March
1 March
North Ranch Escapees Park
Congress, AZ
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: March 1, 1925The low temperature was near 50° this morning which is much more to my liking. It warmed up nicely so when Patches started her begging to go walk routine we did so. Lots of other walkers out this morning also, a fine day.
I cooked up some sardines packed in tomato sauce for my 'linner' today. Added some jalapeño and sliced onion then served over rice. It looks like I will get 3 'linners' out of each big can which makes for some real bargain meals. Maybe offset the price of walnuts that I have been picking up which are very expensive.
This is how the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) 'scored' the Senate Democrat bill that would have replaced 'sequestration'. It did not pass in the Senate nor did a Republican proposed bill so the sequester will take effect tonight - let the pain begin.
This was the 'balanced plan' that the President kept saying that the Republicans must vote for to reduce the deficit. It was a balanced plan in that it balanced increased taxes against increased spending - almost - but it certainly did not reduce the deficit.
S. 388 would eliminate the automatic spending reductions scheduled to occur under current law for 2013 and would partially eliminate the reductions scheduled for 2014. The bill also would eliminate direct payments to certain agricultural producers, provide funding for agricultural disaster assistance, and exempt from sequestration all mandatory funding provided for the Department of Agriculture.
In addition, S. 388 would ensure that taxpayers with annual income above $5 million face an average tax rate of at least 30 percent on their income, and it would extend an existing per-barrel tax on oil production to oil produced from tar sands.
CBO and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) estimate that enacting the bill would increase budget deficits from changes in direct spending and revenues by $7.2 billion over the 2013-2023 period.
2 March
North Ranch Escapees Park
Congress, AZ
It was slightly cooler this morning but still near 50° which is just fine. It has warmed up faster than yesterday which had a high of 78. The forecast for today is over 80. Pretty good weather considering we were freezing with snow not so long ago. Some perfect weather for the parade here at the Park this morning.Patches was throwing a fit this morning about going out for a walk; whining at first then doing her 'lets go dance' and barking. So I took her to the 'development' north of the Park and let her run off some of her exuberance. We then crawled under the barbed wire fence, walked through the desert brush and came back into the park at an ATV gate on the southeast corner of the Park.
We were walking rather close to the back property line of the Park and a dog started barking at us. Patches seemed to be ignoring the dog so I was going to walk on past but she jumped a rabbit that started to run into the Park. She gave chase but broke it off immediately when I called her back. She can be such a GOOD DOG sometimes!
I can now also get her to walk at a heel (ie beside me) for short distances by reminding her to Heel from time to time. She keep looking up at me hoping for a treat but it is progress. As I am walking her by my side now on a short leash I give her a tug on the leash and a reminder to Heel and she seems to understand. I think I'm making progress.
She also came to a Heel on command today when we were approaching another dog. The other dog owner asked if the dogs could meet so I led Patches over to his dog and the meeting went very well. She needs to have more of this kind of meetings and I think she will get over her dog reactiveness or at least I hope so.
Made a good start on my Monthly blog reads yesterday and have continued today. The novel that I'm reading is going to take some time, it is about 1,000 pages, but I'm making slow progress with it also. There is a lot more to it that I don't remember than what I do which is good.
3 March
North Ranch Escapees Park
Congress, AZ
It was mostly high cloud overcast this morning and warm, the low was 52° after a high yesterday of 81. The high today will be in the lower 70s with the cloud cover. I'll be moving into the upper 60s tomorrow with the week forecast trending down to a high of 48 and rain next Saturday. I'm chasing the cold weather north. HAA quick potty walk for Patches this morning. We the went to town again with a stop at Denny's for their Corned Beef Hash Skillet, a very good breakfast at Denny's if you have not tried it. Then went on to Safeway to stock up with groceries again. Last Wednesday I wanted some frozen cut okra and was told that they would get some in on Friday – today there was still no okra.
Did some backtracking and stopped at Basha's on the way out of town. It took some searching to find their frozen vegetables and then some more searching but I found 3 packages of frozen okra. Bought two of them not knowing if okra has now become a scarce item because of cuts in the okra subsidies as a result of the 'sequester'.
Checked the gas prices at the station that had been listed on Gas Buddy as the cheapest in Wickenburg yesterday but they were up 10¢ and equal to everyone else that I saw. I'll stop in Congress on my way north tomorrow and pay whatever the price might be, it was shown yesterday as being 3¢ less than what I was seeing in Wickenburg today. Maybe I'll get lucky.
Patches was sick again this morning. Had a loose stool when we went out early then she was whining to go out soon after we got back from town. We did another walk where she made two more loose stool deposits. Then when we returned to Desperado she threw up on the carpet but spared the couch this time. Don't know what she might have picked up but I'm sure she ate something that I didn't see her get – damn fool dog.
The National Park Service's budget for 2008 was $2.4 billion with a proposed budget for 2013 of $2.986 billion, essentially flat compared to FY 2012, but with average annual increases of 4.89% during the past 5 years. The 'sequester' will impose cuts of $110 million or 3.68% to that proposed total and the only places that the Park Service can find to make the cuts is by delaying the opening of the most popular National Parks like Yellowstone, Glacier, Yosemite and Grand Canyon thereby imposing as much pain on the public as they can.
The lame stream media is making this headline News of course to show what meanies the Republicans were to let the President's sequester bill take effect. The President had about 18 months to 'fix' the sequester but he did nothing but make campaign speeches that blamed the Republicans for going along with his idea.
4 March
The Hidden Oasis RV Park
Wikieup, AZ
Totally clear sky this morning. The low dipped just slightly below 50° but the high is expected to match the 72 of yesterday. Pretty nice weather, makes me wonder why I'm moving toward a high of 66 and a low below 40.I was not in a rush to leave this morning but always have the itch to get on the road early. Forced myself to wait until 10:00 before getting unhooked and going to the Park Office to settle my electric bill for this past week. Then drove up to the Congress Depot where I ordered a pizza and while it was being made went a few more blocks and got enough gas that will get me to Kingman, AZ (payed 4¢ less than what I was seeing in Wickenburg but very expensive).
I didn't go that far today however. Only drove 70 miles to Wikieup, AZ where I'm going to stay for a week. The route today: AZ89, AZ71 & US93.
I wanted to see what this Park was like and would it make a good monthly stop. My biggest concern is groceries for that long of a stay. I'll get an answer to that concern one way or the other before I leave next week.
I had some strong winds for part of the drive today. That is one of the reasons that I always want to start early, usually there is less wind. That wind is only a gentle breeze here at the Park and very welcome since my space has no shade. I'm in a freshly graveled space that could do with some more leveling, I have a partial level bubble in the center but certainly not level.
Hecla made the announcement shown below and the market didn't like it much. Hecla stock plunged over 13% so my holdings are now deep, deep underwater. I continue to think it is a good company and a good investment so I'll just sit tight and wait.
