The Trip Begins....

This will be the last "Life In The Muck" post. I am gonna make a new one for my new adventure!

So, I found out several weeks ago that I got the position at the Pentagon. there was a lot of typical Forest Service feet dragging, so a departure date was not announced until last week.

Kai hooked up a going away lunch, and it was nice to have all the people there that showed. I really thought no one would show, but I am amazed at how many people I touched while I was here.

The other day, Annie, my roommate and her daughter gave me a hand made card to say good-bye! I cried when they left.....

So, yesterday was my last day. Yes, the day after Thanksgiving! I closed the shop, and I was sad to turn out the lights, and lock the gate for the last time. I am really gonna miss CNIDC.

So, I left and drove to Beatty. Stopped in the truck stop there to sleep.

This morning, I drove to Vegas....One of my most favorite places! There was a gun show at the Santa Fe Casino, so that is where I went.....Not a really good show, but I did get some more magazines. So, I took some money out, because I had no cash on me. On the way out, I decided to play one last slot machine in Vegas. I did not have time to really settle in to the craps tables, so I dropped a 20 in the Monopoly machine. Lost it....So, I went around it to another, but there was a Spanish person playing it.....So I thought, one more. I went back. Dropped another 20, and played for a couple minutes.....Boom! Bonus round after getting 5 diamond ladies for 10 dollars.....Hit the bonus for 40 bucks, and figured I would play down to that and be even. Boom! Bonus again. Left that machine with 60.

Got up to go find a redemption machine, and noticed that the Spanish person was gone......I thought, play 20, and your still even.

Played three rolls, and BOOM! Bonus...So, its doing its thing, and all the bells and whistles start.....after all said and done, $300!!!! So, I spent no money at all, and got the magazines for free!!!!!!

So, off to the east...Via Kingman, Az....

I took 3 HOURS!!!!!!!!!!! to get from Boulder to the Arizona border and the dam!!!!!!!!!!!AHHHH!

So, here I am in Flagstaff, writing.

I already miss my staff, Kai, Boyd and the entire family!! Its been a long time I felt for my team like this. I hope they miss me as much as I miss them already...

A new adventure begins!

Trip to Eureka!

So, we leave early to go to Eureka for a meeting.

My bosses boss, calls me a traitor when he gets in the truck.

The meeting was long, boring but we did get some solid work done!

We ate at a local place called the Owls Club. Food was okay and the service was less than desired.

On the front door, there is one of those High School posters that has sports pictures on it, and the schedules of the sports....

What is the mascot of the Eureka High School? THE VANDALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HAAAAA!! Vandals! Thats crooks to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I must have laughed for 15 minutes at that!

So, we are on our way back, and my bosses boss is a Nevada Trivia master. He points out every landmark, has stories about everywhere and so on.

We take a side road back, so he can show us this pond that has LOTS of fish....Yes, in Nevada...

So as we approach an area with a one lane road, my bosses boss asks if that is a car around the bend up ahead....Yes, yes it is...

So as we approach, it is a Volkswagen Jetta with tinted windows. As we get closer, the back of the car is bouncing up and down! I mean, BOUNCING UP AND DOWN!!!! First thought to cross my mind is, hey, this is not right, my boss is Mormon!

My boss is driving. He honks, but the car keeps bouncing. He honks again, nothing...Man, they are into it! He gets a little closer, honks again....The car stops bouncing, and the brake lights flash.....The car starts moving......They find a turnout, and pull in it, and we pass by, laughing our asses off......Oh, they looked to be in their mid thirties!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a trip!

So...

So, yesterday....You all have heard the good news!

So I am letting my staff know what is going on. I ask everyone to not say a word to our boss, cause I want to be in the office alone with him (Boy, that did not sound right!) to break it to him.

We finally get ALL of the employees performance evals done....I know he has to go to the office, so I get him out the door....

About two hours later he comes back. Hands me a CNIDC jacket he purchased for me to ride Pearl in the rain with...(Like it rains here!).

He then goes into the office.

Since he and I spent the entire day in the office evaluating all the employees, I was taking this particular time to catch up on my regular work....

On my Forest Service computer, a message pops up from my boss titled "????????"...

I open it, and it says "So when is your release date?"

My stomach dropped to the floor. So I stroll slowly into his office, shut the door and ask who said something?

He would not tell me. Finally he told me that my Forest Boss told his boss, and he did not know that my boss did not know....AHHHHHHHHH!

Anyway, at this time, all is well, but he is upset that I am leaving.

I will write about today, later, we just got back from a meeting that was a three hour drive each way!

Can you say "The Pentagon"?

Well, my background checks came back, and the federal government once again feels that I am safe enough to work for DOD!!!!!

The Pentagon called, and they offered me the job, after my pee test came back negative and my background check back with nothing in it except everything I told them would be in it!

I have no report date yet, but it appears since I am at the beginning of a pay period, that we would use this one and the one after as my notice which would place me back in the DC area no later than the 14th of December!!!!

I am stoked!

I keep pinching myself.....


Gotta get back to work!

New President....

Well, it seems that America has made its choice.

Here are my thoughts.........Gee, thanks PA and Oh! And yes, I could not believe that Nevada with all of its gun owners, and bible owners....Must be all the Kalifornians that moved over to Reno and Vegas.....

I think I should take my money out of the bank now, cause I am not going to get any hand outs.


I am now looking at selling all my stocks, cause they are gonna tax them.

I need a gun safe now. Cause they are NOT taking my weapons.

Polosi was just on the news saying she has another "Stimulus" check in the pipeline.....Did anybody catch the new term for welfare? "STIMULUS"!

Congresswomen, WHERE ARE WE GETTING THIS MONEY FROM? Joe the plumber?

President Elect Obama says he dislikes NAFTA. PLEASE CHANGE THIS!!!! Get rid of it! That is why our jobs go to Mexico, China, India and such....

Will Black America finally stop saying that "The White Man keeps us down!"

Is the Black Panthers going to be the "New Civilian Militia"? (Did you see what happened in Philly?)

What is the definition of "New Civilian Militia"? Gestapo? (Hitlers Civilian Militia.) Republican Guard? (Saddam Husein's Civilian Militia.)

We have a civilian militia, but it is grass roots, sorry to say, mostly white, and wants to overthrow our own government.......Wait, so do the Black Panthers.....

Change is here, good or bad, it is here.

Good luck America, lets see what happens.

Boise, Oregon and Voting...

Can I just tell you that I had a HELL OF A GOOD TIME in Boise this past weekend.

Good partners to officiate with, good beer and food Saturday Night after the High School Tournament....I cannot wait until the weekend of the 15th!

So, knowing that you cannot pump your own gas in Oregon, plus the fact that gas along US 95 in Or. is, get this, $4.19/ gallon......I got gas both before I went up, and as I left.....

The speed limit in Oregon is 55. That is supposed to be it, no exceptions.....Guess you could not tell that to the hunters! I did 62, passed a few officers, and nothing was done....

So, I get up early to watch the fiasco we call elections.....As suspected, the Democrats are intimidating voters in Philly, Chicago, Miami and so on......Can you just imagine the outcry if Republicans were doing that ......I mean, BLACK PANTHERS in Philly with nightsticks......PLEASE!

So, I left or work early to go to the Community Center to cast my ballot......No lines...But, who do I run into when I open the door...............................................................................................................................................................................The old people!!!!! AHHHHHH!!!

They were nice, they had treats and such.....Nothing like the beer and body piercings they were offering at some polling places on the east coast!

Boise Officiating!

So, I am here at work, listening to Obama and his GIVE-GIVE-GIVE-GIVE speech, and getting more upset that I and others like me are gonna pay for all of the lazy people of all sexes, shapes, colors, nationality and so on.....AHHHHHH!

Anyway, I am leaving at 2pm to head to Boise....I forgot that there is a 1 hour time loss going up there! So, on Saturday night, I will actually gain 2 hours (if I do not change any of my clocks! HA!

I am really stoked about getting back on the ice.......Lisa is happy too, cause she knows how much I miss it.

So I am sitting here doing some paperwork, counting down the hours.......I just have to remember that I loose an hour when I get into Oregon........

Meet The Candidates Night!

So, since this will be the first election I have voted in here in Nevada, I went to the Grass Valley Community Center (the little center down the street from my house) for Meet The Candidates Night.

There were about a dozen cars there when I drove up.

