Just stuff

Photo of the day

Sherry and her sister Collette sitting in Elvis's pink Jeep.  Collette was a big fan of Elvis.

So for today:

I have met a great guy, Roger Wise.  I wish we could have met 30 years ago we would have been the best of friends in my later years. LOL I asked Roger today where he was from. Up in Bakersville, NC close to Roan MT. when the pavement runs out, I lived ten more miles on in.  LOL He married a good friend who came over from Germany, Elka. It is great to meet good folks, even this late in life.  But it is sorta like the late second marriages in this life.  There are some great matches, lots of love left in life, but we all know these marriages will never celebrate their 50^th. Late second marriages just don’t last long enough most of the time, death calls us all home.

Oh and I have a church friend Billy.  Billy is blind and his sweet wife Jewel, passed away a couple years back.  Jewel’s sister Nina helps him get around. I talked to Billy a long time today. VERY INTERESTING! I asked him how did he spend his time during the day. “Oh jack, I build a little.”

“WHAT I said!”

“ Oh I love to work with wood. Yep, me and Nina just finished a car port.  We had to get help to install the metal roof though.  And a couple months back we installed 80 feet of 6ft fence.  We dug the holes, mixed the concrete and  set every post. Course Nina has to help me make a straight line!”

Amazing what you learn when you ask.

Oh yes, about the apt I am finishing, I was asked who was gonna live in the Apartment. That will be Jack Jr. He will take care of the outside maintenance of the area we are leaving.  He has been cutting the grass for a long time already. I told him, this apt. was big enough to support a couple, if he decided to get married again.  He laughed, “Dad I have been married twice already, I am using the old baseball truth, three strikes and you are out!”

Take care and y’all try to be good,  especially Victor and Myra,  the rest of us are already saints!

Nite Shipslog

PS:

God has allowed us to meet some of the best folk on the planet, in person. and here on the net, thank you for being here…  I have been trying to keep up and have enjoyed your blogs and comments….  Until later……. jack

 

Life and friends

 Photo of the day:

Buddy and Di, They met in England and he brought her back with him.  They live in Florida now.  Hope to see them this year on our trip down. Buddy is retired Army and has sure gotten OLD!  Dianne is still a kid.

So for today:

On our second cup of coffee this morning, our discussions turned to local folks.  That is not unusual, this small town I moved to in 1954 has changed drastically.  This was what was called a ‘Cotton Mill Town’. There were 26 cotton mills here.  Over all I think these mills produced thread from cotton. I went to ‘Textile School’ for a class once in High School at one time (before I quit school).  It was considered a ‘crip course’, easy to pass and I did.

Anyway, kids when asked, ‘where are you from?’  Would 99% of the time answer with which mill village they lived in, i.e. Majestic, Imperial, Climax, Chronicle, etc.  Sherry was born on the Climax, but lived on the Imperial when we met.

I never lived in one town long enough to even remember my teachers, except Ms Grill. In Valdese.  Sherry remembers many class members and EVERY teacher. She even attended school from first to 12^th grades with some of the same people.

There are + and –‘s for both life styles, but at times I do envy her long friendships.  But I would not give up meeting Sonny Turner in Burlington, VonDale Tucker in Albemarle or  Jim & Bub Page, Guy Abee and Peter David in Valdese.  Vondale’s family moved to Charlotte while we were in Belmont so we renewed our friendships. I got more acquainted with Buddy (Richard) Sansbury in Belmont. He, VonDale and I were a close threesome as friends for a couple years before I left and joined the USMC.

It would be a good thing to be close to some of those friends now, we did have some good memories.  I smile to think that Buddy and I had the same girlfriend, Margaret, during that time.

A good friend Martha busted my bubble once. She said she once said to Margaret, “Jackie broke your heart didn’t he?”  the answer, “No it was Buddy!!”  I still cannot believe that.  LOL

Life,  I guess we take it as it comes, the alternative: leaving life ( that, however is becoming a final option for all of us, especially mine now.  LOL

Nite Shipslog

PS:

God has allowed us to meet some of the best folk on the planet, in person. and here on the net, thank you for being here…  I have been trying to keep up and have enjoyed your blogs and comments….  Until later……. jack

I can see the finish line!

 Photo of the day:

This is the first house I ever built. It was 800sqft and sold for $30,000. Smaller than todays apartment I have built. LOL. I dug the dirt mixed the mortar drove every nail. The pictures are my sisters, they brought their husbands over to see this great creation.  LOL

So for today:

In the next few days I should be making an end to a long process of creating a 900 sqft 2 bedroom apartment in the basement next door.  We all have things we just don’t like or maybe do not understand.  Me?  One thing is I will NEVER understand why anyone would pay to have bricks laid for a house or business and then Paint them! I remember long ago I watched a church being built. They used some beautiful brick and when completed, they painted them?  WHAT?  Brick are maintenance free, if painted in 20-30 years someone is going to have to have it repainted. I drive by a brick home I built for us once, I loved it, it even had an indoor pool. Big beautiful brick chimney also, the new owner has painted it. OUCH!

