My Boring Life Stuff

Today I plan to ride my bicycle. Been some time since I had ridden. It is amazing at the difference in my ability to balance between when I was a kid and now. Shaky with the handle bars with one hand. I suppose that is how age creeps up on you. Maybe I should wait to drink a bunch of beer until after I am done riding.


Wife and I like to ride the trails. Gives her an opportunity to gab incessantly about all the meaningless dribble she finds interesting. Every so often someone will shout at us. “Passing on the Left”. Then they go zooming past. Makes me wish I had gotten an EBike. One that screams along at 30MPH so I can yell at people. EBikes allow you to peddle when you want to peddle, and ride when you want to just ride. They go uphill, too. That is the part that I suspect I would like best.

We see quite a few EBikes while out riding. Young people ride them, but mostly it is old farts with their wretched knees. They look like they might be fast enough to outrun a bear. Maybe not.

I visited cycle shops and saw that they want an amazing amount of money for a regular bike. Wally World had us two bikes for $400 something together. Cycle shops started at 500 each. Then there are all the accessorization that must happen. I say must happen. I got LiveScope mounted on my handlebars. We each have lights facing forward for night time riding. A bell. The city has an ordinance that says all cycles must have a front and rear light at night, and a bell at all times. In case you crash. You have something to do while lying in the ditch. You can ring your bell for ambulatory service. Ring Ring……nurse nurse get the hearse I am getting worse.

Actually, taking a wicked spill is very much a part of cycling as an adult. As kids we get up and rub some dirt on our injuries and ride on brother. I realize that I might crash and come away with difficult to heal injuries. I wear my helmet and I try to be careful. Sooner or later I will go down.

They have apps for bike riding. One said give us your credit card to prove that you are an adult, click agree to all these terms, and we promise not to charge the card. Hmmmmmm……..

The app I am using now shows speed, fastest speed achieved, time and distance and a GPS map showing location. I got a mount for the handle bars. Last trip out we went 3 miles one way, and then back for a total of six miles. Each trip out we go a little further. My legs need to work their way up to this riding stuff. She does leg exercizes all the time so it is easier for her, but still she mentions the way her legs feel when done.

Gliding silently along the path we surprise squirrels and such. I holler passing on the right and she wobbles some.

Ours are mountain bikes. I want to ride sally ride some of the trails we have hiked. She does not want to ride trails just yet. Says she is concerned about crashing. I said it is just dirt, not hard asphalt like the other trails. We both agree we will not venture out onto the highway. That is just idiocy. Taunting those that drive large cars at high speed. When steel meets flesh and bone, steel wins every time. Squish you go and all for what ? Just to show you have a right to ride on the road, too ?

Not long ago I had an encounter with an angry bike rider. Out on the four lane O’Dark hundred, people trying to get to work. Huge beautiful bike lane, and he wanted to ride in the middle of the right lane. Until I came round towing the boat. Then he was cussing up a storm and wanted to fight, and so I stopped and got out. He saw me and took off. I hollered- “Wait…. come back I want my lesson”. So riding the roads is not a good idea. I actually used to bury them folks. So sad, struck down during the fever of life. Wasted lives, but they got their point across maybe. Their right to ride the road, too.

One morning about two decades ago my brother and I encountered a gaggle of idiots that refused to ride single file. They would turn around and look at us and just keep going. I wanted to blow the horn but my brother was behind the wheel. It was like they wanted us to see how much fun they were having. Finally we got around them. Then down the road he decides to stop and get some gas. Well sure enough here they came, and then stopped at the traffic light right there at the gas station. I walked towards them and started telling them how stupid they were. That they looked silly. Like a bunch of Court Jesters. On and on the insults just sort of flowed out of my mouth. They just got mad and when the light turned, off they went. Up ahead we encountered them again and I shouted out “Cowards” as we passed them. Might have been a bird flying in the area, never know.

So I have zero plans to dress up like a Court Jester and hound people as they try to go down the highway. We shall stick to nature trails and such where we see only the beautiful stuff. The trail she likes best is paved over top of some old RailRoad tracks. The right of way would cost millions to accumulate today. Swampy all around and moskeeters can’t alight upon your thinnest skin parts when you are moving at super duper high speed. Yes, we average about 8 mph. Which is blazing fast if you didn’t already realize.

We are going riding again today. Same trail she always wants to ride. I suppose we will stretch it out some and go for an incredible 8 miles. Very few people can ride 8 miles on a mountain bike, down an asphalt trail, carrying all that extra weight of the light, phone, and bell. Very few. That is why so many get them EBikes. They let the battery and motor do the work. I am supposed to be getting exercise. I really don’t much care for exercise. I should have gotten the EBike. Zoom Zoom…..look at me.

