Year In Review

 The first thing that came to mind when getting ready to write this up was Hogan's goat but 2021 wasn't all bad. Let's break it down categorically. 

Physical: The year started out on a very high note with the cataract surgeries. Huge improvement in brightness as well as the vision correction. It took me a while to adjust to the reversal of the bi-focals from taking my glasses off for close up work to having to put them on, but small price to pay.

I finally realized there was not going to be any end to the cooties so I got busy on the bicycle. I started training for the July bike race in April but it got cancelled. At that point I started training for distance rather than speed, with the goal of riding a metric century later in the year. Didn't quite make that but I did do a hilly 42 mile ride and a 50 miler. The 42 mile ride was on my 71st birthday and that gave me a warm and fuzzy. I put in just a tick under 1,000 miles on the bike this year. Depending on my running buddy, looking to do a full century ride in 2022.

I spent most Sunday afternoons walking with my running buddy and others from the boxing gym - typically 3 or 4 miles. I also did a 5K with Surly. Not really a race walk, more a brisk walk but good to have been able to spend time with him. Hasn't been near enough of that. Again, depending on my running buddy, looking to do a 10K in 2022.

Lost a little weight on the year - still could afford to drop another 5 pounds or so. I've figured out how to improve my upper body strength without aggravating my chest condition. Still don't know what causes the problem but as long as I avoid certain things I'm OK.

Financial: Most of the cash outlay has gone for car or motorcycle parts but I've kept it well within the bounds of my monthly Social Security checks. However, I'm going to have to keep a close eye on expenditures in the future. I'm getting a raise on my SS check next year but my Medicare supplement has gone up and inflation is starting to eat up the value of my savings. The statement from SS also included the amount of my "voluntary" federal tax deduction they hit me for. I like how they taxed my paycheck for better than 50 years for SS and the rest, and then when I draw my SS check they tax me on the money they obtained by taxing me to begin with. They get you coming and going.

Social: Not much socializing again this year. With the exception of a couple of trips to boxing matches, I didn't get any farther than the surrounding counties. Other than Surly and his clan, the only other family members I saw were three of my cousins and I didn't see much of them. Most of my contact with other humans was during my bike rides or walks. I did spend more time on the phone this year. I'm not much of a phone person but I talked more than I have since I was in high school. Didn't make it to Hawaii for our 50th and that hurt. My aunt passed away, I wasn't able to see her prior to that and there wasn't any funeral. That hurt as well.

Projects: I got started in earnest on the jitney project at the beginning of the year. I've made good progress, at least by my standards. I'm hoping to have it operational this coming year. That will depend on how cold it gets this winter and the availability of parts. The vintage trials bike (Rickati) will be finished up as soon as I get the motor back. I got lots of little things done as well as a few jobs for others. Stayed on top of work around the shack. Fell well off the pace with my book reading but I did manage at least one a month. Working on correcting that in 2022.

Forecast: Looks like 2022 will probably be worse than this year. Doesn't look like the supply chain problem will get resolved anytime soon. Inflation isn't going to be transitory. The cooties still will continue disrupting everything. The truth will be harder and harder to come by and political unrest will escalate. Lots of dark clouds on the horizon but I'll just try and keep my head up, chin down and roll with the punches.

Best wishes to all of you in 2022. In the immortal words of Uncle Pete: "Keep your end gate up."

Snow Day

 

We got our first measurable snowfall of the season yesterday. Nice big flakes, right about freezing temperature. The Chicago station said this was the record for the latest arrival of a snowfall of the season and we missed the record interval between measurable snowfalls by three days. 

As an aside, the cast iron legs on the bench in the photo are fast approaching 50 years old. I bought them from my employer at the weldshop before I started my teaching career. I've replaced the wooden slats at least three times, maybe more. It doesn't get a lot of use but it's a nice place to sit and have a cuppa in the morning.

I received an update on the trials project motor - the bottom end is ready go back together. He says he'll keep after it as time allows. Fine by me.

I annealed the two sheets for the back of the jitney cab where the bead will be rolled around the edge. Next time someone comes by the shack I'll get them to turn the crank on the bead roller so I can get the "joggle" on one half. I can then rivet the two halves together. I get that done I can roll the bead around the top and start bending up the stiffener for the wired edge.

