Almost to the End

In about twelve hours or so it's going to be a New Year here in the Mountain Time Zone. I have nothing special planned for tonight. What will happen is that I will have a mostly quiet evening here at home, save for some firecrackers and an "artillery shell" that I'm going to light off when the big moment comes.

Funny thing is, is that I'm not lighting these fireworks out of celebration. I'm lighting them because this is one of the two nights each year that I can get away with lighting fireworks. Fireworks aren't legal in Arizona, not even sparklers, but people who've made the drive to Lordsburg and back to visit the fireworks stores that are open year 'round have them. And plenty of people do have them. I've seen lots of bottle rockets go up each 4th of July.

But getting back to the New Year, it's rare for me to be out on New Year's Eve. The last time it happened was at the end of 2003. I was up in Tempe with some friends to catch a BTO concert, and afterwards we were invited to a private after show reception at their hotel. We chatted with them until about 3:00 AM, after which it was time for everyone to turn in.

And as for celebrating the New Year, I just don't do it. It's not that I have anything against it. It's that I can't see what the big deal is. Sure, I'll reflect over the events of the preceding twelve months, and I might even contemplate what lies ahead. But I don't celebrate it, and I don't make resolutions either. The way I see it, if you need to do something to the point of making a resolution, you should make the resolution right then and there and not wait until the 31st of December of that year you happen to be in to make that resolution.

As for 2009, I got to do some things I wanted to do. I had a high point, and I had a low point. Life goes on, and that's what's important.

* * * * * *

I returned to Tucson two days ago. Trip mileage going to San Jose was 850.1 miles, while returning was 885.4 miles. I took I-10 going in and I-40 coming back.

I really like the scenery along I-40. For stretches it parallels the old US66. At some point I'd like to drive the old 66 back. I'd like to have a babe with me if I ever get to do that.

As for the babe, well, I'm working on that.

* * * * * * *

I think that's going to be it for right now.

See you next year!

I Knew the Way to San Jose

I can't say that I ever liked that song "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" nor can I even claim to know what inspired it, but I know it and used my knowledge to get here on the morning of the 18th. I woke up in Buttonwillow at 2ish, showered, and then it was back on the road under cover of darkness along I-5.

The early morning hours are when it's best to be on I-5. It used to be that it wasn't bad during the daylight hours but that was back in the mid-70s. California's population has grown a great deal since 1976 when I first saw I-5, but I-5 is still two lanes in each direction in the San Joaquin Valley and you really don't want to be on it at certain times during the year.

On one of these trips, I left San Jose on the 26th of December, and I-5 was sluggish all the way down to Buttonwillow. The maximum speed possible seemed to be 50, and that's because there were lots of RVs doing one inch per hour than the trucks they were trying to pass, and all of them wanted to pass the trucks. I wanted to jump off at CA46 and go inland, but the junction in those days did not have a stoplight and the long line waiting to turn left to get to Bakersfield had backed up into I-5 itself.

Since then, I never start the return home on the 26th. This year, like the last, will be on the 28th. I am having lunch with a group of friends of mine on the 27th that I know online from one of the websites dedicated to a hobby we all share.

Meantime, I have been busy here. I have some really good friends here and I've been spending time with them. I've also been treasuring an interesting situation in my heart that I can't divulge right now. All I can say about that is that I'm in for some interesting times next month, once the holidaze are behind us.

In years past I have dreaded this time of year. Right now I'm enjoying it. I really am.

However, when I wake up on the morning of the 1st of next month, I will be saying "Whew! Made it thru another one!"

Buttonwillow CA, 12/17/09

I left the driveway at 5:14 AM this morning. A few hours ago, I rolled here into Buttonwillow, which is right off of I-5. I am dog tired. It was a smooth drive.....I couldn't have asked for much better. L.A. traffic even moved at a fast clip! Well, it helps if you pass thru at noon and not during rush hour. There were some rude drivers.

Anyway, there was great weather! At least until I descended into the San Joaquin Valley which was full of tule fog. There was 400 yards of visibility so it was driveable. It's when the visibility is down to 40 yards or so that you don't want to be out there.

Along the way, I saw this neat bumper sticker:

What part of

SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT

don't you understand?

If I ever see that somewhere, I'm buying one. Left lane hogs are a real peeve of mine.

I'm very tired as that 632.8 miles were racked up on the trip odometer so and I'm going to sign now. I also need to get some supper.

Eve of the Trip!

This will be a short entry tonight. I've already packed one suitcase but some laundry has to finish processing before I can pack another. Then it's off to bed.

