Oh, but I did cut down on the meat lovers pizza! I only ate 3/4's of it.

Good luck on finishing up the porch, and getting your truck back. 🤞

 

Almost finished the porch....called to tell me truck is done, including a little extra work I asked him to perform; but, he said there are several cracks in the top of my radiator. So, no truck today; but he's grabbing a new radiator and will have it installed in the morning. The reason I didn't finish the porch is because he (Garland) went on a 40 minute diatribe about his golf game & his recent non-surgical vertebral decompression. I could barely get a word in edge-wise. Oh well, all good, tomorrow then.

 

Sounds good Norm! Lost the bubble on one point, is Garland your truck mechanic?

 

Yes. I didn't know he played golf. I sure do now.

 

I love rutabagas. They were 0.93/lb & the Canada (hybrid) variety, which is a tasty variety. With carrot juice, of course. There's a salad hiding on the plate somewhere, as well.

 

Norm - That looks like an extremely healthy dinner. Rutabagas are one vegetable I've never had! My parents never made them. Hey, here's some good news for ya, at least with that dinner you shouldn't get cancer!

 

I know of many people who've never heard of a rutabaga. Many refer to them as yellow turnips, although they're not a turnip. Canadians often call them "swedes".

 

Gabe's 1st tournament game tomorrow evening at 5:10pm is being played at Centene Ice Complex, the practice facility for the StL Blues. It is a huge complex with 5 full size ice rinks. His game will be on the rink called "The Barn" which is the only outdoor rink. I have seen him play there once before. The temp at puck drop will still be over 60°!

 

Norm, If you put pigs in a rutabaga patch they will starve

Chris, Looks like Gabe has hit the big time

 

Jim - Never heard or knew this, interesting.

 

Nice facility. Should be exciting. Hope Gabe plays well.

 

Good morning everyone.

We've signed off every wheel in the place, the rail is dry, and we have nothing to do. Today is the full day of the Veterans shindig so most of the people are out in the hangar. I'll probably go out in a little while.

I've never had a rutabaga either. I have had turnips and I don't like them, so if a rutabaga is like a turnip, I will starve in the patch as well. Now, I have a family of Swedes but I think that's something different.

I want to go look at a Farmall M this weekend. But I don't have a trailer that it would fit on should I want to buy it. I could dump the wreck that's sitting on the deckover, that might be a little overkill, but I think the angle will be too steep for it to go up. I could try the Jamesbo trailer but it might be too narrow. And the tires were bad on it years ago and haven't gotten any better. Is this a sign that I shouldn't buy it? Heck no. It's a sign that I need to be smarter and figure it out.

Chris hope Gabe has a good game tonight. Is he a fan of the Blues? Maybe some of the players will be there.

Breaktime. Break from nothing is what it is. This is going to be a long day. Happy Friday everyone.

 

Mike - My understanding is rutabagas were initially imported into the British Isles by the Swedes and the name "Swedes" stuck with the notion a Rutabaga is called a Swede by Canadians. Kind of peculiar.

 

Mike For what it's worth, I hauled a Massey Fergusons 135 all over the place on that trailer

 

Thanks guys, the whole complex is a very neat facility. The only other time we have seen him play on this outdoor rink was last season for a game in January (pic above). It was very cold at that game and we had to brush a light layer of snow off our seats when we went to sit down. This will be the exact opposite with it still being close to 65° at puck drop. It will be nice for the spectators, but I imagine the boys will get pretty warm, pretty fast out there!

Mike - Gabe and the whole family are Blues fans. Probably a crapshoot as to when any of the players would be there for practice or rehabilitation, but it wouldn't surprise me to see one or more of them around. I did not mention it previously, but the team's workout/gym facilities and their medical facilities are also in the same complex.

 

Side note about the Hockey Complex - To the right of the "NHL Rink" in the diagram of the complex I posted, is an area labeled as "Mercy Sports Medicine". This is the rehabilitation and medical services office for the Blues. My daughter Blaire works in the "Mercy Hospital" system here in StL, and is how I got the reference for the Orthopedic Surgeon I will see on Nov. 11th. She actually worked on the Orthopedic Surgical Floor at Mercy Hospital Jefferson when she first graduated and got to personally know most of the Orthopedic Surgeons there. She is still in the "Mercy Hospital" system, although she's moved on to bigger and better things. She is now the Lead Nurse Educator for her Hospital, responsible for designing and teaching new protocols and procedures for all the other nurses there.

 

I've signed two wheels since 7am. Been sitting around being bored mostly since then. I did go out into the hangar to check out what was going on. Same planes, a couple more trucks. I didn't stay long.

As usual the lead leaves early( by 10) and leaves us hanging. There are a few wheels on the rail but nothing that would make any difference to the operation. This sticks in my craw a little more than usual. Don't know why. I wish there were an anonymous way to blow the whistle on him. I don't mind speaking up but the repercussions would be far reaching.

Jamesbo the trouble is I'm wanting to pick up a row cropper. Tricycle arrangement. I could push the two ramps together to get the front end on, but I'm afraid the ramps are too steep and it would roll over backwards. If I backed it onto the trailer the back wheels are wider than the fenders. The lake had a 135, nice tractor to drive. Don't know whatever happened to it.

Well Norm the Canadians can be a little peculiar sometimes. And so can the Swedes for that matter.

