RMP8080

Mark,
In Delaware DMV check the gas cap and they close off the canister check for pressure leaks in the fuel lines, not sure what the standards are, but I keep a new gas cap to use at DMV. Sorry can't help on the canister hissing sound, make a mouse in it....lol

vang_22re

Don't worry about it till smog. But if it's scaring you then get it checked out. If u need smog just drive down to Fresno (must be a smog check and not a test only ) and I'll get you through

baddest94

Hey chef hers a pic of the truck ill try and get sum of under the hood next weekend been busy burning up the roads lol. And me and a friend marked off 660ft (1/8 mile) and she ran a 9.98

rworegon

Hey Chef, just stopping by to see what's happenin'. Keep on doing the good!

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

Yeah? Hmmmm... could be. Interesting theory/hypothetical, bud.

Hey, ..yeah, it passed last time on that test(However, ..... it was so good in 2010 that they gave me 2011 off/every 2 years now).... Can't remember if it started AFTER that last test or not.... but I think so. I might take the Mighty-VAC and pump it up, safely, then see if it holds, ya know? I'm starting to wonder on the 'mouse in there' idea! hahaha.

Yeah, that wouldn't be too practical sine it's around 8 hours away, lol... But I appreciate it!

WOW, you must be STOKED! My buddy is looking for a really clean pre-runner like he used to have...(insurance costs and not needing 4x4 much keep him away from the 4WD-Dept.). I'm surprised how hard they are to find with low miles/great shape/reasonable. Those pre-runner ones are a dime a dozen I thought... But THAT, the 4x4, .... not many sell them out here.(Kinda like my truck! grrr). I found an 85, CLEAN, for 2K, ....running seemingly fine(He's hurting, needs the cash), but he's waiting since he took a deposit from a buddy(big mistake in my mind, but none-o-my-biz, lol).... And he got an 'offer' from the guy that he wont share... So, I told him, "LOOK, if you want 2K right now, it's yours! But I understand, it's your bud"..... He's starting to itch and even called me last night. It's 3" spring and shackle lift with 32's, ready to roll!........ I'M ITCHING MORE THAN HIM! hahaha. I doubt it will pan out.... he's pressured by his friend, but whatever, worth a try, right? (OH< and it's WHITE, like my old one, 85 SR5 22RE )

Thanks, man! I'm trying, I'm just REALLY overwhelmed now.... I'll explain in a minute.

87 IROC, eh? Nice rig.... But why not go 5.7 w/a Paxton or otherwise? I THINK I remember ya..... You're ASU alumni? Don't think you answered me on the other thread. Sorry if I offended.... was just messin. PS> Who is the Emo(?) girl in the pic?

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

HEY GUYS!

I just wanted to share/update on the Step-pops....

