Good Morning, Everyone
Got an early start this morning.. so thought Id jot down a few thoughts.
As many of you know, we bought an RV, 1984 Chevy Cutaway, champion model. It needs work, but we decided to sell it, when we ran across another RV 1994 Damon Challenger, which is ready to go and didnt need work done on it first, before we could use it.. But the bank turned us down for a second mortgage, which I dont understand that, when I should have good,,,scratch that,,, GREAT credit, as no late fees or anything in nearly 10 yrs. 140k+ house, owe less than 95k, and only wanted 12-14k.. and they wouldnt give it to me,, dont know the reasoning yet, but I suspect, its because of Nana, even though I only was going to use myself.
Seems Nana has been bad, with her Kohls and Sam's club cards.. at least one of our employees has been.. guess Nana gave her a check and asked her to pay her bill for her, and she used the receipt on the bill, and ran up more stuff.. maxed the card out. at kohls,, and I seen the sams club card, and guess she did the same thing there.. and its maxed out,, and Im coming unglued about it.. I want them both paid off NOW.. and she dont want to tell her husband about it... and for some reason,, i feel Nana is holding something out on me about it.. How can one person, spend 1500 dollars at sams club, on groceries or whatever, in a couple 3 visits without Nana seeing what was going on??? Nana said she didnt look at the bill, just gave it to her to go pay, until I seen the bill... Im fucking pissed.
Started power spraying the deck yesterday... looking good, for no longer than I did it yesterday.. will take a few days anyways to get it done.. then let it dry out in the hot summer sun, fix a few boards, then get some stain and get that out of the way..
Having a problem with the new neighbors next to me and behind me,, and then off the lake neighbor (hubby of the employee who stole money on our charges) The off the lake neighbor, Paul, has a boat parked at the neighbor behind me, Jason's, dock.. and it interferes with me turning my boat around, to go out on the lake,,, my pontoon, is rudder controlled, not turn the motor and the boat turns,, and Jason, and my other neighbor, Dan, both have new 20 ft pontoons.. and there is just enough room for my 14 ft to get through.. but thats okay, I CAN get through,, its the off the lake neighbor, Paul's boat, that is fucking everything up.. he can park around the corner at his landlords (yeah, he is a renter) Jason tells me one thing, and I asked Paul when he was going to move it, and he doesnt think he has to.. well, now I have the Homeowners assoc involved, and theyre suppose to be here monday or tuesday to try and settle this... In my mind, theres nothing to settle,, move the fucking boat..
Im sitting here at 8am and letting this fucking shit upset me again,, well, it isnt just that,, its Paul and his wife that stole from us on the credit cards, that is pissing me the fuck off. I swear, Im going to take off soon, and be gone for about 10 days while shit gets settled down,, if not, someone is gonna get hurt,, and I dont fist fight anymore.. lol
I may get the RV tanked up, and just load me some grub onboard and hit the road to a campground for a couple weeks.
enough of this,,, Im sitting here getting upset over nothing, so will end this, cause Im going to stay upset writing about it.
Have a great weekend everyone, and Happy Farming
Papaw
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Tuesday May 3rd, 2011
Happy Birthday, Buddy..
Today is my brother's (Buddy) birthday. He died in November, of 1997 at the young age of 36. so he would have hit 50 today. Wow,, so hard to believe that.. especially when the memory of him is as a mop headed young man. Buddy had a hard life, made harder with the loss of his children, and health issues.. We love and Miss you, Buddy.
Well, I havent written for a while, dealing with my own health issues the last week or so.. about 4 days ago, I started running a fever late at night, getting up to 101.. fine during the day, and felt fine all the time, til yesterday, then felt pretty puny, and that is lingering today.. Dr appt in an hour, will see how that pans out.
Ive been anemic, and have had to do injections of iron, for two weeks, and in 6 weeks or so, go back for more bloodwork to see if that helped. if not, then theyll do a bone marrow biopsy, to determine why my bone marrow isnt producing iron/blood the way it is suppose to.. it all comes from the bleeding I had the first week of the year, when they had to give me 14 units of blood.. according to my bloodwork, I am malnourished.. at 240lbs, malnourished,. lol
Been going over and working on the RV off and on, trying to take care of a few things, but, now we have spotted another RV for sell,, a 1994 Damon Challenger, with 28,000 miles and is in pretty damn good shape, and everything works. soooo,, we shook hands on it, and I am now looking to get a loan for it. Hopefully, will hear from them soon on the loan application,, trying to do second mortgage on it with the equity in the house. figure that is the best option.. Gas prices these days, wont be helping with the going places in it, but should be able to go to a couple places a month, with a tank,, and a tank running about 120 a fillup. Near as I can figure..
And may have the other one sold already, the guy offered what I gave for it, but Ive put some into it, and will leave that stuff in.. Nana wanted her pillows and rugs back, but said shed leave the curtains,, lol,, taking all that back, and other than paying the taxes and plates on it, Im still gonna lose a couple hundred on the total.. but will be shed of that rv. but will have something we can trust and is ready to travel now, if we have the money to go.. which shouldnt be a problem neither.. if I get things straightened out here shortly.. which too, shouldnt be a problem..
Really excited about going camping soon,, which, to me doesnt matter if it is in RV or just tent camping, though Nana would be more comfortable in an RV.. me, I just want to get away from everything,, and if She doesnt want to go, I may just go on my own someplace close by for a few days.. take the computer, camera, and cell phone, and im good to go..
Nana is faring well, after her knee replacement.. its been two weeks now,, therapist is here now helping her with her exercises.. but she is walking with a cane now, and will for a couple weeks yet.. at least.. sees the dr tomorrow.. and see how she is doing with that.. they will want her to go to therapy (off home therapy) but she wont do that, like I wont,, we just feel like, its a waste.. My cardiac rehab, may have been good, at least it had me exercising. but theyre trying to get me to do things that I wont do when rehab is over, cept for the walking,, Im over running, lol,, and bicycling is okay, but I wont do it at the rate they want me to do it.. oh well,,
Well, the news is all about the killing of Osama bin Laden (when did they change it to Usama??_) good riddance.. now bring on the rest of em.. chicken shit bastards.. living the lives of Mohammed,,, lying, stealing, child molesting, etc.. whatever it takes to get over the infidels, I guess.. how could this develop into a religion? jeesh bombing them back into the stone age, is impossible, since they already live that life, and they want everyone else to be in the same shape as they are.. hope their 72 virgins are catholic Nuns waiting on them,, or maybe its mistranslated, and it should read 72 Virginians,, like George Washington, Robt E Lee, James Monroe, Thomas Jefferson, etc etc etc etc............................................
