Nuttin but "that jeep" post

An attempt to make a morning post proved unsuccessful due to an overload of the cerebral controzines...or something like that. Ya see, I been think'n again an' that can be dangerous. Not like the every day dream thinker would do, but deep black thoughts into the unknown layers of my soul. "Boy howdy Billy Bob, you has done lost it".

Went for a ride in "that jeep" yesterday. Took it over to "other" bro in laws and look see what the deal is. Ya see, the drive line and rear end yoke is at the wrong angle. It got to be adjusted.

As you recall, some youngster installed a long arm suspension in place of the stock suspension for extreme offroading. You know....rock climb'n an' stuff like that.

  Along with a 4 inch lift kit and great big ol' tires....what I done took off last year. It rides like a truck. Not a little family street truck, but more like a 9 yard dump truck. I can run over a dime an' tell ya if it's heads up or tails up. Took a couple wimmins for a ride back in Deming an' they says...."My God Billy Bob".

Ok, now you know what I'm up against with "that jeep". And why I hate it so. Got online and find out how to remove them headlights what ya gotta use a flashlight to see if'n they on or not. Shoot, there weren't nuttin to it. Then I had to fabricate a "Billy Bob" adjusting screw so's that one headlight won't be pointed at the ground like it been do'n. When I get new headlights, I'll know how to replace them. Damn....$59 for each one. Check air in the tires.....what the hell, 20 to 25 pound in all four. Maybe that why my gas mileage sucks and it go all over the road all by it self. I don't have to do nuttin....it just goes all over the place, cross the centerline, go off in a ditch, ....just like that.

Ok....I climbs under "that jeep"...gonna take some pics ya know. What the hell, the sway bar is sit'n on top the suspension arm. That won't work 'cause the sway bar is mounted on the frame. Every bump I hit will be amplified right to the frame....what would make for a "dump truck" ride. So, old Billy Bob gonna yank that sway bar slap out and throw it in the dumpster. Yes I did the research....it's ok.

Oh no, he changed his mind

Ok, I done it again. It's been suggested that my doom and gloom an' not feel'n good may be caused by hour after hour of online "toad" hunt'n for the last 4 days. Well, I agree. Soooo, here what I decided I'm gonna do. Keep "that jeep" and do some repairs on it until the time comes that I find what I'm look'n for in my travels. You know, "the perfect toad" sit'n in someones yard with a for sale sign in the windshield. But, in the mean time, this don't mean that a "toad" won't jump out of the bushes and say..."here I are"

I already have a buyer for "that jeep". But the loss I would take, would add $2000 to the cost of a replacement.

I used to climb trees. Big trees, little trees, it didn't matter to me, I was gonna climb a tree. I used to ride bareback, no saddle, on pigs and cow puppies. Did you know pigs will bite hell out you? And mama cows will horn ya while ya runn'n fast ya can?  Old mean "tom cats" not only scratch hell out ya, but they will also bite ya. Old ugly dogs come alive when ya jump on them from out a tree (see above) while they sleep'n. My job on the farm was tak'n care of  the chickens.... feed'n an' collecting eggs an' stuff like that. I weren't skeered of no stink'n chickens. They was skeered of me. I were hell on wheels ya know. Oh, did ya know a big red rooster will attack you in a heartbeat? Flog hell out ya, just like a big ol' turkey. Milk'n cows is best be tended by one of the bigger boys. Cows ain't dumb as you may think. They will kick hell out ya when ya least expect it. Just like that crazy mule. Tractors are cool. Ya crank 'em to life by spin'n that wheel on the side. Seven year old boys should never start a tractor without adult supervision. Strange things can happen....like plow'n down a barn yard fence. Did ya know that "crank'n" wheel can break your arm.  On the farm, ya learn stuff like that. Ya even learn how to smoke corn silk roll up in a page from the Sears catalog in the out house. Oh yeah, outhouses catch fire too.

