Incumbents – Vote NO

I know, I know, you heard enough of this Congress BS.  Last time I voted I did not vote for any incumbents.  Change them all and we will we lose a few good ones – yes but only a few that’s for sure.

At least the military pay will now continue…duh.  It’s Congress friggin pay that should stop.  Nope, they voted years ago that their pay will not stop under conditions like this.  Congress really don’t need their pay like most people do because they are millionaires.  What’s wrong with that picture?  I say vote “Vote NO to incumbents.”  that’s a nice slogan.

Anyhow….my military retirement and my VA compensation check were deposited on 30 September.  I was concerned but could go a month maybe before we would have to start dancing around.  I don’t think I will get any checks come 30 October.  I’m sure the bill collectors will understand…yea right!

I sent an email to Winnebago over the weekend confirming our ship date of our new Journey 36M.  No reply Monday.  I sent an email to Lazydays asking for a delivery date.  No reply.  I will wait until late Wednesday then I will wake up some people.  Ship date was this coming Friday.  Oh no, a Friday rig.

I started another smoked pork.  I changed my cooking procedure.  I upped the temp to 230 degrees.  I don’t think it was cooking at that temp.  I  verified the cooking temp and it was 10 degrees off.  I also decreased the smoking time from 6 hours to 4 hours.  The reason for all this is that after cooking for 20 hours the internal temp of the pork was only 170 degrees.  That’s OK but not the best I feel.  180 degrees + is better because it equals a little less fat and remains tender and juicy.  I got up this morning and the internal temp of the pork was 170 and an hour later it was 179 degrees.  I will watch it and wait a little longer before I pull it out.  This pork we will take on the trip down to Florida.  We need to get that smoked pork smell in the new rig as soon as possible.

See ya……

Duck Dynasty & Soooo Good!

Woke up to rain & overcast.  The rain lasted until about 2 PM or so and the overcast stayed all day.  The temps only got to 75 and the humidity stayed high.  So much for the weather report.

Then the ducks returned.  First time they sat on our railing.  I chased them off because there butts stayed on the deck side.  Then they flew to the RV roof.  I chased them off there.  Then they flew to the roof of the mobile.  I tried to get them off but lost the battle.  Oh well.

Then it was time to make left overs from the left overs for dinner.

There is a bun under this pile. AND it was sooooo good.

See ya……

Butt Day

I was up at 1 AM and checked the temps up the butt.  Then again at 5 AM.  Everything is looking good.  When ever I open the door of the smoker I spray the butt with apple juice.   So, remember every time you look at a butt you should spray it……….smile……

My beard was starting to fill in pretty good.  I shaved it off.  My hair was long.  It’s all gone but 1 inch of it.

Monday I will check and see if the Winnie’s ship date has changed.  It is Wednesday, 2 October the last I was told.  It should then arrive next Friday or Saturday.  We will leave here that Saturday and arrive in Florida on Tuesday.  We will spend an extra night at the Escapees park Plantation while en route.  It’s about 50 miles west of Pensacola near Summerdale. The delivery process  this time should only take 3 days/2 nights max at Lazydays.  Key world is should.  We will then go over to TTN Orlando for at least a week for the shake down.  Then back to Lazdays to stay free and or get some bugs out of the Winnie. 

Oh, I talked to Steve O’Bosky about what to do with the solar system I have and the one on the Winnie.  I need to decide how to run them together.  Steve suggested not to run them together.  Since I have a complete system just install it as such.  Have two systems.  I like that idea.  I wouldn't have to run heavier wire, wouldn’t have to buy a bigger solar controller.  I will install the solar panels in November on the Winnie before we leave for AZ.  I might have Starlight Solar in Yuma do the actual electrical hook up.  They’ve done work for me before and I was very pleased with their workmanship and knowledge.  I’m very shy doing electrical stuff.  Drilling holes in a new roof I have done and OK with that, just not the electrical side of it.  I just don’t understand it when it comes to electrical and get very nervous.  I’m like a Michael J. Fox around electrical stuff. 

The ducks are back 

The lovebugs have been around a month.  There those black spots on the glass.

Last night we had 14 guests to try my Maple smoked pulled pork.  I was told it was very good.  Nice flavor and melted in your mouth just about, very tender.  I would like to mention our special guests Shirley and Neil.  They just started full timing and will be attending Boot Camp here in Livingston in November.  They are on the left side. 

    Yes we had a full house.

 

The butt came out of the smoker after a total of 22 hours of slow cooking which 6 hours were in heavy maple smoke.  Then 4 hours wrapped and put in an air tight box to smother in it’s own juices

 

I wasn’t quick enough to get a picture before it was ready to serve.  Pictured is towards the bottom of the butt & what was left.

