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Picked up a 2005 Trailblazer for $1800 to get by with. No major dents, no rust, runs and drives good, interior’s not torn up, will need a pair of tires for Winter. A pair of front shocks/struts wouldn’t hurt and are cheaper than tires. Got it from a nice young couple busy making a big family in a hurry. They have three kids under 5-6 years old and another on the way so they swapped to a minivan for more seats.

Filling water tanks just became a pain again requiring a trailer but I couldn’t find a pickup that I could afford right now and needed something right now.

Gonna put the car on the trailer so I can do a few things to it. Much easier and safer than jacking it up on gravel and sliding under it on my back. I can kneel on a pad or sit on a milk crate to do many things and the center of the trailer has no deck so I can get under there too.

Gonna pull the truck home with the Trailblazer today or tomorrow. Neighbor buddy has his roof opened up replacing rafters so once he has it closed back in, he’s going to be the tow driver. Never known anyone other than my dad that can tow that good. It’s an art form to not get slack in the strap or chain. Of course the towee has to do their part by braking when going downhill. It’s really a team effort and we did well together before with no sudden jolts when slack comes out because we didn’t get slack.

Once I get it home, I can squirt some oil in the spark plug holes, put a wrench on the crankshaft bolt, and see if I can turn the engine or if it’s seized.

Even if I can’t turn it, it’s probably still rebuildable or start saving for another truck to drive or find some wrecked truck/suv/van with a good engine. If the body wasn’t rusty and dented, it would be worth dropping a chunk of money into the engine, even so far as getting a crate engine for $2600. Will have to disassemble it and see what I’ve got. Crankshaft and block good — rebuild it for $1200 maximum. If it needs machine shop work, go another route.

At any rate, I’m back up to two old vehicles and the Trailblazer has no major issues and can tow my trailer. I still have that dump run to make.

Ran to town in it last night as it was the last day of grocery ad with whole chickens at $1.88 so I grabbed four for the smoker. Forgot how nice a wagon is for grocery getting. As of today, NY Strip and Top Round Roast are on sale and the roast can be smoked. Aldi has short ribs, also good in the smoker, for $7.29 and I could do a 75 mph interstate test drive. Light wind today and tomorrow and about 90 degrees. Good smoking weather.

We’re still eating on last week’s smoker meat. Got a little more tri tip and a few ribs. I had to finish off the ribs in the oven a couple of days ago, wrapped in foil at 275 until the meat hit 200-205 degrees to render the fat. Tri tip came out rare so I cut it into steaks and we’ve been seasoning and cooking in the air fryer for 4 minutes which turns them into yummy med rare steak.

Lemon Icebox Pie / 10-12 servings
Soft and creamy Pie is so delightful; not too sweet, not too tart; super easy to make.

Ing Crust 1 1/2 c---11 full sheet grahams 3 tbsp (sugar 1/8 tsp salt 1/2 c unsalted butter, melted Filling 1 c fresh lemon juice (6–8 lemons) two-14 oz cans sweetened condensed milk 8 lge egg yolks 2 1/2 tbl lemon zest Whipped Cream 1 c cold h/cream, cold 1/2 c powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions Crust: stir/combine graham crumbs, sugar, and salt. Add melted butter and stir til crumbly. Spread evenly into deep dish 9-inch pie pan. Press into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Set aside. Filling, whisk the lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk. Set aside. Beat lemon zest and egg yolks on high until pale and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes. Add sweetened condensed milk mixture to egg mixture and stir to combine. Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake 325 deg for about 25-30 min, til the edges are set; center jiggles slightly. Cool on rack an hour, then refrigerate til firm, 5-6 hours.

Whipped cream Grnish: whip on high to stiff peaks. Pipe at edges; add 1/2 lemon slice between swirls.

Notes: Keep well-covered in fridge; enjoy within 4-5 days for best results. Freeze: Cover tightly and freeze up to 3 months. Let sit at room temp 15 min before slicing and serving.

Glad you found reasonable transportation!

I’m eating a bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin (not the whole thing!) with a baked tater from my neighbor.

I texted him to ask if they were Pontiac, and I was right -they are Pontiac, so an excellent keeper. He was impressed that I knew my potatoes by ‘sight’ but I confessed to owing it all to Jung’s College. ;)

Lost a hen to being egg-bound a few days ago. Beau said to put it in the burn pile, so I did. INSIDE of a cardboard box on TOP of the pile - like 10 feet up!

Guess who came to the house last night with FEATHERS in her mouth? Yep. Beagle Dolly! Grrrr! She ate the WHOLE THING except for one wing and the guts. After sleeping on the porch last night, she’s been laying around all day like a snake on a sunny rock, digesting. She’s probably going to spend tonight outside, too.

After I told him what happened last night, Beau gave me major cr@p for trying to ‘domesticate’ a Beagle. And he’s obviously correct!