I got a deck...

Just a little bout how much better I feel since I've been back in Georgia. I'm think'n most my stress was left back in Texas. It's good to have full days without any stress ya know. When I get up in the morn'n, there ain't none that "worry bout this worry bout that". If ya ever had any stress in YOUR life, you got a pretty good idea what I'm talk'n bout. Feels good don't it????

My depression level is also way down. I still don't know what's in store for me for the rest my life, but I have a ton of options. I wake up ever morn'n an' "I give a shit", where not long ago, I didn't give a shit one way or the other.

Bout 5 days ago I was sit'n in my "that chair" (recliner) an' I got to think'n.....I don't like sit'n outside on a hill side (my campsite has a incline on it). I got the idea of a "level" deck up under the awning. Drawed it up an' guesstimated the cost. I can afford that....$180 turn key.

Yesterday, me an' Robert headed off to Home Depot an' pick up some lumber an' screws.....$171 dollar worth. I brag to everbody how good I was at estimating costs. Damn I was close. I do that at Walmart too.

Back at the house, Robert back the truck up, jump out an' he grab holt to a sheet of plywood an' throws it on the ground. "No Robert, stack it right here". Ha, the boy thinks I'm gonna walk 20 feet for a piece of wood. I sit in my camp chair an' I drill me some pilot holes in a 12 foot 2 x 6 for the 3" screws what hold the seven 8 foots 2 x 6 stringers on 2 foots centers.

Now let me tell ya bout how Robert operates. "Let me git that daddy". "Sit down daddy, I'll git that". So, the project I was gonna do all by myself is now a completed 8 x 12 foots level deck. Man boy howdy let me tell ya, I don't have to sit on a hillside no more.

 That's my chair next to the door.

Everthing is within half a bubble on the 4 foot level. Good job Robert....with the supervisory help of the old Billy Bob. Damn, that boy won't let me do nuttin.

Today was to be a special day. Son Jesse is hav'n a cookout an' swim party at his house. Granddaughter Wesley graduated high school....that what the party for. Well, when I fall out of bed this morn'n, I ain't in no condition to go nowheres. The party is a 6 to 8 hour affair an' there ain't no way I can handle that. I'm think'n one on one time would be sooo much better with my issues.

Speak'n of issues....the doctor prescribed me some meds to help my feet...numbness an' pains. Well I been tak'n them pills an' holy cows...."you sleep too much Billy Bob". Normally, I sleep 6 or 7 hours. With the pills, I been hit'n 8, 9 an' 10 hours of never wake up one time sleep. But then, with all the company I get ever day, I don't get no naps. 

Ok, I think I'll stop right here an' maybe come back tomorrow....if'n I got something to write about that is.

Life at "Yo Mama's RV Resort"

Ok, I'm camped on a slope. One leg needs to be shorter than the other. I need a bulldozer to fix that. But instead, I'm gonna build me a "snap together" 8 X 12 foots deck. When I break camp, the deck is simply unscrewed an' stowed in pieces....3 sheets plywood an' 7 2 x 6's. You can watch me build it if'n ya want.
"Robert, take me to Home Depot".  

Man boy howdy. Do ya remember what I was tell'n ya bout old folks an' the younger folks when they get together. Once ya get to talk'n, ya may as well go sit in a corner. Them younger folks ain't gonna listen to a word us older folks has got to say. Yesterday I had me a yard full. Me, "Yo Mama" an' HIL Harry just sit there, shrug our shoulders an' says...."What the hell"? An' dogs, let me tell ya bout dogs....there was 8 of 'em run'n round bout a hunnert mile a hour, yap'n at each other, jump'n up in laps.....bark'n anything that moves. I love my daughter an' 4 grandkids, but they been here long enough....they gotta go.

The Weber grill legs were all completed an' installed. Works perfect either in the siting position or the standing position. The PVC legs fit snug enough that if'n you pick up the grill to move it, the legs don't fall out. I done that many times with grills....dad gum leg fall out an' make me go into a cuss'n mode.
To answer on commenters question..."is there enough heat on the legs to soften 'em up an' all the goodies fall on the ground when the grill falls over"? Nope, there ain't. I checked that before I decided on PVC legs versus aluminum. 

