Dune Buggies

I thought I should get on the 110 buggy if we are going to have 2 dune buggies for spring. I went through Dave's yard looking at potential motor transplants. He has a nice new rebuilt 250 for $400, but then I have to buy the carb, clutch and ignition and it would be $600. Then I looked on line, and found the company doesn't sell rings for the 110, but a whole new 110 motor for $300. But then if I spend another $300 I can get a brand new 250cc for $600, but same no carb, ignition apply. Then I finally found on Ebay, new rings for $9, or new rings, piston and jug for $40. No serious design time required, and I have a running, new, machine in hours. I also found the much needed oil cooler, but they don't have the adapter kit for my engine yet, they said next week. Hopefully they are telling the truth.

My break in procedure was the cause of 110 demise I know. I had read some articles on race car break in, and they said to drive it like you stole it. Somehow that stuck in my mind but the "only for short periods of time" was left out of my memory. The extra friction of new rings and cylinder create extra heat and need more cooling than usual. Meanwhile we drove the thing flat out for hours on end until the motor was so hot it wouldn't even run until it cooled. I can't wait to take the jug off and see what it looks like.

A total disappointment. Just slightly scored, I could not see nor feel the scoring until I honed the cylinder with the solid stones, then it showed up, clear as day. I guess the really bad ones are always catastrophic failures anyway. It is not going to be that fun putting these overhead valves and timing chain all back together. Perhaps a good video for youtube when I figure it out.

I am going to change the way I post videos from now on. I have gotten a lot of views of my lame airbag video on youtube, 1300 viewsto be exact, in about 2 months. That is inspiring because I can make way better videos and easily get way more views. Once I have an audience, I not only become a celebrity to people interested in what I do, have a lot of fun making videos, but I also get paid by youtube. I think I need a good million views and a better video camera before I get paid.

So publishing my videos through youtube gets me at least 3 extra views for each video, because I know Anita, Joe, and Kim watch the vidoes on the blog. It also gives me a youtube channel, so people just introduced to our blog, don't need to read through all my gibberish, they have the option of just watching my videos on you tube if they want.

Today I pulled the drive shafts from the ol dodge, and changed the bearing and universals. That was all a pain, took a good 4 hours. But then Dave came over on his sled, and we went for a ride, which was fun but freezing. -12 celcius is too cold to go rip around when you are all ready sort of cold from putting drive shafts back in. I put the helmet cam on, but it spun around on me early on and I didn't get any good video on our ride.

The new 340 was flooded badly, so we took it apart before we took off. Found it needs a new float valve. I'll get one of those tomorrow. Had to drive the ol 250 sled today.

The new Sled

.

I got a green air cooled 340cc short track for the second sled. It is easily 50% more powerful than the orange 250cc, which makes it 50% more fun I think. This was just a short slow test drive. Dave also has some cool stuff to put a new motor in the 110cc buggy. He has some 70's sleds with forward and reverse gears, they will be perfect. That buggy project might start before spring.

The VW dune buggy guy hasn't got back to me on the trade we were going to do in Dec, so he probably had second thoughts about it. I don't think it was a great deal either way, was just a change. Kinda like the motorbike for the sled.

We are talking about putting a Master Bedroom addition on the back of the house. That should double the resale value of the house along with thermal windows, some hard foam insulation, and vinyl siding over the rest of the house. Plus it would be nice to have a bedroom that fits more than just our king size bed, until we can sell the house

More Sledding Fun

This always makes me smile, going to get the mail on the sled. The helmet cam should work a lot better with other sleds going next week, it doesn't mean much seeing the white stuff speed by. But it made me laugh watching this video, the first helmet cam trial, so its getting posted.

I started working on the 57 ford in the back yard it only took 2 years. it was -9 today, so with some starting fluid, and block heater I got it to start. It didn't move very far in the snow before it was stuck, so I took the dualies off made up chains for 2 wheels and just put one wheel back on each side with chains. That got it out of the back yard and into the garage, where I started ripping the flat deck apart.

It actually took me several hours with a huge 3/4" breaker bar, 4' steel pipe, and the 1 1/16" socket, trying to get the back wheels off the truck. I even pulled the air compressor, air line, and 3/4" impact gun into the back yard. Despite the 500lb the impact was supposed to put on the nuts, I could only get them to move about half a turn. I concentrated on just one lug nut, with the 5' pipe/breaker bar, and all my weight jumping on the bar, propane torch and penatrating oil. Then I noticed that one was tighter than the rest after a lot of effort, and probably 3-4 full turns. The Rear lug nuts, are reverse thread, but only the rear lug nuts, not the front ones. I damaged that one lug, and doubt I can replace it, but there is 6 per wheel and it does still tighten.

