This Makes Sense

My Fitbit activity tracker among many things tracks my sleep. As you can see from 12:45 to 4:45 last night I was experiencing a most blissful sleep.





What I was dreaming was that I had managed to live in an elevator shaft by climbing walls and hanging there to sleep. I was in constant fear that if I slept too well then I might fall into the bleachers below. This went on for many hours as a climbed along the walls in my dreams.

Meanwhile, in my motionless bliss, my right lung was accumulating fluid to the point where the red streak starts when a major coughing jag starts. Ten minutes later, eyes watering, I finally recover and clear the lung.

Lord this has been a suck year health wise and in many other ways. I'm ready for 2015.

31 Days

I need this. It's cold and rainy here. Where I'm staying is a beach so I can do a few checkout dives as soon as I get there.



Six Days of Flu

Still have a fever, muscle aches, and damn nagging cough.

I am so sick of being sick.

Christmas was a fog.

This morning I thought I had turned the corner until the fever spiked.

Here Are the Facts as We Know Them

Jimmy Dean invented sausage in 1637. It was thought to be derived from a recipe from his great great great great uncle Christopher Columbus. Now you know.

Al Gore invented the Internet in 1992 but it didn't catch on until the World Wide Web and porn came on the scene in 1995.

Dogs were invented by a team of research cave men Grog and Thor. They rounded up a couple of wolves and taught them to sit, and beg for food. The rest is history. This was the spring of 2713 BC.

Merry Christmas

This is how a sick man sleeps on Christmas Eve.


With my Fitbit it monitors sleep, activity, and heart rate.

At 8:40 I fall asleep and have 35 minutes of restlessness and two brief periods of wake fullness before breaking in a coughing jag at 147 am.

Then I'm off to a much more peaceful rest for the balance of the night.

My heart settled into a smooth 70 beats a minute most of the night.

I just love this shit.

Off Season Trailer Upgrades

Our season is done assuming we don't pull off the miracle of miracles and make the playoffs.

My thoughts turn to off season improvements to the tailgate bar.

The canopy is shot. I'm going to look and upgrade this shelter to a nicer 12 by 12 from this 10 by 10. Perhaps a branded shelter if it's not too expensive.

The suspension on the trailer is shot. The trailer bottoms out and bounces way too much. It's just a matter of time before the shackles break under the stress. I need to stiffen what I have, get new springs, or add shocks.


Fasteners - I plan to upgrade the hold down fasteners from brass coated to solid brass.

Branding - I will finish branding the bar top with Extreme Tailgate logos like I did the seats.

Beer - After seeing the convenience and mobility of the beer cart I may just make this available on the mobile bar.

Finish - I will add a few more coats this summer of spar urethane to the bar tops for 9 total.

Aside from the bar.....

Table - One serving table is very melted from two failed burners. I'll need to get this replaced.

Burner - I need an additional propane burner for the third chafing dish and will contemplated buying another chafing set up.

Finally, I'm giving serious consideration to only participating in 6 home games next year. Each game consumes three days of my time, setting up, the tailgate, and tearing down and washing. This would give me back 9 days.

I so love tailgating but 9 tailgates times 3 days is 27 days in the fall that occupy my time. Only nine days are actually tailgating.

My Grandfather

My mothers father. Born in 1898. He was a kind soul and cool dude.


In 1972 I was headed to Florida in my Oldsmobile Cutlass. The day before the water pump went out. It cost $85 or some ungodly amount that I couldn't deal with.

Papa discretely slipped me two C notes with the instructions, "Do not tell your mother".

He made that trip and memory happen.

He was the definition of a gentleman.

Fun in the Parking Lot

That's what I do.


The mobile bar continues to be a gathering place.






Planning

I am a long range planner. Part of my vacation enjoyment is the attention to detail. This brings me pleasure.

This trait I discovered has backfired this year. In my mind I have budgeted in another back surgery this summer and I find my subconscious planning around the now annual event. Two summers in a row recovering from back surgery has become the norm.

I am taking better care this time because I don't want three years in a row.

Meat the Meatball Slider

Brilliant!



The Big Day







Orion will fly today on its test flight maiden voyage. Announced in 2005 as a replacement to the shuttle, the capsule will be boxed up after today's flight to be flown again whenever a suitable rocket is built in 2018.

2018-2005=13 years. This is embarrassing.

By then it will be 20 years behind in technology. But it will meet government standards.

My guess, by the time this thing gets to Mars, it will be equivalent to a 1965 VW Beetle, and I will be long dead.

Enjoy the ride.

UPDATE: It was a dud.


This Guy is Brilliant


© 2014 wReggie’s I’m Always Mentally on Vacation. These Terms and Conditions of Use apply to you when you view, access or otherwise use the blog located at www.wreggie.com (the “blog”). Terms and Conditions can be found at http://reghunnicutt.com/terms.html.

Joe Biden is Right

Nothing says you are dead serious like a 12 gauge shotgun loaded with buckshot. It makes me feel so protected.

In other news....take a look at this comet/booger the Europeans spent millions of euros on just to get there and take this picture.


My guess is the whole lot of them look the same. A wasteland like the moon and Mars.

Tomorrow nasa launches a manned space craft that has no passengers to see if it functions properly. The primary goal is to see how the heat shield works.

If if passes then the U.S. Will have three different capsules capable of manned flight along with Boeing and SpaceX. Of course no one is approved to launch, that'll take a few more years....for what? I don't know.

What Might Be

I got a text from a friend announcing that he was offered a 275 gallon fuel oil tank free for the taking. No explanation was needed. My mind began to rush.






Could it be done? I know a welder, I can get a trailer.



Imagine using real smoke wood, cooking racks of ribs, a whole hog, beef briskets, chickens, pork shoulders.

