Tuesday, April 3, 2012
U2 I Still Haven't Found What Im Looking For Live From Milan
A little rock to start the day!! Like the song says, I still haven't found what I'm looking for either.......but I'm getting close!!
Monday, April 2, 2012
A nice surprise!!
A few weeks ago I had blogged that my old Ford pickup was severely damaged when I blew the water pump out in Albuquerque last August, scoring a cylinder....it was bucking and snorting and had poor acceleration, and was just a miserable ride! I had went so far as to begin looking for another vehicle, and had found a nice little Ford Ranger in really great shape, for a decent price.
But this past Friday, while in Joliet, IL doing a reset, I was setting in the truck at a Bob Evans with the engine idling, when a guy walked by and came over and started talking to me.......turns out he was a Ford mechanic at a nearby dealership, and told me he had heard the miss in my engine. I told him about my problem with the water pump. and he asked me to pop the hood and he would give it a looksy-----no charge!
Well, 15 minutes later, he tells me all I need is a tune up, a new rotor cap, and an idler bearing/pulley...$200. and 2 hours shop labor and he said it would be good as new, and likely last another 100k miles!! I asked him if he could do it that afternoon, and he said absolutely!
So, I followed him to the dealership and dropped the truck off, and he took me back to the Ace where I was working. True to his word, he called my cell at 3pm, and said it was all done, good as new! I got done at Ace, walked to the dealership, and he came out to the showroom and told me I was all set...total bill was $279.22 and it runs like it did when it was brand new!!! I mean, it runs smooth as silk!! I just can't believe my good luck sometimes!!
But this past Friday, while in Joliet, IL doing a reset, I was setting in the truck at a Bob Evans with the engine idling, when a guy walked by and came over and started talking to me.......turns out he was a Ford mechanic at a nearby dealership, and told me he had heard the miss in my engine. I told him about my problem with the water pump. and he asked me to pop the hood and he would give it a looksy-----no charge!
Well, 15 minutes later, he tells me all I need is a tune up, a new rotor cap, and an idler bearing/pulley...$200. and 2 hours shop labor and he said it would be good as new, and likely last another 100k miles!! I asked him if he could do it that afternoon, and he said absolutely!
So, I followed him to the dealership and dropped the truck off, and he took me back to the Ace where I was working. True to his word, he called my cell at 3pm, and said it was all done, good as new! I got done at Ace, walked to the dealership, and he came out to the showroom and told me I was all set...total bill was $279.22 and it runs like it did when it was brand new!!! I mean, it runs smooth as silk!! I just can't believe my good luck sometimes!!
Friday, March 30, 2012
The lost is found.......
A phone call at 3am is never a good thing, as was the case yesterday. I am on the road in LaPorte, IN still doing the Ace Hardware gig, sleeping soundly when my cell rings harshly, waking me from a really nice dream.....seems the local county sheriffs department in Lutz, FL has recovered my stolen trailer, or whats left of it anyway!!
Seems a local scrap buyer bought a tongue and part of a frame from a trailer of some sort, and there was a VIN etched onto the underside of one piece.....a little research in the DMV database, which thanks to modern technology goes to all 50 states DMVs, and my name popped up....I won't bore you with how they tracked it back to me, you can figure that out yourselves, but will just say that once you file a police report for a stolen vehicle, all your info is in the computers for a very long time...Florida authorities called Illinois authorities who told them -- yup, its stolen....heres the number of the owner, give him a call.....hence my 3am wake up call!
From what I have gathered, there was nothing much left of the trailer, and no contents were found. The thing was apparently cut into pieces and sold as scrap, likely for some yoyos daily meth fix! The seller presented obviously phony I.D. as they could not reach him at the phone number he provided.....and the address he listed was a local Publix grocery store...
So........no better off than before, but at least I know where it ended up! Florida authorities tell me they are pursuing the seller, and will find out where he came by the parts, which will lead them to the thief, but I mean really---why do I care now?? They cut it up and sold it as scrap!! I'm moving on guys, let it go......but I sure do miss that trailer!!
