Update, yep another one

Friday we stopped in to see our home.  It sure looks sad. I think it misses us.  We have been very close for the past many years.  We have only left it to go on a cruise or two.

The secretary told me the machine shop had just called and the head was ready to be picked up.  (We were hoping the head had been done two days before and they were buttoning it up), but that was not the case.

So I am hoping that Monday the mech will be putting the engine back together.  When I see all the parts, power booster, manifolds, fuel lines, electrical stuff, nuts and bolts that have to go back in it, I hope they don't leave anything out.  LOL  I was hoping for last Friday, now I am hoping for Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest. They have had the coach for two weeks now, WE MISS OUR HOME!

WE have had a good visit with the family. Stella has a new hideout over by the tractor.   There is a mail box and she now has a 'Secret Friend' ;-)  who leaves her mail.

We have missed only two days walking 4-5 miles.  Sherry is enjoying her old school mates and folks she has known all her life.

I have finished a book, it is now being edited/proofed.  This one is entitled "The Appalachian Trail" sub title "Over 2000 Smiles (and a few groans).   This one has generated a lot of interest, it is a historical novel. (My mind is gone, I think I have already put that in the blog)  If I have told it, blame it on being homeless for two weeks.

Anyway that is where we stand, just waiting.   At least we have a swing, and a great place to crash.

History, in December 1955 I had already been kicked back from joining the USMC underage. And January of 1956 would try again, this time make it at the age of 17.

Nite Shipslog

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 This is the bus that Rosa Parks was riding Dec. 1, 1955 she was asked to give up her seat, and refused.

 This the seat  where she was sitting.

Yep, I had to sit in the same seat.
Rosa was one brave lady, no matter what your stand. To refuse  to give up her seat in the 1950's.

The bus is now in the Henry Ford Museum

Update from the little house on Ewing Drive

It is tough living without your house and your stuff.  (and your passwords).

(pictures from the Henry Ford I found on the laptop)

I never realized how many times I cheated and looked at my cheat sheet for my pass words.  I miss 'em.  How did we get through life without pass words? I get called to FB but cannot go, I cannot remember my new password. I just changed them all and don't want to redo  them.

(Remember the Burma Shave signs?)

Do you have snacks at your house.  We didn't bring any.  We did bring p-nut butter on one trip, but no crackers. You gotta try raisins in a bowl, heaping spoonful of p-nut butter. dip the spoon in the bowl and eat the raisins that stick to the p-nut butter, taking a little p-nut butter each time. (Hey you make snacks iffn you don't have 'em)

(The Henry Ford also has hundreds of famous guitars)

Sunday my wrist watch died in church.  Yeah I sneak a look at my watch when the preacher is preaching. :-O.  Anyway I thought no problem. I have three watches at home. The bands are broken but they keep perfect time. I will get a battery from one of them. Guess where the watches are! Dey ain't here!  I still don't have a watch.

Anyway we still do not have a ETA of our house returning. We have been pretty good at our walks, we average near 5 miles a day.

I will take some pictures of our 'studio Apt' before we are out and show them later.

Nite Shipslog

If I cannot find another car I can find my 1948 Chevy on all our computers.

I might have lied!

BUT I did say if the second implant worked half as well as the first, I would be happy.  so I should be happy, this one does work about half as well as the first.

There still is a lot of getting used to.  It was sort of a miracle that the first implant required no 'rehab training', I was told I might have to go thru extensive therapy with an implant. But when Dr. Jennifer turned it on, I heard clearly although voices did sound like ducks.

This one is different. I do hear voices like 'ducks' but also they are much quieter than the noise around. The Dr, says my brain has been lazy since I could not hear in that ear, and some parts of my brain must be reawakened or just awakened.

I have yelled, but so far it hasn't awaken. (LOL)
No update on our home yet, but I sure miss it.

Nite Shipslog

PS  I have been meaning  to say, I am not near my passwords and do not remember them. so I am off FB and other media I usually attend.  I get messages to go to FBeven for birthdays and I cannot.  SORRY

We miss all the conveniences of our home.

Comments OFF  (Yeah, I still love ya!)

Update: Ear and Coach

I am trying to fight this laptop and keep from dragging my thumb over the mouse pad.  OR hitting the wrong keys I haven't been able to successfully get spell check to work.

First: Dr. Jennifer turned on the new implant, I am very happy with the results.  getting used to the controls will take some getting used  to.  EVERYONE sounds like ducks.  Dr. said the brain can work that out. (BRAIN?)

