4-Wheeler stuff

Since we bought my 4-wheeler, hence forth called a quad, I have taken everything apart except the motor. It ran fine the day I got it, but, you know how it goes. I have done modifications to the exhaust, airbox, chain, sprocket, oil tank, the fuel jets, the fuel, the seat, now the ignition. Tonight, I tried to install a teather kill switch. This is required on most, if not all, tracks. A teather kill switch is attached to you and kills the quad if you fall off. It has 2 wires, and the ignition has 6 wires. I had to take the front end completely off to find this out, because it was tight quarters under there. Now, I am frustrated. It is all still apart in the garage, and we have poker tommorrow night. Hopefully, I will get it all back together by then. If not, oh well, as long as it is running by next weekend. I have done all of the mods myself, in an attempt to understand how everything works, and to be able to fix anything that may break. Especially if we are at the dunes in Kermit or racing somewhere. This should also help me to fix Matthew's, if it breaks, or whatever. I am competent and confident in what I have done, but 6 wires, 2 wires, give me a break. Maybe I can find the owners manual, if not, I will call the Polaris shop in Decatur tommorrow, or this, morning.

ANGIE NEWS

Tommorrow (today), Angie is going to town at 10 a.m. to have her hair cut back off. She always enjoyed it short, and now she wants it short again. She watched a home video made just after Matthew was born. Her hair was short then, and she liked how it looked. I don't disagree, it did look great, but, I think she was on the way to a fine looking haircut long also. Hey, it's her hair, she doesn't try to get me to fro, I mean, grow mine out. GOD, could you imagine!!!!!!!!! I am sure she will be happier with short hair, so therefore we should all be happy for her. I know I will be. I will always love my girl no matter the length of her hair. Hair is a personal issue, and she is the person making the choice. End of story.

That's about it for tonight, anybody know what's wrong with my Texas Rangers. If you do, let me know, maybe we can fix it.

Jim

Reagan and a bunch of other stuff!

Ok, looks like the cat is out of the bag. If you have seen yesterday's comments, you know that Reagan is pregnant. You may have been wondering who Reagan was, or why I was asking how she was doing. Well, now you know. She is pregnant. She, if anyone missed it, is my best friend's little sister. Bill is no longer with us, so now she is MY little sister. I will always consider it to be that way, did before, do now. She is great, awesome personality, good looks, the total package. Aaron, you are a very lucky man.

Reagan, if you need anything, just let me know.

Billy Skidmore Jr., not that I call you that, but anyway. Here are some upcoming fights, if you want a piece of me.

Antonio Tarver VS Glen Johnson June 18th
Arturo Gotti VS Floyd Mayweather Jr. June 25th I want Mayweather in this one!
Bernard Hopkins VS Jermain Taylor July 16th
Hasim Rahman VS Monte Barret July 23rd

COME GET SOME!! Your boy Mikey T. will lose, and you will owe me 2 lunches of my choice. Get ready to not pay, but you will hear about it alot!!

As you know, I will race in Abilene on the 18th. If I do well, I plan to race in Witchita Falls on the 25th. For sure, I will take Matthew up there to race in his division. I just hope not to have a coronary in my race. Facts have hit me square in the face. I AM out of shape, and I will probably puke in Abilene, but I won't finish last, even if puke is dripping out of my helmet at the finish line. This should be a great way to lose weight, and have a lot of fun, especially when I get Matthew started. Father son stuff is always great. I just hope he pays attention long enough not to end up in the parking lot. HA!

OK, now on to baby food. I had the distinct displeasure of going to WALMART tonight to get formula for Brayden. Angie asked me to get Banana baby food also, because tommorrow he can start on fruits. When Nat and Matt started on fruit, they were all in glass jars. I know it has been 7 years ago, but things have changed. Now they are in little throw away plastic containers, like ketchup from Whataburger. They have a peel away top. WOW, how hard was that to invent. They had the ketchup tubs at Whataburger before Natalie was born. I know, I eat there a lot. So this will truely be a new, and better experience. I guess they did this for all the dumbass parents that can't spoon food out of a glass jar, or maybe to "save" the planet. Whatever, it's still a good idea. I'll let you know how Brayden likes his bananas tommorrow, I'm sure he will love them.

