tomorrow Steven. 18 eh! A fellow Aquarian to boot! My Birthday is in two days on the 29th. I'll be 63.
It was 1975 when I was 18. Man, I wish I could go back to that age. I was in high gear, starting to take on the world. I was driving a 1962 Ford Comet that my Dad had kind of held on for me to use. I also had a Honda 500/four motorcycle that I road almost everywhere. Dad got rid of the car once he saw I didn't use it much. Two-speed automatic it was, got me to the ski slopes.
I had started working 40 hrs a week at a city-owned golf course the previous April near the end of grade 10. 12 hours Saturday, 12 hours Sunday and three shorter after school shifts during the week working in the pro-shop. I got full city union wages and was in heaven. I remember a couple of times they had real labour shortages and ask if I would hop on one of the mowers for a few hours and got even more hours.
Been talking to the kid, last Saturday Ottawa was the coldest capital city on Earth. He is changing his mind about liking Ottawa.
I remember working endless hours at the airport out in the cold. It would be just a bit below freezing with a 30knot wind and after endless double shifts and being up all night a bed was all you wanted. I worked 26 1/2 hrs straight once, 24hrs of that was triple time.
I had my own parking spot right at the terminal and sometimes I would hit the exhaustion wall and go in a tell the boss I was tagging out for a month and just get on a plane. I almost always had a go bag in the car that I could grab. I had worked 18 hrs and in the morning was at one of the airlines and overheard them saying they had a half full 757 to Honolulu and could take more cargo than usual. I grabbed my bag and was on that flight. Instantly fell asleep on the plane and woke up in Hawaii six hours later.
That first night I grabbed a huge quart size Pina colada and went down to the beach and watched the sunset. I thought I had gone to heaven as ten hours earlier I was a frozen popsicle in the Great White North.
I found this video that reminds me of that one trip in particular. I will often watch it to put me to sleep at night. Takes me back to those days of being young, single and able to do whatever I wanted when I wanted. Good times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xxhdE0gkDw&fbclid=IwAR0ot-P-zFiFgsy9qGnHSqLhhSKil1yk9rWQCnfq2wu1RxG5zmPSWvg5KAY
Make it full screen and turn up the sound to hear the waves and the birds.
I have been to Hawaii probably at least 30/35 times as it is a short easy cheap hop from Vancouver. Most of those times I just got on the plane and got the hotel and jeep when I got there. Like I said I wish I was 18 again, I did my first spur of the moment Hawaii trip when I was 19. Left Dec 1 and returned the 23rd 1976. Good times for sure.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
SeeYou190If these arctic conditions persist I might need to relocate further south.
Uhhh, Cuba?
Sorry, couldn't resist. Last Friday it got up to 4C here. Heat wave! Now it's back down to -10C. Normal!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
hon30critterUhhh, Cuba?
I hear Caracas, Venezuela has some deals on right now.
I was there in much better times and even then I had no desire to ever return. Most third world countries are very safe and quite charming, not that one. Costa Rica is on our short list.
SeeYou190Radial arm saw. . I was cutting a thin piece of material, and it split just as the cut was almost complete.
Kevin! Ouch!! My condolences!
My sister in law calls them 'Radial Alarm Saws'. They do deserve a lot of respect.
Many years ago I was using a molding head on my RAS to make some door trim. Things were going well until I realized that the arm travel clamp had come loose and the blade was wandering across the board. If I had allowed the board to back up even a fraction of an inch the blade would have grabbed the board and fired it back at me, no doubt in spectacular fashion! Fortunately Dianne was on the other end helping to pull the boards off the table. I told her to hang on tight while I hit the off switch. I never used the molding head on the RAS again.
In my youth I managed the Hardware Dept. in a couple of Sears Canada stores. One day a customer came in with his jaw wired shut. He was livid that Sears would sell such a dangerous piece of equipment. He had fed a 2x8 into his brand new Craftsman RAS in the wrong direction and the saw grabbed it and fired it against his garage wall. The 2x8 hit him squarely in the jaw when it rebounded.
I saw a picture one time of a 2x8 or there abouts sticking through a hole in a cinder block wall. You guessed it, wrong feed direction. What made the situation notable was that on the other side of the wall there was a car. In addition to going through the wall, the 2x8 had also gone through both the passenger and driver's side closed windows!
BATMANMake it full screen and turn up the sound to hear the waves and the birds.
Dianne and I used to camp at Agawa Bay on the east side of Lake Superior. Our favourite campsites were those that were right on the beach. We had many pleasurable evenings watching the sun set and listening to the waves.