Hecla Mining Company (NYSE:HL) (Hecla) (Company) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive arrangement agreement (Arrangement Agreement) with Aurizon Mines Ltd. (TSX:ARZ) (NYSE:AZK) (Aurizon) pursuant to which Hecla will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Aurizon in a transaction with a total value of approximately CAD$796 million (the Transaction).The only places that the Department of Homeland Security can find to make the cuts required under sequestration is by releasing jailed illegal immigrants and furloughing TSA employees to make flying even more of a horrid experience. However, they did have enough money back in January 2012 to order 2,717 International® MaxxPro® Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles.
Does this make you now feel safer or are you like me and wondering what war the DHS is preparing for? Massive ammunition, 7,000 assault weapons and 2,717 MRAP purchases can not be to protect our borders if jailed illegals are set free can it? What is a domestic armed force of this magnitude being prepared for?
5 March
The Hidden Oasis RV Park
Wikieup, AZ
Patches and I will be doing most of our walks along US93 from the Park to the Wikieup Trading Post south of us. It is about ¾ of a mile but the cement walkway/trail continues on for maybe another ¼ mile so the out and back is a good distance. I know it will get boring for me but Patches finds interesting smells every time so it is fine with her.Part of the route yesterday on US93 was designated as the Joshua Tree Forest Parkway which is now starting to bloom. I am guessing that the bloom is about half way there and another week to 10 days will bring it into full bloom. I have a big Joshua Tree behind me to the southwest and another one due north that have a lot of blossom stalks on them so I get to watch their progress up close while I'm here.
Met a couple here in the Park yesterday afternoon that have been living Fulltime for 5-6 years in a 17' Casita. The wife is quite the talker and we had a great conversation this morning when I stopped at the restaurant here in the Park.
I have not been getting my morning coffee fix since I left Parker Strip so it will be good to do that every morning while I'm here. They don't open until 8:00 which for me is the middle of the day but you do what you have to do. I'll have breakfast at the restaurant one day while I'm here also and was invited to attend the Sunday Coffee Klatch that is held in the restaurant.
There are two gas stations in Wikieup that I have seen so far. The Shell station is selling gas for 20¢ MORE than what the lowest price was in Wickenburg; whereas the Wikieup Trading Post is sell theirs for 20¢ LESS than Wickenburg or 40¢ LESS than Shell. There is a whole lot about Wikieup gas pricing that I don't understand.
President Obama is caught up in another situational irony now that the sequestration is in place. He campaigned strongly that if it were not stopped that the economic recovery would be seriously damaged and it would be all the Republicans fault that we were thrown into a recession. This is good politics because I think we probably will go into another recession and the President can then say 'I told you so'.
However, the situational irony right now is that investors don't believe that and have driven the Dow Average to an all time high. The US dollar has also rallied since last Friday which is also bad news for the President; only a declining dollar will help him pay off the massive Federal Debt and boost exports.
He just can't catch a break on his sequester idea. He can't now say that it was his sequester idea that is driving the Dow average up and strengthening the dollar although I would not rule that out – he can say anything and the media sycophants will repeat it. His best bet now may be to lean on the US Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic Analysis and have them report 4th Quarter 2012 GDP as declining in their third and final report.
6 March
The Hidden Oasis RV Park
Wikieup, AZ
I have changed my routine while here to fit the hours that the Park restaurant is open. Patches has changed hers also. She was satisfied with an early morning potty walk and the a mid day long walk but that isn't good enough for her now.I want to take her out early, prepare and eat my breakfast, then go have coffee at the restaurant and do our long walk in the mid day. She is not going for it; when I get ready to go for coffee she throws her 'I want to walk fit'. So I take her with me for coffee, she waits outside until I am through and then throw another 'I want to walk fit' when I come out – so we walk.
I'm cooking up a pot of gumbo today. That is what I needed the okra for which seems to be in short supply, at least in Wickenburg. This is chicken and sausage with diced tomato, onion and bell peppers (green and orange). It will be in the Thermal Cooker until I get ready to go to bed and will then meld flavors in the refrigerator overnight. Will re-heat a serving to be put over rice tomorrow.
The weather has been perfect since I got here mid 70s with the low in the lower 40s. Today and tomorrow will be dropping down to the upper 60s then lower 60s with Friday promising to be ugly (52/30 with a 90% chance of rain) then Saturday colder yet. Warming again on Sunday with Monday (my departure day) back into the upper 60s. So, more than half my time here will have been in good weather, I guess I can't be too unhappy about that.
I have had a good fast connection with Verizon here at this Park but I drop the connection more than any other place that I have been. When that happens repeatedly I connect to the Park WIFI which is pretty good considering that I have about a 50% signal strength. Both are far superior to what I worked with at Parker Strip.
The following excerpts were taken from an article Obama Falls Farther Behind in Spending Fight by Chris Stirewalt for FoxNews.com. I have taken blog liberties and rearranged them to make my own point but the entire article is worth reading.
Americans have a government that now claims the power to execute its own citizens on its own soil without trial but that cannot find a way to afford public tours of government buildings. Those two decrees on Tuesday from the Obama administration – Attorney General Eric Holder claiming the power for the president to use drones domestically to kill citizens and the White House closing its doors to public tours citing smaller increases to federal spending – sort of sum up the American moment, 2013.
As an internal email from the Agriculture Department shows, the intention is to maximize and expedite the pain from the cuts. An administrator, acting on what he said were orders from the top, told his subordinates not to find ways around the cuts but rather to let taxpayers feel the pain as promised.
So it is our opinion that however you manage that reduction, you need to make sure you are not contradicting what we said the impact would be.-- An email from USDA official Charles Brown rejecting a subordinate’s suggestion of a way to lessen the consequences of budget cuts for citizens.The White House closure is especially bad for the president. A guy being accused of selling access to the Oval Office to top donors doesn’t do well to tell Mr. and Mrs. America that they can’t bring their kids for a tour over spring break. A guy who takes Air Force One to play golf with Tiger Woods probably ought not muck up the vacation plans of ordinary folks.
7 March
The Hidden Oasis RV Park
Wikieup, AZ
Another beautiful day without a cloud in the sky. The weather guessers are predicting 60% chance of rain tonight, 70% tomorrow and 20% on Saturday with colder highs and lows – 48/36 tomorrow and maybe freezing Saturday morning. Not good, the wind picked up in the afternoon probably bringing in the storm.I had my morning coffee in the Park restaurant again this morning and stretched it out while socializing once again. Patches and I then went for our morning walk where I stopped at the Wikieup Trading Post to check out the grocery store offerings. They are very slim pickings, I have seen far better stocked convenience stores.
