Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Jed hanging out
(Sabrina English photo of Henley St. Bridge, the one in back with lights)My boss with his fancy camera took some photos of Jed on the job one hundred plus feet above the Tennessee river the other day. I thought I would share them with you. I also wanted to share the story while it is fresh in my mind.
A few days before the hoist up we worked out details about how we would rig my harness and who would do what. My boss asked many times about my comfort level, and wanted to know that I would not freak out at go time. We asked permission from city planning to block one lane on each side of the Henley Street bridge and when and where as to not disrupt the city too much. Knoxville sits on both sides of this river and it is the aorta of downtown traffic flow. Then we asked the city traffic division to do the lane closure. We set up our crane team with plenty of smokes and coffee. So we had a traffic truck, my manager's truck, my foreman's truck, my truck, the boom support truck and then the boom truck. It took many folks to pull off changing some wires, ballast and bulbs on these large lights and a well deserved hat tip to 'em.
Before I went out over the edge I had thought that the most fear would be felt over the parts that reach over Neland Drive and fall to land. I found that being over land was easier on the middle ear because the swing could free spin and I could manage orientation better because the ground is still. The water on the other hand was always swirling and chopping and looking at it made me feel like I was spinning partly because if I had nothing to hold to I would spin and partly it was my mind. It was a little like riding a bike while high on L.S.D.. I had to look down to get to my tool bag so it was not an option to avoid looking down. I also had to look up to tell the boom guy what I thought I needed while the swirling sky gave me the same weird proximity feeling. The boom guy was worried more than I was and he must have smoked a half a carton by the days end.
On the first light the power was giving me some weird readings on the meter and I took off the service cover pulled out a wire nut and got a good old 120 volt shock on my left forearm from the crusty rotten thing. I was grounded to the fixture so the current only made it from my fingers to just below my elbow. I was glad that it was a 120-240 volt system instead of the 277-480 volt systems I normally work with. A 120, 208 or 240 volt shock feels like a large tingle and twitch feeling, a 277 volt shock feels like pure heat and a 480 must feel like heaven because that is most likely where you go when you get one. After checking my hand and my wristwatch for functionality I went about fixing the problem.
A few fixtures later I was removing the 50 pound ballast and it came out with force which took me into a fast spin from the inertia. The crew started to panic thinking I had hit myself in the head and had zonked out because I was outta control and tucked in to hold the heavy bastard from flinging into space. I yelled up and said I was alright I just could not hold myself steady and the ballast too. They brought me up and we laughed as I stood on the ledge and we put a new ballast in the carrage and had a smoke.
I am giving you two photos of the day, one of them you can barely make me out (I did the zoom for you) and the other has me in front of some Knoxville skyline looking north across the river. The trains below are the Three Rivers Rambler which I lettered many of the cars and I did the re-designed logo on the coal car from an old photo that makes me proud to be in Knoxville even if no one ever notices me being here. That makes matters very o.k. in the book of Jed "Prophet du Obvious".
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
More on the Bronco
Well I have been a bad blogger and unable to get the time to do much reading or writing. I am working for the Tennessee Valley Fair as a tempoary second job for a couple of months. I can add rousty to my list of hats to wear when needed
I wanted to keep y'all informed about the Bronco also as a way to keep up the details of the headache. I wrote the following letter to the Lawyer who contacted me to get the automobile off his land and I have not had any return...but it was a nice letter.
Dear Rich Lawyer,
Thank you so much for your efforts in finding me regarding the automobile that was abandoned on your newly acquired property on A--- Road. I am also thankful for the other items you donated from the property that were a great help to a friend in need.
I am contacting you via email because of the non-invasive nature of a simple letter which requires no guilt if you are not interested in responding.
Upon trying to obtain a copy of the title to the aforementioned automobile I gained some information on the former owner of your property which you may or may not need. The former owner David F--- seems to be living with Joe and Mary G--- at 7--- Y--- Drive in Knoxville with the phone number 865---------.
I spent the entire day Monday, August fourteenth between the Knox County Court Clerks office and on the phone with the Nashville Motor Vehicle Department to get the simple information listed above. It seems when it became absolutely necessary for Mr. F--- to stop driving on my license plate as it was a couple of months out of date, he tried to title/register his vehicle with a scribbled out price on his title thus freezing anyone from gaining a title to the vehicle at this point without proper notary documents.
I placed a call to David F--- to see what his mindset was on the issue of the vehicle. He informed me he had bought the car from the person I sold it to, who never registered it in his name. Mr. F--- went on to say that his faulty pen had caused the ink discrepancies the courthouse was suspicious of and he needed me to go with him to a notary to fix the sale issue. I told him that since I did not sale the vehicle to him that I could not and would not confirm a price to anyone. I also told him I was a bit perturbed that he had been using my tag and title while running the vehicle into a dilapidated and deplorable condition until the crash with another vehicle that was most likely due to his neglecting the condition of the brakes.
