HOOOOEEE, what a weekend!

DanG · November 30, 2003, 01:11:46 AM

And it ain't over yet. I think I'll be glad to get back to work on Monday. To start with, my paycheck didn't make it through the US mail. >:( It's almost a week late, and there ain't no telling what sort of red tape I'll have to go through.
I was gonna saw Thursday, since the turkey feast wasn't til evening. Didn't get to it till about 3pm. Linda stopped by the mill fer a lil' smooch as she was going over early.

Cut a couple of boards as she was leaving, then she was standing beside me again. ??? She pointed to the mini-van sitting nose down in the ditch where she missed the driveway.

Got the truck and winched it out and she went on her way. Only had time to finish the one log, and I had to go, too. She went to work from the party and I came home. She called as I was about to crawl twixt the sheets, and said the van had died on her. :-/ Since she was almost at work, 40 miles away, she just got someone to come get her.
As I was brushing my toof, I turned on the water and there weren't none! >:( I could see a pattern developing here. I knew what was wrong. Last winter a pipe burst under the trailer, and I couldn't get polybutalene fittings, so I glued it up with PVC. That don't work too good, folks. Got dressed and went out to turn the water off, then went to bed.
Next morn, up and at'em! Hook up the trailer and hightail it for town, in the rain, pick up Sweetie, then go load the van in a downpour, and hauled it home. Investigation revealed a broken timing belt. :'( Took all day to fetch the new one (another trip to town) and get it put in. Finished it up well after dark and still had plumbing to fix. This time, I cut the DanG pipe, drove a dowel in it and shot a screw into that! It may dribble a bit, but it won't blow out again. ;) I'm gonna replumb the whole thing soon as the cold kills off that nest of yellowjackets that are living under there.

Norm · November 30, 2003, 04:52:10 AM

DanG, that's one weekend your having. Isn't amazing how stuff like this always comes in streaks of two or three things. Hope your Sunday works out better.

woodmills1 · November 30, 2003, 04:52:21 AM

DanG man that sounds like some kinda fun :D What do you have planned for today?

EZ · November 30, 2003, 06:18:59 AM

DanG, hope your luck changes real soon, and hope that bad luck dont rub off on us all.
About 4 or5 yrs ago my wife was in town. She called me and said the car quit running real close where we bought it. She went over to see if they could fix it and they said yes but it would be a few hours. She call my sister to see if she wanted to come up and go shoping and she did. A few hours later they went back to see if the car was done and it was. The guy was feeding her all kinds of crap and told her the bill was $3000.00. She called me back and told me, I said I'll be right up. This guy started to tell me all kinds of crap and I stop him dead in his tracks when he said the timing belt broke. I grab him by the shirt and started to pull him over the counter and my wife hollered at me to stop. After a few kind words, >:( the guy said maybe I made a mistake. The bill came to $45.00, the price of the belt, he did'nt charge us any labor because of the mistake he almost made. ;)
EZ

Gus · November 30, 2003, 09:53:05 AM

Sounds like a few different weekends I've had in the past.DanG I hate it when that happens. ??? Good thing the weekend ain't no longer than it is. You'd have to take a week off work ta' fix everything. :D

EZ, Sounds like you found the EZ way to handle that situation with your car. ;)

Heeeee Heee,
Gus

DanG · November 30, 2003, 10:43:54 AM

Gus, it wouldn't do me any good to take a week off. Time is like money; every time I get a little extra, there is something waiting to grab it. :-/

EZ, that's perzackly why I try to fix everything myself. You take it to the shop and they do all their troubleshooting by trial and error, and charge you for all the stuff they changed out unnecessarily. >:(

Fla._Deadheader · November 30, 2003, 10:51:51 AM

Now that ya drove the plug in the pipe, are ya usin a bucket for them showers??? ;D

isawlogs · November 30, 2003, 11:07:42 AM

DanG ....
I stoped planning weekends a long time ago. Seams to me everytime ya plan one some stupid thing just gets in the way >:(

DanG · November 30, 2003, 11:23:45 AM

Naaawwww. :D It was the hot water line, and we don't shower in that bathroom, anyway. We'll just make do like this till I have time to run all new pvc. I'm gonna shut that bath down, remodel it and run the new plumbing to it. Then I'll do the kitchen plumbing and cut the new bath into service and take the other bath down at the same time, to remodel it. Then I can just hook it up later, using ball valves for the connection. There will be valves separating each of the rooms, since "events" always happen in the middle of the night. I can just shut down a whole bathroom in a moment, and deal with the repair later.