Guess I will end this,, time to run to dr
Happy Farming
Papaw
Today is my brother's (Buddy) birthday. He died in November, of 1997 at the young age of 36. so he would have hit 50 today. Wow,, so hard to believe that.. especially when the memory of him is as a mop headed young man. Buddy had a hard life, made harder with the loss of his children, and health issues.. We love and Miss you, Buddy.
Well, I havent written for a while, dealing with my own health issues the last week or so.. about 4 days ago, I started running a fever late at night, getting up to 101.. fine during the day, and felt fine all the time, til yesterday, then felt pretty puny, and that is lingering today.. Dr appt in an hour, will see how that pans out.
Ive been anemic, and have had to do injections of iron, for two weeks, and in 6 weeks or so, go back for more bloodwork to see if that helped. if not, then theyll do a bone marrow biopsy, to determine why my bone marrow isnt producing iron/blood the way it is suppose to.. it all comes from the bleeding I had the first week of the year, when they had to give me 14 units of blood.. according to my bloodwork, I am malnourished.. at 240lbs, malnourished,. lol
Been going over and working on the RV off and on, trying to take care of a few things, but, now we have spotted another RV for sell,, a 1994 Damon Challenger, with 28,000 miles and is in pretty damn good shape, and everything works. soooo,, we shook hands on it, and I am now looking to get a loan for it. Hopefully, will hear from them soon on the loan application,, trying to do second mortgage on it with the equity in the house. figure that is the best option.. Gas prices these days, wont be helping with the going places in it, but should be able to go to a couple places a month, with a tank,, and a tank running about 120 a fillup. Near as I can figure..
And may have the other one sold already, the guy offered what I gave for it, but Ive put some into it, and will leave that stuff in.. Nana wanted her pillows and rugs back, but said shed leave the curtains,, lol,, taking all that back, and other than paying the taxes and plates on it, Im still gonna lose a couple hundred on the total.. but will be shed of that rv. but will have something we can trust and is ready to travel now, if we have the money to go.. which shouldnt be a problem neither.. if I get things straightened out here shortly.. which too, shouldnt be a problem..
Really excited about going camping soon,, which, to me doesnt matter if it is in RV or just tent camping, though Nana would be more comfortable in an RV.. me, I just want to get away from everything,, and if She doesnt want to go, I may just go on my own someplace close by for a few days.. take the computer, camera, and cell phone, and im good to go..
Nana is faring well, after her knee replacement.. its been two weeks now,, therapist is here now helping her with her exercises.. but she is walking with a cane now, and will for a couple weeks yet.. at least.. sees the dr tomorrow.. and see how she is doing with that.. they will want her to go to therapy (off home therapy) but she wont do that, like I wont,, we just feel like, its a waste.. My cardiac rehab, may have been good, at least it had me exercising. but theyre trying to get me to do things that I wont do when rehab is over, cept for the walking,, Im over running, lol,, and bicycling is okay, but I wont do it at the rate they want me to do it.. oh well,,
Well, the news is all about the killing of Osama bin Laden (when did they change it to Usama??_) good riddance.. now bring on the rest of em.. chicken shit bastards.. living the lives of Mohammed,,, lying, stealing, child molesting, etc.. whatever it takes to get over the infidels, I guess.. how could this develop into a religion? jeesh bombing them back into the stone age, is impossible, since they already live that life, and they want everyone else to be in the same shape as they are.. hope their 72 virgins are catholic Nuns waiting on them,, or maybe its mistranslated, and it should read 72 Virginians,, like George Washington, Robt E Lee, James Monroe, Thomas Jefferson, etc etc etc etc............................................
Guess I will end this,, time to run to dr
Happy Farming
Papaw
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
April 29, 2011 SURGERY DAY FOR NANA
Afternoon, everyone,,
well, today was the day for Nana's Knee replacement surgery,, and it is over now,, Im just waiting to go back into recovery room to see her,, its been an hour, and expect them soon.. Everything went fine, her knee is working fine, and doctor expects good results from the surgery..
Sorry I havent been here lately,, guess If I want anyone to read these damn things, I should post everyday.. I try, just so much going on, with trying to get the RV fixed up,, paying taxes, fixing other things around the house,, then of all things, I put too much too fast down the garbage disposal sunday, and flooded the kitchen and hallway,, hopefully, we got it up in time to keep from damaging the new floor
hmmm,, the new floor,, oh yeah,, it may be coming back up and being replaced again,, not from the water sunday, I didnt notice til the next day, that some of it has a different sheen to it,, like it came from a different lot or something,, just a discoloration,, so asked Lowes about it, and they contacted someone else about it,, then, Pergo, the manufacturer, sent an inspector out, and he seen right away that there was a problem,, I told him, if they were taking a pic for an advertisement,, it wouldnt have had that discoloration,, and he said, whatever they do, I will be happy with it,, and since the boards are all over the place (no set pattern to the discolorations) and they cant take out of the middle, it will all come back up, and redone with one color.. hopefully, we wont have that big of a problem with it,, this time,, though they will have to take up the trim and quarter rounds, and the transitions,, and replace them all too,, dont see how they can take it up and not them, but there may be a way
So, Nana is in Recovery, and Im still waiting for them to come get me to take me back to be with her,, she may wind up staying the night in recovery, as there are no rooms to move her to.. though, they did just take someone to a room they had gotten for them,, so guess there is hope for that,, lol
sheep breeding hit farmville/english farm a couple weeks ago,, and yep, im breeding the sheep,, and no matter how hard they make it, to get things to breed the sheep,, or to grow them up,, there are still people begging for the items,, sometimes I wonder, if they actually want a lamb, or just want one from ME.. there is one woman, that has requested from me several times,, I sent her one, then went to her farm, and she has a bunch of lambs that havent grown up,, I know she is a hoarder,, least for foals, but looks like she is continuing her hoarding with lambs,, will have to check that out later,,
well, guess I will close this out for today,, they should be here shortly to get me and take me back to see Nana,, I will probably be up here for several hours.. no sense going home to be alone (well, not counting the boys or amanda/chris)
So yall have a great evening, and Happy Farming
Papaw
well, today was the day for Nana's Knee replacement surgery,, and it is over now,, Im just waiting to go back into recovery room to see her,, its been an hour, and expect them soon.. Everything went fine, her knee is working fine, and doctor expects good results from the surgery..
