CHP MEMORIES

The topic of my career as a California Highway Patrolman in this blog, has been something that I've been thinking about for awhile now. I don't intend to do a detailed, chronological map of my years in uniform, conversely, there are some highlights that I would like to share, especially with my wife, children, and my grand child. A lot of what I wish to document, has never been discussed, and some has. The point of opening a small window into the years that I spent wearing a badge, is to give an insight, and some perspective to my personal experiences as a law enforcement officer.

This first installment will be from the beginning, with a little information as to how and why I chose to pursue employment with the California Highway Patrol (CHP). Prior to being drafted into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, I worked for my Step Grandfather Dewey, at his Shell Gas Station in Watsonville, CA. Dewey and my Grandmother AnnaGay raised me after my parents were killed in an automobile accident when I was 6 weeks old. At the time I entered military service, there was a very loose agreement, that when I was discharged, I would eventually have the opportunity to take over the Shell Station, and at the time, that was my only career choice. However, when I returned home, I discovered that my Uncle Frank, and a partner had purchased the ownership interest in the gas station, and as a result, that door was effectively closed for me. At about the same time, Dewey mentioned to me that he had seen a TV commercial, advertising that the CHP was hiring Officers. In mid to late 1968, the CHP was in the process of doubling the size of the patrol, and after a little thought, I applied. I had never given any thought to a possible career in law enforcement, but as the months went forward, I began to embrace the possibility of becoming a CHP Officer. The concept of potentially working in traffic accident prevention started to become very personal, as one who had lost his parents in a traffic collision. While the lengthy process of the application went forward, I went back to work at the gas station, supporting a wife, and first child (Michael), who was 9 months old when I returned from the Army. In late 1968, I passed the written examination, drove to San Francisco for an oral exam, and waited for the results. In early 1969, I received notification that the process was continuing, and my background was being investigated. When that was completed, I received word that I had been accepted, and my reporting date to the CHP Academy was March 24th, 1969.

Just prior to entering the academy, we were living in a rented house in Watsonville, CA. My first wife Pam, and my son Michael moved back to Bass Lake, CA. with her parents, remaining there, until I graduated from the academy in July of 1969. My time at the academy was similar to military boot camp, in that the we were restricted to the campus for 5 1/2 days a week, and there were 4 of us assigned to a dorm room. Even though the academic challenges were extremely difficult for many of my fellow cadets, I had little difficulty meeting the requirements, and upon graduation, fell into the top 10% of my class. One of my room mates ended up being the class valedictorian. The hardest part of living in Sacramento was the separation from my family, with only a few reunitements during the 4 months of training. Toward the end, we received our assignments, and mine was the Baldwin Park Office, in the Los Angeles area. The process for initial cadet placement, is strictly by seniority, and even within a cadet class, there is seniority based on badge numbers. I remember thinking that I had never lived in a big city, how in the world was I ever going to adjust to working on some of the busiest freeways in the world.

That's where I'll stop for now, and as time permits, and my motivation level rises, I'll share some of the high and low points, during 20 years as a CHP Officer.

BACK TO NORMAL

I'm sometimes amazed, at what creatures of habit we all are, some more than others. Having our Grand Daughter Laila spend the last week with us here in Lake Havasu, has been both rewarding, and at the same time, pulled us both away from our normal routines. Not that a big change was a bad thing. Conversely, learning to interact, and share the joy of a 5 year old, has been both a pleasant experience, and a little challenging at times. In the end, when the week came to a close today, we were both relieved, but sad to see our little girl leave with her Dad in Uncle Marty's airplane.
We will probably next see Marc, Chandra and Laila in February, when we head back to Tucson, to work the Tucson Rodeo. In the meantime, the month of January will be filled with several activities, that will first take us to the Family Motor Coach Ass'n Rally in Indio, starting on Jan 12th. From there, we'll come back to Lake Havasu for a few days, then off to Quartzsite, and a week or so of camping in the desert. We usually get down to the Yuma area in January, for a visit across the border and annual optical and dental appointments. But, I think for the next couple of days, we'll enjoy getting back to our routines, like watching the TV news instead of Sponge Bob.

