It's 3 in the morning and I can't go back to sleep. Laying in bed listening to the branches on the bush outside the bedroom window scraping against it in the wind is a constant reminder of how much I dislike living in this desert. We have been here for 21 years now and the one thing I dislike the most is the wind. Everything you do here requires the wind to be factored into the equation. Doesn't matter if it's sweeping the porch, washing the car, going for a walk, or planning a picnic or some other event outdoors the wind affects everything.
We went to Hawaii in 2005 for our 25th anniversary and as we were landing on Maui I could see the palm trees bending their fronds sharply in the wind. It was blowing so hard the pilot was having a hard time flying straight and we must have hit a little wind shear as it felt like we dropped straight down the last 20 feet or so. I though to myself "crap we came 3000 miles on this trip just to walk into the same thing we left". I was wrong. Walking through the terminal we could feel the breeze even before we got to the exit. As we walked out front and into the full force of the wind it was as though the air was embracing us. It seemed to hit with a comforting hug that wrapped around us and rejuvenated our souls, almost as though it was welcoming us to paradise. That sounds a little sappy I guess but that's exactly what it was like. The entire week we were there it was like that, always breezy and windy but always warm and comforting.
The wind here in the desert though is ruled by a different spirit. It's an angry and arbitrary foe that slashes the body and soul with a cold intensity that prickles the nerves. Something as simple as starting the barbecue has to be done with a mind to the wind. Turn the back of it to the south so the heat isn't swept out through the vents on the sides. Use something heavy to hold the table cloth down. Keep the napkin under your plate. Bend the aluminum can when it's empty or it will be across the yard. Like to have a nice outdoor furniture set with a big umbrella? Won't work here, it'll be blown into the next county the first time the wind picks up.
Plants and grass have a hard time here, at least for us. They will dry out in short order if not kept watered constantly and even then sometimes they just can't take it and give up. Washing the car is a sure way to get a shower for yourself as well. Sweep the porch? Garage? Ha! It blows back in as fast as you can sweep it out.
I know the atmospheric reasons for these conditions. It has to do with the pressure difference between the valley below and the open desert here and the mountains in between. It causes a funnel effect of sorts, at least that's how I understand it. I suppose I am exaggerating a bit as of course there are days when it's calm here. When it calm and the temperature is just right this place can be really beautiful. The sky is intensely blue and the fragrance of sagebrush fills the air. The mountain views are stunning. It seems though that as the years go by these kinds of days are becoming less frequent.
In the end I guess pretty much everyone no matter where they live could say the same sorts of things about their conditions. I've never experienced a hurricane in Florida, a tornado in Kansas, or a blizzard in the New York. I hope never do. But those places have their good days too. I'd like to visit Florida sometime to see the beaches and maybe the Keys. I've seen pictures of some really beautifully green places in New York. Kansas I don't know but I'm sure it must have some redeeming qualities.
Maybe I should just go back to bed and thank God that I have what I have and live in a free country no matter what the weather does.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Nose pickers and not the manly kind...
When you think of or hear about the "guy picking his nose at the stoplight" you automatically picture some guy sitting there going to town on that pesky booger. It happens on the freeway too or so I've been told. It's always a guy that comes to mind too, never the fairer sex. Never....ever.....
Well....maybe not so much. Yesterday on my daily Nascar final lap style drive down I15 through Cajon Pass I came upon a car in the next lane and out of the corner of my eye noticed a hand movement of some kind. Being the bored and curious commuter type my gaze was drawn to the source of my distraction.
Lo and behold it was a middle age woman ( who really wears visors anymore-especially at 6 in the morning on a cloudy day? ) absolutely going to town. This wasn't the slight, demure little slide-of-the-index-finger-under-the-nostrils emergency touch up. No sir. This was a full blown, up to the first knuckle harvest of manly proportions. Yes indeed that must have been some knarly specimen in there to deserve that much aggression. I just had to laugh. It wasn't the funniest thing I've ever seen but it was way up there!