It is nothing like the General Store in Jackpot, NV. If I were to stay here a month I would need to bring all my packaged and canned goods with me and as much frozen meat and vegetables as possible. Then I might make it IF I could get the Park owners to shop for fresh produce for me when they go to Kingman to get their groceries and supplies for the restaurant. If I didn't like anything fresh or was willing to drive 100+ miles round trip this would make a good monthly stop but it is iffy as it now stands.
My gumbo would probably be laughed at by real gumbo cooks but it made a fine one pot of meals that will last for four or more days. I won't have to grocery shop until next Tuesday when I have an appointment in Pahrump. So that will be my going to town day next week after I get checked into my space at the Park Monday afternoon.
8 March
The Hidden Oasis RV Park
Wikieup, AZ
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: March 8, 1925I awoke to some light rain at around 2:00 this morning. It looked like it was going to clear up but a good shower came rolling in around 10:30. It has gone from mostly cloudy to totally overcast with scattered rain all day. The weather guessers got this one right. They are now putting the chance for rain today at 100%, tonight at 70% and tomorrow at 20% with snow possible above 4,500'. Maybe winters last hurrah before spring, one can hope!
I took Patches out early for a potty walk and we had only a few light sprinkles. I then read my Daily blogs until 8:00 and we then went to the Park restaurant where I had some biscuits and gravy, sausage and scrambled eggs. While I was doing that Patches was sitting outside waiting for me just as happy as she could be to sit in a light sprinkle. I moved her under a table to get her out of it and when I checked on her she was back out in it – fool dog loves light rain.
It was clearing somewhat when I finished breakfast so we went for our usual morning walk. It was a good thing we did because we would have got very wet if we had put it off to mid-morning. It started to clear up again around noon, then another wave of the storm broke which seems to be the pattern for the day.
The Bureau of Labor has released their non-farm job numbers for February, an increase of 236,000. The media News is reporting this as brisk growth because January numbers were revised down from 157,000 to 119,000. It is the Unemployment Rate that is getting most of the hype because it fell by 0.2% to 7.7%.
If you look at the Household Data for February the number of Employed increased by 170,000 while the number of Unemployed decreased by 300,000. Most of those Unemployed did not get jobs however because there was also an increase of 296,000 in the Not in the Labor Force which played a big part in the decline in the Unemployment Rate.
The Participation Rate dropped another 0.1% to 63.5% the lowest it has been since September 1981. The number of people Not in the Labor Force is now at 89,304,000 an all time record high. Convincing millions of Americans they don’t need a job, the government will care for them, or compelling desperate workers to settle for part time work has been Obama's most effective policy for reducing Unemployment.
9 March
The Hidden Oasis RV Park
Wikieup, AZ
Today is just like yesterday without the rain. It is cold (only 44° at 1:00 in the afternoon), even colder with the wind and total cloud cover. There was some snow on the mountain tops to the east yesterday afternoon but we had a brief period of sun and that melted it off. This morning I caught a glimpse of the mountains to the west and could see a bit of snow. Most of the day the mountains have been cloud covered and may be getting more snow.No coffee this morning. The restaurant here at the Park is closed on Saturday. I could have stopped at the Wikieup Trading Post but didn't want to leave Patches tied up where I could not see her. The way the weather is I may stop this afternoon and get a cup to go.
Patches and I have both been hibernating today and trying to stay warm. She has made her nest on the couch again and has gone back to bed for most of the day. Not such a bad idea but I know I couldn't sleep as much as she can. I have had the Wave heater on and off during the day and that will bring her out of her bed so can get in front of it.
I have continued to make some progress on my Monthly blog reads and the one that I'm trying to get current on once again. I started reading it this time about two years back not remembering when I had quit. It was not that long ago because I found where I had made a couple of Comments and I remembered some of what I was rereading.
Jay Sekulow in his article The Obama Doctrine -- kill American terrorists overseas, try foreign terrorists in New York City written for FoxNews.com has asked the very question that came to my mind. President Obama, Attorney General Holder and our new Secretary of Defense Hagel all have the purpose and duties of the US military confused with those of the police. They want our military to act like police and the police to act like the military; the Department of Homeland Security is a prime example of the later. I am not a big fan of the ACLU but they too see a problem with blurring the lines between military and police.
Here’s our question for the Obama administration: are we at war or not?
On the one hand, the administration has steadfastly defended its drone war – which rains sudden death on enemy combatants, American and non-American alike – as a necessary instrument in an ongoing military conflict against Al Qaeda. In short, under international law, we have declared war.
But then the administration captured Abu Ghaith, a Kuwaiti member of Al Qaeda - a member of Usama bin Laden’s family, no less - and brought him to the United States for a civilian trial in a Manhattan courtroom one mile from Ground Zero. In fact, he’s already appeared in that courtroom to plead not guilty to charges of conspiracy to kill Americans.
10 March
The Hidden Oasis RV Park
Wikieup, AZ
Perfectly clear blue sky this morning. A little warmer but was still under my magic 40° this morning. It promises to get back up into the lower 60s for a high which will be far better than the past couple of days. It feels colder with a light wind blowing but better none the less.I was back to my routine this morning. Made my breakfast and then got to the Park restaurant right after they opened at 8:00. Socialized briefly while having my coffee and then Patches went for the longer walk of our day. Our mornings have been about 2.5 miles and afternoons a little over 1 mile. The morning walk makes Patch come home and sleep really well. HA
I have taken care of my moving on preparations and will be back on the road with the sunrise tomorrow morning. Had to move Desperado forward to reach the dump opening but that was not a problem and I might even be more level than I was before moving. Then took an electric meter reading and went to the Park office and settled up my bill so all I need to do in the morning is pull the plug and go.
Cooked up some more sardines in tomato sauce with jalapeño and onion. I'm using the big (15 oz) cans of sardines and get three 'linners' from each one when served over rice with my accompanying four bean salad. A very cheap meal and simple as can be to prepare.
The only other achievement today was to finish reading all my Monthly blogs. I now need to get busy next week and prepare the April links for the Will Rogers weekly articles. I feel like I'm behind on that now.
This is what Fred Reed of Fred On Everything has to say on February 8, 2013 about the illegal immigrants in the US of A. Keep in mind that Fred is toward the Libertarian end of the Conservative scale and has now lived for many years in Mexico. However, I think he is right and there are Republicans in Congress that are starting to see that he is right also.
We will get what President Obama likes to call 'comprehensive immigration reform' but what might better be called levels of immigration. You can apply to migrate and wait 'in line' outside the US of A or you can come into the US of A illegally and wait 'in line' while living here. I think that those that can afford it will select option number two.
I don’t understand the dispute over amnesty. The fat lady has sung, Latino-wise. It’s over. Seventeen percent of the United States is now Latino. The percentage is increasing, and will increase. You can like it, or hate it, or not care. It doesn’t much matter. You might as well dislike gravitation.
