HOWARD’S DAILY CHRONICLE
NUMBER 23 VOL 5
DECEMBER 23RD 2007
WEATHER; REAL WINDY AND COOL, LOW HUMIDITY, 54/26 DEGREES. GOING TO CHURCH WE WERE ON THE DAM HEADED SOUTHEAST AND THE WIND WAS COMING OUT OF THE NORTHWEST AT OVER 40MPH! IT TOOK SOME REAL CAREFUL DRIVNG TO KEEP THE CAR IN THE RIGHT LANE!
2 DAYS TO CHRISTMAS EVE. TO SOME PEOPLE THAT’S WHEN THEY OPEN THEIR PRESENTS! I WAS TAUGHT CHRISTMAS DAY WAS THE 25TH OF DECEMBER AND THAT’S WHEN WE OPEN OUR PRESENTS! ON CHRISTMAS EVE WE GO TO MIDNIGHT MASS AS A FAMILY! IN MY FAMILY AFTER MIDNIGHT MASS WE HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO GO OUT FOR AN EARLY MORNING BREAKFAST BUT THAT WAS LONG AGO BEFORE WE HAD ALL THE KIDS!
MY OLDEST DAUGHTER PEGGY AND HER SIGNIFACENT OTHER, PAUL WILL BE HERE TOMORROW AND GO TO MIDNIGHT MASS WITH THE FAMILY! AS FAR AS I KNOW THOSE WHO WILL ATTEND ARE, PEGGY/PAUL, MIKE/CINDY, KERRY/DEBI, KELLY/GLENDA, SHANNON/KONNER, TIM, ELYSE, BRADLEY, KYRA AND MOM AND I! COLLEEN AND DICK ARE GOING TO SAN ANTIONIO TO BE WITH HIS FAMILY! WE SHOULD TAKE UP A WHOLE PEW! IF THERE ARE ANY OF YOU OUT THERE READING THIS AND YOU’VE NEVER TAKEN PART IN A CHRISTMAS EVE MIDNIGHT MASS AT A CATHOLIC CHURCH YOU SHOULD TRY IT, IT’S ABSOLUTLY BEAUTIFUL! TWO TIMES A YEAR NON-CATHOLICS OUT NUMBER CATHOLICS AT A MASS, EASTER AND CHRISTMAS MIDNIGHT MASS! THE CHRISTMAS CARROLS START AT 11PM SO WE PLAN ON BEING IN THE CHURCH AT 10:45PM TO GET A SEAT AND SINCE WE’LL BE USING A WHOLE PEW I’M GOING TO ASK SOMEONE TO BE THERE AT 10:45 TO SAVE IT FOR US!
WE WENT TO 5:00PM MASS SO WE DON’T HAVE TO GO TOMORROW SINCE TOMORROW IS REALLY GOING TO BE A BUSY TIME FOR US! MOM FINISHED HER ORANGE SLICE CAKES (3) TODAY AND MADE THE DOUGH FOR THE MONSTER COOKIES WHICH SHE PUT IN THE FRIDGE AND WILL BAKE THEM TOMORROW! I’VE FINISHED SHOPPING AND NOW I HAVE TO WRAP A FEW GIFTS. THEN HELP MOM GET THE HOUSE READY FOR GUEST THEN HOORAY! CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE MY FAVORITE TIME OF THE YEAR BUT, THEY SAID NO SNOW! OH WELL, I GUESS I’LL MAKE IT WITHOUT SNOW!
I TALKED TO MY BROTHER JERRY TODAY. HE’S DOING FINE NOW BUT HE JUST GOT OVER A BOUT WITH PNEUMONIA! AT 82 THAT COULD BE SERIOUS BUT THEY LOADED HIM UP WITH ANTIBIODICS AND HE’S ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY!
MOM WASN’T FEELING TO GOOD THIS MORNING AND STAYED IN BED TILL 11:30 THEN GOT UP AND SEEMS TO BE OK, NOT 100% BUT BETTER! I’LL NEVER FORGET THE YEAR KERRY WAS BORN; HE WAS BORN ON THE 22ND (HE JUST TURNED 47) OF DECEMBER AND MOM CAME HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL ON THE 23RD AND GOT EVERYTHING READY TO MAKE CHRISTMAS DINNER WHICH SHE DID! WE HAD COLLEEN AND MIKE AT THE TIME! I DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW MOM DOES THE THINGS SHE DOES? IF THERE’S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS HER ATTENTION IT GETS IT NO MATTER WHAT OR HOW SHE FEELS! BELIEVE ME, I’M VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE HER AND DON’T THINK I DON’T KNOW IT AND APPRECIATE IT!
