There was no picture taken of my shop “before.” It would be too embarrassing to reveal.
However, as I worked on my personal energy block (“Come on, fool, why not not you done this shit yet?”) it occurred to me that I had never been in quite this position before.
See, humans are limited apes. Sit me in a high-powered single-engine aircraft and no problem doing anything in the book. Accelerated stalls, slow flight, short field, aborted takeoff…all easy. Because there is nothing to remember except the pilot’s inbred programming. Imparted by a Coast Guard Commander (rtd.) and an up-and-coming bush pilot who made a life-after CFI by flying turbines through impossible conditions up North.
A Pilot’s Operating Handbook, an approach plate, a radio and backup, Is it GPS or VFR you want? No problem.
But clean shop? There was no “template.” Thus, no confidence or particular timeframe to get ‘er done.
Aging and Shop Activity
A little “mood-setting” story.
As you age (yep, I am…) you find that simple things around the house suddenly become more difficult. I’ll give you an example: effing bottle of ibuprofen. The kind with two (damn-near invisible) arrows to line up, in order to open the bottle. Under the guise of “childproofing” such genius become Senior proofing, too.
I figured out long ago that much of “how we deal with aging” has to do with how able we remain to “assign neurons to task.” Applied creativity. This is the big driver for iWAMP. Which is the habit of asking “Is What’s Around Me Perfect?” And if not, whipping some kaizen on the problem.
Sadly, for most mounting the exit ramp of life, no one shares the Big Secrets – like the real-life application of kaizen to aging. Which if you didn’t know:
“Kaizen (Japanese: ??, “improvement”) is a concept referring to business activities that continuously improve all functions and involve all employees… “
…and ourselves. Toss in being armed with a good working knowledge of TRIZ – the Russian science of Invention, and empowered to make any improvement that will help cope with aging while having more fun than ever and suddenly the “exit ramp to the Hereafter” becomes a nearly winnable game. Since you get to “roll tape” on all your solutions, share them with kin, and thus beat back frailty and other fear tools of Aging.
Oh, use whatever assistive vision tool one time to like up those ibuprofen bottle arrows and put a bold black line with a Sharpie on the bottle and a dot on the lid. No glasses needed again. Seeing how this “Anger at Aging is a chance to Applied Smarts?
Aging in the Shop is Similar
I know that my eyes at 75 are slowly declining. Already gone from 20:10 down to 20:30 (best eye) and 20:15 to 20:50 (not so best eye). So, when tackling what’s a simple chore for “the Young” – like cleaning up and setting myself up for future success in the shop – I need a design paradigm.
Two “Shop Design Concepts” came to mind. One would be construction of the New and Improved Shop to accommodate serious physical impairment. This kind of shop would be essentially a single-level, wheelchair accessible, and it would require more focus on project types.
As we have discussed before, Ure’s Machine and Woodshop can pretty-much handle it all: metalwork including cutting, welding, bending, etc. Then there’s CNC and 3D Printer Alley. Then a woodshop with multiple saws, shaper, mortiser, jointer, dedicated dado table, and so on. If you are looking at mobility impaired shop work, most all of these can be accommodated, but material changes and (with that) job strategies.
For example, impairment might mean a lot more “glue-ups” of thin stock because slamming full-sized sheets of 3/4-inch plywood around at a table saw is a hell of a lot more difficult (and did I mention dangerous?).
My problems are miniscule in comparison, but declining vision means what?
BUIS: Best Use of Storage
If you’ve worked with your hands a lot – deriving a tremendous amount of pleasure from that – you know what my “design template” is, right?
Imagine having all the materials of a Lowes or Home Depot readily at hand, and then having sliding table saws and every “power-everything” at hand along with a cloud of (scantily clad, gorgeous) assistants to shag materials and parts for you.
Be a hell of a place to “get creative” wouldn’t it?
None of us are likely to have the 120-foot squared, 24-foot high dedicated shop building envisioned. But we all have access to Amazon and Home Depot online is even better. (I knocked $40 off the Amazon price for a hand truck this week by using the HD online service, but that’s another long story…)
Fact is: George (Sr.) is aging. He needs to “get his clever on” and come up with an easy to understand how his shop shelving is being loaded.