Supposedly there are eleven million illegals in the country. Granting them amnesty will not make them go away. Not granting them amnesty will not make them go away. Amnesty might attract more, if jobs were available. Withholding amnesty will leave them permanently marginalized...You may think that something should be done about all of this, or you may not. You may think that something should be done about sunrise. The prospects are better for preventing sunrise.
11 March
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
We were up at 6:00 this morning, still pretty dark but was beginning twilight when we left Wikieup at 6:30. Arrived her right at noon after driving only 204 miles. The route today: US93, I-40 (19 miles), US93, Boulder Hwy, Warm Springs Rd, Decatur Rd (in Las Vegas), NV160, Manse Rd & Oakridge Ave (in Pahrump).Stopped at the Petro Truck Stop on I-40 just a few miles west of the junction with US93. They offered up a good Corned Beef Hash n Eggs but not as good as what Denny's puts out in Wickenburg. Then stopped again at Safeway in Kingman to fill up with gas and use my Reward Card points.
I had tried to get Google Maps to give me a route through Kingman on US93 and nothing I could do would force the map to follow Beale west of I-40. Google Maps was insistent that I had to go around and join US93 near the junction to Golden Valley. I did not include this as part of my route because it was a side trip to fill up with gas but I exited I-40 at Stockton Hill to Andy Devine to Beale which becomes US93 at the I-40 exit.
I try to avoid Interstate highways as much as possible but to avoid the 19 miles of I-40 that I drove today would have required my going back south and then north through Parker, AZ. Far to many miles added just to avoid a few miles on the Interstate. IF I had no Interstate as my goal I would not have gone to Wikieup I would have gone to Parker from Congress.
Beautiful weather here today and the 10 day forecast is calling for that many more. High temperatures to be in the 70s with maybe a low 80 or two. The lows to be in the 40s with maybe a low 50. Definitely my kind of weather.
Fred Reed of Fred On Everything had this to say in conclusion to Gun Control and the Changing American Character on February 19, 2013. The entire article is a good read and certainly not a simple pro-gun rant. He has 'cut to the chase', it is not about guns it is about the government leaving us alone.
A different America, a different culture. We really were free. You could come out of the house on a summer morning and let the dogs run loose in the fields, nobody ever having heard of a dog license. You could change the oil in your car or rewire your basement without the county meddling. You could shoot varmints eating your garden and no one cared. The government left you alone. This is not an unimportant part of the dispute over guns—wanting to be left alone. Nobody in America, ever again, is going to be left alone. Not ever.
12 March
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
Another beautiful day. This morning was just slightly below my preferred 40° but close enough. With no wind it becomes almost too hot in Desperado in the afternoon although the high was only in the lower 70s yesterday and will repeat that today.Did only a short potty walk to the small dog park with Patches this morning. I then went to the Club House for coffee and some socializing with the same group that I have seen there before. A home coming of sorts. I also made a donation of my French Press and a small thermos that I have not used in a looooong time. Fulltiming rule #1, if you don't use it quit carrying it around with you.
We then went to town around 8:00 when the UPS Store opens. There I got all my mail and one package. The majority of the mail went in the trash can and never made it to Desperado – Junk. What did make it was a check for my Visa Card Reward Points and all the tax information that I need to get them filed next week.
From there I went to Saddle West Casino parking lot were I waited for about an hour for Joel McBride to arrive from Las Vegas. We were put in touch with each other by a former High School classmate, he was looking to buy a 1960 HS annual and I was looking to sell. We agree via emails while I was in Yuma that he would come to Pahrump when I got back here and he would buy my 1958, 1959 and 1960 year books.
He was originally in the class of 1958 but dropped out, returned to be in the class of 1960 and dropped out again to join the Marines. He married a girl from the class of 1959 and has been to all the 1959 and 1960 class reunions whereas I have been to one – my 50th. I am glad that the yearbooks will now be in the hands of someone that will truly enjoy them.
We had brunch at El Jefe restaurant and talked for about two hours. I needed to get my grocery shopping done, he needed to get back to Las Vegas to close on a house purchase and I needed to get Patches out of a closed up motorhome sitting in the sun. It was a good visit with someone from my long ago past; maybe we will get together again next year when I come back to Pahrump.
13 March
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
The weather continues to be great. The expected high today is 82° which is fine but Friday may reach almost 90, that is pushing my upper limit. The moring lows are in the 40s and moving up to lower 50s which is very nice for our walks.This morning we did a mile total out and back along Manse to the west then one lap around the Park. This was a little over 2 miles and that is good for both man and beast, she gets home and sleeps most of the day away. Then is all fired up for her afternoon walk. With these hotted days I will probably hold the distance down for the next few afternoons. The extended forecast has us back down in the 60s next week.
When we got home I loaded up my laundry and got that done while having coffee and socializing in the Club House. I was a little bit late and the group was smaller, need to be there right at 7:00 to see the usual bunch.
I have been thinking about what am I going to do when I'm forced to give up living on the road. If I must live in a sticks-n-bricks I have decided that Pahrump will probably do as well as anyplace. It has everything that I need as a 'domicile' so it should also serve as a home town.
With that in mind I have made some inquiry about how the wait list works here in this Escapee Park. I am also going to talk to a real estate agent that the Park manager has recommended about what might be available in the area. The wait list for in the Park is around three years which is fine or I can then pass on buying and go back to the bottom of the list again. Anything the real estate agent were to find for me would need to be cheap because I don't want/need it now and don't want to tie up money in a property that I won't use for some years. Not giving up the road yet!
The package that I picked up yesterday had another pair of ASICS Men's GEL-Resort 2 Walking Shoes in it. I bought my first pair of these back in October 2011 and have found them to be a good walking shoe for me; I have a high arch and these claim to be made for such feet. I can not say much for their longjevity since I only put about 1,150 measured miles on them but the shoes I had before were no better and much more expensive.
14 March
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
The high temperature resterday was 81° which is too hot for me with no wind blowing. The low was just above my preferred 40° and even better this morning at 46. I needed the A/C for part of the late afternoon yesterday and will probably need it again today with a forecast of 88 and no wind.Our walking route yesterday afternoon was south out and back on Oakridge for a half mile and then one lap around the Park. This is close to 4 miles total for the day and Patches seems to be doing well. I'm doing well also as I gradually increase my total daily distance.
My Hecla stock price is still deep underwater while the Dow Average is setting new high records daily. If you were to look only at the Dow Average and the stronger dollar since the beginning of the year you would say that the economy has never been better in the United States. The fourth quarter of 2012 GDP showed an increase of 0.1% and the market has moved as if it were 10%. What is going on?
I have said that I'll just sit and wait for my Hecla to come back. I have a low book value for my position and have just received a dividend that will pay me more than if I had the money in a savings account so I can sit.
