Bedroom Pictures

Questions

Blame it on Rennratt. She posted this MEME on her Blog and dared, nay challenged everyone to respond.

I am feeling open to a challenge ( or as it might be put, I dont have SH8T for my blog ,, so this will have to do.)


1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Supposedly the first Warren to set foot on this continent was Joseph Warren, who came with Lord Baltimore's son to found the colony of Maryland, so I go by Al to avoid the paparazzi.
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? April the 8th, 2004. My stepdaughter had just delivered a stillborn baby, who was perfectly formed in every way, just dead. I held him in my arms and wept.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? As in Cursive? Don't do it, except for my signature
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Pastrami or good corned beef..
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Two or three. Or Five. I have two and Mrs A has two, and I have adopted my grandson.
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Absolutely
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Only when I'm conscious.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Funny story. When I was four, my older brother came down with tonsilitis. The doctor said I would eventually need mine out, so he did us both. Kinda a two for one precedure.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? If I had enough beer.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Don't eat the stuff.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Always
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Physically, strong enough to do what has to be done. Emotionally extremely resiliant.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Tillamook Wild Mountain Huckleberry.
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Eyes. That or any outstanding physical characteristics.
15. RED OR PINK? The redder the better.
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? I procrastinate.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My sisters that live out of state.
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? If they want to.
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? No shoes, no pants. Tan cargo shorts and barefoot.
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Pizza and beer.
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? String of Pearls by Glen Miller
22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Burgundy
23. FAVORITE SMELLS? Bacon frying, steaks on the Grill. The smell of the air after a summer rain.
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? The repair shop that was doing the work on the Blazer. It is back now, and I am $2500.00 poorer.
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Rennratt is a hoot. With an avenging sword.
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Baseball
27. HAIR COLOR? The speeding ticket I got the other day says gray. I don't believe it.
28. EYE COLOR? Hazel. Brown on the outside of the Iris, Green on the inside.
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Glasses.
30. FAVORITE FOOD? Steak and Lobster. Or Prime Rib.
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Scary Movies.
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? The Brother. It was OK.
33. FAVORITE FLOWER? Tibettan Magnolia
34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer. Winter is nice if you can go to it, but leave it when you want to
35. HUGS OR KISSES? Depends on who is doing it. Unless it is Mrs A., you'll have to settle for hugs. The world needs more hugs.
36. FAVORITE DESSERT? Cherry Cheesecake
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? To what? If someone antagonizes me, I'm apt to jump right square in their face.
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Anyone trying to manipulate me. When my BS meter goes off, I know something is wrong.
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Lisey's Story by Steven King. I have read just about everything he has written. Some of it is great like "The Stand", some of it is genuinely disturbing "Pet Cemetary".
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Mouse pad? How 1980's!
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? Baseball.
42. FAVORITE SOUND? The sound of bacon frying on a cold winter morning.
43. FAVORITE CANDY BAR? I'm diabetic, so I'll pass.
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Okinawa. Spent a couple of years there with the Army.
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I am a passable artist, an reasonably good poet and writer, and I can follow a train of thought to it's logical conclustion. That and "That other thing that I do"
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? West Seattle General Hospital.
47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? Always curious to learn things about people.

Rainbows

Butt Switch

One of the guys I work with was up and wandering around looking dazed. Someone asked him what he was doing.

He told them he was afraid of setting off the butt switch.

Huh?

The butt switch. There is a switch in your butt that activates when you have completed a big meal. Once it turns on, you immediately fall asleep. You have to gain a certain percentage of your body mass for it to activate. When you reach that critical point the minute you sit down it activates the butt switch causes the blood being routed to your brain to be diverted to your stomach to help with digestion, thereby leaving not enough blood going to the brain to maintain consciousness.

Butt switch.

I like it.

Say how mmuch?

Since I know what is coming, I went on the Internet today to research Asian style furniture.

Holy crap!

I love Asian style furniture. There are basically two ways to go. The Japanese clean line minimalist way, or the Chinese elaborate hand carved elaborate style. Doesn't matter which way you go, they are both too damn expensive. A really nice dresser in either style will set you back over a grand.

We really don't have that kind of money. I mean, I would love to go first class all the way, but if you add up what it woulld cost for the furniture, we are talking around $6,000.00. no way that amount of money will ever be running around free in this house.

I had to cash in some stock futures to get through the Blazer repairs. It was supposed to go for a trip to the Orient, but instead it goes for a transmission and clutch. Shit!

Now it goes for car stuff. My Blazer only has 63,000 miles on it. If you think I will ever buy a simillar product, you are sadly mistaken..

As soon as I get the Blazer back, it goes up for sale. I want a mid-sized pickup that I can tow behind the RV and use to take stuff to the dump, and get reasonably good gas mileage. I will permanently mount a tow bar to the front so it can be used to run around when we get where we are going.

This so totally not where I had envisioned myself to be at this time in my life.

Oh well.

HOW MUCH?!?!?!?!?!

Sunday we went shopping for new drapes for the Master Bedroom.

After spending a couple of hours looking at different setups, we (And I mean She) settled on what we (she) wanted.

To me, anything that covers the windows is fine. Keeps the light and curious neighbors out. End of the story. Mind you, I stop short of taping cardboard on the windown or hanging sheets. To me $39.95 venetian blinds get the job done perfectly fine.

I understood that fancy folks had drapes that have a couple of layers. Sheers for the "Filtered" look, and heavier stiff to block light. I know because I have seen it in movies and such.

Our new drapes will have FOUR layers. There's the sheers, then ther's the actual curtains after that there, the beads, and lastly the sconces (Or is that Valences?)

When they added all the stuff up, the bill came to over $900.00. Mrs A is beside herself happy. Since she is paying for them, I really can't object. I probably won't get them up til next weekend.

Yesterday, Mrs A. was redecorating. She has bought a bunch of nik-nak Asian stuff which mysteriously appeared out of unknown hiding places. The room is starting to look pretty good.

I know what is coming.

New furniture.

I don't think Mrs A has any of that stashed anywhere.

Done!

I have completed laying the new flooring in the Master Bedroom. It looks SSOOOO much better than that old ugly worn out shag carpet. I would have been taking pictures, except that Mrs A is buying new drapes and a couple end tables.
I moved the bed back in, but I can't move Mrs A's TV back in by myself.
She wants to redecorate the room with an Asian theme, so we are going shopping tomorrow (shudders violently)
Maybe I'll get some pictures posted tomorrow.

Meetings

This has been a week full of meetings, most of which I can't talk about, but it has been real frustrating. I have been filling in for the guy immediately above me on the food chain, so lots of meetings I am not prepared for.

Once, I was trying to state my organizations stance on an issue, and this one guy kept interrupting. I turned to him and said "R. if you are talking, you are not listening. Could you PLEASE SHUT UP long enough for someone else to get a word in edgewise!!!"

He got this astonished look on his face, like no one had ever had the balls to tell him to shut up. He was actually silent for the next five minutes while I explained our stance.

By this morning I was ready to set my hair on fire and run screaming into the night.

The repair shop found me a good used transmission for the Blazer, and it only costs the soul of my firstborn.

That and a thousand bucks.

This weekend I have to finish off the master bedroom. It's going to be raining (hey, this is the warm rainy season, here in Latteland) Things are just a little too tight in the spare bedroom, and no one knows where anything is. They are scattered all over the upstairs.

All Y'All have a great weekend.

Birthdays: Bah Humbug

Other than getting born, nothing good has ever happened to me on my birthday. If it wasn't for the fact that the only way to get around having a birthday is being dead, I would ban birthdays all together.

I put the Blazer in the shop to get the clutch replaced, at a cost of around $1000.00. When the car quit going, it was without warning. One minute it was cruising down the freeway, the next it was in the park-and-ride and wouldn't move. Usually a clutch will give you warning. It will start slipping, then get worse, and finally stop.

Not this one.

I thought it was strange, but it was "Oh well, it's broke. Fix it, quit whining, and get on with it."

The came "THE PHONE CALL" you know the one. The shop calls and says "Mr (Mrs, Ms) X I'm afraid I have bad news".

The transmission is Kaput, finis, done for. The guts are scrambled. The input shaft and the output shaft are not talking to each other.

A new transmission is out of the question. A rebuilt one is about $2,500.00. I told them to go shop the junkyards, but so far they can't find a used transmission.

