Trip Planning

All eyes to the southeast as I keep watch over the tropics for storm development. You see, in just two weeks I will be traveling to the womb of hurricanes at the peak of hurricane season.

Yesterday my compass arrived and I installed it in my backup regulator that I will leave on the island.

I want to use my own dive gear while I am there but I am limited to a 50 lb bag at a check price of $25. So if a second bag is necessary I will check that with my travel partner for $25 instead of paying $30 for a second bag.

Divers actually use lead weights to keep the down and to offset buoyancy of air tanks, lungs and wetsuits. I use 14 pounds most of the time. The weights fit in my vest and I want to take them too. I may need to disperse these weights around in my checked and carry on bags.

I am also taking a small cylinder of back up emergency air called by the brand name Spare Air. In order to do this legally the tank must be decompressed and disassembled. I’ll do this and reassemble it down on the island. This also means I will need to take my Spare Air filler which weighs a few pounds.

Hopefully this evening I can get in another practice dive at the quarry.

Nicknames

Living in the south and being a guy means that one will have a nickname.

Currently I know or have been called one of the following, Humps, Catfish, Head, Monkey Tail, Tail, Peen, Otis, Eddie, Binky, Ass Breath, Q, Pecker Head and there is always a DJ or PJ and Junior around.

Eggs?

I was looking at baby chicken pictures and thought, “Where have the months gone and where the hell are my eggs?”

Sunday was the official day I was expecting the chickens to lay. I did get one egg two weeks ago but so far that is it.

I have been told in the beginning to expect small eggs and many double yoked eggs. Then the hens will get in the groove of things and should produce 250 eggs each their first year. Gradually the production will decline (after my third bypass) and each chicken should produce 1,000 eggs in a lifetime.

Activity has picked up back at the chicken coop. Lots of eating and squawking so I feel certain we may have a Denny’s moment any morning.

My Hobby

I like having a hobby that has its own logo.

Riding the Range

No, I wasn’t on top of the stove pretending I was in a car cause I was loading and unloading wild mustangs yesterday.

Okay it was a trained mustang and it was only one. Still I man handled that horse like only wReggie can. It was sweet and gentle and I kindly asked if she would go in and go out of the trailer and she did.

I had to haul her from the backyard of a doublewide fully loaded with the nicest white trash you ever would want to meet. All of them were smoking cigarettes; all the women had on Daisy Dukes, even the fat old grand mother. The kind of folks you would find running a meth lab but nice.

We waded through the various generations of chickens and made out way to a fenced area. She loaded easily and transported easily.

On arrival we had an audience of roosters, cows, a horse, dogs and many goats.

I know now that there are animal folks crazier than Gigi and me.

The Root Canal

It was a piece of cake relative to what it could have been.

My body does not make efficient use a pain deadeners like Novocain so dentistry is never pain free. My father had the same problem. A good injection will block out most pain but those breakthroughs are painful.

And so he started drilling and it went fine. Then he started digging each root removing the live nerve and that went fine until number 4. It hurt like hell. He poured in more painkillers directly on the nerve. It hurt much less.

Overall not bad…. seriously Teresa. I have had crowns that cause more discomfort.

Oh…I could have bought a 50 inch TV for what it all cost too. But that is the cost of maintaining a buff 54 year old body.

I Hate This Crap

For the past week I have had a crown working loose on one of my molars. I made a mental note to call the dentist to get it reset.

Last weekend I dove in the quarry and when I hit cold water the darn thing hurt a bit.

Monday and Tuesday I felt like crap. I was tired and I had a headache. I even came home early Tuesday and slept 4 hours in the afternoon but was curious because I didn’t have a fever.

Today I went to the dentist to get the crown re-cemented and I found out it was fine.

I have the early stages of an abscess and I am lucky I suppose. He said that it would only get worse and become one of those situations people talk about when they have an abscess.

So Thursday…I have my first root canal. Joy.

PS…I hear there are pictures on the Internets of Mic sleeping in the yard on a mattress.

Hump Day Eve

Ever notice how most house painters are associated with being drunks? Ever noticed a paint can opener has a bottle opener on one end? Just saying…..

I Was a Child Again

Last night we had a horrendous thunderstorm move through. There was frequent lighting, heavy rain, and high winds. It went on for hours.

Cedie came to me for comfort but decided it would be safer with Gigi.

Soon we lost power.

I had started supper and it was mostly done except the steak. We ate by candlelight.

By 8:30 I was bored and drifted off to sleep on the sofa. I would wake up every so often to check for power. I could hear the comforting rumble of heavy lineman trucks in the distance.

Somehow for a moment I had the child-like feeling that all was right in the world and someone was looking after my well being. It was a nice comforting feeling I rarely get as an adult.

Just Two Things Today

Can’t understand why some people actually enjoy buying tires. I know two tire freaks that replace perfectly good tires because they like the feel of new tires.

You ever notice that house guests always grab a glass or coffee cup from the cabinet that rarely gets used by the actual owner? I hope they blow the dust out before they use it.

Why Am I Smiling?

Literally 4 weeks from today I will be in the air headed for Miami and on to St Croix. And no, I am not ashamed.

I have a super deal. Out of pocket the trip and lodging and car are costing me $510 for the week……a whole week! $72 a day! I can’t vacation at a local beach for that and I’m talking I’ll be in paradise with coconut trees and a clear warm ocean.

Now I will be expecting to eat and have some adult beverages but plan on buying some groceries and fantastic local rum at less than $7 a bottle. And I’ll buy gas and be diving but still this is inexpensive.

The airline ticket is valued at $611 right now but I used 30,000 American Miles so mine is free. This is off season so the normal 50,000 to 60,000 miles was not required.

