The new campfire thread...ooooh purrrrty!!!!!!

[Fenlason]

A long day yesterday.. up and 3:50 am… and not back home until 8:00. Another load of big rock yesterday morning.. off to work.. then directly to our ride.

It sounded like it was going to be an easy ride.. but turned around. Bill said he was tired.. but was going to crank a particular hill to try and take a Strava segment away from one of my co-workers. He said he was open to a lead out if any one was so inclined. He got there and realized there was a pretty decent headwind. So he didn't even try.. and we sort of crawled up the hill. [relatively crawled anyways] Next a good downhill followed by a bigger up. I was sitting second behind the tandem.. just as it transitioned up.. and Bill along with 3 others go flying by. By the time the last person got by so I could pull out.. the tandem I was trapped behind had slowed a bit…. so the others were GONE!! I pulled out and more steadily went after them.. catching some of them before the top.. but then our route took a turn.. with still more uphill.. I re-attacked the group.. and stayed away for a little 4 miles until I stopped so we could regroup.

Riding again we had a flattish section then another big hill. Not long into it I went to the front.. and just steadily rode.. and no one came with me. I got to the top and I had a gap.. so I took off trying to see how long I could stay away from the tandem downhill… I put my head down and hammered.. and stayed away from the group for the 10 miles back to our cars.

It hurt.. but was fun. Both times I expected to get caught right way… but once out there.. you have to try to stay away as long at you can.

I actually slept through the night pretty good last night.. although tired today. I have done some figuring on the barn.. and have been to the lumber yard to order some materials. Laurie will be home soon to help. Then we have someone coming here to ride tonight.

[Fenlason]

Thursday a busy work day. Then on the way home we stopped by Laurie's companies new store grand opening… to check out the store.. and to have the meal.

Laurie was supposed to have the day off to work with me here.. but her bossed asked her to work. He and another manager were both at a wedding. We had nothing specific planned so it wasn't a problem.

I decided to head to the shop. I had borrowed a lock ring off a new bike.. that I wanted to return… then put mine back together. I swapped out the handle bars and stem from one bike to my newest one.. just to check the sizing. {longer stem and narrower bars.} I also found my front brake is dragging. It's a faulty piston in the lever.. and a warranty issue.. but they have no parts to send me. They said they could send me a cheaper brake… or wait for the new one.

We were busy enough at work.. that I ended up working on a bike for someone.. and with all that ended up at work much longer than I wanted to be.

I was able to make a run for fuel.. and then a run to the lumber yard. I did get a little work done on one of my roofs.

We have someone out on vacation next week. The boss asked me to help again.. he knows I don't want to… but also knows I am the go to guy.

He would like me to work Tuesday to Saturday .. they all know I won't work Saturday. Paul who I will be working with.. wants me to also work Monday. Monday's are usually very busy.. and the boss doesn't seem to understand that. I will need to have some time off.. to get stuff ready for the following Monday.

Hopefully we can get a bit done this weekend.

[toypusher]

Sounds like work is real pain for ya this week (or next week I guess)

I have been working 10 to 11 hour days this past week between both of my jobs. Just too tired when i get home to do anything. So, it has been a pretty long week. Should fine out something on my MRI next Tues or Wed. Monday I am going over to Mark's and we are going to the range to burn some powder. Will be great to finally get some rounds through the new handgun.

Had to work 4 hours this morning and since have been doing things around here. We are FINALLY starting to organize things from when we moved over a year ago.

[Fenlason]

We got a bit done yesterday.. although it was slower because it was so brutally hot up there. We did have some work to do on the north side also. While we had some sun up there it wasn't nearly as bad on that side. We had more branches to prune, and pine needles to rake off the upper roof. I was expecting to have to replace a trim board along that lower edge, but it was pretty sound. I just made sure it was fastened securely and stained it. [It will have some flashing trim that comes down over the edge.. so it is easier to stain now.] I have the same to do on the South side. That board is more weathered but has no rot.. I am not sure if I will just stain it, or put another board over the old one.

Other than that.. I don't have more to do to get ready for Bruce.. except for what I will do next weekend. I still have more materials to pick up, but I have to wait for them to come in. We will bring the roofing up on a nearby roof to make it easier that day. Things like tool prep and getting this ready that way will wait until Sunday.

It's been nearly a year since you moved in... I would have said it was just a little while ago.

[Fenlason]

We have a little more favorable weather today. 80's and less humid… although up on the roof it is still nasty. We worked for a bit.. then I said this is crazy.. lets wait until late afternoon to work.

I then went back to tying up my next gabion. I could move it to the shade.. and be comfortable.

I am working on that.. then the neighbors radio comes on.. then it gets louder and louder.. the more I work.. the louder it gets. I can't hear my music.. and have to holler for Laurie for her to hear me. So after a while I head over. Maybe the fact I had to repeat my request 4 times.. before they could hear and understand me.. is an indication their music is too loud. Th

They had a boom box out in the garden.. pointed at our house blasting away. .. and when I got there.. they weren't even out there.

I asked if they could turn it down to a reasonable level.

Then on the way back home.. I took my 7 foot piece of rebar out of the pipe that was a boundary marker. It was kind of in the middle of stuff in the lawn area... and thought they might think it ugly.. so I was being nice and taking it out and bringing it home.[The smaller stake [pipe] was still there. He hollers over and asking me where I am taking it. "I am taking it home." Why? he hollers "because it's mine". He said he liked it…. so I said if he finds of it use.. I am ok with it.. and put it back.. of course I had to repeat that also.. I guess they are kind of hard of hearing… [and not to bright.]