The Concept is “Best Visual and Reach Range” and looks like this:
Key to this working? LABELS, LABELS, LABELS for anything not big and obvious.
This concept will also be getting applied to the Kitchen this summer. Bet we have (25-years of marriage will do this to you) acquired as many as 10 of the same to0ls. Which means storage is full and things we would like to use more often are sometimes on high shelves. Elaine’s had two hip replacements, so I am serious about keeping her off ladders, even the two-steppers in kitchens.
But the principle works in every room in the house, too. Things you need to see and grab – used every day – are things like toilet paper, shorts, socks, shirts, and the shoes? All slip-ons and/or Velcro closures. Might as well go with the flow of this “old-man shit” and make life easy, huh?
Now that you’ve been read-in on my mental aberrations, we may go to the shop now.
The Plan
Wasn’t too hard, really. Big gob – 2-foot high pile in the middle of the bench, a testament to much work having been recently done. But there was all this…ughh…on the bench.
We are all guilty of it, I suppose: You work until tired and simply don’t include “clean up every day before quitting” as part of the routine. Some people – Hank out on the Big Island, for example, worked in highly technical digital television and every night every bench was spotless. Or his, anyway.
In that kind of world, I’d have had to begin clean-up right after lunch. Cleaning’s never been my strong suit.
Eventually, after my forearm injury and pushing “take it easy for a while” until I began not to admire myself, it was time. A Plan was created on the spot.
While I was doing this, I realized it was good I began while I did. Already, by 2 PM, the shop was becoming a tad on the warm side.
We have had the conversation about the “best working weather.” And some of it comes from upbringing, some from race and family genetics/history. Being one of those “OPWDs” (old “privileged White dudes) I begin to get terribly cranky when the temp gets over 80 F. Northern European males are built stocky, carry generally too much, um, personal insulation, but this allows 40F and rain to be good working (or fishing) weather.
Taking on a task you’re not anxious to complete, it works best to cut it down to bite-sized pieces. Tools go to one end of the bench (right side) and the supplies and crap goes to the other (left). Tools get simply put where they “live” and if new, a home is assigned and that’s the end of half the pile.
The left side pile? You might want to consider some kitchen storage boxes. I bought some like these back in 2023 and finally, using them came up on the To-Do list. Yes, they were cheaper then, but look for deals.
The other thing to get are some 14 deep by 36 wide and 72 inch high wire shelving racks. Not too bad, again if you shop your specials.
The first step now is to take the Big Pile and make it into smaller piles with something in common that you can “index in your head.” Make your words short and descriptive.
If you’re wondering “What’s in the box of Alexa’s? Well, I keep a handful of Mi Kasa TP-Link voice-controlled switches for backups. And there’s usually one or two Echo dots (gen 2s) off eBay where they run about $15 bucks. Never have to watch for shipping, see?
If you don’t know what a solar/greenhouse clip is, and how that’s different from a fence tie (or clip) you’ll just have to work that out with your shop coach. Or assign it to your wife to decide.
The main thing is put neat labels on everything and apply the labels high up on the container so when you put short ones in front, you can see the ones behind. God, what a waste of valuable play time the “shelf shuffle” is. This is how you solve it.
Elaine’s got me on a furniture-making project next (on her list, anyway, lol). And to keep the saw and sanding dust off my neat collection there are covers you can get for the wire shelving units. These looked interesting, but two problems: first is they were 2-6 weeks out and by then the gates of hell (Texas summer) will have opened. And second, an air hose and nozzle is free. For radio gear that will also be stored on one of these wire racks, most equipment fits inside a 13-gallon plastic garbage can bag. That leaves $50 left over for the summer vodka fund.
Eye Level Matters
If this all sounds a little too OCD (“Where’s the hour a day deck, George?”) chill brethren. One step at a time.
“You have a box of stainless carabiners?” Doesn’t everyone who does ham radio antenna work? (I didn’t spell check the labels, lol.)
While I was at it, I pulled out the “most used” paints and put them in a better viewing area.