I have been preparing for this "warm", -9, day for a week now. I pulled the 57 battery and put it on charge in the garage, which isn't heated. After a day of charging I opened the caps to check the water level. at -20ish celcius it looked like a block of ice in the battery. I shorted the battery out and clearly got a healthy spark, so it must have just been surface ice. I put a battery warmer on it and added some water in an hour when the level became clear.

I was checking Ebay and found there is actually a potential market for the 57 if I make a new bed for it and fix it up somewhat. Not that I am fixing it to sell it, but it makes me feel better about the whole thing. The plan is to just drive it for 2 months, wile I get the parts and rebuild the Dodge motor, but work is feast or famine for me. If I get work wile I am driving the 57, the dodge could easily take a lot longer than 2 months.

It is no wonder the 57 dump body always overwhelmed me. Just the flat deck has thick tongue and grove boards, maybe original, but all rotten around at the ends. Then there are sheets of rotten 3/4" plywood, and another not so rotten 3/4" plywood layer. And finally 1/4" plexy glass sheets from the hockey rink. All the layers are nailed screwed and bolted in random places to heavy 2x6s which are bolted to the frame. The bolts need to be cut, cause they are too rusty, the heads come off the nails they are so stuck in the wood, and half the screws have stripped heads, if they aren't sunk in where I can't even see them. I am feeling much better about the truck with the deck half ripped off. I don't know if I will make a steel or wood deck to replace this one. Although there is no reusable timbers, it would be amazing if they were 50 years old, and only rotten on the ends.

Sledding

This is the crappiest video I've made yet. I haven't yet returned my overpriced cam corder, that doesn't work, but I did order a new one on Ebay that is more than twice the megapixels, and less than half the price. No flash for pictures though :-(.

The sled vibration was amplified in my camera mast/tripod, hence the terrible video. I had great difficulty w the camera turning off, dropping its battery out, and never saving the videos. This mast is obviously no good, I will make a helmet cam mount instead. Just prepping for next week when it is supposed to be warmer, and we will have a second sled this Friday. I successfully dragged the flat deck trailer to the front yard w the sled, so I can pick up another.

Opened my mig welder from Harbor Freight in the US. Thats what I welded my camera mast with. They are totally inconsistent. I can't really complain, I have a welder that kinda works, but its funny, Joe's welder didn't come w a welding mask, wile mine did. Joe's welder came w the wrong size spare tip for the wire it came with. My welder came with the rite size tips for Joe's wire, but not for the wire that came with my machine. But I don't want to talk poorly about China's quality control. I know that just the transformer contained in these welding machines costs double the whole welding machine price in Canada. I should be thankful the machines come with wire and tips in the first place.

$50 quonset

This Quonset only cost me $50 to construct because I got the heavy duty tarp, and I got it twice as long as I actually needed. So there is room to expand. I only felt comfortable spacing my tent poles 36" apart. Even with three foot spacing I know it will colapse if we get a week of snow that I don't bang off.

I love the hour long highway drive to Edmonton. It is like meditating, which I have never really been able to do successfully otherwise. I get great ideas, and moments of clarity about otherwise overwhelming subjects.

I know now that I will rebuild my Dodge 360 by myself in the spring, it really shouldn't be that hard. Wile I do that I will just drive the 57. Every time I look at or start the 57 the list is too overwhelming to deal with. But I decided if I just remove the rotten flat deck, put one tool box in the back, do the brake cylinders tail lights, and add some simple gauges I can drive it for a month.

It seems like nothing has changed over the six weeks that I have been gone. With Larry the 4 plex is still on the table, and the Vegreville house is still not finished.

Dave still has a bunch of the same sleds, that he wants to trade for the old 650 special. I just have to go over there w my trailer and the bike, and we got another bigger faster sled, which is crazy cause the 250 is fast enough. 440cc sleds seem to be a lot more common though.

