tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85277578774228392182024-03-18T18:52:18.748-07:00the lazy farmerThis Blog does not in any Fathomable way reflect any of the current opinions or beliefs of the institution I used to work for. In fact my former employer has completely disavowed any link or reference to them in this blog.buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.comBlogger1947125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-23100892808505151752024-03-18T07:41:00.000-07:002024-03-18T07:41:29.669-07:00Stepping off the brink<p>March 18 was a long time ago...</p><p>After digesting a lot of information which may or may not predict the up coming year I am not impressed. This whole concept of pulling oneself up by your own bootstraps is the bunk.</p><p>However, I have been doing my exercises and I feel better. Yesterday I had my wife help me come up with a process to get into the tractor and back out again. We practiced climbing onto the grain drill. She helped me climb onto the fertilizer bin which will carry the seed to the field. I need to be able to load it which means I need to climb up the side, remove a tarp, and then untie the bottom of a 1200lb bag which is being held over the bin by a forklift. I think I can do it.</p><p>Today is essentially my first day of farming.</p><p>I am scared. I talked to a fellow at Church Sunday who is paying $250 an acre rent and who has had to take out his one year old Fescue grass seed crop. He is subleasing his farm to someone else. He thought he was done farming for five years.</p><p>I want to plant oats today and barley tomorrow. I really don't see those as big money makers. I know too many farmers who don't get paid and crops that are too low priced. For crying out loud, wheat is the same price it was in 1972. It was a good price then, but a new combine was $20,000 then, not $350,000.</p><p>So I kind of feel like I am stepping off a cliff. I probably will have to go to work at a Golf Course in the end. </p><p>Perhaps I will feel better when I actually get to work.</p>buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-11253364172217447412024-03-16T08:11:00.000-07:002024-03-16T08:11:48.762-07:00If I would have just... The start of a post that got interrupted<p>"If I had to do it all over again," said my accountant. When my dad bought me one of the first computers and wanted me to study computers and stick around I would have done it, she said.</p><p>"Don't you have one of those? (thoughts)," she added.</p><p>Well, yess! Never quit your first job without finding another job! Even if it means you got to spend two months in Costa Rico. </p><p>This is of course not a fair question. You do what you do because of a lot of reasons and how you build from your actions and how you view yourself is really the definition of success. </p><p>Of course neither one of us robbed banks or served jail time. My answer to the question, what would you do different is probably just a rationalization. There are lots of things I would do different. Starting changing jobs last October, not walking on the ice, and finishing with not going so close to that tree and busting the boom off the sprayer I worked over last week.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBpDo7nqxEYiYfK-36fP-3-0JzL553j6YcH028Sed3nMMKvs8W0DpIbt5e0HOQsYqIhhL4jz8f4q-jO9aomSw0M7TNp-v0t7Zca6yoe-FbXYzqcv-5-i3ofulau0SS39Iuxlo_daHFmoUrr1lViuzx0cicbY5zwHYXCPJmQ0fH0egvAlzD4DZ0OC3020/s4032/IMG_3029%202.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBpDo7nqxEYiYfK-36fP-3-0JzL553j6YcH028Sed3nMMKvs8W0DpIbt5e0HOQsYqIhhL4jz8f4q-jO9aomSw0M7TNp-v0t7Zca6yoe-FbXYzqcv-5-i3ofulau0SS39Iuxlo_daHFmoUrr1lViuzx0cicbY5zwHYXCPJmQ0fH0egvAlzD4DZ0OC3020/s320/IMG_3029%202.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>That tree jumped out and grabbed the boom. Mother Nature's revenge!</i></b></div><p>And then there is this, "You gave them the best years of your life and they gave you this...," She said somewhat jokingly. (My accountant and I tend to philosophize.) She is a graduate of my former employer and she does not approve of the direction her college has taken.</p><p>But, I digress...</p><p>I now feel like a real farmer... (This is not because I am sort of depressed.)</p><p>My brother took me to a farm meeting and then we went on the Northwest Farm Show which was rescheduled due to freezing rain.</p><p>It was interesting to be back in the farming world. There are a lot fewer farmers than I remember.</p><p>My leg hurts like sin, but I can't admit it to anyone (meaning my wife) because it was an obviously bad idea to walk on concrete.</p><p>This will have to be a second installment as I am out of time for blogging. </p>buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-35278355323463833692024-03-11T12:45:00.000-07:002024-03-12T11:38:15.501-07:00I am actually healing!!!!I am doing great!<div>Today I went to physical therapy. I am doing really well. The NIH exercises were spot on. I had an excellent therapist who answered all my questions. </div><div>Yes, my hip will hurt when I stretch muscles that were already stretched to the critical point. Limping stretches other muscles and puts things out of balance so I should avoid that.</div><div>I can go back to walking, although an exercise bike might be better.</div><div>I don't need to<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPZQp8hH4os" target="_blank"> sell the YZ</a>/<a href="https://magazine.cycleworld.com/article/1982/7/1/yamaha-it175j" target="_blank">IT 175 as</a> I my PT says I will be riding by summer. (No Vintage MX)</div><div>I need to add heat before exercising and use ice packs afterwards.</div><div>My therapist says by the time he is done with me I will be able to stand, one foot on the drill, and one foot wedged in the pallet on the truck bed, and pivot with 50lb bags of seed. I should have the stamina to do 50 bags every two hours once again.</div><div>I feel he is a bit optimistic but goal setting is awesome.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqcSYB3MdIgTmv_ADKJYPwXpnNPrtIvQcgODQSIrPnUiqmh02UMtuwr8gwJEL_7q2GFegeShhgWKCMkRTmTTv_XWr3wpTHWfru_RtOOwLSci9yqFajR0T9HXiw7u5w6JGtBiVk-w9-SNP-mtBeQBRmaqn7cBwhtFsQ3Vd51GR-1eyauTIigTxBy_JOkI/s2208/IMG_8BB94EF5AE0E-1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2208" data-original-width="1242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqcSYB3MdIgTmv_ADKJYPwXpnNPrtIvQcgODQSIrPnUiqmh02UMtuwr8gwJEL_7q2GFegeShhgWKCMkRTmTTv_XWr3wpTHWfru_RtOOwLSci9yqFajR0T9HXiw7u5w6JGtBiVk-w9-SNP-mtBeQBRmaqn7cBwhtFsQ3Vd51GR-1eyauTIigTxBy_JOkI/s320/IMG_8BB94EF5AE0E-1.jpeg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>I had to do a little editing on the above picture. One does not want to startle the horses!</i></b></div>buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-33210064169707281502024-03-09T19:50:00.000-08:002024-03-09T19:50:45.396-08:00I am so glad i did not give all work shirts to the homeless guy<p>Because my former job is what it is, you have to give back all your work shirts clothing when you no longer work there.</p><p>The story I heard is that someone outfitted a local homeless guy in College Swag as a joke and you can't make jokes about the sanctity of the University. (The official story is that people will use the facilities branded apparel to gain access to the college. This is pretty much BS.)</p><p>Today I was doing some cleaning and found an extra shirt behind the seat in the pickup. I put it to good use. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjunJs1RzWcQ-ChJMikC5pxj3H1kGIp5ctLRsrz_wTPca9jQjv5Bf-GNwusBixXpx_c0O9_U52yhGE6aHeWPEPd9So5CQpiYWd4zjiwDA2-x4vC-fMkAUeYKPpHUU4-sNbaV1z_J79CV39f051D7WrkjtzUALRgZEOTnxpdOSfVo0DxUwLW2slHVF5gkec/s4032/IMG_2942%202.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjunJs1RzWcQ-ChJMikC5pxj3H1kGIp5ctLRsrz_wTPca9jQjv5Bf-GNwusBixXpx_c0O9_U52yhGE6aHeWPEPd9So5CQpiYWd4zjiwDA2-x4vC-fMkAUeYKPpHUU4-sNbaV1z_J79CV39f051D7WrkjtzUALRgZEOTnxpdOSfVo0DxUwLW2slHVF5gkec/s320/IMG_2942%202.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Nothing like the smell of Hoppe's #9 on a Saturday afternoon</i></b></div><p>I had a lot of clothing after eight years of employment. I did my best to outfit the resident homeless guy but I never got any feedback. I am somewhat disappointed.</p>buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-78585189755152893862024-03-08T09:35:00.000-08:002024-03-08T09:53:22.012-08:00I do spraying stuff, I write a blog post while on hold with Kaiser HMO, it may been another nice day!<p>I wasted a lot of time yesterday. I should be supervising a baler rebuild, but then I want to get involved in a hands on manner and there I am all day.</p><p>Instead I worked on a sprayer. I think that is what farmers do when they don't want to do real work. They say, "well, I have to get the sprayer going..." This is a good plan because it is an unpleasant enough job that no one will question your work ethic, it is an invaluable piece of equipment, and there is always something to repair on a sprayer.</p><p>My Gator came with a crappy electric sprayer. I hated that sprayer at work and I wanted it to disappear. I only accepted it for parts as I hate throw anything away. When I had to use it before, I used it exactly like the person who built it told me to use it. He built it, it was his plan, and he knew how he wanted it used. So I had no reason to change.</p><p>There was no real problem with his design. He built it with what he had. The main issue he had was the electric pump and there was no agitation for the spray tank. The other problem was/is that for some reason when you get down to two gallons in the tank, the pump loses its prime and won't reprime. </p><p>I didn't really take good care of the sprayer as I had never intended to use the sprayer again. It sat in the greenhouse until it started to rust from the humidity and was so much in the way that I was going to throw it in the trash. The mechanic told me to take it home. I was accumulating parts to build a sprayer like I rebuilt for the college so I thought I could use something off of it. I wanted to build a sprayer for a UTV while I am a cripple but, I am limited in what I am supposed to be doing. Welding and lifting stuff is highly frowned on by the higher powers. Also, it causes pain.) </p><p>At some point over the couple years it has been setting in the way I decided to try using it to spray molasses into the feed mill. That completely plugged it up. </p><p>So I had some problems.</p><p>I also discovered that the pressure regulator wasn't hooked to a return line and so it actually worked the opposite of how you would expect. This was not a difficult fix but required digging through buckets of pipe fittings and numerous trips to the shop at a hobble.</p><p>The one modification I made was to change the boom plumbing so that I could shut off the main boom and just use the side boom for spraying ditches. My friend who built the boom made it out of PVC pipe and used this cool irrigation fitting to make a side swing boom. However there were two problems. Since it is a wet boom, I had to improve support for the PVC pipe and I needed to shut off the main boom and run the side boom. I didn't want to use electric valves or add bulky plumbing.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPAv3snSUz2kUvNwRm0XBaQn_f2F1CptxVqXkE6UGliRScgqQhOUZMaGQWTlsefiGidxGgV0jUwUvLz43oJ_MEKWhz8BK3ji_wcpT3eeresxEi_Xt8YDGIFkfp9SLu1EIBY8cXlYa9YbAMV8DNRHDZ5W4EldpVrpJQcj2oVLzQtYrgkMkc4H3RUJ9HAoQ/s4032/IMG_2921%202.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPAv3snSUz2kUvNwRm0XBaQn_f2F1CptxVqXkE6UGliRScgqQhOUZMaGQWTlsefiGidxGgV0jUwUvLz43oJ_MEKWhz8BK3ji_wcpT3eeresxEi_Xt8YDGIFkfp9SLu1EIBY8cXlYa9YbAMV8DNRHDZ5W4EldpVrpJQcj2oVLzQtYrgkMkc4H3RUJ9HAoQ/s320/IMG_2921%202.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>The support issue was solved with a bit of scrap metal. The boom problem took more thought. Fortunately my friend had plumbed a drain on the side boom. I added a quick connector to the drain and put a quick connector plug on the main boom, and I was in business. I just have to switch hoses to use both booms.</p><p>The electrical issues are ongoing. The pump does not prime unless I pressurize the tank. I don't want to spend $175 on a new pump. I installed a voltage gauge in the Gator which lets me know if I am out of power. I also installed my <a href="https://micro-trak.com/product/flowtrak-ii/" target="_blank">MicroTrak, FlowTrak I</a>I and a <a href="https://sensor-1.com/collections/gps-radars" target="_blank">Sensor-1 GPS speedometer.</a> Because I like stuff like that. It makes me feel all scientifical and stuff. I think also I have the parts to also put my <a href="https://www.farmergps.com" target="_blank">FarmerGPS computer</a> in the Gator for guidance.</p><p>The FlowTrak gave me a lot of problems. I was using it on the new sprayer at work and was going to donate it to the university when I left. However, I just decided to keep it. For some reason I had to completely recalibrate it even though I had the same flowmeter and the same brand of GPS speedometer. </p><p>Calibration was frustrating. I think low voltage was a problem as the speed calibration would not save to memory. Finally, I just started spraying ditches as I needed to do something before dark. </p><p>I had a clever plan. I found a long straight road. I set the FlowTrak linear measuring setting to zero. I started spraying. I then used the app <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/gps-fields-area-measure/id1123033235" target="_blank">FieldsAreaMeasure</a> to also track my distance. I then could compare the distances. When I selected Run/Hold, Calc and turned the switch to change wheel size it also updates your distance. So I just adjusted the wheel size until I got the same distance as FieldAreaMeasure.