Miss the Pontiacs
Well-known member
Glad all went well. With a little rest, you will be back at the projects in no time.
Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Bob Heine's Auto Emporium
- Thread starter Bob Heine
- Start date
Workspaces between 485 and 705 squarefeet.
jon72vega
Well-known member
Bob,
I'm glad all went well.
Take it easy and recuperate.
I have mine scheduled for the middle of next month.
bugnut
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Bob, I'll join the well wishers and hope the recovery goes well. You are in our thoughts and prayers.
gearhead1960
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Bob,
Happy to hear you're back to your usual humor. After my surgery, I told everyone I got stabbed 5 times, but you should see the other guy!
Happy to hear you're back to your usual humor. After my surgery, I told everyone I got stabbed 5 times, but you should see the other guy!
madison069
Well-known member
I know the prostate surgery is not the same as my gallbladder surgery, but I remember the first couple of days I was not able to do much due to the 3 holes in my abs. The day after the surgery I was feeling good, just had a good night of sleep in my own bed and was hungry. So I went to the kitchen to see what I had to eat and realized I didn't really do much grocery shopping before the surgery. At this time I was a bachelor and I was pretty much alone here in PA since I didn't have any family. I had friends that would of came to the house, but I didn't want to bother them. So I decided I would go to the grocery store and grab a few things for some easy meals during the weekend.
So I got my best sweat pants on and slipped on a comfortable but nice shirt and slipped on my flip flops. Walking to the truck I started to think about the good food I would be getting soon, got into the truck and picked my foot up to push the clutch in to start the truck and that's when it hit my stomach. You don't realize how many muscles you use to push a clutch in until you damage some of those muscles!!!!!
Well me being a tough guy, I said I can deal with the pain and decided to just go on to the store. When I got to the store, which was only 23 clutch pushes away, I was not feeling too good and I was walking like an old hunched over man with severe deterioration of the spine. I wasn't really walking either, I was more or less shuffling along the store and turning my head side ways to look at the shelves to see what there was to eat. I'm sure folks were looking at me and wondering what was wrong with me, but i didn't care. Eventually, the pain subsided and I checked my incisions to make sure they weren't bleeding and they weren't. I got my food paid for and slowly made it back to the truck to begin the journey of pain back home. On the way home I decided I didn't really need all of the gears and just shifted from first to third, and then fifth. I was able to reduce the clutch activation to 12 torture activations. Once I got home I popped a hydrocodone, which I wasn't taking them before cause I wasn't really hurting before my trip to the store. After eating a little and sleeping the rest of the day, I was in better shape. 2 days later I went to work in my truck and it wasn't painful at all.
So the moral of the store, do some resting before you decide to do some activities if you can.
So I got my best sweat pants on and slipped on a comfortable but nice shirt and slipped on my flip flops. Walking to the truck I started to think about the good food I would be getting soon, got into the truck and picked my foot up to push the clutch in to start the truck and that's when it hit my stomach. You don't realize how many muscles you use to push a clutch in until you damage some of those muscles!!!!!
Well me being a tough guy, I said I can deal with the pain and decided to just go on to the store. When I got to the store, which was only 23 clutch pushes away, I was not feeling too good and I was walking like an old hunched over man with severe deterioration of the spine. I wasn't really walking either, I was more or less shuffling along the store and turning my head side ways to look at the shelves to see what there was to eat. I'm sure folks were looking at me and wondering what was wrong with me, but i didn't care. Eventually, the pain subsided and I checked my incisions to make sure they weren't bleeding and they weren't. I got my food paid for and slowly made it back to the truck to begin the journey of pain back home. On the way home I decided I didn't really need all of the gears and just shifted from first to third, and then fifth. I was able to reduce the clutch activation to 12 torture activations. Once I got home I popped a hydrocodone, which I wasn't taking them before cause I wasn't really hurting before my trip to the store. After eating a little and sleeping the rest of the day, I was in better shape. 2 days later I went to work in my truck and it wasn't painful at all.
So the moral of the store, do some resting before you decide to do some activities if you can.
Trapps
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Good news, Bob! Rest is your friend while things heal up.
bcoke
Well-known member
Hey Bob play the sympathy card ..........I know it doesn't last long so go for it soon Leann will be back on your **** ...........so take advantage......bobbycoke
kaymccampbell
Well-known member
Glad you're on the mend. Jogged around the block yet?
Toothaker
Well-known member
Bob, best wishes and looking forward to lots more of your insight and humor.
patlun
Well-known member
Best wishes from Sweden.
As said, relax and take it easy for some time. Trust your body when it says that "now it is enough".
