Hard times....

In 1980, there was a "crunch". I believe they called it the "OIL CRUNCH"....something like that. People were out of jobs, los'n their homes, mov'n from one state to another, try'n to make ends meet. I remember those times very well.

I had a little business called "Servico Refrigeration". Taco Bell was one my main sources of ready cash. With 7 Taco Bell stores to take care of, I always had some pocket change. I had grocery stores, convenience stores, eat 'em up places, mom an' pop establishments, beer joints....I was in the commercial refrigeration business. Things were look'n good. Billy Bob fix stuff ya know.

The first to go were the mom an' pop customers. Little grannies with $13 dollars in the till an' no money in the bank. They went out of business almost overnight. Next came the little corner grocery stores, hold'n on for as long as they could. They went out of business. Strip malls began to advertise discounted rental space. The entire city of Huntington, WV. was in a "great" depression.

I lowered my hourly service rates by $3 a hour in order to gain new customers an' be competitive with the ever grow'n "jack leg" refrigeration mechanics flow'n out of the hills an' hollers. A 'on the job' back injury put me in the hospital for 3 weeks an' on the floor for another 6 months. Servico Refrigeration was dying. I was on my last leg....an' that sucker hurt like hell.

But I continued an attempt to rebuild the business, tak'n on residential air conditioning an' heating. By the way, West Virgina is a excellent area if'n ya wanna open a heating business. That one cold ass place in the winter. My equipment was break'n down, new technology was on the scene, my trucks was broke into an' robbed....how long can I hold on?

In 1985 we packed up an' return to Texas, the state I loved. I had $300 in my pocket, no place to live an' no job prospects. Should a never left here in the first place 15 years earlier. But the old Billy Bob was a adventurer, gotta go take a look see what on the other side the fence. With in the first week back in Port Aransas, I had drum up a few commercial refrigeration customers. We was back in business....$$$$$ flow'n through my fingers like water. Never catched a drop or saved a penny. Times was hard. Competition was treacherous in a small town.

One afternoon I was work'n on a ice machine in one of the many beer joints in town. Had that sucker pop'n out ice cubes in nuttin flat. That was the day I met Jim, the plumber from the maintenance dept at the University of Texas. We drinked a beer, shared some old sea stories an' such. Jim was my new buddy.

The air conditioning guy at the university got electrocuted....kill him slap dead with 277 volts. I'm 45 year old, still ain't got no money in the bank, gonna retire in 15 or 20 years, buy me up a big ol' motorhome.....my new buddy Jim comes to the rescue. The assistant director come to my house an' offer me a job. Well shoot Mr. Thompson, I make that much tinker'n with refrigeration an' only have to work 4 hour a day. I turn down his offer. He come back a week later with a much better offer....tons of benefits....what I take. Thank God that I wasn't stupit enough to think I could retire....an' buy that big ol' motorhome, on what I was mak'n an' have the retirement benefits I have today. You did know that my secondary insurance BCBS is paid by the University....right??? Well almost. I have to pay $425 a year for added benefits (dental an' vision care).

I spent 15 years work'n for the University of Texas. Buy'n 5 years of my military time, I was able to retire with full 20 year benefits. Retired in January of '02. Bought me up a used motorhome for cash money. That was "Alice". Been on the road ever since.

Now don't be think'n that's the only hard times I had in my life. My whole freak'n life has been hard times. But it was nobodys fault but my own. Dad gum kids never think bout their future. Just play play play.....with toys an' do'n "stupit stuff".

Let's make a pizza.....OK??? I grabs a can of Grands buttermilk biscuits out the frige. That gonna be the crust ya know. There's 5 in a can, that should be perfect for a 12 inches pizza. Flatten them suckers out on my new pizza pan an' let 'em sit for a spell....swell up a little. Half a can of mater sauce with some italian seasoning, garlic powder an's salt to taste....we got instant pizza sauce. I got pre cooked sausage cut up in little pieces. Got a whole bunch of pepperoni. Frozen bell peppers an' onions. Bout a pound of motsereller cheese an' a hand full of jalapeno peppers. Yum boy howdy, we got a pizza.

I fires up the Weber to bout 400 degs. Takes that pizza out there....it don't fit. Dad gum pan is too big. Gotta put it on the super hot grate, what burn the bottom that pizza slap up. But I knowed that was gonna happen....I know how to burn stuff slap up. Been do'n it all my life....ain't no reason to change now.

I don't know nobody else, but that one good look'n pizza. Taste way much better than what I was expect'n. Even with the burn slap up bottom crust.

Ya don't believe me??? Have ya ever fillet a pizza?