Halloween

She tells me that she's the Fates. All three in one.

Pretty esoteric

Good advice?

Is it just me?

W.

Fabulous performances do not equal a fabulous film.

Josh Brolin, Richard Dreyfuss, Thandie Newton, James Cromwell, Toby Jones, Scott Glenn and others all turn in riveting portrayals.

And yet the movie is choppy, unsatisfying.

The portrait presented of arguably the worst US president ever is surprisingly sympathetic, if portraying the president of the US as an incompetent buffoon constantly striving for his father's approval is sympathy.

Or if laying bare on the screen just how misled by his advisors the commander in chief was is sympathy.

We were left pondering exactly what message Oliver Stone could have possibly been trying to impart to the audience through the cryptic end of his opus.

Home again

Monday, October 26, 2008, 9:09 am

Back at home after a restful night in my own bed. Unfortunately, the heat appears to be out again. We thought we had dodged a bullet but maybe not.

Steve, Jeffrey and Julie went on a road ride yesterday morning while Shanna and Stephanie packed up and went to rent bikes for a mountain bide ride. I puttered and got all my stuff packed up so then I went to get a good cup of coffee (a constant quest on this trip) and walked around Moab.

Steve called when they got back so I went over to the house to say goodbye. Steve and I then went to the Peace Tree for lunch (my new favorite). We left Moab at 2:15 pm intending to head home but got distracted by the La Sal Loop Road so we drove back to Moab and finally left again at about 4 pm. After stopping at Outback Steakhouse in Grand Junction for dinner, we rolled into Aspen a little after 10 pm.

Now I'm off to mess with the furnace . . .

Filler

Downtown Moab is unfortunately also a truck route.

Luckily, most people don't go to Moab for the downtown area.

More Moab

Saturday, October 25, 2008, 11:48 pm

After a bit of sitting around this morning waiting for the temperature to climb (it was 20 degrees when I first checked), Jeffrey, Julie, Stephanie and I went for a road ride up 128 to Castle Valley. They were kind, waiting for me when I got dropped and, although cold, it was a beautiful ride. I made it just a little way up the Castle Valley Road (to the top of the first climb) when I had the good sense to head back.

They caught me again when I stopped at the bridge at the intersection of 191 and 128 to take pictures and we rode back into town together.

Shower and lunch at the Peace Tree (can't believe I ignored it all these years). A tiny bit of shopping an then hanging out before dinner at the Center Cafe.

Moab

Saturday, October 25, 2008, 12:14 am

Woke up this am with sun at Goosenecks State Park. Just us and two guys who were nice enough to move their campsite at our request. (Hey, the campground was empty!)

At about 8:45 am, the first day tripper showed up and then it was a constant stream. Met Todd from Canada and his Aussie friends and gave them some pointers for the Grand Canyon and Seligman. Finally headed out at about 10 am and turned towards Natural Bridges National Monument. Drove up the Moki Dugway and then did the loop at Natural Bridges and headed to Moab.

Stopped by Devil's Campground on 191 so that Steve could photograph the old car wreck on the old dirt road.

Motored on to Moab, getting here at about 3:30 pm and went straight to 323 Williams Way, a really nice duplex, 3 bedroom, 2 bath for approximately $300 per night.

Showered, did 2 loads of wash, went to dinner at Zax. Came back and hung out with Shanna and Stephanie until Jeffrey and Julie got here. Then hung out for the rest of the evening. (Julie's friend, Dave, stopped by too.)

With a little liquid courage, I've agreed to do a road ride tomorrow.

Hmmmm.

The Rez

Thursday, October 23, 2008 8:10 am

Didn't sleep too well last night. Again. Got up, showered and ate breakfast outside in the cold. Bad coffee. ($1.99 for all you can eat pancakes. Wasn't worth it.) Steve got up, showered and we packed up. Went to Joe & Aggies so Steve could have breakfast. Had more bad coffee. Went to the grocery story and got harassed by a bum. Had an argument. Then got on the road to First Mesa. Stopped for the walking tour which is very interesting (if slightly misinformed). Walpi is the second oldest continuously occupied settlement. It looks like a ruin with some updated construction. Very poor.

We then drove to the Second Mesa where we went to the museum at the Hopi Cultural Center and then got a room. The Hopi are notoriously private, allowing no recording, photos or note taking. It borders on the strange but everyone we interacted with was very friendly.

The Colorado Plateau!

Thursday, October 23, 2008, 9:34 pm

Sitting in front of a campfire at Goosenecks State Park. Life is good again.

Had a so-so breakfast at the Hopi Cultural Center. Food was good but service was slow so it was cold by the time we were served. Drove to Third Mesa and out to Old Oraibi Village where we walked out to the old ruins of a church like building. The Hopis drove out the missionaries in the 1600s. Does the building date to then? Who knows?

We then drove through Moenkopi near Tuba City which has it own old almost Pueblo like part of town.

At that point, our good humor ran out and we spent the next few hours unhappy with each other. We also found out that our house had no heat and it was 11 degrees in Aspen last night. So after phone calls to the gas company and to neighbors, we made arrangements to have the furnace checked and motored on.

By the time we reached Monument Valley, we were getting along again. So we went to check out Oljato Trading Post which turned out to be closed and drove through Monument Valley (my first time) with the awesome light of sunset. Took lots of photos (to make up for all the pics we couldn't take on the Hopi rez?) and then drove on to Goosenecks.

Turned out all we needed heatwise was a new ignition switch, not a new $3000 boiler so we were able to settle into the best camping spot, enjoy the last of the sunset and our steak and vegetable dinner and now a lovely, if slightly windblown, campfire.

3d best night of the trip.

Driving north

Tuesday, October 21, 2008, 7:38 pm

I didn't sleep too well last night. Just after sunset, we had a four legged visitor with a white stripe down its back. Between him and the various bug life, we opted to sleep in the tent. It was either that or on the picnic table and the picnic table wasn't wide enough for both of us. Once we settled in, the skunk visited once more but then disappeared for the rest of the night. There was one other person in the campground and he had a visitor twice. I slept very lightly the entire night for little reason.

