Comments Off on wednesday morn

By Dave, October 27, 2004 9:30 am

the festival was ok but not exactly what either of us had expected. mostly sales booths. some demos and acts but was lacking a lot. I don't think it was sca sponsored from the bare blade demonstrations that we watched. or then again maybe they have relaxed their rules on that. the fighting was more trying to stay out of the way of the opponents blade than actually sword fighting the way it is with the bamboo blades.

We both got a fair number of ideas that I plan to go through later. took pix of a fair number of things that will be of no interest to anyone but us too. will try to post some of them that may be of general interest when we get them off the cam and in the computer.

loaded up a little after 2 and headed home. I had done all the walking I could do and was somewhat overcome with the sun. so… came home the same way we went. had a bad meal at a crap restaurant not too far from mountaintop trade day. not too far was 15 miles or so i think. just wasn't up to trying to get any farther on the progressivally worse headaches so tried this place but won't go there again for sure… made it in somewhat after 6 so made fairly good time.

developed a noise on the way up and then got worse on the way back in the van. turned out to be the jack and handle were reinstalled wrong and banging on the right strut support. glad it wasn't more serious cause it was a really loud noise at 55 to 65 mph…

monday was recuperation. I didn't do much of anything. cat put books in the database.

tuesday got me moving a bit. got on the dozer early and finished leveling the lot for the 14 wide. also worked on the front parking area a bit and got the back leveled a bit more. got more to do there before I can pour the pad for the shop but getting it closer.

tuesday afternoon saw us get everything ready to take the trees down. could have done it then but i was all out of energy. still got to tie the rope off to the oak and the dozer but other than that tis ready to drop.

and today…

went to bills and got the pipe loaded on bertha. after spending half an hour hunting starting fluid and then using gas poured in the carb instead. then cleaning out the back. cleared and leveled an area to pour the pad for the heat/ac unit.

came home and ate and the rain started. and it poured. with no tarp on the dozer. close to an inch i think. ground is settled anyway. now to let it dry to the point we can get back on it with trucks and equipment. ah well…

afternoon was not too good. having a bit of an episode it seems. all the usual symptoms. shallow breathing, mild chest pain and lots of gas, legs won't support, dizzy. seems better now. second time in a week. today took a couple of hours to pass. wobbly legs still there. now feels like lactic acid buildup in my lower legs. and arms. and back. tired all over. will take a few days off from heavy work, i guess, and see how it goes.

Comments Off on first night in the van

By Dave, October 24, 2004 7:40 am

wasn't too bad. will add more padding to the mix tonight if we stay in it again. when we located this park it was dark or almost so and raining. somewhere around 5:30 pm. this place is right on the bank of the tennessee river.

we found a spot close to the shower house and a picnic pavilion and parked. got food stuffs and had a quick sandwich by the waters edge. cat got some pix of a tug boat pushing several barges up river. or tried to. haven't looked at them yet so not real sure how they turned out.

the festival isn't much. seems to be mostly sales of one sort or another. wouldn't mind doing some sort of booth at things like this but not sure what we would do. the leather work is basic stuff and too new looking for my tastes but seems fairly well done. there are some pouches I like that I want to look at again today and see what kind of prices they have on them.

someone trying to get a camper in next to us now. looks like they have backed it in a few times before.

not a noisy park at all other than the river traffic. had several barges come by during the night. I got up and walked out to the pavilion and sat watching the water and clouds racing across the sky. no real inspiration but was interesting and may provide fuel at a future time.

fog is starting to burn off. just after 8 am now. can see the cliffs on the other side of the river a bit better now. still quite and peaceful.

trees along the shore…

and I was interrupted on that thought and it's several days later so will close this post and go to today…

Comments Off on thursday at boaz

By Dave, October 22, 2004 12:00 am

decided to try the northern route today but only made it to boaz instead of huntsville. checked little lots and they had nothing that I was interested in. mostly china junk that is cheaper at the flea markets. then went to hammers in the old downtown section. found some tarps that were a third of what wallyworld wants for them. also got a long coat. tis an army cut and color. I think it will be a good all weather coat. don't know how water proof it is but will probably find out this weekend.

