Post by gm4ever on Mar 20, 2011 1:42:56 GMT -5
Today was.....something else. I decided yesterday I was going to run Roadbase and 5/8 white limestone from my driveway, around the side yard by the garage to the fence and connect it to my carport back there. The grass beside the house in front of the fence died a long time ago, when I was parking trailers there, and now that I drive across it with the Cutlass and '79 Buick it was really getting rutted and gets super muddy when it rains.
Before pics from 8am this morning:
So here's the deal. My 9-year-old nephew Hunter from Dallas has been with us all week, it's Spring Break, and his parents went to Aruba...must be nice. ANYWAY Misty was planning to take him home today, she was going to meet my brother and sister-in-law in Waco for lunch and hand Hunter off. Waco is half-way between Austin and Dallas.
Since Misty was going to be gone a good chunk of the day with all the kids, I thought this was a perfect day to do the driveway work. Dad and my uncle are spending this weekend clearing Mesquite trees at the ranch, but I gave him my wagon yesterday to drive to Burnet and I took the S-10, so I could haul the roadbase and crushed limestone.
I got up early and went to get the first load of roadbase. The rock place is about 10-miles away. Knowing the little S-10 is NOT a heavy-duty truck, I planned to get loads by the half-yard. I figured on about 3 yards of Roadbase and 2 yards of crushed limestone, so 10 loads total...a lot of hauling and shoveling ahead!
Well it turns out even a half-yard was a lot for the springs on the little Chevy truck. Poor thing looked like a dog squatting once loaded. The 4.3 is a great engine, it hauled the load fine, and MAN what a smooth ride! Ha! I felt sorry for the old girl though, she was working!
While I spread the first load of roadbase, Misty and the kids went to pick up breakfast. When they came back we ate outside and the boys took turns riding Eddie's bike and electric scooter. Misty and the kids were leaving from Dallas at around 10am. I left to go get another load of roadbase, and told my wife and kids goodbye, figuring they would be gone when I got back.
I got back with a load, was surprised to see the Grand Prix still at the house. I backed the S-10 in the driveway, and my nephew Hunter came outside and said Misty needed me. I figured she needed me to change the babies diaper, as it's hard for her, since her arm is still in a cast from breaking her wrist snowboarding in Colorado a few weeks back.
I walked into the house, and Eddie, my 9-year-old, is at the kitchen table, with his arm wrapped up, his eyes red from crying....oh boy. He'd fallen off his scooter, and was sure he'd broken his arm. Misty had his arm wrapped in a towel and was wrapping that with my duct tape (it fixes everything....). I was flabbergasted. I asked Eddie to move his fingers, and he could. I was pretty sure the arm was not broken, but we decided he needed to go to the emergency room to be sure.
So the S-10 is out front, sinking low on it's springs from the weight of the dirt, and now we're going to the hospital. We tie Eddie's arm up in a makeshift sling, and he's not crying anymore, he can move it, so I'm now more sure it's not broken, but better safe than sorry.
Misty, Eddie and Hunter get in the Grand Prix. I put the baby in the S-10...and look at the squatting truck. I felt I needed to unload it, I'm scared the rear will never come up if I leave it like that. I call my Mom and she says she'll come watch Tuck. Misty and the boys will go to the ER and call me if needed, and I'll keep working. Fine. Back to work.
Misty calls an hour later, the arm is not broken, it's just a sprain, and Eddie will be in a brace for a week to protect it. Good news!
It's in the 80's today, and sunny, and by now I'm a dusty, sweaty mess. Thank goodness there is a breeze. I go back and forth to the rock place, shovel load after load out from the bed, and spread it out. My back hurts, my arms hurt, my legs hurt, but I am determined to get done. The path/driveway I'm making is looking really good, so that's motivation. I curse all my cheesburgers and vow to go on a diet.
Misty calls and she's taking the kids from the ER to the pizza place. Haha! They show up a few hours later and Eddie is fine. Good deal there.
On my 6th and last load of Roadbase, the guy at the rock place makes a mistake and puts a full yard of roadbase rock in the back of the S-10. He tells me just to take it, no additional charge.
While I never look a gift horse in the mouth, the poor S-10 looks BAD. The bed is now almost covering the tops of the tires, and the exhaust pipe is REALLY near the ground. I'm not sure it will move, and am concerned if it does move, the shocks will blow, the tires will blow, the brakes will fail, or it will just pull a "Blues Brothers" and shatter.
