A new day dawning....

It's been a while since I've sit back and actually relaxed with a closed mind to my surroundings and short comings. Well, I did that yesterday. Made for a wonderful day. Shut out the entire world. Although I did spend a couple hours sip'n a cup, read'n some handpicked blogs and do'n some think'n bout what I read.  This is a messed up world....according to the blogs. I'll include my own blog in that ever growing list.

I had planned on a trip to my favorite store, Walmart, but tossed that decision in the dumpster....along with any plans to do something productive. Made a couple trips to the floor with my favorite pillow in hopes of releiving the pain in my back. Just layed there and relaxed....with a cup of coffee in one hand and the "flipit" in the other.

Got some stuff com'n my way via UPS tomorrow and the next day. Ya see, my TV reception sucks, so I ordered and brand spank'n new antenna. I have no problem watch'n Mexican broadcasts, what is about the only ones that work, but I don't know what I'm watch'n 'cause they don't speak English.
The other item is a new replacement battery charger....Black and Decker 40 amp smart charger. The reason I chose this particular charger is that I can leave it plugged in to 115 volts and it will automatically come on when I start my generator to brew my morning coffee while boondocking. No go'n outside in the snow, wind and rain at 4 am to push a button.

Ok, it's a new day an' I got things to do......laters. 

Laughter

Did I ever tell ya bout the time.....I scared a cat. Ya see, there was this fish'n pier in Port Aransas what I frequented bout 3 or 4 times a week.....at night when the speckled trout was eat'n supper. That pier ain't there no more 'cause some millionaire developers tore it down and built a bunch of high dollar houses. But anyhows, people used to drop off their cats at the pier what they didn't want no more. The ones that survived the constant attacks of the coyotes were a rough bunch to deal with. They would sneak up on ya an' steal your bait right out your bait bucket. Or what ever else was considered a likely meal for a hungry cat. This one cat in particular, bruised and scared, was one mean dude. He attack me on more than one occasion when I trap him out on the end of the pier, bark'n an' growl'n at him like some kind fool. Well, one late evening while the sun was just descending beyond the horizon, I spy'ed that damn cat tak'n a nap out there on the pier. He were sound asleep, not a care in the world. Very quietly I sneeks up on that cat...with mischievous thoughts in my mind. This is gonna be cool and funny. What is that cat gonna do when he wake up? I starts growl'n an' bark'n like a vicious dog.....boy howdy, glad nobody see me do'n that. That cat cat come slap alive. He jump straight up in the air bout 2 foots....all puffed up and mak'n some god awful hiss'n sounds. Off the pier he go right into the water, 15 feets below and 50 feets from shore. He swimed in circles, not know'n what the hell is go'n on. Then he was full awake, and pissed. Got his bearings calculated in his mind an' head for shore. Damn, he swim pretty darn good for a cat. As he climbs to safety up on the rocks, he turns round and gives me one them looks....like "I gonna git you for this".

Many years ago I would laugh at just bout anything. Laugh so hard I would get a headache. Well, last night I watched a movie what brought back that laughter. It was a Chinese ju gitso, karate, kung fu, climb up walls, fly through the air kind of movie. It was broadcast on one the Mexican channels, so naturally I had no freak'n idea what the hell they were say'n.....what make it that much more funny. I stayed up till 2:30 am watch'n that damn movie....with a split'n headache. Felt good to laugh again.

Need to make that dreaded trip to Walmart to refill my meds and probably spend a hunnert dollars on useless junk I don't need. I am out of donuts and chicharones, so it won't be a wasted trip.   

Yes I can.....

(((OMG)))

Yeasterdays weather caused me to do something what I knowed was gonna cause me a problem at a later time. And I was correct. I had  made a cash offer to "Bubba" a few days ago to wash and wax "that jeep" with some kind of "special" yellow stuff....or maybe it's orange. Well anyhows, two days later and "that jeep" was still dirty. So, the old Billy Bob go outside yesterday, since it were a beautiful day, an' do it his self. The $20 I had offered is nuttin compared to the pain and agony from a simple wash job.

