Ramblings Episode 606: Looking Forward to SiglerFest

This time next week I’m on my way to Vegas, baby!


Run time: 10:21

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Ramblings Episode 584: Time Off & Small Digits

I’m ready for a break and my fingers are too big for Android. #RoaUMP


Run time: 7:40

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Ramblings Episode 551: Fun in Canada

Had a great time visiting those in the great white north, eh. #RoaUMP



Run time: 19:19


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Ramblings Episode 425: O Canada

That time I thought I was going to jail at the border. #RoaUMP


Run time: 10:35

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Ramblings Episode 290 – Time Off

I talk about the amount of vacation time I’ve taken this year. #RoaUMP


Run time: 9:50

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Ramblings Episode 26 - Unexpected French

Today I talk about times when I wasn't at my best.

 
Run time: 13:16

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Calling All Tourist-Elks!

While driving home from the U.P. (Eh!) I saw a sign that read "For tourist-elk herd information, please call...". I was glad that we saw fit to provide vacationing elk an easy way to find a local herd. It's important that they find a herd-away-from-herd while they're on the road.

Then @pianoeditor suggested that maybe this applied to Elks. As in The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Perhaps they have random "herds" that gather in empty fields wearing funny hats. (Author's note: I do not know for a fact that BPOE members actually wear funny hats, but they should. I would never join a fraternal order that didn't wear funny hats.) I'm envisioning a woodsy cocktail party here.

Either way I suspect that a tourist-elk is would be a memorable thing to see. So keep an eye peeled as you travel America's highways. Tourist-Elks are everywhere.

Vacation Musings

I just got back from a wonderful five day trip to Phoenix. While the wife and I were there we saw some unusual plant life and other amazing things, both man-made and natural. About midway throughout trip we attended a spring training baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians, since the latter team's spring home was about a half hour away from where we were staying.

It was a beautiful, sunny day without a breath of wind. The temperature gauge said mid-80's, but it felt like the 70's to our Michigan trained senses. Our seats were directly behind home plate only 26 rows up. We had a fabulous view of the game, and were protected from the sun by the shadow of the press box.

At one point I was sitting there shelling and eating peanuts, with frequent sips from my Landshark Lager, and I was struck with how utterly happy and relaxed I felt. It was a marvelous feeling. I had no concerns or worries on my mind, I was just enjoying the moment. At that point in time I was truly on vacation.

I thought about that revelation as I watched the game progress. I take at least one vacation every year, and I always enjoy my time away. But it has been years since I've had the feeling of utter happiness that struck me at that ball game. As I munched I thought how sad it was that our lives were structured so that moments such as these are in the minority rather than the majority.

Who decided that work and toil should take the lion's share of our lives, leaving slim pickings for relaxation and enjoyment? It seemed to me we had messed it all up. We'd gotten it backwards. Wouldn't the world be a better place if we could all feel what I was? I thought so.

I have no grand plan for righting this wrong. I am not likely to become independently wealthy so I can be on permanent vacation, nor do I propose another system of government to make that happen. None of the political structures that have been used throughout history have succeeded in providing such a lifestyle for everyone. I'm also not really a believer in perfect utopias.

I have no answers here, just a memory of a perfect moment and a desire to experience it again. Soon.

Lost Photos

I just returned from a vacation in Tennessee and while I had a great time overall, something very bad happened on this trip. Our digital camera was stolen, along with all of the pictures I had taken up to that point.

It took me a couple of days to (mostly) get over the pain and anguish of losing the camera itself, but I've had more lingering problems living with the fact that the pictures I took have no doubt been deleted by the camera's new owner. Since I no longer have the photos, I thought I would remember here some that stand out in my mind.

While in Knoxville we visited Volunteer Landing and took a stroll along the Tennessee river. At one point The Daughter had stopped and was looking out at the river. Without her knowledge I took two pictures of her staring at the water. She had a calm and serious expression that I rarely see. I felt they had the potential of being special pictures, and was looking forward to seeing them on a larger screen then the one my camera had.

I was just getting ready to enter the men's room there at the Landing when The Wife excitedly called me over to the women's room. She told me there was this hand dryer that I just had to check out. When I saw it I asked her if she actually read my blog, as it was my old friend the Xtreme 4000 hand dryer as described in Adventures in Bathroom Remodeling. Safely in the men's room I took a picture of the dryer blowing a deep depression into the side of my arm that I was intending to use in a follow up post. The Wife later agreed that it could blow the skin off a zombie, but once again there were none handy for an actual test.

We visited my father and his significant other in Knoxville and had a great time with them. They moved down there from Michigan last year and this was the first time we'd seen them since August. It will be another year before we see them again. I took a nice photo of them standing on their front porch.

Across the street from our hotel there was a Honda dealership owned by former NASCAR great Rusty Wallace. So of course I had to drive through the lot and snap a pic of the side of the building bearing Rusty's name. We even had to endure strange looks from a salesman who wondered why I was driving around the dealership.

We visited a couple of the tourist destinations in the Knoxville area including the Blount Mansion. This was the house of William Blount, the first govoner of the state of Tennessee. I took many photographs in the various buildings that made up the grounds. One I especially liked was the shot of the Star Spangled Banner, an early version of the American flag that had 15 stars and 15 stripes (one for each state in the union at that time) that was displayed in Blount's office. It was this version of the flag that Francis Scott Key saw when he wrote his famous poem.

I took quite a few pictures as has been my wont since I got the digital camera. After all, it doesn't cost anything to take them. I don't always know why I take them, but if I have the camera in my hand I usually find a reason to take a picture. This experience has made me realize that I am doing more than just taking random photos, I am documenting my life.

Every now and then the image of one of the pictures I took on this trip will pop into my mind, only to be followed with the sad knowledge that it is gone forever. I still have the memories of the experiences, but this person stole my record of those few days. And while none of the pictures could be considered important in any way, I still miss them.

I guess it's time to shop for a new camera.

Hey, you! Out of the pool!

We're having a great time here at the Quality Inn in Tennessee. As you can see they have a nice large pool for us to use.


Too bad only one of us is supposed to use the pool at a time. I guess the rest of us were supposed to stand around and be ready to throw the life ring at them if they got in trouble.


Don't tell hotel management, but we lived on the wild side and had three people in the pool at one time. Man, it was crowded.