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Between here and Denver...

US 50 Lamar
Existing Conditions: (blo sno)(icy)(snpk)
Restrictions in Place: CLOSED US 287 between Lamar - Limon. Also US 385 between Lamar - US 36. Also CO 196 near McClave. Blizzard conditions.
Comments: CLOSED US 287 between Lamar - Limon. Also US 385 between Lamar - US 36. Also CO 196 near McClave. Blizzard conditions.

And if ya make it past Lamar?.....

I-70 Limon
Existing Conditions: (blo sno)(sno)(slush)(icy) Restrictions in Place: CLOSED Comments: CLOSED

But where I am?......

Currently At 5:31PM
46°F
Winds: WNWat 16mph
Partly Cloudy
Humidity: 50%Dew Point: 28° F
Pressure: N/AVisibility: 10 Miles

So it looks like we'll be sticking around here just a bit longer.
Maybe read some in my book, watch a movie, rest a bit more, may even play some online checkers at yahoo games. Still a chance we'll be home the 25th.

"HI THERE, I'M GLAD I'M NOT IN DENVER TODAY"

That is what "the trucking Bozo" said at the top of his show today on XM radio channel 171. Being enroute to Denver from Houston, the satellite messages and satellite radio, and wireless aircard made it crystal clear that I wasn't going to be in Denver either.

They closed all the interstates leading into Colorado, and by afternoon....they closed the Denver Airport. They announced that even the UPS trucks were turned back to the hub. A full blown blizzard was wreaking havoc there. The Accuweather.com weather map showed (and currently still shows) this massive snow storm system just spinning over a big chunk of Colorado, coming around again and again.

So, not being much interested in getting mixed up in all that, we'll just wait this one out down here in Texas...maybe take another look at the radar screen when the sun comes up.

Ended up not getting much rest last night down in Houston, after about 14 or 15 times having hookers or drug dealers or beggars knocking on the door selling everything from pirated porn dvd's, crack cocaine, women, you name it...we finally just left that nice cozy spot and parked on a city street. Sheesh. So ..."HI THERE, I'M GLAD I'M NOT IN HOUSTON TODAY" is a much more meaningful thing to say.

Christmas time is upon us and its not looking like we'll get home in time. Makes me mindful of our soldiers that are spending their holidays away from home in Iraq reducing the number of terrorists that will be headed for our shores as soon as we quit fighting them over there. When Japan attacked the USA at Pearl Harbor...the next years were followed by a massive deployment of our brave armed services until there just wasn't anybody wanting to fight us anymore.

Now I know there are alot of people who do not realize how completely necessary our current war is, but when the attack on the twin towers, the pentagon, etc...took all those American civilian lives...do people really think the terrorist network just folded up their hands in joy and said "it is finished" we have no further need to attack the USA, its a done deal? Their war on us did not END with 9/11...we just moved it to their turf, just like in the days of Pearl Harbor.

What really concerns me is that instead of realizing how critically important it is that we obliterate any of those crazy suicidal maniacs, there are way too many Americans thinking this is like Vietnam and that we're dealing in matters that don't concern us.

These are the Americans that do not understand that the twin tower attack was intended to be the first of MANY attacks (actually it wasn't even the "first"), The enemy had declared war on us and was determined to fight us on our homeland. I'm thankful to God that we didn't sit around and keep getting attacked here. I'm thankful to those soldiers who are risking their lives to get the job done over THERE.

It appears though that a time may come very soon when those who think this war is "Iraq's problem" will take charge of and change things up, bringing the war to our own country again instead of destroying it over there. So while the popular news thrust is "oh my gosh, the president wants to send MORE troops?!"...Personally I think we need to quadruple our armed forces, Send at least 750,000 additional troops, wipe em out, clean it up, and come home. Why so many? Because, if Syria or Iran is where the insurgent terrorists are coming from...those two countries would look like the twin towers on 9/12. Somehow someway it would be wonderful if the media brainwashed Americans in this country could see what our President sees and help us end this once and for all.

Do you need to post a comment disagreeing? Be a waste of time, I already realize there are many brainwashed Americans that just flat don't understand why it is REALLY necessary. You'd just be adding your name to that list.

Besides, as you can tell from the lack of political rampages in my previous blogs...I hate political discussions, and this really isn't about politics. Its about me wishing our soldiers knew that at least some of us back home UNDERSTAND how vitally important their mission is, some of us understand what a heroic sacrifice and MEANINGFUL sacrifice they are making. So while its a bit annoying to me that I won't make it home for Christmas this year...there are some who won't make it home for Christmas ever again, so that I have a home to go to...and I can't thank them enough.

Thats how I feel about it, and this IS MY blog.

EXCELLENT FAJITA'S

Sitting down here in an industrial part of town in Houston, Mexas...or was that Texas...isn't one of those "dreamed of" opportunities people go thru life hoping to fulfill. BUT....there is a Shell gas station at the corner of Mesa and McCarty in Houston that has the most AWESOME beef fajita's in the entire United States...at least as far as my very travelled near half century can tell. So this day is EXCITING for that reason, WOW! Amazing ! Whats the name of the place? As far as can be seen from outside or in...there is no name. It's just a bit of a diner built into the convenience store part of the gas station. Now with ever changing times, don't come here 6 years from now and say..HEY, YUCK!...but if you come today....WOW!

That winter storm coming into Colorado was like a dog chasing me and biting my britches as I jumped the fence. Just barely got a piece of cloth. So in the morning about 9am when we head back that way, hmmm. That dog will probably be at the gate watching, waiting, barking, growling. Joy joy joy...but as for today, Right NOW...YUMMY!! That is great food.

Old folks tend to engage in conversations from time to time about what is wrong with kids nowadays. This gentleman I spoke with today agreed with me that one of the Greatest problems is that our society and our laws have changed to such a degree that kids can't WORK. By the time a kid turns 13 they need to KNOW the ever so sweet joy of laying the head down on a pillow after a very hard working day.

Mowing yards, carrying out trash, hauling hay, sweeping sidewalks, scrubbing bathrooms, raking leaves, washing cars, building things, fixing things, painting things...

Versus...ipods, playstations, xbox's, television, gameboys.

To love life...LIFE...(filled with simple pleasures, monumental pleasures, annoyances, MAJOR annoyances, joys, pains)...it is critical to be able to know the pure simple EXCITING joy, of finishing up an 18 hour workday with the absolute best beef fajita in the entire USAMEX.

Merry Christmas and The many things in my head

Winter storms heading towards Denver, so the "ideal" driving conditions should soon be coming to an end...a little too soon, since we'll be bouncing back and forth from Denver to Houston for the rest of the week. Thats what the weather man says, and sometimes they are right...so its possible. But being the eternal optimist, maybe it will miss us each time.

Sitting here waiting for the pharmacy to open so mrs. Beans can get the needed refills, with about 5 more hours of free time before heading for Houston. Watching Season 2 of the original star trek on DVD (my birthday present), has been fun. Sure the special effects and stage props from that day seem almost corny nowadays but watching the episodes again after all these years, takes my mind back to when that stuff looked pretty cool.

Last report was 24 degrees Farenheit outside, so its pleasantly nippy...as long as people have coats. I feel very blessed to have good winter clothing, and I'm mindful that there are many who do not have.

Heard a good Bible study this morning on television, talking about the time in Genesis 6 when the hearts of man had become so intent on evil in every form imaginable, and how it grieved (brought heavy pain to) God's heart. Then it was related to the part in the new Testament when Jesus was born that the angels burst forth in great excitement and praise over the peace being established between God and man, and God's goodwill towards man. What a tremendous unmatchable thing happened that day, and we are unable to grasp the extreme significance of it all.

Having children, and watching other parents of children...I can understand at times the heavy heart, the pain, when the children turn their backs on the things they are told for their own good...ignoring and plodding along to their own heartaches and agony that we try to spare them. Some parents have suffered the heartache of "losing a child" completely (except physically), and some have known the indescribable joy of their return, the "peace on earth" the angels proclaimed at Jesus birth was talking about that peace, that peace between God and man, that peace of a mended breach, that peace of seeing the prodigal son coming up the road, over the bridge the parent built. The lifting of the heaviness of God's heart.

So people can say all the politically correct "season greetings" they want, but as for me, its Merry Christmas. Without that whole redemption process welcomed into the world at the birth of Christ...the earth, and especially my own self, would be irreparably distanced from the AWESOME spiritual eternal life God designed us to inherit.

My mind turns to Christmas and the week off at home, and time with the youngens, and time with enjoyable projects. The plan is by this time next week, thats where we'll be. Mrs. Beans will be back putting out corn for the squirrels on the feeder she made, and watching for the neighbor dogs that come to visit...bringing her a bit of comfort until we can get a more homebound lifestyle so she can have her own. She will probably be persuading me to hang another cabinet in the kitchen, or fix the downstairs toilet, or... .

