IMAGES FROM THE TRAILER

During the National Anthem, people stop walking, and hats come off. Patriotism abounds in the western culture.

Our view from the merchandise trailer where we have been working, is about as good as it gets, if your inclined to people watch. We our positioned next to the main horse pathway into the arena, and on the pedestrian thoroughfare that circles around the grandstands. Obviously, the dress code at a rodeo is western in nature, but during the course of the day, we see just about everything.

A few mornings ago, while I had gone to the restroom, Patty had one of the rodeo contestants ride up to our counter on horseback to make a purchase. This happens just about every year, and gives new meaning to the phrase "drive through."

These little cowgirls were about as cute as they come.

This young cowgirl had just won the Junior Rodeo Barrel Racing contest.

As I mentioned yesterday, the weather has been almost ideal, with temperatures in the upper 70's. If you're a spectator sitting in the grandstands, it just doesn't get much better. For our sales, it isn't such a good thing. Our purchases of sunscreen is way up, but not very many people are thinking about warm clothing like sweatshirts. In years past, when it's been a bit chilly, and the wind is blowing, the sales of long sleeve items has risen dramatically. Not the case this year.

Part of the ladies drill team on horseback. They open each rodeo performance with precision riding.

Tomorrow is the last rodeo day, and that's the day when the bulk of the prize money is distributed during the final rodeo performance. One of the committee members told me that he thought this years total purse was around $130,000.

Even though we both enjoy working this event, it is work, and like any job, their are certain responsibilities that must be taken seriously. When it's over, there's a certain sigh of relief, and it will be nice to once again be "retired".

PARADE DAY

The Tucson Rodeo Parade is billed as the largest non-motorized parade in the world. No floats powered by hidden motors or conveyances, just pure horse power. The Tucson Rodeo Parade Museum here on the rodeo grounds, has just about every kind of wagon, buggy or carriage ever built, and they're all used in the parade. If a business wants to advertise in the parade, it simply reserves and rents one of the wagons, either rents or supplies its own horses, and that business has an entry in the parade. When you factor in all of the private horse drawn devices, the marching bands, and other entries, this is one very large parade that goes on for a couple of hours.

I took these photos from the rodeo grandstands, just before the parade arrived. As you can see, the streets are lined with people on both sides of the roadway. The rodeo and parade are such a big deal here in Tucson, the schools are closed Wednesday through Friday of rodeo week, and the kids are a big part of the crowd at the rodeo.

Today is day 7 of the 9 day rodeo, and we're getting close to the end. The weather has been the best that we can both remember, with temps in the 70's, and yesterday, it hit 80 degrees. Lots of the folks who make purchases at our trailer, are snowbirds from as far north as Canada, and despite the mild winter across North America, this southwest weather doesn't get much better.

A GRANDMA DAY

Laila's sleep over spot in the motor home.

Grandma is helping Laila pick out a new rodeo shirt.

Yesterday was the last of the 3 slack days, and there wasn't a whole lot going on. This was a good day for Patty to spend some time with Laila while I worked in the trailer. I open up for business every morning around 8:30, even though the only people inside the rodeo grounds at that hour are either contestants, or workers. During rodeo performance days, the gates don't open to the public until 11am, but we catch a few early sales, and I have time to take care of some daily housekeeping chores.

The only activity yesterday was barrel racing that began at 10am, and some senior team roping after that. Everything was finished by 1pm, and I closed up at about 1:30.

While I handled a few sales, Patty & Laila had a leisurely morning together in the motor home, and Laila had her favorite breakfast of pancakes. The two of them made it over to the arena at 10am, and they watched the ladies turn and burn around the barrels. When that was finished, Laila decided that she was hungry again (this kid sometimes has the appetite of a sparrow), and wanted a corn dog for lunch. So, she and Grandpa walked over to the one food trailer that was open, for a corn dog, and of course I had to have a cheeseburger. Couldn't let my granddaughter eat alone.

After lunch, Patty and Laila returned to the arena to watch some of the roping action, and by 1pm, it was all over. No matter what day it is, we always stay open as long as there are people wandering around, and by 1:30, it was once again a ghost town.

It must have taken Laila a half hour to finish this rainbow ice cream cone, but she didn't allow even one drip onto her hands.

The ice cream is almost gone, and somebody has decided she doesn't want her picture taken.