The Coach is another matter.  We are 10-12 miles from the coach.  So far we  have had to go back with a list most days to bring things WE FORGOT.  EVERY DAY it is something else we have forgotten.

The engine intake and exhaust valves are located in the engine 'HEAD.'  it has been removed and yes we have a burned valve on #4 cylinder.  So they have sent it out to a machine shop to get all the valve seats replaced and the burned valve and it's apposing exhaust valve replaced.  Estimated time is 3-5 days at the shop.  Then another two days to put the engine back together.

I have rebuilt gasoline engines 3 times, valves rings and all.  BUT when I looked at this engine head, I told Sherry this is a bigger job than I thought. We were looking under the bed at the engine (our coach is called a pusher the diesel engine is in the back under our bed) and I realized the head alone would weight at least 250 lbs. No one man is going to pull that up 3 feet and carry it through the coach, it should take four men, but only two can walk it out.  I admired the mech's for being able to bet it out without more oil or grease damage to the coach.

So we are living in our converted storage building. Some may remember I converted a storage building into a studio apt. for Grandson Luke to use while in college.  He is in Florida with his dad so we are crashing in his place.

Nite Shipslog

Excuse Me for a bit

Technical difficulties. We are in Belmont and the coach and our computers are in Gastonia!

It is near impossible for me to use this lap top.  So I will be absent.

I like the mechanic, I trust him.  He checked exactly what I wanted, hoping it would work but did not.  Tomorrow he will start diss-assembling the engine, removong the head first.  The valves are located there and I am hoping that it is only a burned valve.

will try to update, but the process could take a week. The head will be sent out to a machine shop, that wille the time eater.

I will read what blogs I can but will be onlly lurking.

Nite Shipslog

COMMENTS off  But I still love you for reading!

Conflicts and Mechanics

This is Tuesday April 19th entry. Posted from Belmont, NC

Sherry's 60th class reunion is coming up and she is one a committee.  They were meeting yesterday. So I dropped her off and I went looking for a mechanic.  It is hard to find a mech who can get to it 'shortly', like in the morning'.  Now in logical terms, one may ask: Why is every other mechanic backlogged and behind and this guy can look at it basically now? 
 ANS: He ain't no good,and he is avoided.
ANS: He is a little out of the way and hard to find.
ANS: His prices are outrageous. 
ANS: The shop is new and building customers.

Can you have it here in the morning when we are clean, so we won't dirty up the coach. You bet I say, what time do you open. He said 8am and I said it will be here.

I don't know the answer to the questions I asked, but if you read this on Tuesday Morning, it will be at his shop.  I will have hoped and prayed  that he knows what he is doing, and the price will be right!

I can dream that he will come out of the engine and say it is fixed, it was only a loose nut, or bad filter, etc.  Of course I know that is a dream. LOL

I started back to pick up Sherry and was about 6 miles away when she text'd 'I am ready''.

When I got there of course she was not ready. She was deep in conversation with Don and Joann.  I told her we were inluck, I had found a mechanic, he would look at it in the morning.

NO! we go to Lenoir for lunch tomorrow! (Sherry's response)

"$hi-!" I said a bad-word (a little too loud). I had forgotten our 'social' calendar. It was scheduled weeks ago. I was so glad to get a mech, I jumped on it.

Sherry said we can miss the trip, but she was disappointed.  We have worked out sort of an agreement. If I feel comfortable leaving the coach, we will head for Lenoir with Don & Evelyn.  If not, methinks Sherry will go because she wants to see the rest of the group especially Mary Ann.

Our coach location is such it does not lend itself to easy exit with the coach due to work traffic. So we will leave early.

Nite Shipslog

PS:  While Sherry was getting ready to leave,  a friend asked if we had ever been to or seen, God's thumb print? Yes, Sherry and Hiked thru that part of Virginia. Three folk heard the conversation and asked about the hike.  We had a great conversation. Of course I 'very subtly'  mentioned I had a book that would be published in a few weeks about the Appalachian Trail.  LOL  Sherry and I do enjoy talking about the TRAIL.  These folks had just hiked different parts of the trail last weekend.

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 This is a Mercury Pickup, a rarity, I have never seen one.

 This is a Nash Truck

This is a Packard Wrecker.

Cars and Emergency supplies

I just read a statistic on cars. The USA has 845 cars for every 1000 people.  That is almost a car for everyone in the USA (Men, women and children.) Japan is next with 595 cars per 1000 people. On the other hand Chinese folk don’t spend their money on cars their ratio is 37 cars for every 1000 people.

