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Showing posts from 2022

Toolboxes

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 Not sure whether I should laugh at myself or pinch myself ............ Remember when we were younger .. and you'd see the Craftsman tool sets on sale?  I do .  The 100 piece sets .. the 250 piece sets.. the 500+ that had every tool known to man?  Yeah ... that was what I fantasized about.... The "problem" I have now is ... which garage is that tool in?  I F'n hate going from garage to garage looking for a specific tool. Well, this week I stepped up my game. Here in MS, got a full blown Tool Box from Lowes and now......   filling it up.  I'm like a kid in a candy store.  I LOVE going to Lowes or Home Deport and seeing high quality tools on sale. Ummm.. 50% off?  Yes .. I'll take a set!    Two dozen types of pliers in the bundle?  Sure .. I'll take a set!  Do I have something similar... who cares.  It's my new thing.  Crazy part is.... I sometimes forget I already bought it, and now have  a second exact set.  Whoops!  Well, this morning I was setting up

Resolutions for 2023

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Well, I've never been a big resolution guy ....   nothing earth shattering on my mind as I type this.  Financially, stay the same path.   Fitness, always need to step it up a notch.  Health wise, I've been dropping my weight slowly and my alcohol intake has been reduced (thanks to my ticker shit). I'm finding myself flipping channels lately to MSM.  I find a lot of humor in it with all the brainwashing going on and slanted reporting.  But I probably need to stay more balanced so to speak.  I'm a Fox News and Newsmax freak currently.  Watching a lil CBS/ABC/NBC probably isn't a bad thing.  Keeps one's perspective in check?  If nothing else, you are more aware of what the Sheep are hearing / following? So .. for '23 .. maybe just stay balanced.  I achieved that in my 'biker life' the last few years, though had a lil bump earlier this month.  I've achieved alot this year in many other aspects.  But for 'political' issues... maybe calm it dow

Jeep Addiction

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Sitting here in a dealership getting an oil change and tire rotation via Warranty (Jeep Wave program)... Daydreaming about jeeps...thinking back. It Began in the mid 80s... 1986 got a CJ7.... Was hooked. Have to admit...the count below threw me off. I might have a problem? LOL Over the years.... CJ7 CJ5 (2) TJ (4) Jk JKU JL JLU (3) Compass Grand Cherokee (3) Grand Wagoner   Funny, when folks say "Jeep" they usually mean CJ or Wrangler... but .... I like 'em all.  I really dig older Cherokees lifted up, but have never owned one.   If I ever got another 'truck' it might be a Gladiator with a diesel then stick some stupid size rubber under it.   I think I'm done for now at this point in my life.  My last Wrangler we recently got has a 392 and my plan is to keep that stock, understanding it's loaded with every option available to include factory life and 35's.  And .. I'm always looking at pristine CJ7s.  They grab my attention since my first was an &#

California Dreaming..

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 Where I was born.  Always enjoyed those early years there, but we moved to Guam for 4 years in my grade school years.  Back to Cali (Mojave Desert) at age 11, then to Hawaii for over 3 years.  From there, MN for HS.  I even took off at 18 and headed back to SoCal for a few weeks, only to return to MN. When I entered the military at 19, ½ my life was in Cali, but the rest divided up in the tropics and the frigid cold.   Today, I’ve spent half of it in Texas where I’ve resided for what seems a lifetime. I consider myself a Texan and will never move from here.  What’s the saying… “got here as quickly as I could?” Over the last thirty years, I’ve visited Cali often for work.  Two of the companies I worked for were based out of the Carlsbad and Sunnyvale. I traveled there often on business, and truly enjoyed it. As much as I liked the weather, the cost of living, traffic, and political BS of the state reminded me I’d never live there again. Our daughter moved to SoCal years ago after a lon

life insurance

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Mainly For the younger crowd, though pertinent for most.  Nothing pisses me off more the "GoFundMe's" after someone dies. Happy Friday "If someone depends on you or your income, YOU NEED LIFE INSURANCE. I only recommend TERM insurance. It's best to get a term life insurance policy that's worth 10 to 12 times your annual income. For stay-at-home parents, I recommend a policy valued between $250,000 - $400,000. Whole life insurance is what most insurance companies will try to sell you. It's expensive, and it's one of the WORST financial products out there. The only people who think you need whole life insurance are the whole life insurance agents who want to make commission off of you for your WHOLE life. I only recommend TERM life insurance. Why? — You get the same amount of coverage for about 5% of the price of whole life insurance. A term life insurance policy lasts for a set number of years (a term); I recommend getting a term of 15 or 20 years. Dur

Secrets Maroma Beach Review : Trip #3

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Don't think I've ever done a full blown review on this property. We first went several years ago, just the wife and I .  Then back in '20 for my B'day with friends and family . This time a trip with Friends that I've worked with over the last 21+ years.  This time was the best (from a resort/service perspective), since the resort has stepped up it's game, hence the review this time around. We've only done two locations over the last few decades, this one and the Cozumel location (dozen trips to Coz).  This one (Maroma Beach) is by far much nicer, but I don't have any others to compare it to within the chain.  I've been to some high end Iberostar and Barcelo locations though.  We always select the "Preferred" option.  Why?  Well, just because.  Until this trip I honestly don't have a better answer.  I could afford the additional cost so I did it.  When the smoke cleared after each trip, I sometimes thought "well... was it actually

Secrets Maroma Beach .. here we come!

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Several months back, I came up with this idea... which became a plan  .. and now a reality.   Bringing together many of my friends/peers that work together at some level, and head to Mexico!  Many know I go there often, many have never been.  Well, we just changed that! Seven of us (couples) jumped into the fray; game on!  Picked a nice all adult AI (All Inclusive), everyone locked in their vaca' time, got a travel agent to coordinate this for the whole group.  Fourteen all together rolling in.  Looking forward to meeting some of the wives I've never had the opportunity to meet prior.  Viva la' Mexico!  Secrets Maroma Beach, here we come..... Paradise! Two days prior.  Mama picking out bathing suits and dresses.  Me, I'm counting bills for tips ($2 bills) and for downtown to 5th Avenue (Pesos and more Pesos!).  We've been doing Airbnb's now down there for quite a few years, so I've gotten more accustomed to bringing down Pesos (though USD works as well).  Wh