Monday, Sep 22, 2014 I became a 2 digit midget!

                                                           

For What It’s Worth                                                                                - 99 Days and counting

Today I became a two digit midget.  I have only 99 days to go until retirement!  :)

Motorcycle Roadtrip 

We awoke on our second day of our motorcycle road trip with enthusiasm and vigor as the sun came up.  My eyes were irritated and watered all night as I tried to sleep.  Looking at my face in one of my bike mirrors I noticed my eyes were swollen quite a bit. I thought it was just from the smoke getting into my eyes and just shrugged it off.  We had a quick breakfast of some instant oatmeal and we broke camp quickly so we could get on the road as soon as possible.

All our gear loaded up on our bikes, we once again hit the road heading in a northbound direction on PCH.  As we rode that day, we stopped here and there to take more scenic photos along the coastal route, especially near the Big Sur area.  It is a beautiful place to view and take in as a tourist, and all in all it was a good day of touring and enjoying the scenery.

As it got later in the day, I realized that my eye condition seemed to be getting worse.  My entire face was beginning to swell and my vision was becoming worse, limiting my ability to see well.  

We went to the nearest hospital and stopped at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.  They realized I was going into analphalactic shock and they rushed me in and gave me a shot of Benadryl.  Apparently there was some poison oak on the wood which was already in our campfire that first night, which I am terribly allergic to. After a short rest period for observation, I was released.

It was getting late already and we decided just to get a motel room so we could shower and sleep in a bed since we had two long days of bike riding.  As we laid there on our separate twin beds watching TV, Billy said to me, “you really look bad”.  I got up and went and looked into the mirror and realized something was definitely wrong.  Now I was having difficulty breathing and I could barely see.  We decided to go to the nearest hospital emergency room in located in Watonsonville.  I knew I could not ride because my vision was almost completely gone, so I had Billy ride his bike and I was his passenger.  These folks also rushed me into their Emergency Room and put me on a gurney and gave me some other medication after I told them I had the allergic reaction to the poison oak and I had a shot of Benadryl. Well, apparently, I am also allergic to Benadryl, a very rare condition indeed!  So after an hour or so I was breathing much better and the swelling in my chest began subsiding. By this time my face was so swollen that I did not look like myself what so ever.  After the swelling went down a few days later, my face had stretch marks from the swelling. Now my face had wrinkles that they never had before. Great!  That’s all I needed!

(To be continued…)

Simple Joys of Life & Words of Wisdom    

“Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes.”

- William Gibson

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Snoopy asks that you please… “Bark Less and Wag More!”

Until next time… Be Good!

- cb

Friday, September 19, 2014

                           Happy Birthday to my beautiful niece Naty!   

                                               

For What It’s Worth                                                                                            - 102 Days and counting

Motorcycle Roadtrip (continued)

After our well deserved rest under the bridge, Billy and I continued trekking northbound on our trusty iron horses.  We both were riding black and chrome Yamaha motorcycles, me on my 1982 Maxim 750cc and Billy on his 850cc I believe.  It has been a while, so I am not positive what size bike he had at the time.  Both bikes were pretty similar performing about the same for both of us.  

By this time it was mid-morning and the temperature was beginning to rise. We could feel the heat radiating up from the road as we proceeded on our adventure northwards and up the coast.  The ocean breezes kept us cool and comfortable as the miles passed.  Soon, we were traveling inland and it got a whole lot warmer.  Later we were again near the coast and stopped at Pismo Beach to stretch our legs and get some fresh air to our usually helmeted heads.  Without a windshield, your helmet gets buffeted in the wind and your neck takes a pounding.  It does get a bit sore after so many hours on the road, especially after riding day after day for so many hours.  

We later also stopped at Morro Bay to check out the spectacular view of the rock out in the bay, a beautiful sight.  Moving north there were views after views along the pacific coast, which caused me to pull over and take advantage of the many photo opportunities.  

We also came across The Hearst Castle up in the San Simeon area and tried to ride up to check it out.  We were stopped at the security gate and told that motorcycles were not allowed on the 17 Mile drive and unfortunately that included The Hearst Castle.  We even tried hiring the security guard’s car just to drive up to it to get a few photos, but he pointed over to a motorcycle in the parking lot and said that is what I rode into work today.  Even I cannot ride up there today if I wanted to.  Disappointed, we soldiered on and headed north once again.

