Welcome to the month of May- clear skies with a nice breeze.
I did my stretches. Andrew is dropping off a car to a friend up here and I volunteered to drive him down to Cabazon where he’d pick up a bus to Los Angeles. We left around 1:30pm and arrived at the casino there to wait for his bus that was due to arrive at 3:40pm. We decided to have lunch at their buffet while we waited. I was overwhelmed by what I saw when I first walked in; rows upon rows of older people than I, in poor health, heavily smoking and pulling levers on slot machines; reminded me of some kinda purgatory... I will not be going back there! The buffet was good though.
Around 3:15 we went out to the bus stop to await his bus that never came. After waiting an hour and making phone calls to the bus company, we found out that the bus driver went to the wrong bus stop that was moved to where we waited there outside the casino.
Andrew said he was going to hitchhike. Being that he is one of my best friends, I decided that enough was enough and drove him home myself. We did have a great time chatting it up on the way to his home. There was a big fire not far away from Cabazon, with billowing smoke high into the sky and blowing thick smoke across the freeway.
We arrived at his house around 7pm and I said hello to his dogs. One of his dogs named Guinness remembered me from the desert a long time ago and welcomed me with doggie licks all over. Andrew showed me around his place and the wonderful view of smoggy LA.
I had a nice ride all by myself on the way back home. It was a kind of meditative experience with my mind drifting from place to place, across space and time, wandering, as I drove Interstate 10 all the way home.
I drove into my driveway and parked; it was 9:30pm.
Thursday 02- hazy and hot.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran up and down the hill carrying 5lbs dumbbells, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for two minutes.
I guess I am burned out from the drive yesterday and just mellowed out and messed around on FaceBook.
Friday 03- hazy with temps into the low 90s.
I did my stretches.
I cleaned around the house and did some watering outside.
I did my studies; a lesson in Beginning Latin book (only 3 more lessons to go), and another in “1100 words you need to know workbook”, and I drew something: a furry dog.
I read chapters 22 and 23 of “Molecular and Cell Biology for Dummies” finally completing the whole book, yay for me!
I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run.
I watched episode 23 of “Elementary: A Landmark Story”; Moriarty’s henchmen are afoot.
Saturday 04- windy with smoke from some forest fire in the air... temps into the high 80s.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.
I worked around the house listening to lecture 21 of Geography 130: guest speaker Aaron Barbose (or something like that) talking about white bread.
I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack, listening to lecture 22 of Geography 130: a review of recent lectures.
I did the last two lessons in Beginning Latin book and now I am all done, yay again for me!
I did my lesson in “1100 words you need to know workbook”, and I drew something: bees and flowers.
I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run. It was really windy and there was clouds out covering most of the sky and it is unlikely I’ll see any of the eta Aquarid Meteor Shower tonight.
***** Stuff I Wrote this Week******
I was asked to write about a missing hedgehog:
“Henry Hedgehog is Mysteriously Missing!” read the headlines of the Hedgehog Daily Chronicle. Doris Gimbileworth dabbed at a tear from her eye with a white cotton napkin and put the newspaper down next to the cup halfway full of cold Earl Gray tea sitting neglected on her cherry wood coffee table. Henry was all around her in the handiwork he did; the coffee table he built, along with the chairs and other little niknaks he worked on and around Doris’s holly stem and daisy
flower thatched roof home. Doris’s house is nestled in the magical forest of Lillybrook, where all sorts of wonderful things can happen and usually do; even industrious Hedgehogs with tiny tools!
I was asked if a video of Giraffes high diving into a swimming pool was real:
Sure it is! I watched them train these very same giraffe to springboard dive when I was traveling through Zimbabwe looking for lost treasures left behind by the Spanish during the inquisition of 1481 or thereabouts.
Each giraffe was given a secret name only known to its trainer. The trainer only train one giraffe at a time. It was found that giraffes like jelly beans and used them as treats to entice the mighty beasts to make jumps into small ponds at first. Then they graduated into higher heights and larger bodies of water.
This is all I can tell you because I swore an oath on the sword of Kabambula not to divulge the mystic powers of the Omeron...
Maybe so, but they are using a new medium to get their information and to read books. Just like emails have caused problems with postal services or automobiles replaced horse drawn buggies, people have found a new and convenient way to communicate and they carry around the wealth of knowledge of a library in the palm of their hands...simply amazing!
I am not afraid of dreamers, but of those who do not dream. These manifestations of demonic evil lurking in the shadows, waiting... patiently watching over us as we sleep, to fetch away our dreams before we can awake! They have stolen my dreams many times...
We drift between spaces of time ever changing, going off on whims of our own. Drifting here and there, like a child’s imagination caught in fascination on something the eyes can’t see. Peering out beyond a window that holds a bright and sunny spring day...