Sorry I havent been here lately,, guess If I want anyone to read these damn things, I should post everyday.. I try, just so much going on, with trying to get the RV fixed up,, paying taxes, fixing other things around the house,, then of all things, I put too much too fast down the garbage disposal sunday, and flooded the kitchen and hallway,, hopefully, we got it up in time to keep from damaging the new floor
hmmm,, the new floor,, oh yeah,, it may be coming back up and being replaced again,, not from the water sunday, I didnt notice til the next day, that some of it has a different sheen to it,, like it came from a different lot or something,, just a discoloration,, so asked Lowes about it, and they contacted someone else about it,, then, Pergo, the manufacturer, sent an inspector out, and he seen right away that there was a problem,, I told him, if they were taking a pic for an advertisement,, it wouldnt have had that discoloration,, and he said, whatever they do, I will be happy with it,, and since the boards are all over the place (no set pattern to the discolorations) and they cant take out of the middle, it will all come back up, and redone with one color.. hopefully, we wont have that big of a problem with it,, this time,, though they will have to take up the trim and quarter rounds, and the transitions,, and replace them all too,, dont see how they can take it up and not them, but there may be a way
So, Nana is in Recovery, and Im still waiting for them to come get me to take me back to be with her,, she may wind up staying the night in recovery, as there are no rooms to move her to.. though, they did just take someone to a room they had gotten for them,, so guess there is hope for that,, lol
sheep breeding hit farmville/english farm a couple weeks ago,, and yep, im breeding the sheep,, and no matter how hard they make it, to get things to breed the sheep,, or to grow them up,, there are still people begging for the items,, sometimes I wonder, if they actually want a lamb, or just want one from ME.. there is one woman, that has requested from me several times,, I sent her one, then went to her farm, and she has a bunch of lambs that havent grown up,, I know she is a hoarder,, least for foals, but looks like she is continuing her hoarding with lambs,, will have to check that out later,,
well, guess I will close this out for today,, they should be here shortly to get me and take me back to see Nana,, I will probably be up here for several hours.. no sense going home to be alone (well, not counting the boys or amanda/chris)
So yall have a great evening, and Happy Farming
Papaw
Saturday, April 2, 2011
April 2nd, 2011
well, today is my birthday.. 59 yrs old..
and looking back, its been an experience, that Im not sure I would repeat.. lol
I have done just everything there is to do, twice, except divorce and die, and not sure I would look forward to either of them
Born in Tennessee, on this date in 1952. and in a few months, family moved to Indianapolis, Indiana.. Where I have lived most of my life.. I went to Stephen Decatur Grade school, Decatur central jr high, then Decatur Central High School, graduating in 1970.
Through that summer, I managed to get fired from my job at Dobbs house at the airport, where after a summer of bumming around, joined the US Navy in September 23, 1970.
After Bootcamp, in San Diego California, I came hope to get married to my pregnant girlfriend, having to break up with another girl the night before.. lol.
Married at 18, on Dec. 24, 1970,, and sent to San Francisco for Radar School.
Wasnt much for schooling, after just graduating High School, so with my way of thinking, at that time, I quit the Radar School, and asked for shore duty in Vietnam, a PBR in Vietnam (fast river patrol boat, like in Apocalypse Now movie.. and as a machinery repairman, aboard a guided missile destroyer.. which, was what I got,, the USS DECATUR (ddg-31) and thrown down in the bilges of the ship, to be a boiler technician.. wasnt what I thought I was going to be doing, but after a couple months, figured out it wasnt going to change, so I made the best of it, learned what I could, and made E-4 in a few months.. at that time, they made me Oil King on the ship, which was a pretty big job, for a 19-20 yr old kid.. normally a job held by an e-6.. I took care of all refueling operations, assigning the ships crew to their stations, along with daily soundings of all tanks, and fuel and water reports that went straight to the Capt of the ship.. I hand delivered them every morning to the Capt..
After a few training cruises/courses, we headed out on Westpac, in October of 1971, and headed to Vietnam, where we steamed plane guard for aircraft carriers, picking up downed pilots, or jets that didnt take off or land right on the carriers..we didnt stay on the gunline long, as we went into Subic bay, Phillipines, where there was a little town called Olongapo.. which had 10 thousand hookers, and 200 bars and hotels.. I think I knew each one of them, before the 4 yrs in the Navy was over.. LOL,, Made trips to Phillipines, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Kaoshiung taiwan, Taipai/keelung taiwan, Sasebo Japan,, Darwin, Perth/Freemantle/Melbourne, Australia, Aukland New Zealand, and the Samoan Islands (Pago Pago).. many stops in Honolulu, a midshipmans cruise to Seattle Washington, an overhaul in Bremerton shipyards/Portland Oregon, and a few islands that we pulled into to relax and swim, drink beer, and fight,, the party was over, and we would get back underway,,
Been accused of sneaking two women aboard ship, in one port of Australia, hiding them in my Oil SHack, where I did my boiler water testing, and taking them to the next port in Australia (5 days later) lol,, Now, would I do that? No charges were ever filed, and I vehemently deny this ever happening!! <snicker>
Though I was a handsome young man, and didnt get turned down often from the ladies.. I did lose my heart to a couple gals, that things could have turned out a lot different, had i decided to stay, instead of getting out of the Navy..
where, I returned to my first wife, and lived in misery for the next 10-12 yrs, when we finally got divorced.. and I met Nana.. almost right away.. the night I met her, (actually, already knew her, but went looking for her this particular night, her birthday) Found her sitting with another man, and walked over and tapped her on the shoulder, to ask her to dance. Now folks, when that gal turned around and looked at me, the smile on her face, I fell in love with her that very moment, as she rose from her seat, and I guided her to the floor.. We danced several dances, with the glaring eye of her date on us the whole time.. lol,, finally, I sat her down, and went to the bar, to sit, where she watched and waited for me to ask again... finally, as the evening ended, she left her date and we went to breakfast, and the next night, well,, lets just say, that was when we pretty much started our relationship.. 25 years ago, this coming October.. and we married 2 yrs later, in 1988..
as i said,, there isnt a lot, I havent done, at least once, and most things twice.. or more.. If it was worth doing, I did it many many times.. and Ive never regretted my life, or the things I have done.. Perhaps a few things could have been done differently, but then I would have missed the experience.. and the joy of having done it..