</p><p>Suddenly everything worked. Even the gallons were close. Isn't science wonderful!</p><p>My secondary scheme is to use the FlowTrak to turn the pump on and off. I actually read the manual and I think there is an extra wire which I can connect to a relay which I can use to switch main power to the electric pump. Then I can wire the pump directly to a battery and use the run/hold function of the FlowTrak to turn the pump on and off. </p><p>The best thing about this idea is that I will end up with a convoluted maze of wiring and I will never remember which wire goes where. This confusion for some strange reason gives me comfort in life.</p><p>Go figure...</p><p>(this blog was created while on hold with my HMO. I still don't have an appointment with my HMO because when I finally got a live person on the line, I was disconnected...)</p>buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-78874295791692313012024-03-06T11:07:00.000-08:002024-03-06T12:19:51.622-08:00I try out recently cleaned records and rant about something off subject<p>The rain has stopped and the temperature has fallen to 28 degrees in God's temperature measuring system. The sun is out as well. The front yard was frozen over and I have been forbidden to leave the house until the ice is gone. </p><p>I have important things to do. First I have to call the unemployment people and prove I exist. Secondly I need to call the financial aid department of my HMO and see I they will give me a break on my break. But, I am taking a break. Perhaps having a break-down. Although that may be a different department.</p><p><a href="https://www.oregonfirearms.org/bogus-suicide-bill-passes-republicans-help" target="_blank">Speaking of breakdowns, the idiot Republicans in Oregon have sponsored "take your guns away," legislation this time in the form of a so-called Suicide Prevention bill.</a></p><p>I have come to the conclusion that anyone who seeks public office should be immediately disqualified from public office. I staunchly supported<a href="https://www.oregonfirearms.org/?s=Drazan" target="_blank"> Christine Drazan in arguments </a>with the former President of LU because I thought she would be great. Her son was my workstudy student and they seemed just folks. I can't square my understanding of her then with what she has supported recently. (Also, I recognize OFF is a little extreme but maybe it is also that I am really irritated that <a href="https://amerigunswag.co/product/oregunian-msr-decal/" target="_blank">I didn't get an Oregunian</a> decal with my last donation to them.)</p><p>But I digress..</p><p>I also feel the same way with people who claim to study mental health. They are mostly mental or they wouldn't be interested. Of course I feel there is no real answer to anything other than saying your prayers in the evening and dragging your arse out of bed in the morning and just going to work. So what do I know... (one of my best friends got fired for allegedly saying the way to stop racism was to kill all the white people and not only has he not killed anyone, (that I know of) but I think he won his lawsuit.)</p><p>After being forced to set through a number of trainings on mandatory reporter issues I am not surprised that people have untreated mental health problems. </p><p>Let's say you are having a crisis and you try to talk to someone about it. If you choose a person who has anything to do with your school, work, or church, they will have to report you to someone else who doesn't know you and who is probably an over educated idiot and you will then have to explain your whole life history to someone who has no vested interest in your mental health and will put you on drugs, screw up your medical record for every and possibly raid you house.</p><p>If you have a friend in a metal health crisis and you call the cops, there is a good chance they, or their dog will get shot.</p><p>If someone is seriously suicidal they don't need a gun. However, if you are angry at someone you could certainly get their guns removed by claiming that they are abusive or suicidal which sort of reinforces the point of why you actually need a gun.</p><p>But I digress. I lost all my guns and can't afford to buy any more... So what do I care?</p><p>I used my <a href="https://www.spinclean.com/store/New-And-Improved-Spin-Clean%C2%AE-Record-Washer-Complete-Kit-p14190723" target="_blank">Spin-Clean</a> to clean approximately seventy 45 rpm singles from the sixties and seventies. They have been well-used so it was probably a waste. Now I need to figure out how to sell them.</p><p>I was able to try out the Dual 1019 turntable I rebuilt years ago. It works flawlessly. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/47KyhjJGSiU" width="320" youtube-src-id="47KyhjJGSiU"></iframe></div><b><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>If you compare with the Singer 45 rpm player from two days ago you may hear a difference</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VjLV8KHNWx8" width="320" youtube-src-id="VjLV8KHNWx8"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>I assume this is a song about a broken heart, a chicken, and a sweet heart's picture framed in gold. Things may go wrong as gambling may be involved. Or it is about the Mexican Revolution.</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ua_dU7LBNbQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="ua_dU7LBNbQ"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>Another Buck Owens test. Note: the q-tip is not a Wu-Flu swab, it is what I used to clean some of the dust off the sensitive bits of the record player</i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Edit: Help me, I am a cripple... <a href="https://amerigunswag.co/product/oregunian-lever-action-decal/" target="_blank">Click here to buy me an Oregunian Sticker</a>! I was looking at their swag and discovered that I had an account. I had forgotten that I purchased a Oregunian hat and pink tank top for my good friend and his wife who live in NYC. Strange that I did not receive a thank you card.... Hmm, they probably forgot.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-59788574659329393232024-03-04T11:29:00.000-08:002024-03-04T11:29:13.925-08:00It is snowing, I am still a cripple, I found a Buck Owens 45, I wish I had a Long Colt .45, or that I had $150,000 or even that I wasn't a cripple but I am happy not to be a quadriplegicToday is March 4, and we have snow. It is crappy wet global warming type snow and is probably the result of some secret gubment weather manipulation scheme. However, I can see the white tops of the local hills and it doesn't make me feel so guilty about sitting in my easy chair with ice on my hip and the wood stove on high.<div>Yesterday I went to Church with my brother. One nephew was teaching Sunday School Class and the other preached. My mother would have been proud.</div><div>My friend who made me promise never to mention his name in my blog has been on a mission to prove that Jesus never said He was the Son of God, instead Jesus says he is the Son of Man. This is not something that has really been much on my mind. For some reason, I just don't care. But my unnamed friend is persistent. </div><div>Using his parameters, I have have not found an example of Jesus stating, "I am the Son of God." This must be a red letter statement in the KJV and the scope is limited to the Gospels which have been accepted into the major translations of the Bible. </div><div>I am not sure this proves anything other than Jesus was really stressing the concept of the Son of God who became one of us and was tempted in all the same ways. It can boost your argument that Jesus was just a man but once you understand how to make Confirmation Bias work for you. You can convince yourself of anything so I am going to believe what I want to believe. (cynical much?)</div><div>My nephew is going to Bible school and it was suggested I give him this question to take with him. Years ago when I went to Bible School I got in trouble for bringing up several questions that were raised by my insane Anthropology teacher, whose goal in life was to make sweet Catholic girls from Mt. Angel cry. (I did my best to comfort them, oh my.... I had forgotten about Anne Marie. Perhaps, I will take a break from blogging for a few moments...)</div><div>I digress...</div><div>I screwed up my unemployment claim. I have to prove the Peoples Republic of Portland that I exist. This is harder than you would think and using existential arguments does not seem to work with the State of Oregon. I would prefer the days before the Democrats were trying to replace Black folks with Indios from failed socialist countries and I didn't have to have five pieces of identification to prove I wasn't an illegal immigrant from a country not exporting leftists.</div><div>However, I want that money.</div><div>I have several projects that I am working on as a cripple.</div><div>I need to apply for financial aid for my injury. I got a bill for $6000 from the insurance company. However, I am close enough to the poverty line to qualify for financial aid. I think. I am not good with paper work and I will probably end up in Jail over all of this. </div><div>I also need to finish my unemployment claim. This requires some sort of meeting with a live person. I might be able to do it through an online meeting.</div><div>My wife wants me to sell some of my collections online. I have been going through my 16mm movies as I feel that hobby is over with. </div><div>I have over one hundred 45 rpm records which seem to be in rather poor condition. I would like to sell those. I have been attempting to clean them with my <a href="https://www.spinclean.com" target="_blank">Spin Clean Record Cleane</a>r which I see is now available for the rather steep price of $79.99. This is a lot of money for a plastic tub and some rollers. However, it does work really well and what is the point in giving them away for free.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NZ0p9iIiI2I" width="320" youtube-src-id="NZ0p9iIiI2I"></iframe></div><div>The Spin-Clean does a pretty good job on these very dirty 45 rpm records. I am worried that I will contaminate the brushes with grit. I need to listen to a few of these on a real record player and see how they sound.</div>buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-21982895854130061502024-02-29T17:25:00.000-08:002024-03-01T10:57:49.689-08:00My second check up<p>I wonder I could provide some sort of guide for people who break the ball off the end of their femur. I feel I might have good advice. Mainly, don't do it!!!</p><p>Today I went to Kaiser HMO for my month and a half check up. (I think) I have a hard time keeping track of time.</p><p>My x-ray technician told me my break looked awesome.</p><p>I got a great doctor this time and she answered all my questions.</p><p>But, I hurt like heck. I guess it is from the mobility tests they gave me. </p><p>I attempted to work this afternoon. My nephews are painting an IH 656 Hydro that one of them rebuilt in his community college shop class. They wanted advice on painting the tractor. I found my supplies and tools and helped them get set up to paint.</p><p>I feel like this would be a great time to note the incredible education that I got at Chemeketa Community College in 1984 and note that my nephews are also getting an awesome, interactive, and involved education at the same College now. I would like to compare that with the education my daughter got at GFU, and the disappointing education I got at GFU, and the not that useful an education I have observed students getting at Linfield University where I worked. Community Colleges give you a huge bang for your buck. There are a lot of instructors at Community Colleges who have real life experiences and who decided to work at a Community College to share those experiences with students. At small universities you get people who say that same thing but I didn't seem the same energy. I have observed a lot of unpleasant politics at the small college. Maybe they just want to think they are a mini Brown University on the West Coast but they always seem to loose sight of their local market. The Community College professors want to teach you how to get stuff done. IMHO... But, that seems to be they way with trade schools. I really don't know all that much.</p><p>But I digress.</p><p>I have no idea why I hurt so bad. I must have exercised a previously unused muscle. I am setting in my chair with ice on my leg and really wishing someone would come visit me who I could talk into getting wood for the fire!</p><p>In other adventures...</p><p>Yesterday I exercised the Gator. It was fun until I hit a huge mud puddle and water came up through the floor and soaked me. Actually, that was also fun but it was cold!