Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all readers of my posts! It's been an eventful year, and today has been memorable here at our home in San Diego. Another Christmas has come and gone (well, almost... it's 2230 now, on Christmas day), and the memory banks have more to store *grin*. We slept in this morning, then got going, and visited my older daughter and family. Returned home, tried in vain to open our own gifts while the phone rang incessantly, then caught a short nap before my younger daughter and her family showed up. Now, everyone is gone, Jacqueline's in bed, and I'm going to be there soon too. This day always reminds one to appreciate the things you have, it doesn't take much looking around to see people who are struggling. So, 2008 is rapidly approaching, and with it, a whole new set of events and memories. From our house to yours, may it be a fruitful year, and may good health be your constant companion! Happy New Year!

Musings From my Visit to Minnesota

Well, it's 0030 here, now, and I really ought to be asleep. I'm at my parent's house, here in Bloomington, MN, but leave tomorrow for home. It's been a really rewarding visit, got to see all my brothers and most of their spouses. Also got to spend some "computer time" (basically, the equivalent of quality time) with my nephew Christopher, who's WAY too sophisticated for his age, when it comes to computers, anyway . Fortunately, he's pretty much your typical kid otherwise. Anyhow, my dad's crisis has passed, in a way. Yes, it's still very real, but the treatment regimen is fairly painless: one pill a day. Yes, there's side effects, but nothing that's really hard to tolerate. I think a massive weight has been lifted from him, he's obviously less stressed about the whole uncomfortable experience now. I had the opportunity to spend some rewarding time with both him and my mom, and am really glad I came back. It was great to see that my brothers were all doing well too. And I wish I'd had my camera for my brother Donn's house... boy, did he have that sucker lit up with Christmas lights!

From fires to rain

Hello again, it's been a while. Several significant developments of late; the fires are all over, thank God, and winter has started a bit early. San Diego got a significant storm about 10 days ago, and now it's raining again. Currently, I'm in Riverside, CA, at UC Riverside, with a group of high school students doing a campus tour, in the rain. I'm beginning to think we're in for a wet winter. But that's not the "big development". My dad's been diagnosed with cancer, but fortunately it's been caught early, stage 1. The lymph system appears to have been affected, however, and the doctors are discussing strategy and therapies. I'm flying back in a few days, just to spend a little time with them. My mom's worried sick, probably more than is necessary, it doesn't appear to be life-threatening. Of course, it's still a major concern, and everyone (especially my dad) wants it behind us. This little experience landed up being the subject of my Christmas letter this year, it's had a profound effect on me too.

After the Fires

They say the worst is over.... at least for us, here. There's still evacuation orders in effect, but all in East County now. The prevailing breezes have returned to their normal, from off the ocean, bringing us cool, moist air. There were actually a few raindrops a short while ago! However, the weatherman says we're going to be getting another high-pressure event, off the Great Basin, starting tomorrow. But they're promising no hurricane-force winds with this one, it's supposed to be a mild event. Unfortunately, it may result in the smoke from the fires still lingering in the East County to drift over us.... AGAIN. Wonderful. I tried to hike the mountain yesterday, got halfway up the grade, realized I could only see about 2 miles because of the poor air quality, and knew I wasn't doing my lungs any favors being out in that air. So, I went 1/2 way up the mountain, and turned around. Today is about as good as it's been since the fires started 6 days ago (geez, was it ONLY 6 days ago??), but, as I said, tomorrow may be worse.

One picture's worth a thousand words....

