Just rambling...

[BobbiSueEllen]

Uh, @sissyprincess2390 : is there a reason why you're "loving" 3 of my sad posts here?

 

[SissyPwincessAndrea]

Uh, @sissyprincess2390 : is there a reason why you're "loving" 3 of my sad posts here?

No reason idk honestly

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

No reason idk honestly

I'm not angry at you...just wish you'd reverse them. Those are some pretty heartfelt posts I made.

 

[SissyPwincessAndrea]

I'm not angry at you...just wish you'd reverse them. Those are some pretty heartfelt posts I made.

I did sorry I didn't mean to make you upset

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

I did sorry I didn't mean to make you upset

Fair 'nuff. Thank you, it just tends to send an unclear message is all.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

Okay, now it's the late Gordon Lightfoot's turn...I wrote this about 4 years back, to the tune of "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", about a Durham, North Carolina bridge called either "The Can-Opener" or "11-Foot-8". FYI, the Coharie are a local Native American population there.

The Wreck at The 11-Foot-8​

The legend lived on from the Coharie on down,
Of the dread bridge they called 11-foot-8;
The bridge height there sucked, shoved through 99 trucks,
You'd think they'd detour, but they're ingrates...

The bridge had a beam that made any rooftop scream,
From RVs to the big yellow Penskes;
The overhead sign was ignored time after time,
'Twas 'bout time some folks got some new lens-skees...

The cameras, they spied, and the drivers they did cry,
When Reverse Beep of Shame went to holler;
The traffic did stop and along came the town cops,
And the truck place won't pay out a dollar...

The bridge here, you see, was a YouTube celebrity,
With a fan-base of thousands, all trollin';
11-8, 'twas said, never gave up for dead,
When the trucks of ol' Durham came rollin...

The day then did come, the one they said'd never get done
When the bridge was prepped for elevation;
The tributes were sung but no banners were hung
By the order of town admin'stration...

Out came the bridge crew and the sparks indeed flew
And the bolts and the metal came fallin';
They yanked the blinkin' sign and the repairmen were all cryin'
For the truck renters'll no longer be callin'...

Does anyone know where the Penskes will go,
Where some beams can turn rooftops to dollars?
It's been said there's a few left nearby that'll do,
But they'll never be as notorious maulers...

The legend lived on from the Coharie on down,
Of the 11-8 can-op'ning trestle;
So go down in pride, take your Ryder by your side,
For your cash from your hand shan't be wrestled...

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

One of the things I've discovered about doing personal research is that it always leaves me with more questions than answers...even though all my initial questions were answered. Recently, I had discovered online a connection of autism with paroxysmal (what some might interpret as 'spastic') movement disorders. Since then, I've occasionally looked deeper into the matter...including just now.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) here in the US has a page on the matter...and reading it opened my eyes considerably: one of the things brought up involved not only a connection with autism but with an organic situation: abnormal EEG. In 1993, I was given two EEGs at the behest of my psychiatrist: the first one performed was deemed inconclusive enough to merit a second test, so in I went...and that second one merely confirmed the first one and arrived at a firm conclusion. They concluded that I had noticeable abnormal EEG activity in the frontocentral brain region, which was not epileptiform. During each test, I was told to hyperventilate and then, with eyes closed, various strobe intensities & flash-rates were shot at me. The typical reactions associated with epilepsy were not seen...so that ruled that out.

So, what was going on that brought these tests about? Certain random, incapacitating 'seizure' episodes did. Various instances whereas I'd be okay, nothing wrong or stressful going on; then, I'd feel a tingling begin in my toes & fingers and start spreading slowly into hands & feet, whereas it'd continue into lower arms & legs, ascending. At that point, my reaction would be to get flat on the floor, quickly, in the supine (face up) position. Several times, I had others who'd witness the episode; they'd move furniture out of the way, thinking it was epilepsy, then stay by and monitor me as it got worse. By that time, it'd all spread up my upper legs & upper arms with no movement possible, be it voluntary or involuntary, in the affected parts. Essentially...paralyzed. Then up my pelvic/abdominal region, into my chest. Breathing was not affected aside from short, shallow breaths as then my face & mouth became affected. Speaking was possible but words were hard to articulate. Again, zero movement. Within 10 minutes, the numbness & tingling would start abating, slowly working downward again, the opposite of its progression until it was gone, leaving me feeling weak. With some assistance, I'd be brought to sitting, then to my feet. Total episode duration was anywhere from 25-35 minutes.

