A Pittance of Time....repost

Reposted by request.

November 11th.

Of course at the Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month I will be holding a salute for two minutes to honour the Fallen.

I hope to gather afterward with my Brothers at Arms to remember good times.

Singer/songwriter Terry Kelly wrote a powerful and poignant song a few years ago called A Pittance of Time. If you've never heard or seen it, please take five minutes out of your life to watch it. Just click on the blog title to see it.

I certainly can't add anything to his words and feelings except to repeat a sentiment I've heard recently...

...Some are born brothers, others earn it.

Lest We Forget.

DJW

Truly One of a Kind

There is a fine line between tenacious and stubborn, and he didn't seem to know where that was.

In 1982, Doctors told him he would be in a wheelchair within 5 years.

A few months ago, he would use a walker whenever he could, and try to get away with using no help at all when he thought no one was looking.

"I'm only going from the chair to the bed," he would say.

He was stubborn like that.

His tenacity showed almost daily.

Perhaps it was because he was resourceful by nature, growing up in a small town in 1930's Nova Scotia. During the Depression you had to make do with what you had on hand.

Perhaps it was due to his quiet genius that he was compelled to find ways to figure things out.

I've told the story of how he built a motorcycle out of spare parts and rode that from New Brunswick to Ontario, but that is only one example of his ingenuity and resourcefulness...

...In the early 1950's Pa and Ma had 4 small children and bought a large house in a small village. It had almost everything they needed, lots of bedrooms, large yard and a small garage. Everything but indoor plumbing. An artesian well at the end of the driveway provided water for all surrounding homes. Pa simply tapped into the wellhead and ran the pipe into the house. He converted one of the bedrooms into a bathroom, installed a septic bed and plumbed the entire house.

Eventually, he drilled a well to supply the house. With the clearest water being below the hard pan, this was difficult. Drilling was expensive, and money was always tight on mechanics wages.

I can remember two well events. One involved driving a pipe down to the rock, dropping a point into the pipe, and following that with a half a stick of TNT. The blast drove the point though the rock into the water. That well lasted several years. For the next well, he built a pile driver. The rig used 3 long poles set up as a tripod, block and tackle and the driver run by the drive wheel of a 1964 Mercury with the tire removed from the rim.

...When music became amplified, his violin wasn't. He took the pick up from an electric guitar, fashioned a clip to hold it to his fiddle, and Viola! His first electric violin!

...When my Brother's constant pounding on the piano interfered with the TV, a series of jacks were installed on the side of the cabinet and headphones were adapted. Taa- daa, personal viewing in the 1960's.

...In the 60's and early 70's he worked for an AMC Dealer. When the 1971 Javelin came out with its rear valve cover bolts under the firewall, AMC's solution to get at them was to drop the rear cross member and tilt the motor back. Pa's solution was to design and build a wrench bent in such a way to get at them. AMC eventually made these wrenches available to all their mechanics.

...In the 1970's Pa went to work for the City. Every year, plow operators would forget where the manhole lids were, and with the first snowfall, would tear chunks out the plow blades. His solution was to put 1" high 'skids' on the bottom of the blades, saving them from extreme damage. This is now a standard attachment on all snowplows everywhere.

...The garage where we fixed our own cars was at my Aunt and Uncle's house nearby. When it burned down in 1981, everyone chipped in to rebuild it, bigger and better. The new garage lacked an air compressor, and those were prohibitively expensive at the time. The Old Man cobbled together a unit comprised of 2 HP electric motor, a 2 stroke lawnmower engine, a small water tank and a limiting switch. It wasn't strong enough to run air tools, but it could fill tires and run a paint gun. It still works.

Over his lifetime, he became the go to guy to solve all types of mechanical, electrical and general engineering difficulties.

If it could be built, he could build it.

If it could be fixed, he could fix it.

He wasn't Mac Gyver...Mac Gyver studied him.

If I've learned one thing from him, it was to never give up, there is always a solution. Tenacity was his chief virtue.

There is a fine line between tenacious and stubborn, and he didn't seem to know where that was.

They told him years ago he only had months to live.

Months ago, weeks.

Weeks ago, days.

He proved them wrong again.

He was stubborn like that.

Somewhere, the sweetest fiddle music plays again.

DJW

Can You Believe This?

I don't make this stuff up.

The link (including TV ad) is here.

Thing 2 wants 8 of them.

DJW

DJ's Sea Mokey's didn't survive the great toilet flood of 1973.

"Hello, Complaint Department?"

