1 week WARNING!!!!!!

Only 1 week until the event of the season, that's right, HALLOWEEN is 1 week from today. Time to prep and make ready for the fun.

Musings for the week

*** New Glasses...again..... A few weeks ago I finally got my new glasses which took several weeks to arrive in the first place. It took only 4 days for the lens to fall out when a screw came loose. A trip back to the optometrist office led to a 30 minute wait as they wrestled with trying to fix them and an order for a new pair of frames. Another 4 days and the lens fell out again..... New frames are in, shall we see if the lenses stay in like they are supposed to...

*** License Renewal.... If you ran a company that sold something that everyone had to have wouldn't you want to make it easy to get? I had to renew my drivers license this year, the dreaded trip to the Drivers License Station..... Kansas has this new cell phone text "virtual line" system, where the systems text you with your position in "line" and an estimated wait time. My original wait time was 52 minutes, actual wait time was 150 minutes. If it was a private company running this place people would find a new place to shop, why can't government learn from the private sector...

*** Weddings.... Why is it that at weddings the "ODD" members of the family show up?

  Heather got it right when she gave Brandon this during the ceremony

*** Doctors visits.... When mom asked for a ride to the doctors office so she could get a flu shot I didn't hesitate in saying yes, no questions asked. And when we got there and it was at the research center in the same building as her doctors office I didn't ask questions. But it's a little unnerving as you sit in the waiting room for an hour after they take her back to a room "to get a flu shot".... I wanted to go to the desk and tell them to give me my mommy back.....

*** Blown tires.... It is never a good night when you hear a huge bang, look in the mirror and see nothing but dust, smoke and sparks....and it gets worse when the shop calls you back and says the tire guy is busy and won't be there for 2 hours. It's hard to get a "GOOD" nap in a drivers seat of 1 of our trucks but a nap can be achieved.

*** Phone surveys and telemarketers.... I thought when I signed up for both the Kansas and federal "No Call List" I would not get those annoying calls anymore..... And if you are going to call me at least say my name correctly.... Better yet, DON"T CALL ME, my credit cards are fine, I WILL NOT VOTE FOR YOU, and I don't want to take your survey or get the prize I "WON" for answering your questions

Take my rant with a grain of salt, better yet, salt the whole rim of the glass

and enjoy that margarita.....

Finished my part...

I finished my part of the shed build at the kids house. I closed in the gable ends and sides between the rafters and built and hung the door. Now THEY get to paint it. Not a bad shed for less than $100. The rest of the story is here... http://emptynest3821.blogspot.com/2012/09/recycling.html

Color Change

It's getting to be that time of year when the cool nights and warm days bring the colors of fall.

A "chance" of rain....

Ok, yes there was a chance of rain today, but in my own defense I did look at the radar BEFORE I took my ride and there was no sign of rain when I got dressed to go. 2 and a half miles from home I started getting sprinkles, decided to cut my ride short and turned for home. Less than 3/4s of a mile later the sky opened up and the rain poured down.... I took refuge under a tree and waited the worst of the rain out.

And now the ethical question....

Do I wash my wet clothes or just throw them in the dryer

and call it good?

Why I'm a Carpenter NOT a Mechanic...

Nora lost the water pump on the Outlook Monday, I spent Tuesday looking to make sure thats what was wrong, looking for a repair manual, and starting to take it apart. While looking online to find out which way to get to it I saw where someone had posted their dealer wanted $700 to replace their water pump. OUCH!
It only took me about 4 hours of actual work and $130 in parts to change it out, thats labor of $142.50 an hour. I don't like working on cars but for that kind of labor rate I have to. It was not easy to get to as the pictures show, but I got it done.

The new water pump.

Had to take out the inner fender well and work from underneath. 

The frame was only 1 1/2" from the face of the pulley leaving very little room to work.

Lying on my back under the Outlook I could see the water pump, a lot of the time I was working by feel alone.

 Carpenter work is a lot more fun.....

Tis the Season....

Tis 

that time

of year....The 

Holiday season is

upon us. Time to decorate

the yard and house.This is just

a little of what I do, most of the decorations

go up on

Halloween day.