Thursday, August 18, 2016

Pez Outlaw, Country Good #pezoutlaw

Please Watch My Emmy Winning Movie, The Pez Outlaw on Amazon Prime & Peacock. 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Best actor at SXSW.

It's My Story.

When you're young and you tell people that you talk to horses, you are admired and referred to as a Horse Whisperer. 
If you are old and admit that horses talk to you, the TV commercials tell you nightly that you need there medication.
On a related note, I think I might have everything that Big Pharma describes in there commercials.

This morning I'm relaunching this Book with a brand new Title.
Country Good. No link to the book because it screws things up on googleblog. Just Google Country Good.
This book used to be called Redneckology, For the following reasons I've rebranded it.
My intent by using the term Redneck was to take back the term n make it something good.
Yesterday I realized the damage to the term was to deep.
An older gentleman I know was deeply hurt when I refered to myself as a Redneck n as you know I hope, I never want to hurt anyone.
He explained how he knew me n that his life experience gave him pain, that he wished I wouldn't refer to myself that way.
Well that's a lot to chew on. I like a good cause n will fight to change something as we all know, But I picked my fight with Pez Outlaw n I've been at it over 20yrs now.
I just haven't got it in me to do another one, let that be somebody elses war.
Also if by using the term Redneck I push away half of the people I want to read "Country Good", Well now that's pretty pointless.
I want to share my words, Ideas n lifestyle with everyone, so to lose half my potential readers with the title is STUPID.
I just Don't have anymore Fights in me.
To old, To tired n my heart isn't there for it.

So welcome EVERYONE To Country Good.
Country Good is good enough for me.
Over the next 5yrs I plan to expand this book a lot with all the projects The Pez Outlaw Movies Etc make possible.

Right now I'm finnishing up a new design Bale Barn for the Gabe n Monkey/horses In pasture #2.
Next I have to build another Lean to shelter for the Boys in Pasture #4. The knucleheads only have 1 n they need another one because there are 4 horses in the Boys pasture.
Now mind you this one won't be a $50 shelter like Pasture #3, that one was years of Salvage to make.
I am though hoping to bring the Boys new shelter in for $850 normally a $2,500 project.
Wish me luck on that, Oh yah I also need to finnish it before the weather gets below freezing n the snow flies.

Funny reflection on The New Lean to Shelter that I'm gonna build for the Boys.
It's gonna be a bit like NCIS Gibb's boats in his basement, How does he get them outa here.
Gonna build the Lean to Horse Shelter, in my shop then drag it into there pasture with a tractor.
So the Base can't be 10x16 ft. It will need to be 9x16ft n I will need to move the Pooper before I try to drag it out.
It's gonna be AWSOME!

My completed $50.00 Horse shelter

My next project will most likely be my last till spring.
This summer I reroofed house n garage.
Resurfaced barn roof n built above deck/cat walk around round pen.
Not counting helping neighbor with her extensive list of projects.

My last 2019 project will be a 10x20 ft building in the west pasture.
The shelter is a 3 sided one butt facing wind from west with a round bale feeder in it.
My goal is to complete the project for less than $50.00 in nails, screws n staples.
Will show pics as I go below.

Cost so far ZERO.I do plan a total expense of roughly $100.
For me it's a pride thing about reuse of salvaged product.

For those in the know, I'm gonna use the Building in Alaska method for the footers.
It was the last hurtle to solve n saves me approx $120.00 in material, allowing me to use what I have.

68 years old n still going strongish.
2 to 3 hrs per day on projects in very warm weather.
4 to 6 hrs per day in cool weather.

I will be gathering material for the last build of 2019 for another 3 to 4 days,
One inch tongue n groove OSB for exterior walls n roof.
2x10s for interior kick walls. Rafters, pearlins, poles n wolmenized footers.

Then Build.1st pic will be footer placemen n metal brackets for 4x10 poles.


I'm very proud of this project, I talked about doing it for 2yrs ( Laurie Svendsen​ ).
Finally the stars aligned. deconstruction took about the same amount of time as construction.
Let me tell you there was a lot of head scratching involved.
Example, how 15 gallons of very old paint had to become 5 gallons of Battleship gray primer.
Then stretching 1 gallon of red to 2, it was tricky,

The Building failed its first inspection, so compulsive obsessive that I am, I put 4 of 9 foot long 4x10 up n down to correct the issue.
Overkill is the best solution to any problem, now a hurricane couldn't kill this building.

Only God can see the roof so.....
We'll put it this way, there will be no pictures of the roof, it won't leak but it is my coat of many colors.
My intent is tin roof a year or 2 from now.

