Road Trip Random Thoughts

-Topeka Kansas is the home of Harry W. Colmery. Who knew?
-Kansas is windy. Fifty knot gusts made me thankful I wasn't driving an 18 wheeler.
-Anyone that thinks Kansas is flat has never been to Ft. Riley.
-Renting a car without GPS is a big mistake.
-But having a "seek" function on the FM radio proved there are LOTS of  "classic rock" stations out there.
-Four cylinder engines are buzzy and irritating in mountains but get GREAT mileage.
-Buzzy rental cars help you realize how much you love your non-buzzy car.
-Windmill farms are majestic and simultaneously an eyesore.
-In fifty mph winds, windmills feather. (Shut down.)
-Cell phone coverage on Interstates is nothing short of amazing.
-There is NO comfortable way to drive more than 700 miles in one day.

Care to add to my list?

Driving Miss Sara

We're two days into our trip home from Phoenix. We spent the first night of our drive in Albuquerque. Experienced a HORRIBLE traffic jam on Interstate 40 near Gallup, NM, nearly dead-stopped for almost two hours. This is the seccond time we've had terrible traffic there and WILL NOT be coming home that way again. 

Decided to take a different route home from ALB this time and headed North on I-25 toward Denver- up the Eastern face of the Rockies. The peaks were snow-capped and GORGEOUS. 

Spent the night in Limon, CO in a tacky little motel room. Since we only spend a few hours in the motel we've always felt so long as they are clean and have basic "necessities" like a TV and microwave, why pay a fortune for those few hours? 

There's just no way to make a 24-hour drive comfortable. But flying, more and more, is becoming such a burden I no longer want to do it. Our rental car, a Toyota Corolla, is a pleasure to drive.
It's getting 35 mpg at 75mph and has something I will NEVER again be without-
"Adaptive" (Smart) Cruise Control. It takes much of the stress out of driving long distances on the slab.

Home tomorrow night, our neighbors inform us our wild onion crop is ready for harvest.
That's a smell/experience I always enjoy in the Spring.

I'm homesick.
And ready for Spring storms and home "Honey-do's".

"It's Snowing!"

We set out from Phoenix yesterday with a GREAT plan-
Leave comfortably around Noon +-. Drive North to Hwy 74, then go Westbound to Wickenburg. Just Northwest of there, hang a turn onto Northbound 89. Make our way through Yarnell where the "Hotshots" lost their lives in the fire some years ago, then continue to Prescott. Just East of there take 89A through Jerome and Cottonwood, then on through Sedona to just South of Flagstaff and spend the night at the Air Force recreational facility at "Ft. Tuthill" County Park.
Beautiful.

All went exactly as planned. Weather was "Clear Blue and 22", and we drove through Sedona as Ol' Sol was getting low in the sky, casting intense red rays on the already red stone cliffs there.
Breathtaking.

The "Best Laid" plan was to spend the night at Ft. Tuthill, rise at a comfortable hour and have breakfast, then drive a couple hours North to "Horseshoe Bend" near the AZ/CO State line. Time permitting, I wanted to also hit the South Rim of the Canyon to take in the view there. At that point I intended to take the pulse of both Sara Jean and Big Bubba to see if they wanted to pound the pavement back to PHX, or get a room for the night in Flagstaff and head back to Phoenix rested on Wednesday.

The Air Force facility at Ft. Tuthill was a BIG disappointment. The problem MAY have been partly due to the WuFlu virus. The place was... umm... Spartan, to put it kindly. We slept fitfully.

Morning dawns. Sara Jean opened the draperies to the room.
"It's snowing!" she says.
And indeed it was. Four inches of the stuff on the ground.
Not just flurries... big, wet flakes coming down, limiting visibility to about a mile.
The chances of seeing anything at Horseshoe Bend or the Grand Canyon?
Zip.

So we leisurely lolled in bed until checkout time, then drove and had Brunch at Denny's, after which we all agreed to point the car South to Phoenix where our phones said it was 65 degrees with a chance of rain.