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0WN6i_-jhyQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="0WN6i_-jhyQ"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">I have been buying GPS speedometers made by a certain company. (<a href="https://sensor-1.com/products/copy-of-gps-ground-speed-sensor-non-display?variant=31299068756049" target="_blank">Sensor One</a> don't tell anyone, it is a really good product) They have a digital readout. They come terminated with connectors for a number of different agricultural use interfaces to match sprayer monitors and brand specific planter monitors. There are only three wires. There is power in, ground, and a third wire which provides an impulse for the speed control on the monitor. I look for weird connectors that people don't use any more, get the expensive GPS speedometer for a good price, cut the odd style connector off and wire it for what I need. Not a high volume business but a satisfying one.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div>buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-53334359390924359662024-02-28T09:53:00.000-08:002024-02-28T14:06:17.612-08:00Musings about Clover and toxic chemicals that I would like to use<p>The rain has returned. The weather service predicts snow. It is not cold enough to replant rye, according to what I have read. R<a href="https://www.agweb.com/news/crops/crop-production/10-reasons-why-you-should-love-winter-rye" target="_blank">ye needs several days with temps below 34 degrees F to vernalize</a>. This might not be a problem with the upcoming cold trend, but I also have to be able to drive on the ground to replant. I can see plants but the the population doesn't look good. I just need a few thousand pounds for the whiskey guy next door but with a now plant population I suspect it will be pretty weedy. </p><p>Yesterday I looked for crop rotations which would add organic matter and might lend themselves to no-till. <a href="https://goseed.com/cover-crops/balansa-clover/" target="_blank">A friend was telling me about Balansa Clover.</a> I made the mistake of filling out an information request from www.goseed.com I am a little worried they are going to think I am a real farmer. </p><p>The Balansa clover looks like a good cover crop or a potential seed crop. According to the propaganda you can plant in early fall and it will tolerate wet soils and a ph of 4.5. I suspect it does not like a pH of 4.5 all that well and probably especially not with complete soil saturation for six months.</p><p>I would like to be able to rotate the clover with annual ryegrass. </p><p>Currently we try to have a three year plan. Year one we work the annual. Sometimes we plow. Year two if we get an early rain and a sprout in the fall, we spray out the annual and no-till. Year three, we try to disk aggressively and then get a sprout, then work again and plant or spray and no-till through the sprout. Year three requires a decision, are there enough weeds it has to be worked or can we use same decision process as year two. Generally we stay the course on year three. Then start over again with heavy tillage on the fourth year.</p><p>If it would be possible to break the annual on annual cycle with something like Crimson clover or this Balansa clover it would be very beneficial. The Balansa is supposed to give a huge forage yield so there would be the possibility of taking a forage crop and then no-tilling a spring grain or maybe even switching to a long term grass crop.</p><p>The other idea I was researching was the use of <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/bk-2015-1204.ch017">Idanziflam herbicide t</a>o control annual weeds in grass fields. I used this product as a pre emerge to keep right-of-ways and field borders free of weeds as a grounds keeper and it really works well. I have observed the improper use of the product on the field next to the University and I knew that the <a href="https://www.beyondpesticides.org/assets/media/documents/pesticides/factsheets/Indaziflam%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf" target="_blank">shrill people are gearing up a campaign against it. It must work really</a> well to inspire a whole new fundraising campaign.</p><p>The only product that appears to be registered for use anything close to what I want to use it for is called <a href="https://www.cropscience.bayer.us/d/alion-herbicide">Alion and it is only registered for carbon</a> planted Fescue for seed.</p><p>The main problem with using the chemical for turf was that it is such a tiny mix rate that you could easily use too much. We are talking in the .25 oz range. It is also like $350 a pint or something outrageous. If you over apply the chemical, nothing will grow in that location for several years.</p><p>I probably should not share this post with anyone professing a belief in Regenerative Agriculture. </p><p>Can you imagine a Timothy field that was free of annual ryegrass, bent grass, reed canary grass, or Foxtail? That would be amazing!</p><p>And now I need to go feed the chickens.</p><p>Have a nice day...</p><p>Click her for Tractor Wars!</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgtHQUi8AvQ" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgtHQUi8AvQ</a><br /></p>buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-59516327760514856782024-02-26T14:02:00.000-08:002024-02-28T16:40:51.492-08:00The recovery process is longer than one would hope for<p>The sun came out. We had a couple nice days here in Western Oregon. Of course I took the Gator apart instead of spraying. This was somewhat poor judgement. It is somewhat telling as to my mental issues.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyY4oRgSxdg3qEiywKZP4bzhSWDSiGwIlABa5OeqJw-kkdr9mRNmHg_mbWHAOQvbkTuiaghwMOhyphenhyphenU0LcSUWOpT5iCJiEt-Yeogit-KR3HTnOfsXU-jQSRATqOZ5izKMGpVXe1Pf-2VhdfQ32HRKjxvk9bxg5XFlF81v117kg_RtQBmD5Csy_0mf2ac4Ic/s4032/IMG_2848%203.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyY4oRgSxdg3qEiywKZP4bzhSWDSiGwIlABa5OeqJw-kkdr9mRNmHg_mbWHAOQvbkTuiaghwMOhyphenhyphenU0LcSUWOpT5iCJiEt-Yeogit-KR3HTnOfsXU-jQSRATqOZ5izKMGpVXe1Pf-2VhdfQ32HRKjxvk9bxg5XFlF81v117kg_RtQBmD5Csy_0mf2ac4Ic/s320/IMG_2848%203.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><b><i>Saturday was a beautiful day for a drive. Note that I am the passenger. Rode with my brother to get the mail.</i></b></blockquote></blockquote><p>In all fairness I am a cripple most of the time. I say most of the time, as sometimes <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrv-Morm-c0" target="_blank">I feel really good</a> and the next day I don't. The other issue is just figuring out what I can and can't do. The issues that bothers me the most is going from inaction to action. I get out of bed or out of the chair and my leg and knees are super stiff and hurt. After I walk around a bit, it all loosens up and I feel better. I stop moving and then I am back to pain and suffering until I get moving again.</p><p>I am going to ask the Doc about at my next appointment. Maybe I need to drink more water.</p><p>Sunday I put the Gator back together. I still have a bucket of tools to sort. Today it is alternating rain, sun, sleet, sun, rain, wind. (Actually that wind came from a Duck that has been hiding behind my chair. It has terrible breath)</p><p>I want to use the Gator to spray ditches and spot spray a few fields. I have an electric sprayer that fits in the back and I have a wand and homebuilt boom. I think I may have to do some upgrades. </p><p>I needed to get to the electrical circuits for the lights and accessories and I needed to repair the cab mounts. I had been trying to access the wiring from under the dash. Saturday I unbolted the cab, lifted the front of the cab up, and removed the "hood." I could see all the wiring which brought up the standard problem of old equipment. The wiring was a mess of taped and faded wires. There seems to be only two colors of factory wiring, Yellow, and Black. Generally, black meant a ground wire, but everything else was yellow with a different colored strip. Finally I just got irritated with it all and ran jumpers around what appeared to be open circuits that were buried deep in a taped up wiring harness.</p><p>I really wanted brake lights and there was no power on the positive side of the brake light switch. I ran a jumper from the ignition switch so the brake lights are going to work when the key is on. I was going to rewire the whole light and signal wiring to the rear but it was too much for a Sunday.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86u3J_mbPlgSrgo7lMu2xN6Gb9VNVC97Kdc4XbMN7ZBK7whLe1CX7o8402UGPYDy5H9BuAnXVYlvKTYRBjhhtzBD__sdTR8kAOfgajcW467oJ39rw_ELX-TGW2ZbdcLlgFmdVo8guGSXeev7Wbg4vuTA77vbPripEchcBpEdbpP-zVECwHumQha6fiiI/s4032/IMG_2850%202.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86u3J_mbPlgSrgo7lMu2xN6Gb9VNVC97Kdc4XbMN7ZBK7whLe1CX7o8402UGPYDy5H9BuAnXVYlvKTYRBjhhtzBD__sdTR8kAOfgajcW467oJ39rw_ELX-TGW2ZbdcLlgFmdVo8guGSXeev7Wbg4vuTA77vbPripEchcBpEdbpP-zVECwHumQha6fiiI/s320/IMG_2850%202.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;"><i>Look at me! I got a beacon, I have at least one turn signal, I have lights!</i></b></blockquote></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">I also hooked up a volt gauge and a cigar lighter so I can charge my phone or run a sprayer monitor and I can tell if the electric sprayer is draining the battery. The gauge reads 12.5 volts fully charged so I suspect there is not a lot of charging capacity.</p><p>My good friend from work came to see me Sunday. He cleaned out my locker for me when I separated from my employment. I thought I had cleaned out anything of value as soon as my daughter graduated as I planned on walking as soon as I got my PTO down but there was actually some good stuff. I was really happy to see my A/C certification as it has my registration number.</p><p>We went though the accumulated crap from eight years of employment and got to talking about the really toxic and incompetent people that Linfield has not fired and laughing a bit at myself. Good grief that place was a toxic place to work. The toxicity varied on what your job was and how much you could just do by yourself, but how that place stays in business is beyond me.</p><p>One story that came to mind was when I got the job with the Steam Line company working on campus and the main part of the interview was to drive the dumptruck after work and see if I felt comfortable driving. The constructor foreman left the keys under the floor mat of the dumptruck. Basically, if I could figure out how to drive it I was hired. So, I took my friend for a dump truck ride around campus.</p><p>The next morning I was called into his supervisor's office and questioned about driving the dump truck. I thought it was all a joke and exclaimed, "well they left the keys under the floor mat!"</p><p>The supervisor was a cool guy but had to explain that someone had actually reported me for joyriding in the dump truck. </p><p>I was not allowed to drive the dump truck or work for the company while wearing anything related to Linfield. I had to change my hat and my shirt before going to work.</p><p>The other funny thing about the construction job is that they would leave the key to the excavator and dump truck under the seat and they just trusted me to run the equipment. Yet, when I worked at Linfield I had to return every key to a lock box every evening. All the lawn mowing equipment owned by the college did not add up to the value of an excavator and dump truck plus the damage that could be done if I went rogue after work.</p><p>What a bunch of idiots. I am so glad to be gone.</p><p>But, I digress...</p><p>The sun is out and I am going to try hooking up my sprayer.</p><p>Also, just adding a bit that I thought of later in regards to the college.</p><p>A couple days ago the former President of the University gave me a call. He has a really fun new job and is pretty happy. He said he just wanted to know how I was doing and said he appreciated me. We had a nice conversation. It made me feel better about life. I made some really good friends in my eight years as a groundskeeper and I am really thankful for that.</p><p>Have a nice day!</p>buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-30114361539974507182024-02-24T08:27:00.000-08:002024-02-28T16:41:55.188-08:00I take the Gator apart and don't actually fix anything<p>Friday started as an optimistic day. I made a list. I finally brought some semblance of order to my books. I did a blog post.</p><p>I started to work on the Gator. I cannot lay down, sit down, or bend over too far, when working on anything. figured out how to crawl onto the forklift and and actually lift the gator into the air so I could reach the offending bolts.</p><p>The cab and frame are not happy together. The windshield mounting brackets are broken and there are electrical problems. The electrical is impossible to get to as it is under what would be the hood, if there was a hood. The cab sits on top of this front cover. I needed to remove cab bolts and lift up the front of the cab to access the "hood," and then remove the hood. Then I was able to remove the broken windshield mounting brackets which also hold down the front of cab.