Older is Wiser?

Middle son is moving next week. My help consists of stroking a check to some local movers with a truck and trailer. Beyond that he is on his own. I’m getting too old and soft for moving.

Made me to remember my father. We had purchased a house about five miles from our apartment and I had moved all but the heavy stuff. My father showed up unannounced. He was on his way to Oregon for two weeks of fishing. He decided to help.

“Where is your furniture dolly”, he asked?

“What’s that”, was my reply?

Nothing was said as we drove to a rental place and got a dolly but the unspoken thoughts came loud and clear. Something along these lines.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnNSy6CqTcU

The next time we moved I bought both a hand truck and a furniture dolly, both of which I still own.

As a side note, here is hoping 2018 is an epic year for you and yours.

Santa's Little Helper II

Need some cheese to go along with my whine. My co-driver partner does numerous Santa gigs in December. I go flex mode to accommodate his schedule. I’m feeling my age tonight and am looking forward to five days off.

This has been a tough month on the route. 50+ mph winds, nasty snow storms, and wind chill factors down to -40° F haven’t been fun.

 I’m an old Rocky Mountain lad and we learn to cope with this growing up. Cows must be milked, stock must be fed, and transport must go through.  Next summer I will have 60 years as a licensed driver behind me and I was driving without a license at an earlier age. But damn, I don’t recover as quick!

My employer recognizes our challenge and puts the best snow tires available on the car. Fine, until some fuckup takes the keys. This morning I had to take a backup vehicle with all season tires. Aarg!

Not everyone minds the weather.

My supervisor views me thusly.

And now I’m going to have some wine with my whine.

Sister Kink II

https://www.ammoland.com/2017/12/co-no-charges-for-rep-who-forgot-gun-was-in-carry-on/#axzz52EVoo98J

Ancestry

Recently had a DNA analysis by Ancestry.com. Virtual Mirage asked that I post it.

Interesting  on several levels. My maternal grandfather was adopted and knew nothing of his birth parents. There was speculation he was French/Indian. Not so per these results.

Another surprise was the 5% Scandinavian.   Guess there were some raping Vikings back there. We’ve always thought we were Celts and the results support that.

There is more to study. The bloodline in North America goes back to the 1700’s in New England. Supports another family tale we were “Blue Belly Yankees”.

Will write more on the subject in the future.

Well Regulated Militia

Hoisted on my own petard, firearms control division per my last blog entry.

This morning sitting in a waiting room (car repairs) had a conversation with a couple of University of Northern Colorado graduate students. They have a sure fire idea for firearms control that respects the 2^nd Amendment.

All firearms owners must be members of a militia. The militia will operate an armory where all firearms will be kept locked up. Owners can check out their privately owned firearms for approved purposes. 

They were quite pleased with themselves and their brilliant plan.

I didn’t argue, just nodded my head. Didn’t feel like wrestling with pigs this morning.

Firearms Control

Starting with a side rant, possibly pointless. If more people did 50 push ups on crushed gravel on a hot Ft Leonard Wood afternoon, they wouldn’t call anything not a smoothbore a “gun”.  Just saying.

No outright ban and confiscation is the “compromise” the firearms control crowd offer. All the rest of their rhetoric is bullshit. They take each and every concession as a weakness and push for more. Since they are not honest, or respectful of any opinion not in line with their own, no concessions should  be made, IMO.

This creates a more dangerous situation. All of us active shooters know of the dangerous idiots out there with access to firearms. I personally lack the courage to ever be a NRA Range officer. Any fool that can pass a background check and has the money can equip themselves with lethal machinery and not have a clue as to safety, or even care. Whee, adrenaline rush.

In a more perfect world, no one would possess a firearm without training and proven competence, IMO. Ain’t going to happen. Anything like that will be grabbed by the Chuck Schumers of our country and used to advance their agenda.

What to do about “gun violence”?  At every opportunity blame the gun grabbers.

“Hey, Mr/Ms Gun Grabber, that death is on your door step. You, with you self assumed moral high ground and the conviction your feeling are facts, won’t heed the voices of those who actually know what the hell they are talking about. This is your outcome.”

We should take a page from President Trump and go on the offense. Build a case that we have solutions but the Schumers of our country are the obstacle.

I recently put up a post, “Buck No”, about the congressman from my district voting against the National Reciprocity bill even when he was an original co-sponsor. Was it flawed with being tied to ‘improved’ background checks? Undoubtedly. When has any legislation been perfect?

