He lives....if'n this is living

Boy howdy time sure does flys. This don't mean that I'll gonna be posting for another year, but jist wanted to let ya know I ain't quite kick the bucket yet. Trip over it a few times but ain't got no broke toes from kick'n it.

I never ever wanted my blog to end this way but health issues will do that to ya. Talk'n bout aches an' pains an' die'n ain't what this blog was about. It was about my adventurous travel'n days in "Alice an' "Sally da house". 'Member'n those days makes a dust storm blow thru the house an' cause me tears in my eyes cause I cain't do it no more. Old is age ain't so bad, but health issues are. I was surprised to make it to 77 last birthday...September.

Much has happen since the last time we talked.....some good an' some bad. In my case it all been down hills like on a roller coaster. Up an' down day to day with the ups get'n farther apart. Now days what I call a good day, one year ago I called it a bad day. Does that make sense?

More on my poor health later, but first.....cancer. A year ago my oldest daughter was found to have breast cancer. That breast was removed an' radiation got it gone. Reconstruction was done along with some other surgery...a women thing. Today she is cancer free and went back to work for a big lawyer place in Atlanta where she worked 10 year ago as a executive secretary.....or something like that.

Two months ago my oldest son Robert was found to have a cancer in his chest...(damn, cain't remember what kind it is but the doc says it's rare). It's not inside his lungs but between the lungs an' rib cage. It's not a cancer that can just be cut out and say good-bye to it. His first dose of chemo started last week thru a hose they placed in his chest. Radiation will follow the chemo. So far he has had no real effects from the chemo. Not sick an' stuff like that. Time will tell. He gets a big dose of my prayer requests ever day. All other prayers will be appreciated.

In a few months....????...I will be a great grandaddy again....by my son Billy's second daughter Alysa. I have a 8 year old one what lives up in Iowa what I ain't never seen. Hopefully this summer. His name is Ian, son to my oldest grandaughter Violet...Billy's oldest daughter.

Back to roller coasters....man you should have took that ride with me the other night. I have chosen to not go to bed until bout 1:30am ever nite. Any time before midnight I'm wide awake at 4am an' I don't do get'n up while it still dark outside. Even go'n to bed at that time (1:30), I seldom get over 5 hour sleep and it ain't no good sleep. Afternoon naps help.....an' I never miss my naps. Pooof, just like that, I'm out like a light.

My breathing issues have got worster than a year ago. Last exam, 4 months ago, I was down to 32 what is very close to go'n into phase 4. I sleep with oxygen at nite but daytime I ain't got no stink'n rubber hose stuck in my nose. Awake blood/oxygen levels at 95 an' 96. I have 3 puffers I take ever day. Spriva Respimat, Symbicort, an' Pro Air.....my life saver. Do my mebulizer 2 or 3 time a day but the Pro Air does a much better job. Almost instant relief from a panic situation. Have ya ever go into a panic when ya cain't breathe? I'll tell ya righ now, it ain't no fun.

I could go on an' on bout all the shit I go thru everday, but I'll leave that to another time. Ha Ha, maybe in a year or so. In the mean time I'll post this just so's y'all know I'm still kick'n, bitch'n an' moan'n.

Hope everbody had a great Christmas and hope you have a great new year. Love ya all.

I'm not RIP, if fact not resting at all

Where do I start after being gone so long?

My last blog post I had made the decision that it would be my last. Before that I thought it would be cool to write about my dying days. But shit, I didn't die. I tried writing about a few projects I had taken on and that didn't work out either. I ran out of projects. Then I ran out of energy and the desire.

Most of my day is spent sit'n in my office chair in front of the computer read'n news, do'n the Facebook thing, watch'n videos an' look'n at pictures. Or sit'n in the same chair watch'n Alaska Bush People an' stuff like that on the TV. I take long naps most every day.

I went fish'n a couple times in Robert's new kayaks. Sheesh, I thought I was gonna die. But I did catched a couple little bass fishes. More like tiny little bass fishes. Of course I have to modify the kayaks and put trolling motors on 'em. I ain't paddl'n no freak'n boat.

Of course we had to have a trailer to carry the kayaks an' fish'n gear.

