Thanks for the comments on Paradise Lost...I'm not giving up hope that it will all work out to be a good thing, but its still a concernable concern. Last night as I headed west almost into oklahoma city, the sun was setting, it was right below the visor, and it was obviously a full-sun. (if they can have full moons...this was a full sun). It was waxing (lots of shine) but no waining...dang its been dry thru there.
This morning, as the sun was coming up I was headed east out of Omaha...but instead of getting blasted with a sun filled visor...just dang near got "drownded" in buckets of water, it was POURING DOWN...almost all the way from Omaha to Des Moines...I remember once upon a time when it rained like that in south central oklahoma...but its been so long ago...if it has rained like that anytime in the past several years I was probably gone and missed it, but it was just nice to see that much water falling from the sky again at least someplace.
Not much news today, just stopped here for a spell under a nice tall cloud in the southern edge of Cedar Rapids Iowa, 872 miles from where I was last night, waiting on mrs. beans to get done at the tooth doc and I'm going to have to wrap this up so I can concentrate more singularly on where today's meal will be "et" before we start the next leg of the trip...750 more miles to go.
Those nephews that caught a ride on the express route to omaha were home shortly after 6am...think they were excited to be home ...even though the yacky one was coming up with imaginary things he had left behind and wondered if they might could "run back and get them"...LOL.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
PARADISE LOST
Well sometimes when people call you on the phone the day can go downhill fast. When Mrs. Beans and I bought this place after a long term search, we had found just what we wanted. Quiet, high land, rural setting yet 6 minutes from a large hospital and maybe 12 minutes from a university. Nice fishing pond, plenty of trees, no zoning laws and a balcony overlooking the land. Not only could we retire nicely here, but its laid out in such a way we could easily use 5 acres of the land on the far end for some small efficiency units where a person could have enough yard for a garden, and we could put some attractive little cottages...maybe up to 10 of them, to provide us our retirement, and they wouldn't even be visible from the house.
Then the phone rings one day out of the blue, and its the electric company letting ya know that the power line with 35' poles that goes across the place is going to be replaced with 70' metal poles, and very high voltage lines...and they want to buy 5 acres of the parcel for an electric substation and a communication tower.
"ARE YOU CRAZY?" is all I wanted to say but with emminent domain the way it is...there is an instant sinking feeling in your heart and you see not only your retirement plans disintigrate but even
your quiet peaceful homestead. Sure they talk friendly upfront and make it seem like if you don't want to make them an offer they'd be willing to consider another place...but get real, with the emminent domain laws the way they are these days...the deed to your property is already in their back pocket, I'm not even sure why they bother being polite..(I've heard in some such cases they don't).
So whats going to happen? Is it a sure thing? The 70' poles and high voltage lines...yes. A one acre substation for the view off our front porch,
sounds like about an 80% chance...the other 4 acres to accomodate the guide wires for the 300' tower...maybe a 50% chance. The chances of us finding another 12-13 acre place like this one (location, beauty, layout, quietness etc..,)...pretty dang slim.
I had been meaning to call them and find out what it would cost to have the lines that cross the property put underground. Ummm, won't happen now, they won't put the high voltage ones underground...(I did ask while I had them on the phone).
Then the phone rings one day out of the blue, and its the electric company letting ya know that the power line with 35' poles that goes across the place is going to be replaced with 70' metal poles, and very high voltage lines...and they want to buy 5 acres of the parcel for an electric substation and a communication tower.
"ARE YOU CRAZY?" is all I wanted to say but with emminent domain the way it is...there is an instant sinking feeling in your heart and you see not only your retirement plans disintigrate but even
your quiet peaceful homestead. Sure they talk friendly upfront and make it seem like if you don't want to make them an offer they'd be willing to consider another place...but get real, with the emminent domain laws the way they are these days...the deed to your property is already in their back pocket, I'm not even sure why they bother being polite..(I've heard in some such cases they don't).
So whats going to happen? Is it a sure thing? The 70' poles and high voltage lines...yes. A one acre substation for the view off our front porch,
sounds like about an 80% chance...the other 4 acres to accomodate the guide wires for the 300' tower...maybe a 50% chance. The chances of us finding another 12-13 acre place like this one (location, beauty, layout, quietness etc..,)...pretty dang slim.
I had been meaning to call them and find out what it would cost to have the lines that cross the property put underground. Ummm, won't happen now, they won't put the high voltage ones underground...(I did ask while I had them on the phone).
Saturday, July 22, 2006
High-maintenance
I looked that term up in Wiki expecting to see a picture there of my visiting nephews, but they have avoided the papparazi somehow. A few days have passed since my last blog, the time has just vanished.
