Saturday, May 30, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Adios GMC
Sold my 1976 GMC motorhome yesterday. I originally bought it in 2003. Actually I bought it on the last day of 2002 and picked it up the day after new years. No tax consideration, that was just the way it worked out.
They say the two happiest days in the life of a boat owner are the day he buys his boat and the day he sells it. Having been a boat owner myself, I can pretty well substantiate that. The GMC was different. I had been looking for one for quite a while before I located mine on a car lot here in Pelham. As with all the TZE's, it had a story with it. Also, as with all of the TZE's and most other motorhomes, as best I can determine, it required a good bit of tinkering. Over the 6 years and 5 months that I owned it, I replaced and/or repaired quite a few items.
But the repairs are not what I will remember about the GMC. It went with me on some great trips. Like the time me and the puppies took it to the Kendall Campground in Kentucky for the World's Longest Yard Sale. And the trip to Gulf Shores to watch Ted play baseball. There were several trips to Auburn Football games and best of all the two weeks at Anastasia State Park in Jacksonville waiting on GE to be born.
If you look at what I paid for it, add in the upkeep and fuel costs and then see what I got for it, you would say damn, that was a poor investment. But if you factor in the worth of the good times it enabled, it was the best money I ever spent. I hope it serves it's new owner as well.
They say the two happiest days in the life of a boat owner are the day he buys his boat and the day he sells it. Having been a boat owner myself, I can pretty well substantiate that. The GMC was different. I had been looking for one for quite a while before I located mine on a car lot here in Pelham. As with all the TZE's, it had a story with it. Also, as with all of the TZE's and most other motorhomes, as best I can determine, it required a good bit of tinkering. Over the 6 years and 5 months that I owned it, I replaced and/or repaired quite a few items.
But the repairs are not what I will remember about the GMC. It went with me on some great trips. Like the time me and the puppies took it to the Kendall Campground in Kentucky for the World's Longest Yard Sale. And the trip to Gulf Shores to watch Ted play baseball. There were several trips to Auburn Football games and best of all the two weeks at Anastasia State Park in Jacksonville waiting on GE to be born.
If you look at what I paid for it, add in the upkeep and fuel costs and then see what I got for it, you would say damn, that was a poor investment. But if you factor in the worth of the good times it enabled, it was the best money I ever spent. I hope it serves it's new owner as well.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
A Chance For TBS To Make Amends
I have been PO'd at TBS ever since they dropped the Braves. This morning I read this article that says they may be interested in picking up the production of "My Name Is Earl". If they do that, they will definitely be out of my dog house.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Dick Cheney
I've been seeing a lot of articles lately about things that the former VP has to say. I'm not like Connie Darville, I don't have a gambling problem. But, I will wager at times and I'd bet you a gold ring against a doughnut hole that when ole Dick gets to his final reward, Saddam Hussein will be his room mate or at the very least his suite mate.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Another Milestone
Several years ago the company that I worked for lowered their early retirement age from 55 to 50. At that time, I was still in my forties. In July of 1997, I reached a milestone. I turned 50. From then on, I knew things would be different because I could retire if I had to. It did not mean a whole lot, just a little added sense of security.
Earlier this month I reached another milestone. The Social Security Administration lets you go ahead and sign up 90 days before you are eligible to receive your first check. I suppose that gives them 90 days to handle the paperwork. Since I will be 62 in July, I will be eligible to receive my first check August 1. So on May 1, I was able to sign up to draw Social Security and I did just that. Some folks have asked me "why don't you wait for a while so your check will be more?" The best way I can respond is to tell something I learned while I worked for my father at Miller's Garage.
My father ran his business before credit cards became so ubiquitous. Never the less, there were people who needed credit. Then as now for most folks in this part of the world, an automobile was essential for getting to and from work. If your vehicle feel into disrepair and could not be used, you probably would not be able to work and could easily loose your job. So people would bring in their vehicles for my father to work on and, paraphrasing Whimpy, tell him I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for car repair today.
In his office, my father kept a stack of plain receipt books like you could buy in the dime store. He would write the name of the customer along the top line, the nature of the repair on the lines on the left side , dollar amounts in the right hand column and total it up at the bottom. There would be an original and a carbon. The carbon he kept for his records, the original he gave to the customer when they paid up. (Here is where we come to the part that relates to the SSA.) Some of his credit customers would come in and pay with cash but quite a few of them would write him a check. Most of the checks he would take home to mama and she would gather several of them together, fill out a deposit slip and mail them off to the Alexander City Bank. Occasionally someone would come in and write my father a check and after they left, he would go to town to their bank and cash their check. He said that, in their case, he needed to get up there and get his money while they still had some in the bank. I have sized up SSA to be that sort of check writer and that is the reason I signed up to receive my first social security check on August 1.
Earlier this month I reached another milestone. The Social Security Administration lets you go ahead and sign up 90 days before you are eligible to receive your first check. I suppose that gives them 90 days to handle the paperwork. Since I will be 62 in July, I will be eligible to receive my first check August 1. So on May 1, I was able to sign up to draw Social Security and I did just that. Some folks have asked me "why don't you wait for a while so your check will be more?" The best way I can respond is to tell something I learned while I worked for my father at Miller's Garage.
My father ran his business before credit cards became so ubiquitous. Never the less, there were people who needed credit. Then as now for most folks in this part of the world, an automobile was essential for getting to and from work. If your vehicle feel into disrepair and could not be used, you probably would not be able to work and could easily loose your job. So people would bring in their vehicles for my father to work on and, paraphrasing Whimpy, tell him I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for car repair today.
In his office, my father kept a stack of plain receipt books like you could buy in the dime store. He would write the name of the customer along the top line, the nature of the repair on the lines on the left side , dollar amounts in the right hand column and total it up at the bottom. There would be an original and a carbon. The carbon he kept for his records, the original he gave to the customer when they paid up. (Here is where we come to the part that relates to the SSA.) Some of his credit customers would come in and pay with cash but quite a few of them would write him a check. Most of the checks he would take home to mama and she would gather several of them together, fill out a deposit slip and mail them off to the Alexander City Bank. Occasionally someone would come in and write my father a check and after they left, he would go to town to their bank and cash their check. He said that, in their case, he needed to get up there and get his money while they still had some in the bank. I have sized up SSA to be that sort of check writer and that is the reason I signed up to receive my first social security check on August 1.
Saturday, May 09, 2009
The RV World of 1937
According to this inflation calculator the 1937 dollar mentioned in this video would be worth about $15.00 today. Still a great bargain for a weeks rent.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Core Values Of Survival
Lew Rockwell had a link to these 10 Core values of Survival on his web page a couple of days ago. They make sense. Nothing I haven't heard before but it is nice to see it concisely stated in one place.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)