Ever Have 'One of Those Days'?

TreeGuy · #1 06-21-2008, 07:23 PM

This is sort of inspired by Kelly and Beth's thread........

It started 24 hours ago, actually. Had some folks over for a BBQ/firepit/beers. All was well until I had a 22 year old 'dumb as a stump' female try to explain to me how to drive (she's driven four freakin' times!) I humored her for about 30 seconds before shutting her azz down. Apparently her 280lb hulk of a boyfriend didn't appreciate my tone.........ugly turned uglier, and he got shut down too.

Sooo, ended up sleeping in, so late for work. Killing a big poplar was on the plate, which usually cheers me up! However, whatever could go wrong, did!

Got up high, pulled the saw up and it was dull. Sent it down to change out the chain and my groundie sent it pack up without tightening the bar bolt. It promptly exploded. Sent up the other saw.........it was dull too! Once THIS saw was sent up, not only was the new chain dull, it ran out of gas in two minutes................temper........tantrum...... ....cooommmminnnnggg........

Climbed down and rejigged original saw. Climbed up. Groundie starts chipper, but cutting wheel is jammed. Climb down. Take chipper apart and solve problem. Climb up. Band aid bolt fix doesn't cut it and saw explodes again!

[SIZE="6"]KaaaaaBooooooo!!!

Climb down........have smoke. Happier.

Climb up, finish tree. Even happier, things are looking up.

Nope. Truck fills with chips before we run out of branches. Dump run (extra 1.5 hours on my Saturday). Power steering starts to go and temperature gauge is climbing.

Get back and start again. Notice oil leak on top of the chipper's block. Head gasket has blown out (as if I didn't have enough grief yesterday flushing the hydrolics amongst other things). Deal with it later.

All that's left is to cut the final 4' of a 5' diameter trunk to ground. Seems it's full of nails and dirt. Saw vibrates out the muffler screws. Muffler falls off and saw quits. Two more saws and 6 chains later, I've managed to offend everyone withing 6 square blocks of a high end neighbourhood.

My throat is sore from yelling, my hand hurts from, well punching the truck and such, tweaked a muscle in my back and to top it off I came home to a family grumpier than me! Then the toilet flooded..........sigh.

On the bright side, I'm working tomorrow too.

OK, enough whining. Let's hear about your rotten days. I kindda feel better now.......

Tree

Jester · #2 06-21-2008, 07:29 PM

^^^ lol....Let me buy ya a beer...sounds like you could use one..

Reeves1 · #3 06-21-2008, 07:29 PM

Sat in the shade, in the cool shop, have a beer.
"Work" the weed whacker 5-8 minutes.
Take another break.
Weed whacker 5-8 minutes.
Another break.
etc
etc

redneck posse · #4 06-21-2008, 07:34 PM

sounds like a sh*ty day. then you get some jackazz pming you for free info about how to handle some trees. some peoples kids hey

redneck posse · #5 06-21-2008, 07:41 PM

hey i thought you quit smokingdon't make me have to come down there.

spaded · #6 06-21-2008, 07:52 PM

Sure have! For me it's been one of these weeks,

On tuesday morning I got a call that one of my buddies was killed on his bike.
Head back towards home for 2 days, come back into edmonton and my truck gets broken into...

I never leave anything in my truck, but the one night I do I leave my ID and visa, debit card, oakley sunglasses, sony digitial camera and brand new shoes, colone.

pretty tough and expensive lesson to learn.

sometimes the only luck this guy gets is bad luck!

TreeGuy · #7 06-21-2008, 07:55 PM

Spaded, I'm very sorry to hear about the loss of your friend. Kindda puts things in perspective.

Tree

bruceba · #8 06-21-2008, 08:25 PM

.

TreeGuy · #9 06-21-2008, 08:38 PM

Oops. Double tap.

Tree

TreeGuy · #10 06-21-2008, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bruceba

we're still erection specialists.

Sorry Bruce, but I just can't pass on THAT one!

Will you also be wiring this structure? Lighting, etc?

Tree

EDIT: Sorry Lil, wasn't meaning to offend. Is this one better?

[

Jester · #11 06-21-2008, 08:40 PM

A double post.....Tree must be thinking of "wood"...

bruceba · #12 06-21-2008, 09:13 PM

.

