Coming Out

No, Kris is not gay.
But I have been living several years now with this dual nature inside of me.
The old one I squashed and stays such through much prayer.
The new me, Kris 3.0 as my  friends have been calling me for the past year.
That is how startling my transformation has been viewed!
And no one has known how to react to it!

..... and it has been years!

So, I finally got family and friends over for a movie night.
Yeah we broke "curfew" and distancing idiocy and a few other "laws" !
I have been compelled to share with them the movie, "Yesterday".
For the past week!

So, I popped gallons of popcorn, we brought out my stash of bubbly water and I started the film (HBO online).
At the 30 minute mark we had to stop the film.

Swede, looked at me and asked if I was feeling alright.
Garlic Girl, burst into tears.
Someone commented, "This is not like you at all!".
So we took at bathroom brake for everyone to regain their composure.

And we finished the film without further comment.

Swede: "Well, no Godzilla found here!"
Someone: "Yeah no lizards died in the making of this film!"
GG, guarded: "Well that was a nice film!", and went off to have a cry.
And everyone left.

So, I finally did it!
I exposed the fully changed Kris to my world.
My heart is free and happy.
I am now at peace after years aching over this!

As for the film, Yesterday:

It was made last year.
Ed Sheer (whatever) plays a role.
Otherwise no one appears that I recognize.
No nudity, no sex, no swearing I noticed, very G-rated.

It is just a nice story of a failing musician, whom wakes up after an auto accident.
To find that no one has ever heard of the Beatles or Coca-Cola.
And now when he performs the old Beatles play-card, he is a superstar.
But he is an honest man and is tormented being credited for John Lennon's work.

Well worth seeing, especially if you like the Beatles.
Or want to share with younger people why telling the truth is important!
I would definitely own this one but HBO films are hard to get on DVD.
sigh

As for me, I am waiting for the repercussions for having shown my new nature.
But, I am so at peace finally that I no longer have to be driven by my old nature!
And it will,  I am sure, be tacked up to a reaction to the surgical gases used on me ...
When my heart had to be rebuilt last year.

:^)

Flashback

Remember the 1980's?
Good economy,
Iran,
Carter,
Failing morals,
Failing Church influence,
The rise of the New Age,
and all that was brought with that.

Yeah and a little thing called AIDS/HIV.

I suffer from a poor immune system.
Have my entire life.
You just get use to knowing that tomorrow may never happen.

Suddenly, about 1982, my doctor called me in.
He explained there was some weird blood disorder and wanted to test me.
NEEDLES! ahhhhhhh!
Everything was negative.
My life has always been too boring
Or perhaps too perplexing for an average doctor.

Now I had one of the largest mineral specimen collections back then.
And bought sold and traded rocks worldwide.

By 1984 I was wondering what going on.
Too many of my customers and friends were dying .....
Some of them had been like brothers to me for years.

I went down to a local rock shop to see my friend  John one Saturday.
He wasn't there,
He was in the hospital.
Okay, I diverted to the hospital.
And he was already dead!
Just that fast.

That was how I first heard of AIDS.
John and all of the others had been members of the gay community.
And Kris does not judge,
He tries to live a life that shows genuine concern for others and God's compassion.
And unlike the prior decade of my life,
I started actively witnessing to my "gay" friends.

Few chose to make their peace with God, our creator.
The majority for various reasons chose hatred for their parents and Church get in the way.
"How could God allow this to happen?"
In all I lost 86 friends and close customers across two years.
But, I learned a great deal,
Grew spiritually,
And I do have a few of those friends waiting for me to join them on the other side  .....

AIDS/HIV is still with us today.
But I am less involved in the gay community.
You tend to forget ...

Then this week I had an abrupt reminder.
Someone I care about and pray regularly for,
Told me she has AIDS.
It was like being hit between the eyes!

So, she has known for years.
Just never mentioned it, even in passing.
I have to admit I had wondered how she could be so kucky.

A drug using ex-husband.
And all that goes with that.
Seems she was not all that lucky after-all.
:(

Sad part is, she is but one of two women I know in this situation!
I wish this latest friend had shared this years ago.
I hate not praying effectively.
It saddens me on so many levels.
sigh

So, latest friend is in what appears to be in remission.
The first one is in denial.
Not a good place to be.

