Road Trip

 

Cuzzin Ricky and I took our show on the road yesterday. First stop, Our Place restaurant in Brook, Indiana in search of a pork tenderloin. This is our second time there and the tenderloins were even bigger than last time. A little less than $12.00 with a drink. Hard to beat that. After lunch we headed east to the cemetery.

The little country cemetery is very well kept. All of the veteran's graves had flags from Memorial Day and rather than being just stuck in the ground, they all had a holder of some sort like the one pictured above. They're not all alike, some of them looking like they've been there many a year. Most of the older ones are castings, the one for our relative is a stamping. It appears to be only a few years old, even though he died 50 years ago. We got our flowers planted and then headed back north.

We stopped on the way home at the Monon Connection restaurant for a piece of carrot cake. There's an assortment of train stuff outside, an electric train running around the inside of the restaurant, and a museum of all kinds of railroad stuff on display. Just the thing for a couple of train geeks.

It was a beautiful day for a road trip - perfect weather for most anything actually. We were in four different counties on our trip and we discussed maybe doing another train trip this fall or a driving trip to a destination that has a train. The covid thing really disrupted our travels. Time to get back out on the road again.

Obligatory Post

 I've been writing this blog since 2008, and when I started I decided if I was going to write, I would post at least twice per week, which I've done. I usually don't have any trouble coming up with subject matter since I'm always tinkering with something. However, the tinkering has slowed way down as of late, mostly due to the chest issue but slowing down there has led to slowing down everywhere.

I've been taking it real easy for several months now, being careful not to aggravate my chest injury. During that time I've been under a doctor's care but getting nowhere. When the muscles tore, I figured it would go one of two ways - the doctor would tell me they would heal up slowly on their own, or surgery would be required. Instead, I've been bouncing around getting tested pretty much top to bottom with no results, or even a diagnosis. However, since I've been doing nothing, I do seem to be healing up on my own. I cut half the grass on Saturday, half on Sunday and the dog's "poop park" yesterday. I wore my "girdle" and didn't experience any discomfort. I can tell I'm still not 100%, but it feels good to be able to do things again. The problem now is I'm tired. I don't do much but I'm tired just the same.

The whole thing boils down to this: If you want to be active, you have to stay active. I lost quite a bit of muscle during the covid fiasco due to the gym closing as well as a lot of the events I normally would have been participating in being cancelled. I have to take some of the blame, though. I could have done more on my own but my mental game got weak at the same time. It's really hard for me to stay motivated when I don't have anything to train for. You would think staying healthy would be incentive enough, but all you have to do is go out in public and see that's not the case.

So now that I can do a little more, I need to lose a few pounds, add some muscle, get out in the sunshine, and regain some of my stamina. It's become very obvious what they say is true. If you don't use it, you lose it. As an old guy, it seems once you lose it, it's harder to get it back as well. 

Hard times are coming, I need to be ready.  

Memorial Day

Several excerpts from his Memorial Day addresses. Makes you wonder what the hell happened to us. 

Enjoy the day, just remember the many who paid the price for our freedom.

 

Progress

 

Cuzzin Ricky and I did the Dead Relative's Tour yesterday. In addition to the actual relatives, we plant some flowers on other graves as well, one of which is George Grissom. We have to walk past his grave to reach our grandparents' graves and had never seen any flowers on his so Rick and I adopted him - young guy who died on a combat mission over Europe. 

It was a beautiful day to be out. Rick and I both enjoy making the rounds. We've got an aunt and a few other distant relatives in another cemetery. That's going to take a bit of a road trip, but we've got flowers and the time, so we'll be taking care of those later this week, weather permitting.

I went out to the shop after coming home to finish machining the shift lever. It still needs a bit of filing and polishing, but now I can start completing the rest of the foot controls for the shifting and braking. Some would say it's about time, and I would concur.

Update

 I spent most of yesterday in the house waiting on a phone call from the next doctor in line, I did make it out in the morning for a bicycle ride - 3 miles, 2-1/2 the day before. The upright position on the commuter seems to be do-able without causing me too much chest pain.