We were on the road by about 7:30 am. The 90 miles of 191 between Clifton and Springerville were windy, stunning and slow going. The Morenci Mine is quite a sight to see, copper mining on such an awesome scale. Both Clifton and Morenci are company towns without much to recommend them, although Morenci does seem slightly nicer.

We arrived at Lyman Lakes State Park at approximately 11:30 am but since the showers didn't appear to have hot water, it didn't seem to have too much to recommend it so we pushed on. We went through Petrified Forest and Painted Desert National Park which was pretty cool since it was 1974 or so since I was last there. The Painted Desert Inn was worth the detour. Then onto Holbrook, where we're now staying at my very first KOA ever. At least I got a shower. And Steve got to take sunset photos of the Wigwams.

Leaving Southern Arizona

Monday, October 20, 2008, sunset

Got up early this morning so I could do payroll without holding us up. Had a few glitches since the website kept hanging up but got it done in about 45 minutes.

We left Audrey's Inn and went over to the Bisbee Breakfast Club for breakfast (!) and then got on the road at about 9:30 am.

We drove to Douglas, walked through the Gadsden Hotel and got on 191 north. What a godforsaken place. Depressed, depressing . . . Got stopped at a Border Patrol checkpoint.

As we traveled further north on 191, the bleakness of the landscape lessened. Willcox and Safford were tolerable and the Black Hill Back Country Byway was gorgeous. We arrived at the Oak Creek Campground around 3 pm, sat around chasing the shade and read. And now a fabulous sunset.

Layover

Sunday, October 19, 2008, 8:25 pm

Pretty quiet day today. Got up and poked around online for a bit. Updated my blogs. Went out for coffee at the Bisbee Coffee Co and a stroll around Bisbee (I strolled, Steve limped). Came back and had lunch, then drove over to South Bisbee where we walked around the Shady Dell, checking out their cool trailers and diner. Then we had some DQ and drove by the co-op where Steve found some photo ops. Back to Old Bisbee where we found Mimosa's Market up Brewery Gulch and picked up some green chile stew for dinner. Now laundry and packing.

Our tentative itinerary for the next few days (all but Moab are camping so internet access is likely to be nonexistent):

Monday - Bisbee to Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area. 165 miles

Tuesday - GBRNCA to Lyman Lake State Park. ~160 miles

Wednesday - Lyman Lake to the Second Mesa. 172 miles

Thursday - Second Mesa to Gooseneck State Park. 175 miles with a stop at the Oljato Trading Post on the way.

Friday - Gooseneck State Park to Moab. 110 miles.

Sunday - Moab to Aspen.

Bisbee

Saturday, October 18, 2008, 8:07 pm

We visited a bit with Lila yesterday morning, then headed out of Prescott at about 10 am. Drove to Arcosanti where we toured Paolo Soleri's visionary arcology. Lots of promise and forward thinking ideas but so far (since the 70s) little actual follow-thru or pay-off. Lots of concrete and granola heads . . .

Motored on through Phoenix and Tucson and onto Bisbee. Got here at 5:30 pm. Lovely little apartment at Audrey's Inn, #203. Dated decor with lots of pastels but spacious with upstairs living room and full kitchen and downstairs bedroom with king sized bed and bathroom. Wandered Bisbee & dinner at the Bisbee Grille.

This morning, up for the Stair Climb. Steve raced and I walked. He came in 273 at 50:37 minutes and I was 923 at 1:29:32. Steve also did the Ice Man in 36:12 seconds. Had lunch here in our unit, then wandered about some more. Drinks at the Copper Queen with the riff raff, then an absolutely wonderful dinner at Cafe Roka. If there's a heaven, that's what it tastes like. Sea bass special with scallops, sweet potato & yellow squash soup, salad with kalamata olive vinaigrette. So good!

Bisbee's interesting. There's a huge riff raff population, hard drinking, hard smoking. But then we go to Cafe Roka where there's a much more refined crowd. Freaky still, to be sure, but a crowd with which my comfort level is dramatically increased.

Prescott

Friday, October 17, 2008, 7:41 am

Got up at sunrise again. Had breakfast and got on the road by about 9 am.

Big drive day. Went through Flagstaff and Sedona and stopped for lunch at the Flatiron Cafe in Jerome.

Beautiful drive through Oak Creek Canyon and over Mingus Mountain.

Then onto Prescott to visit Lila and see her shop. Prescott has a nice historic downtown square with perhaps a few too many tourist trinket stores. Lila's store is about a block off the square in an old redeveloped fire house. It's got good visibility and she's got it nicely decorated.

We got haircuts at CJ's Emporium (where they cut hair and sell See's Candy) and had dinner at the Raven. Stayed at Lila's new house which is a fixer upper with a lot of potential.

The first six days

From the travel journal:

Friday, October 10, 2008, 10:15 pm

Since the theme of this vacation is flexible, we started off from the get-go making adjustments. Having originally talked about departing Aspen at 4 am and then 6 am, we left at 10:38 am. Today being our biggest driving day and having gotten such a late start, we skipped both Abiquiu and Los Alamos and headed straight to Aunt Pat's in Albuquerque. We got here at about 6:15 pm. After drinks and hors d'oeuvres, we had an awesome dinner of spaghetti squash, zucchini and tomato sauce and very nice conversation.

Got up at 4 am today and the alarm's set for 4:30 am for tomorrow so we can get to the Balloon Fiesta before the crowds.

Saturday, October 11, 2008, 10:47 pm

We got up early, had coffee waiting for us, drove to the Balloon Fiesta Park, got a good parking spot, walked around, went to the pilot briefing . . . and learned that the mass ascension was cancelled.

So we left, drove to Old Town, walked around the Plaza, ate breakfast at Little Anita's (just ok), visited the church on the plaza, came back to Aunt Pat's, napped, showered, had lunc, drove around Albuquerque, went to the Hispanic Museum (saw a cool exhibit by the de la Torre brothers), went to Nob Hill, had drinks at Kelly's, dinner at El Patio and walked around Central Street.

