I'm writing to you from the north/east corner of Oregon, in a small town called Pendleton. It's population is about 16,000 people. I'm settled for the night in the local Travelodge.

I had plans to spend the night tonight in Bend, Oregon. Cruising down highway 97 seeing signs of the Briggs bridge out didn't mean much to me at the time. How bad could the detour be??

Well, it seems they haven't built many bridges across the Columbia River. The detour led me over 100 miles east to I/S 82 to cross the river. But it was a nice drive along the river.

Tomorrow night I plan to spend the night at the Circus/Circus in Reno, Nv., and will be home late Friday evening.

Already smarter than Bush!

I love the commercials this baby does. One shows him spitting up. I laugh out loud every time I see it.

Happy Birthday to my lovely bride!!!

The trip to Bellingham, Wa. was quite nice. As you can see from these photos the leaves are changing colors and it is very pretty here this time of year. The weather here has been great, sunny and clear skies.

I've finished my business here and will start home tomorrow. (Wed).

Retirement!!!

Road Trip!!!

It's time for another road trip!!! Yes siree kiddies, I'm off to Washington State once again. I'm leaving Friday morning and will be back next Thursday night.

My middle sister, Suzie, fled an abusive marriage and is going to stay with my little sister while she gets back on her feet. I know, I could have put Suzie on a plane to Washington, and even saved some money, but what fun would that be!!! I'll have a chance to visit with my dad and little sister as well. So, it's a win/win.

I'll of course keep in touch and post some travel photos along the way.

Joke for the day

The national poetry contest had come down to two: a Yale graduate and a redneck from Tennessee.

Each contestant was given the word "Timbuktu" and allowed two minutes to study the word and come up with a poem.

The Yale graduate stepped to the microphone and said;

Slowly across the dessert sand,
trekked a lonely caravan.
Men on camels, two by two,
destination: Timbuktu.

The crown went crazy! No way could the redneck top that. The redneck stepped to the microphone and calmly recited;

'Me and Tim, a huntin' we went,
Met three gals in a pop-up tent.
They was three, and we was two,
so I bucked one, and Timbuktu.

THE REDNECK WON!!

What electrical problem??

Happy Birthday Dawn Wells

Happy Birthday wishes go out to Dawn Wells who turns 70 years old today. Dawn Elberta Wells was born in Reno, Nevada. Dawn originally wanted to be a doctor and went to the elite Stephens College in Columbia Missouri. After discovering the drama club, Dawn transferred to the to the University of Washington where she graduated in 1960 with a BA in theatre arts. In 1959, Dawn was crowned "Miss Nevada" and represented her state in the 1960 Miss America pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Dawn was married to talent agent Larry Rosen from 1962-1967. She has no children.

Dawn started her acting career with guest spots on "77 Sunset Strip", "Maverick", and "Bonanza". Dawn is probably best know for her role as Mary Ann in the sitcom "Gilligans Island". She played Mary Ann for three seasons.

Since "Gilligan's Island", Dawn has performed in over 66 theatrical productions including the National Touring Company of "They're Playing Our Song", "Love Letters" and "The Vagina Monologues". Dawn has also produced a number of TV movies.

Dawn has also been a successful business woman. She has founded the "Dawn Wells Film Actors Boot Camp in Diggs, Idaho, which assists trained actors in the tranistion from amatuer to professional acting. She is also a highly requested speaker and college instructor.

Dawn also has her own line of clothing, "Wishing Wells Collections" for the physically challenged.

Dawn was in the news recently after being arrested for possession of marijuana and driving under the influence. She paid a fine for the DUI and was placed on 6 months probation.

More Christian love

LA Times

October 13, 2008

By Duke Helfand and Catherine Saillant

A week ago, Father Geoffrey Farrow stood before his Roman Catholic parishioners in Fresno and delivered a sermon that placed him squarely at odds with his church over gay marriage. With Proposition 8 on the November ballot, and his own bishop urging Central Valley priests to support its definition of traditional marriage, Farrow told congregants he felt obligated to break "a numbing silence" about church prejudice against homosexuals.

"How is marriage protected by intimidating gay and lesbian people into loveless and lonely lives?" he asked parishioners of the St. Paul Newman Center. "I am morally compelled to vote no on Proposition 8.

"Then Farrow -- who had revealed that he was gay during a television interview immediately before Mass -- added a coda to his sermon."I know these words of truth will cost me dearly," he said. "But to withhold them . . . I would become an accomplice to a moral evil that strips gay and lesbian people not only of their civil rights but of their human dignity as well."