After we closed the trailer, we walked over to where the wagons were being prepared for this mornings parade. We had a couple of hours before Marc picked up Laila, and they were off to meet Aunt Claudia and Uncle Marty, where Laila's spending the weekend. We'll get together one more time on Monday after the rodeo is over, and before we head to Yuma for the Gypsy Journal RV Rally.

Today is day 6 of 9 here at the Tucson Rodeo, and this is an event that we thoroughly enjoy working. In fact, I don't even consider it work. Over the years, we've gotten to know a whole bunch of people who are part of the Tucson Rodeo Committee, and it's an opportunity to visit with all of those folks who make us feel like part of the family.

GRANDDAUGHTER TIME

A steer wrestler about to tackle his 4 legged adversary.

Once again for the second day, the slack competition was wrapped up a few minutes after 3pm, and we were closed by 3:30. The crowds have been OK these past two days, but the majority of spectators are school kids on field trips. School kids = no money = no sales. These 3 days of rodeo are not good sales days, but we sell a few things, and we still open the trailer at about 8:30 each morning. Tomorrow is the big parade, and the beginning of 4 rodeo performances, when sales will pick up.

Laila's feeding Sami Grandpa's left over Ben & Jerry's

After we closed the trailer, we drove over to Marc & Chandra's, where we picked up Laila for a sleepover with Grandma & Grandpa. When we got back to the rodeo grounds, we took Laila for a little tour on the scooter, then Grandma & Laila played a board game for awhile.

Chandra was on a plane this morning for Monterey, CA, where she has to take care of some estate business, and pick up her parents car. Marc is picking Laila up this afternoon, and taking her to Aunt Claudia, & Uncle Marty's in Phoenix, where she will spend the weekend. Marc is flying to Monterey Friday, and they're both driving back this weekend. I think I'm getting tired just thinking about their schedule for the next few days.

Laila's ready to go for a ride, "C'mon Grandpa".

We were told yesterday, that there will only be about 2 hours of slack competition this morning, starting around 10am. The activity will just be lady barrel racers, so perhaps Grandma & Laila will get over to the arena to watch some of the action.

Yep, we're hams.

FUTURE COWBOYS & COWGIRLS

Little kids are kind of like puppies & kittens. They're just plain cute! Throw in a western hat, a big belt buckle, a pair of boots, and these little people are photo opportunities just waiting to happen.

Before the regular rodeo performances which begins at 2 pm, the kids in the junior rodeo have a chance to show their stuff in events like mutton busting, steer riding, and barrel racing. We don't get an opportunity to watch the events, but we see the kids coming and going from the arena. When I was a kid, I remember cowboys like Roy Rodgers were my heros, and I had the hat, boots, and even the cap gun six shooters. Most of these kids don't have a clue who Roy Rodgers was, but I suspect they have role models who fit into the cowboy or cowgirl image.

This young cowboy is proudly showing off his mutten busting trophy.

We watched one youngster, who I would guess was about 3 or 4 years old, following his dad with a rope, and actually lasso one of his dads legs. I guess the rule about never starting too young applies to roping skills as well as anything else.

Today is the second day of "slack" competition, where the hundreds of contestants in the timed events (calf roping, team roping, steer wrestling, and barrel racing) continue trying to qualify for the last rodeo performances on Thursday through Sunday. Yesterday the competition was finished by 3pm, and the place was a ghost town by 3:30. Today is day 4 of 9.

COMPUTER CRISIS

When I turned on the laptop this morning, it would not boot up, just a blank screen. I tried everything, and still nothing. Later in the morning, I called a computer repair company in Lake Havasu City that we've done business with, and the fellow on the phone was helpful, but after trying a couple of things, still a blank screen. His phone diagnosis was a possible failed hard drive, or failed motherboard. Rats! It's not like me to be too dependent on anything, or anybody, but come on, no computer. I have to admit, I'm more reliant on this magical gizmo with a keyboard, than I ever thought possible. I made a frantic phone call to my son around the lunch hour, asking some advice on where I should look for a new computer, and what kind I should buy. Marc said I'll be over to take a look at it before you do anything else. Within 10 minutes after arrival, he had the back of the computer off, the hard drive out and replaced with an old one, and the thing fired right up. Saved by the kid! Thanks Marc. Wohooo, I don't have to go computer shopping this afternoon. I do think however, a new laptop is in the near future, since this one is about 6 years old, and becoming more and more problematic.