And for those curious: I maintained full bladder & bowel continence all along. Unsure how that works, I just consider it a blessing.

Back then, the docs didn't know how to categorize it because autism and its medical implications were both new, comparatively-uncharted frontiers. Finding this out opened my mind up more to my given life-situation, clarified the connection. That's why I slow down now (helped along greatly by fibromyalgia), avoid stress & confrontation, take it as easy as possible. Also, I've sharply reduced alcohol, stopped smoking and avoid any & all street drugs, including marijuana. I've had others try to tell me to get on MJ, CBD or 'chewables' for my fibro but, given this particular situation, I've concluded in my personal instance that the juice just ain't worth the squeeze. And so, on I go.

The last episode of these 'seizures' happened in 2008 and thankfully haven't returned. Before then, I'd had 12 episodes between 1986 and then. But questions remain: will they return? How will this affect my current phase in life, nearing senior citizenry? I've already had to turn down many ambitions & endeavors in life because they required comparatively good health for their performance. I gave up motorcycling, half because of this, the other half because of fibro. I gave up trying to get my private pilot's license because I don't want to be in a situation whereas I have an episode, lose control of the aircraft I am piloting and down we go, not only killing myself but possibly others. That I cannot have attached to my name. Dad constantly would harangue me to try for my LSA (Light Sport Aircraft, allowing piloting myself and one other person in a single-engine aircraft, up to 4-seat, in daytime VFR [Visual Flight Rules] weather) rating, forgetting entirely about these 'seizures'. After reminding him a few times, he finally got the message. It's best that way. Swimming's out, too, as I'm uneasy in water to begin with...and make a better sinkie than a floatie.

But there it is. Another mile-marker along the path of my life. Navigating my life in a way which keeps my eye on the destination...and away from canyons & rivers between me and there.

 

[KBoy]

Frank, honest, open writing. Your ability to express how these things are affecting your life is always the meat of the story for me. But your straight forward writing style really helps me to understand what those things are, what they have consisted of. I have a limited understanding of autism but you have made seeing the separation from others and the isolation, the misunderstanding, clear and painful.
Your right that in the 93 little was known, even now the discussion is heated but people are being helped. With mental illness as well. Your willingness to discuss elements of your health that are mysterious, with causes unknown are important, but you, like almost everyone else ( for once) will be dismissed by the medical professionals and will have to be persistent to be heard.
I always enjoy reading you BobbiSueEllen and will go out of my way to do so. Keep up the good work baby

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

So, I decided to waste my "antsy time" (waiting on Thanksgiving dinnertime) by making up a story--with pictures--on... *TUM-TUM-TUMMMM* ...all the airliners I've ever flown on...55 years worth! There's many a story on each one but I'll try to keep it brief...yet entertaining:

​

1. The Boeing 707. I flew on two (one there, one back) when I was just a baby, Seattle-to/from-San-Antonio (the trip where I soaked my diaper...and my grampa's lap). I don't remember a thing (hey, I was a baby!) but here's where I cut my teeth, so to speak, on aviation. A shorter-range model called the 720 was made and several of these were made as KC-135 military aerial refueling tankers, which continue to fly duty to this day;
2. The Boeing 727. First one was Alaska Airlines' long one, Seattle-to-Anchorage, 1983. I discovered its hot-rod prowess then...and got my first alcoholic beverage with dinner in it, at 16 years of age, over international (oceanic) skies. Flown on three total;
3. The Boeing 737. Flown on eleven total. Holds the world record for most-made airliner ever, nearly 11,500 made so far...and more on the way. It's also the longest-produced airliner in history. What started out as a regional-airport-feeder ("guppy") jet is now a transoceanic-capable international jet! Well-mannered but still a bit of a hot-rod. But all must bow down to...
4. The Boeing 747...The Queen of the Skies! Only flew on one, Seattle-to-Chicago, but she flew like a Cadillac. Huge inside! Four glorious, powerful engines...a treat to fly on. The last one was rolled out earlier this year, after 54 glorious, regal years;
5. The Boeing 757. This replaced the 727 and established its own hot-rod reputation. Powerful, sporty, agile and tough. Flew on three -200 variants (medium-length) and one -300 variant (considerably longer). One of these almost hit a 737 I was on going Boise-to-Chicago, coming the other way at the exact same altitude, missing us by less than 1/4 mile. It ended up being one of the four White House 757s;
6. The Airbus A320 Family. Been on ten. They're okay, just don't feel as agile or as nimble as the 737. Two of them were the shorter A319 variants; shorter yet (and rare) is the A318 variant, which looks rather short-coupled...and thus looks tricky to fly;
7. Bombardier CRJ-200. Was only on one, the Dallas-Fort-Worth-to-Texarkana flight in 2015, which almost crash-landed. It's nimble, obviously tough and was fun to fly on;
8. Bombardier CRJ-700. Flown on three...the first time was Seattle-to-Calgary, first flight my daughter ever was on. Encountered severe turbulence over the Rockies, handled it very well. Also flew on a CRJ-900 variant;
9. Bombardier Dash8-300. Two Air Canada Jazz red-tails, one from Calgary-to-Edmonton, the other from Vancouver-to-Seattle. Powerful, quick, a fun little turboprop-job! Followed by its younger-but-bigger sibling...
10. Bombardier Q400. It was my first turboprop experience, N425QX, the 25th Anniversary paint you see. Seattle-to-Edmonton. Beautiful, 6-bladed composite props, immensely powerful, over 400-mph cruise, landed beautifully at YEG. A few days later, flew a vanilla Horizon Q400 home (two total). Sadly, the 25th Anniversary Q400 was quietly withdrawn from service in October 2012, flown back to the Bombardier factory in Toronto, emptied, stripped...and broken up. Scrapped. Only the nose section was saved. A very sad, heartbreaking end to "Skittles", a.k.a. "The Party Plane";
11. McDonnell-Douglas DC-9. One only. My very first post-infancy airline flight, from Seattle-to-Portland...all 35 glorious minutes! Five-abreast seating, seemingly odd but effective. A month later, I bought a model of it, exact same color & livery;
12. McDonnell-Douglas MD-80/90. Flew on three, these were stretched DC-9s, also called "Super 80". First time was Chicago-to-Seattle at night...she made a believer out of me! Incredibly powerful but graceful, nimble but smooth. She climbed out hard into the night sky, made one long, graceful leap across the US night sky and just sliced her way effortlessly through the air. Approach & landing at Seattle was very memorable, fantastic. Became my favoritest airliner ever. Last two were an MD-90 and its 1997 post-Boeing-takeover version, the Boeing 717. They were all retired a couple years back;
13. Embraer ERJ-145. Brazilian-made regional jet, only flew on one, Texarkana-to-Dallas-Fort-Worth. It's a good jet, the three-abreast seating guarantees that 66% of all aboard get a window seat. A nice change of pace...the pilots call it "The Barbie Jet". And finally...;
14. Embraer E-170/175/190/195 Family. Rapidly gaining traction in the regional jet market, tons of them in the western US. They look like a preemie 737 and perform just as well...a bit bouncy, too, but glide very well, especially during approach & landing. A very capable jet. Certain variants use LED exterior lighting, most of them have 45-degree-outward-canted winglets which resemble a bull's horns. I call 'em "longhorn" because of it. I've flown on six.

And so: there's my "whittle-away-time-'til-dinner" homework! Happy Thanksgiving!!!

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

Nothing like one's mind getting absolutely blown...

