15 or 16 Things Most People Don't Know About Me

I was "tagged" by another blogger with this one. It sounded kinda fun to tackle.
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(1) I was born March 9, 1958 in Tulsa, OK…it was a Sunday morning as I recall. **smirk** I've lived my entire life in Oklahoma—the first five years in Tulsa, then we moved to Collinsville, OK when I was five. Other than the time I was in college, I lived in Collinsville until 1992 when my wife and I moved to Owasso.

(2) I got into a fight with Les Glover in First Grade during reading period. I was making fun of his name--sorry, Les. We both got swats (yep, they gave those back then).

(3) I used to be an avid fisherman/hunter. I would pull my boat to work and take a short lunch so I could leave work early two to three days a week. From where I worked, I could be on several different lakes within an hour's drive. I loved to bass fish mostly. I gave up fishing when my oldest son was born and my wife informed me that I wasn't spending enough time at home (she was right). A group of us had a "lease" on about 1000 acres where we hunted deer, quail and RATTLESNAKES! We lost the lease and since I refuse to hunt on public land, that was pretty much the end of my hunting days.

(4) My first regular paying job, I was the custodian/janitor at the local health clinic where my mother worked. I made $75 a month.

(5) I rarely did homework in high school. I still managed to graduate with two extra credits and ranked 32nd out of a class of 135. I'm not sure if that is a testament to my ability to read, easily comprehend and retain information...or maybe the classes/system wasn't that tough.

(6) I graduated from a three year program (trade school) in Commercial Art in two years. Seventy-five people began the program; 12 of us graduated. I was number three.

(7) I love the taste of beer, but I don't drink ANYTHING any more--largely due to the fact that I have two family members that are alcoholics and after an embarrassing situation where I turned a 6-piece dining room set into a FIVE piece dining room set. Sad story; I'll spare you the details. If I start drinking, I don't stop and I not a "happy drunk." It's best for everyone that I don't drink.

(8) I used to smoke a pack to a pack and a half of cigarettes a day. Quit cold-turkey in March 1979. Then I started "dipping" Skoal/Copenhagen. Gave that up in August 1985. The main vice I have left is that I eat too much. (I have a lot of sins, but I'm not naming them here.)

(9) I don't have many close friends. I don't use the term "friend" as loosely as many people do. Just because I work with you doesn't make us friends. My friends know who they are--my closest friend is my wife. She knows stuff about me that would curl your hair; she's promised to keep those things to herself. Some of my best friends are some folks I've known since elementary school.

(10) I have owned three businesses--all of them related to art/sign making. The first business, a graphic design "studio," I started with a friend from college. We weren't good money managers. The second business was a silk screening setup. We did t-shirts, jackets, caps, etc. I merged it into the third business which was a sign shop I purchased. I had worked there for 12 years and the family that owned it made me a good deal on the place. I ended up selling off everything when I got so sick I couldn't work for three weeks. Got behind on some contracts and bills and my health was not good. I lost a lot of money on the deal. Took us about three years to pay off everything, but for us, bankruptcy was never an option. I pay my bills--and I learned some valuable lessons.

(11) When I was in Fourth Grade, I told my teacher that I was going to grow up and become a Baptist preacher. Didn't happen--the growing up or the preacher thing. After I was married, there was a point I seriously considered going into the ministry, but later came to the conclusion/realization that wasn't my "calling."

(12) The first time I met my future in-laws, my hair was almost to my shoulders and I was wearing a pair of cut-offs, a t-shirt and "flip-flops." When I left their home that night, her father met her at the door and stated: "You will never date THAT!" We've been married 28 years. I'm not sure if her dad has forgiven me or not.

(13) A few people know this, but I always wanted to live in Macon GA. My dream was to move there right out of high school, walk into Capricorn Records and take ANY job--including floor sweeper--they would give me, just so I could get my foot in the door where the Allman Brothers recorded. I've never been to Macon, but I have a high school friend that lives there.

(14) I get teary-eyed at the end of My Dog Skip. I'm a sucker for a "boy and his dog" movie. (Same goes for Where the Red Fern Grows)

(15) I LOVE 70's rock and roll, particularly The Doobie Brothers, The Eagles, Yes, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Foghat and Led Zeppelin. No big news. Secretly...I also like The Carpenters--other than my wife, Karen Carpenter was the ultimate woman: pretty, beautiful voice, AND she played the drums!