A view of the trailer from the east grandstands, before the crowd started to arrive.

Some of the stock pens behind the grandstands.

More stock pens.

The rodeo arena with some of the grandstands that seat about 11,000.

After Marc fixed the laptop, I bought him lunch, and we had a quick visit before he headed back to work. Tomorrow, we will have our Granddaughter Laila for a sleepover, and while I'm keeping the trailer doors open, I suspect Wednesday will be a Grandma/Laila day. Today, tomorrow, and Wednesday, there is rodeo competition in the timed events, but no performances, and the public crowds are very small. Thursday, the big parade kicks off the day, and 4 days of rodeo through the weekend.

HORSES EVERYWHERE

First day of the Tucson Rodeo, and we're open for business.

Patty's waiting for her first customer.

Yesterday was the first of nine rodeo days here in Tucson. Our merchandise trailer is parked next to the pathway that leads into the arena, and it's this horse freeway that provides lots of good cowboy, and cowgirl sightings. All of the contestants, and anyone else on horseback, must pass by the trailer to our left. It's a day long parade, and it's one that we never get tired of watching.

There's usually a downside to most everything, and in this particular case, all of the horse traffic creates a lot of dust. We're constantly battling this airborne invasion, but there's only so much we can do. Fortunately, most of our apparel is in sealed plastic bags, and that keeps the dust away from those items.

Our sales on opening day were close to what we did last year, but down just a little. One of the things that we enjoy about this event, is after doing it for multiple years, we've gotten to know a lot of people, and we're always welcomed back. Most of the work that goes into putting on this rodeo is done by volunteers, who year after year, keep donating their time to one of the oldest, and largest rodeos in the country. This is the 87th annual Fiesta de los Vaqueros (Festival of the Cowboys), and each afternoon performance lasts a little over 3 hours, which includes a little junior rodeo action.

We've got 8 more days of rodeo, and I suspect there will be a lot more pictures of folks on horseback. We're still waiting for our first customer to ride up to the trailer counter on his/her horse.

READY FOR BUSINESS

The calm before the storm.

It was about mid afternoon yesterday, when we completed all of the necessary set up, before we open for business this morning. The Tucson Rodeo begins this weekend with performances on Saturday and Sunday. Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday are known as slack days. With hundreds of contestants in the timed events, these slack days are kind of like an elimination tournament, to see who comes back for the final performances next weekend. The rodeo finishes up with performances on Thursday through Sunday of next week. So, for the next 9 days, we'll be selling the official hats, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and other assorted Tucson Rodeo merchandise.

We met Chandra, Marc, and Laila at Sweet Tomato for dinner, and after the meal, Grandpa and Laila were goofing around with her little bunny. She was convinced that with my sunglasses, her bunny named Tulip, suddenly was transformed into the "cool bunny", and we had fun playing this make believe game.

After filing ourselves with mega salads, and soups (I had a bowl of chili with cornbread), we said adios, with several plans to get together during our coming work week. One of the plans is for Laila to stay overnight with us on one of the slack days, when Chandra flies to CA in order to take care of some business with her parents estate. Now, if the rain will just stay away for the next week, Patty and I will be happy campers!

DRY CAMPING

We used to do a lot of dry camping, or boondocking in our motor home, particularly when we traveled all over the country with the drag race circuit. During those 2 years (2002/2003), it was rare that we had any kind of hook ups at a race track, and we typically would be at any given track for about a week.

Flash forward to the present, and except for an occasional overnight at a WalMart, about the only time we dry camp (no utility hookups) these days, is during January at Quartzsite, and for the Tucson Rodeo. We're parked here at the rodeo grounds for 2 weeks, which is pushing the limit regarding the maximum amount of time we can be self sustaining. If we boondocked for much longer than 2 weeks, we would have to replenish our fresh water, and dump the holding tanks.

Yes, we still shower every day, but like most experienced RV'ers, we've learned a few tricks over the years. We have a low flow, oxygenics shower head that increases pressure, and still provides a good spray. With an adjustable water shut off valve, we use very little water during showers. When we're waiting for the hot water to start flowing, we catch the cold water in a small bucket, and use that water to flush the toilet. Washing dishes can use a lot of water, so we minimize that by using paper products. Patty usually cooks a couple of casseroles at home, and freezes them, so that we don't have any large cooking projects, requiring a lot of clean up.