I've got headlights on the way, so I can finish making the front shock mounts. I've also got wire connectors and a thrust washer for the vise on the way. I'm picking up paint for that today. Finishing the year on a high note! 

Tee Shirt Tuesday #9

 

I've always been a fan of the Motor Company since I started riding. My first bike was a Honda 50 followed by a 250 HD Sprint I bought in '68. I wanted a Sportster but only had the cash for the Sprint. I finally got a Sportster a few years back that I put together but it went back to the previous owner before I even started it up. I looked at the small 500 and 750 cc bikes they had before buying my Himalayan. I don't care for the big twins at all. Too heavy and too expensive. That goes for any of the other makes as well. Just not my cup of tea. However, when I get one of my little Harleys up and running, I'll have some Motor Clothes to wear.

The Repair Shop

 I came across an interesting television show on The Discovery channel on Friday - The Repair Shop. It's filmed at the Weald & Downland Living Museum in England and features a group of top-notch craftspeople repairing all sorts of household items - clocks, bicycles, furniture, pretty much anything and everything you can imagine. The quality of the work is amazing. I binge-watched about six hours worth on Friday and a couple more hours on Christmas morning. It was really nice to see people at the top of their game fixing and repairing things, many of which had great sentimental value to the people who brought them in, without all the drama usually associated with "television craftsmanship". YouTube has a bunch of short clips as well as full episodes. With the short clips you can see the project start to finish and no commercials.

I had to do a little quick repair job of my own the other night. The thermocouple on the furnace gave up the ghost. Not a big problem, even though it was 10:30 at night. I always keep a spare, but I had taken the adjustable wrench I normally keep down the basement and put it in the tool roll on my motorcycle. I got it swapped out in less than ten minutes, just the same, but I need to remember to keep an eye on that sort of thing so I don't come up short sometime when it's an actual emergency. 

I found an old end wrench that's the right size to change the thermocouple in the future that I'll keep with the spares. I'm also going to put the adjustable wrench in the tool bucket so I'll have one in the house again. That one came out of the tool box I used at the side gig. I should go through my other tool boxes and see if I should buy another one to put back in the side hustle box. 

Also in the photo is a pattern I made up for the shock mount. I'm thinking maybe buy a couple of headlights before I finalize the design. I saw some on Ebay that would do the trick. They're stud mounts which would allow me to point them left or right as need be, plus, they'll pivot up and down that way. I don't know that I'll ever need lights, but if I decide to get it registered for the street, I'll need lights.

I made the two filler pieces to connect the back cab to the dash hood. I put a "joggle" on both of the mating edges. I'll rivet one side and use Dzus fasteners on the other so I can remove the dash hood to make it easy to service the wiring, etc.

In the bottom photo you can see the bead I rolled in a practice piece. I want to make a wired edge around the top of the cab sheet. That will strengthen the edge and eliminate a sharp edge. The top edge needs to be annealed to make it easy to close up around the round stock. I don't know if I should anneal the edge before rolling the bead or after. One more thing to figure out.

Surly's going to fix me up on the thrust washer for the vise, so that'll be finished up soon enough. Time to start making some progress on the jobs on the basement workbench as well.

Buon Natale

 

Merry Christmas Ya'll

Shock Mounts

 

I tacked the lower front shock mounts together yesterday. These will get welded onto the wishbones. After I get them tacked on I'll figure out what I need for the top mounts. I'm thinking I should make provisions for mounting headlights on this rig. The top of the shock mount might be the best spot for them. I'm going to look for a couple of stud mount lights like you would use on a motorcycle.

It's supposed to be warm today, so it would be a good time to get the lower mounts tacked on. 

Vise Refurbish

 

The vise is almost finished. I need to clean the inside of the vise body and get some paint on it. The original color was red, so I'm going to get a couple of rattle cans of the red I used on the motorbike I finished up a couple of years ago. It's self-priming and seems to be holding up well. I'll paint the vise and the Rickati frame with the same paint. 

