Coffee Shoppe XXIV


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Rex- I mustve missed your post, im sorry to hear about your mother in law as well.

Jim- Youve got it! Dive down between 8 about 15 ft and just start digging for that ball of roots, which can go about 5ft down! The problem then is that you cant see so as soon as you start digging so its almost impossible to see anything so i have to just keep grabbing. I quickly realized i need to find something better. I wound up with a tow behind rake to cut the weeds. Think of a cerated mower blade. Anyways, this gets held in one hand and i steer slowly with the other. Its actually pretty easy. The weeds float up to the top and then i just go over and scoop them up and put them in the buckets afterwards. Disposal is pretty easy, i let them dry on the dock or patio for 30-45min and then put them in garbage bags. Whatever happens to them after that is up to the customer. I know one lady uses them in her garden and another just puts them in with the trash. I know i need to get ceritified, im signed up for my life guard course this year, im going to ask about that class too. My biggest problem is i hate breathing through the regulator.
 
Tomorrow is out in the field day so I am not sure when I will get to look at the forum or post.

I have to attend a status meeting for one of our projects in construction in the morning. The meetings are the usual contractor whining and crying that he can’t do this or that and us telling him to build what is on the plans and in the specs. He has got on us a few items but I think on the majority of things we have held fast. This contractor is notorious for underbidding and then crying about not making money and trying to change things to fit his needs and not the project’s. We had issues with guy and our construction unit on another project where they let him change things and in the long run many of them were dubious and are now causing problems. My supervisor has made it her mission to keep both groups in line this time. Also since this is an economic stimulus project the Feds are watching and their representative does not like the contractor either and has made it know at the meetings. He has also informed our construction people to remember who is paying the bills on this project and who has final say. When the construction people have agreed to some questionable changes he has told them that it is OK but he will not authorize payment and if they do it they have to find the money elsewhere. It is great fun to watch so many know it alls squirm when they are forced to do things according to the rules.
 
Terry, I knew I read something about how RV 50 amp service stands are really 240 volts that get magically split up into two 120 volt legs, but that's about the amount of my electrical know-how. :) I'd love to take you up on your offer to install a service stand and help with the bed. If I can't finally get it done, it may be worth the price of an airline ticket to get your help. We have one RV service place down here and they are not exactly top notch mechanics. I really love this Trek, but I have thought about shoving it off a cliff a few times in the past few weeks.

Matt, sounds like pretty tough work no matter how you do it. I guess the good thing is that they'll keep growing back, assuring you of good repeat business. :D What kind of regulator are you using. It is a little harder to breathe through any regulator if you're doing actual work, but breathing through a regulator at less than one atmosphere should be reasonably easy unless you've got an old or defective regulator.

Ah, yes, Tom, the old "We'll bid it low and change order them to death" routine. The contractors hated it when I was in charge of approving change orders. As long as it's right in the plans, do it right when you build it. Whether or not they made a profit wasn't my problem.

It's all the way down to 82 outside, so I can go out and attack the bed again once the Trek cools down to 82 with all the windows open and fans running. The NHC has now made Tropical Depression Five out of that disorganized mess in the Gulf. The computer models have it doing everything from doing a loop de loop over Alabama to heading back to Florida, a sure sign of a storm with no real center when it's only 48 hours away from landfall. The NHC will do it's darndest to find one tiny piece of this thing with sustained winds of 41 mph so it can be named Danielle before it dissipates. Since the NHC has predicted 18 named storms, and this would only make 4 by the middle of August, political weather forecasting is what's being done now. A central theme for the climate change adherents has been that we'll have more and larger hurricanes every year due to global warming. They latched on to that after 2005, a bad year for hurricanes. Since then, there have been less storms, and the storms that have formed have been smaller and had less energy. This year, we've only attained half the normal accumulated cyclone energy that the global warming models predicted. Gotta do something to get those numbers up to keep those research dollars flowing. :rolleyes:
 
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Littlefoot14 said:
My biggest problem is i hate breathing through the regulator.
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Now, you could check and see if the government would out fit you with some gills! The government is always looking for test subjects.....I might go for the gills too, Living here in Florida they would come in handy!
 
Jim- Its not as bad as it sounds, but its tedious and needs to be done right and in a really specific pattern or its not effective. Its sort of like mowing a lawn underwater. You can make a pass in any direction through it, but its not going to be very efficent if you dont go in a semi-paralell line. Im not using any regulator at all. This was just diving down with a mask and holding my breath. That usually allowed me to get down, work for 10-15 seconds, and come back up for air. The obvious problem with that was that it wasnt very efficent either. I only bring my mask now in case i drop a tool off the boat.

Chris- You get gills first, then ill see if i want to look into a pair :D
 
Chris,
Put me down for a pair of gills too. With 12" of rain in the last 3 days I'm going to need them!!! The little creek that runs by my place is normally about dry this time of year, but today the water rescue dive team is looking for the last 3 people of 13 that were washed away in their cars when the creek flooded over the road. This will not end well.

John
 
Good morning. It's 80 and partly cloudy. The high will be 99 with a 111 heat index. There's a 50% chance of rain this afternoon.

Well since I can't walk today I busy myself with turning one of my GP7's into a cabless B unit. That shouldn't be difficult. I should be able to get some handrail pieces from a scrap unit. No word on the car today. It still sits dead as a rock in my parent's driveway and I don't really care if it never runs again. It would cost around $500 just to fix the fuel pump problem and I'm not willing to put that into it. It's 16 years old and has over 330,000 miles on it. I feel it's day is over. I'll salvage some parts from it before it goes to the scrap heap however. The pusher fan on the front of the radiator will be one of them. I'll also pull several relays. The 2-way radio, airhorn and light bar will also be coming off. The backup lights will also be coming out. They're 55 watt halogens and aren't cheap. I can put them in the van as backup lights and really light up someones world when I back up.

http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv186/Running-Bear/P1011216.jpg
 
Yeah Jeff, at 330,000 miles expensive repairs just don't make sense anymore. Good luck with your van.