We don't have to run the generator very much, because our solar panels recharge the batteries during the day, and about the only time we turn on the generator is when we want to use the microwave, or the toaster. There are a few other tricks to extending the amount of time we're away from the water and electrical umbilical cords, but if given a choice, I've gotten to the point where full hookups are my preference.

Yesterday, we made a big dent in getting our trailer set up, and we took a lunch break at our Granddaughters school. It was the first time we had been there since she started Kindergarten this year, and we were both impressed. The school is K through 6th, and is a private Christian School where the average class size is 15 kids. Chandra volunteers at the school on Thursdays, so we had a chance to visit a little during the lunch hour. We briefly visited Laila's classroom, before heading back to the rodeo grounds. We both feel very fortunate and thankful that Chandra is such a good mom, and is able to be involved in Laila's life at so many levels. Raising a child is a full time job, and if all of the children in this country had parents like Marc, and Chandra, I truly believe that half of our societal problems would disappear.

After lunch, we were back at the trailer for a few hours, then we met Marc, Chandra, and Laila at Chic-fil-A for dinner. On Thursday evenings, this restaurant donates 20% of their proceeds to Laila's school, and while we were there, quite a large group of folks turned out in support of the school. We sat with one of Laila's buddies, Ema T and her mom, and enjoyed being involved with an effort that benefits Laila's school.

Back at the motor home, we watched a little TV and called it a day. Today, we'll finish setting up the trailer, and be ready for the rodeo opening tomorrow.

THE TRAILER ARRIVES

It was around 2pm that Jim Maxie pulled into the rodeo grounds with the merchandise trailer that we will call home during the next 11 work days. For the next couple of hours, we mostly did some cleaning, and organizing. A quick re-familiarization with the scanners, credit card machine, and a few other things, brought us up to speed with most everything that we need to do while selling the official rodeo merchandise.

Part of the next 2 days will be spent in the trailer, doing a physical inventory of the merchandise, and getting everything else ready for the opening of the rodeo on Saturday. This is the same semi-trailer that we have used for the past several years, and most recently, it was used at the last 3 Indy Racing League races as the merchandise trailer for Danica Patrick.

We're scheduled to meet Chandra today, at Laila's school for lunch, and then we'll continue working in the trailer this afternoon. By mid day tomorrow, we should be just about ready for the cowboys and rodeo fans.

BACK IN TUCSON

Chandra & Marc fed us King Crab last night! What a treat!

The motor home is parked at the Tucson Rodeo Grounds, and I'm not driving another mile for at least two weeks. A little over 1,500 miles in the last 3 days is enough driving for awhile. I might even let Patty drive the jeep if we go anywhere. Well, maybe I better think about that for at least a second and a half. Me driving the jeep a short distance, might be better than having a severe panic attack, or even worse, some other kind of back seat driver affliction.

The drive from Lake Havasu was it's usual 6 hours, with a fuel stop at the ZIP Truck stop on I10 at exit 45. We had a few sprinkles along the way, but not enough to even get the road surface wet. Our merchandise trailer arrives this afternoon, and we'll start getting it ready for the rodeo, which begins this Saturday.

When we arrived at Marc & Chandra's house last night, we got big hugs, especially from Laila, who was hiding next to the front door. The surprise news was that we were having Alaskan King Crab for dinner, and boy was it good! In the blessing before the meal, Marc asked that Uncle Mike stay safe while in Afghanistan, and that the same good fate be extended to all of our military serving their country. We made some tentative plans for the next few days, in between, or after our rodeo stuff. Shortly after dinner, Laila was off to bed (school night), and we left a little later.

THE TILLMAN/RHONEMUS FAMILY

This family picture was taken right after Aunt Martha's graveside service.
Martha's maiden name was Tillman when she married Harry Rhonemus. Their four children are Karen, Diane, John, and Paul. Between them, their are 7 grandchildren, and 2 great grand children.

I feel like a "Road Warrior"! I left Lake Havasu City at 8:30am on Sunday Morning, arriving in Stockton, CA late afternoon. I hit the road south for AZ a little after 2pm the next day, pulling into the driveway last night, a few minutes after 10pm. 1,136 miles within an approx. 37 hour window.