So "The Church" took the good Father, a priest for over 23 years, into their loving arms and ...

No, On Thursday, Fresno Bishop John T. Steinbock removed Farrow, 50, as pastor of the St. Paul Newman Center, which primarily serves students and faculty at Cal State Fresno. The priest also was stripped of his salary and benefits, and ordered to stay away from all church communities he had served.

"Your statement contradicted the teaching of the Catholic Church and has brought scandal to your parish community as well as the whole Church," Steinbock wrote in a disciplinary letter that also admonished Farrow against "using the Internet as a means of continuing your conflict with the Church's teaching."

Quoting Steinbock, Deacon Supino said the church teaches that sex is a gift from God to be acted on only by a man and a woman within marriage. But Proposition 8, he insisted, does not represent a condemnation of gays or lesbians.

"The teachings of the church on these matters did not arise with Proposition 8 but have been in place for over 2,000 years," Supino said.

Mervyns bankrupt

AP Associated Press
Oct. 17, 2008 3:33 pm

By Anne D'Innocenzio

NEW YORK (AP) -- Ailing department store chain Mervyns LLC, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in July, said Friday that it plans to begin liquidation sales at its remaining 149 stores and wind down its business.

Mervyns' announcement marks the latest retail obituary and represents yet another blow to the nation's malls, which are grappling with increasing vacancy rates in a deteriorating economic environment. On Tuesday, specialty retailer Linens 'n Things, which filed for bankruptcy protection in May, announced it will begin liquidation sales at its stores as early as this week after failing to find a buyer that wanted to operate the company.

This day in history

On this day in 1931, Al Capone, aka Scarface, was convicted of income tax evasion. He was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison, but served only 6 1/2 years. Most of his sentence was served on Alcatraz Island. He was released from prison in 1939 and died of a heart attack in Florida in 1947.

The musical "Hair" opened on Broadway in 1967. The musical's profanity, its depiction of the use of illegal drugs, its treatment of sexuality, its irreverence for the American flag, and its nude scene caused much comment and controversy. (wikipedia)

The Loma Prieta Earthquake struck San Francisco on this day in 1989. It registered 7.1 on the Richter scale and struck just before the start of the third game of the world series at Candlestick Park. The world series was postponed for ten days because of the earthquake which the Oakland A's won in four games.

The earthquake caused 69 deaths and 3,757 injuries. The damage, estimated at close to $13 billion dollars, included a section of the Nimitz Freeway, I-880, where a double-decked portion of the bridge collapsed, crushing cars on the lower deck. A 50 ft. section of the San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge also collapsed causing cars to fall to the deck below.

I remember getting ready to watch the world series and the earthquake happening on TV. I'm sure my sister Kathy has vivid memories of that day.

Although Reba McEntire fears that fellow Christians might criticize her for it, the singer says she believes she's been reincarnated. "I believe I've gone both ways -- that I have been here before as a man," the 53-year-old (in this life, anyway) tells the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

"I believe I have spent time with my son Shelby before. I believe I have spent time with other people in my life before. Who knows? Maybe I'm part Buddhist."

As for reconciling her Christian faith with her belief in reincarnation, McEntire says, "I'm sorry, but this is how I live my life, this is what I believe."

I knew there was a reason why I really liked Reba.

Hmmm???

The Conservative Voice
Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008 2:12 pm.

A San Bernardino County Republican group has distributed a newsletter picturing Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on a $10 bill adorned with a watermelon, ribs and a bucket of fried chicken.

Linking Obama to demeaning racist stereotypes drew denunciations from various GOP officials after the illustration appeared in the October newsletter of the Chaffey Community Republican Women, Federated, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reported Thursday.

Diane Fedele, president of the group, said she had no racist intent.

"I never connected," she told the newspaper. "It was just food to me. It didn't mean anything else."Fedele said she had received the illustration in e-mails and decided to reprint it to poke fun at a remark by Obama that he doesn't look like other presidents.

"It was strictly an attempt to point out the outrageousness of his statement. I really don't want to go into it any further," Fedele told the newspaper. "I absolutely apologize to anyone who was offended. That clearly wasn't my attempt."

Mega ape hangers

"Troopergate" Update

Governor Sarah Palin has been saying that the so called "Troopergate" investigation conducted by the Alaska legislation is a "partisan circus and kangaroo court". She has also said that any investigation conducted into the activities of the govorner should be done by the Alaskan personnel board.