All that said, all the painted brick I talk about were perfectly laid brick laid by the best of masons, no need to paint their beautiful skilled work.  NOW today I just went against my own feelings, my brickwork,  as small as it is on this apartment, looks terrible. I was messy with the mortar and I could not get them cleaned, TODAY I did something I have never done.  I painted those terribly laid brick, and they do look better.  So maybe there is a reason some paint brick. LOL

Yep I am on the downhill run. I must add two more heat/A/C vents, seam some carpets and spiffy up the storage area, it will be ready.  I am so glad to wrap this one up.

Sherry is right,  this is the LAST big undertaking for me….

Take care and enjoy the heat, it ain’t long ‘til Christmas….

 

Nite Shipslog

PS:

God has allowed us to meet some of the best folk on the planet, in person. and here on the net, thank you for being here…  I have been trying to keep up and have enjoyed your blogs and comments….  Until later……. jack

How do you feel about Electric Cars?

 Photo of the day:

Above is the 1934 Ford with a rumble seat. It was new 5 years before I was born. It was a favorite of mine. I could have bought one for $50 in 1955, but didn't have the $50  LOL

So for today:

Cars have improved so much  since my first car. The dimmer switch was on the floor. Trouble was the master brake cylinder was under the front floor board also and It was a pain to add brake fluid, many of us had leaky brake cylinders back then, A/C was a good add also. Bad thing was the engines needed over-hauling around 60,000 miles. Now we actually seldom have a break-down of any kind if the cars are maintained; Son Jack just said good by to a Honda van with over 300,000 miles on it.  Yes cars are much better today. Jack also has an older electric car.  He likes it.

I am not so sure they are good for the environment, I mean that is a lot of battery acid that will go to the land fills over the years.. OUCH

Oh, and those wind turbines, WOW do you know one of the newer ones can furnish power for 460 homes? That is amazing.  We know a man in Maine who has his own personal turbine and it serves his home and he sells some to the Maine Power companies. NICE, our power bill is usually over $100 a month in the summer.  We don’t have the wind here so that idea is out.

I cannot find definite output from  those solar panels I see.  I am always concerned then may cause the roof to leak at times.

How do you feel about electric stuff nowadays? i.e. wind mills, solar panel and cars?

Nite Shipslog

PS:

God has allowed us to meet some of the best folk on the planet, in person. and here on the net, thank you for being here…  I have been trying to keep up and have enjoyed your blogs and comments….  thinking of you……. jack

Sorry ‘bout that!

 Photo of the day:

                                My daddy and Mama in 1924

For now:

 I enjoy reading blogs,  I am finally finding the ‘gumption’ (mama's word) to TRY to get back ‘IN STEP’ and even comment a little.

Today I read more about SMALL (BIG) problems of getting older.  If you had a good home life growing up it is hard to put yourself in the situation some kids found themselves in with no loving parents and being dropped into an older grandma’s lap, or the home of a stranger..

I have said it here before, once in the USMC chow hall I commented, ‘this sure isn’t my mama’s cooking’. From Down the table  came the comment, “YOU got that right, this stuff is great!”  So I learned every boy’s mama wasn’t a cook. LOL

BTW, chow hall cooking was good, it just wasn’t mama’s.  Foods I had never seen before leaving home and eating in a mess hall were: Cauliflower, broccoli, Asparagus, ‘sweet cornbread’, Brussel sprouts and a few more I am sure. LOL

I ate good growing up anyway!

 

Nite Shipslog

PS:

God has allowed us to meet some of the best folk on the planet, in person. and here on the net, thank you for being here…  I have been trying to keep up and have enjoyed your blogs and comments….  Until later……. jack

Okay, if I were a real conversationalist, I would have said…

Sherry, ahead of me, somewhere in the North East on the Appalachian Trail.  we loved scenes such as this. I have told you many times My idea was to sell around the world, She come up with the idea of hiking the AT. Actually one of the better ideas we have had.

 Photo of the day:

For now

Three days or three hours later, have you ever thought, “I should have said ( some cool or cutting answer?) in a conversation. That has been  and is  a problem of mine. I have opinions like everyone else, of course they may not correspond with yours and many others, but they still have merit or I would not have them.

As I get older my abilities and talents are still admired (it seems) by many folks.  In my life and even lately I have solved lots of problems.