So please pray, long term, for these women.
Both are Christians.
Both seem to have a positive attitude.
I just worry for them .....

Where Has The Year Gone?

Oh My Gosh!
It is almost Memorial Day!
Where has the year gone?

Historically, We get together with Dutchman and Swede, and all go Camping.
Such fun we have had in the past!
Camp outs to the San Juan Islands, Blake Island, Eastern Washington, Eastern Oregon, etc.
Any place where a tent could be pitched and roaring bonfires could be had!
And visitors often swelled our parties.

Though my mind draws a blank heer.
Edvard, Swede's brother,
Margi, whom Swede had the worst crush on for years!

This year, we are doing a BBQ in the yard.
Swede and all of my kids, and all of their kids.
So, ought to be fun!

Have a safe holiday!

Poor Swede!

Oh poor Swede!
He  is back in emergency,
Though at least this time it is not his fault!

Seems he was not feeling well.
No, specific complaint,
Just an over all feelig of ... ick!
So he went back to the doctor I took him to last Monday.

For whatever reason,
The doctor decided Swede needed to be cath'ed!
Unfortunately, the nurse had never done one before!
But, of course that is never mentioned  in advance!

End result is a Vienna Sausage,
On a tooth-pick!
Oh ouch!

So he will be in the hospital for a few days.
And veeeeeeery sore for many more!
sigh

Poor Swede, just not his week it seems!

Swede

So, Monday, I drove up to Swede's house outside of Everett, Washington.
Don't know if I have ever been up there,
Yet I found it easily,
Even recognized a few features,
But, all context was lost as were more specifics about it!
Darned amnesia!

We had a great evening of really awful Sci-Fi movies!!!!!
Oh how laughed the night away!

Unfortunately, my heart had go off on me.
sigh
Nine nitros later and it had calmed down.
Poor Swede,had never understood that heart attacks are survivable ...
So he went to bed thinking it was corpse time for Kris!

He was actually excited to find me still alive!

I got him to the hospital and his pending surgery.
I was glad he got past the surgery!

It was really good to have someone to pray with!
I think prayer has become a lost art.
It is a shame.
It is an easy way to communicate with God.

But with late hours, bad movies, and heavy traffic:
My PTSD had to rear its ugly head!
Nothing like hyperventalating while your lungs don't work!
Saw lots of stars waiting on Swede's surgery to finish.

I was lucky, that it all of my travels to care for swede,
Traffic was light and flowed well.

If you thinkof it,
You might include Swede in your prayers,
For healing,
And meaning to his life in retirement ...

Skagit Tulips

Spring is a fun time of year here in Washington State.
There is the Daffodil Festival.
Which I missed due to poor health!

The Tulip Festivals in April.
Which I almost missed!

However, here is a picture of ex-International Banker Woman.
I introduced here many years ago, 2007, maybe?
She was in my very first youth group, 45 years ago!
She is one of about ten from that group whom have stayed in touch!

So hard to believe!
And, having met her again, back then,
The timing was good for her as her life was about to turn upside down!
Her husband's funeral just about killed all  of us!

No, I can't say she landed  on her feet.
But, she continues the struggle.
As they say, "Never give up, never surrender!"
But, I do weep for her situation.
sigh

So, great times, great memories, and beautiful flowers!

Guatemala

Back at the end of the 1970'a and early 1980's, I was a part of a user's group which governed the Hewlett-Packard 3000 series of computers.  I had known both, Hewett and Packard, quite well before this, so had some insight into HP thinking and direction.

At one of the BIG conferences, down in Portland, I crossed paths with Alfredo Rego.

At the time, he was the owner of a firm in Guatemala City.  He apparently came up scouting for talent.  By the end of the conference he had made me a substantial offer, about 5 times what I was currently making and tax free to boot!  :)  Total temptation!

But, I would have to relocate to Guatemala.  And, I was side tracked setting up the computers for my father's firm.  I could still do this from there, though a bit more travel would be required!  And, I was in the middle of buy several thousand acres in Australia for a new opal mine.  So, I prayed concerning this - really wanting to!  But, by the very next day, Guatemala City was flattened by a major earthquake!  I took that as a "NO!".