As I walked in, I forgot that I had my Glock on my side, so I decided to go back to the truck and put it away.

As I approached the front door, I noticed a lot of mature adults....(Yes, I am being politically correct, yes, me!).....

My first thought was, how do I always end up with the old people?????

As I go into the center, the first thing I notice, FOOD! They had a very nice spread of cheese and crackers, cookies and other snacks!!!! But, being as I have never been to one of these here, I forwent the food........I grabbed an agenda and found a seat in the hallway (yes, they used the hallway) at the back.

As soon as I sat down, the lady two rows up said "HEY! Your the new guy, arnt you?!" With that, all the old people turned around to look. I said "depends on your definition of NEW GUY"....She said "your the newest registered voter in our precinct and I remember you from the primaries"...I told her that would then be me, THE NEW GUY.....

Why???????? Why do I have to be the center of attention at this stuff?????? But then again, I do like it sometimes.

So, they read the minutes of last meeting, had a few discussions about "Water Rights", "sub-divisions", roads, and then, the big topic of the night, the school board!

Then, it was time for the candidates to speak.....They started with the Judges.....Here in Nevada, judges are elected, not appointed. What did I take from the candidates for District Judge? They are PRO 2nd Amendment, they are ANTI ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, one has history with the legal system via his family.

One person asked them about their view of the 2nd Amendment and actually said, I am not making this up............."I am glad to hear your support, because I am a bitter bible holding gun holding American........"

To which the one candidate replied "We here in the west have different views than those in the east....We carry our guns with us everywhere we go, we use them to defend ourselves, feed ourselves and for recreation". "People in the east just do not understand".

I WAS READY TO VOTE FOR THAT GUY RIGHT THEN!!

Should have just kept my Glock on my side!

As mentioned, the big topic was about a BOND for the school board. There is a bond for the schools that is expected to expire in 2011. The concern was where that money was going after it sunsets.

After about forty-five minutes, the board members finally stated what everyone already knew.....The money does not get refunded back to the tax payers in a tax cut, it goes into the county general fund and continues to tax the residents.

All the school board wants is to keep that bond from setting on the school board. With all the cuts and all this year by the state.

After they said that, the residents were more forgiving....Honesty is all it took.....

With that, a few more comments were made and the meeting adjourned...

I made a "b" line for the cookies and a water.....Grabbed some pamphlets and was on my way. A older man asked me on the way out the door if I learned anything....I told him yes, and that I now have a clear vision of who I want to vote for in this county...

Oh, and I got home just in time to watch a re-run of Two and a Half Men!

Its about time!!!!!!!!!!

As most know, I am a USA Hockey Ice Hockey Official.

To look at me, you would never guess, just like the wife of one of my co-workers said last night "really, you referee hockey?", "We would love to see that!".

Well, I finally found a referee association, be it in Boise, but I found one that had people I could talk to!

BTW, when I left Cleveland, I flew back to Vegas......On that Saturday, was the USA Hockey Officials Seminar! So, I had my equipment with me to take the class!

So, no after talking to a few of the officials in Boise, I am going up there next weekend to officiate a womens hockey tournament!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I AM SO STOKED!!!!!

I have been off the ice since two weeks before I left to come to the "Muck".

So, wish me luck, cause I know I will look like a beginner!

Wedding Part 3......

So, now we are on our way......

As is the case in the east, its raining!!!!!!!!!!!

We follow my family into Pittsburgh........Being a lifelong Clevelander, its so hard to keep from making comments about all that yellow and black......AHHHH!

Anyway, we get to the wedding.

I go to the back to see Charli, and as I guess with any wedding, the place is a mad house!

I exchange pleasentries (sp) with Wendy, and I make my way to find Charli.....There is this guy in a powder blue suit with a radio microphone in his ear.....He is moving around quickly, and barking out instructions.....Hmm, I think....A male wedding planner.......Could be, why not? I make a mental note, and go to the back to have a few pictures with my daughter and her mother.....

I return to the front and sit down with Lisa....I explain to her what I saw in the "wedding planner"...I laughed.....

I then start making jokes about everything from the flowers to the humidity to the clothes people are wearing.....I think Lisa was scared to laugh, cause she kept knudging me....

I will say, they had this really neat REAL pipe organ in this church!

So, some music starts playing, and out from the back comes the male wedding planner, followed by the Groom and his Groomsmen........I make a joke about the male wedding planner leading them out.....He stops in front of the alter and the groom and part all turn towards the friends and realitives in the church....

Then Charli makes her appearance! She looked beautiful....

Well, the male wedding planner starts speaking, and thats when I realize, HE IS NOT THE WEDDING PLANNER, HE IS THE MINISTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As I laugh, Charli's step dad turns and gives me a "hairy eyeball"!

So, the minister is doing his thing, and then he starts talking about how marriage has a lot of baggage (BOY DO I KNOW THAT!).....He talks about the positive baggage and the negitive....then he trys to draw an analogy to packing for a cruise.....He says "If you forget to pack something that you will need on the cruise, once you get out to see, that is it, you just do not have it".....I leaned over to Lisa and said "Bullshit, have you ever seen the concessions on one of those cruise ships? They have everything!". To which, several people whom I thought could not hear me, turned and looked......

Again, the ceremony was beautiful! I really enjoyed it......

Keeping with my "happy go lucky" attitude, when the minister presented Mr. and Mrs. Craig Foster for the first time, I rubbed my hands together in a creepy Boris Karloff way and said to Lisa "My duties are finally complete!". Of course, I was only joking, cause in my head, even though I have had two failed marriages, and became a total "whinny ass creme puff" with someone I thought cared about me, I know that my daughter will call on me for honest advice about her life ahead. And of course, I will always be honest with her, SHE DESERVES IT!

So, after MANY pictures, off to the reception!

We arrive, and there is my family, in the corner, having drinks and snacks! We immediatly join in!

After a short period, we move to the reception area.....We find a cozy table for 6 along the wall, kinda out of the way and the MEN head for the bar!

If I could remember all of the jokes, I would post them, but it is impossible....We laughed, we cried (Well, at least I did, I was laughing so hard!)......We think we even met Dee Schneider!

Charli looked beat at the end, and after she and Craig left, and we played on the dance floor a little, we too left.....

What a day!

Charli's Wedding, Part 2.......

So, I get to Maryland.....It rained the entire time I was back east....

On Friday, we go to On Target, to shoot the 44 and the Glock! Lisa had a great time, as did I, but her arm started after about 50 rounds....

I also learned another thing I do not now like about Maryland....The guy at the range said that if I have loaded magazines on my person, not in the weapon, that Maryland considers that a deadly weapon! OH PLEASE! Only if I either throw the bullets or the magazine at the perp. NEVER AGAIN WILL I LIVE IN THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF MARYLAND!!!

The wedding is on Saturday, so we try and go to bed early....NOT!!!

We try and get up early, NOT!!! We finally got on the road about 8:30.....We were hungry, so we stopped at the Waffle House in Hagerstown......Boy, did I forget how "hick" Hagerstown is....I thought for sure I would run into someone I knew, but thankfully, that did not happen!

So, I need to back up just a little.....Lisa's brother gave her a "Tom Tom" GPS device. So, we programed it for the hotel that my sisters decided to get us in, and away we went......

Okay, so we get on the road. Becky had left a message on my phone while we were in one of those areas with no cell service......They had arrived....

So, following directions, we get off in Pittsburgh......Follow the directions. At this point, there is no airport in the urban area we are in.....

We drive around for what seemed like hours.....See some things we probably should not have, but I was not worried, cause I had protection in the car.....

We finally found the place, 20 miles south of where "Tom Tom" told us....

We get into the room, and the reunion had begun!

I was talking up a storm, Matt and Ward were telling great jokes, all the while, everyone was getting dressed.....I thought this a little funny, but did not think anything of it....

Then the phone rings.....Its Wendy, Charli's mom.....No hello, how you doing? No hey, how you doing? The first words out............Are you coming to your daughters wedding?

I said of course, we just arrived in town, and the wedding does not start till 7. (It was about 3pm at this point).........I hear this, "the wedding is at 5 dumb ass!". Now, I am used to that, cause Wendy and I have a pretty good sense of humor......I look at my family, notice agian that they are all dressed and just about ready to go, and who feels like the odd man out? ME!

SO, we start getting ready, and off to the wedding we go....Ward in the lead......

Charli's Wedding Part 1 of Many!

