Contemplative, reflective . . .whatever

So there I was* looking at a relatively long drive.
The trip south had been well thought out.
I even had a book to which I could listen on the way.

This trip was more ad lib and all I had was the radio.
I had already passed along the book, John Grisham's Gray Mountain.
(should that go on my reading list?
I didn't actually read it.
Maybe I should have a listening list?)

Speaking of listening, I've been listening to the Beatles on the Echo for the past few days.
But I digress.

Did I say ad lib?
The intention was to generally follow the same route home with a couple of minor detours.
The first for a loaf of sourdough.
(have I told that part?
. . .uh, yeah)
Then to Sac for an impromptu visit with folks I know there.
Had I made prior arrangements, I would have stuck it out.
Instead I decided I'd had enough with traffic and headed home.

But then if you've been following long enough [four days], that's ancient history.

What happens when traveling alone for long periods of time is the mind grabs onto things it wouldn't routinely seek.
One of it's favorite places is the past.
It finds things there that give us pause.

My thoughts were comparisons.
Four individual life changing incidents over a period of more than 40 years.
All similar, having to do with loss.
Not all of the losses over those years were included (and not all had to do with death).
Only those which were blindsides.
(Well, one wasn't quite as sudden as the others and one isn't quite so permanent)

What makes them as devastating as they were (are?) is what is invested in those relationships. . .
. . .and what wasn't.
No, what is really so devastating is that there's no starting over. . .   no new beginning. . .   no making up for the past.

That's what made the early losses so much worse.
Regrets. . .   you know, the what ifs.
Those don't do anyone any good.
They fix nothing.
They're the toothpaste you can't put back in the tube.

But like I said, the mind will drag those things out of the attic to remind us.
It also brought me current and showed me I have moved on.
I think I know how to move forward without any drama now.

The road's wide open

That makes it a lot easier to like myself.

ending on a positive note

*SJC

Now to catch up again

I had to get out early yesterday.
Yep. . .   that was a stealth post [did it on Monday].

I won't go into details because there's more to learn.
But, somehow I managed to be away from the house for most of the day.
I got a lot done, too.
I need to do more.

The only time I was back at the house was to let the cat out after his nap (six hours).
One day I may figure out why he prefers to stay out in the cold all night.

(Nah! That ain't gonna happen)

Anyway. . .   it was a beautiful day, but chilly.
Today, not so much   . . .yet.

Time to roll.
Tasks await.

Now for the exception

By now you may have gathered Christmas was good.

Boxing Day was getaway day because some folks had rented the little home on the bluffs for this week.
So it was clean up, pack up, and hit the road.

Even at 9am there was still ice on my windshield.
So it took about fifteen minutes before I could even put it in gear, turn it around, and drive off, back into the Sun for about an hour.
I was going to detour on the way home and visit some others.

First it was a stop, slightly out of the way, in Healdsburg.
There's a very nice bakery that bakes superlative sourdough French bread.
It also has a public restroom.
It turns out, that since the last time I was there, they have remodeled and become a bistro, as well.
The place was packed with eager eaters, many of them rude.

I got my bread and hit the road, this time US 101 south.
My next turn off was in Petaluma.
Back onto two lane roads again.
The first part wasn't too bad.
Traffic was heavy but moving well.
Then, just when I thought this'll be okay, the next turn showed me how wrong I could be.

I'd been listening to a San Francisco, all news all the time plus traffic and weather, station.
I was hearing about all kinds of heavy traffic, particularly on the Golden Gate Bridge and its approaches.
I was thinking how glad I was that I was going east instead of into The City (like my sister and brother in law).
That's when the really nice weather caught up with me.
It seems everyone was going somewhere.
And one of them was pulling a trailer on a two lane road with no place to pass.
There were so many cars behind the trailer hauler that every time he slowed a little, somewhere behind him it became necessary for someone else to stop.
This went on for about five miles before it evened out to about 15 or 20 mph.
Finally as the road approached the turn off for Mare Island the road widened and things picked up to a more routine speed.
It had taken a little over an hour to go a distance that had taken 20 minutes a few days before.

Upon reaching I-80 I was back at ease.
Four and, sometimes, five lanes of traffic flowing at reasonably fast speeds.
Then, only a few miles later, where it goes to six lanes, it became a parking lot.
Snow in the Sierras had become a magnet for anyone who believes they know how to ski. . .   and those who believe the factory outlet stores in Vacaville can't survive without them.

An hour and a half and 25 miles helped me make up my mind that I was done.
I turned north on I 505, made my usual stop for fuel when I reached I-5 and was home just after four o'clock.

The plus about the drive home was seeing snow on the mountain to the west, the east, and to the north.
I only hope it continues so the lakes can recoup what's been sent downstream.

Sebastian greeted me and followed me into the house, resting while I unpacked the car.
He actually stayed in and didn't disturb me at all.
I may even have awakened him on Sunday morning?
I'm pretty sure he was happy to have me home.

 

Interlude on Christmas Eve

The Rainy Day
The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains,and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.

My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains,and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.

Be still, sad heart, and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.