First year of cherries on the tree I planted years ago. The seed for the tree is a from a batch of cherries I bought when doing a bike trip out west. I'm looking forward to eating a few of these when they ripen - maybe even bake a pie if there's enough of them.

I'm not sure what this one is. At one time there was another cherry tree planted there - a Montmorency pie cherry as I recall. I'm not sure what happened to it and how this magnolia got there in its place. You would think I'd remember, but there are ramifications to having been dropped on your head a few times. The blossoms have a lovely fragrance, however.

Wednesday included a trip to the dentist. I got a few surprises there as to the required treatment and the cost of same. It's not worth going into the details here, but it's going to cost a pretty penny. Not real happy about that but it won't break the bank, thank goodness.

Cuzzin Ricky and I are off on the dead relatives' tour today. The weather's looking to be the nicest day of the long weekend, with rain in the forecast for Sunday and Monday. While none of our relatives gave their lives in service to our country, both of our fathers served in the Army during World War Two. However, not much point in planting flowers on their graves in November. It's a privilege to remember where we came from by keeping the graves of our ancestors in good repair and planting some flowers every year.  

Sorghum Paddy

 

Photo taken at 6:00 PM Tuesday evening after an unusually hot day with a lot of wind. Still lots of standing water and as I write this later that night, more on the way. The sorghum is up, maybe 1-1/2" tall, but I don't know how it's going to do with the standing water.

My handlebar bag, tire patch kit and tube came for the Dreamsickle yesterday. The bike is now all set for me to start riding the neighborhood, working up to some decent mileage. The bag is small but I've got the patch kit, a couple of tire tools, a little package of wipes, a pair of rubber gloves and my first-aid kit in there. There's still room enough left over for my phone as well. The first aid kit has the usual things plus a little bit of money and an ID. I'm going to write my name and emergency numbers on the inside of the flap closure just in case.

If you've been reading the blog for quite a while, you may remember that I made the bicycle. Surly and I bought a batch of tubing and lugs off of eBay. There was enough to build two bike frames, I built mine and he sold his pieces. The rest of the pieces on the bike were sourced from Velo Orange, eBay and a couple of other bike outfits. The rack on the back I made from 3/8" stainless tubing. The handlebars were originally steel from a cheap bicycle but the aluminum bar came from a guy I worked with/for at the college. The drivetrain is a 7 speed and the front sprocket is an elliptically shaped thing that supposedly had some type of advantage, but I can't tell that it helps any. However, with the terrain around here the gearing is ideal. When I built the frame I added a lug for the tire pump you see under the top tube, and if you look closely, you can see the pepper spray mounted on the stem. 

I'm not real pleased with the saddle. It's comfortable enough but it looks cheap - because it is. I might start shopping for a good leather one if this rig is going to be my go-to bike for the summer. It worked well as my commuter bike when I was employed at the high school. Seven miles one way and the rack for my lunch or whatever else I needed to carry. If the chest improves, I'll probably switch back to my Raleigh "touring" rig, however. 

I Remember You

 

Frank Ifield passed away the other day - he had a couple of hits that I remember, this one probably the best known. Also, it was the anniversary of my brother Johnny's passing on Sunday, so I guess the song seems a fitting tribute. John passed in 2012, so it's been a while but it's not like he'll ever be forgotten.

Off to the endodontist in a bit to get the last of the work done on the root canals. Chest pains, kidney stones and root canals - quite the trifecta. However, unlike Frank and Johnnie, I'm still kicking. And if I live long enough, maybe I'll finally learn how to yodel.

Dreamsickle

 

Passed the kidney stone Friday evening - glad that's over with. Saturday I ran some errands, stopped by the boxing gym to see what was going on and picked up some jam nuts for the shift linkage so I can get back moving forward on that one. 

I got the Dreamsickle down from the rafters where it's been hanging for a couple of years. The idea being that with the more upright seating position I might be able to ride without any chest pain. Since both tires were flat, I walked it out to the shop to get them pumped up. After airing them up, I hopped on for a shakedown cruise, got about a 1/2 mile from the house and the front tire went flat. The tube looked like it got a pinch flat but I had a spare tube, so it's ready to ride. I'm going to try some short rides and see how I hold up. Hopefully, this'll do it for me. 

