Projects Ever feel like you are running out of time?

Lost my dad at 58... To Lou Gehrig's disease... I'm now 54 and I'll be damned if I sweat any of the small time BS people worry over.. Every day every drive is a gift fellas

 

Avoid sitting

 

I'll be 73 in a couple weeks, with a few half done projects, and a couple of friend's cars. If things go as planned, once I am done with their stuff, my own projects will get my full attention. That way I can get to do a little racing, travel, and enjoy the time that is left, however long.

 

Just remember, to have something to do, and a reason to get up in the morning. An active mind is always better.

 

squeak squeak squeak.... and when they were cool. Although they became cool again.

 

You need to start drinking better beer. That weird IPA ??? stuff will kill you!!!

 

You may have a point

 

I am 66 and just bought a 39 Plymouth coupe. I hope it is not my last build but waiting on the guys to do the things I can't do complicate the time line.

 

To me Gene Winfield is an amazing inspiration. That guy acts as if the devil won't catch him as long as he is moving. I like that attitude.
To the contrary I remember in grade school a nun told my 1st grade class that every day we are closer to dying. She told that shit to 6 year olds. That fucked me up for a while. I still want to punch her in the face......maybe when I get to heaven.

 

Yes, this morning I got in old mary, eased her out onto Old Hedley Road,, a little crispness to the air. No heat in her, kept the windows closed till about twenty minutes had gone by, nice and warm in her by then, finally made #3, turned left toward Keremeos, running good, 60 steady, coupla girls in a dodge pickup pulled alongside and we traded waves and winks on the four lane portion, guess they still got a thing for old guys in cool trucks.....Made Keremeos, left on the bypass to Penticton, site of the latest forest fire and beaches still full of near naked women and....my heart doc, who has asked to see me as soon as possible. Dread. Early for my appt with him, drop into OK Tire, see my friend Max, shoot the shit with them, interrupt their day, cause they gotta work and I don't.
Check my watch, yep, time to get over to the doc, he's little, and his name is little, good fit I tell him, he laughs, but he's a pretty get to the point kinda guy, checks out old mary, says come in here, we gotta talk. (So, for some of you, the reaper came calling six years ago, I detailed how I got past that here on the hamb) I just had an echocardiogram (big word), a couple weeks ago, he wants to talk about it, asks if I been short of breath, yup, got pain? Yup, Can I walk far? Not as far, but far enough for me, we laugh some more, a nervous laugh, he looks me in the eye and says....you need a valve.....now, I'm lining up the surgeon, sit by your phone. Says, tough bastards like you die from this kinda shit, does your wife know about your symptoms? No, I say, he says, "I'll tell her" He does, phones her, a little small talk later, and I leave, the secretary will call.
Me and mary have a talk for the next 100 miles home, she listens well, but I'm not ready for home yet so mary makes a turn and we push west a little more, we talk more, and the enjoyable miles that only a hot rod can give you, slowly ease the shock, she doesn't complain when I kick her ass real hard and we make big speed together, she makes me laugh, and we turn for home. On Old Hedley going home, I meet my sometime boss, pull over, we have a chat, I tell him "fuck you I quit" at least for the next few months, he says he'll drop in on me, just for a laugh. Me and mary make for the driveway, the garage door clicker comes out and she gets to rest, I walk into the house to face the barrage of questions. Yep, I may be getting too old for this crap.....

 

>> "....you need a valve.....now"

My valve job made a big difference. I'm pushing 77 years old - instead of pushing Daisies.

Hang in there, Russ

 

Yeah, the doc said I'd be good as new.... thanks.

 

Everyone I've talked to that had a valve job said they felt better than they had in years. I sincerely hope yours goes smoothly. Good luck!

 

I'm 62 now, having retired 2yrs ago. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer and larger so I need to pull my finger out and finish my latest project. Given other current global issues, who knows if we'll ever get the opportunity to leave our country and travel over there again for car events.