A load of Packards

I don’t know what it means other than many houses have 4 or 5 cars per household. My Sherry grew up with no family car.  They walked to town and rode the bus for trips.

A load of Buicks

 WE walked through the new housing development yesterday, and already the garages are full of STUFF and many cars are outside blocking the sidewalks. Every house has at least 2 newer cars some three.  We love cars, us Americans.

A load of Oldsmobiles

One other statistic, 48 out of every 100 homes have no emergency supplies. WE have no long term supplies ourselves. But enough food to last a few weeks I guess.  I am sure they’re talking about ‘prepared emergency supplies’, so I guess we fall into the ‘have nots’ in that case.

I know back when mama canned and daddy raised a hog every year, we had a lot put back.

Do you think it is important to have 3-4 months’ supply of emergency supplies in your home?

Nite Shipslog

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1975 Chevrolets

Now itis hard for me to think that a 1975 anything is an antique!

A funny thing happened on our walk

Here in Belmont we have developed a good 4.5 to 5 mile route.  My dad moved the family to Belmont in 1954  to pastor the East Belmont Church of God.  I only lived here a couple years before I left town.  I did get to know some folk in that time.  

I took Sherry away in 1956 and we took a lot of roads for 20 to 30 years. Then we moved back to Belmont and I went into the Construction business.

In business I did get o know a lot of folk but I did not grow up with them.

(One of Sherry's class pictures. She still sees some of these people, to me that is wild)

Sherry lived in Belmont all her live. So as we walk she is saying:

My grandma lived over there, there was only a path and dirt road to get in.

My friend Reece lived on this street.  Gretheren lived there...

There is one stretch of road about a mile that has only 3 houses on it. One has a large dump Truck in the yard.  As we pass she always says, "The Williams lived in that house.

Today a man was working on the truck, I told Sherry, "I am going to ask that dude if he knows a good Diesel Mechanic." I walked over toward his house and noticed my girl coming also.

The guy was very accommodating. Told me not to expect any of these mechanics to drop what they are doing, they all have long lines.

Sherry noticed I was about to walk off, so she asked the man, "Do you know who lived here in the 1950's?"

"Sure, my granny and grandpa Williams."

"What is your name?" Sherry asked

He told her, and she told him Bob his brother was in her class at school.  Sherry said, "My daddy married your grandma after their mates died."

"Well I'll be dogged," says he. "Then you are a Harris."

From that moment on it was  old friends day. Brother Bob has a huge farm in Laurenburg,  so-so died.  etc.. Both these people were raised in Belmont all their lives and were nearly kin. LOL

(Elmer took Sherry's older sister. I smooched Sherry on this same front porch, a few years later, the mill house on the Imperial Mill Village)

There are times I envy Sherry, still seeing folks she was in school with.  Meeting family and friends in Walmart or the drugstore.  Knowing the waitresses in restaurants. And knowing lots of history of this little town.  It is no longer the mill town it was, but a bedroom for the city of Charlotte, and most of the people living here now, never saw the inside of a mill.

(I have put this picture on before. the kid on the far right is Sherry. We walk past that building every day, is stands about 300 yards from she had the  conversation with her class mates younger brother)

I was born in Gastonia, NC but I have no hometown. My wife actually has a hometown, with kin folk and lifelong friends living in it.

Do you have a hometown?

Nite Shipslog

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1968 Fords

Heroes wins out over cars.

 I have a thousand things to write about, but I must decide on one. I am not writing about cars but on our walk yesterday, Parked at the Pre-school, there was a beautiful 1956 red and white Chevrolet. I don’t envy the lucky driver, I just want a 1955 tudor or hardtop to drive around (convertible would be good).

 But it is not cars.  Heroes are the subject.

I have many heroes. I admire folk that have pulled themselves up by their boot straps, as the saying goes. My dad and mom are heroes of mine. I think mama went to the 8^th grade dad to the 3^rd. They left school to work with their families. Mom in the country store and their farm.

Dad on the family farm.  Both educated themselves and as a team worked a North Georgia farm. Then chased jobs in the depression with a family of 5 all the way south to Hollywood, FL. Dad worked with the WPA and they lived in a tent. They worked as a team in North Carolina in the cotton mills. Dad as a fixer mom as a weaver. Then Bible School and dad became a very successful pastor. I do not think any pastor could love his congregations more than my dad.