When I sold the vehicle in November for $900 it was in nice aesthetic condition, but in need of some expensive transmission work which I could not afford. The man who bought it from me stated he was looking to help his Nephew with a four wheel drive project car and was delighted to get it. It appears the buyer was unable to follow up on his stated desire as he sold it to David F--- who in my observation was a very irresponsible owner.
When I spoke to Mr. F--- I told him I had invested about twenty hours and one hundred dollars for parts getting the vehicle into a drivable although wrecked condition and I would like to recover at least the cash as I have put much effort in fixing his mistakes. I also expressed the fact that if Floyd's Wrecker Service had taken possession of the unit the bill would dwarf the value of the vehicle and they would take it for the accumulated charges. I still await his return phone call as promised two days ago.
My question is: Do you have any ownership of this vehicle as part of the sale of the A--- Road property and its contents?
I want to do the proper thing on this issue without losing my investment of one hundred dollars or letting someone drive a vehicle that has my name attached to it. While I would enjoy having the vehicle, I do desire fairness to Mr. F--- and his investment as well.
Any input you have would be valued and adhered to, but understandably you may not have a dog in this fight.
Thanks,
Tennessee Jed
I hope matters won't worsen over this because Jed is fair minded and needs no trouble with the law...ever, mostly because I can't afford rich lawyers.
I wanted to keep y'all informed about the Bronco also as a way to keep up the details of the headache. I wrote the following letter to the Lawyer who contacted me to get the automobile off his land and I have not had any return...but it was a nice letter.
Dear Rich Lawyer,
Thank you so much for your efforts in finding me regarding the automobile that was abandoned on your newly acquired property on A--- Road. I am also thankful for the other items you donated from the property that were a great help to a friend in need.
I am contacting you via email because of the non-invasive nature of a simple letter which requires no guilt if you are not interested in responding.
Upon trying to obtain a copy of the title to the aforementioned automobile I gained some information on the former owner of your property which you may or may not need. The former owner David F--- seems to be living with Joe and Mary G--- at 7--- Y--- Drive in Knoxville with the phone number 865---------.
I spent the entire day Monday, August fourteenth between the Knox County Court Clerks office and on the phone with the Nashville Motor Vehicle Department to get the simple information listed above. It seems when it became absolutely necessary for Mr. F--- to stop driving on my license plate as it was a couple of months out of date, he tried to title/register his vehicle with a scribbled out price on his title thus freezing anyone from gaining a title to the vehicle at this point without proper notary documents.
I placed a call to David F--- to see what his mindset was on the issue of the vehicle. He informed me he had bought the car from the person I sold it to, who never registered it in his name. Mr. F--- went on to say that his faulty pen had caused the ink discrepancies the courthouse was suspicious of and he needed me to go with him to a notary to fix the sale issue. I told him that since I did not sale the vehicle to him that I could not and would not confirm a price to anyone. I also told him I was a bit perturbed that he had been using my tag and title while running the vehicle into a dilapidated and deplorable condition until the crash with another vehicle that was most likely due to his neglecting the condition of the brakes.
When I sold the vehicle in November for $900 it was in nice aesthetic condition, but in need of some expensive transmission work which I could not afford. The man who bought it from me stated he was looking to help his Nephew with a four wheel drive project car and was delighted to get it. It appears the buyer was unable to follow up on his stated desire as he sold it to David F--- who in my observation was a very irresponsible owner.
When I spoke to Mr. F--- I told him I had invested about twenty hours and one hundred dollars for parts getting the vehicle into a drivable although wrecked condition and I would like to recover at least the cash as I have put much effort in fixing his mistakes. I also expressed the fact that if Floyd's Wrecker Service had taken possession of the unit the bill would dwarf the value of the vehicle and they would take it for the accumulated charges. I still await his return phone call as promised two days ago.
My question is: Do you have any ownership of this vehicle as part of the sale of the A--- Road property and its contents?
I want to do the proper thing on this issue without losing my investment of one hundred dollars or letting someone drive a vehicle that has my name attached to it. While I would enjoy having the vehicle, I do desire fairness to Mr. F--- and his investment as well.
Any input you have would be valued and adhered to, but understandably you may not have a dog in this fight.
Thanks,
Tennessee Jed
I hope matters won't worsen over this because Jed is fair minded and needs no trouble with the law...ever, mostly because I can't afford rich lawyers.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Hello Bronco
Back in November I told you a sad story about having to sell my beloved Broncosaurus. Come listen to this little story about man named Jed.
I was feeling a little blue the day after my birthday when the phone rings with some interesting and professional sounding voice announcing he is a local attorney. My heart skips beats as the valves in it constrict to over pressurize my body for the doom I normally suffer when some land shark attorney wants to speak to me. He had a friendly tone as he started, which almost always means I am going to get it hard and that made my rump tight enough to bounce on the wooden seat as I sat for the expected bad news. As he got to to the meat of his conversation he had won the bid on a little house that was in a forclosure sale and in the yard there was a vehicle that Nashville says belongs to me. It was the beloved broncosaurus, but I told him I signed over the title when the new owner gave me money for the at-the-time disabled truck.