As said, relax and take it easy for some time. Trust your body when it says that "now it is enough".
Philip, IBM kept unions at bay for its first hundred years so we had no protection from "Fire Chiefs." If they didn't like you they could find reasons to punish you by dinging you on your performance rating. My nemesis gave me a downgrade and explained it was my excessive absenteeism. I had taken 10 non-vacation days off that year and he considered that unacceptable. I took a personal day to go to Manhattan from Poughkeepsie to have the flimsy cable on my artificial arm replaced after it snapped. I took two days off to go to my grandfather's funeral in Vermont. Those were bad but nothing compared to the seven days I took off for eye surgery. My right eye was turned in so far you could barely see the pupil and all I could see was the side of my nose. Eye surgeons cut the right lateral muscle loose, straightened the eye and sewed the muscle back to the eyeball in a new location. Surgery on Thursday, went home Friday afternoon. Doctor told me to avoid moving either eye side to side for a week. Had him contact my boss so he understood what was going on. My boss decided a week meant I would return to work the following Thursday. Told him it was too soon for me to return so he suggested someone bring my work to me at home. Spent way too much time explaining that reading meant moving my eyes side-to-side and that made the stitches scrape the inside of my eyelid in a way that made me forget what I was doing. Not the worst pain I had ever experienced but bad enough to make me stop moving the eyes. My selfish behavior eliminated a salary increase that year (when inflation was a big deal).Reading the stories about people doing things which aggravated co-workers, reminds me of this story. The fire chief we had at one point came from one of the big Miami-Dade County fire departments, back before they added the "Miami" to the name. Major Dade was an unlucky Army officer who wasn't as-fortunate in war as his adversaries, the Seminole nation. He was killed during the Second Seminole War, by the Seminoles. Eventually the US Army got the better of the Seminoles and other tribes, they rounded them up, and shipped them off to the West (this happened to different tribes at different times). Some of the Seminoles refused to be sent west, and they retreated into the Everglades. Their heirs are still in Florida.
Back to the fire chief. Where he had been chief, he had fired one of the firefighters, I forget what the infraction was. The union got his job back, and back-wages. What he didn't bank, he used to buy a brand-new van (last century, when vans were really-popular, the SUV's of their time, and popular with the younger crowd for their partying capacity). On the front bumper, he affixed a personalized license plate: "Ed's Van" and of course whom do you think was 'Ed?' He used-to come-in early and park it as-close to the administrative offices as he could. Rumor has it that The Chief was Not-Pleased!
Here's a shot of a lily in our front yard, we have several of these in large containers, over six feet high are the plants. Unfortunately, the lubbers apparently consider the lilies to be delicacies so they munch on them constantly. I interrupt their meal with my Sperry Top-Sider, after deftly plucking them from their repast. It's the Patton/Julius Caesar 'hammer and anvil' maneuver: my shoe sole (the hammer) and the ground (the anvil).
Update:
Saturday, 7/10/21 and it rained like The Flood this a.m. The storm let-up, I was gonna cut the grass, but I may leave it for a more-dry day. The dog doesn't appreciate when like those men in the Catskills bowling, there is much thunder.
On the bright side, bosses didn't get better parking spaces assigned so I felt no need to poke the bear (I always arrived early and got the best space).
Nice lily. At one time we had a couple like that in our yard but something (probably Lubber Grasshoppers) made them look horrible
Dan, the surgery went amazingly well, with less pain than I expected. Unfortunately the anesthesiologist let me flail my arm and I managed to scratch my left eye. It was deja vu with the same kind of pain from the stitched eyeball 55 years ago. It subsided over the following 24 hours. In a weird way it was a blessing -- had I not had the eye pain, the pain from coughing would have been in first place.
I couldn't tell exactly where the scratch was located (neither could my doctor) so I just kept my eyes closed. Luckily I missed dinner the first night and they brought me a sandwich at 10:00pm. Once in hand, I could eat and a quick feel around the tray and I discovered a juice box (helps the dry mouth from the oxygen mask).
I probably should have marked the valve stems with some silver marker under those stem covers but it didn't occur to me that they wouldn't put new stems in when it is clearly marked on the invoice.
Drives, the surgery went great but I didn't expect the eye thing. My nurse daughter-in-law told me self-inflicted scratches during surgery are quite common. We did get lucky before I went in the hospital. The A/C stopped cooling on Saturday so the house went into the mid-80s before the problem resolved itself (after I turned the system off for four hours). Not wanting to leave the problem in Liane's lap, I called the company that installed the system and explained what was going on and reminded him who I was. He had a tech at our house at 8:00am Sunday morning and after a shot of Freon and complete system inspection, we have properly functioning central air conditioning.
