Party Beside The Suwannee / Memory Demons

The Big "A" and I got invited to a party ! My old friend Linda decided to have a first day of summer/ longest day of the year party Saturday . A few years ago I would have been first on the barge casting off lines to break open the adult beverages and get as crazed as humanly possible in the shortest period of time .Now I approach various get together's a little more sedately . But even so I was among the first to arrive and got the perfect parking spot for Azad , so I thought.{note to self , check how level everything is before it gets dark } As folks
started arriving and getting acquainted it was obvious a good time was about to begin , good food , plenty of various beverages to imbibe , really interesting people to talk to and enjoy . Linda is a Goldsmith / Collector and has a store in nearby Mayo Fl. The store is Gold N' Treasures ph#386-294-3906 if you are in the market for a unique piece of jewelry or collectible give her a call. She also does her own designs or custom made jewelry and has a selection of "Atocha" coins . It 's always good to call first as she does a lot of traveling and is not always available .
At any rate , having parked "A" I proceeded to enjoy myself meeting new friends and catching up with several of the folks I knew. My old friend Doo Dah brought me a surprise gift from Tallahassee , a new CD by one of my favorite musicians over there Mimi Hearn . Her new CD Unleashed is too cool ! I have a hard time dealing with music that has been tricked up , in other words you can't reproduce it outside of a studio , Mimi & The Hearn Dogs have the same respect for their music . This album was recorded over in Sopchoppy in a hundred year old building and the acoustics are phenomenal ! Most of the songs are written by Mimi and the back up musicians are tight ! Comes from a lot of years playing together and knowing where everyone is at . All in all a great party !
The note to self was a minor thing ,but it shows the mindset of a lot of people . If I had backed up just a few feet , the whole thing would have been level and life would have been a lot nicer . The other memory lapse I've had recently was , if things are installed in pairs or multiple units when you fix or repair one take a damn good look at the others , chances are they work the same amount of time and are just as worn or stressed and need attention too . Case in point , I took the front of "A" apart to install a nylon bushing for the windshield wipers . The bushings came packed as pairs , I installed the one that was bad and ignored the other side , buttoned everything up and less than two weeks later ! You guessed it ! There goes the other side , I don't mean to imply this is some kind of a major operation , just a few screws and some time , but aggravating and when you need the wipers it's a poor time to be making plans to drain the swamp!
The more I drive "A"the better I like him , 50 or 55 mph is a comfortable speed and every ting seems to operate well at that speed , since I have no plans for interstates or the autobahn guess I'm good to go !
By the by picture posted is the banks of the Suwanee just above Branford Fl.

Twisted Thinking & Observations of Strange Behavior

I probably should quit watching or listening to the National/ World news . All it does is get Me grinding my teeth and wondering what planet some of these so called "newsmakers " come from ! Even the Celebrity news has ceased to entertain me and that's their damn job! The talking heads that vaguely resemble newscasters and reporters have sunk to such low standards that everything they say is viewed with suspicion by anyone with a gram of brain cells left after the constant barrage of inanities poured and pressed on your visual and auditory senses .
Having said that I cruise to My news gatherer of subjects that inform and amuse Me , currently I use Google Reader and I'm able to sift through the blogs and purveyors of information that offend Me the least .
Needless to say I find the blogs of RVrs and other motorheads and adventurers most interesting . One thing has started to puzzle Me , of all the RV blogs there is a constant thread of seeking freedom and leaving the complicated lifestyle behind . Then amazingly , here comes the big TV , Satellite this and that , Microwave , Dishwashers , Washer /Dryer , two or three computers , a seemingly never ending list of things that You just can't do without ! Even though they just spent enough money on their Freedom Rig to finance a small country , add some more can't do withouts on top and add more debt . It appears this is backward thinking , the idea of hitting the road is freedom not servitude .Why be a slave to the Bank or Credit Card?
I don't fault those who want their creature comforts , I do find it absurd that some one has spent a lot of money to be independent pulls in to a campground and is snotty about not having everything just perfect . Oh My ! The spot that was picked doesn't pick up the Satellite or paved and perfectly level , the space is too small for all the stuff you wanted to drag out and set up so it would be just like what you left at the big house back home . Sorry , I find it hard to empathize with you .
I've been criticized because I bought my thirty year old Minnie Winnie , and that"s OK , it's paid for and I can do most of the maintenance / repairs it needs myself . Does it have all the bells and whistles ? Nope , it runs well is watertight , it works for me and allows me to escape , or, it gives me freedom ! I've read of places that don't accept RVs of a certain age , and I've experienced being turned away because I was riding a motorcycle . Way back in the late 60's and early 70's I was even shunned / discriminated against because I wore a uniform of the United States Military , what a treat that was !
Point being do what makes you happy , but please don't whine about the consequences of your own actions , tell me about the Good Times and the cool places you've visited . Most of all be free and enjoy life !
By the way the picture of the BSA ? Not mine , belongs to a wizard friend of mine . I just thought it looked cool!

