Mailbox

 I steer clear of any religious topics on the blog, but Ole Johnny Cash might be onto something here. The way things are going not only in our country, but worldwide, The Man might be coming around before long.

I pulled the garbage can carrier out of the hitch on the truck the other day so I could load up the Go-Go carrier. As long as I had it out of the hitch, I decided to give it a fresh coat of paint, oil the mechanism and grease up the tube and pin so it'll come out of the hitch easily. I've been called upon to help get ball mounts out of receiver hitches that have rusted in. Removing them once in a while and giving them a coating of grease can eliminate a problem when you need to remove it.

The appliance dolly fix is going as planned - maybe even a little better. I was just finishing up the first side when the Missus summoned me. 

I'm not sure what prompted it, but she wanted me to go get the mailbox that was in front of her grandparents' house. The house suffered from neglect after her grandparents passed away to the point it was finally condemned. We went to take a look at it after the previous owner moved thinking we might buy the place and move there. Small house, but there's just the two of us. Not a huge lot, but out in the country and there was a nice place to build a shop in back. Unfortunately, we were too late and it was scheduled for demolition.  

To make a long story longer, the house had a partial basement under it that Grandpa dug by hand. When the Missus and I started dating she was living with her grandparents. Grandpa and I hit it off right away. The old man was born in 1896 and the Missus to be and I started dating in 1967, so he was up in the years by then and had emphysema. He couldn't do much of anything physical, so I cut his grass for him and afterwards we'd sit and he'd tell me stories about what used to be. He was a tough old bird in his younger days - you'd have to be to dig your own basement by hand after the house was already built.

Anyway, back to the mailbox. The Missus got a hold of the current owner who told her to come get the mailbox. She told me I need a saw and a shovel, but having pulled a few posts in my time, I loaded up a "C" clamp, a long bar and some blocking as well. The box was leaning back at about a 30-degree angle and didn't seem like it would take much to get it out of the ground. I wiggled it around a bit but it didn't give any when I tried to pull it out, so I put the "C' clamp on the post, used the blocking as a fulcrum and put some weight on the 4' pinch bar and it started moving. I had to change my blocking a couple of times, but it came out with little difficulty. 

I put my girdle on before going to work to protect my chest and I already had a sore muscle on my side from working on the Go-Go carrier and using the lop shears the other day, but at my age I could have hurt myself sleeping. Regardless, pretty sore when I got done going two out of three falls with the mailbox.

I'm going to a boxing match today. One of the guys Coach Jen and I have been working with has a bout. Let's hope all the coaching pays off. 

Goin' to a Go-Go

 

Theme music!

I assembled the carrier for the Go-Go mobility scooter yesterday - pretty straight forward. It looks like I'll have to modify the tongue to get the carrier up in the air a bit more but nothing I can't handle. I'll see what it looks like once the hitch is installed on the car.

I bought an appliance dolly from Harbor Freight a few years back. After using it only a few times, the belts on the stair risers broke and it seems they don't sell replacement belts. I had some strips left over from making the skis on the sled for Coach Jen's gym that just happened to be the right width to fit, so the wheels started turning and I wondered if I could get them bent to fit the radius on the metal piece where the belt used to go.

I cut a piece to go halfway around, clamped it in the vise, put the heat gun to it, pulled it around the radius, and then clamped it in place until it cooled down. As you can see from the left side of the photo, it retained the proper shape after cooling, so I bent the other end as well. I'll do the same for the other side of the dolly then drill and countersink some holes and screw the nylon pieces down to keep them in place. If it all goes as planned, I'll look like a genius with this one. If not, nothing ventured, nothing gained, as the old saying goes.

Memorial Day

 

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The grandson came down yesterday to give me hand with getting some grass growing where the trees used to be. He's currently working for a landscaping outfit and has some skills. It's up to me now to keep the areas watered. I've got plenty of other yard work in addition to trying to get some grass growing. Mother Nature abhors a vacuum.

The strawberries I planted last year are doing well. I should get a few berries, unless the birds and rabbits get them first. Lots of gooseberries on the plants as well.

The Missus bought a mobility scooter, which means a trailer hitch and a cargo carrier. The cargo carrier came the other day. I opened up the box yesterday to get the instruction book out. Doesn't look too complicated. I'll see later today when I assemble it.

