Happy easter

     Hope everyone has had a nice easter.I think this is the first year me and the wife has stayed at home.We seem to be between times with kids most are to old and the new ones to young this year. Easter next year it will be different the young ones will be stumbling around the yard hunting eggs.The parents pointing where to look  as the kids squel at their finds.My wife got to be the easter bunny last year at her work she got to pose with the kids as parents snapped pics on their phones.Yesterday the preacher at the local church asked if i was going to easter service {he gets BBQ every saturday}i said no but i may show up  another sunday.Brother Darrell was kind puzzelled why not easter. I told him my grandpa told me not to be a christmas and easter church person.Guess i am comitted now.well enuff ramblin . HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE

My daughter is a prepper and doesnt know it

   My oldest has lost her job again. Now this is a semi annual thing for her. She has My mouth and it gets her in trouble she has my ex wifes attitude A VERY BAD COMBINATION.She has only worked fast food so her income isnt much.The only thing going her way is she has her grandmothers house with only a 375 payment and she gets food stamps by claiming her brother.Her utilities are minimal because she watches what she uses close.Her brother lives with her but like most siblings they fight over everything my office seems to double as his second bedroom.
  When she told me last week she was fired i did the daddy thing asked if she need help with what was due .I  was told mabe next month she would need a little .I asked her where she stood with her house ? She informed me she had 4 months house notes saved and credits on her power gas and water built up good for 2 months.Wow not bad  for a 25 year old  making 7.75 at a Little Ceasers pizza.She had her income tax back for some of it but had to spend 800 having 4 wisdom teeth pulled last month at a dental school
     The cabinets at her house are stuffed with pasta dinners, can goods her freezer is also packed the kid could survive 6 months without anything extra but bread and milk she eats better than us.
   She says she is a hoarder on food because she doesnt know when she may lose her food stamps.The house payments were realy for a new roof because she didnt want me to have to do it.So i guess i will do her roof this summer or at least where she has a small leak.She will find a job in a few weeks she always does.She told me she learned watching me keep food and cash laid aside.Makes me proud that she could see my way worked smoothing out bumps in the road.Her Mom was a spender and never saved so she knew how foolish that was.

Why cash is king



a 98 grand cherokee

   Right before christmas the man across the street put his extra car on the drive for sale1800$. Well i called him because he left for work. James told me he would take 1200$ cash he wanted to take his wife to see her family in New Orleans for christmas,a dinner and the casinos.I knew it had an electrical problem he had told me before when we had talked. I jumped on it !!! book was over 2500$ i had the cash hid so i no trip to the bank needed.I found the problem he had snaged and broke 3 wires coming out of the transmission and it made a short.Taped now is fine;]

     Below is my daughters car she has a old honda but lucked into a deal, this KIA was put out on the road where my son was at a yardsale.My son looked at it and told the man his sister would want it so the man said call him when she got there .My daughter went looked it over before she called the man.She wanted it the price was 900$ so off to the bank it was weekend so she used the ATM.Guess what she found out her bank has a 300 dollar limit on ATM withdrawls.Her solution Daddy, im selling BBQ so she comes up and tells me she has 300 and 300 in the bank she cant get out because did i know ATMs only are good for 300? LOL yes i knew that.I knew what was coming, dad can i BORROW 500 Bobby said he will lend me a 100.Why do you think i have that in cash?Shes said well you always get mad because i dont keep any cash.Well to shorten i go get her 600 {sibling borrowing alway makes for a fight even if its for 1 day].In about an hour here she drives up smiling in this car hands 200 back .The man took 700$ for the car because it needs a brake booster and she had cash.IT runs great brakebooster was 37.00 at the junkyard.I got REPAID {from a child thats rare}in a week.Now i have 2 kids that have learned for great deals CASH IS KING.Make a stash it pays better than a bank!!!!

2003 kia rio

Prepping food inventory check today

    Today im going to check my food prepps.The winter we eat into our pantry kinda heavy.When i made chillie and had to hunt for tomatoes i was shocked .I buy can goods by the case at ALDI,s they average 59 to 65 cents a can or about 8.00 a case.I like an assortment on hand so i buy 5 cases at a wack of differant items.
    Look at it like this 52 cans of something is only 1 a week so i try to keep a large inventory of can goods.If  TSHTF i think i have enuff for 2 mabe 3 good meals a week with the rest being made up in beans rice  flour,patatoes pancakes and pasta.Little Timmy wont be happy at my house but he will live.I am afraid the list will be very long this year because I skimped to much last fall.Saw a news item that the USDA is predicting higher food prices already so i will be starting early on restocking to save money.

Cheap chilie,bills paid

    Well now that we are back from our trip a cold front moved in.It never fails when we get home for the next week to be cold rainy or windy.This week its all 3.So tonite i made cheap chilie just 1 lb hamburger 2 cans diced tomatoes and 2 cans bush chilie majic.Makes a pot that feeds 4 large folks with some left over for hotdogs tommorow.
     Now i know i could have made it cheaper vegitarian style but i didnt want to hear the kids winning today[after all their only 21!!!] its been full day.I always pick 1 day a week for running around and today was it.4 stores, the water bill got paid, a stop at the bank and my brother in laws to pickup some cash he owed me.He likes my failed beer distilate as do his friends :}.I guess it wasnt to bad a day.All the bills are now payed and have 100 left to squirel away.Its trip money or for the new teardrop build.Me and the wife are still talking about what we want to build she wants a potty I just need a bush.

