Legends/ Lies and Old Friends

A surprise phone call from an old friend , that reconnected us after a long period of time led to a speed run down to St. Petersburg for a visit and consequently on to the Fl. Keys Getting a car rental from Enterprise car rental proved to be a breeze and was the beginning of a very enjoyable week of meeting old friends and making new ones . By the By Enterprise treated me very well and I can recommend their service highly , that is not a paid AD they just do a good job !
A three hour trip down to Tim's place proved to be painless with light traffic and clear skies . Needless to say I stocked up with local delicacies ,seems two old chefs can't visit without firing up the grill ! Upon arrival and besides catching upon two years of news of other friends , our health conditions and who we had talked to or couldn't find , the planning started . We decided on a tour of Gulfport / St. Pete area including Fort Desoto and the State Park there (Really sweet looking campground for RVs ) , a day out at the dog track and Sunday there was a dance at the Gulfport Casino . I'll skip the dog track other than to say we lost about a $1.25 each on a whole day there .
The real story is in the casino , not a real casino now but probably was when it was built back in the 1930's , now it is a venue for dances , weddings etc . Now I liked to see Ballroom Dancing but sure as heck can't do any ! I'm way too crippled up , as we entered the casino I started to look around and think of what a cool place this was . Early in the evening there were 50 to 60 people there and the three piece band was playing to a largely empty floor , to be honest I had no idea how big the place was until a little later and the dancers filtered out on the floor , at one time there 70 plus dancers and there was still a lot of room , at least that was what I thought . These dancers move ! the youngest couples were in their 20's and the oldest was probably close to 90.
They all moved better than me ! The Magic began as we watched these impeccably dressed couples drift onto the hardwood floor into each others arms with a secret smile at each other that bespoke of years of love and caring . The evening played on with the arrival of a few couples carrying suspicious looking cloth bags , thus began my education about Ballroom Dancing !
Like some bizarre gunfighter ritual these new arrivals brought new life to the floor , from those suspicious bags came the dancing slippers , special socks to wear, the straightening of ties , vest and jackets a tug on the chiffon and silk here and there and things started to happen ! As the new couples stepped onto the floor I remarked to Tim " I believe these folks have done this before " . The steps became more precise, the hands held just so , heads tilted back with a million watt smile and this little cosmos in a vast universe changed for the next few hours . The magic of watching people who thoroughly enjoyed each other dispelled the everyday evils and demons that plague our everyday lives . As I watched and took pictures I wondered and hoped a little that perhaps this constant crisis of oil/ gas we seem to live with will perhaps push folks back together at gatherings like this . We stepped outside to leave and there was a family of five playing on the beach , across the street at an outside bar a single guitar player was entertaining the patrons , around the corner a cafe was doing a brisk business with late evening star gazers on the patio . Not a bad scene to leave you with , tell you about the Keys trip tomorrow.

Progress People and Politics

I was reminded today that I have been neglecting this page for a while . Sorry about that ! Been really busy at working on Azad /new shocks , windshield wiper bushings , rotating tires , checking brakes working on food storage , just received the invertor to install ,making wiring runs for some of the accessories I eventually want to add. I broke down and bought a Dell laptop with wireless set up to take on the road with me and transferring all the files etc. from the PC to Laptop has taken a lot more effort than I thought . You could say Hi-Tech is not my strong suit ! But nearly done and am trying to decide what kind of auxiliary vehicle I can find . Would like to an old Honda Trail 90 to hang off the front end but haven't yet .
People wise I met the guys out at STAR TECH in Lake City Fl. out on rt 90 on the way to Live Oak their phone is 386-755-0277 , good people and high quality new and rebuilt computers and accessories at a Very decent price . If you are in the area give them a call or stop by . They are open Mon. thru Fri. during the day but close Sat. at 2P.M. The other thing that was kind of a bonus was an old friend from my days of living and working in the Fl. Keys called and is now living nearby and will take a few days next week to go visit and catch up on things . Other people of note T. BOONE PICKENS ! You go brother I like someone who will put their money where their mouth is , I hope folks will pay attention to this guy . We have to fix the energy problem in this country , although Pickens doesn't profess to have all the answers , definitely a step in the right direction with wind turbines , solar and natural gas for our energy needs . Remember We as Americans are not the only ones being held hostage by OPEC , Gas prices in other countries are exorbitant too , tack on a less than reliable government , a heavy tax schedule and suddenly you have the recipe for a global oopsie , the likes of which hasn't been seen since the 1930's . Could be a helluva mess !
Finally a personal note to ALL the politicians out there , GROW SOME DAMN SKIN !! get off this insane downslope of political correctness and B.S. racial victimizing and be an example to the people who are supposed to be looking to you for leadership and good example . Recently a remark was made in a commission meeting about something being a black hole and this dipstick commissioner started screaming about racial slurs . I was under the impression our elected officials were supposed to be if not better educated at least better informed about basic terminology and nomenclature of the world around us . As a final rant be thankful for what we already have . Take responsibility for yourself and your actions , I know it's hard but just try and leave the rest of us who are getting along without your dopey rules and trivial laws ALONE .
I just don't know .... I suggest everyone listen to Guy Clark at least once a day and watch the sunset with your favorite beverage and somebody you care about by your side !
Till the next time ,