I got an HP camcorder which I just love. It doesn't have the 35 x digital zoom, but it was also less than $200. I love that it doesn't have a shutter, but a large lens cap instead. No external moving parts. But even better than that it has a flash, to take pictures. My first day today with it charged, and it won't work! It says "file error" every time I try to record a lame video of the dogs. So crappola videos for another week until I return this HP.

Drill Starter Motor

There is something wrong w the starter motor on this lawn tractor. Its only -5 celcius but I have the clothes iron warming the engine, had it jumped to the running pickup, and a battery charger on it for this video and it just won't turn over very fast if at all.

I desperately needed to plow the driveway, so I hit it with the drill to start it. It worked out in the end. I only used a 1/4" socket and extension for two reasons. For one the 3/8 extension wouldn't fit in the drill, and secondly its somewhat safer with the sheer factor. A 1/4" extension would break before my wrists. I feel I wasted my money on the new tractor battery, because even in warm weather the starter won't crank the 650cc single cylinder engine over. My biggest drill had no problem with it.

This crappy video sealed the deal. I am buying a real cam corder next time I am in town, maybe tomorrow. I can make some quality vids then. I hope the drill starter motor inspires someone else to do the same, its a pretty sweet trick, works for pull start or electric start machines.

Van Hunting

The truck drama goes on. I spent lots of time looking at vans online, when I should have been fixing my truck brakes. A decade ago I wanted one of these Astro vans, even 4 years ago I had looked in AB, and they still wanted $10k for miled out used ones. This one is for sale for $1800, is nicely customized, never driven in winter, and already has air bag suspension. Hopefully I can get to see it tonight or tomorrow morning. Otherwise I am kinda interested in a 2000 dodge work van for $5k, but then I can get a 2005 Sprinter from the states for $14k. In the spring when I can ride the bike to the states, test drive a sprinter, put the bike in the back and drive the van home. New brakes will get me by in the truck till then if the Astro falls through. The Astro van is old but its fun, and it has no side windows, which is what I want, so shelves can go against the wall.

If the Astro works out I could sell the work trailer, come out $1000 ahead in the end, and just leave the camper in Mexico as a permanent fixture, pay import duty on the camper in a decade. Then have one of my 3 trucks for firewood and heavy building materials, even hauling trailers if I want.

Life is far less exciting back in AB, hence the coppied picture of the Astro van for sale.

Really happy w my new computer. Windows 7 is about the same as Vista in my opinion, but everybody says its better so I will try and believe them. I did find in my computer manual you can get a SIM card slot. Rite now I use a USB cellular card for my mobile internet, an internal card would be sweet but I didn't get that one. That will have to wait.

Going to trade the 650 special motorbike for a sled I think. We might only use the second sled twice a year, but I don't see ever using the 650, its not really what I want. Sledding at any speed on my narrow machine requires extreme leaning and it never works out w 2 people on the sled, so this way we will have 2 sleds, and maybe we can keep them upright.

Back To The Cold

A picture of the awsome destructive power of ICE. It cracked the other side of this presure tank, but this side looks cooler the way it was streached. The filter was also cracked and actually broke rite in half. The well case heaters must have come unplugged or something, thankfully the most expensive part, the pump, didn't crack.

That didn't take very long, my favorate computer store had the Asus computer I wanted, in stock, and I bought it. Acording to the new computers estimate, I will get 11 hours of the 12 hour advertised battery life. Lenovo didn't even try to pretend, the most battery it ever said it had was 2 hours, when it was supposed to have 6 hours. The computer guys said my Lenovo probably has hardware unplugged or a bad solder joint. I can fix eather myself, recover all my data, and have a spair working computer eventually.

I got home Monday night and to my surprise, the mother inlaw was here. Again reminded how small the world is, she came over to keep Michelle company wile I was in Mexico. Yesterday, Tuesday, I had the job of entertaining the mother inlaw all day wile Michelle went to work. It didn't work out to be that challenging. I dressed her up in a beliclava gloves and a jacket, then took her out on the sled. The sled tipped us off once down an embankment, and I lost controll somewhat driving us into a tree once. We never hit the base of the tree just hit the thick branches covered in cold snow, and had to pull the sled out from under the tree. You forget the machine has brakes when it stops so quickly with the throdel off, but still not quick enough sometimes. I will make a sled camera mount for next time, pointing at the driver/passenger, that should be good entertainment.

