Dispatcher job

Got a nice letter today saying they'd taken the top applicants for interview but sadly I wasn't one of them. Thanks but no thanks.

Damn damn damn.

So much for starting off the new year with good news, at least for me. Hope everybody else's goes well.

Teaching Myself

With a little help, I've just learned how to embed a video. That's why you got these two. Enjoy.

Happy holidays etc

Re test

I hadn't ever embedded a video before, so I was trying it out. I had tried to do one in a forum I frequent and it didn't work, so I had to get some help and try it again and, of course, it worked fine.

Hope y'all liked the test video. Paco de Lucia is the best!

test

Job Test

Today I went to the Buncombe Co. Communications Center to test for the position of Dispatcher. This is to winnow out those they want to interview later. After a short tour of the comm. center itself, which also includes the Asheville PD and the Fire/ER as well as Bunc. Co., we went into the testing room. First we had a typing test which included typing the same thing three times. The first time, I went so fast I ran out of text so they reset the time to 2 minutes instead of 3 minutes. My wpm was pretty good (65), considering I haven't typed anything sustained in some while.

Then we put on headphones and listened to two fake phone calls, one for a missing child and one armed robbery. We were to type as we listened and try to get all the necessary info. I think I did okay.

They have another test session on Monday and then will decide who they want to interview. They'll call later in the week to set appointments but they won't start until after New Year's. There is one part-time position open, which I told them I'd be interested in (nobody else was). The money's good (about $12/hr) and the center is about 5mi from here, out near Erwin H.S. Wish me luck.

Sad news: Etta James is near death from leukemia. A great lady and a great blues/jazz singer. She'll be missed.

Hope everyone has as nice a holiday/new year as possible.

RIP

Christopher Hitchens

ferociously intelligent, ferociously atheist, ferociously sane.

RIP

Harry Morgan

Probably best known for "Dragnet" and "M.A.S.H." I found a long obit for him (died today at age 96) but it didn't mention my favorite movie role for him in "What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?"

A great guy.

And off-topic: You heard about the Mythbusters testing a cannon on a military firing range? A ball went over the barriers and through two houses etc. before coming to rest a few miles away. Surprise!

ULC

And what is that? you say. I forgot to mention that I got ordained by the Universal Life Church.

Heh.

WM Romney

Ever since I found out that Mitt Romney's full name is

Willard Mittens Romney

I can't resist calling him

Rat Cat Romney

Not that I was going to vote for him or anything silly like that.

Tale of Two Kitteh

There's Sprout, tabby, owner of Amy.
There's Yoshi, calico, owner of Nicole.
Amy and Nicole are friends, so Jesse Ray, dog, and Yoshi came to stay with Amy for a while (about six months). Jesse Ray has gone home but Yoshi's still here.

Sprout and Yoshi are frenemies. Often, there's superb ignoring going on. Sometimes, there's hiss hiss snarl snarl.

Right now, Yoshi's inside getting some food and a nap.
Sprout is sitting outside staring at me, wanting to go in.

If I let him in, there'll be hissing and snarling in the house, so he'll have to wait.

Cats. Gotta love 'em.

No dinner out this eve. Mary-Anne's got a sinus infection so Blair and I decided to wait till next week.
Also, there was no CSI last night because of the idiot Grammy awards. Boo.

Cool Book Titles

Just ran across a list of the 50 most entertaining book titles. It includes such titles as:

Fancy Coffins You Can Make Yourself.
The Big Book of Lesbian Horse Stories.
and
The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse.

http://www.stylist.co.uk/life/books/50-most-entertaining-book-titles#content-60

Winter has arrived (mostly)

It's doing its best to snow -- big fat furry flakes swirling about, but the ground is way too wet for any of it to stick (till it drops low tonight and the roads freeze over). But we'll be back up to the high 50s in a couple of days, so winter hasn't come to stay all together -- yet.

Still no job. Faint,I say faint, possibility of online editing/proofreading work, through friends who are just setting this up. So we'll see.

Having a good time on Bullshido.net. Some of those guys are really funny. I've graduated to Junior Member (from Noob), have acquired a friend, and have gotten two positive feedbacks. So far, so good. Now if I could only get myself in shape. Pretty sure I can't do any martial arts anymore, so my options are walking, dancing, swimming. And, of course, the self-discipline.

Un huh. Right.

TTFN

Happy Turkey?

I don't care if the turkey is happy or not, I had a very nice dinner today with Amy and her friends out in Swannanoa. I took along a Malbec (red) for dinner and a Loupiac dessert wine for after.

Tomorrow, I get to repeat it all at Mary-Anne's. No eating for the next several days.

Hope everyone had a nice holiday.

RIP

Anne McCaffrey

creator of the Pern books and the brainships. Influential with strong or interesting female leads.

Of course, she also wrote some slightly hinky romance novels way way back, the kind that left a slightly bad taste in my mouth (i.e. I don't think raping her his way is the best method to get her over the trauma of having been raped before). But I understand she was going through a turbulent relationship of her own, so maybe this was her way of working through it. And she did get over it.

General Natter

No job yet. November birthdays celebrated this past Sat. were John R, Mary-Anne, and Mary Jo. Gabi was doing her b'day thing downtown but I couldn't make it. Signed up on Bullshido.net, a martial arts site, just to lurk. Am doing a mss. read for CQY. Planning on two Thanksgiving dinners, one on Wed, one on Thur (note to self: no eating for two days before and after). A remodel plan is coming together (in my head) for the rig interior -- delete couch, make countertop, make dinette area into seating/lounge, stack book bins under countertop -- all this will widen the aisle and make things look more open and airy, a good thing. Amy's cat, Sprout, has decided to accompany me to the bathroom (why? who knows -- it's a cat thing).

