I have Spoken

Well the weather around here has been fairly crappy.  Cold mostly and today we had fresh snow, not much but enough it required the driveway to be shoveled,  maybe two inches.   We did venture out for lunch and outside the neighborhood the streets were pretty much fine. 

Yesterday I had to get out and replace a garbage disposal over at the Bott House.   Got a call Friday night that there was water in the laundry room.   Went over and to figure out what was leaking.  The kitchen sink is above the laundry room and found that the garbage disposal was leaking from the bottom.  

Finished up and while I was there I grabbed one of my Lego sets that I have a duplicate of unopened.  When all done, headed back home and started working on building my Lego Star Wars The Child.  Took me about 5 hours off/on and to complete.  While building I was re-watching the Mandalorian yet again.  Came out pretty cool and will see where I end up placing it.  It may just go back in the box.   

I have two planes that I am thinking about building, but I need a change for a while.  I have built numerous over the last couple of years, it's time for a break from them.  

Last weekend I built a the Lego Viking Ship.  Again took me about the same amount of time to complete.   Being that Lego seems to increase in value, more so for unopened retired items, I am very careful in the opening of the box and each back containing the Lego.  I try to keep everything as neat as I can.   I already took this one apart and repackaged it and taped the box back up.

Next on my list is to start working on a Mandalorian 500 piece puzzle.  Don't know why I always need to keep busy, but I do.  

Finally going to breakdown and do it.  I need to get some heat in my shop, I would love to work over there as I have so many projects, but when it is cold I have no interest in freezing. I have a kerosine heater, but it get's pretty stinky and doesn't really do the job.

Supposed to go out of town next Friday.  We will see if my plans change any as I am traveling to Israel.   I will know more tomorrow.  I got a email about the conflict that is currently happening and the people I am visiting wanted to know if we wanted to change our plans and hold off for a couple months.  We will see.

What's Up This Week

This week flew by faster than I ever expected, leaving me scared about the amount of time I had left to do all the things that were on my list. Seems that as I get older the weeks fly by faster and faster,

Our street is still covered in snow/ice.  Just as it begins to melt we get another storm with snow.  Despite temps dropping into the single digits, I decided that it would be much more fun and exciting to ride my e-bike instead.

I bundled up in multiple layers of clothing (which surprisingly didn't make it more difficult to ride) and started cycling down the street. I tried to drive on the clear areas but for the most part it was packed snow and ice.  Took it slow and easy each day and never had any issues. The trails that I ride were also still snow packed and icy.

It was great to be out in the open air despite how cold it was outside (13), with nothing but me and my e-bike and my JBL Flip 4 blasting my Rockabilly playlist.  I love my playlist and it is so funny that when I come across people on the trail, they start dancing and give me a big thumbs up.  Just fun music and puts a big smile on my face each way to and from.   

The whole experience was so refreshing, not just physically but mentally as well; every single turn felt like an adventure as I tried to balance out on top of icy patches on the road while dodging traffic here and there! After what felt like forever - although it probably wasn't even close.

But despite the chilliness and how long it took me to get there, those 30 minutes spent riding were definitely worth it. There's something special about being out in nature in wintertime, when everything is blanketed in white snow and you can almost feel your troubles disappearing along with each pedal stroke you take.

Made It Home

I got home from Wichita this last Wednesday night.   I was supposed to be home before noon, but that quickly came and went.  The evening before I get a text, that my first flight had been cancelled and now I would depart around 12:45PM.   Well that came and went, long story short, I arrived at the airport at 10:15AM and we finally departed at 5:15PM.  Then when getting to DIA, I had a good 2.5 hour drive home on snow packed and icy roads.  Traffic wasn't moving to fast and that was a good thing.

Thursday morning I did get up and walk to work, it was a little cold but I did it.   Candy picked me up later that afternoon as we had a meeting we needed to attend.  Friday I drove to work and got home about 4:00PM.  Tonight was the big night, we were headed out to see Hairball.

