Roadtrip (80's Kemper Style)

I remember at Kemper once when a friend asked me to take him home. I wasn't thrilled with the idea since it was about a 6 hour trip.

"Come on." he begged.
"50 bucks and you buy the gas." I said. (That was some money back in the day)
"Done."

So thats how I ended up giving Dennis a ride home to Illinois. We left Kemper late after everything was done, I'm thinking it was 5pm and the weather wasn't the best, but I wasn't worried. It was either late fall or early spring. (You'll see why I am remembering this as because of our current weather 7-10 inches of snow)
So off we went. I had mapped out the route, taking back roads once we left the interstate in a supposedly stupid thought that it would get us there faster. As we neared the Illinois border, the weather had changed. It was snowing. Nothing too bad, and I was used to driving in snow.

Once we crossed over we finally picked up another interstate that would shoot us into his hometown (I can't remember the name).

But what I do remember was that as we were driving (ok I was hauling butt, even with snow) we were coming up on this overpass. There were light poles and for some reason this is a very clear memory. There were no other cars around. And the road was either solid ice or solid snow and I remember there was no way to see the center line or either line on the edge of the road. And we were moving. Yeah we were dumb, young and full of it. Indestructible we thought. But I had a great car, low to the ground (1979 Buick Skyhawk, with a Roadhawk package!) I had owned this car for about 2 and half years so i was real familiar with it and when I climbed inside it was like sitting a cockpit as I had modified it. AM/FM Cassette (took out the 8-track player - I still smile when i think about that) equalizer, CB radio, new speakers, radar detector, and other little lights on the panel. And with the seatbelt pulled tight, the seat forward to better handle the foot controls, sunroof, hatchback full of cassette cases and luggage...all I can think was that we were heavy enough and lucky enough that we didn't spin out or die.

We made to his house and went to a club to find his girlfriend. I remember there was some radio station (104 something) as I got a button. I crashed on his couch and then drove back alone as he was going to get her to drive him back.
Great memory of the drive and trip and of course my car.

Love the snow.

2010 Roundup

For those that know, I was in a class this last semester. the reason is that I am trying to get my degree (Finally! I can hear my parents from the grave saying). In any case, I learned I got an A. That makes me feel good. That raises my cum gpa over a 2.0 Now I can petition to graduate and take one more class (hopefully) and then get my degree in may 2011. 30 years later. Hey, its a 4-yr degree. And then as a friend said, I should be much more marketable. With my experience AND a 4yr degree.

Then I have moved (again) back to Boonville. the city of my birth and where the love of my life (Kemper) was. A dear friend asked me to come and stay with her ailing father. Since I work all the time I would only be there at night and that's what she wanted. Unfortunately before I could move her father took a turn and they had to move him. I asked if she still wanted me to move and she said yes. An empty house during the winter was not ideal to them, so... The only down side is high gas prices.

Well that's all for now. Day 3 of 2011 and two blogs. I'm on a roll (or Kaiser bun).

New Year 2011

A New Year! So many possibilities. So many resolutions? A friend posted he was going to review 50 books in a year. I have tried to do a blog writing a day before and even a picture a day. Over the last 2 years my blog writing has declined. And reviewing a book; I have always thought that was at times pointless unless you are writing questions for a test. When I read about a book, I don;t want to know whats going on with it, or why read it? That's why if I don't want to invest time in a TV episode I read the IMDB review of it. I get the same amount of info without having to sit through whatever amount of time it is or even fast forward through it.

But book reviews: since I know my friend to be fairly intelligent, and having similar tastes (at one time) and knowing that he will be reading books that while I might be interested, I probably wouldn't necessary pick up on my own, I will be interested in seeing his reviews.

As for me and New Years resolutions; eh