TTFN

RV Friends Visit

Yesterday, my RV friends Linda & Linda came through Asheville on their way to wherever. They picked the Bear Creek Campground off Brevard Rd. to stay in, came and picked me up and we went off to have a meal (at the Stone Ridge Restaurant on Brevard Rd.).

They travel the country for a company that creates advertising brochures for campgrounds. It's a perfect job for them. Right now they're waiting for their next assignment so they've been visiting family etc in Pennsylvania and are now wandering around seeing other folk and areas.

They just got a new rig, so we went there after dinner so I could see it. Very nice. They had a large 5th wheel when I first met them in Kansas (we all worked for Amazon), but now they have a mid-sized Class A (the one that looks like a bus) and tow a car. They also have a garage in the rig for their new trike. Very nice setup.

Last time I saw them was August 2010 so it was great to have some face time together. Of course, we forgot our cameras and didn't take any pictures, but we know what we look like.

Good to see y'all! Keep in touch. Stay safe out there. See you down the road.

Hanging around

Applying for jobs. Putting plastic on the windows. Starting to sort out stuff in the storage bins. Helping Amy sort out books and move bookcases around in her library, now that the renters are gone. Then we went to Mr. K's to trade books in, both of us. The back is much better though I'm still being very careful.

I'm going to a halloween party with Amy at Tracy's house, and have been informed that if I don't wear a costume, they'll see to it that I have one on, like it or not. So we've come up with something I can wear and not feel stupid (and it has a veil so I can conceal myself if necessary).

TTFN

Movie Nights

The last two weeks we watched The Magnificent Seven and The Professionals, both of which were well received by our newbie Bruce. Amy and I are educating him in classic films from the 1960s and 70s. He's gone back home for a few months so it'll just be me and Amy for a while.

As foreseen, no call from Rug & Home, so no job. Ah well.

Update

Pinched a nerve in my right kidney area so have been writhing in pain, applying bengay, popping pain pills, and snarling since last Thursday. It's better now -- just a dull ache instead of fiery darts. Doing tentative stretches and so far, so good.

Had an interview on Friday for a sales clerk at Rug & Home. They started interviewing that day and had people coming in every hour. Decision to be made by next Friday. Don't think I'll get it with that kind of competition. And standing on my feet for 8 hours probably wouldn't do my knees/hips any good. But I'm tired of not having a job, even though I'm still applying to lots of places. I did one through careerbuilder which lets you see how much competition there is for that position -- it was a part-time office person and there were 446 applicants, half of which already had jobs. Needless to say, I didn't get it.

Jean and Brenda have moved out of Amy's house to their own apartment. Yay! I got to put my bathing supplies back in the bathroom instead of carrying them with me from the rig. They are nice people but Brenda especially was messy and loud. So we're all breathing sighs of relief.

Got a box of books from Diana and I haven't read a single one. Exciting!

TTFN

Hell is for Heroes

Amy and Bruce and I have decided to have a movie night every Wednesday. The impetus for this was me unearthing the VHS tapes I left in storage when I went on the road. The other impetus is that Bruce needs to get his movie education (he's never seen the Magnificent Seven!!).

So we started off with Hell is for Heroes (1962), one of my favorite WW II movies. It's not a big splashy "war" movie with lots of tanks and battles and a cast of thousands. It's the story of a platoon left to man a gap on the front lines, a gap that should be assigned a regiment, not just a platoon. There's a German pillbox just across the valley, the valley with landmines. Taking out the pillbox and its guns becomes the objective.

We get to know the six guys left on the line: the hardcase who's been busted from master sergeant to private (Steve McQueen), the good soldier who knows his limitations (Harry Guardino), the gutsy scrounger (Bobby Darin), the placid romantic (Bill Mullikin), the mechanical genius (James Coburn), and the follower (Mike Kellin). Added to these are the Sergeant in charge of several platoons (Fess Parker) who had to leave these guys on their own, a Polish refugees who hates Nazis and who shows up on the line to help (Nick Adams), and the typist who loses his way and gets dragooned into service with the platoon (Bob Newhart).

A hermetic little movie that really makes you feel the immediacy of both camaraderie and death.

Turns out this is only McQueen's third movie; he'd done some TV (incl. Wanted Dead or Alive series) and a couple of cameos, but for full movie roles, this was the third (Magnificent Seven was the second). And Bobby Darin was a real surprise as he turned out to be a very good actor (see Captain Newman M.D. sometime). Bob Newhart was the comic relief and did well enough. The others were veteran character actors. I do love the way McQueen moves, yum yum.

Livorno Reunion is Over

Yah! Actually, it wasn't as bad as I had feared it would be. I got out to the Quality Inn on Long Shoals Rd at 2pm on Thursday. I understood that Karel and Butch and I would go to Sam's Club and get snacks and drinks. However, they didn't show up until about 5pm, having been out being tourists. Fortunately, Richard Callihan showed up, having ridden his Honda motorcycle here from Phoenix AZ in 3 days.

A few people tricked in on Thursday. Eventually Karen and Butch got back with some snacks etc which I got to set out on the tables. Carolyn Jones and her husband showed up. He's a Wilmington NC native and that's where they live now. Franklyn and his wife live in Calabash NC. Pete Cumbie and wife live in Troy SC. So there's quite a few in the area. Pat Spencer came from Jackson Mississippi. Derwood Biles and wife live in Arkansas. John Sager and wife came from Portland OR. Pat Spencer, Pat Bowles (Bowman), Derwood and Kathleen Biles, Richard Callihan, and I went over to Biltmore Park to the restaurant 131 Main for dinner. It was all excellent, though pricy.