WSF, you are arguing against yourself. True, but our fellow citizens whose opinions differ still have a voice that should be heard. Not all are demagogues. And maybe, just maybe, they should be heard by firearm advocates. Yeah, pay those traffic tickets. Show you are a responsible and sane citizen. Your right to bear arms comes with an obligation to bear those arms responsibly, not scare the shit out of your fellow citizens.

Let us understand not everyone calling for “gun control” is a Chucky Schumer. If you want to create one more, let that soccer mom who may be ambivalent now believe her children are in danger. She is the one who needs to know what makes a safer place for her children. How? One on one. Be prepared to talk to those who may have an open mind. YMMV

Living Large

Recent acquisition. 1991 Ford Escort, two local owners since new, 103,000 miles, always in this area.

Been searching for a back up vehicle for three months. Doesn’t need to be a daily driver but needs to be reliable. I’ve had other Escorts and had good luck with them. Readers of this blog will know I’m a cheapskate (and proud to be).

The seller’s asking price was reasonable. Me, being the kind and generous type, offered him 2/3rds of his asking price. Dead silence for two days and then he came back with an offer 80% of his original price. The deal was made.

There are a lot of strategies in buying/selling that I use. If it is something I need, is scarce and likely to be gone if I wait, I suck it up and pay the price.

What I strive for is to not need it immediately and to maximize my position by having cash in fist. My usual offer is 2/3rds of what they are asking. Once I make an offer, I shut up. I will never, ever, be the first to speak. In this case, the silence was two days.

So far, I’m out a set of wiper blades. Used ½ a roll of paper towels and ½ a bottle of window cleaner getting all the scum off the glass enable to see clearly. Not smoke, just neglect. 

The last driver was a pig.

Tomorrow will be emissions check and title/license.

Not Unalaska

Not up to Unalaska standards but entertaining for an agriculture and oil field community.

https://www.greeleytribune.com/news/local/greeley-woman-leads-police-on-slow-pursuit-before-impacting-lasalle-farmhouse/

dvr.com/2017/12/12/woman-crashes-into-business-in-downtown-greeley-after-apparent-panic-attack/

https://www.greeleytribune.com/news/local/two-juveniles-found-in-greeley-cornfield-after-resident-pursues-them-for-trespassing-in-his-vehicle/

And this sad story.

http://kdvr.com/2017/12/12/59-year-old-la-salle-man-killed-when-train-hits-truck-in-greeley/

Great Western is a local railroad that serves as a link between the Union Pacific main line and the BNSF main line. They also serve local businesses by shuttling freight cars and taking them to the two biggies. Their equipment is older major railroad retired locomotives. Due to the condition of their roadbed, they seldom exceed 30 mph.  

This collision is weird.

http://omnitrax.com/our-company/our-railroads/great-western-railway-of-colorado-llc/

Buck No

Congressman from my district, Ken Buck. Presents himself as a "conservative". Should be written, CONservative. Voted against the National Reciprocity Act.

Last election I voted against the Democrat, not for Buck. Next election it will take a Pelosi clone for that to happen again.

Snarky Remark

Left a snarky remark on Every Blade of Grass.

http://every-blade-of-grass.blogspot.com/

Reminded me of an old blog posting.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Jiggle Joint

The Situation. Three men, all seniors, in a Southern City, with six hours to kill.

The Solution. Bass Pro Shop.

One man’s wife calls him on his cell phone. Conversation goes much like this.

Man, “Hello honey” (Caller I.D.)

Wife, “Where are you? What are you doing?”

Man, “We are waiting on the client, have some time to kill, so we are walking around a Bass Pro Shop.”

Wife, “You are in a Bass Pro Shop with OUR credit card!”

Man, “We drove by three titty bars on the way here. It was Bass Pro Shop or one of them.”

Wife, “The titty bars would be a lot cheaper than you loose in a Bass Pro Shop!”

Yeah, age has caught up with us.

Passings

Our last maternal aunt passed on December 7^th. She was 102+. Official obituary here.

http://www.mobley-dodsonfuneralservice.com/obituary/eleanor-lambe

She was a strong woman, in her work, her values, and her religion. She was a kind soul, never mean, at least to my knowledge. A church lady in the finest Southern tradition, she walked the walk.

We were able to attend her 100^th birthday celebration where she held forth lucidly and showed her prodigal memory. Although she had health issues and limited mobility, she had zero self pity. Took on life as it came. 