I don't know when I will start. If I pop awake at 1:00 AM, then I'm on the road when I'm done showering and getting dressed. Otherwise, I will try to sleep in if the cats will let me.

Some of the Christmas cards have been sent out. The rest will have to wait until I'm in San Jose.

I have a lot on my mind these days. There's a situation brewing that I dare not comment on, lest I jinx that situation. I will have some business to take care of when I get back.

Somewhere along I-10, when Buckeye is in the rear view mirror and Tonopah is beyond the horizon, I'll be playing some BTO.....specifically, "Roll on Down the Highway". It will be the version that is from their Trial By Fire album recorded in 1996, and not the version from Not Fragile, recorded in 1974.

I have a lot on my mind right now.

And........I need this trip.

The Holidaze........

I finally got the Christmas letter finished but I'm not sure I'll get to make the run to Kinko's tonight to get it copied for the Christmas cards. I was almost out the door at work when my boss asked me to compile some "metrics" on the two circuit cards I'm in charge of, so I was detained by one hour. I finally got out of there but had to take a different way home as that the left turn from Valencia onto Kolb is murder from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

Taking Ajo over to Golf Links is plan B, and for some reason it's better at 5:30 than it is at 4:30....so I went that way. Halfway between S 6th Avenue and Golf Links I was overtaken by three sheriff's deputies who were responding to a bad accident that was nearby. Upon coming home the local paper's website already had photos up.....and it looked bad too. I'm not sure if someone ran a red light (that's a real problem here) or if someone was texting while driving (which the state of Arizona seems unwilling to outlaw).

Accidents happen year 'round, but they sure seem to be on the upswing during the holidaze. The way some people drive, you'd think man is evolving into ape.

* * * * * * *

From the Department of Corrections: Randy Bachman and Fred Turner will tour as "Bachman & Turner", and not as BTU. The names Bachman-Turner United and Bachman-Turner Union were registered in both the U.S. and Canada, after which Randy and Fred were immediately served with a lawsuit by former BTO members seeking an injunction against the names they registered. Former members Rob Bachman and Blair Thornton own the BTO and Bachman-Turner Overdrive names and have brought this suit, and from what I know of the suit they allege that this could cause confusion among the public and thus deprive the plaintiffs of income.

I was talking to Mark about this last night. Seems as if every successful band from the 70s has these kinds of situations. I'm trying to think of one band that's been immune from members and former members suing each other (or vice versa) and I can't come up with any.

It must be the nature of the business.

* * * * * * *

I am leaving for San Jose on the 17th. That's official. Start time is approximately one hour after my morning shower.....whenever that is. It could be early as 1:00 AM or as late as 8:00 AM.

I'll be bringing the laptop along, and will post while I'm on the road.

I think I need this trip.

* * * * * * *

Word from the Bay Area is that Franz' dad is having surgery tomorrow and it's serious. Franz has been a good friend for over twelve years. I used to work with both him and his dad at Loral AeroSys, which later became Lockheed Martin Space Mission Systems.

Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

* * * * * * *

I'm tired, and it's not yet eight of the clock. I think I'll sign now.

It's Getting Late Earlier These Days

Well the title of this post sounds a lot like something Yogi Berra, the Master of Malapropisms, once said. You gotta love Yogi and his quotations. "Nobody goes there, it's too crowded." "When you come to a fork in the road, take it." "You have to be careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there." And my favorite: "You should always go to other people's funerals, otherwise, they won't come to yours".

The title of this evening's post was thought up with Yogi in mind. I know that a long time ago when I was explaining Arizona's monsoon season I said "It doesn't rain a lot here, but when it rains, it rains a lot"......and I thought that's how Yogi Berra would have put it!

* * * * * * *

OK. The news that I am getting from Iowa has been very good. I mean, very good. Tony is said to be recovering at the rate that your average 50 year old would. He's got a ways to go, but I hear that he's now joking with the nurses.

I've sent word out to Lincoln (Nebraska) that I'm thinking of coming out there next year, with a side trip to Iowa. I'm leaning towards Memorial Day. I think my cousin Marie goes down to Robinson (Kansas) to lay wreaths on our grandparents' graves, as well as the graves of two of my uncles (of which one is Marie's father). If she's doing that next time around, I'd like to be there too.

* * * * * * *

Today there was a press conference in Winnipeg where Randy Bachman and Fred Turner have made it official: they are re-uniting, and recording some new songs (I think three or four have already been recorded). They will either be touring as Bachman-Turner Union or Bachman-Turner United. Interestingly enough, they worked together in 1981 in a band called "Union", and the album that Union put out was, in my mind, one of the best ever recorded.

The new CD will be out sometime next year. I hope that those guys will record a few more that follow.

