Where's M@tt at?

2008-08-24T00:01:00.004-04:00

We finally have a laptop so I am hoping that means more posting to this silly little blog. I say that because now I can sit anywhere in the house and upload to the internet now that I also have a wireless network at home. I still wont be able to post from work but at least I'm not tied to the desktop in my office.

Several things are going on at the moment. It is nearing Sep/Oct which means deer season is almost upon us. This means working out in Crawford county planting food plots, fixing stands, cutting trails and shooting lanes. It also means trips to the range in the near future which is always time well spent.

My dad finally rented his house which is good, but two days moved in the renters flooded the first floor after the refrigerator blew a water line in the kitchen. Needless to say there is plenty of flooring damage and dad is not pleased. To make matters worse the insurance company is being absolutely horrible about the whole thing My dad has paid his premiums without missing a beat for nearly 25 years on that place and has NEVER had a claim. Now they are giving him grief about it because the contractor says one thing, the adjuster says another and the insurance company is trying to put the squeeze on him. It's ridiculous.

School also just started back and only two weeks in I have been in more fights than all of last year. The good news is I am back with one of my favorite administrators so it has been fun despite the chaos. All three of our boys (Josh, Jake and Joe) are at the same school this year. In fact, all four of the kids are there. This is Sarah Beth's last year of elementary school and I think I am going to be sick. I am not ready for the middle school years. Those are the ones Jen calls the island years because they all should be rounded up and sent to an island until they know how to act right!

Jen has moved to 2nd grade this year and she is loving it. She also has a great class of kids which helps. Last year's class was horrible and it made for a long school year. She is not doing the SST coordinator job anymore either so she has been really upbeat so far. It's still early in 08-09 but I think it will be a good year.

As always, I will try to post more but I don't think anyone is sitting at their computer biting their nails in anticipoation of my updates. If you are, get help.

M@tt

2008-05-12T20:12:00.009-04:00

"Mother" Nature had her day!

First off, my thoughts and prayers go out to all of those who suffered loss during the storms in Middle Georgia this past weekend. Whether it was loss of life, home, property or even a car windshield, I hope the Lord grants you solace and peace during the coming days.

We were very lucky and had NO DAMAGE AT ALL from the weather. There were a few frightening moments early Sunday morning but we escaped unscathed. The kids even slept though the sirens, the power outage, the roaring wind and driving rain, everything. Even as I sat fully dressed holding a flashlight in the dark at the top of the stairs, ready to whisk them out of their beds should the need arise, they snored away, oblivious to the storm and my fear.

Unfortunately, some were not as lucky as us. Our power was only out for about an hour. Others are still in the dark tonight as I type this. Including some close friends of ours who had several trees in their front yard snap and take out a power line, a neighbor's mailbox and several other resident's trees and bushes! All I could do for them was trade my chainsaw for their daughter, my daughter's little buddy, and offer them my house for the night. Their oldest stayed with us but they toughed it out at home, sans electricity. Luckily it dried out and cooled off that evening.

Our schools were hit hard as well. Jennifer and the kids stayed home today while I went into to work and surveyed my school's situation (and that of several others). My school was relatively unharmed. Several others were not so fortunate and school will still be out tomorrow as well. Many BOE buildings are still without power and several have moderate to severe damage that may impact finals, end of course testing and possibly even the rest of the school year. One high school in particular may not be able to hold classes again this semester.

Hopefully we can get the last few days of school out of the way and head into the summer. This time of year is hectic enough without added chaos. At any rate, the storms did their damage, but it could have been much, much worse. $75 million dollars sounds bad, and that's the amount of monetary damage here in Macon, but as far as I know there were no fatalities in Bibb County. For that, we can be eternally grateful.

M@tt

2008-04-28T22:48:00.007-04:00

This weekend I got a lot of things knocked off the “To Do” list. None of them particularly pressing but they needed finishing nonetheless.

Saturday 4/26/08 – I started out the morning by loading up the chipper/shredder and headed over to my f-i-l’s. I helped him shred a huge pile of junk in the back yard into a smaller pile of junk that he can now mulch into the yard with his rider. No big deal, took about an hour.

Then it was back to the house to load up the blower I had forgotten and then I headed over to our rental house. I mowed, edged, trimmed, cut and blew for about another hour. I probably could have spent a little more time there but it’s vacant and I really didn’t want to be there all day.

After I was finished at the rental I went to a friend’s whose yard also needed cutting. He is in flight school at Fort Rucker and I had actually promised to do it the previous week but my mower took a dump on me. The grass in the back was ridiculously high and I had to go over it several times. On the final go round I hit what I thought to be a stump and the machine cut off. Turned out to be a piece of hidden garden hose in all the debris that wrapped its way around the blades. I cut the pieces of hose out of the deck and attempted to restart, to no avail. As it was the end of the mowing anyway I pushed it to the trailer and loaded it up.

I then proceeded to edge and trim most of the yard. I didn’t get to the side patio as it is in need of more than just a quick cleanup. I will probably have to trim, pressure wash, round-up and then blow it off for it to be presentable. Oh yeah, they are trying to sell the house so I am on a deadline! All in all I was there about two hours. Luckily I didn’t have the mulching kit installed on my big machine or it would have taken even longer. Before leaving I tried one more time to start the mower and thankfully it turned over. I just spent $100 on it so I didn't want to have to put it back in the shop.

After checking on my friends wife and kids for a while I headed back to my house where a broken sprinkler head needed to be replaced. Of course, I didn’t have the right sized fittings in the shop so I had to make a trip to Lowe’s. No big deal as it is literally a block from the house. I got what I needed and replaced the head. I reconnected the water lines and replaced the sod around the sprinkler. It was almost like it never even happened. The head was even perfectly aligned on the new fitting and didn’t need to be adjusted.

As I watched the sprinklers for any more issues I decided to go ahead and get what I needed to put up a privacy fence on that side of the house. Back to Lowe’s for about $200 worth of lumber, cement and hardware. By now it was nearly 5:00 in the afternoon and I was getting hungry. I knew if I stopped to eat I wouldn’t get the posts set before dark and I wanted the cement to dry a while before the rains came that night. I pushed through and by 7:30 I had gotten all four of the posts set. Each post was eight feet, with two feet in the ground and an 80 lb bag of Quickcrete per hole. Probably overkill but hey, I don’t want to be redoing it anytime soon!

With the posts set, my yard watered, two other yards cut and my f-i-l happy I finally took a break and ate some dinner. I watched a little television with the wife and went to bed.

Sunday 4/27/08 – I was too sore to do anything but lay around the house all day! So, how did you spend your weekend?

M@tt

2008-03-27T18:43:00.005-04:00

I finally watched "I am Legend" last night and I have to say, well...

