RV Trails

2006-10-09T06:33:00.000-07:00

Absolute Power
absolute power = one party having control of the presidency, the senate, and the house of representatives. The electorate of the Religious Right pushed this country into a state of absolute power in the past few elections. Come the close of election evening this year, Foley's greatest legacy may well be that he single-handedly achieved a more balanced government, simply by instant messaging lewd remarks to minors. Oddly, none of the other scandals or political follies of the past couple congresses served to achieve this, even those far more serious than Foleygate.

......The 19th- century British historian Lord Acton said: "The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. *Every* class is unfit to govern. ... Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

from an article I read this morning:

"An AP/Ipsos poll taken last week said about half of likely voters say the scandal will play a key role in how they vote. Fox News reported that internal GOP polls say the Foley Affair has put at least 50 Republican-held seats in jeopardy.

Go figure. It does not diminish the seriousness of the Foley affair to say that the 109th Congress has done far worse things to America than send dirty instant messages:

The Patriot Act. The Military Commissions Act. The "K Street Project" of Former Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and lobbyist pals like Jack Abramoff. Earmarked pork for bridges to nowhere and reducing the estate tax despite $300 billion deficits. Giveaways to the pharmaceutical industry. Weeks debating gay marriage and the Pledge of Allegiance and failing to pass an immigration bill...."

2006-10-05T11:40:00.000-07:00

ahem.... Paging Mark Foley.... Paging Mark Foley... hey, Foley..... When the alcoholism card you played the other day didn't work, you brought out what you thought was your trump card: molestation by a priest some 30+ years ago. Then you tried announcing that you are, in fact, Gay, as if that explained everything. Today, I'm waiting for your announcement that postpartum depression is the true culprit in this whole mess. Tomorrow, i'll look forward to hearing that you are actually suffering a Hypochondriacal neurosis. Perhaps by next week, you'll finally be ready to admit you're just merely a Republican.

Ken

ps. please don't send me any pictures.

2005-04-03T09:22:00.000-07:00

Pope John Paul II, Freedom Fighter.

I've spent the last few days as many others have, I'm sure, reading news stories about the end of one of the longest running Papacies in history. While I am neither Catholic nor religious, I am interested in Karol Wojtyla more for the work he did as a highly visible human rights freedom fighter, and the effect he had on the end of communism in Europe. This article in particular provides a interesting capsule of Wojtyla's effect on modern history. Wojtyla was a Pope with a history unique among current world leaders. During his youth in his native Poland, he'd experienced firsthand the totalitarian effects of Nazism and communism, and spent his remaining years resisting both, and ultimately, speeding their end.

Many years ago, I learned something about Wojtyla that I have not yet seen mentioned in recent articles. Current commentary has been focused on his birthplace, his paternal homeland, Poland, but fails to mention that his maternal homeland is Lithuania, where my family comes from. My father and most of his extended family came to America from Lithuania to escape the communism that had invaded the Baltic states and Poland in 1939.

Requiescat in pace, Karol Wojtala.

2005-03-20T09:08:00.000-08:00

Miracle Mike
Looking online for soemthing interesting to do in Arizona next week, I came across this article about 'Miracle Mike, a big fat chicken who didn't know he didn't have a head' and the festival that honors his will to live. In fact, Mike lived for 18 months without a head. Alas, I can't pay a visit to the festival, because Mike passed on in Arizona while on a tour of America, but the festivities are held in Fruita, Colorado, his hometown.

September 10th, 1945 finds a strapping (but tender) five and a half month old Wyandotte rooster pecking through the dust of Fruita, Colorado. The unsuspecting bird had never looked so delicious as he did that, now famous, day. Clara Olsen was planning on featuring the plump chicken in the evening meal. Husband Lloyd Olsen was sent out, on a very routine mission, to prepare the designated fryer for the pan. Nothing about this task turned out to be routine. Lloyd knew his Mother in Law would be dining with them and would savor the neck. He positioned his ax precisely, estimating just the right tolerances, to leave a generous neck bone. "It was as important to Suck-Up to your Mother in Law in the 40's as it is today." A skillful blow was executed and the chicken staggered around like most freshly terminated poultry.

