Sunday, July 6, 2008

Ready For The Floor

The frame is now done! My welder finally came by this morning and did his thing. I spent last night giving my frame a coat of POR-15, and today I put on another coat and also painted the area that was just welded. I'll have to hit that area again, since it's recommended to use two coats with POR-15 to ensure good coverage. My left leg looks like a leopard from the knee down, as I was kneeling in drips while I was painting. Oh well, it wears off in 3 weeks. At least I didn't get any on my face (this time. I had a bad expeience once while coating the underside of a Land Rover)

Some non-Airstream news: Last night I got a call from the Chenango Couty Sheriff's office at 3:00am telling me that my drug store had been broken into. I headed to town to meet the deputy and check out the damage. Thankfully, it was minor. No drugs were taken (thank God), and they only got a small amount of cash. The criminal cut himself on the door glass on the way in, and left a nice blood trail leading right to the back door of his house. I'm good friends with the lead investigator, so I got to help him track the blood. It felt like I was looking for a shot deer. After a few hundred yards, we lost the trail but my friend really amazed me when he spotted footpints in a newly mowed lawn that he followed until we picked up the blood trail again. How he saw those footprints I have no idea. He was standing over them telling me "Look, right here! See how they go over there...". I couldn't see a damn thing, but he sure could. When we got near where the trail ended and it went toward a house, he unholstered his gun and told me to go back to the drug store and wait. It's amazing the set of balls police officers have when they deal with this sort of stuff. My friend has a wife and two beautiful kids at home, and here he was going alone to the door of someone who was obviously unstable. The suspect was not at home, but I shudder to think what could have happened if he had been. My friend, John Fern, has my utmost respect and admiration. Later in the day they tracked down the suspect, arrested him, and got my money back. All in all, what started out as a very bad day and ended up being an amazing experience. Not that I hope it happens ever again, mind you.

By the way, Frank, check out my carpentry skills. Yup, did that myself.

2 comments:

utee94 said...

John, I'm so sorry to hear that this happened, but I'm glad they were able to find the thief and recover your belongings. Like soldiers, I greatly appreciate what police risk for the rest of us every day.

The Airstream is looking great, I know that as soon as you get that floor in you're going to feel fantastic. Good luck!

-Marcus

Frank Yensan said...

nice carpentry work... do you have any Neosporene? I cut myself really bad the other night and it has been bleeding badly.