We've had a swimming pool in the back yard for more than 50 years so I can't tell you exactly when I first used it as a leak detector. It means I don't have to store a tire trough for the once a decade leak detection that isn't obvious. For punctures, I can usually hear or feel the leak.
I expect I'll be getting four new tires for the PT Cruiser. It's the only car Liane is comfortable driving and her having a tire failure because I stretched the life of the tire isn't my plan. I found a set of four for less than $400 and we pay more than twice that much every month for our Aetna Supplemental Insurance on top of Medicare.
Cody, I'm doing great today. The seven stitched holes in my abdomen are starting to itch so I know I'm healing fast. Had I been able to see the day of surgery, I would have been up and walking but I waited until the next morning to circle my floor. Made five trips that day and after I got home yesterday afternoon I "walked the Manse" with Liane. The hundred foot walk from the garage to the shop is getting easier (long as I remember that a bounce in my step is not a good thing.
Thank you Pete!
Dan, that's my plan. I've been told to take it easy, don't strain and don't lift more than a gallon of milk. Thanks to Google I now know a gallon of milk weighs 8.6 lbs. A gallon of water weighs 8.34 lbs so I've got some wiggle room.Bob, rest and recover. We'll be here when you get back.
FF, I asked the doctor and anesthesiologist to let me see the DaVinci robot and its control systems. Looked like a giant white spider hanging in the corner. I was looking for something a little more familiar in red and black....
Mr.zippy, thanks for the encouragement and I am so sorry I have dragged you into this vat of soup I call a thread.
Jim, thank you and you do the same. Pretty sure I'll be enjoying pain-free life sooner than you (doctor gave me some really good pills).
Robert, instructions said "no driving with catheter." Don't they anything about driving. I have never used my ***** to steer or brake and if I did, the catheter is taped to my leg. The "no heavy lifting or exertion for three weeks after catheter comes out." Doctor said gallon of milk is the limit.
Kirk, for the moment, this is great. I have a big bag hanging from my pocket or the bedside table collecting urine. Until I've passed two liters it's a perfect excuse not to get out of bed. Only drawback is the weight of a full bag almost de-pants me.
Lyndon, back atcha. I've been thinking of you and the surgery you are going through. I discovered that a real good poke in the eye can distract you from the pain lower on the body.
Please do the same and focus on the knee recovery for the immediate future. Whenever you're up to it, feel free to give me a call.
Y'sguy, I doubt I taught them anything but I discovered there are worse patients than me. Guy in the next bed had a stroke 5 years ago and can't get out of bed by himself. They put a 'condom catheter' on him because he kept missing the bed pan. He didn't know what it was or what it was for so he kept calling the nurse to fix it. Whenever he got the urge to go, he'd yell at the top of his lungs "BATHROOM" over and over. When that didn't work he pressed the emergency button and when a voice in the ceiling asked what he wanted, he'd yell "YES" a few times, to which the ceiling voice said "is everything OK?" and he'd yell "OK" and the voice went away. His wife Judy takes care of him at home so whenever someone came into the room, he'd yell "JUDY" over and over. As he got better, his voice grew louder and his yelling lasted longer. Had I developed a fever or began bleeding from every orifice I would still have signed the release to go home.
Another "There but for the grace of God go I."
Uncle Willie, very pleased with progress. The old Vette is very very patient.
Mat, thank you!Glad to hear it went well Bob, and all the best wishes for a speedy recovery, mate.
Haha, that is funny now that you point it out, but it seemed perfectly normal to me. Just make sure to clean the brake dust off a bit before dunking it in there, and get the snorkel and goggles out to check for bubbles underneath.
Sorry to hear that mate, I've read about your myriad issues in your thread and I've been thinking about you and Bob quite a bit.
A long time ago I took my leaking tire to the local gas station, where they always had that drum of water either next to the tire machine or the inflator outside. In my day they were galvanized steel but now they are plastic.
I tried to have a talk with Lyndon's invisible friend but it appears she's real busy right now.
MTP, thank you. I am getting a lot of great rest. Liane had to wake me up to tell me the 2-liter bag was almost full. I'm starting to think this catheter thing is pretty cool. Long time between bathroom breaks means more project time.
Jon, thanks for the kind words and I hope yours goes as well as mine. On second thought, maybe suggest hand restraints to your anesthesiologist.
Thank you Bugnut! It really makes me feel better knowing how many friends are pulling for me.
Mark, I told Liane I was kicked in the stomach by a stallion but because his balls were within reach I got my revenge.
