A birthday present that arrived late.

    Monday way my birthday and the kids were here and my Mom . I got took to lunch , shirts ,shorts and other items for presents but my oldest daughter's present didn't make it on time. She gave no hint what it was but said she would bring it over when it came in.

    Ok as a dad I like any gifts my kids give me. This child is different her gifts are always "interesting" but this time she surprised me .

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-LCC3-Pre-Seasoned-Cast-Iron-3-2-Quart/dp/B0009JKG9M/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1461814577&sr=8-4&keywords=lodge+cast+iron

This time she got it right . I have other cast iron I use at home but this combo is perfect for the camper. I use cast iron a lot and now will have it on the road. At 13 lbs. it is lite enough for my wife to use to.

   Good cast iron that is took care of will last many life times . It is one of those pass it down items that are rare today . My Mom has a Griswold corn bread wedge skillet that she wants me to have after she passes (she still is using it :). Lodge is a quality product !

Truck update .

   Last week I wrote that my truck troubles were a 40$ sensor . Well the truck has run good and I have put 200 miles on it since the repair. I have filled the tank and checked the mpg it is getting now. It got 14.7 just tooling around the house for the first 100 miles. Now the second 100 was 70 on the interstate  and 30 local and it got 16.4 mpg . It wasn't a cruise speed trip ,mid day through Birmingham is hammer down and move or die .

    Before the repair it 11 to 12 MAY BE  so far it is a 25% increase or more. That is a major operating savings. Now I could drive a smaller truck but it couldn't do what I need it to do. I gave some thought to what that damn part cost me over the last year and I could have spent 2 weeks camping .

Balancing act this weekend.

   Sorry I haven't posted but been juggling family and buissness this weekend. My  Mom came down for my birthday and my nephews this weekend. My nephew turned 3 Saturday and I Turned  53 today. I know he was more excited than I was :).

   Now I love when my Mom comes down to visit but life has to go on . Weekend visits I still have to do the BBQ and a few hours work at the trailer had to be done. Even on my birthday I have had some matters to attend to.  I remember when my life was not so hecktic but it has been a while .

    I will be posting a few picture's of the trailer remodel later this week it has seen some big changes in the last month.

A Trump ad no lies only the truth.

   
     A must see from Papa mike

http://www.papamiket.com/?p=87939





   
Whether you are for him or not, this is a fabulous ad!!!
Till now Trump hasn’t really spent any money on ads – he’s promoted himself and message for free at the expense of those who do NOT want him elected – THE MEDIA.
BUT when he creates an ad ..WOW!
(He really rattles their cages) “THE DONALD”
LOVE HIM, DOUBT HIM or HATE HIM – He is indeed shaking it up to the very core of our political system – which is a GOOD thing.
It’s hard to believe that even Trump would have the ‘cojones’ to put this on the air.
Here is a rousing military medley that tells it how it is … the lyrics are clever and funny …
Obama is suitably recognized. It’s a 2 minute video!
VIDEO BELOW

 

 

 

A year of truck troubles was a 40$ fix.

     Ok I have cried on here about needing/wanting a new truck for over a year. No I don't care about riding around in a newer nicer looking ride. I care about a work truck that does what I need and can be depended on every time I get in it. My truck pulls our campers, the vending trailers and enables me to get the lumber and tools to these 2 houses to remodel. For a year it has run rough most of the time and smooth as silk the rest. To hear it some days it sounded like it had a couple of cylinders missing. Gas mileage was 10 to 12 mpg. empty or hauling a trailer. Every thing said it was in the plugs wires or rotor cap all have been replaced over the year no improvement.

    A few weeks ago a neighbor stopped by while I was selling BBQ just to B.S. and he asked "what is wrong with your truck it has been sounding rough passing by." So I told him what I had done and it hadn't helped. He told me it was "that little black sensor on the side of the carburetor" ok thanks. Now this is a "good ol' boy" he drinks way to much and has run through more trucks than shirts so I didn't think to much on his advise. Well last week I towed a friends truck to my old mechanic and asked would a bad sensor on the throttle body make it sound like a miss? 

   Butch said start it up. I did and he listened a second, naturally it sounded perfect. He walked to the back and smelled the exhaust. He said it was real rich smelling mite be the throttle position sensor or the Map sensor not the wires and plugs.  Butch said he was full up with work all I had to do was loosen 2 screw and pop on the sensor  and start with the "little black one on the carburetor side".
 
  Well I got that 40$ sensor it took 5 minutes to swap them out and my truck started purring like a fat cat in your lap. I have spent 100s in gas because of a nothing part. Live and learn . A simple fix had me ready to spend thousands on a new truck.

Plan G retirement !

Say you are an older senior citizen and can no longer take care of yourself and the government says there is no Nursing Home care available.So, what do you do? You opt for Medicare Plan G.

