Update....Solar day

It seems logical that if'n ya was to swak a golf ball with a big ol' golf ball swak'n stick, that ball should go perfectly straight, right down the middle of the fareway bout half a mile or so. Well, Billy Bob's golf ball swak'n has nuttin to do with logic what so ever. I think you get a pretty good picture of how yesterdays golf game went. We will not dwell on this subject any further this morn'n.

When me an' the OFM Barney arrived at the "greasy churn" (Butter Churn eat 'em up place), we were both famished to the point we would eat "anything". My thoughts were a big ol' salad topped with generous scoops of blue cheese dressing. So's I built me one. "Good choice Billy Bob". Now stop with all the umm, umm, yum, yum sounds". Then after that, I loaded me up a plate of home cooked "little bit of this, little bit of that" vittles. As usual, we both exited the "greasy churn" fully satisfied that we had made a good decision. It was well worth what ever Barney paid the nice lady for our wonderful meals.  

Ok, why is it so freak'n cold in "da house" this morn'n. The electric heater was on all night so it should be comfortable in here.....right? Well shoot, the door is wide open. That damn goat could have come in "da house" last night an' I would have never knowed it.  Be goat pellets all over the floor....stuff like that.
Now that got me to think'n bout gun control....leav'n the door wide open, stuff like that. If' you was to break in some body's house an' steal stuff, would you enter while they was home in bed with the possibility they was all snuggled up to a 12 gauge shotgun? Or would you go next door where the people are off on vacation somewheres?

How much is 57 billion dollars? Well, with our government, it ain't very much at all. Yee gads, piss the old Billy Bob slap off.

Ok....I got me a solar charge controller to fix. That's item #2 on a list of bout a hunnert things to do. I rekon I'll update with a few photos as this repair progresses. What could go wrong???
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Ok, "you too fast Billy Bob". What a piece of cake that job was. I fix it in less than 30 minutes. But I had to modify a breaked off little solder doo dad thingy. But the old Billy Bob know how to do that too.

 This is what the back of a solar charge controller look like.

 

That little gray doo dad thingy is loose. That what I gonna resolder.

See.....I tole ya I knowed what I were do'n.

"Now what ya gonna do Billy Bob"? Oh boy, where my list? Maybe make a Walmart run for a couple three gallons of oil and drop by Home Depot, see what choices of vinyl floor'n they got. Just look'n ya know.

Golf ball swak'n with Barney

Ok, it was chilly again last night. But I want you take a look outside this morn'n. Absolutely beautiful. This is gonna be a good day for the old Billy Bob and friends.

So what do ya do when ya don't feel like do'n nuttin constructive? Well shoot, ya go play a round of golf.....right? Me an' OFM Barney have a 11am appointment to go swak a few golf'n balls. It's been a while, right bout three months, since we got together on the golf course, so there ain't no tell'n what gonna happen. I'm think'n "Funniest Home Videos".

The other day I bought me up a little pencil solder iron thingy so's I can work on my solar charge controller. Has anybody seen my little solder iron thingy? How the crap can something like that be "lost"? I mean, like where the hell could I have put it? I'm old ya know. Forget stuff.

Picked up a whole bunch of oil filters yesterday at the auto parts sell'n place. Also fount a solder sucker....but that's another story. Yup, it's oil change time at Billy Bob's house...."Sally da house", the Onan generator and "that jeep". I do this once a year rather it needs it or not. Now if'n I can only talk nephew Joseph to crawl up under there, I will have done a good job. He can do in a hour what would take me a whole day. I'm old ya know.

Ok, here's the deal on the new laptop computer. This thing is fast. But I done lock it up one time already. The old Billy Bob like to push all them buttons an' stuff like that. Do I like Windows 8??? I don't think so. But then, like anything new, I don't like it. There ain't a bunch I can tell ya bout it other than it's brand spank'n new.
Toshiba Satellite L875D-S7332 with Windows 8
AMD A6-4400M processor
6.00 GB internal memory (RAM)
64 bit operating system.....what ever that means.
600 GB hard drive

That's all I can tell ya this new computer. It works....I'm happy. But I bet ya a dollar I gonna find some other stuff on it that will get me all jump'n up an' down excitis. Like maybe all them apps they got on there. Wonder what they do?  What the hell is a app???

I rekon I'll jump on the repair to the solar charge controller this afternoon. Unless something more important comes up. You know....like a nap. If'n my repair fails, I can have a brand spank'n new controller delivered right to my door in bout three days.

Ok, I got an appointment here in bout a hour. And I ain't ready to go. "Go brush yer hair Billy Bob, ya look like a wild man from out of the swamps". 


 

Toshiba laptop computer

See, I tole you.....
The old Billy Bob is quite particular when he gos out an' buys stuff. First it's got to be purty....all shiny an' stuff like that. Then it's got to do what I want it to do. You know.....run a hunnert mile a hour. Stuff like that.

Have ya ever went off to town to buy a new laptop computer???  My God, don't do it unless you have no other choice. My first stop was Best Buy.....that's where ya buy computers ya know. I says to the nice lady...."where's all the laptop computers"??? "This is it", she says. Damn, twenty laptops and they all too little an' tiny hand held devices. Out of all them laptops,here was only ONE 17 inch. And I want nuttin else but a 17 inches screen.
Then I went up the street to Office Depot. They had a choice of three (3) 17 inch laptops. What the hell???
Then I went to another computer sell'n place....Apex, or something like that. They had moved.
Then I went to Walmart. HAHAHAHAHA....don't go to Walmart. They ain't got diddly squat.
Then....I went back to Office Depot. My God.....I'm hungry an' I gotta pee.

So....the old Billy Bob has got hisself  a brand spank'n new purty laptop computer. But guess what? As a operating system, it has Windows 8....what reminds me of a department store with all the crap they got on it.. So learn'n Windows 8 will be my next project. Never see nuttin like it in my life.

What the hell is all that stuff on the screen???? And WHY???

Did I tell ya bout the winds yesterday while I was in Corpus Christi computer shop'n? Well, it blowed (45 to 50, gusts to 60+). The old "that jeep" was all over the road try'n to out figger what lane would be best for the trip back to Sinton....30 some miles down the road. Glad all that crap is over this morn'n (sunshine an' a slight breeze). An' it got cold last night....like 39 degs. Still a bit chilly (58 degs) out there this morn'n.  "Holy crap Billy Bob, ya should'a stayed in Falcon Heights".

Ok, one project down....on to the next....solar charge controller. Picked me up a little pencil point solder iron thingy at Walmart. Now I gotta go find me a solder sucker...look something like them snot suckers ya use on little kids when they got runny noses. Suck their brains slap out, that what they do. Maybe Radio Shak will have such a device.
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2pm update:
"Sheesh Billy Bob, what ya been do'n"? Well, ya see it's like this....I been download'n stuff. After two attempts, I finally got Firefox installed. Downloaded and installed my virus protection thingy. Downloaded all the add on thingys. I rekon I'm bout up to date an' installed all the new fangle things this computer needs to make my web surf'n experience more enjoyable. Yee Haw, the old Billy Bob gonna have him some fun. Now all I got to do is figger out what all that other "stuff" does. But it ain't gonna be today. I got better things to do.....maybe.

Headed to town....$$$$$

Let's take a quick look at the weather this morn'n. At first look, it sucks.....ain't no two ways bout it. I accidently turned on the TV last night an' the weather was on. Holy crap!!! Ain't look'n too good for the next week or so with all them fronts on the way to south Texas. Wind is blow'n bout 20 to 25 mile a hour and .....listen to this, 50 mile a hour expected. That cain't be right....can it???

To hell with the weather, I got things to do. First being, a new computer. Probly spend a day get'n all the fangle stuff figger out what they put on new computers. I suppose it will have Windows 7 or 8 on it, what I don't know the first thing about. Guess it ain't never too late to learn though. Ya know what really piss me off with Windows? All them programs what I ain't never gonna use. And half them start up all by themselves....pop'n up little windows on the screen....stuff like that.

I were gonna try to kill a whole flock of birds with one stone by go'n to umpteen stores pick'n up parts an' stuff. But them I got to think'n....one rock, one bird. Well, if'n I happen to hit two at a time, I rekon that would be OK too. Damn I got lots of stuff to do.

That solar charge controller I was tell'n ya bout, well, I'm gonna try to resolder that doo-dad thingy what is loose. Buy me up a pencil solder iron an' a solder sucker....that should do the trick. It ain't got nuttin to do with $$$$$$'s for a new one....it's "fix it" pride. But I ain't gonna do it today.

