We met as usual for Bucky’s coffee and farmers market. Deciding on chicken sate I picked up some lemon cukes, one each and a spare. More pineapple guavas, beets for Raven. She needs to drop off at Goodwill and I need a couple bolts for welding, we’ll meet at home.
I stop at the corner Bosworth’s Mercantile to pick up a couple cheap 1/2″-13 x 4 1/2″ bolts to tie the axle extensions together for welding. Turning the corner home a motorcycle driver with gray mustache looks familiar. As I’m home unloading in pulls my good friend Chan (Chauncey, changing his nick name to Sean as he’s not Chinese) on his BMW super motorcycle, excellent. I’ve known him for more than 30 years. I show him what we’re working on, extending the wheel base with a new axle, adding a new ball hitch tongue. This is perfect timing as he knows a lot about trailers, metal and such. Yesterday after work I bought some fine pitch 1/2- 20 tpi grade 8 bolts at the salvage yard just before closing. The nuts aren’t as good, 20 threads and nylock but not hard. I’ll try the other place in Santa Rosa for grade 8.
Raven is concerned as her car is making noises, she and Sean take a spin for diagnostics.
I cooked a lunch of broiled O chicken breast tenders marinated in oyster sauce, a dash of horse radish, curry powder, garlic and cardamom. A batch of rice on and those lemon cucumbers peeled and sliced fat with soy sauce. Raven brought a very ripe mango, I cut it up according to the recent youtube vid, slicing it each side off the seed, then scoring it square and flipping it to cut off the skin, it works well. Trim what you can get off the seed edges. Sate peanut sauce on the side. We ate out back with a view of the mountain past the river. It’s good, and conversations abound. No wasps interrupted, flies I can deal with.
Sean needs to drive home as I see him off, such a good friend, just in time for lunch and plenty.
I start sanding the metal corners of the 2″ square stock in preparation for welding as they need to be clean. There are a lot of burrs from the drill, I use a larger bit to remove the big stuff then file it smooth, inside too.
Meanwhile, Raven is working on her shelf, it needs triangulation to stiffen it. The thin birch plywood is near perfect width, she cuts it to length using the saber saw. Sand paper, polyurethane varnish and installed with finishing nails. An excellent contrast of color.
I’m still prepping the metal for welding, Using a hack saw to preserve the metal ends length I cut the remaining pieces and grind them smooth on the lapidary, small squares to strengthen the ends.
I load the trunk and we head to Luis’. He’s in his truck as we pull in to the corner store lot, but get’s out to see what needs doing. The welds will need to be stitched not continuous, I agree. We put the parts in the garage to be done on his own time. Raven makes an appointment to fix her truck, Luis is an amazing man.
Hmm, I don’t have a picture as Luis has the metal parts to extend the axle.
4:00, “Raven, we have time to check Sally’s for sheet covers for the new mattress, you game?”, “Sure.” We drive straight up to the bargain barn were I know the clothes and sheets are in the back corner. We pick out a nice floral double sheet should be enough to cover the new mattress. “I need some jeans” says Raven, picks out a pair and tries them on, a perfect fit first time, wow. Paid and head for home as we have it. Here is the new sheet to cover the egg crate mattress.
The floral design matches the colors, but also the cabinets are painted in flowers, this shall do nicely. We’ll boot up the sewing machine and fit it proper for a comfort sleep.
We got a lot done today, friends, metal, shelves, new cloth and jeans. Diagnostics and an appointment to fix it. All that and an excellent tasty lunch. But mostly good friends.
8shotoflove8 