We wound up with about 37-38 people, a few short of our tally. Peter Hobiger has a last-minute medical emergency. Barbara Beekler(?) was about to get on the plane when her oxygen apparatus failed. And there two others who canceled at the last minute.

Most of the group showed up on Friday and a lot of them went to the Biltmore House. I had strongly suggested they go on Friday instead of Saturday because of traffic and people. Those who went loved it. Pat, Carolyn, and I went on the Parkway to the Folk Art Center and then bopped down and had lunch at the East Village Grille in Oteen. Came back on I-240 so they could see downtown. Friday evening we ordered in pizzas and salad from Angelo's.

Saturday most everybody went out exploring until 4pm when we had our "business" meeting and the 50th Anniversary cake for the Class of 1961 (my class). I got the cake from West End Bakery and it was a big hit. At 6:30 we met in the lobby and were shuttled over to the Hilton Hotel in Biltmore Park (across Long Shoals) for our banquet. We had a lovely room with a buffet and cash bar. Very professional staff. Very good food. Everybody was impressed with the quality of the food. Shuttled or walked or drove back by 9pm (we're all getting older, you know). Hung out in the Hospitality Room and then wandered off to bed.

Lots of people left early Sunday morning (by 9am or so) as they were on their way somewhere else, some to Gatlinburg, some to D.C., some to Raleigh, etc. Richard left about 3am on his way back to Phoenix and hoped to make Okla. City by evening and Phoenix the next day. Better him than me. A few people (about 8) weren't leaving until Monday so they'd go to dinner and hang out. The hospitality room would be closed at 8pm and all leftovers got distributed among us. I had brought my rig (to sleep in) so I fired it up about 3pm, stowed the goodies I was taking, and trundled down Brevard Road to home.

I still have the leak somewhere under the kitchen sink so I don't have a water hookup, just my gallon jugs. As soon as my money gets here, I'll get that fixed. But I'm glad to be back in Amy's backyard with electricity and TV. I did take my computer into the hotel and use their wifi but it's nice to have it available and be comfortable at the same time. I ache from sitting in upright chairs for days.

I have invites from New England people and Nebraska people and Portland people and some others to stay at their places whenever I'm in the area. All in all, I had a much better time than I expected to. Now it's back to the job search.

RIP & Etc.

RIP Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg.

Livorno H.S. reunion coming up next week. I'll be glad when it's over.

Got latest Modesty Blaise. Yah!

Book Reviews . . . Not

In July I read about 27 books and re-read a few from my permanent library. That's about one a day. I can barely keep up with updating my Goodreads list and don't always put any comment on a book. Besides, I'm a rotten reviewer -- got all that critical mumbo-jumbo out of my system as an English Lit major in college.

Now, I give it a 1-5 stars rating and mostly let it go at that. If pressed, I can talk plot, themes, characterizations, world-building, yadda-yadda, but that's all mostly under the surface. So it's mostly Good, Really Good, Not Good, Terrible.

You can always join Goodreads and check out my lists there, if you're really interested.

Okay, I'm currently reading The Bird of the River by Kage Baker (and enjoying it). I started it this morning and I'm on page 119 of 268, so I'll be finished in a couple of hours and starting another book. Just so's you know.

Family Memories

Thanks to all who sent birthday wishes; I appreciate them.

I've been going through all the old family photos and have spent a lot of today scanning them into my computer. Here's one of me at age three with my father -- only known photo of us together (he died later that year).


And I finally found a picture of the travel trailer my great-grandfather built back in the 1920s for camping trips. All you RVers will get a kick out of this. That's my mother in the plaid with her first cousin George. Does anybody recognize the car make/model?

Happy Birthday

to me.

RIP Finally

Amy Winehouse finally managed to do herself in at age 27. Sad sad. She wasn't a musical genius or anything, but she was definitely more interesting than a lot of singers. I enjoyed her.

I've got a job interview on Monday -- we'll see how it goes.

Ho Hum

Yet again, nothing new. I have applied to be a Crew Facilitator (not exact title but close) for Norfolk Southern Railroad. It's a clerical position in Atlanta, which means I'd be moving, but for what they pay, I'm gone. I'd like to get it, not only for the pay but also because I love trains.

Also applied to a business aviation company in customer service -- would be working at the Airport.

Didn't get the inside sales job at the hippie supplies place (All For Fun Gifts) -- not sure why but at least they let me know right away.

Out to dinner with Blair and Mary-Anne every week. Amy and Bruce have gone off to Virginia for the weekend for an RPG event (may be SCA).

Idiot roomie here put some bad fish in the trashcan but didn't seal it up, just dumped it in loose, so the smell is really strong -- have moved the can twice so I can't smell it in my rig. The trash guys are going to love it on Monday. And then the can will have to be washed and baking soda put in it so the smell doesn't live in the plastic forever. Some people!

Party etc

Amy's sister, Heather, flew in from Dallas for a few days, so we had a party last night on the newly complete flagstone patio with large firepit. About 20 people. Because Heather's plane was to leave at 7am this morning, she went to bed early, and so did I as I was the designated driver. We left at 4am for Charlotte, got there at 6am, and I was back home and in my bed by 8.30 am. I'd only gotten about 3 hours of sleep, and then 3 more after I got back, so I've been napping off and on all day. Amy finally got to bed herself about 3am (one of the reasons she wasn't driving).

Just for Pretty

All from Amy's backyard.

