Don't weld drunk, wearing shorts, and flip-flops

[fatcaaat]

Today was a rough day...so I tapped into the sauce pretty early around 5:30 today. Life's normal things occur after work...wife...kids, etc...but as the kids go for bathtime, there comes a guaranteed 45 minutes of time I can escape...and here was work to be done.

I have been mad about the fact that my beater bike has been missing the steering stop. It's been gone since the day I acquired the bike and it has become more problematic after I installed my wide mirrors for street riding. Today, I figured I would correct it. At bathtime tonight, I dashed out to the garage, wearing a pair of cargo shorts and flipflops, determined to rectify the issue. I grabbed my die grinder and made nice with the area needing attention and cut a piece of 1/2" stock to the correct length needing to be welded on.

Here's where the dumb stuff happens. I have had about 5 shots worth of liquor at this point in the past 2 hours...so feeling pretty happy. Instead of putting on my heavy gloves, I'm using my light torch gloves. Instead of covering up with my leather bib, I'm wearing a tee-shirt. Instead of putting on work pants...i keep on the shorts and flip flops. Tack it up...sparks fly...exposed skin not happy. Who cares...I do a full pass on both sides and the top to complete the job...singed hair on my arms, hot flakes hitting my feet and shins...good thing the happy juice was flowing as that would have hurt. Uh Oh...paint in that area is on fire...glad this is not a primo build/bike.

After I finish I brush it off with a wire brush...the job is done...and done very well I might say...but I paid for it.

The good thing is the job is done and done well...the weld is beautiful. The bad thing is that my skin received a spark shower...feet, shins, forearms. Thankfully Mr. Grey Goose came to visit and I don't care. My wife is laughing at me telling me there will be a sobriety check tonight...between the house and garage. I guess at my age it doesn't matter anymore as long as my face is fine...who cares right?

Lesson of the day...at first I was going to say don't drink and weld. Then I was going to say don't wear shorts, tee shirt, and flip flops and weld. However...now I say...don't wear shorts, tee shirt, and flip flops if you are going to weld, unless you are drinking...that makes all the difference!

 

[Tommy T]

Very well put!

 

[69ST]

A couple more shots and you might have personally burst into flames.

Can't really think of many things, bike-related, that go well with "vitamin A"...unless one is into damage & destruction, of course.:19:

 

[Enginedoctor]

sometimes, a 'responsible' amount builds motivation. an irresponsible amount leads to pure determination.

 

[Adam-NLV]

It's all fun & games till you burn up your feet!
Personally I wouldn't touch the 'pain go bye-bye juice' (AKa: Single Malt) when working with equip you wouldn't trust a monkey to handle.

I hand polish and shine parts while on the sauce tho, but that's just me :10:

 

[kirrbby]

I've recently learned how quickly you can get yourself a nice sunburn while welding too. Hot sparks are immediate indication, owwch-hot-burn! Sunburn from leaving skin exposed during extended periods of weld arc UV, creeps up on ya.

 

[kirrbby]

sometimes, a 'responsible' amount builds motivation. an irresponsible amount leads to pure determination.

...and a stupid amount leads me to absolute assholishness.

 

[cjpayne]

...and a stupid amount leads me to absolute assholishness.

I understand you completely Kirrbby.
From my early twenties to early 30's I did that with a passion. I have regretted it ever since. At one time my tolerance was so high that one typical night, I drank two pitchers at a bar and a case of budweiser before that, then got pulled over for "improper start from stop" and passed the full sobriety test. I then continued to drink. I would often wake up in the morning wondering what happened the night before. A few times my boss had picked me up at a bar @2:30am "You better work when we get there Asshole!!!". This guy highly resembles Hulk Hogan. Before it was all over, I had gone through 4 or 5 cars(2 were totaled), two psycho slut girlfreinds, one divorce, and 4 DUI's. Yes, FOUR F'N DUI's!!! Cost around $10K a hit before it's all said and done. Cost me extra 1000's to have it all legally expunged from my record. Thank the Good Lord that I didn't kill anyone. If I had, I'm sure I'd had offed myself at home. Every now and then, I'll have a few Coors, but never insane amounts anymore. Cops don't harrass or follow me around anymore either. They now know me as the local idiot that likes to drive his minitrail everywhere. They even wave at me.lol

 

[Adam-NLV]

I got my first and only DWI (knock on wood) on my Honda 185cc when I was 18 living in California. Spent a night in the drunk tank. Back then it was called DWI and was only $350 in 1980!

These days you don't want to even risk taking that chance. I think it's $7k for your first offense. Glad I moved out of California, that’s all they do there; drink beer& wine. They make it there and it’s pretty cheap to consume. I still drink now and then but nowhere like I did when I was a young buck in my 20-30's.:16:

 

[kirrbby]

I have similar stories CJ. 2 DUI's and a couple three more trips for other shenanigans.

I got married at 18 and was a good boy, for 12 years. Then I divorced. I had my kids every other week. So I acted foolish for a week, then straightened up and played good Dad for a week, for about 9-10 years. I too am happy to have live thru it with only scars and memories.
Funny how your life can change. Look back 10 years, then 10 more, 10 more. Anythings possible 10 years from now. Trick is, aiming for only positive changes, make it happen on a daily basis.

