Fix bayonets!

Congressional candidate Lieutenant Colonel West speaking at the American Freedom tour in Fort Lauderdale Florida. Why can't I vote for this guy in my state? Because he would get my vote!

Thanks to Kevin at The Smallest Minority for introducing me to this gent.

A perfect example of not messing with things you don't understand

If he survived, he's probably still telling the story of this day in the buck bar every night.

Found at Cowboy Blob's Saloon.

Neatest model cars I've seen in a while-

Surf on over to Jalopnik and spend a few minutes, (ok, maybe more than a few) checking out the photos of detailed model cars
made from cut up soda and beer cans. They are really terrific, for sale, and the creator will sell you one for your own shelf if you like them well enough. Neat stuff!

You will NEVER see me doing this!

Seriously. I will NEVER do this.

Video - Descente de cote en BuggyRollin

Anybody that does probably coaxes Great White Sharks to floss his teeth for him.

Worn out tonight-

I've got neck muscles that have been torqued badly enought to cause pain for a week and a half and I really need to make a chiropractor appointment or see a massage therapist. Meds make me drowsy to the point of uselessness.

I did get the outside Christmas lights installed today and took a trip to see my buddy Loc's intended new house. It's big- huge! It's also new and custom throughout and should be a luxurious place to call home once he gets all the paperwork done.

The new kitten- still unnamed, is fitting in around here very well. He's gotten used to his food dish and litter pan being inside a dog kennel and makes it clear when he wants in there. He romps all over the house, plays hard for play time then drops into drooling naps mid-step. The other animals are getting used to him. Wasatch cat is no longer hissing and laying back her ears everytime he walks into a room. He is snuggable and cuddly and hasn't been a bit of trouble. Expensive but no trouble.

I fixed some busted links and added a couple new blogs to my blogroll over there on the right. I'm planning to upgrade my template soon so I can change the way my archives display so if things look wonky over the next few days, that would be the reason. Now it's bedtime.

Update on the bandit dispatch efforts-

No luck yet with the removal of masked bandits from my neighborhood. I've been putting out some warmed up wet cat food during my stalking hours but so far they haven't seen fit to match their schedule with mine. The motion detector seems to be working perfectly and I even taped over the light sensor so thaat it turns on the light during the day- just in case...

In case I happen to be on your holiday gift list...

Cannon downriggers are on my wish list. Until today I wasn't fixed on Cannon brand but then I got a chance to buy 2 low profile swivel bases for just $100. That's half price and I couldn't pass up the deal.

So, Cannons please!

Bought 2 of these tonight...

Remember the story about Papa John finding his long-lost, beloved Camaro? If you haven't read the story, follow the link and see how Papa John recovered his high school Camaro that he sold to save his Dad's bar and begin his pizza business.

Well Papa John has had his car reproduced in miniature and tonight I bought 2 of them. One is going into my die cast car collection. The other might be held back for a grandson's collection when he gets old enough...

You have GOT to watch this!

And I dare you not to laugh! Make sure to click the full screen mode for the full high def goodness.

This is one of the first YouTube videos released in high def and it's really worth a few minutes of your time to lighten up and have a laugh.

Parenting Fail-

This woman probably votes, too! Will trade children's Swine Flu vaccine for Bon Jovi tickets. But only 6 of the vaccines for her 7 kids, the 11 year old needs his so he can be healthy to babysit the other 6 while mama goes to the concert...

Hunting over bait?

You bet. I've been putting out a little cat kibble most nights, right behind my shop. The dish is empty every time I check it so I know the critters are coming around regularly. The bowl was even knocked off the ledge today after I left it empty for a couple days, so I think the critters are getting used to the ready food supply and will be coming around for a free meal often-

Right up until I kill them.

This weekend I rigged up a remote motion sensor above the feeding station and put lhe light inside the shop where I can see it while waiting inside where it is warm. Now when the thieves arrive at the feeder, even if they sneak in the back way, I'll know it. I hope I have a couple carcasses to dispose of before the week is over.

Then I can put out some bird seed and suet cakes for my feather friends.

New kitty at our house...

He's not got a name yet and we haven't taken any pictures just yet but we adopted a new family member Friday afternoon. He's a little guy, short haired and grey and brown over a white face and paws. He seems to be settling nicely and has been staying in a dog kennel when we aren't nearby to play with him. Right now he's sleeping on my chest but he seems to be finding his way around the downstairs pretty well.

Wasatch kitty has her nose in a pretty big snit... She has been avoiding the kitten and us quite actively. She's been the queen of the roost for quite awhile now and she is not impressed with a tiny interloper.

It's a Thursday Three day!

It has been more than 2 years since the last Thursday Three and every member of the Axis of Weevil has been mourning the loss of this meme ever since. But today, in celebration of one AoW member's upcoming birthday, in complete surprise to everyone on the internet, there is a T3 post at Possumblog! Hurray!

Terry's questions?

ANYwho--since we’re coming up on Thanksgiving, answer me these nonqueries:

1. What one person are you most thankful for this year?
2. What one thing are you most thankful for this year?
3. What one event are you most thankful for this year?

AND, as a big fat bonus unquestion:

4. So, how’s it going? How’ve you been lately?

Now the hard part- I need some answers to these questions. Lemme see...
1. Excluding the BSU, who would be just too easy to put at the top of the list, I have to really think about this one. I think I might be most thankful for my brother Mark for his listening and following when he heard a calling to become a minister. It was a real privilege to hear him preach a few weeks back and to see how loved he is by his congregation. I'm also very thankful for our pastor, Susan and all the people at St Peters that have made us a part of their church family.

2. The one thing I'm most thankful for? I suppose that would have to be Fish Slayer, my aged but very capable boat that I was able to purchase this past summer. I have really enjoyed the hours I've spent fishing with friends in this humble boat. It's great therapy and stress relief for me to be on the lake fishing with friends.

3. A single event that I'm most thankful for? Another toughie. I think it must be the vacation trip we took to the midwest last May to see our grandbabies. We had a wonderful time playing with them after such a long absence and we are already planning our next visit. Additionally, the BSU and I got to see my mother and grandmother over Mother's Day and attend church with Mom. That weekend was pretty special.

And the bonus question? Well, it's really going well, thanks. My family is healthy and happy, I'm pretty close to healthy except for my back that has been acting up again lately and I've lost 20 pounds over the summer. My grandkids are smart and cute. I did loose a beloved cat this summer to unknown reasons but I believe we will be adopting a new kitten tomorrow to add a little spark to our household. I'm working and glad to be even though friends all around me are retiring. So thanks for asking.

How well can you eyeball "close"?

Everybody's heard the "close enough for government work" axiom before, right? And probably everyone has had the opportunity to eyeball a straight line or the center of a circle sometime in the past. Now you can see just how good you are at eyeballing some simple geometric figures with this Eyeballing Game.

This is fun so give it a try. You have to play through each example 3 times to see your score and how you compare to all the other players across the internet. My best score, so far is 5.90. How well can you eyeball?

Why I love the internet and cookies!

In spite of what the fear-mongers whould have you believe, the nicest people on earth live on the internet. As an example, meet Diane a fellow member of the Axis of Weevil and fellow follower of PossumDad, Terry. Anyways, a couple weeks back Diane had a "uncloaking" contest at her blog to get some of her regular readers to actually leave a comment. And from the commenters, she chose 1 name at random out of a hat and offered a prize to the winner- which was me.

I won! It's a major award! Diane graciously offered me a couple of dandy handmade choices and I voted with my tummy. She made me a batch of delicious ginger snap cookies and included a pound of her favorite coffee beans from her local and favorite coffee joint. The package arrived today.

The cookies taste terrific and the coffee beans smell wonderful. I'll be enjoying both treats over the coming days. Yumm!

Thanks Diane for the very nice treats. Can I offer you a racoon pelt suitable for making a Daniel Boone cap from in return? I may have a couple in a few days.

My tacticool, single shot, lever action, antique replica, 22LR, urban sniper rifle-

I'll bet you've never seen a sniper rifle like this one before-


That is my Stevens Favorite replica rifle with a VistaLite bicycle light strapped to the side. I'm going to use it and the Colibri subsonic ammo I bought yesterday to dispatch the masked bandit raccoons in my backyard. I had to put the light back and to the side so that it throws some light on the front sight which I treated with a silver Sharpie for better visibility. My initial plan to mount it under the barrel lit up the target zone beautifully but I could not see the front sight at all, hence the unusual location on the left side.

The bandits are coming to the bait I'm setting out but I realized that unless they run across the roof like they did the other night, I won't know they are out there. So I'm going to install a makeshift motion sensor, wired to a light inside the shop. With that I'll be able to sit inside until the light comes on alerting me to bandits.

