Chris & Everyone - Happy Holidays to each of you and your loved ones.

 

Thanks Norm, back at ya buddy!

 

Good morning everyone.

Got up early and went to Walmart. Still a lot of people but I attribute that to Christmas shopping. Still not bad. Went to Lowes as well and wouldn't you know, the one thing I really wanted, drywall tape, they didn't have. They had some mesh patching kit that had foil in it, how weird. When I was at Walmart I was walking past the home improvement aisle and happened to see drywall tape. They didn't have it last time I was there.

Nice out. I heard there's rain coming but I'll enjoy what we have while we have it. I can remember a lot of Christmas's that it rained. Not very cheery. Christmas is in the heart, not the weather.

My prayer is that everyone has a nice Christmas and good luck in the new year.

 

happy holiday OLDS friends

 

I concur. Enjoy your Christmas and New years.

 

Greg I owe you a beer. I backed up to the other trailer and hooked up like I was headed out, turned on the lights, nothing. Turn signals worked. So it is the truck. Unhooked, went under the hood and saw the Electrical Center. I thought it was just those big fuses and relays. Nope, about 20 blade style fuses in there and a map on the lid. Wouldn't you know it, there are fuses for trailer lights and the trailer running lights fuse was blown. I'll get a new one Tuesday. Like the awesome mechanic that I am, when I wired up the trailer lights I just twisted the wires together and didn't try to isolate them, just left the connections open to the air. One probably touched something and that was that. So when I put the new fuse in I'll tape up or use wire nuts on the connections. Sheesh. Well, I'm glad it was easy. And I learned something.

 

Good deal! Merry Christmas all!!

 

Merry Christmas Guys!

We had a great time at the parties yesterday afternoon and evening. I must have done something right this year cause Santa left me my own Supermodel under the tree!

 

Merry Christmas everyone.

Slept in and just puttered around this morning then came over to Mom's. Not much going on but I did talk to my sister for a little while. I'll probably talk with my brother later on this afternoon. Hm. Last time I talked to him, was last Christmas. He's a carpenter and is busier than a one armed wallpaper man.

I'm just giddy about that trailer. I had all intentions of going out and buying a new trailer. Funny thing is, a new one would have the same problem. What I am going to do, is look for an enclosed trailer that will do all that I want, I've wanted an enclosed trailer for a long time. I can nurse along my flatbed for a while longer.

Rain all day and tomorrow then nice the rest of the week. I'm disappointed that I couldn't take off, but I understand that with 5 people off already(we usually only are allowed 3) resources would be a little thin. Besides, that's four days I can look forward to.

Okay! I hope everyone has a great afternoon. Next week we can shoot our guns up in the air.

 

 

LoL 👍

 

Dawn is beautiful, indeed! You're a lucky man, Chris.

 

Thanks Greg, she sure is, on the outside, and especially on the inside! You're right, I am lucky!

Another lucky item to report, I got an early Christmas present yesterday. I got an email from the Editor of Journey with Olds, and the story I submitted about my car being in the 2 NFL videos will be in the January, 2024 edition. I'm very excited to see how it turns out.

 

Chris beautiful bride. I've been watching Band of Brothers excellent. Did you know the title was borrowed from Shakespeare's Henry V? https://poetrysociety.org.uk/poems/t...-from-henry-v/

 

Jim - Alright. I've seen Band of Brothers listed as something I should watch based on previous Netflix viewing. I just reviewed the Trailer. I may give it a look see. Ten Episodes one season I believe?

 

Thanks Jim!

 

Xmas Dinner

 

Mineral block and corn put out for deer???

 

Good morning everyone.

Good start to the morning here. First off we're already on Tuesday and this is Monday. So far I have 27 wheels signed off and it's 15 minutes before lunch. Actually I don't think I'm getting anymore for awhile. Got a slow wall guy this week.

Unless that's actually for you Norm I'd call that pre- Christmas dinner. What the square thing?

Christmas was quiet and uneventful, just how I like it. Mom made a roasted lemon chicken that was wonderful. I didn't do anything yesterday but just hang out. It was nice.

Chris you two make a nice couple. I think she needs her own 442.

I'm going to get a fuse for the truck this afternoon. Now that my dumbassedness is over I've got a few things to do before the weekend. Saturday I'm supposed to go get that Corvair from my friend, but I also want to go up to Asheville and look at a Sunbird convertible. Looks to be in good shape, everything works, it's cheep, but I'm rushing the time. We're getting off work at noon on Friday, I could run up there and back, it's about 3 hours. The big problem is I will earn two full days of Mom yammering on about how I don't need another car. I can't have another car. No more cars. That's stupid. What on earth is wrong with you. And I just don't want to hear it. So I need to concoct a humongous story so she doesn't know I'm going. Man I hate being 56 years old and still have my mother rule me. Honestly, I don't give two hoots what she thinks but I just want to keep from hearing her crap. I think I'll drop Tiger off and tell her I'm going to Florida over night, get back late from NC on Friday, and leave early on Saturday for Florida. That way I'm back before the drunks hit the road and I have two days to myself.

Okay lunch.

 

 

Mike - We've been over this. Mom's sign a contract for life to nag the living $hit out of you. Question (from me): Not sure of size, weight configuration of your current trailer, I've watched friends make their own trailers - some rather elaborate, some using an old pick-up bed + axle (I know, I know - they were used on a farm). Anyways, could you make/assemble a box (angle iron, aluminum panels) enclosure for your current trailer? Just a thought...just a thought.