walked down the way and found an old hardware store that was still in business. been there for 45 years. got a couple of lids that don't fit anything we have and a hand grinder for a somewhat reasonable price. needs the tool rest and the stone reshaped. also needs a real handle but with a bit of work I think it will work for my jewelry making. I think I can fit a tapered mount on the nut on the output shaft and then put a buffing pad on it and use it to buff the pieces too. maybe. will see.

came back by attalla and got a few books at the thrift shop. some fairly decent pieces. one ruth rendell and a couple of others are first editions in g or vg condition. wandered around a bit and then back by the folks house to pick up a 25 lb box of rice they got for us.

tomorrow is here so i must sleep soon. gonna try for rome again i think. want to go through cave springs too if we have time. something about that place keeps drawing me back. strange.

till i type again…

Comments Off on Classic Hunter S. Thompson!

By Dave, October 21, 2004 8:30 pm

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/_/id/6562575?&rnd=1098394261180&has-player=true

Comments Off on nothing much day

By Dave, October 20, 2004 11:15 pm

lay around most of the day. what little i got out was to move the van to the 12 wide and unload the books from the other night. with bill, neil, cat and I it didn't take but a few minutes to get them all inside. Would have rather put them in the 14 wide but the distance from the door that I wanted to put them in was too far and embedded with too many obstacles so will move them over with all the rest of the stuff that is gonna get moved into that one.

looked at the area I want to move the 14 wide to and made some mental adjustments to the layout. may not cut the sweet gum after all. or may get them all cut. bill talked to a phone company person today that is supposed to get engineering to phone me.

may go to rome tomorrow. there are several things we need for camping and such that I would like to go ahead and get before the weekend. some of them can be gotten locally and some not. been to b'ham too many times lately so figure the other way may lead to different things. guess we will see when the new day dawns.

got the tent set up in the back room of the 12 wide airing out for now. we may get another tent or use it to store stuff in and sleep in the van. haven't decided yet. tomorrow will tell more. another possibility is a car top carrier. I am not into unpacking and repacking stuff.

other possibility is totes in the bottom of the camper for stuff and bamboo mat unrolled on top of them and futon and sleeping bags on that. will look into curtains for the windows also. check building material supply for bubble pack with aluminum on outside. screws in walls and ceiling of van and hooks on shock cord to attach it with on bubble pack. 5 areas to cover. long drivers side rear windows. rear hatch. short rear window passengers side. door on passengers side. behind seats. windows bubble pack. behind seats curtains make more sense. rod or wire will work there. or bamboo with cord on ends to hand from hooks on each side. hang blanket across it. same for each side and back. quick up and down and no cost but time.

another option is to use the rear hatch for a storage area by enclosing with a tarp and stacking the totes and such there, leaving the van empty for sleeping. which makes a lot more sense but involves unloading and reloading. will try all of the above that stand the test of daylight sometime tomorrow or friday. will get tarps and such and see what else will be needed for a test run this weekend.

partial list of stuff.

cooler with assorted food and drinks
tote with sleeping bags (will they both fit in one tote? check)
water 5 gallons
shallow tote or kitchen container with watertight lid for washing up and grey water containment
kitchen tote with stove, cookware, dry and canned food, eating and cooking utensils, dishes, and cups.
camping table
2 buckets with lids (1 for toilet and one for sawdust)
or a tote with a bucket inside with the sawdust around the bucket. one lid with hole in it and another to seal it off? or a toilet seat on bucket and lid of tote to seal for transport.
tote for clothes with clothes for both of us for 3 days minimum and extra socks, shirts and underwear for 5/7 days if space allows
remaining space empty totes for books and other stuff we collect on the way
bamboo for curtain rods and retainers
split bamboo for roll up deck
rope
bungie cords
futon
pillows
headlights with spare batteries
towels
washcloths
soap
shampoo and conditioner
comb
extra hair ties
tooth brushes and paste
deodorant
duct tape
toilet tissue
paper towels
camera, charger, extra memory card
iBook
card reader

and on and on…

may go to huntsville tomorrow instead. and boaz. will see when the sun rises. foggy out there right now.

the huntsville thing is case for laptop, car charger for same, or inverter, camping stuff at little lots, maybe iPod with mic and iTrip for broadcast to van radio. or not. will see. like the 40 gb version. lotta space for talking on there.

