Bust'n my butt....

Just a short update of what I were do'n yesterday. No, I'm not talk'n bout "do'n nuttin". I been bust'n it today.

But before I get into all the work I been do'n, I got to comment on a comment I received bout my Billy Bob chili. Yes real chili do have beans. I could leave it at that but let me tell ya how chili come to be. Ya see, my great grandaddy was a cowpoke back in 1860's on a cattle drive to Kansas. Every day the old cook would serve up a big ol' pot of pintos for breakfast, lunch and supper with sour dough pan bread. Well my great GD got tired them beans so's he went out an' fount a old cow what died the night before. He cut that sucker up and sneaked some it in that pot od beans along with some hot peppers what he fount grow'n wild. That how chili come to be. Later, eastern folk come south and west what didn't like pintos. So they took 'em out an' call their beanless chili "chili con carne", what was later in the 50's changed to simply "chili". Now that's a fact.


Ok......my rotted piece of wood project on the slide out.

First off if'n ya look real close ya can see sunshine com'n in under that seal. That where the water com'n in I betcha. That ain't right. Gonna have to fix that.....but not today. It ain't rain'n.

Now here's a look see at that piece of rotted wood.....see down there on the end.....yeah that's it. Now this will be a simple fix, but it ain't gonna look the same when I get done. That crap is made out of cheap particle board with fake oak tape on it. Old Billy Bob gonna go for the real thing.....strong like bull solid oak.  That is if'n the freak'n lumber yard has any oak in stock. If not, I'll stain some pine or something like that. Put a good coat of polyurathane on it no one know the difference. I did that one time so I knows what I'm talk'n bout.

Ok....remember I tole ya bout my backup monitor not work'n? Well, I tore that sucker plumb apart. Why didn't someone tell my them little TV's will knock ya on your butt.....damn. Anyhows, the monitor is done bite the dust.

If ya get real close to it, you can smell the burn something, but I can't see what is burn up. Replacement time.

Ok.....chili.....with beans is all heat up for old Billy Bob. Today is chili an' crackers day. I think I made enough to last bout 3 more days. Tomorrow is chili (with beans) spaghetti. If'n ya ain't never have chili spaghetti, ya ain't got no idea what ya miss'n. Hot damn......YUM YUM eat' em up.

Undecided??? Who me?

Boy howdy, decisions on top of decisions. You would think mak'n decisions for an old retired fart would be easy, but it ain't.

Ya see, it's like this......some of the decisions I need to make revolve around what I am able to do as I get older. You know, like do I go out and buy a snorkl'n outfit, (wet suit, flippers an' one then mask thingys) when all I gonna do is get my feet wet in some puddle somewhere. Well, the decisions I gotta make ain't that extreme, but they are important. Do I buy something just 'cause I want it or 'cause I gonna use it? Most stuff I go out and buy end up sit'n on a shelf or out in the dumpster. That ain't too thrift wise.

Remember that great big ol' airplane I was tell'n ya bout what I built 6 year ago?

 Well, it ain't see it's first crash in all that time. What the hell I gonna do with a airplane what ain't never fly? Just sits there do'n nuttin. But......them was the bestest 3 months I spend in a long time....glue'n little pieces of wood together an' all that stuff. But it's got to go. Need the room for a helicopter.....decisions decisions.

And then.....there's this Boze sound system what I bought. Since it don't rattle stuff, I got to decide if that great big ol' 500 watt system needs to be ordered. But I don't listen to much music anymores like I used to. And if i hook it to the TV, I gotta turn the "boom'n" bass almost completely off just to understand what the hell they say'n. Decisions decisions.

And then.....where I gonna spend the winter. This is the most important of them all. Do I go to the "slabs" or do I go to south Texas. Again, age makes a difference in what I can do an' what I can't do. I know damn well I can't ride a freak'n horse no more. I can't dig for gold no more. Be do'n good if'n I could catch a fish.

Let's take a look see what I can do at the slabs. There bout 20 people talk'n their lips plumb off'n their face for me to go to the slabs. At the slabs I have beautiful spring time temps all winter long....40's at night and lower 70's most every day. Play Texas Hold'em 2 or 3 times a week. Campfire almost every night. Free food at least onest a week. Always someone to talk to.....BS mostly. Live entertainment every saturday night at the Range. You know, old fart stuff. Nuttin real excit'n.