Most of the activities that I planned for them involved a mixture of adult supervision or at the very least...involvement as a trainer. They've both had time at the wheel of the old ford pickup, they've both emptied the .22 cal. revolver a time or two, they've both used the jig saw and the drills. Both helped burn trash, especially by adding firecrackers and other home made devices like cans half full of lighter fluid. We've played the Simpson version of the LIFE game, computer games, video games, watched videos, worked together to mount a dart board cabinet with dart board on the wall, and spent alot of time indoors shooting the soft pellet air pistol.
The 107 degree plus days we've been having have put a damper on some of their outdoor eagerness, but not much of it. If an activity involving me ends...then they both tend to scatter into seperate areas that are equally demanding of supervision...like the shop with all the power tools or the front room with all those cool boxes of stuff yet to be unpacked (many of which are waiting now to be re-packed). So needless to say its much easier to stay involved in a united activity. But on occasion, even sometimes "twice" in a 10 hour straight activity period I find a need to "go to the bathroom"...in that event they are likely to continue a united activity since I haven't really abandoned them and am returning.
Now once in the bathroom, I've actually at times just sit on the commode with the lid still unopened and still fully dressed, just sitting there enjoying the solitude. (I would guess most every mother has done that a time or two, but uncles? Well, probably most of MINE have..LOL). Other than that, I'm fully accompanied and usually being talked to.
The key word in all this is "visiting". If they were living here, they would have already learned the safety rules and training and by now would require only minor monitoring...but all these activities are new to them and therefore require more involvement. Well why don't I just pick lower maintenace activities and mix them into the lineup. With these two, "lower maintenance" translates..."boring". And they once again immediately return to the prowl.
I did let one of them use my laptop for the internet. I'm not sure yet what all has been altered on firewall or security settings but I have noticed for some reason my messenger program has a totally new look to it, as if an update has been "accepted" that I always refuse. LOL...I had forgotten that it isn't a good idea to turn a laptop over to a teenager for internet connection unless they know to not ok ANYTHING that will change what is.
Don't misread this and think that I am not enjoying the time, they are very good quality kids, and extremely interesting to get to know. Several hours from now I'm headed north to pick up my Grace Kelly for the weekend, and sometime this afternoon will be loading all the kids up to head for papa and grandma's place for a swim and a cookout. Then the boys will be staying there tonight and tomorrow, and a complete switch to "little girl" centered activities will begin here.
What about that long "to do list" I was going to be reviewing and prioritizing? It is still needing done...maybe next weekend. So if you are having a quiet moment sitting and reading blogs at the moment...take a moment to cherish and savor it. But if you're as busy interacting with some kids at the moment...cherish and savor it too, these opportunities pass by in a flash. And take time now and then to go to the bathroom, whether you need to "go" or not.
Most of the activities that I planned for them involved a mixture of adult supervision or at the very least...involvement as a trainer. They've both had time at the wheel of the old ford pickup, they've both emptied the .22 cal. revolver a time or two, they've both used the jig saw and the drills. Both helped burn trash, especially by adding firecrackers and other home made devices like cans half full of lighter fluid. We've played the Simpson version of the LIFE game, computer games, video games, watched videos, worked together to mount a dart board cabinet with dart board on the wall, and spent alot of time indoors shooting the soft pellet air pistol.
The 107 degree plus days we've been having have put a damper on some of their outdoor eagerness, but not much of it. If an activity involving me ends...then they both tend to scatter into seperate areas that are equally demanding of supervision...like the shop with all the power tools or the front room with all those cool boxes of stuff yet to be unpacked (many of which are waiting now to be re-packed). So needless to say its much easier to stay involved in a united activity. But on occasion, even sometimes "twice" in a 10 hour straight activity period I find a need to "go to the bathroom"...in that event they are likely to continue a united activity since I haven't really abandoned them and am returning.
Now once in the bathroom, I've actually at times just sit on the commode with the lid still unopened and still fully dressed, just sitting there enjoying the solitude. (I would guess most every mother has done that a time or two, but uncles? Well, probably most of MINE have..LOL). Other than that, I'm fully accompanied and usually being talked to.
The key word in all this is "visiting". If they were living here, they would have already learned the safety rules and training and by now would require only minor monitoring...but all these activities are new to them and therefore require more involvement. Well why don't I just pick lower maintenace activities and mix them into the lineup. With these two, "lower maintenance" translates..."boring". And they once again immediately return to the prowl.
I did let one of them use my laptop for the internet. I'm not sure yet what all has been altered on firewall or security settings but I have noticed for some reason my messenger program has a totally new look to it, as if an update has been "accepted" that I always refuse. LOL...I had forgotten that it isn't a good idea to turn a laptop over to a teenager for internet connection unless they know to not ok ANYTHING that will change what is.