‘
Leaving the work for this morning (*before the heat comes back bringing its pal the Rainn with it) to put the labels on all the Parts Assortments that we love to keep on hand:
I think I already showed you how these little parts boxes really do become manageable with some labels, like on the shelving in my office?
Getting all the electronic parts whipped into similar shape did result in some spillover into the Guest Room. But with G2 still cranking out on site job safety at server farm builds, there’s no competition for the space.
As you can see, there was a little space spillover from adding to prepping supplies, too. Leaves us wondering which will be needed first? Prepping gear or the electronics repair stores?
OK, back to labeling and then we can move into the deck-in-an-hour but to do that, we need to have all the “back-end” stuff sorted and everything in its place.
Otherwise, you can spend an hour a day looking for the carpenter’s pencil special sharpener…if you don’t already have a “marking devices” tub within arm’s reach of your workbench. The good news is the ground screws are out and slowly moving toward the new deck site.
Wisdom of the 3806-ham radio group:
“Know the different between a cowboy and anyone else?”
“With a cowboy, the bullshit’s on the outside…”
Write when you get rich, or highly organized….
George@Ure.net
George,
Thanks! I can read your website this morning on my iPhone! I haven’t been able to do that for a while as the ads covered the screen…
I’m sure it will get hosed up again any minute…but thanks for telling. Maybe I should hold my breath and turn blue more often?
On my Samsung Android, its still a problem that mostly comes, sometimes (rarely) goes.
Is it related to zoom level BAB?
nope when I zoom in or out the ad “field” still covers 80% of screen or more. in fact I cant zoom the ad field. when I close the ad the field stays open.
See if there’s a way to click the complain – covered content – sometimes they will catch it.
George, a heads up for your storage chart. Put the lightweight stuff on the highest shelves and when you are stretching to get something down and drop it on yourself, the pain is much more manageable or alternately what you dropped is light enough that it won’t break and scatter over the floor when it hits.
GREAT pointer!
I hear ya..I had horse condoms on part and adult diapers on the other and in the center it was blue and said reply lol lol lol
That story is supposed to be:
The difference between cowboy boots and any other (work, hiking, farming, hunting/fishing, steel-toe, etc.) boots?
The BS is in the Cowboy boots, outside the rest.
Yo G,
think you be wasting Ure time cleaning up shop and organizing. One of the best methods I have found for keeping shop looking ‘tight” is to employ the FIW, just as you are done for the day in Ure shop.
FuckItWeed comes in several convenient forms and flavors; Gummies, Hard Candies, Live Resin, Sugga, Flower, and vapes.
Couple of slow relaxing pulls on the vape, and before you know it Ure shop will appear to you as “just right” with no need to do anything but go inside and find that bag of Starburst Jellybeans you got leftover and hidden from EBunny holidaze.
FIW works in pain mgt as well, you just need to increase the level of THC you bee imbibing.
As a side note/effect, you may find that locating a tool used the next time takes a lil longer than usual, as short term memory is known to go swiss cheesey when you take a lil khronic. No worries as Ure Creativity quotient will go up in relation to the decline in STM..which is only temporary…what were we talking about?
oh yeah, sticky puna buds..know you now why I call RM Hank the “Flying Hawaiian”…Kawai Electric, Maui Waui, Kona Gold..Oh My! and why Medical Marijuana(THC therapy) is good 4 da Peepers.. https://youtu.be/U_ghRx03bq0?si=6Oy-DWbn2x1_swBw
Beware of AW (Amputation Weed) in a shop environment.
RIMCL (Roiling in my chair, laughing…)
Duracell has a new “child proofing”/”senior proofing” packaging for their coin batteries. I had a heck of a time opening the package today, even with scissors.
“Duracell has a tradition of investing in extensive development in features that can help keep children safe, specifically for its lithium coin batteries. Its latest innovation is a bitter coating on the cell that is designed to help discourage accidental swallowing. Duracell also features child secure packaging which makes it nearly impossible to open with bare hands.”
https://www.duracell.com/en-us/product/cr-2025-lithium-coin-button-battery/
Seems you need a knife or scissors to open just about anything wrapped in plastic anymore. The cardboard is getting harder to tear, as well.
