10 years, one car...

Ten years ago I took delivery of my Ford Escape

It’s been a pretty good car.

It has just under 220,000 miles on the clock… through 10 states… Yesterday I drove just under 600 miles… San Mateo to Eureka and back, on a quest to view old rusty railroad junk (I was successful… I saw rusty railroad junk… I returned safely… No hiccups… about 26 miles to the gallon…

It has some nicks from shopping carts flying rocks and parking lot bumps… I currently has a cracked windshield (its third courtesy of another flying rock or two) The seats are starting to fail…Its been rear-ended a couple of times...

It is a bit unusual… I special ordered it with a 5 speed manual transmission, which only came with a 2 liter engine (smaller that the currently popular, very green Escape Hybrid) and 4 wheel drive…I don’t drive off road overland un-necessarily… but I have made good use of the 4 wheel drive… So far, in trips to Yosemite to cross county ski, on trips over Hwy 88 headed for Carson City in a blizzard and other snow experiences I haven’t had to chain up… (I carry chains… chains for all 4 corners… but so far haven’t needed to use them)

It has been out into the salt flats of the Don Edwards preserve (with permission, escorted by Cargil Salt employees) It has traversed numerous dirt roads… It has been across the top of the Great Salt Lake on the original 1869 railroad right of way… 50 miles of dirt… It has forded the creek on the west side of Comb ridge when the water was running… We have explored Cedar Mesa together... I only got is stuck had once… on the east side of the Owens Valley in quick sand…

It has taken me to Yosemite National Park… 20 or so times… also to Death Valley, Zion, Bryce, Natural Bridges, Arches, Crater Lake, Mesa Verde, Grand Canyon, Redwood National park (several times, including yesterday) Yellowstone and Grand Tetons as well as Navajo and Golden Spike National Monuments…and others, less memorable…

Today, it got a smog inspection (such is required when registering cars… and as this is its birthday, it’s registration is due…) Being 10 years old, we had to take it to a “test only station” short story, it passed... It was allowed 100ppm Hydrocarbons at idle… 170 at 2500 rpm… average for tested vehicles is 17 and 13 respectively… it tested 0 to both… CO2 was based on a % of exhaust… it measured 0 at idle, .01% at 2500 rpm…

A week ago I posted about choosing to light a wood fire on a no burn day on Christmas Eve… I chose to burn a fire… because the fire was more important than the emissions… but I believe in reducing emissions, trash, our collective foot print… and so celebrate the Escape’s close to perfect score on its smog test.

Today’s paper carried an article about how well Ford Motor Company was doing… how many cars it had sold… If my Escape is any indication their success is warranted.

In the next year or so, I will probably be looking for a new car… likely a new Escape… with a manual transmission and 4 wheel drive…

Post Christmas at the Zoo

With Ludwig the penguin...

December 26^th… the day after Christmas… a day off for the Lovely T and I as well as the lovely daughter…

We need an activity… a trip… (With apologies to Simon and Garfunkel)

Someone told me It's all happening at the zoo.
I do believe it… I do believe it's true. Mmmmm. Mmmmm. Whoooa. Mmmmm.

(So… Paul Simon (with Art Garfunkel) claims it’s… )

It's a light and tumble journey, From the East Side to the park; Just a fine and fancy ramble
To the zoo.

For us it’s a short ride on the freeway, with lots of folks not used to the freeway… not used to driving apparently… uncrowned slow traffic… the worst kind… but the zoo… the zoo… an oasis… I took a camera… We had a wonderful time…

Back to Paul and Art…

But you can take a crosstown bus, If it's raining or it's cold, And the animals will love it
If you do., If you do, now.

We have already established we didn’t take the bus… not that we are against public transportation… but today, with three of us, a car was a better idea… It wasn’t raining, It wasn’t really cold… mid 50’s or so… But I think the animals appreciated us coming for a visit anyway… Especially Ludwig the penguin… Steph and Ludwig have an ongoing relationship.

We are members of the Zoo… Steph is both a member and a volunteer (hence the relationship with Ludwig…). We get in free… we had a coupon for free parking… we had tickets for the carousel…

Something tells me, It's all happening at the zoo…. I do believe it, o believe it's true. Mmmmm. Mmmmm. Whoooa. Mmmmm.

