Above 1200 Sq/FT Cleaning Up My Shop

[oldironfarmer]

Looks like Hershey has a new pack to hang with. Pretty friendly AND they share their grub.

I've not had a dog hang out with cows before. We have 5 heifers and a steer in the trap by the house. Those are who she is eating with. Later in the day they'll be grazing and she'll just be sitting out among them but will come running if she sees me. I don't think she's guarding them, but they do appear to be friends.

Glad you're getting better.

Ducting looks good. The welding and sheetmetal practice on the Studebaker appears the be paying off elsewhere!

200 pages of thread! Just saying.

Thanks! I've definitely been bitten by the MIG bug.

Hmmm, 200 pages. Who would have thought it would come to this? But the shop is pretty much cleaned...

Andy: i might have thought of that fix if I had your welding skills and your GET R DONE attitude. nice looking damper and i bet it will a lot easier to open and close than my rod idea.

so you can feed Hershey (your best friend) when you feed the cows now? nice trick

you deserve a little break and i hope you kick the cold 100% so you can enjoy your holidays with your family and bride.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Guster: don't let that get to Andy's head cause i view 100 posts per page (yes it's a setting in your GJ profile the owners added recently) so Andy only has 40 pages with my settings. he still has the gift for gab and the skills to keep us all coming back to see what the HAY he's doing doesn't he?

cheers all

I don't expect to adjust the damper much, but it did turn out workable. No work today or tomorrow. We drove to Stillwater OK to get medicated mineral for the cattle. A little bit of a circus. I thought my prescription was good for a year but it turns out it is only for six months, which expired 6 Dec. So I called my vet. She was out. But they called her and she prepared another prescription and emailed it to the mill. It took an hour but we came home with the mineral. It primarily prevents anaplasmosis, a blood disease we have a round here which is fatal, spread by ticks. I've learned the hard way I have to treat the cattle for it.

Hershey still gets her dog food, but it is fun watching her steal cattle feed. They chase her away when they notice. Then she sneaks back in. Of course they fight each other for the feed too.

Dang! You cut me down to 40 pages?

Merry Christmas!!

 

[drivesitfar]

Andy: you've still got 4,000 posts (40 pages x 100 posts per page) and i bet before too long you'll have a million views cause it's always interesting seeing what's going on in your world.

good to hear you didn't have a wasted trip into town.

have a good evening!!

 

[dlcwent]

I'm not sure where Drives is coming up with his numbers unless he got all of us on his ignore list. But regardless, I want to say this has been one of the best threads to ever grace the pages of the GJ. Thanks for the ride AA.

Merry Christmas.

 

[drivesitfar]

DLC: i've never had anybody on the ignore list. while you were MIA for a while GJ made a change to allow us to view 100 pages in a thread at a time hence 100 posts per page. go in your GJ profile and there is a box you can check that I did so i don't have to keep clicking page after page if i'm reading a long thread or trying to find something.

Andy: it's another great SATURDAY and hope your weather is at least as nice as it will be here today in the PNW.

which car would you drive on that 30 minute drive to St. Louis?

cheers

 

[oldironfarmer]

Andy: you've still got 4,000 posts (40 pages x 100 posts per page) and i bet before too long you'll have a million views cause it's always interesting seeing what's going on in your world.

good to hear you didn't have a wasted trip into town.

have a good evening!!

Thanks for the comments! I'm not sure I'm ready for 100 posts per page

It was gratifying that my vet came through in very short notice. She has always done me a good job, but like most people these days, she's pretty booked up so I'm grateful she worked my little emergency in.

I'm not sure where Drives is coming up with his numbers unless he got all of us on his ignore list. But regardless, I want to say this has been one of the best threads to ever grace the pages of the GJ. Thanks for the ride AA.

Merry Christmas.

He has figured out how to view 100 posts per page. And he is a speed reader.

Thanks for the kind words! I've been so busy lately I've hardly stepped in the shop. That just has to change But it's not looking good for today either. Yesterday I did spend some quality time with old friends, 30 years plus.

