LIVING FOR THE WEEKEND


Isn't that a song, living for the weekend? Seems like it is.

This was taken out the back door of the Valley house. While I'm living for the weekend, life in the Valley even though lonely is mighty pretty. That's Mt. Shasta in the background.

In anticipation of heading home tomorrow afternoon it was necessary to top off the truck with diesel: $4.46 a gallon. Getting screwed without any foreplay is not my cup of tea.

Tonight there's a trustees meeting which I lead. There's a little controversy brewing or so it's been told. Trustee meetings can be like that.

Thick skin. A quick wit. Knowing that I'm the man. Not taking any shit from anyone. I keep those things in the back of my mind just in case. Most people have the good sense not to mess with Bob so the meeting should go well.

Board meetings last about four hours which always adds up to a long day - like 16 hours. If nothing else, I'll sleep like a baby tonight.

I can hardly wait to hit the sack.

APRIL IN PARIS IT'S NOT!

I woke up to this yesterday morning. It's April 15th and it's snowing in the Valley.

Just when I was ready to put the winter coat away this happens!

The truck was covered in both snow and ice.

Scrape, scrape, scrape.
Trees were covered in snow and ice.
It made for an interesting drive to work - all 16 miles.

Snow falling . . . the truck and I, we were truly dashing through the snow.
It would have been nice to curl up alongside a fire with a good book. Instead there was an office with a pile of work.

After nearly 10 months away from home the sojourn to the Valley will end some time in June. It's been an interesting assignment, one I'll never forget.

Snow in April will always be memorable.

I've Got the Blues

I've played this song before on What About Bob. . . don't ask why, I'm blue and this song seems to fit tonight. Parts of Raincoat ring true while others don't.

Do you get the idea that I just like the song. And I'm playing it again. Because I'm blue.

DUDE, WHAT YA BUILDING?

I arrived back in the Valley late Sunday afternoon to find that my neighbor was building something alongside his front door.

You see it pictured here.

You know where this is, the neighbor with 3 trucks and a horse trailer in his backyard - the one who uses the tailgate of one of those trucks as a barbecue stand. That guy.

Me: Hey Dude, what ya building?

Dude: Swimming pool.

Me: What?

Dude: Yeah, swimming pool. We like to have the family over on Sundays for pool parties.

Me: Is it going to be deep enough for swimming?

Dude: Gonna be deep enough.

Me: How do you figure that?

Dude: None of us can swim.

PORSCHE CARRERA HATS

When I drive my new Porsche 911 Carerra Cabriolet I want to look very cool.

I also need to protect myself from the sun. So I thought I'd wear a number of hats just to mix things up.

Here's hat #1. It has a siren and the red light on top flashes on and off. This will get every ones attention. They will know one cool dude is on the road.
Hat #2: Son Maxwell brought this hat from Korea. Unlike Hat #1, there's no chin strap to keep this one on. I'll have to rig something up. Korean chicks visiting the USA will look twice when they see Bob in the Carrera wearing this baby on his head.

Thanks, Max!
Hat #3: Hugh Hefner always wears a hat like this. And look what he gets?

Who else but an 83 year old stroke victim get chicks by wearing a captains hat?

You go, Hef!

VIVA VIAGRA!
When I'm driving the streets of San Francisco, I want everyone to know that the guy behind the wheel of the Carrera loves the 49ers.

I wonder if this hat will attract more guys than chicks . . . hmmmm, maybe I better rethink this one...

There will be more hats for me to wear. Stay tuned.

Now all I need is that damn car to go with my hats!

MUSIC TO PASS SLOW ASS DRIVERS

Do you have driving music . . . music that makes you want to drive a little faster? Music that forces you to drive a little faster? Music that compels you to pass those slow ass drivers in front of you?

Whatever the case, here's Change featuring Luther Vandross (yeah, that was back in the day)with their song Searching.

It's Saturday. If you're not dancing through the weekend (or life!) then get with it! Remember, life really is a dance, it's only a matter of the music you choose.

