Between 265 & 485 SQ/FT The "Glendora Garage"

M.Brane · Mar 12, 2026

You've been at the bottom of the sine wave. It will rise to the top again soon.

When I was a younger man I let stuff drag me down. I finally realized that was all about me, and decided to not let things I had no control over control me. Just do my best, and keep on keepin' on. It's not all pleasant, but the beauty of getting older is just not giving a F about stupid S anymore.

Ford52PU · Mar 13, 2026

Hang in there it only gets better. Last year in March I was in the dumps as well got out of the sling on March 17 and started PT and things turned around and so did my attitude and depression.
Sorry about your sister, my wife’s sister died two days after my wife had foot surgery in November, her foot is much improved but she’s still depressed and dealing with the loss. Hang in there. At least it’s warmer in California had 80’s here on Wednesday snow yesterday and 28 this morning!

rharman · Mar 14, 2026

@Dan in Pasadena - See my post in your shoulder thread....

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/ugh-i-need-reverse-shoulder-replacement-surgery.552397/post-11562393

Dan in Pasadena · Mar 16, 2026

M.Brane said:
You've been at the bottom of the sine wave. It will rise to the top again soon.

..... the beauty of getting older is just not giving a F about stupid S anymore.

I agree I have focused too much on the funk and getting more active as I recover can only help lift it.

Ford52PU said:
......Sorry about your sister, my wife’s sister died two days after my wife had foot surgery in November, her foot is much improved but she’s still depressed and dealing with the loss.

Thank you for the kind words. I believe I've sorta figured something out. I was a "late life" baby (back in those days) my mom turned thirty 2 weeks after I was born. Laughable that was considered old then. My sisters were 6 and 8 years old when I was born. By the time I was no longer a "toddler" I was what, maybe 4 or 5? My older sister was 12 or 13. As a little kid she was like an adult in my mind. She was married by the time I was 12 so in my little pointed head she had ALWAYS been an adult to me. Solid, always there, reliable, immovable I guess. So her having passed as suddenly as it happened was shocking. It did/does seem impossible. I just can't believe I can't drive over to her all these months later. I WILL gain perspective on this. It just takes time.

rharman said:
@Dan in Pasadena - See my post in your shoulder thread....

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/ugh-i-need-reverse-shoulder-replacement-surgery.552397/post-11562393

Thanks, I responded over there. I appreciate the input.

Dan in Pasadena · Mar 23, 2026

Back to GJ related stuff......well, sorta:

SWMBO's older brother passed recently and his adult children invited the family to take things from his home. We went after everyone else had been there. Got a few plants and this very nice ping pong table for our patio. Had to take it through the house or move the RV and my shoulder won't allow me to do it yet w/o pain. Came with all the accessories as well as other games, "Jenga" - I've never played it, a very nice domino set in a super nice wood box, cribbage board. We never played games in my family as a kid so this is almost totally new to me.

PugetDude · Mar 23, 2026

Dan, just built a friend an adjustable leveling base for the big outdoor Jenga blocks. He was always leveling the table with shims every time they played, drove everyone nuts waiting for him to ensure the table was perfectly level before they could start setting up the blocks.
His wife and I conspired to give him this for his birthday. Details and photos in posts 2151,2152 and 2159in my project thread.

Dan in Pasadena · Mar 24, 2026

I don't know anything about Jenga. Something like stacking the pieces as high as possible or is it removing them and avoiding the tower falling? I'll have to look it up.
My girlfriend's family apparently played a lot of games as kids (EIGHT brothers & sisters!) Probably couldn't afford to go to movies or ball games. When we go camping she's always surprised my family doesn't have marathon card games.

Dan in Pasadena · Mar 24, 2026

Bit of an update. While I was going through all the shoulder evaluation stuff, then advised to have replacement surgery, etc. another age thing popped up. My always low PSA results from my annual physical came in a bit high. It had happened years before, doc gave my "Cipro" prescription and it went back down again after re-test. This time it didn't, it went up slightly higher. MRI showed something so today I had a biopsy in hospital under general anesthesia and results come Friday. Recovering and woozy now but I'll be fine in a bit.

M.Brane · Mar 24, 2026

Hope it comes back good for ya'. I'm going in on Monday so they can check out the lump on my shoulder that's becoming larger, and painful to the touch. It's definitely under the skin so not skin cancer, but still concerning.

