Coffee Cinco de Mayo 2012

Coffee is a bit late this morning as I just got back from Oaxaca Mexico. Cinco de Mayo should have special coffee so I parachuted from my buddy's Lear Jet into the east side of a Zapotec village and with my best istmeños accent I managed to buy a pound of fresh roasted beans. It took most all week to hitch hike back but here I am and the aroma in the air proves out the effort was well worth the trip. Between this, bacon and fresh eggs, life can't get much better. Enjoy!

One more law to make Maine seem a bit more like our neighbors in Massachusetts .... when you build a new house you are now required to hire an independent third party inspector to make sure all construction comes up to the new standards. Of course the cost of a building permit dropped by 80% because the code enforcement officer no longer needs to inspect...oh, wait, no it didn't! Grrrrr
My next door neighbor is moving his mobile home to a town across the river. As soon as he has a well, septic, driveway & cement pad to land the trailer on he is going to move. He did not need to hire this inspector as it's a mobile home, but the "building permits" were crazy! In this town to bring in a mobile home it's about $60 for a plumbing and occupancy permit. He just paid $496!!!! I guess they need to pay for that new school somehow. (Oh, this new law does not apply if your town has less than 3,000 residents. I think it's 3...might be 5,000)

Hope you all have a smooth weekend!

Good morning all,thanks for the special coffee Fred but Maxwell house or Folgers would have been fine lots to do this weekend with two 1st Communions and all but we have nice weather so It's all good.If the community needs new Schools or other things that's one thing but some how the cash always finds It's way into someones pockets and that's what makes me .Have a good one and take care .Keepaeyeonit

cinco da WHAT???? Mornin all. Sorry Freddy, I know you risked alot getting this AM's coffee, but I gotta stay American on this one. Mowing & bush hoggin for me this week-end. Big yard sale with TOOLS this AM. I'm off & running. Have a good one all.

Morning all! Coffee is pretty good this morning....

Well, the stoves have runneth empty. I didn't check them yesterday and both ran out of coal....thats fine, it's about that time anyway. the weather is beginning to stay warmer and time to clean them out for the summer.

Last weekend I picked up my wood siding from the Amish and almost finished putting it all up on my garage, its Amish made double 4.5" clapboard, came out pretty good. jut have to finish up the drip edges above the windows/doors before putting the last row on. The front peak will have Cedar shakes with a pattern in them (Need to hand cut all of them!) up to the top

Hopefully get a motorcycle ride in today, get the mustang out of storage for the summer!! Should be a good weekend.

Coffee is good. Having the morning to myself is even better.

I haven't had the freedom to make myself a nice three egg omelet with sauteed mushrooms, onions, and garlic, some nice salty cheese and fresh spinach in a long time!

I might have to take a nap after this!

EDIT: Topped off the oil tank this morning. 100 gallons since the last delivery on 11/26/11. $3.57 a gallon if I pay within a week or $3.67 otherwise.

Coffee sounds great this AM. The AHS has been giving me fits and I started a garage on Thursday and it is and hour and 40 minutes from home so I have been pushing it. 14 hours on Thursday and 13 yesterday. I am beat. Girls have softball this morning and I see some lawn care in my future as well. Hoping to get the boiler going again as I am just about out of that liquid gold. $600.00 minimum delivery is pretty stiff. I am thinking grillin and fire pit tonight. Maybe a couple of frosty beverages to help things smooth out. Nice garage WNY. Looking sweet. Have a great weekend all.

Hola
Yes! Actually in Mexico and thought I show you where I am having coffee this morning ( & the last 7 and till Tuesday).
Not thinking coal but checking in on everyone!
Have a safe Cinco de Mayo 2012

Just stopped in to get that last cup for the thermos.

Hey FFred, that Harley coffee can looks like it is leaking a little oil so it must be genuine !!!!

NW I can totally relate. I've been pilling the 13 hour days for over a month. I lost my first employee to PTSD from his tour in the sandbox. He's getting treatment right now and I don't have a clue as to if or when he's coming back. Then the second one starts having issues on his own. I finally had enough of his tardiness, early leaving, and no contact at all so that when he never showed up last Wednesday until 4:15 and told me he was ready for his ass chewing, I simply told him "No ass chewing, just pack up your toolbox and leave." In this economy you would think people would be glad to even have a job. Nope I guess it is easier to sit at home and get that gubment check..