They warned me not to run for office...

 

[Bob Heine]

Andy, my brother, have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. Once again we won't be able to get together but I hope you and Sharon understand. We made it to Orlando last weekend to see our oldest granddaughter graduate at UCF. Eight hours in the car reminded Liane she can't handle long trips. Our granddaughter seems to like graduation ceremonies because she's now going on for her Master's degree.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Andy, still trying to catch up on things on the GJ. Just wanting to say to you and yours have a great Christmas , enjoy..

Thank you so much for your support, prayers and kind words.

Regards

 

[drivesitfar]

Andy: I think you'd make an AWESOME POLITICIAN, but that would cut into your time melting aluminum, fabbing up steel and welding on old cool trucks, making brooms and of course CLEANING.

i rarely need the 100 posts per page, but it's nice to have if I'm looking up something i know is on a thread about tools where a member is needing a little help.

I know we still have a few more SATURDAYS to go, but i don't want to forget to wish you and your family a MERRY CHRISTMAS and hope 2018 is even better than 2017 was.

cheers!!

1/2: great to see you posting again all over GJ!!

DLC: you too!!

 

[oldironfarmer]

DLC: i've never had anybody on the ignore list. while you were MIA for a while GJ made a change to allow us to view 100 pages in a thread at a time hence 100 posts per page. go in your GJ profile and there is a box you can check that I did so i don't have to keep clicking page after page if i'm reading a long thread or trying to find something.

Andy: it's another great SATURDAY and hope your weather is at least as nice as it will be here today in the PNW.

which car would you drive on that 30 minute drive to St. Louis?

cheers

We had great weather today, and I did nothing but feed cows, set out hay, and take my wife out to a nice lunch at a new restaurant. For those nearby, the Grub House on the west side of Yale OK is worth driving 50 miles to eat at.

30 minutes to St. Louis I was just poking a little fun at the folks on the coasts and our European friends who have no idea how really big the flyover states really are. I worked with some blokes in Holland who planned to take an American holiday, and asked my advice. They planned to fly in to San Francisco, rent a car and drive through the giant redwoods to Tahoe then Las Vegas, see the Grand Canyon, on to Denver then circle back through San Diego before spending a day in Los Angeles. In four days. I asked them whether they would drive to Moscow and back in four days so they actually looked at the mileage and were quite surprised by the distances.

Andy, my brother, have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. Once again we won't be able to get together but I hope you and Sharon understand. We made it to Orlando last weekend to see our oldest granddaughter graduate at UCF. Eight hours in the car reminded Liane she can't handle long trips. Our granddaughter seems to like graduation ceremonies because she's now going on for her Master's degree.

And I've been telling Sharon you would roll in the driveway any minute, that you surely would not miss another holiday with us

Just like when we were kids, and you got to eat first while I stayed in the basement

Maybe New Years I refuse to give up hope. I miss you so much I keep having to reload...

Merry Christmas!! We will surely meet one of these days.

Andy, still trying to catch up on things on the GJ. Just wanting to say to you and yours have a great Christmas , enjoy..

Thank you so much for your support, prayers and kind words.

Regards

I pray for your full recovery every day.

Merry Christmas!!

 

[dchance]

Today was a great day to be out. Tomorrow may be a good day to stay in the shop, but with the holidays time in the house might be nice. ( It does take time to cook pies ).

Good news about the Grub House. Haven't been through Yale lately so will look for it.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Dwight

 

[Hubscrub66]

I finally made it! caught up. I have spent all my time on here reading only your thread. I have really enjoyed it, I have been near your area a few times, me and the wife drove Route 66 end to end over several separate trips. We finished up in LA so I drove US 64 from its end near the four corners in Arizona all the way back home in middle Tennessee ( I live right off of it). So I was close to you when we passed through, love the speed limits out west. I'm a original US Highway fan, (I think retro and old school, I was born in wrong era. I'm 35) I drive as many end to end as I can we have little ones now so I haven't been to far last couple years but we will get back on it when they can enjoy it with us. Merry Christmas.

