Death? We don’t need no stinkin’ death!

I just read an article on Abbrey de Grey in AARP about living forever.  —  The article reminded me of an excellent, tho maybe now dated, book by Ben Bova: Immortality.  —  I’ve always wondered about how some of the research is directed.  For me the question is not how the process is working, but what is it that is not working.  Heinlein often suggested that we look into why people who should have medical problems and don’t differ from us “ordinary folk.”  What makes some people seemingly immune to various diseases and medically related problems.  —  What is going wrong and how is it corrected?  —  Don’t tell me why and let me die!  🙂

Packing, laundry & car stuffing, oh my!

It is a loverly day in Albany today, the 29th.  Doing some laundry, putting a few things in the car and trying not to panic. 🙂  —  I made up a checklist which I’ll begin to go over and really start putting things in the car.  While it will mostly likely be in the 90’s & 100’s F/35 to 40 C for the first couple months, it may be downright chilly by the time I get back.  —  It has snowed here in Albany earlier than my projected return date.

I’ll finish up with laundry tomorrow and get my bags packed & into the car.  I want few items left to be stowed away on Sunday morning.

Where did all these cons come from? Breaks from Rt. 66.

What better way to take a few breaks in my drive down Rt. 66 than to attend a few SF cons.  —  The first will be NASFiC/ARCHON at the beginning of August in St. Louis.  I was FGoH at the 06 ARCHON.  —  After a few more weeks chugging down 66 I’ll attend BUBONICON in Albuquerque.  The name derives from the fact, or so I’m told, that Albuquerque is the bubonic plague capitol of the US.  Oh frabulous joy!   —  2 weeks later I’ll be in Phoenic for COPPERCON.  —  Hoping to pick up in the Dealers’ Room a couple books I’m missing.

Then comes November.  Areally crazy month.  More anon!

Home from Clinton – Getting ready for the trek!

Sunday was a quiet day with most folk either having left or in the process.  I caught up with some email & posted to here.  —  That evening I joined Ace Jackalope, Bob Waldamire, Georgette and a little bit later Kat & Darren from Oz at dinner.  It was a most delightful time.  —  Georgette, Ace & I drove out to the White Dog for dessert, but it was closed due to plumbing problems.  ARGH!  —  On Monday I chatted with a few folk, Swa gave me a bunch of cards to hand out to potential roadies, and headed to OKC.  The flight back was more or less on time.  It was good to get home.

I picked up my car on Tuesday, having left it at Saturn for its 36K service & detailing.  Triple Deuce was nicely tarted up for the trip.  I affixed the magnetic ROUTE 66 shield to the hood.  —  I’ve spent the week so far slowly getting ready for the trip beginning on Sunday.  Saturday, up way too early, will be a big laundry & packing day.

The Enemy At Home

The story of Captain Michael Garrett is one that shows just how low a corporation can sink, in this case Circuit City.  —  In order not to have to hold his job in case Cpt. Garrett, a Marine reservist, Circuit City fired him.  —  CC used binding arbitration, the arbitrators being paid for by CC, to decide in the companies favor when he tried to appeal/sue.  —  See http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1633071,00.html  —  I don’t think I’ll give Circuit City any more of my business.

Thought for today

The great thing about getting older is that you don’t lose all the other
ages you’ve been. -Madeleine L’Engle, writer (1918- )

THE IRON HOG SALOON IS FOR SALE

THE IRON HOG SALOON IS FOR SALE

   The famous Iron Hog biker bar and restaurant in Oro Grande, CA is for sale.

   The historic, 100 year old property has been the setting for several movies, and once was a venue for a concert by Johnny Cash.

     It features a 2,775-square-foot saloon and restaurant on 3.6 acres and includes a stage and large outdoor patio.

   If you are interested,  e-mail David Knudson at  
national66@national66.org  and he will send you a pdf of the sales brochure or you can contact the realtor direct at 760-951-5111 or info@thebradcocompanies.com .

Route 66 – The TV series

   One of the items on sale at the Rt. 66 Festival were DVD of the old Route 66 TV show.

   While this is a good thing, it turns out that the quality of the recordings varies greatly and is, on the whole, not very good.

   To my fevered mind this presents an interesting challenge.  Why can’t a university which specializes in film restoration give the restoration of the tapes/DVDs to one of their senior classes as their senior project?

   I googled Wikipedia and found a number of references and links.  This could easily be a good starting point for the restoration of the series.

Anyone interested?

