Hi Guys been a long time since I posted much of anything. Since GF's father passed away last March we have been working steadfast at trying to clear everything, but we have an obstacle, a real life succubus, a family member who shall remain nameless who just sucks the life out of everything that is being done to help get the estate finished. A naysayer, and narcissist who wants it all done there way or they throw more fracking obstacles in the way then you can imagine. Basically GF could give this person the entire estate and it wouldn't be enough. Major life energy sucking individual. If you relent and let them do something, odds  are the documents will be lost, filed incorrectly, or the mythical postal eating gremlins show up.  Jacka** can't even tie their own shoes let alone file something with the IRS.  Not to mention, it only took them close to two years to turn off the house phone with AT&T.

With that said, please make sure you have your estate/Trust/will set up. Don't leave things to chance, leave someone you trust who won't be a drama queen in charge when you are gone. Ensure all paperwork is one place. If there are things that you or your spouse want passed on to someone put it in writing.  I can't tell you how much we have gone through, and how many people have told us similar horror stories.

We have waded through untold boxes of documents, and when I say her parents saved everything...we found every piece of homework the two of them ever did, it was saved in the attic, from grade school to college.

If there is anything I have learned from all of this , is to be appreciative of the family members you have who do not create stress in your lives, create havoc, or just can't do things the right way.

Full disclaimer: I spent a number of years turning wrenches on Army HUMVEES. I hated them, thought they were sad piece of an excuse for having a truck. Never knew one that GM ever put quality parts in. Water pumps go out so often on them it is a joke, ball joints fail in the parking lot, without ever moving the vehicle. Comfort, there is none. Keep in many of these have been driven around since the 1980's, by 18 year olds who had never driven anything before, never went off roading, and got them stuck, or blew the damn things up.  There is a little known trick Motor Sergeants and Motor Officers know about with them, the vehicle was  designed to drive at 55MPH, not faster. If you drive say 60-70 MPH. I will know when you complain the Air filter is saturated with motor oil. Yes you read that right, at higher RPM's it shoots oil up the Air Intake tract to the point it saturates the oil filter. So where ever you go, you will be a slug. If it has an original GM 6.3 engine just walk away, far away, that gutless engine is a waste of time. The 6.5 is marginally better, the 6.5 Turbo is the best of the three, but no hotrod.  Tires, make sure it has the same tires. There were a bizzillion combination of tires, but the one rule we went by is make sure they are the same. There are radials, and non radials.

That Said, watching this video, with a civilian who is all excited to have his Humvee, I knew he was going to have a problem when I saw the none standard ignition switch. This vehicle has a ton of problems that few civilian shops have exposure to.   

My Sister and brother in law are not rich people by since of the imagination. He is Firefighter and she a school teacher back in Rhode Island. As many snow belters are won't to do, they bought a a beat up old single wide when visiting some friends in Florida a few years back in a semi retirement neighbor hood in Englewood, Fl.  They spent every chance they got driving down there and fixing the place up replacing just about everything in the place as it had not been occupied for years and was in a  sorry state.

Every school break they were rebuilding it.  Well this year they finished it.  They were down there in August for a couple of weeks and really got a chance to enjoy it... then came Irma. Bitch wasn't invited, caused a lot of stress.  Predictions for Naples, FL area was storm surge of 10-15 feet. Englewood is in the greater Naples area, their place was on a channel. her home if was one foot above sea level would of been a stretch. 

Since the Thursday before Irma showed up we had been in contact with her.  She had been resolved that the place was going to be destroyed. I had even started sending her FEMA applications to get the process started (FYI, there aren't any insurance companies that will offer policies in that area).  We felt for her in so many ways. This was a dream for them, and it had finally come true, now it was going to be a nightmare.

Irma did a lot of weird things, but that last minute turn inward, spared my sister's place and those around her. The channel never breached the banks, and aside for a few roofing panels, her place was spared.

You have heard of the term "dodge a bullet, well I coined that one dodging a tank round!"

Back story: I haven't posted much of anything as of late. GF's dad past away in march and we had been visiting him in Assisted living,and taking care of things.  He passed away in March very peacefully.  Well we finally got to take some long overdue vacations. We took one back east to Rhode Island to see my family, and then we went to Tahoe. Came back from Tahoe to get a letter from my landlord telling us we couldn't store the kayaks in the back yard. The general feeling the rest of the tenets in the 4 plex is, they are in their 90's the market is hot, and they may be selling.  Not just only the kayak's need to go but other things BBQ grill, gardening table, just really not being nice. At the same time we are trying to get her dad's place ready for sale, as neither her brother nor GF want the place, so storing there is not an option. So I looked at storage, at $350 a month for a place big enough to hold her 17 foot touring Kayak not an option. So we slowly looking for another place. But as you know nothing in the Peninsula is affordable.  Being a government employee in this area is kind of heartbreaking, as we watch the mass exodus of nurses and doctors leave, so do other employees. I can't say I blame them...

So it is time to clean up stuff and get some of the things I have accumulated and never used.

First item is combination of Lee, RCBS, and other Bullet making supplies. Various molds, handles, cast iron pot, ladles. I know I spent much more than what I am asking, but it is more than a fair price as everything here is new never used.  Asking $100

Delivery, I am working 5-65 days a week 10 hours a day or longer. So you can use NCKA delivery, or meet in Palo Alto or San Mateo, as I rarely have time for much else.

One of the most useful DIY angle grinder/chop saw/grinder tables?  Any of you guys with welding expierence want to tackle it?  I know I could sure use one!  PM if interested, I would buy the materials for two, you keep one, and I the other.  My welding skills, are rather lack luster.

For those of you who have had an interest in getting a HAM Radio License, the Palo Alto Veterans Hospital will be putting on a HAM Cram Class on June 4th. What is a HAM Cram class you may ask? HAM Cram is sitting down for the day and learning what is needed to know to pass the Test to get your license.  This class does not teach you every thing you need to know about operating a radio, only what you need to know to pass the test.  I am hosting the class (not teaching it, we have a professional for that), so why am I doing this?  As I have a three division hospital system, I need volunteers who want to use the radios systems we have, and we are always looking for volunteers. Our hospitals are Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Livermore Veterans hospitals respectively. The class is only at Palo Alto as it is harder for me to get the minimum numbers for a class and have a group of volunteers.  PM me if interested.

Folks this was moved forward in the Congress, every Democrat signed it.  Most likely it won't pass, but this could all change after November next year. The name of this new proposed piece of legislation:

"The Assault Weapons Ban Bill,"  don't think this won't be a tool used in during the elections.  Please read it, and see what firearms, and magazines you will no longer be able to purchase.

https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/hr4269/BILLS-114hr4269ih.pdf

Thomas Jefferson said it best:  "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."