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj576GUiLmX83RhFhPI-tfGqAC4aTKtm1nkMg1nYsLvIX2p88Zfrq76HnShOKyavLSfRmnXw2Qh_IKrWiandkc9EwQCNS_SY_In-OUoPeNrktkwZk_zXu8iwyllM1Jr0NJvTnHYYAh9Zoas8WvUhX5NFV5pGkIPUjhVIXakvkIp2ACmjZ1TvM_vDturrCo/s4032/IMG_2836.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj576GUiLmX83RhFhPI-tfGqAC4aTKtm1nkMg1nYsLvIX2p88Zfrq76HnShOKyavLSfRmnXw2Qh_IKrWiandkc9EwQCNS_SY_In-OUoPeNrktkwZk_zXu8iwyllM1Jr0NJvTnHYYAh9Zoas8WvUhX5NFV5pGkIPUjhVIXakvkIp2ACmjZ1TvM_vDturrCo/s320/IMG_2836.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>My own UTV lift</i></b></div></b><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">The problem with the cab is that the windshield mounts securely but the rear cab mount bolt holes wear out. So the rear part of the cab flexes in the bolt holes. The front part of the cab is held secure </span><span style="text-align: left;">in the bolt holes so it doesn't move. This transfers the stress to the mounting brackets which are like 10 gauge sheet metal. Those metal brackets then flex and break and they are really hard to get to or to reinforce.</span></p><p>I<a href="https://curtisindustries.net/shop/product/john-deere-gator-ts-tx-te-th-series-hard-side-cab/" target="_blank">t is a Curtis cab so I probably could get parts.</a></p><p>There are also electrical issues. The wiring is now exposed with the removal of the front cover. I have a broken light bulb as well.</p><p>I want to install a voltage gauge and a cigar lighter in the dash. I need to fix the glove box so it doesn't keep falling out and I want to install a power outlet so I can connect a sprayer pump controller. My goal is to be able to spray field edges and spot spray blackberries.</p><p>However the sun is shining and I feel I should be working on the grain drill or something useful.</p><p>I am starting to worry about all the crops that are not coming out of the winter and all the weeds that are showing up instead.</p><p>Here is the thing about recovering from an injury. It is like being a <strike>special needs</strike> modern child. Every effort you make gets a gold star. But, you really are not actually doing anything useful. You pretend to be but in reality the ground won't work itself, the tractor transmission won't install its own clutch out of sympathy for you, and the weeds are still going to grow.</p>buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-81003695551315662662024-02-23T10:54:00.000-08:002024-02-28T16:42:58.753-08:00Life in Slow Motion<p>Today I made a list of things to do. I doubt this will do anything but give me anxiety. My problem is that I seem to be moving in slow motion. There are things I can do an a lot of things I don't want to do and most things I do slowly.</p><p>I started by organizing my books for tax purposes. I just need to get a few more things together before visiting the accountant. I keep forgetting what I have and have not finished and then thinking of something else unrelated that needs to be accomplished.</p><p>I want to go visit a friend who had heart surgery and I need to go to the big city and see my daughter. I also have a Briggs engine on an air compressor that needs attention. It is blowing gasoline out of the intake and it will not start without liberal doses of ether. It is an 11 hp industrial with electric start. I have seriously debated installing a<a href="https://carrollstream.com" target="_blank"> GTX 390 Clone which is branded Rhino. The Carroll Stream Motor</a> Company has them on sale with free shipping but I am kind of broke. No feed sales and no planting means no income for Budd E. Shepherd... Plus, I can't get the stupid unemployment payments to work.</p><p>The cleverness of the State Of Oregon is unmatched. I assume the recruit from Sinfield University HR department. I missed reporting jobs because I was in the hospital with a broken leg. I was supposed to prove my identity at a Worksource Oregon office, but I was unable to drive because I have a broken leg. I am supposed to apply for jobs which I cannot do with a broken leg. I am unwilling to go sit on waiting room chairs because my broken leg is broken where it attaches to my arse and it hurts.</p><p>The illustrious State Of OR is changing their unemployment reporting system at the end of February. To get a jump on things they just made all the old information phone numbers dead end, but because it is no yet March 4th, the new number is not connected.</p><p>But, I digress. </p><p>I had a list...</p><p>Perhaps I will just ignore it all and hobble down the highway. Or take the gator to the river. The goose aliens from Canada have destroyed the new alfalfa field. Perhaps I can encourage them to return to the land of Vintage Mercury Automobiles with a few random Russian Surplus 7.62x39 mm. Actually, since our dear leader has declared his former buddy from 50 years ago a Crazy SOB and shut down imports of surplus ammunition, 7.62 is quite valuable. </p><p>Speaking of genius administrative abilities... In order to financially ruin the Russians over their MILITARY invasion of the Ukraine, Uncle Joe stopped the import of Russian ammunition to the USA. This certainly demonstrates a clever understanding of supply and demand. So the Russian military uses ammunition, but Russia also exports ammunition. So, if you refuse to buy Russian Ammunition this will result in less Ammunition for the Russian military? Correct?</p><p>Speaking of other genius administrations... I just got an invitation to join the Sinfield University Staff Assembly Meeting. Perhaps I have been rehired but no one got around to telling me. I did get a text from a grounds department person. No one knows how to use the spinner fertilizer spreader. I had to laugh. </p><p>Have a happy day. Perhaps I will go look for more sticks to pick up on the alfalfa fields.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TCovw0lEQWWnr64xZT5tqmI208dGZq8E6jUs5dJbFoLq4desul04DmEGDzgjSxnChxwYm3RxwQ1PprLRa1vfh3L9-_sjIu01SAXL5xi-WMsPisyNM_zt5qzzowls1m_rDFtgEGxk3WOntkLNS04F5cK09XNO5QQDBUZif-V_frj8oSLdRdPTjJt4vBs/s4032/IMG_2835%202.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TCovw0lEQWWnr64xZT5tqmI208dGZq8E6jUs5dJbFoLq4desul04DmEGDzgjSxnChxwYm3RxwQ1PprLRa1vfh3L9-_sjIu01SAXL5xi-WMsPisyNM_zt5qzzowls1m_rDFtgEGxk3WOntkLNS04F5cK09XNO5QQDBUZif-V_frj8oSLdRdPTjJt4vBs/s320/IMG_2835%202.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-5843374934792489482024-02-22T14:29:00.000-08:002024-02-28T16:44:17.480-08:00Perhaps a mile was too far<p>Yesterday I put in another mile. I also picked up cans. I feel old.</p><p>We have sun today. It is almost 60 degrees here. I skipped my walk.</p><p>Instead I took my wife lunch. Lunch was Tacos from Tacos Burros in town. The family that owns it works hard. The daughter is attended the University which I no longer work for. I tried several times to get someone from the University to stop for lunch there or to write a story about them or somehow acknowledge them. </p><p>Tacos Burros is a classic hard work story. The owner is doing his best to get his daughters a college education in oder to raise their social status. The University pretends to care but no one will actually go talk to them or feature them in one of the propaganda publications because no one at the Uni actually does give a rats arse about hard working first generation college students aside from the theoretical. The practicality of engaging in anyone outside the wine business is quite a bore.</p><p>But, I digress...</p><p>I bought tacos and the wife and I went to the park for lunch. We took a walk around the park and by walk, I mean I hobbled along with my cane.</p><p>Yesterday I did a full mile and probably a quarter of it I managed without even the cane. Today I am paying for it.</p><p>I looked at a couple fields. Don't think I will be spreading fertilizer tomorrow...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1o68k1gAc1o_w84t458dIDlyjpmJF6LpdSB_ojL2FyutABQcDtqUPOl3m1iRzp-SHiU8z0ubfL5D4CBvo5WVmUXBBjfOKPi8HNYd0qd66nGQFWdW1ulxucE7iSfy3JGO8qdlbi21agXVXBKaD3mNJkgdzdV1fKM2Wnu8I3dBVOPHDfMtVAOewaBegWo/s4032/IMG_2830%202.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1o68k1gAc1o_w84t458dIDlyjpmJF6LpdSB_ojL2FyutABQcDtqUPOl3m1iRzp-SHiU8z0ubfL5D4CBvo5WVmUXBBjfOKPi8HNYd0qd66nGQFWdW1ulxucE7iSfy3JGO8qdlbi21agXVXBKaD3mNJkgdzdV1fKM2Wnu8I3dBVOPHDfMtVAOewaBegWo/s320/IMG_2830%202.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>The small Timothy Field looks better than I had expected. Still a bit of a lake.</i></b></div><p><br /></p>buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-15119160362566180062024-02-20T11:58:00.000-08:002024-02-24T08:31:59.225-08:00I walked a mile, but there was no CamelYesterday was a.... milestone... in my new life as a cripple. I <strike>walked</strike> hobbled a mile.<div><br /><div>I have been attempting to balance my books for tax purposes. I am a bit worried I didn't do the end of the year over lapping payments correctly. I need to talk to my accountant but she has gone big time and has an office in town and will probably be a little more accurate with her billing.</div><div><br /></div><div>But, I digress...</div><div><br /></div><div>Balancing my books using Quick Books Pro is a bit frustrating for me. There are three reasons for this. First, I dropped out of two accounting classes and I just have a weird mental block about accounting. Secondly, I foolishly upgraded my MacBook Pro to the latest system and now have to upgrade from QuickBooks Pro 2015 to a more modern version.</div><div><br /></div><div>The third reason is the most irritating. QuickBooks Pro is now cloud based and subscription based. I don't want it to be cloud based as want to use the program when not connected to the internet. I also don't want to pay the subscription fee when I have a program (QuickBooks Pro 2015) that I paid for and that works perfectly for me.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have resurrected my old PowerBook from back when they were silver aluminum and had awesome keyboards and lots of ports and a CD drive and a beautiful large screen. Mine has an issue with the video card and will unexpectedly crash when fancy online graphics make a call for acceleration. I have a software patch for this but you always need to be prepared for a crash.</div><div><br /></div><div>I did buy a PC laptop and downloaded <a href="https://www.openoffice.org" target="_blank">Open Office</a> with the goal of switching all my business record keeping to the PC which has Windows 11. I still prefer the old PowerBook to the PC, especially since I haven't found my software license for Quickbooks 2015 and non cloud based versions of QuickBooks pro fetch a premium used,</div><div><br /></div><div>But I digress,</div><div><br /></div><div>The point of this post was that I was able to walk a mile with the help of only one crutch to keep me out of the ditch. I got a couple offers of encouragement from various neighbors as well as an offer of a ride, but I soldiered on.</div><div><br /></div><div>If I would not have been so annoyed with QuickBooks I probably would not have had the energy to leave the house. So I will say a big thank you to Intuit for the motivation!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKNNrbqGLemPNHf1SiSxQuiPeC-nNkr9gqZAtkChP-1_YMBHaB8GDn9W9lwndL3Oq4WIcg1j-ychm1sBw0ql1geIM-rMmwOSxiEvFdFngVfDTBr4Lxc6PzJvBYDP2lvPkFsQrCIIvMcpLeTapK0WJyc_0X_tB69NJ9hmhQ99HdgSWpDvnlXIAbsHFsXg/s4032/IMG_2819.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKNNrbqGLemPNHf1SiSxQuiPeC-nNkr9gqZAtkChP-1_YMBHaB8GDn9W9lwndL3Oq4WIcg1j-ychm1sBw0ql1geIM-rMmwOSxiEvFdFngVfDTBr4Lxc6PzJvBYDP2lvPkFsQrCIIvMcpLeTapK0WJyc_0X_tB69NJ9hmhQ99HdgSWpDvnlXIAbsHFsXg/s320/IMG_2819.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>I think this was the last great PowerBook! Too bad it has a fatal flaw with the video card.</i></b></div></b><div><br /></div></div>buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-30744032699334517922024-02-19T11:35:00.000-08:002024-02-19T20:53:37.770-08:00Illness and suffering update #5<p>I did not get the Harvard-China virus. Yet...</p><p>Using my skills at Bias Conformation which I learned though eight years of observation at the University, I think I can say with confidence that Kirkland Signature Tonic Water, high doses of Farmer Dave's Hemp Tonic, and fizzy vitamin C prevented me from getting the WuFlu.</p><p>The lovely and gracious Mrs. Shepherd is essentially well. She has lingering congestion but I made a trip into town to get her the good Sudafed. This is kept behind the counter and you have to provide your identification to get it. You can't have people making meth out of Sudafed, it cuts into the profits of the cartels.</p><p>The young pharmacist girl had a 1975 Chevy lowrider tattoo on her forearm and the ubiquitous nose ring. I didn't comment as I hate to promote body disfigurement on young women.</p><p>But I digress,</p><p>I suspect I nearly got the engineered virus. I have been very sore. Partially, because I have been walking without crutches and trying to increase my linear distance traveled from feet to years to fractions of a mile. Probably also because I am fight off a virus strain someone created to sell vaccine and medical treatments.