Correction...I just talked to my mechanic, Frank...since my Ranchero's steering box does not seem to match any of the dimensions the stock parts, it has to be rebuilt. It's getting shipped off to San Jose tomorrow morning. My guess is that it will now cost the exact total of my sander...(sigh.)

Today, I dropped my Ranchero off with my mechanic. I need a new steering box...I have a feeling I'm now gonna end up about $400 short on my sander...drats.

Okay, for all of you wondering what I'm gonna use to "finish" my boot...here's the basic plan...I walk my mostly finished boot over three blocks to Mr. Petty's shoe repair shop. I give him some money to stich the sole for me, then I ask him if I can rent some time on his finisher, some time when I won't be in his way.

...or if Mr. Petty tells me "no", the maybe I'll try another shop... or maybe later I end up buying something like this.

Today, I've worked some on my web page...not the boot shop. I did walk down to the basement to see if any water leaked in...it was pouring rain last night. The rain tried to seep in, but didn't get very far...phew.

Tex Robin isn't too keen on my choice of sanders. He'd rather see me get a more "traditional" (tried and true) jack master...or a "real" finisher. I hope my weblog doesn't turn into some sort of bad survivior knock-off... so that all the bootmakers at home are shaking their heads or holding their breath as I'm fumbling my way around. I happen to know the mother of "Alex", a current contestant on Survivor...Yesterday, I spent my whole hike with my dogs first wrestling with my choice of sanders...and then building the girls on Survivor a shelter, on account of they're floundering, and it's awful to watch. I'm convinced they need to build a few little lean-to shelters...because they apparently don't know what they're doing. Smaller shelters mean they can chop down and lug around smaller trees...and if they build a few shelters, may be they can get better at it... or a least maybe they won't all fall down at once...you know, in the 3 little pigs school of architecture.

(Watch yer head!)
Behold!...My bootshop!

What you can't see it?...look harder. There's a limited edition Delta sander...and a work bench, and a shelf full of lasts.

Okay...so really, it's an empty basement...and it seems to be my last resort. I think that black pipe would hit Brian C. Thomas in the chin, or maybe his shoulder. Me, I've got a good tweleve inches of head room in most places...except the doorway.

The doorway's been a problem, at least conceptually. It's too narrow to squeeze any kinda finisher through...but that doesn't matter, 'cuz I don't have any 220 current down there anyway.

But this Delta sander I found online changes everything... with the unbeatable Amazon.com price, free shipping...and it's fondness for a regular ol' three-prong-household-outlet...I think it's my best bet. I spent this weekend sweeping out the spiders...and emptying out my landlord's abandoned file cabinet.

More to come...

My weblog is experiencing some technical difficulties. The error messsage told me to "please check back later"...but that was in October. I think maybe it's time for me to take matters into my own hands.