THE HOOSIER HAPPENING

[bobhenry]

It seems I have lost track of my camping family

With the migration away from T&TTT to Face book and God knows where else we have lost track of our friends.

I am hoping this little corner will give us a place for general "what's happening news".

[bobhenry]

As some of you know I survived yet another birthday on the 19th !

( 61 but don't ask )

The police report of an old man and 3 naked women in the jacuzzi in the pool area of the local Holiday Inn was blown a bit out of proportion.

BUT I'm still smilin'

P.S. yesterday ( Wed) was ol' farts day at Goodwill . I Picked up a 15' white rope lite brand new in the box with all the mounting clips. I will probably use it inside of the 4x7. I also snagged two 25# bags of Kingsford charcoal. All of the above for the paltry sum of $10.96 tax included
_________________


So what's happenin' in your world ?

[Verna]

Well, Bob, now I know you're a bit older than me

I'm still down here in Indy. Still working on the modifications in my SideKick TTT. I finished with the 3/4" birch plywood bed supports. They are so much easier to move as compared to the 4' table that came with the SideKick. I did get a lightweight 4' table that stores neatly against the wall--so much easier to move than that bulky table that came with the SideKick.

Bed supports--3 pieces of 3/4" plywood with hand-holes cut into them to make it easier to move.


The bed supports stored. The new table (not shown) stands on its end at the back wall and is kept in place by the plywood.


I need to rip some red oak on the tablesaw today so I can assemble the folding countertop. Predrill the holes, stain the oak, and screw it to the wall where I removed the pine cleat that was holding the counter top. Then, trim the countertop to fit, attach the piano hinge, and then sit back and hopefully smile at my modification.

The countertop went to the front wall, which made it hard on the person sleeping in the bed (me, when my sister is with me). Now it will fold up against the front wall...when I get it modified.


Sometime I'll get around to making a more permanent paper towel holder....the bungee cord just doesn't look as fancy as I would like

The next trip planned in the SideKick is a week long trip next month with my sister and our two dogs to the eastern shores of Lake Michigan. We'll be doing our favorite type of trip. No reservations--camp when we find a campground in the afternoon, stop and see whatever sites we see and enjoy ourselves.

Verna

[bobhenry]

Damn, I bet you took woodshop instead of Home economics didn't ya ?

I have picked up several real nice hardwood paper towel holders for cheap, cheap, cheap, at Goodwill and I bet in Indy you have 7 or 8 to pick from.

You are gonna have to make the fall gathering to show off all that handywork.










If you look around you might even find a Redneck water heater!



Looking at this last picture just about everything in it came from Goodwill

[Verna]

Ahhh, Bob, when I went to high school, they wouldn't let me take wood shop. They said "girls don't do that" Yes, I had to take home ec, but I don't sew anymore.

But, even though I enjoy my hobbies of camping, gardening and fishing, my true passion is for woodworking.

Me scrolling at Cloverdale for a project for Habitat for Humanity


I do have a well stocked workshop complete with a tablesaw, 4 scrollsaws (my favorite!!), 2 bandsaws, thickness planer, thickness sander, jointer, 12" mitersaw, routers, various cordless drills and other related woodworking tools.

Oh, and I am an official member of the Hardwood Hoarders Club of Indiana--I can't pass up a good deal on hardwood, especially cherry.

So, right now, I've just been doing some "normal" modications inside the SideKick. Over the winter I'll try to come up with some special touches by me.

I'm still not sure if I can make the October get-together. I'm taking a Marquetry Class that previous week and I'm not sure if I'll be to have the energy to camp. No offense, I'll probably want to use what I learned in my own workshop!!!

Verna

[bobhenry]

MARQUETRY

Hell I had to look that one up ! Intricate wood inlay folks !

I have a family heirloom a beautiful hard maple and walnut inlayed chess board made for my dad by his uncle ( my great uncle ) drop dead beautiful with heavy shaper profiled frame of Red oak ? or natural cherry ?

The entire 4 generations have played many a chess game on that board.

[bobhenry]

I learned last night that our campin' buddy Karl Nordstrom (Michigam tearjerker director) lost his mother earlier this week.

Karl , If you see this our hearts go out to ya buddy.

[bobhenry]

Here is the update I received from Karl this morning.
, August 25, 2011 9:17 PM
Subject: Delphine Nordstrom: Visitation and Funeral Service Details

Dear Relatives and Friends,

As Yogi Berra once said, "It's déjà vu all over again". I had to write a nearly identical email to all of you not even six months ago when Dad passed away. Now, I am writing to tell you about Mom’s passing yesterday and her upcoming funeral arrangements.