 

@trollst , you have a gift. You are a real "story-teller".
They really know what they are doing with this kind of surgery these days. Have trust in their ability.
Best wishes on a speedy recovery. You will be able to do twice what you can do now, if not more...

 

no matter what , every day get a slice of the pie of life...could be anything at all...Slice of Life ...A smile , a hug , a car part you always wanted..something artistic...something new , different....just get a slice..call someone you havent spoken to in ages.....get that slice every day.....

 

My father had a quad bypass at 53, at 75 they did a triple. Doc told him it would last his lifetime, he told him jt was not much of a guarantee. He lived to 88, heart was still working well.

 

Tell him you want 2.02” valves

 

Look here, I am 70, bald, out of work, living in my parent's basement, 3 ex-wife(s), my 22 year girlfriend (Ms. Ohio) is pop-out and you telling me your are out of time for any projects.

 

Thanks guys, no I'm not afraid, Dr Little is one of us, straight shooter, gives you confidence, says how it is in car talk, not Dr talk.

 

Hang in there, those docs today know what they are doing! Working on a human heart , to them, is like changing a tire to us! My Dad got a pace maker in his early seventies! I was devastated, that my Dad have to have one! Well he went on to get two more because he wore them out ! Living life to a ripe old age! Trust in the Lord and His hand on the Doctor’s hand.





Bones

 

She won't be there.

 

There is a blind guy over on the garage journal learning to weld. Your problems and ours are minor.

 

A little more than a year ago a surgeon took out cancer and the top of my stomach and bottom of my esophagus, then yanked them together, sewed me up and I did five weeks of radiation and chemotherapy, then had surgery to remove two big stones from my bladder and duct, then as I recovered a recurrence of shingles, all with a feeding tube inserted into my small intestine for six months and a foley catheter for a month after the stones were removed. I had the tubes out before New Year's Eve, slowly recovered, and yesterday had my second consecutive CT scan in six months, which showed NO CANCER! I'm feeling better, stronger than I have for several years. Great medical professionals on my team, and I'll bet they are part of your team, too.

 

@Roothawg you know the answer, keep pedaling that bike. Going on 52 here and never quit riding. Not to belittle any of these posters health problems but STAYING healthy is the key to long life. How many older rodders have we seen that are woefully outta shape? Go to any big event and hoverounds are everywhere. blah blah blah

 

This thread is sort of centered around the projects that we have in the garage or shop that aren't finished and whether we'll have the time to complete them. The truth is the biggest project we should be working on is ourselves. Eating right, exercise, regular doctors visits, not letting things go.... it's stuff that's all too easily pushed to the back burner.

I'm as guilty of it as anyone. This year I've recommitted myself to taking care of myself. For the past decade it's been one continuous work day, whether it be in the office at my day-job, work on my house, work on my car.... it's nothing but work. I've decided I need to rectify some nagging health issues, work a bit less, get back to proper diet and regular exercise, and right that ship first and foremost. The cars and tools will be there, I'll get to it when I get to it.

 

Osage, I had me one of those catheters in me after I had kidney stones removed, two years ago. Not fun! But I had scheduled a party on my deck before surgery……so I went ahead and had it! One thing I learned about that catheter is to sit next to railing and take the tube out of the bag and put it in the flower bed! Didn’t have to get up once and drank a twelve pack of Miller lite!






Bones

 

I'm reasonably young at 57. Age doesn't concern me yet. What does make me think we are running out of time is the state the world is in and how quickly our governments decided to cease production of combustion engines. That's only 15 years away and we all know how quickly that will arrive. I'm afraid there will be so much legislation and taxation in place as to make our hobby very difficult and even more expensive to enjoy. I'm thinking in 20 years we won't be able to give our cars away...

 

I'm going to do you a huge favour and make you the offer that you can give your cars to me. I'll even take them now, so you won't have the inconvenience of having to suffer through the next 20 years.
What ya got ???

 

My dad always jokes about buying 500 acres and building a driving track for people to bring their internal combustion powered cars. He says he will build a town and let people experience actually driving their own cars.