Honesty is but a broken pane on a window's view of one’s self-deception...
Life is too short, dang it grows shorter every day when you get my age, to worry about most things in life and the world I cannot change. I can make amends for what I may have done wrong, but I can't pretend to mend any wrongdoings by others. I can pass along what knowledge I have gleaned of a life I believed worth living to those who would listen... Live in the Moment, live for the Moment. and live honestly!
Interesting.... I can find most any information I need on the internet. I can communicate and make friends with almost anyone in the world, even those who speak a different language than I using Google Translate. We are on the precipice of a new world social community; yes we need to expand this access to everyone so they may have access to the same knowledge and participate in this new era of global community and friendship that we do.
******
Sunday 05- a very windy day
I did my stretches and yoga.
I rode the scooter to the mailbox on Border two times, one to pick up mail and then I filled out a form that needed to get back to the sender ASAP.
Monday 06- still windy and the temps are down into the 60s.
I did my stretches.
I waited around most of the day to take Kelly to town and to the DMV, but she never got it together enough to go; hate when that happens.
Linda H. called saying she has a flat tire. I drove straight away to her house to put her spare tire on. She cooked me bacon and eggs for dinner and gave me a gift of a pair of aluminum hiking sticks.
I watched several episodes of “Numb3rs” throughout the week... I am taking a break from studying for a spell.
Tuesday 07- breezy, still cool, and lots of clouds overhead.
I did my stretches.
I went over and picked up Kelly to take her to the DMV. While I was waiting for her to get ready outside the house I remembered I had a shovel in the back of my car and decided to dig out this 20 gallon fish tank someone had stuck in the ground with the top exposed. I was afraid that some poor animal would fall in and couldn’t get out. Sure enough there was an antelope squirrel on the bottom, could have been there for days, and a dried up one lying off to one side. I found a large stick from a creosote bush and put inside so the little feller could grab ahold and I could lift him out. After a few tries he got the idea and hung on as I raise the stick out of the tank and placed him on the ground. He clung to the stick for a few moments and then scampered off into the shade of some vegetation nearby. I then dug out the fishtank and laid it on its side so no critters would become trapped again.
We went to the DMV and got Kelly’s car registered, stopped off at the Pet Store, Vons, and then WalMart to pick up a few things. We also went to the Sizzler where I used a $50 gift card a friend gave me and we both had Steak and Lobster dinner. I haven’t had lobster in decades and it was quite the treat! Unfortunately the evening was spoiled when Kelly lost her expensive E-cigarette somewhere and we had to check all the places we went, but didn’t find it.
I arrived home around 9pm and parked my car in the garage. I needed something from inside a drawer there and pulled one open and peered inside with my flashlight; there was a surprised pack rat staring right back at me. I told him to go back to sleep and quickly closed the drawer. I forgot what I was looking for :(
I watched season 5 episode 23 of “Castle: The Human Factor”; a whistleblower is murdered by a Predator missle.
Wednesday 08- a very nice day.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.
I had to wait around for FedEx to deliver my new Sony Vaio E Series laptop that I ordered Sunday night. I spent some time watering all the plants outside so I could catch the driver out in his truck before he came to my door and disturbed the dove nest. I guess I’m getting a little overprotective; the other day I accidently walked through the wrong way and pass the right by the nest, but the mother dove didn’t even budge, cool.
FedEx showed up around 2pm and dropped off my new Sony Vaio E Series laptop. This will replace my HP AMD laptop with an Intel i5 processor, more disk space and a larger 14 inch screen. I played with it the rest of the day and into the night getting to know it. I really like the keyboard very much; it even has a backlight so I can see the key clearly. The sound coming out of the speakers is very loud and clear; not like my HP which was barely audible. The touchpad is optimized for Windows 8, like using a touchscreen, but you don’t need to touch the screen and dirty it up with fingerprints. I don’t think a touchscreen is useful on a laptop you’re going to use for writing and productivity of the sort, besides a light laptop tends to tip over when you do use a touchscreen.
I watched “Warehouse 13: Parks and Rehabilitation”; about Artie trying to cope with the killing of his friend.
Thursday 09- cloudy all day and it rained a little bit here.
I did my stretches.
I went early over to Sherry’s house in Yucca Valley to work on her roof securing the flashing around her house with screws and nails. After I was greeted by all her critters; dogs and cats, it was up and down the ladder all day long with Sherry helping me from ground level handing me tools, screws and nails. We finished about three fourths of the roof when we heard thunder and decided to quit; we were both tired anyways. We went to the Sizzler for lunch and we both had the salad bar.