THINGS YOU'D NEVER EVEN THINK ABOUT

Yesterday there were two road stops for highway construction on the way home from the Valley.

Both were about 10 minutes each so I took the opportunity to roll down the window and take a few pictures.

Typical lazy ass American photographic method.

Here's Mt. Shasta out the passenger side of the truck. She's a beauty.
Then there's this. I've driven by this home with the RV parked alongside of it all winter.

It's just been recently that I've noticed that something is very wrong with the RV.

So get this: This winter there was a lot of snow and ice in this area.

Homeowner not thinking worse case winter scenario:

"We'll just park the RV here. It's safe. It's right next to the house. Nothing will happen to it."

Wrong! Ice accumulated on the metal roof of the house.

Ice thawed.

A hudge sheet of ice had to have slid down the roof and dropped smack dab onto the RV.

VIOLA!

Crushed motor home!

That had to be one of those "WTF!" moments.

File this under the "Things you'd never think about".
Too bad some people have to learn the hard way. . . .

BEAUTY

In Cow Town it's easy to miss the beauty of the world. Stopping to smell the roses is removed from the vocabulary of every day living.

In the Valley, it's different.

The smells.

The sights.

The pace has slowed.

I take time to notice the sheer beauty of life.

New born calves and lambs.

The song of birds I've never ever heard.

Sunrise. Sunset. They're never the same.

Like this shot taken outside of the local coffee in the morning stop for the good old boys, Chatty Kathy's. Killer sunrise.

Then on the way to the house this afternoon I was hoping to get this shot. It's an every day occurrence - deer grazing in this meadow . . . and yes, that's one deer that's squatted for the pause that refreshes. . .

How awesome does this get? Deer in a meadow and not roadkill alongside the highway? That's how awesome it gets.
Would I live here?

Does a deer shit in the meadow?

Well, here it is, a deer shitting in the meadow.
Today the highway dept was stopping cars to allow for a 2 mile stretch of shoulder repair. We stopped for 10 minutes. I shot from the truck over my left shoulder.

Mt. Shasta.

Smelling the flowers.

Counting my blessings.

Best hold 'em up traffic stop I ever did have.

It doesn't get any better than this.

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

I rent a duplex in the Valley. It's decent. It's been renovated. Only thing - my neighbors need renovating.

So here it is, pictures of my neighbors in the Valley. I'm thinking they subscribe to this: If it has four wheels, if it uses fossil fuel and the damned thing don't run - then park the M F'er cause you never know when you need a spare vehicle.

So here's neighbor #1. He has a green Chev truck for the weekends. The brown truck here is for work. The Suburban? Who knows - in 6 months this thing has not moved a lick. Nor has the white boat alongside of it . . . and then there's the travel travel . . . One guy - all these vehicles. How much is enough?

Then a guy and his wife move into the unit next to Guy number one.

He has three trucks that sit against the back fence and an Italian camper (red neck talk for horse trailer). He has a Ford truck that's driven to work everyday. His wife has some little piss ant of a car which she drives.

See the white Dodge next to the Italian camper? Yesterday this dude drove it to the front of the house, popped the tailgate and use it for something to put his table top barbecue on.

When the barbecue was done he put the truck back against the fence with the rest of the other four wheeled deals.

Am I missing something here?

MEET ZINNI!

As most of you know, our beloved Jilli passed away (an untimely death) three months ago. The loss has been nearly unbearable given how sudden and unpredictable that it was. Losing Jill was the ultimate sucker punch: Never saw it coming. Knocked both of us down and out.

I've been busy in the Valley. Very busy. The wife has had to endure an empty house that was suddenly quiet and without "spirit". Running throughout the house, always playing, always demanding, alwaying thinking she was human, Jill was one of our children. The wife said that life without our Jill was not the same and much too quiet.

I arrive home from the Valley on Friday afternoon to find this little waif of a puppy.

Huge surprise.

Me: Does she have a name?

Wife: No.

