes etc as I grew up in a small town with only 2 garages. (One of which I wouldn't bring my kids bicycle to get worked on).  Living near the city, it's so much easier to pull into one of those quick lube places. I still do my own brakes and other mechanical stuff as I don't trust the shops. Though I have had a few issues with the one chain of quick lube places. (They once pulled the inspection plug for my rear dif and forgot to put it back in. Another time, they used an impact gun on the drain plug and stripped the treads.)  They always try to upsell everything there. I once went through one with dad in his truck. They tried telling him he needed a transmission flush and showed him a dipstick with dirty black oil on it. He had just done the transmission fluid a week earlier so it was perfectly fine and clean oil.
> 
> This weekend is going to be busy. It's 4am and I'm wide awake with excruciating back pain. We have my daughters pathfinder group (part of the girl guides) coming out this afternoon for snowshoeing and a fire. I have to leave early to play music at the church. My bandmate has been studying and working towards becoming an ordained minister. Today is her ordination and she wanted us to play music at her service.




I used a quick oil change place once, never will again. 
I'll take the 20 minutes to do my own, also a good chance to look around under my vehicles.
If anyone has a new f350, be warned, that new drain plug is a quick twist style, and when it comes out, the oil doesn't come out like a normal vehicle, it rushes out fast and furious.
I hate how tight the factory cranks on the oil filter to. Normally I can just grab them, and twist them off. But every new vehicle I've owned, has required a filter wrench to get the oil filter loose. 
I'm picky about my vehicles. 
At the tire shop, I brought my own torque wrench. As they mounted and balanced each new tire, i rolled it to my truck, put on the wheel nuts, and once all 4 were on, he lowered it to the ground, and I then tightened each one in a criss cross pattern in 3 steps. 
The mechanic didn't mind, and actually complimented me for caring, and said he himself won't let anyone else work on his vehicles. 

I drove it home, and double checked the torque of every wheel nut. 
Some call me picky, or anal, I believe in doing it correctly.


----------



## m1west

Finished the valve cover swap on the jeep. details in the truck section, then cut firewood.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

PGBC said:


> I used a quick oil change place once, never will again.
> I'll take the 20 minutes to do my own, also a good chance to look around under my vehicles.
> If anyone has a new f350, be warned, that new drain plug is a quick twist style, and when it comes out, the oil doesn't come out like a normal vehicle, it rushes out fast and furious.
> I hate how tight the factory cranks on the oil filter to. Normally I can just grab them, and twist them off. But every new vehicle I've owned, has required a filter wrench to get the oil filter loose.
> I'm picky about my vehicles.
> At the tire shop, I brought my own torque wrench. As they mounted and balanced each new tire, i rolled it to my truck, put on the wheel nuts, and once all 4 were on, he lowered it to the ground, and I then tightened each one in a criss cross pattern in 3 steps.
> The mechanic didn't mind, and actually complimented me for caring, and said he himself won't let anyone else work on his vehicles.
> 
> I drove it home, and double checked the torque of every wheel nut.
> Some call me picky, or anal, I believe in doing it correctly.



I used to do all my own oil changes. Somehow laying on a cold cement floor in the winter isn't as appealing as it used to be. Lol. The absolute worst vehicle I ever worked on was the 2001 kia sephia my ex was adamant we had to buy. Picture the filter mounted sideways about halfway up the engine between the engine and firewall. With an opening barely big enough to get your hand in directly over the exhaust. Forget about using a filter wrench as it wouldn't fit. I remember reaching up and nearly burning my arm on hot exhaust pipes and using a crumpled up piece of sandpaper for grip on the filter then when I finally got it loose, having hot oil run down my arm all over the exhaust. I   that car. We ditched it a 50000km when the back tire locked up without warning.


----------



## PGBC

I enjoy shop time, usually, unless something goes really bad. 
I just came in from the shop actually. 
Put a new water pump impeller in the boat. Then replaced the back window washer nozzle on the Subaru. 
I've found that many parts on the Subaru are of extremely low quality.


----------



## pirate_girl

I'm officially looking forward to my retirement come April!
That said, I'm working today.
I've a niece who did not approve of my announcing it on Farcebook.
She wanted to know why I'm retiring early.
I removed the post as she always has _something_ to say.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Once again, I'm chilling today. It's gotten colder and it's going to be even worse later this week. And snow bypassed us at least for now.


----------



## PGBC

I worked long hours yesterday, and then did  just 8 hours this morning. 
When I got home took a 2 hour nap, I was sleep deprived. 
Took my new pup for a long walk on the snowmobile trails.

Looked online for a Honda S2000, my daughter would like to have. Their price is ludicrous.


----------



## PGBC

pirate_girl said:


> I'm officially looking forward to my retirement come April!
> That said, I'm working today.
> I've a niece who did not approve of my announcing it on Farcebook.
> She wanted to know why I'm retiring early.
> I removed the post as she always has _something_ to say.



I'm 3 months early, but congratulations!


----------



## Lenny

Went to a city council meeting.  The mayor and police chief are going to call me next week so I can share some information with them about human trafficking, what can be done about it and bring it up at the next meeting.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Didn't do much yesterday as my lower back gave out on me. Today's not looking much better. When my lower back goes out, I can't walk without assistance. I should have been expecting it though as we have a storm coming today forecast to drop up to 20cm of snow.


----------



## FrancSevin

I'm loafing so far today.  Two no shows at work so only two machines running.  Nothing to do but walkaround the shop making everyone nervous.  So I'm sitting at my desk doing special exercises. 

 I think these are called diddily squats


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Staying warm. It's been cooler here for the last few days and we're in for a brief warm up tomorrow with a projected high of 72 but down to 38 by Thursday for a high and we'll be in a deep freeze each and every morning for the next couple of days. I'm in the South, but we're a lot better off than we were early last year. We had our own Ice Storm from hell.


----------



## PGBC

It was -29 this morning around 5am.
I'm on call today 6am till 6pm.
Hasn't been bad so far, only 18 patients images have come in.
I don't mind at all when i can stay home, and the techs do the imaging, then send them to me.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Currently I’m cleaning the kitchen while listening to Poison. My siblings are currently away so there’s no better time than the present.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Just ventured out in the storm to drive my son to work. Did an hour of plowing when I got back. Did 50kmh in 4x4 the whole way. It's only 10km one way to work.  Speed limit is 80km.


----------



## pirate_girl

Damn Brian, I'm glad we've escaped any of that so far this year.

Well let's see.. had one of those fun emergency inservice meetings at work - because we're in the window for state to come strolling in.
Got my taxes done and out of the way.

Made myself a nice supper.


----------



## echo

Hooked up my wife's new stereo.
The sound was low, called  the people that sold it to us. He said to give it some gas,
That thing starts it's good sounds at 80 on the dial?
Ok


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Headed to the city first thing for a chiropractor appointment then came home and did another 3 hours of plowing. I've also been plowing the neighbors down the street as he does his with a small kubota backhoe which takes him 5+ hours. I can do his place in about 40 minutes with the plow truck.


----------



## FrancSevin

NorthernRedneck said:


> Headed to the city first thing for a chiropractor appointment then came home and did another 3 hours of plowing. I've also been plowing the neighbors down the street as he does his with a small kubota backhoe which takes him 5+ hours. I can do his place in about 40 minutes with the plow truck.


I know it snows deep up there in Canada. But so deep one needs a backhoe to dig out?  
Kinda scary.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

He's got a mini backhoe with a mower attachment and smaller bucket. We've got about 2ft of snow now.


----------



## echo

Yard work in between the rain drops.

Almost time for a brew (the gold bottle that is ten bucks a six pack)


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Just finished up work for the week. I’m going to go home, chill and throw a few burgers on the grill.


----------



## FrancSevin

NorthernRedneck said:


> Just ventured out in the storm to drive my son to work. Did an hour of plowing when I got back. Did 50kmh in 4x4 the whole way. It's only 10km one way to work.  Speed limit is 80km.
> 
> View attachment 143582


Here in St. Louis we get one of these every two or three years or so.  Usually in March.  Mother nature's way of saying "it ain't yet spring."

Most people have removed their snow tires and put away the snowblower.

Add to that the inevitable disasters because nobody in St. Louis knows how to drive in even a 1/2" snowfall.  I was once struck three times in the same car, by the same foolish driver at the same incident.  With over 20" of snow on the highway, she decided to pass me going up hill.  First, she lost control and took out my driver side door.  Then she passed me and did a doughnut sliding into my front grill. I bounced to the left as she came sliding down the hill into my passenger door.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I'm off today but I'm up early again out of habit. Sucks when you can't even really sleep in because of a built-in alarm clock that wakes you at the same time or earlier every single day whether working or not.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I understand. My built in alarm goes off at 5:30 every morning. Lol. By supper time I'm beat. 

Not much on the agenda today as it's a balmy -26 Celsius but it's supposed to warm up this afternoon. Half the kids have the day off school as it's the start of exams. It's my oldest son's birthday today. He's officially an adult now. This getting old thing sucks. 

We're supposed to be getting my wife's vehicle back from the body shop today. So I'll have to return the rental at some point. We didn't really need it this week with having three other vehicles to choose from but it was included in the insurance coverage. So why not?  Lol. A fully loaded dodge Durango rt was a nice comparison to our Ford Expedition. The Durango sits lower and has a more car-like feel to it but same size and seating as ours. Towing capacity is only 500lbs less than the Expedition. But what a gas guzzler that hemi is.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

NorthernRedneck said:


> I understand. My built in alarm goes off at 5:30 every morning.


Mine went off at 3, 4 and finally 5 before I rolled out of bed. At that point I thought, 'What the hell' and got up anyway and put on a pot of slow cooker chili for today. It's currently 26 outside and it's not going to improve much.


----------



## FrancSevin

NorthernRedneck said:


> I understand. My built in alarm goes off at 5:30 every morning. Lol. By supper time I'm beat.
> 
> Not much on the agenda today as it's a balmy -26 Celsius but it's supposed to warm up this afternoon. Half the kids have the day off school as it's the start of exams. It's my oldest son's birthday today. He's officially an adult now. This getting old thing sucks.
> 
> We're supposed to be getting my wife's vehicle back from the body shop today. So I'll have to return the rental at some point. We didn't really need it this week with having three other vehicles to choose from but it was included in the insurance coverage. So why not?  Lol. A fully loaded dodge Durango rt was a nice comparison to our Ford Expedition. The Durango sits lower and has a more car-like feel to it but same size and seating as ours. Towing capacity is only 500lbs less than the Expedition. But what a gas guzzler that hemi is.


We must be related.  I've had a built-in wake-up call at 5:30 since my teens.

However, working two and three jobs at the same time, I had learned to go to sleep anytime I had the chance.  So, I can usually go back to bed and sleep another few hours.  Nice on Saturdays.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I wish I could go back to sleep. Lol. My back is usually what wakes me up at that time. Then it's a case of taking my morning meds waiting for them to kick in to get some relief which takes about 2 hours.


----------



## FrancSevin

When I was a fulltime firefighter/paramedic, we used to do three things.
Eat, sleep, and stay up all night meeting people on the worst day of their lives. You get use to putting pain, physical and mental, out of your mind or you get no sleep at all.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

FrancSevin said:


> When I was a fulltime firefighter/paramedic, we used to do three things.
> Eat, sleep, and stay up all night meeting people on the worst day of their lives. You get use to putting pain, physical and mental, out of your mind or you get no sleep at all.



I do that throughout every day. Otherwise I'd go crazy. I figure if I'm able to stand more than a couple minutes without collapsing in pain then I can work through everything else and just plug away at stuff. Some days that could mean cutting and splitting a cord of wood. Other days that could mean struggling to shovel 10 ft of sidewalk. And the bad days are struggling to make it to the bathroom from the living room without using a walker. Every day is different for me and a bad flare can take me out for a week or more.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Taking in a few shots of whiskey. I’ll try not to over indulge as I remember what happened the last time I did. Three separate trips to the bathroom on my hands and knees at the toilet. Good times but a hell of a hangover the next day.


----------



## m1west

Worked in the shop a few hours, cut firewood and put more screw in studs on the mini mini van tracks, on the plus side of 50% done with the studs


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> Taking in a few shots of whiskey. I’ll try not to over indulge as I remember what happened the last time I did. Three separate trips to the bathroom on my hands and knees at the toilet. Good times but a hell of a hangover the next day.


Been there. Done that. Lmao. I took a liking to fireball lately.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

NorthernRedneck said:


> Been there. Done that. Lmao. I took a liking to fireball lately.


I’ve had that one. I had half of a big bottle by myself. That’s where the trouble started. I had Skrewball PB flavored tonight. Not bad. I took about four shots of that and about two shots of Vodka. Had a nice nap. Lolz, I'll sleep well after dinner.


----------



## Ironman

NorthernRedneck said:


> Been there. Done that. Lmao. I took a liking to fireball lately.











						Easy Fireball Fudge Recipe
					

This easy Fireball Fudge Recipe is the perfect recipe to make for the holidays or anytime!  An easy fudge recipe made with condensed milk and a few other ingredients that is perfect for the cinnamon whiskey lover in your life!




					www.simplejoy.com
				




.


----------



## FrancSevin

Helped a guy load a heavy machine onto his trailer last week.  He brought me a fifth of MONKEY whisky.  Never had it.
Gonna try it tonight, so my torn rotator won't keep me awake.
Fallen down tipsy? I gave that up 53 years ago.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Nothing much on the agenda today other than clearing up some snow around the fire pit. Depending on the temperature, I may take out the snowmobiles for a short afternoon ride. We'll see. As much as I want to go sledding, I've been nursing a bad back for a week now and don't want to overdo it.


----------



## FrancSevin

Got up early today made coffee and sat on the back porch watching Blue Birds on the feeders.  Must be 6 of them and a flock of black-eyed Juncos on the ground.  The Juncos go back to Alaska for summer, but the Blue Birds might stay.  I've set five houses up for them.


----------



## pirate_girl

Blah!
Lol


----------



## echo

Had a shot of Old Crow last night.

The name is so fitting for me.


----------



## pirate_girl

Well I was just sitting here reading the rants of the latest spamming, shit stirring freak to grace our forum.

The End.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Same here. I just kept scrolling.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I saw that too. Just kept scrolling. 

I was rather busy today. Finally stopped long enough to catch my breath. I headed out at first light to pull the battery from my son's car to head to the city to pick up a new one. While there, I picked up some wood for a bookshelf for our bedroom. Then came home and lit a fire in the garage and got to work. I had to stop as I had to head back to pick up our youngest son to bring him to get a few more teeth pulled. He had 4 done last week and 2 this week (all due to crowding).  He gets braces on Friday. 

Here's the progress so far on the bookshelf. I still have to cut and install the backing board and stain it.


----------



## PGBC

On call again from 6 am to 6 pm, so can't go anywhere, but did get in some garage time, cleaned the house, did some laundry, for some reason I am still not sure about bought a Total Gym on TSC, and between that all, took calls and images, wrote reports, and now see time has flown past quickly. 
4 more hours, and I will be done being on call, so take the dog for a long walk.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

NorthernRedneck said:


> I saw that too. Just kept scrolling.
> 
> I was rather busy today. Finally stopped long enough to catch my breath. I headed out at first light to pull the battery from my son's car to head to the city to pick up a new one. While there, I picked up some wood for a bookshelf for our bedroom. Then came home and lit a fire in the garage and got to work. I had to stop as I had to head back to pick up our youngest son to bring him to get a few more teeth pulled. He had 4 done last week and 2 this week (all due to crowding).  He gets braces on Friday.
> 
> Here's the progress so far on the bookshelf. I still have to cut and install the backing board and stain it.
> 
> View attachment 143818



It was another frigid day outside so I lit a fire in the garage then headed to the city to pick up some dog food then came home to finish the bookcase. Somewhere in there I did a dump run which sucked with -25 temperatures and a windchill of -40. 

We brought the bookcase in and loaded it mostly with my dad's Clive Cussler collection. 

The second picture is one I took at the dump. I must have counted over 40 bald eagles.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Halfway through my workday. It’s cold with a light breeze but it’s gorgeous out today.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Quiet day here. All the kids are home as buses were canceled this morning due to extreme cold. It's warmed up now. 

Not sure if any of you southerners have been catching news of this but a large convoy of truckers started out in British Columbia on Monday heading to Ottawa to protest covid mandates and mandatory vaccination. The convoy is now over 40km long full of truckers and regular vehicles and is supposed to be arriving here this evening. They are running slower than the posted limit to disrupt traffic flow all across the country. This should be interesting. We're only a few km off the main highway but I have to drive my son in to work when they come through so I may check it out. There's another convoy coming from the east. They should be in Ottawa at the same time.


----------



## m1west

NorthernRedneck said:


> Quiet day here. All the kids are home as buses were canceled this morning due to extreme cold. It's warmed up now.
> 
> Not sure if any of you southerners have been catching news of this but a large convoy of truckers started out in British Columbia on Monday heading to Ottawa to protest covid mandates and mandatory vaccination. The convoy is now over 40km long full of truckers and regular vehicles and is supposed to be arriving here this evening. They are running slower than the posted limit to disrupt traffic flow all across the country. This should be interesting. We're only a few km off the main highway but I have to drive my son in to work when they come through so I may check it out. There's another convoy coming from the east. They should be in Ottawa at the same time.


You guys have to do something, you are getting screwed even more than we are.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Yep. We just came out of our 4th lockdown despite the government announcement only 2 weeks earlier that they were going to start easing restrictions. Instead, they put household limits of 5 or less indoors over Christmas. We have 8 people already in our place so if we followed the rules, we would have spent Christmas alone. Instead, we had 6 extra for supper. Guess what?  We're all still here. Not one of us caught covid. Then after Christmas, they announced that indoor dining would be banned in restaurants BUT, we could still do patio dining. Lmfao. It's Canada. It's winter. It's -20 with 3 feet of snow. Yah, I'm going to eat outside on a patio. This week, they announced easing up on the restrictions with most being totally lifted by March. I predict that means another lockdown by valentines day. Can you tell that I'm fed up with pretty much anything political and all politicians in general.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I swear I wonder if we'll ever see anything along the lines of 'normal' ever again because EVERY single time you turn around, there's yet another new variant and it's more than tiresome. We've been dealing with this pandemic and all the bullshit hoopla around it for two solid years and it doesn't look like there's so much as an end in sight. Biden's mandates may have been struck down, but now small businesses are required to have all employees vaccinated and I own a small business. Can't help but wonder how that's going to pan out. And oh, yes. There's a new version of COVID dubbed 'Stealth' Omicron that WHO wants to investigate.


----------



## m1west

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> I swear I wonder if we'll ever see anything along the lines of 'normal' ever again because EVERY single time you turn around, there's yet another new variant and it's more than tiresome. We've been dealing with this pandemic and all the bullshit hoopla around it for two solid years and it doesn't look like there's so much as an end in sight. Biden's mandates may have been struck down, but now small businesses are required to have all employees vaccinated and I own a small business. Can't help but wonder how that's going to pan out. And oh, yes. There's a new version of COVID dubbed 'Stealth' Omicron that WHO wants to investigate.


all of the mandates will fall one by one


----------



## FrancSevin

m1west said:


> You guys have to do something, you are getting screwed even more than we are.


That's 24 miles of trucks lined up.

Happens down here every time I travel the Interstates.


----------



## echo

Around here in liberalville, all I see is trucks (Parked).
The shelves are almost bare because the truckers refused to be poked and got fired.
The guvment excuse is that the truckers all have this new strain of misery and can't work.


----------



## m1west

echo said:


> Around here in liberalville, all I see is trucks (Parked).
> The shelves are almost bare because the truckers refused to be poked and got fired.
> The guvment excuse is that the truckers all have this new strain of misery and can't work.


where is it that you live out west


----------



## echo

m1west said:


> where is it that you live out west


North of the cali joke


----------



## m1west

echo said:


> North of the cali joke


Me to, im in North central Ca. Calavaras county, Valley Springs. Its small town out here.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Taking in a few more shots of Skrewball Whiskey. The label reads, 'To the Misfits, Black Sheep, and Skrewballs.' LMFAO but I didn't pay much attention to that until today. Oh, how I fit the bill.


----------



## Ironman

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> Taking in a few more shots of Skrewball Whiskey. The label reads, 'To the Misfits, Black Sheep, and Skrewballs.' LMFAO but I didn't pay much attention to that until today. Oh, how I fit the bill.


Sounds good  ya feckin weirdo


----------



## PGBC

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> Taking in a few more shots of Skrewball Whiskey. The label reads, 'To the Misfits, Black Sheep, and Skrewballs.' LMFAO but I didn't pay much attention to that until today. Oh, how I fit the bill.



That description fits me.


----------



## Ironman

I learned a long time ago that I can’t do whiskey. Took me awhile but I learned.


----------



## PGBC

Was another day of being on call, at home, for a 12 hour shift. My shift ended 50 minutes ago, now to make dinner, and go for a long walk. 
Was more work today, not only because it was busier for images, but also the first day my newest personal assistant was working alone, without another PA here to help her. Got a really good feeling about her though, that with some experience , she will be awesome. 
So far she loves the job, its only her 9th shift.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Ironman said:


> Sounds good  ya feckin weirdo


Ya better believe it!


----------



## PGBC

My last day on call of this set, starting tomorrow is 8 days in a row off being the on call area Radiologist. Need to get a bunch of stuff done for my own businesses though. My newest personal assistant seems to have hit her stride today. Her CAN DO, and cheerful disposition makes it a pleasure having her around. 
With my daughter away on holidays, it has been just the two of us together, and 24 hours a day, since she lives with me in my house, as part of her employment, she moved in, and is far away from her home town for the first time, and has never lived anywhere else but her parents place. Hasn't been awkward at all though, and she is clean and tidy like me. This is her first contract with me, only a 30 day contract incase it didn't work out. 
Will be doing month to month contracts for the first year, and then if all is well, we will go to yearly.

Craving Spaghetti and meatballs, so will make enough for us to have at least 4 meals worth, starting with lunchtime today.
Tomorrow I am going to take her snowmobiling, nice easy ride, as she hasn't ridden one before. 

My new pup only has 2 speeds, full blast, or asleep, he is awesome! 
Renovation couple starts next week on the basement, and the upstairs bonus room that was never completed. 
Life is good!


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Taking it easy. It's mid-afternoon here and I'm wondering what I can do for the rest of the day. No more drinks for me for now. What I had is fine, but it's just a few hours of drunken or tipsy pleasure and it's gone. But it's better than a hangover. Although I'll admit, I did sleep better last night than I have for the past few nights.


----------



## pirate_girl

I went grocery shopping, then went to see my kiddos, then had dinner at a place called Hill's restaurant here in town for the all you can eat fish.
Good stuff!
Right now I'm enjoying a bottle of Stella Artois.


----------



## FrancSevin

On my way to Springfield/Hippie Ridge.
Got a load of insulation in Cathy's new Pacifica minivan.

She gave me this look like Whaaaaaaaaaaaa.
So, I pointed out that on the title it* is* registered as "a truck."!


----------



## m1west

pirate_girl said:


> I went grocery shopping, then went to see my kiddos, then had dinner at a place called Hill's restaurant here in town for the all you can eat fish.
> Good stuff!
> Right now I'm enjoying a bottle of Stella Artois.


I think I have been to Hills, is in Napaolen about a mile down from the Walmart, right off the corner on another street. Owned and operated by a husband/ wife team. Small Cafe style


----------



## pirate_girl

m1west said:


> I think I have been to Hills, is in Napaolen about a mile down from the Walmart, right off the corner on another street. Owned and operated by a husband/ wife team. Small Cafe style


Yes Marty! Guy is the owner.
Right behind Chief supermarket.


----------



## m1west

pirate_girl said:


> Yes Marty! Guy is the owner.
> Right behind Chief supermarket.


Nice lady, she is also the waitress, right? The managers form the can plant took me there for lunch. We liked it so we went back. Same with cosmos


----------



## pirate_girl

m1west said:


> Nice lady, she is also the waitress, right? The managers form the can plant took me there for lunch. We liked it so we went back. Same with cosmos


Yep, his wife Kim is a waitress.


----------



## m1west

pirate_girl said:


> Yep, his wife Kim is a waitress.


small world


----------



## FrancSevin

We had a great weekend in the Ozarks.  Spent Saturday finally getting the old shed cleaned out from all the critters two, four, 6 & 8 legged who have been living and depositing there for over 10 years. Between that and the ruined supplies it filled the back of the pickup.
I have to hand compliments to Crumpy (Cathy) as she jumped in and did the dirty part of the job. I'm still wheezing from just handling the mess after she bagged it up.

Whilst there, we met the rock guy, so now he knows what to bring and where to put on the place. Five 15 ton loads of 2" ballast, 1" clean and 1" minus.  Been trying to get someone for over a year.  About $350 per load.  So finally, I can get the base for the cabin and decks done, plus all the driveways.

Turns out his girlfriend and him are building a house 1/2 mile from us, on the same road. We are gonna be neighbors!  A lucky find.  Jake is well connected to all the trades in the area, making projects like the well much easier to get done and done right.

Sunday, we slept in late, but I still got work done around the Springfield Bungalow. Both days sunny, windy, and in the low forties.

Next weekend goes below zero.  I don't know what I will be able to do. We will see.


----------



## Melensdad

Went to Notre Dame for the DiCicco Dual meet fencing event.  2 day event.  Day 1 (Saturday) is NCAA competition and day 2 (Sunday) is club competitions (non-NCAA).  We arrived on Friday to have dinner with Dasha, our foreign exchange "daughter" and then watched the competition on Saturday.  Alternating our attention with Dasha and also one of my former high school fencers, Lexi.  Lexi is the captain of the Lawrence University team and scored an astounding 20 wins, 4 losses during the Saturday NCAA competition, then racked up a 9 - 0 record on Sunday against the fencing clubs.  I spent a short time coaching the Purdue University club saber fencers this morning.  We also got to spend a good bit of time with Dasha over the course of the weekend.  

Kobe, as usual, was the star of the fencing competition.

Below:  Lexi & Dasha





Dasha took Kobe out onto the competition floor during the event.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

My 16 year old son was always a "play it safe" non risk taker. He's never shown an interest in much outside so I was very surprised the other day when he agreed to go for a snowmobile ride as he'd never been on one before. I took him out on the old beat up trails around the house. He liked it. So today he had the day off from school. I took him out for a good long ride. We loaded up at first light and headed 45 minutes west to join onto a section of the provincial trail system that accessed hundreds of kms of perfectly groomed trails.  Considering this was his first actual time riding on the groomed trails, he did awesome. I was going at a good speed and he kept up without issue. Almost like he was a natural at it. He loved it and is looking forward to the next time.


----------



## waybomb

Next will be girls and booze.


----------



## m1west

NorthernRedneck said:


> My 16 year old son was always a "play it safe" non risk taker. He's never shown an interest in much outside so I was very surprised the other day when he agreed to go for a snowmobile ride as he'd never been on one before. I took him out on the old beat up trails around the house. He liked it. So today he had the day off from school. I took him out for a good long ride. We loaded up at first light and headed 45 minutes west to join onto a section of the provincial trail system that accessed hundreds of kms of perfectly groomed trails.  Considering this was his first actual time riding on the groomed trails, he did awesome. I was going at a good speed and he kept up without issue. Almost like he was a natural at it. He loved it and is looking forward to the next time.
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 144188View attachment 144189


Your costs just increased


----------



## pirate_girl

Dreading this crap..


----------



## Lenny

Went to the gym this morning and then the mayor's office.  I shared a lot of information with him about the human trafficking.  It was well received and offered to meet with the police on the matter too.  I hope it helps our community.


----------



## m1west




----------



## m1west

Took on a project of my own in the shop, too busy with not enough help sometimes. I started on it last week. Its a custom All stainless conveyor to lay bags down after filling for packaging. Still have to mount the drive/ motor and guarding. Should be in pretty good shape at the end of the week.


----------



## FrancSevin

m1west said:


> Took on a project of my own in the shop, too busy with not enough help sometimes. I started on it last week. Its a custom All stainless conveyor to lay bags down after filling for packaging. Still have to mount the drive/ motor and guarding. Should be in pretty good shape at the end of the week.


That Rexnord chain is expensive.  But works really well in dairies and food processors.

I bought a couple of pallets of it at a closeout auction for $250.  It had all kinds, and we used a lot of it over the years.  Sold off some of the SS version for a grand years ago. So, we are money ahead.

30 Years ago, we built conveyors for dairies and Ralston Purina's pet and human food lines.  Did serpentine conveyors using the Rexnord.  
Built one for PET Inc. for cooling El Paso taco shells.  

Great stuff for washdown applications.

We only use small pieces now for drag flaps on our unwind stands.  I still have a huge inventory of it.


----------



## 300 H and H

I think there are two members here who could have a very long and good talk LOL!
I have seen what Franc "Plays" with personally. It would be great to get m1west and Franc together.
Lots in common I bet LOL !


----------



## FrancSevin

Moved my son's RV today.  FINALLY!  He is now setup in a really nice RV park that was totally empty.  He got to choose the best spot and it is a doozy!  Old trees on the west give him a nice shade in the summer. And to the east a huge farmer's grain field that stretches to the Missouri river. From that he will get nice breezes all summer.

The Club House, with showers and laundry, are only a few paces away.

The biker town of Defiance MO is a few blocks away.  Restaurants, Bars, and shops all within walking distance. All of it in Wine country.


----------



## pirate_girl

This afternoon, I had a knock down of sorts with the powers that be in the nursing department.
Storms coming, can you work?
Yes, we ALL know the snow is coming, yes we ALL know it's going to be bad.
NO, I am not available Wednesday or Thursday.
I'll be there tomorrow and Saturday.
Last time I worked during a Snowzilla,I got stuck for almost 24 hours.
I don't care if I live close.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I never post anything personal about myself on any forum I’m on but I’ve just got to get something off my chest that’s been gnawing at me more and more as of late. Late last year, my 67 year old dad was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which is a thickening of the heart muscle. I did a little research into it and I think he told me one of the causes of alcohol and he drinks EVERYDAY. Just beer and he has zero motivation to do anything anymore but I can say nothing to him about it anymore than my siblings can because if we do - he’ll just get pissed.

And don’t get me wrong, I know he’s depressed and he has been ever since we lost my mom a few years back but I’m totally at a loss on what to even do or how to proceed. He’s really the only family I have left. My younger brother was adopted and I have a step sister and an older sister I never see.

I’ve done my best to hold him up and lift his spirits but what can I do? I hate this but it’s like he won’t listen to reason. And it’s just frustrating because I feel powerless.


----------



## 300 H and H

Two Semi loads of corn sitting in a yard await me in the morning. 10 loads from 2 bins to haul in.
Drink Busch beer, and maybe some of my corn LOL! 
Most of it ends up being processed into brewers' grits, and then goes by rail from here to St Louis. 
Tomorow It will be in the upper 30"s but after that back in the deep freeze...


----------



## pirate_girl

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> I never post anything personal about myself on any forum I’m on but I’ve just got to get something off my chest that’s been gnawing at me more and more as of late. Late last year, my 67 year old dad was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which is a thickening of the heart muscle. I did a little research into it and I think he told me one of the causes of alcohol and he drinks EVERYDAY. Just beer and he has zero motivation to do anything anymore but I can say nothing to him about it anymore than my siblings can because if we do - he’ll just get pissed.
> 
> And don’t get me wrong, I know he’s depressed and he has been ever since we lost my mom a few years back but I’m totally at a loss on what to even do or how to proceed. He’s really the only family I have left. My younger brother was adopted and I have a step sister and an older sister I never see.
> 
> I’ve done my best to hold him up and lift his spirits but what can I do? I hate this but it’s like he won’t listen to reason. And it’s just frustrating because I feel powerless.


He's not going to listen to reason as long as he's on the sauce.
You need to get serious with him and tell him he's going to die if he doesn't get treatment.


----------



## 300 H and H

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> I never post anything personal about myself on any forum I’m on but I’ve just got to get something off my chest that’s been gnawing at me more and more as of late. Late last year, my 67 year old dad was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which is a thickening of the heart muscle. I did a little research into it and I think he told me one of the causes of alcohol and he drinks EVERYDAY. Just beer and he has zero motivation to do anything anymore but I can say nothing to him about it anymore than my siblings can because if we do - he’ll just get pissed.
> 
> And don’t get me wrong, I know he’s depressed and he has been ever since we lost my mom a few years back but I’m totally at a loss on what to even do or how to proceed. He’s really the only family I have left. My younger brother was adopted and I have a step sister and an older sister I never see.
> 
> I’ve done my best to hold him up and lift his spirits but what can I do? I hate this but it’s like he won’t listen to reason. And it’s just frustrating because I feel powerless.



From what I think I know he has to forgive....
himself, and everyone he ever held a grudge against hopefully.
Most of all he has to forgive his maker. He wonders why did God take her, not me? Part of grieving is anger, and some never get over that. 
If you can some how make him understand that drinking will never answer the question why. It changes nothing.. 
I pray for you, that you might some how let him see...


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

pirate_girl said:


> He's not going to listen to reason as long as he's on the sauce.
> You need to get serious with him and tell him he's going to die if he doesn't get treatment.


He had an appointment recently to see what his options were but I’m sure he likely canceled it. I’ll ask him today.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

300 H and H said:


> From what I think I know he has to forgive....
> himself, and everyone he ever held a grudge against hopefully.
> Most of all he has to forgive his maker. He wonders why did God take her, not me? Part of grieving is anger, and some never get over that.
> If you can some how make him understand that drinking will never answer the question why. It changes nothing..
> I pray for you, that you might some how let him see...


Thanks. And there’s no doubt in my mind that’s what he’s been thinking. They were together for almost 40 years and that’s joust something you just really never get over. We lost her to a very rare form of cancer. Peritoneal. It lines the walls of the stomach and it’s undetectable until the late stages. He’s gotten better but this is something none of us have ever really gotten over.


----------



## Melensdad

Weatherman says we are in line about 15" of snow starting LATE today.  I'm pretty much ready for it but I need get a couple back up cans of diesel fuel.  Generator was serviced recently.  So other than a little low on fuel for the tractor.  Yesterday I picked up some milk and fruit for the baby and some wine for the wife.  Its all good here!


----------



## FrancSevin

pirate_girl said:


> This afternoon, I had a knock down of sorts with the powers that be in the nursing department.
> Storms coming, can you work?
> Yes, we ALL know the snow is coming, yes we ALL know it's going to be bad.
> NO, I am not available Wednesday or Thursday.
> I'll be there tomorrow and Saturday.
> Last time I worked during a Snowzilla,I got stuck for almost 24 hours.
> I don't care if I live close.


Okay Girl  

Your rebellious act of independence designates you as "officially ready to retire."

Welcome to the world of Professional Procrastinating Antagonism.


----------



## FrancSevin

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> I never post anything personal about myself on any forum I’m on but I’ve just got to get something off my chest that’s been gnawing at me more and more as of late. Late last year, my 67 year old dad was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which is a thickening of the heart muscle. I did a little research into it and I think he told me one of the causes of alcohol and he drinks EVERYDAY. Just beer and he has zero motivation to do anything anymore but I can say nothing to him about it anymore than my siblings can because if we do - he’ll just get pissed.
> 
> And don’t get me wrong, I know he’s depressed and he has been ever since we lost my mom a few years back but I’m totally at a loss on what to even do or how to proceed. He’s really the only family I have left. My younger brother was adopted and I have a step sister and an older sister I never see.
> 
> I’ve done my best to hold him up and lift his spirits but what can I do? I hate this but it’s like he won’t listen to reason. And it’s just frustrating because I feel powerless.


Some nonsense going on here.   The condition of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is not necessarily fatal.  I know because I have it. Three of my brothers have it. One of them did have a cardiac arrest as he was teaching class.  His students saved him with electric shocks.

The condition is hereditary.  So get yourself checked.  A simple Ultrasound will show it.

It can be fatal if the wall thickens, and the nerves are damaged. So yes, diet, smoking and booze can worsen the susceptibility to cardiac arrest.   So can obesity and sedentary living.

I'm 74 with the anatomy of a much younger man.  Not luck.  I work and exercise HARD. It doesn't improve one's looks.  Still ugly.  But vibrant.  

Good luck with the old man.  They can be fatally stubborn.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

FrancSevin said:


> Good luck with the old man. They can be fatally stubborn.


He's VERY stubborn and currently unmotivated. And there have been times he hasn't left his house in weeks at a time. All he'll do is sit in his recliner, watch Westerns, drink and order food. I told him that I plan to do better for myself this year and he is himself but he's still doing the same thing he's always done ever since she passed. She told him that she wanted everyone to 'Keep on living and not curl up into a ball and die with her' but I'm at a total loss on how to proceed. 

As I've said, he'll get pissed if we call out his behavior on his drinking. It's just beer, thankfully but he drinks a lot of it. He can't do the hard stuff. I can and I can walk away. So can my brother. He just needs to get back to the doctor to consider a list of options on where to proceed. I'd like to have him around for a very long time to come and it just sucks seeing him or anyone like this.


----------



## FrancSevin

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> He's VERY stubborn and currently unmotivated. And there have been times he hasn't left his house in weeks at a time. All he'll do is sit in his recliner, watch Westerns, drink and order food. I told him that I plan to do better for myself this year and he is himself but he's still doing the same thing he's always done ever since she passed. She told him that she wanted everyone to 'Keep on living and not curl up into a ball and die with her' but I'm at a total loss on how to proceed.
> 
> As I've said, he'll get pissed if we call out his behavior on his drinking. It's just beer, thankfully but he drinks a lot of it. He can't do the hard stuff. I can and I can walk away. So can my brother. He just needs to get back to the doctor to consider a list of options on where to proceed. I'd like to have him around for a very long time to come and it just sucks seeing him or anyone like this.


Obesity is a big issue with HCM.
It's just beer?????
Beer is just liquid bread.
I know.  I have made both from the same ingredients.
Obesity is his worst enemy.

What you are telling him is about calories.   What he hears you complain about his drinking.  What can come of that? 

Being stubborn is part and parcel of being old.  Mostly because we are fighting the reality of no longer having control of our own lives.  Worst thing we want to hear is advice from our own kids. I know, Weird.

Both of my brothers, who have the condition, were obese.  Both have had to lose significant weight to survive.  I'm lucky.  Back when Health class was about health, and not so much about sex, I paid attention.   I have never been obese.

Once, when I was getting an my annual physical, the doctor suggested I was an inch short for my weight.  Nothing I could do about that. So, I dropped 10 lbs.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

FrancSevin said:


> It's just beer?????


As far as I know, yes. Both of his parents were alcoholics, and it wasn't limited to beer. He can't stand it. He did manage to kick the habit for some time (and lost weight) but he's picked right back off where he left off. And on top of that, he rarely leaves the house.


----------



## FrancSevin

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> As far as I know, yes. Both of his parents were alcoholics, and it wasn't limited to beer. He can't stand it. He did manage to kick the habit for some time (and lost weight) but he's picked right back off where he left off. And on top of that, he rarely leaves the house.


Best wishes is all I can offer.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

FrancSevin said:


> Best wishes is all I can offer.


Thanks, but he's going to have to want to do this. That's the only way things will get better for him.


----------



## m1west

Just came up for lunch, 29 degrees in the shop, my feet are frozen.


----------



## Melensdad

First wave of the snowstorm seems to be tapering off.  The weather warning ends at 8pm tomorrow evening, the second wave, which will include lake effect, starts up this evening.


----------



## pirate_girl

Bob it's only just starting here.
It's stalled out with rain earlier, as it was supposed to begin around 11 this morning.
Hopefully we won't get that much lol


----------



## Melensdad

Ours started over night.  We got almost a foot of snow.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

You're getting the snow. We're getting the extreme cold. Yesterday was 0. Right at the freezing mark. Today...windchill of -40.


----------



## FrancSevin

Spent the day watching our wild bird flocks enjoy the snow.  I'm not even gonna shovel the drive.

It's only about 8 inches here.

We decided to close the plant today and Thursday.  I don't want anyone hurt or even stuck in traffic just to get the work done.  It can wait.

I have a material shipment coming in from Philly.  It should come Friday.  If so, I'll run in to receive it.  Mo DOT should have the highways clear by then.

Split a pile of firewood today, enough for three days. So I will be found sitting by the fire with a glass of sumthin' good and smooth, or a coffee.  And the wife curled up with her head in my lap making plans for Hippie Ridge.


----------



## Gary O'

Finished and placed the TV stand










Not unhappy with the hrdwr






Tomorrow;

Begin the framework for an armoire (never done one before)


----------



## pirate_girl

Melensdad said:


> Ours started over night.  We got almost a foot of snow.


I was expecting to wake up this morning with the same.
We got lucky.
Possibly an additional 3 inches or so throughout the day.


----------



## Melensdad

Official snow total for Cedar Lake, IN the small town 7 miles to my northeast, was 11.5".  It is the closest location to me that was shown with a snow total on the local news station.  

We are getting very light flurries today that should end early.  I don't expect the need to go back out and do too much shoveling today.  

Schools are closed.  Most businesses have re-opened.  Several rural counties are asking people stay home and off the roads as blowing and drifting snow is making roads impassible.


----------



## pirate_girl

Melensdad said:


> Official snow total for Cedar Lake, IN the small town 7 miles to my northeast, was 11.5".  It is the closest location to me that was shown with a snow total on the local news station.
> 
> We are getting very light flurries today that should end early.  I don't expect the need to go back out and do too much shoveling today.
> 
> Schools are closed.  Most businesses have re-opened.  Several rural counties are asking people stay home and off the roads as blowing and drifting snow is making roads impassible.