 

[Deleted member 39193]

So, I decided to waste my "antsy time" (waiting on Thanksgiving dinnertime) by making up a story--with pictures--on... *TUM-TUM-TUMMMM* ...all the airliners I've ever flown on...55 years worth! There's many a story on each one but I'll try to keep it brief...yet entertaining:

View attachment 123896​

1. The Boeing 707. I flew on two (one there, one back) when I was just a baby, Seattle-to/from-San-Antonio (the trip where I soaked my diaper...and my grampa's lap). I don't remember a thing (hey, I was a baby!) but here's where I cut my teeth, so to speak, on aviation. A shorter-range model called the 720 was made and several of these were made as KC-135 military aerial refueling tankers, which continue to fly duty to this day;
2. The Boeing 727. First one was Alaska Airlines' long one, Seattle-to-Anchorage, 1983. I discovered its hot-rod prowess then...and got my first alcoholic beverage with dinner in it, at 16 years of age, over international (oceanic) skies. Flown on three total;
3. The Boeing 737. Flown on eleven total. Holds the world record for most-made airliner ever, nearly 11,500 made so far...and more on the way. It's also the longest-produced airliner in history. What started out as a regional-airport-feeder ("guppy") jet is now a transoceanic-capable international jet! Well-mannered but still a bit of a hot-rod. But all must bow down to...
4. The Boeing 747...The Queen of the Skies! Only flew on one, Seattle-to-Chicago, but she flew like a Cadillac. Huge inside! Four glorious, powerful engines...a treat to fly on. The last one was rolled out earlier this year, after 54 glorious, regal years;
5. The Boeing 757. This replaced the 727 and established its own hot-rod reputation. Powerful, sporty, agile and tough. Flew on three -200 variants (medium-length) and one -300 variant (considerably longer). One of these almost hit a 737 I was on going Boise-to-Chicago, coming the other way at the exact same altitude, missing us by less than 1/4 mile. It ended up being one of the four White House 757s;
6. The Airbus A320 Family. Been on ten. They're okay, just don't feel as agile or as nimble as the 737. Two of them were the shorter A319 variants; shorter yet (and rare) is the A318 variant, which looks rather short-coupled...and thus looks tricky to fly;
7. Bombardier CRJ-200. Was only on one, the Dallas-Fort-Worth-to-Texarkana flight in 2015, which almost crash-landed. It's nimble, obviously tough and was fun to fly on;
8. Bombardier CRJ-700. Flown on three...the first time was Seattle-to-Calgary, first flight my daughter ever was on. Encountered severe turbulence over the Rockies, handled it very well. Also flew on a CRJ-900 variant;
9. Bombardier Dash8-300. Two Air Canada Jazz red-tails, one from Calgary-to-Edmonton, the other from Vancouver-to-Seattle. Powerful, quick, a fun little turboprop-job! Followed by its younger-but-bigger sibling...
10. Bombardier Q400. It was my first turboprop experience, N425QX, the 25th Anniversary paint you see. Seattle-to-Edmonton. Beautiful, 6-bladed composite props, immensely powerful, over 400-mph cruise, landed beautifully at YEG. A few days later, flew a vanilla Horizon Q400 home (two total). Sadly, the 25th Anniversary Q400 was quietly withdrawn from service in October 2012, flown back to the Bombardier factory in Toronto, emptied, stripped...and broken up. Scrapped. Only the nose section was saved. A very sad, heartbreaking end to "Skittles", a.k.a. "The Party Plane";
11. McDonnell-Douglas DC-9. One only. My very first post-infancy airline flight, from Seattle-to-Portland...all 35 glorious minutes! Five-abreast seating, seemingly odd but effective. A month later, I bought a model of it, exact same color & livery;
12. McDonnell-Douglas MD-80/90. Flew on three, these were stretched DC-9s, also called "Super 80". First time was Chicago-to-Seattle at night...she made a believer out of me! Incredibly powerful but graceful, nimble but smooth. She climbed out hard into the night sky, made one long, graceful leap across the US night sky and just sliced her way effortlessly through the air. Approach & landing at Seattle was very memorable, fantastic. Became my favoritest airliner ever. Last two were an MD-90 and its 1997 post-Boeing-takeover version, the Boeing 717. They were all retired a couple years back;
13. Embraer ERJ-145. Brazilian-made regional jet, only flew on one, Texarkana-to-Dallas-Fort-Worth. It's a good jet, the three-abreast seating guarantees that 66% of all aboard get a window seat. A nice change of pace...the pilots call it "The Barbie Jet". And finally...;
14. Embraer E-170/175/190/195 Family. Rapidly gaining traction in the regional jet market, tons of them in the western US. They look like a preemie 737 and perform just as well...a bit bouncy, too, but glide very well, especially during approach & landing. A very capable jet. Certain variants use LED exterior lighting, most of them have 45-degree-outward-canted winglets which resemble a bull's horns. I call 'em "longhorn" because of it. I've flown on six.