Since the weather is iffy for tomorrow am, we've decided to bag trying again with the Fiesta. Don't know where we'll be tomorrow night.

Sunday, October 12, 2008, ??

My hand's cold so my writing is a bit hard to read.

Sitting in front of a camp fire at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, NM. We got up this am in Albuquerque, had breakfast at Aunt Pat's, left Albuquerque at approximately 11 am to drive north. Stopped in Santa Fe for way too long to spend way too much $ shopping at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and Albertson's. Met someone who know Pascale & Manon at Trader Joe's. Drove to Abiquiu and got to Ghost Ranch just after 5 pm to find out that they have camping here. So here we are, camping at Ghost Ranck with a view of the Pedernal and an almost full moon. Great salmon dinner and great camp fire. Very cool night.

Monday, October 13, 2008, 8:29 pm

It's not quite as cold out tonight.

Still at Abiquiu, in campsite 55, not the camp site we started inl ast night but the campsite we slept in. Full moon is tomorrow so the sky has been bright.

Had dinner last night of salmon and sauteed yellow squash. Tonight is grilled beef kabobs. Very nice.

Last night was quite cold. We had the tent up with the doors open and everything got covered with frost. My feet never warmed up the whole night.

We slept until the sun hit the tent at a little after 8 am. Then got up, had coffee, and enjoyed our view looking directly at the Pedernal. We walked down to the office and discovered the showers/laundry/place to wash dishes on the way. Steve went out shooting while I washed last night's dishes and took a shower (yay!). We did a little shopping at the Trading Post, then I read while Steve hiked off trail to Chimney Rock. After he came back, we both headed up there, this time on trail (3 miles). Saw the sunset and watched the intense colors pop off the cliff walls.

Now I'm enjoying the campfire and we're discussing our options for our long drive tomorrow. Leaving early, leaving in the middle of the night to drive by moonlight . . . We'll see.

We did figure out that if we had left on time on Friday, we would not have camped here at Ghost Ranch. Serendipity?

Wednesday, October 15, 2008, 9:37 am

So, yesterday didn't end well. It was the fourth glass of wine that did it. The rest of the day went pretty smoothly except for the part where I got the phone call from our neighbor complaining about Ellie's non-stop barking. That left me feeling stressed, impotent, irresponsible, embarrassed . . .

We got up at 4:10 am, made coffee, finished packing up (Steve had done most of the packing Monday nite), got showers and were on the road by 5:11 am. We made good time, stopping in Farmington for coffee and Page for bicycle tires. We rolled into the North Rim about 10 hours later, too early to check in. We wandered a bit, then sat out on the west veranda for drinks and sunset. 3 glasses of wine later, Steve went to check in and to see if we could have the same room for 2 nights. Successful, he bought another round to celebrate and with my judgment impaired, I drank it down. I barely made it to the room (Cabin 60-65) and basically passed out. We missed our 9 pm dinner reservation (this was at approx. 6:30 pm) and our plans to see the canyon in the full moon.

Demon alcohol!

I did wake up in the middle of the night, thinking that we should go out for a walk but inertia, equilibrium (or the lack thereof) and common sense won out.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008, 9:30 pm

Got up just before sunrise/moonset this morning. Walked to Bright Angel Point, then wandered over to the Lodge for breakfast. Went to the bookstore, then back to the room where Steve got his stuff together for a mountain bike ride. Between doing that, getting dialed in at the visitor's center and driving out to Parriswampit (or something like that) Point, he didn't start riding Rainbow Rim until 1 pm. And it turns out that was too late in the day.

I came back, got some lunch out of the cooler and ate and read on the veranda. I walked out to Bright Angel Point for sunset and waited for Steve.

At 7:30 pm, an hour and a half after sunset and at our appointed dinner time, I reported him overdue. A Park Police officer came out, lectured me and basically told me that given the length of the ride, it was too early for them to do anything and that they basically wouldn't do anything until the morning. He suggested that I drive out and look for him.

So I did. And I found him, freezing, in the dark, having just turned on to the highway. Warmed him up, brought him home and now bed.

Two nights at the North Rim and missed our dinner reservations both nights.

But the nice deputy and the nice lady from the Coconino County sheriff's office did follow up with me so I felt better about that.

Living in the Moment/On Quoting Shakespeare

I've Loved you for so Long

Another film brought to Aspen by the Aspen Filmfest, I've Loved You for So Long is a tour de force for Kristin Scott Thomas (whom I also saw recently in Tell No One).

Juliette (Kristin Scott Thomas) reappears in her sister Lea's life and moves into her home as a virtually silent, remote, complete stranger. Lea wants nothing more than to reconnect with Juliette while Juliette wants nothing more than to be left alone. Hanging between them is some unspeakable event which sets Lea's husband completely on edge.

Scott Thomas moves through the movie virtually silently, stoically and yet amazingly emotively.

In French with subtitles, this is yet another movie which transcends national sensibilities and defies the How French! reflex.

From Aspen Filmfest's website:

French novelist and screenwriter Philippe Claudel brings intelligence and compassion to his debut feature about two sisters, divided long ago by a shocking tragedy, who are searching to find closure on the past and forge a new life together. Kristin Scott Thomas (The Other Boleyn Girl, The English Patient) gives a sensational performance as the mysteriously aloof Juliette, whose move into sister Léa’s house in their French hometown sets off a journey toward redemption. Though Léa (Elsa Zylberstein), her husband Luc and their friends hesitate, Léa’s two adopted daughters take an immediate liking to their newfound aunt. As secrets are revealed, piecing together Juliette’s past bit by suspenseful bit, the two sisters slowly rebuild a bond of trust that was destroyed fifteen years earlier. A critical and box office hit in France, I’ve Loved You So Long explores the terrain of forgiveness to utterly engrossing effect. (France/Germany, 2008, 117 min. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics)

Nights in Rodanthe

If I ever ask you to go with me to a Nicholas Sparks movie, if I ever mention during the trailer for a Nicholas Sparks movie that I'd like to see it, if I ever tell you that I'm going to a Nicholas Sparks movie, please do me a favor and remind me that it's a Nicholas Sparks movie.