Then we took her to the air port, I bought my new computer, and we saw the Avatar movie in 3D. I also stopped by VW to see if I could buy the VW Transporter, which I have now seen in deisel, left hand drive and in both Canada and Mexico. Ironic VW and Ford both use the same name for their utility "vans". Only available in Mexico and the US they tell me. I will be doing some searches for the VW Transporter this week and see if it might get 30mpg and have an affordable price tag. It is undecided wether the ol Dodge will get more than the brakes fixed. I can limp it around AB as needed as long as it stops.

Home Safe

I made it home safe, a day early. My computer completely died, maybe a bump knocked out another hard drive, I don't know. I should put a shock absorber on the truck computer mount.

I am usually pretty positive about my truck but the truck didn't fair that well. It does consume antifreeze. The drive shaft vibrates badly now, prolly the bearing on the first shaft. The windshield has a vertical crack, The brakes are burned up, prolly need new rotors. Need new fan switches for the heater and radiator fans. The motor has 290k on it now, so I won't be doing the head gasket w/o a complete rebuild.

I test drove a Ford "transporter" in the states, what a piece of junk, a minivan would be better. It did look cool though, kind of a European lookhttp://images.myride.com/images/vehicle/2010/Ford/Transit%20Connect/oem/2010_Ford_Transit_Connect_02_(768x576).jpg

We will talk now about putting a few thou into my old truck or buy a new sprinter van.

I have most likely lost all my videos on my lap top, which is too bad I was working on a neet tour of the Villa we have in Mexico. Don't expect many posts until I get a new computer, but I will build up a few gigs of exciting video footage.

Owning Land and Working in Mexico

A past Mexican president allegedly sold a lot of land to
California and Arizona, for gold. So now Mexico has made
a rule that no foreigner shall own land within 55km of the
ocean. This is why Ahahi is so American, because it is
more than 55km away and they have released the deads to the
land. Also Ahahi is much more tolerable in the summer
when Peurto Vallarta is 40 deg c, Ahahi is a pleasant 30
deg c. However through the winter Ahahi drops to 5ish
deg at night wile it is warm all night in Vallarta. Ahahi
is the only property Joe owns in solly his name. Mohonara is
in Irma's fathers name, and the "golf course" land is in
the banks name, for which he pays $500 a year to the bank.
They are in trust for him or something, but only Mexicans
can "own" the land.

It is highly probable that any land would increase %20
in value when the deads are released to foreigners. If that
ever happens.

Another thing I can never get strait, after I am up north
for a few months is wages. Service people, at gas stations,
resteraunts, and such, make less than $6 Canadian a day,
that is the minimum anyway. They are basically working for
tips. In construction, someone to just help pass bricks,
mix cement whatever is worth $20 a day. If they have
skills $30 a day. If they are really good $40 a day is a
very good wage down here.

The boys I met rent rooms in a house for $70 a month each.
Joes appartment he is living in wile he builds the house
is $150 a month.

Just look at the size of the speed bump in the picture,
its obsurd, but a true scale picture. Sometimes
they don't give you the warning sign, and the orange paint
has worn off the bump, they can be quite the unexpected ride.
Unexpected speed bumps were the death of the trailer tongue
jack. The perfect frequency for destruction, the same
length as a car.

Close to the US border I thought I was going to have to get
a hotel, when 12 Policia passed me with their lights on.
Thats going to be hard to bribe 12 trucks full of Policias.
I expected the road to be blocked at some point, but it never
was. The oddity was that I caught up to them again as
they were going through the next town. Police cars can't
go any faster over monsterouse speed bumps than anyone else,
so by putting ridiculous bumps on thier highways they have
limited their emergency response speed too.

We all know that you are allowed to ride in the back of
pickups, south of the US border. This year I saw some
next level guys. Down the highway at 110km/hour two guys
standing in the back of a flat deck truck holding on to the
"head ache rack". My personal favorite was the roof rack
chairs. Really how much more dangerouse can it be to be
riding on the roof? I saw two trucks with second level
seating over the cab, I got a vid of the safer looking one
with rails and "oh shit handles". I also saw the
record maker. What looked like a "bus" of workers going
home from the farm. 16 guys in the back of a pick up,
standing room only. There was wood sides on that truck,
they were packed in like live stock.

My truck was somewhat disappointing through the mountains.
It easily overheated, and lacked any real power. Then after
the mountains it was somewhat of a dream, until I started
to ascend an unnoticed long hill, and tried to maintain 110
in the heat of day.

