Thomas Wolfe wrote a book entitled "You Can Never Go Home Again." The title of that book certainly applies to me. In fact the house I lived in here in Virginia, Minnesota, has been torn down. Directing you attention to the photo below, that space between the two buildings shown is where our house used to stand. The building to the right was a funeral home when I lived here. Of course that was 40+ years ago. Now its an insurance company.

So, as you can tell, I have made it to Virginia, Mn. When I checked into my hotel, my room hadn't been cleaned yet so I found the local Toyota dealership and got my cruiser serviced. The service manager went out of his way to get me in and out in about an hour and even called the dealership in Ontario to verify my service contract.

When I returned to the motel I was greeted by quite a rain storm that lasted about an hour. It wasn't raining all that hard but the wind was howling and blowing the rain sideways. The photo above is from my hotel room window. Within an hour of the end of the storm it was clear as a bell. I went out walking around a bit and took the photo of where my house once stood. I plan on tooling around the city tomorrow on my bike and I will take more photos.

The motel I'm staying at has expanded and now sits on the site where the Salvation Army building stood when I lived here. Ironically then, when I go to bed tonight, I will have slept on this same piece of property twice, 40+ years apart. I was good friends with the son of the Salvation Army captain who lived in the building and I recall spending the night several times at my friend's house.

California Supreme Court rejects gay marriage ban

MSNBC staff
05-15-2008

SAN FRANCISCO - In a monumental victory for the gay rights movement, the California Supreme Court overturned a voter-approved ban on gay marriage Thursday in a ruling that would allow same-sex couples in the nation's biggest state to tie the knot.

Domestic partnerships are not a good enough substitute for marriage, the justices ruled 4-3 in an opinion written by Chief Justice Ron George.

"Our state now recognizes that an individual's capacity to establish a loving and long-term committed relationship with another person and responsibly to care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual's sexual orientation," the court wrote.

Whats good for the goose is good for the gander. Equal rights under the law shouldn't take into consideration one's sexual orientation. The Creator is pure love and loves us all equally.

The complete article can be found at www.msnbc.msn.com

Note: The opinions expressed in this blog are mine and may not be held by other members of my household.

Parking - $10.00

Seat behind home plate - $50.00

Souvenir Twins cap - $22.00

Lunch - $20.00

Seeing a Minnesota Twins baseball game in the Metrodome - Priceless

I'm in Minnesota!!!

There are Jewish folks who dream their whole life of going to Jerusalem and praying at the wall. I have reached a similar goal for my life in getting to Minnesota. (Silly I know) I arrived in Minneapolis this afternoon and tomorrow I will be attending a Minnesota Twins baseball game in the Metrodome. Friday I am driving up to Virginia Minnesota, the small town I lived in from about kindergarten to fifth grade for the weekend. I am staying at the Coates Plaza Hotel which is about two blocks from the house I lived in while there. The Coates was a hotel back when I lived there.

The trip here started out in the rain. It actually started raining the previous evening at about 9:00 PM with a little lightning and thunder. I hit the road this morning at about 6:00 AM in the rain. Gas: Cheboygan $3.99 a gal.

The highlight of the day was a trip across the Mackinaw bridge. It connects the upper peninsula of Michigan with the lower bulk of the state. It is about 5 miles. It was raining when I crossed it, but I was able to see a tanker positioning itself to go under the bridge.

After crossing over the bridge, I circled around the top of Michigan and down into Wisconsin. With changing states I also moved back into central standard time. The trip took a long time because it was raining early and most of the roads I was on all day were two lane state highways. It was mile after mile of farm land. It seems that almost every fourth or fifth farm was selling a vehicle or travel trailer. It may have been a sign of the depressed economy. Gas: Oconto, Wi. $3.75 a gal.

Yesterday I took a drive around the northern Michigan area while enroute to a bicycle shop to get my front flat tire fixed. Below is a photo of a pretty cool house I found that over looked Lake Michigan.

I got in a couple of hour bike ride and saw this Coast Guard ship docked at the mouth of the Cheboygan river. The smaller boat in the foreground is a sheriff's patrol boat that was just launched. I asked one of the deputies what he does for his leisure time if he gets to ride around in that boat and get paid for it. He just laughed and walked away. And of course I had to take a photo of the first $4.00 a gal sign I've seen since we were raped in Needles, Ca.

And finally, wasn't there an old rock song about Alice's Restaurant?? Jack will remember it.

