The Cult of the Laser

[Cactus Cowboy]

This is a blog of a story I wrote 27 years ago, and the published version in the San Diego Reader was totally botched... some functionally-illiterate assistant editor (with no clue about Laser sailing) inserted mistakes, bad grammar, etc. I even saw some chumpish knockoff on the web, with my name under the picture of some total kook with p!ss-poor hiking technique, but that's another story, PFFFFFFT. I already posted a couple pics of myself here at this site, so any fool with the I.Q. of a garden vegetable can note the discrepancy. Meh, no longer my problem, just know that "media" and "editors" NEVER get it right, while independent authors field much of the abuse, LOL.

No worries, here's a funny story with some historical trivia thrown in for good measure... this is what it was like, growing up while sailing on San Diego Bay & environs. This being a blog version of the original story (which earned $500 despite the botched job by the assistant editor), I have doctored profanity and kept most surnames private in order to protect the criminally insane, LOL. Those same fooliots were my friends & acquaintances, don'tcha know? Ah, yes, we shared many nautical adventures, and to be perfectly honest with y'all, many of these same individuals are now deceased. That's what happens as life goes on over the decades... truth be told, I'm a bit surprised that I'M still here, considering past events.

The Cult Of The Laser

I also noticed another blog that I created, and y'all can actually FEEL the antisocial tendencies which developed over years of my life, LOL. In this story, my original mission was to sail out to Los Coronados, rounding Isla Norte to take primo photos before returning to the mainland, but light airs prevailed on the second day of that voyage, though there were occasional periods of fresh breeze. Anyway, my mission was aborted a number of miles offshore & I sailed back to Dago without bagging any more shots of Isla Norte... my spiritual home if ever there was one, the perfect place for an aspiring Zen master to hang out & commune with nature. Meh, no worries, I have enough memories of the island chain to last a lifetime...

Small Craft Sailing As A Zen Exercise

TIME FOR ANOTHER BEER, FEEL FREE TO COMMENT UPON EITHER STORY, MAKES NO DIFFERENCE TO ME, REVISIONIST HISTORY DOESN'T FLY HERE... AND IT NEVER WILL, NO BOOKS TO BURN & NO STATUES TO TEAR DOWN EITHER, LOL.

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

Ya know, I was generally hammered whenever I wrote these stories, so you'll find mistakes here & there, LOL... many of the original stories were written over a quarter-century ago, so that also comes into play, as I never bothered to update them.

I remember someone here at this site claiming that Laser production numbers began with #101... dunno if that's true or not, but if it is, that would actually make my boat #1969, right? Helluva year, 1969, I was living in Europe at the time and my family was still together...

Big year for rock & roll too, heaps of good bands making excellent music that year... Pink Floyd, The Mighty Zep, The Who, Jethro Tull, The Guess Who, Janis Joplin, ELP, Procol Harum, Santana, etc., just a boatload of good bands, LOL.

P.S. Can't forget the Rolling Stones, their old material was great, wasn't until the late '70s that the band went downhill, LOL. But their old stuff was excellent, I still listen to their old school tunes now & then, I just can't handle their later junk...

 

[posas13]

Thanks for writing and sharing.

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

You're welcome... these small craft never get enough credit, even though they bring so much "quality time" into our lives.

Search the website for my original "Laser Island Voyages Back In The Day" thread (now closed for whatever reason), and you'll find some classic Laser stories on the first page... that to me was what Laser sailing REALLY meant, heading offshore into the unknown and having a blast upon every voyage.

And now for something completely different, LOL... one of my "Tales From The Road" randomly pulled from the list of 18 such stories. Trucking was a lot like sailing in centuries past: heading into the unknown on voyages of exploration & discovery, LOL. Having a 90-m.p.h. rig didn't hurt either...

For The Birds

 

[posas13]

For some reason I have a lot more fun sailing the smallest dinghies. Adding family, size, and weight can get a little slow, heavy, and irritating. I'm working on it.

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

Haha, I hear ya... though I draw the line at Sabots and the like, they're not comfortable enough for a full-sized adult. Lasers and the 'Fish family, they're not bad, they're easy enough to transport and two people can fit aboard... or one can sail solo and have a blast.

I always liked scows too, I almost bought an old sailing scow built by Carl Eichenlaub, it was a cool craft and his name alone would've brought bragging rights, LOL. You can Google him, he was one helluva sailor and shipwright, based in San Diego like I was for so many decades.

To this day I regret not buying that boat, but it was built with marine plywood on a wooden frame and it needed heaps of work... guess I didn't feel like tackling the project at that time. Whoever bought the boat scored a bit of nautical history, and hopefully the buyer restored that scow to its former glory.