Dan in Pasadena · Mar 25, 2026

M.Brane said:
Hope it comes back good for ya'. I'm going in on Monday so they can check out the lump on my shoulder that's becoming larger, and painful to the touch. It's definitely under the skin so not skin cancer, but still concerning.

Yikes! Best of luck.

M.Brane · Mar 25, 2026

Dan in Pasadena said:
Yikes! Best of luck.

Thank you sir. You too!

Dan in Pasadena · Mar 26, 2026

Just a (now) amusing side note:
- Before I had the biopsy doc's office told me to come in Monday, 4/30 to get the results. Ok, fine put it on my calendar (iPhone).
- The day of the procedure the doc told me to come in Friday, 3/27 for results. I explained I already had an appointment for Mon 4/30. He said no, Friday 3/27.....ok then
- Today I got two calls from his office within 15 minutes changing it back and forth and back again and ended up again for tomorrow....if it holds, ha ha. Normally I'd be annoyed but what the hell?!

M.Brane · Mar 27, 2026

Heath care ain't what it used to be before 2020. One reason I now have a PPO instead of HMO. I like my Hippie Chick Dr. She's pretty good.

Dan in Pasadena · Mar 27, 2026

Last health-related post for awhile:

"NO CANCER PRESENT WHATSOEVER" - Exact quote from my doctor. TOTAL relief.

The report shows he took 10 tissue samples (eek!) - "Right posterior medial, right posterior lateral".... on and on. Results are listed and all say, "Benign prostatic tissue" - Other medical jargon. He said just medical descriptors.

I've been dealing with the painful shoulder for months (actually years), waiting on the surgery, having to recover from it, being immobilized, all while having this prostate thing hanging over me and now I feel, "let out of prison". Of course it was a prison of my own making out of my worry. I tried to keep optimistic but all my aunts & uncles plus my mother died of cancer.

Not to go into religion but as they say, "there are no atheists in a foxhole" well I've not been the devout person my mother raised us to be. It just never entirely "took" with me. I had told my sister that, "Mom and Noon will help me" -(sister's nickname who passed last July) and it may only be coincidence, most likely is but it felt prescient.
Ok that's it you guys including Kay. Thanks for the kind thoughts and words.

Dan in Pasadena · Mar 27, 2026

Back to Garage Journal Stuff:

My '21 Silverado has the "soft open" option tailgate which I like and the other day it fell open HARD. Hmmm, I thought it had a torsion bar inside and it broke/was out of adjustment. YouTube showed there's a small rubber "C" shaped bushing that slows the lowering and they commonly fail. So much so that Amazon sells them in multiples! My truck is 6-1/2 years old and it had never failed. BUT we took a bed load of **** from another deceased relative and my B-I-L (who knows better than everyone else) had loaded a bureau on the tailgate tied down to the latch points on the bed. I wanted to re-organize so everything could fit IN the bed wit the gate closed but, "it's such a short trip" prevailed. I think the 10 mile drive home with a few bumps & jiggles made this part crack and fail. Oh well.
PS: It'll super easy to fix. The only question is how long the ixmill last. Maybe my "good tailgate juju" has been used up!

M.Brane · Mar 27, 2026

The torsion bars on the Acura trunk lid are an issue too, and NLA. Funny the TBs on my '64 Falcon were still working fine when I sold it back in 2016. 50+ years. They just don't make 'em like they used to.

Dan in Pasadena · Mar 28, 2026

M.Brane said:
The torsion bars on the Acura trunk lid are an issue too, and NLA. Funny the TBs on my '64 Falcon were still working fine when I sold it back in 2016. 50+ years. They just don't make 'em like they used to.

Well, the torsion bar - assuming that's what is inside the tailgate - isn't the reason the gate falls hard. It's the broken bushing according to YouTube videos. It's basically "not there" to carry the weight of the tailgate.

Dan in Pasadena · Mar 29, 2026

Filled up my ‘21 Silverado High Country 3.0 Duramax diesel from near empty yesterday. $190 total. Last fill up was $6.39/gallon and I thought that was outrageous. Just a status report, no political comment.

gilr · Mar 29, 2026

Wow, diesel here in Richmond was $5.55/ gallon today.

PugetDude · Mar 29, 2026

Dan in Pasadena said:
Filled up my ‘21 Silverado High Country 3.0 Duramax diesel from near empty yesterday. $190 total. Last fill up was $6.39/gallon and I thought that was outrageous. Just a status report, no political comment.

