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December 2, 2009 06:22 - A Motorcycle Carrier on a 30' Motorhome?

Mtnlady asked in the 'comment' box if I thought a Motorcycle Carrier would work on a 30' Motorhome... without a toad...

Heck, one'l work fine WITH a Toad!... Leastways ifn you build it right. And that right there, buildin' it correct and proper is the key deal.

I see rigs goin' down the road all the time where you can see, the instant you look at 'em, that the load is all wrong, they sit all cockeyed... and I'd hate to be even sittin' in the thing, let alone drivin' it.

On our Eagle, one of the reasons the Motorcycle Carrier I built works so well ( At least I think it does!) is that the balance is real good...

I upgraded the setup with what I call my "Cowboy II" Motorcycle Carrier... and now it works even better!

The V Star I ride sits back there on the tail and weighs somewhere around 550 Lbs... to balance that out sweet, up in the very front compartment is where I built my Solar Power battery bank... which weighs something like 450 lbs... plus the 2000 watt inverter which is likely another 50 lbs or so...

Bottom line is... everything is evenly dispersed... and STILL stays about a 1000 lbs under my max axle weight...

The reason I built my own design was that I just didn't like the commercial setups I found... either they were built for bikes 500 lbs or less... and were mounted in through one, single, reciever... or they're big, heavy, electric or hydraulic things that would consume more capacity and cost upwards of $4,000...

I don't like the single reciever mounts for a bike the size of mine, and heavier, 'cause I just don't like the loose way they mount. I see dirt bikes on the things that go down the road just floppin' all around... that might be OK for a 250 or 300 lb dirt scooter... but I don't even wanna think about that goin' on back where I can't see how Slick is doin'!

For the future... now that Heidi seems to have caught the Motorcycle Virus :-) I'm workin' on plans/designs to set up our next tow vehicle to carry one bike... the 'New' what I hope to be a Star Raider... while Slick continues to ride along in her proven Motorcycle Carrier, back there on the Eagle.

Time to go make the donuts... and since it snowed Heidi and I gotta car pool today... so I better get movin'...

Take Good Care
Brian

December 3, 2009 07:43 - All You RVers Need to eat Healthy Food...

****Correction/Edit*** OOPS!
Hmmm... Looks like maybe I got splattered and got some egg on my face... Though I KNOW that foreign beef IS NOT produced to American Standards... Let's face it... "Mad Cow Disease" was not started in the U.S. , though "Wasting Disease" has been... This e-mail seems to be some sort of a chain mail hype... designed to suck a fella in by grabbin' his emotion...

... so... to Dr. Forrest I apologize, and I guess Mickey D's is due one too... so to all you folks that WORK, making your living at McDonalds... I screwed up a lil' here, I am sorry for that... maybe next time... I'll do a lil' more checkin'... 'for I pass on info...

Check out these two pages... that contain the 'background on this that's been circulating apparently for quite a while...

Snopes

Dr Forrest University page

I removed The Contact Numbers of the included Email to keep from harassin' the man with this apparently bogus deal...

Many Thanks to the GOOD READERS I have, Doc and Steven in particular this time... that keep me on the straight and Narrow!

Guess this is a lil' lesson to ever'body... check things out before you jump... that water might not really be... as deep as that guy "who's lived here all his life"... is tellin' you!


I've put this in the "GOOD EATING" category :-) ... but it is Definitely SOMETHING ELSE! :-)

and since I spent a goodly amount of time... nursemaiding cows... over a sweet part of the western United States... I'll pass this message on. It falls, I believe into the class of; "What you CAN DO... to have a mite of control of your own life in the face of Corporations that don't seem to have a care for the Welfare of YOUR FAMILIES...

... Not if it cuts into their PROFITS...

The point is... as far as they're concerned... YOUR HEALTH is NOT the most important thing...

So... as You go RV Boondocking around the country... and you stop in town for Lunch... or pull off the Highway for a drink, goin' from one place to another... This is one outfit you just may want to BYPASS... for your own Safety...

So here's the message I recieved;

*********
This
was forwarded to me. It's a scarry thought!

THIS IS A GOOD DECENT MAN WHO TOOK THE TIME TO WRITE THIS AND: HE SIGNED THE STATEMENT AND: INCLUDED HIS CONTACT INFO:

READ ON

I'm sure those of you who aren't in the cattle business don't understand the issues here. But to those of us whose living depends on the cattle market, selling cattle, raising the best beef possible... This is frustrating. This will keep us from ever stopping there again, even for a drink..

The original message is from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association. American cattle producers are very passionate about this.

McDonald's claims that there is not enough beef in the USA to support their restaurants. Well, we know that is not so. Our opinion is they are looking to save money at our expense. The sad thing of it is that the people of the USA are the ones who made McDonald's successful in the first place, but we are not good enough to provide beef.

We personally are no longer eating at McDonald's, which I am sure does not make an impact, but if we pass this around maybe there will be an impact felt. All Americans that sell cows at a livestock auction barn had to sign a paper stating that we do NOT EVER feed our cows any part of another cow. South Americans are not required to do this as of yet.

McDonald's has announced that they are going to start importing much of their beef from South America . The problem is that South Americans aren't under the same regulations as American beef producers, and the regulations they have are loosely controlled. They can spray numerous pesticides on their pastures that have been banned here at home because of residues found in the beef. They can also use various hormones and growth regulators that we can't. The American public needs to be aware of this problem and that they may be putting themselves at risk from now on by eating at good old McDonald's.

American ranchers raise the highest quality beef in the world and this is what Americans deserve to eat. Not beef from countries where quality is loosely controlled. Therefore, I am proposing a boycott of McDonald's until they see the light. I'm sorry but everything is not always about the bottom line, and when it comes to jeopardizing my family's health, that is where I draw the line.

I am sending this note to about thirty people. If each of you send it to at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300) ... and those 300 send it to at l east ten more (300 x 10 = 3,000) .... and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth generation of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers! I'll bet you didn't think you and I had that much potential, did you? Acting together we can make a difference.

If this makes sense to you, please pass this message on.

David W. Forrest, Ph.D ., PAS, Dipl.

ACAP Department of Animal Science

Texas A&M University

Phone ***Removed by edit

Fax *** Removed by edit
***Removed by edit

************

There it is... do with it what you think is right... but I know, from now on... that cuts it for me... and for me it goes beyond the health issue... it's a plain and simple matter of LOYALTY... the suckers don't give a damn for the people that MADE THEM what they are... pathetic.