</p><p>I mean, why is that not a completely valid conspiracy theory? Why would there not be an incentive to make a virus and a vaccination? Sound business plan. Similar to local glass shop investing in bricks. Of course things went wrong, because there is always a flaw in someone's evil plan...</p><p><br /></p>buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-58718247563801046472024-02-16T13:02:00.000-08:002024-02-16T13:02:22.973-08:00The WuFlu and IThis will be a winter to remember.<div><br /></div><div>My wife had the sniffles and a cough. Then she felt worse. So she took a WuFlu test. She got the two thin red lines. Yesterday she felt pretty bad. She had the shivers and that alternated with her skin hurting. She has not lost her sense of smell. She is feeling better to day but is sleeping a lot.</div><div><br /></div><div>We investigated cures right away. We have some <a href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/why-you-should-not-use-ivermectin-treat-or-prevent-covid-19#:~:text=Ivermectin%20tablets%20are%20approved%20by,skin%20conditions%20such%20as%20rosacea.">Ivermectin but it is the o</a>ne percent injectable for pigs and cows. The non approved recommendation is to go by the swine dosage chart and take it internally. Mix it with orange juice or something. After spending a lot of time looking for information we dropped the idea. The internet is not the wealth of information it once was. Search engines no longer bring you the information you need. Only the "information," rationed to you.</div><div><br /></div><div>It would appear that if you can still smell bacon then you don't have a from of the Harvard virus that was killing everyone and you don't need to get crazy with home cures.</div><div><br /></div><div>We have been taking lots of vitamin C and Zinc. Also multivitamins include D. I am liberally dosing with CDB because I have a lot of it and need to use it somehow. I also have been doing fresh grapefruit juice and raspberry juice. Because it makes me feel like I am doing something clever by squeezing grapefruits to a cup and telling my wife it is good for her. </div><div><br /></div><div>I bought the Grapefruit as a source of quinine in case it was actually malaria. However, the quinine is in the skin and unless you are sure the grapefruit is grown without the use of pesticides you can get a concentration of something more than quinine. </div><div><br /></div><div>I have also been drinking cheap Tonic Water. It has a lot of sugar in it and probably doesn't do much. It was suggested to add a little Gin as that served the British well when they ruled the world. But Colonialism is out of fashioned nowadays unless you are the Chinese and not Taiwan. I certainly don't need another trip to Human Resources, not that it matters now...</div><div><br /></div><div>In other news, I have become rather fascinated <a href="https://www.newjeru.com/2018/11/yakub-yakubian/" target="_blank">by the Big Headed Scientist. I feel there is a lot of credibility</a> to this story and I would consider working this into my belief in the Flat Earth, however, I don't think they will let me in,</div><div><br /></div><div>(In all honesty I do prefer the <a href="https://andscape.com/features/forty-years-later-george-clintons-mothership-is-still-landing/" target="_blank">George Clinton mothership concept as all you have to do to join is t</a>o "get down." )</div><div><br /></div><div>Have a great afternoon...</div>buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-86128745880854721602024-02-10T12:51:00.000-08:002024-02-10T12:52:13.948-08:00I go for a drive and wonder what happened to the rye I planted in November<p><a href="https://idnc.library.illinois.edu/?a=d&d=PFR19230428.2.6" target="_blank"> Click here for the real The Lazy Farmer....</a></p><p>Yesterday the inability to do anything got to me. I took a ride in the Gator. I threw the crutches in the back and I have a cane in the rifle rack behind my head. My worst fear was getting stuck but my hip hurts if I go fast so I meandered along at a sedate pace befitting my advanced age.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicp45e6oK7ulaEJ0jKPfbKFxofswlcS4CAQyz4V032fDIFkWZ6-ytBxd32h2ezrekX_XeV9ee-6Ai_V5h0DdmyiQFkKa3h43ZwHfDN-lqtiNyyZE8L2Pfx3wrX4GXa6mwzpGvfB90SFGO6m8paBiaYGEE8FCEDAAxmxjQ65HK5BI4gyIk4Ke4l_-VEPWs/s1538/IMG_0EDD9A1FE276-1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1538" data-original-width="1242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicp45e6oK7ulaEJ0jKPfbKFxofswlcS4CAQyz4V032fDIFkWZ6-ytBxd32h2ezrekX_XeV9ee-6Ai_V5h0DdmyiQFkKa3h43ZwHfDN-lqtiNyyZE8L2Pfx3wrX4GXa6mwzpGvfB90SFGO6m8paBiaYGEE8FCEDAAxmxjQ65HK5BI4gyIk4Ke4l_-VEPWs/s320/IMG_0EDD9A1FE276-1.jpeg" width="258" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">OK... I am a fraud, the cigar is not lit. I am channeling Uncle Milt and Harpo in my old age. The cigar was a gift when I exited the Uni and I did appreciate the gesture. I made some great friends in the past few years. (although I am sarcastic and inappropriate and supposedly all my coworkers think I am racist, sexist, and a notorious gaslighter. (I guess I should take Beano for that))</span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">My no-tilled Rye has been disappearing. I thought it might be Ralph Goff's pet geese so I went prepared to scare them back to Canada but they seem to have already left. I see bites out of the rye so I could drop $50 an acre on slug bait or disk it up and replant. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEM0-O0iGPqvBy0YYMJzjSz8skcCE0FiWj7b2-8g-cihBXUvcWWHaxN9aZInJKn-ybIQ2TVMBGE2BTOkSttaV3lodyUNEN2jBzhaotAvlOU8W5-v_-HftqLaM5ZpfezzW6sP2eQuW8M8l4UxlL-svuoKbKhIYPPaBxTabiIAL-r7cV_Sc8_8H1huAnCQ/s4032/IMG_2782.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEM0-O0iGPqvBy0YYMJzjSz8skcCE0FiWj7b2-8g-cihBXUvcWWHaxN9aZInJKn-ybIQ2TVMBGE2BTOkSttaV3lodyUNEN2jBzhaotAvlOU8W5-v_-HftqLaM5ZpfezzW6sP2eQuW8M8l4UxlL-svuoKbKhIYPPaBxTabiIAL-r7cV_Sc8_8H1huAnCQ/s320/IMG_2782.HEIC" width="320" /></span></i></b></a></div><b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The green in the distance is the oat field. A month ago you could see rows of rye. According to the cover crop propaganda rye will flourish planted late into cold wet soil. It is not.<br /></span></i></b><p>It looks like it will be a wild carrot or dog fennel field if something is not done.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWDpeMjKzwmoEri21xpyOfe7xeRw_DQP2xQALctYUdxcVrNddyeOvx5pVSvbq_Q9_nGFDbr51rdSQsl_f7XNDcc9g8114cldgRyHX5JNvMV_3t_SZp6EZlDQ9kMnPKLTSJs6DhYC7oidxfKLU2FvCe_oTVLcufcdpV-BjChrbeiQ_WzwxRIX-8WPinLRA/s4032/IMG_2781.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWDpeMjKzwmoEri21xpyOfe7xeRw_DQP2xQALctYUdxcVrNddyeOvx5pVSvbq_Q9_nGFDbr51rdSQsl_f7XNDcc9g8114cldgRyHX5JNvMV_3t_SZp6EZlDQ9kMnPKLTSJs6DhYC7oidxfKLU2FvCe_oTVLcufcdpV-BjChrbeiQ_WzwxRIX-8WPinLRA/s320/IMG_2781.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Can you find a single rye plant in this view?</span></i></b></div><p><br /></p><p>The no-tilled oats are recovering from the freeze and from going under water a couple times. They were planted several weeks earlier than the Rye. They look pretty good. Except right next to the road. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbsvVobOiLOoTxZENVXN5K_6WZcGOiEh_XYvK1zmYXQBBlsa3WjcUCVcYjh2ZurHPhdSRgVOypcImVOFHpyoV-e-41FJHAmTBB-SQEX-rQ0RQjHwP1AoGPfXQsQ84RQTBoHQfzBBsm0N6cFt7wrtAMuAlb9hdnus_9MLhj8RLHiG1eE6TIowwwwXZ9Gc/s4032/IMG_2783.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbsvVobOiLOoTxZENVXN5K_6WZcGOiEh_XYvK1zmYXQBBlsa3WjcUCVcYjh2ZurHPhdSRgVOypcImVOFHpyoV-e-41FJHAmTBB-SQEX-rQ0RQjHwP1AoGPfXQsQ84RQTBoHQfzBBsm0N6cFt7wrtAMuAlb9hdnus_9MLhj8RLHiG1eE6TIowwwwXZ9Gc/s320/IMG_2783.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I think the oats will recover. They are still a little yellow but there are good rows. Population should have been higher. I planted 110lbs per acre. I think I need to no-till everything at 120-150lbs. It just does better.</span></i></b></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>There are a lot of opportunities to make extra income to subsidize our failed dirt farming but they all take capital. It is amazing that people can drop $80,000 on a pickup truck that never will haul anything useful but yet I don't have $70,000 for a better stacker, or $24,000 for a White 2-110 FWA so I can save a little on diesel pulling the mower, or another $120 an acre for lime...</p><p>Maybe I should just find a real job...</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-46680792043848835612024-02-08T18:01:00.000-08:002024-02-08T18:01:40.741-08:00Wasting time<p>Today I took a nap for most of the afternoon. It makes me feel old. I fixed lunch for my wife and I and after she went back to work I did my exercises as per the recommendations of the NIH. (mostly)</p><p>I sat back down in my chair and the next thing I knew it was four in the afternoon. I had plans. I was going to take the gator for a drive. I was going to take a couple old lamps apart for my wife. I was going to finish my books for the end of the year. I was going to do a quick blog.</p><p>I swear I am aging every day. Or perhaps I am just reminded of the passage of time.</p><p>Tomorrow it is going to rain so I wasted my one day to go outside.</p><p>What if I start to enjoy being lazy?</p>buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-69600146264720883412024-02-07T16:43:00.000-08:002024-02-07T17:23:08.975-08:00Week Three of breakage<p>Today I walked 100 feet. Tomorrow I intend to walk 100 more.</p><p>I am supposed to sign up for therapy but it my insurance is a HMO and who knows what sort of therapy I would actually end up with. I probably need psychological therapy but since I didn't hit my head they said no. Instead I need physical therapy and it just sounds annoying. Maybe I will call tomorrow...</p><p>I did find a booklet of exercises for people who have broken their hip and it comes from the National Health Service with I figure is the "mother of all HMO's."</p><p>I have been referring to this<a href="https://www.ruh.nhs.uk/patients/services/hip_fracture_management/documents/Hip_Physio_Booklet.pdf" target="_blank"> booklet (click for link)</a>. I like the reference, "lift your bum off the bed..." I sort of i<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3EiuR9qZ0I" target="_blank">magine a naughty British nurse as my therapist</a>.</p><p>This is what I remember as my stint in the hospital. (I was on a lot of medications...)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jFeMumPd4CE" width="320" youtube-src-id="jFeMumPd4CE"></iframe></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Most likely actually footage from Sunnyside Hospital during my stay!</b></div></b><p style="text-align: left;">The exercises are pretty simple. I lay on my back and while keeping my good leg flat on the bed, I lift my bad leg up as far as I can, keeping it straight, and not lifting my back or whimpering in pain. This is to be repeated 10-15 times. Then I rest and have a bit of a cry, and then I do two more sets. </p><p>It is for the best as I am home alone, although my whimpering greatly distresses the dog and now she will not come out of my wife's closet. There may be a deeper problem with the dog as she is adopted. She is also greatly afraid of my crutches. Perhaps Goldie needs the therapist, Perhaps the therapist could teach her to fetch. That is an excellent skill for a dog. Makes them more relevant, separates them from cats.</p><p>The next exercise is to stand facing the a wall. Put my hands out against the wall, and raise my offending leg backwards as far as I can, hold it ten seconds and repeat the exercise ten times. This does not hurt as bad so I assume it is useless.</p><p>There is also the exercise where I lift my "bum" off the bed but I always get distracted by the concept of attractive British nurses from the 1970's. </p><p>Coincidentally I am also going blind.</p><p>Darn that ice!</p>buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-18885060858224224672024-02-02T11:32:00.000-08:002024-02-02T12:05:52.895-08:00Pain is a suffering preferable to talking to the insurance company or the gubmentNow the real suffering begins.<div><br /></div><div>Yesterday my daughter took me for my post surgery checkup. Yesterday was February first. The insurance policy from my previous job ended on January 31. It appeared to follow seamlessly. However, since the policy did change, there are issues.</div><div><br /></div><div>I need to call today and try and straighten out the issues but I just don't have the energy. I also have to prove my identity to the State Employment people and go to a orientation meeting. This would be fine it I could walk and drive. I need to call them as well.</div><div><br /></div><div>I did not get a lot of information from my Dr. visit. My insurance and medical care is through the Nations oldest and largest HMO. This is why I oppose National Health Care. I have had good luck and bad luck though the system. Yesterday, I got a hurried and stressed doctor that had a lot of patients waiting and I had a difference of understanding between what the surgeon told me and what this Doctor understood.</div><div><br /></div><div>It will be fine, other than I have no idea how to solve their billing issues and I suspect it will mean a lot of time on the phone.