Hello Margaret

Well shoot, ain't nobody wanna play "find the change". One comment guessed the search light was new.  Anyhows, that not a change.....that's a "add". But, this commenter was within inches of the change. Now do you see it???

I rekon we won't be play'n this game no more.

Yesterday turned out to be a not so good day at Billy Bob's house ("da house"). I didn't feel like work'n on no stink'n tug boat. I didn't feel like work'n on nuttin in fackt. My right hip was hurt'n like a sum-a-gun. Advil didn't help. Aspirin didn't help. An' Tylenol III didn't help neither. That chair was tryed bout 4, 5, or 8 times. That didn't help neither. Sure hope we ain't relaps'n back to 2 months ago.

Then, it's 8pm, I eat me up a can of chicken noodle soup. I hit that chair an' wakes up 3 hour later. My god, I'm sick like a dog what ate a "road kill" rabbit. My heart rate drop to 45 bpm. Batteries are dead in the blood pressure thingy. I'm dizzy an' my legs feel really strange. "Is this it Margaret"????

I takes me a Alka Seltzer. Ha, in 15 minutes I'm feel'n soooo much better.

In fack, I'm feel'n so much better, I look at that tug boat sit'n over there. I polyurethane them "brown" masts. I just gave it away that change didn't I??? But you knew I would. Then I super glued a couple fingers together. Ya see, I was work'n on some tiny pieces what needed to be glued. No need to say no more bout that.

That's bout all I got to say for one day. Laters.....  

"Yo mama" is back

So what's on the agenda for today? I'm think'n there is a need to clean up some this boat building crap that's lay'n all over the floor an' desktop.

Speak'n of boat building, I want you take a look at what I did yesterday. Can ya see it??? Look very closely. I made a change to the tug boat. Tell me what you find. I would give ya a hint Sissy, but others would pick up on it an' the excitement of find'n the change would come to a screech'n halt.

Hey, lookie there. You can see them doors now, plain as day. That's not a hint if'n you're look'n at them doors.

Ok, this cold weather, plus the leak'n propane regulator, has cause me a problem. I'm bout out of propane. The black water tank (poop tank) needs to be emptied. This means a trip up the road a piece on I-20 to Love's truck stop. I had planned to do that this week end, with the help of my wonderful son Robert. But Robert is at the hunt'n camp.....so I hear through the grapevine.

Now bout that chair. The only reason I mention that chair is 'cause I find it funny. It don't make no matter what time I sit in that sucker, I go to sleep. Last night, there was this program on TV I just had to watch. So I go over there an' sit in that chair sip'n up a cup an' watch'n that excit'n program. Well, there went one good program off to the zzzzzz's department. Damn that chair.

At 1am, I am NOT ready for any bed time. I loads up Google maps to reexamine my travel route back to Texas. I switch it to "earth" view. There's that black screen again. What the hell, this never happen before I got my computer fixed. I Google for a fix to this condition. Ah Ha....lookie here. Go to settings in your browser an' turn off  "hardware acceleration". Ha, fix that sucker right up. I see trees an' shit.
Anyhows, out of bout a dozen choices for a route, there is only a couple miles difference betwix 'em. Here is my latest route.

This route is subject to change........

"Yo mama" an' HIL Harry are back home. They tell me all bout their cruise to the Bahamas an' all the fun they had. Sure am glad I didn't tag along. I don't like big ass ships an' thousands of people. Now a 50 foot sail'n boat go'n to the Bahamas, that would be more to my like'n. In fact, I would git all excitis on a trip like that.

Ok, it's get'n late in the day....visitors ya know, this is all I'm gonna write for today. See ya all tomorrow, maybe even with a few new pictures of that dad gum tug boat.

Update: Doors, that chair an' I got hot water.....Sun shiny day....still a bit chilly out there

Ok....boy howdy, I like to freeze my buttocks off last night. Before I go to bed. At midnight,  while I was watch'n some excit'n movies, the temps fell to 30 degs. By 3am....the last movie ain't over yet, it was 27 degs out there. Mr Heater do'n it's thing. But guess what, start'n tomorrow, we will have a full week of nice weather. 40's at night.....60's day time.