It is real close to me just pulling the plug on the car. It is worth a little more than the cost of the repairs, but not much.

When R. called me to wish me a Happy Birthday she said she had one of her old phones, and all she needed was to get a new sim card, since the other one was stolen. it is $20.00, so I said I would get her one.

When I told Mrs A. she went ballistic, because I hadn't discussed it with her. It's just $20.00, and I don't know why she is being such XXXXXX about it. So no birthday dinner, no nookie, no nothing.

I hate birthdays.

Certifiable

I have had a lot of people say that I am certifiable. And indeed I am.

Every year we have to take an assessment (don't call it a test, that's not PC!) You have to pass, or your ability to work in the computing systems is shut off. If you fail the first time, you can take it a second time. If you fail the second time you get a nasty letter in your permanent record. Third time you get three days off without pay, and have to take a three day "Refresher" course (Known as Bonehead Planning, Or Planning for dummies) fail it again and you are out the door.

I very acutely disagree with the whole assessment thing, and I have told Management exactly how I feel. Not that they listen.

I have never failed, but it is a little stressful taking a test that could effect your ability to do your job. Sometimes the contrary me thinks about intentionally failing the test just to see how far they would go. Can you say lawsuit?

Of course I passed both of the assessments.

Today is my birthday, and here I am at work. I don't plan on doing a whole lot today. Mrs A and I will be going out to dinner tonight, and maybe I'll be getting "something special" for my birthday.

Break is over, Back on your Heads

Which is the punchline of a middlin' bad joke.

I am back at work, although they had to drag me in kicking and screaming "No it's not my time yet. Just let me have a couple more days!!"

The walls are painted and about half of the flooring is down, so somehow I need to kick myself in the ass tonight and get to work on it after I get home.

R. called on Friday. I had gotten a text message from my Cell Phone Service Provider, and they were telling me that I had ordered a new cell phone for $200.00. It had actually been ordered by R. without asking me or anything. So I called up and tried to cancel the order. They told me the order was already being processed, and they probably wouldn't be able to catch it. I told them to try.

I tried to get ahold of R. to bitch her out, But there was a message saying that she had lost her cell phone. To protect myself I put a hold on her service.

On Friday when Mrs A and I got home from getting all the stuff to redo the master bedroom, the UPS truck pulled up and I refused delivery on the phone. R's call was after that, so I let her know there was no F$%^ing way I was going to pay $200 for a new call phone for her when she didn't even call me on Father's day.

They are supposed to come and get the Blazer to put a new clutch in it today. The estimate is just short of $1000.00. And remember, that is only an estimate.

Break Time

It is almost noon, so I am taking a break. We have been painting all morning. Everything always ends up more work than you anticipated. We are just about done with the painting.



I took apart our King Size bed and moved it to the spare bedroom. It leaves about 6" of space on one side and none on the other, so we are really Sandwiched in. On the positive side, it is a very quiet room.



As soon as Mrs A. gets done with the last touch-up of the paint (did I mention she is 0bsessive/coompulsive?), I will get started puting in the new flooring. It is a Senna Cherry Pergo, so it will match the colors of the paint real well.



Of course I get to do the floowing all by myself. I will probably ban Mrs A from the room when I am doing it, sice nothing pisses me off more that getting advice from someone who doesn't know how to to whatever it is I am doing.



I am apt to say things like If youo know so damn much about it, why aren't you doing it yourself?"



Did I mention that my mouth occasionally gets me in trouble?



I also decided to bite the bullet and have someone else replace the clutch in the Blazer. I can do it myself and save a bunch, but I just can't do the really heavy stuff by myself any more.

Slavery weekend

Today is Friday for me. I am taking Friday and Monday off, but it's not a vacation.

Over the years I have remodelled every room in the house, excepting the bedroom. It still has this sea-foam green 3" shag carpet. It screams 1970's at the top of it's lungs. Somewhere along the way the little shag rake has been lost.

I don't really care, after all it's just there for sleeping and other activities where the color of the walls aren't going to make a whole lot of difference.

Mrs A has decided it needs an update.

All in all, I would rather be tearing the transmission out of the Blazer.

Under Attack

I am beginning to think that fate has me pinned down and is kicking me in the ribs.

Things were so wonderfully quiet for six months, now its smack, bam, whack and finally, boot,

Yesterday I got an e-mail from Rs boyfriend. She took off three weeks ago to go back to her street life drug culture. I had hopes that they would develop a serious enough relationship to keep her from falling back into the Meth culture. Seems I was optimistic. He is heartbroken that he could not do anything to help her. I feel sorry for the guy, because I have been in that position for the last five years.

I have at least gotten to the point where I know I can't do anything, so I don't beat myself up anymore.

It still hurts like hell.

I hope she gets caught and sent to jail. It is the best thing that could happen to her. It would give her the opportunity to get straight, and take a good long look at herself.

It sounds pretty shitty when I say it, but to me the other big possibility is for her to come home in a pine box.

The Third Shoe Drops

As I said in my last post, bad things usually happen in threes. The $1200 brake job on the Airstream was one. The clutch going out in the Blazer was two.

I didn't have to wait too long for the third shoe to drop.

When I got home today there was a piece of mail waiting for The Parents or Guardians of Vincent Warren from the Library. When I opened it up I about lost control of my bladder.

It was a bill for $891 from the library for unreturned items (42 in all). Lots of CDs and a bunch of books. V. says he did not take any of the items out from the Library. He kinda hinted that he had loaned his library card to someone else. I told him "Shit V. that is about the same as lending them a credit card".

He said he would take care of it. I told him it was his responsibility. As of right now, I was going to buy him an X-Box 360 for his birthday, but he would not be getting anything until it was taken care of.

He said "I guess I trust people too much." No shit Sherlock.

Some of life's harder lessons you can only learn first hand.

Upson Downs

It's been a rather hectic weekend, and it's still Sunday Morning.

I stopped by the hardware store and picked up a few plumbing pieces for the Airstream on Friday night, and a spare set of keys. Having only one set worried me, because we intend to go out in the middle of nowhere, and it would be relatively easy for me to lock it up with the keys inside.

When I got home, Mrs A was on the phone. It was my grand daughter A., and her car broke down. She wanted to know if I would co-sign on a car rental because her piecce-of-shit Ford has broken down, and she needed to go to work on Sunday. I told her that co-signing for anyone for any reason was not in the immediate future, but that the Blazer was sitting in the driveway doing nothing and she could have the loan of the vehicle until her car got out of the shop.

She came over Saturday morning and got the car.

I went out and made the repairs to the plumbing on the RV. Then I got up on top to see if I could figure out what was wrong with the air connditioner. Yellow jackets kept buzzing me so I had Mrs A fetch me a flyswatter. As soon as I got the cover off, I looked inside.

They had started building themselves a nest in the air conditioner. I got the nest loose and tossed it over the edge. Needless to say, they were not pleased, but I would not be intimidated by a bunch of godless insect hoodlems. I did battlle with them.. Mrs A retreated inside with an ascerbic "It'll be a miracle if you don't get stung!"

Weilding my flyswatter with lightning reflexes and extraordinary three dimensional perception, I swatted them in midair, I crushed them when they landed and escaped unscathed. And not once do I remember squeeling like a girl.

After the Great Airstream blitz I retired from the battlefield, after reinstalling the air conditioning cover. I had overcome the enemy, outnumbered and armed with only a flyswatter. I was exhausted.

We met friends and went to Jazz Alley for an evening's entertainment. Acoustic Alchemy was performing, and after a dinner that was outstanding, the show was fabulous. The energy and excitement they put into their show is incredible.

When we got home, someone had broken the drver's side window out of my spare 280Z. While it is of no great consequencce, still it is very irritating.

Sunday morning at 6:00 the phone rings. It is my grand daughter, and the Blazer has broken down, she is in a panic. So I get up and guzzle a couple of Cokes and hit the road.

With no warning whatsoever, the clutch went out. Usually it gives you warning by starting slipping before it goes out, but this time nada. She is driving down the freeway, downshifts and all of the sudden, it won't engage.

I got in it and it still shifts and everything, but the clutch doesn't engage, so it's either the clutch or pressure plate. I had to get it towed. $140 later it is parked in the driveway and I have another repair bill to contemplate. Clutch, pressure plate and throwout bearing and a whole bunch of labor. I anticipate several hundred dollars.

Sometimes it feels like God lets no good deed go unpunished.