It was important for me to attend the funeral of my Aunt Martha, and I would have traveled farther, and longer if that would have been necessary. The death of a loved one typically brings families together, and I was able to see many of my cousins who I haven't seen in years, and some I've never met. The service was a blend of traditional church spirituality, and a celebration, with several people speaking about different ways that my Aunt touched their lives.

One of the things I learned about my very strong willed Aunt, was that over the years, she and her husband Harry had a debate about staying in a community where their family had become a minority. They moved into a new house on the southwest side of Stockton in the mid 50's, and as the years progressed, the area became more and more populated with different ethnic groups. The congregation of their Trinity Presbyterian Church had become predominately Filipino, and over the years, many of the Caucasian families moved out of the area. Despite the fact that the Rhonemus Family had become a minority, my Aunt Martha refused any attempts to be persuaded to move. Several members of the church spoke of Martha's involvement in their lives, and her active participation in the church. Pastor Sarah Reyes fulfilled a promise that she made to Martha, by returning to the church that she attended as a young adult, and speaking passionately about how Martha touched her life. It was a fitting tribute to a person who saw no blur between ethnicity, but rather, truly believed in the fundamental principle that all men are created equal. Her Daughter Diane summed it up beautifully, when she publicly thanked her mother for raising her in a diverse community, and teaching her that understanding is more powerful than intolerance.

After the graveside service, and the family picture, the drive south began in heavy rain. Around Bakersfield, the rain let up, and I made it over the Tehachipi's before dark. The mountains were capped with a new dusting of snow, and it was a bit chilly (35), when I stopped for gas at the Tehachipi Summit.

Back home again, and another family chapter closed, it's time to move on, literally. This morning, the diesel fumes will once again be flowing from the motor home's exhaust, as we head for Tucson. Tomorrow, we start setting up for the Tucson Rodeo which opens a 9 day run this weekend. Our merchandise trailer will be arriving tomorrow afternoon from Indianapolis, and it takes a day or so to get everything ready to go. Reporting next from Tucson, AZ.

Happy Birthday my love!

BIRTHDAY GIRLS

Jeanette's & Patty's birthday are just one day apart.

Yesterday afternoon, Bob & Diana Rush picked us up at the house, and we drove over to Bob & Jeanette Fulton's for some cake & ice cream. Eat dessert first, right? Bob & Jeanette's daughter Iris was there, along with Ron & Judy Ellstrom from Kingman. We had a nice visit with our friends, and of course, we solved all of the country's problems. Sometimes it's nice to chat with folks who still believe in the fundamental principles that founded this great country.

Sitting out on Bob & Jeanette's patio, with their new sun & wind screens was a pleasant way to spend a few afternoon hours. The weather has already started what looks like a warming trend, with temperatures into the upper 70's. Not sure if it will last, but we're back into that period of time where we don't have to run the house heater, and it's too early for the A/C.

Homemade birthday cake, strawberries, and ice cream - yummy!

Earlier in the day, Patty picked up Diana, and they spent several hours at Winterfest in the downtown area of the city. This is one of many annual events where the city closes Main St. (McCulloch Blvd.) to vehicular traffic for whatever the activity happens to be. Winterfest is kind of like a giant arts & crafts festival, with hundreds of vendors setting up their booths in the middle of the street. In addition to the vendors, there's live music, food, and other attractions. This is a huge event, that attracts many thousands of people, and one that Patty looks forward to every year. Not big on my list, and with her buddy Diana in town for the winter, I gained a reprieve from attending. Thanks Diana!

Today, I'm making the long drive to Stockton, CA, to attend the funeral of my Aunt Martha. It will be the very quickest of trips, with the return leg tomorrow right after the service. Day after tomorrow, we have to be in Tucson to work the big rodeo for 9 days. No blog posts for the next day or two, but will pick up again when we leave for, or get to Tucson.

THE END OF TRACK

There's nothing more certain than a speeding train approaching the end of it's rails. It's inevitable what the outcome will be. There's no discussion, no debate, or any other rationalization. The end result is cut and dried. No one will argue that a railroad track laying crew will magically appear, and with superhuman effort, quickly lay enough track to keep the fast approaching train from derailing. It's not going to happen, the train is going to wreck, and it's going to be ugly!

