Year in Review

 

End of the year review, mostly for my benefit. It helps me keep track of my progress and plan a few things for the upcoming year. I always have big plans for the projects, but rarely do I get anywhere near done what my plan calls for.

My health is good presently. I'm still having trouble with my chest. Apparently, I should have nursed my recovery a bit longer before trying to do some "sissy" pushups. I'm about at the point I'll just need to reconcile myself to having an issue that's going to be with me to the end and work around it. I hadn't planned on the eye problem, but no one ever does plan for these things. Looking forward to the surgery, which should correct most of the problem but will set my progress back for a few weeks. Nothing new there, though.

One of the big accomplishments of the year was getting my ham radio license - something I've wanted to do for years. I'm planning on moving up to the next level this coming year. Now that I'm unemployed again I'll get started on that while on light duty and hopefully take my test at the February club meeting.

I did a ton of projects this year but didn't finish any of the motorcycle jobs. The vintage trials bike is really close to being done. I was ready to weld the last piece on the shift linkage when I got distracted with some boat work for a customer and then making pieces for Coach Jen and her Jen-nasium. Having the trials bike and the Sportster running for next year are at the top of the list. Time to finish up several other bike and car jobs as well. 2025 needs to be the year of motor vehicles. The Missus broken wrist was another of the unforeseen setbacks that seem to come along on a fairly regular basis. 

The shop clean-up and organization, while not completely finished, should help pick up the pace of completing projects. I'm still contemplating getting a couple new machine tools. Like the clean-up/ fix-up work, they would probably improve thru-put on the to-do list. Plus, I figure it wouldn't hurt to reward myself for all the years of working both full time and a side hustle. Since I'm never going to get that Jag XKE that I've been wanting since about 1968, a new drill press would be a lot cheaper and much more practical. And before leaving the clean-up topic, big thank you goes out to Surly for being the driving force behind it.

Not much travel this past year. Cuzzin Ricky and I did manage to get to a couple of open wheel races but nothing like we were doing before Covid hit. I did make it to a few boxing matches and some sparring events. Now that Coach Jen will have a training facility for boxers, I'll be able to tag along to work a corner or coach a bit at sparring sessions. I'm hoping Cuzzin Ricky and I will finally make it to Hawaii this coming year.

My book reading is still below par. I managed to read 19 books and the weekly newspaper, but I had trouble keeping up with my magazine subscriptions. Too much time on the computer feeding my paranoia with other people's blogs, especially those giving a different slant on the political and financial state of current affairs and how it affects those of us in the proletariat. It'll be interesting to see what the future brings with the change of leadership in Washington. Of course, Slow Joe still has time to start WWIII before Trump takes office again. 

What's to come? I still can't yodel or tap dance but those aren't very realistic goals with all the other items on the list ahead of them. I am going to try and tighten up the diet and get back on a regular training schedule. I need to update the to-do list and also the bucket list. Other than the Hawaiian trip, I think I've done most everything I've ever wanted to do on the bucket list. It might merit a little thought, however - hate to go to my grave having overlooked something I'd regret in the afterlife. 

Hope all of you have a happy and productive New Year!

Finishing One

 

The sled project is about done. I got the plastic runners for the skis fit up - still need to bevel the edges, though. Weld the couplings, top plate and the hooks on and that's it. Coach Jen is going to do the painting on this one. I painted the chin-up bar gray, and she repainted it black, so I'll just let her paint the black from the get-go. The main thing is I'll get it to her in plenty of time so she'll have it for her grand opening. 

I want to get the shift linkage done on the vintage trials bike before the eye surgery, so that's up next. I need to replace an undercabinet light in the kitchen. I already swapped one of them out. The new lights are dimmable LED units, so I bought a dimmer switch that you can set the desired lighting level and then turn the switch on and off without having to fiddle around with the level every time you turn on the lights.

I've got a knife project to work on and some work to do on and in the basement workshop. I got a nice book all about the diesel railroad streamliners for Christmas and it's got me thinking about working on the model train layout. Maybe do a little work in that room and set up my ham radio "shack" there as well.