Now if'n I was to go to south Texas, I gonna have all the fish'n I could handle for the rest of my life. But then.....I ain't gonna go out on a lake in a freak'n boat if'n it's cold (under 70 degs). I would be in my favorite State out of all 57 of 'em......although, there ain't nuttin wrong with New Mexico. Well yeah there is. It's flat ass cold in the winter and hotter an' hell in the summer. I were really talk'n bout the scenery, not the weather. All the Mexican food my belly will hold....ain't got that at the slabs. Ordered tacos one time....they was 3 inch long.....with fish on 'em. That ain't no taco. Decision decision.

Ok, run the clean'n lady off. She start cut'n corners. By that I mean, she weren't wash'n the corners....and there lot's on corners in "da house".

Mak'n me up a half pot of "Billy Bob" chile since it's get'n cool in Deming. Gonna leave if thick so's I can eat me up a couple chili samiches. Then, I'll thin it out a bit for chili spaghetti. Damn I like that stuff. Bestest chili this side the Mississippi. Think I'll have me one right now.......UMMM....yum yum.

Oh my God Billy Bob....you have did it again.

Ain't did hardly nuttin today. Seperated the battery bank into two banks so's I can check out each battery. That was a time consum'n endeavor if I do say so myself. Cleaned each an' every one them cable terminals and battery post, even though they didn't need it. Got the solar panel charg'n one set at 6 amps and the big charger equaliz'n the other set.

And then I hear this click'n noise. I says "what the hell is that"?  All the 12 volt was disconnected, so's it can't be that. So it got to be something 120 volts.....right??? Well, I goes over there to turn off the breaker when I sees my water connection hose dripping water in one compartment.....click, click, click as it hit the plastic bottom. Or as Barney would call if, poly something or another. Plastic to me.

Ok, back to wash'n corners.....

Will I live or die....

Holy crap, what have you done Billy Bob?

Yesterdays dozen or so trips up and down that ladder put a hurt'n on my back. Won't be no ladder climb'n today. Last night was terrible try'n to get in a comfortable position for some much needed beauty rest. And then this morn'n, I didn't know if I was gonna make it to the coffee pot or not. If'n ya ever had a back problem, what most men have from try'n to be "Mr. Macho", you know where I com'n from. Slipped discs 'cause severe pain.

Back to repairs an' stuff. A few hours were invested last night online look'n for replacement solar panels (one), a brand spank'n new couch, and replacement chairs. Fount them all.....well maybe not a new couch. You know how much them things cost for a RV???? My God!!! If I could sneak across the border (Mexico) with that thing on my back, I could it recovered for less than half the price a new one.....in leather. But I'm red tagged to go to Mexico until I get a passport....what I ain't gonna do.

Now what the hell did you do Billy Bob? Where is your cleaning lady? Don't know what it is, but every time I get someone to clean house for me, they don't come back. Hired my niece one year to clean. She got half the ceiling washed and never come back. I know I sure don't like clean'n, but I was pay'n them hard earned $$$$ to do the job.

Now i gotta go sit on "da porch", sip a cup an' do some serious think'n.
Oh wait.....here a pic of that little black box thingy on the back of my solar panel.

It's a slow world...

Things sure are slow'n down in the blog'n world lately. Either that or things are speed'n up in the "every day life" world. I remember back a time when I had so much extra time on my hands I didn't know what to do with myself. But holy cows, they increased the speed limits on the Interstates, big ol' malls have opened up, nobody eats at home.....it's a dog eat dog world. Hurry hurry hurry......no time to relax.

While I was sit'n round yesterday....relex'n, I noticed a water damaged board. Damaged pretty bad if ya ask me. It gotta be replaced. Ya see, I have a slide out room what been giv'n me trouble for the last couple year. Damn thing don't slide like it supposed to do. Well, come to find out, the damn thing leaks too. Water run'n down the one end get'n that board wet...and the floor. Now this means another trip up there on the roof and take a look see where the water is get'n in. I'm beginn'n to think I'm a little too old to be climb'n up there put'n my life in jeopardy every time I do. But....somebody got to do it.

Fount me some really nice look'n replacement chairs online. Since I moved some stuff around, I decided I got to have new chairs. And they cheap. Black leather swivel round in circles. Go up and down. I gonna be uptown.

Ok, clean'n lady showed up before I were ready. Will be back later.......maybe 

4:pm......

Boy howdy that clean'n lady is do'n a great job. Her 4 hours of clean'n would equal to my 24 hours of do'n the same thing....but not as good. Clean'n sucks ya know.

