Cloudy - full, partly, otherwise

The day was not very exciting...the only time I got out was to drop stuff off at the recycling place. The weather was too iffy to get a ride in. If it wasn't raining, then it was too dark because of the heavy cloud cover. The temperatures were perfect but I wasn't going to drive all that distance to get rained on! Some day when Jonnene and I move to a new place, we'll move to where it's easy to travel a short distance for a good bike ride, maybe even ride from the house! I can hope we'll be that lucky.

Spent more time on the house....again, it's nothing you'd notice right off the bat but I know it'll make things easier when Jonnene gets here. The closets need to be attacked and to allow her the room she will be needing...I was warned that my closet space would get smaller and smaller! There's still so much to do.

I also have to prepare for my trip to Los Angeles to pick her up in the next 3-5 weeks. Got to get the truck worked on, rotate the tires, and loaded with provisions, like blankets and food, since we'll be traveling in the winter. I'll also be looking at other travel options, mostly comparing time, cost, and the like. The last time I drove long cross-country was a trip to Albuquerque back in the Fall of 2001. I used to do stuff like that all the time but haven't had as much reason to do so since then. Most of my drives now seem to be to bike races and that's about it. I like to drive to interesting places but I've gotten tired of doing it by myself. Now that I'll be having company maybe I'll get back into it again!

Last Weekend of the Year

Late evening and it's raining....100% chance tonight and most of Saturday, so I don't know if I'll be able to squeeze in a ride in the afternoon and get some kind of mileage in my legs...and work off some of this holiday weight. I'd hate to climb a sizable hill right now!

I'm letting The Gray stay in the house tonight. Besides the pounding rain outside, he has torn the "thumb" on his right front leg, probably in a fight or caught it on something, and it looks like a bloody pulp on there. He looks exhausted so I'm letting him sleep on the cushion I have propped up on the coffee table. He's out like a light. If I had the money I'd get him fixed up and then I'd get him fixed. His owners don't seem to think that's an important thing to do. Taz is in my lap as I type this and he's in Neverland himself. I got to take Farley out into the playground behind my house before the rains came to give him a good walk and I think he enjoyed himself. He turns 11 on New Year's and that's getting old for a Labrador. I'd like to get two more years out of him and then he will have rightly earned his rest. He's been a good boy all this time.

I'm still trying to decide how to approach Dad since I've been ignoring him all week. His birthday is this Sunday and I know I need to acknowledge it. I have to tell him how much he upset me last weekend. I couldn't come down on him because I wanted to preserve the quiet of the holiday but I have to let him know he can't ever talk to me in that fashion again. I won't allow it. And he will NOT do that in front of my wife or there will be a coming-to-Jesus meeting like he's never seen before.

It will be a busy weekend work-wise which is a good thing but I'm getting concerned that no checks have come in yet and I have bills to pay. But then, that's par for the course....the life of a free-lancer, to have money but to not have money at the same time.

Jonnene has booked her flights for Sydney for her interview. It's quite possible I'll be seeing her by the end of January or first week of February. I am very excited about it all and I'm ready to be a full-time husband for her. When it comes down to it, everything I do is for her and I'm trying to do the best I can.

Amazing, simply amazing

I don't know how much longer I'll be able to keep using this blog. Blogger is switching to a new system (but still leaving the old one up for those who don't want to switch yet) and they're really trying to convince everyone to go to it. To change you have to register for a Google account and I refuse to do it. I don't want a Google account to access my blog and I'm totally convinced that getting that Google account opens me up to receiving even more junk email. Sorry, Blogger, can't do it. But lately, my Netscape program shuts down nearly every time I've tried to log on....which is why you haven't seen any posts from me the last few days....and that tells me that Blogger is screwing with me by overloading my browser.

I AIN'T GONNA CHANGE! Accept it...move on. I may have to find another blogging service eventually.

Christmas was good overall. Except for being hacked off at my Dad right now, things went pretty well. Saw all my nieces and one nephew, plus some other family members and I enjoyed that. I missed having Jonnene here for the festivities and I heard from her that things went well at her family Christmas celebrations, too. We're going to call each other at New Year's as each of us transistion over to the next year. We're 15 hours apart (she's ahead of me) so having two phone calls in that time will be twice as nice!

Speaking of, Jonnene finally got her interview scheduled! Mark down January 10th at 8 am (3 pm the day before for me) for her to get a spotlight shown on her...."awright, sister, where were you on Tuesday morning? And don't be telling any fibs if ya know what's good fer ya"....and she'll have a few questions of her own, especially regarding how soon she can expect to work in the USA. Should she be found eligible and have her paperwork in order, she should be issued her visa within 24 hours and she can start the process of coming over the big water!! This whole ordeal will be coming to an end soon.

I was not expecting to work much this week but I was surprised. I've been at the computer all week working on several jobs and I think it'll keep on for a couple more weeks. Nice!

Now if I can get back on track and start getting some of this weight off from the holidays. I'll be doing a lot of bike riding and running this weekend....there's a duathlon next weekend I'm going to try to do. Always need the motivation.

A Nice Dream, Sad Ending

Last night I had one of those amazingly realistic dreams. One of those you almost could swear actually happened. I could see details, have conversations with people, interact completely with my enviroment, the interior of buildings made complete sense and could be entered and exited normally, sound effects were normal (even heard a brand new song and the words were really funny...but, sorry, can't remember them). It featured Jonnene and I throughout the entire dream and it was great. We were spending the weekend somewhere, I know it was along a river since I remember seeing levees near our hotel. We drove there, checked in...the place had a nice interior lobby with columns and curtains along the walls. We had gotten a 2-room suite. I remember a washer-dryer in a pantry area. We did things like go to a park, plenty of walking to places I can't remember now, and we definitely had a meal at some restaurant nearby. It was great to spend time with her even if it was a dream. It felt like she was really there. So it was a great two days vacationing somewhere...wish I knew where!

My animals came with us (sorry, Jonnene, I didn't see Sophie anywhere). Farley, my black Lab, was his usual self, walking around, sleeping, getting lots of love from the two of us, of course! But here was the odd thing: my black cat, Taz, wasn't there. My old yellow-tab, Toulouse, was there instead. I had had Toulouse for 10 years before he disappeared in June of 2001. He didn't come with us to the hotel though. I was out with Farley in this semi-wooded field near the hotel when I looked over and there he was, just sitting there, scratching his shoulder with a hind leg. I recognized him immediately and said, "Toulouse, what are you doing here?" He meowed and walked over to me, and I picked him up to my shoulder like I always did where we were eye-level to each other. He just had that look that said I've just been catting around as usual. Even Farley came over, gave him a sniff, and wagged his tail as he recognized him, too. I introduced him to Jonnene and we got to hang out for a while. It was nice to see him again. He hadn't changed a bit, still had that attitude, the crooked tip of his tail, those gray-green eyes....all of his characteristics were there.

Then the alarm went off, I woke up, and I was sad that the dream was over. I cried. I miss that stupid cat.

Mid-week

Well, I'm settled down a bit with this whole immigration thing. I talked to Jonnene last night and we agreed that the main thing was to get her here one way or the other. We both can deal with the other stuff later and we'll be fine in the end. Our lawyer is inquiring about which visa would be more useful to us since both were approved at approximately the same time. Either one will get her into the country...we just want to make sure we use the proper one and in the right order! I'd like for her to use only one of them, the permanent immigration visa, and cancel out that K3 visa.

I received a reply from my Congressman today (two days after I hand-delivered my letter to him) and his office had contacted the proper authorities at the US Consulate in Sydney, asking that they look into the matter and to send a report on their findings. His letter promised to keep me informed if any information comes up. I have rarely had to contact him (the only other time was to buy US flags that had actually flown over the Capital) during his terms in office but his office always replied promptly. You can't beat that kind of service....after all, I AM paying for it!

Started going through my chest of drawers to see what old stuff I need to throw out or turn into bike cleaning rags. I think I got rid of half the stuff in there! Some is actually being tossed away, saved as rags for cleaning stuff (did I mention my bike?), bagged to give to Goodwill, or bagged to give to the Salvation Army. I kept all my old LaS'port uniforms for historical reasons although the elastic in the legs of the shorts is dried up or melting/sticking to itself, making them useless for wearing unless you replace the elastic....that ain't gonna happen. There's still so much I need to get through before Jonnene gets here but it's good to do it. I'm at that point where I want less stuff around here to keep up with. Sometimes I'll have to be ruthless and when she gets here, more stuff might get tossed. I'm for that but I might have to fight for something at some point, I'm sure.

I'm hoping to get some upgrades to my computer sometime next week or the week after. I need about 1.5 gigs of RAM installed plus a CD/DVD player/burner (I bought it on Ebay) to be installed, along with a larger second hard drive to use as backup to my main hard drive. A guy I've known for several years will do the installation along with updated software, including System 10 for my Mac! I'll finally be in the 21st century!! The good thing is that my Mac G4 will be useful for two more years before I'll have to get a new machine with the Intel chips. I can spend time saving up the money during those two years.

Eeeeyyaaaahhhhhh..........

I've had a runny nose all day!

Bit o' frustration? Oh, yea.....

No good deed goes unpunished. That seems to be the catch-phrase for trying to be a LEGAL immigrant in the USA. No matter how many t's you cross and i's you dot, there's some beaurocrat (and maybe a lawyer or two) who finds a way to extend a process that is already taking longer than it should.

It may take four more weeks before Jonnene is able to even schedule an interview at the US Consolate in Sydney. Even though the visas have been approved by the CIS, it seems the interviewer has the final say (understandable, but don't tell us the visas are approved before the interview even happens and then throw an "if" at us). I'm quite sure Jonnene will sail through the interview and, with the later date, she might get a cheaper airfare to Sydney instead of the current holiday rates.