I'm still thinking on where to build the roads, the beautiful landscaped walking path I want to build around the property, the septic tank install and leachfield versus lagoon for an added house or two. The new fence to build around the yard to take in a bigger chunk to double or triple the yard size. The privacy fenced work area for the mowers and outdoor less sightly stuff. The campfire area with benches around it. The freestanding porch like swing I want down by the pond. Still working out a design for a more efficient incinerator for household garbage...to burn hotter, and to pipe the smoke up and away from ground level, and ways of filtering the smoke.

My heart and mind are always thinking on, and feeling the concerns over Sam's legal trouble at this very start of his life. Wondering in this "dang em and hang em" age we live in if they'll consider the life of the young man, and give him an opportunity to start fresh, go in the service, develop character and discipline, and launch out into life...or if they'll take a young, honors student, who partied with the wrong crowd, and establish him for the rest of his life as a felon, thereby permanently closing doors.

My heart and mind are always thinking on Wolf, and what a horrible struggle with alcoholism he has faced and is facing. I feel the heartache knowing he is being ripped away from me and his physical and mental and emotional life is continually being destroyed, some parts already permanently destroyed, history that can't be relived. It is so hard , so hard to understand what a demon that takes control in an alcoholic. They can't ever enjoy a beer now and then, or a margarita with a meal with out that little bit of alcohol reviving, feeding, doing cpr on the demon...and it radically becomes everything they want and need and go for in life...changing them into completely selfish minded, self absorbed, self destruction. They see it, know it, hate it, want it different...but as if demon possessed, reach for another shot. For those of us who don't have that demon, we scream out "WHY WHY WHY can't you just SEE what its done and doing and how it is in NO WAY worth whatever mental or physical feeling it brings"...thats the kicker...they do see it, they do know it, they can even curse the wicked stuff, and they'll talk to you about it as they drink yet another glass.

My mind and heart think often of my youngest little darling, how much I miss being a part of her everyday life. I think on how to spend time with her in the most meaningful way, how to teach her about God, about love, about strength, about humility, and guide her as best I can with the limited time I have with her. Everyday she is in my heart, my thoughts. I crave time to read to her, walk with her, hold her hand, show her the wonders of God's creation. I still remember when I asked her this last time "while I'm gone and you're away going to school, and playing, what kind of things do you think about?" She said..."I think about you, because I love you daddy". Yeah, tears found their way out of the eyelids. I think about when I gave her a bucket to gather acorns, and while she ran here and there I asked her...."What is the most fun thing you do or have ever done in your life?" She said "Easter Egging" (referring to when we hid and rehid and rehid eggs last Easter)and then she added..."and right now". Wow.

When we get to Houston tomorrow around noon, and begin a 20 hour wait till we head back...I'll check the weather again to see which is the path of least resistance to return...By the time we leave Houston Wednesday morning we'll likely run into the weather before reaching Denver Thursday morning and deal with it again when we leave out Thursday afternoon. But maybe when we leave Houston Saturday morning with our last run of the year before heading home...it will all be smooth. But it will still be Christmas day before we're home most likely.

Wonder if I'll be able to get that Honda trail 70 I bought, running. Heck, wonder if I'll be able to get that pickup to start, maybe its just out of gas. Chocolate pie, It may be my cousin V's birthday this very day...and I should be thinking giving thoughts about her...but I find myself thinking she's going to get to the chocolate pie before I do, and thats not good.

An everyday day slowly begins....

The snooze bar took a few hits but finally seemed to be confused as to why the original wake-up time was selected if it was going to be so horribly delayed, so by 3am it was time to just shut the whole thing off and get up.

Button up shirts can be an amusing challenge, a good way to put the mind into "patience" mode at the very start of the day...as strong, thick, aging fingers struggle not only with coordinating tiny buttons into tiny holes...but another part of the brain has to wake up to use the correct button for the correct hole. It really doesn't seem to matter if it is dark or light at this point, since the eyes seem to know this can be done by "feel" so they are seemingly still hitting their own little internal snooze bar...or getting all their little neurons prepped and ready for when there is a real need for them...but not for something as mundane as buttoning a shirt, that is unless the thumbs and fingers for some reason just flat can't seem to get it done...which does on occasion happen, then the eyes draw the matter into focus to give supervisory support to getting the shirt buttoned up and buttoned right.

Ahhh...then its time to slide into the already-loaded overalls, and slip on the already tied New Balance 857's (a very good shoe in case an opinion is wanted)...wiggle the foot around a bit to make sure the custom made orthotic from the podiatrist is sitting just right under that spot that was SUPPOSED to have an arch but just never has had. Ahhh...yes, all is well.

A swig of water from a gallon jug, then another and another...the day has begun...with time to spare before the first "haf-to", good. High speed internet thru the Sprint pcs card while in Houston...excellent, maybe that article dealing with phantosmia that has been flaring up for a few years and keeps flaring up can be researched a bit further. Wow, that proved interesting.

4 am, still early, but a good time to fuel, not too busy. The tanks only took 97 gallon so it wasn't urgently needed but this IS Houston afterall so the relative peacefulness of 4am is a cherished time for getting stuff done.

Just think...a few days ago the schedule was setup to spend downtime in the suburbs of Denver, and just a quick 4 hour delay on the turn around in Houston...then with the blink of a satellite, everything changes and the 20 hours every 2 days downtime the next couple weeks gets to be enjoyed in the heart of Hades (..oops maybe that should have been "Houston" but the correctoribbon on this typewriter is used up). No no no DON'T "just think" about that...banish that negative thought...oh look there...some of that thin sliced Rubschlager sourdough bread from the deli is left, eat a couple slices...yeah, even though it might weaken the 100mcg of levothyroxine thats supposed to have the stomach all to itself for a half hour or so...go ahead...eat, there, all that icky negative thinking gone? Good, too early for that.

We should be ready for take off in a couple more hours...thats much more pleasant than "28 hours in Houston!!" The woman that approached last night offering "some company" looked like she was in her later 40's, mostly latino bloodline, dressed like a "mom" in fact looked like she could have just come from a PTA meeting...not the usual profile.

She handled the polite rejection well and quickly disappeared. Its always more "dignified" when they just withdraw and vanish without protest or vain attempts at "not take no for an answer" salesmanship. No doubt they are probably quite use to a reaction of judgement or abhorment , and are quite armored against letting that in, but when they are turned away with gentle words spoken as gently as if mr. rogers had said them himself, and eye contact that reveals a compassionate appraisal of their worth as a human...they seem to let down the guard for a moment ...a split second, as if somewhere deep inside they feel valued-loved-at peace ...then equally as abrupt, the mask comes back up and they continue their guarded life, searching for a paying customer.

Winter time officially begins soon doesn't it? The sun seems to sleep in late. Almost 7am and with the sun not visible in the sky, its almost as if the world is finding some other source of light. But alas, just because we can't "see" the sun...doesn't mean its not there. Nor does it mean we created the light ourselves, nor does it mean the light is in fact from another source...its still the same old sun, just not in our horizon of view yet. Then DARKNESS swooshes in like a whirlwind EARLY in the afternoon.

In a couple hours the sun will be up and hundreds of thousands of people around here will be hurrying to-and-fro. Surely by 9am, the flags will wave, the chute will open, and the one-stop flight to Denver will begin...but meanwhile, a tasty slice of balogna on that sourdough bread sure sounds like a good breakfast. Either that or a healthy bowl of oatmeal... decisions ,decisions.

What I like about Getting Older

Got any memories from time spent with loved ones who have already passed on? Precious memories have been added to my treasure chest thru the years. Looking at a family tree is even more enhanced when there are little storys and snapshots that reveal the ancestors character or heart. Its very enjoyable to recall moments spent with loved ones, or to hear others tell stories that really "capture" the personality.

Experiences in life, ...the good, the bad, the ugly...all help me to understand more deeply things people have said or done. Life gets richer and richer as days go by. I hear people talking and sometimes can really "feel" what they are "feeling". Sometimes I can see what they are enduring or enjoying and from experience...I can know what other doors are opening or closing in their lives.

Thats what I enjoy about Bible study or hearing sermons...as my experiences in life increase I can realize more and more the heart of God in things in the Word. Like when God said "these people honor me with their lips but their heart is far from me". Can't you feel the pain in that? There was formality of love, an outward definition, but the heart just not in it...and He saw that, felt that. Understanding the heart of loved ones is special, but understanding the heart of God is rich beyond measure.

So as I age, as I live, love, triumph, suffer, enjoy, fail, succeed, hurt, laugh...thru my life and thru sharing in the lives of others...I learn. And when I think on things God has spoken, I understand more empathatically who He is. How much He loves us. How awesome His forgiveness is.

Thats what great about getting old. Thats what makes all the aches and pains and putupwiths of age worth enduring. Its more time to know God, its more time to know people. Experiences, feelings, and reflections on things said but with greater and greater insight. I would want my epitath to simply read "Lover of God". But if I live long enough, hopefully that would be obvious in my personality and not just in my thoughts and heart.