Sara Jean's first view of the Grand Canyon will have to wait for another day.

How Much Longer Can We Afford this?

Got a "safety recall" letter last month on the Yamaha Super Tenere... the front brake switch might be faulty, and lots of things could possibly happen if it acts up- brake light not illuminating, cruise control suddenly disengaging... other bad stuff. That bike is now 7 years old with almost 30,000 miles on it, but the repair including parts and labor was free.

When the bike was finished the service manager came to me with forms that needed a signature and showed me a few things that he felt needed attention. Front fork seals are leaking. A cover over the ignition parts is also leaking. And the right saddlebag that needs replacing? A steal at $500 !
My question- "How much to fix the fork seals?"
The hardware- $75.
Three hours labor?- $495.

No thank you. I'm sorry, but that sure seems usury to me.
And I'd feel not QUITE so bad if I knew the mechanic was receiving the vast majority of that charge.
But he/she/they will not.

We'll probably ride the thing until the wheels fall off.

Fastest Way To Lose A Pound!

The entire Greybeard family gave blood yesterday.
It was Big Bubba's first time to donate.
Sara Jean has donated a few times. I've lost count of my donations.
There are many good reasons to donate. Most of 'em you already know. In addition to the instant 1lb. weight loss, I've read that donating will make you live longer and look better...
Something about lengthening telomeres? You can look it up.

Anywho, we increased the supply of A+ blood in the system by three pints yesterday.
Consider donating. It'll make ya feel better and maybe regain some of that "youthful glow"!

"If You Could See Me Now..."

You'd be lookin' at a guy who just passed his Amateur Radio "General" license examination.
Whew!
I WAS NOT sure of the result when I turned my test in for grading.
This one had my head swimming. When they grade it they only tell you if you passed or failed, so I may have passed by the skin of my teeth.

No matter. The ticket will arrive in a couple days, and I can now RELAX.
For a while.

Ham

And I don't mean with Navy beans and cornbread!
I'm talkin' about Amateur Radio.

In the early 60's I was dating a gal whose Dad was involved in Citizen's Band radio. When I'd pick her up I'd hear him chatting with others in his radio shack and go visit with him until she was ready to go.
Eventually I realized I was more interested in him and his hobby than I was with her. I learned a lot about radio from him and eventually bought my own "rig", and got my Dad interested in CB in the process.

In those days you had to apply to the FCC for a CB license in order to be able to transmit on the band.
I sent in my application with the nominal required fee and got my license. I became "KNK6124".
(The license to operate on the Citizen's Band no longer is required, going away about the time the C.W. McCall record "Convoy" hit the airwaves. That was also about the time CB became profane and for me, impossible.)

Dad and I were both interested in Ham radio at that time because that realm offered a lot more options than CB...
More available bands and frequencies, and the potential for "around the globe communications".
But there was a problem... at that time you needed to pass a test showing proficiency in Morse Code in order to get an Amateur Radio license. Neither of us had the time or inclination to learn Morse Code.
My interest in CB waned when I was drafted.
Sixty years pass.

I have become a mild "Prepper".
And one of the "nice to have" things, even if it means just communicating/coordinating with neighbors is a little "Handheld radio" and Ham Radio license.
And SMILE with me... the requirement to know Morse Code no longer applies.

Last month I scheduled my exam with the local Ham Radio Club here in Phoenix. I took the "Technician" exam and easily passed it.
I immediately rescheduled for the "General" license and will sit for that exam tomorrow (Saturday) at 1000 hours.
I've had my nose in the study guide now for a week. This exam is NOT so easy as the Technician exam, and I'm a little worried about my possibility of success.
Keep your fingers crossed for me, or if you're of a mid to- say a simple prayer for me.

I'll keep ya posted.

"Chunky"

He may as well have hit me upside the head with a 2X4.
Referring to one of his co-workers, my buddy's Father said, "He's 'chunky' like you."
Chunky?
At the age of 12, I hadn't given much thought to what others thought about my appearance.
But there it was. I was "chunky".