 I've been doing a bit of work on my family history project again. My family name is the same as a defunct company based out of Louisville, Ky. I'm supposedly related to that group but I haven't made the connection yet. To gain a little more knowledge might require a road trip to Kentucky and Tennessee. I imagine Cuzzin Ricky would be up for that, since my relatives are his relatives, since my father and his mother were brother and sister.

As always, lots to do with the to-do list all over the map. I don't know how much I'll get done in 2025, or if I'll ever finish half of the projects, but at this point in my life I can't really see any reason to change. The pleasure for me is in the doing, not the finishing. 

Easing Back Into It

 

Got back out into the shop yesterday. I wanted to take advantage of the relatively warm weather and I can only eat so many Christmas cookies while sitting on my fanny.

In addition to making a couple of pieces for the sled project, I cut some plywood pieces to put in the bottom of the milk crates I bought to store the cut-offs & short lengths of metal. I was able to cut the plywood out of a couple of pieces that were drops from a job at my old side hustle - which is why I never want to throw anything away, but if I'm going to keep all that stuff, it definitely helps to be organized.

The weather is going to be warm again today, so I'm planning on spending some more time in the shop. I did get a few indoor things taken care of lately in addition to the Christmas get together. I was pressed into kitchen duty Christmas Eve due to the wife's broken wrist. However, the daughter-in-law and the wife's sister knocked out most of the clean-up - bless their hearts.

Merry Christmas

 

Merry Christmas to all and best wishes for the coming New Year

Winter's Here

 

We got some snow that arrived with the winter solstice - temperatures in the teens as well. The sun was warm Saturday morning, so I got out early and shoveled off the sidewalk and the apron for the garage. I'd hate to have the Amazon guy fall or have the truck go sideways while pulling into the garage. Light and fluffy snow, so no strain on the chest muscles. It'll all be gone today or tomorrow anyway. 

Instead of working in the shop over the weekend, I decided to start studying for the upgrade on my ham radio license. I'm planning on taking the test before the February club meeting starts, as long as that's acceptable to the examiners. I don't think I'll be ready for the January meeting, and I might be back to work in March. Should give me plenty of time to study and review. The format is the same as the Technician license - 35 questions from the question pool with 26 correct answers needed to pass.

The photos above both had to be cropped in order to get them to load onto the computer. Normally I shoot the pics with the phone and then email them to myself. I then download them to the hard drive on my computer. However, my email has been "upgraded" and will no longer download them unless I crop the photos. Apparently, the photos are too large for the new email program to deal with even though I've been doing business this way ever since I got the smart phone a few years ago. Going to have to give that some thought.

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Here's a little helpful hint to those of you planning on retiring comfortably with your Social Security check. I received a missive from SS about the 2.5% COLA adjustment I'll be receiving starting in January. While that's nice, when I added up my deductions for Medicare part B&C, and my "voluntary" federal tax withholding, I'm giving back 21% of my check. And, just for the record, at no time did I volunteer giving back any of my check for federal tax. My SS account was funded by my employer and I being taxed to begin with. The Missus' check gets hit even harder because she has another Medicare expense taken out of her check that I pay directly. 

Now that the new year is right around the corner, it's a good time to work on the budget and try your best to make sure your retirement plan is properly funded. I realize times are tough for a lot of people but it's a known fact that Uncle Sam is not overly concerned with looking out for your best interests. 36 trillion in debt with another trillion being add every 100 days is not going to leave much for you and yours. Especially when they expect the SS fund to go bust in about 10 years. As my old friend Dobak used to say, "Save your money!"

Sledding Weather

 

Progress is being made on the sled. The top plate and pipe couplings are just posing for the photograph, however. I did get the end pieces on the skis tacked on after the photo was taken. I need to make a couple of hooks to weld onto the top plate and then I can finish weld everything. I'll have to trim to length and bevel the plastic slider pieces after that, but then it should be paint ready. Won't be too much longer.