So much promise and so little delivery.

Much better suited for a made for TV Hallmark movie.

Diane Lane and Richard Gere couldn't save this trite, cheesy romantic tragedy. Scott Glenn (who I really like as an actor) was pathetic.

The house was strangely filmed.

The hurricane was preposterous.

The ending was pure schmaltz.

Lemon Tree

No one wins.

In a film that evenhandedly attempts to depict the gray area in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Salma's 50 year old lemon tree grove which her father planted is deemed a security threat to the new Israeli Defense Minister and must be cut down. Salma, a poor Palestinian widow, is stoically and obstinately determined not to let that happen.

All of the major players are portrayed sympathetically and there is no black and white.

Interspersed amongst the ambiguity are moments of light and joy but always there exists the overarching atmosphere of volatility.

I was struck by Salma's determination in the face of the paternalistic society where the men of her village feel perfectly comfortable in obliquely threatening violence when, in their eyes, her actions appear to be dishonoring her late husband. His memory is more important than her happiness.

Salma finds an unlikely ally in Mira, the defense minister's unhappy wife who struggles with her own unintentional role in Salma's plight.

From the movie's official website:

Salma, a Palestinian widow, has to stand up against her new neighbor, the Israeli Defense Minister, when he moves into his new house opposite her lemon grove, on the green line border between Israel and the West Bank.

The Israeli security forces are quick to declare that Salma's trees pose a threat to the Minister's security and issue orders to uproot them.

Together with Ziad Daud, her young Palestinian lawyer, Salma goes all the way to the Israeli Supreme Court to try and save her trees. Her struggle raises the interest of Mira Navon, the Defense minister's wife, who is trapped in her new home and in an unhappy life.

Despite their differences and the borders between them the two women develop an invisible bond, while forbidden ties grow stronger between Salma and Ziad.

Salma's legal and personal journey lead her deep into the complex, dark and sometimes funny chaos of the ongoing struggle in the Middle East, in which all players find themselves alone in their struggle to survive.

Pressure Cooker

Pressure Cooker is a well-done documentary about a tough culinary arts teacher in Philadelphia, Wilma Stephenson, and the students she grooms, sometimes with a verbal bludgeon, for a scholarship competition.

I walked out wanting to mail Wilma a check.

Wilma's modus operandi is that of a boot camp instructor and the beauty is that the kids who stick with her know intuitively that she's got their best interests at heart.

Engrossing, suspenseful, engaging, humorous, uplifting.

Tell No One

Tell No One is a French thriller, subtitled and all.

But, instead of exiting this movie exclaiming, "How French!," I was left wondering, "How French?"

Tell No One is adapted from a Harlan Coben thriller, Harlan Coben being an American writer who sets mosts of his books in the New York/New Jersey area.

Not having read the book, though, the movie's French setting in Paris and its environs seems wholly natural. The French justice and police system seems organic to the story. Even the French hoodlums to whom Dr. Beck turns for help are familiar and yet curious.

At the end of the day, the movie is a thriller, a very good thriller. But even there, how is it different because it's a French thriller than if it were an American thriller? More chases, more action? There is a strong interior story developed here.

Don't misunderstand. Much of what I've discussed above occurred to me only after the conclusion of the film. During the film, I was not distracted by these inquiries. The movie is enthralling and does not lend itself to inattention. It is not predictable but neither are its plot twists serpentine.

Quite satisfying.

This week's favorite

The town hall debate

Has Tom Brokaw had eye surgery?

Obama - "a lot of you I think are worried." should have said that I know a lot of you are worried.

I'm watching CNN and wow, look at Obama's approval lines at the bottom of the screen. The people are loving it.

McCain - does the president have the authority to order the secretary of the treasury to buy down home mortgages?

Obama - he's not answering the question about whom he would appoint to fill Paulson's vacancy.

McCain - oh no, you're not touting the fact that you suspended your campaign to tank the bail out compromise.

A bit condescending to suppose that we've (or the black questioner) have never heard of Fannie or Freddie.

Barack's breakin' it down for the man. Here's how the bailout will help, here's what's happening, small businesses can't get loans so they can't make payroll, so the bailout helps loosen credit and helps the average man.

Boy, I just finished reading the Rolling Stone cover story about McCain and I'm really not feeling the love for him. Yuck.

Obama - net spending cut!

McCain - cynicism? stealing Obama's word.

McCain - "I have fought earmarks" Can we talk about an aircraft carrier that Carter vetoed twice?

McCain keeps walking towards Brokaw and then suddenly changing course, oh wait, I'm supposed to be talking to the audience.

McCain keeps saying that we can do them all at once but he's going to have a Democratic congress so it's going to be a stalemate.

Brokaw - "there are some real questions about whether we can do everything" Slam?

Obama ranks the priorities, 1 energy, 2 healthcare, 3 education.

Fiorra asks what sacrifices we'll have to make and McCain is talking about the defense budget and contractors. Except for defense and veterans programs, McCain will cut all other programs?

Obama - "A lot (?) of you remember the tragedy of 9/11." Bush's call to service (Go out and shop) wasn't the kind of call the American people were looking for. "Each and every American can start to think about saving energy." Nice way to specifically tell Fiorra what sacrifice she can make.

Hatchet/scalpel. Steve says that's a good line. I agree.

McCain says that Obama's going to raise taxes on 50% of small businesses. I'm thinking that this isn't accurate.

Nice way to adjust on the fly, Tom.

"Straight talk express lost a wheel on that one." Nice jab.

Nice way to bring it back around to the question. Taxes back to Medicare.

McCain has been so divisive in this campaign and he think's he's going to sit down with Democrats?

I hate the way McCain is dropping his mike every time he finishes. It's so smug.

I love the question about Congress moving quickly. You've shown us you can do it, now you can't pretend like you don't know how.