My doctor is always harping on me getting some exercise Who cares I only see him twice a year. He doesn’t know that mostkly I sit in the shade and drink beer. I mean maybe he does, but really does it matter ? We all shall perish. Life is like a vapor. Here today gone tomorrow with lots of stuff in between. I don’t see the need to just add in a dose of exercise when we can just sit in the shade and drink beer and stare out at the creation meant for us to enjoy. I like flavored alcoholic drinks, too. Moonshine, stuff like that. Never fooled with the dope stuff. I tried coffee and liked that. Tried cigarettes, liked them. Tried beer, liked that. Whiskey, liked that. So I knew that if I tried dope, that I would like that, too. I would be a true mess today had I just tried that stuff. I see the sadness it generates in them what dare try it.

My Kid brother is coming to visit later today. So after the ride I will relax some and maybe visit the grocery store. Watch some Foo-Ball out in my manly man lair. The garage. There there is none to request the volume be adjusted to a ridiculously low level. No one cares if you spill your beer or dribble cheese sauce on the floor. No one to suggest a Romantic Comedy take the place of foo-ball. Just me and my pups, altogether with our snacks and cold beer. I even have a fridge in the garage, and yes there is some cold beer kept in there.

Well time to see if she is ready to head off on our biking adventure.

Fella been ripping up and down the road here with a chainsaw motor hooked to his bike. That thing was screaming. Surely exceeding the posted speed limit on the road. Braver than I am at this point in life

Hey! I’m an ole fart with wrecked knees! My bicycle is my JD tractor…:biggrin

When we got married, she picked out her engagement ring. Somehow she lost it. No big deal as it was about a $20 ring. Like I said, she picked it. I was ready to go whole hog and finance a large rock, but she didn’t want that. She wanted that dumb thing instead. Ordered on line too. Oh well.

Our anniversary is just a few days away and so I took her shopping for a new ring yesterday. She told the dealer that she did not like diamonds and wanted something to go with her slender fingers. She selected a pearl with some diamonds around it. I must say it does look very nice. She picks it up Friday, after the anniversary, due to getting it sized downwards to fit.

The ring cost pretty good, $600, but it was no where near what I had prepared myself to pay. I saw her texting pictures of it. She showed her father pictures of it when we visited. Seems to be very happy with her choice. Personally I would have selected the big rock.

Then she asks what I want for our anniversary. Hmmmmmmmm……

Garmin Force TM ( $ 3,800 )
IPhone 15 Pro ( $1,200 )
New Truck. ( $ 80,000 )
New Gun ( $ 1,800 )
Dancing Girls with Cold Beer. ( Priceless )


Not sure what I should ask for, so I guess I choose nothing. Happy just to see her when I come home from working. Mom was right, when the right one comes along you will know it. A good woman is one thing. A fantastic woman is something entirely different. Never settle for less than, when with a little patience you can get the best.

Ouch. Good thing you got the new gun in hand before the dancing girls and beer. Just say.:biggrin

Saturday morning we went to my boss’s lake front home. He was hosting an antique boat show. There were fifty very old boats there on display, many of which no longer run. They are just for looking at. There were people set up with old outboard engines, many of which are not for sale. Weird I know. Everyone seemed to be very proud of whatever it was they had. They even had a raffle for an old boat that needed refinishing. I kept my money in my pocket afraid I might win the damn thing and have to keep it in my yard.

Then there was a water ski show. Man that was pretty good. My wife sure liked it. Like Cypress Gardens….well close. They did pyramids and show cased various hot dog moves. Like circling the boat and barefoot sking. They had outfits and did some lifts and other tricks. It was very nice.

Then they served BBQ ribs, chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a roll with sweet tea. I have prepared and eaten that meal many times, and it is still just as good as the first time I had it. After the meal I helped some, and then left. My wife was ready to get out of there, even if I wanted to stay some.

Their home is very nice and they just built a two boat lift dock. The home has been in their family for 70 years or so.


Then we drove to the HomeDepot to buy a…..wait for it……wait…….a new water heater. The old one started getting really hot. Then I had to hit the reset button. Then it was the circuit breakers. I had already pulled the top element and it was crusted over. I considered a rebuild, but decided after 25 years it would be best to simply replace it. The cost was $425 for a 40 gallon tank.

The old unit was very heavy with sludge in the bottom. I couldn’t put it in the truck by myself. My wife had to help and we barely got it. Of course, easing it off at the dump was far easier. I thought to myself that I made the right decision in replacing the unit altogether. Mt electric bills have been running high and I think I found out why.

The new heater had screws on top vs. copper tubes. I bought Shark Bite fittings and braided lines to do the hookup. It was super easy to do and looks nice, too. The next guy, the one that replaces the unit, will enjoy the ease the hoses present when replacing the unit. This was a fairly easy DIY job. I mean your setup might present some issues that require a pro, but most likely if you ever need to do this you can. I probably should have replaced mine years ago. I plan to drain this thing next year and try to keep the sludge build up to a minimum.

I did discover why it takes so long to get hot water to the master bathroom shower. They ran 3/4” copper line into the water heater, but only 1/2” copper line out. I suppose the builder saved himself a few dollars at a lifetime of expense to the home owner. I just thought that was a pretty nasty thing to do. He couldn’t have saved but a few hundred dollars. The kitchen sink also has a medium water flow when it comes to hot water.