MY BUDDY’S AND I USED TO GO OUT TO THE DESERT NEAR PALMDALE QUITE OFTEN; THIS TIME WE WERE IN MY 31 CHEVY COUPE, WE ALL HAD OUR 22 RIFLES AND MOSTLY JUST TARGET SHOT, BIRDS WERE OFF LIMITS, RABBITS, IF ONE GOT CLOSE TO US WE MIGHT TAKE A SHOT AT IT BUT TIN CANS AND BOXES (NO BOTTLES) WERE THE MOST LIKELY TO GET SHOT! WE HAD A PLACE WHERE WE HAD PILED ROCKS AND MADE A BAR-B-Q PIT SO WE USUALLY BROUGHT HOT DOGS AND THE MAKINGS AND ALSO FRUIT! WE JUST SAT AROUND AND TALKED MAINLY ABOUT CARS AND GIRLS AND OUR JOBS IN THAT ORDER!
ONE SATURDAY WE WERE SETTING THERE B/SING WHEN WE HEARD AND AIRPLANE THAT DIDN’T SOUND LIKE IT WAS RUNNING TO GOOD. IT CAME UP OVER A SAND DUNE AND DROPPED DOWN BEHIND ANOTHER ONE AND ALL BECAME QUIET. HAROLD SAID MAYBE WE SHOULD CHECK INTO WHERE IT WENT SO WE JUMPED IN THE CAR AND HEADED OUT ACROSS THE DESERT WHEN WE GOT TO THE TOP OF THE FIRST DUNE WE HEARD IT AGAIN AND IT CAME OVER US ABOUT 25 FEET OFF THE GROUND, THE PILOT WAVED AND SMILED AND TOOK OFF HEADED FOR AN AIRPORT NEAR PALMDALE (NOT GEORGE AFB, A PRIVATE FIELD)! WELL WE TURNED AROUND AND HEADED BACK TO OUR PICNIC SPOT WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO KNOCK! I SHUT IT OFF AND GOT OUT TO CHECK THE OIL, THERE WAS PLENTY SO I HAD BILL START IT UP AND TOOK A SCREW DRIVER AND SHORTED OUT THE PLUGS ONE AT A TIME, IT WAS # 4! I GOT THE TOOL BOX OUT I CARRIED FOR JUST AN OCCASION! THE WHEELS WERE BURIED IN THE LOSE SAND SO WE COULDN’T PUSH IT TO THE PICNIC SPOT! I ASKED BILL AND HAROLD TO SLIP UNDER THE RUNNING BOARDS ON BOTH SIDE AND START DIGGING THE SAND OUT SO I COULD GET UNDER AND DRAIN THE OIL AND DROP THE PAN! IF ANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE OLD CHEVY’S THIS ONE WAS CALLED “THE STOVE BOLT CHEVY” BECAUSE THE PAN WAS HELD ON WITH CAP SCREWS INSTEAD OF ¼-20 BOLTS! ALL I HAD TO DO WAS SAVE THE OIL IN A DRAIN PAN I KEPT IN THE CAR TO CARRY WATER IF I NEEDED TO! I DID THAT AND STARTED UNSCREWING THE SCREWS THAT HELD THE PAN ON! WHEN I GOT IT OFF I TOOK HOLD OF #4 ROD CAP AND IT WAS REAL LOSE! ALL I HAD WAS A 7/16TH COMBINATION WRENCH TO TAKE THE ROD CAP OFF THE ROD! I ASKED BILL TO SEE IF HE COULD TURN THE ENGINE WITH THE CRANK PULLEY WHICH HE DID TILL #4 ROD WAS ALL THE WAY DOWN AND I COULD GET TO THE NUTS! WHEN I GOT THE ROD CAP OFF AND SAW HOW BAD IT WAS AND THEN I PUSHED THE ROD UP AND GOT IT CLEAR OF THE CRANKSHAFT I STARTED TO WORRY! I HAD TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO PULL THE ROD DOWN FAR ENOUGH TO LET THE RINGS POP OUT OF THEIR GROVES! I CLIMBED OUT FROM UNDER THE CAR AND GAVE THEM THE BAD NEWS! THE ONLY THING WE COULD DO WAS WALK OUT TO PALMDALE AND CALL MY DAD OR BROTHER-IN-LAW HERB TO COME TOW THE CAR HOME! I HAD HAROLD TAKE HIS KNIFE AND SCRAPE THE BABBET OUT OF THE CAP AND ROD! NOW IF I HAD