I am REALLY sorry we sold the house.

I am making decent headway on the gabion. I should have it ready to put in place soon. Then I will have to tie the bottom of this one to the top of the one we just filled. That will take some time.. as things are not as easy to get at.

[lrrowe]

Neighbors can be a trip can't they?
I miss my acres, but even then barking dogs were still annoying.
Barking dogs are my current complaint at our current house on .8 acres.

[Fenlason]

I am ok with most of my neighbors. No one is real close.. except the ones mentioned. A good neighbor [over there] had one of their mothers move in for a bit and she had a somewhat yappy dog.. occasionally annoying.. but not a big deal.. just one of those things. Lee most often has things going on.. being a farm and all.. but it is noises I am used to.. and most of it is just far enough away..and it is not that LOUD.

There is a new house up the road a bit.. that has a shooting range.. and at times his shooting is annoying. He does a lot of rapid firing.. using up boxes of ammo.

Yet Lee does at time shoot at his place.. and for the most part it doesn't bother me in the least. {I am not sure the difference there?}

These people today.. are a pain. They are closer than I would like.. and they cut a lot of trees that helped create a buffer between us and they are loud.. He is always yelling at her.

ohh there was a family up the road that moved in.. they had a lot of teenage boys.. and they were loud.. loud trucks etc. dirt bikes or w wheelers screaming up the road… but they moved on.

[Fenlason]

We ended up getting a bit done today. I got the next gabion kind of assembled. Laurie filled in some holes in the lower one with rock. We then moved the next gabion into place.. and then I started tying it to the lower one already there… after a little break.. the sun was around enough to make working on the roof bar able again. We got the rest of the wall strapped. including all the way around the window, as well as making a window sill. I stained the sill itself then installed it. It is all caulked in place as well as caulking underneath the bottom of the bottom 2x4. The bottom 2x4 as well as those around the window are pressure treated. I have also pre-stained 2 of my 3 boards that will go up on the end of the rafters.

I kind of think I am in need of a day off… but the next 8 days [at least] will be pretty hectic.

[toypusher]

I have the day off today and am going to go to the range with my buddy Mark. Also hope to get the lawn mowed when I get home.

[Fenlason]

I have the day off today and am going to go to the range with my buddy Mark. Also hope to get the lawn mowed when I get home.

Have fun...

I might need to do some shooting also.

[toypusher]

I might need to do some shooting also.

Neighbors???

Had a blast shooting today. Hope to go again sometime soon. Yes, I got the lawn mowed too, although I did not do the trim work.

[Fenlason]

I might need to do some shooting also.

Neighbors???

Had a blast shooting today. Hope to go again sometime soon. Yes, I got the lawn mowed too, although I did not do the trim work.

Of course there is always the neighbors.. but just emptying a box or two of ammo might be a good stress relief.

I was sort of angry.. or irritable.. or… something at work this morning… but I got better. I had an ok day at work.. and we had a great trail ride here tonight.

[toypusher]

put in a 10 hour day again today. Not sure when this will end, but tomorrow at least should be no more than 7 or 8 hours.

My doctor called and left me an email that I will NOT need surgery, but will be getting injections in my knee. It will be a series of 3 shots a week apart - first one will be on the 25th.

[Fenlason]

That's great news on the surgery! Good luck with the shots.

I have been working extra.. extra days but also longer days. My regular day is 8.5 I often go in an hour or more early. At the least I like to get things ready. It take "forever" to get the computers up and running and logged on. I haul the pressure washer out and get that hooked up… and when I can it is nice to get a start of the bikes with less interruptions. We some times start REAL busy. Yesterday.. in the 10 minutes before we officially opened. I had 5 customers.

Monday and yesterday was particularly busy. Dave is on vacation.. It was supposed to be Paul's day off.. but he had to work until 2:00. When the boss came in to take his place.. Paul and I had 6 people we were waiting on. It gets hard to keep up with everything.. and to keep one's head screwed on straight.

I had someone I "wrote" up for service work.. a new customer.. so I had to fill stuff out. Name, phone number etc… but then I forgot to save the info.. and lost it all. I was able to recall the name… and they had just previously called.. so I able to retrieve a number.

[Fenlason]

The boss has asked me to cover for Dave while he is out. Then said to do what I can. Of course both Jim [boss] and Paul [co-worker] assumes I will just work it all.

With what Jim said.. anything I don't do… Paul is on his own. Then Jim schedules a delivery for Friday without even checking if I was to be there. He tried to do it for Monday. I would not have done it having had to work all this week any ways.. but we are doing the roof Monday.

Laurie has yesterday afternoon off… and the influx of customers slowed.. so I left. We went to the lumberyard..and picked up our materials… and then got a little more work on the barn done. We still have a few things to get done before Monday.

I have one more trim board to put up. We cut and stained it yesterday. Then all we need to do.. or want to do.. is get some of this stuff up on one of our roofs. That will make things easier and faster come Monday.

We will have some time on Saturday morning [family event later] and then all day Sunday. We do also have the metal for one of our walls, and are anxious to get that up. I am not sure how long it will take to get the materials up on the roof… but I am hoping we can do that and at least some of the wall this weekend.