Blither an' blather....nuttin interest'n

Oh boy, I'm completely lost for blog ideas this morning.

I guess I could say something bout that thermostat that I cain't fine in all of Corpus Christi. Spend 4 hours look'n for that dad gum thing. Accord'n to Google, this particular T-stat was discontinued back in '06. This is the second one that "broke" in 8 years, so I rekon that's the reason for discontinu'n the damn thing. But anyhows, the conversion I found on Google is a simple and cheap ($20 to $25) fix using a Hunter digital t-stat from Walmart or Home Depot. I may change out both t-stats while I'm at it.

Ok, here's the deal.....my internet connection really sucks. Sometimes I get me one bar an' it's really really slooooooow.  I ain't all that far from the towers that provide me a signal, but since all the trees have leaves on them now, "my internet signal sucks". So here what I'm gonna do. Nephew Joseph has a signal antenna and amplifier in his 1 ton pick up. I gonna try hook up to it and see what kind of signal I can get. If it's good, the old Billy Bob gonna head to Corpus Christi an' get me one. Rather expensive, but what the hell, I ain't gonna be tak'n no money with me when I keel over an' die.

Yup.....gonna have to make some changes to that Weber Q grill. Ya see, last night I were gonna grill me up a bake tater an' some pork ribs. The damn thing burn my supper. Too freak'n hot, even on low flame (375degs). I was eat'n charcoal, an' I rune (ruined) a perfectly good tater. This ain't the first time I burn something slap up on this new grill an' it ain't gonna be the last. "Ya gotta watch it Billy Bob. When ya see smoke, something is on fire".

Since we talk'n bout grills, everthing I put on the grate stick to it (the grate is cast iron). I'm wonder'n if'n that grill will get "cured" like what a cast iron skillet do.

Went to bed early last night think'n I would get up early this morn'n. Ha.....that worked out well....got up at 8am. I had intended to make it to the golf course before it got hot. Try out that new driver ya know. Well, when I open the door to let Sadie Mae outside for her morn'n exploration of the yard, I was hit by a gust of hot air. Ain't gonna be no golf ball swak'n today.

I got to go outside today an' crawl up under "da house". Ya see, the windershield washer thingy is broke. Two of the mounting tabs broke slap off. I need some part numbers so's I can order a new one. God, I hate crawl'n up under the "da house". Maybe I can fix (modify) the tank an' save me some $$$$. Hmmmmmm...duck tape an' wire ties.

Well shoot, I ain't get'n nuttin done sit'n here on my ass......

High dollar putter grip

Let's face it, the old Billy Bob is jist bout on his last leg. I ain't talk'n bout no broke leg or nuttin like that, I'm talk'n bout that ol' "cain't do nuttin no more".....run slap out of steam, stuff like that.

Ya see, it's like this, that damn goat was out there chew'n on my stuff again. So's I chase his ass round the yard lickitity split bout a hunnert mile a hour, cuss'n an' stuff if'n ya really want to know. Holy crap, I thought I was gonna die chas'n that damn goat. Couldn't get a breath of air....wheez'n an' cough'n up a storm. "Damn goat"!!!

But that weren't all. My heart was beat'n a hunnert mile a hour too. Heart rate somewheres bout 130bpm or something like that. But it ain't my heart what I worry bout, it's the shortness of breath what is kill'n me. Gotta sit down ever 2 minutes, light up a smoke, an' then start chas'n that goat some more. Gonna have a good talk'n to that "damn goat" if'n I ever catches him. "Cough cough cough, wheeze wheeze wheeze, wait for me goat".

I am well aware of what "they" say bout what smok'n does to ya. Makes ya short of breath....right? I been preach to all my life bout the awful sin of smok'n an' what it do to your lungs. Ok, I ain't in a 100% agreement with that. That's one the reason I smoke. Ain't nobody tell Billy Bob what he gonna do. The other reason is 'cause I am eat up with the "addiction". Cain't seem to do a damn thing without a smoke hang'n out my lips. So I suffer the consequences of not catch'n that "damn goat".
 
