WHAT'S NEXT !!!

Last week, our refrigerator went "Toe's Up" on us. Seems that just when you get a few bucks ahead the dollar eating phantom shows up!

We knew we were having a problem with the old Kitchen mAid, when a pool of water greeted us one morning, and the compressor ran all of the time because the fan motor was shot. We were lucky to get an honest repairman, who after giving the old ice box the once over, told us we not need to spend another dime on it, but just go get a new one.

So that afternoon we drove down off of the ridge to Lowe's where we got a great price on a new Whirlpool model with french doors, and the freezer drawer on the bottom. Stainless steel as was the better half's choice. We were lucky in that we didn't loose but a few items of food, in the transition from old to new. Our old ice box we had in Georgia lasted twenty years, so  I'm looking for twenty out of this one. I had to laugh at what I just wrote....in twenty years I will be 91 years old !

Our daughter who lives 50 miles away has been wanting me to pressure wash the vinyl siding on her home, so Saturday morning we make the trek with the pressure washer in the back of the Pilot.
We got everything ready, and the pressure washer would not build pressure because of some bad
"O" rings that had shrunk over the summer in storage! Talk about feeling snake bit!!!

Kinda makes me wonder, what's going to go bad next...nothing I hope, but should it happen, I know I can count on that 1.7% Social Security increase to get me through!!!!!

Today, the wife and I cut the lawn for the last time until spring. The weather guessers are calling for a big freeze over the week end, so that should stop it's growth. Yard work is done for the winter!!

RAMBLINGS

I started growing the "Winter Beard" about two weeks ago. For those of you who grow your own face warmer, you know the first couple of weeks you look pretty scruffy.

Every year I am shocked by how much whiter the beard looks, which reflects my 70+ years. I give it another three weeks until I start looking like the other old geezers at the local big box store. The cost of razor blades is also an added incentive!

The weather guessers are telling us that here in middle Tn., we can expect a whopper of a storm between 11:00 PM and 2:00 AM, Wind, lightning, and perhaps a tornado. Most of the time, the more they try to scare us, the smaller storm we get! We take the proper precautions any way, who knows they just might get one right for a change!

SOLITUDE !

This past week I was reading a blog that I follow, and the subject was "Solitude."
Now there is a word for you! The article, which was linked, really gave a person something to think about. I wonder how many folks truly enjoy solitude? Personally, I enjoy and value what I call "Down Time." or time spent with just my wife. Solitude, is harder to come by!

Both of our career's were spent dealing with the public, She, working in a library, and mine in the funeral business, So to me, solitude, has great value at times. We both put up with our fair share of nut jobs and crazies over the years. After we retired we felt we had had enough, time to pull in the horns, and drop out of the social arena. We still compare notes about some of the strange and twisted people we have run into over the years which is great conversation on a cold winter's night, some sad, and some hilarious. We do allow for the fact that we are probably just a little 'Wacko" ourselves!

The article did go on to say that too much solitude, can lead to boredom or can go in another direction where in, the person becomes a hermit. Now, that's a scary thought! I don't envision ever becoming a hermit, because I like to people watch. When I used to travel a lot, time spent at the airport was better than the circus coming to town!

Speaking of people watching. you had better have your head on a swivel in the parking lot of the big box stores.  Ours is located just off of I-65, and there are some really rough looking people that blow in off of it. There have been more than one occasion that I was very glad to have "Elsie P" strapped to my belt. It's easy to tell the ridge runners or local folks, from the thugs that are up to no good.
I have been in two different Not So Fast Food places of late in which I saw a couple of good old boy's open carrying their pistols. I don't think Tennessee is an open carry state, but I say more power to them. It's coming folks!

If the indicators are even close, this winter might be a cold one, and I still have plenty to do to get ready.

I have made the decision to let the blog lay dormant for the summer. I will still read the blogs I follow, and make an occasional comment.

See Ya !

A NEW ELECTRIC EAR.

I've been loosing my hearing now for sometime, in my right ear. I'm pretty sure the wife is tried of me saying,
"What did you say?" So, I finally broke down and got a "Hearing Instrument" as they are now called.
I'm having a tough time getting used to it as everything sounds tinny, but despite that, I'm pretty sure I could hear a mouse fart at fifty yards! I look at it as though it's just one more notch, in the belt of getting old, of course those faulty ear plugs at the range, probably didn't help things either.

To add to the tale of woe, the dentist replaced seven crowns that had been leaking this month. The last two permanent crowns go on Monday, to say I'll be glad is an understatement!

The weather here has finally turned the corner, and it looks like in another two weeks we can plant some tomatoes, and a few other things to help the grocery bill a little. Today I put the lawn furniture back on the patio, so that, and a full tank of butane for the grill, must mean we are ready for the summer. Now for the mosquito's. They just discovered a new North African organism spread by our local mosquito's that will, if you
get bitten, take you out if you avoid the warning signs. Boy, what next? I think I will just forego listening to the news, and take my chances on all of the warnings, that the wombats delivering the news put out.