The builder went out of business not long after he built the home. Everything they put in it was builder-cheap grade stuff. The walls are cinder block with poured concrete inside corners and certain places along the wall. Concrete floor, hip roof with asphalt shingles. The shingles were regular builder grade, and we are considering a metal roof soon. Not sure I want to go to that expense, but it would be an almost permanent fix. We shall see.

The A/C unit needs a complete replacement now as well. 25 years is doing pretty good. Trane makes a nice unit, or at least they did. The newer models are very energy efficient. There were some new regulations passed by the government that will make future units a royal pain, so now is a good time to get one. The government never does anything to help us, just hinder us.

I have a friend that does A/c refrigeration work and with what I will save on the new unit, will be spent on buying something very nice. Such is life for the homeowner. Beautiful, no gorgeous weather, and no fishing. BLUCK !!!!

Sorry to hear about the hot water heater. Our went out at 8.5 years old just 3 weeks ago or so. The water was scorching hot when we returned from the KY Lake Shindig. The thermostat was bad and it couldn’t be reset. Ours was so full of rusty sludge it wouldn’t drain. It was heck moving it out to the tractor full. Once outside it got it drained finally and the loaded her up. It was under warranty as we got the 9 year warranted model.

The retailer replaced cit no questions asked and the new model doubled in price from 8 years ago to a whopping 921.00! Blessed we didn’t have to pay for a new one. We are also blessed it didn’t blow up as often happens when a circuit breaker fails. https://youtu.be/l3i_ZGPtm68?si=ABCXefoxC6M6H4us

Did you put an expansion tank on your cold water side? It is an inexpensive and often required by code safety “outlet” for thermal expansion. Found this for you. What Is a Thermal Expansion Tank (& How To Check It) | ApplianceTeacher


Thermal Expansion Tank here. Search Results for thermal expansion tank at The Home Depot


I hear tell insurance companies can deny claims if a water heater blows up. Who knows but for $40.00 it’s a safeguard.

I think we are going tankless when the time comes. Run it on gas and only heat it when you need it

The new water heater I installed has a high pressure release valve on top. I ran a PVC pipe from it down to the floor. If high pressure occurs inside the tank, the valve will valve itself open and shoot air and water down that pipe and onto the floor. This will avert an explosion as seen on TV.

I do not feel that an expansion tank is necessary. Now Jack will need one if he installs his on demand unit. It would prevent the internal piping from splitting open. Plumbing can be tricky. I mean there I was, crouched over trying to fiddle up the thermostat, and my crack wasn’t showing. Not even a little and you can ask my wife. I am disgrace to the entire industry.

Like this? :Rofl

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Friday I worked all day long, and then did a cook that evening. Fed 800 screaming teenagers BBQ chicken, mac & cheese, baked beans and garlic bread. Sweet tea and lemonade as well. They were dancing and hollering and having a good time and they liked the food. I didn’t get home until late that night, and when I did I was stiff.

Next morning I was waiting on her majesty to get ready to go fishing. Waiting means being patient apparently. Finally at about 9:30 she emerged ready to go fishing. We headed to the lake that is just down the road a piece. Cloudy skies, warm, and very light winds. A gorgeous Fall day here in the Sunshine State. We have had a months worth of these days and they are super enjoyable. 50’s in the morning, 80’s mid day.

The launch was fairly busy but we got done and gone pretty easily I guess. Headed mid-lake and started trolling. There were a few boats around but it looked like most folks were fishing somewhere else. We trolled around for about 2 1/2 hours and decided to call it quits. We were catching a few fish, and had I really tried we could have caught more, but other things were on the schedule.

Like fetchen Thanksgiving food items. I visited the store and they had Butterballs on sale 99 cents per pound. I got two of these fine birds, but the cashier would only ring up one. Limited she said. I put everything in the truck and came back in for a second bird. Not hoarding or nothing, it is just that I have to serve two birds. They taste so good the bunch screams through them and they always want a taker home container.

I got the canned yams for sweet potato casserole. Got green beans for that casserole. Bread stuffing stuff for stuffing stuff. Herbs for a favorable and aromatic poultry presentation. Pickles and such for a pickle plate. My brother brings stuffing, mashed potatoes, and mashed sweet potatoes. His wife is a vegetarian so he also brings special stuff just for her to eat. I have seen it and he does a great job to please her.

I will have up to 14 people, but maybe less. I will get the final guest count later this week so I can fill in any gaps at the store before the big day.

I used to brine my birds, but with a Butterball there is no need. These birds come pre-brined and anything I would do would be unnoticeable. I just thaw in the fridge for four or five days, and then break them out morning of. I wash them very well, inside and out. Pat them dry and prepare them with some apple slices, onion slices, rosemary thyme, and some orange slices. I pack the cavity very lightly so hot air can enter the cavity and cook the bird from the inside as well. Packing them with stuffing blocks air flow and means having to leave the bird in the oven for too long. Dry bird.