Ive been a son, a dad, a brother, a Papaw, a teacher, a student. I welded, built, wired, cabled, just about every building you can see in the skyline of Indianapolis, and done safety tests on thousands of elevators throughout the state, Ive transferred to Houston Tx, and back to Indianapolis, IN, transferred to Terre Haute, IN and back again..
Ive been Post Commander 3 times, at two different VFW Posts,, and all-state Commander, missed being all american by just a few new members, and as Post Commander, honored by the United States Marine Corp, from returning troops from Iraq.
Ive fought, friended, and drank with some of the best people you could ever want to meet, (and some of the toughest),, I was a pool shooter, that at one time, thought I was ready to move up in the ranks to the worlds top players,, though, money, being the holdback,, I had a stigma of playing for money.. lol,,But, at least in my mind, I was one of the best, and have beaten some of the best pool shooters in Indianapolis, and been beaten.. came in first in a few pool tournaments, 4th in the state of Indiana, in the early nineties, and even had a card printed up, "best pool shooter in the entire civilized world, and east of the Mississippi.. Ive had fun, lived a life of fun and excitement.. Ive spent fortunes, drinking and gambling.. Ive lived a good life, did what Ive wanted. Most of the time, doing it til Ive grown tired of it,, lol..
Ive known some of the best friends, a man could ever asked for, and loved on some beautiful women (including Nana).. Ive never had to wonder, what if.. because Ive done it..
Ive buried some close friends,, that I was proud to have called Brother.
The excitement of my life was the birth of my daughter, Amanda, and the birth of my granddaughter, Marisa. The disappointments, were my health deteriorating, to what it is today.. didnt expect to be in this shape, when I retired, nor expected a few other things that happened since.. but, hey, thats all part of life, and living the experience... Many a person, couldnt have walked in my shoes, and been content.. or completed my life this way..
Other disappointments in my life, were the death of my Father, before I turned 5.. the death of my two brothers, Sam and Buddy, too early in life.. The loss of friends, Vietnam Veterans, and VFW buddies, that were so close to me, they were brothers in the sense.. I know of one, that died before we moved here on the lake, and Nana and I say often, had Jim lived, he would have moved into our back bedroom, to be able to fish everyday.. Dale, was another close fishing buddy, that I lost recently.. many a time out on the lake, drinking a few beers, but fishing was the main course of the day, and we would fill a cooler up with them.. Not many people come along in a lifetime, that we can call true friends, or brother..but these were real men, that fought for their country, and lived their lives to the hands they were dealt.. and I loved them.
My biggest joy, and then loss, was when my Grandson, Devin Michael Leo was born, on September 25th, 1997.. and his death, on July 10, 1998 took its toll on me. and a few months later, I had a heart attack.. Im better now, after 13 yrs, but still cant go to his grave, which we do often, without crying, and thinking of the times Nana would bring him into the bed and flop him down on my belly, to wake me up for work.. such a blessing he was to our lives, and his loss, still hurts to this day
And when Mother died, I spent the night before with her at the hospital.. She slept most of the time, and I knew she was going to be taken off intravenous feeding and everything, the following morning.. and I could do nothing but pray, all night long, for her to wake, one more time, so I could tell her I love her.. and my prayers were answered, as she awoke at 530am, and we sat and talked, and she said how proud she was of me.. and how much she loved me.. We talked for awhile, and then I called the family, to tell them she was awake,, and they came up as soon as possible,,I couldnt stay, to watch her die.. and left, and waited word... They started the Fentanyl drip, after a Fentanyl shot that sent her asleep again, and within a few hours, she was gone.. Nana and I went back to the hospital then, to see her lying peaceful and content that she was going to see her family, and her Saviour, Jesus, in Heaven..
She may still be alive today, had they not made the decision, to end her life on her terms.. but she was ready, understood what was going on, and was prepared to meet her maker.. a pious woman, a beautiful Southern woman, with all the charms and pride, of having raised her family, to the best of her abilities.. and she was proud.
My Plans, for my birthday, are to go bar hopping, to get my free birthday beer, visit with my vietnam veteran buddies,, lift a glass to our friends that have passed, and enjoy another day, of friendship. not much different, than any other day, but this time, they get to buy the beer,, LOL..
Other plans, are to get some loving from Nana,, lol,, so may have to take some Cialis this morning, and hope it works.. lol..
Hope everyone has a wonderful day, and if youre reading this, lift a glass, and say Happy Birthday, Papaw.. and I will feel it from afar.. and know that I love you all..
Happy Farming
Papaw
and looking back, its been an experience, that Im not sure I would repeat.. lol
I have done just everything there is to do, twice, except divorce and die, and not sure I would look forward to either of them
Born in Tennessee, on this date in 1952. and in a few months, family moved to Indianapolis, Indiana.. Where I have lived most of my life.. I went to Stephen Decatur Grade school, Decatur central jr high, then Decatur Central High School, graduating in 1970.
Through that summer, I managed to get fired from my job at Dobbs house at the airport, where after a summer of bumming around, joined the US Navy in September 23, 1970.
After Bootcamp, in San Diego California, I came hope to get married to my pregnant girlfriend, having to break up with another girl the night before.. lol.
Married at 18, on Dec. 24, 1970,, and sent to San Francisco for Radar School.
Wasnt much for schooling, after just graduating High School, so with my way of thinking, at that time, I quit the Radar School, and asked for shore duty in Vietnam, a PBR in Vietnam (fast river patrol boat, like in Apocalypse Now movie.. and as a machinery repairman, aboard a guided missile destroyer.. which, was what I got,, the USS DECATUR (ddg-31) and thrown down in the bilges of the ship, to be a boiler technician.. wasnt what I thought I was going to be doing, but after a couple months, figured out it wasnt going to change, so I made the best of it, learned what I could, and made E-4 in a few months.. at that time, they made me Oil King on the ship, which was a pretty big job, for a 19-20 yr old kid.. normally a job held by an e-6.. I took care of all refueling operations, assigning the ships crew to their stations, along with daily soundings of all tanks, and fuel and water reports that went straight to the Capt of the ship.. I hand delivered them every morning to the Capt..