It Has Arrived

 

The Missus and I went out for breakfast after my procedure the other morning. We've eaten there a few times before - the food is always good as is the service. The serving sizes are large, which apparently explained the size of many of the patrons. While I was chewing on my pancakes the Missus commented: " There sure are a lot of fat people here." Yes, indeed there were. Yours truly needs to cut down a bit on the intake. I've put on quite a few pounds since my injury. Since I'm not burning up calories, it would seem logical to cut back on my intake. I thought I had done that, but the scale doesn't lie. I got on the other morning and it said, "One at a time please." Ouch.

The price for our breakfast the other day was $34.20. Two decent meals and coffees. I read the other day the amount a family of four needs to earn now for a comfortable lifestyle is $100K. And that's in a state like Indiana. Taking the family out for a meal is starting to be a real luxury for a lot of people. It would be real nice if there were people you could vote for who have a basic understanding of economics and didn't sell their souls to the dollar after they got to Washington.

I bought a package of socket rails to organize the new sockets and got that done yesterday. Also, the clevis ends showed up in the mail yesterday. They're aluminum, so light weight and the black finish will look good with the polished aluminum linkage rods I'll make. Now that I've got the clevises, I can machine up the shift lever to the proper dimension to work with them. 

Didn't do much else yesterday except for some household chores and taking the dog for a walk, I've got a few things to do this morning and then I'll work on something project related.

Kidney Stone

 

And that's exactly what happened. The Missus and I got up at 5:00 AM yesterday morning to get me to my appointment for my throat scope. Since they knock you out, the Missus made the supreme sacrifice and was my driver. Scope went well, nothing to be concerned about with the results, and the doctor said he thought my chest might heal by itself given enough time. I took the results of all of my recent test to the family doctor later in the day to discuss everything - maybe an orthopedic guy next?

After coming home, had a bite to eat and then a damn kidney stone made its presence known. I walked the floor until about 2:30 and finally fell asleep. Woke up this morning and the pain was gone, thankfully, meaning the stone made it as far as my bladder at least. It also means I'll be in for another surprise when it leaves there. No fun what-so-ever.

I did receive my call sign from the FCC yesterday, so I'm a bona fide amateur radio licensee now. 

I'm going to take it easy today but planning on going out to the shop to do a little something at least.

This & That

 

The roses are blooming. I don't remember exactly what the cultivar is, but they're very hardy and fragrant. They produce hips that can be used to make tea and a variety of other products. The hips are very high in vitamin C. These require zero care - no special care like most roses do.

I cleaned up and sorted the sockets yesterday. The first three rows in the foreground are metric. A set of 1/4", 3/8" and 3/8" deep well. The ones on the zip tie are 1/4" SAE. The ones in the rear are 3/8" drive, a full set made by Blackhawk, a few oddball ones and a few deep well. There were also a few extra metric ones that I threw in the drawer with the rest of the metric tools. I've got all of these in the shop and in the garage, except the metric deepwells. I've only got one set of those, so now I'll have a set in both toolboxes and I'll put a 3/8" drive set in both metric and SAE in the bucket down the basement. Actually worked out quite well.

I got the fee paid to the FCC for my Amateur Radio license yesterday. When trying to log in it wouldn't accept my password even though I made sure to write it down when setting up the account. Since it wouldn't accept it, I tried to change it. Following the instructions on the FCC website, they said they sent me a link to use to initiate the change. However, nothing came through. I called my internet provider to see if it went into quarantine, but nope. Next step was to call the FCC help line. As soon as I told the man what I was having trouble with, he said the problem was on their end and they were working on a fix at the present time - try again in a couple of hours. I finally got through a few hours later and got the fee paid. Only thing left is my call sign.

Another test this morning to try and get the chest thing figured out. I'm not holding out much hope for a solution and I've got to be there at 6:25 this morning. Seems to me the same test could be given at 9:00, but it is what it is.

Sock It To Me

Tricky Dick doing the famous sock it to me guest appearance in 1968.

