I tried to film me starting it but when I put my phone down, it killed my camera so it didnt record the inital start-up of the old girl. Now my little boy is sleeping so no noise in the garage....I'll get back to it tonight.
Monday, March 6, 2017
Thar she blows!
Well, she runs on Ether..but not gas yet. Messing with this old WAlbro WR5. I put a kit in it...now just trying to get it to pick up fuel and run on its own..
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
The Beginning
Well, I picked this up from a neighbor (like 10 blocks away). He parked it there in 1996 (or 98, he doesnt recall) and never ran it again.
We brought it home..Hayden and I have started cleaning it out...and I pulled the carburetor out. Ordered a kit. I"ll find out this weekend if she'll run.
We brought it home..Hayden and I have started cleaning it out...and I pulled the carburetor out. Ordered a kit. I"ll find out this weekend if she'll run.
Sunday, February 5, 2017
What?!?! A new post?
Look, its my blog...and i'm going to write when I can, or have something to write about. I'll be adding another post today...but I'm going to document the restoration of a 1972 ARGO 8x8 here...
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Trials of a Single Dad.
Ok, I'm not really single. On Feb 5th, 2014, Rae started bleeding WAY too much for being around 28 weeks pregnant. On Feb 10th we visited Parinatology and were told that Rae has Placenta Previa, as well as Placenta Accreta.
For those who don't know, an accreta is when the placenta attacks the uterin wall, and embeds itself there. Chances of successfully separating the placenta completely are slim to none. The recommended protocol is a Cesarian section by the OB team, then the Oncology team comes and performs a hysterectomy.
We were crushed. Although we had already talked about our family being complete....its different to be told that the most healthy thing will end your childbearing years. The Dr. sent us home with orders for Modified Bed rest for Rae, and that should anything happen then she needs to get to University Hospital in Salt Lake as fast as she can. At a bare minimum we are to go back to Perinatology on the 10th of March and likely admitted to University Hospital (a level 1 trauma hospital) that week. We went home with a LOT on our minds.
Of course the first thing we do is turn to Google...to find out what we can about what we're dealing with, and what we find is mostly....scary. And for the most part, stories posted online are worst-case scenarios and horror stories. So...we didnt sleep that well, but life MUST go on.
On Feb 23rd at 4:00am, she began to bleed again. With the quick response of family to come care for my sleeping children, we rushed to Salt Lake and were taken to Labor and Delivery where they placed 2 IVs, took stacks of blood samples and admitted her for an extended stay.
So, Rae tries to settle in, and regrets not being able to see her kids before we went to SLC, and tries to get comfortable. After much hustle and bustle, she's stable and they move us to anti-pardom (which I've NEVER heard of before) for the duration.
Here's the struggle. Though Rae is stable, she can't come home (and thats for the best...the longer we can keep our little boy in, the more healthy he will be when he arrives). Me, I'm working full time in Salt Lake, and my children are 5 1/2, 4, and 18 months. The struggle will be to find care for our children (who can take my son to school, and home again) and maybe even help with light housework. We knew this was coming since our first Perinatology appointment so we had been looking but the options we found either didn't feel right, or were outside of our budget.
The blessing for us came in the form of Marcy. She's an old friend of mine with whom we had spoken, but she wasn't able to help. The night before Rae started bleeding again, Marcy sent me a text message saying that it would work out, but that she wouldnt be available until March.
Well, between my wife's mother, aunt, and cousin we have the kids pretty well cared for, for the rest of Feb. and Marcy will take over in March. We've got a lot on our plates, but I think that things are going forward. My children feel the stress of it and miss mom...and are trying to adjust to a new set of circumstances. I'm trying to adjust and it honestly feels like the burden has grown MUCH heavier. The Ward we belong to (congregation) has been SO great about proving meals for us. I honestly don't know how I could work full time, come home, cook dinner, do homework, read with kids, get them to bed, clean the house, do the laundry, do the dishes, FOLD the laundry (I HATE FOLDING) and still survive.