But I'm getting more frustrated because both the K3 and I-130 visas are arriving at more-or-less the same time. That's not suppposed to be the case. The K3 was to allow her to enter the USA while the permanent immigrant visa was being processed, and we were told that it shouldn't take more than 4 months. We're now seven months into the process and the other visa is ready. Now we need to find out which one we need to go with at this moment. I prefer the I-130 to get the permanent immigrant thing going. In doing that, it makes me feel like the K3 was a waste of time and money. I'm annoyed by this and I'm not sure who I want to kick in the butt for it.

I'm sure there are plenty of countries on this planet that make things hard on people trying to immigrate, and probably make it way worse, but it really gets to me when I read in the news about illegals here easily getting work permits in less than a month (when Jonnene may have to wait up to 90 days!), getting drivers' licenses, housing, and such....sometimes due to obviously sham marriages. They overstay student visas, they sneak in past the borders and we coddle them for the money they're costing US. And they'll sue (with the ACLU's support) if we try to kick them out!

Meanwhile, we're doing everything right/legal and now seven months later we're still waiting for people to get off their hind ends to let a perfectly good person come to the USA and contribute her experience and vitality to a community that could use it. Oh, and she would be paying taxes as a working member of society....you'd think somebody in a position of authority would take THAT into consideration!

On the road....again and again

This turned out to be a great weekend to ride the bike....warmer than usual temperatures and very pleasant weather all around. The riding would have been even greater if I was in the shape I was in last September. But I'm not. After essentially six weeks off the bike, I have climbed back onto the saddle to get ready for the upcoming racing season. It won't be easy and it won't be that much fun for a while, but that's the price you pay for taking time off.

Got in 30 miles on Saturday and 49 on Sunday, all at an easy pace, keeping my heartrate below 160 to keep the rides at what is called a "fat-burning" ride. Nothing to burn up the muscles but to use the fat that's collected in me for fuel instead. Saturday's excursion was similar to last week's ride but Sunday was different. Eight of us left Waskom, Texas to go exploring whatever side roads we found in the East Texas countryside and we found a lot of them. Probably about half of the ride was on poorly maintained roads with potholes, plenty of road acne, cracks, gravel...we spent miles bumping and bouncing our way along. I think most of my internal organs have rearranged themselves! There's no doubt that my upper arms, shoulders, and neck will be sore tomorrow. Having been off the bike for so long I have lost being immune to all that stuff and everything in me was feeling all the shocks that were running thru me. My hands and butt will probably hurt some, too. I did put in a hard effort at the end of the ride to catch Terry, who had drifted off the front with a couple of miles to go, and I got the HR up around 183! It'll still be a while before I can do those efforts with a lower heartrate but here's where all that starts. My front tire flatted with 1/2 mile to go so if I had to flat, that was one of the best places to do it! I rolled in, tossed the K2 in the back of the truck, and ate out at a local diner with the rest of the bunch. I want to get in 500 miles before I go riding with the team and before I shave my legs!

End of the Week

Last night I attended a dinner put on by a group I'm associated with - TOTS, "Times Old TimerS" - composed of retired and former employees at The (Shreveport) Times newspaper. I used to work at The Times 1979-1985 as an illustrator and page designer, and those were some good times. I quit in '85 because I was getting burned out and I started my free-lance career, which I'm still doing to this date. Not sure how long I'm going to keep doing it....I'm starting to get rather worn with the idea and I'm looking to other paths.

Anyway, a former Times employee is now the editor of the Biloxi (Mississippi) SunHerald and was our speaker. His paper managed to keep publishing during the hurricane Katrina disaster in '05 and he told us how they did it and the problems they had to solve...all the while as the staff was trying to keep their own lives in order with destroyed houses and property and everything else. Southern Mississippi was hit way harder than New Orleans was but NO got all the attention in the media and in Washington. The SunHerald won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage and Stan brought the medal, in its wooden box, with him for us to see. Yeah, I got to hold a Pulitzer and it was neat. Definitely the Holy Grail of the newspaper world.

Today was just a crummy day weather-wise, foggy and cloudy, but the temperatures were pleasant. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and about 20 degrees F above normal so I plan to get some riding in Saturday and Sunday.

Pet Meds

Taz got his shots and Farley got his resupply of heartworm prevent meds. All is well with the world.

Sudden job today when a client called to see if his Christmas cards were ready. Uhhhh, no. After all, we had last talked about it in September! So I'm knocking it out tonight (client approved the sudden idea that I sent to him later in the day), send it to him in the morning, upon approval I color the illustration and get it to a quick printer for mailing on Friday. Another nice check to come that I wasn't really expecting.

I'm good. That's all there is to it.

Blonde Ambition....featuring me!

Ugh, Hollywood got up early today. The alarm went off at 4:15 am....get cleaned up, shave....load my 4 changes of clothes into the truck, and left by 5 for the "home base", which is what the little cluster of tents at the Municipal Auditorium parking lot is called for the production of "Blonde Ambition", the newest movie being filmed in Shreveport. It features (shall I say it again?) Jessica Simpson, Luke Wilson, Penelope Ann Miller, and Andy Dick.

It's dark at home base and I get my paperwork that needs to be filled out if I have any desire to be paid. There's several rows of tables with chairs in the biggest tent. I was one of the first to show up but everyone gets there by 5:30 or so....it's still dark. The head of wardrobe, Sara, looks through everyone's collection of clothes and selects what she wants people to wear for the shots scheduled....we're not changing into four sets of clothes like I thought, we're wearing the best combination of what we've got as Sara desires. When she gets to me, she takes a very quick look and says "I like what you have on already...I like the jeans....just put on your sport jacket and keep your overcoat with you, wear it or don't wear it. You're fine like that!" Well, that's less work for me. Everything else goes back in the truck and I get on the "people mover" (bus) to go to the 900 block of Milam Street.

The PA's, or production assistants (Felicia was one), and director (Kevin) made it very clear that all cell phones had to be left in our vehicles or turned in to be picked up later. I could understand that, you don't want a phone going off while a scene's being filmed. Later I heard another reason....two people had been kicked off the set last week for taking photos with their cell phones! And Simpson has been in the paper/tabloids a lot lately....they're trying not to add to what's been going on with her.

We're dropped off at a former guitar store next to the old Capri Theater on Milam....the last time I saw a film in the Capri had to be in the early 80's. There's sixty of us extras ("background" as we would be called all morning) in the building and we wait a while as it gets lighter outside and the weather is threatening....it had rained earlier. Around 7:30 the PA's come in and make a few announcements, then the director comes in and goes through the commands that will be barked out during the filming. For instance, he will place the extras at a starting point for each scene, all of them scattered out along the sidewalk to give that random look. That starting point is Position One, so when he says "Everyone back to their ones!" that means to go back to the exact place you started. "Reset" means to go back to a previous position, usually the ones. When actual filming starts, everyone yells "Background!" which means we all start moving, then "Action!" is when the primary actors do their bit. Yes, they still say "Cut!" to stop everything. We had to be aware of our surroundings and actions so that we do the same things each time we redo the same scene so there's some semblance of continuity.

Oh, and don't look at or wave at the camera....or the actors...during filming. And if the director sees any cell phones, he will take them away and NOT return them. He's a young guy but he sounds serious. And he's way full of energy....I get tired just watching him run all over the place.

The first scene has Penelope Ann Miller as a bike messenger who rides up the street and is almost cut off by a taxi, where she hits the hood of the car and calls the driver a bad name. Then she gets a call on her cell and talks to "Jessica". While she does this, the "background" is moving across the street and up/down the sidewalks. I was selected to be a "crosser" which means there's 10 of us who cross the street in random order in front of the entire scene as foreground action. I was the first one to pass by the camera on the three rehearsals and three filmed segments....probably means I'll be the first cut out! But after I would cross, off camera, a PA would direct me down the sidewalk, so maybe I'll be seen walking away as Penelope talks on her phone. I remembered looking at Penelope and thinking "I've seen you naked!", which is true since I saw her in "Carlito's Way" a few years ago where she played a striper.

But I digress......

Next scene shot was with Simpson where she's on her bike and having trouble maneuvering thru the streets of New York. It was the job of the "background" to give her room as she weaves up on the sidewalk as she yells, "Excuse me....sorry...coming through...." and yet still look like we're going about our business. She showed up after we did a couple of rehearsals and then we filmed it about 3 1/2 times (one take was cut short). I walked away from the camera on all the takes and walk right by her as she rides up the sidewalk each time. She seemed a lot shorter than I thought she'd be after seeing her in "The Dukes of Hazzard" where she looked kinda tall. She's attractive but, sorry, Jessica, I'm already taken!

Anyway, during all this it was a cloudy sky with occasional drizzle and was much warmer than it had been the last week. Being in place for both scenes took a couple of hours, with positioning of the "background" and moving cameras around for different angles, including closeups. It was very interesting. The crew certainly knew what they were doing and I noticed they were very good at watching each other's back....it was the norm, for instance, to see a PA set a foot out on a cable that's being stretched out so it didn't knock anything over, and nobody asks them to do it. The grips would coil cable and cords so that when they were stretched out again and again, they wouldn't tangle up....seems simple but I was impressed by it all. I was wondering how much sleep they all get during production! It can't be much.

I was impressed with how the production designers made Milam Street look like a smaller New York side street. There was a NYPD police car, 8 yellow cabs, a New York Times newspaper box, NYC traffic signs on the street, a simulation of a steam vent on the sidewalk...THAT was pretty neat, even a Shreveport city bus with NYC Metro decals all over it, a few sedans, and a few box/moving/loading trucks here and there. Physically it wasn't a lot but it was convincing enough to fool someone if they had been dropped in the street without being told where they were.