I often think of this hypothetical train wreck as an analogy of this country's short sighted monetary policy decisions. Who in the world, if at the controls of a speeding train, would say something like "trust me, I know what I'm doing", and then, open the throttle even wider as the train quickly approached the end of track. The similarity between the speeding train, and the government's history of spending more than it takes in, is simplistic in nature, however the comparison is about as close as it gets regarding the eventual outcome of both scenarios.

The question of viability for the Social Security program has been debated for years. The almost universal opinion is that we're fast approaching the point where the fund will not be self sustaining, and payouts will exceed income. The only issue where opinions differ, is when that point in time will come. Folks on both sides of the aisle have been kicking this can down the road for years. The sad part of the story, is the fact that our speeding train drivers have been raiding the Social Security fund for years, and in place of the money removed for other expenditures, the fund is now full of government I.O.U.'s. If any private pension manager tried the same tactics, he/she would quickly be put behind bars. Can anyone say "Ponzi or Madoff".

Within the Social Security context, I curiously watch the debate currently taking place in Washington regarding the highly touted payroll tax cuts. The Obama administration, public opinion, most political pundits, and a majority of the news opinion seems to agree, this is a good thing, and that it should be extended well into the future. What no one is talking much about, is the fact that on every paycheck, the government will continue to get approx. 4% less in funding for Social Security. The short sighted viewpoint is that it's more money in every one's pocket, and there's very little discussion about the decrease in revenue for the Social Security fund. This deficit spending mentality is what got us into this mess in the first place, and is exactly why Europe is making the news broadcasts almost every day.

The good news is that there are an increasing number of politicians who despite being demonized as too negative toward unfunded mandates, are starting to get the public's attention. The future, particularly the future of our kids, and grand kids are at stake. If the politicians continue to sell out the future of this country with a fiscal policy that puts everyone in jeopardy, then history will eventually be the final arbiter. I suspect it will be written that the engineer politicians should have pulled back on the throttle before America's train reached the end of the track.

BUSY DAYS AHEAD

Since receiving news of my Aunt Martha's passing, the funeral is set for this coming Monday in Stockton, CA. I'll be making a quick trip to CA on Sunday, then driving back to AZ. right after the service. When I return home, we'll be leaving in the motor home on Tuesday morning for Tucson, where we'll begin setting up for the Tucson Rodeo. If not for our commitment to MainGate, the company that produces the official Rodeo merchandise, we would be taking the motor home to CA, and spending more time with Martha's family. Despite the short window of time, I'm looking forward to visiting with some of my relatives, who I haven't seen in many years.

Thanks to all who have emailed, commented, and phoned with condolences.

REMEMBERING AUNT MARTHA

This photo was taken in the spring of 2009. My Cousin Diane, Aunt Martha, and Patty.

The loss of a family member is always difficult, no matter what the circumstances. My Aunt Martha, (I called her Dee Dee), who lived in Stockton, CA for most of her life, passed yesterday at the age of 86. She and her husband Harry, who died a few years ago, raised four children, my Cousins Karen, Diane, John, and Paul. When Patty and I last visited in October of 2011, we became more aware of her advancing years, and even though the news of her death wasn't a big surprise, it still came with a lot of sadness.

My Aunt Martha was the last link to my mother and father, who I never knew. When my parents were killed in an automobile accident in 1946, I was 6 weeks old. I recently learned from my Aunt Martha, that she and my Grandmother Alice were babysitting me when the accident happened. I simply cannot imagine the devastating impact that horrific news must have had on my Aunt, and my Grandmother.

Whenever we visited my Aunt, she always had stories, and new details about her younger life with her sister, who was my mother. I so looked forward to hearing anything that my Aunt had to say about my parents, and probably should have recorded some of those conversations. During the last few years, she provided me with many pictures, and memorabilia of my mom and dad that I did not have. I'm so grateful that she and my Cousin Diane found, and passed those irreplaceable items on to me.

The inevitability of life ending at some point, is part of the cycle that repeats itself with every generation. Because of the circumstances surrounding my very early years, I always shared a special relationship with my Aunt Martha, and I'm so glad that I was able to spend some time with her during her last years. Rest in peace Dee Dee, you were a very special person.

