I'm Always Mentally on Vacation: April 2012

Welcome Home

This is bougainvillea on the island of St Croix. It grows everywhere and blooms year round. I love these flowers.

This is bougainvillea in my back yard that I bought today at Lowes home improvement. It is beautiful too but will die at the first frost. Welcome to my home bougainvillea.

I am gay when it comes to bright colors and flowers.

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Weekend Routine

I had a hugely enjoyable time this weekend and never left home (well almost). The weather turned nice again so I used the opportunity to putter in the yard and enjoy my outdoor space.

This hibiscus is kicking butt.

Typical Saturday/Sunday….fix a good weekend breakfast, feed livestock, get anything I need at Home Depot and grocery shop and be home by 9 AM. Then some grass mowing, weed trimming, planting, and whatever until a light lunch and a nap.

Around 2 PM I would slip back into the yard work and finish what I started….gradually slipping into beers around 4 PM.

A quick shower and it is time to fire up the grills to prepare supper.

Prep supper and feed the dogs…..check out any sports stuff on the outdoor TV. Cook supper and serve and watch the evening news.

Feed the livestock again and collect eggs. Wash eggs and feed the cat.

Retire to the TV or TV in bed with Gigi. Sleep deeply for 8 hours.

Repeat.

Dream Flying

I dreamed I was in Courtland, CA to go to a wedding with a friend.

We decided to fly in an old wooden shack, not much bigger than a doll house. The shack had minimal furnishings with open windows and flowing shears.

Since we both knew how to dream fly, it was just a matter of lifting the shack, which was accomplished by a rather large helium balloon.

The wedding was fantastic and there we many exotic animals in attendance including a very large bull India elephant.

I was allowed to fly the shack back home, and I made a perfect landing in the original spot back in Courtland.

As a departing gift, I was handed a gallon of Tropicana Orange Juice, Lots of Pulp.

April 28

The outdoor living space is coming together. I planted my tropical plants in decorative planters. It gives me something "palm like" to see from the screen room and the deck surface.

I moved the formal chairs and side to the deck. They look nice there and will come in handy grilling.

I bought two more brightly colored plastic Adirondack chairs for the fire pit. I am a sucker for bold colors and like the splash it provides.

The newly plated azaleas are really popping with color. To the right of the shovel and rake I spot planted the fescue turf. Fall is the best time to plant grass here but I'm going to prep and prepare all summer so I'll have a great turf next season.

Golf Day

Yesterday I put a message on my phone that said I was out till Monday....I didn't want to be bothered.

We lined up for a 2:30 shotgun start. The weather was perfect.

I play in the annual tournament with my first cousins who happen to be twin brothers. It is the only time of year we see each other.

It was a nice outing. I bailed out after 11 holes when it became clear that this was going to be a 5 hour round, and we had zero chance of winning.

Oh My

Friday is a golf day for me. I haven’t played in forever. I am looking forward to the laughs and beer.

Tonight is NFL draft night, so it just made sense to grill.

I bought chicken thighs that were skinless and deboned. I then marinated the meat for and hour, and coated the meat in garlic infused olive, then added a layer of flavor with some chicken seasoning, and finally wrapped it all in bacon.

I cooked it on charcoal indirect with hickory and corn on the cob.

Oh my!

4 Years Ago....

We stayed at this ocean front villa on St Croix. I am renting it again in June.

Today

I was up early getting Gigi's car inspected. She is driving again so the old 1987 4Runner needed an inspection and new tags.

I got home and the horses wanted breakfast....NOW!

I took a photo of the clever redneck heater at the inspection garage. It burned used motor oil and wood. The fan in back pushed the heated air.

This is the lobby of my building. This guy cleans 2 12 story buildings. I give him eggs.

This is a little piece of land I own from St Croix that I keep in my desk. I look at it now and then.

During my afternoon walk. My building is on the right. It was a beautiful day.

Tanner greets me when I get home.

So does Haley. Who need a 4th leg?

I have Several of These

Mine look different. Isn't the future great?

Office Tour

A tour of my office. It is small but efficient. 5 of us work here.

Wrong Video........

I Like This Guy

I swear he makes more sense that most, and appears to examine both sides yet maintains his "blackness".

The Pathway

Slowly, I am transforming my landscape....slowly because I hate a lot of sweaty manual labor.