I fall slap to sleep in my camp'n chair. Took me a hour nap, Waked up an' I got to have me some aspirin right now. Damn I hurted. A couch pillow was added to my camp'n chair....Oh, so much better.

We builded a campfire. Five of us sit round that fire eat'n delivered pizza. I start tell'n stories. Damn, my stories are sooo much better when I write 'em. I ain't no story teller. It's hard to add the required spices, herbs an' fancy words when ya ain't got no time to think.

Yesterday was a wonderful day. Had me some family company, a ton of dogs to pet...an' to yell at "git off me", 3 big ol' pizzas an' a freak'n campfire....yes, I enjoyed that.  

Dizzy an' cain't walk.....for a while

I'll attempt to write something today. I was in no condition yesterday to even push a key on the keyboard.

Ya see, it was like this.....I got a notice pop up in my screen what said I need to install some upgrades. So I went to look see what them upgrades was. Most were security upgrades, but there was a whole bunch of other stuff. I got to think'n....maybe that other stuff might fix my ailing computer. So's I decided I would give it a try. (As of this morn'n, my curser is do'n what its supposed to do...no jump'n all over the screen)

It was 9:20pm when I hit the upgrade button....shit started download'n. 870 some megs of shit. I'm watch'n TV an' punch'n keys on the computer while all that stuff downloads. It's now 11:30pm an' the sucker just now starts install'n all that stuff. I dose off in my office chair. Slouched over with my chin on my chest, I'm in LaLa land for the rest the night.

When I wake up the next morn'n, I see two computers sit'n on my desk. My eyes is crossed an' I'm dizzy like a sum-a-gun. Computer screen is black.....it had done went to sleep too. I bring it to life an' push a button to restart an' it start do'n it's thing. "Do not turn off computer"....stuff like that....for another almost a hour

I need coffee an' I got to pee really bad. I cain't stand up. I ain't got no feel'n in my feet. I'm wobbly as hell, but I make it to the Mr Coffee to brew me up 8 cups of extra strong coffee. I need it. Do my pee thing, warsh my teeths an' brush my hair....coffee is done. I ain't sleep'n in THAT chair no more. For the next two hours, I see two of everthing....but it's get'n better. I scramble up 3 great big eggs. By 12:30 I'm ready to go outside an' sit an' jaw with Robert, "Yo Mama", HIL Harry an' Chewey.

I start do'n things. Hobby related, I peel some the paint off'n the bottom of the stern wheeler boat. I was in hopes that the paint had just buckled up an' all I had to do was repaint it. Nope, the little wood strip planking is warped. I'm think'n from expansion an' contraction. Ain't no way water got in the hull 'cause it is water tight. Now I'm to the point where I may just put it on the shelf an' never put it in the water again. I bought an' spent a year build'n this boat for remote control, not to sit on a shelf for the rest it's life. Decisions decisions.

This morn'n I waked up at 9:15. What the hell, this ain't right for Georgia....I git up here somewheres between 7am an' 8am. This leads me to my new pills the good doctor ordered for my feet. Been tak'n 'em four days now. I'll try 'em a few more days an' see what happen.

Have ya ever make legs for a Weber Q??? The legs in Weber are a perfect height if'n you are a "stand up" griller. But the old Billy Bob ain't one of them. I sit beside my grill. But that means ever time I want to chek my stuff, I got to stand up. Shorter legs....yeah, that what I need. Google....there are no replacement legs to cut off an' I still want to keep the longer "stand up" legs. "Robert, go to Home Depot an' pick me up some 3/4 inches PVC conduit". Do ya know how to bend PVC pipe without screw'n it up? I do. Ya see, ya fire up the grill on low an' let the temp come up to bout 300 to 350 degs. Place the area ya want to bend in the grill. Make sure it ain't lay'n on the super hot grate. It will soften to a bendable state in bout 5 minutes. But ya gotta watch it so's it don't get too soft. Carefully do your bends an' let it cool. Ya may want to wear a pair of gloves.

 Walla, ya got a leg for a Weber Q120.