Then the determined bird shook off the traumatic event and never looked back. Mike (it is unclear when the famous rooster took on the name) returned to his job of being a chicken. He pecked for food and preened his feathers just like the rest of his barnyard buddies.

When Olsen found Mike the next morning, sleeping with his "head" under his wing, he decided that if Mike had that much will to live, he would figure out a way to feed and water him. With an eyedropper Mike was given grain and water. It was becoming obvious that Mike was special. A week into Mike's new life Olsen packed him up and took him 250 miles to the University of Utah in Salt Lake City . The skeptical scientists were eager to answer all the questions regarding Mike's amazing ability to survive with no head. It was determined that ax blade had missed the jugular vein and a clot had prevented Mike from bleeding to death. Although most of his head was in a jar, most of his brain stem and one ear was left on his body. Since most of a chicken's reflex actions are controlled by the brain stem Mike was able to remain quite healthy.

In the 18 MONTHS that Mike lived as "The Headless Wonder Chicken" he grew from a mere 2 1/2 lbs. to nearly 8 lbs. In a Gayle Meyer interview Olsen said Mike was a "robust chicken - a fine specimen of a chicken except for not having a head." Some longtime Fruita residents, gathered at the Monument Cafe for coffee, also remember Mike - "he was a big fat chicken who didn't know he didn't have a head" - "he seemed as happy as any other chicken." Mike's excellent state of health made it difficult for animal-rights activists to garner much of a following. Even now the town of Fruita celebrates Mike's impressive will to live, not the nature of his handicap. Miracle Mike took on a manager, and with the Olsens in tow, set out on a national tour. Curious sideshow patrons in New York , Atlantic City , Los Angeles , and San Diego lined up to pay 25 cents to see Mike. The "Wonder Chicken" was valued at $10,000.00 and insured for the same. His fame and fortune would earn him recognition in Life and Time Magazines. It goes without saying there was a Guinness World Record in all this. While returning from one of these road trips the Olsens stopped at a motel in the Arizona desert. In the middle of the night Mike began to choke. Unable to find the eyedropper used to clear Mike's open esophagus Miracle Mike passed on.

Now, Mike's spirit is celebrated the third weekend in May.

Festival information and schedule

Patriot Brando

2005-03-18T19:27:00.000-08:00

In what can only be a reference to my sauve Godfather-like swagger, the counter-boy at Old Town Coffee Co in downtown Casa Grande wrote 'Patriot Brando' on my tall cup of americano. At least, for his sake, that better be what he was thinking of, else he might wake up tomorrow morning with a dead horse in his bed....

Sent wirelessly via BlackBerry from T-Mobile.

Casino!

2005-03-12T02:59:00.000-08:00

After dinner, I'm walking around the casino watching zoned-out people and blinking, spinning machines. 'I'm not gonna gamble, I just came for the buffet' I remind myself. Then, one of the nickel slots catches my eye, 'Xandu'. Actually, the dancing asian woman seduced me.

I figure ten bucks won't hurt. I'll gamble the ten and walk away. I've learned the hard way not to gamble, having lost a few thousand in previous affairs.

The ten wears down slowly, though I'm betting 30 nickels at a time. $1.50 per push of the button, seductive little temptress, this Xandu.

Finally, down to the last 20 nickels, I have to change the bet to accept the last buck. The wheels spin and I get a bonus round inside the gates of the forbidden palace! It's a match round, where one matches two numbers from 100 to 200 to win that amount. If I get the 200, I'll break even and get out of the casino. Less than 200, I'll still get out, I promise myself. But what I match instead is two red chests? This begins bonus round two. I enter a room with five terracota statues, each holding a red chest. I am to pick two. First one has 300, the second 480. Ring it up, cash out, $39 worth of indian script.

I make good on my promise and get out of there, glancing back to see the temptress resume dancing, spinning her charms.

I much prefer to gamble on the books I buy for resale....

Sent wirelessly via BlackBerry from T-Mobile.

I Just Realized the Irony

2005-03-03T20:30:00.000-08:00

The previous post, as is this post, was sent not from said coffee shops mentioned in that post, but from my blackberry pager as I lay in bed typing on a keyboard the size of a stick of bubble gum.....

