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

[Fenlason]

An easier day here today.. our snow should be starting soon. The worst of it will be later in the day, and tonight, ending before morning.

Dave has been waiting to hear about the new job.. before giving his notice, and he got "laid off" yesterday. He is officially done the 10th.. he is to start cleaning out his stuff now! They claim they can't make pay roll. {they don't know how to do the book keeping at all.}

Well at least the owner's can't come back to him and blame him for the shops failure.. because he quit. Not that they won't try to place blame anyways.

I don't know what that means for some of the others. They had 2 they REALLY wanted to fire earlier.. but Dave sort of protected them. So who knows their standing now.

[toypusher]

Cool, but sunny here today.

I just can not seem to feel rested at all. Had to go back to taking pain meds - just so I can sleep more than an hour. I need to be walking more, but outside is not good so far and house is small.

[Fenlason]

Up at 5:00 to snowblow the drive way so Laurie can get to work. It was rather pretty out. Cold not not too bad. The snow had stopped.. and the wind was real bad. It was icy underneath so I had a hard time getting back up the steep part of the driveway.

I went to check on the stuff I ordered for the snowdog.. maybe 2 more weeks. They said.. one part is in one part of the country.. and the other is in another.. and if I want them it's $100. each for shipping.. and If I wait.. I won't get charged at all??

I ran to the shop.. and Dave was there.. He was supposed to meet someone at the mill for 9:30.. and it was around 10:00 [They had called to change the time.] I carried some stuff out to his van for him. He then got a call from Wabi tv.. about the mill race. They wanted to interview him.. and wanted some bikes.. so I ran home to get my bike and meet him. He was interviewed.. but then the reporter said he wanted more faces.. so interviewed me and Ray [the mill owner who had showed up] We then did some riding for the camera.

Then on the way home I got a @#$%@#$ speeding ticket. He said I was doing 38 in a 25. I didn't realize it was a 25. In over 40 years of driving my only infraction has been 2 days after my inspection stick ran out.. I was given a note to get it fixed.. otherwise I have been clean. No warning... no talking about it... nothing. right now I am pissed. I am not positive of the speed I was going.. but I really don't question what I was doing.. and ignorance isn't a defense.

This is the same town... where Laurie had the guy harassing her.. and they did was talk to the guy.. she was told if he did it again.. he would be arrested.. that didn't happen.. and they suggested she walk elsewhere.. He gets nothing and I get a ticket.

[Fenlason]

I was thinking about the walking outside stuff. I know right after my surgery.. I was to walk walk walk.. I am glad it was the time of year it was. I need to think about that if and when I have my knee done. {Which by the way is particularly bad today ]

I didn't have specific plans today.. but early Dave wrote me to say if I was bored.. he needed something built at the Mill. We have had some cameras installed upstairs [done yesterday] so people in the pit area can some some of the course.

Dave was going to run through a projector.. so it is larger of the wall.. and he wanted a ceiling mounted shelf. So anyways..I built and put that up... we made something for a screen and put that up.. we covered 3 large nearby windows.

We will have a full weekend.. back at it tomorrow.. and then Sunday for the race. Some of this prep.. needs to be taken down. Sunday right after the race. 3 rooms need to be back and ready for others come Monday.. and a forth not long after.

[toypusher]

Is all of this stuff staying up for use after the race?? Seems it would get a lot of use in the winter.

Rain, rain, and more rain here today. Probably end up with near 2 inches - maybe a bit over till it is done tonight sometime.

[Fenlason]

Actually only one area [out of 6] can stay up.. some of it we couldn't set up until last yesterday.. and had to be back to original tonight before we left. The major feature builds.. were done in the room we knew we could keep. So yes it will get more use. Just regular rides.. ride clinics etc. The mill own was of course there today.. and he was super psyched.. and he is very interested in doing more.. actually speaking to the crowd.. he said 2 a year..

We have talked of more space.. he mentioned another big area that has been rented that will become vacant.

The coaches that use the baseball room..have talked of moving over to the softball room.. which would allow us to expand the area we can keep.

We got some snow over night.. and then later today.. it warmed and started raining...

I have my 6th month follow up appointment on my neck tomorrow morning.. thankfully not super early.

[toypusher]

Hope all is well with the neck.

I still have minor drainage from my incision and that is a bit of a worry. So, going to see if I can get in and have it checked. Also, have had a lot of mild nausea all week even after stopping all meds. Of course not sleeping well either but have been taking naps too.