But now... Home Depot called... and I gotta go pick up our Flooring... It's here... and the RV Remodel gets started soon! :-)

Dang! ... Home Depot don't make me real happy sometimes either... at least I don't have to eat the flooring! :-) Life sure is a pain sometimes... ain't it! :-)

Take Good Care
Brian

December 4, 2009 07:42 - The Forest Service is Proposing a Radical Change of Policy...

A reader sent me this link back to the Escapees Forum...

Link to Escapees Forum

They are talking there about a policy change, proposed by the Forest Service to Radically reduce the value of at least the "Golden Age" and "Golden Access" passes.

Unlike yesterdays 'goof' ... this one is fairly reliable! :-) Here also is a link to the "Federal Register" where that change in policy proposal is published.
Federal Register Link on Forest Service Proposal

This is one that folks need to put some pressure on the politicos over... I'm not much for "Free Rides"... I've always paid my own way... but ... being a Disabled Vet, getting a discount on Camping Fees don't seem like much for the country to give... for services rendered by its' Veterans... and the "Golden Age" pass? ...

... If an RVer or Camper has worked and paid their Taxes for something like 40 years... they too deserve a break...

Should this go through...I for one... will virtually Terminate any use of Forest service campgrounds... so... the 'VENDORS' who are the likely source of the push for this proposed change, will, at least with me... see a decline in their revenues as a consequence of their pushing to squeeze the public... one more time...

I swear... you'd think they all thought we're just a bunch of cows to be milked...

... I haven't done two hitches in the U.S. Army, getting busted up in the process, and paid my taxes since I was a kid... just to be squeezed... one more time...

I will boondock... 100%... just like Ol' George an' Tioga... and those politico parasites can squeeze somebody else... 100% RV Boondocking? ... hmmm ... That actually sounds pretty darn sweet don't it? ... Works for ME! :-)

Enough of that...

Our Antelope Herd continues to grow... Pretty hard to get a count on 'em now... but I'm estimatin' they're tallying up over 300 now... and I still haven't figured out how to put a picture that shows 'em... here... Antelope, bein' the color they are, almost dissappear in the size picture I can post... when I back off far enough to show the whole bunch...

Here's a small part of the herd going past...

Antelope in Nunn Colorado

Now... if I could post up an 18" picture... :-)

... and here is a young buck... with a couple of his girlfriends...

Antelope Buck in Nunn Colorado

Every morning for the past week or so, they stream past the house for the better part of a half hour in bunches from a half dozen to 30 or so...

Don't really know why they've gathered up this winter like they have. We've been here since '02 and this is the very first time we've had anything over maybe a dozen in a bunch... It's pretty cool to stand on the deck with a cup of coffee... in my pj's... with wild critters roamin' past...

Makes me feel kinda sorry for those that have to live in town... that would suffocate me quick... kinda like a chicken in an egg factory...

Many miles to go before I sleep... better get at it...

Take Good Care
Brian

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December 6, 2009 08:42 - The Great Winter RV Remodel has begun!

Uhhhhh... Kinda spooky too...

I mean... I get a trifle anxious when I make that first rip and tear... doin' demolition work... Hopin' I'm not diggin' a hole I can't 'build' myself out of! :-) ...though, once I make that first bit of noise and dust... I get into it...

... gotta be careful though... You can get carried away... and then they hear; "OOPS! Didn't mean to take THAT out!" :-)

Anyhoo... Got the last of the lil' junk hauled out.. and with our Jayco Eagle completely swamped out... started in on that rippin', tearin' and grinnin'...

This is how it looked before the first screw got removed...

Just about everything you see... ain't gonna be there for long... The desk, the couch, the lil' kick wall between 'em, most of the carpet, a lot of the light fixtures, the window valances, the mini blinds... or maybe more accurately... won't stay the same...

I've got plans for carving leather for the valances, fluorescent lights (for better solar power performance), better blinds... and as for the couch... we'd thought new chairs... but found another 'piece', with some 'special attributes' that will work even better... more money... but, I think, better function over the long haul... but it's a secret... I can't tell you till it's done! :-)

... around the corner of the kitchen counter is the built in stereo made for CD's... I intend to replace that lil' Hummer with one made to be an IPOD dock...

... behind me in the picture is the bathroom... where we're gonna do a rebuild of the shower... and a few other ideas I have...

So... I went to rippin' an tearin'...

First in the Bedroom... pulled out the RV Bed and its' boxed base...

RV Bedroom carpet torn out

... along with the carpeting that was under it... and then... went at the RV Desk I built in a couple years ago...

RV Desk Removal

... Uhhhh.... I guess... I'm committed... huh?... or is that SHOULD be committed? :-)

While we're doin' this... we continue to chew on what to do for our next tow vehicle... have a couple of directions to go... just waitin' on some sort of inspiration I guess... to tell me which road is the right one...

... I'm startin' to feel like that Ol' Vulture, sittin' in the dead tree, talkin' with his buddies; "To hell with patience" he said, "I'm gonna go out and kill something... I'm hungrry!" ... well... I may just dive in if inspiration don't show up pretty quick... I'm itchy and need a rig to get back on the road with! :-)

The Antelope came through again this morning... just like clockwork. Snowed pretty good last night... couple inches on the flat... where the wind can get to it... maybe several more... in the sheltered areas... so hard to tell how much... but whatever fell, it seems to have pushed the Antelope to bunch up more...

... Pretty much the entire herd came through this time in one big, streaming bunch... With the snow, it finally gave the opportunity to catch a better pic showing the size of the bunch.... I was able to capture just about half of it...

Nunn Antelope in one large herd

Doin' a quick... and not certified! ... count on this pic I came up with about 140 head... like I said... the other half is off to the right yet... a pretty awsome view to start a morning with... for a mountain kid...

On the Forest Service Front... I wanted to make sure ever'body caught the comment from his-self the other day... "Concessionaires pay about 4.3% of their gross profits as a "fee" to the Forest Service. That means if you pay $10/night to camp (on your own land by the way) the Forest Service gets $.43 and the concessionaire gets $9.57!"

The point here is... This proposed change in fee policy is 100% for the concessionaire's benefit... The Forest Service ain't gonna see anything noticeable... It's plainly obvious to this Ol' Buster what's goin' on... just another Corporate Sqeeze...