So we were done by 11 am (the sky then dropped a ton of rain...good timing) and returned to the building to turn in our paperwork to Felicia. Our checks will be sent in the mail but I'm not quite sure how much I'm getting paid. The wage base rate written in on my form says 55/8 which I'm going to assume is $55 for 8 hours. Normally I interpret 55/8 as 55 multiplied by 8 but I don't think I'm going to get a check for $440! It would be nice though, wouldn't it? Anyway, if I get called again, I'll mention it. Hopefully, I've made it to celluloid immortality for a film that will probably be distributed as a DVD within a week after it is released to the theater!

Of course, I'll buy a copy.

Going to be sore tomorrow!

Got up very late this morning...I just didn't want to get up!

After five weeks off my K2, it was time to hit the roads again. It was way too cold to join the numbnuts who went out at 9 am for a ride so I waited until after lunch to get my first ride in while it was somewhat warmer. So at 1 pm it was around 46 degrees F and Michael was at the parking lot to do a ride, too. He had been off the bike for three weeks because of a tendonitis problem in his shoulder so this was his first ride back, too. So we went off together, heading for Frierson and then turnaround at I-49. Our pace was slow as I was keeping my heartrate below 160 to make this a "fat burning" ride. The heartrate indicated how out of shape I was when it would go up to 164 on a slight hill when it usually would read 140-146 while going about 10 mph faster! The fitness will come....you gotta start somewhere and getting back to a decent condition is a pain as it takes a few weeks to even begin to feel fit. I told Mike all about my Oz trip and I think I've got him convinced to take a trip there in 3-5 years (so he can save up the money) with his wife. I'm a good ambassador for traveling to Australia! Anyway, we got in almost 30 miles in under two hours which wasn't bad for our first trip into the fire. It's not fast by any stretch but a good start. I plan to go tomorrow, too, either before or after a visit to see my grandmother at a party at the care center where she lives.

But my legs will be sore tomorrow and my butt will not like the saddle too much either! The second ride back is usually the worse. Tonight is my bike racing team's end-of-the-racing-season-and-Christmas-party so I plan to make up for all the calories I burned off this afternoon!

The Weekend Cometh

It's been tough to get out of bed this week. Unless I HAVE to get up, I usually need the light of day to wake up. It's terrible during wintertime as the days get shorter. The alarm still goes off at 5:15 am (because of the morning bike ride I do during the summer) which I ignore, and it's around 6:30-7:00 am before I get out from under the covers because that's when it gets LIGHT outside! When I was in Australia the last couple of weeks.....it's summer there now....the sky started getting light by 4:30 am and by 5 I was wide awake! I was up, walking around, checking email, eating breakfast, whatever. By eight it felt like half the morning was over! Then I come back home to the States and I'm zombied out until around seven.

It looks like I'm going to be in the movies....or at least have the opportunity to be on a cutting room floor! There's a film being shot here in Shreveport called "Blonde Ambition", starring Jessica Simpson and Luke Wilson, and a couple of days ago a call went out looking for extras to be in the film on Thursday and Friday. I sent in a photo and an email, telling whoever that I could make time to be an extra if they needed one. I didn't hear back on that call-out but this afternoon I got a call from a guy named Chris who said they were looking for extras to be background pedestrians in New York (that is, downtown Shreveport) for this Monday. I thought he was kidding but realized quick enough that the guy was for real. I have to call Sunday night for details but essentially I have to bring 4 changes of clothing, one a business suit and the others....that aren't business suits. Apparently I may be four different characters in different locations as they film the scene...a way to create a crowd out of a small number of people. Do multiple takes of the same scene from different angles, edit them together and the viewer thinks they're looking at a location with people all over the place! Except that it's the same people! I'll tell how it goes after it's done Monday. The best part is it's a paying gig! I've heard the pay for an extra can be anywhere from $50 to $150 a day. Either way, I can always use the money.

Saturday I do my first outdoor bike ride in five weeks. I took November off from the bike as a break and to concentrate on the half-marathon in the middle of the month. In Oz I ran only once and did two pilates classes....otherwise, not much else. Since my return I've started back on the weights and have done two wind trainer rides in the living room. It'll be very cold tomorrow but I have to start buiding up my mileage base again for the '07 racing season. I could do my first race as early as mid-February or the first weekend of March, so I need to get LOTS of miles and saddle time in me before then. The race in March is the famed Rouge-Roubaix down in St. Francisville, a 100-mile effort with about 26 miles or so of that distance "off the pavement"....on dirt roads, gravel roads, extremely steep hills, all sorts of abominations we have to ride over. It's only fun when it's over and I've done it three times so far. I've had bad luck with flats at the most unfortunate times and once you lose the pack on those dirt roads, it's over....it becomes a training ride then. Anyway, I hope to get two rides in this weekend and be able to walk normal on the movie set on Monday!

A young man who graduated from my high school in Minden died in Iraq on Wednesday. He was one of five guys in a Humvee that was blasted apart by a roadside bomb. It was especially sad in that he had just returned to Iraq last Sunday after spending two weeks of leave seeing his new son, his wife and the rest of his family. As I write this, it was only seven days ago his family saw him off at Shreveport Regional Airport on his way back to his troops (he was on his second tour). The last thing he told his Dad was that the last two weeks was the best leave he had ever had. He was a 2003 graduate of Minden High...I graduated in 1973...and I believe he is the first Minden graduate to lose his life in war since a classmate of mine's older brother was killed in Viet Nam (bad luck...he was already wounded and was being evacuated when the vehicle he was in struck a mine...his name's on the Viet Nam Memorial wall in Washington now). Here's a couple of links to the story (copy and paste the links into your browser):

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061208/NEWS01/612080313

http://www.nwlanews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1470&Itemid=26

The rest of the way

The 65th anniversary of Pearl Harbor today. Always remember.

Okay, now the rest of my trip back to the States BY MYSELF! I expect to always have company in the future.

Los Angeles to Dallas: After around 13.5 hours of flying, we came into LAX on a bright sunny Monday morning although you could see the sludge in the air over the city. It's much better than it used to be. I remember flying in and seeing a distinct brown layer over LA in 1987....haven't seen anything like that since. We got a great view of Santa Catalina Island off the coast. The landing was a rough one, we came down hard which seemed wierd since it didn't appear that you could blame the weather conditions on it. When we got to immigration, the lines were long (the Sydney flight came in just before ours) especially in the non-American line. Us US citizens had a long line ourselves to deal with but we got through immigration quickly enough, then picked up my bags much faster than the last time I was here. Breezed through customs and got my bags forwarded for me right then....wish it had been that easy back in May....that was a nightmare!

The rest was killing off time in Terminal 4 at LAX. I didn't see any movie stars (a few years ago I found myself standing next to Alec Baldwin in this same terminal) but I did overhear a fellow at the shoeshine booth telling the shoeshiner about doing a film with Robert DeNiro. He wasn't bragging and was only answering a question. In this place you never know if you're walking by a future star or a current one that you can't recognize in the real world. Eventually I went to my gate, 42A, and just layed down on the carpet and snoozed with my new Jakaru hat over my face. Then they called my flight, I boarded the 757 and settled down for the 3+ hour flight to Dallas. I slept practically the entire way, using ear plugs, eye shades, and a neck rest....I was comfortable! We came into Dallas where it was already getting dark.

Dallas to Longview to Bossier City: Had two hours to pass so I grabbed something quick at one of the food booths, then took the fast super-rail train from Terminal C to Terminal B. Then we got on one of those small SAAB turboprops (which I don't mind flying in) with about 30 other people. It was a full plane! A quick 30 minutes to Longview when Dad and Gladys picked me up and drove me back home.

My fourth trip to Oz was done! I want Jonnene with me the entire way the fifth time I go!

Home!!!

In many ways it's good to be home, in other ways it's not a happy time. I came back by myself, without Jonnene, although we already knew that would be the case. The good thing is that we're on the downhill side of this immigration ride and I really think we can count her arrival to the States in weeks now!

Ah, my trip back to the northern hemisphere, 19:38 of total in-the-air time....here's one way to look at it:

Perth to Melbourne: My flight had already been set back an hour because of the time change in Western Australia, and now it was moving back another hour because the plane was late getting in from Sydney! That meant a 12:45 am Monday morning takeoff! The good thing was that it meant another hour with Jonnene and the later arrival meant that much less time spent in the Melbourne-Tullamarine Airport. I'll skip the sappy parts of my last couple of hours with my wife but it was nice....I could look into those eyes all day. My last view of her as I turned the corner on the skybridge was of her looking at me and a short wave before I went out of sight. I thought of that sight for hours afterward. I was on a 747 outfitted for domestic flying and the plane, which can seat around 340, was only 1/3 full! The flight attendents were telling us that once we were in the air, feel free to claim a row to sleep actually laying down! And we all took advantage of it! I put in about 2 hours of snooze time of the total 3:08 flight time, so I felt somewhat rested as we landed in Melbourne under a cloudy morning around 5:50 am and it was a tad chilly outside!

Melbourne to Los Angeles: I spent a lot of time on the internet kiosks letting everyone know I made it to Mel-bun....even made a blog entry. The only thing that appealed to me for brekkie (Aussie slang: breakfast) was the sausage croissant at Hungry Jack's (the Aussie name for Burger King) and I really didn't want that either. But mixed with iced coffee it wasn't too bad. Around 10:30 I made my way thru immigration so I could get my passport stamped that I was officially leaving Australia and headed toward Gate 11 in the International Terminal. Sent a final message to Jonnene after getting one from her. She had just woke up, about two hours behind my time. Because our flight was going to the USA, we had to go thru a search of our carry-on bags and a non-intrusive body search, no problem for me since I had nothing to worry about and my time wasn't being encrouched upon. The lady looking thru my pack saw the cookies Jonnene had made for me and was envious....she likes cookies! We started boarding our Qantas 747 around 11:50 am but would still be 20 minutes late leaving (so far, EVERY flight on this trip has started late!).

