Quick Note

 Just a quick note to say I'm still alive and kicking.
 Looks like it might rain tonight. We are under a tornado watch and the air is cooling down nicely. It was in the 70s today and is supposed to drop way down to 69 tonight. Sounds like a cold wave is coming through.
  I appreciate your following this, and I hope you'll take the time to view the posts of my followers. They are a very diverse group of folks and always have something to say.
 Tell them Bobby sent you. And please follow them too.

Partly Cloudy

 Sounds about like my life. Well it's been a while since I last posted and I promised myself I was gonna write some things, so here goes.
  I tried to start a story about my cars I had growing up, but sometimes the order, I had them in, gets confusing. So I'm gonna list some of them and try to place them in some period of time.
 Since I started with Thunderbirds, I'll just update the list.
 My first ones were the two 1960s. I also acquired a 63 from a junk yard, that only needed a freeze plug to fix. It had the 406 engine and the swing-away steering column. It was moroon in color, with a black interior.
 Then there was the 67 I got from a finance company. $400.00 for that one. It had the best back seat of the bunch. Also drank the most gas. These were all in use when I was in high school between 72 and 74. I went through them so quickly.
 There was always just one more. I was on my parents insurance policy with 5 cars at one time. After my second ticket for speeding, the company dropped me. Boy did I learn a lesson fast. Don't be stupid and get caught. Or was it just don't be stupid.
 When I got married, we bought an 85 model. This was around the mid 90s. Can't remember the exact year, because the love of my life was brighter than my keeping track of dates.(I'll see if this works when I miss our anniversary). It had the v6 and was reliable. It was a big change over the earlier ones. If I'd had the time and money, I would've put a little 302 in it. That would have made a world of difference.
  Now that they aren't made anymore, I guess I'll just keep them in my memories.
And keep an eye out for another homeless one.

Back to Life

 Well let's see what else I can write about.
  My wireless was down for awhile so I couldn't get anything done. But it's back up now in case you couldn't tell.
The posts on my cars seemed to draw a bit of interest, so I'll go on from there.  My next auto was a 64 Chevrolet Malibu SS. The SS meant it had bucket seats and a console. or so I remember. It had a 283 with a two barrel carb and a powerglide 2 speed transmission.
I had lost my previous car and was still working Holiday Inn, at the time bussing tables. One of the waitress knew I was looking for a car and said she had it. It also was a 40 dollar special. She told me it hadn't been run for awhile and needed a battery. Blew all the money I had and picked it up that day.
  It was in pretty good shape. White on the outside and red on the inside. Ran without much work, pretty well for a 10 year old car. It was good for running light to light on the weekends. A lot of folks would work on there cars all week, just to run them on weekends at the strip. The Malibu wasn't much for the drag strip, but could hold its own in town. Some people had their cars all fixed up, with pipes and cams, and I could out-run them from light to light. Of course once you got above 65, they would just blow right by. That's why I liked running light to light. You got up to 50 or so and had to hit the brakes for the next light. You could usually get two or three good runs before the police would show up. This greatly reduced the amount of fun you could have.
 My friends and I would alternate cars after school running the farm roads. Now the farm roads are not really roads in the true sense. More like tractor trails going from one field to another. The fun was to see where you would come out at and what you could find abandoned. More than one rust bucket could be found. After you got to know the trails you could pick up the pace. Bouncing from one side to the other, heads banging off the roof, until you got stuck or found another trail. More than once we got stuck. Remember the first time I got stuck in this car, only to learn I had no base to the jack. (probably why they sold it so cheap). Took off one of the hubcaps and used it. Went pretty well until  it tried to get the wheel off the ground. Punched a Y right down the middle of the cap. I think we used a come-a-long to get out of that one.
 Another thing these trails allowed was shortcuts and hiding spots. While speeding down the road, if you were in the right spot and passed a cop, you could hit the trails. The cops didn't chase you down them and they didn't have helicopters back then for speeders. It also allowed you places to go with your girlfriend. But that is another story.
  Can't really remember exactly what happened to this one. Maybe used for a trade-in. With old age comes un-selective memory.
  The trails are now gone. The fields went away. Where they once were, are subdivisions. In Fl, the developers got rich. Everyone else had to put up with more congestion.
But then again, That's life.