Four hours of diagnostics up and down that ladder and the solar system is still not fixed. The panel in question is only putting out 2.2 amps, but the voltage is correct @ 17.2 volts. I have a suspicion that little black box on the back may be the problem. If I am able to unsolder it, I'll check it out some more. This is where the diodes live. In the mean time I'll be satisfied with a 6.8 to 7.2 amp charge from the other panel. Grrrrrrrr to fix'n stuff.

Back to feel'n normal

I don't know what it was what I ate the other day but it's all wore off today. For 2 days I was feel'n like a brand new hunnert dollar bill. Today I feel like I went through grandma's wringer wash machine.

On the farm, "mom's" got her hand stuck in the wringer of one them old wash machines. Sucked her in there all the way up to her elbow fore she was able to hit the release thingy. Her arm was black an' blue for a week. We didn't have electricity on the farm till 1948 I think it was. The wash machine had a motor on it....putt-putt-putt, the wash is done. I think it were a Sears an' Roebuck....but don't quote me on that. 

Bot howdy, let me tell ya....I were think'n last night...."what ya gonna eat for supper Billy Bob"? Well hell, I'll just go off to town and eat at one them fancy restaurants. Ok? Fancy restaurant in Deming??? Where would that be...McDonalds? Ended up at the chinese buffet. Mistake....BIG mistake. Now get this, they got 3 steam tables loaded with scrumptious look'n "stuff". Two of them steam table is shut slap off. Cold food. Where the hell is the beef an' broccoli??? Had to swipe some broccoli out one other pan, but it taste just like chicken. Yummmm yum, yum. Yeller fried rice???? Where the hell is the shrimps??? "Oh, there one....yup, one". Then I tells the cute little china girl...."I'm very displeased an' won't be com'n back". She says...."Oh thank you berrly much....ten dollar fifty seven cent please.....you have two penny"?

Ok, my garden lady is due in a few minutes, so I got to go sit on "da porch". Gonna move "Sally da house so's she can dig up all them weeds where I park. Then I got to think'n...."I wonder if she cleans house". Boy howdy, old Billy Bob wouldn't have to do nuttin but supervise. I bet ya a quarter I gonna like that job. The way I figger it, I get paid a sack full of money every month for "do'n nuttin", so's to help the economy, I'll spread it around a little.

1:30pm......

Ok, hired me one them Pinkerton investigators to investigate my solar system. Uh huh, just what I were think'n, one panel is charg'n 5.9 amps an' the other one 1.4 amps. Now that tell me something.....one ain't work'n. But that's only part of the problem. Why are my batteries go'n down so freak'n fast? But old Billy Bob know how to check that out too. Disconnect everything that run off the batteries. Then if'n them batteries go down, them batteries are shot.....maybe. I ain't done yet......

Boy howdy them 2 trips up to the roof like to kill me. I were winded, couldn't breath.....thought I were gonna die. And I gotta go up there again to uncover one solar panel. And then back up there with my chain saw, volt meter, a handfull of tools an' stuff to check out that panel what ain't work'n. Sheesh!!! Anybody know how to check out a 48 cell solar panel? All I know is "either it is or either it ain't".

Think'n back...

3pm Update:

Morning edition will be found below
Before and after......

Now that's what I'm talk'n bout. I got me one hard work'n garden lady that for sure. By this time tomorrow, old Billy Bob should be weedless.

I been a busy old cuss all day long fix'n stuff. Was get'n some tools out the shop and the damn tool drawer wouldn't close.....hang'n up on something. So's I empty the drawer, take it out and walla, there a screw stick'n out. Rescrewed that sucker and all is good as new. Then I got to think'n, how bout check'n for a leak on that dash air? What I did. Replaced a shrader valve.....that one them things like what holds the air in the tires on your car. This is the tool I fabricated to remove the shrader valve. A regular valve removal tool was too short to reach the valve, so's I make one reach way down in there. You good Billy Bob.

Then I put some pressure with a brand new can of R-134a. Tomorrow I will know if all is well and can charge 'er back up. Damn I like fix'n stuff. But I sure ain't gonna be break'n stuff on purpose so I can fix it. That would be dumb.

Got either battery or solar panel problems what need to be diagnosed. Ya see, the batteries are only charg'n half what they supposed to be do'n by the solar panels. That makes me suspect one solar panel is not charging. Old blanket trick will solve that suspicion (cover one solar panel, climb down off'n the roof and see how much amps there are). Ya gotta do that two times ya know. By the way, I equalized them batteries all night long. In a week I'll do it again. But don't forget, I let the battery water get low.