More, Melbourne to Los Angeles: I sat at seat 47A, a left-side window seat and the closest to the front I've ever been on these trans-Pacific flights....I liked it...only 5 rows from the front of the economy/peanut gallery section! Unfortunately, I had a couple of large people in the other two seats of my section, but they were nice folks and went out of their way to not intrude on my space. Saw two movies, "World Trade Center" (not bad at all despite it being a Oliver Stone flick) and "The Devil Wears Prada" (which I liked much more than I thought I would....Anne Hathaway is a babe, I admit it, and Meryl Streep was "delicious" as the evil boss). There was nothing else on the entertainment system that I really cared to watch...maybe because Jonnene wasn't there and I was thinking about her a lot. So I tried to sleep as much as I could but it was in fitful spurts. I did my usual laps around the plane to stretch my legs. Fourteen hours can really stiffen you up! Anyway, we came into LAX around 7:20 am Monday morning, about 5 hours before we left Melbourne (I love that conflict of the International Dateline!).

More to come!

Greetings from Melbourne!

Yep, I'm back at the International Terminal of Melbourne Airport this morning...my 8th visit to this place and I've got the layout memorized like the back of my hand (hmm, where's the back of my hand....it was here a minute ago). My flight from Perth was an hour late leaving....I got out at 12:45 am Monday morning on a Boeing 747 that was only 1/3 full, which meant nearly everyone on board had a row of seats to themselves to lay out on for a nice nap on the 3+ hour trip east. I think I managed about 2 hours of nappy time but I need to get more on the upcoming flight to Los Angeles.

It was tough saying goodbye to Jonnene. She stayed with me until I had to board and I kept an eye on her until I turned the corner on the walkway to the plane. It'll be at least 30 days before she's able to come to the States, even if she gets her visa numbers from the US Consulate in Sydney in the meantime. Her dog, Sophie, has to have a rabies shot (the disease doesn't exist in Australia and they like to keep it that way) at least 30 days before being shipped to the USA and she will be trying to schedule that this week. We want to time it where Jonnene and Sophie arrive within a day of each other in Los Angeles, whenever that is. So that is where we stand on the arrival of my wife. But her visas have been approved so that's another thing taken care of.

Even though I've been to Oz four times, I have yet to see whether water drains out of a sink or toilet in the opposite direction from what it does in the northern hemisphere. The plumbing system is such that when you pull the plug or flush, everything shoots down like it's under 15 G's of pressure! Nothing gets a chance to swirl. Someday, when I think about it, I'll find out the real answer.

Soccer, rugby, and Aussie Rules football are some of the big sports here, but right now the country is focused on The Ashes, or something like that. It's the big cricket match between Britain and Australia, played in five cities in Australia this year. It's a big deal on TV and among the cricket fans here. Of course, there are Aussies who don't really care about cricket....kinda like Americans who don't really care about the NBA....there's a lot of us out there. But the natives do keep up with it in some form or fashion, mainly because nothing else is going on this time of year.

Also, the Western Australia Ironman Triathlon down in Busselton went on Sunday morning and we kept up with the race online. I especially liked the finish of a German who recorded a 13:13:13 time for the Ironman distance. I think he saw the time as he was finishing and waited to cross the line when all those thirteens popped up. I'd have done the same!

Also, my ULM Warhawks won their last game of the season, 39-20, against their rival, the ULL Ragin' Cajuns down in Lafayette. I was very pleased and followed that game online, too.

Aussie Time Change

To say I'm late in updating my trip is an understatement but I've been busy....really! Right now it's Sunday noon (more or less) and we spent some time at the beach. We took the dog, Sophie, with us to what's called the "dog beach" here in Perth. Quite literally, there's dogs everywhere as their owners walk them along the surf, toss balls into the water for them to swim after and return, and you can watch the animals "re-aquaint" themselves with each other. Nearly every kind of dog you can imagine is out there from little mop-tops to Great Danes. Later this afternoon, Jonnene and I have to resume packing my bag along with another one that'll have a lot of her stuff in it. We have to watch the weight of each bag to avoid being charged for the extra poundage...American Airlines, domestically, only allows 50 pounds per bag which is not a lot since most luggage can hold way more than that. Qantas allows 70 pounds per bag but we're sticking with the 50 lb limits.

Last Thursday night we went to see "The Guardian" and Jonnene recognized the LSUS pool very easily. She enjoyed the movie and we got to see it in a part of the megaplex called "Gold Pass" which is a theater that holds only 40 people, all seated by twos in comfy reclining chairs with a small table between them. A wait staff brings you drinks and a meal you choose from a menu in the Gold Pass Lobby at whatever time you choose. It was great but we discovered that it's hard to eat from a plate while watching the movie and in the DARK! Of course, it costs a bit more but I'd love to see one of these in Shreveport. This one was very classy and the staff is very polite and accomodating.

Friday night we went to Jonnene's cousin Kim's house to eat with her family, husband Brett and four daughters (my brother knows what that's like!). I can finally say I've had "shrimp on the barby"! Along with chicken, beef, a salad, bread, and a baked cheesecake Jonnene made, we managed to fatten ourselves up quite well. I even got a chance to help out with the cooking although it wasn't that much. I finally had a beer, too, and I've had plenty of opportunities to get one before now. The standard Aussie brew has twice the alcoholic content of the American brands and quite tasty. Good thing I'm such a teetotaller!

Saturday, the two of us went up to Kalamunda to visit the once-a-month outdoor market there. After finally finding a parking spot (Jonnene was surprised by how many people were there judging by all the cars!), we walked to the market in the town park and meandered our way through all the booths and shops. If I had the money I would have spent most of it! There were so many good things to look at and that I wanted to get but I had to watch my dollars these last couple of days since I still had other souvenirs I needed to grab up elsewhere.

That night we dressed up to go out on a "date", heading to a place called "That Little Mexican Place" (really, that's the name) which had been suggested to us by Jonnene's pilates instructor, who is originally from the States. He said it was the closest thing to real Mexican he had found in Perth, and I can tell you that he's right. The place was small, maybe 8 tables inside and 2 outside on the sidewalk, and the chef/owner came out to visit with us and talk about how he is trying to bring REAL Mexican food to Perth. He was a funny fellow and said he has a number of real Mexcan recipes he collected when he got to visit Santa Fe a couple of years ago. Jonnene is a real food critic and said she will definitely come back again before she leaves for the States. I told the guy that if he's still in business the next time I return to Perth, I will most definitely be back to his restaurant. He was very pleased to hear that and said he is expanding his menu. I'm looking forward to that. We got home and watched the DVD of "Cars" which we both enjoyed. It was nice for my last night in Perth.

More to come, but that's the latest highlights.

A couple of pics

One of the many "road trains" you see out on the highways of Australia. These trucks can haul up to two extra trailers (check out the number of wheels) and be almost a football field in length. The "bull bars" on the front are to knock any cattle or 'roos out of the way. These trucks are much larger than the usual 18-wheelers you see in the States.

The Town Hall in York during our drive up into the hills east of Perth.

Short-timin'

Well, just a few days before I have to head back to the States. Western Australia has decided, while I was here, to try a 3-year experiment with Daylight Savings Time and it starts this weekend. So instead of leaving out of Perth at 10:45pm as planned, it is now set at 11:45pm! Either way it puts me in Melbourne at 5:10am (Victoria is already on Daylight Savings). I spend an extra hour with Jonnene but I leave nearer to midnight!

Catching up

I've got a lot to catch up with on this blog, so this posting will be quick.

Last night (Tuesday) we had dinner at Jeff (Jonnene's cousin) and Trish's home along with their three kids, Nicole, Lisa, and Simon. First off, this was the most animated dinner I've had in a long time! The kids stole the show and I regreted not taking Jonnene's advice to bring along the camcorder to get it all on video! We had an orange beef casserole and a baked marble cheesecake to follow, and it was plenty good. From Trish trying to get off the phone with a talkative friend (we were hollering in the background for Trish to do things so she'd have a "legitimate" excuse to hang up) to Nicole talking about her cooking class (yes, it IS possible to burn chocolate), it was a laugh riot. We also showed our wedding video since they had not seen it yet, along with the wedding photo albums. Trish asked about my mom since they had hit it off at the wedding last May.

Mom, don't be surprised if Jeff and Trish show up for a visit some day!

Today, Jonnene and I took a driving trip east of Perth up into the Shire of York, or for you USA folks, the town of York. We drove through some beautiful "outback" rolling country past wheat fields and herds of cattle (as well as a herd of shorn, very naked-looking sheep). In York, we took a walking trip of some of the historic places there, many of the buildings were over 100 years old and the Town Hall was quite impressive (photo to come soon). We had lunch at the Jah Roc Cafe, which is part of the Jah Ruc furniture factory and showroom at the old York flour mill which had been restored by the two founders of the furniture company. The food was good and the furniture in the showroom was incredible, although pretty darn expensive! If we win the lottery, I'm going to order some of this stuff and have it shipped to the States! Check out their website at www.jahroc.com.au and you'll see what I mean. Click on "History" at the bottom of their home page and there'll be a story about the company along with the restoration of the flour mill. I think you'll be amazed at the Galleries of their work, too.

I took care of a bit of Christmas shopping but I still have a long ways to go.

It had rained quite heavily last night and we encountered a few showers here and there. Being up in the hills, this weather kept things on the cool side (I shivered a few times!) and the wind was blowing around 30-35 mph most of the day. After touring around York, we drove north to Northam, Shire of, and took a look around there for a bit. We walked over a suspension bridge that stretched over the Avon River and after a very brief look around town, we headed back to Perth. All told, we were gone for about 8 hours and it was a very nice trip.

Tomorrow is mostly a shopping day as I finish up getting souvenirs for the folks back home and a few things for myself. We're also going to see the movie "The Guardian" which opens that day, too. Since it was filmed in Shreveport, Jonnene might want to see it. All of the pool scenes were filmed about a month before Jonnene swam in that same pool when she visited me last February. We'll see if she recognizes anything.

