Dragon Living, it's not all fun and games but pretty close!

Discussion in 'General Chat' started by TheModFather, Nov 20, 2017.

  1. TheModFather

    TheModFather Well-Known Member

    May 15, 2012
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    What's up M/A! Yeah I let you guys know I was back a couple days ago, but before that (Think back to January 2017) I said I would start a thread about my new life adventure...

    Welp, here I am! Now with wifi (Wee Fee for some of you) in the house so I can sit back and actually post again rather than spouting off nonsense on Facebook. Yeah it took a while, and I really didn't ever want to reconnect with technology at home, but a lot of things have changed since I dropped off grid.

    For one, I have found myself in a serious relationship for once! We were actually talking online before I ever even moved down here, and hit things off really quick once I moved in. Some of you met Bekah at MOTD, and I'm glad to say that she's still around. In fact she moved in with me back in June! Along with her came her 4 year old which brings us back to why I let the internet into the house... Have you ever tried to deal with one of those things without YouTube or Netflix? It's nearly IMPOSSIBLE!

    Anyhow that's enough about that, where's the infamous RAT-MINI? Unfortunately it's still 1400 miles away broke down and being stored back in Colorado in my parents garage. Eventually I will get my shop built here behind the house and go back to get it, however I'm estimating that the shop is going to cost somewhere around $100,000 to blow out the hill and build it! Right now that's just not possible to do. It is possible to sit and plan everything though, from the dirt work, to the concrete, and the building and landscaping... Right now that's where I'm at!

    So, life at the Dragon? INCREDIBLE, it has hands down been the best decision I've made in my life! You would think that everything I do would be centered around the car culture in the area, but NO! I really don't associate with any of that much... I don't make the rounds checking out every group that rolls through town, I don't go and hang out at Fontana or Killboy on my days off, and since Bekah moved in I might actually drive the Dragon once a month! Who am I, and what did I do with Dick?
    I have however got back into some old hobbies... My photography has been the biggest one, but I am also slowly starting to do custom house stuff again too, and all of my outdoor hobbies are back when it's warm. Or sometimes Bekah and I just pack up the car and start hitting small towns in search of antique shops, cool and unusual things, or go up to the city to see what we left behind. That's pretty much life now!

    The hardest thing here so far has been the employment section of life... Can't live without it unless you've got a bank account that has more zeros than I know what to do with. I actually got hired on at Tapoco Lodge while MOTD was stuck in the blackout, and that was a pretty decent gig until the new owners of the lodge started screwing EVERYTHING up. I went from being an actual maintenance guy to a glorified kitchen *****, because the only thing the owners care about is their restaurant. The cabins are falling apart, and infested with mold, the lodge itself is about to fall apart (bad electrical, worse plumbing, and not the most structurally sound building) but they did add a giant patio so there's that... About that though... The historical society never approved that patio, so it might actually lose its historical status! And the purpose of that patio was proven to be useless pretty much the first night the restaurant was open. The kitchen is too small to support the amount of people, and at one point they were making people wait 4 HOURS for a crappy frozen beef patty burger! Not to mention the lack of parking! It's easy to see that the owners didn't plan anything out besides what they wanted, and didn't pay any attention to everything else that has to happen to make it work... I for one am glad that I am off that sinking ship!
    Now I am working full time down inside of the Nantahala Gorge at Cherokee Mountain Cabins, and couldn't be happier! The GM actually found me after a FB post I made after getting axed from Crapoco and offered me the job at CMC. Now I am doing a real maintenance man job along side being their in house carpenter, and vehicle maintenance guy, and landscaping specialist. It's AWESOME! I spend 8 hours a day at work, and it seems like I'm there for a couple hours... I am in charge of the upkeep on all 12 cabins that range in build cost from $200,000 all the way up to a $1.5 MILLION dollar mansion on top of the mountain it's like the job was made for me!

    Everything else is just life... And I'm living it and enjoying every minute!

    If you want to know anything else, just ask... But I will keep making updates and want to know what type of stuff you would like to see in this thread.

    Feels good to be back! Dick♣


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  2. wjosh45

    wjosh45 Member

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    Wow - that sounds like a lot of change.. and good stuff. What type of photography are you into?
     
  3. TheModFather

    TheModFather Well-Known Member

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    Mostly landscape, but on occasion I get some crazy closeups.
     
