Road Trips

Who doesn't love a good road trip?  The sites, sounds, and smells.  I've take many road trips in my time, each one is a story on it's own, but as time goes by some of the finer details get lost in the mix.  In an effort not to lose them, here are just a few of my favorite.  As always, in no particular order

During my younger years, I was very involved with different church groups.  Between the highschool group, Maximum Security, and the church missions team, we took all sorts of road trips  I've driven to mountains, deserts, canyons, and even Canada.  From the multitude of trips, a few of them stick out.

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The Camper - It was a weekend to Bass Lake, at least I think it was bass lake, the trip itself is blurry, but the journey home cannot be forgotten.  I think there were 5 or 6 of us in the back of a camper.  I remember myself, Will, Susan, Jess, and either Gloria, or Irby.  (can someone please message me for verification?)  Behind the wheel was our fearless staffer named _____. (let's call her J, to protect the innocent).  Everyone is loaded up and we're off.  Being one of the kids in the back, we were in our own world.  I remember how we were singing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" in harmony (thanks to Will).  One of the girls thought the words were "We know nothing, we know nothing, ...." instead of "We Mo way".  We got a good laugh out of it.  Having fun, fun, fu....CRASH/SCRAP everything came to a grinding halt. Somehow we made a wrong turn and we found ourselves climbing up some narrow road mountain path towards Yosemite.  The loud noise we heard was the step of the camper being torn off my the low rock railing that separated the road from what can only be described as a long way down.  At this point we had been on the road for about 4 hours, it was dark and we had no idea where we were.  Cell phones were not available at this time, and I don't remember if we had a map.  Most everything else was a blur other than it took another 6 hours to get home, and we had a lot of fun at J's expense.

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Oh how Grand it is - At this point I was on staff with the youth group and had not planned on hiking into the Canyon that year.  I did however plan on visiting some friends in the Phoenix area.  Seeing as I drove a small pick up, I helped the group get to the Grand Canyon, dropped them off, and continued on to Phoenix.  Driving through the northern part of Arizona was beautiful.  Like something out of a movie, I was cruising down Interstate 40 between Kingman and Flagstaff.  I can vividly remember seeing a group of at least 50 horses in full stride running along the country side.  A plum of smoke followed in their wake as they ran along the green countryside.  Unfortunately they were running in the opposite direction so it was fairly short lived.  But it was a site to behold.
 
A few days later I was back at Supai hilltop to pick up the group.  It turned out that someone back home was not doing well.  Our youth pastor needed to get home ASAP, so the two of us took off from Kingman, AZ at a very early hour, while the rest of the group stayed behind and stuck to the normal schedule.  What would normally be a 10 hour drive, we did in about 9.  It was a good time watching the sun come up while heading north on I-5.  I've done that a few times since...

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Via con Dios - If I had a dollar for every time I drove to Mexico, I could get the Steak Tenampa plate from El Tenampa, with a drink!  During my younger years I was involved with Hope Center's Mission to Mexico.  These trips took us to a Ranch on the outskirts of Ensenada called Rancho Agua Viva.  Spending a week in Mexico and serving the people there was always a fantastic experience.  But anyone who was involved in the 90's knows that is was always the journey that made the memories.  We were famous for returning lender cars in better shape then we got them, usually.  We have had alternators go out, fan belts, A/C units, radiators, etc.  As the picture shows, we've even gotten hung up on the simple things. (You'll be happy to know both the station wagon, and utility pole survived)

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As the holiday season approaches and everyone is making plans to go see family, or stay home and family is coming to them.  Enjoy the time you share together, whether it is in a small compact vehicle, or a spacious SouthWest Flight.  Make the most of the time you have with your family and create those memories that will never fade.  My fondest memory takes me way back...

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It was usually around July that my parents would start dusting off the camping gear and make preparations for our annual trip to Pinecrest.  This is something family family has done for the better part of the last 35 years.  And when I say family, I mean family.  Imagine a Maltese version of "Big Fat Greek Wedding", without the wedding (that's another blog).

