January 8, 2016

Yesteryear
One year ago today: January 8, 2015, bath & shave time, guys.
Five years ago today: January 8, 2011, “a Bible-sized manual”.
Nine years ago today: January 8, 2007, they destroy the old ones..
Random years ago today: January 8, 2009, can dance sitting down.

           The new neighbors are lucky I’m here. These are mainly new people, which in itself surprises me, but they travel light. I don’t really lend out tools, but I’ll cut it for you type of thing. So far, I’ve helped them with everything from cutting leveling blocks, lighting gas heaters, and adjusting bicycle kick stands. And don’t forget the air gun and socket set times. I do it because people have been so nice to me out on the road. Top of my list? Demopolis.

           Perfect weather found me getting all the yard work done and changing oil on the cycles. Operating these machines is not carefree. Think of it as around ten times as much logistics as a car—at least until the car gets as old as my vehicles.
           Big event of the day was a trip up to Harbor Freight, where I replaced the fried DC/AC power inverter with a dandy little 80 watt unit. Yes, that is small, but so is my camera, which I intent to take on a trip soon. On sale for $16, not a bad deal at all. For the curious, this shopping trip also resulted in a free multi-meter, a hose splicing kit, two punch awls (one for JZ), a solid brass spray nozzle, a three foot section of air hose, two brass hose ends, and a set of stubby wood bits. The regular size don’t work well on a drill press.

           And finally, my spare tire. This is just for show, I don’t know if I’ll carry it like that or find some other option. Even then, I may mount it under the Russian tire, since that one looks much better. With all the spokes and all. Next item is the 5 gallon gas can, effectively doubling my range (to just over 300 miles). Not that I would ever drive that far in one stretch, but we won’t soon forget that incident in the Steens Mountain pass (near John Day, Oregon). Remember, where it really was 162 miles between gas stations.

           Getting home just slightly after dark, the Frenchies were having a wine and cheese party, which I don’t indulge. So I hauled out the Ibanez and we sang country songs for an hour, with strange lyrics. I had to decline the wine anyway, it doesn’t agree with me. And I don’t care for the taste, even in cooking. I eat grapes like once every other year.

           JZ and I are planning a meeting very soon. We are chomping at the bit for the upcoming spring sell-off. What’s more, we are aware that it may not happen this year for the first time in history. Why? Because we are ready, that’s why. This is Florida.
           Plus, I’ll get to the bottom of why he cancelled our New Year’s trip at the last minute. It will wind up being nothing, but we know that JZ will not leave town unless he has twice as much money as even necessary. He’s still new at zipping around the countryside, whereas I’m not sinking the bucks into my sidecar to let it rust on the curb.

           Last, there was a property being closely examined in Deland. While that is not likely to work out, we did contact the guy who is an office worker. He delves into property on the side, usually delinquent tax affairs. The thing is, his education and experience parallel my own. He’s calculated to the correct decimal point and he clearly grasps the “stream of income” concept of selling.
           That would be the first inhabitant of the State of Florida I have ever encountered who has, like I do, a five-year plan. Here is the place, I offered him a flat amount for it. But he wants to sell it as rent-to-own, that’s how I figured out he was streaming. This is the precise type of business I was headed for in 2003 when I became ill for the first, and so far only, major time in my life. Now before you go saying it isn’t much of a place, I didn’t tell you what my offer was. It would change your mind.
           A reminder to the reader, this is NOT the property I seek to retire in, but something as a base to stay in the area while looking. A place that will only happen "if the price is cheap enough".


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