After the death of my father, I have been the go to for the bird. Ever since, I have followed the Martha Steward Perfect Bird recipe. It does a fabulous job, and has never failed to leave me with the perfect bird. I wrap the bird in cheesecloth and saturate that with a mixture of butter and white wine. Then carefully monitor using a digital thermometer. I pull the bird at 160 because he will continue to rise to 165 while setting on the counter top. Oh and I remove the cheese cloth a hour ahead of estimated time so the skin gets that golden brown color.

The birds stay out while everything else is finished off. I like the presentation part as it puts everyone in the mood. They see them birds in all their glory and they know it is going to be good grub. Just prior to eating I take one of the birds into the kitchen and fillet off his breasts. Then I slice the fillets into 3/4” thick slices. Cutting against the grain ensures these will cut with a fork. Ummmmmm good. Doesn’t need to be slathered in gravy to get a moist tender piece. Dad used to cut slices down the side of the bird, just as in the Rockwell painting. That leaves you with stringy meat that you have to hack at. Removing the breast and slicing against the grain is THE way to go.

The other bird will get pretty much the same treatment, but out on the smoker. From there he will sort of time up with the oven bird and be done about the same time. This one is a tad darker but still gorgeous. This is how I do two large birds. I like the 20 pound size, and at 99 cents per pound, why not ?

I use the oven pan to make the gravy. I use Wondra and try to get the little pieces to show up in the gravy. This beats gravy from a jar by about a million miles. It is very much worth making your own gravy. After all the basting I do with the butter and wine, there is plenty of juice to be had.

Thanksgiving was my father’s favorite holiday. I like to make a big deal of it so that the family can make it their favorite, too. I keep extra tables and chairs in the shed for extra seating, and aside from a party every so often, they only get used for this event. I have a big kitchen so nobody feels crowded and they walk in and snoop around during the lead up. I never understood why people would take their family out to a restaurant. No leftovers is really bad, but how about the people working there ? They have to sacrifice their holiday so others can have theirs. Folks say to me, well they are getting paid, but big deal their boss is making them work. I am sure they would rather be preparing food for their family. Just learn to cook.




Today we will go for our bike ride. Mountain bikes. We have worked our way up to a ten mile ride. Not sure I want to do ten today though. The weather is just fabulous. Next weekend I will try to shoot a doe off my back porch. Thought about trying it from the hot tub, but visibility is limited. I suspect it will be an evening shoot. I want to have some venison, and you can’t taste them horns, so no need to sit in a tree for weeks on end. Them slick heads do just fine for me.



The lake is chock full of hydrilla. So I present to you……. The Godzilla of the Hydrilla



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The bird sounds phenomenal

Yesterday was nasty weather round my parts. Nothing gusty, just cold and rainy. A nice drizzling I guess. After work I stopped to get some gas and saw a dude on a bicycle. He was wearing a tee shirt and long pants and both were drenched. He is one of our many homeless folks. He was shivering and talking funny. I removed my down vest and offered it to him, but he said no. I took off my hat and offered him that, and again he said no. he was speaking to the attendant about how his arm hurt from wrecking his bike.

Later the attendant told me he was high on Molly. Not sure what drug that is but I suspect he was high, too. Bad weather to be a bum, derelict, hobo, vagrant. We have a lot of these types showing up down here each Winter. There are campsites all around the area. Many years ago Danny Rawlings came to town and was camping out behind where I work. He went on from there to become the Gainesville Ripper.

The town likes to invite bums to come live in our backyards. They see themselves as being so sophisticated and kind. Which they are, but once you have to live with these people, I mean in close and regular like, you lose your sophistication and kindness. I like to tell those that support bums to invite them to some stay at their home. Get a good taste of why these people are homeless. Gainesville has forgotten the lesson that Danny Rawlings taught. Invite these mentally unstable people in and sooner or later someone is going to get hurt.

So I drive home in the rain and it was chilly. As I got close to home I see all these cops. It was just getting dark and they were everywhere on this small rural road. I saw all manner of people on the side of the road, lights blazing away. Then I seen this here thingie thing.

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About ten years ago the sheriff bought it and they used it to pursue a criminal that was loose in the bush. He shot at them, and so they brung in another such vehicle, but this one was bigger and had bullet proof glass. They ended up running him down and squashing him underneath the tracks. They wouldn’t release the driver’s name, so we couldn’t buy him a beer.

Anyways, seems a small plane had crashed out in the woods along Paynes Prairie. The plane was purchased on October 31st by a 21 year old pilot who had his license. radar showed him making drastic turns and climbing, then diving at the ground at 300 mph until he disappeared off of radar. I guess something was wrong with the plane. He took off from Kissimee earlier. The plane was a Cherokee Piper 180, which is common for flight schools. It is designed to go about 1/2 that fast. There was an explosion, but I don’t think the kid suffered. I mean that sort of thing matters to me. I feel so sorry for him and his family. I am certain that flying was his dream and to have this happen is just terrible. He got his license May 2021.

His parents live in Melrose.