San Diego Wildfires

Wow.... this is a scary time here in San Diego right now; eerily reminiscent of 2003. At our house, we're actually faring a bit better than last time, the air quality hasn't been as bad, thanks in part to the fact that we're between the two enormous fires raging in San Diego County. The fire that's closest to us, the Harris Fire, put on quite a show for Jacqueline this morning, before sunrise, before she left for work. Yes, even though officials are recommending that people stay home, and stay off the freeways, some of us still have to go to work. I requested the day off, otherwise I'd probably be out there too. But, last night, Jacqueline and I packed up "the important things" into her car and my truck, just in case we had to evacuate. The weather was supposed to start reverting to the normal airflow, off the ocean, and here at our house (about 5 miles from the coast), it is indeed starting to change. But apparently, that's not the case further inland. Also, as the breeze starts up from the west, we're going to get all that smoke we've managed to avoid so far. Anyhow, as I said, Jacqueline had quite a visual experience this morning at 0430. Mt. San Miguel, a large mountain just southeast of San Diego, near Spring Valley, was fully engulfed. I found some pictures taken by another blogger, link here, that accurately depict what was happening about that time. Dante's Inferno would be an appropriate description. The viewing angle is a bit different from our house, but not much. And the view from our house is unobstructed, because we live on a high point. I'll include the photos here:

Can you understand now why we're a bit nervous?? This mountain is approximately 5 miles from us, as the crow flies. San Diego is experiencing a major disaster right now, I personally know a couple who *may* have lost their home (they don't know yet whether it survived). Here's a map showing the relative proximity of our house to the Harris Fire:

Ready to Roll

Wow, two blog postings in two days, that must be a new record *grin*. Jacque and I are done packing, all ready to head out tomorrow morning for Utah. First "road trip" for the new truck, my 2007 Toyota Tacoma. We're headed for Moab, as a staging ground, so we can go hike Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. I'm excited, we'll be leaving immediately after tomorrow's morning commute, heading for Richfield, UT. Go to bed there, finish the last 160 or so miles the next morning, hike Canyonlands on Wednesday, check into the motel later that day, hike Arches on Thursday, and leave Friday morning. Probably return via Capitol Reef and Bryce National Parks on Friday, go to bed somewhere along the way, maybe St. George or Mesquite.

Easy Livin'

Ahhhh, vacation! That's what's happening now, I'm entering week 3 of that blissful time of year called "vacation"! While nothing of real significance has happened so far (Jacque started her vacation about 5 days ago), this vacation will be remembered for several things; #1, I "reconnected" with my bike, my V65 Magna motorcycle. Many years ago, my life centered on my motorcycle, but that's been supplanted over the years with other interests. Well, I had a few issues with my bike, fixed those issues, and have been riding it A LOT, including a ride this evening. The bike's running great, couldn't be running any better, and it's so *renewing* to ride. Even though it's old now (it's a 1985 MC), I can't find it within myself to sell it anytime soon. Besides, my brothers Tim and Rob have been talking about our bi-annual trip, due next year. Looks like the V65's gonna be around for a while.....
#2- Jacque and I do have vacation plans, an idea I hatched a couple days ago. We're gonna do a whirlwind trip of southern Utah, in my new truck. We're shooting for Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. We'll possibly also hit Capitol Reef and Bryce National Parks as well. Jacque's daughter Sabrina is here visiting, it's been a wonderful visit, today we had a big family gathering at our house. Tomorrow morning we drop off Sabrina at the airport, and come home to start packing for our trip. Woo-hoo, off we go on another adventure! Pictures to follow!

Where the Road Ends...

Here it is, the end of the road *grin*. What you're looking at here is Clover Meadow Ranger Station, 50 miles from the nearest settlement, 70 miles from Oakhurst, CA (where I'm staying), in Sierra National Forest. It's where the pavement ends! I'm amazed the asphalt ran 50 twisty miles back into the Sierra backcountry. I (obviously) have a backpacking trip in progress, my passengers disembarked at this spot, and it's where I return to pick them up tomorrow. The coordinates for this location are N37.527 W119.277 , if you want to look it up. If you want to do it the easy way, here's a direct link to the location, via Google Maps. You will see, if you back out on the zoom, just how far from nothing this place is! I determined that Mammoth Lakes, on the other side of the Sierras, was only about 15 statute miles from this spot! In fact, two of my hikers are hiking through to Mammoth, and finding their own way home to San Diego. Now that's an adventure! It takes me 2 hours to travel the 70 miles, so I actually will need to get up at midnight tonight (0000 hours, Labor Day) and leave at 0030, so I can get 8 hours off near Clover Meadow. That way I have hours to drive back to San Diego. Fortunately, this is all on holiday pay woo-hoo! It's supposed to be HOT in the San Joaquin Valley on Labor Day, well over 100, so I guess the A/C will be getting a workout. Hopefully it doesn't let me down. Anyhow, I hope your holiday weekend was super, I guess this means summer is over, although you sure can't tell it by the temperature :(