~Henry Wadworth Longfellow

. . .and hail, though it's hard to tell from this picture through the windshield.

There was a double rainbow, too, but I chose not to photograph it.
I was a good day to stay indoors, at least in the morning.
It did get better.

The rays of Sunlight [crepuscular rays to be specific] aren't nearly as spectacular as in person.
Siting in front of a fire and reading was the plan of action after a quick trip up the road for some last minute needs.

Christmas day

was another story.

The dawn promised a beautiful day.
Which proved out



It was a good day for a walk on the trail.
The tide was out.

A short walk found a beach and look back showed one cluster of homes.

Look close and you can see one lonely sea gull on top of the pyramid shaped rock below and to the right of the trees.It was the only wildlife of which I had an opportunity to get a picture.
We saw a doe in the side yard but she vanished as fast as she appeared.

There's really not much explanation for this waterfall.
It appears to be man-made.

I found that it was better to walk back on the paved street because the trail and the trail access were just a tad bit damp.

Most of the time there was spent catching up, reading, eating, or watching movies.
My brother in law got his exercise producing kindling (a story he'll have to tell).
Sis used her spare time cooking and baking, which she does very well.
And we listened to a lot of Christmas music.
The time flew by.

Did I mention the overnight temperatures were in the low 30s?
So low 30 that it would've been the high 20s if the temp had gone any lower.

that's Northern California for ya

That went quick. . . with one exception

So there I was*

you can see Central California from here

Wednesday morning, before Christmas [before Christmas Eve], I did a cursory cleanup from the festivities of the previous evening.

The Lions Club had been here for the annual Christmas party, a potluck, for which I'd prepared a pork loin roast.
There were 18 of us.

Anyway, I let the cat out, loaded Ol' Dependable, and headed south. . .   on I-5, if you must know.
I put a book disc in the CD player because I knew I'd be on the road for a few hours.
My destination, while in what I consider Northern California (see the sidebar), was 275 miles away.

Listening to books this was requires more stops than I care to make.
OTOH, I stopped at some rest areas I had never seen before.
The one in the picture above serves as a Vista Point above the City of Vallejo on I-80.
It too bad the person who designed the wheelchair ramp couldn't visualize that it would look like a sewer plant water treatment facility.
I'm sorry that I used my phone instead of the camera to take that picture.
With more resolution, you could see the Golden Gate and the SF skyline.

The weather for the journey was perfect   . . .except I was headed south, then west, so the Sun was in my eyes.
When I reached Vallejo the roads were no longer multi-lane, but at least there was one in each direction.
Other possible routes to my destination don't always offer that option.
Heck. some don't even offer pavement.

Another two hours  . . .or less  . . .found me finishing the drive on California's wonderful One.
If you have an opportunity to drive State Highway One be sure to allow at least a week because otherwise you won't have time to stop to view the sights available along the coast.
It's taken me a few years, but I can tell you that I have seen all but the section between Ft. Bragg and Pt. Arena.

My destination was my sister and brother in law's at Sea Ranch, which is about as close to the ocean as anyone can stay on the coast.

Yes, that's green grass.

Sunset on Wednesday gives a hint of what to expect

So does Moonrise.

*SJC

So. . . what happened to yesterday's post

In short. it was a long day on the road, where I changed my mind about where I was going.

. . .and the cat was happy about it

Fitting

Yeah   . . .same song

'nother repeat

You can read the entire post including the comments by clicking anywhere on the image.

I had totally forgotten (a repeat)

because I still don't

non sequitur

Because it's the Christmas Season it only follows that I should post this:

Subject: Navy Truisms

• A Sailor will walk 10 miles in a freezing rain to get a beer but complain about standing a 4 hour quarterdeck watch on a beautiful, balmy spring day.

• A Sailor will lie, cheat and scam to get off the ship early and then will have no idea where he wants to go.

• Sailors are territorial. They have their assigned spaces to clean and maintain. Woe betide the shipmate who tracks through a freshly swabbed deck.n

• Sailors constantly complain about the food on the mess decks while concurrently going back for second or even third helpings.

• After a cruise, a Sailor will realize how much he misses being at sea. And after retiring from the Navy considers going on a cruise and visiting some of our past favorite ports. Of course we'll have to pony up better than $5,000 for the privilege. Just to think, Uncle Sam actually use to pay us to visit those same ports years ago.

• You can spend three years on a ship and never visit every nook and cranny or even every major space aboard. Yet, you can name all your shipmates and every liberty port.

• Campari and soda taken in the warm Spanish sun is an excellent hangover remedy. <i>[I'll have to take somebody else's word for that]</i>

• PO2 / E-5 is almost the perfect military pay grade. Too senior to catch the crap details, too junior to be blamed if things go awry.

• Never be first, never be last and never volunteer for anything <i>[unless it's mess cooking for the Chiefs Quarters</i>.

• Almost every port has a “gut.” An area teeming with cheap bars, easy women and partiers, which is usually the "Off-limits" area.

• Contrary to popular belief, Master Chief Petty Officers do not walk on water. They walk just above it.