I hum the "Like a Rock" song and climb in the cab. In the seat, I'm now reclined, and the hood and dash are above me. This does not look good. I fire the truck up, put it in 1st and slowly let out the clutch. The truck rumbles foward..and I look at the 167K miles on the odometer and wonder if this will be it's last trip.
I drive back to the house at 40mph, flashers on. I can feel the tire tread. Bumps terrify me, and I figure the truck is now in a permanent squat, but she rolls right along. Drivers around me are pointing and staring...and staying far away from me. I get home and Misty sees the truck and dies laughing. Funny stuff....my truck is in pain. I'm sure I've ruined it. If Dad was there he'd kick my ass.
I spend the next hour unloading the dirt. It's hot no, I'm in the full sun. Misty brings me a drink, and she can tell I'm wiped out. She offers to go get the next load, which is the first load of 5/8 limestone. I tell her she's the best wife ever, finish shovelling out the bed (amazingly the rear rises back up once unloaded), and then sit down in the shade on the park bench I have out front.
Eddie and Hunter want to go to the rock place, so my wife and the boys get in the S-10 and take off, while Tuck, my 2-year-old, runs around the front yard and stays with me. All the Roadbase is now down, and it looks really good!
So I'm still sitting on the bench about 10 mins later, watching Tuck play, drinking my ice cold Diet Coke and enjoying sitting in the shady breeze. My phone rings. I answer it, it's Misty. She has just rear-ended a Lincoln SUV and the cops are on the way........oh my LORD!! What next?
I take a deep breath, ask if she and the boys are ok, and she says they're fine, and the S-10 is not damaged at all. I ask what happend and she said the boys were arguing and she was trying to get them to stop, and the Lincoln stopped and she saw it too late, jammed on the brakes, and skidded into it. I ask if the Lincoln is damaged, and she says the license plate is bent, but she sees no other damage. The girl driving it is in her early 20's, and is PISSED and insists the police come. Misty is waiting for them. Ok then....
Misty gets home an hour later. She said the cop did not issue a ticket to her. He took a report, noted no damage, and that was that. Took 45 mins, and then they went and got the load of limestone. I look at the poor S-10, it's squatted down with limestone now, but the font is fine, and Misty shows me the pic of the Lincoln she took on her phone, and it looks fine too, but the girl may go ram it into a tree for all I know. We'll see if our insurance rates go up. Misty has not had a ticket or accident since 1994, and she's mad at herself and embarressed. What a day!
Misty and the boys all get in the Grand Prix, they are now meeting the in-laws for DINNER in Waco. She's somewhat frazzeled after a day at the ER and then having a wreck, but wants to see her family. I offer to drive her there, and she teells me to keep working...man I have a GOOD wife. I tell her to be careful, go slow and try to relax, and she heads out.
I start shovelling the white limestone out of the bed. Sadly by now it's 5:30 and the rock place is closed until Monday, so I'm only able to cover the area nearest the concrete driveway. It's kinda ok though....my muscles are twitching and popping from shoveling out SEVEN truck bed loads of gravel by myself, and I'm pretty much wiped out. I'll have to finish with the white limestone after work sometime this week. Thank goodness for daylight savings time. It does not get fully dark until 8pm now.
I finish shoveling and spreading the limestone and then sweep out the bed on the poor little S-10....pretty sure that was the hardest day it's had in it's entire life. I park it on the street in front of the house and vow to wash it tomorrow. This is the dirtiest you'll likely see my truck...the poor thing. MAN it had a hard day...overloaded and then wrecked, but it held together! Can't beat a Chevy truck!
Next I hose down the roadbase and limestone to harden it up. It's looking so good! I wish I could have finished, but I can see what it's going to look like once I get the rest of the white limestone laid over the roadbase.
The Cutlass is in the driveway, all dusty now. I'm totally shot, exhausted, muscles throbbing, but my family is gone, the work is as done as I can do it, and I don't much alone time, so I decided to go out to the cruise-in. I spray off the Cutlass and wipe it down with the last of my strength, and take the T-tops off. Then I go inside and shower, put on clean clothes, take four Tylenols, and get in the Cutlass.
It's now 7pm. The sun way to the west, the sky gorgeous shades of red and orange, and the breeze is wonderful. I head out to Cedar Park, radio on, wind in the hair, determined to FORGET the earlier days events, and enjoy a good cruise-in. Pics posted in the cruise section, and you MUST look. There was a station wagon at the meet you will not believe.
www.car-club.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=general&thread=505
Misty got home about 9:30, and she and the boys crashed right out. I got home just a while ago and am typing this and then hitting the sack.