I did a little mechanic work on the '95 Ranger this past week. The temperature sender switch was bad, and the needle was on the peg, dead as a hammer. After I got home from the parts store, I'm sure I looked like a dog digging for a bone, way down in the engine compartment! But now it's fixed, and all is well. It's been a great truck, Ford got that one right!

OLD TIMES.

Another gloomy day! It's hard to get motivated with ice pack still on the ground, and fog to boot! I'm looking forward to August when Spring will finally arrive.

Yesterday, after the dentist visit, we were starting the 16 mile trip back home and had to stop at a rail road crossing with the gate coming down. Now, there are no train tracks here on the ridge, so the coming train was a big event. Watching the engine approach, it brought back some good memories of when I briefly worked for the Illinois Central RR, right after high school. Back then they were phasing out the "fireman"
position in the engine, so I was out of a job, one that I knew would not last, but, for a kid of 19, it was great.
I learned a lot about life, from those grizzled old engineer's that I rode with. These guys had graduated from steam, into diesel, kicking all the way, complaining that diesel's just didn't have the power the old coal fired locomotives had. They had been there, and bought the T-shirt!
Finally the train was gone. Back to reality.

The days events will soon unfold, I don't know what the "better half" has planned, but I know I had better get with whatever program is on the agenda! Maybe just one more cup of coffee, here in my recliner would be acceptable.

HOT CAT HEAD BUSCUITS

We woke up this morning with ice covering everything, and a coating of snow on top of that. For once the weather guessers got it right!
Since we are icebound, seemed like a good morning for cat head biscuits and sausage patties. I would have made grits to go along with it, but they take a little more time to make right, and I was hungry!
Speaking of grits, we have a Cracker Barrel just off of I-65, about two miles from the house.
We get a lot of snowbirds headed south, and I always enjoy watching them when grits come with their breakfast. Most won't eat them, and those that attempt it, think they are supposed to pour milk over them!
People watching is a great sport, especially folks that are born and bred in other parts of the U.S.

I have noticed that more and more restaurants are favoring chicken on their menu. The only way I like chicken is deep fried in lard, spare me all of the fancy names they put on baked chicken and the abortions they come up with. The stuff is just downright nasty. A chicken will just about eat anything, including each other. I'm sure chicken allows them a better profit margin, but I'll take beef or pork anytime over chicken. I know a hog will eat just about anything also, but a plate of deep fried chitterlings, that are stream washed are hard to beat! Never had chitlins? I used to scoff at the idea of eating them too until on a dare, I had a plate full. At the time, I recall I had finished a six pack, prior to the gastronomic treat, which made them go down pretty smooth. One good 'ol boy with us got sick, and there were chitlins strung in the bushes in the parking lot. Needless to say, he had a hard time living that down!

I did manage to trudge my way out to the mail box a short time ago, skated would be a better word.
All of that risk of busting my butt for a few advertisements, no bills anyway! Not much else to do but watch TV and read blogs, maybe a nap might be in order shortly. The ice will be with us for a day or so as the temps will not go above freezing until Wednesday.

I have a dentist appointment on Wednesday at "Dr. Joe's chamber of  horrors", another crown prep which I'm not happy about. I reckon he must have a house payment about due. Over the last month or so, I'm sure I have paid for his summer vacation to the islands! It's kind of like taking your car in for a check on something,
they always find something else that needs fixing...know what I mean.

This morning I actually saw a Robin. I think he had a plane ticket back to Florida in his back pocket!

ATTIC CRAWLING

Today was one of those days that your mind tells you that you can do something, and your body just says
"no way!"
Some months ago, I had opened the attic hatch in the garage, and noticed two bare wires sticking out of a junction box. Well, old geezers have a way of letting things like that gnaw at you, with all kinds of scenarios playing in your mind. So, with the weather being a little warmer today, I decided that I would crawl up there and put wire nuts on the wires and put them back out of harms way.
Now that sounds simple enough, but the box was deep in the attic through a maze of beams and supporting cross members. I finally snaked my way back there, sat on a joist and made the repairs. But, when I got ready to make my way back, the legs turned to jelly! Now, what am I going to do! This called for some deep thought and planning. After about fifteen minutes and several rest stops, I was back at the hatch, down the ladder and resolved to never do that again!
Just another example of a 35 year old mind, trapped in a 70 year old body. The list of "no-no's" is growing way too fast!
We have been fortunate here in middle-TN this winter. It's almost like we have a bubble around us.
Only two big snow events, a little ice, and three nights of well below zero temps. However, just consistently
cold days that keep us closer to home than we would like. I know that many of my fellow bloggers have experienced a really brutal winter so far, and like many of you, I am so ready for spring to get here.