It's over.
Thank God.


----------



## Melensdad

We are still dealing with 'blowing and drifting' but that is mainly from the 2nd wave of snow that hit us.  The 2nd wave came off Lake Michigan and was much drier and lighter snow.  

My neighbor to the north's son drove his 2wd pick up off the driveway and got it stuck in the snow.  Rear wheels were in the grass, the front on the asphalt drive.  But blocking the driveway.  My wife was driving by and saw him out there shoveling _(it is a 100+' long driveway_) and he is in his 60's.  He needed to get to work.  She called me and told me to bring out the tractor.  Drove over and cleared his driveway, hooked up a tow strap and pulled the kid's truck back onto the driveway.  He owe's me a beer.

They hired a skid steer guy to clear their drive after the 1st wave of snow, it was the 2nd wave that cause the problems.  He sits on top of a hill about a 1/5th of mile north of me, no trees, the wind comes around his house and the drifts fill his driveway when we have powder type snow.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Good grief, that's A LOT of snow. I'm up early again out of habit. My built-in alarm clock went off after the 3:30 mark. At least I'm off today but it's still way too early. The rest of the house is still asleep. Lucky them.


----------



## FrancSevin

Finally shoveled some snow.  We got about 12 " here altogether.  But with four cars in the drive most of it was between them.
No way I was using the blower around Crumpy's new Pacifica.  So, I did it old fashioned. With a coal shovel.

I find an aluminum or plastic coal shovel works best over the commercial designs. More control and more volume in every stroke.
And they actually last from season to season.

The Birds have eaten everything I put out Wednesday.  Six feeders are about 10 lbs of seed.  Normally that last a week. We must be the only fortified feeders in the area.  Never have we seen so many.  That or we have the best eatery in town.

They eat well, sing and chirp. Some take baths in the heated pond water. Happy customers??? One would think so. One would think they appreciated the service, the atmosphere, and fine food. 
But their tips are crap.  

Same with the squirrels.


----------



## FrancSevin

*Re: Humor and Clean Jokes*
It got down to 19 deg. F this morning in Austin, TX.....





My thermometer said 16 % F this morning.  Saturday is supposed to be colder. Like below Zero.


----------



## Gary O'

Gary O' said:


> Tomorrow;
> 
> Begin the framework for an armoire (never done one before)


Well now

Yesterday I commenced on the armoire
Basically, a big box

Ended the day with working on the door
All was going so well
Working to the beat of the stereo (House of the Rising Son)
Smooth sawing
Sweet screwing
Too good
Stopped to prefit the hinges
Wrong screw placement






Fixed that










Stood the doors on the front of the big box
Not unhappy....yet





Today, all is well
May even turn up the stereo.....
What else can go wrong

Maybe I'll play something a bit slower


----------



## FrancSevin

40 Degrees F outside.  So, I decided to shovel some snow. 
It's wet and heavy now but at least it stays where you put it.

Bright sunshine has the greenhouse up to 85% F.  So, the heaters go off and the blower into the house goes on. 
Furnace gets a break until about midnight tonite.


----------



## Gary O'

Gary O' said:


> Ended the day with working on the door


Finished it today

Guess the adjective would be *'rustic'*

The late afternoon shadows didn't play well with the iPhone;

















It's rather cabinesque
Hey, that's all I know

It's also all I sell


----------



## pirate_girl

After that snow storm, I put in a lot of hellish hours at work doing OT to cover for nurses who couldn't make it in.
I've felt like a zombie walking around for the past two days.
Aside from that, I've been talking to my son Ty who after all this time tested positive for covid, so did my granddaughter Maddie.
His lady love Felicia and the other grandie Elaina are just fine.
That said, he told me "it feels like a damn cold, Mother". 
I did face time and made a phone call to check on them.
I'm not worried.
Gave my advice and will monitor them best I can.
Still have some on the covid ward at work, 5 residents.
You wouldn't even know.
I think our days of worrying about the damn virus are coming to an end.


----------



## echo

Yard work.
Still after that pesky mole.
Gave the hole a garlic bomb.
Next the flare.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Finishing up work for today. Feels like an early Spring. It’s slightly warm but enjoyable.


----------



## FrancSevin

I tore into the garage again last night.  My two-car garage has only held one car in its entire 45 year existence.

My 57 T-Bird.

I do far to much rehabbing and needed the space for materials.

Years ago, I did T&G oak flooring throughout the main floor of the house.  As I planned to add a room, I bought enough to do it as well. I've been storing the excess for about 30 years.  Neglected, behind paint cans and other "stuff," I assumed it would be fine when I finally got around to using it.  WRONG!

Although the top cartons looked fine everything else was damaged by termites.  The problem is this was prefinished, varnished, planks that would exactly match what I had. I doubt I will find it again because today everything is poly urethane finish.   Bummer!

Tonite, I will be sorting and counting the material still in a usable condition. The bugs mostly ate at the bottom side of the planks, leaving the finished side intact but dirty. It is possible I could still have enough material to get the task completed. Hopefully, this is just one more time consuming "problem" in getting the room addition done.


----------



## m1west




----------



## m1west

Finished the bag laydown ( wave ) conveyor, deliver it tomorrow.


----------



## pirate_girl

It was warm enough today to exercise my limbs at Oakwood park.
After I cleaned my apartment to my OCD level of satisfaction.
The kids tested negative for covid.
I'm not surprised.


----------



## FrancSevin

I got home from work early today. About 4:30 PM with plans to power wash the oak flooring in hopes that some could be salvaged. It was a balmy 45 %F outside. 

 Out of 40 pieces of 2 1/2 "prefinished quarter sawn oak T&G, I was able to save 26 pieces.  I have 25 pieces that had no damage as they were stored elsewhere.  That's 51 pieces at 21/2" by 8 feet.  That's 127.50"long X 96.0" wide 

These are 96" pieces of flooring with each piece being made up of 4 to 6 smaller pieces different random lengths glued together. It makes for a nice straight board that will not warp over the 8 feet of length.    I need enough to make an 8 X 8-foot square to tie in and match the original floor plus an 8 foot by 3 foot step to the lower level.

I have just enough material to do that.

We are not getting to this project until summer however, I needed to know I had this irreplaceable oak flooring on hand.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I decided to take a drive out to camp with a buddy this morning to check on things. All is well. When I got back, I headed up a ladder onto the roof to remove snow around our two skylights. I'm not a fan of them. Who ever thought that a skylight window was a good idea up in Canada? I managed to clear about half of one side of the house of 2 feet of snow. 



























￼


----------



## FrancSevin

m1west said:


> View attachment 144850View attachment 144851


Having built stuff like that myself I can say it with molto forte...Great looking work !


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> Having built stuff like that myself I can say it with molto forte...Great looking work !


Thanks Franc, I appreciate that coming from someone in the business.


----------



## m1west

Your browser is not able to display this video.


----------



## m1west

And it even works, in this day and age should I charge extra for that


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I had a super short work day today and came home to cook afterwards. Slow cooker ‘Crack’ Chicken - which consists of boneless chicken breasts, Ranch seasoning mix, and Creme cheese with bacon, cheddar cheese and green onions as a garnish. But at the moment, it strongly resembles Chicken Alfredo.


----------



## echo

The trees got fixed after the ice storm about two years ago.


----------



## m1west




----------



## m1west

So I have been working on screwing in studs on the van tracks, last year the road at the cabin was solid ice. Almost didn't make the steepest hill, sliding all over, even slid back a time or two. That has a pucker factor on a mountain road with a vertical cliff on one side. I have doing an hour here hour there for several months. Today put in 3 hours and finished them. There are less than 100 screws left out of 1000. Not something you want to do in a hurry. Did all of them by hand with a nut driver.


----------



## FrancSevin

Spent time cleaning the area where the termites attacked my stored Oak flooring. 
Poured termite killer down the crack where the floor meets the foundation.  Turned a lot of useless clutter into trash.  Stuff I have saved because I just might use it in the future.  Now headed to the landfill.    

Moved the new freezer into place next to the beer frig.  The outdoor kitchen project will be rooted there.  Need to cut the wall and set a door to the beer garden patio outside the garage.  Smoker grill is already there.  It's a two-weekend project I'll start when the weather breaks.

Now to tackle that part of the garage we are turning into a butler's pantry.  First, I have to clear it of "useless clutter."


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Not much happening here this weekend with -40 temperatures outside.


----------



## Melensdad

Skipping the Super Bowl. 

Driving south to Purdue University to be the guest coach for their fencing team. 

I'm also bringing 2 of my student fencers with me, they are just going down to get more practice with unfamiliar fencers.  Its always good to do bouts with people you don't know because  you have to learn to adapt to new styles, face people of different ages, speeds, heights, etc.


----------



## pirate_girl

I'll watch the game.
Going to be a quiet day for me.


----------



## EastTexFrank

pirate_girl said:


> I'll watch the game.
> Going to be a quiet day for me.



I'll be watching the game too but not planning anything special.  

It's a beautiful day with a cloudless, blue sky and it finally got above freezing in East Texas.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

No game for me. Never cared for football.


----------



## echo

I loved football until


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

NorthernRedneck said:


> No game for me. Never cared for football.


Nor do I. Just never had anything for it.


----------



## FrancSevin

Football is no longer a game,,, it is a business.


Why else would a one-hour competition take four hours so they can sell Beer, Viagra, and car insurance?


----------



## pirate_girl

FrancSevin said:


> Football is no longer a game,,, it is a business.
> 
> 
> Why else would a one-hour competition take four hours so they can sell Beer, Viagra, and car insurance?


Because... BENGALS!!!


----------



## Ironman

pirate_girl said:


> Because... BENGALS!!!


Good luck


----------



## pirate_girl

Ironman said:


> Good luck


0 and 0..
Let's goooo!


----------



## echo

I just ate a blueberry muffin, Yum (homemade)


----------



## m1west




----------



## m1west

Today was one of those days, When my home was built, someone buried a cast iron valve under the driveway ( main water valve ). The home was built in 1993, so it rusted out and failed. I fixed that, a bit of a pain but done. Then I turned the water back on, no leaks. Buried it back up, good to go. Or so I thought. One at a time all my toilet valves stopped working. On inspection they are plugged with sediment from draining the water from the whole system. I got 2 to work but I think there is one that won't and will need to be replaced. Why is everything so hard.


----------



## Melensdad

I was invited to be a guest coach at Purdue University for their fencing team.  

Spent about 3.5 hours coaching there today.  They have 3 levels of fencers there.  Newbies who know nothing.  Semi-competent fencers who have a little bit of experience and were taught by better fencers.  And a few seriously good fencers who have a lot of experience.  Currently they have no full time coach.  

Most of my time was spent working with new fencers who have virtually no skills.  Tried to help get them up to speed.  The last hour was spent with some of the advanced fencers helping them learn coaching skills so they can help the beginners.  

They want me to come back full time.  That is not going to happen.  But I will go back and help them on several Sunday afternoons.  

I took down 2 of the kids that are going to the Junior Olympics so those kids could get some extra practice.  My kids were better than most of the Purdue fencers, but not as good as their best fencers, so it was a good practice for them too.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Just discovered that my plans of doing sfa today were just shattered when my wife informed me of a couple issues on her vehicle. The first one was an easy fix. Low antifreeze was causing overheating. The second one was easy to diagnose. Front brakes are shot. So I will be picking up a set of pads this morning and doing that.


----------



## pirate_girl

Ironman said:


> Good luck


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Just got in for the day. I'm off tomorrow. And a Tuesday is rare.


----------



## Melensdad

Finishing my packing.  Finishing sending last minute memos to my 'junior olympians' and their parents.  Heading to the airport late this morning.

Flying to Salt Lake City for the Junior Olympics, 6 of 7 of "my" kids who qualified will be attending the event.  So I'll be busy coaching starting at 8am tomorrow morning and finishing up at lunchtime on Monday.  Monday late afternoon flight to come back home.


----------



## FrancSevin

Sleet, ice and snow coming in here today.  I'm considering shutting the plant down at noon.  Closed for Friday.

I hate the people losing the income but the job we are currently running requires 7people.  All "hands on deck" or we really cannot run it efficiently.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I've been working feverishly for the past few days finally getting the garage organized. It's been a mess since we moved in in 2019. Part of the organization was building a work bench for all my woodworking tools. Mechanical stuff is now all separate from saws sanders etc. I still have a way to go but it's coming along.


----------



## norscaner

NorthernRedneck said:


> I've been working feverishly for the past few days finally getting the garage organized. It's been a mess since we moved in in 2019. Part of the organization was building a work bench for all my woodworking tools. Mechanical stuff is now all separate from saws sanders etc. I still have a way to go but it's coming along.
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 145354View attachment 145355


Brian  experience tell me you may need to add another 10 meters to that bench. You will have that buried in no time.


----------



## echo

Took down the fans in the bathrooms and cleaned them.
Fixed the dust buster.
I'm having a brew. Can I say Michelob Ultra (Pure Gold)


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Today, my parents would have celebrated their 44th Wedding Anniversary. We lost my mother to a very rare form of cancer five and a half years ago and this is the first time my dad hasn't mentioned what today would have been to me and honestly, I'm glad. I'm sure that he hasn't forgotten it by any means, but he's been through enough. I know the loss of a loved one, friends and others is something we all have to deal with sooner or later, but the fear of loss itself is my biggest fear. I rarely open up to anyone anywhere anymore and I much more than have my reasons, but it is. But if I could have traded places with her a few years ago to spare him some pain at least, I would have. It just wasn't on the table. So, today, I'm just spending the day in reflection.


----------



## FrancSevin

Working on the bedroom loft.  It has been "finished" for years now but, I left a lot of trim and built-in shelving projects undone.
Can't work at Hippie Ridge so we stayed home.
 By noon this morning I was bored so....  The boss found something for me to do.


----------



## m1west

Went and bought a running Caterpillar D7 for the mountain for a really good price.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

m1west said:


> Went and bought a running Caterpillar D7 for the mountain for a really good price.



I have a line on an old cat d7d tractor that has been sitting out in the woods since about the early 80s judging by the tree growth around it where they were logging in the area. 





norscaner said:


> Brian  experience tell me you may need to add another 10 meters to that bench. You will have that buried in no time.



Lmao. Don't I know it. We have a double attached garage to the house that's full as well as the shop that's 32x40 (I think) and has a loft upstairs that we are slowly filling up with furnishings etc for the kids when they decide to leave the house. The shop is my space. When we moved in in 2019, everything was basically piled in there front to back and slowly emptied to the point where I was finally able to get to all my tools to start organizing and such. About that time, my son bought his first car that needed a bunch more work than we originally planned so it sat in the garage for nearly 11 months as I picked away at it doing most of the required repairs. I finished the car last summer and got it on the road a month before my dad was killed. So now I finally have time to dedicate to getting the shop organized.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I'm going to lay low and do whatever cleaning is necessary today. It's going to rain here for the next three days, but it's going to be another short work week. I'm thinking about combining Tuesday's schedule with tomorrow and taking it off again. Saves me a little gas and wear and tear.


----------



## m1west

NorthernRedneck said:


> I have a line on an old cat d7d tractor that has been sitting out in the woods since about the early 80s judging by the tree growth around it where they were logging in the area. View attachment 145424
> 
> 
> 
> Lmao. Don't I know it. We have a double attached garage to the house that's full as well as the shop that's 32x40 (I think) and has a loft upstairs that we are slowly filling up with furnishings etc for the kids when they decide to leave the house. The shop is my space. When we moved in in 2019, everything was basically piled in there front to back and slowly emptied to the point where I was finally able to get to all my tools to start organizing and such. About that time, my son bought his first car that needed a bunch more work than we originally planned so it sat in the garage for nearly 11 months as I picked away at it doing most of the required repairs. I finished the car last summer and got it on the road a month before my dad was killed. So now I finally have time to dedicate to getting the shop organized.


Problem I see with that old cat, is looks like the exhaust is un covered and likely locked up. Hauling it isn't cheap either. At least the guy I got it from let me leave it there until the snow melts on the mountain so I don't have to haul it twice


----------



## m1west

Today, I made a dump run and measured up what wood I will need to rebuild my front porch railing. Dry rot got to it and it decided to start falling apart this winter,


----------



## NorthernRedneck

We got another dump of snow I'd say about 16" since supper time yesterday. My plow truck died yesterday. So I had to call someone in to clear a path to the road.  I have a good idea what's wrong but can't get the part until Tuesday. The picture is the main highway across Canada. Lol.


----------



## m1west




----------



## m1west

Finished the studs the other day on the track van. Today I cleaned it up, tomorrow I will put it back on the trailer. Then on Thursday my son and I are going to take a much deserved Mountain trip. I haven't been up there since fall. Do some hiking and shooting.


----------



## 300 H and H

Just got back from a 3 State tour rounding up 2 Snow Tracs & parts with anther forum member here.
Fun little trip to rescue some rare Aluminum, steel and iron. I have never seen so many Ford V4 engines in my life as I did today at stop no. two..
And lots of other stuff as well. A trailer full resulted. Maybe one more trip is in order.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

After the big dump of snow (roughly 16") we got overnight Saturday, I had to call someone in to plow from the house out to the road. This morning I decided to head to the garage and fire up the snowblower to clean up a bit of snow by the garage. That turned into 4 hrs of solid snowblowing to clean up about 90% of the yard which I normally do in 40 minutes with the plow truck. My beard was slightly iced up when I was done. I had to stop as I blew a tire on the snowblower. I replaced one side a few years ago but the other side was over 25 years old and weather cracked. The rubber finally came right off the rim today.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Busy all day so far. First time I stop for more than a minute. Everyone is home this week as our youngest daughter coughed a couple times yesterday at school and farted once. So we gave her the ole nose swab and sure enough, the rona has finally hit our place. We tested everyone else in the house. We're all negative but she's got a sore throat and a slight cough. No other symptoms. I've seen worse colds.

I headed to town to drop off the snowblower tire for repair and pick up the part for the plow truck. Simple fix but necessary. It's an older Ford f150 plagued with rust. Ford, for some stupid reason, thought it would be a good idea to mount a plastic and aluminum fuel transfer electronic module to the rear crossmember on the frame. My old truck had the same thing. One rock and the plastic housing cracks allowing salt and moisture to penetrate into the electronic board that controls the fuel pump. The two tabs that allow it to bolt to the frame were snapped off and it was flopping around freely.





The plow truck was a quick fix. Then I finished cleaning up the yard from the last storm. I can honestly say that we have enough snow now. It can stop anytime. I headed to my buddy's place down the road to plow more snow. He hadn't even started doing his yet as he had a flat tire on his kubota. I came home, shoveled some snow off the roof then drove my second oldest son to work.


----------



## m1west

Busy all day as well, 3 different job walks today, and I'm not done yet


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Enjoying a quiet afternoon as rain rolls in. Shouldn't be too much of a hectic work week left.


----------



## m1west

Looks like the mountain trip has to get put off until next week, work got in the way.


----------



## echo

Went to the Doctor and all is fine.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Day 4 of covid watch in our household. Our youngest daughter has it but the rest of us are fine.  We have her quarantined in the front family room since Monday. Nobody has been in there without a mask and we basically have a TV tray where we put her food meds etc while she's on the other side of the room. We just tested her again and still positive. Funny thing is that her symptoms are very similar to the common cold. Sore throat, cough, and runny nose. I have been dealing with a sore throat and stuffy nose all week too but tested negative on Monday and again today.


----------



## m1west

One of our kids that got Delta when we did last summer still has taste and smell issues, a couple weeks ago got the covid symptoms he had last summer. Headache, weakness, chills and loss of appetite. He is a country sheriff and got tested several times all being negative. My theory is he is a Long hauler that it is still hiding in his body like some other viruses can, so there ws no viral load in his nasal cavity for the test to see.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Daughter tested negative yesterday so we sprung her from her covid jail. She was a trooper though. Just turned 10 and locked away for almost 5 days with minimal contact and didn't complain once.


----------



## FrancSevin

Flue fire last night.  Sounded like a jet engine in our fireplace.
One of our neighbors actually video-taped it. Called us this morning.
Helpful...?

The thing is, as a trained firefighter, I knew about the danger of flue fire.  It is a major cause of house fires.
So, when I moved the fireplace from its original position, I built it properly.  Double wall Stainless Steel flue in a four-foot by eight-foot wood frame chimney with no actual connections directly to the wood.  All done with steel strapping and frame.

The chimney goes six feet above the roof ridge, so it draws well.  The building inspector suggested I went a bit overboard. What I didn't tell him was that we were putting two flues in that 4X8 foot box.  The lower-level rec-room has a Heatolator (TM) that can heat the house during power outs.

Whilst we had nothing to worry about, I still put it out by squirting water from a trigger mist bottle up the flue.  The steam conversion put the fire out in less than a minute.  All done with less than a quart of tap water.

I learned that trick 50 years ago as a firefighter. First time I had to use it in my own home.


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> Flue fire last night.  Sounded like a jet engine in our fireplace.
> One of our neighbors actually video-taped it. Called us this morning.
> Helpful...?
> 
> The thing is, as a trained firefighter, I knew about the danger of flue fire.  It is a major cause of house fires.
> So, when I moved the fireplace from its original position, I built it properly.  Double wall Stainless Steel flue in a four-foot by eight-foot wood frame chimney with no actual connections directly to the wood.  All done with steel strapping and frame.
> 
> The chimney goes six feet above the roof ridge, so it draws well.  The building inspector suggested I went a bit overboard. What I didn't tell him was that we were putting two flues in that 4X8 foot box.  The lower-level rec-room has a Heatolator (TM) that can heat the house during power outs.
> 
> Whilst we had nothing to worry about, I still put it out by squirting water from a trigger mist bottle up the flue.  The steam conversion put the fire out in less than a minute.  All done with less than a quart of tap water.
> 
> I learned that trick 50 years ago as a firefighter. First time I had to use it in my own home.


About 20 years ago in my former home, when I was single my fireplace was not drawing properly. So I pulled out the insert and the chimney cap. The home was built in 1956, the chimney flu was made from ceramic and pretty good sized, I put a light on top the damper and could see the whole thing was choked. I made a pole with a scraper and got more than a 55 gallon garden bag would hold. I took the time to scrape it clean. It work great. A day or 2 later I went to my girlfriends house for a few hours and had left the fireplace burning. When I got home, my front door was unlocked the insert was pulled out and my bed sheets were on the living room floor soaking wet. also my bathroom window was broken. Just then my neighbor came over and said my chimney was putting out a lot of heavy smoke so he called the fire department. They stuck a hose down the chimney then used my sheets and blankets to clean it up. There was absolutely zero in the chimney to burn. Thanks Jerry.


----------



## FrancSevin

The fire dept did it wrong.  To stop a chimney fire, go in from the bottom and shot some water up.  It converts to steam and, in seconds, knocks the fire out.   A few gallons will do it.  Most of the water goes up the flue.

No damage to the home.


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> The fire dept did it wrong.  To stop a chimney fire, go in from the bottom and shot some water up.  It converts to steam and, in seconds, knocks the fire out.   A few gallons will do it.  Most of the water goes up the flue.
> 
> No damage to the home.


And there was 0 fire, just smoke.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Unwinding today. It's been cloudy and cold out. Tried a new Whiskey yesterday - Ole Smoky Tennessee 'Salty Watermelon' Whiskey. It's interesting, to say the least. And it'll knock you on your *ss.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

When I was a teenager, my parents owned a couple of rental houses. At 3am we got a phone call informing us that one of our rental properties was on fire. We quickly dressed and drove to the smaller of the two. All fine there. We drove back to the bigger one which was only a couple blocks from our place and sure enough, the firefighters were there putting out a chimney fire. But just to be sure the fire didn't spread, they poked a hole in the attic and opened up the fire hose from one end of the house to the other. Insurance had to basically gut the whole house and replace everything. Surprisingly the kitchen survived though. We ended up moving in to the house after it was repaired and sold the old place.


----------



## m1west

NorthernRedneck said:


> When I was a teenager, my parents owned a couple of rental houses. At 3am we got a phone call informing us that one of our rental properties was on fire. We quickly dressed and drove to the smaller of the two. All fine there. We drove back to the bigger one which was only a couple blocks from our place and sure enough, the firefighters were there putting out a chimney fire. But just to be sure the fire didn't spread, they poked a hole in the attic and opened up the fire hose from one end of the house to the other. Insurance had to basically gut the whole house and replace everything. Surprisingly the kitchen survived though. We ended up moving in to the house after it was repaired and sold the old place.


Nothing more destructive than a fireman with an axe


----------



## pirate_girl

Holed up - day 2... with a shitty head cold.


----------



## FrancSevin

m1west said:


> Nothing more destructive than a fireman with an axe


We enjoy it.  Thanks.

Actually, there is a method and purpose to such perceived madness.  It's called a "rekindle."  Essentially after picking up our hose and hanging it to dry we have an out of commission firetruck.  When the fire rekindles, we have to go back, reset to fight a fire, and save what might be left. Sadly, lives may well be at risk because we didn't put out the hidden fire.

So, we open cavities and make sure.  Drywall and shingles are much cheaper than lives.


----------



## m1west




----------



## m1west




----------



## m1west

So the other day, I was on the front porch and noticed a couple rungs in the porch rail looking like they wanted to fall out. Before I got done replacing bad ones ( rotted on the bottom from sprinkler ) I had to make more than 20 replacements as they are 1-3/4" square and you can't buy that at the lumber yard.
I ended up buying a couple 10'- 4x4 and cut them down on a table saw, getting 4 pieces form the 4x4 slightly undersize at 1-5/8", You can't see the difference. It has been consuming my spare time since last week. Got all the repair done and one coat of paint on the new wood. Today I will be prepping and painting the whole porch now, as the repairs with new paint stand out. Likely not get all done today, but will put a good dent in it. After that I will repaint the front door and I'm good again.


----------



## FrancSevin

Today's project is finishing the trim work in the bedroom loft. However,,,;

 I've been hampered this weekend by a cute auburn haired young lady. She's about four years old with a constant energy source and loves to engage grandpa with searches for her missing toys.  She never stops talking, walking, or asking.  It is exhausting.

Spending time with people my own age is boring.  But at least I can keep up.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Yesterday's plans were a flop when I woke up barely able to stand unsupported due to back pain. Today, the back pain is better but a splitting headache accompanied by dizziness is apparently on the agenda. So not much is getting done.


----------



## m1west




----------



## m1west

Got 1/2 the porch posts and railing painted today, taking longer than planned


----------



## echo

I have not done didly squat.

PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF world


----------



## FrancSevin

echo said:


> I have not done didly squat.
> 
> PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF world


Didly squats are an exercise recommended for old people.
They are safe but nothing gets done.
Jus' sayin'


----------



## 300 H and H

My favorite gun show was today.
I came home with just a couple of boxes of Russian 7.62X25 mm ammo for a Czechoslovakian CZ military pistol.
It is also at a place where I know a fair amount of people. Lots of talk about how F'ed up our country is, and disbelief
over what is happening in Canada.    
Then spent some time with old friends in the same small city. 50 degree weather with no wind. 

Got home and Milo, my golden retriever and I did a 2.5 mile walk on the Lincoln High Way...

Great day indeed....


----------



## m1west

Finished painting the porch poles and railing.


----------



## echo

I got rained out doing my yard work. It should be measured in feet.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Just got in about an hour ago. My tongue of all things is killing me. I think I bit it or burned it the other day. It sure as hell wasn't fun eating.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I'm doing a special kind of squat today. They're otherwise known as didly squats. My back has been hurting for 2 weeks more than normal. I had all these great plans of going out snowmobiling and other things but can barely make it to the vehicle to drive down to the garage. Oh well, there's worse things. I could be in the Ukraine. 

Aside from hurting, I've been busy shuttling kids back and forth to appointments. And I had my semi annual dental cleaning this morning.


----------



## echo

I just read that Putin said the us is a morally corrupt country.
I wounder why he would say something like that.
Answer from me:
Just take one look at our leaders.


----------



## Melensdad

Been texting back and forth with Dasha's mom in Ukraine.

Dasha's 78 year old grandmother, and Dasha's older sister escaped through Slovakia 2 days ago.  

Earlier today her 78 year old grandfather, 13 year old sister and 12 year old cousin escaped through Romania.  

They are trying to meet up with each other in Bulgaria, possibly tomorrow or Saturday.

Still in Ukraine, at the family's small hotel in the western part of the country just north of Romania, remain Dasha's mom and her aunt.  The hotel is open for refugees to stay, some are hoping to stay long term to wait out the war???  Or they have no homes to go back to?  If her mom & aunt leave they fear that the hotel will be looted or destroyed so they are keeping it open, for now, hoping to remain safe.  While we were texting the air raid sirens sounded and they had to move into the basement parking area for about 20 minutes.  

We are working to try to get student study visas for the younger kids to get them into either the USA or the UK.  If they get to the UK my sister will take them in.  If they get to the US then my family will take them.  Getting the visa is the hard part.  We have to figure all that out while they are moving around.


----------



## FrancSevin

echo said:


> I just read that Putin said the us is a morally corrupt country.
> I wounder why he would say something like that.
> Answer from me:
> Just take one look at our leaders.


Morality is not a constant,  it is fungible.

Therefore, I would suggest the USA is currently morally confused.

Same difference perhaps.  But a corrupt leadership is not the same thing as a corrupt population.

That said, a description by such ruthless evil as Putin is hardly an insult.


----------



## m1west




----------



## m1west

Next project. A couple summers back my BBQ started sooting due to the burners being burned out. ( years passed I was able to clean them with torch tip cleaners, but they rotted away and can't be saved )This passed December we had a couple big wind storms that put the hurt on the decorative enclosure that was getting long in the tooth anyway. Today I had some extra time and decided to start the repair work and get a new BBQ.
After measuring the BBQ and spending some time on line I realized.
1- stainless BBQ's that size 6 burner with side burner are a couple grand now and 
2- I couldn't find one to fit the space made in the enclosure.
So I was able to source new burners on Ebay and will clean and install new burners in the old BBQ. All the valves are still good as tested.
Tomorrow morning I will access the enclosure structure then go to the lumberyard, then rebuild and paint it. Re install the BBQ and I'm good for another 10 years, at least. Its only March but plan to work a lot on the cabin this summer so I need to get home projects out of the way early. I have a decorative fence that also needs the gate frames rebuilt. Them I pretty well caught up again until I do a kitchen and bathrooms remodel, I have planned a couple years down the road.


----------



## echo

Helping my fireplug do housework as her knee is giving her fits.
Having a cold brew


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I convinced my wife to cough a few times while talking to her boss then take the day off sick. We loaded up the sleds and headed out for a ride. We trailered to the nearby village where the provincial trail system starts then offloaded the sleds and went for a 50 mile ride. She hasn't had a chance to ride yet this year. 





Afterwards we stopped for lunch then came home. I spent some time vacuum sealing a 10lb batch of grouse peperettes I've been working on for a week. We ground 6.5lb of grouse with 1.5lbs of pork fat and 2 lbs of pork with a nice mixture of spices. Then stuffed casings and let them cool in the fridge overnight. The next day, we smoked them for 10 hrs. Then they went into a paper bag to continue curing for 2 days in the fridge. Today was final packaging and into the freezer.


----------



## Melensdad

NorthernRedneck said:


> I convinced my wife to cough a few times while talking to her boss then take the day off sick. We loaded up the sleds and headed out for a ride. We trailered to the nearby village where the provincial trail system starts then offloaded the sleds and went for a 50 mile ride. She hasn't had a chance to ride yet this year.
> ...
> Afterwards we stopped for lunch then came home. I spent some time vacuum sealing a 10lb batch of grouse peperettes I've been working on for a week. We ground 6.5lb of grouse with 1.5lbs of pork fat and 2 lbs of pork with a nice mixture of spices. Then stuffed casings and let them cool in the fridge overnight. The next day, we smoked them for 10 hrs. Then they went into a paper bag to continue curing for 2 days in the fridge. Today was final packaging and into the freezer.


I'm jealous of your snow.

We got about 2.5 inches overnight.  Supposed to melt away in a few days but today and tomorrow are cold.

Today was just errand running day.  Picked up 7 pounds of nice thick cut bacon.  Got some Cherrywood and some Pecan smoked bacon.  Also a couple pounds of Brown Sugar bacon.  Also got some stuff with the lovely Mrs_Bob at the grocery store, took her to the craft supply store but sat in the car for that stop.

Saturday we are going to Notre Dame to spend the afternoon with Dasha.  

Last week she won the gold medal at the ACC Championships.  This week the coaches decided to leave her out of the competition, so looks like her season is probably over.  Her coach contacts me a couple times a week, just to check up on her family in Ukraine, her mental situation, etc.  He gives me insight into her too.  I don't know the actual reason why she is not competing this weekend but she doesn't seem to upset about it and with the imminent destruction of Kyiv I think she has other things to actually worry about.


----------



## Melensdad

BTW, some sports photographer took this photo of Dasha just a moment after she won the final touch in the final bout of the ACC Individual Championships to become the individual Gold Medal Champion for 2022 last weekend.  She also helped her team with the ACC Team Championship the next day.

Obviously a Ukrainian Flag colors were photoshopped into the background.   She sent me the photo, but also posted it, and a story about the win, how she was affected by her family fleeing Kyiv, etc on her Instagram account.









						Dasha Kudriavtseva on Instagram: "As we started our individual competition at the ACC Championships last Saturday, I saw the news about Ukrainian civilians taking guns and leaving their shelters and homes to defend their country. That’s when I told m
					

Dasha Kudriavtseva shared a post on Instagram: "As we started our individual competition at the ACC Championships last Saturday, I saw the news about Ukrainian civilians taking guns and leaving their shelters and homes to defend their country. That’s when I told myself that my anxiety and fears...




					www.instagram.com


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Melensdad said:


> I'm jealous of your snow.



We're sitting at close to 4 feet of it now. I planned for this at the beginning of the season with my plowing by pushing the banks as far back as possible. Now, I'm running out of room in places and find myself pushing a blade of snow more than 200ft to pile it. This is the first time I had to pay someone else to come out to shovel off the roof. Here's the pile on our deck. I'm hoping it'll be gone by July.


----------



## Melensdad

The lovely Mrs_Bob and I spent the day with Dasha at Norte Dame

Got her a new passport photo

She is trying to change her citizenship from Russian to Ukrainian.  Her father was Russian, but divorced her mom shortly before Dasha came to the US to study.  Her mom, her sisters, grandparents, etc are all Ukrainian.  Hopefully the Ukraine government allows her to change her citizenship.  She is literally a girl without a country.  She has no ties to Russia, no real family in Russia since her dad has nothing to do with her, but she has no legal rights in Ukraine.  The US, where she has lived as a student these last 4 years, does not grant citizenship to people who hold student visas.  And at only 20 years old, not old enough to be considered a legal adult in every way, but at over 18, she is a legal adult for some things.  So she lives in limbo.


----------



## pirate_girl

I've been absent posting in this thread.
Lots going on.
First off, I'm not retiring from nursing as I'd originally planned.
I was offered a first shift position as both floor nurse and working in medical records part time.
I'm loving it.
The political scene is driving me crazy as is the world situation, so I'll be in and out as I can.


----------



## FrancSevin

pirate_girl said:


> I've been absent posting in this thread.
> Lots going on.
> First off, I'm not retiring from nursing as I'd originally planned.
> I was offered a first shift position as both floor nurse and working in medical records part time.
> I'm loving it.
> The political scene is driving me crazy as is the world situation, so I'll be in and out as I can.


Good for you Lollie.

Work is rewarding and what you do is especially so.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

pirate_girl said:


> I've been absent posting in this thread.
> Lots going on.
> First off, I'm not retiring from nursing as I'd originally planned.
> I was offered a first shift position as both floor nurse and working in medical records part time.
> I'm loving it.
> The political scene is driving me crazy as is the world situation, so I'll be in and out as I can.


Congrats!


----------



## FrancSevin

Things are looking a bit brighter for Crumpy and me.   The current contract with which we are struggling is finally running smooth on one line. The second line, though un-manned, is tooled and ready for production. Once engaged, it will bring us up to the speeds required to meet commitments.  

We need to do 20,000 units per day.  The one line that is running is doing 11,500. 

Today we received inquiries from 3 former employees looking for work.  I guess the COVID money ran out. That would allow the second line to run. Two of them are machine operators so we should fire up easily with little training time.

This really takes the pressure off. We are in line with the customer to do three more evolutions of this contract.  So successful completion of the 7 week run means being awarded 21 more weeks of contracted work in addition to our normal contracts this year.  Having that backlog, and the ability to meet it, takes areal strain off my mind.

It's not the money for us, but the secured steady income for our employees.  I'll sleep better tonight.


----------



## m1west




----------



## m1west

After cleaning up the BBQ I decided to rebuild instead of replacing was done. I attacked the built in Structure for it. It looked a bit loose, when I started poking around one corner was rotted badly and I just grabbed post and ripped it out. So another hour here hour there repair began. I have most of the structure repaired with a new post and roof supports. I still have to re install the facia boards to finish it off then prep and paint.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Holy $h-tballs!  My wife headed out for the night with the two oldest girls, her sister and her two girls to visit her parents 4hrs away. She took my truck as her suv is presently out of commission with a blown wheel hub. She filled it up from a quarter tank. Last year it would have cost $115 to fill. Today......$215. No wonder I haven't been driving it but rather I've been driving the old grand am I rebuilt front to back last year. Much cheaper.


----------



## Melensdad

Garage door repairman is due to show up before noon.

The main torsion spring on one of my garage doors broke.  I don't mess with that spring.  It is a fairly simple repair for someone who knows how to do it _(not me)_ and not terribly expensive. But it is also a dangerous job for someone who is not well versed in doing it. So the pros can do this one.

Fencing club tonight.

Nothing much planned in between, maybe clean and organize some of the garage.  That needs to get done.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

In the city this morning for a chiropractor appointment. Perfect timing as we're sitting here with nearly 4ft of snow and it's raining and above freezing. What happens when it rains all night the water freezes on the snow?  Black ice everywhere. I nearly slipped just getting to the vehicle this morning. When I pulled up to the chiropractor, I took 2 steps out of the vehicle and landed on my a$$.  Fun times. Glare ice everywhere.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I ended up plowing twice yesterday trying to scrape down the driveway. We have roughly 400ft of driveway to keep clear from the road to the house and down to the garage. I was using ski's on the plow all winter to avoid scraping down to bare dirt when I plowed which left a nice hard packed base to drive on. The rain yesterday turned that hard packed base into 6" of sloppy slush. I took the ski's off the plow so it could dig down scraping as I plowed. So far, I spent a total of 2.5hrs yesterday scraping down from the house to the main road.


----------



## Melensdad

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!


----------



## FrancSevin

Melensdad said:


> Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!


Same to you bob.  enjoy the day.

Erin go Brah!

Glad I live in a country where one can be Mexican on the 5th of May and yet Irish on the 17th of March.

Advice for the day; *With the cost of fuel higher than booze, for a more harmonious outcome, I suggest you drink don't drive.*


----------



## Melensdad

FrancSevin said:


> Advice for the day; *With the cost of fuel higher than booze, for a more harmonious outcome, I suggest you drink don't drive.*


or power your car with alcohol?


----------



## FrancSevin

Melensdad said:


> or power your car with alcohol?


Don't we do that now?


----------



## Melensdad

I'm leaving the house soon to go pick up Dasha at Notre Dame and bring her home for the night.

Tomorrow morning we go to submit her papers to change her citizenship from Russian (_where she was born_) to Ukrainian (_where her family actually lived_).


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Good luck with that Bob. Hope it works out in her favor.


----------



## pirate_girl

Melensdad said:


> I'm leaving the house soon to go pick up Dasha at Notre Dame and bring her home for the night.
> 
> Tomorrow morning we go to submit her papers to change her citizenship from Russian (_where she was born_) to Ukrainian (_where her family actually lived_).


----------



## Lenny

I had a brief but productive conversation with Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds today during one of her campaign stops in Storm Lake.  We talked about some Veterans issues.  Other than that, it was a pretty boring day.  I can't wait for summer!


----------



## Melensdad

pirate_girl said:


>


We are home.  Got to the house in time for Corned Beef, Cabbage & Potatoes.  She has NEVER seen corned beef.  She was afraid of it.  But once she tried it she loved it.

She is now doing some homework.  

We plan to leave the house about 7:30am tomorrow, in time to fight the rush hour traffic into Chicago.  Hope to arrive at the Ukrainian Consulate about 9am.  It is about a block off of State Street, just a few blocks north of downtown.  My daughter lives just off of State Street, but a few blocks south of downtown.  So I'll drop Dasha at the Consulate, then go to Melen's and wait.  We will pick Dasha up when she is done and all go out for a late breakfast or early lunch or whatever is appropriate depending on how long it takes at the Consulate.  I suspect it should be fairly short?  But they don't take appointments so if she is there 1st, they will probably see her right away, but if there is a line . . . guess we will find out tomorrow.


----------



## Melensdad

Friday at the Ukraine Consulate didn’t go as planned.  Despite advanced phone calls and pre-arranging everything, once she flashed her Russian passport the official yelled for her to get out.  Said she should come back when “her people stop killing his people…”

Yesterday he family left Bulgaria to start driving to Belgium.  They may try to settle there.

I spent yesterday at Purdue University as their guest fencing coach again.  It has become a semi regular occurrence for me to go down to help their team.  I also took an Epee coach with me, plus 3 competitive high school fencers.  After practice we joined some members of the team at their team dinner.











I flipped it for ya Bob.   doc.


----------



## FrancSevin

That discourteous and abrupt dismissal had to be a bad time for Dasha.  Sorry to hearit.