Where are you located?

Dan in Pasadena · Mar 29, 2026

Glendora, CA.

Dan in Pasadena · Mar 29, 2026

Dan in Pasadena said:
Glendora, CA.

Truck is @ 91k miles and warranty runs out @ 100k or December. I truly love this truck but I'm afraid to own it without warranty. I've researched extended warranties and they're full of fine print & loopholes for $3000-4000 so nah.
Trying to decide whether the same truck but of course a full warranty or possibly a Silverado or GMC EV.
I've never leased a vehicle and I've always heard buying is better financially but Chat GPT says with my variables leasing might be better for me. Age, lower annual miles, want continuous warranty coverage and I want a low out of pocket plus a similar payment to what I have. Not low but not $1000 some people pay. So I basically want "everything" ha ha. Beggars & choosers comment belongs here.

Dan in Pasadena · Apr 1, 2026

Had a huge family party for SWMBO's brother's 80th birthday. Quite a wing-ding. Been prepping and now cleaning up after that.

My 1st At-Hospital Physical Therapist appt spent a lot of time measuring limits of my range of motion. It's possible not to expect 100%. My main ask was, will it eventually stop aching? He said by 1 year it should be gone.

Happier GJ topic: We got the Tru-Lawn forward throw reel mower I got from a different SWMBO brother running. It is still cosmetically challenged and I need do a few things like soak the drive chain in Ospho, then oil. I'll also degrease, power wash and do some minor painting. I'll eventually sell it most likely. It's a great old mower.

PugetDude · Apr 1, 2026

Dan in Pasadena said:
Had a huge family party for SWMBO's brother's 80th birthday. Quite a wing-ding. Been prepping and now cleaning up after that.

My 1st At-Hospital Physical Therapist appt spent a lot of time measuring limits of my range of motion. It's possible not to expect 100%. My main ask was, will it eventually stop aching? He said by 1 year it should be gone.

Happier GJ topic: We got the Tru-Lawn forward throw reel mower I got from a different SWMBO brother running. It is still cosmetically challenged and I need do a few things like soak the drive chain in Ospho, then oil. I'll also degrease, power wash and do some minor painting. I'll eventually sell it most likely. It's a great old mower.

Head over to @Grizz1963 's thread for some paint ideas. a mower like that deserves a custom paint job.

kaymccampbell · Apr 1, 2026

Dan in Pasadena said:
Had a huge family party for SWMBO's brother's 80th birthday. Quite a wing-ding. Been prepping and now cleaning up after that.

My 1st At-Hospital Physical Therapist appt spent a lot of time measuring limits of my range of motion. It's possible not to expect 100%. My main ask was, will it eventually stop aching? He said by 1 year it should be gone.

Happier GJ topic: We got the Tru-Lawn forward throw reel mower I got from a different SWMBO brother running. It is still cosmetically challenged and I need do a few things like soak the drive chain in Ospho, then oil. I'll also degrease, power wash and do some minor painting. I'll eventually sell it most likely. It's a great old mower.

Tru-Cut or Tru-Lawn? I remember Tru-Cut as being the battleships of reel mowers.

Dan in Pasadena · Apr 2, 2026

kaymccampbell said:
Tru-Cut or Tru-Lawn? I remember Tru-Cut as being the battleships of reel mowers.

The graphic is pretty badly worn off. I'll try taking a closeup pic and see if it can be determined. Either way I'm pleased I got it free and more pleased that it cost nothing to get it running. My back lawn is St. Augustine but it is very small. It was very thick, very overgrown. The little electric mower just skimmed over the top. Yesterday we took three full trash cans of cuttings off it. Probably good to start the season. I won't cut it that low again.

EDIT: I was wrong. It seems to say "Trimmer" though the E and R have rubbed off.

I've just done some cursory searching and this mower isn't one of the newer "California Trimmer" models. There seems to have been mowers called Trimmer Origninal. There were both Pro ones and Homeowner ones and the difference seems to be indicated by whether the mower is belt drive or a chain drive. This one has the chain drive. The older ones were also a softer color green. The newer ones are a dark green. Not sure if it's the same company or different but the oval logo and colors on the logo are the same old or new.

