Friday, July 30, 2010

Putting My Money Where My Mouth Is

The words, "Former Congresswoman Pelosi", will be a great thing for our Republic (in my opinion). I've sent a check to her opponent's campaign to aid the cause.

Donate By Mail
John Dennis for Congress
1592 Union Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 729-5846

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Do Fools Ever Change?

Family, friends, and acquaintances sometimes ask me where the blog title comes from. Two main contributors are a unregulated motor mouth and damn the consequences, full speed ahead, approach to life. Age hasn’t tempered either to any noticeable degree.

The imminent birth of another grandson, eagerly and joyfully welcomed, brings to mind a past episode that probably should not be repeated.

When middle son was born, I was able to watch the delivery. Soon after, my parents came to see the new arrival. The two mothers were in the bedroom (wrong, they were in the kitchen) and the two fathers in the family room. My father, with genuine interest, asked me to describe the birth experience. After some thought I said to my ranch raised father, “Well Dad, it wasn’t much different that pulling a calf.” As he pondered and shook his head in understanding, an explosion erupted in the adjacent kitchen. Two very agitated and vocal women proceeded to verbally flay the hell out of us.

“Son”, my father said, “I know they don’t have bars in this state, but is there somewhere we can go get a beer”?

Hopefully, my daughter-in-law, who I really like, will understand.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Same Sentiment, Fewer Obscenities


Many thanks to Texas Ghostrider for providing FOCUS! Very useful stress reliever.

http://texasghostrider.blogspot.com/2010/06/focus-drivers-focus.html

My part time job is evaluating preproduction cars and trucks. The requirements are to drive specific routes in specific ways while performing various tests and recording and reporting results. The vehicles have numerous “black boxes” and are GPS equipped. Everything is recorded; no excuses. The job is not overly difficult unless you take pride in doing it well.

The other day, the task was driving a SUV pulling a trailer. The trailer is equipped with a “sail” to increase wind resistance and loaded with weights to bring the whole load to the maximum rated vehicle gross weight capacity. The route includes Vail Pass, altitude 10,603 feet. The temperature at the summit was 73 degrees F. That put the density altitude at 14,000 feet plus (I don’t have the barometric pressure). Engines operate on density altitude and lose about 2% rated power per thousand feet. On this day, my vehicle’s engine, and all others not turbo or supercharged, was putting out about 60% rated sea level standard day power. In summary, the SUV was loaded to the max, pulling a 6% grade, automatic transmission, with slightly more than half the usual power. This resulted in 42 mph, 1 st gear, 400 rpm from red line. Perfect conditions for overheating and mechanical breakdowns and nothing in reserve.

Enter please my fellow travelers.

Two men, older POS, having a spirited conversation as evidenced by four hands waving around. FOCUS

Marlon Brando wannabe Harley pack riders, graying hair, Billy Bad Boy attire, out for an excellent putt, at 5 mph under the speed limit, spread out for a half a mile on a two lane mountain road. FOCUS

Any vehicle with a Nebraska plate - county 21. FOCUS

Any Gold colored Toyota Camry. FOCUS

The driver occupying the middle lane with vehicles passing on both sides. FOCUS

The motor home driver with a 5 mph speed differential passing the 18 wheeler doing 35 mph, looking at the sign saying, “Minimum Left Lane Speed 55 mph." FOCUS

Tourists that have been seeing the signs every ten miles since crossing the state line saying, “Keep Right except for Passing.” FOCUS

The list can go on and on but, thanks to Texas Ghostrider, I only need to shout one word instead of several. Yes, they don’t hear me. Yes, it is immature and probably a character defect. For those who think that, FOCUS!

It is always a joyful moment when we pass the red and blue lights and know someone is receiving a good citizen award. (Unless those lights are in my rear window)

Oh, and welcome to Colorado, where our motto is, "Spend your Money then Git".