(16) My dream job: Hospital Chaplain. No kidding.

Economic Bailout

It's really pretty simple when you think about it:

• I buy a house I CAN AFFORD.
• I make the payments the bank and I have agreed to--I've never missed one.
• I regularly save and plan for the future.
• I pay my bills--including paying off my credit cards each month.
• I don't live above my means.

I'll be the first to admit that I have had some breaks in my life, but no one has handed me anything. I've worked--gone to school--taken on responsibilities at work--and it has paid off. I have been blessed, but that doesn't mean I'm just "lucky" or "more fortunate" (versus "less fortunate") than others.

On the other hand, if you buy more house than you can afford, take out a mortgage for way more than the house is worth, PLUS live on your credit cards because you think you DESERVE a particular lifestyle...and then end up losing your house--no problem! The government, i.e. ME and tens of thousands of other responsible adults will bail you out. We don't mind paying our mortgages AND YOURS, too!

This whole economic crisis thing really ticks me off. And what really burns my butt is that the people that orchestrated this whole mess (bank CEOs, lawmakers, etc) will walk away unscathed. Someone needs to go to jail!!! By the way, I have to pay for that, too!

Marching Bands

I went to our local high school football game last Friday--we got beat--but that's not has me wound up. I've noticed a trend for some time now and that is this: marching bands DON'T MARCH anymore!!!

I'm sitting in the stands, waiting for the halftime "show" to begin, and what appears to be a host of band parents begin wheeling out all kinds of props, backdrops, ground cover, and a plethora of instruments that traditionally and physically were never intended to be part of a MARCHING band, e.g. timpanis, gongs, xylophones, assorted mounted percussion, etc. Then there's the assortment of flags that will be twirled, tossed, and waved by a sea of "support" personnel, i.e. the flag team.

THEN, the music--and I use the term loosely--begins...and I say that because I can BARELY HEAR IT!!! and it sounds like some kind of symphony or something. All I can hear are the flutes, a single snare drum and the timpani. And all the while, the band is doing some kind of flowing type of walking or something. Where is the high-step marching? Where are the blaring trumpets and trombones? Where are the booming sousaphones? Where are the strutting drum majors and fire baton twirlers?!!! And...what in the world are they doing with those "flags?!" They're not American flags. They're not flags from other countries. They're just brightly colored strips of cloth attached to an aluminum pole! I wouldn't salute that thing.

Why are you people just standing there? It's MARCHING band for crying out loud! What happened to March Grandioso or Stars and Stripes Forever?!

It just ain't right.

Obituaries

Whenever I pick up a local newspaper, I read the obituaries. If the obits are broken down by town, then I look for particular towns, if not, I just scan the listings. I'm always thrilled when I don't read my own name; I guess that means I made it another day.

Death comes, for most, when we least expect it. One day you're here; the next day, people are reading about you in the paper. Some obituaries are short and to the point:

Bob Upslaker died last Tuesday, July 17. He was 84 years old. Services are pending.

Some obituaries are LONG.

Life-long Bochachita, KS resident Bob Upslaker passed from this life on July 17, 2006 after a lengthy battle with psoriasis. He was a pillar of the community, having served as a Deacon AND Elder in his church. He taught the 9th grade boys Sunday School class for 55 years and was on the Finance, as well as Building and Grounds Committees at Church of God in Jesus Christ Our Savior Independent Baptist Church (Est. 1912).

Bob was a member of the Kiwanis, Civitans, and was the Sargeant at Arms of the Bochachita Garden Club; he also served as Grand Marshal of the Bochachita Founders Day Parade. In 1998, Bob was named "Man of the Year" by the Sweetwater County Chamber of Commerce for his participation in their annual aluminum recycling drive.

Bob was preceeded in death by his wife, Bernice. He is survived by three adult children- Joe, John, and Jeremiah, two dogs- Pepper and Scotty of the home, and one cat- Mr. Whiskers.

A memorial service will be held Wednesday at 2:00 PM at Crosby-Still-Nash-Young-Merrill Lynch-Sakowitz Funeral Home Chapel.

Some obituaries don't go as planned. I remember hearing about a funeral/memorial service where the obituary was interrupted by the "mourners." It seems that the deceased wasn't a regular church attender, so the memorial was held in the funeral home chapel with a minister that was hired to do the service. Since the dead man was virtually unknown to the pastor, he did the best he could--given the situation--by interviewing a few "friends/co-workers" and relying heavily on the obit that appeared in the paper.