Don't misread this and think that I am not enjoying the time, they are very good quality kids, and extremely interesting to get to know. Several hours from now I'm headed north to pick up my Grace Kelly for the weekend, and sometime this afternoon will be loading all the kids up to head for papa and grandma's place for a swim and a cookout. Then the boys will be staying there tonight and tomorrow, and a complete switch to "little girl" centered activities will begin here.
What about that long "to do list" I was going to be reviewing and prioritizing? It is still needing done...maybe next weekend. So if you are having a quiet moment sitting and reading blogs at the moment...take a moment to cherish and savor it. But if you're as busy interacting with some kids at the moment...cherish and savor it too, these opportunities pass by in a flash. And take time now and then to go to the bathroom, whether you need to "go" or not.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
"the Next EXIT"
Thats the title of a book that is one of the most useful travelers tool a person can have. (though I wish it were updated and corrected more frequently/thoroughly). For those who have never used one, let me catch you up right quick...
As you pass along the interstate from West to East...or from South to North...you can notice that every mile (in most states) has a little green mile marker number that is increasing. If you go the other way...that mile marker number is decreasing..but it also tells you how many miles to the state line, like a count down.
Many people don't notice that "exits" off the interstate are numbered. These numbers correspond to the mile markers. Exit 145 will be right near mile marker 145. (And in a major number of the cases if the exit number like "exit 145" appears on the LEFT edge of the big green highway sign..it means this exit is going to be from the left lane, and if it appears on the RIGHT edge of the big highway sign...this exit is going to exit from the right lane. (But this left hand right hand stuff isn't used by every state...its just a rule of thumb). Also, if you watch the white stripes on the road and the white stripes for your lane are shorter and more numerous than the other spacing...it means your lane is an EXIT ONLY...so get out of it if you don't want to exit.
This exit number matching the mile markers is usual ,Except in some parts of the North East where they use to number exits as if there were never going to be anymore...so if the 4th exit off the interstate was 20 miles inside the state line instead of the exit number being 20 it was "4". (..a system that was at least a start..though it proved to be not the best way to do it) . But nowadays even the North East is gradually changing the "old exit" numbers to the new.
California was/is another exception to the rule, some of their exits are marked this way, some that...no reliability...and changing it over has been very slow...even their "mile marker" posts are too confusing for the average driver to discern...IF they can even make out the small print. Not the brightest transportation people on staff to be sure...and if they do actually issue orders to update the interstate marking, I can easily see a 20 man Cal Trans crew assigned to each Exit sign, and getting it done at 2 or 3 signs a month. But don't get me started on that high filuting place.
Another basic just in case you didn't notice...even numbered Interstates and US highways (symbol on the map is like a federal badge) run EAST/WEST...while odd numbered US highways and Interstates like I-35 run NORTH/SOUTH. And how they choose what number to assign to an interstate.is like the mile markers , numbering starts on the West end and increases as you go East just like the mile markers...so I-5 is in California while I-95 runs up the Eastern side....and I-10 is way down south while I-94 is way up north.
Now to the point. If you are planning to go all the way thru say Wyoming on I -80 tomorrow, you can pull out your "the Next EXIT" book and see that at exit 173 (which is by the 173 mile marker) if you exit and go to the north side of the interstate there is a Loves convenience store fuel stop, and they have a Chester Fried Chicken and a Subway sandwich shop inside at this exit....etc etc. So if you're planning your trip...you can plan in advance just where you want to stop. Or if you're headed say East and you are at the 100 mile marker thinking you are hungry...and ya really like Subway...you may whip out the exit guide and see quickly that in 73 more miles, a little over an hour ,there is just what you are looking for.
Thank you for your patience if you already knew about all that stuff, but in case you didn't ..now you do. So I can make my real point. Wouldn't life be lived much more to our satisfaction if we would take the time in advance to figure out what we wanted and didn't want in our lives, and acquire the knowledge to know what exits to take to get us where we want...and what exits to quit taking that lead us nowhere we want to be?
I've been compiling a to-do list and "interest" list that is getting big enough now that I'm realizing I need to once again take a little time to identify the "places I want to go on this interstate"...like "physical fitness" and "minimized risk of financial reversal" and "increased free-choice time" and "spiritual enrichment "(ie...things that truly will improve lives of others and increasing knowledge of God's written word to man). Then look at all my "to do lists" and see if I'm making the right "exits" ..or in other words...choosing the right things to put on the priority schedule...to get me thru this state (life) having spent my time stopped where I wanted to be stopped...and skipping the exits that didn't take me where I want to go.
