YES!

I'll just leave this right here. 

That is all, carry on. 

Para What????

That is the question I have been asked a lot lately.  I thought people know what paracord was.  I guess all those years working at the Army/Navy store ingrained it into my head, but not everyone else I know.  So I shall let you know what it is before we move on any further. 

Paracord, or 550 cord, is short for Parachute Cord.  You know, those things people jump out of planes with attached to their backs.  It is part of the rigging, that consist of  7 inner strands with a tensile strength adding up to 550 lbs.  Hence the term 550 chord.  There is commercial grade paracord and military grade cord.  I will not go any further than that, as I am sure I am losing your interest.  If not, click on that link up there to read more about it.

OK.  I have always been kind of interested in paracord and it many, many, many uses.  Recently on a trip to Dick's Sporting Goods I saw 30 ft of cord for sale for $6.  Thinking that was an OK price I bought some for the first time in YEARS.  ($6 for 30 feet of commercial grade cord is a rip off). I had always had some laying around from The Store, and found is super useful in hiking, camping, making zipper pulls and what not.  But I was almost out!  Along side the bundle of cord were paracord survival bracelets.  You have probably seen them around.  They got big a year or two ago, but they were always expensive, so I never bought one.  I always wanted to make one, but never bothered to learn how.  That was about to change.

I picked up one orange bracelet and 30 ft of neon green cord. It was on!  I got home and Googled How To videos and Instructabls, and found a world of awesome things to make!  One of which was a bottle holder.  There are 100 ways (or more) to make everything.  As I didn't have enough cord or the proper clasps yet to make the versions of things I relly wanted to try, I gave some simpler versions a shot first.

I had to start someplace anyway.  Why not dip my toes in the shallow end first.  I found some white and O.D, cord I had laying around and made a few things to start off with.  Once I got going it was pretty dang easy.  After some stumbles, I got the hang of it and hopped on the interwebs to order some more supplies.  The first round came in yesterday.

I am not super happy with the quality of the paracord I got from Bored? Paracord!  But the colors I got are nice.  And they yielded me this:

Mint and grey cord fused together.

I also purchased some Fids from Jig Pro Shop.  they worked great.  I could not have made my Leatherman case without them (forgot to take a picture of my case).  The quality on the Fids was great!

I have some more cord on order from Paracord Planet.  Lets see how that works out.  The cord from Bored? Paracord! frayed very baddy as soon as I gutted it.  It was hard to fuse two colors together, as all the cord wanted to do was fray.  Next time I will gut and knot the ends if possible.

OK, enough about paracord!  If you are interested in making your own, or want anything made let me know! 

That is all, carry on.

Adam the Who?

Soooo, for a few weeks now I have been checking out Adam the Woo's videos.  I find him to be very entertaining.  I now follow his instagram too! So who is Adam the Woo you ask?  Well that is a very good question. 

Adam the Woo is a man with the adventurous spirit.  He hails from Florida, but travels around the country in his van (and some times by plane).  He tours with the band Guttermouth from time to time and he is always filming!  He does both the Adam the Woo and The Daily Woo YouTube channels.

Adam the Woo is the longer of the two channels.  He explores old abandoned places, shows you  road side attractions and movie filming locations.  This being one my my favorite abandoned videos:


The Daily Woo is just as you would expect it to be. A daily Vlog post about, well anything Adam is near to tell is about.


He might not be for everyone, but I figured I would share for video Fridays.

That is all, carry on.

My Appologies

I do sinisterly apologize for my lack in blogging over the past... well the pas years.  I always mean to gt back at this, then I get lazy or get wrapped up in something else.  Today I moseyed on over to the Meepers DOT net and saw I have not typed words here sense January.  Well that was terrible.  So I am making a resolution to get back at this.

There was a time when I would religiously do a blog, now I have become the grumpy man sitting on his porch yelling at the neighborhood kids.  OK, OK, OK.  I don't even sit on my porch much these days for fear the neighborhood kids won't leave me alone! 

I try to play some guitar, read a book or just hang out with Oliver, and I am not left alone.  I go in the back yard and I am constantly asked "Do you need help with that?"  "Can I help you?"  No I do not need help sitting in the grass petting my dog.  No I do not need help putting The Meepers away.  And for the ONE MILLIONTH TIME!  I enjoy cutting my grass, I do not need you to do it for me.

Now that we have that out of the way, how are you all fine folks of the interetubes doing?  I always talk about myself, but I never ask how you are doing.  You are doing great!  Well that in turn is great!  I am glad to hear it.  You are preparing for winter... already?  It was a fine morning out there.  No need to talk about tiny temperatures and that evils of FOUR letter words "Snow."