Okay, left Nv for the Mid-West a couple days before my daughters wedding.

Left work at 3p for Vegas. Drove through the "High Desert" for about six hours, pulling Pearl on the trailer.....Arrived in Beatty, Nv.

Had dinner with my boss and one of the Fire Specialists from Battle Mt. What a ball.......

Arrived in Vegas at about 1am, flight is at 7:40 am.....

I needed a few toiletries (sp) so I stopped at a Super Wal-Mart....(One of about 50, no lie, in the Vegas area)....Got what I needed, and left for the Motel 6 on Dean Martin Blvd.......

Checked in at the desk, and confirmed with the counter person that I could leave Pearl and my truck there till I came back.....She said I was good to go, and I went back to the truck.....

I figured that I would get a couple hours of sleep in the Rodeo until it was time to go to the airport........HA!

First, there were the sirens from the police cars, then the sirens from the ambulances and fire engines (which of course I do not mind!)..The drunks yelling, the couples fighting.......Then, the hookers!!!!

They were coming and going and making so much noise, I do not think I slept at all......

So, I get up, go to the counter and ask the employee if she had a number for a cab......She said yes, wrote it down for me and I left.........Now, there was a cab there a few minutes before, but between the loudmouth ass that got into it and the hooker screaming at him, I missed the phone number.....

So....I call......The dispatcher says there is one of her cabs there already...I told her he left....She said, no he is their....I told her to call him to come back....She hung up.....AHHHH!

So, I pack my guns into the "TSP Approved" aircraft carry case, pack the ammunition......Do a walk around of the trailer, making sure Pearl is locked down, and I find an empty box of rubbers.......Got to love Vegas!

Okay, the cab comes back......The loudmouth gets out, and screams at the hooker that is getting into the cab. She then gets out, and points at me.....Now, I have not said a word to her.........The driver hollers "you call for a cab", I say yes, and the next adventure begins....

So, I load up into the cab.....We start towards the airport.....The driver asks me if I noticed the hooker. Duh! He said he took her "John" to MGM......the "John" asked him to wait.....He came back out with a "guy", and they do a "Coke" deal in the back of the cab......Its about this time I realize that I left my Day Runner along with my tickets in the truck......A quick u-turn in front of Excalibur, and we are on our way back.......The driver is telling me that he does not mind that they did the "deal" in the back of the cab, but the "John" decided he was only gonna give the driver a 50 cent tip....He said he "jewed" up to $5.......I was just shaking my head......

So, I get to LAS (Airport Code for the Airport in Vegas).......I head to the Southwest counter.....The idiot at the line asked if I had to check bags.....Now, I am pulling a suitcase on wheels, with another bag on top of it, and carrying a backpack......DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He then asks if I have already checked in online....I said yes....He said to go to the counter.....Remember, this is at 5am........

The girl at the counter asks if I had signed in on the computer behind me....I said no, the "Doorman" said to come straight here.....She said I needed to sign in on the computer......I smiled, and said, no problem......

So I did.....As my name popped up on her computer, she called my name....REMARKABLE....

So, I throw the big bag on the holder, and announce to her that I have weapons that need to be checked......Without blinking an eye, she says okay! We do the TSP paperwork, I show her my unloaded guns, gives me my paperwork and 10 minutes after TSP inspects my bags with the guns, I am on my way to the gate! I love Nevada!

I would like to thank the "Towel Heads" that flew the planes into the Pentagon/World Trade Center and Pennsylvania for the high food and drink prices in the airports! $8.79 + tax for a breakfast meal at Burger King!!!!!!!!!!!!! The same meal at your regular BK is $2.89 + tax......Hmmmmmm

The flight to Chicago was uneventful, cause I slept the whole way, and listened to my 24.5 hours of music on my Ipod.....

So, (Becky will like this) when we take off from Chicago, we cross the lake, then fly over some land....When I sit by the window, I really like to try and identify land features (oh, and I love to watch the planes that cross over and under us while we fly....(You would be so suprised if you knew how close other aircraft are when you are flying.....Lets just say, most of the time you can read the names on the side of the aircraft.)

As we pass over land, I see we are along the Indiana Turnpike.....I know this, cause there next it is Notre Dame Stadium.......

then we pass over Lake Erie.....I see Toledo, Perry Nuc plant and other stuff as we get closer to Cleveland....As we approach "The Mistake on the Lake" as so many of my "non-Ohio" friends call it, I notice that there seems to be a lot more condos along Rt 2 than when I lived here....Hmm..

Since I was a kid, and we lived in Elyria/Lorain/Sheffield Lake and Avon, I knew the traffic patterns of aircraft going into and out of Hopkins........So as we travel over Brook Park and Parma (I love that name, Parma!), I notice the familure looking houses that all look the same, and the empty Ford/Chevy/Dodge plant parking lots........Boy, times must really be tough in C-Town, but I will write more on that later.....

As we land, I see the HUGE NASA hanger at Hopkins and I now know, I am home......!!!

Now to baggage claim.....I was really impressed at how quickly our luggage was onto the belts...My guns arrived with me, so off to explore NE Ohio........

After scaring the rental car attendent to death when I pulled out my Glock 23 and loaded it,
I travel quickly via I-480 past all the familure landmarks of my youth....Cranking WMMS as I go......I stop at Southeast Harley for a quick look around, then I do my normal drive through Northfield/Macedonia......My, each time I go back, I just shake my head.....

So, a few weeks before my trip, I get the catalog from a cycle accessory dealer in NE Ohio.....They are near Burton.....I forgot about the Amish.....For my friends and family from PA, they are like the Menonites, but different......That is all I am gonna say....So I traveled through Amish country and stopped at a couple of Amish Farms....

But wait, I am a little hungry, so I stop at a Giant/Eagle......The sign said they had a deli.......Well, the deli was not what I wanted, but when I turned around, there it was! Standing there all proud, displaying her wares in my face like the hooker in Vegas! THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY TAILGATE PARTY STAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I started humming the fight song, declaring to the sales lady "I have died and gone to heaven!!"

I purchase my OSU Chips, shot glasses, red plastic cups with the OSU logo and leave...I had forgot that I was hungry!

So, I stop at a Subway, get a sandwhich and start on my long journey to MD!

So I am taking back roads until I get to PA......I figure I would get on the PA turnpike after I cross over.......So, I am cruising along, minding my own business, and I approach a toll both......As I continue to find change to through into the basket, I hear this drill sgt like voice scream out "HEY, DO YOU KNOW HOW FAST YOU WERE GOING?" I look, and in the lane next to me, is a PA State Police officer....Dumbfounded, I say, no, why? "YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU ARE DOING! SLOW DOWN AND PAY ATTENTION!!!" I said, "okay", and he sped away....

Welcome back to the east!

I finally arrived at my sweeties house in Pasadena, Md, in the rain (something I had not seen since the snow in May)........I am going to bed, so the stories will continue later........

Passing Friends!

Okay, what is up with the cycle of the world right now?

I was gonna write about how much I love riding with my Ipod, but.......................

Last year, prior to my leaving for the "Muck", a good friend that decided to isolate himself from those of us whom cared a great deal for him, Davy Gilchrest, died. I had read his obituary in the paper, then received calls from a couple of old ambulance buddies. We cried, we laughed. Then, we thought about all the shit we all got into, and wondered where time and our youth went...........

So, I get a call on Sunday night from one of those old friends. She told me that another good friend from the ambulance hall passed. Denny Whittington. She told me that his niece Carol, whom is a nurse at Washington County Hospital (and also used to run with us at the ambulance!) was on duty when the event happened.

What I did not know was that her mother, Vicki, passed last month. What is up with the world?

Well, then, since I live in the desert, and cell coverage is spotty at my house, I get another message at 6:14 this morning.......The son of another good ambulance friend whom I miss, passed. He too, spent time with us on the ambulance, and he was even one of my "probies"!

I miss these people. Its like being a junkie. But I have learned to keep them in my thoughts often.

I spoke with another friend from Halfway Ambulance this morning, and she asked if I was gonna come home for the services. I told her that I cannot. I told her I would be home next week, and that I would make time to stop and pay my respects.

So, thats four friends that helped save others lives, that have passed in the last year.

Not to mention, Frank and Noelle Murray, probably the two next most influential people in my life, next to mom and dad!

Just crazy!

Charli

Well, its about a week before I make the trek back east for my daughters wedding.