 

[dreamingmuscle]

DLC: i've never had anybody on the ignore list. while you were MIA for a while GJ made a change to allow us to view 100 pages in a thread at a time hence 100 posts per page. go in your GJ profile and there is a box you can check that I did so i don't have to keep clicking page after page if i'm reading a long thread or trying to find something.

Andy: it's another great SATURDAY and hope your weather is at least as nice as it will be here today in the PNW.

which car would you drive on that 30 minute drive to St. Louis?

cheers

Where? I cant see it.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Today was a great day to be out. Tomorrow may be a good day to stay in the shop, but with the holidays time in the house might be nice. ( It does take time to cook pies ).

Good news about the Grub House. Haven't been through Yale lately so will look for it.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Dwight

I plan to make it to the shop tomorrow but my wife fell tonight so we might be doctoring instead. Glad we've got doctors!

The restaurant is worth a special trip.

Merry Christmas!!

I finally made it! caught up. I have spent all my time on here reading only your thread. I have really enjoyed it, I have been near your area a few times, me and the wife drove Route 66 end to end over several separate trips. We finished up in LA so I drove US 64 from its end near the four corners in Arizona all the way back home in middle Tennessee ( I live right off of it). So I was close to you when we passed through, love the speed limits out west. I'm a original US Highway fan, (I think retro and old school, I was born in wrong era. I'm 35) I drive as many end to end as I can we have little ones now so I haven't been to far last couple years but we will get back on it when they can enjoy it with us. Merry Christmas.

I'm impressed! You struggled through my thread? Now you know all my secrets

When you make it back by stop in and see us! When you were on US 64 you were about four miles from us. Where SH 99 joins 64 just west of Cleveland, OK it is a triangle intersection, one of few left in Oklahoma. Just west of that intersection is a section of old road with the concrete curbed lanes. If you check aerial photography you can see most of the old triangle. I've wanted to take the '37 there to make an old time highway picture. Maybe that will happen.

I love old highways too. One of my favorites is US 50 through Illinois and Indiana. Also US 54 through Kansas.

Thanks for the visit, comments, and Merry Christmas!

Where? I cant see it.

Third and third. Under CP, the third box down "edit options" then in the third box down "edit thread options".

 

[dreamingmuscle]

Yes found it thanks!

I'm sorry to hear about your wife's fall. Bless you for being such a faithful partner in life for her. Many men would not have the fortitude to provide the love, compassion, and support for their wives that you have shown here on this forum.

May the lord help my wife if we are ever in this situation. She spoils me so that when she gets sick or distracted by the grandkids I think the magic range is out of magic and has stopped making food. Not only that but the magic closet also stops producing clean pressed clothes. It's like they go on strike or something.

I guess I should make a new years resolution to figure out these ornery machines. But I made a new years resolution last year to not make any more resolutions.


Glen

 

[Guster]

Hope your wife is better soon and gets to have a good Christmas with you and the family.

Merry Christmas Andy!

PS. What pies do you engineer for Christmas?

 

[Vieux]

Merry Christmas Andy!

 

[dlcwent]

Sorry to hear about the wife's mishap, I do hope it isn't too bad.

Thanks for the explanation Drives.

I just realized how I can cheat and save myself a lot of typing. With all your followers here on this thread, I can make this one post to cover several.

Merry Christmas Vieux, Drives, Guster, Glen, Dwight, Hubscub, jimreed, Sublime, and all the rest of you that follow the antics of Amazing Andy.

 

[bolensboneyard]

Merry Christmas to you and yours Andy. Hope the new year will find you doing what you enjoy doing. Bobby

 

[drivesitfar]

Andy: falls can be the worst for us as we get older cause we don't just bounce up off the floor or ground like when we were kids. i hope your wife is ok and i also hope you don't fall or get hurt cause i'd hate so see you both in a retirement home and not on the farm with all your cool stuff and animals. praying your wife feels better soon!!

if she's feeling better and sounds like you are too i'm guessing it's PIE MAKING TIME?