The Colibri ammo I purchased doesn't penetrate clear through a 1" pine board but I figure a raccoon skull isn't as thick as a pine board. And the sound of the bullet striking the board from 20 feet is louder than the discharge of the shell being fired so I don't think I am going to alarm anyone.

As always, click the thumbnail to see the full size picture.

It's National Ammo Day today!

I have been so remiss this year, I didn’t even get the National Ammo Day logo up on display this year, so apologies for that. But it is 19 November, the day we celebrate our right and opportunity to clean the dealer’s shelves of the ammo of our choice. Your obligation is to get out and buy at least 100 rounds of the ammo you favor, just because you can.

 

Foolishly, I forgot about the holiday just yesterday afternoon when I visited Impact Guns and bought myself 50 rounds of Colibri 22LR ammo so I guess I will have to redeem myself with another purchase at Saturday’s gun show…

 

The Colibri 22LR ammo I did buy is entirely powered by primer charge- there’s no gunpowder in the shell and the bullet is just a 20 grain pointed lead projectile. The sound of the bullet hitting a 1” pine board is louder than the shot! They don’t penetrate that same board either but I am pretty certain they will be just perfect for my purpose.

 

It's about time to start feeding the birds in my backyard-

The cold weather has moved in with a vengeance since last weekend and we received a significant snowfall last Saturday. This is about the time of year that I start keeping my Wasted Electrons World Headquarters backyard bird feeder filled for the wild birds that live in the surrounding trees and bushes throughout the cold season. Typically I keep the seed feeder full and put out suet cakes for them too.

 

Before I start the buffet for this winter, I have to remove some unwelcome varmints from the neighborhood…

 

Last night while I was sitting in my shop smoking a cigar and reading my email, I heard a weird, scrabbling sound move across my roof- twice. It almost sounded like ice buildup slipping down but I was certain that wasn’t the problem. I stepped outside my shop, shined an LED flashlight down the gap between my shop and the neighbor’s garage and was rewarded with 4 yellow eyeballs reflecting back at me from the back of the property.

 

Raccoons! At least 2 of the masked bandits were back there on Leonard’s cinder block pile. Before I start putting out bird food, these thieves must be dispatched. I need a brighter flashlight. I also need to decide if the air rifle will be suitable for the task of if I need to break out the Stevens and my stash of subsonic ammo.

Bob Ross and I had something in common?

Apparently we both retired from the USAF as Master Sergeants. The coincindence had to be military related because I'm certainly not capable of painting happy trees as Bob did on public television for so many years.

I found the link on Boing Boing dot com.

On a related note- my 10 year retirement anniversary is rapidly approaching. Time is sure fun when you're having flies!

The Wizard of Oz- On the Big Screen!

Tuesday night I'm going to do something I have never done before- I'm packing up the BSU and we are going to see The Wizard of Oz on the big screen at our local cineplex. The film is 70 years old this year and I can't remember the last time I watched it on tv but it's been a couple of decades at least since I last watched it.

Kenny is bringing his lovely spouse and I've invited another couple from church to attend the event with us too. I can't convince Kenny that the best way to attend this movie is in costume- he says he is not going to do it, even though I suggested that he would make a terrific cowardly lion.

But there's still time for you to make your plans to see it Tuesday night too so check out the link and see where it might be showing in your neighborhood. I'll bet you've never seen this classic in a theater and now is your chance so make some plans, invite your friends, hire a babysitter, rent costumes and head over to the mall to share this special event.

It should be a really fun evening!

Pirate Radio-

Rock & roll, baby! We went to see this terrific movie tonight and I have to tell you that it is a hoot! The story is about a rock and roll radio station that broadcast from international waters outside of Great Britain during the 60s- the heyday for British rock and pop music. The government owned the legal airwaves and didn't like the popular music and so a motley bunch of DJs set up shop on a ratty freighter and piped in the music outside of the government's control.

Mayhem ensues.

The story is profane and funny. The characters are flawed but earnest and the soundtrack is awesome- remember, this story takes place in 1966 so the music is chock full of great pop and rock hits from the time. Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays the part of the only Yank on board and he bumps egos with the Brit superstar DJ until they play a scary game of chicken that leads to shared injuries and respect.

We both loved this movie. If you grew up with rock and roll during the 60s, you may get a real kick out of this show just like we did.

I do love hanging out with my buddies-

and tomorrow, 4 of us are going to Cabelas! My buddy Loc has never been to the store just an hour's drive south and so we have decided to make a day of it tomorrow. Kenny is going and Jack too. We are having breakfast together on the way and then we are going to go hit the store to browse and shop with no restriction on our time.

I'm hoping they have the seats and parts that I need for Fish Slayer because I have some money in my pocket!

So tomorrow is Veteran's Day

Give a vet a hug or a sandwich or a donation to the retirement home near you to help make their lives better. It still seems strange to call myself a vet, though I am. But in my eyes, those real vets are the guys older than me, those World War II or Korean Conflict veterans that supported our country's ideals under incoming enemy fire. I never had anyone shooting at me during my service and for that reason I suppose, I don't see my service to have the same weight.

But honor the veterans tomorrow, (and every day)that you know or that live near you.

What a nice weekend!

It's been terrific here with much too warm temperatures for November but it has been beautiful. Yesterday was a perfect "man" day- breakfast with friends at Cracker Barrel, a trip to the gun show and shopping at Harbor Freight. COuld it be any better?

I blew, vacuumed and sucked up leaves from the front yard in the afternoon until there were 2 80 gallon trash cans full. I covered up the boat motor and my engine crane with tarps and inherited a lawnmower project from my neighbor. It runs but not steadily so I saved it from an ignomious end in the dumpster and I'll figure it out over the winter.

Today was a great day at church and our pastor has asked the BSU and I to consider participating in our diocesen search convention for a new bishop. That might be an interesting challenge! We have decided anything yet but maybe it is something we could do.

I've also got the money I need for new seats for Fish Slayer! I decided a couple weeks ago that maybe I would sell my black powder pistols and so this evening I listed them on KSL to see if I could sell them. It took 20 minutes for the phone to ring! The guy that called came up from Salt Lake so it took him an hour to get here but he bought the guns! That was cool. On Wednesday when I go to Cabelas with my buddies, I think I'll be able to buy my seats. Sweet!

Now if the weather would just turn and start sending snow our way, I can start thinking about ski season!

I didn't do it...

Train derails in SLC

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=8562187

It’s not my fault, really!

 

Never walking around empty handed again-

First of all, I can blame this on LawDog for putting the idea in my head that a walking stick might be a good companion. I've not really pondered having one terribly often because I typically have a firearm on my person when I am out & about. But I couldn't take my firearm with me on my recent trip to Ohio, just because I was certain that packing it and declaring it at the airport would give the BSU a major case of the gasses.

So I went to Ohio unarmed. While we were out sightseeing with the family my brother takes us to visit Lehmans Hardware Store. It's a neat place full of old time stuff; hardware, garden tools, toys, knives, and lamps for those folks that choose not to use electricity. Lehmans was a great place to spend a couple hours browsing their intriguing wares.

I bought me a piece of neat gear, a Horse Hame Walking Stick. I'll have to investigate what a horse hame is, because I really don't know but I can tell you, this is one stiff and sturdy walking stick. I took a look at these canes and decided that one of them could be my constant companion while I was in Ohio. Here's a picture from Lehmans.



I do have a bad lower back and lots of walking does frequently cause me pain. I've read that using a walking stick can ease some of the burden on a aching back and now I can tell you from experience that using this one helps relieve my back pain.

It also gives me some piece of mind that should a bad guy decide to make trouble for me or mine when I can't have a firearm in my pocket, I still have a dandy tool to use for defense. That brass knob would leave a mark on a bad guy's noggin or chest very effectively.

I also discovered that I could carry it onto an airplane with no problem after passing it through the security x-ray scanner. Nobody gave me or my cane a second look and I carried through 3 airports today unmolested. So I expect that I'll be using this horee hame cane just about every place I can- just to keep my back from hurting...

Pictures from my weekend-

Well our weekend at Wooster has come to a close and we are packed up for tomorrow's return trip. This has been a great weeekend with my family. I've got an early wakeup tomorrow so I'm not titling all the pictures I uploaded tonight but I will share with you just a couple pictures tonight.

The first one is my family; Mom, Dad, 3 brothers and sister.



This is the birthday boy, Brother and Pastor Mark.


Your humble scribe, relaxing while the family gathers for photos.

