Having a bad back day, but still got a couple things done. Not in the shop, but in the house. Hung the neon sign and another little one Loree got somewhere in her pool table room. Been needing to do this for a long time.
While I was at it, I hung a painting print that an old friend did.
He was the journeyman I apprenticed sign painting under 40 some years ago. We had a tight bond even though we didn't see each other a lot in later years. In 1982 we were on ladder jacks about 12-15 feet off the ground painting a billboard out in the country east of Rapid City along I-90. One of the jacks broke and we fell. He got a compound fracture of his left lower leg. I was bruised up but not hurt. I won't get into the grisly details of caring for his leg prepping him to load into the back of the pickup we had but fortunately although bleeding a lot there was no severed artery. There was a 4'x4' addition on the top of that board so I set a ladder back up and went up there with a hammer and pulled the piece off to use for a stretcher. Got him slid onto it and unloaded the pickup box. It is illegal for outdoor advertising companies to get to the sign from the interstate, but after I figured out how to load him in the truck I was going to cut the fence and head directly to the highway. His name was Jerry. He asked me to find the broken chain link and he was sure our bosses wouldn't believe it was equipment failure. I manage to find both pieces quickly. I gave him half and I kept half to show the bosses.
About that time a yellow van stopped on the shoulder of the interstate. I frantically motioned him to drive right up to the fence through the ditch. His van had no rear seats in it so we were able to pick him up on the board I had him on and slide him in the van, without cutting the fence wire in the farmer's pasture. That guy showing up could only have been devine intervention! He was the person that owned the business we were painting the sign for and he decided to take a drive out to see if we were working on it! I held the lower part of Jerry's leg and ankle the whole drive to the hospital about 30 miles away.
One of the bosses came to the hospital after I could find a phone to call and tell them of the accident and Jerry's injury, took me out to the truck and I loaded it back up and went to the shop. Jerry was right, the bosses met me soon as I got there outside and drilled me that we set the jacks up wrong. "No way the chain could break". Showed them the broken jack and they asked if I found the chain link. Still didn't believe me. I hadn't even had the time to wash the blood off my hands yet! I threw the link half in the dirt at their feet and went to my truck and went home. Pretty disgusted. They called the next day and wanted me to come back to work.
Jerry's leg ended up being an inch or two shorter than the other one after it healed up. He sure didn't need that! He was only about 4'10" tall to begin with!
Anyway, too long of a story but it was a big deal in my life at the time and major to him obviously. He died a couple years ago now and his widow gave Loree this print. She had it framed and gave it to me. Finally made myself hang it.
Ok back on track. I have had this little stud finder for a lot of years and last time I used it was probably 5 or 10 years ago---LOL!
It works great but the battery died after locating the stud I hung the neon on. Fortunately I did have one 9V battery in the box! That thing detects studs dead on and is sensitive enough a little laser shines onto the wall when centered. Very good tool! I can't hear well enough by banging on a wall anymore! Still need to come up with some genius ideas to disguise the cords some.
DAC