During the rains, heavy rains, my porch floor would flood, turn into a small lake. So's I fix that. Tore the plywood off'n it, leveled the joists and installed a bonefied treated deck'n boards floor.

Now when we get a downpour of rain, it runs down through the narrow cracks an' no more lake on my porch. I think this was my last project before be'n confined to a damn chair.

Had me a few doctor appointments. My heart doc told me not to worry bout the skip'n heart beat an' to double up on my tachycardia meds. What I did. An' I ain't had no my skip'n heart beats. Heart seems to be work'n just fine again.

Another trip to the lung doctor and my breath'n has improved to a 42.....what ever the hell that is. Think'n it's lung capacity %. The puffers are a godsend, I can breath. Well wait a minute. There are many times, mostly in the morn'n when I almost go into a panic 'cause I can't get enough breath. Two puff off'n the Pro Air puffer an' I'm all right again. My breathing issues are my biggest concern.

A while back I put Leonard on a diet. Bought him some expensive no grain high protein food an' cut him down to 3/4 cup a day. He losed bout 3 pounds so I started let'n him eat out of the bad. A few bites an' he was back out the door. He gained bout 3 pound. He's back on the diet.

Here's a pic of the new seat covers I installed some months back.

Don't 'member I I mentioned a camping trip. Well, we went on one. Took the 2 remote controlled boats an' put them in the pond. Ha, only pis of the tug boat.

Robert an' Mandi sit'n out in the cook'n an' sitn area....under a canopy....out of rain drops.

An' then it rained. Not a little rain, but a gully warsher. Campers look'n out their camper winders. But it was still a nice camp'n trip. Everbody had a great time.

I'm gonna cut this short. I hope I can get back into blogging but I'm not gonna promise anything. If I don't, it's been a wonderful excit'n 8 years....or something like that.


 
 

UPDATE: There are replies to comments....what's this world com'n to? A simple request and life goes on....

Ok, it's been a while but here I am. What I'm gonna talk about I ain't got the slightest. Have ya ever feel that way. You know, sit down to write a letter an' don't know where to start.

Well here goes.
This blog belongs to none other than the old Billy Bob. I don't post no religion stuff an' I don't post no political stuff. It's most important that you don't do it neither. From this point on, all religious stuff an' all political stuff will be deleted as soon as I see it.
Now that we are all in unity on the subject, let's move on to some Billy Bob nonsense.

First on the agenda, let's all talk to RunNRose. Hey Rose, tell us bout the birdhouse. Have any birds taken up residence. Tell us what ya can Rose....get us all excitis.

I had to done build me a couple camp fires to get rid of all the scrap from build'n birdhouse an' bird feeders. Two container totes full an' one to go. Each tote full of scrap makes a good 3 hour campfire. Love it.

 Hey dad, whatcha cook'n?

Don't ya just love a afternoon campfire?

I did me some work on the Mississippi stern wheeler river boat. The boarding ramp got demolished an' I had to completely re-rig it an' repair a couple broke pieces.  

 This was a 2 night cuss'n event. But that sucker won't be break'n no more. It is super glued in place.

The finished product of my daughter Doris' bird feeder. It is installed in her front yard right under her Billy Bob log cabin bluebird birdhouse. Damn, that was a mouth full. Ha, she filled it with sunflower seeds. All birds don't eat sunflower seeds.

Due to my older age an' get'n up from a short sit'n position, I decided I would replace my commode with a taller one. It arrived yesterday. Ha Ha, my commode photo has been photobombed by a orange cat.
This morn'n, bout 1pm I decides I'm gonna tackle the replacement before Robert gets home. Shouldn't take but bout 30 minutes with a 10 minute break. 3 1/2 hour later I have a brand spank'n new hi boy r/v toilet installed.
Now let me tell ya bout those other 3 hours. The freak'n supply line nuts were so tight a 24 inch pipe wrench was required (12 inch channel locks). I finally got the nut loose. The pipe will not come out of the fitting. Cuss cuss cuss....Robert is home. I finally get the old commode out of the bathroom. The freak'n black water tank is full. Full of sheit. I needs pumped. This is just the beginning.

