me 'n ole David

Me 'n ole David Morgan, my potter buddy, dodged the big bullet this week, and got our introduction into being old farts. That's right, Older landed gentlemen with some simblance of good sense.

David called to ask "You got a jack?"

I said, "Yeah, David, why?"

"The rear tire on my tractor's flat......pause

WARNING Will Robinson WARNING Will Robinson!

Now David has just gotten his wrist operated on for the second time, and I just had a belly button rearrangement. David's talking about changing a rear tractor tire by himself?  At home, no help, or supervision. David and I need supervision, especially if left to our own devices.

My years of experience said WARNING, Pat Shields.

You have to know David Morgan. This man is a bit accident prone and as determined as the old Morgan namesake to make right his threats. This tire we're talkin about is 24" wide, and on a 24 "  rim, with 8 or 10 1" lug bolts to break. The  tire is filled with fluid for weight... 40 gallons of water at 8 lbs a gallon plus the fact it's salt water...say 350 lbs.  The rim and tire about 350lbs... say 700 lbs, conservatively. David weigh maybe 180.. with a month old wrist repair that hasn't even been tested in the pottery shop yet...his bread and butter. 

I think (hope?) after some preliminary forays wrestling a 700 lb gorilla, he was over come with the futility of the situation...the first step in becoming an old fart. Second step was calling another old fart for help.  David is on the cusp of "old fartedness", in his mid 50's, body and brain have not "male merged" into using more user friendly work ethic. Who would have ever thunk I couldn't pick up a 700 lb tractor tire at his age?  It is not an easy transition, people.

 I said, " Let's load it up on my truck and trailer and take it to someone who knows how to do it..."

"PAY someone?"

 Well, that's what happened. The first place we took it to turned white and said " Naw, better keep driving."

Finally. we found a place in another town that would tackle it. David and I went to lunch, like two old farts are supposed to. We came back in an hour and found the big burly changer mumbling to himself. After two hours, the job was complete. The bill was a whopping $33.00 and a $5.00 tip. NO wrist operation or hernia repair. Wives and children happy!

Moral:  Young men... You won't have wrist operations and umbilical hernias if you let people with the right tools do the impossible for a modest fee.

Lesson learned, and duly noted. I feel David and I are becoming  responsible old farts. Wanna join?