About half-way through the service, the minister stated something like: "In talking with some of his (the deceased's) co-workers, many of them spoke about what a kind, generous man he was." The words had no sooner left the minister's mouth when from the back of the sparsely filled room came: "Oh, bull crap! He was the most selfish &%*$#@ I've ever met!!!" Before the minister could gain his composure, one of the FAMILY MEMBERS stood up on the front row and shouted, "Yeah! He never was generous. In fact, he was the most selfish #$%*&^!!** I've every known!" From there, it was utter chaos as one after another, family members and attendees yelled and shouted some of the most vile, hateful things about the deceased man. After what must have seemed like an eternity, the funeral home director rushed to the front of the chapel, declared the "service" OVER and sent everyone home. I don't think there was a graveside.

I hope my obituary goes better than that...of course, not any time soon.

Friday Photo

I took this picture in our plate yard at work. These are "dished heads" used in fabricaing shell-and-tube heat exchangers (refinery / chemical equipment).

9/11

Small Town - Part 5

I loved growning up in a small town during the sixties and seventies. Everyone knew everyone. There were only two elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. Our graduating class still remains the largest--to my knowledge--with 143 (I think) graduates in 1976. One of the things that made those days so memorable were the friends I made. I still keep up with quite a few of them via email/phone calls. Several of us attended the same church; we still call each other to catch up on the newest grandchild, wedding, etc. not necessarily in that order.

Four of us have remained in touch better than most. Bart, Chuck, Robert and I have known each other since elementary school. Chuck was a couple of years older, but he's always been around. We spent many nights at each other's homes growing up. Double dated, hung out on Friday nights, "dragged" Main Street, went to concerts. We also got into trouble together at times--I'll spare the details. We all graduated and went our seperate ways for a while. I ended up at a "technical school;" the other three landed at a four year university, but we would come home on the weekends and get back together from time to time. After college, we were groomsmen at each other's weddings. My brother, Kelly, was the best man at my wedding, but I made sure Chuck, Robert and Bart were in the wedding party.

The other three have remained more in contact because they still live in our home town. Dana and I moved about eight miles down the road to another town in the early nineties. We've done a little better keeping up with each other with the advent of the internet/email (thank you, Al Gore). This past year, we've gotten together several times to celebrate FIFTIETH birthdays. Time flies when you're having fun! We created one of our better memories this past weekend when we all attended the Eagles concert in Tulsa. We met at Robert's house where he charcoaled steaks for us, then we headed to the BOK Center for "An Evening with the Eagles." All four of us have been Eagles/Joe Walsh fans since our middle school days. They rocked the house!! One of the best shows I've seen.

We're a little older, a little "grayer" --what hair we have left-- and hopefully a little wiser. Well, Chuck, Bart and I are wiser...we're not real sure about Robert. But that's just Robert. It's funny; we may not see each other for months, but when we get together, we just pick up right were we left off. Time doesn't seem to have diminished the bond that began over 40 years ago. I hope it never does.

Friday Photo

My in-laws celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last weekend and asked me to be the "official photographer" (I own a camera and I was willing.) My parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last year.

Fifty years is a LONG time to be married these days. That's more years than lots of people stay married in MONTHS!

Election

Palin or Obama. There's your choices.
 
 

Northern California Trip - Pt 5

From the beginning, our intentions for this trip had been to see all or as many of the lighthouses along Hwy 1 as possible and to visit the Redwood National Forest north of Eureka. After a few days into our trip, we realized things probably weren't going to work out as we had planned. First of all, we hadn't counted on the amount of time required to get from Point A to Point B. A distance of 20 miles back home means about 20 minutes driving. Along the California coast? Double or triple that, due to the narrow highway, the enormous number of turns and switchbacks. Second, there's all of the breathtaking turnouts that overlook the Pacific ocean. You HAVE to stop! By mid-week we gave into the notion that we weren't going to make the National Forest, so we spent a little more time than planned on the Avenue of the Giants (see previous post).