So the next time a woman makes a wisecrack about men and their habits I'll just smile to myself and think "they claim they don't fart either"!
Well....maybe not so much. Yesterday on my daily Nascar final lap style drive down I15 through Cajon Pass I came upon a car in the next lane and out of the corner of my eye noticed a hand movement of some kind. Being the bored and curious commuter type my gaze was drawn to the source of my distraction.
Lo and behold it was a middle age woman ( who really wears visors anymore-especially at 6 in the morning on a cloudy day? ) absolutely going to town. This wasn't the slight, demure little slide-of-the-index-finger-under-the-nostrils emergency touch up. No sir. This was a full blown, up to the first knuckle harvest of manly proportions. Yes indeed that must have been some knarly specimen in there to deserve that much aggression. I just had to laugh. It wasn't the funniest thing I've ever seen but it was way up there!
So the next time a woman makes a wisecrack about men and their habits I'll just smile to myself and think "they claim they don't fart either"!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Towers, yachts, and blood sacrifices
Is God really involved in our daily lives? To what extent? In every circumstance? The very recent tragedy of the couple from Marina Del Rey murdered by the Somali pirates begs this question at least for me. These folks were doing the work of the Lord, traveling the world and handing out bibles. They weren't singled out because they were Christians in a hostile environment ( as far as I have heard anyway). These things happen in that part of the world to all types of people. Why then were they allowed to be captured and executed by these lower-than-sewer-scum criminals? A few things come to mind.
For one, I'm not so sure God does intervene in every single event no matter how mundane or monumental. If he did he could have caused any number of things to happen here. He could have sent a storm to block their path. He could have sunk the pirates with a big swell...or maybe a big fish ( Jonah?). But he didn't. Now I won't get into the discussion about why this couple decided to break off from their group and go it alone into the Gulf of Aden. That's for someone else to do. I just want to talk about my own ideas about the "why".
In Luke 13:1-5 Jesus comments on a couple of events. These are particularly interesting because they provide a rare biblical glimpse into some current event news items of the day that really do not have much to do with the gospel. In verse 1 he mentions some Galileans that were killed by Pontius Pilate in what must have been a gruesome spectacle. They were making sacrifices to their god ( it's not stated which god but pretty sure it wasn't Jehovah ) and apparently were murdered in the process and their own blood was mixed with the sacrificial offering in a mock ceremony.
The second event Jesus mentions is a tower that fell and killed 18 men. My bible commentary calls it a construction accident but it's not really described that way. It merely says it fell and 18 were killed. They could have used a class or two on safe construction methods.
In examining both of these situations Jesus asks the listeners the question "Do you suppose these were worse sinners than those around them and deserved this punishment?". He answers his own question - "No".
This leads me to a tenuous conclusion. God must be involved in our daily lives ( the evidence is very obvious sometimes ) but there are some things that just happen as a result of living in an imperfect and fallen world. We all die. Some of us die peacefully in our sleep after a long, productive, joy filled life. Some of us die in horrible unimaginable pain and suffering. Some of us die in the most unlikely way and at the most inopportune time. Bad things happen to everyone at some point. God is there to walk through it with us and to listen to our cries but he doesn't often choose to let us side step whatever is challenging us ( if he did I would have won the lottery by now ) and he doesn't get in the way of what are mostly natural disasters.
This is my conclusion on this matter for the time being. Your mileage may vary!
For one, I'm not so sure God does intervene in every single event no matter how mundane or monumental. If he did he could have caused any number of things to happen here. He could have sent a storm to block their path. He could have sunk the pirates with a big swell...or maybe a big fish ( Jonah?). But he didn't. Now I won't get into the discussion about why this couple decided to break off from their group and go it alone into the Gulf of Aden. That's for someone else to do. I just want to talk about my own ideas about the "why".
In Luke 13:1-5 Jesus comments on a couple of events. These are particularly interesting because they provide a rare biblical glimpse into some current event news items of the day that really do not have much to do with the gospel. In verse 1 he mentions some Galileans that were killed by Pontius Pilate in what must have been a gruesome spectacle. They were making sacrifices to their god ( it's not stated which god but pretty sure it wasn't Jehovah ) and apparently were murdered in the process and their own blood was mixed with the sacrificial offering in a mock ceremony.
