Comments for It's always something...

It's always something...

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 05:53:10 -0600

I've got a pretty good job, in that aside from the hard-date deliverables, time is pretty flexible, as long as the work gets done. Yesterday was one of those days where I actually had a "gotta be there at a certain time* meeting, with an officer of the firm I work for, to discuss an assessment I'm doing on one of their staff. We're a techie kind of firm, so we have an online tool for this. This tool is a little finicky, especially if you're not behind the corporate firewall - i.e., tunneling in from home like I was. Most...

Comment from The Thomas on 2010-01-08

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 09:03:32 -0600

What is this "having a colonoscopy" at your age. Didn't you pass the first one after you turned 50?

Normally its 10 years between them if you have a clean (no problems) scoping.

I had lots of interesting findings on my first one and was told to come back in 5 years (passed that one).

What gives?

Comment from Rivrdog on 2010-01-07

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:37:37 -0600

A year ago, I was up in the Cascade Mountains going to my eledest daughter's wedding. I stopped at an intermediate level to switch cars (I had gone up to Timberline Lodge @ 6,000 feet as a pax in an SUV, but had left my truck at 3,500 feet so as to not have to chain up). I noted a family across the parking lot, whaling on the rear wheel of a Yukon. Stuck parking brake, drove up the hill in slush and now it was frozen.

I walked over to him to offer him a tip, and found out that the hammerer was a paid mechanic. I found the owner and told him to dismiss the mechanic, send out his two teenagers to round up cardboard, and make a hot-exhaust tent under the vehicle to thaw out the frozen cable.

He was amazed at the simplicity of that suggestion, but alas, he had paid the mechanic $150 up front to do the work. Peeved a little by the gouging mechanic, I asked HIM why he didn't use a cardboard enclosure to use exhaust heat to melt the ice out of the brake cable and wheel drum. He thanked me profusely, knowing that on the next one of those calls he got, he could set the cardboard and just sit back and wait for the heat to do the job, thereby earning his pirate fee much more easily.

From my Northern MI days, I learned to ride the brakes the last quarter mile before parking to melt off the slush and heat the wheel so all would go round and round again next time. BTW, you probably just rolled that tire off the rim. You might have reseated it, ON THE RIM, using the Exploding Ether Trick: http://tinyurl.com/yctedqr A little Spare Air to re-inflate the tire after reseating any you would have been on your way in a couple of shakes, with nothing worse than snow on your boots.

Comment from DL Sly on 2010-01-07

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:25:47 -0600

Compliments of the ever-inspirational Dr. Harden Stuhl from VC. Nothing makes the day move along like a catchy little tune.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N0w2rORwSc
heh
0>;~}

Comment from BillT on 2010-01-07

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 03:20:56 -0600

When I went back the gizmo they were going to use looked exactly like the one they shoved down my throat the week before.

It *is* the exact same gizmo, Steve. The problems arise when they don't sterilize it properly after utilizing it -- from either direction.

Which is the reason a certain VA hospital is infamous, and has a lot fewer patients than it used to...

Comment from Oldloadr on 2010-01-07

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 02:03:04 -0600

AW1 Tim - That was too much! LOL

John, that story takes the wind out of a lot of pity-party sails!

Comment from AW1 Tim on 2010-01-07

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:51:00 -0600

Colonoscopy, eh?

Reminds me of this video..

http://www.b50v.com/b50vdisplay.php?categoryId=1&videoId=5592

Comment from Barb on 2010-01-06

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 23:50:12 -0600

What a couple of days you've had! Luckily you should be good for another 10 years or 100,000 miles :-)

Comment from JoeC on 2010-01-06

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:05:05 -0600

John,

Thanks for the laugh at your expense! I think we all have those days. I became a fan of Roseanne Roseanndanna years ago with the "It's always something" saying. I repeat this often. And I have learned to never ever say "What else could go wrong" since the day I had a painter in screwing up enough stuff it took a week to repair..... and my wife called and said honey, I wrecked the car (totaled, but thankfully no one hurt).

So, I laugh WITH you in sympathy, not AT you in schadefreude. (well, maybe a little. heh.)