Another factor in our "shortened" trip were the brush fires that had inendated Northern California. We saw lots of firetrucks on the highways, but had yet to really see any of the fires or their effects--except for a few areas that were a bit hazey. It wasn't until we moved over to Highway 101 heading into Eureka that we could actually smell smoke. We had planned on spending the day in the Eureka/Arcata area, then cutting across to Interstate 5 Saturday morning, then on in to Sacramento for our flight home. Friday morning we discovered that Hwy 299 was closed to traffic in a couple of places due to the fires. Our best bet was to backtrack on 101 to just below Fort Bragg--where we had been two days before--then cut across on Hwy 20. So, in light of circumstances, we decided to make a quick tour through downtown Eureka, hop up to Arcata and then start heading south.

Eureka, California was founded in 1850 as a shipping center for the Trinty gold mines. The town is said to be one of the finest and largest collections of Victorian homes in the world. One of the most unique is the former home of William Carson, built in 1885. The Ingomar Club purchased the building in 1950. To my knowledge, the Club is not open to the public for tours.

We spent about two hours walking around the "Old Town/Boardwalk" area. Lots of shops, art galleries, etc. and just enjoying the cool breeze coming of Humboldt Bay. Heading north, we made the short trip to Arcata--home of Humboldt State University. Arcata has been described as "California's northern hippie outpost," which became obvious to us as we made out way to the town's square. The square is a very nice little "park" surrounded by all kinds of novelty shops and galleries. The abundance of "Obama '08" signs let us know that we were in foreign territory. We sat on a park bench in the square and just watched the people, many of whom appeared to be in a 70's time warp based on their dress/hairstyles. One individual--we never could really determine the gender--entertained us with his/her version of some type of interpretive dance. We saw all we cared to see in Arcata and began the trek toward Sacramento...and home.

It took us the remainder of the day to drive from Arcata to Williams, CA which is about 45 minutes north of Sacramento. We hit several places where traffic was near stand-still due to smoke on the highway. We also passed a couple of "fire camps" where firefighters were staying. The smoke was so thick at one point that you could barely see 25-35 feet in front of the car.

Saturday morning, we made our way to Sacramento. Since our plane didn't leave until late afternoon, we drove to the "Old Sacramento" area of downtown. Located on the banks of the Sacramento River, this 28-acre Historic Landmark District features plenty of shops, restaurants, and attractions such as the Wells Fargo History museum and the California State Railroad museum. We spent a couple hours and a few more dollars on last-minute souvenirs in the area. After lunch at Joe's Crab Shack, we headed to the airport.

Our flight home was delayed about 4 hours, but we finally landed at Tulsa International around 1:00 AM! It was a GREAT week. Dana and I got to spend some much needed time together and we got to see a part of the country that neither of us had ever seen. Some day, I hope we can return to Northern California and visit Yosemite National Park.

Bumper Sticker

This is not my design. I saw it on CafePress.

Because They Care

This works for emergents AND Obama supporters.

I Feel Safer Now

At the Saddleback "forum," Barack Obama was asked by Rick Warren: "...Who are the three wisest people you know in your life? And who are you going to rely on heavily in your administration?" Obama's answer (in a nutsell): "My wife, Michelle. My grandmother. I don't think I'd restrict myself to three people...Sam Nunn...Dick Lugar...Ted Kennedy...Tom Coburn."

So, it's late at night, the "Red" phone rings and we hear: "Honey, can you get grandma on the other line and come in hear a minute. Iran's getting to launch an attack and I need to now if I should press the button?! Where'e that drunk, Ted Kennedy when you need him?"

Yep. I feel a whole lot safer now.

Abortion Solution

I was reading a blog this morning about the McCain/Obama thingy at Saddleaback this weekend. The blogger noted re: the topic of abortion: "...Barack Obama wants to tackle the causes that place women in the position of having to make that most serious of choices."

This seems like a pretty simple thing to me. KEEP YOUR PANTS ON!

There, I fixed it.

Northern California Trip - Pt 4

Sunrises in Shelter Cove are just as awesome as the sunsets. We opened the window facing the beach and listend to the ocean all night long. What a way to fall asleep!

I don't know why, but I just can't "sleep in" like Dana does. Every day of our trip--except for Tuesday--I was up, wide awake by 6:00-6:30 AM. I normally get up around 5:30 AM, so I guess that's sorta like sleeping in. Anyway, this morning, I made coffee, sat out on the balcony, read my book (vacation is about the only time I have to read just for enjoyment. This trip I took David Baldacci's The Whole Truth) and watched the sun rise while several pelicans flew back and forth over the cove.