My cruize control failed to work, the
whole trip home too. That was a total disapointment, and
the primary reason I wanted to keep the engine dodge, so I can
keep the factory cruise control. Now its fair game if I come
across a nice motor and trans combo with low miles, preferably
standard too. This rediculously long truck has 2 drive shafts,
and the first one isn't that long. Balancing a short home made
drive shaft should be easy. The question is, who makes the
best motor and transmission?

At the US border I told them I had about 10 liters of booze
and they said that I am only allowed 1 liter and they were going
to have to confiscate the rest. Oh no you don't, I said.
I asked specifically at the Canadian border the cost of
taking more than a liter of booze home. They said it would
be $3 a liter. Then he backed down, said, well its OK with me if
you bring it in, I will leave it up to the next officer, go in
line 2 for the "cavity" search (in my words). It all went smoothly,
just an hour in line initially, and a half hour in the second line
basically, they never even made me open the tail gate, and I got
to keep the 19 1/4 liters of booze. Toward the end of the trip I
addedthe 1/4 liter micky of tequila from the gas station for $0.75,
I am pretty sure my coffee cost more. I should have got more of
them but there was a huge line up behind me and I was having
trouble communicating under pressure, wile the tequila was all
locked up behind the counter.

I got a last min video of one "red neck roller coaster" style truck
roof seating. Oddly the flash wasn't enough to take a pic,
but I could get video under the HID lights .

Branding a business

Mexico really has the branding and sales thing down. This
is the propane truck and the catchy tune it plays as it drives by
slow. Each company has their own tune it seems. People
also turn everything into a sales platform. There is
obviously no zoning, because every second house has a store
front. I wasn't refering to store fronts though, bicycles,
motorbikes, VW Beetles, I have seen it all turned into mobile
sales machines.

How long do you think I would last with loud speakers on the
roof, blasting, "Electrician for hire", as I drive slowly
through town. Actually I think all the mobile sales are
food or consumable fuel, propane, water, bread, slushies,
donuts, fruit, hambergurs, hot dogsand of course ice cream

I know branding from the internet, they say that is important
to dominate a niche market, create a brand, a tune, an intro,
and put it on everthing.

Everybody in town is starting to know me, at least as "the
canadian". I can't really carry a conversation in spanish,
but a few guys speak english better, and I chat w them. They
are always "ah your the guy from Canada I want to go there".

One guy wants to go to Canada, but he has a criminal record
so he cant go to the states. He was shocked that I would
not be allowed into the states with a criminal record. "but
you are Canadian? Canada and US are tight". Not that tight.

They all figure we are less racist in Canada, and its "not
as easy to get in trouble in Canada" as it is in the states,
according to Veto.

Out for a walk today there was the typical old nissan truck
speeding down the dirt road, wile a little bumper height
girl tried to pull a harnessed pit bull across the street.
She was fully focused on the stuborn pit bull, yanking on the
leash it wan't going anywhere, untill the truck was rite there.
The truck driver obviously saw her cause he went to the other
side of the street, but once the pitbull decided to go home,
the two of them were in the midle of the road in less than 2
seconds. Oblivious to the truck, that barely stopped, inches
from the little girls head, she walked the dog accross the
street in front of the stopped pickup. Probably shouldn't
let 2 year olds play in the street I am thinking.

For all that are wondering, the Canadian border said we
are alowed to import 1 liter of alcohol per person. After
that we pay $3 a liter to import it. We have a few half
full bottles, so tonight I am doing mixed alcohol experements.
Kelua and Tequila mix nicely, think Kelua is a Tequila, or
it is now anyway. Should be a real kick in the coffee now.

The Canadian border also said there was no issue importing
a car, we just have to pay GST. Even brand new, they said
the only issue we might have is canadian dealers stopped
covering american warrentys. Unless you buy the extended
warranty, then "they have to cover you" in the border
dudes words. The arizona motor builders never got back to
me with their info, and my truck doesn't use a drop of antifreeze
with the new fan switch. So the Ranger will get rebuilt first,
and when the Canadian goes par w the US dollar, I will go
to the states and buy a brand new truck, maybe. Hard to
say no when you get $20k off for the trouble.

In the mean time I will buy a programable fuel injection
ECU and see if I cant get better mileage than new trucks,
with my aging Dodge 360 (5.6L). Is 30mpg possible with
a full size truck? I know it is.