Here's what I'm think'n....shoot that HP laptop....blow it all to smithereens. After I remove the two hard drives of course. Will produce a short video if'n I decide to do that. Between a .357 magnum and a shot gun.....damn, I'm get'n all excitis just think'n bout it.

Speak'n of get'n excitis, soon as the weather is nice, I'll be at the golf ball swak'n place knock'n golf balls all over the place. Maybe go down to the greasy eat 'em up place. Anybody wanna show up for the show??? Hee Hee....betcha a buck the OFM Barney will make every effort to be there. Me an' ol' Barney play a good round of golf together. Then we goes off to town an' eat tooo much.

Ok....I'm out of here. May update laters. 

Back in Corpus Christi area

Location 'el Rancho Abraham RV Resort & Goat Farm"...Sinton, Texas.

"Yee gads Billy Bob, what the hell have you done"???
Well ya see, it was like this....the wind was blow'n, couldn't catch no fish, stuff was break'n and to top it all off, my laptop done went an' went kapoots on me.....just quit work'n....poooof, just like that. So I hook up "that jeep" to the back of "Sally da house" and headed north, destination Sinton, Texas.

Arrived at "el Rancho Abrahams" right bout 2pm yesterday afternoon, set up camp an' laid back "do'n nuttin" for the rest of the day. I had a split'n headache the entire trip an' when I got here, that hip I was tell'n you bout, hurt like hell. I'm talk'n all the ways down to my little toe.....bring tears to your eyes kinda hurt. But it was a safe and easy trip cruis'n down the highways do'n a hunnert mile a hour (58-60). Cheapest gasoline I seen was $3.59 in Alice, Texas, but I didn't need to stop.

Nephew Joseph is a daddy to a tiny premature 4 pound 4 ounces baby boy. Baby and mama is still in the hospital....both doing fine. May come home tomorrow. So, if my nephew is a brand spank'n new daddy, what does that make me. Great uncle or something like that????

As you may recall, I spent the last two months camped at the  "free" County Park in Falcon Heights, Texas. I complained bout freez'n to death and hurricane force winds until the day came that the temps were absolutely perfect. You know, low 60's at night and upper 80's during the day light hours. But that wind, that god awful scream'n wind blow'n every day......enough to make anybody pack up an' break camp. Well anyhows, last night I froze my ass buttocks off. I couldn't believe it got down to 45 degs. Make ya wonder why a guy would leave beautiful weather.

I don't plan to be in Sinton very long 'cause I still got a 14 pounds bass wait'n for me at Falcon Lake. Make a few repairs, modifications, some maintenance on "da house (change oil an' filters...stuff like that). Gonna hit up Best Buy and buy me a brand spank'n new laptop computer. Probly go to the golf ball swak'n place an' swak a few with "the old fat man Barney".

Break'n camp...

Boy howdy, it don't take long to load up a couple chairs, a fold up table an' a fire breath'n BBQ grill.

Yup, I decided I was leave that big ol' 14 pounds bass in the lake till I come back the next time. It was a hard decision to pack up and leave such a great camp'n site, but I got lots of stuff what is broke an' needs fixed....or modified. So by this time tomorrow I will have traveled from deep south Texas to the Gulf coast. Arriving in Sinton, Texas this afternoon. Of course I'll be travel'n on a dreary an' sunless day. No wind to speak of.

Now let me tell ya bout this "old" (2002) Sony Vaio laptop. When I bought it brand spank'n new, I were think'n it was the fastest computer on earth. Yesterday I had to update the browser in order to make a blog post. This is the slowest computer on earth. My God, these new browsers slap eat up some resources. You don't know what slow is until you download the newest version of Firefox.....on a "old" computer.

I ain't decided what kind of computer I'll replace the HP with. Probly another HP. I were think'n of just repair'n the other one, but it got too much broke stuff on it....cooling fan what squeals an' chirps like a bird, touch pad what only half works and now a screen what don't work.

Thanks for all the comments on retrieving my photos an' stuff like that. I'm sure that computer guru guy at Best Buy will assist, maybe even transfer them to the new computer. That ways I keep all my hair an' don't break stuff from frustration. I been knowed to shoot clocks with a .357 magnum ya know. I were expect'n that sucker to blow to smithereens, but all it did was put a little hole in it. What a disappointment that was.

Well, I must leave you now. Got a water tank to fill up with sparkling clear water, a dumpster run to make, then hook up "that jeep" an' hit the open road. See ya "up the road a piece".    

Computer crash......

Oh my God.....woke up this morn'n and my computer done bit the dust. Oh, it's do'n it's stuff an' all that, but it just ain't show'n me what it's do'n on the screen. The screen is lit up like a dim light bub......ain't nuttin on it. This ain't really a good thing ya know. Man.....this sucks.

So's I breaks out my "other" computer. The old 2002 Sony Vaio....or whatever it's called. I start updating. Holy jump'n ninnys, this is gonna take a week. But anyhows....it's finally work'n good enough where I'm able to make a blog post.

I rekon when your computer fails ya, it's like break'n the old horses back. There's a say'n for that, but I sure as hell cain't remember what it is. Straw....yeah, that what it is. When a horse is got a broke back, ya ain't gonna ride him no more. May as well shoot the damn thing betwix the eyes, bury it an' go down to the livery stable an' buy a brand spank'n new one.

Did I ever perforn a save of important data to the external hard drive. I betcha a dollar I didn't. I got tons of photos that I gonna lose unless I can find me a computer wizard to extract them for me.

At this very moment, I am bout ready to pack up an' head "Sally da house" back to the Corpus Christi area. This computer break down is just one more thing what's got to be fixed. Breakdowns are add'n up one by one. More the reason to hook up an' pull out for the beautiful Gulf coast of Texas.

Beside my computer problem, I waked up to more nasty weather. Well, it ain't really nasty when ya consider it only gets down to the lower 60's at night and up on the edge of 90 in the day time. That sounds like some really nice winter camp'n weather. If'n it weren't for the damn wind what blows every day, an' all them clouds cover'n up the sun, it would be perfect.

Ok, I got me some serious think'n to do.....laters. 

Hot rod'n it

I were sit'n at the red light. A cop pulls up side me, rolls down his window an' says...."git on it". Git on it??? Is this cop crazy? We are downtown Huntington, W.Va. and he says...."git on it".

I was in need of a car. One that would start when I turn the key. A good look'n car. The used car dealership had two 1974 AMC Javelins. Love the body style. One was a ugly blue an' the other was a nice rust color....all shiny like. I was always a "need for speed" drag rac'n kind of guy. Burn rubber....that kind of stuff. I pick the rust color one what turn out to be a special edition of some sort.

Look just like this one......
It ran pretty fair....squeek the tires, go 60 mile a hour pretty quick.....nuttin special. But it had possibilities. "Modify it Billy Bob, modify it".

I fount me a old AMC Ambassador with a big ol' 360 cu.in. motor in it....uh huh, that gonna work out just fine. Well the motor weren't "hot" enough for a rac'n car. "Modify it Billy Bob, modify it" So that what I did. Complete engine rebuild to Billy Bob specifications ( I weren't called Billy Bob back then....I was "Uncle Bill" ). Full race cam shaft with roller lifters, 780 Holly sit'n on top a Edlebrock hi-rise manifold, electronic ignition, 4" outlet tuned headers....hot rod stuff.

Install'n the motor, a decision was made to use the original transmission and torque converter. Boy howdy that was a good decision. Increased the slip to 3800 rpms......right in the lower range of the power curve. Then to top it off, 10 inches cheater slicks were added to the read end. Traction bars were installed to cut down "smok'n" the tires. I had me one hot rod from hell.

Blowed the feathers plumb off'n them Pontiac Firebirds, eat up a bunch of Corvettes an' give them Ford Mustangs a run for their money. Won a few races at the 1/8th mile drag strip. Them were some fun times I betcha.

Another nasty look'n day. Got up to a little bit of fog, 64 degs, and the start up of a windy day. Hearded there was snow in Arizona. Boy howdy, hope it don't snow in south Texas. Seen all that stuff I want to see for the rest of my life when I lived 10 years in West by God Virginia. Rekon I'll just stick it out here at Falcon Lake. Catch me up a few 10 pounds bass fishes and move on to cooler climates in bout a month or so. High for today is to be right in the upper 80's range. That's get'n warm don't ya think?

10:05am: Experiment in progress. How long does it take Billy Bob to wash dishes?
11:41am: Experiment finished. Now that didn't take long at all. Tomorrow I'll put the dishes in their proper places. In the mean time they will sit right wheres I left them to dry.

Ok....got a few things on my morn'n agenda......laters.  