ALL: glad i could help some of you that didn't know you could change your GJ settings to 100 posts per page which really comes in handy on some of the longer threads when searching or if you happen to have enough time to sit down and read that many.

it's creeping closer to Christmas so here's to you Andy and all of members that like to check in and see what shenanigans you've been up to on your DAY OFF (SATURDAY).

MERRY CHRISTMAS and here's to a great 2018!!

 

[Ford52PU]

Enjoy your postings.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Dennis

 

[oldironfarmer]

Yes found it thanks!

I'm sorry to hear about your wife's fall. Bless you for being such a faithful partner in life for her. Many men would not have the fortitude to provide the love, compassion, and support for their wives that you have shown here on this forum.

Thanks for the kind words, but I think most everybody finds it easy to help their mate when the time comes. My wife always told people if anything were to happen to her I'd starve. She is truly surprised she is eating so well.

May the lord help my wife if we are ever in this situation. She spoils me so that when she gets sick or distracted by the grandkids I think the magic range is out of magic and has stopped making food. Not only that but the magic closet also stops producing clean pressed clothes. It's like they go on strike or something.

And don't forget the magic pantry. There's always something there to fix for dinner.

I guess I should make a new years resolution to figure out these ornery machines. But I made a new years resolution last year to not make any more resolutions.

Well, I cheat, we have a kind lady who comes once a week to do dishes, sweep, do laundry, change the bed, and clean the bathrooms. Although I've done a little laundry she is much better. Her husband bales our hay.

Glen

Hope your wife is better soon and gets to have a good Christmas with you and the family.

Merry Christmas Andy!

PS. What pies do you engineer for Christmas?

Thank you and Merry Christmas! Doing pumpkin again for Christmas, and my wife has asked for cherry, and I may make another pecan.

Merry Christmas Andy!

Sorry to hear about the wife's mishap, I do hope it isn't too bad.

Not too bad. Black on the cheekbone and a big knot on her forehead but I'll make her a little sign to hold that says "I'm learning to follow instructions".

Thanks for the explanation Drives.

I just realized how I can cheat and save myself a lot of typing. With all your followers here on this thread, I can make this one post to cover several.

Merry Christmas Vieux, Drives, Guster, Glen, Dwight, Hubscub, jimreed, Sublime, and all the rest of you that follow the antics of Amazing Andy.

I've always told my wife cheating was ok.

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas to you and yours Andy. Hope the new year will find you doing what you enjoy doing. Bobby

Thanks Bobby! I do get to do just as I want. It is good to have a loving wife who needs me

Merry Christmas!!

Andy: falls can be the worst for us as we get older cause we don't just bounce up off the floor or ground like when we were kids. i hope your wife is ok and i also hope you don't fall or get hurt cause i'd hate so see you both in a retirement home and not on the farm with all your cool stuff and animals. praying your wife feels better soon!!

Thank you! She seems to be OK. I don't fall, in part due to Zumba. A little aerobic dance helps keep your balance and muscle tone. Very important in staying upright. My dad had an electric powered lift to get my mom off the floor and I've brought it here. However I haven't bought new batteries for it yet but when it becomes a struggle to lift her I can get it into working order easily. It is pretty fancy and great for transferring from bed to chair, etc. I have to avoid a back injury lifting her or like you say, we'd both be in trouble. So far so good.

if she's feeling better and sounds like you are too i'm guessing it's PIE MAKING TIME?

Pies will be made Sunday afternoon so they will be fresh for Christmas day. I've got everything so maybe no last minute dash to Wal-Mart.

ALL: glad i could help some of you that didn't know you could change your GJ settings to 100 posts per page which really comes in handy on some of the longer threads when searching or if you happen to have enough time to sit down and read that many.

it's creeping closer to Christmas so here's to you Andy and all of members that like to check in and see what shenanigans you've been up to on your DAY OFF (SATURDAY).