As always, click the little'uns to see the full-sized images. You can see the full album here: Ohio vacation

Some blog template help needed- anybody?

Over there on the right, my archives are listed by the month and it makes for a long an unsightly list going back for as many years as it does. I would like to change the way my archives are displayed and maybe even just show on the front page the years of the archives. Blogger is no help in their template set up.

So I'm asking. Could somebody assist with helping me get my template altered to change how my archives are displayed? My HTML-fu is lousy and I really don't have the interest needed to get the modifications done properly. If you can help, I'd be very appreciative. Contact me through my email.

Blogging from Wooster Ohio tonight

Made it safely through 2 airports and 2 flights, arrived on time to find my brother, his girlfriend and Mom already waiting for us, just as planned. Avis put us into a Lincoln Town Car and we needed it for all the luggage we were toting.

We made it safely to the birthday brother's home and relaxed there for a bit then left Mom there and came out to the Rodeway Inn where we are staying. Got a nice room. Tim and Milly and I sat for a bit in the bowling alley next door while I had a couple beers and came back in time to find the BSU soaking in the hot tub in our room.

So it's all good. And bedtime!

Hot Mormon Muffins- A taste of Motherhood

I just found this tonight- Hot Mormon Muffins- A taste of Motherhood. It seems they have a calendar and muffin baking videos. Weird.

And I truly doubt it is real...

I covered the boat just in time-

Because I woke up this AM to snow falling, just as the weather guessers predicted. There is supposed to be 2-4” by the time for the afternoon commute which should make the law enforcement and accident cleanup folks quite unhappy. But Fish Slayer is cleaned and covered for the winter so I guess I’ll have to break out some of my other hobbies to entertain me until the spring thaw.

So we're going to Ohio for a Brother's birthday

And in preparation for the trip, I was digging through my photo heap tonight. I found a couple pictures to share with everyone so you can see my brothers and sister. These pictures were taken on the steps of Glamorgan Castle, just a few blocks from the house that my folks bought and Brother Mark kept for years after that. As you can see, we are a handsome crowd-


And, as typical for our family photos, it's just not a photo event until somebody has mooned the camera...

This weekend's birthday boy is on the right...


No, we never have any fun when we get together! As always, click the little'uns for the biggie sized pictures.

OnStar is watching you-

They are if you launch your 700 horsepower Hennessey tuned Cadillac CTS-V and it pulls a .99G launch. Watch the video and turn up the sound because the car sounds good!


No ma'm, there's no emergency.

I have NO idea how I missed this story-

After all, it happened right here in my home town. I guess I missed the news that night...
Father to be gropes nurse enroute to delivery room. It seems that Adam Manning might have been having a celabratory drink or two or three while his wife was in labor, about to deliver his baby. So between the check-in station and the maternity ward, young Adam got all horned up and began groping the nurse that was seeing to his wife.

Police were called, charges were pressed. Babydaddy missed the delivery.

What do we call people like Adam?




Dumbass!

It's that busy time of year

Somehow the fall season always seems like a busy time of year for me with lots of chores to do before the impending snow falls. I guess the difference between fall and spring is that with summer approaching, there’s plenty of time to get everything done but in the fall everything has to be put away or covered up before the snow blankets everything. For whatever reason, I stay plenty busy this time of year.

 

I’ve got the camper winterized, moved behind the fence and covered. That didn’t all happen on the same day but I got it done. Sleek Black Beauty has been washed and tucked under its cover in the workshop for a winter waxing and nap. Most of the garden hoses have been drained and put away. The watering system for the BSU’s hanging vegetable garden has been disconnected and drained. The swamp cooler is drained and covered.

 

The secondary water is off from the city but I still have to blow the lines empty to prevent freeze damage. I need to buy a cover for Fish Slayer, remove the trolling motor and the batteries, figure out if there are water drains in the powerhead to remove and get it moved out from under the carport. I need to mow the back yard for the last time and get the hoses rolled up from back there. I need to refill the propane tanks that I removed from the camper so I can heat the shop. I need to buy the sealer for the fresh concrete in the driveway and get it rolled on to protect it from the city’s impending salt distribution on the streets.

 

All this and the weather guessers are forecasting snow as early as next week. It looks like my weekend is going to be plenty busy between the chores and some clothes shopping that needs doing before our trip to Ohio.

Me and the Geico Gecko are doing business-

I just switched insurance on my truck, the car and Sleek Black Beauty. I've had it up to my neck with the previous company- American Family and although I still need to find new insurance on the boat and house, pretty darn soon I will be completely through with those jackasses at my local agent office.

Proof that Burbot really exist!

Jim and I had a terrific weekend fishing at Flaming Gorge. The weather was perfect, the water calm and the company friendly. We even caught some fish! Not a lot of fish, just 1 Burbot each during our night fishing expedition and some rainbow trout on Sunday before we came home.

The burbot fishing was kind of disappointing since we only caught 1 fish each when the reports were of fishermen catching coolers full of the ugly creatures. Jim and I followed the instructions we had received from Rob, found the right depth of water and the right structure and had the preferred lures. And we both hooked up with just a few minutes of getting our lines wet, so we thought we had solved the equasion. But the fish weren't cooperating and the huge schools of fish- even though they appeared to be there according to the fishfinder, weren't biting on our jigs. I guess that's why they call it fishing and not catching!

This is my buddy Jim-

This is me at the controls of Fish Slayer

I told you they were ugly! This is Jim's burbot. His was much bigger than mine.

The end of my first season of fishing on Fish Slayer.


This weekend was so much fun we may have to make this an annual trip!

Burbot fishing trip plans-

Six jigs, 3 types of glow-in-the-dark tubes and 2 packages of frozen sucker fish meat purchased on the way home tonight. Tomorrow the truck gets an oil change, supper groceries, cigars and beer get purchased and a spare tire and wheel for the boat trailer needs to be bought. Then I can get packed up for a Saturday morning departure.

It's gonna be a good time!

Looks like Fish Slayer is coming out 1 more time this season!

And going to Flaming Gorge reservoir for burbot fishing! My buddy Rob called me today to say that another friend caught 70 of these homely beasts last night and the biggest one weighed 9 pounds.

So Jim and I are going to the Gorge on Saturday for some trout fishing in the afternoon and a late night's worth of trying to fill up the boat with these fish. The weather is promising to be pleasant and I'm pretty excited.

Wanted- 1 very special Stevens Favorite rifle

Many decades ago, I received as a gift from my Dad, a 22LR Stevens Favorite rifle. It was the only gun my Dad ever gave me and I was mighty proud of it. I was probably 12 when I received this neat little rifle. Dad had searched out and found an entire rifle with an already shortened stock, just the right size for me at the time while searching for a replacement stock that he could shorten for a Stevens he already owned. Sadly and stupidly, in about 1976, I sold the rifle to an unknown buyer through my first wife's uncle. It might have been as big a mistake as I've ever made. I sold it in north eastern Ohio.

Anyway, I want the rifle back. I'm willing to pay. The rifle is unique and if anyone has ever seen it, they would recognize that the collectors value today has been ruined because the frame has been nickel plated. My Grandfather had to take the gun for a while during my ownership to make a new firing pin for it and while he had it, he talked somebody in the plating shop where he worked to nickel plate the frame and the lever. It's not polished like chrome but is a very nice shiny matte silver. I don't believe any of the other parts were plated. It also has an ivory dot tipped front sight which I now know was not the typical Stevens Favorite front sight. I believe my rifle was a takedown model.

I have searched the internet gun seller sites and auctions for a couple years. I've even advertised in the local papers back there in Ohio hoping to find the current owner without success. Before I buy a 2nd Savage Model 30 Stevens replica and build one that looks like my old rifle, I'm turning back to the internet to see if this unique Stevens Favorite can be located. Have you seen my rifle? Do you know who has it tucked into the back of a gun safe somewhere? If you do, will you please get in touch with me immediately? You can contact me any time through natemccord@gmail.com.

How Long Is "Your" Password?

During a recent password audit, it was found that a blonde was using the following password:

MickeyMinniePlutoHueyLouieDeweyDonaldGoofy

 

When asked why such a big password, she said that it had to be at least 8 characters long.

 

The driveway work is finished!

It really looks good. Everything went very well this afternoon except that the guy that did the work- and did the measuring for the amount of concrete I needed, can't add. It wasn't 3/4 of a yard of mud I neeeded because when we dumped that much in the hole, it didn't begin to fill it up!

It took 2 1/4 yards of mud to fill the hole! Seems Jack got distracted while he was measuring and doing the math and only told me how much I needed for 1 portion of the job. Fortunately it wasn't a problem- except for the added expense- to go pick up the 2nd load of concrete just a few blocks away.

