Weather in Your Area & General Conversation Thread

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10 years 6 months ago #39569 by Siscowet
Good advice and a good story Cowboy, thank you.

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10 years 6 months ago - 10 years 6 months ago #39574 by Siscowet

NightForce wrote: Cowboy,

Thank you for sharing some of your life with the rest of us. :thumbs:

All of us here are smart and I have have to say with age comes wisdom. I think that the shock of being unemployed is more traumatic than the event itself. We have a lifetime of knowledge and experience to fall back on, sort of a living resume.

Personally, I'm in great shape at 6'-1" 220 pounds. Could I afford to drop a few and get back to my fighting weight of 200, sure and I probably will.

Me a couple of months ago cutting and splitting some wood.



I'm strong and a survivor. I've been on my own since I was 18 years old. Reading others life stories are inspiring to say the least and much appreciated.. :usa:

Nice to see another wood junkie! I did 15 cords a year to heat our house and some for friends fireplaces. Your right great exercise. You know the saying, it warms you three times, when you cut it, when you split it, and when you burn it. You could add when you stack it.
After a forty year career, 32 at the same company, I got "downsized". I was a lucky one, I have a pension, and I saved like a squirrel in the fall when it came to my 401k. When I got let go, I found out quickly that companies don't hire 60 year old sales reps, so I had to find a new way.
If I was frugal, I had enough to get by, so I took the time and energy I spent making money for a corporation and turned it to giving back to the community. I got involved in a number of organizations that support research into the Great Lakes Fishery as well as clubs that represent the Sport Fishing Community. I now sit on the Board of five different organizations, and recently resigned from the Boards of two more. In addition I got involved in local government and served on the Town Board for four years and as Chairman for two. During that time we created the first new Park in this region in 20 years, as well as starting to revamp the Town road system, which is still going on.
In a nutshell, I make a lot less money, and I am more happy and fulfilled than I ever was in corporate America.
I think Cowboy is right Night Force, keep your attitude, your sense of self worth, and your energy level high, and it will work out. :thumbs:

Ps that looks like a Jonsrud, you know your saws.
Last edit: 10 years 6 months ago by Siscowet.

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10 years 6 months ago #39579 by OleCowboy
Yea, lose 10 and you would feel better about yourself from a personal outlook. I am 6' 2" 195, did weigh in at 220 for about the past 15 years, then decided to eat more healthy and dropped 25 by eating just a bit healthy and less junk...

Buddy of mine of was a upper mid level corp guy, suit, tie, fat and happy. Then one day in a corp shakeup, buy out etc he found himself out of a job for the first time in forever and a day. But big house and cars and boats made a lot of bills to pay. Wife got sick and he was in a bind and eating savings like hot oatmeal cookies.

It was early fall in Dallas as he drove down a street from another job interview. There on a street corner was a guy in a truck selling cord wood for fireplaces. He stopped to buy some and the guy was selling it for $125 a cord, $75 for a half. 'cept one thing, old Paul was a country boy and he KNEW what a cord was, it was clear the guy selling had no idea and certainly none of his buyers did either. A cord is a LOT of wood and <5 cord would heat our house in far NE Tex cozy all winter long.

Money was tight, but no job was making it tighter. He went out and bought a big high end chain saw. Dallas Ft Worth is BIG and lots of stuff going on. He would drive around and anyplace he saw work being done he would ask if he could cut cord wood. They always said yes and HELL YES get it out of here.

Suddenly he was in business and business was good. The trailer he bought was too small, so he bought big, then a truck, then he began to wholsale and was now making as much $ as he was at corp.

Or my college buddy Ron. He dated my sister for a bit and he like most of us in college back then WORKED our way thru school. He got a job one summer installing sprinklers in lawns for a landscaping outfit. Next summer, same, but different company, the other one was out of business. This went on till grad and hiring was down BAD. Stock market crashed and that degree was not needed. I was going into the Army, Ron went back to what he knew had paid his college for the past 4 years, each year working for a different company.