Alfredo was a bit bummed but did check-in with me for several years to try and get me to come down.  I just did not think it "right", in the face of what I knew.  Though I had no idea as to why.  Now one of the ladies, Star, in my Bible Study group, felt led to go checkout Guatemala as a missionary.  And all I can say is that her letters to me in no way matched the nightly news!  Having no other recourse, we prayed a great deal for her!

So, this morning, I was sitting and watching a documentary while nursing my tea.  It was on the 36 year Civil War Guatemala had survived.  (Civil War is a bit of a misnomer! The government declared war on the modern descendants of the Maya Indians!

It now is estimated that death squads were driving around the countryside and randomly herding Maya peoples and anyone with the Maya up and shooting them!  What the heck is wrong with our news service that there was never even a hint of this!?!?!?!?!?  Of course, American news reports were busy trashing Reagan for getting involved with Costa Rica and the problem of overthrowing Nicaragua!  It is believed that 200,000 have gone missing in Guatemala, assumed now to be in  mass graves!

I am stunned!

The show went on in they went about finding the mass graves, recovered the bodies and set about identifying the victims and then re-buried them!  I was a very good program.  And Star's letters suddenly made much more sense.

Evil truly is real in this world.  It just amazes me!

But, the real question is: will anyone be found culpable and ever face trial?
Something new to pray for!

As for Star, she was captured in a high publicity raid to grab arms smugglers.  Lower news coverage and they probably would have just  shot her.  As it was, they deported her.  And probably shot everyone else in that village!
Yeah, not real nice people and a very stupid star!
She forgot she is representing God - not Remington Arms Corp!

And, the opal mine ended up a bust!
Fastest way to lose 57 million I have ever seen!
Yeah, in a place where it never rained in recorded history, it rained!
Two of my friend, who were doing chip samples acrss the area had to be helicoptered out!
Yeah, lots of water!
In fact I now own the largest fresh water lake bottom in Australia!
Australia was kind enough to let me know that I was expected to continue paying taxes on a lake bottom.
Of course, Australia was kind enough to let me know that they now owned the fresh water lake!
I only had the bottom of the lake!
And it was all on my property!

Such a disastrous year that was!

Unequally Yoked

Long ago,
before my return to Europe,
before getting back into ministry,
I meet a troubled young lady.
She was completely without resources,
Direction,
Or hope.

Yeah, she had hosed up her life.
Now came the payback for living it her way,
When she knew better!

Getting back on her feet was a slow process.
Several years in fact.
She really was not into God,
But pressure from me,
For I knew God would continue His call on her.

She did eventually become a Christian,
Selected a church which still makes me shutter.
But, it was baby steps.
As she reached her mid-thirties,
The alarm clock went off and she was man hunting.
Of course she found one!

And he is a very smart man.
A NASA mathematician,
And a decade her junior!
But he was cursed like so many smart men - there is NO ONE interested in him!
It took three years for her to convince him that he had no choice in the matter - LOL!
They married, had a child and settled down.

Last night, she called and asked  me to come over.
I have known her now for 32 years!
And she knows I can be trusted.
About half way through the evening, her husband split.
Ummmm, that was odd.

And she talked of.him, unloading 13 years of angst.
His lack of even looking for a job.
His absolute refusal to discuss her beliefs in Christianity.
Were the main issues.
He was a great dad.
Less than successful husband it seems.

Yeah, she is feeling her age.
She know realizes that he is still young - she is not.
She strongly desires the peace she has in Jesus, would be his as well.
And her faith is failing this will ever happen ....

Oh sure you can say she should have never pursued a non-Christian.
She did know better.
You could say she was repeating an established pattern.
But she is smart enough to already know this.
So that leaves prayer.

Of course this challenge had to come during one of the greatest illnesses I have had in at least 3 years.
Yeah, it is hard to top MRSA.
But whatever this medicine reaction is - it comes darn close!

I feel greatly for her because she has been a real friend for many years.
No lies, no walls, just truth has existed all these years.
And now she again needs a friend.
All I can do is pray for her situation - and his change of heart!

It is sad so many women I meet are in similar stages of this situation!
But they do not accept Paul's warning to singles - stay in the faith!
And the outcome is always heartbreak!
Then they will repeat the error yet again .....

So we are praying for Thom's salvation.
It may take another 30 years ...

In Memory of G-Bear

Never mentioned before, in any of my blogs, is Ron Holt.
It would not be family fare to speak of him.
Yet, my heart is broken today, so I must.