• Sad but true, when visiting even the most exotic ports of call, some Sailors only see the inside of the nearest bars/clubs.

• Also under the category of sad but true, that lithe, sultry Mediterranean or Asian beauty you spent those wonderful three days with and have dreamed about ever since, is almost certainly a grandmother now.

• A Sailor can, and will, sleep anywhere, anytime.

• Yes, it’s true, it does flow downhill.

• In the traditional “crackerjack” uniform you were recognized as a member of United States Navy, no matter what port or part of the world you were in. Damn all who want to eliminate or change that uniform.

• The Marine dress blue uniform is, by far, the sharpest of all the armed forces.

• Most Sailors won’t disrespect a shipmate’s mother. On the other hand, it’s not entirely wise to tell them they have a good looking sister either.

• Sailors and Marines will generally fight one another, and fight together against all comers.

• If you can at all help it, never tell anyone that you are seasick.

• Check the rear dungaree pockets of a Sailor. Right pocket a wallet. Left pocket a wheel book.

• The guys who seemed to get away with doing the least, always seemed to be first in the pay line and the chow line.

• General Quarters drills and the need to evacuate one’s bowels often seem to coincide.

• Speaking of which, when the need arises, the nearest head is always the one which is secured for cleaning.

• Four people you never screw with: the doc, the DK, PC and the ship’s barber.

• In the summer, all deck seamen wanted to be signalmen. In the winter they wanted to be radiomen.

• Do snipes ever get the grease and oil off their hands?

• Never play a drinking game which involves the loser paying for all the drinks.

• There are only two good ships: the one you came from and the one you’re going to.

• Whites, coming from the cleaners, clean, pressed and starched, last that way about 30 microseconds after donning them. The Navy dress white uniform is a natural dirt magnet.

• Sweat pumps operate in direct proportion to the seniority of the official visiting.

• The shrill call of a bosun's pipe still puts a chill down my spine.

• Three biggest lies in the Navy: We're happy to be here; this is not an inspection; we're here to help.

• Everything goes in the log.

• Rule 1: The Chief is always right. Rule 2: When in doubt refer to Rule 1.

• A wet napkin under your tray keeps the tray from sliding on the mess deck table in rough seas, keeping at least one hand free to hold on to your beverage.

• Never walk between the projector and the movie screen after movie call and the flick has started.

• A guy who doesn't share a care package from home is no shipmate.

• When transiting the ocean, the ship's chronometer is always advanced at 0200 which makes for a short night. When going in the opposite direction, the chronometer is retarded at 1400 which extends the work day.

• When I sleep, I often dream I am back at sea.

• If I had to do it all over again, I would. TWICE!
GOOD SHIPMATES ARE FRIENDS FOR LIFE!

Monday update

Did you see that?
. . .the bit on the news where the folks had a tantrum in the movie theater because the projector broke?
Really?
We're not talking about kids here.
We're talking about so-called adults.
A whole auditorium full of adults.

Good grief!
Grow up!
There is no master plan to eff up your life.
Stuff happens, get over it. . .

. . .or go to your 'safe' place.

I might actually go see that movie.
No, I haven't seen the prequels.

. . .and now this:

cleaning out the folders

What you missed yesterday

First off. . .   there was Sunshine [once the fog burned off].
Then there was the gift wrapping session.
Before that, though, they needed to be unloaded from the SUV.

That was only a few of them.

When there is a crew of dedicated gift wrappers, it doesn't take much more than an hour to wrap about a hundred gifts..

It's a different SUV and the only space not filled is where the driver sits.

Next it was time to get ready for the kids to arrive and be fed.

There were chips and drinks (no sodas) for the kids, too.
While the food was being prepared, others were sorting gifts, by age and gender, in the big room when it became available.

The adults were allowed to eat once the kids had their fill.
This was all about the kids.

Then the "big fella" arrived.

I'm only sorry I didn't have the video turned on.
But they snuck* up on us this year.
The best part of the arrival is the noise.
There's nothing like the noise of a herd (there were nine) of  Harleys   . . .nothin'

Just one of the Reindeer. . .

 It was lots of fun, the kids were happy, and Santa was happy.

. . .and there was Sunshine

Happy stuff

Why?
It is because this is the happy season.
We should all feels joy at this time of year.
Mostly it is because, after I go to the regular Saturday meeting I attend, I will be taking my scissors and driving to Redding to wrap gifts for kids who just might not have much of a Christmas because their parents are unable to provide one.
Santa will be there, riding in on his Harley, rain or shine (likely rain).

Why am I bringing my scissors?
Because the guy who organizes this event refuses to be responsible for how the scissors are used.
So he won't provided them.

The wrapping starts at 10.
The kids start arriving at 1.
Santa and his Hog riding reindeer get there at 2.
There may be pictures.
Don't count on it.

This'll be the eighth year.

my second year

Normal Friday

Meaning, of course, that, all things being relatively equal, nothing much has changed.

So, there I was*

. . .routinely scanning the blogosphere when I came across the following:

"We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it and stop there; lest we be like the cat that sits down on a hot stove lid. She will never sit on a hot stove lid again and that is well; but also she will never sit down on a cold one anymore."