One night however, things got a little fiesty. After we had gone to bed the 'breeze' turned into a full blown storm and the tent began to shake pretty badly. I decided that I should check the pegs to make sure they were still stuck in the sand, so I stood up to go outside. At that exact moment the tent pegs let go and the wind proceeded to wrap the tent around us. In fact, Dianne was wrapped around my legs! Getting out of the tangled tent took a bit but we eventually managed to free ourselves. We decided to move the tent further inland to where I knew the ground was firmer, and we managed to get the tent set up again. However, the devil is in the details. In addition to the trauma of having the tent fold up on us, we were both as naked as new born babies throughout the whole ordeal, and the urgency of the situation precluded finding clothes in the tangled up tent. Fortunately, nobody came to our aid.
NWP SWPTomorrow is my birthday, but not just any birthday, my 18th birthday!
Steven!!
Congratulations kiddo!! Enjoy yourself!
hon30critterwe were both as naked as new born babies throughout the whole ordeal, and the urgency of the situation precluded finding clothes in the tangled up tent.
Honey! Grab the tent pole! Honey! That's not the tent pole!
Steven!
My 18th birthday was in 1974, that´s an awful lot of years ago! The world was quite a different one then, neatly separated between the free West and the not so free East. Still, I am inclined to say that times were better back then - maybe because we were still warriors, nort worriers.
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
BATMANHoney! Grab the tent pole! Honey! That's not the tent pole!
Very funny!
This will be the one time that Dianne reads my posts. I'll have to figure out where to hide!
Tinplate ToddlerI am inclined to say that times were better back then - maybe because we were still warriors
I agree. Back then if wanted something we had high energy and good health at our disposal. We wanted something, we just went out and worked hard and got it. Not so much anymore, now where are those pain pills. Brain still says GO-GO-GO! Body says slow-slow-slow.
I never take naps, but I don't work at a very high rate either. It's full speed slow ahead!
Dave, I remember you saying you played Gordon Lightfoot while you studied in University. Well today my kid sent me a video of two of his roommates in their rooms studying. He just snuck his phone in their bedroom doors enough to video them. The first video caption said "Andrew, good student, good lawyer, good music. The second was Noah, good student, good lawyer, good music. They both had on Gordon Lightfoot in their rooms while they studied. I find it funny that these kids were listening to 50 year old albums while they work. Timeless.
Just picked up the guitar and played this one before bed. It's high midnight on the West Coast, time to hit the rack.
Thanks for the beautiful song Brent.
Steven.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
I must work with some hard men, Kevin, because we have a saying that if you don’t give blood, then you’re not working hard enough.
Ya, I agree Bear, but bashing a knuckle or three is a bit different than Kevin's almost taking the end of his finger off!
Here's to all the knuckles that we have collectively bashed over the years! Actually, if I were to follow through with enough shots to recognize every time I've bashed my knuckles I'd probably be dead from alcohol poisening! Mind you, I would go out with a smile on my face, a drink in one hand and a wrench in the other!
You guys are all a lot of fun! Thanks for the laughs!
BATMANIt's full speed slow ahead!
Once you are above 40 and nothing hurts in the morning when you wake up, chances are you are dead!
Once you are over 50 - proceed with caution and carefully plan any of your moves - and I mean all!
Tinplate ToddlerOnce you are over 50 - proceed with caution and carefully plan any of your moves - and I mean all!
I guess at the age of 64 with a fused spine, arthritus galore, severe back pain, a third time ruptured achillies tendon and frequent muscle spasms I shouldn't bother trying to get out of bed at all! Sometimes that is a very tempting option!
Problem is that I wouldn't be able to get to my liquor cabinet to relieve the pain!
Cheers!!
It´s called aging ain´t for the wimps, Dave - so pull yourself together and get out of bed!
hon30critterProblem is that I wouldn't be able to get to my liquor cabinet to relieve the pain!
Just move it closer to the bed, and while your up, put new batteries in the TV remote.
Mike.
My You Tube
Good Morning All,
Just a regular coffee please Zoe. Happy Birthday Steven. 18 is a good year. 1968 in my case.
Power tools are inherently dangerous but I agree the radial arm saw in particular was a bad idea. My uncle had one the summer I worked for him and it was spectacular the way it would kick lumber at you if it jammed. I was ok but just really careful after that. I had a few minor incidents in 45+ years as a mechanic and machinist but a few years back, the riggers I had hired slid a 3ton lathe onto my toes and made powder of them. I was lucky and didn't lose anything and I can predict the weather now. That and tearing my MCL loading a trailer have been the worst so I'm not complaining.
Catch y'all later, J.R.
ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
hon30critter SeeYou190 If these arctic conditions persist I might need to relocate further south. Uhhh, Cuba? Sorry, couldn't resist. Last Friday it got up to 4C here. Heat wave! Now it's back down to -10C. Normal! Dave
SeeYou190 If these arctic conditions persist I might need to relocate further south.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Canadian friends for the Arctic Blast. I would only ask if they could push it way further south so Kevin could understand what cold really is.
It will be -25 F actual tomorrow with a wind chill of -35 to -55 F depending where you live. Saturday it'll get back up to +35 degrees, Jean Jacket weather in Minnesota. We will be fishing outside the ice house with our sunglasses enjoying the weather.
TF
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Lion
I thought when your post came up on the screen you were going to take credit for the Arctic Blast. Although I always like to give the Canadians the credit, I do believe North Dakota is where it really came from. Do lions wear long johns ?
Nice modeling!
Track fiddlerIt will be -25 F actual tomorrow with a wind chill of -35 to -55 F
We're getting that on Wed., and the same warm up for the weekend.
How much snow did you end up with? Still some coming our way here. I'm going out to snowblow until early PM, until it's over.
mbinsewi Track fiddler It will be -25 F actual tomorrow with a wind chill of -35 to -55 F We're getting that on Wed., and the same warm up for the weekend. How much snow did you end up with? Mike.
Track fiddler It will be -25 F actual tomorrow with a wind chill of -35 to -55 F
How much snow did you end up with?
Only 4 to 5 inches. The roads were better when the snow was on them. Being that it's so cold the plow trucks turned the snow into a hard pack glare white ice. Extremely slippery, even in a four-wheel drive.
I know you know the road salt and chemicals don't even work on the roads when it's this cold
PS. I take this weather as kind of an adventure. I always have the Carhartt's and Sorels in the truck this time of year in case anything happens. We are going to the grocery in a little while to see if there's any Munchies left from everyone's last minute shopping Quest last night.
Just lots of of rain here, but it´ll get below freezing, so the roads will be iced up in the morning. We will have to do a grocery run tomorrow morning, so that´s going to be an adventure!
Petra and I have come to the conclusion that we should no longer follow a dream which is not likely to happen. We have to settle into what is coming at us and try to make the best of it, whatever that will be - we don´t know that yet!
Found an interesting video showing steam engine maintenance. It explains quite nicely why steam stood no chance against Diesel traction!
Enjoy! (I like the clean British accent of the narrator!)
Thanks Alrich
I never thought about such high maintenance to these incredible machines. Wondering how long until that maintenance was scheduled again.
Enjoyed. TF
Track fiddlerWondering how long until that maintenance was scheduled again.
About every two weeks the engines had to go for a boiler wash!
hon30critter I must work with some hard men, Kevin, because we have a saying that if you don’t give blood, then you’re not working hard enough. Ya, I agree Bear, but bashing a knuckle or three is a bit different than Kevin's almost taking the end of his finger off! Here's to all the knuckles that we have collectively bashed over the years! Actually, if I were to follow through with enough shots to recognize every time I've bashed my knuckles I'd probably be dead from alcohol poisening! Mind you, I would go out with a smile on my face, a drink in one hand and a wrench in the other! You guys are all a lot of fun! Thanks for the laughs! Dave
Tool injuries over the years occasionally happened no matter how safe I was trying to be. Safety glasses, ear protection and yes, later I found out, sometimes gloves!
I've had too many tool injuries over the years to list them all. Luckily (I'm going to knock on wood) only one was very serious.
The runner-up, .... I was ripping a piece of exterior brick molding through the table saw. The window sandwiched into the soffit so the trim had to be ripped down. I learned that day you miter the 45s on the ends (after you run it through the table saw). It kicked out of the saw and went into my stomach about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch.
Luckily it was a blunt piece of exterior brick molding. I'm sure a piece of Oak interior casing would have went into my stomach a lot further.
This is not a picture of Brent's tent pole
It is a picture of my right index finger.
Look closely, I had a good surgeon and it has healed nicely over the years. You can see the scar that looks like a ring around my finger. My finger was hanging by a thread of skin after a 4 inch grinder stone (you know the thin ones) exploded and ripped my finger off shattering the bone. Welding gloves were learned to be worn using grinders after that. It has never been the same, but it still works.
There has always been a rule in my home. Some Scotsman have no liquor cabinet! (The rule), only bring home enough alcohol you can safely consume in one night and still feel good the next morning. That rule was broken while my finger was healing.
When the Vicodin wore off and my finger started to throb, .... well, .... candy is dandy but liquor is quicker