I had a lot of expectations when I first saw trailers for this film. The last man on earth story intrigued me and I liked the casting of Will Smith in the role. Then, before seeing it, I learned it was a "zombie flick". The thought of another super virus gone bad gore fest made me want to puke but I saw it anyway due to my initial excitement about the film.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised, at first. The premise was fresh and smart. It wasn't just another "government doctors mistakenly unleash hell" free for all. The idea of the miracle cancer cure mutating was a new take on the genre, and was written very well. The life that Dr. Neville (Smith's character) was left to live was also a well written take on post apocalyptic living. Dozens of generators running the house and lab, recorded news casts with morning coffee, siphoning gas to run a brand new off the lot Mustang, hunting deer in downtown New York with an M16, even watching all the DVD’s in the rental store alphabetically. All very fresh and welcome ideas.

Then, came the let down. To put it simply, the "dark seekers" as the zombies are come to be known, were lame and poorly animated. Oh, they showed promise when you only heard them at night. The sounds of their horrific shrieking as they hunted for food while Dr. Neville and Sam (his dog) slept in the tub made for a terrorizing scene. Even when he first encountered them as “a hive” in an abandoned building they were ominous and fear instilling.

But then all the intrigue and wonderful subtly were ruined in one moment as they showed themselves on screen for the first time. Suddenly, the very real thought that all this could easily happen in real life was ripped away as the cheesy creatures began their onscreen antics. Poorly animated is an understatement. The idea of computer generating all the creatures is fine, if it can be done with some sense of realism. The creatures themselves are so unbelievable that they begin to detract from an otherwise visually stimulating film.

To make matters worse, the ending is anticlimactic and leaves the viewer unsatisfied. No spoilers here, suffice to say it was a roller coaster ride of let downs, and they just kept coming. Other than a few fresh ideas, some well written drama and novel concepts that were never expanded upon, “I am Legend” is a mediocre doomsday flick, nothing more.

M@tt

2008-03-25T23:18:00.002-04:00

Well it's that time again, Spring. Everything is covered in a nice coat of lime green dust. I can't even leave my garage door up for thirty minutes or I come back to pollen covered bicycles and I can see my foot prints across the floor.

Anyway, with Spring comes yard work and I have been at it pretty hard. With the new house I have to start all over again in the yard and get it up to "Matt standards" as Jen like to say. She could care less. If it were up to her our yard would be AstroTurf because she sure ain't cutting it!

I also have a plethora of projects pending around the house as well. I stepped though the ceiling the other day while I was installing cable in Sadie's room. My foyer has a 2'x2' hole right next to the chandelier but at least now she can watch High School Musical 2 or Cheetah Girls 5 or whatever else it is she watches at 10:30 every night. That girl is rotten and I all I have is a hole in my ceiling to show for it.

Speaking of Sadie, she spent Easter in Hilton Head with her friend Mackenzie this year so it was just Jen and the boys this past weekend. Not only did Mak come home with Sadie but somehow we also ended up with her other friend Autumn Ray. There are now six children in our house for the next few days and I am thinking of cutting my spring break short to go back to work!

Anyway, Happy (late) Easter and I hope all is well with everyone reading this!

M@tt

2007-09-24T17:41:00.001-04:00

Ahhh, Fall. Hunting Season, College Football and… the Chicago Cubs!?

With Fall’s arrival and October bearing down upon us my thoughts turn to three things; the changing leaves, big bucks and Georgia Football. By now I have usually long forgotten the Cubs' playoff hopes but this year the Cubbies actually have a chance at playing in October, something that doesn’t come around all that often for a Cubs fan and as such I am now faced with a dilemma.

Usually by the end of September I have accepted my fate as a “Lovable Loser” and focused my attention on college football and the upcoming hunting season. However, the addition of Lou Pinella and Alfonso Soriano in the off-season this year has appeared to pay off. By the All-Star break I was convinced it was just another dismal season for the Cubbies. But after the break, and a stint as the hottest team in baseball, "Big Lou" had turned the REAL boys in pinstripes around and Soriano’s bat had finally got going.

This brings me to a unique position for a Cubs fan, what to do with my time in the first weeks of Fall. This time of year is ear marked for putting in food plots and shifting stand locations on our hunting property in Crawford County, Georgia. Then, when the tractor is parked and the four-wheeler cleaned up it’s off to the den for a UGA football game. I know, a Cubs fan who also bleeds Red and Black is a bit unusual but we Giegler’s are an unusual bunch! And now, with the Cub’s October hopes very much alive I feel all the more freakish in my fandom!

So then, what to do? Should I focus my attention on the MLB playoffs, the Dawgs quest for SEC domination or finding the all-elusive Crawford County monster buck? I was in Atlanta in 2003 for the Cubs victory over the Braves in the Division Series only to have my hopes shattered a week later by an over zealous fan, may Steve Bartman rot in… well, anyway. I don’t know if I can take another emotional beating like that. Then again, I nearly had a stroke watching UGA defeat Alabama in overtime this weekend so there’s no safety there either.

And now, amidst all my angst as a sports fan a medical report is out claiming that deer hunters experience higher rates of heart attack than other men. AAARRRGGGHHH! Even my favorite stress releasing activity is… full of stress! I can’t catch a break!

I guess I will just have to suffer a massive coronary at some point while partaking in one of the three because a Cubs fan only gets to watch baseball in October once in a blue moon. Should I make it though October with my heart unscathed I still have until the end of the year to find my buck, and with any luck, I’ll be reminiscing the hunt while watching the Dawgs in January. God willing my vices won’t take me and I’ll have a helluva start to 2008!

M@tt

2007-08-23T22:56:00.001-04:00

Well, I've discovered I can't use Blogger at work because of their firewall so that means I am pretty much stuck to posting at home. The problem with that is that I do most of my best posting while on the clock, just because the wheels are turning better then I guess. I suppose I could do it on Word, save it to my jump drive and post it at the house but that's a lot of work for something that will never be seen by anyone and doesn't really have any value to begin with! I don’t delude myself when it comes to the internet. I am but a speck on the windshield of some garbage truck sputtering down the information superhighway in the slow lane!

While at work this week I also found out that the 9-5 shift really sucks. It’s great to sleep in an extra hour or two but not getting off until everyone else and their mother is already on their way home is a nightmare. The roads in Macon are pathetic and the people in Macon really can’t drive all that well anyway. It’s not like we’re in Atlanta where it really does take an hour to get anywhere. I guess Maconites want to be Atlantans so badly that they compensate subconsciously by being idiots behind the wheel.

To top it off, I spend that extra two hours sitting in my office or in the cruiser listening to dispatch NOT call me on the radio. I don’t know whose idea it was to have a 9-5 Central District officer but its retarded. The middle school officers our on duty until at least 3:30 and the evening shift officers come on at 4:00. Am I to believe that the place is going to go to hell in a hand basket in those thirty minutes if I’m not there!? Like I said, retarded.

Enough about work. Hunting season is a few weeks away and due to the heat nothing is planted yet and I haven’t been able to shoot my bow. Last weekend’s trip to the range was a bust as well. For some reason my .243 won’t sight in so I broke it down and cleaned it pretty well the other night. Usually I just run a Boresnake through it and brush out the chamber. Hopefully it zeros next time because that thing is fun to hunt with. I still have a .270, .30-30, 7mm-08, .44 mag and a bow so it’s not like I won’t be able to hunt or anything. I just really like that gun.

As you can tell by reading this far I have absolutely nothing else going on so I will take off. If by chance you got this far without clicking away some where thanks.