I already have the whole farm divided into zones, with underground shut-offs, so I don't lose water everywhere if something happens to a standpipe somewhere. It has come in handy several times. With 2 lines running under the road, and one under the railroad, plus 18 standpipes scattered all around, "events" aren't all that rare. ;)

Fla._Deadheader · November 30, 2003, 12:54:05 PM

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

  Sounds like my last 2 weeks in Cu Chi.
  I was the main Generator man. Had wires scattered everywhere, in case we got mortared. Saved more than a few wires and aid station that way.

  Anyway, the WO 2 that was in charge of the motor pool was a real a**hole. He tried every way he could to get me to "conform". :D :D :D :D

  One day, he realised that I was reeeeaaallly short and no-one knew my layout for the buried cables.

  He ORDERED me to report to his office and draw up a detailed map of where the cables and breakers were. Best detail I ever had, lasted more'n a week. ;) ;D ;D

  By then, I was only 3 days from rotation. He had me take him on a tour of the mapped out trails and ASSURE him that the map was "authentic". Of COURSE it was "authentic", I just drew it up, didn't I ??? ;D
Anybody wanna lay some money on just how accurate that map was :

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D

  Now, I had 2 helpers. One was a little "slow" and I never figgered out how he was drafted, but, the guy was faithful as Lassie, and did whatever I showed him and learned quite well.
  The other helper ??? was vying for Butthead of the year, and also Butt sucker of the company. NO body liked this moron.

  I took the 1st guy, Gary, aside, and told him about the map. He nearly wet hisself laughing :D :D I had shown him everything there was to know about the electrical grid and he knew it well. I could send him out on a trouble shoot and he would find and fix it. I made him SWEAR that he would NOT tell the Moron the locations of the cables. When he got short, he could train someone as I had done with him. He LOVED it. Felt REAL important. He also knew who to get if the Generator went down. Everything was covered.

  I made it VERY clear that the men came 1st and his duty was to keep the place running to the best of his ability. The guys are the ONLY thing that you jump for.

  Don'T know how it all turned out, but, I got a letter from him, telling me about the WO2 that jumped through the window of his office and broke his arm landing on the ground. :D :D :D :D :D Seems that when he opened a drawer of his desk, a grenade and smoke bomb were tripped and he did the full-gainer out the winder. Now, I wonder how they got in that drawer :

:

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D Turned out the grenade wuz a DUD and they had an inspection. Searched EVERYbody's personal gear. Only found 1 more Dummy Grenade, guess who's gear it was stashed in. :

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Kirk_Allen · November 30, 2003, 05:43:00 PM

Man can I relate to some of these stories.

Last week when I was taking a load of wood to the farm on the trailer I got bogged down in traffic on the Tollway south of chicago.

Next to me was a semi that kept using his jake brake, even though we were only going 5 miles an hour but anyway. I kept hearing this clung, clung, clung, clung and I thought it was the truck next to me but he was way to far behind me for me to hear his jake brake still.

I pulled over and wouldnt you know it, the lugs on the back wheel of the trailer came lose and wollered out the rim so bad that when I jacked up the trailer the rim came off the lugs without removing them. (Dads trailer - I should have checked the lugs)

I was so loaded with wood that I couldnt trycilcle it to a service station so I had to call a tow truck. When they arrived they told me the couldnt replace the rim on the tollway. (no maintenance can be done on the Tollway) so they would have to tow it.

The tow truck was a flat bed that was not wide enough to tow this tandem axle trailer. So what does this McFly do? He winches up the trailer on to the flat bed dragging the axles on each side.

I get to the servcice station and ask him how he plans on getting the trailer off the truck? He had no clue! His job was to get it off the tollway. His boss was about as mad as I was.

Any way, I hook up my winch to the back of the trailer and I winch it off for him!

Hang on, it gets better. The owner of the garage tells me that he has to impound my trailer until the next day. He said that it was not road worthy because the wheel bearings were loose. >:( >:(

I repacked every wheel bearing on the trailer and told them to get me a new rim so I can be on my way. I had some minor wear on the lugs so the garage tries to again tell me that I cant take my trailer because its not safe with the worn lugs.

Now that my tea kettle is whistling quite loudly I informed him that I was going to take my trailer and all the Cherry and Walnut on it and if he didnt like it he could call the police and I then offered him my cell phone to make the call!

4 1/2 hours after I pulled to the side of the road I was once again heading south to unload my wood.

I picked up 5 lugs and replaced them in all of about 10 minutes the next day.

Some people!

Beware if you ever break down in Cicero >:( >:(

Fla._Deadheader · November 30, 2003, 06:24:14 PM

dan-l-b · November 30, 2003, 06:31:35 PM

DanG, the polybutalene and PVC can be bonded using what they call in this area, multipurpose glue. Might be an option for a quick fix.
Had both springs on a ten thousand pound axle break last wednesday, with the hilift on. Lucky I was on gravel roads, it's a tandem trailer and I was traveling slow. I thought it unusual that both springs broke in the same spot. Today my excavator track tensioner shot craps and the hydraulic lines, two of four, on my rotary grapple broke. When it rains, it pours... :D :D :D

Paul_H · November 30, 2003, 06:36:14 PM

I helped my freind's Dad,Art, move to another town about 8 hours from here.I got to know Art well because we both were rebuilding Model A Fords and he helped me out alot with parts and knowledge.