Nothing wrong with a boat built by Carl Eichenlaub, he was a real hand when it came to shipwrights... he was one of those guys who could've strolled through a wrecking yard, selected various components, and put together a winning sailboat, LOL. A friggin' nautical genius at boat design...

Edit: There was actually an old quote uttered in Dago sailing circles, it had variations but it went something like this...

"ANY OL' SLOB CAN SAIL AN EICHENLAUB..."

Or...

"ANY SLOB CAN WIN IN AN EICHENLAUB..."

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

Found a few links to ol' Carl, he was really a cool hand... often helping competitors to get their boats right before regattas. I tried to find a web page which had some classic stories in tribute to Carl Eichenlaub, maybe it's buried somewhere in my original "Laser Island Voyages" thread. Anyway, here are some links and at least one video which will give ya an idea just how cool this guy was:

San Diego Sailing Legend Carl Eichenlaub Dies at 83 – The Log

Olympic shipwright, sailor Carl Eichenlaub dies at 83

Eight Bells: Carl Eichenlaub >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News

Okay, time for me to watch a movie on the 65" curved screen... I did manage to fill out more apps with trucking outfits, including one company which is looking for dedicated drivers on a regular run from Nogales, AZ, to Columbia, MO. This wouldn't be a bad run, no CA traffic, not far enough east to get into more traffic, home every weekend... and I've rolled every mile of that route before, as I'm no stranger to Nogales. Meh, we'll see, maybe that county job will come through as well, and nothing beats their retirement plan. Be sure to watch that Eichenlaub video, he's a funny guy... Cheers!!!

Edit: Wait, I found those tribute pages in one link above, here they are...

Carl's Cadenza - Comments from the day Carl passed away

Carl's Cadenza - More Stories about Carl

Got a few typos in there, but don't sweat the small stuff... Carl Eichenlaub was larger than life, one of my nautical heroes from way back in the day.

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

So, y'all have heard me mention "crossing the jetty" in the past, now I'm gonna post a couple of pics to show ya what that means... I'm doing this because I don't really feel like watching a movie, I'd rather trash around on the Interwebs right now, LOL. Anyway, let's get started with a couple pics of the chart for San Diego Bay & Environs... I just photographed North Bay and the harbor entrance, not the entire chart, LOL, and the light wasn't exactly stellar in the dining room at this time of night, but you can see well enough, I reckon. Here we go...

Okay, that's Point Loma on the left, rising to roughly 425' elevation. Directly across the main channel or harbor entrance, you can see Zuniga Point, a.k.a. Zuniga Jetty. See the City of Coronado? My birthplace, go figure... but across that burg from beach to bay it's roughly a mile, and the city does NOT include NASNI (Naval Air Station, North Island, large area in center of first shot) or NAB (Naval Amphibious Base to the lower right in first shot, where the Navy SEALs train). That stretch of beach from NASNI clear past Coronado and NAB and down the Silver Strand, that's all PRIME REAL ESTATE, much of it owned by Uncle Sam. In summer, the beach in Coronado is literally PACKED with tourists, locals, et al, I'm talking a FULL-ON CLUSTERF#CK, AYE??? So THAT is where my friends & I would sail... our destination, to eyeball women in the shallows, LOL.

THAT meant sailing clear down the channel on the bay side, launching from the beach in Glorietta Bay (lower right, first shot, boat ramp right near NAB) and basically circumnavigating the peninsula (folks call it an island, but it's really a peninsula). Oh, yeah, you novices out there in cyberspace, pay attention: you always sail DOWN a channel to the sea, not UP into North Bay as some clueless morons think. Rivers flow DOWN to the sea, and so do tidal bays... you sail back UP the channel when you reenter the harbor, AYE??? Okay, that's your lesson for the day, there will be a quiz later... those who fail will be shot, LOL. No, wait, they will WALK THE PLANK or be HUNG FROM THE YARDARM... good luck finding a yardarm aboard a Laser or 'Fish, that upper boom ain't quite gonna cut it, LOL. Well, it might, but things will get UGLY and there may be some boat damage...

Anyway, the best days to sail down the channel and cross Zuniga Jetty on your way to patrol the beach are during spring tides, with a high around 0800... by the time the breeze picks up at 1000, you're riding the ebb down the channel and making heller progress. Y'all can read about this program in more detail by checking out my story 'The Cult of the Laser'---there's a link above, just scroll till you find the passage about sea trials in my newly-restored Laser (#2069), that passage goes into more detail when it comes to "working the tides." If you live near the ocean, or in any tidal bay or estuary, you should be aware of this method of "working the tides"---same method used by ancient mariners and fishermen, as well as ship captains during the Age of Sail. It works, you see, and you can make heller progress, covering ground as never before because all factors are in your favor... well, most factors, ya still gotta beat to windward at times, LOL.