Yes I'm excitis

Well shoot, I should'a wrote yesterday. I done forgot what I was all excitis bout.

Ha ha ha....I ain't forgot, I was just mess'n with ya. Speak'n of mess'n, there's some people ya cain't mess with. I ain't got none of them on my blog. Ha, they all over there in Mr. Jone's swim pool. But I did encounter a few on Facebook when I was mess'n with Tracey. That's nephew Frank's wife. Some dad gum lady got all wadded up in her panties....or something like that, just 'cause I said a size 4 was perfect for a five foots tall woman.

Tuesday morn'n me an' Robert took off to the little town of Dallas. You can leave Texas out of the conversation at this time. The doctor was in a good mood....smile, shake hands, look at my MRI on the computer screen an' says...."Oh, I remember you". We discuss the procedure again an' I asks the two questions that I wanted to ask. Important questions. "Will I still have feeling in my right leg after he kills the nerves". He says well sure you will. Ya see, back when I was in the VA hospital, they was gonna shoot alcohol in my back to kill the nerves. That VA doctor said I would have no feeling in my leg. Well shoot, if'n I drilled a hole on my leg, I wouldn't even know it. If'n a pit bull was chew'n on my leg, I wouldn't feel a thing. With all the drill'n, saw'n, hammers an' chisels I work with on my lap, I want to know when I tear into that leg. That took care of question #1.

Question #2 deals with my deadly fear of needles. Ha, my second marriage was postponed 3 1/2 years all over a blood test. "Will I be sedated when he sticks them needles in my back"? Just in case ya don't know, the old Billy Bob don't like pain neither. He says yes you can if'n ya want it. Think'n needle, I ask him bout swaller'n a pill to sedate me. He said yes.....but he don't recommend that method 'cause of complications. That's all he had to say, I'll be look'n at a butterfly needle crammed into one my poor ol' innocent "hands up don't shoot" blood veins. He better have him a nice nurse that has compassion for us old folks. 

Next Wednesday is my next appointment. Gonna do phase #1, what is a test procedure. Shoot some stuff in there an' see if'n he shoots it in the right places.....three places. I'll go back home an' see what my pain levels are...write 'em down ever day. Ya see, he wants to know for sure he has the correct nerves before he kills 'em. Ain't no sense kill'n a nerve that ain't caus'n no pain.

I'm think'n, two weeks after that, I'll be back for the kill'n procedure. But the good doctor quickly changed my think'n on that idea. He says...."we gonna see how long it gonna last". Two weeks, a month, 3 months or maybe a year. After that, there's procedure #2. Don't even ask 'cause I don't know. Something like the first procedure an' "see how long it lasts". Last resort, procedure #3, radiofrequency ablation, is to kill the nerves.

Anyhows, I like this doctor a whole bunch. He's a human, although he a young human an' he's at the bottom of the list for whats left to fix my back. I'll just leave it up to him an' see what happens. Dang, next Thursday I may be able to walk around the yard pain free. But I ain't gonna bet more than a dollar on it. An' I don't mind los'n a dollar.

Tug boat is all put back together. Batteries are all charged up an' ready for the first test run at the lake just up the road a piece, bout 10 mile.

While I was sit'n outside at the hobby table nephew Frank give me, I got up an' yank the Mississippi stern wheeler slap off'n the wall. I start yank'n stuff out that boat, parts everwheres....we gonna redo all the electronics an' wiring. I'm think'n a trip to the hobby shop an' spend me some pocket change. Sure would be cool to have both boats at the lake at the same time. I'll also take the "bubba boat" along just in case a boat gets stranded out on the lake. Paddle out an' git that sucker. Hmmmmm, wonder if'n that tug boat can pull the "bubba boat"?

Ok, that was my excitement for the last couple days. Now I got to go outside an' give the Mississippi river boat a bath. See ya at the lake.

Dad gum it Billy Bob, post something!!!

Today's post has to be extended until another day. But, I have wonderful news from my doctors appointment I can hardly wait to tell ya bout. 

Ballast installed in the tug boat

Only reason for a post today is....something excit'n happened. That dad gum tug boat has been filled with somewhere's bout 7500 bb's an' it sits in the water 1/8 of a inch from the water line.