I'm really pleased with the way this job has turned out.

The hole's excavated-

and the concrete pouring and finishing for the driveway improvement takes place tomorrow afternoon. Tonight I had to dig out the 2nd half of the dirt that the concrete guy decided he did not need in his yard. But he came over and helped me do the shoveling and moving so it's ready for the concrete. I'm taking the afternoon off from work tomorrow to drag home a 3/4 yard load in a trailer and Jack should be done before supper.

Already I'm asking myself why it took me 10 years to get this done. I can see that it will be a huge improvement on the access to the house when it's finished.

Too tired for blogging tonight-

I should be telling you all about the excitement and adventure of removing a ton or more of busted up concrete out of my driveway after busting it up with a jackhammer and hauling it away with the truck in multiple loads over the weekend. I could be telling you about watching the large noisy cutter machine removing the curb this afternoon. I could tell you about the plans for the concrete pouring and finishing that is going to be going on later this week.

But I whupped tonight. I think I'll just tip my recliner back further and nap until bedtime.

Awesome gymnast!

Hat tip to
Cowboy Blob and Curmudgeonly & Skeptical.

Blogging and surfing may now resume-

I've finished Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol. It is very good! It's typical Dan Brown- Robert Langdon caught in a bizarre mystery that he unfolds and solves through his expertise in symbology. This one is no different- it takes place in our nation's capitol, Washington D.C. and it is filled with the mysteries revolving around Freemasonry.

It is deep and fast paced. I can't speak to the accuracies of the Freemason details because I'm not a freemason. There are parts of the story that are pretty heavy in concept and some of it spells out hours after the original mystery is solved which I thought extended the story past it's climax.

But it's a good read. I really enjoyed it and the BSU says she is picking it up next. It's a brain teaser and twister and I recommend it!

What a difference a day makes-

 

A day and a cold front, that is! Eighty degrees last night at 10 PM, forty degrees and raining this morning on my way to work at 6 AM. It’s supposed to rain all day today and snow down to the 5200 foot elevation level tomorrow, so just 800 feet above my house. The weather guessers are calling for 18” of snow in the mountains before the weekend. That suggest that the BSU and I will NOT be going camping this weekend as planned.

 

On another note, I’m reading Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol for the past couple nights and I haven’t even had my laptop open for the past 2 nights. That might explain my lack of blogging and Facebook posting.

Fwd: Your upcoming appointment with American Exteriors

NOTE: I just received this email this afternoon. See anything wrong with it?

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: KnowledgeSync <knowledgesync@amext.com>
Date: September 28, 2009 1:20:46 PM MDT
To: NRMCCORD@COMCAST.NET
Subject: Your upcoming appointment with American Exteriors
Reply-To: <knowledgesync@amext.com>

Dear McCord, Nate,

We are reminding you of your appointment with American Exteriors to discuss your window and siding needs.  Your appointment is scheduled on 7/31/2007 6:00:00 AM at 7/31/2007 5:00:00 PM and with DELWIN HILTON.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Kind regards,
American Exteriors, LLC.

I was right, fishing is more fun than fixing!

After our aborted attempt to go fishing on Saturday afternoon and the repairs to the control head, Jim and I saddled up and took Fish Slayer out yesterday afternoon. The control head shifts better than it ever has since I purchased it and we had no mechanical problems at all. We didn’t have much fishing luck- Jim caught one catfish on a fire tiger colored rattling crankbait and I lost another favorite lure hung on the bottom. But we had a very nice afternoon and evening on Willard Bay.

 

I’m suspecting that due to the encroaching cooler weather and early darkness that yesterday might be the last trip out in the boat for the season. We’ll see. There’s a cold front coming in this week- only 50 degrees for a high temp on Wednesday with rain, so summer is running out very quickly.

Working on boats is not as much fun as fishing-

And this late in the season, missing an afternoon of fishing on a Saturday is no laughing matter! I was supposed to go fishing with Jim today- we actually did put the boat in the water- twice! but we didn't get it off the trailer!

The first time we backed it in, I had no electricity to the motor- nothing. I wiggled and made sure everything was plugged in but it seemed to have no battery power. So we pulled the boat out to the parking lot and I found a little corrosion on the battery terminal and after knocking it away the electrical power seemed just fine.

Let's back this beast in again! And we did. This time the shift handle bound up in reverse as I was getting ready to crank the motor. It was stuck and would only move in reverse, no neutral, no forward...

Back out of the water- again. We shook and lifted and wobbled but nothing seemed to be fixable at the lake. So we put everything away, tied the boat down and came on home. I thought it might have been related to the shift shaft and lock cam so pulled the lower unit but that didn't free anything up. Next I looked at the engine end of the cables and everything there looked like it was ok. Jim and I finally decided that the only thing left was the shift head, so, I took it apart!

Of course I took it apart! It's a tricky piece of mechanical hardware but I got it apart. It seemed like we located a piece that was worn enough to cause the locking problem that had been occurring but there wasn't anything to do but put it all back together. I greased everything that moved and when it was all back together- no left over parts!, and it works perfectly! I don't know why wverything got so jammed but it seems to be working now.

So maybe tomorrow afternoon I can call Jim and we can go fishing before the season ends.

The truck is in the shop today...

Can’t the monthly repair bills stop? Please? In August it was $600 for getting the Lincoln’s cooling system fixed and doing its job properly and right after Labor Day, another $60 for brake pads and a rotor. Now, still in September, it is the truck that has gone all wonky. The BSU drove it Tuesday and it was fine and then last night when we towed the boat with it, it wasn’t working right. I noticed it first at a traffic light where it seemed to be stumbling and the tachometer was visibly rising and falling. On the highway it seemed like it was surging and balking even though it got us to the lake and back safely. There is definitely something wrong but whatever it is, the Check Engine light hasn’t triggered. I dunno what it is. It almost feels like a sparkplug wire or 2 have fallen off but the truck has individual coils. Maybe a connector has fallen off a coil.

 

At any rate, we dropped it off at the Firestone Auto Care Center this morning before work and hopefully after they run all their diagnostic tests, the repair will be a simple one. I need it to be a simple, (and cheap) repair because I have other places to spend my money right now!

 

Later this month I must buy a couple airplane tickets to Ohio. (Note to family- the BSU will be coming with me to Ohio at the end of the month!) I need to buy new headlight assemblies for the Lincoln but new ones are $225 each, which means I am going to just buy 1 at a time. I need to buy a cover for Fish Slayer and I need to find winter storage for it which must be paid upfront not monthly. The BSU is bugging for another trip to Illinois to see the grandbabies and it is time to be buying a season ticket for skiing. And Christmas is rapidly approaching…

 

I do not need lots of unplanned car repair bills right now!

UPDATE: The truck came home tonight with no charge! The Firestone shop couldn't find anything directly wrong but did find one of the fuel injector wire connections loose. So they installed a zip tie to hold it together and told me to bring it back if I have further problems. So it's ok for now.

Ten Years-

The BSU and I have been living in this house for 10 years this week. That is a first for us, we have never lived longer than 6 years in any home before as a result of our military life. But we just passed the 10 year point in the last couple of days and I think that is pretty neat.

We're pretty happy in this house and it would take a lot to pry us out of it!

Fish Slayer regains it's mojo!

I actually took the BSU out fishing tonight- her 2nd time in the boat, to Willard Bay fishing for Wipers. We trolled the bay north of the pig farm- actually a cattle feedlot, unsuccessfully and just as we were getting ready to turn into the inlet to the boat launch, I spotted a Wiper boil!

The fish were surfacing just on the point outside the inlet and I was pretty quick to get into them. My new, light action fishing rod put one fish in the boat but it really didn't have the needed backbone. The 2nd fish I hooked up with broke off my favorite lure so I switched poles and contned fishing while the spouse watched and handled the net. I ended up loosing another fish and boating another for a total of 2that went into the cooler. The BSU was pretty creeped out by me dragging angry, flopping fish into the boat but I think she enjoyed the event just the same. For a bit there were fish jumping all around the boat and I think she was pretty amazed by the entire scenario.

All told- it was a fun night. She watched while I filleted fish and took notes of the electric knife the guy next to me was using. I assured her that if I had one of those I could get home much earlier after a night of fishing! Happy, happy!

What I left unsaid in yesterday's post...

Yesterday, if you read the post just below this one, you see that I suggested to President Barry that he first try to show the American public all those savings that he says are buried in wasteful programs and that he says, will pay for his big, new plans for universal, mandated healthcare. He says that he can implement his plans with no increases in the federal budget and truth be told, I, and many other people much smarter than myself, including the Congressional Budget Office, think he is full of crap.