1. He's progressively gotten weaker and weaker, especially in the legs.
2. He's complaining of "My heart is itching", which HE DOES mean 'internally'...
3. We visited the neurologist about 3 weeks ago.... She ordered MRI's and CAT's..... They found and diagnosed "Spinal Stenosis"..... This is not good, especially considering he's 84, had a stroke, open heart, Type 2 Diabetes, Remission from Malignant Melanoma over base of neck in back, bad diabetic Neuropathy of the legs, and they'd also found 2 anomaly's in the spine that suggest possible 'malignancy' on a vertebrae, ON TOP OF the "High Protein" count in the blood which leads to "Bone Marrow anomaly" that they have to fully diagnose and rule out/conclude whether it's Leukemia or another disorder or JUST FREAKY BLOOD. All of those things, aside from his age, make him a pretty bad candidate for spinal stenosis surgery(not forgetting to mention that the odds it will fix his problem are LOW and odds that it will have HUGE complications due to his situation/status are HIGH).
4. As I mentioned, he had elevated protein levels of the blood that in 2 tests(specifically one) lead most often to a diagnosis of 'Leukemia', especially in those who are survivors of surgically removed(or otherwise) malignant melanoma.
5. The Neurologist also shared, over the phone yesterday, at one point, that "he DOES have many signs of Parkinson's Disease.... But Mark, .... think about it. I'm trying to put this together like a puzzle.... We need to rule out Leukemia and other things, first, so we can start 'a plan of attack' with ALL that we've found, conclusively. What if those meds for Parkinson's(which have LOTS of side effects) aren't good bed fellows with the treatment of other conditions he has? I just have to be honest... this is just not looking good. He should be improving after open heart, DRAMATICALLY by now... But he's actually declining.... So, if I were you, I would begin to discuss all this with the family and REALLY consider that it might be time to keep him as comfortable as possible"...... She also shared that he showed other 'odd' things in the upper Lumbar vertebrae... Things that most often are 'growths', but need to be conclusively ruled out, either way..
6. We also visited the Urologist, yesterday, ..... nothing they can do for his 20X a day to the Bathroom thing, ..... everything they use for that is EXTREMELY reactive in a bad way to those who have or are fighting off 'glaucoma'. (He had cataract surgery, but it was to slow the progression of glaucoma that they felt he was going to wind up with).... The guy said, "NO WAY will I prescribe any of this stuff... it could not only blind him, but it can be FATAL!".... Something to do with clotting in the arteries of the eye, etc.? NOT SURE< haven't had time to look it up... but WHY, really, should I overwhelm myself even more with info that I have no control over, right?.

ALL of it is crazy..... But 5 and 6, especially, are very disrupting of my feeling that "We can figure this out and help him to improve"..... I'm NOT saying it's impossible, ...... just starting to accept that it might not be likely, ya know? :/

Just wanted to share the 'basics of the details' up to this point, for those who've been keeping us in prayer/their thoughts!(For which I'm/we're VERY grateful for). I tell ya... When you see someone so independent decline the opportunity to go outside into a yard you've been developing and grooming for 30 years..... That's hard to see, the defeat that is. More than defeat, .... HE'S JUST NOT ABLE, period. I can see it now, clearly... He's not just quitting because he doesn't want to cooperate with his family(US)...... He's just scared, beat down and REALLY struggling..... Added to that is the not so small factor of "Masculinity", ya know? Each time they say, "Oh, by the way, we found this", ..... MANY things go off in my head(Including anger/frustration/REALIZATION OF MY OWN MORTALITY, lol)..... mostly, "REALLY? MORE?" But I gotta say.... HE'S FIGHTING, and I have to admire that, regardless of everything else! I just hope that his 'desire to live to 100'(which isn't likely realistic) doesn't outweigh his willingness to embrace the life that he's had, VERY FULL INDEED, ..... and get ready to move on(if that's, indeed, the likely scenario). It might sound terrible..... But honestly? I TRULY, at times, hope that this progresses RAPIDLY, instead of making him go through another 5 years of NO QUALITY/FEELING OF CONTENTMENT/possibly having to lose limbs/terrible pain, etc., ya know? The prognosis of 'Spinal Stenosis', alone, at his age/condition? .....it's not good.

Sorry to be the 'debbie downer' for your day, but I just wanted to share, on a small side note, that I'm just not able to find time to do MUCH with the rig. But I'M TRYING>>>> hahaha>>>>>

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

Far as the Rig;

I measured everything out on the S10 rack and my roof.... Have to cut off 9" from the longer/side rails... 6" exactly from the support rails....

Now, considering I have 2 racks now to mess with, I grabbed the one that's needing more TLC and cut it on the long rails/side rails.... When I put the feet back in the end.... mock mounted it.... it's seemling bowed bcuz of the arching of the feet. I'ma ask RBX what he did/if he noticed this, etc.

I will do a lil video, RB, of what I'm talking about(I'm sure you get it, but just for reference/everyone else who might not, ya know?).

Thanks, guys... I'm tryin, .... gonna have this thing up soon, just picking at it 10 minutes here, 20 minutes there, lol.