How i spend my weekends

Today was a workday for me and it went kinda long.Folks kinda just dribbled in all afternoon and it being the end of the month i didnt think id be busy but i sold out.I think this spring and summer will be a good one for BBQ.When i say i dont work thats not to mean i dont do anything im just a lousy employee. I value my time and if im going to do it i want it to pay so i can enjoy my time playing.

      Here is a pic of my BBQ set up in the yard. The tank with the wood beside it is my next grill its going to be a flat 8 ft X3ft grill smoker.The yellow trailer is the serving trailer, my poor white truck thinks its married to the yellow trailer .
    I do good because i want to see smiles on customers faces.I also price my BBQ to sell
     BBQ  SANDWICHS ARE  2for 5.00$     5 for 10.00$
               PLATES       6.00$    or     4 for 20.00$
               WHOLE BUTTS  20.00$   7to 8lb pre cook 
                RIBS   WHOLE RACK 20.00$ HALF 10.00$
   I wont get rich at these prices but i stay busey for a roadside stand open only friday and saturday.I open 3 hours friday and 5 on saturday. this weekend i made 32.50 an hour beats 7.45 at most places.

Camped in north florida

Just got back

      We just got back home.Was a great short trip.We forgot it was spring break in a lot of the country it was packed at the campground.We had a nice site and had some great folks next to us.Here is the  lowlands  coastal flat we were next to
       Oh well blogger is being an ass today cant put up any pics
 We left the kids sitting in the dark when we left.A bad storm with 100 mph wind had rolled in monday nite at the house.I had a lot of damage at our rental trailer but we left any way.Camping in florida verses at home was a no brainer.The kids went to there sisters she had power.power came back on wensday.So now the work start.

Work weeks done!!!

   Ok mabe not a normal work week but my 2 day week.Was a super weekend for BBQ sunny 75  and lots of traffic.I know i said i dont work but bills got to be paid.And i love doing the BBQ its nice to be able to make a living with happy cutomers that smile.
     Now its time to finish packing and tying up a few loose end before we head to the coast for a few days.the teardrop is almost packed.Told the wife to pack our clothes yesterday she may have it finished 20 minates before we leave monday nite.Yall know what im talking about.Hope its as nice as last years trip.

inner coastal water way between p,cola and mobile

    We swam and watched the barges and sail boats go by had dolpins a few yards away from the picnic area we were at.We dont plan on swiming but will have lunch at the park again.

Pic,s from Amish country and getting ready to roll again

 Well today i woke up and the sun was shining and it hit the low 60s.The wife is off next week and wants to hit the coast for a few days.That means i had to check the teardrop and make sure it is ready to roll.My last trip was in mid october to amish country in ethridge tn. Me and my son  drove up for syrup and sweet patatoes and  baked goods and can goods .While up there we went to jack daniels and took the tour of the distillery.
       Now that is a still, makes my little stove top unit seem like a joke.Also camped at Davey Crockett state park and visited his law office.


The birth place of every drop of JD



dairy farm in amish country



Davey Crocketts law office

     I pulled the camper into the drive striped it down aired it all out and put it back togeather.All thats left is  is toss in the ice chest feels good knowing its that time of year for short trips.

Winter blues



freak snow the 17 of jan.

a snow storm in alabama is what a  yankee would laff at.around here its a rare thing. It sure took me by suprise. The picture above is my smoker and vending trailer lucky this was during the week .I work friday saturday and sunday on the side of the road.If you are ever out anywhere and see a fat man selling food on the roadside you stop and enjoy.
    This year ive been rained on and snow flurried on and blown away with wind.I cant waitfor spring i have done ok selling but it hasnt been easy its payed the bill but nothing extra.Its almost camping weather and i have the itch.
    This weekend the weatherlier says its going to be 69 and sunny if the truth is in him i may make afew days camping money and get to add some cangoods to my prepp storage.Winter i eat in to my food stores a bit just because money is tight.

Why I built my teardrop

we had just broke camp at disney world

  Ok let me start with i wanted to travel. After i had to close my store i was in  poor financal shape. WE had hung on to long and it cost dearly.I already had a 27ft layton camper but going to the lake was expensive and it was a hassel.I had seen a few teardrops on the computer that was homemade then i found  http://www.tnttt.com/  great site and lots of info.My rig is a 4ft wide 8ft long semi teardrop  in shape .I had an old trailer in the yard and went from there. A few2x3s some 1x2s  4 sheets plywood 1/2 inch and 2 sheets of shower fiberglass .If i can build one so can you. My wife wanted to pull it with her convertible so wieght was an issue. The teardrop has only droped our milage 1 mabe 2 mpg most campgrounds we have stayed at run 20$ to 30$ a nite with power and water .Frugal travel works for us.                                                                                                 

First post please bear with me

  This blog is going to be a lot of rambling about life in general. First let me try a pic post.This is my homemade 400$ teardrop and my wife {if she knew she was in a pic i,d be dead} camped at Big Lagoon in pensacola fl last summer.Had a great time we stayed 4 days it was 110 in august .Well this is a test so wont be much rambling on today.