Other Dog/Ice Station Zebra

[Joseph Cummings]

These cats are funny

 

[tjc transport]

13 hours ago, Brocky said:

CITY BOY!!!!!!!!! For me it is close to 1/2 hour to thee nearest gas station, which does not have non ethanol!!!

nope, no city here. we are in our own little world that even the people on the other side of town do not even know exists. 

the closest city is perth amboy. about 5 miles north across the bay, or 10 by road.

[other dog]

23 hours ago, Brocky said:

At least in Nu Joisey you do not have far to go to PA and get some.. Be Glad you do NOT live in the middle of Texas or Montana!!!!!!

No problem getting it here, but it's expensive. Last time I bought some it was still up close to $4 a gallon, $3.89 I believe. 

[Joey Mack]

Propane comes in its own sterile environment..  just sayin...

[other dog]

15 hours ago, mowerman said:

I do have an outside socket both sides of my house 

I have several outside sockets too, I was wondering the same. But nope, ain't gonna do it. I'm just going to get a generator extension cord, run that inside, and what I read said you could "SAFELY" run 3 extension cords from that cord. 

So I'm thinking internet, freezer/fridge, and a small electric heater or a fan in summer.

[other dog]

12 minutes ago, Joey Mack said:

Propane comes in its own sterile environment..  just sayin...

We passed by the hardware store before the storm the other day on the way to Appomattox. The parking lot was full and people were lined up for miles waiting to get propane. Or maybe lined up for several yards. Zina said " what is the reason that all those citizens are in line to purchase some propane to fill their propane tanks?" 

I said "so they can cook on their gas grills if the power goes out I guess". 

It never even occurred to me that it might be for a propane heater or propane powered generator, all I thought about was cooking!

[other dog]

...which reminds me of the time the power was out in Richmond one time for several days. This was years ago, and I think it was during the summer. I don't remember all the details of course, I don't remember a lot of details about yesterday. But one supermarket chain down there invited everybody to come and bring a grill and set it up in their parking lot. Then they gave everybody all the meat they could grill. 

They were going to have to throw it away anyway but instead of putting a dumpster in the parking lot to throw it in, like every other store did, they let people have it. I remember thinking that every one of the stores should have done it, but only one did. If I lived there that store would have been the only place I bought groceries from then on. 

And like I said, I don't remember if they couldn't get fuel for backup generators or what the story was there, but anyway they said "come on over- and bring your grill".

[mowerman]

Great story Tom thanks

[Joseph Cummings]

“The works of the roots of the vines, of the trees, must be destroyed to keep up the price, and this is the saddest, bitterest thing of all. Carloads of oranges dumped on the ground. The people came for miles to take the fruit, but this could not be. How would they buy oranges at twenty cents a dozen if they could drive out and pick them up? And men with hoses squirt kerosene on the oranges, and they are angry at the crime, angry at the people who have come to take the fruit. A million people hungry, needing the fruit- and kerosene sprayed over the golden mountains. And the smell of rot fills the country. Burn coffee for fuel in the ships. Burn corn to keep warm, it makes a hot fire. Dump potatoes in the rivers and place guards along the banks to keep the hungry people from fishing them out. Slaughter the pigs and bury them, and let the putrescence drip down into the earth.

There is a crime here that goes beyond denunciation. There is a sorrow here that weeping cannot symbolize. There is a failure here that topples all our success. The fertile earth, the straight tree rows, the sturdy trunks, and the ripe fruit. And children dying of pellagra must die because a profit cannot be taken from an orange. And coroners must fill in the certificate- died of malnutrition- because the food must rot, must be forced to rot. The people come with nets to fish for potatoes in the river, and the guards hold them back; they come in rattling cars to get the dumped oranges, but the kerosene is sprayed. And they stand still and watch the potatoes float by, listen to the screaming pigs being killed in a ditch and covered with quick-lime, watch the mountains of oranges slop down to a putrefying ooze; and in the eyes of the people there is the failure; and in the eyes of the hungry there is a growing wrath. In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage.”