Sent wirelessly via BlackBerry from T-Mobile.

Cave Creek, AZ

2005-03-03T20:16:00.000-08:00

I found a town in arizona I really like. Most of the places I've been so far since arriving have been too busy, too congested. Granted, that's nice in some ways, ensuring lots of places to shop, mostly big box brands.

But the place I am at now, cave creek, is a differnt horse altogether. Very western, with touches of southwestern, indian, mexican and lots of rustic. No big box brand name stores all along the main strip with the exception of a circle k gas station. All the other stores are old western style, complete with hitching posts and swinging shutter doors. Theres very few paved side streets off this strip. Yet for all it's rustic and isolated charm, the super highway of wireless high-speed internet runs through it in several privately owned coffee shops with no toll gates to slow one down or empty ones change jar.

I've seen the future here. Folks from small town, deeply rural america will in another year or two all be within a stones throw of of the internet as entreprising small business owners continue to recognize the additional revenue streams wifi brings them. They pave the way, providing these toll-free stretches to link all of us together. Everywhere I go that has free wifi, I spend money I would not otherwise have spent in these specific locations. Its a win-win for the owners and the patrons both.

I have a feeling that in a few years, aside from the professional graphic designers and a few other computimg intensive industries, buying desktop computers will be a thing of the past. With wifi and free internet, most of us as customer grade computer users will be using ultra lightweight laptop computers and simply going about our usual activities: lunch at the deli, coffee at the corner shop, shopping at the mall, going to the bar. In each of these places, we'll have free internet access. This is reality now, but will be even more so as more businesses see what $50 a month buys them in terms of increased patronage.

What do you think? What does your crystal ball see? Leave a comment for me below.

Sent wirelessly via BlackBerry from T-Mobile.

2005-02-25T14:53:00.000-08:00

Am I Jinxed? What is it with RVs and me? Do they not like me? I like them just fine..... A few days after obtaining the RV from the dealer in Peoria, AZ, I began experiencing engine trouble. I would lose power suddenly, and top speed would fall to 40 mph. At first I thought it was a transmission problem, but after checking fluids, all was fine, if a little low. There was no burning smell, no discoloration of fluids. I topped off, filling all other fluid levels and continued to experience trouble. A couple more days of this, and top speed was 20 mph! Finally took it in to a transmission shop, sure that it was some sort of trans trouble. The mechanics looked it over, test drove, and said it was a blocked exhaust, not the trans or engine. I was happy to hear this, thinking I would get away with a minor repair. Wishful thinking, that! Turns out I needed a new catalytic converter, and the replacement came in at $450. But hey! I'm foot-loose and fancy-free, and driving faster than 20 mph.

2005-02-24T16:20:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Sand Animation Artwork a friend from maryland sent me this link. This is several minutes long and requires broadband unless you have the patience of a saint.

How Much Do You Want for the Van?

2005-02-16T07:33:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine sent these shots to me this morning, taken in Geneva. I'm looking for a uh, 'well-preserved' vw bus to act as my tow-behind, get-around-town vehicle. I can't be sure, but i think this one might work....

Home At Last

2005-02-15T17:33:00.000-08:00

Picked up my new RV last week. Here's some photos taken prior to getting it packed up with my stuff. I'm very happy with it, everything works [but needs a fresh house battery as the old one is not holding a charge] and best of all, the dogs are not terrified in it as it rides smoothly and quietly, much like a conversion van rather than like a rickety moving truck as my old one did. It's the perfect size for me. I can almost fit in a standard parking space anywhere with just a few feet of overhang. Impromptu bookstore and thrift store stops will no longer just be a passing fancy.

2005-02-14T16:45:00.000-08:00

Lady Long-Legs
Leaving the post office, I noticed a smashed up Miata pulling into a parking spot. I mean, *really* smashed up. there did not seem to be a place on the tiny nearly demolished vehicle that was not hit, crumpled, dented, or squashed. To sate the little vehicle's bruised ego, the entire exterior was plastered with big flower stickers, the kind you'd expect to see on a vw hippy bus in the 70's. Inside sat a knock-dead georgeous long-haired blonde, apparently used to the stares of men. Nonchalently, she picks up her purse and steps out of the car, right through the tiny side window! She did not stumble, did not trip, did not exert any of the expected maneuvers one assumes one must utilize in executing such a feat. As she walked away towards the entry of the post office, I saw that I was not the only male in the vicinity admiring the lovely young lady's confidence and agile abilities.