Comments Off on can we?

By Dave, October 19, 2004 10:10 pm

little question, wide open query.

my mind wanders so much.

what to do? not about the mind wandering but about here. the homestead. or farm (though it hasn't produced much but dreams for years) or place. this part of the earth that I call home and the area surrounds it. known as blue springs. the area that surrounds the farm that is. is known as blue springs.

anyway.

I have been thinking on the book store. again. the volume that is required to make money is more than I suspect we will have out here. so the internet. but the labor is the killer there. little money coming in but still lots going out. we can do flea markets and trade days. or combine the books with other things. a friend wants me to sell other stuff. maybe. got to get the trailer in place first.

it rained today so the ground may be workable by friday if we don't have more tomorrow. may and it will be welcome but will put off finishing the grading and moving the trailer. tis a trade off.

if I go back to an old idea that i have shelved for a while this place could work after all. but the level of work is extreme. and gonna take a long time. artist, craft, colony, sales center, hippie commune, private nature what have you. some combination of the above. got to build cabins. alternative technologies institute. work wood and stone and iron. got the raw materials so need to get off my ass and start on this madness. or go forward with less focus. if that is possible. but with the book situation that has developed I have to get that trailer moved into place and on piers quick!

looks like we are blue springs books. now to get the paper work started on permits and numbers and such. and work on logo and sign. got business cards done and ready to print. one bit of wording needs changing but still working it out. Need the cards done so guess I will try the changes and be back soon…

Comments Off on divinely chosen?

By Dave, October 19, 2004 8:44 pm

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/17/magazine/17BUSH.html?ei=5088&en=6a9ce1d022952b10&ex=1255752000&partner=rssnyt&pagewanted=print&position=

nuff said…

Comments Off on dead ads

By Dave, October 19, 2004 8:40 pm

http://zeldman.com/adgraveyard/

some great ones here. well worth the a look.

Comments Off on and a few more books

By Dave, October 18, 2004 10:32 pm

sunday started with us heading toward piedmont via backroads. ate at the huddle house there and then headed toward centre made a turn there and on to collansville then fort payne and hit i-59 there. a few more miles and we see the sign for the i-59 flea market and exit. browsed through the place and located a few books here and there that were worth the price (i hope) and then found a booth with some good stuff. got a pile of nancy drew and bobsey twins for a good price. should be able to come out on them fairly well. also got a few other good books at that booth. on the way out got to talking to a lady that had books that she had read for sale. interesting person. got 6 from her and she only charged for the 4 highest priced ones. 3 for 2 sale she was having. I'll make money on them so she should too but will take every bit of help I can get.

Someone mentioned that there was a festival in mentone and when leaving we headed that way. parked in an inns parking lot instead of where we were supposed to but no one said anything so… found 2 martha grimes first editions in pristine condition in an antique store there along with another book which I have forgotten the name of right now. browsed through a fair amount of the town in a couple of interesting hours. got a few ideas which I have forgotten now as I failed to write them down at the moment. bought a few more books here and there. some paid $0.10 for, some several $ for but all were worth more than what was ask so maybe we will see a profit at some point. Finished the visit off with a meal at another place I have forgotten the name of. got to take the cam and notebook from now on.

got to get or make a pouch for cam, cell phone, and assorted odds and ends. also need to think about getting an iPod. the note taking while out and using the transcription software to convert it into text is so appealing. I can talk about anywhere whereas a computer or even note book takes time and my hands. my hands ain't what they used to be as I have complained about here before. they are better with the nerve control I am taking but today has been a bad day. I think all the driving is telling on me. guess i will do a bit more research on it but from what I have seen and read so far tis the way to go.

headed back via the interstate and got off at gadsden/attalla exit, down 77 to the green valley cutoff road (my name not the correct one) and through to 431 and home.