― John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath

[other dog]

That reminds of of the bread. I saw this with my own two eyes. I know I've told the story before, but once upon a time I was delivering a load of steel in northern Virginia, Arlington, Alexandria or somewhere, it's all the same. I was parked outside of where I was delivering the next morning and the back side of a bakery was right across the street from me. This was in the summer too, didn't get dark until late. And I sat in the truck and watched a woman come out onto the dock behind the bakery pushing a cart that was taller than she was. It was stacked with trays of bread top to bottom. And she picked up each tray and dumped it into the dumpster that was beside the dock. And she went back inside and got cart after cart after cart of bread, and threw every loaf in the dumpster. I was tempted to go dumpster diving myself, but I figured with my luck she'd come out and catch me with just my feet sticking out of the dumpster.

I thought then that all that bread would feed a lot of homeless people, or it could have been used for hog feed, or SOMETHING besides just throwing it away like that. And the thing is, that probably takes place at every bakery, everywhere, every day. Probably past the expiration date or something and they couldn't sell it, so they they just throw it away. Such a waste.

[Joseph Cummings]

2 minutes ago, other dog said:

That reminds of of the bread. I saw this with my own two eyes. I know I've told the story before, but once upon a time I was delivering a load of steel in northern Virginia, Arlington, Alexandria or somewhere, it's all the same. I was parked outside of where I was delivering the next morning and the back side of a bakery was right across the street from me. This was in the summer too, didn't get dark until late. And I sat in the truck and watched a woman come out onto the dock behind the bakery pushing a cart that was taller than she was. It was stacked with trays of bread top to bottom. And she picked up each tray and dumped it into the dumpster that was beside the dock. And she went back inside and got cart after cart after cart of bread, and threw every loaf in the dumpster. I was tempted to go dumpster diving myself, but I figured with my luck she'd come out and catch me with just my feet sticking out of the dumpster.

I thought then that all that bread would feed a lot of homeless people, or it could have been used for hog feed, or SOMETHING besides just throwing it away like that. And the thing is, that probably takes place at every bakery, everywhere, every day. Probably past the expiration date or something and they couldn't sell it, so they they just throw it away. Such a waste.

I was friends with this older woman from the church that ran the food bank. She was diabetic, and got a non healing wound that took her off her feet for about 2 months. So she asked me to do her pickup route with my pickup truck until she got better. I hit like 3 supermarkets with bakeries and it would fill my entire 8 foot bed near to the top with food. All kinds of stuff, but so much bread, cakes, pastries, pies. I asked them what they do with it all when she doesn't come to get it, and they told me they toss it in the dumpster. Same deal though, it was all loaded in heaping carts on the loading dock. 

[other dog]

I read "The Grapes of Wrath", many years ago.

[Joseph Cummings]

1 hour ago, other dog said:

I read "The Grapes of Wrath", many years ago.

It was a good book. And I guess Steinbeck knew a little about engines

 