Here yesterday I had an old coffee can doing a socket to me guest appearance. I was working on sorting out some of the stuff I got from the wife's sister last week. In addition to the stuff in the photo, there were two 1/2 x 9/16 open end wrenches in the can. I really don't need any more sockets but I think I'll get a set of 3/8" drive sorted out and throw them in the Bucket Boss down the basement. I've got a 1/4" drive kit that has screwdriver bits and small sockets but occasionally I need something a little bigger for maintenance or project work. Just glancing at the pile I noticed there's both metric and English, so I think I can get a decent set put together. I've got an extra 3/8 ratchet in the shop. Not sure what I'll do with the leftovers - hate to throw them away. They're all a good brand - Craftsman, Blackhawk and Challenger. 

Couple of Firsts

 

The farmer was here yesterday planting. Rather than corn or beans, we're getting sorghum this year. That'll be a first for us. He was kicking up a lot of dust, but it started raining just about the time he finished. Since we're surrounded by farm fields and a trucking outfit, we're always fighting with the dust - the dust usually wins.

I took my Ham radio test last night. I missed two questions - one I had right the first time but second guessed myself when I went back over the test before handing it in. I should get my call sign as soon as I'm contacted by the FCC and pay the licensing fee. Not sure yet exactly what I'm going to do with the license, nothing for sure until I get a radio. One of my former students belongs to the club and he said he's got a radio he'll give me. Not sure exactly what it is but I've got to start somewhere.

Weekend Wrap-Up

 

I went to the fights in Indy with Coach Jen Saturday night. Seven pro bouts on the card, three of which were people we knew personally. One win, one defeat in a very sloppy fight, and another defeat when a slugger met a very skilled boxer. The show was promoted by La Jefa Promotions, Indiana's only female boxing promotion group. Good show and we had a chance to talk to a few people we know in the boxing game. Seems as if professional boxing in Indiana is making a comeback - nice to see.

I also received word from the Welding Instructor at the high school that the high mileage team was very successful Saturday. His two-car team placed first in one division and second in the other. Apparently, the piece I machined for one of his cars did the job, so I can take a wee bit of credit on that one.

I worked on the shift lever Sunday. With a bit of judicious filing and scraping, I got the shifting shaft to fit in the lever block like it was supposed to. The lever in the foreground of the photo is what it's going to end up looking like when completed, or something similar. I now have to figure out if I'm going to use Heim joints or clevises for the linkage. A little more engineering and I'll have the shift linkage taken care of. Hook up the rear brake and I'll be ready to finish weld the frame and paint.

Both grandsons were here Sunday. One cut the grass, the other brought down a welding job for his employer. Not much to it - made a couple of little hoops that needed to be welded on to rake handles. One aluminum, one steel. I forgot to get a photo, though.

Taking my Ham radio test this evening. Should be able to pass without much trouble. I might not ace it, but I'm confident in a positive outcome. I've been studying a lot.

Proof of Concept

 

I worked on the shift lever yesterday. The splines all looked good on the top side and the fit is good, however, there was enough tool deflection that I didn't end up with much in the way of splines on the bottom of the bore. I cut the individual grooves with two passes but what I probably should have done was cut them with either 3 or 4 light cuts rather than trying to hog them out with just two. 

Actually what I should have done was taken Surly's advice from the start and bought a lever from eBay and been done with it. However, I like doing this sort of thing. What I don't like is wasting a lot of time just to prove to myself I can do something when I need to see some progress and having a sore chest when I'm finished turning the cranks. I might just bite the bullet now and buy a lever so I can get this bike done. 

I've got my last Ham radio class this morning and scheduled to take the test next week. I've been spending a lot of time studying but should be able to pass the test without any difficulty now. I got the results from the cardiac stress test back. They came in on the portal rather than being contacted by the doctor's office. I'm not sure what all I was looking at on the results, but no-one told me to get to the emergency room or anything, so I guess I'm OK there. I've got another test this coming week that probably won't help diagnose the chest problem either, but like the other tests, it won't tell me what's wrong with what I want to know specifically, but it will confirm the fact I don't have anything else wrong with me. That's worth something. 

It's Always Something - Again

 

The iris are blooming now. This is where my little kitchen garden was last year, it's now the "formal" garden. I did buy some pepper and tomato plants to put out in the not-so-big garden out back. Since I joined the CSA again for the summer, I didn't figure planting a bunch of veggies was going to be worth it. 