Another good example of what I'm talk'n bout is, even a ride to town in "that jeep" wears me slap out. I went to every dad gum R/V store in Corpus Christi yesterday look'n for that freak'n thermostat. Ride over a hunnert miles. Would you believe they don't make that thermostat no more..... pooof, they gone, just like that. The replacement digital thermostat to replace mine runs just a bit over a hunnert dollar. Anyhows, by the time I left the second RV store, my hip an' back was kill'n me. What the hell?? I park as close to the front door as I could so I don't have far to walk, an' I still got three more RV stores to check out. I cain't do much more this walk'n stuff.

On the return trip back through Corpus Christi, I come upon a Edwin Watts golf stuff sell'n place. I'm need'n a new grip for my "automatic" putter. I whips right in their park'n lot, jumps out "that jeeep" an' goes inside.  Oh my god, they got a hunnert choices of putter grips. What one do I buy? Well shoot, that's easy. I choose a brand spank'n new senior flex Cobra Amp offset driver....that what I done.

 Oh wait, we was talk'n bout a putter grip. Yeah, I got me one them too. Ain't gonna be miss'n no more them 3 foot putts.

Back to "da house", I lay myself on the floor for bout a hour. Dad gum hip is hurt'n like a sum-a -gun....but that ain't the way I describe it. I swear, there's a old rusty 16 penny nail in my hip. That sucker never ever quit hurt'n. Well maybe a little bit if'n I got my mind on something like golf'n....stuff like that ya know.

I  go outside an' swak a few balls with that new driver. I rares back an' give it my best shot. Yeeee haw!!!.....ZAAAZOOOOM, there go that golf'n ball a hunnert mile a hour....right where I was a aim'n it at. May be some modifications in the near future though....damn shaft is too long by bout a inch....or something like that.

Back to the elusive thermostat. Ok, they no longer make 'em like what I got. I get on the internet. Ain't nobody got one. So's I start Googl'n "replacement". Well I want you lookie here, some smart feller figgered out how to install a cheap Walmart special digital thermostat in place of the Duo Therm analog thermostat. Hunter model #4229b or #42995. I suppose that what I'm gonna do after I make another trip to town. Damn, that mean I got to walk some more. 

Ho Hum, late again

Well, I got me a pretty good reason to be late again. I betcha a dollar I didn't git but 4 hour sleep last night. Every little thing wake me up. The wind was blow'n....my awning make noise, I wake up. The damn dogs was bark'n....I wake up. I git me some leg cramps....I wake up. I got puke in my mouth....I wake up.
Sadie Mae jump on me a few times....I wake up. It was NOT a good night.

Then guess what happen? It were right bout 4:30am, a hunnert mile a hour wind come by an' shake hell out "da house". That wake up then too. Then bout 5:30am, hear come the rain. Not a little sprinkle, but a bucket load of rain. Yes, I wake up then too. Sheesh, cain't a guy get a good nights sleep around here?

It's a really beautiful day out there. Was nice an' cool all morn'n long. Then the sun come out bout a hour or so ago an' that all change. 95 degs at 1pm. Dang it gets hot fast in Texas.

Remember that dad gum a/c I was tell'n ya bout the other day. Well, it went plumb berserk last night. Waked me up too. On off, on off, bout a hunnert times in bout a minute. So that what I gonna try to fix today. Replace a broke thermostat. "How comes ya think the thermostat is broke Billy Bob"? Well shoot, I weren't a a/c guy for 30 years for nuttin....I know. This exact same thing happen on the front a/c bout a year or so ago. I replace that thermostat an' it work just fine to this day. Up the street bout 6 mile is a a/c thermostat sell'n place. I be there in a minute hour or two.

The burros are back in the yard. Eat'n up grass an' weeds. Got a little burro puppy in tow. I ain't see him yet, but will post a pic when I do.

Ok, shower in the making. Then off to town. Yee Haw!!!....gonna git me a big ol' ice cream.   

Lake Corpus Christi

I can't think of a better way to spend a day than to spend it with a friend. Yesterday was a great success. Although it was a bit on the warm side.

Me an' OFM Barney drives down to the Mexican food eat 'em up place. Holy cows, I ain't never see that much food on a plate in my life. Yum yum eat'em up some Mexican food!!!!