And as they increase package security, it seems quality control of the batteries has decreased. Now they leak excessively. Found one fresh out of the package that was oozing. I don’t buy Duracells anymore. EverReady golds are the current stock.
I have really good luck with the Chinese cheap batteries.. I bought some of the expensive ones and had to toss out over half..
I keep a razor-knife and titanium scissors by my desk, for just such annoyances.
EVERYBODY is using too-thick, too-tough blister packaging, I assume as some lefthanded attempt at theft or liability deterrence. It’s unnecessary and irritating.
Teach your children well…
George,
What’s the best email to send to?
I used: George@Ure.net – four days ago.
gure@centurylink.net is more reliable…
………, thanks. Email sent
And replied…way cool project!
………, thanks. Email sent.
thanks G, as I have already tried two other addys.
email sent, I want to send ya monies as paypal has chapped my ass twice, using them to pay you
Not too long after my consigliere Earl passed his wife Mary asked me to come by as she wanted me to give me some of his things. Among those were 12 pairs of brand new Key the Aristocrat of overalls bib overalls and a box of John Deer caps. I actually put on a pair the other day and I will admit they are very comfortable but I have to admit I can’t see me wearing them anywhere but on the ranch when no visitors are expected. While the velcro shoes are an intriguing idea they are a “doubt it”.
At breakfast I mentioned to Diana that you said us “Sesoned” handygentlemen should have scantilly clad young shop assistants so it is OK for her to come out and assist me in the shop working on her new patio furniture this afternoon after church. You can wear that bikini you got for our recent trip. I got “The Look” and was told some other time Cowboy, we are going to have supper with Mary today remember. I want to go into town first and pick up some things from Wallyorld and Kohls. I said there goes the whole day. She just stood there and lifter her tshirt up. Yep, We’re going on a 100 mile shopping trip after church.
Stay safe. 73
ha!
S’rîmad Bhâgavatam, CANTO 7, Chapter 1, Text 9
“One can understand whether a living entity is a demon or a demigod by understanding that living entity’s devotional performances. A thoughtful man can understand how much a person is favored by the Supreme Lord by seeing his actions.”
https://theageofdesolation.com/nostradamus/2024/04/26/the-road-out-of-rafah/
“It is better to judge a man by his actions., not his words.”
if actions are a measure, i spend countless hours alone with THE DUDE seeling The Truth of His Ways. seeking His rightouse purpose at every turn.
i was given a Tv. it has sat on the floor for 4 weeks now and i have yet to even plug it in.
id rather create with THE DUDE my own vision then be told a vision by pedo hollywood.
The Elders said me one day, You know why we dont have clocks? i said why? They said we live every day as if its an entire life time. one day you are living a full life hage plans etc..etx and wake up the next day living an entirely new and differnt life.
how cool is that???
“It is better to judge a man by his actions., not his words.”
i agree D’lynn.
Cash talks! Bullshit walks.
it is funny you should mention this, everytime i think, fuck i need to get to work. i need an income. then someone calls me and asks me to speak to group at rehab. the next day i say, fuck i need to figure out this work buisness. less than 2 seconds later a friend calls and asks me to help her son figure his shit out. the next day, i said i need to quit fucking around and figure this work thing out. i need an income. another person calls struggling with life and says, someone gave me your number can we meet for coffee. you come highly recomended for helping others see what they couldnt see so they can get on the right path. can you help me???
every time i say, i need to quit fucking around and find a source of steady income, less than a minute later THE DUDE sends me someone to help.
hahahahaha.
so yesterday i woke up and i said, Okay DUDE, i get it, You are not worried about my finances. hahahaa. just do The work You have for me.
less than 5 minutes later someone calls me and says I got your number from a friend. i need a miracle. can you help me??? i said sure. not sure what i can do, but im pretty dang good at participating in miracles.
3 hours later, their stuff is all sorted out and they are on their way to new and better things.
hahaha
Okay, cool, thanks!
often times in most cases, as of recently. all it takes is a simple prayer i have learned to send someone in a new exciting abundant life.
twice i have wrote a simple prayer down for them, like Doctors script.
