What did you do WITH your Ranger today?

[LaBalbe]

I saved my Ranger’s life today.

While cleaning up the garage after customizing the last of the closets at our “new” place. There’s been quite a bit of activity surrounding the closets - drywall, plywood, baseboard molding, door casings, etc. and a lot of it gets leaned up against things and moved around often. Well, there was an incident…

I was kneeling on the garage floor moving some flooring material when I saw my hi-lift jack starting to fall over out of the corner of my eye. It seemed odd because it’s usually just leaning against the side of my tool chest.

When it comes to my tool chest, every once in a while I notice a drawer sitting a bit proud of the cabinet and tell myself I really should level it properly so that doesn’t continue to happen.

While down on the floor, I reached to grab my hi-lift and that’s when I heard the unmistakable sound of a drawer full of wrenches sliding open, followed by another, then another.

Oh crap! The drawers of the upper tool chest were opening and it was starting to fall over, toward my truck. I was down low between the tool chest and my Ranger and quickly reached up to stop the drawers when a lower drawer slid open, catching me right in the face. Oh man, it hurt. The air was suddenly bluer than that tool chest. It was on a crazy angle and all I could think of was somehow stopping the whole thing from falling against my truck. The bottom chest was tipping, drawers were sliding out, gravity was not on my side and I was trying desperately to stand up while trying to right the cabinets. It was a gong show. I was pushing on drawers, fighting for every inch to stand. I couldn’t believe just how heavy it was.

I was sideways to the truck when it all started but managed to have my back against the truck door when I made it to where I was standing. I was stuck - now what?

I tried to clear the top section of the chest so I could push the drawers in and close the lid to lock them in place. No luck. I managed to reach my hi-lift and get it between me and the drawers of the lower cabinet. That gave me some leverage but I still couldn’t get it off me and back against the wall.

So, there I was, pinned. A bit beaten up but not in any danger and I wasn’t bleeding. At least I could catch my breath and figure out a plan. My phone was on the work bench, which didn’t help but I figured I could call out for Mrs. DukeCanBuildit and she might be able to open the garage door and back the Ranger out of the garage - better fold in that passenger side mirror first. I called several times but she couldn’t hear me. Dang.

Then I remembered that Amazon was delivering a package today and for some reason, that order had defaulted to “key delivery”, where they use myQ to open the garage door and put the package inside. I figured I could just wait for the driver to show up. My keys were in the garage and they could back it out. So I waited, tried a couple more times to right the cabinets - not budging. Less than ten minutes later, my garage door started to open - they had arrived. The guy found the keys, slowly backed the truck out. When the front fender cleared, there would be no more truck to lean on and I knew I would be taking the full weight of the tool chests.

As the bumper approached, I put all the strength I had left into pushing it toward the wall and the front of the garage while jumping clear of it at the same time. It all crashed to the floor, making less of a mess than I expected. Mrs. DukeCanBuildit didn’t even hear it.

Anyway, the Ranger survived, I got bruised up and I learned a valuable lesson about doing a better job of securing my tool chests.

Damn, buddy, glad you're ok. Let me know if you need me & Thing 1 to come up sometime this weekend to help square things away.

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[DukeCanBuildit]

Glad you're ok. Man stuff can happen fast and at our age we don't have those lightning fast reflexes like we use to. This is another reason I always try and have my phone in my pocket for these just in case moments. You might now wanna consider one of those "I've fallen and can't get up" devices. lol

Great idea…

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

Damn, buddy, glad you're ok. Let me know if you need me & Thing 1 to come up sometime this weekend to help square things away.

Thanks, it’s all good. Appreciate it.

You know? I just realized I let some stranger drive my truck. Whaaaaat?

 

[LaBalbe]

Great idea…

I'm most impressed with how you've managed to twist your left arm around so that you've got a second right hand. Who says you lose flexibility when you get older!

 

[Dr_Strangelove]

WOW @DukeCanBuildit that's a crazy scary situation. I'm glad you aren't more hurt than you are. I'm sure that Amazon driver is going to be telling this story to anyone that will listen

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

WOW @DukeCanBuildit that's a crazy scary situation. I'm glad you aren't more hurt than you are. I'm sure that Amazon driver is going to be telling this story to anyone that will listen

Thanks Adam, I’m fine - a few small bruises here and there. Once I stopped it, I certainly could have gotten out from it but I was all in. I just couldn’t just bail and let it crash against my truck - 2 cabinets, 60” high, 30” wide, 200 lbs of tools, 8 sharp corners, and 10 jagged metal drawers.

The numbers just didn’t work for me.

 

[Chris M]

Thanks Adam, I’m fine - a few small bruises here and there. Once I stopped it, I certainly could have gotten out from it but I was all in. I just couldn’t just bail and let it crash against my truck - 2 cabinets, 60” high, 30” wide, 200 lbs of tools, 8 sharp corners, and 10 jagged metal drawers.

The numbers just didn’t work for me.

TAFFR-DRIVER

 

[TxOTRRanger]

Work, had to leave early to make it to the bank before the lobby closed at 4 pm. Had to get a new debit card, old one was literally broken. Stopped by Casey's General store and topped it off with 89 for $4.19 a gallon. Wind out on the highway killed the fuel mileage.

Then I stopped by Brookshires for a little grocery shopping.

As always.
Happy and Safe Travels Drivers!

 

[Rigwright]

I put $76 of 87 octane gas in my 2019 Ranger.

 

[TxOTRRanger]

After work, they cut back on our hours btw. I stopped by Casey's General store and topped it off with 89, price is still $4.19 a gallon. Then went by to visit with Dad and Uncle Jim for a little while before making a run for home.

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

After work, they cut back on our hours btw. I stopped by Casey's General store and topped it off with 89, price is still $4.19 a gallon. Then went by to visit with Dad and Uncle Jim for a little while before making a run for home.

Bummer - need to get more Gen Z and Next Gen’ers into some good steaks and burgers!

You sure stop by to visit with Dad and Uncle Jim a lot. I’m working on this theory…..

YMMV

 

[Cabose-1]

.

 

[Ranger Mel]

Took my Ranger out to the gun range to adjust sights on my Marlin 1894 in .44 mag and Model 39A. Also, put the first rounds through my new Pietta 1873 Great Western II Californian in 45 Colt.

 

[Tako]

What do you think of the new design? In pictures I didn't like it but on the lot it grew on me. My wife ended up getting a 2023 Crosstrek and we sold her 2014 Outback. She didn't want all the nanny features on the new cars but wanted something a little smaller that would still be good in snow.

Her first car was a Mustang and thought about her last car being one but didn't want to be stranded during a snowstorm if I was up at the cabin.

Bought the outback wilderness

 

[AzScorpion]

.

$5.00/gal there, I hope that's at least premium?

I thought TX was a lot cheaper than most areas? We're at $3.89 for 87 and $4.49 for 91 at Costco. Our local stations are all over the place but most are still under $5.00 for 91. Something better change soon!

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