                Mark Twain

What it has to do with anything is beyond me.


*SJC

We answer our reader's question

Well, yeah.
I periodically get questions from the reader.
She wanted to know about what the vision screening is.
Well she was a little more specific.
I'm just way too lazy to relate the entire dialogue.

So. . .   it started all the way back in 1925.
Cedar Point, Ohio is where Helen Keller challenged the Lions Clubs to be Knights for the Blind.
Since then, the Lions have been making inroads into many, many ways to preserve vision.
One of those ways is by going into schools and helping school nurses with eye testing.

Back in the day that meant going in to a classroom and putting up an eye chart.
Then having the kids come up one at a time to read the chart.
It worked when the kids hadn't memorized the chart (you know they all wanted to pass the test).
It took up a lot of time and was disruptive.
Some schools and some school nurses didn't care to have others involved in this process.
There were also privacy issues, even back then.

Then technology made for newer ways to test.
But the newer way isn't necessarily cheap.

In October 2010 the Disctrict Governors and their cohorts were given a demonstration for a portable screening unit that isn't much bigger than a SLR camera.
It can be operated by one person, if necessary, though two is better.
About three to four students per minute can be tested quietly.
The catch is that the unit costs about $7000.
Not many Lions Clubs have that kind of money to spend for something that only gets used by them once a year.
But the local District Governor had a brainchild.
How about if the district bought the unit, with funds from the Health and Humanitarian Foundations and loaned it out to the clubs?
The only real issue then would be to get the schools on board.

Fast forward to now.
The first unit turned out to be so popular that a grant was sought and given to purchase three more units for the district.
They are so popular that even some of the school districts have gotten grants from other providers.
Most of the school nurses count Lions because they know how to operate the units and don't require training.

The only issue is scheduling.
That's because Lions members aren't always available due to work or other commitments.
But it is fun to interact with the kids, the nurses, the teachers, and other school staff.

There are no kids in this picture do to privacy concerns.
See the link above to see how we did yesterday.

It ain't much

The other day, on F/B I posted this.

With the comment, "The lights are up."
It was a re-post from 2010 that came up in the memories of previous years.

It caused a little bit of an uproar.
That's nothing new.
I actually kinda like stirring things up.

But I have to confess that it's not how I put the lights up.
I didn't get them up that soon.
They went up yesterday.
There's nothing fancy about my lights.
The outdoor decor consists of a lighted wreath on the front door and two strings of LED light along the roof eaves.

Looks better this way, after the Sun is down for awhile.

The cat is not impressed.
I'm not sure why I am doing this.
Maybe it's because I volunteered to host the Lions Christmas party?
It sure isn't for my benefit.
I have a couple of out of town invitations for Christmas.
I may actually be able to avail myself of two of them.

Oh. . . I almost forgot

The furnace and water heater are back online and running well. . .    at the moment.
The issue was a balky pressure switch.
It will have to be replaced.
There is also a leak in the condensate return line.
That will have to be fixed.
And [yeah, don't start a sentence with "and"] I don't like the thermostat.
That will have to be fixed . . .some day.

I feel very fortunate, grateful even.
I have been dealing with this particular heating and air company since it started out and was basically a one man operation.
Today they're much bigger.
They could easily have dinged me for a huge payout.
They didn't.
They never have.

Who's gonna clean that up? (a Monday update)

I started calling Monday posts Monday updates about 3 years ago.
It saves coming up with original titles.

Yesterday I lamented about the state of some mechanical equipment here.
Today it is another issue brought about by Sunday's early morning weather and some poor calculations by some neighbors.

We'll start with the weather.
A front came through starting sometime around 2:00am.
The wind was at 20 mph, with gusts to 28mph.
That's where it started.
By 4:30 it was at 40mph, gusting to 54mph and by 7:30 the gusts were at 60mph.
Rain was also trying to fall at a rate of a quarter inch in an hour.
It was mostly going sideways.

Now about the neighbors.
First, the set-up.
The city has contracted with a major garbage hauler to handle waste removal in town.
In our neighborhood, Friday is the pickup day.
We are required to put our wheelie bins at the curb so the operator does not have to get out of his truck.
On alternating Fridays, either green waste (read compostible or burnable stuff) or recyclables are picked up on a second trip through the neighborhood.
Last Friday was recyclables.

Yesterday morning after the winds calmed down around 9:00am, I slipped outside to see what chaos had occurred.
My yard and my next door neighbors' [yeah, more than one] yard were strewn with recyclables.
There were plastic bottles, cardboard cartons, egg cartons, and plastic bags up against each of our houses.
Evidently, the truck missed one of the neighbor's bins.
That's a cryin' shame.
But the real shame is that the neighbor didn't haul it back up from the curb, instead leaving it out where the wind could knock that puppy over and blow its contents to kingdom come.

Now if I were an ornery person, I would have taken the crap from my yard, done my best to enlist my next door neighbors, and carried the stuff up the street to the offending party's house.
Instead I am just going to send an email to the garbage company, along with the offender's address, and let them handle it.

