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What are you doing today, II

Between coaching and travel for coaching the past 6 days (travel has been driving, typically 150 to 220 miles daily round trips) I think I just got worn out.

My body was not in pain yesterday but I was sore, just low level aches, but Advil and later in the day Tramdol did not take away the aches. And I was tired. I really needed to go to fencing last night but was determined not to coach, just to talk, do some work, sit and watch. That actually happened. Sat and talked for 45 minutes. Some very light duty work at my workbench for about an hour. Then sat and watched fencing until we locked the door. Came home about 9pm, ate a bratwurst, went to bed and was asleep by 10pm. Work up this morning at 8:15am. That is pretty much a record amount of sleep for me. I usually get in 6 hours on a good day. 10 hours of sleep for me is astonishing.

Feel pretty good this morning, getting ready to go for my 2nd cup of coffee.

Supposed to go to Purdue tonight (160 mile round trip) from 8pm to 11pm but I'm going to stay home. No coaching today. Got to rest up for a long weekend with foster son Kobe, he is approaching 5 years old and is full of energy, so I need to rest up for him.

My next coaching will be a short day, Northwestern University, Saturday, morning thru lunch. I should be home by 3:30pm.
 
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I spent 2 hours outside the police station this morning with my son waiting to file his accident report. Apparently they need the vehicle to take measurements etc. We had basically signed the back of the ownership when the tow company picked it up as they just take them to the scrap yard at that age. So, I called the tow company who said they'd bring it over to the police station this afternoon.

Then I headed to home depot to pick up some wood for a project at home. I have been working on framing family pictures recently. We wanted a nice place to display them. Here's what I came up with in my head while standing at the wood at home depot. I still have to sand and stain. And build the other side. They'll be mounted about 6" higher than that.
 

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m1west said:
Wood pile is low and starting Friday it’s going to rain for a week. So I’m cutting wood for 2 days.
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Oh my. How did you get so low? :(

The Mrs. is sick. I'm staying outside. Fixed tractor lights, busted ice in the creek so I can cross it, arranged my scrapper to come get all my steel & aluminum, computer acted up so did full backup before restart (and it did), looked at taxes.
 
Had that talk with that customer's 17 year old daughter once again and I am impressed with her change getting the message from me. Proud of her for changing her life around going in the right direction in life. Found out she turns 18 on Sunday and thinking about enlisting in the Navy. Luckily a fellow Navy veteran friend of mine, Carl was there and he talked to her as well. Told her the ball is in her court and is her decision to make. I agreed with him on that as well. He was like me, came out a better person changing his life around since he enlisted in Navy in 1997 doing 10 years. Found out she talked her both of her parents on this too and they are supportive of her on it
 
There are two dark corners of this old house I haven't worked on for a while. What was to be the lower level Kitchen/bar is back to being used as a store room for Miscellaneous crap we cannot throw away.
The Furnace room.

Currently I am ding the Furnace room. 12'X 10, it houses the furnace, water heater, the big dehumidifier, main septic drains and a slop sink. Years ago I bought some put together plastic cabinets. Two were assembled but we never set the rest up in the laundry room. As f now the "Laundry room" is full of storage so I am putting them in the furnace room. Manufactured in Isreal, absolutely amazingly engineered storage units. Snap together with no screw or fasteners.

This has been the most neglected room in the house. For 50 years we just put off any improvement to it. It has become a catchall for stuff with which we just don't know what to do. Like 27 cases of single serve laundry detergent pouches. A lifetime supply.
Dead vacuum machines, brooms, folding chairs, and mops. UGH!!!

Outside Concrete wall gets studs, vapor barrier, insulation and plywood sheathing. Inside existing studs get plywood sheathing. That can then be easy to mount cabinets and racks. I'll paint the plywood a soft, creamy, flat white.

Again, pictures if Crumpy gets inclined.
 
Finally got a guy to sell me a 1979 Dodge tow truck he had, A 1979 D300. I remember him driving it around as a kid. I do have put tires on it, dry rotted and put in a new radiator and has front brake issues I can fix. He is going down south moving down there and gave me the call it was mine at the right price. I did get the title for it already
 
Had my new guy in my life over at my shop, he was impressed. We started dated on Monday and going well. I like him and he guessed something right, one of my favorite songs that describes me and was this song
 
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JackieL said:
Finally got a guy to sell me a 1979 Dodge tow truck he had, A 1979 D300. I remember him driving it around as a kid. I do have put tires on it, dry rotted and put in a new radiator and has front brake issues I can fix. He is going down south moving down there and gave me the call it was mine at the right price. I did get the title for it already
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Challenger or Holmes winch? Or?
 
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I drove in to home depot this morning for more wood and other materials. Then came home and first, modified the shelf I built yesterday then built another one as quickly as I could. Why I chose to build it outside at -10 celcius and not in the heated garage where my wife parks is beyond me. After lunch I sanded, stained and varnished them. I chose to match the floor and window trim in a lighter oak.
 

