Trees And Other Things

The tailgate on the Ranger won't come down. It's probably a little plastic connector thing inside. There are YouTube videos about it. I could take the tailgate apart myself and possibly fix it, but I won't.

There have been 2 recalls on this vehicle since almost the day I bought it. One has to do with a rear child safety seat connector. The other the seatbelt. You have to take the truck in twice. Once to see if it really needs fixing, because not all do. Then they order the part and you take it back.

The recall involving the child safety seat might also involve replacing the rear seat headrests with removable ones. That I would like, because I would immediately turn around and take them out. They restrict rear vision.

I will get around to doing that now that school is out. I think the warranty runs out this August. They should fix the tailgate also. It has been nice not to have to do anything outside the house lately.

 

At first it was a couple rounds of letters from Ford. I don't remember if it was from the dealer. Now it's the CARFAX fox through almost weekly email reminders.

By the way, the place that did the oil change entered 53,000 miles instead of 5300 miles when they reported it. I think I changed it. If you can change it that easily, it doesn't mean much, does it? Didn't make much difference in the estimated value.

Thanks for the NHTSA website. Still only the 2 recalls according to them.

 

I finally got into a routine for grass sprigging today. The most important thing to make it run smoothly is to get the sod cut up into the right size pieces ahead of time. I think I've finished about 1/4 of what needs done, most of it today, so I'm ahead of schedule. This job would be a piece of cake if I could shovel with the right foot and walk normally.

This has been the most frustrating thing because it goes back and forth between sore muscles and pinched nerves, sometimes both at the same time. It's been a month. Rest doesn't help---waste of time. Exercise makes no difference. I hate hobbling around in the yard. These young neighbors might think I'm too old to be doing this and call the authorities.

 

Would you? Actually they don't know what I'm doing. They just see me walking funny. If I were struggling with a heavy item up the steps they probably would, and have.

 

It's my right leg that's bum too.
Funny thing, I used to turn down help when offered (politely). Now I am playing the old card sometimes and cussing under by breath when doing stuff I used to do easily.

 

...

Hi Mary. Has there been a diagnosis of what's wrong with your leg? Maybe I missed it in another post?

 

I deduced from tests that it is extreme fasciitis. 7 years. Tried physical therapy, rollers, accupuncture...It kept getting worse. Manual myofacial release helped bring the pain down from an 8 to a 4 and I was going to take up line dancing but then it came back with a vengence probably adhesions or scar tissue. But there are still ways of accomplishing things if I stay off the roof.

 

Mary, I'm sorry you are having this and for so long too---7 years. I can see how it would be especially frustrating for someone who likes to do physical things outdoors. The causes and treatments sound like they don't know much about it.

Don't worry, I won't bother you with suggestions. I'm sure you have tried everything. I admire your determination.

 

It takes over 100' of extension cord to reach the new fence at the back of the property line with my old Ryobi string trimmer. The bottom now has a hole in it from bumping to advance the line for 15+ years. It still works, but it's time to ditch the cord. I'm looking at the EGO battery trimmers. They have made "improvements" on almost all of their residential models. The improvements are getting bad reviews.

(1) Automatic string wind up
You stick a 14' long piece of new line in, just push a button, and it winds up on the spool. Fine. Until it stops working. There is no easy way to wind string manually if it doesn't work. If debris gets clogged up inside, the winding gears can't mesh. You simply take it all apart, unclog it, and put it all back together. If that doesn't work, you buy a new trimmer head. It has plastic gears.

(2) String IQ
Instead of a bump feed it waits until there is only about 3" of string left, then automatically shoots out line to full length. You have no control when this happens. Complaints are of scalping plants/trees unexpectedly and wasting too much time trimming with 3" of line.

So... I'm going with their commercial model. They don't keep them in stock and it costs more, but has a bump feed and hand wind up for line. I can handle that. Just have to take a deep breath and order it.

 

I've seen some of the commercial trimmers at the flea market. I started to get one but I felt the handle was too long and not adjustable.

 

I have a few WORX battery trimmers. The line feed is a pain in the but but they work really well. Seeing that I have to stop every so often anyway, having to manually feed the line is not as bad for me as for some. The handle is adjustable and you can change it from a weed eater to a trimmer. It can move on wheels so not so heavy as some.