Today (monday) started with me unhooking the trailer from bertha and going to the folks house and getting the load of limbs and leaves from the damage ivan bestowed upon us that the power company didn't haul off. got it loaded and tied down and back here. decided to wait and unload it later as we needed to go to the store(s) for several things… so after a brief interlude in which i got some additional clothing on we headed toward alexandria in the van. first we went to the post office and shipped a book to canada. then to into anniston to oreleys (sp) auto for wiper blades for the van. since we are in the area we went into biglots for tea and plastic totes for back of van storage and some odd canned goods. then down the parking lot to sav-a-lots for juice, eggs, and some other odds and ends. decided food was a must so headed back toward the dairy and tried to stop at an Italian restaurant that we have been wanting to try but not on a monday… the next stop was the bread store and hungrier still we headed on toward the dairy and spotted a place I have avoided for years after a couple of bad experiences there several owners ago. there was another place a few miles further on but as the last 3 or 4 times we have eaten there I have not been real happy with the food so figured the unknown was worth taking a chance on. turns out it was the right place to stop. had a really good meal. will have to see what else they do for lunch. meat and two veggies and tea times 2 was 12 something and as good as any restaurant around here. pleasant atmosphere and a real country experience. kid falling out of the booth and everything. same one that was eating gum by the handful. after eating all of mine and some of cats that she couldn't finish was past time to go so…

Onward toward the dairy for a gallon of milk and down the road to food outlet for ice cream and a buy sale bulletin (reason for rest of post)…

then home. unloaded the stuff and sat down while cat was putting stuff up, picked up bulletin and started looking. there under business opportunities it was. for sale 2000 books. all types. cheap enough for me to call about. left message. he calls back about 5 and we head that way soon after. stop and get gas at wildwood and to 204 then 431 and into the madness of the city. after driving in bham wasn't that bad and in the van i am above most lights so not too bad. found his place with no problem. turns out he does remodeling and is an artist of a different type. does white relief pieces built up on plywood with plaster and coated with house paint. some really cool stuff! neat place he has. built about 1915. interesting area too. but on to the books…

they are in boxes. 44 or so boxes. some large, some not so large. average 50 to a medium box so there are around 2000 books there. all kinds. adventure, romance, suspence and a bunch more. most boxed and marked by catagory. i asked how much, he told me, was what I was hoping to get them for so i paid and we started moving them to the porch. then down the steps. lots of steps. i finely started just loading them into the van and cat and doug moved the rest down the steps. unloaded 3 boxes and stuffed the cracks but they all fit. floor to ceiling and rear hatch (except for the cubits occupied by the rear seat and the 2 tote boxes behind it) to back of front seats and between the front seats too. this is a serious load. but the van handled it better than I expected it to. we headed out and only went the wrong way once or twice in this screwy neighborhood then got to 431 and went to 204 and decided to get food in jville. tried to do tweeners but they were closing in 15 minutes so we went to cecils. burger, grilled chicken sandwich and fries with sweet tea. then home. will unload tomorrow or the next day.

tomorrow we take dad back to bham for a checkup. so more driving. now to a shower and bed. and probably dream about books…

Comments Off on booked saturday

By Dave, October 16, 2004 9:58 pm

started out heading for gadsden. stopped at a couple of places along the way but just junk. went to the goodwill by the river and hit the mother load. got a large box packed full. sci-fi, mystery and assorted others. several first editions and some generally good stuff.

packed up and headed toward attalla. wound around the construction zone and found our way into a residential zone around the town proper and continued around until finding a parking lot with a empty spot just across the road from one end of the blocked off area that a street festival was going on in.