If you want to Voice your opinion of the Forest Service Taking care of its' corporate vendors... rather than the American People... you might use one of these links to do just that:

http://www.regulations.gov

http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#submitComment?R=0900006480a60f36

Comments also may be submitted by mail:

U.S. Forest Service, Attn: Carolyn Holbrook

Recreation and Heritage Resources Staff

1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Stop 1125

Washington, DC 20250-1125

Comments sent by postal mail should reference the notice by the following title:

Proposed Directives for Forest Service Concession Campground Special Use Permits (Document ID FS-2009-0001-0001)

So... Bein' as there's plenty for all of us to do... I'm gonna go get to work at what I've got in front of me!

Take Good Care
Brian

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December 7, 2009 06:19 - Day 2 of the RV Remodel Demolition... and ... A New Earth Friendly Landscape Maintenance Program.

I've come up with a new, bio-degradable, quadraped, sustainably fueled lawn maintenance program that even has simultaneous fertilization and/or self-replacement manufacturing options!

Antelope!

Dogs watching Antelope in the Yard

There are two minor technical difficulties to overcome though... The system raises hell with dogs...

and...

The Earth Lovin' tree huggers claim there is excessive Methane production resulting from operation of the system...

... I'm workin' on it though! :-)

Tell the truth... They are a lot purtier than a Sears Craftsman Lawn mower... Don't you think?

Antelope closeup portrait

On the RV Remodel Front... I Got the Couch removed... as well as the stairs to the bedroom.

RV Remodel Demolition removing the furniture

The stairs I'm going to completely rebuild... I plan on using that space for "Under stair Storage". Problem is, the existing stair structure was pretty poor, once I pulled the carpet off... actually, tearin' the carpet loose kinda screwed 'em up... don't say much for their 'quality'... Do It? :-)

So a little redesign and saw work and we'll have a couple of storage compartments for Dog Food, shoes and such...

Also... the carpet in the slide is going to come out too... I just don't like it there... so I'm just going to figure out some acceptable cover for the edge of the slide where the 'bearing bar' sits...

One thing... kind of embarrassing... was the amount of DIRT under that carpet... We've cleaned that carpet a couple times a year, with extraction cleaning equipment and vacuumed it in between with a good vacuum... and there was STILL something like a half a Quart of DIRT under the padding.

... in that small an area... that's a lot of DIRT!... If you've got allergy/respiratory issues to deal with, I'd strongly advise gettin' yourself hard, easily cleaned flooring, and if you're buying a NEW rig...

... make 'em build it with hard floor... not carpet!... and save yourself some work!

Gotta carpool again today... COLD, 3.6 degrees according to Weather Underground and snow... One more day Slick has to stay in the shop... AAAAARRRGGH! Motorcycles are NOT supposed to be parked...

They are supposed to be Ridden! ... I am NOT a winter Cowboy!

aw well...

You Take Good Care
Brian

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December 9, 2009 06:15 - The RV Remodel is Suspended...

... On account of weather.

I think I'll wait to do any more work until the weather changes to Two Digits... on the Correct side of zero... 18 Below zero this morning. For those of you who live down south and have never been in that stuff... that's what is known around here as ... COLD! :-) ... sometimes even... "Damn Cold!"

Yup... when it gets back up around, oh, let's say, 25 degrees... I'll go back to work on the rig! It's hard enough pullin' up RV Carpeting that's stapled to the floor, when it's frozen there too... that's just plumb awful! and it's difficult to enjoy tearin' things up, when you're teeth are chatterin' like a tin roof in a hurricane.

So, my RV Remodel will wait a mite, along with Slick, for softer weather.

The weather conjurers think it may get there later in the week... I'm hopeful, 'cause I AIN'T a winter guy, any more. Even that "balmy" 25 degrees seems colder than it used to... I Wonder if that's biology... or ambition talkin'?

At least that jalopy Subaru started. Went out a few minutes ago to see and it started right up, second crank... Dang it!... was hoping for a reasonable excuse. :-) There's just no rest for the wicked is there?

Guess that'll give me a few days to write huh?... Let's see... computer at my desk, coffee in my cup, Bob Seeger on the Juke box... warm house to listen to the music in, while I tap tap tap on that keyboard... hmmm... works for me!

Buuuut, that'll have to wait on tomorrow, 'cause today I have my last 'day job' day to do for this week... and with Slick parked in the shop during this stretch of Anti-Motorcycle weather... Heidi and I have to carpool... which is a bit of a grinch maker... 'cause she goes twenty miles mostly west... and I go twenty miles... mostly east...

All I need is 17 degrees and dry roads... that's my mantra these days... " 17 degrees an' dry roads!"... and this Ol' Buster is Two Wheelin' on Freedom Road! :-)

Enjoy the warm where you are... unless you're me an' Steven... an' His-self... an John... and a few of the other "Northerner/Westerner" RVin' cusses who ain't enjoyin' the gentle caress of the down south warm... 'cause we're only warm if we're lookin' Out the window... Lookin' in we're wonderin'; " What in the Hell am I doin' here?!" :-)

Take Good Care
Brian

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December 12, 2009 07:51 - Medical Insurance Reform for RVers... and Everybody else?

***Warning!*** Many folks are going to see this as a "Political" post... I assure you, that is not my intention. I have, in the last few years lost any belief in the fairy tale fantasy that politicians and government have the answers, or ever will, to anything. It is my experience that people, taking care of their own business, in their own self enlightened interest, in spite of government, is the only way anything has ever been accomplished. This post is in Defense of that Right to Make Their Own Choice.

Only if you add 2 + 2 and come up with 6!

A man goes to his bank, 'cause his bills are way too high. They've swelled up to more than he makes... he's dug himself into a hole... and he needs help...

His banker tells him; "Don't you worry Elbert, we'll fix this for you."... The next day the banker calls Ol' Elbert and tells him; "Elbert! We did it! You we're paying $250... so we took two wheels off your truck, chained the truck to a tree, then got your Boss to lay you off because we raised his costs so much, all while lowering your payment to $350!... You'll be so much better off now. Isn't this great?"

Lowered your cost from $250 to $350? ... Huh?

Sounds kind of like those parasites in D.C. don't it? How do you ADD $2.5 TRILLION dollars to the bill... and then claim with a straight face that you're cutting costs and saving folks money?... uh... isn't it called RAISING their costs when the bill goes up? How do you add trillions in debt... and call it reducing cost?

Right here is an example of that "Double Speak" stuff from that book... 1984 wasn't it?