M@tt

2007-08-14T21:42:00.000-04:00

I just realized it's been nine months since my last post. I had all but forgotten I was even "blogging" until I checked my profile on another site and saw the link! There really isn't too much going on, which is probably why I haven't been posting about it.

We've started a new school year. I am at Central HS (for now anyway) and Jennifer and the kids are still at Rosa Taylor. They had a fourth grader pass away due to a heart condition over the weekend which has been rough for the Taylor Tigers. He was in Sarah Beth's class for the past two years.

Not much else going on except the ridiculous heat. 101 with a heat index over 110! That's just insane. I lived in the Mojave Desert of California for two years and it was NEVER this hot. You can't even check the mail without breaking a sweat by the time you get to the end of the driveway. Did I mention I direct traffic every afternoon at 2:30?

I guess I'll try to keep up with this better, for a few days anyway. Who knows what I will be into by then. For now, try to stay cool and wave to me at Holt and Napier Avenue when school's letting out!

M@tt

2006-11-21T22:50:00.000-05:00

Big Buck Down!

Tim Ellis, long time friend of my father-in-law Ed, shot a nice buck on the afternoon of 11/18/06. It had been a long couple of years for Tim in the woods until last season when he shot a good 6-point buck. This year he improved to 7 points. The deer would have been at least 8 points had it not been for an injury to the right side of the skull, probably during the early development of his antlers. This caused the right side to grow nearly straight up into a 3-point pitch fork type spread. The other side however, was a beautiful typical four points making this his "big buck" tag for the season. Congratulations Tim!

Tim's big buck brings our harvest total to four in Crawford County, half of which are mine, and the one I also took in Bibb. This has been, by far, our best hunting season since I started heading into the woods with Ed and Tim over a decade ago. I would bet that this is due in no small part to the work we have put into our food plots over the last few years. The funny thing is it has done more than just improve the deer herd. It has also attracted more turkeys, a few hogs and more armadillo than we care to see. So far this season our armadillo "harvests" far exceed our deer, with twelve 'dillos falling victim to our wrath. The groceries are for the deer!

As I type this Ed and I plan to hunt several days this week, the week of Thanksgiving. The deer Tim shot was with three others at the time so we think there are still big bucks out there. We each have a buck tag to fill and with any luck the deer are still rutting enough for us to get a shot at one. If not, it may be slow going the rest of the year. I sighted in my .30-30 and .243 the other morning so I have no excuse if I get the chance to take a shot. I'll be sure to post any success I may have with either!

M@tt

2006-11-14T20:48:00.000-05:00

2006 Deer Hunting Update #1.

Yes I know its already 3 1/2 weeks into the season but I have been too busy killing deer to post anything about it yet. Last weekend I killed my third, a four point buck that I wish I had passed up. The week before I killed a big doe across the train tracks from my neighborhood, near the Ocmulgee River. Opening day I shot what I thought was a doe that turned out to be a messed up buck with some gnarly looking blobs of antler. Good thing we got rid of him.

Now, for the hunters reading this I bet your asking yourself, "Hey, I thought you could only kill one little buck and the other had to be over... blah blah blah." And you would be absolutely correct. Although I could have probably tagged my first buck as an antlerless deer I didn't and so my friend Tim used his small buck tag for the four pointer. He kept the meat also as we already have a freezer full from my first two. Anything else I shoot now will either be donated or given to friends, many of which have requested meat since the beginning of deer season. Either way I am probably just trophy hunting at this point.

The surprising thing about this season is that:
1. We are seeing way more males than females.
2. Even the little (antlered) bucks are big bodied.
3. Our fall food plots are ridiculous!

We have spent the better part of the last few off seasons putting in two big food plots which, coupled with taking a lot of does, has apparently had a big impact on our bucks. They are bigger, healthier and there are more of them. At least, we're seeing more of them anyway. Now, if we could just get the REALLY big ones to step out in front of the stands. The next few weeks will be key as the rut (mating season) is starting and this is the best time of the season to see and harvest a big buck. Hopefully my next update will include a picture of one!

M@tt

2006-11-07T22:30:00.000-05:00

Election Day 2006

First of all, congrats to my friend, and Bibb County Superior Court Judge candidate, Tripp Self on his great campaign and excellent results at the polls today. However, I think he may have to endure another month of shmoozing as a run off may be necessary. To many chefs in the kitchen means not enough votes to the winner. Five people were bidding for the judges seat Tripp will eventually sit in so even though he had a clear majority he will have to go up against the other top vote getter next month. The outcome will be the same of course, Tripp will win and I will have a judge for a friend, always a good thing, especially for a cop!

Governor Sonny Perdue also won handily meaning not only will Mark Taylor not be in Atlanta anymore, but since Casey Cagle won his vacant seat as Lt. Gov. we will have both seats in Atlanta filled but Republicans!

Thankfully, an amendment passed in Georgia which basically reverses the U.S. Supreme Courts "Eminent Domain" ruling of last year. The amendment means government officials cannot take private property through Eminent Domain and then hand it over to private developers to raise tax revenue. It probably means other stuff too but that's the nuts and bolts version.

That's pretty much all I cared about this year. As far as my district's congressional seat I was really indifferent. Jim Marshall has been a good congressman despite being a democrat so if he keeps his seat I won't be upset. In fact, not knowing anything about Mac Collins, the Republican challenger, I voted for what I did know about Marshall. He was an Airborne Ranger which scores him big points in my book. He also supports tougher border controls and NO AMNESTY for illegals! This alone pretty much got my vote. He's about the closest thing to a "Southern Democrat" left these days.

Anyway, another election year, another year of smoke blowing, and now two more years of the same old broken government wasting our tax dollars and telling us they know best. I wish the libertarian movement would get serious.

M@tt

2006-10-12T20:26:00.000-04:00

First pics of the new RV, Robin Williams in "RV:The Movie" and dealing with Chinese monkeys!

I finally got a chance to snap some pics of the new camper hooked up in front of the house in preparation for another outing this weekend. We will be going to Statesboro to see Susan, Lee, Piper and "Hookey Pookie" a.k.a. Cadelyn. (For those of you who don't know this is my sister-in-law and her family.) We will be setting up behind their house in the booming metropolis of Portal, GA just for the fun of it!

We will also be taking the four wheeler. This will be the first time I've used the new "Toy Hauler" to actually haul a toy. I have not yet determined how I will be loading the trailer. There are several tie downs in the back "garage" area of the camper so the configurations are numerous. I'll wait until tomorrow just before we leave to load it up, that way if it gets stolen from in front of our house tonight at least my four wheeler won't be stolen along with it!

While we're on the subject of RV's I received the new Robin Williams movie of the same name from Columbia House yesterday. Problem was, I didn't order it. I fulfilled my required orders a long time ago and opted out of automatic mailings but for some reason they thought I wanted this one. I decided when this movie first came out that it was a stinker/renter. Needless to say Jen called them as soon as she saw it on the table when she walked in the door from school.

