Builds My '78 FJ40 "44"

[Honger]

Glad for a 44 update... and to hear of improving health matters.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Yup, you’d better get some dust and scratches on that driveshaft before somebody mistakes you for a poser.

It always sucks to have surgery then find out that didn’t fix the problem. That’s why they call it the practice of medicine.

When I got into competitive road cycling in my 30s I discovered I had the same symptom. Fortunately for me, I read a magazine article that suggested focusing on exhaling, and I found it worked (and still does) for me.

It takes years to try and change an ingrained habit, especially one like breathing! And I hate to be the one to tell you this, but there’s a dark side. Shallower breathing makes it easier to fall asleep. Now you’re going to have to exercise a lot more to get as tired by bedtime as shallow breathing made you.

When do you want to start training?

I was still trying to hike, until they shut down the Refuge in mid-May, I think. By the time they reopened it, summer was definitely here and it was way too hot.

My Pulmonologist told me that the problem is with my lungs. As a 22-year smoker, even though I quit in ‘84, the damage was already done.

Couple that with working with very toxic chemicals, at age 16 & 17 (pre-OSHA), without any sort of safety equipment, I have most likely damaged my lungs and it’s catching up with me now.

These powerful inhalers should open the air sacs in my lungs, to make breathing easier. I’d need to continue using them every day.

But, just to ensure there’s nothing more sinister, I have a CT Scan with Contrast scheduled.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Glad for a 44 update... and to hear of improving health matters.

Thanks Joel!

 

[tls3601]

Thanks Joel!

Hey Danny and Joel. Danny it is really good hearing from you. Glad to hear the “boys” are well too. I think of all the great adventures you have shared with us here on mud and it brings a quick smile. Joel I am now living in Surprise, moved there end of May. Still get up into Prescott area on the weekends though. But work has brought me to Phoenix. If I remember right you are a CSC member as well. Anyways hit me up with a PM sometime. Tom

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Hey Danny and Joel. Danny it is really good hearing from you. Glad to hear the “boys” are well too. I think of all the great adventures you have shared with us here on mud and it brings a quick smile. Joel I am now living in Surprise, moved there end of May. Still get up into Prescott area on the weekends though. But work has brought me to Phoenix. If I remember right you are a CSC member as well. Anyways hit me up with a PM sometime. Tom

Thanks Tom

@Honger see above

 

[Honger]

PM Sent!

 

[keith88250]

Hi Johnny C
Wife having a close call.
Gee the same happened to Nat last night.
Thought I had lost her for that split second.
The car came out of no where and missed by a few thou.
Yes Chinese driving is something one must experience to under stand.
Brought a battery operated push bike for the factory .
Now that gets the adrenaline going when riding in traffic.
Nat made me promise my trial ride was a first and last.
Getting too old for that she tells me. Think she is right but it still got the hart pumping for this old bloke.
Sorry Danny for taking over your thread.
AND now it's back to the 44.
Cheers





...via IH8MUD app

I lived in Taiwan for one year and the driving was crazy there too!

 

[keith88250]

Thanks guys!!

Roger, Roger!! @Helipilot

I carry a GPS SPOT, to keep Dianna (and our “kids”) apprised. I check in each morning and send an “I’m fine. Staying another night.” each evening.

I keep “tracking” turned on, so people to whom I’ve granted access can follow me at all times. I’ve been in very heavy tree cover and tall cliffs and have always found SPOT connectivity.

There’s a protected (covered) HELP button, to call my listed contacts. They have instructions to contact local (to me) LEO, provide my current GPS coordinates and request a “check for welfare”.

There’s a protected (covered) SOS button, to call in one of your “chopper buddies”, should the need arise... and I have $100k GEOS insurance, to cover the airlift/rescue.

I also have a weBoost cell phone booster, with an OTR trucker antenna and 10’ of antenna poles (carried on my hi-lift jack)... but, I really don’t expect to find a cell signal in that area.

I’ve shared my iPhone location with Dianna. It uses GPS, Cell signal, WiFi and Bluetooth to locate me... I’m interested to find out if she can tell where I’m located.

I’m not a HAM’er, but have a portable in 44... push comes to shove, I’d use it... but really wouldn’t expect to actually contact anyone out there.