My personal decision to NOT participate in the current, Medical Insurance Fraud Scheme sounds better to me all the time... though of course... from what I hear... refusal to participate in this new "Scheme", in the future, is going to be penalized and criminalized... so my Freedom to choose will not endure long I guess... unless I choose to go to jail...

I cancelled my personal insurance, many months ago, when they raised the cost to well over $300 a month... for just me... not US... Just ME... I couldn't afford it any longer... especially when the total cost of my 'Medical Care' doesn't add up to $1000 dollars a year! (I was Paying the insurance company about $4200 to pay less than $1000 in expenses!) just exactly HOW does that make ANY sense at all?

Then along came promised "Change"... and now they tell me that I am going to be "Required" to participate... failure to do so being punished by "Tax Penalties"... and if you refuse to pay the "Penalty"...

... Yep, that's right.. refuse to pay... do not pass go, do not collect $200... Go Directly To jail...

...and guess what they're telling me the "New, Attractive, Affordable" premium from their 'fix', for me, is going to be?... OVER $600! ... and THAT is what those "People" in Washington call "REFORM... Saving Money... and FIXING the Medical System"... I couldn't/wouldn't pay $350... so they're helping me by raising that cost to $500... and some say over $600... criminalizing my refusal to participate in their scheme... and then calling it all HELP!

... all I want is for gov't to stay out of my life. I can't afford any more of their 'help'... Every time gov't helps, I'm poorer, weaker, and saddled with a larger burden.

I'm asked; "So... What will you do if you get sick?"

My answer?... "If I can afford the cure... I'll get better... if I can't... I'll do what I'm going to do anyway, no matter what... I'll die, with my Dignity intact. In the meantime... I'll LIVE!"

None of us get out of this thing alive... no matter how much extortion we pay to politicians or corporations...

The only thing we have to choose is how we LIVE the life we have... Do we just go out and Live, laugh and love? or, do we scramble around in fear... slaving a huge part of what precious Life we have... paying the Devil... Hoping futiley that he'll do, what he Can - Not - Do...

.... Hoping he will prohibit the inevitable?

Me? I choose to LIVE... To Laugh!... To Love! and let the inevitable come when it does...

Take Good Care
Brian

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December 14, 2009 05:15 - A Cowboys' Response to the Advance of Socialism

He'd walked the earth
On his own two feet
Sometimes the four of a horse

What he ate He had earned
And He'd never once yearned
For the meat from another mans plate

But, One sunny day came an order to pay
Pay up or die was the cannibals cry
The genuine socialist way

It seems that a beast
With socialist feet
Layed claim to the blood in his veins

The sweat of his brow
The meat of his cow
Was theirs, or so they claimed

The beast took hold
Threatening and cold
The man grew weak and confused

With his heart heavy and weary He searched all around
Hunting hard for a desperate solution
Surrender came close, his defeat juuuust almost

Till they found him just sitting and staring
He wouldn't talk, walk he would not
At the ground his eyes simply staring

Then something sweet happened
A renewal of sorts, a miraculous Cowboy Revival
A rebirth of something thought dead

The honor within
Had risin again
Prohibiting his aquiesence

I'll Cowboy up
I'll win or I'll die
But bein' a slave just ain't quite my style

To the beast he rode
Threw a rope that took hold
He jerked that sucker up tight

Then with a grin
To the Beast he began
Telling his warning and plan

I'm a peaceable man so I'l tell you my plan and I'm hopin' this time you'll listen
Your options are few so listen up fool
Another chance just ain't gonna happen

I'll live my life
As I see is right
And you boy, go off in your own direction

Now ugly son let me say just for fun
This game you been runnin' is done
Us folks around here are done with your cheatin' an' lyin'

If you ever come back To take what ain't yours
I'll likely just loose my temper
Your hand I'll rip off, and it bein' so soft
I'll use it for wipin this Cowboys' Ass.... paragus!

Take Good Care
Brian

December 16, 2009 07:09 - Born out of season

It was back a few years... way back! The year was 1852 I believe.

A big bunch of Irishmen had just arrived and St Peter had let 'em through the gate.

Seems they'd had a difficulty with the British King, and he'd had 'em shipped to those pearly gates.

Being Irish, they all went down to the neighborhood pub, to celebrate their good fortune at having gone the direction they did! :-) I guess they'd pretty much figured to be spending their 'Hereafter' in warmer climes!

Sitting there in the pub was a fella whose job it was to monitor the "Book of Births"... Being sort of a mousy guy, he sat by himself, over in a corner sippin' a cup of coffee with a shot of Baileys.

... His big book layin' there on the table.

Well, those Irish fellas, bein' who THEY were, got kind of boisterous... and jumpin' around singin', dancin' and having themselves a general good time.

'bout midnight of their first night in Heaven, one of those boys, feelin' pretty tipsy, tripped, and fell into the book keepers table... spilling his coffee and Baileys all over the book.

He was appologetic and helped the book keeper swab up most of the coffee... but... they missed the fact that a bunch of pages got all stuck together... and then, to make amends, those Irish fellers, bought the book keeper a drink... and another... and another...

Well, the upstart was, that next day when that Book of Births book keeper got to work, he was pretty hung over and missed those stuck together pages, flipping to the next loose page, for that days births.

Time passed until somebody noticed that things seemed out of kilter... juuuuust a mite. The word went up the line until the Boss finally ordered an audit...

... and they found those 'stuck together pages'... the year was 1952.

To correct the error... they just dumped out all the souls on those 'stuck together pages'... 100 years LATE! and, prohibited the book keeper from taking his Book of Births out of the office ever again.

.. and that good people is how this Ol' Twister got Born out of Season, 100 years late!... and why gettin' along in these times is such a piece of work for me. I was built for a time when Values were different... and a man was responsible for himself and his own. :-)

Now, some have councelled me to "go along to get along"... They own me and I just can't win...

...sorry... I'm not about to go with what I know to be wrong... just cuz "Massuh" promises to not whip me so much... I'll keep fightin' the good fight... I realize that those others can't understand anyone who would hold to a principle... and that they're willing to accept the lie and hope for that 'promised' ease by surrendering and livin' in slavery... but.. that's their problem... not this Ol' Busters'... a slave I ain't ever gonna be.

Naw... I'll just keep on runnin' against the wind, like I always have... :-)

... until I'm celebratin' with those Irish boys in a Heavenly Pub... well... assumin' of course... that I'm not havin' 'Hot Toddys' with politicians... in a 'warmer place' ... somewhere else! :-)

So... a big; "I'm Damn Sorry" to all the socialist types out there that think THEY own any part of ANYBODY else... I'm just gonna have to rope, ear notch, castrate, brand you up a bit... and generally cause you to have as many bad days in a row as I can create... and I'm not alone... even though you say Cowboys are dead an' gone...

