This one is for you Jim....
Part Du
CELEBRATE LIFE.........
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
weekends at work
sometimes I wonder where the time goes...seems we work all week long from sun-up to sun-down...then go get one or the other of the children from whatever activity that keeps them away from home after school....then we run home to get ready to start all over again....in between we try to find time for ourselves....the last couple of weekends, that savored time that one can spend doing what we work all week to do, have gone by at the speed of light....seems just about the time I have begun to relax, it's time to wind up for the week again....never seem to have enough time to truly enjoy those things that bring me joy....I have been fortunate enough to spend some fantastic time working on the oleragtop's recent number...and he spent some time helping me on my new-old jeep....but just about the time the fun begins...the weekend is over...the kid's little sister spent her weekend reading and playing with her neighborhood girlfriends....the kid spent his weekend....not sure what he did this weekend other than prepare for taking his driver's exam.....sure was funny watching him and his Mother trying to parallel park....tried to tell them it is not required anymore....but it was funny watching them anyway....the kid and I got all the Christmas decorations down from the attic in anticipation of Thursday afternoon's installation....I'll be asking myself where that day went on Friday....but then this weekend is the annual Turkey Rod Run here in Daytona Beach...
I'm sure this is not the first time you have heard of this event...check bythenumbers for more info and photos....so I know the time will fly by this weekend also...gonna take the kid's jeep and the new old jeep out and see if somebody wants them more than we do....but first the exhaust manifold needs repairing on the kid's jeep, and the brakes still need attention on the new-old jeep....damn what I'd give for another two hours of daylight.....or a barn like the horsefarmer has....but alas it would be hard to fit that barn into my neighborhood....I sit in my garage watching MNF getting ready for another day in the mine....well here's to the guy that invented those 12 ounce metal cans....he deserves a medal.....
CELEBRATE LIFE....
I'm sure this is not the first time you have heard of this event...check bythenumbers for more info and photos....so I know the time will fly by this weekend also...gonna take the kid's jeep and the new old jeep out and see if somebody wants them more than we do....but first the exhaust manifold needs repairing on the kid's jeep, and the brakes still need attention on the new-old jeep....damn what I'd give for another two hours of daylight.....or a barn like the horsefarmer has....but alas it would be hard to fit that barn into my neighborhood....I sit in my garage watching MNF getting ready for another day in the mine....well here's to the guy that invented those 12 ounce metal cans....he deserves a medal.....
CELEBRATE LIFE....
Monday, November 17, 2008
never to old to learn a new trick....
as evidenced by the new additions to this rambling....the jeepjunkie learned something new this weekend.....the longrooffan has donated a lot of time in helping me learn this new function.....for now I have learned how to post videos on this accounting of my life.....thanks Jon-Jon.....the first was for me, but posted by you.
the second I learned how to on my own.....the third was when I called you.....thanks John
CELEBRATE LIFE..........
the second I learned how to on my own.....the third was when I called you.....thanks John
CELEBRATE LIFE..........
this one is for the oleragtop...hope you enjoy
after a great weekend with the longrooffan...aka the oleragtop....this seems appropiate......
remember to always keep a warm blanket in the trunk....
remember to always keep a warm blanket in the trunk....
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Wonderful Days......
as another weekend comes to a close I, as usual, can be found in my garage watching Sunday Night Football enjoying a cold beverage recounting the weekend's adventures...
spent Saturday am working while my wife took the kid's little sister and the kid to a softball tournement in Ocala Fla.....as Ocala is a short drive thru the woods to our west, my intent was to drive over to catch the afternoon games.....but the thought of fueling up two vehicles twice shut that idea down quickly......besides, I knew something would come up to occupy my time Saturday afternoon......a quick call to the longrooffan lined out the day......as you recall, the ragtop that he aquired needed a little work.....he got a great deal on this car and he did the really hard work himself....he switched the complete interior and the convertible top and did a fantastic job......but all that work was done a couple of weeks ago.....all that was left was repairing a faulty gasket on the intake manifold that had failed causing the vehicle to die at idle.....last week we spoke about completing the repair and looked up the labor time to see what we were getting into.....called for about three hours by factory authorized technicians......this kind of scared me because when you open the hood of this little rag top, there are vacuum hoses and sensor wires running everywhere......but then again, I think what the hell, we got a parts car and digital tecnology that enables us to photogragh an actual example......back to a Saturday in my garage....the longrooffan pulls his ragtop into the garage and opens the hood......five cigarettes, three diet cokes, one Bud Light, and two and a half hours later the car starts right up on the first crank......it idles a little rough as I can't remember where the last vacuum hose belonged.....know what's great about a complete, unmolested parts car.......ran across the bridge to get a molded hose off the parts car and while there found out where the loose vacuum hose belonged.....back in my garage the errant hose was installed and the little ragtop fired right up and ran great.......the horsefarmer would have been surprised......ole JD actually helped on this project......no sitting in his beach chair and watching......actually got his hands dirty....it helped that all of my chairs were in Ocala watching softball and his chair was in the Falcon Van at his place....no where for him to sit.....beat the time too.....of course it was nothing like the radiator change on the old Volvo.....I think that one took about 40 minutes.......of course that was right after the 24 Hours of Daytona so we were still operating on 24 hour race time......