TreeGuy · #13 06-21-2008, 09:22 PM

Bruce, you truely are an erection specialist!

Hey all, good news! Things are finally looking up as the sun is going down. Nothin' like killing something for the first time to cheer an outdoorsman up!

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...ewpost&t=16758

Whew..........finally one-upped Mrs Tree's magpie. Haven't heard the end of it for about 6 months now!

Tree

Northern_Hunting_Mom · #14 06-21-2008, 11:15 PM

My husband Loren has worked clearing ski hills and run saw for survey lines in the Yukon. He said he would come down to fire the lot of your crew but you couldn't afford him. I would do it because they truly seem to be trying to kill you but I have this horrible thing in the way called kids.

I know in a booming economy that an employer is lucky to get a breathing body with a heart beat but that guy is dangerous.

TreeGuy · #15 06-21-2008, 11:34 PM

Thanks NHM. I sincerly wish I could afford Loren, as I'd hire a good 'ol NS boy in a heartbeat! As for the kids, I hear ya. No matter how crappy a day a fella has, its pretty tough to stay grumpy with these ones. In fact, they've inherited my sense of humor and consistantly use the 4 letter words in proper context! Grammer is important!

Getting happier now. Beer helps too!

Tree

The Shrubs.........

Jester · #16 06-21-2008, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreeGuy

Thanks NHM. I sincerly wish I could afford Loren, as I'd hire a good 'ol NS boy in a heartbeat! As for the kids, I hear ya. No matter how crappy a day a fella has, its pretty tough to stay grumpy with these ones. In fact, they've inherited my sense of humor and consistantly use the 4 letter words in proper context! Grammer is important!

Getting happier now. Beer helps too!

Tree

The Shrubs.........

Aaahhhgg...I didn't spell that right but you get my meaning...

ahhhhh...are they ever cute..

Tree....you are a lucky man...

TreeGuy · #17 06-21-2008, 11:56 PM

Thanks Jester. They're funny little critters for sure. What other living creature can transition a fella from having his head want to explode to making his heart melt in the span of 20 seconds?

Crap. I still want to be grumpy, but this thread is cheering me up. Thanks guys.

Tree

altaberg · #18 06-22-2008, 12:22 AM

bad day? let's just say I had better month.

Last three weeks I wasn't home for more than a day. You know the drill, last plane back from Denver or Seattle Friday night and back to the airport saturday to catch another redeye.
At least today I'm home and happy because no business travel in my immediate future. I don't want to see the inside of a plan for a while.

At least last week was San Diego and there are worse places to have to be.
There were three Nimitz class super carriers docked at Coronado and the USS John C Stennis left Thursday, probably back to fight a war.
Very cool to watch but puts things in perspective.

Cool kids, you're a lucky man tree.

#19 06-22-2008, 09:43 AM

Quote:

It started 24 hours ago, actually. Had some folks over for a BBQ/firepit/beers. All was well until I had a 22 year old 'dumb as a stump' female try to explain to me how to drive (she's driven four freakin' times!) I humored her for about 30 seconds before shutting her azz down. Apparently her 280lb hulk of a boyfriend didn't appreciate my tone.........ugly turned uglier, and he got shut down too.

OH boy that sounds like a fun time

Quote:

Sooo, ended up sleeping in, so late for work. Killing a big poplar was on the plate, which usually cheers me up! However, whatever could go wrong, did!

Got up high, pulled the saw up and it was dull. Sent it down to change out the chain and my groundie sent it pack up without tightening the bar bolt. It promptly exploded. Sent up the other saw.........it was dull too! Once THIS saw was sent up, not only was the new chain dull, it ran out of gas in two minutes................temper........tantrum...... ....cooommmminnnnggg........

Climbed down and rejigged original saw. Climbed up. Groundie starts chipper, but cutting wheel is jammed. Climb down. Take chipper apart and solve problem. Climb up. Band aid bolt fix doesn't cut it and saw explodes again!

[size="6"]KaaaaaBooooooo!!!

Climb down........have smoke. Happier.

Seems like someone spent too long around the fire pit

cant say i ever had a whiney day like yours just remember darkest before dawn

bruceba · #20 06-22-2008, 12:39 PM

.