... I've been hearin' that all my life... Cowboys are in the past... Hmmm... they've been spoutin' that for a hell of a long time... and if it's true... then who in hell is that fella looks back at me from the mirror ever' morning? :-)

so... bummer for you socialists! ... Cuz you was wrong Sparky! We ain't dead, and we ain't done... Not by a long shot! :-)

And THAT is My Council to ever'body for these days. Times are tough. Tougher for others than for me. I'm as fortunate these days as I could be. The friends I've found, both near and far have put a shine on my life I treasure beyond words.

oh yeah, my council... You ain't dead, you ain't done... just keep on pickin' up one foot after the other... keep a good firm grip on the hands of those closest to you... treasure the sunrise... keep the Boss in your heart... step outside of a quiet evening, close your eyes... listen to the quiet... take a deep, slow breath... think of that good person sleepin' inside... that lets you stay around... those tight friends that life would be so empty without...

...and don't waste a minute, worryin' about what some damn fool might try and do to your wallet... tomorrow... like some dumb Colorado Twister does... way too often! :-) Yes sir! Giggle and Grin 'bout the LIFE we have! and if you trip and fall... celebratin' life in the neighborhood pub... just make sure you fall on a
socialist! :-)

Take Good Care
Brian

December 17, 2009 08:15 - The RV Remodel Continues

I'm going to set to working on a couple of things today... and try and make some progress.

First, I have to pull the remainder of the carpet. All that's still there is the bit in the slide... which most leave there, and I was going to... buuuut.... after seeing how dirty it gets under that carpet (when I pulled the rest of it) I can't get comfortable with leaving it in there.

So... I'm going to just rip 'er out! It's absence will force a solution :-) to the exposed 'Bearing Bar' that was keeping me and others from taking that bit of RV Carpet out.

Actually, I think I may have come up with an answer... There is a thing called a 'transition strip'... leastways I believe that's what they call it. The thing is used to cover that line between carpet and hard floors... or tile and wood etc... wherever the floor changes. I think I found a configuration that will work in my situation. Give me time for a lil' experimentation and we'll find out!

One other thing I need to do the 'sketching' on today are the stairs. Going from the main floor, up into the fifth wheel bedroom area are... or I should say... were... two stairs. Uh... they kind of came apart when I was ripping the carpet out of the RV... A good design they weren't! anyway... what is going to go on there is, I am going to build a box/bin unit.

The back or biggest stair compartment is going to be a dog food bin. That will replace the plastic bin that normally floats around inside the trailer... always in the way and underfoot. To make that worse, Buck has learned that he can peel the lid off that thing in about 4 seconds. So, wooden bins is my answer.

The tread will be a solid oak tread... the bins themselves out of 1/2" plywood... and of course the Dog food Stair Bin will have a dog proof latch... Sorry Buck!

This RV Remodel is getting done, around all the other stuff I seem to always have simmering. I've been working on Journal and album ideas for the restarting of my leather shop. That enterprise being intended as another contribution to our wandering income.

One of the things I need for that enterprise is a book press. There are several places in the building of a book that having a press would be a good thing, and I got none! So... like always... I'll build one!

Build one... 'cause the price of a new or used... genuine book press is more than an RV Boondocker with a newly agitated sense of frugality can afford.

I saw one, I believe they call it a Nipping Press, that was $3,500+! and at several hundred pounds of cast iron and something like 24" square... it wouldn't fit in a 5er too extremely well... But... if a clever colorado twister takes a couple pieces of plywood or MDF... and oh say, four decent bar clamps... some hardwood pieces to brace things... a little glue and some nail gun pins... he can build one for maybe a hundred bucks... and most of that will be the $60 cost of the four new bar clamps I picked up Sunday!

The design I've got rattling around in my head will set up quick... work well... and then break down flat and only a couple inches high... That I would think, I'll be able to find a spot to hide on the rig... and allow me to work on things in camp... if I want to...

Then of course is... a truck... aaaaaarrrrrrghhh! This one is proving to be a lil' bit of an 'issue'... mostly 'cause of my own reservations...

My hunger is to NOT take on any debts. I've kept hopin' that the house would sell and we'd just quickly replace the old truck... with cash... and zero debt... well... that appears to not be something that's gonna happen.... bummer.

So...

To replace the truck... an absolute necessity... I'm likely gonna have to swallow hard and just sign the papers for debt... Yuck!... Gotta take the bad with the good I guess. :-) and with out a truck in front of it... that 5er ain't goin' nowhere!

On top of all that... it seems ever' time we... or I... get close to accepting things as they are, and accepting some debt for another truck... something happens that takes the wind out of my sails and I back off... It's my hope that this in one of those times that it will happen when it's supposed to... and all these lil' things that 'set me back' ... are just the Boss's way of saying; "Wait for it Cowboy... Wait for it!" -)

So... while I'm waiting on a green light for a 'new' tow vehicle... I'll go get back to work on the RV Remodel.

Take Good Care
Brian

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December 18, 2009 07:35 - The RV Remodeling Demolition is Complete

At least 98% of it anyway. I'm not gonna pull the window valances and light fixtures until I'm ready to do 'em... Just more loose stuff layin' around. Small as they are, they can come out at any time later on without any difficulty.

I went out yesterday, took a good firm hold and just ripped and cut that carpet out that remained in the slide... If my idea for a "Transition" over that "Slide Bearing Bar" don't work out... I could be in trouble! :-)

rv remodel demolition

Look over behind that broom leaning against the counter?... you can see the "Missing" stairs... There's a heater duct runs up through there I have to build around...

Spent a little while sketching up the plan for those stair boxes... It should be a relatively simple task, even with only having hand tools these days. Just set the unit in place, screw it down, and lay the new floor up to it.

I had thought I might build it in two boxes, one step each... but after looking at it a lil' more... decided that building it in one single unit will make for a stronger and more stable setup.

... That last 2% or so is the old vinyl floor. Generally, with these new 'floating' floors you leave the old stuff there, and just lay the new right over the top. How-some-ever... I just don't like how that old stuff looks. With that big semi circle that was cut out of it, and the way it wants to curl up... I just see problems... so I'm gonna go ahead and rip it out to... should take all of ten minutes... as soon as I can find 'em.