Perhaps cooler heads will eventually prevail.

Great action shots from Purdue.  Thanks


----------



## pirate_girl

FrancSevin said:


> Good for you Lollie.
> 
> Work is rewarding and what you do is especially so.


Indeed.
The bump UP in pay isn't bad either.


----------



## Melensdad

Yard work.  More yard work.

And picked up a load of mulch in the Honda Ridgeline late this afternoon.  Shoveled it out of the bed early this evening.

I have to say that the trick tailgate on the Ridgeline is AWESOME.  It drops down like a normal tailgate -or- it opens with a hinge on the driver's side, like a regular door.  When you are shoveling out of a truck bed that side opening gate lets you reach all the way across the 5.4' bed up to the cab of the truck without leaning over 18+" of tailgate, which can make the reach very difficult.  Side gate opening is much easier!  The other big advantage is that loose material doesn't drop into the 'gap' between the bed and the tailgate.  So many little things about this "not a real truck" that I am loving.  Maybe its not a 'real truck' like Ranger or a Tacoma or a Frontier, but in dozens of ways it is better.  In fact much better.


----------



## Melensdad

pirate_girl said:


> Indeed.
> *The bump UP in pay isn't bad either.*


Congrats!


----------



## FrancSevin

Melensdad said:


> Yard work.  More yard work.
> 
> And picked up a load of mulch in the Honda Ridgeline late this afternoon.  Shoveled it out of the bed early this evening.
> 
> I have to say that the trick tailgate on the Ridgeline is AWESOME.  It drops down like a normal tailgate -or- it opens with a hinge on the driver's side, like a regular door.  When you are shoveling out of a truck bed that side opening gate lets you reach all the way across the 5.4' bed up to the cab of the truck without leaning over 18+" of tailgate, which can make the reach very difficult.  Side gate opening is much easier!  The other big advantage is that loose material doesn't drop into the 'gap' between the bed and the tailgate.  So many little things about this "not a real truck" that I am loving.  Maybe its not a 'real truck' like Ranger or a Tacoma or a Frontier, but in dozens of ways it is better.  In fact much better.


It sounds like you bought a great wheelbarrow


----------



## Melensdad

FrancSevin said:


> It sounds like you bought a great wheelbarrow


with a 1500+# payload capacity


----------



## FrancSevin

Melensdad said:


> with a 1500+# payload capacity


My Dodge Ram wheelbarrow holds 5,500 lbs

Go big or go home.


----------



## Melensdad

FrancSevin said:


> My Dodge Ram wheelbarrow holds 5,500 lbs
> 
> Go big or go home.


NOPE

I need to park inside indoor parking garages in Chicago.  Go big and STAY HOME.  

I got rid of a larger truck to get a truck that better suits my needs.  Never needed to carry even a ton.  While I used to tow close to 7000# I don't even own a trailer anymore.  

You can go big.  I choose to get something that suits my needs.


----------



## FrancSevin

Just a ribbing.  I actually like your choice of the Honda.

But you are right.  Between loads of gravel, the JD310 Backhoe, and a12,000 Lb RV,,,; it doesn't work for me.

On another note, I tried to get pictures up on the former deck now room addition project today.
They didn't come through to my E-mail so perhaps Tuesday.

I did finish the wiring today and screwed the 3/4 "plywood to the joists.
Tuesday we use the house wrap to protect the insulation under the floor,, and add the Indoor-Outdoor carpeting.


----------



## FrancSevin

Iam using an old deck to expand the kitchen space.  Converting half of it to "inside" the house.

The jack joists, which create the squares, are where the outside wall will meet the composite decking. This will allow the rainwater to drain without sitting and rotting the lumber.  The deck section extends beyond the foundation with hardware cloth to keep out critters but allow free air circulation. Moisture is the enemy of wood framing under decks.

All joists and framing will be with treated lumber.

Nothing is nailed.  All fasteners are plated screws.


----------



## FrancSevin

Looking down at the framework.  The vertical 2X3 is temporary and holding up a tarp
The concrete board (Tile backer) is demising the foundation space between inside the house and under the deck outside.

I am filling the voids with insulation under the section that will become "inside" the house.

Everything sits on a 36" foundation wall of 11" wide concrete. The floor is of 4" concrete over 4" compacted gravel with two drains piped to the surge pond in the back yard.

I did the wiring ast night and screwed 3/4" treated plywood decking down. Tonight, I will cover the wood with building wrap and then with Indoor/Outdoor carpet.

Roof and walls come later this summer. the 16-foot north wall will have 10 feet of a glass window wall I bought at a yard sale some 10 years ago.  It has a 36" door in the middle. The east wall will be 10 feet of which 5 will be a double slab glass door I bought almost 20 years ago.

Both will facilitate a nice view of the pond and gardens.


----------



## m1west

Going to clean up the old dodge for the mountain trip tomorrow, finally got the time to go. It got postponed so many times that the cabin neighbor says I can get in with the 4X4 and no need for the track van. The Dodge will burn about the same as the Nissan pulling a trailer with the van but I don't have to deal with the pulling , loading and unloading. Haven't been there since October last year and been missing it. My son is going with me, we plan to do some shooting and scouting around to find a place for him to build his cabin site out there. The place should turn a corner this year, getting a new roof and interior flooring and walls. Barring any more fires. Full report on my return.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Running my a$$ off today in the middle of what's projected to be a normal months worth of snow falling in the next 24hrs. Two dentist appointments this morning meant shuttling kids from home to the dentist (a 20 minute drive there) then 25 minutes to school, and another 30 to get home. I did a run to the dump in a blizzard then came home for a half hour before doing the afternoon drive to pick up kids and more dental appointments.  I also brought the expedition in for an oil change.


----------



## FrancSevin

I was just informed that I have to stay late today because of a freight pickup. After which we will go to Lowes and buy carpet and a furniture set Crumpy wants to get now whilst it is still in stock.  I won't get home until after it is dark so the house wrap and carpeting waits another day.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Snow day!  All buses are canceled. It's still coming down. It started around lunchtime yesterday and hasn't let up. We live in a small village about 15 minutes from a city of 115000 people. So usually when there's a storm like this, they stop plowing the roads around 6pm and don't start again until the storm stops. 

I had to drive to the next village 10 minutes down the road last night to pick up our son from work. I had to use 4x4 the whole way and couldn't go more than 50km an hr. Looks like I'll be plowing snow today. And with the temperatures being around freezing, it'll be over a foot of heavy wet snow.  The roof on the hot tub gazebo was clear yesterday. It's still coming down.


----------



## echo

Changed the oil in my gas operated edger and mower. Cleaned the filters.
Ready for spring.


----------



## Melensdad

Got word tonight that one of my fencers earned the Most Valuable Player award for her fencing team.  

That means of the 2 teams where I coach/coached, the 2 top female athletes were started in Saber fencing by me, and continued to be coached by me (_even if 1 of them formally had a different coach, both she and her parents considered me to be her actual coac_h) and both were the top fencers for their team. One of them was also ranked the top fencer in our 3 state fencing conference, the other was regularly a Top 16 ranked fencers in the conference. Both attended USA Fencing sanctioned events outside of the high school conference. Both qualified for the Junior Olympics. 

Amazingly proud of both.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Day 3 of digging out from the storm. My plow truck has pretty much been rendered useless with this snow due to solid ice underneath the snow and it being heavy wet stuff. We have a path out to the main road and the parking area near the house somewhat cleared and the rest can just melt. 

The school buses are all canceled for a second time this week. This time mainly due to the amount of snow still on the side roads and slush everywhere. One of our kids buses got stuck 4 times yesterday.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

NorthernRedneck said:


> Day 3 of digging out from the storm. My plow truck has pretty much been rendered useless with this snow due to solid ice underneath the snow and it being heavy wet stuff. We have a path out to the main road and the parking area near the house somewhat cleared and the rest can just melt.
> 
> The school buses are all canceled for a second time this week. This time mainly due to the amount of snow still on the side roads and slush everywhere. One of our kids buses got stuck 4 times yesterday.



I normally keep this whole area plowed but with the heavy wet snow, I couldn't even attempt it. 





I barely made one pass down to the shop on Wednesday and got stuck. The loader that came to my rescue plowed a path there and pulled me out.


----------



## FrancSevin

NorthernRedneck said:


> I normally keep this whole area plowed but with the heavy wet snow, I couldn't even attempt it.
> 
> View attachment 147663
> 
> I barely made one pass down to the shop on Wednesday and got stuck. The loader that came to my rescue plowed a path there and pulled me out.
> 
> View attachment 147664


WOW!


And here I am complaining about having to bring a few palm trees back into the house 'cause it's cold.

Going to the Springfield bungalow this weekend so I will be off line until Sunday night. No real work planned unless a trip to the sailboat exposes a problem. The poor thing has spent two years in the slip. Between COVID and other passions, we have been unable to sail.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Success!  I decided to head out and try clearing up the snow as I looked at the forecast and we're getting another 10-15cm. With no place to put it, I started chiseling away at the snow with the plow before it warmed up and turned to slop this afternoon. I could only push 1/4 blade at a time for a few feet. But after 2hrs and 3 different occasions of getting stuck, I managed to get it all plowed. I feel much better now.


----------



## FrancSevin

Melensdad said:


> NOPE
> 
> I need to park inside indoor parking garages in Chicago.  Go big and STAY HOME.
> 
> I got rid of a larger truck to get a truck that better suits my needs.  Never needed to carry even a ton.  While I used to tow close to 7000# I don't even own a trailer anymore.
> 
> You can go big.  I choose to get something that suits my needs.


Saw this and thought of you Bob


----------



## norscaner

NorthernRedneck said:


> Success!  I decided to head out and try clearing up the snow as I looked at the forecast and we're getting another 10-15cm. With no place to put it, I started chiseling away at the snow with the plow before it warmed up and turned to slop this afternoon. I could only push 1/4 blade at a time for a few feet. But after 2hrs and 3 different occasions of getting stuck, I managed to get it all plowed. I feel much better now. View attachment 147707


LOL  Brian  welcome to the country side of life....Best bet is dump the plow truck and pick up a tractor with a blower.  Plow trucks are good for small storms of 2 ft of dry snow  but when the wet stuff rolls in they dont have the weight to move it far.  This past storm  was a bit of a challenge.


----------



## Ironman

Today I cleaned the dryer vent and helped my sweetie put up pictures and stuff on the walls. And moved a bunch of plants around in the house. 
Right now I’m trying to get some vodka and cranberry juice into my veins as quickly as possible.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

norscaner said:


> LOL  Brian  welcome to the country side of life....Best bet is dump the plow truck and pick up a tractor with a blower.  Plow trucks are good for small storms of 2 ft of dry snow  but when the wet stuff rolls in they dont have the weight to move it far.  This past storm  was a bit of a challenge.



I've been toying with a replacement for a while. Not sure what direction I want to go.  A sidewalk plow with snowblower attachment or something similar. Generally, the plow has been fine all winter. I can usually do the whole drive in an hour and a half. This storm is the first time this winter I've been stuck. I'm also thinking a set of chains would have helped with traction.


----------



## pirate_girl

Ironman said:


> Today I cleaned the dryer vent and helped my sweetie put up pictures and stuff on the walls. And moved a bunch of plants around in the house.
> *Right now I’m trying to get some vodka and cranberry juice into my veins as quickly as possible.*


Lol
I bet I'm the only forum member now who goes to bed early, and gets up way early.
Even on the weekends.


----------



## Melensdad

1 - Our part time foster son Kobe turned 2.  We had a party.  His grandmother, 2 of her sisters, and 1 of her daughters came to the party.  Also in attendance was Kobe's full sister.  In addition to our family and friends.

2 -  Dasha, our foreign exchange student who is now a varsity fencer at Notre Dame, family is reunited and now in Belgium after fleeing Kiev the day the Russians invaded Ukraine.  Dasha's status remains in limbo.  She has a Russian passport, but her family is Ukrainian.  Her father walked away from the family about 5 years ago.  On the bright side, Notre Dame won the NCAA Fencing Championship today, so back to back wins for the team and that earn's Dasha her 2nd NCAA Championship ring.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Happy birthday Kobe. 

Not much on the agenda today as we're back into a deep freeze at -21 Celsius. We have another major snowstorm coming this week that should shut everything down again for a couple days. So today, I'm headed to the city to pick up some tire chains for the plow truck as last weeks snowstorm showed me that I need more traction for plowing in the spring time with glare ice underneath the snow.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Chillin' and listening to the Rolling Stones. Looking forward to a three-day weekend and hopefully without interruption.


----------



## FrancSevin

Today is a very special day for me.  In 1967, on Valentine's day, I received my induction notice to join our nation's efforts in saving South Vietnam. Having just met the love of my life I had to make choices. The military gave me the choice of Army or marines.  I chose Marines.


By the end of March, it was a sure bet Crumpy and I would be a couple so I promised to marry her  if and when I returned.  I reported for duty on April 1st as requested.  And after a full day of medical, physical, and intellectual testing, I sat in a room with about 1,000 guys and waited to be assigned a bus that would take me away to an unknown future.

Eventually I was the last one sitting when a big, massive, no neck staff sergeant yelled, _"Boy, get your chicken sh!t @ss on the bus!"

"What bus?" _I responded

_"Boy, you say SIR when you address me!"
"Sir, yes sir. But they didn't call my name."

"SIR! they didn't call my name SIR.   Show some goddam respect punk or I'll have your @ss!"

"SIR, But,,,,

"I got 10 buses outside idling while you sit with your lily white @ss is parked on a bench."

Gimme you G'dam name boy!"

"Sir Franc Rau.. Sir"_

I gave him my name and he stormed off.
Twenty very long minutes later, he came back.
I'm trembling a bit now expecting this would be a very bad meeting I would pay for, at the very least , in boot camp.

_"You signed up to be a Marine?"

"Sir, yes Sir,, uh sir"

"Well you ain't  gonna be no Marine"_

Oh boy what now? I thought.

My mind is spinning a bit, worried about what kind of trouble this 240 lb black officer was about to lay on my 130 lb white @ss .... when he broke into a big grin and said...

_"This be your lucky day boy,  you ain't supposed to even be here. They was spos'ed to send you home this mornin'. "_

Apparently, my broken back, which had not been an issue in my "pre-induction" physicals, kept me out of the military service.  As a result, my draft in to the military, which I had dreaded for years, was over.

But now I had a promise to keep with Crumpy.  And she called the note in. We married the following year in May.

Like I said, April1st,,,my lucky day.  So today, I am celebrating.


----------



## FrancSevin

Crumpy and I are doing a winery run with the Crossfire club today. Running southeast MO wine country. Brunch in Bloomington MO and then wine tasting our way to Farmington.

Looks like good weather. Maybe I can put the top down.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

FrancSevin said:


> Crumpy and I are doing a winery run with the Crossfire club today. Running southeast MO wine country. Brunch in Bloomington MO and then wine tasting our way to Farmington.
> 
> Looks like good weather. Maybe I can put the top down.



We'll be lucky to have green grass and leaves by June. Lol. We've had lots of snow this year. Last year's Facebook memory was of bare grass and a fire in our firepit. This year, we still have 3ft of snow in spots. Have fun. We won't be out to camp till late may this year. 

This damp spring weather sucks balls.   I can barely move and have been pretty much housebound for 2 weeks in pain. I can only stand for short periods of time.


----------



## Melensdad

Spent Saturday in West Lafayette, IN at Purdue University.  Purdue Fencing hosted their annual SPRING OPEN fencing tournament with roughly 80 people entered in the 3 events.  I've been guest coaching for the Purdue team since January of this year because they currently don't have a team coach.  So I go there as often as I can, on Sunday afternoon for their practice.  I was coaching the Purdue saber fencers in the event.  There were quite a few fencers from my fencing club that attended.  I didn't formally count but I'd guess we had 15 or 16 competitors attend from our club. 

In the Saber event 11 of the TOP 16 finishers were either members of my club or were Purdue fencers, with one of the Purdue fencers earning the 2nd place/Silver Medal in the event.

Today has been doing fun stuff like changing water filters, vacuuming the house, and otherwise getting ready to pick up Kobe to come back home to stay with us for a few days.


----------



## m1west

*Ongoing working the back yard*


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Trying to talk myself into heading down to the garage to do some tlc on the snowmobiles before putting them away for the summer. There's still riding spots available but with above freezing temperatures during the day, it's not enjoyable and hard on the sleds so I decided to park them while they're still running strong and ready for next season. 

I shouldn't have but I looked at the long range forecast for the week and they're calling for more snow Wednesday. Hopefully it's light but the forecast calls for 15-20 cm. Thankfully last week's predicted 35cm of snow never materialized.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Swapped out the batteries on the quad and side by side. They're both the same size so I take the battery from the side by side and put it in the quad. Take the quad battery in for an exchange on a new one for the side by side.


----------



## Melensdad

Loaded and unloaded some free landscape blocks for a backyard project   74 in total.


----------



## FrancSevin

Melensdad said:


> Loaded and unloaded some free landscape blocks for a backyard project   74 in total.
> 
> 
> View attachment 148063


Those make a great fire pit.  One or two layers high in a circle.






You can see mine in "I miss my summer garden."


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Melensdad said:


> Loaded and unloaded some free landscape blocks for a backyard project   74 in total.
> 
> 
> View attachment 148063


My back hurts just looking at that. We're in a storm warning again here. Supposed to get a foot or more of snow tomorrow. Still 3 feet of snow here.


----------



## FrancSevin

Fertilized and seeded my front lawns tonite.  I have two "front" lawns as I am a corner lot.

Crumpy wouldn't let me put down Crabgrass killer as the violets are blooming.  I'm not sure how to kill the crabgrass without effecting her precious violets.  It's not like we don't have a bunch of them in the backyard gardens.

What a man must endure to keep marital things peaceful.  I'll do most anything for sex, but this gets close the line.


----------



## Melensdad

NorthernRedneck said:


> My back hurts just looking at that. ...


My back hurts from loading.  Neighbor helped me unload.


----------



## FrancSevin

I often get land scape blocks for free.  I offer to build a neighbor's retaining wall properly and for free if Icankeep the oldwall blocks tohaul away.

"Handi Stone" and "Keystone" are no longer made..  Yet I have several thousand involved in my landscape. So additions would be different stone or at the very least new un weathered block that would be obvious.

Also, my BIL worked for a stone company and  I often picked up entire pallets of product that did not pass inspection, but were perfectly fine for my projects.  He retired 10 years ago but, I have at least ten full pallets yet and some partials.

I love building retaining walls and patio structures.

It is one of the reasons I drive a "real" truck.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

As suspected, the school buses are all canceled for today. The snow started around 6am and it's now whiteout conditions with strong winds. I can't even watch TV as the dish is covered in heavy wet snow and I have to go up a ladder to sweep it off. Oh well. There's worse things I could have to deal with.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

All surrounding highways are closed. Power has been out for 2 hours. We've gotten 6" of heavy wet snow since 7am.


----------



## 300 H and H

Cat mechanic is here installing an auto steer system permanently in one of our tractors. 
Windy 40mph., 43 deg. cold SOB outdoors. Rain showers as well. 
Spring is welcome any day now....


----------



## FrancSevin

300 H and H said:


> Cat mechanic is here installing an auto steer system permanently in one of our tractors.
> Windy 40mph., 43 deg. cold SOB outdoors. Rain showers as well.
> Spring is welcome any day now....


Auto steer???You farmers get lazier every year.  LOL


----------



## 300 H and H

No it is more like city folks keeping up with the Jones's lol...  
If you don't have it, every one can tell at a glance looking at your crop rows.
You don't want to seem like your technically/financially challenged so you do as they do!!!

Plus you can leave your planter markers folded up and out of the way.  Those markers are a high wear item,
and prone to damage. That is the best part I think...


----------



## mla2ofus

There's not many men on a tractor seat that can make rows as straight as that GPS can.


----------



## 300 H and H

mla2ofus said:


> There's not many men on a tractor seat that can make rows as straight as that GPS can.


Not sure one exists. You can shoot a rifle between rows, and not hit a single plant in a miles distance regardless of terrain. 
Unreal really...


----------



## FrancSevin

So, you can go to AG college, get a degree and then play video games whilst sitting in the Airconditioned tractor cab. Otherwise, your neighbors think you cannot drive a tractor or have the sense to buy AC and an auto steer. ????

Isn't that like putting a tiller tender on your sailboat and bragging what a competent old salt sailor you are?

LOL

I grew up farming.
Just having fun guys.


----------



## 300 H and H

FrancSevin said:


> So, you can go to AG college, get a degree and then play video games whilst sitting in the Airconditioned tractor cab. Otherwise, your neighbors think you cannot drive a tractor or have the sense to buy AC and an auto steer. ????
> 
> Isn't that like putting a tiller tender on your sailboat and bragging what a competent old salt sailor you are?
> 
> LOL
> 
> I grew up farming.
> Just having fun guys.




Your pretty good at it too!!!


----------



## 300 H and H

We also tried to replace a 2.5" return to the pump line from the Hydraulic oil tank. We drained 25 gallons of oil out of the reserve
unfortunately, into a dirty cut off plastic 55 gal. barrel. Of course, it had to overrun onto the floor as it was just a bit to small.
Then we discovered we had the wrong line, and it would not fit. Jason did however discover 2 bolts on the connection under the tank were loose a full turn. He tightened them and we will cross out fingers till a new hose is here.
This time he is bringing a suction devise powered by his air compressor that seals to the top of the tank, and holds the oil in the reservoir while he changes the line out.
Said he will have to barrow one from the "dirt" machine side of Caterpillar shop tools. At todays prices that will save me $250.
Of course he may have to come with clean buckets if un-successful.


----------



## pirate_girl

I've been "under the weather" since Wednesday morn.
Hold on! Don't anyone panic!
It's a freaking horrible head cold.
You know.. head stuffed with cotton, nasal passages keeping me up half the night singing a tune.
I'm taking care of it.
Today went to see my doc for antibiotics just in case it goes something else.
Doubt if it will.
Today I wore a mask at the pharmacy and grocery store because I figured I was already "delicate" and didn't want to catch anything else.


----------



## FrancSevin

off to Hippie Ridge this weekend.  Assuming the backhoe starts I'll be leveling and compacting gravel in preperation for the modular house.

If not, I'll be working on the shed/bathhouse transformation


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> off to Hippie Ridge this weekend.  Assuming the backhoe starts I'll be leveling and compacting gravel in preperation for the modular house.
> 
> If not, I'll be working on the shed/bathhouse transformation


Be careful the last time you did that you got COVID


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I'll be taking a liberal approach to today. The plan is to sit on my butt doing as little as possible all day until I have to go out this afternoon to play music at the church. 

Temps are supposed to be +7 Celsius today but with the foot of snow we got weds and thurs, it'll be a sloppy mess outside. The dampness kills my back.


----------



## 300 H and H

Same thing I did yesterday. Sitting in a Caterpillar pulling a soil finisher diagonally across fall disc ripped corn stalks.
This levels the ground so when we spray on fertilizer/herbicide mix we don't bury it in the low and high spots of a rough field. 
The finisher also has a single disc in the front with narrow spacings to slice the crop residue and bury it. 
Traveling at about 7.4 mph which is not slow by any means. In a wheeled tractor I would hate to say how bad the ride would be.
But on tracks the ride is boat like, as it bridges the high and low spots with the tracks. 
Rain coming Monday night for several days. We need it badly, but I also want this operation done before then. We should be done and moved home some time on Sunday...


----------



## FrancSevin

Pictures of the house site and JD 310 at Hippie Ridge.


----------



## FrancSevin

House site


----------



## FrancSevin

I wanted to dam the creek to make a small pond. However, conservation Dept was not co-operative and frankly I didn't have the time.  Creek did it spontaneously.

More than 50 feet long, 20 feet wide not counting the cove and right now about four feet deep.

Water is spring fed and cold enough for trout and/or really tasty blue gill. It would not be at all difficult to move a few rocks into the creek at the natural dam and bring depth to 6 feet of clear cold water. 

Believe it or not, this is where I used to ford the creek in my Jeep.  Mother nature said "NOPE! Not here."


----------



## FrancSevin

Some copy disappeared when I posted.  

The house will be set to the left of the shed.  About 12 feet from the shed.  That shed will be modified with a bathtub, toilet and vanity sink along with an over/under laundry.  It will also house the incoming 220/110 Volt AC power supply from the local electric utility and the gravity water supply system.  

A breezeway will connect with mostly glass walls and doors. I bought these units years ago. mostly slab glass doors which we can remove in summer and replace in winter.  I have two slab glass door units for the west and east sides so it will all match.  Sorta.  Despite having collected much of the windows and doors over years, I hope not to look like the Crocodile Dundee shack in his movie.

The house faces west as seen in the photo which is shot to the west.   There will be two sliding glass doors on either side of the existing front door.  A deck in front of the house will allow views of the valley below at sunset.  Also, from the Bedroom and Family areas.

It is an ambitious project, yes.  But I'm up to it if given the time. After all, I am only 75.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Same thing I was doing last Thursday. Clearing f$&$&$*g snow. I don't mind in the winter when it's colder but this heavy wet crap can stop any time now. We've had a storm every week since mid March. We ended up with a foot of it. I did what I could with the plow truck this morning without making a muddy mess everywhere. The snow was melting and the driveway was a wet muddy mess then it rained last night turning to snow overnight. Lovely.


----------



## Melensdad

Cooked some nice rare/med-rare Rib Eye steak with bacon scalloped potatoes, roasted tomatoes as side dishes.  Tonight I'm off to the fencing club for our beginners tournament.


----------



## pirate_girl

I've been extremely busy with work, but I like it.
Feeling better since the bug which got me down for a few days.
Another busy day here trying to get caught up on domestic stuff, but that can wait until tomorrow.
My eldest granddaughter Kasey is going to be 20 years old on Saturday.
Where oh where has the time gone?


----------



## echo

Having Buck Wheat pancakes for breakfast.


----------



## Melensdad

Did a good bit of reorganizing the food storage, placing every boxed and bagged item into sealed bins.  Each bin is a different category of food.  So one bin is PASTA but another bin is PASTA MEALS (hamburger helper, mac & cheese, etc) while others are RICE, INDIAN, BREAD MIX, COOKIE & BROWNIES, etc etc etc.   Labeled the bins.  Marked the heavy bins with a tag that says HEAVY so the lovely Mrs_Bob calls for help.  Also put the heavy bins on lower shelves.


----------



## FrancSevin

It was raining all week and HippieRidge was a mess of mud.  We had the tiny house ( a Forest River 22 foot minicamper) all tuned up to go out there but the roads were too unstable.  Because of the mud the three 12 ton loads of gravel were not delivered, so nothing to do but put our chemicals for ticks and critters and some Brush Kill in the drive way.

Far too windy for a fire so Crumpy cut some trees down to thin the forest a bit around the house site.  We have to clear brush and trees some 100 yards from the house for the frequent grass fires that pop up.

Except for the road coming into the property, we are ready for the prefab shell.  Either I get ballast rock on the muddy areas or we wait dries up.   Once that building is in place, I can postpone any interior construction until fall and move on to other projects.   

A huge 36 X 16 deck andthe bathhouse, being paramount.


----------



## 300 H and H

Yesterday brought us 3" of snow. Soil temps are in the high 30's.
Winter seems to keep us in it's grip. With rain coming mid week, this week will go with out any progress planting crops.
Must be the fault of Global warming lol..
Just pacing the floors wondering when the day will come to start planting.


----------



## FrancSevin

300 H and H said:


> Yesterday brought us 3" of snow. Soil temps are in the high 30's.
> Winter seems to keep us in it's grip. With rain coming mid week, this week will go with out any progress planting crops.
> Must be the fault of Global warming lol..
> Just pacing the floors wondering when the day will come to start planting.


Enduring the same dilemma for farmers since the dawn of cultivation.  Sorry to hear that Kirk.  Don't wear out the linoleum.


----------



## FrancSevin

Spent the Easter weekend dodging rain drops.  Too muddy to do tractor work.

Still,
Came into work today tired and sore.  
As usual, typical Monday labor shortages.
Of 16 people on the payroll, only10 showed up today.
Never had this problem before.  Literally, out of 16people at least two or three have, "something else to do" every day.  I have never seen a work ethic like this.


----------



## pirate_girl

Helloooooo.
Haven't been doing anything thrilling or worth talking about lately.
The job is going well, I'm keeping up and absolutely loving it.
Going to bed early is often a pain in the ass, but that comes with the territory.
That's it.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Happy Wednesday. Of course it's Wednesday. We have yet another SNOW storm coming later today. This time last year I was raking my lawn and opening up camp. We still have 3 feet of snow in spots. Oh well, things could be worse.


----------



## FrancSevin

Wednesday already? WOW!
 I spent yesterday evening working on the Cedar fence I put up last year. I am putting a 2X6 shelf on much of it at about four feet above grade. Mostly to stiffen it up.  However, it will give the squirrels a run instead of the narrow fence top as their claws are damaging that. I will be putting a 2X4 valance under the shelf and adding LED lighting.

This will put soft light on the back gardens at night.  Hopefully, being concealed under the shelf, the squirrels won't chew the wires as they have in the past.

Today is cold and raining so I doubt much will get done outside.  I am sooooooo done with winter.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I ended up down on the 'merican  side of the border this morning for a quick trip to pick up some brake rotors and pads for the f150. Why bother ordering from the states?  Well, for just one rotor up here was $280. I needed both front rotors, pads, and new hubs. Cost would have been well over $1000 by the time I was done here. 

So I ordered a set of hubs a couple weeks ago and went down last week to get them. When I went to install them, I discovered that my pads and rotors were shot. So I ordered those too and made a second trip down. It's only a 45 minute drive from my house. Total cost for hubs was $86 for both. And another $146 for the rotors and pads. 

I was back home by 11:30am and immediately went to work installing everything. 








I missed being able to order things to the border and pick them up. The guberment up here previously had a mandatory covid test requirement (of course they wanted the more expensive test) for anyone returning to Canada for the past 2 years. They lifted that requirement April 1st.


----------



## carebears

really got nothing to do today except watch a korean series on netflix


----------



## FrancSevin

Off to Hippie Ridge this weekend.  Hopefully it has dried enough to get the tiny camper in.

My son will be moving his 36-foot RV there next week with plans to stay.  So, I have to get the wiring in for his unit and reset the drains to the septic system.


----------



## pirate_girl

I'm off now until Tuesday. Yay!
Today was an all staff inservice meeting as we're in the window for state inspection.
You know what that means.
Make sure it's all in order.


----------



## Ironman

pirate_girl said:


> I'm off now until Tuesday. Yay!
> Today was an all staff inservice meeting as we're in the window for state inspection.
> You know what that means.
> Make sure it's all in order.


And to think you almost retired!


----------



## pirate_girl

Ironman said:


> And to think you almost retired!


Yeah, what the hell was I thinking?
I thrive on stress.
Lol


----------



## echo

We mowed the front lawn and cleaned house. Now I'm having a brew.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

echo said:


> We mowed the front lawn and cleaned house. Now I'm having a brew.



Mowed the lawn? I won't be able to do that until at least mid June.  We still have 2ft of snow and got 3" of rain yesterday. Roads are flooding everywhere and THE MAIN ARTERY highway that connects eastern Canada to western Canada is at risk of washing out only a few miles from my place. We're still dry here but the sump pump is going steady.


----------



## pirate_girl

Helped my neighbour nextdoor pack for a trip to Cancun.
Nice lady.
She hates flying. Just like me lol
Made a super cheap supper, chicken a la king and green beans.
Watching the weather situation because it may storm heavily they say.
That doesn't really bother me like it used to.
El Cheapo good grub.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Nice. Two of my band mates just left on a cruise. Wish I was there instead of dealing with flooding here. 

Our second oldest son just finished driver's ed and is going for is license to drive alone on Tuesday so I took him out practicing in the vehicle he's going to be taking the test in yesterday during the monsoon rain storm. I figured if he's going to be able to drive alone, I want him to be able to handle any situation under pressure. Of course there were sections of the road that were flooded which he drove through as I walked him through it. Just last week I had him driving through near whiteout conditions with 6" of snow on the road to get to work. 

My theory is that anyone can drive on a drive road on a sunny day. But many people panic and end up in the ditch as soon as there's 2 snowflakes in the air. I want my kids to be comfortable in any situation on the road.


----------



## FrancSevin

echo said:


> Having Buck Wheat pancakes for breakfast.


My favorite!

With real maple syrup


----------



## FrancSevin

Of the 17 people on my payroll, only 7, that's SEVEN," made it to work this morning.

Two said they weren't cut out or what we do here.
One simply did not show
Five claim they have a new version of Flu,,, whatever that is.
Two have a habit of missing Monday's

What happened to American work ethics?

Some here might remember the Japanize beating our butt's back in the 70's.  President Reagan spurred us on to bear down and compete.  And we did.
Making the 80's and 90's the most prosperous in our nation's history.

Now our gubmit says, "Don't worry, we'll send you stimulus checks."
Really?

Leadership matters.


----------



## FrancSevin

We took the "Tiny House" a 22 foot Foret River with all the bells and whistles one could fit in a 22 footer. Plans were to place it in the spot where our old 32 foot Mallard sat for 15 years with a 30' X 10' deck.

Then my son decided to put his 32 footer next to the deck.

So,

Last Saturday the boss calculated another spot. After consideration of about five options she determined what has to have been the most difficult to reach with the Tractor, and it just barely fit between the trees but,,, but we made it work.

I carved out another space and loaded it with new gravel.  Once placed we sat and watched the sunset from the new and considerably better location.

This will act as an over-nite place to eat and sleep until the house is set and finished 

Pictures coming later.


----------



## Ironman

I’m trying to figure out my new Twitter account.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I'm just curious about the fallout from his purchase of Twitter.


----------



## echo

I just had biscuits and gravy.
Is that good passion food?


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

It’s been an interesting week and a half. I had an old oak tree collapse after a rain storm next to my home and narrowly miss coming through the house - but not without crushing the siding and causing roof damage. Thankfully, it didn’t breach the roof. I just wish I was as lucky with getting my insurance agent to pick up the phone so I can get the ball rolling with the repair work


----------



## Ironman

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> I'm just curious about the fallout from his purchase of Twitter.


----------



## Umberto

Ironman said:


> I’m trying to figure out my new Twitter account.


It was a pain in the ass setting the date of birth. Now today had to prove I wasn't a bot.


----------



## FrancSevin

Umberto said:


> It was a pain in the ass setting the date of birth. Now today had to prove I wasn't a bot.


Are you?


----------



## Umberto

Imma going to Walmart to look for 12 ga. Target loads, then Total Wine for some libations.


----------



## Umberto

Umberto said:


> Imma going to Walmart to look for 12 ga. Target loads, then Total Wine for some libations.


Only had one box of 12 ga.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Umberto said:


> Only had one box of 12 ga.



I usually pick up a brick of 12 ga shells at Walmart if I see them. Can't go wrong for 100 rounds for 39.95. I just use #7 1/2 or "8 target shot for bird hunting in the fall. Same with the 20 ga.  A brick will normally last me the season.


----------



## m1west

NorthernRedneck said:


> I usually pick up a brick of 12 ga shells at Walmart if I see them. Can't go wrong for 100 rounds for 39.95. I just use #7 1/2 or "8 target shot for bird hunting in the fall. Same with the 20 ga.  A brick will normally last me the season.


Thats because you never miss, I've seen the results of your bird hunting. Is there any left for next year?


----------



## Umberto

NorthernRedneck said:


> I usually pick up a brick of 12 ga shells at Walmart if I see them. Can't go wrong for 100 rounds for 39.95. I just use #7 1/2 or "8 target shot for bird hunting in the fall. Same with the 20 ga.  A brick will normally last me the season.


I shoot four boxes a week at skeet. Walmart had none today. I need to get back to reloading as soon as it warms up. My reloader is in the garage and it’s cold AF.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

m1west said:


> Thats because you never miss, I've seen the results of your bird hunting. Is there any left for next year?



Lmao. There's plenty of birds left out there. We've had a family of 5 of them hanging out in our pear tree (cue the Christmas Carol...lmao) all winter. 

I built a stand for the starlink dish to mount to yesterday. We just had it sitting on the deck temporarily. Hopefully today we can get it installed permanently. It arrived while we still had a bunch of snow which is slowly melting.


----------



## echo

Fixed my security system. I set the right time and it went south.

Maybe it's that little guy that operates the shutters at approx. 270 thousand times a minute.


----------



## 300 H and H

Rained out from the fields. Planted 16 rows of sweetcorn for 400 feet last evening.
That ought to be plenty for family and my friends. Oh we always fence about 3/4 of the plot for us.
The rest the racoons can have! I have found they much more likely to leave yours alone if you do this.


----------



## pirate_girl

Ironman said:


> I’m trying to figure out my new Twitter account.


I had at one time a Twitter account, but can't recall anything about it.
I guess the two forums I'm on and Farcebook are enough.
I do look at it though.
Lol


----------



## FrancSevin

Off to Springfield/Hippie Ridge again
It's gonna be too wet to do much earthworks or gravel.  So most likely electrical and some septic plumbing.
Bungalow is still plagued by ant hordes. Inside the structure.  I'll be remediating some of that for sure.

Roaches don't dare come in. Far too many ants in the place.


----------



## 300 H and H

FrancSevin said:


> Bungalow is still plagued by ant hordes. Inside the structure.  I'll be remediating some of that for sure.
> 
> Roaches don't dare come in. Far too many ants in the place.


Powdered sugar with a touch of Boric acid is bad medicine for ants. And it is not very toxic either.....
 They take it home with them to share with the Queen lol. Takes a couple of weeks.


----------



## m1west

NorthernRedneck said:


> Lmao. There's plenty of birds left out there. We've had a family of 5 of them hanging out in our pear tree (cue the Christmas Carol...lmao) all winter.
> 
> I built a stand for the starlink dish to mount to yesterday. We just had it sitting on the deck temporarily. Hopefully today we can get it installed permanently. It arrived while we still had a bunch of snow which is slowly melting.


Im sure they won't see another winter


----------



## Melensdad

We have rains, sometimes heavy, predicted for all day today.  So no outside painting.

I did go to Tractor Supply, Aldi and the fencing club early this morning and got some tasks out of the way.  

Walter the female rescue dog is going into the beauty shop to be de-stinkified, clipped and buffed.  She should come home looking like a lady, rather than a tramp.

The lovely Mrs_Bob is painting inside today.  There are 2 rooms that are on the 'hit list' for us paint.  We also want the entire main floor ceiling painted but we may hire a crew to do that?  Not really sure.  I hate doing ceilings.  I'd rather do outside than a ceiling, and I hate doing outsides!


----------



## echo

Made Spanish rice in my Crock Pot. It sure smells good.


----------



## pirate_girl

echo said:


> Made Spanish rice in my Crock Pot. It sure smells good.


I made brats, pierogies and fried coleslaw because I forgot to buy a head of cabbage.
Fried coleslaw is good lol


----------



## Melensdad

Did some house cleaning.

Attempted to pull a dead pine bush out of the ground with the front end loader, that didn't work out.  Even with the big snowblower on the 3pt hitch the rear end lifted right off the ground.  We've had rain, I thought the ground would have softened up to lift it, roots and all.  I was wrong.  Going to end up cutting some roots and trying again a different day.  I don't have clear access to it because it right next to a decorative aluminum fence and has other large bushes adjacent to it, so I was hoping it would cooperate.

Getting ready for Kobe to come home.  Ham is out of the oven.  Roasted garlic smashed potatoes are in the oven.  Corn is in the microwave.  Green beans with bacon are simmering.  He will throw the meal around from his high chair, but I will be eating well.


----------



## pirate_girl

Get lots of pictures of Kobe!
❤


----------



## NorthernRedneck

The lovely missus and I went out to dinner then to a friend's place for a garage party  last night. So today was a day of recovery for someone who isn't me. Lol. 

It's been pouring rain since last night so we just hung around the house.


----------



## echo

pirate_girl said:


> I made brats, pierogies and fried coleslaw because I forgot to buy a head of cabbage.
> Fried coleslaw is good lol
> 
> View attachment 148926


A little Pollock food, yum


----------



## FrancSevin

Spent the weekend fighting the Ant armies invading our bungalow.  I literal took some walls apart because they seemed to have set a queendom up in one closet.   We put down the gel which the workers take back to the hive 

Having put down so much poison on the ground I assume they were isolated.  Our biggest problem was the dead warriors were everywhere.  

Started the joist work on the lower deck.  Next weekend I will finish framing and begin the deck surface using compound deck materials.

Lucky, I had bought a lot of it when LOWE's closed out in store inventories.  I bought almost 100 eight-foot pieces at $14 each.  I just need some 12 and 16 foot ones which I can still get on "special order."  For around $30/$36  each. Wow!


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> Spent the weekend fighting the Ant armies invading our bungalow.  I literal took some walls apart because they seemed to have set a queendom up in one closet.   We put down the gel which the workers take back to the hive
> 
> Having put down so much poison on the ground I assume they were isolated.  Our biggest problem was the dead warriors were everywhere.
> 
> Started the joist work on the lower deck.  Next weekend I will finish framing and begin the deck surface using compound deck materials.
> 
> Lucky, I had bought a lot of it when LOWE's closed out in store inventories.  I bought almost 100 eight-foot pieces at $14 each.  I just need some 12 and 16 foot ones which I can still get on "special order."  For around $30/$36  each. Wow!


wow is right, I'm doing some BBQ enclosure repair along with some picket fence rebuild. $10.00 2x4's and $30.00 4x4's


----------



## echo

Did yard work in the rain


----------



## echo

Went to Wal Mart and everyone seemed to be dressed.
Employees were everywhere?


