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What I hate most in such situations is the feeling of impotence, that being absolutely powerless. It's your mother who'll have the hardest hit. You're doing great being by her side as much as you can.

I'm sorry, Steve. It's not callous at all but merciful.

I made lumber! The tree cutter who took down my brother's trees gave me some small Black Acacia logs and I just tried cutting 5/4 slabs out of it. I think I may have discovered the Temple of Gozer the Gozerian in the middle of the log. 😱

A small project I did some time ago. DIY solder station for Weller WMRP soldering pen. Check this http://kair.us/projects/weller/index.html . I ordered ten PCBs, same price as for the one I needed. If you want to try this, ping me and I send you a board for just shipping costs and I pay same amount to Doctors Without Borders. Does it work? Yes, only for fine smd jobs. Have I used it? No, not really. Why build it then? Because you can.

Great words Antonio....can't say much to help, but sending as many ((Hugs)) and best wishes as I can....

The usual transplant is lungs and heart at the same time. Fingers crossed that a donor is found. A guy that worked for me had had a heart transplant. Perfectly healthy, in his late 20's, got bad 'flu, and it went for his heart muscle. Thing was, he got to meet the donor! The donor had had a heart lung transplant, because his lungs were screwed. But his heart was in good shape, so my guy got his heart. So while in recovery, they met up in hospital and kept in touch. Each decade he had a party of the heart. He made it for over thirty years since his transplant, which is an exceptionally good timescale. As Torpedo says, we're a bit foggy how the system works in the US - but best wishes for a good outcome.

After 8-10 redesigns, we have settled on the final top of the dog crate which will end up having a 2” lip of ebonized oak around the outside to tie it together with the rest of the crate. The big slab of Purple Heart was “too dark” for Kasia so I dug up some maple.

That vinyl rack is awesome

Oh dear- I'm so sorry to hear the latest bad news, Steve

As you already know those aren't good news. Too many questions that a thoracic surgeon should answer to you. There should be a waiting list, I don't know how it works in the US with your health system. Best wishes.

Is this with the bandsaw or some kind of mill?

Only if the alternative had been starting behind Lewis Interesting sprint race thanks to Lewis, Carlos and Sergio, Max didn't want to risk. Hopefully tomorrow it'll be a different story.

^ Looks great. Thanks.

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/24181/12467365/lewis-hamilton-disqualified-from-sao-paulo-gp-in-massive-title-blow-and-starts-f1-sprint-from-last best $50k Max ever spent?...

New speed monitor (tach) installed but still having issues with other light sources causing it not work (incandescent bulbs in the ceiling) 😤 I guess either I need more infrared light or a ir pass filter?

Today I went to check out a new project that I'll be heading up in the Oakland Hills. The house is owned by a former client that I dearly love. While there I got to talking to her tenant who was in the process of moving out. He offered me several pieces of mahogany, left over from a project. Then he asked if I'd be interested in an old Stanley router. Not sure how old, but it's old, and all metal. While I was looking that over, he brought me the first powered drill, patented in 1917. Super awesome stuff! Pics to follow. My plan is to offer them up to the new woodshop, as decoration, even though I believe they both work. He wouldn't take any money. He just wanted them to be appreciated. They will!

Pizza night

Jealous of your skills Steve. If only ... See me with a tool in my hands you best run as fast and far away as you can. Yesterday I started phase 1 of modifying my garage storage. There will be blood. Hung the skybox, moved storage hooks from being attached to drywall to attached to studs and installed a ladder rack for storage. 2 hours due to lack of skills and having to think the project through. Then I hit the common wall between the garage and my manufactured home. Studs? WTF!!! Stud finder is not locating studs. Not even deep scan. Finally locate a stud and verify it really is one. Garage is built 24 inch. Not the common wall. Turns out is 16 inch. Finally install chair rack and additional storage hooks. 3 hours due to aforementioned deficiencies. Of course there was blood. Always is when I use tools. Not even sure how or what I did to my right thumb but alas, caked in blood. Oh well. All this the day after getting my covid booster and flu shot. Guess I did feel ok.

bc546/bc556 starting to get very hard to get even though onsemi says they are going to make more, so this which needs massive amounts of checking.