We had picked up some donuts and granola bars the day before, so after a quick breakfast, we packed the car and began the drive out of Shelter Cove. As I mentioned in the previous post, the descent was pretty steep, which meant the "climb out" would be equally as precarious and SLOW. On our way out, we stopped to watch several deer and their fawns as they calmly grazed right next to the road. Forty-five minutes later, we were back on Highway 101, heading toward our day's destination--"The Avenue of the Giants."

Northern California, just above Trinidad, boasts the Redwood National Forest, but southern Humboldt county is home to the "Avenue of the Giants" (AOTG), a stretch of highway that parallels Highway 101. The 31-mile road is lined with over 51,000 acres of giant redwoods, actually cutting through Humbolt Redwoods State Park. There are several small towns along the way, as well as various turn-outs and picnic/camping areas. There are also more than enough "souvenir" stops featuring anything you can imagine made of redwood (or not made of redwood) with "California" or "Redwoods" stamped or screen-printed on it.

We picked up several brochures about the AOTG that suggested certain stops, but we decided we would just drive and stop whenever something caught our attention. The first thing that hits you as you drive among the giant redwoods is just how GIANT they are! It's amazing to think that some of the trees are hundreds, if not over 1000 years old and standing more than 300 feet tall! The Dyerville Giant, located in Founders Grove, is no longer standing, but when measured in 1972, stood 362 feet with a circumference of 52 feet. The tree fell in March of 1991. The picture at the left is Dana standing at the base of the Dyerville Giant.

We took our time driving through "The Avenue;" sometimes our speed was 35 mph or less. When you're driving through the redwoods, you just want to take your time and take in the magnificence of the forest. We stopped in Miranda at Korbly Woodworks. Bernie Korbly has been in the same location for over 30 years, designing and crafting all kinds of furniture, carvings, etc. from redwood. Being an amatuer woodworker myself, I couldn't resist the opportunity to just stop breathe in the aroma of this old woodshop.

We also stopped in Myers Flat and drove through the "Shrine Drive Thru Tree." Just north of there, we got out of the car and walked one of the trails along the highway. It was amazing how quiet and peaceful it was. As we walked through the dense forest, I was reminded of Psalm 46:10--"Be still and know that I am God..." In the stillness and beauty of the redwoods, we were awestruck by the wonderfully fascinating creation God has made for us to enjoy. I asked Dana: "If we think THIS is beautiful, can you even begin to imagine what the "new earth" (Rev 21:1) will look like?!" At the end of the AOTG, we stopped and ate lunch under the redwoods. I don't think we've ever had a picnic in such beautiful surroundings.

From the AOTG, we made our way to Ferndale, CA. Ferndale is a old victorian town, featuring plenty of bed and breakfast inns and specialty shops. One particular "feature" of the town is the cemetary which is built on the side of a wooded hill. We spent a couple of hours window shopping and admiring the victorian architecture, then made our way to Eureka up the road.

Eureka is similar to Ferndale in regard to the victorian influence, but bigger. "Old Town" Eureka sits on the edge of Humboldt Bay and provides plenty of shopping and eating opportunities. We still had quite a bit of daylight left, so we checked into our motel (first night we didn't spend on the coast) and decided to hit downtown Eureka the next day, opting instead for a quick trip up the highway to Trinidad and Trinidad Bay--home of the Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse. The Memorial Lighthouse is a replica of the lighthouse located on Trindad Head; The Trinidad Head lighthouse is still active, but not open to the public. The Memorial Lighthouse sits above the beach, which the best I could tell, was several hundred yards DOWN a steep path that had been fashioned from 8" x 8" timbers, about 4 feet wide. I walked down about a third of the way, then began thinking about he trip BACK UP...I gave up opting to admire the view from the top of the memorial.

Returning to Eureka, we decided it was time to eat. We headed across Humbolt Bay to Woodley Island and Cafe' Marina. Since we had arrived a little earlier in the evening, we were able to be seated right away. We opted for an inside table looking out over the marina. Dana had fish and chips; I had a "fried platter" with prawns, scallops, and oysters. Good stuff! After dinner, we walked along the edge of the marina, looking at the boats. It had been a long day, so we headed back to the motel. Tomorrow: downtown Eureka and then start heading back toward Sacramento.

Murderers and Words *UPDATED*

Another One Bites the Dust
Jose Ernesto Medellin, the convicted murderer and rapist of two teenage girls, Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer Ertman, was executed late August 5th by lethal injection in the death chamber at Huntsville State Prison in Texas.

