Doctor's visit 02.28.14

            The doctor said, “Doing excellent for age”. 

            If you are thinking that the doctor’s bed side manner isn’t that good it might help to know he was talking about Tejas, my constant companion and confidant. Tejas had his annual visit to the vet yesterday and other than growling at the doctor when he gave him a shot (I sometimes do the same thing when I get a shot) everything when well.

            The vet said he was surprised how well he gets around. He noted that German Shepherds his age (10 years old) often have arthritis and find it difficult to walk. He noted Tejas’ eyes were clear and his teeth look as clean as a puppy’s teeth.

            When I go to the doctor for a checkup I pay $15.00, it cost more when Tejas goes.

 

We have had cold weather the last couple days. Today, tomorrow and Sunday are supposed to be upper 70s to 80, “nice”. Then we are predicted to have a 40 degree swing in temperature with light freezes at night.

It is possible these temperature swings have an influence on some of the mood swings I have noticed lately. Notice I did not say, “my”, mood swings, obviously I am grumpy in good spirits regardless what the weather is.

I have some weed and feed to put on the front yard. Before you ask, I did check to see if it was for ST. Augustine grass.

As you may know, one year I fertilized with a weed and feed that was not for southern grasses. As usual, I did not read and thusly did not follow the instructions; luckily it did not kill my southern grass.

I plan to read the instructions and follow them this year; it will probably kill the grass and fertilize the weeds.

 

I hope your weather will be nice, and your weekend is better.

 

Don Ford         Master lawnologist  

 

In the olden days... 02.24.14

 

                I was reminded of the olden days during a conversation this morning.

I believe the year may have been around 1956 or at least in that time period. I went to school at May Green grade school in Cape Girardeau, Mo. I started the first grade at the age of 5 and continued through about half of the 5^th grade at May Green. We moved to the country where I attended Juden School through the 6^th grade.

At May Green the girls play ground was to the north of the school and the boys was to the south. Now days it would be considered discrimination because the boys had room for two ball diamonds, football and basketball while the girls didn’t. I guess the boys were treated differently in those days.

There were trees along the west side of the boys play ground and that is where we played marbles.  Under the trees there was no grass so it was easy to draw a circle to make the ring for the game. There was two ways to play; “Funnies” was played and each contestant kept his own marbles, while “Keeps” meant you keep any marbles you knock out of the ring.

There were other terms one needed to learn if they were going to successfully participate in this sport.

“Steelies” was a metal ball baring the size of a marble.

“Lobbie” was an extra-large marble two or three times bigger than a normal marble.

“Tall” was the marble one used to shoot at the other marble in the ring.

“Innies” is what you said when you shot your Tall and it knocked a marble out of the ring but the tall stayed inside the ring. You could make your next shot from that point inside the ring.

If you miss a shot and your tall stayed inside the ring the other players could shoot at your tall. If they knocked your tall outside the ring they would say, “two or your tall” which means you had to give the other player two marbles or he would keep your tall.

“Pinks” was the term used if you wanted to put the marble on a small pile of dirt (kind of like a golf T). 

I do remember those of us who played marbles would be dirty after recess and that is probably why the teacher would always make us go to the rest room and wash up before going back to class.

The reason for this history lesson is; what we use to do as kids in the olden days is not acceptable now. Now days kids are not allowed to bring things like marbles to school. I assume the schools might consider marbles as weapons. Possibly some student might get their feelings hurt if they were not as good at marbles as other kids.

I hope your day is satisfying.

 

Don Ford

 

Never Satisfied... 02.17.14

 

                “Never Satisfied”, is a very true statement. We have had one of those crummy cold winters where a record number of days below freezing has been set; I believe it was 53 days.

                Throughout all the cold weather I griped about the cold and said I wish it would turn warm. I wanted some of those sunny days where I could sit outside and do nothing while enjoying a cold beverage.

                Well, my wish has come true. The outside temp has been in the low to mid 70s with plenty of sun shine for several days and should continue through the week.

My neighbor of 31 years and I were discussing our daily chores, “man chores that are required of all retired men if they want to continue to have meals served at their Homestead”. Things like sweeping and washing dishes.