And so: there's my "whittle-away-time-'til-dinner" homework! Happy Thanksgiving!!!

That’s remarkable - I’ve flown all of the exact same aircraft except the 747 and 707 - these are two airplanes I’d love to have flown on. In addition to your list I can add the Boeing 767, Fokker F100, Airbus A300 and BAE 146 jets, plus the ATR 42, ATR 72 and HS748 turbo props.

But you’re the lucky guy, because in my books - nothing beats the 707 - it’s the plane that changed the way the world lives now. And, no other plane could have had such a romantically wistful song written about it - ‘In the early morning rain’.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

So my name is definitely getting changed. I can only stand being a namesake as long as there's no money to do anything about it. But when there is...it's getting done.

I don't know if there's anyone else here who's a namesake or not; I was given my father's first name and my middle name was given as a tribute to my mother's favorite uncle, who died shortly before I was born. Not sure why they, or anybody else, thought namesakes are a good idea. I sure don't. If you're a namesake, you may feel differently, might like it. In my instance, it's a curse.

I feel it's a set-up for failure: it sets up many kids for failure because it sets a standard a child grows to feel they can never live up to. Especially when the parent has high standards...especially artificially so. It corners a kid, erodes their self-identity by superimposing another's identity over it. It stifles the child, gives them a feeling there's no expression other than that of the parent. And to go against it is failure. You can't go up, you can't go down and God forbid you think about going sideways. You're trapped.

To make it worse, I overheard my own father once tell somebody that if I changed my name, he'd disown me. It shattered me. And this was after decades of borderline physical abuse, psychological abuse, emotional abuse, domineering...making my world smaller. Then discovering he wasn't perfect...in some pretty bad ways. The repulsion is overwhelming.

So, in the end, it's time to call his bluff. I'm tired of living in a corner. I've had it. I'm done. Let him disown me...I don't want anything from him anymore anyway. I have enough without it. For the times he made me jealous for some attention, for the times he expected me to be mercilessly tough...for the time he called me a "pussy" because I was trying to save his life. I don't deserve it. And he doesn't deserve me.

He wanted a son; instead, he got me. It's just too damn bad I wasn't good enough for him. I didn't measure up. Well, he can take his name and keep it. I'm done. Plus, I'm done chasing ghosts. It's clean-slate time.

 

[Patricia48]

So, I decided to waste my "antsy time" (waiting on Thanksgiving dinnertime) by making up a story--with pictures--on... *TUM-TUM-TUMMMM* ...all the airliners I've ever flown on...55 years worth! There's many a story on each one but I'll try to keep it brief...yet entertaining:

View attachment 123896​

1. The Boeing 707. I flew on two (one there, one back) when I was just a baby, Seattle-to/from-San-Antonio (the trip where I soaked my diaper...and my grampa's lap). I don't remember a thing (hey, I was a baby!) but here's where I cut my teeth, so to speak, on aviation. A shorter-range model called the 720 was made and several of these were made as KC-135 military aerial refueling tankers, which continue to fly duty to this day;
2. The Boeing 727. First one was Alaska Airlines' long one, Seattle-to-Anchorage, 1983. I discovered its hot-rod prowess then...and got my first alcoholic beverage with dinner in it, at 16 years of age, over international (oceanic) skies. Flown on three total;
3. The Boeing 737. Flown on eleven total. Holds the world record for most-made airliner ever, nearly 11,500 made so far...and more on the way. It's also the longest-produced airliner in history. What started out as a regional-airport-feeder ("guppy") jet is now a transoceanic-capable international jet! Well-mannered but still a bit of a hot-rod. But all must bow down to...
4. The Boeing 747...The Queen of the Skies! Only flew on one, Seattle-to-Chicago, but she flew like a Cadillac. Huge inside! Four glorious, powerful engines...a treat to fly on. The last one was rolled out earlier this year, after 54 glorious, regal years;
5. The Boeing 757. This replaced the 727 and established its own hot-rod reputation. Powerful, sporty, agile and tough. Flew on three -200 variants (medium-length) and one -300 variant (considerably longer). One of these almost hit a 737 I was on going Boise-to-Chicago, coming the other way at the exact same altitude, missing us by less than 1/4 mile. It ended up being one of the four White House 757s;
6. The Airbus A320 Family. Been on ten. They're okay, just don't feel as agile or as nimble as the 737. Two of them were the shorter A319 variants; shorter yet (and rare) is the A318 variant, which looks rather short-coupled...and thus looks tricky to fly;
7. Bombardier CRJ-200. Was only on one, the Dallas-Fort-Worth-to-Texarkana flight in 2015, which almost crash-landed. It's nimble, obviously tough and was fun to fly on;
8. Bombardier CRJ-700. Flown on three...the first time was Seattle-to-Calgary, first flight my daughter ever was on. Encountered severe turbulence over the Rockies, handled it very well. Also flew on a CRJ-900 variant;
9. Bombardier Dash8-300. Two Air Canada Jazz red-tails, one from Calgary-to-Edmonton, the other from Vancouver-to-Seattle. Powerful, quick, a fun little turboprop-job! Followed by its younger-but-bigger sibling...
10. Bombardier Q400. It was my first turboprop experience, N425QX, the 25th Anniversary paint you see. Seattle-to-Edmonton. Beautiful, 6-bladed composite props, immensely powerful, over 400-mph cruise, landed beautifully at YEG. A few days later, flew a vanilla Horizon Q400 home (two total). Sadly, the 25th Anniversary Q400 was quietly withdrawn from service in October 2012, flown back to the Bombardier factory in Toronto, emptied, stripped...and broken up. Scrapped. Only the nose section was saved. A very sad, heartbreaking end to "Skittles", a.k.a. "The Party Plane";
11. McDonnell-Douglas DC-9. One only. My very first post-infancy airline flight, from Seattle-to-Portland...all 35 glorious minutes! Five-abreast seating, seemingly odd but effective. A month later, I bought a model of it, exact same color & livery;
12. McDonnell-Douglas MD-80/90. Flew on three, these were stretched DC-9s, also called "Super 80". First time was Chicago-to-Seattle at night...she made a believer out of me! Incredibly powerful but graceful, nimble but smooth. She climbed out hard into the night sky, made one long, graceful leap across the US night sky and just sliced her way effortlessly through the air. Approach & landing at Seattle was very memorable, fantastic. Became my favoritest airliner ever. Last two were an MD-90 and its 1997 post-Boeing-takeover version, the Boeing 717. They were all retired a couple years back;
13. Embraer ERJ-145. Brazilian-made regional jet, only flew on one, Texarkana-to-Dallas-Fort-Worth. It's a good jet, the three-abreast seating guarantees that 66% of all aboard get a window seat. A nice change of pace...the pilots call it "The Barbie Jet". And finally...;
14. Embraer E-170/175/190/195 Family. Rapidly gaining traction in the regional jet market, tons of them in the western US. They look like a preemie 737 and perform just as well...a bit bouncy, too, but glide very well, especially during approach & landing. A very capable jet. Certain variants use LED exterior lighting, most of them have 45-degree-outward-canted winglets which resemble a bull's horns. I call 'em "longhorn" because of it. I've flown on six.

