Time well spent

From what I can see in the world there is a wide range of opinion on what constitutes good use of time. Fixing things and walking around with dogs are my top 2 suppliers of satisfaction right now, but there are clearly many other options that can be checked on the ballot of life.
My neighbor, for example, is building a small scale railroad around his yard. His passion is pure. His skill and knowledge undeniable. The small buildings go up and the track goes down. It is a remarkable endeavor that his wife helps with and his grandchildren love to explore.  Truly time well spent and the world is made better through his efforts.

Spending money on my toys can be hard to defend. There are so many better uses for my limited resources than something new for an old truck. That's why it feels so good to make new parts out of stuff I already have or to find bargains on eBay or CL. The trick is to not compromise the quality of the finished job. With economy in mind, but no tolerance for anything less than top quality, I made a new floor mat for my truck. Starting with a heavy duty stall pad from Tractor Supply (and a sample floor mat from another truck) I cut out a floor mat shaped chunk and used a couple of large diameter hole cutters for the necessary holes.

Somewhere there is a horse with an uncomfortable stall

It is very heavy, but fits perfectly and is a good sound deadener. It will be many years before that wears out and so far it does not seem to be accumulating moisture underneath.

Ever avoid doing something because you knew it would be difficult? Yes, I'm talking about hooking up my fuel gauge. Gauge is good, sender works, wiring is brand new, but gauge does not work when all is connected? Me, too!

voltage reducer  - better than runtz

Long story short - make sure everything is properly grounded, gauge included. Works great now. Also, get the right sending unit. The resistance range is important (obviously).

Finishing up the interior with some funky fabric my wife bought for this project years ago. Home Depot plastic sheet cut to size, fabric glued with spray on headliner adhesive and the edges sewn with upholstery thread. I still need to make the headliner.

Add a set of hub caps and your vehicle instantly looks more finished

No pictures, but I hooked up the horn and my trailer hitch wiring.

Only the finishing touches left to do:

• headliner - need to copy out the old cardboard one using my fabric covered plastic method
• grill bars - i have the stainless ones, just need to clean them up
• dodge emblems - one in the front and one on each side of the hood

 I have been driving it around and it feels like a new truck. Ok, a low powered new truck, but everything is nice and tight, the steering feels good and my new braking system is extremely good. Time to get some good truck use out of it.

I am told that time and money have some sort of relationship. So far in my life this hypothetical connection has been elusive, but seeing what the haves choose to spend their dollars on reveals that in that realm there too exists a wide range in value systems and creativity. Wealth brings out the social activism gene, but starves all oxygen and nutrients from the social responsibility portion of the brain. When I get rich I hope I have the good sense to not pretend I deserve it, and I hope there is something good I can do for the world.

Tiny dogs or giant apple?

In the meantime, let's save some junk and find some squirrels!

Hagrid lives just down the road from me

So boring.