As The World Revolves

Life’s twist and turns upsets people’s path through this world in unexpected ways. Yeah, I know – not profound and not original.

A woman once married to a cousin in a hospice in Seattle not expected to live a month. Brain hemorrhages/brain cancer felled her three weeks ago while on an Alaska adventure.

A robust woman, she lived life with a zest despite many health problems (once traveled to India for a hip replacement). Her husband, my cousin, has fought MS for decades. For whatever reasons, and not my business, they have gone their separate ways. I’m not certain they have ever divorced.

She has two adult children and four grandsons. She is only 60.

Over the years she has become close to my two surviving aunts. For them, it is like losing a child.

If there is a lesson in this, it is enjoy the people in your life while you have them.

Compensations

Second week on the new job. I would rather be sitting home drinking coffee but my compensation is seeing sunrises on the high plains.

What I do is transport drivers from the base 1 1/2 hours to the trucks.

Day crew up, night crew back. In the afternoon, repeat. 138 mile round trip. Not hard work and 2-3 months will get my finances back in balance. I am not planning on doing this in winter!

I wonder if many people consider the enormous investment in people time and cubic money needed to put gasoline at the pump at their local Shop-N-Rob?

Thanks to President Trump, much more of that investment is staying within our shores. 

Pathetic

It isn’t even August and the Mariners are 20+ games out of first place, far ahead of their normal fall collapse. (Signs of Fall in Seattle – rain is colder, days are shorter, and the Mariners are 20 games out of first place).

We lived in the Seattle area for 18 years and with Little League sons, we attended Mariner games in the old Kingdome. Even then, it was a $100 visit (tickets, parking, snacks).

We started watching the Tacoma Tigers, now Rainiers, for a much better experience (and a $30 visit). Outdoors, parking within sight of our seats, and my sons could roam around the place without getting yelled at.

AAA baseball isn’t too shabby and the Tigers were good!

I’ve been to a few Rockies games. Decent experience, but I’m not a big baseball fan.

I do enjoy Rainier Beer, brewed with pure recycled Seattle sewer water. Gives it that extra kick!

The waitstaff at Billy McHales, Renton, WA, home of 31 different beers, used to sneer at my Rainier beer order.  Interesting place after 10 p.m. with 16 car dealerships within a 3 miles radius.

Avoiding the Interstate

Had a job to do in Northeast Colorado and a choice of routes. Going east took a rural two lane state highway. Coming back, for part of the trip, drove old US highway 6. Did about 25 miles of Interstate and then back on a major secondary highway.

It was a relaxing trip not dealing with the 18 wheelers governed at 65 mph trying to pass each other. Add the #%&*^$# tourists in their poorly driven overloaded RVs who stick to the Interstates and the secondary roads are an easy drive.

Our heat wave is in a pause mode and temps were in the high 70’s.

As far as the job goes, left behind an angry man wanting to know where the money he has provided for the mortgage payment went. Sorry mister, relationship counseling is not part of the job.

Back In The Saddle

Took on another part time (3 days a week) job. With the improved economy, fewer people are behind on their mortgages, so I’m getting less work. (Thanks, President Trump).

There are some upcoming expenses and I avoid all debt so this move, for me, makes financial sense.

The job is driving the big Nissan van with up to seven drivers to a rally point near the Wyoming border. It is a round trip of 130 miles and takes about 3 ½ hours. These drivers operate big tankers that collect oil drilling waste and take the waste to a processing plant.

The plan is to do the job for three months this summer. Come winter and I am gone. Pays $15 an hour.

I’ll still keep the mortgage gig.

Yeah, yeah, at 75 I should be ‘retired’. Fuck that, I’ll go until I drop.

Harridans For Trump 2020

Who remembers when newly elected members of Congress were unknown outside their districts? Now we have four who have garnered national  attention, often on a daily basis, of the media, left and right.

What a gift for President Trump! Potential voters aren’t sleeping now, but alert and pissed off. Any potential Democrat presidential candidate who might qualify as a rational adult is being forced on the defensive by these four harridans as they stir up the (P)regressive side of the Democrat party.

These four are raking in the long coin from donations that would otherwise go to electable Democrats. The pissed off Deplorables who voted in President Trump are staying pissed off (and awake).

It probably doesn’t hurt the President Speaker Pelosi isn’t covering herself in glory.  She can’t shut them up, and she seems to have lost personal control. Running from the podium and leaving someone else to gavel “adjourned”  after causing a firestorm with baseless allegations of racism is just pathetic, IMO.

In other news, popcorn futures are soaring.

Day Tripping

My employer wanted a debtor contacted near Glenwood Springs, CO and upped their offer until my greed took over. It turned out to be 472 miles round trip excursion.  Like many states, Colorado has two seasons, winter and construction. Add the many rock falls that require mitigation and the Google Maps travel time forecasts are laughable.

Sorry, no pictures. Technical problems (sick computer). Very little snow in the high country now as opposed to trips over Vail Pass in the winter.

Oh, how I revel in the scenery, no matter how many times I’ve made the trip. Oh, how I get frustrated with the ^%$@@$%^& brain dead tourists.

One trip I enjoy is west on I-70 from Grand Junction to the intersection with I-15. 

Miles and miles of this.

Reward is scenes like this.

Now days I’m more of a homebody.  Semi-retired and all that.