I was need'n some hot water. Got a pile of dirty pile dishes ya know. The dad gum water heater don't come on. Ya don't warsh dishes in cold water. I goes out there, in the cold....wind blow'n, an' I check that water heater out. Hmmmmm....no flame....."Damn it's cold out here". I hear the gas valve kick in. Now just 'cause I hear it, that don't mean it valve is open'n up allowing propane to flow. It too freak'n cold to check it out. Wait for a warmer day. Heat water on the stove.
This should be enough information to get me a bunch of "easy fixes" from my followers. 

Procrastinate, one of MsB's favorite words. Now I don't know if'n she has the old Billy Bob beat or not when it comes to "I'll take care of that tomorrow". but I'm think'n it's a close race. For most outside stuff what needs done right now, I use weather as a excuse. Paperwork??? My god, don't even mention that stuff. Two days pass deadline, I might get it done. But, in the end run, it gets done.

Pizza....that's what I had for Thanksgiv'n dinner last night. My first bite I was think'n a bite out a big ol' turkey leg. Another bite, some mash taters an' gravy. Down to the last slice, it was pumpkin pie, with a dollop of whip cream. I had me a fine Thanksgiving dinner.  

I removed each of the super glued cabin doors. Man, what a job. Painted the edges black. Now maybe you can see them. Well yeah, but ya cain't see the hinges an' there ain't no door knobs on them doors. I'm not done yet. A test door will be fabricated, just to see what it look like. You'll be the first to know.

Compared to this....

I'm think'n I got the right idea. What you think???

You may have noticed, there is a railing added to the cabin roof. My god, that took a good two hours just to install, plus the two hours to fabricate. Lot's of tweezer, needle nose, some tooth pick work was involved. Then I had to paint them railings. Bout a hour or so.

Internet searches came up with just one photo of the real Tackawanna tug boat. I'm think'n my tug boat looks just like that. Cain't wait to put it in the water to see if'n it floats.

Bout them back pains. I've had me a little relapse in the last week. Still a long ways from where I was a couple months ago, but it hurts more than a week ago. But, for the last week, I've been sit'n on my ass more than a week ago too. Somewheres down the road a piece, I know I'm gonna have to do something. Arthritis don't get better, it only gets worse. I've lived with this shit since 2000, I can make it a few more years a while longer.

Still no firm decision of my departure date. Actually I'm in no great big hurry. I dread that long ass drive like the plague. I rekon that's part of "git'n older". I just cain't get into the travel mode.

Ok, I got a boat to work on. Oh wait, I got a water heater to fix. It's 49 degs out there....I can handle that.
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Update: 2:30pm

Ok, while I was wait'n for it to get a bit warmer outside, I builded a door. Painted it red (not the same red as on the boat), painted the hinges black an' install 3 latch handles...knobs for city folk. Eight doors? I gonna be busy for a while.

Then, I worked on that chair. Played round with the swivel pivot point an' I'm gonna leave it right there. I'm think'n it's close enough.

Then....I went outside. The temp make it up to 56 degs, I can work on a water heater in that. First thing, I check the spark. Yup, it's fine. Then I loosen the propane supply line. Yup, I got propane. I pull the gas valve, something gotta be wrong with the gas valve. Well I want you take a lookie here, the orifice is plug up with something. Ain't no way in hell propane can go through that thing. *gotta go inside an' warm up*. I remove the orifice an' stick a needle through it. It's clear now. Put it all back together an' "walla", we got flame. I knowed I could do it...that's what I do ya know, fix stuff. 

Happy Thanksgiving

What the hell...is today a holiday??? Well shoot, I rekon it is. Everbody been talk'n bout Thanksgiving for a couple weeks now. This must be the day.

I don't know all bout Thanksgiving an' how it came to be, but I do remember something bout some drunken sailors what got lost at sea. "Land Hooooooo" one sailor shouted....as he was upchuck'n over the side...."I think I see a pub".

The ship was anchored up in a little cove an' the entire crew rowed ashore. Across the beach, they see smoke......loud wild music can be heard. There's a party go'n on. Half neekid kids run'n round, danc'n wimmins ain't got no tops on.....bouncy bouncy....men sip'n up the nectars of the sun gods. The smell of BBQ'ed fresh cut meats fill the air. One little fat man is cook'n some kind of strange bird (wild turkey) on a spit while he bastes it with a golden liquid (duck fat). Feathers lay at his feet.

Everbody gathers round, the natives an' the drunken sailors, in one big group. A feller with feathers grow'n out his head an' down his back steps forward an' begins a chant....wave'n a stik in the air.....or some shit like that. "Hoooga boooga walla bang bang Sacajawea obunga galla howdy dooo y'all". That's translated to "today we give thanks for this food....an' the gifts these drunken sailors bring us". Everbody digs in an' they all have a great Thanksgiving dinner with all the trim'ns.

