Never enough time

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spro
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Re: Never enough time

Post by spro »

+1 on the success of our great friends here. So many things about the cold and injuries but it is going to get colder and more frozen. I hope you are secured and safe. I put off some things because it was raining but I will wish it was only rain tomorrow.
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steamin10
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Location: NW Indiana. Close to Lake Michigan S. tip

Re: Never enough time

Post by steamin10 »

Ah well. 4 days of rain have done me in again. I fired up the case diesel in order to scrape my sons driveway that is disappearing under inches of silty mud encroaching from the edges, and it sunk of its own weight in the back yard. It plwed ruts inches deep into the soggy sod and wont get on top of the mire. So there it sits. Nature the Mother has won another round.

With the 60 degree days, picking pavement rocks out of the driveway fill material is a snap, not being frozen in. But the back is killing me from all the bend and carry, I aint young no more. So far no issues with the trash guy either, as I keep the plastic trash containers light, for the truck dumper to manage.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
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steamin10
Posts: 6712
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2003 11:52 pm
Location: NW Indiana. Close to Lake Michigan S. tip

Re: Never enough time

Post by steamin10 »

As luck would have it, I got some spare minutes for the shop to cut on wheels and axles, and, Oh-ooh. The switch is in the reverse position on my nine inch lathe. It never ran in reverse, and now doesnt move at all....Mom was cleaning my side of the lower level, and I suspect bumped the lever out of position...I willl tear it down monday and see what is what.

I found a neighbor that has his uncles short bed 6 inch SB lathe. It has the back stand and drive, and is a change gear model. no gears. but he accepted a $350 offer for the machine and all the smalls that go with it. It has to be dismounted off of heavy wooden table to move it.

I am starting on another project, a man mover that is styled like a Rascal cart. This thing is from the 70's somewhere, and I picked it up for the chain drive and motor to power a critter, but went another direction. So now the aluminum frame and drive will become a scooter again, for the day I may need it to get around.. First thing is to assay the motor parts and switches. I have plans on getting the gearing to a higher speed than the 4 mph original, by puttin bigger wheels, and metal fenders on it. It has bicycle handle bars but only a single lead wheel.. I am likely to weld up some steering gear and make it a 4 wheel ride, topped off with a high back lawn tractor seat. I have a vivid imagination.

As luck would have it, Mom Rose found a large under cabinet micro wave at the Re-store, a second hand shop based around bulding materials, and Habitat donations. This large black beauty was just arrived from a 4 plex remodel. She asked, and because of the over 60 rule and half price day, we loaded it up for $40. It now proudly sits where our slightly smller GE unit used to sit. It was getting spooky, as the lower door seal was giving sparks every now and then, so we planned to replace it anyway. Mom is happy now, and if mom isnt happy, nobody is happy.

Trying to get my black Ranger into the buddies body shop to touch up a fender dent, and paint on the bed rails, for sale this spring. With 101K miles on a 97 and 4.0 with extended cab, it should do well on the local market this tax season.. I will be changing to the diesel 350 quad cab, that has been sitting. I no longer drive alot, so its expense should not set me back for operations, and I clear the driveway for spring. Too many vehicles. I GET TO WATCH HOARDER, BURIED ALIVE, SO i CAN FEEL BETTER.. lLaters,
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
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steamin10
Posts: 6712
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2003 11:52 pm
Location: NW Indiana. Close to Lake Michigan S. tip

Re: Never enough time

Post by steamin10 »

Wooo-hoo! Solved a nagging problem in the abode. We lost a light circuit due to gremlins for the staircase and computer wall. Two circuits lost their neutral, being hot at the plug without a connected neutral. Another go around this morning, found the junction box for the runs that had those lines in them. For whatever reason, the long used neutral became unconnected under the wire nut, and I lost the circuit. So now the East plugs for the computers are functional again along with the lighting circuit for the stairwell, and its wall plugs. Persistance pays off. Some of the line tracing work was in the attic of the low roof, and it was not the summertime heat oven, so work was bearable. Nice.

It hit 60 degrees today, but morning thunder and lightning storms put a damper on motivations. We got a lot of water judging by the puddles and mud generated this round. It is not helping y crippling cold.