Last year I ordered me up a flat top griddle. FedEx destroyed it and left the remnants mid way up my driveway. Took a month for Walmart to refund my credit card. Well after all of that a friend gave me a Charbroiler. 3 feet by 2 feet with three burners. The grill had cast iron grates which are very nice and easy to care for provided the grill is in doors. Mine is under a cover outdoors and no matter my best efforts, rust.

I had been eyeing Grill Grates which are aluminum replacements for grills and commercial stuff. I have a pair in my Acorn smoker that are about ten years old now. The cost to replace the entire top of the Charbroiler was $300+. Well happy turkey day comes and they have a 30% sale. I got the grates in the mail yesterday and can’t wait to install them and cook a big fat ribeye. They say to heat them up and rub them down with a raw onion to cure. I think they look cool right now, but after all of that they will appear dark brown.

Being aluminum they put on wonder sear marks. They prevent the juices from flaring up and scorching the meat above. We installed them on all our grills at work and everyone loves them. The only issue is leaving them on a grill, burning hot with no food, can cause them to melt/burn. I doubt i will have a problem less I ignore the grill as it warms.


I also got a new jig mold from Fat Guys fishing. Their Pill Head in 1/16th, with 14 cavities.


Then my wife says she wants to get me a new phone for Christmas. To replace the IPhone 6 I have been milking along like a sick cow. IPhones are expensive, but I have had the current phone a long time. So long it can no longer be traded in. So I thunk long and hard about the situation, and thunk that a new phone would be able to be traded in on the latest model. I don’t need a “plan” that offers a fresh phone every year. I can keep the new one for a couple of years and trade it in while it is still of some worth.

I also thunked that buying a 13 or a 14 doesn’t make since since they are already older models and I would save a fe bucks, but then be behind the curve on trade ins. So the latest model makes sense to me. Then it became a choice of the four models of the 15. Again, I went with the thought in my head to get the best one, which is their Pro model. To increase the diagonal size of the screen 1/2” costs $200. Instead I went with the standard size and spent the extra to get increased brain power. All in white you see.

I have to wait for Santa, even though it will arrive way ahead of him. I cancelled auto refill on my current model as I intend to try a new service. December 16th is last day of service. I will have to do without a phone for a week or so. I can use the WiFi to take calls and texts at work and home, just the driving around will have me without. The new service I am considering is Verizon’s cheap stuff called Visible. $20 a month for calls and texts and data at the 5G level.

5G is difficult to get in my rural area anyways. Having the phone and the service doesn’t mean you get 5G. You get other. They substitute on your behalf and give you the old 4 stuff. So why pay a bunch to get something they do not intend to provide ?

So IPhones are treated by society in much the same way as are cars. Oh sure you can get an older model phone and go around looking cheap and lame, but why would you when you can look all cool and sophisticated like I might look. Well…. I might.


So my Christmas is already shot. Except her. She will get some interesting things. She enjoys music a lot. So a nice sound bar for the TV so she can play music is in order. Just got her ears pierced again. Nope……can’t remove the studs until way after Christmas. Her birthday in Februgly will see her with new earrings. She likes pearls. I also know that she likes warm pajamas while watching the TV. They make some expensive ones for sure. Some essential lotions and and such. Then some whacky stuff for her to enjoy. You know toys.


She has hired Bark Busters to come train Charli. Yup, she sure did. A pile of money, too. I tried to explain that she chewed stuff like furniture, wallpaper, pillows, clothes and such because…….wait for it….wait…..because she was a puppy. Well she had her first birthday on Thanksgiving Day and I haven’t seen her chewing our stuff in some time. I think she did like I figured and grew out of it.

But she digs in her large yard. She digs over here, then she digs over there. She likes to dig in the mulched areas next to the house and that upsets her mother. She still gets excited to meet people and us when we come home. Too much enthusiasm for any of us. I do not think Mr. Bark Busters is gonna be able to do a thing about that. We already try to ignore the poor devil but she will have none of that.

I suspect what my woife will get for her money is a nice person that will lecture her husband for her. It will all come down to the bad things I either did or did not do that have caused poor Charli to become an absolute savage. I know this is how the deal is gonna go down.

The dog has this unreal amount of energy. She goes and goes and goes. She will spend hours trying to snatch dragonflys out of the air. Barks at squirrels, and watches birds fly overhead. Lizards, snakes, spiders and bugs of all manner are also game to her. I watch as she chews the limbs off of palmetto bushes then shreds then into little pieces. Sticks and limbs are just things to entertain the girl. I don’t think Butt Busters is gonna untrain that.

She does bark in the mornings when the squirrels first start to scurry about. I kind of like that because the neighbors have been jerks to us and I envision them awakening needlessly everyday. I know I know….. supposed to be nice. I have been but they must not be Christian because that ain’t what we get back.

Some look at Charli and see pitbull, some see American FoxHound. I see a mix of the two and that is why she is so rambunctious. At 60 pounds she can hit your legs and knock you down. She has almost got me down a few times. She went running by the other day and her hard head struck my soft knee. That was interesting as only one of seemed to notice.