Cody, I had my appendix taken out and they must have left something behind. Called the doctor when my temperature reached 104°F and was told to go directly to the hospital ER. Spiked at 106°F in the ER. Left the incision open so it could heal from the inside. Stuff a roll of gauze in the hole (unrolled first) twice a day for several weeks. First night I got up to go to the bathroom and ended up on my hands and knees crawling to the throne.
I fixed up a mini-bike for a neighbor and took it for a test drive. Didn't see the Viet Cong pit in the field and went over the handle bars when the front wheel dropped out from under me. Had my hook latched onto the handlebar so the bike followed my somersault and my right shoulder hit the ground hard. Told Liane I was fine and next day got in the Triumph Herald to go to work. Before lunch I couldn't move my right arm without seeing spots and everything going white. Got in the car to drive home but couldn't use my arm at all. Pushed the gearshift into second and started the car. Steered home with my knees and just left it in second. Turns out to be traumatic bursitis and a shot of steroids had me functioning close to normal the next day.
Mark, appreciate you stopping by. Thank goodness for the catheter, pain pills and my CPAP. Sleeping like a diapered baby in a onesie.
Bobby, soon as I was out of surgery and resting in my hospital bed, the phone rang. It was Liane and I could hear loud screeching in the background. After turning off the TV and cable box, the screeching continued. I realized she had pressed the AUX button on the remote and turned on the Sony Surround Sound receiver. Took a few minutes to walk her through it and realized how quickly my rest and recovery could end.
Kay, if gently shuffling down the walkway is jogging, I believe I've made it half-way round. Same with loogies. I can move one with a very gentle cough but it better come up on the first try.
Tony, I have no idea why I'm feeling this good and certainly don't deserve getting better this fast.Gad to hear everything went well with the surgery
Mick, thank you and bless you for the kind words. It really does help.
Patrik, I trust your advice and will listen to my body, even if I don't always agree with it. What do you mean "I'm old and healing takes longer?" I've been [a] patient long enough!
rmack898
Well-known member
Glad you’re back to posting and giving personal responses to everyone. You used my given name and no one ever called me Robert except my ex when she was pissed at me an that is 12 years in my rear view mirror. I got a slight chill up my spine.
tj675
Well-known member
Bob,
Great to see you back and I’m happy to hear things are on the mend!
Great to see you back and I’m happy to hear things are on the mend!
xtremek
Well-known member
Bob, you must be one of the most popular guys here.
bcoke
Well-known member
Great to hear about your successful surgery , I do not feel it matters what treatment you did for the PC [robtic, regular surgery,radiation etc] the main thing is get it TREATED asap do not let it get ahead of treatments and you will have good results there are always the chances of some side effects but the are all manageable ! You seem to know your body so listen to it , it will tell you what you can or cannot do at the time.......sorry to hear about the eye issue who would have thought you go for prostate surgery and come out with a scratched eye...........maybe yo were upside down ??????? Remember liana has to help you check out the function of mr happy when it recovers after all it is part of the recovery process!!!........ lol bobbycoke
hardtop5000
Well-known member
Gee, Bob. I haven't had a bounce in my step since I was 28. Keep on shufflin', and leave your eyeballs alone.
rixtrix1
Well-known member
Good to hear the surgery went well, except for the eye scratch, Bob. I'm surprised they didn't strap your arm down. For both my appendix and hernia surgeries I was lashed to the table by all my extremities. Catheter may have been fine, for a while, but the removal and subsequent bathroom trip were excruciatingly painful. Please take care and enjoy all the rest you can get!
cbacres
Well-known member
Glad to hear the repair went well. Here’s to a fast recovery.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
we are all wishing you the best and hoping to read about more of your adventures in your shop or around your home, but for now understand it's time to rest and recover so just letting you know I was thinking of you.
BTW i'm not sure how close you are to MIAMI, but my son who got a covid shot in Los Angeles about 3 months ago has been homebound mostly for over a year had to fly to Miami on business and he called us yesterday telling us he's got COVID. he's been in Miami for 4 days so pretty sure he got it there. he sounds terrible and he's 30 and in pretty decent shape so hoping he'll be ok in a week or two.
take care!!
BTW i'm not sure how close you are to MIAMI, but my son who got a covid shot in Los Angeles about 3 months ago has been homebound mostly for over a year had to fly to Miami on business and he called us yesterday telling us he's got COVID. he's been in Miami for 4 days so pretty sure he got it there. he sounds terrible and he's 30 and in pretty decent shape so hoping he'll be ok in a week or two.
take care!!