The second event Jesus mentions is a tower that fell and killed 18 men. My bible commentary calls it a construction accident but it's not really described that way. It merely says it fell and 18 were killed. They could have used a class or two on safe construction methods.
In examining both of these situations Jesus asks the listeners the question "Do you suppose these were worse sinners than those around them and deserved this punishment?". He answers his own question - "No".
This leads me to a tenuous conclusion. God must be involved in our daily lives ( the evidence is very obvious sometimes ) but there are some things that just happen as a result of living in an imperfect and fallen world. We all die. Some of us die peacefully in our sleep after a long, productive, joy filled life. Some of us die in horrible unimaginable pain and suffering. Some of us die in the most unlikely way and at the most inopportune time. Bad things happen to everyone at some point. God is there to walk through it with us and to listen to our cries but he doesn't often choose to let us side step whatever is challenging us ( if he did I would have won the lottery by now ) and he doesn't get in the way of what are mostly natural disasters.
This is my conclusion on this matter for the time being. Your mileage may vary!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Budweiser
I was a beer snob for quite a while. Bud was looked down on as little better than colored water. Then last summer while on the way back from a ride to Pioneertown and Yucca Valley with a friend we stopped at a little hole in the wall bar in Lucerne Valley. The only thing on tap was Bud, Bud lite, and Coors. We had two of the coldest beers I've ever had. Ice was floating on top. My disdain for Bud evaporated at that moment and I have been a fan ever since ( again ).
Church
So we planned on going to church today but I screwed up the time and it was 10 minutes to time with a 30 minute drive to go. We skipped it since walking in late is worse than no going at all IMHO. Plus the fact the we are visiting a new one makes it even more awkward.
Wonder if the Lord is shaking his head and wondering why he bothered?
Wonder if the Lord is shaking his head and wondering why he bothered?
Internet forums
I hang out on a Harley Davidson motorcycle forum. Well as much as you can call the internet a "place" to hang out anyway. Found it in March '10 and have been active on it since for new rider advice, technical info and just general biker BS. It's funny how even in this short time ( it's been around for quite a few years ) the overall personality has changed.
At first people were almost universally nice, friendly, and good naturedly humorous. But over the last several months it took a really nasty turn. Lots of comments and threads about " Who's a real biker" and "if you don't ride 500 miles a day you're not a real biker". What I find amazing is the things that people judge others for even within a group that has a common denominator like Harley riding. There seem to be a recognizable few that reguarly get into these pissin' matches with others. They claim to be "real" bikers-the 1% patch wearin' club types. They like to put down and look down on those of us who just want to ride and be a part of the Harley lifestyle.
Wonder if they are really just insecure and trying to reinforce that they are really as badass as they think they are? No doubt there are a lot of really serious guys you don't want to mess with in the "life" ( as well as other segments of society ) but are they really taking the time to hang out on an internet forum?
At first people were almost universally nice, friendly, and good naturedly humorous. But over the last several months it took a really nasty turn. Lots of comments and threads about " Who's a real biker" and "if you don't ride 500 miles a day you're not a real biker". What I find amazing is the things that people judge others for even within a group that has a common denominator like Harley riding. There seem to be a recognizable few that reguarly get into these pissin' matches with others. They claim to be "real" bikers-the 1% patch wearin' club types. They like to put down and look down on those of us who just want to ride and be a part of the Harley lifestyle.
Wonder if they are really just insecure and trying to reinforce that they are really as badass as they think they are? No doubt there are a lot of really serious guys you don't want to mess with in the "life" ( as well as other segments of society ) but are they really taking the time to hang out on an internet forum?
Today
I'll gripe about the weather, drivers on the freeway, work, the general state of societal decay, etc. I don't expect anyone else but me to find this remotely interesting but it would be nice to carry on a discourse sometimes.
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