 

Mike - Sounds like you had a nice quiet Christmas like we did and a wonderful meal. Glad you had a nice day!

Thanks for saying we make a nice couple, we try. We're pretty different, but I think our differences make us better as a couple, and overall better people individually. Because of our differences, I don't think she'll ever want to get into the car scene, but if she did, I think she'd want an early 80's Monte Carlo SS. I've heard her say more than once she really likes those cars.

 

As I mentioned to Mike, my wife and I had a wonderful and relaxing Christmas day. That was up until about 10pm when my wife got a message from a close friend that her former Stepmother, Gale, had a massive stroke and wasn't expected to make it. My wife was a Daddy's girl and lived with her Dad and Gale from the age of 7 until she graduated from Highschool. My wife was not extremely close to Gale, to whom her Dad is no longer married, but they were on friendly terms, and my wife has 2 step-brothers from the marriage. My wife was just about to head for the hospital this morning to be with her step-brothers when she got the message Gale had passed, and now she's feeling guilty about not getting up earlier and being there.

WTH, what's up with loved ones passing away on, or close to Christmas! I think I had mentioned my Mom passed on Christmas day, 10-years ago this Christmas. I am absolutely dreading making condolence calls to my brother's kids on the 10-year anniversary of his passing on January 4th. I will never get over his passing at such a young age, we were all cheated!

 

Tailgate has been buggered up past couple years (really hard to open). Removed adjustment panel adjusted rods works perfect.

Reattached two shingle tabs on roof w/ roofing cement via ladder. I ain’t right I know.

Going to spank the Big Dog & send a 1/2 dozen found/lost ***** out into the back 10 acres then call it a day.

 

A very good series. Hard to stop watching once you start. There are two follow up series, The Pacific, and Masters of The Air. Masters of The Air, will be on Apple+ which sucks for me. Actor Dexter Fletcher, from Band of Brothers, is now a director, and was a producer and director on Bohemian Rhapsody, and directed Rocketman.

 

Chris my Granddad died on Christmas day in 1987. He had been sick about a year, he was in the living room and Grandma was fixing dinner, and he took a couple big breaths and that was the end. Your wife doesn't need to feel bad about seeing Gale. If the stroke was that bad and she died so soon afterward, she probably wouldn't have recognized anyone or known they were there. She can see her step brothers at any time and of course at the funeral and after. I hope she doesn't beat herself up about it.

Norm are you suggesting I build an enclosure on my shabby flatbed instead of buying a nice new enclosed trailer? Nope, can't do it. The trailer isn't long enough for a decent size car to be enclosed, and it doesn't have brakes. And it's rusty and bent up and the tongue is wacked and the lights are not done well.

Went to pay the property taxes on my shop. I never did get a bill for the taxes, or for my two houses. Yet they were bold enough to charge me interest on the unpaid balance, since it was due on November 16. Anyway over the 9 years I've owned the place the taxes have more than doubled. I tell you I always leave in such a foul mood when I have to go there.

Well 25% of the week is done already. I hope the rest of the week goes as smoothly.

 

Mike - My gosh, another loved one passing on Christmas day, you never forget do you! Thanks for the kind words for Dawn, she'll appreciate them.

Our taxes (Real Estate + Pers Prop, 2 separate bills) are both due by 31 December. It always makes me slightly ill writing those checks, wondering where in the hell all those $'s are going for what few services I can see we're getting. Sure as hell ain't anything getting any cheaper!

 

I trust that all my paid tax dollars are being wisely spent and have a paper trail of being fiscally accounted for...

 

Six deer in the yard - at least one buck.

 

A small price to pay for the peace of mind of having being taken care of in our elder years with a clean well staffed medical team and care facility.
not to mention the security of knowing our children will be medically attended to if they have any issues or their children do. Our Vets have top tier care and superb housing. Just a few perks we get with our contributions we have the choice to make.

 

Oh ya, they're right on it, no wasteful spending in our government, regardless of whether it's Federal/State/Local! LoL

 

Nice

 

I'm inside city limits - just barely. You can't hear a bow & arrow - stealth, baby. Except, I no longer own any archery equipment. Plenty of shotguns, rifles & handguns but I think they'd be a dead giveaway.

 

Done that more times than I care to remember. Alot of work, but certainly better than wondering if you're even getting your own deer back if you take it to a processor. The most important secret to processing your own deer is not even in the butchering. It's having a clean, cold (but not freezing) place to hang it for at least a week after it's been skinned. The meat will be alot more tender and tasty just like aged beef.

 

It's never a bad day for shrimps.

Cilantro Lemon rice & shrimps.

 

I've never sent a deer to a butcher. But those guys did an excellent job.

 

Looks absolutely delicious Norm. My favorites are peel and eat with cocktail sauce on the side, or deep fried breaded butterfly, but I'll take them anyway I can get them!

 

One of the reasons I always prefer bow hunting vs gun deer. The deer are in a most natural state, grazing, lolly popping, dink'n around. I passed many shots with the bow and opted for letting them grow up and have a life, at least on my watch.
Gun hunting puts a different spin on things for sure.

Nice you are passing out some treats, enjoy the company.

Check this one out

 

Always save room for dessert...

 

And, another...