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Morning edition....
Ya know there may come a time when ya get to think'n...."I ain't hav'n fun". But then when it's all over and ya think back, ya had a blast. I were sit'n back on the couch last night thumb'n through a book, TV on, Bose system try'n to shake the neighbors winders, listening to the neighbors new dogs bark'n and got to think'n....."you had a wonderful trip Billy Bob". 2600 miles of stomp'n through Texas heat, fires, empty lakes, high humidity and endless roads. It don't get no better than that.

One of the pleasures of traveling and blog'n is that you sometimes get to meet up with some of these people what been hiding behind a computer screen. Ya get to wonder'n what these people are like in "real life". Well let me tell ya, I met up with two followers what "made my day". Up at Ink's Lake, TroubleinTexas showed up at my campsite for a visit with the Billy Bob. Just so happen, the OldFatMan was camped right across the street from me, so we both got to meet Trouble. Was a wonderful visit sit'n round the picnic table tell'n sea stories, laugh'n an' hav'n a good ol' time. Ok Billy Bob, where the hell are the pics of Trouble? "No Billy Bob, ya didn't forget to take pics did ya"? Damn I wish someone would remind me that I own 3 digital cameras. All loaded up with film ready to shoot.Thanks sooooo much for the visit Trouble.

(pic of Trouble goes here)

Then.....while camped at San Perdro campground at Del Rio, Texas, I had the great pleasure to meet MsBelinda, better knowed as simply MsB. Ya see.....I were sit'n outside enjoy'n an afternoon on "da porch" sip'n a cup and think'n. I hears a big ol' diesel truck come rip'n through the park with no muffler. I looks around and it were MsB driv'n "dad's" car.....dust, dirt and rocks fly'n. She thinked I didn't recognize her but I did right off the bat 'cause of the car. What another wonderful visit from a long time follower.

Just in case ya think I forget to take pics, here's Barney the OFM try'n to catch him some dinner. After meet'n up with Barney at 2 of Texas' lake, I would definitely do it again. Thanks for a great time Barney.

Ok....my "bag lady" gardener just showed up to dig weeds out my yard. You didn't think old Billy Bob was gonna do all that dig'n again did ya? I could hire a couple local illegals to do the job, but I ain't tak'n a chance on go'n to jail. Who says Americans won't pick onions and dig weeds. Sheesh....this is America and Americans want to work. No I ain't pay'n Union wages. I may be nuts, but not that nuts.

Updates later in the day.....if I do something worth writ'n bout.

It's freak'n cold....

I don't like nuttin this morn'n. I'm grouchier than what's his name. Reason is, I'm cold. Holy cows, it were 49 degs out there this morn'n before the sun come up. No....I didn't get up before the sun....sheesh, what you think'n? But I laid there shiver'n with one little tiny blanket wrap all around me.

In answer to a question a couple or 5 days ago, Inks Lake is way more further out the way of my route to Deming than Del Rio by bout 200 hunnert mile....or something like that. Plus, me and the OFM had arranged to meet up there. Lake Amastad is not a lake to be crossed off your travels list. The water is crystal clear as far as you can see. The camp grounds (6 of 'em I think it is) are perfectly arranged to access most any part of the lake. Choice matters.

Did I mention I have a battery problem? Boy howdy, yeah I do. Ya see here's the deal. When ya live in a motor home, 5th wheel or one them little tow behind house trailers, ya gotta check the water in the batteries. Well yeah I check mine....was just too long ago. They were low....way low. Now you know old Billy Bob fix stuff, but batteries require expertise beyond my control. Now don't go jump'n up an' down say'n Billy Bob can't fix everything, 'cause I done fix stuff before. The last time I let the water get low I fix 'em right up with my battery charger. It's called equalize, and all good battery chargers have that feature. That what I gonna do when I get to Deming. Otherwise.....$450 for new batteries.

Bout time to head off down the road a piece and my mind is all fog up so I'll post this before the fog clears.
Updates later...

UPDATE:.
1:30pm.....well here I are in New Mexico. Pull into the New Mexico Visitor Rest area so Sadie Mae could go take a poop. Boy howdy, she drop a big ol' log. Only bout a hunnert mile to go for destination Deming. I camped last night further than I thought from Deming.....right at 300 plus mile. Damn I'm gonna be tired.

6pm....laid back in Deming. Took a whole 10 minutes to unhook "that jeep" and set up camp. Damn I'm get'n good.

This is what I came back to.

You would think a couple hunnert pounds of salt would have kill the ground deader an' a door knob, but hell no it didn't. My weeds is grow'n just as good as everyone elses. What now....fire???

I think this is all I have to say for one day. Will start catch'n up tomorrow......boy howdy that gonna be a chore.