The Missus' wrist seems to be healing well. Not much pain anymore and I feel comfortable being out in the shop for a couple of hours at a time. The weather's turned cold again and it was snowing a bit last night but it's supposed to get up to 50 again next week. Crazy weather seems to be the norm now days but if the temperatures are going to outside the norms, I do prefer it to be warmer rather than colder.

Friday Music Special

 

There's a jazz station that broadcasts from Waterford, Ireland I listen to late at night occasionally. I was surprised to hear them play this old nugget but that's why I'm all over the dial when it comes to selecting what I listen to at any particular moment in time.

This one is just because. I hadn't heard it in a while, so why not? And there's more than a grain of truth in this one. Nobody knows you when you're down and out? - just ask the hurricane victims waiting for the government to help them out. Thanks be to heaven there are a lot of good people in this country picking up the slack.

Hard times are here for a lot of people this year, besides those suffering from the storms. Business closings, medical issues and just bad luck. You have my deepest sympathy. Hold your heads up high and as Merle sings it, "If you make it through December, everything's going to be all right, I know."

I'm thinking this one here's going to be my theme song going forward. I'm going to be 75 this coming year and I'm hoping I've got plenty of time left yet, but you never know. Other than the Hawaii trip, there aren't many things left on the bucket list. Mostly, just need to finish some projects and take care of myself so I can take care of the Missus. Looking forward to the coming years, regardless of what happens in our country or the world. As long as I keep waking up warm, I'll be fine.

Benelli

 

The January '25 AMA magazine has an ad for Benelli motorcycles and a tool review article of three Motion Pro motorcycle specialty tools. 

 

Benelli motorcycles have been around since 1911. They have a very rich history, but they've gone through some rough times. If I remember correctly, they were owned by HD for a while. I'm not sure what the thinking was there, from both Benelli and Harley's viewpoint. It now looks like Benelli is owned by the Chinese. Kind of hard to swallow from a guy like myself who's a fan of Italian motorcycles. They're promoting the bike in the photo as a throwback machine. It looks like a 350 Royal Enfield and is priced about the same. I think getting into the American market is going to be a tough nut to crack, but I'm a welder, not a marketing genius.

The Motion Pro tool is a swivel head tire chuck that looks like it would be handy getting to the valve stem on bikes with disc brakes - especially on the rear wheel where you're trying to work around both the sprocket and the disc. MSRP is $39.99. Not cheap but they make nice tools.

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It looks like the Missus won't have to have surgery on her wrist. We go back to the orthopedic doctor next week and if everything's still in place, just leave it in the cast and wait for it to heal.

The eye doctor needed a release from my family physician to make sure I'm up to having the surgery performed. I got that taken care of yesterday. Other than the eye surgery, I hope I can stay away from all the medical providers this upcoming year, a couple normal checkups being the exception.

Since it's now winter, I started working on getting the basement workshop back into working order. Instead of riding the recliner in the evenings, I can spend a couple hours down there and get a bit closer to finishing a couple of my long running projects. Depending on what the doctor says, I might be able to start working down the basement only a few days after the surgery. 

A Few From the Archives

 

Beautiful version of the song. I like the Sergio Mendes & Brazil '66 version about as much - just depends on my mood.

Ireland trip from 2019 - would have made Scotland the following year if it hadn't been for Covid.

Points cover I made for one of the Sprints. If I had access to a CNC mill, I'd make a handful of them. The one I bought to put on the race motor was actually for a Triumph. It worked, but this one's a little better.

The beginning of the Jitney project. Sweep the floor, make the layout and start making pieces.

I love living in the country. Even something as simple as a corn field can be beautiful on a rainy day.

Pretty in the winter as well. I do need to finish the railing on the veranda, however.

Production has ground to a halt for a few more days due to me having to wait on the Missus hand and foot because of her broken wrist. I am going to try and get the sled for the Jen-nasium knocked out this week. While it's not a 911 job, I want to finish it before I start on anything else. I've got a few indoor jobs to keep me busy while I'm waiting for the all-clear, though.