Here it is almost noon, and I am on my second beer. I am going to pull in my head, batten the hatches and hunker down.

If bad things happen in threes, the first was having a $1200.00 brake replacemment. The second is the clutch going out in the Blazer.

I'm waiting for the trifecta to come in.

Day before Saturday

I am looking forward to tommorow evening.

Mrs A. and I and a couple of friends are going to Jazz Alley to see Acoustic Alchemy and have dinner and drinks.

It will be good to get out, and their show is VERY good.

Other than that I will be tinkering with the Airstream. I need to stop by the hardware store and pick up a few bits so I can get the shower working properly.

After that, I will tackle the air conditioner.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

The Day After

Armegeddon wasn't as bad as predicted.

Every year the cops put on a big show exploding things to "Show the potential damage" from various explosive devices. It is just a thinly disguised excuse to make things go "BOOM!!"

My favorite was a tennis ball bomb they stuffed in a watermellon and lit it off. It was spectacular.

So don't mind me if my attention wanders. I only had about 4 hours of sleep last night. The fireworks didn't slow down enough for me to go to sleep until after Midnight.

Then at 4:00 the phone rang. Mrs. A. got the phone, and it was for me. It was a woman I had met a couple of times a couple of years ago (Prior to Mrs A). She was intoxicated. She wanted to know what I was doing.

I told her "Trying to sleep". Not one to take a hint, she went on to start some tale of woe in which she needed a ride someplace or the other. I just told her I couldn't help her.

I think she wanted some mayonaise for her meatlof.

Of course Mrs A was all "WHO WAS THAT WOMAN AND WHY IS SHE CALLING YOU AT 4:00 IN THE MORNING??????"

I explained that she was someone I had met several years before and didn't know very well, and I had no idea what inspired her to call me at zero dark thirty.

Mrs A. wanted to know how old she was, soI told her "A well used late forty-something". She said "She sounded much older on the phone, like in her eighties. If you are going to cheat on me you could at least do it with someone better than that!"

I reassured her that I had never cheated on her, was not now cheating on her and was not likely to ever cheat on her in the future.

She asked "Even with a tall willowy blond with big hooters?"

"No dear, blonds don't float my boat." I knew this was not the correct answer, but I couldn't resist.

"Not even with a tall willowy Asian redhead with big hooters?"

"No dear, I don't think there is any such thing." Again, not the correct answer. I knew what she was fishing for, but I was going to make her work for it.

She smacked me on the arm.

Mt twisted sense of humor gets me in too much trouble.

Independence Day

Happy Fourth of July.

We all need to take a moment today to explode things....

errrr I mean reflect on the rockets red glare, and explosions.....

I mean our privelege to set off fireworks.......

no,no,no, I mean to enjoy the rights and priveleges fought for and won by our ancestors. And explosions and fireworks and rockets.

V. Is off with his Dad for the rest of the week, and although I will enjoy the peace and quiet, I will miss him at the same time.

I have always visited the Reservation to buy illegal fireworks for the Fourth. Every year. But this year I won't be going. I have no big desire to set off fireworks, since there will be no kids around to get off on them.

I really AM succumbing to geezerdom. first an RV, now no fireworks on the Fourth. Next thing you know I'll be settin' on the porch yellin' at the younguns to keep the hell off my lawn.

So go blow something up.

Preferably not you fingers or anything.

Mad monkey animal sex

Got your attention, didn't I.

The title does relate to an actual story, kinda.

Back a while there was a story about the first dude in this state to get charged with animal cruelty for diddling the dog. It made it all over the news and internet and everything.

This was a brand new law in the state of Latteland. A while back a guy was killed because of an accident with a male horse while they were having sex, so our lawmakers found a safe cause to espouse. After all, who would object to a law that made it illegal to have sex with animals? Terrorism? World hunger? Presidential abuse of power? Bribery of elected officials? Too dangerous.

Mind you, I am not in favor of having sex with animals, other than the human kind.

I read the other day that the guy got off, er, was found innocent. There was no evidence, and the dog wouldn't testify.

His wife was the one that claimed to have caught him, and swore she had a picture on her cell phone, but when the time came, she was unable to produce any evidence. Seeing that the couple were in the middle of a bitter divorce, the court felt she may have had some other motivation than protecting Fifi from the bad, bad man.

They threw the case out of court.

I feel sorry for the poor guy. Whether he did or didn't diddle the dog, he will have been found guilty by a lot of people, regardless of his acquital.

"Do you remember John Doe?"

"Wasn't he the guy they caught diddling the dog?"

Something he will have following him the rest of his life.

Monday Morning

The fact that I'm writing this, and you're reading it means we both survived the weekend.

Saturday, I spent a good part of the day out tinkering with the Airstream. Nothing big. Replaced the O rings in the sink faucet. Got the toilet and shower working, although the coupler for the shower leaks like a sieve and needs to be replaced.

Rehung a cabinet door that wouldn't close right and kept swining open when we were traveling. likewise a cabinet drawer that kept coming open. Took up the carpet runner so I could access the mounting hole for the table, and installed the table. Since the carpet runner has been there forever, I believe this is the first time the table has ever been installed.

L. came by so her mom could take her out to get pampered for her birthday. It was the first time they have had some time to themselves since Mrs A. and I met. It was good for both of them.

Sunday was V's fifteenth birthday, so he had a bunch of fellow game geeks over for a marathon day of playing Halo. Pizza and ice cream, and I gave up the rights to the big screen for the day.

I missed the baseball game, but I guess it was OK, although I understand the M's broke a tie in the 9th inning. They have been amazing lately. Then the coach announced he is retiring.

WTF?

They are doing well, on a seven game winning streak, catching up to the Leage Leader, and right in the middle of the seasom, he walks? Just about every coach around would give their left nut to be in his position.

WHO were those guys in the dark glasses and pin striped suits anyway?

Camping Tale

I promised a camping story the other day, and since nothing significant happened on our trip to Deception Pass, here is something from the past:

JB and I went backpacking up in the Olympics.

Hike four miles up the road past Staircase at Lake Cushman to the trailhead. Another six or so miles to the Flapjack Lakes, which are right at the tree line.

Although it was July, there was still a lot of snow around the lakes. There was a shelter at the lake, active word being WAS. A sizeable tree had fallen on it the previous winter, and it was pretty much destroyed.

However, a good piece of the roof was still intact, and it had a hole in it just big enough for us to crawl through. It made for a tight but serviceable place to sleep. Saved us the trouble of setting up a tent.

One of the reasons for coming was to do a little fly fishing. Therre is nothing quite like floating a dry fly on a crystal clear high country lake and watching the trout come up from about 20 feet deep in a silver flash to take the fly on the surface.

The first couple of times I am always so hyped up that I jerk the fly right out of his mouth. It isn't until I settle down a little that I can wait long enough to let the fish get it all the way in his mouth.

Right next to the crushed shelter was a snowbank, which we used as a freezer. When we had cleaned the fish, we would use a stick to make a hole in the snowbank and shove a fish in head first, cover the hole over, and then mark it with a pine cone so we wouldn't lose the spot.

When it came time to eat, we would just go get a couple of fish out of the "refrigerator", roll them in corn meal with a little salt and pepper and saute' them in butter. When backpacking I always instisted on bringing along butter. Almost everything tastes better when saute'd in butter with a little salt.

After dinner and a while sitting around the fire, we turned in for the night. Even in July it was pretty damn cold when you were up that high.

Just as I was laying on my back about to fall asleep, something ran across my face. Something small and furry with VERY cold feet. It startled the hell out of me, so I sat up very abruptly and hit my forehead VERY squarely on a pine log holding up the roof of out impromptu shelter. I saw stars, rebounded while watching the stars inside my head pulse on and off, and crashed back down on my back, semi-conscious.

Something small and furry with VERY cold feet ran back over my face in the other direction.

Startled, I sat up very abruptly and once again hit my head.

Since it was so cold, I had climbed in my sleeping bag fully dressed. The only things I had removed were my boots and belt knife.

I grabbed at my belt knife, and started stabbing the ground to my left, but of course there was nothing there.

When I lay back down, I kept my knife in my hand. A while later the perp ran across my face again. I started stabbing off to my right. Unfortunately JB was over there. I didn't stab him or anything, but he woke up with me stabbing the ground close to me.

"Albert! WHat the HELL are you doing?"