RMP8080

sorry to hear about the news. Good thing Obama care is not in effect.

Of course I'm joking, our prays are wth you and your family, hope your step-dad feels better.

where are the pictures of the roof rack

rworegon

Chef, man, the issues with the step-dad just keep stacking up. Sorry to hear he did not rebound. I think the Neurologist may have a wise recommendation on focusing on keeping him as comfortable as possible. Thoughts and prayers you way......

In contrast to your step-dad, my only living grandparent turns 100 on Saturday. Grandma takes only a couple of daily medicines, has a studio room in assisted living place, goes to exercise promptly at 9am 5 days a week, and can talk all of our legs off. A month ago, she went with a few others to a kindergarten class and read a book to them. Monday night she said she has three more readings scheduled between now and May with the kids. She is an amazing lady and I love her dearly. May a bit about her, bring a smile to you.

Take care of yourself too!!!

vang_22re

Sup chef hows it going? Like RMP SAYS. WHERE THE RACK PIC? Ehh ehh haha hope everything is coming along well

aviator

oregon that's amazing about your grandma... that's the key thing as we get older stay active and involved and 'useful' [as you are able to] and you will live a long life... taking good care of yourself and being lucky does'nt hurt either lol...

Mark aka Debbie... real sorry to hear about your step dad... that can be a huge part of the problem once you have so many health issues at the same time... the drugs/treatments don't play well with each other and some times the side effects are worse than the problem itself... [if you want an example of this listen to the side effects listed for some 'heartburn" relief drugs you see advertised on TV... easier to just cut back on the greasy/fried/spicy food if you ask me lol]

I know this will be hard to hear [for you and him] but it sounds to me like that one doc may be on the right track... it may be time to start thin king more about palliative care and keeping him 'comfortable' as opposed to trying to cure him... it comes down to a quality of life question... if the "fix" is going to make life more difficult or even risky for him than maybe it's time to accept what is and make the best of what you've got left...

We're here for you buddy...
Aviator

ps on a more positive note any new stories to share about your grand kid? How are you diggin' that role?

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

Hahahah..... Well, that topic is 'forboden' on this site..... so I'll not dive deeply into what I KNOW and have experienced up to this point... OTHER than just factual, consequential fall out we've been dealing with already due to it; It's already effecting seniors, including my family, in many ways. The second it passed, they came by within weeks and informed us that due to mandates on those secondary carriers like Scan, etc., we would be losing LOTS of benefits, including the house cleaning and moderate in home care they were getting.... They now have to pay for it out of pocket, after paying into medicare their entire lives.... I'll just leave it at that, but trust me,.... it's not looking good for them so far.

What a great thing to hear, man! I ALWAYS love to hear that. My great grandmother would have lived to 110, but breaking her hips and then hitting her head cut her short to 92. GREAT woman who is my inspiration for cooking, along with my mother and grandfather who both owned/worked in a restaurant many years ago.

Hey Vang.... yeah, no pics just yet.... I'm going to post some up, asap! I don't have it mounted, if that's what you're looking for in the pics dept. lol. Pics will be of the odd angle at the mounting feet. I'm still toying with some ideas in my spare time. I got some from an old 2dr Landcruiser guy the other day. Very diff. vehicle, .... roof wise, ..... but he gave me some ideas I'll share later. It's really just a not having time for anything 'ME' right now, which is fine... it's not an emergency, ya know?