Texas Governor, Rick Perry was quoted as saying: "It's not my job to judge, it is not my job to forgive." He said, "That's the Lord's job. The Lord can forgive and the Lord can judge." My job as the governor of Texas is to arrange the meeting between Medellin and Jesus." Well said Governor Perry...and well done Texas!!!

Words
I've come to understand that the two most overused/misused words in the English language are: "Always" and "Never." No one is ALWAYS right and no one is NEVER wrong.

Update: A correct use of the word "never": That scumbag Medellin will NEVER hurt another person.

Obama's New Plan

In order to help American's with the high cost of fuel, Obama says he would tax the profits of the mean ol' oil companies to provide $1000 rebates to folks struggling with high energy costs. (Source) Boy, I just hope those blood-suckin' oil companies don't try to pass that tax on to the consumers!...oops, I may have just let the cat out of the bag.

(psstttt...I used to just think that Obama was stupid. Now he's gone and opened his mouth and proved me right.)

Northern California Trip - Pt 3/Friday Photo

Friday Photo

Woodley Island Marina in Eureka, CA.

Continuing Up Highway One
The morning of our third day in Northern California, we were still in Fort Bragg. Once a booming logging town, Fort Bragg is the largest town between San Francisco and Eureka California, so besides "Capt'n Flint's," we figured there must other things to see and/or do there. As we were finishing breakfast that morning at Denny's, we asked our waitress if there was anything "unique" in Fort Bragg (other than the Skunk Train) we should see before leaving town. "Have you been to 'Glass Beach'?," she asked. "No," I answered, "How do we get there?" She gave us directions (turned out we were actually sitting at the main road to the beach) and told us were the best area was "that hadn't been picked over." I wasn't sure what she meant, but we thanked her, paid our bill and headed out.

We knew very little about "Glass Beach," before going there, but had heard that it was quite unique in that rather than a sand beach, this beach was made up of glass pebbles (click the picture for a better view). We drove to the end of a road and parked our car. Walking down a dirth path about 100 yards, we came to a fork. "Take the path to the left," our waitress had told us. We did and very quickly we were standing on the edge of a cliff overlooking the beach. From where we were standing, we could tell this was no ordinary beach. Emerald, ocher, amber, and ruby colors sparkled in the morning sun. We climbed/walked a precarious path about 30 to 40 feet down to the beach and found ourselves standing on--exactly as the name implies--a beach of GLASS! It was amazing! The whole beach is covered with small "rocks" of glass that have been smoothed over by the ocean tide. "How and why is this stuff here?," we wondered.

According to one source:

Early in the 20th century, residents of Fort Bragg pitched their household waste -- glass, kitchen appliances, and sometimes whole cars -- over these cliffs, then owned by Union Lumber Company and known locally as "The Dumps." Wilbur Lawson, 83, of the Fort Bragg-Mendocino Coast Historical Society, remembers poking around the junkyard as a kid during the 1930s. "There was always a fire lit in order to reduce the trash pile," he says, which might explain how that chinaware melded into a slab of solid rock. "This was a playground for us," he recalls...

Fort Bragg's leaders wised up in 1967 and closed the area. The pounding surf began to heal the shore over the next several decades, grinding the castoffs into the glittering treasure that now covers the beach. Since then, the place has become a beachcombers' paradise and a living science lesson in one. Curious visitors and occasional school groups sift through sandy crevices, filling buckets, pockets, and purses with colorful finds...

According to Wilbur, automobile companies started making car taillights out of plastic instead of glass after World War II. Consequently, red sea glass is a rarity.

There were other people on the beach; one gentleman said he had been coming to Glass Beach for years. He explained the different colors: "The green glass is probably 7-Up or Mountain Dew bottles, amber is probably beer or root beer bottles, and the blue glass is most likely the old 'milk of magnesia' or 'Geritol' bottles. The clear or white glass--who knows." We spent about an hour and a half scouring the beach for some of the rarer colors of glass and found some. When you think about it, it's kinda funny--and gross--that we spent that much time, walking on and picking through other people's GARBAGE! Glass Beach is pretty in a strange sort of way, but sad in that it's existence is due to the human race's indifference to the effects of massive litter. I'm not a "tree-hugger," but I think we can come up with better ways to deal with our waste/trash.