I am trying to find a place to stay from around April 20th until June 1st. Have contacted three RV Parks so far. The first one promptly responded that they did not make reservations using email, however, I was not asking for a reservation I was asking for information. The second Park has not responded to two previous email so I sent a third today. The third Park has an on-line reservation form, their only contact that I can find other than telephone, that I filled out the second time today asking for information. It is tough to spend your money sometimes!
I did accomplish something today although it was not finding a place to stay. I got my Thermal Cooker pot clean. You see when I made that pot of gumbo I scorched a layer of it on the bottom of the pot. Needed to clean it up for the next batch.
Tried soap and water with a scouring pad - didn't touch it. Then tried baking soda and vinegar, let it sit a while and went after it with the scouring pad – not much improvement. Then brought the baking soda vinegar to a boil and let it sit - scouring pad was making slow progress. Took a tablespoon and scraped at it and made good progress - then finished it off with the scouring pad.
15 March
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: March 15, 1925The high temperature yesterday was just short of the predicted 88° so the weather guessers are calling for it again today. I needed the A/C for part of the late afternoon yesterday and will probably need it again today.
Our walking route yesterday afternoon was north out and back on Oakridge for a half mile and then one lap around the Park. Oakridge is gravel for about ¼ miles to the north then it becomes a dirt track that is a mug bog during those few times when it rains hard here. Not a problem for Patches and I but I would avoid it if we got the least amount of rain, the ground turns to glue.
I finally got a reply from the RV Park that I sent three emails requesting cost information. They are too rich for my blood. I had sent a similar request to a fourth park and they responded very quickly with a quote that was even higher. I then attempted to call the park that has not responded to my filling out their reservation form requesting information and found that the telephone was disconnected.
This failure to find an affordable place to stay in that area has had me re-drawing my proposed route to the north. That in turn has me searching for a place to stay in the newly selected area. Busy, busy! This full timing takes a lot of effort if you do it my way.
16 March
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
Again, we were just short of the predicted 88° yesterday so the weather guessers have given up and are now saying it will be 84 today for a high. It is not too hot to be out walking but Desperado becomes uncomfortable when it gets over 80 unless there is a breeze. Had the A/C on again yesterday afternoon because of that.Patches and I stayed inside the Park for all our walking yesterday. We did get out three times rather than twice and she thought that was great. The mid-day walk was over to the see the fellow here in the Park that does some RV repairs.
He came over this morning and found that my water leak problem when I'm filling the fresh water tank is probably due to a crack in the rubber washer on the intake. I'll try replacing that and see if it fixes it.
My other problem was a clogged bathroom sink. He got the trap off by hand, which my hand strength was not capable of doing, and then was able to unclog the drain around the mechanical drain plug. Removed the drain plug entirely, which I threw away, and all is flowing freely once again.
I think I now have a planned route for the Summer. IF all goes well I'll leave here and travel for a couple of days to reach Sierra Vista, AZ where a RV Shop will re-coat Desperado's roof and do a couple other RV services. I'm not sure how long this may take but I have a couple of weeks to reach my next monthly stop. Will probably stop at one/two cheaper camps along the way getting to it but May will be spent in Albuquerque, NM where I stayed during September 2011.
This is the headline which was then repeated as the total story by Associated Press soon after it happened. They are apparently quoting some unnamed officials but in my opinion got it all wrong. The 3 that died probably were alive when the plane hit the parking lot which would mean they died, which is a lot worse than hurt, on the ground.
Officials: 3 died on plane that crashed into Fort Lauderdale parking lot; none hurt on ground
17 March
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
The high yesterday was a couple degrees below the forecast but still over 80 and still quite a bit above normal for this time of the year. The prediction for today is high 70s and that will continue for about a week then back into the 80s maybe even the low 90s. That is way to hot for late March.Today might feel cooler because there has been a breeze blowing since sunrise. If that continues then Desperado will be comfortable if not I'll have the A/C on again later this afternoon.
I started another pot of gumbo last night by cutting up the green and orange bell peppers and dicing the onions. Threw them in the pot with a can of diced tomatoes, dry chiles and frozen cut okra to thaw out overnight. This morning I added sausage and chicken then got it up to a boil for about 15 minutes. It is now sitting in the Thermal Cooker for the rest of the day.
I also finished getting the Will Rogers week article links for April ready. When I leave here around mid-April I won't have a fixed location for about a week so I wanted to have the month ready. Then hope that I have Internet connections when it comes time to add the links to my blog.
18 March
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
A busy day by my standards. We did only a short potty walk before I unhooked from electric and headed for town. The first order of the day was an 8:00 appointment at All Creatures Animal Hospital for Patches annual wellness checkup and vaccinations.She was very nervous when we first got there but when we went into one of the exam rooms she relaxed and even laid down while waiting for the doctor. The only thing she didn't care for much was when she had her temperature taken. The vaccination shot was a 4 in one which she took without a flinch; it hurt me more than her.
The doctor agreed that my diagnosis of hip dysplasia for Patches was probably correct. She did not think that medication was necessary at this point, the side affects would probably be worse than her current condition. As time goes by she will get worse just like my shoulders and hips will so we can age not so gracefully together.
I then stopped at Mom's Diner. This is an out of the way restaurant that you would never find if you were just passing through town. They had a good crowd at 9:00 so the word of mouth advertising is working well for them. I'll be going back and recommend them, they are worth search for.
Went to the UPS Store and picked up the second package that I was expecting. This was 3 pairs of SmartWool socks that replaced the 3 that I bought back in September 2011. My shoes and socks are lasting just about the same length of time, I wish it were longer but for the price I think I'm doing well.
Last stop was at Smith's where I gathered up another week of groceries. I did check on a barber shop not far from 'home' and almost next door to the dog groomer that I use. It is a walk in shop so I hope I can get lucky and get a hair cut while Patches is at the groomer – maybe next week.
The weather yesterday was as good as I could ask for. The high was 77, the low at 53 and we had a gentle breeze during most of the day. If the forecast is correct we will have a week of very similar days to come.
19 March
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
A very normal day for Patches and I after the busy day we had yesterday. We stayed in the Park for our walk this morning but did a serpentine route, following the streets within the Park rather than just walking the perimeter. It doesn't take much to keep both of us happy with our walk.Yesterday afternoon we found Buddy, a French Bulldog, in the big dog park with his two owners. Patches was very excited to see him again and played reasonably well. Before we got there Buddy was playing with a Frisbee but Patches promptly took away his toy. She then did not want to play with it, just keep it away from him. Meanwhile the dog owners had a good visit.
Did nothing all day other than walk Patches and read. It has been very nice while the breeze is blowing. That was the kind of day we had yesterday and I'm hoping for a repeat performance.
