[AT] Old tractors and old men

Chuck Bealke bealke at airmail.net
Sat Feb 4 03:15:08 PST 2017


Greg,

Shall pray that your physical challenges get resolved or diminish.  Mercy, you have sure struck a nerve here among like kind. At 74 will count my blessings every day I don’t require a caretaker, diapers, mental tests or other horrors that seem to roost like watching vultures as we take our turn at the senior years lottery. 
Funny how you get accustomed to things, such as:
1)  Bathroom looks like a drugstore, and I know more about way more kinds of pills than
      I ever thought a body would want to - like what they taste like and don’t mix with.
2) No longer having access to welding, having a shop and tools, and such. But am finding it easier 
    not to envy guys that can lift, bend or squeeze things like I used to without giving it 
    a second thought. Can admit my serious handling of hay bales is past.
3) How much older that guy staring at me when I shave looks than the way I feel.
4) Becoming ever more experienced in frequent geezer games such as colonoscopies,
    rear door manual checks of enlarged prostate, etc.  Shots and blood draws are like pesky mosquitoes
    that ignore cold weather.
5) Beautiful gals I encounter in stores are so much nicer now because I remind them of their
    grandfather. Just hope it's not my forgetfulness that reminds them of him. 
But there is still much that is good with the challenges. Went on a mission trip to help build a house for the poor in Mexico last week. True, about all I could do was to move cement blocks and help shovel mortar. But before I returned across the border, went alone into a drug store in Juarez and bought some generic Viagra (sildenafil) for less than a buck and a half apiece. Best deal I’ve found in ages.