(Paul, Art, you are repeating yourself…)

The monkeys stand for honesty, Giraffes are insincere, And the elephants are kindly but
They're dumb. Orangutans are skeptical Of changes in their cages, And the zookeeper is very fond of rum.

Based on my observations, monkeys stand for nothing… Giraffes seem sincere, at least in my experience… Sadly our zoo doesn’t have Elephants, so no judgment can be made, We didn’t visit the orangutans and I have met several zookeepers, and I can say with conviction none were drunk

Paul and Art continue discussing Zebras, Antelopes, Pigeons, Hamsters and such… We continued. visiting lions, tigers and bears… seals and anteaters… koalas and kangaroos and reindeer…

We visited the children’s zoo… We rode the carousel…

We left, had a late lunch at the Half Moon Bay Brewery in Princeton… It was a good day…

I have posted a set of 12 photos, taken at the Zoo… the challenge… no animal pictures… (Animal pictures were taken… just not posted to the album… except for the photo of Ludwig, above, Steph's favorite...) the album at https://picasaweb.google.com/108652524348276372534/SFZoo12Photos#

By the way... it was about 34 years ago that the Lovely Tina and I had our first date... visiting the San Francisco Zoo...

Randy

A Christmas Letter...

There is a tradition of including a letter... more like a newsletter in a Christmas card... I have resisted it. Generally I have resisted Christmas cards in general...

This year I have purchased several boxes of Christmas cards... I have written a Christmas letter...

Now, on Christmas, (the frenzy of Christmas slowing) I am starting to address envelopes to hold Christmas cards, containing our Christmas letter...

It has been a tough year.

Some of you will receive a "dead trees" copy of this included with a lovely card...

For all of you, this, in two pages is our year, on this, the occasion of a seasonal change, rebirth, and time of reflection....

Hello friends,

We (Tina and I) have never “done” a Christmas letter… but this year seems to need one. It’s been a tough year.

We lost both of my parents. Mom died suddenly in March. She had been failing for some time, but it was still a surprise. Dad began having pains in May, which was diagnosed as a very aggressive lymphoma. Dan and Penni, and Tina and I spent much of May, June, and a bit of July with Dad… first in the hospital, on to the hospice, then for the last month caring for him at home, and selling pigeons. I believe for Dan and I it was a gift to spend so much time with him… even if it had a sad ending.

The last month was special, at home in a house filled with friends and pigeons. There were visitors from California and Nebraska… there would have been more visitors if the end had not come so quickly.

Since then, Dan and Penni have moved from Alaska to Florida, and now live in Mom and Dad’s house on Dansville Drive.

From the perspective of December and Christmas, the rest of the year seems like a blur…

I continue to run a Historic House Museum… Tina continues at Google… Stephanie is in College... Brian has completed his Navy enlistment, and has embarked on life…

The year started in January (as it customarily does) with a trip to Hawaii. I spent 10 days working in Honolulu consulting on restoration and care of two wooden railroad cars. It is a bit weird staying in a vacation paradise and going to work each day.

Stephanie and I went to Washington DC in late February to visit with nieces and nephews and great nieces and great nephews and, oh, to visit libraries and museums… While there, there were conversations with Dad about Mom… I already had reservations to be in Florida for a visit in mid March. It seemed to be a good thing. Unfortunately, the timing was off, and Mom died the morning after I returned from DC… 3 days later I would have been in Florida with her. Tina flew down with me… We had a wonderful time with Dad. Dan came down a week after I left to spend two weeks with Dad. We all thought there would be many, many more visits.

Tina and I flew to New Orleans in May for the Rotary International Convention. Meanwile Dad checked himself into the hospital. He said everything was fine. We arrived early to work on a volunteer project creating a library in a local shelter. We spent three days in New Orleans before we decided that Dad was in trouble, and maybe it wasn’t a simple infection that they could fix.…

Tina and I arrived in Florida on Sunday. We got the initial diagnosis on Monday, his birthday… We started Chemo before we got the final diagnosis that Friday, and moved him to the hospice. They were able to control his pain and stabilize him. 10 days later we moved Dad home.