Al grew tense over the wheel. A little rattle had developed in the engine. He speeded up and the rattle increased. He retarded his spark and listened, and then he speeded up for a moment and listened. The rattle increased to a metallic pounding. Al blew his horn and pulled the car to the side of the road. Ahead the truck pulled up and then backed slowly. Three cars raced by, westward, and each one blew its horn and the last driver leaned out and yelled, "Where the hell ya think you're stoppin'?" Tom backed the truck close, and then he got out and walked to the touring car. From the back of the loaded truck heads looked down. Al retarded his spark and listened to his idling motor. Tom asked, "What's a matter, Al?" Al speeded the motor. "Listen to her." The rattling pound was louder now. Tom listened. "Put up your spark an' idle," he said. He opened the hood and put his head inside. "Now speed her." He listened for a moment and then closed the hood. "Well, I guess you're right, Al," he said. "Con-rod bearing, ain't it?" "Sounds like it," said Tom. "I kep' plenty oil in," Al complained. "Well, it jus' didn' get to her. Drier'n a bitch monkey now. Well, there ain't nothin' to do but tear her out. Look, I'll pull ahead an' find a flat place to stop. You come ahead slow. Don't knock the pan out of her." Wilson asked, "Is it bad?" "Purty bad," said Tom, and walked back to the truck and moved slowly ahead. Al explained, "I don't know what made her go out. I give her plenty of oil." Al knew the blame was on him. He felt his failure. Ma said, "It ain't your fault. You done ever'thing right." And then she asked a little timidly, "Is it terrible bad?" "Well, it's hard to get at, an' we got to get a new con-rod or else some babbitt in this one." He sighed deeply. "I sure am glad Tom's here. I never fitted no bearing. Hope to Jesus Tom did." A huge red billboard stood beside the road ahead, and it threw a great oblong shadow. Tom edged the truck off the road and across the shallow roadside ditch, and he pulled up in the shadow. He got out and waited until Al came up. "Now go easy," he called. "Take her slow or you'll break a spring too." Al's face went red with anger. He throttled down his motor. "Goddamn it," he yelled, "I didn't burn that bearin' out! What d'ya mean, I'll bust a spring too?" Tom grinned. "Keep all four feet on the groun'," he said. "I didn' mean nothin'. Just take her easy over this ditch." Al grumbled as he inched the touring car down, and up the other side. "Don't you go givin' nobody no idear I burned out that bearin'." The engine clattered loudly now. Al pulled into the shade and shut down the motor. Tom lifted the hood and braced it. "Can't even start on her before she cools off," he said. The family piled down from the cars and clustered about the touring car. Pa asked, "How bad?" And he squatted on his hams. Tom turned to Al. "Ever fitted one?" "No," said Al, "I never. 'Course I had pans off." Tom said, "Well, we got to tear the pan off an' get the rod out, an' we got to get a new part an' hone her an' shim her an' fit her. Good day's job. Got to go back to that las' place for a part, Santa Rosa. Albuquerque's about seventy-five miles on—Oh, Jesus, tomorra's Sunday! We can't get nothin' tomorra." The family stood silently. Ruthie crept close and peered into the open hood, hoping to see the broken part. Tom went on softly, "Tomorra's Sunday. Monday we'll get the thing an' prob'ly won't get her fitted 'fore Tuesday. We ain't got the tools to make it easy. Gonna be a job." The shadow of a buzzard slid across the earth, and the family all looked up at the sailing black bird. Pa said, "What I'm scairt of is we'll run outa money so we can't git there 't all. Here's all us eatin', an' got to buy gas an' oil. 'F we run outa money, I don' know what we gonna do." Wilson said, "Seems like it's my fault. This here goddamn wreck's give me trouble right along. You folks been nice to us. Now you jus' pack up an' get along. Me an' Sairy'll stay, an' we'll figger some way. We don't aim to put you folks out none." Pa said slowly. "We ain't a-gonna do it. We got almost a kin bond. Grampa, he died in your tent." Sairy said tiredly, "We been nothin' but trouble, nothin' but trouble." Tom slowly made a cigarette, and inspected it and lighted it. He took off his ruined cap and wiped his forehead. "I got an idear," he said. "Maybe nobody gonna like it, but here she is: The nearer to California our folks get, the quicker they's gonna be money rollin' in. Now this here car'll go twicet as fast as that truck. Now here's my idea. You take out some a that stuff in the truck, an' then all you folks but me an' the preacher get in an' move on. Me an' Casy'll stop here an' fix this here car an' then we drive on, day an' night, an' we'll catch up, or if we don't meet on the road, you'll be a-workin' anyways. An' if you break down, why, jus' camp 'longside the road till we come. You can't be no worse off, an' if you get through, why, you'll be a-workin', an' stuff'll