THE AFGHANISTAN CONNECTION

In closing yesterday's blog, I mentioned that my oldest son Michael had just started a 3 month deployment in Afghanistan. This is a voluntary assignment that Mike accepted as part of his job with the National Security Agency (NSA). When I talked with him right before he left the states, he explained without a lot of specifics, that his mission had to do with advance planning for the eventual U.S. exit from that country. Naturally, any significant news coming out of Afghanistan is now more than just a blip on my radar screen.

Since Mike retired from the U.S.Army as a Military Intelligence Officer a few years ago, he first contracted with a company, and did a similar job that he had performed while on active duty in the Army. About a year ago, he decided to apply for a permanent federal government position under the umbrella of the NSA, and his position now carries a lot more responsibility. Because his job has always been at the highest security level, I've never known a lot of details about what he does, but I do know that his expertise often requires a presence in front of top military commanders for briefings and counsel.

While talking yesterday with my youngest son Marc, he told me that he had been online with his brother, and he learned that Mike's accommodations consisted of a converted storage container, and that the temperature was hovering just above 0 degrees. Perhaps that's a little better than a tent in real cold weather, but not much.

Patty and I cheerish the time we had with my two sons and their families on our recent Caribbean Cruise. I have a lot of pride in my kids accomplishments, and will be counting the days until Mike returns to the good ole U.S. of A.

SUPER SUNDAY

Today is the day that over 150 million folks around the world will be tuned in to a football game, that for the 46th time, is called the Super Bowl. The amount of revenue generated by this one football game is almost beyond comprehension. Advertisers line up to pay 3 1/2 million dollars to the TV network for a 30 second commercial! Over the years, the new commercials have added almost as much interest as the game. Thank goodness for DVR, so now, we can replay some of the good commercials. Our friends Bob & Diana Rush are coming over this afternoon for a mini Super Bowl Party, and I'm sure there will be plenty of snacks and food.

I'm not as much of a football fan as I used to be, but no matter who the 2 teams happen to be, the hype of the Super Bowl usually generates my interest. The fact that the game is being played in Indianapolis, at Lucas Oil Stadium has further peaked my interest in today's contest between the New York Giants, and the New England Patriots. Forest & Charlotte Lucas have a huge presence in NHRA Championship Drag Racing, and their son Morgan Lucas drives a Top Fuel Dragster. Our friends, Bob & Shirl Kase work for the Lucas Family, and over the years, I've had a few conversations with Forest Lucas. With the game, the Madonna half time show, and all of the other activities taking place in a stadium that I have a small connection with, I'm a little more interested than I normally would be. One more added connection to the stadium is the fact that the Company who manages part of the concessions at Lucas Stadium is MainGate, the outfit that we used to contract with when we pulled the Harley-Davidson merchandise trailer with our motor home, and the same company that we sell merchandise for at the Tucson Rodeo.

Our friends Len & Ellie Meacham, who have their motor home parked at Emerald Cove near Parker, came by for dinner last night. We were parked with them in the desert near Quartzsite, and it won't be long before they will start their journey around the country, working at many of the NASCAR races. Hopefully, we'll get to see them again before they head east.

As Hank Jr. used to sing on Monday night - "Are you ready for some football"? I'm ready, and I hope that my oldest son Michael, who just started a 3 month deployment in Afghanistan, is also able to catch the game.

BOATS & TRAINS

Part of the Lake Havasu City Marina

During the month of March for the past several years, we have rented a boat slip at the marina. Yesterday, I reserved a parking space for our boat, and it will go in the water on March 1. Call me lazy, but when the boat is at the house, these are the steps that I have to take when we use it for a few hours. 1. Take off the cover. 2. Hook up to the truck. 3. Stop at the gas station. 4. Launch at the marina. 5. Pull it out of the water & wipe it down. 6. Back it into the yard. 7. Put the cover back on. So, guess what? I guess I'm lazy because I've only gone through that process once since we returned home from working at the Grand Canyon last summer. When it's in the water, we drive down, jump in and go. The added incentive to pay the $180 monthly rental fee is that most of spring break takes place the later part of March. I can almost guarantee there will be some interesting photos on the blog during that time period!

Bob Tucker and Patty watching, and listening to one of Bob's excellent slide shows.

We invited one of our Golden Spike RV Chapter members, Bob Tucker, over for dinner last night, as he and his motor home are parked here in Havasu for the month of February. We last saw Bob at the January Indio RV Rally where we made tentative plans to get together when he came to town.