The first time I hurt my back I was only a rambunctious teenager. Ya see, this was at a time when batteries was a precious commodity, much like gold is today. The battery in my 1946 Ford 2 door was one of the many batteries that would fail me in the worst of circumstances......like skeek'n the car back in the yard late at night. So ya push it....'cause the damn thing won't start. Up a little hill being as quiet as possible. This could possibly be my first experience into the art of cuss'n like a sailor. Fifty years later and four more self inflicted "I can pick that up" injuries, I now have two deteriorated discs an' a torn whatsamacallit....ligiment/tendon or something like that. Google sciatica to understand why I might "whine" from time to time.

Actually there ain't nuttin wrong with cuss'n if it's used in a constructive way. Some sentences in writings require a little cuss word here an' there for the sentence to have full impact and meaning to the reader. Fortunately there ain't many blogs that use hi octane profanity in their writings.

Today I will be mostly "do'n nuttin". It's wet outside...not from rain, but high humidity. But this is normal for this part of the world, being only a few miles from the Gulf of Mexico. If I was camped out on the island, I would be dealing with salt on the ground and in the air. Grrrrrrrr to salt.    

What's a good day?

I been think'n bout that ya know. Ever since my heart surgery it's all been down hill. Kind of makes me dread when I finally reach bottom an' there ain't no more hills.

As you may recall, I was out in the mountains bout 60 mile from "da house" the day I had my heart attack. I were tak'n samples for my gold prospecting hobby. Can't call it anything other than hobby unless ya strike it rich ya know. Took 5 gallon of water with me for panning out the samples. That enough for bout 20 samples what consisted of bout 6 cups of sand, dirt, rocks and sticks. Panning out a good heap'n sample takes right at 15 minutes...if'n ya know what ya do'n. I fount some "color" (gold flakes), but not enough to break out the gold machine I designed and built. I build stuff ya know. After the surgery, I had to give up a hobby I dearly loved an' throw it all in the dumpster. And I was "this close" to strink'n it rich.

Then other things went all to heck an' gone after my surgery. Little chores what took only an hour to do now takes me all day....and sometimes into the next day. New health issues has done sneeked up on me and the old ones have multiplied in intensity. You talk bout hurt'n all over....boy howdy.

Yesterdays golf game with OFM Barney is an example. I refuse to comment on the outcome of the game at this point, but it weren't good. Throwed that score card in the trash can, right where it belong. I got up there to swak that ball plumb out of sight an' I almost go to the ground. My back done gave out. This has been a concern for the last couple three years. Don't wanna have to throw my clubs and bats in the dumpster like I did my gold prospecting equipment. Damn life is cruel.

So what's a good day? For me, it's not get'n up in the morn'n and have to sit all day long "do'n nuttin". Although I like do'n nuttin on rare occasions. 

And then what's to become of my travel plans? It used to be so easy to get an idea in my head to go somewheres, hook up and go. Now just hook'n up "that jeep" to the back of "da house" takes careful planning and uses every little bit of energy I have. Then when I get there, I got to unhook and set up a camp. Tomorrow will be better. That what I keep think'n anyhows. Maybe tomorrow.

Weather here in south Texas has been spectacular. Don't think I could be anywheres else this good.....weather wise. 

Busy schedule...

Gonna take a few minutes out of my busy schedule to update the go'ns ons of Billy Bob and Company.

Yesterday I did absolutely nuttin.

Today I intend to do absolutely nuttin. Well maybe I'll go meet OFM Barney at the golf ball swak'n place.

The beat goes on....

Boy howdy, is the old "Billy Bob get'n beat up or what? Retirement ain't supposed to be like this ya know.

I got so much stuff to do in the maintenance department that I may never got back on the road again. Work on "that jeep" is com'n along just fine....slow but just fine. Further inspections have found a couple more little items to repair, but other than that, "that jeep" is almost lile a brand spank'n new.....Ahh, dump truck???