LAILA'S GOING HOME

These last 3 pictures of Miss Laila, were from the fashion show the other night, and in a couple of them, she's displaying a fashion model attitude. Check out the facial expressions. Somehow, both of the animals decided they also wanted to be included on the runway. Dress up, with Grandma as the fashion coordinator was great fun!




Grandpa's second attempt at a Mickey Mouse Pancake, turned out even better than the first one! With the strategic placement of a few more blueberries, two blackberries as eyes, and a strawberry nose, old Mickey looked more edible than ever! As scanty as Laila's appetite can be, the Mickey Pancakes seem to do the trick, because she cleaned her plate both times.

After breakfast, we loaded into the Jeep with Sami, and drove to yet another local park. This one had a fenced dogie area, and in between climbing on the jungle jim, we took Sam for a romp in the dog park. Sam's romps are more like strolls these days, as she just turned 13 last month. We had a minor scare, when Laila banged her head into a metal parallel bar, that was at about her eye level. I think it scared us more than her, but, after a few minutes, she was once again climbing, and sliding, as if nothing had happened.

The next stop was the local ice cream shop, and since we all had a late, big breakfast, Grandpa decided a treat was in store. Hey, this is what Grand Parents are supposed to do. Spoil their grand kids, then give them back to their parents. That's my job, and no matter what anybody tries to tell me, I'm sticking to it! Besides, it was only one scoop Mom & Dad.

From the ice cream store, we drove over to Rotary Park, and at Laila's request, she wanted to return to the "Big" playground, with the tall slides. It wasn't nearly as cold today as it was yesterday, and there were a lot more kids enjoying the sunshine. Before we knew it, the time had flown by, and it was about time to head for home. After dinner, the movie for the night was.......you guessed it, Barbie, the island princess, for the 2nd night in a row. Grandpa retired to the computer, but Grandma sat with Laila, who will undoubtedly watch this movie again and again.

This was the last full day with our Grand Daughter, and we stayed pretty busy all day. In fact, the last 6 days with Laila have been a whirlwind of activities. Today, Uncle Marty is flying his plane from Chandler, down to pick up Marc in Tucson, then they will make the 2 hour or so flight to Lake Havasu. We will miss our little girl, and look forward to the next time we have the opportunity to spend time with her.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's 1/1/11, the beginning of a new year. No, I didn't stay up to ring in the new year. In fact, I didn't even stay up to watch the ball drop in Times Square, which would have been 10pm, our time. I can't remember the last time I actually stayed up, and rang in the new year. It was probably over 20 years ago, when real beer was my favorite beverage of choice.

Yesterday, we ventured out of the house briefly, but not for any outside activities due to the cool weather (upper 40's), and a chilling wind. We stopped at the two Marts (K & Wal), and picked up another game for Laila's Leapster. I also found a jacket that had her name all over it, and that was about the extent of our travels. Most of the day was spent playing with Sami & Gracie, and her new game on the Leapster.

The picture above shows a very focused 5 year old, watching cartoons while eating a bananna. After dinner, we went outside to celebrate the coming new year with some sparklers that Grandpa had purchased a few days ago. This new version of what we used to call sparklers is not exactly the same. They only last about 20 seconds, and don't quite have the impact of the old variety. Nonetheless, we had fun burning up about 40 of them, then quickly went back inside the warm house.

We finished the day with a newly purchased DVD, entitled "Barbie, the Island Princess". Yes, I sat through the entire movie, and watching the enjoyment on Laila's face made it well worth the time spent. Prior to starting the movie, we were informed that Hanna had this DVD, and even though Laila had only seen it once, she informed us that it was a "really good movie". Compared to some of the junk on TV, it was a really good movie. This first day of the new year will be our last full day with our Grand Daughter for awhile, and we're already starting to miss her.

BUBBA JUMP #2, DUCKS, PLAYGROUNDS, & A FASHION SHOW

Why spoil a good thing when it's working? This morning, it was back to Bubba Jump for the second round of action. When I mentioned yesterday that the morning hours of 9-11:30 at Bubba Jump were only for kids up to 5 years old, that was the trigger for a request to go back.

