To be honest, my age never really mattered to me until last December when I received my Medicare card in the mail and I was informed that as of February 1st, 2013 I was eligible! I didn’t want it but there it was and now there was no turning back or trying to fool myself. That small little card was staring me in the face saying ‘you are getting old’!! Isn’t it amazing how ‘old’ 70 was when we were 40! But, how young it really is, right? When I found a few gray hairs, I found a great hairdresser. When I told Gary I was coloring my hair, his comment was “Emmylou Harris let her hair go gray” – my comment back “when I can sing like Emmylou I’ll go gray”! I can’t get over how age just creeps up on most of us. One day you are working 40-60 hours/week, shopping, laundry, cooking, cleaning, gardening, raising vegetables and two boys. Then, the boys were the first to go! I didn’t throw them out they just somehow grew up and left. Or maybe it was the cleaning first, but the garden was next, reasoning that the ‘Farmers Market’ does a great job and we DO need to support it, next, Gary took over the laundry (I wash – he dries and folds), he also took over the dishes, then the 40-60 hour/week job went to about 10 hours a week and the paycheck disappeared!, still shopping and cooking (but far less of both). Unbelievable, one day I was doing it all and with what seemed like overnight, my body feels like it still is, but certainly isn’t! My question is when did I cross ‘the line’? Maybe it was back when I realized I needed singing lessons. Got to close, I have a 4 o’clock audition to sing back up for Emmylou. Just think of the time and money I’ll save not coloring my hair!

Recently, an acquaintance with an MG TD changed his oil. He happened to notice that there were some metal wires in his used engine oil. I suggested he drop his oil pan and have a look to see where the metal came from. It is a good thing he did. The person who rebuilt the engine did a lousy job safety wiring the main and rod bearing caps.

Fortunately, nothing came loose, and his engine did not grenade. Here is a chart showing the proper way to use safety wire. Following this chart and using a little patience and common sense you can properly safety wire your own projects.

Safety wire pliers are available at many tool stores and on Amazon. I buy my safety wire on Amazon, they seem to have the best price.

Speaking of safety, always securely clamp sheet metal when drilling holes. I was making a patch piece today, a piece about the size of an index card. The piece was going to be butt welded on three sides, and spot welded on the fourth side to duplicate the factory sheet metal. I was drilling several 1/4 inch holes every inch or so on one edge for the plug welds. I had the piece of sheet metal on a piece of scrap wood when I was drilling it. I had the drill in my right hand and was holding the metal with my left. The drill bit grabbed the metal and spun it, cutting my hand. I spent the next five hours in the Emergency room getting stitches in my left hand.
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