Rooster Operation

Went to the "pet food store" today, in Mojonara, to get more dog food.
Was I ever shocked when they were doing live open rooster
surgery on the the table that I had to reach over to get
dog food. One guy holding the rooster down, and the girl
just hacking away at him w scisors. I was in shock I think.
I walked out and half way home turned around. I went back
to get a picture, cause it was so obsrd. I took a pic w the
crapola camera and then she is like picking the rooster up to
pose him for me, he was bleeding everywhere, I was like "nooo".
I left, half way home checked the pic, and it didn't work
out at all, just a big blur. So I went back again, hopefully
those pics worked out and you can see the dog food in the
back ground too.

My carrier is finnished, painted, and mounted on the truck. Now I think
its too big, I can't even fill it nearly. I guess thats good.
It will be a lot of work if customs wants to get the tail
gate down. The carrier is locked on w a locking hitch, then
2 people need to akwardly bend down and pull it out of the
reciever. I had room for the spair tire and everything inside
it.

I hung out w some Mexicans last night. One of them wants
to buy a car, and is trying to sell his land 3 hours south
of here, by bus, in Punta Perula. The land is 5 min from
the ocean and he is selling for less than $20k. I
am trying to get out to see it this week, before I leave next
weekend.

The boys showed me why Mohonara has become so expensive lately.
A developer has started making american homes, and bought up
a lot of land here. The show home is finnished and on display.
Seems like land here is 5x as expensive as comprable "poor
mexican towns", in my opinion.

I haven't done a blog post for a few days cause Irma and Joe
are gone to Ahahi and so I don't have good access to the
internet.

Peanut Butter Fun

You thought putting peanut butter on the roof of thier mouth
was fun, give them an empty jar of peanut butter. This is
mostly for Michelle, cause she misses her dogs so much.
Don't think that I am favoring Gus Gus, I just threw this out
the door, Cosmo took it under the trailer, and just disgaurded
it when his tungue hurt to much i expect. Now Gus found it.
This is 8 min long, and it doesn't really get any more exciting
than the first 30 sec.

You can hear a Mexican toward the end, on the street, riding
a little 100cc trike he has built, with like the road side
stand on the back. He is yelling something like "a domingo".
I asked Joe and Irma what he is selling cause he is always by,
but neither could tell me. The guy stopped and gave me a sample,
he is selling like a corn and lime slushy drink. It was
a definate new flavor and kinda strange.

I have been messing around all night trying to find a
happy resolution, because uploads are taking too long.
This vid is greatly reduced resolution, but still enough it
makes it clearish. I found you need at least a megabite per
min of video. Its funny I have the cheapest lowest res video
camera, and I still have to downgrade the video to even less
resolution.

Mexico Electric

Joe takes the electrical into his own hands. The construction
workers had run these 2 wires in from presumably before
the meter, so they were hot and no turning them off. They
were too short, Joe decided to extend them and bury his sins
in concrete. He says its not a sin down here, and his old
loafers also insulate him from the ground wile he splices
both wires one at a time, with the "100%" method.

My truck diagnosis was dead on I think, my truck did the
1/2 hour drive to Wallmart today no problems. That is the
first time I took it out since I got here. It seemed really
powerful with the trailer detatched.

Mexico roads are backwards, which is really frustrating.
you have to be in the far rite lane to turn left. No off
ramp or anything You actually turn left in front of 3 lanes
of stopped traffic. Completely backwards. They know it and
Policia stand at the corner and wait for americans to screw
it up and turn left in the left lane with the green arrow.
I was warned before I went on the road, but I know I screwed
that up a couple times on the drive down here, I was totally
confused, but there wasn't enough traffic at night to cause
any trouble. Since we pulled in at 4am. That is a good
example of "targeting" foriegners.

Then wallmart, the last place you can park for free, completely
cut corners on their parking lot. My 18' truck takes up
one and a half parking spots, no exageration. Worst of all
they divide everything, and you can't drive through a parking
spot without parking at the very back of the lot. My truck
would have stuck half way into the lane had I been able to
do an 8 point turn to get it in a close spot to start with.
I don't understand how they can make such a disfunctional
parking lot.

The motor guys in Arizona have not got back to me since I
said I want a motor, let me give you my visa number, wich is
wierd. Hopefully I can get that together.

Concrete never showed up today. It was a bit of a shady
deal anyway, hit and miss, one fifth the price of new sort
of thing. There is still next week.