I got a text message from the high school yesterday. The instructor needed a little machine work done for his high mileage car project, so I went over to see what I could do. 

The piece is a manifold for the engine. It had a 5/8" straight bore but it needed to taper to 1-1/8" on one end. The easiest way to chuck it was to grab it with the flange facing out. However, that would mean starting the taper on the small hole and the large end would be up against the chuck where I couldn't see the diameter. I did some trig, first on the bench top with a soapstone, and then double checked my math on the scrap of paper in the photo. The taper looks good and the size of the tapered hole is right on the money, or at least good enough for the girls I run with.

I'll drop the piece off this morning, do some running around taking care of a few other things, study for the ham license and then get back out in the shop.

 

Flowering Trees

 

When I was road testing the mower the other afternoon, I noticed several of the trees in the yard in bloom. From the top, Lilacs - those in the photo are from two different trees. They have a very pleasant aroma. I picked those to take in the house. There are two other types on the property, a white one and another purplish color one. The white one is not very healthy for some reason, the other one is doing well but blooms at a much later date.

The middle photo is from the aptly named Big Leaf Magnolia. The leaves are close to 2' long. The tree is relatively small but I think that's mostly a result of being in the shade of a couple of very large oak trees. The oak trees are probably over 200 hundred years old. One of them in the row by the railroad tracks came down a few years ago and I counted 200 rings before I quit counting. 

The bottom photo is a Cucumber Tree Magnolia, so named because the seed pods resemble cumbers when hanging on the tree.

The Magnolias and lilacs I've planted since moving here. The different varieties of Magnolias blossom over a 6 to 8 week period every spring, depending on the weather. All the trees are kind of a pain in the ass to mow around, but the beauty adds a lot to the landscape as well as having a cooling effect in the summer. I was up in Northern Minnesota a few years ago and the trees all looked stunted - easily explained by the short growing season and the rocky soil, but I was glad to get back to Indiana and see proper hardwoods.

While I was finishing up servicing the mower the other day, the Missus' sister showed up with a bunch of "treasures" from her late husband - not sure how they ended up here because I know I didn't put in a request for them. In addition to this stuff, Surly brought a bunch of wood from her when he came down Sunday that I specifically remember saying I had no interest in. Since I'm having troubles with the chest and eyesight, I figured I should start downsizing. Apparently, I was overruled. I've got no idea what's in all of the coffee cans, tubs and metal organizer bins but I'll have to decide what to do with all that stuff soon. I don't want it in the garage.

It's always something.

Stress Test

 

Surly and the grandson came down Sunday to help me out. While the grandson was mowing, Surly sharpened up my spare blades. He's not used to running a 9" hand grinder in his line of work. I use the big grinder because I can get the blades sharpened up in just a couple of passes. Surly was being a little more delicate but that's the difference between a machinist and a welder. In his defense, he works to .0001" on a regular basis. I normally work to the thickness of a soapstone. But he got them done well and I'm extremely grateful for the help.

I had a cardiac stress test yesterday morning early - like get up at 5:30 early. Everything went well as far as I could tell. I've had a couple of the treadmill tests in the past but since I can't run, I got the chemical version. I should find out the results in a couple of days.

After I came home and got a bite to eat, I installed the newly sharpened blades and changed the oil and filter on the mower. My groundskeeper forgot a big patch behind the chicken coop the other day, so I mowed that and used that as a checkup to make sure everything on the mower was functioning well. Running the mower per se didn't bother my chest, but bouncing around enough to get all of the yard mowed would. I'll keep the kid on the job for a while yet.

Typical Day

 

I got the first coat of varnish on the tabletop yesterday. It's pretty shiny in the photo but it's a satin varnish, so some of the gloss will be gone when it dries. It'll get the second coat today and then it should be ready to go.

I ran out of angle to protect the top edge when I was finishing up the trailer project. I only needed two little short pieces but I didn't find a piece locally. Surly brought a piece down a week or so ago that probably came from my stash anyway. The exposed end on one side was already starting to delaminate a bit, so I got the two pieces installed yesterday.