I borrowed my Dad's car trailer and we loaded Art's tudor sedan to the brim with engine,tranny and rear end parts.We also packed the sides of the trailer well with assorted body parts,brake drums etc.The back of the pickup was loaded right down too,with tools and more driveline goodies and spare engine blocks.

My Dad told me before I left to get the spring shackles on the trailer fixed,but I was in a hurry and we took off for Grand Forks.

All was going well until we reached Osoyoos,which is about 2 hours from Grand Forks.The DOT had a roadside inspection halfway through town,and we couldn't see it til we were smack in the middle of it :-/

A officer came up to the window and started to ask questions.Then we drove up on some scales while a couple of other guys inspected the trailer.Art was getting irritated so I suggested he take a walk and strech his legs.

The officer came back and told me that I was waaay overloaded on both truck and trailer,and did I know that the spring shackles were worn right out? :

.I mentioned that I had come 6 hours and crossed a snowed in mountain pass,so what would be the harm in another "short" two hour drive.

The guy turned pink,and started yelling at me,saying that without using his imagination,he could think of $800 worth of fines,plus we were shut down and would be towed.
I quietly told him that I believed every word that he said,but told him that the only one that it would hurt,would be Art.Also told him that Art would insist on paying the fine out of his pension,no matter how much I argued.(Art is stubborn)

The officer left,and Art got back in the truck.I told Art we might get a small fine.He said if he gives us a fine,I'll tell him where he can..... I told Art that if he gives me any kind of fine,I'll thank him very much,because he has the upper hand and they love a chance to prove it.

The officer came back,gave us a $50 fine and a ticket to have the trailer fixed and certified within 10 days.

I said thank you very much,and we left. That was over 10 years ago now and all in all was a great trip.

Fla._Deadheader · November 30, 2003, 06:36:37 PM

Youse guys is talkin scary stuff ??? :D :D :D :D :D

woodmills1 · December 01, 2003, 06:53:38 PM

Well DanG musta started a trend. Left the house a 10 with the dozer to regrade a neighbors driveway. Quick bucks Ima thinkin. No way made it thorought the field and the orchard but once I started with the teeth down all ofa sudden the dozer wouldnt go forward or back. Had to use the bucket to pull the machine off the driveway and finish the job witht he tractor. Worked the tractor hard on the well packed but rain rutted bank run fo the driveway. Think maybe I broke a drive axel on the dozer by the way it is acting.

Bro. Noble · December 01, 2003, 07:03:03 PM

I started off the day way behind cause I never finished fixin what I tore up yesterday. Just finished milking this morning and started to clean up---------no Hot water :(

DanG ! At least I know who's DanG fault it is for starting all this DanG bad luck ;)

Kevin_H. · December 01, 2003, 07:17:37 PM

It must be going around,

We came home today with the first load of big water oak, went to start the bobcat,and the starter would only make a real nasty noise, you know the kind that sounds like money!

Wound up chaining the big logs to the tree and driving out from under them so we could go and get the second load, while we were out we stopped by the bobcat dealer and picked up a new starter. Man did that hurt

I'm sure I will get off cheaper that woodmills, Broken drive axle on a dozer? OUCH

woodmills1 · December 01, 2003, 07:26:54 PM

dozer parts =$1000 lets strart talkin, thats ifin ya does ya own labor boy. eh?

DanG · December 01, 2003, 07:40:25 PM

Jeeps guys! I hate that I passed that on to the rest of you. :-[ I didn't start it though, I caught it from my son-in-law. Day before T-day, he backed into a tree with his open truck door.

Did a real crunch-number on it. It's an older truck, so he doesn't carry full insurance. He'll have to eat that one himself. :'(
Gotta say I was pretty lucky through all that, though. Other son-in-law, the mechanic, was cleaning house for his wife, so he was GLAD to come over and help get her mama's car back on the road. He got outta vacuuming and probably got a feather in his nightcap, too. ;D
The pipe thing will help inspire me to go on with the potty room project, so that was probably a good thing, too. It could have come at a better time, though. :-/

breederman · December 01, 2003, 08:02:12 PM

It really is in the air! Wife was driving up th four lane,had a semi passing her when a really big gust of wind hit her,ripped about half of the rag top off her car!

Lucky she held on to it.
have you all had as much high wind as we've had lately?