Alright, now let's look at the jetty up close... some parts of this jetty remain above sea level no matter what, but other sections are submerged or awash at high tide, and for part of the ebb (or flood) bracketing high tide, you understand? What I mean is this: if you lag during the program and fail to "work the tides" effectively, your 'window of opportunity' narrows when it comes to crossing the jetty. As the ebb continues, more and more rocks are exposed, and the gaps through which one can sail also diminish in size... and there are only so many gaps where crossing the jetty is even feasible, AYE? The later ya leave it, the more dangerous the crossing becomes... until you reach a point where it's safer to simply sail all the way around the tip of the jetty (or Zuniga Point). This will tack extra time onto your sailing schedule, that's why ya wanna cross the jetty in good time and save yourself half an hour to 45 minutes on approach to the beach in Coronado.

Okay, y'all are still with me, right? Now, there are times during the ebb (or flood) when the crossing is dicey, but one can time the swell to put more water under the boat as the boat glides over the submerged rocks. When I say "swell" I'm referring to each wave rolling directly from the sea toward and over the jetty, particularly when the swell is from the southwest... each wave is generated by the swell, hence the reference, AYE? You TIME your crossing so your boat glides across the jetty right when the wave gives you added depth and safety, LOL. I know this sounds crazy, and it is NOT something any NOVICE should ever attempt, as the potential for disaster is strong... but this is what OLD SCHOOL LOCALS from Coronado do, as it puts them on the beach that much sooner, starting with Officer's Beach on NASNI, which is actually quite nice... I wrote before about huge waves hitting Officer's Beach in '83, pro surfers from around the world flocking to Dago to ride.

But I digress... once a sailor patrols the beach to his heart's content, pounding beers & smoking fatties while cruising just outside the impact zone and pissing off the lifeguard kooks by violating the 500' limit, well, it's time to stand out to sea and gain some room so one can tack back up the channel. With a high tide around 0800, the low would usually be around 1400, which gave a skipper plenty of time to make his way back up the channel. Truth be told, there wasn't really much need to recross the jetty on the return voyage, as one had to stand out far enough to get a good "layline" on the harbor entrance... I crossed it a few times on the return voyage, but the real benefit came from the earlier crossing, if you catch my drift. By afternoon, there was usually good breeze to help a skipper on his way, and unnecessarily endangering one's boat didn't make much sense. Besides, the "teeth" of the jetty were still exposed, a good reminder NOT to attempt another crossing, LOL. So that covers the safety issue on the return voyage... the crossing can still be made, but it's even dicier, LOL.

Okey-dokey, just wanted to share that little bit of old school local wisdom with y'all, in case ya ever find yourselves aboard a rental boat out in Dago, LOL. Next lesson, hmm, let's see... we have "Crossing The Kelp Beds Off Pt. Loma" (which can be done aboard small craft), "Effecting A Landing Through The Surf On The Silver Strand" (and then relaunching BACK through that same surf, LOL), and of course my favorite, "Landing A Laser On All Four Of Los Coronados!!!" These are the things that old school locals born in Coronado DO, you understand? Well, I dunno about the islands nowadays, you'd probably get shot by hostile "Marinos y Marineros de La Armada de Mexico!!!" LOL... and have your boat confiscated, no doubt, never to be seen again (Baja governor's son needs a sail training craft). Ya might even wind up in a Mexican jail, which would make American jails look like resort properties, LOL. Damn, sometimes I slay myself... but take my word for it, you do NOT wanna go to a Mexican jail, it's NO FUN, AYE???

HMM, GUESS I'LL ADD A FEW LINKS ONCE I POST THIS, Y'ALL BE COOL, CHILLIN' LIKE VILLAINS, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I NEED ANOTHER BEER ANYWAY, BUT LIKE DOUGLAS MACARTHUR, "I SHALL RETURN!!!"

WAIT, THIS AIN'T THE PHILIPPINES!!! LOL... "OH, NO, WE'RE IN THE TIJUANA JAIL!!! AND WHERE'S MY GODDAM BOAT?!?"

Edit: Here are the island links, in sequence for the first three voyages... awesome adventures, some of the best in my life. That night I spent at the summit of Isla Norte during that meteor shower, hell, that STILL stands as the best solo night of my life, LOL. It don't get any bettah...

sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/tales-adventure/2011/mar/04/laserium

sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/tales-adventure/2011/may/01/isla-norte/

sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/tales-adventure/2011/aug/15/laser-island-voyager/

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

Holy Cr@p!!! Somebody actually posted a video of 'The Kingston Trio' doing that "Tijuana Jail" tune, for those who missed the reference, LOL...