Yep, we're the best workers and the best innovators. And the best screw-ups. Just ask Iceland, basically bankrupt because of the US mortgage crisis.

God, he did it again! Oh, he's pissing me off.

3% of the oil reserves and we use 25% of the world's oil! I love that statistic. Drill baby drill is dumb baby dumb.

McCain wants Tom to jump up and down.

McCain - Ugh, he's so nasty and sarcastic. "You know who voted for it? That one." Ugh.

McCain's smile is so smug and condescending while Obama's is just sceptical.

If McCain starts taxing employer health insurance benefits, I'm going to tell my employer to stop offering health insurance. Basically, the rules should be the same. Both group coverage & individual coverage is tax deductible and no exclusion for pre-existing conditions on either, if you've have continuous coverage.

Healthcare - privilege, right or responsibility? McCain - responsibility. Obama - right.

Obama - he's right. if you can shop state to state, then you'll lose the consumer protections. All of the insurance companies will set up shop in the least regulated state and you'll be buying less coverage than you think you are .

McCain makes "my friend" sound like a slam.

"I don't understand why we invaded a country that had nothing to do with 9/11." Me either!

Obama lived overseas and I think that's huge when it comes to understanding the US position in the world.

We'll establish the Obama Doctrine and the McCain Doctrine and then next week, we'll ask Sarah if she knows what they are.

Let's work in concert with our allies instead of in spite of our allies.

Can we be done now? Can't we just have the election today? I'm so sick of all this. I'm so sick of McCain.

McCain and Obama are saying the same thing about Pakistan but McCain is trying to make it sound like it's totally different.

Nice jab, Obama on the bomb, bomb, bomb Iran quip. Don't tell me I'm not speaking softly when you're off saying that North Korea should be annihilated.

"I'm going to act responsibly as I've acted responsibly in my military career." Bullshit! Please, please, please read this.

General McKiernan?? I thought it was McClellan. The pitbull says it's McClellan.

Steve - Who's living normal lives? The families of the US soldiers or the oppressed Iraqis?

Obama - "We honor your service." We. Awesome.

Look at the lines during Obama's response to the Iran/Israel question.

Obama - "Direct talks with our enemies to deliver a direct message that if you don't change your behavior, there will be dire consequences." Amen!

Great last question!!!! "What don't you know and how will you learn it?" Obama - "Michelle could give you a much better answer to this question." Opportunity. Seizing opportunity.

"Are we going to pass on that American dream?" "Can't continue to do the same things we done over the last eight years and expect a different outcome."

Obama will seize opportunity to learn what he doesn't know.

McCain doesn't know what's going to happen but so far he hasn't said how he's going to learn.

My country first? Hell no! Please read this.

Tentative trip itinerary and ideas

courtesy of my hovely lusband:

;~! **(see key at end) Friday October 10th - Aspen to Albuquerque via Ghost Ranch, 450 miles, 8 hrs=all day. Spend the night in Albuquerque at Aunt Pat's.

%^) Be responsible mature adults. Talk about Ghost Ranch and watch with amazement when Steve absconds with the conversation and talks at length about Los Alamos and how he really wants to go there ... some day. Ask Aunt Pat inappropriate questions about Albuquerque's chronic ethnic strife and gang problems. Suggest that nobody in their right mind would live there. Thank her for her hospitality.

;~! --Saturday October 11th - Albuquerque to Albuquerque, zero miles or 22,000. 0 hrs/all day. Balloon Fiesta, Route 66 in Albuquerque, Knob Hill. Spend the night in Albuquerque at Aunt Pat's.

%^) Continue being responsible mature adults knowing that tomorrow we camp with the wolves. Talk about New Mexico's endemic litter problem and how it's the state with the highest incidents of drunk driver fatalities in the nation. Offer to drive to the liquor store, or go get drunk out of town at a place called The Roadhouse. Thank her for her hospitality.

;~! Sunday October 12th - Albuquerque to Wolf Sanctuary, 125 miles, 2 hrs/all day. Possibilities, Steve/Bridget? ride part or parts of Highway 53, Acoma Pueblo, El Malpias Nt. Mon. (Inscription Rock, Lava Tubes) Bandera Crater and Ice Caves, El Morro Nt. Mon, camp at Wolf Sanctuary, contemplate taking the 2 hour $100 photography tour, although it may already be too late as it said in the website to make reservations two weeks in advance. Moon is almost full. (no reservations)

%^) Buy lots of perishable road food. Forget to eat it. Listen to Steve regret that we went to the Bandera Crater and Ice Caves instead of El Morro. Or that we took the stupid tourist rip-off tour of Acoma instead of being brave and finding the old trail and hiking to the top of the mesa. Think it's really cool at first, then get annoyed at the howling wolves. Eventually get scared when the wolves suddenly stop howling. Consider breaking camp and driving the fuck away from here, showing up at Aunt Pat's unannounced at three a.m. Thank her for her hospitality. If she isn't home, leave a really sarcastic note thanking her for her hospitality. Create scoreboard to keep track of Steve's good choices and bad.

;~! Monday October 13th - Wolf Sanctuary to Hopi Cultural Center, 160 miles, 2-3 hrs/all day. Possibilities, find a KOA and take showers in Gallup, Steve/Bridget? ride part or parts of this drive, Zuni Pueblo, Route 66 in Gallop, Window Rock (capital of Navajo Nation), Kinlichee Ruins Tribal Park, Hubbell Trading Post, Hopi Indian Reservation, moon is almost full, hotel or camp at Hopi Cultural Center on Second Mesa. (no reservations)

%^) Forget about rotting perishables in cooler, forget to get ice, motor off into the heat of the day in the desert. Call Aunt Pat to tell her you just read about that horrible murder that happened in Albuquerque while we were visiting, assure her we will never visit her again, thank her for her hospitality. Watch Steve throw a public tantrum as he tries to remember how to pitch the tent. Listen to him swear when he tries to set it up in the October wind on top of a fucking MESA in the desert, hello! Freeze to almost death, finally get out of the tent to check availability at the hotel right next door, see that the sign reads vacancy, find nobody in the office, ring the shit out of the bell to keep warm, go back to tent, find Steve's scoreboard and mark it up furiously. Seriously consider driving all the way back to the Zuni Rez. or Aunt Pat's.