Boy, most of a week slips by fast when you only sleep, eat, walk, rinse and repeat. I was unaware of my body's ability to produce yellow fluid. Dragging a bag of it around gets old but it means you don't have to get up to go to the bathroom as often. The dump valve on the bag also cuts down on the time to empty. Each day I grew less fond of the catheter so yesterday was a big celebration when they yanked it out. I was able to control leakage right away but it is a bit different. To keep the laundry warden happy I am wearing adult briefs and I must admit there have been a few moments when that was a good thing.
We live about 50 miles north of Miami International Airport. Floridia depends on tourism for its success so the main focus is keeping people coming here and spending money while mingling in large crowds. The Delta mutation is infecting vaccinated folks as well as the unvaccinated but the unvaccinated ones are ending up seriously ill in the hospital. We continue to wear masks and social distance ourselves even after getting vaccinated. I've heard stories of a lot of younger people being affected so pandemic is not really behind us yet.
TJ, it is getting better every day. Thanks for stopping by.
Kirk, you flatter me but remember that few members have met me in person. Even those few have only spent a short time with me.
Bobby, great advice. Happily the eye was a short term problem (but it sure gets your attention). One glimpse of my bruised and holy abdomen and Liane gave me one of those casket kisses (you know them, when someone bends over the body to give it a peck on the cheek but doesn't actually touch the cadaver)>
Justin, I believe I was a feral child who jumped into lakes without knowing how to swim and covering ground without knowing how to walk. Pogo sticks and clamp-on rollerskates were my friend until I taught myself to ride a brake-less bicycle down a steep hill in downtown Rutland, Vermont.
Ric, they tied me down for my appendix and hernia as well. You would think it was even more important when a multi-arm robot is flailing around at the same time. They left my catheter in for more than a week so it was enough of a relief I barely noticed any pain. I am more worried about the great-grandchildren teasing me unmercifully for still wearing pull-ups.
Craig, thank you and I am going to have to call on all my self-control to not overdo it for three weeks. Lifting is limited to 10 lbs so I'm lining up a couple of little welding projects.
Drives, thanks for caring. I'm looking forward to continued progress and a full recovery.
We live about 50 miles north of Miami International Airport. Floridia depends on tourism for its success so the main focus is keeping people coming here and spending money while mingling in large crowds. The Delta mutation is infecting vaccinated folks as well as the unvaccinated but the unvaccinated ones are ending up seriously ill in the hospital. We continue to wear masks and social distance ourselves even after getting vaccinated. I've heard stories of a lot of younger people being affected so pandemic is not really behind us yet.
Mark, thank you for the kind words. No matter how bad things get, I can find something to laugh about. My colorectal doctor called to schedule a colonoscopy a few weeks ago and I told him we needed to wait for the urologist/oncologist to clear me. When he reminded me of all the polyps I had grown and his practice had removed, I told him it was because of the fertilizer I was using. I sure hope he smooths off the sharp edges on the boroscope....Wishing you continued progress on the recovery Bob. It may be a temporary slow down physically for you, but I'm glad your humor is still in high gear!
No good deed ever goes unpunished. Our wonderful daughter-in-law came over this week to drop off some easy-to-fix food. I put the family size lasagna in the microwave and followed the directions (9 minutes on high, 21 minutes at 50% power). Aside from a small patch of severe radiation burn it came out fine. Ate the leftovers the next night. Last night I put the Chicken and Broccoli Pasta meal in the microwave and followed the directions (20 minutes on high). The microwave finished cooking and shut down. Blank control panel, no light, no noise, nothing. Checked the outlet and it is fine, unplugged the microwave (that has fixed several problems in the past) but no luck. I suspect it's the thermostat next to the magnetron but I ordered all four thermostats. Three are mounted behind the control panel so nothing heavy to lift. The one next to the magnetron requires pulling the machine out of the case so it's way more than 10 lbs. Liane gleefully reminded me I have a microwave in the garage. The next dinner is going to be cooked in the oven even if it takes more than an hour. This 2.0 cubic foot microwave in the kitchen was built in 2010 so I may be shoeing a dead horse. The garage microwave is two years younger so it's going to be used for the little 3-minute re-heat jobs. I'm not in the mood to go shopping, even online.
bcoke
Well-known member
Yeah I have shoed a few dead horses as I hate to bury the suckers [just hate to let go it's only 22 years old lol] ,the trouble with the new stuff they are designed not to be repairable...........glad you are doing ok do not worry about the incontance it usually resolves itself whenever I plan to do heavy/or straining work I wear just a light pad to catch any yellow sector that escapes.......... love the casket kiss referral i totally understand it but never heard that expression.....at least your humor is still intact..............stay well bobbycoke
gilr
Well-known member
Hi Bob, glad to hear the surgery went well. Just fyi, there is a fuse in most microwaves that seemingly blows for no reason, if you can access the control board, there should be one that is replaceable, I found the replacement for my built in microwave at Lowes, so if they sell them, it is a common failure. I have recommended this to several friends and saved them from having to buy them a new one. I bet if you check YouTube, you'll find a video on where and how to replace it on your model. Good luck.