I got the broken bolt removed from the sliding jaw and re-threaded. I counterbored the hole in the keeper so there's less chance of me skinning a knuckle when cranking on the handle. I still need a thrust washer to complete the job. I'm going to check with the local implement dealer. If they don't have one, I'll get one ordered in. 

Soldering Job

 

The little lantern developed a leak where the bottom was crimped on to the side. I soldered the seam - typical pain in the ass job. Dirt and paint to contend with and where ever you stop soldering it wants to leak, so I soldered all the way around the circumference to be on the safe side. 

I was going through my preps and decided I needed another Bic lighter or two. There's a label on the wrapper saying the lighter can only be purchased at Dollar General. Must be someone was reselling them at another store for a profit. I can't imagine there would be much profit in that but there must have been enough of it that the Dollar store thought it was worth putting a special label on the lighter. For the record, I don't smoke but I use a lighter for heat shrink tubing when doing wiring jobs and lighting the brush pile.

I soldered the lantern up with my air-acetylene torch. As thin as the metal is on the bottom of the lantern, it would have been easier with a soldering copper but I couldn't find mine. The bottle ran out just as I was finishing the job but I had a spare. It's been in a corner for about ten years and had gotten pretty rusty so I ran the wire wheel over it and threw a coat of paint on it. The other bottle lasted close to ten years, so this one was going to look really rough if it goes ten years before swapping it out again. 

I laid out the pattern for the keeper on the vise I drug home a couple of weeks back. If you make patterns for a variety of parts like I do, a circle template like the one in the photo is handy. The template is cheap enough and then you won't have to shop around for a washer or coin of the proper size to draw around. 

I got the keeper made but I still need to drill out a broken bolt that holds it in place. I also need to buy or make a thrust washer. I thought I had a piece of brass sheet I could cut one out of but I wasn't able to find it yesterday. I'll look again but I doubt if I'll find it. I don't need the vise but I don't want to toss it in a corner unless it's done. I don't need any more half-finished jobs laying around. 

In regards to the last post, Surly informed me that Robison closed their doors a couple of years ago and that he managed to get one of the last of their tee shirts. He also said mine is worth a few bucks now. Nice to know something is appreciating in value these days.

Tee Shirt Tuesday #8

Front and back views of official Harley Davidson tee shirt - one of thousands that were sold by Robison's during their thirty plus years in Daytona Beach. The Missus and I went to Speed Week in '81 on our 10th anniversary and I bought myself a tee shirt. I had an accident in '87 while wearing the tee shirt and they cut it off of me in the emergency room. Surly called Robison's up and had them send me a new one, good son that he is. The one pictured is from '92. I don't remember if that's when Surly and I went down there or when I was racing - I'd have to do a little research on that. Robison sold their franchise the following year but I believe they're still doing business selling and repairing bikes. I would assume they're also selling tee shirts. Maybe put that on my Christmas list for next year.

It's been quite a while since I've been to Speed Week. I was fortunate to see some of the all-time greats race there - Roberts, Spencer, DuHamel, Adamo and a host of others. Between the vintage and the GP events, not too many race bikes of one kind or another I haven't seen either. Been blessed there, no doubt about it.

I'm not sure who sanctions the Speed Week event anymore. It's listed on the Speedway's calendar in March, like always, but it's not put on by the AMA or MotoAmerica. Since all the bike mags I used to subscribe to went digital, I'm pretty much in the dark about anything current as far as motorcycling goes.

Tach Bucket

 

I had Madeline playing in the shop yesterday while finishing up the tach mount. I like all of her stuff but this is one of my favorites. Nice tune for a relaxing day of making parts.

And there it is - tach bucket shining like a diamond in a pig's ass. I probably could have figured out an easier solution but I won't need to apologize to anyone for this one. 

Scheduled to do walkies today but I want to get back out in the shop for a bit. I'm caught up on my chores and errands, so I'll figure out something to do out there to kill a couple of hours.

Tach Mount

 

I finished the picture frame for the big leaf and got it hanging up on the wall of the woodshop. Looks good hanging on the wall with the rest of the things. I've got another frame to make up. When I get it finished I'll take down a poster from the Golden Gloves and put it up in its place. I'm going to have quite the gallery one of these days.