----------



## Melensdad

echo said:


> Went to Wal Mart and everyone seemed to be dressed.
> Employees were everywhere?


This is almost like a TWILIGHT ZONE  episode


----------



## Melensdad

Celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary yesterday.  The lovely Mrs_Bob got a garnet and diamond ring.  Then I went outside and did some yard work. 

Today is more yard work.  But we had a nice walk in the neighborhood earlier with Kobe.  He made it about 1/2 a mile before I had to carry him back.  Now he is napping.


----------



## Lenny

Melensdad said:


> Celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary yesterday.  The lovely Mrs_Bob got a garnet and diamond ring.


HAPPY ANNIVERSARY !!!!!!!!!


----------



## waybomb

Melensdad said:


> Celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary yesterday.  The lovely Mrs_Bob got a garnet and diamond ring.  Then I went outside and did some yard work.
> 
> Today is more yard work.  But we had a nice walk in the neighborhood earlier with Kobe.  He made it about 1/2 a mile before I had to carry him back.  Now he is napping.


Congrats!
40 years on Sunday for us. Mother's day too!
Got her a nice gold with diamond lights and a ruby. They say ruby is for 40 years.
Her response will be that I should not waste money on things like rings. We need boats and cars. Seriously, she will.


----------



## Melensdad

waybomb said:


> Congrats!
> 40 years on Sunday for us. Mother's day too!
> Got her a nice gold with diamond lights and a ruby. They say ruby is for 40 years.
> Her response will be that I should not waste money on things like rings. We need boats and cars. Seriously, she will.


Garnet is her birthstone, which is why I bought her the garnet.  1.5 karat, emerald cut, natural stone (_not color enhanced or manufactured_), excellent clarity, no visible inclusions, origin is Mozambique.  She thinks it is pretty.





But wait for Mother's Day ... Melen and I bought the lovely Mrs_Bob a new gas powered Power Washer with a concrete cleaning disc so she can clean our patios.  I'm such a romantic.


----------



## FrancSevin

Melensdad said:


> Garnet is her birthstone, which is why I bought her the garnet.  1.5 karat, emerald cut, natural stone (_not color enhanced or manufactured_), excellent clarity, no visible inclusions, origin is Mozambique.  She thinks it is pretty.
> 
> View attachment 149056
> 
> But wait for Mother's Day ... Melen and I bought the lovely Mrs_Bob a new gas powered Power Washer with a concrete cleaning disc so she can clean our patios.  I'm such a romantic.


Women seem to like the power washers. Apparently.
My wife has three of them.

Our 53rd anniversary is May 10th.  All that said, I doubt another Power washer would be appropriate.

Crumpy doesn't like jewelry very much.

Cars, boats and RV Campers she does like.  But we have far too many of those.

I usually have something unique and special lined up.  However, I'm kinda stumped this year


----------



## waybomb

How about a set of aftermarket wheels for one of the rollers? She'll sure like that.


----------



## 300 H and H

Planting corn is still on hold here. This past winter I bought a rather nice looking 12ft wide twin blade Woods Twin Cadet 121 3-point hitch mounted mower in very nice condition, and considering its age it is unbelievably nice, all the paint, shields and decals present. I found out why...... the left hand gear box was in seriously damaged condition. $875 latter and hours of labor it is back in the machine. We were going to lay it down this morning as it is hanging from an over head hoist to ease the job of working on it. In the back of my mind there were lingering issues with the preload on the tapered roller bearings in the vertical shaft bearing quill. There seemed to be no way to adjust that critical setting. Eventually I contacted the dealership who sold it 30 years ago. They e mailed me the 66 page manual for this machine. I just finished up making the shims I need on my metal lathe.
So after lunch I will finish buttoning up this mower with confidence that another $1K of wasted money will not be in the future of this mower, I hope.......


----------



## Ironman

Done with work and popped open a cold one. Got my new car window decal in the mail but I’m having second thoughts about actually putting it on….


----------



## chowderman

regardless of one's political/social/sexual/57gender opinions , , , 
putting anything pro / con / non on a car/etc is an open invitation for some offended being to vandalize it.


----------



## FrancSevin

waybomb said:


> How about a set of aftermarket wheels for one of the rollers? She'll sure like that.


I did that on her 2002 limo minivan.

Months later it threw a rod.

So, now she has a brand-new Pacifica, and I don't think new wheels will impress.  But thanks for the thought.


----------



## 300 H and H

Ironman said:


> Done with work and popped open a cold one. Got my new car window decal in the mail but I’m having second thoughts about actually putting it on….
> 
> View attachment 149081


Please not in a 300C lol...   
Dear God please....   

You could put it on some ones car that needs it!!


----------



## 300 H and H

The mower is finished up, the oil/filters are changed in the daughters' rides, and I got a good start on the battery recharger...
I very nearly ran it over the other day in my haste with the front duals on a large tractor. It was connected to the tractor at the time, but from the cab it could not been seen sitting in the seat. It still works fine, but the wheels no longer pointing the same direction...
Another hour or two should fix that.

That is an $800 Solar brand charger. I love that thing. I used to go through the Schumacher $150 units every year or two. This one has served me well for most of a decade. I hope for much more out of it.


----------



## carebears

Melensdad said:


> Celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary yesterday.  The lovely Mrs_Bob got a garnet and diamond ring.  Then I went outside and did some yard work.
> 
> Today is more yard work.  But we had a nice walk in the neighborhood earlier with Kobe.  He made it about 1/2 a mile before I had to carry him back.  Now he is napping.


that was nice! happy anniversary!


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Ironman said:


> Done with work and popped open a cold one. Got my new car window decal in the mail but I’m having second thoughts about actually putting it on….
> 
> View attachment 149081



I dare you


----------



## Ironman

NorthernRedneck said:


> I dare you


I’m probably gonna. I don’t go into the big city anymore if I can help it. I only go to a small hick town with a  “Barney Fife” cop on patrol with one other cruiser. They scare me


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I double dare you.


----------



## emily91

nothing it seems

how exciting


----------



## Melensdad

I'm leaving shortly for a day trip to Indianapolis for a fencing tournament.  

7 of my club members will be joining me there, 1 Foil fencer and 6 Saber fencers.  I'll be coaching some of the saber fencers.  I'm also a 'recurring guest coach' for the Purdue University team, one of my Purdue Saber fencers and about a half dozen Purdue Foil fencers will also be competing in the event so I'll also be helping to coach some of them.

Betting odds would suggest that my Purdue Saber fencer is the favorite to win the Saber competition.  But the real reason I'm going, in addition to supporting 2 of my competitive high school students, is because one of my novice fencers will be at the event, it is her very first event.  She is not expected to do well, she started fencing as an adult and loves the sport, wants to get her feet wet in competition and this is a small enough event that it is not going to be overwhelming, so a good first event.


----------



## Melensdad

Today I got up at 4:45am to take a tramadol for pain.

Yesterday was the cause of the pain I have today.  Left the house at 6:30am to drive to Notre Dame to pack up Dasha, move her into her friend's apartment for a 1 week stay, but then bring 90% of her stuff home.  She was supposed to have gotten boxes and pre-packed.  Had to be out of the dorm by NOON.

Get to campus a few minutes early only to find that:

she was in a panic after realizing how much stuff she had to do
terminal procrastinator this kid is
she had flat boxes but no packing tape
so without tape, she just left the boxes unassembled (flat)

Fortunately yesterday was "late move out day" so there were literally a half dozen girls moving out of the entire dorm and we didn't have to fight for the elevator, didn't have to fight for rolling laundry bins to help us move boxes, etc.

Being an ex-warehousing and shipping guy, I stopped into action, told her i needed ALL the big stuff.  The biggest being a futon on an adjustable frame.  Of course there was a pile of stuff between that futon and the door.  I grabbed one of the big rolling bins, put some smaller things that she had pre-packed and headed down to the parking lot with what I could move ... but leaving her with instructions on clearing a path so we could get that futon out of the room.  

I'm sure most parents of college kids have experience some similar catastrophe 

As with all these stories, it all works out.  But damn I am sore.  Rheumatoid Arthritis sucks.  Killed the pain with some bourbon before bedtime and slept well until about 4am.  

I'm smiling in the photo because I had NOT yet realized that I would be unloading the truck at home, alone.


----------



## Umberto

Yikes!

we had the same situation with my oldest when he graduated Iowa State. After the graduation ceremony we went to his dorm and he hadn’t even begun to pack and his room was a disaster. Luckily my sister in law was there with an empty truck.


----------



## 300 H and H

Well dang it....

30 acers of this years 900 acer corn crop left to plant and it had to start raining.  
Two more hours and I would have been finished with corn.

On the plus side, we need the rain for the sub soil moister we don't have.


----------



## echo

Went in for my blood test.
This is the one that can tell if your Uncle was ugly.


----------



## m1west

300 H and H said:


> Well dang it....
> 
> 30 acers of this years 900 acer corn crop left to plant and it had to start raining.
> Two more hours and I would have been finished with corn.
> 
> On the plus side, we need the rain for the sub soil moister we don't have.


plant 30 acres in 2 hours?? wtf it took me 2 weeks to mow down 7 acres


----------



## chowderman

not a problem


----------



## Montesquieu

Waiting for Biden to say/do something lucid, and brush his hands of the Ukraine as nothing but foreign military intervention on his part.


----------



## Melensdad

Montesquieu said:


> Waiting for Biden to say/do something lucid, and brush his hands of the Ukraine as nothing but foreign military intervention on his part.


Pretty sure your post belongs in the JOKES forum.  Sadly.  But it is the state of our nation at this point.  

This morning I was filling a new raised bed with topsoil.  Was stopped by rain, but I also ran out of dirt.  I need about 1.5 yards.  Had about a yard.  

Made gumbo & cornbread for dinner.  

Went to the fencing club, just for the social aspect.  It was our club saber championship tonight, just sat around with the other old guys mocking the youngsters who can kick our butts 10 different ways.


----------



## Montesquieu

Sadly no joke indeed.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I've been busy this week getting things ready for camping this weekend. But this year is twice the work and half the time to do it in. With the late spring, I was only able to open up the fifth wheel last week. Same for our seasonal camp. I brought out the golf carts and untarped the outdoor kitchen and opened the slides. The camp water wasn't on yet so I had to wait until today to drive back to do it. My wife is taking the kids out this weekend while I head out with the boat and fifth wheel for our annual fishing trip where we camp out in the woods in a clay pit and fish for 3 days. I've been going every single year since I was 2. My grandfather took my dad. He took us. Now I take my kids. This year it's my son and I, a friend of mine down the road, and an American buddy from Michigan who's in his 70s and has been coming up every year for 60 years straight.


----------



## FrancSevin

Annual physical today.  A lot of tests.
I studied for weeks

Stood on the scale (after food poisoning) and weighed in at 184Lbs.  I am officially tall enough for my weight.  BMI of 24.5

Blood test all came back within normal operating parameters.
Hypertension gone, BP of 120 over 74
COPD gone with no medications (Advair) taken for two years.

My doctor, who I have known since he went to medical school, said he envisions the day at 94 years old, I am in a hospital dying of absolutely nothing. He says he will be there, retiring his practice and holding my hand pleading, "Let go franc, just let it go."  Except for the annual physicals, he hasn't made a dime off me in all those years.


----------



## Montesquieu

I've been risking my life in my job in mask-free Wisconsin. I even have to face the danger of not wearing one in my homeland of Illinois and facing the criticism of IL cops in not wearing one in my own car when I travel.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

All packed and headed 3.5hrs east for our annual fishing trip. Just 4 guys out in the woods down a dirt road miles from town fishing and drinking beer for 4 days. Much needed r&r. My wife has also been packing to head to our seasonal camp to open up this weekend. I took care of everything else. She handled the food. So our house this week has been a disorganized mess of bags and boxes packing 2 campers. Twice the work.


----------



## FrancSevin

Due to the constant rain, we will be staying home this week end. The road into Hipie ridge has been impassable for heavy equiment for three months now.  No materials, no work.

Besides, I need the rest.

My son and his girlfriend have taken up residence in our Springfield bungalow. This until he gets his housing settled at Hippie Ridge.  So the love nest isn't ours for a while.

That rest I don't need.

Hopefully we get into some dry ether so the road hardens up and we can get this year's Hippie Ridge projects behind us.


----------



## 300 H and H

I finished planting corn yesterday afternoon. We had Sun, wind and 90 deg temps. This produces enough dry dirt on the surface that it will not stick to the depth gage wheels... At 2:00 I went back to that last field and put it in. 95% of those 30 acers were in acceptable condition. Only in the last 4 passes did I have to lift the planter up and drive through mud. I left some tracks that will be there till fall tillage rips them
out. But on the 19th of May you do what you have to do.

Many others in my area were doing much the same as I. Rains were predicted last night, but did not hit my area.
At least now we can convert the planter and the seed tender to soybeans now if it does rain tonight. After yesterday
I am pretty darn sure tillage for beans is a no go as the conditions are not fit.

Mowing lawn is suddenly coming to the forefront. The grass is growing like crazy!!!


----------



## norscaner

NorthernRedneck said:


> All packed and headed 3.5hrs east for our annual fishing trip. Just 4 guys out in the woods down a dirt road miles from town fishing and drinking beer for 4 days. Much needed r&r. My wife has also been packing to head to our seasonal camp to open up this weekend. I took care of everything else. She handled the food. So our house this week has been a disorganized mess of bags and boxes packing 2 campers. Twice the work.


Hope the weather changes for you and the fish are hungry


----------



## Melensdad

Just trying to figure out what it looks like when I post a TicTok video on the forums?


__
		https://www.tiktok.com/video/7099874273443040555


----------



## m1west

I'm at the work Cabin, came up today. Installed new toilet as the other one froze and broke. Tomorrow I will hook the spring pipe back to the water tank for the season. Also Sunday morning the Cat bulldozer comes to its new home.


----------



## Montesquieu

The mask-free Wisconsin is not suffering from hill folk or even Milwaukean urbanites kicking the mustard.

This must definite benefit of being poltically Mustard State against the pandemic.


----------



## Ironman

Montesquieu said:


> The mask-free Wisconsin is not suffering from hill folk or even Milwaukean urbanites kicking the mustard.


You must not live in Dane of Milwaukee counties? Cuz these libturds are still masking up like crazy. It’s kinda funny - 
🫤


----------



## Montesquieu

Ironman said:


> You must not live in Dane of Milwaukee counties? Cuz these libturds are still masking up like crazy. It’s kinda funny -
> 🫤


No. I live in what effectively is the Beverley Hills of Chicago: Lake Geneva.

And no, I don't live on the lakefront, because the cheapest of those houses is $5 million, and the most expensive (according to rumor) is $300 million. I am merely subservient in terms of employment and wealth there.


----------



## Melensdad

Montesquieu said:


> No. I live in what effectively is the Beverley Hills of Chicago: Lake Geneva.
> 
> And no, I don't live on the lakefront, because the cheapest of those houses is $5 million, and the most expensive (according to rumor) is $300 million. I am merely subservient in terms of employment and wealth there.


Wonderful area you live in.  We used to vacation there a couple times a year when I was younger.  Lovely area, all around there.  Back in the day the big Playboy Club resort was a great place to go.  That had been renamed decades ago, I wonder if it is still nice? Over at Lake Delavan is Lake Lawn Lodge, which was another of our popular hang outs.  Took the family back there a few years ago for a nice weekend.


Not sure what we have planned to do today.  Tonight ice lesson night at the fencing club and that will keep me busy until late because we are over-booked.  

Yesterday I had a doctor's appointment for my arthritis.  It has been acting up, despite the meds.  Trying to get a handle on fixing that mess, took a bunch of tests, meds adjusted, we will see what happens.  In the mean time I was instructed to take more prescription pain killers to control the pain issues.  The other meds will take a bit of time so the pain killers are the temporary bridge to help get me over the hump.

Also took Dasha to the airport.  She has been staying with us, but is now in Colorado for a 1 week vacation with some of her friends.  Hiking and stuff.  She returns and will move in with Melen in Chicago.  Melen has a 2 bedroom apartment but lives alone.  Dasha is going to be there for 2 months working as an intern at a computer company.  At the end of summer I'll move her back to Notre Dame.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

norscaner said:


> Hope the weather changes for you and the fish are hungry



Weather was cooler Saturday and Sunday. Yesterday was gorgeous. We limited out in an hour each day. All around 16-17" with a few 18" walleye I the mix. Fishing was excellent as I know the exact spot to go this time of year where the fish are just coming back down from the spawning beds and hungry.


----------



## echo

Went to the doctor.
My thyroid is high normal.
Causes hair to fall out and cold flashes.
Bring life on.


----------



## Ironman

Montesquieu said:


> No. I live in what effectively is the Beverley Hills of Chicago: Lake Geneva.
> 
> And no, I don't live on the lakefront, because the cheapest of those houses is $5 million, and the most expensive (according to rumor) is $300 million. I am merely subservient in terms of employment and wealth there.


I worked all around lake Geneva, Williams bay, Fontana, Delevan… hated it  pricks. All of them on the lake lol. I’m in rock county


----------



## NorthernRedneck

First day back to normal after 4 nights out in the remote woods without cell service. Right in the pit where we camp, there's 0 signal. But we drive maybe 2 miles up a dirt road and have 2 bars. Lol. We had a great time. Excellent fishing. For 4 guys to limit out in an hour, it has to be good. 





You can't beat fresh walleye straight from icy cold water to the frying pan. But the good fishing did present its own set of challenges. We headed up the lake at 9 am and were back by 10:30. What to do the rest of the day?   We cleaned the fish then figured it's 5 o'clock somewhere. Lol. Nothing like fresh walleye washed down with copious amounts of beer around the fire.


----------



## Melensdad

Looks like an early trip to the veterinarian's office with Mitty, our Australian Shepard.  He is afraid of lightning/thunder.  We get pills for him but are down to our last pill.  We have possible storms for the next 24 hours.  But we only have enough pills for the next 12 hours.  They won't refill over the phone, he needs to go into the office for 'check up' to get more drugs.  He doesn't get the pills very often, 1 bottle literally lasts us 18 months.


----------



## echo

Did yard work. The spark plug died in the GAS mower.
She was not a happy camper.
Crabby ole thang


----------



## Melensdad

I’ve been taking a lot of prescription pain medications and over the past 30 days I have bad days and horrible days.

Got a call from my arthritis doctor about 30 min ago that my Humira injection dose is doubled in frequency _(every week now, instead of every other week_).  Normally I take my dose on Wednesday, but I just took my shot.  I did not want to wait until NEXT Wednesday and my prior shot was 9 days ago.

Tomorrow I also will be increasing my Methotrexate from 8 pills to 10.  But I will take 5 in the morning + 5 more in the evening.   Apparently there are absorption issues if too high of a dose is taken all at one time, so breaking the dose with 1/2 in the morning and half at dinner time increases the body's ability to absorb the drug instead of flushing the excess thourgh.

I am now at the maximum recommended doses for both of these medications.  If this does not work then I have to find a new medication that will be more effective for me.

Hopefully I will begin to feel better soon.  I've actually been afraid to ride motorcycles because of the combination of pain and the slower reactions from taking opioids.


----------



## FrancSevin

We had decided to shut down for today and give our employees an extra day on their Holiday weekend.   Unfortunately, we were contacted about two hot loads coming in.

So today, I am babysitting the plant to receive the material and maybe catchup on a few projects.

Part of running a small business.

Crumpy is over at our Strategic partner today, working on some terms with them and reviewing our installation of a production line for them.


----------



## Montesquieu

And working in a hotel I don't get vacation weekends off.

But I can happily breath over the masked and ignorant Illinois guests in my (almost determinatory) and continually maskless situation.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Working today. I usually take every Memorial Day off, but it didn’t work out that way this time. At least I’m halfway done for the day. No work again until Wednesday.


----------



## Melensdad

Memorial Day

Today is a day of remembrance of fallen soldiers who died in battle.

I have an uncle who did die in WWII.  Uncle Al.  He was mom's brother.  I never got to meet him, he died before I was born.


----------



## Melensdad

86 degrees outside, full sun, hotter in the garage.

So what happens?  A food storage shelf collapsed, fell onto the shelf below it and collapsed that shelf too. 

Fortunately most of the food is in low sided baskets and it was pretty well contained.  One jar of spaghetti sauce hit the floor and broke.  Everything else stayed put on the 2 collapsed shelves. 

Just finished rebuilding and reinforcing (twice as many anchors) the shelving.  So there is now a support every 8" instead of every 16" at the studs.  The mid point anchors use drywall anchors so not as good as the stud points but it should be much stronger.  The shelves where held with heavy plastic clips, my guess is age and weight got to the plastic and made them brittle.  Fortunately I had a new bag of clips that are a heavier duty design so the old plastic were replaced as I rebuilt.  I also reinforced the one shelf above the 2 that collapsed into a mess, fortunately that top shelf did not collapse too.

Pork butt has been smoking for about 18 hours, that will be coming out soon too.  Got a watermelon on the counter. Pool is open, water is clear, heater is warming the water, hoping to relax the rest of the day


----------



## chowderman

. . . never go with plastic when metal is available . . .


----------



## Melensdad

chowderman said:


> . . . never go with plastic when metal is available . . .


These have been in place for 20+ years.  8' long.  Held all sorts of things over the last couple of decades.  Served me very well.  Damaged today from the failure equaled about $3 worth of food and $5 worth of hardware.  If the replacements last as long as the originals then these shelves will probably outlive me.


----------



## Umberto

I’m about ready to hit the hay. I have an 0130 wake up and meet up with a bud to go salmon fishing in the morning. The springers are running.


----------



## Umberto

We got one, I had no bites. My friend gave me the summer run steelhead as he had a lot of coho in the freezer and we are going again on the Columbia soon. We had no springers today.


----------



## pirate_girl

I haven't been avoiding you all, but sometimes life and decisions get in the way.
I've decided to go on the night shift at work.
The move to first shift simply got to be too much with all the constant changes our new administrator is demanding.
I didn't want to even BE there most days.
She's our 3rd in charge in the past year.
So I'm now out of medical records and will be a floor nurse from 10pm-6am.

The quiet time.
Lol
It's never quiet in a nursing home.


----------



## Melensdad

Celebrating an amazing girl.

About 8 years ago she came to me to learn how to fence saber.  Worst student I ever had, literally lost every bout she fenced her first year, but she loved it.  She had the heart of a lion.  Eventually became the captain of the high school team and an all conference award winner.

Now she has 171 NCAA collegiate Div 1 wins, was co-captain of the Lawrence University team and competed successfully in several national events, including the Junior Olympics, behind her and she still has 1 more year to go.

She refers to me as her "fencing dad" and I'm proud to accept that title.


----------



## FrancSevin

Fencing....?
Until now the only fencing I knew was that cedar thing I built around my subdivision property.

Thanks to you, and especially her, you have brought the sport of fencing to us in a new light. Much appreciated MD.


----------



## Umberto

My buddy, Andy, is one of the honchos at the Tacoma Fencing Club. I’ll leave it at that.


----------



## Melensdad

Umberto said:


> My buddy, Andy, is one of the honchos at the Tacoma Fencing Club. I’ll leave it at that.


Nice.

There are not enough clubs.  The sport is still considered an elite sport, which is a shame.  More clubs would mean more exposure and more fencers.  

My club is primarily a 'recreational' club but we have several competition focused members, generally we support those members by sending giving them a place to get lessons but really they need to be at other, higher level, clubs.  Distance is the main problem.  The next closest competitive club is a solid 1 hour drive away, and we are lucky because there are several clubs in the area.  In other areas it can be a 2 or 3+ hour drive between clubs.


----------



## Umberto

Melensdad said:


> Nice.
> 
> There are not enough clubs.  The sport is still considered an elite sport, which is a shame.  More clubs would mean more exposure and more fencers.
> 
> My club is primarily a 'recreational' club but we have several competition focused members, generally we support those members by sending giving them a place to get lessons but really they need to be at other, higher level, clubs.  Distance is the main problem.  The next closest competitive club is a solid 1 hour drive away, and we are lucky because there are several clubs in the area.  In other areas it can be a 2 or 3+ hour drive between clubs.


That sounds about like the Tacoma Club. There have been competitions but nothing recent due to the current troubles. They get some really good fencers migrating in from Asia.


----------



## Lenny

Melensdad said:


> Celebrating an amazing girl.
> 
> About 8 years ago she came to me to learn how to fence saber.  Worst student I ever had, literally lost every bout she fenced her first year, but she loved it.  She had the heart of a lion.  Eventually became the captain of the high school team and an all conference award winner.
> 
> Now she has 171 NCAA collegiate Div 1 wins, was co-captain of the Lawrence University team and competed successfully in several national events, including the Junior Olympics, behind her and she still has 1 more year to go.
> 
> She refers to me as her "fencing dad" and I'm proud to accept that title.
> 
> View attachment 150058


That's awesome!  I'm glad you stayed with her and encouraged her to keep going.


----------



## Melensdad

Lenny said:


> That's awesome!  I'm glad you stayed with her and encouraged her to keep going.


I have 1 or 2 students per year that I seem to stay in contact with.

Some continue to fence.  Some do not.  But they tend to come to me for advice, or for some sort of help from time to time so it is nice.  

Lexi, the girl above, is from my 2nd year at Lowell high school.  Her dad and I became friends through this whole journey too.


----------



## Lenny

Melensdad said:


> I have 1 or 2 students per year that I seem to stay in contact with.
> 
> Some continue to fence.  Some do not.  But they tend to come to me for advice, or for some sort of help from time to time so it is nice.
> 
> Lexi, the girl above, is from my 2nd year at Lowell high school.  Her dad and I became friends through this whole journey too.


Keep up the good work!!!!


----------



## echo

Something Funny to me:

I was going into a market to shop.
Some nice looking gal came out and a swallow was circling her real close.
She acted like it never happened.
Not sure if I want to date her.


----------



## Montesquieu

Celebrating the fact that the words of two foreign languages both have the noun as feminine with the French adjective attached as such.

Off to my more lucrative work now!


----------



## FrancSevin

Been of the line for a few days.  Contracted something on Wednesday that had me feeling weak.  By that I mean i could lift 50 lb roll of film over my head to load the spindle at work.  Something I do 8 to 10 times a day so the gals don't have to.

By Thursday I knew the was a problem because I couldn't do one sit up.  I usually do thirty every morning and again every nite.

By noon I was a wasted man and took a nap at work. Fever was 104 F.  So we stopped at the urgent care for COVID test and a check up.  Everything was negative.  No COVID, no Flue, No infections found. BP 124/78 Oxygen at 96 heart rate elevated at 84. SO, I shouldn't be sick right? Only I was.  Very much so.

My temp went to 2006 F or higher. That's how high the monitor went.  Still no clue what it is but this evening temp is down to 2004 And I did 5 sit ups before fatigue. I'm feeling stronger as well.  The wife says I am stronger. Although, she might be just referring the body odor.

No idea what hit me or what this episode means in the long run but it was a bit scary.  I am hoping things are back to normal come Sunday.


----------



## Melensdad

We took Kobe to the Gary Railcats baseball game.

There are 2 local minor league teams in our county, the Corn Dogs and the Railcats. 

Corn Dogs play at a park stadium that is nice but doesn't have the 'real stadium' feel to it, so it is pretty much like going to a high school baseball game. 

The Railcats play in a real stadium, not quite Wrigley Field in quality but it is a nice stadium, free parking, and despite the fact that it is literally located in downtown Gary, it is safe for family fun.  We go to a few games a year and have never even heard of a problem there.  Prices are cheap, games are good enough, spectacle is entertaining enough for kids and families.  Yesterday was free hat day.  It was also corn roast day.  $14 for first row, over the dugout, first base line, including the hat.  Heck of a value.


----------



## FrancSevin

Feeling somewhat better today.   Hoping I can put enough energy together to mow the lawn.

Yep, that's the plan for the day


----------



## FrancSevin

Melensdad said:


> We took Kobe to the Gary Railcats baseball game.
> 
> There are 2 local minor league teams in our county, the Corn Dogs and the Railcats.
> 
> Corn Dogs play at a park stadium that is nice but doesn't have the 'real stadium' feel to it, so it is pretty much like going to a high school baseball game.
> 
> The Railcats play in a real stadium, not quite Wrigley Field in quality but it is a nice stadium, free parking, and despite the fact that it is literally located in downtown Gary, it is safe for family fun.  We go to a few games a year and have never even heard of a problem there.  Prices are cheap, games are good enough, spectacle is entertaining enough for kids and families.  Yesterday was free hat day.  It was also corn roast day.  $14 for first row, over the dugout, first base line, including the hat.  Heck of a value.View attachment 150326View attachment 150327View attachment 150328


That is one adorable young man


----------



## Melensdad

FrancSevin said:


> That is one adorable young man


takes after me


----------



## FrancSevin

Melensdad said:


> takes after me


Well I woud hope he had higher ambitions.


----------



## FrancSevin

Sooooooooooo I had plans to mow the lawn.

But then came the mandatory COVID test at the Walgreens.

_"Mandatory"_ you asked?

Required by the management actually.  Seems I failed the test last week so Crumpy made me study for this one.

Problem is that the trip to the Pharmacy wore me out.

I mean I couldn't pull the rope on the mower if I wanted too.

Whatever this is it ain't COVID.  It likely is an intestinal upset/flareup from the Food Poisoning of two weeks ago.  It may well be sympathetic as I enjoyed a beefy burger Tuesday night, and my symptoms actually started then

Again;
Do not order the Shepard's Pie from the cheesecake factory.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Back home after a weekend at camp. Finally got the boat in the water and tied to the dock. We couldn't until yesterday as the ice going out this spring all but destroyed 3 of 4 dock sections. The dock section where I tie mine is all floating sections held in place with pipes driven into the ground. The ice ripped those out and tore the complete dock from the shore. They got it back in place and drove new posts into the ground.


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> Feeling somewhat better today.   Hoping I can put enough energy together to mow the lawn.
> 
> Yep, that's the plan for the day


One of my kids, Tyler that gave COVID to us, about 4 months ago had COVID symptoms but not nearly as bad and cleared in a week. Same thing as you tested negative several times. Wondering if it can cause symptoms without testing positive.


----------



## Melensdad

Not sure if Covid will test NEGATIVE several times. Once, sure.  Twice unlikely.  More than that and you should buy some LOTTO tickets.  I had, what I thought, was Covid a couple times.  Each time the tests were Negative.  Each time I was sure I had it.  But it never lasted long enough.  Never tested Positive, ever.  

AS FOR TODAY, I babysat Kobe while the lovely Mrs_Bob ran her sister to the hospital emergency room after her sister fell and hurt herself.  Nothing broken.  But still in pain.  So very likely sprained something-or-other.   That pretty much filled my day from 8am to 2pm.

After the lovely Mrs_Bob returned home I went out to the west side of the house, where the sun was beating down on me, nary a breeze to cool me, and the humidity was HIGH and I put exterior reflective window film on a patio door and 2 windows.  I have more windows to do, but I was glad to get those done.  We have 28 windows on the west wall of the house.  All have some sort of E-glass and interior film, but a few years back they came out with weatherproof exterior window film, the installation process started today.  MY PLAN WAS to get out early this morning and do it.  MY S-I-L's fall pretty much destroyed the plan.  So I was happy to get 3 of the windows completed.  Too hot and sunny out there now.  I'll get back to it early in the morning when I can work in the shade.  NOT planning to do all 28 of the windows with the exterior film, but if I can get the lower and main levels done that would be a huge help to take pressure of the AC system.  The living room has double stacked windows that are 9.5 feet tall, and 40% of the dining room wall is glass so getting those done is a major goal.


----------



## FrancSevin

I have had COVID three times and tested positive for two of them.  There were no tests the first time in January of 2020

So far I have tested negative. The last test has not come in.

I don't really care, I'm sick.  Really sick.  Symptoms are the same as food poisoning.  I could not get up from the Tub last night without help. That never happened before in 75 years, even with COVID


----------



## Ironman

FrancSevin said:


> I have had COVID three times and tested positive for two of them.  There were no tests the first time in January of 2020
> 
> So far I have tested negative. The last test has not come in.
> 
> I don't really care, I'm sick.  Really sick.  Symptoms are the same as food poisoning.  I could not get up from the Tub last night without help. That never happened before in 75 years, even with COVID


Does food poisoning last for days?
Either way I hope you snap out of it. Sounds bad.


----------



## Melensdad

Ironman said:


> Does food poisoning last for days?


From, unfortunately personal experience, it can last for several days.


----------



## FrancSevin

Ironman said:


> Does food poisoning last for days?
> Either way I hope you snap out of it. Sounds bad.


Yes.  I was sick for five days. But that was over a week ago before this started.  My assumption is this may be a second dose of bad food or a rebloom of the E-coli from the first Episode.  This is, again, five days.

I do most of the cooking, always from fresh, frozen or canned. Leftovers are mostly banned after a few days and I personally don't eat them after one day.

My work lunch is usually at the same restaurant and it is always vegetarian.  Salad and pasta with marinara.  Crumpy and Teddy ate at the Chinese place last Friday.  I didn't, they brought it to me. I froze it and ate some of it Monday.  It tasted fine.

The thing is, it is my gut that is screwed up.  Suggesting food poisoning.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Watching the grass grow. 

Day 4 of doing sfa as it's been raining on and off all week and when it's colder damp temperatures, I can barely stand for any length of time. Lower back is burning. Loss of feeling and strength in my legs. Oh well.


----------



## m1west

Just got home from the work cabin, stripped the old roof and put a new one on. The place lived up to its name once again. Ass dragging in the dirt. I will post it in the camp section tomorrow.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Decided to take my son to the races last night. It was originally supposed to be Wednesday but got rained out. Yesterday was almost a rain out again with strong winds and a few scattered thunder storms in the area. But it held off for some great racing. My brother's car is currently out of commission as after two races opening weekend, he popped the heads off the engine and discovered 7 pistons chewed to pieces. Come to find out that he asked a gas jockey to fill a Jerry can with premium for his race car. They gave him regular. Blew a $7000 motor to pieces. Expensive mistake.


----------



## FrancSevin

Packing for the St Louis Crossfires annual float trip.  I'm not sure waht river we willb on inthe Ozarls but these are always fun.

This year I refuse to be the freight canoe.  Paddling alone with a loaded canoe whilst everyone else plays every year, I put my foot down after last year's debacle.   Paddling for 6 hours trying to keep up.  It is supposed to be a "float" trip.   This year I'm just  pushing a one man river boat with a floating cooler of beer on a tether.  Everyone seemed to race to the next party stop and then complained that I was so far behind.

It is supposed to be relaxing, not a race to the finish.  But then these people are sports car fanatics.

I'm glad I set this up because I am still weak from whatever that was I had last week. I doubt I could handle a loaded canoe for long.


----------



## Ross 650

FrancSevin said:


> Packing for the St Louis Crossfires annual float trip.  I'm not sure waht river we willb on inthe Ozarls but these are always fun.
> 
> This year I refuse to be the freight canoe.  Paddling alone with a loaded canoe whilst everyone else plays every year, I put my foot down after last year's debacle.   Paddling for 6 hours trying to keep up.  It is supposed to be a "float" trip.   This year I'm just  pushing a one man river boat with a floating cooler of beer on a tether.  Everyone seemed to race to the next party stop and then complained that I was so far behind.
> 
> It is supposed to be relaxing, not a race to the finish.  But then these people are sports car fanatics.
> 
> I'm glad I set this up because I am still weak from whatever that was I had last week. I doubt I could handle a loaded canoe for long.


Hang in there!!  It will get better.  Last year I had the Covid and did not go to a doctor.  Just took it day by day.  For a while I had to walk with a cane.  The only thing that hasnt gotten back to normal is my sense of taste.  I cant taste any thing.  According to the experts I shouldnt have survived because of my age.  Well, have a goodun!!!!


----------



## FrancSevin

Ross 650 said:


> Hang in there!!  It will get better.  Last year I had the Covid and did not go to a doctor.  Just took it day by day.  For a while I had to walk with a cane.  The only thing that hasnt gotten back to normal is my sense of taste.  I cant taste any thing.  According to the experts I shouldnt have survived because of my age.  Well, have a goodun!!!!


I had COVID last year, and again this year, as well.

Like you, I survived without a doctor's assistance. 

We are much alike. But I suspect I'm better lookin'LOL


----------



## Ross 650

FrancSevin said:


> I had COVID last year, and again this year, as well.
> 
> Like you, I survived without a doctor's assistance.
> 
> We are much alike. But I suspect I'm better lookin'LOL


Yep, you probably got me in the looks dept!!!  The only plus to losing my taste ability is that I can eat a hamburger and I can put toilet paper between bread and add mustard and they taste the same!!!!!


----------



## FrancSevin

Ross 650 said:


> Yep, you probably got me in the looks dept!!!  The only plus to losing my taste ability is that I can eat a hamburger and I can put toilet paper between bread and add mustard and they taste the same!!!!!



LOL!

My wife lost her sense of smell to COVID.  She says it is not so bad.  The tradeoff is worth it.  Because,,,, I am now more tolerable.


----------



## Ross 650

FrancSevin said:


> LOL!
> 
> My wife lost her sense of smell to COVID.  She says it is not so bad.  The tradeoff is worth it.  Because,,,, I am now more tolerable.


Howdy,
well,  when I make burgers now days, I just use Charmin!!  Of course I use the extra strong!!!


----------



## FrancSevin

Spent the weekend with the St louis Crossfire club  paddling a riverboat on the Hussah river.

Got to drive the Crossfire in the Ozarks as well.


----------



## m1west

Happy 4th to everyone, prime rib in the oven and later we are going to shoot an antique flintlock rifle that was around at the time of the war. I will post it.


----------



## echo

Hardly any fireworks in liberalville. (Why ?) Your rules..
I still havn't figured out how a grease gun works, but it works now after I took it apart.
Did yard work and now I'm having a cold one.
PS, not ONE firecracker went off today <chuckle> They used to move the house.
One year I had bottle rockets and shot them toward the open area.
One circled back and landed on the roof of our grouch.
She said if you do that one more time, I'm calling the law.
I lowered the rocket more toward the ground the other way.
It circled around and landed on her roof again.
We headed out to the farm.


----------



## FrancSevin

With the wife's help we finished putting TREX on the deck.  Sitting on it now with a couple of Sam Adams beers.

Half the neighbors are popping off fireworks.

Cats and the dog are apeplexic.  Me, I caught the wife's head cold.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I'll be laying low tomorrow since I worked today. Perfect day for it - rain is in the forecast. Luckily, we've had showers and thunderstorms pass through with a good soaking for the past two or three days now when we're normally bone dry. The rain I appreciate. Not so much when it was nearly 80 degrees at 8 this morning with 93% humidity.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

We've been bouncing back and forth between home and camp the past couple weeks. This week was crazy as we stayed last weekend from Thursday to Monday at camp then came back home for a few days.  I blew a belt last weekend on the cfmoto side by side. So on Monday I sent my wife and kids home early and stayed at camp to stain the deck with Thompsons water seal. Then drove home and immediately tore into the side by side to change the belt. It was completely shredded and tangled up in the clutch. In the process it broke a small plastic part on the clutch. So while waiting for parts to arrive, I turned my attention to my son's car as there's a bit of work to do on it for the safety. I had to change a rear wheel bearing, some swaybar links, and a forward control arm. The test is smaller stuff. But it's ready and going to the shop. I worked on it for 3 days then came back out to camp Thursday with my youngest son. My wife is down in Minneapolis this weekend with our girls going to a shawn mendes concert. (No thanks, not my thing. Lol).

The whole country experienced a cellular outage yesterday for the Rogers network. No texting. No phone calls. No internet. No atm. No debit machines. Mine came back at 2:47am after being off for almost 24hrs. Not a huge deal for me as we're at camp anyways. But it kinda sucked not being able to communicate with my wife who was driving 8hrs and in another country not knowing if they made it or if they were laying in a ditch somewhere.

Here's the deck at camp before and after.  







Changing the belt on the side by side is a royal pain as I had to remove the seat and a storage box underneath to access the clutches. 




The belt was a shredded mess tangled up in the clutch. 




Here's the rear wheel bearing. It was rusted solid. I pounded on it for 2 days with a hammer trying to break it free from the mount. Then I picked up a can of liquid wrench penetrating spray and soaked it for a couple hours. It dissolved the rust and allowed it to break free.


----------



## echo

Still cleaning out my computer parts and giving them away. Some was DDR 4 memory. I didn't need it


----------



## pirate_girl

I've been working nights and sleeping.
The End


----------



## echo

Spent $800.00 this week buying dead horses.
I tried to save a hundred bucks.
Long story


----------



## FrancSevin

Busting my @ss!
Four of the six people on my payroll did not show up today. 

However, this is how I spent much of yesterday. ￼


Yeah, flirting with a pretty young girl.  And, right in front of the wife too!


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Hooked up with a pretty young lady and went to the races. 



I spent the day sweating my butt off dropping dead trees at mom's place. My 83 yr old great uncle stopped by for a visit. Being a logger all his life, he grabbed the saw and dropped a 100ft tall balsam before the wind took it down on the shop. There's a 40x80ft new metal shop on the property.


----------



## FrancSevin

Four years ago, I put a concrete floor in the 24' X 6' Shed annex to our garage. Wired everything and then the project stalled.

Plans were to make 8 feet of it accessible to the back yard for tool storage. Shovels, rakes, Mowers and stuff.   Instead, it filled with lumber, cushions and junk.

Today I tore into the mess.  Some insulation and paneling yet to put on the walls and ceiling.   With luck, I could have this 6'X8" room ready Thursday night.