Laters.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
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steamin10
Posts: 6712
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2003 11:52 pm
Location: NW Indiana. Close to Lake Michigan S. tip

Re: Never enough time

Post by steamin10 »

Unseasonable storms moved throuugh last night. My little town of Griffith clsest to me, missed the wrath, and only got side swiped by the storm front. It organized West of here in illinois,, and spawned some powerful trornados in the Illinois flatlands. Ottowa was in the way and got a bad hit, getting severe damage to its town commercial center. For me, we got but sparatic downpoours, and some sustained 40 MPH winds. Gary, just north, by the lake, recorded a wind blast of 90 MPH, but damge here is light.

ON the dark side, my generator would not start, so it needs service for the 6500 watt unit, held for emergency use. If it dont work when you need it, it is just an ornament.The more you have, the more you must maintain. laters.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
spro
Posts: 8016
Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 11:04 pm
Location: mid atlantic

Re: Never enough time

Post by spro »

Big Dave. Thanks for keeping in touch. I'm glad the crazy weather hasn't harmed you but sure took a toll on others. Here we are mostly spared but 45 miles north or south as the crow flies, people have been hammered by high wind and twisters. It became so warm all the plants were blooming and the trees budding.. Cherry blossoms start and the winds blow them away early but I don't miss the deep snows now.
Take care, ole Bud.
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steamin10
Posts: 6712
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2003 11:52 pm
Location: NW Indiana. Close to Lake Michigan S. tip

Re: Never enough time

Post by steamin10 »

I did a patrol around the Ponderosa, and found some dead falls broken out of deceased cottonwoods. There are several in the back fence line that died prematurely for unknown causes. We lost several other full sized trees to a beetle invasion taht marched down from the Wisconsin forests, and infected trees here. The first signs of stress appeared about 3 years ago, The top branches died off. leaving a hairy appearance over the green leaves lower down. Now the trees are fully dead, and are shedding their bark. This makes for a LOT of fire wood, with so many large trunked trees gone. Most are in the 18 to 24 inch through range.

My sole Beehive got raided by an unknown critter, the top lid and top super being torn apart. I think it to be raccoons, but have never known them to move hive parts, not liking bees. The disturbed hive got defensive and bearded up over the entrance, so I had to run for it, after closing it back up. In the morning, I will make a qt of syrup and install a feeder to help settle them down, as the ball has been disturbed, and it is still tooo cool for them to move properly yet.Without food or low provisions theyan starve out trying to heat the hive. My neighbor has 4 hives, and 2 were killed off last week because of mouse raiding the stores. It happened in only two days.

My lawn mowing crapsman tractor is done at a neighbors shop, I am waiting for him to accept the larger tractor that filed to start last fall, to iron ut its problems. Finally I will pull the 60 inch mower deck out of the weeds, and get it prepped, for the spring take down of all the missed tall grasses.

The drive way widening is going ahead i fits and starts, with all the freeze and thaw weather, not allowing good picking of jaw breakers in the ground. So slow and steady is the pace, as long as I get all the blade breakers up before the grass hides them.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
spro
Posts: 8016
Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 11:04 pm
Location: mid atlantic

Re: Never enough time

Post by spro »

So slow and steady is the pace, as long as I get all the blade breakers up before the grass hides them.
Man. So true.
spro
Posts: 8016
Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 11:04 pm
Location: mid atlantic

Re: Never enough time

Post by spro »

I hope that your experiences are read and understood. Sometimes we can only comment about one thing. There is a lot going on, which does relate to your friends here. It is that they don't arrive quite there yet. There is the dream and put in motion and there is time. Termites and invaders never sleep but we must or we are not as sharp.
I should have done wholesale poison down to the roots and killed everything. I didn't. Man there is no mercy.
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steamin10
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Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2003 11:52 pm
Location: NW Indiana. Close to Lake Michigan S. tip

Re: Never enough time

Post by steamin10 »

Ya, my free gravelly fill for the drive, has turned inyo a nightmare, withall the football sized chunks of asphalt hidden in the fill. The vaunted box scraper for the Case diesel mostly just rolls over and bounces through the raised area, not pulling the chunks out. so it works out to be bar and hand work to make up for the small machine. I would have been better off breaking into the piggy bank and buying a load of stone or two..

