My son got married

It was a happy occasion.  Everything went very well.  A beautiful bride and a handsome groom dressed in his Marine Corp dress blues.

I really like the bride. Besides being beautiful and smart she is driven and has a plan for the future.   Such optimism and enthusiasm.  The world and opportunity await them.   She seems to be a strong woman, which is good, as the road ahead will not be easy.

Thomas is happy and proud.  As he should be.    His future is locked with the Marine’s for the next two years.  It will give him time to further mature, which is a good thing.    He is already scheduled for another six month deployment nest August.

His choice for a best man was questionable.  His best man speech included calling Thomas a fucking pussy for the way he walked.  He seemed intent on fulfilling every rough and tumble hard-drinking Marine stereotype he could manage.  Such wisdom coming from  a 25 year old. 

The couple made the long drive to Jacksonville, NC with all of their worldly belongings in an old station wagon and a pickup truck.  They arrived at 2 a.m. to an empty apartment to start their adventure.

It ain't over till it's over but now it is over

I am a fan of Philosophy.  Yogi Berra has some great thoughts.  One of my favorites, "when you come to a fork in the road, take it."  RIP Yogi

1. “It ain’t over till it’s over.”
2. “It’s deja vu all over again.”
3. “I usually take a two-hour nap from 1 to 4.”
4. “Never answer an anonymous letter.”
5. “We made too many wrong mistakes.”
6. “You can observe a lot by watching.”
7. “The future ain’t what it used to be.”
8. “If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.”
9. “It gets late early out here.”
10. “If the people don’t want to come out to the ballpark, nobody’s going to stop them.”
11. “Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical.”
12. “Pair up in threes.”
13. “Why buy good luggage, you only use it when you travel.”
14. “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.”
15. “All pitchers are liars or crybabies.”
16. “A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.”
17. “Bill Dickey is learning me his experience.”
18. “He hits from both sides of the plate. He’s amphibious.”
19. “I always thought that record would stand until it was broken.”
20. “I can see how he (Sandy Koufax) won 25 games. What I don’t understand is how he lost five.”

21. “I don’t know (if they were men or women fans running naked across the field). They had bags over their heads.”
22. “I’m a lucky guy and I’m happy to be with the Yankees. And I want to thank everyone for making this night necessary.”
23. “I’m not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did.”
24. “In baseball, you don’t know nothing.”
25. “I never blame myself when I’m not hitting. I just blame the bat and if it keeps up, I change bats. After all, if I know it isn’t my fault that I’m not hitting, how can I get mad at myself?”
26. “I never said most of the things I said.”
27. “It ain’t the heat, it’s the humility.”
28. “I think Little League is wonderful. It keeps the kids out of the house.”
29. “I wish everybody had the drive he (Joe DiMaggio) had. He never did anything wrong on the field. I’d never seen him dive for a ball, everything was a chest-high catch, and he never walked off the field.”
30. “So I’m ugly. I never saw anyone hit with his face.”
31. “Take it with a grin of salt.”
32. (On the 1973 Mets) “We were overwhelming underdogs.”
33. “The towels were so thick there I could hardly close my suitcase.”
34. “You should always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise, they won’t come to yours.”
35. “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”

Boys

Day four and the million dollar highway.

Monarch Pass was a great ride.  I then head down the other side.  It is cool and scenic  in the mountains as one would expect. 

I head towards Gunnison.  Gunnison is a nice little town.  It is filled with people seeking recreation.  I see lots of motorcycles, ATVs, recreational vehicles, kayak and camping gear.  It is crowded with people enjoying Colorado recreation.  It is the gateway to Crested Butte.  Another area with one road in and the same way out unless you have a serious off road vehicle to take over and unpaved mountain pass.  I think I would like to do that sometime, take a jeep over a mountain pass.  That will not happen today.   Maybe sometime, maybe never. 

I ate at a small café named Mom’s.  I had a massive Rueben and their steak fries.  It was quite good.

Heading west from Gunnison the terrain changes to a dry desert as you come out of the mountains.  I ride along Elk Creek which they have damned up and made a lake.  It is strange looking at a lake with no trees lining the edges.  Lots of rocks and sagebrush.  It is getting hot again.

I get a peek at Black Canyon.  Again, spectacular scenery, much different than what I had experienced from the mountains I passed through before lunch.    

I head into Montrose.  Not too much to see here.  It is on the high plains and it is hot. A lot of businesses, a more substantial town.   It is a gateway to many other better places. 