MERRY CHRISTMAS and here's to a great 2018!!

Actually time is flying by and Christmas is coming like a freight train and I'm still in the tunnel

Merry Christmas all!! Remember to take time to thank those who take care of you

I'm a farmer so next year is always going to be better. Otherwise we'd quit farming.

 

[drivesitfar]

Andy: in case your bride would like to get a little exercise in if she's able to i put this Stairmaster recumbent bike in my parent's house so my parents can sit and exercise. at 85 they don't get out much now that dad fell a couple years ago and broke his hip. even with his new hip and knee replacement he's still in a wheelchair, but he tries to get on the Stairmaster and pedal so i'll keep making him molasses cookies and bringing them over instead of eating them.

I haven't heard if you have any stairs to climb inside your home, but i bought this stair lift used and hooked it up for my Dad so they could get out of their car up to the living area of their home. it's working great, but still hoping Dad will walk on his own again.

I hear you on the Zumba or just MOVING in general really helps to keep us from getting old or having as many of those falls that happen with those that like to just sit.

Pies sound great!!

 

[bj383ss]

Andy sorry to hear about your wife. Hope she gets better soon and Merry Christmas from Texas!

Bret

 

[oldironfarmer]

Andy: in case your bride would like to get a little exercise in if she's able to i put this Stairmaster recumbent bike in my parent's house so my parents can sit and exercise. at 85 they don't get out much now that dad fell a couple years ago and broke his hip. even with his new hip and knee replacement he's still in a wheelchair, but he tries to get on the Stairmaster and pedal so i'll keep making him molasses cookies and bringing them over instead of eating them.

I haven't heard if you have any stairs to climb inside your home, but i bought this stair lift used and hooked it up for my Dad so they could get out of their car up to the living area of their home. it's working great, but still hoping Dad will walk on his own again.

I hear you on the Zumba or just MOVING in general really helps to keep us from getting old or having as many of those falls that happen with those that like to just sit.

Pies sound great!!

Sharon has been through multiple therapies and has several exercise routines she can do, however she has enough arthritis it is difficult for her. We have an understanding that she will exercise when she wants and I won't damage our relationship by pushing her. Thankfully we only have steps going outdoors. We have ramps for all those so if she feels like walking she can negotiate those with her walker. Our only stairs are in the shop. With no hand rails

One of my exercise routines is getting in and out of the Bobcat. If you haven't been in one, they require a little flexibility, especially if you have to get out with the arms up part way. I have to do that when getting out to cut the twine off a bale of hay. It's almost like climbing out of a manhole. It was very hard when I first got the Bobcat but it's pretty easy now. Regular exercise makes a difference!

Moving in general does help, obviously. But learning to hop on one leg while kicking the other and swinging both arms over your head in unison with the music takes it to a level above running. The cardiovascular benefit is obvious when I start handling 60 lb square bales. One is easy, it's when you are loading 50 that you know whether you are in shape. Same with unloading a ton of feed (or a trailer of 80 lb concrete mix bags)

A few years ago I quizzed my doctor as to why people had heart attacks with 90% blockage and that I didn't want that to happen while working on my roof or driving a mountain road. Why do they tell you afterward and not before. He said because insurance would not pay for the tests. I told him I would so we did a full range and had two arteries blocked 68% and 70%. He said not considered blocked until over 70%. I told him I needed the next level of test. That was a nuclear stress test where they stress you on a treadmill then inject a radioactive dye to watch how your arteries respond. Surprisingly he said my heart gets plenty of blood under load as new arteries had grown to supplement those that were blocked. Glad I had the testing done so I could quit telling the Zumba class to just roll me out of the way if I died during exercise.

Thanks for the encouragement and Merry Christmas!

Andy sorry to hear about your wife. Hope she gets better soon and Merry Christmas from Texas!