One of Bob's hobby's is photography, which he takes to another level when he incorporates music with a computer slide show presentation. The music and other sound effects are blended to synchronize with the displayed images, and the end product is exceptionally well done. We watched several presentations, one of which was his photos of the Indio Rally last month. Of particular interest to me, was a slide show of the Tehachapi Loop between Bakersfield & Mojave. This railroad engineering marvel has fascinated me for years, and Bob had some great pictures of the loop, and of the new depot/museum in the town of Tehachapi.

We had a nice visit with Bob, and hopefully, we'll get a chance to get together again before we leave for Tucson next week. Our annual work gig at the Tucson Rodeo begins in a little over a week, and we'll be arriving there a little early, so we have some free time to visit with Marc, Chandra and our Granddaughter Laila.

BUY AMERICAN

Since returning from our week in Quartzsite, and a short, two day motorcycle trip, things around the home front are pretty routine. As I've said before, writing about trips to the grocery store, or other day to day stuff is not worthy of the effort, certainly not on the readers end.

When we do make a trip to the store, particularly to shop for other than grocery items, we are making more of an effort to buy products that are made in the U.S.A. In the last week, I've been hearing radio advertisements from two local business's that promote their use of U.S. made materials. One of those companies, Craig Plumbing, encourages the public to buy American made products. Their ad says if we all increased our made in the U.S.A. purchases by only 10%, it would go a long way toward bringing back some of the manufacturing jobs that are now in foreign countries. Even on a local level, it's encouraging to hear this subject being promoted in a more public way. In Stitches, another local company, that specializes in boat covers, and bimini tops, is publicly touting their use of American made products. Last year, I had them build a custom mooring cover for our boat, and all of those materials came from within our borders.

Rather than look for the cheapest price for an item, (wholesale & retail), if we all placed more of an emphasis on quality, particularly those products made here in our own country, it would be a huge boost toward putting a lot of people back to work. Just imagine if large companies like WalMart would place a higher priority on their purchasing of U.S. made products, and less priority on the cheapest price. Unfortunately, many products are only available through foreign made manufacturers, and the issue of choice is completely taken off the table.

As long as the business environment here in the U.S. is such that companies can't compete against cheap foreign manufacturing, the flow of "made in china" products will continue unabated. There's no simple answer, but I personally think that our Federal Government has a legitimate responsibility to make it easier for American companies to compete. On a level playing field, American workers & products will win the ball game every time. Given choices, if we would all buy "made in the U.S.A." products, it would make a huge difference!

DESERT BACK ROADS

Since the feds started bailing out everybody, I wonder if this little watering hole scored some of our taxpayer bucks.

My internal alarm clock started buzzing at it's usual time, which was around 5am yesterday. The slight problem with that was it was actually 4am, as I had picked up an hour when I crossed into CA, and my body was still on AZ time. That, combined with a harder than normal motel mattress, precluded dozing back off for a few more winks. So, now what do I do? Any more sleep was out of the question, so I found a newspaper, made some of that wonderful motel room coffee, and tried to kill some time. By the time I read the paper, including the classified section, and watched the TV news for awhile, I was up to speed on everything from foreign affairs, to who the locals were that got picked up for D.U.I. Finally, the sun peeks over the eastern mountains, and I'm ready to go.

The ride west on Hwy 74 out of Palm Desert is a series of curves and switchbacks that rapidly ascends into the mountains west of the Palm Springs area. By the time I had reached the 5,000 foot level, the temperature had dropped considerably from where I started at almost sea level. The ambient temperature gauge on the bike was reading about 35 degrees. With a lot of my cold riding gear on, the only thing I kind of wished I had brought was one of my full face helmets.

With the morning becoming a memory, the temperatures started rising, as I headed west, then south on several back roads that would eventually put me back into the desert near El Centro, CA. When I'm on one of these rides, I truly get lost in the moment, and it's all about the ride, the wind, what's around the next corner, or over the next hill. I don't stop a lot to take pictures, usually only getting off the bike about every 150 miles for gas.

It was about mid day, when I decided that rather than subject myself to another night on a tortuously hard motel mattress, I was about 3 hours from home, and that sounded like a better way to end a great 2 day ride. When I take off on these rides a few times a year, I never know exactly where I'm going, or how long I'll be gone. Usually, after 2-4 days, I've ridden enough miles so that I'm good for another few months. It's always good to get back home.