Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Today’s music trivia is another British band that began back in 1965 as college students and they gained critical acclaim with their progressive and psychedelic music under the creative leadership of front man, Syd Barrett. David Gilmour joined the band in Dec 1967 and took over the lead singer duties when the much beloved Syd Barrett left the band in April 1968 due to his deteriorating mental health. The album they are most noted for is one of the highest selling albums of all time. Even today their progressive and psychedelic music is used during Lasarium performances here in LA and has been for decades.  One of my favorite and colorful bands of all time, can you name this most creative and influential rock band?

Damn, I had something I wanted to write about and now I have forgotten what it was.  Don’t you just hate that?  Like when you walk into the next room to get something and when you get there you have forgotten what you wanted to get.  I guess it is a sign of aging and it happens to us all sooner or later.  I recently bought a huge package of Duracell AA batteries for my remote controls, clocks and various other utilizations to ensure I had some on hand. Now I seemed to have misplaced where they are located.  That really pisses me off.  I mean, I spent a lot of money to ensure I had some available for future needs.  Now I can’t locate where I put them and I need some for my stuff.  With my luck, I’ll find them after they are dead and leaking all over the place.  Damn, it is tough getting older.

I have always been fascinated by documentaries.  In school I would daydream or space out and not pay very much attention.  Today they would say I have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). But when we would watch some documentary film, I was right there in the moment.  Probably the only time I paid attention in school, unless if it was some kind of science class.

Speaking of science, thanks to Mr Ed Blindt, a memorable science teacher who got me hooked on science.  A grade school teacher at St Andrews, I somehow remember that he also drove a Pepperidge Farms truck in the school off-season. I will always remember him as one of my favorite teachers in school who had my total attention in his class, especially with his fantastic experiments and his scientific demonstrations. Thank you, Sir!

Also would like to thank Mr Dale Kadlecek, my HS counselor and my favorite tennis coach ever.  I actually remember going to visit him at a school in Bolingbrook, IL where he became the Principal I believe.  I also remember I was back home on leave either in the late 70s or early 80s and I was in a supermarket and I ran into him, apparently the evening before his wedding. Anyway, I remember his kindness and patience made a difference in my life and I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Teachers really don’t get paid enough.  I mean, the really good ones.  The ones that actually make a real difference in a person’s life. These two individuals above are responsible for helping to mold me into the guy I have become. All I can say is I hope I was able to influence some folks positively in the same way as you guys have done for me.  I am eternally grateful.  All I can say is thank you, thank you, thank you!

Friends are the best thing ever. I still have best friends from grade school times. People like Mikey M (Dwight), Johnny G, Eddie M, Mikey G (Polocki), Mark G, Kevin, Mike D, as well as friends that I made later in life such as Lisa K, Rick H, Hutch, Killer, Jim R, Glen, Jim W, Kent, Hubey, Bruce, Roberto, Joe R, Mike S, Joe O, etc.  And let’s not forget my dear friends who have crossed over such as Bernard, Lynn R, Pat P. Richie S, Michele P, and Phil W.  I highly value and cherish or friendship, even those of you who will never read this.  I am lucky to have great friends such as yourselves. Thanks for always being there for me.  I hope you know I’ll always be there for you also. I love you guys!

I was watching some show on TV yesterday and it showed a lot of the state of Montana.  Montana is one of the states that I have never been to and one I always wanted to spend some time in.  It looks to be one of the most beautiful places in our country and I like the fact that there is only a million or so people there making it one of the least crowded places around.  We plan on spending some considerable time up in that area during our US road trip tour in 2015.  Yellowstone National Park is up there in that Montana/Wyoming area which we plan to visit fully.  It looks like a great place to spend some time away from the crowds and people in general. I’m really liking that idea the more I think about it.  J

There are several types of camping as far as I am concerned. 

A. There is boondock camping (What I formally used to call Outlaw Camping) which is not in an established campground and you are camping and living completely off the grid someplace. A generator can make life so much more comfortable when you are living off the grid. This could be on private land or public land, usually with nobody else around.  This is my favorite kind of camping and the style I prefer.

B. There is also camping in a State or National Park in an area that is not utilized all that much.  Sometimes it is a based on a first come, first served basis. Sometimes this entails hiking back into the wilderness to access a camping area. This is also ideal as long as you don’t have to hike too far back into the wild. Sometimes you can actually drive right up to your camping site, which can be nice.

C. Then there is camping in a State or National Parks campground usually surrounded by lots of other campers.  If it is spread out and roomy it can be okay.  But when you get people camping right on top of each other or it is located right off a busy road with a lot of road noise, then it can be barely tolerable.  They might even have electrical hook-up capability and showers available possibly.  It is definitely not my favorite way to do things but the showers can be a welcomed amenity.

D. And finally, camping at a RV Park.  Even though Linus is only just a VW Camper Bus, it is considered an RV at many places. This caters to RVs exclusively and is my least preferred method of camping.

I anticipate staying in a motel room maybe once a week or every 10 days or so just to sleep in a bed and have a hot shower. It can make a big difference on a long road trip or extended journey. Good thing Snoopy does not bark much just in case I have to sneak her into a motel room that does not allow dogs. As long as she has her bed, she sleeps almost anywhere comfortably.  Her normal place to sleep when we camp is on the co-pilot’s floor of Linus.  Her sight is limited down there so she can rest quite comfortably without having to look outside for prey such as squirrels, rabbits, birds, etc.

As Snoopy always says, Bark Less and Wag More!

Until next time… Be Good!

- cb