10x20 footprint. 9ft tall front. 8ft tall back

4x10 beam top to bottom to add structure

4x10 beam top to bottom to add structure





When I went BUST in 1998 I failed Kathy n Rightfully lost her confidence. Truth is Truth, Move on n earn it back.
The point is The Fratt House Boys/Horses.
I really didn't want anymore boarders, because of the above Kathy felt more secure with 2 more boarders.
So the Fratt Boys were 2 n became 4.
Well shoot that's a problem. Only walk in lean to for 2. Hells Bells I gotta Build another one for them.
Well this ain't down the road where POOF you hire Larry Blizzard n you got another leanto.
Nope this is the $50 guy, who builds them from recycled wood n nails n screws.. Well I wish that was the case, outa salvaged wood.
So those Pez Outlaw Dispensers you been buyin had to pay for new material.
$1,000 just for the steel to skin the building in. Horsie folks don't be alarmed about tin. Kick wall will be just under the tin 3/4 OSB.
Wood Costs were $650 n that was skinnied Down.
20% of the lumber will still be reclaimed lumber.
JEEZE O PETE's Josh took me n when I paid I just stood there in shock. Josh said, you OK, you got it. Yeah but I'm broke again..
I just don't know how people pay real money for things.
Anybody wanna buy a pair of Pez Outlaw Boots Worn in the movie?
Anyway I start building the Fratt House today.
16x9ft base. 9 ft tall in the front n 8ft tall in the back.
Building it in the shop on skids. Please Dear Lord I hope I can get it outa there n into the Fratt Boys Pasture.
Fingers Crossed on that.

Finally got some pictures of Horse Leanto so far. Building it in the shop. I will have inches to drag it out when done. The cold weather has made building inside a life saver. Red Building $50. This one will be $2,000 all in. N 20% is reclaimed lumber.














Most of the building projects I've done over the last decade have been for pennies on the dollar.
When you establish a reputation for repurpose n reuse, people start bringing you all sorts of things that they just can't bare to see go in a landfill.
Lumber, paint, wheels, you name it.

I think n have a reputation for repurpose and reuse, I get that last or better yet 2nd act out of old things that don't fit your life any longer.
I made a cart out of a treadmill, a baby bed n a wheel chair.
Animal feeders out of 55gallon plastic barrels.

Sometimes you must buy material but even then you can cut cost by over half doing it yourself.

Recently my neighbor bought n built, big round bale feeders at a cost of roughly $1,200 each.
She did this 6 times at $1,200 each, not counting rock bases 6inches thick for each.
I literally built an acceptable alternative for about $2.95 in wood screws.
After #6 she saw my $2.95 feeder n asked me to knock one out for her 7th.

Larry is the expert builder, he just knows how to do almost everything that I must puzzle over for a couple days.
I'm am efficient builder not an expert builder.
I must distinguish between what's acceptable outside verses in the house or on it.

Kathy needed to replace the deck-walk around the round pen, 10hrs labor, lumber repurposed, paint donated n again say $4.95 in wood screws.

FYI, these are the first steps that I've ever done, I was very intimidated by them for good reason.
Then I noticed a pattern involving my metal square, voila n it became quite easy.



One message to young folks.
Pay attention when you hire people to do things for you.
Money will get very tight for a bunch of you later n you're gonna need to know how to do that stuff yourself.

My work is influenced by Building Alaska, Salvage Dawgs n Building off the Grid.
Watching these shows is like a halftime locker room pep talk for me to get motivated for projects.
Building Alaska for different ways of doing things.
Salvage Dawgs for efficient product procurement.
Building off the Grid, again unique ways of doing things.

I dream of the day that I can set up a bank of 25 plus solar panels.

After Pez Outlaw, I intend to retire.

























Have I mentioned lately how much I love the people from Czechia, Ukrane, Slovakia & Hungary. I say with deep affection. These crazy buggers are my people.
image From
Солнечная Кубань
‏ @solkuban on twitter

round here it's Country Good

Got an outhouse, check. 
use it all the time.

house came on wheels, you know but we took them off.

I think dirt is fun
My tractor is my off road vehicle.
I love building/contouring my property with horse manure.

I make things just to get by that city folks say I should patent. 
wasn't the point.
I love creating to solve a problem, I hate production beyond need.

I no longer desire to be rich.
I just need enough to take care of a few things.
Then I wanna live my life out in obscurity. 
Money just causes chaos, I haven't carried money in 15yrs, zero. 
Somebody ever robs me, hope he brought some money cause that's the only way he leaves with anything.

I bought 7 used tire chains for $100. Two store bought chains run $200 to $500.
Gave the front paws of my tractor some bite. 
tickles me to the bone every time my girl climbs an icy hill or grips her way through 12 inches of mud.

sick don't get the chores done

duct tape on fingers of my gloves. actually works n makes them better.
If only I could use duct tape to cure Hay Knee.
Don't think I'm not gonna give it a try.
Unlike city folk who buy holey jeans, Hay knee means my legs get cut up.
I hate throwing away good jeans just because the Hay Knee gets to bad.  