Bret

Thanks so much! In Sharon's case, Parkinson's is a progressive disease with no cure. So she can't get much better but we keep manipulating the medication to try to find the current sweet spot for her to best cope with it. Her great attitude makes such a difference and I'm thankful for that.

Before anyone feels sorry for me recognize each of you that you have a terminal condition which will end in death. It's called being alive. Ignoring it does not cure it and stewing over it does not make life more pleasant.

I was never 7'4" tall and was not destined to be a professional basketball star. That one fact alone could have ruined my life but I have somehow coped with my inability to be filthy rich playing basketball.

All things in perspective each of us learn how to live productive happy lives and cope with not being 7'4" or with having some other disability.

One of my disabilities is that all women love me (all you have to do is listen to them and be compassionate) and I have to be very careful to not break their hearts. It's a struggle but I cope with it.

Thanks, Bret, for the opportunity to express my feelings during the wonderful Christmas season. Recognize that my posts are not directed at any specific individual but are just my thoughts, in this case why I am so happy with life in general and my loving wife in particular.

I'm ready to see your truck on the road, by the way.

Merry Christmas!

 

[drivesitfar]

Andy: i have to get back to painting, but i had a few minutes to check out a few posts and saw your most recent ones. nice words as per USUAL and thank you for sharing your wife's and your life with us.

as i said before and i'll say it again you could have been a POLITICIAN even though not a PRO BASKETBALL PLAYER cause I think WOMEN are more than 50% of the vote in most areas of the USA.

you posted this paragraph: "One of my disabilities is that all women love me (all you have to do is listen to them and be compassionate) and I have to be very careful to not break their hearts. It's a struggle but I cope with it."

also just an FYI a local kid here from the PNW was only 5'8" and he became a PRO BASKETBALL PLAYER, but he could jump 5 feet in the air.

cheers and KEEP MOVING!!

 

[Bob Heine]

Andy, having seen pictures of both you and Sharon, I do believe you attract women, especially beautiful ones. Listening and being compassionate are extremely attractive traits but I think your secret weapon is listening compassionately while licking your eyebrows.

My only problem caring for my wife is that I get angry. Not at her but at myself because I can't do anything to relieve her pain. Then it's "What's wrong, you look so unhappy?" I tell her it's the dog's fault.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Andy, I hope that Sharon is doing better today.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Regards

 

[Guster]

My only problem caring for my wife is that I get angry. Not at her but at myself because I can't do anything to relieve her pain. Then it's "What's wrong, you look so unhappy?" I tell her it's the dog's fault.

Hahahaha... no I really need to fix up the fence so I can get a dog!

 

[don long]

Andy
I'm glad that you are happy with life because your humor helps the rest of us enjoy ours. I always smile when I see you have stopped by my thread because you always have something nice or funny to add to it.
Merry Christmas

 

[oldironfarmer]

Andy: i have to get back to painting, but i had a few minutes to check out a few posts and saw your most recent ones. nice words as per USUAL and thank you for sharing your wife's and your life with us.

as i said before and i'll say it again you could have been a POLITICIAN even though not a PRO BASKETBALL PLAYER cause I think WOMEN are more than 50% of the vote in most areas of the USA.

you posted this paragraph: "One of my disabilities is that all women love me (all you have to do is listen to them and be compassionate) and I have to be very careful to not break their hearts. It's a struggle but I cope with it."

also just an FYI a local kid here from the PNW was only 5'8" and he became a PRO BASKETBALL PLAYER, but he could jump 5 feet in the air.

cheers and KEEP MOVING!!

I could never be a politician I just can't hold my tongue around idiots.

I understand, the 7'4" figure was just an illustration. The point is that you can really be discouraged by unrealistic expectations.

Andy, having seen pictures of both you and Sharon, I do believe you attract women, especially beautiful ones. Listening and being compassionate are extremely attractive traits but I think your secret weapon is listening compassionately while licking your eyebrows.

My only problem caring for my wife is that I get angry. Not at her but at myself because I can't do anything to relieve her pain. Then it's "What's wrong, you look so unhappy?" I tell her it's the dog's fault.