Please.remove.my fear and direct my attention to that which You would have me be.
i said place this by your coffee pot, and read it every morning with your first cup.
a few days later, they call or text me, Wow man, iread what you wrote every day ans my life has changed so much. all these things i had not considered came into view. new oppertunities i was unaware of fell into my lap. everything is new and exciting. i feel like im living a new life
thank you so much!
to wit i reply, all i did was point you in the right direction. THE DUDE perfromed the Miracle.
(“Northern European males are built stocky, carry generally too much, um, personal insulation, but this allows 40F and rain to be good working (or fishing) weather.”)
hmm.. that’s not insulation.. the comparable real world product..is Kevlar… see from my observations I have noticed that those with rock hard an muscles ( like myself of course lol ) g that their in more danger of damaging those muscles..they are more vulnerable to severe injury.. the only answer..put your Kevlar pad over those Rock hard Ab’s to keep them safe from being damaged..
see older people develop powerful muscles that enable them to sit for long periods of time without tiring..
just travel to any truck stop you will definitely notice the powerful muscles of the drivers everywhere.
the good thing is finding the perfect mate.. the unity of youth as time flows on not only does the choices diminish but your body makes changes and a younger woman’s opinion is more Ewww…
the time to develop the commitment and trust .. my father said and taught us kids that love is an action. the feeling people call love is lust and desire. once you commit to someone pretty soon you goals and aspirations become one..
There are very few photos of me. I have one of me in my thirties as a new grandpa.. one in my middle forties.. then you see me as I am..
then the mirror..
my daughter had one of her friends over.. walking down the hall the friend stops .. looks at the photos on the wall then asks my daughter..dam who’s the stud muffin…the daughter looks over and says to her.. oh that’s dad.. she turned ten shades of embarrassment and hurried out the door..
what’s funny is in your mind your still 18.. age is not a barrier ..days of going for the leisure ten mile jog listening to the symphony of the nature around you.. while your body makes the transformation from youth to middle age then old age.
habits and activities of youth become mere memories of a life passed over. I for one am very fortunate to have met my mate.. grew our lives of youth to those of commitments.. the knowledge that in dire times not only will she stand beside me nurture me and guide me.
to many of today’s kids have the image that they don’t need to be committed in relationships or carriers..that easy sex and easy money will always be there for their continued personal pleasures and gain. they push their limits until one day ..there’s no one.
my daughters best friend has always sought out the buff good looking young man..she hasn’t committed to any carrier field the manages had all ended up gone good time Charlies only looking fora quick lay.. let her support him then leave.
now she’s in her mid fifties and its beginning to dawn on her..the younger men are not interested in a middle aged woman. her body is beginning to rebell against her past habbits.. A hard lesson.
I think about my work life hundred hour work weeks .. nothing my song ..
https://youtu.be/B4c_SkROzzo?si=Wb3NHQB64R8TSwP_
break mystride..I didn’t think I needed to stop and smell the roses. I took life and youth for granted..fortunately.. I was one to accept commitment..to my career my family and to those misfortune few that needed a hand..
the dude tells you this to.. be the change..do unto others.
(“Romans 12:1-21 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. …”)
("The other thing to get are some 14 deep by 36 wide and 72 inch high wire shelving racks. Not too bad, again if you shop your specials.")
I use those in the pantry..
https://www.amazon.com/MOOACE-Dispenser-Stackable-Organizer-Countertop/dp/B0BW82Z4MT/
you can also build them..
https://images.app.goo.gl/DrPWwiALr3HQkFei9
The lids on the prescription bottles are threaded on top and inside. Once you open the bottle, turn the lid over and screw it on. No locks, and you can now conveniently stack the bottles.
So much for my being the smart guy in the room – great one!
A pocket knife is a great tool as well..on the inside of the bottle is a locking tab. cut that down and it works like any other bottle top..you can use a stemmed tool as well .
Depends.
I have the easy snap-on/snap-off caps I was getting 40 years ago. I don’t know what CVS uses. Walgreen’s uses the reversible caps and so does Kroger.