The Holt family was very close to me.
Sister Bekka, Her brother Ron, sister Linda and their parents.
They all played an important part in helping to shape me as a Christian.

Ron's life was tragic though.
That's the stuff I can't relate to you.
Man, choosing to live in direct defiance to God.
Yeah, you are going to lose.
It took a motorcycle accident 14 years ago to bring him to Jesus.

In rehab, he met a Christian nurse, whom changed his life.
Led him to Jesus, in salvation.
And married him!
We honestly had thought G-Bear would never be broken.
And then God forced him to look up!

As a cripple, from the horrible accident, he had no real choice.
And how we praised God for his salvation!
I tried staying in touch with him after the accident.
But he became somewhat paranoid across time.
And pushed me away.
You can delete me on social media.
But that did not stop me praying for him.
Nor my affection for him as extended family.

So G-Bear aka Granny Bear aka Ron Holt is gone.
We are richer for having known him,
And the memories of our many adventures of long ago.

Why Granny Bear?
He had really bad back problems.
And walked like an old grandmother!
Yeah, we had lots of fun ...

Please keep Bekka and Linda, plus his wife, in your prayers.
Thank you ......

Needing A Miracle

When I returned to Denver that first Christmas - all was not as I expected.
Oh yeah, the parents were still works of "art", it was obvious that leaving home had been the correct choice!
But my high school friends had continued their drug idled lirock scrambling up ves - we no longer had anything in common!
But at least I still had one friend.
And he wanted to go climb Longs Peak.

I used to guide on that mountain while in high school.
So, good choice!

It was a typical December morning, clear and cold.
Every thing went according to plan until we were on the West side, rock scrambling up a draw.
Due to the ice, we had roped up.
So, I was at the top of rhe draw.
The peak rising 400' to my left.
Before me, a sheer drop of 2,500 feet.
And behind me, 150' of rope, attached to my friend 130 below.
Then he uttered those memorable sounds, "Ooooops...."

I heard him start his fall.
Only 9,000' to the bottom!
Since I had just reached the top of the draw, I had no protection yet with which to hold him.
I uttered a short prayer and swung my ice axe!
I really needed a miracle!
Or we were both going to die.

The axe hit the ice and the rocks under the ice.
And I realized that the butte of the axe had gone into my leg!
The axe had a good bite but now the rope was drawing taunt.
It snapped tight and I was thrown backwards.
The axe was forced to release its hold on my leg.
But  with an incredible wave of pain!

The axe remained solid.
I was hung by my left wrist strap!
My friend dangled on the rope.
The pressure on my wrist was only less than the shattered bone in my leg!

He climbed up to my perch.
I got back on the rocks.
Placed a tourniquet on the leg.
And caught my breath.

There was no going back.
And going over top seemed to be suicide.
We decided to summit.
Perhaps someone was up there - with more rope!

Nope, a barren wind swept landscape.
Going back was improbable.
Going forward could be done, at least down to 13,250'.
But it really would take a miracle.
I was hopping on one leg .....

In my 76 times summitting on this mountain, I knew the north side well.
So, in distances of roughly 120', I would slide down the face.
Then my friend, would slide down.
We repeated this for the full 1,000' of the north face.
You better believe we said quite a few prayers!!!!!

Of course, once off the face, my friend had to half carry me!
For 4.5 miles back to the car.
Yeah, it took most of the day!
And we offered many prayers of thanks!

But, was the first flat out miracle I had ever seen.
Sure I had read about miracles.
But that was long ago, to people far more worthy than I!
God really cared about me and my friend!
Else why defy gravity to save us?

God knows what we need, before we need it.
He meerly awaits our asking.
Then stand back and watch out!

August 1973

Numerically a long time since then - and yet only the day before yesterday!
Remembering that my brain still has only recovered to 1978!

It was 45 years ago this week that I met Dutchman.
He was traveling home from the Yukon, having been on a mission trip for the summer.
He made the mistake of going to a church close to the airport.
I  made the mistake of letting my mother's younger brother talk me into coming to his church that Sunday.

I walked in waved to say, "Hi" to my uncle and a female grabbed me!
Whipped me around - and planted a big on me!
Never saw her before and was utterly stunned.
Then the church was filled with the bellow akin to that of an enraged bull!
And I went flying across the width of the church!