okay so now it's early afternoon and one project is scratched off the list........
line two....I finally got the longrooffan to do some work......when we (me, unless you ask my wife) installed hardwood flooring in our house a couple of years ago there was no compensation made for the dryer vent......so after replacing the heater element twice in the past two years I finally sat down and thought about why...well the vent size was reduced by half because the dryer was farther off the ground......due to clearance issues the dryer fits almost flush againest the wall so repair options without cutting the exterior of the house were limited......it's good to have an oleconstruction worker around every so often......ideas were exchanged, a trip to our local harware store was made, and repairs were initiated......twenty minutes later the damn thing works like a champ.....and best of all.....no painting needed......can't see the repairs because the dryer hides it.......thanks JD.......
okay, scratch another line off the list........
back to the fun stuff.......the 'new, old' jeep needs some brake work......I had previously installed the new master cylinder and gravity bled the brakes......now I needed a warm body to help pump the brake pedal so I could bleed the brakes manually to get a brake pedal.....got the old jeep moved and the new jeep fired up and backed into the garage.....all the tools are laid out so no fumbling around a box looking for a the correct wrench.....and the bleeding commensed.......twenty minutes later we are cleaned up and ready for a test drive.....asked the loogrooffan if he was up for a run around the block......only question he had was "is this it's virgin run"......YEP.....this is it for the new old jeep......three trips around the block was what it took......wanted to hook it up behind the old jeep and take it for a test trail run but we'll save that one for when the kid is with us.......got back and put everything away........
so far so good.....great day doing fun stuff......and everything works.......
okay, scratch another line off the list......
pulled the old jeep into the garage next and tried to hook up the speaker lights......too hard, too late in the day to be bending over and under a non moveable interior so we will leave that job for the kid......spent several minutes going thru numerous storage containers looking for the right stuff to modify a light bulb to fit into the speedometer......gotta have at least one so you can see how fast you are going at night.....once again the longrooffan comes thru......seems electrical wire loom fits perfectly......then pulled the exhaust system off, just two bolts and a strap.......fixed the exhaust leak.....you know one of the wonderful things about a garage full of stuff, you can find all kinds of problem solvers......a small self tapping screw fixed that pin hole in the exhaust system......
so far so good.....the list is finished......everything works and a great time spent with good company........now it's time to sit back and watch some racing and pay tribute to the guy that invented 12 ounce aluminuim cans so we could enjoy a few cold adult beverages.....
somebody needs to give that guy a medal........
thanks John for helping me enjoy a great day........
and that was my Saturday......
woke up this Sunday am for a run thru the woods back to Ocala....seems the kid's sister's team had one more game to play this weekend....if the win on Saturday, they play again on Sunday in these games.....on Sunday it is one and done so it looked like it might be a short day at the ballfield....arrive at the ballfields in Ocala and at a glance can tell we are in 'God's Country'.....the horsefarmer would have felt better at home here than I.....the other side of the center field fence is a cattle pasture complete with grazing cattle.....woods outside the left field fence and the parking lot was cut from a pine forest....well the kid's sister's team won their first game on a home run hit by the kid's sister in the top of the last inning....tie game and she starts off the inning with an inside the park homerun...
her hit woke up some bats and by the time the inning was over 6 more batters crossed homeplate.....when she came up again in the inning I think she was tired and just wanted the game over because she hit a blooper to first to end the inning...she started it so I guess she could end it....well one win on Sunday and you have a double header to play......didn't fair real well in the second game....played againest a team from Jacksonville that was very well coached and had a fantastic pitcher....this kid had a changeup that some of our players are still trying to hit as I am writing this....so we finished third.....at least a podium finish.....got back to the house late this afternoon.....cleaned the big white truck and the kid and I took another spin around the neighborhood in the new jeep.....gotta do some more work on the brakes as the pedal fell off completely....oh well, that's why we buy old cars.....gives us something to do on weekends......