A recent errand run around the Megatropolis that I live in yielded me a bevy of observations of people and things that just plain tick me off.

First off, I was so unaware that we had such a collection of V.I.P.'s* near here. *Various Idiots & Peon's

I constantly see their limo's* parked at or near store entrances in plaza's with acre's of parking! *minivans and dusty 80's Oldsmobiles It makes me think that they are all Getaway Driver's! And it doesn't seem to matter the value of the store either! Grandpa's Buick in front of Price Choppers or, get this, a Hummer (H2, of course) blocking 3 cars at Starbucks. (for a reeeaaly bad, overpriced coffee. More on that in another column)

Don't get me started on Handicapped, or to be P.C., Accessible Parking.

OK, I'm started.

Those spots are for people with mobility problems, dammit!
Not for you 'cuz you're only gonna be a minute, not for you because you have the impaired person in the car and you're gonna run in for them, but for the actual people.

There's a guy at work that deals with this beautifully. He stands about 6 foot, runs about 220 lbs and has a lot of tattoo's. Looks like a Biker because he is. His wife is wheelchair bound. He goes up to people who park in these spots without entitlement and politely suggests they move. Should they resist, he suggests more strongly. He's been known to block offending vehicles while he and his wife go enjoy a leisurely dinner.

When did a red light become the signal for 2 or three more cars to proceed? Or trucks to just ignore?

A light near my office has transports running it on the way to the highway, sometimes they even sound the horn to clear the way! I was nearly squashed last week waiting to turn left, the transport approaching wasn't stopping for the red, and the transport behind me laid on his horn! I had to gun it and go up to the next light to turn! Seriously. I have developed the habit of waiting a few seconds after the green to see if anyone is racing through.

Bathrooms.

What is up with the little squares they pass as toilet paper? I'm removing fecal matter, not covering shaving cuts! With all the focus on hand hygiene, why not install foot pedals on the toilets? Your automatic-motion-detector tap is lovely, but how 'bout some hot water? Same for the hand dryer. Heat would be nice. The picto-gram instructions always leave out the last step... wipe your hands on your pants. The only units of these that I've seen actually work, are at a bar called Filthy Mc Nasty's. Those dryers are powered by Rolls Royce jet engines, I swear!

There, I feel better now.

DJW

DJ did not leave his SUV double parked in a handicapped spot while writing this.

Give us a Brake!

It's not a spelling mistake.

My Survey Crew was working near Milton today, on a road with no shoulders.

Now, call me strange (others have), but I feel responsible for my crew's safety. When traffic control is needed, I like to be flagman or drive the blocker truck. I can still direct operations by radio, and assist or advise when needed.

I hope they get the idea that I am don't just say I'm watching out for them, I actually am.

Today was no different.

Anyway, like I said, we were working on a two lane road with no shoulder, we've set up the work area as per Book 7 and I'm flagging, so all is well.

I saw him coming.

He broke through the last traffic light at the end of town. He was late. He was doing at least 80 in a 60. I started waving the 'Slow' paddle.

He was speeding up.

I gave the guys the 'heads up' over the radio, stepped out and turned the sign to 'Stop'.

He stopped. I told him I had a crew on the road and he needed to slow down. He countered with that he was doing the speed limit (he wasn't) and that my signs weren't adequate (they were).

He then speculated that my parents were never married.

Before I let him pass I pointed out that he was in a signed work zone and subject to double fines for speeding, and fines for disobeying a Flag Person. By then though, my objective of slowing him and protecting my crew was achieved.

Before he left he again made a speculation that my Mother was a canine.

Listen folks, it may seem that we take cruel pleasure in holding up traffic, but its the opposite. Our number one concern is worker safety. Our other number one concern is public safety. Where I work there is an unwritten rule (that is sometimes written) that on major routes we don't set up until after rush hour, and we follow it. Like I said above, it's for the public's and our safety.

Prior to 2005 the worst he could have been charged with was 'Failing to obey a lawful sign'
In 2005, the Ontario Highway Traffic Act was amended to include Section 146, part of which reads: (source E-Laws)

Traffic control stop and slow signs

146.1 (1) A traffic control person on a roadway or adjacent to a roadway where construction or maintenance work is being carried out may display a traffic control stop or slow sign. 2005, c. 26, Sched. A, s. 23.

Same – firefighters

(2) A firefighter on a roadway or adjacent to a roadway where an accident has occurred may display a traffic control stop or slow sign. 2005, c. 26, Sched. A, s. 23.