;~! Tuesday October 14th - Hopi Cultural Center to North Rim, 216 miles, 4 hrs/all day. Possibilities, Steve/Bridget? ride part or parts of this drive, Old Oraibi on Third Mesa, Marble Canyon, Dominguez Escalante Interpretive Site, official full moon! Cabin on North Rim.

%^) Listen as Steve explains to the Hopi that cameras don't really steal your souls. Watch him demonstrate by sticking his camera in some children's faces and then asking them, "What are you, stupid? Smile!" Watch him mountain bike off the Mesa thinking he knows exactly where he's going. Watch drunk Hopis pile in an old truck and speed off in the same direction, honking the horn and cursing. Wonder if Steve is wearing his hearing aid. Hope to see him again real soon, maybe.

;~! -- Wednesday October 15th - North Rim to North Rim, zero miles or 22,000. 0hrs/all day. Possibilities, everything around North Rim, Steve does the 18 mile one way or 36 mile round trip mountain bike ride on rim, move to new accommodation, unofficial full moon! Cabin on North Rim.

%^) Listen to Steve berate himself for not getting on his bike till one in the afternoon. Be glad it was a full moon becuase of course he didn't take his headlamp to go ride around on the frickin' EDGE of the Grand Canyon. Be amazed that once again he survived one of his frequent self induced epics. Be pissed that he missed the dinner reservation and don't laugh when he tries to make some lame ass joke about reservations on the reservation. Go to bed when he tries to talk you into having a glass of wine on the balcony now that it's forty degrees.

;~! ** Thursday October 16th - Option A. North Rim to Phoenix, 350 miles, 5-7 hrs/all day. possibilities, drive straight through, or, Little Colorado River Gorge Tribal Park, Loop drive off Highway 89 (or bike it, fifteen to twenty miles) visiting Wupatki Nt. Mon. Painted Desert Vista and Sunset Crater Volcano Nt. Mon. along the way. Montezuma Well, Montezuma Castle Nt. Mon. Arcosanti. Moon almost not full, probably won't see it in Phoenix anyway. Spend night in Phoenix with Phil and Jill.

%^) Get fucking shit faced, find McCain rally, get arrested.

;~! ** Thursday October 16th - Option B. North Rim to Prescott, 300 miles. 5-6 hrs/all day. possibilities, everything up to and including Sunset Crater. Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, Jerome, Prescott College. Moon almost not full, might see it around Prescott. Spend night in Prescott with Lila.

%^) Go to Jerome with Lila. When it's obvious she loves Jerome, start telling her how it used to be so much cooler back when I visited it for two hours thirty years ago. Waste hours looking for some place you think you vaguely remember was in Jerome but can't remember the name. Eventually casually say, "You know, it might have been in Butte." Continually remind Lila that Bisbee is way cooler than Jerome ever was. Thank her for her hospitality. Tell her that we might stay with her again on our way back through next week but she'll have to do something about her cat. Smoke pot, Find Obama rally, be mellow.

;~! Friday October 17th - *Singing Wind Bookstore* 2 miles north of Benson, I-10 exit 304 @ Ocotillo Road,

Option A. Phoenix to Bisbee, via I-10 195 miles, 3 hrs/all day. Possibilities, drive straight through, Tucson, Tombstone. B&B in Bisbee in Brewery Gulch.

%^) Be hung over, get out of jail, read about ourselves in police blotter, cut and save article, lose it among all the other printed crap we pick up along the way, represent our party well.

;~! Option A1. Phoenix to Bisbee via highway 79 206 miles, 4 hrs/all day. This route is more rural and scenic. Possibilities, Cactus Forest, multiple picnic areas, Biosphere 2, Santa Catalina Mountains to Saguaro Nt.Pk. (ride Saguaro Nt. Pk. loop). B$B in Bisbee in Brewery Gulch.

%^) Be hung over, get out of jail, read about ourselves in police blotter, cut and save article, lose it among all the other printed crap we pick up along the way, represent our party well.

;~! ** (Option B. Prescott to Bisbee, 292 miles, 5 hrs/all day. Arcosanti plus all sites on highway 79 or take I-10 from Phoenix to Bisbee. B&B in Bisbee in Brewery Gulch.

%^) Don't go back up to Jerome for breakfast, Tell Lila that you're sick of these hippie towns and we're going to Arcosanti. Remind her that we might stay with her next week for 'a few days' and please do something about the cat. Thank her for her hospitality.

;~! -- Saturday October 18th - Bisbee to Bisbee, zero miles or 22,000 or who knows, this is Bisbee. Bisbee Stairclimb 1000, Iceman. B&B in Bisbee in Brewery Gulch.

%^) Watch Steve get mad immediately after not winning the Bisbee Staircase 1000. Listen to him yammer on about how his training regiment consisted of not going to Hawaii for three months. Suffer his relentless attempts at verbally trying to figure out the story about Nicholas De Vore. Give him some perfectly resonable ultimatum and watch him storm off up Brewery Gulch to go make friends with that guy that runs the thrift shop. Wonder how you ever got here.

;~! Sunday October 19th - *Singing Wind Bookstore* 2 miles north of Benson, I-10exit 304 @ Ocitillo Road,

%^) Recap the first week. Add up the scorecard. Get in a fight with Steve when he insists that, no that one was a good day, not a bad one. Make him agree to a few promises. Finally scream at him, "You know what? Nicholas De Vore is dead, okay. Maybe you should find some different heroes." Feel bad after the interminable silence. Fall for his, I-love-you-so-much-puppy-eyes again. 'Cause, ya' know, he really does.(#)

Monday October 20th - find internet access so Bridget can do payroll.