The month of June was spectacular… With Dad in his own bedroom, friends visited… they brought pigeons. We auctioned pigeons… We had cocktail hour every afternoon. His friends helped Dan and me. They made the last month special. We can’t thank them enough.

With Dad’s death, the rules changed… We were dealing with all the things that had to be done… Dan returned to Alaska and his fishing boat. Penni sold the Kodiak house, and moved to Florida with their dogs. Penni is from Tampa so this was a homecoming. I returned to work, the Patterson House, with summer camps and such.

Back home the day to day world continued.

Brian’s enlistment in the Navy ended in February, but he extended and stayed with his ship as the rescue swimmer until it returned from The Gulf in May. He was at home for the summer before entering a program in Jacksonville, Florida, as a deep water hard hat diver and underwater welder.

Steph is attending San Francisco State University studying zoology, and volunteering at the San Francisco Zoo’s hospital and as a penguin volunteer.

Tina and I escaped from life in November and spent a week in Hawaii, island hopping, visiting Kauai, Oahu and the Big Island… Of course we had to return to real life all too soon.

Thanksgiving was spent with family (including Brian and his girlfriend Lauren) in Yosemite with the extended Hees family… 44 strong. It is a family reunion going back to the 1960’s, maybe to the 1940’s… Dad’s sister Lois was there… it was a great time to catch up with everyone and recover a little.

We had a wonderful time with Tina’s family in Tucson just a week ago, as her older sister Karin got married and the family gathered to celebrate. Welcome, Don.

As I write this, Christmas at Patterson House is winding down… We will start taking Christmas down on Monday the 19^th… a week too early. Tina is handing out Google’s Christmas present (whatever it may be).

We are looking forward to hosting Christmas Eve at home with the traditional Roast Beast and Yorkshire pudding and family… Christmas will be with Lauren and her family.

Bye, and Merry Christmas, Randy, Tina, Steph, Brian, along with Emma the wonder dog, Daisy, Lilly, Atakapa, Annie, Sophie, Chloe, and Phoebe.

PS… I just received this from a friend… it seems appropriate…

Dear Santa,

I don't want much for Christmas; I just want the person reading this to be happy .

Friends are the fruit cake of life- some nutty, some soaked in alcohol, some sweet, but mix them together and they're my friends.

Special thanks to all our friends who helped and held hands while Mom and Dad died… We don’t know how to thank you enough.

It is the night before Christmas Eve…

We are at home… the Christmas lights are on outside… inside a single string of light illuminates our small, 4’ tall tree… (we have kittens in the house, three kittens… running, playing… a recipe for disaster for a conventional decorated tree…) There is a fire in the hearth… a traditional wood fire…

According to the Bay Area Air Resources Board, tomorrow, on Christmas Eve, a traditional wood fire is unwelcome, even illegal.

This bothers me…

There are many reasons to celebrate in late December… There is Hanukkah (or Chanukah) the Jewish Festival of lights… There is the Birth of Christ, which according to many Biblical scholars likely did not take place in December, more likely in September after harvest or in April...

The December date is an homage to the winter solstice… the shortest day of the year… typically December 20^th or 21^st… A significant day in several “pagan societies” abet several days before the adopted Christian day…

The traditional European pagan (German, English, Scandinavian) celebration celebrated the turn… the day when days stopped getting shorter, and began to again grow longer…

They, the early Europeans, celebrated with a feast, with an evergreen tree brought indoors, with a fire in the hearth and maybe a bonfire outside.

Our Christmas celebration was assigned the late December date to the celebration of the birth of Christ by the Romans as they attempted to subdue the Goths and as an olive branch, continue an “acceptable appropriate” celebration to a date significant to their culture… Later in the 19^th century, we, collectively added references to the German tree and Santa Claus (previously St Nickolas or Father Christmas) to the celebration… Since retailers and the media have made it into a frenzy of shopping and consumerism.

My background is English and German… My wife is Scandinavian… We are nominally, but not actively practicing Christians. We are not pagans, but have pagans as ancestors.