Well it seems that the Alaskan personnel board has decided to widen their probe to include two additional ethics charges. The first was brought by activist Andree McLeod that state hiring practices were circumvented for a Palin supporter. The second, which really got my attention, involved a complaint from the Public Safety Employees Association that alleges that trooper Wooten's personnel file was illegally breached by state officials.

It's interesting to note that this investigation was started at the request of Sarah Palin in an attempt to stop or circumvent the legislative investigation and could be the one that comes back to bite her in the butt the most.

In three weeks, Sarah Palin will be no more than a footnote in history as McCain's presidential campaign is circling the drain after lasts night's presidential debate.

Joke for the day

After retiring, I went to the Social Security office to apply for Social Security. The woman behind the counter asked me for my driver's license to verify my age. I looked in my pockets and realized I had left my wallet at home. I told the woman that I was very sorry, but I would have to go home and come back later.

The woman said, 'Unbutton your shirt'.

So I opened my shirt revealing my curly silver hair. She said, 'That silver hair on your chest is proof enough for me' and she processed my Social Security application.

When I got home, I excitedly told my wife about my experience at the Social Security office.

She said, 'You should have dropped your pants. You might have gotten disability, too'

Thanks Jack

Dodgers Blue

The Los Angeles Dodgers lost game five of the national league championship series 5-1 last night. The loss eliminated them from the series, giving the national league championship to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Better luck next year guys!!

Happy Birthday Suzanne Somers

Happy birthday wishes go out to Suzanne Somers who turns 62 years old today. Suzanne Marie Mahoney was born in San Bruno, Ca and graduated from Capuchino High School in 1964. Suzanne has an adult son from her first marriage to Bruce Somers. Suzanne is currently married to director Alan Hamel and they live in Malibu, Ca.

Suzanne started her career with a part called "the blonde in the T-bird" in the movie, "American Graffiti" with Ron Howard. She is probably most famous for her role as Chrissy Snow in the sitcom, "Three's Company". Suzanne starred in "Three's Company" from 1977 to 1981, leaving after a dispute over her salary.

Suzanne went though a slow period after "Three's Company" but kept busy posing for "Playboy" twice and entertaining troops overseas.

Suzanne has also starred in the sitcom, "Step by Step" with Patrick Duffy for seven seasons, and co-hosted "Candid Camera" with Peter Funt.

Suzanne has also written five books, including a book of poems.

Suzanne is a business executive creating ELO Somers and Port Carling Inc. She is credited with starting the infomercial concept with her development of a piece of exercise equipment called the "Thighmaster".

Governor Sarah Palin's response to the "Troopergate Investigation" has not really taken anyone by surprise. She told CNN Friday evening after the report was released;

“Well, I’m very very pleased to be cleared of any legal wrongdoing, any hint of any kind of unethical activity there,”

DOW Rebounds

The Dow Jones Industials rebounded today with it's largest one day leap in history. The Dow closed up 962 points at 9,413. Did we hit bottom last week? Experts are split on this and taking a "wait and see" attitude.

SoCal on fire

It's brush fire season here in SoCal and it has taken off with a vengeance. Winds, known as Santa Ana winds to us locals, are blowing at 35-40 mphs with gusts of 65-70 mphs driving these fires. This map will give you an idea of where in the Los Angeles Basin the main fire is, but there is another fire burning up where you see the number 14.

The first fire is called the Marek fire and started at about 2:20 am this morning. The second, shown above, is called the Porter Ranch fire. Two deaths are attributed to the fire and several homes have been lost. It's believed, based on previous fires in the area, that this fire will burn all the way to the ocean before it's over.

Two freeways, the 210 and the 118, are shut down because of the fire and one of the fatalities was from a traffic collision caused by the heavy smoke billowing over the freeway and blinding drivers.

The fires are about 60 miles north of my home and I'm not in the path of the flames. We are getting the high winds at my house. I went for a bike ride yesterday afternoon when the winds had died down a bit and it was like riding into a head wind no mater which direction I went. The winds seem to swirl quite a lot. The winds are supposed to blow for another 24 hrs.

I just heard on the news that out in my area a tractor trailer has tipped over in the wind and a small fire started in a Norco riverbed south of me. I found all three of my trash cans tipped over this morning and I doubt that the fence on the freeway side of my house will last through this Santa Ana season. :-(