There is a little frustration at being unable to do what you can't. Pretty hard when you can't relieve the pain.

Andy, I hope that Sharon is doing better today.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Regards

Thank you! She is amazingly fine today and happy.

Hahahaha... no I really need to fix up the fence so I can get a dog!

Andy
I'm glad that you are happy with life because your humor helps the rest of us enjoy ours. I always smile when I see you have stopped by my thread because you always have something nice or funny to add to it.
Merry Christmas

What kind words! Thank you When asked my mother-in-law would say all she needed was a few kind words. A wise woman!

Thanks for all the comments, guys!

 

[oldironfarmer]

We're having cold rain today and I finally had some time in the shop.

The transition from the vertical duct to horizontal includes a change of dimension. So I decided to make one large sweep. It's a little too big for my flashing I'm making it out of so I had to lay it out on the angle. You can see the original edge of the flashing lined up with the edge of the bench.

Cut some wafer board for forming a flange. I figured the wafer board would be strong enough to form 30 gauge.

It worked pretty good

I smoothed it out with a shrinker and mounted it

From the other side

Made the flange 1/2" on the other side so it went a lot easier.

And mounted it

 

[oldironfarmer]

Underneath it's a short radius.

I had to make a zee on the top end of this bottom panel so I could screw it from below.

The top went on pretty easily so we're done. A little crooked and a little wrinkled but it will move the air

Here's the other view with the bypass damper open

It was a good exercise, I learned a little more about sheet metal. We complicated things a bit by making the outlet duct a different dimension that the feed from the heater. The transition worked out ok but a little rough. The next guy can take it out and do it right.

Now it's back to the Studebaker-Dakota marriage.

 

[Lyndon]

Sharon has been through multiple therapies and has several exercise routines she can do, however she has enough arthritis it is difficult for her. We have an understanding that she will exercise when she wants and I won't damage our relationship by pushing her. . . . . . (snip)
.
.
.
.
.
.
Moving in general does help, obviously. But learning to hop on one leg while kicking the other and swinging both arms over your head in unison with the music takes it to a level above running. The cardiovascular benefit is obvious when I start handling 60 lb square bales. One is easy, it's when you are loading 50 that you know whether you are in shape. Same with unloading a ton of feed (or a trailer of 80 lb concrete mix bags)

A few years ago I quizzed my doctor as to why people had heart attacks with 90% blockage and that I didn't want that to happen while working on my roof or driving a mountain road. Why do they tell you afterward and not before. He said because insurance would not pay for the tests. I told him I would so we did a full range and had two arteries blocked 68% and 70%. He said not considered blocked until over 70%. I told him I needed the next level of test. That was a nuclear stress test where they stress you on a treadmill then inject a radioactive dye to watch how your arteries respond. Surprisingly he said my heart gets plenty of blood under load as new arteries had grown to supplement those that were blocked. Glad I had the testing done so I could quit telling the Zumba class to just roll me out of the way if I died during exercise.

Thanks for the encouragement and Merry Christmas!

In Sharon's case, Parkinson's is a progressive disease with no cure. So she can't get much better but we keep manipulating the medication to try to find the current sweet spot for her to best cope with it. Her great attitude makes such a difference and I'm thankful for that.

Before anyone feels sorry for me recognize each of you that you have a terminal condition which will end in death. It's called being alive. Ignoring it does not cure it and stewing over it does not make life more pleasant.

I was never 7'4" tall and was not destined to be a professional basketball star. That one fact alone could have ruined my life but I have somehow coped with my inability to be filthy rich playing basketball.

All things in perspective each of us learn how to live productive happy lives and cope with not being 7'4" or with having some other disability.

One of my disabilities is that all women love me (all you have to do is listen to them and be compassionate) and I have to be very careful to not break their hearts. It's a struggle but I cope with it.

Recognize that my posts are not directed at any specific individual but are just my thoughts, in this case why I am so happy with life in general and my loving wife in particular.