This will be familiar to some, not to others. Tonight, Angie was making a sandwich for supper, because we ran out of most of our salad stuff. Lettuce, carrots and the like, and really, what is a salad without lettuce and carrots. I made a sandwich also. She asked me to not throw away the heels of the bread, so she could make a sandwich tommorrow. Not only did I not throw away the heels of the bread, that's what I made my sandwich with. I love the heels. Remind you of anyone? I would rather eat the heel, just taste better to me, I love the crust. Papa always ate the heel of the bread first. I never have, because, supposedly, the rest of the bread goes stale faster without it. I don't believe that for one thing, and we keep our bread in the freezer, so what are the odds of it going stale? Everytime we go to an Italian food restuarant, I alway eat the part of the bread with the most crust on it, it just has more flavor and texture, whether you dip it in olive oil or not. I have always tried to get cornbread from the outside of the pan too. I just like it. Also, I cannot stand people that cut the crust of the bread off when they make a sandwich, it's UNAMERICAN dammit! At the very least it's un-papa, and that I can't stand.

OK, Aunt Carolyn, I have a question for Uncle Billy. Go get him, this is just for him, anyone can read it, but nobody else's opinion really matters. No one knows as much about sports as he does, at least no one that I know. Uncle Billy, what do you think of the 2-3-2 format of the NBA finals?
I can't stand it. I don't know when they changed it, but I believe it was in the Jordan era. Playoffs, to me, are supposed to be, 2-2-1-1-1. For anyone else that has read this far, now they play 2 games at the team's building with home court advantage, then 3 at the team's building that does not have it, then, if necessary 2 more at the team's building with home court adavantage. I''ll leave it to you to figure out the 2-2-1-1-1 format. It seems to me that it gives the team without home court advantage a true edge if they can win one of the first 2 games. Say Detroit wins game 2 of the finals, they can take advantage of this format, and win the series, without ever playing at San Antonio again, when they should have to travel back and play on the Sprus home court at least one more time. You get my drift, and where my complaint is coming from. What is your opinion?

Thanks everyone for reading this

See ya then

Jim

Are these too long

I know I get to rambling sometimes, but are these too long. Am I boring you? Let me know. I sit in here like a monarch, and nobody tells me to stop, so I keep going. Maybe I should write a book. I don't know.

Today I kept running into Angie's parents. I stopped on the side of a dirt road, to do some paperwork, before lunch, and Bill and Barbara pulled up along side. They were going to see Angie, Nat, Mat, and Brayden. I had no idea they were in town, but there they were. After lunch I came home to visit, and missed them by a few minutes. When I left, I headed toward Jacksboro, and they came up behind me at a stop light in Bridgeport. What are the odds? They followed till I turned off, I guess their Ford couldn't pass my Dodge. HA HA, just a crack at Bill. Bill and Barbara, it was good to see you, wish you would have stayed just a little longer, or that my lunch was shorter. Catch you guys next time.

Carrie and Beth, write more often in your blogs. I know you are busy, but one post is not enough. We want to know what is going on. Help us out here.

Reagan, how are you, let me know. You are important to me, and therefore important to the people that read this. Reagan is the little sister of my best friend, Bill Boice, who is no longer with us, and I miss him greatly. It has been a long time, but he is missed just the same. Reagan is like my little sister, I was in her wedding.

O.k. I kept it short, let me know what you think. The old way or the new way. I don't know, the comments have fallen off again, except for Mom and Kim.

See ya when I see ya,

Jim

P.S.

This is just a post script to the post below. I never talk enough about the job that Angie does with the baby, not to mention Nat and Matt. She works from home, and many people think that this means that she has all the free time in the world. Well she doesn't. She WORKS from home, she does't just stay home and someone sends her a check every 2 weeks. She acccomplishes more from home that anyone else in her company does in the office, and she takes care of Nat, Matt, and Brayden. I say this because I never give Angie any credit on here, or at least not enough. I could never do my job with the children. Of course, it is a different kind of job, but none the less, I could never do it. I have no doubt that I could not work from home with the distractions that she has, but she excells. Just thought that everyone should know this, in case there were any false ideas out there about my sweetheart working from home. Not as easy, or as fun as it sounds. Probably a hell of a lot more frustrating than even I can imagine.

I LOVE YOU ANGIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jim

New post below, now go read it!!

J

Little Brother / Older Brother

OK, everybody knows my little brother, Bobby. Probably, everyone knows how I feel about Bobby and his family. I love them all, Bobby, Chanda, Bailey, Chloe, and Delaynee. They mean so much to me. They are here in Decatur, like we are. I hope that Bailey will play softball with our team next year. She is very athletic, and she is sharp. I don't think she has played before, but that is not a big deal at all. I don't need Bobby to coach, but he can if he wants, but I will not push. His baseball knowledge is awesome when it comes to playing the game.