As some of you know, I have been a big fan of Bachman-Turner Overdrive for many years....as in 35 years now. I never thought back then that I would ever get to meet all of the members, but I have. They have all been very nice to me, and I can never forget the kindness that all of the members showed me on the several occasions that I have gotten to meet them.

* * * * * * *

April Wine, my other favorite band, is also working on some new music. I have been a Wine fan for over 30 years now. Like BTO, they are from Canada, a most beautiful country that has given us a lot of great music to go along with the great beer that they brew.

My understanding is that the new April Wine CDs (three or four of them) will contain new material, live material, and re-worked versions of some old songs. Their last release was Roughly Speaking in 2007 and I highly recommend its purchase.......it was practically recorded right off the floor and there's a very strong blues influence in that one. Trust me, you'll like it.

And.....I've met some of the April Wine members too. They were all gentlemen. They took time to answer my questions and to sign autographs.

Next year could very well be a great year as far as new music goes.

* * * * * * *

Weatherwise, we had our first winter storm last night. Snow came down to the 5000 foot elevation (my house is at 2720 feet) and on the desert floor we had some rain. The wind was cold and chilly, which made it seem a lot colder than it really was.

You might not believe this, but it will snow here in Tucson on occasion. I've seen it maybe three times. The first was Easter Sunday in 1999. The last was in January 2007.

Snow is obviously, a novelty here.

It doesn't snow a lot here, but when it snows, it doesn't snow a lot.

* * * * * * *

I am not immune to the holiday stress. I was feeling it something fierce yesterday. I'm in a much better mood today. Did King Solomon say that there was a time to build and a time to tear down? I felt like I was tearing down things yesterday. Today I felt like I was building them back up.

Anyway, me thinks that I will be writing the Christmas letter tomorrow.

* * * * * * *

I haven't yet figured out when I'll be starting my road trip to San Jose. I've been waffling on that one. A week ago I found myself wanting to leave on the 14th. Yesterday I thought no, I'll leave on the 19th.

I'm now thinking of starting the journey on Thursday, the 17th. And the 17th will be my birthday. I'll be 51 years old that day.

You know, I really don't feel like I'm in my fifties. I think I feel better today than I did ten years ago. I've got more gray hairs in my beard than I did back then, but I really think I feel better.

Either way......when that new music from BTU and April Wine comes out, I'll be young again.

:)

* * * * * * *

I can't resist quoting this BTO song from 1975: "Don't let the blues get you down".

Here's the song if you want to listen to it: LINK

December Already........(yikes!)

Well we're here. December. The last month of the year. The last year of the decade. Gone are the sixties.....the seventies.....the eighties......and the nineties.......and what do we call these years? The double aughties? Whatever they are, we've only got one month of them left.

Make the most of it.

* * * * * * *

Word from Iowa is that Uncle Tony has come thru the surgery and is now beginning a period of recovery that will last him for several weeks. He is going to be in considerable pain the next two or three days, and from there it will get better.

I think in four or five months or so, when his situation has stabilized, I'll get on a plane and go see him and Marge. I'll see if I can talk my cousin Dusty into meeting me there, although he might tell me he won't be available until the summer sometime. Then again, maybe sooner.

* * * * * * *

I'm not sure how prolific a writer I will be this month. There's this business of the holidaze. I was out this evening buying some Christmas cards, and I want to get these started now. Looking back, I should have started filling them out in July, and not sealing the envelopes until the annual letter was put in them. Then I could have chucked them all in the mail the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and some folks would be getting their very first Christmas card on Black Friday.

Maybe next year?

* * * * * * *

And speaking of the Christmas letter, what do I write? I used to be very good at writing them off the seat of my pants (like I do a lot of these blog entries) but what do I say? There was a high point this year and there was a low point that followed. I could brag again about how well things are going for me at work (which they are), but do my friends and relatives really want to hear that again?

I could do a month by month summary. I've done that before and have been able to inject some humor into it, especially that year where I had to have my roof done. In one month when I got the estimate, the roofer joked about how I might want to knock off some liquor stores. The next month when it became time to send the check in (I paid it all off in one fell swoop) I joked about wanting to knock off some liquor.

I don't think I have all that much to joke about this year. However, it wasn't really a bad year. I made it back east, and I made it to Portland. I made it on a deer hunting trip, and I traded emails with Fred Turner of BTO a few times. I had a full blown biopsy for prostate cancer (which turned out negative), and I took twenty pounds off.

I'm sure I'll come up with something, but I don't think I should write that letter tonight.

* * * * * * *

I think this will be it for now. I'm somewhat short of rest as I write this.