Nonsense an' stuff

Boy howdy, I sure gonna be glad when I got something to write about instead of all this nonsense I been writ'n bout. Even nonsense is get'n hard to come by. I'm get'n where I don't even want to read what I write. I done told all my "stories" in the last 3 years of this blog an' the ones I ain't told is hiden somewheres in the back of my mind. Probly lost forever back there in a memory gone bad.

What to do??? Boy howdy, that's a hard question. It ain't like I can just jump out of bed in the morn'n, jump in "that jeep" and have me a excit'n day. I can sit here all day long think'n bout stuff what might get me all excitis, but there are factors what gotta be considered. Wind be'n the first an' foremost. I ain't never see in my life the wind blow a hunnert mile a hour 8 days a week. Now I ain't complain'n or nuttin like that.....but dayum, this sucks. Today is no exception.

Ain't the first sign of sunshine out there this morn'n. Of course the wind is blow'n like all git out. There ain't a thing I can do bout it neither. But then I got to think'n, is the wind blow'n anywheres else? Yup it sure is. And it's cold in most places. ( Corpus Christi, Texas - Port Aransas, Texas...winds 15/20 to 25/30 gusts to 35 & 40). Now that ain't my kind of wind.

Tomorrow, thursday, we gonna have a cook out. Couple campers come by my camp and invite me to drop by the gazebo for some good eat'n. Don't know if the entire campground has been invited. That would be bout 20 or so people far as I can tell. At least we gonna have a "git together"....wind or no wind. But if'n it's blow'n like it is today, I ain't gonna be stay'n long. The old Billy Bob don't like wind.

Fish'n reports are pick'n up. The fish'n is a little late this year from what the reports say, but the fish are finally turn'n on. Now, to me, that's good news. Oh, did I mention, if'n I catches up that 14 pounds bass I was tell'n ya bout, it would be just shy of the lake record of 15.63 pounds. Odds of that happen'n is pretty slim when you're fish'n out of a blow up "bubba boat". By no means does that mean I won't be out there giv'n it a rip snort'n try though. Oh by the way.....Lake Amistad shut off the water. As of yesterday, they hit a lake level of 50 feets low, while Falcon Lake came up to 28 feets low.


 

Chicken or not chicken????

Did I fail to mention yesterday that my black water tank could have been blocked? Blocked means there is no flow when you open the valve an' all the stuff stays in the tank. That's not good. Dirty....well, we all know what that means. My attempt yesterday was NOT to clean my tank, but to empty it. But fear not, the old Billy Bob know some stuff.....it's empty.

Which brings us to the question, what is the best agent to add to waste water storage tanks in a RV? A little research brings up hunnerts of home remedy concoctions and recommendations. Some of which I would NEVER in my lifetime add to my tanks. I'm not so much concerned with a "clean" tank as I am with break'n down the "stuff". Who ever heard of a "clean" septic tank??? Anyhows, I'm back in business.

Yesterday afternoon I look out in the yard. The flags on the pole were just hang'n there.....no wind. I betcha a buck I could go fish'n. WRONG. Bout the time I got myself ready, Sadie Mae in the car, the winds start to pick up. And then they blowed. There went that idea.

Looks can be deceiving:
When chicken don't taste like chicken, there is something wrong. Ya see, I fired up the "fire breather" grill last even'n an' throwed me some chicken on it.

As soon as I seen all the smoke pour'n out from under the lid, I quickly moved the chicken out of the roar'n flames. Run inside an' grabs my camera. Too late. This is the last of the flames, but I mean to tell ya, that sucker were on fire. When all was said an' done an' the flames had died down, the chicken tasted terrible. Then I got to think'n, why does this chicken taste terrible? My first thought was that it was Mexican chicken, bought by Walmart from some chicken ranch across the border 6 months ago and just now put'n it on the shelves. Then I thought it may be that my "fire breather" grill could use a good clean'n. What could be the case. But I never clean my grill and chicken has always taste like chicken up to this point. Or maybe it was all that stuff I put on it. I don't know!!! What's a man to do in a case like this?

 Did I ever tell ya bout the time.....my neighbor fired up his BBQ grill. It was sit'n on his porch between a pile of cardboard boxes an' other combustible stuff. Mostly beer boxes 'cause he drinked beer. Didn't know he drinked till I say him sober one day. I smells smoke. When I looks over to his house, the porch was on fire. Not a little fire, I'm talk'n fire....all the ways up to the roof line. The guy was no where around. I grabs up his water hose and set to work as a volunteer fireman....squirt'n water on them roar'n flames an' throw'n burn'n boxes out in the yard. Fires out. The guy makes an appearance. "What the hell" he says "my porch is on fire". Turns around an' goes back inside.

What start out as a beautiful day a couple hours ago has turned into a dreary look'n day. Sunshine is done gone and of course, the wind is blow'n. I'm think'n I don't like wind at this point in my life.





    

*Update* Blocked or not blocked????

So you didn't think the wind could blow a hunnert mile a hour? Well I'm here to tell ya.....yeah it can. From noon yesterday to midnight it never slacked up a bit. It blowed hard.

Boy howdy, the older ya get, the longer the evenings are and the shorter the nights are. A few year ago, I would go to bed right bout 10pm an' get up at round 6 or 7am. That gave me plenty of much needed beauty sleep. Then as I growed a little older, I start go'n to bed at 11pm and 12pm. Well, last night I must have been a hunnert year old 'cause I were still up at 2am. Eye balls jist look'n round the place, mind go'n a hunnert mile a hour. There weren't no way I could go to sleep. When I finally did, I waked up a hour later hav'n to do that bladder reduction exercise we all heard about years ago. If'n you're old, ya know what I'm talk'n bout.

Think'n bout stuff, that what did it. Every night after I lay down my cowboy books, I take me a "think'n break" before I jump under the covers. Well, last nights "think'n break" turned into a nightmare. I just got too much stuff on my mind. Too many hows, whys, wheres and whens clog up my mind an' spill over into my "go to sleep" brain receptors.....or something like that. Last night was no exception.

Ya see, I got a problem. One time last year when I went to drain my black water tank, nuttin come out. It were blocked up. Well, it's been a while since I drained the tank and I'm worried it may be blocked up again. I have my reasons for this worry, but we ain't gonna go into them right now. That's part of the why that I was up so late last night. But the main thing that kept my mind aglow was the how. If the tank is blocked up an' the "stuff" won't come out, how can I unblock it??? But I may be putting the horse before the cart. I don't know that it's blocked or not 'cause I ain't tried to drain it.  "Jesus Billy Bob, go to the State Park and attempt to drain it before ya lose any more sleep".

So.....that's on the agenda for today. Wish me luck. 
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12:30 oclock. Hot damn Billy Bob, that poop come out that black water tank slicker an' owl poop.
For those RV'ers not in the know, you can dump waste tanks at any Texas State Park with a day pass. How much a day pass cost? Well that all depend. Normal day pass fees for youngsters under 65 are bout $4 to gain access to the park. Now if'n you got a senior discount pass (free if over 65), it's half price. Or you could buy a Texas State Parks pass for bout $70 a year and pay no day use fees. Not a bad price to pay to dump those nasty tanks.

While I was driv'n round the State Park, I see fish'n boats all over the place out there on the lake. But they weren't blow up boats. Wind is still a little bit too much for me to launch the "bubba boat", so that's out for the day.

Think I'll grill me up some more that chicken like I did the other day. Since ever'thing I cook tastes like chicken, it might as well cook chicken. Maybe even catch it afire again. My son Robert tole me one time...."you ain't gonna eat that are ya daddy"???  

Hunnert mile a hour winds

Well, it ain't so bad, depend'n on how ya look at it. That little cold snap we got last night (46 degs) is done long gone. Don't know where it went, but it up to 70 degs with a little bit of sunshine ever once in a while. But the wind is blow'n well over a hunnert mile a hour. Supposed to be high winds for the next few days....'cord'n to the weather forecast thingy.

Now maybe that don't sound too bad for some ya, but the old Billy Bob ain't at all happy bout hunnert mile a hour winds....or freez'n to death neither. If'n ya ever been down in this neck of the woods, you're well aware that there ain't a damn thing to do here if'n ya can't go fish'n. Well, I guess you could go outside an' fly a kite. But that ain't what I'm here for. I got to get my skinny ass out there on the lake in the "bubba boat" an' catch me up a 14 pounds bass. That's what I'm here for ya know. Well, the warm weather in south Texas has a little something to do with it too. Any time it only get down to the upper 30's onest or twice at night time, an' up to 80 in the day time, you in some kind of a winter paradise.

Ok. So how much is a almost maintenance free floor worth to ya??? For the old Billy Bob, it's worth a million dollars. Well, maybe not that much, but you know what I'm talk'n bout. I don't like to sweep an' mop a friggin floor every other day (put that in the same category as do'n dishes). Ya already know bout all that.