Just outside of the shed is an old wooden deck that goes across the back of the garage.  Frame is OK but the 5/4 treated pine decking is shot.   I have just enough 8 foot "TREX" to cover it. It will match the big deck I just finished. 

Next, I cut in a doublewide entry to the back of the garage.  It will allow one grab a beer from the garage frig and step right out onto the new deck.


----------



## Melensdad

PAINTING THE HOUSE

More.  Again.  Still.

Not much got done for a while, I had hurt my hip (_bad bruise, lots of pain, nothing broken_), and with a 2 year old here 1/2 time it is a struggle to get outside to make any real progress for the past several weeks.  So the whole project stalled out for about a month.

I'm in pain this morning.  Painted all day yesterday.  Had my friend come over to help.  He brought 2 of his older kids.  They were very helpful.  But we are now making progress on the upper floor of the house.  New two tone paint scheme on the left side of photo, original monochrome in the central part and partially started with the new trim paint on the right side of the photo.  Originally the house was very monochromatic, sort of a beige/tan color.  New paint is a vanilla for the clapboards and a milk chocolate brown for the trim.  You can also see the original brick color on the chimney, but the new brick color on the left and right sides of the photo.  Back wall is 3 stories tall, so maybe the scaffolding guy will arrive today?  Garage/apartment is 2 stories tall, front side will be easy, but the back side poses more of a challenge.  On the bright side, the pool bar/shed can all be reached from the ground!

There are 4 sets of floodlight that hang from the eve of that hexagonal upper roof on the far right side of the photo, those will also be replaced during this project with new LED floodlights.  Might as well get double duty out of the scaffolding.

To put any of this into some sort of scale, the brick pillars on the right side of the photo are approximately 14' tall.  Not seen in the photo is the slope that drops off to the right and the rear.  The house is built on a ridgeline, we are 60 feet in elevation above the river behind the house, most of that 60' of drop happens within 100' of the house.


----------



## FrancSevin

Melensdad said:


> PAINTING THE HOUSE
> 
> More.  Again.  Still.
> 
> Not much got done for a while, I had hurt my hip (_bad bruise, lots of pain, nothing broken_), and with a 2 year old here 1/2 time it is a struggle to get outside to make any real progress for the past several weeks.  So the whole project stalled out for about a month.
> 
> I'm in pain this morning.  Painted all day yesterday.  Had my friend come over to help.  He brought 2 of his older kids.  They were very helpful.  But we are now making progress on the upper floor of the house.  New two tone paint scheme on the left side of photo, original monochrome in the central part and partially started with the new trim paint on the right side of the photo.  Originally the house was very monochromatic, sort of a beige/tan color.  New paint is a vanilla for the clapboards and a milk chocolate brown for the trim.  You can also see the original brick color on the chimney, but the new brick color on the left and right sides of the photo.  Back wall is 3 stories tall, so maybe the scaffolding guy will arrive today?  Garage/apartment is 2 stories tall, front side will be easy, but the back side poses more of a challenge.  On the bright side, the pool bar/shed can all be reached from the ground!
> 
> There are 4 sets of floodlight that hang from the eve of that hexagonal upper roof on the far right side of the photo, those will also be replaced during this project with new LED floodlights.  Might as well get double duty out of the scaffolding.
> 
> To put any of this into some sort of scale, the brick pillars on the right side of the photo are approximately 14' tall.  Not seen in the photo is the slope that drops off to the right and the rear.  The house is built on a ridgeline, we are 60 feet in elevation above the river behind the house, most of that 60' of drop happens within 100' of the house.
> 
> View attachment 152452


I love doing construction but,  I really hate painting the house.  It is slow, backbreaking work and IT NEVER ENDS!


----------



## Melensdad

FrancSevin said:


> I love doing construction but,  I really hate painting the house.  It is slow, backbreaking work and IT NEVER ENDS!


YUP

This is the 3rd coat.  28 years ago it got the original coat of stain.  About 15 years later we painted it again, same color, with a (_at the time_) very high quality stain.  This time we are using Olympic Elite stain.  Supposedly this product will outlive me so I will never have to do it again.  

The biggest regret I have with this house is the roof.  I got talked out of a steel roof about 15 years ago.  So this roof will need to be replaced again, sometime during my lifetime.  Maybe I'll get lucky and we will have a horrible hail storm soon and I can get an insurance claim?


----------



## NorthernRedneck

We're lucky in that regard Bob. Our entire house is brick. No painting or staining required. The roof is roughly 6 yrs old now. I'm 45. So sometime in my 60s I should be doing it again. Then it'll be the kids problem. Lol


----------



## Melensdad

NorthernRedneck said:


> We're lucky in that regard Bob. Our entire house is brick. No painting or staining required. The roof is roughly 6 yrs old now. I'm 45. So sometime in my 60s I should be doing it again. Then it'll be the kids problem. Lol


Brick just didn't give us the design options we wanted when we were building this home.  But I do love the low maintenance of brick.  Most 'prairie style' homes are a mix of brick and stucco or brick and wood.  Mine is obviously brick and wood.  We would have preferred the look of stucco, but it is just a maintenance nightmare and doesn't seem to hold up in the climate.  Some have pretty good luck with it, but I'm not convinced it holds up well enough long term.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Brick is low maintenance but I'll say that after a hot day and the outside temperature cools down, I can go outside and touch the bricks at 12am and they'll still be radiating heat. 

I headed to the city first thing in search of a large gear puller to pull the clutch from the side by side. I ended up renting one for the day. The side by side is back together after blowing a belt last week. Now packing up to head to camp till Sunday.


----------



## 300 H and H

Did some rearranging on the farm my daughter lives on. My Mother planted 6 conifer trees 25 years ago that my Daughter didn't like, and they were to close to the house anyway.
I did not want stumps and since the trees were not that big, we used the Caterpillar and some chains hooked up high to tip, then pull them out.  I did not even cut them up. Just used the loader and grapple bucket and put them in a ditch to burn at a later date.
Daughter wants a patio on that side of the house, so out came the sidewalk, the landing and the wooden deck that was there.
The best thing I have bought in recent times has to be the Vermeer stand on tacked skid loader. I really don't know what I would do
now with out it. Best thing for any tree work clean up.
Now on to deciding the final plans of how we will build the new patio....


----------



## m1west

300 H and H said:


> Did some rearranging on the farm my daughter lives on. My Mother planted 6 conifer trees 25 years ago that my Daughter didn't like, and they were to close to the house anyway.
> I did not want stumps and since the trees were not that big, we used the Caterpillar and some chains hooked up high to tip, then pull them out.  I did not even cut them up. Just used the loader and grapple bucket and put them in a ditch to burn at a later date.
> Daughter wants a patio on that side of the house, so out came the sidewalk, the landing and the wooden deck that was there.
> The best thing I have bought in recent times has to be the Vermeer stand on tacked skid loader. I really don't know what I would do
> now with out it. Best thing for any tree work clean up.
> Now on to deciding the final plans of how we will build the new patio....


Good plan. I pull out anything that the 5 ton can pull, much easier than cutting it down and digging out.


----------



## Melensdad

More painting.  Seems like that is all we do lately.

On the bright side my friend who is helping called in a favor and a guy showed up yesterday with scaffolding and 2 laborers.  I paid for them.  But they were worth every penny.  That wall in the photo below is 50' long and 3 stories tall, most of it is over concrete.  No freaking way I was going to get up on that sketchy ass scaffolding. 

I had met that friend at a party a couple years ago.  We had a nice cookout for lunch.  Nobody drank any beer!?!  I think it was too damn hot.

At least 3 of us got bit by wasps over the past 36 hours.  At 7am this morning I was at the hardware store and then I took out revenge with 4 cans of wasp spray.  My sting was yesterday, today my wrist is swollen and itches like crazy.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

We've been at camp since Thursday. Yesterday, I went to get a load of crushed rock from a nearby forgotten gravel pit. I plan on making another trip to get more later. Always something to do at camp. Last weekend I installed another fence post then took the reciprocating saw to the fence, installed a couple hinges and a latch and created another gate to make it easier to load the wood shed with firewood without having to either chuck it over the fence or carry it 20ft around the fence to pile. 2 weeks ago, I stained the deck with Thompsons water seal. 

                                                         Today, the plan is to get another load of gravel for my buddy for his site. Then haul the boat out to bring it back to the dealership for work.


----------



## FrancSevin

Heading to Hippie Ridge.

If the tractor starts, I have 36 tons of gravel to move around.

106F predicted
Taking lots of water and most of it says Sam Adam's on the bottle.


----------



## FrancSevin

NorthernRedneck said:


> We've been at camp since Thursday. Yesterday, I went to get a load of crushed rock from a nearby forgotten gravel pit. I plan on making another trip to get more later. Always something to do at camp. Last weekend I installed another fence post then took the reciprocating saw to the fence, installed a couple hinges and a latch and created another gate to make it easier to load the wood shed with firewood without having to either chuck it over the fence or carry it 20ft around the fence to pile. 2 weeks ago, I stained the deck with Thompsons water seal. View attachment 152556                                                         Today, the plan is to get another load of gravel for my buddy for his site. Then haul the boat out to bring it back to the dealership for work.


You're always up to something Brian.
Sometimes I get tired just reading you posts.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

FrancSevin said:


> You're always up to something Brian.
> Sometimes I get tired just reading you posts.



Not as tired as I am after doing everything I post. Lmao.

Actually, since my accident, I find if I hit the ground running and don't stop moving, I don't stiffen up or hurt as much. 

We came back from camp this morning. I pulled the boat this weekend to bring it in for an electrical issue. When we got home I immediately went to work washing it as it gets quite scummy sitting in the water all summer. 

Here's the before


 

Here's the after



My secret cleaning product for tough stains?  SPRAY 9. Just spray it on liberally, let it set a few seconds but not long enough to dry. Then quickly grab a soapy soft scrub brush and scrub the area then rinse clean. Sometimes I may have to spray scrub and rinse a second time but it works. It also works for cleaning black streaks on rvs, tough baked on bug splatter on vehicles.


----------



## FrancSevin

Well, I didn't get to the tractor part.  Too many other little projects the "she who must be obeyed" would like to be done.

Installed a 10 X 5' deck in front of the camper.  Plans are to add 3 mor feet to make it ten X eight.  Just enough so we don't have to walk on the gravel in bare feet.

Had to unload two 7'X7' plastic shed kits. Four huge boxes that weighed about 250 lbs each.  Covered them with a tarp 'cause we ain't erecting them until this fall.  Had to buy them now because this fall SAM's won't have them in stock.  

Temperature was 104 F so a lot of Sam Adams and plain water breaks every hour.  Sat in the airconditioned camper to recover but the power company kept doing brown outs.  At least the beer stayed cold.

It was 11:30 when my head hit the pillow back in St Louis.
Today I am beat but work must go on. So, I showed up expecting 6 people and got three.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

We have one of those 7x7 sheds at camp. Very handy. 

I hit the ground running again today. (You better sit down for this one)  First, I hauled the boat to the dealership for an electrical issue. Then came back and hooked up to the flat deck and went over to moms place to cut down a few more trees. I loaded them along with the brush and came home to unload and start a burn pile. While it burned, I jumped on the mower and did the lawn.


----------



## Melensdad

S_T_I_L_L painting.  Always painting?!?   When will it be done?  Crew of 5.  WTF.  It has been 1 full week.  And on 2 of those days we had a crew of 8.  (OK only 7.5 because I’m pretty inept).  Workshop/back garage/guest apartment is 90% done.  House is 75% done.  Pool house is 90% done.  Probably 2 more days of hell, uh, I mean, painting. 

Oh and the lovely Mrs_Bob hasn’t even picked out a color for the garage doors yet.


----------



## Melensdad




----------



## NorthernRedneck

Melensdad said:


> View attachment 152900



At least you were smart enough to lay it down on it's side to paint it.   Mr. MIAGHI from the karate kid would be proud to watch you go up down side to side. 

Seriously though. Looking good.


----------



## Melensdad

Stopped early today.  It took 3 of us 2 hours to install 4 new flood light fixtures.  They are almost mounted 3 feet away from the railing on the eve of that upper porch.  My friend on a ladder, rope wrapped around him and tied to the pillars, I held onto his belt from the other side of the railing.  His son handed the tools, light fixtures, screws, etc out to him.  That didn't work.  So he cut a bunch of wood and we assembled a extension brace that held the ladder about 16" off the railing but was braced well enough to hold his weight.  Then tied him off and I was leaning over holding his belt while he was leaning over and installing the lights.  WHY the electricians originally installed them so far out off the edge I will never know but I cursed them every time a bulb burnt out.  The new fixtures have 50,000 hour LEDs.  They should outlive me.


----------



## tommu56

pirate_girl said:


> I've been working nights and sleeping.
> The End


I use to like night shift no bigwig bureaucracy just keep the machines running till daylight


----------



## Melensdad

The lovely Mrs_Bob & I are in Florida.  It has been a tough couple of weeks with the house painting and having Kobe for an extended stay after his schedule was changed.  We've also been dog sitting an extra dog for the past 10 days.  So we needed a break.  We rented a condo in an area we have visited a couple dozen times.  It's on a tiny sliver of land between the ocean and the intercostal, so we have some great views.  Here for a week to relax.  No plans.  Because we've been coming here for over 35 years we know the good restaurants, good beaches, good historic sites, very probably will get to some of them, and probably sit and relax a lot too.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

We've been at camp since Friday morning. Heading back home today. We won't be out this weekend as we're going to a 2 day outdoor concert event in Duluth Minnesota this coming weekend. 

I took the lovely missus and 3 of the camp kids (one of ours and 2 friends) out fishing and swimming off the boat. Afterwards we dropped the kids off at camp and headed back out for another hour of fishing at dusk. 

Here's looking at our camp from across the lake. We're in a southern bay of a 17 mile long lake full of bays and islands.


----------



## m1west

Been too busy with work and projects this year to even post much. Im getting caught up. One accomplishment is I will be able to pay off my home this year and become debt free. The rest of what I have been up to will get posted in due time.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

m1west said:


> One accomplishment is I will be able to pay off my home this year and become debt free.


I'm aiming for that shortly myself.


----------



## FrancSevin

Headed for Memphis tonite.

Plans are to install our patented air extraction system on a DOBOY wrapping line.


----------



## waybomb

And gas flush? Or just remove some of the air?


----------



## Simitationanulamation

NorthernRedneck said:


> Today was a busy day. I headed over to my buddy's down the road first thing this morning to do experiment 626. Aka making peperettes with all the birds I shot this fall while out hunting. 7lbs of grouse combined with 3lbs of pork fat. Ground, stuffed, and smoked for 10 hrs.
> View attachment 133614View attachment 133615View attachment 133616View attachment 133617
> 
> That brought me to lunchtime when I went home to work on the snowmobile. I had a wee little mishap last week and nailed a stump under the snow which bent both a-arm's on the left side. After changing the parts, I installed a taller windshield.
> 
> View attachment 133618
> 
> Here's the bent a-arms.
> View attachment 133619


This bitch couldnt find the 90* in a fork.   Make meat for him.


----------



## Melensdad

Simitationanulamation said:


> This bitch couldnt find the 90* in a fork.   Make meat for him.


What are you trying to say?


----------



## Melensdad

Yesterday we stayed off the beach and went into the historic part of St Augustine, FL and did some touristy stuff.  We are here to relax so we have no set plans.  There are 2 restaurants we enjoy and at some point over the next few days we will get to both of them for either lunch or dinner.  We went to one of our favorite places on Monday.  Probably hit one of the remaining 2 spots this evening?  Probably go to the beach today.  Maybe a quick trip to the grocery store for some cherry tomatoes that we can roast with some onions, olive oil and seasoning to spread on some bread for a light meal or a side dish because we don't eat out every meal.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Nice pics Bob. Enjoy your time. 

We're home from camp getting stuff done around the house and packing up to head 4hrs south for the weekend to an outdoor Christian music concert featuring 16 different artists. Some we've seen. (Twice actually).  Chris Tomlin is headlining one night.


----------



## FrancSevin

Heading to Hippie ridge again.  This time to add 3 feet to the camper's deck and spread 1" minus over the house site.

Plans are to take delivery of the 32'X14' cabin shell in three weeks.  It has been sitting in eastern Kentucky for almost a year now.

Since we have had so much rain, it may well be safe to burn more of the ruined lumber. that will be Crumpy's job whilst I run the tractor and gravel.  When it comes to a campfire, she is a little kid.


----------



## Melensdad

I did nothing today


----------



## NorthernRedneck

City on the hill music festival in Duluth Minnesota. The place was packed later on.


----------



## FrancSevin

waybomb said:


> And gas flush? Or just remove some of the air?


Just to remove some air in this case. 
Gas flush does work better with our system because it creates a negative pressure inside the package which allows for a higher concentration of Ng gas. But this application is simply to reduce package thickness.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Heading out to the second day of city on the hill music festival.  Hopefully my back holds out to sit through it. I had to bring my mobility scooter to get around as it's too much walking for my back. I haven't used it in 2 years.


----------



## waybomb

Closed on a 9,770 sqft warehouse yesterday. Going to store a couple boats and a bunch of cars in it. Going to partition it off and rest out about half of it. All steel. Was a transmission rebuilding shops. Fairly clean on the inside. It's brown, so going to paint it something nice.
Today we took out the bottom 4 feet of fiberglass insulation. It was all tore up. A guy is going to spray foam it in a couple weeks. Going to cover the walls up with "brilliant White" steel on the inside.
Has 600 amps of 480/277  Has a 220 transformer for 300 amps of 110/220.
Filled up 19 big black garbage bags with the old insulation. Wife took her shower; time for mine.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Left superior Wisconsin this morning around 9am. With the hour time change at the border factored in, we made it back by 3:30 our time. Nice drive along the north shore of lake superior.


----------



## Melensdad

North shore of Lake Superior is a very nice drive!

I didn't leave the house, well I guess I did walk out into the back yard but probably not for more than 4-5 minutes.

Got up about 5am.  Coffee.  Coffee.  Probably another one?  

Mostly puttered around the house doing odds and ends.  Put away the suitcases we used on our trip (_returned late last evening_).   We get Kobe back today and the Lovely Mrs_Bob just left the house to go pick him up from grandma.


----------



## FrancSevin

waybomb said:


> Closed on a 9,770 sqft warehouse yesterday. Going to store a couple boats and a bunch of cars in it. Going to partition it off and rest out about half of it. All steel. Was a transmission rebuilding shops. Fairly clean on the inside. It's brown, so going to paint it something nice.
> Today we took out the bottom 4 feet of fiberglass insulation. It was all tore up. A guy is going to spray foam it in a couple weeks. Going to cover the walls up with "brilliant White" steel on the inside.
> Has 600 amps of 480/277  Has a 220 transformer for 300 amps of 110/220.
> Filled up 19 big black garbage bags with the old insulation. Wife took her shower; time for mine.


I hate insulation work. Seems there is no way to do it without post project itch.

Did the gravel work at Hippie Ridge.  Got the house site ready.

ONLY,,,;
Cathy decided to move the house about four feet more west on one end to line up better with the bath house. (Just like I originally wanted to do in the first place) I'll rearrange the gravel next weekend.

Spent much of the weekend sorting the temporary power to the camper.  Seems the two Ground fault systems built in to the extension cords could not get along. Constantly shutting off the power.  I gotta bury the bigger cable and set up permanent plugs for the two campers.

Didn't get the deck extension done. The original deck was material from Menard's which is 1/8" thicker than that of Lowes or Home Depot.  So, the boards did not line up in height.

So, next week I'll stop by Menard's on the way down.  It is always sumptin'!!!


----------



## Melensdad

Back at Notre Dame for lunch with Dasha.  Dropped off a few things.  Picked up a couple others.


----------



## pirate_girl

Melensdad said:


> Back at Notre Dame for lunch with Dasha.  Dropped off a few things.  Picked up a couple others.
> View attachment 154209


That poor girl.
You always have her standing on her head.
Of course, she is athletic lol
Nice pic.


----------



## Melensdad

pirate_girl said:


> That poor girl.
> You always have her standing on her head.
> Of course, she is athletic lol
> Nice pic.


at least the photo is not sideways


----------



## Melensdad

Coached the coaches day with the student coaches at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN.

I went down to primarily help the Saber squad, but as the team is a student coached team, I met with the student coaches for about a half hour and gave each of the weapons some pointers on coaching the incoming freshman class of fencers.  

We then broke into the 3 weapon squads and I worked with the saber squad to get them back into the swing of fencing.  Only one, out of roughly a dozen returning Saber fencers, went to a club or a tournament during the 7 month off season.  There was plenty of re-learning to do.


----------



## FrancSevin

Played Bob the Builder at Hippie Ridge this weekend.  Had that John Deer 310 backhoe/loader going most of the time.  Moved gravel to accommodate the new site.  Graded it level.  Then Crumpy tells me to move it North two more feet.

SO, five small trees come down, and I have another whole day moving Ballast gravel and 1" minus.  

The house is being delivered in two weeks, so Labor Day weekend is again a working weekend.

Meanwhile, my new sailboat is still floating in the water near Dallas TX


----------



## NorthernRedneck

The work never ends.  

We did a short 2 night stay at camp last weekend. I pulled my boat out last weekend as we're hoping to get out fishing and cruising on lake superior. 

As has been the case all summer, these shorter turnaround times with coming from camp Sunday and returning Wednesday or Thursday to camp doesn't leave much time for anything productive at home. I'll get caught up on my outside projects at home when the kids are back in school after labor day weekend. 

That being said, I have been trying to get over one day a week to help mom sort through stuff in the shop. They had just purchased a 38x70 shop and property with a smaller 2 bedroom home on it last summer and had just started unpacking when dad was killed in an industrial accident. So basically everything was still in boxes. Now the place is for sale and mom is doing a major downsize. They have an enclosed cargo trailer that I have been using to haul stuff to the dump and to my place. I'm still trying to get my shop organized since we moved in 3 years ago and now have 2 shops full of tools to organize instead of one. I have half a 6x12 trailer to empty and organize this morning followed by changing a wheel bearing on my sons nissan rogue.


----------



## m1west

Melensdad said:


> at least the photo is not sideways


You 2 look family related in that photo


----------



## Melensdad

m1west said:


> You 2 look family related in that photo


We are both of Eastern European/Slavic heritage so there are bound to be some facial shape similarities.  But I agree that we actually look like dad (granddad?) & daughter in that photo.  It seems more striking in that picture than in some of the others.


----------



## FrancSevin

Melensdad said:


> We are both of Eastern European/Slavic heritage so there are bound to be some facial shape similarities.  But I agree that we actually look like dad (granddad?) & daughter in that photo.  It seems more striking in that picture than in some of the others.


Well, I have always commented that SHE was lovely.  I see little resemblance.  

LOL.


----------



## chowderman

(long story omitted - it's the usual stuff....)
we wound up with all the pix / scrap books / slides from my grandparents forward, and DW's parent forward plus all our own.
roughly 15,000 thingies to sort and organize.....

as I'm sorting pix into folders, I'm struck by the resemblance of one generation to the next and positively stunned at two-three generational 'twins' - this become incredibly obvious where one has photos taken essentially at the same age.
on my father's side, a photo from a gggrandfather in Civil War Union uniform and my brother Vietnam Era in Army uniform . . they could be twins brothers...


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I had brought the boat home from camp last week with plans to possibly get out on lake superior fishing. Today was supposed to be the day. Unfortunately the weather gods had other plans as we're under a severe wind advisory. Our upper gazebo pointed out that I had forgotten to bolt it down. The wind caught it and flipped it over on the bottom deck against the hot tub gazebo. I had just been standing there minutes before as we replaced the water in the hot tub this morning and took delivery of a fresh fill of water. (I drained and cleaned it last night)


----------



## NorthernRedneck

All things considered, it could have been much worse. With the help of our neighbors, we were able to flip it back over and onto the upper deck. It is now bolted down. The only real damage was 2 roof panels on that one. 






The lower one also survived. The main support beam underneath the roof panels is a two piece bar with a center roof brace. I just have to loosten a few bolts and line everything up then tighten it. I will also reinforce it with some metal square tubing leftover from another project.


----------



## FrancSevin

NorthernRedneck said:


> I had brought the boat home from camp last week with plans to possibly get out on lake superior fishing. Today was supposed to be the day. Unfortunately the weather gods had other plans as we're under a severe wind advisory. Our upper gazebo pointed out that I had forgotten to bolt it down. The wind caught it and flipped it over on the bottom deck against the hot tub gazebo. I had just been standing there minutes before as we replaced the water in the hot tub this morning and took delivery of a fresh fill of water. (I drained and cleaned it last night)
> 
> 
> View attachment 154297


Ouch!


----------



## PropsValroa

Really just deciding what to do tomorrow and getting things in line for vacation.


----------



## FrancSevin

Cleaning up my 2005 Jeep grand Cherokee for pictures and sale.  I've been working on this thing for 3 years now. It is as close to perfect as I can get it.  But now I don't need it.

I need its value in cash to fund my dreamboat. And make this happen.







Happiness is a happy wife.


----------



## Gunsrus

I'm making notes for a novel on Vampire the Masquerade that I want to write. Today marks the completion of three quarters of them. They're on the Sabbat and I've covered much of their sect and their practices. By Friday, I should be done.


----------



## Gunsrus

I'm reading Darth Vader Shadows and Secrets in the hope that one day I can work as a writer for the Spanish translation team that handles the Star Wars Comic books. Later, I'm going to my local auditory centre to work out a problem with my mom's trial hearing aids. A constant, metallic buzzing sound is occuring in one and it's maddening. Hopefully, we'll sort it out.


----------



## Melensdad

Painting for me.  I have the last 3 garage doors to paint.  Weather should be good so I should be able to get them done.


----------



## Gunsrus

Melensdad said:


> Painting for me.  I have the last 3 garage doors to paint.  Weather should be good so I should be able to get them done.


Can you tell us what colours they will be?


----------



## Melensdad

Gunsrus said:


> Can you tell us what colours they will be?


When done, the whole project will be 4 colors.  We stained the bricks red.  The walls are very light tan.  The trim boards, eves, soffits and gutters are a chocolate brown.  The garage doors, access doors are a dark mahogany brown.  All 4 colors are visible in this photo of my back garage/workshop.


----------



## Gunsrus

Melensdad said:


> When done, the whole project will be 4 colors.  We stained the bricks red.  The walls are very light tan.  The trim boards, eves, soffits and gutters are a chocolate brown.  The garage doors, access doors are a dark mahogany brown.  All 4 colors are visible in this photo of my back garage/workshop.
> 
> 
> View attachment 154650


A nice, varied mixture. I've always admired brown doors. I always spent time in places where they varied between light and dark.


----------



## Melensdad

Gunsrus said:


> A nice, varied mixture. I've always admired brown doors. I always spent time in places where they varied between light and dark.


In my area it became very popular to paint entire houses tan/beige.  Eventually all the houses ended up looking the same.  We wanted to return to a more authentic 1912 era American Prairie Style color scheme.  It has been a lot more work than I would have ever guessed.  Labor to paint a house 1 color is literally 1/4 the time versus painting the house multiple colors.  I did not factor all the time into my project, this is taking a heck of a lot longer than I'd ever have guessed.


----------



## Melensdad

3pm and my body is done.

8 of the 9 overhead doors are painted.  
2 of the 3 walk-thru doors are painted.  
3 of the overhead and 1 of the walk-thru doors have the trim surround painted.  

I probably have enough paint to do the final overhead door but won't be able to finish the trim surround.  So I stopped.  The one remaining overhead door, and the one remaining unpainted walk-thru door that are not painted are not visible from the street.  So those are going to wait until I get more paint.  The priority is now to paint the trim around the 5 overhead doors that are visible to the neighbors


----------



## FrancSevin

Loading up for a week long construction period at Hippie Ridge.
My gravel guy has let me down so I will be hauling and unloading 3 pickup loads of 1" minus base rock.
The prefab cabin shell arrives this Thursday.
Cathy and I cleared and fixed the incoming road.  3/4 of a mile we blazed thru the woods during the last year.
The house comes Thursday AM.  I told the guy, "Bring chainsaws and loppers for the county gravel road coming in."

Once set, I plan to hook up temporary power with some Romex off the meter pole.

I have 60 "H" blocks and some lumber in the way.  Like 20 or so 16' treated 6x6's. and 4x4's.  I should dig a trench and put that Romex in pipe so the cows don't disturb it.

I will be off the internet until this coming Sunday night.


----------



## FrancSevin

Well, the guys finally brought the cabin to Hippie Rodge.  After a year of prepping the incoming roads, we brought it through.  They did manage to rub the front eaves against a tree trunk. But mostly intact.
One can see the damage to the front eaves in the first image.

We placed it on the leveled and compacted pile of ballast limestone rock.  It is sitting in 3" of 3/4" minus. Perfectly level some 24" above original grade.

The front gets a 32' X 16' deck

The house will be connected to the Bath house with a breezeway.

Meanwhile we live in the little camper which becomes a guest cabin once the house is done.

Water is currently trucked in.  We are debating using one of the springs for a source.


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> Well, the guys finally brought the cabin to Hippie Rodge.  After a year of prepping the incoming roads, we brought it through.  They did manage to rub the front eaves against a tree trunk. But mostly intact.
> One can see the damage to the front eaves in the first image.
> 
> We placed it on the leveled and compacted pile of ballast limestone rock.  It is sitting in 3" of 3/4" minus. Perfectly level some 24" above original grade.
> 
> The front gets a 32' X 16' deck
> 
> The house will be connected to the Bath house with a breezeway.
> 
> Meanwhile we live in the little camper which becomes a guest cabin once the house is done.
> 
> Water is currently trucked in.  We are debating using one of the springs for a source.


looking good Franc, one of the big jobs checked off, If you have a spring near by, I would use it especially if its higher than the house. You will end up using more water than you think, on extended stays and start planting things. Are you going to install a small septic system i don't miss the 100 yard dash in the snow.


----------



## Gary O'

What are you doing today​
Just doing what retired geezers do

Building another bird house


----------



## FrancSevin

m1west said:


> looking good Franc, one of the big jobs checked off, If you have a spring near by, I would use it especially if its higher than the house. You will end up using more water than you think, on extended stays and start planting things. Are you going to install a small septic system i don't miss the 100 yard dash in the snow.


The spring is 200 feet down in the valley.  I am considering building a cistern and then placing a pump.100 yards of pipe to the house.  Quite a project
A well is likely but at more than $10K it'll have to wait.

Septic is another matter.  The camper is hooked to a small capacity one I built years ago.

The house is on another slope that goes to a large gulley (five feet wide and four feet deep) running down to the creek.  About 400 yards.  I plan to build a septic in the gully about 100 feet from the house.  Using perforated PVC pipe for another 50 feet as the septic field, overlaid with coarse sand.  The soil perks very well here so that should do it.

We will plant blackberries in the sand as they grow there now.

The JD backhoe will come in handy for that project.

It is good to see you posting here again Gary.


----------



## Melensdad

Gary O' said:


> What are you doing today​
> Just doing what retired geezers do
> 
> Building another bird house
> 
> View attachment 155164


I like that!!!


----------



## Melensdad

FrancSevin said:


> The spring is 200 feet down in the valley.  I am considering building a cistern and then placing a pump.100 yards of pipe to the house.


What type of filtration system will you use for purification for drinking?


----------



## FrancSevin

Melensdad said:


> What type of filtration system will you use for purification for drinking?


Not sure yet.  The spring water tested really good with no bacterial or other contaminations. But surely a filter system is in order. A simple cartridge filter should do it.
Or we go to well water. Which, assuming I get what my neighbor gets, is very good as well

The bath house will hold a 360-gallon gravity tank, using12 volt pressure pump, off of solar panels.


----------



## Gary O'

Melensdad said:


> I like that!!!


Seems a lot of folks do
I can't keep 'em in stock
They're in all the high end junk shops here in town
They sell for $40-$70


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> The spring is 200 feet down in the valley.  I am considering building a cistern and then placing a pump.100 yards of pipe to the house.  Quite a project
> A well is likely but at more than $10K it'll have to wait.
> 
> Septic is another matter.  The camper is hooked to a small capacity one I built years ago.
> 
> The house is on another slope that goes to a large gulley (five feet wide and four feet deep) running down to the creek.  About 400 yards.  I plan to build a septic in the gully about 100 feet from the house.  Using perforated PVC pipe for another 50 feet as the septic field, overlaid with coarse sand.  The soil perks very well here so that should do it.
> 
> We will plant blackberries in the sand as they grow there now.
> 
> The JD backhoe will come in handy for that project.
> 
> It is good to see you posting here again Gary.


I used 2- 55 gallon plastic drums for the digestion tanks an a 50' leach field. so far so good.


----------



## m1west

Reporting from the work cabin, I left at 6am, when I went over the summit on hwy 88 about 7500' it was raining then hail then snow when the temp. dropped below 32 degrees. It was about 60 degrees here at noon when I got here. I had planned to work a little today, but when I got unloaded and turned everything on. it rained until about 20 minutes ago. Tomorrow I will hit it hard and try to finish. Its just the ridge cap, but its a bunch of little z channels first to get above the standing rib on the roof, snap the ridge cap on and a pop rivet on each Z. If I can get it all done tomorrow I will head home Friday. It has been raining here a bunch and there are no leaks I can find. Next year I will get the flooring and walls on.


----------



## FrancSevin

m1west said:


> I used 2- 55 gallon plastic drums for the digestion tanks an a 50' leach field. so far so good.


I actually have two of them for that purpose.
Coincidence?


----------



## Melensdad

Sitting at the outpatient hospital in the waiting room.  Arrived 2 hours ago for the Lovely Mrs_Bob to have an epidural to relieve back/spinal pain issues.  So far nothing has happened other than she was prepped and we are waiting.  2 hours of waiting.  Good thing we got here on time


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I went out hunting for the fourth time since the season started on the 15th. Lots of birds again this year. I had a slight mishap on Monday with the sxs. My wife hasn't really gone hunting yet since getting her license. We went out Sunday and she did awesome. Shot 4 birds. So Monday I took her in the sxs. The very first trail we went down, we were crawling along when the front passenger side tire dropped into a 2ft deep wash out. Bent the tie rod and tie rod end. We were able to continue on but Tuesday I tore it apart and picked up a replacement end then straightened the rod. It's as good as new now.


----------



## FrancSevin

I'm hauling out and putting the Tanzer 27 on my 20 foot flatbed trailer this weekend.  It's down near Dalls/Fortworth TX.

My Brother lives in Plano and is helping me.

I'm building it with four frames to hold the bunkers that stabilize the boat which will set on it's keel.
It will extend forward three feet over the trailer tongue and four feet behind the bed.  The trailer is 8 feet wide and the beam of the boat is 9' 6"

I'm using pine 2X6's mostly on the cradle frame.  Construction screws through-out and 1/2"carriage bolts at many of the support joints.
Boat weighs in at 8,000 lbs.  Cradle weighs about 600 lbs.  Trailer payload capacity is 10K.


----------



## Gary O'

Gary O' said:


> Building another bird house


aaaaand another











The high end junk shops are selling 'em pretty fast
There'll be a lull......then Christmas season

Gotta re-stock my shelves


----------



## Melensdad

Gary O' said:


> aaaaand another
> 
> View attachment 155348
> 
> View attachment 155349
> 
> 
> 
> The high end junk shops are selling 'em pretty fast
> There'll be a lull......then Christmas season
> 
> Gotta re-stock my shelves


Are you using recycled wood from old fences?  And branches that you find/cut?  What type of finish are you applying?  I'd love to see more more detailed photos.


----------



## Gary O'

Melensdad said:


> re you using recycled wood from old fences? And branches that you find/cut? What type of finish are you applying? I'd love to see more more detailed photos.


The front and back walls, and floor are from Home Depot's cedar fence boards
The sides are cedar underlayment shakes
The whimsically twisty 'branches' are actually roots from blow over lodge poll pine trees
I have plenty up at the cabin

The finish is liberally applied linseed oil
Birds aren't offended by it

I do feather the rises of the grain with a dark stain

I'll take photos in stages next build

Just remembered, I created a blurb for the shops that carry my stuff






Funny thing about these weird whimsical builds is, a FUBAR can easily become a feature


----------



## FrancSevin

On my way to Texas to pick up the dreamboat. I'll drop it off at the marina in Stockton MO.

Stopping at Hippie ride on the way home for a day or so

I may well be gone for the week.


----------



## Melensdad

Day 2 of high school fencing practice for this season of the Great Lakes H.S. Fencing Conference. 

We have a big turnout of new fencers but I only have 1 new girl who is interested in Saber.  I really need 4 girls.  1 to fill out the varsity squad, and 3 for the Junior Varsity squad.  I have 8 or 9 guys who want to be on the men's saber squad, which is great.  Some of them seem to be athletic and coordinated and physically fit. 

Did my best to scare them away but they actually stuck around. 

I don't want to invest time in kids for a couple weeks only to have them switch to a different weapon, under a different coach.  I'd rather scare them away on day one and then work with those who stick.  Saber is sort the "monday night football" or "monster trucks" of fencing while Foil is more like a ballet and Epee is often called physical chess.  Saber is like life:  short, fast and brutal.  If you are afraid of getting hit, I don't want you as a student.  If you aren't willing to attack, I don't want you as a student.  If you just want to swash buckle, or do light saber, then I really don't want you as a student.  My kids win medals. My kids fence in college.  My kids are often some of the best kids in the conference.  Play to win, it is more fun than losing.  But that means work.  Hard work. 

I'm not the best coach, but I don't give up on kids who are willing to try.  I have 2 senior boys this year.  Both should earn medals at every individual event they compete in this season.  I have 1 junior girl this year, she should medal in almost every individual event she competes in this season.  Not sure what I can do with the freshmen, but we will see.  One day a week I co-coach with one of the best fencers in the mid-west.  He works the kids really hard.  Between the 2 of us we turn them into athletes who do things they didn't know was possible. 

One of my best high school fencers is a "nerd" who wants to major in physics in college.  His freshman year everyone wrote him off.  Out of shape.  Nerdy.  His senior year he is a beast.  

I love seeing the kids thrive.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Let's see....first off, I was pretty crippled up today. We're into fall up here with night temps down to near freezing and daytime highs of 10 Celsius. That means the bones and arthritis in my back are in full flare. But, I headed to the city to pickup a grocery order and few items for the house. Came home and tackled cleaning up the attached garage then made a trip to the dump. Came home and dove into an alternator and serpentine belt swap on my son's camry. Kind of a father son in the garage teaching him how to do mechanical work bonding thing. I pulled the camry out of the shop and sent him on a test drive to charge the battery.

 Then I prepped the shop for the next project. An older couple we know is going through some medical issues and are having brake problems with their van. I checked it out the other day and the driver's side rear pads were metal on metal. So I offered to replace them free of charge if they bought the parts. I just finished putting the brakes together and discovered a badly worn wheel bearing on the back passenger side. So off to the city I go in the morning to get a new wheel hub and return to replace it. I can't let them drive around like that. Very unsafe.

Here's the rotor before and after.


----------



## Melensdad

Good job on helping the elderly couple.  

I feel you on the arthritis pain too.  Temps here dropped 20+ degrees (F) and it’s cool but not cold.  Cool enough that I am delaying an outdoor project until next week when temps will rise another 10 (F) degrees.  When fencing practice ended today I was ‘done’ and took 3 Advil as soon as I got into my truck to drive home.  Body aches suck.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I was back at her first thing as soon as the kids left for school. Called around and got a good price on a wheel bearing for our friend's van. First time I've done the brakes on a caravan. Does anyone else curse installing new clips on the calipers for the pads to ride on?  I spend have the time doing a brake job swearing at those stupid things. I headed to the city and picked up the part and was back home working on it. Took about 1.5hrs to change out mainly because I was trying to figure out the best combination of socket/extensions/swivel/and ratchet to use and how to access the mounting bolts. Once I got it things went quickly. I ordered a second one for the other side. This way I know their vehicle will be safe. One less thing they have to worry about as he's going through palliative radiation for a tumor in his throat that's wrapped around his corroded artery. And they have 4 foster children. I can't help much any other way so if I can help make sure their vehicle is safe, that's something.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I'm beat, I'll put it that way. If it were any later, I'd be tempted to hit the hay. Hell of a long day today, and it's going to be more of the same tomorrow.


----------



## m1west

bought a horse


----------



## Melensdad

Up at 3:45am.

I dunno why.

I'd prefer to have slept until 6.  Dogs don't understand why they got fed early.  They are asleep again.  I'm getting ready to get on the treadmill, not much else to do this early.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

m1west said:


> bought a horse



This post is useless without pictures. Lol


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Packed up for the final couple nights at camp tonight. It's that time of year. I'm bringing out totes and coolers to empty the food then winterize the water system and put away everything for winter. 

I brought the dogs in for their semi annual grooming. Waiting to pick them up then head home to swap vehicles and head to camp.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

m1west said:


> bought a horse


What breed?


----------



## pirate_girl

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> What breed?








						horse name contest
					






					www.forumsforums.com


----------



## Gary O'

Got an order for a small live edge bookcase

Just finished it






Rather simple, but matching the corners for live edge can get tricky


----------



## m1west

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> What breed?


Quarter horse, there is a picture of him in the AG section


----------



## m1west

NorthernRedneck said:


> This post is useless without pictures. Lol


look in the AG section under horse name contest


----------



## Gunsrus

Waiting for my pizza. It's Pizza Friday and I'm ordering from Tele Pizza. It won't arrive until after 7pm, over an hour from now, but it's worth the wait.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Went out bird hunting with a buddy from camp. Got 10 birds in 2 hours. Now back at camp packing stuff away getting ready to winterize.