A FOOT OF SNOW

Well, here in Bolingbrook Il. ("chicago") and further north towards Schaumburg (the next stop on the list today)...its snowing like I haven't seen in a long time...the news is calling for over 12 inches in some of the areas. Lots of crazy accidents all over the place. I don't think some people know how to allow for black ice. (especially when its hiding under the snow).

Once we get out of Chicago, we head for North Reading, MA. ..yeah..that means the storm will be a pest to deal with back thru Indiana and Ohio, and probably Pennsyl. too. Have we really only been back out on the road 2 days? We ended up leaving out Wednesday morning about 3am...so yeah, that must be right..but why does it feel like longer? We've only been 2300 miles since then.

Been enjoying lots of thinking time, I've always enjoyed thinking time. So far looks like we've missed that evil 3 - 4 day EJECT virus...(thats the name i've chosen for it). It would be fine to continue to miss that meanie.

Going to go chart my way to North Reading now, hope its a great day for all.

Back to Work

Thanksgiving behind us. Hopefully the "busiest shopping day of the year"..also, done. Has anyone updated to the new blogger thing they keep pushing on login?

Had a good visit with the 2 Texas boys, and the Little Blondie, Didn't get to visit much with the Energizer Bunny or the Jindian, or even Sam...but a little bit with all. The 4 weeks out seemed forever, the 5 days off just flew though. I'm still finding life has too many things I want to enjoy and just not enough time to do much but a sample of this and that.

While I'm still working thru the book I HIGHLY recommend to all... 9 Things You Simply Must Do . But I've also started in on a new purchase, "The New Create an Oasis with Greywater"...choosing, building, and using greywater systems includes branched drains. I need this, not just for developing a site for rentals but also to improve how our house functions. Especially looking forward to adding a dishwasher but not running the drain to the septic.

Anyhow, just an update. About to hit the road again in a few hours and enjoying whats left of the year between now and Christmas. Hopefully will send more from the road.

Time to go home!

Waiting, waiting, waiting....stumbled across a blogsite where a guy was taking lots of "ordinary" pictures in England that he calls funkypancake . Alot of the pictures are framed crooked or diagonal or ? but after looking thru the page of pics I felt like I had been on a mini excursion to England.

Meanwhile, we were supposed to be able to finish up and be home by now, but we got delayed in Dallas and will likely sit here till well past midnight before we can finish up and head home . Really looking forward to Thanksgiving, visiting, and being home.

Moments in Life

Passing thru Wyoming, alas still on I80 but not Pennsylvania this time.

As you can see from this picture, there is alot of time to think...and listen to the xm radio. This morning as miles rolled by and channel 171 "open road" was on, I was listening to Marcia Campbell, and she asked "what do you call a male turkey, a female turkey, a baby turkey"...and her phone started ringing with guesses.

This one guy that called in was so loaded with obvious "into it" excitement as he described how he sprang into action using speed dial to call his brother the game warden. As he proudly explained about his having speed dial set up on his cell phone, and how his brother had speed dial too, and Marcia was amused asking him "did you wake him up to ask him?" " Oh No, he was eating breakfast..." and the call went on.

What was CRYSTAL clear to me was the amount of concentration and excitement in the guys voice, like a kid eagerly set out to do a job he's proud to do...I can see him adjusting the volume on his radio as the program begins, listening intently and enjoying the program and hearing the question ..he lights up, Yeah! and he's involved. For the moments that follow, and minutes that follow, this guys got some zest and purpose and interest and excitement...and he's driving his truck and talking to his brother with enthusiasm and calling the radio station and waiting , hoping to get thru. He's got the answer.

Ahhh...I love watching other people enjoy moments in life, simply, sometimes in quite puzzling ways... To think that somewhere this very morning, somebody was angry or irritated or lost or confused or even sleeping...totally unaware that there was sheer excitement to be had.

Life is cool. Keep it simple, keep it within the moment.

A LOUD BRAIN BUT QUIET BLOG

As K pointed out in his comments...this blog has been too quiet. (And the cookie sneaking would have been quiet if it weren't for the dang coffee pot burning my bare chest when I reached by it in the dark). My brain has been busy, its been noisy in there even, but just not much finished prose conducive thought...just processing day to day stuff. If anything profound did come thru, it left before I could write it down so...it did me no bloggable good.

Haven't even been taking pictures these past couple weeks because the trip has been between New Jersey and Ohio pretty much back and forth back and forth, ...but alas finally in Cedar Rapids for a few hours till the next load begins...hmmm...the place it destinates (if that isn't a word it should be)...let me guess, WOW...NEW JERSEY!! Cool, that will provide a chance to see...hmmm PENNSYLAVANIA...where we've spent the majority of the past couple weeks..). Ahhh...well, its a living and each day is interesting for some reason or another.

So you can hear moments from my brain, recorded like a snapshot...This, in "that" sense, is a picture for ya...

{*BRAIN PHOTOS BEGIN HERE*}
Wow, that dang caution sign blinking so bright it blinded me in spots, too bright to read, probably said CAUTION BRIGHT BLINKING LIGHTS...trip meter says 453 miles done, hmm thats 368 remaining, fuel level? 7/8, probably got about 150 gallons left/900 miles, so no need to stop. There aren't any good fuel stops at the end of the trip though? ahh, will still have plenty even there. ok. Road conditions pretty good so far, probably average 60-65 so maybe 6 hours to destinate...what time is it now? 6am central, so should be there around noon ...well, 1pm eastern. Good..thats earlier than appointment, and still within a legal log, (checking speed, tach, gear position, air pressure, oil pressure, water temp....study on the mirrors a bit to figure out whats "incoming" from a ways back)

Don't see any signs of troublesome wind in the trees, grass, sky. Maybe a little from the north, not enough to need reaction. XM radio showing "landline now" coming on, put out by OOIDA...a chance to catch up on what new rules and regulations are being considered or contested...and any new state laws that I may have to comply with.

Dang, that Notre Dame game sure stirred up alot of traffic!! Thats over 100 cars per minute passing me the other way...and its been that way for about half an hour. Check odometer...31,004 seems like alot for 6 weeks driving...just got it serviced its first time. The mechanic didn't seem too thrilled with his career choice, or his existence, alot of people like that. I hope them 5 kids of ours all find "true success" as grandpa Jack defined being in a job and getting paid for something that he'd be doing for free if he retired.

Ahhh man, thats funny/tacky...some guy just called into the radio and dedicated the song "hang down your head tom dooly"...to Sadam Hussein. Wonder if they'll actually ever hang him? Woah..stay still ya big buck..sure been alot of deer on the shoulders lately, and alot of roadkill deer. Thats the first buck i've seen though...in a very long time.
I like those deerstands built on 4 posts...need to build one of those at the ranch for the grandkids to use as a treehouse...

HAHAHA that guy is ornery. Sun isn't up very high now, and as he passes I can see that his wife(?) is sleeping in the passenger seat, but he...is motioning for me to pull the air horn!! Not gonna do it buster brown, you wanta wake her up, YOU do it, and don't have me to blame...LOL.

Some of the trees are naked already. Some still boasting with fall color but losing pizazz. God didn't create this world using the fad of our century "mass production"....each piece is unique...Quite artistic our Creator is! LOL...guy on the radio just said "my wife drives 75% of the time actually, ...i just sit there with my hands on the wheel"...

By the time Thanksgiving gets here , we'll have been out 4 weeks, sure looking forward to that time, may even take a vacation week.

There K ! (now you know what "leave sleeping dogs lay" means )( ps. you oughta come thanksgiving so we can have a christmas holiday early, much more fun than end of the year).

PARKING IT

SOMETIMES, when its raining and ALL the lanes of traffic are at a dead stop...there is a picture to be taken, a pause to appreciate that exact moment in time, a situation you can do absolutely nothing about but wait.


So you lay aside from your mind the pressing deadlines, the mad rush, the frantic pace, the expectations of others, and you turn off the engine, and just look around. Sure I could wax elephant with a lofty life application of this, but I figure if you're sharp enough that you'd "get it"...you done "got it".

Meanwhile, we're "PARKING IT" in "Dodge" for the next few days, and resting from a hard paced 16 days that feels like 2 months worth. And believe you me we're going to be enjoying the pause.

But alas, with no such hi tech conveniences at the ranch as cable or internet or even good cellular connection...the blog will probably be as silent as when we're busy. What a beautiful life life can be.

Not Till the Safety Net is GONE

When a child turns 18 and moves out on their own and then gets in legal trouble..DO NOT bail them out of jail...its more important to them than anything you can teach them...obviously they are not much impacted by your teaching anyway.

Should they quit work and go to rehab? Scripture says if a man won't work neither let him eat, and a man that doesn't provide for his own (including himself) is WORSE than an infidel.

Should they move back in? No way! The mother of invention may be necessity, but so is the path to growth, independence, and the cause for change.

If your grown kid needs to relocate to start afresh, get em a bus ticket and send them with a weeks worth of food. They can live on the street till they find work (they'll be highly motivated) then they can rent an apartment as soon as they are able. Think after that they'll screw up their job or circumstance with a return to drugs and crime? LOL...thats funny. If they are that foolish then hey, there is their housing problem...