Now, did anyone know I had an older brother? Maybe not physically, but literally. My big brother's name is Bill Skidmore. He is who I always looked to. He was always there for me when I needed him, and that was a lot. Bill is my dad's older sister's, Carolyn, son. We were around each other enough when we were young for him to be sick of me now, but he isn't for some reason. I guess Bobby and I should be sick of each other too, but we are not either. He is my go to guy. His family, Lisa and Mason, is awesome. They have another on the way too, so not too long and they are in for what we have now, minus one child. Bill was my idol growing up. He raced BMX bikes, and was very good, I believe he ranked in the top 10 in the state at one time, or what ever ranking they went by. I never did it so I don't know. When it came to business, later in life, he was always the top salesman in whatever he did. Always with the damn great attitude. I could never beat him at anything, except once playing 21 (basketball, not blackjack) at the "Y" in Witchita Falls. Damn right I remember that, but I bet he doesn't. He now is a District Manager for 24 Hour Fitness in Austin. That sucks, because he was going to be a DM for them here in Dallas, before he was talked into the move. We were finally so close. Oh well. It has never seemed to matter how long it has been since we have talked last, we pick up right where we left off last time. We used to talk every Sunday after the Soprano's went off, but since there will not be a new episode till 2006, that got scrapped. Now we talk whenever the mood hits us, and always before a big fight. I just thought everyone should know this, because not everyone that knows me, knows him. Maybe they have heard of him, but I don't know if anyone in Angie's family has ever met him.

Next, we made another bet tonight, of course for lunch, and I am up 1-0, since we started this again. Mike Tyson versus Kevin McBride. Bill is a huge Tyson fan, and upon recently seeing him on TV, believes that there is no way he can lose. Oh, come on, it's Mike Tyson for God's sake. There is always a way for him to lose, starting with the fact that he is 38 years old, not to mention that he is a bloody psycho. So I took McBride, and I will win. The fight is on the 11th, also the night of the next poker night here at Casa de Berryman, or the 5B ranch, as I call it. I will go ahead and jinx this, but I have won the first 2 poker tournaments here, and I will do so again, if I don't unleash Angie on them. There is one problem though, I used to play poker online every night at this time, and now I write on this stinking thing, then go to bed. I may be rusty, oh well, it will only cost me 20 bucks, right? We will see, I hate to lose.

Just a reminder, the 4-wheeler race is next weekend, in Abilene (the 18th). I can't wait. I have no choice but to go now, I have talked to much about it. Nervous? HELL YES!!! But, I gotta do it. Kind of my father's day gift to me. Who could pass on something that will make them so nervous that they puke, then go sweat their ass off? Possibly embarass the crap out of themself to boot. Sounds like fun to me!!! Bring on the chili dogs. Just a pre-race snack!!

Probably time to go to bed, Brayden is sleeping way to soundly. Probably be awake and screaming in minutes. He has been kind of cranky the past couple of day, but you can see that he wants to be happy, but something hurts. That sucks, such a good kid, nothing should ever hurt any of them. I will hope for the best though.

See ya then

Jim

Did you see that?

Looks like we have had a Carrie sighting. I turned around yesterday and there she was, ripping on me in my comments section. Carrie, and her husband Guy, just had a baby about 7 weeks ago in New Orleans. We saw her about 2 months before, but have not seen the baby except in pictures. Never met Guy, who I jokingly pronounce "GEE", in the old cajun way. I have talked to him on the phone, and look forward to meeting him whenever the chance presents itself. Oh yeah, the baby. Olivia Peyton Restel, cute as a button, with an attitude like her momma. Not how Carrie put it, but that's how I took it. Can't wait to see her either. Maybe Uncle Jim needs to hold a new version of the good old Berryman Family Reunion, here at the 5B ranch. Now, there's an idea. Let me get my fence finished, the pool in, and the shop up, so early next summer maybe, no need to do it on the 4th like we used to, too damn hot. I'd rather it be 80 something than 110 plus.

Next item, strangely enough, in the same day, my cousin Beth started a blog of her own. Beth is Carrie's little sister. She, her husband Scott, and son Mason, live is Shreveport. Beth was my deceptive partner in crime when we were in Shreveport for Carrie's baby shower. We went to order a couple of "pizzalettas" for everyone for lunch. This is just a huge version of a muffaletta sandwich, like the ones at Schlotzsky's. They said it would be about 30-40 minutes, and off we went to the casino boats. Yep, my kind of girl. I had forgotten, or actually never known, how much fun my Cajun cousins were as adults, because we have seen each other rarely as adults. We did hang out a lot as kids, but I was the oldest, and the young ones always bothered me, because I was so "cool". Whatever, kids just don't get along really well unless they want to, and we were forced on each other, but now it is much different. Beth's site is linked on the right side of the page here if anyone wants to keep up with her and her family, should be a fun read.

