October--2004
A few months ago Nancy decided that we should take a two week driving vacation, something we had not done for 25 years. She had a taste of the wanderlust about a year ago when two of her friends had invited her to go along on a driving trip through Arizona and New Mexico, with a destination of Denver to visit their relatives. She went! She enjoyed seeing Santa Fe, the Navajo Nation lands, the sweeping vistas of the Southwest deserts, and the crispness of the Rockies. She enjoyed the trip alot, but since she was a "guest" she felt that she might have enjoyed it more with the freedom to pick the iternerary and activities. It did get her enthused for another driving trip, however.
Being on the road together for two weeks on an old fashioned sightseeing tour had a certain nostalgic appeal to both of us. After all, we both grew up in families where a vacation usually involved packing up the car and heading down the road to see the sights, camp out, or stay at a cabin at a lake or river.
Where to go? We had been looking for potential future retirement locations on the west coast, and most of the best suited locations were to the north. I was really interested in checking out Bend, Oregon, and Nancy thought she would like to check out Northern California and the Oregon coast. Since our daughter, Sara, was living in Santa Cruz, it seemed like we could start and end with a visit with her. When to go? Early October seemed to fit. The summer crowds would be gone, there might be some good fall color in the northern forests, and the weather, while cooler, could still be agreeable. So Nancy started planning! New maps and guidebooks for California and the Pacific Northwest were acquired. I got on the internet and searched for all the good sites for information on Oregon. I signed in on the state websites for visiters, and started getting lots of great publications in the mail covering everything from Golf in Oregon, to all the scenic routes and and their sights. Nancy worked the internet sites for all the interesting towns, B&Bs and campsites which she might include as destinations. She asked her quilting contacts where all the good quilt stores were along the northern California Coast and up into Oregon. I checked out the potential golf course stops! Nancy started making a list of what to pack! Since we planned to camp some of the time we were going to have a full load in the olde Mercedes! When we hopped in the car we were going to be prepared!!
As October approached Nancy was busy working on our itinerary, working out our day to day driving milieage, our overnight stops, sights not to be missed, and B&B and camping options. We would leave on Friday, October 8 and return on Monday, October 25, a total of 18 days. That was slightly more than two weeks, but was rationalized by including a couple of extra weekend days, and a Friday drive day to Santa Cruz with a Monday drive back.
Thursday October 7 it was done! Instructions had been written for Matt. (He was excited to have the house to himself for a couple weeks!) The trunk of the car was packed. By bedtime the bags were packed and ready for an early start. The alarm was set for 4:15. At 5 am we would be launched!
Friday, October 29, 2004
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Ghostbusters--A Political Rant
I wonder how we have managed a course of action in the last four years, that puts our society in a constant state of stress. It used to be that stress was caused by working too hard, a boss who was a pain in the rear,too many kids, no kids, not enough money, not enough sex, unemployment, smog, mental illness, divorce, death of a loved one; all the normal stuff of life. Usually it was there for awhile, and then something good happened and it went away. At least until the next bummer came along.
Maybe I am just getting old, and wishing for some respite from continuing conflict in the world. Why do people hate each other? There really can't be that much difference between humans and what they want that would justify hate. And yet hate has been passed from generation to generation among some peoples who to this day still fight and kill each other with regularity.
In the USA, we have developed a divided country and have painted the map of states with red or blue, depending on who is voted for, a conservative or a liberal. So now are we to be defined by color all over again? Who is going to be considered "colored" and how are divisions going to be made? Will we have red sections and blue sections in restaurants? Who will disdain who the most?
Have I missed something? Was it always like that, and I just never paid attention? Or did it start when Conservatives became more in control of government after not having consolidated power for so long a period of time? Where cooperation, compromise and moderation was once the norm, the opportunity for abuse became reality.
With control of Congress and the Office of President, there was no effective opposition to stop foolishness, corruption, and in general, bad government. That is not to say that Republicans could not be effective in governing, but with majority control of both houses of Congress and the Presidency, there was no one who could cry "STOP"! to cause debate and compromise and produce more measured and effective results in decisions affecting the welfare of all citizens of this great country.
The 9/11 attack gave opportunity for additional power to the Presidency to act in retaliation without an adequate measure of thought regarding the various potential consequences of our actions. And here we are mired in a bog of stress caused by politics and guns and bombs and violence that seems to have no end.
The "Dogs of War" on the right have been convinced, mostly by deception, that force is the only response to solve all the terrorist activity in the world, and it is up to us to "stay the course" and use all our resources and young soldiers in the effort! Those who disagree, see parallels to Vietnam, which was a terrible mistake, also made by politicians who deceived, and resulted in a vast waste of life and resources. It ended with a sigh of grief over those who were lost for nothing of value.
In a fantasy world we could "CALL GHOSTBUSTERS", and they would come and trap evil in a magnetic box!
We need to stop and think about ending violence and wasting lives.
Maybe I am just getting old, and wishing for some respite from continuing conflict in the world. Why do people hate each other? There really can't be that much difference between humans and what they want that would justify hate. And yet hate has been passed from generation to generation among some peoples who to this day still fight and kill each other with regularity.
In the USA, we have developed a divided country and have painted the map of states with red or blue, depending on who is voted for, a conservative or a liberal. So now are we to be defined by color all over again? Who is going to be considered "colored" and how are divisions going to be made? Will we have red sections and blue sections in restaurants? Who will disdain who the most?
Have I missed something? Was it always like that, and I just never paid attention? Or did it start when Conservatives became more in control of government after not having consolidated power for so long a period of time? Where cooperation, compromise and moderation was once the norm, the opportunity for abuse became reality.
With control of Congress and the Office of President, there was no effective opposition to stop foolishness, corruption, and in general, bad government. That is not to say that Republicans could not be effective in governing, but with majority control of both houses of Congress and the Presidency, there was no one who could cry "STOP"! to cause debate and compromise and produce more measured and effective results in decisions affecting the welfare of all citizens of this great country.
The 9/11 attack gave opportunity for additional power to the Presidency to act in retaliation without an adequate measure of thought regarding the various potential consequences of our actions. And here we are mired in a bog of stress caused by politics and guns and bombs and violence that seems to have no end.
The "Dogs of War" on the right have been convinced, mostly by deception, that force is the only response to solve all the terrorist activity in the world, and it is up to us to "stay the course" and use all our resources and young soldiers in the effort! Those who disagree, see parallels to Vietnam, which was a terrible mistake, also made by politicians who deceived, and resulted in a vast waste of life and resources. It ended with a sigh of grief over those who were lost for nothing of value.
In a fantasy world we could "CALL GHOSTBUSTERS", and they would come and trap evil in a magnetic box!
We need to stop and think about ending violence and wasting lives.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