I made a quick stop at WalMart to get bird seed and was mighty tired feeling aches and pains here and there when I finally got home around 6pm.
When I drove up to the house there were two stray dogs inside the fence of my front yard. They didn’t look scared, just lost, but by the time I gotten parked and out of the car to help them, they were already outside the gate and on their way down the road. Sometimes people abandon their fur folk out here in the desert and I think that’s sad.
I took two Tylenols and covered places with Neosporin where the hammer mistakenly hit my fingers instead of nails, breaking the skin.
Friday 10- the temps are climbing into the 90s!
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran up and down the hill with 5lbs in each hand, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for two minutes.
I talked to Kelly last night and she wanted me to drive along with her to Palm Desert to get her prescriptions from her doctor. She finally got ready and we drove down and were there five minutes before their closing time and I had to run up a flight of stairs to get her prescriptions before they closed the doors on us.
On the way back Kelly treated me to an In-and-Out burger; my first time eating there and I must say it was mighty delicious. She got tired so I drove her car back to Twentynine and dropped off the prescriptions at Rite Aid to get them filled and did our grocery shopping at Stater Brothers while we waited.
I arrived back at my home somewheres around 11:30pm
My very talented friend B.Young is working on my new Sci-Fi book cover and posted several of them on FaceBook to get folks opinion on which one looks the best or what parts of them they like... I thought that was a fantastic idea. I really have to find the time to make the final edits of the book before I send it to Kindle to be published.
Saturday 11- temps are now in the 90s!
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for two minutes.
Sherry dropped by with some treat for me.... cookies and peanut butter crackers!
I called family and friends throughout the day.
Andrew called saying he is on his way up to his property from LA and will call me when he arrives.
I watered some of the outside plants and cleaned up my kitchen counter and stove which were a mess.
Andrew called and I drove the scooter over for a visit. He brought his dogs and they were happy to see me. We sat around and jawed for a long spell about this and that and how to solve all the worlds problems, but we forgotten to write it all down. Later before sunset we walked the dogs around outside the gates and out into the desert and came back as the crescent Moon was setting in the west along with Jupiter; looked very inspiring.
***** Stuff I Wrote this Week******
We are not just part of the universe, we are made up of the stuff of the universe and maybe the first thing we must know to understand the universe is to understand ourselves!
It can be overwhelming this sense of awe we have of ourselves and life as it is on this tiny bit of flotsam on which we live when comparing it all to the greater expanse of the Universe...
Fun things me and my friends (I only used their first names) do on FaceBook:
Christine Is this for real???
Robert Deloyd Christine, it is a hybrid of a moth genetically modified with poodle genes. They have tried gene splicing moths and cows for sometime now to get moth milk, but it didn't take so they tried it with poodles and it took. They are now trying to splice human DNA with moth DNA to create moth men who will be over 6 feet tall with a wingspan of 16 feet that will fly over cities and fetch away bad children and carry them off to a secret island in the Pacific.
Lizzy GIGGLE, CHUCKEL, GIGGLE! And they will moth-er them back to goodness!
Robert Deloyd Well Lizzy, please continue the story where I left off
Lizzy The moth men are very much like the children they carry away except for one thing. They have no imagination. This they must learn from the children.
Barbara There is also a goat moth,,,,hmmmmm hoofs
Robert Deloyd Now the moth men are controlled by an eight year old evil child who has commandeered them all to rule the world on his behalf. The moth men have stolen all the Hostess Twinkies which caused the downfall of the Hostess Company.
Barbara...and they will live forever!
Lizzy The goat moth had discovered the hiding place of the stolen Twinkies. However, it was his downfall as his hoofs got stuck in the cream filling while trying to escape from the evil eight year old who's name is.......
Robert Deloyd that escaped from Judy Jackson's yard with a herd of Hedgehogs all neatly tucked under its wings!
Robert Deloyd Judy didn't know about the hidden colony of Hedgehogs who lived under her home in tiny little houses of burlap and gold!
Lizzy Well, short but sweet you two. I must close now. I have an early call tomorrow. Have a great night! I wish I could stay up with you all (HEART)
Robert Deloyd Indeed she did not know, cause if she knew, she would be in hoggie heaven with all her critters too!
Christine LOL!!!!! Ya had me goin for a minute Rob......my Mom would have called you a big story-teller.....My brother would have called you a prevaricator......I would say you guys are flyin!!!!
I've always been this way; living on a sailboat on a mooring was much the same as living in the desert except the desert doesn't have the water to rock you to sleep. I enjoy my solitude to ponder and learn. I enjoy people more when there are fewer of them around me. You can be as lonely in a city of a million as in a desert with only a few.
Ripped from a body ravaged by hunger and neglect, I collapse... my spirit moves on...