We're at 92 degrees, feels like 103. I think I'll try to stay out of the sun today.
 
The G' men turn my Gill order down! They said, "I would cause the world way to much trouble!" They're right, I would have fun Drilling holes in the bottom of ships! Hehehehehehe... But you guys might get a pass, you guys are top drawer and wouldn't cause problem's wood ya?
 
94 here at the moment, feels like 100. Expecting a high of 100 with an index of 112.

My nephew will be heading out to 'Mud Fest' this weekend in Opelousas. He was getting his two mud buggies ready this morning. He says he'll be going by the scrap yard today to find the parts I need for the van. We'll see.

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jeffrey-wimberly said:
94 here at the moment, feels like 100. Expecting a high of 100 with an index of 112.

My nephew will be heading out to 'Mud Fest' this weekend in Opelousas. He was getting his two mud buggies ready this morning. He says he'll be going by the scrap yard today to find the parts I need for the van. We'll see.
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Do you think those Festivas will run long enough to get to the mud? Much less go through it?:rolleyes:
 
bnsf971 said:
Do you think those Festivas will run long enough to get to the mud? Much less go through it?:rolleyes:
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Oh, you don't know those two little monsters. They've been stripped down to almost nothing. My nephew an done of his friends can get on each end of either one and lift it off the ground. The engines (1.3L) aren't stock. They've been bored out and larger pistons put in and the compression has been jacked up. The estimate on them is slightly over 100 hp. Both have Mazda drive trains.
 
Jeff- That certainly seems like more of a speed machine then a power and torque. I guess it really depends on your gears more than anything. Speed isnt a problem if the goal is to fly through the mud, but once your in it and the mud can kill your momentum, then your effed. You said everything is stripped out of them, which makes them lighter for speed, but also means less weight on the axle for traction. I can see what your nephew was trying to build here, and i get the concept. Ill be interested in hearing how it went.


Well, spent the day just relaxing around the house and not doing a whole lot. I did some research on some stuff ive been considering parting ways with. Tommorow i have to go to the bank after my check comes. Ive got to work on summer work sometime tommorow too.
 
Littlefoot14 said:
Jeff- That certainly seems like more of a speed machine then a power and torque. I guess it really depends on your gears more than anything. Speed isnt a problem if the goal is to fly through the mud, but once your in it and the mud can kill your momentum, then your effed. You said everything is stripped out of them, which makes them lighter for speed, but also means less weight on the axle for traction. I can see what your nephew was trying to build here, and i get the concept. Ill be interested in hearing how it went.
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The black one (that's Rhino Hide bedliner) is the mud bug. The red one is his tractor. It's used to push/pull the black one onto and off of the trailer. The tires on the black one are standard ATV tires and it's all-wheel drive. I've seen it in the mud. It's taken a lot of people by surprise by blowing through the course. I'll be surprised if he gets less than 2nd place in his class.
 
I didnt realize it was a race and not just a big party with mud. Thats what we have up here. In that case it should be fine. I thought it was a place to just ride around and go through the mud, now that i know what it is it sounds like a good set up.
 
Littlefoot14 said:
I didnt realize it was a race and not just a big party with mud. Thats what we have up here. In that case it should be fine. I thought it was a place to just ride around and go through the mud, now that i know what it is it sounds like a good set up.
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They do both. They have the big parties for everyone and there's a lot fun mud riding but there's also a non-formal competition for the more serious folks. First place is a small cash prize and 2nd place is bragging rights that you ALMOST beat the guy in first place. Most folks come for the parties and the beer. I'll pass.
 
Sounds like the same thing that goes on up here in the summer. Ive been invited a few times to go but never really was into that sort of thing. Trail rides on the wheeler are much more appealing then a mudbog in an old truck.

Do you know if Rivarossi or Bowser Steamers come in red boxes with black linings? Theres one at my "local" hobby shop for $80, ill call them tommorow because i have to talk to them about a deal for a rifle anyways, maybe i can work that into the deal.


What do you say guys? I have like a $600-800 rifle, they offered me a straight trade for a $420 rifle. Im not really comfortable with that, im thinking i ask for the rifle and locomotive, about $500. If i need to, i can sell the locomotive and get some cash back out of it. I thought about selling it, but i wont get a better price. No shops around here are buying antique rifles, and if i private sale the price will go way down because its not pristine. Ive looked at all the options, even parting it out but this seems like the best route. Id rather sell the shotgun but she didnt seem very interested in it. Ill ask her about it again tommorow. Nothing is definet, but id like some suggestions about this.
 
Littlefoot14 said:
Sounds like the same thing that goes on up here in the summer. Ive been invited a few times to go but never really was into that sort of thing. Trail rides on the wheeler are much more appealing then a mudbog in an old truck.
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Here's a link to a site on Louisiana MudFest. Watch the videos and you can see how wild it can get. Louisiana MudFest is in Colfax on August 13 and 14 this year.
 
Hey ya Jim...Things here in Colorado are ducky. I can't complain about the heat. I think we've only gone over 100 once or twice this summer. Some days have seemed pretty warm, but all in all it's been pretty nice.

I have busy with a move. I hate moving. Yuck! I suppose it is a great way to get rid of a lot of stuff that I haven't used in a long time, but I still don't like it :eek:

The painting is all done and everything is nearly in its place. Laid sod last week and that was a chore. It took 3 of us about 3 hours so that was not too terrible either :rolleyes:

Hope everyone is handling the heat/rain okay :)

Sandy

She does not like to share 'her' space!
 
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