Panting and slathering, I explained to him about being attacked in the dark by vicous furry ANIMALS. I don't think he believed me until I lit a match and showed him the big knot on my forehead.

Our packs were in between us in the shelter, so we went through them to see what the ravening beast was after. We found a pack of Pilot Crackers had been gnawed open.

We took the Pilot Crackers out of the shelter and set them on a nearby stump, and went back to sleep, although I had a hard time falling back to sleep, with my head throbbing from hitting the log twice, and being all keyed up waiting for another vicous attach by rabid animals.

I got up the next morning, and there, sitting on the stump, grinning his hideous grin and mocking me, was a chipmunk.

Trip

The break-in trip for the Airstream was a total success. A good part of it was to force me to figure out how to run all the stuff. I love to tinker.

So I got the heat, water, electrical, water heater, stove, microwave and fan working. Figured out how to dump the tanks.

I haven't managed to get the fridge or air conditioning working yet. The fridge won't stay running, but I think it's just that it hasn't been used for so long that the lines are filled with air. But it didn't really matter, because I had the beer in a cooler on ice.

Spending four days in a confined space with someone is a good way to test your relationship. We had a great time. just this morning Mrs A said "I want to go out to the Airstream and crawl up to the loft and go back to sleep. Maybe when I wake up I'll be back at the park."

Yesterday I made reservations for Twin Harbors State Park just outside of Westport for a four day weekend in August. Bad location of the hookups (no privacy) but full facilities. Besides the purpose is to go to the Ocean and take nice long walks on the beach as the sun goes down.

Trip Pics

Here are a few picctures from our trip.

A blue herron feeding in the shallows of Bowman Bay











Bowman Bay














Mrs. A and I












Molly the Road Dog














A goldfinch that visiited our camp













The Airstream

OK, so I screwed up. On our first hike, I forgot the camera, and on the second I forgot the spare batteries, so the camera went dead before we got to the really good stuff.

Pouring rain, thunder and lightning, drizzle, a little sunshine, and a lot of time just by ourselves in the Airstream. It was a wonderful weekend.

The only negative was the speeding ticket I got on the way home.

Yeah, I know. Speeding in an RV. It's not like I was going to escape notice or anything. Big lumbering whale doing 15 over. I couldn't talk my way out of it, and the area is a known speed trap. What can I say. My head was still camping.

Kinda like welcome back to the real world.

My Friday

For me today is Friday, and I have a four day weekend coming up.

I should get the RV back with a whole new brake system today. Tonight we will load it up, and tomorrow we head off to Deception Pass State Park.

I'll take pictures.

I'm going to bring my laptop, but I doubt if there will be a wireless signal. At least we can play games and watch DVD's on it if it rains.

I'm starting to get excited.

Airstream repairs

As II mentioned in a previous post, the brakes on the Airstream don't work properly. They work OK when you start oout, but as you go along, the pedal fades until there is just aboult nothing there.

Brakes come in useful when trying to stop a big heavy motor home.

Since I don't have time to work on it myself, I called a repair service. I told them what the problem was, including my diagnosis. The front calipers are toast. From sitting in place for so many years, the calipers rusted, and would not release.

New calipers, new pads, new master cylinder, flush the entire system. Do all of the other pre-trip stuff.

$1200.00

OUCH!

If I had the time, I could do it myself for half of that.

Finally

I have finally transferred the title, so I officially own the Vehicle. and it is licensed, so we can go anytime we want. Tomorrow I am having somebody come and take it for servicing. You know, put potable water where it goes, Flush out the lines. Do all the stuff to get it up to speed.

I have spent a couple of hours looking things over and having to admit I know nothing at all. It is humiliating to be confronted with a situation where I can't just go twist some valves and flip some switches and I can get it to go.

Tomorrow it goes in for servicing. I can see hundreds of dollars evaporating from my checking account.

But at the price I got it for, I can spend a couple of grand and still be WAY ahead.

I don't need to go into the whole title transfer bullshit. Sufice it to say that the Fat Cow clerk found a way to inject her way into my conversation with one of her co-workers during said conversation, but told me to "Shut up, I am talking to her."

I did not pull out my Leatherman and perform certain anatomical examinations of her brain, thinking it would be sadly atrophied.

Airstream Pictures

IT"S HEEEEERE

The Airstream is parked in the driveway. Yesterday was a vey hectic day, Going to work, then meeting Heinz at the crdit union, working out the details of the loan and payment. Go down to the Licensing place for an hour of frustration, get a trip permit, go pick up the RV and drive it home. I was exhausted.

I left the license in a rage. The stupid cow behind the counter could not grasp basic logic. I wanted to change the title and get a trip permit. She told me they wouldn't change the title unless I got the emissions tested. I cried Bullshit. What if the hehicle didn't run? What if it had to be towed home? Would I not be able to EVER get the title unless I got it running?

Need less to say, I didn't win. People with limited intelligence and a complete lack of common sense should never be allowed in positions of petty authority. They are the inflexible beaurocrats that make our lives miserable.

Off with their heads I say!

The Airstream started right up and drove just fine. Unfortunately, it didn't stop so good. There is a probllem with the brakes. They were fine when I started except the brake light did not go out. Then as I drove the pedal faded until by the time I got home, it was almost to the floor.

I need to get out there this morning and check them out. Brakes are rather handy.

Pictures to come soon.

Ghost Rider

So Mrs A and I just watched Ghost Rider.

What could be better for a guy. Flaming skulls and motorcycles, impossible jumps, and my two favorite actors in the whole world.

Nicholas Cage does so many things well, but the schtik as the guy who has shit happen to him and he grinds his way though it and triumphs in the end, he is the best.

Sam Elliot has for a long time been my favorite western actor. As a long time fan of Louis L'Amour, he is the perfect portrayal of Tell Sacket, or any of the traditional western heroes. Plus he was a perfect portrayal of Cher's paramour in Mask.

Throw in a little romance and a good western legend, what more could you ask for.

Mind you it will never make the top 10 films of all time, but given low expectations and a couple of beers, it was real entertaining.

A thumb and a half up.

Payday

Today is Payday.

I miss the ritual of payday. I have direct deposit, so I never get a check or anything. I used to love the ritual that surrounded payday.

You get a piece of paper, and it contains all kinds of information. How many hours you worked, what your deductions were, how much Uncle Sugar decided he needed, you ballance of sick leave and vacation.

And the best part, what you got to keep. I didn't really mean much, because generally it was all committed somewhere of the other.

It maintained the illusion that you were actually payed for doing a job, not being milked of your resources by the Military/industrial complex.

After work, it was off to the bank, where you gave them the piece of paper, and they gave you back REAL MONEY. My ritual was to then stop at the store and buy some good beer. Microbrew. Then we would go grocery shopping, and buy a few treats along the way.

Now it is mostly done electronically. My paycheck is direct reposit, I get an electronic statement, and I don't carry much cash, since most everything is done by debit or credit card.

Sure it is convenient, it is quicker, and I can pay the bills while sitting in my lounger and watching a baseball game.

But I still miss the old ritual.

Hump Day

Happy Hump Day. Once again we have trecked to the middle of nowhere. Lets hope we can find our way back home.

I am really draggin' ass this morning. Diet Coke with Lime....goood. Must have caffiene....

I stayed up to watch the Mariners game last night. Don't look at me like that. Yes I admit it, I am a Mariners fan. Even in the bad years, although it sometimes felt like I was going around wearing a "Kick Me" sign. Last night's game went 13 innings, but we WON. JJ Putz had the bases loaded with one out in the 13th, and managed to get his 19th save out of 19 opportunities. He has been amazing. In fact the whole bull pen has been amazing this year. It has been fun watching them this year, but like always, up and down.

They are Playing Chicago. I believe this is the first time the M's have played at Wrigley Field. What an icon of Baseball. The last Old School Major League stadium left.

Still no RV. Patience, Al, patience.

I have a space reserved at Deception Pass State Park for the 22nd, 23rd, 24th & 25th, and I will need to check everything out and get it pre-tripped before then. We can always just go tent camping, but we would have to go out and buy a bunch of stuff, because most of our camping gear has disappeared.

Hang in there, the roller coaster is on the down side, but it still may get a little rocky.

Here we go again

Hope everyone out there in Bloggerland had a good weekend.

After sitting in the torture chair at the dentist for an hour+ on Friday, I went home and gargled with Jose' Quervo (for medicinal purposes only, of course).