I was assembling a Harbor Freight utility cart for the four wheeler at the time and screaming something about it being designed by monkeys, Chinese monkeys to be exact, when Jen brought me the phone. The Pakistani customer service employee at Columbia House wouldn't let her do anything because I am the one named on the account. That's fine. I got on the phone and this is what happened next:

Me - "Hello."

Abdul (in his best terrorist accent) - "I am speaking Mr. Gilligerlirllee...?"

Me - "Um, Giegler, yes."

Abdul - "I uderstad not liking odored da moonbie?"

Me - "If what you meant to say was you idiots sent me a movie I didn't order and I want to return it then yes, that's correct."

Abdul - "Umkay, I uderstad. Will yu be needed anoter sulction?"

Me - "I'm sorry, what?"

Abdul - "Will you be taking King Kong?"

Me - "No, I don't want another movie. Just send me a return label. In fact, when you get it back cancel my membership." At this point I'm beginning to think I'm on the phone with the monkey who designed the trailer I'm trying to put together.

Abdul - "Right, umkay sire. Will you liking beleive a free..."

Me - "No thank you. Just cancel my account please."

Abdul - "Right umkay sire. Will you be needed a Beemumgee ember?"

Me - "A WHAT!?"

Sheik Mohammad - "Beemumgee, our moose kick club."

Me - "Oh, B-M-G music club! NO! Just cancel my account."

Abdul - "Thank you sire, have the nice day and Death to America! ALLAH IS GREAT!!" Click.

Obviously that last part didn't happen but by that point I was ready for anything. I hung up the phone and finished assembling my Pakistani monkey designed Chinese import Harbor Freight ATV trailer cart. Once it was complete I had to redesign the tongue and hitch point just to get the dang thing to work right.

Ahhh, America. Where else can you talk to a Pakistani customer service operator while building a monkey designed cheap Chinese steel product in the comfort of your garage built by Mexican brick layers? The great global economy at work.

M@tt

2006-10-09T01:29:00.000-04:00

Memo to Non-Diesel People

I recently upgraded my truck from a 2003 5.4L V8 F150 to a 2002 7.3L F350 diesel. In doing so I deliberately sought out a 2001-2003 Ford truck with the 7.3L Power Stroke Diesel (PSD) engine. Since the change several people have asked me why I didn’t buy a newer truck or one with a different engine. The answer to the first part is simple. I don’t have $50K lying around to put down on a truck! The second part is answered just as easily. The durability of the 7.3L Power Stroke is legendary in the diesel community. Even GM Duramax and Dodge Cummins owners will agree with that. It is not uncommon to see 7.3’s well into the 300K mileage range. I have personally driven a 7.3 with over 420K miles and it still started and rumbled like new. Now, the interior of the truck was another story!

However, the 7.3 was not without its flaws. It was noisy (even for a diesel) and for some reason was notoriously underpowered from the factory. Ford could have gotten much better HP/Torque numbers out of the 7.3 if they had simply tweaked it a little. The bright side is that this helped fuel the diesel performance aftermarket and now the folks at Banks, Bully Dog, Hypertech and Superchips, are all rich. All of these manufactures (and many others) offer dozens of products to help open up a 7.3L safely and without voiding the warranty (as if there is a 7.3 out there still under warranty!) Even small modifications such as air intakes, mufflers and simple dash plug programmers can have a big impact on their performance at a relatively low cost. The bigger, more expensive upgrades are mostly for hot rodders and racers wanting to relive their youth. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! Black smoke is COOL!! (You see, diesel engines that have been heavily modified put out a lot of exhaust smoke because they don’t completely burn all the fuel because it is entering the combustion chamber so fast that… you know what, forget it.)

Now, this aftermarket bliss did not extend to the 2nd gen PSD. In the middle of the 2003 model year Ford discontinued the 7.3L and introduced the smaller, more efficient 6.0L engine. It boasted improved fuel economy, better horsepower and the ever important number to diesel owners, more ft/lbs of TORQUE. Lots of guys think their truck is bad because it has 300, 400 or even 500 horsepower. These guys all drive Ford Lightnings or SS Chevies that couldn’t pull a riding lawn mower behind them. Real truck owners know that its torque that gets the job done. Lots of PSD lovers wanted to hot rod their new 6.0L’s and found out the hard way that Ford engineers had already maxed out the engine to get better mileage and power straight from the factory. This led to durability concerns and a smudge on the PSD’s image when the mostly modified engines started having problems. The 2005 and newer 6.0L engines are much improved from the first models but still should not be heavily modified in my opinion. An engine can only take so much and the 6.0L was maxed from the get go.

The 7.3L was and still is a great motor. Sure, newer models out there are an improvement but that’s the way it is with any product. Manufacturers constantly upgrade their products if they want to see continued growth. Remember what cell phones looked like ten years ago? The bottom line is that the 7.3L Power Stroke diesel is over ten years old and is still a bullet proof engine that comes in an equally durable package in the F-Series. So, if you’re looking for a big boy truck and don’t want to sell a kidney to buy it, go with a 7.3L diesel. You can show Chevy and Dodge owners the pictures you took of the odometer at 200K, 300K, and 400K miles when they ask why.

M@tt

2006-10-08T00:15:00.000-04:00

Range Day, 2006

A few weeks before opening day my father-in-law (Ed George) and I go to the range to sight in the guns we will be hunting with that season. Our buddy, Tim Ellis, usually comes along if he can but this year he was unavailable.

"Range Day" has become a vital part of the pre-season. Each year I add another firearm or accessory to my arsenal which requires time and practice to master. This year I mounted a new scope on my .30-30 which until then only had open sights. I also replaced the borrowed scope on my .270 that belongs to Tim with a Leupold VX-II 3-9x40 of my own. I know Tim was happy to get his back.

This is also the first year I will be bow hunting as I finally feel like I can hit the target consistently enough to make a good shot on a deer within 25 yards or so. I have had my bow for two seasons now but haven't had the time to practice and become proficient with it. Most of the deer we have taken from the two "creek stands" have been well within 25 yards so this is where I will start. If I get a chance I may go sit on a bucket with it in the woods across the street from my house. The Ocmulgee River is just behind the train tracks back there and the whole area is teeming with deer.

Ed makes fun of bow hunters, or "stick throwers" as he calls them. I think it's because it is a greater challenge than hunting with a firearm and it threatens his love of all things related to gun powder! In all seriousness it is a very difficult thing to do, hitting a deer just right with an arrow. Unlike a bullet that expands on impact causing maximum damage, an arrow, even one tipped with a razor sharp hunting broadhead usually passes clean through the animal. This makes the placement of the shot all the more important as I have even seen a deer mortally wounded by an archer stand there bewildered at what just happened, not knowing he'd just been shot. They also tend to run farther after the shot making them more difficult to track. Probably another reason Ed looks down on stick throwers!

In addition to Range Day we have several work days out on the property we hunt. We have been very fortunate that a long time friend of Ed and Tim's allows us access to his 1,000 plus acres in Crawford County, GA. We take care of about 40-50 acres and are pretty much the only ones who hunt it. We have two large food plots and four stands. This was the first year we had the benefit of a four wheeler while planting, fertilizing and clearing which was a huge help. It made those days go by so much faster.