What a day. I plan to do NOTHING tomorrow....except wash the S-10. Night all.....
-Mike
Before pics from 8am this morning:
So here's the deal. My 9-year-old nephew Hunter from Dallas has been with us all week, it's Spring Break, and his parents went to Aruba...must be nice. ANYWAY Misty was planning to take him home today, she was going to meet my brother and sister-in-law in Waco for lunch and hand Hunter off. Waco is half-way between Austin and Dallas.
Since Misty was going to be gone a good chunk of the day with all the kids, I thought this was a perfect day to do the driveway work. Dad and my uncle are spending this weekend clearing Mesquite trees at the ranch, but I gave him my wagon yesterday to drive to Burnet and I took the S-10, so I could haul the roadbase and crushed limestone.
I got up early and went to get the first load of roadbase. The rock place is about 10-miles away. Knowing the little S-10 is NOT a heavy-duty truck, I planned to get loads by the half-yard. I figured on about 3 yards of Roadbase and 2 yards of crushed limestone, so 10 loads total...a lot of hauling and shoveling ahead!
Well it turns out even a half-yard was a lot for the springs on the little Chevy truck. Poor thing looked like a dog squatting once loaded. The 4.3 is a great engine, it hauled the load fine, and MAN what a smooth ride! Ha! I felt sorry for the old girl though, she was working!
While I spread the first load of roadbase, Misty and the kids went to pick up breakfast. When they came back we ate outside and the boys took turns riding Eddie's bike and electric scooter. Misty and the kids were leaving from Dallas at around 10am. I left to go get another load of roadbase, and told my wife and kids goodbye, figuring they would be gone when I got back.
I got back with a load, was surprised to see the Grand Prix still at the house. I backed the S-10 in the driveway, and my nephew Hunter came outside and said Misty needed me. I figured she needed me to change the babies diaper, as it's hard for her, since her arm is still in a cast from breaking her wrist snowboarding in Colorado a few weeks back.
I walked into the house, and Eddie, my 9-year-old, is at the kitchen table, with his arm wrapped up, his eyes red from crying....oh boy. He'd fallen off his scooter, and was sure he'd broken his arm. Misty had his arm wrapped in a towel and was wrapping that with my duct tape (it fixes everything....). I was flabbergasted. I asked Eddie to move his fingers, and he could. I was pretty sure the arm was not broken, but we decided he needed to go to the emergency room to be sure.
So the S-10 is out front, sinking low on it's springs from the weight of the dirt, and now we're going to the hospital. We tie Eddie's arm up in a makeshift sling, and he's not crying anymore, he can move it, so I'm now more sure it's not broken, but better safe than sorry.
Misty, Eddie and Hunter get in the Grand Prix. I put the baby in the S-10...and look at the squatting truck. I felt I needed to unload it, I'm scared the rear will never come up if I leave it like that. I call my Mom and she says she'll come watch Tuck. Misty and the boys will go to the ER and call me if needed, and I'll keep working. Fine. Back to work.
Misty calls an hour later, the arm is not broken, it's just a sprain, and Eddie will be in a brace for a week to protect it. Good news!
It's in the 80's today, and sunny, and by now I'm a dusty, sweaty mess. Thank goodness there is a breeze. I go back and forth to the rock place, shovel load after load out from the bed, and spread it out. My back hurts, my arms hurt, my legs hurt, but I am determined to get done. The path/driveway I'm making is looking really good, so that's motivation. I curse all my cheesburgers and vow to go on a diet.
Misty calls and she's taking the kids from the ER to the pizza place. Haha! They show up a few hours later and Eddie is fine. Good deal there.
On my 6th and last load of Roadbase, the guy at the rock place makes a mistake and puts a full yard of roadbase rock in the back of the S-10. He tells me just to take it, no additional charge.
While I never look a gift horse in the mouth, the poor S-10 looks BAD. The bed is now almost covering the tops of the tires, and the exhaust pipe is REALLY near the ground. I'm not sure it will move, and am concerned if it does move, the shocks will blow, the tires will blow, the brakes will fail, or it will just pull a "Blues Brothers" and shatter.
I hum the "Like a Rock" song and climb in the cab. In the seat, I'm now reclined, and the hood and dash are above me. This does not look good. I fire the truck up, put it in 1st and slowly let out the clutch. The truck rumbles foward..and I look at the 167K miles on the odometer and wonder if this will be it's last trip.