******
Sunday 12- getting hotter with a few clouds hanging around.
I did my stretches and yoga.
I called friends and family I didn’t get ahold of yesterday.
I rode the scooter over to Andrew’s to have a visit with him and his dogs. We went for a long evening walk.
I watched episode 22 of “Elementary”...
Monday 13- temps into the high 90s without a hint of breeze.
I did my stretches.
I drove all the way to Yucca Valley to apply for my Social Security retirement only to find when I got to the window that I could apply online or I could make an appointment for next Tuesday at 1pm. I told the kind lady that I’ll take that appointment for Tuesday, but I’ll also will try to fill it out online and have Tuesday as a backup just in case... I got home and it took me all but 20 minutes to fill out the online forms and submit it to Social Security; they even have a button at the end you can click to have your appointment canceled.
Around 9:30pm I drove to my mailbox on Lear ave and my licence plate for the scooter was there!
Tuesday 14- dang wind came up and blew very hard at times.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.
I listened to lecture 22 of Geography 130: the politics of obesity.
I worked around the house cleaning this and that. It never seems to get clean or stay that way for any length of time for some reason...
I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and was going out for my evening walk when I saw a fire about a mile to the northwest on Coyote Canyon and Daisy Lane. I quickly called 911 as I believed the fire had just started and didn’t want to take the chance no one else called. I then went back inside to grab my camera and took pictures and video of the fire from my yard.
I did my studies in “1100 words you need to know workbook”, and I drew something: me lying down (I gave myself more hair)... I do miss doing the Latin lessons...
I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run.
I practiced my guitar.
I watched season 5 episode 24 of “Castle: Watershed”; a real cliffhanger for next season!
Wednesday 15- not as windy as yesterday and a little hotter.
I did my stretches.
I somehow managed to get up early and made my way over to Sherry’s house to finish the screwing on the flashing to her roof. Again it was up and down the ladder with Sherry handing me tools and other things I needed to complete the job.
We decided to break for lunch when we finished the roof and clean and replace the pads in her two swamp coolers. We ate at Papa’s Smokehouse and BBQ in Yucca Valley; I had the Beef Brisket and Sherry had the pulled pork, but we split it in half and shared. The potato salad was good, but I didn’t care much for their baked beans. The beef brisket was to die for!
Back at Sherry’s we went to work on her swamp coolers, but not before a couple of neighbors came by to chat with her for a spell. We got everything finished up that she needed done; I even replaced a few lightbulbs here and there she couldn’t reach. I got back home around 4pm and just collapsed on my bed.
Thursday 16- windy and colder later in the evening.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for three minutes.
I swept and mopped the floors in every room while listening to the last two lectures of Geography 130; I found out later on Friday I had missed one lecture.
I picked up Kelly around 4pm to drive her to get a money order at the Twentynine Palms post office. Then we picked up her medicine at Rite Aid, shopped at Stater Bros. and 99 cent store. We had dinner at the Chinese fast food place in the shopping center there, but couldn’t finish it all. Getting back to her house about 9pm; she made strawberry shortcake for dessert. We yapped into the night before we noticed it was 2am and time for me to go home.
Friday 17- windy but a little warmer.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran up the hill with 5lbs dumbbells in each hand, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for two minutes.
I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack, listening to a lecture of Geography 130: the lecture I missed. I am all done, but I feel there was so much material covered I may have to go back and listen to the whole series over again.
I did my studies of “1100 words you need to know workbook”, and I drew something: a woman standing up (I really suck at drawing)....
I did my stretches, lifted 20lb dumbbells, and went for a night run.
I practiced my guitar; gotta new song I’m writing.
I watched episode 23 of “Elementary: The Woman/Heroine”; very nice twist to the story!
Saturday 18- nice sunny spring day.
I did my stretches.
I watered all the outside plants. I filled the batteries for my solar with distilled water.
I noticed that a lot of doves are hanging around near the nest where the two babies are about ready to fly. It makes me feel that the adult doves are coming by to welcome the two babies into their world and trying to get them to leave the nest.
I called friends and family throughout the day.
***** Stuff I Wrote this Week******
We can find love and joy in the simple everyday tasks we undertake if we would just open our eyes and hearts and participate in wonders of being alive and spreading our bliss.
In reply to a commenter who questioned my saying, “this is not very good for us as a free nation”:
Yes, you are right; this isn’t a free nation. The cost was paid on the battlefields by those who served, sometimes with their lives, to protect our way of life. They believed, and so do I, in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution; on a concept, a dream where all are equal and have a free voice. Those who you speak of, that 3 percent, have eroded away our Bill of Rights and pissed on our heritage left to us by men and women who clawed their way out of the dirt and into a nation. When I speak of a free nation, I speak of something not yet attained, but something we need to strive for.