I suggest kids go into the service and learn about discipline and money management and the power of government that way, but if that isn't possible...then they need to work, rent, eat..all on their own doings.

Are you "giving up on them" by expecting them to work and provide for themselves and refusing to be their safety net , and refusing to bond them out? Quite the contrary, you're not giving up on them...you are empowering them, they will quickly learn that life..is up to them.

Kinda like Being First to Cast the Stone?

Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.'

Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!'So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.'

And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 'Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses."

Deep Thought question...What were the feelings within the "wicked servant" at the moment he saw his own debtors on their knees pleading with him?

Western Pennsylvania on I-70

The mix of modern and the past. An old barn with the much more recent round hay bales. Trees are changing a bit more every day towards the momentary beauty right before they lose all their leaves. There were even Canadian geese heading South already. The birds pass over Pennsylvania each fall, some traveling by day others at night.

They are following long established migratory highways to their wintering grounds -- an ancient rite of autumn that will be reversed in spring.

Fall is rocking and rolling in the northeast...today the highways were very very congested with people of all ages travelling all varieties of directions. The more weekend spirit some of them had, the more snake like their path took...a few of them were getting the silver bracelet award by the time I saw them. Others slipped thru the cracks...for now. All in all it was a quiet day with alot of good clear skies for a change. At this moment I'm 18 miles from the statue of Liberty...but alas...headed in the other direction. Deep Sigh. Aint that "just the way it goes sometimes".

Fall is in the Air in West Virginia

Was a rainy morning but got a couple window shots of the changing trees in the mountains of west virginia East bound on I64. Naturally there were many more beautiful shots to be had, but these catch the spirit.

We finished up in Virginia and New Jersey...and are now headed to Indianapolis then back to New Jersey then West again to Wisconsin...so it will be a busy weekend and I won't get the chance to post all I wish.

Got a chance last weekend to enjoy a little time at home, but alas...being tired caught up with me...

A VERY FRUSTRATING SIGN

Don't you just HATE these signs? You KNOW you need to go straight like the tempting arrow points..and yet you hang a left. And when you explain to your wife that you DID hear her say that you were supposed to go straight, but that the sign said NO. You Turn. Takes an extra couple of blocks to get where you want to go.

Things to do while parked

You know those times when you travel and there is no rest area in sight but your bladder just doesn't care? Well, if you pull over and park beside one of these No Peeing signs, you'd have to just hold it. I'm not sure why some areas have these signs more abundantly than others...I suppose too many people stop there and the place is getting an odor..or maybe there are complaining neighbors within eyeshot that you may not even notice. In either case, if you're going to park and nap next to one of these be sure you go somewhere else to relieve your bladder or you might get a citation.
Sometimes...officers will run you off even for parking next to one of these, guess they don't trust that you're not going to step out at some point and take care of business.

Almost Done With a Rough Week

Traveling thru Tennessee on I24 before getting into Georgia, is full of beauty. This pic was taken at about 65 or 70 mph, I didn't have a chance to "stop and shop" to get the best shots...but just gives you a glimpse of the beauty. There is a beautiful lake on both sides, with mountains all around. One of these days I may rework this pic and others I took using photo shop to get them cleaned up a bit, but this is a blog not a gallery so it will do for now. This place is Especially pretty in the early dawn or late evening hours with the sun beyond the ridges but still light. Definitely in the top 20 "most beautiful drives" I've encountered.

We'll be leaving Atlanta shortly (never soon enough for me...sorry Atlanta but I find you an awful place to be) enroute to Charlotte NC, then Asheville...a land with a couple years of my childhood stored in its history...then on up into Kentucky, and zip back down to Ft. Smith Arkansas area tomorrow night.

Still waiting to hear whether Sam will be sleeping in his own bed tonight, or still sleeping on the floor of the overcrowded and condemned jail with sewage backing up into the floor...awaiting his trial. (by "awaiting trial" we're thus describing conditions people go thru while considered innocent) We're not yet as bad as Turkish legal systems but we're headed there at 87mph.

This has been a rough year, and an especially rough week, so we're very much looking forward to piddling around the house this weekend!! Sorry about the bug splats on the windshield. Even though they were brave bugs, I bet they don't have the guts to do it again.

Thats just not fair

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the labourers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place; and to them he said, `You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing; and he said to them, `Why do you stand here idle all day?' They said to him, `Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, `You go into the vineyard too.' And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, `Call the labourers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder, saying, `These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' But he replied to one of them, `Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?' So the last will be first, and the first last." Matthew 20: 1-16

After K's excellent point about its not personal I thought that I might share another attitude issue/thought that can be helpful. All thru my life, I've seen things that just were not fair. Now I know the common answer...WHOEVER SAID you are "entitled" to FAIR? But that thought doesn't help much does it?

Now plenty of horrible things have happened to people much better than us, but we tend NOT to cry "unfair that that didn't happen to me instead" ...but thats not really my point. I'm thinking about situations where you work/play right along side someone else and they get treated much better and given much cooler benefits and its not because they rightfully deserve superior treatment. In fact when it comes to what is deserved, YOU or I might actually deserve the premium benefit. THAT is the "unfair" I'm talking about.

Good example. Out on I40 coming into California, theres a very long stretch of nothing but straight boring road. A 16year old who just got their license the day before can legally drive 70mph on that road. Passing by the commercial truck driver who has millions of miles of experience in all seasons and terrains, but who is restricted to 55mph. (the picture I included is actually from Michigan...seems dumbness in legislatures is spreading like the plague) Keep in mind its a divided 4 lane interstate, and there is nothing built into the equation to make it less safe for the commercial driver...its the law (voted in of course by the resident car driver, the visiting commercial driver having no vote in the matter). So there the new driver out for a pleasure cruise zooms by at 70 and the trained, experienced, working commercial driver on a tight schedule is limited to 55.

Have you ever worked right along side people who get away with things you we're just not allowed to do, or given the cool assignments you deserved but are never considered for? I've seen this in a variety of jobs. And it may have nothing to do with our merits. At times a person can simply write it off like.."well thats the coaches kid", or the "owners kid", etc.., but sometimes its just not "write offable" and it stings and thats that.

When this happens you can dwell on what "they" are getting...and something you might otherwise be enjoying... becomes annoying and irritating and just eats away at you. The other choice brings much greater happiness though...its the choice I learned from the scripture cited above. I always think of that when I feel things are not fair.

Did you agree to do the job you're doing for the wage the employers paying? That other person's priviledged life has nothing to do with your own. Either your benefits and work is acceptable and enjoyable or it is not...don't let somebody else's life and priviledges distract you from your happiness. If the wage and work is acceptable...do it heartily and laugh often. Ya spend your life looking over your shoulder to see what someone else is getting, you indeed lose out.

ELK RIDGE LANDING

A picture I shot a few minutes ago looking directly overhead...quite a bit different than what would have been seen in this very spot some time back...a place once called Elk Ridge Landing....

Well, thats what it was called over 200 years ago. There was a settlement here before the declaration of independence. And here I am waiting on the sun to rise in what is now called Elkridge, Maryland. If you looked for it on the map you'd probably just consider it a suburb of Baltimore, but it actually has a history all its own.

Interesting place, like always I wish I had time to just kickabout the streets...especially in the older parts of town . Reading the history of it makes it possible to kind of go back in time, the days of dirt roads or cobble stone streets, and watch the tobacco farmer...relieved that the crop has come in, headed towards the landing with his crop, maybe even sense the leariness he might be feeling as he mulls over what his neighbor told him about the way the buyers cut the price back on what they had hoped for. Then as he thinks about the port in England where his crop will be unloaded...a wisp of nostalgia sweeps over him, he remembers working on the docks in England as a young boy, never would he have dreamed he would some day be in this place shipping tobacco there..."my my how the times have changed".

Elk Ridge Landing referred to the shipping docks and concentrations of population alongthe Patapsco River (navigable into the 1800's).
Planters brought their tobacco "hogsheads" (large barrels weighing as much as 900 pounds when filled) to the "Elk Ridge" landing to load them aboard large sea vessels bound for England. The farmer would pack his crop into the hogshead and roll them with the help of mules or oxen to the wharves at the landing.

Second in importance to tobacco at Elk Ridge was the iron industry. When Captain John Smith first ventured up the Chesapeake Bay and the Patapsco River in 1608, he noted the red clay in the hills along the river. The colonial province's assembly passed an act in 1719 to encourage iron manufacturing.

Caleb Dorsey began to mine ore along the Patapsco and was owner of Elk Ridge Furnace established in 1750. He helped establish the port of Elk Ridge to ship his products to England.With this, Elk Ridge Landing became second only to Annapolis among Anne Arundel County seaports in the mid-1700's.

The iron industry declined by the mid-1800's due to an inconsistency in U.S. tariffs and competition abroad. After the iron works closed, the land along Deep Run spawned a grove of willows, which later provided a resource for another industry. The willow canes were harvested and woven into baskets in the early 1900's.