Well, hunting season is only two weeks away as I write this so it's crunch time. All my hunting clothes have to come down out of the attic and get washed, my guns are ready to go and the woods have been prepped. Hopefully a big deer will be posted here soon!

M@tt

2006-10-06T21:24:00.000-04:00

College degree on its way

I finally got an email from AIU Online yesterday that said my B.S. (I love saying that) and related documents had been shipped and should arrive on Monday. Don't tell Jennifer because I want it to be a surprise. DHL delivers on holidays right?

Speaking of that, what the heck do we still celebrate Columbus Day for anyway? Haven't we pretty much determined that there were lots of folks already here when Chris got lost and thought he had found a shortcut to the merchant lands? I'm no histogeocrapologist or anything but wasn't Columbus a moron who couldn't sail his way out of a bathtub?

And why is it always Monday's? Wouldn't Friday make more sense? I mean, we've been working all week and need a break. Why take a break on a Monday when we just had the freakin' weekend!? It's not like we can go get anything done either. Can't pay the phone bill because it's a holiday. You can't go get your car tag renewed IT'S A HOLIDAY!

Then, of course, all the people who still have to work that day are pissed. So when we do try to go get that haircut we've been needing or have the car washed we have to deal with angry, non-Monday holiday celebrating people who have to work when everyone else is off. Don't risk having your head shaved or your car antenna torn off. Do like me and skip out out on Friday. By the time Tuesday rolls around your boss won't remember anyway!

M@tt

2006-10-06T19:33:00.000-04:00

10-80V/10-92/10-50/10-80F

For those of you going, "Huh?" that means we pursued (10-80V) a stolen vehicle (10-92) until it wrecked (10-50) and a foot chase (10-80F) ensued!

At about noon today a car load of six 19-23 year old black males pulled into the Williams Elementary parking lot and the occupants attempted to steal a teacher's car. The office staff saw this, called it in to our dispatch and several officers (including me in my own truck) responded. I was passing the area on my way from the range to my school when I heard the call go out.

The vehicle the suspects were already in also came back 10-92 and led several of us on a chase through the Pio Nono/Mercer area of Macon. They finally crashed into a fence and bailed out on foot where we think they escaped through a drainage area between the woods and I-75 South. We found several articles of clothing strewn about as we tracked them so they were obviously shedding their shirts in an effort to change their appearance.

Macon PD processed the car and as far as I know none of them have been caught. All this on what was supposed to be a laid back teacher planning day. There weren't even any kids in school which was a good thing because three, Renaissance, Ingram Pye, and Hamilton were all locked down until the search was called off.

In other news

I traded the old electric tongue jack from my Outback (Ultra-Fab Model 3002) for a Barker 32 gallon "Tote-Along" auxiliary waste tank. The waste (black) water holding tank on the new Raptor is only 28 gallons compared to 40 or even 50 on many regular travel trailers of the same size. The fresh water tank however is 112 gallons, over twice the size of standard TT's. This is because most "toy hauler" owners like to dry camp. The larger fresh water tank allows them to carry plenty of clean water with them for showering, cooking, etc.

With the smaller blank tank came the need for an auxiliary tank. Basically it is a portable black tank that can be hooked up to the sewer outlet on the trailer. When full it can then be disconnected and emptied without having to break down the entire trailer. The model I got is also designed to be hooked up to the back of the truck so I don't even have to walk it to the dump station. It was a pretty good trade considering I paid $180 for the jack brand new and the portable black tank retails for $240. Thanks D.P. @ Midstate RV!

2006-10-03T23:38:00.000-04:00

Fog lamps on truck

I spent the better part of this afternoon and evening installing a pair of halogen fog lamps on my F350. They were fairly inexpensive but as you can see from the picture (particularly the bottom pic) they add a great deal of close in light to the factory beams.

From the first time I drove the truck at night I knew I was going to have to do something about the output or trajectory of the beams. It was as if there was about ten feet of "dead space" between the front end and where the lights began illuminating the road. I thought it may be due to the height and angle of the front end as apposed to my previous truck, an F150, that had a much more sloped design.

The first thing I did was attempt to adjust the headlights themselves. This resulted in a better pattern but also large gaps between the headlights and the front grill. The space was much larger on one side than the other and it made the front end look ridiculous. I then adjusted the lights so they appeared uniform. This skewed the pattern again but not nearly as bad.

The second thing I did was install SilverStar high output bulbs. This tremendously reduced the area of darkness in front of the truck. However, with the lights adjusted to look right and the new bulbs installed I was still not completely happy with the pattern I was getting.

Enter the fog lamps. While at Advanced Auto for something totally unrelated I saw the fog light display and found that they had a pair marked down from $29.99 to $19.99. They are by no means high end but I figured this would allow me to try the idea and see if it helped. I thought if they were a bust I could return them and if they squawked I could always use them on the four wheeler or camper.

Well, the lights work beautifully. All three pictures were taken from the exact same spot about ten feet in front of the truck. In the first you can clearly see that the lights don't even begin to illuminate the ground yet. In the second you can see the fogs alone already shed light on the problem (HA HA!) But the really big difference is when the two are used together. The dead space is totally eliminated.

So, if you're like me and you don't want animals or objects in the road sneaking up on you at night you might want to try a pair of fog lights on your vehicle. I am very happy with them on my truck.

M@tt

2006-10-01T22:55:00.000-04:00

First outing in new RV!

I took delivery of my 2617TT on 9/30/06 @ 1:00 PM. By 6:00 that evening I was backing into a site at Hamburg State Park near Sandersville, GA! I figured this was the best way to get a feel for the TH and discover if there were any possible problems, other than the PDI of course which only turned up a few minor issues. Here are a few things about the trailer I discovered during the PDI and while on its first outing that I hadn’t previously noticed.

First and foremost, the trailer is freaking HUGE! My truck tows it fine but it is definitely more noticeable on the road than my 22’ Outback had been. It is a hair over 31’ so it is substantially longer as well. However, all that size on the road translates to space at the campsite. I will gladly take the extra weight and girth in travel to have large beds, wide pathways and a shower I can actually stand up in while at camp. That being said, I don’t see how anyone can deal with a TT longer than say 35’. That’s just freaking monstrous!

Speaking of monstrous, the “RAPTOR” billboards on the front and back of the trailer have got to go. The smaller decals on the sides are much more tolerable and will probably end up staying but I think I’ll replace to one on the front with a big University of Georgia “G”. The rear door is definitely getting a decal across the top that reads “DAWGHOUSE” because that’s where I’ve landed for buying this thing in the first place. Either way the Raptor vinyl is coming off. I mean, I want people to know what kind of trailer it is and everything but it’s not like Keystone is cutting ME a check each month!

Also, the ladder is not as flimsy as I was afraid it would be. I read a few things about the Raptor ladders after I bought the trailer so I made sure to check it out during the inspection. It supported my weight fine, all 230+ lbs of me, and it felt like it was connected to the trailer at least well enough for periodic roof inspections and repairs. It is not permanently mounted, it attaches to the side via sockets at the top and retaining pins at bottom. I wouldn’t want to use it every day but it was satisfactory and I do like the idea of it being removable so any would be vandals or thieves will at least have to bring their own!