My pharmacy is Kroger. Once I specified that I no longer wanted “child safety caps,” they switched me to the old-fashioned ones. I’ve refilled prescriptions at several different Kroger stores, and they all use the old-fashioned bottles & caps, so the specification must go systemwide…
But you have to ask…
I also, on my pharmacist’s suggestion, acquired one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B5DB7VQ
which remove the ratcheting or squeeze overlay from a screw-on cap. (It’s mild steel. Make sure you hook just the overlay and not the underlying cap.) My pill-pusher uses this thing all day long to un-childproof bottles so he can count-out and dispense pills without the hassle of the adult-proof cap.
I take Excedrin, and Bayer Children’s Aspirin, both of which have adult-proof, screw-on caps. I clean with bleach, which also has an adult-proof screw-on cap — Except none of mine do. It is a very handy little tool…
(“I also, on my pharmacist’s suggestion, acquired one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B5DB7VQ “)
dam..thanks Ray got one on the way
https://www.youtube.com/live/VxrjsgkKXs4?si=VhUqekHD6erQDKTg
Stephan Gardner has a real good video today of JFK jr. talk on biological experiments on the public.
now I worked day labor cleaning one of the decontamination tents years ago.. nasty powder burned like hell when you touched it.. shortly after working that I had to make several trips to the mayo clinic they thought I had pimphagus..
years later the local paper had a story on its having happened..
“Oh, use whatever assistive vision tool one time to like up those ibuprofen bottle arrows and put a bold black line with a Sharpie on the bottle and a dot on the lid. No glasses needed again. Seeing how this “Anger at Aging is a chance to Applied Smarts?”
Damn, I knew I came here for a reason. 82 years old and now know how to line up the white invincible arrows on the Tylenol bottle. Good for at least 15 minutes more sleep at night.
Take a Dremel Moto-Tool and remove either the tangs from the cap, or the ridge from the bottle.
This turns the adult-proof cap into just a cap.
Do this with the biggest bottle of Tylenol (or whatever) you will ever buy, then you only need do it once. When da bottle be empity, open the new bottle and dump its contents into the one you fixed. If it’s a “chalky” pill or caplet, wash/dry your rehabilitated bottle, about every fourth time you refill it.
I detest adult-proof bottles, boxes, packages, and restroom facilities, and free them from their limitations whenever possible…
https://www.amazon.com/Real-Anthony-Fauci-Pharma-Democracy/dp/B09LVYYTJJ/
I believe that’s his new book..
I remember the law congress voted in that was so hilarious..both sides on my v telling everyone how great it was.. my question was which one hated the other lol lol.. they don’t have a clue.. only one read the patriot act.. gain of function the demise of the govt. as we know it.
“ll give you an example: effing bottle of ibuprofen. The kind with two (damn-near invisible) arrows to line up, in order to open the bottle. Under the guise of “childproofing” such genius become Senior proofing, too.”
My solution was to spend a few minutes and study the cap. Hmmm, inner & outer caps… The judisous use of a pair diagonal cutter and now there’s just the inner cap and it works as required…
YMMV & Good luck to us all.
YEE!
:)
“I’ll tell you what: One of the reasons Elaine and I seldom venture off the ranch is because there are so many crazies in the world. And we don’t trust a one of ’em.”
https://urbansurvival.com/wall-street-goes-lemony-delusions-of-income
Suspected carjacker slams into NJ bar, pinning couple between building and burning car…
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/newark-bar-car-crash-saturday/5361812/
“Hank out on the Big Island, for example, worked in highly technical digital television and every night every bench was spotless. Or his, anyway.”
The nation’s first digital TV station was a design dream. Five complete workbenches for us techies… each had our own bench. Four were always stacked full of junk and tools. Mine was clean, and toolbox locked up when I wasn’t there. Well, on weekends when I wasn’t there, the techie du jour would stack broken equipment and work at my bench because it was the only available flat open space in the shop! They learned not to leave it there until Monday morning when I came to work, though, when I would migrate all their ‘stuff’ to the ‘junk table’ stacked ever higher. Soon they couldn’t find their own stuff.
