Look up once in a while.......

It began to rain sometime after midnight Saturday, and continued on and off until mid morning Sunday before the sun began to peek through the clouds once again.  Once we were sure the rain was done for the day we decided to take another walk.

We do this 'out and back' walk along Mission Inn Avenue once, or twice a week and typically I am looking down.....nothing much worse than tripping on a crack in the sidewalk and doing a face plant......but there a lot that will be missed if you don't look up once in a while......the following pictures were all taken in just .5 miles of the first 1.5 miles of our walk........

......there is a lot of interesting architecture in downtown Riverside, and if you are looking down all the time you will miss a lot......and it's not just the architecture that will catch your attention......there is some whimsical stuff as well......

.....these pictures are just a sample of what you can see along Mission Inn Avenue in downtown Riverside.....I am normally a 'died in the wool' short pants guy, but for the first time in a long time I wore long pants on this walk as it was relatively cool and breezy.

  

Our 3 mile 'out and back' walk along Mission Inn Avenue

Of course, a walk in cool, breezy weather must include some warm refreshments, so we stopped off at 'The Coffee Bean' on our way home for a cup of coffee.......

......we were home by 1300.  The rest of the day I watched some golf, and read.

Thanks for stopping by!

When the debate is lost.......

We are in the midst of another political season full of hateful, shallow, demagogic rhetoric by BOTH sides. Many will swear it is worse today than ever, but you can go back 100 years and find it was just as bad, if not worse. When I hear/read words such as COMMUNIST, CRIMINAL, STALIN, HITLER, BIGOT, RACIST, SEXIST, HOMOPHOBE being used to describe the character of one's ideological opponent I know that person has no interest in having a rational, thoughtful discussion.....their purpose (no matter which side of the aisle they come from) is to end the discussion before it begins....their purpose is to silence you and I. These, and many, many other words have been so defined down over the past decades they no longer have any meaning. Today if you oppose ILLEGAL immigration you are automatically branded a RACIST, a BIGOT, and probably a card carrying member of the KKK. If you want to increase the size of government you are branded a COMMUNIST,and are probably directly related to STALIN. If you want to institute more gun control you are a NAZI, and probably HITLER'S offspring. If you want universal healthcare you are a SOCIALIST, if not an out right COMMUNIST. If you want to decrease the size of government you obviously want NO government......you want ANARCHY. If you sincerely believe it is wrong to take the life of innocent, unborn, nascent human life you are SEXIST, a CHAUVINIST.....you want women to die in an alley with a coat hanger lying on the ground beside them. It's obvious to rational people that this is all B.S. So, I say that to say this.......don't waste those terms on me, because all you are proving to me is that you don't want to have a discussion.......that you have no respect for my ideas, or anyone's ideas which do not line up with yours. When you post videos, or quotes from surogates using these terms to describe any candidate all you prove is you don't want to have a discussion, or have indeed LOST the debate. As Socrates once said.....'When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser'.....don't be a LOSER. As far as I am concerned all the candidates and their minions who use those terms are just that.....LOSERS, and man oh man, there are a lot of LOSERS running for POTUS in this current political season.

Okay, now that I've got that off my chest what happened on Real Saturday?  Well, TLE and I took another walk to the top of Mt. Rubidoux.......as you can see from the picture below, the clouds are rolling in portending rain.....YAY!

We did our usual 3.3 mile round trip walk, but we were able to boost our mph up to 3.5......that's what we normally do on the flat!

After our walk we made our Trader Joe's run to resupply our adult beverage stores, and were home by 1300 hours.  Our grandson, Elijah, became a teenager on March 3rd, so Saturday we celebrated his birthday with family and friends.....