I was going to have a trailer outfit put the trailer hitch on the car but after looking into it, I can buy the hitch and install it myself. I watched a video on the installation, and it looks pretty straight forward. I'll need another pair of hands to lift the hitch into position after getting the bolts in place in the frame rails, but I can have Surly or the grandson give me a hand. Should be a considerable savings for a couple hours of work. I'm going to order the hitch this week.

What's Going On

 

This is the full album - 9 songs in all. It'd make good background noise when puttering around the house or shop.

Cuzzin Ricky and I did the Dead Relatives Tour yesterday. We put flowers on all the graves of our kin, our adopted airman from WWII, my old neighbors, and my friend that passed away recently. The list keeps getting longer. I don't know who'll take over for Rick and I when we can no longer do it, but we should probably start breaking in a new man one of these days or at least draw up a map we can leave behind.

I planted some flowers around the shack when I got home and primed the bottle bell and the anvil. The grandson is coming down today to give me a hand planting some grass where the trees used to be and give me a little muscle moving a couple of things.

Gotta keep on keepin' on.

Anvil

 

I cut myself a little bench anvil from the piece of rail I've been kicking around for a while. I've still got a bit of grinding and clean-up, but not a problem. I left the other end square in case I need to bend a tight corner on something. I've got a small actual bench anvil close to the same size that has pointed end on the horn and a hardy hole. One of these days I'll make up a hardy and a couple of other tools to use with it. 

I've got a good collection of blacksmithing tools, but I don't have a large anvil. I had one that belonged to me at the high school but I left it behind when I retired. I was on light duty due to the heart attack and I had plenty of other heavy things to get out of there. I would like to get another one, but I doubt I'd do much with it. I do have a forge set up in the back of the shop, though. What I really need is a bigger shop. Someplace where I could let the sparks fly off the anvil and not have to worry about burning the place to the ground.

Bit O' Boxing

 

Something a little different than my normal musical selections - actually, most all of them are a little different. Man does not live by classic rock alone, after all.

 

Teofilo Stevenson. One of the greatest amateur boxers of all time. Three-time Olympic gold medalist. A right hand that could stop a speeding locomotive. I've been working with a couple of young guys one night a week. Both of them show a lot of potential. They work hard, listen to Coach Jen and myself, and are progressing nicely. If they continue along that line, I think both of them could become state Golden Gloves champions. We need to get them some quality sparring for that to happen, though.

My working with the boxers has helped me get back into shape. I've still got a ways to go but with the boxing, the Tai-Chi, cycling, and a bit of strength training, I should be at a respectable level of fitness in a couple of months. 

Not much going on with the projects the past few days. Typical Indiana weather partly responsible. It went from record breaking heat in the nineties to temps 20 degrees below normal in the fifties. Three days of rain as well. I've been spending the majority of my time in the shack catching up on my reading and working my way through the pile of mail. Cuzzin Ricky and I are doing the Dead Relatives tour this weekend and the grandson is coming down to help me with some yard work. Steady by jerks as my old pal Joey used to say. 

Tubular Bell

I finished up all the work on the bell project yesterday except paint. Finished up the block work on the gun range as well. Did some piddly things around the yard but I've got quite a bit of work to do still - brush clearing, planting flowers and vegetables, patch the grass where the trees used to be, spray some weeds, and all the rest that goes along with "estate" management.

I've got an appointment at the massage parlor today and my regular Monday household chores, but I won't be going to work anymore, so that's a good thing. Just need to get into a regular daily routine now - exercise, chores and projects. 

Bottle Bell

 

I decided to work on the bottle bell yesterday. I had to trim the base plate down and I don't feel comfortable using the cutting torch inside the shop, so I set up outside and cut it down to the proper dimension to fit the 6x6 post.

The box in the photo got welded to the heavy base plate. I'll grind down the welds today and then, other than paint, it'll be ready for installation. The bell needs to be cleaned up with the wire wheel and I need to find the clapper that's been floating around here for years. I'm not sure I'll have any luck with locating it, but making a new one won't be hard. I'm waiting on the Missus to pick a color for the project and then I'll dig the post hole and I'll be able to check one off the list. Rather a low priority job, but since we're trying to get organized around here, seemed like a good idea. 

