Somehow, really not trying, I got a lot of work to do for random customers that saw my sign somewhere. I'm supposed to be in Victoria tomorrow, but I have to keep my few customers happy. My trencher self destructed today, and I have 3 customers waiting for trenches, including the site its on rite now with a 650 foot trench. As if that wasn't enough, we have tenants that want to move in to the Andrew house in 30ish days, which is not nearly ready.
Michelle has opened a new Youtube account, so I am posting one of her videos here, since I don't even have time to upload from my Iphone, let alone edit and upload to Youtube. So this is the video I have affectionately renamed "Dead Chicks On The Floor" but don't tell Michelle I named it that.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
New Used Windows
No long weekend for Possum Electric!
But then the suppliers were closed so we ran out to Andrew to try and get the hardest window replaced. I have almost a dozen good wood frame double pane windows, salvaged from various places, all for free. I found two of the biggest ones together was the same width as our living room window in Andrew, so Joe and I custom made a pressure treated window frame. We had to cut down the wall another 2', but it will be a glorious window.
Neighbor Guy saved the day with his table saw. We had measured, 2 panes will fit, but then we only had 2 extra inches from side to side with the windows. So we ripped our 2x4 down with guys table saw, so we have a quarter inch between the windows and and they both obviously fit. We didn't realize we needed to do that until we had the huge hole in the wall.
But then the suppliers were closed so we ran out to Andrew to try and get the hardest window replaced. I have almost a dozen good wood frame double pane windows, salvaged from various places, all for free. I found two of the biggest ones together was the same width as our living room window in Andrew, so Joe and I custom made a pressure treated window frame. We had to cut down the wall another 2', but it will be a glorious window.
Neighbor Guy saved the day with his table saw. We had measured, 2 panes will fit, but then we only had 2 extra inches from side to side with the windows. So we ripped our 2x4 down with guys table saw, so we have a quarter inch between the windows and and they both obviously fit. We didn't realize we needed to do that until we had the huge hole in the wall.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Dune Buggy disaster
What a Saturday, to start off the long weekend. Drove out to Andrew with Joe, the Father in law. Joe helped me get three dune buggy's running. Then we went for a crazy dune buggy ride w a friend on a quad. Quad was the first to break the rear end, or transmision, we don't know. Then Michelle blew out two front tires on the buggy. So with the buggy in tow, lifted in the air towtruck style, and 3 passengers, I blew a belt on my tow truck buggy. 3 out of 4 ATVs broke. I really don't feel bad about owning 6 dune buggys.
So as Joe was driving me back to the house in the last workin buggy, I got some video of the dirt road and the Iron horse trail, as I am sure people wonder about the Iron Horse trail. I had said we could do buggy tours down the Iron Horse, very soon, because it wouldn't require transportation. Being out of Andrew would be its downfall.
So as Joe was driving me back to the house in the last workin buggy, I got some video of the dirt road and the Iron horse trail, as I am sure people wonder about the Iron Horse trail. I had said we could do buggy tours down the Iron Horse, very soon, because it wouldn't require transportation. Being out of Andrew would be its downfall.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Carter Buggy Repairs Completed
Non stop calls for electrical work. It is going to be hard to get away to Victoria for June 1, but we are going to try.
I got the Carter buggy put back together for Cliff. I put together another video for him, but it worked out to be 9 min of high definition excitement, which equals about a 6 hour upload. So he's not going to see the video till he is riding the buggy around. I have to have a bid ready for another commercial shop in Lamont, and do a 4 hour job in the morning. Cliff is picking the buggy up at noon tomorrow. Here is the 9 min of riveting buggy repair frustration.
I got the Carter buggy put back together for Cliff. I put together another video for him, but it worked out to be 9 min of high definition excitement, which equals about a 6 hour upload. So he's not going to see the video till he is riding the buggy around. I have to have a bid ready for another commercial shop in Lamont, and do a 4 hour job in the morning. Cliff is picking the buggy up at noon tomorrow. Here is the 9 min of riveting buggy repair frustration.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Another Buggy
Looks like these repairs to the Carter cost me money after all that work. Only because he mentioned the 2007, black Hammerhead SS for sale in Maidstone Saskatchewan for $1700. This was hard to believe, since there is only one other SS for sale on Kijiji for less than $4000, and its $3500.
Even though these people didn't have a digital camera to send me a picture, it was worth 7 hours of driving and filtering some 60 liters of stinky old used vegetable oil, to drive down and take a look. As it turned out, the machine was pretty beat, needs some cosmetic welding work, and needs some tuning, but 4 tires hold air, its got a good battery, and it starts rite up. It seems all three of my existing 250's need a new battery this spring.
Just to recap, we now own 4, 250cc buggies, one 110cc buggy, and one 1500cc buggy. The 110 has got to go, and the 1500 has got to be put back together. But we pretty much have 4 good working 250s, after this last weekend of buggy repairs. I do need to go buy 3 buggy batteries. I feel really good about this last purchase. Not only was it the best deal yet, but it brings my average cost per 250cc buggy down to $2275. That puts me in a position to easily make back 100% of the original purchase price when I decide to sell them.