They had several band stands/stages with singers and music going, most shops were open and venders of assorted stuff lined the roads. We went into a thrift shop first and found more books. One was a rex stout first edition of "and be a villain" which cost $0.50 and is worth between 35 and 40. It got added to my collection of stout. I now have a first and a book club first of that title. Along with one or 2 paperback. Got to get them all scanned…

filled a box there just not as large as the previous one and took it back to the car. next stop was an antiques store that had hardbacks at a buck each. some of them were fair but only 2 struck cat so thats all for there. went on looking in at other spots and located a restaurant only to find they were out of food. Cat used the jane and we went across the street to a black barbque stand and got rib tips with sauce poured out of a pitcher over them. Best ribs that I have ever had and I have had a lot of ribs! sat on some steps and ate then found a bathroom and washed my hands and face. Still got the smell on my hands…

then on to more antique shops. second one we stopped at was also the last. she had 17 volumes of the 60's nancy drew mysteries that cat collects and we got them for 30 which is a whole lot less than even the cheapest ones online. they seem to start at 5 each and go up from there depending on condition. some of these hadn't been read!

heading back in we lead 2 other cars through a residential section we had never seen before and out to the highway and back into gadsden. cat saw the salvation army and we circled around and stopped. nice store but they have inflated ideas on book value so we left and headed out via 431. went out by wellington and pleasant valley school and then nesbet lake road to see if the new jacksonville thrift store was open but it was closed so came on in.

About 5 minutes after we got in rob came up. had some car ramps he wanted me to have. talked a bit and then a bit more. out to his car and talked a bit more. and then about cars and lubricants and he was gone.

cat has been pricing books most of the evening. I went into the greenhouse and put up some plastic inside on the back wall. will try to get more tomorrow and do the outside of the wall. still trying to figure out what to do on the east side. may build a real roof for the stove to be under. Think it makes the safest sense anyway…

browsed the web and then started writing this…

and that was the day…

thinking about heading north in the morning. there is a couple of flea markets up i-59 that are supposed to be big affairs and we need to expand our familiarity with the surrounding area anyway. lot of books out there just waiting to be found…

Comments Off on friday

By Dave, October 15, 2004 11:41 pm

got the van cleaned out and made it to the old mans house by 10. Got the title and filled in as much as we could then went to the county administration building and did the title and tag dance. took a bit but no hitches so far… keeping fingers crossed as we had applied for a duplicate title. got a number to call to cancel but was unable to do so today. will try monday.

after installing the tag we went to the salvation army and bought more books than I really wanted to. got some good, some not so, and in the boxes some real crap. but it's take it all or none and I had rather get it all and throw some away if necessary than miss a possible good one. need to do some more studies on papercrete.

From there went to the oxford library and got a few fair ones and one or two good ones. then to the mall for lunch in the food court. Cat had fried rice and barbque chicken and I had low mein and chicken with black bean sauce. Wonderful stuff! Hot enough that it cleared my headache before I had taken 5 bites! Enjoyed it then and figure I am about to enjoy (?) it again real soon now…

back to the dairy and by tompsons meat market for milk and meat… then home again.

Rob called and came by for me to burn some pix off his camera to a cd. Got it done a couple of ways on two disks so he should be able to do whatever he wants with it now. checked them both on cats machine so hope it works for him.

Bill came in and we shot the shit for a bit then rob went back to jville and bill and I went and looked at trees and metal and other things that need doing. gonna take the hitch off the dozer and try turning the cross support upside down and cutting a hole large enough to mount a trailer ball in it. about all it can do is bend or break so figure its worth taking a chance on it working rather than cutting an axle and finding a sleeve to fit and welding it all back together with another pipe and hitch in the center of the axle to use as a mobile home hauler.

Thinking about cutting trees tomorrow. or now today. then again we may make a trip to check out the books in the gadsden area. Haven't been over that way or piedmont looking yet. now that we have the van I want to start spending a few days a month looking for and buying books. need to get up early and cruse the yard sales too. like that's gonna happen..

tis late so wi

Comments Off on long day done

By Dave, October 14, 2004 8:48 am

added the transmission fluid this morning with no leaks. Radiator leaking from one seam on top tank. Tried crimping the seam a bit and may have succeeded but it did leak a bit afterwards only to quit after shutting the engine down and letting it cool a bit then restarting it again. a new one from advance is about 70 bucks so no biggie.

went to bill's and checked the starter to find that the solenoid was bad. after calling advance and the motor rebuilder for a solenoid and finding that it was about as cheep to get a rebuilt starter we loaded up and went to advance. Roger brought the starter out but it was a gear reduction unit. did his keyboard magic and found one that was close enough for me. I checked the radiator and it wasn't leaking. went back to weaver and reinstalled the starter, battery cables and battery. working fine. need to fix the oil sending unit wiring. broke on me when putting the starter in and we didn't have any extra wire there.