This is so cool Danny, I need to learn how
to do this

 

[Solace in Solitude]

This is so cool Danny, I need to learn how
to do this

i upgraded to SPOT-X, as soon as it came out and now have the BluTooth version of SPOT-X.

It supports texting to/from a smartphone.

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

i upgraded to SPOT-X, as soon as it came out and now have the BluTooth version of SPOT-X.

It supports texting to/from a smartphone.

I'll bite my tongue on this one Danny, I'm not a fan of Spot-X at all, none of it has anything to do with the product. I bought one for my last trip into the Bob Marshall and it would not activate the device, called customer service and they work bankers hours. It failed to activate 6 times, meanwhile it dinged my bank account 6 times for each time I tried to activate it, unsuccessfully. I returned it to Cabelas, then my wife had to deal with the Spot-X Customer service after I left.


I'll buy the Garmin next time.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

I'll bite my tongue on this one Danny, I'm not a fan of Spot-X at all, none of it has anything to do with the product. I bought one for my last trip into the Bob Marshall and it would not activate the device, called customer service and they work bankers hours. It failed to activate 6 times, meanwhile it dinged my bank account 6 times for each time I tried to activate it, unsuccessfully. I returned it to Cabelas, then my wife had to deal with the Spot-X Customer service after I left.


I'll buy the Garmin next time.

You go, Ryan!!

I’ve been relying on SPOT for 10-15 years and I have never had a message fail to reach whomever I sent it to. Now the texts go thru fine.

Granted I have never had to activate the 911 feature.

But, when I was camping along San Juan Creek, in 5* weather, I sent Dianna a text, telling her how cold it was. Then, I went to bed and got up at 5am. Texted her and said, “Well, we’re still alive”.

Dianna received both texts and didn’t worry.

A little over an hour later, two NFS LEO types showed up and asked if I was ok. Seems I accidentally included the number for the tow insurance and SPOT’s Ops Ctr freaked out about the“Well, we’re still alive” text.

They called the Lander County Sheriff, who called the NFS and gave them the GPS coordinates and asked them to do a “welfare check”.

I told them I was fine, apologized profusely and ratted out a herd of cattle that was supposed to be wintering elsewhere. They were happy they made the trip, from Austin, NV, about 50-75 miles away and I was happy to have averted their gaze... and validated that SPOT responded quickly.

But, you’re right, their customer service is challenged. For some reason, they don’t seem to understand how to do their jobs without 3-4 calls.

I had the same problem with Garmin customer
service, for products I’ve had over the years.

I’m happy with SPOT, especially since I learned to call their Tech Support and work everything through them.

Had you stayed with SPOT, my service would have probably suffered from the 100% increase in users.

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

Had you stayed with SPOT, my service would have probably suffered from the 100% increase in users.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Moving this conversation from a “WANTED” thread. @thorslc1977 @TheHardWay @rkymtnflyfisher

Sometimes you have to change some things up to keep enjoying life, I hope you stick around the 40 section after you sell your rig Danny.

I hope to be able to continue taking my dogs on adventures into new places. My Tundra is 18 years old, with 106k miles, 4WD, a SnugTop, with roof rack, air bags and hitches on both ends.

Now, with my main cardiac artery clots removed and replaced by a stent, the chest pain is gone and I’m trying to get my breathing back.

It turns out that , even though my lung function is almost 100%, the lung air sacs are damaged. I quit smoking 2 packs/day in March of ‘84. But, the lung sack damage is attributable to smoking for 22 years, working with very toxic chemicals prior to OSHA, sans any sort of safety equipment. I also had chronic bronchitis, while smoking, so more damage yet.

I had a CT Scan with Contrast last week and NO lung cancer found.

My Pulmonologist started me an a heavy duty inhaler and it was completely debilitating. I felt like I had more opportunity for fun at a crematorium. After almost a week, I had her change me to a different inhaler.

This one has 80-100 potential side effects... I felt 60-75% of them.

But, after a week, I started seeing a very slight improvement. After 7 weeks, I could see a definite improvement. But, I can only take 2 puffs per day... both at the same time... and the improvement fades almost Completely after 12 hrs.

Yesterday, she added a 3 times/day nebulizer and I have high hopes for continued improvement.