Robert hooks up the discharge line to to "yo mama's" septic tank clean out. He turns on the macerator pump. This is a device that grinds up poop and pumps it to the clean out through a 1 inch flex line. No leaks please. The pump does it's thing an' then it quits pump'n. The black tank is still half full of undigested sheit. There is a blockage. A dam of poop stop'n the flow. 2 hour later the dam is broken up with water hoses, a few cuss'n words an' a homemade copper jet on the end of a water hose. Tank is empty an' commode is set an' functioning.
This was the most excit'n thing happen to me in close to a year. I smell like shit.

I been think'n bout buy'n new seats for "Sally da house" but got to think'n....WHY? So's I ordered a set of seat covers in hopes they will fit. Modifications have already begun. The arm rest covers don't fit right. So's "ya mama" did me some stitch work with her trusty sew'n machine. Will know tomorrow how they fit after modification.

 Think'n this may be the one I ordered. Less the dog.

Health issues bout the same. No better, no worse. Heart doctor appointment Monday for a ECCO, what ever that is and have a monitor installed for 24 hours. We gonna find out just what is go'n on with this old heart and skip'n beats all the time. Hope I don't need no pacemaker. "Pills Doc, give me pills".

Until next time....good night and wish me some good luck with the doctors.

  

Projects have kept me going

It's been a hard hard hard 3, 4, or 5 weeks. Have ya ever had that "don't give a shit" attitude an' throws everthing in the dumpster? Now that's what I'm talk'n bout.

We had us some cold weather. We had us some pretty darn warm weather. I took advantage of the pretty darn warm weather an' done me some projects. As best I could with these damn health issues. My arms is all bruised up. My lungs are full of sawdust. I ain't shaved in bout a month or so.

Had us some tornado warnings this morn'n. One hit in Carrollton, Georgia just 10 mile to the south of "Yo Mama's R/V Resort and Recreational Park" where the old Billy Bob is camped at. Had a ton of rain here an' some them sissy Georgia high winds (25 mile a hour or so). No tornadoes. 

So, what have I been do'n all this time?

 Just thought you might like one of my birds....him are pretty.

 Then Levi wanted his picture took.

See....I tole you, we gonna put some step'n stones on the porch deck.

Robert tells me...."daddy, go sit down, I'll do this for you".

He did a good job too......

A few months back I had builded a plywood storage rack outside the shop. But fully loaded, the bottom fell slap out. It was covered with my old R/V awning with no doors to keep the rain out. It needed rebuilding. An' that's exactly what I did. I have the bruised up arms to proof it too. It now has a solid floor, a wood roof, siding an' 2 homemade Billy Bob doors.

I'm think'n I did a pretty good job on this project. Robert is tickled pink.

In the mean time, my daughter Doris come over beg'n me to make her a bird feeder to go along with the birdhouse I builded for her. She said she didn't want a big log cabin feeder, just a little bird feeder. Well the old Billy Bob don't work that way.

So's I started build'n her a bird feeder.

Oh my God, Billy Bob is building a log cabin.

 This is a log cabin bird feeder....less the chimney.

This is a chemney.....yet to be paint washed to a beautiful sandstone finish.

Not the normal perfection you would expect from Billy Bob chimney construction, but what the hell, birds don't care what it looks like.

On other news.....the old Billy Bob is get'n older ever day. Health issues are tak'n their toll. I sit a lot. Even work'n on projects I sit on my ass....except when using the table saw. Breathing is still bout the same. It sucks.

Still haven't made a solid decision on building birdhouses for sale. I know I could be a millionaire in bout a years time, but what the hell would I do with all that money? It's never been a goal of mine to be rich. Just enough to get by with is just fine with me. My name ain't Donald Trump.

Camping trip in 3 weeks. It's a new place Robert found. He's gonna do some electrical work for the owner and the owner said we can come camp out any time we want.....even family camp outs. They got a 5 acre pond there, so's I'm tak'n the remote control tug boat with us. Can hardly wait. Hope my health is good that weekend.
Oh, by the way. I been work'n on the Chris Craft boat a little. Moved it back to the livingroom. Installed a servo motor in it to control the rudder....after some "modifications". Works just fine.