"So here we are... in the Tijuana Jail..."

Damn, those white boys look TOO CLEAN for being in the Tijuana Jail... I'm gonna write my congressman, or maybe the Tijuana mayor, LOL.

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

Hmm, I just realized that the original shots taken on those initial voyages aren't readily available in this thread... so I'll add this link to an old site I don't use anymore, think I got banned years ago, LOL. But my pics are still there, a few of 'em anyway... two sets of pics per page in this thread, just scroll past the text between to see the pics pronto. I'm thinking I should send these pics to the Mexican gubmint, but then I might wind up in the Tijuana Jail, LOL...

HERE'S THE OLD THREAD WITH SOME CLASSIC ISLAND PHOTOS...

forums.oausa.net/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=3072

Okay, now I'm done, time to think about that big ol' carne asada burrito... I hear it calling my name, don'tcha know???

Y'ALL BE GOOD, I'M OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD... THAT CHUMP STILL OWES ME A HUNDRED BUCKS, BUT EVERY TIME I GET NEAR THE B@STARD, HE VANISHES LIKE A DEMOCRAT WHEN THE BILL IS DUE, LOL.

 

[jazzkhanna86]

For some reason I have a lot more fun sailing the smallest dinghies.

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

Yeah, I hear ya... I draw the line at Sabots & Optis, those are a bit too small for me. Minifish & Laser were great for nautical adventures!

Damn, the trash man arrived early today, I guess our regular driver is on vacay... good thing I put the can out early, made it with five minutes to spare, LOL.

Gotta do laundry this morning, and there's a pretty good stack of dishes in the kitchen sink... dual stainless steel sinks, actually, so I have my work cut out for me, couldn't be bothered to do dishes last night after making that excellent batch of burrito mix.

The multiple beers I drank yesterday may have had something to do with it...

Yesiree, the 'Bachelor Life'---it's a $h!tty job, but SOMEBODY has to do it, LOL.

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

"YO NO SOY MARINERO... YO NO SOY MARINERO, SOY CAPITAN, SOY CAPITAN, SOY CAPITAN..."

Damn right... okay, I'm good, just had to get my ethnic-flavored tunage on for Friday afternoon, LOL.

Later, after a few more beers, we break out the hardcore Nazi punk tunes, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

But I'm STILL the captain... "SOY CAPITAN, PINCHE JOTOS!!!"

Hmm, might as well throw down some punk tunes now, it's already past 1500 hours here so the sun is long over the yardarm...

Okay, that Clash cover tune would not really be classified as hardcore punk rock, but I always liked that version of the song, LOL... the intro and the drums & guitar have always been good to go in my life, 10-4? CHEERS, YOUSE FOOLIOTS... ER, I MEAN YOUSE NAUTICAL HEE-ROES!!!

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

"BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!!!"

Gotta toss in this Black Flag tune, and I'm even throwin' in the Glen Campbell number for FREE, LOL...

Damn, Glen Campbell, the "Rhinestone Cowboy" himself... but he never had ANYTHING on Marty Robbins out of Arizona, here's a classic Marty Robbins tune y'all may NOT have heard lately, LOL.

ALRIGHT, I'M DONE HERE, TIME TO CATCH THE LATE AFTERNOON SUN ON THE CRAGS... BEST 'REVERSE SUNSETS' EVER, LOL.

CHEERS, YOUSE NAUTICAL HEE-ROES!!! HASTA LUEGO!!!

Edit: Pretty sure that orchestral footage with Glen Campbell is sped up, or the entire orchestra is high on meth or crack... maybe ol' Glen himself, ya never know about these things, LOL. Meh, it's all entertainment, and that's all it is.

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

Damn, that 'Continental Suit' tune is classic... Marty Robbins, what a hand!!! Anyway, I have a confession to make, I did NOT finish the touch-up painting, I'm leaving a little bit for tomorrow, LOL. I got caught up reading some old narratives of mine, reliving the past, so to speak... and it was FUN too. Some of those Reader weblog transcriptions are botched, I saw where I misspelled "privileged" in 'THE CULT OF THE LASER'---I was probably drunk at the time, LOL. "That's my story and I'm sticking to it..."

