Day on, 10 minutes of smiles and tears

So even though yesterday was a day off from work it didn’t feel much like one.  Maybe that’s because I started off the day going into the office.  I have been trying to get something implemented at work that require it to be done off normal working hours. Cindy tagged along since we had a few errands to run on the way home.  I spent a couple hours at work spinning my wheels trying to figure out an issue that has been in my way for awhile.  The end result was once again having to punt, making me feel like I just wasted my time.  I left feeling very frustrated.

Our first stop after the office was the nearby Goodwill.  Cindy was there the other day looking for cheap children bikes.  The reason was I needed to replace the wheels on the chicken tractor, which are repurposed from an old kids bike.  The bearings on those wheels were shot and hardly wanted to roll.  Cindy picked up a bike earlier in the week but the wheels were too small.

The store had another bike with wheels that were a good match.  The $20 price tag seemed a bit high considering the brakes were permanently bent in such a way that caused them to constantly rub on the wheel.  The chain on the bike was horribly rusted as well.  If I wasn’t dealing with a charitable organization I would have went into Craigslist mode and offered them half of the price tag since it wasn’t good for anything but parts.  However the two wheels I needed were in decent shape so I paid my $20 with a smile.

After a stop at Sam’s for some grocery items we were back home where I could continue to do more work.  The first project was to do the wheel swap.  This was a little more challenging than I expected.  The old wheels came off of a single speed kids bike.  The bike we bought was a geared model.  This meant the rear wheel was a bit wider because of the hub.  I had to take a pair of vise grips and bend the frame mount points on the tractor out slightly to make it fit. The wheels are a fraction of an inch bigger than the old set so the clearance with the frame is tight but by the time I was done the tractor was once again rolling freely.

You would think with our chicken coop palace we built that the chicken tractor would be obsolete.  It actually is heavily utilized by the chickens during the day as they free range.  We have water and food in there that they utilize all day long.  They like feeling safe while eating.  The hens sometimes use the tractor as a playground, going up and down the ramp and jumping out one of the side doors that we normally have open.

After I gave the tractor a new set of wheels I pulled out my roughly 25 year old mountain bike from the small shed.  I told Cindy that I want to buy us a set of inexpensive mountain bikes so we can ride the big loop at Rookery Swamp.  My old bike just is not up to the task with two dry rotted tires, horrible brakes and a seat that is leaking impact dampening gel.

I bought this bike as a young man.  I recall riding it up and down in the street in front of my first wife’s parents home after I bought it.  I remember being very proud of the purchase.

Before relocating the bike to the roadway where it will surely be picked up by one of the many scavengers in my area I wanted to remove a couple accessories that could be useful when we get new bikes.  I carefully removed a rear cargo rack and two vertical handle bar grips that allowed me a more upright riding position for variety and comfort.  Sure it will be sad to get rid of something that has been part of my life for longer than it has not but it’s definitely well overdue.

My next task was continuing the work in transforming the shipping box my race clock arrived in into a crude carrying case.  I had started work last weekend by installing metal L brackets on each corner as well as a handle.  However in my testing with the clock inside the wood was bending dangerously, too thin to support the weight in that configuration.

During the week I went out and bought some more supplies to further reinforce the box. They included some 5/8 inch fencing boards.  My thought process was to put one board on the handle side and the bottom of the box since those were the two points supporting the majority of the weight.

I cut and attached the boards in both spots as well as attaching the front “door” section with hinges with Cindy’s help.  I thought I was going to have to go buy a latch to lock the box but Cindy made the good suggestion of taking one of the four I had installed on the chicken tractor.  I had to do some creative mounting to get the latch in place but it worked out.

I replaced the wood screws that were holding the handle in place with machine screws using nuts and washers which are much better suited to support the concentration of weight in that area.  I placed the heavy clock back in the box, closed the lid and lifted it up solely by the handle.  It felt much stronger with the additional boards able to support the weight without significant flex.  I was able to carry the clock the 200 feet from the back yard to the hobby room exclusively by the handle which was a good real world test.

I also added some secondary L brackets to some of the sides, doubling up the strength of those joints.  Cindy suggested that a set of roller wheels on one end might be a final helpful addition, allowing you to pull the box like a set of luggage if need be.  Now of course this box is not designed to be tossed around like luggage and surely would not hold up to severe abuse however I think it will manage to fulfill the basic needs I have.

Yesterday I stumbled across some old pictures on my local NAS at home of Nicki.  It inspired me to put together a memorial type video similar to what I did for mom.  Getting through the process was tough and impossible without having to reach for the tissues more than  once.