This is under the back seat.

I hope my next post is sooner than this one. It's hard. 

UPDATED....we got pics...Out of projects again.....damn!!!

Whoa, it's Sunday again. Time sure do flys when you're hav'n fun.

Well I ain't really been hav'n me no fun, it's been way to cold outside to have fun. But, guess what? I'm think'n maybe them cold days is finished. Yesterday it made it up to 65 degs...an' yes, I was outside do'n stuff.

Heart doctor appointment went fairly well the other day. Doctor remembered me from 2 1/2 year ago on a check up to have back surgery. What I didn't have. Think'n that may have been a good decision. Anyhows, the doctor ask me a whole bunch of questions. I answered best I could. He listen to my heart an' stuff an' says, it's work'n. It wasn't skip'n beats. EKG was took an' doctor say it was good. Tests are scheduled an' I'm gonna wear a monitor for a day so's the doctor can see my skip'n heart beats in black an' white instead of tak'n my word for it. Blood pressure is up a bit. He prescribed me some cholesterol meds. Probly Lipitor or something like that. He don't seem to be too concerned that my heart is skip'n like it is. But I sure as hell am. Will know more after the other test an' monitor. Ha, that won't be until next month.

With "yo mama" an' HIL Harry due to return home Monday, the mailbox was installed out by the street. Did I take a pic of it....hell no. But I'll head out that way today an' post a pic or two later.

The other project I was gonna do to the porch deck, my wonderful son did for me. He says...."daddy, you can't lift that heavy stuff....sit yer ass down". I watched him. It's almost complete. Leveling is bout all that's left to do. Pics to follow when it's finished. Soon as it warms up a few more degs I'll go out there and do that.
Well shoot, that didn't take long. Project is completed.

 It's all straight an' level. I hate crookit stuff. Hmmm, what ya think bout some step stones right in the fmiddle.....bout 4 feets wide??? Home Depot here I come. 4 - 12 x 12 an' a bag of sand.

I was sit'n here look'n out the winder. What the hell, there's a great big ol' squirrel out there on the bird feeder eat'n up all the bird seeds. In 15 years of camp'n at "yo mama's" house, this is the first squirrel I seen here. An' there's woods across the street an' trees all over the place. I skeered him off with screams an' wav'n arms. Next time he get's a firecracker throwed in the yard. Give the little bastard a heart attack.

Had me a nice campfire the other night. Burn'n up some the left over log cabin wood from 3 birdhouses, 1 bird feeder an' 1 mailbox. Still got 2 more containers of trash wood to burn. Yeee Ha, 2 more campfires.

It's been a miserable week in sooo many ways

Holy cows, when you fall down hill, expect a few aches an' pains when ya reach the bottom. That's what this last week or so has been all about.

Remember I was tell'n ya bout my heart start skip'n again? Well it still is. An' when it does I know bout it 'cause I get all light headed an' stuff. But lack of coffee does that too. Just 2 more days an' we head off to visit the heart doctor. I'm gonna rekon they gonna suck a bunch of blood out me with them great big ol' needle thingys an' put me on a bunch of tests for the next 6 months or so. But it's got to be done. You'll be the first to know the results.

Since my last lower back ablations (4 of 'em) I ain't had too many complaints bout pains an' stuff. That was until a couple weeks of...."aspirin, take some aspirin". So's I'm gonna rekon again that them dead nerves is regenerat'n and feel'n the pain. Note: Dead nerves come back to life after bout 8 months or so. I will gladly go back to the doctor an' get them suckers killed again. What's the Alka Seltzer say'n? "Oh what a relief it is".

Then there's the issue with my dad gum hernia. It's start'n to hurt an' that sucker has growed. Looks like we gonna be do'n some surgery in the near future.

I got me one other issue what I don't talk about. Another visit to another doctor in the very near future.

Ok, "that's all I got to say bout that",,,,Forrest Gump.

RunNRose received her birdhouse right on schedule. That's why I love UPS. She already got it mounted on a pole in her back yard by a professional birdhouse installer. That looks mighty good up there on that pole. Nice install.