 

I suggested that the president get busy over the next 2 years and root out all those millions of dollars in that he says are buried in inefficiencies and overpayments and prove to the public that he has some of the skills he tells us that he has. I recommended that he table his new plans and first of all prove that those savings that he claims are waiting, can in fact be pulled out of the programs where they currently hide. I think this is a common sense approach and that it would prove that he is the capable leader that he claims to be.

 

What I didn’t say, and what I hope you realized after reading yesterday’s thoughts, is that Barry is going to have a number of large fights to win as he begins his search for the missing millions of dollars that he believes will pay for his programs. For every dollar he finds and claims to be excess, there is going to be a special interest group that will fight him tooth and nail to keep in place. Seniors will set fire to their phone lines calling their congresscritters when Barry tries to reduce their ability to get medical care through Medicare and the doctor’s associations too when he tries to further reduce their payments through the multitude of medical programs they participate in. Veterans groups? I don’t believe he will be able to stand the heat that the different veterans organizations will rain down on his head if he tries to reduce care to veterans of all shapes and sizes, this veteran included. Will he pay up front for the software, hardware and technical staff required to achieve the transformation of every medical record into electronic records to save those dollars he claims are tied up in the inefficiency of paper records? Can he show exactly how much that effort will cost and the number of dollars to be saved by doing so? I really doubt it.

 

But I’m willing to be proved wrong. So go ahead Mr. President, get your digging team assembled and show me the money! Fight the fights, find the savings and spell it out to me and America on prime time television exactly where you have saved millions of dollars by reducing waste and inefficiency. Hell, send me the data when its ready and I’ll gladly build your PowerPoint charts to show the American people how successful your efforts have been.

 

Until that day though, Mr. President, I will continue to not believe you or support your new healthcare proposals. In fact, like  Congressman Joe Wilson, I will say you lie. You are lying to the American public every time you tell us that your proposal won’t cost us in an increased federal budget. Prove me wrong. I dare you.

Dear Mr. President-

I know you are running into trouble getting your ideas about universal healthcare across to the American public in spite of your continual campaigning style of promotion. I heard you were on 5 different Sunday talk shows yesterday and are going to be on David Letterman’s show tonight. I didn’t watch you yesterday and I won’t be watching tonight because I think Letterman is an obnoxious jerk and I won’t stay up past my bedtime to be annoyed by that cretin. I also know that you have risen to the top of our government without ever having managed so much as a sidewalk taco stand and that your demonstrated skills and provable results are transparently invisible to the majority of law-abiding and tax-paying American citizens. I think I have a suggestion for you that might make implementing your plans possible- show us the money!

 

I have heard you say on television that you think you can pay for your healthcare schemes by reducing the waste and overspending that you claim are currently in place in Medicare and Social Security and other federal care programs. You believe, (or at least state publically), that the increased costs of your universal healthcare programs can be implemented without raising the federal budget by identifying and correcting all the overspending that you claim is presently in the system.

 

Here’s my suggestion. Take 2 years off from implementing your healthcare plans. Spend those 2 years rooting out those millions of dollars that you claim are buried in overpayments and mismanagement in the existing programs. Show the American public where that money is , and how much of it there is. Show us that your administration can first of all locate and fix the mismanagement that you claim will be the cornerstone of funding for your health care plans, make these existing programs more streamlined, fair to both the recipients and the taxpayers that fund them. Show all of us that you really do have the top-level management skills that you seem to believe you have and then, after you have had some fiscal success, we might believe that the savings you have created should be applied to the new, more inclusive programs that you envision.

 

So go to work. Quit asking for programs that can’t possibly operate without more money, (just ask Massachusetts how that is working for them) and quit telling us how wonderful your new programs will be and how these new programs will be free based upon savings that you haven’t yet identified. Find the money, the overspending, the mismanagement. Weed it out first then we can discuss expanded healthcare! With success up front your supporters will have something tangible to brag about and we citizens might believe that we hired the right guy for the job of President.

 

Feel free to take my idea and implement as your own. You and I (and those I email this to) will be the only ones that know that you are cribbing my idea and that is fine with me. Talk it over with your staff and those fawning folks in Congress and see if this idea doesn’t have some strength. Consider how badly the Clinton’s got clobbered when they proposed HillaryCare to an unwilling public, too early in that administration. As I recall, the crushing of that proposal really set back all their schemes for a number of years  and their health care plans never became possible.  Until you have some proven results, I think your health care scheme is doomed to failure and I believe my idea is the perfect lead-in to a more comprehensive health care plan.

 

Sincerely,

Nate McCord, Ogden UT

Wasted Electrons blog

Do you know what I hate?

I hate breaking fishing poles! And I broke one of my favorites 2 nights ago while working on my boat! Oh, I was mad! I've been trying to get the reverse lock hooks cam aligned properly which has dictated removing and reinstalling the lower unit numerous times and shifting the gear lever forward and reverse and into neutral lots of times.

One of those times my fishing rod tip moved up under the control handle and when I pushed the handle into reverse, I broke the top 12" off my fishing rod! Dammitall!

I have adjusted the reverse locks cam again and again and there is no right position! On 1 spline the locks are engaged until the control handle is moved a long way into forward so its too far advanced and when I move the cam 1 spline backward the locks don't hook at all in any position.

I give up! I'm just going to use a tie-down strap to secure my motor to the transom until I can find a no-kidding solution to this problem.

Ogden Underground

We've got a distillery in town! Who knew? I discovered Ogden Underground a few weeks back at the base liquor store where they were having a tasting event. I bought a bottle just to show my support for a local business and have been sipping on it ever since. It's a 1 liter bottle, so I've been working on it for quite a while now.

It's pretty good stuff. Apparently it is similar in taste to Jagermeister, all packed full of herbs and spices and tasty stuff. I'm no Jager expert so I can't compare them but Underground is quite good.

I may have to buy another bottle when this one runs empty!

Thoughts from the weekend camping trip-

It was a wonderful weekend. The son and GF were better company than I expected. The weather was beautiful and Anderson Cove campground was very nice although it did not have the showers and water and electrical connections I thought I read were available. We had a nice campsite with a view of the lake and the big trees provided nice shade most of the day. We had some good meals and even though our elderly dog Sandy doesn't care for him, the boy's puppie Louie was pretty well behaved.

The boat worked beautifully with a tiedown strap holding the engine down when I had to reverse except for the last 5 minutes while I was trying to get it on the trailer. The end of the strap managed to get overboard and wrapped into the prop just as I trying to negotiate the last 30 yards of the weekend! No harm though and I've already removed the offending strap bits. The trolling motor works perfectly and is much quieter than the last one I owned years ago. The operator's not so hot but the motor is a real asset to the boat.

Fishing at Pineview Reservoir is not so hot on Saaturdays due to the huge power squadron of cruisers, wakeboarder and ski boats beating the water into a froth. Sundays are obviously much better because it was obvious this morning from camp that there were far fewer boats than yesterday.

I even talked the spouse into going for a boat ride! Hurray! This really was the high point for me. She claimed to have white knuckles for the entire trip but I think she saw that it was possible to go for a ride without getting wet, drowned or dumped out of the boat. Now that I've broken the ice she might get more amenable to regular boat rides.

The laundry is nearly done, most everything has been put away already and I'm beat!

Never Forget

Take 10 minutes today and watch this video.

Did I mention we are going camping this weekend?

No, I didn't think so... That's because I didn't really think we were going camping until yesterday. The BSU had invited the oldest boy and his girlfriend to go camping this weekend, weeks ago, though it would require them both to arrange their work schedules. I figured it was a less than zero chance of that happening.

But they did arrange their schedules and we found out about it yesterday. Today I had to arrange a day's leave for tomorrow and find a campground, preferably one with a lake with fish in it. We are going to Anderson Cove Campground just on the other end of Ogden Canyon. It's close and convenient, has flush toilets and showers.

And a boat launch ramp. So I'm dragging the camper out first and once I have it put up I'm going to return back home- I said it was close, and get Fish Slayer and go back to the campground. I should get a good chance to check out my new trolling motor searching the shallows for smallmouth bass. And I think I have the spousal unit talked into going for a boat ride sometime during the weekend!

I wonder if they have a wi-fi connection...

It's getting almost painful...

Tonight I dragged Fish Slayer back down to Salt Lake City to have it's lower unit reinstalled. Rich had taken it, had it checked out by another marine mechanic he trusted who gave it a clean bill of health and we arranged to meet at his place to reinstall it. I drove down there, backed in and Rich grabbed the lower unit ready to slip it into place.