[toypusher]

Back to the doctor tomorrow so they can check on the drainage issue.

[Fenlason]

Kerry I am sorry you haven't been feeling well. I hope your knee checks out ok.. and your nausea is gone soon.

My appointment on my neck went well.. the X-rays show everything looks aligned good. They seemed surprised that I don't really have any pain. Some things still hurt it, but in general.. I have no pain. I don't think the PA liked my saying I did not have all my strength back yet... but we really weren't talking about the same thing. He was thinking I meant since the surgery.. I am better than just before the surgery.. but not as strong as over a year ago.. when the pain started getting real bad. I know it will take longer to get back to there.. and I am ok with that.

We were back at the mill today working. We finished up... cleaning up the sections that needed to be returned back to how they were. We moved the wooden features.. over to the room we can use... and then altered that room so we can ride a continuous loop in there. We might do some more puttering in there from time to time.. but things are set for now.

The race seems to be a big hit.. we had tv coverage before the race.. and two front page newspaper stories after. The riders all seemed to be really excited for it.. They are already asking about signing up for next year. They say it's not a question of will it sell out.. but how quickly it will sell out. It was a ton of work.. but it's fun having this kind of excitement around it.

[toypusher]

I'm doing good now. Go back to get staples out next Tuesday.

Rainy day here today. Yesterday was a gorgeous day with high a bout 65 and sun about half the time. Might get a couple inches of snow Saturday night though.

[Fenlason]

Most of yesterday I helped Dave move his stuff out of the shop... He is horrible asking for help... I guess much of it he could do.. alone.. but it was much easier with help.. somethings were bulkier.. I hauled a bit of it in my van.

Today we have tempts in the 40's but it is very grey out... I think some places might be getting showers.

I decided to start working on some equipment.. I started with the zero turn.. and changed the oil and filter.. greased it.. then blew the grass.. and leaves out of it. I was going to put my charger on it. I plugged the charger in.. and I was greeted with a shower of sparks. The cord was cut in half. I don't know what the heck happened to it. It was fine when I last used it on the van. So.. I "detoured" to fixing that. It was cut off right where it exited the body of the charger.

I also got detoured moving snow... I was hoping to take the blades off and sharpen them.. but didn't get to that. I probably still have a few days before I will need to mow anyways...

I did some work on our bikes.. we are going to do a little ride at the mill tonight.. and then maybe another Sunday.

We are supposed to get colder tomorrow.. then warming for Sunday again.

[toypusher]

Cool today. About 25 this morning and projected high of about 35 or so. Snow moving in this afternoon and most of the night. Accumulation of 3 - 6 inches.

[Fenlason]

We were done in the single numbers last night.. and have temps in the mid 20's now.. with sun. I think maybe a little snow tonight.. but warm tomorrow.

We did some errands today.. bottle returns.. The new Webb bath center {the company Laurie works for}.. she has wanted to see that. They have bathroom fixtures and lighting etc. on display.. It's pretty nice.

We have a new harbor freight.. and they had a sale.. I stopped by for a small scissor jack and some car dollies. Something that sits under each wheel so you can roll them around. I just wanted 4 to place under the equipment in my barn.. so I can move stuff around to give me more room to work.

Dave got offered the job he has been applying for at Specialized. Interestingly I am sure the race we just put on.. was a big influence on him getting the job.. He would be working on putting of events and such for the company through New England. They were impressed with the event.. not to mention how quickly we were able to put it together.

[toypusher]

Maybe they will offer you a job too!

[Fenlason]

Maybe they will offer you a job too!

Dave applied for an open position.. I haven't.

Although I don't know that he might not need help... and have an expense account...

We started colder than I expected. I was out in the barn working.. and was rather cold to start with. It has warmed. I finished my work on the zero turn. I got my dollies put together. I tried a pair under the rear of the zero turn... just to check them out.. and to use that front end lift [that I got last fall] With out the rear wheels raised up on something the rear engine guard hits the ground, preventing you from lifting the front end high enough to work under it.

I took the blades off and sharpened them.. and clean up the underside of the deck some.

I made places to mount the dollies on the wall.. the new scissor jack.. and a few other things... grease gun.. and oil filter wrench. That floor I put in this part of the barn works real well also.

I have been tired today.. I have fallen asleep a couple of time here on the couch.. after lunch. and I didn't sleep all that bad last night either.