Can U Hear Me Now!

Going thru old stuff in the barn I found my Wilson cell phone extender set up.  I haven’t used it in over 4 years.  This use to be and still is a way to get better cell phone reception while setting on the edge of service.  I got a pole somewhere that I would put the trucker antennae on then run it about 5 feet above the RV roof.  Then run the cable down thru a window.  At this point you have several choices.  One is to hook it up right to a cell phone.  Another is to use a signal extender and you can use your phone without being actually wired to your phone.  Then there’s a device that actually increases the signal strength enven more.  That’s the blue device in the middle.  It’s all Wilson equipment.  When we had the RV Driving School we needed it all and used it.  Cell service has gotten a lot better and so we haven’t used it.  Now I’m thinking about taking it with us to Alaska.  I might get a flag pole for the ladder and then run it up that way when we stop of course.

See ya….

Look At My Butt

I got six of these babies.  Above is five of them.  That’s about 50 lbs of pork butt total (6).  The big one comes in at almost 10 lbs.  It’s not pictured.  I rubbed some mustard on it and then did the Pappy’s Seasoning.  The mustard helps keep the seasoning on and the vinegar in it helps tenders the meat a little bit.  It’s now in the frig in the Beast.  It’s the only place I had room for it.  It will marinate for almost 24 hours.  Then I will take it out of the frig and let it set for at least an hour to warm up a little.  Then it goes in the Bradley Smoker at 210-220 degrees for about 20-22 hours.  Of that 6 hours will be smoking it.  When it’s done I take it out and roll it in tin foil, wrap it up in a towel and put it in a sealed container.  I do that for about 2-4 hours.  It really get’s juicy.   When everyone arrives Saturday I unwrapped it and serve it immediately.   I do pull it apart with two large forks – thus smoked pulled pork.  People love the bark (crust).  I usually pull it ALL apart with the bark and put the bark in it.  This time people can get their own bark.

I will smoke another one before we leave the tail end of next week.  That will do us for a few days before we get to Lazydays.  Then they feed us.

When we return to Livingston in early November I will smoke the rest before we leave for AZ area in late November for the winter.  I want to try and save some for Alaska but I don’t think it will make it.

See ya….

It’s Official

I decided that I needed one more water filter besides the permanent one that comes with the new RV.  The RV one will have my main expensive reusable filter.  Then an outside one will be my cheap sediment filter. 

O.K.  it’s official, I’m bored.  I washed and waxed my water hose.  That’s bad.  Cleaning a water line is maintenance but waxing it is insane.  I waxed the water canister too.  I’m not going to wax the beast anymore.  It had one earlier this year down in Yuma.  I will have to wash it soon because of the rain we had the other day.  Yes, I will shine the wheels one more time.  It’s in my blood.  The new rig will have polishable wheels.  They won’t have a plastic coating on them like most rigs have nowadays.  I can use harsh abrasives on them to make them shine and all that kinda of neat stuff.

We (Carol) are a little more active in putting our “stuff” back into the Beast.  Next week we will move back into our real mobile home, the 43’ Beast.

A butt friend of mine got a real good deal on some pork butt so I’m getting six.  I will smoke them all while here in Texas.  Two now, two around Exapees Boot Camp in November and two to travel with us out west.  We will have a 20 cu ft frig plus another freezer in the basement of our new mini winnie (36 ft).

I read a 2012 RV report on line about our new rig in Motohome Magazine.  It was really funny.  Winnebago must pay Motorhome Mag a lot.  It said it got 12.2 miles per galloon.  Sorry, no 36’ diesel motorhome weighing 28, 000 lbs is gonna get 12.2 MPG.  I wonder if people really believe that.  It’s a dream for sure.  I estimate it will get about 8.5.  Anything above that will be icing on the cake.  8.5 MPG is 30% better than the Beast’s 6.4 average.  That’s a lot at $4 bucks a gallon.  Gas dropped down to $3.09 yesterday but diesel hasn’t moved from it’s $3.65 at all since gas has been going down the last few weeks.  What’s up with that?

Blogs – hey, a bunch of you all need to update your blogs.  I need something to read at 4-5 AM about being on the road at least until we return to the road. 

Larry, thanks for the Excel lesson http://mlforbes3779.blogspot.com/ and I will pass it on to Carol.  I got sleepy after the first line of instruction.  It’s like when I set in on one of the Geeks On Tour http://geeksontour.blogspot.com.  They know I will nod off after about 10 minutes but I don’t snore!  I’ve done that to them several times.  It’s like water running smoothly down a stream when someone talks about something above my level.  It’s so soothing.  Some people get frustrated.  I get caught up on my sleep.