That might not be exactly how it happen, but I'm think'n it was something like that. Today we celebrate that day all over again as we have for many many years. The turkey industry is mak'n a kill'n.

But today, I am alone. I ain't got me no turkey. I ain't got no cranberry sauce. All I got is a package of cheap hot dogs an' a froze pizza in the freezer. But, I am very thankful that grilled turkey, basted with duck fat, was discovered bout 500 years ago.

Ok, that's out of the way. Hope everbody gets their fill of a huge dinner today an' give a ton of thanks for all the family that come to visit.

Gonna try to make boat building a short subject toady. I did spend some quality time work'n on that thing yesterday an' yesterday night. As you can plainly see, it ain't gonna be long fore this sucker is done. Life boats an' smokestack rigging installed.

Hmmmmm....I got to make them doors more visible.

   Looks like more cold weather headed this way.....mid 30's at night an' a chilly mid 50's day time. That's nice for all them people that live up north, but this is the south....we don't do freez'n cold weather. *in the south, any time the temp drops below 55 degs, water will instantly freeze into big ol' ice cubes*

I screwed up......yup, again

Ok, I ain't the first blogger what ever did this, but I deleted 100 comments...by accident.

Ya see, I was check'n my Blogger "spam" folder. My god, I got 3600 plus spams in there.....let's delete 'em. I clicks some buttons an' Google goes to work....deleting 100 current comments, not spam. Man boy howdy was the old Billy Bob piss off. I look all over the place try'n to find a button to push to bring them comments back. There ain't no such button. Deleted comments are NOT recoverable.
 Ok, let's get on with our lives. Deleted comments are "water under the bridge"....or something like that.

I got to do something with this dad gum recliner chair. At 8pm last night, there was a program I wanted to watch, so I decided to go sit in the chair. Lay back, sip up a cup an' have me a relax'n even'n. That lasted right bout 20 minutes an' I was gone. Slap in dreamland in nuttin flat. I miss my program an' I sleep till 11pm....two hours before bedtime. Two more hours pass an' my eyeballs is big as dinner plates. I'm wide awake an' ain't no way I'm gonna go to bed to just lay there an' stare at the ceiling. You'll never guess in a hunnert years what I did.
But I did hit the sack at 3am. Sleeped till 9:30 this morn'n. "Man, I feels like a hunnet dollar bill" ready to go be spent. Freak'n hip hurts though. 

If you guessed "worked on that boat", you got it dead on right. Yesterday I worked on it too. Got the pilot house finished an' glued down to the cabin. The smoke stacks are finished an' glued in place. You DID notice they were repainted, right?  The front mast is properly aligned an' temporarily installed. Only 3 little mast lights an' that forward mast is done. Cabin hand railings has been started. Oh, careful examination will reveal doors glued in place on the cabin.

    Man boy howdy, this thing is look'n more like a tug boat ever day. That year I was talk'n bout to build this thing is gonna be a very short year. But that's one good thing bout be'n retired an' get'n up there an' on the "old" side. Years go by fast. Too fast.  This boat will be finished before ya know it.
Ha Ha...I'll keep ya informed as the project progresses.

I ain't even gonna mention Texas this morn'n. Although, I would like to be there instead of here. Here got down to 40 degs last night....an' it don't get that cold in south Texas.

Ok, I got things to do. Laters!!!!


 

Ain't no sleep at Billy Bob's house

Ha...it's 5:30 am. "What the hell ya do'n up at this hour Billy Bob....don't ya ever sleep"?
Well yeah I sleep. When I go to bed.

Ya see, I decided to go sit in that chair for a bit. Pooof, just like that....I was sound asleep in nuttin flat. I sleeped a good 3 or 4 hours. Missed my program on the TV. Before I know it, after watch'n some worthless crap on TV, it's time to go to bed (1am). I ain't a bit sleepy....I'll work on that tug boat, that's what I'll do. Then it's 2am, then 3am, then 4am an' then 5am. I make me up a pot of coffee. I still ain't sleepy.  I'm think'n today is gonna be one messed up day.

This is all I got done.....my god, it takes hours to make stuff an' pain't 'em. By the way, all painting is done by spray can.