The plan gives anyone 75 or older a gun (Plan G) and one bullet. You are allowed to shoot one worthless politician. This means you will be sent to prison for the rest of your life where you will receive three meals a day, a roof over your head, central heating and air conditioning, cable TV, a library, and all the Health Care you need. Need new teeth? No problem. Need glasses? That’s great. Need a hearing aid, new hip, knees, kidney, lungs, sex change, or heart? They are all covered!
As an added bonus, your kids can come and visit you at least as often as they do now! And, who will be paying for all of this? The same government that just told you they can’t afford for you to go into a nursing home. And you will get rid of a useless politician while you are at it. And now, because you are a prisoner, you don’t have to pay any more income taxes.
 
    I found this on Papa Mike's  but the more times I read  it  the more I think it has merit. As I get older the " Penalty of Law" is less and less . Now when I was 25 a life sentence was a 50 + year term of the best year of my life. Now that I am over 50 it is 20 or so years of poorer health. Once I hit 65 to 70 the max penalty would be 10 years with 5 of them being better off dead.

    So IF I am still around at 75 I can do any damn thing I want and there is not any " Penalty of Law" to amount to shit for my punishment. I may stick around just to see what appeals to my twisted mind !

Gun porn post its been a while.

 

If you hate Trump Look at who you agree with.

Ted Nugent’s 20 Reasons to Vote for Trump Go Viral… Liberals Horrified

Obama is against Trump
The Media is against Trump
The establishment Democrats are against Trump
The establishment Republicans are against Trump
The Pope is against Trump
The UN is against Trump
The EU is against Trump
China is against Trump
Mexico is against Trump
Soros is against Trump
Black Lives Matter is against Trump
MoveOn.Org is against Trump
Koch Bro’s are against Trump
Hateful, racist, violent Liberals are against Trump

Cher says she will leave the country
Mylie Cyrus says she will leave the country
Whoopi says she will leave the country
Rosie says she will leave the country
Al Sharpton says he will leave the country
Gov. Brown says California will build a wall

   The Hillarybeast and those listed above or Trump Hmmmm.

While Trump is a Narcissistic Egotistical ,Megalomaniac I would like to think he will do a good job so history will record him as Great president . He is about Trump being Great if the country has to improve for him to be Great I think he will do his best.

     What is Hillary about ? 

You have wheat and can make bread now what?

     The basis of most food storage is wheat/flour for bread but what is bread without butter. Red feather makes a canned butter that has good reviews but at 7$ a 7 oz. can I need a cheaper  supply.

    I need to get a dozen 8 oz. or 12 oz. jelly jars so I can try this. I love hot homemade bread  slathered with butter (I am hefty size) and jelly. I have pound blocks of margarine in the freezer but think a few jars of canned butter would store well in the pantry. I think I would shake as it cooled to mix the solids back in to the mix. If it is separated it mite as well be Gee.

     Yea I am on a canning kick I could have a worst hobby . This weekend I soured the lard I planed on canning . Hot dripping in cold water was A BAD IDEA . Oh well live and learn.

Not all customers are good .

     This weekend I  was told a friend's little dinner was closed. Me and the wife used to eat there a couple lunches a week . Old Max was a fair cook that did a decent meat and 3  plus clubs and burgers. Well Max is in his mid 70s and decided to retire . I saw him about 6 weeks ago and he asked me if I would buy it, he gave me a very good price . 12,000$ and he would take it at 1000 a month for a year from me. I know it would pay for its self but he is open from 5am till 2  6 days a week. After expense's it would have been 500 to 750 a week but it would have been 60 hours a week! I told him I appreciated the offer but it wasn't what I planned on for a retirement.

    Now I know I could have changed the menu dropping some and adding others items as Max has done his thing for 15 years unchanged. My biggest problem was the hours, limited seating (40 maybe) and a Bullsitting crowd. The bane of small dinners a group of 6 or so that sit 1 to a booth or 6 out of 10  for lunch and a hour of B.S. after. I have seen to many potential customers leave because of no seating . While I want a full time food sales setup I don't want to start into it with a "gathering hole" .

   Max found a Buyer for the dinner he thought. He worked with him the last week of March to turn the keys over so he could start April 1st. The new owner was a no show and it has been closed for a week. Max gave him the same deal he offered me . I don't know what will happen. 2 friends have asked me to take it this weekend.
 
    Me and the wife talked it over and agree it is not for US. I hate it for Old Max but he has let his regulars ruin his business . I will go full time but it will be a to go with patio tables only. The wife likes what I do now but I want a bit more.

Took a large BBQ catering order.

     Today I had a regular customer call and place an order for 8 smoked pork butts next Wednesday . She is the head of a pet adoption agency and has served my BBQ at many of their fund raiser dinners and functions. She is a trained chef and caters dinners and fund raisers for other charities. This order is for a catering dinner up in Kentucky. She said they had it Saturday at her fund raiser and asked her to do their event next Friday . It is nice to know my BBQ  is beginning to be requested in a circle that has the means to purchase from any that claim to be "World Famous". I don't make any claims except its consistent ,good and reasonable priced.