I am concerned about where I will stay.  Montrose is busy as was Gunnison.  I intend to head south to  do the million dollar highway but I know that Ouray is a small popular town and that finding a hotel will likely be a challenge.  I stop at a McDonalds to cool off and make some calls.  Most of the hotels/motels are already booked up.  In the Midwest we have fairs.  In Colorado they have rodeos and livestock shows.  They have a rodeo going on in town.   I find a Quality Inn which will take me.

As I tend to do when I ride, I take a break, recharge a bit and then ride some more.  It is easier to do this when you travel alone.   I unload most of my stuff and head to the million dollar highway around 5 p.m.  The alternative is to sit inside  a low budget hotel and watch TV or go to a bar restaurant and eat and drink alone.  I like to keep moving and enjoy my own company and the many thoughts in my head. 

So I head south to Ouray.  Ouray is a quaint mining town nestled at the end of a canyon.  Its business now is tourism.  Again, lots of Jeeps, RVs and motorcycles. A cool town.  I recommend it.

The million dollar highway starts (or ends) in Ouray.  I head up the switchbacks and start riding the famous road.

It is narrow and steep.  There are no guard rails for most of it only a low rock wall.  As you  climb to the right is a deep and massive canyon.  It you were to go over the side your chances of survival are very slim.  No place for the stupid.  It  may be a place for the suicidal, if one were so inclined.

I admit that there are sections there where I am feeling scared and a little queasy.   I do not like heights and being exposed.  This is not a high speed power run.  This is a don’t screw up or you are dead.

There is some road construction.  One lane is gone.  There does not seem to be anything under the old lane.  I am not sure how they are going to fix that and what they will attach the road to.  Overall, some very impressive engineering to make this road which continues today.

The road get easier on the way to Silverton.  Just your average beautiful mountain road and switch backs.  I see a majestic elk standing in a stream but he is gone when I turn around and get my camera out.  I am enjoying my ride.  I ride the main drag in Silverton.  Not too much going on here.  A very remote place on earth.   It is not crowded, you have to work to get here.  I ride a little further south towards Durango but decide it is time to turn around and head for the motel.  I can cross this off my bucket list.  I rode the million dollar highway on my motorcycle. 

I get back to Montrose right after sunset.  I decide to go wild and hit the Domino’s Pizza.  Being aware of my clogged up arteries, I order spinach as one of the toppings.  That should balance out the evil in the Pizza.  I call my girlfriend and mother and check in.  I eat half the pizza and then ride  a short way to the motel with the box sitting on my lap.  It takes all my riding skills to do this and not lose the box.

I get back to the motel.  About a third of the parking lot is taken up with motorcycles.  I saw this a lot on my trip.  I chat with two motorcycle couples from Missouri who were drinking beer at an outside table.  We trade some war stories.  I go to bed.  It has been another full day.

 

 

INTJ Thought for the day Reticence vs. Dishonesty

“But there is something in us which puts limits on such frankness, some obstacle to this mutual outpouring of the heart, which makes one keep some part of one's thoughts locked within oneself, even when one is most intimate. The sages of old complained of this secret distrust - 'My dear friends, there is no such thing as a friend!'

We can't expect frankness of people, since everyone fears that to reveal himself completely would be to make himself despised by others. But this lack of frankness, this reticence, is still very different from dishonesty. What the honest but reticent man says is true, but not the whole truth. What the dishonest man says is something he knows to be false. Such an assertion is called, in the theory of virtue, a lie. It may be harmless, but it is not on that account innocent. It is a serious violation of a duty to oneself; it subverts the dignity of humanity in our own person, and attacks the roots of our thinking.”

Immanuel Kant

Day four continued

Well I found my key and packed up the bike.  The vague plan is to ride across the state and ride the famous million dollar highway. 

A great ride out of the Cripple Creek area.  I am seeing a lot more motorcycles doing the same thing I am.  I form of common lunacy I suppose.  Not particularly practical or rational to travel by motorcycle but there are lots of people doing it.  It is a little like flying but you are connected to the ground.

A lot of waving from other motorcycles.  I have my wave, a two finger peace sign without much extension of the arm.  Sometimes, if I have a pillion, I will delegate the waving duties.

So off I go on my fine machine.  She is a beauty and never complains.  Six cylinders and massive torque.  It handles the mountains with ease.   Maintain focus, look way through the turns. Some awesome scenery.  I could live out here.

