Great shot, Don - Thanks for that, I never saw that one.
OKAY, MOUNTIES - SING IT WITH ME!!!
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Chainsaw by
Chris Conrad, on Flickr[/img]
As many of you in the Midwest are aware, Monday, August 10th saw an unusual and rather frightening weather event across the Midwest. A derecho with straight-line winds almost as fast as the Midget tore through Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and parts of Indiana and Ohio.
Derecho by
Chris Conrad, on Flickr
It ran down the corridor between I-80 and US 20 like a bowling ball down the chute of a cement mixer.
I was already scheduled to head to Iowa to assist my parents - mom was scheduled for hip surgery on the 11th - when the news reports came in.
It was at that time that I realized I needed to pack up more than an overnight bag.
My sister lives in Cedar Rapids, and the storm took out every tree on the property, along with the fence I had mended only 3 weeks earlier. I still have a blood-blister under my thumb-nail that occurred working on that fence, and that damned blood-blister outlasted my handiwork.
I stayed with my parents in Marion, Iowa, and fixed them up with a generator. They lost some shingles, the wind popped the seal on their windows, and they suffered a bit of water leakage, but all-in-all, they're fine. Nevertheless, despite living in a modern subdivision with buried electrical service, it wasn't until Friday that they got service back.
On the other hand, Cheryl, my sister in Cedar Rapids, lives in a post-war subdivision with modest houses and hanging power lines. Between the 70+ year-old trees and the aged infrastructure, it wasn't until the 21st when her power was restored.
It's been a while since I slung a chainsaw, but I walked away with all my digits and extremities intact.
But let's focus on the Midget for a moment.
Due to COVID, Kate is working at home. Her work in advertising keeps her in a constant cycle of ZOOM meetings and teleconferences, and while I've been able to get the K-Motor started, despite a well-insulated brick house and a substantial distance between the garage and the house, the un-muffled roar of the Midget is something I need to work around.
I had a great conversation with Tommy Olson at T&T, and he gave me a good approach to get the thing to the point where it will idle without constantly having to pump the accelerator. Things have opened up for Kate at her place of work, and while it's preferable for her to continue to work from home, the next day that she feels she needs to be in her office to complete a project, that will be the day I conquer this monkey.
And there's a lot of little niggling things that need to be addressed. It's been 6 years - the fire system and belts are outdated, and I do have a small rust issue I need to take care of. That's par for the course with an MG, regardless of where it's driven.
The wiring all works, but I'm not pleased with the presentation, and I want to clean that up.
I also need to review the rulebook and confirm some safety issues that have changed things in the last 6 years.
I also need to find a job. I could dip into my retirement savings, but if my steadily improving health is any indication, I might need some of that cash in 25 years.
If the USFRA holds it's annual meeting in December, I'm thinking I might risk the trip. I'm missing my friends.
Topic: Milwaukee Midget (Read 3576673 times)