Ya see, here's what I did. I took me a old empty aspirin bottle, a big one, an' I checked to make sure it fit in the bow of the boat....that's that's the front in case ya don't know. I fill it bout 2/3rds full. Oppps, just a tad too much.....removed 437 bb's. Sissy's formula works perfect for count'n bb's.

In the stern of the boat, I poured a gob of bb's into the hull bottom, adjust'n as I go along.

That's bout a inch of bb's right there.....

 We sit'n good on the water line....right at 1/4 inches below. Then I mix up some of the fiberglass resin an' I pours it on top the bb's. Put it back in the water.....look'n good. Then I put the motor back in.....stern goes down a bit. Bow looks great, but can always add or remove bb's from the aspirin bottle. Shoot, we ready for a test run in the little lake down the road a piece. "Ya got to charge the batteries Billy Bob....charge the batteries". Tug boat weighs right at 10 pounds....heavy sucker.

That was my excitement for yesterday. Then I lay back in "that chair" an' I thought I was gonna die right there. "Sum-body gimme a light, I need a smoke". Cough cough wheeze wheeze....gasp'n for air.

Had me a freak'n nightmare bout them dad gum big ass needles again. That sucker was big as a railroad spike an' they drive it in my back with a sledgehammer. God I hate needles. I'm gonna suggest/request sedation but don't figger they will do that. Oh wait, sedation is delivered with a needle. "Ain't no way round it Billy Bob, they gonna stab ya with a big ass needle an' you gonna feel it".  

Still alive an' kick'n....barely

The awning is out an' producing shade. How long will a duct tape repair last....shoot, I don't know. The floor is sweeped.

A kiddy swim pool was filled yesterday an' we placed the tug boat in it. It turned over. The battery mount was removed an' the battery placed on the bottom of the boat. It didn't turn over (lower center of gravity). The motor an' motor control was removed an' two 1" holes drilled in the motor mount. 3000 bb's were placed in the holes (ballast). A mixture of fiberglass resin was mixed an' poured in the holes to form a solid block of bb's. A float test was performed. My God, it's gonna take bout 5000 more bb's before the tug boat settles out on the water line. Actually, with the weight of 1 bb, it should take 7500 bb's to ballast the tug boat to the waterline. Do ya know how long it takes to count 7500 bb's???

The trim piece and seal under the front slide out were inspected. There's a possibility the slide out will NOT have to be removed to repair all that tore up stuff. But it won't be done today.

One of my electric heaters has bit the dust....to a normal person it has. But with the old Billy Bob on the scene, it will be fixed.....that simple. I mean, like how hard can it be to disassemble a electric heater, repair a set of burned contacts an' put that sucker back together.....with only a few screws left over?

Tensions are high. Ever time I see a needle make a appearance on the TV, I am cover'n my eyes an' flip'n channels. Kind of like a girl watch'n a old time horror movie. I don't like needles. Follow up doctor appointment is Tuesday. Not too nervous bout that, but when I get them big ass needles stuck in my back....Yooow-eeeee, I'm gonna faint. You can say all ya want bout needles an' how there ain't nuttin to it, but you ain't walk'n in MY sandals.

Let's talk bout blogs for a minute. Blogs ain't what they was just a few years ago. Hand held devices has a lot to do with that. People are put'n their computers in a closet an' do'n all their internet stuff on a smart phone. This equals less people read'n blogs. In case ya didn't know, blogs don't show up what ya write on your blog. At least mine don't.

Then there's the blogger themselfs, they don't write like they used to do. This is caused by readership...why write it if'n nobody is gonna see (hand helds), or read it. When you're old an' sick an' cain't do nuttin no more an' then ya write bout it, there ain't nobody wants to read that kind of stuff. I'm guilty an' old an' sick....chalk up a dy'n blog.

So here what I been think'n. Cut back on blog posts. Just write bout something excit'n when something excit'n happens. Or maybe when I find me a new project to be involved with. I like writ'n bout projects.

Ok, I'm out of here. Got the tug boat ballast project to work on ya know.