Dan in Pasadena · Apr 2, 2026

So here's the mower. It's obviously old and the metal catcher is bent up - I'll straighten that as much as possible. I originally thought the engine was not original as online search indicated 2 different Honda engines and one Briggs & Stratton. This is a BIG B&S @ 6.5hp. it cuts strong. Needs a lot more work to be "right" accord to me, ha ha. I'll remove and soak the chain in Ospho, then oil. a very strong clean up all over. Not sure how the catcher is supposed to attach but the munched up old cotton cord on the handle is definitely NOT the right way - more research.

turbowoodworker · Apr 2, 2026

I feel comfortable saying, they sure don’t make them like that anymore!

larry4406 · Apr 2, 2026

Dan in Pasadena said:
So here's the mower. It's obviously old and the metal catcher is bent up - I'll straighten that as much as possible. I originally thought the engine was not original as online search indicated 2 different Honda engines and one Briggs & Stratton. This is a BIG B&S @ 6.5hp. it cuts strong. Needs a lot more work to be "right" accord to me, ha ha. I'll remove and soak the chain in Ospho, then oil. a very strong clean up all over. Not sure how the catcher is supposed to attach but the munched up old cotton cord on the handle is definitely NOT the right way - more research.

That mower certainly looks older than a Briggs motor with a plastic tank. I’m thinking it’s been repowered.

Dan in Pasadena · Apr 2, 2026

larry4406 said:
That mower certainly looks older than a Briggs motor with a plastic tank. I’m thinking it’s been repowered.

I agree. The site that I found says the came with one of two Honda engines, large and larger or one B&S. I'm kinda guessing this one had the original Briggs & Stratton and hen it gave out a prior owner put this bigger B&S on it. The large Honda engine came on the wider mower than this. But then, who know. This runs very well, surprisingly since it has sat unused a long time.

kaymccampbell · Apr 2, 2026

That mower originally had a flathead engine, and there was a hook on one of the head bolts that the catch basket rod or strap hooked into. The string is because the tank is where the head used to be.

PugetDude · Apr 2, 2026

Dan, I don't see a Prop65 warning label?

Dan in Pasadena · Apr 2, 2026

kaymccampbell said:
That mower originally had a flathead engine, and there was a hook on one of the head bolts that the catch basket rod or strap hooked into. The string is because the tank is where the head used to be.

I have a flat head, does that count?

I'll figure something out but chances are it won't be much more elegant than the ratty cotton rope.....maybe just a better rope!

Dan in Pasadena · Apr 2, 2026

PugetDude said:
Dan, I don't see a Prop65 warning label?

Too old for that.

larry4406 · Apr 3, 2026

Dan - my limited google-fu indicates that it is likely a California Trimmer model. Compare the logo on your handle to the logo on current product.

Also, your crass chute is embossed with "Trimmer" on it on the front side.

I could not find am image that looked like your model.

Dan in Pasadena · Apr 3, 2026

larry4406 said:
Dan - my limited google-fu indicates that it is likely a California Trimmer model. Compare the logo on your handle to the logo on current product.

Also, your crass chute is embossed with "Trimmer" on it on the front side.

I could not find am image that looked like your model.

Yes, it’s a “Trimmer”
And it’s embossed on the catcher. But my limited search online talks about the names “California Trimmer”. “Original Trimmer” and just “Trimmer”. The crappy decal on it appears to have a “G” “I” and maybe the tip of an “A” so pretty sure it said Original.

I don’t know if they’re all the same company, if parts are available for it, etc. But the damn decal is!

Dan in Pasadena · Apr 3, 2026

Also, waiting for my very helpful, very thoughtful to come be in the house during my recovery, but also know-it-all brother-in-law to leave. He’s headed overseas on Monday.
THEN I’ll do some work on this mower as well as a lot of other stuff. It seems like I’m able to do more now….or at least try.

Dan in Pasadena · Apr 5, 2026

HAPPY EASTER LADIES AND GERMS!

rharman · Apr 5, 2026

turbowoodworker said:
I feel comfortable saying, they sure don’t make them like that anymore!

There's a reason they don't make them like that anymore. I recall that the one I used to to run as a kid, that reel never stops spinning while the engine is running. Damn dangerous.

It is cool though.

PugetDude · Apr 6, 2026

Dan in Pasadena said:
HAPPY EASTER LADIES AND GERMS!

Looks like the Easter Bunny was excited to see you, Dan!

Between 265 & 485 SQ/FT The "Glendora Garage"

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