The Story of Lori

[ChrissyRyan]

Not so mu
Not so much while panning. They are usually recovered by mining. They are not as heavy as gold, so panning or sluicing is not an effective way to get it. But almost all gold recovered via panning or sluicing does contain impurities (20% or more) and very often those are silver and copper.

I have found gold flakes with high amounts. When it is high in silver content, it is more silver-white than yellow. When high in copper content it looks more reddish colored.

That is interesting.  Thank you.

Chrissy

[Lori Dee]

So... where to catch up?

I have had a severe cough for almost two weeks now. I know that it is not a virus for a couple of reasons: 1) I have not had any contact with anyone since I last saw my doctor, and she isn't sick, and 2) no fever, aches, chills, fatigue, or any other flu-like symptoms.

Yesterday, I had two VA appointments, so I got there an hour early and checked in with the same-day walk-in nurse to get checked out. She confirmed that it was not viral. Rapid City is notorious for poor air quality and was in the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" category when my cough started. I believe the term "Sensitive Group" refers to anyone who breathes for a living. So, Doc gave me an inhaler of Albuterol and a prednisone pack to ward off any chest infection.

Last night was the first night I was able to sleep in my bed instead of the recliner. \0/ Score!

This morning I felt well enough to run to Wally World for coffee, orange juice, milk, and bread. And to see if the pharmacy received my order of twenty-seven 55-gallon drums of cough syrup. 

I warm up the Jeep, which is no easy feat since we have been sub-zero for two weeks or so. Low temps at night drop down into Danielle's territory -24F and high temperatures around -5F. The dash light signals low tire pressure. Ugh.

I know the right front tire has a nail in it, but hasn't been leaking. I had been waiting for warmer temps to take the Jeep up to my favorite garage, Bargain Barn Tire Pros. They have done everything on my Jeep, and before that my truck, since 2015. New tires, brakes (complete system cylinders and all), fuel lines, and oil changes. They have had plenty of opportunities to take advantage of me and instead made recommendations that saved me money. So I have sworn my loyalty to them. I intended to get a quote for a set of new tires and replace all four struts while it's up on the rack.

No waiting for warmer weather, so I went there first. They repaired the right front tire, filled the left front which is the low one, and made sure it wasn't leaking. No charge!

So I made my appointment for tomorrow afternoon. I'll drop the Jeep off so they can get started, then my BFF will pick me up and I'll take her to lunch. We will hang out for a bit until the Jeep is ready. She is upset that I will be moving out of state this summer, but she understands why it is necessary. So it will be good to spend some time together.

 

[Sephirah]

Okay so as a massively ignorant Brit... Wally World is actually a thing and not just in the National Lampoons movie? I can never be sure with you Yanks because you sometimes get sarcasm and irony, and sometimes don't, lol.

Also, the symbiotic relationship you have with your cars/jeeps/tanks/anything that gets you anywhere without walking... is kind of adorable.

And your weather... I envy that. More than you know.

[Lori Dee]

Wally World is our name for Walmart. And yes, it is derived from the movies.

We try to find names that are more honest and descriptive than what the marketing companies came up with. So our local electric company, "Black Hills Energy" is called "Black Hills Flicker & Flash". The internet provider "CenturyLink" is called "17th Century Link", and so on.

On more than one occasion my pickup truck saved my life. I had built a wooden camper on the back, fully insulated, with electric lights and heat, all the comforts of home. I lived in that camper from May to November camped out in the Hills gold prospecting while I waited for my apartment to become available.

That truck was only a two-wheel drive, but she got me into some wild backcountry. But more importantly, got me back out again when I needed to leave. When she finally refused to start for the last time, I got my Jeep. It doesn't have the indoor-living amenities the truck had, but she gets me where I need to be, and home again safely. So of course, I treat her with respect. I take care of her and she takes care of me. 

The cold never really bothered me when I was younger. I'm a desert rat so I prefer the heat, but the cold was a welcome vacation of sorts. In the Army, we did extensive cold weather training in some brutal conditions. I even taught my tank crew how to build an igloo, and my gunner and I spent the night in it with a small candle as a heat source. The cold didn't bother me.

Then in 1984, during REFORGER exercises in Germany, I got really cold. The left side of my face froze and when the medics warmed me up, I had tiny blisters like from a bad sunburn. After that, it seemed like I could never get warm enough. I left Germany the following year and requested an assignment in sunny California to thaw out. But even after five years there, I still have lost my tolerance. So now I hibernate in winter.