A note of interest

It was brought to my attention by one of my loyal readers that they weren't able to post comments on my blog. I have changed the settings so that anyone can now post comments. Please fell free to do so, even if you chose to disagree with me. Huh???

Good Answer!!!

THINGS THAT ARE DOWNRIGHT IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY WHEN DRUNK:

1. Thanks, but I don't want to have sex.
2. Nope, no more booze for me!
3. Sorry, but you're not really my type.
4. Taco Bell ? No thanks, I'm not hungry.
5. Good evening, officer. Isn't it lovely out tonight?
6. Oh, I couldn't! No one wants to hear me sing karaoke.
7. I'm not interested in fighting you.
8. Thank you, but I won't make any attempt to dance, I have no coordination. I'd hate to look like a fool!
9. Where is the nearest bathroom? I refuse to pee in this parking lot or on the side of the road.
10. I must be going home now as I have to work in the morning.

Got this from my friend Jack. Thanks Jack.

Travel log - catch up

Sunday I dropped Karen and Corey off at the Nashville, Tn. airport and headed north. I only made it about 150 miles, stopping in Elizabethtown, Ky. It began to rain hard once I crossed the border into Kentucky and rained all evening. I found a great Louisville oldies radio station called WAKY 103.5 FM The freeway turned into the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Expressway. I did go out of my way a bit to see the boyhood home of Abraham Lincoln. As you can see there wasn't much to it. It was raining so I didn't get out to get a closer look.


I stayed the night in the world famous Kentucky Cardinal Inn in Elizabethtown, Ky. Being that I'm such a party animal, I ordered pizza delivered to my room and spent the evening watching the Minnesota Twins beat the Boston Red Sox. In the morning I got in a 2 1/2 hour bike ride around town and on a path along a smell creek that led to a lake called Lake Freeman. While riding through town I found an old cemetery that had North and South soldiers from the civil war buried in it. A sign at the front also described a civil war battle in Elizabethtown where cannon were fired from the hills of the cemetery into the town. It was about 48 degrees and still a bit windy. Gas: $3.68 a gal in Elizabethtown, Ky.


I hit the road for points north about 10:30 AM. I drove into Louisville, Ky, pronounced "Lewville" according to Megan, and saw the University of Louisville. It had a couple of cool looking building that I could see from the freeway. Within about 5 miles after the photo of the university I ran into bumper to bumper traffic because of a traffic collision a couple of miles ahead. I sat in the traffic 1 hr 15 min. I spent the time reading from my book and eating Gobstoppers.

The countryside of Kentucky is pretty. I crossed the Ohio River and into Indiana and it got much flatter and had many more farms and freshly plowed fields. I stopped in LaFayette, In., home of the Purdue Boilermakers, for a late lunch and tried a Steak and Shake restaurant. The burgers were OK. I'll need to get at least a double next time as the patties were pretty thin. Their chili was very good. Gas: $3.77 gal in LaFayette.

My plan was to stop in Benton Harbor, Michigan for the night, but when I got there there wasn't much to see. I decided to head on to Cheboygan, Mi instead. I got to my hotel at about midnight and luckily there were plenty of rooms. I unloaded my stuff and found that my bike had a flat front tire. The room was nice and clean and I got a good nights sleep. More later. Having a great time.

Happy Anniversary Karen!!

I was on the road all day yesterday and didn't have an opportunity to blog. First I have to say Happy Anniversary to my lovely wife Karen. Yesterday, May 12th, was 24 years of blissful marriage for us. I've been truly blessed with a wonderful, caring and understanding wife. Happy Anniversary Karen!!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Saying goodby to Nashville

We're saying goodbye to Nashville, Tn. this morning. We were entertained last night by a thunder and lightning storm. Not a real violent one, but one that just kind of sauntered through the area. It did drop quite a bit of rain however. I will be dropping Corey and Karen off at the airport today and heading north. I found gas prices on the Internet for Canada at $1.29 a litter which is about $4.45 a gal!! We'll see how long I last in Canada.

We attended the SAFCON awards banquet with Josh. It was scheduled to start at 6:00 PM and I don't it actually got started until 6:45PM. Josh was awarded the "Top Team Member" for his school, voted on by his team members.

Playing catch up

I wasn't able to blog yesterday as Google wouldn't let me on. It kept telling me I resembled a virus and wouldn't be let on for 24 hours. So, here I am playing catch up on Saturday evening.



Friday we spent the afternoon in Huntsville, Alabama with my son Brian, his girlfriend Celina, and his son, my grandson, Ethan. Ethan is 6 years old. We were taken to the Air and Space Museum in Huntsville.