Meh, I also spent some quality time with the kittehs, giving them an extra can of food (on top of the two cans this morning between four cats). They always have dry food available, but I try to regulate the amount of wet food they eat... then again, Ol' Man Winter is around the corner, so I don't mind styling them out a bit to make sure they are ready for the cold weather. They'll get some Thanksgiving & Christmas scraps too, and plenty of 'em, but today it was just another can of Friskies. Here are Tiger & Crackhead getting first shot, while Phoenix and now Fathead are mopping up the rest, LOL.

My kittehs get the royal treatment, I even let these two large cats eat on the kitchen counter... no big deal, I always wipe it down anyway before prepping food, and they won't wait on the floor while I'm opening the cans and making things right, LOL. The BLASTED VARMINTS!!!

Since I was reliving my youth earlier this afternoon, I read 'TRIX ARE FOR KIDS' again, that's my personal saga of skateboarding back in the day... THAT story brings back a whole heap of memories, but things were different in those days, and I consider myself fortunate to have lived through 'em along with my friends, and some of those friends are already dead. That's just the way it is: there's an attrition rate in life, and nobody here gets out alive. I remember hearing about those folks who froze their heads in the hope that one day they'd be reincarnated or brought back to life... moi, I'm just gonna be happy with the life I had, and what humble achievements I made, AYE? Besides, I'll probably be TOO DAMNED TIRED to go back and do it all over again, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Here's that classic skateboarding saga one more time... and remember, a LASER SAILOR wrote it, WOOHOO!!!

sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/tales-adventure/2011/mar/05/trix-are-for-kids/

Dunno if I ever mentioned this before, I probably did, but that Reader avatar is NOT yours truly, it's a climbing partner from back in the day. The pic was one that looked best for that site's avatar restrictions, and I've always been 'The Master of Low Profile'---don't need any fame, though I'll take whatever fortune comes my way, LOL. When this skate saga was actually published in the Reader, I earned $1000 for it, but they eventually botched the story hard, which really sucked. In a perfect world, ONLY qualified vertical skateboarders would 'edit' skate stories, and ONLY qualified small craft sailors would 'edit' sailing narratives, AYE??? But of course, we're NOT living in a perfect world, LOL... reminds me of that old punk tune, I think it was PIL and John Lydon (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten) who said, "THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT, THIS IS WHAT YOU GET..."

Meh, ya take what ya can out of modern life, and try to give back to those who are cool, or those who are less fortunate... that's the way I've always looked at it. And I've helped a number of people with disabilities and whatnot, I've always had compassion for those less fortunate in the physical sense. Moi, I've enjoyed pretty good health over the decades, and THAT is the REAL meaning of WEALTH... along with GOOD FRIENDSHIPS, not always so easy to find in this crazy world. That's why ya CHERISH those friends who LAST, ain't no FAIR-WEATHER FRIENDS so they DESERVE SOME RESPECT. Especially for putting up with a hardcore antisocial b@stard like me, LOL. But I've also styled them out too, it's a two-way street where friendship is concerned. Alright, enough of waxing nostalgic & philosophic, time for this kid to grab another cold beer... maybe time to put a flick on the 65" curved screen, LOL.

Y'ALL BE GOOD, AND BE COOL TO THOSE WHO ARE COOL TO YOU... THE FIRST RULE OF KARMA, AYE??? CHEERS!!!

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

Forgot to mention that some clown managed to botch that personal blog too, inserting italics and unnecessary punctuation marks toward the conclusion... PFFFFFFT. I'm not talkin' about the skate slang or the my methods of dodging censorship, just the other unnecessary b.s. Meh, it's the Reader, where staff members are high on crack and functionally illiterate, LOL. They managed to botch just about every story I submitted, one way or another...

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

Check out this flyer I saw today, I'm gonna mark my calendar for this event... bad@$$ trials riding over big ol' boulders, LOL. Hey, if you can do this with your Laser or Sunfish, you'll be a regular NAUTICAL HERO... might wanna stock up on resin & glass, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Just when ya start to think some pics are sideways, ya see the folks standing upright in the background... trials riding is awesome, a real challenge, and it can be hard on a bike (and rider) when things go wrong, LOL. Meh, just wanted to share these flyer shots with those of you who also ride bikes...

Wavedancer, I expect you to WIN this competition, and I wanna see nose wheelies down the far side of each boulder, LOL. It'd be a trip if this high desert and these mountains had minimal gravity, then riders could tackle the huge crags, domes & spires of Cochise Stronghold, WOOOHOOO!!!

Oh, yeah, that nonsense about having "no outside alcohol" is pure hogwash, rednecks like me will have hip flasks handy, sure as night follows day, LOL. There's a shot of my Tombstone flask, it's a trials riding classic...