I did a bit of head scratching to figure out how to mount my tachometer in the dash of the jitney. The tach came with a chrome plated cup that covers the back of the tach and is held in place with one screw in the middle. There's a base unit that bolts to the plastic cup that can be used to mount the tach to the steering column or the dash. However, there's no provision to mount it through a hole in the dash like I want to do. 

I found a short piece of stainless pipe in my box of cut-offs that was just the right size to start with. I bored the inside to slip over the tach and turned the OD to thin the wall. I'll part it off to length today and weld a piece on it to close up one end. Should look pretty sexy when I get it finished even though no one will see it after it's installed.  

Music, Veggies & Projects

 

I heard this one on Birdhill Radio the other morning. Beautiful song, beautiful voice. I have a vague memory of her from years ago but couldn't recall anything in particular. Seems she died in 1996 at the young age of 33 from melanoma. Real shame, that.

Did my grocery shopping yesterday morning. Regular grocery and then a stop at the CSA for the first installment of the winter veggies - salad greens, carrots, green onions, head lettuce, garlic, potatoes, and some really big, good-looking apples. I'm signed up for the whole year program for 2022. If you have a local CSA, you might want to look into signing up for next year. Food prices are going to continue to go up and there might be an issue with food availability. I'm locked in on the pricing and it's all organic food. 

After the grocery shopping I put the second coat of stain on the picture frame, went to the hardware store for a piece of glass and then made it out to the shop. 

The stem on the kill switch has flats on each side to prevent it from turning but since the switch is pretty stiff, I made a plate from stainless sheet I can screw to the wooden dash to prevent it from turning in the hole. Not much to it, layout, hole drilling, some judicious filing on the center hole and cut to shape and file.  

Record heat on Wednesday - got up to 65degrees. I wouldn't mind if it stayed like that all winter long. I'd certainly be more liable to get my ass out of the chair and into the shop. I don't have any heat in the wood shop, so that limits any finishing work I can do. That's the reason I jumped on the picture frame job while I had the window of 60 degree days. I've got another large frame to make but that'll have to wait for spring or another couple of unseasonably warm days. In the meantime, get back on work in the shop and start working evenings downstairs. 

Frames Old & New

 

Before and after shots of frame repair on an old Ford Ranger pickup. I never would have tackled this one except, once again, a job for a friend. The Ranger is a genuine rust bucket but I managed to patch it up well enough to keep him on the road for another year or so. Those 6011 electrodes aren't very photogenic, especially when welding over that rusty metal but it's the best rod for the job. No way you could weld it with a MIG. The truck is basically just a parts-chaser so it won't be getting a lot of miles on it. I'm sure the patch will outlast the rest of the truck. 

While I was outside working on this one, the Missus intercepted a call from a lady I used to work with at the high school. Seems her son, who I had as a student, needs a fifth wheel installed on his truck or something but that one will be someone else's worry. I'll never get my own stuff done if I start taking on a bunch of outside work and there's just too much liability, especially things like semi tractors.

It was a nice day Monday so I took care of a few things around the shack. I replaced the wooden mounting board underneath the mailbox and put a fresh coat of paint on it. I also cut some pieces for the frame of the leaf off my Big Leaf Magnolia. The inside dimensions of the frame are 11" x 24". Big leaf, indeed. I might have it glued up by the time you read this as I'm writing this Monday evening. 

Yep - got it glued up yesterday. I'll sand it down and get the mounting bracket installed today. We might set a record for the high temperature today, so I'll try to get the first coat of stain on it today as well. That gizmo I made for clamping frames together when I taught the woodshop class at the high school has come in handy. Most all the frames I've made have been for things I've been hanging in my home woodshop, so they don't have to be perfect but this rig gets them as close as my miter saw makes the cuts. I do need to get a new blade for the saw. 

I'm working on getting a couple of photographs framed up for Christmas presents. I want to dry mount them, so I need to get started on those pretty quick like. These will be local deliveries, so not a panic yet. I bought frames with mats, so it'll only take a couple of minutes each to get them framed once I get the photos mounted.

