Cal Blacksmith Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 As many here have noticed, I am posting again. It wasn't anything other than life getting in the way. I got an email shaming me to return as it was an honest query as to how I was doing. The email was not shaming me, I was, as time and life kind of got away from me. As to how we are doing, well, I don't have the need to sell any gear but if you follow the news, you may have heard that the Boeing corp is ceasing production at the Long Beach facility. I hired into this place in 1978 and there were over 24K people working here around the clock. Now we are down to the last 2 aircraft (C17 military transport, a truly awesome aircraft. The Air Force has 220 of them the oldest is nearing 25 years and the newest is almost 2 years old. Fleet wide there has been over 3 MILLION dependable flight hours with an excellent readiness rate but a very low priority of the Washington powers that be for the last 7 years) and all the commercial aircraft were gone years ago. We now number about 150 all together managers and grunts alike. Most of us are gone in 5 weeks and yes I am in that number. The wife has slid a bit with her medical issues and requires someone to be with or near her pretty much all the time. I did not intend this to be a downer, it is just life and everyone here has had ups and downs, it is just my turn for a down About a year ago I poked my head in here and tried to get tied back in but ... life happens. I was blessed to find on Craigs list, a pair of '79 B mod Khorns in Rosewood within 20 miles of home for the buy it now and cart it home price of $1800 total. Honestly I forgot who it was here that was looking at them but he was kind enough to bow out of looking at them as I did not have a pair and he did. Thanks! The rest of the gear pretty much is the same as it always has been except that I added a Yamaha M50 to the HT to drive the side H2s (a little over kill ??) The Khorns moved my Cornwalls out of the 2ch room and they became the mains in the HT. There is still the Academy doing center duty and it is driven by the AVR but the mains are driven by a Fort'e 3 power amp. I added a 1500w backup power supply/filter to clean up power in the HT. As the plant is closing down, a lot of industrial equipment is hitting the auction block and I won a group lot bid at $156 for a 20 amp Square D Topaz isolation transformer (Used these are at about the $500 mark give or take and about double that for new) as well as half a dozen other things that are of less use to me.. It will be installed into the 2 ch room. Actually 2 ch room is more a multi use space now. I have a 48" 3D flat screen centered in the LP and I rebuilt my PC into a fairly powerful gaming rig. Everything is connected up into the 2 ch stereo and I can honestly say that sitting 6 feet back from the screen and centered between the tube powered Khorns , gaming has a very different feel I am old enough and have enough years to draw full pension from work but it will still be a pretty big hit in the income dept. I am too young for SS so it will be a bit tight for the next 3.5 years until that can happen but I am sure we will work it out. I was blessed to be at this company for so long and to start when I did as my pension package has some excellent medical coverage at a too good to be true (but it is) price each month so the wife's medical needs will be taken care of. Sorry guys (and gals) for being away, this is a great community and I have been away too long. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckAb3 Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Bless you, Cal, and welcome back. Congrats on the new 'toys.' Good stuff. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrickdj1 Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Welcome back Cal. It is a blessing that you have enough years on the job to retire. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted July 24, 2015 Moderators Share Posted July 24, 2015 Glad to hear from you again, hope you and your wife do well. Take care of your business and check in when you can, no one could blame you for that. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Forced retirement is a shock, as well as having to adjust. But you will and you'll find there's much more to life than Boeing. While no such news here yet I have come to grips that with the tanking of drilling I may be on such a list. I'm adjusted already and have planned for a Landing Zone. Good luck to you, and welcome back! Dave 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarheel Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 If it was my email Cal I'm glad it worked. I sent out 5 emails....one each to you, maxg, Duke Spinner, meagain, and mas. You and max have since posted. Duke and mas both responded. Duke sent me some recent original music and said he would pop in soon. I never heard from meagain. Hang in there Cal. I went through the same thing three years ago and it was no fun for awhile. I notice I hang onto my money a lot tighter these days Best wishes to the wife. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twistedcrankcammer Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 (edited) Cal, First and foremost, take care of your wife as that is what truly matters! Good luck and best wishes for the two of you in this present economy. Finally, when you find you have the time, post pics of your Rosewood K-horns or it didn't happen!..... You know the drill! Best wishes..... Roger Edited July 24, 2015 by twistedcrankcammer 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babadono Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 (edited) I was blessed to find on Craigs list, a pair of '79 B mod Khorns in Rosewood within 20 miles of home for the buy it now and cart it home price of $1800 total. Honestly I forgot who it was here that was looking at them but he was kind enough to bow out of looking at them as I did not have a pair and he did. Thanks! That were me and you are very welcome. I would have been in the dog house a long time if I had brought another pair of KHorns home anyway . I trust you are enjoying them. Funny but when talked around the time you got them I got the impression you were a self employed custom metal worker/fabricator, I had no idea you worked for Boeing at the Long Beach plant. If you have been commuting everyday to Long Beach this forced retirement is going to add 3 or 4 hours to your life every day. I know you will not miss that.(I mean the commute). I am very sorry to hear your wife is still sick and requires constant care. God Bless you. P.S. I would love to see /hear those Rosewood Ks, maybe we can work something out? Edited July 24, 2015 by babadono 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Sorry for your life circumstances but great to hear from you Cal. Carl 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Top Notch on the update, Cheers to you and yours! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moray james Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Great to have you back Cal. Hope things go smoothly for you over the next 3 1/2 years and you can take care of your wife. Good to know that your health plan was and is a solid one. Life will be better here with you back on the corner. Cal thanks also for the very interesting information on work. Best regards Moray James. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal Blacksmith Posted July 24, 2015 Author Share Posted July 24, 2015 Thanks guys! I had wanted to wait until at least I could get SS but that ain't gonna happen LOL It is hard watching tools (I work in tooling) that you spent 6 months or more making, some 3 stories high and 150 feet long with details set to 0.007 of an inch, destroyed by a metal munching monster at the end of an excavator in minutes then be loaded into waiting semi trucks sold as scrap metal. We have destroyed thousands of tools and there is still a big list to go! We have known for nearly two years it is coming but watching the destruction, that is real. Babadono, thanks so much again, they are well enjoyed and if I can ever save you from the wrath of a Klipsch widow again, just let me know Tarheal, ya, thanks OK, I am off to search the forums for the "new Khorn post" and if I can't find it, I will do another one 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sputnik Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 (edited) Wayne, glad to see that you're back. I'm not around here much anymore but maybe now you'd have some time to work on that "Cal's Snake Oil" venture that we kicked around a few years ago. https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/73366-im-starting-a-new-company/ Edited July 24, 2015 by sputnik 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal Blacksmith Posted July 24, 2015 Author Share Posted July 24, 2015 OK, got it, I did not review the thread but most here seem to have seen it back then. Sadly the pup (really old girl) in the pic looking at the truck has passed on. She lived a long life with a few different families but we took her in with known medical issues for the last 3 years she had. I am not sure butter would melt in her mouth she was so kind hearted. I went through a bit to get them sealed but pipe insulation worked. I am sure it is more a function of the small room than much else but the bass is not as pronounced as I remember it being back in '77 when I heard them for the first time in a store called Sound Systems Inc. Fayettville N.C. when I was at Ft Bragg. The store is gone now but good memories remain. I always did like the model with the neck best, no reason just preference to looks. I really should still rework the Xovers too, perhaps with an adjustable one to help make up for the small 12 x 12 x 8 room. https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/148774-got-em-new-to-me-khorns-in-the-house-d/?hl=khorn#entry1703575 Here are a few pics in the last few years. The first one is of my .. new to me ride. In July of 14 after working in Yosemite for the park service, on my way to work my old car just died. Came to a dead stop then after sitting for a while flashed an error code and came to life again. As it had in the ball park of 160,000 miles (young for my cars) and the problem was deep inside the engine, the anti knock sensor. I sold it off and bought this car. I loved them in the '70s and while my fav was the 68 to 70 Charger, the deal I got on this 13 Challenger with the hemi was just too good to pass up. After I am out of work and I get the severance package (a 13 week bonus as a have a nice life parting gift argued for us by the union, it is getting a super charger and will be putting down right at 500 hp at the wheels) This is working in Yosemite in the blacksmith shop, yes I do the work and it is more than just a name. The man behind me is a good friend who I don't get to see enough so I started sharing my week working with him and I can't imagine working there alone again. I will go through some more pics and fill in a few more details of the last few years and post them soon. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Welcome back ya big whumper! (did I spell whump correctly?) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Thanks Obama... welcome back! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel's wife Posted July 24, 2015 Moderators Share Posted July 24, 2015 Welcome back. You were missed!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2K Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 It costs a lot to work Cal. You'll be surprised to find that you'll save money by not working. And along with having the time to identify where your money has been slowly leaking away, you'll find that there are areas where we all waste money on things that none of us really need, without affecting spending on things we really enjoy. I'm sure you'll quickly decide that your circumstances will be beneficial in the long run. I've always felt that I have been lucky in my life and that things happen for a reason, sometimes in spite of what we think are in our best interest. Forge ahead you lucky rascal! Good luck to you and to your wife. Keith 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 It is hard watching tools (I work in tooling) that you spent 6 months or more making, some 3 stories high and 150 feet long with details set to 0.007 of an inch, destroyed by a metal munching monster at the end of an excavator in minutes then be loaded into waiting semi trucks sold as scrap metal. We have destroyed thousands of tools and there is still a big list to go! Not sure whether you will relate at all, but not too long ago I found a documentary called "Linotype, the Movie" that was an incredibly detailed piece on how the Linotype made the 20th century and brought cheap newspapers and books to all. Then computers came. What I saw as I read your words above watching machines you devoted so much to destroyed was imagery in that film of Linotype machines, one of the marvels of human engineering made obsolete in a decade by computer typesetting, being shoved out a second floor window to crash to the ground and be picked up as scrap. OK, maybe a stretch...but the image came from feeling your pain. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Travis In Austin Posted July 25, 2015 Moderators Share Posted July 25, 2015 Great to see you back, I missed your posts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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