Latest - have a big pile of parts for the cab work to commence. Corners for rust replacement, Vintage Air, new wiper motor, new CPP booster and brake pedal setup, Dolphin gauges, my Flaming River column, bench seat and three point seat belts, primer and Lizard Skin, etc. Started to mount the seat and my three point seat belts, and then I got grounded from further work.
Last October I had a bad bicycle wreck and got a compression fracture of a vertebrae. The latest scan showed it's still collapsing. I always thought the vertebrae were chucks of solid bone - not so. They are more like swiss cheese with a lot of holes and marrow and goo in the spaces. When you put enough pressure on one the bone structure around the holes start to break and the vertebrae compresses. I am now officially 1-/1/4" inch shorter with the effect of the break to this point! Crap!
Last week I was reaching for a tool and felt a big snap in my back which means another piece of bone in the vertebrae gave way. I'm now on "BLT" watch - no bending, lifting or twisting. Crap again!
There is a fix - i am going for another MRI shortly which will support a procedure called a kyphoplasty during which the docs inject some kind of cement into the busted vertebrae to expand it back and stabilize it. Good news is it's outpatient surgery, has very few side effects, and I should be as good as new afterwards. Oddly - it's also good news that the break comes from an accident because if it came for more natural causes like osteoporosis I'd be done with any physical work for good. In the meantime I guess I keep collecting parts and will also direct the gamily on yard work from my rocking chair!
BYW - I also bought a willing harness from Affordable Street Rods. There's a local guy here in Colorado who parts out and build AD trucks and I've bought a bunch of original parts from him. I checked out one of his builds last time I was at his shop and he was using this harness. It seems very well done and has great instructions and he said he's tried them all and swears by this one. One cool feature is that Affordable Street Rods' phone number is printed on every wire about every foot so if you have any issues or questions you can immediately call the owner - Rex - for help. When I'm back at it I'll let you know how it works out.