Comment from NevadaDailySteve on 2010-01-06

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:22:04 -0600

John,

I had to have both the upper and lower GI tract checked out, fortunately a week apart, with the upper GI getting done first. When I went back the gizmo they were going to use looked exactly like the one they shoved down my throat the week before.

I'm just glad they scheduled them the way they did because I don't think I could have gone through with it the other way around.

Comment from og on 2010-01-06

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:23:49 -0600

We all have 'em. I get about two a month.

Best deal with a recalcitrant rim is to crack the lugs loose- but JUST loose, and drive a couple hundred feet. Usually loosens the worst. Good idea to loosen the REST of them now, so you're prepared when the next episode arrives.

Comment from steve cpo ret on 2010-01-06

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:16:52 -0600

And another Fine Navy Day comes to a close!

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2010-01-06

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:40:14 -0600

Having had my cheap shot at HL, I will offer fires in support - it did take 30 minutes to remove all the crap I had to remove in order to change out a burned-out turn-signal bulb, and it takes a full hour to get the battery out and new battery into the Aztek.

Comment from emdfl on 2010-01-06

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:37:22 -0600

Get the boyos to loosen up the other three wheels for you. Then pull them at the first opportunity, apply a coating of Never-Seez on the axle where it contacts the wheel and replace the wheel(s). Done this on the Merkur for years. Saves lots of cussin' time when it's time to pull the wheels for a brake job.

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2010-01-06

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:09:30 -0600

In re: Heartless (insert any one of a number of "infantryman" jokes here)

Comment from bad cat robot on 2010-01-06

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:52:27 -0600

Just so you know, that "blech" water tastes even worse coming back up. Cue the sound of an extremely pathetic Bad Cat Robot trying to explain to the emergency doc on the phone that no, I really COULDN'T finish the whole gallon of prep. (It all worked out in the end, ha aha, look, a joke! but I was very very unhappy.)

Comment from DL Sly on 2010-01-06

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:13:18 -0600

Coulda been worse.......
The doc coulda forgotten to check for his watch.

Jus' sayin'.......
0>;~}

Comment from John (Not The Armorer) on 2010-01-06

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:58:58 -0600

Uhh, thanks for sharing?

Bet your Momma never told you there would be days like THAT!

At least there were no bayonet wounds involved, or at least admitted to.

Comment from Heartless Libertarian on 2010-01-06

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:27:07 -0600

Complain all you want about winching that spare down...in my 13 months at Ft Bragg, I had 4 flats from embedded nails, woodscrews, and the like (versus, um, none, in my previous two decades of driving). Three of those were on my truck (Dodge Dakota, pre-bailout) and one on my wife's Honda Pilot.

Getting the truck's spare tire is a piece of cake compared to the Honda. As is jacking up the vehicle.

Modern vehicles were not designed with field maitenance in mind. Hell, I had to take my truck to the shop - to change a headlight bulb. And it took them 90 minutes and consultation with a body shop to accomplish. Believe it or not, changing the bulbs on my Germanically complex Audi (since traded for the aforementioned Honda) was easier than that damn truck.

OK, slightly off topic rant complete.

R&R in less than 3 weeks!

Comment from Fred on 2010-01-06

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:03:36 -0600

Darn. I was waiting for the Jeep to make an appearance.

Comment from Casey on 2010-01-06

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:22:46 -0600

At least you got some practice in at the doctor's office for paying your taxes this year...

Comment from Acad Ronin on 2010-01-06

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:14:22 -0600

As we used to say, a long time ago in a galaxy far, far way, "It's all good training."

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2010-01-06

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:11:02 -0600

Kevin - whattaya think a colonoscopy is, dude?

Comment from Beth on 2010-01-06

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:02:30 -0600

Oh, dear, no pics! They belong in a biology textbook, not a blog!

Comment from Kevin on 2010-01-06

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:55:38 -0600

Take heart in small victories.

At least it was only 'blech-tasting' water.

It coulda been worse.

You might have been met at the Doctors office with the staff all covered in aprons, masks, rubber gloves and holding the medical version of 'roto-rooter"....

For then, the day truly would have been a royal pain in the ass.....