I am really looking forward to this!

Here is let my short list as to why (Of course, the wedding is the main reason) in NO PARTICULAR ORDER:

Cleveland!!!!!!!!!!! (I am flying there as my base)
The people closest to my heart are going to be there! Yes, I cannot wait to see my "Little Tick" Lisa!
Perogies in Pittsburgh!!!!
I get to wear my new suit! (more on this later.....)

Again, that is a short list, so please, nobody get upset if I did not mention you by name! (Its tough being in demand) :)

I mention Perogies in Pittsburgh, cause here in the desert, there are no Perogies! Lots of Basque Food (which is the only ethnic food, and since they use lots of garlic, I am all about it!), Mexican food, fast food and frozen perogies at the supermarket. No other ethnic food!

Now, even though I have your typical Cleveland attitude about Pittsburgh (Especially after last nights game!), I am going into town with "Eyes Wide Open". Hell, if my inclinations are right, my brother in law Matt and I may be able to find a "neighborhood" bowling alley to find some "Iron City" beer!

I think my other brother in law Ward will be up to this challenge also!

Did I mention that there was to be alcohol at the reception?

Somehow, I have turned this into a "me" thing....

Its not. Its my daughters wedding.

I am proud of her. She has a better attitude about life and the future, than I did when I was her age. I am proud of the plans that her and Craig have laid out for their lives! She knows what she wants, and is on her way to get it!

I will be there watching, so proud!

Now, about the suit......Everyone knows that I am a jeans and t-shirt guy. I mean, maybe some Kaki pants and a polo now and then.....But I usually have on my Harley Boots (or tennis shoes), jeans and a Harley t-shirt!

Well, for this special occasion, I went out and bought a suit. Not only did I get the suit, but I also purchased a sport jacket with it....I think I got a hell of a deal on it....Oh, and by the way, except for the excess around the middle that seems to never want to come off, I LOOK DAMN GOOD in a suit!

Just wait and see!

Picture

Since I was feeling so down in the dumps, I posted a picture from 1989 of me on a job in Fairbanks......Boy, has time flown!

Gustav

Well, here I sit, at dispatch, watching everything going on with Gustav.

My boss turned down an assignment to pre-stage in Atlanta. I told him he should go, but he feels he needs to stay here. It would be good for him to get away, cause I think he needs time away from Winnemucca, and I can handle everything that needs handling while he would be away, but I think he does not trust me with the "keys to the house".

I sit here wishing I was there (New Orleans). Kinda like when I watched the 9/11 shit on TV. I was an ice rink manager then. Wishing I was back "on the job"!

Being a Forest Service/BLM employee, I have learned that these people are in their own little world, and oblivious to the outside world of emergency services.

Yes, the work we do is important, cause homes, some lives, forest and other wildland should not burn or be destroyed.

Since my trip to the Plumas, I have realized how "Clickish" the BLM/Forest Service is, and how much they will only do things their way. Makes me wonder why so many of them support Obama, cause "Change" is not in their volcabulary.

Anyway, I really do not think my bosses realize my potential, because they are judging me by the BLM/Forest Service standards...

Just yesterday I read where the Elko Interagency Dispatch Center brought on a new assistant center manager, he is a "Broke Dick Firefighter" that had no where else to go, but dispatch.....

While I believe we should take care of "our own", the BLM/Forest Service makes it MANDATORY that if you want any position of leadership in dispatch, you must have been on the line for at least one season. What a crock!

That policy alienates 85% of the dispatch community that would do great in these positions, but like I said earlier, these agencies are "Clickish"!

I feel that I am a great supervisor, I am a great dispatcher, I was a great firefighter, I was a great EMT, and I feel that I am a great person.

I have been doing some extra training, so that I can pass the "Pack" test they give to firefighters every year. I am going to get out next season, and prove to the "click" that they have someone special, do what you can to keep him!

I think back on all the jobs I have been on, the lives I helped save, the wrecks I helped rescue people from, the advice I gave young "fire pissers" whom have turned out to be upstanding adults, the soldiers/firefighters under my command that I treated better than my family and I wonder, did I make a difference? Did I do everything I could? Does anyone care?

I know that I do not think or do in the terms of "I", its always "we" or "us", but right now, I feel a little useless.

My apologies to anyone whom thinks I am a "downer", I just want to help the little guys in N.O.

Denver Convention

Is it me, or did the podium that Barack Obama was standing at during his acceptance speech look like something that the Joker in Batman would stand at to talk to those of Gotham City?

My questions to Barack and the Democrates.....Why do I have to pay for health care and welfare to someone who does not work? Does not want to work?

Barack is blowing smoke, and I know we are gonna hear the same kind of rhetoric next week, but he is promising the world, and he will never be able to pay for it!

Just my $.02 for now....

Driving to California, Plumas NF and Nazi Checkpoints!

SO!

I left work yesterday at 1415...Thats 2:15 pm for those that do not use military time.....

The ride over to Reno was uneventful, as usual with that ride....I talked to my daughter, Debbie from Maryland.

So, I have to make a stop at the HQ of the Forest I work on, to pick what the BLM/Forest Service/Park Service call "Task Books".

In order to do certain jobs in the wildland firefighting world, you have to have completed a task book, showing that you are qualified to do something.....

WELL, the person that does task books for our forest was not there (like he said he would be) so I looked on his desk (like he told me to do) for my newest task book that I can get signed off on this assignment.....WELL, as usual, no book!!!

So, I make a few calls, and find his cell number. VOICEMAIL!

Felling a little like my sister, I stalked his desk! I rifled through every pile of mess he had. NOTHING!

Then, I looked on his printer. There was the cover of the task book! But no book. So, I made a copy of it.

I called my boss, and told him what was happening. (We have had issues with this guy before)

He told me to take the cover, and go. At the bottom of the cover is a web page that you can go to to get the book. AHHHH!

So, I drive on....Off to California....

Do not get me wrong, there are some things I like about California (China Town in SF, Highway 1, wine and Pismo Beach), but really, I would NEVER WANT TO LIVE HERE....You all already know I do not like their gun laws, and, this is the truth, there are some really weird people....

So, I go north out of Reno on 395, the traffic going out of town is heavy.....But that is to be expected....I am doing about 75, with traffic all around me.....This Chevy Tahoe or the like is trying to get onto the interstate.....I would have moved over to be nice, but I could not, because of traffic.....Besides, like every other freeway in the country, those getting on the interstate are to YEILD to those already on it!!!! I cannot believe that people think the opposite.....This huge SUV slows down, and swerves behind me, then into the next lane, and gets up along side...There are two very GOOD LOOKING young ladies in the vehicle.....The youngest (passenger) looks over at me, and rifles up the old one finger salute! I was like....WHAT????? Being in a government vehicle, I find my urge to return her salute, but control it.....I just continue to laugh.

Their plate was a Nevada plate, Pr1nss......So, they were in the passing lane, tailgating the vehicles and so on....I had gotten close a few times, but figured I would keep my distance......So, what do they do?????? We go about 10 miles, and do what I see far to ofter in major populated areas...........Go from the far passing lane (in this case lane #4) cutting everyone off to the exit lane that is getting ready to take its curve off the interstate.......OMG!!! Its at this point that I am glad I live in RURAL NEVADA where this is really not an issue......

I laugh, shake my head, and drive on to California....

Funny thing about California.....In all of my travels, there are weight and inspections in every state for commercial vehicles......None for regular folks vehicles.....EXCEPT CALIFORNIA!

They have these Nazi Style "Check Points"......It appears that you are to stop and present you drivers license, they ask you where you are coming from, where you are going and whether or not you have any food, coolers and such in your vehicle!!!! WHAT!!!????? Its none of their business......Its America, California.....Not the Pentagon or Fort Knox or the like!

So, as I come up to the (what I am calling) "check point Nazi lady", she sees that I am driving a government truck.....Let me take a second to decsribe her......About 60 years old, long blondish/gray hair (that looked like it had not been washed in a few years)(BTW, I am finding out that a lot of California women do that with their hair!), and since I am still overweight (in the 270's now though!) I can say this FAT! If she was there to aprehend someone, it just aint happening! So, she says "coming from Reno?" I say "no". She says "where from?" I say "Winnemucca." She looks at me for what seemed like a year.......Then said......"well, go ahead."

OMG!!!! Was she going to ask me for my papers, search me....Shoot me?????!! I do not think so!