And guess what? St Croix is actually cooler than we are this time of year so I’ll say goodbye to upper 90’s and have strong breezes with fresh air. No ozone and pollution.

I Don't Know How to Title This

My chicken (s) finally started laying. I went out yesterday morning to feed only to find one large brown egg sitting on the ground. It was still warm. How cool is that?

I got my check for jury duty for one week of service…$52.

Last night I dreamed that somehow the government requested my service and I was put on a very long flight to an unknown destination. When I arrived it was revealed that I was in Pakistan. I was given an M-16 and one bullet and told to follow the orders of the man I was assigned to.

I asked if it would be possible for me to practice shooting this weapon and he suggested I needed to buy some bullets. Then he told me to hop in the back of his golf cart and hold my weapon high while he drove to find some beer and then check in to the hotel.

I didn’t feel very safe.

Can't Stand the Quiet No Mo

I have been deliberately quiet on the blog scenic trying to see if anything can be gained from being more anonymous. It just frustrated me.

Gigi and I plan to head to Southport, NC for a long RV weekend. I plan my wreck dive for Sunday.

I have been reading everything I can about the dive site and experiences but it seems most divers aren’t bloggers or will to share details of the experience.

My biggest concern is diving with sand tiger sharks. I am told that this shark poses no more danger than a barracuda however they do look frightening and are big.

This dive will be my second deepest at 85 feet.

Around home I have been straightening up the garage and inventorying tailgate equipment. I added another two burner Coleman stove top. I would really like to upgrade to one or two chaffing dishes with the roll top.

Sad

I have disrespected "Yellow Boys".

My Old iPhone

As you know I upgraded to the latest and greatest iPhone ever a few weeks ago. This left me with the second generation iPhone the 3G.

Prior to the release of the 4th generation iPhone one could purchase my model iPhone for $99 at Wal-Mart. This came with a contract commitment to AT&T.

I noticed on eBay that my old iPhone was selling anywhere from $200 to $240 so I put mine out there. My phone has been bid up to $182.50 already. This almost covers the price I paid for my new phone.

Crazy world huh?

After seeing iPhone and eBay I am considering changing the arrangement of Wreggie to wReggie.

My Planet

Greetings people of the planet Zeldor! The temperature got to a “Real Feel” of 114 yesterday. Then an electrical storm of epic proportions followed. Then literally steam hung over the land.

Chickens in the Spotlight

What a screwy unpredictable week it was. On again, off again jury duty consumed my time.

Gigi and I had a fantastic supper last night. I sprung for a big bag of crab legs and one of those cuts of beef that charges $16.99 a pound. I roasted corn on the grill and baked a few potatoes and picked up a fresh loaf of sour bread. It was a meal meant for butter.

All washed down with a great, cheap bottle of wine. It amazes me how good a bottle of Gallo cab can be for the price. Leave it to a woman to make a good cheap wine.

I’ve been taking advantage of the local abundance in produce. Peaches are at a peak now and they are very cheap. If they go bad I toss them to the chickens. Same for corn. These chickens will eat most anything. Tanner and I enjoy watching them eat.

Time is wasting now even though it is very hot here I know that winter approaches and I need to get a chicken coop built. I think I’ll build an 8 by 8 coop with a window and a few nesting boxes. It will have a few catwalks and a chicken door to the fenced area and a door I can use to get in and clean. Then rig a heat light with thermostat and a regular light with a timer so the chickens get faked out about daylight. This helps them to lay.

Then I’ll paint the coop the Caribbean colors I used on my steps.

Update......

Jury duty is coming right along. I was chosen on Tuesday then rejected along with three other middle aged white guys. I am due to report back in a 1 PM today.

I am planning another coast dive this time off the coast of NC to dive a wreck known as The Hyde.

Coastal diving in NC is a hit or miss and mostly miss because of the frequent high seas, hence the “Graveyard of the Atlantic” reputation. It is common to have off shore waves of 5 to 7 feet for days on end. This doesn’t bode well for travel offshore and especially are poor conditions for getting on and off a boat.

So my planned dive of August 5th is very optimistic.

This dive is supposed to be loaded with sand tiger sharks and sandbar sharks along with nurse sharks. None are necessarily harmful I am told but the idea scares the hell out of me and thrills me all at once.

Ossifer of The Court

I am a sworn officer of the court now so treat with some respect please. Yep, jury duty started yesterday.

I would guess there are 60 of us representing all ages, sexes, races and various backgrounds. Mostly we sit and move around to various rooms and take instructions. Finally we are led into a real courtroom and the selection begins.

This trial called for 6 to be selected and they go through 10 before 6 are decided on. By noon I am free to go but I have to be back this afternoon for another jury selection.

There is virtually no way to get off being in the pool only a deferment.

The dive I took yesterday resulted in a less experienced diver bursting his right eardrum. It will take a few weeks to heal and much contemplation about diving.

Sunday Afternoon

There is a lot to be said for not diving too deep Yesterday I did two dives on a single tank, both 25 feet deep. I was down 50 minutes total and still had enough air left for an additional 20 minutes.

One tank in to dives is efficient. The water was warm. There were lots of fish…in fact they followed us.

We decide to go around the wall of the quarry. There were areas of old submerged trees, some places had heavy grass weed growing, and yet others there was only a sold stone wall.

The dives gave me time work on neutral buoyancy, controlled breathing and make a few decisions about equipment. My mask in gone for one like I have in St Croix. I bought it yesterday. It is cheap relative to dive equipment but it works and that is what matters.

We all practice safety measures like mask flooding and buddy breathing.

I was also trying out a very cheap and new 5MM wet suit I bought online. It kept me very warm. So cheap that if I get 5 more dives from it I’ll essentially would have spent the same on rental fees.

The wet suit is now hanging out back on the porch and Tanner keeps thinking an intruder is standing there.