Hey Paul..... thanks, man! Yeah, I know..... but right now, it's something that's more difficult than many would think. One problem with 'placing him' which many learn about, personally?: Mom would FALL APART if they had to do that.... (she would deal with it OK if it was absolutely necessary..... I know she could... But, right now, it's not that bad, just yet, to where she could accept this as the 'best thing'). He is very childlike, obviously.... But he's also always been pretty jealous/possessive/self centered.... I DO NOT say that, wholly, in a derogatory way against him.... Lots of it is consequence of his life(POW to the Russians, in Budapest/Prison Camps/Nearly lots his pregnant wife to a blizzard as they fled the camp and ran to the USA..... Lots of Hoarding issues and such as well). But now, he's given up on all that... He just doesn't have the 'juice' to worry about anything but the basics, ya know? The biggest problem is his problem with 'walking'/'getting up from sitting down'/'sitting down from standing'....... NO recall, and at this point, I think the Physical therapy is just a waste of time. If i didn't think it gave him some hope and something to do, I wouldn't bother putting him through it.... But again, no recall results in 'NO PROGRESS' in PT.

Anyway, we'll ALL be there, one day, and hopefully...... we'll have someone to care for us when even our family can't help, right? I no longer look at even 'MOST' cases of someone being in a home as neglect, etc.... Many times, IT JUST HAS TO HAPPEN! Many times, also, the family simply cannot afford it nor are they equipped, educationally, to deal with their infirmities. BUT, I still say that this "NO in home care" stuff is a TOTAL BETRAYAL of people like him, who've worked their whole lives making ANY 'system' possible. Heck, we're paying into it right now, guys.... My advice? PLAN AHEAD and be frugal, like myself! lol.

************************************************** *****

Well, I have ONE bit of good news, and it's big! lol....

My stepfather does NOT have any risk of developing Leukemia or any other bone marrow disorder(In his case, Multiple Myeloma) that would effect him heavily in his lifetime. The Oncologist, yesterday, told me, "He, like everyone, has certain proteins in their blood that COULD point to this.... But like you've seen with DNA testing(I took classes and spoke to him on it)...... there are certain tests that show immeasurable levels... With DNA, they can settle for 'partial' results, and even use the relatives to combine and eliminate and form a new FULL panel of measurable results... This is not the case with your stepfather.... If he was 20, I would WATCH the numbers, because this protein usually turns out as a Multiple Myeloma, which can be devastating, but ALMOST ALWAYS takes decades to get much worse.... Your stepfathers levels are so low, that I would only worry about him developing 'problems' from this protein/condition by around, well, 100 years old...... Which, we have to be honest, is just not likely.".....Bottom line; NO CANCER! I'm thankful for that diagnosis, as I've seen it destroy 3 of my loved ones and friends, already(2 Leukemia and 1 Stomach that went to the bones and blood). Again, this doctor was another that told me, "It might be time to start thinking about or at least having a plan for making him comfortable as possible..... ESPECIALLY if he's developing full blown Parkinson's and DOES INDEED have Spinal Stenosis. You're trying to work and care for them, ..... it's going to take it's toll." Lots to think over on that end.... but for now, I'm ok.

vang_22re

That's some good new. And sooty to hear about the love ones. Anywho you'll have time to setup the rack. Just don't sleep haha I'm jk that can be put aside until who.knows when. But not too long I still want to see how it looks like. Haha good luck and take is slow.

aviator

Good news Mark glad to hear it...

recall issues... I seem to remember hearing about some strategies to deal with that...
check the alzheimer's web site there may be some info there...

ksti

My prayers are with your Pop and you. Stay Positive.
Oh yea! check your wallet, monkey got loose haha!

baddest94

Hey chef im sorry bout all the probs man i hate hearing that and still keeping you and your family in prayers. As for the new truck im totally stoked lol all wana do is drive drive drive even though i have to run 93 octane and its 3.85 here. I hope everything goes your way on the 85 and hes sees that you got it now and it could be awhile on his buddy and says come and get it mark. Ima try and get you some pics of the super charger locker and interior. Last thing ima get a sticker made for the bottom of the tailgate that says (lifted, locked, and charged what cha think

RMP8080

Mark, great news, keep hope alive......

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

Hahhahaa, you guys are a great lift, man... needed that!

Ok, so,

........."find time when I can to work on the rack", CHECK!