TimeWarpF100
Well-known member
I had those same stems on my truck but had to change when I added TPMS. Wish they had them to work with TPMS. I have a valve stem to caliper issue.I'm doing my best not to stress about the upcoming surgery. My silliest worry is the "no heavy lifting" rule following the procedure. The Hong Kong Orchid tree in the front yard was doing great a few months ago but now it appears to have died. [Q] Should I cut it down this week? [A] Warden says no, we'll pay someone to take it down. OK, [Q] which of the thousand potted plants need to be moved into or out of the sun? [A] Just few dozen. [Q] Why is it so hot in here? [A] Probably needs some freon and I can call someone for that.
Other than that, it has been the week I expected. After the party Monday, we returned home to find the master bedroom cable box churning through endless re-boots. AT&T site says there's 24/7 support so I called the number. It's automated so you have to respond to their questions rather than ask your own. After an hour with the talking machine (which doesn't work during a gateway re-boot) I told it to cancel my service. Suddenly a human wanted to talk to me. Spent the rest of the afternoon on the phone with a woman in the Philippines who decided my re-boots of the gateway and the box were bogus and suggested someone from AT&T could do a better job. She said I would be charged $99 If the problem wasn't with their equipment. I told her to cancel the service call and I would contact Comcast and fix the problem for good. She then promised I wouldn't be charged but that someone over 18 had to be home when the AT&T tech showed up. I said that wasn't possible because I was going in for surgery and my wife might prefer to visit with me rather than their tech (she doesn't like strangers in the house when she's alone). Another 20 minutes on hold and they were able to arrange for a new box to be shipped to me. Temporarily fixed the problem by swapping the guest room box. A wasted chunk of my life I will never get back.
Tuesday afternoon was a pre-op exam with my primary care doctor and was a pleasant experience. Arrived at 2:55 for a 3:00 appointment and was talking to the doctor at 3:05. Nurse took vitals, urine, blood, EKG and lab downstairs took chest Xrays. I was in the car at 3:45 heading home. Got home, parked the PT Cruiser in the driveway and plugged in the trickle charger. As I walked into the house, glanced at the car and saw the passenger rear tire was low -- not flat, just low. On my way to bed at 1:00am I went out and checked the tire again and it was flat.
I took the tire off Wednesday morning, filled it with air and put it in the pool. Spent 20 minutes turning the tire every which way in the water and there wasn't a bubble anywhere. My WTF meter is pegged until I put the cap back on the valve stem -- a gush of air comes off the base of the stem. I know I have been charged for new valve stems at least twice on the Cruiser and my guess is they were never replaced. A clue is the silly little stainless sleeve and chrome cap I put on the wheels in 2004. The car has always returned from the tire store with those doodads in place.
Seventeen years and 48,000 miles seems about right for it to go bad. Went in the garage and rummaged around until I found two clamp-on valve stems. Called two Tire Kingdom stores and both said they couldn't fix it today but maybe tomorrow. I decided to drop the tire off at the closest store and let them fit it into their schedule.
I disconnected the trickle charger from the Corvette and noticed the light on the charger was red, not green. WTF meter is pegged again and when I try to start the car, starter made a weak single click. The battery changing process on the 'Vette is a minor PIA unless you have added a ground effects package to the body. Instead of removing a few screws (including one hidden under some weatherstripping) I remove the 14 screws attaching the rear section of the splash shield. It involves turning the wheel one way to get at the torx screws from the outer edge and turning it the other way to get at the hex bolts (including two under the car).
If I was smart, I would have removed the tire. It, along with the cruise control module is kinda in the way. But not for someone who has loosened the side panel.
Tire and battery go in the trunk of the Cadillac (only car running). Stopped at the tire store first and the super busy place had four empty bays and the fifth bay occupied by a dust covered thing that has probably been there for the whole 21st century. Guy at the desk tells me to back the car up and they'll get the tire out. Based on how well everything is going, I left the Cadillac parked and rolled the tire into the shop myself.
I don't know if there is a training program at tire stores but the guy in the shop has apparently never seen a clamp-on valve stem. I have them on the Corvettes and the Cadillac so I know they are real.
