Homeless - 65

Hiya, biped mammals,

How are you doing in this winter blast? I swear, sometimes I think that we ought to carpet bomb the hell outta Canada. Every winter they send down these cold fronts to torment us red-blooded Americans. Texas got a winter advisory out of the current cold blast. Lows at night are in the mid to high 20s while the highs during the day may make it above freezing. There are icicles hanging off of Black Thunder's butt! I don't recall getting this kind of weather this early in the season, particularly last year. Trust me, I would have remembered, with my major source of cleansing at that time being a hot tub. It seems that Texas gets this kind of weather in late January and throughout February. The thing is that we'll be close to 70 degrees in less than 50 hours. Yeah, that's how it is around here.

My bitch purse got a bit heavier these days. I had to buy some glasses. No, silly, not shot glasses, an implement employing vision assistance technology that you wear over your eyeballs. It seems that I have difficulty reading text at a distance; say, clearly seeing the menu board on a drive thru...or road signs...or adequately performing proper target acquisition procedures while operating the 20 mm auto cannon in the bed of BT which led to a couple of irritating moments. I have vision insurance and maxed out that periodic allotment but Jeez! I got the cheapest pair, after being tested by the eye doctor, and I still had to co-pay $35. I didn't know all the extra add ons that were available, things that seem to me that are necessary - anti-scratch, anti-glare, anti-skid, airbags, etc. Well, I did get a free case and a free cleaning cloth and free clip on shades. Basically, they are like a crapped out, rusted out '69 Volkswagen that is missing 2nd gear and the passenger seat. Oh well, since they are my first pair, they'll be a good...starter... pair to discover what I'd like in my next pair of glasses...beyond the X-ray vision and laser beam enhancements, of course.

While shopping at the Walmart superplex, I also picked up a cotton blanket for a mere $10 and it has worked out very well coupled with the small insulated blanket that I kept from last year. During the current cold snap, I don a hooded sweat shirt with a tank top and T-shirt underneath, and wearing only undies and shorts, wrap those two blankets around me and I be good for a few hours. I wake up around 4 - 4:30 AM and start BT to get warm. Oh, and I put on some sweat bottoms, socks and shoes. I drive her around for 30 - 45 minutes and then go to a fast food place for biscuit and gravy combo and hang out for a couple of hours waiting for the planet to warm up, reading a book and a paper that someone has left behind. The place also has premium lavatory facilities. This morning when I came in, the lady gave me a free biscuit and gravy to which I said Thank you. Pleasant surprises are everywhere, as there are nice people. I have had so many nice things done for me and I don't have any idea how to reciprocate.

I had to have the water pump in BT replaced. While I was working out Sunday, I looked out the window and noticed a wet spot under her front chassis. We don't like those kind of wet spots! The following day I had it checked out and it was a malfunctioning water pump. I was in luck due to the fact that it was still under warranty. The last one was replaced last January so I got outta there without spending a dime...this time. Still need to get that alternator though.

Last Friday, we had a Xmas dinner at work after closing, a pot luck thingy with a white elephant gift exchange. I brought a gift that was a liquor flask with a Jack Daniels emblem on it - it came with a bottle of my last purchase. It
ended up in the possession of the manager. The event was a pleasant time. Afterward, several of us were invited over to a employee's place where we commenced to imbibe for a time. I spent the night on the floor with a couple of other humans. That, too, was a good time.

The lighting in the camping spot has been reduced even further. Now all of the night lights are non-functioning, just me and Black Thunder keeping a solitary vigil in the dark that as gotten...darker.

Next time,
David