I drove away, wondering ( and still wondering while I write this) WHY?

So I am once again on my way......Funny thing about those in Northern California....The drive slower than those in Southern Cali......

As I roll into the town of Quincy, it seems like a neat little mountain town.....I pull into the Plumas National Forest and find a parking spot near the dispatch......Out comes a guy, I am gonna try and get a picture of him, with a tie die t-shirt on.....He looks just like Crosby (From Crosby Stills Nash and Young)! I MEAN JUST LIKE HIM!!!!

I meet the people I am going to be working with, and they give me the keys to a house they have rented for the next two weeks! I said a house? They said, yep, you will be rooming with two others, and its a house....BUT its 29 miles away....Oh well, governemnt work time starts when you leave for work!!!!

So, I leave....I figure I better get something to eat before I trek back 29 miles.....I stop at a Grocery Co-Op....Now, I knew this store was there, cause I looked it up.....But low and behold.....More non-hair washing, no bra wearing (which I do not mind) women.....The food was good quality, and plentiful, but the PRICE!!!! I bought a few small things, and went to Safeway!

The house is great, I know one of the guys (he is from Elko Dispatch) and it has cable in the room, but no internet...I can live with out that....

So, I leave for work.....I arrive uneventful at the forest office again......There are more "Tree Hugger" types walking around....You can tell them, I need not describe them.....

As I pull up to a parking space, there is a bumper sticker (and you all know I like to read bumper stickers!)....It says "Tree Hugger, and Don't You Forget It!"

On the car next to that, one says "You will have to pull the tree from my cold dead hands"

NO LIE!!!!!!

OMG, I am in HELL!!!!

With the exception of Safeway, and the Taco Bell (that seems to be the only fast food), everything is "Back to Nature!"

I plan on venturing out into the town (its right outside the gate) at dinner and see what else I can find....God help me.....

I will post pictures and such later.......

Boring Weekend....

Since I was on call this weekend, I did not do anything special except clean the house, change the oil in the Rodeo and on Pearl....

I did go shoot the 44 Magnum yesterday.....WOW!

With no storms in the forecast, my boss asked me if I wanted to go to Plumas National National Forest in California, to work on the fires they have going on there....

So, I am (if there are no government vehicles) gonna ride Pearl over there...Its only 250 miles from here, so it should be easy and beautiful!

I will try and take some pics while riding....

That means 12 hour days for 14 days!!!!!

How about the USA Basketball team??????? Go Lebron!!!

Our Team!

Here is our 2008 team!!

Except for Jack, (next to me), he left to dispatch in he Smokey Mt's.

Forest HCM

I usually do not talk about work here, but this has got to take the cake....

As everyone knows, I took this job because of the automatic promotion, the great experience I am getting, they paid for my move, and because I wanted to be where the action is. And I got the action!

Anyway, the Forest Service has this new thing called Human Capital Management. They took all of the HR people out of each forest, and moved them to Albuquerque, Nm.

This of course happened right before I moved from the Park Service to the Forest Service.

My first interaction with HCM went very well, they processed my advance, hooked me up with a great moving company.

I really thought it was gonna be a welcome change from the usual...

BOY WAS I WRONG!

Bonnie Kennedy was the lady that called and offered me the job here. After accepting the job, she no longer took my phone calls. In fact, I could not get any help from anyone at the Sparks, Nevada HQ of the forest I work for.....I thought this was very peculiar..I later found out that she was told that if she answered any questions about HR to any employee, she would be terminated. WOW again!

Now, a little geography......I work for the Humboldt-Toiyabe Forest. It is the biggest forest in the USFS. We are spread out all over Nevada, and part of California.....

Lauren Reynolds is supposed to be the HR person for the entire forest. Getting her to take a call is like calling the White House and asking for the President. He/She is just not gonna take your call.

The Sparks office is 130 miles away. Albuquerque is 1400 miles away. Do you think they care about us employees out in the Desert?

Okay, back to when I got here. When I got here, even though the District Office I work for was part of the process of hiring me, when I walked into the door, they said "who are you? What are you doing here?".

I should have known to just turn around right there!

So, in the interest of shortness, I am already a Federal Employee when I arrived. In my other jobs as a federal employee, I never missed a pay check when I went from one agency to the next.

It took over a month of being here before I got paid. (Thank goodness for the South Eastern Hockey Officials Association and the funds I earned).

Then there was the Health Insurance fiasco.......I came on board the USFS June 10th, 2007. I had no usable health insurance until the first week of November 2007. The USFS still took the premiums out of my pay, but do you think they would pay me back? NOOOOOOOOO!

Now lets talk about RIT.

It seems that the Federal Government taxes its employees twice when they pay for your move.

First when they pay you, then a year later, they want to know how much money you made so they can tax you again! So, being someone that thinks we pay to much in taxes anyway, questioned this. I asked: "What business is it of the USFS how much money I make as a Hockey Referee? Why do you have to know how much I report on my federal taxes?" I asked these questions to HCM in Albuquerque, because the response from Lauren Reynolds was "you need to call HCM". After making several calls, sending in several e-tickets, I finally got to talk to a person at HCM. His response: "its the IRS's policy, not ours. You have to report it or we garnish your wages!" So, after going round and round with this person, we arrived at the answer to the original question.......Only W-2 info is required, not 1099 info.

Now comes the automatic promotion. The week of June 10th of this year, I was to be automatically promoted to the next grade. It was part of the job. I had asked one of my bosses at the District office if this was automatic. He said he thought so, but he called Albuquerque to confirm. They too said it was automatic. But, he put in a request to make sure that the promotion went through.

Well, it was not! The HCM never put in for the promotion, never acted on the request by my district office. So now I am furious about this and with everything else that has happened, got really rude in my correspondence with HCM. Never swearing, just calling them worthless and such....

So, today, I get this email from Kirk D Powell, Customer Service Supervisor
ASC/HCM Contact Center, MS-211. He says that he is not going to let me talk to his employees like I did, harass them and so on.

So, instead of helping resolve the problem, his way of helping a fellow employee is to tell me I am not allowed to put in any requests nor talk to his employees.

I have now reached the end of my rope with HCM.

My District Ranger, and my boss here at dispatch have asked me to curb my emotions (which I keep in check, ask my center manager).

So I will, but bet your last dollar, every chance I get, I am going to post that guys name so everyone knows what a horrible problem solver he is!

Okay, I feel much better! Oh, and the 61 hours of overtime this pay period helps a little!

My New Fixation

So, living in the State of Nevada is really neat. For the most part, people live their lives by the "Golden Rule".

Except for the areas around Reno/Carson/Tahoe and Las Vegas where the California infestation has started, people are very conservative and believe in all of the rights that the Bill of Rights and the Constitution provide.

Oh yeah, lest we forget Wal-Mart, that is bowing down to liberal left wing do-gooders about the sale of weapons and ammo....But, our "Wally World" still sells ammo, but no weapons....They also do not have a sign on the front door declaring the store a "free killing" zone, ah, I mean a "No guns allowed" zone....Kinda like our schools and shopping malls....

Oh yeah, and my sister will hate me, but Disney is also a "Free Killing Zone" too. They just fired a guy in Florida because he brought his gun to work, but kept it in his vehicle (as Florida state law allows), illegally searched his car for the gun then fired him.

None of that here!

Anyway, for the most part, those kinds of people do not live in Nevada yet.......

Which brings me to my new fixation with weapons.....I have always been a gun lover. I had only owned a 357 pistol with my x-wife when we lived in Alaska.

I now have a Mossberg 500 tactical 12 gauge shotgun, a CZ 100 40 S&W and a just acquired Taurus Tracker 44 magnum with a 4" barrel. Dirty Harry's 44 magnum had a six inch barrel.

My newest addition will be a M-16! It is being built by "My Dealer" (What I call my gun dealer down the road) (oh, and did I mention that he is a Mormon????!!) and should be ready for pick up no later than August 11th. That will be my real "Fix" from the dealer!

My concealed weapons permit arrived a couple weeks ago, and I should see my Utah "non-resident" permit soon also. (Who would have thought, Utah, having reciprocity with the most states in the country!)

I think what is really neat, is when I pass people on I-80 with California plates while on my motorcycle.....My holster sits on my right side....the Californians have this "deer in the headlights look"! I smile and keep passing them....