V. went and spent the weekend with his dad. I think that was the first time this year he has spent the weekend with his dad.

I was pretty much feeling like crap with my sinuses. I went to Group Health and picked up a prescription for Flonase. It doesn't completely relieve my symptoms, but it does a pretty good job, just leaves me a little bit stuffy.

It rained most of the day on Saturday, so I pretty much vegged out.

Then all the sudden the alarm was ringing and I had to come back to work. There is no ruder sound that an alarm clock on Monday morning.

If Anybody Cares

There is a new chapter to STAR
http://star-pat.blogspot.com/, if anybody cares to read it. Chapter XII. Some day I may actually tie it all together

Friday at last.

As you might figure from the dearth of postings lately, not a whole bunch has been going on.

I've been suffering from allergies, but you can only garner so much symapthy from snot.

Everything in Alville is proceeding along at a liesurely pace. The only disturbance to the force being that the Airstream is still waiting for us to come and get it as soon as the other guy comes up with the title.

After An Extraordinary Woman http://welshsupergirl.blogspot.com/ posted about the Ping Pong Balls of Retribution I was tempted to post a similar incident from my childhood, but I couldn't muster up the energy.

I have an appointment to get my teeth cleaned this afternoon. Hopefully I will get the Dental Hygienist that didn't graduate from the Marquis de Sade school of dentistry.

The damn gas gives me a headache, or I would be happily floating down the road to oblivion.

Everyone have a great weekend, see you Monday, same Bat Time, same Bat Channel.

Poppy

This is the poppy growing in my front yard. The blossoms are about 6" in diameter.

Which brings up the subject of poppies, of course.

My Grandma Wilson was a true lady of the South. She never swore. She allowed no alcohol in her house. She was a former teacher, and demanded proper English.

She loved flowers, and always had several varieties, including a beautiful yellow rose of Texas.

She had picked up various plants in her travels, including a nice red poppy.

Imagine her embarrasment when a representative of the DEA showed up at her doorstep to ask her why she was growing Opium Poppies in her flower garden. She had come across the poppy somewhere in her travels, and had brought it with her and planted it wherever she had lived.

Unfortunately it turned out to be the opium poppy. So they have Johnny Appleseed, but my family had Lola Poppy Seed. (Sorry Mom, I couldn't resist.)

OBTW, that is not an Opium Poppy.

But I do have seeds.

All My Fault

It has been raining , or showering here in Latteland the last couple of days.

I admit it, it is my fault.

I did two things guaranteed to make it rain. First I washed Mrs A's car. By hand. Within a couple of hours, the thunderheads formed and it rained. Then it dried out enough to make lots of nice spots.

The second thing was that I took the tarp off of the outdoor furniture.

Either one by itself is bad enough, but the two together was like giving the finger to the weather gods.

At least my sinuses are much better since the showers gave the air a good scrubbing.

Maybe I ought to hire myself out as a Rainmaker.

Getting Impatient

As I have said before, patience is not one of my stronger character traits. My attitude is , just get it done or get the hell out of my way.

I know, I know, it's not the best attitude to have. The Lord is always presenting me with opportunities to improve this. Right now I am waiting for the new title to show up for the Airstream so I can get it changed over and registered.

They say it takes seven to ten days to get a replacement title. Well, it has been seven days, and I want it NOW. Damn reality anyway.

I did a brake job on the front of the Z on Friday. At work I told them it was a two-beer job, but it was only a beer-and-a-half job. When I was coming home from my Apollo Root Cause Analysis class Thursday, all of the sudden the front drivers side brake all the sudden started making terrible noises. I recognized the sound, so I stopped and ordered new pads on the way home.

I needed to get it done, because the car has been invited to a car show on Father's Day, and I need to make sure it is in good shape, plus the Airstream needs to be serviced, so I am going to be busy.

Gone in 60 minutes

About a year ago I bought a toyota for the kids. After I was done with the car, the people asked me, "Hey, do you want a truck? That one over there is free."

So I dragged it home, thinking it would make a good means of taking things to the dump.

I put a battery in it and dumperd some gas in the tank, checked the plugs, distributor cap, points and plugs. Tried it, and it ALMOST ran. I spent a couple of hours trying to figure out why it wouldn't run. Since then it has been sitting in the driveway.

Well, Mrs A and I have an agreement that if I bring a new vehicle home, I need to get rid of one. Since I am buying an RV, I need to make room for it, so I put the truck on Craigslist as a "FREE TRUCK". I had the first call within 15 minutes, and then the phone never stopped for the next several hours.

It was gone from my place within an hour of me getting home from work.

I regretted letting it go, because I am convinced I could have gotten it running, but on the other Mrs A. was glad to see it get towed down the street, and now I have a place to park the Airstream.

When I get it home, pictures will be taken and posted.

I'm BAAAACCCK

I have been in a two day class on Apollo Root Cause Analysis. There were no cumputers in the class, so I couldn't read the blogs during the day, and after I get home, most everyone has shut 'er down for the day.

It was a good class. There are several Root Cause Analysis type of systems around, but Apollo is a pretty simple and effective methodology.

The Z's brakes all the sudden started making terrible noises yesterday, so I had to drive the Blazer. I chose not to work on the brakes last night because it was over 80 degrees. Tonight ought to much better, so I will probably at least tear it apart and see what I need to do.

Eight Things

I was tagged by the lovely and witty Penut Queen with this.

The rules are that you are to post eight things about yourself, then tag eight people to keep it going.

Most of the people who stop by here have already been tagged, but if you haven't, consider your self tagged.

1. I am ambidextrous. I can do most everything with either hand. And no Rick, that doesn't mean I can switch hands without losing a stroke.

2. I don't swim. I sorta can, but have almost drowned twice. We all know what happens the third time, so I decided I'd better not push my luck.

3. I once had sex in a tree. A ladyfriend and I were taking a shortcut through an orchard late at night, and we got chased up in an apple tree by a dog. He wouldn't let us down, so to pass the time, we started messing around. One thing led to another, and........

4. Although my family had a farm within sight of Swietzer Ski Basin, I have never strapped boadrs on my feet and attempted to fall down the side of a mountain. The only skis I have ever been on were firmly attached to the bottom of a snowmobile.

5. I have never lost a fight. I either won, or they were broken up before there was a winner. There were a few times when I avoided a fight because the odds were not good, like the time eight guys jumped a friend of mine and I. We managed to talk our way out of it, mainly because my friend had some really dangerous relatives.

6. I like fixing things. I always have around at least on project car just in case I get bored. I will buy something that needs work, fix it up, drive it for a couple of years, sell it, and go buy another junker. This is how I got the down payment for my first house. I started out selling a camera for $200 and buying a car, and five years later sold a 1960 Jaguar Mark IX Saloon Car for the downpayment. Since then I won't work on a car unless I WANT to. One of my proudest moments as a parent was hearing R. tell one of her friends "Just bring your bike over to my house, my dad can fix ANYTHING"

7. I have to have a book to read. I probably have 1,000 books in my library, and have read a lot more. If I didn't have a book, I would read cereal boxes and soup can labels.

8. If I had mmy life to do over, I wouldn't change a dammn thing. I like who I am, warts and all. and each and every thing I have done is a part of what makes me what I am.

So, there you have it. If you are reading this and have not already been tagged with it, consider yourself tagged.

Almost there

OK, so I signed up for Gezeerdom today.

I gave the guy the downpayment for the RV.

Mrs A and I went over to his place and gave him a down payment for the vehicle. When we can get together down at work, we will complete the deal, but it will be a while. Monday is a holliday, Tuesday and Wednesday I have an off-site class. Thursday and Friday he has the same class.

So the earlieast we can get together will be a week from Monday.

I have the Owners manual, and all the manuals for the stuff inside.

It's driving me crazy to have made the commitment and not be able to play with it.

He started it up, showed me all the stuff. I have never owned an RV, so I have a lot to learn, but it doesn't worry me. I am a damn good mechanic. I can fix just about anything, so I am not afraid of any of it, although the owners manual is about three inches thick.

On one side I am so excited I can hardly stand it, on the other hand I have to wait for a quite a while before I get it, and then I have to license it, and I need to have it serviced before I want to use it, and we have reservations for the end of June, so it will be pretty busy to get it all done before we use it.

Once we get it ready to use............

Obsessive/Compulsive

Both Mrs A and I have OCD to some extent. I mean, obsessive compullsive behavior is a normal charater trait.

