The Fine Art of Eating Pasta

If you don't like cute little boy stories skip this posting!

We were recently out to dinner with our newest grandson and his parents. I was priviledged to photo-doc a 14 month old size up, solve, and enjoy the problem of eating spaghetti!

Ok, a drink lid--big deal! I want what Daddy's drinking!

Hmmmm. One string to start with. Slow and steady wins the race.

This is good food but a bad way to eat it. Not at all efficient.

Think hard now--two hands and lose the dainty approach.

Yes! Several strands stuffed in. This is getting better.

I'll be here all night if I'm going to pick up strands. Let's try fistfuls of 'ghetti!

Ah yes! Success!! Why is Daddy frowning at me? Why is Mommy carrying on about a little pasta down the shirt?

Oh--I don't think I feel so good. Amazing how much of that stuff can fit in one small baby mouth.

Well, guess I'm done. Let's see: fine food, Two-Buck Baby Cup--but what's missing to finish off this fine meal?

Ahhh yes! Just the thing. Sure, it's not PC but the perfect way to end a fine evening out!

Are We Almost There Yet?

Who couldn't love a town named Spearfish? And now I'm hearing from all quarters that there is a famous drugstore to check out. And news from a friend that he has just moved to a small town outside of Spearfish! Does this mean that Spearfish is the Urb and it has suburbs?? And, to top it all off, the wonderful lady at the KOA in Mitchell, SD, has a sister who lives in Spearfish and she had such wonderful things to say about staying there. I hope the build-up in my mind doesn't lead to disappointment.


At the last minute I decided to go see Mt. Rushmore. As tempting as it was to stay in an RV park called "Rush No More", I opted for a very quiet, small park that will allow Byrdie to swim in the lakes on the property. There will be no TV and no internet for those days and I expect I will be glad for the solitude. I explained to a nice park ranger person that the only thing I knew about Mt. Rushmore was what I had seen in "North By Northwest" and it took him awhile to get his laughing under control. Apparently one can drive right up to it and look or sign up for any number of tours that drive around. I will look for a luxury tour if I have any strength left. Otherwise, I will just watch the movie again.

Here is the almost-completed trip iteinerary. C'mon, Wing! You promised constructive help here!


August 29th-30th--Custer, Wyoming--or is it South Dakota?

Why is there more than one Custer anywhere??? Thanks, Wing, for pointing this out. Since I have already confused Green River, Utah, and Green River, Wyoming, I must double-check. Same river, two different states.



Sigh...this is really not easy for someone whose idea of the known world ends at the California state line.







August 31st--Mitchell, South Dakota

HOME OF THE CORN PALACE
I am anticipating doing a live blogcast from this famous national icon.











All that is left now is to get across the state of Minnesota without crossing any bridges. Hungerford has come up with the superb suggestion of traveling up the North Coast to the small town of Two Harbors.

Somehow one imagines a town large enough for two harbors would be an Urb but lake people do things differently. The promise of pies at the World Famous Betty's Pie Place has me hungry already. There apparently are no RV places after leaving a place called Duluth. I think they must be hearty folk so far north since camping to them--according to the websites I've visited so far--means a site where one can build a fire and have access to water. No site has even mentioned RV access. There is not a KOA or a Wal-Mart to be found for RVers!




My travel source for this part of the country suggests that I could take in Pipestone in Minnesota, Laura Ingalls Wilder country around Walnut Grove, eat fine German low-fat, no transcontinental fatty foods in a place called New Ulm.



http://www.walnutgrove.org/wghistory.htm

Lodging is still a big problem in this part of the country. And the next day will be a Sunday--it would be nice to get to mass at least once on this trip. RV camping has been the most frustrating in this part of Minnesota!



There is a place called Kandiyohi County that seems to have a good system of parks where they have places for RVs. SEEMS seems to be the operative word! It's a first-come, first-dibs basis. The few private RV parks want a commitment for all 3 days of the Labor Day week-end. I sure hope these little towns have Wal-Marts that allow poor, stranded RVers!

Thank you, WingQuest for your invaluable help!

Planning the Next Minnie Adventure

If I think trying to figure out where to stay in states I couldn't even have located on a map before last week is hard, I can't imagine how the generals ever planned D-Day!!

I'll say right upfront: MAPS ARE NOT MY FRIENDS

They have never been my friends. I didn't begin to venture out anywhere on my own until I got my first navigation system that TALKS to me and tells me what to do. I call my Jeep navigation system "Sheila" and the Garmin navigation thingy in the RV is called "Roxie." Roxie has a slightly nasal, just a hint of contempt in her voice. Neither Sheila nor Roxie has ever yelled at me for missing a turn!

Here's my first stab at an itinerary that gets me through the first half of the trek from Bakersfield to the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior in Wisconsin. I have the first 8 days planned out and that gets me as far as barely over the stateline into Spearfish, South Dakota. If anyone reading this has any ideas or changes about where to stay, please email me ASAP. I have reservations made with one night actually be a roughing it night in a national forest--electricity but nothing else.


Night #2--Wednesday, August 22rd--Leeds, Utah http://www.leedsutah.org/

Night #3--Thursday, August 23th--Springville, Utah (actually Provo)

http://springville-utah.com/
Lakeside RV Park

Night #4--Friday, August 24th--Vernal, Utah

http://www.vernalcity.org/
DINOSAURLAND!!! KOA

Night #5--August 25--Green River, Wyoming

http://www.wyomingtourism.org/cms/d/flaming_gorge_recreation_area.php
Buckboard Crossing Campground in the Flaming Gorge National Forest.

