Something I don't often do...

**Alan R McDaniel Jr** · 10-27-2022, 09:52 PM

Today I was headed to the ranch and was at the gas station filling up some diesel cans for the tractor... One of the cans still had that irritating little safety ring on the spout so I took out my leatherman and ripped it off.... I evidently put it down somewhere other than its scabbard on my belt and that was that... Of course it wasn't there when I went back 8 hours later...

I'd had that one for about 15 years. The one before that broke and the one before that is in 18' of water out at the lake. Got another one coming in four days....

Still, it's aggravating...

Alan

**crashdive123** · 10-28-2022, 04:17 AM

Bummer........

**Rick** · 10-28-2022, 06:20 AM

It's tough getting old. On the bright side, a little older and you won't even remember having left it. You'll just wonder why you put an empty scabbard on your belt. Sorry for the loss. That is a pain. Hopefully, someone found it that can make use of it and will appreciate it.

**Alan R McDaniel Jr** · 10-28-2022, 07:01 AM

Well, that pair was about done anyway... the pliers were worn, the wire cutter didn't cut, the file was dull, etc, etc... still liked it though. But it was a tool and tolls wear out if you use them... I gotta get a new pouch too.

I like the Original Leatherman. I've got one of the newer models and it's just not the same. Bought another Original on Ebay last night... They're a tad more expensive than they used to be...

Alan

**Rick** · 10-28-2022, 02:06 PM

They were always too pricey for my blood. I own a few Gerbers. They seem to work just fine. I'm sure the Leatherman are the bees knees but I'm just too cheap.

**Alan R McDaniel Jr** · 10-28-2022, 06:24 PM

I like that particular one because it just has relatively plain gadgetry that all fits into a nice sized rectangular box with no irregular corners. Since I use the pliers mostly I can flip it open with one hand while the other hand is going on for dear life. This one I bought is used, and it was $45. If I don’t lose it I’ll get smooth 10-15 years out of it.

Alan

**Rick** · 10-28-2022, 08:08 PM

One hand, huh?

Somewhere in a dark alley....

Give me your money, man (click)
Dude, those are pliers.
Uh, need anything fixed? Aha...

**Alan R McDaniel Jr** · 10-29-2022, 12:17 AM

Yeah? Well just let me get an inch of skin in those pliers and the BG is going to be paying me to let him go... But my dark alley days are over... come to think of it, I never had any dark alley days.... I had some Mexican beer joint days... which were a lot safer than Redneck beer joint days... The Mexicans just cut and shoot each other and leave the token Gringo alone... But the Rednecks think you're one of them...

Alan

**Rick** · 10-29-2022, 07:46 AM

Now that would be a story.

Tell us about that scar grandpa.
I was in this bar and a guy pulled a pair of pliers on me...

**kyratshooter** · 10-29-2022, 08:21 PM

Originally Posted by Alan R McDaniel Jr

Yeah? Well just let me get an inch of skin in those pliers and the BG is going to be paying me to let him go... But my dark alley days are over... come to think of it, I never had any dark alley days.... I had some Mexican beer joint days... which were a lot safer than Redneck beer joint days... The Mexicans just cut and shoot each other and leave the token Gringo alone... But the Rednecks think you're one of them...

Alan

You have yourself a point there Alan. Most folks go along thinking "live and let live" and don't really understand that the southern redneck lives to fight.

They are a mix of Scot-Irish-German that view fighting as part of their culture and they are constantly looking for a reason for a good fight. Something you said will do, or something you didn't say. Politics is always good, even religion. You looked at their woman funny, or maybe you didn't pay her enough attention!

They will fight you as a nation, or as a family, and if there is no one else around the family will fight each other.

I once saw a 10 year old redneck girl stab her uncle with a fork because he poked his finger in her PB&J sandwich, he smacked her and the whole clan erupted in a free for all complete with shooting over the heads of the kids playing in the front yard! No one got shot but two people required stitches from one knife wound and one thrown horseshoe.

Thanksgiving dinners are he!! in the southern mountains!

**crashdive123** · 10-29-2022, 09:21 PM

Two people requiring stitches is a squabble. Three..........now that is a melee.

**Alan R McDaniel Jr** · 10-30-2022, 10:21 PM

I never ventured up into those deep dark hills of KY, but I'm sure the narrow redneck bloodline has tendrils reaching down into Arkansas, North Louisiana and East Texas. My own McDaniel kin came to Texas from Tennessee via Mississippi and Arkansas. My paternal grandfather was fortunate enough to marry a refined lady from Arkansas, which probably saved our family from the type of scene described above!

Alan

**WolfVanZandt** · 10-31-2022, 01:25 PM

Now, I always distinguished between rednecks and hillbillies. I'm a redneck myself...from Florida, Georgia, and Alabama.

There's a story about the VanZandts of Texas (there's a county named after us there). We once decided that we would succeed from the state. When they sent groups down to quell the rebellion, we were nowhere to be found, except, eventually, at Aunt Bessy's, where we had gathered for a family reunion.

When they asked us about the rebellion, we laughed and said that we decided to have a party instead. "Sorry, guys.".

**WolfVanZandt** · 10-31-2022, 01:31 PM

The Oklahoma VanZandts, my more proximate kin, were associated with the Younger Gang. My great-grandfather was named Jesse James VanZandt. He was a lawyer. You can be a lawyer and a redneck at the same time, as long as you're not a revenuer.

**crashdive123** · 10-31-2022, 09:04 PM

Any relation to the Van Zants of Orange Park (of Lynard Skynard fame).

**WolfVanZandt** · 11-01-2022, 01:26 PM

My understanding is that there's only two VanZandt families. One's French and the other's German. We're both from the German so I assume "yes", distantly. We're perfectly willing to claim them, anyway.

**WolfVanZandt** · 11-01-2022, 01:31 PM

When Ronny died in the plane crash, my brother Ronny was in the Air Force in Washington State. We got a lot of consolation cards...even from our church. My mother was beside herself. I thought it was hilarious (not the plane crash...the cards).