The balance of the day I spent finishing up a Knife sheath for a friend... another lil' task to get my leather working muscles back in shape.

hand stitched knife sheath

Small projects like this would be especially well suited to an RVing Leather Worker... and with your wife hawking your 'wares' in every campground and roadside rest... You might even end up rich! :-) ... Uh... but don't count on it... OK? :-)

Funny how fast skills can degenerate when you don't use 'em for a while... even after only a year or two... I find myself asking myself; "How did I used to do that???" Sometimes it takes a try or three to jog the memory. :-) but it's all coming back pretty quickly now... Feels good to have those tools in my hands again... I hadn't done any hand stitching in quite a while... though that braiding a couple weeks ago is pretty much the same thing I guess...

... shutting the shop down like I did... was probably "Big missed judgement #2"! ... the first being trading off that good Ol' '98 truck... Just Dumb...

Aw well... that's why I cowboyed for as long as I did... too dumb to do anything else! :-) ... guess it's OK... as long as you realize you goofed... eventually! :-)

Gotta go to Denver on a small 'Hunt' today... and I don't want it to take all day... so off I go!

Take Good Care
Brian


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December 20, 2009 07:32 - Oh My Lordy!... I'm in Trouble!... Our RV Remodel is fitting into the 'Greenie' Mentality!

Recycle, Reuse, Reduce! :-)

Hmmm... actually... if you think about it some... Ranchers, Farmers, and Cowboys been doin' that... since nigh on to the beginning of time... and a sizeable number of RVers do it as an automatic, normal part of Living...

Us... poorer sorts tend to do it pretty automatic as well... since our wallets don't allow for throwin' hard earned dinero at 'problems'... or... what little money we can throw at one... ain't gonna have much of an impact...

... 'bout like expecting a grain of sand thrown at a meteor... to deflect it and save the world! :-)

I've had the desk top I'd pulled out of the fiver, leanin' against the wall, up in the old shop for a week or two now... letting things simmer a mite allowed my rusty 'inventing' parts to get warmed up a lil'.

Yesterday I spent the morning hours doing a little reorganizing of all my old bench cabinets downstairs in the walkout... I'm thinking that the way to sell the house is to make like we ain't... just start settin' back up like we're gonna just live here... so, my Leather Shop/Journal Studio is gettin' organized downstairs...

That oughta fire up Murpy's law and sell this place... huh? :-) ... and if not... bein' back to work in the shop will not be a bad thing for this nit wit.

anyhoo... while I was doin' that organizin'... a couple ideas occured to me how I could reuse, recycle and reduce some of that material up in the shop... for 'NEW' projects I need to get done...

I looked at Lowes and Home Depot the other day, to see what I could get to build that book press I need... and saw that it was gonna be upwards of $60... maybe even $70 bucks for the wood... But I kept thinkin'; "I've got that chunk of heavy desk top... there must be a way to Recycle... Reuse... or Retask that somehow...

old RV Desk top

I'd built that double thick... so I could pound on it tooling leather... so it's plenty stout enough...

and now...

RV Desk cut into pieces

... cut into three pieces... I've got the foundation for both my 'New' Book Press for my developing Journal Studio!... and a heavy top for a more compact, Knock Down, Tooling Bench for a Yondering RV Leathercrafter! ... Sweet!

That Desk top got cut into pieces up in the old shop... then the 'new' materials got transported over into my lil' 'studio' area in the downstairs walkout... where I could set to work conjuring up the Book Press I'm needful of...

Knock Down Book Press

The way I have it planned out... since the Plattens (the two panels - top and bottom) aren't connected to anything... I'll need to add small stabilizer blocks on the sides.

book press bar clamp stabilizer blocks

... those blocks will keep the bar clamps standing up straight while I set covers or books to be pressed... and place the top platten for clamping... Without 'em in place... the clamps would just fall over...

... and getting my brain pan clobbered by unstable bar clamps is NOT the way to improve my disposition.

I plan on carving a piece of leather to dress up the top platten... and likely some sort of edging for those plattens... It's always nice to be working with tools that are pretty all by their own selves... even if they function ok without the polish!

When I'm done Pressing a book... everything should come apart quick and easy... to store away clean... another plus for the Yondering Bookmaker! :-)

That third piece of the Old RV Desk Top will soon get three legs... Yep... I said - THREE...

If I want a stable table for tooling outside, under the awning, in camp... four legs ain't gonna get it. That thing would be wobblin' all over the place. I don't have the littlest desire to chase a piece of leather around... tryin' to tool it! A tripod setup will sit there, solid and steady... even it the ground ain't level...

I'll set three of the metal, screw-in-leg type mounts. Two in the front corners, and one in the back center. My tooling slab will rest on the top... and when I'm done... the legs unscrew... and it will store away with the Book Press... Another SWEET!

Also, jerked out that bit of vinyl floor on the main floor of the fiver yesterday. I was wrong. It didn't take ten minutes... more like four... so now all I have is a few bits and pieces of carpet and vinyl still sticking here and there... and it's pretty much ready to start laying down the new floor...

So... I got to work on the RV Remodel, my Leather Journal Studio, Selling the House... all while keepin' focused on Frugal RVing and stayin' out of jail...

More Sweet! ... my dentist is gonna raise hell. :-)

As much as I'm movin' around... it still seems hard to get things done when you're just one person... trying to head off in seven different directions... in three vehicles... on a poor boys paycheck! ... hmmm... maybe I should go down to the University... The owner of that last ranch I worked for is an international expert professor studyin' that cloning stuff...

... think he'd set me up with 3 or 4 more Brians? :-) ... and you thought just havin' THIS one runnin' around was a risky deal!

Take Good Care
Brian

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December 22, 2009 07:01 - Picking the Furniture for the RV Remodel

Sometimes... being as frugal as you'd like to be... just ain't the way you want to go.

We'd looked around and thought we'd decided on a couple of chairs we'd actually found at wal mart. The quality seemed ok, and at $187, the price was easily in the budget... but, they just didn't 'hit the spot'...

walmart maternity chair

They sell 'em as Maternity Chairs... have removable (washable) cushions and a glider action... thought they'd be kinda nice in a rig... You would have to conjure up a way to lock down the glider for transport... but that's a small problem... and I'd really wanted a leather or leather like upholstery, what with dog hair and all... and the price is attractive...

But, they just lacked 'something' I want in the rig...