</div><div><br /></div><div>The bottom line is I can put as much weight on my hip as I can stand. What I wanted to know was if I started walking without crutches would I learn bad habits of walking and set back my healing. Did I get any sort of therapy. Are there any special instructions or maybe hints that things are good or bad.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am making really good progress. Every day I can go further without crutches. I am trying not to limp or develop bad walking habits. My hip actually feels pretty good. It is my knees that are the problem. What I really need to learn how to do is sit in a straight backed chair again. need to set at my table and do my books and contact my insurance and set up a pile of personal possessions to sell on the big auction sight.</div><div><br /></div><div>In other news, my friend who wishes to not be discussed in this blog thinks I should read, "The half finished heaven," by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/446692.Tomas_Transtr_mer">Tomas Transtromer.</a></div><div><br /></div><div>I am not really sure I am up for Modernist-Surrealist Poetry at this stage in the healing process.</div><div><br /></div><div>Instead I think I will watch <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_McHale%27s_Navy_episodes" target="_blank">"McHales' Navy,</a>" on the oldies TV channel. You can't go wrong with PT boats.</div><div><br /></div><div>Have a nice day!</div><div><br /></div><div>If you need your own pain and suffering listen to this cover of "Wildwood Flower!"</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v6ljNKWH1_4" width="320" youtube-src-id="v6ljNKWH1_4"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-22140485554928890572024-01-30T09:24:00.000-08:002024-02-28T14:02:37.609-08:00Motivation is lacking<p>I am out of coffee and I don't really feel like moving from my chair.</p><p>My daughter is here to help me but she is fighting off something she apparently picked up visiting me in the hospital and is sleeping in. My wife is at work.</p><p>I have been trying to come up with a good solid future plan. </p><p>I think I need to get my certification for Sports Turf Management and pursue the offer with my local country club.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sJu12SVwbug" width="320" youtube-src-id="sJu12SVwbug"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I suppose I should work at a country club<div><br /></div><div>I seem to have some really good contacts in the Regenerative Agriculture world, I have no capital to spend and I suspect my efforts will be for naught.</div><div><br /></div><div>I keep hearing from people from my old job. The low level bitterness that is/was the undercurrent of Uni job is amazing. Several people feel I was made an example of. Although no one understands what I could have possibly done to get fired but not banned from campus or escorted out by security. I am surprised that everyone was not given a sticker and a piece of candy and told they were special after my departure but I guess they just went for the bury it and it will go away program. It doesn't really matter. The texts will taper off in the next couple weeks and it is just as well.</div><div><br /></div><div>HR has not actually taken the steps required to continue my benefits through the COBRA program. I have not called them. They don't want to work any harder than they have to. They probably don't actually know how to do it. The past is any indication of the future, everyone with experience has quit and the office is understaffed with new people who have no idea what is going on.</div><div><br /></div><div>I shall continue making lists of ideas and soldier on. </div><div><br /></div><div>I have been encouraged to "write." I have no idea what to write about. Apparently this blog is not particularly interesting to anyone other than grumpy farmers. This is a diminishing group!</div><div><br /><p><br /></p></div>buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-71805990012892353162024-01-29T12:17:00.000-08:002024-01-29T12:17:30.160-08:00Happiness and options for the future <p>The randomness of life amazes me. One moment you are going insane and stuck in a demoralizing job and then, in the course of a couple weeks, you have no job, you are confined to a house and crutches, and the world is suddenly full of options.</p><p>If I were ten years younger I would have a job by now because there are so many opportunities, However, I am not sure I want to be a groundskeeper, sprayer operator, or dump truck driver.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pfRdur8GLBM" width="320" youtube-src-id="pfRdur8GLBM"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>I should have done this years ago!</b></div><p>I have been thinking capitalizing on the Regenerative Agriculture movement. </p><p>The idea of farming with less chemical inputs has always appealed to me. The problem I have with the whole thing is that there was no magic to pre 1930's agriculture. It was hard work and it was hand labor. The regen people seem to think there is a secret magic formula that will make all of nature work in harmony. </p><p>I see Mother Nature as a cycle of boom vs bust and catastrophic change where the survival of the planet is based on the average. But that average is attained by sometimes wild extremes. </p><p>This is influenced by my Euro-centric Colonialist world view and Indigenous peoples always have the "Undeniable Virtue of the Oppressed," on their side. Thus they are always in harmony with "Nature." </p><p>Every poop is sacred if it is done by an Aboriginal but if it is contributed by a White Colonialist it is pollution.</p><p>But I digress.</p><p>I am thinking of taking parts of this course from <a href="http://www.soilfoodweb.com">www.soilfoodweb.com</a>. I have met Dr. Elaine and listened to her motivational speech and she appears to have qualifications. However, I have met many people who attempted to sell <a href="https://www.amway.com" target="_blank">Amway</a> memberships and I am very skeptical and it costs $2600</p><p>My other plan was to get a <a href="https://www.sportsfieldmanagement.org/knowledge-center/" target="_blank">certification as a Sports Turf Manager</a> from www.sportsfieldmanagement.org which I think I can get from $350 to $150 price range. I started the Certification but then it was farming season and I didn't have time to finish the course. I<a href="https://www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/courses/horticulture-and-green-industry/sports-turfgrass" target="_blank">t seemed to be a good course and it was from the University of Georgia.</a></p><p>Other options are to get serious about farming or to buy a smaller no-till drill and work for the Soil Conservation Service, or work part-time for a local golf course and farm at home. I will probably do the part-time job.</p><p>In pain and suffering news...</p><p>Today I walked twenty feet without crutches. (don't tell my wife) Today was also the day to remove the dressing and uncover my stitches. </p><p>The surgery was really pretty cool. They did have to slice me open to get the right angle for the DeWalt drill but is healing amazingly well and for some reason the stitches don't hurt. The incision is also held together with <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/steri-strips">Steri-Strips which pull the sides </a>of the incision together. </p><p>The concept for Steri-Strips was invented by my good friend Mel who actually patented the design. After thousands of dollars and a number of years he gave up. Shortly thereafter 3M came with Steri-Strips and now I am benefiting. Thanks Mel.</p><p>I have to post this picture.</p><p>After years of putting up with my weird uptightness about stacking wood my wife had to stack wood by herself. I am immensely proud of her. It is pretty darn straight and stable.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DP9Pzl8UIYWXixHGZSkAyqPySNsTJWsUuxOJLfdUFvHqR2ruwb1SAPlbJo_w4eRzWZXEB1xxVKv7cEG32vnVQd8qgyof9RfXM-VrNyGcuaca2EKKt6nlJ7YPJXctmRHMc_ugkGP4BnitKGUsekkwH5fsk20F6xmO_61NVT3zXHLRL6AFIr3h6ejNia0/s3335/IMG_2733.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3335" data-original-width="2788" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DP9Pzl8UIYWXixHGZSkAyqPySNsTJWsUuxOJLfdUFvHqR2ruwb1SAPlbJo_w4eRzWZXEB1xxVKv7cEG32vnVQd8qgyof9RfXM-VrNyGcuaca2EKKt6nlJ7YPJXctmRHMc_ugkGP4BnitKGUsekkwH5fsk20F6xmO_61NVT3zXHLRL6AFIr3h6ejNia0/s320/IMG_2733.heic" width="268" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Pretty darn good woodpile!</b></div>buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-49068346743958546082024-01-27T10:03:00.000-08:002024-01-29T11:02:02.731-08:00I try to find references to alien abductions in my blog and have moderate success but not the success I wanted. <div><br /></div><div>My good friend who does not want to be mentioned in my blog is interested in aliens. This is a common interest we share. Interesting things which bring people from dissimilar backgrounds together. </div><div><br /></div><div>Some years ago I wrote about meeting a fellow who served in the US Air Force during the Cold War. His job was to be a low level liaison with space aliens. The Aliens were pretty interested in the Super Powers after the invention of the Atomic Bomb. Apparently there were a lot of meetings between the US Gubment and Space Aliens.</div><div><br /></div><div>I spoke with the man on the phone. He lived in Montana. I found him because had a number of Hercules LDT 465 Multifuel engines which fit into White 2-135/155 tractors. He was using these surplus engines for powering his sawmill, trucks, and generating electricity. He had come up with a scheme to get the local power company to give him their old transformer oil for recycling. There was a lot of it as some transformers contained oil contaminated with Dioxin and others did not. But no one knew which one was which. So they changed them all. Free oil for life.</div><div>This was during the time of the first severe forest fires in Montana and the modern forest service scheme of not putting out the fire but attempting to keep it burning so the fire crews and fire boss could gain status and money. Locals were not really happy about being burned out of their homes but they just didn't understand global warming and what was good for them.</div><div>But, I digress...</div><div>I had never met anyone who had met an alien and I was very excited. I know somewhere I have notes. My favorite part of the conversation is hearing his wife in the background trying to get him to shut up.</div><div>I know I wrote this down!</div><div>Have any of you long timers seen this discussion?</div><div>I cannot find my posts on converting the LDT 465 into a tractor engine. I cannot find the discussion of buying the engines which was actually interesting because I found three at a local salvage yard and they fellow who had them was super fascinating. </div><div>There are no posts on buying a 1973 Ford LN 8000 which looked rough but was in really good mechanical shape and was my first experience with a 13 speed. This is the truck I bought to haul the engines home.</div><div>I swear there are missing posts, perhaps the whole year of LN7000's and Hercules diesels mentioned in the blog.</div><div>Here is a link to my search for posts containing the word "Aliens"</div><div>(<a href="https://thedailystrumpet.blogspot.com/search?q=aliens" target="_blank">CLICK HERE)</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Also I found this cool cartoon...</div><div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei-4mPTsQGA&t=92s" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei-4mPTsQGA&t=92s</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I also started searching for references to my old job. I see that I thought I was contributing but actually was just annoying the head of my department. There are very few references that show up by searching terms. I was found because I did not disable track-backs in my links.</div><div><br /></div>It is interesting to look back on what I was doing a couple years ago. T<a href="" target="_blank">his post from 2022 has som</a>e interesting reminders from past life.<div><br /></div><div>Here is a post from<a href="https://thedailystrumpet.blogspot.com/2022/02/"> 2022 which I was supposed to remove as part of my agreement to not get fire</a>d after the blog was discovered. I was accused of "gaslighting," the people I work with, and also being racist. I also riled middle and slightly upper management. I don't see the post were I put my objections in a letter to send to the head of the COVID committee and it went to all the people on the COVID committee. I had people coming up to me and saying that they agreed with me but no one would listen to them for weeks.</div><div><br /></div><div>My former employer <a href="https://www.linfield.edu/about/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">(CLICK HERE)</a> should change their slogan from "Uncommonly Driven," to "Confirmation Bias is Builds Confidence." Just read the whole Month of February 2022... (<a href="https://thedailystrumpet.blogspot.com/2022/02/" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>)</div>buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-39845861635285579362024-01-26T22:29:00.000-08:002024-01-26T22:30:24.771-08:00Do not eat grapefruit whilst prescribed Oxycodone?The one risk I never associated with taking Oxycodone was consuming grapefruit. Apparently, it greatly enhances the effects of the drug and can lead to respitory failure and death. I read that on the bottle. The one side effect of Oxy that I find most disturbing is the inability to poop and they pain that comes with those infrequent supposed releifs. I was honesty hoping I could solve the question by just accepting blindness. (per the old saying)