As the population grew along the river and its tributaries -distributing soil to farm and build homes and communities- the rivers began to silt. The river's silt combined with the decline of iron and tobacco shipping, finally closed the port. Elk Ridge Landing became simply -Elkridge.

A few homes in Elkridge remain standing that date back to the 1700s, but most were constructed during the early 1900s on up to today.

The Thomas Viaduct, located over Levering Avenue at the entrance to the Patapsco State Park, is the oldest stone curved bridge in the world. Built in 1833, its architect was Benjamin Latrobe, Jr. The B&O first used horse-drawn coaches in relays, hence Relay Station was added. The Viaduct also carried the Tom Thumb and the first telegraph message from Washington, D.C. stating: "what has God wrought?" was wired across.

(For more history and references click on this Wikipedia link )

The Atlantic Ocean

This is a shot of the Atlantic Ocean from the window as we went over the Chesapeake Bridge. (Its now my background on my computer and its beautiful). I took this one for Marbella since she finds peace in the ocean view.

Its loading very very very slowly as I'm waiting here in Macon Illinois. We're headed to Edwardsville Il. next, (north side of St. Louis), then down to Alabama for an appointment around 3am then back up to Iowa for Sunday.

Heres one, not the best shot, but shows the bridge curving and ending...as it becomes a tunnel at that point, and you can see it come up and continue as a bridge. Kind of weird seeing the bridge end in the ocean. Maybe more journey photo's later...they take a long time to load, the connection isn't strong here. Be Safe ,Happy and Good.

Imagine waiting at a 4 hour red light!

This is the morning view. See how one light is green? The trailer to the left is empty, ready to be picked up..but the yellowish light (its actually red...(the redeye on my camera must work a little too good)...means that trailer is not done yet.

When the light turns green you can hook back up to your trailer and go in and get your signed paperwork and leave. But I got here at 5am eastern, and the appointment isn't till 945...so its no surprise at 820 I'm sitting here with not much view but the red light.

Wish I could tell you it was a gorgeous drive on 64 thru Kentucky, WV, and Virginia, but it was dark and raining the whole way so there wasn't much sightseeing. When they get me done here and its time to head over to Norfolk, then up the coastline to NJ..thats what I'm looking forward to!! It's overcast here..but maybe it will clear up a little and I'll have time to get a picture or two and maybe even time to touch the ocean!!

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel connects Virginia's Eastern Shore with the Virginia mainland at Virginia Beach near Norfolk.

Thats US highway 13 the bridges and tunnels carry. Almost 18 miles shore to shore. Designated "One of Seven Engineering Wonders of the Modern World" in 1965. For a better concept of how these tunnels and bridges are all united read this article it has a really good drawing of how it is laid out. Even tells me that a one way trip in a truck is $35.

Oh turn green already! Just look at the difference between those two pictures...plus, weather there at the moment is showing to be partly cloudy but with 10 miles visibility and 65 degrees!!

Ahhh....it is green now so you guys will have to go read somewhere else, this post is done. 930am here on the east side of things.

Seeing the Country Again

Sometimes living gets to be such a busy activity, its hard to take the time to write about it. I'll try to get a picture or two and a chance to write a bit but heres some of our travel points you might want to put into a mapping program and see the places we'll be seeing, mostly tomorrow.

Mondays Stops...
Bowling Green, Mo.
Cedar Rapids, Ia.
Cedar Falls, Ia.
Cedar Rapids, Ia.

Tuesdays stops...
Walcott Ia.
Currently entering Indianapolis, In.
Hurricane, West Virginia

Wednesdays stops...
Gordonsville, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Bordenstown, NJ.
rest of the day not planned yet.

Going up US Highway 13 from Norfolk to Bordenstown will have us crossing by the Chesapeake Bay and running up the cape near the North Hamptons and the Accomack. We'll be taking the Chesapeake Bay bridge across part of the Atlantic ocean and running up the seaboard into Maryland on our way to NJ. If you have a good mapping program, you can travel along too. What a Country!!

A Few Quick Words of Wisdom

Don't have much time this morning so I'll sum up "my advice" quickly for any youngsters that'll listen.

The secret is easy, keep the focus narrow onto these guides...

1. Stay Employed

2. Pay your bills ontime, everytime.

3. Always be improving your Spiritual, Physical and Financial Health.

Judge all your decisions/actions/daily activities based on whether it is helping or hurting compliance with these three essential ingredients. And when you hit a really rough time, practice grinning. If you get enough grinning practice in during the rough times, just imagine how "use to being happy" you will be when it gets going good again...and it will always get going good again.

My old coach told me..."good, better, best, ..never let it rest, till the good becomes the better and the better becomes the best"...a saying I've kept with me always...even if I was working in a graveyard.

And one very vital "standard" to always be applying that "improvement" principle to...is KINDNESS. Want to be Unique? Become the Kindest person in your entire village. The benefits are without end.

Thats it. Life is Simple huh? Write it down, keep your focus, enjoy your life. If you ever catch yourself horribly sad about life...its probably because you aren't keeping to the principles above...or you're not reaching out to help anyone else in life. Either one of those will smash ya.
-gerbeans-

On the Road Again

Well, the summer romance has entered the mourning stage and its time to move on. It appears though there is one last twist, as we set out to get showered and get clothes washed...the water has been cut off temporarily. A quick drive revealed OG&E and the Water people were out working on something so it will probably be on after while.

Ole Sam got moved into his apartment over the labor day weekend, and got his fridge and freezer stocked for his very first time...when the power company cut off the electricity, giving him a day and half delay till it was turned back on in his name! LOL..welcome to the real life issues. Good thing his grandma had room in her fridge so I hope he was able to save it all. Its turned on now though so he was going to use his lunch break to restock. Looks like all he's got left to do now is keep a job and keep the bills paid and keep healthy, and he will be well on his way to that much longed for independence.

The full moon out tonight was beautiful. Its been wonderful having so much time to enjoy the home place and family and friends. I'm thinking in a year or so if financially possible, it may be time to take a long break again...but realistically it may be a couple more years before thats possible.

Anyhow, looking forward to watching the seasons change around the country. The NorthEast is especially beautiful during the fall. Hopefully I'll be able to get some digital shots of it...I'm still a long ways from knowing how to use that silly camera but getting SOME better at it anyway. Will keep you posted by Sierra AirCard as time and signal permit.

A Puzzled Brother

From my archived notes and memories I found a word-video of a scene with my oldest two youngens. Since I didn't have a video camera or digital camera back then, some events were written down for preserving and what I call...a word pic or a word-video. This is one I didn't want to forget.

Nov. 1999
"Here is a word picture of a scene with my kids at the house the other day. Just as I was starting to feel like there was hope for my 'determined to be non-domestic' daughter...My 15 yr old little bundle of joy was trying her hand at cooking, and relishing the authority that comes with being the cook...catching her 11 year old brother lifting the lid looking in the pan...she starts chastising him out of there, saying she is waiting for the water to boil so she can add her rice, (she even swings the long wooden spoon at him, it was a classic scene)..he looks at her real puzzled and says...it IS boiling...she said with that aire of expertise... 'no its not! its just bubbling, its been doing THAT for 10 minutes.'

Back to square one with little Betty Crocker"

Ah, the joy of parenting. I wish I had every such memory ready to revive, but then again, with those two I laughed hard and often I barely escaped the nuthouse as it was...Getting it all in one concentrated dose would probably cause respiratory failure. Little Betty Crocker has continued to improve and can set out some pretty goodeating these days, course she now IS the mommy, cooking for a little bundle of joy of her own.

A Parenting Pancake Tip

Nothing deep today. Just that when you have a youngen in your 40's there are some advantages. (Some serious disadvantages mind you, but alas..SOME advantages). After years of making pancakes for kids then going thru the syrup and cutting routine I'll tell ya a much easier way and actually it will get much less syrup down them than the typical way, but shhhh! they'll never notice that healthy fact.
So heres how I do it in my old age...

Since I buy my drinking water in gallon jugs there are always plenty of emptys. I cut them off about halfway up but cut around the handle so it stays with the jug. Then dump in the mix and the water and hand it to the youngen with a stirring stick. They are usually very glad to be involved in the process. Meanwhile the skillet is heating up with a quick spray of non-stick cooking oil on it. As soon as its hot enough for a drop of water to sizzle and disappear, its ready, and as you fetch the mix make sure you look at it with pride and amazement at how GOOD of a job they did and how much you appreciate their help.

While the pancakes are making, you put a little syrup in a microwave safe bowl and 30-40 seconds later you've got hot syrup in a bowl. As the pancakes get done you pitch em onto a paper plate and when you're all done, haul the plate in and the bowl and sit down with em. You'll get an odd look at first till they see you roll your pancake and DIP it into the syrup, and lean over the bowl to bite it...get them to do it the same way cause if they bring it to their mouths you'll have a drippy mess. It makes a fun breakfast as you alternate whose turn it is to dip and hover over the bowl. (NO don't get two bowls...sheesh, enjoy the togetherness).