#&%^@!*+ That's it, next week's possibilities are wide open. We have Sunday October 19Th to Sunday October 26th (eight days) to get home. See page 262 in Fodors Arizona and page 195 in National Geographic Traveler Arizona. If we didn't get there on the way down, we could go to Prescott and Jerome etc. We could go into New Mexico, Steins and Shakespeare Ghost Towns, Silver City, Fehee? Buckhorn Saloon, Gila Cliff Dwellings Nt. Mon., Wildwood Retreat (camping, cabins, hot springs, showers, $10 a night) Albuquerque, Chaco Canyon, Shiprock, Santa Fe, Taos, Los Alamos. But . . . even if we do get lost and end up near the edge of the Deathly Hot Plain, I refuse to go to Roswell. Agreed? We never did make a print of that picture of us at the Hagerman sign for your Dad. Isn't that the whole reason we went there? That's cool, the whole reason I came to Colorado was to make money so I could fix up the Nova.

**** General things to keep on my radar, Remember, she's your wife, not your battle ground state. I love you, you are my wife and best friend, as the bumper sticker that follows us around says, Just Be Nice. Maybe I should get a t-shirt made. Variety. Humor! Flexibility. Take notes and write every day, even if it's to say I can't think of anything to write about. Keep a journal. Think outside the box. The Titan Missile Museum south of Tucson sounds cool, you go down into the silo with the missile. Get to wear a hard hat too! National Historic Parks like Tumacacori, mine tours, Mexico, book stores, coffee shops, hot springs, Tribal parks, wilderness areas, wildlife preserves, observatories, Kitt Peak Nt. Observatory does day and evening tours, Culture, as in I think we might like Tucson, Get your 'Kitch' on Route 66, (I just made that up) striking up conversations, meeting locals, Arizona Highway photography contest, junkyards, abandoned America, architecture, special events, festivals, bike rides, rivers, water in general is a good subject in the desert. Romance, photography, literature. colleges, just be nice.

!! We should try to get some form of physical exercise every day, especially those longer road days. As Ed Abbey would say, Get out of the car!!

This was an awesome exercise, beats the hell out of actually getting ready for the trip! Remember, I'm usually in Hawaii at this time of day.

#I love You, see? I remembered.

Key:
;~! denotes, seriousity.

%^) denotes, something else entirely.

!! denotes, importante.

**** denotes, mas mucho el super importante.

# denotes, simpe elegant truth.

**denotes, Long drive days. First day is the longest and we only have two days of 300 or more miles. Thursday is a long drive day and Friday could be or not depending on what we choose.

-- denotes, 'Layover' days.

#$%^@*!+ denotes, Who the hell knows what'll happen next.

Why indeed?

Why are basic diction and intellectual coherence presumed to be out of reach for "real people"?

Late and short

I finally sat down and watched the first presidential debate between Obama and McCain and here are my thoughts:

They're both pretty stiff to start off with. Obama can't count and McCain is wooden.

Do we need to know how we got into this mess? Is this an attempt to fix blame or is it a constructive attempt to go forward?

The Eisenhower anecdote doesn't make sense. He's not being coherent.

Oh, what's this? Smiles? Maybe they'll loosen up now. (and talk to each other.)

John just wants to talk about earmarks. As Obama says, earmarks alone are not going to fix this mess.

The 35% business tax is so misleading. Because of deductions, few, if any, businesses pay that rate.

But, John doesn't want to talk about taxes, he wants to talk about earmarks.

Definition of rich? What is that?

95% get a tax cut and those making less than $250,000 won't pay any more.

That health credit is a crock. Employers who have to pay taxes on healthcare will cease to offer healthcare and you'll be paying more than your $5000 tax credit.

Obama wants to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Health care. Education. Affordable college.

How the heck can you say what you're going to give up when you don't have the specifics of what the bailout will be and will cost?

Opposing Bush's wrong-headed policies = wildly liberal.

Spending freeze on everything except defense? Defense is our largest expenditure, isn't it?

Scalpel not hatchet!

Iraq has a surplus but we're spending how much there?

We have to make sure that we identify our priorities before we start cutting.

Not just spending is out of control but spending on the wrong things. Republican president presided over orgy of spending and McCain went along.

McCain trots out the lame congeniality thing again. Maverick? Yuck!

You can't have a failed strategy that will then cause you to lose a conflict? What?

We hadn't finished the job in Afghanistan! Amen.

McCain says we can't review the decision to go into Iraq but then wants to revisit the decision to engage in the surge.

"You like to pretend that the war started in 2007."

"I'm afraid that Senator Obama doesn't understand the difference between a tactic and a strategy?"

John, you fundamentally don't understand the forces at work on the ground in Iraq.

Point Obama on the precipitous withdrawal.

I still don't see how the surge "succeeded" since it is still in process. If it had succeeded, wouldn't we be done there?

You don't launch military strikes into Pakistan? Isn't that what we're already doing?

Oh, I get it. It's ok to do it, you just don't announce it out loud. Thanks for clarifying, John.

Nice dig, Barack: "sung songs about bombing Iran."

Just because there was a failed state when Musharaf came to power doesn't justify helping him stay in power against the will of the Pakistani people.

"No US soldier ever dies in vain." Wow. That's fabulous.

Now we've got dueling grieving mothers. Oy.

"You don't muddle through the war on terror."

Cheap shot John. That's my new nickname for you.

I've traveled to Afghanistan so I understand what it needs?

"The Iranians have a lousy government so therefore their economy is lousy." Sounds like another country we're all familiar with.

So everytime you talk to someone with whom you disagree, you legitimize his/her opinions? How do you ever talk to Democrats then, John?

Who's parsing? John, John, John . . .

John, it sounds like you don't understand the complicated situation in South Ossetia. Harkening to the banner in South Ossetia touting Putin would be like blaming Mexico for a Mexican American in Texas wanting Texas to go back to being part of Mexico.

"We can't simply drill our way out of the problem." Amen. We consume 25%, we have 3%. Do the math!

"Restore America's standing in the world. We are less respected."

John, you just don't understand! We want out of Iraq!

John, where was your judgment when it came to the Iraq war? And Barack was not wrong when he said that both sides in Georgia needed to calm down.