After a breakfast waffle, it was off to Bubba Jump, where there weren't a lot of kids, but they were all Laila's size, or smaller. She even talked Grandpa into taking off his shoes, and joining in the fun!


From Bubba's, we drove down to the Bridgewater Channel with a loaf of bread for the ducks, seagulls and pigeons. These feathered friends are used to being fed, and have little fear of humans. Laila learned very quickly that if she held her slice of bread to low, one of the ducks would snatch it out of her hand. Thank goodness the sun was shinning brightly, because there was a cold wind blowing through the park.

From the channel, we walked to one of the playgrounds at London Bridge Beach, and Laila quickly found a couple of friends to share the fun. Adjacent to the channel and the park is the Rotary Club dog park, where we checked out all of the different dogs running and playing.

The next stop was another playground, on the other side of the channel, with a much larger playground apparatus. She didn't quite make it to the top of the climbing wall, but managed to climb back down under the watchful eyes of Grandma. With all of the jumping at Bubba's, and the 2 playgrounds, it was time for lunch. We went back to the London Bridge, and had a bite to eat at Jersey's Grill in the English Village.

The day was topped off with a very special fashion show by the one and only supermodel - Miss Laila Chance. Grandma had been collecting "dress up" stuff, and they had fun showing Grandpa all of the latest and greatest fashions.

We packed a lot of activities into the day, and despite the cool weather, we managed to burn off a little of that 5 year old, endless supply of energy. These past few days with Laila have been cherished times, and there will be mixed emotions when she leaves this Sunday.

MICKEY MOUSE, COOKIES, & BUBBA JUMP

A winter storm moved through our area yesterday, with colder temperatures, wind and a little rain. It looked like the only option for activities, would be those that had an indoor environment. The morning started with Grandpa's first attempt at a Mickey Mouse Pancake, which turned out pretty good. Even though Miss Laila is a notoriously slow eater, and her attention was mostly directed to the morning cartoons, she managed to eat all of poor Mickey, and one slice of bacon. Topped off with some chocolate milk, she was ready for the next challenge.

While Grandpa ran a couple of errands, Grandma and Laila decided to make some "New Years Cookies". When I returned, I took a couple of pictures of the mostly finished project.

When you don't spend every day around your 5 year old Grand Daughter, you tend to forget how fast they learn everything, from language to physical skills. Laila is very much at the age where she wants to do most everything on her own. She's not afraid to ask for help, but that doesn't happen as much as it did only a short time ago. When the cookie project was finished, Grandpa announced there was a big surprise ahead. All we had to do was take a short ride in the Jeep to find out what this big surprise was all about.



Bubba Jump is a large indoor facility with 4 large, inflatable jumping, & sliding contraptions. With her shoes quickly taken off, Laila bounced, and slid for the next solid hour. Two of the inflatables, had slides, and that seemed to be where the kids spent most of their time. I took lots of pictures, but didn't have the camera set on the right setting, so the pictures turned out a little blurry. By the time her hour was up, some, but not all of that 5 year old energy had been burned up, and it was time to head back to the house. We finished the day watching a couple of movies, and I think Laila slept pretty well last night.

HANGING WITH THE BURRO'S

The old gold mining town of Oatman, AZ., is known for several things, one of which is the wild Burro's that hang around town, begging for handouts. Several of the local business sell either carrots, or hay cubes that you can feed to the Burro's. In the past, we have seen these desert dwellers get a little aggressive when the tourists aren't buying the feed fast enough. Yesterday was the exact opposite. There were bags of hay cubes all over main street, and the Burro's had more than enough to keep them munching on the handouts.

As you can see in the first picture, Miss Laila was a little apprehensive about putting out her hand with a hay cube in it, not knowing whether she would be feeding the Burro, or losing part of her hand. As time progressed, that fear subsided, and she was putting hay cubes in her flattened hand, trying to get these four legged beggars to eat faster.