Seems a local scrap buyer bought a tongue and part of a frame from a trailer of some sort, and there was a VIN etched onto the underside of one piece.....a little research in the DMV database, which thanks to modern technology goes to all 50 states DMVs, and my name popped up....I won't bore you with how they tracked it back to me, you can figure that out yourselves, but will just say that once you file a police report for a stolen vehicle, all your info is in the computers for a very long time...Florida authorities called Illinois authorities who told them -- yup, its stolen....heres the number of the owner, give him a call.....hence my 3am wake up call!
From what I have gathered, there was nothing much left of the trailer, and no contents were found. The thing was apparently cut into pieces and sold as scrap, likely for some yoyos daily meth fix! The seller presented obviously phony I.D. as they could not reach him at the phone number he provided.....and the address he listed was a local Publix grocery store...
So........no better off than before, but at least I know where it ended up! Florida authorities tell me they are pursuing the seller, and will find out where he came by the parts, which will lead them to the thief, but I mean really---why do I care now?? They cut it up and sold it as scrap!! I'm moving on guys, let it go......but I sure do miss that trailer!!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Jackie Evancho - A Mother'S Prayer (With Susan Boyle) " Dream With Me" ...
Have CONFIRMED tickets to at last go see this gift on Sunday, 6/3/12 in Atlanta!! Can hardly wait!! What a precious little girl, with a voice of an angel....
Monday, March 12, 2012
A ramble.......
Well, the title says it all---just a ramble! Nothing special to talk about........still no word on the missing trailer!! Nothing showing up at any pawn shop within 200 miles....every weekend I go home is costing me $100. minimum....if I had the trailer, I wouldn't hardly be spending anywhere near that!
Remember back in August when I blew the water pump in my pickup in New Mexico? Seems I did more damage than I realized.....now I have what seems to be a scored cylinder!! Oh, the truck still runs, but it seems to have these spells where it coughs and jerks and shakes real bad!! Give it a little kick and it comes out of it though....drive on cruise control and I don't notice it near as much. Let it warm up 15 minutes, and it runs smooth as silk 95% of the time. But, I know its days are numbered....so, found a nice used but very well cared for Ranger Splash this past weekend from a friend back home, and shelled out $2000. to make it mine! And, it WILL pull a small trailer no problem! Here she is...
Still working in Ace Hardware stores doing resets and remodels...was in Ohio last couple weeks, now in Illinois in the Springfield area. Still have 3 weeks left on this contract, then a week or so off....and then a new contract starts for 3 months, still in Ace, mostly in Ohio and Kentucky.
Looking at new trailers is wearing me out.....but its a pretty sure bet that I'm going with a 6 x 12 flat front---$2000. from the factory in Georgia. Those guys at Xtra-Tuff Trailers in Eastman, GA build a good solid trailer, with a 30 day money back guarantee and a 5 year warranty!The one I had pulled so smooth, most times I wouldn't even know it was back there!
On a more personal note, I have a hunch that I've caught the eye of a very sweet woman who works at a local C-store I frequent back home!! I mean, SHE sent ME flowers this past weekend!!!!! Apparently the world has changed since I was dating 40 years ago...??? I thought it was the guys job to send the flowers......anyway, guess I'll just have to play it by ear, and see where it goes.....
Guess thats it for now.....hope everyone has a great week!
Remember back in August when I blew the water pump in my pickup in New Mexico? Seems I did more damage than I realized.....now I have what seems to be a scored cylinder!! Oh, the truck still runs, but it seems to have these spells where it coughs and jerks and shakes real bad!! Give it a little kick and it comes out of it though....drive on cruise control and I don't notice it near as much. Let it warm up 15 minutes, and it runs smooth as silk 95% of the time. But, I know its days are numbered....so, found a nice used but very well cared for Ranger Splash this past weekend from a friend back home, and shelled out $2000. to make it mine! And, it WILL pull a small trailer no problem! Here she is...
Still working in Ace Hardware stores doing resets and remodels...was in Ohio last couple weeks, now in Illinois in the Springfield area. Still have 3 weeks left on this contract, then a week or so off....and then a new contract starts for 3 months, still in Ace, mostly in Ohio and Kentucky.