I believe they are more reliable than the rubber stem versions (I've owned the Vette for 30 years and they've never leaked and never been replaced. I showed the tech how to install it and he was amazed. I was thinking of dropping off the Cruiser to have them do the other three wheels but I think I'm going to bring in one wheel at a time and supervise (or at least watch). It's a subtle difference but it looks and feels more solid.
bolensboneyard
Well-known member
Bob beautiful flowers on the dragon fruit. Speedy recovery Bob. Maybe some fruit to wake up the resting giant?
gearhead1960
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Sounds like you are on the mend from your weight reduction surgery. Keep eating microwave meals and before you know it, you will have gained back all that weight you lost from the walnut removal.....
Mr. Roboto
Well-known member
Bob,
Just wanted to drop in and say I am happy to hear that your surgery went well, and that you are on the mend at home. I am a horrible patient when it comes to rest, and I'd imagine you are in a similar boat. But do your best to rest and recover and you'll be back in the garage before you know it!
Also, sadly, microwaves seem to be pretty disposable these days. I've gone through 3 in the last 10 years. Each one repaired once under warranty, once by me, and then I give up. Nonmatter how much you spend, the guts of them are all the same: CHEAP. Now I just go into the store and ask for the cheapest stainless steel over the range microwave I can buy every time and hope for the best.
Just wanted to drop in and say I am happy to hear that your surgery went well, and that you are on the mend at home. I am a horrible patient when it comes to rest, and I'd imagine you are in a similar boat. But do your best to rest and recover and you'll be back in the garage before you know it!
Also, sadly, microwaves seem to be pretty disposable these days. I've gone through 3 in the last 10 years. Each one repaired once under warranty, once by me, and then I give up. Nonmatter how much you spend, the guts of them are all the same: CHEAP. Now I just go into the store and ask for the cheapest stainless steel over the range microwave I can buy every time and hope for the best.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Sorry to hear you’re having to do repairs just to warm up food, but you sound like the old Bob so good to have you getting back to your old self.
Not sure if this might help you but we bought a new microwave to replace our almost new one a few years ago above our range and it had issues from the start. I installed it in our cement block walls. A couple warranty repairs were done by pros (replaced some computer mother board type thing) but my bride actually fixed it for good since I rarely use it I barely notice it not working. Apparently when she’d steam something on range the moisture would get into controls above so she opened it up and used her hair dryer to dry a ribbon like thing off with and she put it back together and it worked. She’s done this maybe twice in last 10 to 15 years now and it’s still working. Not sure if yours is above stove or on counter but your thinking is probably better with the parts you ordered.
Hope you get it figured out or find another way to get good food heated up to eat.
Not sure if this might help you but we bought a new microwave to replace our almost new one a few years ago above our range and it had issues from the start. I installed it in our cement block walls. A couple warranty repairs were done by pros (replaced some computer mother board type thing) but my bride actually fixed it for good since I rarely use it I barely notice it not working. Apparently when she’d steam something on range the moisture would get into controls above so she opened it up and used her hair dryer to dry a ribbon like thing off with and she put it back together and it worked. She’s done this maybe twice in last 10 to 15 years now and it’s still working. Not sure if yours is above stove or on counter but your thinking is probably better with the parts you ordered.
Hope you get it figured out or find another way to get good food heated up to eat.
Toolfool
Well-known member
Glad to hear your surgery went well. Get well soon.
shortykorte
Well-known member
All things appear back in order but that Depends on what day it is I guess. Bob I did get to meet you and it only takes a few minutes to know you’re a great guy.
Here’s to a speed recovery and working microwave.
Here’s to a speed recovery and working microwave.
Bobby, I should let them go as well but that nagging feeling the replacement is going to die even quicker. Living in Florida doesn't help because the cars don't rust from the bottom up. They melt from the top down. An amazing number of the cars down here have no clear coat in just a few years.
I appreciate the heads up on the incontinence. Probably a bad thing that I'm getting used to it but a good thing that it gets better each day.
I noticed people were reluctant to give a whole-hearted embrace in the hospital and the image popped into my head. I googled 'casket kiss' and found a bunch of stuff on caskets honoring the band, KISS so maybe it's not a common term.
Gil, thank you for the fuse heads-up. After I ordered all four thermostats I went back and ordered a fuse. The thermostats arrived yesterday and the fuse is supposed to arrive Tuesday or Thursday next week. I won't tear into the microwave until I have the fuse in hand. My son stopped by Friday and offered to swap in a new microwave so I have a solution one way or the other.
Randy, I am honored to have you post on my thread although I feel bad you are spending time here instead of the A/C on your '66 Ford Raptor.