I will also call my city councilman and tell him what I think of the contract they have let with the garbage company.
I have major issues with Friday pickup.
It means that if there's a holiday, the pickup is move to the Saturday following the holiday.
This may be convenient for the garbage firm.
But it sucks for the customers. . .   and, sometimes, their neighbors.

Grrrrr!

Whoa is me...

I am not at all mechanically inclined.
So you may see where this is going?

I have a really neat central heating system that's tied in with my water heater.
So there is "always" hot water.
It recirculates the water.
In the summer it cycles through the a/c [if it is turned on] and does amazing things, too.

This morning   . . .and last night   . . .the system stopped doing what it's supposed to do.
Yeah, I checked the thermostat, the breakers, all that I can think of.
There seems to be nothing wrong with the gas supply because all of the other gas appliances work.

Why is it little catastrophes like this always seem to happen on weekends?

It is probably a good thing I am not mechanically inclined.
Otherwise I might try to fix it myself.
Anyway, I am waiting for a call from the repair folks.
Maybe we can sort this out?
The indoor temperature, depending upon which room you're in, is between 63 and 68 degrees.

The good news is they aren't going to charge me for the diagnostic.

we'll wait for the other shoe

Checking the tires

There is only a tenuous connection to anything automotive about this post.

It's a guy thing.
It has a lot to do with whether or not there's a rest area anywhere nearby.

*So there I was.
The year was 1963, probably July.
The ship was in port at Keelung.
We'd returned from a long, slow, patrol along the shores of any number of countries.
Long because we cover a lot of shoreline.
Slow because a tin can doesn't burn a lot of NSFO** when steaming at 10-12 knots.
Patrol because we were searching.

We'd been at sea for something like three weeks, maybe longer, and had gone far enough north that we hadn't needed air conditioning.
Even Keelung looked good when we returned.
Several of us decided that maybe Taipei would be even better because there was rumored to be a pretty good EM Club*** there.

We found that we could catch a bus for the one hour ride south to Taipei.
What we failed to do was ascertain the details for the return trip.
There were four of us, but I couldn't begin to tell you which four because there were six or seven who were almost interchangeable depending on which section had the duty.
I do know we enjoyed ourselves.
The food was good.
The adult beverages were plentiful.

Then it was time to return to the ship.
Maybe you've heard of Cinderella liberty.
It means being back aboard by midnight, no exceptions, no excuses.

We had no idea where to catch the bus for the return trip. . .   or even if the bus was still running.
However, there was a taxi stand at the front of the club and we were able, through sign language and pidgin English, to convince a driver to take us back to Keelung.

What we failed to do was make a pit stop on the way out of the club.
About halfway back to Keelung nature called.
Again, through sign language and broken English, we communicated to the driver that we needed to check the tires.
At first he seemed a little apprehensive about stopping.
But once he saw we had no ulterior motives, he got out with us and checked the spare.

return trip by taxi

 is faster than

 the bus ride

*SJC
**Navy Special Fuel Oil [any heavier it would be tar]
***Enlisted Mens Club

Normal Friday

Well it is normal in that the weather is as I remember it from before the drought started.
It's too darn soon to say the drought's done.
According to the weather guys we are still way shy of where things should be water-wise.

They showed a little graphic on the news last night.
There was a 5 gallon bucket representing where we should be.
Where we are is at 7% of that 5 gallon bucket.
So there's some make up that needs doing.
The current edition of the Pineapple Express is helping a little.
We are expecting more rain through the weekend.
Hopefully it will continue as it has. . .   on and off so it soaks rather than runs off and causes flooding.

Military Christmas

Now the real fun starts.
The new ladder is fait accompli.

Which is to say it is too late for anyone to tell me:

"Aawww. . .   shoulda called me.
I'da helped put it in."

I'd still be waiting.

It is way past time to begin decorating.
I've never been the one to initiate the process [emphasis on never].
I have a great deal of experience participating   . . .and being told, on many an occasion:

"You're doing it all wrong!"

Yeah, not much positive reinforcement.
I'm good for the heavy lifting and the outdoor stuff (if I don't let my imagination run away with things).
But, otherwise . . .

Do ya get the picture.
So, unless I have help, we won't be going apeshit crazy with the Christmas decor.
It remains to be seen if the platoon of nutcrackers will be deployed.

inertia is a bitch

. . .and done

It is amazing what can be accomplished in three hours when the folks doing the job have the know-how and all of the right tools.

At 8:00am there was a broken attic ladder in this spot.
At 11:00am they two men who did the job were driving away.

We'd actually measured; checked that the new ladder was in stock; driven to Redding to pick it up;
removed the old ladder; and installed this one.
Installation involved some alterations to the new ladder (as per instructions provided by the manufacturer).

Project

Remember the bit about the broken attic ladder.
Today repairs begin   . . .I hope.

A friend is bringing over a friend and we are measuring twice.
Then we are going to purchase a sturdier.

I know what I should be doing

Actually they should already be mailed.
The annual greeting card. . .   that thing to let everyone else know you talk to your cat.
Yeah. . .   I'm probably not doing them this year.
I may respond to those received, but it won't be "in kind."

