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!

Pearl is Sick

So, here I sit, its 85 degrees, not a cloud in the sky, I have complained all season about the weather......And Pearl is in the shop getting worked on....

I think she blew a transmission seal on my last trip to California Wine Country......She is leaking pretty bad, so I took her into AARR Motorcycles to get worked on...

I was kinda hoping she would be fixed already, but better they do it right, then to spend the money and its not right....

So, I spend my three days off waiting, watching it rain in Michigan for the qualifying (bet my brother in law is getting wet!) and thinking, "HEY! tomorrow I have been in the "MUCK" for a year!".

I hope Caveman calls today to pick up Pearl!

Weather

Okay, here we go again....While my friends and family in the midwest have storms and flooding, and my friends on the east coast are roasting, here I am in Winnemucca, where it was 80 some degrees yesterday, getting ready for the "freeze" here again.....



This is crazy! The smokejumpers were in here today talking about how green it is here in the Muck, and that they wonder if anything is gonna burn this year.....???



Me too!!!!!!!!!!



So, as the temps drop 10-20 degrees today, I ask myself again, I THOUGHT I LIVED IN THE DESERT?!

Street Vibrations....

Okay, this is the week we go from the center being open five days a week, to seven.....So, I have only two days off this week instead of three....

Spring Street Vibrations is this weekend.....First and foremost, I forgot my camera, so no pictures of the nice young ladies.......Damn....

So, I leave the house at around 11am or so....My plan is to ride to Fallon, over to Dayton then to Carson City where the "main" events are supposed to be.

Now, for those of you that look at maps are wondering, why that direction? Well, my aircraft dispatcher told me of this store in Fallon....Its not like any other store I know of, YET!

They sell liquor.....Thats always a plus in my book....They sell food and convenience items....The also sell GUNS!!!!!! Oh, and if your into porn, they have a section for that too!!!

So, I went to the "Frontier Liquor and Sporting Goods" store in Fallon (Oh, and Fallon is now home to the Navy's TOP GUN program, since it had to move from Miramar and all of those California idiots that built their houses at the end of the Miramar runway, then complained in court that the military is too loud!!!!!, but anyway).....I thought I died and went to heaven!

They had every vice you could think of in that store! Oh, and they had the M-16 I am looking for, but wanted a little to much for it.....The 44 Magnum (Yes, just like Clints) I have been looking for.....But, being on Pearl, I really had nowhere to put them while I was away from her at the bike ralley.......

And get this, (again, why I love this state!)....(My Concealed Carry Weapons permit will be here soon, so, in Nevada, you cannot carry concealed until you have it....But we are an "Open Carry" state, which means that as long as it is not a prohibited area (court house, airport and such), you can wear your weapon openly).....When I ride, my 40 S&W is on my side....Well, instead of taking it off, I wore it into the store......They said NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If I did that in Maryland where I from before here, I would have been arrested!!!

So, I left Fallon, and went to Dayton, for, yes you guessed it, another Gun Shop!

While on my way to the Carson Armory, I hit a bump, and boom, crash, splat, ting, ting, ting, there went the cell! Crashed into about 5 pieces.......OOPPPSSSS! Well, guess my boss is gonna be mad over that one.....Why? Its a government cell......

So, I finally arrive at Carson Armory, they had lots of stuff, but I thought the salesmen was rude....But, a guy did come in, and said that a local deputy told him to come in and buy a gun, cause he was being threatened by someone! A POLICE OFFICER TELLING A CITIZEN TO PROTECT HIMSELF! Have I died and gone to heaven or what???!!!!!

So, no off to Carson City to see the bike ralley.....Well, guess what? Canceled!!!! Because of the high winds!

So, off to Reno......and where else? To Bizarre Guns! Love that name....They had all kinds of goodies, but they too had prices too high.....Well, there are two gun shows coming up, one in Reno, one in Vegas.....I can wait...

Then it was off to Victorian Square, where low and behold, BIKERS!!!!

I nosed around a little, said hello to two police officers that did not even flinch about my firearm on my side, and then went over to the Atlantis Casino...

Now, I know all of you are thinking, he went to play craps or poker.....NOPE!! I went to the Skyline Terrace Sushi Bar!!! Love it there!

I ate my $22 worth of all you can eat, and then headed for the house.....