Impressionism: Fragments of one's mind sitting nicely on canvas...
My half of a story me and Scotty wrote on FaceBook:
Looking past the towering buildings and haze that is the City of Los Angeles, out beyond the Pacific Ocean where the crescent Moon glides gracefully down to the vast horizon with Jupiter hanging nearby; she holds his head closely to her bosom wrapped in an embrace of love as the Sun sets bringing out the stars and casting away the harshness of the day.
Morning came too soon as the quietness of the night slipped away bringing back the buzz and bustle of a new morning's brilliance. Still embraced, tangled like silk spun into a chrysalis, the lovers awaken from a dream of permanence and intense desire.
Ben quickly wiggled into his wetsuit, grabbed his board and made his way down to the early morning surf. As he sprint across the cold sand to the pounding surf, he paused briefly to glance back to Erika standing on the balcony of their beach condo. Erika threw him a kiss with hand to lips to outstretched arm so he could see. Only then did he run and plunge into the brisk ocean waters, the taste of salt and the smell of the sea sparking the energy that is the Pacific.
Linjing was an assassin for hire; a rogue agent of a superpower. Any dirty jobs needed done efficiently and discreetly, she was the one to go to. Linjing had been one of China’s greatest intelligent assets; she is proficient in the martial arts, but also being a beautiful woman had its advantages. Using these skills had gotten her into the confidence of a few naive gentlemen who should have known better and who paid with their lives when she was done with them. Linjing’s assignment now was to kidnap the girlfriend of an enemy agent to use as a pawn in the greater game of world domination. She had the van waiting outside with her helper, a big Russian named Vladimir, and her objective was on the veranda potting plants in a small garden. Linjing quietly approached.
******
Sunday 19- a very nice day.
I did my stretches.
I left with Linda H. at 6pm to collect some flower seeds at a nearby dry lake and when she dropped me back home an hour later the last little dove had already flown away from the nest.
I recorded a couple of songs.
Monday 20- a little breeze later on in the evening, but nice during the day.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.
Chris brought me a bag of groceries from the USDA food distribution.
Worked on my computers doing updates and upgrades.
Tuesday 21- a really nice pleasant day.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for three minutes.
I picked up Kelly and we went and did our shopping at WalMart, Vons (for their wonderful bread), Stater Brothers, and the Pet Store. We ended up at the Sizzler for dinner; had coupons for steak and all you can eat shrimp. I found that Kelly can really put away the shrimp, eating four plates and part of my second one I couldn’t finish. We got back to her house around 9pm. I stayed until 1:30am watching Star Trek and Burn Notice with her.
Wednesday 22- very windy day!
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for three minutes.
I got a call from my brother Kevin that our father (my birth dad) had fallen earlier in the day. Dad has an appointment with his doctor on Friday and seems to be alright. I asked Kevin if he would keep an eye on him and suggest to Dad that Kevin move in temporarily. We talked about other contingencies too.
I was kinda stressed and wrote poems and such the rest of the night.
Thursday 23- windy but not as bad as yesterday.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for two minutes.
I cleaned up around the house and watered the plants. I found another new dove nest with in egg inside. I suspect that there will be one more by tomorrow.
At 6pm I was at the community center for my first CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training class. We had quite a showing of folks interested in training for CERT certification. There was a lot to cover this first meeting and the speaker was a Battalion Commander of the San Bernardino Fire Department in Apple Valley. He covered the first unit of our book; Emergency Preparedness, and talked a little bit about what we could expect as we progressed through the eight week class which meets every Thursday at 6pm to 9pm except for the last class on Saturday morning for field testing.
We received our CERT vests, backpacks, helmets and other gear we may need to start off with. The students were broke down into five teams and were told to build a structure standing five feet tall out of thin paper; team number four (my team) finished first using less paper than anyone else. Ours looked like a rocket held up with fins :)
I got home to find a message saying my birth father was in the hospital. I packed some clothes and was ready to travel in case events got worse; I didn’t get to sleep until after 5am.
Friday 24- must have been nice but I stayed inside waiting for phone calls about my Dad. I wasn’t sure if I should drive out to Tucson or wait to see how events unfold. I wrote a very short story and rewrote it several times; writing seems to take my mind away to faraway places.
Kevin called me later in the evening to say the doctors had Dad stabilized but was weak and would keep him there until Tuesday.
Not much I can do 426 miles away, so I continued to write and leave it to the doctors and up to my siblings and hope things go well... bed at 5am again.
Saturday 25- very nice and breezy day.
I received a message from Kevin telling me Dad is going to be okay and is sitting up in bed; I feel much better now.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.