I mentally draw back when I state my opinion, and all of a sudden I am am idiot, in a friend or family member’s opinion. Yep, all of a sudden my opinion is ignorant, out dated or plain stupid. It is obvious I have no idea of what I am saying. LOL

Shucks, just this evening I broke my watch band.  It is of course a $16 Casio, no longer the solid gold Bulova I once wore, and I like the Casio even better. (The expensive watch is in a drawer somewhere)   But I did fix the old Casio.. I am pretty danged resourceful, along with being cheap. LOL

I have found that I am the smartest man in the world, when I am needed.  Otherwise I am just that old man who THINKS  he can do stuff.

I just wanted to bitch a little.  Love you guys who read, yeah you too Buddy (love you dude). We heard from our friends Dallas and Marion (I forget if that is supposed to be Marian or Marion) Sherry is asleep or she would tell me. Anyway Dal reminded me I had not blogged much lately.

I am supposed to be in bed. I am old you know…. It is after 11 pm

More in the next day or two.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

God has allowed us to meet some of the best folk on the planet, in person. and here on the net, thank you for being here…  I have been trying to keep up and have enjoyed your blogs and comments….  Until later……. jack

 

PS 2: Not sure if that is a Boliva or not, I think Sherry bought it for me I do know it was a good watch.

A cup of coffee

 Unless I forget, I get the coffee ready for each morning the evening before. I make what they call 8 cups.  I never thought of it as 8 measured cups, I just knew by making what Mr. Coffee calls 8 cups, actually gives us two mugs. My mind reads 8 cups as 8 mugs, but of course it is not!

I shot a couple more pictures of the apartment. This is the entrance door. I cut thru the 12" blocks to get it.  I laid some brick and it is ready for the small deck to be put in.

That door is a steel entry door.  It was being thrown away in a remodel in front of us. Offered $50 for it and they said no, it is trash and free. This door new is right at $200.

Just inside the door is the foyer, straight ahead is the living room those bi-fold doors to the right enters a large storage area.  Those doors were free also, friend Bobby Franklin gave them to us. 

Below is the kitchen sink & cabinet, Now finished also.

WE have a very depressing story next door. I have mentioned Jim Arp, locally very famous, at one time was lead singer and spokesman for some of the largest rock and roll bands.  After his time of fame as an actor and disk Jockey Jim passed away over a year ago and his home has fell apart. Jim had become a hoarder.

The front door is open, this is looking in the front door.

Buzzards actually live inside the house.  It was surveyed a week or so ago, so maybe someone is gonna tear it down and build.  It sure will improve our neighborhood.

Jim was a great guy, his mind slipped away. 

You all take care, I will try to do better. I do enjoy reading your stuff also.

Nite Shipslog

Yep I am cheap,  much of the materials I used in the apartment came from gifts and off FB Market place and Ebay

The Apartment, coming to a close in a couple weeks

 I am hoping I have some pictures.  I feel so dumb at times just trying to use a phone, PC or my simple camera.  I ordered a simple camera (I THOUGHT).  I am only a point and shoot kind of guy. But I do not know when I am taking  a movie or snap shots.  OUCH!

Some pictures, methinkss...

Above  is what I started with..

This is the main open area, living room, kitchen, dining areas. That ceiling was tough. I have a rough time working over my head. A contractor came thru once as I worked on the ceiling and asked where was my help, you  certainly cannot do a suspended ceiling by yourself? I pointed out my two 'dead men' (A term used for extra supports as I work) I move them around to hold up the 12 foot stuff while I level and tie it to the floor above. LOL

Kitchen stove to be added later of course.

looking into bedroom #1

This is the china hutch with the doll I saved from the trash. That doll waS OWNED BY OUR NEIGHBOR for over 50 years. (Long story there)

above ios Bedroom 2 according door on closet.

This is a necessary room, a pump room. the basement is below sewer level so waste must be ground and pumped up and out to city sewer. This was one of the hardest jobs I had to cut thru 4 inches of concrete. That container is buried 30 inches into the ground.

Bathroom of course.

Terrible shot of the shower; I had messed with this camera too much and the battery was dying.

This is looking from the pump room back to the entry way which houses a 8x10 storage room and a foyer.

My doll has kept me company as I worked.

My working and staging area. in the joining garage. The washer and dryer will be here in this area.

I hung 68 sheets of drywall and finished and painted it. added right at 900 sq ft of suspended ceiling. I plumbed and wired this place. I had help unloading one load of drywall.

Sherry hasn't fussed (much) but she has made it clear this is the last BIG job of an 86 year old man.  I am tending to agree with her.

I am trying to settle down and realize I cannot fix all family problems.  I  pictured retirement as having NO problems. I was once teaching a SS class and mention a friend in the audience. I said, "Wouldn't it be nice to be like the Rev.  QJ Cox. RETIRED and not a worry in the world.  He smiled really big and winked at me.  After class, he came up and said, "It may take a few years son, but you will learn a lot of things when you get OLD!"

Boy, was he right!  LOL

Sending love and good thoughts your way

Nite Shipslog