SOMETHING THAT I COULD PUT AROUND THE CRANKSHAFT TO ACT AS A BEARING WE MIGHT MAKE IT HOME! BILL SAID HE WAS WEARING A LEATHER BELT THAT I COULD CUT A PIECE OFF THE END TO TRY SO I DID! I CUT IT A LITTLE LONG AND TRIMMED IT TO FIT THE SHAFT! PUSHED THE ROD BACK UP IN THE CYLINDER AND SAT IT BACK DOWN ON THE SHAFT THEN I TOOK THE CAP AND PUSHED IT UP TO THE ROD BUT THE BOLTS WERE JUST A LITTLE TO SHORT SO I TOOK A HAMMER AND DROVE THE CAP UP ON THE SHAFT TILL THE BOLTS WERE LONG ENOUGH TO START THE NUTS ON THEN I PROCEEDED TO TIGHTEN THE NUTS ONE AT A TIME COUNTING THE NUMBER OF TURNS TO EACH ONE! WHEN THEY WERE TIGHT I LOSENED THEM OFF AND PUT THE OIL DIPPER ON THE CAP AND TIGHTENEN THEM AGAIN! I HAD BILL STEP ON THE STARTED WITHOUT THE IGNITION ON AND THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL WHICH HE DID. THE ENGINE TURNED ABOUT 3 REVOLUTIONS AND STOPPED WITH #4 STRAIGHT DOWN, I LOSENED THE NUTS AND TOLD HIM TO DO IT AGAIN THIS TIME IT TURNED 10 REVS AND STOPPED! OIL, THAT’S WHAT IT NEEDS SO I TOOK THE BELT OFF THE CRANK AND PUT OIL ALL OVER THE JOURNAL THEN I TOOK THE BELT PIECE AND USED MY KNIFE TO SCRAPE IT A LITTLE THINNER AND PUT IT ALL BACK TOGETHER, PUT THE PAN BACK UP AND PUT THE OIL BACK IN AND GOT IN AND CROSSED MY FINGERS AND TURNED THE KEY ON AND STEPPED ON THE STARTER, IT FIRED ON THE 3RD REV AND RAN ABOUT 2 MIN AND STARTED TO SLOW DOWN, I STEPPED ON THE GAS AND PULLED OUT OF THE SAND TO OUR PICNIC SPOT AND SHUT IT OFF! IT HADN’T KNOCKED AT ALL BUT SURE WAS TIGHT! WE PACKED UP AND HEADED HOME, I DIDN’T GO OVER 25 MPH AND WOULD STOP EVERY 10-15 MILES TO LET IT COOL OFF BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN I REALIZED IT WASN’T SLOWING DOWN AND SEEMED TO RUN FINE SO WE HEADED OUT AT 50 MPH! I DROPPED BILL AND HAROLD OFF AT THEIR HOUSES AND WENT HOME!
I DROVE THAT CAR FOR ALMOST A YEAR TILL I FOUND A 33 CHEVY COUPE I WANTED AND TRADED THE 31 IN ON IT NEVER MENTIONING THE LEATHER INSERT! ONE DAY A YOUNG GIRL PULLED UP IN OUR DRIVEWAY IN THE 31. SHE GOT OUT AND ASKED ME IF I WAS THE ONE WHO PUT THE LEATHER INSERT IN IT AND I OWNED UP TO IT! SHE SAID HER DAD BOUGHT THE 31 FOR HER AND IT’S HER FIRST CAR! SHE SAID HE TOOK THE OLD ENGINE OUT AND PUT A LATE MODEL IN IT, THEN HE WAS GOING TO USE THE OLD ONE ON A WELL DRILLIG MACHINE HE HAD. WHEN HE PULLED THE OIL PAN AND SAW WHAT SOMEONE HAD DONE HE COULDN’T BELIEVE IT! HE WENT AHEAD AND HAD ALL NEW RODS AND CAPS POURED AND PUT IT BABK TOGETHER! SHE INVITED ME OVER TO MEET HER DAD AND I WENT ABOUT 2 MONTH LATER! WHEN I TOLD HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND WHAT WE HAD TO DO TO GET HOME HE SHOOK MY HAND AND SAID ANYTIME I NEED A JOB THERE WOULD BE ONE WITH HIM! I NEVER SAW THEM AGAIN!
THAT’S “30” FOR THIS ISSUE.
HOWARD
No comments:
Post a Comment