Tuesday, January 12, 2010

oops, they did it again...

Hmmmm.....the dreaded POA road grader came out my way today. One has to ask ones self - what kind of manager of a cash strapped property owner association pays someone for a full days work that is just a waste of time. All the roads in my area are perfectly fine and have been since late last year when they chewed up my road a day or two before it rained. The irony is - there is a chance rain again coming up Thursday and Friday. Hello!?! - there are 1100 miles of dirt roads out here - you couldn't find any in worse condition to work on? Thanks for digging my road 1" deeper. How do they expect to collect fees when the only service provided is inferior road maintenance. please,please,please....just leave my road alone. I came to this area to become self sufficient...its enough to battle the elements much less a group of morons working against me. I sent an email to the manager about this tremendous waste of time and resources.

Stupidity drives me crazy so I moved on to my own style of productive/efficient use of time and materials. Cut up and welded 18 more purlin flanges (for lack of a better term). 28 done - 62 more to go. Need to move on to installing more purlins as I will need 60 feet more of 1/4" x 3" flat bar in order to fabricate the rest of the "flanges". (by the way - after all the cutting, I ended up with only 1/2" of scrap from the first bar) Building my parts list for another run to Odessa soon. Just received my whistle valves for the entrance gate flame throwers. I just hope I get those done in time to fire 'em off next time the inept ranch manager sends the grader back down my road for no reason. By the way....the flames shoot UP.....not ONTO vehicles on the road. Going for the "Great Invincible Oz" effect only. 44,65,17,0

15 comments:

Out and About said...

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

John Wells said...

exactly.....

Picinisco said...

Love the picture of the steel

Anonymous said...

Good thing it wasn't Sunday.

Caboose said...

And I thought I was the only one this happens to, grading the road before a rain. My grader operator cuts the ditches on both sides of the road too. He also cuts my phone line, then I have to call for repair. John, you are doing good on measuring your material to only have a small piece left after cutting.

Anonymous said...

Still laughing at the visual of the flame throwers. Do you have plans for a lazer image/smoke machine, to go with it?

K1p said...

Whistle valve. I'm picturing some sort of Fred Flintstone, works over, let's slide down the dinosaur tail and GTF out of here whistle, but... probably not.

K1p said...

Whistle valve. I'm picturing some sort of Fred Flintstone, works over, let's slide down the dinosaur tail and GTF out of here whistle, but... probably not.

Tobster said...

The needless road work could be your " shovel ready, job saving, stimulas $$$$ at work. Waste is not part of the formula.

czardastx said...

Eventually, you won't have a road so much as a canyon leading to your place. You should find someone with a Bobcat that will let you borrow it so you can move the dirt back into the road. I've been on that road and in places I can see it filling up with a foot or more of dirt when it rains.

I guess getting the manager out there and showing him the spots that will give you trouble won't help. You have more patience than I do. I'd be calling him and making him come out and tour it with me. Just to show him what an idiotic thing has been done.

czardastx said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mark DeKruyter said...

Enjoying your welding progress. I'm amazed at the work involved. I wonder if you though it might be easier.

Allen Hare said...

That's an amazing amount of little parts you're putting together. It will pay off, for sure. Peace of mind when the big winds blow is priceless.

Idiot maintenence crew, waste of resources is shameful.

S. Cooper said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
S. Cooper said...

Hey John,
I was searching for some practical information on Terlingua life several days ago when I happened upon this blog. I've been stalking, er, reading it ever since. Really good information provided in such an entertaining way! I started from the beginning so that I could follow your progress without missing a beat. It's gonna take me some time to catch up with you! Hopefully, by then I will know everything I need to know for when I make the big move out there.
Thank you for everything you do. Btw... I'm blaming you for my recent bout of insomnia.
~ Sherri