After a few training cruises/courses, we headed out on Westpac, in October of 1971, and headed to Vietnam, where we steamed plane guard for aircraft carriers, picking up downed pilots, or jets that didnt take off or land right on the carriers..we didnt stay on the gunline long, as we went into Subic bay, Phillipines, where there was a little town called Olongapo.. which had 10 thousand hookers, and 200 bars and hotels.. I think I knew each one of them, before the 4 yrs in the Navy was over.. LOL,, Made trips to Phillipines, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Kaoshiung taiwan, Taipai/keelung taiwan, Sasebo Japan,, Darwin, Perth/Freemantle/Melbourne, Australia, Aukland New Zealand, and the Samoan Islands (Pago Pago).. many stops in Honolulu, a midshipmans cruise to Seattle Washington, an overhaul in Bremerton shipyards/Portland Oregon, and a few islands that we pulled into to relax and swim, drink beer, and fight,, the party was over, and we would get back underway,,
Been accused of sneaking two women aboard ship, in one port of Australia, hiding them in my Oil SHack, where I did my boiler water testing, and taking them to the next port in Australia (5 days later) lol,, Now, would I do that? No charges were ever filed, and I vehemently deny this ever happening!! <snicker>
Though I was a handsome young man, and didnt get turned down often from the ladies.. I did lose my heart to a couple gals, that things could have turned out a lot different, had i decided to stay, instead of getting out of the Navy..
where, I returned to my first wife, and lived in misery for the next 10-12 yrs, when we finally got divorced.. and I met Nana.. almost right away.. the night I met her, (actually, already knew her, but went looking for her this particular night, her birthday) Found her sitting with another man, and walked over and tapped her on the shoulder, to ask her to dance. Now folks, when that gal turned around and looked at me, the smile on her face, I fell in love with her that very moment, as she rose from her seat, and I guided her to the floor.. We danced several dances, with the glaring eye of her date on us the whole time.. lol,, finally, I sat her down, and went to the bar, to sit, where she watched and waited for me to ask again... finally, as the evening ended, she left her date and we went to breakfast, and the next night, well,, lets just say, that was when we pretty much started our relationship.. 25 years ago, this coming October.. and we married 2 yrs later, in 1988..
as i said,, there isnt a lot, I havent done, at least once, and most things twice.. or more.. If it was worth doing, I did it many many times.. and Ive never regretted my life, or the things I have done.. Perhaps a few things could have been done differently, but then I would have missed the experience.. and the joy of having done it..
Ive been a son, a dad, a brother, a Papaw, a teacher, a student. I welded, built, wired, cabled, just about every building you can see in the skyline of Indianapolis, and done safety tests on thousands of elevators throughout the state, Ive transferred to Houston Tx, and back to Indianapolis, IN, transferred to Terre Haute, IN and back again..
Ive been Post Commander 3 times, at two different VFW Posts,, and all-state Commander, missed being all american by just a few new members, and as Post Commander, honored by the United States Marine Corp, from returning troops from Iraq.
Ive fought, friended, and drank with some of the best people you could ever want to meet, (and some of the toughest),, I was a pool shooter, that at one time, thought I was ready to move up in the ranks to the worlds top players,, though, money, being the holdback,, I had a stigma of playing for money.. lol,,But, at least in my mind, I was one of the best, and have beaten some of the best pool shooters in Indianapolis, and been beaten.. came in first in a few pool tournaments, 4th in the state of Indiana, in the early nineties, and even had a card printed up, "best pool shooter in the entire civilized world, and east of the Mississippi.. Ive had fun, lived a life of fun and excitement.. Ive spent fortunes, drinking and gambling.. Ive lived a good life, did what Ive wanted. Most of the time, doing it til Ive grown tired of it,, lol..
Ive known some of the best friends, a man could ever asked for, and loved on some beautiful women (including Nana).. Ive never had to wonder, what if.. because Ive done it..
Ive buried some close friends,, that I was proud to have called Brother.
The excitement of my life was the birth of my daughter, Amanda, and the birth of my granddaughter, Marisa. The disappointments, were my health deteriorating, to what it is today.. didnt expect to be in this shape, when I retired, nor expected a few other things that happened since.. but, hey, thats all part of life, and living the experience... Many a person, couldnt have walked in my shoes, and been content.. or completed my life this way..
Other disappointments in my life, were the death of my Father, before I turned 5.. the death of my two brothers, Sam and Buddy, too early in life.. The loss of friends, Vietnam Veterans, and VFW buddies, that were so close to me, they were brothers in the sense.. I know of one, that died before we moved here on the lake, and Nana and I say often, had Jim lived, he would have moved into our back bedroom, to be able to fish everyday.. Dale, was another close fishing buddy, that I lost recently.. many a time out on the lake, drinking a few beers, but fishing was the main course of the day, and we would fill a cooler up with them.. Not many people come along in a lifetime, that we can call true friends, or brother..but these were real men, that fought for their country, and lived their lives to the hands they were dealt.. and I loved them.
My biggest joy, and then loss, was when my Grandson, Devin Michael Leo was born, on September 25th, 1997.. and his death, on July 10, 1998 took its toll on me. and a few months later, I had a heart attack.. Im better now, after 13 yrs, but still cant go to his grave, which we do often, without crying, and thinking of the times Nana would bring him into the bed and flop him down on my belly, to wake me up for work.. such a blessing he was to our lives, and his loss, still hurts to this day
And when Mother died, I spent the night before with her at the hospital.. She slept most of the time, and I knew she was going to be taken off intravenous feeding and everything, the following morning.. and I could do nothing but pray, all night long, for her to wake, one more time, so I could tell her I love her.. and my prayers were answered, as she awoke at 530am, and we sat and talked, and she said how proud she was of me.. and how much she loved me.. We talked for awhile, and then I called the family, to tell them she was awake,, and they came up as soon as possible,,I couldnt stay, to watch her die.. and left, and waited word... They started the Fentanyl drip, after a Fentanyl shot that sent her asleep again, and within a few hours, she was gone.. Nana and I went back to the hospital then, to see her lying peaceful and content that she was going to see her family, and her Saviour, Jesus, in Heaven..