Party Beside The Suwannee / Memory Demons

The Big "A" and I got invited to a party ! My old friend Linda decided to have a first day of summer/ longest day of the year party Saturday . A few years ago I would have been first on the barge casting off lines to break open the adult beverages and get as crazed as humanly possible in the shortest period of time .Now I approach various get together's a little more sedately . But even so I was among the first to arrive and got the perfect parking spot for Azad , so I thought.{note to self , check how level everything is before it gets dark } As folks
started arriving and getting acquainted it was obvious a good time was about to begin , good food , plenty of various beverages to imbibe , really interesting people to talk to and enjoy . Linda is a Goldsmith / Collector and has a store in nearby Mayo Fl. The store is Gold N' Treasures ph#386-294-3906 if you are in the market for a unique piece of jewelry or collectible give her a call. She also does her own designs or custom made jewelry and has a selection of "Atocha" coins . It 's always good to call first as she does a lot of traveling and is not always available .
At any rate , having parked "A" I proceeded to enjoy myself meeting new friends and catching up with several of the folks I knew. My old friend Doo Dah brought me a surprise gift from Tallahassee , a new CD by one of my favorite musicians over there Mimi Hearn . Her new CD Unleashed is too cool ! I have a hard time dealing with music that has been tricked up , in other words you can't reproduce it outside of a studio , Mimi & The Hearn Dogs have the same respect for their music . This album was recorded over in Sopchoppy in a hundred year old building and the acoustics are phenomenal ! Most of the songs are written by Mimi and the back up musicians are tight ! Comes from a lot of years playing together and knowing where everyone is at . All in all a great party !
The note to self was a minor thing ,but it shows the mindset of a lot of people . If I had backed up just a few feet , the whole thing would have been level and life would have been a lot nicer . The other memory lapse I've had recently was , if things are installed in pairs or multiple units when you fix or repair one take a damn good look at the others , chances are they work the same amount of time and are just as worn or stressed and need attention too . Case in point , I took the front of "A" apart to install a nylon bushing for the windshield wipers . The bushings came packed as pairs , I installed the one that was bad and ignored the other side , buttoned everything up and less than two weeks later ! You guessed it ! There goes the other side , I don't mean to imply this is some kind of a major operation , just a few screws and some time , but aggravating and when you need the wipers it's a poor time to be making plans to drain the swamp!
The more I drive "A"the better I like him , 50 or 55 mph is a comfortable speed and every ting seems to operate well at that speed , since I have no plans for interstates or the autobahn guess I'm good to go !
By the by picture posted is the banks of the Suwanee just above Branford Fl.

Twisted Thinking & Observations of Strange Behavior

I probably should quit watching or listening to the National/ World news . All it does is get Me grinding my teeth and wondering what planet some of these so called "newsmakers " come from ! Even the Celebrity news has ceased to entertain me and that's their damn job! The talking heads that vaguely resemble newscasters and reporters have sunk to such low standards that everything they say is viewed with suspicion by anyone with a gram of brain cells left after the constant barrage of inanities poured and pressed on your visual and auditory senses .
Having said that I cruise to My news gatherer of subjects that inform and amuse Me , currently I use Google Reader and I'm able to sift through the blogs and purveyors of information that offend Me the least .
Needless to say I find the blogs of RVrs and other motorheads and adventurers most interesting . One thing has started to puzzle Me , of all the RV blogs there is a constant thread of seeking freedom and leaving the complicated lifestyle behind . Then amazingly , here comes the big TV , Satellite this and that , Microwave , Dishwashers , Washer /Dryer , two or three computers , a seemingly never ending list of things that You just can't do without ! Even though they just spent enough money on their Freedom Rig to finance a small country , add some more can't do withouts on top and add more debt . It appears this is backward thinking , the idea of hitting the road is freedom not servitude .Why be a slave to the Bank or Credit Card?
I don't fault those who want their creature comforts , I do find it absurd that some one has spent a lot of money to be independent pulls in to a campground and is snotty about not having everything just perfect . Oh My ! The spot that was picked doesn't pick up the Satellite or paved and perfectly level , the space is too small for all the stuff you wanted to drag out and set up so it would be just like what you left at the big house back home . Sorry , I find it hard to empathize with you .
I've been criticized because I bought my thirty year old Minnie Winnie , and that"s OK , it's paid for and I can do most of the maintenance / repairs it needs myself . Does it have all the bells and whistles ? Nope , it runs well is watertight , it works for me and allows me to escape , or, it gives me freedom ! I've read of places that don't accept RVs of a certain age , and I've experienced being turned away because I was riding a motorcycle . Way back in the late 60's and early 70's I was even shunned / discriminated against because I wore a uniform of the United States Military , what a treat that was !
Point being do what makes you happy , but please don't whine about the consequences of your own actions , tell me about the Good Times and the cool places you've visited . Most of all be free and enjoy life !
By the way the picture of the BSA ? Not mine , belongs to a wizard friend of mine . I just thought it looked cool!