I understand Brian fixed the well for Michelle in AB, so she
has water again. Just glad everything but the pump cracked.
This summer I really should insulate the damn well casing.
Just buy a few bales of straw and pile it on their even, give
the mice somewhere warm to live outside of my house.

Did I mention we got another mouse, we went a good year without.
Took a week after we found evidence. I finally had to
open the poison bag for him, he seemed to like the dog food
better to start. Think that took care of him with the dog
food removed and easy access to poison pellets.

There is crazy

The Original "How To Open A Coconut"

By popular demand, the lesson from Joe, how to open a coco.
I didn't figure it out on my own. Hopefully this vid will
load in less than 3 hours.

All is good in Mexico, not good in Alberta I hear. Another
cold snap has frozen everything to do with the well, and the
village can't turn the city water on till around the day
before I come home. So poor Michelle is without
water. I can't even imagine the cold rite now, I find it
unbearable wearing the long sleave shirt wile I am welding.

I purchased a carrier that goes in the class 5 hitch, in
Pheonex, for $40, can you imagine. I can't buy the steel to
make a carrier for that much. And as usual I am not satisfied
and I have to weld more on it, so I have spent double that
making a lockable box over the carier. Joe figures my carier
will now haul a half pick up load, and locked up securely.
There will be a pic of my creation in the future, but not
today. I have been welding on it all day, from morning to
dark and its still not done.

As if the toaster oven wasn't enough, I have now fixed a
coffee grinder, hooked up a "not working" DVD player,
reassemble a disasembled sewing machine, and
this welder I picked up in Pheonex for $100, is the greatest
thing ever, but I have had real problems, all related to
poor assembily. I have had it all appart trying to find
what turned out to be the "torch" button wires came unplugged
inside the "torch" so the wire wouldn't feed any more. I tell you
the transformer inside that welder I couldn't buy for $100
in Canada. It is truly amazing how little china can make
stuff for.

We are getting a cement truck tomorrow to pour the floor for
the house. In Joe's words, "The cement is stolen, from the
customers, who paid for 5 meters and only got 4" or something.
So it is left over and old and has to be worked quickly.
But they will just dump it in the drive and leave then it
is up to us to haul it in five gallon buckets, should be
interesting. I guess the price is rite so its happening.

Another section of wall up, with not much help from me, as
I was welding my silly carrier all day. I just passed the
odd bucket of morter and the odd brick up the scaffolding
when Joe was out. I did have to take down the Hammock and
the shade canopy that we built with a tarp and tent poles.
I acctually can't wait to reconstruct the little canopy in
Alberta for the dune buggy, be it Hammerhead or VW.

We have had a fire going for 2 days now, which is funny,
cause there isn't really room for it, with all the trucks
and camper here, but Joe won't put it out. I back him up
like "OK the fire is under your bumper, ok its under your
gas tank now". No it never really got under the gas tank,
but close enough. We are getting all the garbage palm
leaves, banana leaves, and tropical wood garbage burned
anyway.

So tommorow, I get my truck ready (locked up) to go on the
street, so the cement truck can come in. Then we go get some
paint for my carrier, and clear the way for the cement truck.
Fun Fun.

I have about another week here, and thats it. I am too
cheap to get more Mexico insurance on the truck, and I need
to get home to cut fire wood and give the well love. Should be
enough time to get everything finnished here. Hopefully I get
some time to test my truck out tomorrow, and see if I really
have a problem or not. I am thinking, focusing on, only
having a failed fan temp switch, which caused a boil over
and major loss of antifreeze up the slow mountain switchbacks,
and then again, as we were pulled over by the Policia (not
moving, no air over the rad). Makes perfect sense to me.
I am not going to risk tightening the head bolts, cause if
one breaks I will be really screwed down here. Its almost
20 years old, with miles to back it.

Roosters are stupid. I finally turned my computer on,
being the only source of time I have, and it says its 2am
and neighbors roosters are cockadoodledoing like crazy.
It doesn't get light here till 8am.