I hit Salida, Colorado.  My vague plan included a southern loop to Durango and then up the million dollar highway.   My map indicate that is a very long ride.  I am concerned about where I might end up and what my accommodations might be.  I am in prime tourist season.  Some of these mountain towns are small are likely to be sold out of hotel rooms.

I changed  my plan to something more manageable.  I consult and negotiate with myself and  after completing much thought in my head, I agree to the new plan.  I will take highway 50 west to Montrose and go over  Monarch Pass and through Gunnison.   Then I ride the million dollar highway.

U.S. Highway 50 runs from coast to coast.  It also runs through Cincinnati where I have lived for the past 18 years.  It would be fun to ride the whole road.  Tom Brokaw drove it and wrote a book about it.

There is new pavement on highway 50.  Also some road construction.  I ran into construction a lot in Colorado but generally their roads were very good.  Some beautiful mountain scenery.

Sometimes your timing is good.  Sometimes it is really good.  Highway 50 is primarily 2 lane with a few turnouts.  Heading into the mountains traffic was light and I was able to complete a couple of passes.  Drop the bike down a gear or two to third or fourth and twist the throttle.  Blow by the offending slow vehicle.  I get a thrill every time. 

Heading to Monarch Pass I made a strategic pass of a large tanker truck and then was stopped by a flagman as they had the road blocked down to one lane.  I was in perfect position.  No one in front of me, and new perfect pavement.  I roared up the mountain tunes blaring.  Some nice long sweeping turns that you could pick your line, lean the bike over and go.  Take it to the limit from the Eagles came on as I was climbing the mountain.  A perfect day, an awesome experience.   

I've never been to Spain but I kinda like the music

I am going to Spain.

I am going to burn through every vacation day they give me.  I am going to make memories and to experience life and see some more of the world.

I am also going to Italy.

This trip shall be a little more comfortable than crossing the country on a motorcycle.  Going on a seven day cruise with Barb

As the title of my blog suggests, Why not?

My employee is making me a reservation to run with the bulls.  I think he wants my job :-)

Thought for the day

Although I am currently stuck in my corporate office looking at two screens I feel entitled to post this as I went on a 400 mile motorcycle ride yesterday 😎

Frank Zappa, I think I cover a pretty wide spectrum of thinkers

Day four, a lucky idiot

“...to arrive in the Rocky Mountains by plane would be to see them in one kind of context, as pretty scenery. But to arrive after days of hard travel across the prairies would be to see them in another way, as a goal, a promised land.”

Several time on this trip I realized I get a little careless when I am tired or push too far.  Maybe I am just getting old. This is my explanation for losing my shoe in South Dakota and the start of day 4 in Colorado.
Moving gear off the motorcycle and into a hotel or camp usually requires two trips.  Sometimes three if I forget something.  I have three small to medium bags, a helmet, a laptop in another bag, and my jacket.  I keep the rain gear and a few things locked in the side cases.

I had a good leisurely breakfast at the casino and went to my room to change into my riding gear.  Going through my pockets I look for my motorcycle key.  I can’t find it.  I have a lot of pockets. Pockets in my pants, pockets in my jacket, pockets in my cargo shorts. I look around the room, under the bed can’t find it.  I have a spare.  It is in Cincinnati.  My brain starts thinking of what it would take to get it here. I do not like the answer.  There could be worst palces to be stuck. 

I take a trek through the casino to the bike.  There the key is hanging off the helmet lock for all of the world to see.

I realize that I am a lucky idiot and go back to take trip one to load up the bike.

Email wars

I have been having some email wars with the ex-wife.  She is in a tizzy that her new husband is not invited.  Some of them have been quite nasty.  She has called my mother, girlfriend, friends and my aunt. 


Cheaters, I hate them.  As well as home wreckers and people that cannot foresee consequences.

 

This email from me was nicer and more reflective.  Her response is that she is not paying for anything associated with the wedding.

 

Marie,

 A couple of points on your arguments.  As you know, life is full of choices, options and consequences.  Some work out better than others.  We move on and choose who we want to associate with.

 I do care very much about our sons.  Being accused of being rude to your dishonorable husband is not an argument that will garner any sympathy from me.  He had no respect for my marriage.  Adultery and coveting thy neighbor’s wife will do that to me.  Call me old fashioned.   Now I should feel badly about his or your marital happiness?  Please try another argument.  He locked in a nice nurse with a fat purse.