Unfortunately, shortness of breath means too little fully oxygenated blood to muscles... so, weakness and exhaustion prevents really working out. If I can continue improving my breathing, I can progressively try to improve my fitness... it’s been about 6 months, so I have a lot of work to do.

The other potential challenge is, placement of a stent requires 6 months of using a blood thinner. Not a real problem... but, every morning I wake to find a new bleed.

Dianna bought me a 3-pack of styptic sticks that are about 5/8” thick. So, I can paint myself, to keep from bleeding out.

Anyway, driving and/or working on 44 is beyond my pain threshold, at this point.

2 hours of driving or wrenching and I’m laid up for 2 days.

It’s time to free 44 and let her roam the Great Basin, with someone who can keep up with her.

Presuming I have the ability to take worthwhile pictures, I’ll continue posting them in this thread, until Woody et al remove my thread.

Please don’t cry for me, Argentina...

 

[waiting for time]

Sorry to read of your issues Danny.
I hope things will get better soon.
We can trow a little tech in this tread every now and then to keep it going in this section of mud.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Sorry to read of your issues Danny.
I hope thing will get better soon.
We can trow a little tech in this tread every now and then to keep it going in this section of mud.

Thank you, Michael!

Sounds like a plan!

 

[Solace in Solitude]

I had her (44) purring and was going to take her out for a drive, when Dianna came running into the garage and said, "they're fighting next door!! It sounds really bad!! I called 911!!".

I don't want to get into all the details of the long winded statement I had to write for the police. But, the gist of it is that 3 guys pistol-whipped the 20-something girl next door, asking for drugs and money. She has a propensity for bringing riff raff home with her... she says she didn't know them, but they pulled into the driveway right behind her. She works in some part of the 'pleasure' industry...

When I saw them driving off, I flagged a cop outside our gate and pointed at them... he took off after them, with lights and siren and I started home (100') and heard 3 gunshots... then I heard the neighbor girl screaming, "please help me!". I ran back and found her in her 'over the back fence' neighbor's yard... she was wearing white pants and black bra and was covered in blood (she was high on something, perhaps only adrenaline). I got the neighbor to open his door and assured him the gentlemen were gone. I assured the girl they were gone and, after asking several times, I learned her twin daughters were at grandma's. Whew!!

She said, "They pistol-whipped her and kept asking for the drugs and money"...

The gentlemen crashed the SUV (turned out to be stolen) about a mile away and fled on foot... the cops caught one and the other two carjacked a landscaper's GMC pickup WITH TRAILER and slipped away... Here's the article Police officer shot at in NLV, suspect in custody

Some of you may recall the above assault, that occurred on June 29, 2016...

The young lady I risked my life for, never once offered a kind word, to Dianna, for calling 911, or, to me for getting involved.

The miscreants screwed up our annual visits, with our Daughters, by continually scheduling on the court docket and delaying every time... until they finally reach aplea agreement.

The asssultee and her Father moved about a mile away. He was afraid the perps (getting technical here) would come back and have another go.

Dianna and I wrote it off a a bad dream and bad manners.

Yesterday, I was trying to unload 44 and I looked up and saw this mid-20s lady at the bottom of the driveway.

She asked if I recognized her and I admitted I had no idea who she was.

She said, “I’m Erin, from next door”, then walked up and handed me this:

She said, “I’ve been thinking about you and I do t think I ever thanked you for saving my life”.

I told her I didn’t remember it that way, but did remember she wasn’t very friendly. She said she was painfully shy back then. I told her I thought she was pissed off at the world. She said, “that too”.

I thanked her for reaching out and told her she looked great. She said she is clean now and enjoying life.

I told her I was glad it wasn’t a wasted effort... that she was making the most of her second chance.

I made me almost believe in the goodness of others again... almost... well, it certainly brightened my day!!

 

[fj401978]

You never know the impact you may have on someone else's life. It's that way for us all. Being in the drug or alcohol induced 'sorts' that she was in at the time I'm sure affected the way she reacted, but evidently, your actions DID impact her life in a positive way! God bless you Danny for what you did way back then, and I hope you and your lovely wife can reflect on this satisfyingly as time continues marching onward. I do hope your health improves my ol' internet friend! Many of us have bonded through this forum over the years, and I miss the posts of some that are no longer active here. Cheers Brother!! And please do continue to join us here with more posts, pictures and antidotes from your life in the desert!