Came home and ate, then went to the 12 wide for a bit of sitting and thinking. after a bit decided that the ground was damp enough for the dozer to do a bit of good so went to the barn and got it. before moving it I went into the brush and located the yellow jacket nest. It was behind the dozer when they first got on me, which explains why they were on the engine side of the fan… should not have been moving so fast I guess.

started up and got to the parking area with no problem. ground is still hard but by moving from one direction to the other was able to work the level down somewhat. got some done and bill came by. We sat and talked a few and then I decided to try adjusting the clutches/brakes on the dozer. Was able to get them adjusted without much trouble. will teach me to think without all the info. had discovered the generator was loose when I cut it off earlier so bill tightened it up while I came to the qhut and got a drink and snack. Went back and with the controls working right it was much easier to get the area leveled. or mostly anyway. worked on it till nearly dark and then took a break. parked the dozer to let cool for covering. rained a bit but not enough to hurt anything. covered it after cooled off and called it a day.

In the middle of some of the late afternoon dozer work the guy I got the van from called to tell me they had found the title. so I am going that way in the am and then to the tag and title office to get things started. Got to clean the junk out of the van first. got tools and other crap piled in there right now. also got to go by the salvation army while we are down there to check on books. There is a tool sale at oxford tomorrow too so will check it out. they have several things I am thinking about depending on the quality of the merchandise. one item is a rotary laser level and tripod. another is a 12 or 16 ton tubing bender. neither item really cheap but both something I can use. or not. also want to try some hills in the van with a bit of a load so may go south east a bit from there up into the mountains for something different.

Comments Off on hump daze

By Dave, October 13, 2004 7:21 pm

got out and on the van this am. Started with the rear door lifts. Found the torx set and other tools needed and got them changed without major problems. Took the inner panel off the rear hatch and collected an assortment of hammers, chisels, pry bars, and pieces of wood. Took the implements of mayhem and proceeded to reshape the bent area on the hatch into a semblance of it's original splendor. I may do more at a later time but it looks fair now so am going to wait till I have more and better tools before doing further damage.

Got the ramps out and moved the van upon them and changed the oil and filter. Put in the 30w hd and a quart of lucus and the engine sounds completely different. Much better. Oil pressure is better and turbo is quiet now too. Topped off the coolant in the radiator while under the hood too.

Looked at the transmission while under there and the bolts looked weird with epoxy around the heads of some of them (most of them)… decided to get a filter and change the fluid too.

Went to Jacksonville to O'Rellys auto parts and got a tube of emblem and trim adhesive, transmission filter kit, transmission fluid, a bottle of touch up paint, and 2 containers of goop hand cleaner. Then to Cecil's Hamburgers for lunch. To WinnDixie for tea and a few other things then back home.

Used the adhesive on the noisy trim on the drivers door and to affix the emblem on the back hatch. Took a bit of time and used the touchup paint to cover the worst of the cracks in the paint where I beat it out. Most of it will be covered with the tag. Should bondo and repaint but…

Rob came over and we sat a talked a bit then I got back at it for a bit longer making the stupid statement that this next bit shouldn't take but 7 or 8 minutes with the air tools…

Back up on the ramps with the van and after moving the air hose up the drive I took the bolts out of the transmission pan. or started to. some unscrewed, some pulled out. whoever had last worked on it had stripped all but 2 of the holes and used epoxy to put the bolts back in. They had also put the filter gasket in wrong. Replaced the filter and got the gasket in right (I hope). Cleaned the old sealer off the mounting flange on the transmission body. Removed the old gasket from the pan and cleaned it up good. Then found a tap and enough bolts to replace the now too small ones. Tapped out all but 2 of the holes. 2 of them had to go 2 sizes larger. No excuse in this level of sloppy work. NONE!