----------



## m1west

NorthernRedneck said:


> Went out bird hunting with a buddy from camp. Got 10 birds in 2 hours. Now back at camp packing stuff away getting ready to winterize.


I didn't think there were any birds left in Canada after you got done last year. Justin Castro herd about you and next year you will be using a wrist rocket and BB's


----------



## Melensdad

Pool guys showed up to winterize the big fiberglass hole in the ground.

I was helping clean the house when they showed up, let the dogs out while they were in the yard.  Fortunately the dogs are more yap than nip.

Kobe is on his way home for the weekend, he has been with grandma.  He also has the dreaded 'pink eye' that seems to spread so fast among kids in daycare, which is where he got it.

Did my exercising but today has been a fairly lazy and fairly casual day for both exercise and diet.


----------



## Ironman

Today I went to Harbor Frieght like I do most Friday’s. It’s become an obsession kinda. sad pissed away $600.00 on shit I don’t really need, but I showed them a coupon I had for a free $2 dollar flashlight… just for coming in…  score!


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I went to camp on Thursday for 2 nights to do a little hunting and start closing up camp for the winter. I managed to get out hunting 3 times and am happy to report that there are 15 less birds in the bush.

That's the good news. The not so good news is that I picked up a stomach bug and spent half the past 2 nights tossing and turning. Then at 4am, it happened . And again around 7am.

I pulled up my big boy panties and finished packing up food and dealt with the water system. I had already run antifreeze through yesterday but decided last night that if needed, I could manually dump a 5 gallon pail of water down the toilet and re drain  the black tank. Yah, lots of fun when you're fighting a bug. She who must be obeyed wants to go back to do a final sweep so I wasn't concerned about getting everything.

It's an hour drive but I had to pull over on the way home for a 10 min power nap.


----------



## m1west

Drove 1.5 hours to do a job at a plant, gate was locked, called everyone I have numbers for with no answers. I waited an hour, about the time I got back to the shop they called??


----------



## FrancSevin

After spending a week building a ship cradle, and then driving the boat from Dallas TX to Springfield MO, I took time off from work to 
build this rock trail to the new house.


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> After spending a week building a ship cradle, and then driving the boat from Dallas TX to Springfield MO, I took time off from work to
> build this rock trail to the new house.
> 
> 
> View attachment 155778


And soon as you get the boat off the trailer, you can repurpose the cradle into something around there too. Looking good.


----------



## FrancSevin

m1west said:


> And soon as you get the boat off the trailer, you can repurpose the cradle into something around there too. Looking good.


That's very true. Most of the lumber is 8' 2X4 or 2X6's 
Just un-screw it and _walla_, $350 worth of usable lumber.  With screws attached!

However, if I need to, I can easily repurpose the parts to cradle the 30 foot Bahama Islander.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Took the day off today. Tomorrow will be busy, and Thursday will be more of the same. I've got to take my work truck to the shop when I'm finished for the week. It needs new front and possibly rear brake pads, and a new front tire on my side. 

Afterwards, I'm going to my dad's house to do a little cleaning. He's better than he was physically, but still a little fuzzy memory-wise. While we both have a business meeting next Monday afternoon, I don't want to go myself (it's later in the day shortly after I've finished) but I'm happy that he is. He needs to get out more.


----------



## FrancSevin

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> Took the day off today. Tomorrow will be busy, and Thursday will be more of the same. I've got to take my work truck to the shop when I'm finished for the week. It needs new front and possibly rear brake pads, and a new front tire on my side.
> 
> Afterwards, I'm going to my dad's house to do a little cleaning. He's better than he was physically, but still a little fuzzy memory-wise. While we both have a business meeting next Monday afternoon, I don't want to go myself (it's later in the day shortly after I've finished) but I'm happy that he is. He needs to get out more.


The older one gets, the less they want to do.  Truth is, one should do more.

_"Purpose, Life must have."_
yoda


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

FrancSevin said:


> The older one gets, the less they want to do.  Truth is, one should do more.
> 
> _"Purpose, Life must have."_
> yoda


I know. He'll be 68 tomorrow and he's been working since he was 10. He's more than entitled to rest. But he used to be so active up until my mother died and his divorce a few years later. So many things happened, I just feel as if it broke him. He just doesn't have the motivation for anything anymore. I just want him around for a long time to come, still.


----------



## FrancSevin

I we don't have a little something to live for, we live very little and not very long.

I hope his mood improves.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Thanks. Me too.


----------



## Gary O'

Melensdad said:


> Are you using recycled wood from old fences? And branches that you find/cut? What type of finish are you applying? I'd love to see more more detailed photos.





Gary O' said:


> The front and back walls, and floor are from Home Depot's cedar fence boards
> The sides are cedar underlayment shakes
> The whimsically twisty 'branches' are actually roots from blow over lodgepole pine trees
> I have plenty up at the cabin
> 
> The finish is liberally applied linseed oil
> Birds aren't offended by it
> 
> I do feather the rises of the grain with a dark stain
> 
> I'll take photos in stages next build


Started one today

Here's some pics;

I center on knotholes or features that will encompass the entry hole in halo or ray like features from the raised grain
		
		
	


	







Then I select the roots from those collected from my cabin property









It's a pretty tough call, since what I settle on will sacrifice some of the unique twists when cutting to fit

I drill a very small entry....for small birds





and bevel the ridges to a smooth edge






I buy the flap wheels 20 at a time
About a buck apiece
Beats the local hardware stores at around $8 each





I feather the raised grain with a dark stain
Creating halos and rays around the entry





I use a block of wood to create the right sized room





Then the wall adventure
Getting whimsical  with cuts and shapes











I'll post more pics tomorrow


----------



## FrancSevin

My son's wife is losing her battle with pancreatic cancer.  I have tobuild a ramp so she can be wheelchair into our home in Springfield MO.

$500 worth of materials and a few days of labour. Just for a few weeks of comfortable access.
Fortunately, I can repurpose the ramp as a front porch at Hippie Ridge


----------



## Melensdad

Today is the day I do some sealcoating and asphalt patching.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Sorry to hear that franc. 

I went to the city to pick up a reverse osmosis water filtration system for the house then came back home to continue working on the house garage. Since we moved in, it's been a mess and a catch all. We've been working on it all summer to get organized. My wife's ford expedition is now parked in it. But I have a pressing reason to get it done as we're at a point with sorting through things of dad's that his toolbox and a few hand tools are left and we need a place to put them as mom's place is up for sale. Since my son will eventually inherit them, it makes sense to move them here. And I'm talking a fully stocked 5ft tall toolbox full of higher end tools dad used when he owned logging trucks.


----------



## Gary O'

Gary O' said:


> I'll post more pics tomorrow


Finished it

Not unhappy with it












Happy with the grain highlights


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> My son's wife is losing her battle with pancreatic cancer.  I have tobuild a ramp so she can be wheelchair into our home in Springfield MO.
> 
> $500 worth of materials and a few days of labour. Just for a few weeks of comfortable access.
> Fortunately, I can repurpose the ramp as a front porch at Hippie Ridge


Sorry to your family, especially you daughter in law. No one deserves, that especially family.


----------



## tiredretired

Ran errands and washed my truck.  18 years old today. The truck, not me.     180,000 miles and runs like a top.


----------



## Lenny

Going to the gym this morning.  They're having a presentation about human trafficking here on October 11.  I've taken it on myself to get flyers out all over town to invite people....I'll probably call the police chief because he's had some great ideas on where to take them.  Later I have a VFW meeting and then a conservative political meeting.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I've been focusing on the attached garage this week trying to get it organized. Part of the process was building a storage shelf. Perfect for storage of totes and paint cans and other garage items we don't want to freeze. This garage has infloor heating while the shop is mainly wood.


----------



## Melensdad

The dogs, long ago, chewed up some weather stripping on one of our sliding patio doors.  So after several years of looking at it, the lovely Mrs_Bob ordered some *"E-Z Install"* replacement weather stip.  Let me just say that there is a lot of *FALSE ADVERTISING* in the product description.  I gave up on installing it after about 30 minutes.  Tried stuffing it into the track with my fingers, a screwdriver, a hammer, and caulk removal tool and a lot of swearing.  After hurting myself and barely getting back up off the ground, I called it quits.  There is no way that new weather strip is getting installed.  

I ordered a different type with Prime delivery, should arrive tomorrow.  I'm both too old, and too crabby, to spend hours trying to do a 5 minute task.


----------



## FrancSevin

FrancSevin said:


> My son's wife is losing her battle with pancreatic cancer.  I have tobuild a ramp so she can be wheelchair into our home in Springfield MO.
> 
> $500 worth of materials and a few days of labour. Just for a few weeks of comfortable access.
> Fortunately, I can repurpose the ramp as a front porch at Hippie Ridge


Well, they took her to hospital tonight.  Doc says she won't be coming home.  So this weekend is a vigil in Springfield.  
And
I suspect the "ramp" will just be delivered to Hippie Ridge.

Sad times.


----------



## Melensdad

FrancSevin said:


> Well, they took her to hospital tonight.  Doc says she won't be coming home.  So this weekend is a vigil in Springfield.
> And
> I suspect the "ramp" will just be delivered to Hippie Ridge.
> 
> Sad times.


Sorry to hear this news.  My mom had cancer, twice.  Finally wasted away.  It would have been a blessing if she had gone quickly, but she lingered on.  A fate I would never wish upon anyone.  I hope she goes peacefully, and quickly and I pray for your whole family.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I watched two of my grandparents pass from cancer and one wither away for years losing one limb at a time to diabetes. It's never easy and those that are closest to the person are left on the sidelines powerless to do anything about it. I pray for comfort for you and your family going through this.

It's Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend. Normally we would be at camp but we decided to close up last weekend for the Season. We still need to go out one more time to do a final sweep of the camper and pull in the slides. But we're home this weekend hosting Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. Tonight though, we're hosting a drop in bonfire for anyone who wants to come. So I'll be out trimming grass around the firepit area and getting wood ready.  I already mowed yesterday then used the tow behind lawn sweeper to clean up the lawn clippings. Mowing is pretty much done for the year but I'll still be going at it with the lawn sweeper for a couple weeks cleaning up fallen leaves. Plus the annual fall changeover of pulling the batteries from the boat and storing it and hauling out the snowmobiles for winter


----------



## tiredretired

Nothing.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Just a small campfire in the back yard.


----------



## Ross 650

NorthernRedneck said:


> Just a small campfire in the back yard.
> 
> 
> View attachment 155970


That is mighty purty!!!!


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

FrancSevin said:


> Well, they took her to hospital tonight.  Doc says she won't be coming home.  So this weekend is a vigil in Springfield.
> And
> I suspect the "ramp" will just be delivered to Hippie Ridge.
> 
> Sad times.


Sorry to hear, Franc.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Ross 650 said:


> That is mighty purty!!!!



Thx. Here's another one just to give perspective on how big it was.


----------



## chowderman

. . . how big . . . 

did that once for the kids, big big biggie bonfire....
they had a ball.
softened/sagged the vinyl siding . . . which I had no ball fixing . . .


----------



## Melensdad

NorthernRedneck said:


> Thx. Here's another one just to give perspective on how big it was.
> 
> View attachment 155999


This is what our last one looked like. 

Burned for 2 days.


----------



## FrancSevin

Weekend work and campfire, Hippie Ridge


























My rock guy did not deliver three loads of ballast rock, so I could not assemble the entire 36 feet of deck across the front of the cabin.

Once done this 5'X 36' deck will suffice for a season whilst we finish the interior.  The two windows will be replaced by patio window/doors, bringing light into the two main rooms.  
Next year this deck will be repurposed to the back of the house, and a new 12' X 36' permanent deck will be erected.

If you look closely at the roof, one can see the damage done at delivery.


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> Weekend work and campfire, Hippie Ridge
> View attachment 156018
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 156019
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 156020
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 156021
> 
> 
> My rock guy did not deliver three loads of ballast rock, so I could not assemble the entire 36 feet of deck across the front of the cabin.
> 
> Once done this 5'X 36' deck will suffice for a season whilst we finish the interior.  The two windows will be replaced by patio window/doors, bringing light into the two main rooms.
> Next year this deck will be repurposed to the back of the house, and a new 12' X 36' permanent deck will be erected.
> 
> If you look closely at the roof, one can see the damage done at delivery.


Lookin good Franc, after you fix your ruffled eve, you caught up to where I am after 3 years of remodeling, in a couple days.


----------



## FrancSevin

The interior is a blank canvass.

I cannot wait to get started.


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> The interior is a blank canvass.
> 
> I cannot wait to get started.


Im leaving mine an open floor plan,  the bathroom is closed in, with only 850 sq feet to play with ,including the loft and the bathroom, there isn't much left and would be closterfobic to me if I divided it up further. Im doing 4" wide v groove t&g cedar on the walls and Pergo wood look on the floor. The first plan was tile, but I'm afraid the floor isn't up to it without cracking at some point. Also the temperature up there from summer around 90 on some days to -15 on some winter days, I already noticed the bathroom door closes as it should in the summer ( I installed it in the summer ) but in winter it is tight when you close it.  Have you decided on your interior or still in than planning/dreaming stage?


----------



## J5 Bombardier

My wife wants to get into maple syrup game , for a project when she retires in a year from now. I get to be her "assistant"  this spring, I guess... and I don't really care for the stuff , but I'm game to collect the sap with a J5 and trailer.
               So  we started a 10x16ft "Sugar Shack'' at the end of august, old hydro poles, new tin mismatched on the roof and 110 plus year old tin on the walls that my great grandfather bought in 1910 to build a barn , and a few barn beams for the frame. Finished the windows today , have to install the chimney and door  , the rest is inside work for later , just glad it's done before the weather  takes a turn.
                             J5 Bombardier


----------



## FrancSevin

J5 Bombardier said:


> My wife wants to get into maple syrup game , for a project when she retires in a year from now. I get to be her "assistant"  this spring, I guess... and I don't really care for the stuff , but I'm game to collect the sap with a J5 and trailer.
> So  we started a 10x16ft "Sugar Shack'' at the end of august, old hydro poles, new tin mismatched on the roof and 110 plus year old tin on the walls that my great grandfather bought in 1910 to build a barn , and a few barn beams for the frame. Finished the windows today , have to install the chimney and door  , the rest is inside work for later , just glad it's done before the weather  takes a turn.
> J5 Bombardier


That looks so good.  All you need now is Maple sap and customers.

Maple syrup?

Where are you?


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Drove out to camp to finish closing up for the season and haul the golf cart home. Then I moved the fifth wheel to it's winter storage spot after winterizing the water system.


----------



## FrancSevin

m1west said:


> Im leaving mine an open floor plan,  the bathroom is closed in, with only 850 sq feet to play with ,including the loft and the bathroom, there isn't much left and would be closterfobic to me if I divided it up further. Im doing 4" wide v groove t&g cedar on the walls and Pergo wood look on the floor. The first plan was tile, but I'm afraid the floor isn't up to it without cracking at some point. Also the temperature up there from summer around 90 on some days to -15 on some winter days, I already noticed the bathroom door closes as it should in the summer ( I installed it in the summer ) but in winter it is tight when you close it.  Have you decided on your interior or still in than planning/dreaming stage?


Ours will be a semi open floor plan.  Cabin structure is 32'X14' interior space. Vaulted ceiling throughout.

We are only putting three spaces in the Cabin.  A 12 X 14 bedroom with one wall of cabinets and a queen bed built in. All done in Cherry, currently in storage. We may install two closets in the open corners each 3'X2.' A demising wall will house French doors to allow light, air, and lend an openness to the entrance foyer.

A main foyer 8 feet by 10 with a double patio door on the east wall and a slab glass front door with side lights on the west wall.  There is a front porch built in the west wall that is 8 X 4.

The last 12 X 14 feet will be the living space with a wood burning  Heatilator fireplace.  It's face will be flush to the outside wall. Distribution fans will be 12 volt.

The bath house will be some 14 feet away to the south. currently it is an 8' X 12' shed with crude facilities.  It will be expanded to 16' X 12 and house a full bath, tub and shower, toilet and vanity plus,,,full laundry services.  All within 16' X 8' leaving a 4 foot wide X 16' utility room housing power, electrical distribution, water pump, 30-gallon electric water heater, and a 260-gallon (or more) reserve freshwater tank in the attic. This tank will allow gravity flow for toilets and sink during power outages.

In that 14 feet, between the two buildings, I will have a deck that later can be converted to a kitchen with an iron cookstove, for heat and survival cooking, plus a modern set of electric appliances.

Eventually all will be under one roof with dual power of 12 volt DC and 110 volt AC throughout

I already have windows and doors purchased to do all of this. Also we have the bath fixtures.  It is just a matter of carpentry, electrical,  and plumbing. The Pergo wood flooring will likely be engineered click/lock stuff.  Put down before any walls are set.

That's the plan


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> Ours will be a semi open floor plan.  Cabin structure is 32'X14' interior space. Vaulted ceiling throughout.
> 
> We are only putting three spaces in the Cabin.  A 12 X 14 bedroom with one wall of cabinets and a queen bed built in. All done in Cherry, currently in storage. We may install two closets in the open corners each 3'X2.' A demising wall will house French doors to allow light, air, and lend an openness to the entrance foyer.
> 
> A main foyer 8 feet by 10 with a double patio door on the east wall and a slab glass front door with side lights on the west wall.  There is a front porch built in the west wall that is 8 X 4.
> 
> The last 12 X 14 feet will be the living space with a wood burning  Heatilator fireplace.  It's face will be flush to the outside wall. Distribution fans will be 12 volt.
> 
> The bath house will be some 14 feet away to the south. currently it is an 8' X 12' shed with crude facilities.  It will be expanded to 16' X 12 and house a full bath, tub and shower, toilet and vanity plus,,,full laundry services.  All within 16' X 8' leaving a 4 foot wide X 16' utility room housing power, electrical distribution, water pump, 30-gallon electric water heater, and a 260-gallon (or more) reserve freshwater tank in the attic. This tank will allow gravity flow for toilets and sink during power outages.
> 
> In that 14 feet, between the two buildings, I will have a deck that later can be converted to a kitchen with an iron cookstove, for heat and survival cooking, plus a modern set of electric appliances.
> 
> Eventually all will be under one roof with dual power of 12 volt DC and 110 volt AC throughout
> 
> I already have windows and doors purchased to do all of this. Also we have the bath fixtures.  It is just a matter of carpentry, electrical,  and plumbing. The Pergo wood flooring will likely be engineered click/lock stuff.  Put down before any walls are set.
> 
> That's the plan


Well young man, sounds like you have put plenty of thought into it, you got the talking part done. Now its the labor of love part.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Sounds like it will be a nice place once you're done. 

I had all these great plans to head out hunting this morning. We went to bed at 11pm and by midnight I was up back and forth to the bathroom pretty much every hour. Sick again. I was just sick with the flu 2 weeks ago. Round 2 is in full force. Flaming liquid shooting out of me arse all night. Ugh.


----------



## m1west

NorthernRedneck said:


> Sounds like it will be a nice place once you're done.
> 
> I had all these great plans to head out hunting this morning. We went to bed at 11pm and by midnight I was up back and forth to the bathroom pretty much every hour. Sick again. I was just sick with the flu 2 weeks ago. Round 2 is in full force. Flaming liquid shooting out of me arse all night. Ugh.


I just got over some 3 day constipation with nausea, I would have gladly traded you


----------



## FrancSevin

m1west said:


> Well young man, sounds like you have put plenty of thought into it, you got the talking part done. Now its the labor of love part.


Thanks.

Hell, I'm tired from just describing the project.

But it will be fun and rewarding.


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> Thanks.
> 
> Hell, I'm tired from just describing the project.
> 
> But it will be fun and rewarding.


I agree, when it starts becoming WORK, its time to lay off it for a while. seems I always have several projects going at the same time. The change of scenery is necessary at times.


----------



## FrancSevin

I have projects, in progress, at our St Peter's Home. So yes, I get a change of scenery.

Always something to start, do, or finish.


----------



## Nort Woods

Franc & M1,
Your plans sound great! A person needs their “escape to” place. I hope everything turns out exactly how you envision it. 
Dave


----------



## Lenny

Went to the Grotto Of Redemption in West Bend, Iowa:


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Pouring rain and a thunderstorm this morning. My tummy is still doing backflips. That kind of day I guess.


----------



## Nort Woods

Lenny said:


> Went to the Grotto Of Redemption in West Bend, Iowa:
> 
> View attachment 156063
> 
> View attachment 156064
> 
> 
> View attachment 156065
> 
> 
> View attachment 156066
> 
> View attachment 156067


That is beautiful Lenny. Looks like it would be in Europe someplace. LOL!


----------



## FrancSevin

The wife (AKA CRUMPY) is in Springfield this week doing a rehab on our bungalow house after our son's occupation.

Looking pretty good after along hard day.


----------



## Lenny

Nort Woods said:


> That is beautiful Lenny. Looks like it would be in Europe someplace. LOL!


The Priest who started this was from Germany.  He was asked to relocate to West Bend, Iowa as a translator.


----------



## 300 H and H

Nice place to visit Lenny. It has been too many years since I was there. 

We got finished with the soybean harvest, today we start on corn.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

NorthernRedneck said:


> Pouring rain and a thunderstorm this morning. My tummy is still doing backflips. That kind of day I guess.


Well holy f--- if I didn't get a bunch of smaller jobs done around the house after a run to the city this morning to pick up a few things. I installed an additional ceiling light downstairs the other day. Today I ran additional wiring to underneath the staircase and installed a single bulb light with a pull cord as it's a fully enclosed closet with a door. Then I worked in the house garage installing an air compressor hose reel for my smaller compressor. Might as well have a fully set up shop in the heated garage for the winter. While supper was cooking on the bbq, I tarped up the gazebo over the hottub for the winter. We use it throughout the winter so a covered  gazebo is nice. Even only tarping 3 sides helps retain the heat and keeps the snow and wind out. After supper I started removing ceiling panels downstairs in preparation for running a water line for a reverse osmosis system going to both the refrigerator and the kitchen sink. A new hole will be required in the quartz countertop. We moved here in 2019 and have done some larger renovations since then. Now I'm working on the smaller improvements around the house.


----------



## Melensdad

Something totally crazy happened to me today.

Purdue University sent me a contract to become the official fencing coach for their fencing team.  It is a 1 season contract.  I'm actually pretty shocked.  Never expect that.  Everything I've been doing with them has been unofficial, acting as a 'guest coach' but this gives me some nice perks.  

And if someone would have said, 20 years ago, that I would be a collegiate fencing coach, I would have asked them:  "_what is fencing?_" because 20 years ago I had no real idea other than what I saw every 4th year on the Olympics.


----------



## FrancSevin

Fencing? How hard is it to put posts in the ground and connect them with chain wire?    
Just kiddig.


You have apparently convinced somebody that you know what you are doing.

Congrats and, Keep up the good work.


----------



## m1west

Melensdad said:


> Something totally crazy happened to me today.
> 
> Purdue University sent me a contract to become the official fencing coach for their fencing team.  It is a 1 season contract.  I'm actually pretty shocked.  Never expect that.  Everything I've been doing with them has been unofficial, acting as a 'guest coach' but this gives me some nice perks.
> 
> And if someone would have said, 20 years ago, that I would be a collegiate fencing coach, I would have asked them:  "_what is fencing?_" because 20 years ago I had no real idea other than what I saw every 4th year on the Olympics.


Now you got a job, snatched out of retirement.


----------



## m1west

Just got done exercising the pony and giving him his pain med. Yesterday he got un studded. Month or two he should be easier to get along with


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I took a break from working around the house to head out hunting. The temps were a couple degrees above freezing with a bit of snow and rain. Plenty of birds out. I covered around 80 miles today.


----------



## FrancSevin

Once again headed for Hippie Ridge. 
Hopefully the rock guy got a few loads out there for me.

The minivan is loaded to the roof with furniture and stuff for the new cabin.
I didn't want to put a thing in it until we got some wiring and insulation up but winter is coming, and we will need the shelter.

See ya after the weekend.


----------



## Melensdad

Sanded and stained the front door of the house.

Installed a new lever handle on the front door, it replaces a regular door knob.

Installed a new deadbolt that has a fingerprint sensor, allows up to 50 people to be entered into the lock database, 2 fingerprints per person.  Access for each of those trusted people can be limited to specific times, totally disabled, or restricted to using a physical key.  I get notified every time the lock is opened, I can lock/unlock it remotely, etc etc etc.  Pretty slick system.  Does not require a house "smart hub" or "alexa" or any of that other crap.

I still have to varnish the door.  But I wanted to change the lockset and the weather was good for staining, so I got part of the project done.  Plenty more to do.


----------



## chowderman

if there is no cable/wire from the door lock to your home computer, it's going wireless over a home network.
most home networks are so insecure, the issue is no longer publicly debated/discussed.


----------



## Melensdad

Going up to Chicago to have an early birthday dinner.  Spanish tapas.  Looking forward to it.  




chowderman said:


> if there is no cable/wire from the door lock to your home computer, *it's going wireless over a home network.
> most home networks are so insecure, *the issue is no longer publicly debated/discussed.


That is true. 

But as my in home network doesn't reach off my property someone would have to drive up to my front door to hack into it.  My alarm system is not on my network.  My camera system is not on my network.  Thief wants in, my house has 28 windows on the back side of the house, probably a lot easier to toss a landscape block through a window than the kick in a door.  And kicking in a door is a pretty easy task.

Biggest myth in home security is that a thief can't kick through 98% of the residential doors/locks installed on homes today.   Even with 3" screws, etc, there is always a weak point.  And if the front door is exposed or looks like it might be a hardened target, thieves will find a patio door, side window, back window, etc.


----------



## m1west




----------



## m1west

I just got this off my trail cam sent to my phone from the cabin. Does the deer appear have only 3 legs to you?


----------



## chowderman

left hind hoof is up - the photo shoots at the bottom of the hoof....


----------



## pirate_girl

The poor thing looks like it's been injured.


----------



## FrancSevin

Melensdad said:


> Sanded and stained the front door of the house.
> 
> Installed a new lever handle on the front door, it replaces a regular door knob.
> 
> Installed a new deadbolt that has a fingerprint sensor, allows up to 50 people to be entered into the lock database, 2 fingerprints per person.  Access for each of those trusted people can be limited to specific times, totally disabled, or restricted to using a physical key.  I get notified every time the lock is opened, I can lock/unlock it remotely, etc etc etc.  Pretty slick system.  Does not require a house "smart hub" or "alexa" or any of that other crap.
> 
> I still have to varnish the door.  But I wanted to change the lockset and the weather was good for staining, so I got part of the project done.  Plenty more to do.


All my doors have lever handles. Inside and out.  Much easier to open when your hands are full.
 funny thing though. My grandson's cat can open a round handle door but has yet to learn the handle doorknob since moving in from Connecticutt.

Weird.


----------



## Melensdad

Spent the day coaching the Purdue Fencing Club on campus


----------



## NorthernRedneck

My arms are now about 3" longer than they were. Lol. I went out with a couple of the scouts leaders to clear a 3 mile trail in to our cabin yesterday. I was carrying 2 chainsaws. We're not talking a nice flat easy trail either. All bedrock with hills and swamps in the low sections.  We have a camp next weekend for the kids out there and didn't want to be spending half the time cutting our way into the camp. We only encountered a few trees down on the trail but there were a couple near the cabin that needed to come down.


----------



## Melensdad

Woke up to some serious rheumatoid arthritis pain this morning. Joints all over my body hurt, even my hands and fingers. R.A. sucks. I was diagnosed at age 24, so been dealing with it for almost 40 years. Mostly well controlled. But some days suck.  I coach at the high school today, that could be fun???

Yesterday was coaching at Purdue.  This pain is not muscle pain from coaching/giving lessons.  This is much worse.

The lovely Mrs_Bob is on the way to the doctor with Kobe for a follow up visit to his cold/cough.  He is getting better, but it still lingers.  He acts fine, plenty of energy, just a lingering cough.  He goes to 'school' (daycare) after the doctor, then will come back home to us afterwards because his grandmother is still sick.  He is fun to have around but we've had him for 10 or 11 straight days and honestly I could use a rest!  

Since the start of the school year we have been gettin Kobe on Friday and we drop him off at daycare on Monday morning so we have the weekdays to recover!!!


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Physio this morning then I stopped by a used car lot to check out a couple vehicles. Took them each for a test drive. First, for me. A '17 ram 2500 with a 5.7 hemi. Not as many options as my current '17 f150 but I can at least mount a plow for the winter as well as being able to tow both the fifth wheel and boat behind. My f150 is a touch light for it despite having the power.




The second is a downsize for her. When currently have a '18 ford expedition. It's been great with plenty of power to pull the camper and fit our 5 kids. The thing is, we don't foresee ever traveling with the bigger ball hitch camper again as we also have an older fifth wheel which tows so much nicer and fits everyone. She still wants to be able to transport kids. We don't need to be able to tow 8000lbs anymore bit still want to have the option of towing the boat. We also want 4x4. The same dealership also has an '18 vw atlas. Nice midsized suv that seats 7. Can tow 5000lbs. And should be better on gas than the expedition. I was impressed. No decision has been made yet as we're doing the numbers dance. We should come out about even as far as dollars goes.


----------



## Melensdad

62nd birthday and opened a new bottle of O.F. Birthday Bourbon.  It is released 1 time a year, typically mid-late September.  Been opening a new bottle every year for many years.  This stuff is considered expensive, rare and scarce now but it used to be pretty common and modestly priced.  Local shop saves me a bottle every year, charges me MSRP but I’ve seen this for $1200/bottle elsewhere!?!


----------



## FrancSevin

NorthernRedneck said:


> Physio this morning then I stopped by a used car lot to check out a couple vehicles. Took them each for a test drive. First, for me. A '17 ram 2500 with a 5.7 hemi. Not as many options as my current '17 f150 but I can at least mount a plow for the winter as well as being able to tow both the fifth wheel and boat behind. My f150 is a touch light for it despite having the power.
> View attachment 156322
> 
> The second is a downsize for her. When currently have a '18 ford expedition. It's been great with plenty of power to pull the camper and fit our 5 kids. The thing is, we don't foresee ever traveling with the bigger ball hitch camper again as we also have an older fifth wheel which tows so much nicer and fits everyone. She still wants to be able to transport kids. We don't need to be able to tow 8000lbs anymore bit still want to have the option of towing the boat. We also want 4x4. The same dealership also has an '18 vw atlas. Nice midsized suv that seats 7. Can tow 5000lbs. And should be better on gas than the expedition. I was impressed. No decision has been made yet as we're doing the numbers dance. We should come out about even as far as dollars goes.
> 
> View attachment 156323


My experience, you won't go wrong with a RAM but that HEMI will guzzle gas.

It is really hard to go wrong with any VW made today.

Frankly, as much as I favor the RAM trucks ( I own three of them), the VW would be my choice in your situation.


----------



## Melensdad

Yesterday the lovely Mrs_Bob found some bulk packs of bone-in pork loin for 99-cents a pound.

Today I put 2 nice size loins in the smoker.  One with a garlic/bourbon/maple dry rub.  The other with a maple/brown sugar dry rub.  Took them out and wrapped them in foil when they hit 140 degrees internal temp, which is on the rare side for pork, but considered safe.  Since we have Kobe in the house we have been doing a lot of heat and eat meals, meal prep, etc.  Smaller one will likely be dinner, the larger one will likely be frozen and used for a thaw and warm future meal.

I was planning to do some crack sealing of the driveway this afternoon but just too sore to do that today.  Hoping that tomorrow works out better and I can get it done.  Unseasonably warm temps predicted for tomorrow so that works in my favor too.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I had planned to go back to cut some firewood this morning until she who must be obeyed gave me the suggestion that I go hunting. Decision made!  Hunting it is. I put on 100km on the side by side and around 80km on the truck getting to and from the area I went hunting down.


----------



## m1west

NorthernRedneck said:


> I had planned to go back to cut some firewood this morning until she who must be obeyed gave me the suggestion that I go hunting. Decision made!  Hunting it is. I put on 100km on the side by side and around 80km on the truck getting to and from the area I went hunting down. View attachment 156404


Before long you will be traveling 1000's of km, looking for birds, I'm pretty sure your taking them faster than they can hatch. Never go hunting with Northern Red Neck unless you like to be humiliated. This guy has taken more birds in the last couple years that I've been here than I've seen, let alone shot.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

It's unreal the amount of birds out there this year. I saw 12 before getting my first one today. Minutes later, 2 more. I saw over 20 birds today. I figure that I'm only 45 and have the luxury of free time to myself throughout the week, I may as well put some miles on the side by side exploring a whole new to me area to hunt.


----------



## Lenny

Gym and then I had coffee friend this morning with a friend and his wife.  I went to the Moose Lodge, which I'm a member of and then over to a bar.  Interesting that lady came in and sat next to me with her fiance.  Her fiance was in the Navy and so was I.  Her dad was in the Military so she calls herself a Military brat.  Her dad is the sheriff and I know him from the VFW and some other events.  Ended up being a very nice conversation.  Now I'm home.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Waiting to get my iPhone 13 serviced. I've had it since January and the battery inexplicably died this morning - and it's a business phone no less. I had no choice but to come back for a little while until a dealer opens up in an hour. Gotta love Monday


----------



## NorthernRedneck

It's a pd day for all schools so the kids are home. She is still working though so it's my job to keep them quiet. I had planned on putting them to work piling firewood while I cut more however a 7am thunderstorm kinda made things wet outside.


----------



## Lenny

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> Waiting to get my iPhone 13 serviced. I've had it since January and the battery inexplicably died this morning - and it's a business phone no less. I had no choice but to come back for a little while until a dealer opens up in an hour. Gotta love Monday


Who is your carrier?


----------



## FrancSevin

Suffering shoulder pain from installing insulation bats into the ceiling of the Hippie Ridge cabin. No pictures sorry.

The bats were precut R-13 for the stud walls.  But since the roof rafters are 2X4's on 116" centers, and the eave to peak was 91", the precut bats worked perfectly.  Just hard to work into the trusses. I used a mechanical staple gun hence the sore hands and shoulders.

Next week we do the walls leaving a few areas open for wiring and new doors and windows.

The back wall has none and we will be installing a double slab glass door and two floor to ceiling windows.  Later the small front windows (cheap, single pane crap) with two 60" X 78" sliders.  I hope to get that done by Thanksgiving.

I still have no answer about replacing the damaged roof panels.  The roof does not leak but the front eaves are totally destroyed. I did have to resecure the rafters to the top plates.  I also added hurricane clips to keep the roof on during high winds.  Amazing little pieces of bent metal that cost less than a buck and will often hold the building together in a tornado or earthquake. I never build without them.

This week at home, I plan to finish the roofing over the new deck.  At least painting and installing the rafters.  I can cover with a tarp temporarily. Next, much needed yard work with all the leaves and overgrown ivy in the flower beds.

Busy is good right?


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Sounds like you have your work cut out for you. 

So far I spent an hour searching for my wallet this morning. Even went and searched all 3 vehicles I was in yesterday. Eventually found it in a dresser drawer it fell in last night. Voted in our municipal election. Easy online voting. Took 2 minutes. 

We put in an application for a puppy from a rescue yesterday. One of the adoption conditions is that we must have a vet already in place and have an appointment  booked for the second round of vaccines as none of the vet clinics in the city are accepting new clients. So we called our vet and got that done. Now we wait. They already said the pups can't go to new homes until October 29th.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Lenny said:


> Who is your carrier?


AT&T. They’re completely useless.


----------



## FrancSevin

Just talked with my rock guy.  I've been trying to get three 12-ton loads of ballast and minus rock out to Hippie Ridge for a month now. Need it to shore up the house foundation and set my retaining wall of "H" blocks. I fear he will deliver when the fall rain starts thus making it impossible for me not to make a huge mess moving rock with my Backhoe,

Later, I will need two more 12-ton loads of ballast for the barn site.

He says I'll have it by the weekend.


yeah right!


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> Just talked with my rock guy.  I've been trying to get three 12-ton loads of ballast and minus rock out to Hippie Ridge for a month now. Need it to shore up the house foundation and set my retaining wall of "H" blocks. I fear he will deliver when the fall rain starts thus making it impossible for me not to make a huge mess moving rock with my Backhoe,
> 
> Later, I will need two more 12-ton loads of ballast for the barn site.
> 
> He says I'll have it by the weekend.
> 
> 
> yeah right!


I think nowadays getting what you paid for costs extra.


----------



## Lenny

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> AT&T. They’re completely useless.


I use US Cellular because they have good customer service.   Verizon did away with helping their clients transferring data to new phones so I told them to shove it.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Lenny said:


> I use US Cellular because they have good customer service.   Verizon did away with helping their clients transferring data to new phones so I told them to shove it.


I need to tell AT&T where to stick it, but I’ve fixed it for now on my own. I’m still going to need to run it by and see what the issue is. But it had no functionality of any kind for hours today.


----------



## Melensdad

Saturday we took Kobe to the Hesston Steam Museum where they run several different steam engines around their 190 acre property.  Had a great time looking at the old equipment; the steam sawmill was not operating but the blacksmiths were hard at work too.  Kobe was active, happy, running around and playing.  Drove into New Buffalo, MI for a late lunch/early dinner and Kobe started to get a fever.  Vomited on the dinner table at the restaurant.  Headed for the nearest Walgreens as he was starting to feel really warm.  Picked up baby ibuprofen and gave him a dose.  Drove toward home and saw a "doc in a box" that was closing in 10 minutes so we pulled in and they were kind enough to tell us they really were not equipped to help him, but they did take his temperature.  103.5.  We were about a mile from the hospital in Michigan City so off we went to the emergency room . . . which was PACKED and standing room only. . . back into the car and off to the urgent care facility in Chesterton . . . basically heading back toward home and hoping to find a place that could help him.  Got lucky, the urgent care facility was nearly empty and the took him right in for an exam, ran tests, RSV came back positive.  Then he started to do some stomach contractions and belly breathing.  Those put him into the children's hospital with long ambulance rides 2 prior times but we they immediately put him on an albuterol breathing treatment, then we sat for a few hours, breathing returned to normal and they released him.  

We have a nebulizer at home, with albuterol and know the drill.  Needless to say it has been an exhausting few days but he is doing better.


----------



## Lenny

Went to a Kiwanis meeting at noon, two cavities filled at two o'clock and a meeting at the Moose Lodge early this evening.   That's about all.


----------



## m1west

Just got done vacuum packing a bunch of ribeye's and trips tip. Local IGA grocer has meat sales each week. 
This week was ribeye- $12.99 # and Tri tip- $5.99 # topped off the garage freezer again. They said in a couple weeks it will be Fillets, I will be there for those too.


----------



## waybomb

Melonsdad
Have you ever dined at Heston supper club.  It's right down the street from the museum.


----------



## Melensdad

waybomb said:


> Melonsdad
> Have you ever dined at Heston supper club.  It's right down the street from the museum.


Many years ago (decades) but Dasha & I are celebrating our birthdays (both Oct 18, but 41 years apart) this Friday evening and we are debating on Heston Supper Club or the Corndance Tavern in Mishawaka.


----------



## waybomb

Was there the other day.  House cut prime rib. I are the whole thing. Damn.
Bought a tub of their cheddar spread to bring home.  Wife had ribs. 
Was during the week when they weren't busy; a much better experience than on a Friday night.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Hopefully heading back to cut firewood at the back of the property.


----------



## FrancSevin

A soft slow rain today. Much needed but it interrupts my plans to paint the rafters for the new deck. At 16' they are too big to do inside


----------



## Melensdad

No clue what I am doing.

Rain all day.  Glad I finished crack filling and seal coating the driveway before noon yesterday.

Kobe is still sick.  The lovely Mrs_Bob is exhausted.  I'm crabby and tired.  It was chaos in the house at 6:30am but things seem to have calmed down a bit. 

Going to try to get in a workout for about 30 minutes while he is resting.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Bob. If you wanted a workout, it wasn't raining here and I could've used help with the firewood. 

I went to the shop to grab my chainsaws to cut wood. My husky 450 had a problem with the recoil starting rope jamming up. I threw the chain on the electric saw last week and discovered that it mangled the teeth that ride on the bar. So that one was out. My husky 350 started though and cut through two 50ft balsam trees that had fallen. I hauled them back to the shop where I split and piled them inside for the winter. I ended up with a half a face cord. Then I did some yard cleanup putting things away for winter and organized a corner of the shop. It's been a work in progress trying to get it organized.


----------



## pirate_girl

I went to a coffee house/bistro with my number 1 grandbug, Kasey.
She's well into her nursing career (yay!)
It was nice just the two of us chatting about her life, and the direction it's going over paninis, soup and coffees.
Then we took a nice walk along the beautiful paths by the river at Pontiac Park, in Defiance.
Great day.
The leaves are glorious.


----------



## kc3tec

Picked up an antique wood machinist tool box ( gift for my father) today.
nearly pristine shape, made from mahogany.
Manufactured circa 1940.
Absolutely gorgeous.
Will look good to hold his Case collectors edition knives.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Went out hunting with a buddy. Great day.  weather was great for this time of year. Enjoying the extended fall. Got a limit of birds each in 3 hours and headed back after lunch. 

Afterwards my wife and I drove to the city to pick up our new puppy. She's a cutie. This evening was spent adjusting to life with a newborn. Born September 3rd. This is our adopted daughter Hollie cuddling with her.


----------



## Melensdad

Co-birthday dinner with Dasha tonight at Notre Dame.  Both of us have same birthdate, 41 years apart.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Sipping on an occasional whiskey.