Fires are banned because in winter, fires affect air quality… Air quality impacted as too many of us try to live in the west…

Edward Abbey ranted against the industrialization of tourism in the arid west… about improved roads bringing casual tourists… in The Monkey Wrench Gang. Seldom Seen Smith says, .."Any road I wasn't consulted about that I don't like, I litter. It's my religion." "Right," Hayduke said. "Litter the shit out of them."

Tomorrow, Christmas Eve, I will have a fire on the hearth… part of my religion… part of my Mid Winter celebration…

Stumbling towards Christmas…

Christmas at least as defined as the calendar is 3 days away… fast approaching…

At work, Christmas at work is nearly over… We are fast packing it away into the attic to wait until next November… Bags of garland… bags of cotton masquerading as snow… boxes with Christmas trees inside… boxes of ornaments, carefully sorted by color and theme… Carol Pike’ mice and rabbits are gone… home…to a place still Christmas…. As are the Father Christmas dolls, consigned to the attic…

Half the house (Patterson House) is bare… devoid of Christmas and its trappings… The remainder Is still Christmas… sadly isolated by spaced no longer Christmas.

I am done… I will spend the next 4 days at home… preparing and celebrating.. not at work…

Today, I was Father Christmas… for the 4^th time… for the Pizza with Santa Tiny Tot programs… for the day care programs… for children… We talked of presents expected… of how Reindeer can fly… about how I can get down chimneys, and how I don’t get dirty, and how I can get in when you don’t have a fire place (I enter via the dryer vent, part of the same magic that allows reindeer to fly, me to shrink to allow a passage through a chimney, without getting dirty) Apparently Google maps is a big aid in navigation, and in a new tech theme I am keeping the naughty and nice list on an Ipad….

I haven’t been Santa or Father Christmas prior to this year… but this year I have been him 4 days… It is a role growing on me…it may happen again. I had thought Christmas was over… I was wrong… I got to be Santa, rather Father Christmas, for a new generation…

Later, after work, I went shopping… for a roast beast… for wine… for asparagus, and butter and the stuff which will become Christmas Eve dinner in a couple of days.

Steph and I went shopping… for stuff to make cookies…(there is a threat that flamingos may be involved…) for stuff to make Christmas Eve dinner…

I am feeling Christmasy

Twitter scoops the New York Times… and Flamingos

Apparently Kim Jong Il, the leader (dictator, insert your favorite diatribe here…) of North Korea has died this evening… (probably yesterday in Korea, or maybe tomorrow... after all it is across the Dateline…)

This in itself is not the issue… the issue is that we (Tina (aka the wife) Steph (aka the daughter) and myself) found out via Steph’s twitter feed…

We are “connected” at least electronically… There are 4 laptop computers and a couple of Ipads and three smart phones (my phone is smarter than your border collie) in the household for three of us… two of the laptops are on… We have TV too… and a radio… don’t forget or under estimate the reach of old fashion radio. Radio continues to be the media of choice in our cars as we commute to work and school.

I subscribe to the NY Times updates… I pay for it (not much so far, but will continue to pay as the costs rise…) They email me updates and news headlines several times a day… I read their digital edition each am… increasingly the NY Times on line is my primary news source. My “Dead Trees” subscription to the San Francisco Chronicle is losing out. (it doesn’t help that the Sunday Chronicle isn’t delivered until near 8:00 am… long after I have lost interest… 20 years ago it was outside about 5:00 am…)

North Korea was a tightly controlled dictatorship… their citizens didn’t have access to twitter or the New York Times or just the internet… not allowed… I can assure your that few if any North Koreans found out about Kim Jong II's death via the internet or God forbid twitter...

Yet, here in the “West”… in a land that values freedoms, we are finding out about great change a world away, via the very technology banned by Kim Jong II in his country… probably before any of North Korea’s citizens… (this was originally 7:50 pm (Pacific time) the NY Times sent out their update 13 minutes later)

It’s a “Brave New World”

And... a Nash Dr. flamingo update... the flamingo fairies have been busy... more have appeared... nearly every house on our street now has one... There are more than two dozen houses with their very own lawn flamingo... at least a couple of houses have several... all in celebration of Christ's birth and community spirit.