Once the Utah permit arrives, I will be licensed to carry concealed in 34 states!!!!!!!!! So, when I visit my daughter in PA, my family in Oh, my family in MI, I can take my self defense weapons with me!!

When I visit Lisa, I have to put them away, because Maryland is a "Rights Denied" state...Oh well! Yes, in Maryland, the only way you can obtain a permit to carry concealed is to have been threatened with violence! Thats right, in order to prevent violence and protect yourself in Maryland, you have to have had violence projected on you......Hmmmm

The picture with the bullets shows the 40 S&W for my CZ, the middle one is the 44 magnum and the last one is the 5.56mm M-16 bullet!

The first picture is of the new pistol, and the second is of both my pistols together.....

Even with my "fixation", I realize these are not toys. I have taken classes on the laws governing the use of force, and defense. I have also been doing a lot of reading on the subject. The main purpose for owning my weapons is for self defense and the defense of those in my charge. I will protect those that stay in my home, my property and those that live near me in times of trouble. (I hope I do not sound like some crazed cult figure!)

Oh yeah, its also nice to have the "right" to purchase any kind of weapon I want too, when I want too (up until 6pm each night, cause thats when the background check people close), where ever I want too (Yes, even drug stores sell guns in Nevada!)!

Toodles!

My Daughter!

As most of you know, Charlee and I were not introduced to each other until she was 7 years old....

I have cherished every moment we have spent together since the day her mother let the two of us get together........

Charlee was here for a week, a few weeks ago....WHAT A BLAST!!

She called me at work the other day....Told me about her worries, her concerns, her needs and such.

She even helped her old dad figure out the new ipod that he has coming.....WOW!

At the end of the conversation,
she said something to me that not only put a smile on my face, but made me realize that even though I have not been there for the things a father should be there for, she loves me, respects me, and needs me as much as I need her....

She said "I am glad that we are talking again, I need that in my life"......To most, that would not seem like much.....To me, it means that my daughter listens to my opinions (not preaching) and uses her own decision making process to come to conclusions....

I love her more than she knows, and even though I take jobs that benefit me, and travel all over the country, I think (and hope) she knows that she can ask me anything, anywhere, anytime and that I will give her my best educated guess.....

What Next?

Okay...

When I took this job, I thought "WOW, Nevada, Vegas, Reno, the desert, no rain, no snow and so on!

WELL!

We had what appeared to be a "dry thunderstorm" come over top of dispatch. Shortly thereafter, we had several fires break out north of here.

Thats cool, cause that is to be expected....WELL!

About two hours later, we get another storm....This one had precipitation.....LOTS! Then, the hail came!!! LOTS OF HAIL!!! I thought Pearl was gonna get plastered! She is okay...

Then, about 6:30 pm, one of our fires in the Austin area was getting hammered by a storm.....The Assistant Chief of that area called us on the phone to tell us that a Tornado Warning was issued to that area......I called the weather service, and all they could say about not notifying us was "sorry"...AHHHHH! We contacted the incident commander to let him know what was going on, and he said "ah, yeah, its over top of our position right now, we are digging in!" I wont tell you his exact words.

So, in summary, always expect the unexpected, even if you live in the desert!

BTW, this kind of stuff has followed me all of my life! Where ever I go, big events happen!

X-Files

So, here we are on Saturday night, I have been called in because of a fire....I have a few short minutes so I decided to write about something I saw on TV several weeks ago....

The new X-Files Movie!

Does Scully look great or what??!!

I would have been her slave forever, if the chance came up....

Not sure if anyone knew, but she is blonde naturally...My dad would be proud...He always told me I was a blonde type of guy....

I think its the long hair....Could be the legs, those lips...I could go on all night, but that would be really for another type of log....

I have been an X-Files junkie since '94. I missed the first season, but made up for it...And now that I live so close to Area 51, this was an un-expected pleasure, to have this movie come out!!

Okay, back to work....

Hollister Let Down!

450 miles one way! Wind in my face the whole way! Smoke in the air (But I like that!), temperatures went from 113 down to 40 degrees.....I was all hopped up, nothing was gonna get me down!

The temps were hot, until I arrived on the west side of Sacremento! Then, the temps dropped to around 40 degrees.....I started freezing my ass off....Stopped to dress for the weather.....

Until Friday morning......

I had a GREAT hotel room at Executive Inns in Morgan Hill, Ca.....

Left at 8am....I took a wrong turn in Gilroy (The Garlic Capital of the World!)...It could have been the excitement, it could have been the smell of raw garlic on the vine, it could have been that I was pissed I was in California, it was cloudy, and cold and add to that, I was lost, and on a road never traveled.......

I was in an "S" turn stretch, so I slowed down.....this was supposed to go for about 2 miles....after three miles, I kicked it up a notch as I approached a railroad crossing....Mind you, I was only doing about 50 when I went up the hill to the crossing.....OH SHIT! Theres a 90 degree turn on the other side of the tracks........Quickly, I down shifted, and applied pressure to the brakes....I felt the rear end lock up, and immediatly let go and put on more pressure to the front......I was not worried about the stone shoulder, or the drop off, I was worried if there was a vehicle on the other side of that turn.....AHHH, there was!!!.....He saw me, and moved left of center (not hard for those from California) and I think he called me a few names, which he was entitled.....I was under control, and pulled over to catch my thoughts and let the adrenalen (SP) settle.....

There was a bike behind me, Mark, who stopped to see if I was okay....I was, told him I just neede to catch my thoughts and go.....He sped off..

I got back under way, thinking that I am glad that I am not in the headlines for this run as the first biker casualty!

I caught up with Mark, and he showed me to Hollister.....

We chatted, and he said, "let me show you around" so we walked around together, he showed me the history places, the Legion and so on....He made the statement that it seemed pretty tame compared to other years....

So, we had a couple beers at the World Famous "Johnnys", and he said "lets go to a neat place".

So off we went to San Juan Batista......WOW!!! Nice little town....It was one of the mission towns from days past....Very quaint, LOTS OF BIKERS and two little bars.....

We spent most of the rest of the day there.....We were talking to the owner of "Mom and Pops" one of the local watering spots, and she said that the sheriff in Hollister dislikes bikers, and they tried to turn it into a family event, but as we saw, it was not working...She said to go over to Los Banos, there was a rally there too......So after exchanging emails and phone numbers, Mark had to go home to his wife....

I rode around Gilroy some, attained my supply of garlic products and went back to my room....

Got up in the morning, and had a beautiful ride over to Los Banos.....Over several mountains, and around San Luis Obispo resivoir! Very nice....

Well, another disappointment when I got to this rally. $10 to get in, and only five vendors!!!!

I was on the road to Winnemucca by 11am, and back into town at 7pm, watching the Miller Lite Dodge lose a cylinder.....AHHH....

So, it was a BIG disappointing weekend....But hey, I rode over 1200 miles......and met a really neat guy!

After Shock

This is for my "Sheltered" sister:

Hollister Ca. Bike Rally

Okay, if there are no fires, if I get done teaching Safety in Paradise, Nv to the Forest Service Employees, I am going to the http://www.horsepowerpromotions.com/ and the Hollister Motorcycle Rally!

You all have heard this before, "The Birthplace of the American Biker"!

My equal on the other shift is back from his detail, and he has the phones his last week here, I have been watching the weather to see if we are gonna get any lightning storms, it looks good right now, and my boss said to GO!

And you guessed it, "Biker Chicks"!

The Wild One is a 1953 outlaw biker film directed by László Benedek. It is remembered for Marlon Brando's portrayal of the gang leader Johnny Strabler as a juvenile delinquent, dressed in a leather jacket and riding a 1950 Triumph Thunderbird 6T. Acting opposite Brando was Lee Marvin as a rival gang leader. This low-budget production had Brando playing a "rebel without a cause" two years before James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause (1955).

The Wild One was based on a short story, "The Cyclists' Raid" by Frank Rooney, in the January 1951 issue of Harper's Magazine. The story was later published in book form as part of The Best American Short Stories 1952. The story took a cue from an actual biker street party on the Fourth of July weekend in 1947 in Hollister, California that was elaborately trumped up in Life Magazine, and dubbed the Hollister riot, with staged photographs of wild motorcycle outlaw revellers. The Hollister event is now celebrated annually. In the film, the town is located somewhere in California.