----------



## Melensdad

Did some exercising, then a little bit of house cleaning, followed by a trip to town for an oil change, some new wiper blades and a stop at the pharmacy.  Back home to cook dinner and do another workout. 

Kobe is back with grandma today, the lovely Mrs_Bob is suffering with RSV and not feeling well.  I'm trying to pitch in a be helpful.




Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> Sipping on an occasional whiskey.


Just poured a bit now.  In a cocktail.

Boulevardier
1.25oz Whiskey​1oz Campari​1oz Antica sweet vermouth​Couple dashes of Orange Bitters_ (because I'm too lazy to go slice an actual orange)_​


----------



## m1west

just returned from the work cabin


----------



## Melensdad

Visited our daughter in Chicago today.


----------



## FrancSevin

m1west said:


> just returned from the work cabin


Us also.
10:30 PM

Wet weekend.

Finished as much insulation as I could. 

Crumpy assembled a new electric fireplace.
Comes on and off with a thermostat.

The cabin is toasty warm.

She also cleared a bunch of saplings and brush Hogged some old trails back to use.


----------



## FrancSevin

Melensdad said:


> Co-birthday dinner with Dasha tonight at Notre Dame.  Both of us have same birthdate, 41 years apart.
> 
> View attachment 156666


She's awesome.


BTW, you're not gonna lose much weight eating like that.


----------



## Melensdad

FrancSevin said:


> She's awesome.
> 
> 
> BTW, you're not gonna lose much weight eating like that.


I kinda halted progress at that meal Friday night.

But I rarely eat like that.

But I had 2 goals set.  Goal 1, get to 185# by our birthday so I could eat a "guilt free" meal.  I was actually at 179/180# at that meal, so I pretty much crushed my goal.  Mission accomplished!

Goal 2 is 177# by Christmas.  I'm about 180/181# this morning and now back on my routine after going off both the exercise and diet routine for the weekend.  I was very lax on both.

I've also set a 3rd Goal.  160-165# range by January 24, 2023.  Picked the date because it is the lovely Mrs_Bob's birthday, so easy date to remember.  Picked the goal because 177# barely puts me inside "healthy" weight on the BMI scale, but in the 160-165# would set me close to the middle, also puts me inside the healthy range for other 'healthy weight' range scales.


----------



## FrancSevin

Melensdad said:


> I kinda halted progress at that meal Friday night.
> 
> But I rarely eat like that.
> 
> But I had 2 goals set.  Goal 1, get to 185# by our birthday so I could eat a "guilt free" meal.  I was actually at 179/180# at that meal, so I pretty much crushed my goal.  Mission accomplished!
> 
> Goal 2 is 177# by Christmas.  I'm about 180/181# this morning and now back on my routine after going off both the exercise and diet routine for the weekend.  I was very lax on both.
> 
> I've also set a 3rd Goal.  160-165# range by January 24, 2023.  Picked the date because it is the lovely Mrs_Bob's birthday, so easy date to remember.  Picked the goal because 177# barely puts me inside "healthy" weight on the BMI scale, but in the 160-165# would set me close to the middle, also puts me inside the healthy range for other 'healthy weight' range scales.


I'm gonna be here teasing you all the way to your goals.


good work so far.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

The power went out shortly after 6am for a few hrs. I went to fire up the generator and discovered that I had forgotten to refill it. All of my fuel cans are empty so I couldn't run it. I remembered I have a reserve can of fuel on my snowmobile so I grabbed it and filled the generator and started it. 2 minutes later, tge hydro came back on. 

My plan for the day? SFA!  No plans. No errands to run. Just hanging out with the new pup today. She's getting good at going outside with the other dogs already and enjoys playing with Cooper. She's been sleeping throughout the night in a kennel with our older dog Marley who is almost 12. Marley took on the roll of surrogate mother despite never having a litter of her own.  She's all tuckered out from playing hard.


----------



## FrancSevin

Easy day at work.  Just one line running. The other line is short on staff today. So we are piled on the Medical products line.

Me. with nothing I have to do have been taking inventory for equipment i need o haul to Hippie Ridge.

Today I discovered my branch and leaf grinder has been stolen along with a gas power washer.  I have no idea when these items went missing. Add to that a brand new in the box Craftsman lawn mower.

These items may yet exist but, I cannot find them.

I did find a broken Husky lawn mower with repair parts stacked on it.  And a big snow blower.

We have been buying stuff for year with plans for Hippie Ridge.
Two storage buildings, three gazebos kits ( don't ask) and a Bahama Beach bar
A pecan wood @ 5 foot sink base for the kitchen
A metal bathtub (2 actually)
Two toilets.

And, a big 1/3 yard concrete mixing bowl.

Enough odd windows and doors to glaze a three-story building.

Amazing how, over time, that stuff adds up.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

FrancSevin said:


> Easy day at work.  Just one line running. The other line is short on staff today. So we are piled on the Medical products line.
> 
> Me. with nothing I have to do have been taking inventory for equipment i need o haul to Hippie Ridge.
> 
> Today I discovered my branch and leaf grinder has been stolen along with a gas power washer.  I have no idea when these items went missing. Add to that a brand new in the box Craftsman lawn mower.
> 
> These items may yet exist but, I cannot find them.
> 
> I did find a broken Husky lawn mower with repair parts stacked on it.  And a big snow blower.
> 
> We have been buying stuff for year with plans for Hippie Ridge.
> Two storage buildings, three gazebos kits ( don't ask) and a Bahama Beach bar
> A pecan wood @ 5 foot sink base for the kitchen
> A metal bathtub (2 actually)
> Two toilets.
> 
> And, a big 1/3 yard concrete mixing bowl.
> 
> Enough odd windows and doors to glaze a three-story building.
> 
> Amazing how, over time, that stuff adds up.



I'm guilty of that as well. Over the years I've accumulated things that may or may not be useful for something in the future. What usually happens is that it'll sit in the garage with an inch of dust on it for years without me looking at it then I decide to throw it out only to look for a replacement at the store the next week because I need it.


----------



## pirate_girl

Went to dinner with friends.
Relaxing tonight as I'm on 3rd shift all weekend 
My consolation is a piece of pie from the restaurant lol


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Going to check out an estate sale this morning. Playing guitar and singing at church later this afternoon. Playing a new song I've only heard once and I'm leading it. We'll see how that goes. I suppose I should learn it sometime today.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

NorthernRedneck said:


> Going to check out an estate sale this morning. Playing guitar and singing at church later this afternoon. Playing a new song I've only heard once and I'm leading it. We'll see how that goes. I suppose I should learn it sometime today.



Song learnt!  I tried it in the original key and it was too high for my voice. So I dropped it down 2 steps in a different key and it was still too high. So I transposed it to a different key and it works. All things we have to consider when choosing a new song to find a key that works with everyone's voice. 

For this reason, I have a difficult time singing Sunday morning as the typical drawn out hymns are keyed for either soprano or base. Either too high or too low for my voice.


----------



## m1west

Just finished putting a new clutch, pressure plate, throwout bearing and flywheel on my 2015 Nissan Frontier. What a Bit<h. Whoever engineered that vehicle needs to be shot. First clutch pro wanted $2300.00 and a week to do it. Pressure plate, clutch, throwout and tool. $350.00 Not bad. BUT it has a special 2 piece flywheel that threads on line (all of them ) said that if it has more than 80k change it or you will be sorry, so I did at $600.00. What is wrong with a one piece flywheel? Anyway unless you watch a youtube video like I did a couple times a few things would have been ruined and took mush much longer. Inner fender wells and CATS have to come off to access bolts and electrical connections. Yes electrical connections on a manual Transmission ( 5 different connectors WTF ) The whole exhaust has to come off as well as the console in the truck. The rest was normal. But 20 hours of thrashing for a clutch swap? Should have let clutch pro do it. That was the hardest $1300.00 I ever made.


----------



## FrancSevin

Modern cars are designed for efficient "assembly."  Not efficient repairs.


----------



## waybomb

Franc
That's why I like all my Benzes; they are really easy to work on.  Now days,  not so much.


----------



## FrancSevin

waybomb said:


> Franc
> That's why I like all my Benzes; they are really easy to work on.  Now days,  not so much.


All of my pre '91 Benz's came with an owner's tool kit.  What does that tell you?


----------



## FrancSevin

I am mostly recovering today.  My right arm is still on fire.  From what I don't know,
My right leg is suffering sciatica from my broken back.  I haven't had a flare up in years. Again, from what activity, I don't know.
I did a lot of rock work this week-end but the problem was there and intense last week. 
Chiropractor was working on those problems last week.
It hurts to the point of an upset tummy.
Last night, I couldn't drive.

So today, I'm milking it.


----------



## Melensdad

Franc give your body time to recover.


Got Kobe off to day care this morning and the lovely Mrs_Bob and I went out to breakfast.  We have been stopping at various locally owned restaurants on Monday mornings after taking him to day care.  Grandma will pick him up and keep him all week, but we pick him up on Friday afternoons and keep him until Monday morning.  So the restaurant visits have become a bit of a reward after a weekend of chasing a 2 year old around the house.

Did a morning workout on the treadmill before taking Kobe.  Just finished a mid-day resistance band workout.  I'll be leaving for high school fencing practice in about an hour and not back home until about 7:30-8pm this evening.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Went to the city to pick up a grocery order. Came home and unloaded it then headed to the border to pick up a few packages I've had in for a while. Tonight is scouts. We're making fire starters from old egg cartons dryer lint and melted wax.


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> I am mostly recovering today.  My right arm is still on fire.  From what I don't know,
> My right leg is suffering sciatica from my broken back.  I haven't had a flare up in years. Again, from what activity, I don't know.
> I did a lot of rock work this week-end but the problem was there and intense last week.
> Chiropractor was working on those problems last week.
> It hurts to the point of an upset tummy.
> Last night, I couldn't drive.
> 
> So today, I'm milking it.


My sciatic, flares up from carrying heavy things on my right side, like a bucket full of cement or even operating a wheelbarrow that is heavy with lots of trips. Sometimes I can lay on the bed twisting at the waist with legs off the bed in a L shape at the waist. it can take a while but most of the time my back will pop and the pain and leg weakness will go away.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Today is a last ditch effort to finish winterizing everything outside before we get snow starting on Thursday through Sunday. Yes, the dreaded S word. They are calling for 30-45cm. Yay!  I figure if we're going to get winter, might as well bring it on full force and I can actually get outside and do stuff rather than this rain one day snow the next damp cold that only makes a mess of everything.


----------



## pirate_girl

I voted!


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

My dad starts physical therapy this week so I’ve got to sign some paperwork at 11:30. I’m glad he agreed with it and I just hope he sticks with it this time.


----------



## m1west

Jumpin' Jack McDaniels said:


> My dad starts physical therapy this week so I’ve got to sign some paperwork at 11:30. I’m glad he agreed with it and I just hope he sticks with it this time.


Maybe when he gets a little stronger, working out with him may be motivation for him to stick with it, and wouldn't hurt you any either.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

m1west said:


> Maybe when he gets a little stronger, working out with him may be motivation for him to stick with it, and wouldn't hurt you any either.


It took two additional trips to the hospital since my last update within a week and a talk with a social worker at my request to get him to commit. I signed the paperwork earlier today and he's going to be there for the next three weeks. He NEEDS this. All I need from him is a letter from his attending physician to the bank that states he isn't competent enough to handle his finances and I can handle his business and all of his bills.


----------



## FrancSevin

My front lawn is a wreck.  Between voles, moles and a cable company conduit pipe installer, it's toast.  Fortunately, it is all buried under about 6.0" of dried leaves.
My side lawn hosts the same condition PLUS about 12 Modelo _Especial_ and Bud Light beer cans from an @sshole I am eventually going to catch and maybe kick in the balls. But that is another story.

I worry that somewhere in the backyard leaves, is the pet Turtle. I have to be careful there. But otherwise, the bagger lawn mower will handle the leaves.

Some pruning is also needed. I figure, at the end of Thursday, the pickup bed will be full.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

We did our leaves about 3 weeks ago. We're in a storm warning now that is supposed to drop a mixture of rain, freezing rain, hail, and snow over the next 24hrs. So far it's been like a liberal campaign speech. Alot of air movement without much substance. I managed to get both golf carts, both atvs and the Jacobsen lawn tractor stored for winter including removal of all the batteries. Speaking of batteries, I parked the electric golf cart behind the shop beside the gas one and removed the 4 batteries. I was having charging issues this summer with it at camp and finally discovered why. I tested all four. 3 were reading 13.6 volts. One was reading 9. So I will replace it in the spring. I pulled all the batteries from the quads golf carts and campers and stored them in our attached heated garage for the winter. I don't trust leaving them outside over the winter at -40 after losing 2 of them 2 years ago to freezing.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

My dad started physical therapy today. He'll be in for the next three weeks and receive therapy twice a day for an hour each time. He still seemed very groggy when I spoke with him over the phone and saw him, but I'm much more confident now than I was. He's in good hands. He isn't being ignored, shunned or treated like he didn't matter. I hope he comes out on top, because a lot of people are rooting for him.


----------



## Melensdad

Did my 5K run training this morning, followed by a session of resistance band 'weight lifting' then off to the hardware and grocery stores.  Picked up a few paint brushes and some polyurethane. 

At the grocery store I was planning to grab a couple heads of cauliflower but they were priced at $7.99 per head.  WTF?!?

Walked over the frozen food and they had bags of frozen cauliflower for $2.19.  1 bag of cauliflower is just about the same as 1 head of cauliflower.  So I bought a bunch of bags of the frozen stuff.  I use it in casseroles and as a pasta substitute so the frozen stuff is good enough. 

Painted the door and window trim on the pool house. 





Sat around with the dogs. 

Then another session of 'weight lifting' with the resistance bands.  I'm still shocked at how much of a workout you get with those things.  Honestly a far better workout with the rubber bands than with free weights.  So much you can do with these things.  And a whole set up of resistance bands, wall mounts, bar, etc is under $100 give or take, depending on your options. Hard to beat the price and hard to beat the workout if you are looking for strength training/muscle toning.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I agree with you on the resistance bands for exercise. They provide a constant tension giving a better workout than weights in my opinion. I was using them all the time prior to covid as I was in a workout class for people with chronic pain at the complex. 

Yesterday was a total write off as far as getting anything done. I was stiff and sore from the day before so I started off the day with a good workout of squats (the didly kind) followed by more of them.  I worked hard yesterday putting a butt to the recliner all day seeing as it was crappy weather outside. It's pouring rain now. Supposed to change to freezing rain this morning followed by a full day of snow starting tonight. So I plan on tackling the reverse osmosis water system install today. I have the water line run loosely from the furnace room to the kitchen already. Next step is drilling a hole through the quartz counter for the faucet and hard mounting the filters in place.


----------



## FrancSevin

Well, I was supposed too have the day off.

First the mechanic called in he would be late and one employee had a bad lag.

So, I came in to open but had to stay until the mechanic arrived.  The Mechanic showed up, we got the project up and running. I went to leave, and he became, 'um, "sick."

The joys of owning a business.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

So far I've tackled some poorly installed ceiling lights in the hall downstairs. It's suspended ceiling throughout the basement. In the hall, they didn't have the light fixtures hard mounted to the ceiling but rather had a couple of 1x3s holding the electrical boxes up and just resting on the rails of the suspended ceiling. Easy fix. I just cut a couple of 2x4s to drop down from the floor joists above and attached them to the 1x3 so it's mounted solid. I also inspected the water system again and the fittings I picked up. Turns out I need a couple more couplings to splice a 3/8 water line to the 1/4" line that came stock.


----------



## Melensdad

Started the day on the toilet about 4am.  Back again at 5am.  And again before 6am.  

It is my fault.  High fiber diet yesterday.  But then about 9pm I dove head first into one of those supermarket rotisserie chickens.  HALF of the chicken was gone before my very patient dog even got a snack.  Mix in some good chicken fat with a good dose of fiber and intestinal trouble is bound to occur.

On the bright side, I did manage to get up early, got in a good workout on the rowing machine.  Plus an early morning resistance band workout.  And then a late morning (just ended) resistance band workout.  My arms feel like jello now.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Shitty day Bob.  

It was raining this morning. Turned to freezing rain covering everything in a sheet of ice. Now it's snowing. Beginning of the storm for us. As far as I can tell I have everything dealt with outside ready for winter. Two of the three snowmobiles are ready to go. One needs a solenoid installed.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

14-hour workday today. I got home about an hour ago, ate and feel like I could fall asleep at the desk, but I'll sleep very, very, well tonight.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

It's snowing. Of course as soon as we woke up this morning the kids were asking if their bus was canceled. It wasn't. They got up and started getting ready. Then we got a notice that their driver was sick and therefore the bus was canceled. My wife has the day off as it's remembrance day and a federal holiday. She suggested that the kids stay home then started complaining about them being home on her day off. F that!  I drove them in to school. I have to drive back in to pick them up soon. It's an hour round trip.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I went over to a buddy's place just down the road to help him take the box off a '63 Chevrolet c10 stepside long box. It's getting a frame off restoration. He just bought it a few weeks ago as a project running and driving. The frame and body are solid. I love the simplicity of the older vehicles. Hardly any electronics under the hood. Heading to the city later this afternoon to play music at the church.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Visiting my dad. He’s apologized to me more than once for being a burden. I don’t feel he is at all but he still does. He has zero motivation. He’s just given up. And it just plain sucks. 

I’m hanging in there because I’ve had quite enough these past few years. It’s life but I’m not going to let it put me down.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Apparently I'm shopping for a new plow truck. I was out plowing snow the other day and was almost done when the truck jumped out of 4x4. I heard a bunch of squealing. And it went into a fail safe mode. I managed to get it moving in reverse and backed down the hill in our driveway where I got stuck spinning as it's only in 2wd. I shut the truck off and restarted it. Was able to get it moving forward after a quick tow and parked it by the garage. I went out to try it today. Starts fine. But absolutely nothing when I shift into any gear. The frame is rotten. The body is rotten. Exhaust is shot. Only good for a yard truck.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

NorthernRedneck said:


> Apparently I'm shopping for a new plow truck. I was out plowing snow the other day and was almost done when the truck jumped out of 4x4. I heard a bunch of squealing. And it went into a fail safe mode. I managed to get it moving in reverse and backed down the hill in our driveway where I got stuck spinning as it's only in 2wd. I shut the truck off and restarted it. Was able to get it moving forward after a quick tow and parked it by the garage. I went out to try it today. Starts fine. But absolutely nothing when I shift into any gear. The frame is rotten. The body is rotten. Exhaust is shot. Only good for a yard truck.



I spent the afternoon looking at options for a new plow truck and found a couple of viable options. 

The first: a 2009 chevy silverado 1500 4x4 with a 4.8l for $4500. Looks decent but I would have to get my plow mounted to it for a minimum of $2000 for brackets and install then I would have to install the wiring harness myself. And wouldn't be able to get it in to have the brackets installed for a month. Costing more $ as we would have to pay someone else to plow.  

Option 2 is a turnkey 2006 chevy 1500HD 4x4 with a 6L engine. Complete with a meyer plow already installed ready to go for asking price of $8500 obo and be plowing snow this week.  The truck is still on the road. 

I'm going to look at both tomorrow.


----------



## Gary O'

Had some slack time
Had a favorite pic from the cabin enlarged to 36x24"
Built a live edge frame
Not unhappy with it

Just no wall space

so

It sits atop the gun cabinet


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Very nice.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I went to look at an older plow truck last night. A 1994 ford extended cab. It ran. It moved (barely).  No front brakes. Have to wiggle the steering wheel and shifting lever to get it out of park. Wipers didn't work either. Not for me. Not looking for an antique project that has no guarantee of running when I need it.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

NorthernRedneck said:


> I spent the afternoon looking at options for a new plow truck and found a couple of viable options.
> 
> The first: a 2009 chevy silverado 1500 4x4 with a 4.8l for $4500. Looks decent but I would have to get my plow mounted to it for a minimum of $2000 for brackets and install then I would have to install the wiring harness myself. And wouldn't be able to get it in to have the brackets installed for a month. Costing more $ as we would have to pay someone else to plow.
> 
> Option 2 is a turnkey 2006 chevy 1500HD 4x4 with a 6L engine. Complete with a meyer plow already installed ready to go for asking price of $8500 obo and be plowing snow this week.  The truck is still on the road.
> 
> I'm going to look at both tomorrow.




Buying the 2nd truck. Original owner. Has some rust but still lots of life left in it. 4x4 works. Plow works.  The guy has all the receipts for it since new. For now it's a dedicated yard truck but won't take much to safety it for the road. Picking it up tomorrow morning after the bank opens.


----------



## m1west




----------



## m1west

Bought 40 -12' fence panels from the neighbor that doesn't have horses anymore. Started last Saturday hauling them over and putting them together. Made about a half acre arena with a bump out round pen at the bottom. It will be used for training. A couple hours a day got them done in a week. As soon as the cement dries on the gate posts I can paint them and put the gate on. We will be riding in there soon. Also trimmed the tree up high so I can ride under it.


----------



## FrancSevin

Heading to the Marinato make sure the old boat is still on top of the water.

We do have heat but it will be a cold night into the teens (F).

No kids and no anticipated work.  Just me and Crumpy ,,,,; alone.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Busy day. After making a pancake breakfast for the family, I headed to the city to get the funds to buy the truck. It's going to need a little work to put back on the road but doable. For now, it's a good yard truck. The guy delivered it to our house. As soon as he left, I put it to work plowing snow. It plows good.  After I was done plowing, I headed to the city to play music at the church. Then it was back home to change quickly and head out for a couple hours of bowling with our camp friends.


----------



## Melensdad

My best high school kids today in Wisconsin.

Aubrey, Gold Medal in Women's Saber
Quillan 5th and Caleb 3rd in Men's Saber

All 3 will be competing tomorrow with my Purdue fencers at the Purdue Fall Open in West Lafayette. Honestly the high school kids are better than most of the college kids. It is a big event, fencers of all ages from around the midwest. It will be interesting to see how they all do.


----------



## m1west




----------



## m1west

horse chores.
cut firewood
Made a Stainless steel saddle rack


----------



## FrancSevin

It was 19F outside the boat Saturday night.  Inside was just above freezing.  Maybe  low 40's. We turned on the heaters and went to dinner.  2 hours later it was warm inside but below 60F. This because everything inside the boat was cold.

Lots of covers and a little spooning, things got better.

The V-berth, being the farthest from the heaters, was cold all night.  Both heaters on high.

Temps in the 30's when we left, the boat was warm inside with just one heater. On medium.  It will stay that way even in the teens.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Plan for today?

Head to the city for a few errands then back home to play with the new plow truck. I listed the old one for sale as is then took the ad down as I'm going to attempt mounting the western plow onto the new truck. It has a meyer plow that works good and has had the hydraulics all rebuilt but the blade itself looks like Swiss cheese. So my plan is to swap just the blades if it can be done.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I got home about noon today after working ahead Friday for the Holidays. After tomorrow and Wednesday, I'm hopefully looking at four to five days off. I need it. I haven't had a vacation in nearly ten years.


----------



## tiredretired

Went to my favorite Chinese buffet for lunch and gorged myself.  That was after it warmed up to +20F after a recorded reading of -8F this morning with crazy winds still howling from overnight.  Same winds that brought all that lake effect snow in western NY.  Then went to the grocery store to get some cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving.  The good stuff too, the jellied stuff that comes in a can.      Finally ended up at the Ford dealer for them to tell me they have no idea where my ordered Ford Maverick truck is and when it will come in. If it comes in. He said that with a straight face so I know he was serious.  Time for a nap.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

NorthernRedneck said:


> Plan for today?
> 
> Head to the city for a few errands then back home to play with the new plow truck. I listed the old one for sale as is then took the ad down as I'm going to attempt mounting the western plow onto the new truck. It has a meyer plow that works good and has had the hydraulics all rebuilt but the blade itself looks like Swiss cheese. So my plan is to swap just the blades if it can be done.



It can be done!  I started by removing the pump from the good plow on the busted truck then removed the light and pump frame. Then disconnected the mounting pins and towed the broken truck out of the way. I was quite happy it rolled and the tranny wasn't locked up. What I was left with was a good western plow and frame and the mounting bracket and light bar and pump mount from the old rusted meyer plow. I'm basically mounting a Western plow and pump to a meyer mounting bracket. The only modification that is needed is getting two tabs cut off and relocated. I have a welder booked for tomorrow afternoon.


----------



## m1west

Paperwork


----------



## FrancSevin

tiredretired said:


> Went to my favorite Chinese buffet for lunch and gorged myself.  That was after it warmed up to +20F after a recorded reading of -8F this morning with crazy winds still howling from overnight.  Same winds that brought all that lake effect snow in western NY.  Then went to the grocery store to get some cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving.  The good stuff too, the jellied stuff that comes in a can.      Finally ended up at the Ford dealer for them to tell me they have no idea where my ordered Ford Maverick truck is and when it will come in. If it comes in. He said that with a straight face so I know he was serious.  Time for a nap.


That FORD Maverick appears to be good truck for the money.  I am not surprised they have an order backlog.


----------



## m1west

Man short, gotta go save them in the field this morning.


----------



## FrancSevin

Man short here also. I'll be running a production line this morning as well


----------



## tiredretired

FrancSevin said:


> That FORD Maverick appears to be good truck for the money.  I am not surprised they have an order backlog.



Yes, it is. The hybrid gets almost 50 mpg around town.  Collaborative system with Toyota so it is solid but not available with AWD so I needed to order the 2.0 EcoBoost engine in it.  They are a nice little truck and perfectly suited for an old fart like me.  LOL.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Day 3 of the plow swap just making everything work as I'm taking the frame and light/hydraulic pump mount from the meyer plow and marrying it to the western plow and pump. Everything is hard mounted. I had a mobile welder come in and cut the mounting brackets off the old truck and weld them to the already installed plow frame on the new truck. I then installed my western hydraulic pump onto the meyer plow frame. I was attempting to use the existing wiring harness for the meyer plow on the western but they're obviously not the same. Instead of tracing the wires and rewiring it, I took the complete harness off the old Ford and figured out a game plan to remove the meyer harness and install the western. Common sense says if it worked in the old Ford, it'll work in the chevy. Plus, the western plow has a single joystick toggle for up down left right. The meyer has two separate toggles.


----------



## FrancSevin

tiredretired said:


> Yes, it is. The hybrid gets almost 50 mpg around town.  Collaborative system with Toyota so it is solid but not available with AWD so I needed to order the 2.0 EcoBoost engine in it.  They are a nice little truck and perfectly suited for an old fart like me.  LOL.


I have interest in it for my son/grandson. A nice truck for a responsible teenager.  But first, he gets a beater to wreck.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Day 4 of the plow install. I had installed the wiring harness but missed connecting 3 wires. A buddy came over and helped me troubleshoot it. We had it working within a half hour. The light mount is meyer. The plow and pump are western. I took the wiring harness out of the old truck and installed it in the new one. The lights will be installed later.


----------



## FrancSevin

Cleaning out the corner cabinent in the kitchen.  It just collects stuff and not one of the Tupperware parts, bowls and lids fit.

How does that happen?


----------



## Melensdad

Going to Notre Dame to have lunch with some fencers


----------



## norscaner

FrancSevin said:


> Cleaning out the corner cabinent in the kitchen.  It just collects stuff and not one of the Tupperware parts, bowls and lids fit.
> 
> How does that happen?


It should be renamed Tupper Ware is the "Fn" lid.


----------



## Lenny

Going to the gym in an hour or so, then some grocery shopping, including the Ruthven Meat Locker, where they have beef ribs for $2.00 a pound.  Probably pick up 20 or more pounds and put them in the freeze for a future barbeque.  I'm staying away from all the other stores because it's Black Friday......So, is it White Saturday tomorrow?  Is Taco Tuesday now Tan Tuesday?  LOL


----------



## pirate_girl

Relaxing and feeling so much better!
I considered putting up the tree and decorating but think I'll do that next weekend.
The kids are both out of state since Wednesday afternoon.
I'm getting reports from them both of craziness and Black Friday shoppers.
Hurry home safely!!


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Visiting my dad today and we’re headed back home for leftovers. From then, I plan to chill.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Kind of a lazy day. Good thing as my back is aching. I did go to a friend's house to help him install an infrared heater in his garage. Now, I'm waiting in the vehicle for my wife who's in a walk in clinic for a nasty cold that's lasted 3 weeks now. She had to take 2 covid tests prior to the appointment to prove it's not the dreaded big C.  She tested negative. She has mild asthma that gets worse when she is sick. That's generally the only time she needs a puffer.


----------



## m1west




----------



## m1west

View attachment 157847


m1west said:


> View attachment 157847


Started Wednesday making another horse shelter, 10'X10'X10' Finished the Fram and painted it today. Tomorrow the roof sheets and its done.


----------



## FrancSevin

m1west said:


> View attachment 157847
> 
> Started Wednesday making another horse shelter, 10'X10'X10' Finished the Fram and painted it today. Tomorrow the roof sheets and its done.


Good lord you get a lot done.

Me, I cut and fit a door to the new shed lean-to on the side of the garage.

At 38" X 78" a stock door would not work.


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> Good lord you get a lot done.
> 
> Me, I cut and fit a door to the new shed lean-to on the side of the garage.
> 
> At 38" X 78" a stock door would not work.


I read your posts you get plenty done yourself. Rain is coming and I tried to put the pony and the horse together. Didn't go well, the pony tried to bite the horse on the nose and the horse tried to stomp the pony. That was enough to keep them separate for some more time or forever??


----------



## Melensdad

Celebrating!

Melen got a new job today.  DOUBLE PLUS what she was making.  2 levels above her prior position.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Melensdad said:


> Celebrating!
> 
> Melen got a new job today.  DOUBLE PLUS what she was making.  2 levels above her prior position.



You must be proud of her. I feel as though I've watched her grow up through the years through your posts. Gawd I've been here a loooong time. I recall you posting about a pink rifle you ordered for her when she was much younger.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Currently, I'm unwinding and taking my mind off things. It's rainy, but we more than needed it. More is in our forecast, but I have the feeling that it won't be enough.


----------



## Lenny

J.J. McDaniels said:


> Currently, I'm unwinding and taking my mind off things. It's rainy, but we more than needed it. More is in our forecast, but I have the feeling that it won't be enough.


J.J., where do you live?


----------



## m1west




----------



## m1west

TaDaa, After chores I went up town to get the roof sheets, Wednesday they had 20 in stock and wasn't in the pickup. Today they had 0. Had to go to Lodi to the HomeDopes and they only had 12 footers. so I bought them and cut them off. Now Tex can stay dry.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Lenny said:


> J.J., where do you live?


Clinton, MS. It's a nice-sized, quiet city. I've lived here for most of my life.


----------



## pirate_girl

Suffered through the OSU/Michigan game.
Made a spinach frittata for brunch, then had Caesar salad and clam chowder for dinner.


----------



## FrancSevin

Spent the afternoon blowing and raking leaves.  Got the patios clean but not the beer garden.  It is still full of leaves and construction debris.  Makes it real hard to use the smoker or the table saw.
I'll tackle that Sunday.  Mostly it is covered so the rain will not be a problem.

Whilst cleaning the yard of leaves and debris, I collected a lot of yard tools.  I had shovels, rakes, and loppers everywhere.  All went into my new tool shed.  Mower and snow blower as well.


----------



## Lenny

J.J. McDaniels said:


> Clinton, MS. It's a nice-sized, quiet city. I've lived here for most of my life.


I was wondering because we have sort of a drought here in Spencer, Iowa too.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Lenny said:


> I was wondering because we have sort of a drought here in Spencer, Iowa too.


It’s the Mississippi River for us. It’s been raining off and on for the past two days, but it won’t be enough.


----------



## Lenny

J.J. McDaniels said:


> It’s the Mississippi River for us. It’s been raining off and on for the past two days, but it won’t be enough.


I moved here from Council Bluffs, Iowa about 3 years ago  That is next to the Missouri River.   They are also in a drought. A few years before that there was some serious flooding there.


----------



## Melensdad

I dunno.  It's still early.  The lovely Mrs_Bob has not told me yet.


----------



## pirate_girl

Drinking coffee and listening to it rain.
Rain, rain, rain..  all day..


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Same. I haven't received today's marching orders yet. I figure that during the week I do what I want for the most part. 

Actually, today's plan includes a whole lot of absolutely nothing. My back has been flared up for days with a sudden burst of mild temperature and rain to mix with the 12" of snow we had. But -7celcius at night and +7 during the day is a killer for arthritis so much so that last night I had to use my walker, something I hadn't done in months.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Just rolled out of bed. I slept well. My sister and I are going to see my dad shortly, feed his dogs and from that point forward, I'm not doing anything at all. I'm probably going back to work tomorrow to get back into the groove of things. I've had four days off and will do the same for Christmas. Hopefully, it will be less stressful.


----------



## m1west

Did horse chores, dump run Now getting ready for a shower and go up town for lunch


----------



## m1west




----------



## m1west

After lunch, I welded flat bar loops on the fence posts for the arena gate, painted the posts and installed the gate. Now its done and ready for play.


----------



## FrancSevin

I spent the day clearing our main drain line at the house.  Seems my grandson cannot understand that whole chunks of food will clog the pipes. 

This is the second time with the sink pipes.
Actually, the third as we had to have the main augured a few months ago.

The main was clear today but the feeder line off the kitchen was blocked. I pulled up celery chunks, stew meat pieces and mushrooms.

20 feet of 3.0" pipe my handyman (LOWE"S) auger couldn't clear.

A hot water hose and some plunger working to shake things loose got enough flow for some tough chemicals.   Hopefully I got enough to let water run and irrigate, via erosion, the pipes completely clear.

Big water bill next month but cheaper than a plumber.


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> I spent the day clearing our main drain line at the house.  Seems my grandson cannot understand that whole chunks of food will clog the pipes.
> 
> This is the second time with the sink pipes.
> Actually, the third as we had to have the main augured a few months ago.
> 
> The main was clear today but the feeder line off the kitchen was blocked. I pulled up celery chunks, stew meat pieces and mushrooms.
> 
> 20 feet of 3.0" pipe my handyman (LOWE"S) auger couldn't clear.
> 
> A hot water hose and some plunger working to shake things loose got enough flow for some tough chemicals.   Hopefully I got enough to let water run and irrigate, via erosion, the pipes completely clear.
> 
> Big water bill next month but cheaper than a plumber.


My last home was built in 1956. Within a few months of moving in I started having backup issues. Did the rotorooter until I gave up and it was still doing it. Went to the hardware store and saw expandable bladders that screw on a hose, I bought all sizes and wasn't expensive. They seal to the inside of the pipe and still let water pressure in. I took all the toilets off, sink connections etc. and started from the furthest one. I blew them all out to the main. what came out in the yard pipe to the main, looked like jelly. Feet and feet of it. when it was done I didn't have another backup for the 10 years I lived there and another 10 years being rented out until I sold it.


----------



## FrancSevin

Bought my house in 1976 a burnout to be completely demolished.  Instead, I tore everything out but the outside walls and roof.  I used the original septic plumbing system.  After all, it was approved by the county.  And was buried under the basement floor

A few years later I had serious issues. One run, from the kitchen, dropped 12 inches in the middle of the basement and then climbed 9 inches to the main drain which went up hill two more inches before exiting the foundation.  I had to remove all of it out and then relaid the system, poured a new floor where needed and built over it.

Complete finish with parquet floors and finished dry wall.

I didn't have an issue for over forty years.
Then the grandkids moved in.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I'm going to run a few errands shortly and relax. We're under the threat of severe weather later this afternoon and tornadoes, wind and large hail are possible.


----------



## m1west

It will be daylight in about 20 minutes, then chores and paperwork


----------



## FrancSevin

I had big plans for projects at home today.  We need four people to run the job at work, I have five on the payroll.  Two no shows this morning so I get to run the packaging line.  All day.

In a land full of people who have no work ethic, it is hell to have had one most all of my life. I just cannot relate.


----------



## Umberto

Today I’ll go to the gun club and buy a 20 round punch card as the prices are going up Dec. 1. The price of clay targets have skyrocketed the last year…. after I get back I’ll prep a big soup for our church soup kitchen tomorrow. It’s snowing today but doubt much will stick.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Why do today what I can put off till tomorrow?   That's kinda what I did all summer as I had been avoiding it. We have been having issues with ice damming in the winter on our roof so rather than install heat cable on the roof during the summer when it's nice, I kept putting it off until today. We had a mild spell over the weekend that melted most of the snow on the roof so I headed up this morning to lay down 100ft of cable on the roof which meant busting ice and snow with a rubber mallet to expose the shingles at each location. We have a storm coming in tonight so it's done just in time. In the process, I lost my glasses first thing when they landed in the snow down by the garage. After searching for them in the house and vehicles, I was down by where I had the plow truck parked and found them laying on the ground. The heat cabling is  all installed and plugged in. Now to turn my attention to the plow truck that has a few things I want to work on. The first being the driver's side door glass is detached from the door mechanism. Simple task of popping the interior door panel off and tightening the screws that fasten it to the track.


----------



## m1west

Had a little extra time today so I cleaned al the gutters again. While up there I saw that some of the joints have been leaking and now have some dry rot started Another summer project.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

m1west said:


> Had a little extra time today so I cleaned al the gutters again. While up there I saw that some of the joints have been leaking and now have some dry rot started Another summer project.



I was up on the roof messing with gutters full of ice and snow installing heating cable. We're under a winter storm advisory. It's been snowing since 2pm but because the temperatures are around the freezing mark it's heavy wet snow making the highway terrible. I read of a fatal head on collision involving a van and a transport just east of here. The van lost it in the slush and hit the transport head on. Sad


----------



## NorthernRedneck

NorthernRedneck said:


> I was up on the roof messing with gutters full of ice and snow installing heating cable. We're under a winter storm advisory. It's been snowing since 2pm but because the temperatures are around the freezing mark it's heavy wet snow making the highway terrible. I read of a fatal head on collision involving a van and a transport just east of here. The van lost it in the slush and hit the transport head on. Sad



A little additional info on the fatal accident last night. There's a Facebook page called "highway 11/17 kills people" I follow as that is the only, not the main, but only highway through this area that connects east to west. There were several closures and accidents last night over an approximately 800km stretch of road. The fatal was rather disturbing as basically, the tires were barely stopped turning as firefighters were trying to extract the transport driver and someone who was first on scene was walking through filming it and posting it on Facebook. Then they say...I'm not sharing the video of the fatality but her name is..... and there are body parts everywhere. Her passenger whose name is.....survived but is being taken to the hospital by ambulance. Very disturbing to know someone died and that's how they find out. 

Seriously?  That is not cool. Definitely over the line.


----------



## Lenny

I went to the gym, did some grocery shopping and then gave the fire chief 30 of those little emergency blankets that you can put into your coat pocket for each of the fire fighters.  He was very grateful.  He said they would put them in their emergency boxes, in case they needed during calls.  Obviously they are going to good use.  I ordered more and will give some to the police chief to give to all of his officers.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Another day of SFA. I've been laid up for a week now with a bad back barely able to stand. Haven't left the house. I reached a point this morning where I couldn't sit due to my back locking up. I figured since I'm standing I may as well bake some cookies and a loaf of bread in the bread maker.


----------



## Melensdad

I'm getting ready to drive almost 90 minutes south to Purdue University for their fencing practice.  Thursday evening practices are 9pm to Midnight.  They are in the Eastern time zone, I live in the Central zone, so even with a nearly 90 minute commute, I can leave there at midnight and be home just before 12:30am.  

The lovely Mrs_Bob spent the better part of the day decorating for the holidays.  I was schlepping full plastic tote bins up from the crawl space and taking down empties all day.  She did most of the actual work.  But I did set the tree up and get the lights on it.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

I'm headed to see my dad for a short while and then I'll head home and stuff my face. I'm starving and it's been a long day.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

We haven't even thought about decorating. Personally I'm having a hard time with the holidays. Growing up, we had basically the whole side of both mom and dads families in town as we all lived in a small community. Now, everyone is spread out and doing their own thing. Dad died last year. Mom is in Texas for the winter. My brother lives 4hrs away and we rarely speak now as his common law wife is stuck up and thinks her poop doesn't stink and is better than everyone else. I'm finding it harder every year to get into the Christmas spirit. I usually just grin and bare it and celebrate once it's done. 

Today's task?  I'm going to attempt to get down to the shop and replace a couple of old hydraulic hoses on the plow truck and take a couple things from the old ford before it's hauled away on Monday. We're donating it to a local group that's been collecting cars for scrap and resale to raise money for addictions programs.


----------



## FrancSevin

Easy day at the plant today.  The line running doesn't need me there.
So, I'll be moving stuff in the warehouse in preparation for closing the plant.

Mixed feelings about it.

Tonite we will be bringing in in the Christmas Tree.  It is a week earlier than usual but, The five year old is excited to begin what will be her first Christmas, in a true family setting, and at an age to remember.  Santa Claus is kinda new to her and boy is she excited.

Weather will be nasty cold this weekend, but I have been ordered to get the house lit up for the season.  After that "I" get to do the projects "I" want done.  Namely finishing the door install on the new shed,  Install the carpet on the deck, and begin clearing the Beer Garden patio.  I need the space for construction stuff currently stored at the plant.

The Beer Garden is a 12' X 24' paved patio with a six foot high Cedar fence surround next to the garage.
I will likely hang some tarps to keep weather out and create a workspace for cutting and painting lumber this winter.

The alternative would be to remove the materials in the two car garage to the Beer Garden and then set up shop inside.