The passing of a little furry buddy, Emma http://www.ourrvadventures.com/  Sorry about that big guy…….

See ya……

Water And Not A Drop To Drink & Plans

A few years ago I was experimenting with water hook ups.  

Ain’t this cute……..it worked!

I still have the threesome filters but usually just set them on the ground outside the RV. The adjustable water pressure gauge will only last two years max and that’s the expensive one that is even oil filled gauge even. I’ve taken them apart to clean but they just don’t last. I stopped buying them. I now use the brass regulator (not adjustable & no gauge)and hook it up at the water source. I have an inline pressure gauge that I check to make sure my water regulator isn’t clogged. I only check if I notice the inside water pressure is low. It’s always been the park’s water pressure and not the brass regulator.  When in Quartzsite this January I will get the $70 filter cartridge.  It’s filters a lot of bad stuff and is washable.  That’s a bigee.  I won’t carry all these other filters just the permanent one with the high dollar filter.  Well, maybe one more to act as the sediment filter.

Quick connects…..no to plastic, no to Walmarts metal ones, Ace hardware is OK.  I had them all.  They just don’t last.  I bought two for connection lines in my water bay and that’s it.  One for fresh water in and one for the black water rinse.  Again I got them in Quartzsite and they were expensive and they work in cold or hot weather and have no rubber parts to wear out or metal that will rust.  Some special material like a real hard black plastic.  Next time around I will get the names of the filter and these quick connects. 

I will get into the electrical stuff on down the road.  Very Important!

Fuel prices, what’s going on?  Gas has dropped about 30 cents in the past several weeks but diesel hasn’t moved at all around here.  I’ve never seen that before.  Did you know that diesel doesn’t go thru the refining process that gas does thus is cheaper to make.  I guess it’s the taxes that jacks up the price higher than gas.

We are working on our schedule for next April time frame.  This will be the time we starting heading North To Alaska.  One problem.  We would like to be in two different places at the same time while en route.  We are leaving from Arizona near Phoenix.  One would be the west coast to visit relatives/friends and Carol’s line dancing rallies AND help out with Escapees LODI WARE Rally. The other would be in Moab helping out with the Escapees Outdoor HOP Adventure. That will be 4X4 wheeling.  It will boil down to what the costs involved will be.  Since we didn’t go to work for Amazon and make a million dollars we have to look at the costs.  We can’t afford to pay to work anymore and that’s not negotiable anymore.  We’ve paid our dues many times over.  We will make a decision in Quartzsite (Jan) when we know more and the dust settles.  We have a plan A, B & C.

It seems like we always have plans and they always change.  Sometimes they change in a heart beast due to things out of our control.   Example would be at the this past Escapade in Gillette.  We were helping prep for the Escapade and then it happened.  We had to leave due to Carol’s Mom.  By the way, Carol just returned from visiting her again and it appears this time something has clicked (meds) and she’s doing a lot better.  It was very serious not to long ago.  Before the Escapade (July) we had plans for the rest of the year.  It changed in a heart beat and none of the plans were kept.  Plus, in the middle of all these changes we bought a new rig.  At least we tried and we are still trying.  This time next month we are planning to be in it and traveling around.  There’s that word again - PLAN.  That’s why a lot of RVers say their plans are in Jello.  It’s just so hard to make definite plans that’s why we make them knowing they will probably change, no bigeee, get use to it.  That’s the lifestyle! Love it……

See ya…

Duck Dynasty Heating Up

Hey, if you can’t eat them, join them.  These guys ("?) have adopted the Escapee’s Park here.    They roam around and will come up to who ever feeds them. We gave them some crackers and water to drink.  They liked both especially the water.  Maybe it was the crackers that made them appreciate the water.    They’ve been around for about two weeks or so.  I would if they will be around Thanksgiving.  They will probably duck out before then……

Yes, I have a start of a beard.  Probably cut it off soon.

Time to look at our heaters from the past present and for the future (Alaska).

The LP heater on the left is new and was purchased at Amazon back in February this year.  I think it really fits our bill and will be great when boone docking.  Ed Kruty installed it in the Beast while I supervised.  Now I had to remove it for the next RV.  Calling Ed again…? The next one is a Quartz heater that we bought at the Escapade a couple of years ago.  It’s electric, quiet and puts out the heat but no fan.  It’s great!  It has a tip over OFF switch.  It will go with us. The next one is a Walmart special and it’s OK . No tip over switch and it will be left behind.  The last one on the right is a real worker.  It will go with us too.  I think I’ve seen it at camping world.  For an electric heater it works great and the best electric heater with a fan we’ve had.  The fan has three settings and the heat two settings and can be loud and it has a turn over OFF switch.  With a pet that’s VERY important.  We VERY seldom run any heat in the winter when we are asleep.  I just don’t trust any of them that much to include the RV heating systems.  I just don’t trust them.  Now I will leave the AC on at night during the summer but not the heat in cold weather.  Since I’m the one who gets up first and turns everything on in cold weather, Carol doesn’t care.