20 March
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
The Vernal Equinox has arrived once again as the satellite we live on keeps spinning and circling its Sun. To celebrate the event Patches and I have taken a morning rest from our usual walking routine. I think I needed the rest more than she did but she has accepted the morning off gracefully.For any Trivia lovers: If you stand on the Equator this day at noon local time, adjusted for any Daylight Saving nonsense, you will not cast a shadow. If it is already too late by the time you read this you can try it again during the Autumnal Equinox.
We had a high overcast this morning which caused the low for the day to set a record high in Las Vegas at 61°, and I suspect a record was set here also. The overcast remained for most of the day and that held the high temperature down to a very pleasant mid 70s. A rather stiff wind early in the day which died down to nothing by noon. Another very nice day!
Started to read my Monthly blogs once again before I get too far behind. The novel that I have been reading forever is coming along but I still have a ways to go. It is interesting but not the easiest read that I have ever picked up.
The President and Democrats in the Senate want the sequester to hurt the public as much as possible so they can blame the Republicans but this vote will come back to haunt them during the 2014 election cycle. It will that is IF the Republicans can keep it alive during the campaign season as an issue, the lame stream media will not but the candidates can.
Senators voted Wednesday to keep the White House closed to public tours, turning back a GOP-led effort to free up money to open the building back up after the sequesters. President Obama canceled the tours earlier this month as one of the casualties of the budget sequesters, setting off a chorus of complaints from Congress and the public.
Sen. Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Republican, offered an amendment to free up $8 million money to keep both the White House and several national parks open on their regular schedules. He proposed reclaiming money from national heritage areas elsewhere in the National Park Service budget. They defeated Mr. Coburn’s amendment on a 54-45 vote, with nearly every Republican voting to reopen the White House and with almost all Democrats voting to back Mr. Obama’s decision.
21 March
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
We only did a short walk again this morning. Maybe do a longer walk this afternoon if it remains cool as it did yesterday. Patches had a lot of waiting for me by herself this morning but seems to have taken it in stride.She first had to wait while I went for coffee at the Club House but she does that almost every morning. Then waited for me again when we left for town and I stopped at the groomer and make an appointment for next week. Will try and get myself groomed at the barber shop next door while she is at her appointment.
She then had to wait for me while I had breakfast at The Town Diner which was the Pahrump Diner when I first came here. She then had a long wait while I was trying to get my taxes done. The tax preparer would only enter the information that my brokerage had reported to the IRS. We went around and around about that until he called my broker office and got the correct cost basis for stock that I had sold.
I need to go back and get the completed tax return in a few days. I was so mad that I finally just left when he came to get me and said that the return was ready, but when I went back inside he had not printed it yet. I said the hell with it and left. IF I ever get this return from him it will be the last one that he does.
A good portion of my problems are due to that sorry job my brokerage does with their 1099 reporting to the IRS. They are going to catch an ear full about my tax preparation problems also because of that.
Devoted the remainder of the day trying to get my blood pressure back under control. The whole tax issue also gave me a headache that I'm hoping that getting away from it will make it go away. Maybe I can follow Patches example and go to sleep on the couch with her.
22 March
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: March 22, 1925The tax preparation experience of yesterday has left me ill. I have had elevated blood pressure, a headache, upset stomach and inability to get a night of restful sleep since getting back home yesterday. I'm not going back today to try and pick up my 'completed' tax return, I am just not ready for it.
The morning was not very cold but we did have a stiff wind that made it feel colder. We are expected to have a cooler weekend but then back into the 70s and maybe low 80s next week with a slight chance of rain on one day.
Yesterday afternoon was very nice with a breeze. This allowed Patches and I to walk a ½ mile square, a total of 2 miles, of roads outside the Park. I felt better walking than I did sitting and thinking about the tax preparation fiasco. Maybe I can get out again this afternoon and forget about it.
What does any reasonable person do when they can not afford what they have? They cut back on their expenses. The sequester law forced the federal government to do that and as a result the President has shut down White House Tours and delayed the opening of the most popular National Parks.
His next 'logical' step after doing that is to load up the Park Service with some more expense by designating 5 new National Monuments that they will have to maintain. His thinking has to be that if I can not afford what I have now I must buy more. The man must be suffering from delusions.
Even as President Obama highlights impending cuts to national parks because of the sequester, he plans to use his power as president to designate five new national monuments Monday, according to an administration official.
Earlier this month, the White House and the National Park Service warned that the across-the-board sequester spending cuts would deal a blow to the parks just as they are trying to gear up for the summer tourism season. Jon Jarvis, NPS director, said the sequester could mean canceled parades and dirty bathrooms with 3,000 jobs within the agency affected, many of which are temporary employees just starting their season.
23 March
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
I am feeling somewhat better than I was yesterday. Still upset about the tax preparation experience but I guess I'll get over it given enough time. I just need to suffer fools more gladly and then things would not bother me so much.There was a cold wind blowing this morning. It wasn't that cold but the 10-15mph wind, with some 30mph gusts, made it feel that way. Soon after the sun came up the wind died down but then came back around mid morning. The forecast for cooler days has proved to be correct with today being in the lower 60s probably the same for tomorrow.
Making very good progress on my Monthly blogs and might finish them before the day is over. The blog that I have been catching up on is also almost completed. When I get current with it I'm going to substitute it for one of my Daily blog reads that no longer post every day. The novel completion is also now within sight but not today, less than 50 pages to go.
Congressman Huelskamp has brought pressure on the Department of Homeland Security to provide an answer to the question of why they are buying such large quantities of ammunition. The response does not seem to mention why they must have hollow point ammunition for training purposes but that is a separate issue. What the response does say is that they have plans to buy a quantity each year for the next 5 years that is twice what they bought in 2012. I don't think that answerers the why question.
The Department of Homeland Security responded Friday to questions from Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., about why the agency was allegedly planning to buy some 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition over the next five years.Charles Hugh Smith posted a great blog entry on March 22, 2013 Read This Blog or the Puppy and Kitten Get It . This is just the opening paragraphs, the entire posting is worth a read.
DHS told Whispers [part of US News] it regularly fills all of its goods and services requirements at one time because it's cheaper for the agency, and that the 1.6 billion number was misleading because the language of DHS's purchase said it would need "up to" a certain amount.
With more than 100,000 armed law enforcement personnel in DHS, significant quantities of ammunition are used to support law enforcement operations, quarterly qualifications, and training, to include advanced firearms training exercises," Boogaard [DHS spokesman] told Whispers. According to a letter to one lawmaker detailing DHS ammunition purchases, the department procured 148 million rounds in 2012.
Shameless blackmail is now the standard response of the political class because it has been brilliantly effective at coercing the masses.
Internet mythology is replete with stories of canny blackmailers exploiting our natural empathy for puppies and kittens by running web campaigns that claimed the blackmailer would kill the adorable kitten/puppy displayed if 5,000 people didn't send him $1 each. It was all a hoax, of course, a shameless ruse that played melodramatically on our fears and sympathies. In the mythology, people responded by sending cash and rewarding the blackmailer.
