I'm still around

I have neglected my blog, and so it's time to correct it. Today, at work, the owner's son, Brook, (herenafter referred to as "sonnyboy" came up to me and announced that effective immediately stainless would be separated from mild steel in the scrap bin, this to keep the scrap pure and get more money from the scrap dealers. Then he went on to say that I should get ahold of him to find out which is stainless and which is mild steel. I said, "OK" and bit my tongue.

So now, here I am, a 48 year old man with an associates degree, 2, actually, and one is in industrial welding (Associate in Applied Science) and I have to go ask a 25 year old kid to differentiate between mild steel and stainless.

In other news, I got one of the headers beadblasted and partially painted as well as the steering arm for the passenger side of Old Red. I left a door access panel, a passenger side backing plate, a wheel ring, a passenger side fender and the front bumper at the sandblasters .

Ole Dave's at it again

Time was about 6:05. Place was the front office area. I had just emptied the trash and was getting ready to vacuum the front office. Dave came in and said,"If you moved any slower, I would swear you were standing still", or words to that effect. Present at the time was Jamie, the truck driver, and Brook, the Owner's son. I can think of no other reason for harassing me in front of coworkers, other than to humiliate and debase me. It is strange that at my other job, they don't complain at all, or rarely, and pay better. Let this incident be another for the record to show a consistent pattern of harassment and a hostile work environment.

Sunday

Today, mostly I went to see my daughter and her husband and go to grandson Wyatt's birthday party. My Dad gave him an electric guitar. I gave him the bb gun I got for my 10th birthday. I am confident that Kelly will teach both grandsons safe firearms handling and hunter safety, and so will begin another generation of responsible firearms ownership.

I am started on a camper shell for my truck. This one was actually made for a '54 Chevy but can be adapted to the AD trucks. The original was all steel and heavy as could be. I hope to lighten it and convert to a clamshell type opening system.

On with life

Sure am enjoying the weekend and the time away from those obnoxious SOB's at work, especially dave & Steve who, when they get together make Beavis & Butthead look like college professors. I helped my daughter pack yesterday, and we went to lunch at Hooters. I was alittle disappointed, but the waitresses were nice. I'll probably never go again, but I've been there. My advice would be to improve the menu. And lose the illegals who were working as bus people.

Friday at last

I made it through another week without getting into trouble, deserved or otherwise. This is starting to turn into a blog about work and I want it to be so much more than that. I will post today "thing" just to have it on record. I'm suprprised no ambulance chasing lawyer has tried to get ahold of me. Along about 2:10 today, 20 minutes before I was to get off work, the foreman told me Steve had left something for me on the timeclock. I got to the timeclock and it was a cartoon photocopied out of a magazine. It was a group of dogs, sort of like an AA meeting. One dog was at the podium and the other dogs were clapping. The name had been whited out and my name inserted so the caption read, "my name is Jim and it's been 30 days since I licked my balls"

I just left it up. Jack was dealing with a family emergency and wasn't there; the foreman was in charge.

Tuesday's ramblings

Today was a typical day. The foreman (remember him?) farted on a red shop rag and threw it in my face. Everyone thought that was pretty funny. I guess it always is as long as it's not at your expense. Had I made a stand, it would have been me that was in the wrong. How long must one be the passive victim before the case for justifiable homicide kicks in? Some people only live because it's illegal to kill them. Anyway, let this be entered into the record in case some day I need to prove harassment. Incident ocurred about 6:45 am this day.

It only reinforces my determination to go back out west and see the MO state line in my rear view mirror for the last time. If this is the callibre of people you can expect to find in this godforsaken state, then FUCK YOU MISSOURI and the fucking missouri mule you rode in on. Nevada is a superior state.

I got my coil and crankcase ventilator degreased and hope to get a shot of paint on both later tonight when I arise to do my other gig. What matters is I did make improvement on Ole Red and did not let a day go by without doing so. I won an ebay auction http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290036134131 and this item will go on the rear license part of Ole Red so that all may see my true loyalty. Now if I can just get vanity plates.............HDN4NV

The blog continues

Today was a good day at work. I worked hard, stayed out of trouble, got dirty, and got some improvements on Ole Red. Also, on Ole Blue. I got the crank case ventilator soaking in solvent on Ole Red and the brake pedal mechanisms in resto on Ole Blue. Also got some bolts painted and ready to go in their place when the paint is dry and found a coil in my pile to use. I've not heard anything about my Dad, although I'm pretty sure what he's up to is nothing more than suicide by withholding of medical care, but it's out of my hands. It is awful strange that Uncle Jesse and Aunt Lou made it down this way all of a sudden. Uncle Jesse has never come down to MO. Aunt Lou did when I was 12 in 1970. It was great to see them again, but the timing........hmmmmmm...............There is something I'm not being told me thinks. All I can do is be the good son and go according to the wishes. It's a respect thing. Two daughters, and time in the USMC......yeah, I know how to let go.