I'm hoping to get back on the jitney today unless something else comes up. I've got a little bit of clean-up from the Ranger repair but that'll only take a few minutes. I want to get the cab sheet metal finished up. I'm anxious to see how the top edge of the sheet will look after I get done rolling a bead and reinforcing it with a piece of aluminum round stock.

Tee Shirt Tuesday #7

 

This one was a Christmas present a few years back. I'm going to bust it out when I finally get my brother's BSA finished. Hopefully, that will be fairly soon. He's been gone almost ten years now - it's about time I pull the rag out of my ass and finish it up. 

Dick Mann, who passed away earlier this year, was one of the best and toughest motorcycle racers ever. He did it all and a lot of it on BSA motorcycles. I met him a couple of times and listened to him at an AHRMA meeting at Daytona impart some wisdom to all the racers. When he spoke, only a fool would not take his advice to heart. The link will take you to a short article with King Kenny speaking about "Buggsy". Read it.

Can It Get Any Worse?

 

A couple of tunes from Merle - not really happy tunes but these aren't really happy times. Not only will we have to make it through December, but the whole of 2022 isn't looking all that good right about now.

From Here

Looks like maybe the people are getting a bit fed up with the whole cooties affair. I know I am. This shit's been mis-played right from day one and it just keeps getting worse. The people in a position of authority at the national level should know how to deal with a coronavirus, especially this one, since they helped underwrite the development of it. There has never been an effective vaccine for a coronavirus, if there was, we would no longer have to deal with the common cold. The majority of people dying from the cooties are elderly and/or short on vitamin D. There is no reason on God's green earth to administer this "vaccine" to young people and put their future health in jeopardy. Especially since most of the animals in the testing trials died. This cooties stuff is never going to go away, especially with the lockdowns and mandates and the government allowing selected people to come into the country unrestricted and then bussing them to locations all around the USA. Anyone with a modicum of sense would tell you, that's a bad idea.

And where are all those border jumpers coming from? According to an article in this week's The Epoch Times, "In one week, 22,651 illegal aliens from 40 countries were apprehended in Texas near the US-Mexico border." Some of those were fugitives and gang members and the authorities confiscated quantities of marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine, guns and large amounts of cash. How much cash? "In the past six months, three separate currency seizures each exceeded $1.5 million." Like always, if you want to know the why of something, follow the money.

The container ships are still stacking up off the west coast. The value of a dollar continues to shrink and the old line "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore" is becoming a personal mantra for more than a few people. Not a good sign.

Big storm here on Friday night. Wind gusts 50 - 60 mph, torrential rain, tornado sirens going off, the whole works. Fortunately, it wasn't a snow storm. The temperature was about sixty degrees at 10PM. While bad, no damage done here around the shack. However, the same can't be said for those poor people that were hit by that tornado in Kentucky and parts of other states. My heart goes out to them all for the loss of their loved ones and property. For them, maybe making it through December will make everything alright as Merle sings. More than likely, for some, things will never be alright again. Better maybe, but never alright or the same. 

There's only about three weeks left of 2021. I sure as hell hope 2022 is going to be better but I'm not going to hold my breath. 

Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye

 

Brother Johnny's birthday today - he's been gone almost ten years now. The one and only blessing of losing a loved one much too soon is they never grow old. Seems your selective memory remembers only the good times and glosses over the rest. I was recovering from my heart attack while Johnny was dying. I wasn't able to drive, as per doctor's orders, so Surly was kind enough to take me down to see John and I was able to say goodbye just before he passed. Small comfort to me, hopefully of some comfort to John. 

I can't bring him back but I'll never forget him. "Johnny I hardly knew ye."

Baby What I Say

 

I saw Ray a couple of times in person, of course he didn't see me but that's all right. Cuz when you see me in misery, come on baby and see about me. One of the great ones, both song and artist.

I've been busy but nothing much to show for it here - chores around the shack mostly as well as cleaning off the workbench down the basement. I've got a couple of projects I'm getting ready to get back on that I fiddle with in the winter as well as a couple of new ones. First up are a couple of grow lamps. I want to start some African violets from seed. If those go, I'll get some tomatoes started as well as a few other items. I signed up for the CSA again this coming year but I want to fill in some of the blanks from what I get there. I'm thinking food might be both expensive and in short supply next year. Having a year 'round supply of veggies can't be a bad thing.