Today, I am being lazy, cleaning house and watching Hilary concede with conceding on TV, WHAT A CROCK!, watching sports and waiting for the Bush, opps Nationwide Race.....

Never a dull moment!!

Its Friggin Snowing!!!!!

Above taken wile exiting my driveway this morning on my way to work!

June 4th, in the desert, AND IT IS SNOWING!!!!! I cannot believe this!

And everything is GREEN!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where is the global warming? Where is the drought? Hmmm, come to think of it, Al Gore has been in hiding for months!

As I have said a million times since I moved here, "I thought I lived in the desert!".

This is really gonna put a damper on my ride to Reno/Carson/Lake Tahoe this weekend for Spring Street Vibrations!!!!

Stupid things!

So, I put on my boots to ride Pearl to the post office from work......As I head outside, there is a handicap indentation at the end of the sidewalk.......What do I do, I, not looking where I am going, step on that indent, and fall.....Now, being a hockey referee, I have learned how to fall and, as I fall, I roll.......Laying there on the ground, I quickly do an assessment, no broken bones, no blood, all okay.....Wait, I get up, and low and behold, my right ankle is really sore.....Yes, the one I broke while playing back in 2002.....It throbbed all day...but this morning, its okay! WHEW!

I think it was the vibration from Pearl......Its a wonderful vibration!

Way to go Ohio!

Nope, not the Pretenders song.....But better!

TOLEDO, OH, June 1st, 2008 …
Change included in gun legislation

By JIM PROVANCE
BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU CHIEF

COLUMBUS - Potential victims who harm or kill apparent intruders in their homes or vehicles would get the legal benefit of the doubt under a just-passed bill destined to get Gov. Ted Strickland's signature.

Sponsored by state Sen. Stephen Buehrer (R., Delta) and pushed by the National Rifle Association, the measure served as a magnet for changes to Ohio's 4-year-old law allowing law-abiding citizens to carry concealed handguns.

The changes will make it easier for motorists to carry weapons in their cars and in school zones and will prohibit landlords from forbidding tenants from having guns in their rented residences.

The measure was among a flurry of bills sent to the governor this week as lawmakers near summer recess. It won strong bipartisan support in both chambers, despite a lack of support from some law enforcement organizations.

The bill would take effect 90 days after Mr. Strickland signs it.

"He believes the legislation provides law-abiding gun owners with appropriate and reasonable protections, and he's looking forward to signing the bill," said Strickland spokesman Keith Dailey.

Commonly called the "Castle Doctrine," the bill shifts the burden away from the apparent victim to prosecutors and police to prove that an individual did not act in self-defense. The bill specifies that the legal resident does not have a duty to retreat when someone is illegally entering or attempting to enter his home or car.

"A lot of people believe that's the current law, that you have the ability to protect you and your family in your house," Mr. Buehrer said. "They are shocked to find out that's not the case. The general law in Ohio is if you're attacked, you have a duty to retreat. The courts have recognized that if you're in your home, you don't have a duty to retreat, but we're only one prosecutor or one judge away from losing that right in case law in Ohio."

Disputes under the law, however, have not been common in Ohio.

About half of the nation's states have some form of Castle Doctrine on their books. Mr. Buehrer said Ohio's does not go as far as some other states. Ohio's version would allow a prosecutor who doubts a self-defense story to file charges, but it would require the prosecutor to make his case by a "preponderance of the evidence."

"It's a high burden, but it does provide the opportunity to go there," he said.

The final bill dropped a provision in the original version that would have given the same protections to someone who claimed to have acted in self-defense outside his home.

Despite the changes, the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association never dropped its opposition, arguing that the courts had already worked out a way for a defendant to demonstrate he was in reasonable fear of bodily harm when he acted.

After the bill passed the Senate, the House attached a number of amendments changing Ohio's concealed-carry law, particularly as it applies to carrying guns in vehicles.

When originally passed in 2004, the law required motorists to have the gun "in plain sight" so that it could be seen by a law enforcement officer approaching a vehicle. Later it was changed to require the gun to be holstered on the person in plain view or locked in a glove compartment or other box.

The latest version allows a motorist to keep a gun in an unlocked glove compartment or a center console, but the driver must still inform an officer that he is a permit-holder and has a gun in the vehicle.

"Current law doesn't make sense," said Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association. "You can't put a gun in an unlocked glove box and you can't put it in a center console, but you can have it in a purse or brief case right next to you. We're trying to make the law work. Every change was to address real problems."