2005-02-14T16:30:00.000-08:00

It Must Be Something in the Water
Same day, same town as previous post. This time, at the post office, whereupon completing the addition of postage to my stack of parcels, the clerk notices my return address is in Maryland and asks me why I am not using a local address. I pointed out the window to the RV, and said 'I'm traveling out of state.' While that explanation would satisfy 99.9% of the population, not so this clerk. This clerk furrows his brow, and hestitates, and then stands there shaking his head. 'You've got to have a local address.' (Do these people not have to pass an exam or something before being put in front of customers?) So I asked him, 'all those millions of people traveling away from home on any given day, including businessmen and women, what exactly do they do when in need of postal services?' He raises his eyebrows, thinks a moment, nods his head yes, finally 'getting it.' 'Exactly' I replied, and before I could stop myself, whipped out my credit card and drivers licence. I waited for the barrage of questions sure to follow now, but the clerk did not even bat an eye at my South Dakota driver's licence.

2005-02-14T15:57:00.000-08:00

They Have Wi-Fi?
Processing my book sales at Starbucks today, a fellow who turned out
to be somewhat ill-equipped in the cranial regions leans over and asks
me 'They have Wi-Fi?' to which i replied 'yes, they do.' Asked how it
works, i quickly describe the process, the price, the locations at
which t-mobile provides Wi-Fi service, a summary i've given countless
times to other wannabes who've watched me work a few seconds too long.
But this fellow....... after my summary, he looks at me for a
moment, silent, then asks me 'They have Wi-Fi?' So i immediately
dumbed-down and shooed him off with my 'sorry, i can't hear you over
the noise' bullshit, 'please ask one of the baristas for help' escape
device.

2004-03-07T20:03:00.000-08:00

Britt Albertson!
I had the pleasure of finding my best friend from college today, after losing touch with him many years ago. I had to come all the way to Washington to find him, through a network of friends here in Seattle. Turns out he has moved back to North Carolina, but for three years, had been living just 30 minutes from my home on the eastern shore of the Delmarva! incredible! now i am 3000 miles away and we'll have to content ourselves with IM and emails and pictures until i make my way back east some day. Or Britt comes to visit me where ever i might be out west. How 'bout Sturgis, Britt? Bring your Harley and let's party!

2004-03-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

Camano Island, WA

view my photo albums at http://community.webshots.com/user/mactraveler

i took a bunch of photos today on our 'scouting' visit to Camano Island. I was scouting the island to see if i wanted to bring the RV here. These are full sized files, so they are quite large
and detailed, but very much worth the download. They'll probably be too big for your monitor, but do view them 'full screen' to get the approximate effect.

Especialy fun was seeing in close up details of found objects the ways in which the micro environment closely mimiced the macro environment around me. That observation takes some explaining, and more pictures that i will post soon, to describe properly.

i especially like the photo of travis looking quite content, and the large pieces of driftwood, which take on a life of their own. The entire beach is littered with these huge pieces of driftwood,
as you'll see in one of the photos - severely puts east coast driftwood to shame!!

the dogs just loved the place, running around full-bore-crazy, and as usual, kelsey made for the water first thing - she loves to swim, but the water proved too cold even for her. I was unprepared for what i found here in this place, and did not realize how nice it was going to be. i only made a day trip today, but will come back soon with the RV for a few days stay, and many more photos.

2004-02-18T11:34:00.000-08:00

RAIN SHADOW

i'm enjoying the northwest, although i have not yet had a chance to do a whole lot since i am waiting to sell my van still. i may have a buyer today, though, and then i will be able to begin my trip in earnest. i haven't been able to take the RV anywhere because of the van issue. i've been parked, boondocking at the local indian casino. my first stop will probably be in sequim, a small town west of seattle that unlike the rest of her neighboring communities, gets very little rain and instead, enjoys much sun. so of course i want to go there first!! this freak of nature occurs because of the position of the mountains around her, and they call it a 'rain shadow.' there are just a few small towns like that west of seattle that have this nifty little natural feature! now, to find that bottle of tanning oil i brought with me.......