Our boys in black are at it again.

I heard another story about our friends who like to call themselves the "good guys" http://newpittsburghcourieronline.com/articlelive/articles/36017/1. Needless to say, I am no fan of the cops and I may as well use my blog to expose their doings.

Back to my blog

I haven't kept up on my blog lately. My Dad's been sick and is going to continue to be sick. I did get the lifters and rocker arms on Old Red's engine. It looks like Old Red is going to need king pins, so I may as well take care of it while the fenders are off and the engine out. Ivana is back. The joker who traded the Suzuki dirt bike and the John Deere 300 tractor came and traded back, but let me keep the Suzuki. I'd rather have a sister in a whore house than a brother on a rice burner. So I keep it in the garage as a badge of shame. At work I have been running a press. They hired a regular press operator today. He starts out at .50 an hour more than I make for doing the same work. I ran the press all last week because the regular guy got himself dismissed. I did the job for less and instead of getting promoted to that job they hire another guy and I get to go back to being the janitor? They're so fucking good to me I could shit.

Anastasia blog

With the engine locked up, it was time to turn some attention to Anastasia. I had been dreading pulling the jugs, because I didn't want to unhook my sidecar. Turns out all you have to do is unhook the two top mounts and lean the bike over. I Pulled the heads and jugs on both sides and also both pistons. The right side piston was stubborn, but I used a little liquid "pretty please" in the trusty spray can and after a set, they came out, although I had to tap a little harder than I would have liked. Left side jug was clean and OK, Right side jug was rusty and stuck, and since it never has run, I'll send both somewhere for machining. I think I'll try my hand at porting and polishing on the head while the jugs are down.

The right side jug smelled of varnish and the needle on the carb was red and crusty. I noticed some corrosion on the head on the right side. My guess is the carby has issues. I seem to remember one leaked. Also, the bottom ring was broken on the right side,, so I'll have to come up with a new set of rings. I'll have to remove and clean out the sump, among other things before I attempt a start, as I suspect the remaining ring pieces are there. For now I need a place to send my jugs and pistons to get the machine work done.

Continuation on Old Red

I got out the impact wrench and tried to loosen the wheel bolts. Nothing. Guess I'll have to get one of those great big 4 way wrenches. With the head on and the engine coming along, it was time to turn some attention to the engine compartment. It looks like I'm going to need a new right inner fender, and a new front crossmember wouldn't hurt. Left front bumper bracket is broken and looks twisted, so I guess I'll start looking for a new one of those. Didn't work too long on red, but here is how it looked when I got done.

Labor day blog

Today was a great day. I got up when I took a notion, around 8:30 or so. Red, Anastasia, Blue and John Deere tractor were waiting for me. This is how red looked this morning

Sunday blog

Got the head on the engine, started the John Deere tractor, and the Dnepr (Anastasia) now has a stuck engine. Shit!!! Nothing I can't handle, but it is another iron in the fire. I went to Grandson Chase's birthday party. Lots of Son in law Kelly's family there, lots of friends, and we had taco salad and ice cream and cake. It seems the war is over, and now Eldest daughter Wanda and my mother are at odds. I will stay out of it. Tendonitis in my arm seems to be getting worse

Wed and the hump is passed

Still having tendon problems in my arm. I stopped by the Doctor on the way home and got my wife some different medicine, hopefully this won't make her sick. I don't know if it's depression or I'm just tired, but I'm going to bed. There I can tune out the world. No definite plans for the weekend, but I do want to pull the front fenders and grille off Old Red. That, and strip the dash for repainting and the headliner. That will be bad, have to wear a mask and have instant access to the shower, as mice have been up there. Now's the time to get it done, before the engine goes back in.