I've let it be known that I am looking for help here and no one wants to work anymore. I've posted on outside sign in heavy traffic area and online registeries and no response. At least for this type of work. Local funeral director told me the same thing. Have we become a nation of pencil pushing, computer punching sloths ?????

Ok I guess I should have had the decaf..........rant over.




Rick

Yeah that's about the size of it, Rick. In MA this has been going on since the early 90's when all the computer industry came to town. Everyone got cushy air conditioned jobs behind a desk, and one by one, all of a sudden they couldn't tolerate a leaky exhaust, off road vehicle noise, or gunshots. Then, they demanded a gigantic police & fire department, and a 3 story high school to boot, taxing all the original residents right out of the state. Every prop 2.5 override passed with flying colors. "It's for the kids", they say. Bunch of spoiled pansies ....

Rick 386 wrote:Hey FFred, that Harley coffee can looks like it is leaking a little oil so it must be genuine !!!! .....

And it tastes even better if you shake it so hard that all the nuts & bolts fall out! ............... But I can't seem to find me that Yamaha coffee .....




Still pluggin' away here. Went fishing this morning with my ol' man. Caught 2 trout, then watched a bald eagle chase down & try to steal a trout from an Osprey on the wing!! Man I wish my cell shot better video - none of it even worth posting. Looks like I'm filming the sky. Piece of crap electronics .... But anyway, the Osprey dropped the fish about 10' above the water, and about 15 yards from us! What a show!! Better than anything I've seen on TV the past 25 years, that's for certain.

Just got one project finished. I rebuilt a head on a '04 Suzuki RM-Z250 -- one of those new breed of 4-stroke motocross bikes. The intake valves got pounded into circular razor blades. I did a valve adjustment on it last year ... and the valves were so tight it took 3 tries just to get it in spec. This is a "shim-under-bucket" valve system, meaning the cams have to come out each time to exchange shims. Lots of work .. and math. Being that I sent this head to AZ for new copper alloy seats & guides, I had to start from scratch with the shims. Had to just pick a random size, then install the cams on the bench, then measure clearance. Took me about 8 hours over 2 days to get them all within a hundred-thousandth of each other. I'm fussy, and I like them perfect - preferrably on the loose side, as they tighten with wear, so it buys you more time between adjustments. I told the kid to enjoy the bike this year, since it cost him $1,000 for the job ... then this fall we'll sell it ... and I'll find him a 2-STROKE to replace it! Solves the stupid valve problems once & for all!

Pisses me off how all the manufacturers caved to the government's quest for "greenness", & phased out most of their 2-stroke lineup. Now you have these heavy, maintenance intensive high strung 4-strokes that eat valves & rings for breakfast. Man, $1,000 could buy one hell of a BRAND NEW 2-stroke engine!

39 degrees and sunny in the NE corner of NYS this morning. We are in the final weeks of the heating season, but there is still an occasional need for some btu's. Every three to four days I have to remember to change the ash tub in the EFM, but that is about it. The rain this past week really woke up the grass, so I had to "saddle up" and mow the lawn yesterday. I already mowed the leachfield area twice, but the rest of the lawn had definitely caught up. I think this is the first time my new mower has actually had to work a little bit, it smelled like burning paint when I got done.

In other news, my dad is making good use of his "tempered water" hose spigot in the garage. He said he was too cold to be spraying 50 degree water and freezing his ass off, so we installed a mixing valve and now he has 100 degree water in the garage. We all know how much better warm water cleans vehicles & equipment, and now he doesn't have cold hands.

It's a beautiful day here, clear skys, maybe a very thin very high overcast layer, up about 34,000ft! Supposed to get up to 72* today.
I'm going to take the '25 Pierce Arrow out for a cruise, I just finished the install of an overdrive, so I can sort of keep up with traffic.
Big car, lots of wind resistance, old technology engine, low compression, alcohol in fuel.. it all adds up.. a 290 cubic inch engine making
only 70 hp at 2900rpm.. peak torque at 1900-2100 I'd guess.

Well time to get moving.. been lazy enough for today.

Greg L.