Project updates...sandblasting

The project took another small step today. I borrowed Greg's sandblaster and cleaned up some of the parts for the little Bolens backhoe. I did find another crack in the frame, but we've got the technology to fix it right up. I'm also going to put backing plates on the areas that have cracked.

A Dad update.

This is one of those that will probably only appeal to dad....

I went over to Greg's tonight and tried out the Miller 210 he bought for me...oops, I mean us. Damn fine machine. I've been starting work on the little Bolens backhoe I got early last year, and the frame was pretty much ruined on it...it had been repaired and re-broke so many times it would have been impossible to get it square, little alone looking good. So I bought a set of frame rails from a guy on a Bolens Yahoo group that are in much better shape. While cleaning them up I noticed some stress cracks around the axle mounting holes, so what better reason to go try out the new machine. I've got the little shop in back set up pretty nice now, so me and Monk spent Sunday grinding all the places I need to weld up with a die grinder. I ran over there tonight, but while I was there I seen a few places I could reinforce...so I brought his sandblaster home to clean them up completely. Then I plan to go over all the factory welds, and add some material to the weak places that broke on the old frame. I'm going to have to take some pictures along the way this time, because I always forget to do that when I'm deep into the project.

Oh, and if anyone knows where I can get a Kohler Command Pro in the 18-25 horsepower range for a good price let me know!

To Rachel, From Debbie

Deb wanted me to post a picture she took last night. She thought Rachel might like to review it.

Somehow, I got out of going, and Deb went with her oldest daughter. They had a great time, and so did I! LOL

Happy Birthday Lany!

Tomorrow is Alana's 16th Birthday. The "celebration" was today. I was able to get back from Montgomery in time to catch the tail end of the B'day dinning out. They waited on me like one hog waits on another....in other words, they were done when I got there. I'm assuming she had a good one as Deb was off and they just drove around all over town all day I think.

If asked I'll generally tell folks that all the women in my life are trying to kill me, or send me to the loony bin. The wife is jealous because she didn't get to go to all the places that mom took her buddies in KC. Lany is pregnant. I don't seem to agree on either of the boyfriend picks from the other two of Debs older girls. The girls at the office aren't happy unless they can call me in the middle of my classes to answer some inane question that they already know the answer too....you get the idea....

....but then one of them will usually do something to even out the scale just in time to save my being institutionalized. Chrystin never forgets to call on my birthday or fathers day. Celeste gets a pass just because Catelynn is her daughter. Monk with her silliness can make me forget whatever problem is troubling me....

Tonight is was Catelynn's turn to even the score. She nearly lost her mind when I walked into the resteraunt. "Papa, Papa!" She decided to join me for some of the pepper chicken, which would get chewed, spit out, then drink half a cup of tea to cool off her mouth....then try it all over again. Yeah, that was worth the trip.

Oh, and Lany is having a girl...big surprise. Arick is destined to be the only boy in the family I guess. The latest female in the family is pictured above.

Dad said when Deb got pregnant that I'd be raising kids until I'm an old man. It seems like that is going to be the case....the problem is I'm feeling pretty damned old right now.

Still raining....

Man, I'm ready for it to dry out around here! I couldn't mow today and I really needed to, so hopefully I can get it done in the morning. At the very least I'll need to go mow at the church next door...the nice ladies that go there don't care much for the little things that weeds leave on their stockings!

I went out to Gregs today to finish up a side job truck that he's been working on forever...it needs to be done and gone before we can start working on our own list of projects in ernest. And between us, we've got plenty of projects to work on. I've got to finish the JD Gator, I've got a little backhoe to rebuild, and a few things to fabricate for the tractor. He's got 3 (yes, three) Mustangs that all have parts waiting, plus a few things to go on his show Jeep, and a Bronco that isn't finished yet.

Ya'll check out my friends Joy and Bill's new journal here....They are great friends of ours, and everyone knows what a difference it makes to get some feedback.

Few and far between.

I know I'm late with the updates..between the hurricane and my being bummed out about being broke, I just have not been thinking about the journal at all.

We got back home just in time for Hurricane Dennis. It didn't turn out to be much of a hurricane, but it hasn't stopped raining since Saturday. I did go out and do a little tractor work at Gregs, but the building didn't really get finished until today because of weather delays.

Thanks to our our car finance company switching to electonic (instant) deposit, our bank has been under zero for the past week. In some ways, the banks overdraft protection has kept checks from bouncing, but it is also killing us with fees. It really sucks, and I won't bore anyone with the details, but this week (and probably the next few) really has sucked because of this mess.

In other news, I'm back into the school grind, this time in the Machine Tool Technology department. It will end up being very cool, but this first quarter is going to be very slow...all hand tools.

Back at the Ponderosa.

Ok, we made it back in one piece. We all had a great time at mom and dads...I could have actually used a few more days, but I think Deb and Lany were just about ready to head south.

I've posted a couple of pictures taken along the way...it looks like we got one of the better pictures of the reunion group. I also put up a picture of the lights Kevin and Rachel past on to us...you'll notice that she didn't let me put off that project. Oh, and I wish I'd have taken those bulbs...because there weren't any in the fixtures! They are running on two bulbs a piece right now, because that is all I had here. It certainly helped light up the kitchen. The last picture is of my poor stunted corn...tasseled and quit growing at about 4 foot tall, but the little ears it had tasted pretty good with dinner tonight.

I'm heading to Greg's in the morning so I'll have a shed update for dad tomorrow night.