Memories and Crossroads

The picture at the left is of one of my surrogate Dads while growing up in rural Ohio . Krutch is the gentleman on the left with that beautiful LaSalle , He hand built that piece of art from scratch . I could go on with his numerous accomplishments NHRA champion and record holder , engineering genius , inventor , first rate machinist , father , grandfather , great grandfather , good citizen having held several public offices , I know I could go on for a long time about all that . I just wanted to tell one thing about Him , when a dumbass 17 year old kid needed some direction and support making some real hard choices back in 1968 , He found the time and [with all that other stuff going on ] means to be there . I don't remember saying thanks , but even if I did it should be said again . Also to let "Pappy" know how proud I am to have Him as my friend and for all the good things He has done. Thanks again Pappy
Love ,
Sonny

Fire ants , Chipotle Tabasco and another Texas Voice,

Working on the ground sucks ! Sorry , just the way I feel today ,working underneath the Big fellah looking for loose things and inspecting brake lines to see if I can afford to replace them before taking off . The metal lines appear to be in good shape but the old rubber ones to the wheel cylinders will have to be replaced . Again the ones that are on there may be fine but I see signs of dry rubber and small cracks , I would rather spend a few bucks now than to be going into a place where the lack of brakes would make life way too exciting ! Hopefully within the next week or two will have access to my friends garage and his invaluable help to rebuild the carb , fix the small exhaust leak [ muffler clamps] new front shocks and do the brake lines all at once . If we have the time I have a couple of other projects that would be nice to have an extra pair of hands that are well trained and equipped in a nice garage instead of laying on the ground with fire ants for company .
As for the Chipotle Tabasco while cruising the aisles I found some Chipotle Tabasco by Mcilhenny's , just for fun got some and It's GOOD , I like spicy flavorful food anyway and have found that using different spices on the lean meats and sometimes bland veggies the Diabetes Demon demands makes mealtime more interesting .
While taking an engineering break , I started to listen to the new CD from Amy Hughes , another Texas voice I have come to really like among the young talent out in Texas her website is www.amy-hughes.com She has some very good sounds and a great band , check her out also a couple of free songs there to download , plus links to some other Texas musicians

Dublin Blues , Old Friends , Dealin the Devil his Due

Whatever possessed Me to store clothes in a garbage bag in a carport I'll never know . But I can pass this bit of info along to you, IT'S A BAD IDEA ! Two loads of laundry has netted me said garbage bag refilled with nearly everything I took out in the first place , rot follows mildew , and strong soap and hot water do NOT reweave material. I believe I can blame it on the devil as all my other demons were occupied with my other project for today .
As I don't believe in recreational drugs anymore my solution was to crank up Guy Clark on the music box and listen to the album Dublin Blues , at least it will take the edge off an aggravating day . You just can't feel bad listening to Guy Clark , I believe it is illegal in some states ! There just isn't enough O's in smooth for Him .
Next on the agenda is get rid of the rest of my stress , I believe I'll bake a batch of cookies , no I won't eat them , Demon Diabetes takes care of that , but just because you are on a diet doesn't mean you can't look at the menu ! Beside3s it make me feel good to do something constructive , since I pretty much screwed the pooch on everything else today .
In two short days I've got to talk to old friends in Texas , Ohio , New Mexico Florida Keys , Kentucky , and Missouri , that in itself is a pretty good deal also makes Me one lucky sucker to have that many friends , bless all the technology gods who make communication so easy and affordable I can remember when making a long distance call was a big deal ! Now it's normal , then the wizards who herd signals around the internet for our e-mails make keeping in touch even easier.That being said I shall go bake some cookies !
As an added attraction here's Guy's website , Go here!! http://www.guyclark.com

