50+ thread

Eureka and the far north coast is one of the most amazing parts of CA. I Love having visited there several times during my life. Standing at the base of a truly giant redwood tree and contemplating life..... well, it kinda washes all your stress away and makes you realize it just isn't all that significant

 

Good morning, gang. Im sitting around, waiting for IT support for another software headache
siemens design software ugghh.

How does that even happen? Glad that it wasna bigger mess.

Years ago, the local TV weather guy had a speil called Bob's burgs', local people sent on the name of small townships/settlements and such.

Growing up in MD, I was surprised to hear all of the odd names of places that I didn't know existed. There's a 'Young Man's Fancy', MD near where I live. Accident, MD on the far western side of the state, Hollywood and Phoenix, to name a few.

 

Morning all

So what did it hit?

 

Here's a town in the High Desert of Socal with a very unusual name ...... Zzyzx . It's located about 100 miles from Las Vegas near the Calif / Nevada state line on I-15

 

^^^^
Thought I'd told the story before.

Good Morning Baby Sister
Glad you survived the storms; hope your today goes better than yesterday.

 

The Tacoma is into the dealership to repair some turkey damage.

Enterprise offered me the choice between a ‘22 Tacoma and a ‘23 Wrangler.

I’m surprised at how much I like the Wrangler. If they ever offer a Gladiator/FJ45 style Tacoma, I would be one of the first in line.

 

It must be Wednesday.

 

The whole Alaska topic got me feeling a bit nostalgic, so thought I'd dig up some of the few pictures I have from my family trip there many years ago.

/Story time with Tom

The year was 1978. CA voters had recently passed State Proposition 13, which froze property taxes permanently across the state to [I think] 1 1/4% of the purchase price of the home/property. So as long as you owned that property, whatever the taxes were in that year, they could never again be raised. Ever. Any time after that, when you purchased another property, those property taxes would be permanently fixed at 1 1/4% of the price you paid at purchase. This stopped the State from continually raising property taxes to fill their coffers for nonsense wasteful spending.

My dad at that time, was a Plumber with the Los Angeles Unified School District - a public (government) entity. Every government employer in the state panicked, as they were afraid their budgets would be demolished by the passage of Prop 13. Normally, support people, like Plumbers, didn't get the summer off, like Teachers and Administrators did - they worked year round. But in 1978, in fear of what it might mean to their budget, the LAUSD did a 3 month temporary lay off of all employees, including Plumbers. My dad already had an Alaskan Moose/Bear hunt booked for fall of 1978, so....... my parents decided it was a good time for one of our semi-rare family vacations.

My dad had a long time friend from his early adulthood that currently lived in Anchorage. Her husband was retired Air Force, and was then a GS employee at Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage. So my mom, dad, sister and I all packed into my dad's F250 4x4 hunting truck, and headed North To Alaska..... (queue the Johnny Horton). We drove up highway 5 through Oregon, Washington and into British Columbia. We then got to the world famous start of the AlCan (Alaska-Canadian) Highway at the Watson Lake signposts.



I can only imagine how huge this impromptu roadside monument is today....

And we headed on up through Yukon and into Alaska. Now back in 1978, the AlCan highway was still unpaved. ~1500 miles of gravel. Most of the traffic were monstrous lumber trucks. And I do mean huge. Much larger than what were allowed on US highways, even today. And they drove dead center down the middle of the road, and didn't move for nobody!

It took 5 days of driving (my dad was the only one who drove), and we finally ended up at my dad's friends place in Anchorage.

We spent an entire month (early July - early August) in Alaska. 3 weeks in Anchorage sightseeing, and then a week at my dad's friends cabin on the Kenai river, salmon fishing. My mom's caption says I am holding "my prize catch", but I will give credit where it is due - that biggest fish was actually caught by my 9 year old sister, also pictured. She just had a hard time holding it up long enough for pictures,, so I was given the "honor" LOL

Bonus points if you noticed my sweatshirt. I have been, and will always been a huge Star Wars fan/junkie. My sister, mom, and I stood in one of those wrap-around-the-block lines to see the original in person in 1977.







We saw lots of things around Anchorage, I didn't take many pictures, but I did take one of a local "eskimo"/Inuit cemetery, as I thought these little houses on top of each grave were kinda neat. As I recall, the natives would bring blankets, clothes, food... to leave for their departed ancestors, and would place such items in these little houses. At least that is how I think I remember the story we were told. It was 45 years ago....... and sometimes I can't remember 45 seconds ago I do recall seeing a lot of similar cemeteries all around the Anchorage area.



I have only been to Alaska this one time, in 1978. But as you can tell, those memories and images are forever seared into my memory. I will always remember the unequaled majesty of Alaska, and I didn't even get into the interior! I have always wanted to move there. But likely will never get the chance. I do hope to take my wife there someday, though.

/End of story time

 

And if you look up at the mountains at that same point, you can see Sand Cat (if I recall correctly, I believe it is right at the Zzyzx exit).

 

Awesome, I love the small world effect!

 

trying out a new tablet w/keyboard since my laptop died. trying to get more portable.

just gotta adjust to the tiny screen & keyboard now. kinda out of rotation with you guys, wife is on vaca & she gets all the priority when she wants it..... so my TW time is a little scarce.

will try to get back in the swing of things as we go.

stay safe!

 

Interesting day at work today, we had our first "Wind down Wednesday" Sounds like it should be on WEDNESDAY, like every Wednesday, right? Nope, monthly.

Anyways, we did yoga on the beach! Beautiful day, mid-70s, nice waves, shirt off. I was pleasantly surprised when it came time for down-dog, my shoulder didn't hurt anywhere near as much as usual. Still can't get the right arm up properly in triangle, but better after cutting the bone spur out of the way of the rotator.

 

Evening everyone

 

Its hot and I need gas

 

Thought about you today

 

evening all