Dust Storm

 Nothing much to report - did breakfast with one of my former students from way back when Thursday. Nice chat, I hadn't seen him in years. Went to Menards afterwards and picked up a few more blocks for the gun range and a 6x6 to support a bell I'm planning on putting out by the sidewalk. The bell is made from an oxygen tank. I made the support years ago. I had a similar one at the house I lived in before moving here. The base needs to be modified to fit on the 6x6, but that won't be too tough.

I got a text from the high school welding teacher yesterday morning. They got him a new computer but when they transferred the files his AWS forms for weld certs disappeared. I ran over there and found out what he needed. I pulled my files up and saved them to a thumb drive for him. I'll get it over to him on Monday. I cut some grass and then a big dust storm came through. I had received a warning on my phone that it was coming and it was a doozy. Lots of freshly planted fields, so no vegetation to anchor the topsoil down, hence the Woody Guthrie song as per Surly's suggestion. He was here helping me put the air conditioners in the windows. Record breaking heat on Thursday - 92 degrees. Warm again yesterday - temps in the mid-eighties. However, after the dust storm rolled through it cooled down nicely. 

I'm planning on working on the trials bike today along with a couple of other projects. No shortage of things to do, especially in the springtime. 

Jazz Ballad

 

A really smooth jazz number I heard on the Waterford, Ireland station in the wee, wee hours. I recognized the tune right away but didn't recognize the artist. Fortunately, the disc jockey filled that in for me. It's a long tune at10 minutes, but well worth listening to.

It's been an absolutely lovely Spring this year. Everything has been blooming - no late frost - just good weather for all the trees and flowers. We could use some rain now to get the field crops germinated but it'll come. The lilac is about the best it's ever been. The rose is the first blossom of the season but there'll be a lot more coming.

I took the dog to the groomer yesterday and in between dropping him off and picking him up I went to Menards to get a couple of things. When I was in line to check out there was an old guy behind me in line. He was probably about my age but looked a little rougher. He was wearing a Marine Veteran cap, so that might explain him looking a little older. He only had one item, so I told him to go ahead of me. He paid for his $4.00 dollar item with a twenty and told the cashier to put his change towards my bill. I didn't hear the conversation and I had to ask the cashier what was going on when she adjusted my bill.  The Marine and his wife were out the door before I could thank him and didn't see them when I made it to the parking lot. Made my day even though it was totally unnecessary.

One of the items I bought was the organizer in the above photo. I got the large taps (3/4 and larger) out of the toolbox and then organized the rest of them - pipe taps, fractional sizes both fine and coarse threads, left hand taps, and special thread pitch taps like the 3/8-32 for the caps on the TIG torches. Metric taps and dies are in another drawer.

The toolbox is a Penncraft the Missus bought for me as a Christmas present about 50 years ago. J.C. Penney used to sell most everything like Sears and Wards did. They sold mechanic's tools and sporting goods. Must be a tough business. Wards is defunct, Sears Craftsman tools were being sold by KMart and now Ace Hardware is selling them. It's been years since I was in the Sears store at the local mall. There was a Sears hardware that sold tools, paint, etc., close to the college that I used to shop at, but it closed down several years ago. I've still got quite a few Craftsman tools. They built them to last.   

I bought some pepper and tomato plants as well. Depending on the weather, I'll try and get those in the ground in the next few days.

 

Busy Weekend

This one popped into my head when I was cutting grass the other day. Hard to beat one of the Rock and Roll originals.

The Big Leaf Magnolia's blooming. It's quite the exotic tree - big blossoms and leaves that are easily 18" long. It's always the last of my Magnolias to bloom but definitely worth waiting for.

Cuzzin Ricky and I went to our first open wheel race Friday night. 25 lap feature for the midgets and a plethora of stock cars, including a vintage class. Among the Camaros were a '57 Chevy and a '63 with a shark fin on the roof. We managed to get plenty of dust in our eyes and lungs while sitting in the stands. Chilly, too. The temps were in the forties by the time we left. I had the foresight to put on my long underwear and bring a heavy coat, hat and gloves, so I was comfortable.

The grandson came down Saturday. We did some work on the shooting range - still a bit more to do - moved some fireplace wood so I can run it through the log splitter, welded up Cuzzin Ricky's job for the American Legion, and welded a job for the grandson's employer. He did the welding; I did the prep work and holding. The kid's getting to be a pretty good hand.