This may be hard to believe but I have even learned how to use the washing machine. I am still having some difficulties with the dryer but I will master it before long. 

                I have done a small amount of rearranging in the garage and have brought my air compressor from the shed to the garage. I decided I should change the oil in the Goldwing so I went to the auto parts store for oil. Have you priced a quart of oil lately? I remember oil being about $1.00 a quart and now it is $6.00 if you don’t purchase the synthetic oil. I was standing in front of the oil when an employee asked if he could help. I stated my reason for being there and he suggested a single container with 5 quarts of oil inside. I explained that I wanted individual quarts.

                I learned from this young man that purchasing the oil with an oil filter would save me money, (you thought I was too old to learn new tricks, the saying is “you can’t teach old dogs new tricks”, you weren’t calling me an old dog were you?).

                To make a short story longer, the 5 quarts of oil alone would have cost $30.00 but purchasing them with an oil filter (oil change special) the oil and filter cost less than $24.00. They don’t have oil filters for the Goldwing so I took one to fit my truck.

                During the oil change, Molly my supervisor had her nose into everything. She was literally under the belly if the Goldwing watching me remove the drain plug. I was able to change the oil and filter even with the close supervision.

 

                Please excuse the rambling, I will attempt to get back on subject.

                The warm weather has been a blessing but not without some shall we say, Minor complaints. Saturday afternoon I took my usual seat near the garage door hoping to sit there and watch the world pass. I was in the chair just a couple minutes with the sun baring down on my back, when I decided the sun was too hot. Yes I was complaining which goes to show you, “I am never satisfied”. My complaints were not so much real complaints but more a comment of my irritation. Rather than sit in my normal chair which was in the direct sun light I was forced to seek refuge in a rocking chair on the front porch.

                I am sure someone is questioning how a retire couple on a fixed income can afford two rocking chairs. Possibly due to the generous donations of the reading public or, maybe one of the chairs was found on the curb on trash pickup day. 

 

I hope the warm sun doesn’t force you into the shade.

 

Don Ford

 

X marks the spot 02.15.14

X marks the spot                      02.15.14

 

                Today is Saturday and the old movies are on the TV. For the past couple months I have watch Mr. Ed while enjoying a cup of coffee, early Saturday morning. This morning I happened upon “The Lone Ranger”.  I watched two episodes of The Lone Ranger. I was somewhat surprised how childish the shows were, but then they were made for kids.

                Next came Hopalong Cassidy. Again I was surprised, not at the script but at the actor’s age. Hopalong was a gray haired old man playing the rough riding cowboy. I guess kids in the olden days did not care how old the main character was as long as he could shoot his gun and ride a fast horse. Personally I like the old Tarzan shows even though they were just as childish.

                I am now changing the subject to “X marks the spot”.

                I have always heard that, “X marks the spot”. In the movies X usually marked the spot on a map indicating the location of a hidden treasure. Well, I did not see a map but I did see the X. What was the purpose of the X and why was it placed there?

 

As you may be able to see in the photo, there is plainly an X in the sky.  If the X had been directly over, “The Ford Homestead” I would have known the X was for me and that I was the treasure. Unfortunately the X was south of the Ford Homestead so I have no idea why it was there or what it was marking.

                Suggestion of the meaning may be sent to me along with the usual $25.00 donation.

Speaking of money; I have completed my income tax and I owe five dollars more this year than I did last year. Being retired and on a fixed income wouldn’t you think my tax should be the same each year. We will also accept donations toward our income tax payment until April 10^th. We understand that April 15^th is the final day to file but we don’t like to wait until the last day to mail the return.

 

I hope you find your treasure (X) today.

Don Ford 

 

Finish with a suggestion 02.14.14

 

                Hello from the Ford Homestead of Hewitt, Texas.  We are getting better but not yet 100%. 

Getting better from what, you ask.  My spouse of 44 years and I have both been sick this week. My first wife began the week throwing up and she had the “out house trots”. She basically spent two days in the bed room because she was sick and did not want to share the illness with the grandson.

I, not wanting to be outdone, developed a low grade fever and the trots which lasted two days and two very uncomfortable nights. We both are ok now, but still kinda weak.