I haven’t run the generator at length yet, only enough during the PDI to know it works properly. There are apparently some issues with some models and the compartment door getting hot and either warping or melting. Hopefully the heat shield my model came with will prevent this.

While we’re on the subject of the generator it made an annoying whine, like an electrical connection buzzing, all night long. I tried cutting of the breaker and unplugging it entirely from the batteries but neither worked so it must be from the shore power connection. This is where it began and ended. Somewhere in the generator something is getting power and causes the sound. I will have to investigate this further as it was rather distracting while trying to sleep. The generator is mounted directly under the main front bedroom area, of course.

I love the control panel with almost everything mounted right there inside the main entrance. The only things not there are the water heater switch, the rear bed lift switch and the A/C controller. The A/C is near the front bed right where it should be and the other two are close to their respective functions. Other than that all the gauges, switches, indicators and fuses are right there inside the door.

The only problem is the indicator lights for the tanks and battery are hard to read. The lights for the fresh tank are the opposite of the grey and black. I guess this is because you want the fresh to be full and the others to be empty but it makes reading the lights take that extra second to be sure. Also, a screw has already worked its way loose and one corner of the panel sticks out about 1/4 inch. I will replace the screw with an molly bolt/anchor type to rectify this. I’m not letting the dealer mess with it or it will end up worse I’m sure.

All in all, the trailer is great. It has a ton of storage, lots of room inside and can tote the ATV which I hope to take on a trip in the near future. I will no doubt be posting more about it in the near future as well.

M@tt

2006-09-30T11:31:00.000-04:00

Upward Soccer!

Sarah Beth's soccer team got romped on this morning until the last quarter when they scored two quick goals. One girl scored on the kickoff from mid field. Other than that a pretty lack luster performance from the Lady Cardinals. Don't tell Sadie I said that because she was awesome!

2006-09-29T19:33:00.000-04:00

New Toy Hauler (and other tidbits),

For those of you who may not know a “Toy Hauler” is a type of RV, usually a fifth wheel or conventional travel trailer, that has a large “garage” area in the back with a ramp door. This allows you to take your motorcycles, four-wheelers, dune buggies etc. along with you on camping trips. They often have larger capacity water tanks and powerful generators for “boondocking” or camping without hookups. They’re great for taking to the woods, desert or just about anywhere you can find to ride your toys, hence the nickname “toy hauler”.

I recently received a Kawasaki Brute Force 650 4x4i (four wheeler) as a gift from my lovely wife for my college graduation. I would like to take it on trips with us so last week I traded our conventional 22’ travel trailer (2004 Keystone Outback 21RS) for a brand new 2006 Keystone Raptor 2617TT. Now, you may think based on the model number that the new trailer is around 26’ long. Well, you would be wrong. RV manufacturers are silly with their nomenclature and the new one is actually a hair over 31’ long! It is also a triple axle. It still weighs less than 8K lbs which is well within my tow limits with the new truck but will carry up to 5,020 lbs! The most of any Raptor model, including the fifth wheels.

I am picking it up tomorrow which means I spent most of the afternoon today cleaning out the old one. I never realized how much crap we had in that thing. Most of it is worthless stuff we thought we needed but have yet to use so it will NOT be going back in the new camper. The good thing about the Raptor is that it has twice the storage space and that’s a conservative estimate. It also has a 50 amp service instead of just 30, came with an electric tongue jack and is much larger inside than the old one. Oh yeah, and my four wheeler fits in it too!

In case you didn’t see it on TV today a plane pulled off an emergency landing on I-75 right next to the Red Oak Bridge here in Macon. For those of you not familiar this is one of the two bridges that crosses the interstate into our neighborhood! You can imagine the chaos it caused in a town like Macon. Thankfully no one was injured, in the plane or on the ground but it did wreak havoc on the traffic for several hours. On my way home from work I got to see the tractor trailer putting down the interstate with the plane on the back. There were about twenty different cruisers from a dozen or so agencies escorting the thing.

http://www.wmaz.com/news/top_story.aspx?storyid=30269

That’s about all the excitement today. I will try to post some pics of the new trailer and will surely post more than a few things about it’s use in the future.

M@tt

2006-09-29T00:06:00.000-04:00

First real post (I guess)

Okay, now that most of the administrative stuff is out of the way I think I finally have a pretty decent looking blog. I have wanted something like this for a while but have just been using different internet forums to communicate to the rest of the world. The interaction with other users is nice but the sites are very specialized in their scope. I frequent one about Ford trucks, one about only diesel trucks, one about guns in general, one about only Glocks, one about landscaping and one about all types of RV’s. Anyway, you get my point. This way I can still post at those places but I will have my own space for random junk that has no home, that is, until now. So, to anyone who happens to read this out there in the digital domain, welcome to my mind.

M@tt

2006-09-28T22:42:00.000-04:00

Transferring past posts

This post is going to be long and annoying but I need to transfer over some stuff from another site that was too limited in it's abilities. Sure it had smilies but I want all my posts in the same spot now instead of having to go to twelve sites to read everything on my mind. It is mostly junk about my new truck so feel free to ignore it.

-----Originally Posted in "My Diesel Blog" on TheDieselGarage.com-----

Ran out of gas today!
Original Date Posted: 09-04-2006 at 07:21 PM

I forgot to mention that when we got back from our trip we went to the storage lot to drop the trailer and on our way home we ran out of gas. The light had only come on a few miles out of town so I dodn't think anything of it. I passed a few diesel pumps knowing I needed to stop but we just wanted to get home and unload. I was going out to wash the truck right after anyway so I thought I was fine. Wrong!

Luckily it was near the house so I got a can and took Jen's van to get fuel. It took a few minutes to crank up and another few minutes to start running right so I think I am okay. I always heard running out of fuel in a diesel was a byotch so hopefully everything is okay.

Finally got a chance to tow with the new truck!
Original Date Posted: 09-04-2006 at 07:13 PM

I finally got a chance to tow with the new truck and man, what a difference. We decided to go to Stone Mountain, GA at the last minute on Sunday to see the laser/fireworks show for Labor Day. We took the travel trailer (22' Keystone Outback) and I could hardly tell there was any weight behind the truck. I towed in overdrive on the interstate and with O/D off around town. It only downshifted twice during the whole trip on two different stretches of inclines. There weren’t many “hills” on the route we took so I didn’t have to tax the engine at all. Not like up in north Georgia or anything. I also towed most of the way with the cruise on until traffic made me disengage it a few times. Over all I was very pleased with the diesel’s performance.

Oh, did I mention that the brake controller wasn’t working properly so I went without it? Yeah, no trailer brakes but the truck stopped just fine. I think the line from the trailer to the plug got caught in the hitch or something because it has a large gash in it which I believe severed the brake line. The trailer lights all work but the indicator light on the controller doesn’t come on so I either wired it wrong (the wires are color coded so doubtful) or the gash cut the brake line. I will have Jason at Creative Coatings take a look at it when I get a chance.

