Combat Fatigue Respite

 

Alfred E Neuman state

My personal life, for the moment, is improving and my usual umbrage about the state of the world is merely at a simmer. Undoubtedly that will change. For the moment, my focus is inward.

Surveillance State

With 46 balconies facing the open hillside where Banner does his business, eyes are always on us. Further, many doing the surveillance are not shy with their opinions on how Banner is cared for by his guardian.

Coal and Electricity

Craig, CO, located in Northwest Colorado, has always been a boom or bust town. Railroad, cattle, sheep, uranium and coal have had their day. The TriState power plant is literally adjacent to the Trapper mine. Now both are being shut down. Headed south on Hwy 13 there are other open pit coal mines. All are in danger of closing.

David Moffat’s Denver, Salt Lake, and Pacific railroad reached Craig in 1913. He ran out of investor money. The Denver and Rio Grande acquired the company and later the Union Pacific acquired the D&RG (fuck you Fred Anschutz).

Now, 40 miles to the west a mammoth power line is under construction that will send solar and wind generated electricity, in Wyoming, to Las Vegas and California.

Who supplies electricity (and natural gas) to the region is a hodgepodge of co-ops, for profit companies, and local independent operations all tied into the regional grid. Xcel, a Minnesota headquartered company established in 1903 wants to dominate the system. Being woke and green (and arrogant), constant re-alignments by other ‘stakeholders’ who are not in agreement keep lawyers and reporters busy.

I will say the Xcel ‘boots on the ground’ employees are as good as you will find.

About 4% of electricity produced in Colorado is by hydro. There is a lot of potential. That won’t happen with the environazies calling the shots. Add the unofficial Colorado motto, “Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting”, and you have political gridlock.

Of passing interest, Boulder, CO receives electricity from hydro built in 1906. You don’t hear any proposals to “free” Boulder Creek by tearing down the dam.

Television

I haven’t owned a television going on ten years. This past weekend in the motel room, watching,  I found myself just flipping thru channels. Sports were the only thing I found interesting. I loathe six to ten commercials in a row. Yes I know there are ways around them but that would require reading instructions to achieve a goal that I have no real personal interest.

One channel had some talking head proclaiming, in a sky is falling tone of voice, that if Trump is elected, he will never leave office and will cancel future elections. If only.

Cheyenne + Facebook?

Big plans afoot and everyone involved has signed NDA’s. I didn’t know elected officials can sign NDAs. 

Meta

Personal Relief

My oldest son, 51, is autistic and has lived for several years in a chaotic mental health complex located in the Seattle Wallingford/Fremont district (about eight blocks from the Troll). The area has become increasingly dangerous and staffing issues at the complex has compounded the problem. He has now moved to an adult family (group) home in SE Renton. How this will work out is, of course, unknown. The area is much safer and, hopefully, people on site to assist him with problems. I’m relieved he is finally out of Keystone and the city of Seattle.

Alignment Scam

The one man shop that works on my cars doesn’t do alignments. He tells me a good alignment rack is six figures. Recently he replaced all four struts on my 2002 Ford Taurus (a four figure ouch!) which changed the alignment. Two local shops wouldn’t do an alignment without doing approximately $700 in repairs. Total bullshit! If the car needed a lower control arm, or had a wheel bearing making noise, etc., my mechanic would have told me.

The tire store I use recommended a small shop. Busy, I had to wait two weeks for an appointment. Arrived, one hour and $150 later, I drove away with a proper alignment. As a bonus, Banner got a treat!

This will be the last time the car will meet specs. While the mileage is 81,000, age is always a factor.

Because of my background I knew I was being scammed. I have left proper Goggle reviews, for what that is worth, on the two scam shop sites. Their response is, “We have reached out to him”. Yeah, go fuck yourselves.

As always, YMMV

Cheapskate Ways

 During the car biz years my mantra was, “I give car payments, I don’t make them”.  In fact, the last time I had a car payment was 1984.

Over the years so many cars and trucks have passed through my paws I can’t remember all of them. Being a white trash mechanic, making repairs was what kept me from spending real money on something to haul my ever expanding butt down the highway.

Another factor was my 26 year marriage to a complete mechanical nitwit.