At the first TV station I built from scratch, I hired an amazing techie who kept a clean workbench! Only person in 40 years of doing that work that actually did that!
I confess to sometime leaving a small pile… intending to get right back to work on something. The good news is my workbench is such a tiny closet area that it’s quick to clean up and stash stuff back in labelled drawers.
Obviously a horrible childhood – no dad putting 1700 square feet of shit in a 500 sf shop? He could do it, if it was a fire truck and had a ‘logical layout” to is. But if I so much as moved a screwdriver in the heap, it was instantly noticed! Never understood how that worked…
My wife.. put some of my tools away…still haven’t found them..
I put some important papers in a safe place once..worst mistake in the world lol
Dear William around the Ranch.
look at what someone gave me at 360 Life church today.
its a tiny little “bonzai” tree in a cork.
https://twitter.com/ore_train_11/status/1784661040414015548?t=Wu62VXfYAlCUOPCTsP2S-w&s=19
namaste
I love it! Thanks!
(One year my Christmas tree was about that size.)
(I must say, it DOES remind one more of a daisy, however.)
(Takes a lot of skill to bend that up….)
maranatha
Folks,
I put in for my public library branch waitlist of “Closer Together” by Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau after just reading last month’s writeup in “Vogue”. Who abandons Huma Abedin and guest speaker Mrs. Clinton at an Argent New York soiree to jump in a pedicab with a Danish supermodel that she just met? By the way, a dress similar to the one Ms. Grégoire styles for the “Vogue” piece appears on the fashion wears website for cad$14,400…
Set the gps for your nearest Walmart where all the good women hang out, and let’s join DJ George for today’s processional. Here we go with a number from Argent that became a big hit in Sunday temples across the land –
“God Gave Rock & Roll to You”.
https://www.vogue.com/article/sophie-gregoire-trudeau-interview-april-2024
Hard to tell what’s more cluttered – her space or Canadian domestic policy. But dressed as a red, I see…Kosack boots anyone?
Oh, God… I am just SO UN-stylish….
(I should be killed…)
(…quietly, I slip away in shame, unnoticed, hopefuly…)
Naw – you just need to join the revolution, brother…
Praying for you George and Elaine. I heard The Weather Channel report just now – rain and hail coming to Palestine, possible tornado. Rain and hail okay – tornado, no eff’n way – go away!
I started spring cleaning this weekend, with a modest two garbage bags of paper.
Killed a 2.5′ copperhead that was coiled around a floodlight. He was unusually aggressive, like a cottonmouth, but he wasn’t dark enough. Juvenile cottenmouths and copperheads look a lot alike, but this one was way too big. I’ve heard of cottenmouths climbing, but never seen a copperhead do it before. I’m several hundred yards from cottenmouth habitat. The snake ate the tweetie bird nesting on the fixture.
Tractor is down for service, gotta get it back in service and cut around trees and fence rows more closely. I haven’t had a venomous snake this close to the house in more than twenty years.
News you can’t use:
Numbers are starting to come in – close to ten thousand fast food jobs have been lost since the $20 an hour wage hike in California. And the numbers are expect to steadily increase as phone-app and on-line orders are significantly dropping due to much higher prices. [ $10 for an egg McMuffin – ? Seriously? ]
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Biden’s pick for the Supreme Court – Black, extremely liberal, Democrat, female, who can’t define “woman”., and is a strong hater of the First Amendment. Perfect choice, eh?
“Elaine’s got me on a furniture-making project next (on her list, anyway, lol). And to keep the saw and sanding dust off my neat collection there are covers you can get for the wire shelving units.”
Yeah, they’re called “drum liners.” They are extremely tough, 1-mil thick, clear, 55 or 69 gallon trash bags, available in boxes of 80 for less than $20 from your favorite farm store. If you want that bottom 18″ sealed, spring for some 3M pallet tape (Minnesota Mining’s version of Dow’s “Saran Wrap”), 6, 8, 12, or 24 inches wide, sold mounted to a handle in what seems to be about a 50,000 mile long roll for ~$7.