Looking at new trailers is wearing me out.....but its a pretty sure bet that I'm going with a 6 x 12 flat front---$2000. from the factory in Georgia. Those guys at Xtra-Tuff Trailers in Eastman, GA build a good solid trailer, with a 30 day money back guarantee and a 5 year warranty!The one I had pulled so smooth, most times I wouldn't even know it was back there!
On a more personal note, I have a hunch that I've caught the eye of a very sweet woman who works at a local C-store I frequent back home!! I mean, SHE sent ME flowers this past weekend!!!!! Apparently the world has changed since I was dating 40 years ago...??? I thought it was the guys job to send the flowers......anyway, guess I'll just have to play it by ear, and see where it goes.....
Guess thats it for now.....hope everyone has a great week!
Sunday, March 4, 2012
New Trailer?? Maybe.....
Well, still no word from police on my stolen trailer, no responses to my reward notices in the papers, no info from any pawn shops within 200 mile radius about things like solar panels/wind turbine/inverters being hocked...it was suggested to me that perhaps the utility company confiscated the trailer because it was chained to their pole---nope, I checked!Man, I MISS my trailer..........
So.......giving serious thought to ordering ANOTHER to replace it! Something like this---------
But, this one will be a bit different!! And quite a bit less expensive to boot!! For starters, it won't be pre-wired for 30amp electric service...and it won't be built with a 13k BTU roof air unit...nor will it have 6" extra interior height...it may have an extra roof vent for more daylight penetration, as well as front/rear flo-thru vents for improved ventilation, but thats it!
It will have tiltable solar panels on the roof, and it will have a new air actuated turbine mast mounted on the tongue, and it will have 2 new AGM Lifeline batteries plus a new 2000 watt inverter. And this time, on the very same day I pick it up from Xtra-Tuff Trailers factory in Eastman, GA. it WILL get the floor sanded and stained!! A mistake I made with the 1st, I never got that accomplished!! Makes the floor a lot easier to clean!!
It will also have a Yamaha 2000 watt portable generator for charging/topping off the batteries on those days when the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing!! AND, this one is going to have mounted on the tongue, (2) 30 lb. LP tanks, with the line coming in thru the floor at the nose to be connected to an LP cookstove, with a pigtail for a new 9000 btu Mr. Buddy heater with blower!
Stay tuned as I move forward with this.....
So.......giving serious thought to ordering ANOTHER to replace it! Something like this---------
But, this one will be a bit different!! And quite a bit less expensive to boot!! For starters, it won't be pre-wired for 30amp electric service...and it won't be built with a 13k BTU roof air unit...nor will it have 6" extra interior height...it may have an extra roof vent for more daylight penetration, as well as front/rear flo-thru vents for improved ventilation, but thats it!
It will have tiltable solar panels on the roof, and it will have a new air actuated turbine mast mounted on the tongue, and it will have 2 new AGM Lifeline batteries plus a new 2000 watt inverter. And this time, on the very same day I pick it up from Xtra-Tuff Trailers factory in Eastman, GA. it WILL get the floor sanded and stained!! A mistake I made with the 1st, I never got that accomplished!! Makes the floor a lot easier to clean!!
It will also have a Yamaha 2000 watt portable generator for charging/topping off the batteries on those days when the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing!! AND, this one is going to have mounted on the tongue, (2) 30 lb. LP tanks, with the line coming in thru the floor at the nose to be connected to an LP cookstove, with a pigtail for a new 9000 btu Mr. Buddy heater with blower!
Stay tuned as I move forward with this.....
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Great weather!!
I am in Ohio this week and all of next on my job, and the weather is unbelievable!! Was in Cincinnatti Monday, Wheelersburg Tuesday, Portsmouth today, and am in Wilmington tonight thru Friday afternoon---and the temp right now at 3:45pm is 68 degrees!! And its only the last day of February!! Thats really awesome weather for this time of year in this part of the country!!
Its only 3 weeks to Spring, and I realize absolutely ANYTHING can happen weather related, but lets all keep our fingers crossed that old man winter has died a quick death this year, and the warmth stays with us!! Won't hurt my feelings any at all!!
Its only 3 weeks to Spring, and I realize absolutely ANYTHING can happen weather related, but lets all keep our fingers crossed that old man winter has died a quick death this year, and the warmth stays with us!! Won't hurt my feelings any at all!!
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