Pictures!

Please note that I'm able to post some photos! I haven't done that many yet, but you can go back about 8-9 days worth of postings to see the first ones. There'll be more to come.

Eating is an art

Last night we had a wonderful evening with some of Jonnene's friends. Mainly, the ones who were responsible for the music we enjoyed at our wedding. Stephanie and Carol sang songs that we had chosen with Susan playing piano. It required a bit of work to make the arrangements and the girls are sopranos who were singing songs written for tenors! They did a fabulous job to compliment a perfect day. So we gathered up at Carol's home, ate some delicious meats cooked on the barby, and talked. It finally ended around 11pm and could have easily gone on.

Carol is also a textile artist and we took a tour of her studio. She's one of Jonnene's oldest friends and has sung professionally in both Australia and England, but then the kids came along and she became more immersed in her artwork, so singing is now something she does while creating. Stephanie is a physio (PT) and a former workmate of Jonnene's but is also a terrific singer.

Just before Jonnene and I left, the power went off and we were standing in a dark house out in the woods with only the moon providing a faint light. We figured that it was time to leave!


Enjoying some treats from the barby in the outback (well, not all that far outback) at Carol's home under the stars.

This is "Russ" the Bandicoot (a rat-like rodent marsupial) getting some treats thrown his way during the meal. He got his name from his rustling around in the woods near the patio. He's been a guest for a couple of years to Carol's house, scurrying about whenever there's a meal outdoors. He's not a bother, eats what scraps are dropped....usually by the kids, and then runs off into the woods again!

Hmmmmmm

I love the smell of the bakeries in Oz.

A week to go....

"Santa & Mrs. Claus" hand out presents to the kids. They've all spent time in the pool!

Jonnene converses with one of her nieces at the family Christmas gathering.


Already down to my last seven days in Oz...as usual, the time passes slowly at first but picks up speed like the snow ball going downhill. It's been a wonderful time here with Jonnene, yet we're getting close to facing that gap between times of being together. But the next time we get together it should be for good!

ULM won their game 23-3 over North Texas, their second win in the last three games. There's one more against Louisiana-Lafayette this Saturday and then it's on to next year. The boys have greatly improved the last few games and it should make an easier transition to 2007. I spent Sunday morning listening to the NT game over the internet and hope to hear some of next week's game, too.

The highlight of Sunday was the annual Christmas gathering of Jonnene's family at Sue and Peter's house all afternoon. Probably around fifty people who share in some way the same basic DNA as Jonnene showed up to visit, eat, and watch the kids splash about in the pool. The temps were near 100 degrees but the sea breeze coming in, plus the abundant shade available, made the event quite nice. It was also an opportunity to re-visit "the scene of the crime" or the place where Jonnene and I were married. Another wedding is scheduled there soon which will make three so far that the home has hosted. Jonnene's brother and sister-in-law were the first to set the streak. I got to chat it up with most of the folks who attended my wedding and catch up on their lives as well as update them on what I was doing, along with answering any questions about the States. I hope I did a decent job and made some sense at that!

The couple we had visited with in Busselton back in May, Cam and Sally, were there. Sally is pregnant again, expecting in April, so it was a surprise to see that little bump since the last time I saw her she was slender! Cam was also a surprise in that he had shaved his head the day before! As he said, "I don't have to look at it so it doesn't bother me at all!" All of Jonnene's aunts were there and I spoke to them at length. Trish and Jeff were there with their kids, and Trish asked about my Mom. She absolutely adored the way my Mom spoke (Arkansas with a touch of Southern and Louisiana mixed in, I guess) when we were all here last time.

The evening was a quiet one. We all walked the dog to work off some of the food and sweets we had consumed, then watched a touch of Australian Idol, which is down to its last two singers. We didn't watch all of it since Raelene was recording it for later.

Barby Time!

Right now, I'm listening to the broadcast of the ULM football game against North Texas over Jonnene's laptop as I update my blog. The game starts at 6pm Saturday night in Monroe and it's 8am Sunday morning here...a bright sunny day with a brisk wind. It's pretty cool to catch some football live while on the other side of the world!

Last night we had a cookout at David and Olga's house, and Jonnene's mom was able to come over, too. We enjoyed some BBQ chicken kabobs with sausage links, salad, potato salad, and garlic bread. The meat was cooked on David's brand new BBQ and cooker but it didn't last long since he was using a fuel tank he already had and it ran out of fuel not long after he started! But it was on long enough to cook the meat sufficiently for us without using the kitchen cooktop. This whole weekend thru Monday will be an Aussie delight for me with plenty of cookin' on the barby! You gotta love it!

All of us gave Faye (my mother-in-law...wierd for me to think I have one!) an early Christmas present: a digital camera. We gave it early so she could use it at the family gathering on Sunday. Actually, the gift was for both Faye and Bill but he wasn't there. I think she'll understand how it works since she has kids who are up to snuff on these things.

Most of the day was spent at home (Raelene's house) and later, Jonnene and I spent some time at the stores looking for "boarder" shorts, or surfer shorts, for me so I'll have something to wear when we go down to the beach later this week. The weather is good enough and we heard the water in the Indian Ocean is warm enough to spend some time in. I didn't find anything I liked or within my price range, yet, but we'll keep looking.

So far ULM is playing pretty good but it's early in the game. North Texas is three-and-out in its first offensive series. Hope the Warhawks keep it up!

So you think you know all about the USA....

Y'know, I'm quite aware that my country does some things that can be quite stupid and doesn't make much sense. I also know it does some great things and is not a country that the world lives in fear of (those who do, have their own problems to deal with and try to make it the USA's fault). Like someone said a couple of years ago, if you're in trouble somewhere in the world and your rescuers are coming over the ridge, you feel like you might make it if they're flying the US flag.

I was reading this morning's edition of the Western Australian newspaper, and it had an article about a local satirist who has written a book called "American Hoax". Basically, he set up a series of blogs under various ID's and duped a number of Americans into staged venues where he made them look foolish and ignorant of American politics. He said that American politics were easy to understand and he probably knew more about it than most Americans. After reading the confusing review on his book (coming out next year), I concluded he didn't know as much as he thought he did.

The guy is much like a literal "Borat" (the movie where this character pretending to want to learn about America ends up duping all his victims and makes fools of many of them). Now I understand satire and humor, and there are times when fooling someone justifies the joke. But I do not approve of making people who don't deserve it look like idiots. That's thoughtless and careless, and I always hope the joker pulling the trick has the karma reversed on him some day.

The thing about what this guy and Borat pulled are that they are dictating and controlling the results they want to get. They WANT Americans to look foolish to prove their point that they are, and will do what is needed to insure that result. It's similar to how certain opinion polls are worded to get the desired results to reflect a certain viewpoint. I have no doubt that the Borat people have plenty of film on the cutting room floor of scenes where the people they tried to fool didn't fall for it. Of course, those scenes aren't going to make it into the movie. They don't help in the conclusion that the film makers want and they won't verify those scenes even exist.

Same goes for this satirist...he spins a good yarn about how it took months to set up all the fake websites and opinion pieces, but I think it took that long because he also had a lot of failures where people caught on to him very early. Those incidences won't make it into his book, I'm sure. You can also note his political leanings when he comments that all you have to do to learn the truth on FoxNews is to put the word "not" in front of every verb they use. Interesting that Fox was the only news source he mentions in the article, and Australians have their own opinions about Robert Murdoch anyway...some justified, some puzzling.

Americans are like anyone in any other country...some know a lot about their politics, some know virtually nothing, and the thing is that people here are free to decide what they want to know about the world. There are people in the world who don't care about the USA but, by God, they demand that the USA better care about them.

I'm waiting for Borat and others like him to do their tricks in Asian countries. But they won't because they know they can get away with it in Western countries and make plenty of money off the people they trick to prove a point that they themselves created. They would be dead men if they tried that in the Middle East and those are countries that are definitely charicatures and contradictions of themselves.

Well, I'm off the soapbox now. I have better things to do with the rest of my time.

Oz on a Friday

Despite the fact that it's already quite warm here, the mornings and evenings are surprisingly cool due to the winds that blow down from the hills in the A.M. and then come off the coast in the P.M. But even then you can still feel the humidity and, on a run especially, you can work up quite a sweat while feeling that chill on your skin.

Jonnene and I went into downtown Perth on Friday to look around, eat lunch, and we also picked up her medical results for the immigration process. She passed all her exams with flying colors and will need to bring the paperwork and x-rays with her to her interview at the US Consulate in Sydney (whenever that will be). We ate lunch at one of the underground food courts in an arcade (shopping) in the Hay Street Mall. My mom would recognize many of these spots like London Court and such from when she was here during the wedding. We spent lots of time in women's shoe stores since Jonnene was trying to find some slip-ons to replace the ones she was now wearing and had borrowed from her sister. They were rubbing her outside little toes raw and she was quite uncomfortable the more we walked around.

We stopped by the grocery store (Cole's in the Karrinyup Mall) to get the ingredients for a lasagna Jonnene was going to make for dinner. They have these weird shopping carts here: all four wheels swivel about...the carts in the States only have swivel wheels in the front, the rear wheels stay straight. It's unusual and takes a lot of work to push them around if you've never done it before. The cart starts to turn sideways as you push it forward and making a turn into an aisle is a work in physics and momentum. I'm sure that the more you use these things the more you get the hang of it and it becomes easier. One immediate advantage I found with the "four-wheel drive" of these carts is that you can move them sideways into areas that you'd have to "parallel park" our traditional carts.

It looks like a full weekend coming up. We're having a bar-b-que at David's house Sauturday night, the family Christmas Tea on Sunday afternoon at Sue and Peter's (where the wedding took place), and then another bar-b-que at the house of a friend of Jonnene's on Monday evening. It should be a lot of fun and a lot of food. Cooking on the barby is definitely a part of Aussie life and I've had some excellent meals come off those cooktops. I relay the details as they happen.