 

Enough about our health status, let’s get to the two photos and a couple notes.

Today I put the handles on chest 001 which is a gift for Gabi. I needed a way to mark the chest without leaving marks on the chest.  I decided to use some Masking tape seen in the photo below. This suggestion may be used by you in your projects and you do not need to send donations (unless you want to) for the suggestion to, “The Ford Homestead, of Hewitt, Texas”.

If you are observant, you will have noticed the two round holes at the top of the photo. They are actually small round knot holes in the wood not drilled holes.

I placed the tape, marked the drill spots and drilled the holes through the taps. When I remove the tape there are no unwanted marks on the chest.

Above we see the final part of the chest project. It is loaded in the pickup and ready to be delivered.

 

 

Hope you are healthy and happy.

 

Don Ford           

Chest #001 02.10.14

Chest #001                                 02.10.14

 

A short story by Maestro Don Ford (maestro, meaning "master" or "teacher").

                I decided to make a wooden chest. I think I began the project in early December.

The project was supervised by Molly (seen below, showing indifference for the camera).

Boards were cut to precise specifications, then glued and secured with multiple clamps to create top, bottom, sides and ends (see below).

Sides, ends and bottom were temporarily clamped together to provide an assessment of additional work (see below).

The base was skillfully cut and temporarily assembled for review (below).

Project manager Molly, inspected every aspect of the work from the inside out, as seen below.

The chest was assembled in an effort to assure Molly that everything would fit properly. It was then disassembled for final sanding and minor touch up work.

Below we see the chest after it went through final assembly which included gluing and fasteners, it has also been stained.

 

I had to wait a couple weeks after staining for the application of varnish, due to cold weather conditions (I did not want to work in the cold and I wanted the varnish to dry properly).  The varnish used is a satin finish, so there is no high gloss shine.

 

 

Following final inspection Molly gave me an “A” for effort but only a “B” for execution.

Once completed the unit was numbered (#001), signed and will be presented to Gabi if she wants it. I feel there will need to be another as Alex has indicated he wants a toy chest also. 

 

“An idle mind is the devils work shop.”

 that is why I try to stay somewhat busy.

 

Don Ford

 

North end of a South bound horse 02.09.14

 

                Yes, I have been referred to as “the north end of a south bound horse”. There is another comment, “why are there more horse’s asses than there are horses”?

                Let me explain these comments. I went to the Best Buy store to purchase an item using my $35.00 in certificates.

I picked up my item at the service desk and the clerk asked if I wanted a bag. My response was no thanks. The clerk handed me three pieces of paper which were the order acknowledgement and receipts.

As I was leaving the store I noticed the security guy who looked like a kid just out of high school. He had his cell phone in his hand and appeared to be texting. I walked up to the young person and stepped into his personal space. Everyone has a personal area around their body which others are supposed to stay outside of. It is very annoying and can be intimidating when someone gets inside your personal space.

I was about 10 inches away from the young man, well inside his personal space, and I stated, “Did they tell you that you are not allowed to use your cell phone while you are working”. He looked at me with a surprised expression with no comment. I again asked if they had told him not to use his cell phone while working. He said I am doing what they told me to do. I asked a third time, “Are you supposed to be using a cell phone while you are working? He said, “I am new”. I decided that it was best to stop annoying this young person.

I changed the subject and said, “I stole this item and put these papers with it so you would think I paid for it”. I showed him the item and patted him on the shoulder and walked out of the store. (For you the reader’s information, I did not steal the item and the receipts were in hand.)

I was the north end of a south bound horse that day. The young man did not ask to see my receipts and purchase but probably should have.

 

I hope no one gets into your personal space.

 

Don Ford

 

$12.00 Bicycle... 02.06.14

$12.00 Bicycle…                02.06.14   

 

                Being retired and living on a fixed income, I am continually waiting for the Social Security check to be deposited. For those of you who are working, please continue to work as long as you can. When you work you are keeping my little SS check coming.

          My spouse of 44 years 10 months wanted to purchase a bike for the grandson. Our finances being what they are, only allowed us to purchase a used bike.

