Re-run: Reinventing the Wheel

When I was home in August, Uncle Bern and I were discussing sharpening wheels.  He mentioned that there was an old wheel in Gramp's garage, under the bed of the '48 Ford.  He said someone had hauled it in there before Gramp's death and it just sat.  I asked him if it worked and he said he didn't know.  I had time on my hands......

Here it is.  Looks old(er).  Not a pedal wheel.  It has a 1/2 hp motor hooked up to it.  I moved all of the lumber stuck between it and the Ford and dragged it out so I could get a look at it.  After searching for a bit, I found an extension chord and (amazingly) an outlet.  I plugged it in with no expectations, but she wwwhhhhhhhheeeeerreeeeddd to life.  The stone itself had a pretty harsh dip in it, but it left me inspired.

A month later, I was out antiquing with the family units in Morrison.  We stopped by a place called El Mercado on the main drag.  It is the type of place you can visit a thousand times and overlook what you wanted 999 times. Sure enough, I ran across a stone.  I asked the lady who owns/runs the store how much she wanted.  She said $75.00.  While I had rarely seen a stone in that good of shape, I had to chew on it.

 A week later, Mrs. Hotel encouraged me to go back and get it.  And she gave me the loot for it.  She called to see what time the store would open and offered the lady $50.00 for it.  Have I mentioned how much I love this woman?  If you've ever been to El Mercado, you'll understand what I mean when I say the ol' lady who runs the joint is from a different time altogether.

"If I'da wanted $50.00, I'da asked $50.00."

Ugh. I love to wheel and deal, but she was solid. 100-years-old-and-I'll-sit-here-another-hundred-years-and-stare-at-it solid.  I drove to Morrison that morning and bought the wheel.  The ol' lady that runs the joint is pretty good at sales and managed to sucker me into a bicycle seat for my getup as well. 

She then cracked, "Ya know, son, I could get $200 bucks fer that thing if I'da had the pedal outfit as well." 

I replied, "Saw one yesterday at the Armadillo.  They wanted $250."

She squinted at me.  "Better off buyin' mine, ain'tcha?"

We'll see.

Pax Domini Sit Semper Vobiscum,

Mike, Oscar, Hotel.....out.