It's tough..and funny enough, paradoxical...because Rae is bored out of her mind, confined to her room at the hospital (for the most part) and I'm going crazy trying to keep up with the demands of family and working.
I guess in the end....I'd like to salute the single parents out there. You're amazing. When this is over and I have my wife back....bring your kids over so you can take a break because I TOTALLY get you a little more. I cant' say that I fully understand, because I get to talk to my spouse whenever I want on the phone, and visit her, and know that she'll be home at some point. You're great! Thanks for doing a tough, TOUGH job.
Lastly, I had a talk with my friend Dale last night and something he said hit home with me too. I'm growing a LOT closer to my children through it all. I'm seeing lots of small things in their personalities that I've missed. I'm also seeing how much more time I need to spend with them. I've got a lot to learn, I'm grateful for the chance to learn it. I'm grateful for great neighbors, and ward members who care and are willing to lend a hand. I'm grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm grateful for the Priesthood of God, and His Son, and the Power to bless those who need it.
I'm going to blog about our experience, some to share, and some to remember.
Ok, I'm not really single. On Feb 5th, 2014, Rae started bleeding WAY too much for being around 28 weeks pregnant. On Feb 10th we visited Parinatology and were told that Rae has Placenta Previa, as well as Placenta Accreta.
For those who don't know, an accreta is when the placenta attacks the uterin wall, and embeds itself there. Chances of successfully separating the placenta completely are slim to none. The recommended protocol is a Cesarian section by the OB team, then the Oncology team comes and performs a hysterectomy.
We were crushed. Although we had already talked about our family being complete....its different to be told that the most healthy thing will end your childbearing years. The Dr. sent us home with orders for Modified Bed rest for Rae, and that should anything happen then she needs to get to University Hospital in Salt Lake as fast as she can. At a bare minimum we are to go back to Perinatology on the 10th of March and likely admitted to University Hospital (a level 1 trauma hospital) that week. We went home with a LOT on our minds.
Of course the first thing we do is turn to Google...to find out what we can about what we're dealing with, and what we find is mostly....scary. And for the most part, stories posted online are worst-case scenarios and horror stories. So...we didnt sleep that well, but life MUST go on.
On Feb 23rd at 4:00am, she began to bleed again. With the quick response of family to come care for my sleeping children, we rushed to Salt Lake and were taken to Labor and Delivery where they placed 2 IVs, took stacks of blood samples and admitted her for an extended stay.
So, Rae tries to settle in, and regrets not being able to see her kids before we went to SLC, and tries to get comfortable. After much hustle and bustle, she's stable and they move us to anti-pardom (which I've NEVER heard of before) for the duration.
Here's the struggle. Though Rae is stable, she can't come home (and thats for the best...the longer we can keep our little boy in, the more healthy he will be when he arrives). Me, I'm working full time in Salt Lake, and my children are 5 1/2, 4, and 18 months. The struggle will be to find care for our children (who can take my son to school, and home again) and maybe even help with light housework. We knew this was coming since our first Perinatology appointment so we had been looking but the options we found either didn't feel right, or were outside of our budget.
The blessing for us came in the form of Marcy. She's an old friend of mine with whom we had spoken, but she wasn't able to help. The night before Rae started bleeding again, Marcy sent me a text message saying that it would work out, but that she wouldnt be available until March.
Well, between my wife's mother, aunt, and cousin we have the kids pretty well cared for, for the rest of Feb. and Marcy will take over in March. We've got a lot on our plates, but I think that things are going forward. My children feel the stress of it and miss mom...and are trying to adjust to a new set of circumstances. I'm trying to adjust and it honestly feels like the burden has grown MUCH heavier. The Ward we belong to (congregation) has been SO great about proving meals for us. I honestly don't know how I could work full time, come home, cook dinner, do homework, read with kids, get them to bed, clean the house, do the laundry, do the dishes, FOLD the laundry (I HATE FOLDING) and still survive.