"Dang Billy Bob, you looks skeered in that picture".

After stuff'n all that food down, we jump in Barney's air condition truck an' head north for a few miles. We go'n to Lake Corpus Christi I betcha. Just to take a look see and spend some time together enjoy'n the latter days of our lives.

Barney did a purty good job of 'splain'n our little excursion on his blog, OFM Adventures, so I ain't gonna be say'n much here.

I think I could live in this place. Call it Fort Billy Bob.

While scrambl'n through trees an' bushes, we stumbl'd upon this Aztec sacrificial tower. You can see the blood stains remain to this day. "Wait a minute Billy Bob, that ain't no Axtec sacrificial tower, it's a overlook".  

 OFM Barney in all his glory. Got his African safari hat on look'n for wild critters.

Thought this was kind of cool.

Yup, yesterday was a good day.

I was sit'n there mind'n my own business....over there on the couch ya know. I got to think'n bout peaches. Well shoot, fire up the Weber an' grill ya one. I did that an' boy howdy let me tell ya, that was one delicious peach. I ain't never grill no peaches before, so I'm a rookie. Let's try bout 375 degrees, try not to catch nuttin on fire. Twenty minutes later with one turn, that peach come out perfect. Put me some brown sugar on top....eat 'em up. Yes I took a picture.....but it ain't there. Gone.....pooof, just like that. 

Modified shoes still work'n out pretty good. All that walk'n yesterday didn't bother me at all. I'm think'n I'm ready for a 1/4 miles walk....what ya think?

USS Flagship Hotel

Well shoot, what ya wanna talk bout today?

Speak'n of fireworks gone wrong, it was back in 1965 if'n I remember right. I lived in a little beach cottage in Galveston Texas one block off the sea wall. Along the sea wall was a bunch of piers extend'n out into the Gulf of Mexico. If'n ya ever been to Galveston, ya know what I'm talk'n bout. Tourist trap little shops sell'n trinkets, skimpy bikinis, sea shells....that kind of stuff. There was eat'n places where ya sit out over the water an' eat seafood. A big hotel. That hotel is the subject of today's discussion.

The name of that hotel was the Flagship Hotel. Brand spank'n new. Builded in 1965, 7 stories, 250 plus rooms...or something like that. If'n ya had a sack full of money to spend, this was the place to do it.

It was the 4th of July. This years fireworks display was scheduled to be set off from the pier of the Flagship Hotel at 9:30pm sharp. People lined the sea wall in anticipation....danc'n in the streets, drink'n beer an' stuff like that. Kids run'n round with little sparkle thingys scream'n at the top their lungs. I was perched on top my old '56 Ford across the street. Had me a perfect birds eye view of the festivities, close to the same angle as in the photo above.....safe from any form or sort of danger.

At 9:30 sharp, a burst of light goes off at the end of the pier. A hunnert (300 feet or so) into the air is a great explosion of little bitty stars fall'n back to earth in colors of red, white an' blue. The crowds break into shouts and screams of joy. For a full 5 minutes, the spectators are astonished with a display of ever kind of firework imaginable. But wait.....there's more.

The next round of fireworks was made ready. The crowds are tense. That's when the most amazing display you ever see takes place. There was shoot'n stars, huge explosions....white smoke filled the air.  The display had gone wrong. Done blowed slap up, right there on the pier. Workers could be seen jump'n into the waters below. Others were run'n in all direction for their dear lives. Me, I was climb'n down off'n that old Ford lickity split, tak'n cover while fireworks was explod'n all around me. That was the most amazing fireworks display I ever see in my whole life.

In other displays of explosions gone wrong around the world, Egypt erupts into violence....all in the name of freedom.

In case anybody is curious, this is how you modify shoes. Ya see, my right shoe wouldn't stretch far enough to be comfortable and not cause the old Billy Bob foot an' mouth disease (pain). So's I removed the little piece of leather that holds them together.

Now they stretch.

Modified shoes

Grumble....Grrrrrr.....it's dark out there......cain't see a thing!!!!