I had no idea what hit me!

Later, once the confusion died down, I found out that her boyfriend had seen what she did and the rest was committed to history.
He apologized profusely and said it was only a split second after he hit me that he realized he should have hit the girlfriend ....
Sort of an Irish response it seems.
Hit and think later!
And he was not yet converted to Dutchman As of yet .....
Dutch woman was still in high school in Holland!

So, a lasting friendship was painfully framed.
For 45 years we have stood by one another.
Literally facing death on more than one occasion.
Speaking our mind and hearts in truth to one another.

He is one of the greatest gifts God ever gave me.
Yet at the time, August 19, 1973, I was very much a non-Christian.
Just a very mixed up German from a Colorado high school.
Wondering why I was even here!

As for future Dutchman, he stayed and cared for me for several months.
Yeah, he broke me good!
I thought him good enough that he should have gone into medicine.
But electronics was his calling.
And helping me it seemed.

He changed directions after that fateful day.
He send girlfriend back home - alone.
Entered the electrical engineering program at the University of Washington.
My appointment to the Coast Guard Academy was turned down.
So, I registered to go a computer school in Tacoma.
Got an apartment and got my grandmother released to my custody.
And started a new life.

About to get horribly complicated by my hanging out with some Christian college students!

Missing Becky

Back in 2014, when my leg turned to the worse, I got to know yet another Becky!
This one, I think was trying to drum up business with her employer - a foot surgeon.

I never saw her for more than 15 minutes a Sunday, as she just kept in touch with where my foot was.
And I learned a lot from her.
Terms, meanings and what to expect.

As things went south for me. she was to become a friend.
Her encouragement in those morphine filled months, were a God send!

Months ago she had asked me what she should do.
She probably asked many.
I told her that caring for her ailing parents, was paramount in her life.
Yeah, we do not value old people in this culture.
But God gave them to us for a reason!
The concept of what a real blessing from God is, is not understood either.

So Sunday was her good-bye visit to church.
My condition does not allow for my having assisted in her move.
Nor will be able to probably ever see her again, but she was a good friend and I cherish friendship.
Having so few, as it is.

And her good-bye was surprisingly demonstrative.
Sure surprised the heck out of me!
Not complaining,  just surprised.
Sure surprised the whole gaggle of women standing around.
No one was quite so sure she even liked men!
Much less would touch one!

So, good she is on her way.
Her life will be very different.
And I hope she can find supportive friends in her new local!


But, she will be missed by me.
And I will continue praying for her protection.

You Are Supposed To Share

As Christians we are supposed to share - by design!
But there are those whom do not believe this, especially when we are to do so with those we do not believe deserve it!
Much less, the very idea of doing so with God's gifts!

Jonah 4:1-4

Just Do It!
Sometimes giving away God's Grace or sharing it, just does not make sense.
give it away anyway!
Read Jonah chapters 1 and 2.
Jonah knew what God wanted him to do.
And he ran away!

"The Assyrians do not deserve it!"
Nope forgiveness and God's grace, could never be for the enemy of the Jew!

You Can't Run
Sometimes you just want to run away!
Sometimes you really do.

Facing the storm made more sense than telling the Assyrians of grace.
Whom were known for their tortures and impaling of people!

Thank God For Discipline
Sometimes God Disciplines You.
Sometimes God is testing you .  (think of Job!)
Thank Him for it!  It always come with Grace.

Jonah prays to God and the fish barfs him up!
Discipline is His way of calling you back.
It is never punishment  though wqe may see it this way.

Go 
Sometimes you are called to go and do - but you don't want to.
Go anyway!

Jonah threw a hissy fit!
Go had to reprove Jonah!

Share
Sharing can be hard.
After-all, if God wants to bless them He will!
Grace upon Grace is often easier than overcoming our will!
Get humble and share as you know you should.

And be willing to receive God's Grace as well!

Lester

I had been back from my last trip to Russia for two weeks when I decided to take the kids to see the Seattle Aquarium.  Some thing that ought to prove interesting to kids from the interior of Russia.  About half way through the tour, I discovered that my number of children had doubled!

In the course of the morning I was to meet Lester, the father of the additions tagging along with my kids.  I thought it rather funny - a bunch of kids with nothing in common, including language.  And like most kids, that did not seem to bother them at all!