Except there was a piece missing! Shit! There is a hard rubber bushing that keeps the shift shaft and the reverse lock shaft in place. It slips up into the upper section and when we removed the lower unit last Saturday, we forgot to remove that part. And somewhere between his place and my place, it fell out... Dammitall!

We did get the lower unit aligned and installed just fine and tomorrow I'll make a couple calls to see if I can find the part. I'm not hopeful I will find it in stock because I can't find it in any of the online parts breakdowns that I have looked at tonight. That isn't a good sign that any dealer will have it in stock.

In the mean time, I'm going to use a ratchet tiedown strap across the transom and the engine mount to hold the engine down when I'm in reverse. It won't be perfect but I'm pretty certain it will work.

More mechanical distress!

Over the weekend I had to have the truck towed when it wouldn't start. I had already removed the battery and had it load tested, cleaned and reinstalled the cables. And it started right up- once! After that it refused to start again and I had a relay under the dash buzzing even when the key was out. So I was convinced it was something more complicated and I had the truck towed to a garage- that installed a new battery!

I hated paying for it since it was a repair I could have easily accomplished on my own but it tricked me. Bummer.

Today I took the Lincoln to work and immediately heard a brake dragging on a rotor. It sounded like metal to metal grinding and sure enough, when I got to the 4th wheel, I found the damage on the right rear rotor. Somehow, Ford decided that these cars didn't need the squealer feature to let a person know before the damage was done. So tonight I replaced the brake pads and one rotor and got the special tool returned before Autozone closed. My knees are sore from all the kneeling but I got the job done.

What can go wrong now?

Fish Slayer Updates, Labor Day Weekend Edition

It's still broke... Today I towed Slayer down to Salt Lake City to the boat repair guy that resealed the lower unit to help me get the lower unit reinstalled. I had tried aligning the shift shaft in every which way, I even made a tool this morning to turn the shift shaft but nothing I did made sense or seemed to work properly.

The boat guy had the same problems I had... We worked together on it for an hour or so and he finally decided there was a problem inside the sealed portion of the lower unit. So I left the lower unit with him to figure it out and brought the boat back home.

I did get the trolling motor installed and working yesterday. I swiped the deep cycle battery out of the camper, installed a new battery box in the front of the storage area that was under the seats and got it all wired up tidy. I still have to modify the seat boards to make room for the battery box top because it sits higher than the storage area. But the installation's tidy and will make the boat much more useful for bass fishing or anytime I want to work particular areas of a lake with a degree of control.

So- no fishing for me this weekend. Bummer. Lots of work going on but maybe I can manage to find some non-Fish Slayer related chores done over the next 2 days.

Fish Slayer updates

The good news- I'm now the proud owner of a MinnKota trolling motor like this one. It's used, obviously, because there is no way I could afford one of those new. But a buddy knew another guy that wanted to sell one and the price was too good to pass up so I met with him just a little while ago, paid him the asking price and stuffed it into the Lincoln. I had to use the car this AM because the truck's battery was flat this morning when I went out to the driveway. I guess I left the lights on a little too long the other day while I was checking out the new trailer lights. I'll be buying the wire and receptacle and installing my new electric motor over the long weekend.

The bad news? I still don't have the lower unit reinstalled. Argh! Rob came over last night and helped me get the output shaft splines aligned so it would fit right up but then we had to drop it a couple more times to get the reverse lock cam properly aligned on the shift shaft. He left before everything was perfect but I had figured out how to get the cam aligned. I went 1 spline too far, almost decided I could live with the slight imperfection but then decided that since it was so easy, I would drop the lower unit 1 more time to get it perfect. And I adjusted the cam backwards 1 spline- easy, but then couldn't get the output shaft to slide home into the engine! Crap! I wrestled it for 30 minutes, bumping it just like Rob did with no success. He assures me today that everything has got to already be perfect, since I didn't move anything and that it will just take a little jiggling and it will slip up like it should if I just try it again. So that's my most pressing task, getting that lower unit installed.

There's a long weekend coming up and I am going fishing if I have to install oar locks on Fish Slayer!

There, I fixed it!

I complained a couple days ago about my beloved Compaq Presario laptop acting up and erratically playing the “hardware installed” and “hardware removed” sounds for no apparent reason and my unsuccessful search for a solution. Yesterday, I got it fixed. Hurray! I started by contacting the H-P online chat service and explaining the problem to the helpful service tech. He emailed me some instructions and links to 2 updates for my machine, a new BIOS file and a new set of drivers for the processor.

 

His instructions included disconnecting the power cable, removing the battery and then holding the power button down for 50 seconds. After that I reinstalled the battery and power cable then went in and reset the BIOS to the default setting. Then I installed the 2 new file updates and when I was done, the sounds were gone! I also removed a D-Link network utility program that I had installed but wasn’t using and that may have been the offending program that was causing the sounds to play. But whatever it was causing the problem, it’s gone now. I’m calling it a real success.

 

My thanks go out to the very helpful, timely and available Hewlett-Packard tech support. They did me right and my laptop appreciates their efforts.

Now I'm getting cranky! Computer is whacked!

I just turned on my normally trusty laptop 1/2 hour ago and as soon as I had it booted up the Windows "Hardware Removed" and "Hardware Removed" sounds began playing repeatedly. It took me several minutes to figure out what the sounds were and I've spent several more minutes Googling for a solution without success. Nothing I can find on any computer forums have a real answer for this problem.

I didn't add anything, remove or change anything since I turned off the machine last night. It just started beeping for no apparent reason. Listening to videos is pretty unpleasant with the beeping going off every few seconds.

If that's not enough, I can't get my boat motor lower unit reinstalled either! That's why I was so late sitting down tonight. I found the part on the shelf at a boat store in Salt Lake today so afer work the BSU and I drove down and picked it up. Interestingly, the new part is made of metal to replace the original plastic part. That made me pretty happy. But I can't get everything lined up just right and so the motor is not back together and ready for fishing.

Maybe I'll get it figured out tomorrow night...

BSU is getting better-

Thanks for asking.

 

Friday was a rough day for both of us but at least I wasn’t the one hurting from 3 hours of nasal surgery and dripping blood. She had a pretty steady nosebleed from the surgical work that had to be left alone to clot on its own good time. Sleeping has been problematic for her for a couple days but she is getting better. Yesterday she was feeling well enough to venture to the Village Inn for supper and the pain meds seemed to be taking care of her discomfort. She’ll be getting better day by day.

 

I did NOT receive the part I needed for Fish Slayer’s motor so instead I spent the weekend working on the boat and trailer instead of fishing. I built and installed some trailer guides on the back corners along with new rear lights. I’ll get pictures later but the guides are made out of automotive tailpipe tubing and PVC pipe to cover the steel tubing. I put miniature clearance lights on the front and back of the posts near the top with yellow lights facing forward and red lights facing aft. These should make backing the trailer when the boat is off and loading the boat in the dark much easier. Before it was nearly impossible to see the trailer when the boat wasn’t installed and lining up with the trailer in the dark was a real trick too. These new guides should make the entire process more pleasant.

 

I also installed the missing windshield half and replaced the original aluminum triangle brace with tubular braces. Now Fish Slayer is symmetrical again and I won’t have to fight with the interference of the windshield support and my rod holder. Now if the dang part will arrive this week, I’ll be able to spend some quality hours fishing over Labor Day weekend!

1 killed, 2 injured on Powder Mountain road.

This past weekend, Powder Mountain Ski Resort hosted something brand new- a motocross race on a purpose built racetrack. If I wouldn’t have had a full plate of things to do, I would have loved to go up to spectate and see how the track had been incorporated into the ski runs. But I see that the road going to and from the resort claimed a life yesterday and injured a couple more folks in the motorhome that overturned. It’s not clear from the video but you can be certain the motorhome ended up in the creek that the road parallels.

 

This road IS dangerous and it is not for the timid or weak of automotive equipment. I’ve seen vehicles upside down in the creek numerous times, vehicles with brakes blazing and the smell of overheating transmissions, clutches and brake material is common. The road is a primary reason Powder Mountain hasn’t grown as large as some of its competitors and a reason that the resort operates shuttle busses from the base of the mountain to the top for those folks that want to play but aren’t up to the challenge of driving a crooked, steep and slippery road unprotected by guardrails.

 

My kind thoughts go out to the family that lost a loved one.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=7747068

 

 

The BSU survived her surgery today

It was a septoplasty to repair her perforated septum. Unlike most surgeries of this type, the doc wasn't removing cartilage to repair a deviated septum but was instead adding a piece of cartilage the first had to be removed from above her ear.