Memories and Crossroads

The picture at the left is of one of my surrogate Dads while growing up in rural Ohio . Krutch is the gentleman on the left with that beautiful LaSalle , He hand built that piece of art from scratch . I could go on with his numerous accomplishments NHRA champion and record holder , engineering genius , inventor , first rate machinist , father , grandfather , great grandfather , good citizen having held several public offices , I know I could go on for a long time about all that . I just wanted to tell one thing about Him , when a dumbass 17 year old kid needed some direction and support making some real hard choices back in 1968 , He found the time and [with all that other stuff going on ] means to be there . I don't remember saying thanks , but even if I did it should be said again . Also to let "Pappy" know how proud I am to have Him as my friend and for all the good things He has done. Thanks again Pappy
Love ,
Sonny

Fire ants , Chipotle Tabasco and another Texas Voice,

Working on the ground sucks ! Sorry , just the way I feel today ,working underneath the Big fellah looking for loose things and inspecting brake lines to see if I can afford to replace them before taking off . The metal lines appear to be in good shape but the old rubber ones to the wheel cylinders will have to be replaced . Again the ones that are on there may be fine but I see signs of dry rubber and small cracks , I would rather spend a few bucks now than to be going into a place where the lack of brakes would make life way too exciting ! Hopefully within the next week or two will have access to my friends garage and his invaluable help to rebuild the carb , fix the small exhaust leak [ muffler clamps] new front shocks and do the brake lines all at once . If we have the time I have a couple of other projects that would be nice to have an extra pair of hands that are well trained and equipped in a nice garage instead of laying on the ground with fire ants for company .
As for the Chipotle Tabasco while cruising the aisles I found some Chipotle Tabasco by Mcilhenny's , just for fun got some and It's GOOD , I like spicy flavorful food anyway and have found that using different spices on the lean meats and sometimes bland veggies the Diabetes Demon demands makes mealtime more interesting .
While taking an engineering break , I started to listen to the new CD from Amy Hughes , another Texas voice I have come to really like among the young talent out in Texas her website is www.amy-hughes.com She has some very good sounds and a great band , check her out also a couple of free songs there to download , plus links to some other Texas musicians

Dublin Blues , Old Friends , Dealin the Devil his Due

Whatever possessed Me to store clothes in a garbage bag in a carport I'll never know . But I can pass this bit of info along to you, IT'S A BAD IDEA ! Two loads of laundry has netted me said garbage bag refilled with nearly everything I took out in the first place , rot follows mildew , and strong soap and hot water do NOT reweave material. I believe I can blame it on the devil as all my other demons were occupied with my other project for today .
As I don't believe in recreational drugs anymore my solution was to crank up Guy Clark on the music box and listen to the album Dublin Blues , at least it will take the edge off an aggravating day . You just can't feel bad listening to Guy Clark , I believe it is illegal in some states ! There just isn't enough O's in smooth for Him .
Next on the agenda is get rid of the rest of my stress , I believe I'll bake a batch of cookies , no I won't eat them , Demon Diabetes takes care of that , but just because you are on a diet doesn't mean you can't look at the menu ! Beside3s it make me feel good to do something constructive , since I pretty much screwed the pooch on everything else today .
In two short days I've got to talk to old friends in Texas , Ohio , New Mexico Florida Keys , Kentucky , and Missouri , that in itself is a pretty good deal also makes Me one lucky sucker to have that many friends , bless all the technology gods who make communication so easy and affordable I can remember when making a long distance call was a big deal ! Now it's normal , then the wizards who herd signals around the internet for our e-mails make keeping in touch even easier.That being said I shall go bake some cookies !
As an added attraction here's Guy's website , Go here!! http://www.guyclark.com