CELEBRATE LIFE.........
spent Saturday am working while my wife took the kid's little sister and the kid to a softball tournement in Ocala Fla.....as Ocala is a short drive thru the woods to our west, my intent was to drive over to catch the afternoon games.....but the thought of fueling up two vehicles twice shut that idea down quickly......besides, I knew something would come up to occupy my time Saturday afternoon......a quick call to the longrooffan lined out the day......as you recall, the ragtop that he aquired needed a little work.....he got a great deal on this car and he did the really hard work himself....he switched the complete interior and the convertible top and did a fantastic job......but all that work was done a couple of weeks ago.....all that was left was repairing a faulty gasket on the intake manifold that had failed causing the vehicle to die at idle.....last week we spoke about completing the repair and looked up the labor time to see what we were getting into.....called for about three hours by factory authorized technicians......this kind of scared me because when you open the hood of this little rag top, there are vacuum hoses and sensor wires running everywhere......but then again, I think what the hell, we got a parts car and digital tecnology that enables us to photogragh an actual example......back to a Saturday in my garage....the longrooffan pulls his ragtop into the garage and opens the hood......five cigarettes, three diet cokes, one Bud Light, and two and a half hours later the car starts right up on the first crank......it idles a little rough as I can't remember where the last vacuum hose belonged.....know what's great about a complete, unmolested parts car.......ran across the bridge to get a molded hose off the parts car and while there found out where the loose vacuum hose belonged.....back in my garage the errant hose was installed and the little ragtop fired right up and ran great.......the horsefarmer would have been surprised......ole JD actually helped on this project......no sitting in his beach chair and watching......actually got his hands dirty....it helped that all of my chairs were in Ocala watching softball and his chair was in the Falcon Van at his place....no where for him to sit.....beat the time too.....of course it was nothing like the radiator change on the old Volvo.....I think that one took about 40 minutes.......of course that was right after the 24 Hours of Daytona so we were still operating on 24 hour race time......
okay so now it's early afternoon and one project is scratched off the list........
line two....I finally got the longrooffan to do some work......when we (me, unless you ask my wife) installed hardwood flooring in our house a couple of years ago there was no compensation made for the dryer vent......so after replacing the heater element twice in the past two years I finally sat down and thought about why...well the vent size was reduced by half because the dryer was farther off the ground......due to clearance issues the dryer fits almost flush againest the wall so repair options without cutting the exterior of the house were limited......it's good to have an oleconstruction worker around every so often......ideas were exchanged, a trip to our local harware store was made, and repairs were initiated......twenty minutes later the damn thing works like a champ.....and best of all.....no painting needed......can't see the repairs because the dryer hides it.......thanks JD.......
okay, scratch another line off the list........
back to the fun stuff.......the 'new, old' jeep needs some brake work......I had previously installed the new master cylinder and gravity bled the brakes......now I needed a warm body to help pump the brake pedal so I could bleed the brakes manually to get a brake pedal.....got the old jeep moved and the new jeep fired up and backed into the garage.....all the tools are laid out so no fumbling around a box looking for a the correct wrench.....and the bleeding commensed.......twenty minutes later we are cleaned up and ready for a test drive.....asked the loogrooffan if he was up for a run around the block......only question he had was "is this it's virgin run"......YEP.....this is it for the new old jeep......three trips around the block was what it took......wanted to hook it up behind the old jeep and take it for a test trail run but we'll save that one for when the kid is with us.......got back and put everything away........
so far so good.....great day doing fun stuff......and everything works.......
okay, scratch another line off the list......
pulled the old jeep into the garage next and tried to hook up the speaker lights......too hard, too late in the day to be bending over and under a non moveable interior so we will leave that job for the kid......spent several minutes going thru numerous storage containers looking for the right stuff to modify a light bulb to fit into the speedometer......gotta have at least one so you can see how fast you are going at night.....once again the longrooffan comes thru......seems electrical wire loom fits perfectly......then pulled the exhaust system off, just two bolts and a strap.......fixed the exhaust leak.....you know one of the wonderful things about a garage full of stuff, you can find all kinds of problem solvers......a small self tapping screw fixed that pin hole in the exhaust system......
so far so good.....the list is finished......everything works and a great time spent with good company........now it's time to sit back and watch some racing and pay tribute to the guy that invented 12 ounce aluminuim cans so we could enjoy a few cold adult beverages.....
somebody needs to give that guy a medal........
thanks John for helping me enjoy a great day........
and that was my Saturday......