On a kinder note, visitors from lower elevations should note their lungs are operating at about half capacity. Altitude sickness can ruin your vacation. Feels like flu. Take it easy, keep drinking liquids until you are peeing every thirty minutes, wear sunscreen regardless of your complexion (UV radiation above 8,000' is greater than sea level by a factor of four or more) and seek shade where you can,

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Achieving Success


The area surrounding the part time job building is vacant land. Ugly vacant land. Several colonies of cute prairie dogs live there. A new two story warehouse/office has recently been finished next door. Nice landscaping including lots of grass was recently installed. The prairie dogs have moved in. This morning I thought I heard "Moving on Up", the Jefferson's theme, coming from one of the holes.

Hope the building owners are from Boulder.

My sister will be happy, being a huge prairie dog fan!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Obama - Where Can He Be??????

In the past two weeks, have driven border to border across Illinois twice on Interstate 80 and didn't see our President's name once. In fact, didn't notice even a bumper sticker.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Military Flying Story


Old NFO has some great military flying stories. Us mud dabbers can only read them and be amused. http://oldnfo.blogspot.com/

An Army flying story circa 1965 involves the rude comeuppance of a certain Captain of Aviation, T, by a Private First Class of Engineers, O.

Said PFC was a two year draftee from Texas who grew up in a crop duster family. By the time the Army called, he had many hours of low level flying experience. In typical Army fashion, he became a combat engineer while the Army was spending $18,000 or so to teach people to fly.

The PFC had a medical problem that involved a long wait for an exam. When there was an exam opening in Frankfurt, our unit was in the field, hours away. A decision was made to fly him to Frankfurt in a L-19/O-1.

Captain T was assigned the mission. His favorite diversion was scaring his passanger by pulling back on the mixture control until the engine ran rough. He would then put on a panic act until the aircraft was about 200’ AGL. Turning his head, he would say, “I’ve done everything I can think of. Can you do something”? He did this in the vicinity of the Main River, which PFC O knew went past Frankfurt.

The L-19/O-1 was soon about two feet above the Main River. PFC O stayed at that altitude all the way to Frankfurt, lifting over barges, and going under bridges.

PFC O said there was some initial struggle over the controls but most of the trip was made with Captain T’s hands in his lap. He said there was a large amount of vocalization over the intercom, orders being issued, and so forth, which he ignored, wanting to concentrate on his navigation.

Some veterans may remember the “Overseas Weekly“. PFC O was the subject of an article. The incident as reported involved alcohol, public urination in downtown Munich while totally nude, and his clothing being found in some civilian’s automobile. While he was a willing worker, some of the unit officers and NCOs believed PFC O had an “attitude” problem. Perhaps this is what confounded Captain T.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Denver Summer Afternoon


Flying onto Denver late summer afternoons can be real interesting.

Sorry for the quality of the cell phone snap. Next phone upgrade will include a better camera function.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Independence Day

The 4th of July is my favorite holiday. Made my first dollar on the 4th at the old Dillon, CO Rodeo. The site is now the bottom of a reservoir courtesy of the goddamndenverwaterboard (a single word in parts of Colorado).

At the end of the Rodeo, the roping calves were available for the kids to ride. A rope was stretched across the ground and, if you stayed on past the rope, you got a silver dollar.. I was four, going on five, and crossed the rope under the calf, getting kicked and stepped on.

My sister recently quipped, "You may not made style points, but you did finish in the money!"

The 4th, to me, is a tribute to all those before me who made the holiday, and the memories, possible. I hope I’ve contributed to keeping it going.

Friday, July 2, 2010

More Gutless Wonders

“They can have anything I have” said the 50 ish liberal as his simpering wife looked on. “Nothing we have is worth dieing for” he smugly proclaimed with an air of moral superiority. The couple, recreational hikers, were being interviewed on television. Some tool allegedly tied up a couple who were hiking.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15398292?source=pop_section_news

The authorities were warning people, including the two television stars, to be aware. Guess he would also be willing to hold the tool’s testicles off the hot sand while his wife was being raped. Fuck all willing victims; they deserve what happens to their gutless asses.

For what it is worth, the area includes the Peoples Republic of Boulder, CO.