“If this all sounds a little too OCD…”
As I’ve tried (with limited success) to explain to my progeny, “OCD” means putting stuff back where you got it.
Last week I bought a fistful of Craftsman open end wrenches (3 each, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, and 10mm) from the local pawn shop (I paid $1 for all.)
I survived for 30 years with one set of sockets and one set of combination wrenches. Then I had kids…
BTW, note that I said I gave $1 for 12 wrenches? Two of the 7/16 and one 9/16 looked like they’d never been used. The pawn shop had piles of pipe wrenches, MAPP/propane torches, and contractor tools. I’m guessing mechanics and tradesmen are dumping their spare tools.
The summer my two sons got mini-bikes, my hand toolbox contents shrunk appreciably. For Christmas that year, they both got their own toolboxes, and mine got locked. It worked, and now at 50+, they both still take good care of their tools.
“You have a box of stainless carabiners?” Doesn’t everyone who does ham radio antenna work?”
Or otherwise. I have a few aluminum ones, suitable for attaching keys to belt loops, and not much else, but I have stainless in the shop (and my GO-BAG) because stuff like that there needs to be strong enough to lift a, er, Northern European male, or it’s worthless.
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“While I was at it, I pulled out the “most used” paints and put them in a better viewing area.”
Back to OCD: MY paint shelf looked like that until first one kid, then a second, “rearranged” it for me.
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“Otherwise, you can spend an hour a day looking for the carpenter’s pencil special sharpener”
My portable “carpenter’s pencil sharpener” says “Buck” on the blade — The not so portable one says “Powermatic…”
Shop Project.
DIY weapon.
https://youtu.be/ENG6ZbTkcu0?si=7b1tEERa_E99raV6
not sure if you ever read The Finger Prints of the Gods by Grahm Hancock or not. but i find it very interesting.
There is thesre Dudes the Incas called The Viracochas.
i physically match their exact description. blonde hair, blue eyes, tall, lean, very strong, big fluffy white beard. longer part of the beard, on the goate part.
pretty trippy.
they preach love, the golden rule, they heal people, they teach civilization, written law, a very calculatiing codex of star alighments, agriculture, mining, ship building, achectrcture –> call fire down from heaven <<– and it legend, as George wrote in one of his books, They Moved 500 ton rocks by song.
the thing that Grahm missed so far in my reading is,
revelations 13:13,
"And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people."
the same thing as legend would have it the Vericochas would perform, when under physical threat.
the entire world is littered in legend of the Blonde Men, with Blue eyes, having Big Fluffy white beards, showing up after each cataclysm.
also the same discription of the Dimerge, in Gnostic ancient texts.
all able to move blocks as big as 500 family sedans combined using song.
which lines up with my new art. now a bag of funyuns isnt a 500 ton rock, but Yoda said to Mr Skywalker, its a start.
interesting Ray, coming back on urban survival briefly, the advertisements now speak to me, Andy personnaly.
i find all this stuff vdry facinating. i dont know if at some point i will be able to call fire down from heaven as the Virachochas did. the Name Virachocha means foam of the sea, those who walk apon the crest of the waves.
according to my own studies and the cumlation of legends found within Grahms Book, they only apear after great cataclysms.
i do recognize long before i was born, things were set in motion to place me where i am today. i also find that faccinating. as well.
who knows? maybe things set in motion 17,000 years ago could also have been set in motion as provisions for me here and now.
yes William, its more of a daisy. but it is a fine creation. thank you for sending it my way. very cool.
and Yes LOB, i hear you.
i am ready for a life mate. hopefully, one on the same page as me. which is hard to find. a needle in a haystack. im kinda different.
i understand the renewing of your mind part. even at my age, i am becoming heathier and healthier. fit as a fiddle.
when i saw some friends when i came back from the mountain, they all said the same thing. how is it, you keep getting younger and younger looking? more than a few female friends said, Fuck oil of lay, i want whatever you are using. you look 10 years younger than the last time i saw you. what is your secret? i said uhhhh black coffee, marlboro reds and a whole lot of meditating on Gods word.
hahahah.
i am ready to settle down, stay put and grow together beautiful woman.
La Dolce Vita.