 

Mike - Everyplace has their own policies/rules, but frankly I don't understand how he's able to get away with that crap! It would **** me off too. We had to swipe our badges going in and out of our facility recording our comings and goings. Those records were bounced against employee records of time worked per day/pay period as entered by the employee for a 2-week Pay Period. If there was a discrepancy, the employee's Supervisor would get an automated notification and there would be a reckoning. Sometimes it would be an honest data entry mistake, sometimes not. Purposely falsifying government records was a reason for automatic termination, period!

 

Mike - You plan to plant some corn & soybeans?

 

No, this is just another odd idea I have. My paternal grandfather worked for International Harvester at the Farmall Rock Island works. I know next to nothing about him, and less about International Harvester. He died before I was born so I never knew him. I thought it would be cool to have a tractor that was built in Rock Island at the time he worked there. One never knows but I would assume the tractor and he would have been in the building at the same time. This tractor I'm going to see is a '51 so it fits the time frame. I don't know when he started but he died in 63. No one really ever talked about him, and I didn't have the smarts to ask. I ask Mom some things but 62 years later she doesn't really remember.

So my plan for it would be to drive it around the neighborhood, and just be happy when I see it.

 

Mike - Hay Rides

 

Got truck back. Porch now completely finished. I'd now like to reclaim a small portion of my life.

 

That time of year...

 

Mike - What year is the IH Farmall M row cropper?

https://carsonline.bonhams.com/en/li...3-54950634823f

 

Sorry, I missed it when you stated it's a 1951.

 

I got growded up running a 1951 JD Model A & a 1951 JD Model B

 

Rutabaga...the last time i had some was when it was in a Patsy many years ago. No one makes them around here anymore. Hayrides, been awhile. Used to go with co workers when i worked someplace else. Good times, alcohol may have been involved. Here's a bite to eat, from a long time local pizza place, Scribs pizza. Hmm, no pic. lets try this.https://photos.app.goo.gl/z472gYEw7YvWaNpR6

 

Dan - Completely out of focus.

 

OK Good now. What a pizza!!! Yeah baby.

 

Dan - I know you meant to spell Pasty, but some might know about a Pasty. I love them - absolutely delicious. Regarding rutabagas in general, what a great cold hardy crop. Folks used to grow them. Can leave them in the ground (Northern Illinois/Wisconsin) during winter & pick/harvest them throughout the winter. Shame no one makes Pasties any longer around your area because they are really a nice handheld crusty pie.

 

OMG, what a gut-wretching and disappointing loss tonight for Gabe's team! Gabe had a hat-trick halfway thru the 2nd Period and had his team up 3-1, and then the wheels completely fell off their defense giving up 4 unanswed goals in a 5-3 loss. Ouch! Gabe was heartbroken his effort was in vain.

 

Norm that's an M in the first hayride picture. Was having a hard time finding a trailer that would do, and I told the guy it might be just a fact finding mission, and he said if I wanted it he'd be glad to haul it to my house for me for a few extra bucks. Done! He's maybe an hour and a half from me. Gonna meet him at 10.

Been spitting rain here and there all evening. It can stop any time. It's just enough to turn all the dirt into paste. Good thing I'm going to look at a tractor tomorrow or I'd have to spend the whole day inside.

 

Chris that's too bad about Gabe's game. His effort was not in vain. If he did his best he can be proud of himself.

 

Thanks Mike. He'll realize that when he's had some time to process it. Like I told him after the game, you win as a team, and you lose as a team, period!

 

Absolutely gorgeous weather, here - sunny lower 70s. Awesome weather remainder of the month of November - mid 60s. I'm somewhat leery about (me) cleaning the EGR valve on the truck after my recent debacle. I have new gaskets but feel like I'm a doofus lately.

 

Norm - Sounds like you have some excellent weather lined up the rest of this month. Don't start 2nd guessing your automotive skills now, you have knowledge many of us only wish we had!

 

Chris - Filled truck w/ fuel, went for 30 mile (RT) drive. Cleared DTC codes before I left, no DTC codes upon return. Truck operating like a champ. The last idiots I had work in truck R&R HPOP (High Pressure Oil Pump) & R&R injectors did not completely tighten all injectors. I asked Garland to validate. In doing so found RH valve cover gasket cracked - now I know where oil was coming from - replaced cracked gasket + he replaced the radiator which had a couple cracks on top side which makes it hard to maintain 16 psi. All good, couldn’t be happier.

 

When I finished w/ the newel posts trim work on porch I brushed on one final coat of the Australian Timber seal/ stain. Hot digging dog $hit looks great. I’ve reclaimed some lost time. One last mowing of the season today just riding around on the JD ZTR mower - some light trimming/raking is all.

Looking forward to hearing of Mike’s recent tractor purchase. Wonderful if the seller will tow it to Mike’s today?

I’m going to wait a couple days on cleaning the EGR valve while I rebuild my confidence in mechanical work.

 

Norm - I'm a little confused. So with the truck running so well, and not throwing any codes, does this, "cleaning the EGR valve on the truck after my recent debacle. I have new gaskets", actually need to be done now?

 

“Need” is a relative term - more importantly it’s relative to the engine & engine mileage. My engine is notorious for EGR issues, therefore “maintaining” anything in the EGR system is warranted. One of the “upgrade” items for this engine/truck is to perform (pay big $$) a complete EGR delete. I choose to religiously “maintain” the EGR. Cleaning the EGR valve & EGR intake is a huge benefit in maintaining EGR system in the engine/truck. Cause when/if the EGR TANGO UNIFORM, you’re down for the count.