Merry Christmas!

Andy

That was a mighty powerful, and as usual, comedic, post. I read it a couple of times. I love your attitude to life and the challenges it presents, especially with an unwell partner. I haven't got that problem, but I certainly tested Irene a few years back!

I too underwent a shed load of heart tests before my big op, including a stress test on a treadmill with strange things coursing through my veins and attached to a computer by about 100 wires - and I passed with flying colours, actually!

And on that note - I hope you and Sharon (and the rest of the Andy clan) Have a Happy cold, Christmas, and a great productive, and healthy New Year.

I look forward to your posts constantly, even if I don't reply (that's mainly because I haven't a clue about what you are doing, and if I chimed in - I'd probably make myself look stupid - or stupider).

Lyndon
From down here in the hot Southern Hemisphere!

 

[slimpickins]

Andy,
Just caught up on the last half-dozen pages or so. Laughed more than once and I think I'm glad I missed the discussion on idiot drivers. OMG, idiot drivers drive me crazy. Particularly slow pokes that are afraid to hurt their car by stepping on the gas - going so slow they'd have to speed up to stop!

I could never be a politician I just can't hold my tongue around idiots.

I'm with you on never being a politician for the same reason you cite, as well as too many people knowing too many stories about me.

Reading your thread is entertaining and educational as always Andy!

Thanks and best wishes for the holidays!

Cheers!

 

[BUGTHUG]

Andy,your lovely wife, family, friends and acquaintedence 's, and animals, hope youall have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! May everyone be blessed with good health, and happiness.
Have a safe, and plenty of good times in the shop. BUG(Herb)

 

[bolensboneyard]

Andy keep the faith, as I know you will. I have found that we, as lovers of fixing things, become extremely frustrated at times when we are challenged with rescuing the prize we most treasure; our loved ones. I also believe many of us have chosen this path because we ourselves started out as "Broken" toys. This has so affected my own life that I am currently writing a book about it. (270 pages and counting) I can only add; continue to be their gift under the tree, it's everything you can do; it's all they've ever wanted anyway; it's the culmination of every effort we have ever put fourth; the joy of knowing we did not choose indifference; we cared! Merry Christmas!

 

[drivesitfar]

Andy: nice work completing the venting for your stove to your duct into the other part of your building. i have a few questions and i hope they don't sound TOO DUMB.

what's a shrinker? and is it the tool that put the X's in the panels and any pictures of it?

i understand about the holding your tongue part and i'm still trying to think more before i speak (or type).

I hope your pies turn out delicious and Christmas is a relaxing and fun day or two.

BB: nice post!!

 

[Djui5]

Good Lord, I just read this entire thread. What a journey so far, thank you for sharing your tasks with us. I look forward to more

 

[Terrick down Under]

Hey, I think you make us all happy with your written talents. To be able to say how you feel without sounding like a blubbering fool is really cool. I too would ( sorry, do get worried) when my wife is unwell, because she does so much for me. Like just over the last few weeks I have had another 3 teeth pulled because I had an abscess under each one, so they put me on antibiotics ( yeah I know that I should read the bottle before I take them), so that gave me about 50 ulcers in my mouth again. She went into town and got me some yoghurt and chocolate custard so that I would not starve, before I even knew she had gone.
I think to have a great woman like that with you makes you feel 7'4" and bullet proof.
Anyhow the sun is coming up and the dogs want to go outside, I know you will have a Merry Christmas and a Even better New year, but I just gotta say it!

 

[sawduststeve]

Andy,
Some eloquent words, thanks for sharing. I'm sure your wife says you're ten feet tall and everything you do is a slam dunk.*
Great work with the heater ducting, how's the dust extraction working, it was a grand day when ours went in , though to be honest it was probably a bit late as I'm sure I'm full of dust.

May I wish you and your family, seasons greetings and good health in 2018.
Merry
Steve.

* I played basketball for my county when I was a teenager, I'm hoping the terminology is correct.