I tested her a week or so ago. I snuck around and entered the house through the garage whilst she laid upon the couch next to her mommy. I held up a towel so as to hide my face. Then I entered like I was an escapee from Dahmer’s castle. The dog started barking but made no move towards protecting anything other than her backside. Coward. So I told my wife that if Ted Bundy bum rushes us, that she will need to protect Charli, because ain’t no way that dog gonna do squat.

Still we love her and she has a lot of love to give in return. I hope she knocks Buster Square Pants trainer boy down in the mud.

Good read this morning. I enjoyed it. I remember your grill fiasco and am looking forward to seeing that perfectly seared Ribeye. I get around the phone issues by wait for it, wait……not owning one. :Rofl. I keep a home phone which at times can be a slight inconvenience away from home but iffn I need one I grab my wife’s. Love the dog story.

Chicks dig new IPhones in White.

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When the Dane was still alive she enjoyed nothing more than running at you full tilt and turning at the last minute to watch you cringe. Just to shake things up every now and again she wouldn't turn. 140 pounds of dog slamming into you at better than 20 miles and hour. That was a hit for sure

Boring stuff again……


My IPhone 6 finally got so bad a new phone was in order. Got the 15 Pro for Christmas. It’s OK, I mean it doesn’t have an app to clean fish or anything. Decided to try the Visible phone service @ $25 a month unlimited. Haven’t found any blank areas as I roam about. Of course these companies shift you secretly from the go anywhere version to their Ha Ha Ha plan after about a month. My phone is unlocked so if they do that I can switch again.

The USC plug to charge the phone isn’t a USB plug. Hmmmmmmm….. tricked me there. Now ordering USC charging stuff. The metal insert is a tad smaller. Just enough to ensure it doesn’t work.

Christmas was a hazy affair and I never really got into the spirit. In fact, I didn’t get into the beer either. Eggnog prices are outrageous so only had a little taste of that. Maybe I’ll have something interesting for this next holiday.

The old woman made out like a three armed bandit. We made her open two gifts for every one of ours and she still had stuff to open after we were done. Lotions, silk pajamas, books, all manner of things. The girl was overwhelmed and wanted it all to just stop. I liked the silk long johns she got, but they look to be a bit small for me. Long johns can keep you warm on those cold days where the wind is howling. She might be cold, but I would be nice and toasty had they fit. She got lots of stuff, and I got a phone. Hmmmmmmmm……

I put a four bone prime rib on the smoker and slow roasted it to absolute perfection. Prime rib is simply rib eye steaks all stuck together. I enjoy the flavors of the crust mixed with a nice hunk of pink meat. I pulled the thing at 115 F and let it finish off on the counter top. Cut it half hour later and it was juicy and delicious. Baked potatoes are always a nice compliment.

Last trip to the store found me buying a whole tenderloin for $50. This is the muscle that is on the inside of the abdominal cavity. On deer it is small and most folks don’t even harvest it. The meat doesn’t really have the flavor of the rib eye, but it is very tender and lean. I like cutting the thing into 2” hunks and put them in the seus vide cooker to cook, then roll them around atop the Charbroiler to finish. Another nice finish is to start the charcoal starter cone thingie, wait until it gets jet engine flamage, then holding the steaks in tongs, roast until charred nicely. This gives both taste and appearance qualities.

I also like to seus vide chuck roasts, then sear them, and eat sliced on a plate with the other stuff. Very tasty indeed. I also like chili. Chili is always good on a cold day, like today.

Bought a new heat pump and air handler. Nice and big, too. Not so large that it will not work right. See the unit has to recirculate the air. If the unit is too big it cools too quickly and shuts off before the air has been moved around. Doesn’t get to all the moisture. Mine is just a little too big. These new units are very efficient and it will save me money on my electric bill. The old unit is 25 years old and still in place running.

Heat pumps should come with instructions. When the temperature drops down below 40 degrees, switch the thermostat to Emergency Heat. This will use the heat strips inside the air handler to heat the house. Yes, those cost more to run, but they cycle off. Leaving the heat pump set to Heat means it will run and run and not do much of anything for you. Other than waste electricity. Most people do not know this little fact, and instead of calling it Emergency Heat, they should call it Below 40 degrees Heat.

The new unit will re[lace the old and tired unit I have been milking along with parts. I am finishing off my garage to convert it into living space and needed a larger unit to service the extra 500 square feet. Now I can add the space to the new unit and everything should work out nicely. My A/C friend suggested that I buy before the end of the year, and he will install it later. Apparently our friends in the government have some nasty surprises for us in the works. Regulations that require us to spend more money to remain cool inside our homes. I heard new systems will be unserviceable, or less so than current systems. Closed systems that require complete replacement where the old ones just got more fluid pumped in. Don’t quote me, but you can be sure the new regulations are not there to help us.

I am thinking this garage deal will give me a place to tie my jigs, and work on other projects. Inside the house there is no room for me. Everything concerns her some how. Man Cave. I abhor dry wall finishing, so I suspect a wooden wall look to the thing. I also intend to run a section of roof out away from the garage to allow her to pull up and park underneath it when it is raining. Keep my smoker out there, too.