I inherited my difficulties with weight from my Mother.
At 5' 2", I have a photo of her when she weighed 190 pounds. She fought obesity her entire life.
I have too, although thankfully not to the same degree.

In retirement it's easy to develop bad habits.
Sitting in the recliner, remote in hand, I was beginning to enjoy the rut I had dug myself into.
It was when I could no longer button the waist of my Levis that I realized I had do dig myself out.

Running?
I hate it. I've ALWAYS hated it.
And my compound fracture in Santorini gave me pause about pounding on my right ankle anyway.
But walking is comfortable for me.
Sara Jean is also noticing "changes", so we agreed that walking was our exercise of choice.
We try to walk a minimum of 3 miles daily.
We walk at a 3mph pace, so our three mile walk takes us...
Duh... an hour. But when the weather is perfect and we have smiles on our faces listening to "Oldies" on our little radio, we'll continue our walk, sometimes up to 5-1/2 miles- shown on our "Map my walk" app on our phone.
The results have been slow in coming. But we put the pounds on gradually, so taking them off slowly is best, isn't it?

When I could no longer fasten my jeans I weighed in at 228 pounds.
I'm now down to 201, and struggling to get below 200. (As you lose weight the body becomes more efficient because it's not doing as much work as it was. Pounds begin to be VERY difficult to lose.)

My stomach is flat.
I'm sleeping better and I no longer snore.

Long ago my friend's Dad did me a favor. He made me take a close look at myself, and I've been aware of my weight and appearance since.

I'm happy to say I don't think I'm "Chunky" today.
"Hunky"?
I'm workin' on it. ;>)

Manhole

At 0300 hours, strange thoughts can occupy that wide-awake time.
Two mornings ago the thoughts were of things I have done that few have experienced.
Descending into a "Manhole" is one that I can check off my list.

In the few months after High School, before getting drafted, I worked for Indiana Bell Telephone company as a "cable splicer".  The job required me to splice multi-colored wires correctly to insure Lily Tomlin's phone would work when she wanted to "ringy-dingy".
That meant I had to don "gaffes" and safety harness to climb utility poles.
And since some of the telephone cable ran underground, it meant descending into a hole in the street.

We had to park the truck, flashers on, to protect the workplace from traffic. Then we had to strategically place dayglo orange cones so that no one would run into the truck.

Manhole covers, by necessity, are heavy. 100 pounds? At least.
If you look at one closely you'll see there is a notch on the outer edge. That's where you'd insert your special tool to pull the cover off the hole. It wasn't easy.

Frequently the hole would be full of water. We carried a pump for that purpose. Pump the water out so you could do the work, but some holes would have a steady stream of water flowing into them so you had to either leave the pump running, or intermittently climb out and start the pump to remove the water as needed.
Noisy.

Toxic, heavier than air gases were a possibility. We had a device that could measure the environment in the hole to detect them. If necessary, we had fans with flexible ducting to drop into the hole to ventilate the work area.
More noise.

So into this noisy, ill lit, damp area you'd descend with tools to do the job.
Workers all over the world are doing it as you read this.
Thank God for them.
I'm glad I don't have to do it anymore.

Do you have a "Bet you haven't done this" story to share?
I'd love to hear them.

Let's Play "WHAT IF?"

 Okay Bunky, let's play a little game of "WHAT IF?"

What if you're involved in a poker game and you continue losing, in spite of having some of the best hands of cards you've ever had in your life? You suspect something is wrong, but you cannot prove it.
So you keep your mouth shut and leave the game.

A short while later, one of the other players in the game tells you, "I saw the cheating. One of the players had an Ace up his sleeve." In addition to his comments, you find out there was a video of the game which proves his accusation is correct.
What do you do?

Some would go and confront the cheaters.
Some might even threaten a violent act.
Some, who had lost enough in the game to be desperate, might even commit violence.

Now my "What If?:
There's another game scheduled shortly, and the same players will be in attendance.
IF you cheated last time, what will you do this game?
And IF you had your head bashed in because you cheated, what is your likelihood you'll risk harm to life and limb in this game?