be easy. Casy can give me a lif' with this here car, an' we'll come a-sailin'." The gathered family considered it. Uncle John dropped to his hams beside Pa. Al said, "Won't ya need me to give ya a han' with that con-rod?" "You said your own se'f you never fixed one." "That's right," Al agreed. "All ya got to have is a strong back. Maybe the preacher don' wanta stay." "Well—whoever—I don' care," said Tom. Pa scratched the dry earth with his forefinger. "I kind a got a notion Tom's right," he said. "It ain't goin' ta do no good all of us stayin' here. We can get fifty, a hunderd miles on 'fore dark." Ma said worriedly, "How you gonna find us?" "We'll be on the same road," said Tom. "Sixty-six right on through. Come to a place name' Bakersfiel'. Seen it on the map I got. You go straight on there." "Yeah, but when we get to California an' spread out sideways off this road—?" "Don't you worry," Tom reassured her. "We're gonna find ya. California ain't the whole world." "Looks like an awful big place on the map," said Ma. Pa appealed for advice. "John, you see any reason why not?" "No," said John. "Mr. Wilson, it's your car. You got any objections if my boy fixes her an' brings her on?" "I don't see none," said Wilson. "Seems like you folks done ever'thing for us awready. Don' see why I cain't give your boy a han'." "You can be workin', layin' in a little money, if we don' ketch up with ya," said Tom. "An' suppose we all jus' lay aroun' here. There ain't no water here, an' we can't move this here car. But s'pose you all git out there an' git to work. Why, you'd have money, an' maybe a house to live in. How about it, Casy? Wanna stay with me an' gimme a lif'?" "I wanna do what's bes' for you folks," said Casy. "You took me in, carried me along. I'll do whatever." "Well, you'll lay on your back an' get grease in your face if you stay here," Tom said. "Suits me awright." Pa said, "Well, if that's the way she's gonna go, we better get a-shovin'. We can maybe squeeze in a hunderd miles 'fore we stop." Ma stepped in front of him. "I ain't a-gonna go." "What you mean, you ain't gonna go? You got to go. You got to look after the family." Pa was amazed at the revolt. Ma stepped to the touring car and reached in on the floor of the back seat. She brought out a jack handle and balanced it in her hand easily. "I ain't a-gonna go," she said. "I tell you, you got to go. We made up our mind." And now Ma's mouth set hard. She said softly, "On'y way you gonna get me to go is whup me." She moved the jack handle gently again. "An' I'll shame you, Pa. I won't take no whuppin', cryin' an' a-beggin'. I'll light into you. An' you ain't so sure you can whup me anyways. An' if ya do get me, I swear to God I'll wait till you got your back turned, or you're settin' down, an' I'll knock you belly-up with a bucket. I swear to Holy Jesus' sake I will." Pa looked helplessly about the group. "She sassy," he said. "I never seen her so sassy." Ruthie giggled shrilly. The jack handle flicked hungrily back and forth in Ma's hand. "Come on," said Ma. "You made up your mind. Come on an' whup me. Jus' try it. But I ain't a-goin'; or if I do, you ain't gonna get no sleep, 'cause I'll wait an' I'll wait, an' jus' the minute you take sleep in your eyes, I'll slap ya with a stick a stove wood." "So goddamn sassy," Pa murmured. "An' she ain't young, neither." The whole group watched the revolt. They watched Pa, waiting for him to break into fury. They watched his lax hands to see the fists form. And Pa's anger did not rise, and his hands hung limply at his sides. And in a moment the group knew that Ma had won. And Ma knew it too. Tom said, "Ma, what's eatin' on you? What ya wanna do this-a-way for? What's the matter'th you anyways? You gone johnrabbit on us?" Ma's face softened, but her eyes were still fierce. "You done this 'thout thinkin' much," Ma said. "What we got lef' in the worl'? Nothin' but us. Nothin' but the folks. We come out an' Grampa he reached for the shovel-shelf right off. An' now, right off, you wanna bust up the folks—" Tom cried, "Ma, we gonna catch up with ya. We wasn't gonna be gone long." Ma waved the jack handle. "S'pose we was camped, and you went on by. S'pose we got on through, how'd we know where to leave the word, an' how'd you know where to ask?" She said, "We got a bitter road. Granma's sick. She's up there on the truck apawin' for a shovel herself. She's jus' tar'd out. We got a long bitter road ahead." Uncle John said, "But we could be makin' some money. We could have a little bit saved up, come time the other folks got there." The eyes of the whole family shifted back to Ma. She was the power. She had taken control. "The money we'd make wouldn't do no good," she said. "All we got is the family unbroke. Like a bunch a cows, when the lobos are ranging, stick all together. I ain't scared while we're all here, all that's alive, but I ain't gonna see us bust up. The Wilsons here is with us, an' the preacher is with us. I can't say nothin' if they want to go, but