you got your dad to do the heavy lifting, right?
Life is full of plot twists lol.
Hope to see O-L churning out monsters again with his old fashioned ways, and can’t wait to see what Dale creates with the lathe.
In a way I’m glad since no one does file work like Justin. I hope he can come by for a visit and build something with you.
Oh Lord! Dad! I would have finished much sooner if Dad would have stayed inside! He’s 86, full of backwoods shortcuts that are costly in time and energy. (He was born in the mountains of Virginia in 1928, hard times, they had to make do on just about every turn.) I couldn’t let him DO anything, he bruises if you sneeze in his direction! (on blood thinners, has a pacemaker, knee issues, yadayadayada) I thought the 6 hour drive to/from Justin’s was gonna drive me nuts, we were making a quick unplanned sudden trip and all he could talk about for hours was all the trouble he’s had with various vehicles on the road since 1940. Um, Karma Dad, please don’t provoke her…. (he’s logical, doesn’t believe in Karma or luck, good or bad)
He asked, want me to drive? Uh, no, thank you though. Geesh. “Why are you going this way? Why don’t you take that road? Why didn’t you….” If I weren’t so experienced with my 8 yr old talking my ears off I would have gone bald before making Tyler, trust me. Do you REALLY know how long 3 hours in a vehicle is?
This morning, after clearing the shop for hours in the heat yesterday, he tells me he’s got it figured out… we need to get an anchor, drill a hole in the concrete floor to attach a winch to, and pull it out of the truck onto the stand the same way I loaded it into the truck. I go outside and he’s got all kinds of crap in my way, getting ready to jury rig everything. Aaaarrrrggghhhhh. He means well, I know, but I rented an engine hoist and then tried my dangedest to keep him from hurting himself.
At least my Mom kept Daniel out of our hair, the two of them would have been more than I could have handled at one time.
I think Dad is ready, more than anyone, to see it churn out something. He’s been watching “How Things Are Made” on TV and he’s seen all sorts of animated machinery in action, including sophisticated lathes. “Well if that don’t beat all!” “Dangedest thing I ever seen!” “Can you believe that?” I’m gonna solve all the worlds problems by this time next week….
Dale, you have probably heard his stories 1000 times but your Father sounds like just the type of man I would love to sit down with and listen for hours and hours and just listen to him tell stories from his life. He means well and you know what, you are still his little boy.
Dad came in here a few minutes ago “Do you have a flashlight? I think my hearing aid earpiece is stuck in my ear…” Sure enough, the silicone tip was lodged deep.
Do I have a flashlight? Rich, really rich. My little ZebraLight SC52 with ramping firmware did the trick. 
But if his memory is so good on all the stories, why doesn’t he remember that I’ve already heard them 1000 times? hahahahaha I know I know, still, when you’re working on something it’s not a good time to stop and reminisce if you know what I mean.
To each their own, sometimes i think when people get older they over estimate how much people want to hear their stories, we all want to tell our stories but its only worthwhile if the listener is engaged instead of listening out of politeness.
Agreed Bort, in a similar way that while people’s eyes may get big seeing a hot rod light perform, you can easily glaze them over again with a detailed story about the build.
reminds me of when I had a girlfriend. When we would eat out at a restaurant, and she was sitting across from me, while she was talking she would spit food out of her mouth! It really bothered me and I’ll admit I wanted to smack her a few times. Years later, she was gone. I was alone and lonely, and would have given the world to have her sitting across from me spitting food put of her mouth….
The reason us “seasoned” guys feel that we have to tell you the same story 1,000 times, is because we were once your age, and like you thought that we knew everything too. - So like you, we didn’t pay attention either!
Pay attention the first time, and then we might feel like 20 or 30 times would be enough.
Sigh… Probably not, so I can see that it’s best to continue with our 1,000x plan, just to be sure that you didn’t miss something important.
It’s really not easy raising you kids 
Thank you,
-Chuck
It’s really not easy changing you old timer’s diapers! :Sp
.
I’m sure it’s not, but we managed to change your’s! 
-Chuck
ya know, it makes sense. Little kids want to hear the same story, the same way, over and over.
Elderly people — fit that need.
We just need a bigger campfire circle to get them together.
Dale,
Your dad is a hoot. I enjoyed the heck out of him.
If I was a nice guy, I would come over on Saturdays and take him out to breakfast, to give you a break, but 1.- I am not a nice guy at all and 2.- You are still too young and haven't gone through enough yet, to get any rest.
Well, if dad can use a hearing aid, you can too… get yourself a good set of noise canceling headphones. Dad’s yammering will be about 30 dB less annoying.
Get programmable ones that can cancel the stories verbatim. Or just smile, nod, and turn up the “Back in Black”.
Or could it be the changes in social interaction, self absorption, selfishness and all that? That it isn’t their over estimation, its people’s lack of interest? Im speaking in general society terms of course.Its a complex topic.
I saw the reaction first hand of a family that thought their mother was senile and losing her mind when they walked in and she was listing out ingredients and how to bake some bread she hadn’t cooked for years. Thats what she needed, someone to actually engage her and show interest in what she had to say and actually listen. I think we would all go senile if we were talking and no one ever listened, of course you would retreat into your own little world,onto your own mind.
And would you swap dad for anything? We know the answer to that. Mines not much better with telling me the same thing over and over but we just had the best month of my life away together. No, we wouldn't swap them for quids.
They forget things they said when younger, like this.
My Dad Proclaimed Justin to be “The Nicest Guy in Texas!” as he shook his hand. Now Justin tells me we’re misinformed? I’m confused. lol
Like some of the older generation, I started working at 12 years old. I might “only” be 53, but I have the issues of being much older and I avoid some of that by acting much younger. Tit for Tat, as it were.
The thing that get’s annoying with my Dad is his bragging. All of his stories are how he did this better than anyone, or bested that guy or this guy or went faster or longer or armwrestled better or… it goes on and on. He’s one of 9 children, almost in the middle, they almost lost him as a small child and when he regained consciousness after some 10 months they spoiled him rotten. His brothers are all competitive so the storytelling is about besting, being better, smarter, stronger, memories of better days. Not so much to tell us but to relive what he used to be able to do. I understand that, mostly, but it get’s old. He plays dominos with his brother/brothers and every week with the old guys at church, and every month with the old guys in his camping group. Always winning, ever the champion.
But that same mindset keeps him going, he has no qualms about jumping in the car and driving 1700 miles to my sisters house. At 86, that might not be wise, but you know, his hearing aids don’t work and he can’t hear you telling him to take it easy.
I’m glad none of us want to best anyone else, have no desire to make bigger, brighter, hotter… oh wait, what was I saying again? 
(cracks me up how a 60 yr old can tell me how 53 is too young to catch a break, especially after just giving me the break of a lifetime! :bigsmile:)