2004-01-31T09:54:00.000-08:00

a long, long overdue post..... [sheepish look]

What a difference a storm can make! After a 34 hour trip in sunny skies and perfect driving weather, i pulled into sioux falls, SD, and spent 8 days there visiting friends i haven't seen in a dozen years. that was a 1400 mile trip. i made some pretty good time and kept speeding to a bare minimum. the next leg, going to seattle, was a 1500 mile trip and took me 4 DAYS! good 'ole Mother decided to treat the pacific northwest to one of the worst storms in it's history, and i had the unfortunate vantage point of driving over her surface laid thick with ice and snow. it was a horrific, slow passage over the mountains, in at least -25 degree weather [the lowest my van's outdoor temp guage will register] and there were many scary moments. i'm old hat at driving through blinding storms, having lived near buffalo, ny and also driving through some crazy storms while traveling in my youth, but this one was something else. i was never before so glad as i was to get off the mountain the 8th of jan., when i pulled into seattle.

one night in montana, i was tired and not successfully finding a hotel, so i finally
pulled into some isolated closed gas station. i left the engine running, not interested
in freezing through the night with the -25 temps outside, and slept with one eye open, now and then glancing over at the temperture. it was -25 all night, and when i continued on in the morning, the rising sun and approaching valley brought the temp up to 3 degrees above zero. i remember thinking to myself [mind you, this was after better than 72 hours in a below zero environment] 'oh, good! it's getting warmer!' then i burst out laughing at the sheer aburdity of that thought.

another interesting experience was watching with amazement, in the space of 10 minutes and 10 miles, the snowpack going from 3 feet to nothing, and the temps from 14 degrees to 43 as i hauled myself off the last mountain.

i've been here in the suburbs of seattle since then, and with so much to see and do, reluctant to leave the pacific northwest even with her near constant rains and chilly cloudiness. so i have decided to forgo the trip to arizona til september, and will stay in this area til then, touring through B.C., canada, WA, OR, ID, and NV. -unfortunately, this means missing Estrella War, an SCA event i had planned to attend this week. i'll just have to wait til next Fall to to do the southwest. I think from late september til feburary after the 2005 Estrella War. for those of you interested in what the SCA is, check out http://www.sca.org

meanwhile, as i stay up in the northwest, I've discovered there's lots of skinnydippable hot springs here, too, especially in Idaho! can you think of anything better than stripping down after a long hot hike after finding a soothing bubbly hot soak, surrounded by mountains, vistas, snow and trees? oh, yeah, and some french pressed coffee fresh off the backpack stove, and a clean set of clothes to hike back in!

2003-12-30T12:13:00.000-08:00

surreal south dakota
it's surreal, driving around here in SD, in 25 - 27 degree weather, and seeing people outside without coats, washing their cars and working in their yards.... and the locals talk about how it was 'so hot last week that the snow melted. in fact, it even hit 40 degrees....!'

odd little buggers in this part of the country!

while making this leg of the trip from PA to south dakota, i noticed a few strange things. one i'll tell you about: when i got into IL, the welcome sign was a series of phrases, much like the Burma Shave signs of old Rt. 66. One set of these signs made me want to turn back towards indiana:

roses are red
my gun is blue
i feel safe
how 'bout you?

2003-12-23T17:57:00.000-08:00

Travis it's taking me a little longer to pack up the van due to overestimating the available space. had to cut some things back and save them for picking up next Spring. But i'm done now and we're leaving at first light tomorrow.

something happened today with my dog Travis. actually i have two dogs, a matched pair of pembroke welsh corgies, but this note is about travis.

they have a lot of toys, and they're scattered all over the house. I had left the toys on the floors while packing up everything else, intending to get them last thing just before we leave. the dogs had been watching me with a wary eye lately, because I was moving everything they had grown accustomed to. today, as the house became nearly empty, i think the dogs suddenly realized what the last four months of packing was all about. at least travis did. I was stopped in my tracks and moved nearly to tears to find travis piling up all his toys and depositing them near the front door.