She's doing ok. She has a more or less continuous nosebleed that can't be stopped by the usual pressure to the bridge of the nose because she had surgery in there today! There's a splint of some type up in her nose that comes out in two weeks. She is hurting but the meds seem to be keeping that under control. But she's a hurting hunnybunch tonight.

I've been playing nurse, replacing her bandage every hour or so, getting her meds and food and ice packs ever since she came out of the surgery which took 3 hours.

At least the hyperactive puppy has returned to the boy and isn't terrorizing our pets any longer!

Made in Albania?

That might be a first for me! Boots. I bought some chukka boots to wear when riding Sleek Black Beauty to work every day because the Air Force is enforcing some new rules for motorcycle riders that require over the ankle footwear. The new boots arrived today and when I tried them on the first thing I noticed was the proud, "Made in Albania" label inked inside.

I'm pretty certain these boots are the first purchase I have ever made that came from Albania.

At least they weren't made in China!

On top of everything else-

We’re babysitting a puppy at our house! This week has been a jumble of running to appointments in Salt Lake after work and we’ve only been home 1 night so far. To add fun and complexity to our schedule, the son that lives in SLC dropped off King Louie, his newly adopted boxer/pit bull pup for us to keep for a couple days. He actually dropped the pup off last night while we weren’t home and still shopping at Cabelas before coming home from one of the appointments. Hey, we were half way there already and I had an item to return and I figured I could cut the cost of the new tongue jack I needed in half by returning the unneeded bits…

 

So Louie is yapping about and giving excited puppy grief to our elderly dog Sandy who really just wants to be left alone. Neither she or the cat are the least bit happy about having an interloper in their domain. The spousal unit is in charge of the pup even though I’ve had to clean a couple messes already- big surprise. And the laundry room will need mopped once he is gone to clean up the puppy pee that isn’t making it into the grass or the carpet.

 

Tonight I’m Wiper fishing with Jim, another buddy, if the reverse lock actuator cam arrives at the marine store this afternoon. So I’ve got to get out of the job on time this afternoon so I can pick up the part, get it installed and be ready when Jim shows up.

 

And tomorrow the BSU is having surgery to patch up a hole that has developed between the 2 sides of her nose. That should eat up most of the day…  

I have some great friends!

Yesterday I told you about the great time Wiper fishing my buddy Kenny and I shared last Saturday evening. One of the things Kenny did not enjoy was extracting sharp treble hooks attached to his lure and a thrashing fish from the woven nylon string of my cheap landing net. Admittedly, keeping hooks from getting snagged in the nylon threads is a real challenge and it has frustrated me on a number of occasions. So imagine my surprise today when I got a phone call here at work from Kenny with him telling me to be outside my building in 5 minutes when he would arrive.

 

He bought me a rubber net to put into the boat! It’s my early Christmas present! He told me he never wanted to see that old landing net in my boat ever again!

 

How cool is that?

Still no sign of Uinta cat...

It’s been more than a week now and we have not had any signs or sightings of our beloved Uinta. I’ve been to the animal shelter 3 times, put up flyers around the neighborhood and repeatedly driven, ridden or walked around our community to no avail. I even stopped a group of teen skateboarders that passed by late in the evening to ask them to keep their eyes open for him. It is really painful not knowing what has happened to him. His absence is causing a great deal of sadness around our humble abode.

 

Well that was exciting!

Buddy Kenny has already described the testosterone filled fun day on Saturday over at Coffee in the Morning and it was a great day all around with breakfast at Cracker Barrel, a gun show at a new venue by a new promoter and evening fishing at Williard Bay. But he really didn’t mention just how exciting and fun the evening fishing was. Maybe he has caught so many more fish than me that he’s just jaded, but I can tell you I had one of the best fishing trips I have ever had in my not very star studded life.

 

We were fishing for Wipers, a hybrid created by a cross between Stripers and White Bass. Willard Bay is the only place in Utah to have these aggressive and strong fish. Wiper fishing is a major summer activity for many anglers here and the boat launches are typically crowded after dinner every evening from July 1 until mid-September with guys coming out to chase the boil. These Wipers run in schools and like to gang up on schools of shad, chasing them into shallow or protected water and then slaughtering them with wild attacks. These attacks occur near or on the surface and the shad fleeing the Wipers and the big fish chasing them, the surface of the lake really will “boil” where the attacks are taking place. Typically, Wiper fishing involves going about in the late afternoon, trolling about in likely areas and watching for the boils to begin.

 

When that happens, it’s fishing time! You don’t have to get the boat directly into the middle of a boil but just within casting distance and then you can kill the motor and drift. And start casting some kind- most any kind of floating, diving, rattling crankbait out into the area where the fish are evident. I was using a crankbait that runs 3-5 feet deep and is shad silver and green backed in color.

 

On my first cast I hooked into a fish! Seconds later, Kenny was hooked into a fish! These beasts are about 3 pounds in weight but strong and hard pulling so they are quite exciting when hooked into your lure. We had a fishing rodeo going on for 45 minutes with 10 fish boated- my cooler was stacked up like cordwood, multiple times when both of us were hooked up to fish or waiting for the other guy to get his fish out of the net so the other guy could use it. We probably missed another half dozen fish that didn’t make it into the boat. When the boil cooled down in the exact spot we were fishing in at one point, we spotted another not 100 yards away but before we could crank the motor and get all the way over there, the fish closed in on us and it was time to shut it off and get back to fishing. We were surrounded by thrashing fish for several minutes and numerous times I caught fish on consecutive casts!

 

But it got hard dark and 2 fish short of a limit for both of us we headed back to the boat ramp and the cleaning station. If we didn’t have spouses worrying about us back at home, we could have stayed and caught fish until our arms fell off but we headed back to a very crowded ramp with trucks, trailers and boats all waiting their turn to get reconnected. It took quite a long time to get our turn at the ramp and Kenny did an admirable job of getting a very hard to see trailer backed into the water. Once we got the boat on the trailer, I tied everything down, put stuff away and made certain nothing would blow out while Kenny began filleting fish. I helped with that chore and we chatted with several guys that I know from my time working at the old job up the street. It was 10:30 by the time we got back to Wasted Electrons World Headquarters and got the boat tucked into the carport but it was time really well spent.

 

I can’t wait to do it again! I had so much fun and the adrenaline rush of feeling an aggressive fish slashing on the end of the line is exactly the reason I like fishing. It was fast, thrilling and exhilarating and a perfect cap to a hot summer day. This week is going to be a busy one so I don’t know if I can make it back out to the lake before the weekend but I’ve got the bug and can’t wait to get back out there and put more fish scales in the boat!

 

BTW, I really need a rubber netted fish net! The nylon line net I have gets caught up on treble hooks and really slows down the process.

At least we didn't have to walk home...

But the BSU and I did have to call my friend Kenny to come and retrieve our butts from Salt Lake City tonight. The Lincoln broke down- overheated and dumped most of its coolant on the ground when we shut it off for an appointment. I'm guessing the water pump failed though it could be a couple other cooling system related parts- a thermostat or the radiator possibly. Whatever failed, it was pretty disabling.

I got a gallon of water from the closing up @ 6 Firestone store and refilled the coolant tank but that did nothing and it appears you need tools just to add coolant properly. I tried to drive 11 blocks to Pep Boys but the needle on the gauge got up to the red in just 5 blocks so we had to pull over. AT&T's recovery service sent a roll back truck and in a little bit he arrived, loaded up the Lincoln and ever so quickly deposited us at the Pep Boys.

While waiting on the tow truck, I called Kenny and he made his way to SLC to pick us up. He even visited with us while we had a mediocre supper at Dees before shuttling us back home.

The car is going to get evaluated in the morning. It has been a long day today...

And still no sign of our missing cat!

UPDATE: The car is home and my wallet has a $600 hole in it! Ouch! The car had a leaking waterpump and the temperature switch that turned on the radiator cooling fans had failed. So it's all fixed including the serpentine belt that needed replacing anyway and a shiny new radiator cap. I wonder if it will heat up faster in the winter with the new thermostat...

Uinta cat is AWOL...

Have you seen this cat?

He's been missing since Saturday morning or sometime overnight Friday. Whenever he disappeared, he hasn't been home and I am very worried about him.

He doesn't wander but to a couple neighboring yards and I walked through all of them this afternoon. I could find no sign of him anywhere in the neighborhood.

I am seriously hoping he had a run-in with the Animal Control bus and has spent the weekend at the Animal Shelter. If he isn't there tomorrow, I'm fearing the very worst. We are both pretty worried about him tonight.