Until that day, all that holds me back from doing buggy tours today, is transportation to the sand dunes. I realized that the Andrew house is rite on the "Iron Horse Trail", the old train tracks, which is a point of much confusion. This trail is advertised and well used as an ATV trail, but then there is a sign on it saying "no motorized vehicles". Once I get that clarified by the po po, we could be looking at some Iron Horse weekend tours. Not nearly as exciting as the sand dunes, but fun still. The Father in law is coming up from Mexico this Friday to be the first dune buggy tour victim.
Even though these people didn't have a digital camera to send me a picture, it was worth 7 hours of driving and filtering some 60 liters of stinky old used vegetable oil, to drive down and take a look. As it turned out, the machine was pretty beat, needs some cosmetic welding work, and needs some tuning, but 4 tires hold air, its got a good battery, and it starts rite up. It seems all three of my existing 250's need a new battery this spring.
Just to recap, we now own 4, 250cc buggies, one 110cc buggy, and one 1500cc buggy. The 110 has got to go, and the 1500 has got to be put back together. But we pretty much have 4 good working 250s, after this last weekend of buggy repairs. I do need to go buy 3 buggy batteries. I feel really good about this last purchase. Not only was it the best deal yet, but it brings my average cost per 250cc buggy down to $2275. That puts me in a position to easily make back 100% of the original purchase price when I decide to sell them.
Until that day, all that holds me back from doing buggy tours today, is transportation to the sand dunes. I realized that the Andrew house is rite on the "Iron Horse Trail", the old train tracks, which is a point of much confusion. This trail is advertised and well used as an ATV trail, but then there is a sign on it saying "no motorized vehicles". Once I get that clarified by the po po, we could be looking at some Iron Horse weekend tours. Not nearly as exciting as the sand dunes, but fun still. The Father in law is coming up from Mexico this Friday to be the first dune buggy tour victim.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Carter Dune Buggy Repairs
Took a well deserved break from Electrical work this week. Cliff finally brought his kids broken Carter buggy over, from Athabaska. It has been broken for years, and "nobody can fix it." I had said it is not a big deal, just weld it up, without a clear understanding of the problem. But it looks like it really is that simple.
Cliff also pointed out there is a "divorce sale" hammerhead in Saskatchewan for $1700, which happens to be black, the one colour I don't own. So that would complete my buggy collection. If she gets back to me today, I will probably drive out and buy another dune buggy, complete the rental fleet. A closer look on Kijiji reveals the next cheapest Hammerhead 250SS is $4000, so there is some good resale potential there too.
Cliff also pointed out there is a "divorce sale" hammerhead in Saskatchewan for $1700, which happens to be black, the one colour I don't own. So that would complete my buggy collection. If she gets back to me today, I will probably drive out and buy another dune buggy, complete the rental fleet. A closer look on Kijiji reveals the next cheapest Hammerhead 250SS is $4000, so there is some good resale potential there too.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Break In Next Door
Now all the snow is melted, seems the baddies are on the prowl. I have spent over $200 on padlocks, for everything in our yard, and my van. A quick video of next door, two more of her windows gone now, she needs a total of 6 windows replaced. It seems she is just postponing the inevitable $70,000 plus loss she has to take when she sells the house next door. Her loss is just getting bigger and bigger.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Snow Is All Gone
We got back from Toronto a few days ago, been going 12 hours a day catching up since we got home.
Our flight was somewhat eventful, because we were 24 hours late for it. 2 new tickets were $1400, but Westjet just charged us the $50 flight change fee. They were so helpful, we will no longer fly on any other domestic airline. Even to Mexico, Westjet has direct flights, competitively priced, but I am happy to pay more to fly with them.
One of our chickens went broody. She found her way into a ceiling cupboard in the camper they live in and she has been sitting on 12 eggs. We don't get quite enough eggs from the 2 chickens, so we'll take a shot at raising some chicks. We can sell them, or sell eggs, or eat them. We can't lose. Except we might be taking chicks in some sketchy 12v incubator on our road trip to Victoria in June. If that happens you know we're building a chicken coop on Parker island, and leaving three behind.
Our room mate has found a better deal, and is moving out in June. Besides having to pay our own mortgage, we won't be able to just leave for a week or two to go here or there, because someone needs to take care of the dogs, G-pigs, and potentially baby chicks.
Looks like I am going to have to sweep my own street, since the street sweeper must have come by wile we were in Toronto, and I didn't get to move the van and VW. A video of that.
Our flight was somewhat eventful, because we were 24 hours late for it. 2 new tickets were $1400, but Westjet just charged us the $50 flight change fee. They were so helpful, we will no longer fly on any other domestic airline. Even to Mexico, Westjet has direct flights, competitively priced, but I am happy to pay more to fly with them.
One of our chickens went broody. She found her way into a ceiling cupboard in the camper they live in and she has been sitting on 12 eggs. We don't get quite enough eggs from the 2 chickens, so we'll take a shot at raising some chicks. We can sell them, or sell eggs, or eat them. We can't lose. Except we might be taking chicks in some sketchy 12v incubator on our road trip to Victoria in June. If that happens you know we're building a chicken coop on Parker island, and leaving three behind.
Our room mate has found a better deal, and is moving out in June. Besides having to pay our own mortgage, we won't be able to just leave for a week or two to go here or there, because someone needs to take care of the dogs, G-pigs, and potentially baby chicks.
Looks like I am going to have to sweep my own street, since the street sweeper must have come by wile we were in Toronto, and I didn't get to move the van and VW. A video of that.
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