The day before we leave, we would load up the old pickup with our gear.  We had this down to a science.  She was a 1978 Chevrolet Pickup, complete with a shell.  What made it unique was the back window of the cab was taken out so we had access to the back of the truck.  Right beneath the opening we layered several foam mattresses for my brother and I to sit on.  The mattress stretched from one side of the truck bed to the other.  Behind you was all the camping gear stacked to the ceiling, but supported in a way that it wouldn't crush you.  From the perspective of a kid, this was AWESOME.  My cousin Eric would ride up with me sometimes, so we could "play" during the drive up.  As cool as it was, a 3-4 hour drive for a little kid without a DVD player or iPad, is pure torture.  What I remember most is when we finally made it to the mountains, and the further we drove, the more trees would populate the road sides.  All I could see staring out the little window of the camper shell was pine trees, and more pine trees.  We would open up those little windows and press our face against the screens and smell that scent of fresh pine.

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Happy trails.....to you.....

Planning

Today, tomorrow, yesterday, a week from last Thursday, April 15th, Canadian Boxing Day...next year?  All these things have something in common.  They are all a day that we plan on, regardless of what we are doing on Jan 25 (which is known as "National Voter's Day" in India) we are planning on doing something, right?  We wake up, we eat something, we may go somewhere.  Sometimes we may plan on something, but it doesn't happen because of something un-planned.  I really wanted to go see that movie tomorrow night, too bad I broke my leg and am in traction...maybe tomorrow I'll plan on getting some rest?

No, I did not break my leg, and no, I'm not in traction, but I do have plans.  Some I'll be able to achieve.  Others, not so much.  Here are a few things I am planning on....as always, in no particular order

• Clean the garage so I can get the Honda in there as winter is coming. I don't mind letting the car warm up while I scrap off snow and ice, but it does get old after a while.
• Leaves, leaves, and more leaves....i wish they would just leave me alone!  I hate this time of year.  Of course Isaac loves the big pile of leaves to jump into.
• Sleep
• Travel to Cali and spend some time with the family and friends
• Take Becky to Vegas for our anniversary
• Finish painting the kitchen/bathroom
• Take Isaac up the mountain and get some good sledding in this year (more snow required)
• A nice child free evening out to dinner with some friends.  (Preferably to Barbacoa)
• Christmas Lights
• Sleep
• Take that trip to Hawaii

So why make a big deal about this?  Plans are great, it's always nice to have a "plan of action".  I'm just saying that we can't rely on our plans to the point of rigidness.  We all need to be flexible to some point as we don't know what tomorrow will bring.

Growing up in suburbia, my mom always told me to save for a rainy day.  I was more of a "in the now" type of person.  That is till life caught up with me.  Marriage, family, credit cards, and stupid, stupid mistakes.  Needless to say it has been a bumpy ride after some courses from Financial Peace University, we finally learned that lesson. Other than our house, my family is debt free.  My mom (not sure if she reads this) was right.  If it's not in your hand, don't spend it.  Yes Mom, you were right.

I never planned on living debt free.  Heck before I heard of this class I didn't think it was possible.  It's like a diet, you can change the behavior for a little while and see some results, but you eventually fall back into it.  You need to make a lifestyle out of it.  Like Dave says, "live like no one else, so later you can live like no one else!"

I managed to get some extra sleep last night, not that I planned on it, but it happened.  Today I'm going to work, lunch provided, and then I don't know...I have nothing planned...except that list above.  Anyone want to help with Christmas lights?

The Pointer...

About a year ago I started blogging, and I blogged about my thumb, this year it's my pointer finger.  I figure at this rate in 5 years I'll finish with my right hand. Of course on the other hand, you have different fingers.  (please tell me someone got this...yes, it's a bad joke.)