I think democrats, rightfully, are scared to death of Trump and his supporters.
We are not likely to forget what has happened.
And we sure as HELL are not gonna allow democrats to cheat us again.

Are we?

Supersize Me?

Pizza Hut. Wendy's. Taco Bell. Jack In The Box. Del Taco. McDonald's. Burger King. Little Caesar's. Denny's.
All within easy walking distance of our Winter home here in Gilbert, AZ.

Coupons. Promos... All the above issue them.

I'm a "feed your body good fuel" kind of guy.
But Satan is in the details.
It is too damn easy to "Yo quiero Taco Bell" cheaply with a coupon and save the leftovers for tomorrow.
And dishes?
Wad 'em up and throw them away.

Are You Rich?

 A "jingle" in my pockets...

At the age ten I befriended a guy who was 12. He delivered "The Indianapolis News" in "The Valley"...
A close-knit section of folks near my home.
He had money. I accompanied him while he delivered newspapers. He bought me a candy bar and a soda.
That made a big impression on me.

His Dad got a job in a different State and he had to move.
I wanted to be able to buy a friend a candy bar and a soda.
I asked to take over his paper route.

At ten, I would be the youngest "paper boy" in the State of Indiana. The regional manager of the newspaper came to our home to interview me.
Was I mature enough?
Could I make change?
I showed that I was, and that I could.
And I delivered that newspaper for the next four years.
I ALWAYS had a "jingle in my pockets".

That little job taught me everything I needed to know about how to succeed in life:
-Spend less than you earn. Save some of the rest. Enjoy the fruit of your labor.
-Some people don't know how to budget their income. Be compassionate, but don't be a fool.
-Old people die. When you know and love them, it hurts.
-A business needs to grow, or it dies.
-Saving a little each day over a period of time pays big dividends.

Sara Jean and I now find ourselves in a position where we can do what we wanta do, when we wanta do it.
But it has taken over 60 years of planning and budgeting to get where we are.
(And the government may be about to throw a wrench into my long-term planning.)
When you are old,  life is better if you had plans and executed them when you were young.
I look around me and see a BUNCH of people that needed immediate gratification. Some will HAVE to work until they no longer are able.

"The Ants and the Grasshopper"...
There are alternative endings to that story.

Grasshoppers should thank GOD for the Ants!

Withering Away

My son does not read books.
He listens to them.
I think this is likely true of much of his generation.

During our road trips some time ago we discovered the joy of Cracker Barrel's "Books on CD" program-
You can buy a book at a Cracker Barrel, listen to it; then return it at a Cracker Barrel along your route and get a refund, (minus a buck or so).
Delightful.

But if I am "reading" a book, I prefer the codex.
I find myself frequently saying "uh...waitaminit", and backtracking a few pages to fill in the hole I somehow missed.
That's harder to do when listening instead of reading.
And I prefer paperback to hardbound, because for some reason they seem more "mobile".

I have loved magazines all my life.
My parents subscribed to "Life" magazine and "The Saturday Evening Post". When these magazines arrived I'd hang over the coffee table with the magazine on the floor and read my way through them.
What a fond memory!

When I got old enough to be interested in cars and motorcycles I subscribed to several different mags:
"Car and Driver". "Road and Track". "Motor Trend". "Cycle". "Cycle World". "Cycle Guide".
Yes, overkill.
I saved most of those magazines... they're now stored in an old footlocker in my office.
Some of them MAY have value to someone with a piece of equipment featured in one of 'em...
...eBay, here we come.

Many of these mags no longer exist. Some of them exist with a reduced frequency of publishing.
Some exist only in "digital" form. All of this, to me, is "death by a thousand cuts".
I always keep a magazine or two in the "throne room" to read while I pass the time waiting for something else to pass.
A "digital" magazine IS NOT satisfying under these conditions.

This week I received a hefty copy of "Cycle World" magazine.
Thick. Heavy. On paper that feels good.
And in the front of the mag the editor informs me "this is the last hard copy" of Cycle World. :>(
They're going to digital only.
They'll lose me as a subscriber. I WILL NOT be taking my laptop into the bathroom with me.