It's tough..and funny enough, paradoxical...because Rae is bored out of her mind, confined to her room at the hospital (for the most part) and I'm going crazy trying to keep up with the demands of family and working.
I guess in the end....I'd like to salute the single parents out there. You're amazing. When this is over and I have my wife back....bring your kids over so you can take a break because I TOTALLY get you a little more. I cant' say that I fully understand, because I get to talk to my spouse whenever I want on the phone, and visit her, and know that she'll be home at some point. You're great! Thanks for doing a tough, TOUGH job.
Lastly, I had a talk with my friend Dale last night and something he said hit home with me too. I'm growing a LOT closer to my children through it all. I'm seeing lots of small things in their personalities that I've missed. I'm also seeing how much more time I need to spend with them. I've got a lot to learn, I'm grateful for the chance to learn it. I'm grateful for great neighbors, and ward members who care and are willing to lend a hand. I'm grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm grateful for the Priesthood of God, and His Son, and the Power to bless those who need it.
I'm going to blog about our experience, some to share, and some to remember.
Monday, January 7, 2013
New Years Resolutions/Goals:
Man, everyone is talking about these right now. If you are a regular gym goer, then you know that a bunch of people have decided to lose weight...you also know that you only need to wait a few more weeks so that you can have your favorite machine back, because all the posers will quit coming.
Lets talk about goals.
I think that if I were to go and ask any group of people if they had goals, the nearly unanimous answer would be yes.
Now lets talk about those goals.
People will fall into three categories and we'll talk about each one.
Group 1: You have a mental list of the things you want to accomplish. Good job! You have a valid fantasy, and while you thing thoughts about your goals..there are whole groups of people who have thoughts of being skinny, rich and with fulfilling relationships ...they are all in controlled environments and often under heavy medications. Sorry to offend, but you dont actually have goals, you have Dreams and Fantasies. Its a start.
Group 2: You have written your goals down...a list of 10 or so things you'd like to see happen this year..and thats it. Awesome. Writing your goals down is important. It starts your brain on its path to get them done. However, if its just a list, there is only ONE way to get them accomplished. This secret I give you to, and it will happen without fail.
Take your list of Goals. Put them in an envelope and seal it and date it. Then address it to:
I think a major short fall for some people happens here. You MUST be flexible on your path. In Kentucky, my truck broke down. Stupid automatic 4x4 would just shift into gear..at 80+mph It was not only annoying, but very scary...and the stupid thing wouldnt come OUT of 4 High...which was killing my drivetrain, making me drive more slowly, and laying waste to my mileage. So I stopped, got my tools out, and removed the front driveline of my truck...I unplugged the computer in the pass. side kick panel, and I removed the motor that shifted the transfer case. Then I fitted an adjustible wrench to the shift shaft of the transfer case, put the truck in 2 wheel drive...and continued on my path. I lost about a days worth of travel, but I was back on the road..the problem was overcome for now and I would look into fixing it more completely later.
Man, everyone is talking about these right now. If you are a regular gym goer, then you know that a bunch of people have decided to lose weight...you also know that you only need to wait a few more weeks so that you can have your favorite machine back, because all the posers will quit coming.
Lets talk about goals.
I think that if I were to go and ask any group of people if they had goals, the nearly unanimous answer would be yes.
Now lets talk about those goals.
People will fall into three categories and we'll talk about each one.
Group 1: You have a mental list of the things you want to accomplish. Good job! You have a valid fantasy, and while you thing thoughts about your goals..there are whole groups of people who have thoughts of being skinny, rich and with fulfilling relationships ...they are all in controlled environments and often under heavy medications. Sorry to offend, but you dont actually have goals, you have Dreams and Fantasies. Its a start.
