Almost retired, Trail Prep, Broken Weed Whacker
21 June 2014
Almost retired, Trail Prep, Broken Weed Whacker type device
Ahyup, almost retired from my current occupation. I am on - as they used to call it in the army “Terminal Leave” that is to say I am on vacation that ends with my first day of retirement. I am a happier lad. I have been employed since I was 13 years old and that will mean 51 years of working at least one job a year that required Social Security contribution and income tax payments.
I had a nice set of prep hikes today. The first was with spouse who rode her new mount down the driveway and out onto the dirt road that we live on. That took us about nearly two miles into my needed prep distance of 6 miles. When we were back at the barn, I wished her well and took off for a more rigorous set of ascents and descents to try - only try - to simulate the upcoming trails through the White Mountains of New Hampshire. NOTHING preps for those monsters. An Appalachian Trail “through-hiker” told me that she had complete 85% of the trail when she hit the New Hampshire border and had 85% of the effort to go to get to Mount Katahdin in Maine (gulp). My day’s total was 7.85miles according to my “FitBit” device. Some of those miles were had to do with horse chores and “stuff around the farm” walking.
The Stihl weed smacker (I am avoiding registered trademark infringement) is broken. The repair guy was saddened when he said that they don’t make the replacement smacker head replacements any longer. He did offer me the “exploded” parts layout. He suggested that I bring in the two broken parts - spline gear and power train gear - and he’d see if those could be ordered up. More later on that project
My final entry today has to do with the “To Do” list
I am on vacation and the tasks that we have put off whilst busy with a previous day-job are now ready to be taken on. I am ready to do them. My problem is that the list grows longer each day - even though I have been knocking back chores on the list each vacation day. I am looking into that feature of the “To Do” list. I’ll report back after I’ve found something worth reporting.
Doc
Almost retired, Trail Prep, Broken Weed Whacker type device
Ahyup, almost retired from my current occupation. I am on - as they used to call it in the army “Terminal Leave” that is to say I am on vacation that ends with my first day of retirement. I am a happier lad. I have been employed since I was 13 years old and that will mean 51 years of working at least one job a year that required Social Security contribution and income tax payments.
I had a nice set of prep hikes today. The first was with spouse who rode her new mount down the driveway and out onto the dirt road that we live on. That took us about nearly two miles into my needed prep distance of 6 miles. When we were back at the barn, I wished her well and took off for a more rigorous set of ascents and descents to try - only try - to simulate the upcoming trails through the White Mountains of New Hampshire. NOTHING preps for those monsters. An Appalachian Trail “through-hiker” told me that she had complete 85% of the trail when she hit the New Hampshire border and had 85% of the effort to go to get to Mount Katahdin in Maine (gulp). My day’s total was 7.85miles according to my “FitBit” device. Some of those miles were had to do with horse chores and “stuff around the farm” walking.
The Stihl weed smacker (I am avoiding registered trademark infringement) is broken. The repair guy was saddened when he said that they don’t make the replacement smacker head replacements any longer. He did offer me the “exploded” parts layout. He suggested that I bring in the two broken parts - spline gear and power train gear - and he’d see if those could be ordered up. More later on that project
My final entry today has to do with the “To Do” list
I am on vacation and the tasks that we have put off whilst busy with a previous day-job are now ready to be taken on. I am ready to do them. My problem is that the list grows longer each day - even though I have been knocking back chores on the list each vacation day. I am looking into that feature of the “To Do” list. I’ll report back after I’ve found something worth reporting.
Doc