I decided there is nothing wrong with family heroes. My brothers were WWII heroes. Jr. saw action in the worst battles in WWII. Jr. knew he was going to the Pacific so he bought a map and put girls names the major Islands in the Pacific. In his letters he would say somethng like, “How is Aunt Betty?”  He had no Aunt Betty, so mama would get out the map. During WWII no reporter nor soldier was allowed to say where they were. All reporters started their reports, “Somewhere in the South Pacific……..”

Sherry’s Brother Lefty,  was wounded on Iwo Jima.

Nephews  Rick and Ted, Cousin Fred, Jimmy, Harold, Uncles Hisure, Hershel, Roy and BIL Lefty are my heroes.  Then there is Vernon, Sherry’s other brother. 3 tours in Nam as a Green Beret. We took him and his wife out to dinner last night. Vern is now about 83 and he is depressed. He ‘shows’ pretty good, but you can tell by his actions and eyes, he is depressed. His wife Janet is getting a little feeble herself.

It’s tough to see a hero depressed.  My mind asks, “How can a man tough as nails, who used to run 25 miles and not be breathing hard, be that depressed?

I love the old boy, but I have no idea what would bring him out of depression.

Nite Shipslog

PS: Depression can come across as dementia or Alzheimer’s, I would hate to be mis-diagnosed.

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I you  have one of these and want to give it to a good owner, e-mail me! (BIG SMILE)

‘Set in your ways!’

Dad’s Bouncing Baby

I’ve been bouncing all my life

Some fear I’ll never make a wife

Used to bounce on my daddy’s knee

And he was very proud of me.

Said I was darling every ounce

Yet all I could do was bounce and bounce

Couldn’t change for all the world

I was daddy’s bouncing baby girl.

 excerpt from a poem by Stella Kelly Poole

The above is from a book of poems written and published by Bonnie’s (Organic Discourse) ‘Granny’. I keep two books handy here at my little desk, Come Sing With Me by Granny Poole and The Conversation Piece, given to me by Myra (Respice, Prospice).

The words in the poem ‘Couldn’t Change for all the world’, tied to a line I read in the book from Myra:  Is there something that would shock the socks off your family and friends if you would do?

 And I thought we are all pretty predictable. And there are things that we never do, and would not think of doing.  Now I am not thinking of something immoral, illegal or political. Something like:  If my daddy had eaten a banana I would have fainted.  Something in his mind would NOT let him like a banana.

I have a good friend Dallas (I think everyone knows that). His last occupation (other than being the Attorney for Wiley Enterprises), was raising turkeys. Because of a childhood incident on a farm, he cannot stomach chicken, but eats turkey. So it I saw Dallas with a chicken leg, I would be shocked.

If I announced I was going to attend a Rock Concert (or any concert) my family would think I had flipped. (I have never been a Concert person, no matter the names involved). 

If Sherry would say “Let’s fly around the world!”  I would immediately take her to the doctor. She does not like to fly.

So, what about you? What would be out of character for you to do?

Nite Shipslog

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On the Road

We are moving south today, just a short run of a couple hours.  We are headed back to our home base to wait for our trip back to Durham to have the implant turned on.  That will be the 22nd of April.

If you live in a stick built house you don't have to worry about this, but we must get the Motor Home engine worked on. I am looking for a Diesel mech in my area. We might have to take it back to Cummings. I haven't had contact with friend Hank, he might know someone.

Anyway, we will visit with family for a few days.

Now a biggie in our area.  Our State has a problem with, who goes to which bathroom.

There has been a big controversy in North Carolina about that. Some businesses say they will depart, others say they will not move to NC, some say they  don't care due to the state decision.

To the ladies, seriously, would you like to step out of a stall and see this coming into your bathroom, of standing just outside your stall?  He identifies as a woman!

What about this?  He also identifies as a woman!

I may be ignorant, but I do not want these characters in my wife, granddaughter or great granddaughter's bathroom.
Just my opinion.

Am I using extreme photo's, yes, but being cuter would not change my mind.

My logic is you go where your plumbing fits.

Nite Shipslog

PS:  My mama and daddy didn't have to TRY to understand this stuff!
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 The above is a Packard, my guess is 1953

Below is a Studebaker, 1949?

Do you go along to get along?

(I am going to figure this life thing out, SOMEHOW!)