Trying to understand

Searching for answers that will never arrive. I found this blog entry that I wanted to pass on.


http://ammajerkoff.blogspot.com/2011/03/on-losing-those-you-love.html?ext-ref=comm-sub-email

May it help you as it has helped me.

Take care and I will write more when I can.
Bobby

The World Turns a Little Grayer

 Today is a sad day.
  I found out last night/this morning that my friend, Kevin, his mom had passed away. It was at 3 am that I found out. Too late to call anyone for more info. To early to call to offer  my support.
  Her Name was Belle. She was the type of mom everyone wanted for a second mom. I first met her when I would stop at her house after school. We both liked working on old clunkers and so it was something to do to kill the afternoon.
 Memories come flooding back.
 The white living room furniture that we couldn't sit on.
 Her garage of odd stuff. Her baking and cooking. The grass in her back yard I burnt.
 The flowers that she cared for and all the pets that cared for her.
  She was my second mom. She was a friend I could talk to.
 She was Bellle.
  Mom,  I know your in a better place, just why did you have to leave so soon?
  Tell everyone Hello up there.
  We're gonna miss you.

 Your son
  Bobby Gene

Blogs I Follow

 Just added the gadget to list the blogs I follow. It should show you, when you update your blog.
Slept in late.
 Will try to write more later. Hope all is well with you and wish the best for all.

Autos

 Don't really know what to write, so I thought I'd try to start a list of the cars I've had and some of their memories.
 Way back when, when dirt was new @ 72 or 3, I had a friend with an old T'bird. It was a 1960 model with a wheezing motor and various shades of paint. The fact that it ran and the price was cheap really caught my eye. 40 dollars.
 Now back then 40 dollars was a real lot of money for a boy in high school. I had a part time job, but making that much money as a 14 yr old was a long way off. The friend said he'd hold onto to it for me. Probably like a sucker in hand is better than advertising for a loss.
 When I finally had enough money saved up for it and I told my dad what I was going to do, He wasn't all that thrilled. I gave him the money and asked him to look it over and to pay the guy while I went to work. I'd get someone to tow it home for me tomorrow.
 I guess my dad saw things my way. Or he thought this was the best car for 40 bucks. Or he thought I'd not get it running right and we could part it out and make my money back.
 When I got off work that night It was around 1 in the morning. I drove up to the drive in my moms car and there set the most beautiful car in the world.
 Mine. My very first.
 Here was my pride and joy. Needless to say, I did what every boy does with there first car. I sat in it and imagined the world going on around me as I traveled through life. Well by 2 o'clock, I had tried out the power seat, the lights, the radio and now the battery was dead.
 It was time for bed. I didn't sleep much that night.
 The battery got charged and we were gonna try to get the motor running better the following weekend. We had plenty of fuel, plenty of spark, but no compression. When I tore apart the motor, I discovered the problem. It was the rings. You could place the blade of a pocket knife between the walls and the piston rings. I was surprised it wasn't knocking. That means one thing. I needed to rebuild or replace it.
 Well short story long, we went looking for a replacement. We went to a garage behind a chrysler dealer who said he could rebuild it for around 500 dollars. But he also had a car to sell instead. For 600 dollars and my car. I was getting in deeper.
 You couldn't have been more shocked than I was when I saw his car. It also was a 1960 Thunderbird. It was just like mine except his had the sunroof. And only one paint color. It look like it came off the showroom. Ok, maybe from a used car lot. Needless to say, I was hooked.
 It took a few days to get my mom to cosign a loan. 
 I finally got my car. It ran like new. Milage wasn't much to talk about, but with 18 cent gas, you didn't complain.
 I drove that car a lot. It would hit 120 on the straight away. We'd fly down the road with the motor  screaming until it go no faster, or till the rail road tracks, where we had to hit the brakes or we would miss our turnoff. Kids. We were stupid back then. No seat belts and recklessly flying down the road.
 God must've looked after me as much as he does the drunks.
 That car is gone. Lost it when a guy ran a stop sign. He had insurance. No one was hurt.
 God is still watching out for me. Got a wife that loves me and a mother in law that needs me. Throw in 3 cats and a dog and life don't get much better.
 Well for nothing to write, I said plenty. Should I continue the auto list or just find something else?