I know I know

it's been a long time since I last posted, but there's really no news. I'm still looking for a job. The inside sales job for the hippie headshop wares wholesaler went to someone else, as did the call center job for a biotech outfit in Candler. I applied at Mtn. Mobility to be a van driver, and I've sent in resumes for several other jobs. Just keepin' on.

Went to Solace Restaurant with Blair and Mary-Anne last Thurs. It's where the Flying Frog was and the French Bar before that, on the corner of the hotel on Haywood. Very good food though a little pricy. The dessert was to die for -- Chinese 5-spice Chocolate Panna Cotta. Yum and yum.

TTFN

RIPs

Clarence Clemons, fabulous saxist
Peter Falk, fabulous actor

General

No news on the job front, though I did have an interview on Friday for phone sales at a wholesale "head shop" stuff place.

RIP Clarence Clemons

Chuck went back to Eagar yesterday but I haven't heard what condition his place is in. I expect it's covered in ash and nastiness but at least it isn't burned down. The fire was stopped 1/4 mile away so you know stuff was blowing over.

I woke up at 6.30 this am. It's now 8am and has gotten steadily darker and is raining with thunder rumbling in the distance. Unusual pattern as it's normally late afternoon thunderstorm. I may go back to bed soon to enjoy this great sleeping weather.

My friend Phyllis (from my first workamping job in PA 2008) called yesterday to say she'd quit the campground, sold her Class A, and moved home. Seems that the owners have put the place up for sale and are being a little crazed in their management. So Phyllis decided she didn't have to put up with that shit anymore, and that 13 seasons was enough.

Here at Amy's, there's a nice basement so I've unloaded the toolboxes and other stuff from the storage bin on the back. Makes driving the rig feel really light and even a little squirrely.

TTFN

Fire & RIP

RIP for Crumpet, the gorgeous black cat who was a mainstay at Reader's Corner Bookstore. He had a long and good life.

The Wallow wildfire in Arizona is now over 400,000 acres. It came within 1/4 mile of Chuck's house but has been stopped there; it's now 6% contained though they're worried about high winds forecast for today and tomorrow. Chuck's in Texas with family. The smoke is so heavy over Eagar and Springerville that everybody is still advised not to come home. The town of Greer took the brunt of structure loss (57) and, of course, the Apache-Sitgreaves Natl. Forest is a mess. The fire has now moved east into New Mexico near the town of Luna, not far from Alpine AZ.

Wallow Wildfire in Arizona

This is now the biggest ever wildfire in Arizona, over 400,000 acres, much of the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest. Also, Eager and Springerville have been evacuated as the fire is headed in their direction.

Chuck left Eagar yesterday afternoon to go to Texas, where he has family. No telling what he'll come back to.

All is being done to keep the fire out of the towns but there's been zero containment so far and really high winds (up to 35mph gusts).

I hope the Casa Malpais RV Park, where I stayed last Sept., doesn't get damaged.

RIP

Joel Rosenberg, sf/fantasy author
James Arness, actor
Dr. Kevorkian, medical activist

All you can eat

mussels night at Avenue M. Mary-Anne love 'em and I do, too, so we met there last night. I wound up eating three dozen. The sauce was a jalapeno, honey, and cream concoction that was good but not nearly spicy enough -- you couldn't taste the jalapeno at all.

Still no job. Feh.

RIP

Randy Savage, a guilty pleasure from way back. The flamboyant wrestler died in a car crash.

No job yet.

Mother's Day

Mom at a Corps of Engineers party in Livorno, Italy 1958. Party down!

RIP

Joanna Russ, feminist science fiction writer, best known for The Female Man.

As usual

not much is happening. Lines and applications are out everywhere. It's a waiting game.

Here's a picture of the rig in Amy's backyard, nestled in the trees. There's a flagstone patio with a firepit in front (still being worked on; should be finished soon) and Amy's house is to the right. The little road is Cowan St., basically a glorified alley, that runs off Virginia Ave.

And here is a gorgeous poppy, one of many in a bed alongside the house

Possibilities

I told my accountant that I wanted to do basic bookkeeping for small businesses and he said he would recommend me to his clients. The person he was recommending isn't taking any new clients. I'm hopeful that something will come of this soon as I could work part-time at a good rate.

Ho Hum

There's just not much to say. I'm going to various temp agencies and going through the tedious sign-up procedures. I've been to the ESC. I'm sending out applications from on-line jobs found.

Other than that, nothing exciting.

Job Hunt

is ongoing. I've sent many applications/resumes out for jobs found online. Yesterday, I was going to hit four different agencies in person. Things got a little squirrelly, though.

I first drove across town to Walmart as they have a couple of things I prefer. Parked and then realized I'd forgotten my wallet. Drove all the way back and got it, then drove all the way back to WM only because I was going on Tunnel Rd to an agency.

Did my shopping (though one thing I wanted couldn't be found). Up on to Tunnel Rd. with streetwork being done. Had a hard time finding the address. Finally did only to find out that the agency had moved over a year ago and the phone book still has the old address. Most annoying.

So I went downtown to the Employment Security Commission and got all signed up. Used their bathroom and while enthroned decided to check the time. Guess I hadn't latched it securely because when I touched it, it slid quietly and neatly off my wrist and into the toilet. Well, shit (pun intended).

By this time, it's afternoon and I had to get the car back to Amy could go to work, so I just gave it up and came home to lick my wounds. I did get some referrals from the ESC. One was to Snelling, which only accepts online applications, so I got that done yesterday afternoon. One was an Admin Asst job to call, which I did this morning. And the third is a temp agency which wants in-person applications.

It seems as though most of the temp agencies have moved to the Arden area, so it looks like a foray to South Buncombe is coming.

