The Smith Family in Alberta

The new blue Hammerhead dune buggy runs, fired rite up.  The Problems found so far include, 2 leaky tires, broken shifter cable, no key, and a hole in the radiator.   I have a couple of tubes for the leaky tires.  I'll see if I can solder the leaky rad, but its Aluminum, it might have to get something creative.  I have not been able to get Hammerhead on the phone to see how much a shifter cable costs, and that doesn't look like much fun to change either.  Think it will be in Forward gear till I drive by Acheson, and stop in to the Hammerhead dealer.

Signed the financing today for the new house.  The bank figures we don't qualify for any less than a 35 year mortgage.  Totally ridiculous.  We wanted a 20 year, but they would not give it to us, period.  We did get the ability to double up payments plus put 15% a year extra on the mortgage.  Just with the payments doubled, and doing them biweekly, we have an 11 year mortgage.  I believe the biweekly takes a good 4-5 years off, and doubling payments takes 20 years off.  You must be paying for a house 3-4 times with a 35 year mortgage, sick.

My trencher worked great.  It made me $200 an hour for its first job.  Then after I finished in 30 min, had the machine loaded and everything, buddy had to drive to the bank to get my $100, took him more than 20 min, which almost put me back to $100 an hour with waiting for him.  Second job wasn't so smooth.  Got the thing really stuck in what used to be an old straw bed, had to dig a fair bit by hand.  Broke a couple trencher teeth, and got a flat tire.  I still haven't gotten paid for that job, but its much bigger, and not finished.

Chester our hamster figured out how to open his cage wile Michelle was in Toronto.  I thought for sure I had left it open after giving him a piece of cheese.  It wasn't terribly difficult to find and catch him, in the evening when he woke up.  Hamsters aren't quick like the mice.  Then when he got out again, he went strait for the same wrapping paper tube he set up camp in the first night, so we are on to him now.  Twist ties and electrical tape hold his cage shut.