Train - Wreck

 

I finished up at the college Wednesday night with the students taking their certification tests. I'm guessing that there will be about half of them who pass. That's a pretty high number for the limited time they've had in the shop. Each of the two "stick" classes run two nights per week for 8 weeks each. Figuring four hours per session, you get 64 hours per class or a little more than a week and a half on the job. Multiply that times two and you get roughly three weeks if you were out on the job somewhere. No-one learns to be a competent stick welder in three weeks on the job, so a 50% pass rate is actually damn good.

The photo shows a young man holding the train he made in the fabrication class. I cropped the photo since I didn't have permission to show his face, but he was smiling ear to ear. That's the kind of thing that keeps teachers coming back year after year. And it looks like I'll be returning to the college in March just like the swallows return to Capistrano. I'll be doing another eight-week session teaching Stick II again. No more after that, though!

The Missus fell yesterday afternoon while getting ready to go out. I couldn't get her up by myself so I called 911. The ambulance folks got her up and put a temporary splint on her wrist. I drove her to the hospital myself and sure enough her wrist is broken. A trip to the orthopedic doctor is on tap today. Always something.

What a Difference a Day Makes

 

Tuesday eye doctor appointment, Wednesday last day of class at the college and Brother Johnny's birthday, Thursday dinner out, Friday appointment at the massage parlor, Saturday a 5K if the weather's reasonable, sometime over the weekend get the sled finished.

I got my eye surgery scheduled for early January. The recovery doesn't look as bad as I figured it would be. I'm planning on doing some studying for my next ham license while I'm off. It'll also give me a chance to rest the chest. It'll be nice if we don't get any snow fall during my time of convalescence, but you never know what the weather's going to be around here.

Hippy John from way back in the day - should've quit those smokes, might have dodged the cancer bullet. He got beat out of a lot of life, but he packed a lot of it into the 58 years he did have. Miss the boy, that's for sure.

Bits & Pieces

 

I was cleaning out the picture file and came across this one and since we have both a cat and a dog, very much relevant.

The Missus and I went to the ham radio club December meeting / Christmas party last evening. The meeting was short but sweet and the "party" was a nice dinner and a chance to talk to a few people. This was the first time the Missus has met any of the club members. I told her the dinner was probably what we can expect when we go to the home - not a young group by any means. Nice people all of them, however.

I need to drill the bolt holes in the sled runners and make a couple little things and then I can weld it together. Planning on getting the holes drilled today and getting it finished this week.

Last week of my class at the college, also an eye doctor appointment, dinner put on by the financial planner and an appointment at the massage parlor this week. I need to get started on some Christmas shopping as well. The thing I'm most concerned with is what the eye doctor has to say. I split up a bunch of firewood on Saturday, so I'm good there and I've got a guy lined up to plow the lane when the snow flies. I don't know what the recovery time will be on the surgery but I've got a good support team.

Good Weather for Working

 

FedEx was kind enough to leave a package in front of the garage door rather than by the front door of the house. I didn't notice it when I backed the car out, so I managed to run it over. Fortunately, I just caught the corner of the box and the contents were pretty stout, so no real damage. The FedEx drivers must have got their training at FEMA. 

Speaking of which, I sent an email off to my Congressman expressing my disappointment over the handling of the hurricane relief, in particular, the pledging of a billion dollars to foreign nations when that money could go a long way towards helping the hurricane victims. 

Since it was a warm day yesterday and I don't have any heat in the woodshop, I figured it was a good time to rip down the runners for the sled. 

I also got the log splitter out of the garage and put it to work. I got a decent size pile split up in no time what-so-ever. I have to admit it's a lot easier on an old man than wedges and a sledge. The only problem is the tongue weight. I picked it up and got it hitched without straining my back or chest, but when it came time to unhook it, I got my little floor jack and raised it up high enough to get the stiff leg down with a block underneath it. Since I parked it outside, I put a tarp over it to protect it.

Planning on doing a little more on the sled today. Coach Jen is planning on opening up the Jen-nasium on January 6th. She won't need the sled for that, but I've got plenty more to do.