It was getting late in the day, so we decided to look for someplace to camp out for the night and we found a small campground on a hill overlooking the coast.  We set up camp as daylight was fading. Billy got the fire started and I began looking for downed firewood to add to our fire ring.  Apparently there was some wood already in the fire ring so Billy just used it and added some of the wood I gathered to it.  As the wind shifted, smoke from the fire got into my eyes which sent me hacking for air.  Little did I know that this even would come back to haunt me the very next day.  We cooked up some chili and beans, ate it like it was our last meal and then sat around the campfire for a while before we headed to our own individual tents for some well-deserved shuteye. I used my leather riding jacket as make-shift pillow and fell asleep quite quickly that first night.

(To be continued…)

Simple Joys of Life & Words of Wisdom    

Never doubt that a small group of committed people can CHANGE THE WORLD. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

- Margaret Mead

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Snoopy asks that you please… “Bark Less and Wag More!”

Until next time… Be Good!

- cb

TBT, September 18, 2014

                                                           

For What It’s Worth                           - 103 Days and counting

TBT

It was suggested that we write something for Throwback Thursday, so we will give it a try.  

Motorcycle Roadtrip

As most of you know, I have always wanted to travel around the USA.  In 1984, my friend Billy Pierce and I decided we would take a 10 day motorcycle road trip, camping out most of the time along our route.  We really did not have any destination in mind, but we knew we wanted to cruise up Pacific Coast Highway along the to check out the wonderful scenery.  We both had friends who recently had moved up to Northern California, one in the mountains in a small place called, Twain Harte, and one up in the Grass Valley area. 

So early one morning in July, my buddy met me at my place in Loma Linda, and we took off at 5 AM heading west on the 10 freeway to Santa Monica.  At @ 6:30 AM we pulled into one of the parking lots at one of the the Santa Monica beaches and dismounted to stretch our legs and survey one of our maps.  It was a slightly foggy morning, and I recall the air being crisp and cool.  I knew from this great start that it was going to be a fun trip.

After a 15 minute break we mounted up again and headed north on PCH with no schedule or destination in mind.  It is a great feeling heading out of town being in no hurry because it was the journey that was our enjoyment, not any particular destination that we had in mind.  We rolled northwards on our iron steads feeling good about life and the adventure that lied ahead of us.  It was good to finally be a part of something that I had desired to do for oh so long.  Before we knew it we were out of the LA basin and heading out of town northbound on PCH slog the coastline.  Life was good and I remember specifically saying to myself, this is what enjoying life is all about.  Don’t take it for granted. Enjoy every moment of it that you can. 

As always, I was looking to avoid the freeways and larger roads preferring the old country roads, backroads, and two lane highways that make up most of the roads in America.  This trip was no exception as we travelled past Ventura and Santa Barbara on Highway 1 skirting along the coast as much as possible.  I recall some tight corners in some hilly areas near Vandenberg Air Force Base, and having to deal with the contrasting landscapes in and out of sun and dark shadows.  It became a bit tricky dealing with all of the dark shadows and tight 15 MPH curves along with constant elevation changes.  Being loaded down with two heavily loaded saddlebags as well as a tent and sleeping bag strapped on my passenger seat behind me didn’t help the situation at all.  There were a few moments that all my experience riding motorcycles came into play, especially going downhill around some of those tight corners with all that excess weight and having to deal with all the shadows and bright sunlight.  Good thing that condition was only for maybe an hour or so because it was quite the challenge.  I was glad to pull over under a bridge and take a break for a while to stretch my legs and unclench my teeth.  It was a well deserved break much needed. 

To Be Continued…

Simple Joys of Life & Words of Wisdom    

I have never faked a sarcasm in my life.

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Snoopy asks that you please… “Bark Less and Wag More!”

Until next time… Be Good!

- cb

Monday, September 15, 2014

                                                           

For What It’s Worth - 107 Days and counting

Passwords

How many stupid passwords do we really need these days.  Can’t we all just use a bio-reader like my iPhone 5S has so I don’t have to go and try to remember 100 frigging passwords or what my most current one is?  There are just too many passwords for every little thing online, let alone all the stupid ones I need to remember for work.  Just read my thumbprint and be done with it all.  Why do we need so many of them for entry level stuff?  How important does stuff need to be to warrant a password inquiry?  I mean… really?  It’s so stupid!!!   I’m sick of it all!

Society

I believe we as a society are going down the tubes faster than a kayak going through Class 5 rapids.  Look around and tell me what you see?  If you are on the freeway I bet you will see so many peeps on their mobile phone illegally talking or texting that you will lose count.  I am serious about this.  Also, try going out to eat or even at a bar, all kinds of peeps are texting rather than speaking with whoever they are with in person.  What has our society really come to?  Have we deteriorated beyond any normalcy of what we used to be like?  The digital age has worn down our social fabric to a mere skeleton of what we used to be.  I am not sure we can ever recover to become a pure and functional society ever again as in the past.  