Well. . .   maybe a few.

Pre-planned post

I don't commemorate this every year.
But it's a good subject when I'm preoccupied with other matters.

December 7, also known as a Day of Infamy.
I have a number of memories of Pearl Harbor.
[Yeah, yeah and Hawaii, too. It's where I got my IHTFP coffee cup] 

This is my most recent memory.

Sundaymonday

They're kinda run together.
Saturday, as well.
Yesterday (Saturday) was filled with Lions, as was this morning.
Well, Lions and driving.
It about 88 miles to Oroville and I made two round trips.

The weather's made a change, too.
There's an inch and a quarter of rainfall since midnight here, the bulk of it falling between 2 and 3am and notifying me there's a new leak in the roof.
So this morning driving was just a little more hazardous.

I have to get to bed earlier than usual [almost wrote normal] because of a pickup at Sacramento airport tomorrow morning around 7.
Then there'll be some chauffeuring for a good part of the day. 

The weather kinda cramped Sebastian's style.
He did stay out all night, but was happy as a clam to get in this morning.
He promptly claimed the armchair by the front door as his territory.
He was there when I left at 7:30am.
He was still there when I returned at about 1pm.

just the usual

Nobody asked

But, let me tell you about my cat, Sebastian.

First off, I didn't name him.
Had I given him his name it would've been one syllable, possibly two.
It doesn't matter.
He doesn't answer to any names   . . .or even kitty.

He quite possibly has more than one personality.
He will act either totally aloof or he's all up in the middle of everything and in the way.
Then there are the occasional moments of manic activity where he will tear around the room without seemingly touching the floor.
Most of the time he sleeps.

I think that even when he is outdoors, which is his preference, he has secret sleeping places.
Until just before Thanksgiving, when the weather turned fairly cold for this neck of the woods, he even stayed out all night.
Since his visit to the spa, he has been actually staying indoors all night.
He also has found it withing his capability to refrain from waking me at 4am.
He actually waits until I am awake.
The other morning the roles were reversed and I had to wake him.

Lately the weather's been wet enough that he prefers to remain indoors, except for certain bodily functions.
He has a cat box, but prefers the great outdoors.
That's my preference, too.
Who wants to clean a cat box?

isn't he handsome

Normal Friday

You may have figured out by now, from reading this blog regularly   ...you do read this blog regularly?   ...that normal means absolutely nothing, not even routine.
I should have a search feature here so you can go see what I mean.
Anyway, if you're really into masochism you can scroll through the archives.

I want to thank Sarge and Juvat for their posts this week.

There's is a Lions District Meeting this weekend.
I have to attend both days.
There may be a brief post tomorrow and Sunday.
Don't hold your breath.

Before I forget

Last week. . .   or was is sometime before last week?
Anyway I posted a picture of the fall colors, limited as they are, in the neighborhood.

The first thing I noticed on Sunday, when I arrived back in the neighborhood, was that those same fall colors were all over the ground and not at all colorful.
I did not think to take a picture.

Now if I was to go take a picture it would be of the leaves in the street.
That's because everyone, except me, has said "Get off my lawn!!!"
Most of those same neighbors have also created piles from those same leaves.
They even left room at the curb for folks to park.
Others just blew or raked them to where the next storm will wash them into the storm drain.

I'm happy that I am on the high ground.

We'll save you a click or two

This is up on APOD this morning.



The Golden Gate is one of my favorite places on earth.
The Sunset is a bonus, given that on many occasions fog gets in the way.

the music, not so much

Here's the rundown

I stretched out the Thanksgiving holiday by leaving at noon Wednesday for Sacramento.
I arrived at my daughter's about 3:30 because I detoured around the I-5/U.S.50 interchange.
Traffic was backed up because of rubberneckers.
I had taken my time driving south anyway.
Usually I can make it in less than three hours without stretching the speed limit.

The kids were happy, maybe even excited, to see me.
Their mom [my daughter] maybe not so much.
I brought them some gifts I'd picked up in Ireland.
They were some authentic Irish musical instruments, a bodhrán and a penny whistle.

The perfect grandson and his sister entertained us with an impromptu concert.
Then we went outside and played until it was time to leave for karate class.




Then we went for Chinese food then back to their house to settle the kids down before bedtime.



I was up bright and early the next morning to head for my sister's in Clovis.
I wanted to get away before the traffic reached intolerable levels.
It helped immensely being 150 miles closer to my destination.
I took a little while before the ice on the windows thawed and I could see outside.

I was at my sister's by 11:00am.
The only traffic issue I observed was for those traveling the opposite direction.
It was because of poor planning by road builders.

It didn't take long for the fun to begin.
I was first introduced to the newest members of the family, Posey and Pence.

As soon as there were enough of us, the dominoes came out.
We played Mexican train for the next couple of hours until the turkey was cooked.

After dinner and pies there was more Mexican train or individual digressions, such as reading or, for those so inclined, television.
Others watched the kittens wrestle [there's a video. . .   if you're interested].