I know Duct tape is considered Redneck, but Zip Ties are the new Duct Tape.

you call plummer for backed up sewer, I am the guy covered in poo fixin it.
You got a guy, I am our guy. Well me n ole Josh.

we recycle, yup. it's called making do, reuse, find another purpose for it.

I love Hamburger Helper n The Velveeta Cheesy Skillets versions especially.

Velveeta Cheesy Skillets Chicken Bacon Ranch is the best especially if you replace the chicken w/beef.
big night out is crazy bread from Hungry Howie's

Cowboy Copas, Lefty Frizzel, Ernest Tubs, those were cool country names.

my store bought teeth set in a jar. I just don't see the point. 

Just like my old dogs Boomie, Soupy n Rudy, I keep score. 
If you cross the line, you stay there forever with me. 
People tell me through words or actions who they really are, whether they realize it or not.
Not hate, just disregard. You leave my world. Active Hate takes to much energy.
Boomie, Soupy n Rudy grudged.
If you got on there shit list, you stayed there for life.
god I miss those dogs.

Sometimes I think I miss good dogs that are gone more than people. 
There I go tryin to be correct for ya. Of course I miss my old dogs more than people.

In my youth I ran from my roots n who I really was.
From my teens to about age 50 I adopted city ways.
Problem was country kept slipping out around the edges.
I'd be doin a Pez show n get looks from a friend thinking I was being a little hoaky/country. 
In recent years I've dropped all the city n embraced my country roots.
I'm happier than I've ever been. 

There is absolutely no point in hiding from who you are.
I prefer to hang a lantern on my true self.
If folks don't like the real you, there really isn't much point in them, is there.
Being kinda a Hermit helps though.
I really don't need people.

My people come from Farwell Michigan.
My grandfather was the town drunk.
I'm an alcoholic, sober 45 years. 
I no longer run from who I am or where I come from, I embrace it.

If someone asked you, what's the best present anyone ever gave you? What would that be?
For me it was the Kubota tractor Kathy gave me over 10yrs ago.
I had no idea how important my tractor was to me until I had it.





After Pez Outlaw, I intend to retire.







Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Catfishing #pezoutlaw

Please Watch My Emmy Winning Movie, The Pez Outlaw on Amazon Prime & Peacock. 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Best actor at SXSW.

It's My Story.

I threw the big battery away but saved the broken plane as a Catfishing reminder.


MMMM, CATFISH, YUMMY. Not that kind of Catfish, idjet.

This morning I was contacted by someone looking at a big collection of collectibles, but the owner was vague on what they wanted.
No doubt this seller is on the up n up but the number of time I have run across this with Pez n Cereal Boxes where they weren't changed the way I do business.

In the beginning I would just send money to people n trusted pretty much everybody.
Now, anybody that I do not know of or that I did not source must send the product, then I send a check.

Josh, Steph n my turning point was a Pez deal.
Someone contacted me with some really cool stuff at a fair price.
I sent the check. A day or 2 later a box arrived containing a very big battery and a broke metal plane.
Thank God we were able to contact the bank n claw the money back. If I remember it was about $1,200.00.
This type of thing happened n does more than you would think.

Now when contacted about Cereal Boxes these days, I tell them.
Send the boxes n once they arrive I will send the check.
I always explain. You know who I am or you would not have contacted me.
I have no idea who you are.

I also have a hard n fast rule. 
If the seller indicates I'm bidding against someone for the items, I walk away.
Do not contact me about an item if you already have an interested buyer, because I will just say thank you for thinking of me n congratulate the other party on there win.

Never be pushed into a purchase.
If any kind of a hurry up or you will lose it strategy is employed by a seller.
Politely thank the for thinking of you, then run as fast as you can, holding tightly onto your wallet as you run.

One last thing.
When I'm thinking about buying something, I do not try to go cheap n hope I get it.
I offer what I'm willing to pay.
I know what something is worth to me for various reasons n factors, that's what I offer.
Decline that offer n what you have stays yours or somebody elses.

If I lose something after I offer what it's worth to me, I have no remorse.
Obviously that item is of no use to me at the higher price.

Believe it or not, each of these rules came into being after one scam or another.
I've even had people bitch me out after I refuse to send money up front to someone I've never heard of.
On the other hand, I had a guy who claimed to have worked at the printers for Ralston contact me with a pretty large amount of unused flats.
If ever there was a scam in the making that one bore all the earmarks.
Really cool stuff n lots of it.
We settled on $2.00 per box x 1,000+ boxes.
Reluctantly he said he'd ship.
To my amazement, it was real. I next day expressed his cashiers check.