Splainin the VA title &dealing with the Credit Demon

Yesterday I wrote that the VA loves me , splainin that , is even though they can be the most exasperating bunch of people to deal with short of a bunch of crazed Walmart shoppers the day after Thanksgiving , I receive very good care at most of the VA facilities I have to go to .The long waits , Doctors who at best have a marginal command of the English language and even less understanding of American culture still provide Me with good medical care . Not saying I don't get as aggravated as anyone else, just don't want to give the impression I don't get care .
Yesterday I got into an electronic conversation with some folks out in Texas , and as we talked about the sad state of the Country and credit and mortgages , banks and assorted other forms of thievery , I mentioned a guy named Clark Howard . He has a radio show that deals with financial stability and not wasting money in general . He has a website clarkhoward.com that can be real helpful to anyone interested in not getting ripped off or wants to save money . He is a great proponent of getting out of debt and staying out ! Basically get rid of all those credit cards , keep your car more than a year or two and watch for bargains , He DOES NOT give investing advice or tell anyone to get into stock trading . I don't believe there is a hidden agenda to what this guy preaches , common sense and take responsibility for yourself are His main topics . His ideals of self sufficiency and not buying stuff you don't need are right up my alley and falls into what I'm trying to do with Azad . Even though I work on a really tight budget the parts and pieces I buy and try to pay cash for , are of good quality . I've found two salvage places for RVs and the parts they offer are in good condition and the price is generally within my budget . One of the things I'm discovering is take time to make stuff work , don't rush it , sometimes an engineering break will give you a new approach to a problem and keep you from spending more $ to fix a problem ,

Fighting Demon Diabetes & the VA loves Me

Seems I have been slacking on this missive . A brief explanation is The Demon Diabetes crept up on Me and I wasn't paying attention , while I am well aware of the pitfalls of having this disease having done battle with it for ten years or so , a diabetics worst enemy complacency or not paying attention did a sneak attack and bit Me . Hard !Multiple disasters are never easy to deal with and so it was with this one . Back to the Va , the doctors , dietitians , social workers , etc. all got a piece of my life as I reoriented My lifestyle once again . After several miserable weeks I may have this thing back on track and can begin working a little harder on "A" and preparing to embark towards the West of Texas.
While I couldn't do a lot of heavy work , I did manage to get all the belts and hoses changed out and put a new fuel fill on . As a note to anyone else who may have an older RV , The Fuel Fill is an often overlooked check point on RVs and Boats , when I worked in a marina way back when an experience with a fuel fill cracking while we were fueling a boat resulted in 30 gallons of gas in the bilges of said boat and
made an extremely exciting day for the entire marina ! As I was under "A" searching for potential problems this past experience blossomed like a hippies trip and I found myself squirming towards the rear and the tank of explosive fuel . Peering up at the tank revealed that no one had explored this area in a while ! Less than $15 and two hours later I had a new fuel fill and a new vent hose , Note to self [it is better to do this operation when fuel tank is near empty] Also a good idea to wash the entire area around tank and fill to remove any debris that could fall into open tank . May not be important but since I have been working on the electrical system I grounded the entire vehicle with a spike while fiddling with the tank , no sense tempting fate with static electricity or a chance spark .This sounds like a lot of work and it was time consuming for Me , Could work for a few minutes and stop so I didn't get overheated , with just simple hand tools and fairly good health i figure the job would have taken about an hour . I know some newer RVs are harder , but that is one reason I bought "A" at thirty years old , most of his systems are very simple .
One other issue I worked on was the front end being so light that it affected the steering , the first idea was to add some weight to the over the cab bunk space . I intended this to be storage anyway , but the items I had weren't very heavy , I found collapsible water containers at Auto Zone where I buy most of my parts . Five gallon each for a $1.95 . At 8.3 lbs per gallon gives Me 41.5lbs. per container. I bought five to start and decided that 200lbs. was enough to try first , plus it gives Me some extra water when I go out in the boonies . the first drive around proves to be a good thought but need to do an extended trip to make sure it works.
With each repair and modification I feel more confident of the old
fellow carrying Me to new places.I recently invested in a digital camera so expect some photos of My progress .
Keep It Simple till the next time !