2003-12-08T22:07:00.000-08:00

Following the Heart
after initially setting a date of Nov. 15th for my departure, and delaying twice, i was finally to leave on Dec. 10th. Looked as if i would make it too, having made so much progress this last week. but i hadn't accounted for the tugging of the heart, one that played these images of having a nice snowy christmas spent at home with the folks, and I wrote explaining to mom, who of course promptly said i'd better come on home. so, i'm staying in maryland til the 22nd instead of the 10th, after which i will spend a few days in PA at the lake for Christmas. We do not have any real big traditions like the holiday movies show, but just the same, it's nice to just be able to go home, kick up my feet and read, watch movies on their new big screen, talk trash with dad, and above all else, eat some pretty damn fine food that mom prepares.

while we may complain about the snow during those years we get a good dumping of it over christmas, i think we're also secretly delighted with the transformation of the lakeside into a surreal winter wonderland of blinking lights reflecting off the ice and boat house roofs done up with reindeer and santas in sleds and snowmen and bright stars of Bethlehem. And as with any of our family gatherings, [and probably at your's, too] there'll be arguments, nastiness, regrettable things said, and hurt feelings - the unavoidable cause and effect of picking at those old festering family sores that never seem to heal because we can't leave them alone. But at the end of our nights, weeks, years and lives, our family, and yours, will be pulled again by some unseen force of nature, a bind of often unspoken love that ties us together. Maybe it's no accident that Christmas comes at a time when all else seems lifeless, for perhaps we are meant to review the haunting reflections of our past in the dead ice of the lake, our memories thrown about like loose autumn leaves by the blizzard winds. For in the midst of this swirling, buffeting madness we are reminded by the merry lights on the boat houses that it's up to each of us to make the best we can of what otherwise seems bleak situations in our families, and realize that relentless Winters eventually give in to Spring's gentle renewal. The moral of this story is simple: Follow your heart home despite your mind's memories of bad holidays past, and do what you can to make a better Christmas this year.

2003-12-05T21:11:00.000-08:00

What's in a Name, anyway?

"Whatever You're Into, Get Into Books" - Since i started selling books 7 years ago, I've been called 'Delmarva Books', a reference to the region from which i've lived for 5 years, and loved for many more. [i did VERY briefly have the uninspired name of Bound2Sell Books. Isn't that a hoot?] Now that i am going on the road full-time, i've been thinking about a new name for the business and a fitting slogan to go with it. Because i've had so many interests over the years, I've been a generalist bookseller since i started so I would have access to all sorts of topics in my inventory to satisfy my lust for learning. Continuing to be a generalist while traveling, and not living in the Delmarva any longer, I wanted a name and a slogan that fit. So I've settled on BiblioMarket because many years ago i started a book list by that name on which buyers and sellers meet to conduct book transactions without middlemen. I've chosen "Whatever You're Into, Get Into Books" as the new slogan.

I did consider some other names, and even registered a few of them with Internic, such as BiblioBus, a sorry reference to a traveling books salesman if ever there was one, and MacTraveler, a name i have used since time eternal, [at least since 1995, anyways] a reference to my love for Mac computers and my dream of traveling. In fact i did use MacTraveler as my name on eBay back when eBay was still called Auction Web! [has that much time really passed?!] Back then, they had a little box on the main webpage that told you the number of presently registered users and the number of items available for sale at that given moment. I can remember there being less than 75,000 users and just 180,000 items for sale. my, how the times are a'changin!

Just for fun, I've posted a bunch of book slogans for your entertainment. some were serious contenders for BiblioMarket - [you'll know which ones when you see them] and some were just jokes, playing on some other popular slogans of the day. Have fun, and leave me a comment about your favorites, or other catchy or funny slogans you've come up with.

Books: The Other White Meat

Snap! Crackle! Books!

The Books of Your Life

It's Books Time!

The Right Books at the Right Time

Poppin' Fresh Books

Make Someone Happy With Books

Our Best Books Yet

Only Books Can Prevent Forest Fires

Books tastes good like Books should

Books - Now with extra cleaning power!!