 Tim and Chris

Tim and TBL**

 The new teenager.....Elijah

 Jack and Ali 

 Mark, Cathy and TAR*

Nick and Kate, the birthday parents

I love ALL my in-laws.....they are all 'salt of the earth' people, and I count it an ongoing blessing to have them in my life.  We had a delightful birthday celebration that continued well into the evening......well, for many of us, anyway.  I was in bed by 2300 hours, and woke up a few hours later to the sound of rain on the roof......

The rain arrived sometime early this morning!

Thanks for stopping by!

*TAR - The Amazing Rochelle

**TBL - The Beautiful Laila

BPOE*

It is so much more enjoyable to take walks/ride bikes when the weather is in the 60's and 70's like Friday.  We were off on our walk by 1000 hours walking north on Park to 3rd Street where we turned west all the way up to Mt. Rubidoux Drive which we took back to Mission Inn Ave. where we headed back east to our home.  The temps were in the high 60's as we began our 3.7 mile 'loop' walk, and had barely hit 70 when we returned home.  We covered that distance in just over 59 minutes of brisk walking.

3.7 mile walk around downtown Riverside

We really didn't have much else going on Friday except a date with our good friends Candy and Steve at the Fontana Elk's Lodge (#2013) for dinner.  We have been thinking about joining the Elk's Club for a number of months......as members we would have access to hundreds of places across the USA to park our Newell, and most of those locations that allow RV parking offer some sort of hookups (elelctric, electric and water, and some full hookups) for $15-$22/night.  On top of that they all have bars (open several days a week), and food service one, or two nights a week.....also at discounted prices.  

Fontana Elk's Lodge # 2013

Around a dozen RV sites in back

At this point in our nomadic travels we seem to know more people who belong to the Elk's than do not, so we decided to pull the trigger while we are in town for another 8 weeks and put our application in for membership so we can be initiated prior to our departure for South Lake Tahoe.  Not only will we benefit from our membership while traveling, we now have a great place to 'land' when we are in SoCal visiting our kids.  Since our daughter and son-in-law are selling their Riverside home where we have stayed the last few times we have been in SoCal we need a new, inexpensive place to stay.  We had a lovely evening with Candy and Steve, and met some of their Fontana Elk's Lodge friends......thank you both for dinner and drinks!

We were home just before 1800 hours and watching the season finale of 'Gold Rush'.......could the young Parker Schnabel top Todd Hoffman in gold production once again?  I'll not spoil the finale if you haven't watched it yet.

Thanks for stopping by!

*BPOE - Benevolent Protective Order of Elks

Low pressure....

Cooling trend and rain in our future

We finally got off our collective derrieres Thursday and returned to one of our favorite hikes, Mt. Rubidoux.  The warm temperatures have begun to abate after almost a month of 80's weather.  The forecast high temp Thursday was 77, so it was a perfect day for a hike to elevation.......

.....we didn't get to the trailhead until after 1100, but it was only 71 degrees as we started the hike......there is a low pressure front coming in this weekend, and it was already becoming evident as the clear blue skies we associate with high pressure had been replaced with partly cloudy, hazy skies.....nevertheless, the views were still captivating as we wended our way to the summit.  We averaged 3.3 mph for the entire hike covering the 3.3 mile distance in just a few seconds over 1 hour.  On our way home we made a stop at Smart & Final to do some grocery shopping before arriving home a little after 1300 hours.  

I felt much better Thursday and didn't feel like I needed a nap, even though I did take one after we returned.  We both spent the balance of the afternoon reading.

Thanks for stopping by!

The unprotected......

Apparently the after effects of large amounts of novacane are long daytime naps, because that essentially sums up the last two days for me.  Once again I did not do anything but rest all day long, however, one side benefit of this is I am doing a lot of reading.  Really, that was the essence of our day.....  