The Ohio State Highway Patrol initially opposed the change but later took a stance of neutrality.

"Our main concern was the officer's safety," said Lt. Shawn Davis, patrol spokesman.

My thing for Cleveland Rock!

Bruce and the boys at WMMS in 1976!

"Does anyone remember Jeff and Flash in the morning and their "Token Jokes of the Morning"?

"We've, got a, got a, got a, got a, got a, get down........Dammit!



As those of you who know me, know I love Rock and Roll....Especially rock from Cleveland......I did not realize how much I loved Rock until I left the Cleveland area.

Rock people you may not have known are from Cleveland:

Joe Walsh
Eric Carmen
Crissy Hind (Pretenders), although she is really from the Cuyahoga Falls Area (Woodridge High School)
Benjamin Orr of the Cars
Wild Cherry
Bobby Womack
Tracy Chapman
Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, among others.....

Probably my favorites are:

Wild Horses (Of "Funky Poodle" fame)
Jonah Koslen (Of MSB, The Hero's and Breathless) The above CD was sent to me by a real close friend, she said it had all of my favorites except one, which Jonah did when he was a member of MSB ("Real Good Time")....

MSB or Michael Stanley Band......The band that produced music that we had sex too!!!!

Heartland, as seen above, cranked some great music that, as I have grown more "Mature", I realized I had those same experiences......StagePass is probably my most listened too MSB album....It was recorded live at the Cleveland Agora (The original that burned down)......

But my best memory of MSB was after I joined the military, and came home on leave while traveling to Alaska......My sister Becky and her boyfriend had purchased tickets to see MSB at the University of Toledo......They were general admission tickets (I think about $15), and we got there early.....Well, it did not matter.....What my friends back in Cleveland paid $40-$60 for "non front row tickets", We were not only front row, but as with everyone else that got there early, leaning on the stage, looking right up to the boys from MSB!!!! I was right in front of Rick Bell when he played the Sax on "He Cant Love You" and "Lover" just as good, if not better than Clearance Clemens (Of the E Street band) did on the album, Tommy Dobeck banging the drums and just to the left of Michael himself, singing with his deep voice and playing guitar with all of his passion! It was the best concert I had ever went too!

A couple years later, I was home and visiting with my Best Friend Kenny Ewsichek, we went to Blossom Music Center to see MSB, Wild Horses, The Motels, J. Giles and Heart! WHAT a time, and I also ran into a lot of my old friends that thought I was dead or in jail, but that is a whole nother story......

As a kid, here is how I got my start in Rock!

I remember driving to Cleveland on Fridays with my dad to see my mom when she was ill, and listening to WMMS, that was when they started their famous "The Weekend Never Ends, on WMMS, Cleveland" stint that had all of us in the Cleveland area for years, at 6pm bouncing our heads and screaming out three songs that defined the Cleveland Rock Scene......For the first few years of that, it started with Murray Saul doing his "Get Downs" followed by Bruce Springsteens "Born to Run" (The most played Bruce album of mine)....In later years, as the Cleveland Rock Scene grew, the Friday night lineup then featured "Born to Run", "Friday Night", and then Ian Hunters "Cleveland Rocks"!

Every trip I made home from the Military, was geared around arriving somewhere in the range of WMMS on Friday before 6pm, just so I could hear the Friday night kick off to the weekend!

My ex-wife thought I was an idiot, Patti Carter thought I was insane.....But hey, I blame my dad for my love of Rock and Roll!

Bob Seger, Aerosmith, AC/DC (Thanks to Kenny and Buddy), the Cars (Thanks Mike Kolk), Def Leopard (they played the "World Series of Rock" at old Cleveland Stadium before making it big!) the Rolling Stones, Foreigner (Thanks Chris Pirro)(I just saw them at the Laughlin River Run!!) they all played a part of my youth, and even now as a "mature adult"....

Living close to Reno and Lake Tahoe, I have a chance to go see some of the bands listed above, and more! I just missed John Fogerty.....

Where did this ranting all come from? Well, I heard The Guess Who's "American Woman" this morning on the radio, and it reminded of another time I was home on leave, and My Dad, Mom, Sisters, brother and now ex-wife saw them at "Portside" in Toledo.......FOR FREE!!!!!

God, I love Rock and Roll!