And so: there's my "whittle-away-time-'til-dinner" homework! Happy Thanksgiving!!!

My goodness, how do you remember all these? Did you keep a log or something? I mean my first flight was in something like a Convair CV-240. Prop plane to Chicago in 1965. North Central or United, unsure. Since then I’ve flown probably everything made, but I sure don’t have a recollection of them all!

 

[Patricia48]

Okay, now it's the late Gordon Lightfoot's turn...I wrote this about 4 years back, to the tune of "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", about a Durham, North Carolina bridge called either "The Can-Opener" or "11-Foot-8". FYI, the Coharie are a local Native American population there.

The Wreck at The 11-Foot-8​

The legend lived on from the Coharie on down,
Of the dread bridge they called 11-foot-8;
The bridge height there sucked, shoved through 99 trucks,
You'd think they'd detour, but they're ingrates...

The bridge had a beam that made any rooftop scream,
From RVs to the big yellow Penskes;
The overhead sign was ignored time after time,
'Twas 'bout time some folks got some new lens-skees...

The cameras, they spied, and the drivers they did cry,
When Reverse Beep of Shame went to holler;
The traffic did stop and along came the town cops,
And the truck place won't pay out a dollar...

The bridge here, you see, was a YouTube celebrity,
With a fan-base of thousands, all trollin';
11-8, 'twas said, never gave up for dead,
When the trucks of ol' Durham came rollin...

The day then did come, the one they said'd never get done
When the bridge was prepped for elevation;
The tributes were sung but no banners were hung
By the order of town admin'stration...

Out came the bridge crew and the sparks indeed flew
And the bolts and the metal came fallin';
They yanked the blinkin' sign and the repairmen were all cryin'
For the truck renters'll no longer be callin'...

Does anyone know where the Penskes will go,
Where some beams can turn rooftops to dollars?
It's been said there's a few left nearby that'll do,
But they'll never be as notorious maulers...

The legend lived on from the Coharie on down,
Of the 11-8 can-op'ning trestle;
So go down in pride, take your Ryder by your side,
For your cash from your hand shan't be wrestled...

Wow. I live near Durham and spend a lot of time there going to music jams. I’ve been under that bridge and remember when they “fixed” it.
Can I pass this new set of lyrics around in one music group there, they might get a bang out it. How did you come to know about it?
Pattie

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

Wow. I live near Durham and spend a lot of time there going to music jams. I’ve been under that bridge and remember when they “fixed” it.
Can I pass this new set of lyrics around in one music group there, they might get a bang out of it. How did you come to know about it?
Pattie

But of course you may, with my blessing! I own the lyrics, am glad to let y'all have some fun. The bridge became very popular on YouTube after a local business at the intersection mounted cameras on their building to record these wrecks. Some of them were spectacular, such as 26-foot-box Ryders, Budgets & Penskes hitting the beam and their noses rising as high as five feet up (!!!) as their rooves got accordioned, ripped back like sardine cans. And it happened loads of times, not to mention AC units atop buses & RVs getting knocked off.

A new phrase was developed by a YouTube user: "Reverse Beep of Shame", when victims of "The Guillotine" had to back up to escape, usually with police supervision...and/or a tow truck. Look up "11 foot 8" on YouTube, there are some wild compilations on there!

P.S. -- they either call it "The 11-Foot 8 + 8" or "The 11-Foot 16" now...

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

So, I walked away from all my family. Disowned them? No...just put them in deep limbo. I'm not sure who's more let down and disappointed in all this but I need isolation from them all. Space. I need not to reinvent myself but to grow awhile without guide sticks and their selective 'pruning'. So...I am 100% on my own.