Colorado is not exactly the tropics, but the weather is milder in the southern part of the state. I just need a break from the sub-zero. Who knows? I might end up retiring to Thailand after all. 

[Sephirah]

Wally World is our name for Walmart. And yes, it is derived from the movies.

We try to find names that are more honest and descriptive than what the marketing companies came up with. So our local electric company, "Black Hills Energy" is called "Black Hills Flicker & Flash". The internet provider "CenturyLink" is called "17th Century Link", and so on.

On more than one occasion my pickup truck saved my life. I had built a wooden camper on the back, fully insulated, with electric lights and heat, all the comforts of home. I lived in that camper from May to November camped out in the Hills gold prospecting while I waited for my apartment to become available.

That truck was only a two-wheel drive, but she got me into some wild backcountry. But more importantly, got me back out again when I needed to leave. When she finally refused to start for the last time, I got my Jeep. It doesn't have the indoor-living amenities the truck had, but she gets me where I need to be, and home again safely. So of course, I treat her with respect. I take care of her and she takes care of me. 

The cold never really bothered me when I was younger. I'm a desert rat so I prefer the heat, but the cold was a welcome vacation of sorts. In the Army, we did extensive cold weather training in some brutal conditions. I even taught my tank crew how to build an igloo, and my gunner and I spent the night in it with a small candle as a heat source. The cold didn't bother me.

Then in 1984, during REFORGER exercises in Germany, I got really cold. The left side of my face froze and when the medics warmed me up, I had tiny blisters like from a bad sunburn. After that, it seemed like I could never get warm enough. I left Germany the following year and requested an assignment in sunny California to thaw out. But even after five years there, I still have lost my tolerance. So now I hibernate in winter.

Colorado is not exactly the tropics, but the weather is milder in the southern part of the state. I just need a break from the sub-zero. Who knows? I might end up retiring to Thailand after all. 

Awwww, that kind of sucks, Lori. I guess we all deal with what we can deal with. I did arctic training in the navy and utterly loved it. We got literally shoved into an ice fishing hole and told to swim. I was like "Come on in, the water is lovely!!" while everyone else twitched. I am convinced I am part seal though. Not navy seal, lol. Just that I probably have anti freeze for blood.

[davina61]

Anything below +10C makes me want to stay in the warm! anything over 25C makes me want to stay in the cold! Just give me a nice 20C and I will be happy.

[ChrissyRyan]

Lori,


Have a very pleasant day!


Chrissy

[Emma1017]

I love the cold weather!  Got close to hyperthermia and frostbite once or twice but I was never bitten by a mosquito in the winter.  In the summer, I am like McDonalds to mosquitos.  Also, I hate sweating, which I do vigorously during the summer heat.

YAY snow!!!

[ChrissyRyan]

I love the cold weather!  Got close to hyperthermia and frostbite once or twice but I was never bitten by a mosquito in the winter.  In the summer, I am like McDonalds to mosquitos.  Also, I hate sweating, which I do vigorously during the summer heat.

YAY snow!!!

There are pluses and minuses of hot, warm, and cold weather.

Nothing much good to speak of though for a hurricane, twister, hail storm, ice storm, flood, or high winds. 

[Sephirah]

I love the cold weather!  Got close to hyperthermia and frostbite once or twice but I was never bitten by a mosquito in the winter.  In the summer, I am like McDonalds to mosquitos.  Also, I hate sweating, which I do vigorously during the summer heat.

YAY snow!!!

I always knew you were a kindred spirit, Emma. <3

There are pluses and minuses of hot, warm, and cold weather.

Nothing much good to speak of though for a hurricane, twister, hail storm, ice storm, flood, or high winds. 

You say that, Chrissy. But for people who don't have that kind of stuff as "A normal Tuesday"... I would love, love, LOVE to chase a tornado. To see one of the most destructive forces in nature close up. Same with a hurricane to a lesser degree. For folks who don't choose to build their lives in places these things consistently spawn... it's actually enchanting. There's a reason people put so much stuff up on YouTube.

[MaryT]

I always knew you were a kindred spirit, Emma. <3

You say that, Chrissy. But for people who don't have that kind of stuff as "A normal Tuesday"... I would love, love, LOVE to chase a tornado. To see one of the most destructive forces in nature close up. Same with a hurricane to a lesser degree. For folks who don't choose to build their lives in places these things consistently spawn... it's actually enchanting. There's a reason people put so much stuff up on YouTube.

It might not be quite as much fun if the tornado is chasing you through your own home.

