Just went on my first Cruise !!!!!!!

       Me and the wife took a last minute cruise to the Bahamas . I wish I had give in and done it years ago.  Now I have always been a little on the cheap side But a cruise is a bargain for what it includes. I did snag a deal  at 753$  we had a blast on the ship. The ports were just trying to pry as much money from us in as short a time as possible. 4 Nights and  28 meals (plus all the ice cream you can hold) ,while I couldn't eat much my wife had Hungarian short ribs one night, lamb shanks with roasted veggies and gravy the next. To start with she was humoring me but the shank she had 2 . She opened up and tried some curried chicken "a fail" but found hot Naan bread with butter and honey to be great. 

       Not everything was good my wife likes to be in crowds and the pool deck had that and music . So she spent most the trip up there , I stayed with her as much as I could but the nerve ear pain would start So I would hide in the salon deck better music "jazz" and adults sitting around.   The noise level was much better. Had to go back up top for coffee refills but I didn't mind.
     
        If you have ever thought about a cruise  my cheap ass thinks "Do It "!!!  It has something for everyone. All told my wife had 8 mixed drinks and we bought 100 in gifts  the daily tips was 112  plus I gave our cabin Stewart  30 cash as we left. I wanted to be sure he got it not a communal split like the other.  The trip was 1056$ and a value.

The best explanation of the 14th amendment and birthright citizenship i have ever read

        It seems being born here making you an immediate citizen is a relatively new thing. New being the last 70 years or so. Read this very informative.

Birthright Citizenship: A Fundamental Misunderstanding of the 14th Amendment   

    

Truck transmission problem cheap fix

         My mechanic stopped by to tell me he found why my truck's transmission was acting up  occasionally. It turns out it was  check valve in the line from the radiator to transmission was clogging with gunk. The magnet in the pan and the filter was fairly clean no metal shavings found. That was my big concern it would have meant I would sell the damn thing. Now I am having a trans cooler installed he feels this will solve my towing problems.  I want my wife and her sister to be able to camp after I am gone and a dependable tow vehicle is a Must.
                  

       My mechanic David has a trans cooler out of a junker for 10$ The filter and gasket was 26$ but I need 6-8 quarts of ATF 4 . I offered him 80$ for to help cover parts but he said it would be Monday before mine got finished he had to fix his first but if I could do 130$ that would cover parts and labor. I think he needed the money to fix their truck his wife has always been hard on vehicles. I am happy our quickie oil place gets 89$ for a trans filter and fluid change and I think only the manager could spell CAR.

Jeep liberty.

      I have wrote about getting our 2005 Jeep Liberty in previous posts and the rear end wiggle it had. Did you notice the word "had" yep I finally put it in the shop to be fixed. I had the lower and upper rear end bushing and arms replaced . I went by the shop 2 more bolts and the entire rear end would have come out . All the bushing showed excessive wear but the lower ones were shot. Parts were 130$ on amazon and David charged 150$ labor because the upper bushing were a bitch to get out.  I have known David 19 years. His wife worked for me once upon a time . I had to fire her. But me and him always got along ok . He was a biker, well still is but he had a ruff time he lost a leg 12 years ago in a wreck. Drugs and depression  made him a shell of his old self till about 4 years ago he snapped out of it and opened a home repair shop for bike's and some cars and trucks.
         
       When I came to pick it up he said Megan their daughter had been talking about  wanted a liberty or Renegade jeep for a few years . Mine was the first one he had drove he said he loved the handling now that it was fixed and understood why she wanted one. Now I need 4 new tires on it and its set for years as the wife's back-up. He has my truck now fixing a transmission leak changing the fluid and filter and if it looks strong putting on a cooler for it.