Random thoughts from the moose cave.

home.

kinda fuzzy...

I went to work with snowplow guy. he's working at a country auto salvage that is redirecting to just crushing and recycling. they got a 96 cadillac deville that he wanted me to make run and see if he wants to buy it. it has a northstar in it and a blown up radiator. a dicey combination usually.

I pulled the radiator out so he can get another one, and I will go back and install it and pressure check it to see if we have head gasket troubles or not...

and to try and find out why his giant wheel loader has bad brakes.

I was ok until I decided to try and go to lunch with the guys. things went downhill fast...

I had to go out back and lay in the sun for a coupla hours on the back of an old abandoned 57 ford tow truck, and do my breathing exercises.

got back to good enough to finish what I started before quitting time.

Hi. Just checking on you.

How's it all?

life is very hard right now.

smoky's hip has collapsed around the screws. we are going to try and get him strong enough for another surgery and replace the hip.

June 29.

the day before his birthday...

Ouch.

That does not sound good at all. How is he dealing with it all? That's a long time to have to wait while in so much pain.

And, how are you? Are you over your spell of wobbles?

it's the first open date the surgeon had.

and he has to see his cardiologist and his GP to be cleared for surgery. I voiced my concerns after his last adventure with anesthesia, and they took a closer look.

he has to go off of his plavix before they can cut. not sure if that added to his problems last time or not,

and the nursing home is making me crazy.

it's all about the money to them. and they don't keep their promises...

I'm not as good as I could be. but I don't get to choose.

one day at a time.

tomorrow starts at 6 am again.

gonna hurt me, I reckon...

BBB had to go through all of that again this time too. A small quirk showed up in the EKG and they had her get three more tests that all showed nothing of concern.

Re: the nursing home, are there any ombudsmen/patient advocates that you can get to help run interference with the bean counters?

I'm going to go in Friday and raise a coupla levels of hell.

unless the granddaughter beats me to it tomorrow while I am outta town.

I like to fight my own battles. I need the vent anyways...

dammit.

got a different pulled pork this time. with jack sauce on it. got home to read the fine print, and nope. got soy sauce with wheat in it...

gram will be delighted. or mr vw.

back to the old stuff with no sauce I guess.

now I gotta find something else quick to do for dinner.

6 am is looming already...

What a bunch of no-good news.

Phooey.

I hope you found something safe to eat, got some rest and that today is proceeding to plan.

not so much...

I missed the bus.

and I'm still not ok to leave...

had a bath. and a big cuppa. and several antacids...

gonna head out in a while. and stop for a buncha gas.

but at my own pace...

<squints>

do what you can at your own pace


you know what they* tell people : you're no good to anyone else if you're not taking care of yourself



* the Dick van Patten family

8 is enough?

they had a bigger production budget than we do...

can't take care of myself without funds.

today is about funds...

I'll live through it.

I always do...

this week's efforts can be parlayed into a part time gig, if I wanna.

not sure if I do...

it's just far enough away to be outside the influence of the big city.

very rural and small timey.

I look as though I might be from outer space when I'm there...

but they have a full on shop. 2 lifts. all the supporting tools to go with.

and nobody to turn wrenches in it.

I'm kinda auditioning...

as an independent contractor.

(first day I spent all morning cleaning the **** outta the joint.)

very old dirt everywhere.

Im not up to speed. What is it youd be doing ?

Youre a mechanic yes?

Everybody always has needs to fix their ag deisel engines.

I hate diesel work.

nasty stinky sharp edged under maintenanced piles o' ****...

I did snowplow guys powerstroke outta sympathy.

and charged enough that we won't go there again...

the opportunity to have a lift for my own purposes as needed colors this situation. I might even come out of it with my own lift to put up here.

lotsa pieces in play.

I gotta go see what I can make it into for myself.

I have snowplow guys endorsement, or none of this would be taking place.

and its as part time as I choose to make it.

and there is a free ride to and from, but it runs verra early. and I usually dont...

yeh but for a farmer, s desiel power plant is ofte the oly way to make far distant pumps, ect work without a lot of bullshit. I have a pump set up on a far pasture. Its a small kubota top drive submersible pump that sucks water from about 450 feet. Its a champ when I need it and Its in a nice housing that we made to look like a giant rock ledge. (Course, being a field with the only thing bein a rock ledge gives "tourists" a need to hike over and sit on the rock. Snakes abound since < they too, need a place to chill out for a while. That deisel was used when I bought it and Ive had it for about 10 years ad I got a guy who services it about once a year and its been a reasonable dingus for what I use it for. (Its fairly quiet too-for a deisel)

I guess Kansas sounds like chugga chugga chugga all over eh?

actually, every oil pumper I see now is in motion.

lotsa country driving of late.

somebody has been buying up a lot of leases lately...

I feel better already...

the director of the care facility called to let me know that smoky's insurance was running out and that they would have to turn him loose...

boy did I get a lot off of my chest.

and I never raised my voice...

be interesting to see what happens next, but I bet there is at least one very charred ass there later.

now to my next mission. and the gas station...

urf.

tard...

long hot dusty as hell day.

the wind whips across the interstate and gathers speed through the gates as it picks up the dust on the lot and hurls it into the shop...

Caddy runs out. no leaks, no overheating that I can see. no gauges or instrumentation either. the cluster is dead. $$$

used an infrared gun, and all was kosher.

$50 says I regret letting him get this within 6 months.

I told him my general principles forbade old caddies. other than really old ones. I would love to have another 67. or a 59...

but he's in it cheap. and he knows I expect double money for labor on it.

and that I am no electrical miracle worker.

sheet metal miracles only...

well....

we'll start off with a deep subject.

anyways, I'm as good as Ima get today for now. gotta go raise another stink at the nursing home.

and go wash his clothes over to grams. saves me about $30 in gas that way. and gives her some nothing time with me.

I'll water her plants, and run over to wendies and get her a mcfrosty thing...

gonna try again to get in to someone at the clinic on the phone. I was almost there the other day, and my phone started its death knell.

I found the two elephant ear bulbs I knew I'd bought. gonna give one to D since I didn't get a plant for the funeral. it's better this way.

we're off.

like a herd of turtles...