 

[69ST]

Funny how your life can change. Look back 10 years, then 10 more, 10 more. Anythings possible 10 years from now. Trick is, aiming for only positive changes, make it happen on a daily basis.

IMHO, the big turning point is when you realize that you've more decades behind you than ahead of you. If that's not enough motivation to figure out one's priorities, I don't know what is. Or, to misquote Hemingway..."men don't grow wise with age, they become careful".

 

[Pelican1750]

I have similar stories CJ. 2 DUI's and a couple three more trips for other shenanigans.

I got married at 18 and was a good boy, for 12 years. Then I divorced. I had my kids every other week. So I acted foolish for a week, then straightened up and played good Dad for a week, for about 9-10 years. I too am happy to have live thru it with only scars and memories.
Funny how your life can change. Look back 10 years, then 10 more, 10 more. Anythings possible 10 years from now. Trick is, aiming for only positive changes, make it happen on a daily basis.

Dang Kirrby, that's almost the exact same story as mine.
I did have one slight glimmer of common sense back in those days....The time 25 years ago when I hopped on my GS750 drunk...made it around the block and right back home. Scared myself so bad I never ever rode it again while drinking.
Welding while drinking? Oh sure, we don't need no stinking gloves !

 

[cjpayne]

....The time 25 years ago when I hopped on my GS750 drunk...made it around the block and right back home.

You just reminded me of a senior in high school back in the mid 80's. He had a late 70's CB750 and just got it. He went to a party and got real drunk. I heard that he kept dropping the motorcycle in the front yard and no one would stop him from trying(some friends, huh?). He finally succeeded in getting it to go down the road and wrapped a stop sign around himself at high speed. He was only 18. About 10yrs ago I went by his mom and dads house and the garage door just happened to be open. I saw the bike sitting next to the wall with the handlebars wedged/folded into the tank and the front was messed up. I never new just how violent that crash was until I saw the bike that day. I can't believe they kept the bike.

 

[red69]

Sometimes we hold on to a link from the past.

 

[andrewdell19]

I drank too much and I admitted it about a year ago now. It took me until a few months ago to pretty much stop all together or severely limit it. Weekdays Mon to Wed/Thurs (depending on if we went out on Thursday) I drank 3-6 a day depending on what was going on. Then Thurs, Fri, Sat, and Sunday, would be much more. I have/had a problem and I figured that out. Now I only drink here and there and I can go weeks without a drink and have no more than 3-4 when I do drink.

I want to have more decades ahead of me than I do behind me (im in my early 30s) and at that rate Im not sure I would have made it.

I have my CT70s to thank for helping me through the winter without drinking a ton, because when I wanted a drink I would just go work on something. Busy hands, busy mind means less time to drink or think about drinking.

I appreciate more things now, whereas before I just existed in my life instead of actually living my life.

Thankfully no DUIs, arrests, nights in the tank, or fines to be paid. Although I could have easily been caught. I feel better, look better, and have a generally better outlook on things now that Im not drunk/buzzed/hungover all the time.

 

[red69]

It's good that you could get past that. Congratulations on your effort.

When you get my age, other forces are in play. Not that I overly consumed, but I did bend the elbow on occasion. Now it's consuming six different medications a day, some of which prevent any alcohol consumption at all. Life is a balancing act.

 

[Adam-NLV]

Yep, demon alcohol never forgets and after years of drinking you start to develop a tolerance for it, and it get's pricey too.

I have a good friend in Cali who I've watched drink himself out of owning a successful landscape business to claiming bankruptcy, losing his home with a pool, having 4 DUI's and still can't put down the Bacardi Cokes and the Marlboro's. His health is bad and now he doesn't keep in touch anymore. Tried to help him but he didn't want it and in fact resented it.

 

[andrewdell19]

Yep, demon alcohol never forgets and after years of drinking you start to develop a tolerance for it, and it get's pricey too.

I have a good friend in Cali who I've watched drink himself out of owning a successful landscape business to claiming bankruptcy, losing his home with a pool, having 4 DUI's and still can't put down the Bacardi Cokes and the Marlboro's. His health is bad and now he doesn't keep in touch anymore. Tried to help him but he didn't want it and in fact resented it.

You cant convince people/addicts they have a problem and help them out of it. They need to learn themselves before they can truly kick it. For some that time never comes. For some it comes too late. Sorry for your friend tho.

 

[Adam-NLV]

Thanks. Yep, it's sad watching an old high school chum spiral down. He could of had the best of everything, he chose to become a drunkard. Really find it hard to find sympathy with it IMO, hope that doesn't sound harsh.:10:

 

[kirrbby]

I've seen a couple friends go out that way, and one who sped the process with a shotgun. One more who is well on his way, at only 47 years old, my age. He's just coming into the stage of, "Dude, you're gonna get fired if you don't get your shit together." I have sympathy, and I know it could easily be me.