In order to claim this garage, I had to purchase a shed to store all our junk. Christmas and Halloween decorations, tools, gas cans, generator, just a collection of stuff. The shed has been a real blessings in this regard. Really cannot finish off a garage as an extra room without somewhere to put garage type stuff. The garage has shelves that I built, which will get doors to clean up the look. Hide the stuff on the shelves cabinet style, only using large swinging doors.

I can also create a small room to hide the air handler and hot water heater, and have a regular door there. Inside I can add shelves for storing various sundry items. Dead bodies, stuff like that. I figured out how to make it larghe enough to service the water heater and the air handler should they need be.

My wife wants me to adjust the temperature on the how water heater. I want to please her but at what extra cost. She kind of stands around in the shower already. I am in and out and don’t see the need to just stand there. I can’t take the heat from just hot water as it is, so how can she ? I think I will just try to ignore this some more and hope she stops asking. I also considered insulating the new hot water heater that I myself installed. Might be a waste of money, might not.

The mosquitos are taking it on the chin today baby. Cold out there. I think it is below 40. Brrrrrrrrrr cold. That is the kind of cold where a man could freeze to death. It will reach up into the 50’s later today, then drop back down over night. The people up North must be especially happy about the weather. Nothing says a great place to live like 8 hard months of Winter. Dreary skies, all the trees look dead, the snow is dirty and ice is everywhere. Bundle up little darlings, it’s cold outside.

We were wearing shorts just a few days ago, and soon enough it will warm back up. I love me some Florida baby.

I have to go to the grocery store this morning. Don’t say that too fast. I get a horrible feeling as I insert my card to pay for essentials. The cost for eggs has come down some, but people are accusing the sellers of price fixing. This was common place during the flu epidemic. Everyone just raised their pricing, and then the created inflation came along and added to the cost of everything else. A $200 receipt turned into a $300 receipt and it has stayed that way every since. I feel for those that are struggling to feed their families. I see what they are getting, and how little of it there is. Don’t understand why any of it was necessary.

Costs alot of money to eat healthy. The vegetables, fruits, and such are high dollar. I buy frozen fruits in bags and while they lack the quality of fresh, they can be much less in cost. Canned fruit is also cost effective, and the trick for me is choosing which ones I like. Not all are acceptable. Spinach, roamine lettuce, onions, carrots, potatoes, citrus, apples, cucmbers, mushrooms, bananas, pine apple, cantalope, and such are the most part of my bill. I buy very little from the inside areas. I buy meats in bulk and vacuum pack and freeze to store what is on sale. Milk is still a fair deal I guess. I also like cheese in bulk sizing vs. the grocery store portions. Bread is high dollar and we eat much less of it now because of that fact.

I will eat fruit, some fresh some thawed for breakfast with a little snack. Then for lunch a big salad with cheeses and leftover meats. Then I eat a snack or so for dinner and done. I am trying to lose weight and so far it has worked out well. I consume the calories during the day and not just before bedtime. I feel this gives me a chance at working them off. Folks comment that they think I have lost weight, so it must be working. If I could just get down to my fighting weight of 350 pounds…….

OK…..250 pounds.

Been riding our bikes for exercise but I still want an electric bike so I can keep up with her without killing myself. Cheat a little and cruise whilst behind her and she can not see. Electric bikes are pricey devils. My next purchase needs to be a metal roof for the house. The shingles on it now are past their life expectancy. Metal roofs are expensive but she wants she wants.

She hired a dog trainer for the hound and I laughed and laughed. She is very serious about it all I assure you. The dog just wants to eat snacks, play and get petted. She doesn’t realize that her mama is serious. As a rescue she won the lottery when she came to this home. Doggie door to a really large fenced yard. Not much more needed to please the dog. She still chews some things, and has passed her first birthday. I say she will grow out of it, she thinks training will work. So far neither of us has been right. She is however stioll the sweetest dog I ever had. The woman too.

Man is it HOT. This past weekend was 98 degrees with bright sunshine all day long.

On Memorial Day I visited some friends at their public pool, and was there from Noon to 1:00 and told them I needed to go. Even slathered in sun screen I was turning very lobster like inside an hour. The girls wanted to work on their tans, but not this fool.

I have been so busy with things that fishing for crappie just hasn’t been making the schedule. I miss it. Haven’t tied a jig in a long time either. Miss that, too.

Took the wife tubing down the Ichetucknee River again. Man is that pleasant. It is a state park and opens at 8:00 a.m., then after entrance is denied once capacity is met. Folks sit in their extremely hot cars waiting for people to leave so they can get inside. We arrived at 8:30 and waited in a long line anyways just to show our annual park pass.

We like to skip the tram ride and instead walk through the beautiful woodlands to arrive at the launch site. We try to time our entrance into the water in between the groups that arrive via trams. Arriving early and getting in early is a great way to just relax and drift past the flowers, in a more or less uncrowded atmosphere. Turtles, alligators, fish, all manner of creatures are hanging around before the masses arrive. Dragon Flies alight upon you and ride you for fun.