The electric jack on the trailer shorted out its fuse bus on the line to the battery as well so it was working intermittently which was aggravating. I finally found the problem when we got home so I picked up a new one at Auto Zone. It’s not exactly the same so I don’t know if it will work correctly. They are both 30A buses but the wire on the old one is 10ga and the new one is 12. It is also 250V and I couldn’t find a voltage rating on the new one so we’ll see if it works. Otherwise I will have to go to Midstate or Tall Palls to see what they have.

All in all it was a good trip. The truck performed very well and we had a great time. Hopefully I can take it out on a longer trip soon, maybe to FDR State Park and Callaway Gardens this fall.

The "bump" is gone!
Date Posted: 09-02-2006 at 09:52 PM

I picked up the truck this afternoon. It was actually done this morning but I was in the woods all day and didn’t get over there until about 4:30. $63.00 for an oil change, yikes! The lubing of the slip yoke did the trick as there is no annoying bump on take off anymore. We’ll see how long it lasts. I’m glad everything has been checked out so now I know where I stand with the truck. I knew it was in good shape when I bought it but now that I have had it serviced it just eases my mind.

85,000 mile service
Original Date Posted: 09-01-2006 at 10:18 PM

With the truck about to turn 85K miles I thought it would be a good time to go ahead and let Riverside service the whole thing. Hopefully it will take care of the slip yoke problem and answer any lingering questions about the truck. I am having the oil and oil filter changed, the fuel filter changed, the transmission drained and filled, the slip yoke lubed, the tires rotated and balanced and all the other major systems checked. I think it has the gold coolant which means it shouldn’t have to be changed for another 15,000 miles but I need to make sure. If it is the green stuff I will go ahead and do a flush and fill as well. I made sure to write down the TSB number for the slip yoke on the service envelope I dropped off so they know I am aware of the issue. The hope here is that they realize I will be checking and do the job properly, otherwise I will be back. I am not a big fan of Riverside’s service department but they are close, and close equals convenient. I talked with the service manager, whose name escapes me at the moment, and handed him the envelope personally. I told him briefly what I wanted done and he seemed to understand my concern about the “bump” on take off. We’ll see if it gets fixed.

Slip yoke?
Original Date Posted: 08-29-2006 at 09:43 PM

Somebody on another forum said the bump I am feeling may be the "slip yoke" needing to be greased. I called Riverside Ford but both people I talked with were idiots. One was an office assistant and at least told me she was clueless. The other was supposedly a “service advisor” and should have at least known if what I was asking sounded reasonable. All he said was, “bring it in and we’ll take a look.” Yeah, sure you will, and then you’ll tell me I need a new transmission. Not something I am up for. I will look into the 30 day/3,000 mile warranty from Phillips and see if I can have it looked at that way. I still need to take it in to have the brakes checked anyway (through the dealer) maybe I can have this done at the same time. Either way, at least I have some idea now.

First Problem?
Original Date Posted: 08-29-2006 at 08:27 AM

I am not sure if this is actually a problem or not but I wanted to document it. When I take off from a dead stop in the F350, at a light or just after shifting into Drive I feel a slight something from the transmission. It's not a full hesitation or a slip it’s just different than my F150 felt. The tranny otherwise shifts well no heavy clunks or slippage whatsoever. The first few are very smooth with the last one being solid and firm, especially at high revs. I feel nothing but power when I run through the gears but with this being such a heavier duty truck than my last I don’t know what to look for in terms of ride and feel. It’s hard to determine if this is just the characteristics of a different truck or something I should be monitoring.

Autolock Disabled
Original Date Posted: 08-28-2006 at 12:05 PM

I got sick of walking around to unlock the passenger side door because of the annoying autolock feature so I dug out the manual and refreshed my memory on how to disable it. I am horrible about walking around to the other side only to realize that the door is locked and have to walk back around. I am also terrible about taking my keys with me when I get out. I have paid many times to have "Pop-a-Loc" come out and get me into my truck. I have a fix for that finally but it's a secret!

Whoever invented these crappy features like autolock and the ever annoying seatbell dinging should be driven off a cliff. Thankfully in the 2002 all you have to do is hit the seatbelt release and it stops or I would be disabling that as well.

Old truck has been listed
Original Date Posted: 08-27-2006 at 09:27 PM

Well, I got my F150 listed in Truck Trader Magazine, Auto Trader.com, F150online.com and on eBay. Hopefully it sells quickly as I don't relish the idea of jumping through hoops to get rid of it. I wish I could have just traded it but I would have gotten SKAAAROOOOOD big time. I will still have to come out of pocket even if it sells for what I am asking but at least this way I am not financing the difference again. I hate dealing with cars and car dealers but we needed a diesel so had to bite the bullet.

First save with the new truck
Original Date Posted: 08-27-2006 at 07:43 AM

So, it's 6:00 (of the AM variety) and Amanda Marsh calls and says her husband, John, has gotten his car stuck in a ditch. John delivers papers for the Macon Telegraph and apparently got his Audi stuck while trying to back out of a driveway on Heath Road near Westside High School. I used to work at Westside so I know exactly where they are.

Amanda asks if I think I can get him out of the ditch or if they should just call a tow truck. I say, "Well, how bad is he stuck?" She hands the phone to John who can better explain the situation (hey, her words not mine) and he tells me that the left rear wheel is up in the air and that the front end is all the way down in the ditch. They've tried pushing down on the rear end while in reverse but it just won’t make contact, not to mention the car is front wheel drive anyway and just doesn't have enough to back out even if they did get it level.

I was up all night with horrible allergies anyway so I tell them I'll be right there. Do they need to call a tow truck? Hell no! I drive a diesel now baby! So I get dressed and head over. About a half mile away on Heath I can see blue lights flashing so I figure a Sheriff's Deputy has passed by and is making sure no one hits them. Turns out, a passing motorist called it in as a three car wreck because John's Audi, Amanda's Pathfinder and their friend’s car were all lined up together. Do they stop to see if everything is okay? Um, no. They just call it in a keep rolling but hey, at least they called it in, right? I guess a fire truck had also responded but was already gone by the time I arrived.

I get out, survey the scene and decide the best thing to do is back up to the rear of the Audi which has a tow hook (why ?) underneath the bumper. One of the Deputies moves his car and I back into position. We hook my trucker’s chain up to both vehicles and slowly pull it tight. Once the slack is out John puts his car in neutral and I go to work, for about three seconds. That's all it took for my truck to pull the car out and get it back on all four tires again. There was some dirt and grass under the front end but otherwise no harm done.

John and Amanda thanked me profusely and the deputy hit his horn as I drove off to get a sandwich from Ms. Cindy at Subway up the road. Cindy wasn’t there yet but the bacon, egg and cheese croissant was still good. “Do we need to just call a tow truck.” Puleeeeeze!

Brake Controller Installed
Original Date Posted: 08-26-2006 at 08:04 PM

I removed the brake controller from my old truck and transferred it to the new one. I had to make a run to Advanced Auto Parts for some extra wire as the connections in the 350 were on the opposite side of the steering column than the 150, go figure. Went in without a hitch (haha) and I’ll test it next time I am checking on the camper.

