Replacing the Diamond Shield

Since I knew that the Diamond Shield guy was coming in the morning, and he said he would be leaving his home down in Springfield, Mo before first light, I was wide awake at 5 AM.  I can sleep in some mornings if I have absolutely nothing to do that day, but give me any appointment and I'm awake three hours early.

So I was dressed and had breakfast all done by 7, but he didn't call until 8:30.  He was at the local Hardee's burger having breakfast, and thought it was too early to bother me at 7:30.  I explained the directions to the storage mart, and he said he'd be there directly.

Well no problem, I'm only 4 miles away, and I did beat him by several minutes.  He lost no time at all setting up his truck as a work bench, and I started the generator.  He used a little portable steamer to loosen the vinyl film without lifting the new paint.

That is where this is an art, as he had the judgment to apply just enough heat to soften the adhesive, but not damage the new paint.  He kind of whisped the steam over the surface and pulled lightly until it let go.  Patience!

And just as he needed to clean the surface to put on the new stuff, it began to rain.  A misty drizzle rain, that drove me further into the back of my pickup topper.  He just kept working, sighting the need to be done for the next appointment.

But he took his time and very carefully applied the film making relief cuts where the stretch was more than the material could likely absorb.  Had the first installers done that, we wouldn't be doing it over.  As he was finishing up with the heat gun to make the final application, it stopped raining.  He was able to wipe it all dry and see the final product.  It looked much better.

We were all done by 10:30 and after the hand shake and thank you's, he was off to the next job.

I am greatly relieved that it is finished, as I become nervous and impatient to get these jobs completed and do it right.  Heck I'm retired, what difference does it really make?  But old habits dye very slowly.

Back at the house the heat of the day really came on, as it went up into the mid 90's in the sun.  At one point my weather station reported 94* and 90 % humidity.    We laid low in the A/C.  Loyce went off mid afternoon on a shopping trip, and I went over to a local pizza joint that I had never tired for lunch.

It was called Johnny Brusco's New York Pizza.  It wasn't too bad, and the two lunch slices were much larger than a small Wendy burger.  I was stuffed.

Tonight I headed out on the scooter at dusk, after the heat had relinquished some.  I took Mission Road to the South out of Leawood for a different ride, as it has some woods and twisties.  I ran into a big bunch of Harley Bangers about half way thru, but they gave me the low five wave, so they must not have realized I was a scooter.  Rumble, rumble, rumble.

It started to get really dark, and overcast again as I was coming back home, so I think we may be in for yet another storm.  The steam continues!!

Retired Rod