[Sephirah]

It might not be quite as much fun if the tornado is chasing you through your own home.

No, I absolutely understand that. I would be a huge tourist. To lose everything you spent years accumulating must be utterly devastating. Like folks in wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes... whatever natural disaster you want to mention. To be utterly powerless and emerge to see everything you worked for... gone. That must be amongst the most heartbreaking things a person can ever go through.

What you have to understand though, Mary, is that I live in Britain. Where the harshest weather we get is either 2 inches of snow which plunges the country into chaos... or a particularly murky fog. With some light rain on the side. We are to weather what McDonalds is to a tasty burger.

[Lori Dee]

Got my Jeep back from the shop. New tires and struts all around. What a difference. I have already noticed these tires do not slip on the snow.

They had a problem with the alignment, so my right front wheel has the camber out of whack. They told me to give it a couple hundred miles to let the struts settle in and bring it back for a free alignment. Sooner if I have any issues.

Best $2,618.83 I have spent all year. 

[ChrissyRyan]

I always knew you were a kindred spirit, Emma. <3

You say that, Chrissy. But for people who don't have that kind of stuff as "A normal Tuesday"... I would love, love, LOVE to chase a tornado. To see one of the most destructive forces in nature close up. Same with a hurricane to a lesser degree. For folks who don't choose to build their lives in places these things consistently spawn... it's actually enchanting. There's a reason people put so much stuff up on YouTube.

You may wish to watch the movie TWISTER, and the many of the tornado movies and documentaries.

It is quite scary to be in the vicinity of a tornado.

[MaryT]

It might not be quite as much fun if the tornado is chasing you through your own home.

Actually, I've often wondered, since American Disney produced the definitive Three Little Pigs movie, why many Americans still build their houses out of sticks, even in the real huff and puff corridors.

[Jessica_Rose]

Actually, I've often wondered, since American Disney produced the definitive Three Little Pigs movie, why many Americans still build their houses out of sticks, even in the real huff and puff corridors.

I wonder why mobile homes are so popular in 'tornado alley'. Think about it, you're buying a home that was designed to be mobile, and putting it in an area where tornadoes are a yearly occurrence. Most people who live in tornado alley know that mobile homes are like catnip to tornadoes. We often joke about making fake mobile home parks in unpopulated areas to bait tornadoes away from town. It's extremely rare to hear about a tornado that doesn't destroy at least one mobile home.

Now, to make this post relevant... Lori, I hope they are able to correct the camber on your Jeep without too much additional work.

Love always -- Jess

[ChrissyRyan]

Is Lori's favorite character GOLDilocks?


Chrissy

[Lori Dee]

I lived in "Tornado Alley" for decades.

Homes are built of wood because it is cheaper and faster, so easier to replace. Mobile homes are even more so. The average person buys what they can afford and hopes insurance will make them whole.

I installed security systems for some of the wealthiest people in the upper Midwest. They do not live in homes made of wood. Their homes are made of brick and stone, with lots of trees and walls for windbreaks. Some of the items within their homes are irreplaceable, so much is done to protect those valuables. Even within the fortress of a mansion house, down in the basement and sub-basements, there are safes, vaults, and panic rooms. But these are people who have the means to invest in such things.

I hope they are able to correct the camber on your Jeep without too much additional work.

They indicated that this was not a big deal. The struts and bushings and hardware are all new, so it could take a hundred miles of driving to wear things down so it all pops into place. Then the alignment should go easy for them. It's no charge to me, so I follow their advice and things will work out. They have never done me wrong, so I trust them.

@ChrissyRyan GoldiLocks.   
 

[ChrissyRyan]

Brick and stone and concrete are fireproof, a plus.

Some woods and fake woods are costly too.

Tile and wood floors would be more costly than typical carpet.

[Emma1017]

There was a story about a couple who built their home out of concrete and stone and survived the California fires unharmed. Any rebuilding plans should focus on that. I have also wondered why storm shelters were not made mandatory for RV parks. I suspect that politics kills off any attempts at rational construction codes. After the flooding of Hurricane Sandy, houses on the beach near me must be raised to get insurance coverage of any kind.  The insurance companies' rates respond better than the government does.

Lori, are you driving a Wrangler?  We developed something called a "Death Rattle" on our Jeep that is a known problem and Jeep won't cover it.  We had to replace the damper on the steering column ourselves... neither my wife nor I got under the Jeep to do it, as romantic as that could be. 

We hired mechanics with strong backs to do it.