I mean, if we're gonna spend many months, living in that small space... that small space should please us as much as we can make it... so though we'd pretty much decided that we'd put a pair of these chairs in... I kept my lil' mind open... and my eyes too.

Then, 'bout a week or two ago, surfing 'round the net, i stumbled across a place back in Indianna I think it is... and found some seating that did 'Hit the Spot'. of course, the Price is not a Wal Mart price. We're looking at $1133 plus the shipping...

But the style and function is more of what I want... even if it is going back to a pricier piece of furniture... and it fits in the space vacated by the old jack-knife couch.

RV Remodel furniture

This unit, with the center console, available tray tables that mount on the two sides, the retractable foot rests, and storage under that center section, fits my imagination better. The fabric is a synthetic leather that is MUCH better and easier to clean... when you live with Dogs!

I still have to find out how bad the shipping is gonna hurt... but... THIS is the way I do believe we are gonna go...

Now... about that frugality thing...

You have to 'Keep it in Balance'... at least in my opinion... You can save a bundle... but if it leaves you unhappy... and un satisfied, you didn't accomplish much. Sometimes, a little more, spent up front... saves you a lot in the long run...

Then... to help rationalize the higher price :-) ... if you consider what it would cost us to go out and buy a 'new' RV rather than this bit we're spending to tailor our existing rig, with this wnter RV Remodel, into just the Fifth Wheel we want... THAT should qualify this whole deal as Frugal RVing... shouldn't it? :-)

Anyhoo... that's where it sits now... I've got to get hold of the folks at this RV Furniture place just after the Holidays... see what kind of time frame we're looking at... and the cost of the shipping... plenty to do before that needs to go in anyway... and I'm only able to work on it parts of a day or two a week, and there's plenty of winter left! So no huge rush!

Yes Sir! I'm gettin' pretty darn good at this "hurry up and wait" thing!

Take Good Care
Brian

December 23, 2009 06:59 - Ahhhh.... Winter in Colorado

Was 60, sunny, and a gorgeous day on Monday...

buuuut... winter returned last night... four to six inches of snow. Depends on where you look, and purty cool... twenty four degrees. Supposed to snow a bunch more and drop off to single digits tonight...

That ain't a problem... but... this stuff is fluffy... and they're talkin' 35 mile an' hour wind soon...

THAT can make things athletic... again, I wouldn't concern myself with it... just put another pot of coffee on, hang my Ipod on my ears and kick back!... but... friends went East for the Holidays. They live over east 'bout 6 or 7 miles.

The SHE of the pair has an affinity of sorts for critters... horses, chickens, cats, goats, turtles, rabbits... and one rat she calls a hamster...

Guess who got drafted to make sure those critters get fed?... Kinda tough to do when there's drifts 6 foot deep an' all you got is a subaru... :-) and not enough ambition in the bank to 'cowboy up' like you used to! :-)

Here's to hopin' the weather man ain't right... and the wind ain't gonna blow like he claims. Otherwise, it's a genuine possibility... I'm gonna get to bein' a grumpy, drift bustin', baldheaded, Ol' word wranglin' puss gut!

Take Good Care
Brian

December 24, 2009 08:14 - I'll Hufff 'N I'll Puff...

'N I'll.... say ppppppfffffTTTT!! :-)

Ok... so we got the most out of this storm of the front range I guess... Greeley and Nunn got 9 inches... Oh Boy... Comin' home last night it looked like a genuine whistler blowin' in... the roads were a smooth sheet of ice... traffic was stacked up on Hwy 85 'cause I-25 was shut down... was threatening to get athletic in just a little bit... if the wind would juuuuust raise a mite... the snow come down juuuuuust a lil' harder...

Yes sir... a genuine Blizzard... right up to the point that it didn't... :-)

lttle drift on the Front Range

I don't imagine that a drift that might tally up to 18" is much to worry about. :-) ... right where this cute lil' fella is sittin', is where his 'Big Brother' parked, back in '03... That drift measured up around 10 FEET... lil' bit of a differrence.

We gotta go out in a short while... and the only way I can say that this lil' thing is gonna get in the way is if I pretend it's a lot bigger.

... and one more pic for all you Northerners, baskin' in the Southern sun... and missing these cooler climes...

Colorado Icicles

It's pretty... just as long as I'm fortunate enough to keep propane in the tank and coffee in the pot! :-)

I did get a little done on my miscellaneous activities the other night... got the legs put on my 'New' - Camp Leather Tooling Table.

Camp Leather Tooling Table

I'm building this 'un as a Tripod design. Four legs, sittin' on un-even ground would be real unstable and agitating. The legs I've used here are a lil' spindly, and the table can 'weave' a bit, back and forth if you push it... but it's a solid top and there's no 'bounce' when you pound on it tooling leather... the most important part for me... and... being a Tripod... it doesn't wobble... all three feet are on solid ground...

Like I said, they are a lil' thin and heavier might take out that lil' bit of 'weave'... so I may swap 'em out eventually for a lil' more beef... but so far... they seem to do the job.

The legs screw into metal mounts on the underside making removal easy when it's time to pack up camp. This leather tooling table idea will compact fast for easy storage... another necessity for anyone who wants to travel and still tool leather...

Still have the oak edging to put on... and a couple lil' tinkerings I'm toying with... and...

Well... critters are waiting and miles to go to get to 'em... with a great big drift to smash through first... uh... right.... :-)

anyhoo... it's time to get movin'... Christmas Eve or not...

Take Good Care
Brian

December 25, 2009 13:13 - Christmas Wishes 2009

It's been a year.

Started out just about the absolute worst... is finishing up... maybe the best yet.

I hope that everyone of you is finding this to be a peaceful and joyful time. It is my hope that you value the love of friends and family with an ever growing thankfulness, that they grace your lives.

I often refer to this day as 'gimme day'... since for too many businesses... and far too many people... THAT... is what it is all about... and what it has been reduced to.

For me and mine... it is about each other...

The wind of a wannabe blizzard is whistling hard outside. The temp down around 19 degrees. Four strong walls surround us, fending off the wind. A tight roof separates us from the snow. A tank of propane and a good furnace defeats the cold. There's gas in the car, money in the bank... food for a fine meal and hope for the future...

In my arms I hold the woman, that the most precious friends any man could ever be blessed with... returned to me.

What more could any man want? I am one of the fortunate few... I hope you count yourselves one of those fortunate ones.

Have a Joyful and Wonderful Christmas... Treasuring those 'Things' which are truly of value... and the things that truly are... are not things! :-)

Take Good Care
Brian

December 29, 2009 19:50 - Finally! The RV Remodel Con-Struction for The Fifth Wheel Begins...