She may still be alive today, had they not made the decision, to end her life on her terms.. but she was ready, understood what was going on, and was prepared to meet her maker.. a pious woman, a beautiful Southern woman, with all the charms and pride, of having raised her family, to the best of her abilities.. and she was proud.
My Plans, for my birthday, are to go bar hopping, to get my free birthday beer, visit with my vietnam veteran buddies,, lift a glass to our friends that have passed, and enjoy another day, of friendship. not much different, than any other day, but this time, they get to buy the beer,, LOL..
Other plans, are to get some loving from Nana,, lol,, so may have to take some Cialis this morning, and hope it works.. lol..
Hope everyone has a wonderful day, and if youre reading this, lift a glass, and say Happy Birthday, Papaw.. and I will feel it from afar.. and know that I love you all..
Happy Farming
Papaw
Monday, March 28, 2011
Monday, March 28th, 2011
Good Morning everyone
well,, Its Monday, and here I sit again,, didnt go to Rehab this morning,, got up too late.. couldnt sleep last night.. and it was nearly 5am before I did drop off..
This will be short, as I have lots to do,, the Flooring finally is finished, but Ive grown unhappy with it, as there is faded boards where the sheen isnt on it,, not sure why, but stopped at Lowes yesterday, and theyre supposed to come out and take a look, and try to figure out what to do.
I took back, all the extra parts,, $353.00 worth,, I told them that their guy that does the measuring, his tape measure is off.. also, I have one box, well, 7 pieces, the whole box has 8.. that was chipped or faded and unusable.. thats another 45 dollars, or just a bit less,, if I can get them to replace them, or pay be back.. I see no reason to keep a whole box,, and they cant use them to replace the faded pieces,, but that also means, that they will have to bring back the 3 boxes I did take back (get my money back, then replacement is on them, not me) or reorder all new, and come out and fix it..
But, dont know when that will be.. but with over 80 square feet taken back, and the contractor charging by the square foot, I should get a refund there too,, then, they didnt take off 10% for veterans.. (yes, I asked for that too, since Lowes does that, but just now told me about it) sooo,, looking better all the time,, LOL
went to the RV place yesterday,, got there at closing on sunday,, thought we had 2 hrs til closing,, hardest place to hit on time, I guess.. but almost spent all the money refunded, between walmart and Gander Mountain, oh, and the RV place,, we ran through the store picking up stuff we will need, then to walmart, to buy a few things for the RV,, glasses, plates, etc.. still need to take it to the rv place, to have them check out everything to see what is wrong.. bastards want 175 or so, just to look at it and tell me what needs work.. then,, they want to tell me how everthing works,, thats another 179, I think I seen.. lol,, are they frigging nuts???
better git,, beef stew is going.. and I told Nana we would get moving early today, and go to another RV place..
Happy Farming
Papaw
well,, Its Monday, and here I sit again,, didnt go to Rehab this morning,, got up too late.. couldnt sleep last night.. and it was nearly 5am before I did drop off..
This will be short, as I have lots to do,, the Flooring finally is finished, but Ive grown unhappy with it, as there is faded boards where the sheen isnt on it,, not sure why, but stopped at Lowes yesterday, and theyre supposed to come out and take a look, and try to figure out what to do.
I took back, all the extra parts,, $353.00 worth,, I told them that their guy that does the measuring, his tape measure is off.. also, I have one box, well, 7 pieces, the whole box has 8.. that was chipped or faded and unusable.. thats another 45 dollars, or just a bit less,, if I can get them to replace them, or pay be back.. I see no reason to keep a whole box,, and they cant use them to replace the faded pieces,, but that also means, that they will have to bring back the 3 boxes I did take back (get my money back, then replacement is on them, not me) or reorder all new, and come out and fix it..
But, dont know when that will be.. but with over 80 square feet taken back, and the contractor charging by the square foot, I should get a refund there too,, then, they didnt take off 10% for veterans.. (yes, I asked for that too, since Lowes does that, but just now told me about it) sooo,, looking better all the time,, LOL
went to the RV place yesterday,, got there at closing on sunday,, thought we had 2 hrs til closing,, hardest place to hit on time, I guess.. but almost spent all the money refunded, between walmart and Gander Mountain, oh, and the RV place,, we ran through the store picking up stuff we will need, then to walmart, to buy a few things for the RV,, glasses, plates, etc.. still need to take it to the rv place, to have them check out everything to see what is wrong.. bastards want 175 or so, just to look at it and tell me what needs work.. then,, they want to tell me how everthing works,, thats another 179, I think I seen.. lol,, are they frigging nuts???
better git,, beef stew is going.. and I told Nana we would get moving early today, and go to another RV place..
Happy Farming
Papaw
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Thursday, March 24th, 2011
Afternoon, everyone..
Well, the flooring is completed, except for trim and a couple other odds and ends, and it looks fantastic.. cherrywood flooring matches my computer furniture perfect,, looks great in the kitchen and hallway.. and with the new black appliances,, guess the next thing on the agenda, will be new cabinets,, or new windows and doors.. the sliding glass door leaks like a sieve, and the front door isnt much better,, also, want ladder installed in the garage to the attic, to make it easier to get up and down, instead of climbing up a rickety ladder lol..
But the flooring looks absotively fantastic.. Im very pleased,, especially, since I get parts to take back, and, money back, and I forgot to get my veterans discount (10%) at lowes.. Ive looked at the receipt, and they didnt give it to me, though they did find a few other things to discount, to get it to what they quoted me.. but they forgot the veteran discount, so Im going to hit them up for that first.. lol. though I paid cash for the flooring and labor, I wouldnt care if they applied the money to the Lowes charge,, which we used for the appliances,, then I can pay them off a couple months earlier than expected.