Although much like me, Lester and I have little in common other than life long computer backgrounds.

Early on in our friendship, he crossed my path and asked what God had taught me that week - well, that was a first!  And I was so taken sideways by the question - I had NO answer!  But I have often thought the question to be most interesting.

Since the kids finished High School, I have not seen much of him.  Not like I had seen much of him as it was, not living near here for many years. But, I still hear from his kids regularly.  Then our paths were to cross again Saturday night.

Apparently, he went out of his way to be at my church that night.  I sat by the door as usual.  Lester walked up and just started praying for me!  Well, that was a unique event!  It seems my near death did not go unnoticed by everyone!

And I have been again struck that this is how life is to be lived, on a level not be found any longer - but, with genuine concern and prayer for what really matters.  I appreciated his prayer.  Yet I am again struck at how what the church's role is to be, continually never occurs here.  Yes, Lester prayed over me, but I know this is not typical for him and no one else has in my life.  So, a God moment it seems.  It was needed.

My challenge to you is to just ask one person this week what has God done in their life ..... ?

I am hopiung that begins a lifelong conversation.

Connections

I attended a lecture once, many decades ago, and the speaker made an interesting comment,
"If we could build a data base of everyone3 you know in the world, and the data for each of those people, you are only three people away from someone famous, nine from anyone on the planet."

We discussed this at length over lunch.  Just the thought of such a data base!  But is it possible?

So, I commented to a few about my health challenges.  Within 24 hours I was being buried in messages and calls!
Holy-Moly!

Your go years not hearing from anyone and then suddenly everyone is contacting me!  Even calls from people I have never heard of before!

A guy from 8th grade!  How did he hear, whom does he know that knows of me and my plight?  Too weird.
Hundreds of kids I have worked with through the years.  Humbling to even be remembered!
People I went to high school with.  I do not even remember them!
People I have never met, but just know of me through these posts.
Two offers for a kidney donation, but that is in the distant future - perhaps.z

WOW

Sure surprises me.  Whom would have thought anyone cared?
Based on my life, certainly not me!

So building a prayer base.
A support base.

Thank you God for letting me know I am not alone .......

Friendship

In Philippians we get a chance to read someone else's letter!  How exciting .. no not really, but it shares with us others views and struggles!

Philippians 2:17-24

Biblical Friendship Definded
You are insweert into other;s lives for God's sake - not your own.

Friends who bring joy
Put the needs of other's first

Gaelic Girl

Super late post, sorry.
GG busted up a knee about 18 months ago and outside of shots, ignored it.
Of course, it got worse - much worse.

So I had her in surgery before 6 this morning!
The knee is a mess internally now and will need full replacement, probably next year.
sigh ......

And I am now officially exhausted!

Setting Sail

It was a  major pain the backside getting ready for the trip to Alaska!
I was beginning to wonder what on Earth was going on!
Why so resistant on my part?

Swede drove down from Everett and offered to drive me to the cruise ship terminal, I had planned a cab, so saved me $60 ...  I took him to lunch and listened to him regal me with more tales of food and more food on cruise ships!  eepah!  That boy and food!

By the time he dropped me off, he had decided that with or without even a toothbrush, he was going!  LOL!  We laughed mightily over that one - one of my favorite ways to travel.  Although, one day, armed only with a credit card and no destination - I want to just show up and go somewhere ...

Finding the cruise terminal was designed in such a way as to raise blood pressure, signage almost non-existent!  But, I managed to overcome, be nice to everyone and not revert to German.  Like an airport you have lots of inspection areas and with an artificial leg, I had lots of inspections!  As if it was not bad enough that my leg got caught on the X-ray machine and popped off!  OMG!  One moment you are walking into their machine, the next you are spread eagle on the ground, with you lower leg at a right angle!  The guy behind me lost his breakfast right there on the spot!  And I am trying to shove my leg back into its socket without taking my pants off!  Once security figured out I was okay, they thought it was pretty funny!  Though it is still quite painful .....

Rooms are quite small for the average traveler.  I had taken an inside room as I had been told there were no opening windows - so why pay twice as much?  Turns out that there are rooms with balconies which do open.  Heap big expensive but yeah when (if) I do this again - I will have one of those rooms!  It is quite claustrophobic in a pitching ship with no air!