Something has been on my mind for over a year that I have discussed with friends on several occasions, and have alluded to here in my blog.  Back in my workaday life I was pretty heavily invested in political outcomes.....I spent hours reading political opinions, following closely one election cycle after another.  Then 3 years ago after being on the road just about a year I decided that neither political party really cared about anyone outside the Washington D.C. Beltway.  They gave great speeches promising change, but when they got elected it was difficult to tell to which party they really belonged.  They both spend too much money.....they both keep increasing the size of government.....they are all inveterate liars.  I began to realize they, the politicians, are part of the protected class in this country......they excuse themselves from the laws they pass and policies they enact, and from the effect of those laws and policies.  Also part the protected class are the bankers, the mega rich, the Wall Street types, the talking heads, the network executives, the anointed network news anchors, etc.  They all profess their concern for the plight of the middle class, but everything they do makes our lives worse......they don't really think of us as the 'middle class'.....to them we are the underclass........the unwashed........the 'unprotected'.

Now we find ourselves in the middle of another election cycle.......one side alleges the other side's candidates are either criminals, or communists..... and the other side is accused of being sexist, racist, homophobic......it is all a big B.S. dance they put on for our benefit trying to get us to choose one side, or the other.  They profess to 'CARE' so much about us.....baloney.....all they care about is their own power, and protected status.  They all belong to the protected class, and they want to continue to belong to that club, so they all go along to get along......they all take millions from corporations.....they are all bought and paid for......they claim the millions they receive have no effect on their policies, but secretly, deep down inside we all know the truth.

Now we have someone who has come along and pointed out what I have been saying........he talks about the plight of the unprotected, he is brash, and unapologetic.....he admits he is part of the protected class because he is rich, but he is talking about doing something about it.  He doesn't care what their opinion of him is......he seems to scare the hell out of both parties because he doesn't follow any of their rules.  He is accused by both sides of being a racist, a bully, a Hitler, of being sexist.  Political pundits write voluminous articles about we should be afraid of his 'authoritarian' rhetoric......they beg us to ignore him....to disavow him.  

I have no idea who I am going to vote for in the next general election.......I don't even know if I will vote.........what's the point?  In the end we get the same old same old......I think we are witnessing the beginnings of the demise of the two party system.  This is why this outsider is drawing so much enthusiasm.....is he the answer?  I have no idea, but his angry rhetoric mirrors the frustration of millions of the middle class......the unprotected......and that is why they are listening to him.  This moment in history reminds me of a famous line from the movie 'Network' starring Peter Finch as the disillusioned fictional network anchor, Howard Beale, who stands up on the set of his nightly news broadcast and yells to the world......"I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!".  That's where I think we are right now.....people are as mad as hell, and they are not going to take it anymore.....that is why Donald Trump is resonating.....he is articulating what a large part of the middle class has been thinking as they sit in their living rooms each night watching the circus we call Washington D.C.....and, frankly, I think it scares the hell out of the 'protected'.  We are told he appeals to fear.....baloney....they're not afraid, they are MAD!

The famous "I'm mad as hell" scene from the movie 'Network'

Are you part of the unprotected?  Are you fed up with the protected class? Are you sick and tired of both parties?  What got me thinking and writing about this?  I read an article by Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal a few days ago entitled 'The Rise of the Unprotected'.....it totally articulates what I have been feeling and saying.  Take a minute to read that article......I am sure it will resonate with many of you. 

Thanks for stopping by!

BJG*

It's been a while since TLE had her BJG* fix, so Tuesday she headed up to our daughter's home to play Grandma for a day.  BJG* is now one month old......hard to believe that much time has already passed since his birth.

BJG* @ 1 month

I, on the other hand, stayed home.......the gardeners were coming, and needed to get into the backyard to mow and edge, so I needed to move a few things out of the way, and make sure the dogs were kept inside, plus I just like to be around when there are people using motorized equipment around the coach.

After spending a few hours in dental chairs Monday, and receiving a goodly amount of novacane I was really looking forward to just relaxing, reading and taking at least one nap, and that is precisely what I did.  Regretfully I have nothing else to report.....I was a total slug all day long.  TLE, on the other hand, returned from her day with BJG* with glowing reports about the little guy, and our daughter Sharon who is adjusting to motherhood quite well.