Corey and Ethan making a lava lamp with a worker at the space center.

Also included in our day was a tour of the house Brian is buying, which is three bedrooms, two baths and about 1500 sqr. feet. Price: $162,000. We then went to dinner at the Red Robin. It was a great day and it was great seeing Brian again.

I am off to my one-man trip tomorrow. More then

Lets not forget!!

4,073 dead American military men and women

One man's graffiti is another man's art

When I went to church with the bell choir from the deaf school I found this graffiti on the wall. I just had to have my picture taken next to it.

Woke up to rain this morning and it rained all morning and well into the afternoon. Karen and I went to see the home of President Andrew Jackson called The Hermitage. We got quite wet on the tour but it was well worth it.

In the evening we went to a local BBQ restaurant called Dave's Famous Barbecue. Great ribs!! They had five different sauces to chose from on the table. After that we went back to the hotel and did laundry. I know, pretty exciting.

I have to make a correction on my one-man trip coming up starting Sunday. I am driving up through Michigan not Wisconsin. My aim is for a town called Cheboygan, Michigan, which is where Lake Huron and Lake Michigan meet. From there I plan to swing around Lake Michigan, down through Green Bay, Wisconsin, and on to Minneapolis Minnesota.

If life were that easy!!!

Grand Ol' Opry Hotel

We woke this morning to light rain showers and it was partly cloudy all day long. We were able to see Josh today. Even though he's not able to fly, he has been involved in other events and a helping hand to others. I also found out that his advisors have a photo copy of Josh's driver's license and he will be able fly home on Sunday.

Karen, Corey and I went to the Gaylord Grand Ol' Opry Hotel and Convention Center. It was a beautiful hotel with a huge atruim in the middle. We rode a small boat around the center.

We walked across the street to the mall and low and behold there was a Barnes & Noble book store inside. I found a nice comfy place to sit and began reading a book by Shirley McLain entitled "The Camino" while Karen and Corey walked around the mall. Doesn't get any better than that!!

Tonight we took Josh to dinner and found a small buffet pizza place. After dinner it started to sprinkle and we are expecting rain, and perhaps thunder and lightning, tomorrow.

The blessed event

I am pleased to announce that my good friend Jim has been able to deliver "Jake" and is doing fine. I understand that after several hours of terrible labor pains, "Jake" finally made his appearance weighing in at 2cm. Apparently Jim's Lamaze breathing techniques weren't up to handling the labor pains and extensive pain medication was necessary. Jim and "Jake" are both resting at home.

Made it to Nashville, Tn.

We made it to Nashville, Tn. late this afternoon and checked into our hotel. We are staying at a Super 8 Motel which is real nice. Our rooms were upgraded to suites at the same price, so we have a separate living room with a micro wave and frig in it. We went to dinner and then went to downtown Nashville to walk around and window shop. We took a ride in a horse drawn carriage which took us around downtown. That was pretty cool. This is a photo of me and Elvis on Broadway Ave. in Downtown Nashville.

Our trip has gone from the deserts of New Mexico and Eastern Oklahoma

To the forests of Arkansas and Tennessee.

The next photo was taken as we crossed over the mighty Mississippi River from Arkansas into Memphis Tennessee.

We talked to Josh this evening by telephone and learned that he still hasn't found his wallet. He also can't fly in any of the competitions because the judges wouldn't accept a photo copy of his pilot's license. So Josh is a bit bummed out about that. His advisors have apparently spoken to Southwest Airlines and they will let Josh on the plane home because he flew out with them but it will take a little more time for him to clear security. It turns out that Karen and Corey are on the same flight home as Josh, so perhaps Karen being there will help him through the TSA. More later.

Medical Update on my friend Jim

It's Tuesday evening and I just got off of the phone with my friend Jim. I learned that he was back in the emergency room on Sunday night with more back pain. Tests showed that his kidney stone "Jake", (we nicknamed the stone Jake) or a new one, was poised at the mouth of his bladder and on the move. He is taking vicodin for the pain but it gives him an upset stomach so he can't drink all the liquids he should to pass this thing. So I would ask that you keep Jim in your prayers.

Hello campers!! I am truly on the road and writing to you from Little Rock, Arkansas. (I sure hope we see Bill and Hillary while we are here!!)We got a 10:00 am start this morning after indulging in waffles at the hotel breakfast. We crossed the entire state of Oklahoma and the scenery got considerably better. Tomorrow we will arrive in Nashville. The weather has been great and road conditions very tolerable. More later.