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Today is ice and flood control day 1.
Temp around 40F, rain & fog and I heard thunder. Lots of water moving. Water coming down the hill gets within inches of my building. Hand dig some little trenches to re-route the water.
Creek is running high with the melt. Ice dams here and there are obstructing creek flow and may cause flooding around creek areas.
 
Slight change of plans. We are abandoning two storage units and need to bring much of the stuff home. We still have one unit under contract., A rather large one, with room in which to place some of the items. Furniture mostly.

The three units were a cash drain for stuff we couldn't store here at home. However, we have recently finished some rooms, and the granddaughter has moved out to New York, taking her Internet business with her. So, we now have the spaces for many of the items.

Memorabilia, some tools, Shelving units, a radial saw and spare rims for my Crossfire. Some clothing, blankets, lamps, etc.

My FIL was into building RC planes and boats. We now have finished rooms in which to place them for display.

This will take the whole weekend and part of Monday AM just to move everything home. Next week we get to install the stuff where, hopefully, it all goes.

Meanwhile, the furnace room project is on hold.
 
I actually don't feel all that terrible today, but this type A virus has already taken 3 of our residents. It's moving fast and hitting hard.
I've been sleeping a lot and drinking water like it's going out of style.
Today is the first actual meal I've had in almost 4 days.
 
Doc said:
Nice job. Looks GREAT!!!!!!
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Thanks. We have pictures of both sides of great grandparents and grandparents parents etc. On the top right shelf second from the right is a picture of my great grandparents on my mother's side from 1950. She passed away in 65. I knew him. He passed in 2004 at age 104. He still drove at 99. Amazing man.
 
Went to Northwestern University yesterday as a spectator to support a former high school kid who is now serious NCAA fencer. He is in his senior year in college. I've known him for 8 years, friends with his parents, blah blah blah...

Had a nice chat with Dasha's Notre Dame coach, met up with several other collegiate coaches I know, some of the national referees and a few serious international competitors. So that was fun.

Got home to find out that my Homewood-Flossmoor high school saber boys won SILVER in the 3 state fencing conference and another kid, who is at Marian, won BRONZE with his Saber squad. I started all these kids, some of them I turned over to another coach/friend for more skills training, but damn, those are great results.

And better than that, 2 of the kids I work with won the all conference Sportsmanship Award, which is the top award in the conference. And this is the first time I remember both Women's and Men's awards going to the same team. Maybe that has happened before, but I don't recall it, and I've been involved in this conference since Melen fenced in high school 16 years ago

4 major awards, 2 different high schools.

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Went to church this morning and did say my testimony how my life changed when Jesus became involved in my life when I was 18 during the service. I put a huge impact on a troubled young man's life wanting to change his life around, he came up to me after the service was done. Told him I will help him on that and told him ditch the no good friends first. My son's age, 16 and on probation for a minor in possession a 2nd time
 
Came back from my other property and did a little cleaning in the building. He had tools out which I put away and all there in toolbox, had the back of my truck full of garbage which went into the dumpster. Plus had a guy and seen two 1990 Honda Accords in the back wanting to buy them and told him not for sale going in the crusher on Friday. They have no engine or transmission in them nothing left of them
 
Been working and got a new customer, a demolition place and they are a great customer. Told me if there is anything else wrong with their work trucks and semi trucks including their heavy equipment, fix it without a question asked. They know breakdowns cost them money if not fixed right away.
 
Back when I had my service station, I had an account like that. They kept their equipment perfect. I had carte blanche. They had about 25 trucks and cars.
But I documented everything just in case somebody thought I was ripping them off. I'd keep the old parts until the owner would come by. He would tell me every time don't worry about it. But I did.
Also had a few older customers that would do the same. They'd bring their car by about once a month and had me go through them. Just do the work, don't call till it's done.
None of them drove much, so rarely found any issues.
 
waybomb said:
Back when I had my service station, I had an account like that. They kept their equipment perfect. I had carte blanche. They had about 25 trucks and cars.
But I documented everything just in case somebody thought I was ripping them off. I'd keep the old parts until the owner would come by. He would tell me every time don't worry about it. But I did.
Also had a few older customers that would do the same. They'd bring their car by about once a month and had me go through them. Just do the work, don't call till it's done.
None of them drove much, so rarely found any issues.
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This one they went to a shop that was screwing them.They dropped off a 2010 Chevy 2500HD of theirs with a transmission leak and found it,loose fitting in the radiator that was brand new I tightened up installed by the previous shop.Plus I noticed something was not right in the front end driving it finding the left side out tie rod end bad which was replaced.I installed a Moog,knew not to put in a cheap one. The owner said he noticed it as well.
 
I got some parts in for one of our fire trucks it took a couple hours to to get them installed and working.
Now I'm sitting here my back is killing me and I have a headache drinking some coffee with honey in it.
 
I've been pretty much laid up with a bad back for a few days. Sharp pains in my lower back. But still managed to get a pot of stew on for supper along with a fresh loaf of bread.
 
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