It was a nice sunny day in this old west mining town, that has been revitalized by the attraction of tourists, largely in part to the wild Burro's. During the Laughlin River Run, thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts take over the town, and many years ago the action was pretty wild. One year, Patty and I tried to pass through town on our Harley, but there were so many people, we finally gave up, and turned around. One of Oatman's other claims to fame, was that Clark Cable and Carol Lombard spent their first wedding night in the Oatman Hotel. Back then, there were no Interstate highways, and Route 66 was the way you got from L.A. to Chicago.

Today, without the Burro's, and the attraction of an array of watering holes, and tourist type shops, Oatman would probably be another casualty along Route 66. Twice each day, a group of actors dressed up like gunfighters, stage a comedic gunfight in the middle of the street, much to the delight of the tourists. We missed this action, but Laila was kept busy with the Burro's, and Grandpa constantly trying to get the perfect picture.

When we had walked down to the end of Main Street, we came upon a baby Burro that was just about Laila's size. Someone in town had posted a little sign on the baby's head that read "do not feed me". This little guy or girl, didn't have any teeth yet, and hadn't progressed past nursing from it's mother.


We left Oatman in the early afternoon, and drove down the hill to Bullhead City, where we stopped at the city park, and dined on sandwiches that Grandpa had made that morning. Naturally, there was a playground adjacent to our picnic table, so we couldn't pass that up. From there, it was across the river to Laughlin, and the mall. Our first stop was the Osh Kosh store, and Laila came out of there with a bunch of new clothes, that just happened to be mostly purple, her favorite color.

When we left Laughlin, it was late afternoon, and shortly after we started the hour long drive home, someone was oblivious to the passing scenery, catching some well deserved rest from her busy day.

TUCSON TO LAKE HAVASU

We picked up Laila, drove the Jeep back to the Fairgrounds, and hooked everything up, including the car seat in the motor home. By 11am, we were on the road again, heading back to Lake Havasu. Traveling with a 5 year old has it's challenges, but in a motor home with your own bathroom, and kitchen, it's much easier. With only a stop for fuel, we pulled into the driveway just as the sun was setting on the western horizon.

With only an occasional "are we there yet", Laila and Grandma stayed pretty busy on the sofa, playing with her new Leapster, and even reading the funny papers. Except for an almost 1 hour delay west of Phoenix, where I10 is down to one lane at a bridge reconstruction, the trip was pretty routine. When we got to the house, Laila was ready to leave the confines of her car seat, and the energy flowed, uninterrupted for the next couple of hours. We watched part of a DVD movie - How to train your dragon, but toward the end, the interest turned more to finding out what Sami and Gracie were doing. When asked how many times she had watched this particular movie, her reply was "about 100 times". Last year when we were visiting in Tucson, we took her to the movie theater for the first time, and this was the movie that we watched.

This morning, the sun is shinning brightly, and the weather forecast is for temps in the mid 60's. It looks like a cold winter storm is on the way, with Fridays highs of only the low 50's. I think we will take advantage of the good weather today, and find some outside activities that will use some of that endless, 5 year old energy.

BACK TO LAKE HAVASU

This morning, we'll be unhooking the motor home from the utilities here at the Tucson Fairgrounds, and getting it ready for travel back to Lake Havasu. But first, we'll be making a quick trip in the jeep, back to Marc & Chandra's, to pick up our Grand Daughter Laila. She'll be spending the coming week with us, as the last of the year 2010 winds down.

The plan as of right now, is for Marc and Uncle Marty to fly in Marty's plane, to pick up Laila on the 2nd of Jan. That is of course contingent on weather, and a few other things, but in any event, we'll have Laila for a week. Probably not going to venture too far from home, but I'm sure we'll stay busy.

Speaking of staying busy, the month of January will take us away from home, as we take short trips to a couple of events. First, we'll be taking the motor home to the Western Regional Family Motor Coach Ass'n Rally in Indio, CA. That starts on the 10th, where we will join a group of our fellow Golden Spike Chapter members, and help them with several planned activities. From there, it's home for a few days, then we'll be heading for Quartzsite, AZ, and the huge annual gathering of RV'ers in the desert. The show in the big tent starts on Jan 21, so we'll probably be boondocking for a week or so, along with thousand of other folks. In February, it's back to Tucson for our annual gig working the Tucson Rodeo, and in March, we're hoping to attend the Gypsy Journal Rally in Yuma, AZ. Lots of stuff to do on the horizon, and I'll be posting entries regarding all of our travels, and activities, so, stay tuned.