Last September, my father told me about someone in town he knows, who's a tad older than I: this person was an enemy of mine in school when I lived there...from 4th grade to 3 years after graduation, when I moved to the Big City. This person confided in my father recently, said he hated me then...and confessed he and the others were 'jealous' (I don't know about that, not sure how to respond). Now, all these years later, he told my father he was sorry for how he treated me: his mother was a banker who helped my parents get a mortgage in 1976, then helped with demolition in 1985 and with a short mortgage for the new double-wide. The mortgage was paid off many years ago (we had an obligatory mortgage-burning party)...this woman, the mother of my enemy, now has major dementia and her time is near. He takes full care of his mother...and reflects. He asked about me...

Father told him I'm doing okay and living in another state. He told this person I was diagnosed with both severe fibro and HF Autism...apparently, that didn't help the other person's mood. So my father made me aware of this all.

I told him to tell the other person I said I forgive him but was somewhat unsure about why he was wanting it. I was no perfect angel myself, going through childhood in a half-animal state due to undiagnosed autism & frequent bullying, the latter I tried to evade constantly. It was a bad existence. And I was no saint. But if it helped him move forward, of course I forgive. What more can anyone do? Anyone who asks me will be forgiven completely; as for the rest, time's grace will cover us all.

And now for my next parlor trick: familial isolation, already in progress.

 

[littledub1955]

Back! Well...the bolt isn't frozen in its bushing, it's fine. However...

Got to the car, jacked the right rear up enough to get its wheel just off the ground. Put in jackstand, got my wrenches out, loosened the eccentric adjusting bolt & nut. Around the bolt face are marks: several, alternating short-long-short-long all around. I scribed one clean with a pick, made a corresponding reference mark on the metal. I then turned the bolt clockwise until the bolt showed it'd moved from long mark to long mark, skipping the short mark. That moved the front of the tire in, a.k.a. "toed it in". Tightened the nut...found that it took more turns to tighten than loosen! A-ha...a clue! The align guy apparently did not tighten the adjuster enough...and it reverted to its old position. So, snugged up, tools aside, jack down...go driving!

Got on the road, did a quick left U-turn snd it seemed the oversteer turned to understeer. Straighten out, go straight...now the steering wheel's a scooch off to the left rather than the right. Same amount. You know what that means...right?

Yep. Correct mark is the short one I passed over the first time!

So, back in the carport, park, e-brake. Corner up again, loosen nut, turn the bolt back to its original mark (to eliminate slack)...then turn to align short mark with body ref mark. Hold, tighten firm. Jack down, tools back in box, spiff up, go drive again.

This time: no over- or understeer. Straight travel showed the steering wheel is now centered, tracking true. A one-mile trip for lettuce, onion, cheese & iced tea...flawless tracking, perfect rear tracking in cornering. Success!

Assured left rear adjuster was cinched. I think the kid who aligned it last time did a good job...just thought the right bolt was tight enough, fooled by dirt & slightly-bunged threads. It's all good now.

Next project: get my spare shift lever & lengthen the part below the pivot ball by 17mm to decrease shifter travel...for racing-quality quick-shifts. It worked with my Nissan Sentras & Pulsars...it'll work on the Metro, tighten up the shifting, make a real zippy car out of it!

I just love how you never give up on a problem and keep working on it until you get things working right. You are a working warrior because you never give up.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

I just love how you never give up on a problem and keep working on it until you get things working right. You are a working warrior because you never give up.

I'm not a John Lennon fan but he had a line in a song that went "Well, I tell 'em that there's no problems...only solutions". The perspective really helps in DIY auto mechanicking. Sometimes when ya take a step or two back and see it a tad differently, you'd be amazed at all you can see.

 

[littledub1955]

I'm not a John Lennon fan but he had a line in a song that went "Well, I tell 'em that there's no problems...only solutions". The perspective really helps in DIY auto mechanicking.

In old run down home repairs. That's what I do.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

I just finished writing the hardest letter of my life. My parents will get it well after the Holidays. It had to be said. It just won't get said here...it's far too personal.

It suffices to say that I am now 100% on my own.​