However, as they say, "this two shall pass," and it did.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLu0780YxhxQajXQrihUp_cR_LtpT3_4v9WrJBgpzSKrV-lk74IBHuW25gIetHjSXWT5TWQG14uK64oLyYc9WAAyuzhZRBVcaDplvYWWwa-63iPmIzsmrGAWTTEOx941hm7N2xYRbQ0TMSGy0QYO3msNmjGz24yMvlvoJoSAINOnR4GhhXudeODkjBDA/s4032/IMG_2728.HEIC" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLu0780YxhxQajXQrihUp_cR_LtpT3_4v9WrJBgpzSKrV-lk74IBHuW25gIetHjSXWT5TWQG14uK64oLyYc9WAAyuzhZRBVcaDplvYWWwa-63iPmIzsmrGAWTTEOx941hm7N2xYRbQ0TMSGy0QYO3msNmjGz24yMvlvoJoSAINOnR4GhhXudeODkjBDA/s320/IMG_2728.HEIC"/></a></div>
I have done a number of stupid and risky things in my life without injury. My entire feed making misadventure is a high risk operation that borders on on suicidal. I ran an open flatbelt hammer mill, I mix my feed in a surplus fertilizer bin and lift it over the intake of the mixer/grinder, then I crawl on top of the mixer grinder to open the bin. Sometimes I climb a rickty ladder on the side of the bin to unplug it. I'm 20 feet in the air and I am fine.
But when I walk from the house to the barn in the freezing rain and I slip and break my hip.
To clarify, I fractured the upper end of my femor where it transitions into the ball.
My surgeon was not the most optimistic fellow in the world, although he seemed to be quite competent.
He informed me that most often in an accident like this, the hip would also be damaged. This is an accident most associated with older people and is considered quite serious.
My fracture had not seperated. My hip was not damaged. With the insertion of three wicked looking screws and sitting still for three weeks I should be fine.
I have been home almost a week and I am actually getting much better. I am waiting on a trip to Orthropedics to be examined and get an x-ray and then I will be given instructions for therapy and restrictions on walking and driving and leaving the house will be revisited.
The current estimation for recovery is up to six months. Apparently the break is hard to see and so difficult to determine it the bone is mending togather. It it doesn't mend then I will be putting all my weight on the pins which will break and I will need a new hip.
It doesn't really hurt a lot. I do have muscle pain from my hip to my knee and my knee also hurts.
The doctors said I would see a lot of bruising but I have virtually none. I also can't see the point where I hit the ground. I suspect I twisted my hip somehow but I guess it doesn't really matter how, it is done.
Sitting around is tough. I have made lists of things to do. I need to work on my year end books but can't really set upright in a chair. I have a couple actual books to read. I started "To A God Unknown," by John Stienbeck but a farmer friend came to visit me today so I didn't read much.
My friend's wife baked me cookies which were quite good.
I also got a load of firewood today. Keeping the fire going in a chore as it is hard to bend over and lift wood. My wife has been keeping the wood box full but we didn't store up as much wood this year. She ordered a mixed load of ash and oak from a young guy that is cutting wood. He dumped it in the driveway and my friend stacked up a pile before we got rained out. I supervised and tried to help but it is awkward with crutches. We were able to get a tarp on the pile so I have all day tomorrow. Actually I suspect my wife will not allow me to stack wood, even if I can figure out a way to move it.
I have had visitors and my brother comes in to help keep the fire going. It certianly reminds you of your mortality when you go from wishing you could be lazy to being forced to sit in a chair all day.
Unfortuantly I now have nothing interesting to write about in my blog.
It was suggested that my views on certian subjects might not actually be welcomed by a broader audience so I shall refrain.buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8527757877422839218.post-54499636964856040962024-01-23T11:57:00.000-08:002024-01-23T11:57:34.798-08:00I finally make it home from the hospital and everything is right with the world! (So far, as of today....)<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">One probably should not lie to the doctors just to get out of the hospital. I think I am going to get away with it however. Today I walked four steps without crutches. I am not supposed to so please don't report me to HR. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am home from the Hospital!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9l2uMoEAMam2xjEWbMcthYlyow-IhGsMMylNW_wZLKNdvEmLHApDEdQkM6bmSnqRk9OA2Kq-oRpAMcpWMbDQgn26iGhwagtMTDrHslHejnvohKV8N37fZzEOWgkD2hju_6_Qkwc0lOK7FcjR3LzE6s5ABUO9IAM1H8bZoLaUB6IFl79IV7WsKwqBGzu4/s4032/IMG_2711.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9l2uMoEAMam2xjEWbMcthYlyow-IhGsMMylNW_wZLKNdvEmLHApDEdQkM6bmSnqRk9OA2Kq-oRpAMcpWMbDQgn26iGhwagtMTDrHslHejnvohKV8N37fZzEOWgkD2hju_6_Qkwc0lOK7FcjR3LzE6s5ABUO9IAM1H8bZoLaUB6IFl79IV7WsKwqBGzu4/s320/IMG_2711.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i>I have it all! My wife left me with coffee, books, and a lego kit if I achieve my daily goals. My brother brought me Farm Show and got the fire going. I am truly, "t</i></b><a href="https://nigeriaworld.com/news/source/2024/jan/8/318.html" target="_blank"><b><i>oo blessed to be stressed!"</i></b><br /></a></p></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I can't remember much of my hospital stay. I was reading my hospital notes yesterday and realized I was heavily drugged. Oxy, Morphine, and a certain anti-anxiety medication, are a great combination for me and very entertaining to my neighbors.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The warning label on the Oxycodone says it could cause drowsiness. However, it makes me silly and wired and constipated. The Morphine helps me sleep and I suspect the Lexapro smoothed out the spikes so I just stayed stoned all the time. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I made a lot of new friends with this combination. If only I could remember them.</span></p><p>As I was saying yesterday, I had a spinal 30 years ago when I ran my foot through the cross conveyer chain on the 1075 New Holland stacker. That is my benchmark for pain and suffering.</p><p>The spinal was horrible. It hurt like heck, it made half my body felt numb but I could still have the bone sensations when they worked on my foot. Then, as it wore off, the top of my body had feeling and the bottom didn't. I felt like I was wetting the bed constantly and I had to pee.</p><p>My surgeon wanted me to do the spinal but the staff in the operating room actually agreed with my fears and just knocked me out. </p><p>I woke up an hour and a half later in recovery and immediately found myself engaged in conversation with my nurse who had just gone through a divorce and had a disappointing date the previous night. She also had a similar job experience where the people she worked with were cool and the management were a bunch of idiot liberals who had no idea of what it was like to be working class. Also, she said, "That spinal hurts like hell, you know they stab you in the spine with a needle!"</p><p>I think I talked too much. My wife said when the nurse called her to tell her I was awake she congratulated her on 25 years of marriage and having an "adorable," husband. There is probably video of this somewhere online. I can laugh because it is good to be a happy junkie vs a sad depressed one.</p><p>They gave me a room with an older man from Romania. He had also broken his hip. Mine was on the left and his was on the right. We also had the same surgeon.</p><p>Later my wife and daughter showed up with more dim sum, and reading material, I think... Now the timeline becomes rather fuzzy. All I remember is having to pee frequently and how awkward that was. I met numerous nurses who were all really nice and kept asking me if I needed more pain medication. I kept saying it didn't hurt unless I moved and I was not supposed to move anyway.</p><p>So they brought me a cup of pills which I took. But, no morphine in the IV. This was bad as when the previous dose of morphine wore off I was wide awake and uncomfortable. There was no position that felt right and every time I got to sleep some sort of monitor would go off or I had to pee which required a nurse who had to measure my output and then they would do an ultrasound of my bladder to see if it was all out.</p><p>My roommate seemed to be having similar problems with pain and sleep so we started talking. <span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit;"> He came to the USA in 1987 from Romania. This was still a dictatorship in 1987 and despite the many reforms going on in the world, they were still pretty hard line communist.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">As a Christian, he and his family faced discrimination from the state government. I couldn't hear everything he said but his efforts to worship God resulted in lower status jobs and threat of imprisonment.</span></span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit;">He said at one point got tired of always defending his belief so he asked the state to prove there was anything wrong with him as a citizen. </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit;">This got him arrested again and his family harassed, but they found that he had broken no laws and was actually a good citizen.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Many people were trying to escape the country at this time. He said the risks were high as they would simply shoot you or disappear you into hard labor if you were caught. So, he decided to immigrate legally and take his family. This was a lengthy and expensive process as he had two boys and two girls and his wife,</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">His brother-in-law and some friends tried to escape at night across water. I should look this up to figure out exactly where this could be done. It sounded like to me like they built large floaty and towed it behind a boat. Or possibly were going to float down a river past the border with no power.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Either way, something spooked the crossing guards and they caught them with a spotlight. They were hauled out of the river and interrogated. His brother-in-law was arrested but then, "disappeared."</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">My friend said he went with his Sister to the barracks near where the incident took place. The first soldier said he remembered the incident and the brother was in custody and he would go and check to see what they could do.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">He was gone a long time and another officer came back to say that there was no report of the incident, no one remembered the incident, and no one by that name was in custody, His brother-in-law disappeared just like that..</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Eventually my new friend was able to legally immigrate to the USA.</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">He said he wrote lots of letters and filled out a lot of forms and even tried calling people in US Congress and though constant efforts he was approved for immigration.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">He was trained as a plumber in Romania so he had job skills. I wish I could remember how he said this but some how he ended up on the West Coast. California had too many mosquitoes, Washington was too cold and rainy, and Oregon was great.</span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit;">He got a job working in maintenance at Reed College so his four children could use the Tuition Exchange to get free college at less expensive colleges. (I laughed at that, it sounded pretty familiar) After ten years he retired and started his own business.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">My friend is very involved in the Romanian community locally. I believe he is a pastor in a Romanian Assembly of God Church. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">He said to me, "You know things are different today. When I came here this was a Christian country. There were Bibles on the airplane (that brought him and his family to the USA) There were people in the Churches. It is different now."</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">He went on to say that Christians in the US don’t believe in the power of prayer.</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">"When you have everything you want, it is hard to understand that Jesus said “take up my cross, (as we say in Romania it is his burden,) and follow Me.)" I put quotes around this because while I paraphrased it a little he was trying to get across the idea that there is responsibility involved with being a Christian. This carries outward from family and community onward. But I have to say it like he said it.