Driver required to stop

(3) Where a traffic control person or firefighter displays a traffic control stop sign, the driver of any vehicle or street car approaching the person shall stop before reaching him or her and shall not proceed until the traffic control person or firefighter stops displaying the traffic control stop sign. 2005, c. 26, Sched. A, s. 23.

Driver required to slow down

(4) Where a traffic control person or firefighter displays a traffic control slow sign, the driver of any vehicle or street car approaching the person shall approach the person and proceed past him or her and past the construction or maintenance work or scene of an accident with caution and at a slow rate of speed so as not to endanger any person or vehicle on or adjacent to the roadway. 2005, c. 26, Sched. A, s. 23.

Unauthorized use of sign

(5) No person other than a traffic control person or firefighter shall display on a highway a traffic control stop or slow sign. 2005, c. 26, Sched. A, s. 23.

Regulations

(6) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations prescribing the type, design and specifications of traffic control stop and slow signs. 2005, c. 26, Sched. A, s. 23.

Definitions

(7) In this section,

“construction or maintenance work” includes work by a utility, including a public utility within the meaning of the Public Utilities Act or the Municipal Act, 2001, or by a transmitter or distributor within the meaning of the Electricity Act, 1998; (“travaux de construction ou d’entretien”)

“firefighter” has the same meaning as in subsection 1 (1) of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997; (“pompier”)

“traffic control person” means a person who is directing traffic and,

(a) is employed by,

(i) the road authority with jurisdiction over the highway,

(ii) a public utility within the meaning of the Public Utilities Act or the Municipal Act, 2001,

(iii) a transmitter or distributor within the meaning of the Electricity Act, 1998, or

(iv) a person under contract with the road authority, public utility, transmitter or distributor to do construction or maintenance work on or adjacent to the roadway, or

(b) is employed by or under contract with a person who has been issued a permit or written authorization by the road authority with jurisdiction over the highway to occupy a lane or a portion of a highway in order to undertake work on or adjacent to the highway. (“agent de régulation de la circulation”) 2005, c. 26, Sched. A, s. 23.

Penalties start at $500 and 6 points.

If you've ever driven on a US Interstate, you've seen the signs dictating the penalties for injuring or killing a Road Worker or Police Officer working on the road. And they are a heck of a lot more.

None of those penalties equal that paid by said injured or dead Road Worker or Police Officer or their families.

Please give us a brake.

It's the law.

And we want to go home to our families too.

DJW

DJ wants the driver of the black Lexus, Ont. plate ###-XXX
( he wrote it down) to know he got off lucky today.
So did his crew.

Dear Frigidaire...

We were very proud of our Frigidaire Gallery Series Model CFEF372CB2 Glass Top Range when we got it new on March 21st, 2004. We celebrated spring and our tax refund with our first brand new stove, a $1000 gleaming black gem on sale for $850!

In our 13+ years of marriage we had made do with used $75 stoves, with burner rings that would gather spills and crud and smoke and burn out. The ovens required harsh chemicals to clean them, and they usually lasted 3 or 4 years, with $15 or $20 repairs every now and then.

But no more of those problems now that we have this baby, no siree. The smooth glass top just wipes clean, and the oven is self cleaning, just set it and forget it.

And its a Frigidaire!

Our Frigidaire upright freezer was nearly 50 years old when we replaced it with a new, energy efficient one, and it still worked! We should have many, many years of reliable service from our brand new stove.

Yeah, right.

First off, the glass top is impossible to keep clean, even when using the recommended Cerama Bryte(tm) cleaner.

Then, several months ago, while cooking dinner, the oven control started beeping, flashing "F1" on its display, and the door lock came on, trapping our dinner inside. I had to cut and restore the power to the range in order to release the door. The error code indicated that the oven control required replacing. A check for the part found it was over $300, and we couldn't afford that at the time.

We found if we just didn't set the oven too high, it would still work well enough to cook a meal.

Slowly, the temperature threshold got lower and lower until 350 degrees was the maximum before it would fault.

Tonight it faulted, and will not reset.

The oven and cooktop is dead.

As a doorknob.

Constant beep like a flatline.

5 Years, 6 Months and 1 week old.

R.I.P. (rust in pieces)

Part # 31818530 is US$240 plus shipping, putting it over CAN$300, then labour.

Home Depot has a GE 30" range for $399.

You do the math.

DJW

We are now using a 'modular cook station.'
Two hotplates and a toaster oven.

This is Wonderland?: Support your troops

This is Wonderland?: Support your troops