I cooked up some rice and beans for potluck while I talked to family and friends.
I was so involved with what I was doing that I looked at my clock and saw that it was 4:15pm and I was going to be late for potluck. I grabbed everything and was just about to open the door to leave when Chris Jonas called to ask me if I was coming to potluck; I knew it was him and quickly said I was on my way.
There was around fifteen folks who showed up and for the first time that I can remember, and I have been going to potlucks from the start some 15 years or so, we all sat at the same table.
Mary Koval and her daughter Chris made the Ultima Cowboy Casserole, triple chocolate cherry bars and strawberry jello dessert. Chris Jonas and his granddaughter Anna whipped up Chris’s famously fantastic world renown macaroni salad. The broccoli corn bread Dorothy Jacobsen brought was unquestionably a pleasure to the palate. Ruth Malton served her Waldo-jello salad which she was mighty proud of. Dyan Carroll worked like the dickens these past couple of days creating a wonderful Ham and Cheese Rollups, Smashed Loaded Potatoes, and a Lemon Trifle that melted in yer mouth and made the angels sing. Kip Field was most happy to share his Guacamole and chips with us. Tim Atzi supplied the drinks.
Marie Morrison and her daughter brought Au Gratin Potatoes. Sadly Marie told us all that this would be her last potluck and that she was going to Wisconsin with her daughter to live. Marie has been my friend and a great friend of our little community for many decades; we will miss her very much. I told her if she has any problems out there in Wisconsin, we’d come to fetch her back.
***** Stuff I Wrote this Week******
Old Betsy
The old locomotive was chugging down the tracks, clickety clack, clickety clack she rode the rails eastbound on her last run before she would become scrap. She was the last of her breed, Old 4459 a coal fired engine, but her Engineer and crew called her lovingly Betsy; for she was their old girl and they treated her with the care of a queen.
Clickety clack, clickety clack she rode the rails; a familiar and comforting sound that put weary travelers on board to sleep, to dream of foreign lands not yet traveled and lovers to be found. Clickety clack, clickety clack upon the rails she rode.
The night was ablaze with many stars, aroras filled the sky, with colors bright of greens and reds and blues that waved from way up high. She was now on a straightaway by some unknown clear lake, picking up speed as the firemen shoveled coal more rapidly to make it up the mountain grade. Clickety clack, clickety clack she belched black soot from her stack.
Curve by curve she rode magnificently, up the grade she did climbed. Now she crested the highest peak and headed down the otherside, but as the Engineer pulled the lever to slow her speed down, the old brakes had finally died letting out an ominous sound. Gaining speed most rapidly she rode the curves and raced upon the rails, clickety clack, clickety clack, faster and faster down the steep grade to a certain death they made their way.
The Engineer slowly and expertly put her in reverse, and called out most anxiously for more coal, More Coal, for your lives men, More Coal!
Old Betsy was giving all she got and probably not survive, her boiler running red hot, steam pouring from its sides. Straining in reverse to slow the train, her wheels which ride the rails, were now a glowing orange hue as they clickety clack, clickety clack around the deep curve they rode.
Screams and yells pierced the air as the train swayed from side to side, with speed like this never done before they were destined not to survive.
Now if they were to live through that night they had to push poor Betsy more. The Engineer could smell the ozone from melting steel and spraying sparks galore.
Betsy looked like a comet shooting across the sky, as she made her way down dark mountain peak, carrying crew and passengers on the ride of their lives.
One last curve is all it took and she came and met its challenge. Around the bend was a straightaway and safety lay ahead. The Engineer began to ease the strain and bring her to a stop, clickety clack, clickety clack the train slowed on the track.
He told the crew to jump and get away before the engine blew. Betsy's back was broken her engine parts had frozen. There Betsy sat sizzling red hot upon the track a fitting end for no finer workhorse could be. Old Betsy did not blow, but later was towed by a newer engine than she.
Saving so many lives as Betsy had, to the scrappers she did not go. She now sits in a museum all spruced up, her brass shinier than gold. On the front there hangs a plaque that tells the story quite well:
Here rests Engine 4459 no better engine as she. Also known as Old Betsy to her beloved and those who knew her well. She gave her all for those who rode that cold and fateful night. Saving them all from tragic end; one being the future President of the United States, who saved her from the scrapping yards to be displayed at this museum.
I was glad her decision to stay in the bed, to write witty poems spreading cheer through my thick head. Be she quick with her laughter to smile and to dance or be bright like a glow bug leaving me in her trance. I say, take me with you, sweep me high above yonder trees, who bob in rhythm with the cold mountain breeze. But it is silent now, the day grows dim, I search for her words, was she only a whim, just an apparition, a ghost of a dream, or really an Angel singing gently to me.
brisk is the morning that fills our hearts with joy, sweet is the song from the birds singing in the trees, as bees buzz around us, the sun shining warms us, a hawk soars high in deep blue sky above. We cherish these moments, as our love of it awes us, flowers painting nature’s canvas with colors of delight, lightens one’s soul with the beauty of what we call is life.