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

Holy Cow!!! That was the fastest hire I've ever seen, next to one gig as a deckhand aboard a cattleboat in San Diego... this company is legit, a subcontractor outfit which has been putting up & replacing guardrails for ADOT for decades, and they need bodies for this particular project which starts in 11 days. Everyone who showed up today was hired on the spot, this outfit even had trick little "on-site drug screens" which I've never even seen... the march of progress, no doubt. Each p!ss cup had some newfangled technology attached to one side, and it delivered results within 5 minutes. Saved me a trip to the nearest clinic, so that suited me fine... I bet those kits are expensive, LOL.

Funny thing was, only a handful of people showed up for the "job fair"---too many slackers on unemployment, I reckon, and they won't go back to work until they absolutely must, even if this job pays way more than they were previously making, go figure. Moi, I'm all in, since I need to repay my brothers and this will be the perfect way to do it... I look at it as getting paid to exercise, lifting those heavy guardrail sections into place. And this outfit supplies all the gloves and other safety gear we'll need, to be swapped out as often as necessary at company expense. No problem... in the past, I've made far more than the $19 per hour which will be my starting wage, but this project is a godsend for me, and it'll buy me time in my search for a more permanent position.

It actually seems like a decent outfit for which to work, and I could probably transition into a higher pay grade quickly enough, complete with benefits and retirement, but there's too much travel involved for me to realistically consider long-term employment. Any of youse heroes in cyberspace who don't mind that sort of travel from job site to job site, well, this company pays decent wages and they have full benefits for long-term employees. They even pay a good share of the nightly motel fare, so the employees only pay $20 apiece for lodging (taken out of their checks, not up front). Of course, if I were free to travel, I'd probably just go trucking... and relive the adventure of old days, LOL. But there's no way I give up my cats, that's not gonna happen, and I've already seen enough of the state (and country).

But if any site members know younger relatives who don't mind working outdoors, well, I can direct you to the company HR Dept. I probably wouldn't enjoy this sort of work in the heat of summer, but this is a good time of year to work outdoors in Arizona, so I'm committed to the paid fitness program, LOL. I might even wind up driving a truck for this outfit, at least during this project... from here, they're already scheduled to tackle some stretch of highway over by Nogales, that's too far for me to commute, nor can I leave my cats unattended for five days while I live in a motel. But for any youngsters who wanna rack up some paychecks on a Davis-Bacon job, this would be a good opportunity. Okay, I'm done playing the shill, it's just that the company is looking for more workers...

Honestly, I could've used that classic line by the villain Benedict in 'THE LAST ACTION HERO' movie, hollering as I entered the room: "I HAVE JUST MURDERED A MAN AND I WOULD LIKE TO CONFESS!!!" The reply, given after the most cursory & casual glance, would've undoubtedly been: "WHEN CAN YOU START?" LOL... I'm not joking either, I reckon the only real qualification for such work is that you have a pulse (and can lift some materials). Moi, I'm just gonna view it as an adventure, on top of the whole paid fitness deal... it'll be safe enough, since ADOT closes the lane next to us as we work on the shoulder, and there are trucks, State Troopers, etc., parked between us and traffic. Earplugs will come in handy, as well as eye pro for the dust, but it shouldn't be too bad out here in the sticks, 10-4? Not like doing road work in L.A. or NYC, where you're choking down vast amounts of carbon emissions, LOL.

Look at the bright side: you'll get that break I promised, I'll be too tired to mess with my computer during the week, aye? Maybe I can bag a few stealth pics of the operation as we work our way down the interstate... this project only covers several miles of interstate highway, right near my home too, so the temporary yard set up by the company will be right here in town, 3 or 4 minutes from my door. That'll work!!! We get weekends off too, and some Fridays or partial Fridays, so I'll be able to attend that trials riding competition in January, the one I mentioned in my previous post... that'll be fun, and maybe some of the guys cooped up in the motel will wanna go too. Cool coworkers will be welcome to shoot pool & BBQ at the ol' hacienda as well... wankers are VERBOTEN!!!

There were two hands present today who struck me as good workers, they'll probably be welcome to BBQ on weekends... one was pretty funny, he was telling me how his landlord in Tucson sold his rental unit out from under him, since Kalifornians are pouring into the state and driving up real estate prices. He was given the legal length of time and whatever else, but that's kinda harsh, selling a unit out from under a quiet & hard-working tenant just to make a few bucks, LOL. The former tenant already has a flat here in Benson, but damn, that sort of greed-driven eviction just seems downright unsociable, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Meh, it's the owner's property, I reckon he can do what he wants with it... not my problem anyway, since I'm the landlord here, AYE?

