I started this blog because I wanted to comment on another blog.  That guy had it set up so that folks had to open their own blog to do so.   

I had a lot to write about every May and looking back that was really the only thing I wrote about.  I love the mission of Run For The Wall, and for the most part I love the people that do it.   Some are more interested in their goals than the mission, but there are not that many of them. I moved from Wisconsin to Texas two years ago.  Last year I finally got a Texas license.  That was difficult because of Covid-19.  You had to make an appointment with the DMV and you could not just walk in and get a license.  With a lot of help from the qualifications department at Stevens I finally got it done.  I have a friend that works there that allowed me to use his address, and I got it done.   Now with all this time off I have found a place to live. I have some dear dear friends that have  rented me a single wide trailer that is at the front of their property.   I changed my license and finally got the post office to change my address.  That too was difficult because of Covid-19.  You would think that the whole world caught it and died because of it.   

In some ways, no a lot of ways things have changed.  Here in America people found that they could work from home and not have to drive into work every day.  My friend in Karnack Texas still works from home, he loves it because he doesn't have to drive almost 350 miles a day.   In a lot of ways people are more productive when working from home.  Others not so much.  But instead of logging off and walking outside to smoke or vape, they can do it at their desk.  So they are on their phones more.   Some just play games while waiting for the phone to ring.   But the point is they are at the phone more often than when they had to walk outside for a "break".   Also E-Mail is often the only way to contact some folks now.  

I am one of those.   If you know my email address write me, I will answer it.  My phone is still there and it still works, but I usually just let calls go to voice mail now a days.   There are so many scammers and sales people calling I just do not answer any more.

So what have I been doing while on short term disability?  I started volunteering at the local community center in Goldthwait Texas.  Lots of very nice folks there.  Putting together the meals on wheels and making lunch for the folks that can get to the center is fun.  It is a lot of work, and the Cook is on vacation this week, so we volunteers have been busy.  The lady that runs the program is very nice and keeps us on track.

Wednesday we had live music and celebrated a gentleman's 94th birthday.  Come to find out there are a lot of 90 year olds in the lunch crowd.  The music was great and it was fun listening to it.  Lunch was things that I can't eat but everything else was great.

In addition to that I am feeding the animals while my friends went on a short trip.   I feed four cats, two dogs, fifteen or so sheep, three cows, a calf, a donkey named EEore, and a Llama named Ethyl.  There are also a rooster and 6 chickens.  Plus an animal that I have not seen that is supposed to be a cat, but could be a raccoon.  That is over where the cattle feed is, and whatever it is eats the food every day.   

Dean and Tish have been very good to me and I am thankful that they trust me enough to do this for them.  The dogs sleep with me, and are not much of an alarm clock, in fact they tend to ignore the alarms I have set.   In fact today I got up, cleaned up and got dressed and the two dogs were still asleep.  When I mentioned that I was going to feed them Jetta yawned and went back to sleep, Ziggy did not react at all.  But I got it done.    EEore likes me and lets me scratch his nose.  Ethyl is a different story.  She acts like she had a bad experience  at a petting zoo, and won't allow anyone to touch her. But I am working on being able to scratch her nose too.  The Bull the Ram allow me to feed them, but they watch me like hawks. That is how I am spending my forced vacation.  I collect eggs and harvest Okra out of the garden too.

So twice a day I am busy, then I volunteer at the community center, and I enjoy all of it.   I have pictures, and will try to add them to this post later.

Time for dinner, then I have chores to complete.  Thanks for reading.

Bounce

 To the four or five folks that follow these posts I must apologize for not writing in here for the last couple of years.   A lot has happened since my last post.   I moved to Texas, got divorced, bought two different Pick up trucks, and have learned how to feed chickens, sheep cows.

In addition to that two years ago this month I was run down by a big truck in an El Paso truck stop.  Idiot driver was reading his cell phone when driving to the pumps.  I was walking no where near the path to the pumps, but he hit me and dragged me a bit over 30 feet.  I was sore, had road rash in a few places.  I insisted on going to the hospital to get checked out.  I was fine. The truck driver (flip flop wearing idiot) that hit me told the responding law enforcement officer that I jumped under his truck.   The video witness statements clearly refuted that statement.  The video from the truck stop security camera clearly shows the driver was looking at the cell phone in his hand.   Before someone asks, no I did not sue.  I called a few lawyers, including the "Texas Hammer" and got the same thing from all of them, I wasn't hurt bad enough for them to take the case.   The one guy that said he would do it wanted 40% of anything I got and told me that it would mean at least six months off of work.   Today I would do it, but then I didn't think I could afford it.   Almost a year later the driver found out that my company had put a lien against him and finally reported it to his insurance company.   That insurance company fired his agent and dropped him for not reporting the accident.  I got almost enough cash to buy a 12 year old used pick up truck.  It was too small to haul the kind of travel trailer I want so I sold it and bought a bigger truck.

The divorce cost me a duplex, and a paid for motor home.  I will never get married again.  In fact it is hard for me to want to even be with some one anymore.  I trusted my Ex wife, and it turns out that she and her daughters screwed me over pretty bad.  But like the song says "Thank God and Greyhound she's gone."  Funny thing is I have managed to save money and still cover all my bills. Never could do that before.

Okay, that should bring everyone up to date with me.   I still work for Stevens Transport, and I now live in Lometa Texas.

More to come, and pictures too.