I had to be in Grand Rapids on Tuesday to help Lori move her daughter into a Grand Valley University apartment. Before heading downtown, we stopped by to see Mom. I was surprised to find her struggling to breathe. Apparently, her labored breathing had started the previous day (and possibly earlier). Much to my chagrin, the nursing home didn’t contact me despite Mom being on hospice since the time of Dad’s death. Situations like this are why I nearly always stopped by the nursing home unannounced. While I’m not implying she was not being taken care of properly, I was not happy to see her awake, extremely uncomfortable, and with some panic in her eyes as she exerted large amounts of effort just to breathe. I spoke with hospice and insisted that they make her comfortable, which they did by substantially increasing her dosage of morphine and ativan plus giving her a breathing treatment. When I returned that afternoon on the way home, Mom was sleeping but you could still tell that her body was still having some problems breathing. Before reaching home, a hospice nurse called to say that Mom had pneumonia, which was probably caused by some of her liquid nutrition (administered through her feeding tube) having gone up the esophagus then back down into her lungs. As you may recall, this same situation occurred three years ago around the time of brother Paul’s death. We nearly lost Mom then but she made an amazing recovery. The hospice nurse said that additional feeding might result in more material entering her lungs and she suggested that all nutrition and liquids be stopped at this point since the end was very near anyway. I agreed but strongly insisted that she must be kept asleep so she doesn’t feel any pain or emotional distress. Yesterday, August 24, I received a phone call at 12:15pm stating that Mom was clearly in decline and at best, would be with us another day or two. I had received a similar call regarding Dad back in February, which was followed only two hours later by another call telling me that he had died. In this case, less than an hour later, at 1:07pm, I received word that Mom had passed away peacefully and comfortably a few minutes earlier.

I once again had the unenviable task of going to Grand Rapids to tell brother David about the death of one of his parents. I arrived at his group home around 11am this morning with McDonald’s in hand. We went down to his room and I told him that Mom had died. He cried for about a minute and then I asked him if he wanted some French Fries. Food tends to be a good distraction for him and he perked up right away and so we ate lunch together. David seemed to do OK during the rest of my two-hour visit. However, staff at the group home told me that it seems as though Dad’s death was finally sinking in with David in recent weeks despite so many months going by and he had been having crying episodes. I can only imagine that Mom’s death will exasperate his recent emotional distress. But, as my parents always said, David shouldn’t be protected from all of life’s heartaches and that when they are gone, David needs to know and understand.

Before going to the nursing home this afternoon to pick up Mom’s things, I stopped by the funeral home and made her arrangements. At this time, the only item up in the air is the actual burial date in Chicago since I’m waiting to see when Kelsey's caregiver can take Kelsey for 36 hours while I go to Chicago to bury Mom at her family plot where Dad was laid to rest. Speaking of Kelsey, I was unable to get care for her during the middle part of next week, which is why the visitations and funeral were pushed to the end of next week. I apologize to those of you who have plans for the holiday weekend and won’t be able to attend Mom’s funeral but there wasn’t much I could do on such short notice. I hope you understand.

Below are some of the details you may want to know about my mother’s arrangements. As you may notice, nearly everything is identical to Dad’s arrangements. If I left anything out, please email or call me.

Please forward this email to anyone who you think should know of Mom’s death. I am missing many email addresses so your help will be appreciated.

[bobhenry]

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=46208

Looks like we have another hoosier tiny trailer enthusiast !

Everyone wish him a hearty welcome on the new member thread

[bobhenry]

nice buy for someone !


http://bloomington.craigslist.org/for/2573042964.html

[Billy K]

OOps....that response wound up in the NooBee forum...eh well, gettin' closer ....

[Billy K]

Well, I may be a newbie, bit I killed this thread like a veteran ...

15 days to the first gathering for this half-baked woodie.....

[bobhenry]

YEP ! 15 more days to your maiden gathering in a "Campable " Benroy.

Congratz !!

It will be good to have you and Mariah with us. If you have any connections you might ask for a little more heat at night.
I am afraid Kurt might confuse this one with our winter Shivaree and bomb out on us if it stays cold !

Bob & Vickie

P.S. Note to the OTHER campers (don't look Billy)

T.P. party site # 329 1 a.m. Saturday morning bring extra potty paper !

[Billy K]

What'd I miss...?? I was packin my quart sized squirt guns....

[bobhenry]

Rip Van Winkle my little 4 x 7 sleeper trailer ( w/o galley ) has hit the road. I towed him 25 miles to work and picked up a few needed items to finalize the build. I went looking for a few (read 3) clearance light bulbs. I strolled into Advance auto parts and the little 2 bulb blister pack of clearance light bulbs was $4.85.



I told him he could keep them, then I went out in the back lot and took the bulbs out of the "WRECK" and saved almost 10 bucks. I was missing a grease cap off of the d/s hub so I picked up a pair for $5.00 and a little license plate light for $3.00 at the little trailer shop just out of town. After work I got what I hope to be the final tube of 100% silicone to weather in the door window and put a dab under each of the 45 or so rosettes. So this build is done and he is up for sale for $1250.00. Gonna use it for seed money to start the caboose!