I think, it would be fun to see the show again.

The 2007 Route 66 Festival

Greetings from sunny Clinton.

   On Thursday evening I sort of crashed the VIP party over at the Rt. 66 Museum. Good thing I did as I was able to finally meet Kat & Darren from Australia. They are even nicer than via the ether.

   Later that evening I forwent sleep in order to sit around the pool at an adjacent motel and have a nice natter with a bunch of Roadies. It is all Jane Dippel’s fault! 🙂

   I was up all too early on Friday morning to get over to the egroup brekkie. I don’t do 0700 well. However, the get together went very well. The food was decent, met lots of good folk and had a good time.

   When it was over, I was stuck at the restaurant for a while as it was pouring down rain. Hmm, I thought, Oklahoma was dry.

   I got back to the room and waited out the rain. The ride over to the Frisco Center was amusing. The young man took the wrong turn, he lives here, and we ended up going the wrong way – headed West! Oh well, we turned around at the next exit and took Rt. 66 back to town.

   I spent a pleasant day at the festival. Lots of folk to chat with, exhibits to see and generally enjoy the day. There are a fair number of booths along main street.

   Heading back with Steve Rider, also from Albany, he dropped by an antique mall to check on some Rt. 66 memorabilia. There was a “Pop Hicks” road sigh available and at a good price. Steve was wondering about buying it and putting it in the Clinton Rt. 66 Museum instead of his own “museum,” which is quite good.

   At the banquet we chatted on this. He definitely wanted to do this. I offered to go in with him on the purchase price and donate it to the museum. We spoke to the curator of the museum, Pat Smith. She was delighted. Now Steve had to go early to the mall and buy it assuming someone else hadn’t bought it.

   They hadn’t! Steve put it up for display in the small vendors’ room for the day, Saturday.

   At the end of the day we took the sign over to the museum. We unveiled it, we had wrapped it in some butcher paper to be able to move it, and presented it to the museum. Mike Ward also joined Steve & me as donators. Later this week our pictures may grace a page in the Clinton newspaper. 🙂

   Later Steve & I tried to eat at Lucille’s in Wetherford, but too many Roadies had the same idea. We hit another restaurant in town which was quite nice.

   While there the clouds swirled, darkened and the heavens opened up. It poured! When it finally let up enough, we dashed for the car and out raced the cloud front back to Clinton.

   We joined the ongoing pool party tho it was both quite chilly, & there was occasional rain. Nevertheless the nattering went on for hours.

   I’ve been having fun and buying way too many T-shirts. 🙂 The trek down 66 will see too many more T-shirts as well.

   Collecting cards to put into the folder I’ll be taking on the trip. This will allow me to contact folk easier.

   Basta per oggi!

Getting to Clinton!

   Up too early in order to take my car in for its service.  They gave me a lift to the airport.  The flights to OKC were fine.  A small delay in leaving Chicago, but the pilot made up some time.

   I picked up my hire car and set off for Clinton.  As it was already 1815 when I left, I headed for the super slab, sorry about this, and Clinton.

   As I headed off into the sunset, I enjoyed the various cloud shapes.  There were several towering thunderheads, tho no anvil tops that I could see.  I did see rain pouring down from several of them.

   I managed to only get a little bit lost finding the motel, The Hampton Inn. 

   Once in the motel I was only delayed a little bit due to meeting up with folk already arrived for the festival.  I finally got my stuff dumped in the room and joined some others.  Shortly thereafter we headed out for dinner.  It was quite nice Italian food.  The prices were right as well. 

   Much talk and good food later we returned to the hotel and sleep.  However, I wanted to check out my computer first.  Could I access the internet as promised? 

   Crikey!  Not only could I do so, but I could also use my Road Runner connection.  No hassle with using a webmail link.  I could use Outlook Express and have access to my address book, etc.  Good-Oh!  I was able to clear some email.

   Slept in a little bit before wandering about.  Over brekkie I chatted with a chap who publishes a weekly newspaper and got into a neat discussion on old-style printing.  It brought back memories.

   The hotel link was down.  Better still I headed over to the Route 66 Museum.  Neat museum.  Spent some of my ill gotten gains on T-shirts & a big magnetic “Route 66” placard I can stick on the hood of my car for the drive!

   Had a nice chat with a fellow roadie who just happens to be the chap who did had Ace Jackalope lead chocolate bunnies and peeps in rebellion in Lope of the Peeps .  Sigh!

   More later.