          The bike looked good but it had a few problems. The front tire was flat so I was required to fix it. During the tire repair process I noticed a few other items that would need my attention.

          The outside air temp was 20 this morning, it rose up to 34 for a high but with the wind that did not cease if felt much colder. I tell you about the cold weather so you will understand why I was working on the bike in my, “use to be” office.

The garage is not heated and it did not take more than a minute in the unheated garage to make me come into the office. My work bench was my desk and I placed the small bike with training wheels on the desk so I could get to all the bolts and screws.

I adjusted the hand break so it will now work.

The front tire was on backwards, at least the tread was backwards from the rear tire so I fixed that.

The seat was very loose, I tighten that.

I noticed the training wheels did not seem to be tight so I investigated and they were not only loose but put on wrong. I corrected that situation and properly tightened them.

I checked the bike’s peddles and one was unscrewed and about to fall off. I tighten that peddle and checked the other.

I am not sure how much to charge the grandson for this work on his bike. The motorcycle shop get about $50.00 per hour.

Even though it is cold here in the heart of Texas and I do complain often about the cold weather, we are better off than those folks who live in the snow and ice covered states.

I have a project in the garage that I started approximately two months ago. I work on it when the weather is warm and it sits when the weather is cold. It is almost finished with the exception of a few layers of varnish; I am hoping for a couple warm days which would allow me to complete the project. If the project turns out fairly nice I will post some photos and brag on myself (no one else does).

I guess that is all from the Ford Homestead.

 

I hope your day is warm and your friends are nice.

 

Don Ford

 

New PC in use 02.04.14

New PC in use                           02.04.14

 

                Good morning from the Ford Homestead of Hewitt Texas.  We are receiving a well-deserved rain today and the temp is in the mid-40s so not to bad a beginning to a wonderful day.

            As the title describes I am using my new PC with Office Pro 2013 installed.  Even though there is a slight learning curve, it is merely a fun challenge to this computer-ologist.

            Although most would consider me a genuine ass genius I see myself as being outstanding but not a genius. 

               

                -----------------------------------

 

            This ends the test of the new PC, now I need to see if it will send this message to the blog.

                If you are reading this, then it works. If you are not reading this then only I will know it did not work.

 

Enjoy the day, be nice to someone that does not expect it.

 

Don Ford

Six more weeks of winter? 02.02.14

               Today, Feb. 2, 2014 is Ground Hog Day in the northern states. Some of you understand that Ground Hogs Day is the day that an animal is use to predict whether there will be more winter or if winter is over.  Yankees come up with so really unusual processes.

               The so called news this morning talked about the Ground Hog seeing his shadow and six more weeks of winter. The news also talked about a football game that is supposed to be on TV today. Heck, it’s Sunday, there is always a football game on TV on Sunday. 

               We now understand that the northern states will have six more weeks on winter due to the Ground Hog. This will likely include several more snow storms with many days of subzero weather.

               Here in Texas we do not have “Ground Hogs” and we don’t have adult people dressed up like people from the olden days in top hats telling everyone, “winter is not over”. Come on folks; that is a bunch of crap.

               Texans do not need all that, “hoop de do” we are more straight forward in our weather predictions.  We do listen to the weather man/woman from the TV for short term forecast. 

If we want to know whether we have more winter on the way or is winter is over we here in Hewitt, TX consult with “Cedrick”. Cedrick has never been wrong in his weather predictions. Cedrick lives three houses down the street so we can just walk down to their house to request a prediction.

Cedrick’s prediction this year is, “there will be no more winter in this area this year”.

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I will answer a question from a previous posting. The question is, “what is the meaning of Three Dog Night”.  I must apologize; I thought everyone knew what a “Three Dog Night” was. For that one person who did not know about a, “Three Dog Night” the term refers to the number of dogs you would need on your bed to keep you warm while sleeping on a cold night.

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I better answer this question before you send me an email asking; “who is Cedrick”?

Cedrick is a Chiwawa.  Yes he is one of those little dogs that often bark and bits. Cedrick did not see his shadow when he came out to do his business today because it is cloudy and light rain.

 

I hope you winter weather is finished and all your days are pleasant.

 

Don Ford