So's I done me some research. Have ya ever hear bout "loose lay" vinyl sheet floor'n? Ya don't glue it down. Ya just throw it on the floor an' it's done....poooof, just like that. A special double sided floor'n adhesive tape is used on the edges. Jim mentioned that in the comments yesterday. Now this stuff ain't cheap by no means, but it's way less than a million dollars. What I ain't got that much no hows. I'll be check'n out this "loose lay" vinyl floor'n stuff when I get back to the Corpus Christi area.

Speak'n of Corpus Christi.....the only reason I ain't there right now is cause I ain't catched me no bass fish yet. An' the only reason I ain't catched none is 'cause it's been a mite too cold and too damn windy to put the "bubba boat in the water......here at Falcon Lake in south Texas....(jist in case ya forgot where I'm at).
Got me a few little projects what I want an' need to take care of when I get back up that way, an' there ain't no ways in hell I can do them till I'm back to civilization. In the mean time, I'll just sit back "do'n nuttin", what ain't on my top ten list of priorities.

Grill me up some chicken last night. That damn Walmart China grill piss me off. Catched my chicken slap on fire again. But I ate it anyhows. There's something bout burnt chicken ya gotta love.

As my world turns.....

Tell me it ain't so. Holy crap, it's Saturday again. So where did the rest of the week go??? It ain't that I don't like Saturdays or anything like that, but DAYUM, I missed out on a whole week of days I could have done something productive. Kind of like Freddy Fender's "Wasted days-Wasted nights"....or what ever it was.

I done figger out I spend WAY too much time on the internet. If'n I ain't read'n blogs, read'n news, an' Facebook'n, I'm off research'n stuff that would make no difference in my life one way or a nuther. It ridiculous how much time is wasted sit'n in front of a computer. When I was over there in Ga. this last year, I was scream'n an' yell'n to my grandkids to "git off that damn computer an' do something". They walk round like zombies staring at a blank screen on a Ipad (or what ever them things are) an' a cell phone stuck to the side their face....text'n....stuff like that.

Speak'n of cell phones.....I tole ya bout this once before, but........I were behind this nice lady at the check out at Walmart. She had a cell phone stuck in her ear just gibber jabb'n away. She only had bout 4 bags of stuff what she paid for with a smile, just like anybody else would do. Then she turned away, still gibber jabb'n with that cell phone stuck to the side her face an' walked slap out the store. The check out girl looked at me. I looked at her. Then we both looked at the 4 bags of goodies still sit'n there on the counter. Cell phones....Gods special gift to stupit people. Now I ain't say'n that everbody what talks on a cell phone is stupit or nuttin like that, but we have some very "gifted" people out there. Beware of where you walk.....or what check out line ya get into.

Got me a wild hair last night. I were sit'n there on the couch an' I look at the floor. I grabs up a broom an' sweepes it again. Then I mops it again. Yes, it needed it already. Then I breaks out some hardwood floor wax stuff. I wax that floor. Hot damn, that looks good. But it ain't gonna last more than a couple days I betcha. Last time I wax the floor, two days later it were all mess up again. Dirt, dust, doggie tracks, hair an' stuff like that. Did I ever mention...."don't never install dark wood floors in a RV.....NEVER"???

Now here what I got in mind. Go off to the floor'n sell'n place an' buy me up some light color vinyl flooring to cover that dark wood floor. No, I ain't gonna cover all of it. Just the kitchen and liv'n room. But, I don't want nuttin that has to be glued down. Got to be purty too. Any suggestions from the floor'n professionals??? 

Ok, weather for Falcon Heights, Texas. Weren't too cold last night. Right bout 50 degs. Beautiful sunshine this morn'n, but it's still a bit nippy outside....59 degs at 10am. Bout a 6 mile a hour breeze out the north.....pick'n up speed. 

Wind was blow'n too fierce last night to fire up the grill....bout a hunnert mile a hour, so's I throwed a steak in a skillet. "MY GOD Billy Bob, look all the smoke in "da house". Well how else ya gonna burn a steak? I like my steak with a flavor strip on it (fat) an' I like that flavor strip close to catch on fire (charred). That where the smoke come from don't ya know? Cook that sucker up perfect med. rare. Yum Yum!!!!

Ok....things to do ya know....Laters.

 

Retirement guilt

Well, here it is another day already. Sometimes I wonder where yesterday went.

Hell no I didn't take the "billy bike" to the State park yesterday. You think I'm crazy or something? It's still tied up to that tree out there in the yard. In fact, I don't think I did anything yesterday.

I were sit'n there on the couch an' got to think'n.....damn, this is a good life. I found out that being retired, liv'n in a motorhome, travel'n all round the country ain't really all what it's cracked up to be....if'n ya ain't enjoy'n it. When I changed my profession from "salve worker" to "retirement", I was much younger. I were all excitis bout travel'n, see'n stuff, do'n what ever I damn well pleased. But after a while, all that stuff got old. More like work. But last night it struck me that I'm liv'n the good life no matter how ya look at it....even when I ain't do'n nuttin.  Ain't got no bills to pay every month. Go anywheres I want. Stay as long as I want. Keep the "toy" box filled up with what ever I want. Sit on my ass "do'n nuttin". Yee haw!!!, ain't life great?

Sometimes I feel a little bit guilty when I ain't "on the road again", see'n stuff, tak'n pictures, spend'n $500 a month on gasoline, pay'n outrageous camp'n fees....stuff like that. Well shoot, I already done did all that stuff and now all I want to do is sit back an' be comfortable....an' be'n comfortable "do'n nuttin" suits me just fine. I can't please everbody with what I write about....although that would be nice, I'm comfortable with what I'm do'n an' that what matters most. Shoot, give me a good cup of coffee, a little sunshine, a place to sit down in the shade of a old oak tree, a good cowboy book to read, do a little think'n....I'm good to go.  

Ok, here's what I did. Just bout sundown, after the solar panels quit work'n, I went out and turned the inverter off. What ya mean you don't know what a inverter is? It's a little box look'n thingy what hooks up to the batteries and converts 12 volts to 115 volts so's ya can run table saws, vacuum cleaners, coffee pots, 500 watt sound systems.....stuff like that. Well anyhows, I watch the battery voltage all night long till I go to bed. Hmmmm.....it's higher than what it has been for the last couple months. Maybe I found what is draw'n too much electricity from my batteries. One more thing I notice, that damn charge controller went ape on me again yesterday morn'n. Register'n weird voltages again. Maybe it were just cold. "One these days Edith"!!!!

It's a mighty fine look'n day outside this morn'n. Only got down to 47 degs last night, but the damn wind is already kick'n up....just when I were think'n bout go'n fish'n. Fish'n report says the fish is up in the shallows, but ain't very many of 'em are hungry. They says spinner baits, flukes and lizards. Hmmmmm, I got me some of them.
Update.....30 minutes later: Sunshine is gone.....poooof, just like that. Wind blow'n a hunnert mile a hour (10 to 15mph).

Ok, I got things to do. Don't know what, but I got to "do something".

Propane guy came today

Just to clarify......Displaying of the flag of Texas.

Sec. 3100.055.  

DISPLAY ON FLAGPOLE OR FLAGSTAFF WITH FLAG OF UNITED STATES. 

(a)  If it is necessary for the state flag and the flag of 

the United States to be displayed on the same flagpole or 

flagstaff, the United States flag should be above the state flag.

Well yeah I went to town. Stop off at the propane sell'n place and the propane guy is gonna be here this morn'n to fill me up with gas. That what he said anyhows.
Then I go to the hardware store an' buy me up some PVC pipe for the new flag pole. What is proudly display'n both my flags. I rekon I could go outside an' take a pic for ya.
Hold on....be right back.

Well hot damn, now ain't that one fine look'n flag pole? Think'n I might aughter do some maintenance on that solar powered lantern. Maybe paint it a purty yaller....or something like that. That lantern is used as a balance for the flag pole. Comes on all by it self once the sun goes down. Don't take much weight for balance with the design of the pole. Anyhows......

Ok, last night was the last day of winter. Was a cold one I betcha.....43 degs this morn'n. "Where the hell is my heavy blanket"? That was at 4am when I notice I was freez'n to death. Had goose bumps an' stuff like that. Dream'n bout snow and iced tea. Had to pee.