A dead tree between houses, at my sons , has been estimated for $1200 for a take down, if we clean the branches and wood. Last year we topped the tree from a bucket truck, as it began to lean by 15 degrees over the house. Where it is cannot be reached except by a larger 60 foot bucket truck, with the threat of a dropped limb punching the roof of either confining house. Too tough for me, and I dont climb anymore, so we have to reach down into shallow pockets to eliminate the threat.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
User avatar
steamin10
Posts: 6712
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2003 11:52 pm
Location: NW Indiana. Close to Lake Michigan S. tip

Re: Never enough time

Post by steamin10 »

Obla Dee, life goes on...Mom Rose and I left for a well earned excursion into the real world, and went on a trip to DEitzney. Did the Epcot and Adentureland parks. Mom had me dive in the Seaquest event, with the fishes. Swimming with the sharks and rays was rather interesting, part of the 3 hour tour. . Message to Ditzney, you need to upgrade some things, Parts of the old park are looking old and shabby. Foods were an *, and circuses an *. Service was 9+. My old eyes enjoyed the sights and buildings, even the kiddie fireworks. A day well spent at each park. Wore out one scooter, had to get an upgrade.

Did a Blackhowks game with frieds, against their lightnings. Hawks lost in OT last 35 seconds. Good game, hard fought. The stadium was about 10% empty, with about half Hawks Jersies. A 20 oz beer was $13.50, and they requested my $4 pocket knife. )oops). Too far to the car....

We toured the Space Center, and they launched the first resused rocket at 6:28. Even three miles away, it was an awesome sight and sound for a few seconds of rise.

That friday morning, We boarded the Monarch of the Seas, for a ride to Nasau, Royal Carribean Cruises. The overnight trip caused Mom some pause, and she did not enjoy the prime rib like I did. We blew off the glass bottom boat ride, and instead hired a local Taxi, with some other Tourists family, and spent three hours going around Nasau, and (Pig) island, to see where the rich , famous, and the reguluar poor live. Itis quite striking. Saw Atlantis, resort, and the shops that Oprah shops, but gave my monies to street vendors for the regular tourist fare. Got a handfull of keychains to give away for $10. Ditzney gets 9 for one mickey.. both made in china.. Lots of fruity drinks, and island tastes. Spiney Lobster, two feet long, and cooked on the beach. 3 for $45.. (belch!) I prolly got Zebra virus, but I'll die happy. Second day spent on private Coco Cay island, big beach party, snorkling, and food. More food. Got stuffed there too. We had the island to oursellf, as the Disney dream was seen at their island, and the other 5 boats were doing other routes. Ya, I know. 7 boats at Nasau made for a sinking island of people.

On the 220 mile sail home, I found the Grand Casino, and tested a long stnading theory of mine of numbers and probability on the Roulette wheel..Mom began to hover and got worried when I was seated through three spinners and a coupla hours. In short, I put in #100 for chips, and cashed out $225. Not world shaking, but not a loser as most players are. I sat next to several, that came, played and went.

I either was not over my cold from some weeks before, or something in the air conditioning in our cabin did eveil things to me, as I was rip roaring sick with cold symptoms by the time we docked on Monday. Other than that, the food was from good to excellent, the shows entertaining and creative, and we did not run out of things to do. Actually had to take a nap to keep the batteries up and running. So it wwwwas a great adventure.

And then it rained. We pulled into the dock and disembarked into customs and endless lines while squalls threatened outside. We collected our excess travel gear, and gifts at Winterhaven with friends and started back fighting storm lines all the way. We stopped short of our goal in Georgia the first night rather than have to push bad weather at night. The next day, we hooked up with mY dotter in Western tennessee, and trakced down some chickens for our rare bird stock. Storms of one sort or another pelted us all the way up 65 to home.So Weds night we slept in our own beds again, with the cats and dogs visibly rejoicing on our arrival. With things unpacked, and almost back to normal, I post this, as a point of interest, as I have not travelled much these past few years.

Laters.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
User avatar
steamin10
Posts: 6712
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2003 11:52 pm
Location: NW Indiana. Close to Lake Michigan S. tip

Re: Never enough time

Post by steamin10 »

Well, many things have come to pass. I cannot read this fine board anymore due to failing eyesight. I cannot get the magnifyer feature to work properly, because of my old programming. Mom Rose is buying a new computer with updated programs for the Rescue, as it is necessary for online function.

I cannot function with conditions as they are. I am lined up for Cataract surgury/consultation in May. and will return to my favored board as capability perits.


Otherwise this may be my last posting if problems cannot be solved.. Best wishes as always.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
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