Sunday I watched a couple of cowboy movies and then did some yard work. Aired up the tires in the Himalayan as well. Time to ride.

Doctor's visit this morning and ham radio club meeting in the evening. A little more yard work and shop work in between.

Gone Like a Cool Breeze

 Retired once again - this time for sure! Had a light night and was able to bug out early - through the front door I might add. Same set of doors I went through when I hired in there the first time 13 years ago. Head held high and no looking back.

I installed the new bearings in the neck of the trials bike yesterday. The big nut in the photo has been a pain every time I have to put it on or take it off. It's 35mm and the biggest metric socket I have is 30mm. I decided to make up a little tool to make the job easier.

I took a piece of 1/8" x 1/2" flat, bent it to match the angle of the nut, welded a piece of 1/8" sheet to it with a 5/16" bolt welded through a hole. 

Works like a charm. Even though the nut is large, it doesn't require much torque. A ratchet with a 1/2' socket spins it right on. I'll probably never have to take it off again, but if I do, I'll be able to save myself some time - providing I'll be able to remember where I put the tool.

I'm going to work on Cuzzin Ricky's job today and get that one knocked out, cut some grass and then off to the midget races!

Trailer & Retirement

I've always liked her work, starting with the Stone Poneys way back in the sixties. Beautiful voice and excellent choice of songs to showcase it.

 And this right here is why the average middle class wage earner never gets ahead of the game. You bust your hump going to work every day, but every day your dollars are worth less. There's definitely something wrong with a system where the government borrows their money from an outside concern and then has to pay interest on it while devaluing the purchasing power. If I would have purchased an item for $1.00 on the year I was born, 1950, to purchase that same item this year it would cost $32.30. A little bit of fiscal responsibility certainly wouldn't hurt.

I finished up the trailer job and it got hauled away yesterday - glad it's gone. However, Cuzzin Ricky stopped by and dropped off a job for the American Legion post. Not a big job, but I thought I was free to get back on my own jobs exclusively for a while. I'll get that cleared up in the next couple of days and get back on the trials bike and the jitney. I did pick up the new bearings for the steering stem on the bike the other day.

Last night of working for wages tonight. Retiring for the 3rd or 4th time isn't as exciting as when I left the high school years ago, but I'll be glad to be out from under it.

 

Finishing the Trailer

 

Cross pieces for the antenna rack on the trailer are all finished. I ordered some foam pipe insulation to put over the square tube to pad the big antennas that should be here today. I'm planning on finishing the installation tomorrow - should be dry for the next few days. I'll be glad to get rid of this one.

I did get a little more done on the jitney and took care of some paperwork for the college gig. I got my last evaluation of my job performance last week. It was positive, so at least I'm finishing on a high note. I'll be glad to get rid of this one, as well.

I've got some boxing stuff lined up, project work, of course, and a few other things to keep myself busy - going to the bike shop to pick up some bearings for the neck of the trials bike today. I'm thinking about dusting off the old tap shoes and learning the Shim Sham. It'll be good from both a physical and mental angle. I want to do a little more black and white photography, camping, fishing, traveling, etc. Make up for a couple of lost years due to covid. Plenty to do, and hopefully, the good health to enjoy the freedom to do whatever I choose to do. 

New Battery

 

The new battery for the trials bike showed up this past week and since I figured out what was wrong with my air acetylene torch, I repaired the little brass box I made for Surly years ago. One of the corner seams had split open, so I re-soldered it. I also shined it up a bit. Of course, when it shows up on The Antique Roadshow the appraiser will probably knock the value way down because I removed the patina!

I finished welding up the pieces for the ladder rack on the trailer yesterday. That was a pain in the ass. Each piece had to be fit up individually. No two pieces were alike, and I had to move the ladder from side to side of the trailer about 100 times it felt like. It would have been a lot easier if I had a helper on the off side or if I could have tacked the pieces together while on the trailer. Anyway, I'll get some paint on them today and do the final installation when it's not raining and I've got some help.

Back on cleaning up the fork legs on the trials bike and tinkering around a bit on the jitney. It's my last week at the college coming up. I'm done working for wages. The plan going forward is to work on the multitude of half-finished projects, travel a bit and enjoy life the best I can. Sounds like a good plan, but I know how plans can change. There's always something coming along to throw a monkey wrench into the plan. And like always, I'll deal with it when it happens.