I were sit'n over there on the couch last night an' got to think'n bout birthdays. I had me a quite a few of 'em ya know, but I had more than what I s'posed to be hav'n. Many time, in my younger years, I would tell everbody it were my birthday when it weren't. Mostly when I was lit up a little bit sit'n in a bar sip'n a cold one. Me an' my lady friend, we went to this county western bar down the street to do some "rug cut'n" an' "suds sip'n". There were a good crowd of bout a hunnert danc'n fools that night, cotton eye joe, Texas two step, git down an' dirty....stuff like that. Well the nice county western lady what was sing'n says...."who has a birthday today"? I jumps up an' shouts...."me, me, I do". She says...."what's yer name cowboy"? Well shoot....I says...."My name is Billy, jist call me Billy Bob". Then she sings Happy Birthday Billy Bob....an' they bringed me a free birthday beer too. Just when she were bout finish sing'n, I jumps back up an' shouts...."NO, NO, WAIT, It ain't my birthday. I thought you said....Who wants another beer". That weren't the first time I ever pull that trick. But of course, everbody done got me figger out after a few times of do'n that. 

Ok.....took a break....watch'n for propane guy. Got me a full tank again.

Ain't got much of anything planned for the day. Maybe run over to the lake an' look at the water. Let Sadie Mae run wild in the bushes. Check out my rock. Might even take the "billy bike" with me an' do some ride'n round the park. Get me some exercise.

Flag poles, ceilings an' BBQ

As I was say'n.....I grill stuff. Anything you cook on or in the stove in the house, can also be cooked on a grill outside. Well, almost anything. Ain't never tried cook'n a cake on the grill. Probly burn the hell out it. Catch on fire.

I been look'n at the Weber Q100 grill an' kind of sorta made up my mind....that the one I want. But.....I'm gonna have to modify it to fit my needs. What ever I decide on, will have to have a "warming rack"....or be modified to accept one. Ya see, there's some stuff I don't cook on the "catch stuff on fire" grill surface. Like chicken, pizza, biscuits....stuff ya want to cook slowly an' don't want the bottom burn to a crisp.

Did I ever tell ya bout the time.....well yes I did. I builded me a "jet powered" BBQ grill. Here's the link if'n you're interested in outdoor cook'n, jet engines, pain and a taste of humor.
"Billy Bob's Jet Powered BBQ".

I were sit'n there on the couch yesterday an' look up at the ceiling. Damn, I need to wash the ceiling. So that what I did....think'n it would only take bout a hour. Holy crap, three hours later an' I still ain't done. I mix me up a bucket of water with some that ammonia I was tell'n ya bout an' go to work. That stuff do the job I mean to tell ya. Two buckets later and I still have half a panel to finish the job. Nasty stuff come off'n that ceiling.

Usually I'm a pretty patriotic kind of guy. You know, fly my flag. A few years back I build me a flag pole out of PVC plastic pipe. I enjoy fly'n my colors in campgrounds and replace the flags bout every year or so....keep 'em fresh an' look'n purty.

Well that damn PVC stuff done went an' got warped from being out in the sun so long. So I got me a idea.....I'm gonna build me brand spank'n new "straight" one. Make it out of bigger an' stronger 1 an' a 1/4 inches PVC....macho ya know. But I ain't gonna do it today.....unless I get a hair an' go to town.

Hot damn....we got sunshine. Early morn'n sunshine. Well, it ain't really early morn'n no more, but you know what I'm talk'n bout. Was a bit nippy again last night with a low of 57 degs. Then I look at the weather forecast thingy. HUH? What's this? Low 40's tonight. That cain't be true....this is south Texas ya know. And I be need'n some propane pretty soon.

I rekon I done went an' done too much stretch'n yesterday....wash'n the ceiling and install'n the Texas flag on the flag pole. My back was kill'n me this morn'n. Some pains ya just got to learn to live with, even if they do slow ya down and limit your abilities to do things. Life goes on an' ya gotta keep on truck'n or ya gonna be sit'n in some rednecks front yard up on concrete blocks. Think bout that.

Just in case anybody wants to know, my solar controller is still work'n. Or I think it is anyhows. Now all I need is a few good days of sunshine to fully charge the batteries. Two or three hours a day just don't quite cut it.

Ok, got things to do. Finish wash the ceiling and maybe go buy me up some PVC pipe. What ya think???

Brrrrrr....cold again

Well shoot. I thought I got rid of the spam on here, but....nope, there they are again. A few days ago I went to the "spam box" or whatever ya call it, and deleted 800 spams. Think'n that would cure get'n more on the blog. Oh well, no harm done.

Boy howdy let me tell ya. The old Billy Bob got busy yesterday. Got the dishes all wash up and tackle the chore of this damn dark floor. Did I ever mention "don't install a dark wood floor in an RV"??? First I moved all the stuff what was in the way, an' then I sweeped up a big pile of dirt, dust, dog hairs and sand. Where it all come from I don't know. Maybe it's 'cause I leave the door open all the time and the wind blows it in. Of course, Sadie Mae contributes her share by go'n out in the road and roll' in the dirt. Then she come back inside and shake it all off.

Grilled me up a half a DiGiorno Surpreme pizza last night. But.....the piece of cardboard stuck to the bottom of it an' I had to filet it off like ya filet a fish. No, it didn't taste like fish or cardboard. That the first time that ever happen. I always grill my pizza with the cardboard on the bottom. Top rack, 350 degs. Turn out pretty lip smak'n if'n I do say so myself. Won't be leav'n that piece of cardboard on the bottom no more.

Speak'n of grills.....I got to think'n....since I have so many problems with "fires" with these cheap Walmart grills, I'm think'n, "git a good 'un". Hard to regulate the temp on a Walmart grill, an' they catches on fire all the time. So now I'm grill hunt'n. I kind of like the looks of the Weber grills, even thought they gonna cost me over a hunnert dollar. I ain't never had a "good" grill, so what ya think???

As usual, this morn'n sucks. It were a nippy 59 degs last night an' ain't warmed up much more this morn'n (68). Ain't the first sign of sunshine with a slight breeze bout 5 mile a hour. Now if'n the sun was shin'n, you know where I would be headed. But it ain't, so I ain't. "So what ya gonna do Billy Bob"? Hell if'n I know. I'll find something. *look'n round "da house"*....."my God Billy Bob, git off yer ass".

Maybe I will, maybe I won't. Ya see, ever time I mention hav'n to do some housework, people think I jump right up and get busy do'n stuff. Well, I don't. I just mention it.....that's all. Then, when it get to the point where it's absolutely necessary, that when I jumps up. So, the next time I say something needs done, that don't mean I did it. I just mentioned it. Oh the joys of be'n retired.....ya gotta love it.

I'm hav'n a really hard time here at Falcon Lake. With the weather be'n so unpredictable and all my aches an' pains, I have become a very bored and depressed old fart. I think up all kinds of things I want to do, but there's always something come up that throws a monkey wrench in the gears. It's not at all exciting I can tell ya that right now. But, I ain't complain'n ya know. Look at it this ways.....I could be somewheres shovel'n snow an' freez'n to death.

Solar Boost 2000E

Was another night, and all day yesterday, of high winds. Well, I say high winds, but they ain't nuttin like Deming, NM. That's got to be the windiest dad burned place I ever see in my life. Blow the feathers plumb off' a buzzard.
This morn'n I waked up to a slight breeze and no sunshine. I bit cool at a low of 63....brrrrrrrr, that get'n a bit chilly if'n ya ask me. But I ain't complain'n. I could be somewheres shovel'n snow.

See.....I tole you I was gonna take that sucker apart again. Not that I'm an electronics technician or nuttin like that, but "LOOK HERE".....the damn thing is work'n again. Some little gizmo thingy on the circuit board is loose. I giggle it round a bit and says, damn, I need to re-solder that thing. But I ain't got a small enough solder iron. So's I giggle that gizmo thingy till it was work'n and leave it like that. Temporary fix. I'm think'n the salt air from the gulf coast done eat up the solder joints. Gonna be replacing it in the near future.......maybe. Depend'n on how long it keeps work'n.  

My back issue is almost back to normal this morn'n. It's been bout 4 days now since I thought I was gonna die. Not from the pain in my back and legs, but from fear of fall'n out the door and crack'n my head on a big ol' rock.....or something like that. Old folks think some weird stuff ya know.

I rekon it's bout time to do a little maintenance round the place. You know, like dishes, sweep an' mop the floor, take the trash out....stuff like that. It never ends. Always something to do. Also need to make a run over to the State Park and dump the black water tank. Dread that one. Black water tank = mobile septic tank.

Ok, that's it for today.....ain't got nuttin to talk bout....Laters!

Broke again

Sure did hate to put that monkey back in his cage, but when it scare the kiddies, it got to go. The replacement header photo is of my camp site at the "slabs" a couple years ago. 