For the most part, the bikers in the film are just generally rowdy in pursuit of a good time, and don't radiate the sinister menace seen in later biker movies based on the Hells Angels, some of whom actually appeared in those films. Indeed, a group of local vigilantes (led by a businessman) who try to take on the bikers are noticeably more unsympathetic (using their influence to obtain lenient treatment from law enforcement, brutally beating up Brando, and finally causing an accident in which a resident is killed and for which Brando is blamed). San Francisco Hell's Angels chapter president Frank Sadilek bought the striped shirt that Lee Marvin wore in the movie, and wore it when meeting police officials.

Trying with little success to keep things under control is the local Sheriff played by Robert Keith.

He and Brando were to face each other again on opposite sides of the law in the comedy musical Guys and Dolls.

Random thoughts...

Found the picture of the Rodeo's plate....How cool is that....? Did you know that Nevada has the most personalized tags per capita in the nation....Of course, most are in Vegas on Limo's and Taxi's......

Here is a pic of Pearl, taken from the top of our tower at dispatch!

You never know what kind of aircraft you are gonna see here.....I am hoping for some super secret spy plan, but this helo was flying this contraption, that is supposed to find gold! Yeah, right.....How about some oil?!

Oh, and this "Black Helo" with no tail numbers, getting fuel......

Virginia City, Nevada

I really like VA City, Nv.

You know, the one that the boys from Bonanza rode to in their show all of the time.....

Anyway, everytime I go there, there are bike everywhere! The town even sections off area's of the street for parking...

Yesterday was no different. Bike everywhere, people everywhere!

It was nice to ride for the day. I worked 40 hours of OT last week to include two of my days off.

So, it was nice to get away...Oh yeah, I stopped in the guns stores along RT 50 also!

Legend of the Bell

As most know, there have been a few problems with Pearl.

I thought those bells on most Harley's was cool, but never knew why they were there....

While at "Spring Street Vibrations" one of the vendors had them for sale. I found a fire hydrant one, and purchased it...When the clerk gave me my receipt, he gave me a paper with the story on it.....

LEGEND OF THE BELL*

You may have noticed that most Harley-Davidson’s have a small bell hanging from bottom of the frame. No it doesn’t mean that rider is a fairy. The reason they have the bell is because of the Legend of the Bell. Read the story below.

THE LEGEND OF THE BELL*

As we all know, life has many mysteries that have no apparent solutions. One of these is Evil Road Spirits. They are little gremlins that live on your bike. They love to ride. They're also responsible for most of your bike's problems. Sometimes your turn signals refuse to work, or the battery goes dead.

Road Spirits can't live in the presence of a bell. They get trapped in the hallow of the bell. Among other things, their hearing is supersensitive. The constant ring of the bell and the confined space drives them insane. They lose their grip and eventually fall to the roadway. (Have you ever wondered how potholes are formed?) The bell has served its purpose.

If you have picked up a bell of your own, the magic will work. But if your bell was given to you, the power has been doubled, and you know that somewhere you have a special friend helping to look after you.

So, if you have a friend that doesn't have a bell, why not be the person to give them one? It's a nice feeling for the recipient to know you personally cared. The, plus a good preventive maintenance program by the bike's owner, will help eliminate the Evil Road Spirits.

Since I put this bell on, it seems that a few of the problems with Pearl have subsided, plus, she is running great!

A picture of my bell is a the top..................

Dilemma Decided....

Well, I am at work today, and yes, I knew all along I would.....And, since the FMO (BLM's version of a Fire Chief) has fire on until 2100 because of the 4th holiday, looks like I am not gonna go to the Vegas Gun show....

I am however going to go to Virginia City, Carson City and Reno and look around. Plus, there will be plenty of things happening in VA City...

It will be a good day, cause they are calling for 100 degree temps, and red flag warnings for fire.....

I will have to take lots of pics.....

My New Dilemma

Okay, we have several fires going on right now.....My boss wants me to work tomorrow, (I am here today also) which I do not mind....BUT, I had planned on riding down to Vegas tomorrow morning, getting a room in some sleazy North Las Vegas Motel......Going to the Las Vegas Gun Show on Saturday morning, and then leaving Vegas and coming back Saturday afternoon......

So, if I work tomorrow, then I figure I would go home about 6pm (unless we have a fire) and get some sleep until about midnight.....Get up, and ride to Vegas, getting there around 5am....Just in time for the breakfast buffets to open! (even though I hardly eat much at those anymore).....

Do the gun show.....Ride the strip several times....Hit up a couple gun stores, maybe play some craps and get back on the road no later than 1pm, cause some of the gas stations that I will need to stop at close at around 8pm.....

This would put me back in the "Muck" around 6-7pm......

My dilemma is, do I go and hope that the station in Hawthorne does accept credit cards after they are closed or do I just wait until the end of the month for the Reno Gun Show, and ride to Virgina City (Yes, the one from Bonanza!) for the Show and Shine Biker Games event?......

Or, just wait until the 11th, and ride to Hollister, Ca (Home of the "American Biker") and the 2008 Hollister Bike Fest.........?....

Ahh, decisions, decisions, decisions......Which one will I make....

Hmmm... a genuine "Clint Eastwood" style 44 magnum or biker games.......

All this, and Pearl is running great!!!!!!

Beautiful Day to Ride!

Still working today, and the three major fires we had here in Northern Nevada are winding down.....I rode over to town today at lunch.....OMG what a Hot, beautiful day to ride....!!!

I almost decided to stay gone after lunch, but I knew better......

Starting three days off tomorrow.....There may be a 5 hour ride to Vegas on Friday for Saturday's gun show.......We shall see how the fires go....

Pearl and Fires.....

Not sure if I mentioned it, but she is fixed and running like the well oiled machine she is!!!!

What a two day run we are having....The lightning was devastating...

We had 4 new starts last night, and 9 starts today.....With more lightning here and coming tonight.....

Hello OT!!!!

Yes, you can defend yourself!!!!

Supreme Court Strikes Down D.C. Gun Ban, Upholds Individual Right to Keep and Bear Arms!

Its about time!!!!

Whole Foods Reno....

I am a food junkie.....I love all the food contests on TV, and one of my favorites is "Top Chef"...

They shop at Whole Foods where ever they are taping....

Last time I was in Reno, I saw a Whole Foods store that looked like it went out of business.......Well, the other day, I heard a commercial for them, and figured that after I dropped Charli off at the airport, I would go...

I did not know it was opening day.....So, right there I knew I would be upset at all the people there breathing air I could breathe, getting in MY way, and buying products that I could be buying.......

Anyway, neat grocery! But the prices are WAY OUT OF LINE!!!!

I bought some Sushi from the deli, some lettuce, some olive oil (Its great for dipping bread and eating cheese with wine!!!), some organic mozzarella balls, some organic peas and sweet corn and then I started people watching.....

Now, remember, I just spent three days in San Francisco with my daughter and her friend.......We saw about three gay couples total in SF....Lots of gays, but only about three couples.....

I saw this nice looking young lady, with a tattoo (And that does not make her a bad girl, yet)....She was about my height, nice legs, nice ti....ahhh, yeah, nice.....Well, up walks a real honest to goodness BULL DYKE with the flat-top, muscle shirt and baggie painter shorts......She saw me looking at her girl, and gave her a tongue licking down her throat that even made the other ladies around us blush.....That was the beginning.....There were guy couples too......And to see the expressions on some of the old peoples faces, was priceless.....

As I continued to people watch, I noticed that every tree hugging, green do-gooder in Reno must have been the place.....They all seemed to have some sort of button or shirt that said something about how green they were, how much they hated President Bush or something along those lines.......

Here is the kicker.....When I was at the check stand, the lady in front of me had a button on her purse that said "When Bush took office, gas was only $1.42! Vote Obama 2008!).....I will not go into all of the thought that went into my head, but I was a little pissed......She was telling the check girl how much she loved the store, and that she had been "organic" and "green" before it was "in style" and that she lived her life that way......

As she was finished, and putting her "Green" bags...the check girl asked me how I liked the new store........I said, "It is very nice to see the Bush Tax Cuts at work!". "When the rest of the country is supposedly in a recession, Reno investors are able to still open new businesses!" "Once we start drilling in Anwar, and in the Gulf of Mexico, you guys will really be busy, cause people like me will be able to afford gas to drive from Winnemucca!".....The cashier had this confused look on her face.....I was in HEAVEN!!!!

But that was not the cherry on top of the sundae........