He keeps on about the fact that he just wants his property clear of this car and he will have it towed if I don't want it. I ask him what he thinks the law would do to me if I take it off his property. He says well if the new owner never has registered the sale and now has abandoned his property then he would have to prove his case in court. So I am slipping on my shoes as the conversation comes to an end.
When I get to the scene the Bronco has been crushed in the driver side front and the bumper is twisted into the wheel with great force. In fact the force was so great in an outward way the bolts broke several tools to make them free. On the window is impound paint with K.P.D. (Knoxville Police Department) numbers and the date is 5-14-06. As I start my work of cutting the twisted steel away from the aluminium rim with borrowed electricity from a neighbor for my angle grinder, I start to wonder about the tales my old friend could tell me about its new owner. So far this week as I repair all the broken systems a story of a broken persons life of anger and drugs seems to be unfolding.
I hope as I bring my old friend the trusty Broncosaurus back to life it don't make matters worse.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Birthday number 42
On my blogger profile it says I am 42 that changed at 12:00 a.m. this morning. This also marks one year of blogging. This is the last birthday the first number (4) will be exactly twice the seconed number (2) until I am 63. My family has made me feel like a king today. I am glad to travel one more orbit around the sun and live another day under the sky.
I have to try and remember that I am a spritual being having an earthly human journey, not a human having a spritual journey more this next year. I enlist your help dear readers to remind me from time to time as I whimper out my problems here on the free space and final frontier.
Speaking of free space my mentor buddy don says blogger has limited his space today...I am hurt and I hope he can figure something out. If you folks have any ideas pass them his way.
I hope you all had a good day and didn't make matters worse.
I have to try and remember that I am a spritual being having an earthly human journey, not a human having a spritual journey more this next year. I enlist your help dear readers to remind me from time to time as I whimper out my problems here on the free space and final frontier.
Speaking of free space my mentor buddy don says blogger has limited his space today...I am hurt and I hope he can figure something out. If you folks have any ideas pass them his way.
I hope you all had a good day and didn't make matters worse.
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Artist within
I wanted to write today about my artist child Castle. She is quite a renaissance girl for only having ten years on her head. She is always on a quest to understand herself by expression in the arts. I worry about her more than the others because of her sensitive nature with the twisted passion of an artist. She was over a couple of weekends ago and typed in a little story on notepad which she didn't have time to finish, but I am going to post it anyway. Also I want to post photos of her first place award winning turtle sculpture which she left with me. She always says she is never finished with a project and that screams to this father that she has the heart of an artist.
I bet it would not make matters worse to give you the story as she left it that day:
--Cassidy and the Dragon--
CHAPTER 1
Once upon a time there was a young girl named Cassidy. She lived with her mother and her grandfather. But she never got to see him because he would always stay in his study. For he was the only one who let Cassidy step outside her bedroom door. Her mother how ever, was too worried about her only daughter to understand that her only child needed adventure. Her mother always told her that she could never go into the outside world "It's to dangerous" she scolded.
Her mother wanted to keep her inside because she was very protective of her child. It was unfair.
She lived in Castleshire, England. It's a very exotic place. Her dad lived in Cutlandborogh, fifteen
miles down from Castleshire. Cassidy never got to see him because her mother never allowed it.
She hated that because her father was a very adventures guy. Her father despised the way her mother raised her. Cassidy loved both her parents equally. "I wonder if they'll fight like this forever." she whispered.
Cassidy's mother always told her that the world is a very evil place. Cassidy didn't think that. She thought that the world was a very beautiful place. Filled with animals, bugs, and people. Cassidy asked her mother one day if she could go to the woods. "Certainly not!" her mother yelled. Cassidy and her mother argued till the day was dark. Finally they stopped. Cassidy ran up to her room and cried. As she was sobbing. She saw a light out her window. The woods was outside her window. So she started to walk up to her window when the light stopped. Her face was puzzled. She wanted to know what was happening. So she opened her window. She decided to pack her bags and head out. Cassidy escaped from her room. climbed down the roof, Jumped over the bushes, and tiptoed across her mother's bedroom window.
She got across and went straight into the woods. As she walked into the woods she saw an even brighter light. She went even farther into the woods. Then she was right next to light. She saw what it was. It was a tiny creature. It looked like a little person with wings. She had bright yellow eyes with big black pupils.Her clothes were made out of tiny leaves and purple rose petals. Her hair was a dark brown with a flower headband.
"Who-who are you?" Cassidy stuttered "What are you?" "I'm Raina" she said. After Cassidy was done telling Raina why she was there. She was shocked by the thing behind Raina. She was shocked. There was a huge flower. It was making a bright light. She asked Raina what it was.
"It's a Phosphorelli Plant." she said "What?!" Cassidy said "It makes fairies." "Watch!" Raina exclaimed. As Cassidy watched the fairies magically appear, Raina started humming out a tune. "Why are you doing that?" Cassidy said.