I know... change is inevitable.
But that doesn't mean I hafta like it.

A Fork in the Road

Winston Churchill, I think, is the greatest man of the 20th century.
Have you seen "Darkest Hour"?
It's a MUST. Get-r-done.

I've watched videos of Charles Lindbergh urging the U.S. to stay out of WWII.
He was a courageous man. But he was DEAD WRONG about Hitler and the Germans.
And we almost waited too long to get involved in protecting people's freedom.

I watched the events unfolding at the Capitol yesterday.
And I'm upset.
But I'm also sick and tired of smart people doing stupid things.
Our Nation has been "Codependent" for too long now, helping parasites to hurt themselves, and us.

Is it time for the "Tree of Liberty" to be refreshed?
Maybe.
And I hope all of you I care about are prepared for what's coming.

Another "Dad" Memory-

My Mother raised me.
Dad was there, in the background.
He provided. He presented an example. But he was aloof.
I always thought losing Mom would be hardest.
I was wrong.

I woke in the wee hours to a mechanical sound I knew was trouble. It was VERY cold outside, and our furnace was making strange mechanical noises. Snug in my bed, I could feel the temperature in the house begin to drop.
I heard Dad get out of bed and walk past my bedroom, then out the back door. I knew where he was going. Our garage with all the tools was detached.
Soon I heard the back door open, then the sound of the tool bag being dropped on the floor of the utility room. "Clink, clunk, clank"... the sound of tools being manipulated resounded through the getting-colder night air.
And then the furnace came back on, making normal furnace sounds.
And the room warmed.
And Dad went back to bed, to catch a few more Z's before he had to get up and go to work.
Roof overhead. Food on the table. Comforting warmth.
To provide.

We had a very strained relationship until I was drafted and left home.
We never got as close as I would have liked. He was too Macho for that.
But we did get closer.
And I thank God every day for that.

My Dad-
WWII Veteran and Purple Heart recipient, would have been 99 today.

Life Throws A Curveball

I HAAAAAAAATE talking on the phone. I use mine as a tool, NOT a social device.
I tell that to all my friends.
Few listen. I let them talk to the machine.

He'd call. He'd be drunk. He wanted to talk. He needed me to listen.
I got to the point when I saw his number on my phone I'd let his go to voicemail.
Eventually, he'd call Sara Jean.
She LIKES to talk on the phone.
It was a heaven-sent match. They'd talk, (he'd talk, she'd listen, with an uh-huh inserted now and then), for HOURS.

We've known him a long time. He's had a strange upbringing. His life is... let's kindly say "unorganized".
Money is not a difficulty, but it may be a problem-
The problem is that he doesn't have to worry about it.

He's out of work. He wants to work in the discipline he has trained for.
Those jobs are scarce. He's been unemployed for, let's just say a LONG time.

So he sits alone in his beautiful home, with his beautiful car in the garage and he drinks.
And he calls my wife. And she, thank God, listens to him.
For hours.

In Arizona, we were looking forward to coming home so we could get face-to-face with him-
Go out to eat. Engage in other activities to distract him from the problems in his life.
He was excited. Told us he loved us both. He began to plan activities for our return.

And then I got the call from his Mother.
He's dead.
Morbidly obese. Heart attack.
We are crushed.

Yeah, life is not fair.
Make the most of yours.

A Wonderful Life!

 It's one of our traditions.
We watch "It's a Wonderful Life" during our Holidays.
Great story.
Great acting.
And Donna Reed, (she misspelled her name) is certainly "Eye candy".
I hope your day is as satisfying as ours.

Monolith!

LARGE Monolith found by helicopter pilot in our kitchen.
Investigations continue. Stay tuned.

 

Mayday, Mayday!

Our government is corrupt.
Our Court System is corrupt.
Our Law Enforcement, at the management level, is corrupt.
Our Vote? Meaningless.
Can someone explain to me how we now differ from Mexico?