Ok, the "spud gun from hell" is considered an assault weapon in the State of Texas. Well, maybe not an assault weapon, but it is considered a firearm. What the hell?....we talk'n taters an' vegetables here, not freak'n guided missiles an' cannon balls.
"So what other questionable "it can hurt ya" project comes to mind Billy Bob"???? "Hey Bubba, watch this".

Ok....speak'n of projects an' fix'n stuff. Well I done went an' did it up good this time. Yup, I took that high dollar solar charge controller plumb apart again. Well damn, that was a mistake. Don't know what I done to it, but now it don't register the correct, or even close to the correct voltage of the batteries. And it don't seem to charge no more. I'm think'n I probly broke it purty good this time. 

 Old people need to leave this kind of stuff to the professionals. But I bet ya a dollar I gonna be take'n it apart again before the day is out.

Is Billy Bob's Place a travel blog? Well, not really. Although I do travel around a little bit. So what the hell kind of blog is it? I'm think'n it's mostly nonsense like what it says at the top in the title. It's about Billy Bob. The adventures and misadventures, whether they are bout travels or just bout stuff I do every day....my daily life. What is a misadventure in it's self. But it's fun, ain't it? I like these kinds of blogs what leaves no questions bout the sanity of the person what's writ'n 'em. Of which I am of sound mind ya know.

Boy howdy, holy cows....damn. Did you hear the wind blow'n last night? I'm here to tell ya that it blowed a hunnert mile a hour at Billy Bob's house last night. It were howl'n. Now this morn'n, ain't nuttin but a little breeze out there. Get'n some sunshine ever once in a while. Nice an' warm at 79 degs. Low last night 67 degs. Cain't beat that with a stik. Maybe I'll stick around for a little while longer.

For all those that don't know where the old Billy Bob is at, I way to hell down on the southern tip of the great State of Texas, right on the Rio Grande river. Camped at the County Park in Falcon Heights....free camp'n with free water. Just over there bout a mile or so is Falcon Lake and Falcon State Park (Google is your best friend). That where ya catches up big ol' bass fish ya know. Wild critters roam all over the the State Park, but there ain't none in the County Park. Just a few cats what Sadie Mae likes to chase. Sadie Mae is my dawg ya know.

Ok, got stuff to do....break something.....Laters!

Life is good....sometimes

Just in case ya didn't know.....I have cut my internet time down to two hours a day. Mornings. Replies to your comments have been greatly diminished. Sorry, but still have battery problems.

Holy cows, sit'n round do'n nuttin sure can be boring. That what I did all day yesterday....and it paid off. When I got out of bed this morn'n, my back was feel'n soooo much better. I could stand up straight, didn't pee on the bathroom floor this morn'n and didn't stumble an' fall all over the place try'n to brew up a pot of coffee.  Remember the old crooked man?.....that was me for a few days. Today I am on my way to a speedy recovery.....maybe.  

I think everbody know I have a electrical problem....right??? Still hav'n problems with the batteries using too much and not charg'n enough. By the way, this is one reason I don't get on the internet but for two hours a day. I got a little switch gobber-doo to turn off power to the chassis system.....engine, dashboard, chassis fuse box....stuff like that. I turn it off a couple days ago. Didn't help a bit. That leaves the "house" electrical system where the problem is at. Will be look'n into that when the weather permits. But not today.

Holy crap, it was rain'n this morn'n. Oh wait.....no it ain't. Oh wait....yes it is. Now it ain't. Not that I would like it to rain, but damn, make up your mind Margaret. Weather forecast ain't look'n too good for the next few days. Gonna be overcast and windy.....10 to 20 mile a hour.

I was look'n over at OFM Barney's blog an' I got plumb sick. Lake Amistad is one my favorite Texas lakes and they are drain'n all the water out of it.  Send'n it down river to Falcon lake an' there's plenty water down here. Stop it!!!

Speak'n of Texas lakes, the bass are on the spawn at Falcon Lake. That means the bass are going into shallow water an' "do'n it". They don't eat much when they are on the spawn, but look out in 2 weeks.....Billy Bob gonna catch up that 14 pounds bass. Or maybe 14 little bitty one pounders.

Ain't nuttin much else go'n on at Billy Bob's house. Thought of mak'n a trip to the gulf coast for a few days, maybe a week or two. But that's just a thought I been roll'n round in the back of my mind. You know how that works....right? Maybe I will, maybe I won't...probly won't. But I could if'n I was really want'n to. Got lots of things I been want'n to do, but ain't got the git-up-an'-go to git up an'  go do 'em.

Oh yeah. I was sit'n out in the yard sip'n up a cup an' got to think'n......spud gun. Everbody know what a spud gun is....right. It's a PVC contraption what shoot taters bout 200 yards or so. Ain't no real purpose for hav'n one, but they sure are fun as hell to shoot up a sack full of taters. Man toy ya know. Well, I drawed me up a design for a "spud gun from hell". Sound like a good "man" project to me. Better than sit'n round do'n nuttin. Hmmmmm....wonder if'n I could hold up a grocery store with one these????

Is it legal??? Who cares, my shotgun ain't legal neither.

A trip to Walmart

With that monster storm up there in New Jersey and such, weather here in south Texas is get'n it's fair share of miserable weather also. Overnight low was 64 degs with a forecasted high of 81 degs by this afternoon. High winds are predicted to be in the 10 to 20 mile a hour range for the next 4 days. Ain't gonna be no fish'n for a few days that for sure.

Made a Walmart run yesterday morn'n. Had it not been for need'n my meds refilled, I would have never gone. My back was feel'n pretty good, so decided the trip would be fine. WRONG!!!!  Drop off my med bottles to be refilled and the nice lady says "one hour". Before I got out of the fish'n section, my meds were ready to be picked up. Now that's a first.

I rambled round the store look'n at stuff....touchie feelie ya know. Headed for the grocery section an' load up my buggy with all kinds of good eats. After I spend 2 1/2 hours walk'n the aisles, I says..."I got to git out of here". I'm hungry and my back is kill'n me. That's when I got pissed at Walmart. Ya see, there was a dozen or more people with over flow'n shop'n carts lined up at the 3 open check outs. What the hell??? Over against the wall leaned 3 Walmart employees. One was pick'n buggers, one was scratch'n his crotch and the other just stood there look'n dumb with his thumb up his butt. I see some Walmart dude with a white shirt an' a clip board....just stand'n round do'n nuttin. I hollers..."HEY!!!!" Now you know when Billy Bob hollers "HEY", something gonna happen. I done got called down one time in a Walkmart over there in Georgia for cuss'n in the store. "Where the eff is all the check out people"???....that what I said.....loud enough for everbody to hear. He tells me they are all on break. Break hell, Walmart people don't get breaks. "What bout them three stand'n over there against the wall do'n nuttin"??? "Oh, they aren't qualified to handle cash transactions" he tells me. I says...."well how bout I just leave this buggy full of stuff right here and you find someone what ain't on break to restock all this stuff"??? I turns to walk away. He catches up to me and before I know it, there's a new cashier to check me out.....poooof, there she was, just like that. Damn, Walmart can piss me off sometimes.Grrrrrrrrr!!!!

Now I'm back home with a hunnert shop'n bags to tote from the car to "da house". I'm hungry and my back is kill'n me. I put on a pot of coffee to brew on the stove and start unload'n groceries an' stuff.....two bags at a time. Damn that was a job. That coffee came out smell'n pretty good. Pour me a cup an' take a couple 500mg back and pain aspirin. I sits down......damn I'm hungry....and my back is kill'n me.

Built me a big ol' pot of Billy Bob beef stew soup while I was wait'n for the aspirin to do their thang. They didn't. Lay rould all even'n eat'n beef stew soup, read'n western/cowboy books and whin'n bout how much my back hurts.

Stupit out of focus camera......

Speak'n of beef stew soup, I could teach MsB how to cook....if'n she would listen and follow directions. Maybe tomorrow.

Bad back history

There ain't no use lying to ya, I didn't do nuttin yesterday like I said I was gonna do.

Ya see, I was all slicked out in my bibs, straw hat and sandals headed for "that jeep" to take a ride. Half ways to "that jeep" is a camp chair. That as far as I made it. I sit's down an' says....."damn, that hurts".
So, the entire day was spent on my back side.

The first time I "busted" my back was back in '80. I was work'n at Taco Bell in Huntington, WVa. install'n a new vent hood over the friers and stove thingy. I was up on a ladder. Behind me was a mop bucket. Step'n off the second step, my right heel caught the edge of that mop bucket. Mop water all over the floor and I landed on my ass. Two discs were ruptured and I was in the hospital for 3 weeks, on the floor for 6 months....and wanted to die. The worstest pain I could ever imagine.....sciatica. Giv'n birth to a 14 pounds child would'a been a piece of cake.