Of course, it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway......life is good!

Thanks for stopping by!

*BJG - Brayden James Garcia

'I appreciate your professionalism' - Part 7

As I wrote yesterday, we stayed at the Historic Coronado Motor Hotel on 4th Street.  This is not your typical old, rundown motel.....it has been well maintained over the years, and is completely modern.  We had the 'Economy Queen' room for $89/night (found the deal using TRIVAGO), which includes a regrigerator, microwave, desk, and a full cooked breakfast ($17.00 value) at their restaurant (Yuma Landing Bar and Grill).  The hotel takes up an entire block on both sides of the street, and is just 1.5 blocks from Interstate 8, and then another 10 miles to the border parking lot for Los Algodones.  It took us less than 15 minutes door to door to get to the border.  We were also just a 10 minute walk from their historic Main Street where Prison Hill Brewing, and numerous other restaurants/shops are located.

 Our 'economy' Queen room (couch turns into a hide-a-bed)

Most of hotel is one story, but there are two 2 story buildings

We were up by 0600, eating breakfast by 0700, fueling up for our return trip at the local ARCO station by 0750 ($1.67/gallon for Premium Unleaded....best I have paid here in SoCal is $2.19), and then back to our room to pick up our bags and on the road by 0820 for Los Algodones.

My first appointment of the day (0915 hours) was with Jose A. Hernandez, DDS (endodontics) to finish my root canal started just a little under two weeks prior.  Normally the entire root canal would have been done in one sitting, but since there was some residual infection from the tooth that had been pulled he decided to let it drain a little more before he finished.....I thought that was a good idea.  We arrived at his office by 0855, and I was in the 'chair' by 0910.  TLE's first appointment was not until 1030 hours, so she hung out and read a book.  Dr. Hernandez was finished with me by 1020, and then it was across the courtyard to Dr. Urena's office for my 1100 appointment.  TLE (her appointment was at 1030) got her new crown installed, so her work is done until the fall (couple of old fillings which need to replaced).  

My appointment (1100) with Dr. Urena involved taking impressions for a temporary crown ($40) for the tooth that had just had the root canal, and the installation of a temporary crown.  Dr. Urena wants to wait before she puts in the permanent crown to give the gum time to heal from the extraction, which was right next to the root canal tooth.  I was done by 1130 with that part, but had to wait 90 minutes for the temporary crown.....as it turned out, it only took an hour and I had my temp crown!  

So here's my dental schedule going into the Fall.....I'll return to Dr. Urena on April 18th for my dental implant (to replace the extracted tooth), then return in 10 days for the surgical followup.  Next September after Lake Tahoe I'll return to get my temporary crown replaced with the permanent one, and also the permanent crown to go over the dental implant post.....then I will be done.

We were on our way back to the border by 1300 hours (Arizona time).  When we arrived at the US Customs checkpoint there was quite a long line.......

Long, long line

......at least a block long, but it moved quickly and we were back to our car by 1330.......right across the street from the US Customs line is a Mexican restaurant with alfresco dining.....the next time there is a long line at US Customs I think we'll stop off there first for a few brews and wait in the shade until the line gets shorter.....:-)

Once we were on I-8 heading home we switched our clocks back to California time which is one hour earlier.  We stopped once at the ARCO travel center in Salton City to change drivers (go to the bathroom, too), and then again at the Starbucks in Mecca for.......you guessed it....a mocha frappuccino (TLE an iced coffee)......we hadn't eaten since 0700 Arizona time, and we were getting hungry!  TLE had us home by 1630 hours........that was a long day!

For the record, we know there are dentists in Los Algodones who claim to charge way less, but the old maxim "you get what you pay for" keeps me from checking them out.  We love Dr. Urena and Dr. Hernandez, and are quite happy with their professionalism, and pricing.

Thanks for stopping by!