 Here it is being installed by her wonderful other half.  Sorry I haven't answered your emails Rose, but it's been a rough week.

The log cabin mailbox is completed. But not installed on the pole by the street. It's too damn cold out there to be do'n projects. This whole week is gonna be cold. Upper 20's an' lower 30's ever night.

 That's one big ass mailbox.

 Back side completed.

An' here is the front side completed. Oh wait, I gotgit to take a pic with the flag thingy chimney installed. You'll see that once we got it mounted on the pole out by the street.

"Yo Mama" still doesn't know bout her special gifted mailbox. I've had to threaten all my kids to keep it mum.....don't say a word. When she an' HIL Harry gets back from Texas,,,,,boy howdy I can hardly wait.

My next project I don't think I mentioned....but maybe I have. Hell I don't know. My porch deck is gonna get some modifications. As it sits now, when ya walk on it, the floor sags a bit. Ya see, when I builded it, I put the joist on 2 foot centers. That will be changed to 16 inches centers.....be strong like bull. There will be a 2 x 4 added to the ends of the floor joist so's it will be straight. No more this up an' down stuff.

 Here is the new floor joist.

See how crookit that is? We gonna fix that. I'm gonna have me a brand spank'n new porch. But not today. It's too damn cold out there. HEY!!! There's 2 of my kids on the porch. Fat cat Leonard an' my old dawg Sadie Mae.

That's it for today. Cain't think of anything else you might be interested in. Hope your weather, wherever you are, is better than here in Georgia.

Mailboxes an' birdhouses....what a life. Gotta love it

This will be a short to the point post. Ya see, the old Billy Bob is a busy man an' he ain't got no time for lollygag'n with no blog post. Well really I do. But blog'n this early in the morn'n is hard. Especially with only one eye open an' your brain is still in "don't remember shit" mode. Man this get'n old stuff is get'n old.

I connected to UPS tracking yesterday morn'n to see where Rose's birdhouse was at. The tracking number was no good. I also sent Rose a couple emails with no return. Hope everthing is OK at Rose's house.
Update. Checked the tracking number again. The birdhouse in transit to Texas.

Instructions for putting a birdhouse mount together.

 This is what the base will look like

 Here are the 4 screws that hold it together. Base position is marked on that piece of "would". Standing it up like this is the easiest way to install the screws. By the way, do not install the bidhouse before installing the 2 x4 angle thingy to the base.

The cabin is screwed to the base. See that piece of wood under the cabin. I forgot to put it in the box. You should be able to see the screw holes in the bottom of the bottom logs.

See those screws? They hold the cabin to the base. Good luck finding screws (1 1/2" sheetrock screws).

UPS tracking number.

1ZW615760367650502 

 

Ok, like I was tole you a while ago, I'm a busy man. I'm back up to 2 projects. A log cabin mailbox and adding 3 floor joist to my porch deck an' straighten'n it out a bit. You cain't see it from your house, But I can see it from mine. Crookit an' not level bugs the hell out me. I'm a LIBRA. I'm gonna fix that.

Oh wait....I forgit to tell ya. I builded a little roof to keep the pour'n down rains off'n my new BBQ grill....what I ain't used yet. It's very light....don't weigh much, made out of FRP (fiberglass reinforced plastic).

 I got me some logs sawed out an' I got a mailbox.

Laying out the door and winders for one side. 

Glue'n them together to install in 1 piece.

See, I tole you, glued together in 1 piece. Probly won't do the same on the other side. Takes way way too much time to set up an' glue into 1 piece. Ha Ha, but I probly will.

Mailbox is gonna fit perfect...with a little modification MsB. Them logs on the mailbox door are glued and brad nailed in place. Even builded a handle thingy so's the mail lady don't tear shit apart try'n to open it.

No new health issues. But that dad gum heart started skip'n beats again. Not as bad as before, but yup, it's skip'n. Appointment in bout a week.

Ok, that's it for today. Hope everbody is hav'n themselves a great day. I'm do'n the best I can for great days. Weather been nice,,,,50's at night an' upper 60's day time. Well wait a minute....a few days ago we had us some real winter weather. Got down to 28 deg's a couple nights.