Monday's blog

The stupid kid is still giving us the old silent treatment. I'm caring. Or maybe not. Really a stupid reaction. If there is a disagreement or a conflict the way to resolve it is to communicate, not to cut off all communication. I raised a moron. I got the flywheel torqued and the clutch and pressure plate loosely in plate. Hit the timing mark with white nail polish so it would be easy to see. Need some new motor mount bolts and it will be time to flip the engine and prepare the mating head surfaces. I hope I can blog this tomorrow, as well as that we worked out a compromise with my mule headed oldest daughter. I think I might go to a class reunion. It's an all class thing at Bethany Saturday 9-2. Don't know. There are two people, upper classmen at the time, that I've made a vow to the moon and stars I will kill on the spot if I ever see again. Something happened in the locker room in the spring of my 8th grade year during track season. Something that made me drop track. I've never forgotten, and I have never forgiven. Hell, I don't want to see those SOB's, not a one of them.

Another week gone by

Such a hectic week it was I didn't have time to blog. Every day I had to make stops after work, taking my wife to Doctor, picking up applications, leaving off applications. Some rough looking biker type stopped by the house and was in back as i was driving up and had his eye on Ivana. Wanted to trade for a Suzuki dirt bike and a John Deere 300 tractor. So I did. Anastasia is a better bike but no one wants her because of the toaster tank and the headlight is less stylish. Anyway, I made it through the week without getting my ass in trouble over some stupid chickenshit. Went to St. Joseph today and when I got back my oldest daughter and my wife got into some stupid argument about where I will be and what time. Now when I go and try to call and straighten things out, the little numbnuts won't answer the phone. Now the ole lady's mad at me, as if it were my fault for having a mind and a will of my own. Now, needless to say, I'm going to go through another night of celibacy, or molest the shop vac one. Shit!!!Time to get out the rum and coke and put on a proper waste. Kids are a pain in the ass even after they grow up.

Monday and all is well

Got to work this morning. Noticed when I vacuumed the office, that there was a weed eater. gas, string, oil leaning against the wall and a receipt on the desk for purchase of same. So around 7:30 I found out what all this was for. Not a bad day, really. Ran the weed eater for 6 1/2 hours in the sun. The worst part was my watch quit me and just after my wife bought me a new watch band. Really, it was a peaceful day. No one coming to mess witcha, just do your work and go home. Of course I rinsed the weed eater off at the end of the day to show the proper respect for Jack and put everything away nice.

The band in the mystery photo? Condition Green. They were a Filipino band playing in Okinawa at the Prince Club in Henoko, and later in Koza city. I have often wondered what became of them. They were great!

Sunday's doings

I didn't get much done on Old Red. Painted the bell housing, and a few things. So today I'll post my mystery photo and let's see who can guess what this is. Hint: You would have to have been overseas in 1977-78 to recognize this.

Bacl to Old Red

Today I got alittle bit done on Old red. I got all the pal nuts on the connecting rods, lubed the lobes on the camshaft, replaced the timing cover bolts that go uder the oil pan and put a tab washer on there. Then I replaced the pan gasket and tightened everything down. I painted and primed alittle bit. Tomorrow I will get another can of paint and attach the bell housing. I will clean up the flywheel and mark it so the timing mark stands out. These are tomorrow's goals. It is good to have a goal for the following day. Kind of makes you look forward to tomorrow. I may even mow if it don't rain.

Alittle more about David Crowe, my harasser

Dave took a week or so of vacation in July to go camping. The first day back at the lunch room, he was bragging about how one of his boys could pee for some distance, almost 30 feet. The exact figure escapes me now, but he personally measured it and could attest to its accuracy.

I took July 20 and 21 off for a couple of vacations so I could spend time with some of my family from out west. When I came back, I was sitting in the lunch room at lunch time. There were other people there, DTE employees, and Dave announced in a loud voice how much he had enjoyed my vacation! I ignored this, you see, for some months now, my Dr has had me on Zoloft for depression which is largely because of the situation at work. The medication helps me to remain calm when these harassment episodes occur.

The mother of Forrest Gump said "stupid is as stupid does". Let's expand on that and say bully is as bully does. To deliberately humiliate someone in front of coworkers is not a bullying tactic? This incident happened almost a month ago, before I started my blog, but I want to include it "for the record" in case that record needs opened.

Dave talks about times he has been thrown in jail for fighting and such. I can't say if he ever got a conviction for a crime of violence, but I suppose a law enforcement type reading this could easily find that out. A couple of weeks ago, Dave mentioned to me that he had gotten a "street sweeper". I hope he has it legally.

Looking for a website

I'm trying to find a website about tricycles and jeepneys of the Philippines. Anybody got one?