Me: It has to be Zinnia - like the flower. Zinnia is our little flower of a dog who will blossom into a well trained dog.

Wife: Zinnia it is.

Me: But for short, Zinni.

Zinni is not used to men in her life. She is definitely not sure what to make of me.

When we're alone Zinni cries.

But then, most women cry when they're alone with me. What's up with that?

Add one more crying female to the list.

Zinni is going to have to Pomeranian up!

Driving Back to the Valley Music

It's Sunday. Time to pack the bags, load the truck and head back to the Valley. It's a long drive into the mountains - a two line road with lots of curves and few opportunities to pass the many Sunday drivers. So I layback on the throttle and cruise to the music . . . like this one. . . It's a Sunday kind of drive.

Saturday Music

You Tube has been posting videos to the blog two to four days after the fact. So, if this is posted on any day but today (Saturday) . . . you get the idea. . . I tried!

Music by Beautiful People - a Remix of Jimi Hendrix's if 6's were 9's. If you like this kind of music check out the CD. If nothing else, at least give it a listen start to finish.

As usual, if you're not dancing your way through life, blah, blah, blah, blah. So there!

COWGIRL UP!

Gracie posed for a picture yesterday. She wanted to show a high school cowgirl friend in Big Valley what she looked like wearing the purple scarf that she had made for her.

She's not met her friend yet but both are anxious to get together, ride the range and exchange cowgirl stories.

The friend made the scarf to match Gracie's purple cowgirl boots.

Ain't she just the picture of the old West?
A cowgirl just isn't complete without a rope and a 6 shooter.

Gracie can swing a decent rope for a kid her age. And she is learning about pistols.

Check out the buckle on her belt. Too sweet!
Every cowgirl has a soft spot in their heart for animals. .. like their horse and their dog. This girl is no exception.

Here Grace is with daughter Dawn's dog Flirt.

Ain't they cute?!

CARRERA FEVER

I hate it when I get the hots to buy a new car. This time the hots are over a Porsche Carrera Cabriolet (that's European for convertible, folks).

Buying a fossil fuel vehicle is probably the worst investment to make. Do they make a hydrogen or french fry oil propelled Porsche? I need to keep up with the times.

I'm so tight with money. It's earned. It's saved or invested. We have money. The wife says, "Spend it".

Still, it's hard to part with money in the bank.

Since age 16 the hots were focused on the Corvette. Anyone can buy a Corvette. In Cow Town 'Vette's are a dime a dozen. Why buy something everyone else has? Being different is a good thing.

There's nary a black Carrera in this neck of the woods. Don't you think a Porsche of this type makes a statement? I do.

The statement is, "We're spending our kids inheritance." Every dime.

Then again, spending on extravagant items comes hard. Our parents were children of the Great Depression.

A lot of their habits rubbed off on us. A penny saved . . . yeah, yeah, it's earned alright.

It feels better to shop for a used Carrera Cabriolet than for a new Porsche - nothing older than a 2001. Why eat all of that depreciation?

I've had the best luck with vehicles that are "even year" models. They've been virtually trouble free.

The Carerra needs to be a 2002, 2004 or 2008. Anything other than an even year vehicle will probably be a piece of crap.

Call me superstitious but honestly even year model cars have been the very best.

It has to have: Manual transmission. Low miles. Better than excellent condition. I'm going black Carrera and never going back.

Now if I can just remember that it's just money and spend it!

Dancing Your Way Through Life: See Line Woman

Randy Crawford has an awesome version of See Line Woman on CD (but not on You Tube). Nina Simone has several versions of See Line Woman that are also awesome and interesting.

If you're not dancing your way through life . . . well, then to hell with it!

WHAT WAS I THINKING?

Wanting to make the most of my time in Cow Town I scheduled three medical appointments for yesterday.

First was a visit with my physician who happens to be female. Some dude touching private parts doesn't cut it with Bob. Call me homo-phobic but it just doesn't seem natural.

Dr: I need to check your prostrate.

Me: I need lyrics.

Dr: What?