The toolbox lid release buttons were red but I spray painted them black today so they don’t stand out so much. We’ll see how well they hold up or if the paint just wears away by next week. As for the box itself I am very happy with how it looks and functions. The interior is MUCH larger than my other one due to the extra length and it being a standard height instead of low profile. It swallowed up everything I had filling up the other one and still has twice as much room left over.

I have yet to get the 150 listed online or in the paper. I haven’t even had it cleaned up for pictures yet. I think I may also get an old Honda or Toyota for my daily driver so I need to get on that. When it sells I will decide whether or not to transfer the entertainment system over. It all depends on how much the truck gets. If I can get near the payoff by leaving it in I will but otherwise it’s going in the new truck!

Creative Coatings in Macon
Original Date Posted: 08-25-2006 at 10:45 PM

I finally made it over to Creative Coatings on Gray Hwy and met the owner, Jason Moore. He gave me a one for one swap on a Weather Guard 72" push button single lid in exchange for my 69" Low Profile H&H. This one is silver aluminum, the other was black. The top was oxidized a little but it will shine up very nicely I think. Hey, for an even swap I was very happy.

Jason was gung ho about getting me to put a chip in the truck, as expected. He also suggested an Edge Products monitoring system mounted on the pillar instead of seperate gauges. The computer monitor tracks everything from EGT's to boost levels and trans temp. The whole setup, chip, monitor, mounts and programming would be $700-800!! For that kind of scratch I will look into all of my options first and see what will work best for me before deciding.

Toolbox
Original Date Posted: 08-24-2006 at 12:11 PM

I called H&H today to see if they would take the (near new) 69" toolbox I got there a few months ago back on trade for a new 72" model to fit the new truck. I'm not talking full value or anything, just something to offset the cost of another. Um, no. Gee, thanks for the great customer service guys.

So, I will probably be selling the old one to buy a new one as Jen (wife) will flip if I tell her I need something else for the truck. She already thinks it's stupid that I need a different truck in the first place. "Why can't we just tow the trailer with our old truck?" Well we can darling but the mileage sucks and we crawl up "hills" like we're in the Alps. Not to mention the new truck has seating for six FULLSIZE folks while the old truck had seating for two adults and three midgets!

Anyway, it's back to the drawing board again as I begin to outfit yet another truck!

Forgot to mention
Original Date Posted: 08-23-2006 at 10:35 PM

I am also going to price a spray in liner tomorrow as well. Same shop that would be doing the gauges. I need to decide if I am going to do it before I get the box. That way I don't have to pull the thing out to have it done.

Windows Tinted
Original Date Posted: 08-23-2006 at 10:34 PM

Got the windows tinted today at Fineline Auto Trim on Mercer University Blvd. in Macon. $180 bucks for all four doors and the rear glass. Not bad I thought. They tinted my previous truck and did an awesome job, just as they did on this one. It looks sweet and feels even better inside now that the whole world can't see me anymore. It felt like I was riding around in a rolling billboard!

I am going to go look at toolboxes tomorrow as the one from my F150 will not fit. I measured and thought it would be fine but when I transferred it to the new truck it looked like ***. I think I will be going with a full size this time instead of a low profile. This truck is made for big stuff! I may start leaving the WD hitch in the camper from now on too so there will be a ton of room in the new box.

Also looking into additional gauges for the trans temp, turbo boost and a pyrometer which I guess measures the heat of the turbo exhaust gas if I understand correctly. Anyway, it's important and comes with the other two as a package deal that replaces the driver side pillar with three pods for the gauges. It looks pretty sweet and I definitely don't trust the factory "dummy lights" after my Taurus blew up a few years ago.

Oh yeah!
Original Date Posted: 08-22-2006 at 08:02 PM

!!! I GOT A DIESEL !!!

That's right, I got a 2002 Ford F350 on 08/22/06 @ about 5:30 pm. Thanks to James, Lee and whatever the finance guy's name was at Phillips Automotive in Macon. They really went out of their way to find me a truck and when they did it was super nice. Here are the particulars:

2002 Ford F350 4x2 XLT Crewcab
7.3L Powerstroke Diesel
88,450 miles (Certified one owner Carfax)
Grey cloth interior
Metallic grey exterior
Alloy Wheels
Brand new Michelin tires
Bedliner

I will be posting the VIN# shortly to get an oasis report with more detailed info. More to follow of course! OH YEAH!

Speak of the Devil
Original ate Posted: 08-22-2006 at 10:58 AM

No sooner than I had posted the previous entry did one of my guys call me with a 2003 6.0L PSD CC Lariat! I’m not a big fan of the 6.0 as many had problems early on. This one has just turned over 100,000 miles and was traded, probably because the warranty expired. So, this is my dilemma. Do I take a truck that I can get my hands on now that by all accounts is in great shape and hope the engine lasts or do I wait for a 7.3 that I KNOW will last to 250-300K but may drive me crazy tracking down? Either way, I’m sure I’ll post all about it right here!

The search goes on!
Date Posted: 08-22-2006 at 10:37 AM

I have been searching for a diesel, most likely a Ford Powerstroke (PSD) or Chevy/GMC Duramax. I need a bigger truck to tow our current travel trailer, a 2004 Keystone Outback 21RS. My current truck, a 2003 Ford F150 Supercab is capable enough with its 5.4L V8 to tow the trailer just fine. However, as we have recently purchased a four wheeler (quad, atv or whatever you want to call it) we may also be trading the camper for a "Toy Hauler" model which would most likely be much heavier. My gas mileage while towing already sucks and adding more weight certainly won't help anything, not to mention a new trailer would most likely exceed the weight limits of the ½ ton.

So, the search ensued several weeks ago to find a diesel pickup to use as both my daily driver and our tow vehicle. I quickly discovered that there is NO WAY we can afford a brand new truck with the features we want (leather, crewcab, 4x4 etc.) so we will be buying used. I have found many trucks in my price range that are either over 100K miles or quickly approaching the milestone. As this is where most diesel engine warranties expire I have had to go to great lengths to ensure I find the right truck. It needs to be in both excellent mechanical and cosmetic condition. This has taken some time and has recently begun to get rather frustrating.

The type of truck I am looking for seems to be at a premium around here (Macon, GA) as this is the central hub of the state. This has caused me to venture online in my search for the perfect vehicle, not something I am very comfortable with. I have no problem buying CD’s, DVD’s, tools, clothes or other miscellaneous items via the web but the thought of conducting such a big purchase in cyberspace is a bit daunting to say the least. Luckily I am a well practiced eBayer, and my dad is a retired airline pilot so flying anywhere in the country to pick up a vehicle is no problem. It does; however, tend to become tedious conducting the business online. Just the other day I missed a great opportunity at a 2001 F350, XLT, 7.3L, crewcab because my COX high speed internet was not so high speed while I was trying post my bid as the auction ended. $16,500!! Arggghhhh!

So, the search goes on. I will find what I want, of this I have no doubt, but I may not be in any mood to enjoy it when I finally do pick up the new pickup. I just hope the sound of that turbo makes everything all better!

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Why are you still reading this?!