The moral is sometimes fairytales do come true, but you must follow good business practices with strangers to be safe.
If you lose the buy, you have lost nothing because you can not lose what was never yours to begin with. 

There are a lot of people in the world today that think you are stupid, Don't prove them right.


After Pez Outlaw, I intend to retire.
new profile pic captures my essence





Pez Outlaw Diary


Monday, August 1, 2016

Pez Outlaw, Paradox Redux #pezoutlaw

Please Watch My Emmy Winning Movie, The Pez Outlaw on Amazon Prime & Peacock. 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Best actor at SXSW.

It's My Story.

I write these things now, because when I'm in the middle of what will become the Pez Outlaw Hurricane I'm not sure how sane I will be.
I hope that I will handle everything the way I've been talking about, but is that enough.

I never am quite sure what people are up to when this n that go on in my life.
I can only control what I'm doing.
This comes up because every so often someone from Europe seems to be digging for info on my past life.
I jumped off that bridge almost 2 decades ago, so I just smile n answer politely.
Shoulda or shouldna is history n reduced to a good story.
I would be disappointed though if the motivations were other than honorable.

I don't regret my past but I wouldn't like it if my past was used to hurt someone else.
The reason I don't regret my past or yesterday is that I view every new day as a rebirth.
When I get up each morning yesterday is erased, I use each days rebirth as a new chance to be a better person.
I do not carry yesterday into today, yesterday is almost someone elses life.
That's where my alter ego "Pez Outlaw" comes in, that life was his life n I'm simply his biographer. Life will judge him as it decides.

It would be fare to say that I live in the moment n chronicle my past as a purge.
Should something that happened be hidden? Some would say yes.
Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Just wanted to say that even if it might actually be Hooey.
Truth is I like telling stories n I don't fear my past.
A hidden past is the only way it can cause you shame.
If you openly own your past nobody can use it against you.
I've told more dirt about myself than a gossip columnist.
I prefer that you hear it from me.

Paradox


Recently a visitor to the farm said thank you for your service after I mentioned that I'd been in the military.
I had to tell him that I'm not sure I'm allowed to accept that.
For that matter I've never been sure if I'm allowed to say that I'm even a veteran.

I also wonder about the whole situation now.
I joined the Marine Corps at age 17 and immediately (that very night) shipped out to boot camp.
The Marine Corps method in Boot Camp is to reduce the recruit to a blank slate then reshape you as a Marine.

What happens when this process goes wrong?
A little over a half year later the Navy Doctor diagnosed me as Schizophrenic and I was asked to leave.
No treatment was ever offered and no money to even get home, I had to hitch-hike from the east coast back to Michigan with nothing but the clothes on my back.
I was simply escorted to the front gate with nothing.
A few months later I received a discharge from the service as Medically Undesirable.
I eventually received a General Discharge.

Almost half a century later after sorting myself out without any help (except Kathy), I've begun to question a few things.
Nine months into military service my diagnosed condition manifested, yet no help or consideration was ever offered.
No help of any kind, zero.

Just seems like I got the rough end of the boot for something I never asked for and might very well have been triggered during my military service.
I gotta be honest, I'm not sure that I'm even allowed to say that I'm a veteran.

Your question is most likely.
After 50yrs why is this really on your mind?

Have you ever seen those commercials on the cable channels for VA Home Loans?
At the age of 67 and on social security, I thought what the heck and called the number.
After losing that half million dollars buying pez I was left with $250,000.00 in home and line of credit debt.
Kathy has paid it down to Approx $150,000.00 of combined debt over the last 20yrs.
Well that VA Loan thing to combine the Home Mortgage would be really sweet right about now.

The man was very polite and thanked me for my service?
Followed by the fastest Home Mortgage application known to man.
Wasn't asked to fill out a thing, just a 3 minute conversation, followed by sorry you don't qualify.
And like magic there I stood 50yrs ago at the outside of the Military Gate with nothing once again.

That is precisely why I said, "Am I Allowed To Ask"?

C1. Crazy Is Easy If You Are Motivated, #pezoutlaw...

So the guy says, we'd like to help you promote your book on amazon.
Well there are only 2 really REALLY BIG problems with that.
One I'm poor n two I can't figure out how to format n submit it to Amazon.
I tried n I really sucked.
Made the cover, submitted what I thought was the book????????????
Epic Fail.
A long conversation later n he ran away.
They always do.
Pez Outlaw Diary

I've never sent an email n I will not talk on phones. 
To be honest, I think I'd spontaneously combust the second I did.
facebook n twitter, that's it.

Scratch Offs are Karmic Thermometers.


After Pez Outlaw, I intend to retire.





Pez Corporate Fraud, Pez Color War, Restitution.