I'm a-goin' cat-wild with this here piece a bar-arn if my own folks busts up." Her tone was cold and final. Tom said soothingly, "Ma, we can't all camp here. Ain't no water here. Ain't even much shade here. Granma, she needs shade." "All right," said Ma. "We'll go along. We'll stop first place they's water an' shade. An'—the truck'll come back an' take you in town to get your part, an' it'll bring you back. You ain't goin' walkin' along in the sun, an' I ain't havin' you out all alone, so if you get picked up there ain't nobody of your folks to he'p ya." Tom drew his lips over his teeth and then snapped them open. He spread his hands helplessly and let them flop against his sides. "Pa," he said, "if you was to rush her one side an' me the other an' then the res' pile on, an' Granma jump down on top, maybe we can get Ma 'thout more'n two-three of us gets killed with that there jack handle. But if you ain't willin' to get your head smashed, I guess Ma's went an' filled her flush. Jesus Christ, one person with their mind made up can shove a lot of folks aroun'! You win, Ma. Put away that jack handle 'fore you hurt somebody." Ma looked in astonishment at the bar of iron. Her hand trembled. She dropped her weapon on the ground, and Tom, with elaborate care, picked it up and put it back in the car. He said, "Pa, you jus' got set back on your heels. Al, you drive the folks on an' get 'em camped, an' then you bring the truck back here. Me an' the preacher'll get the pan off. Then, if we can make it, we'll run in Santa Rosa an' try an' get a con-rod. Maybe we can, seein' it's Sat'dy night. Get jumpin' now so we can go. Lemme have the monkey wrench an' pliers outa the truck." He reached under the car and felt the greasy pan. "Oh, yeah, lemme have a can, that ol' bucket, to catch the oil. Got to save that." Al handed over the bucket and Tom set it under the car and loosened the oil cap with a pair of pliers. The black oil flowed down his arm while he unscrewed the cap with his fingers, and then the black stream ran silently into the bucket. Al had loaded the family on the truck by the time the bucket was half full. Tom, his face already smudged with oil, looked out between the wheels. "Get back fast!" he called. And he was loosening the pan bolts as the truck moved gently across the shallow ditch and crawled away. Tom turned each bolt a single turn, loosening them evenly to spare the gasket. The preacher knelt beside the wheels. "What can I do?" "Nothin', not right now. Soon's the oil's out an' I get these here bolts loose, you can he'p me drop the pan off." He squirmed away under the car, loosening the bolts with a wrench and turning them out with his fingers. He left the bolts on each end loosely threaded to keep the pan from dropping. "Ground's still hot under here," Tom said. And then, "Say, Casy, you been awful goddamn quiet the las' few days. Why, Jesus! When I first come up with you, you was makin' a speech ever' half-hour or so. An' here you ain't said ten words the las' couple days. What's a matter—gettin' sour?" Casy was stretched out on his stomach, looking under the car. His chin, bristly with sparse whiskers, rested on the back of one hand. His hat was pushed back so that it covered the back of his neck. "I done enough talkin' when I was a preacher to las' the rest a my life," he said. "Yeah, but you done some talkin' sence, too." "I'm all worried up," Casy said. "I didn' even know it when I was a-preachin' aroun', but I was doin' consid'able tom-cattin' aroun'. If I ain't gonna preach no more, I got to get married. Why, Tommy, I'm a-lustin' after the flesh." "Me too," said Tom. "Say, the day I come outa McAlester I was smokin'. I run me down a girl, a hoor girl, like she was a rabbit. I won't tell ya what happened. I wouldn't tell nobody what happened." Casy laughed. "I know what happened. I went a-fastin' into the wilderness one time, an' when I come out the same damn thing happened to me." "Hell it did!" said Tom. "Well, I saved my money anyway, an' I give that girl a run. Thought I was nuts. I should a paid her, but I on'y got five bucks to my name. She said she didn't want no money. Here, roll in under here an' grab a-holt. I'll tap her loose. Then you turn out that bolt an' I turn out my end, an' we let her down easy. Careful that gasket. See, she comes off in one piece. They's on'y four cylinders to these here ol' Dodges. I took one down one time. Got main bearings big as a cantaloupe. Now—let her down—hold it. Reach up an' pull down that gasket where it's stuck—easy now. There!" The greasy pan lay on the ground between them, and a little oil still lay in the wells. Tom reached into one of the front wells and picked out some broken pieces of babbitt. "There she is," he said. He turned the babbitt in his fingers. "Shaft's up. Look in back an' get the crank. Turn her over till I tell you." Casy got to his feet and found the crank and fitted it. "Ready?" "Reach—now easy—little more—little more—right there." Casy kneeled down and looked under