How to fix a toaster oven on the truck hood

How to repair a toaster oven on the truck hood. When
Irma asked me to look at her toaster oven, I took it
appart and tested it all out. I said the burner is done,
you need a new burner, its garbage. The two burners were
wired in series, so I jumpered the one out to prove it,
and sure enough the single top burner worked, but without
its partner it burns 4 x as hot, and would surely melt, or
catch fire on its own in no time. So I left it not working.
Until Irma found this old oven from the garbage. This took at
least 10x longer than the 6 min video, but just to give you an
idea whats involved, you might want to buy a new toaster oven
when a burner goes. Unless of course you have lots of free time
in the sun, a good lite duty welder, and a garbage toaster oven
for parts.

Wall construction

A pic of some sketchy scaffolding that Joe was using when
he was working solo on the wall. We have the real stuff
set up now.

I got little Gus Gus his booster shot here in Mexico. I
was surprised they are about the same price as Canada, and
fixing him was going to cost more here.

Its a big mess at home for poor Michelle, so looks like I
won't be spending the rest of the winter in Mexico after all.
The well pump filters and presure tank have cracked, so there
is no water. And of course there is never enough fire wood
Looks like I will be here maybe another week,
and thats about it.

How To Open a Coconut

I don't have volume on my computer, hopefully I wasn't swearing trying to hack this coconut open, I don't remember.

Michelle left on a plane today at 5:30, I am here all
alone. I have 60 pecos left, equivilant to less than $6
Canadian, from the $5500 I started with, That was $500, but
doesn't include any gas, insurance, toll highways, food, or
hotels on the way down.

I have another $350 to exchange but nothing is open today,
its Sunday. I wouldn't need to get more cash, but Gus Gus
needs his Parvo plus booser shot and the Vet doesn't take
credit cards. Plus I will need some cash for the toll
highways out of here.

I kinda feel like livin real cheap, there are enough
coconuts on the property to have one every day more I am
here, free. Papias are huge and cost less than $2 for 3,
rite outside the gate at the Sunday maret. 6 huge pink
grape fruits and bananas are another $2.

There is no doubt I could live on $4 worth of fruit a week
here, but I don't think the mother inlaw would let me.
Irma keeps cooking dinner for me and Joe, and a lot of it.

To give everybody an idea of costs down here, let me say...
The hotels are what kill people. Even if you can get a
hotel for less than $100 a night, they still seem to add
extra charges to make their $100.

I found gas is almost the same price as Canada this year,
maybe 10% less down here. I haven't driven since I got
here. I don't know the roads, my truck is huge, there is
no where to park, and the roads are narrow. I think we
will bring the lil red 185cc bike down here, and buy a
mexican scooter. Till then the bus is $0.90 to down town
Peurto Vallarta.

Having had to pay off the Policia is another reason I
don't want to be driving. I am likely targeted with
Canadaian plates. I would have gladly payed the $500 peco
ticket the officer was going to give me, for "driving too
fast with a trailer" but he wasn't even interested in giving
me the ticket, he just wanted $200 pecos pay off, which Joe
got down to $140 pecos. I still can't stop laughing at that.
I paid a police officer less than $14 to let me go without
a ticket "can you imagine". That is the highlight of my trip
so far.

Kulua is less than $8 a liter, unbelievable. I now like
Kulua Lattes more than egg nog lattes.

The big 20 liter water bottles are $2. Tomorrow I am going
to try to buy 2 glass ones. They might cost me without an
exchange, but the glass should last forever, I don't know
how many plastic bottles I have gone through. I have never
seen the glass bottles in Canada though.

The Sunday market tends to have a lot of over priced used
stuff. It seems to be hard to get a lot of tools and things
here, so some people sell their used ones for the price of
new, but then other people sell for really cheap.

Fruit and stuff the average Mexican can make, is dirt cheap.
I love the slurpies, they hand "shave" the ice, and then
mix it w real juice.

Electrical Picture

Love this picture. It is a condo in Sayulita. They
actually put a guard rail around this patio, but they built this
deck rite out to the power lines. Then they put a pvc type hose over
the power lines. I love it.

I got Montazumas revenge, I think it started before the
drinking last night, but I will know for sure if I am not
better tommorrow. Everone wants to blame the alcohol.

Last night we hung out w the Brits, they were hysterical,
hard core partiers. We went to every club and beach, it
was $10-$15 to get in anywhere, so we ended up back at the
camp site. Around 11pm or so, we wanted to meet up w
another guy from our site so we all just went to the club
he was at, and no cover that late.

We are back in Mojunara now, that is the "suberb" of
Peurto Vallarta, that we have been staying in. Michelle
has one more full day, then she goes back Sunday night.