You Heard Me!

Today, July Fourth, is a day which reminds me of all the good fortune that the United States of America has bestowed me.  As the child of immigrant parents, who fled the Russian Army, became refugees in Austria and ultimately made their way through Ellis Island, I reflect upon this day how lucky I was to be born here.  My cousins, aunts and uncles in Transylvania suffered decades of brutal dictatorship under Nicolae Ceausescu and Soviet domination.  My relatives in West Berlin lived inside mortared walls crowned with concertina wire for 40 years.  My parents, Hermann and Helena had the guts to leave everything behind, enter a new land, work their way up the ladder from chicken farmers and cleaning houses, learn a new language, take night classes for U.S. citizenship and after five years they proudly exclaimed that they too, were "Americans".  They didn't receive welfare and didn't expect it either.  That was for people who needed help.  My sister and I were taught ...

                                                               Photo: unknown source Beginning July 1, 2008, California motorist's will be banned from using ha nd-held phones while driving their vehicles. California Highway Patrol will be on the look-out for violator's and issue $20 tickets for first-time offenders. Tickets for the following violations have not , so far, been entered into legislation: 1.  Applying mascara while driving. 2.  Shaving beard, armpits or legs 3.  Eating a drippy Big Mac™, Taco Bell™ Chalupa        or KFC's Fiery Buffalo Wings™ 4.  Clipping nails, polishing nails 5.  Flossing teeth 6.  Reading novels, maps and minds 7.   Smoking, drinking coffee, loading firearms 8.  Changing shirts, bras, pants, shoes, etc. 9.  Dogs/cats in laps, parrots on shoulder, monkeys/marmots hanging from rear view mirror Here is my list of annoying driving behavior which should be punished with $500 fines: 1.   Using the far right-hand lane as a passing lane. Please do...

OK, I realize that we're all dealing with ridiculously soaring fuel and diesel prices, but what I want to know is, what the Hell is going on with tonic water prices? Last year my beloved Schweppes Tonic Water™  started to increase in small increments of chump change.  One year later I'm lookin' at a jump from $2.39 per six-pack of 10 oz. bottles, to almost $4.89 per six-pack!  Now, if one gallon =128 ounces and one gallon of gas is currently selling for $4.53, that would make my precious tonic water around $10.00 per gallon! Thats' an outrage, don't you think? I think that there's a definite link and I'm going to get to the bottom [of the glass] to find out who's responsible! In the meantime, I'll drink to the endangered quinine and  hope that its demise is not responsible for this inconvienence.

Once in a while I have to give in to my husband's wishes. It keeps it fresh, ya know.  So, because he is crazy about speed, fuel, beer and daredevil acts, we spent the weekend at the Sawmill, Enduro MotoCross Race in Lake County, CA.  I will do just about anything to spend time in our Airstream trailer, and let me tell you, this really pushed the limits.   We were one of the first to arrive at the event and had "first pick" of the creek bed on which to set up camp.  This is not a virtual creek bed, but a genuine rocky, wet one! Oooh! That's a nice spot...right next to the trickling creek.  Mark had quasi-warned me that this may not be my cup o' tea.  Oh, well, what could be so bad?  Granted, the serenity was palpable when we pulled in and unhitched the trailer.  Then, an hour later the caravan of S.O.B's (Airstream talk for" Square Old Boxes") began to arrive.  These RV's (several hundred) are gi-normous beasts who take no prisoners!  Toy boxes ...

                    Northern California in April '08 Living close to the Pacific Ocean has its magical moments.  This photo is of the coastline near Jenner, California.