again. Tom rattled the connecting-rod bearing against the shaft. "There she is." "What ya s'pose done it?" Casy asked. "Oh, hell, I don' know! This buggy been on the road thirteen years. Says sixtythousand miles on the speedometer. That means a hunderd an' sixty, an' God knows how many times they turned the numbers back. Gets hot—maybe somebody let the oil get low—jus' went out." He pulled the cotter-pins and put his wrench on a bearing bolt. He strained and the wrench slipped. A long gash appeared on the back of his hand. Tom looked at it—the blood flowed evenly from the wound and met the oil and dripped into the pan. "That's too bad," Casy said. "Want I should do that an' you wrap up your han'?" "Hell, no! I never fixed no car in my life 'thout cuttin' myself. Now it's done I don't have to worry no more." He fitted the wrench again. "Wisht I had a crescent wrench," he said, and he hammered the wrench with the butt of his hand until the bolts loosened. He took them out and laid them with the pan bolts in the pan, and the cotter-pins with them. He loosened the bearing bolts and pulled out the piston. He put piston and connecting-rod in the pan. "There, by God!" He squirmed free from under the car and pulled the pan out with him. He wiped his hand on a piece of gunny sacking and inspected the cut. "Bleedin' like a son-of-a-bitch," he said. "Well, I can stop that." He urinated on the ground, picked up a handful of the resulting mud, and plastered it over the wound. Only for a moment did the blood ooze out, and then it stopped. "Best damn thing in the worl' to stop bleedin'," he said. "Han'ful a spider web'll do it too," said Casy. "I know, but there ain't no spider web, an' you can always get piss." Tom sat on the running board and inspected the broken bearing. "Now if we can on'y find a '25 Dodge an' get a used con-rod an' some shims, maybe we'll make her all right. Al must a gone a hell of a long ways." The shadow of the billboard was sixty feet out by now. The afternoon lengthened away. Casy sat down on the running board and looked westward. "We gonna be in high mountains pretty soon," he said, and he was silent for a few moments. Then, "Tom!" "Yeah?" "Tom, I been watchin' the cars on the road, them we passed an' them that passed us. I been keepin' track." "Track a what?" "Tom, they's hunderds a families like us all a-goin' west. I watched. There ain't none of 'em goin' east—hunderds of 'em. Did you notice that?" "Yeah, I noticed." "Why—it's like—it's like they was runnin' away from soldiers. It's like a whole country is movin'." "Yeah," Tom said. "They is a whole country movin'. We're movin' too." "Well—s'pose all these here folks an' ever'body—s'pose they can't get no jobs out there?" "Goddamn it!" Tom cried. "How'd I know? I'm jus' puttin' one foot in front a the other. I done it at Mac for four years, jus' marchin' in cell an' out cell an' in mess an' out mess. Jesus Christ, I thought it'd be somepin different when I come out! Couldn't think a nothin' in there, else you go stir happy, an' now can't think a nothin'." He turned on Casy. "This here bearing went out. We didn' know it was goin' so we didn' worry none. Now she's out an' we'll fix her. An' by Christ that goes for the rest of it! I ain't gonna worry. I can't do it. This here little piece of iron an' babbitt. See it? Ya see it? Well, that's the only goddamn thing in the world I got on my mind. I wonder where the hell Al is." Casy said, "Now look, Tom. Oh, what the hell! So goddamn hard to say anything." Tom lifted the mud pack from his hand and threw it on the ground. The edge of the wound was lined with dirt. He glanced over to the preacher. "You're fixin' to make a speech," Tom said. "Well, go ahead. I like speeches. Warden used to make speeches all the time. Didn't do us no harm an' he got a hell of a bang out of it! What you tryin' to roll out?" Casy picked the backs of his long knotty fingers. "They's stuff goin' on and they's folks doin' things. Them people layin' one foot down in front of the other, like you says, they ain't thinkin' where they're goin', like you says—but they're all layin' 'em down the same direction, jus' the same. An' if ya listen, you'll hear a movin', an' a sneakin', an' a rustlin', an'—an' a res'lessness. They's stuff goin' on that the folks doin' it don't know nothin' about—yet. They's gonna come somepin outa all these folks goin' wes'—outa all their farms lef' lonely. They's gonna come a thing that's gonna change the whole country." Tom said, "I'm still layin' my dogs down one at a time." "Yeah, but when a fence comes up at ya, ya gonna climb that fence." "I climb fences when I got fences to climb," said Tom. Casy sighed. "It's the bes' way. I gotta agree. But they's different kinda fences. They's folks like me that climbs fences that ain't even strang up yet—an' can't he'p it." "Ain't that Al a-comin'?" Tom asked. "Yeah. Looks like." Tom stood up and wrapped the connecting-rod and both halves of the bearing in the piece of sack. "Wanta make sure I