Summertime... and the living's easy

Hello again- Well, once again, time has flown by, and I've realized it's been quite a while since I posted. It's currently 2330 (11:30 PM) on a Thursday night, not normally a situation in which I'd still be typing on a computer. But, it's been SLOW this week at the bus company, and so I've had lots of time to pursue other interests. I've been busy all evening, backing up a new laptop here at the house; no, it's not mine. I helped a friend of mine acquire a good deal on a new laptop. Nothing too out-of-the-ordinary there.... until I tell you the friend is going to be 92 next month! She complained that her old computer wasn't doing the job anymore, and she felt she wanted a laptop. Can you imagine? I said, OK,let's go have a look at a few models. Well, she liked the 17" screens (portability isn't real important here), and so we landed up getting an HP dv9410us, a dual-core Turion, TL-56 processor, 1 GB of memory, 160 GB hard drive, all the other usual bells and whistles. Nice unit! Anyhow, I've been "streamlining" it for her, to make the transition to Vista as painless as I can. Now that all the modifications are done, I'm backing everything up. That's what's happening now, and it's time consuming. Which is why I'm still at it, as it approaches midnight. But the end is in sight, 98% of the mundane stuff is over.
Woo-hoo, it's finishing now, I'm outa here, good-night! She'll love this computer...

Year's half over

Whoa, hard to believe a month slid by since my last posting. The end-of-school-year crush I spoke of in earlier posts is over, about 2 weeks ago. A sense of normalcy has returned to my life... wait a minute... there is no "normal" in my life!! Well, let's just say things have lightened up significantly. Currently, I'm in Lee Vining, CA, a small town nestled against the Eastern Sierra Nevada, north of Mammoth Lakes. This is where CA120, Tioga Pass Road, intersects with US395. Heading west out of Lee Vining, you travel from approximately 6800' to 9945', at Tioga Pass, the highest highway pass in CA. I have backpackers off on a (for them) 4.5-day hiking adventure. I dropped them off at their respective trailheads on Saturday AM, after a VERY short night in a B.L.M. campground, and will pick them up Wednesday, the 4th of July, noon-ish to return to San Diego. I suspect the bus won't smell very good with all those unwashed bodies aboard!
The motel I'm staying at is a kick. It's an "historic" motel, dates back to the 1880's, but fell into disrepair in the '60s, into the '90's. The county was about to condemn the property when a group of investors decided to sink some money into it. Well, let's just say it's an "ongoing project". Lots of repairs, but a ways to go yet. No need to go into detail, the vital necessities are here, but there's a LOT of room for improvement. Like, screens on my windows to keep out the bugs! I bought some screening material in town today (bought all the guy had, a couple square yards, for $2), and "fixed" the problem. All with the blessings of the proprietor, who's admittedly overwhelmed. No phone, no TV, WiFi that only works within 20' of the router, which is in the office, which may or may not be open at any time, you get the idea. Oh, and no A/C. Hence, the need for the windows to be open. Also, no furniture, (most of my stuff is on the floor), fixtures that either don't work or obviously haven't been installed correctly, you get the idea. I guess I did go into some detail! However, on the plus side, there's a fridge, microwave, nicely redone bathroom, and all the really critical stuff works. Oh well, another adventure! I'm typing this, in my room, via a weak cellphone signal, which I've enhanced by hanging my aftermarket cellphone antenna in the window! Works sort of half-assed, or maybe I should say "half-fast" .