These pictures are for any relatives that might wander by.

R.I.P Aunt Eleanor. You were an inspiration to us all.

Sister Kink

One of the hardest workers I’ve ever met has gotten herself into trouble. Lori Saine, a Colorado State Representative, was arrested for carrying a firearm through the TSA Checkpoint at Denver International Airport. My guess? She has been carrying for so long she forgot she had it.

http://www.9news.com/news/local/politics/colorado-state-representative-arrested-accused-of-bringing-gun-to-dia/497102644

Lori and I worked in car sales for the same organization. She was a ferocious competitor and hated me for being just a tad bit better. Later, I recommended her to be the manager of a used lot we opened in Windsor, CO. She didn’t like me as a boss any better than as a co-worker. Oh, well.

 Across the street was a radio station employing Dudley Brown, a controversial figure in 2^nd Amendment issues. They became acquainted.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dudley_Brown

With his encouragement and support she entered politics.

I called her Sister Kink. The name had to do with the way she sold cars. I know nothing, nor care, about her private life. Her husband is an exceptional RV salesman. He endorsed her nickname when he heard it.

We operated in Windsor out of a tastefully and professionally remodeled gas station. Very attractive. In the rear two drive in bays were retained. We kept high value vehicles in them at night.

 Once, after a vicious blizzard, the yokel we hired to plow the lot left an eave high mound of plowed ice and snow blocking one bay and trapping a car. Someone at another of our lots wanted the car and started raising hell. I arrived to find Lori, all 5’ of her, attacking the mound with a snow shovel. No. I put a stop to that immediately, and shut up those demanding the car in my usual gentle and tactful way.

Left to her own devices without someone (me, usually) monitoring, her ethics, those of a starving piranha, would cause a lot of heat. Such is life in the car business.

As a manager, I cared about three things. Can you do the job? Can you be relied upon to be there when the store is open? Can you be trusted with money? Lori was a solid “YES”.

I wish her luck with her current problem.

Father's Birthday

Today would be my father's 96th birthday. Sadly he passed at age 64. Probable cause? Undiagnosed and untreated sleep apnea. 

Like anyone who had a great parent, I miss him. What saddens me most is my sons didn't get to grow up with him.

A WWII vet, he trained in chemical warfare but  ended up in the Army Air Corp in India. He was one of the troops kicking out supplies from C-47 and C-46 doing aerial supply, among other duties. Going there and coming back he crossed the Equator in the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans. This seemed to be an
 irritant to his brothers-in-law who were Navy, not that he was shy about reminding them.

He always was busting his ass supporting his family.

Stubborn, he would always get this piece of junk gasoline powered Cat running, even if it took all day.

A superb horseman, he was the best rider I've seen. Second place goes to my sister. Me? Like a sack of potatoes tied to the saddle horn.  

As a hunter he didn't miss. At the rifle range killing paper I could easily best him. Going after game? Never beat him. I shot trees. He shot between the trees. 300 yards, open sights, standing on a horses rump in belly deep snow? One fucking shot, just behind the front shoulder. Down goes a two point bull elk. 

R.I.P Dad.

Checkbook Politics

Another Colorado focused political rant.

A section of Colorado geography running roughly from Steamboat Springs South to Pagosa Springs has great mountain scenery and four season recreation. Over the years it has attracted the moneyed class, especially trust funders. Once entrenched, they go about changing the political landscape to their choosing using their checkbooks.

Epicenter of the moneyed class is Aspen, which is within the 3^rd Congressional District and  currently occupied by a, gasp, Republican who keeps getting re-elected. The (P)regressives keep putting up their own ideological acceptable candidate. Their current war horse?

https://coloradopeakpolitics.com/

Wow! Strong resume there.

Another moneyed class in Colorado is the RINOs who managed to re-elect a first term Democrat Senator, Michael (mumbles) Bennett because the man who won out in the Republican primaries “wasn’t one of them” and didn’t get party support (and neither did President Trump IMO).

 http://www.denverpost.com/2016/06/28/colorado-senate-primary/

Some readers may be familiar with the name, Tom Steyer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Steyer

He has written a lot of checks in Colorado for (P)regressive causes and candidate with limited success. Perhaps now he is busy spending $20 million impeaching President Trump maybe he will leave Colorado alone.

Yeah, yeah I know. Have an internet connection and too much time on my hands.