Catching up

I think I'm getting behind on my blog updates but then I'm about 14 hours ahead of the US...maybe I'm not as behind as I think!

Anyways...Wednesday was my first full day in Perth. Jonenne and I had lunch with her parents and her brother, David, at a little outdoor bakery/restaurant in a shopping area. We also cruised through the Karrinyup shopping mall to run a few errands.

Thursday was Thanksgiving Day in the States, not so in Australia but I wanted to celebrate in some small way. So I had turkey in my meal at lunch and in my sandwich at dinner. Lunch was in Subico at a place called The Walk Cafe, located on a side street with tables both inside and outside...we chose outside in the shade and with a nice breeze blowing from the oceanside, it was quite pleasant. We wandered through one or two shops in the area, looking for an Aussie Rules gameball at a sporting goods shop. They had several NFL and NCAA footballs there, too! That was unexpected!

There's not a big selection in Australia TV...probably about 6 channels. Hardly anything worth watching in the daytime and most of the evening shows are a mixture of Aussie and American programing. The reality shows were initially a big hit here (their own versions, I mean) but I'm told it's been culled down to a couple which are popular and have survived. The top one is their own version of dancing with the stars and it has had its share of controversy since I arrived. They're down to the fnal two couples and already one of the judges is being threatened with a lawsuit by the mother of one of the remaining dancers! Stay tuned.

It's early Friday morning here and I'm about to head out with Jonnene to an early Pilates class she teaches. I haven't done pilates in a long while so wish me luck that I come out of it okay!

On with the story....

I got back to the Melbourne airport, got my bag out of storage, and went into one of the men's restrooms to change out of my sweaty T-shirt and have a shave (to look nice for Jonnene). I spoke to an Aussie gentleman who had questions about prices for gas and such in the USA compared to Australia, and really enjoyed talking with him.

Unfortunately, for both of my flights to Adelaide and Perth I was going to have a middle seat in my 3-seat section. I hated it. Usually I ask for window or aisle but there were none to be had on either flight. So I kept myself squeezed between the arm rests on the 737's, never able to get really comfortable. On the arrival in Adelaide, I got to see the new airport that was in the process of being built when I last saw it in June of 2005. The old airport building was rather small...well, it was REALLY small! The new one is just the opposite. It's really big and roomy with plenty of space to wander around in, or as the Aussies say, plenty of walkabout room. I located the camera where the live pics of the airport are broadcast on the airport's website, attached to the side of a light standard (post) about 70 feet off the ground.

The flight to Perth was okay, minus the middle-seat situation, where I got in a decent half-hour of sleep, had supper, and watched the latest Pirates of the Carribian flick, Dead Man's Chest. I had not seen the other film and I must say that I enjoyed this one. It kept my mind off of the middle-seat thing.

Anyway, I arrived in Perth and, coming out of the skywalk, I saw Jonnene waiting for me. She was a fabulous sight and I was so happy to see her. After an appropriate greeting between the two of us (I ain't gonna detail it!) we made our way down to the baggage pickup and out to her car. Then it was on to her sister's house where she's been staying since the end of May.

Trip stuff

I'm in my first full day in Perth. Had lunch today with Jonnene's parents and her brother, David. It's warmish here and a tad humid, but then it IS summer in Australia.

The trip out was fairly uneventful but every one of my flights were late leaving which didn't matter all that much since I was on each plane and I was going wherever it was going. Every time, however, the pilots made up for the lateness of the takeoffs and hot-footed it to their destinations, where we either arrived early or only a few minutes late. So it wasn't bad in that respect. Dad and my step-mother dropped me off at the airport in Longview, Texas to start the trip. Arrived at DFW and had no problems making it to another terminal to catch my flight to Los Angeles. I tried to sleep as much as I could to offset the future jetlag that surely would be encountered (so far, no worries there...so far).

I hung around at LAX just watching people. I already had my boarding pass and my bag was already forwarded to the Qantas flight. When we got on the plane, I was happy that I had a seat about midway on the plane just over the wing. In the last two trips to Oz I always found myself in the last section of the plane which I wasn't ever really pleased with. So I was on seat 51K, the window seat on the right side of the 747. Unfortunately, seat 50K was broken...not that the passenger sitting in it could tell, but the seat back was realitively loose (so it moved around every time the passenger moved around), as was the tray table in front of me. It stayed in place but wasn't tight against the back of the seat. A little annoying but it could be dealt with. Watched "The Break-Up", "Superman Returns" and "My Super Ex-girlfriend" (I'm sorry, but Uma Thurman is NOT attractive to me) on the Qantas enertainment system along with a couple of documentaries and, of course, hours of watching the little GPS-styled maps of my flight in real time. I also put in about 4-5 hours of sleep in that 14.5 hour flight over the Pacific (my seventh crossing of the Big Water) and did a couple of "laps" on the plane to stretch my legs.

My plane arrived in Melbourne about 10 minutes early after leaving LAX about 25 minutes late. I'm always amazed at where I am when I fly into Australia...I'm literally astounded that I'm on the other side of the world. It never gets old to me. The weather greeting me started out sunny but became overcast before I ever left the airport to go to downtown Melbourne. But before I got on the Skybus I took the time to change clothes, store my bag in a secure place, and get some of my US money exchanged for Aussie cash. Right now the exchange rate is roughly 77 US cents to one Aussie dollar, still good for me in that regard but I remember when it was 62 cents on my first trip in 2003. That would have been sweet for this trip.

Anyway, I boarded the Skybus to the Central Business District (CBD) or downtown of Melbourne since I had arranged my flights to allow me about 4 hours to spend roaming around one of my favorite large cities of the world (Munich, in Germany, is another one). I figured it would be 18 months at the soonest before I visited it again so I wanted to take in one more look. My main target was the Queen Victoria Market, located just a block or two north of the CBD, and I lucked out in that I would be there on one of the three days it is open during the week. I left the bus at the Spencer Street Station, headed up King Street and angled thru the Flagstaff Gardens, my first time in that park. You could tell it was summertime....everything was green and flowers were out, totally opposite of the other times I've been in Melbourne during the fall and winter seasons. After I got to the Market, I browsed up-and-down every aisle, went through the marketers booths and spent some time in the garden-fresh part of the market and enjoyed the smells of all the fresh produce and other items. I had lunch in a food court nearby, eating at an Indian restaurant where Jonnene and I had eaten back in June of '05. I had the hot lamb curry...very tasty and filling.

Then I spent the rest of my time walking all through the CBD. I did fine on my feet, despite having done that half-marathon just 36 hours earlier in Shreveport. But a lot of walking will wear you out and I was thankful for the cloudy day. If the sun had been out, it would have cooked me. I dropped into a few stores, shot some video, and checked out a couple of art exhibits at Federation Square. Around 4pm, I got back on the Skybus and headed to the Melbourne Airport to prepare for a couple more flights to get me to Perth.

In the Land of Oz

Here's how the Pacific Ocean looks from 36,000 feet...we're about 4 hours from landing in Melbourne.

Just a short note...I'm here at Melbourne International Airport waiting to board my flight to Adelaide...about 30 minutes from now. Better get to the gate! I'll have more to tell after I get to Perth and have more time to talk about my trip thus far.

Gid'day, mates!!

About to go......

Just a short one.....I'm waiting for Dad to drop by to take me to Longview for the flight to Oz. I'm ready to go! I'm ready to see Jonnene! About the half-marathon yesterday: I got 16th overall out of 60+ participants in the event. I was the Grand Masters winner which means I was the first old fart over age 50 to cross the finish line! My time on the trail course was 2:00:22, just short of breaking two hours! My first lap through the woods was a fast 55 minutes over 6.5 miles but the second lap wore me down. I got stronger the last couple of miles and really hoofed it in.



A view of the inside of the Bradley International Terminal at LAX. Nothing but lines of people waiting to check in, waiting to have their bags screened, waiting to go through security.....the best part is seeing all these people from different parts of the world.

Good things, not so good things.......

I'm nearly done with the camera store ads!! I cranked out the final five I have to do before I leave (plenty more of them to do when I get back....guaranteed employment for a while) and sent them off to Keith for his blessings. I'm expecting to do a few changes here and there, but once that's over I'll PDF those bad boys and send them to the newspaper. I'm still taking my files and programs to Oz with me just in case something needs to be done but I'm hoping not. I'm a little worn out from this week trying to get so much accomplished. I still have one or two graphics-related things to get out but they're not critical to my leaving the country.

No checks came in today! I know 2-3 of them have been mailed out, probably around $600 worth, and I'm depending on them for spending money for my trip. Hopefully they'll be in the mail early enough in the day tomorrow so I can drop them by the bank after I get back from my half-marathon trail run. Otherwise I'll have to come up with a plan B at the last moment. I think something like this has happened before every trip I've made to Australia. I've usually managed to resolve it and when I finally get on the plane, I just feel like all the troubles are gone because, at that point, there's nothing else I can do about it. It's quite liberating actually.

Speaking of the trail run, I stopped by Eddy Jones Park this evening for an hour to partake in the free speghetti dinner and little social time they had. It's really, really cold outside right now and everyone was eating out under the pavillion. I got to see some old riding/running buddies who have moved to Dallas but are back for the run. It's going to be barely above freezing when the run starts at 7:30 tomorrow morning. I'm hoping to be done by 9:40 am latest, stay about a half hour to cool down, then haul back to town to check the mail.

Wow, less than 48 hours before I fly outta here. I'm finally starting to feel like I'm leaving town soon.

I'm beyond ready to see Jonnene. I need a hug from her!

It's Friday....I'm going nuts!