  “Honey, the red light came on in the car so I turned around and came home while it was still running. I made it but the car sounds funny”.

Location where she first noticed the light was nearly fifty miles from our house.

    “Honey, the car isn’t running right. After I stopped at Sinclair and filled the tank it barely made it up the hill”.

 That happens when you put gasoline into the tank of a diesel powered vehicle.

 Should I mention her night blindness? Her dozen pair of glasses she could never find? The wrecks she had driving at night without her glasses?

Age has caught up with me and I no longer can physically do much in the way of repairs. Add I am more of a parts changer than a mechanic.

I use a mobile mechanic now. Last weekend the rear brake pads needed replacing and the caliper pistons were frozen. It took two days to get new calipers. Gee, just because the car is 27 years old is no reason for the parts store not to have parts sitting on the shelf!

Total cost was less than one month’s car payment.

With only 198,000 on the odometer I should be good for many more miles. That GM 3800 V-6 has to rank high among durable engines. Too bad many of their other engines are crap.

Cheapskate that I am, I still adhere to my Dad’s words of wisdom.

   “Grease is cheaper than machinery”.

Sisty recently stepped up and bought a Kia Sorento off the showroom floor. As an insurance adjuster in demand for her skills investigating truck accidents, she needs AWD and the ability to go at all hours and weather conditions. She has written wavier from Wyoming to travel on closed highways. Too many times she needs it.

Her new ride is impressive and I’m happy for her. Also, happy I don’t have the monthly stroke.

Yes, from time to time my cheapskate ways bite me in the ass. I’ve learned to live with it.

 As always, YMMV

 

Getting Old

Paid a professional mechanic to remove the carburetor on my 1986 Mitsubishi Might Max.

I'm literally losing my touch. Years past this job was within my skill set. Dropping things and less sensitivity means I could (would) create more problems. Best to suck it up and pay for expertise.

For the same reasons, the carb is off to a rebuild specialist.

Upon return I will probably use the same mechanic to install it.

Why spend $800 or so on a 1986 truck with 171K? No way the truck is worth much on the open market. I'm doing it because (1) I can (2) I like the truck and (3) it has been the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned.

The truck won't pass emissions. Years of ethanol added gasoline has finally eaten the rubber guts. I can scofflaw register it at a country address outside the emissions area and save the expense. Penny wise and pound foolish, IMO. Leaves me open to the "authorities", which, given my big mouth, is always a consideration.

Our extended family has a private cemetery on an old family homestead in Northwest (Moffat County) Colorado. My sister expects me to precede her in death, and plans to bury me in "Maxine".

This is my third Mighty Max, and my sister has named each of them with a name starting with "M".

Frugal or Cheap?

Poor People Have Poor Ways

Robert T. “Bob” White

1921 – 1985

Most vehicles with rubber timing belts should have the belts replaced as a precaution. Engines are either “interference” (most common) or non interference. Break a timing belt on any interference engine running above an idle and you are facing a $2,500+ repair bill. Much cheaper to spend $500 or so and replace it at 60,000 miles. Do the tensioner  and water pump at the same time. The parts aren’t expensive, the labor is, and everything exposed and accessible.

The Mighty Max was getting there, mileage wise, and summer trips are planned. What is a cheapskate to do? Buy a belt for $16 and pay an eager 17 year old to install it, with my supervision, $35.

A few years ago I would have done the work. At age 72, I don’t want the hassle. I’m literally losing my grip and the constant dropping of tools and bolts get frustrating. Then there is the pain of repeatedly bending and twisting. In the end, the frustration can only be soothed by an adult beverage. It is so much easier to “supervise” and then go to the adult beverage stage.

Should I have replaced other components? Maybe I will come to regret it. Nice to keep the funds in the credit union instead of earning reward points at O”Reillys Auto Parts.

And this is the reason you change one. Note the exposed metal reinforcement. One of the, “not if, but when,” situations.

 Note the battery. $30 at the local salvage yard with a 30 day exchange. That one has been in the truck for 18 months. At the time, no used batteries of the correct height were available. A little improvising was required.

I’m not impoverished, just a cheap prick that is damn careful with my money.