woke up this Sunday am for a run thru the woods back to Ocala....seems the kid's sister's team had one more game to play this weekend....if the win on Saturday, they play again on Sunday in these games.....on Sunday it is one and done so it looked like it might be a short day at the ballfield....arrive at the ballfields in Ocala and at a glance can tell we are in 'God's Country'.....the horsefarmer would have felt better at home here than I.....the other side of the center field fence is a cattle pasture complete with grazing cattle.....woods outside the left field fence and the parking lot was cut from a pine forest....well the kid's sister's team won their first game on a home run hit by the kid's sister in the top of the last inning....tie game and she starts off the inning with an inside the park homerun...
her hit woke up some bats and by the time the inning was over 6 more batters crossed homeplate.....when she came up again in the inning I think she was tired and just wanted the game over because she hit a blooper to first to end the inning...she started it so I guess she could end it....well one win on Sunday and you have a double header to play......didn't fair real well in the second game....played againest a team from Jacksonville that was very well coached and had a fantastic pitcher....this kid had a changeup that some of our players are still trying to hit as I am writing this....so we finished third.....at least a podium finish.....got back to the house late this afternoon.....cleaned the big white truck and the kid and I took another spin around the neighborhood in the new jeep.....gotta do some more work on the brakes as the pedal fell off completely....oh well, that's why we buy old cars.....gives us something to do on weekends......
CELEBRATE LIFE.........
Friday, November 14, 2008
Happy Birthday to Me....
Wow.....another year year goes by an before you realize it you've had a birthday.....well, not really a birthday, but a celebration of your birth.....not counting weekends or holidays, I'm only 21 ......at least that's my story....so stick with me here now okay.....
spent the day working as the majority of people do.....it's not a national holiday, not even a local one....spent the evening with the kid.....went to watch the last night launch of the space shuttle....
the kid and I picked up the longrooffan and drove a block easgt to the beach.....of course the first thing the kid said when we got to the beach...."should have brought my board Dad, some good waves tonight"......no way possible to follow the mind of a sixteen year old.....we go to watch a historical significant event, and he wishes he had brought his surfboard......always looking for a good time.....but it was a great show.....the sonic boom lasted a good 20 seconds and was a fantastic conclusion to a pleasant evening spent with good company........
not with standing the shuttle launch, this time of the year always makes me think of where I came from and how I became what I am......what are the memories that formed the person I am now.......don't start this trip trepidly.......a lot of time and energy is spent rationalizing what we are.....
I saw this movie with my Faher and Mother the first time......my Father truly enjoyed it and I in my later years understood why......
spent the day working as the majority of people do.....it's not a national holiday, not even a local one....spent the evening with the kid.....went to watch the last night launch of the space shuttle....
the kid and I picked up the longrooffan and drove a block easgt to the beach.....of course the first thing the kid said when we got to the beach...."should have brought my board Dad, some good waves tonight"......no way possible to follow the mind of a sixteen year old.....we go to watch a historical significant event, and he wishes he had brought his surfboard......always looking for a good time.....but it was a great show.....the sonic boom lasted a good 20 seconds and was a fantastic conclusion to a pleasant evening spent with good company........
not with standing the shuttle launch, this time of the year always makes me think of where I came from and how I became what I am......what are the memories that formed the person I am now.......don't start this trip trepidly.......a lot of time and energy is spent rationalizing what we are.....
I saw this movie with my Faher and Mother the first time......my Father truly enjoyed it and I in my later years understood why......
Thursday, November 6, 2008
the kid made the pre-season varsity squad
it's that time of the year where the winter sports overlap each other......the traditonal sports that is....football and basketball....we go from playing with balls outside in the weather to playing with balls inside in the comfort of four walls and a roof......while the kid isn't interested in playing the outside ball game, he is very interested in playing the inside ball game......ealier this week tryouts were held for the varisty basketball team at his school.....43 kids tried out for a position on the team.....the call backs were posted and the kid found his name on the list.....as he told me it is the pre-season varsity squad.....he has a position until the football season is over and the two sport players return.....pretty nonchalant about it in fact.....no big deal....I can't remember the last time I saw him so focused, if you don't count last weekend's fishing excursion.....fun to watch him....he seems to be in his own and very happy......12 more days until he is driving on his own.....does that explain the grey hair....????.....
CELEBRATE LIFE......
CELEBRATE LIFE......
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Jeeps...Ragtops...Rainy Days...