We see the same effectiveness of melodramatic blackmail everywhere in Status Quo responses to the debt/phantom collateral endgame... A 2% reduction in the Federal budget, we're told, will push orphans onto the frigid streets, send our troops into battle without ammo ("gee, Sarge, I coulda taken out that terrorist but we were only issued one clip this month"), and generally shut down every service the public cares about.
24 March
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
It was cold yesterday morning because of the wind but it was above my preferred 40°. I can not say that for this morning, it was cold because it was just above freezing. There was no wind fortunately but my hands were very cold without my gloves.Patches and I stayed inside the Park but did a 2 mile walk in the cold which she loves. After we got home she was restless all morning as if she had not been out for a walk. Her usual behavior is to come in and go back to bed for most of the morning.
I started a pot of Pozole yesterday which I brought to a boil this morning and then put it in my Thermal Cooker for the rest of the day. I may have a small bowl of it late today just to sample it but the pot will be sitting in the refrigerator overnight melding flavors for many 'linners' during the week.
Finished the long, 981 page, novel The Grass Crown by Colleen McCullough that I have been reading for the past weeks. It was slow reading for me because of the vast number of characters, all with extremely long Roman names. It covered a relatively short period of Roman history, only 15 years, ending with Gaius Marius's seventh term as consul. This was her second novel in the Masters of Rome Series which I will now be looking for when I make a trade.
25 March
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
This morning was warmer, just slightly below my preferred 40°. I was able to withstand it much better also because I was out in it for only a few minutes. The afternoon high was up some but still in the 70s with a breeze making it about as good as it gets.Patches and I did a short potty walk early and then it was back home to unhook and go to town. The first stop was at my VA appointment were I contributed 4 vials of blood and a little cup of urine. The blood samples were taken using a new method, the urine was done the same old way. I never watch them stick me but in the past it was done with a needle that had a vial attached to it, the opposite of getting a shot of something.
This time when I looked down I saw two vials had already been taken and the third was hooked up to a short hose that led to the needle in my arm. When that one was full the phlebotomist pulled it off the hose and attached a fourth vial. I'm not sure how the needle with attached hose was originally placed in my arm, as I say I never watch!
From there I went to the Nugget Casino for breakfast to build my strength back up. They are always slow to serve there but I was in no hurry. My next stop was to be at my tax preparer which I did not think would be available until 10:00.
I sat across the road from his place and at 9:30 had just taken patches out of Desperado for a short walk when I heard him call to me. I quickly put her back inside and went to get my tax returns. Patches was upset and barked as I walked away, something that she has not done in a long time.
I got my return. It has errors in it but even with his reporting more capital gains than he should have I still did not owe any tax so the hell with it I'm not going to amend it. I was also convinced that he still had my credit card but when he insisted that he had returned it I looked in my wallet and sure enough I had it. I was so upset last Friday that I couldn't think and have continued to be upset. I think it has rubbed off on Patches also, she knows something is not right.
Went directly from there to my UPS Store to get the tax return mail off to the IRS. While there I picked up one of three packages that I'm expecting this week. I'll be writing about what they contain after all of them have arrived.
Last stop was at Smith's again for a supply of groceries. Got my usual basic supplies, mostly produce this week, and looked at the fresh salmon but they had only steaks so I passed on them. Saw some crab cakes that seemed to be calling my name so I picked up enough of them to give me 3 'linners' this week.
The Department of Homeland Security has done an 'in your face' to all those that are questioning their massive bullet acquisitions. They will not only not give an answer for why they are buying so many they are buying more.
While the Department of Homeland Security continues to ignore members of Congress demanding to know why the federal agency is engaged in an apparent arms build-up, the DHS has just announced it plans to purchase another 360,000 rounds of hollow point ammunition to add to the roughly 2 billion bullets already bought over the past year.The Secret Service budget has been cut so much by the sequester that President Obama has been forced to cancel White House Tours just as some students might have been in Washington during Spring Break. But the secret Service has enough in the budget to accompany his daughters on their Spring Break. It is truly a 'Let them eat cake moment in out countries history'.
Sasha and Malia Obama are quietly vacationing at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, Breitbart News has learned.
A source tipped Breitbart News off to the First Daughters’ spring vacation, which was not publicly announced or reported. Breitbart subsequently confirmed President Barack Obama’s daughters’ trip with other sources. Both the White House and the Atlantis resort declined to confirm the report or comment, but another guest provided a photograph of Sasha and Malia at the resort.
26 March
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
I thought I had lost my blog posting when Verizon died yesterday. I didn't feel like trying to recreate what I wrote yesterday which was not all that important but then discovered that I had saved it to my Archives. All was well again this morning and when talking to others at coffee this morning I found that it was not a universal problem. Some people did not loose a connection whereas some others did.A huge jump in the low temperature from yesterday, over 20° warmer this morning. There was a breeze blowing but it felt great since it was so warm. The high today will still be in the 70s because of a high overcast. The forecast for rain has been dropped and we now are faced with highs in the 70s and lows in the upper 40s or lower 50s for the next 10 days. That is going to be very hard to take IF it comes to pass. HA
I looked over my copy of the tax return after getting home yesterday and found what I already knew. The preparer did not have a clue about what a stock Put Option was nor how they are reported for tax purposes. I did talk him out of reporting as income the one shown as open on my brokers 1099-B.
He reversed the buy/sell dates on the two trades where I sold the Put and then later bought them back before they expired. If I had held them until they expired and they were not exercised I have no idea what he would have done. I am guessing he would not report the sale as income but who knows.
I had also held a position in shares that were actually a partnership for tax purposes. He was able to take the information from the K-1 (Partnership Income Report, like a 1099) for last year and this one and enter it correctly, I think. But, he had no understanding that those amounts were not paid in cash to me and needed to be added to the cost basis of my holding when I sold it. That meant he overstated my capital gains on the tax return this year.
I have learned my lesson. I'll be doing my own return next year. I only had them done by the preparer last year and this because I don't get back to Pahrump in time to do them myself. Next year I'll file an Extension in March and work on the return until I get it done, sometime before October. It will be far less of a strain than what I went through this year.
Patches has settled down now that I have. She is back to her normal crash on the couch and sleep away most of the morning after we get back from our morning walk. She picks up on my moods even faster than I do I think. What a good dog she is!
I bought some more Hecla today. It is trading at less than book value and is certainly worth as much now as it was at its high point last year. I was willing to wait for the price to come back up to that level so I might as well put some more cash in the pot at todays prices.