Was dark and 3 hours later when I finished so I'll fill with fluid tomorrow where I can watch for possible leaks. Got 2 more hoses I need to replace too. They are okay for now but I can see where they are breaking down inside and seeping into the cord and running out the end and really need replacing so will get and install them tomorrow. As far as I can tell that should about get it. I checked on air shocks today but they don't seem to be available for that van as a straight replacement so will have to try other sources and then see what is under there and what can be made to fit.

Want to try for a road trip in the next day or two and see how it handles. After the oil change the power went up a fair bit. Barked the tires with less peddle. Gonna check the pressure in them and air as necessary but I suspect I am going to have to get new tires for the front anyway.

And thus went the day. No major or at least no insurmountable problems, but not an easy ride either.

Comments Off on back in the saddle again

By Dave, October 12, 2004 11:36 pm

not yet but tomorrow I hope to get back on the dozer and get back to work. Feeling better tonight than earlier. Was in the day after of antihistamines mode for the morning.

Went and did the insurance and got the title thing started on the van then paid water, power, and cable bills though none of that in the correct order. ate lunch and went to get the lost title application signed then to the post office again (went earlier to mail a book off) to send a money order and the title application so maybe in a couple of weeks we can get a real tag on the van.

Went by the folks house for a bit and then home. Dad is doing fairly well. Got out and down the steps rather well. Looked over the van and then back in. Was hurting but is healing well or so it seems from outside.

Van runs rather well. Got to change the oil. Gonna try in the morning depending on how I feel when I get up. The swelling in my hand is gone almost completely now and all the stings are silent. Strange stuff. Some soreness left but even that is fading.

Got lifts for the rear door. now to find the torx bit and panel removal tools to replace them. got to get some emblem adhesive too. Looked at it today but didn't get any. then got to the folks and noted the one on the rear door was fixing to fall off. replaced the radiator cap. the shop the old man had been using replaced the radiator and didn't put a new cap on it. sealing rubber split on both surfaces. new cap dropped the temp as indicated on the gauge by a third.

parts man said he had had a van with a turbocharged engine and put a couple of turbos on it till talking to a mechanic who suggested that he use 30 weight oil instead of 10w30 and didn't have any more problems. so have the filter and 30hd to put in. gonna use a bit of lucus too. Guess I need to check the transmission fluid and filter too. Also need to go over the lights and make sure we have spares on board. tool kit and sleeping bags can be stored in totes behind the rear seat. with the seat removed there is plenty of room for sleeping. I am thinking of building a fold out for the rear that will encorperate an ac unit for camping. With an extra battery and a high output alternator I think I can use a inverter and power a small compressor and use 12 volt motor(s) for the fan and keep the van cool for several hours anyway. Course from now till spring that shouldn't be a problem. need to fit curtains or some blackout/privacy covering over the windows.

tomorrow stole in on the wings of midnight and I must rest for toils left undone await…

Comments Off on pain

By Dave, October 11, 2004 10:30 am

yesterday started earlier than I had figured when cat came down and reminded me that I had said mountaintop. Which is "the" flea market around these parts. Some are bigger but only happen once a month whereas mountain top is open weekly on sundays. We ate, loaded up, and went. The truck ran fine. The timing adjustment was most of it's problem. Still got a bit of a bite off but I suspect that is a fuel injector with deposits in it.

walked most of the lanes and found what I wanted on the first one that I had passed by the first time. got a cell phone case and headset. case is fine. headset is okay but not what I wanted but I don't know what I do want in one so this will do for the few times I will use it.

came home after stopping in Attalla (?) at a mexican restaurant that we had seen several times. I walked in and with the press of people (after church crowd) and screaming kids and lack of smells I associate with good mex food I turned and left. Cat agreed with me and we came home and had some barbecue that I had fixed Sat night along with some mashed potatoes and mixed veggies.

I thought about taking the rest of the day off but decided after cat went to gathering up trash to burn that I would get on the dozer and clear the area that we needed to reclaim for working on cars which is somewhat around the burn pile area. So to work I go. And soon encounter a new level of pain…

I scraped an area right beside the old burn pile that was about 30 feet long. then moved over about half a blade width and did it again, then turned and made a pass at about 45 degrees to the original clearing behind the pile. backed up and did it again taking a deeper bite into the years of undergrowth there. Then came the yellow jackets… all over the dozer and me.