Me: Lyrics, you know, the words to Moon River so I can sing while you explore the inner most private parts of Bob.

Dr: No lyrics, only latex gloves and KY jelly.

Me: I love it when you talk dirty.

Later on I call the wife.

Me: You know, I actually kind of enjoyed the prostrate exam. Do you think that we could . . .

Wife: (Laughing)

Women have pelvic exams. Men have prostrate exams. Apart from the KY Jelly that's used, never the twain shall meet.
Then there was the appointment with my dermatologist. See the canister of liquid nitrogen?

It's used to freeze/burn off the barnacles on my face, arms and torso. Areas that are treated form a blister.

I look so pretty this morning.

Visiting my Dermo is always interesting. Craig always has something to say in his dry humor sort of way. His wit makes a torturous experience half way tolerable.

Fair skinned white people need to stay out of the sun or use lots of sun screen. That's one lesson I never learned.

The last appointment of the day happened to be the optometrist.

Dilate the eyes.

Shine bright lights into the eyes while I look up, down and all around.

Pictures of the orbs.

Look through a weird looking machine.

Hear some bad news. One orb has an area that hemorrhaging in its upper most reaches.

Stress? Strain lifting? High levels of cholesterol? Who knows.

Wait three months and have another exam.

Oh, the joys of living.

Driving home with dilated pupils is always an interesting experience. I could hardly see a damn thing. There should be a law against driving under the influence of dilation.

At the end of the day I was pretty tuckered out. What was I thinking when I scheduled three exams in one day?

Did I mention that today there's an annual checkup with my allergist?

TMI #128 MORE THAN YOU WANT TO KNOW

1. Stubble... good or bad? How often do you shave?

I have stubble now - four days worth. It's no big deal to me. The wife has another opinion on stubble. It's the pits scraping hair and skin off of the face five days a week. When time off of work comes around, you can bet there's going to be stubble. And there might even be stubble in other places . . .

2. If someone shoves you up against a wall while kissing you, your reaction is?

Well, if it's a guy doing the kissing I'd be a yelling, "Let's get ready to rumble!" If it's a female I'd be a yelling, "Let's ready to stumble!"

3. Did you ever own a fake ID?

Yes, and it landed me an overnight stay in jail at the tender age of 17.

4. Have you ever played a game which may require you or others to disrobe?

Would that be the game, Deal or No Deal?

5. Have you ever had sex in the snow? Rain?

Have you ever had something big rammed up your butt for asking suck stupid questions?

Bonus (as in optional): Tell us about your last boyfriend/girlfriend?

I'll take the fifth on this one.

Actually, I'm married to my last girl friend.

The picture is of Mt. Shasta and the Valley.

Dinner in Big Valley

We eat like this in the Valley. Nothing but cowyboy foot and great conversation. Listen up and hear what we talk about!

Jesus Children of America

It's Saturday. Time to dance your way through the weekend . . . and for Easter, this song. Turn it up. Dance. Think about it.

CHERISHING THE MEMORIES

Jill was a private dog. There were time when one would swear that she was human in nature. Jilli had unique traits.

For example, Jill always demanded privacy for a decent bowel movement.

There's Vinkca ground cover on a slope on the south end of the house. While I was trimming it yesterday my thoughts were of Jilli for this area was her choice for privacy.

The ground cover is always high (12 - 24 inches in height) and as you can see, nearly covers a small dog. Perfect privacy for Jilli.

Jilli would delight in going down the bank and choosing the very best spot for her morning duty.


And then she'd go leaps and bounds to come back up the hill.

I'm thankful that I took the time to take a lot of pictures of Jilli doing what she did best albeit a dump on the side of the hill.

Cherishing the memories of a loved one lost is difficult when all you want is your dog back.

"Life is not fair" runs through my mind. "Why my dog?!" is a constant in my every day thinking.

It's been 2 1/2 months since her untimely passing. Life without my dog still stings.

One day there will be another dog in my life. She'll have unique qualities But there will never be another Jilli. Never.