I could write a thousand poems about your smile, but none may capture its radiant beauty, that falls upon my eyes so sweet, and melts away what holds my passion, makes sway so slightly on my feet. It isn’t lust that turns my brow, but a longing for your sweet sweet smile.
At last behold the seven seas, that lie beyond in harmony, to sail them now may you be blessed, out ahead of a wave's steep crest, to ride this unbounded power, this pure wave of energetic water, to dive to depths no one has been, and always kiss your lips as if in sin, we ponder life as we are as one, never knowing how it begun, treasure it not a waste of time, but a moment in space, a lovers cry. Earthly be bound to our desires and pleasant memories in silence hours.
Humans should eventually leave Earth to colonize space and let what precious life we haven't killed off with our pollutants and waste alone to evolve on its own. We were made for space.
I had an epiphany (Merriam-Webster: “an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking”) once in a college astronomy class. I was on the roof of the college astronomy building where the dome to the large telescope is housed; I did my independent study there and wrote my paper a few years later on intrinsic variable stars (Wikipedia: “Intrinsic variables, whose luminosity actually changes; for example, because the star periodically swells and shrinks”). Our class had ten 8 inch Meade Newtonian telescopes to work with. It was our first time setting them up to follow the stars across the skies.
First you setup your scope for polar alignment by aligning the latitude adjustment scale to the latitude of your location, align the settings circles; one axis is RA (right ascension) with Polaris, sighting that star in your eyepiece you then align the other axis (declination) by dialing in 90 degrees; or another method I was taught is to make the fine adjustments afterwards by focusing on a bright star whose Dec and RA are known to you, like the Dubhe in Ursa Major (Big Dipper), and dialing those coordinates into your scopes setting circles. Once you have these settings your scope is good for a night of stargazing. (obviously I’m trying not to go into too much detail here and there are probably other and better methods used nowadays)
I was having a problem of sorts conceptualizing the idea on how the motorized scope followed the stars from east to west while at the same time we could go find other stars or clusters by their RA and Dec. The light didn’t go on in my head until our Professor, Dr. Palmer, explained to me quite simply that the sky is stationary and it is the Earth that we are standing which actually moves.
Now I must say I knew the Earth was moving and the sky was stationary, but I never had the opportunity to put them both together for practical use until this night. Also, it is a very powerful illusion to overcome because we can see the sky is moving overhead as we stand on ‘solid ground’.
Since that night I cannot look upon Earth and sky in any other manner than the Earth moving and the sky stationary. Once you have an epiphany, even a small one like mine, your view of nature settles into a new paradigm (Oxford American Dictionary: “A worldview underlying the theories and methodology of a particular scientific subject”). May we all seek them out.
In reply to a beautiful painting of a faraway planet: My home on the planet Gacanaphrous Prime 10,600 light years away circling a star in the globular cluster M22 in the constellation Sagittarius . We grow grapes there. :)
I just hope we survive the next five to ten years, but it is always nice to plan ahead. I have great hopes for our species, but we must first overcome greed and the sanctioned systematic release of harmful products into the environment and our food supplies.
******
Sunday 26- a fine day it is.
I did my stretches and yoga.
I called friends and family.
After Kelly pleaded with me most of the day, I bought a 16 piece bucket of fried chicken at Stater Brothers and we ate chicken, drank ice tea and watched episodes of “Burn Notice” till late into the next morning... it was good for me to take my mind off of goings on in Tucson with my Dad in the hospital and other dramas which seems to have resolved themselves.
Monday 27- a bit windy with temps hanging around 90.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.
Andrew called saying he was at his home up here and I went to visit him and his dogs; I brought sausage patties for his critters. I stayed there for a spell yammering about this and that and those other things we go on about.
I did my stretches, lifted 10lb dumbbells and went for my evening walk with my backpack.
I got all caught up with my astronomy reading.
I studied part of Unit 1 in my CERT training manual.
I watched episodes 1 and 2 of “Grimm”....not sure if I’m a fan or not of the show.
Tuesday 28- Blustery would be an understatement! It's been windy all day, like hell decided to come up through a crack in the Earth; dang windy as hell!
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes. Too much wind to do any running today.
I put up a barrier so the strong winds won’t blow the dove and her nest to Tucson Arizona.
I continued my CERT studies and finished both Units 1 and 2. Took me most of the day to do it. I also found some CERT videos on YouTube that I watched.