...Replacing the RV Remodel De-struction that's been going on.

The economy, booming as it is... yeah... right... has the Hardware business kinda slow... So they've been cutting hours. I work mostly short days these days... which is alright by me... gives me more time to do what interests me more.

'Course... that makes it a lil' more difficult to remodel Rv's... with fewer paid hours to do it with... I suppose that Murphy fella has to make a living too don't he! :)

Anyhoo... got home 'bout three Today, so I dove in and went to work whittling out the new RV Storage Stair Unit to replace the destructed factory Fifth Wheel stairs.

Right before I started putting sawblade to Birch Wood... I changed my mind again... Like wow Dude... Like... that neeeever happens to me! :)

I'd originally planned to build the stairs as two boxes... changed that to a single unit... and when I looked at it just before starting to cut wood the little voice in the back of my head told me to go back to the original, two box, plan...

After a short lil' argument with the 'back of my head'...I lost... my head won... and the two box plan is just what I'm doing.

Here is that first box, what will be the Rear, RV Storage Stair...

RV Storage Stair under construction

The 'hole' on the lower right side is where I have to 'notch' the box to fit over the heater duct.

The Red Oak Stair tread will be hinged at the back, lifting up for access to the RV Storage Compartment contents...

This rear box, being the taller of the two is gonna be for dog food storage in the RV. With it about 95% together, I've discovered it has a lot more room then I'd thought it would. So, on the side where I had to put in that 'notch', I'm gonna run the 'partition' all the way to the top... rather than just a lil' right angle to close the hole down there at the bottom.

This will give us a third compartment which will be a storage box for leashes, brushes and such.

That 'stuff' was planned to go in the front, shorter, step... but with all the room in that rear RV Stair storage box, it will leave the front stair open for shoes!... which will eliminate that bit of flotsam that seems to always be wandering around the rig... and tripping me on midnight forays to the lil' boys room... in the dark!

These new RV Stairs will eliminate not only the plastic dog food bin that's always floating around in the way... and getting broke into by Buck... but a minor clutter of shoes at the same time... SWEET!

I'm looking forward to the next few weeks of putting the rig together in its' shiny New 'version'...

Finally, getting to the Building part of this RV Remodel with our rig, is a hell of a lot more fun than taking it apart... and SO much better than stewing over all the other garbage that's been whuppin' up on us, ALL of us, these days...

It feels good to be focused on something positive... rather than that 'other' stuff! :-)

Take Good Care
Brian

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December 31, 2009 08:38 - Looks Can be Decieving...

Nice sunrise... Clear Sky... Looks beautiful out...

... Right up until you open the door to let the pups out... and find out, it's 9 degrees... Ummmph!...

An Ol' Geezer recoils like he stepped on a frog!... If I'm to get much done in the rig over the next day or two... It has got to get juuuuust a mite warmer. Don't mean to whine 'bout it... but the simple truth is, my joints work 'bout like the rusty ol' tin man when it's that cool...

Maybe that's why I can still ride a motorcycle when it's cold... You don't have to move much, just set there an' twist the throttle! :)

So... Looks like I'll be spending a goodly amount of the day, downstairs in the walkout... I'm workin' on those RV storage stairs down there, rather than over in the shop. It's easier to heat it up to usable conditions than the whole dang shop... and... I'm closer to the coffee pot and the outhouse. :)

I may get far enough along to actually put the stairs in, this week end...

Though, I'm goin' in a few different directions... which is OK... 'cause it gives me the time to let things 'simmer' once in a while... which helps me to spot some of my bone head goofs... before I make a critical... gotta buy more wood if I screw it up... Cut! :)

While I'm slowly workin' through this RV Remodel, I'm workin' up the website I'm developing to market my Leather Work... which will be pretty much, 100%, Handbound, Hand Carved, One of a Kind, Leather Bound Journals and Scrapbooks...

The last few years have made us adjust and re-adjust our finances to the 'prevailing conditions'... Heidi and I are cookin' up a 'Co-Operative' effort with what will be OUR Books, combining my Leathercraft with her Beadwork... and a few other things thrown in for the sake of Art. We plan the result to be a major piece of our RV Boondocking - Workamping - Income.

Both of us are the sorts that do better - Self Employed... so that motivates us to guide our efforts in that direction when it comes to 'Workamping'.

Maybe that's a different way of thinkin' 'bout Workamping... Most consider it to be just camp hosting or some such... I think of it as Working in Camp. If I can create something that travels with us, is controlled by us... and feeds the Soul, as it keeps my butt from gettin' any more bony... Then so much the better!

I think... a lot of folks... who have the Lust for Wandering, are much the same. I'd advise as many of 'em as can do it... to create some sort of a Vocation, that they can Take With Them On The Road.

Sit down with a piece of paper and Brainstorm... Inventory your interests, your talents, your knowledge and... maybe most important... what simply Toots your Whistle... in amongst all that, there is SOMETHING, that you can shape and build into a Self Employment enterprise; Something that will finally make YOU the Master of your own Life.

... and about that Traveling With Us part... well, maybe yes... maybe no... :-)

As much as I want to just go Yondering full time... and never Come Back... I can accept reality too. For me... that Reality just may work out to be a nice Base Camp somewhere secluded and quiet (and a lot lower cost than This place!)... where we can put up a real nice Studio Space to work on journals and write... and from which we can make many Wide and Frequent Circles.

Our Hope is to finally take off for a Year or so... at or near the end of that time... we can decide which-a-way we're goin'.

Whichever way that turns out to be... It has got to be FUN... I've had it with being responsible and trustworthy... and PROFITABLE! :-) Life shouldn't be something that you have to spend, living by the rules, some parasitic bozo, who ain't got a clue, dictates to you...

That's kind of like giving Bernie Madoff the keys to the castle... and That sure didn't work out too well... Did it? Hell... I can screw my own life up as good as he did to folks... and save a bundle in the process! :-)

So... the next time somebody tells me; "You can't... You shouldn't... or ... Who's gonna take care of ME?" ... I think I'll just go to lookin' for a nice bat sized chunk of 2 X 4! :-) ... "Ohhhhh BEEEERNNNNIEEEEEE".... :-)

Well... I think it's warmed up enough down below to start gluing and pinning pieces together... and since the RV Remodel Elves don't seem to be gettin' much done... guess I better go do it.

Take Good Care
Brian


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