Uber picked us up about 5:30PM, and we headed down to the Famous for a pre-dinner cocktail.  It was snowing out, but not to bad.  Which was good as we were going to be doing some walking when we got downtown.    I was surprised how busy the Famous was, we just bellied up to the bar and had a seat.  Our youngest son works there on Friday and Saturday nights.  So we got to see him and through him we have met many of the folks who work there.  Really nice people and they always have great things to say about Clark.

After we finished our drinks, we left and walked over to the Pikes Peak Center.  It was only about  half mile and it was actually fun to walk in the snow, even though it was cold it didn't feel that bad out.

We were able to quickly get into the Pikes Peak Center where we had tickets for dinner.  This is the first time we had purchased dinner tickets before the show.  It was really nice and the food was great.  So if you are looking for a fun night out, have dinner and see a show all at the Pikes Peak Center.

We were in our seats at about 7:50PM.  The place was filling up quickly and from what I understand it was a sold out show.   Even though this was just a cover band, I thought they did a really great job.  For Kiss they were in full Kiss costume and sounded really good, you would almost think you were at a Kiss show.  Next up was Van Halen, then Guns N Roses, White Snake, Def Leopard, Queen, Alice Cooper and more.

They would play 2 to 3 songs from each band.  There were two lead singers, so while one was doing one band, the other was back stage getting into costume for the next.   We had a great time, on our feet for two hours and singing along where we new the words and mumbled through the rest.

On the Road

So on Sunday, I flew out to Wichita Kansas from Denver Colorado.  Headed out to see my mom for a couple of days.  Leaving tomorrow hopefully, but we are getting snow in Colorado and it looks like it is moving this way.  Just what I need as I have so much work to do.

Been a few months since I have been back and we are approaching the two your anniversary since dad passed.   Mom is doing what she can to stay in her home but it is getting more difficult as time goes by.   We had a doctors appointment this week and the list of issues she went through was just a glimpse of what we all have coming as we age.   

I am of the mind that I need to go out in a blaze of glory, not sure what that means as I don't want anyone else to be hurt, but racing to the top of Pikes Peak and driving off the edge with guns blazing would be one hell of a way to go.  I may get my fifteen minutes of fame only when I am gone.  No I am not suicidal, just creating content for the blog.

We have finished with the auctions and most of the items have been sold and removed. I
purchased a few things myself.  Not sure if I did it because I wanted the items or was just trying to get mom more money.

I did buy my dads old Farmall Model H Tractor.  Figured we might want to keep it around incase we needed to mow the runway at some point.

Now I am thinking I will haul it home on a trailer and then clean it up and get it going again.  I had it running last time I was here, but it took some finagling to get it going.  Not sure what I will do with it when I drag it home, but if the Ranchero is gone I will have a little room.

Hell maybe I will get into tractor pulls.  Just kidding, that's not for me.

I have a hard time when I come back and visit.  I find myself walking around the grounds and talking to my Dad, of course he doesn't' answer, but I am unsure what he would want me to do to help my mother.  She lives alone, she is out in the country and she struggles to get around. 

Out on the Bikes

Yo, yesterday I woke up and decided to take a stroll to and from work. It was a bit nippy in the morning, but by afternoon it was nice and toasty. It's been a minute since I walked to work, but I've been riding my trusty bike when the streets ain't icy. Today, me and my bike buddy hit the road and went downtown for some grub at Rasta Pasta. I love that place, but let me tell ya, the staff ain't the sharpest tools in the shed. They always mess up my order and it would be a breeze if they just wrote it down. I bet they be higher than a kite while they workin'. After lunch, we checked out an antique store and then headed back home. All in all, it was a nice day, compared to the last two weeks of wintery hell.

Speaking of Dicks

Donald Trump, his children, and his businesses have a long history of being accused of being grifters and crooks. Grifters are people who use deceit and fraud to obtain money or other benefits, while crooks are people who engage in criminal activities such as fraud and embezzlement.

Throughout his career in real estate and entertainment, Trump has been accused of using shady business practices to take advantage of others. For example, he has been sued multiple times for fraud in relation to his real estate ventures, and has been accused of not paying contractors who worked on his properties. Additionally, Trump University, a for-profit education company founded by Trump, was shut down by the New York attorney general for engaging in "persistent fraudulent, illegal, and deceptive conduct."