I put it in reverse and rode it out of the underbrush. brushing them off until they got into my hair. 2 of them. about 9 stings on the scalp from those two. some of the ones that had landed on my arms stung but just test stings to see if I was the enemy I suspect. One on my right little finger set down and pumped it full before I got it off and the whole hand is swollen up back into the wrist. One on my left shoulder hit pretty good too as the muscles and tendons on that side of my neck are hurting and swollen today. I jumped off the still moving machine missing the track by yards and running and beating at the little bastards. stopped at about a hundred feet and killed the ones in my hair and got more of them off my clothes. Cat was running toward the dozer to try to stop it. Right into the swam so I hollered at her to get away and ran back into the swarm and hit the kill switch then ran away again and this time kept going till I got to the back of the greenhouse. where I killed some more on my clothes and screamed a bit from the pain. got cat (who wasn't stung in any of this) to get my comb and got the remains out of my hair, then one in my right shoe stung the side of my foot and I came out of that shoe and dumped it onto the ground and with a stick crushed it. looked up and several had followed us and were on my shirt. I suspect due to the ones I had killed on there. surprised that they had not stung me through the tee shirt but none did. pulled the shirt off with them inside and after brushing my pants again and getting cat to look me over went inside and shed the rest of my clothes.

no sting ease in the place. a bit of bactine on the ones I could get to and damp washcloths on my head. took 2 benedryls and 2 ibveprofen and lay down and entered the pain. interesting to say the least. was able after a bit of breathing to push it back enough to get up and do a couple of things then lay down again.

about an hour after the attack I got up, dressed and walked back down and picked up stuff that I had had in my pockets. realized it was too soon as the head swam hither and fro so came back in and took a bit more for pain and lay down again.

bill came by an hour or so later and we walked out and I got the truck and tarp and went down and we covered the dozer as it was supposed to rain. which it never really did.

came back inside and I had another dizzy spell which was helped a bit by crackers and peanut butter. drank some herbal tea which made the dizzies worse. finely got through with that and took another benedryl. bill went home and came back with some other stuff which I took and then went out for a while. came back to after a couple of hours and then went into regular sleep and dozed and woke the rest of the night.

Hand is some better today. am typing with it but is still swollen to the point of the skin stretched tight on the fingers and having indented knuckles when I straighten it out. but overall am ok. still hurt all over but tis to be expected. but I do have some better idea of what level of pain I can function under. and it's a lot higher than I had suspected I could operate at. tis all in the mind. I also noted that it was worse on inhale than exhale so took air in through the nose and out through the mouth, blowing hard. like pushing the pain out with each breath. that and the basic om madre padre hum on in and again on out enabled me to return to my center and function above the pain for a while at least. all in all, not an experience I would like to repeat but one which I did learn a LOT from…

Am going to take the day and rest up. just wanted to get this down while still fresh in my mind…

Comments Off on Back

By Dave, October 7, 2004 8:47 am

Been a week. Surgery went fine. Recovery so far is good. He's home and wanting to do more than he is allowed.

Got back Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2004. Lot of things to sift through from the week. Should have kept a daily journal but was just not up to it with all the other things going on. Lugged this computer all over the place and even used it a time or two.

Comments Off on Heading for B'ham in the early am

By Dave, September 29, 2004 10:11 pm

Dad is checking in at 9 in the am tomorrow (thrusday sept 30, 2004) for open heart surgery on friday.

more as I know it. for now am getting things all ready for a early no thought morning. computer goes off as soon as this is done.

Till

Comments Off on Hand Shadows

By Dave, September 28, 2004 11:36 am

http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/1/2/9/6/12962/12962-h/12962-h.htm

Comments Off on newly discovered short story by Ernest Hemingway

By Dave, September 27, 2004 11:43 pm

http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,6109,1314366,00.html?=rss

Comments Off on Headless iMac "Box"

By Dave, September 27, 2004 11:30 pm

http://www.glenbo.com/imac_box/gallery.php