Night #5--August 26--Rawlins, Wyoming

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Rawlins,+WY,+USA&sa=X&oi=map&ct=title
RV World Campground
Independence Rock and Pathfinder Bird Refuge
Drive along the Platte River

Night #6--August 27--Douglas, Wyoming

http://www.cityofdouglaswy.com/
KOA

Night #7--August 28--Spearfish, South Dakota

http://www.spearfish.sd.us/
Black Hills--gold that is!!! Jew-el-ry!!!!

The Signs Make It Official

Finally the freeway signs give travellers a bit of the country music flavor of Bakersfield. After generic squabbling and fence-fighting, there are now streets named for both Merle Haggard and Buck Owens.








Although some of the arguing was about which singer should have the longest stretch of road or whether the roads should be equal in length at least now both Greats have roads named for their contributions to country music. I won't give any hints but try to figure out from the pictures which signs are for which singer.

It's Official now from the Streets of Bakersfield

Buck's name on post office !

The Bakersfield Californian

Thursday, Aug 9 2007 6:40 PM

Last Updated: Thursday, Aug 9 2007 8:34 PM

Photo by CASEY CHRISTIE

Buck Owens in a file photo taken in the late 1980s.

President Bush signed a bill by Bakersfield Rep. Kevin McCarthy that names the U.S. Post Office at 118 Minner Ave. in Oildale after country music legend and Bakersfield icon Buck Owens.

The post office branch will now be called the "Buck Owens Post Office" according to a news release issued by McCarthy's office on Thursday.

And for further reading:

http://www.tollbooth.org/2006/features/bowens.html

And a quick listen:

http://www.rockabillyhall.com/bakersfield.html

A New Postulant

Ozzy impersonating a good puppy!

A few weeks ago after a particularly tiresome dust storm, the monks found a very small puppy sheltering under one of the monastery cars. The pup was about 6 weeks old and seems to be part blue heeler/som

e Australian shepherd. Promptly named Ozzy, the pup is now in training for the monastic life. The cats cut him more slack than anyone dared hope and now he has settled in to his position around the monastery as the lowest member of the pack.

When I first saw him he was entertaining himself by attacking anyone who walked by wearing a habit--the shoes and swinging hemlines provide an endless stream of attack targets. There is a new monk walk now--walk, waddle out of way of nipping pup, stumble over streaking dog, shake dog off shoes, repeat sequence until the pup gets distracted by the next passing monk. He is quite the cutie and has the makings of a good desert dog.

The encounter I witnessed with the Abbot and Ozzy was a hoot. Fr. Nickolas was trying to give a blessing to some guests who were leaving after Liturgy when Ozzy came flying out of his hiding place. I had my camera at the ready and will try and recreate the skill and professionalism of the Abbot. Without missing a beat he bestowed the blessing

while having Ozzy go under his habit,

(In the Name of the Father.......)

tangle up first one foot

(....and of the Son.......)

and then both feet in the leash

(...and of the Holy Spirit......)

and then finished up by chomping on an ankle!

(..Amen! and OUCH!!!!!)

Welcome, Ozzy!!!

Buck Owens and more about a snake

Bakersfield has two stories worth blogging. The best, of course, is the Post Office that is being renamed the Buck Owens Post Office.

http://magazine.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/Daily/News/Paying_Tribute_to_Buck_Owens.aspx

This actually took an act of Congress! The only part that leaves a bad taste in my mouth is that the 2 ultra-lib senators from the People's Republic of California sponsored the bill. If Bakersfield has a number one tourist attraction it's the Crystal Palace--established by Buck Owens--and a great place to eat, dance, listen to live music and not be embarassed if you're taking your mother along.We've never had a bad meal there or a bad time!

Thank you, Buck!

http://www.buckowens.com/

The second story--also in some ways representative of life in Bako(as the locals call it) is about the local yahoo who took a live rattlesnake, peeled off some of the reptile's skin, and proceeded to eat a piece of it. Supposedly this idiot wanted to qualify for a reality TV show. Now the numbskull is claiming the snake was dead and he was using some slight-of-hand to make the snake twitch so as to appear still alive. Too bad, bubba--the film of this disgusting act already went out over the airwaves on your own video--that snake was still alive! Our own voice of sanity in town, Jaz McKay, who hosts a daily radio talk show covered it best.

I want to re-print the disclaimer that Jaz has at the beginning of his show. These words alone are enough to give him the high ratings he enjoys here. Make Jaz another Bakersfield plus! (Although I do wish he would learn how to use the apostrophe!!)

The Jaz McKay Show
The Uncommon Voice for the Common Man, weekdays noon til 3p, only on 1560 KNZR!
Legal Disclaimer: Comments made by Jaz McKay may constitute negative remarks about gang members, illegal aliens, labor unions, gay's and lesbians, minorities, welfare recipients, feminists, child molesters and rapists, Islamic fascists, liberals, hippies, environmentalists and animal rights wackos. As such, the presumption is that these remarks are bigoted, racist and hateful in nature. Jaz McKay acknowledges that such negative utterances may at times hurt peoples feelings and cause them great emotional stress. Jaz McKay also acknowledges that the conventional and politically correct wisdom that negative comments about the above mentioned groups are made with the purpose of demonizing, demoralizing and destroying the creditability of such members of said groups. Therefore and herewith Jaz McKay states that he couldn't give a rat's ass about political correctness.

That's my man!