Chuck Bealke
Dallas






> On Feb 3, 2017, at 10:32 PM, Cecil Bearden <crbearden at copper.net> wrote:
> 
> I must say that if I  did not have my cattle and tractors to work on, I 
> would probably not be able to move in a short while.  The movement keeps 
> my joints from freezing completely.   When I get depressed about my 
> situation, I just look at the servicemen and women who are in rehab or 
> trying to feed a family and I get over it.  We all have our crosses to 
> bear.  We should all thank God that we are still able to work, even if 
> it is 1 hour a day..
> 
> Cecil in OKla
> 
> 
> On 2/3/2017 4:12 PM, David Bruce wrote:
>> I'm fortunate to not have chronic pain. I saw my mom go through that.
>> That said any day you wake up is a good day.
>> 
>> David
>> 
>> NW NC
>> 
>> 
>> On 2/3/2017 4:59 PM, Cecil Bearden wrote:
>>> If I ever wake up pain free, I know I must be dead!!!!!!!!!    I embrace
>>> pain..  It tells me that I am still alive.
>>> 
>>> Cecil in oKLa
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On 2/3/2017 3:22 PM, tmehrkam at sbcglobal.net wrote:
>>>> My dad worked hard until he was 88. Built 4 miles of fence at 85. Passed at 91.   I am only 64 so there is hope.
>>>> 
>>>>         From: Dennis Johnson <moscowengnr at outlook.com>
>>>>    To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>>>>    Sent: Friday, February 3, 2017 1:49 PM
>>>>    Subject: Re: [AT] Old tractors and old men
>>>> 
>>>> David,
>>>> 
>>>> I have been blessed by God with reasonably good health. I will be 67 next month. I still can do a lot, just not as fast or as long as I used to do it.
>>>> Last trip to Okla, I installed soffits and outside lights on the cabin I am building, and set a steel post in the ground on a shop building I am building. Used small electric jack hammer to get through the last few inches of sandstone in the bottom of the hole I dug, because a steel bar was too much work to break the rock. Started the shop over 10 years ago, and took a while to get round tuit's working. Plan setting 2 more posts next trip, and installing combo A/C heater unit in cabin wall so it then can be insulated. It is still enjoyable and relaxing to go there and be able to do what I do. I am not in a race!
>>>> I feel a little bit like my IHC 2504 - missing on 1 cylinder, but for small projects who cares. Has a fuel issue where it runs good for a while, and then needs to stop and set a bit for the fuel to refill the carb bowl. It is not in shape to do 8 hours of heavy loading, but neither am I so the tractor and I match well.
>>>> 
>>>> Thanks
>>>> Dennis
>>>> 
>>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>> 
>>>>> On Feb 3, 2017, at 1:08 PM, "tmehrkam at sbcglobal.net" <tmehrkam at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> You guys are depressing.  It sounds like you are in about the same shape as most parts Tractors. :-{
>>>>> 
>>>>> I hope things pick up for you. I do not like seeing where I am going.
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>>         From: David Bruce <tractor57 at gmail.com>
>>>>> To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>>>>> Sent: Friday, February 3, 2017 12:11 PM
>>>>> Subject: Re: [AT] Old tractors and old men
>>>>> 
>>>>> Not there yet but still dealing with the effects of a stroke in 2002.
>>>>> Spent 10 weeks in ICU and rehab. Had a meeting with my maker but decided
>>>>> my work here was not done. The outcome is a lot of my plans were
>>>>> derailed but I wake up every morning with an appreciation of the day.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Today we have cows in the backyard - not my cows but from my pasture
>>>>> which I rent. My dog is NOT happy - things not in place.
>>>>> 
>>>>> David
>>>>> 
>>>>> NW NC and happy in my briar patch
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>>> On 2/2/2017 8:19 PM, Greg Hass wrote:
>>>>>> This will be somewhat of a ramble and may wander so bare with me. Lately
>>>>>> it seems some have hinted at problems so I suspect I am not alone. At 69
>>>>>> much of what I thought would be the fun in life has left. Many of the
>>>>>> things I looked forward to enjoying are going by the wayside. My brain
>>>>>> is at about 35 years old but my body says go to he- double hockey
>>>>>> sticks. A few months ago I found out my back is shot and can not be
>>>>>> fixed.  It started 5 years ago while planting spring crops, every night
>>>>>> I ran a small fever and in the morning I was fine only to run a fever
>>>>>> again that night. After about 3 weeks I went to the doctor who ran some
>>>>>> tests and found nothing. A week later the fever spiked and I went to the
>>>>>> emergency room about midnight. More tests were run which showed nothing.
>>>>>> The doctor said it had to be hiding somewhere and ordered a cat scan. A
>>>>>> couple of hours later the results were in. For at least a month I had a
>>>>>> ruptured appendix. That was bad enough, but come morning, they told me
>>>>>> one of my kidneys had cancer. Six weeks later, I had surgery and they
>>>>>> removed my appendix and my kidney. Fast forward to late fall; at the
>>>>>> last checkup for the surgery, they told me I had prostate cancer. 50
>>>>>> radiation treatments later I was moving forward but had lost the
>>>>>> interest to do a lot of things. I have the best shop of my life to work
>>>>>> in. It is only 24 x 24 but is heated and I have some nice tools such as
>>>>>> a bridgeport  mill, torches and 3 welders plus other tools but have lost
>>>>>> the go to it to go out and work plus my back is always sore. As someone
>>>>>> has mentioned, if I get down on my knees I must get a hold of something
>>>>>> to get up. Also for the last 4 years I have not enjoyed the 3 tractor
>>>>>> shows I like to attend each year because of the pain in my hips only
>>>>>> lets me walk about 200 feet at a time so I don't see much. I thought it
>>>>>> was bad muscles but now know it was my back. For this year I hope to
>>>>>> enjoy shows more as I bought a small electric handicapped scooter. None
>>>>>> of our shows allow golf carts or 4 wheelers of any kind. 3 years ago I
>>>>>> took my Polaris Ranger to one and it was great, but someone  else with
>>>>>> one "bumped" someone and they sued the tractor show and that ended that.
>>>>>> Handicapped scooters are allowed as they only hold one person and are
>>>>>> slow moving. I guess the purpose of all this is how do some of this list
>>>>>> handle problems and work on old tractors and such. I farm 110 acres and
>>>>>> only have 2 pieces of equipment under 40 years old.  I used to look
>>>>>> forward to getting  up in the morning and working on equipment.  All my
>>>>>> life I have enjoyed working on mechanical things but now I still want to
>>>>>> do it but I can't get the will power to do it. It's not the lack of time
>>>>>> as I have lots of that but no getting it done. How do others on the list
>>>>>> with health problems get it done. I don't want to sound like I'm
>>>>>> complaining as I have much to be thankful for, however , not being able
>>>>>> to work without pain and even then taking all day for a 1 hour job does
>>>>>> get me down. I hope my thoughts are sort of clear and are not to off
>>>>>> topic as these problems affect old iron in a big way.
>>>>>>                     Greg Hass
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