East View

This is the view this morning out my east window at Amy's. There was a big rainstorm last night and so it's foggy this morning.

Still job hunting. Going to temp agencies this coming week to sign up and see what they can come up with.

Last Thursday, Blair and Mary-Anne took me for a welcome home dinner. We went to Avenue M, which is the old Usual Suspects. Very good.

New Home

Am nicely ensconced in Amy's backyard. Got the power set up right away. Needed both the main cord, the 30-amp extension, the 110v adaptor, and the heavy-duty extension to reach all the way across the yard and down the stairs into the basement. We ran it up the porch to the rafter and across to the other side and hung it on a hook, then down the inside stair wall.

Had to go buy new water hose (100 ft) to extend the water from the rig across the yard and then across the porch and up onto the outside stair wall and then down the inside wall to go through the window into the basement. Used my splitter to attach both the washing machine and my hose. Works fine. With Amy's permission, I just opened the valve to the gray tank and am letting it out onto the ground -- it's just the kitchen sink. The gray tank is about 1/3 smaller than the black tank so it fills up faster. This way, I'll only have to go dump about once a month because I'm using Amy's bathroom most of the time.

Fiddled with the antenna and am picking up ABC, PBS, Fox, CBS, and a few weird religious stations. That'll do me.

Had a great time at Hazel and John's last night. I walked in behind Blair and it was a big shock when they saw me (a pleasant shock). Mary Jo came in and said she would be starting chemo for recurring breast cancer -- this is after a previous bout and a mastectomy -- sad news. Hope it works this time. Mary Anne came in, moving creakily from doing drywall and sanding on their new house. Joe was there, too. Then Ken Kirby and Ernie showed up. So it was a pleasant evening.

Tonight I showed Amy and her roomer Bruce how to play Crazy Rummy -- I slaughtered them but they had a good time anyhow (and so did I).

Tomorrow, I'm off to the bank to get the non-corporate account set up. Will also get a haircut. Am sending out applications -- will see how hard it's going to be to find a job. If nothing comes of these apps, I'll go to temp agencies next week.

Weather is gorgeous, but is going to be cool in a couple of days. I'm glad to be home.

Arrival

Rolled into Wilson's RV Park on Amboy Rd, Asheville, about 1pm yesterday. Nice little park, right on the river with trees and full hookups. It is right by I-240 but a lot of the noise goes by overhead so not too bad. Will be here about two more hours. Will do a dump/flush so as to arrive at Amy's with empty tanks -- expecting to go at least two weeks between dumps because I can use her bathroom a lot of the time. I can hop down the hill to this park to do a dump whenever I need to -- very convenient.

Plan to come to Hazel and John's tonight to see everybody.

Halflway

Started out about 9.30 am Sunday from Springerville. Spent the night at the Flying J in Albuquerque. Nice day for driving. Monday also sunny but had a headwind for the latter half of the drive to Amarillo, and it got cold. Snuggled into my sleeping bag until about 7.30 this morning. Fortunately, the wind had died down quite a bit but the rain clouds had lowered in. It spit rain all day and was chilly. So I've treated myself to a motel room with wifi and tv for the night, and a hot shower and hair wash in the morning (along with the complimentary breakfast of belgian waffles).

Oh yeah, I'm near Checotah, Oklahoma, about 150 miles east of Okla. City. I stopped at the Firelake Casino, on the Citizen Potawatomie reservation for lunch about 2pm.

And just before this exit is Lotawater Road next to Lake Eufala, largest manmade lake in the US (learned that on Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader last week).

Should cross Arkansas tomorrow and then two days to cross Tenn. Looks like I will spend Friday night at the Amboy Road RV park and do a dump and flush on Sat. morning, then up the hill to Amy's. Should be able to come to Hazel & John's that evening (with presents).

TTFN

Ciao for niao

Today is to get the rig ready to roll -- do a dump/flush, air up the tires and rear airbags, stow things, wash cab windows, reset rear mirrors, etc.

Tomorrow morning, take a shower, crank up, roll out. Am planning to run I-40 until Arkansas and then run surface highway (much more interesting). Depending on speed, may get to Asheville late Friday, in which case I'll spend the night at the RV park on Amboy Road and do a dump/flush on Sat. morning so as to arrive with empty tank.

Plan to be in Asheville at Amy's next Saturday.

Chuck got back late yesterday from Tucson. We may do a farewell dinner this evening -- maybe out, maybe in.

RIPs

Pinetop Perkins -- fabulous blues pianist, originally with Muddy Waters. I got to see him live in a dive bar in Tucson many years ago, and he was old then, but still pounding it out.

Liz Taylor -- icon.

Michael Gough -- character actor.

Quick Update

No wifi at home for the last several days -- I'm now at the library. Leaving here next Sunday, arriving at Amy's house in West Asheville on 2 April.

Chuck's eyes are fine, but it turned out he had some sort of bacterial infection that started in the eyelashes (!) and went into the eyes. The cataract surgery stuff was fine. He left yesterday to go to Tucson to help a friend. Should be back Fri. or Sat.

So I got to stay up till 1.30 and watch the Craig Ferguson show -- it was a rerun but hey, better than most.

See y'all soon.

Emergency

About 4pm yesterday Chuck yelled for me "Help! I've gone blind!"

Race over to the house where he's holding a pad to his eyes, says he has lots of pain and can't see. I get him inside and sat down, race back to the rig, get dressed, snatch a book, lock the rig. Back to the house, get car keys, and guide Chuck out to the car (which I've turned so the door is near the stairs off the porch. Off we go to the hospital.