 I met people from Australia, England, Scotland, Germany, Italy and hundreds from Indonesia!  On a ship with 5,500 passengers - I could not believe there was NOT anyone of African descent other than a few Jamaican entertainers.  Even amongst the service staff - none were to be found!  HUH?  What does this mean?  The ship's crew and passengers were so cosmopolitan that Swede and I reach the point of thinking that maybe the lack of vitamin D production in those of African descent - so avoidance or northern latitudes were the results.  Yeah, our conversations are rarely normal.

Then we found out from youngest daughter, whom heard it from her older sister, Dutchman was on-board!  LOL!  Took a while to run him  down, he was hiding in the rich section with celebrities and those with staterooms!  No doubt one of his tax write off opportunities - he plays those games, everything has to have a financial advantage - whatever.  He seems to have lost sight of why God put him here ... sigh ...

With the exception of only one day, all of the days were beautiful.  The open waters managed well with a six hour storm which bounced us around well.

I did an incredible amount of sleeping!  I still can not believe how much I am sleeping! 
Swede, true to his desires, hit the buffet tables long and hard!
Dutchman and his wife - no idea what they were up to.  Hiding in their rooms on the internet?

And so, I dreamily leave you, basking in a sunbeam, the gentle roll of the ship and hum of its jet propulsion .....

Delayed Plans

Between my 16th birthday and my 18th, I rather easily ran away from home well over 100 times!  Yeah, my home-life was beyond miserable!  One of my friends also had a miserable existence.  I was one heck of a good mechanic and he had a dream of flying.  I could easily see putting him through flight school to get his pilot's license and then we would be set.

Alaska was looking for gifted mechanics and there is always a shortage of pilots up there.  The 1970's were a booming time - warm bodies were needed.  My girl friend agreed to wait until I could get established and then come up.  It worked in my mind.

Of course life went terribly sideways.

Our ride out of town turned into a disaster when the car slid off the road and I was thrown free of the VW.  Yeah, a few weeks of recovery for that one!  Just enough time to get close enough to finishing high school so that I could smell freedom ...

Hence, a few changes.

I would fly up to Seattle, and then get to Anchorage by either ferry or bus, both expensive!  After 90 days I knew everything had gone wrong.

The Canadians were not allowing transit into British Columbia by anyone without sufficient money to reach Alaska.
It was far more expensive than I expected to just live poorly!
My friend Robbie never did join me.
I had written daily to my girlfriend, she only wrote once.
And I figured out that life, as envisioned by me, was over.
But, not forgotten....

So, today, after very much saving, I am on my way to Alaska.  I had actually paid for this trip back in July, however Gwen's death threw a monkey-wrench in all my plans.  Today was my first open date - andI am off!

Lots of plans to see glaciers, a steam train, photograph old Indian ruins and sleep - enough to recover from the Colorado trip!  I packed some art supplies, just enough to play a little.  Some magazines and an antique Western.  :)

Oh, I almost forgot: eat lots of crab and seafood!

Eclipse

It worries me when the liberal press is nanny-ing us to death.  What is it that they should be reporting on but are not?  And with the constant scream coming over the airwaves, you would think there has never been an eclipse before or the world is ending!  Gees.

Then last night they claimed there had not been a total eclipse in over a century!  Another station repeated that story and qualified it as, in Seattle....

Well, I had been brought to work in Seattle  on an issue with the internal upper stage of the Apollo rocket in 1979.  At the appointed time I walked over to the window and gazed out just in time to see the height of the eclipse.  I had to laugh at the 10,000  some odd engineers, programmers and clerical staff all standing around outside staring heavenward!  Just a sea of people on the roads ...  Man has not changed much since his druid days .....  So, about 38 years ago there was one here.

And I was in Maui for the last eclipse of the century, in 1992.  Given the cloud cover that day - I was but one of three whom saw it!  I was stopped at a stop sign, the clouds briefly parted and voila!

And today, I am on the road from Antonito back to Colorado Springs.  Assuming that they do not shut down the roadways due to the eclipse, I should make my plane.  On the other hand, if the psycho's are right and we are all mutated by "invisible rays" .... well, I am probably having my brains eaten by a troglodyte zombie!

So yes it happens regularly.
And people continue to be idiots ...

Now, what is the press hiding?
hmmmmmmmmm .....................?