Yesterday I planted all of my Encore Azaleas in the partial sun on both sides of this pathway. This path leads from the guest cottage past the screen room and into the common courtyard separating the two structures.

These Azaleas will mature in a few years to about the size of a large beach ball. They will provide colorful blooms during most of the growing season.

I also planted my ornamental banana tree cause it is supposed to get really big.

On a side note: Next female dog I get I'm naming her kNancy. Silent k.

The Watering Hole

I have a watering hole…a bar that I go to at the end of some work days to have a few drinks. Normally I take home supper.

It is always a friendly place, and everyone is in a good mood.

Tuesday is a given…I’ll be there….sometimes Wednesday or Thursday but rarely on the weekend.

I have to pay for the privilege of being there, plus the costs of food and drinks. Yet I find the place comfortable and homey. They know what I like, the food is good, and they call me Mr. Hunnicutt.

It is a private club, but not what you imagine. The members are just regular folks that would most likely be outcasts at other private clubs in town. Most members are small business owners like me.

We have a big pool, a golf course, tennis, locker rooms, dinning facilities and this bar. But I mainly go to be at this little bar where everyone knows my name.

Ace Boogie

I am 6 months away from the first snap of real NFL football, but I couldn’t be anymore consumed in the sport now.

The NFL announced that the plays under review will be seen in the stadium live. This is a huge deal. Normally paying fans that attend a game are shut out from the review process lest we riot. Now we get to see what you at home see.

Speaking of seeing at home….Direct TV has reduced the cost of Sunday Ticket by 40%. $199 will buy me every game next year and I’m a buying.

Lastly….I’ve never had a national super star on my team but I do now. I love his swagger.

Watch for May 5th

1. The Kentucky Derby

2. Cinco de Mayo

and........

I Am So Glad I Take Vacations

Two days in classes makes 16 hours of continuing education, with 8 more hours to go next month.

I am sick of 8 hour classroom instruction of stuff I already know.

This morning I took a stab at this cheap and overly carbed breakfast for $5. After I took this picture I dropped my iPhone and it ceased to work.

I suspected that I knocked something loose and was proven correct after a visit to the Apple Store.

My phone/camera is restored and all is right with the world.

I Can Now Get On With My Life

Taxes are behind me….they squeezed me for every nickel.

Diving is ahead of me. A weather balloon is somewhere up there too.

You know what? I can now plan…..The NFL schedule is out!

We have a Thursday night game, a Sunday 4 PM game, a Monday night game and another Sunday 4 PM game. The NFL is giving us some well needed respect with these prime time games.

It’s been a few long years since we had any nationally televised games. Now we have at least 4.

I love a home Sunday 4 PM game. It makes for a long day of tailgating and cooking.

Thursday night will be interesting. We have never done a Thursday night home game that I know of. I might need to claim ground late Wednesday so we can get our cars in before the downtown working crowd takes up the parking.

Now we can begin to plan our fall and I am darn excited.

Typical

Food Anyone?

Yesterday was full contact tailgating prep.

I spun two chickens stuffed with lemons and rosemary and smoked with cherry wood.

For starters I made a nice big batch of hickory smoked wings.

We had slow roasted corn on the cob with a fresh salad. What a meal.

Contingency Plans

I got my number one back up generator fixed yesterday. It seems the 15 year old carburetor had given up the ghost. I had a buddy slap a new carburetor on and it ran like a new generator. Now it has fresh, treated gasoline in it ready to run the main refrigerator, the pump house, Internets, and a few lights, plus the TV. The basic necessities.

I fired up number two generator and burned off the old gas. It is used to keep the refrigerator running in the guest house, and makes a dandy tailgating power source.

Britches

I call my pants britches. Is that a southern thing or old man thing?

My vibe is back. I found out it was the Clariton D doing me in. I switched back to regular Clariton and all is right in the world.

A Wrinkle in The Force

My Feng shui is off kilter. Please help me restore my vibe.

Yesterday I was so peacefully mellow. It was wonderful. Somewhere around 6:30 PM a powerful negative force hit me that I must conclude was a migraine.

Was the desirable peaceful easy feeling a day long lead in to the migraine?

I feel spent today but must press on. It is my busy season.