They take him in right away, lay a wet cloth on his eyes. Doc arrives and puts some drops in his eyes which immediately helps the pain (but no prescription for this as it will dissolve the eyeball if used too much). He's not really blind, of course, but swollen and irritated etc. After about an hour, while they consult and do things, he's released with two prescriptions and directions to call his eye doctor in Show Low immediately.

So it looks like we're going to Show Low today. We were supposed to do the bank, post office, and grocery shopping (for me), but that will all have to wait. By the time we'd been back about an hour, his eyes were starting to hurt again. They gave him Percocet to take for pain and I hope he did (but he can't drink alcohol with it and he does like to drink).

He's also supposed to be taking a travel trailer down to Kearney AZ for somebody. It's all hooked up and ready to go, but we'll see after the doc appnt. I suppose I could go along, but i don't want to -- I was looking forward to being alone here and staying up late watching TV (I don't have TV in my rig -- cable/satellite only in this area).

I'll let you know the outcome later.

Airport install & Misc

I'm feeling proud -- I successfully opened the iMac and installed an Airport card and fixed the settings and IT WORKED. Chuck can now pick up on wifi in the area and check his email.

He's installing new running lights on the rig. There are 5 front orange ones and 5 rear red ones. Some were working and some not but he decided he wanted to replace them all. There's some kind of regulation that requires actual lights, not just reflectors, even though I have a bunch of those as well.

I'm working on cleaning the ceiling inside. Tedious job. Need to vacuum, too. Exciting stuff. Weather is gorgeous, though -- nearly 70 deg and sunny with strong breezes from time to time. Supposed to cool off about 10 deg by the weekend and then slowly climb back up. Phoenix is already in the low 90s -- shudder.

This is A-1 Lake still frozen over as of today. Remember the beautiful fall picture I took of it last November? And below is a picture of a bird flitting on ice-bound wood at the edge of the lake.

We went to Hon-dah Casino for the Sunday buffet -- too much food! Had prime rib (pretty good), champagne (pretty bad), cherries jubilee (pretty). Then drove another 20 miles to Show Low to the Home Depot and Wal-mart. Got back home about 4pm, both of us yawning.

Update

Nothing exciting at all to report. It's going to be 67 and sunny today. Did laundry yesterday. We're going to check out the rig's running lights today and replace burned out ones.

Have calculated how much gas and $ it's going to cost to travel the 1800 miles home at the new $4 per gallon price. Yowie!

Will arrive in Asheville on 2 April (Saturday) as it's Amy's day off and I'll be shoehorning the rig into her backyard.

See y'all then.

St. John's Lunch

We went off to St. John's for lunch, about 25 miles toward the NM line. It's the county seat but it's otherwise a totally dead little town. There's a Mexican restaurant that Chuck likes. It was okay.

The weather has turned gusty (about 36mph) and there may be a touch of snow tonight but it's going to be 45 tomorrow so it won't last.

Chuck has checked the brakes and the U-joints and the wheel bearings -- all is well. He replaced the bad a/c belt so that's fine. He also said that the a/c pulley bearing is okay. So I don't have to do anything else for a while. Big sigh of relief.

He was given a G3 iMac but it didn't have an Airport card for wifi, so we've ordered one off ebay. I've downloaded instructions from a Mac Forum and will be installing it myself. Chuck is less than useful about computers. We'll see how this goes -- I've never cracked a case all by myself. Wish me luck.

Update

Life is quiet and boring. Chuck's still fighting the cold. Yesterday, I took the car and went to the post office to mail off a couple of boxes to Diana, and then went to Safeway for Chuck's groceries. The weather's been great -- open door temps, sunshine. He's going to go to southern AZ next week so I'll have the house to myself and can stay up late watching Craig Ferguson.

Hooray for Hulu in the meantime as I get to see excerpts so I get a little fix. Last night I wound up watching some episodes of America's Best Dance Crew. Highly entertaining.

TTFN

Lovely Eagar

Got here about 4pm yesterday and Chuck was outside to direct me up on the leveling blocks he had ready. He's been fighting what he calls "a cold" for two weeks now. It's accompanied by muscle aches but he poo-poos the notion that it might be the flu. I'll be here until 23-24 March and then head for Asheville.

Weather today is sunny but very windy. Possibly rain or snow later today and tomorrow, but then Monday should be much warmer and nice. I'm being a slug today.

Off to Arizona

Leaving Wed. am for Chuck's place in Eagar, Arizona. 1000 miles. Should take about 3-4 days. Talk to y'all later.

Persian Feast

Forgot to tell you about the dinner on Tues. eve. Bro is friends with Manocheer (sp?), an Iranian refugee who came here after the Shah's downfall. Classic story: no money etc but lots of drive and ambition and is now quite well-off. Lives in the Walnut Creek area about an hour east of SF, in a mcmansion makeover of a traditional ranch house. There's him, wife Roshana, daughter Shayda (17), son Arian (16), and family friend Paymon (28) (all spellings approximate).

When we got there, Manocheer was making kabobs on special flat sword-looking skewers, so Deborah got a lesson. About 30 skewers were made and then grilled outside. Wine and tequila were poured, many toasts were drunk; nuts, cheese (goat), crackers, yogurt, olives, etc, placed around for munchies. Eventually, meat was ready, big platters of salad and rice with saffron put on table, and we all settled down to serious eating. Later, there were Persian pastries and tea.

Arian is quite a musician. H and I went out to the garage where he has a complete drum set and he played a solo. Right after dinner, he got out a cello and played a Bach piece. Then he got out a tombok, a traditional Iranian drum and played a fabulous concert on it. Very high level. Shayda's boyfriend had shown up around dessert-time so they disappeared.