I might actually get all my work out today/tonight. I'll still have half the weekend to make any changes to the ads I'm working on. I got a lot of other work-type stuff out of the way, just sent off a Yellow Page ad a little while ago. Now it's all about the camera store and getting 'er done.

After eating too much yesterday, I've been holding back today so I can run a little better on Saturday. It'll be cold in the morning out in the woods....maybe around 40F at best at the run start. Should be fun.

I say, it's bloody blustery!

The story of the day is wind! Starting extremely early this morning, the wind picked up and didn't let up. Staying in the 25-35 mph range ALL day with a few hours of light rain in the afternoon and falling temperatures! I considered running in the late afternoon and thought better of it...besides, my legs felt a little sore (though that could be from the changing weather). If this was January, it would be absolutely miserable out there. I walked Farley later this evening and I had to wrap myself up!

Finished some more camera store ads but there's still plenty more to do. But the good thing is that I will probably have all the little stuff/jobs done by the end of Thursday so I can spend all of Friday working on the ads for Dee's! Wheeee! Had to make a stop by the bank this afternoon to fix a problem....I hate going to the bank when it doesn't involve deposits or withdrawing money because I want to. There's almost no good reason to deal with them otherwise.

Well, it's funny to me.

Don Rumsfield, former Secretary of State, has been indicted by Germany for "war crimes" by alledgedly running secret prisons that "tortured" prisoners from the war on terror. Some day I'll go into what I think about that....remember, these guys are supposed to be our allies. I hope they don't expect to make any big requests of support from the USA in the future.

Anyway, I heard this from late night talk show host, Jay Leno....and I paraphrase....."Germany has indicted Donald Rumsfield for war crimes, and if anyone knows about war crimes, well, they wrote the book! Having Germany accuse the US for war crimes is like England telling us to be sure to brush our teeth three times a day."

Starting to get a little hectic

Wow, today was a full day! It's been a while since I did so much work, and some of it was actual paying jobs! Here's some of what I did:

- Three newspaper ads for Dee's Photo (local camera shop)...paying job, of course!
- Finished uniform designs for Vantage Multisport (triathlon club in Monroe), got approval, burned files to CD, mailed CD with instructions to Voler, a uniform manufacturer somewhere in Cal-li-forn-niy-aaaaaa. Deposited their check.
- Sent proof of uniform design revisions to president of the Shreveport Bicycle Club (a freebie, though I do get a jersey).
- Finished, got approval, and emailed layouts for a Christmas card to a printer for Mercy Flight, a medical helicopter company in Buffalo, New York....check's on the way!
- Made revisions today on a T-shirt design for a Thanksgving Day run next week that I turned in yesterday. Promoter decided to stick with the original layout and colors (six of them) after all that, and I'm fine with that. I liked the original better, too. I'm trading out with them for a pair of high-end Asics running shoes. They're getting the better deal, but I need some shoes!
- Delivered a job for a guy who builds pool cues. It was printouts of his logo on adhesive translucent paper that he could apply to the base of the cues and then laquer over them. They came out pretty good. I got paid next to nothing but it was a fun job to do. The guy used to own a company that made these high-quality cue sticks (and I did some design work for him way back when) but he retired and got out of it. However, he had tons of these unfinished cue sticks lying around in storage and he decided to finish them and sell them. Maybe I should get one from him?

Anyway, that was just today! It kept me on my toes, that's for sure. It's been a while since I was that busy and it was fun to be jumping around like that....wouldn't want to do that every day but 2-3 days a week would be fine. The rest of this week will be more holiday ads for the camera shop, a couple of small ads for a local masseuse (already more trouble than it's worth), and maybe get the uniform designs for the local bike club and my racing team out by week's end.

I also have to get my head in the game about leaving for Oz this Sunday. I'll begin to pack a bit tomorrow and gather more of what I need to take with me. Still have to get all the needed email and website addresses together to print out so I can refer to them when I'm online Down Under.

I also put in a half-hour run at Stoner late this afternoon. It got dark pretty quick and I exited the woods at twilight, and the mosquitoes were biting! Apparently the bit of warm weather we've had has awaken a number of the eggs and the pests thought it was spring! Well, good....that's more of them dead before next spring when the cold snap hits later on. I do one more run tomorrow evening at the track at Bossier High School, then I take Thursday and Friday off before the half-marathon (13.4 miles) trail run at Eddy Jones Park on Saturday. I'm more interested in seeing how sore I'll be Sunday and Monday than in how the run turns out! If I don't turn an ankle then I'll be fine.

Busy, busy.....

Busy day, and it'll be busy every day this week while I try to wrap up things before I head out this Sunday. I've got a dozen ads for a local photography shop to get out by Friday, including two I have to work on tonight! There's other ads, too, and design work to get out. Places to go, birthdays to attend to, friends to meet, etc. It's just going to be BUSY!

A week to go!

At the time of this posting....a week from now....I'll be wandering around the Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport. Hopefully, I'll have checked my bags in and gotten my Qantas boarding pass. Then I'll go upstairs at the back of the terminal and see what restaurants are still open that late. It seems so wierd that a boy from Louisiana knows LAX as well as I do! I've already been there 7 or 8 times, the last three when I was going to Oz. Spoke to Jonnene this morning for about an hour and I think it's easy to see that we are a little excited about my arrival! It'll be a busy 11 days while I'm there, seeing her family and friends almost every day...but we're going to try to get away for a couple of days. I'm not sure where yet but she thinks we might go to a mountain range east of Perth where we can do some hiking and things like that.

I ran one lap of the marathon trail course at the Eddy Jones Park this afternoon....six-and-a-half miles on that lap, which I covered in 58 minutes....about two minutes slower than I thought but the course is pretty tough. I'll have to do two laps next Saturday to get my half-marathon in. Today allowed me to see what toes I need to tape and the aches/pains I'll have afterwards. Like tonight, my lower back is stiff and my shoulders ache a bit....something to be prepared for. Jonnene wants me to walk as much as possible during my trip down 'cause she has a concern about blood clotting in my legs after doing that run the day before. I think I'll be fine but there's nothing wrong with doing "laps" on the 747 a few times over the Pacific! Plus I'll do lots of walking in downtown Melbourne during the 3-4 hours I'll hang out there.

Shannon and her coach, Nathan, went up to Mount Scott in Oklahoma to do hill intervals (they're from Dallas) today. I'm off the bike during the month of November and will get back on it when I get back from Oz. Hopefully, all this running will keep me in some kind of shape!

Busy Day

Slept late again for the second day in a row....nice. It was cool and crisp outside but I managed to get in a run. Went from my house to the Horseshoe Casino and back, about 3.25 miles at an easy pace. While I was running, I got held up by a train! Usually I'm driving or on my bike, but this was definitely a first. Stopped the watch and just stood there as it went by. I also wore my heartrate monitor (finally got a battery put in the watch/pickup) and it hovered around 165-167 during the latter part of the run. It dropped to 134 within a minute after I got to the house and in five minutes it was down to 100, so that was good to see.

Soon after that I went to Major Huguley's funeral at First United Methodist Church in Bossier City. It was a full house and I guess that's a testiment to all those whose lives the Major touched. He wasn't famous or rich, yet he had all these people there to paid their respects. What can you say? I got to briefly talk to his son, Don, after the service and it had been almost 25 years since I last saw him, but we recognized each other and he said he was moving to Shreveport next year when he retires from the Air Force. He said he'd called me when he moves down and we can catch up. I didn't get to talk to his sister, Ann, who I hadn't seen in 18 years. Anyway, the service was very nice, although I did get a smidgen peeved when the pastor talked about all the things the Major had done in his life but made no mention at all of his contributions to the Boy Scouts. There were at least three Scout leaders in their uniforms there and the Major was a very influential person in the Norwela Council in the time he was involved with the Scouts. That's not taking away from the other wonderful work he did but, gee, the BSA counts, too!

The rest of the afternoon was yard work. This was probably the only real time I'd have to make the front yard look good before I leave for Oz so it was raked, mowed, and edged....hopefully for the last time until next March!

Tonight was the Sunrise Triathlon Club's End-of-Season Par-tay and we had a good turnout. Mostly everyone just visited, talked, and watched some of the college games on the TV. My school, ULM, was on....playing Florida International over in Miami on CSS-TV. That was neat to watch, and I didn't hog the TV since LSU and Alabama were playing each other at that time, too. It was good for my Warhawks....they won 35-0 and ended a 7-game losing streak. And since my high school won their first-round playoff game last night, it's looking like a good weekend. If the New Orleans Saints win on Sunday, then it'll be a great weekend!

I'm talking to Jonnene in the morning! Looking forward to that!

Tribute: Major Don Huguley

An important part of my past is gone. Major Huguley was my Scoutmaster on a couple of scouting trips I made when I was 17-18 years old. I hadn't seen him since around 1988 but he was important to the process of the man I became. He passed away Tuesday night at Schumpert Medical Center. This is what I wrote in his online tribute page today:

"It's amazing how your life can be influenced by someone, no matter how long or short their presence in it may be. Major Huguley was one of those men who taught me more than I was aware of during the times I spent with him. I haven't seen him in almost 20 years but the trips I had with him in Boy Scouts, to Philmont Scout Ranch and to the 1973 National Scout Jamboree have permanent and special places in my memories. He showed me how to get things done, he kicked my butt, and he made me feel important and unique....sometimes all at the same time! He was a tough man and he had to be. But he was a fair man and he wanted to be. I will miss him but I'll never forget him. Major was a standing stone, a marker to guide others, and, most of all, he shared what he had and what he knew. He had the face and look of a hawk, and the heart of a great man. See you later, sir."

Below is his obituary from the paper. I'll drop in on the services on Saturday because I should and he deserves my respect.....

