Tuesday, October 9, 2012

JUST ANOTHER WEEKEND HERE

HELLO TO ALL,

      JUST A FEW THINGS GOING ON HERE THIS WEEKEND. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MY OWN CAR TO WORK FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW. FIRST TIME IN THIRTY YEARS! BECAUSE I AM A FIELD MECHANIC I DRIVE A FAIRLY LARGE TRUCK WITH A CRANE, WELDER, AIR COMPRESSOR, ETC., FOR THE COMPANY I WORK FOR, A FEW MONTHS AGO IN ORDER FOR THEM TO SAVE FUEL THEY ASKED IF THE TWO OR THREE GUYS WHO LIVE THE FARTHEST FROM THE SHOP WOULD DRIVE THEIR PERSONAL VEHICLES BACK AND FORTH AND THEY WOULD PAY US MILEAGE. I ACCEPTED THEIR OFFER AND HAVE BEEN DOING IT NOW SINCE JUNE. I NORMALLY CHANGE MY OWN OIL IN THE VEHICLES I DRIVE BUT HAVE NOT HAD TIME SINCE THIS STARTED. THE WIFE WORKS IN TOWN ACROSS THE STREET FROM A TIRE/GARAGE SHOP AND SHE HAS HER OIL CHANGED BY THEM, SO I'VE BEEN LETTING HER TAKE MY CAR OVER THERE. THEY CHANGED THE OIL EARLIER THIS WEEK AND TOLD HER THE BRAKES WERE BAD. SO I DROVE THE PICKUP TO WORK ON FRIDAY AND BROUGHT THE BIG TRUCK HOME TO DO THE BRAKES.

     WELL, I TOOK THE REAR TIRES OFF AND I DON'T SEE ANYTHING ALARMING, ROTORS ARE IN GOOD SHAPE, PLENTY OF PAD LEFT TO WEAR. LET IT DOWN JACKED UP THE FRONT AND CHECKED THE PADS AND ROTORS, THEY WERE PRETTY WORN. THE FRONT OF THE CAR HAD THE BIG DOUBLE SIDED ROTORS WITH THE VENTILATING RIBS SO I TOOK THEM DOWN TO NAPA AND HAD THEM TURNED DOWN AND BOUGHT NEW PADS. TOOK EVERYTHING HOME, REINSTALLED AND BLED THE BRAKES. NOW THE ESTIMATE FOR DOING THE BRAKES WAS $810, JOB DONE FOR $61. NOT BAD.

     THE YOUNGEST SON WAS DRIVING THROUGH THE WOODS LIKE A MANIAC A FEW WEEKS AGO ON THE FOUR WHEELER PULLING THE LITTLE TRAILER AND HIT A TREE WITH ONE OF THE TRAILER TIRES. KNOCKED A BIG CHUNK OUT OF THE RIM AND BENT THE AXLE. SO HE AND I REMOVED THE WHEEL,(MADE HIM GO FIND THE MISSING PIECE IN THE WOODS!), TOOK THE WHEEL TO WORK AND HAD THE WELDER WELD THE PIECE BACK IN IT. GOT THE TUBE FIXED AND HEATED AND STRAIGHTENED OUT THE AXLE, PUT IT ALL BACK TOGETHER AND MOVING AGAIN.

     GOT UP ON SUNDAY AND WENT OUT IN THE WOODS AND KEPT CUTTING FIREWOOD, STARTING TO GET COMFORTABLE WITH THE AMOUNT, BUT STILL NOT THERE YET.

     THE PIG IS GOING TO THE BUTCHER ON THE 22ND OF OCTOBER OR ABOUT TWO WEEKS, THEN I'LL HAVE TO TAKE DOWN HIS PEN AND CLEAN UP IN THERE. DOESN'T THAT SOUND FUN!!!LOL I'M GETTING A FAIRLY LARGE COMPOST PILE BUILT UP FOR TURNING INTO THE GARDEN NEXT SPRING. WE HAD PRETTY GOOD LUCK WITH WHAT WE PLANTED THIS YEAR AND JUST THE OTHER DAY WE DISCOVERED A WHOLE BUNCH OF SWEET POTATOES HAD SURVIVED UNDER THE WATERMELON PLANTS. I WANT TO MAKE THE GARDEN A LITTLE BIGGER NEXT YEAR AGAIN, AND I'M THINKING I'M GOING TO MOVE THE MELON PLANTS OUTSIDE THE MAIN GARDEN.

     THINGS ARE PROGRESSING PRETTY WELL HEADING INTO THE WINTER. FIREWOOD IS ALWAYS ON MY LIST BUT I HOPE TO GET ENOUGH CUT NOT TO HAVE TO CUT IN THE WINTER. MY BROTHER HAS SEVERAL TREES DOWN IN HIS YARD, I HAVE SEVERAL HERE THAT NEED TO BE CUT DOWN AND THE NEIGHBOR HAS 5 OR 6 MORE HE WANTS DOWN. I HAVE A STANDING OFFER FROM A FRIEND OF MINE A COUPLE OF TOWNS NORTH OF ME TO COME AND GET WOOD ANYTIME. HE LOST ABOUT 40 TREES A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WHEN "SHOP TEACHER BOB'S" GARAGE BLEW DOWN. THEY'RE ALREADY ON THE GROUND AND LIMBED, SO IT'S JUST CUTTING CHUNKS AND SPLITTING.

     WELL THAT'S ALL I CAN THINK OF FOR RIGHT NOW SO,


                                                             I'LL TALK TO YOU SOON,

                                                                               TVI

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