Reflections on a bad day

I just don't understand it. My night job pays .50 more an hour than my day job. People never complain and bitch on my night job. On my day job, the foreman is never satisfied. This tells me it ain't necessarily me that's messed up. So.........anyone out there in internet land need a custodian with 2 associate degrees? Assholes need not reply!

Bad day at work

I want to get this blogged while things are fresh in my mind. You see, a pattern is starting to develop. A pattern of false accusations and such. These are bullying tactics. I want to have a record starting with today's incident, although it is by no means the first. In this way, I can prove harassment or a hostile work environment. If I should get fed up and quit, I can still get my unemployment that way, or at least I can protect myself somewhat by keeping this record.

It was cloudy, humid today and warm. I was working in the press room, where I usually work on Fridays. The presses are not run on Fridays and so I can get in to clean around and on the presses and the press room area so when the press room people come back on Monday, they have a clean environment. It was about 9:30 in the morning. I had finished a press and was going to get the sweeper machine to do a final sweep in that area. This involves unplugging the machine from the charger, winding the cord, and lowering the hood/seat that covers the battery compartment. The foreman was riding around on the forklift but my focus was on getting the machine operational so I could run it. I did my sweeping and parked in an adjacent area until I needed the sweeper again, and started cleaning on the next press. Presently the foreman comes and wants me to go out to my truck, though it was raining lightly. We got to my truck and he says he wants a demonstration. He asks me to open the door, which I did. Next, he asks me to close the door. So I did. This was the thing he was looking for. He says why is it that you close your own door nice and easy, but you slam down the lid on the sweeper? From there he was working up a head of steam. He said many things, including a couple of veiled threats to fire me. The gist of much of what he said was that I was showing the owner, Jack Dickerson disrespect by slamming the hood down, that people had reported this to him and that was why he was driving around on the fork lift, to see for himself. I told him I would not do it anymore and presently he went back inside the tool room,

In my own defense, I meant no one disrespect. All I did was let gravity take the hood down, which is different from closing a door. I would have closed the hood or my trunk the same way, but these things I was not asked to do. The accusation of deliberately trying to tear up the equipment is a false one and an outright lie. Listen, boys and girls, I'm poor. I don't steal, I don't sell drugs, I don't hurt people. I work hard, applying myself dilligently and I make an honest living doing things no one else wants to do. Furthermore, there was no damage to the hood, it still functions as it always did. Meanwhile, now I have to lower the hood ever so gently to show the proper respect for Jack.

What I don't quite umderstand, and probably should have asked, is whether or not I should go out of my way to show Jack the proper respect by chewing tobacco and spitting all over the place as the foreman, David Crowe does!

Old Red Update

I got my overhaul gaskets from as well as front and rear motormounts so this weekend is prime for engine work. Also I got a solar battery charger for Ivana. You haven't met Ivana yet. She is a 1966 Dnepr K750M. Dneprs were made in Ukraine of the former USSR. Ukranians usually give their motorcycles male names, but it sounds kind of queer to say I'm riding "Ivan". I don't think the people at work would be mature enough to handle it.

So I have one more day at work and one more night at work. and it's weekend time, although I do have to go and do alot of family obligations. Oh, well, you were expecting maybe online smut? I have seen some blogs that were nothing but banner ads. I want to steer clear of that sort of thing. I stand for freedom and liberty. You have to stand for something or fall for anything and this is what I believe in.

So what's a farm without a truck?

This is Old Red. I know, Old Red is pink. I'm not gay. One of these times I'll figure out how to use that profile thing. Old Red is a '48 Chevy 2 ton. Engine, well there isn't one. I have one, though. It is a 235 six and I'm putting it together. It was overhauled, .040 overbore, but it has been taken apart and a couple of mistakes corrected. Pal nuts on the rods, and tab washer on the timing cover inside bolts. Gotta come up with some cam lube and I'll be ready to put the pan back on. I'll try to get pix of the work in progress. In the mean time, here is a picture of me hauling Old Red across Kansas. Hauling vehicle is a 1949 Chevy truck with '52 cab, '58 235 engine, 4 speed. Starting to look more like a farm, eh?

By way of introduction

First of all, there are farms and there are farms. Agriculture is not necessarily a requisite. Remember ye must reap what ye sew. And if you're looking to score or something stupid like that, well sit tight. A priest gets more action than I do, but maybe I can get some good links started.

I'm new to this blogging thing and all I want to do at the moment is gain experience and move on to bigger and better things.