Leaving Fort Bragg, we continued north on Highway One, gradually vearing toward the east and merging into Hwy 101 around Legget, CA. At Garberville (about 475 feet elevation), we turned back to the west and begin our decent down to Shelter Cove and our lodging for the evening, The Tides Inn. The 20-mile descent equals about 45 minutes on some of the steepest, narrowest road we had seen to date. There are switchbacks along the way that definitely define the term "hairpin curve!" I would NOT want to drive that road at night. We arrived safely--brakes stinking to high heaven.

The view from The Tides Inn at Shelter Cove is breath-taking! Julie, our hostess, had assigned us a room on the second floor, with a balcony that overlooked the ocean. I'm pretty sure all of the rooms at The Tides had an ocean view. As with our rooms in Bodega Bay and Fort Bragg, there was no AC, but you just didn't need it. The ocean breeze was more than enough to keep the room quite comfortable.

We put our things away and set out to see the sites, specifically the BEACH and the Mendocino Lighthouse which was relocated to the Cove in 1999. As we walked along the beach, we saw seagulls, starfish, crabs, pelicans and sea lions. We sat and watched the sea lions playing in the water and sunning themselves on a group of rocks about 25 yards from the shore. We also saw several deer and fawns as we walked and drove around the area.

Shelter Cove is an interesting community and one of the last places you can actually buy a lot on the ocean. The homes range from tents to multi-million dollar sea-side retreats. According to some literature we picked up, lots range from $80k and up. One brochure stated it was "difficult to find a home under $300k." Along with the B&B's or ocean front lodges, there are three restaurants and one deli; only ONE--Costa Cocina Pizza--was open the day we were there. The Cove has a private air strip, a nine-hole golf course and a campground (that's were the tents are). The main attractions of Shelter Cove?: the seclusion and the unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean. Cell phones don't work well there either...which really wasn't a big deal to us--we were on VACATION!

This was our view of the sunset from our balcony.

Real Heroes

From the memoirs of a Vietnam POW ¹ :

Prior to my arrival, Bill Lawrence had been languishing in Calcutta [prison camp] for weeks. He had been shot down four months before me, taken to Hoa Lo, and locked in a torture room, known only by its number, Room 18. There he suffered five days of beating and rope torture. From his cell he could hear the screams of his backseater, Lieutenant j.g. Jim Bailey, who was
being tortured in a nearby room.

[Later] The Vietnamese introduced a new torment to their punishment regime—flogging with fan belts. Prisoners were stripped and forced to lie facedown on the floor. Guards would take turns whipping them with fan belts, which unlike ropes and cords would only raise welts on the sufferer's back and not tear his flesh. They would not relent until their victim had mumbled his assent to whatever statement their torturers demanded he make.

…Guarion was the first senior to be taken. He was rope-tortured, sleep-deprived, clubbed and whipped for weeks, until at long last he broke and gave the Vietnamese an acceptable confession.

…what packages we were allowed to receive from our families often contained handkerchiefs, scarves, and other clothing items. For some time, Mike had been taking little scraps of red and white cloth, and with a needle he had fashioned from a piece of bamboo he laboriously sewed an American flag onto the inside of his blue prisoner's shirt. Every afternoon, before we ate our soup, we would hang Mike's flag on the wall of our cell and together to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. No other event of the day had as much meaning to us.

The guards discovered Mike's flag one afternoon during a routine inspection and confiscated it. They returned that evening and took Mike outside. For our benefit as much as Mike's, they beat him severely, just outside our cell, puncturing his eardrum and breaking several of his ribs. When they had finished, they dragged him bleeding and nearly senseless back into our cell, and we helped him crawl to his place on the sleeping platform. After things quieted down, we all lay down to go to sleep. Before drifting off, I happened to look toward a corner of the room, where one of the four naked lightbulbs that were always illuminated in our cell cast a dim light on Mike Christian. He had crawled there quietly when he thought the rest of us were sleeping. With his eyes nearly swollen shut from the beating, he had quietly picked up his needle and thread and begun sewing a new flag.

And THIS knucklehead, Obama, comes up with some lame excuse as to why he doesn't/won't wear a flag lapel pin…and he wants to be OUR PRESIDENT/Commander-In-Chief??!! He isn't worthy to tie the shoes of someone like Mike Christian. I wouldn't care if Bo-Bo the Dancing Kangaroo was running against Barack Obama…I'd vote for the kangaroo.

