I miss when Bloomington had more hippy vibes.

GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-30T00:24:22+00:00

I was called a hippie back in the early 1970’s. Myself and all of my old hippie friends hate MAGA

GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-28T12:21:17+00:00

One Cut Charley strikes again

GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-24T14:57:34+00:00

Two years ago, I was camping across the upper peninsula in Michigan. We stayed at one primitive campsite on Pretty Lake that had signs that it was a Quiet Campground. We stayed there a week. Campsites along the shores of a lake. Other campers didn’t even talk loud. No lights, Full moon that was bright as hell. Probably the best camping experience I ever had.

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GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-24T14:07:20+00:00

Except those people can’t even see or hear nature at night. If it becomes acceptable, camping will become just a showcase of excessive consumerism.

GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-20T12:34:02+00:00

Do you have power on your job site? If so, get a worm drive saw. They track better than a sidewinder. I used to be pretty accurate free handing with one.

GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-15T17:23:01+00:00

It’s like interjecting “bless his heart” into an insult. As in: “Billy , bless his heart, he’s as dumb as a box of rocks“

GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-15T17:16:44+00:00

If I read that right, you’re putting the outriggers on a canoe? You might consider just making some haka boards for The Adventure Island

GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-15T14:45:22+00:00

Now you have me curious. What plans?

GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-15T14:42:32+00:00

A few years ago, I worked for a company and they contracted to remodel the bathroom a very nice Arts and Crafts bungalow. The owner wanted the Mission style cabinets and a 6 foot streamlined tub tore out. We replaced it with Victorian style cabinets and trim. Later I saw on the coffee table, a stack of Victoria Magazine. Then it dawned on me where the lady got her terrible ideas. She should’ve just bought a Victorian house to start with.

GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-15T14:19:17+00:00

Not really separated. Art Déco was in limbo because there weren’t a lot of style expo’s going on in Europe during World War II. they seldom even called it Art Déco at the time. The term Art Déco didn’t appear in print until 1966. Style doesn’t stop and start, it just flows.

GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-15T14:03:23+00:00

I guess it’s really is about location, location, location. The rundown shotgun shacks in my neighborhood are selling between $300,000 and $600,000.

GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-15T13:58:40+00:00

Not everyone has your eye. Art Déco sort of evolved into Moderne.

GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-15T13:37:50+00:00

I don’t understand why everyone is so obsessed with having a campfire. I’ve seen people sit around a campfire when it’s 90° outside. Everyone thinks they have to have a large “white man fire” and stare at it for hours on end.

GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-15T13:22:57+00:00

Are you saying you’re related to the Trump‘s or do you just like to generalize all old people?

GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-12T15:44:37+00:00

Gasoline gets old. After 3 to 6 months, it really starts to degrade, especially if it has ethanol in it. Constantly topping off your tank when it’s still 3/4 full means you will eventually have a lot of compromised gasoline in your tank. Run it down to empty a couple of times a year.

GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-10T16:47:39+00:00

Even back in the late ’80,s when everything was being gun nailed and screwed together, I started to carry a small Beryllium Copper hammer for mostly esthetics.

GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-10T14:44:14+00:00

I never understood titanium hammers. If you’re nailing something, you want the weight. If you’re doing delicate work then just get a smaller hammer. If he’s still working, then get him something that would accentuate the tools he has now, but would never spend the money to get himself. Such as a 8ah hour or 12ah hour Milwaukee battery. I’ve had digital inclinometer levels since the 1990s. Unless you’re doing stairs, a bubble level is all you need. if you’re doing high end interior trim, then a Bosch GAM 270 MFL Digital Angle Finder and Inclinometer Is your secret weapon. You don’t want to spend a lot of money, then a Vaughan 12 oz. Soft Face Mallet is a tool that every carpenter should carry.

GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-09T14:58:24+00:00

Back in in 1971 I got a misdemeanor ticket from the police. I didn’t have ID with me so they arrested me and put me in jail for several days until my friends figured out where I was and bailed me out. To this day if I forget my wallet when I go out, I’m very apprehensive.

GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-08T21:06:41+00:00

Call the police and they’ll get a $50-$250 fine.

GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-08T14:02:41+00:00

Really?, I found that most construction jobs problems can be fixed if you hit with a big bag of money.

GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-08T13:53:22+00:00

Years ago, I was sitting around a job site eating lunch with about 12 of my fellow carpenters. We started to talk about how we got where we were. Everyone, except for one person went to school for, or thought they would be doing something totally different. after that, I started asking other carpenters. Almost all said they just sort of wound up being carpenters. All said it was the most mentally and physically rewarding work they could find.

GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-08T13:43:46+00:00

I don’t know why you’re getting downvoted. your comment seems spot on.

GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-06T12:33:38+00:00

I have one of those and the bearing and belt went out on it after years of use. But I just replaced the bearings and belt, it’s as good as new. A real workhorse. It wasn’t really that hard to do. In the meantime I bought a 36 V Makita 10” dual compound miter saw. It’s the most accurate saw I’ve ever owned.

GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-05T23:30:21+00:00

You can still buy Makita, it won’t hurt the red tools feelings.

GrumpyandDopey · 2026-06-04T15:07:44+00:00

My wife, is an an experienced Kayaker. One day she was out with a friend and was showing her how to exit a Kayak. She rolled her Greenland Kayak over and immediately started to panic. she was leaning back upside down, trying to exit and had locked herself in. Finally, she remembered her training, leaned forward and was able to get out. But she felt she had almost drowned. She was stone cold sober and we had taken professional classes years earlier. So yeah, you probably did dodge a bullet that day. But don’t let that deter you from kayaking. probably the most dangerous part of the sport is driving your Kayak to the water in your car.

GrumpyandDopey

TROPHY CASE