To put wasabi on my sushi, I needed a knife......So, I hurried past all of the other "do-gooders" to the deli and obtained a "BIODEGRADABLE" knife and fork......

So, I am in the parking lot.....I parked way away, cause I had too......Well, guess who was loading her Cadillac Escalade with her "green groceries"? The same old lady......Seeing an opportunity, as I walked by, I said "nice SUV".....She looked, and said, yes, it is.....

I said, "does it run on gas or corn?" She said "corn?". I said yes, you told the checker that you live your life "green", even before it was "in style".....I said since you are hung up on President Bushes "supposedly" gas prices, I asked her if she new what the price of gas and oil was before the democratic congress (that are part of the "Bush Administration") took office?" She said that "it did not matter, it was all Bushes fault....." Knowing that I was not going to make any sense to this lady, I said to her "If Obama gets in, and the income tax rate goes to 43%, and gas goes to $6.50 a gallon, cause it may just be ALL DEMOCRATS, do not complain!" "Have a nice day, and oh yeah, your Escalade uses environmentally unsafe R-12 for your air conditioner!" and walked away......

I love being a smart ass!

Charli, Pearl and the Hipocrites at Whole Foods....

Charli left today! WHAT A GREAT TIME! Can I just tell everyone that I really missed not being a part of her "early" years??!! Quick summary: First night, a lot of fatherly advice, conversation and updates......Second night......Shooting at the range, Mexican Food, and comedy night at Winners Casino!

Third night......Picked her friend Dacia up at the airport....Drove to the Elko Bike Jamboree without Pearl :( went to play and look around while the girls got to gossip without "Dad" around......

That is when other "fun" started.......I was at the craps table of Comstocks Casino winning and the phone rings......The girls are ready for their first "Biker" experience......So, after winning a few morerolls, I left to get them...

So, we walked around the Bikefest for a while.....Dacia bought Charli a Long Island Ice Tea, in a really BIG TOWERING TALL glass.......It came with its own strap to carry it....(I will post a picture later).....So, the girls were now fairly tipsy, and Charli wanted Dacia to play some slots....So, we went back to Comstocks.

They played a game I told them was a little loose, and I went back to the craps table.......

Well, the game was not as loose to them as it was to me earlier, and they came to watch me play craps.....

After trying to teach them, Charli said she needed some air, and Dacia looked like she needed some too...So, they went outside.....About an hour later, they called me and asked me to come outside.....

I again, packed up my winnings (I was on a roll!!) and went outside....I figured I would find them barfing in the street, and several bikers around them laughing and having a good time.....OH NO!

They were in one of the vendors tents, trying on leather bra's!

Charli and Dacia came up with this idea to enter Dacia into the "Hottest Biker Chick 2006" contest......

So, they purchased the best one they could, and we went back to the motel to "set her up"!

I must say, if she was not my daughter's friend, but she looked HOT!

So, off to Comstocks!

We went in, and there was a line to get in.....Usually is for these types of events.......The fire marshal was in the club making all the exits worked, there were no more than the proper amount of people in the club......Dacia went to the front of the line, and asked to go sign up....They told her she had to wait......Then let her in....Charli and I went to follow her, but the door man said that there was a line.....Charli said she was with her, and I said I was there to keep them out of trouble......He said we would have to wait......Well, a few minutes later, the door man signaled to me, and gave me an arm band and told me to go ahead.....He wanted to card Charli, and since she is only 20 and 48 weeks, she declined and said she would wait at the door and watch.....Well, after I went in and made sure Dacia was okay, a security guard asked Charli to leave......

So, finally the contest began....The usual biker types were brought on stage, and some really good looking ones too......When it was Dacia's turn, I thought it was her contest to win!

Dacia, did not do the usual thing that biker chicks do at these events, cause I think she was still a little naive about what was going on.......That was before I learned that they served the "chicks" Yeager mister and beer....

So, at the end of the contest, all the Chicks came on stage and did a strip (I mean dance off).......Dacia did the same that the others were doing......

Well, all the chicks in the contest told Dacia backstage that she was the winner, but she was not....

WOW!!! Oh, Charli showed in the middle of the contest, told me that the fire marshal let her in, and that another guy invited her to another bar......WOW, I am getting old.....

Then on to SF, and wine country and since this is running long, Pearl is fixed and I am picking her up in the morning!

Whole Foods next.....

Charli's Coming!

Just spoke to her, her plane landed in Atlanta, (I am following it online) and I spoke to her....

I only have three hours left at work, then off to Reno to pick her up!!!!

No News is Good News....

Still no word on Pearl....I think I am going to stop at the motorcycle shop tonight and check on her....

Been working a LOT of OT this week....Rx fire gone BAD!

Charli comes tomorrow!!!!!! I am stoked!

We are gonna have a ball!!!

As I said in another post, I have been here for a year now.

I checked yesterday, and my next grade promotion should take affect no later than next pay period! Ahhh, more funds for Pearl and weapons.....HA!

It is really not bad here.......I have gotten to explore some things I only dreamed about......The desert...Although I have been on the desert before, I have learned a few things about survival here....TIRES. You never know when your tires are gonna go flat.....Water....Always keep a case of water in your vehicle.....MRE's...I got some MRE's for the truck, cause you never know when someone is gonna come by if you break down.....

A whole lot of "nothingness"! When Lisa and I went from Vegas to Rachael (Area 51), once we entered the "Extraterrestrial Highway", we saw a lot of nothing. Nothing anywhere...Between Rachael and Tonopah, we saw 4 cars.....Thats almost 200 miles.....But, we did see a lot of cattle on the road, and horses on the road......

Security Check Points......I thought I lived in America, but I guess California has succeeded.....When you enter California, there is a checkpoint where they SEARCH YOUR VEHICLE, with no warrant, no probable cause! I was told they are looking for "non approved" agricultural products, cause Northern California has some very fertile land.....Hmmm....Just more ways to invade your privacy....

I love my job! It is trying at times, but so far, its been a learning experience, and like I told my boss, I am only gonna leave if it betters me....

I do miss my last roommate (Except the cig smoke, and the nosy neighbors), but my new roommate is a blast, and her daughter keeps me on my toes! She likes to hide my remote, so she can control the TV.....Oh, and I know the words to "Sponge Bob Square Pants" now.......

Reno is a neat town...Not as big as Vegas, but just as good gambling, and a Hells Angels clubhouse!

I think one of the biggest things I miss is open air markets, and specialized food markets.....But, I will survive!

I think I am gonna go to Hollister (baring any fires or Pearl still not fixed) in July.....It is where the persona of the "American Biker" was born, and I really would like to experience that.....

Then, if all goes well, I am gonna go through Oregon and Idaho on the motor.......

All of this, if we have no big fires...If we have big fires, I just have to wait......

Vegas is only about 6 hours away driving.....I am starting to get bored with Vegas though......I guess once you travel to a town and discover how it works, how those that live there really are, you really get bored fast.....Do not get me wrong, there is something about cruising up and down the "Strip" on your motor, but like anything else, it can get boring.....One thing I have discovered, is that there is more to Vegas than the "strip" and Fremont Street.....The shops, local stores and so on......

Can any tell I am home and bored?

I am glad I took a year off from officiating, cause I think my body needed the rest....I am gonna try real hard to do some officiating in Boise, but with gas the way it is, it may not be cost affective....We shall see....

Okay, Happy Hour is on, and I need to get a shower before the VHF contest starts, cause I put up a new antenna today, and I whacked the weeds...I need a shower....

Names

We were talking at work the other night about how "Blogs" seem to generate more "hits" on google than anything else lately.....

So, here some names (In no particular order) from my past, lets see if anyone sees them in google and contacts me.....I will keep you posted....

Kenneth Ewsichek
James Brosovich
Buddy Peshek
Pam Schlosser
Dana Zavodny
Steve Thorne
Mike Gazo
Kim Gazo
Rick Bollinger
Darrell Burns
Larry Wallace
Bob Walters
Beverly Walters
Beverly Littleton
Scindy Dickerson
Mike Kolk
Doug Olsen
Susan Ruerup
Kim Dorning
Tom Plowman
Angela Beadle
Kim Mcginlay
Mike Pedone
Larry Gibson
Steve Rector
Chris Bieske
Guy Srebernak
Pam Srebernak
Lisa Lehmann
Tony Lisiecki
Tammy Lisiecki
Kim Plunkett
Judd White
Kevin Handel
Ron Coffman


That should conjour up some neat responses!