The Missus is back to the dentist today. She needs to get something checked out after the recent extractions. That'll put a hole in the middle of the day but the weather is supposed to be above normal  for the next week, so I'll be getting back out into the shop. 

Went to the library yesterday. Time to get back on track with my reading. Cuzzin Ricky sent me the USAC schedules for the sprint and midget racers. Definitely going to have to get back to the track in 2022, unless they require a vaccine passport, that is. If that's the case, I'll know for sure that America is done. As open wheel racing goes, so goes America, or something along those lines. 

Things

This pretty much sums up my book buying philosophy, other than the rereading part - it's rare that I'll read a book more than once.

I finished this one up while waiting for the Missus to get her dental work done the other day. This one was bought with cash but it was only 50 cents at the library book sale. It's going to a new home in the next couple of days as soon as I record it in the 2021 list of books I've read. Pretty short list this year. I dug out another one to start on but at the rate I'm going, I'll be lucky to get it finished by the end of the year.

I did some darkroom work Monday night. I printed up a few shots from the last roll through the Franka Rolfix Jr. before the shutter locked up. That old camera took nice pictures - I'm going to have to see if I can fix it. The photo on the top of the pile are my relatives. The negative has to be at least 80 years old. The young lady in the lower right just passed away last year and she was in her nineties. For an old negative, it's nice and sharp and the exposure was right on the money. It'll get added to my family history book.

I got the cast iron frying pan seasoned. It wouldn't hurt to fry up some bacon or hamburger to start building up a heavier coating in the bottom of the pan. It wouldn't hurt the pan, that is, I'm not so sure about my arteries. 

Speaking of which, I had my annual check-up with the cardiologist yesterday. Got the results of the echocardiogram and the blood work. I'm never going to be young again but the rate of deterioration doesn't seem to be picking up speed. Like everyone on this earth, I don't know how much longer I've got but there doesn't seem to be anything on the immediate horizon that's going to finish me off. I do need to tighten up the diet again and stay away from the cookies. I've been keeping my weight under 178, so I'm still a light-heavy, rather than a heavy-weight like I started the year. It would be best if I were down around 170. I'd still be 5 pounds over the middle-weight classification like I used to be, but it's not like I need to make weight for a fight - other than the fight for longevity.

My running buddy has decided she's going to do a marathon next year for sure and she's still talking about doing a century ride on the bikes. While my running days are over, I'll train for a brisk 10K walk at the marathon event, the bike race that hopefully will be back in 2022, and the century ride in October. That should keep me in shape and maybe with a little luck, I'll be able to get back in the boxing gym. I've missed that. Apparently I misunderstood when they were talking about "flattening the curve". I thought they said two weeks. They must have said two years.

Tee Shirt Tuesday # 6

 I've been called that more than once in my 71 years - sometimes in jest, sometimes seriously and I'm sure at least a few times behind my back or under someone's breath. You can't make it through life without stepping on some toes. Looking back on my life, I'm sure I deserved it more than a few times. Now I try not to offend anyone - since I don't know what burdens they're carrying on their shoulders. Might just be that I've matured/mellowed over the years. However, some people are, in fact, just ***holes. Seems they manage to get promoted to positions of authority on a regular basis, like maybe a superintendent of schools, or elected to prominent political offices, like maybe to Congress. I'm afraid there's no escaping them if you venture out in public - no shortage of examples this last couple of years.

In my case, my apology if I've been an ***hole towards you. Now at least if it happens it will most likely be inadvertent rather than intentional. 

Moral Dilemma

 

Once upon a time in a land far, far away, I made a bunch of these kettle stands for the Salvation Army. Just a few years back I had a young man in one of my classes that was an officer in the Salvation Army, as was his wife. After having a few short discussions with him I came away with a better understanding of the Salvation Army, what they stood for and the work that they did. 