It is the little voice that asks you if you remembered to turn off the lights on the car. I have paid attention to that voice and gone back to find that yes, indeed, I had left the lights on.

As you might guess I tend to be a packrat. Tools and cars. I can never have enough of them. Mrs A an the other hand is somewhat of a neat freak. Fortunately they have a medication for that. But sometimes we get on each others nerves.

She will go off, and declare that the entire house is a pig sty, and rush around cleaning, but not a lot get's done. She will take the garbage wastebasket and take it to the kitchen to empty it, where she notices that the counter is not clean, so she will stop and clean up the counter.

While she is cleaning the counter, she notices that the salt is out, so she puts that away, but notices that the spices are messy, so she starts organizing the spices, when she notices that someone has put the aspirin in the spice cabinet, so she she takes the aspirin and puts in in the medicine cabinet. She checks the expiration date as she puts it away. This starts her checking the expiration dates of all the medicines in the cabinet, and finds some expired medicine.

She goes to put it in the waste basket, and there is none, because she took it out to the kitchen to empty it.

"Damn, do I have to do everything around this place?!"

About this time I remember that the oil needs changing in one of the cars, go out and smear some dirty oil on my hands, lay out the cardboard and go lay under a car.

Pointless

"You don't have to have a point to have a point, dig?" That's from the animated movie "The Point". Those particular words of wisdom are from The Rock Man.

Somewhere at home I have a copy of it. "A point in every direction is the same as no point at all" Another quote, O believe from The Pointed Man.

What's that? You say you have never heard of The Point? Remember the song "Me and my Arrow"? that's from the movie.

So what's the point of all this?

There is none.

I went over to the BECU Service Center yesterday an got preclearance for a loan to buy the Airstream. I asked for six grand, and they pre-approved me for $72,000.00. Sheesh, talk about overkill.

I was perusing Craigslist (I should be banned) and there was this beautiful 1967 AC Cobra reproduction for sale. For $31,999.00 it was a bargain. When I got home last night I told Mrs A that we had been approved for the loan, up to $72,000.00.

"Honey, you know, I've been thinking. We need to buy a small car of some kind we can drag behind the RV, so that we don't have to drive the RV around when we get where we are going."

She said "That makes sense"

I said "Well I saw this beautiful AC Cobra for sale for only $32,000.00, and we are approved for up to $72,000.00............"

I don't think I want to repeat what she said.

Hey, I was on a roll, why not try.

Airstream 190

So this is what the Beast looks like, sorta. I didn't get a picture of the actual vehicle, but this one looks just like the one we looked at.

It was all locked up, so we didn't get a look at the inside, but I surfed around on the internet and looked up stuff.

I has air conditioning, stove, heat, sink, shower, a big bed above the cab, fold out couch for a second bed, bathroom. Converter and generator, can be hooked up to outside power. The cabinetry in the photos I saw is superb.

We peeked in the drivers window, and the seats are pristine. The guy that has it is in Arizona for a week, so I have to wait until he gets back before I can get a look at the inside. It will have to start and run, and the interior can't be totally trashed for me to buy it, but my mind is pretty well made up.

I figure we can use it for the summer and get rid of it in the Fall if we don't like it. And probably make a few dollars in the process.

It will drive me nuts, having to wait for a week.

Patience is not one of my most prominent character traits.

Here we go again!

I am always on the lookout for a "deal", and I have made some good ones over the years.

Right now we are laying out our plans for the summer. We go tent camping, but we're getting a little long in the tooth for laying on the ground, air matress or not.

We were sitting around before a meeting BSing, and one of the guys said he was looking for an RV. One of the others said he had one he wanted to sell. It is an Airstream 19' with only 22,000 original miles on it.

Airstream makes nothing but high end products, so I am going to take a look at it this weekend. He says it is always tarped, doesn't leak. Price? $5,000.00

So I guess I will go take a look tomorrow, if Mrs A. doesnt go volcanic.

Whole Lotta Nuthin'

Got nothing going on at the moment, either at home or at work, and that's fine with me. Only trouble is, I have things that need to be done.

I need to recaulk the upstairs tub.

There's a truck sitting in my driveway that doesn't run.

I have a ground effects kit for the Z that is just sitting there waiting for me to fit it on the car and paint it.

The yard needs work, the basement needs to be cleaned up.

Some of the siding on the house on the South side needs to be replaced.

The thought of all that makes me want to go take a nap.

Close but no cigar

At lunch today I was perusing Craigslist, and came across an add for a 1976 Datsun 280Z for $500.00. In the pictures it looked pretty good, so I called the guy, and he said it ran but needed some work.

You know how they say a picture is worth a thousand words, but those words can be lies. Somebody had given it a rattle-can paint job without cleaning it up much, so it was covered with bubbles and rust spots.

It also didn't run. We could get it to fire and almost run, but it never would run for more that a second or two. If it would have run I probably bought it, but I wanted to at least be able to drive it home. It had wiring problems and a bunch of little hoses that dead ended. It was nothing I couldn't work out and in time, but I have enough projects for now.

Oh well, maybe next time.

Mothers Day

Happy Mothers day to all you mothers.

I am lucky enough to have my mom still alive and well. She is the center of our family.

When I asked her what she wanted for mothers day, she said she wanted me to come down and snake out the drain to the sink in her bathroom. Not very Mothers Day, but if that was what she wanted, that's what she would get.

I know how to do plumbing, but I hate it. So on Saturday, I went down to her placce and took the snake and plumbing tools. I pulled apart the trap. and it was clean, so either the block was above it or below it. I always take the easiest route first, so I stuck my finger up the downspout from the sink.

Splut.

The down tube was blocked solid.

Hair, toothpast and God knows what else. I went and gor a screwdriver to work it loose, and by hand pulled out this nasty black stinky stuff. It didn't take long, but every time I think of it I want to go wash my hands.

But if you put it in perspective, how many times did she clean nasty stinky stuff off of me?

For Mrs A., I fired up the BBQ and made Shish-ka-bobs and salmon. Everything came out perfect (I am master of the grill!)

Nice weekend.

One step closer

I have taken another step closer to Geezerdom.

I love the outdoors and camping. My whole family tent camped when I was a kid, and I have a lot of very good memories of the family camping.

For my 15th birthday, I asked if my cousin Kelly and I could go camping WAY back in the mountains, all by ourselves. We lived out of a pup tent, and foraged most of our meals. I fished for food. We brought along the minimum necessary to survive. We had a great time climbing mountains, hiking and fishing.

When I got a little older I took up backpacking. If you couldn't carry it on your back, you didn't need it. Little dome tent, ultralight gear. Sleep on the ground, no pad.

About six or seven years ago, I gave up and got an air matress, which was soon followed up by a queen size inflatable bed. Somehow the rocks and roots had gotten harder and always found a way to end up directly under my butt.

This last winter I bought a Honda Super Quiet Generator. It is small enough that I can carry it with one hand, and quiet enough you can stand right next to it and carry on a conversation without raising your voice. I have compromised my ideals for the sake of convenience.

The only step left in my descent into geezerdom is buying an RV.

Vacation(s)

Mrs A. and I are trying to figure out our plans for the summer. We both like to go camping, so she asked for a bunch of Four day weekends.

They turned her down, said she couldn't miss that many Fridays and Mondays, because those are her heavy days. They also said she couldn't take off the weekend close to the end of the month. She was a little pissed.

The only ting I know for sure is that we are going to the condo on the Oregon Coast the last week in September, since I've already payed for it.

Guess I'll have to dig out the maps and figure out where to go. I want something out of the way and pretty quiet.

Just like every other camper in the world.

Back on Track

I haven't blogged in a couple of days, and I was going throgh Blog Withdrawal.

The symptoms are that you start walking up to complete strangers and telling them things you have never told anyone before.

Saturday my step-grand daughter held a birthday party. I told her I would bring chips and salsa, it being Cinco de Mayo. They made BBQ ribs.

We stopped at Thriftway, because I stop in there on Tuesday mornings after my morning meeting and get chips and salsa. They have the best salsa ever (Chachi's) it's almost as good as my home made, and a lot less work.

I was walking through the Produce section when me sense of smell was slapped around by the odor of something good. I litterally stopped me in my tracks, and I followed my nose. You remember the old cartoons where the character would smell something good, and they would float in the air following the smell to its' source?

It was like that.