Okay, time for another celebratory beer, I'm happy because this job will pay enough for me to repay all debts to my brothers, even if the job is only temporary. Maybe I can put some money aside too, we'll see how it goes... I'm going to continue my job search too (on weekends). In fact, the possibility exists that one of those county jobs might come through before this project even starts, in which case I'd go straight to the county instead to get those good benefits & that excellent retirement program... but it's nice to know that this project is definitely a go, and I'm past the hiring part. Drug screen too, though that was never an issue... BTW, there's some sort of gray area with regard to marijuana, now that Arizona voters passed the weed initiative. Strange but true...

Alright, youse NAUTICAL HEE-ROES, I'm off to drink some beer and watch some entertainment on the 65" curved screen... I was watching some library DVD titled 'KRAKEN: TENTACLES OF THE DEEP' two nights ago, but it really stunk, so I cut it short, LOL. Dunno if I can hack watching the rest of it, the "Kraken" looked like some cheesy RC squid, not very convincing to this old salt... the filmmaking was substandard as well, definitely NOT an Academy Award winner, LOL. Meh, I get drunk enough, that "Kraken" might just have its day in court, we'll see later... in the meantime, I'm thinking a good war flick might be better, LOL. Remember, any site members who know folks looking for work, there's a ground floor opportunity open here, and this company pays well for additional skills like equipment operation... just sayin', as I know how hard it is to find work nowadays. Y'all be good, I'm off to the fridge for another cold one... CHEERS!!!

P.S. Bonus shots of the moon, plus the huge vat of turkey soup I made yesterday... soup is better than it looks in the photo, it's 1/4 turkey meat, LOL.

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

Enjoying a nice quiet day here, as it is blustery outside... windy enough for me to abort any mission beyond the property line. It has been cool too, only in the 50s, unlike days past where temps were more pleasant. Meh, no worries, I still got stuff done, since I'm preparing for this upcoming project. I was just thinking about the strange uncharted territory we're in as a state, now that Arizona has legalized recreational marijuana use. Even the recruiters for this upcoming project said that the company lawyers are in uncharted waters, since legal weed means a positive result won't necessarily bar one from employment or get one fired, go figure. A sea change from old rules & regs concerning weed, which should've been legal for the past 50 years anyway, as far as I'm concerned.

Make it like alcohol, with citations or arrests given for driving under the influence, acting like a fool in public, etc., and tax the $h!t out of it to drum up revenue for specific projects like infrastructure or transportation, NOT some general slush fund which scumbag politicians can dip into at will. Anyway, as I understood the guy's spiel yesterday, under the new guidelines a positive test result will only be significant after a safety violation, an incident at work requiring testing, and situations of that nature... and if nobody was injured or killed, I guess the worker who tested positive can actually come back to work, once a doctor determines that there's no weed in his or her system. Also, as I understood the recruiter, a positive result on pre-employment drug screens won't bar anyone from a job.

Kinda weird, huh? Not to imply that this legitimate company tied in with ADOT (the state) only hires POTHEADS, LOL... many of us, myself included, tested completely negative for all drugs. I just find it interesting, how the laws are evolving where weed is concerned, having seen it blacklisted all my adult life. Well, not in Kalifornia, I had SE-WIOUS CHRONIC delivered to my door before I bailed outta there, and I actually had a weed card in Show Low, though that was more for my guests than for me... I *MIGHT* have taken a bong hit or two between beers while shooting pool on the 8' table, LOL. But that card expired and I never bothered to renew it, as I considered the $275 annual renewal fee too ridiculous. Since I've lived in Benson, I've only had a few hits of weed with visiting friends...

More for old times' sake than anything else... as a young skateboarder from a broken home, I thought my friends & I had smoked up all the weed on the planet, but evidently we missed some, BWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I used to smoke (or simply eat thumb-sized nuggets washed down with beer) before sailing and dirt biking too, as it increased my sense of freedom and actually heightened awareness in certain situations... same goes for psilocybin, one can do all kinds of outdoor activities on that stuff, LOL. Hey, good enough for the Viking Berserker Mushroom Cults, good enough for Me, AYE??? And I'm talking about being in the wilderness too, not bebopping down some Big City sidewalk while stoned out of my f#%ng mind, LOL. Damn...

I learned something else today: even though Prop 207 passed by a large margin, adult recreational use won't actually begin until April at the earliest, since the state has to distribute licenses & whatnot. I thought it would go into effect New Year's Day, like most laws recently passed in a November election, but evidently there's more to it where weed is concerned. So you AZ potheads won't be able to walk in and easily score weed till later next year... however, as I understand the current situation, if you're caught with weed on your person, I guess it's okay, this is one of those gray areas I mentioned earlier. Not that I'll be testing it, though I'll probably buy a bag sometime next year, just to have some nugs handy when friends come to play pool. No tweakin' crackerheads though...