Same thing, every year

It's that time of year... Grad Nights. And Days. And Nights. And Days..... get the idea? We deal with lots of different types of groups, among them schoolkids. Well, we get slammed with LOTS of school runs this time of year, every year. No problem, I don't have an "issue" with dealing with kids (some drivers do), but there is a downside here, too. Like, this time of year has lots of crazy hours, long days, and quick turnarounds. And, these runs are, shall we say, not very lucrative? Nonetheless, we all work hard to make this time of year a success, and will again this year. Oh well, check back in a few weeks from now, just don't expect to hear back from me quickly .

May Gray

Hello again... It's that time of year here now.... what we call May Gray and June Gloom. With global warming, it seems like it's happening a bit earlier in the year. Used to be the time frame was late May thru early June. Now, it starts in early May. So, what is "it"? This time of year, the desert starts warming up. That creates a thermal low, which acts like a giant vacuum cleaner, and sucks the marine layer in off the ocean. Marine layer is the typical cloudiness sitting on the Pacific Ocean when the water temperature is below the mid 60's. Right now the water temp is in the low 60's. Our prevailing breezes are from the west, off the ocean, as well. So, this time of year is actually the lousiest time of year to visit San Diego. Many days are totally overcast, occasionally drizzly, and generally yucky. Today's not too bad, the sun's out, but it's kind of chilly. Still, all in all, not a bad day.

A Positive Development

Hello again.... it's busy at work, but I've noticed that "insanely busy" doesn't seem to be the case any more. The company I drive for has had a protracted effort to hire more drivers, and I think I can honestly say that, for the first time in my almost-25 years there, that our staffing appears to be adequate. What does that mean to me, and my fellow well-established senior drivers? Uh, how about, that we can actually have a "life", even when it's busy? All those years of crazy hours are, hopefully, behind me now. There seems to be a new, better understanding with management of the importance of not "burning out" drivers, especially the most-experienced ones. This is a good thing!! Perhaps also in the mix is the new reality that drivers, good drivers, are becoming scarce, and the company can ill-afford to lose anyone, especially the experienced ones. All of this bodes well for me, as I have fought (griped, bitched, etc) for years to work LESS, not more. All dispatchers hate getting phone calls from unhappy customers, complaining about a driver who, in the customer's opinion, is not "up to the task" in some fashion. As a result, senior drivers tend to get the bulk of the runs that are the "more difficult" type; typically, single-bus moves out of the county, with the need for a working knowledge of where they're headed, and maybe some personality to boot *grin*. Well, that may not sound too complicated, but consider the responsibility involved with:
1) safely transporting 40+ passengers to their destination(s),
2) actually knowing where you're going,
3) negotiating your way through Southern California's notorious traffic,
4) being casual, easy-going, and congenial with the customer the whole time
5) exuding an air of confidence that puts the people at ease
6) have contingency plans for traffic, bus problems, change of schedule, etc.
7) do this day after day, with all sorts of different types of groups,
8) more often than not, have no clue what you're doing tomorrow!
That's just part of this job. Obviously, some of the above-mentioned items overlap, but each is unique. The job can be both exhilarating and depressing. But, for me, the biggest annoyances are LONG hours and QUICK turnarounds. So, the recent developments at my company go a LONG way towards mitigating my two biggest issues. Hurray!!! Maybe I'll stay till I retire *grin*

Busy, busy, busy

Hello again! Well, it's *that* time of year.... it's busy as H*** at the bus company I drive for. It actually was very placid, almost slow there for a while. And, during a timeframe that historically has been busy. So, while I'm not happy it's extremely busy right now, I'm not bummed either. Gotta have bursts of business, when my life revolves around driving, to cover for the lulls. Don't get me wrong, here; I'm looking forward to things not being so hectic. But, I guess what I'm saying is that I recognize these times as a "necessary evil". Oh well, it'll (hopefully) be over soon..........