See ya……..

Jambalaya

It’s cooled down quite a bit the last couple of days due to the very heavy rains here.  It was so heavy we thought about trading the RV in for a boat and float to Alaska next year – NOT!

It got into the sixties last night.  That hasn’t happen since we’ve been here.  The humidity has lowered too.  Fall has arrived. Yeaaaaaaaaaaaa. Hopefully.

We went over to Jon & Sue Glick’s place last night for some Jambalaya.  Jerry & Shirley Bell joined us too.  The Jambalaya was really good.  I added a little Tabasco Sweet/Sour and some Tabasco Habanero  sauce to my liking.  We had a great time talking about places everyone has visited or lived.

Jon and Sue are going to Alaska 2014 as members of the Loosey Goosey Group.  They just got their Passport ID and it took less than two weeks.

If you plan to go to Alaska 2014 check this out at www.toursaver.com.  It’s an outstanding deal but order in late 2013 or early 2014.

See ya………

Alaska June 2011

Early June 2011 in Valdez, Alaska.  Our official greeter. 

 

Jean had his 70th birthday up there.  He’s setting closet.

He was just the opposite.

 

First campground on the Valdez terminal side.  $15 no hook up with great views.  We later moved.

 

We all went on several boat trips.  Sometimes it was just dead.

 

Sharon & Don enjoying life.

 

Gary & Mary enjoying life. 

 

Some dressed warmer than others.

 

See ya……..

Congress – Unbelievable!

Congress could shut down in 10 days.  Congress will continue getting paid.  What the hell?  The active duty military pay will stop along with others.  They will issue them IOU’s.  Yeah, I’m sure they can pay their bills with a government IOU !!!!!!!!

What the hell is wrong with that?

Congress voted that their pay would continue along with IRS and others but not the military.  You know,  the people who are protecting this land of the free.

What the hell is wrong with that?

Email your congress person and not me.

See ya…..

Alaska One More Time

Around Memorial Day 2011 in Alaska 75 miles north of Valdez before the gang arrives. 

The Loosey Goosey Group of 2011.  Oh what friends, scenery,  piece and quiet.  We will return!

Here’s Jean checking his Jeep out.  He had fun with his Jeep up there.

Pictures sure do help keep the memories alive.

See ya.

More Food & Lens

When Mark comes over we hook him up with food.  Got to give that growing boy food.  We also had Orv and Nancy Hazelton over so Mark couldn’t get too fat.

That picnic pork that I smoked the other day, well I cooked it some more in a slow cooker for 8 hours along with some taters.  It was really good. 

We talked for hours about this and that but the world leaders weren’t listening so their troubles will continue.

I sent my camera lens for repair to:

Nikon Authorized Service

Authorized Photo Service, Inc.

8125 River Drive, Suite 100

Morton Grove, IL 60053 USA

They replied via email.  What a rip as far as I’m concerned.  They wanted $365 and the repair is not a major repair.  They said it would be new.  I said I wanted a used one that works.  I got an estimate in California for $125 but couldn’t leave the lens for the 7 days.  They are sending it back ($15) and I will figure it out from there.  It works fine it’s just that the zoom is a little tight but works.

Crooked & Buddies

In the past couple of weeks we have visits by at least a raccoon, possum and now two ducks.  We are officially a zoo now with our new buddies.

 

Here’s are first Winnebago Journey from two months ago.  The mud flap is straight.  It’s the end cap that is crooked.  It was the last red flag for us and a bigee.

See ya…….

Picnic Time

It’s not pork butt, it’s pork picnic.  It’s a higher cut of the shoulder.  It has a different taste and texture.  I’ve seasoned this just like I would a pork butt.

 

It goes in the smoker for 20 hours of which 6 hours was with Maple smoke.

 

Then it comes out, wrapped in foil then a blanket and

into a container like this ice chest for about another 5 hours.

When it comes out it looks like this and smells great.

 

It pulls apart with very little fat and a good bark.  Bark is the black crust that true pork lovers kill for.

 

That evening we had invited new friends Frank & ET.  We talked for hours and tempted them to stay longer at Rainbows End RV Park with a few bites of the pork.

 

They left with a bottle of booze that we don’t drink and some pork.   They left happy for sure.  They will be part of the Loosey Goosey Group going to Alaska next year.

Nice having you all over…thanks for the fun….

See ya…