Worked on the Rv a few days ago,, when it was warm.. now its cold again.. 33 degrees and not looking good for several more days,,brrrrr.. but the generator is working fine,, I had bought one of those port o power things to jump start it,, and that works fine, the engine appears to be running fine.. probably should have the generator serviced, oil changed and filters, just to have it checked out.. its putting out power,, I used a vacuum cleaner in the RV the other day, off of one of the outlets, was a surprise finding the port o sucker in the RV, stuck in a cubby hole.. didnt even know it was there.. book keeps saying there is a furnace in it, but I havent really looked for it yet. only heater I seen, other than the front heater/w the A/C... the main A/C for the compartment, the rooftop unit, doesnt appear to work,, I figured out, that you have to plug in the internal plug, into the output from the generator and have the generator running,, or run 120v to the RV and plug it in.. either way, when I tried cooling it down, it bogged the generator down, til it quit.. an the heater unit on it, is to just take the chill off, not actually heat the rv...
I really need to just take the thing to the RV place, and have them check it all out, fill and flush the tanks, and fill again,, and then top off the LP gas... and then make sure the hot water heater (6gal) is working,, the refrigerator runs off A/C. D/C and or LP gas.. and see what its going to cost me to fix the air conditioner,, hope it isnt replacement, as that is nearly 1000 dollars,, and I aint got it now,, least after the last 3 visits to the casino.. but will have money again next month,, and things will be better,, only have a week to go.. lol,,
Today is my daughter, amanda's birthday,, 40 years old.. The night she was born, I must have called every 20-30 minutes to see if she was here yet (no, we didnt know back then what "it" would be. lol,, I was in the US Navy at the time, in Long Beach California,, my ship was in modified drydock, and no where to sleep on board, , so we slept in the barracks, on the base...Finally, Mother told me to go on to bed, and they would call me,, looking back, that must have been a huge phonebill I had left Mother with, and me only making 100 bucks a month. But, Amanda finally made it here, and pretty much has been a pain in my ass since.. lol,, not really, though, there have been some times.
Nana is home today, and has spent pretty much the whole day in the bedroom,, coming out for coffee, and something to eat.. pretty much what Amanda has done too.. lol,, I set a roast out for supper,, but doesnt look like its going to get fixed tonight.. with the workers here,, I didnt want to be fixing things for supper,, while they were still working,, last night, I was gonna cook hotdogs,, but Nana said she was fixing tuna,, and that was pretty good.. though, with 6 cans, there was only enough left to snack on, or maybe one sandwich..
Think maybe I will start with fried taters and onions, and then figure out the main course,, lol.. I could do chicken soup.. or chili,, guess either of those would work.. and have it ready in no time.. hmmm,, maybe that isnt a bad idea, with it as cold as it is..
Better get busy figuring out what it will be,, lol,, so talk to yall again soon
Happy Farming
Papaw
Well, the flooring is completed, except for trim and a couple other odds and ends, and it looks fantastic.. cherrywood flooring matches my computer furniture perfect,, looks great in the kitchen and hallway.. and with the new black appliances,, guess the next thing on the agenda, will be new cabinets,, or new windows and doors.. the sliding glass door leaks like a sieve, and the front door isnt much better,, also, want ladder installed in the garage to the attic, to make it easier to get up and down, instead of climbing up a rickety ladder lol..
But the flooring looks absotively fantastic.. Im very pleased,, especially, since I get parts to take back, and, money back, and I forgot to get my veterans discount (10%) at lowes.. Ive looked at the receipt, and they didnt give it to me, though they did find a few other things to discount, to get it to what they quoted me.. but they forgot the veteran discount, so Im going to hit them up for that first.. lol. though I paid cash for the flooring and labor, I wouldnt care if they applied the money to the Lowes charge,, which we used for the appliances,, then I can pay them off a couple months earlier than expected.
Worked on the Rv a few days ago,, when it was warm.. now its cold again.. 33 degrees and not looking good for several more days,,brrrrr.. but the generator is working fine,, I had bought one of those port o power things to jump start it,, and that works fine, the engine appears to be running fine.. probably should have the generator serviced, oil changed and filters, just to have it checked out.. its putting out power,, I used a vacuum cleaner in the RV the other day, off of one of the outlets, was a surprise finding the port o sucker in the RV, stuck in a cubby hole.. didnt even know it was there.. book keeps saying there is a furnace in it, but I havent really looked for it yet. only heater I seen, other than the front heater/w the A/C... the main A/C for the compartment, the rooftop unit, doesnt appear to work,, I figured out, that you have to plug in the internal plug, into the output from the generator and have the generator running,, or run 120v to the RV and plug it in.. either way, when I tried cooling it down, it bogged the generator down, til it quit.. an the heater unit on it, is to just take the chill off, not actually heat the rv...
I really need to just take the thing to the RV place, and have them check it all out, fill and flush the tanks, and fill again,, and then top off the LP gas... and then make sure the hot water heater (6gal) is working,, the refrigerator runs off A/C. D/C and or LP gas.. and see what its going to cost me to fix the air conditioner,, hope it isnt replacement, as that is nearly 1000 dollars,, and I aint got it now,, least after the last 3 visits to the casino.. but will have money again next month,, and things will be better,, only have a week to go.. lol,,
Today is my daughter, amanda's birthday,, 40 years old.. The night she was born, I must have called every 20-30 minutes to see if she was here yet (no, we didnt know back then what "it" would be. lol,, I was in the US Navy at the time, in Long Beach California,, my ship was in modified drydock, and no where to sleep on board, , so we slept in the barracks, on the base...Finally, Mother told me to go on to bed, and they would call me,, looking back, that must have been a huge phonebill I had left Mother with, and me only making 100 bucks a month. But, Amanda finally made it here, and pretty much has been a pain in my ass since.. lol,, not really, though, there have been some times.
Nana is home today, and has spent pretty much the whole day in the bedroom,, coming out for coffee, and something to eat.. pretty much what Amanda has done too.. lol,, I set a roast out for supper,, but doesnt look like its going to get fixed tonight.. with the workers here,, I didnt want to be fixing things for supper,, while they were still working,, last night, I was gonna cook hotdogs,, but Nana said she was fixing tuna,, and that was pretty good.. though, with 6 cans, there was only enough left to snack on, or maybe one sandwich..
Think maybe I will start with fried taters and onions, and then figure out the main course,, lol.. I could do chicken soup.. or chili,, guess either of those would work.. and have it ready in no time.. hmmm,, maybe that isnt a bad idea, with it as cold as it is..