He just signed a do not resuscitate order, which is way out of character for my Brother. So that tells me that he's given up. Hopefully he'll just go to sleep and not wake. I really hope it doesn't drag on. My Mom is really having a rough time. Last week they had a big scare with her husband. Out of nowhere he started having really bad dizzy spells and couldn't stand or walk. Thankfully it turned out to be Vertigo, and he's doing much better now. In the last 4 years, they've done a complete turn around. She was the one that did all the shopping, the laundry and all of those day to day chores. He stayed glued to his computer playing video games. Now she can't do those chores because of COPD and some chronic back pain (still undiagnosed). Thankfully, he has stepped right into those roles without complaint (something that absolutely flabbergasted me). So I know she was worried what would happen should he not be able to continue that. Then just when that news got brighter, my Brother took another hard dive medically. My Mom was that Mother you see on those old 50's TV shows. Everything she did was for her kids. Selfless doesn't even begin to describe her, and to now see her struggling in her later years is just really tough. Life just isn't fair. OK, I'm done rambling for now. Thanks for being there!

I hope this doesn't come across as callous, but I'm kind of hoping for quick resolution. He's not coming out of this, at least not with any real chance at a normal, healthy life. I don't want him to suffer. I don't want his wife to suffer, and I don't want my Mom to suffer any longer than need be. I heard in her voice this morning that she understands he won't pull through this.

It's a very strange space to be in, losing family members. Confronting my own mortality isn't really frightening to me, but the sadness and loss felt by those left is very depressing.

There's been no talk of his heart being bad. The thing is they were reluctant to do the surgery to staple his lungs to his chest wall because he's so weak. He's 6' and now I believe he's somewhere around 100 lbs. They have released him from the hospital, but he can't walk or even stand on his own. I never count him out, but I'm doubtful that he'd survive the surgery if they found him a pair of lungs. But I'm no Doctor, so maybe it's possible.

Yeah, I pretty much know what it means. I've been as prepared as one can be for my Brother's passing, and I imagine this is the beginning of the end. I now need to find a way to get my Mother through this. She's getting pretty frail herself, and I suspect she's already thinking there's not a lot to look forward to. She's called me every day for over a week, I think just to feel closer. We talk pretty regularly, but this is unusual and I sense a feeling of resignation. This morning was more a feeling of panic. I know that she doesn't want to outlive her children.

My Mother called me this morning to tell me that my Brother's Pulmonologist told him that he needs a lung transplant. He's still in bad shape and struggling to do even minor tasks. The Dr. said they've done all they can do with his failing lungs. My Mother and I are both wondering what the logistics of this are. I guess there would be a waiting list? Then of course someone would have to die, before a pair of lungs could be harvested. I didn't even know that a lung transplant was a thing. Not sure if his age and health would have anything to do with his placement on such a list. Or if he's strong enough to be able to endure such an operation? My Sister in law says that news surprised and terrified him. She was shocked as well. It wasn't something anyone had suggested might be a possibility before now. I guess I'll learn more in time.

Got summoned to a job sight to "drop in a new door". "Should take you about 20 minutes." Yeah, yeah. I hear this all the time. So I arrive at the jobsite and the rough opening is two inches less than the width of the new door. The door is also a 20 minute fire rated door, from the house into the garage, and as a first for me, it is milled out for a threshold, but there isn't one on the door. At least I got to try out two of my new tools. After cutting the sheetrock back with my new, ultra quiet 18v multi tool, My new beast of a 36v reciprocating saw, had the jack and king studs out in a few minutes. After relocating them 2 1/4" back, I then went to the builders supply store, where I found a threshold to fit the door. Had the door opening resized and door and trim installed in about 2 hours. Then got busy on the mail slot that the boss forgot to mention. "You'll be done in 5 minutes". Yeah, right. After encountering 1/2" of stucco and steel lath, I dug out one of my 4" grinders with a masonry blade. 15 minutes and clouds of dust later, I had the opening for the new mail slot cut. After finding my 1/8" tile bit, I managed to drill the holes to hold the slot in place. Now to install the overly complex Baldwin doorknob and deadbolt. "Oh, there's also a little bit of baseboard upstairs I forgot to tell you about." Now I've pulled out my miter saw and half of the tools that I own, and my "20 minute" job has turned into 6 hours.