Because my 2011 Cadillac has the clamp-on stems as well as TPMS, I suspected they are available.
When I Googled 'short stem TPMS unit' a few sites popped up. Amazon has them but I found a site that shows several options.
Here's a link: https://images.carid.com/oro-tek/tpms-sensors/pdf/oro-tek-catalog-2015.pdf
Bobby, I've been eating half a dragon fruit for dessert for a few days (Liane gets the better half). I am pleased with my recovery and feeling better every day. Still doing my best to not over-do it.
Mark, I can't believe that little walnut weighed 10 lbs. I've been limiting my microwave meal intake to 1/4 of a brick (my stomach tells me that's the primary ingredient) and hoping to keep the weight off.Sounds like you are on the mend from your weight reduction surgery. Keep eating microwave meals and before you know it, you will have gained back all that weight you lost from the walnut removal.....
Mr. Roboto, I hope I'm being a better patient this time. My 'best neighbor ever' stopped by today and pulled off the dead palm fronds and dragged all the yard cuttings out to the street, adding everything to his pile and demanding I call for him to do it again any time. Warden Heine has threatened to strap me down if I don't follow the rules. She somehow remembers all the times I went back to work too soon but can't remember the time I took TWO days off to recover from a broken elbow.
I agree on the microwaves. We bought the first one of these GE Profile 2 cubic foot models in 2003 along with a stove and refrigerator. For once, I got the extended warranty so they kept the microwave going until 2010. When it died that time they canceled the warranty and refunded what I paid for it. GE repairman became my best buddy, supplying me with the most expensive common failure items so I've kept the second one going for 11 years. If the parts I've ordered don't fix it, it's going to the farm up north where it can frolic with all the other appliances.
Drives, at least we have the garage microwave so I can still have my diet popcorn at night.
The first GE Profile microwave suffered the electronic panel failures as well as the thermostat failures but the second one has only had the [$300] electronic panel failure so this is new. I did the the same repair as your wife but only used compressed air to dry the ribbon cable connectors. This time the microwave is dead as a doornail so I'm starting with a suspect fuse. We'll see later how it goes later this week.
John, thanks for stopping by. Doing my best to get better.
Stewart, I settled for the Amazon Basics line of designer diapers. Not as trendy as Depends but so far the house is puddle-free. It was a great day meeting the core Florida GJers at Don Garlits' museum and all of you impressed me. Then again, I think we were all on our best behavior that day.
gilr
Well-known member
Hi Bob,
I'd be curious to know which part actually failed. I vote for the fuse as you say nothing is lit up, I'd try that first.
I'd be curious to know which part actually failed. I vote for the fuse as you say nothing is lit up, I'd try that first.
PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Bob, glad to hear that your surgery went well; listen to Warden Heine. She wants you up and out in the shop even more than you do… no setbacks allowed!
sawduststeve
Well-known member
Jump in the pool and check for leaks
I’m so doing that with tyres in the future, it’s so funny, thanks Bob.
Take care fella, rest and recuperate.
steve
Gil, even though the other suspects have arrived, I'm going to wait for the fuse before I take anything apart.
Scott, thanks for stopping by. I believe you're right. The warden is compiling a secret list of projects and repairs to be started the day the 'all clear' siren sounds. August 11 I'll start lifting eleven pound stuff!
Steve, it's been awhile. Hope all is well with you and your wonderful family. I am going to give the pool a try. So far I have only one leak and that's normal, if currently a little unreliable.Jump in the pool and check for leaks
I’m so doing that with tyres in the future, it’s so funny, thanks Bob.
Take care fella, rest and recuperate.
steve
Dan in Pasadena
Well-known member
Bob, I’m glad to hear you’re feeling better.
We currently have my girlfriend’s 99 year old mother in hospice care at our house and my girlfriend and some of her many siblings are caring for her, changing diapers, etc. The whole idea of one day living long enough to have to rely on others for such REALLY does not appeal to me. In fact the only thing worse is the alternative!
As for cars melting away from the top down - my dad always claimed you wax your car PRIMARILY to give the sun something to “eat” instead of the paint. He claimed that the shine was just a side bonus. I’ve alway remembered that and I try to wax a single panel each time I wash my cars. I default to the roof, trunk or hood since they get the most exposure to sunlight. Since California is known for its dirty air and we used to live right next to a freeway with all those cars kicking up dirt, I clay bar often too. After I wash, I make a new bucket of suds and use that to lube the clay. Works great, get the sticky dirt, airborne lead an acid rain particles off. (Knock on wood) I’ve never had an issue with auto clear coat flaking off.