Make sure you bring a cup of water for them to drink, and a wet wash rag. Ahh...a great breakfast and time shared. No silverware involved, and no cutting and all that waste of time. Anyway, its my idea so naturally I like it but I wouldn't pass it on if I wasn't pretty sure you would too.

Shall we eat at the Sonic?

Years and years ago I was around 13 or 14 years old. ( My kids didn't believe that simple fact for a very long time) By todays standards I was pretty industrious: at that age, I had a paper route, and mowed lawns, and if I couldn't find work elsewhere I'd work for this little old lady digging up iris flowers and cutting the bulb and replanting for $1 per hour...which was pretty low pay for the work even back then. I got a job at the chevrolet place a couple hours a day that paid $2 an hour...dusting off the cars on the showroom floor, dustmopping the floor, cleaning the bathroom, emptying the trash.

That was a coveted job, I felt lucky to get it. But I also went to work as a clean up boy at the local sonic in that small town. The very first night of my employment I was on my hands and knees scrubbing the floor underneath one of the work tables when the cook just up and quit. The manager yelled for me to come over there and start "cooking". I told him I needed to wash my hands first...which he did not want me to do because a rush was on, but I convinced him I HAD to use the bathroom...which I really didn't but it was the only way I could get a chance to wash my hands.

Well he quickly ran me thru the instructions of how to make each item on the menu, and fortunately I had a good memory back in those days because he went home very shortly after my quick once thru lesson...leaving me to figure out how to work the little switchboard thingy that communicates to the drivers, and to try to fill the orders as quickly as possible. There was a system where you lay the buns out, then you add this , then that, then that, etc.., package it, send it out.

At the very end of the night, there was a rush I wasn't ready for. And to top it off a guy CALLED IN an order for 8 hamburgers and fries and corndogs and you name it. (Who CALLS IN an order to sonic!). But it was RIGHT before closing and he wanted to be sure to get the order, and he wheels in and picks it up shortly after.
WOW...what a DAY!! By the time we got the place cleaned up and shut down I think it was getting near midnight when I got home. Time enough to finish homework and get a little sleep before showing up to my 9th grade grueling class schedule. (Ya if you're doing the math it appears wrong but I started first grade at 5 years old).

The next day when I showed up at the sonic, halfway expecting some praise for surviving the gruelling night, I was told abruptly that my services were no longer needed. What the heck does THAT mean? That day I found out what "being fired" is all about. Turns out that last call in order of the night where the guy swooped in picked em up at closing...In my haste I had gone thru the procedural hamburger building but had forgotten the meat on several of them. (Starting the Veggie Burger craze that later swept across America). Wow, what an ungrateful pig. Good riddance. But my feelings were hurt. (And when my cherished Aunt and Uncle heard the story they then and there quit eating at Sonics as a sign of solidarity).

Well, over the years I've gone back to eating there. They've added some really good menu items! But tonight...As I starvingly pulled into one in a town 40 miles away, right at 11 I killed the car and reached for the button and they turned the lights out. Dang. Then the car wouldn't start. Double Dang. So there we sat, stranded, starving, and 40 miles from home.

I called my stepson, (he's usually up late and has internet access) to get the number of the wrecker service from home. And $175 later my car was dropped off at the mechanic down the road from me and I'm home at 3:30am blogging it out of my system. Wondering if when they killed the lights at the Sonic if it didn't somehow short out my ignition. I best not tell my Aunt and Uncle just in case they've started eating there after all these years. But I'm VERY hungry now so I'm going to eat a bowl of soup. Thats all for now.

NO PICTURE OF KANSAS

As I pulled into a restaurant parking lot yesterday in a little town in western Kansas...there was a graying wild haired guy standing by his vehicle in the next parking space. The picture here pretty much captures the hair style though this guy still had a little black hair mixed in and most of his forehead was covered too. But seeing him there wasn't quite by happenstance...

My older brother was telling me about a mexican food place and agreed to buy my lunch if I'd meet him there. Well that sounded like a good deal all the way around, get a chance to visit (until I can talk him into leaving that picturesque mountain and getting him a nice trailer house to put out here in the pasture out back here in Okie land...and I aint throwed in the towel on that persuasion idear yet) but until then.. I'll probably only get to visit him on such limited occasions as a holiday a year and maybe a lunch when we can. Anyway...a chance to visit..AND a free lunch.

I brought my camera along but by golly by the time I had passed all the way thru Kansas the picture taking spirit had just been sucked out of me like the drought has done the water in my pond. The problem was, after passing thru that much of Kansas I just didn't have the desire to even get the camera out. I should have at least snapped one of that graying wild haired guy that was standing there giving me a funny look when I pulled into the parking lot...turns out that odd look was on account he was saving that parking space I was pulling into, for his brother...glad he finally recognized me.

Anyway we quickly bounced thru a variety of topics...books, movies, mountain camping site by a waterfall, archery, our unique wives, and we were both in agreement...the 6-7 hour drive to the dinner place didn't seem all that bad (but like the guy swimming out into the ocean, reaching the turn around point...the shore was yet a long ways off).

One memory he brought up was from the backs of comic books when we were kids. (Growing up in a remote forest, in that day and time technology wise, it can't be adequately emphasized what a major part of our perception of the outside world was based on the ads in the backs of comic books!) The one he brought up yesterday with enthusiasm in his memory...was the "build your own submarine". Yeah! I remember that! I looked at that alot and thought about it alot! Interesting that as we age and he looks back and tells me things that caught his interest...how many are the very same things I had daydreamed about too back then, but most of it...back when the picture was "live"...we probably didn't know we shared the interest .

Turns out it there is some fine print involved...while I was dreaming of the uses for such in a big pond, lake or pool...my brother was dreaming of hitting the salty seas with the sucker...as I viewed the ad closer a few minutes ago, I saw the key word "fiberboard"...its a glorified commercially printed/cut cardboard box!! Wow... But hey, we weren't the only ones bro...I enjoyed reading this post in The Adventurer's Club .
There seem to be quite a few websites where people just hash over that kind of stuff.

At one point in time...after we were already a bit older...there was an ad for a zorcom spaceship, not only did ya get a cardboard box already decorated up like a spaceship but you get an audio tape with it of your space adventure to make things more realistic. Wow again. I'm thinking about that post by K about walking around a neighborhood with a box on his head, a space helmet of his own making much more portable and usable than the big one in the ad I read about. Wow, if he had only put in flashing led lights and a sound system and sound track...he would have had something. Come to think of it, that would probably still market well. LOL. (If ya build that "K", for my "inventor idea" share I want one in adult size). Next time if I'm the one waiting around in a parking lot, I'll put on my helmet and walk around in the space I'm saving...that oughta work.

ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTION

My grandpa was a fascinating man. He was a federal trapper, though that wasn't his official title that is alot of what he did. I learned alot from the man about life and you name it. He taught me to drive before there were even 2 digits in my age. There are alot of stories I can tell...since most every summer I got a chance to spend time with my grandparents and would go out with grandpa most everyday on the job.

One event I'm thinking of I don't remember how old I was, but I would guess under 5 or thereabouts. Grandpa had caught quite a few chipmunks (live) and was taking them to some kind of big event (whether it was a state fair or zoo I don't recall). During a picnic on the way, they got loose and wasted no time getting as far away as possible.
When grandpa discovered it, he was furious, evidently the door was left open on the cage and though chipmunks are surprisingly intelligent, opening that cage door was beyond their ability. I was the lead suspect, and seeing the anger in his stearn face there was no way I had the courage it took to fess up...so i lied.

Which didn't help at all since it was obvious nobody else did it, but still they wanted to know for certain what had happened. A little later, sitting off to myself on a little grassy mound, my wise aunt came and sat beside me and visited awhile. Then almost as if sharing in a secret she leaned down and said "when you opened that door did they RUN?"..and before I knew it a spark of enthusiasm came over me, and the excitement of the event was too much to hold in, as I blurted out..."BOY DID THEY RUN!!!"

THE ZOOM TO DANG NEAR CANADA

Talk about a fast trip full of sights! Let me tell you about a busy day. (Sorry I missed the chance for breakfast Marbella...but I was napping when you called, not to mention several miles away. )

From the Oklahoma City airport, leaving OKC before 7am, stopping in Chicago before 9am, then finally onto Traverse City, Mi. by a little past noon. But I still had to get to Sault Ste Marie Mi. which meant a 3 hour drive and there was no way I'd make my meeting on time. FORTUNATELY, there was a small charter service that flies over the Mackinac Bridge when they aren't in North Carolina and they happened to be at Traverse. (They've got a pretty cool website by the way..and i think thats the very same plane shown on it).
This big Mackinac Bridge of I-75 shown in the pics can't really be seen in all its beauty because the wings were kind of in the way, but it was beautiful!!
Anyhow, there was a municipal airport just outside Sault Ste Marie, Mi. that was quickly in sight. This place is just on our side of the Canadian border, and on the banks of Lake Huron but within minutes of Lake Superior AND Lake Michigan...kind of reminds me of 4 corners where 4 states touch...but not exactly. The ride in the biplane is worthy of its own post. It was plenty cool up there without the ac, and there wasn't any such thing as reclining the seat but it really doesn't cross the mind. Kind of like a motorcycle ride...but without the balance concerns...like i said that would have to be another post.

