Finally getting settled in...

[F.C.]

Y'all know I moved from Alaska to Washington State, reoccupied a house we own here that wouldn't sell the past six years after we left here to go back to Alaska in 08. Suffice to say what equity we got from the Alaska home selling recently it all (well damn near all) went toward fix'n shit six years worth of renters did to the place. Plus, my 30x50 shop had ALL of the work benches and heavy duty shelving stolen out of it which I recently got finished re-building. Two months, now, I've been hard at it from sun up to sundown patch'n, painting (inside and out), remodeling (creating a massage clinic for my wife to work out of which was previously an attached two car garage turned into one huge family room), restoring landscape all around the exterior of our home, fix'n defective septic system (renters had been parking their cars over the intake line to the septic tank and squished it), and fix'n stuff I never got to when we lived here before 'cause I figured the house would sell and it'd be the new owner's headache). I'm about spent, physically. Ona brighter note, though, weather here has been a dream long come true for me, sunny every day (but two) and well above 70's, often in tripple digit temps. I seize every opportunity I can to run errands into town ride'n my Harley..

As mentioned already, the shop shelving and work benches are restored and yesterday I happened to drive through the subdivision and saw a "for free" well beat to shit water heater someone was pray'n somebody would haul off. I stripped it of insulation, metal skin, and assorted attachments, cut it in half, culled the lining from the inside, and now have the makings of two furnaces I can run #12 crucibles through (one for bronze, one for aluminum). Now, I just need a larger one to re-do another bronze furnace I can run my #20 & #16 crucibles in. I currently have my caldron aluminum furnace (capable of about 400 lbs of aluminum melt) set up, and all my welding equipment staged and ready to fire back up again. Today, spent the entire day cut'n fire wood & splitting from dead fall trees six years of weather & winds dropped over on the back acres of the property. So, firewood stores are stocked for the winter.

As for my wife's clinic, it's actually picked up business quite rapidly, better, in fact, than the past year an a half she's worked out of a rented space in Alaska and worked at a sports club providing sport massages and advertising her business. Hell, all she did was give one gal we knew here a massage and within 24 hrs people were calling to schedule an appointment. Many have been repeat clients.

As for me fly'n back and forth to Alaska for work, well..... I had a feel'n their promise to fly me back and forth was too good to believe would happen. Turned out they decided I had to pay one of those tickets out of pocket, AND... they wanted me to pay 50 per night to use the company apartment which has always been free to rotational staff. Last trip up I spent countless nights sleeping on whomever's couch would let me stay the night and equal amount of nights on my office floor in a sleeping bag. After two months of that shit I told them I needed to get back home and finish the repairs to my house and property. It's been two months back home... lots got done in that interim, to a point where, now, i can slow down and take on projects that will get my foundry back up and running, plus accommodate my creative juices. I've informed my employer I'd be available for another rotation after the 6th of October (that was last week). They haven't responded. I went another step further and outright asked the question (via email)... "should I be look'n for other work here?" They haven't responded. I'm guessing they're waiting to see if I'll just up and quit, cause if they lay me off I'll be able to collect unemployment. No clue why they turned such a cold shoulder toward me like this. Oh well... it is what it is. Fact is, even if I did continue with this company doing rotations I'd only be doing it every couple months till next August. That's when I've decided I'm going to retire. I can make it on Social Security in this sleepy little town. And with my shop up and running I can get back to doing artwork again and bank a lot of that profit (cash under the table) in ammo cans burried out behind my shop, hahaha. All we owe on is this house and utilities. Not a problem.

So.... soon, fellas, I'll be back fire'n the furnace(s) and producing "something" worth sell'n. May just start out with internment markers like i used to do years ago, then progress onmaking name plates, dedication plaques, address signage, company signage, etc., and throw out some statuary art when it's convenient. Figure by spring I'll be able to fire up an get giggy wid'it again. At least the winter here, is a short one compared to Alaska's climate. Three months is about all I have to endure, which will give me plenty of time in the shop to make ready for spring. I'll post some pics in the days to come of the progress I made so far. Hope everyone's been in good health and enjoy'n life. Cheers. F.C.

[dallen]

glad to hear from you again, was starting to wonder where you were.

[latzanimal]

Good to hear you are getting settled. Looking forward to seeing your work...

[mite5255]

Hey Frank, good to see your still about and getting everything together, you've been missed mate

[Jammer]

Nice to hear from you Frank. Don't over due it, just take a good pace to get started up. I had days when I did too much, mostly yard work, then I was down for a week. Hope to see you casting soon.

[F.C.]

I hear ya, Jammer... There's been a few times I've overdone it and suffered. Fortunately, my shoulder has held solid since my surgery over a year ago. What got to me the quickest was the tripple digit temps and do'n landscape & yard work, plus painting the exterior of the house. I damn near baked my brain. Suffered some heat stroke as a result which had me in and out mentally for a couple days. My knees, though, have give'n me hell since they've been bone on bone for over 15 years due to multiple knee surgeries that have ultimately removed ALL the cartilidge. Low back's been give'n me fits at night, too, plus massive leg cramps every now and then that snaps me awake at the wee hours of morning. Hands, though, have mustered through and have calloused well from all the hard work, not to mention my arms and forearms. Neck and shoulders seem to be whining a lot but thanks to the wife and her massages those are getting better. I think I'm about ready to start an exercise regiment like I did last time I was casting metal. Needed something steady to tone muscles and joints in prep for all the sand work and mold manipulations, plus carrying 80 lbs of melt on my own. I'd do 25 four count pushups, 20 sllllloooooowww curls with 20 lb each barbells, 25 sit-ups, plus ten or so twist and stretch motions with arms extended as warm up prior to the exercises. I did this regiment each and every morning and evening. Though it never seemed like it did much benefit (looking at myself in the mirror) the day I had to snatch my Harley Davidson off the floor when it toppled I realized the benefit then... in fact, I recall saying to myself, DAMN that's lighter than I thought it'd be!! It wasn't... .I was just conditioned is all. But there was also an adrenlin rush at that moment, too. But I do remember that when I pushed something heavy it MOVED. Lately, it seems I push and push and things I KNOW full well I used to move easily, resists and cause my feet to skid. The mind's willing, but the body just ain't up to par with it yet. Not sure if I'll ever be back to that state of health again, but ya never know... time and practice will tell that tale. One thing's for sure, hard work won't kill ya... it'll dial in your digestive system, and respiratory & circularatory systems to peak efficiency. But if I don't exercise and get in better shape I'll never get beyond just pour'n small amounts of metal in single casts. To make profit ya gotta produce volumes of product. But you're right, Jammer... gotta take precautions now that we're at "THAT AGE" in life. Work smarter than harder, as it were.

[mite5255]

Frank, for gods sake slow it down, its all well staying healthy and getting your place to how you want it, but your not a young man anymore. At our age we need to slow it down. There's no prizes for being the first one to be put in a box I'm hoping to be reading your post for many years to come