UPDATE: He's not hiding at the Animal Shelter, the BSU went and had a look today. He also doesn't seem to be laying up in any of his regular haunts. I'm printing the LOST CAT flyers right now...

Breakfast and fishing with my friend Ben

I've been making a point to get back up to see my buddy Ben after a few weeks of not getting by to visit. This weekend we planned a fishing trip on Saturday morning only to be rained out by showers and 50 degree temperatures. So we went to breakfast at Cracker Barrel instead and even managed to get another friend, Jack to join us.

But today's weather forecast was better- drier and warmer so we got back together this afternoon for a trip to Williard Bay. We trolled a couple hours for Wipers but returned home without any fish in the boat. In spite of the lack of catching, the fishing was great and we had a nice afternoon together. Ben doesn't get out much from the residential care home where he lives so an afternoon out on the water enjoying the fresh air, sunshine and views really cheers him up.

Maybe we'll catch fish next time...

Worst movie EVER!

Horrible. Incomprehensible. Incoherent. So full of flawed logic and misteps that it falls all over itself. I hated it.

What movie? The Time Traveler's Wife. The BSU talked me into seeing it Friday night after a lengthy break from our usual cineplex dates and I, being in an agreeable mood, agreed to see what I knew was going to be a chick-flick of huge proportion. And it is that- a chick-flick beyond any doubt. Hell, I think there was only 3 men in the entire theater when we saw it.

But it wasn't just a romantic tear jerker of a movie. It was an exploded head of rotted cabbage mess of a movie! Obviously with a title that mentions time traveling, you could expect certain liberties to be taken with reality but this story is all over the place. The traveler and husband, Henry, (Eric Bana) trips forward and back in time, because of his genes and with no control over when or where he goes yet he can travel to the same place repeatedly somehow and he can be gone for just seconds or weeks without any control. When he travels to the future, he returns older than he was when he left, when he goes to the past, he returns younger and still fertile after having a vasectomy in current time. And no matter how young or old he is when he turns up, he always needs a shave! Somehow on his wedding day he vanishes for just a couple minutes leaving his best man to panic yet after the wedding he disappears from before Christmas to after New Years. He also never knows the date or even the year that he returns to yet somehow he had the forethought while traveling into the future to pick up a newspaper and memorize the week's winning lottery numbers and he gets back home just in time to buy his wife the winning ticket...

The wife- Clare is played by Rachel McAdams and she is a pretty woman but she is desperately in need of a couple cheezeburgers and a milkshake because she is way to skinny for my tastes. In one scene she gets out of bed with her entire back exposed and you can not only see every vertabrae in her back but all her ribs too! She looked like a nazi prison camp survivor from the back!

So- guys, if your significant other says she wants to see this movie- get her to call a girlfriend to go see it with her. They will cry together and love it. Do whatever you can to avoid seeing this movie though because it will just make anybody with a normal testoerone level cringe. Really. It's that bad.

Dear AT&T

I promise that if you haven't installed a new cell tower witin range
of the 1200 area on the west side of Hill AFB by this time next year,
I will jailbreak my iPhone and switch to Verizon. I am sick and tired
of missing phone calls at my desk!

I wonder if this trick will work as well for my cell phone provider as
it does for my Internet provider... Are you listening AT&T?

Sent from my iPhone

Another nice camping weekend

The BSU and I snuck off to on Shady Dell campground on the Mirror Lake highway. Shady Dell's a pretty modest little campground but we've been staying there once or twice a summer for few years now and this weekend was another chance to escape to the higher elevations and fresh air.

We nearly didn't make it out of the driveway on Friday morning though! We pulled out and within a block I had to stop to see what was causing the weird noises coming from the trailer. Something sounded just wrong. I walked around it once- didn't see anything dragging and so I carried on another block. But I could tell something was wrong so I circled the block and headed home. Backing the camper into the drive- the bumper dragged- something that never happened before! So I jacked it up and it didn't take a minute to discover that I had a broken leaf spring. The spring had completely broken and the axle was trying to twist itself out from under the floor. It was the spring directly behind the tire that failed on our trip to Oregon last month. Coincidence? Not likely.

But I found a replacement spring and had the camper back down on it's now properly supported wheels in under 2 hours and we were on our way.

We camped. I fished Trial Lake several times and even took the BSU fishing for a few minutes! She didn't stay very long as she hadn't dressed for the temperatures but she fished. Trial's packed full of hatchery fish and I caught a few but they were skinny and puny so they all went back to be caught another day. The lake is easy to reach with wide beaches so it's really popular with dads with kids that need some room to explore while they are fishing.

In the evenings we rested and read and had a very casual time. We made it home this afternoon and the laundry's already done! Now it's back to work tomorrow...

Dang- I forgot to check the discount reels at Wal-Mart

In preparation for a weekend camping trip with the BSU, she and I did some grocery shopping tonight. While she filled a cart, I got my hairs cut at the salon but I forgot to sneak over to the Sporting Goods department to see what other reels might be hiding behind the counter that I could use and that I could wrangle a half price discount on. The reel I bought last week is terrific and works perfectly so I thought a re-run past the shelf might be in order.

But I forgot.

We're headed off into the jaws of a huge cold front with high winds and dropping temperatures to go camping. Which really works out perfect since the boat motor is still broke and the boat repair guy can't get here until Monday and the weather would make for lousy boating. So I'll camp this weekend and fish next weekend!

I needed a ratchet tie-down strap, K-Y jelly and a 3 1/2 ton jack

but I got'er done! Tonight, using instructions and encouragement from my buddy Rob, I changed my first outboard boat motor water pump impeller! On Thursday I'm having a mobile boat service come over to replace the seals in my lower unit and during a chance phone call today, Rob recommended that I should change the impeller before that work got done and so I didn't have to replace the grease the 2nd time.

Well Rob was right, as he usually is. I bought the part on the way home and I got the lower unit off and the impeller changed without much drama. It was ready for replacement as it was quite worn so I'm glad I listened to the voice of experience. I did use K-Y jelly to lube the rubber blades to make the cover slide on easier and I did use a tie-down strap to hold the lower as I refit it into the motor and struggled to get the driveshaft splines aligned. And I tried to use the floor jack to hold up the lower unit but I ended up tripping over it and nearly beaning myself on the concrete.

But with Rob's help, I saved myself about $150 and that feels pretty good!

Sheesh- I've been busy!

So let's see- Saturday Loc and I went to Rockport State Park for some fishing because the state fishing report said the good fishing was there lately. Mostly we got blown around the lake by the myriad of power squadron boats pulling wakeboarders and skiers and tubes of all types. Fish Slayer was acting up and being hard to start and not idling worth a dang so that was a real concern and stressed me out. I did manage to catch 1 rainbow trout but it wasn't a great day of fishing.

On Saturday son Noah had a part failure on his motorcycle- a $200 replacement LED tailight assembly he purchased cracked and fell off so I spent a couple hours after getting home from the lake helping him with a repair.

Which didn't work... He left Sunday morning to head back to Colorado and only got down the road about 20 miles before the light fell off again! This time he lost the whole thing on the highway. By the time he turned around and got home, I already had purchased a 7 dollar boat trailer light and 2 clearance lights from Wal-Mart to fix up something for him to get home safely. We did some blacksmithing on some bar stock pieces from my shop and built a bracket that would hold the tailight and the clearance lights for turn signals and used some Scotch-Locs to wire everything into the wire harness. Noah even found his license plate, balled up and unrecognizable wedged up into his fender. He hammered it flat with a rubber mallet and we were able to put it in place for his ride home.

He left this morning and we haven't heard from him so I'm assuming he made it back to Aspen safely.

Last night we traveled down to see Grandbaby Ryker and his mom and took them to dinner. Ryker's 3 months now and getting really cute. Maybe tomorrow I'll take enough time to upload a couple pictures.

Tonight and over the weekend I've been working on Slayer to determine why it was acting badly on Saturday. There had been fuel leaking from the fuel line quick connector when the primer bulb was squeezed so I replaced that tonight. I also pulled the pickups out of both fuel tanks and discovered that one of the tubes was very loose- loose enough that I think it would be likely air was being pulled into the fuel line instead of fuel. I hope that is fixed. But I also tried to add some grease to the lower unit and it ran out as fast as I put it in! I've pulled off the prop and it appears there is a very special Mercury tool required to remove the seal housing so I think the boat has to go to the boat doctor as soon as I can get an appointment. Everything has been shifting fine and I don't think (hope) that there is any critical damage to the drive gears but I'll have to let the doc check it out.

And I got the lawn mowed tonight!