I drive back to the house at 40mph, flashers on. I can feel the tire tread. Bumps terrify me, and I figure the truck is now in a permanent squat, but she rolls right along. Drivers around me are pointing and staring...and staying far away from me. I get home and Misty sees the truck and dies laughing. Funny stuff....my truck is in pain. I'm sure I've ruined it. If Dad was there he'd kick my ass.
I spend the next hour unloading the dirt. It's hot no, I'm in the full sun. Misty brings me a drink, and she can tell I'm wiped out. She offers to go get the next load, which is the first load of 5/8 limestone. I tell her she's the best wife ever, finish shovelling out the bed (amazingly the rear rises back up once unloaded), and then sit down in the shade on the park bench I have out front.
Eddie and Hunter want to go to the rock place, so my wife and the boys get in the S-10 and take off, while Tuck, my 2-year-old, runs around the front yard and stays with me. All the Roadbase is now down, and it looks really good!
So I'm still sitting on the bench about 10 mins later, watching Tuck play, drinking my ice cold Diet Coke and enjoying sitting in the shady breeze. My phone rings. I answer it, it's Misty. She has just rear-ended a Lincoln SUV and the cops are on the way........oh my LORD!! What next?
I take a deep breath, ask if she and the boys are ok, and she says they're fine, and the S-10 is not damaged at all. I ask what happend and she said the boys were arguing and she was trying to get them to stop, and the Lincoln stopped and she saw it too late, jammed on the brakes, and skidded into it. I ask if the Lincoln is damaged, and she says the license plate is bent, but she sees no other damage. The girl driving it is in her early 20's, and is PISSED and insists the police come. Misty is waiting for them. Ok then....
Misty gets home an hour later. She said the cop did not issue a ticket to her. He took a report, noted no damage, and that was that. Took 45 mins, and then they went and got the load of limestone. I look at the poor S-10, it's squatted down with limestone now, but the font is fine, and Misty shows me the pic of the Lincoln she took on her phone, and it looks fine too, but the girl may go ram it into a tree for all I know. We'll see if our insurance rates go up. Misty has not had a ticket or accident since 1994, and she's mad at herself and embarressed. What a day!
Misty and the boys all get in the Grand Prix, they are now meeting the in-laws for DINNER in Waco. She's somewhat frazzeled after a day at the ER and then having a wreck, but wants to see her family. I offer to drive her there, and she teells me to keep working...man I have a GOOD wife. I tell her to be careful, go slow and try to relax, and she heads out.
I start shovelling the white limestone out of the bed. Sadly by now it's 5:30 and the rock place is closed until Monday, so I'm only able to cover the area nearest the concrete driveway. It's kinda ok though....my muscles are twitching and popping from shoveling out SEVEN truck bed loads of gravel by myself, and I'm pretty much wiped out. I'll have to finish with the white limestone after work sometime this week. Thank goodness for daylight savings time. It does not get fully dark until 8pm now.
I finish shoveling and spreading the limestone and then sweep out the bed on the poor little S-10....pretty sure that was the hardest day it's had in it's entire life. I park it on the street in front of the house and vow to wash it tomorrow. This is the dirtiest you'll likely see my truck...the poor thing. MAN it had a hard day...overloaded and then wrecked, but it held together! Can't beat a Chevy truck!
Next I hose down the roadbase and limestone to harden it up. It's looking so good! I wish I could have finished, but I can see what it's going to look like once I get the rest of the white limestone laid over the roadbase.
The Cutlass is in the driveway, all dusty now. I'm totally shot, exhausted, muscles throbbing, but my family is gone, the work is as done as I can do it, and I don't much alone time, so I decided to go out to the cruise-in. I spray off the Cutlass and wipe it down with the last of my strength, and take the T-tops off. Then I go inside and shower, put on clean clothes, take four Tylenols, and get in the Cutlass.
It's now 7pm. The sun way to the west, the sky gorgeous shades of red and orange, and the breeze is wonderful. I head out to Cedar Park, radio on, wind in the hair, determined to FORGET the earlier days events, and enjoy a good cruise-in. Pics posted in the cruise section, and you MUST look. There was a station wagon at the meet you will not believe.
www.car-club.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=general&thread=505
Misty got home about 9:30, and she and the boys crashed right out. I got home just a while ago and am typing this and then hitting the sack.
What a day. I plan to do NOTHING tomorrow....except wash the S-10. Night all.....
-Mike