And you know it would be tricked out, a thing of beauty.

I'm up for the challenge.

It's Garlic Planting Season




Yep....Been told a chimp can do it.

Ritual

Today I rented the side blower walk behind. It was a new and much lighter version of the blower I have rented for years.


This new one has an air nozzle that can be pointed on the fly as I blow leaves giving me the ability to control the wall of leaves as I go.


I always wait until after Thanks giving to bring out the big guns. Once I assault the masses then I'll finish with the back mounted blower.

Been Enjoying the Pet Squirrel

She follows me most everywhere.


She eats what I give her.


She anticipates my moves.


She waits for me to finish a chore.


She get rewarded with horse grain which she loves.


I do worry about owls and Hawks.

My Favorite Holiday

Thanksgiving...four days off.

Food, football, and naps.



Friends, family....


I'm not cooking today but enjoy the challenge.

I Knew it Would a Happen

I dreamed I forgot a tailgate Sunday. Totally unprepared and I slept in too. It was 10 am and I'd not even thought about shopping yet and usually the food is on the table at 10.

It was a major panic.

On my Mind

I don't get why people get all joyful when someone publicly says they are gay. That emotion was never installed in me. Okay, call someone who gives a shit.

Again, no opinion, just no nerve endings here to give a shit either way. No dog in the fight.

I feel the same about gay marriage. No joy here any more than picking out peaches at the farmers market.

Sorry but enough of my time has been wasted on this.

There is nothing better than a human relationship, bonding, love, dedication and caring. Sex is great too. It spans the universe. Stop being so damn specific please.

Yellow Boys

Yes, yellow boys are set for another trip to the Caribbean. I figure yellow boys are close to logging 100,000 miles.


I found them in the camper the other day from my last dive trip in late May. They are my favorite swim trunks with perhaps a hundred dives logged.

The Last Gizzard

July 17, 2007. Prices Chicken Coop in the office. I need to go again.




You Do, or You Don't

There is no in between. You are an oyster eater or your not.


I am an oyster eater. My father encouraged me and I took right to them. I'll eat them raw, steamed or stewed. I ate fried oysters the other day.

We are in the peak of the season and I'm loving oysters.

I am not a fan of Pacific oysters, they are too big. I avoid Gulf oysters because they have to process the waste water from ⅓ of the United States via the Mississippi River.

From New York to North Carolina are the best oysters. NC oysters are very small and salty but fantastic. Virginia's Chesapeake' are legendary. New York's blue points are the stuff of fine dining.

Thank you Earth and our creator for oysters.

These Grown Men Should be Ashamed





Close to the Edge




I'm not sure how to describe this.

From 35 to 55, I'm no longer a kid. I am deep in a career. I enjoy the daily grind.

Somewhere after 55, well it's different. More uncertainties like when I was 25 to 35.

It is unsettling.

This Is Real

I've been here many times. It looks like a post card. It feels like heaven.


77 days.

First class tickets this time and a Ford Taurus rental car.....luxury for Centerline car rental. I'm staying on the beach.....waves at night.

My Mom and Dad

Mom is alive and well at 90. My father made it to 61. Damn cigarettes.


They were so young and hopeful. Raised three kids in a good home. I'd say that was success.

Messing With the New Girl





80 Days

Hanging at Cane Bay Beach. Superb diving. Plenty of beach bars to off gas.


Beautiful sunsets.


Or stick around in town and have a few drinks.



Star Trek 67

Obama plays Spock.



This Day in History

One year ago I was cooking country ham outdoors in South Georgia.



Nurshing Homes

You never see these people in public because they are in nursing homes, on deck to die.

They wait. They eat. They poop. They sleep. Then they do it all over again until something in their body stops. Then they die.

Their mind has long since moved out. Yet the body survives.

And so that was our visit today.

I Don't Much Care for November

Leaves....everywhere. Shit falling daily and it must be dealt with.

It's dark. Gloomy.

The football and food is good. Heavier foods make their way to me and I dream of pie.

The business year is winding down and I start thinking about taxes.

I do sleep very well in November.

You figure it Out




A dunking booth on the boardwalk?

I Voted

I forced myself this time. I really am so disgusted with our federal, state, and local government that I hesitated. But in the end, I voted.

Over the years three guys that I was passionate about won. The rest, I just held my nose and voted.

Award of Excellence

The annual Duke Hunnicutt Poultry Institutes Award of Excellence for 2014.


A dedicated individual engaged fine outdoor cooking. Here we see his footman tending to the dinner fire.



A typical supper for this individual. Built from potatoes, chicken, and fire.


After the fire roasting and required resting.


And this years winner is.......Phfrankie Bondo.

Fingers - On Getting Old

Over the years, what were nimble fingers have become swollen, wrinkled, sausages.

And so, a ring size up last week was a great relief. It identifies me as taken, and it is much more comfortable and noticeable.




This is Way Cool




This is a still from the drone video over our tailgate setup.

We have been at capacity more than once this year.

A Busy Friday

I have this little shed down in my pasture. The roof is good but the wind break walls had seen their better day.


It is about 40 years old so say what you will, it is still standing and it survived hurricane Hugo.


Got it all stripped down.


It's really pretty down here.


We burnt the scrapes.


So far it's looking good.



And Suddenly, It Is Winter

Just like that. Gone are sunlight and warm balmy days.

Tomorrow, 48 degrees, rain, howling wind, and an hour of sun lost to the stroke of a pen.

This will be the first sanctioned Evelyn Wilson weekend in a while, and we are planning to enjoy it.

Game day

Busting my ass to get it done. Damn the NFL for scheduling two home games just four days apart.



My SF Giants won the big series last night. I'm sure glad I adopted that team.