Hope everyone remembered to turn their clocks back today.....great thing about this time of the year.....wake up in the morning to an extra hour in the day.....gee, what can we get done with an extra hour in a day.....I'd like to have this every day.....spent the extra hour today enjoying the company of the longrooffan.....started the day knocking down the honey-do list my bride has spent the past week developing.....un-like the horsefarmer, I did not have to put any hay up.... just had to organize the wood pile, straighten out the ladder pile...(seems like I have a boat load of ladders....not sure where they all came from....but damn, I can trim the tallest palm tree in the neighborhood with the ladders I store under the canoe).....organize the storage area where the trash cans belong....(like the ladders, I'm not sure where all that stuff came from either).....I know about the cast net, but where did the extra garden hose come from...????.....and were those sawhorses always there...???....the hemp rope I know about, but the other stuff seemed to be from somebody else's stuff.....but it's there now and organized too.....by now the list is finished and it's just barely past lunch.....this included spending time with the kid's sister working on her pitching at the ball park.....then the rains came.....looks like it's gonna be a lazy rainy day hanging around the garage.....my bride decided she was going shopping and the kid's sister was down the street playing with girlfriends, the kid was reading a book, and I've got free time and football on the television, cold beer in the fridge.....smokes in the cabinet.....an empty house.....just gotta turn off the phone and damn I'm set.....fired up the new old jeep and pulled it in out of the rain.....got the new master cylinder installed, the new old fuel tank set in place, bolted down and hooked up, the seats bolted into place, which is a serious challenge when you are alone.....and the battery dead because I forgot to turn off the key.....forgot one thing...turning off the phone.....but that worked out best because the longroof was scheduled to attend a high dollar car show south of here today and it was rained out.....he called and was immediately invited to join me.....day just got better by his company......one thing....the longroof is not really a football fan.....but the circle races started soon after his arrival so he was content......of course staying true to my nature as soon as John got here I had to put the new old jeep back into the rain so we could check out his new ragtop.....he did a great job trading up to this vehicle....and he did a fantastic job of parts transfer.....anyway since his new ragtop was in the garage I couldn't sit still so just for something to due we polished and waxed the old baby.....WOW.....amazing what a good coat of wax does to a paint job......of course the kid and John got bored and just had to head over to the beach to get a battery charger for the new old jeep......just like us....I made a comment about not having a battery charger and the ragtop says he has one and takes off to get it.....got one now I guess....
but the longroof hung out for a while longer and after declining a dinner invitation he headed back over the big bridge to his condo on the water......meanwhile I now know that winter has arrived because we have had our first chili dinner.....guess it is now time to dig out the long sleeve pants to wear to work.....nah, gonna hang onto the shorts for a little while longer......it's gotta get below 65 for a least three days in a row before the longsleeve pants become daily attire.
oh, forgot the kid and I went fishing last night.....can't think of anything more fun that hanging out with that kid fishing......usually he catches the fish and I feed them.....but last night we both spent the entire time releasing our catches.....he hooked a couple of big catfish and one wicked sting ray.....no real safe way to unhook a sting ray, but it sure makes for an exciting 5 minutes....
took pictures but the longroof forgot to bring the equiptment to download them.....try to have them for the next posting......football game is starting so it's time to close.......
thought I's post this picture of the kid deep sea fishing over the past summer.......just so you will know how hard we work when fishing......
had to add at least one photo of our catch from Saturday night......this is a sting ray the kid caught in the intracoastal waterway.......scary thing about this fish is that it can really hurt you if you let it hit you with it's tail......this one was about 14 inches long .....big enough to make you VERY careful getting your hook back......
CELEBRATE LIFE.........
but the longroof hung out for a while longer and after declining a dinner invitation he headed back over the big bridge to his condo on the water......meanwhile I now know that winter has arrived because we have had our first chili dinner.....guess it is now time to dig out the long sleeve pants to wear to work.....nah, gonna hang onto the shorts for a little while longer......it's gotta get below 65 for a least three days in a row before the longsleeve pants become daily attire.
oh, forgot the kid and I went fishing last night.....can't think of anything more fun that hanging out with that kid fishing......usually he catches the fish and I feed them.....but last night we both spent the entire time releasing our catches.....he hooked a couple of big catfish and one wicked sting ray.....no real safe way to unhook a sting ray, but it sure makes for an exciting 5 minutes....
took pictures but the longroof forgot to bring the equiptment to download them.....try to have them for the next posting......football game is starting so it's time to close.......
thought I's post this picture of the kid deep sea fishing over the past summer.......just so you will know how hard we work when fishing......
had to add at least one photo of our catch from Saturday night......this is a sting ray the kid caught in the intracoastal waterway.......scary thing about this fish is that it can really hurt you if you let it hit you with it's tail......this one was about 14 inches long .....big enough to make you VERY careful getting your hook back......
CELEBRATE LIFE.........
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