The second time was in '88 while work'n at The University of Texas in Port Aransas assembling a walk in freezer. Same two discs were crushed again. Although not as bad a ingury as the first, I was in sever pain for 3 months through back manipulation and therapy. Again I healed to some extent.

Last and final injury was in Dec '99 chang'n out a 7 1/2 HP air cond compressor on the University of Texas research vessel "Longhorn". MRI and Catscans showed two crushed discs and a torn ligament. Three months of workmans comp and hours upon hours of manipulation and therapy left me in the condition I am today. I never healed. My height has decreased 2 inches and I am in constant never end'n hip pain.

Surgery has been suggested, but not recommended. So what am I to do??? A little research on the subject has led me to believe that possibly mico surgery may be the answer.

So there you have it. That's why Billy Bob whines an' bitches bout his "bad back".

I waked up at 5:30 this morn'n think'n "what the hell, it's dark outside". I were plan'n on go'n back to bed but decided to stay up and see the world from a different view.....the dark side. Well shoot, ya cain't see nuttin when it's dark. Now that I been up for over three hours, it's foggy out there. Cain't see nuttin in fog neither. So today ain't look'n too good. What the hell, retirement is supposed to be fun.    

Still down in the back

Is that rain I see mak'n little speckle marks on the windshield? Why it sure was....for bout 3 minutes or so. From all the lightning I seen last night, I figgered we would have a downpour. Track mud in "da house".

Yesterday was a miserable day at Billy Bob's house. The old back has got me down. You know....lay on the floor.....don't do nuttin. I'm think'n bout 4 days of "do'n nuttin" might be the perfect remedy to get back to "feel'n good". Although....I do feel better this morn'n. No leg pains yet.

Constructed a new mount for that fish finder gizmo yesterday. Ain't the prettiest piece of art work, but it'll do the job. In fact, I was so proud, I took the "bubba boat" to the lake to try it out. Well, by the time I got to the lake an back up to the shoreline, the wind was blow'n. So I just sat there.....look'n at water an' day dream'n.

Checked out the "rock". It's way the hell out there now.

I'm think'n the lake has come up bout 3 or 4 feet since I put that rock on the shoreline. All them tree stumps and stuff is out in the water now, so fish'n should be get'n good before long. I'm ready.

There's a little place up the road a piece where me an' Sadie Mae has been want'n to go visit. Maybe today we'll take a ride up there.....just to look ya know. Check out the fish'n possibilities. Take some pics....stuff like that.

Did you see the gas prices??? Holy crap, every time Obama makes a speech, gas prices go up. Maybe ya ain't never notice that, but the old Billy Bob has. I keep close tabs on that guy.
Anyhows.....when I went to town the other day, "that jeep" was get'n low on gas. I notice the gas was $3.26. I'll get gas on the way back. After finish'n laundry, I headed back north. Holy crap, gas was up to $3.36.....in less than 2 hours. So what's the deal???

Ok, so ya don't like my monkey. Well, I'm sorry, but I think that's one cool look'n monkey and he deserves a chance at world recognition. That's bout all I have to say bout that.

Broke back/broke boat

Nothing on Facebook, nothing on the news, no new emails, read all the blogs..."now what ya gonna do Billy Bob"??? Just another typical morn'n. That's what I do every morn'n, but maybe not in that order. Then I sit down and attempt to write something interesting on my blog.

Ok, what the hell did I do this time? Thin skin....that's what it is. People have thin skin.

Been stay'n away from mention of my health issues, but today, we gonna be talk'n bout back problems. Seems these days, everbody has bad backs of some sort or another. Some worster than others. But back problems are hidden pain what some people cain't comprehend or just don't have any understanding at all.

Yesterday, me an' Sadie Mae went boat ride'n (more on this later).  Everthing was fine. Well, until I got back to camp when my back went completely out. Ya see, I was hang'n up the "bubba boat" to wash it out and let it dry (more on that later). A sharp pain in my right hip an' I went to the ground....freak'n leg. The whole evening I was in severe....hurt like hell pain...all the ways down to my toes. First thing I did was take me up a hand full of aspirin. That helped, but I were still very uncomfortable either sit'n or stand'n. Even tried some pain relieving rub....what helped a little bit. Anyhows, when I waked up this morn'n....."holy crap, my hip hurts".

I broke my boat. Well, not really broke it, but that little thingy what was mounted on the troll'n motor for the fish finder is now dangling....broke the mount slap off. So that's the project for today. Make a new mount.

Me an' Sadie Mae arrived at the lake at a new boat launch'n place. Sadie Mae had no idea what we was gonna do, only that she took a ride in "that jeep" to the lake. As soon as I lugged the "bubba boat" out the back an' start to blow it up, Sadie Mae jump back in the car and didn't come back out. She knows. Took right at 18 minutes, accord'n to Timex, and the "bubba boat" was ready for open waters. Sadie Mae is still in the car. I throwed her in the "bubba boat" an' we was gone.....fish'n.

It was hot....right bout 87 degs an' very little wind. Water temp was 67 degs. We headed for that little island out there where 3 other boats was fish'n. Tree limbs an' weeds stick'n out the water. We gonna catch us up some fish. Wrong!!! There weren't no fish. Well maybe there was 1, what I didn't catch. For 2 hour me an' Sadie Mae searched them waters for fish. There weren't no fish. Won't be fish'n there no more.

How do ya hang a boat? Well, if'n it's a Sevylor blow up canoe, ya don't hang it with no air in the bladders. Ya see, when I hanged it up to wash out the sand, mud an' sticks and let it dry, all the air bladders went to the lowest end...in a wad. Took me a freak'n hour to get them back in place. Never do that again.  


Feller by the name of Bill showed up at Falcon Heights County Park, long with his wife....now what the hell was her name?, an' their two dogs. Big ol' 18 wheeler look'n truck, a long 5th wheel and a boat towed behind that. Louie says he's a cowboy from Wyoming. Ok.....now what? He's got a boat.....yee haw!!! Maybe the two Bills will go out an' catch some fish in his boat since I ain't catched none in my boat. Will post a photo of his camp....but not today. Always good to meet people with like minds.

Life is good.....do something.  

Modify'n modifications

Well shoot, danged spammers are mess'n with the Billy Bob. It ain't like it's some kind of a problem what's gonna screw up everbody's computers, but it's got people skeered. Fear of the unknown...."what if I click that link"? So what to do about it? Forbid anonymous comments?? Oh no, I have some anony followers that just tickle hell out me with their comments. Best advice I can give is "ignore" the crap, write a comment and go on with your day.

Went off to town yesterday with a big ol' basket full of stink'n clothes to wash. When I got to the laundromat in Roma, there was a hunnert cars parked outside. I says to Sadie Mae..."wanna take a ride to Rio Grande City"??? She says...."yeah yeah, let's go to Rio Grande City". And that's where we washed that big ol' basket of stink'n clothes. Fold 'em all up an' head back to Roma for a quick stop at the local hardware store.

Sometimes it's necessary to modify modifications. Ya see, the troll'n motor mount bracket on the "bubba boat" is old.....two years old. The sun has warped it (PVC plastic pipe) and needs replaced with brand spank'n new "pretty" pipe. By the time I got them clean clothes all put up an' a fresh pot of coffee brew'n, I had tools spread out all over the yard. An hour later, I had me a brand spank'n new "pretty" trolling motor mount for the "bubba boat".

 The old and the new....

Now I'm all excitis again to go try it out. If'n this wind dies down in the next couple hours, you'll find Billy Bob out on the lake go'n a hunnert mile a hour.....fish'n for that elusive 14 pounds bass fish. Leave Sadie Mae in "that jeep"....or force her into the "bubba boat".

Speak'n of boats, them boats I showed ya a few days ago, they would be a perfect fish'n boat for the OFM Barney. Be a good project too.....for hav'n toooo much fun. Speak'n of Barney, he been catch'n up way too many big bass.

Still no news of the gun battle between drug smugglers and the Mexican Federales. It was supposed to have happened at marker #12 at the city of Guerrero on the Mexican side. Well, I look at a map of Falcon Lake and marker #12 is way the hell up the lake bout a hunnert mile (15 to 20 miles) from Billy Bob's house. The shoot'n I heard seemed way more closer....or at least it sounded closer to me. Oh well, no harm to Billy Bob an' crew.
News Flash: I just look at another map. I was right, the shoot'n was very close to Billy Bob's house. Just across the dam a few miles (bout 4) from where I'm camped in Falcon Heights.

Waked up this morn'n to no water. What the hell??? I got coffee to brew ya know. No water situation is all fixed now. Had to use "nasty" water for coffee. Sun is shin'n a hunnert mile a hour this morn'n. Gonna be a beautiful day.

