Jeremy Yarbrough

  In Hot Water by Jeremy Yarbrough     There are so many things we take for granted for instance, indoor plumbing and running water.  There is never a dull moment at my home.  Last Monday night while in the shower I discovered we had run out of hot water.  I immediately let my mom know of this problem.  It was not because other family members had used it all before me but something much worse.  Our 28-year-old hot water heater had heated its last tank of H2O.     I went under the house to check things out.  Upon a quick look everything appeared dry so we assumed it was a bad heating element that possibly could be replaced with little cost.  Then I heard the sound of pouring water, but saw none.  First thing in the morning the plumber was summoned.  When the plumber arrived, he found the old water heater was indeed beyond repair and discovered the sound of the pouring water.  The pressure buildup from the broken heater had caused a pipe to burst at one of the outdoor faucets.  The water

  Mini Bike Build Up by Jeremy Yarbrough          Anyone who knows me knows that I love anything with wheels and engines.  I started out with a go-cart at age 14 and have been interested in tinkering with vehicles of all kinds.  This week I have been working on a 1960's Rupp mini bike which I purchased at the Tville Vintage Power Show in June 2022.  There are several things that need to be improved upon to get it in better shape for the trails.     The first thing I dealt with was the messy weld on the bike.  I rewelded the engine mount plate securely into place as it should have been done before.  This week I began by painting the frame a regal red to improve the appearance.  Then I replaced the two tires so that the traction would be better with the ground.     One of the most important things on anything that moves is the brakes.  My next goal was to repair the brakes by replacing the caliper which I did with ease.  The final step which I hope to complete by the end of the  week

  Never Enough Candy by Jeremy Yarbrough     Halloween is all about parties, pumpkins, costumes and candy.  All kinds of candy.  Going trick or treating was so much fun as a kid.  Of course, picking out the costume and decorating for the holiday was  exciting but it all came down to that big plastic bucket of candy that came home at the end of the night on October 31.     The holiday always meant going to an area trunk or treat as well as going door to door in my neighborhood.  Some people who were at other locations attending parties would leave a large bowl of candy on their porch with a sign that said take two or three pieces.  But most people would be at home with their porch light on with someone ready for when their doorbell rang.     The variety of candy was abundant.  There was lots of chocolate candy and some neighbors even had the full-sized candy bars.  A few ladies would have homemade treats like candy apples or some sort of popcorn snack mix with M&Ms.  Of course, ther

  Haunted Birthday by Jeremy Yarbrough     Lots of people enjoy this time of year for all of the activities that the changing of seasons provide.  Some individuals really like haunted attractions. During my lifetime I have gone to a few and this year I had the opportunity to experience a place I have not been before.  My friend has a birthday in October.  This year his parents hosted his birthday party and the featured entertainment was to purchase tickets for he and his friends to experience Spooky Woods together.     Once we arrived at the location in Archdale, we had to wait in traffic due to the amount of people wanting to enter the venue.  After about 25 minutes we were parked and went to the ticket counter.  Fortunately, they had pre-purchased our tickets to go through the haunted house and trail attraction. Once we were admitted we all loaded up onto a hayride which was pulled by a John Deere tractor.  Our trailer held approximately 50 guests and we thoroughly enjoyed the ride t

  Helping Hand by Jeremy Yarbrough     We all need a little help every now and then.  Being the one to lend the helping hand is a great feeling.  My next-door neighbor is an elderly lady.  She is extremely active and enjoys taking care of her yard and flower gardens.  All of her close relatives live in New York.  This past month she had to have her daughter in law come to stay with her during a time of recuperation.  She had to have a knee replacement and needs assistance for about three or four weeks after her surgery.     My neighbor is doing well and on her way to recovery.  She needed her grass cut because she had put out her grass seed and fertilizer prior to her surgery and now it is stating to sprout.  The warm weather has also continued to cause her lawn to get high.  Knowing how she is so concerned about her lawn I volunteered to mow her yard while she is on the mend.  Last week I had the opportunity to mow her back yard as well as part of her front lawn.  It was a great feeli

  Coffee or Tea and Thee by Jeremy Yarbrough          We all have our preferences.  Coffee is everywhere.  I believe it is the most popular drink there is out there today.  But there are people in two camps, you either love coffee or could live without it.  My Mom is a coffee lover.  Every morning starts with coffee and she drinks it throughout the day.  When she is out and about a coffee stop is bound to happen.  My Dad on the other hand hates coffee, he gets his daily caffeine fix by drinking his  favorite soft drink, Sundrop.  My go to drink is tea, sweet tea.     The aroma of coffee smells wonderful but I find the taste too bitter.  I am sure it warms you up in the winter months and gives you the boost of caffeine that is needed to start the day.  But I find iced tea to smell delicious and offer the benefits of a caffeine boost to satisfy my energy needs throughout the day.  Tea also provides many health benefits such as lowering blood pressure, reducing diabetes risks, improves ca

  Finding a Fix by Jeremy Yarbrough      I just love a good restoration project!  My latest project is a 1988 Chrysler LeBaron.  I happened upon this jewel of a car when I was going to visit a friend.  It was parked underneath a grove of trees where it had been for 16 years.  My friend and I stopped to inquire as to if this vehicle was possibly for sale.  The older gentleman said he would think about it and give me a call if he was interested in selling.      Lo and behold, the next day he called me and said he would be willing to sell it for a mere $200 which was in my budget.  I had to schedule a tow truck to come by and pick it up and bring it to my house.  There I cleaned it up and started in on figuring out what would need to be repaired.  One of the most necessary parts was inoperable.  This was the dashboard which shows speed, fuel level, oil pressure and other vital information about the car.  I ordered this replacement part on eBay, not knowing if it would even work with a rep

           Harebrained Adventures by Jeremy Yarbrough            Yesterday I came home as usual to discover something had gone awry.  Over the summer I met a friend who is a rabbit breeder.  I was able to obtain four bunnies from her of which I gave two to my neighbor and I kept the other two.  Having pet rabbits has been a new learning experience for me.  I named one Petey because he looks like Peter Rabbit from the children's story and the other Floppsie because he has an ear that flops.        As  anyone with a history pet ownership knows, pets require food, shelter, medical care and an abundance of attention.  Rabbits have special dietary needs which include hay, leafy lettuces, fresh vegetables, pellets and water.  Occasionally, it is great to offer them fruits such as bananas, melons and grapes.  At night the bunnies stay in a hutch that is about four feet off of the ground located behind my storage shed.  They have a box they can sleep in or on top of depending on the weathe