Barney Google

 

"Barney Google" has made some changes to the operating system on my phone. I should let them know I'd be happy to be a Beta tester when they decide to upgrade things that work perfectly fine. I often wonder if anyone requests these things or the computer geeks just do some of this just because they can, or as a way to justify their jobs.

And one more shot at the way the feds are treating the hurricane victims. Ain't nothing like kicking them when they're down.

December 7th today. Not only the anniversary of the "Day That Will Live in Infamy", but also the last day of the annual Medicare sign-up season. There probably aren't too many left alive that remember the attack on Pearl Harbor firsthand, but all of us should never forget. Cousin Ricky and I are going to try and get to Hawaii this year. I need to get there to complete my quest to visit all 50 states. Ricky was in Hawaii while in the service but only for a layover on his way to Vietnam. Both of us want to visit Pearl Harbor and see some hula dancers in grass skirts.

As for the end of the Medicare sign-up, that will eliminate the annoying phone calls, advertisements and commercials. Most of the time the calls don't start coming in until after 8:00 AM but they continue into the evening hours. And the beautiful thing about it, the government gave them my number. Trump's going to have a hard time making America great again but I have no doubt he won't let people suffer after a natural disaster. As for the phone calls, it's good to remember the difference between an annoyance and a problem. 

Give a little something if you can. We're all in this together.

Making & Donating

 

The "phone booth" training ring. Jimmy says it's about 5x5 inside the ropes. The tubing on the floor is what I shortened up and drilled the holes in. Another satisfied customer.

Yesterday I drilled the holes in the skis for the sled job and sorted the hardware order that came in. I need to trim the width of the plastic runners and then clamp the runners to the skis and drill the holes for bolting it on. Maybe get a little more done today but I need to take the Missus to the hospital for a test this morning - nothing serious, mostly routine.

And going along with the previous post, here's a link to Appalachia's Homestead and a place to make a donation that will do some good. She basically said in her blog post the same as I did. We can give away a billion dollars to Africa but can't help tax-paying citizens of our own country.  

Pinned by Appalachia's Homestead with Patara

@appalachiashomesteadwithpatara

The Giving Tree Link HERE: https://www.highcountrycommunityhealth.com/donate/givingtree If sending a CHECK (*MUST BE RECEIVED by 12-15-2024) - PLEASE make the check to High Country Community Health with THE GIVING TREE written in the bottom left memo line to designate your check for this cause. 

High Country Community Health 

Attention Julia 

448 Cranberry Street 

Newland, NC 28657

If you can give a little something, please do. I realize times are hard, especially with Christmas coming up, but these people have lost everything and they'll die of old age waiting for the government to help them. If they don't freeze or starve to death first, that is.

Welding Coupons & National Disgrace

 

Welding coupons from my cert test. The lighting in the welding booth is not the best for taking photos of shiny reflective surfaces, but it's obvious that the coupons bent like they were supposed to. Paperwork gets done this morning.

I finished the job for Jimmy yesterday. I had trouble drilling the 1/2" holes in the 1/8" wall tubing. I had drilled a pilot hole and the bit wanted to grab and then stall out the motor on the drill press when drilling the 1/2" holes. The drill runs way too fast for drilling steel. I'm seriously considering spending my teaching income on buying a new drill press. However, that's one of the reasons I bought the mag drill a while back. The annular cutters make it easy to drill large holes. In this case I used the drill chuck that came with it and finished the job. The mag drill also runs a little fast for the twist bit but the job's done and I didn't burn up the bit. 

And now, several more reasons Joe Biden and the knuckleheads in Washington have pissed me off. First off, the pardon Joe granted his son after repeatedly saying he wouldn't. Hunter was forgiven a lot of sins, not only for his past, but what's coming up as well. Not really a surprise, though. We all should have known what was coming when he told the hard hat guy a few years back: "I don't work for you." That's for damn sure.

And then we have more money and arms being sent to Ukraine. The amount having been sent already is up into the billions of our tax dollars. That's a whole lot of blood money - the last figure I saw 600,000 people have been killed in that conflict. I don't like any of my money supporting that.