A Big Deal

Recently I applied, and was accepted to join a team of very experienced divers this summer off of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

The dives will be on real wrecks, not just sunken boats. The dives will be very deep, and they recommend decompression.

One dive is an actual cruise ship from the WW1 era. They say one can still find parts of dinnerware and other trinkets on this wreck.

Another is a German U boat submarine sunk in WWII. It is intact and the crew still on board.

Now I must begin study and training for these dives so I can be safe. I can’t wait.

Here are a list of the places we will attempt diving.

The Proteus.

The Tarpon.

The British Splendour.

U 701.

Railroad Cap

I spotted this man at the car wash the other day sporting a railroad cap with no train in sight. Now I know of two people who wear railroad caps with no apparent train connections.

I must say, standing there with a full belly bloat, and tugging on his waddle is a definite new look. He just might be on to something.

Easter 2012

It was a grand day.

Set up the fireplace area with new chairs.

Grilled of course. Note a rare picture of the entire fleet in one picture. 2000 Ford, 89 Jeep, and 87 4Runner.

Finished staining the table and washed the shade.

The sky was epic blue. We like to say "Carolina Blue cause it ain't Duke Blue.

I swatted bugs with my zapper and watched The Masters.

Big Red

Bid Red, my 2000 F350 Ford diesel, has seen a lot of active

duty in the past 12 years. The odometer
sits at 277,000 which proves my point.

Friday, I took the truck in for some preventative maintenance.
I told him to check the brakes and do a brake job if needed, check the complete
suspension and front end and fix anything broken, check the wheel bearings, and
install a new antenna that broke off a few months ago.

I didn’t ask for a quote but was guessing anywhere between
$500 and $1,100 depending on how bad things were. Towing that heavy 5^th
wheel can really break down breaks and suspension.

Later that day I got a call to pick it up and it was $187.

Two new heavy duty break pads up front, turned rotors, and an antenna. It feels
and drives like a new truck. Those rotors made me suspect the worse.

I was so happy that I too Big Red to the car day spa for a

complete cleaning.

Good Morning!

Lent is over!

Making Progress

I got the surround sound installed yesterday afternoon in the screen room. Then I proceeded to dust and sweep all the pollen out before settling down with some beers to watch The Masters at 3 PM.

Sunset while I watch.

The sound is amazing. The birds at the Masters drowned out my birds in real life, and the piano and violin introduction was heavenly.

I imagine football, racing, Kentucky Derby and Baseball will be enhanced with the richness of sound.

This will be the first weekend in memory that it hasn’t rained. I hope to get caught up on staining, defoliation, grass cutting, truck cleaning and landscape updating.

Meet The New Ketchup

We are truly living in the golden age of sauces and condiments.

Insolvent

Insolvency means the inability to pay one's debts as they fall due.

Tuesday night I lost my wallet and I became insolvent two hours from home.

I had no money and no way of getting money. Plus my identity and credit lines were at risk.

I spend a few hours on the phone cancelling debut and credit cards. Then I headed home and passed on the Masters.

In a few hours I had a temporary card and some cash from my familiar home town bank.

Then I could afford a new wallet.

I did not like the experience.

Fortunately, I have a scanned copy of my drivers’ license on my iPad.

On Being a Southern Man

It is incumbent of every Southern man of taste and discernment, to make a pilgrimage to Augusta, GA to walk the hallowed grounds of Augusta National during Masters week.

I shall make my third pilgrimage this year to witness the tradition of the par three tournament on Wednesday.

Sunday will be the joyous final round witnessed from the screen room.

As an added event, Easter will be on Sunday and I will celebrate by looping Sweet Home Alabama as the sun sets on Butler Cabin.

Still lots of Work to be Done

Last week I was plucking humanity from the grip of death, while this week I was plucking weeds.

I got this one bed refurbished and cleaned out.

Then I power washed the picnic table.

Then I timber oiled it.

I made a place to store my hammock.

I bought some neat looking tropical plants.

And I installed mood lights.

Hello Spring

Hello April. Good bye winter.

I rank April and May right up there with October weather wise.

Hopefully most of the tree sex is behind us. We have been inundated with pollen this year.

Not to mention a full blown invasion of canker worms….everywhere. Little green worms hanging from everywhere by a thread coming out of God knows what part of their body.

I'm Always Mentally on Vacation