¹ From Faith of My Fathers, John McCain, Pgs 306, 320, 335-336. NOTE: Just because I quote John McCain, doesn't mean that I'm a big fan...but the guy's a hero in my book.

Northern California Trip - Pt 2

We woke up Tuesday morning to a clear blue sky; temperature in the mid to high 50s. We grabbed bagels and coffee at the motel office (Bodega Harbour Inn) and had breakfast on the patio of our room. Before we left Bodega Bay, we stopped at a little grocery store next to the motel and bought stuff for a picnic later along the coast.

Highway One is a two-lane road that runs right along the coast, with some places a straight drop-off into the Pacific Ocean. It is absolutely beautiful! If you're driving, it's difficult to do much sight-seeing because the road has very few straight sections. We drove most of the day at a top speed of 30-35 MPH because of all the sharp turns and "switchbacks." There were several places where the grade was anywhere from 7-15%…uphill and downhill. We drove with the windows down so we could enjoy the cool ocean air. I don't think we had a single day over 70-75 degrees while we were driving the coast. In fact, the three nights we stayed on the coast, our rooms didn't even have AC; we didn't need it…IN JULY!

Not too far outside of Bodega Bay, we stopped at Salmon Creek State Park and walked down to the beach. The waves crashing against the rocks were SO LOUD! The beaches in Northern California are so different from the beaches we've been to in Ft. Walton/Destin Florida. The beaches in Northern California are broken up with lots of large rocks and tidepools; the waves also look much bigger than the waves in Florida. When the waves hit the beach/rocks, the noise is a crashing BOOM, then the water shoots straight up and sprays everywhere. We spent about an hour just walking the beach and climbing the rocks. We had hoped to find lots of shells, but the few we found where busted up and not worth picking up. Another thing about the California beaches we saw was the sand was almost black- a stark contrast to the Destin FL beaches.

We stopped in Jenner to top off the gas tank since we weren't sure when we would find "services" again. We paid $4.75 per gallon for regular unleaded. Up the highway, we stopped at Salt Point State Park for lunch. Dana and I were the only people in the area where we stopped. After lunch, we walked down to the beach.

Point Arena Lighthouse was our next destination. Point Arena tower is the only Pacific West coast lighthouse of significant height (115 feet) that you can climb to the top! However, much to our disappointment, the lighthouse and museum were recently closed for renovation; we were still able to get a few pictures. There were several sea lions sunning themselves on the rocks and playing in the surf below the lighthouse. We spent about 45 minutes just enjoying the spectacular view, then continued on to our stop for the night, Fort Bragg where we had reservations at the Surf and Sand Lodge.

The lodge is on the north end of town and sits about 50 yards from the ocean's edge. Our room was on the second floor and had a balcony that overlooked the Pacific ocean. After moving our luggage, etc. from the car to the room, we headed into town for dinner. The desk clerk at the lodge recommended a local "bistro," so we figured we would give it a try. Shortly after we were seated, we began to notice: "It's HOT in here!" The restaurant had NO air conditioning. When we asked about the AC, our waiter told us that they weren't ALLOWED to have AC in the buildings that sat on the coast. We didn't ask why. We apologized for any inconvenience we may have caused and informed him that we couldn't enjoy our meal under the circumstances and we left. He apologized to us...but I have a feeling he just thought we were country bumpkins that really couldn't afford to eat there and were embarrassed to say so. (Pssst. The prices were a little steep.)

Now, what to do for dinner? We had purchased one of those "tour books" and Dana had previously read about a restaurant down by the docks on Noyo Harbor named "Capt'n Flint's." The reviewer said the fish and chips were good and the prices reasonable, so we figured- why not? Unknown to us at the time, Capt'n Flint's (and several other locations in Fort Bragg) had been used in filming the movie Overboard with Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn. In fact, Capt'n Flint's is where they go out for Goldie's character's birthday. The sign on the door states: "We don't take credit cards, debit cards or personal checks. CASH ONLY." Apparently, they didn't spend much of the cash on decor, but what Capt'n Flint's lacks in atmosphere--actually, it looks exactly like something you'd find on a fishing dock, and smells like it too--they make up for in the food. Dana had the fish and chips; I had the prawns and chips, along with a cup of clam chowder. No complaints! The food was really good.

We finished out the evening walking the beach in front of the lodge, then sitting on our balcony and watching the sun set. We left the sliding door to the balcony open all night and let the crashing waves lull us to sleep. Dana already wants to move to northern California.