I followed it around a corner, and there was a large crock pot type of thing with a sign that said "Northwest Ciopino" and had a price list.

I lifted the lid and inhaled. A spicy mixture of seafood and tomatos hit me like pepper spray, only good. I grabbed a container and the ladle and filled it to the brim.

I made everyone wait while I ate it, because I was driving. It was wonderful.

When I picked up my salsa and chips this morning, I went and checked it out, and they must wait until just before lunch before they put it out.

I have a meeting about a block away tomorrow at 11:30. I'll bet you can figure out what I am having for lunch tomorrow.

Grandfather III, a correction

I was never real clear how my Grandfather met and married my Grandmother. When I wrote something about it, my mom was quick to point out that I got it all wrong.

Mothers are good at that sort of thing.

When my Grandfather was asked to leave the semenary and move West, he got engaged to one of the local girls.

He moved to New Mexico, where he took on the job of managiing a ranch for the nuns.

He recovered his health, and went back to Kentucky to get married.

He found that his "Fiance'" had married his brother. I imagine that was a real shock to him.

While he was back there, he married my Grandmother.

So, there's the truth.

BTW: Where the heck is everyone today? There's probably a whole bunch of you out there who celebrated Cinco de Mayo a little more than you should have, but this is two days later.

Cinco de Mayo

Most people don't know that back in 1912, Hellmann's mayonnaise was manufactured in England.

In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera Cruz, Mexico,which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New York.

This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico.But as we know, the great ship did not make it to New York.The ship hit an iceberg and sank, and the cargo was forever lost.

The people of Mexico, who were crazy about mayonnaise,and were eagerly awaiting its delivery, were disconsolate at the loss.

Their anguish was so great, that they declared a National Day of Mourning, which they still observe to this day.

The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5th and is known, of course, as Sinko de Mayo.

WHAT?!?!???

Sorry about that. I know this is a repeat, but I just couldn't help myself.

A really bad joke bears repeating.

Politcal Humor

I was listening to the news on the radio this morning, and I heard this. I laughed so hard I almost had to pull over. The best part is that it is a true story.

Barak Obama recently gave a talk to a group, in which he referred to Congress as "Spending money like a drunken sailor"

The next day he got an e-mail that said "As a former drunken sailor, I resent being compared to Congress!"

Interview

So Michael had his interview the other day and dared anybody to step forward and volunteer to be interviewed.

In a moment of weakness, I volunteered.

So here is the result. By the way, excellent questions, Michael!

1. You've mentioned your sports car on your blog so you must enjoy a spirited drive, what's the most outrageous thing you've done behind the wheel of an automobile?

Boy, this covers a multitude of opportunities.

I don't suppose doing the track at PIR as fast as I could in my Z with my grandson in the car is all that bad. After the first lap he stopped looking like he was going to puke and settled down, we had a great time. Or maybe doing 130 on the freeway in my GTO.

Here's one I enjoy.

We were working swingshift, so we got out at midnight. I had my GTO and we were looking for something to do. We got off the freeway and into Burien, just cruising, a couple of guys in their 20's looking for some action. We were going down the main east-west drag, 152nd. I noticed a car on the side of the road with its lights out. Something in me said "Sneaker", which was comfirmed when the car started and, still hugging the curb with the lights still out, slowly was keeping an eye on us. I told Jose' to hang on.

I took a hard right into a parking lot, accellerated, went behind a building and took a right, took a left and came out on the back block. Took a right and an immediate left, as the cop car with lights on worked its way through the maze. Another left, another right, two cop cars in sight now. Lights going. Down an alley, through another parking lot, right then an immediate left. Three cop cars. down another alley, around a corner up a driveway, turn lights and engine off.

Watch several cop cars go by. I waited until the street was clear, backed out and slowly sarted to go home. Two blocks later, about six cop cars came from different directions and blocked us. It was the "Out of the car, on the ground" scenario. I have to mention that at no time had I violated any laws. I never exceeded the speed limit, I never chirped the tires, they were never close enough to say they were in immediate pursuit.

They knew they had nothing to charge us with unless they found something in the car, so they proceeded to toss the car. They took out the spare, the tools, the trunk liner, some interior panels, but there was nothing to be found.

So they left us in the middle of the street with half of the car sitting on the ground. They just said "Have a nice evening" and left.

2. Upon arriving home from work one day, you're met at your door by a trio of men in dark suits wearing dark glasses. They introduce themselves as Secret Service agents. The president has read your blog and desperately wants advice on running the country. You get to meet with him for 30 minutes. What gems of wisdom do you share with him?

The President is supposed to govern at the approval of the people. You have said a couple of times that you don't care what the people say, the press says, the Generals say. There was no justification to invade Iraq, no WMD, no smoking gun. You are President, not King George the 1st. Listen to the people.

You come off as a puppet for big oil. Hell, you personally benefit from the inflated prices. Grow some balls, get the pupetmaster hand out of your ass, and work to improve the situation.
This is the only Earth we will ever have. Take care of it. Yes I know trees are bigger than Bush's, but get over your penis envy and give the environment a break.

3. "The Company" (you know which one!) has determined that your hard work has boosted the stock price! To thank you they've offered you an all-expenses paid night out, anywhere, anything. You've even got use of a company jet to fly you to your destination. Where do you go and what do you eat?

So many places, so many choice. Tokyo for Kobe beef, sushi, sake and a steam job and blow bath? Bangcock for night life and some smokin' hot Beef and Brocoli, or Beijing for a tour of the forbidden city and Honey walnut chicken and eels?

4. The day after you get back from your special dinner, "The Company" announces that due to an increase in executive compensation, budgets are going to have to be cut in other areas. Your group is downsized. The bad news, you're out of a job. The good news, you're invited to participate in a special state program that will allow you to start your own business and not worry about start up costs. What kind of company do you wind up starting?

No problem here, but two choices.

First, a vintage sports car restoration service. I think there is a real good market for it, I love the cars, and with a few discerning emplotees I think I could make a name for myself.

Second choice: Open a Brewpub. I have made probably 20 different kinds of beer as a hobby, and thought at one time about starting "Al's Ales", but the economics meant that I would have to work my ass off to just get started, and I didn't want the economicc risk because of my family.

5. After a Chinese lunch one day, you crack open your fortune cookie and lo and behold, it's a magic fortune! You can instantly learn to play any musical instrument and travel in space and time to jam with your all time favorite musician. What do you wish for?

I love blues guitar. I can play a little, and really appreciate a good guitar solo.
I'd have to go with the guitar, and I would love to jam with the guitar god, Eric Clapton.

Any volunteers for next interview?

Movie Time

Mrs A. watches a lot of movies. She has a MVP subscription at Blockbuster. Gives her unlimited movie rentals and no penalties for late returns.

Friday nights she always stops off at the movie place and picks up a couple of new releases.

She had been wanting to see "Night at the Museum", but when she got there, they were all out.

She was griping about them not having the movie in stock, but she couldn't think of the title. She was trying to tell me which movie it was by describing the trailers that have been on TV. There is a trailer where Ben Stiller is slapping a monkey, so she descibed it as "You know, the one where it shows the guy spanking the monkey."

I busted up laughing, and she realized what she said. She turned a little red.

Not to miss an opportunity I asked "Is that the same one that shows him choking the chicken? I think for that kind of movie, you have to go to the little place over on Sunset."

She didn't find it nearly as amusing as I did.

REVENGE

I had this boss, whom I hated. I always said he was the most efficient man I had ever met.

He could come in in the morning and screw up a whole days worth of work for the whole business in about five minutes.

Most of our customers were based in San Francisco, so it meant that Management had to go down there a couple of times a year to meet with our customers.

I had developed a relationship with some of the people down there. Everybody knew my boss was an asshole, so we conspired to set him up.

He was an iflexible, narrow minded person, so I asked my friend in SF to help me.

We set it up to take him to a transvestite bar without him knowing what it was.

After a few drinks, he found one of the "Ladies" attractive, and set up a meeting later.

He never knew what was happening until he discoverd the "Package"

I Think I Can, I Think I Can.

WAAHOOO, it's Friday!

Just make the long pull up that last hill, and we can coast down the rest of the week.

Mrs A and I are feeling a lot better, so we will probably have to play catch-up around the house this weekend. I haven't managed to get to the back yard lawn yet, and it's a jungle out there. I managed to do a little work last weekend, but wasn't up to doing much.