Comments always welcomed and followers will get followed.

A Shorter Day Than Most

 Well today is the day we move the clocks ahead.
 When I was a young-in, we would be late for church. By the time we got there it would be over. We still went to other peoples houses afterwards for a Sunday get-together.
  There was one place in Alva, Fl. that I remember going to the most. It was a farm house. They had woods to run in, and calf's we tried to ride.
 The food was always plentiful and the ice tea sweet. Good times were had and all helped the family who lived there. All they could give in return was a little home grown food and their time and graciousness.
 This was a simpler time. You actually talked to other people. And people talked to you.
 Sometime soon people will no longer gather together. We will hide in our houses, and text our every word. No one will know abouut body language. They won't pick up on the nuances in our voices.
  The world will be grayer.  It will be a sad time, because the only one talking then will be the ones controlling the media.  Telling us how to think.  One little lie, one little liberty at a time, scaring us into voting for the guy with the most money.
 I can't talk to everyone. I don't own media. But I can go for a walk and talk to my neighbors.
 Did I tell y'all about their cookin'. Now I'm getting hungry. So that's another time.

Justice Bought and Paid for

I know this is kinda old, but I need to write something here.


  from the New York Times.. The justice came under criticism last week from Common Cause, a liberal advocacy group, for failing to disclose Mrs. Thomas’s employment as required under the 1978 Ethics in Government Act. While justices are not required to say how much a spouse earns, Common Cause said its review of Internal Revenue Service filings showed that the Heritage Foundation paid Mrs. Thomas $686,589 from 2003 to 2007. The group also asserted that Justice Thomas should have withdrawn from deciding last year’s landmark Citizens United case on campaign finance because of both Mrs. Thomas’s founding of another conservative political group in 2009 and Justice Thomas’s own appearance at a private political retreat organized by Charles Koch, a prominent conservative financier.

 from ABC News.... Seventy-four House Democrats, led by New York Rep. Anthony Weiner, sent a letter to Justice Clarence Thomas Wednesday calling on him to sit out deliberations on the Affordable Care Act because of his wife's ties to a lobbying group that opposes the health care law. "The appearance of a conflict of interest merits recusal under federal law," the letter said. "From what we have already seen, the line between your impartiality and you and your wife's financial stake in the overturn of healthcare reform is blurred." Justice Thomas' wife, Virginia Thomas, founded the conservative group Liberty Central, but stepped down in December amid controversy over a memo under her name calling for the repeal of the "unconstitutional law."

 and from Fox News... http://video.foxnews.com/v/4564065/does-clarence-thomas-have-health-care... 

 and we have to have a view from the Christian Science Monitor. http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Robert-Reich-s-Blog/2011/0304/Clarence...  

 Could this have been a game changer. Should he be removed from the bench? Should all of his votes be rescinded?

 Seems to me it is all about the money and who gets to stick it to the rest of us first All the while, father time is waiting to pull the handle on this "commode" that this country is becoming.

No-Fault

Amazing what can be found on the web.

http://www.foodfirst.org/en/node/3315

Apparently, Monsanto can do no wrong. Once you start, your obligated to them for life.