Roadtrip

Roadside attractions are some silly things I enjoy seeing alongside these backroads we will be exploring.  Mom & Pop diners are another joy I am anticipating visiting.  Historical landmarks, roadside fruit and veggie stands and any other excuse to get out and stretch our legs we will embrace with enthusiasm and vigor.  Many of these are publicized in various brochures and magazines to the public as well as being stumbled upon randomly as we ramble down these asphalt-laden cargo transportation byways.  

These long forgotten backroads that have been bypassed years ago by commerce main-stays such as the large highway systems and the mega trucks that travel them, still have an important historical story to tell to the fledging members of today’s new digital generation.   The  Generation Xers as well as the Millennial generation have no idea what they are missing.

Simple Joys of Life & Words of Wisdom    

Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is like expecting the lion not to attack you because you are a vegetarian.

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Snoopy asks that you please… “Bark Less and Wag More!”

Until next time… Be Good!

- cb

Thursday, September 11, 2014, Birthday Boy!

                                                           

For What It’s Worth - 111 Days and counting

Having a September 11th birthday is a curse not many people get to experience.  I myself found out on my 42nd birthday in 2001 that it would be really painful for the rest of my life.  Who would really want a downer day for their birthday.  If you asked just about any American what was one of the worst day for our country I would place a healthy bet that would say 9/11.  They don’t even refer to it as September 11th anymore… now it is just referred to as 9/11.  911 has always been my car, my Porsche 911 Carrera.  So, my car and my birthday are both related 911 products.  In the past I have been out in public celebrating my birthday and people look at me like I am some kind of un-American celebrating the most tragic day in America’s history, at least during our recent history.  Doing toasts or shots in celebration on this day is always looked down upon from those out in the public sector.  

I did get a lot of birthday greetings yesterday for some reason, which was weird.  Maybe peeps just wanted to get it out of the way while they thought about it.  Maybe some thought it was on the 10th, I am not sure.  Strange things happen sometimes. 

Well, this one is my 55th birthday, which means I am eligible to retire from my workplace whenever I am ready to do so.  But, if I wait until January to do so, I get more years in service which counts towards my retirement pension, which is nice.  So, I must hang out another 111 days just to cash in on this loophole.  I can do it, but to tell you the truth, I would like to be gone as soon as possible.  My career has been a very long and winding road and I am ready to call it quits.  I have done my time and now it is time for me to move on to my next chapter in life, which I am hoping will be healthy, happy and enjoyable. 

Our retirement years… I guess they are called, “The Golden Years”.  Is this the final chapter in our life?  I am hoping this is a great final chapter, because for oh so many years we all have worked tirelessly putting up with endless long hours, clueless bosses and no sympathy provided by management.  Keeping our noses to the grindstone as a way of life for all those many years should pay off in spades during all of our retirement years.  I hope to bankrupt our retirement system and get all the money I can get from them. :)

Well, I guess I’ll be going out tonight to celebrate making it another year above ground.  Survival is one way to look at it.  I think last year I got pretty intoxicated since I had a designated driver because I do recall doing many shots with local friends and I have some photos to prove it too.  I thought about bringing Snoopy along but that might restrict things a bit since she is not allowed inside the tavern, and I would not want to neglect my pup, so maybe she should just stay home and guard the homestead.  One evening without her won’t be such a bad thing now, would it?  I hope she doesn’t read today’s post and please don’t anyone tell her.  Otherwise, Her Butler will be the one in the doghouse, and not her, okay?  Cool! :)

Simple Joys of Life & Words of Wisdom    

Everyone says that love hurts, but that’s not true.  Loneliness hurts.  Rejection hurts.  Losing someone hurts.  Everyone confuses these things with love, but in reality, Love is the only thing in this world that covers up all the pain and makes us feel wonderful again.

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Snoopy asks that you please… “Bark Less and Wag More!”

Until next time… Be Good!

- cb

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

                                                           

For What It’s Worth - 112 Days and counting

Happy belated birthday to the twins, Tommy & Johnny G!  I love you guys!

Countdown

I’ve changed my countdown number to reflect the end of the year since those two days in the new year are not really workdays.  New Years Day is a holiday… and Jan 2 is my out processing day, so it only makes sense to adjust that date accordingly.  Anything to get closer to that day works for me.