  4. TheModFather

    TheModFather Well-Known Member

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    [​IMG]

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    [​IMG]


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  5. 00Mini

    00Mini Well-Known Member

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    I've missed your photos !!
     
  6. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    Yo Dick glad you got Wee Fee and everything is going well. You should post up some of the protects you have been doing with CMC as they really show your craftsmanship.
     
  7. Zapski

    Zapski Well-Known Member

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    “Blah blah blah I live in Paradise and you don’t! Blah blah blahâ€

    ;)

    Kidding of course, it sounds really good and I’m envious! So happy for you! This Thanksgiving you’ll be full up! :)
     
  8. Goldsmithy

    Goldsmithy MINI Alliance Ambassador
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    It's about time that life broke good for you...you deserve it. Your photography is awesome, I use some pictures as my computer background. AND, BTW, thanks for your service...
     
  9. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    Awesome Pictures! I am glad to hear everything is going well.
     
  10. N2MINI

    N2MINI MINI of the Month

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    Pics looks GREAT and I'm glad all is going well for ya!!!
     
  11. Sully

    Sully Administrator
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    Great pics! Wow.. Can’t wait to get the new site up, the way it handles media is very good and IMO much easier. Can’t wait to see more pics.
     
  12. TheModFather

    TheModFather Well-Known Member

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    You're on my actual photography page Teddy, everything there is for people to do whatever they want with it, it's just something I enjoy doing.

    Anyone else can check the whole lot of them out on Facebook if you search for Lost Woods Photography. I would linkey thingy it, but haven't been here so long I forgot how!


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  13. Sully

    Sully Administrator
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    If you want to link, just click on the little globe with the infinity sign above your reply.. but if linking to FB they will go away over time. Can also upload.. or if you wait till after the 29th can create your own album on that site easily..
     
  14. TheModFather

    TheModFather Well-Known Member

    May 15, 2012
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    Hope everyone had a great T-day! This one was different for me this year, with no real family within 1400 miles, and not many local friends... Sure it wasn't the same as going to Teresa and Erik Wood's place and stuffing my face with more food than it would take to save a village in Africa from starvation, but it was still a good day for the most part. Bekah and I actually had our holiday the weekend before the real T-day because of our work schedules. It was kinda nice having all three kids at the house. We had plenty to eat with the turkey I smoked, the ham Bekah made, the giant bowl of beans one of our friends brought, and all the other little sides.

    [​IMG]

    Anyhow, on the real holiday, I spent most of the day work in the yard, clearing out some of the Laurel jungle behind the house. I decided to cut into the woods where the garage will eventually go, in order to give the 4 year old a place to play... And to get a good look at what all dirt work will need done for the shop. I actually started cutting the smaller brush and trees away about a month ago, and have been spending at least a day out of each weekend cutting, chopping, dragging, and burning my way into the woods. It's starting to look pretty good for not even being able to walk through it a month ago.

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    At the same time as this, I'm also doing some planning on other ongoing projects around the house... The biggest one is going to be starting soon after the holidays are over as long as weather permits. I will be adding a semi attached 140 square foot timber framed greenhouse/outdoor bath tub behind the house. That, and I'm still working on remodeling the bathroom and planning the bedroom remodel in the process. And I thought that building/modifying cars was a job!

    Well, that's about all I've got for now... I will leave you with a couple more of my good photos of the area though.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]



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  15. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    Awesome Rick
     
  16. wmwny

    wmwny Well-Known Member

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    Nice place and plans you have there, Dick! :Thumbsup:

    Great pics of the area, as always, and of your "humble abode". I guess you'll be spending some down time at MOTD next year, if not to see us all again, but to take a break from your "remodeling"! :ihih:
     
  17. ScottinBend

    ScottinBend Space Cowboy
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    Thanks for sharing!
    Looks like things are definitely going your way.
     
  18. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

    Jun 4, 2009
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    Beautiful pictures Dick. Very well done! :Thumbsup:

    Are you still shooting with a potato cam?

    [​IMG]
     
  19. Goldsmithy

    Goldsmithy MINI Alliance Ambassador
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    I would love to take a day at the Dragon and hit all your best photo locations. They are BEAUTIFUL and would make a good ride for Ann and I.
     
  20. TheModFather

    TheModFather Well-Known Member

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    I mostly use my Cannon T6i, but sometimes I get a good one on the phone. Everything is edited on the phone in the mobile version of Lightroom though.


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