Everybody was very nice and a good time was had by all. We got back to the city around 11.pm. A nice end to Diana's visit.

Back to Antioch

Nasty weather today but I slogged across the Bay Bridge and went to Aamco so they could do a couple of final tweaks on the new transmission. Then off to Hercules to visit Peggy and Charlie Lucke and look at each other's photographs (me and Charlie). Then off to the fairgrounds to get settled in for the week. Nice flat land. Still being nasty weather (lots of snow up higher) for the rest of the week.

Buddhist Day

This is Diana, my friend from NC, and her friend Mina, at the Japanese Buddhist Temple south of San Francisco in or near Ca~nada. Mina drove into the city to get us (she actually doesn't live too far away) and then drove south about 30 minutes to the temple. She guided us through the service, with beads and chanting etc. Then off to the rec room to eat bento lunches. About 2pm we drove back to her house, met her husband, and settled in for an afternoon of snacks and sake. About 6 she insisted we stay for a home-cooked real Japanese dinner, so we did. I can't tell you what we ate but it was all good. Lots of tofu things, bean paste, salad, soup with special mushrooms, and so forth. Finally got home about 9pm. Whew.

Lazy Day for Me

Diana went off about 11.30 to meet a friend down in Chinatown, and I took the day off. Just walking up and down the block to the rig and back is a stress so I decided to baby them. About 9pm I called D to find out whether she was still alive (she had thought she'd be back about 6pm) but it went to voicemail. She came in about 9.30 having had a splendid day wandering around with her friend (who was supposed to meet her at 1pm but didn't show up till 3.30) and eating lots of wonderful things.

She's going off again today to meet a different friend. Tomorrow, another friend will pick us up and take us to the East Bay to a Buddhist temple ceremony and then we'll have lunch, possibly in Japantown. And she'll bring us home, too. Looking forward to that.

Trip to Alice-land

Got up at 7am yesterday (Thurs) and Deb deposited me and Diana at the Bart station at 8am. We caught a train to Richmond, Quinn picked us up, and we immediately repaired to her house to use the bathroom. Then we set off to a retirement community called Lincoln, near Roseville, about 20 miles north and east of Sacramento, at least a 2-hour drive. Got there about 11.30.

Over the years, Quinn has talked a lot about Alice as both of them were horse people and stabled their horses at the same place etc. She's as short as Quinn (5 ft) but one of those thin energetic types. Big smile. Funny. Loves to talk. We went off to have lunch at "Mimi's Cafe," a widely scattered chain. Diana says there are a few in the South and she likes them. Everybody else got some sort of salad (steak, spinach, asian); I had the grilled fish with steamed veggies and tiny roasted potatoes. The waitress very kindly made me some sweet tea.

Back to the house and all of a sudden we're all heading for the car again. I had no idea where we were going but we wound up at Kohl's Dept. Store. A couple of hours there and then back to the house, where wines and snacks starting appearing, winding up with three kinds of ice cream.

A neighbor came over (female, 71, artist) and we walked over to see her new painting and admire her new landscaping. Back to the house, more wine, snacks, conversation. Very pleasant.

Eventually, we started back at 7pm, at the Richmond Bart at 9pm, called my bro after we'd crossed under the bay so he could meet us. Got back by 10pm. Long day, nice day.

Back in the City

Such an exciting time I've had, here in the Aamco lot. Yesterday, I took myself on a half-mile walk to the closest Starbucks, got an over-priced cup of coffee, found a plug and got online for the first time since last Sunday (when I left the fairgrounds). Also bought a newspaper to amuse myself with after I got back (I like to read a Sunday newspaper thoroughly).

My brother came by Sat. night about 10pm. He was on his way back to Napa with supplies for his daughter's new house. He's tiling two bathrooms as well as doing other stuff. Anyhow, he wanted to check on me and make sure I'm locking my door etc.

I posted to the Toyota group about my woes. About 5pm there's a knock on the door and a guy named Kim had come by. He's in the group and had just read my post. He lives in Berkeley about two miles from Aamco. Too bad, he said, this all happened so suddenly because I know a really good mechanic not far from here and this Aamco doesn't have the greatest reputation. He himself bought a Sunrader model and is fixing it himself (he's a mechanic). Nice of him to drop by.

If all goes well, the tranny will be done tomorrow, just in time for me to drive into the city. We'll see.

And it was ready by 5pm so I started in. Bumper to bumper traffic. Finally got here about 6.15pm (it's 15 miles). Deb off to a meeting. H and I out to a Japanese dinner. Went and got Diana, who was a little late coming in. We're now all at the Mouse House (9:30 pm).

Bad Week

Well, it's been a very expensive week. Last Sunday, I started into Richmond from Antioch to visit Quinn for a few days. About 2 miles from her exit, the charge light came on and the temp started going up quickly. I dived off the next exit and found the closest place to stop (a business park). Popped the hood and waited for it cool off -- all the coolant had spewed out the overflow. I looked underneath and saw the busted fan belt hanging down. Called the ERS who sent out a mobile mechanic, who fixed it and replaced the coolant. $200

Went on to Quinn's and stayed until yesterday afternoon, when I was going to go back to Antioch for a few days until time to head into the city. Wouldn't start, not even turn over, just heard a click. So a tow truck finally came about 7:30 and towed me about 5 miles to a Midas shop (this was all arranged by the ERS), where I boondocked for the night. This morning they replaced the starter motor. $300

All ready to go, I got in and started the engine. Started down the street and realized it wasn't shifting out of first. Back to Midas, who tried it out and tried to knock it loose or whatever. No luck. They don't do transmissions so sent me down the road about 2 miles (in first gear) to Aamco. And they've discovered a lot of problems and are preparing to put in a new transmission. $4000

And I'll be sitting in their lot until sometime Tuesday. Diane arrives from NC Tues. evening.