Iron Brew · #21 06-22-2008, 02:53 PM

Hey Tree...

I've heard the fire department uses carbide chains, and tosses them after one use. Might be worth going down and seeing if you can get some, and leave it on a saw for ugly stuff. Don't try to sharpen it the "regular" way, you'll make your file dull... :-)

I had to get rid of a few stumps, and looked into buying one, but... The price just wasn't worthwhile for the two stumps. I dulled two chains, and bought a spare (two different saws, 3 chains now - I'm just a part timer...). For MY purposes, was cheaper to get chain grinding done. Damn tree had picked up a stone into the middle of the stump, actually above ground level... In your case, taking into account time and labor, it MIGHT be worth the money... versus changing chains/sharpening chains.

Do you have a grinder at home, or do you file?

TreeGuy · #22 06-22-2008, 04:48 PM

Hey Brew. I have a stock of over 200 chains and a specially designed type of bench grinder that does them perfectly. If we have a rain day or down time, I'll sharpen a bunch. I usually run with about 8 sharp chains per saw, but sometimes procrastination gets the better of me, and we'll run out on site. In that case I always have a couple of files in the tool box for a quickie hand job..........sharpen. RNP, get you mind out of the gutter!

We thought about the carbides, but they are incredibly expensive for throw aways. I really don't know of anyone in the industry who uses them.

Bruce, that's a tough one. At least ya got the day off. Good luck with the rest.

Tree

Iron Brew · #23 06-22-2008, 05:30 PM

Yah, they are expensive... I was only thinking about them for when you hit a tree with nails in it. Compared to the time of changing 3-6 chains... and yeah, you should be able to sharpen them. Need a green stone, stick it in your grinder, and go. Green won't work with HSS, and the regular won't work with Carbide. I haven't dug into green stone's the right thickness, but should be relatively easy to get. Used for machinists all the time...

But- IF you can get some from the fire department, that have only gone through a roof or whatever... should be good for a long time. Just a thought...

redneck posse · #24 06-22-2008, 05:45 PM

[QUOTE=TreeGuy;160126]
.
In that case I always have a couple of files in the tool box for a quickie hand job..........sharpen. RNP, get you mind out of the gutter!

what me mind in the gutter

damn you know me well :

.....and here i thought the spurs where only for the trees

Reeves1 · #25 06-22-2008, 06:04 PM

Quote:

I've heard the fire department uses carbide chains, and tosses them after one use. Might be worth going down and seeing if you can get some

I know of one more place to bug for free stuff now

Quote:

and here i thought the spurs where only for the trees

Horses too ?

BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES · #26 06-22-2008, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreeGuy

In fact, they've inherited my sense of humor and consistantly use the 4 letter words in proper context! Grammer is important!

Getting happier now. Beer helps too!

Tree

The Shrubs.........

BOY THAT LITTLE GUY IN THE PICTURE SURE HAS THAT LOOK WHY THE FUK ARE YOU TAKING MY PICTURE

Iron Brew · #27 06-22-2008, 10:27 PM

[QUOTE=Reeves;160148]I know of one more place to bug for free stuff now

If it works you can give me one for a husky 362 as "thanks for the tip"...

Hmmm. Come to think of it... one of my former students (old history... I learnt my lesson about teaching) is a firefighter... Maybe I'll have to find out if this is true or urban legend...

TreeGuy · #28 06-22-2008, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BIGBADJOHN

BOY THAT LITTLE GUY IN THE PICTURE SURE HAS THAT LOOK WHY THE FUK ARE YOU TAKING MY PICTURE

He's my son, John. It is a pic that cheered me up on a bad day, that's why I shared it. I'm sorry you feel otherwise......

Brewski, I have a couple of defunct huskies in about the same size as your 362. Get me a bar size and tooth count, and I probably have a wack of chains kicking around that I'll send ya if your interested.

Tree

Iron Brew · #29 06-22-2008, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreeGuy

He's my son, John. It is a pic that cheered me up on a bad day, that's why I shared it. I'm sorry you feel otherwise......

Brewski, I have a couple of defunct huskies in about the same size as your 362. Get me a bar size and tooth count, and I probably have a wack of chains kicking around that I'll send ya if your interested.

Tree

PM sent

Thanks Tree