I watched episode 3 of “Grimm”...
Wednesday 29- really windy but not as bad as yesterday; temps being mid 90s.
I did my stretches.
I reviewed Unit 2 of the CERT Training manual.
I needed to get supplies from Home Depot and WalMart for My CERT training class tomorrow. I called Kelly to see if she wanted to go and she did. She needed a few hours to get ready and we didn’t get on the road until 6pm.
We went to Home Depot first to get my supplies for CERT and Kelly picked up a few things there, too. Right next to Home Depot is the new Super WalMart they are building. I’m not sure when it will be open but it looks huge! We then had lunch at the fast Chinese takeout food place in the old WalMart shopping center next to Stater Brothers. Then did some shopping at WalMart and then on to home. I got back to my house around 11pm.
Thursday 30- high winds but not as bad as yesterday.
I did my stretches. I got a whole eight hours sleep last night and woke up at 11:30am! I usually only sleep five or six hours a night, but I guess my body needed it.
At 6pm I was at the community center for the second CERT training class. This one was all about fire safety. It was two hours of lectures of Unit 2, a fast review of Unit 1, and we separated in our groups to dry practiced putting out a fire. Then the moment we were all waiting on; we donned our helmets, safety glasses, leather gloves and went outside to put out a small fire with an extinguisher. We used the PASS method (Pull the pen, Aim, Squeeze, and Sweep). We each had a buddy and we each had to take our turn with the extinguisher. The buddy has his hand on your shoulder as you hold the extinguisher and makes sure that you don’t trip over anything. Before you approach the fire you Pull the pin and do a test spray. You say, “Going in” and your buddy repeat it and continually advises you of your surroundings. The person with the extinguisher job is to keep their eyes on the fire at all times. You get to within ten feet of the fire and Aim, Squeeze, and Sweep at the bottom of the fire to cut off its supply of oxygen. “Backing out” you say, and it is repeated by your buddy. I believe we all did wonderfully!
Friday 31- the winds are much calmer now but the temps are almost in the 100s.
I did my stretches, lifted weights, yoga, ran a mile and a half with 1.5lbs around each wrists, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for five minutes.
I needed to get a few more supplies but made a stop at my bank in Yucca Valley first. I filled up my car and a five gallon container with gas just in case I need to make a trip to Tucson. I had lunch at the Sizzler by myself; I had the salad bar (my favorite). Then on to Home Depot and home by 3pm.
I worked on poems and yapped at folks on the phone for the rest of the day; except late at night when I heard this dog that’s been hanging around knockover my trashcan. I must have scared him off when I went to go clean it up.
***** Stuff I Wrote this Week******
So beautiful the flowers growing so pure, in sunlight singing their song of visual delights, but there are some, who would destroy this beauty, this color and smell, pollute our gardens with dark hues from hell.
Telling lies and half truths, creating false memories, blinding us all from their evil deeds, with laws and money spreading hateful greed, divide us all, bringing our planet much misery.
We can defeat this beast who ravages our Earth, whose plagues creates vast pools of death, which fester and pop like pus from a cysts.
We shall, we must be spreading the word, hate and greed be gone from our world. We cannot wait, but act in a personal way, using less of want and controlling our ways.
Using our words, our thoughts, and be known by our deeds, a new way of thinking, a simple paradigm, will spread through the land to all cogitate minds.
Only then will we know love of this seed we planted, bringing back our world, our most beautiful planet.
We are of the universe and cannot change what others do, except to be examples in life hoping they may change. Yes peace and love is our belief, all others walk a different path than we.
I cannot say, and no one knows, what lies beyond the vastness called unknown, and frankly I don't give a dang, it is what it is and nothing more.
We'll move on no matter what beliefs, in the end we hold. Though I respect what other's fear, but may I be so bold to say, I write this for my own peace of mind, to come to terms with what I know; to live our lives in peace and love and try to do no harm.
Please do what is right for what you preach, do what’s right for you, never hurt and never hate, but smile and treat others kind.
Live your life in harmony, find that peace inside, find that love which others seek and you will do just fine.
Even weeds have beautiful flowers that sway back and forth with the breeze and washes across the firmament of our consciousness.
Your light is a lighthouse beacon that shine across the bay, to illuminate what dangers, if we become astray. Cast your beam now widely, cast it beyond the shores, guide us to calmer waters to rest our weary souls.
The world may seem filled with endless sorrow when loved ones leave our lives. It darkens our soul and leaves us wanting for better days gone past. Partners once were are not forgotten, sweet memories roam our hearts. Remember always their brilliant smile bringing love upon our lives, which now soars out beyond the world we live, and shines among the stars. They leave us now the love they gave to those they left behind.
******