I'll steer us clear of that type of talk and get us back to what really matters...ME!  And what I have planned for this blog.  I am going to try and get back to Video Fridays as well as do reviews when I get something new to review.  I will link up to my always loved (insert creepy voice here) Yelp Reviews when they have been done.  And I do have a back log of those to take care of.  Starting next week I want to try and knock one out a day or at least every other.  I might try out Vlogs.  I will post here and host on my YouTube channel.

And as always all the random things I see, think of, or get on my nerves!  Now to get this back to the glory it once was!

That is all, carry on. 

A Day in the Life....Of ME

Some years ago, I jumped on my Triumph in December and took a ride to the beach.  I sat in the sand in a pair of shorts thinking this isn’t right.  Now you may be scratching your heads thinking, there are no beaches in Pennsylvania, and December is normally pretty cold to ride a motorcycle and sit on a beach in shorts.  And you would be correct.  You see I had made a move to South West Florida and I was living with friends for a short period of time.

As I sat on the beach looking out at the ocean I realized I was from NEPA, and winter isn’t winter without snow, ice and cold temperatures.  So I made a decision right then and there to head back north and make this right.  Little did I know I was making things wrong.

OK, I will say I am glad I came back when I did.  If I didn’t I would not have the two most important things in my life.  I would not have reconnected with my wife (if you can’t figure this out, this was well before we were married.  In fact, it would be a couple of years before she came back to town.) and I would not have my dog.  I know, I know, you can all see through my veil attempt of deceit!  I’ll just say it….mostly my dog.  Who does not want that face in your life?

Now fast forward about….ummm….math…. nine years, and I really want that beach back.  I opened the back door this morning to let Oliver out to take care of his morning squirrel patrol and I see snow.  No big deal, it’s not a lot, it’s winter in NEPA.  I close the door and let him to his business while I go make coffee and my lunch.  He comes in, gets his morning snack for being a good squirrel dog and we go about our morning routine.  I leave for work and toss on my scarf and jump in my car.  Not overly cold out, or windy.  Just your average January day in NEPA. 

What does this have to do with anything you ask?  Well if you have read any of my blogs, you will know my thought process is all over the place. 

But I got to work and I am sitting in my chair, in my office, just like another day.  I was thinking who’s phone numbers I still need to get again.

SIDE BAR: Last weekend my phone deiced to delete all but 10 contacts from my phone.  I tried to use my contact backup app, but all that did was delete the 237 saved contacts and replace them with the 10 that were still in my phone. 

As I sit pondering numbers and eating my yogurt, I was reminded of a text conversation I had with my friend and his wife after I asked them through the glorious Facebook (yes sarcasms) for their numbers.  He sends me a photo of them at as tiki bar on a beach drinking Lager.  And the last time we talked they were at the same tiki bar.  Why are they at a tiki bar in January you ask? Because they live in FLORIDA! 

Do you see where this is going?  Did you put 2 and 2 together yet?  He is also one of the friends I lived with when I lived in Florida.   Good people!  He even gave me his room when I moved down there because I am allergic to cats, and they had a few cats in the house. 

So all of this clicked in my brain in a millisecond, and I thought I either need to move to Florida and stay for good, move to PDX (and I will never leave there again ((Best place on Earth)), or go on a good vacation!  Last year we went to Cancun on our Honey Moon and that was awesome.  I need that again.

Sun and heat in March, a fist full of Miami Vices and $5 room service! 

Where is the point?  There isn’t one.  I just ramble about what on my mind  The end.

That is all, carry on.

Carrying the Weight of a Busted Knee

So like most of you out there, I wake up in the morning feeling more sore and stiff every day.  You're too young to wake up sore, you say.  Well how old do you think I really am?  I am in my early 30's but I have used and abused my body far more than I should have over the years.

Growing up overweight, indulging in cheese burgers, fries, chinese buffets and pizza damn near every day. Skateboarding, rollerblading (I know it is really called in-line skating, but in the 90's it was all called rollerblading.  No one cared that Rollerblade was the name of a company.), BMX and mountain biking, all take a huge toll on your body.  But more than the physical abuse I put my body through, I add a lot of mental abuse on there.  And that's what this is really about.

I have known for a long time, as far back as I can remember actually, that I have a short fuse and I hold a grudge for a long, long, long time.  Sometimes I just can't help it.  At the urging of friends I have given people second chances.  some thirds, fourths and fifths. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it does not.  An example of it not working out just happened and that's when this.. epiphany? Accrued.  

I was looking through my Facebook page on lunch and I had some friends suggestions   I never really delve into them, but today I for some reason began looking.  I saw a face, a face I know very well.  A face I have known for almost 20 years now.  Me and this face use to be very good friends.  Inseparable at times.  But as  we get older we grow, as people do.

Personalities grow, and some can adapt.  We did this for years.  At some point something changed.  Somewhere along the lines of moving away to college things went awry.  Looking back, I can't pinpoint the reason, and I am sure it was something small and now insignificant that set things in motion.  I know the reasons over the years it always fell back apart.  And I know the main reason now, I can't seem to make a friendship again.