In 1948 we left the farm to go live in the city, right on the banks of the Missouri river. I were 7 year old or thereabouts. A big husky boy....bout 65 pound or something like that. City life was boring. Weren't no animals to torment, no tractors to start up, no swim holes....no throw'n rocks or shoot'n homemade sling shots at stuff. The neighbor kids didn't live "down the road a piece". They was right next door.....bout 20 feets or so. We picked up soda water bottles for pocket change. Sometimes we had enough change for us to go to the movies just up the street. Costed just a nickle back then for the Saturday matinee.

Life has been good to old Billy Bob, but hard.

Feel'n like crap...

Weather has been absolutely beautiful. Couldn't ask for anything better.

The old Billy Bob is wore slap out from all the research on the internet look'n for a reliable vehicle to tow behind "da house". I were think'n it was gonna be easy. Whoa, was I ever wrong. The search has been narrowed down to either a standard shift Ford Ranger or a Jeep Cherokee. Not a Grand Cherokee...just Cherokee.

Here what I found so far. Just outside of Austin is a beautiful 1998 Jeep Cherokee Sport,

and then up by Dizzy Dicks house in Conroe is this 1999 Ford Ranger XLT.

 Since nephew Joseph is out of town on a job, I ain't got no way to go inspect them.


News flash....just in. 2000 Mazda single cab 4cyl 5 speed standard shift pick'em up in Corpus Christi.

May just have to go take a look see this one.

On the other side of the coin, old Billy Bob been feel'n like crap.

Toad hun't...part 3

1.The continuing saga of the "toad hunt" goes on. To my surprise, after much more research, the Ford Ranger 4x4 pickup transfer case can't not be shifted into neutral with out a special kit and reprogramming to the computer. So this new found information narrows my search down to "more friendly" 2WD standard shift Rangers. Of course I have other choices....such as Isuzu Troopers and Rodeos.

Ok....got appointment with another bro in law to look at "that jeep". Get his professional analysis.

3:30pm.....or there abouts

Well there went that appointment. Now it get'n too late in the day to be check'n stuff. Wanted to play a round of golf ball swak'n tomorrow, but priorities are priorities.

For those that don't know how much "stuff I carry with me.
1. A whole boat (folded up)
2. Portable air compressor (to blow up boat)
3. A boat motor (100 HP trolling motor)
4. A propane tank and related hose
5. A trolling motor battery
6. Fish'n stuff....poles, tackle boxes
7. Folding camp chairs
8. Gas can
9. Water transfer pump
10. A great big ol' spare tire
This is why I need something bigger than a Suzuki Samari....or something like that

Stuck in a rut....

Yep, it were definitely cold last night. My thermometer thingy says the low last night was 26 degs. And I trust my thermometer thingy. Maybe this is the last day of winter for south Texas. Let's hope so.

Don't suppose any of ya want to hear bout "toad" hunt'n no more. Well, I gonna tell ya anyhows. Yesterday afternoon was spent in it's entirety of cruis'n car lots look'n for the perfect towable vehicle. Light curb weight and enough carry'n capacity for my "junk" and collectables. Well, it weren't a successful day. Although I did find 3 possibilities, but guess what, they all weigh bout the same as "that jeep".
Isuzu Trooper

Isuzu Rodeo

2005 Dodge Dakota 4x4

Of the 3, I like the Trooper the best, but still not exactly what I'm look'n for. More look'n on the horizon.
Then I got to think'n. "Oh boy, here we go with the think'n again". What if I just keep the "that jeep" and spend some more $$$$$ on it? Got to do some serious think'n on that.

I were sit'n here think'n last night. Where I gonna go to next and what I'm gonna do in 2012. It didn't take me very long to figger out that I have no freak'n idea for my future. This is one of the drawbacks of get'n older and run'n out of dreams.
Got to do some serious think'n on that. "Take yer time Billy Bob, it all gonna be fine".