And then we have probably the greatest insult to the American people in my lifetime. It's bad enough the feds sent all of the FEMA money overseas, but now Slow Joe has promised one billion dollars in relief funding to African nations while the people in Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina are living in tents freezing their asses off. When the severity of his dementia became obvious, they should have just given him his blankie and some pudding and kept him in his room. Instead, with less than two months remaining in his term, they send him off to the "dark continent" to pledge a billion of our dollars while the hurricane victims were pledged $750. If they qualified and could figure out a way to apply since the power and mail service was down, that is. Helluva way to run a railroad, as they say.

Weld Test

Those were the days, indeed - war, riots - lots of similarity to what's going on these days. However, the mood of the country seems to be changing a bit. Only time will tell if things get better or it truly is the end of the empire.

One nice thing this week is the Medicare enrollment period ends in four days. No more annoying commercials on the television and phone calls from hooligans whose number shows up from all over the United States, including one from US Steel yesterday. Like I'm going to buy a Medicare supplement from some knucklehead who isn't honest enough to list his real number on caller ID. 

Photos of the face and root of the "open root" weld test I took yesterday. For some reason the phone didn't want to cooperate with the downloading of the photos, so I didn't post a photo of the results of the bend test. Plus, I was writing this at 11:00 last night and I was ready to hit the sack. I've got some paperwork to fill out now and then we'll have everything necessary to administer open root certification tests. This is all part of working toward becoming an AWS approved testing facility. I don't have any idea when or if that will ever come to pass, but I've only got three more days, so I doubt it will have any effect on me.

 

Finished Two

 

The log splitter is up and running - works like a champ. I ran a half dozen small logs through it and it didn't even grunt. 27 tons of splitting force and plenty of horsepower.

The chin-up bar is ready to ship. While I was finishing up the log splitter, I had the heater running in the shop so it was warm enough to paint - cold yesterday again. I rounded off the sharp edges, welded the end brackets to the bar and then got some paint on it. 

While all that was going on, Jimmy dropped off a couple of pieces of 1x2" tubing that need to be cut in half and have some holes drilled in them. Nothing to that one, just one more thing. Seems there's always one more thing, though. I'll knock that one out and then get busy on the sled for the "Jen-nasium". Lots of holes to be drilled for that one.

The next couple of weeks are going to be busy. Dentist and doctor appointments, a couple of dinners, some shopping, and finishing up the class at the college. 

5K & Log Splitter

 

The temperature when the 5K kicked off yesterday was about 15 degrees. There were 5 of us in my group that showed up to brave the elements - myself, Surly, a grandson, Coach Jen, and an Indiana Golden Gloves champ. Coach Jen had a bad back, so I walked with her. My slowest time on record, but Surly came in as the second place overall male winner. The grandson and the boxer both ran with unremarkable results. However, I wouldn't consider running 3.1 miles in 15-degree weather unremarkable myself. 

After the race we rendezvoused at the shack to get the beam for the log splitter out of the truck. The four of us were able to make short work of it. Not much left to do now - hook up the hoses and bolt a couple of other pieces on. The hose running from the tank to the pump was really stiff in the cold weather, so I'm going to get the heat gun out and warm it up to allow it to bend easier. TSC had hydraulic oil on sale Friday, so I bought a 5-gallon bucket of it. I've got gas and motor oil here, so I should be able to split wood real soon. We lit off the wood burner for the first time this season Thursday evening. With temperatures in the teens, I'm going to need wood.

I got a call from Jimmy at the boxing gym and he needs a little metal work done. He'll be bringing the job by this afternoon. I'm going to try and finish the chin-up bar and maybe do a little on the log splitter while the shop is warming up.

On the political front, I ran across an article stating Trump is planning on reinstating the Schedule F allowing him to get rid of "permanent" government employees. Biden tossed it out as soon as he took office. If you're not familiar with this, you might want to look into it. This could have a big effect on the size of the federal government in the future.