Being 54

The difference between being 54 years old and being 55 is like night and day.  I am eligible to retire at the age of 55, which is a very nice feeling indeed.  Like the old song says, I can tell them all to “Take this job and shove it, I ain’t working here no more!”  Actually, I’ll be here for a few more months, but having the option to go out the door anytime I wish is quite nice.  It is a good feeling I can’t wait to feel, after all these years.

Having September 11 as a birthday

Yeah, it’s true… September 11 is my birthday.  Whenever people find this out their first response is, “So sorry!”  I get the sympathy response for some reason.  I guess society somehow found a way to try to take my birthday away from me, which kinda sucks for the moment.  I will make every attempt to keep it a joyous occasion, even though peeps keep trying to pull me down into the abyss.  I’ll be partying tomorrow evening, that is for sure.  I guess we will see what happens… :)

Taking Friday Off

I will most likely be taking this Friday off of work to recover from any celebration activities that may occur tomorrow night.  It is best to plan ahead in these types of situations.  I just have this feeling that this Friday morning might be a rough morning.  So if you see there was no blog posted on Friday, then you will know that I took the day off of work, and of course there would not be a blog posted that day.  Just know that when we finally get retired and are out in the country traveling, that we won’t be posting our blog on a daily basis.  Life will be too much fun to do so, but the content of our blog posts will beef a higher quality and with new adventures being documented.

Retirement Package

I have my Retirement Package almost complete, which I plan on mailing in next week.  It will take several months to process, so I am hoping mine gets processed as soon as possible.  Personnel actions takes so long to get accomplished, and I’m sure they have a huge backlog of paperwork piled up on their desks.

Simple Joys of Life & Words of Wisdom    

Drama does not just walk into your life.

Either you create it, invite it, or associate with it.

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Snoopy asks that you please… “Bark Less and Wag More!”

Until next time… Be Good!

- cb

Monday, September 8, 2014

For What It’s Worth                                                                  - 118 Days and Counting

Last week I only really worked one day in the office, so that was the reason we did not publish our blog post.  It was sort of like a mini-retirement session for me.  I got to sleep in for about 5 days straight, not having to worry about dragging myself out of bed at @ 4:30AM each day, and having some morning time to myself for once.  It was like heaven for those several days that I savored immensely.  I bet not many even noticed or missed reading it.

Backroads Travel

I guess it all began when I was a just little kid and being of the curious nature I always would pull out the old and tattered Rand McNally Road Atlas and look at it while laying on the floor.  That was cheap quality entertainment for me, looking at places on a map that I wanted to visit and see.  In the margins there would be short snippets detailing points of interest along the byways.  Featured there were roadside attractions, National Landmarks, National Parks, State Parks, places for recreation and exploring, lakes and camping sites, along with other various and diverse points of interest.  

I could never get used to the large and impersonal highways and freeways of today’s traffic jams.  I myself have always preferred taking the back roads whenever possible.  It may take a bit longer then the asphalt ribbon scarring up our beautiful landscapes, but it is so much preferred to a guy like myself.  Whether I am driving my super fast and nimble Porsche 911 Carrera flat out or just rambling down the road laboring along in Linus, my 1978 VW Westfalia Bus, I will always take the back roads whenever possible.  That is where the adventures hide, laying in wait for us to stumble upon them in our own time and space, unaware of their presence until we are immersed deeply into a secret destination. 

The beauty of driving a Westfalia Camper Bus is that you have no timeline to adhere to.  No time you have to be home or head home.  Home is where you are, always there just waiting for us to decide this is where we stay for the night, or maybe just for a short break in time to catch a quick 40 winks.  No need to plan that much ahead really, just continue your day until you decide it is time for sleep.  No big RV to find an adequate place large enough to park, just a regular parking spar that your car would fit in will do just fine for the night.  Heck, it can be right there in a residential area as long as you don’t make yourself look conspicuous by popping your top and camping out.  Just shut off your engine, draw your curtains, and crawl in the back for the night.  I have many times done just that, just crashed wherever I was currently parked for the evening.  Sometimes it might be good to park where there is less street traffic driving by, especially large trucks that can shake the bus so much just by passing close by.  Woosh!  Now unfortunately you are wide awake and waiting for the next big vehicle to pass close by again in baited anticipation.  I do try to park off the beaten path to avoid all that comes with traffic but sometimes you might not have much choice in the matter.

Simple Joys of Life & Words of Wisdom   

“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery… none but ourselves can free our mind.”

                                      - Bob Marley

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Snoopy asks that you please… “Bark Less and Wag More!”

Until next time… Be Good!

- cb