Life is good.

Perfect modifications

Ok, what did I do yesterday? I sit here think'n bout the possibilities of catch'n me up some fish. Well, why the hell not. The sun is shin'n, ain't no wind an' I'm as excitis as hell to try out the new modifications on the "bubba boat".

So's I load up Sadie Mae an' we head off to the lake. Oh my, the lake come up some since the last time I was here. Them sticks and "da rock" is way to hell out in the water. Look something like bout a hunnert feet or so.

See that little circle out there??? That's "da rock", and everbody knows what the rock is. Next time I take the "bubba boat" out on the lake, I'll measure how far under water it is. I'm think'n bout maybe 3 feets. But then, my feet are smaller than most.

I unload the "bubba boat, blow it up, load all my gear. "Come on Sadie Mae, lets go for a boat ride". She takes off in the brush an' weeds. What the hell with that dog? I spend all that time mak'n modifications just so Sadie Mae can have a relax'n day on the water and what she do....head for the weeds. So's I stick her ass in "that jeep" an' I go fish'n.

"My god Billy Bob, when you make modifications, ya know what you're do'n". Here I was think'n "it ain't gonna work", only to find out I should have designed this boat in the first place. It were perfect....go straight like a arrow. This is when I learned I ain't worth a crap as a bass fisherman. I ain't never got a single bite after drag'n fish'n worms round the lake for over a hour. Went places I was skeered to go before. Way to hell over there at the end of that land mass stick'n out the water (see above pic). 

With the new high octane battery hook up to the troll'n motor, I was zoom'n cross the water do'n a hunnert mile a hour. Fish finder look'n for fish. Damn, there ain't many fish is there? But that don't matter a whole lot, I was fish'n. I had took the other battery with me....just in case. When I got back to "that jeep", I had only use bout 12% of the battery capacity (12.58 volts).

Other news. All that shoot'n I were tell'n ya bout the other day. It seems that the Mexican Federales sneekd up on some drug smugglers...an' open fire on them down on the bank. At marker 12 where ever that is. Now how comes this wasn't on the news??? The smugglers supposedly high tailed it to Texas leav'n their stash behind. Border patrol everwheres look'n for 'em. Boaters have been warned to stay clear of the Mexican side of the lake. They don't have to tell me more 'an onest.

Breaked out my "bibs" (bib overalls) last night. Not only are they comfortable to wear, they got a pocket for my camera. But the danm things was too long for my short legs. So's I breaked out my seamstress supplies....needle and thread. Whack 3 inches off them legs an' sew me up some new "hims". Ain't gonna be drag'n my pant legs on the ground no more. Took me a hour or so with very little cuss'n. I wonder if'n this could be considered a "modification".

Well, it ain't look'n like I'll be spend'n the day on the lake fish'n today. The sky is all clouded up and the wind is pick'n up enough to blow the "bubba boat" all the ways to Mexico. I'm think'n, since it's still early, I could load up that basket of dirty clothes an' head for the clothes wash'n place. But that's just a thought.

Saint Holiness Catholic Church

So what's new pussycat? There sure ain't nuttin new in Falcon Heights, Texas. But shoot....I don't care. I'm do'n fine do'n nuttin.

Boy howdy I mean to tell ya, I throwed all them dirty dishes in the dish pan and got busy. I was on fire. Got them suckers all sparkly clean, dried and put away in nuttin flat.....bout a hour with rest breaks. Then I got to look'n at the stove. My god, never see so much grease, pieces of fried taters, chunks of meat....don't know if'n they was beef, chicken or pork. But old Billy Bob got 'er done. Did you know....and if'n ya did know, why didn't ya tell me, that ammonia is a great grease remover. I usually use that automotive engine cleaner to clean the cook top, but this time I used ammonia. Hot damn, I got me a brand spank'n new stove.

And then, I grab holt to my broom and start sweep'n the floor. Sounds simple enough huh? Well, I just sweeped it last week and you shoulda see all the dirt, sand, grass, dawg hair, old whiskers an' stuff like that what I picked up. Where it all come from??? Now I got to mop what I sweeped yesterday an' all I got is one them Swiffer thingys. They ain't worth a crap in my book....leave streaks, stuff like that.

Did I ever tell ya bout the time......
If'n ya don't already know, I were just a bit rowdy an' rambunctious when I were a little feller. Always get'n into stuff I weren't supposed to.....break'n stuff....holler and scream'n from sunup till sundown. I were a typical 6 year old boy from the farm, plumb full of piss an' vinegar. Damn cat was even scared of me.

We had a old Model A car what "moms" would drive to town onest a month to go to the church so she could confess all hers sins what had piled up in the last three weeks. You know, yell'n at us kids all day long and probly cuss'n to herself under her breath. One Sunday morn'n, she tell my "Billy, you go'n to the church with me". I know what she was think'n. I would be a good little boy if I went to church. I was think'n I were gonna get me a ice cream cone.

When I walks in the door of that church, I think I heared a deep loud moan com'n from the rafters somewheres.....God???
Everthing was go'n pretty good. People was kneeled down on a little board thingy, mumbl'n stuff to themselfs. I was get'n bored just sit'n there an' all, so's I start walk'n round check'n stuff out what I ain't never see before....just look'n at stuff ya know. Touchy feeley. Mak'n faces at the other kids. Play'n in the little drink'n fountain at the back. Moms was already giv'n me them mean looks of hers, shak'n her hands at me.....stuff like that an' the show ain't even started yet.

Then, in from a side door walks this big tall feller, all dress up in a black robe an' a silly hat. Scare the liv'n hell out me. I had done heared bout the "death angel", or something like that, from the older boys. I sits down in the back row, real quiet like so's he won't see me. But I got all figgity an' rambunctious again. I go's round the church collect'n song books. There was lots of 'em all over the place. I had 'em all stacked up in the seat next to me when all a sudden that preacher guy, what I was skeered of, start talk'n in tongues....or something like that. I jumps when he start yell'n an point'n at people, knock that stack of song books slap over with a loud crash.  Song books all over the floor.....everbody look'n at me. That preacher guy done turn red.

After the service was over, I see that preacher talk'n to moms. I was think'n Oh Oh. When she get me in the car, she were hot. Almost cuss'n mad at me. I had been banned from the Saint Holiness Catholic Church and I didn't get no ice cream cone.

Ain't got nuttin to do...

I lay around, I feel good, I take it easy, I relax. Well, that's a start ain't it???

Sometimes I forget why I retired. Well, no I don't forget, I just ain't do'n what I had planned to do. To climb the highest mountains in every dad burned State what's got mountains, walk for endless miles through barren deserts, follow the trails of early explorers, swim the mighty rivers of America.....stuff like that. And where is the old Billy Bob? Sit'n on his ass in some free County park in south Texas with nuttin to do. There ain't no mountains to climb. Ain't no deserts to walk. And the damn river, you can walk across it at any given point. Very exciting huh?

Have ya ever tried to tell some complete stranger how much fun you're hav'n do'n nuttin? Try it sometime and see how interesting of a conversation ya have. I mean, like damn, how interesting is "do'n nuttin"? And that's where I'm at with my blog writ'n. Bout all there is to talk bout here is Falcon Lake and the "bubba boat". And I'm bout as sick writ'n bout 'em as everbody else is sick of read'n bout 'em.

I had every intention yesterday to go to the lake and launch the "bubba boat". I was ready. Had my water shoes on, batteries were fully charged, a little baggie of treats, water for the dawg....I were on a mission. I opens the door to step outside and the wind like to blow the door plumb off'n "da house". What the hell???
Well now, here it is another beautiful sunshiny day...and the freak'n wind is still blow'n a hunnert mile a hour. "So now what ya gonna do Billy Bob"??? Grrrrrrrrr.......that's what.

There's always Walmart ya know. Always something interesting go'n on at Walmart. If'n it ain't the funny dressed people, it's the handicap go cart races. Or a crowd of "oh, I ain't seen you in a hunnert years...how ya do'n....let's talk for a hour while we block the aisle"? Or the lady stand'n in front of what ya want talk'n on a cell phone. That lady ain't gonna move, I can guarantee ya that. Ya gotta love Walmart.
But, I got me a big ol' Walmart list of stuff to buy. Get'n low on groceries and junk food. No Margaret, I ain't gonna starve to death. And don't forget the camera.

And of course, there's those dishes again. And laundry. And sweep the floors. Well, there ain't no fun in that now is there? And boy howdy, you should see all the dust and stuff what blew in here from all these wind storms. That gonna take a month to get it all out. I'll start that project somewhere's down the road a piece. Did I ever mention I don't like housework? Need me a freak'n maid....or something like that.