get the same," he said. The truck pulled alongside the road and Al leaned out the window. Tom said, "You was a hell of a long time. How far'd you go?" Al sighed. "Got the rod out?" "Yeah." Tom held up the sack. "Babbitt jus' broke down." "Well, it wasn't no fault of mine," said Al. "No. Where'd you take the folks?" "We had a mess," Al said. "Granma got to bellerin', an' that set Rosasharn off an' she bellered some. Got her head under a mattress an' bellered. But Granma, she was just layin' back her jaw an' bayin' like a moonlight houn' dog. Seems like Granma ain't got no sense no more. Like a little baby. Don' speak to nobody, don' seem to reco'nize nobody. Jus' talks on like she's talkin' to Grampa." "Where'd ya leave 'em?" Tom insisted. "Well, we come to a camp. Got shade an' got water in pipes. Costs half a dollar a day to stay there. But ever'body's so goddamn tired an' wore out an' mis'able, they stayed there. Ma says they got to 'cause Granma's so tired an' wore out. Got Wilson's tent up an' got our tarp for a tent. I think Granma gone nuts." Tom looked toward the lowering sun. "Casy," he said, "somebody got to stay with this car or she'll get stripped. You jus' as soon?" "Sure. I'll stay." Al took a paper bag from the seat. "This here's some bread an' meat Ma sent, an' I got a jug a water here." "She don't forget nobody," said Casy. Tom got in beside Al. "Look," he said. "We'll get back jus' as soon's we can. But we can't tell how long." "I'll be here." "Awright. Don't make no speeches to yourself. Get goin', Al." The truck moved off in the late afternoon. "He's a nice fella," Tom said. "He thinks about stuff all the time." "Well, hell—if you been a preacher, I guess you got to. Pa's all mad about it costs fifty cents jus' to camp under a tree. He can't see that noways. Settin' a-cussin'. Says nex' thing they'll sell ya a little tank a air. But Ma says they gotta be near shade an' water 'cause a Granma." The truck rattled along the highway, and now that it was unloaded, every part of it rattled and clashed. The side-board of the bed, the cut body. It rode hard and light. Al put it up to thirty-eight miles an hour and the engine clattered heavily and a blue smoke of burning oil drifted up through the floor boards. "Cut her down some," Tom said. "You gonna burn her right down to the hub caps. What's eatin' on Granma?" "I don't know. 'Member the las' couple days she's been airy-nary, sayin' nothin' to nobody? Well, she's yellin' an' talkin' plenty now, on'y she's talkin' to Grampa. Yellin' at him. Kinda scary, too. You can almos' see 'im a-settin' there grinnin' at her the way he always done, a-fingerin' hisself an' grinnin'. Seems like she sees him a-settin' there, too. She's jus' givin' him hell. Say, Pa, he give me twenty dollars to hand you. He don' know how much you gonna need. Ever see Ma stand up to 'im like she done today?" "Not I remember. I sure did pick a nice time to get paroled. I figgered I was gonna lay aroun' an' get up late an' eat a lot when I come home. I was goin' out and dance, an' I was gonna go tom-cattin'—an' here I ain't had time to do none of them things." Al said, "I forgot. Ma give me a lot a stuff to tell you. She says don't drink nothin', an' don' get in no arguments, an' don't fight nobody. 'Cause she says she's scairt you'll get sent back." "She got plenty to get worked up about 'thout me givin' her no trouble," said Tom. "Well, we could get a couple beers, can't we? I'm jus' a-ravin' for a beer." "I dunno," said Tom. "Pa'd crap a litter of lizards if we buy beers." "Well, look, Tom. I got six dollars. You an' me could get a couple pints an' go down the line. Nobody don't know I got that six bucks. Christ, we could have a hell of a time for ourselves." "Keep ya jack," Tom said. "When we get out to the coast you an' me'll take her an' we'll raise hell. Maybe when we're workin'—" He turned in the seat. "I didn' think you was a fella to go down the line. I figgered you was talkin' 'em out of it." "Well, hell, I don't know nobody here. If I'm gonna ride aroun' much, I'm gonna get married. I'm gonna have me a hell of a time when we get to California." "Hope so," said Tom. "You ain't sure a nothin' no more." "No, I ain't sure a nothin'." "When ya killed that fella—did—did ya ever dream about it or anything? Did it worry ya?" "No." "Well, didn' ya never think about it?" "Sure. I was sorry 'cause he was dead." "Ya didn't take no blame to yourself?" "No. I done my time, an' I done my own time." "Was it—awful bad—there?" Tom said nervously, "Look, Al. I done my time, an' now it's done. I don' wanna do it over an' over. There's the river up ahead, an' there's the town. Let's jus' try an' get a con-rod an' the hell with the res' of it." "Ma's awful partial to you," said Al. "She mourned when you was gone. Done it all to herself. Kinda cryin' down inside of her throat. We could tell what she was thinkin' about, though." Tom pulled his cap down low over his eyes. "Now look here, Al. S'pose we talk 'bout some other stuff."