AAARRRGGGHH

Fog and fog creeps in ...

This is about 11am. Went out about 11pm last night to put trash in (barrels are pretty close to where I'm taking this pic from) and could barely see across the lot. We had nice sunshine up until about 2 days ago.

On Wednesday (foggy until about 2pm), I took myself to the grocery store and I indulged myself at the Barnes & Noble with a strictly limited supply of new books. Such a luxury.

Fierce competition for jobs out here and I haven't had any responses to apps I've sent. This means that I may not do this again. At this point, the plan is to spend Feb in the city and then head for eastern Arizona (Chuck's) for March, and then Asheville in April.

Very very quiet

here in Antioch fairgrounds. When I pulled in last Thursday, I was the only one in the place. Since then, there have been two rigs that came in for the weekend, and a couple that came in just to dump. And the flea market sprang to life Sat. morning.

So I'm amusing myself and doing things like cleaning, always a laugh riot.

Will leave here on Thurs. am and go boondock somewhere for a day or two, then come back for 10 days until Feb 7 when I move into The City.

Recent Visits

I left Antioch and drove into Richmond to park in front of Christine's house. She's a friend of Quinn's and I wanted to get to know her better. Well, the first thing I found out is that she has no heat in her house and no wifi/dsl so no computer. She did have three nice cats and was dog sitting an 18-yr-old pit bull mix, a nice dog.

After four days there, I moved about 10 blocks to park in front of Quinn's until today. I did get to use her shower but it didn't suit me too well, not least of because is the showerhead for short people, which means I have to wash my hair bending forward. And we watched some TV that she wanted to watch. So I got to the see the movie "Iron Man." Yay.

Am now back out at the fairgrounds, with wifi, heat, power, water, and level -- all the streets are crowned so I've been sleeping with my head either up or down.

Turns out H and D aren't going to New Zealand after all because D's mom is having more surgery and it's dicey, so she doesn't think she ought to be halfway around the globe. But I'm welcome to stay anyhow and so is Diana, who's coming from Charlotte for a week. It just means a slightly more crowded house and no car available. But we'll have a good time anyhow.

After that, I'm going to head back to Eager to hang out for free before I meander towards Asheville.

Castle TV

I still enjoy this show but certain things have begun to bother me, and they have to do with Beckett's character. First is the change from a reasonably suitable haircut for a working detective to long flowing wavy locks. Second, I just this episode got a good look at the shoes she was wearing -- mile-high stilettos -- just what a working detective in homicide would wear.

Yeah yeah, it's just tv, I shouldn't take it so seriously, it's all fantasy. Well, if it's going to be some guy fantasy, then they shouldn't attempt to make it look real at all.

Humph.

Unfoggy Day

We finally got a break in the fog so I dashed out to get some pics.

This thing (sculpture? viewing structure?) is at the far end of the riverwalk. You can see benches built in, and you can walk around and through. And there are guy wires above, perhaps to indicate a kinship with sailing? Not a place I would choose to sit and look, mostly because only one bench gives a view of the river. Odd.

This is a partial view of the public marina (you can see the white sculpture thingy in the center distance), but it gives a view of the area.

And this is an inlet at the western end of the marina looking across to the Dow Wetland Preserve. Pretty.

So now it's 6.30am and I opened the curtain to see . . . fog. Totally socked in again, and it got cold enough last night (because of no fog/clouds) to freeze the water, so no water until it warms up again. Supposed to be mid-50s today.

Went to a thrift shop yesterday and got a suit so I can go on interviews at spiffier places. That's assuming I ever get called for an interview. So far, nada.

RIP Vadim Bora

Just heard that he dropped dead of a massive stroke. This is a blow. I knew and liked him. I remember when he first came to Asheville from Ossetia (I think). He quickly joined the arty scene on Lexington Ave and downtown Asheville. At a party once, he did pencil caricatures -- just tossed them off. I still have mine (makes me look like a stern Roman matron).

A loss.

Quiet quiet

Have been holed up here at the CC Co. Fairgrounds since Thursday 12/30, under gray skies with lots of rain. Just a few rigs here and we're all nicely spaced out. Have watched a number of rigs come in to dump -- thought one guy was going to clip my nose. They all seem to want to stretch across several sites instead of backing into one site. Humph.

It's supposed to warm up a little (into the mid-50s) and clear up, too, so tomorrow should be a nice day. Think I'll get cleaned up and go off to do laundry and grocery shop. Am really broke so no messing around, just necessities.

There have been a few recall jobs in the area but they've been jumped on and taken before I get signed in. I'm trying to hook up with a national inventory company (did the application today) -- they've got a couple of jobs listed in the Gilroy and Modesto CA areas so maybe something will come of that. Am also applying for part-time jobs I find on craigslist, but there's a lot of competition around here. I may go later this week or early next to sign up at a temp agency, like Kelly Girls or some other.

Looks like I'll be house-sitting at Deb's place in the city while she and my brother go off to New Zealand. There's a guy nearby who's always on alert for "illegal" parkers (he called the city on my rig and I got a notice to move -- that's why I didn't spend new year's at my brother's). However, the day I was leaving, he came out and I got introduced and Deb mentioned that I'd be back in Feb. for their trip. She and I think we did good diplomatic work to prepare for my rig to be there for a few weeks. We'll see.

TTFN