Santa Clause

This actually happened. 

I was at the dry cleaners this morning in Concord, NC picking up some shirts. I still enjoy a freshly starched shirt now and then. 

I walked in and there was Saint Nicholas ie Santa Clause in the flesh trying on his red suit in the 3 way mirror. 

He wasn’t very jolly and didn’t even give me a polite smile at any of my comments. He didn’t ask if I had been a good boy either. 

I suppose the guy has a lot on his mind this time of year.

A Great Meeting of a New Friend

I met the most amazing human being yesterday. 


My truck badly needed diesel fuel so I headed to the local Earp’s with has BP fuel. The diesel pumps are inefficiently distributed among gasoline pumps which cause congestion. Diesel fueling takes longer because of capacity of fuel tanks.


I digress. 


I spied an open pump just behind a gasoline pump. As I pulled in a Toyota Prius maneuvered in just in front of me blocking my access to my pump.  


Now I was going to have to wait for him to fuel, buy lottery tickets, comb his hair, etc. before I could fuel. It’s the way of the modern world.


To my surprise he motioned in such a way indicating if he moved just a bit more that we both could fuel at teh same time. I acknowledged and he moved his car within the limits his pump range and he gave me access to my pump. How courteous. 


We exited our cars and began pumping fuel. I said, “Sir, I’ve not met a person with situational awareness in years. Thank you.”


He agreed and commented the world would be a much better place if we just looked around and helped other people. 


Just to continue the light conversation with my new friend I asked, “What kind of milage do you get with your car?” 


He said, “Fifty. But before you make any conclusions I must tell you I burn my trash at home.”


“Ahhh, we all make our carbon footprint somewhere,” I said. 


We both smiled and wish each other a good day. 


This actually happened. 

Mini Novel

I stopped by Harris Teeter Grocery store in Mint Hill to get some chicken to grill. Harris Teeter is a pretty upscale local grocery chain. As I sorted through “sell by” dates I noticed a dead fly trapped under the plastic lying in repose on a chicken breast like John Paul. 

Some one, somewhere, besides me, should have noticed this. 

I told the cashier and her eyes about popped out. Eyes are the only thing one can see in Mecklenburg County. Masks required. 

Speaking of masks, I then went to a feed store to buy chicken food so the hens lay eggs and feed my black snake. A guy kept staring at me and finally said, “Doctor?”

Naw, I ain’t no doctor is what I should have said.

The Sabbatical is Over


It was a great rest but I’m itching to blog again.

Facebook has burned me out. I get a rush from Twitter, but the blog has sustained my social urges for over a decade. 

Let light this back up again. 

December Calls





October has been a Happening






September

My least favorite month. Bad things happen in September. 





August


August is to summer what February is to winter. Extreme weather, hopelessness, and anticipation of the next season. 

We got about three weeks of un bearable heat and humidity.  The only break was a camping trip in the mountains of Virginia. 




By the time the heat broke it was time for football. Come thou long expected football. 

At the other end is St. Croix come wildcard weekend. 

July is for Grilling


Porkchops with white summer corn. 

400
Wings cooked with a Vortex. Best ever on a grill. This is the standard for grilled wings. 


Dinner in a pouch. Perfection. 


My old standby, Carolina hot dogs. 


Rtic Basket


Finally....a side basket. Can't think of another damn thing to add to this cooler. 



Rtic Wheels


Man this is a well made set of wheels made by a guy on EBay called cooler*innovations. It fits and functions perfectly. A great Rtic Cooler hack. 


An easy install and easy to move. 


Rtic Seat Cushion Installed



Per usual I looked for a YouTube how video to and it was easy. 



Rtic Cooler Seat Cushion


Are you kidding me? Hell yes I ordered one. Regular $73, now $40 delivered with snap on hardware.


Now my cooler locks the lid, locks to a secure surface via chain, rolls anywhere with one person, and has all the hacks that make it more efficient and useable.  Plus I can sit on it in comfort. Is this a great country or what? 

I'm still not paying $25 for the Yeti Cupholder. 

Rtic Cooler Hack II


It's not my invention, but it is very clever. A fellow that goes by http://www.ebay.com/usr/cooler*innovations has invented and sells these add on minimal wheels that make a heavy and clumsy Rtic Cooler easily mobile for one person. I have ordered one. $110 shipped. 

As you can see, the small cleats set into the foot hollows. It is further secured with a tie down strap. 


Once installed it allows the cooler to sit flat. 


Simply grab the handle at the opposite end to moved the cooler. 


My set should be in mid July, 2017. 

Rtic Cooler Hacks and Accessories


I hate a thief. This cooler cost me $199 and it is a clone of the $400 Yeti. The white metal bracket off of Ebay at $8 makes it possible to add a padlock. This cooler will be locked to a chain when not in storage. The contents can be padlocked at either end of the cooler. 

I added a bottle opener at each end for my fancy boy friends who insist on craft and imported beers. 


The biggest complaint of this cooler has been the latches do not stay in place like the Yeti. Cry me a river. I installed 4 .25 cents washers and it's now just like the Yeti. 


The weakest link in the insulation is the drain plug. Not any more. $1.09 and a #4 rubber stopper provided an additional layer of leak protection and insulation by providing a gap between the inside and outside drain. 


I decided to go ahead and buy the divider, $14, and the top basket $9 (in route) to give me options when camping and smaller tailgates. 


Now I'm set until I can figure out how to install a quality cup holder. Yeti wants $25 for one cup holder! 

June Got Away From Me

Warm days.
Wheat harvest from winter.
Annual hot dog chili making.
Back in the water diving.
Always grilling.
My birthday month. 
The potato harvest. 

Colorful Bounty


 
It is comforting to have so many options for soups, stews, and chili. Plus the colors were too beautiful to pass up a photo.