“Well I’m standin’ on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, such a fine sight to see; It’s a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford slowin’ down to take a look at me.”
THESE LYRICS ARE FROM THE SONG “TAKE IT EASY” MADE FAMOUS BY “THE EAGLES” IN THE 70’S.
THE WORLD FAMOUS CORNER IS ON OLE ROUTE 66 AND SECOND STREET, DOWNTOWN WINSLOW, AZ.
SO, WE’RE STANDING ON THE CORNER IN WINSLOW, ARIZONA……..
COMPLETE WITH THE FLATBED FORD, BUT NO GIRLS ARE LOOKING AT ME?
“SUNNY & 80”
YESTERDAY WAS 9/11, AND MARY AND I WERE ON A ROADTRIP TO WINSLOW, ARIZONA. WE STOPPED AT THE 9/11 REMEMBRANCE GARDEN.
THESE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THE TWO LARGEST PIECES OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER TOWERS.
SO WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THE PLANES HIT THE TOWERS?
MARY AND I WERE CAMPED AT YELLOW RIVER, AND SOON HEADED INTO HARPERS FERRY IN SEARCH OF A TV.
“SUNNY & 80”
ANOTHER PROJECT FOR THIS SUMMER WAS TO BUILD A SCOOTER-PORT. A PROTECTED PLACE TO PARK THE SCOOTER OUT OF THE WAY. WE DECIDED RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE TRAILER AND KINDA UNDER THE WINDOW AWNING.
BUT FIRST I HAD TO MOVE MARY’S FLOWER GARDEN, SO IT WENT OUT FRONT BY THE STREET.
WHEN I DO A PROJECT MY OLE FRIEND MURPHY ALWAYS SHOWS UP TO FRUSTRATE ME. WHERE I WAS LAYING THE BRICKS, THERE WAS BLACKTOP, SO I COULDN’T DIG DOWN TO PREPARE A FOUNDATION AND LAY THE BRICKS AT GROUND LEVEL. THAT MEANS I’LL NEED TO BUILD A RAMP. TO TURN THE SCOOTER 90 DEGREES GOING UP A RAMP MEANS IT NEEDS TO BE A WIDE RAMP. TO LAY PATIO BRICKS, FIRST YOU GET THE FOUNDATION READY, THEN YOU LAY THE BRICKS, AND LAST YOU PUT IN THE SIDE SUPPORTS. IT’S EASY, JUST CHECK IT OUT ON YOU TUBE! (BTW: YOU SHOULD CHECK YOU TUBE AT THE BEGINNING OF A PROJECT, NOT THE END.)
SO HERE’S REX STARTING WITH THE SIDE SUPPORTS FIRST.
THESE ARE SOME HUGE NAILS THAT NEED TO BE POUNDED DOWN.
I MEAN .79 CENTS A PIECE HUGE, AND DON’T FORGET THE GOD DAM BLACKTOP I’M POUNDING INTO. THE TREATED 2X4’S I’M USING FOR SIDES NEED TO BE PRE-DRILLED.
WHAT ARE THE ODDS I’LL GET THE 2X4 FRAME EXACTLY RIGHT FOR THE LAYING OF THE BRICKS? I CAN’T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I MOVED THE FRAME PIECES, AND MOVED THE PILE OF 146 BRICKS IN AND OUT OF THE FRAME.
SINCE I’M DOING THIS ASS BACKWARDS AFTER BUILDING THE FRAME I HAD TO BACKFILL WITH SAND TO GET THE BRICKS LEVEL WITH THE FRAMEWORK. THAT ASSUMES THE FRAMEWORK IS LEVEL TO BEGIN WITH. IT’S NOT, OF COURSE…..
WITH OBAMAS NEW MINIMUM WAGE OF $10.25/HR TIMES THE NUMBER OF HOURS I WORKED ON THIS PROJECT I COULD HAVE BOUGHT A NEW SHED TO PARK THE SCOOTER IN.
I’LL BE HONEST HERE AND CONFESS THAT WITH THE FRUSTRATION, I STARTED THE PROJECT ON JULY 1ST AND DIDN’T FINISH THE RAMP UNTIL SEPTEMBER 1ST.
“ON THE MOUNTAIN”
Don’t you just hate it when you buy paint and have a lot left over?? What the hell do you do with it?? Oh I know…… find something else to paint.
So I looked around and found something else to paint. A dresser that is just sitting in a corner and is so boring to look at no one even notices it. I think I can fix that!!
I forgot to take a picture of it before I started and the drawers were in it.
Here’s the drawers….
AZ decided to help on this project!!
I’m not sure if this was Susie or AZ helping!!
I think it took 3 coats to get rid of those cute little paw prints!
The knobs were pretty easy, I had a neighbor that paints miniatures do them for me. I didn’t need the aggravation!
Isn’t it pretty???? Unfortunately I still have paint left….you know what that means!! I have my eye on another project….don’t tell Rex as he is getting pretty sick of drop cloths and newspapers!
LABOR DAY WEEK-END, THE OFFICIAL END OF SUMMER. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS, MARY AND I CAN FEEL FALL IN THE AIR. HERE ON “THE MOUNTAIN” THE MORNING TEMPS ARE IN THE MID-50’S. THE DAILY MONSOON RAINS HAVE BACKED OFF, AND THE TEMP IN THE AFTERNOON RUNS ABOUT 75. NICE !!!
IT BRINGS A SMILE TO MY FACE WHEN I BRING UP FACEBOOK AND SEE PICTURES OF THE KIDS RETURNING TO SCHOOL.
THE EXPERMENT OF RETIREMENT HAS GONE WELL. I THOUGHT MAYBE, I’D GET BORED WITH NOTHING TO DO ALL DAY, BUT THAT HASN’T BEEN A CONCERN. IN FACT, THERE ARE PROJECTS ON THE “TO DO” LIST THAT HAVE BEEN MOVED BACK TO NEXT SUMMER. WE ONLY HAVE A MONTH LEFT ON THE MOUNTAIN, AND THERE ARE STILL 6 ITEMS ON THIS YEARS LIST, AND OF COURSE WE’VE BEEN LISTING THE ITEMS THAT WE USUALLY DO IN THE FALL AT MOHAVE VALLEY.
WITH THE MOHAVE LIST, FOOTBALL, AND OUR RETURN TO WORK, I THINK THE SIX MONTHS OF WINTER WILL GO FAST, AND WE WILL BE RETURNING TO “THE MOUNTAIN” READY FOR ANOTHER SIX MONTHS OF RETIREMENT. SIX MONTHS HERE AND SIX MONTHS THERE, IS THE PERFECT PLAN FOR US.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS LIVING ON THE BEACH FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER ON SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TEXAS. WE’VE ALREADY FOUND A PACKER BAR ON THE ISLAND, AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO ENJOYING OUR PACKER GAMES IN SHORTS AND T-SHIRTS.
GO PACK GO !!!