Cinco De Mayo

Today is Cinco De Mayo which is robustly celebrated in California with drinking and dancing, costumes and drinking, and more drinking. It's a common misconception that Cinco De Mayo is the Mexican Independence day. That is false. The Mexican Independence Day is September 16th.

Cinco De Mayo, Spanish for "5th of May", is the celebration of the battle of Puebla on May 5th, 1862. The battle featured General Ignacio Zaragoza and his troops against the French forces trying to take over Mexico. The battle of Puebla was a Mexican victory, but the French eventually took over Mexico City and all of Mexico. Thanks to wikipedia.com.

Cinco De Mayo is mostly ignored by the people in Mexico, except in the state of Puebla, Mexico. My bet is most Californians could care less about the official reason for the holiday and just use the day as an excuse to go out and drink tequila. I can find no fault in that thinking!!!

We are off to Nashville, Tn, and having the time of our lives. I wasn't able to blog last night because my laptop was being stubborn. Tonight I have a strong signal but can't seem to download photos.

We were off at oh dark thirty in the morning and had to turn around after eating breakfast because Corey forgot the electrical plug for his laptop. So on take two, we were off and on our way at about 7:00 am. On the way Karen stopped at a 76 station in Needles for a quick potty stop and some gas. Gas was well over $4.00 a gallon!! Gas has mostly been around $3.58 since. We made it as far as Gallop, NM. the first night. The motel was decent and had a waffle maker in the free breakfast so that was good. I know, I'm easily pleased. has mostly been around 3.58 a gal since.

We got a call from Josh the first night telling us that he lost his wallet in Tennessee. So we had to get him the numbers to cancel his cards. We're not sure how he is going to get on the plane home without any identification. I guess we'll work on it when we get there on Tuesday.

Today we got as far as Amarillo, Tx. We've had good weather so far. I managed to catch a cold upon returning from Puerto Rico and slept most of day as Karen drove. We're in a pretty nice motel. I had a great steak dinner tonight at a local steak house. Good stuff. More later.

On the road again!!!

Yes siree, campers, I am on the road again. This time I am off to Nashville, Tn. with my wife and Corey. We are traveling there by car to watch Josh compete in the SAFCON Nationals with his Mt. Sac flying team. It is a mere 2007 miles to Nashville straight down I-40.

When the competition is over, Karen and Corey are flying home and I will be off on a road trip north to Minnesota and beyond. I will be sure to keep all my loyal readers updated on my adventures.

The owner of a golf course was confused about paying an invoice, so he decided to ask his blonde secretary for some mathematical help. He called her into his office and said, "You graduated from the University of Tennessee. I need some help. If I were to give you $20,000, minus 14%, how much would you take off?"

The secretary thought a moment, and then replied, "Everything but my earrings."

"The check's in the mail!!

Mission Accomplished In Iraq????

Today, May 1st, is the 5th anniversary of the day that President Bush landed on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, parked off the peaceful coast of California, in a fighter jet.

Right out of the movie "Top Gun", President Bush strut across the flight deck to the cheers of hundreds of sailors in full flight suit and carrying his flight helmet. With the banner "Mission Accomplished" flying over his head, President Bush announced to the world that "major combat operations in Iraq have ended."

The 4,061 dead men and women of our armed forces tell us that the President was a bit presumptuous in his assessment of the situation. Talk about a staged presidential moment gone awry!!!

Good to go away - always good to get home

I'm happy to report that I made it home in one piece last night. Those of you who know me know that the Dallas - Ft. Worth area has always been perilous for me. This trip my plane from Dallas to Ontario was delayed for 50 minutes at the gate because of a mechanical problem with the automatic throttles. Who needs 'em I say? Apparently we did. On the plus side, on both legs of my trip I had empty seats next to me so I got to stretch out a little bit.

The drive from LaQuillo to San Juan was interesting as well. (We won't even go into Megan's driving!!) As we got onto the freeway towards San Juan it was 96 degrees outside. We could see rain off in the distance. Within about 5 miles we were in a downpour and the temperature dropped 23 degrees. It was amazing how fast the temperature dropped.

I have a few more posts to make regarding my PR trip, like how Jim told the sales clerk in the El Conquistador Hotel gift shop that I was a shoplifter, and more photos to post when I get some time. I have a whole list of things to do here before we leave for our road trip to Nashville and points beyond.

So as always, its great to go places, especially Puerto Rico, but it's always good to be home. (and sleep in one's own bed!!)