The water is crystal clear and cool. Average depth is probably five feet or so. The float trip is mostly shaded by large overhanging trees. The few spots where direct sunlight can get at you feels good, too.

Along the banks are huge cypress trees of unimaginable age. Many bear the scars of lightening strikes from years long ago. I guess if you tower over the landscape for four hundred years worth of Summertime thunderstorms, you get hit eventually. You can see the streaks where the lightening ran down the side and popped off the bark. Some of the trees have hollow sections. It is amazing to see these huge trees with just a few leaves on them. Along their bases are the cypress knees that jut out of the water. I think these are for breathing, not sure about that.

I don’t know why kids want to scream and holler, but they do. My wife says she does not like little boys. One hit me in the head with his paddle. His mama totally oblivious, or more likely, worn down from years of trying to control her devil. He apologized, but got the stranger lecture anyways. Wanted to get away from them but they had paddles and thought it fun to stay close to us.

The paddle boarders were very thin, which is a true blessing. Some kayakers. The kayakers like to think they are having fun, that is they want you to think they are having fun, but that didn’t appear to be fun….. to me at least. Looked like they were very hot, while surrounded by some of the prettiest and cool waters you have ever seen. The tubers all looked to be having a really good time. Lots of smiles there. Kayakers looked like grumpy old men.

There is a trick to getting into the water to start tubing. You stand on the pier, gather the tube around you from behind, and just leap in trying to land upright. C O L D…… quickly turns into a level of acceptance. The trip lasts about two and half hours, which is plenty of time when your generals are immersed in frigid water. But too you know.

We take our own tubes so when we arrive at the park we don’t have to stand in any lines. Walk right past all the people renting tubes and paying for the tram rides. They will stand on hot asphalt, in the blaring Sun for a long wait to pay about $25 each. Meanwhile we have walked past them and have already dipped in, no fees style.

Once out of the water we walk the trail back to the parking lot. We spotted a turkey and her clutch of turkletts searching the grass for bugs and that was cool. Little furballs hopping about. We saw a redtail hawk and of course crows. We ambled upon a gopher tortoise making his way down the dirt trail. He didn’t mind us too much, but sure seemed relieved that we didn’t try to eat him. He was particularly large, too.

Soon we were safely back at the truck and headed home. It is a 50 minute drive, with the A/C on polar optimized settings.

We were kind of inundated by the masses gathered for a music festival near our home. Kid Rock came and the zoo animals went wild. Nothing like a bunch of spectators, standing in the unspeakable heat, drinking God only knows what, whilst waiting for the concert to begin. I am certain that the next morning was horrible for many of these super sunburned and hungover people. I couldn’t imagine any concert being worth that. Well maybe when I was 16.

The festival charged $100 + some to attend and had many other, no recognizable name, performers playing. The traffic we saw was the big give away that something was afoot nearby. She found a blurb on line about it, which is how I know anything at all about it. I am so glad that she did not wish for us to attend. Turns out she hates Kid Rock.

Men….. I got real lucky with that.

She has been dragging me all over the place to see this and that. Museums with weird things. Antique shops with other people’s junk. Theaters with horrible movies. Restaurants with questionable employees posing as chefs.

We also like to bike ride down trails and also hike through the woods. Last hike was cut way short by the attack of the Yellow Flies. Yankees call them Deer Flies. They bite and you swell up in response. I hate them. Luckily for us they really only swarm about in May, after that they seem to go away or something. Well they were all over us that day.

The best defense is not bug spray, it is having a Crappie Dot Com baseball hat. That is right. Swinging hands, at the now biting you fly, produces a miss almost every time. However the speed with which that fine hat can travel almost guarantees a kill. Nothing quite as satisfying as getting even with them for what is about to be a few hours of itching. Sport killings.

May is also the time of year where we are inundated with these small ticks. Little devils that are very hard to spot. They bite me and I begin to itch, which is how I realize there is an issue. Once removed the bite site becomes an itchy spot for several weeks. The resulting bump remains for several months. Horrible things.

I hear tale that some very accomplished campers have fled in the face of the assault of these crawling baby ticks. Some campers take flight, even several days early after having paid for a longer stay inside a beautiful park, in fear that possibly their silly little dogs will get attacked. Ridiculous I know, but it is a real thing I assure you. I’ve seen it. I have seen them flee in fear.

I have also been very busy at work. I still hate sticking my card inside the reader at the grocery store. Need to build a few things around the house. I want to get her setup with a covered hot tub by Wintertime. Gots some other hobbies also taking up my time. It was nice to see comments asking about my lack of appearance here on Crappie.com. Imagine some of you are wishing I stayed away, but life can be tough you know.Think of me as that kid with the paddle.

I know a camper who fled recently as well. Probably the same fella…..

It is good to see you back. Have missed your post

Nicely written. Thanks.

Sounds like you are taking a break from crappie fishing, it's allowed. Enjoy life. I don't fish like I'm mad at the Crappie anymore either.