CHRISTMAS DAY IN TUCSON

I have always said, "Christmas is for children", and even though there is a much more profound meaning for the Christmas Holiday, it's still a magical day, that millions of kids wait for with great anticipation. Our 5 year old Grand Daughter Laila, is at the age where Santa Claus is very real, and when awakening on Christmas Morning, she realized that the patience required for this special day, had all been worth it. When we arrived at Marc & Chandra's, we were quickly shown all of the new toys, games and other stuff.

Chandra made the return trip from Monterey, CA, arriving back in Tucson around midnite on Christmas Eve. She was still kind of wiped out from lack of sleep, and all of the stress dealing with doctors, and medical issues relating to her Mom's recent surgery and hospitalization. With Mommy being back home, Laila's Christmas returned to normal, and we were all so glad she was able to catch the last flight out of Monterey.

Before leaving Lake Havasu, we knew that if Chandra made it back for Christmas, it would be late. So, we cooked a Turkey before leaving home, and brought most of the other stuff for a Christmas Dinner, which was heartily consumed yesterday afternoon. My camera flash went on the fritz for some reason, necessitating some computer enhancements when I down loaded the photos. The last 3 are a little dark, but not so bad that we aren't at least recognizable.

Yesterday was a relaxing, somewhat quiet afternoon, spent with our loved ones. With all of the craziness in the world today, these special times with family are to be cherished, and kept in our hearts for eternity. We are so thankful that we have opportunities like yesterday, where we can share in the lives of our children, and grand child. Our other kids are on opposite sides of the country, but Mike, Amy, and Dave were in our thoughts, as we celebrated Christmas 2010 in Tucson, Arizona.

A GRANDDAUGHTER FIX

In today's very complicated world, sometimes the best of times are the very simple pleasures of life. Spending yesterday afternoon with our Granddaughter Laila, was one of those times. The world of a 5 year old is about as uncomplicated as it gets, especially when viewed through the eyes of a couple of 60+ year old Grand Parents. Marc had some last minute Christmas shopping to attend to, so, after Grandpa fixed a mega breakfast, including Laila's favorite - Pancakes, we started the day with a bike ride around the fairgrounds here in Tucson.

The Pima County Fairgrounds are expansive, so there were several stops, where some exploring just had to be done. This large rock contained pockets of crystal quartz, and turquoise, and with Grandpas help, a few samples were added to the bag of treasures. Not too long after we left the motor home, Laila decided that she could ride her bike, and hold onto Sami's leash at the same time. She soon discovered that if she placed the leash handle over her handlebars, there were times when Sami would pull her, and she didn't have to peddle as much.

This tactic lasted until Sami got tired, and decided she didn't want to play like a sled dog anymore. But, it was great fun while it lasted. When we got back to the motor home, Laila gave Sam a treat for all of her hard work, and we took off for the nearest playground. Not too far from her house, we stopped at a city park with a playground that Laila was familiar with.

The last part of our afternoon was a late picnic lunch at a second park playground, where we watched Laila enjoying the circular slide, over and over again. It was only about a year ago, when at a playground in Lake Havasu, she was a bit timid about tackling a large slide. What a difference a year makes, as there was not the least bit of fear, as she slid frontwards, backwards, and even climbed back up the twisting ramp.

Today, being Christmas day, is obviously one of the most anticipated days in the life of a 5 year old. We'll be returning to Marc, Chandra, and Laila's later in the day, and share in the joy of Christmas with all of them. Chandra was flying home late yesterday from CA, where she spent several days with her mom Eloise, who is in the hospital. She was due to land in Tucson about midnight, so it's doubtful that a lot of sleep was to be had, especially with Miss Laila's very likely early wake up call, to see what Santa left under the Christmas Tree.