Change of Plans

Hi, from Pismo Beach, CA! You never know where I'm gonna land up (and usually, neither do I...). I was *supposed* to be on my way to Yosemite tomorrow morning, but had a conflict with another trip that returned from last year. It's a "worker", a 4 day trip up the coast of California, with distributors of nursery plants (working for a VERY well-known National company), visiting a number of nurseries. Everywhere we go, the nurseries lay out the 'ol red carpet, it's BIG business. Anyhow, it a lot of work, but very, shall we say, lucrative? I have 2 drivers "in tow" with me, one from last year, and another well-established driver from the company we work for. I'm watching the sun set over the Pacific Ocean right now, crystal-clear skies off to the west. A good omen for tomorrow......

OK, now this is different....

Hi, got something kind of unusual going on today... in fact, this is the first time it's happened in 30 years of driving buses. I'm picking up a group here at the mobile home park, taking them to a nearby Native American casino. A lot of people here, of course, are aware that a tour bus driver lives among them, pretty hard to miss the highway coach parked outside the gates when I'm able to stop home in the middle of some days. So, of course, they booked thru the company I drive for, and requested me! So, in about an hour, I'll be picking up everyone at the front gate (can't easily get the bus into the park itself) and off we go (Jacqueline's coming along too) to the casino! Just a short day, little 5-hour deal. Should be lots of fun....

Nice weekend in Mammoth Lakes

Hi again, we just returned from a weekend in Mammoth Lakes. I say "we" because Jacqueline was able to join me, and ride on the bus. Made it seem more like a vacation than working. The weather was pleasant, but turning as we left on Sunday afternoon. Perfect timing! We thoroughly enjoyed the trip, even though it was a short one. I just checked, the mountain has received 8-12" of new snow, and more is falling, so I guess we really did leave at the right time. It was in the 50's during the couple days we were there, and we exploited the nice weather by going for a long walk on Saturday, followed by dinner at a local pizza place, where Jacqueline and I had our first "dinner date" about 12 years ago.

Sittin' at the library

One week into the new truck, and all is going well. I just installed a box on back yesterday, black plastic, like the one I had on the Ranger. It looks really sharp, the black offsets to "Desert Mica" paint really nicely.
I'm in Anaheim, have a bus group at Disneyland. The nearby Anaheim City Library has wi-fi, so here I am! Besides, it's 90 degrees outside. March 12th, can you believe it? It's because we have a Santa Ana blowing, a wind reversal. Usually our breezes are out of the west, off the ocean. Typically in the fall and early winter, we'll get a reversal of that pattern, and our winds will come in from the desert, hot and dry. Kind of unusual to have this pattern at this time of year, however. It's supposed to "break" later today, tomorrow's supposed to be about 10-15 degrees cooler. But, for today, the Anaheim Library feels pretty good! Fellow driver Theresa is along, she's busy reading a book, or using one of the library's computers. I'm using my laptop, of course.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

What's new? Lots, here. My vehicle "companion" of 1/2 of my adult life, my Ford Ranger pickup truck, bit the dust a few days ago. With me through thick and thin, this truck has seen 'ol Scotty through 2 decades of change. Approaching 300,000 miles, I knew it wasn't going to be around much longer, and little telltale signs were there that it was rapidly approaching its demise. Still, I'd hoped to have it last long enough to cash in on a California program designed to get older, less-efficient vehicles off the roads. Jacqueline and I took a long drive this past weekend, in the truck (She suggested we take her car, I insisted we take the truck), and it started acting up before the drive was finished. However, in the fashion that is its trademark, it got us home. Then, crapped out. The clutch went, and not in the typical way. Usually, the clutch will start slipping. Never happened with this truck. Rather, something let loose, internally. So, tomorrow morning, I and a Mexican guy here at the mobile home complex will go to DMV, and transfer title. Mexican guys are amazing, they can fix anything! I have neither the time nor inclination to fix the truck. In fact, I already have a new truck, my first new vehicle in 20 years! I'm now the proud owner of a 2007 Toyota Tacoma pickup! Still getting used to it, but that new vehicle smell sure is nice! Anyhow, the transfer of the old truck is tomorrow morning, and the clock is telling me it's "tomorrow" already, so I'm outa here. More on the new truck to follow............