    Ok because of this catering order I will have a lot of extra trim meat . I take 8 to 10 lb. butts and trim to 7 lb. give or take 1/4 lb. I could save the trim till the next weekend cook and serve it in sandwich's but I plan on canning it like I did the hamburger. I may put some up smoked and not smoked. Chicken will be put up to mainly because leg and thighs are 39 cents this week.

   

Meat in grid down, off grid . or big hurry

    Today I tried something I have wanted to do for a long time I canned 8 jars of hamburger meat. A lot of people including myself may be scared to attempted home canned meat but I did it.

   Ok the local store is running a loss leader on Hamburger for 1.88 a pound  so I got 20 lbs. for the freezer. Now in this house no one thinks about "what's for dinner" till dinner time. At  5 it is a rush to thaw a pack of hamburger and then fix dinner plus as most prepper's have found meat protein is a costly commodity to buy and store in quantity. If it is frozen you have to thaw it cook it and you run the risk of it all spoiling if the power goes out and you can't run your freezer. Sure you can buy ham, chicken, corned beef or any number of things that have meat for dinner or food storage but it isn't the same.

    I decided I needed to at least try canning hamburger. I took 8 lbs. of meat and a whole onion and browned it in 2 skillets it took 20 minute's while that cooked I got the pressure canner and jars set out . I simply filled the jars like the Ball Blue Book said placed them in the pressure canner set the jiggler to 10 lb. and waited for it to start then 90 minute's later turned it off. Took them out and in 10 minutes it was ping ping ping they sealed .

  I did 8 but forgot  the canner holds 10 so I used 2 empty jars to fill it . These cost 2.50 per pound jar ready to eat right out of the jar. The time was less than 45 minute's of work for 8 meals .

   The real test will be when we open the first one for a meal . If it is good I think frozen hamburger will be a thing of the past . Next will be cubed chicken breast , roast , pork, and Bacon. I run the numbers for storage and it is almost even with store bought but it can be tailored to our taste . If you have been afraid to try just take the leap I did.

I got the Deed.

    I have been on pins and needles about getting the deed on the property I wanted for a BOL . The state sent me a letter in February that they would issue on April 1st.  For some reason I was afraid something would come up and I would get a "we no longer have any interest in this property to convey " letter. Well I got the Deed by certified mail today :) . As nice as it is to have it will be a back burner project.

     Today we hung sheet rock in the bedroom of the trailer and tomorrow I will start on the living room sheet rock. I hate sheet rock but hanging it is not to bad . I am still thinking about hiring the mudding and finishing work. Before I make up my mind I think I will attempt one side wall to see how I do . If you don't try you will never know if you can. It has been a slow time all I got done last week was buying the sheet rock and finish hanging the insulation. My son did paint the exterior while I was on vacation with its base coat. My daughter picked a darker gray for it but when it was painted and dried it looks BLUE . I hate it but she likes it so what the hell its going to be her home not mine. Once the sheet rock is hung I plan on hitting his place hard everyday for 2 weeks so he can move in and do the little stuff himself . After sheet rock my daughters place is all small finish work I can do alone and hopefully my son can do the same. We have been getting on each others nerves and we both know a blow up will happen if we don't put some space between us soon.

If you are thinking about a used camper a must read.

     Regardless of the age there are certain things you need to check when buying a used travel trailer and this link sums it up nice.

http://littlevintagetrailer.com/2012/03/10-things-to-look-for-when-buying-a-vintage-trailer/


     Most trailer over 15 years old are going to have some issues. At 15 years age most will only have 10 years use left in them unless you spend a little keeping them in good condition. While a vintage is nice ongoing repairs can make them a costly option to own. I wanted one but opted for a good used one instead that had more room and modern amenities' .

Florida judge has made April fools day a religious holiday.

    

I know God is giggling!

A Florida Court Sets Atheist Holy Day!

Ya gotta love this Judge!

You must read this……
A proper decision by the courts…
for a change.

In Florida , an atheist created a case against Easter and Passover Holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians and Jews and observances of their holy days. The argument was that it was unfair that atheists had no such recognized days.
The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring, “Case dismissed!”

The lawyer immediately stood and objecting to the ruling saying,
“Your honor, How can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter and others.
The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah, yet my client and all other atheists have no such holidays…”
The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, “But you do. Your client, counselor, is woefully ignorant.”
The lawyer said,” Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists.”
The judge said, “The calendar says April 1st is April Fool’s Day. Psalm 14:1 states, ‘The fool says in his heart, there is no God.’ Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that, if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day.

Court is adjourned…”

You gotta love a Judge that knows his scrip

H/T found at Papa Mikes  http://www.papamiket.com/?p=87480