........."HOPE and wish that this guy doesn't come through on the 85...IT'S CLEAN", CHECK!

........."MONKEY'S LOOSE!!!!!!"..... CHECK.............MY WALLET, check! lol.

........."Look up info on Dementia/Altz", .........I'll make another check on that. Nothing seems to work, man..... at certain times, he's HORRIFICALLY INEPT! Can't even take direction, let alone recall, ya know? Very sad... But, other times, he's pretty sharp. It's VERY much looking like very aggressive and quickly worsening Parkinson's..... Ya know? (Very common to have 'off' and 'on' times. Very common to shuffle and ALWAYS wind up with the legs far behind the walker/lunging/feet really close together/tiny steps/trembling but not yet having sitting-tremors/rubbing finger and thumb together very often when 'looking for the words'/can't get anything but "the, the, the, you know, the, the" out--which is also partly due to damage from his stroke, age, ETC......

I'M ALWAYS positive, guys... no worries on that. It's just hard, cuz he's very discouraged/emasculated...... SOOOOO, as I've always been in most situations.... I'm the "let's laugh about this or that" and "DON'T YOU QUIT, MAN, KEEP MOVING, LET'S GO" guy, lol....

I've done even more research on the roof stuff and I'm coming up with some good ideas.... i'll post some pics of the stuff I found at the stores and RV/Trailer and boat supply places... They deal with Fiberglass all the time, and they have some great stuff, ready to go. Just have to decide and find time, ya know? I'm still looking for those Aluminum Rails like that one guy on here did.... They're like slide rails that box nuts fit into. Anyway, least of my problems right now, lol. Also, i just have to find time to do the Fuse block, so that might come first as it doesn't require any planning.(speaking of, I got a nice grommet for the fender where I'll drill a hole for the wiring to go through, then into the dash/under dash area, thus shortening the wires, which is always good! lol.

aviator

Mark most issues I hear of with Parkinson's is it's related to how much rest the person gets... ie. there is a period just after they get up when it is bad... then they get rolling [after the 1st coffee kinda thing like all of us do] and all is well... then they run outta juice and the symptoms get worse... they get some rest/a nap/ some food... and repeat the process... I have a few uncles who have parkinson's like symptoms... the rubbing/twitching and it gets worse when the are tired or have low blood sugar... ie before meals...

try moving your step dad off a 3 meal/day schedule and on to a more "grazing" type meal schedule ie eat smaller meals 6-7 times a day... ie never get "empty"... I used to eat this way when I worked construction and I was a lean mean build'n machine... then I changed careers to one that put me on a 3 squares a day and I'm not as good...

What I'm saying is we were designed to be grazing animals... stop and eat when we got hungry/found food and move on... this modern 3 meal a day same time every day deal we live on now is a product of the industrial revolution and not healthy for us as a species... why do you think Chef's are so healthy [even the "heavy" ones]? because they "graze" all day as they taste the meals they are preparing... they never get empty...

If you help your step dad keep his energy levels up it may help everything else...
stick to foods that are strong in anti-oxidents and healthy amino acids and omega 3 etc... and are also easily digestable... just be careful how far you go... you don't want to have to use a seatbelt to hold him on the john
it's good to be regular just not REGULAR... if you know what I mean...

on the roof track issue... check the yards for Jeep Cherokee "Classics" [last few yrs. of the smaller 80-90's version] they had a roof track like you are looking for that went the full length of the roof... enough to cover the full length of the 'glass roof on the runner...
I'm looking for one myself to put on my cap...

Play this one for him...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxQgXgS5G3c

it may cheer 'im up a bit [and you too]

Terrys87

iTrader: (1)

Hello Chef..I just sent you a PM and come to your thread and see things arent going well. Will keep you in thoughts and prayers. Sounds like he is having a tough time along with what it does to the rest of the family.

Looks like you still have the never ending project list like the rest of us out here. Hang in there.lol