ROD RACK

Yep... it's even got the mandatory beer cooler for the red-neck rack......;-0

Bob S.

I wish I were on a loop road. The country road in front of the house has livened up in the past 28 years, to the point where I wish they'd either put in a noise ordinance or declare open season on those with blaring stereo systems. Otherwise, we're 10 miles from the nearest town. At one time in my life, that was a fairly short walk, but these days...not gonna happen. Years ago, we planted hybrid poplars along the road, and the yard is full of other trees. In essence, I can step out anywhere and water the yard. That's handy, given the lack of plumbing in my shop. We don't have dozens of neighbors, but probably half a dozen, only one of which can be seen from the front yard. It takes a walk of 100 feet to see their house from the back yard.

Country life IS good. Except that later this morning, I have to drive to VA for a blood test, and that's a 100 mile round trip.

There isn't a doctor within 50 miles or is it a more specialized test?

Well that plan sucks. I mean, my truck has a set of "Long Horn" horns mounted on the front of the hood and they will naturally interfere with the rods. Mount the rods on the back bumper. Shee. ;~)

Simple blood test, I guess, but since Vets' Admin pays for 99% of my health care, I'm obligated to use those services that are inconvenient, as well as those that are handy. Plenty of doctors within 50 miles, but none that do the rest of the stuff I need at the price I need, though I guess Medicare covers much of it.

On 6/27/2005 4:34 AM Upscale mumbled something about the following:

If you are a disabled vet, you have to go to the VA, you can't just go to any doctor and the VA accept the results. For me, that's a 120 mile trip.

On 6/27/2005 3:57 AM Charlie Self mumbled something about the following:

You live a bit further out than me, it's 3.5 miles to the nearest town of 320, and I can't see any of my neighbors (the closest one is 150 ft through the woods. I planted the lombardy poplars along the road (24 of them, 241 ft of road frontage) to block the noise and view. Our road has only been blactopped now for about 7 or 8 years, but they've put in

"Charlie Self" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com:

When we moved out to Colorado, I originally thought about how awesome it must be to live up in the mountains, surrounded by God's Majesty. Only flora and fauana for company.

Then I stared wondering how folks got to the Grocery Store, or Walgreens. Or a hamburger when the hankerin' hit. Or maybe a quick run into BlockBuster. Or a bookstore.

What do they do when it snows 8'? Or when a forrest fire is raging a few miles away? Or what the heck would I do, if I fell off the roof and broke something important?

Livin' the life of a hermit might be OK, if you're willing to accept the consequences.

Or, as we had a few years ago, a series of ice storms throughout the winter that kept us both housebound (couldn't get out of the driveway for several days) and without power (IIRC, one 7 day period, one 3 day period). No big deal, though you get a little gamy because the pump doesn't run. Use kerosene lamps (they also help heat the house), and a Coleman stove. Sleep a lot.

If one of us wants a hamburger, we usually have ground beef in the fridge. If that's not good enough, we can drive to town, or go to the nearest country store. There's also a small restaurant about six miles away. 35 miles to the better restaurants. If a forest fire breaks loose, it is far enough away from meadowland to not be a worry most of the time. If I fall off the roof, it's because someone was behind me with a shotgun to make me go up, but if it happens, a fast phone call and the rescue squad is here inside of 10 minutes. Volunteer ambulance corps, with excellent EMT training...and instead of a $1600 bill for transport, they'll be around asking for a donation during the next drive.

We're not exactly hermits, just 10 miles from the nearest town and 50 from the nearest VA facility. Going to a movie requires thought--is it worth three or four gallons of gas, as well as the time and effort? Usually not, but, then, I was the same way when I lived in a city and most movies cost two bucks. I don't pay much attention to TV, either. I was trying to think of the last time I watched a prime time show the other day. I couldn't, and still can't, recall. Maybe five or six years, but it could be a decade. The ads are enough to gag a maggot, so why bother?

Of course, I can rent movies--six miles to a store with plenty of titles--if I want, or pick up some at yard sales.

But what with one thing and another, our hermit-like leisure time is eaten up with family and social activities based on country life, plus a bit of woodworking here and there (to get back on topic) so we don't get to sit and watch too many movies.

On Tue, 28 Jun 2005 17:20:06 GMT, the opaque Patrick Conroy spake:

Hamburger was out in the barn, still on the hoof. Groceries were mostly raised right there on the farm. And they watched considerably fewer movies back then.

My neighbor grew up in SD. When it snowed that much, they went out the second floor window and into the barn's hay loft, walking directly on the deep snow with snowshoes. Getting to the well was not possible so they melted snow for water. When it was just -40F, they took a pot of water out with them to thaw the pump enough to pump water, then hurriedly pumped a couple buckets worth for the day's use. She said that other than emergencies, trips to town from their 5,000 acre ranch were done on an annual basis! What a life!

$100 table saw blades catch _fire_? ;)

Your neighbors would sense it and come over. Or you'd die.

Ayup.

Mon, Jun 27, 2005, 2:05pm (EDT+4) snipped-for-privacy@swbell.net (Leon)

Well that plan sucks. I mean, my truck has a set of "Long Horn" horns mounted on the front of the hood and they will naturally interfere with the rods. Mount the rods on the back bumper. Shee. ;~)

Ah, now I see why some people need plans for this. I mean, all you need to do is make sure there's no rods placed so they'll interfere with the horns. Shee. LMAO

JOAT Reality is not mandatory, it's just an option.

Mon, Jun 27, 2005, 10:40am (EDT-3) snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (Charlie=A0Self) sayeth: Simple blood test, I guess, but since Vets' Admin pays for 99% of my health care, I'm obligated to use those services that are inconvenient, as well as those that are handy. Plenty of doctors within 50 miles, but none that do the rest of the stuff I need at the price I need, though I guess Medicare covers much of it.

Interesting. Now me, I'm on 100% disability, but so far the VA claims I only have 40% disability (one day I'll have enough energy to get on the case again - any of you who've dealt with the VA will know what I'm talking about). So Medicare is considered my primary, and CHAMPUS/TRICARE is secondary. So, I go to, basically, any doctor I choose. I only pay a minimum for doctor visits, if at all, and prescriptions are usually $9. With gas the price it is, might wind up cheaper for you to get it all done closer.

In my experience, the VA is often confused. My civilian optometrist disgnosed me with glaucoma. Told the VA. They cited a regulation that if I saw an optometrist they would refer me to, I would be rated, and not have to go to Winston Salem. OK, I went. The office they referred me to had equipment left over form the Civil War it seemed, quite primitive. My doctor had, and has, state of the art equipment. Then the VA broke their own regulation, and required me to go to Winston Salem anyway. Got there, and had to have an optometrist there check me. Well, he did NOT have my records, and in fact had no idea what I was there for. Not really surprising. They'd make appointments for me to be checked for arthritis - already diagnosed with arthritis of the spine. Then get the report - I don't have osteo or rhemitoid arthritis. I'd write, and ask them to check me for some other type of arthritis. Get an appoint, and go. Then get the report, I don't have osteo or rhemitoid arthritis. Then repeat. Apparently no section up there talks to another.

JOAT Reality is not mandatory, it's just an option.

Ooops. you said 8 _feet_. 8 _inches_ is 'get out the dustpan'.

(My dad grew up in the mountains of Northern Idaho, where _accumulations_ on the ground routinely exceeded _six_hundred_ inches.)