Now, however, I've heard and read about The Salvation Army going "woke". They published a guide for donors and apparently I'm once again being urged to apologize for my white privilege. Regardless of the merits of any of the Critical Race Theory or whatever else is being promoted these days, I'm fine with being who I am. Likewise I wish that everyone else, regardless of color, feels the same about themselves. But now, I'm offended by someone telling me I owe the world an apology due to the accident of my birth. Of course, I've taken offense to a lot of what I've been told to do over the years, mostly by some dumb-ass I worked for or with who came up with some edict just to justify his position. So maybe I'm over-reacting here due to past history, but it seems I'm not the only one and The Salvation Army has back pedaled on this.

Normally, whenever I walk past a bell ringer I drop a couple of bucks in the bucket, however, when I came out of the grocery store Saturday I just walked on by. I didn't say anything to the bell ringer, she probably wasn't even aware of this issue, just trying to do a good Christian deed. I know in my heart The Salvation Army does good deeds in spite of having some "woke" morons coming up with this idea and others up the line approving it. Normally, the money I give every year isn't much. It's enough to buy a few hot meals or some warm socks so maybe if I don't give anything it won't be noticed. But if they've offended lots of small donors, that's going to put a bite on the organization and the people who need the help the most will be the people who suffer. Like it always seems to be, you know, The American Way.

After thinking it over and putting it down in writing, next time by the bell ringer I'll double up. After all, isn't that what the spirit of Christmas is all about? You decide what you need to do. Far be it from me to tell you what to do.

New Orleans Funk

Spent most of the day playing nursemaid to the Missus yesterday - the old girl came through the teeth pulling like the trooper she is but I wanted to be around if she needed anything. I didn't get anything done on the projects that way but I did get the new battery installed in the car, made a grocery run for her and walked the dog. 

To keep us all entertained until I get some shop output, how 'bout some New Orleans funk?

My buddy "Mr. U" used to play this kind of stuff on his bass guitar. He wasn't all that great as a bodyman when I worked with him but that was never his real love. As a musician he was first rate. His band opened up for some big-name acts and he was just one step away from making it big. Like me, he had a heart attack also but his was much more serious. After retiring he had his own program on the local low wattage radio station and funk was what he specialized in. I couldn't get the station on the radio due to the low power, but I could listen to him on the computer. He's been gone a while now. It's funny how missing some one can put you in a funk but listening to some funk can get you out of your funk. 

Senior Bennies

 I checked on both state park fees and a fishing license for the upcoming year. Looks like being an old guy does have at least some rewards. The annual fee for park entrance is only $25.00 for Seniors. That'll get you and all passengers in a non-commercial vehicle in the gate. Since my walkies group has been talking about hitting a couple of the state parks to do some hiking, the payback on that would be real quick. If I go camping, the gate fee is assessed along with the camping fee, so the Senior Park Pass would cover that as well.

There's a Senior lifetime fishing license available for $17.00. I haven't been fishing in about ten years now. That was something I was looking forward to when I retired but just haven't gotten out. No reason for it other than it hasn't been a priority. Even if I never go fishing, donating $17.00 to help support the DNR isn't a bad thing. Might give me the incentive I need to finish my boat as well.

This one came on the radio while I was taking the Missus to the dentist - nice soothing little ditty to get five teeth pulled by. She came through the extractions OK but when I went to fire up the rig to come home all I got was clicks from under the hood. I had stayed out in the car while she was being worked on. I turned the ignition on 5 or 6 times, just long enough that the radio would come on and that was all. Fortunately, my own personal Hoosier Helper was on call. The daughter-in-law had jumper cables in her car and she only lives ten minutes away. So it ended up just being not much more than a little inconvenience but I didn't want the Missus to have to go through anymore on top of what she'd just been through. Fortunately, she was pretty well sedated - which is the Ramones tune that would fit right in about now. I'll get a new battery today and get it swapped out. She's got another medical thing coming up soon, so I need to make sure the car's on the up and up. 

This is the first time I've needed a jump on one of the vehicles in a long time. I've got a good set of cables in the barn but I don't carry cables in the car or the truck. I'm not familiar with the battery booster things they sell now, some of which are under $100.00. Cables would be cheaper but then you have to have another vehicle. Buying two of the boosters would probably be overkill but, invariably, the vehicle that needed a jump would not be the one with the booster. Might be a good time to ask Santa for some advice.