27 March
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
Just another beautiful weather day. Some scattered high clouds that made for a great sun rise this morning, didn't last very long but was stunning while it did last. A slight breeze again in the morning, I can only hope it stays with us all day. Yesterday it died in the afternoon and Desperado got hot inside.A do nothing day except go for a walk with Patches in the morning and afternoon. Reading my new novel, a US historical fiction which is my favorite. It is a rather long novel also but so much easier to read that the Roman history that I struggled with.
The crab cakes that I picked up at Smith's are rather tasty with a little yogurt and capers. I had a couple of them on Monday and will have a couple more today. If they still appeal to me I think I'll look for some more when I go for groceries again – they were not that expensive which is a real bonus.
WOW, the Dow Index is setting record highs now almost daily. The Commerce Department said sales of new homes in February capped the best back-to-back months in more than four years. Yet the Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence index declined to 59.7 from a revised three-month high of 68 in February.
Why did this happen? The sequester of course, any negative economic news is now a result of the sequester. The Administration does not even have to say it, the lame stream media is all ramped up to report it that way with out even attempting to disguise it as News.
The Department of Homeland Security has said that they need bullets for 100,000 of their armed personnel. I have read that it is estimated that there are approximately 130,000 -140,000 armed personnel in Federal Government agencies.
Being the curious person that I am I wondered where that placed the Federal Government agencies in relation to other countries and found that they are on a level with the total active armed military of Poland, Peru, Cambodia or Argentina. I ask again, who are they preparing to go to war against?
28 March
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
I had another busy day, busy for me since I usually do nothing. To prepare for it Patches and I did only a short potty walk. Along the way we met up with a neighbor that has tried to have our dog meet every time I have been here in the Park. Once again it did not work out. I think they would get along fine if both of them were just turned loose, but then again it could result in a big fight.I tried to get breakfast at El Jefe at 8:00 but they were still closed with no hours of operation posted anywhere. I think I will give up on them for breakfast, I can never find them open and I'm not so sure they are going to remain open. Went to El Cancun which was Alejandro's Taco Shop at one time and I think was a second El Jefe location when I first came to Pahrump.
The claim to open at 8:00 and so they were a few minutes after 8:00 when I got there. The service is rather slow but they served up a good Hevoes Rancheros and I was in no hurry. The next stop was at nearby Big O Tire to get my tires rotated.
Was told that I would have a 20 minute wait and after an hour I asked if they were going to do it anytime soon. It then took about 30 minutes to get the job done but since I have Big O tires the service was free so it was well worth the wait.
By then it was a little after 11:00 and I didn't want to go back to the Park, plug in, then unhook again to go to my 1:00 groomer appointment. So I stopped at the nearby barber expecting a wait there also but got in right away. So I took Patches to the groomer at about 11:45 and then sat in Desperado reading web News, blogs and typing up my posting for the day. Even got some more of my latest novel read during all this waiting around.
29 March
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: March 29, 1925The weather has continued to be great. However, there is trouble in paradise, the weather guessers keep revising the 10 day forecast with higher temperatures. They are now showing some 80s in the days to come. If we do not have any afternoon wind that will make Desperado too hot. As it was so famously put: O, woe is me, to have seen what I have seen, see what I see!
The Park is going to be filling up this weekend and will be busy with activities at the Club House next week. This is the time for the Co-op Members to gather for their annual meeting. The meeting is only part of what is happening however, there are other get-togethers and meals to be had.
I started to work on the Will Rogers weekly article links for May. I'll be leaving here around mid-April and don't know what Internet access I'll have until May. Might not get it all done but need to have most of it ready before I leave just in case.
The White House Tours remain closed while the President's daughters jet around the world like their celebrity Dad and Mom. Most people, if they have a spring break vacation, have to choose between the beach or the slopes. The Obamas, however, are not most people. It is, apparently, good to be King.
"In an exclusive photo obtained by Idaho's First News, you can see the First Daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama skiing at River Run Thursday. The Sun Valley Ski Patrol confirms the girls were enjoying the wonders of the mountain. We also received unconfirmed reports the daughters were staying at Thunder Spring in Sun Valley." Earlier, it was reported that the Obama daughters were at a resort in the Bahamas for Spring Break. Both reports could be true: The Obama daughters could have spent the first half of the week in the Bahamas, before leaving the sun for the Idaho snow.Then there was Dad flying off to Miami to make another Campaign speech. He could have very well have made this speech from the Oval Office or the Rose Garden at The Home of the People which has been closed to tours because of the sequester. Why has the sequester not cut into the First Family's lifestyle? Why has the lame stream media not criticized the POTUS and First Lady for their extravagant spending? They seem be be more than eager to report what he has to say when he is on the bully pulpit calling for shared sacrifice.
30 March
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
I forgot to add the Will Rogers weekly article link again yesterday, I fixed it this morning. It seems like every time I get involved in preparing some future month I forget about adding the link to my current postings. I think it might be an age thing. HAHere is a quote from one of the May weekly articles that I was working on that I think is as true in our time as it was when he wrote it: “After all, elections are a good deal like marriages, there’s no accounting for anyone’s taste. Every time we see a bridegroom we wonder why she ever picked him, and it’s the same with Public Officials.”
I have been only partially following the News about the Supreme Court's deliberations on same sex marriage. However, there is one aspect that I have not heard discussed – incest.
Incest is defined as the crime of sexual relations or marriage taking place between a male and female who are so closely linked by blood or affinity that such activity is prohibited by law. IF the court decides to redefine marriage as not being exclusively between a male and female then what happens to the definition of incest? Will it still be against the law for a brother to marry his sister but Constitutional for a brother to marry his brother? As Yakov Smirnoff would say – What a country!
High scattered clouds again today but the expected high is 81°, which is too hot if there is no breeze. Back to the more comfortable lower 70s for a couple of days and then jump up to near 90 on Wednesday and Thursday. A typical spring for Nevada.
I had an attack of diarrhea yesterday afternoon about an hour before I would have usually had my 'linner'. It had me on the toilet 3 times during an hour and then I seemed to be fine. I ate some plain rice and cottage cheese a little later which caused no further problems so I had some more crab cakes for a late 'linner'. No further problems and have no clue what may have caused it.
31 March
Pair-A-Dice Escapees RV Park
Pahrump, NV
The high temperature for the day is expected to be in the lower 70s but were were near that high by 11:00. I think the weather guessers may have got it wrong again. It was very calm during the morning but a very nice breeze starting around noon kept the day pleasant.I went out in this great weather before it got hot and took care of my holding tank dumping chores. Then filled up the fresh water tank and had some water leaking but nothing like I had before changing out the damaged washer. The little bit of water that leaked was not something I even looked to see where it may have been coming from.
Did a lot of nothing for the rest of the day, my way of celebrating Easter. Was just the kind of day to spend most of it on the couch reading my latest novel. Got some work done on the Will Rogers links but not quite finished. A slow News day but read what there was.