So anyways, what happened to my finger this time?  Was it building a fence?  Perhaps it got shut in a car door?  A freak pruning accident?  Nay Nay.  The blame lays with the Zildjan company.  Zildjan is one of the top producers of cymbals, drums sticks, and other percussion equipement.  And since your going there, no, I did not drop a cymbal on my finger, but I did use their brand of "Dip Sticks."  These are drum sticks that are dipped  with a special adhesive that helps you hold on to your sticks.  The theory is, you don't have to hold them so tight that your hands get tired as quick.  As that might be true, which the music gets really fast and intense, the combination of sweat and the adhesive tend to rip your hands up.  I learned this the hard way.

As you know, I'm now a member of The Retreads, a local cover band.  As anyone in my position knows, when something like this happens, you suffer from G.A.S.  (Gear Acquisition Syndrome).  So while shopping for a cowbell/tamborine I thought I should try a new kind of drumstick before getting then in bulk. 
Musician's friend was more than happy to help me choose some sticks at a low cost, I just didn't realize the effects it would have....

So at our last rehearsal we go through three songs and I'm thinking I like these things, so I ask JD, who is also a drummer, if he ever used these.  His reply, "Yeah, they tore my hands all up".  I suddenly start to worry.  So the next song is a little ditty called "Whip It".  Those of you alive in the 80's know this song, and probably don't realize how fast it is...with a 16beat rhythm constantly through the whole song.  During those 2 minutes 40 seconds, these sticks decided to form a blister on my pointer finger, then pop the blister, and then remove any skin that decided to not hang around, as well as create a raw feeling on my thumb.  No, I won't post a picture.

Needless to say, I won't be using those sticks for any "fast" songs and my search for my stick of choice will continue...as my poor finger heals.  No one ever said that Rock & Roll was easy.

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What's really going on?

There is actually a lot going on right now.  First and foremost, it's almost Turkey day.  That means it time to start on those tasks you've been putting off for so long...

• Picking out your turkey, size does matter depending on how you cook it.  I'm sure I'll be cooking a turkey in the future, and yes I will blog on it.
• Perfecting your gravy recipe...drippings, fat and flavor, YUM!
• Calculating how much bacon you need to wrap your turkey with, j/k (unless you're gonna do it)
• Potatoes, sweet or regular?  Why not both
• Travel plans?  This way you don't have to cook at all.

Since I never plan too far ahead for my gravy, I'm not that concerned about it, and I have never, nor will I wrap a turkey in bacon, that is a big waste (unless you're gonna deep fry the thing).  You have to have mashed potatoes, and sweet potatoes, it's the yin and the yang of turkey day.  As for travel plans, it looks like we're having turkey with the family
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I try not to get political in my blogs, mostly because I know squat about politics other than to not trust them in general, but this whole "Occupy ______" thing has me asking a lot of questions and not getting many good answers.  So today, Occupy Oakland is calling for a citywide walk off....they want everyone to walk off their jobs, classes, and any other type of job, so they can bring the city to a stand still.  Why?  I keep trying to figure out what the end game is and it keeps coming back to one thing.  But before I go there, I tried to get to the heart of the movement.  First of all, someone came up with the name 'Occupy Wall street'.  I went looking for an actual definition of Occupy and came up with two.

• Engage - This makes sense as generally when people are protesting, they want their voice to be heard.  They want to "engage" in dialog and achieve a set of goals.  The problem is that since this is a leaderless movement, everyone wants something different depending on who you talk to. 
• Take Possession - This sounds a lot like stealing.  Basically, the rich guy has too much money, so he needs to give it to the rest of us, or we take it away and distribute it, thus tax the rich so we can distribute it.

Please correct me if I'm wrong....it's exhausting trying to keep up with it all...  In the mean time, here is a good article
how-do-you-measure-success-for-occupy-wall-street-movement?

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On a seperate note, I'm having a real craving for some snickerdoodles.  Fresh baked is preferred, not that processed packaged junk....