It's hard to hit specific targets if your aim is random. It is hard to know what targets are important to hit if ya don't keep picking them carefully.
I remember the advice of a person familiar with archery saying "The Arrow will hit where you aimed it.". And when I apply that, I often realize that my arrows are hitting nothing that I would consider worthy of the effort...which is exactly where I must have been aiming.
Well...I do know that my "next exit" has a shower (with an unusual green floor)..and a very comfortable but too seldom used bed and that should restore the engine power I need to get my trip planned for the next leg of my journey. Goodnight.
As you pass along the interstate from West to East...or from South to North...you can notice that every mile (in most states) has a little green mile marker number that is increasing. If you go the other way...that mile marker number is decreasing..but it also tells you how many miles to the state line, like a count down.
Many people don't notice that "exits" off the interstate are numbered. These numbers correspond to the mile markers. Exit 145 will be right near mile marker 145. (And in a major number of the cases if the exit number like "exit 145" appears on the LEFT edge of the big green highway sign..it means this exit is going to be from the left lane, and if it appears on the RIGHT edge of the big highway sign...this exit is going to exit from the right lane. (But this left hand right hand stuff isn't used by every state...its just a rule of thumb). Also, if you watch the white stripes on the road and the white stripes for your lane are shorter and more numerous than the other spacing...it means your lane is an EXIT ONLY...so get out of it if you don't want to exit.
This exit number matching the mile markers is usual ,Except in some parts of the North East where they use to number exits as if there were never going to be anymore...so if the 4th exit off the interstate was 20 miles inside the state line instead of the exit number being 20 it was "4". (..a system that was at least a start..though it proved to be not the best way to do it) . But nowadays even the North East is gradually changing the "old exit" numbers to the new.
California was/is another exception to the rule, some of their exits are marked this way, some that...no reliability...and changing it over has been very slow...even their "mile marker" posts are too confusing for the average driver to discern...IF they can even make out the small print. Not the brightest transportation people on staff to be sure...and if they do actually issue orders to update the interstate marking, I can easily see a 20 man Cal Trans crew assigned to each Exit sign, and getting it done at 2 or 3 signs a month. But don't get me started on that high filuting place.
Another basic just in case you didn't notice...even numbered Interstates and US highways (symbol on the map is like a federal badge) run EAST/WEST...while odd numbered US highways and Interstates like I-35 run NORTH/SOUTH. And how they choose what number to assign to an interstate.is like the mile markers , numbering starts on the West end and increases as you go East just like the mile markers...so I-5 is in California while I-95 runs up the Eastern side....and I-10 is way down south while I-94 is way up north.
Now to the point. If you are planning to go all the way thru say Wyoming on I -80 tomorrow, you can pull out your "the Next EXIT" book and see that at exit 173 (which is by the 173 mile marker) if you exit and go to the north side of the interstate there is a Loves convenience store fuel stop, and they have a Chester Fried Chicken and a Subway sandwich shop inside at this exit....etc etc. So if you're planning your trip...you can plan in advance just where you want to stop. Or if you're headed say East and you are at the 100 mile marker thinking you are hungry...and ya really like Subway...you may whip out the exit guide and see quickly that in 73 more miles, a little over an hour ,there is just what you are looking for.
Thank you for your patience if you already knew about all that stuff, but in case you didn't ..now you do. So I can make my real point. Wouldn't life be lived much more to our satisfaction if we would take the time in advance to figure out what we wanted and didn't want in our lives, and acquire the knowledge to know what exits to take to get us where we want...and what exits to quit taking that lead us nowhere we want to be?
I've been compiling a to-do list and "interest" list that is getting big enough now that I'm realizing I need to once again take a little time to identify the "places I want to go on this interstate"...like "physical fitness" and "minimized risk of financial reversal" and "increased free-choice time" and "spiritual enrichment "(ie...things that truly will improve lives of others and increasing knowledge of God's written word to man). Then look at all my "to do lists" and see if I'm making the right "exits" ..or in other words...choosing the right things to put on the priority schedule...to get me thru this state (life) having spent my time stopped where I wanted to be stopped...and skipping the exits that didn't take me where I want to go.
It's hard to hit specific targets if your aim is random. It is hard to know what targets are important to hit if ya don't keep picking them carefully.
I remember the advice of a person familiar with archery saying "The Arrow will hit where you aimed it.". And when I apply that, I often realize that my arrows are hitting nothing that I would consider worthy of the effort...which is exactly where I must have been aiming.
Well...I do know that my "next exit" has a shower (with an unusual green floor)..and a very comfortable but too seldom used bed and that should restore the engine power I need to get my trip planned for the next leg of my journey. Goodnight.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