I were sit'n here talk'n to nephew Joseph. He say...."what the hell is that click'n noise"? That what I say too. The front A/C is go'n nutso....clickity click, clickity click...with it turned off. With summer right around the corner, I gonna need that A/C. Ten minutes later....located source of the clickity click to be in the thermostat. Why I don't know. So's I swaks it a few times with my little thermostat swak'n hammer. It ain't how hard ya swak, but where ya swak. I guess I could replace it but if it ain't mak'n a clickity click no more, I rekon it's fixed.

Then there's the dash air in "da house" what lost it's charge again. Now dash air is a must have during the heat of summer as everybody knows. I remember one time I was com'n back to Texas from Ca., driv'n through some the hottest country I ever see in my life. The dash air did not work an' the fan only blowed hot air. Said I ain't never gonna do that again. Woooeee, it were hot. Maybe "other BIL" Martin has a leak detector for R-134a. I throwed mine in the dumpster back in Deming.

Work work work....that all I ever do. 

2:15 pm......well that took care of that. Got tired of wait'n round for free stuff and went off to the local muffler shop and had them brackets cut slap off. The drive back to "da house" was a splendid ride.....just like a Cadillac....or something like that. Not much left to do to "that jeep" other than a little water leak and replace the serpentine belt. Old Billy Bob that much closer to "on the road again".

Just talk'n to myself here....."where ya gonna go Billy Bob"? Now that's a good question. Ain't really give it much thought. Been think'n of run'n on over to Falcon Lake an' catch me up some fish. Ain't very far from here....bout 3 or 4 days the way I drive. Slow and easy. And then there's Lake Amistad up Del Rio way. As the weather warms up, I'll head up north a ways. Lot's of lakes round Dallas ya know. Get too hot in Texas, there's always the north Georgia mountains....and fish. And a few grandkids of course. 

Today would have been a perfect day for golf ball swak'n, but they closed today. Who ever hear of such a deal as that? Maybe tomorrow or thursday. Hmmmmmm, wonder if the OFM Barney ever got over all his ailments?

 

The old cabin

I been giv'n thought to chang'n a few things on the blog. You know what I'm talk'n bout, a little house clean'n, change the looks with a new background and header pic......stuff like that. If'n ya ain't never did it, it's a all day affair to get it look'n just like ya want.

I sure do hate to change the header pic though. It so much goes along with not only my "internet" name, but with the way I feel bout life. Take that old cabin. Why I would cut off a little toe to live in that or a facsimile of such. The outside I would leave just as it is, but the inside would be filled with modern day conveniences. An old antique cook stove complete with a working oven (propane powered). A  pot belly stove for heat, also converted to propane, with a couple old wooden chairs up next to it for sit'n, drink'n up coffee, think'n.....a place to spit if need be. Unfinished wood floor with a bunch of throw rugs here and there. I could go on and on, but damn it, I already have a "shack on wheels" that if I ain't careful, will look just like the one I want. Hillbilly redneck blood runs through my veins.

Talk to old "pesky neighbor" Wayne yesterday. He's back at home again from the rehab center. Says he weighs 197 pound, but I know "pesky" and his use of numbers....especially on a score card. His walk'n needs much improvement....got wheels on his walker. Says he feels good. That's good news. Kind of miss the old cuss.

Federal Express showed up right bout the time I were gonna eat my supper (Churches chicken, a couple donuts, chocolate chip cookies, a hand full of chicharomes and a glass of milk). Oh boy, new headlights for "that jeep". This means that my night time driv'n will be less hazardous for not only myself, but all approaching traffic. Of course they will both have to point in the general direction I am going. Weather permitting, I'll install and adjust said headlights today. Also have a couple other new parts to install, but not sure if I want to crawl up under "that jeep" or not. Guess I better do some think'n bout that.