If you have been coming around here for any length of time, you know the last couple of years have been one crisis after another. Well, lately, that has not been the case. We have been coasting for the last couple of months, and it's been real nice. I no longer want to run and hide every time the phone rings. I don't automatically assume that when I see the kids names on caller I.D. that it is a bad thing.

Occasionally I do get the "Waiting for the other shoe to drop" feeling.

Day more or less off

I kinda had the day off in a way.

I had a class, and as I told V., a day in school is almost the same as a day off. It was a class in Lean. Mostly Lean is an initiative for Manufacturing. This was a class on Lean for the Office environment.

I never fell asleep even once.

They provided food even. Bagels and cream cheese and fruit, not to mention Donuts and Danishes.

In the afternoon it was sodas and cookies and bags of nuts.

I was good both times, and stuck to the stuff that wasn't too bad for me.

V. has a track meet tonight, so he won't be home for a while yet.

Sounds like a good night to chase Mrs A around the house.

Witless Wednesday

No great pronouncements here today. Just gettin' by like everyone else. I finally got a decent night's sleep.

V. has joined the Track Team. This from a kid with whom it takes a whip and chair to get him away from the computer. I am greatly pleased. He had gotten to the point where I was worried he might have to be surgically separated from his computer.

Last night was the spring potluck for the debate team, so naturally I had to cook up egg rolls. That's the trouble with making something really good. Everybody wants to help you eat it, no one wants to help you make it. So I made V. cook the egg rolls. I supervised (and tasted to make sure they were cooked properly). I told him from now on he has to cook his own egg rolls for potlucks.

I also told him that next time we MAKE egg rolls, he will have to help or he won't get any. So yesterday I had to pick him up froom track practice and run him home, help him cook egg rolls and then take him to the Debate potluck.

I made him get a ride home from the Potluck.

Draggin' ass

I am whupped this morning.

Mrs A. has a nasty head cold (worse than mine).

She snores.

LOUD.

So I got about four hours of sleep last night. Every time I would drop off, she would start up her nasal chainsaw. Grununununu.

Diet Coke with Lime to the rescue.

American Gothic, or Grandfather Part III

So here is the picture of my Grandparents that I talked about. You can see why I referred to Grant Woods' "American Gothic".

In almost every picture we have of him, he has that same glum expression. In real life there was such a twinkle in his eyes that it ballanced out the glum expression. Somewhere I have a copy of a picture of him smiling.

Many thanks to my cousin, Ginger for sending it to me.

Grandfather was from Kentucky. I have been told that in the area around Elizabethtown if you throw a rock you are bound to hit a Warren, Clarke or a Mudd, all of whom are related.

As a young man he wanted to be a Priest. He was devoutly Roman Catholic. He joined the Semanary, and was on his way to becoming a Priest, when they found he had Tuberculosis. They wouldn't let him join because of his health.

One of the commmon treatments for TB was to send people to a better climate, and so he was sent to New Mexico, where he recovered his health. That is also where he met my Grandmother, who was also from Kentucky. I believe she was there for the same reasons.

They spent the majority of their lives in New Mexico, but at the end of the Seccond World War, he moved to North Idaho and bought a small dairy farm. Later Uncle Fred bought a piece of timber on a hill adjoining the farm to the East. A quite a bit of the land was "Stump Farm". It had been cleared of timber around the turn of the century, and the stumps remained.

They bought a small John Deere Cat, and cleared the 20 acres of stumps. There was another 20 acres that was in Cottonwood swamp, and they cleared that, making about 80 acres of pasture and 80 acres of timber.

My grandmother was quite frail, so Grandfather ran the house as well as the farm. I have this very cllear memory of him, standing behind her, brushing out her long silver hair, her seaten in her rocking chair.

I have that rocking chair in the basement, in desparate need of some repairs. One side of it is scorched from when it was set too close to the wood stove and almost caught fire. The rocker on one side is broken, where it wore through. I need to go down and get a piece of Cherry to fashion a new rocker.

For posterity as well as posteriors.

Uncle Watson Rules

We always played Canasta for entertainment.

Whenever the family came together, we would enevitable pick partners and settle down to a good double deck Canasta tounament.

I had not seen my cousin Ginger for about 30 years, but when we hooked up after all that time, the evening ended with a game of Canasta. Ginger and I were partners against her sister, Mary, and Uncle Fred.

It was like a trip back in time. Thirty years evaporated as soon as the cards hit the table. We were back on the farm, and things had not ever changed. If you were real patient, Fred would make a bad discard, but Mary would pick up the pile at the smallest excuse. Ginger and I played for the long term.

The only point of discussion was Uncle Watson Rules.

Uncle Watson was a relative from Kentucky who came out one summer and spent some time with the family. Of course he was involved in the family Canasta tournaments.

He quoted special "Rules" that he invented as the occasion arose.

For instance, if you cut the deck at the exact amount of cards that were dealt out, you got an extra 100 points. Or if you had three red threes it was worth an extra 100, but you get the idea.

I don't think that his rules ever made any difference in the outcome of the game. Strategy and partnership always won out over special "Rules".

It came to mean that if you could think up a rule which sounded logical, and benefitted you, you could invoke it.

Not quite cheating, but an interresting side game to play.

So do you play by "Uncle Watson Rules" ?

Mrs A. brought home a bug frmo work. She has had a nasty, nasty cold all week. I woke up with my head completely congested, but I thought, hey, if I'm miserable, I might as well be at work. Save my sick leave for when I don't feel soo bad.

Oh yeah, like you don't do the same thing.

A 20 0z. Diet Coke with Lime and a couple Tylenol Severe Congestion tabs, and I'll make it through. After all, it is Friday.

Mrs A, and I are supposed to go to Jazz Alley Saturday for dinner and the show. Mose Allison is playing, and I was looking forward to it, but at the moment it looks unlikely.

I told the guys at work that if my head explodes, I hope I don't get any on them.

Grandfather Part II

While he was staying with us, we had gone downtown to see the sights. It was a blustery day, and as we were standing at the corner waiting for the light, right across the street a big gust of wind blew a beautiful young redheads skirt clear up around her ears. I saw Grandfather come to point like a hunting hound. His vision wasn’t too good, but he could still make out what had happened.

I turned to him and said “Grandfather, at your age!”

He turned to me and said “Son, if I quit looking, you better start digging the hole.”

While he was out here, he went to spend a couple of weeks with my Aunt Mary and Uncle Frank in Olympia. They went out to take care of some errands, and when they got back Grandfather was not to be found.

Eventually they heard noises coming from the basement. He was down in the basement, which was dirt, and he was digging a hole. They probably thought that he had gone over the edge, so they asked him what the heck he was doing.

He explained that he had noticed that there weren’t many rock outcrops or anything. It seemed like the topsoil just went on and on, so he went down into the basement to look at the soil in profile. That got his curiosity up, so he wanted to see how much deeper the soil went. He had gone down about an additional three feet, and no end . When they asked him what he thought, he just pointed at Mount Rainier and said something about “It came from over there.”

He came out of his funk and lived for seven or eight more years. I loved to sit with him and get him talking about what the world was like when he was young. He told me about the first time he saw an automobile, which was a Locomobile. He always remembered it because it had eight wheels. I thought he was pulling my leg, so The first chance I has, I looked it up at the library. Sure enough Locomobile produced a car with eight wheels.

Grandfathers great passion was his garden. He had several. There was the spring garden, the main garden, the berry garden, the orchard. We were pretty much self sufficient. We canned, and had a couple of freezers. Grandfather made the best pickled crabapples, and apple jelly, and beans, and peaches. We picked wild blackberries and huckleberries. We made homemade ice cream from wild strawberries. We fished and hunted, made our own butter.

Back to butter. We used to take a quart mayonnaise jar and fill it with cream, and sit there and shake it. By the time the evening was over, voila’ butter. Whenever I visited the farm, I always came away with eight or nine pounds of home made butter.

Grandfather had Macular degeneration, and his vision kept fading. There was less and less he could do. Finally in the Spring of 1971 it had faded to the point that he could not distinguish the new vegetable sprouts from the weeds. He decided he didn’t care to stick around any longer, so within a couple of months he was gone.

He had a long and productive life, was loved by his family, and pointed a couple of generations of kids in the right direction.

So on Saturday mornings when I put the butter on my toast or waffles, I always stop for a moment and think of my grandfather.

Here’s to you wherever you are.