----------



## m1west

Rained all day yesterday, there is a break today then rain all weekend. So I guess I will do the Christmas stuff. Outside is easy ( laser lights ) Inside I bought a fake tree years back and still enjoy how easy it is to deal with, pull it out of the box, put 3 tiers together and plug it in all lights are already on it and its a realistic looking tree. So I can impress the wife with how much I got done, but with little effort. Im sure she can find something wrong though.


----------



## FrancSevin

m1west said:


> Rained all day yesterday, there is a break today then rain all weekend. So I guess I will do the Christmas stuff. Outside is easy ( laser lights ) Inside I bought a fake tree years back and still enjoy how easy it is to deal with, pull it out of the box, put 3 tiers together and plug it in all lights are already on it and its a realistic looking tree. So I can impress the wife with how much I got done, but with little effort. Im sure she can find something wrong though.


I can guarantee, since you are done with YOUR Christmas work,  she will find something for you to do.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

m1west said:


> Rained all day yesterday, there is a break today then rain all weekend. So I guess I will do the Christmas stuff. Outside is easy ( laser lights ) Inside I bought a fake tree years back and still enjoy how easy it is to deal with, pull it out of the box, put 3 tiers together and plug it in all lights are already on it and its a realistic looking tree. So I can impress the wife with how much I got done, but with little effort. _*Im sure she can find something wrong though*_.



They always do. I can wash a sink full of dishes and not get acknowledged for it but forget to wash one cup that doesn't fit in the dishwasher and I hear about it .

Not entirely certain what the plans are for today as she is still sleeping and I haven't received my marching orders yet. Everyone else dreads Mondays. I dread Saturdays. During the week, she goes to work and the kids go to school. I'm pretty much the master of my universe during the day. But on the weekends, she's not working and the kids are home. She's usually been concocting some sort of chore list for me to complete during the weekend.

Yesterday, my back was finally well enough to allow me to stand for more than a few minutes.  I headed to the garage to do some work on the plow truck. First I changed a couple of frayed hydraulic hoses for the angle cylinders, then installed a snow flap on the plow blade. I had been wanting to clean up the garage for weeks so yesterday I got a start on it and went from almost having to turn sideways to get into the big door to being able to back the whole plow truck and blade into the garage to do some more work on it. My driver's side window glass had become detached from the lift mechanism so I pulled the interior door panel off and reattached it. The window is now working again. The next task for it is to install and wire the plow lights from the western plow light bar that I'm not using anymore.

Oh...side note...I was saddened to wake up this morning to read that there was another fatal collision nearby on the highway with a transport hitting head on with a plow truck. The plow operator died at the scene. Sad.


----------



## m1west

NorthernRedneck said:


> They always do. I can wash a sink full of dishes and not get acknowledged for it but forget to wash one cup that doesn't fit in the dishwasher and I hear about it .
> 
> Not entirely certain what the plans are for today as she is still sleeping and I haven't received my marching orders yet. Everyone else dreads Mondays. I dread Saturdays. During the week, she goes to work and the kids go to school. I'm pretty much the master of my universe during the day. But on the weekends, she's not working and the kids are home. She's usually been concocting some sort of chore list for me to complete during the weekend.
> 
> Yesterday, my back was finally well enough to allow me to stand for more than a few minutes.  I headed to the garage to do some work on the plow truck. First I changed a couple of frayed hydraulic hoses for the angle cylinders, then installed a snow flap on the plow blade. I had been wanting to clean up the garage for weeks so yesterday I got a start on it and went from almost having to turn sideways to get into the big door to being able to back the whole plow truck and blade into the garage to do some more work on it. My driver's side window glass had become detached from the lift mechanism so I pulled the interior door panel off and reattached it. The window is now working again. The next task for it is to install and wire the plow lights from the western plow light bar that I'm not using anymore.
> 
> Oh...side note...I was saddened to wake up this morning to read that there was another fatal collision nearby on the highway with a transport hitting head on with a plow truck. The plow operator died at the scene. Sad.


At least you get a break during the week. My wife works for me doing the office work. So I effectively pay her to tell me what to do and tell me how stupid I am.


----------



## m1west

After reading what I wrote, she may be correct.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Having Mexican with my siblings to take our mind off of things.


----------



## FrancSevin

m1west said:


> After reading what I wrote, she may be correct.


Believe me when I say "I can relate."


----------



## Melensdad

Just got done coaching saber for my high school team.  Dual Meet event against 5 other schools.  

Before we faced the 4th team the opposing coach (who is a friend) came up to me and said: * "I don't care how we do the rest of the day, the only team I want to beat in your team"* and then my boys demolished his team winning 8 of 9 bouts.  My girls team won 7 of the 9 bouts.  The hardest team of the day was the last team we faced.  Boys easily beat them, the girls barely won, but they won!  

Boys team record, 5 wins, 0 losses. (_40 individual wins out of 45 total bouts_)
Girls team record, 5 wins, 0 losses. (_34 individual wins out of 45 total bouts_)

We didn't have enough girls for our girls team today so we borrowed an experienced epee fencer for the day, she did well enough and won quite a few of her saber bouts, enough to make a difference.  We also had a beginner on the girl's team, she has potential.

It is a good day.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Went to the city to pick up Christmas lights for the tree. Got home and opened up a box of decorations and found another 5 strings of lights. Ugh. Oh well. Installed a shelf and hanger bar in the girls bedroom closet. I bought it back in August and it's taken 3 months for the girls to clean their room enough for me to get in there to install it. .   We're donating our old plow truck to a group called "teen challenge".  They were supposed to come to pick it up today but postponed to Wednesday now. They work with young adults with addictions issues. One of their fundraising activities is collecting used vehicles for both resale and scrap value. The truck has a blown tranny and is very rusted so it's good for scrap.


----------



## m1west

NorthernRedneck said:


> Went to the city to pick up Christmas lights for the tree. Got home and opened up a box of decorations and found another 5 strings of lights. Ugh. Oh well. Installed a shelf and hanger bar in the girls bedroom closet. I bought it back in August and it's taken 3 months for the girls to clean their room enough for me to get in there to install it. .   We're donating our old plow truck to a group called "teen challenge".  They were supposed to come to pick it up today but postponed to Wednesday now. They work with young adults with addictions issues. One of their fundraising activities is collecting used vehicles for both resale and scrap value. The truck has a blown tranny and is very rusted so it's good for scrap.


Blown Tranny, is that term politically correct. I will have to contact the thought police on that one


----------



## m1west

Horse chores, job walk and a trip to the feed store for hay.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

m1west said:


> Blown Tranny, is that term politically correct. I will have to contact the thought police on that one



I was thinking the same thing when I typed that.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I went to the city this morning to do some Christmas shopping. Came home and wrapped some gifts. Did some paperwork then the guys from "teen challenge", a group that helps young adults with addictions problems. They collect used vehicles for resale and scrap to help fund their programs.


----------



## m1west

Horse chores at dawns crack, then wrapped some Christmas presents


----------



## NorthernRedneck

SFA today. Skipped church as my back does not handle the wooden pews as much. That's part of the appeal for the 5pm Saturday service I play guitar at. It's only 35 minutes long. We do 5 songs. Have a eucharist. 2 minute sermon and we're done. Plus I get a nice comfy padded chair to sit it unlike the Sunday morning service that's usually around 1:20 long.


----------



## Melensdad

Yesterday was a very long day.  I lost track, but at least *a dozen medals* won by (mostly) my kids between the 2 different schools.  I work with each of these kids, some as their primary coach, some as their secondary coach. 

Just a few of the kids ... lost track of the others, it was a big event, over 300 student fencers.


----------



## FrancSevin

Really lousy weather this weekend. cold and rainy at Hippie Ridge.
However, the two electric fireplaces had the cabin toasty.

Got about half the wiring pulled inside the new cabin.

Tractor was down but I moved some 1" gravel via a wheelbarrow and hand shovel.
Putting the hydraulic system back together on the JD 310 
Then I crawled under the Backhoe to install the new hydraulic line.
The part fit okay, but once installed I realized it was interfering with the steering arm. So, the failure would just happen again. Therefore, I will have to modify the tubing.  I plan to add a 10" piece of pipe secured to the undercarriage framing.

Querry;
Can I use galvanized pipe on a hydraulic system?


----------



## Melensdad

Not sure if you can use galvanized pipe on hydraulics, not sure why not.  If it will handle the pressures it should be good.  Just make sure the pressure loads are not too high for the pipe.  Maybe there are other reasons not to?  But don't weld galvanized pipe unless you are outside with a good breeze blowing the fumes away from you.


----------



## FrancSevin

Melensdad said:


> Not sure if you can use galvanized pipe on hydraulics, not sure why not.  If it will handle the pressures it should be good.  Just make sure the pressure loads are not too high for the pipe.  Maybe there are other reasons not to?  But don't weld galvanized pipe unless you are outside with a good breeze blowing the fumes away from you.


Thanks.

No welding involved.

This is a return line to the intake on the pump, so the pressures are low.


----------



## J5 Bombardier

Black or galvanized pipe for suction to the pump no problem. It's amazing when you check out a loader installs at dealerships back in the day , how much black pipe / fittings they used on the pressure side. It usually held up well with pressures around 2000-2500 psi , but the fittings weren't  made in china  unlike today .


----------



## waybomb

Hydraulic seemless tubing.


----------



## FrancSevin

waybomb said:


> Hydraulic seemless tubing.


I need it threaded. Male and female ends.

It's a 46 year old tractor with little use planned after the construction is completed.

Thanks but, I'll go red neck.


----------



## pirate_girl

Finally got a password to let me on the forum.
Got a new phone and have been playing with all the bells and whistles for days.
Motorola Edge.
I love it!


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I spent most of the day troubleshooting an intermittent issue with the plow truck as we have a major storm coming in tomorrow. After changing the solenoid and rebuilding the hydraulic pump changing the fluid and filter it wasn't working so I called a buddy over and we traced it down to a bad ground wire. I also changed the battery in my son's car.


----------



## Melensdad

Had a miserable night, too much cabbage soup yesterday?

So I woke up tired but had an early appointment with my cardiologist (that went very well).

Cancelled out on going to high school fencing practice today, just so I could sit and rest.  There is a coach who was scheduled to show up today to help out so he will cover the practice.  

Mostly I've been sitting and resting today.  Wrapped some gifts from Melen and the lovely Mrs_Bob for both Christmas and their upcoming birthdays (both in January).  I think I just needed a day of rest and I am giving it to myself today.  I did do 30 minutes on the treadmill.  Probably will do some resistance band workout a bit later?  But basically I'm just looking to relax, play on the computer, watch some TV, sit with the dogs.


----------



## m1west

Went to my first horse back riding tune up today. Had a great time and re learned a lot. Not exactly like riding a bike but a lot came back after a short time. I re learned how to tack up, get the horse to take the bit, how tight to make the cinch strap on the saddle, saddle placement etc. Then we went to the arena where the trainer led me around for a few minutes to evaluate me in the saddle then let me take the reins on my own. I remembered neck reining and the leg cues so well that after having me ride around barrels, stop , back up etc that he grabbed another horse and we went for a trail ride. The lesson was suppose to be an hour but before I knew it 2-1/2 hours passed and they only charged me $50.00 for the lesson. The trainer an I clicked so that was helpful. My next lesson is next Tuesday at 11 am, same time. They even agreed without arm twisting that when I ride my horse for the first time at home that they would come over to my place to insure everything goes as planned. The next lesson will be groundwork, lunging the horse etc. I have already been doing some of that on my own, it will be interesting to see how correct I have been doing it. The 4 horse ranch get a big


----------



## NorthernRedneck

As best I can tell, I have the homestead secured for the storm. The wind is howling. Calling for up to 16" of heavy wet snow by Friday. Now we wait.....

I have a few inside projects saved up for bad weather days. We'll see what today brings after I haul my crippled arse out of the hot tub.


----------



## FrancSevin

m1west said:


> Went to my first horse back riding tune up today. Had a great time and re learned a lot. Not exactly like riding a bike but a lot came back after a short time. I re learned how to tack up, get the horse to take the bit, how tight to make the cinch strap on the saddle, saddle placement etc. Then we went to the arena where the trainer led me around for a few minutes to evaluate me in the saddle then let me take the reins on my own. I remembered neck reining and the leg cues so well that after having me ride around barrels, stop , back up etc that he grabbed another horse and we went for a trail ride. The lesson was suppose to be an hour but before I knew it 2-1/2 hours passed and they only charged me $50.00 for the lesson. The trainer an I clicked so that was helpful. My next lesson is next Tuesday at 11 am, same time. They even agreed without arm twisting that when I ride my horse for the first time at home that they would come over to my place to insure everything goes as planned. The next lesson will be groundwork, lunging the horse etc. I have already been doing some of that on my own, it will be interesting to see how correct I have been doing it. The 4 horse ranch get a big


I haven't sat a horse in over thirty years. As I recall, the last time rode, the SOB threw me.
I wasn't ever very good in the saddle.

*Horse saddle* for those of you giggling.

 If I return to equine transport, I will likely need a lesson or two.


----------



## m1west

FrancSevin said:


> I haven't sat a horse in over thirty years. As I recall, the last time rode, the SOB threw me.
> I wasn't ever very good in the saddle.
> 
> *Horse saddle* for those of you giggling.
> 
> If I return to equine transport, I will likely need a lesson or two.


Probably the smartest decision I have made was to take the lessons. At first I was nervous but after a short time most of it came back, had I just done it on my own, I'm not sure things would have gone so well. The way things are going in the world, anyone wanting to go somewhere may need to know how to ride a horse. It will be helpful knowledge to get the granddaughter started on the pony as well.


----------



## FrancSevin

m1west said:


> Probably the smartest decision I have made was to take the lessons. At first I was nervous but after a short time most of it came back, had I just done it on my own, I'm not sure things would have gone so well. The way things are going in the world, anyone wanting to go somewhere may need to know how to ride a horse. It will be helpful knowledge to get the granddaughter started on the pony as well.


One thing I know about horses, they may themselves be stupid, but they know when their rider is. That's likely why I got thrown. My legs said left and my rein command was to go right.  So, he leaned right and went left.

I went overboard.

I swear that Dunn horse laughed all the way back to the barn.


----------



## FrancSevin

Easy day at work today. EVERYONE showed up!


----------



## Melensdad

Met up with Doc & his wife today.


----------



## Doc

Melensdad said:


> Met up with Doc & his wife today.


Yes, I finally hooked up face to face with Melensdad aka Bob.   We've chatted for almost 20 years and today we finally met.   And I came away with an awesome millermatic welder.   Can't wait to use it, but there is a list of things I have to do before trying it out.  Main one is running 220 in my pole barn.   

Awesome to meet you Bob.  Thanks again for driving all the way to southern IN to hook up.    Our drive home was clear sailing.  Hope yours was the same.


----------



## Doc

Melensdad said:


> Met up with Doc & his wife today.


But Bob ....why in the world would you mention that Candle place.     OMG.   Gail loved the place.   She found something around every corner.   Thank buddy.   I owe ya.    LOL    

Seriously we have driven by that place a dozen or more times heading home from Kansas City or Chicago and Gail would say I'd love to stop there sometime.   Up to today I had been able to resist the stop.   Today she got her wish and found stuff she could not live without.   A neat place but I'll avoid it next time.


----------



## Melensdad

Doc said:


> But Bob ....why in the world would you mention that Candle place.     OMG.   Gail loved the place.   She found something around every corner.   Thank buddy.   I owe ya.    LOL
> 
> Seriously we have driven by that place a dozen or more times heading home from Kansas City or Chicago and Gail would say I'd love to stop there sometime.   Up to today I had been able to resist the stop.   Today she got her wish and found stuff she could not live without.   A neat place but I'll avoid it next time.


They used to have a gourmet food section in there too, but that has been eliminated.  I was able to find 4 bottles of wine for holiday events in their wine section today.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

I was out plowing snow at 7:30am as we had a break in the weather. The snow held off until the evening yesterday but this morning we awoke to a foot of the wet stuff that was a pain to plow. I did our property without issues as I had scrapped it down yesterday. My neighbor didn't and had about 6" of semi frozen slush underneath the snow. I made it 20ft into his driveway plowing snow and slid sideways almost into a ditch. He was in town but he had to kick his wife out of bed to come tow me out. We tried from 3 angles to get out. Thankfully it worked. I finished their yard in 20 minutes then came back home to bring one of the kids to an appointment. The busses are all canceled due to the roads. I drove 30mph all the way into town following a line-up of vehicles all fighting to stay on the road.

The snow and wind have picked up again so I may have to plow again later.


----------



## FrancSevin

NorthernRedneck said:


> I was out plowing snow at 7:30am as we had a break in the weather. The snow held off until the evening yesterday but this morning we awoke to a foot of the wet stuff that was a pain to plow. I did our property without issues as I had scrapped it down yesterday. My neighbor didn't and had about 6" of semi frozen slush underneath the snow. I made it 20ft into his driveway plowing snow and slid sideways almost into a ditch. He was in town but he had to kick his wife out of bed to come tow me out. We tried from 3 angles to get out. Thankfully it worked. I finished their yard in 20 minutes then came back home to bring one of the kids to an appointment. The busses are all canceled due to the roads. I drove 30mph all the way into town following a line-up of vehicles all fighting to stay on the road.
> 
> The snow and wind have picked up again so I may have to plow again later.View attachment 158806


You do know this sh!t happens in Canada every winter.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Yep. I enjoy plowing snow though. Spent half the day so far. Got stuck twice. The snow packs very hard and slick making it like ice. A lot of the time I would spin backing up from pushing into a bank. I learned quickly to feather the throttle a bit so as not to spin and let the 4x4 do the work. 

My 17 yr old was impressed.   I had him come out in my f150 to pull me out of one spot where I slid off the shoulder. Afterwards I was pushing snow downhill and tried backing out from the bank. Well, all 4 tires slid sideways a couple feet. I stopped a few feet from one of the apple trees. I decided to drop the plow to anchor the front and cut the tires hard right and floor it in forward making the back of the truck swing around on the slick ice doing about a 160 degree swing from going uphill to going downhill  .  Once it swung around facing downhill, I easily backed out. All this on our single lane drive.


----------



## m1west

worked in the field today removing and replacing a heavy piece of production equipment.


----------



## Melensdad

Heading to Notre Dame tomorrow morning to pack up Dasha's dorm room and return her home for the Christmas break holidays.  Entire move out process has to be completed tomorrow because she will be in an off-campus study program next semester.


----------



## FrancSevin

We finished the last packaging project of a major account today.
The comparatively small quantity medical packaging remains until Christmas.
Lights out?

Maybe.
But then we received a call that the frozen Steak company wants another run of 200,000 books.
So today I began making warehouse room and preparations.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Relaxing with my feet up this morning but going to help out a community member down the road who put out a request for a one time plow as her husband is working out of town. Taking the new puppy for her shots this afternoon then a sleepover for the scouts tonight at the church we meet at. I'll probably end up shoved in a closet or entranceway to sleep again as the adults don't sleep in the same room as the kids. And it's a 100 year old church.


----------



## m1west

Did horse chores and everything was going so well until everything turned to shit. Got the poo cleaned, gave them hay then when I went to fill the stock tanks the water came ou cloudy. WTF alge in the 2500 gallon holding tank. Had to dump the whole thing then filled it back up with a cup of Clorox in it. Screwed my whole morning plan. Only happened one time before but that was a PITA too. Now its lunch time.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Just got back home from taking my dad's dogs to the vet. There are four left now, and we can't take care of them. We don't know what the outcome will be with his house, nor mine. We're going to have to lawyer up but fortunately - he had some very good friends that also know some very good lawyers. I just hope it doesn't come to that. But they're also going to help us find the remaining four homes. But the vet visit went well. No real issues other than three ear infections and one eye infection. All can be remedied through anti-biotics and ointments.


----------



## pirate_girl

Had a busy day early seeing my granddaughter Kasey off for her Christmas break to State College, Pennsylvania.
My son Jeff drove after we had breakfast at Bob Evans.
That was my Christmas spent with her.
She's staying through Christmas so I gave her the gift of cold hard cash.
She took the birds with her.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Just got home from a restless night of sleep in laying in a small closed in room with a photocopier on my right and an elevator shaft on my left. We were watching over 8 teenage scouts upstairs at a church while around 16 younger kids slept downstairs. We basically made homemade pizza and watched movies all evening. Now I'm resting before heading back to the city to play music at our church.


----------



## pirate_girl

Looking at the forum posts.


----------



## FrancSevin

pirate_girl said:


> Looking at the forum posts.


Everyone should have a hobby.

Or a vice.


----------



## pirate_girl

FrancSevin said:


> Everyone should have a hobby.
> 
> Or a vice.


I consider checking out newbs for the sake of the forum and all mankind.
90% of the time I've been correct.
Ya want names?


----------



## FrancSevin

Spent the day mostly loafing.

Cleaned up some old Crystal from when Crumpy and I were first married.  Packed away in the basement it had gotten wet when the sewer plugged up. Beautify stuff from a grocery chain premium program that we couldn't finish the set out as we had moved to Chicago.  Yes, cheap, ($2.00 ea) but really nice stem ware and barware.  For newlyweds first years in hand-me-down furniture, drapes, kitchen utensils and plates, it was special.

We proudly set them out, with our miss matched plates and silverware, for holiday gatherings.

We now have  Jamestowne Gold stemware from Mikasa.  At least16 each of wine glasses, Iced Tea, Hi-ball, aperitif, you name it. Probably over 80 pieces and they all match.  So, despite the nostalgia, the Gold trimmed "Specials" were put away for a bar I have never built.  The space in the lower lever is currently occupied with other "stuff" with which we cannot seem to part.

New boxes and bubble wrap.  A few metaphorical tears, and they went back in storage.  Hopefully they don't have to wait another 30 years.


----------



## Melensdad

Dasha and I went to a high school fencing tournament.  She was a referee.  I was coaching.  My girls squad won Gold.  By boys squad won Silver.  I had fun with several of my former students who came home from college.


----------



## m1west

Just finished morning chores, cold and foggy this morning. I think I will take a rest day and sit by the fire.


----------



## NorthernRedneck

Been running my butt off for 2 days.  After the scouts sleepover I was supervising (yawn) and playing the 5pm service at church yesterday, I skipped out on church this morning to plow the yard again cleaning up the mess after the storm this week. This afternoon I am headed to the local snowmobile club for a meeting. They put out a call for volunteers this season so I'm going to go check it out. (I may end up running the trail groomer occasionally)


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

Relaxing today. I'm going to speak to a lawyer tomorrow and begin trying to settle things. I'm getting some time off, but it's going to be anything but relaxing. We're momentarily in a hell of a mess with what happened, but I feel I've got this.


----------



## pirate_girl

J.J. McDaniels said:


> Relaxing today. I'm going to speak to a lawyer tomorrow and begin trying to settle things. I'm getting some time off, but it's going to be anything but relaxing. We're momentarily in a hell of a mess with what happened, but I feel I've got this.


Good for you 
I've been through similar when my Mother passed away, but you'll get through it.


----------



## chowderman

my brother was married _eight_ times, seven females.  he married the 7th wife, divorced, married her as 8th....
he had one child by one wife.
as life progressed I chided him he really needed to have a will - given the number of parties / situations involved . . .
advice he ignored, he suffered a massive heart attack (while hunting turkey....) never regained conscientiousness and died the next day.

no will, state law gave everything to his (then) wife, his own kid - who he raised while living at home with our parents.... - got zero.

some situations go from bad to worse real fast - so all the folks with no will and still "thinking about it" are encouraged to get to the business of your affairs.  the day will come.


----------



## J.J. McDaniels

My biggest concern for tomorrow is the bank. His business account was locked because his card was reported as stolen. That's not so. I have it, and I've used it to pay his bills with. I wrote checks to pay his employees on his behalf, and I had his consent to do so. I just hope the bank doesn't see it as forgery because it wasn't. Not a single cent more than what was earned by everyone was taken. And our bank was more than well aware he was ill and wasn't physically able to make an appearance, let alone sign anything. 

And he's got money tied up in that account I need to access so I can keep the ball rolling with his business, and it's either going to be dissolved, or re-organized into a new business with a new name. I at least hope the lawyer can do something with that as soon as tomorrow. I don't want his employees to work and not get paid, but I've got a backup plan just in case. They'll still get paid, but I won't. At least for this week.


----------



## chowderman

state laws vary and can be exceptionally goofy at making common sense.
if you were an authorized person on the accounts, the bank may or may not allow you to operate them, because 'his' accounts are part of 'his estate' - which is frozen at death - and nothing happens until somebody is legally granted executor powers.  the lawyer should be able to make that happen quick - presuming you are the named executor....
if it was an incorporated business account, you may have more leeway - as 'the corporation' continues....
note that if you were operating by "Power of Attorney" - that authority ceases at his death.
lawyers have good uses, not many,,,, but some.


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## FrancSevin

Setting myself up for another  "easy" day.
Pancakes and French Toast in the morning.
Clean up the kitchen.
Season a bottom round for the crock pot and put in all the veggies for a pot roast.
Cleanup the kitchen, again

Clear the greenhouse of debris and clean the cat boxes
Tend to the bird feeders.
Carry out the trash
Split some firewood

Set the table for dinner.
Easy day.

Crumpy says my training is coming along just fine.
I could make somebody a good housewife.


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## J.J. McDaniels

We took care of a few things today. We opened up a safety deposit box for his valuables, checked his house for anything else we may have missed, fed, watered and gave his dogs their meds, (we're in the stages of adopting them out to good homes) and his bank account can still be used, but only for so much longer. I started the process for the Memorial Service today. I've set it for next Friday. I'd like to have some great pictures of him, followed by a slideshow, music, and some words from family/friends. I've kept everything mostly in check, but that's going to be a tough day. I'll only have a few days off afterwards and start getting back into the swing of things.


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## NorthernRedneck

JJ....I can relate as we went through all that last year after dad passed. I know it's hard but stay focused on all the important things that need to be done. It's a lot but after the funeral/memorial service and everyone goes home and things settle down, it'll hit you like a tonne of bricks. All kinds of emotions will flood you. What eventually helped me was every time I'm having a "dad" moment, I  take a deep breath and tell myself that it's going to be OK. 

I hit the ground running again today. I was at a snowmobile club meeting yesterday with around 40 other guys. They were looking for groups of guys to head out and inspect the trail system now that we have snow and do any final brushing and pack the swamps to drive the frost down before they take the groomers out in January.

All three of my sleds were still sitting outside with a foot of snow on them so I went out and cleaned them off, unloaded two of them and put them in the garage to clean and service them before I head out later this week with a group of guys to inspect a section of trail and look for a possible bypass for a stretch that will be plowed this winter by a logging company.

I headed to the city with my oldest son to shop for shoes and pick up a grocery order. After supper I headed back to the shop to do some work on the plow truck as the filter in the lift pump keeps clogging. Easy to do but time consuming. Take the motor off the pump. Drain the fluid. Remove the internal pump mechanism and remove the screen filter. A replacement isn't expensive but you can clean them and reinstall. Just spray it with brake cleaner and use an air hose to clean. Once I threw it all back together and refilled it, it worked great.  This would have waited but we have another storm coming tonight so it needs to be ready for the morning to plow. Now it's  time.


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## J.J. McDaniels

NorthernRedneck said:


> JJ....I can relate as we went through all that last year after dad passed. I know it's hard but stay focused on all the important things that need to be done. It's a lot but after the funeral/memorial service and everyone goes home and things settle down, it'll hit you like a tonne of bricks. All kinds of emotions will flood you. What eventually helped me was every time I'm having a "dad" moment, I take a deep breath and tell myself that it's going to be OK.


Man, I don't even think I've really taken the time to grieve. It just seems so surreal. Both of my parents are gone right before Christmas. I'm 41 but it still boggles my mind.... why do these things always happen around Holiday seasons?


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## NorthernRedneck

J.J. McDaniels said:


> Man, I don't even think I've really taken the time to grieve. It just seems so surreal. Both of my parents are gone right before Christmas. I'm 41 but it still boggles my mind.... why do these things always happen around Holiday seasons?



Right now just focus on what needs to be done then as things settle, you be sure to take time to grieve in your own way. There's no easy time for it to happen. It sucks but the end result is the same. We all gotta go sometime.


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## Melensdad

J.J. McDaniels said:


> Man, I don't even think I've really taken the time to grieve. It just seems so surreal. Both of my parents are gone right before Christmas. I'm 41 but it still boggles my mind.... why do these things always happen around Holiday seasons?


As has been said, just focus on what needs to be done to settle things.

I lost both of my parents (many years ago) but in a short amount of time.  Buried dad on Valentine's Day, mom died on Mother's Day. 

The grieving is different for everyone.  For me it started after the shock of the whole situation really settled in and it got to me during my times when I was alone.  Crying in the shower and crying in the car were frequent.  But that occurred a month later.  It was as if my body/mind was just in 'auto pilot' or 'cruise control' through the public parts of my life.  I went to work the day after we buried dad.  It is what he would have done, how he lived his life.  So many things happened like that.  Focus shifted 100% to mom's care.  At the same time, we had a newborn baby daughter that mom got to hold but dad never saw.  And we had snow.  The timeline is all a blur.

But the grieving started when the calm of the aftermath came.  Just hang in there.  It gets better.


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## J.J. McDaniels

Melensdad said:


> The grieving is different for everyone. For me it started after the shock of the whole situation really settled in and it got to me during my times when I was alone.


I'm no different. I've put on a happy face for everyone, or at least I've tried. I'll break down or tear up behind closed doors when I'm all alone, but it just doesn't last long. I think I've numbed out most anything that comes my way, but I'm trying to remain strong for everyone else. 



Melensdad said:


> I went to work the day after we buried dad.


I went to work the day after we buried my mom. It's almost been six and a half years now, and that was by far the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I didn't take any time off, I just kept pushing forward. His memorial service has been set for next Friday morning at 1030. We'll have pictures, a slideshow, music and some words from family and friends. We'll bury his ashes next to my mom and head home, but I expect next week to be the hardest day of it all. But right now? It still feels as if there's a hole in my heart. I know it will get better with time, but it just doesn't feel that way at the moment.


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## FrancSevin

Greif is the debt we must pay for having loved.  
Would life be better without that emotion?

Hardly.

........to love, is that not why we live?


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## m1west

J.J. McDaniels said:


> I'm no different. I've put on a happy face for everyone, or at least I've tried. I'll break down or tear up behind closed doors when I'm all alone, but it just doesn't last long. I think I've numbed out most anything that comes my way, but I'm trying to remain strong for everyone else.
> 
> 
> I went to work the day after we buried my mom. It's almost been six and a half years now, and that was by far the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I didn't take any time off, I just kept pushing forward. His memorial service has been set for next Friday morning at 1030. We'll have pictures, a slideshow, music and some words from family and friends. We'll bury his ashes next to my mom and head home, but I expect next week to be the hardest day of it all. But right now? It still feels as if there's a hole in my heart. I know it will get better with time, but it just doesn't feel that way at the moment.


You Dad and my dad sound similar, he passed at 4 am in 2014 with me and my son at his side. We went to work on time because thats what he expected, always said he didn't want a funeral or for anyone to be sad at his passing as it was part of the life process. Mom passed 6 months prior in LosAngeles, she was in the hospital for 4 months. I had just left there and returned home to northern Ca. when my sister called and said she got pneumonia and was going bad fast, I had planned to head back in the morning but she went before I got there. I still think of them everyday and I don't think that will change. Keep a stiff upper lip, it ain't easy but will pass in time. I think it made me and my sister a little closer.


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## J.J. McDaniels

m1west said:


> You Dad and my dad sound similar, he passed at 4 am in 2014 with me and my son at his side. We went to work on time because thats what he expected, always said he didn't want a funeral or for anyone to be sad at his passing as it was part of the life process. Mom passed 6 months prior in LosAngeles, she was in the hospital for 4 months. I had just left there and returned home to northern Ca. when my sister called and said she got pneumonia and was going bad fast, I had planned to head back in the morning but she went before I got there. I still think of them everyday and I don't think that will change. Keep a stiff upper lip, it ain't easy but will pass in time. I think it made me and my sister a little closer.


I think that if anything, it may have brought my uncle and I closer together. I don't think I ever really knew him all that well. I remember having Christmas get togethers when I was very young, and he was always there, but I never talked to him much. He's 74, his own son wants nothing to do with him for whatever reason, and he's also keeping him from seeing his grandson. He's lost his wife, but remarried, lost one brother ten years ago, and now his last brother. He didn't hold anything back Thursday, and that was even more heartbreaking. I was at a loss for words. I couldn't comfort anyone.


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## NorthernRedneck

IMO going back to work right after might not be such a bad thing. With me being on disability, after it happened and things settled and everyone went home, my wife went back to work and kids were in school which left me sitting here alone most of the day to stew in my thoughts which brought me to a dark place. I think if I had a purpose and work to distract me, it might have helped. Who knows. Dad passed in Sept '21 and it took me until late September this year to finally come to terms with things being the way they are. For the sake of my sanity, I had to tell myself that dad is now part of the past. And I have to live in the present. That's helped me to move on.


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## J.J. McDaniels

Great advice. We aren't really looking forward to going tomorrow, but it will give us something constructive to do. We'll work Thursday and that will be it until Tuesday. My job itself won't even be the same. It's something my dad did himself for 18 years. I just surpassed him. I've got 19 years under my belt. It's a franchise and I kind of felt that they wanted me to lead his company, but that isn't going to be the case. I'm cool with it. I'll just be working for myself again. And it's going to take me at least about a year to accept it. It took time with my mom.


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## NorthernRedneck

Thinking of you today JJ. 

This morning I headed to the border 45 minutes south of us to pick up packages. Then a few errands before returning home. Now, watching our year old sofa being reconstructed. The back main spring support snapped in half. Afterwards I have to head outside in the bitter cold  to once again change the oil in the plow pump as it has been clogging the filter. We have another big dumping of snow expected overnight.


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## NorthernRedneck

Yah. -36 windchill today. Not exactly the best time to do anything outside. I do have to load up my snowmobile and sled on the trailer for tomorrow though as I'm heading out to scout a bypass for a section of trail an hour from here.


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## FrancSevin

Closing the shop for Christmas-New Years.  Bad weather coming in so we shut down one day early


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## J.J. McDaniels

First day back today. I'd almost rather not have gone back, but I did mostly OK. It's going to be a long road, though.


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## m1west

Chores, paperwork and a trip to the feed store


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## NorthernRedneck

I headed out an hour drive west with a couple other guys to pack and inspect a section of trail. We didn't get far before my machine began bogging down as did one of the other machines from freezing up as it was -21 Celsius. My machine cleared up but the other one was only running on one cylinder cutting our day short. I was home by 1pm and quickly turned my attention to the plow truck as the pump was still acting up. I completely drained it and flushed everything out. Cleaned the filter and put fresh fluid then went out plowing for a couple hours as we've gotten 8 inches of snow since yesterday. We're under a weather advisory until Saturday.


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## FrancSevin

Going to -9 F. 
Wind gusting at 20 the 30 knots 
Chopped & hauled wood.
Put bubble wrap on some windows in the Solarium and Greenhouse


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## Melensdad

-8(F) when I got up because the house was cold.

Thermostat said it was 60 inside.

Uh oh.

Did a hard reset on the furnace, checked the pressure switch, looks like I solved, at least temporarily, the problem and we have heat again.  But it will take a while to bring the house up to temperature and we have the baby in the house so I pulled out 2 space heaters, put one in our bedroom with the lovely Mrs_Bob and Kobe.  The other is in Melen's room.  I'm sitting in the family room, watching the news, checking the furnace every 15 minutes to make sure it is still operating.  Oh, and sipping some hot coffee.


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## J.J. McDaniels

It fell to 12 degrees here. I must admit, I had my doubts about it, but it pushed through last night. Wind, rain and rapidly dropping temps. I don't plan on doing anything much today, other than making a few phone calls to finalize the service for next week. I may, at least, go pick up some things from the store and make a pot of chili. It calls for it.


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## Melensdad

J.J. McDaniels said:


> It fell to 12 degrees here. . .


My weather stations were both reading -8(F).

TV news is saying the official temp at a nearby town is -11(F) now.  Windchill is showing -40(F) right now.

The weather app is saying it is -10(F) in another nearby town.

Not sure what is the correct number for the current temperature is, but I suspect that if I pee off my back porch today there will be ice crystals hitting the ground


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## m1west

40 out there right now with  high of 60 today. Burr


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## J.J. McDaniels

m1west said:


> 40 out there right now with  high of 60 today. Burr


Nice! Much warmer compared to most of us this morning. Our high is going to be in the mid-20's today.


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## FrancSevin

With some luck, we will cross Zero F into the plus side today.

Green house is a 40 F
Solarium is at 58F

1 1/2" of white stuff on the ground

Winds at 20 to 40 knots.


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## NorthernRedneck

I'm working at installing my butt firmly onto my sofa for the day. It's currently -16 Celsius with a windchill of -37. We're still under a severe weather advisory until Saturday. My arms are feeling the snowmobile ride yesterday. It's always like that after the first ride of the season using muscles in a way they haven't been used in months.


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## FrancSevin

-2 F degrees outside.
Crumpy's Pacifica is covered in ice and snow
Cookies with Santa Claus at the bank today for the kidees.
I'm warm by the fireplace,
in my robe

What to do......


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## NorthernRedneck

FrancSevin said:


> -2 F degrees outside.
> Crumpy's Pacifica is covered in ice and snow
> Cookies with Santa Claus at the bank today for the kidees.
> I'm warm by the fireplace,
> in my robe
> 
> What to do......



My wife's vehicle is tucked nicely away in our attached heated garage.  The rest of the vehicles are covered. They can stay that way.    we're in the beginning stages of a blizzard. We have no reason to go anywhere so we'll stay bundled up infront of the fireplace watching movies hoping the power doesn't go out. People are stranded everywhere as flights have been canceled all across the country due to storms.


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## J.J. McDaniels

I'm making that pot of chili!!!!! Definitely the right weather for it.


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## Ironman

J.J. McDaniels said:


> I'm making that pot of chili!!!!! Definitely the right weather for it.


Me too.


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## Melensdad

Well the furnace is NOT running at full potential but it is running.  There is a vacuum/condensation trap/switch thing . . . can't remember what it is called, but it keeps over-flowing with condensation every 3 or so hours.  

Temperature is still -1(F).  

This is a recurring problem with my furnace, usually on very very cold days.  At this point I am not worried that I need a service call.  Mostly I'm tired from getting up so damn early.  And probably won't get a lot of sleep tonight as I expect this problem to continue until we get slightly warmer temps.  I think it is a design flaw of the system?  In any case, we are in pretty good shape.  Having multiple fire places helps.  The furnace is currently blowing out plenty of hot air . . . at least for the moment.

Going to roast some chicken and some cauliflower for dinner.  

Things could be a lot worse.  House is currently 66.  We are warm enough.  We have food.  We are fortunate.


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## NorthernRedneck

Melensdad said:


> Well the furnace is NOT running at full potential but it is running.  There is a vacuum/condensation trap/switch thing . . . can't remember what it is called, but it keeps over-flowing with condensation every 3 or so hours.
> 
> Temperature is still -1(F).
> 
> This is a recurring problem with my furnace, usually on very very cold days.  At this point I am not worried that I need a service call.  Mostly I'm tired from getting up so damn early.  And probably won't get a lot of sleep tonight as I expect this problem to continue until we get slightly warmer temps.  I think it is a design flaw of the system?  In any case, we are in pretty good shape.  Having multiple fire places helps.  The furnace is currently blowing out plenty of hot air . . . at least for the moment.
> 
> Going to roast some chicken and some cauliflower for dinner.
> 
> Things could be a lot worse.  House is currently 66.  We are warm enough.  We have food.  We are fortunate.



Sounds like an issue I had before in a previous home with a newer high efficiency furnace. There's a small rubber cap I believe that I had to remove that became clogged with a sludge and caused the furnace to cut out. It's been years but I remember cursing  it all the time.


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## chowderman

yup - high efficiency "condensing" furnaces put out condensate from the fuel burn gases - and the drains clog up with algae / sludge / whatever...  most furnaces will then trip out if the drain is totally blocked.


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## m1west

Went to the field to get a job started then returned for chores, after lunch a little paperwork and I just started a fire.


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## waybomb

3f note.


chowderman said:


> yup - high efficiency "condensing" furnaces put out condensate from the fuel burn gases - and the drains clog up with algae / sludge / whatever...  most furnaces will then trip out if the drain is totally blocked.


Yep, happened on mine a couple years ago. Easy fix. Blow the line out.


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## Melensdad

waybomb said:


> 3f note.
> 
> Yep, happened on mine a couple years ago. Easy fix. Blow the line out.


That is what I do, every 2 to 3 hours.

Not clogged.  Just happens, usually once a year or every other year.  Very very cold day, especially if humidity is high.  No biggie, but can't leave the house unattended in weather like this when it kicks off.  Typically I do it once or twice.  But given the negative temps, still reasonably high winds and humidity, it has not been cooperative.


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## waybomb

Mine had a trap contraption. After multiple blowing out escapades,  I bought a new tap contraption on ebay. The instructions indicated a Vent line above the trap.  The one installed did not have that.  So i put a tee in above the trap thingy with a short hose that extended above the level of the drain pan, and haven't had an issue since.
Maybe similar issue with yours?


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## NorthernRedneck

Glad I don't have to deal with that vent clogging anymore. This house has a newer boiler with infloor heating in the basement and vents on the main floor. We also have 2 gas fireplaces going as we have 2 main living room/rec rooms on the main floor and one downstairs. Each living room has a fireplace.


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