BOSSIER CITY, LA - Major Donald Lee Huguley, 72, died Tuesday, November 7, 2006 after a sudden illness. Don was born on March 24, 1934 in Washington, DC. He was a 1957 graduate of the US Naval Academy. He served as a pilot flying C-130 missions in Vietnam as well as assignments as a civil engineer. He retired from Barksdale AFB, LA in 1979. Don spent the next 20 years teaching at BPCC and was currently serving as Pastor of Pine Grove UMC and Pleasant Valley UMC. Don was an active member of Cross Bayou Emmaus Community and Bossier FUMC, serving as Men's Prayer breakfast speaker, long-time teacher of Midyette Sunday school class and Disciple teacher. He was WM of W.H. Booth Lodge #380 and was a Shriner. Don spent many years involved with Norwela Council BSA and Shreveport Yacht Club. Don was preceded in death by his parents, Claude and Ethel Huguley; his brother Buddy, and his infant son Matthew. His wife of 49 years, Nancy Waple Huguley; children Don (wife Johnette), Ann (husband Marvin), and David (special friend Yvonne) and grandchildren, Jack, Rory, and Grace survive him. Burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington VA.

Election Day

I did my duty as an American citizen and voted today. Walked from my house to the elementary school where my voting precinct is located....voted for Jim McCrary to represent my district in the House of Representatives and voted for six out of eight state constitutional amendments. That was all I could vote on this time. I actually studied the proposed amendments and pretty much knew what I wanted to do. This was also my first time to work with the new electronic voting machines....some lights and a short tune that plays when you register your vote. Personally, I miss the big mechanical machines. It was cool to push the metal levers that clicked into place and then to pull the one-arm-bandit-style lever to register your vote that rang a bell and threw open the curtain. It was a show with a flourish!

I'm not optimistic on the outcome of the elections...actually, either way it goes doesn't make me feel that great. But I know what will happen either way it goes. It's an easy call to make. If the Dems take control of Congress, look for tax increases, no plans for the war on terrorism, no progress in appointing judges, and stalemates - maybe not so bad - in Congress the next two years. If the Repubs retain all or half control, the tax cuts stay in place (good thing) but stalemates - again, maybe not so bad - and other stupid things will continue.

The news media rarely mention that Congress gets lower approval ratings than the President.....funny that.

Will Rogers (reading a headline in a newspaper): " 'Congress is Deadlocked and Cannot Act'....well, ladies and gentlemen, that's the greatest blessing that could befall this country!"

More Will Rogers: "Calvin Coolidge was accused of being a do-nothing president. I don't have a problem with that because, at that time, nothing was what we wanted done!"

The man was funny and a freakin' genius. He was a true American.

I got in a run at the Stoner trails during lunch. About 40 minutes worth but my legs felt dead. It was still fun to get out and manuver through the woods but it took some effort to move the legs! I estimate I got in about 4.5 miles so it was a good workout, the weather was great and I'm thankful for the opportunity to get out and about.

My bike racing team, Team LaS'port, had its end-of-the-season meeting last night. I have some changes to make on next year's uniform and there's strong interest in an organized Masters team (45 and older) for next season. I'm not sure how involved I'll be in that as far as training goes....I'm becoming more interested in training alone on occassion but I will be the good teammate in a race. I got my upgrade to a Category 3 not long ago and that's nice to have. At least bike racing has become interesting and fun again after the crappy 2004-2005 seasons when it was quite miserable and I was dreading getting on the bike. I hated feeling like that and I'm glad the desire to ride has returned. It's where I like to be and it certainly helps me clear my head. I hope to do it as long as I'm physically able.

Exciting day? Nope!

I slept really late this morning....didn't crawl out of bed until 9 am! I wouldn't say the run last night took it out of me (I can feel it some) but I was dragging the rest of the morning. Got outside this afternoon to do some yard work and tonight I'm going to do some paying work. In two weeks, at this time of the day, I'll be on a SAAB turbojet in Longview to start my journey to the Land Down Under. I checked on my visa and it's still current, so Australia should be tickled to let me in for a visit.

Faster'n the speed of light!

Did the Riverside V 5-mile run this evening on the Fant Parkway. I had hoped to be just a bit faster than an 8 minute mile pace, especially since I hadn't run since Monday. It worked out fine.....I finished the distance in 36:38, a 7:20 mile pace, and got first place in my age group (50-54)! I just hope I can move my legs in the morning! The whole run went well with my first mile being a 7:10, then each mile in order was 7:53, 6:57, 7:14, and 7:24. That second mile I was obviously recovering from the first fast mile but then I did a faster third mile! Wierd about that......however, I was 44th overall but I don't know how many total runners there were.

Most of my day was spent on the house and I got the back yard mowed, hopefully for the last time until the spring. There's plenty to do outside in the next couple of weeks and I hope I can do it. I made a deal with the owner of Sportspectrum to design the T-shirt art for the Turkey Trot 5K run on Thanksgiving morning in trade for a pair of Asic running shoes...I need a new pair! He's getting the better end of the deal but that's better than me shelling out $130 for a pair of Gel-Kyano's!

Also got a letter and form from the IRS to fill out today. It's something to do with my electronic income tax form declaration last April and their signature method. All I know is that I did everything I was told to do when I submitted my income taxes back then, but if they need me to fill out this form to make everything nice then I'll do it. At least they apologize for any inconvenience this request may cause me!! I hope you note the sarcasm I've tried to interject here.......

Spoke to Jonnene very early this morning and it was very nice, as usual. In two weeks I'm on my way there! Yeah! I can't wait to see her and she promises to pay extra special attention to me while I'm there.....Yeah! again.

I like surprises

While I was having lunch today, I was fooling around with my cell phone and trying to understand all the features it has...I've already figured out how to get weather reports and sports scores online. I went into one folder called My Media since I had been ignoring it most of this year, and went into one category called Images. It said one image was stored there and I go, well, let's check it out. I got one of the best surprises I've had in a long time.....it was a picture of Jonnene I had taken with the cell phone's camera last May while fiddling with it in her kitchen. She is leaning over the kitchen sink on her elbows talking on her phone and she's looking at me. I actually teared up as I looked at it. The best surprises are the ones you don't expect and this made my day. Only 20 days until I see her in person!

Another surprise was a client paying me in cash today for a completed job which will cover my house payment for this month just fine, thank you. I like it when clients pay up immediately and I don't have to deal with Net 30's!

Otherwise, the day has been rainy and cold...I'd rather be in bed asleep! I'm slowly putting the kitchen back together after the bombing last week but some bugs are still scooting around. I've shown no mercy and I smush every one of them I find or flush them down the sink if they're dumb enough to go looking around there. Hopefully I'll be rid of them in a couple more weeks since I have more plans for them....hee-hee-heeeee!

It's your life as long as you don't screw with mine.....

Last week, in a sports chat forum, I had posted a story about a student at ULM who was caught with drugs in his dorm room. I got a reply from one guy who was an advocate of recreational drug use and all I gave was a simple response that I disagreed with his viewpoint. It was hardly two sentences. He then sent me a personal email that went on and on about how he did just fine in life, making great grades since he started smoking pot at 15 and his life was as normal as anybody else's. It was a long email, and it was hard to follow, and he was actually illustrating why I disagreed with his view. Personally, I drink about one beer every few months at parties, tried smoking at age 11 and hated it, and the only illegal drug I've ingested has been second-hand pot smoke at concerts or parties (you can't get away from it). I don't mind drinking wine but one or two glasses is about it....and it has to be red!

I thought about his post for a while (I'm not going to bother posting it here) and below is the reply I sent directly back to him:


JS,

I really don't care. I'm not trying to change your mind or make you see things my way. What I'm expressing to you is my viewpoint and mine only. What's legal or not is also largely beyond my control, so I have to deal with the way things are.

For every study there is advocating recreational drug use, there is another study with the opposite viewpoint and results. This applies to whether it's rec drugs, global warming, or a variety of other issues. What it ends up coming down to is my life experience and my personal observations of the people around me. I don't need studies to tell me what's happening in real life. I'm not a blithering idiot either. Remember that there's a lot of smart people who do dumb things all the time. Common sense is not equally rationed amongst the population and success in one part of life does not absolve one of bad choice in another. Heck, I know I have areas I could do much better in.... it's definitely an ongoing process! :)

Whether it's legal or not, whether it's alcohol, tobacco, or any currently illegal substances, to delve into any of them is stupid. It's shear stupidity....and that's my opinion. I'm not going to bother anyone who does the stuff as long as it doesn't interfere with my life and the lives of those I love and care about. I do not preach to them either unless they ask me directly what I think.

What I find sad is when I see some people I respect and think highly of in certain aspects of life, at a private party or gathering, and they start to fire up. I watch them become slow, stupid, silly, and just plain weird. And when this happens to folks in their 40's and 50's, I can't watch them anymore. It was funny and exciting for them when they were teenagers and college kids, but now it's just sad to watch. They didn't outgrow what is, to me, a young person's drug of choice. And it affects others in one way or another, there's absolutely no doubt in my mind about that. It also bothers me that they care so much about their own pleasure and that they don't care if I were to be arrested with them if a raid occurred. That's doubtful of a raid but the possibility exists....just the fact that what they want is more important tells me plenty of the power of the drug. Whatever they cared about me has gone out the window. I usually leave at that point but I don't embarrass anyone by saying why...I just say I have to take care of something. I let them do what they want but I don't have to be there.

These are just some of my observations and they had a large part in forming my conclusions on the subject. What you have stated to me about how it didn't seem to affect you and your circumstances means nothing to me and I've heard all those stories before. There are smart people out there, whether they light up or not. For every smart guy like you, there are 20 dumb ones smoking and those are the ones you have to deal with in making your argument work. They're the ones who sink the whole idea of a recreational drug, no matter what form it's in.

Do what you want to do. As long as it doesn't affect me personally in an adverse way, we're cool. I get along just fine with the friends I have who do the stuff and I'm sure you and I would, too.

This is all I'm going to say on the subject, okay?

Cheers,

Alan