"What the hell Billy Bob, what you do'n up at 5:30 in the morn'n"?
Modify'n a pair of shoes.
****************************************************************

12:45pm...Shoe modification update:

Boy howdy, when the old Billy Bob modifies something, he do it right. Well, almost right. Don't help a golf game none, but I can walk....yeeehaw!!! Well, until I went to HEB for a few groceries. "Ya walk too much Billy Bob".

Ok, ya gotta 'scuse me for a few minutes. I'm starved....grill me up 4 hot dogs....yum yum eat 'em up.

And here come Michael Anthony Garcia....that would be my bestest grand nephew, call him "hot shot".

He helps me around "da house" swat'n  flies, put'n up groceries and eat'n up one my hot dogs. Sneeky little bugger. Grab it when Uncle Bill weren't look'n.

Well anyhows, the OFM Barney an' me meet up at the golf course just a bit after the sun come up this morn'n. It were cool outside, dew (liquid humidity) still on the ground.

"What the hell Barney, you hit that guy". Barney says....."he souldn't be stand'n in the woods".

By the nineth hole, poor old Barney was wored slap out. He was need'n some down time....in air conditioning. I won't be see'n the OFM for a while. He's out of south Texas in a few days. Alabammy bound. Ain't never gonna come back. I got a dollar....any takers?? There's a slim possibility the old Billy Bob will be headed that way too in a week or so. There's a big ol' rock out there in the yard. Ain't no writ'n on it, so it's not set in stone.

Ok....hot dogs mean naps. See ya laters..... 

Down an' out on da couch

Boy howdy, I must admit, yesterdays heat did a number on me. All this time I were think'n I was "Mister Macho" ain't skeered of nuttin kind a guy. Well it ain't that way no more.

After I got Sadie Mae back to "da house" from the "hair butcher" woman, I start feel'n kind of bad. Ended up lay'n on the couch instead of go'n outside an' hav'n a rip snort'n time at the birthday party (grand niece). The couch was my home for the rest of the day.

I was completely surprised that I didn't get those damn leg cramps last night. In fack, I sleeped till 9:30 this morn'n. WooooEeeee, that was a full 9 hour sleep without onest get'n up. That don't happen very often at Billy Bob's house.

Ya see, I got me one them sleep number mattress thingys. I can put in or take out air for a hard or a soft nights sleep. Yes, I like my sleep numbers. A few nights ago I was have me some terrible leg cramps....musta did something I weren't supposed to do. I let me out some air. I slept good for two nights in a row. I rekon this is my new number for a while.

'Member a while back I was all excitis bout mak'n a trip to Louisianna? Eat up some cajun food an' listen to cajun music. Well, I ain't plumb forgot bout that trip.....it's still fresh in my mind. It's just that I cain't keep myself excitis bout trips an' stuff no more. The old Billy Bob is chang'n. One day I'm jump'n up an' down like a little kid go'n on his first trip to Disney World....or something like that. The next day I says...."what the hell are you think'n"? It's get'n harder ever day for me to make decisions. Go'n on trips has done change into a freak'n chore.

Don't be get'n no ideas that I ain't enjoy'n life, 'cause I am. I may not be see'n all the "treasures" America has to offer, but I'm comfortable....physically. I got a Weber Q grill sit'n right outside my door bout 10 feet away. I got a air conditioned "that jeep" is sit'n out front "da house". Town ain't very far. I get free food onest in a while two or three time a week (don't have to slave over a hot stove). The golf course is only a couple mile away. Of course, I got free camp'n....plus electric. Only have that "damn goat" to contend with.

That took care of the physical comforts of home. But the mental comforts....no, I ain't got none to speak of. You know how the mind works, ya wanna go somewheres and have ya some fun. Like a trip to Louisianna....and beyond. It drains ya when ya cain't just up an' go 'cause of all the "physical" things what creeped into your life. Bad backs, old Arthur-i-tus, feet what don't work with shoes no more....stuff like that. Do ya know what it's like to not be able to wear shoes like everbody else? I rekon when they bury me, I'll be wear'n a pair of old wore out sandals. Sheesh!!! That sucks.

Ok.....I got things to do. "What ya gonna do Billy Bob"?  Probly go over there to the stove an' make me a pancake. Yup, think that what I'm gonna do.