The meeting went fine. (A Canadian company needing an experienced team to transport VERY hazardous material back and forth across the border...radioactive into the states, class 1 explosives back into their country) Got a chance for a little rest at The Laker Inn which wasn't a big motel by any means but very very nice, (clean, small, quiet, and affordable)...and a very short drive from SOO Locks. And it wasn't very far from Sault Ste. Marie Municipal Airport. The SOO locks are amazing, but you can do your own research on that..big humongous (like nearly 3 football field long) ships coming in and thru... but thats all for now...gotta rest..a whole new adventure starts in the morning...but this one is with my little "Grace Kelly".

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

Sorry, I can't...and not even Verizon can help. When I took my hearing test today I was very pleased thinking I heard just about everything just fine...evidently unaware completely of all I didn't hear. When I got out of that chamber I was happy, and told the lady "I think I did pretty good this time didn't I"...she grimmaced...ouch. Apparently there was quite a bit I was supposed to hear that I did not. The scale goes something like this...Normal range or no impairment = 0 dB to 20 dB , Mild loss = 20 dB to 40 dB, Moderate loss = 40 dB to 60 dB, Severe loss = 60 dB to 80 dB, Profound loss = 80 dB or more. I was well within the "severe" range.

That kinda bummed me out, especially when I learned my "good ear" has now almost caught up with my bad ear...so the verdict is in...bilateral, progressive, asymmetrical, sensorineural hearing loss that involves a reduction in sound level, (ability to hear faint sounds), but also affects speech understanding, or ability to hear clearly. Sensorineural hearing loss cannot be medically or surgically corrected. It is a permanent loss.

So now 2 hearing aids are in the works...and the "good news" is, there is a good chance they will help. Though there is a very real chance it will just be turning the radio volume up, but it will still be a little off station, meaning it could mostly just be annoying amplified. Oh well.

At least I did learn something about that constant high pitched noise I hear even out in my silent moonlit pasture...most everybody hears that internally generated "noise" if they are in a soundproof room or totally quiet place...its just that they don't hear it 'ALL THE TIME' because they hear all the other sounds of life that drown it out...and the reason I hear it all the time is ...I'm not hearing the sounds that drown it out. Interesting.

It does make for a most unusual and perplexing world. Most of the time I 'hear' the speaker but misinterpret (e.g. 'pass me the spoon' may be heard as 'pass me the broom'). Just a minute ago I was asked "can you have a pet in the sand sun Sue"...i thought for awhile trying to comprehend...and finally asked for a clarification..."can you have a pet in the Sims 2" ? Kinda explains why lately people have been giving me very odd looks when I respond to their simple questions.

Swimming Hole here we come.

We got this far and laid down the brush. On our way to the swimming hole...me and little Grace Kelly. More later.

Wala! BooHoo!

Weird combination of words...but translated that means...got all the little wires and cables and whatnots hooked up on the computer system I was building and reached over and grabbed the video card (the thing that lets all that data go to the monitor)...and I'll be dad gum if that video card will not work in the AGP revision 3 slot that this new mb has!! You've got to be kidding!! Wish I was. So a bit of delay now till I get a video card to replace the perfectly fine but wrong style video card I already have. :(

Oh well, I did find out a friend of mine thinks he has a couple spare ones and he would donate one to my cause (but he didn't want me to give him mine in swap! LOL..).

Going with Mr. Sam this morning to get the hanging muffler on his car bolted back up, and hopefully check into some apartments. Then I may help him get that queen size bed out of the bed of my pickup that I bought for him the other day when a guy offered to sell me a really cool condition Honda trail 70, with the queen size bed for $150. Couldn't pass that up.

Then I may go check out some prices on some basic video cards that will work just in case my friend doesn't have one. There are sure alot of things in life i've run onto that when ya think you finally got it under control and are ready to proudly say "Wala!"...a fly comes and lands in the soup and ...well, ya...boohoo. (But i'd pitch the fly and eat the soup...can't quite do that in this case).

Tuesday

MAYBE today I'll get Sam moved from that "too good to be true" rental that turned out to indeed be too good to be true...when his room mate was extracted to begin at least a 6 month sentence and Sam learns the house will be foreclosed on tomorrow. Well, once thats done...its back to work finishing off that computer upgrade, its ALMOST built..I hope. Still have alot of miscellaneous wires to connect. (OMG!!)..and a few spare parts (!LOL!)...

NEED TO ALTER YOUR MATE A BIT?

I ran onto this article that is better written than I could possibly write it. If you really want to change the behaviour of a spouse, this is about the only shot you've got as far as I've seen... To me, it was hilarious, and yet extremely wise, it makes sense....if a gorilla or wolf or other wild animal can be trained..why not an adult? Yet..for reasons you will understand at the end, plus reasons she doesn't mention, I do NOT recommend EVER telling the other person what you've been doing with this. HOW TO TRAIN A HUMAN ADULT .

HOW MAY I SERVE YOU?

I love that when I sit down in a restraunt and a person comes up and asks that. On one hand it makes me a little uncomfortable, because I see MYSELF as the servant, so how is it that this fellow servant is offering to serve me? But on the other, I see a young person who..even if it is just for the job's sake...is learning a valuable phrase.

This morning in just a few quick paragraphs I'm going to reveal a secret about life that though I learned it early...I've tested it and observed it for decades and it is true. Ready? In general...show me a person unhappy with life, and you'll be showing me a person who is not very involved in sacrificing themselves for the building up or helping of others.

What!? Well, weve gone thru cycles in this world, there was a day where the common motivation/mindset within a person involved being a good neighbor, a helpful citizen, an encouraging friend to others....from this we've gone to being a neighbor to none, helping only ourselves, backstabbing others if we need to. Now the trend is even more radical...expecting others to be a good neighbor to us, expecting others to help us, serve us, encourage us, feed us, entertain us.

And ya know what...the corresponding level of satisfaction with life has plummeted. Its abysmal today. People are bored and miserable and mad at anybody whose life is in anyway inconveniencing them...ie..How dare they pull out in front of me! How annoying these handicap parking spaces are! Look at that guys yard with the tall grass and the broken mower...someone should call the city thats an eyesore...the list goes on. Its not pretty.

So all i've got to say about this is ...if you want to improve the quality of your life, improve the quality of someone else's instead...yours only gets filled up by overflow. Think being kind to all is easy? It takes years of practice to get even halfway decent at it. Opening doors for people, saying please , thank you, excuse me , and I'm sorry and "no, you go ahead, I know i got here first but you've got your hands full" and "can i get that for you?"...those are the amateur stages but they are a start.

WHERE ARE MY GLASSES?

Now some of the youngsters out there may not relate to this, but I'm afraid if you're old enough not to be carded for id...you probably can tell when this has happened to you. Marbella was telling about the time she was having trouble filling out a form and she had the young man over the counter help her with it since she "couldn't find her glasses". He wasn't very far into that when someone standing by Marbella helped her locate her missing glasses...it wasn't like he went thru her purse though, they were on her head.

I have lost many pair of sunglasses in my hair. More than once I have placed a hat on my head and spent quite a few minutes of my life looking for it. Or searched and searched for a set of car keys, sometimes having to reach into a place to check, but had to lay the keys down so my hand would be empty.

This all makes me think of K's blog about what you're looking for . Could it be that people spend hours yearning for something else...when in reality what they are wanting satisfied is already there "on their head" so to speak? Now if what you are wanting is "solitude"...don't be ticked at people ignoring you. "the glasses are on your head". Thats just one example...but take a look at what you're wanting, you may not have to spend much effort or money to get it, you may already have it and just can't see it.

Then there is the other side of that too. You may be spending your life looking for it in the wrong place. Sheesh i hate when that happens, hours upon hours knowing what you need and where you thought it was...only to find out it isn't there.
Well folks...its almost 2am so you can apply this where ever you can find a place to fit it. I'm going looking for my pillow, and I've got a pretty good idea that it isn't in this laptop.

A BEGINNING OF THE MONTH UPDATE

Negotiations are still underway with the electric company, a workable solution may be reached soon. On one hand we really don't have any desire to sell off 6.5 acres out of our 13...but we would still have land and pond, with no powerlines this time, and we'd be able to finish paying the place off by next Christmas with any diligence. This wouldn't change any of the useful features enjoyed by the visiting youngen's except a loss of alot of the blackberries. Fishing, shooting, etc would all still be fine.

Mrs. Bean's seems to be entering the recovery phase of the whooping cough, as the coughing fits are getting further apart...still definitely a part of her days and nights but noticeably fewer of them.