Group 2: You have written your goals down...a list of 10 or so things you'd like to see happen this year..and thats it. Awesome. Writing your goals down is important. It starts your brain on its path to get them done. However, if its just a list, there is only ONE way to get them accomplished. This secret I give you to, and it will happen without fail.
Take your list of Goals. Put them in an envelope and seal it and date it. Then address it to:
Santa Claus
North Pole
Group 3: The real goal setters. Goals are just PART of the process. They are the target result....but without a plan you wont get anywhere. You need to give your mind specific instructions, give yourself specific tasks. If you want to make something happen, then you must plan it. I wish that people would stop using words like 'Goals' and substitute in the word 'Plans'.
In order to reach your goals you have to PLAN, TAKE ACTION, and TRACK progress.
Planning. Remember that Reticular activator I mentioned last time? It plays a HUGE role here. As you make your plans, you are giving your mind subconscious queues to fill...to watch for opportunities and experiences that can make that step in your plan happen. If you fail to make a plan then you have not even given yourself a chance to succeed because you have not instructed yourself on any level of how to get to where you were going. If I told 99% of you to drive from where you are to Paris, TN without using any kind of map or GPS, you would fail...because you have NO idea how to get there.
Taking Action: The difference between the top 20% in whatever area you have goals in, and the bottom 80% is that the top 20% are taking action, even though they may hate it too.
As important as taking action is, its also important to track your progress. Its the barometer that lets you know if you are on the right track, the compass that keeps you pointed. It also provides you with small victories to celebrate along the way to fight discouragement.
Tracking: The most common metaphor for this is an aircraft. They don't actually fly in straight lines...they're ALWAYS off course. Winds, weather, lots of things happen...the pilots and the aircraft itself checks its current location and where its supposed to be and it corrects. If you don't track where you are then you're going to be way off course...and probably surprised that you didn't end up where you thought you were going.
Lets take a look at an example.
Years ago, a friend of mine asked me to drive from Utah, to Paris, TN to pick up a boat he had purchased off of eBay. He was going to pay me for my time, gas, hotels, food, etc. I had nothing better to do so I accepted. (Goal: Paris, TN)
Now, I didnt just think about this goal...I had to make a plan. I looked at the mileage, I got a map, I checked hotels and places to stay along the route. Because i was getting a fixed rate, I checked for the most inexpensive places to stay along the way. (Plan...made)
Then I drove. I knew the mileage between stops so I watched my odometer. Once I got past Denver, I was in completely new territory, so checked in on my map, watched the highway numbers and looked for the junctions I needed to change course. (Tracked progress)
I think a major short fall for some people happens here. You MUST be flexible on your path. In Kentucky, my truck broke down. Stupid automatic 4x4 would just shift into gear..at 80+mph It was not only annoying, but very scary...and the stupid thing wouldnt come OUT of 4 High...which was killing my drivetrain, making me drive more slowly, and laying waste to my mileage. So I stopped, got my tools out, and removed the front driveline of my truck...I unplugged the computer in the pass. side kick panel, and I removed the motor that shifted the transfer case. Then I fitted an adjustible wrench to the shift shaft of the transfer case, put the truck in 2 wheel drive...and continued on my path. I lost about a days worth of travel, but I was back on the road..the problem was overcome for now and I would look into fixing it more completely later.
Life is not a fixed path. Sometimes things happen and rather than give up and die in KY, I just dealt with it. I could have had any number of obstacles. Road closures, construction, weather...anything could have happened and I would have had to adjust accordingly.
Our goals are the same way. We have to first have a goal, then we have to plan and act, but we then need to be flexible...one point I wont go too deeply into, is that the goal I set was reachable. I gave myself 10 days to drive to KY and back. There is NO way I could have done it in 5 days...and I probably could have done it faster..but the point is, my goal was realistic and reachable.
Keep up the good work! We'll see you in a week or two.