Cast Iron For The Cosmic Cowboy

 

Beautiful day yesterday - sunny and 60. The average temperature this time of the year is about 40 degrees. I put the new belt on the mower and cut the front yard one last time. The mower should be ready to go for next season now. I also cleaned up the poop park and mowed it with the old reel mower. That could use a sharpening but I'm not sure of the best way to go about that. I've read that you can use lapping compound and spin the reel and it'll sharpen itself up. Many years ago the machine shop instructor sharpened one up on the lathe using an OD grinder. Maybe check with a golf course around here and see what they recommend. 

The cast iron frying pan has been out in the shop for several years. I sandblasted it and got it cleaned up but then I let it get a little rusty again. I ran the wire wheel over it yesterday so it's ready to season. It's a Lodge brand, so it's a good one. I want to get it useable and throw it in my little camping trailer to do some cowboy cooking. Obviously the cooties aren't going away any time soon, so I'm thinking getting out in the camper could be a good thing. There's a state park not too far from me that has some nice hiking trails. I should look into getting a season pass. 

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The Missus is getting teeth pulled this morning. I feel sorry for the old girl. I'll be doing nursing chores this afternoon. Hopefully she'll get some decent pain pills so she can sleep comfortably.   

Cabin In The Woods For Tough Guys

 Had a fairly busy day yesterday with not much to show for it. I had an echocardiogram scheduled for 9:30 in the morning followed by a blood draw. So I drove north 25 miles and made a stop at Menards while I was out. I got home about noon, got something to eat and then headed south 20 miles to get a belt for the mower. While there I noticed a brochure for Honest Abe log homes. That's always been my dream home - cabin in the woods, big shop out back and a library card. Nice thing about those log homes is they never need painting. The next time will be the last time I paint the old farmhouse.

Changing subjects, last weeks Epoch Times, Life & Tradition section, had an article titled Hard Times, Strong Men. Without mentioning Stoicism, that seemed to be the theme.

    Many of us have relatives who lived through hard times. They save every dollar, scrape every morsel from their plates, and admonish us for any waste. We find their behavior odd, even comical at times, but they know better than us that prosperity doesn't last. When hardship does arrive, they'll be prepared, while the wasteful will be left wanting, unaccustomed to austerity. 

   In light of present circumstances, it would be wise to remember the inevitability of discomfort and adopt, out of choice, a habit of fortitude and self-discipline, before it becomes a necessity. Grit, tenacity, and endurance are skills that can be learned and honed through purposeful practice. They allow us to thrive with little material means at our disposal.

 The article was written by Ryan Moffatt, who according to the paper, is a tradesman, father, writer, and musician. Sounds like the kind of guy I'd like to sit down with.

The paper also reviewed the book The Viking Heart and when you talk about tough guys, you can't leave out the Vikings. It looks like a good book but it's 512 pages long - 12 more than my self-imposed limit. Maybe I'll get a copy when I retire to that cabin in the woods.

Some Beautiful Things

I bought some roses the other day at the grocery store. Beautiful flowers for only $5.00. I need to get these on a more regular basis to brighten the place up a bit this winter.

Not as beautiful as roses but the wiring loom came yesterday and I'm making progress on the wiring diagram. I ran into a little snag. The directions that came with the kill switch say one thing, the wiring book says an other thing and the factory wiring diagram says another. I've only got the wiring diagram for under the hood. I'm going to try and find the diagram for the dash and then it should make more sense. 

This, however, is indeed a real beauty. It was nice out yesterday so I jumped on the bike for a ride, got about a half mile from the house and came across this set out for the garbage man. I quick turned around, went home and got the truck before somebody else snagged it. It's missing the keeper on the front so it won't pull the moveable jaw out when you loosen the screw, as well as a thrust washer on the screw. Nothing I can't handle. I don't really need another vise or another vice, but it was too good to pass up. 

The vise is a Chas Parker #954 with 4" jaws. I did a quick search and Parker made several sizes of vises as well as other items including the Parker brand shotguns that are now worth really big bucks. I did see an Ebay listing for a 954 Chas Parker for $375.00. Maybe fix it up and peddle it off.