Ron borrowed $500 from his dad, traded in his car for a used truck and went to work. He is retired now, sold his company few years ago, not sure what he got but it was a good chunk but looks of retirement. It put him, wife, few kids thru life and colleges, and they lived there in N Dallas in a nice area. He parlayed lawn sprinkler systems into inside fire prevention sprinkler systems and did anything that water ran thru a pipe that did not need a plumbers lic. Oh and that business degree, yep that is what kept his business running for over 30 years successfully in Dallas.
The following user(s) said Thank You: NightForce

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10 years 6 months ago #39960 by MrMarty51
A lot of good stuff in here.
I worked for the Mt. D.O.T for 28 years as a mechanic, first three I worked on road maintenance, that is where I becam familiar with the different types of equipment and how it all worked, then went in as a mechanic when a position opened up.
About ten years before I retired, I started a business, cleaning shallow wells. I got a Homelite Diaphram 3" pump from a garage sale for 75 bucks, bought the hose I was going to need, I already had/have a 79 Chevy K20 pickup that a friend gave Me, with a tommy lift. used a .303 British rifle to shoot the wells, bust out the sulfate that forms in them.
I had the business going and was making money hand over fist, then, I injured Mine back and could no longer pack the hoses so I sold out.
I thought I had everything I was going to need to keep the money flowing when I retired, welp, one wreck like that and everything changes.
The DOT let Me go as they do not have room for a "Light Duty Mechanic" so I loaded up and went home.
I do`nt have much money so I am happy that I invested into the things that I thought I would enjoy, once retired, that paid off nicely.
I wound up pulling My retirement in one lump sum, paying off My property and the few debts I had, buying the wifey a better car as Her old Buick was going to fail at any given moment, left Me with a few bucks left over, I bought Me the M1A1 and some accessories for it and put the rest of the money away.
Today, on S.S; I cant afford to go to far or too fast, I`m happy with the life I have and if I need something, I save up for it.
:rotfl: The wifey tells Me, "You have some money, what are You going to do with it?" so I tells Her, I`m a saving it, so, if I want something I can just pay cash for it and not use a credit card. "Well, what are You planning on buying ?" "Well, I do`nt know yet, when the deal comes by, You`ll know it, probably a rifle or some booolits or something, maybe another old car", Boy, does that ever get Her to going off and spewing Her disliking of Me bringing home another automobile. :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
OK, weather here is calm, sunnny and clear, going to be another really fine day out here on the plains.
The wifeys daily driver started leaking prestone into the cranking case, I pulled the intake, could`nt see any real distinct sign of leakage there, popped the heads, one bolt busted, I thinking that may have been the culprit, stretched bolt, new bolts, gaskets and the heads and lower intake is back on, attaching and hooking wires, hoses and tubes now.
Going to convert the A/C to 134 and see if I can make the A/.C work for Her, that`ll be a surprise to her.
Welp. I will try and get back in later today. :cowboy: :busted:
The following user(s) said Thank You: OleCowboy, NightForce

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10 years 5 months ago #39984 by NightForce
Marty, it's always nice to see someone as active as me around the homestead.

Back in the day I didn't mind taking a motor apart and rebuilding or repairing it. Everything was pretty straight forward,and all the bolts were standard inch.

I don't know about you guys but I talk to myself a lot. Today when I open the hood and look at the engine compartment something like like this come out: you got to be shitting me.. :blink: ........or much worse..but I am alone. :censored: It's sort of like farting when I'm alone in the garage...I never say "excuse me" nor should I have to... :rotfl:

The weather here for the past few days has been perfect! Sunny and warm days with a high of about 75 and very dry. A slight breeze makes it even nicer. The extended forecast is very similar but we might see a shower med week..........I'm tough so I can take it! :thumbs:

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10 years 5 months ago #39987 by MrMarty51
I think that, I over think. :whip: :cowboy: :busted: :rotfl:

I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to working on a vehicle, every bolt has its place, well, if there are more than one bolt the same size, I tend to mix them up, but, every wire and hose/tube has its place in the loom, they must go right back where they came from. None of this half @&&ed stuff. If I keep them all factory, then, I know next time just how it all goes together, after I have dismantled it and scattered parts all over tarnation. :banghead: :busted: :rotfl:
Not really.
Thing that has complicated this project was that broken headbolt, I stand there and look at it and think, durn, now I gotta get out a drill and bits and drill a hole "ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE BUSTED DADBLAMED THING" {In my best Festus of Gunsmoke drawl}, then, drill it a size or five bigger so to get a larger easy out into it, and, the reason to get a hole "ALL THE WAY THROUGH" is so that, when the bit finally gets through the bolt, it tends to shrink the bolt ever so slightly, makes um easier to getum out.
And then, it is sort of depressing, so, I stand and look atit, thinking about it, then go into the house and get another cup~O~Coffeeee, back to the garudge, look it over some more, poke around in the cornfuzor fur a while, look at it, get out the bits, look it over some more, whilst plotting about what`ll have to be done because the hole was croookit and drilled partially into the block, put a battery on the charger, poke around on the cornfuzor some more, get out the drill and insert the battery, drill smallish hole, look it over, drill big hole, get out esy out, and, voila, the bolt come right out, surprise and pleasantly happy too.
And then, the A/C has never worked, I looking it over, evacuated the system, flush out the evaporator, condenser, changed out the filter/dryer, flush out the hoses, dump the pump, circulate some oil through thst, dump pump again, refill with oil, also fill the other components with a slight amount of oil until 8oz has been dumped.
It all takes time, especially the "Looking it over" part. :whip: :banghead: :busted: :rolleyes: :rotfl:
Oh well, all in a days activities. No boredom around here. :rotfl:
OH yeah, and, the weather`s been a lot like Yours, mid seventies, low eighties, slight breeze, excellent for shooting, except for, the wifeys wanting back Her car.
Thats all for now, I will try and get back when I feel I got a bit of time, I wanna get this thing finished, get it out of here so I can fix the A/C in My pickumups. :wave:

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10 years 5 months ago - 10 years 5 months ago #40462 by MrMarty51
HHHMMMMMmmm, not a lot of activity in here I see, oh well, here it is.
The Buick is working out just fine. Wifeys been driving it daily and still no low coolant light has come on. The A/C is working too, She really likes that, now that it is getting warmer, into the 90s today.
The 93 GMCs A/C is doing real well too, down to 40* on the thermometer.
I still need to bring it in, now that it has gotten warmer and check the pressures with a fan blowing through the condensor and the ambient temps getting warmer.
Mine Brother got here, He did some re-building on the cabinets doors and pull-outs, We now have those "Easy Close" hinges on the doors. Mighty nice improvements.
he also has three gigs to play over the fourth. Two nights at "Neige Fest" in the Park and a family reunion in the old Park Theater, now known as the "Park Place".
I naturally had to bring out a motorcicle, got a couple of pics. of Him coming in for a landing.

1957 Harley Davidson, Model B, "Hummer". Completely and ALL original, except for the steel foot-pegs, I could not find those anywhere so I made a set, from pipe, heating and flaring the ends, a little bit of grinding to smoothe things up, and, they can hardly be told apart from the originals, except for, the originals were stamped from a piece of steel and so were cut length wise, on the bottom side, I could cut them but decided against it, they are what they are, and are, an original product made by MrMarty. :drool: :busted: :rotfl:


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Last edit: 10 years 5 months ago by MrMarty51.
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10 years 5 months ago #40463 by OleCowboy
Good looking bike Mr M, what kind is it?
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10 years 5 months ago #40464 by Siscowet
A classic Marty, how is your back doing?
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10 years 5 months ago - 10 years 5 months ago #40465 by MrMarty51

OleCowboy wrote: Good looking bike Mr M, what kind is it?


1957 Harley Davidson, 125cc, Model B Hummer.

Siscowet wrote: A classic Marty, how is your back doing?

Back is doing great, Doc. does`nt want Me on a motorcycle until after winter is over. :whip: :banghead: :rotfl:
Last edit: 10 years 5 months ago by MrMarty51.

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