Friday morning more members of the family showed up for breakfast, the traditional one featuring Swedish pancakes and lots and lots of bacon, among other things.
Anyone who left the table hungry could only blame themselves.
Once the table was cleared it was time for a marathon session of Mexican train.
Double 15 dominoes will do that.

Dinner was turkey again. . .   however we wanted it.
Then some Warriors (NBA style) on TV.
They won their 17th straight since the beginning of the season [now they're 19-0].

Saturday morning it was up early and off to the zoo for everyone. . .   11 of us.
Fresno has really upgraded their zoo since I was last there eight years ago. 

There's a video of this beast. too.

From the zoo it was back to my sister's and some more kitten wrestling, tv, or reading, followed by another Warriors' win (#18) and turkey soup.

I had hoped to get away at Sunup on Sunday morning.
However, there was a thick layer of ice on all of the car's windows.
I waited.
Then finally I went out and let the engine run with the defroster on for about 15 minutes,

I was home by 1pm.
There were about 15 catalogs in the mailbox.
That kept me occupied.



Monday morning, first thing, I went and bailed out rescued Sebastian from the vet spa.
It seems like he was happy to see me. . .   until he was placed in the crate for the drive home.
He liked me even better when I fed him.

So, then Junior (one of his nicknames) went out after his homecoming meal.
But after an hour he was back inside and full of love.
He was all needy and don't leave me again.
I almost feel guilty...  almost!

I went out to run some necessary errands and he was waiting by the door for me and some more lap time.
He went out again, but only stayed out for about two hours before he was back for more scritches, lap time, and dinner. . .   his and mine.
He thought he might like some flour tortilla. . .

. . .turned out he doesn't.

He came back in for the third time at 10pm.
His fur doesn't  work so well when temps dip into the low 30s.

My guess was that he was gonna wake me up around 4am to go out.
Guess again.
I had to get him up at 6:15 so I could get out of bet.

wonder if that will ever happen again

I thought I was going to write a post this morning

Instead, I'm going to go get the cat from the spa.*

At least I am able to use a real keyboard to type this.
(not that I couldn't get one of the portable keyboards for when I'm on the road)

Maybe we'll catch up later.

maybe we'll just move on

*it isn't a spa.
it's the vet.
but we don't wanna upset the cat

OTR*

Long drive today   . . .ughhhh!
Notlooking forwars to the post-holiday traffic.

more later

*on the road

My head hurts

I just  read the post over at the Sarge's place.
I think I will go to the zoo and watch squirrels.

Warriors won again

Normal Friday

One of my least favorite things is writingi blog posts on the tablet.
The other least favorites are writing blog posts on the smart phoneand the laptop.
This morning it's the tablet.

What else can I say?

How about. . .
. . .the Lions won
. . .the Cowboys didn't
. . .and the Packers are better than their record

I managed to avoid watching most of the three games yesterday.
So I guess that means I'm not a true sports fan.
But I was disappointed the Warriors didn't play. . .
. . .not too disappointed because it meant they were off for the Thanksgiving holiday.

In case you haven't noticed

I'm otherwise occupied.

Paradigm shift

what just happened

Thanksgiving tale of woe (whoa?)

Remember that paperboy story I posted?
Or maybe it was about oversleeping?

Anyway, I alluded to not particularly liking Thanksgiving in those day.
Those days were back when Black Friday meant something entirely different.
We all still had party lines. . .  remember them?
There was no internet.
Television only had VHF channels and most places only had three stations.

That was when retailers hit us with their Christmas ads on Thanksgiving Day.
The paper I delivered, the Palo Alto Times, went from a 24 page, easy to handle fold, carry, and deliver on one trip to a monster that had to be brought to me on two different loads.
It had so many ad inserts that it couldn't even be folded.
I required that I make a minimum of five trips to deliver to all of my customers.
It wasn't necessarily because it was heavy.
I just couldn't get more than 12 copies of the paper into my bicycle bags.
My brother and I both had routes so there wasn't much chance of assisting each other.
We weren't gonna get much help in the neighborhood, either.
Thanksgiving ya know.

Somehow we always managed.
Even the years we'd go to my aunt and uncle's we were always on time.
Those were the days, too, when we would dress up in a coat and tie for dinner on holidays.
Hmmmm. . .   maybe that's why I disliked Thanksgiving?

Monday morning thoughts

My swell* friend, Suldog, wrote an article for the Boston Herald.
(That's a link, or you can copy this link
http://www.bostonherald.com/opinion/op_ed/2015/11/sullivan_let_s_all_give_thanks_for_greed
into your browser)
I will wait here while you read his thoughts.

I attempted to comment at the newspaper's site.
It was uncooperative and booted me before I'd even completed typing my own thoughts, which were pretty much in concurrence with his.

Maybe they were a little more expansive.

I opined that there are some folks who just don't get what the holiday is about.
It's not just another day off.
It is a day to give thanks.
Gather with loved ones, when you can, and include those who may not have anyone.
Give thanks for, if nothing else, being able to give thanks.
Celebrate family.
If you don't have family ask yourself why.
Maybe it's because of a lack of gratitude.
There was no appreciation for what you had.