Thank Books It's Friday.

You deserve a Book today

Smart. Beautiful. Books.

It Takes A Tough Man To Make A Tender Book

Leggo my Books!

Try Books, You'll Like It.

Get Serious. Get Books.

Have You Forgotten How Good Books Taste?

Where ever free speech rules, Books rules!

Your Brain: Designed for Books.

Don't Forget The Books, Mum.

Don't Leave Home Without Books

I Feel Like Books Tonight

Books Take Me Away.

Share the Books of your Life

Do The Books

If Only Everything in Life was as Reliable as Books.

Don't You Just Love Being In Books?

Books Hit the Spot

Tonight, Let It Be Books.

Books, Mother Approved.

Nothing Comes Between Me And My Books

Books melt in your brain, not in your hand

Men Can't Help Acting On Books

You're Not Gonna Pay A Lot For These Books!

I Like the Books in You

Better Ingredients, Better Books.

Books. It's Got Everything You Want To Be

Double your pleasure, double your Books

You've Got Questions. We've Got Books.

I Saw Books and I Thought of You

Get Books or Get Out

Because I'm Worth Books

Books are forever

Books Unscripted

9 out of 10 Cats Choose Books

I Brake for Books

Reach Out and Touch Books

Make Every Book Count

What's In Your Books?

Happiness is Book-Shaped.

2003-12-05T06:44:00.000-08:00

crap, crap, crap, CRAP!
that's what i said when i woke this morning and looked out my window before getting up. snow, thick hearty chunks of it, was falling. i had hoped to get out of Maryland before the first snowfall, but i guess it wasn't to be. they're saying to expect 6 - 10 inches by tomorrow before it's over. i WAS going to empty out the basement today and tomorrow, but you can guess where that plan is now. Fortunately, i took a little trip to Lowes last night and got some paint and other fixin's for some minor repairs around here. i'll start in on that instead of the basement. the rest of the house is just about emptied, except for my computer work area, the TV and chaise and the countertops in the bathrooms. monday and tuesday the weather will be back in the 40s/50s and dry, so the basement looks like it'll be the last step just a couple days before i depart. i sure do wish i had some slave labor available to me!

2003-12-04T05:43:00.000-08:00

My Path to Inner Peace
I am passing this on to you because it has
definitely worked for me.

By following this simple advice I read in an
article, I have finally found inner peace.

The advice was: "The way to achieve inner peace is to
finish all the things you've started."

So, I looked around to see all the things I
started and hadn't finished.

So, today I have finished one bottle of white wine, a bottle of Sambuca, some leftover Prozac my ex-wife left behind, and a large box of chocolates. You have no idea how good I feel!

-------

I thought about getting a photo of the basement before starting to clean it out today, and posting it here, but who really wants to see all that crap? So I'll spare you the grief.

2003-12-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

I'm just a few days away from leaving Maryland now, after some slight delay due to having far more stuff to deal with than I had realized was tucked into the various nooks and crannies of this house. I entirely forgot the closets, for example, until one day last week when I went to get something from the pantry. Standing in front of the pantry with my arm outstretched to pick up the object I'd come for, it suddenly dawned on me that the house is FULL of closets like this, and if there's one thing we all know about closets, it's that they hold the debris of our lives, catching the clutter swept off tables and floors just prior to company's arrival..... So I am decluttering, one closet after another, sending some things up to storage in the book barn, some to the garage I just finished cleaning yesterday, some to trash, and some to the thrift stores and selected friends. It would be so much easier to just unload everything into the book barn and re-christen the barn something befitting the mess, but I figure I'll sleep better on the road knowing that awaiting my eventual return home will be a smaller stock of possessions. Sorta like cleaning the kitchen and washing all the dishes just before going away for the weekend, taking pleasure in that when you return home tired and weary, there will not be a messy, smelly kitchen awaiting.

I was to leave after Thanksgiving from my parents place, but delayed the trip by a week to Dec. 6th to deal with these closets and do some minor repairs. I will have to delay until around Dec. 10th, though, because true to form, I realized this morning that I had not yet touched the basement! That's the worse 'closet' of all, having not been cleaned up since I bought this house almost 5 years ago.