 Barb is very sweet.  Probably better than I deserve.  Calling her 91 year old father and sending emails at 5:49 a.m.  does not help your cause.  She would like to stay out of it as she has already heard too many Marie stories.

 I have told Claire and Hannah that I will help in any way.  I will reach out again.  I suspect that Claire would not be quite so devastated if it was she that caused the destruction of her husband’s marriage.  I think the way most people do it is that they start dating before they are married or after they are divorced.

 I did reach out to Thomas on some other issues.  He had me look over a lease.  I think we prevented a Craig’s list scam at his expense.  I also inquired if there was some room for compromise.  He was direct in his response: “we have discussed this, he is not coming”.  So that is the latest.

 I pick my fights with Thomas and I am not going to fight for Ray’s or your happiness.  I had some thoughts about a possible compromise but we never got there.

 I have had time to reflect.  I agree that the destruction of our marriage will have consequences for our sons and their views on women and marriage. That makes me sad.  I do not know how to fix that.  I have supported David and Thomas the best I can and will continue to do so.  I will also support Hannah.  I am quite capable of being happy and perhaps even interesting or charming.  I do know this; the thought of being around Ray does not make me happy. As I think you have acknowledged, I never got a chance to try to fix things with you.  I have moved on from you as well.

As I have mentioned before, how you manage your relationship with our sons is your business.  I am sorry that relationship has suffered.  I am not sure they approve of some of your choices.

 

That explains everything

Day 3, I got lucky continued

So anyway, I made it across the great plains.  As I mentioned before they really are not that great but they are greatly expansive.  Builds character.  I re-hydrate in a McDonalds and pick Cripple Creek as my next destination.

I ride into the mountains on a two lane road past red rocks and boulders.  Very pretty.

I made a modification to the motorcycle before I left Cincinnati.  I wanted a tank bag.  No one seems to make them for a Goldwing as the gas tanks are not metal and really are not gas tanks.  The gas goes somewhere into the bowels of the machine.  My seemingly clever solution was to duct tape some large metal washers to the plastic panel on the tank, and  walla  the magnetic tank bag sticks to the panel.  I used black duct tape and made some X’s to hold them on.

That worked pretty well for the first 200 miles or so.  Then it got too damned hot and the washers kept sliding around and coming off.  Now I needed a fix.  I hit a Walmart and bought a roll of duct tape.   

I fixed that sucker.  Much more duct tape.  It was not pretty but functional.  Improvising on the road, I like that.  However, I still have tape residue on my bike.  Anyway I digress.

The road to Cripple Creek is one way in and one way out.  It is a beautiful ride.  This is what  I came for.

On the way up I saw a strange animal.  It looked like a big deer but had horns like a goat.  It was feeding by the side of the road.

The elevation in Cripple Creek was over 8000 feet.  I think the elevation was impacting me as I felt a little under the weather or perhaps I was just tired.  I decided to spend the night there.

Cripple Creek is a cool old town with lots of neat old buildings.  Most of them have been converted to casinos, which is probably not a good thing.  All around are old mines and scars in the mountains.  While I admire the hard work and ingenuity required of the miners who put their heart and soul into the work, they certainly have left many scars.  There is a huge industrial mine nearby.

They have a pretty good museum coming into town with lots of history.  It is also free.  They also provide some hotel recommendations.  They had a Monday night special at one of the casinos.

Here is where it is advantage getting old.  There does not seem to be that many advantages.  The casino had a deal if you are over 50 you can join their frequent gambler program.  For a mere 150 points they will comp your room.

I got lucky.  I am not a big gambler.  I think that gambling is generally for people who are bad at math.  I was not sure if I wanted to pay the $120 bucks for the room or take my chances.  I picked out a prominent $1machine ( I have this theory that the odds are better if it is in a busy location) and stuck in my $20.  I immediately started winning.  Up $20.  Time to increase the bet to $5 a pop.  I felt like a high roller.  I kept winning.  The points started racking up.  Got it up to $148 and my 150 points.  Spent another $20 bucks then cashed in and got my free room.  Not a bad deal.

I wandered around town and picked a place to eat at the bar.  Listened to the locals, some were miners, and watched some car racing show on the TV.  Some interesting conversations.  They were drinking shots.  I had a couple of beers and a spicy green chili burrito.

Headed back to my room, which had a great view of an old mine/museum.  It was a good day.