I remember a time when the day after Thanksgiving was when everyone went downtown, not to shop so much but to see the decorations the stores had created for Christmas.
That was the attraction to the merchants.
The stores did everything they could to hide their displays until after Thanksgiving so Friday was a big surprise.
Folks lined up to see the window displays.
Then they went shopping. . .
. . .and, for the most part, they were polite, too.

I know some folks who've always downplayed Thanksgiving other than to have turkey for dinner.
They just didn't see what the big deal is.
They only remember part of the Pilgrims story.
They couldn't understand that, without giving thanks, Christmas doesn't have much meaning because it becomes about taking.
Those are the folks who the retailers that are open are catering to.
Those folks are the me firsters who wait until the very last possible chance, when the road narrows from two lanes, to merge.
They're the ones who barge in front, who'll avoid creating a line at all costs so they can be in front.
They're the ones getting second helpings before some others have even been served.
They're the ones who complain that the free turkey dinner they were served by volunteers was dry and the gravy was cold.

it was free, @$$#0|e

*2. Excellent; wonderful
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language

*18. excellent; first-class
Collins English Dictionary

*28. first-rate; fine.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary

Awww shizzle

So there I was*

around the corner and down the street. . .
. . .all over the neighborhood the leaves are finally beginning to turn.
They're late this year.
There are better better places to see the colors. but they aren't conducive to drive by photographer [other drivers, ya know].

Anywhatsis. . .
After shooting the pic above I got home and decided to store some seasonal stuff (Halloween items. . .    okay?) back in the loft in the garage.
I managed to get one box up there and was starting up with the second. . .

There is nothing further to report.

no personal injuries occurred

*SJC

Nobody does sings it better

"I know nothing stays the same
But if you're willing to play the game
It's coming around again"

Normal Friday

And those of you who've been coming here for any length of time know that means only that it is Friday and we've mad it through another week.
I've been giving my living situation some serious consideration.
I'm pretty sure it's time to uncomplicate things. . .   make life a little simpler as it were.

There's way too much stuff in a house that's almost way too big for one person.
An accumulation of goods plus the leftovers from the earlier lives of two people and their families has reached the point where divesting seems like the best idea.
There's no rush.
But the nest is empty and I don't see any sign of it being filled again.

So there will be some discussion, albeit over longer distance than I'm comfortable with.
My preference is face to face with all concerned.
I will explain myself, ask for input, and maybe accommodate others.
But one has to look out for himself, particularly when there's nobody else around to do it.

hate having my own six

Who knew?

In the interest of keeping everyone informed.
The UN has designated November 19

not saying it should be a holiday

Another untitled post

It's the anniversary of the release in 1928 of the above film.

"From the usual source"

Those aren't my words in the title.
It's times like these that I really miss seeing what Buck Pennington would have to say about certain subject matter.

there's generation of weenies coming along

I suppose we can reconcile that

My rain gauge said we had 0.84 inch of rain.
The weather service, about four mile north of here, says there was 0.73 inch.

So far the really nasty stuff with the recent storms (two   . . .over a week apart, which is nothing like how we usually see them) has bypassed our part of the state.

Just 70 miles south there were heavy winds doing damage and even further south, in the San Joaquin Valley, there were tornadoes.
Are tornadoes in California only a recent phenomenon?
. . .or did they happen and were just accepted as a natural occurrence?
. . .or maybe the lack of reportage was a plot.
The idea was to increase the population of California.
Now these things are reported to keep folks away.

I mean, isn't it true that as soon as folks mention California to non-natives the response is, "I couldn't live there because of the earthquakes."
The native Californians reply, "I could live in Kansas, Illiniois, Iowa, Missouri, whereever because of the tornadoes!"

Yep!
I'm convinced.
It's a freakin' conspiracy.

I've been here for a few years.
In those few years I have yet to see a tornado [except a video] and have only felt three earthquakes. . .   one of which was when I was actually in Laramie, Wyoming.

yeah. . .   this is a stupid post go read Suldog

Before I ever actually typed a letter

This post ended up on the blog.
So. . .   rather than delete it and start over. . .

Here's what I intended.

We have had just a little less than a half inch of rain since 4:30 am.
It's amazing what a drought will do to one's attitude about rain.

Even the cat slept in [if you consider 5:15 sleeping in].
Now he is outside in the rain. . .   doing whatever cats do in the rain.

silly cat

This is going on the sidebar

Think positive!

Heh!

This morning a group (six if you really want to know) of Lions from the Anderson Lions Club made a visit to the breakfast meeting of the Enterprise Lions Club in Redding.
They meet at 7am.
That meant leaving the house before Sunrise.

Enough about that.
This is about the cat.
He decided to brave the cold last night.
Fortunately it didn't drop to the previous lows.
In any even, the little furhead didn't arrive home until well after I first called him.
In fact he waited until I was ready to leave.

I quickly prepared a food dish for him, at which he turned up his nose.
As I exited through the garage he was sitting, staring, as if to say, "WTF do you think you're doing?"
I just waved.

When I returned about two hours later.

more here

Like he thinks I answer to him.

BTW - he did eat the food I'd put out.

lots of scritches were had