We signed the paperwork on the pool yesterday. They told us that once construction begins, it will be 2 weeks, and we will be swimming. Then the contractor showed up with a BOBCAT backhoe. Angie told him about the solid rock that we have for a yard, and he said no problem, no price change, he could handle it. So, I will be holding him to that. Hopefully they will be done before we go to the coast on the 2nd of July.

Speaking of the coast, I hear there is a Holiday Inn and a Days Inn just finishing up in Port Aransas. That's it, we need a new, sleepy little town, like this used to be. I hate the bustle that we face everytime we go now. My friend Brian, and his family go in June, and he says that it is never crowded, maybe that would be a good idea. I have never enjoyed crowds, but I do enjoy Port A. The crowds even had me preaching about a trip to the mountains. But if you know Angie, that will never happen, she is a beach girl. We have discussed a trip to Zion and Brice Canyon National Parks, with the big ditch thrown in as well, The Grand Canyon, that is. This would probably we 2 years down the line, possibly next year, but Brayden needs to be able to enjoy things also. At the same time, Nat and Matt are at the age where I hate to keep anything from them, because they enjoy it so much. So we won't wait too long, try to find the compromise, ya know.

Well, the sun is fully up now, and it is time to start the day. Everyone appears to still be asleep, so maybe I will go have some oatmeal, then clean up and head off to work. Looks to be a beautiful day, hope everyone has the chance to enjoy it.


see ya then

Jim

Weight Gain

Ok, I gained a pound. Now at 265. Weighed myself this morning, stopped by a vendors office to let you guys know. Well gotta go, I'm gonna be late for lunch.
Jim

Sunday the Fifth

Today we woke up kind of early, around 7 a.m. We got Brayden fed, then did little stuff around the house. I did the dishes, and Angie mowed with the push mower, the things I don't get with the riding mower. Natalie woke up and ate, the me and Brayden hooked up the trailer and got stuff ready for me and Matt to go ride, if he would only wake up. Brayden went to sleep, and I loaded the 4-wheelers. Brayden woke up again, and we continued to get things ready to go ride. Then, Finally, Matthew woke up, ate breakfast, and we left about 10:30 a.m.

We drove over to George's house, where we were rained out last weekend. George was supposed to have built a motorcross track there, but I didn't see one, so we rode around a pond and a wellhead. WOW! There was one place to jump, but it wasn't much. Matthew did have a great time, because he rode the track backward, and the jumps are bigger that way. Matt is fearless, the one jump he did this for is about 6-7 feet up, but he was taking it downhill. He got some good air, toward the pond, actually wasn't able to stop in time once and ended up in it.

We left at about 2:30, got lunch in Decatur, and came home. I left my 4-wheeler there for George to ride. He is buying a 4-wheeler or a dirtbike in a few days, and I want him to go with a 4-wheeler, so I am tempting him with mine. We got home about 3:30. I helped Angie with Brayden for a bit, then went to mow. I mowed for about 1 1/2 hours and then had to go help my neighbor put the roof on his barn/shop. This took about an hour and a half. While I was gone, Angie finished up with the riding mower while Natalie looked after Brayden. Nat is a huge help as long as he is not too cranky.

I took a shower and we went to IHOP for supper. Then to WALMART!!! Yes Walmart. There are certain things that we can only get there. Such as formula for Brayden. It is $11.98 there and $15.99 at Albertson's. Why try to fight it, I guess. Most of my hatred for Walmart has worn off, but I will still use IGA when I can. I actually had a friend of mine call me to rat Angie out for going to Walmart the other day, now that was funny!

I'm mostly over the tournament, but Kendall still bothers me. I just read yesterday's post, and yeah that still bugs me. I hope she can overcome that, if not, I hope she tries 8 and under next year. I may urge her parents to do so. I actuall believe it will help her development to be a star on a team her own age as opposed to being just a substitute on our team. I really don't know what to do, but I have most of a year to think about it.

I didn't weigh myself today, but I will in the morning. I ate horribly this week, but I still have some hope. Chinese food and sno-cones can't be all that bad, can they?

See ya then,

Jim