sorry for my absence as of late

[ryf]

I've been checking in from the road, but between the holidays, work and the kid, not much is going on for me on the cart, though there are some changes in the works.

I hope everyone is being successful, or at least surviving where they are in the economy.

talk to you all soon, I'll check in again this week.

[Chris]

I haven't been here much either. With my mowers at the girlfriend's house, covered in snow under a collapsed canopy, I have no ambition...


Now if I could get my hands on some cheap (free) snowmobile skis that would be a different story

[money89tractors]

I must say, ive been gone myself. Im always busy, trying to make money and school. But i now have some free time to sit at the computer, since i broke my leg and ankle. So i will be fairly active for a while.  I have a few plans for my ATLM project. I now have a spare (free) quad frame (220 bayou). So i have its front suspension and its rear end setup.

It is a drive shaft driven setup, so im not sure if ill use it or not. we'll see.

-Phil

[caveman]

   Hey  Phil,   WOW - - - -   I'm sorry .   

         Talk about not checking in with "You Guys"   ,     I've been so caught up in my  ATV  and my  field cameras  that   I  also have not been "checking in".      I'm sorry  about your "broken bones",   What happened ?  Or did  I miss THAT too  ?       I  feel  terrible that all of this has gotten past me.     

           Norman

[money89tractors]

its no big deal norman, i havent really said much about it.  i slipped on a patch of ice a few weeks ago and broke my left leg and chipped a bone in my ankle. I was told i didnt need surgery so i started my classes for the semester. then on this past thursday, after i had already went to my checkup and they told me everything was fine, i get a call saying i have to come in tomorrow at 8am to sign papers so i can have surgery in the afternoon.

my doctor lied to me, i should have been in surgery the first day i saw him.

I now have 10 screws and a plate in my left leg and ankle. ive been in extreme pain all day.

And yesterday, while waiting to go to my appointment to have surgery, i went to the college to drop my classes and was told that if i drop, i will have to pay back the state for the books that i had already bought with my financial aid... $500...

its been a hell of a few days. i will be here on the site a lot for the next 2 weeks as i cannot put any pressure at all on my leg... thank god i bought this laptop for mom.

-Phil

[caveman]

      Hey  Phil,  WOW again,

           I'm really sorry to "hear" about the fall you had.     I  hope the doctor is prescribing some pain medicine for you.      That's  a real  "bummer".      Perhaps there's some way the college  would allow you to continue   or something with the computer.   Just explain to them what happened.      Broken bones are mended in 6 weeks as a rule .    I know there are exceptions to that rule .    I  hope that fall don't mess-up your life for years down the road by missing college .       

          Don't give up  Phil,  If there is a way to make the classes  - - - - - DO IT - - - --    todays pain will be less in three day increments  and you'll still have the weekends  to rest.      Be sure to tell the "instructors"  what happened and perhaps they will  "cut you some slack"  until you're healed .            I'm sure some of them have broken bones in the past and sure understand the situation.   

            If  you live near a friend - - -  ask to join a study group  even if it's just two of you.  This way you'll get caught - up on anything you've missed  and it will also take your mind off the pain.   It can also be fun.    People remember things better if it's enjoyable.   

            Will stay in touch  - - - - -   Take care             Norman

           

[money89tractors]

thanks for the kind words Norman.

As of now i cannot continue my classes this semester as i will be out of class for at least 6 weeks. All of my classes are hands on and partisipation is 50% of the grade. i am not so worried about it though, i can make up these classes at any time, just on a later date. i will be starting classes again the following semester. until then i plan to just take the time off.

i had been planning a trip to arkansas to see some friends in march, which would be my spring break, but now i can go when ever i please. . . funds providing.

I have also found that almost all the parts to build my ATLM can be bought localy, and i will be working on it as soon as i am capable.

Take care and the best wishs.

-Phil

[Chris]

Sucks to hear that Phil, hope you're doing better. When I got that nasty puncture wound in my leg a couple months ago, I know it hurt like hell to do anything - and the pain meds didn't do a thing for me. Still two months later if I move the wrong way my leg is like "I hate you!!!"

[money89tractors]

yeah, when i left the hospitle after the surgery the numbed the nerves in my leg, so i couldnt feel any pain...plus i was way doped up on meds. then in 12 hours when that shot wore off and i didnt have my vicoden yet . . . . dear god i wanted to die. 1000mg of vicoden barely make it bearable.

Youve got to tell us how you managed yours chris? managed to do it that is.

And how has the house search gone? we havent heard anything about or from you in a while.

-Phil

[Chris]

They put me on Vicoden, I HATED that stuff. I don't remember the whole week I was taking it. It didn't help the pain a bit, but it made me feel like I was flying.

This is the story on what happened:

http://www.s10forum.com/forum/f222/epic-stuck-trip-to-the-er-pics-story-375443/

[money89tractors]

thats entirely sucks!!

i know how it feels after the good stuff wears off and you get the full blow of the pain.... i was in tears when the pain of this surgery hit me.

-Phil

[caveman]

 

   Hey  Guys,  I'm at it again,   Sure hope that this day is better than yesterday for you,

           After re-reading "you guys'  misfortunes   and the pain you both  suffer  I can only think of how lucky I am  today.   I've also  "been there"  and understand partly what you both feel.     [  I've used  oxicontin  max dose for years ]   But not lately- - - - -  thankfully.           I  noticed   neither of you mentioned using  " ice "  to help deaden the pain.     sometimes it's the only thing that really works as it deadens the nerves in that area as well as the inflammation   - -  swelling  and a few other things.     Just thought  I'd mention  it.         [  often us cavemen only have ice - - - -   That's what glaciers are for  - - - -   lots of injuries     ]     

            Now to get serious - - - - -    After looking at your "stuck truck"   Chris - - - -   other than not digging the truck out with a long handle shovel  what would you have done different  or what would  you have wished for at the time ?      And you  Phil - - - - What would you have done different   if anything would have been possible   - - - -   other than living in Florida.       

            Perhaps  "we" can all learn from these bad experiences  ! ! !               

            Here's wishing that your pain is less each day and that this day is better than yesterday.

            Take care          Norman

[Chris]

There's a bunch of things I wish I did different, mainly turning around about 10 feet earlier! If I had a winch, it wouldn't have helped because the front end was buried to the headlights (the pictures were taken after trying to extract it with a smaller tractor, so it was stuck a bit less). The 2nd biggest regret was using that come-along to try and extract myself, if it wasn't for that I would have just been stuck. Not stuck with a hole in my leg.

I was talking to the VAST guy a few weeks ago who maintains the snowmobile trails (the pipeline where I got stuck is a snowmobile trial in the winter) and he sad the spot I got stuck was infamous - nicknamed "The Bog". He was out walking the trail out there and sunk up to his waist in mud! He also stated that when the pipeline was being installed, the construction workers LOST A BULLDOZER IN THE BOG - AND IT'S STILL STUCK IN THERE SOMEWHERE TO THIS DAY!!! Luckily I got stuck where I did and didn't go any further!

[money89tractors]

Oh wow, a Dozer?!?! thats a hell of a bogg. sounds like a place to test your machines capability.. ... .i think we know how far your truck will get Chris :P lol

-Phil

[Chris]

I'm all set, one hole in the leg is one too many

[money89tractors]

lol

so, chris, how has the house hunting and stuff gone? havent heard much from you about it in a long time.

[Chris]

SSDD. There's nothing out there, and if there was moving during the winter isn't much of an option.