John, you're not admitting that you were wrong about going to war with Iraq!

I trust Obama more to make the US look good than I do McCain.

Very classy move, Barack. Nice way to focus the attention on McCain's rudeness in interrupting.

Debate This

Thar ain't no debatin' this here . . .
I loooves you more 'en a bad man loves guns,
more 'en a drunk man loves ta drank.

I love you more than an intellect loves knowledge,
more than I love books,
more than our home, our town, our life, even Ellie . . .
ah, well, er, what I mean to say is, hmmmm.
Well, I sure do love you a lot.

--Steve Williams

Crowing

As I was walking home from work this evening, I was patting myself on the back. Since we separated the car keys from the car on Monday, September 22, 2008, we've only driven it once, last Saturday in order to pick up Rachel at midnight after the Homecoming Dance.

I'm pretty proud of us.

Blogging the disaster?

I'm starting my Palin Bingo with a big X right over Sarah's face.

I wonder if that was intentional? ;-)

I've got the card with the word evil in the top left hand corner.

She starts out aggressive.

He's going to stay with full names; she's already asked if she can call him Joe.

Federal government hasn't provided sound oversight? (Palin) That sounds like regulation. Aren't Republicans against regulation?

New & different? McCain? When did he become the reform candidate?

Don't live outside our means? Oh, like the Bush administration? Can you say deficit? Can you spell deficit?

Barack Obama wanted to increase taxes on someone making $42,000? WRONG!

Go Biden! McCain voted the same exact way.

"I'm not going to answer the questions . . ." Nope, you're sure not.

"Fairness. Simple fairness." I'm watching CNN and those Ohioans with their little meters sure like that.

He wasn't talking about the middle class when he said that it was patriotic for the rich to start bearing their burden to help the American economy.

It's fairness, not distribution. 95% of the small business owners make less than $250,000/year.

Nice, Joe. The ultimate bridge to nowhere. Way to nail it on taxing employer provided health care benefits.

The oil that they're extracting in Alaska is benefiting the Alaskans but costing the rest of us Americans more.

Way to get her back on topic, Gwen. She still didn't answer it (I haven't made many promises in 5 weeks?)

Windfall profits tax? How Republican is that?

"Made aware now to Americans?"

Please, McCain brought the campaign into the economic crisis and derailed the compromise.

We are so not going to get energy independence by encouraging more usage of fossil fuels.

I don't want to argue about the causes? Then how do you deal with the impacts?

Other countries don't care as much about the climate as us??? Can you say Kyoto?

"If you don't understand the causes, it's virtually impossible to come up with solutions."

Safe to drill?

Oh, here we go. Same sex benefits? How's she going to deal with this one?

As far as I heard, Biden doesn't want to change the definition of marriage to only between one man and one woman. Palin thinks marriage should be defined as only between one woman and one man.

Bingo! National Guard put me over (although I have to admit that I checked job creation because Palin said create jobs about a dozen times.)\

McCain wrong, Obama right.

Hobson's choice - nuclear Iran vs unstable Pakistan?

Right. Iraq is not the site of the central war on terror.

It's nu-cle-ar, not nu-cu-lar!!!!!!

Ugggghhh! She said again, and again.

Listen to your friends and allies. Good advice, Joe.

After 5 years, even Bush understands that you have to talk to your enemies like North Korea.

But McCain won't talk to Spain?

Past is prologue! Yes. I haven't heard how McCain's policy is going to be different from George Bush's. Amen.

Ok, that's enough reason to vote against her right there. It's not nu-cu-lar.

How the hell are you going to surge in Afghanistan AND Iraq? With what troops?

Commanding general in Afghanistan said today that the surge principal will not work in Afghanistan. More money spent in 3 weeks in Iraq than in 7 years in Afghanistan?

Biden says nu-cle-ar.

McCain thinks it's mission accomplished in Afghanistan.

Bosniacs? I think they're Bosnians.**

Like the bridge? You voted for it and then you were against it?

So Alaska is like the musicians who wouldn't play Sun City during South Africa's apartheid. Biden wants to send troops to Darfur while Palin wants to pull out a few million dollars in investments?

Wait, what war did McCain win?? Wasn't he in Vietnam? Did I miss something? Did we win in Vietnam?

God forbid some racist assassinates Obama . . .

But God forbid even more that McCain doesn't complete his term.

Pound it home, Joe. McCain = Bush. We can't afford eight more years.

Let's look ahead? We are. We see more of the same.

Yeah, your education was a little bit lax!

What the hell is she reading? Why does she keep looking down while answering the question about whether the Vice President is part of the Executive Branch.

Biden - "Vice President Cheney has been the most dangerous vice president in this nation's history." Amen.

Nice point to the Constitution to rebut Cheney's "bizarre" claim that the Vice President is part of the legislative branch.

A good ticket? McCain/Palin? Gag.

Yeah, Sarah, you've never had to deal with what Biden has had to deal with when it comes to family and tragedy.

Sarah, that's not the question. Have you ever changed your opinion or views? Biden's was pretty lame but at least he acknowledged a circumstance where he changed his views. Palin's moral certitude is scarily similar to Bush's.

I like that. Don't question their motives, question their judgment.

She seems so rehearsed and he seems so sincere.

Oh, I'm so glad it's over. (that applies for both me and Sarah.)

What sucks is that expectations were so low for Sarah that she didn't really have to do anything to meet them.

(**It turns out that they're both Bosniaks and Bosnians, Bosniaks being a subset population of Bosnia.)

Are you playing?

Play Palin Bingo

Hitting the wall

I've been hitting the wall a lot recently so have been giving the phenomenon some thought.

It occurs to me that I could easily prevent the disaster area I become after I hit the wall if I simply took a short break just before hitting the wall.

By doing so, I could certainly eek additional productive time out of the day.

And it all sounds so simple. Problem solved!

Except, I am remarkably oblivious to the impending wall.

It's there, it's huge but I just don't see it until after I have smacked into it going full bore.

And then there's wreckage.