Ok, listen to this. It got up to a whopp'n 78 degs yesterday. During them wonderful warm temps, I went outside an' clean up the yard. Pick up stuff an' put it where it supposed to be. No, it ain't all done....there's still more. Did a hammer an' screwdriver fix on that leak'n regulator. Reinstalled it an' it don't leak no more. Got a great big leaf bag full of trash. Did a little housework, not that it needed it. Warsh up dishes, sweep an' mop the floor, take trash out, listen to some cajun music....you know what I'm talk'n bout...it was a good day.

Yawn yawn, cain't see straight....I think I'm get'n ready to pass slap out. Maybe I'll go over there an' lay back in that chair an' see what happen. I'll be back later to finish this.
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Well shoot, that was a nice 4 hour nap. Got up grouchy an' stuff. Heat up that coffee an' now, a hour later, everthing is just fine. Ain't hardly any hip pain. That chair???

Now I got to tell ya something bout the old Billy Bob. He's been a loner all his life. Needs to be able to come an' go any time he wants. Been very careful who I become friends with. I can count 'em on one hand. Well, maybe two hands. To be tied down in one location don't fit my style. Like my son Robert say the other day...."when daddy get the wild hair, he's gone". Poooof....just like that.

Yes, I been very comfortable here in Georgia, camp'n in "yo mama's" yard. Kids an' grandkids show'n up all the time. Cheap rent an' free food once in a while. But, it's get'n close to that time to hit the road. "Ha ha Billy Bob, you're a month late". I'll not be spend'n the rest my life in Georgia. Advil has give me a new look on life. But I do know, I'll not be pain free.

Ok, I got a boat I got to work on. Laters..... 

Ain't no way it's 73 degs outside.....or is there?

Ha....this didn't take very long.....

I sit in that chair last night (2am till 3:30am). Ya see, I was gonna check out what it was like to sleep in a recliner instead of a bed. A little over a hour was all it took. I reline that thing all the ways back an' shut my eyes. Ha, that don't work when you're watch'n a good program on the TV. I got to go to bed (4am). Ain't nobody in their right mind stay up till 4am.....sheesh.

I had me somewhat of a time with that right hip all day yesterday. An' that brings up the question....why don't you git it fixed? Well ya see, I'm done with these doctors here in Georgia. Not that I don't like 'em or nuttin like that, but I got to git out of Georgia before the first snow fall. Shoot, the first freeze was bad enough.  Another doctor appointment an' I'll be shovel'n snow in sub zero freez'n temps.

But....with family an' all, it's hard to just pack up an' hit the road. I like be'n round my kids an' grandkids. I like be'n waited on hand an' foot when I'm in need of assistance. "Yo mama" is a hell of a cook. HIL Harry talks my ears plumb off on a daily basis. *strange situation to be camped in your X's yard after 40 years* 

Yes dad gum it, I worked on that tug boat yesterday. Ya see, it was rain'n like hell an' I don't like rain. I can handle the sound of it beat'n down on the roof, but when it's all cloudy an' gloomy outside, I don't like it a bit. Rain is for ducks. But anyhows, them stacks had finger prints all over them, a few scratches...stuff like that. I repainted them. Added them little stick thingys, cussed a few cuss'n words an' walla.

But, guess what....I don't like it. Them red stripes round the stacks are too wide for my like'n. Betcha a dollar I can fix that. Break out the tape an' repaint 'em narrow again.

Ok, that rain storm (cold front) what hit yesterday. Well, it was supposed to bring colder temps to the old Billy Bob's house. It's 73 degs outside an' the door is wide open. What the hell??? Shoot, I could go outside an' finish clean up the yard. But will I...that's the question. I'm think'n, while the repaint job is dry'n, I could take that leak'n regulator an' throw it in the dumpster. Throw them two "sun eat up" camp'n chairs in there too. Fill up a garbage bag, or two, with all that trash lay'n on the ground (construction materials). *I just throw shit out the door when I'm done with it ya know*. Round up all my miss'n tools an' put 'em back where they belong. Dang, that could turn into a bunch of "work".

I got to turn "da house" around. I cain't back this big sucker into the street an' then back it back into the yard. Too much dad gum traffic, an' there's a freak'n mail box right in my way. The wide open yard next door was my plan. But....it rained. I would sink up to the axles in all that Georgia red clay mud.
But wait, the old Billy Bob has a plan........more on that later when I attempt do it.

Ok, I got stuff to do. See ya tomorrow......laters.