Filed from Lexington, NC

A few days ago my friend Myra, out Southwest in the desert! Phoenix is it? Had a great entry ‘Getting Along’ or something like that.  It got me to thinking, many folk can do that. I have spent my life ‘trying to do that’ only a couple times has it been impossible.

Most of us know THAT PERSON who is able to rub you the wrong way, BUT we grin and bear it. Very seldom (mostly never) do we yell out or just say, ‘Go to hel- (Hades).’ And walk off.

There are situations where I wish I could say what is on my mind. Someone calls and asks, “Is this a bad time?  I’d like to bring the kids over and chat.”

 I look around, I have a motor tore down. I am greasy, Sherry is relaxing with a cup of coffee, dishes not washed. Not expecting anyone, just a laid back day.

So I say, “Sure, come on over!”  Then rush change plans. Sherry gets in high gear, and we get ready for ‘company.’

(So now I know I should have been a poet!  LOL)

Now I know I should have said, “Not a good time, what about tomorrow?”  Not me, and I do not know why.

Then there are great folk (I mean that) who can say what is on their minds without rancor or meanness. We have found the folk from the North East seem to be very straightforward.  They were just raised that way.  I bet they live longer. LOL

But in all honesty, I have always had things work out. Inconvenience is very little to pay for good friendships. This has not happened in a long time. I have learned to take things as they come much better (If I live to be 118 I will know more).  I will never reach the point of being able to say to the ‘negative motor mouth’, “WOULD YOU JUST SHUT UP!”  It ain’t in my nature and besides,  Daddy and mama would never say that.

Nite Shipslog

PS: Thanks Rick, I am still singing the two lines I  know of John Denver's 'Diamonds and Stones' thing.

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1935 Duesenberg, nice little car, huh?

Chairs

A few years ago Sherry and I bought a couple dining room chairs for the motor home to replace the originals. I like wheels on my chairs. These were pretty large with arms and wheels. I like them, but now we have worn out the upholstery. We could get them reupholstered, but I think I want something a little smaller.

(The original Dining room chair)

Wheels, the negative: In a motor home we must secure these chairs with a long bungee cord securing them to the table so they do not run off.

The next ones we want wheels also, but maybe the office type chairs. However I still like arms. I really do not like shopping for furniture. Seeing these at a yard sale was luck. I prefer yard sales.

(Present Dining chairs, Upholstery worn out!)

Many times we have 4 to 6 people around our little table.  Smaller chairs will help.  I have got to start shopping around maybe craig’s list, or used office furniture.

That is today’s problem: CHAIRS.

Maybe you have suggestions.

Nite Shipslog

Ps:

My girl on our lastest walk, we did over 5 miles.

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Customized 1951 Mercury

Promises to Keep

Animals will always be faithful!

Stories, white lies, promises  not kept, not your best times in life, but we have all encountered them.  One of our Blogger friends is in a new-to-them house and having work done, she is running into the, ‘I will be there, and never show up’ thing.

A friend of mine owned an Auto Parts Store.  I noticed several men bringing parts back, saying, "Bobby, this is not the right part you sold me." 

Bobby would go to his parts book, then say something like, "Oh man I am sorry, that sucker calls for two different parts, here let me get the right one."  He would go in the back and get the right part.

This happened 'many' times. One day  Bob admitted to me he gave the wrong part to the guy, because he did not have the right part in stock. Then immediately ordered the right part to have it when the man came back.

I told him that had happened to me and it hurt.

I know Jack, but if I had said I don't have it, he would have went to NAPA and I would have lost the sale. .... Now I understood the logic, but I have been in the shoes of his customers before. I lost a lot of respect for Bobby.

I had a house on a deadline, the drywall was hung. My mudder (drywall finisher) William Pressley called, "I have a problem I cannot start this morning."

"William, you know I need that done, this will throw the painters and carpet layers off."

He said he understood, but this was important and could not be helped.

Some things are really annoying!

I rescheduled everything checked on some jobs and was back in my office. I looked outside that afternoon and there was William's truck with a bass boat behind.  He came in, "I know I lied to you Mr. Darnell, but you have got to come out and see this Bass."

I am shaking my head, it was a beauty, looked to be about 19 lbs.  He said, "When I looked out this morning, something told me this dude was laying in the waters of the Catawba just waiting on me. But honestly I feel bad about lying to you!"

William is still a good friend. He continued to be my favorite subcontractor.  Most folk would not tell you they lied LOL.

Nite Shipslog

Come on with me I want to show you this car.

Ain't that 1956 Ford the Cat's meow!