Sam is now working full time and this week moved into a house with a co-renter. He seems to be managing much better with the val poric acid. It seems he still has highs and lows but on a much more manageable scale. The hard part for people his age struggling with bipolar swings is usually staying away from the local unauthorized pharmacist...the temptation is strong, and if the battle is lost, the results are disastrous. He'll have to continue to learn his mood and what triggers what and deal with them.

At last report Wolf is still not doing well fighting against the call of the spirit water. I can not say I've given up on him...because I have realized and accepted that it just isn't up to me. Its not my fight. The choices he will make come from someplace within that I don't have access to or I'd have fixed him long ago, in fact in this family...if that access panel were reachable, a bunch of us wouldve teamed up and fixed it whether he wanted it fixed or not.


In the morning we make a run to Mrs. Beans folks to hopefully build a fence before the sun gets too hot. Which means we better be done by noon. This has definitely been a hot hot summer. Not the hottest I've endured...but I'm not as young as I use to be. Then again, I'm younger now than I'll ever be again.

I still haven't finished the strawberry shortcake mural i've been painting on Grace Kelly's wall, and the box of computer parts to rebuild Mrs. Beans computer is still unopened for 3 days now...so its not like I don't have anything to do...especially with my work schedule going back to normal within a few weeks. Maybe I'll get my hearing aid dropped off for repair of that little battery door Friday. And then there are cars to get in the shop, and people to visit, and further negotiations to make with the power company, and that dang laptop still needs a new power jack, which means taking it apart all the way down to the motherboard, and all kinds of stuff I'm going to have to get on top of...but thats life isn't it...at least its always been that way for me...way more fun stuff to do than I'll ever get worked in before I die. (I've fought against sleep for many years desperate to squeeze a little more "living time" out of each day).

Attacks of Severe Choking Cough ?

If you know someone suffering from a SEVERE choking coughing fit several times a day and its been going on for several weeks and still going on but they feel fine in between the fits...you probably want to read this, because it is commonly misdiagnosed.

When Mrs. Beans started really having some hard severe coughing attacks we thought it was allergies, then a cold, then maybe bronchitis, eventually thoughts of pneumonia began to seem validated...finally when we came to the doctor he could hear nothing asthmatic or abnormal thru the stethoscope, nor in the breathing machine, nor did anything show up in a chest x-ray, and the blood test seemed fine.

We had to figure up how long its been going on, and realized probably close to 2 months now with seemingly increasing severity. With the medicine she took that supressed the immune system (part of the treatment for R.A. ) the doctor supposed maybe it was a bronchitis that kept reinfecting...since even a run of the mill bronchial infection wouldn't have lasted that long. So a course of antibiotics was run to no avail, and a bit of cough syrup to help with the cough...and a trip to a pulmonary specialist was set up.

After an involved visit with the specialist wherein he listened thru a stethoscope..nothing, ran a new chest xray..nothing, had her breathe in a bit more sophisticated machine...nothing. He started her on a treatment for whooping cough (which he said he did any patient that had an unexplained cough lasting over a few weeks). And prescribed some inhalers for asthma just in case, and some allergy/asthma medicine (singulair).

If we had researched this we probably would have immediately suspected whooping cough. But there was no "whooping" sound...turns out in at least half the cases there is no such sound. But here is what we did learn and if you happen to have a new unexplained severe cough that fits this, you might save yourself alot of grief and just get the treatment for whooping cough, because it may be ancient history..but its going around again big time these days...and that shot you had when you were a kid is only good for 5-10 years...its not a lifetime like thing like many believe.


First 2 weeks...may start with a sore throat, mild fever, feeling tired/unwell, may even be a runny nose like a cold...and a dry , ordinary cough every now and then...over the next 7-10 days the fever (mild if any) goes away but the cough gets a little more persistent and may even produce small amounts of clear sticky phlegm...and occasional INTENSE bouts of choking coughing start to happen.

Next 2 weeks onward...(it is said to be the 100day cough in China)...these choking cough attacks get SEVERE (people have been known to actually turn blue)..lasting 1-2 minutes, can even cause vomiting and the feeling of suffocation...THEN, till the next episode its likely you won't cough at all and will feel fine...till the next episode hits. May be twice in one day, maybe 50 x but the crucial point for clinical diagnosis is attacks of severe choking cough separated by long intervals of NO COUGHING AT ALL.

Towards the end of what ranges from 3 weeks to 3 months...the time between episodes increases as fewer and fewer attacks come on. The slow down can continue for the last few weeks, or all of the last couple months.

The bacteria can't live in the air long so it does not pass so easily between adults, who tend to cough away from people rather than directly over them. (be sure to cover your mouth when you cough as mom always said). It is most infectious in the first 2 weeks when it seems no different from an ordinary cough and cold. Generally after 3 weeks it is very unlikely to spread. So by the time you really realize something has a lasting hold on you, you're getting nearly out of the infectious stage.

Once you've got it..just hang on for the ride usually around 6weeks but severe cases can run closer to 12. Good old cough medicine? Won't really help. Antibiotics? If during the incubation stage (before you know you've got it , it might kill it out), during the infectious stage it will shorten the length of time you're infectious, but after that? At best might help prevent against secondary infections which don't usually happen anyway. Steroid inhalers? Might ease the burden abit but not of any real germ fighting value. Not really much you can do about it treatment wise after you realize you've got it. Cough medicine with codeine seems to help the rest period, which is helpful since its pretty exhausting, but it won't "stop" the cough.

For more information and even sound files that you can hear what its like, visit this link or type in www.whoopingcough.net .

More Alterations

I remember not long ago reading in Tao's blog about Mondays, and a number of years ago when I worked a mere 6 days a week...I probably could relate much more than now. However, today...Monday, was quite a strain.

Mrs. Beans and I keep running into various aspects of the post 9/11 world and how it impacts "us good guys". There is alot of little things that happen...like if you try to deposit a check for more than $5000 you will wait DAYS and depending on the amount, up to 2 weeks before you can actually have access to the money...and the bankers say its something to do with "the patriot act".

If you are in need of transporting hazardous materials then you've got to deal with the Department of Transportation and get a special license. That existed pre 9/11. But the new changes mean that even if you've had that special license for years...you've got to pay about $100 and be fingerprinted and go thru a "background check" wherein they decide if you are a threat or not.

I asked the sheriff administering the process if he really believed a terrorist would put "EXPLOSIVE" placards on his vehicle and thus be ready to have his license checked for authority to be transporting that...his answer? "Well if they are hauling explosives they would HAVE to put the placards on". Sheesh, oh yes officer, there is nooo way they would disobey that one!, yea though they be on their way to suicide bomb a public facility, its just inconceivable that they wouldn't put on the placards.

Well, occasionally in our business we deal with some of these hazardous materials...so once we had cleared the background check and been officially declared safe, when we went to get the renewal on our permit with the department of public safety...the background certification wasn't enough, nor our previous license, they must have a certified copy of our birth certificate. Imagine that...somehow we went thru the background certification without the birth certificate...and even though you've got a 4 year old permit already thats about to expire, your drivers license and social security isn't enough...but you must prove your birth now. (OR..in lieu of a birth certificate a PASSPORT..would work fine!!!) Sheesh.

Meanwhile back in paradise...where the electric company has now decided they want just over 6 acres of our little 13 acre place. We did tell them no, we weren't interested. But as of today they have raised the offer to a point we're considering it. On one hand, its giving up the 6 acres we had intended to use to produce retirement income. On the other, the offer would pay 64% of our outstanding balance on the place and still leave us with 7 acres and the house. Its a decent deal, not a GREAT deal, but definitely a "decent" deal...so we're thinking it over.

Gotta talk to some tax people and find out what effect that would have on us income tax wise. But its just one more set of DECISIONS to make...there has been a steady stream of DECISIONS to make this summer, and all we want is just a little rest for our heads. Everytime ya turn around and see a path to walk, it seems to be a law of nature that the path will have to be altered..again, and again..and again. Don't get too comfortable with disliking changes...cause you'll find yourself disliking "life".

Football can be exciting at times to watch. I love it when the quarterback runs back with the ball and hands it off to another player, and he scrambles this way and that way...maybe somebody blocks a tackler off him , then he twists and sidesteps out of anothers hold, and jumps and runs and spins and turns dodging tackles, or pushing thru would be tacklers...on his way to the goal line. If you could reset time perception using a technique described by my friend grasshopper or some other way...to see this guys run as descriptive of an entire lifetime...thats kind of how living a life feels sometimes.

On a positive note, I'm told that at some point in August Mars will be bigger in the sky than the moon. Now if it weren't for them dang astrology experts knowing that it may happen again in what? 60,000 years? ...and if they hadn't have predicted it...those dang global warming nutcases could have pointed to that and said we caused it with our freon.
And Gore could see that as another pyramid of support for his hate-mongering...and would make a speech with mars as his backdrop, vehemently calling for the imprisonment and crucifixion of Bush.

Oh yeah..positive note...a man once told me, and I've found it to be true..."it always rains after a drought"...so after this passing of yet another dry week...we're one week closer to that good drought busting rain!! Now T H A T is good news.