</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">It was the power of prayer and the power of God that got his wife, himself and four children out of Romania legally and he went back to that statement a number of times. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The rest of the conversation is pretty fuzzy. I wrote this first part down but we talked for a very long time.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am pretty sure the next day was Sunday. I woke early as I pinched my IV and the monitor went off and then my kidneys were exploding. They kept me pumped full of IV fluids. So I had to call the nurse and I had to do the arduous task of swinging my legs over the bed to use the urinal. But, I was shocked to find I could do it without help.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I ordered breakfast.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Breakfast was good. I had two eggs over easy, toast, and bacon. The bacon was good. Not too crispy and not limp. Plus, I swear it was real pork and not a turkey substitute.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0ZCxdy00za2zAjqlitlABKASxtvZ319-ffHfS9jUnagrWdi4Xo_GnacZsh0JDtrrDiTJ4itHLyJHPFWYYQnORdrdPWsLpCx8j6VdFRJdeCIkqEvVV_NrSmP58WyXP23-y3wi6IpEM94s7AplsnIT2xsDZbP4VnUhgHS6deKpVYlVkfdjEN96Kue1WCY/s3054/IMG_2705%202.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3054" data-original-width="2958" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0ZCxdy00za2zAjqlitlABKASxtvZ319-ffHfS9jUnagrWdi4Xo_GnacZsh0JDtrrDiTJ4itHLyJHPFWYYQnORdrdPWsLpCx8j6VdFRJdeCIkqEvVV_NrSmP58WyXP23-y3wi6IpEM94s7AplsnIT2xsDZbP4VnUhgHS6deKpVYlVkfdjEN96Kue1WCY/s320/IMG_2705%202.heic" width="310" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>No raisin toast but the bacon was good.</i></b></div></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I had a consultation with my nurse and discovered I was scheduled to walk with crutches or a walker that very day. I asked if I could walk, could I go home? My nurse said I couldn't go home till I pooped. And gave me more pain meds. I protested but she sternly suggested walking would hurt today. She also threatened me with laxatives. </span></p><p>She was a nice but stern Asian nurse. She had a lot of questions for me. Could I feel my feet? Could I show her how I got turned to get out of bed without her help. (which I had been doing already). </p><p>"I will be right back," she said and bustled out of the room. She returned with pants. This was the best thing that had happened to me since I arrived at the hospital. </p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sometime after my wife and daughter showed up with coffee and a raisin muffin and a robe. They had spent the night at the hotel across the road. The also brought me a lego kit to assemble when I completed my walk.</span></p><p>Things are fuzzy for a while as I got more morphine in my drip in preparation for the walk.</p><p>Sometime thereafter a nice physical therapist lady showed up with a lot of the same questions and a walker. Could I feel my feet? How did I get out of bed? I showed her how I used my good leg to help my bad leg. Then, could I stand on my own. So I stood up. She rushed to grab me. I said I was fine.</p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I was able to walk with crutches and a walker and I negotiated stairs. She was very happy I had pants and a robe.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I was then cleared to pee on my own. This was almost as nice as getting pants.</span></span></p><p>Sometime thereafter my Wife and Daughter showed up with more Dim Sum and my hospital lunch arrived which was mostly salad. I assembled my lego steam roller and we discussed the odds of me going home. </p><p>It had been made pretty clear that I would have therapy and observation after surgery and the possibility of going home on Sunday was close to zero. We decided that the only way to improve chances of my discharge would be for my wife to get an hour away and then have to come back. If this didn't work it was ok as she needed to get the house warmed up and set some things in order. We had lots of help at home with her sister and my sister-in-law, brother, and nephews, but the pets were not happy and the house was cold.</p><p>Shortly after she left my nurse returned. She wanted me to take more laxatives and pain meds. I told her that has much as I appreciate her care and attention, I just really wanted to go home. Was there any way? She said, "ok, you try go number two! I talk to orthopedics"</p><p>Soon, a nice young man from Orthopedics showed up. He did all the same tests and asked the same questions. I stood for him. Showed him I could walk with crutches. I said how I would negotiate stairs. (down with the pain- bad leg first to go down) He asked about my house. Did I have people close by to help. What was my pain level? (Zero as I was still high as row one at a Dread Zeppelin concert.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rIbBWyUTUrg" width="320" youtube-src-id="rIbBWyUTUrg"></iframe></div><br />I was given, and I <span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit;">passed, all their physical tests (which were designed for 90 year-olds) but I winced a little just to show I was trying. </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit;">The only thing left was for me to <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Kama-Pootra-9781402237140/13219683?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=15303&&adid=2222222222713219683_15303_142373257430_17687600153&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=608862830044&wl4=pla-1683039813341&wl5=9032885&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=125215024&wl11=online&wl12=13219683_15303&veh=sem&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA5L2tBhBTEiwAdSxJX9hVH4-S9niWx55sN9qThVZnS9necA_YVfMkKiPvOM4_cNRNnG9aFhoC2vgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank">drop a Joe so they knew t</a>hings were working.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I even did a dry run sitting on the WC to show that I could in fact perform as requested.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The young fellow seemed very impressed and I suggested sending me how to make room for all the poor suffering folk still in the corridors of the ER. He said he would try calling my surgeon. (Who I knew was in surgery and unavailable, as my neighbor had been trying to pin down his time for surgery all morning.)</span></span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit;">After he left the nice Asian nurse came in with a bag of super laxative that she could mix us and give me and then I could poop as required. "Maybe too much," she said. "Your choice!"</span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit;">So I smiled my best smile (t</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">hink Jim Belushi when Carrie Fisher was going to shoot him in Blues Brothers) and I promised the nice Asian nurse I would poop as soon as I got home. "Ok, Maybe, I call," she said and bustled out of the room.</span></p><p><br /><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MQHtQwNb2fU" width="320" youtube-src-id="MQHtQwNb2fU"></iframe></div><br />Ten minutes later she reappears with a sheaf of papers and a lot of instructions. She had ordered my medications, she didn't actually get a good answer from Orthopedics but she thought I was really doing well and I would promise to poop as soon as I was home, I could go. "Did I have gas," she said. "I do!" I truthfully replied, (the duck and I are true friends and he clung tight with me through out my hospital stay, frequently quacking in the back ground.)<p></p><p>I called my wife who was looking for crutches at GoodWill. They are setting me free, get back here! I said.</p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">My medicine arrived. I got my final instructions. My nurse showed up with a discharge notice and a wheel chair. I ask if I needed to check out or pay a bill or do something. My nurse says, "no, I wheel you out. We don't stop at desk. Your wife meet us in front. I tell her what to do!"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">My wife shows up. My nurse gives my wife very detailed instructions on how to pick me up and tells her to get going! (This was funny because my wife didn't pick up what I just realized and that I was actually escaping and this was to be a well coordinated jail break.)</span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit;">All was well, I was dressed and on my way out the door. Then my surgeon arrives to talk to my neighbor,</span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit;">The Doctor says, “where are you goin?”</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit;">I look at my nurse.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">She looks worried.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I said, “you cured me! I am going home. Thank you so much!”</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">He stares at me…</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">“Are you putting full weight on that leg?!”</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I feel I am in trouble.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I say I am favoring it when it hurts but mostly yes.</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">He looks quizzical.</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I hold my crutches to the side and stand.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">“Does that hurt? Are you putting full weight on your leg?” He asks again.</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">“Should I not be?” I asked.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Apparently, hip replacements take longer than one day to recover from.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Have you even seen your x-rays?" he asked.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Just a quick look," I say. Hoping to hedge my prevarication and looking for a chance to say the magic words he needed to hear that would convince him to set me free.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Surgeon shook his head and pulled up my x-Rays on his computer screen. It was a horrific sight. I swear they used some sort of self tapping rather long and brutal sheet metal screws to hold my leg and hip ball together. Three of them, I will be setting off metal detectors till I die. Probably used a power DeWalt to zip them in, it was a short surgery.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">He gave me a stern lecture. I am not to get in and out of tractors or use a clutch for four to six months. I am not to leave my house for eight weeks. I must walk three times a day, but not overdo it. I am not to lift things, I am not to climb stairs any more than necessary. I am not to drive. It was a long lecture.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">"Well, I could just go back to bed," I said.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">He just shook his head and let me go. He knew I was full of B.S.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I asked my nurse on the way out if I got her in trouble.</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">She swore she was not in trouble. She said I was just in, "very good shape and a strong man."</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">She said, “I know it hurt more than you say. You do good job. I know you take care!”</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">“I promise to poop,” I said.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I wanted to hug her, but I was not that high any more and I am normally a shy and reclusive person.<br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" /><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" />And I am home!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">It is wonderful!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">(If I could turn on the charm with people like this all the time, I would probably have a little more financial success. )</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ImWG4EKqjbZzeU8Ksqsojvnz0zrmup0Okb3J2HHdbKzO2Htr1cFF_CcF9UVubHj6xzivuWrsB0r4BtQTU5oOhnouRLjjMYNNX79xWQEk6BaxQVaKjNm_V5adrFqzMDcuzsjLN3rmbaKojHtEJeiB06EhkI1xurgt2RhyDQOAP4E1sGwnrVwG1YHykkY/s1566/IMG_2710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1566" data-original-width="1202" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ImWG4EKqjbZzeU8Ksqsojvnz0zrmup0Okb3J2HHdbKzO2Htr1cFF_CcF9UVubHj6xzivuWrsB0r4BtQTU5oOhnouRLjjMYNNX79xWQEk6BaxQVaKjNm_V5adrFqzMDcuzsjLN3rmbaKojHtEJeiB06EhkI1xurgt2RhyDQOAP4E1sGwnrVwG1YHykkY/s320/IMG_2710.jpg" width="246" /></i></b></a></div><b><i>In my chair, wearing the stocking hat my daughter knitted me for Christmas. Life is so much better than it was last week!<br /></i></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p>buddeshepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747323705664619491noreply@blogger.com2