Kevin_H. · December 01, 2003, 08:03:49 PM

Yea james you are already 3 times my money and you haven't even started yet. :(

I gotta say the bobcat starts real good now. It's been a pain to start for the last year, Hmm guess it wasn't the battery after all.

DanG,

I dont think I caught it from you, it seems to follow me around any way. ;D

Frank_Pender · December 02, 2003, 06:57:59 AM

Thg suppose I have to admit I have had some of the good luck lately,myself. :-/ Wife and I decided to take My car to dinner a few nights ago (1990 Towne Car). We were about two miles down the mountain when the dash lights blinked once or twice then headlights went out and all power. Lucky the fella whose yard we pulled into was here old partner and he had a very bright sign light to use for pulling into his parking area. He lives a half mille off the road. He didn't know the car was there 'till morning. I saw someone comeing up the county road we had just pulled off and it was a neighbor up the road. I got a ride and got the wife's Caddy and went back and continued on to takeing her out to supper. ;D
Turned out the alternator was shot. :'( I had told another neighbor of the problem and while I had some other tasks the next day he went and bought the alternator, had the battery checked and reinstalled both. What a friend. 8)

"If it wern't for bad luck, I guess some of us would have no luck at all."

dail_h · December 02, 2003, 07:34:15 AM

I'm sorry you guys are having a shot of bad luck,but all these events are just everyday normal stuff that happens to me. :( :( :( :(

Duane_Moore · December 02, 2003, 08:27:12 PM

??? who we blamin this on??? went to Wyoming last week to get a hotrod, got sonwed in in Laramie for 2 days, then got to garage in cheyenne it was snowing, cold, crappy, got loaded and headed back, wife call cell and says, we been robbed, broke into house, trashed it, took all my guns, life time collection of pocket knives,(Case XX and parker, Remingtons) about 300 of them, all camerasJewelry ect. oh well welcome to Calif, snowed in in Laramie another nite, got home monday nite, beat to death,wife shakin, me sissed off, Who we blamin???? Duane >:(

DanG · December 02, 2003, 08:55:54 PM

Garsh, Duane!

You DID have a crappy weekend! I hope you had the stuff documented, so it can be returned if it turns up somewhere. I'm about fed up with thievery. >:( I think we need to stiffen the penalties for burglary and robbery. On second thought, maybe we should just stiffen the burglars and robbers. Hanging by the neck seems an appropriate penalty, in my book.

Duane_Moore · December 02, 2003, 09:11:50 PM

8) good idea,I am with ya,, but we feel so violated, now,, and yes had pictures of most of knife collection, and all holland and holland guns the rest were registered, except the family airlooms, guna miss them, God Bless Duane

etat · December 02, 2003, 09:28:35 PM

Dwayne, I hope those guys get what they deserve! You might keep an occasional check on pawn shops and such! Thievery pisses me off big time!

Duane_Moore · December 02, 2003, 10:00:48 PM

8) Thanks for the support Guys, this is low life to me, hate a thief, Oh well we are safe and movin on,, God Bless Duane, still got the hotrods to play with,

Norm · December 03, 2003, 04:16:51 AM

I know how you feel Duane. We had our home broken into when we lived in Des Moines. We were sleeping upstairs and they came in and looted the downstairs. Even had the balls to eat some doughnuts we had sitting on the coffee table. We moved to the country shortly after that. I still sleep with a H&K 45 next to me. Something you never forget.

Hope you get you things back.

I won't say what I hope the thieves get. >:(

SawBilly · December 03, 2003, 10:12:31 AM

Well the HOGS (Arkansas Razorbacks for those wo don't know) was doin pertty good till thay got on the field last weekend..we got stomped :(

Larry · December 08, 2003, 04:04:41 PM

I figured I could get in on this thread. Saturday notice a little water puddle in the drive and hasn't rained for a few days. Sunday a lot bigger water puddle and the whole yard was wet. Water line leak for sure. Got an outside hydrant real close so figured the seal had gone bad and was leaking? Called the plumber first thing today but found out you need to make appointments in advance with most of em -- get to you next week. Ok anybody can fix a seal in a hydrant. Took an hour to get the plunger out of the hydrant and was all done in about 2 hours. Problem was it didn't fix the leak. Asked for advice from the boss and she said something about me having a hardly used shovel in the shed.

:D

Big snowstorm coming tomorrow with a lot of cold weather later in the week so I figured I needed to do something.

Got a mound of dirt in the yard about 5' high and 15' long before I got to the DanG broken pipe. The pvc coupling broke where it went into the galvanized pipe for the hydrant. At least on the bright side our water district should have a very merry Christmas party this year. When you have a water line break a $1,000.00 bill is pretty common if you don't catch it fast. Can't wait for the bill. :

On top of that I'm behind on sawing and this was a perfect day to get caught up. :(