While I was out in the shop I got a call from the big cheese of the ham group. Seems getting everyone on the same page for the examination is not going to be very easy, so he wanted to know if I was amenable to taking the test on the night of the regular monthly meeting. I took a practice test after getting home from the class session and passed it, so yes, I'm ready. I'll take a few more practice tests because I'm still a little weak in a couple of areas. I'd like to ace this thing just as a matter of pride.

I'll get back on the shifter lever this week. I need to finish that up so I can finish the bike. I know the grandson wants to ride it and I want it finished.

Traveler 120

 

I developed my roll of film yesterday. I mixed up a fresh batch of developer and fixer for the occasion. I've got another roll in another camera that still has a couple of frames left on it, I'll shoot those up soon and get that roll developed before the chemicals go bad. The roll in the photo hanging there to dry has some over exposure along the edges. It looks like the roll wasn't rolled up real tight when it came out of the camera and it allowed light to get in while it was sitting around. However the center of the frames seem to be properly exposed and plenty sharp. There's not much on there of any real importance. I shot the roll mainly to check the function of one of my old cameras.

This being the one. The camera is in surprisingly good shape considering it's about seventy years old. The shutter has a fixed speed of 1/50th and the only adjustment is the lever top left allowing you to make time exposures. There also was model without the time exposure lever and one that had a provision for attaching a flash. If I'm going to use an old camera, I prefer a folding camera rather than a box camera - something with adjustable shutter and aperture settings. I do have a 4x5 tintype kit that will fit in a big old box camera I've got, as well as my view and press cameras. That'll have to wait until I finish my ham class, however.

I got my weed-whacker out on Thursday. I bought a new head for it that, hopefully, will work better than the original. It definitely will be much easier to reload. It took quite a few pulls on the recoil rope before I got it running and I knew right from the first pull I was going to be sore afterwards. And I was. The chest burned the rest of the day and it was a little tender yesterday as well. I'm still working out what I can and can't do. 

Perfect Stool

 

The Missus brought this home the other day. I wasn't in the market for a shop stool but this is actually a dandy. Heavy duty construction, seat height and angle are adjustable, as are the foot and back rests. Nice casters, too. I don't spend much time on my ass when I'm out in the shop but certain TIG jobs are best done in a seated position, especially when using the foot pedal. I was looking at finish welding the little rack I made for the Sportster the other day trying to pick things off the list that wouldn't aggravate the chest and that's a good candidate for sitting down, especially since I've got the TIG torch all setup for welding thin tubing after welding the baby crib part the other day. Finish the rack, then get the stool freshened up with some of that hammered finish silver paint.

We picked up the table top yesterday - just what the doctor ordered. It needs some varnish on it, so I'll take care of that this weekend. That'll be another job I can check off the list. 

I've been studying for my ham license a little every day. I shouldn't have any problem passing the test as long as I keep studying. However, time will tell.

Midnight Blue

I heard this while I was out and about yesterday on the truck radio, and it struck me that a love song from 1975 applies to the situation that we find ourselves in as a country in 2024, even though I'm not so sure "I think we will make it".

My shop radio used to be tuned to that station all the time but for some reason, it no longer comes in well even though it's not too distant. Now the radio is tuned to another local station that plays mostly classic rock along with the occasional change of pace. The lack of variety is not enough for me to buy a new radio, but I'm pretty sure I won't hear this next one on that station.

 The singer on this one is also Melissa Manchester, this time from 1972. This one used to get some regular airtime on the FM stations back then. Like the other song, this one rings true in '24 - there truly are a whole lotta "flukes of the universe" out there now days. 

I've been staying busy with some yard work and thinning out the bookshelves. I found a new home for a few of them, and I've got a box started to donate to the library for their book sale. Not much of an inventory reduction yet, but it's a start.

Picking up a wooden top for the iron side table I made a while back. Piddlin' around on a couple of other things on the to-do list as well. Can't do much, but a little something every day. 

Scheduled for the stress test next week. They had a cancellation, otherwise it would have been the end of the month. Not too concerned about the results. I'm hoping after this they'll quit dickin' around with everything else and address the real issue sometime in the immediate future. If someone tells you they felt something in their chest tear and can point to the spot, that would be a clue as to where they should start looking. I've still got one more test scheduled, though.