Trump's children have also been accused of engaging in similar behavior. For example, his son Eric Trump has been accused of using the Trump Foundation, a charitable organization, for personal gain. The New York attorney general has also accused the Trump Foundation of engaging in "a shocking pattern of illegality."

Furthermore, Trump and his children have been repeatedly sending out emails and messages asking for money from people, promising to use the money for different cause but most of the time they are not, they are just taking advantage of people's generosity.

Overall, it's clear that Trump and his family have a history of using deceit and fraud to obtain money and other benefits. If you are receiving any emails or messages asking for money from Trump or his family, it is best to be cautious and not fall for their scams. It's important to be careful and not be fooled by the tricks of these grifters and crooks.

What A Dick

 Internet was out at the house this week, thanks to some dickhead.  Thanks brother!

57 Ford Ranchero

After working on restoring my 1957 Ford Ranchero for several years, I have reached a point where it requires a professional body man to finish the job. The rust issues and body work are beyond my capabilities and I lack the time and funds to try to fix it myself, only to potentially have to redo it later. It is complete and I have everything needed to finish it. The Ranchero runs and drives great, just needs to finished.

Additionally, I have other projects I want to focus on and my workshop is becoming cluttered with the Ranchero, two Model A trucks, and a Toyota RAV4. In order to make room to work, I need to move two of them out.

Therefore, I am considering selling the Ranchero and using the funds to install radiant heating in my workshop, allowing me to work on projects during the winter months. My wife also has a list of items she wants me to make for her to display her quilts and other crafts.

Furthermore, my welder has failed and I need to look into getting a replacement. Despite this setback, I have collected various items such as old steel wheels, milk cans, and tiller wheels that I hope to turn into unique yard art when I have the time.

Love My Rad

Today I took my RadRunner Plus out for a spin and it was glorious! The ice and snow that had been coating the streets for months was finally starting to melt and I couldn’t wait to take advantage of the warmer weather.  I have owned this bike for a few months now, clocking in over 500 miles of use. As a big boy, it is important for me to regularly check my brakes as the friction from my weight takes its toll on them. 

As I started riding, I blasted some Rock-A-Billy music from the Bluetooth speaker, because it seemed appropriate for the day. To my delight, two older ladies began dancing around when Jerry Lee Lewis came on - what an unexpected surprise! Most of my ride was through trails in parks which are great for avoiding traffic, but there were some roads that needed to be navigated as well. Thankfully all my gear kept me warm despite the chilly 21 degrees outside temperature. Two coats, wool socks and scarf did their job protecting me from the cold like a champ! 

In summary today's ride was just amazing! The joy of being able to go outside and feel free while listening to good music was something else. After all these months stuck inside due to Covid-19 restrictions it felt so liberating. Furthermore, e-bike rides provide quite a workout too - great way to exercise without spending hours at the gym! 

I can’t wait until next time when I get back out there with my beloved Rad Runner Plus again.

HairBall

My friends and I are really excited for this month because we're headed out to the Pikes Peak Center to see Hairball, a cover band that puts on an amazing show. We've heard great things about them, and some of us have never seen them before so it's going to be an awesome experience.

Known as "The Show Must Go On!", Hairball is certainly living up to their reputation. This rock cover band was formed in 2000 by Bobby, who named it after his beloved cat. Since then, they have become notorious for their high energy performances of songs from all genres - from classic rock to current pop hits. 

Their shows usually last around two hours and feature three costume changes, taking the audience on a wild ride through time with hits from bands like AC/DC, KISS, Journey, Bon Jovi and more! In addition to their amazing covers of popular music, they also provide fans with lots of interactive fun. From confetti cannons to foam fingers and smoke machines – no matter where you sit in the venue you will not miss out on any of the action! 

What makes their shows even more unique is that they don't use any recordings or back tracks – every single instrument on stage is meticulously played live. They rely solely on the skill of their musicians who are each hand-picked by Bobby based off of their talent and ability to put on an amazing show. 

So if you're looking for a good time – make sure you head over to the Pikes Peak Center this month and check out Hairball! You won't regret it!