-Monte
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Jan 1st, 2013. We close another year and I have the following advice:
The year was full of events. Some you would call good, some you would call bad. I submit to you that if you can learn this one lesson, you can free yourself from the life you thought you were stuck with. That lesson is this:
Events are just events. They have no values, no morals and no meaning. They have only the meaning that YOU assign to them. Don't feel bad, its what you were programmed to do. All your life you have been programmed to know the right answer, raise your hand, do as you were told and interpret everything that came your way. This has made you a reactionary person.
Given that the only meaning an event has, is the meaning YOU give it...isn't it time for you to assign values that help you grow, and not hold you back?
Remember...a brick is a brick...it can build an orphanage or be thrown through a window. The brick has no meaning...you got a flat tire....thats it...there is no 'and....' to complete the sentence.
Here's the rub. Something happened to you when you were younger...and THAT event made you THINK or BELIEVE something about that event and events like it....now and forever...that event will be reacted to by YOU because of something that happened WAY back in time. Silly, that you're continuing to relive your past each time a new event happens to you...isn't it? Does it start to make sense why you feel like your life never changes and you're stuck in a RUT? Well...guess what...its YOUR fault. STOP! Every moment is an event, and YOU have the POWER to assign whatever meaning to it that you want.....to grow, to prosper, to reach your dreams.
I'll end this blog with one other bit. This year you want something...lets say your goal is to have more intimacy in your relationship.... GUESS WHAT!?! You cant persue it. The things you want most in life cannot be persued like a target.....your goals are not targets, they are the arrows. To HAVE more intimacy in your life, you need to BE more intimate and intimacy will find you. To have more happiness in life you need to BE more happy where you are, with what you have, and HAPPINESS will find you....YOU are the target. So this year, don't ask yourself what you need to DO to reach your goals...ask instead what you need to BE so your goals can find you.
Until next time,
-Monte
The year was full of events. Some you would call good, some you would call bad. I submit to you that if you can learn this one lesson, you can free yourself from the life you thought you were stuck with. That lesson is this:
Events are just events. They have no values, no morals and no meaning. They have only the meaning that YOU assign to them. Don't feel bad, its what you were programmed to do. All your life you have been programmed to know the right answer, raise your hand, do as you were told and interpret everything that came your way. This has made you a reactionary person.
Given that the only meaning an event has, is the meaning YOU give it...isn't it time for you to assign values that help you grow, and not hold you back?
Remember...a brick is a brick...it can build an orphanage or be thrown through a window. The brick has no meaning...you got a flat tire....thats it...there is no 'and....' to complete the sentence.
Here's the rub. Something happened to you when you were younger...and THAT event made you THINK or BELIEVE something about that event and events like it....now and forever...that event will be reacted to by YOU because of something that happened WAY back in time. Silly, that you're continuing to relive your past each time a new event happens to you...isn't it? Does it start to make sense why you feel like your life never changes and you're stuck in a RUT? Well...guess what...its YOUR fault. STOP! Every moment is an event, and YOU have the POWER to assign whatever meaning to it that you want.....to grow, to prosper, to reach your dreams.
I'll end this blog with one other bit. This year you want something...lets say your goal is to have more intimacy in your relationship.... GUESS WHAT!?! You cant persue it. The things you want most in life cannot be persued like a target.....your goals are not targets, they are the arrows. To HAVE more intimacy in your life, you need to BE more intimate and intimacy will find you. To have more happiness in life you need to BE more happy where you are, with what you have, and HAPPINESS will find you....YOU are the target. So this year, don't ask yourself what you need to DO to reach your goals...ask instead what you need to BE so your goals can find you.
Until next time,
-Monte
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
OH, yeah.
And also, I left my place of employment. It was...a weird situation and we're glad its done. I'm going independent again, and we already have a very steady client who's paying rather well. Of course I'm always on the look out for new contracts so if you know of anyone that needs a Sr. .NET enginner, let me know! I dont have our business site up yet, but when I do, i'll get a link on here so you (I talk like someone actually reads this blather) can check it out.
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