 

https://ca01001129.schoolwires.net/cms/lib/CA01001129/Centricity/Domain/270/grapes_of_wrath_john_steinbeck2.pdf

[Joey Mack]

W.T.F.?  Is there anything you don't know???  Oh my God..  Genius...  👍

[mowerman]

I worked for a bakery back in the 70s we didn’t have much waste but what we did a pig farmer used to show up every morning and take close to expiration products also worked at a truck tire shop way back in 73 boss would tell me and he was way cool keeping that in mind … he told us to tear  old truck tubes that were questionable too large holes to repair and re use so young kids could not take them out of the dumpster and use them at the beach instead I used to patch them behind the bosses back and give them to young kids coming in asking for old truck inner tubes 

[cruiseliner64]

Nice one JC  Bit of culture to teach us how well off we are.....

Paul

[JoeH]

On 1/10/2025 at 7:48 PM, mowerman said:

Thanks I was wondering about that I also was wondering it that would work 

Some consideration should be given for circuit breaker protection since whatever circuit you're back feeding into would now be protected by the breaker on the generator, and I'd imagine the rest of the back feed into the house has to go through the panel breaker.  I've never had to use my dad's setup, so idk if you need to shut off the Main Breaker so you aren't bleeding power out to your neighbors, lol...

[mowerman]

Yeah, I was wondering about that too

[other dog]

Yeah, there's too much about electricity that I just don't know. I know how to run the extension cord though, that's about it.

[Joey Mack]

You MUST shut the main breaker when back feeding the panel..you can send power to the street, and into a lineman making a repair .

[tjc transport]

25 minutes ago, JoeH said:

Some consideration should be given for circuit breaker protection since whatever circuit you're back feeding into would now be protected by the breaker on the generator, and I'd imagine the rest of the back feed into the house has to go through the panel breaker.  I've never had to use my dad's setup, so idk if you need to shut off the Main Breaker so you aren't bleeding power out to your neighbors, lol...

if you are back feeding the power panel, you MUST turn off the main breaker before plugging in. otherwise you will also feed the main line. and when power comes back on, there is a very good chance your genset will explode at minimum. it could very well catch on fire too. 

[Joseph Cummings]

1 hour ago, Joey Mack said:

You MUST shut the main breaker when back feeding the panel..you can send power to the street, and into a lineman making a repair .

Yeah and you will be back feeding the transformer, meaning that you will be energizing the primary which in most residential areas is about 7,200 volts. So if there is a primary wire laying on the ground somewhere in the neighborhood, touching it is deadly, not just a little shock.

Transformers work both ways

[Joseph Cummings]

1 hour ago, tjc transport said:

if you are back feeding the power panel, you MUST turn off the main breaker before plugging in. otherwise you will also feed the main line. and when power comes back on, there is a very good chance your genset will explode at minimum. it could very well catch on fire too. 

Yeah, like what killed John Griffin's family at 3 AM when the power came on after Hurricane Sandy. @yarnallknew him. Big time Brockway guy

That happened about a mile down the street from my house. Seeing it made my blood run cold

https://patch.com/pennsylvania/bensalem/two-die-in-storm-related-fatal-fire

 

Edited January 12 by Joseph Cummings

[Freightrain]

All permanent gensets have disconnects that are built in so that it can't backfeed.

Before even starting a generator, turn off your main breaker(large one usually at the top of panel) and then go about hooking up Genset and get it running.  Write it down if need be as special instructions to do it the same everytime you need power.

 

Basic consideration is an extension cord is good for 15 amps.  One is good for a frig and a few lights and maybe a well pump.  One for furnace, one for AC is safe.  The starting current on the motors is what really hurts on big items.

Example:

3600 watt generator is good for 30 amps (3600 watt/ 120volt = 30amps).  So two extension cords.

[tjc transport]

my jump cord from the portable 10KW or welder is 6 gauge wire.

or good for 60 amps max. but seeing i am only going through a 50 amp breaker, i am safe.

and since the welder is also only 10,kw generator, i am also safe as they only produce 41-42 amps constant at 240 volts.