Two old goats

Billy Bob, you make some of the smartest decisions I ever see. Boy howdy let me tell ya, it was cold this morning in Sinton, Texas.....42 degs when I finally roll out of bed. It's expected to reach a blister'n 63 degs by this afternoon. That's almost golf ball swak'n weather.

So far things ain't look'n too good in the used car and truck markets. Either all the Ford Ranger pick'em ups is been sent to Mexico or Obama's Cash for Clunkers has took them all off the streets. I've Craigslisted in most big cities in Texas, with in a reasonable travel distance, and there is a severe shortage of small trucks throughout the state. This should be easy in the truck capital of the world....Texas. Why didn't I keep my "little red bronco ll"???

For those that missed the goat pics yesterday, here they are again. 

Nephew Joe is a rigger for one the biggest crane operations in the State of Texas. Get's called out to all over the place. Well, today he didn't get called out. So later on today, we gonna go look'n at "toads". At least that's the plan. Once I get this frog business behind me, I can go on with my life as it's supposed to be for a retired person. You know what I'm talk'n bout....sit outside in the sunshine sip'n a cup an' do'n nuttin all day.

Speak'n of swak'n golf balls, I'm think'n wednesday morn'n bout 9 or 10am would be a perfect time for an exciting round of golf with the OFM Barney. It's been a long time since Barney stomped me in a round of golf, but I think I'm ready again. Last round I played was with old "pesky neighbor" Wayne back in June I think it was.

Oh yeah, speak'n of old "pesky", I talk to him night fore last. He going home today.....or that what he told me anyhows. It's been a rough row to hoe for him this last year. Hope he will continue to improve in 2012.

Ok....got things to do....

Break'n wind.....

Billy Bob, you make some of the dumbest decisions I ever see. Had you looked at the weather forecast for today, Sunday January 1st 2012, you would have known the winds were 25 to 30 mile a hour out of the north and will progress throughout the rest of the day.

Let me tell ya a little bout driv'n a big motorhome against high winds. First off, it ain't nuttin like driv'n a little red pick up or a big ol' high dollar SUV into the wind. It's more like tak'n a 20 foot sailboat out to sea during a raging hurricane with 20 foot swells. I was headed down the road, just east of Roswell, NM back in 2003. There was road construction with only one lane of traffic each way. The winds were kick'n up in the 40's and 50's mile a hour. No place to pull off the road. Traffic was heavy. By the time I got to Roswell, my hands had to be pried off the steer wheel. Just a slight gust of wind in the 40 mile a hour range will change the direction of a class A motorhome into interesting territory....usually into an occupied travel lane. So you see, old Billy Bob don't like driv'n "Sally da house" in the wind.

After OFM Barneys surprise visit yesterday, I proceeded to the laundrymat. Loaded up 3 huge washers with a months supply of clothes that was in need of a good wash'n. That was the important stuff. The sheets and blankets will have to wait for another day.

Andrea asked if I were gonna be bored in Sinton. Well yeah I'm gonna be bored. There ain't nuttin there but a golf course. It's a hunnert mile drive to Corpus Christi there and back. I'll have no water other than what I bring with me. Electricity will be from an old 100 foots extension cord. But I'm not go'n there for pleasure. I got things to do. Mainly find a replacement for "that jeep". Nephew Joseph call me yesterday evening an' say he done fount me two to look at. Ya see, Joe knows lots of used car dealers and stuff like that. He gets around. And he's a wheeler dealer unlike his uncle Billy Bob who will buy anything for any price.

Ok...got to get stuff ready to roll. Things to do ya know.

4pm update...
Well that didn't take long. Pull out of my campsite right at 11:45 and head to the dump station. After a good dump, I pull straight onto the awaiting ferry for an exciting ride across the ship channel. No wait'n in line like I had expected. At 1:30pm I had backed "Sally da house" into her space and hook up 20 amp electric service. That mean if'n it gets cold, I gonna be using my propane heater.

"Hello,..... can I come in to visit"?

"Well sure, make your self to home". Just don't pee or poop on the carpet.....OK???