But all of this is backstory.  And one thing I learned from watching The Walking Dead, is most people don't like backstory   You all want the action, not the Why.  See I really like the Why.

I love to know why something happened, how a certain conclusion was made, the reason a story or song was written.  I enjoy the history.  But I am not blind to the fact most people do not car.  So as I said that, I gave you more background on myself.  See. I tricked you!  But that is one more thing to know about me, I am sly like a fox.

Back on topic!  I wake up with increasing aches and pains everyday.  Recently me knee has really been bothering me.  It is probably due to the face that I am out of shape and trying to get back into shape.  In doing so I am putting at least 7 miles a day running on my knee.

In addition to the running, I think it is all the grudges, anger and all the crap I carry around inside that is making me feel like shit.  Is there a magic happy pill?  Of course not!  Booze (I do not use drugs.  I just never got into them if you care to learn more backstory) just amplifies feelings.  But damn it tastes good.

So I am in need of not only a change in scenery, but a change in lifestyle.  I need to get this shit out of my body so I stop feeling like an 90-year-old man.

.....
.....
Well some of it.  There is one person I will never forgive, and that is some real hate I'll tell you.  That's a burning anger that never dies down, and not one that holds me back.

But the rest of that shit, I need to wipe away and get a clean slate.  Hell I'll do damn near anything to get my knee to stop hurting!

That is all, carry on.

Another Day...

... Another dollar earned. Or spent. Really depends on what you or I are up to on this fine snowy day. So far I have managed to not spend and monies, but I am sure in someway I am spending money as I sit here and type. Money always goes out the window, so I suppose I don't have to be actively purchasing, or paying a bill to be spending money. But so it life.

On to business! What is the business for today you ask. Well I have no clue. I didn't have a plan coming into this, so I figured I would just wing it. I do know I would really like to begin reviewing products again. But I suppose that goes back to the graph above. Unless you fine folks out there would like me to review something for you. In which case, send in on over my way for free!

Where to send it you ask. The Meepers care of NEPA! They know me around here....I'm kind of a big deal.



I suppose that is all I have now.

That is all, carry on.

Hmm. The Days Tick By...

So these days seem to tick by quite quickly anymore.  I use to feel like the days dragged and I wanted them to be over.  Now they seem to be gone and the alarm is waking me up for the next day.  I set up weekend projects, or trips.  They help to slow things down some.

Maybe I'm feeling nostalgic of the days gone by.  Maybe I'm just depressed.  Feeling more like the latter, but that is not what this blog is about!  Chin up boy, cherio and all that happy horse shit.

I have been listening to a lot of UK bands and feeling the urge to play/write new music.  Most would probably tell me to give it up kid, you're not cut out to be a musician.  But I sir am not a musician.  I'm just some guy who finds beauty in instruments  loves to collect them, and am a novice at playing them.  I am far from a musician.

In addition to this revitalized musical sense I am feeling, I am desparate need for a change.  Now I know what you are thinking, only been married a year and already looking to get out.  That is not the type of change I mean at all.  I am happily married and plan to keep it that way.  Also very happy with my twill, and do not want to be without him.

I am talking about a move, or some real travel.  I have always wanted to go to the UK, Italy, Germany and Japan.  I keep seeing Brighton everywhere these days.  Seems like as good a place as any to start.  Only problem with the UK is a lot of BSL, and that pisses me off.  But good thing I have an American Bulldog, right....hint, hint, wink, wink.

Back to traveling.  I have been all over the States, touched into Canada for a bit, dipped down into Mexico a time or two, and splashed in the Caribbean a few times.  But non of that is real travel.  I really need to experience more of the world.  Not just Main Street America, or the Americanized tropic, so I feel at home.  I don't want to feel at home.  I want things to be different.  The only things I want the same are my wife and my dog.  Too many years in this bubble, some breathing room and fresh air will do me good.

Speaking of fresh air, I am still trying to make this family a new home in PDX.  I need to try harder, as my mood slipped so did my drive.  I need to make my mood become my drive for change.  So PDX, hear this.  We will be living there SOON!  Be ready, and start learning how to make some good wings!  That's the only thing I don't like about the western side of our Great Country.  No One knows how to make a real chicken wing!  Looks like my Right Coast Food Cart will do just fine out there.

There is also Philly, close to home, but a whole different world.  And my favorite city on the East Coast and second favorite city in the country.  Plenty of good drink, parks, things to do. Not far from the beach in the summer months (though it is in NJ, and we all know my feelings about Jersey).

I think I am getting off track.  I am about to go off on a tangent about how much I dislike Jersey.  So we will move on, back to traveling.  I would love to grab a few backpacks  a travel guitar and the wife, dog and I can be off.  Hop a train when we need to and see the world.  There is so much of it out there, too much to stay nestled in this little corner of Anywhere America.

That is all, carry on.