 

[John in Utah]

Moving this conversation from a “WANTED” thread. @thorslc1977 @TheHardWay @rkymtnflyfisher




I hope to be able to continue taking my dogs on adventures into new places. My Tundra is 18 years old, with 106k miles, 4WD, a SnugTop, with roof rack, air bags and hitches on both ends.

Now, with my main cardiac artery clots removed and replaced by a stent, the chest pain is gone and I’m trying to get my breathing back.

It turns out that , even though my lung function is almost 100%, the lung air sacs are damaged. I quit smoking 2 packs/day in March of ‘84. But, the lung sack damage is attributable to smoking for 22 years, working with very toxic chemicals prior to OSHA, sans any sort of safety equipment. I also had chronic bronchitis, while smoking, so more damage yet.

I had a CT Scan with Contrast last week and NO lung cancer found.

My Pulmonologist started me an a heavy duty inhaler and it was completely debilitating. I felt like I had more opportunity for fun at a crematorium. After almost a week, I had her change me to a different inhaler.

This one has 80-100 potential side effects... I felt 60-75% of them.

But, after a week, I started seeing a very slight improvement. After 7 weeks, I could see a definite improvement. But, I can only take 2 puffs per day... both at the same time... and the improvement fades almost Completely after 12 hrs.

Yesterday, she added a 3 times/day nebulizer and I have high hopes for continued improvement.

Unfortunately, shortness of breath means too little fully oxygenated blood to muscles... so, weakness and exhaustion prevents really working out. If I can continue improving my breathing, I can progressively try to improve my fitness... it’s been about 6 months, so I have a lot of work to do.

The other potential challenge is, placement of a stent requires 6 months of using a blood thinner. Not a real problem... but, every morning I wake to find a new bleed.

Dianna bought me a 3-pack of styptic sticks that are about 5/8” thick. So, I can paint myself, to keep from bleeding out.

Anyway, driving and/or working on 44 is beyond my pain threshold, at this point.

2 hours of driving or wrenching and I’m laid up for 2 days.

It’s time to free 44 and let her roam the Great Basin, with someone who can keep up with her.

Presuming I have the ability to take worthwhile pictures, I’ll continue posting them in this thread, until Woody et al remove my thread.

Please don’t cry for me, Argentina...

Although I’m not sure I even posted in it, this thread has been a constant source of inspiration for me since I joined here 3 years ago. Someday I want to achieve with my truck something close to the awesome self contained sleeper that your 44 is.

Regardless of land cruisers, I hope one day I can be half the bad ass desert rat that you are.

See ya out there

 

[Solace in Solitude]

You never know the impact you may have on someone else's life. It's that way for us all. Being in the drug or alcohol induced 'sorts' that she was in at the time I'm sure affected the way she reacted, but evidently, your actions DID impact her life in a positive way! God bless you Danny for what you did way back then, and I hope you and your lovely wife can reflect on this satisfyingly as time continues marching onward. I do hope your health improves my ol' internet friend! Many of us have bonded through this forum over the years, and I miss the posts of some that are no longer active here. Cheers Brother!! And please do continue to join us here with more posts, pictures and antidotes from your life in the desert!

Thanks for your kind words, Skip!!

Edit: Having never committed a typo, a grammatical error, a word selection error, or a faux pas in France , I loved your selection of “antidotes”!!

One Dan’s anecdotes are another man’s antidotes!! Too true!! My anecdotes are nothing, if not soothing!!

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Although I’m not sure I even posted in it, this thread has been a constant source of inspiration for me since I joined here 3 years ago. Someday I want to achieve with my truck something close to the awesome self contained sleeper that your 44 is.

Regardless of land cruisers, I hope one day I can be half the bad ass desert rat that you are.

See ya out there

Thanks John!!

Did you make your Goshute trip/climb?

I haven’t been able to get back up there. I’m supposed to spend the first three weeks of Oct up there, with my Son-in-Law. I won’t know whether I can go until I see my cardiologist on Sep 24th.

I will also have to convince Dianna that I can make a 3-week trip without bleeding out, from a mere scratch.

She worries, but in all fairness, it’s much deserved.

You’re welcome to drop by, if you’re so inclined.

Watch this space!