Better get busy figuring out what it will be,, lol,, so talk to yall again soon
Happy Farming
Papaw
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Sunday, March 20th, 2011
Good Afternoon, Everyone
Well its Sunday.. Nana and I are getting ready to head to the riverboat (again) ugh... no money, but they sent Nana a 100$ and a free room, and buffets,, sooo, guess we will be going to Lawrenceburg, Indiana in a little while.
FINALLY, made it to Camping World.. pretty neat place,, lots of things to buy for the RV. But no money this time to do any buying, LOL... thanks to the casino the other night.. We'll never learn.. lol,, but did make it over to the RV and got it running,, tightened up the fan belts,, and I bought a Power quick start at walmart, with enough charge to jump it and get it started.. pretty nifty.. glad I bought it.. 20 dollars off, and I did need one for emergencies.. Plus, I can use it for my pick up, to get it started and moving down the road.. 2 weeks til I get paid again, and that money is gone,, have to wait for the second check,, then I will be in the chips again, if I can stay the hell away from the casinos.. lmao..
The battery/alternator appeared to be charging on the RV, so that is a plus,, hope that was it,, least the belts arent screaming for help now,, LOL.. took a few measurements for mini blinds.. bought a couple, and will put them in when it warms up.. A/C wasnt working,, Gary, Nana's Brother, said it worked,, sooo, guess I will need to read the directions (usually after the third try, I read how to do things, lmao) Then one of these days, I will take it down to Camping World, and have them put a new shroud on it,, looks like someone hit a low branch, or something and busted it up,, I would imagine it is from sun damage too,, inside, need light replacements,, they work, but the covers are crumbling from age and heat,, you know how plastic gets with age and being in the heat/sun.. Also need to figure out the alarm system on the RV,, inside,, there is an alarm, for dangerous fumes.. and when I turned it on, the alarm went off,, think it is carbon monoxide or CO2 or something, from the exhaust.. may need to look under it and check out the system,, Just going to take some time to get it fixed up to use.. little at a time.. its actually ready now, if we wanted to go.. just dont know how to work anything,, we have all the equipment to camp and cook, without using the inside RV equipment, so not a biggie right now.. will take it to CW (camping world) and have it charged (propane) and the water tanks flushed and filled, and make sure the toilet is going to be working in it.. If we can just stay out of the casino, it would be nice to have money saved to just jump in it and go at the spur of the moment,, sure wish Nana would retire.. we looked at newer Rv's yesterday,, 25-35k... man were they nice.. I told her if we would sell the house, we could just jump on the road and go,, right there would give up 1500-2000 a month extra.. hell, maybe even more than that.. I would really only have insurance on the vehicles..Then get us a mailbox in Tennessee or Florida, where they dont pay state income tax,, and that would save us 1000 a year.. plus no property taxes.. I think we could live pretty high on the hog,, let alone save money..
even if we bought a new truck,/5th wheel, with a nice pull behind trailer,, would be really nice... not quite what Im wanting, but a new truck sounded good,, lmao
Well, folks, hate to cut this short, but need to finish getting ready, and get something in my belly before we go.. Yall have a great Sunday afternoon/evening,, and wish me some LUCK this time.. lmao
Happy Farming
Papaw
Well its Sunday.. Nana and I are getting ready to head to the riverboat (again) ugh... no money, but they sent Nana a 100$ and a free room, and buffets,, sooo, guess we will be going to Lawrenceburg, Indiana in a little while.
FINALLY, made it to Camping World.. pretty neat place,, lots of things to buy for the RV. But no money this time to do any buying, LOL... thanks to the casino the other night.. We'll never learn.. lol,, but did make it over to the RV and got it running,, tightened up the fan belts,, and I bought a Power quick start at walmart, with enough charge to jump it and get it started.. pretty nifty.. glad I bought it.. 20 dollars off, and I did need one for emergencies.. Plus, I can use it for my pick up, to get it started and moving down the road.. 2 weeks til I get paid again, and that money is gone,, have to wait for the second check,, then I will be in the chips again, if I can stay the hell away from the casinos.. lmao..
The battery/alternator appeared to be charging on the RV, so that is a plus,, hope that was it,, least the belts arent screaming for help now,, LOL.. took a few measurements for mini blinds.. bought a couple, and will put them in when it warms up.. A/C wasnt working,, Gary, Nana's Brother, said it worked,, sooo, guess I will need to read the directions (usually after the third try, I read how to do things, lmao) Then one of these days, I will take it down to Camping World, and have them put a new shroud on it,, looks like someone hit a low branch, or something and busted it up,, I would imagine it is from sun damage too,, inside, need light replacements,, they work, but the covers are crumbling from age and heat,, you know how plastic gets with age and being in the heat/sun.. Also need to figure out the alarm system on the RV,, inside,, there is an alarm, for dangerous fumes.. and when I turned it on, the alarm went off,, think it is carbon monoxide or CO2 or something, from the exhaust.. may need to look under it and check out the system,, Just going to take some time to get it fixed up to use.. little at a time.. its actually ready now, if we wanted to go.. just dont know how to work anything,, we have all the equipment to camp and cook, without using the inside RV equipment, so not a biggie right now.. will take it to CW (camping world) and have it charged (propane) and the water tanks flushed and filled, and make sure the toilet is going to be working in it.. If we can just stay out of the casino, it would be nice to have money saved to just jump in it and go at the spur of the moment,, sure wish Nana would retire.. we looked at newer Rv's yesterday,, 25-35k... man were they nice.. I told her if we would sell the house, we could just jump on the road and go,, right there would give up 1500-2000 a month extra.. hell, maybe even more than that.. I would really only have insurance on the vehicles..Then get us a mailbox in Tennessee or Florida, where they dont pay state income tax,, and that would save us 1000 a year.. plus no property taxes.. I think we could live pretty high on the hog,, let alone save money..
even if we bought a new truck,/5th wheel, with a nice pull behind trailer,, would be really nice... not quite what Im wanting, but a new truck sounded good,, lmao
Well, folks, hate to cut this short, but need to finish getting ready, and get something in my belly before we go.. Yall have a great Sunday afternoon/evening,, and wish me some LUCK this time.. lmao
Happy Farming
Papaw
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