I suppose my personal philosophy on drug use boils down to this: I don't care if friends take bong hits on my view deck to relax, I'm down on tobacco but I don't really care about weed use. Same goes for mushrooms & alcohol... all natural substances, or made from natural substances, so if they're good enough for Mother Nature, well, they're good enough for me, as long as those getting drunk or high aren't behind the wheel, making fools of themselves in public, etc., etc. On the other hand, I won't allow any chemical-heads or users of meth, crack, 'cid, PCP, Big Pharma cr@p, etc., on my property... they are all VERBOTEN!!! Any substance which is NOT natural, but processed in labs (medical or clandestine) from nasty $h!t, well, that ain't ALLOWED on my property, LOL.

I mean seriously, look at meth, in my mind perhaps the worst offender... the cr@p is made entirely from toxic substances!!! I know, because I used to haul hazardous waste to registered treatment facilities nationwide, and I recognized the same cr@p from ingredient lists for meth and other chemical trash. The cr@p rots your teeth, for starters... "meth mouth" is a real thing, LOL. Then there's the whole downward spiral to one's life, as I witnessed many times in Coronado, though not necessarily among my own circle of friends. The saddest part was seeing the young girls who tried to use it as a dieting tool... they'd get hooked on that nasty cr@p and their lives would go south in a BIG OL' HURRY. I warned all my nieces & nephews about that cr@p too... the good uncle.

Granted, unlike me dear departed mum, I'm no saint, and I've had my share of bat$h!t crazy Hunter S. Thompson-style adventures... back in the day, my friends from the surf shop & I would do massive amounts of blow, the Peruvian Flake or Colombian Rock variety, but thankfully we all grew out of that before we went bankrupt and our lives imploded, LOL. So I've seen both sides of that equation, but as adults we all make choices, AYE? And Big Pharma? I NEVER got into that cr@p, with the exception of some Valium, Quaaludes, and whatnot long ago... never bothered with the Big Pharma opiates, though I smoked opium in the past, and enjoyed it, LOL. Didn't happen very often, so it never really became a problem, it was just an adventure back in my teens & 20s, ya know?

To wrap up this discourse on drugs, I'll say again that I have no problem with ADULTS using marijuana, mushrooms, peyote, alcohol, etc., so long as they do it in a way which does NOT endanger others. These are NATURAL SUBSTANCES, or substances derived from natural ingredients (in the case of alcohol), and I reckon Mother Nature put 'em here for our use, if we're so inclined. But all that chemical trash sucks, and it ruins lives, therefore it should all be banned and stiff sentences should be given to meth cookers, runners, dealers and other fooliots... same for all the other chemical cr@p. One might argue that regular cocaine is derived from a plant and therefore falls into the first category, but excessive processing makes it undesirable, except perhaps in medical procedures.

That's my take on drug use, and I can honestly say that I first smoked weed in the early-to-mid-'70s. I can still remember scoring O-Zs (or ounces) of Lumbo Gold from a friend who worked at Texaco, he had a Jeep parked behind the station and we'd walk back there to make the transaction in the dimly-lit alley. The bags were huge too, "four fingers" of good sweet Colombian Gold smuggled all the way from the Southern Hemisphere, LOL. The buds were burly but they had seeds and "lumber"---we'd clean that weed and twist fatties to burn before walking over to the Village Theatre to watch the latest surf or skate flick, LOL. As years passed, the weed got stronger & stronger, and now ya have these chronic strains that are ballistic... medical weed, one hit & yer in a wheelchair, aye?

ANYWAY, THAT'S MY TAKE ON DRUG USE... STAY AWAY FROM THE CHEMICAL CR@P, INCLUDING BIG PHARMA, AND YOU'LL BE ALRIGHT. TIME FOR THIS KID TO GRAB ANOTHER COLD ONE, Y'ALL KNOW I LIKE MY COLD BEER!!! AFTER THIS UGLY YEAR, I RECKON I EARNED IT, LOL. I'M OFF, Y'ALL BE GOOD, AND STAY UNDER THE RADAR WHERE APPLICABLE, LOL... "THE TIMES, THEY ARE A-CHANGIN'!!!"

P.S. The way these scumbag politicians have acted all year, I reckon they're stoned or stupid... smokin' the GOOD $H!T, no doubt, on the taxpayer's dime, of course. "$50,000 per ounce? No problem, got the money right here..." BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I probably shouldn't laugh, since the joke's on us, LOL.

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

Hmm, after refreshing my memory by consulting a map of the equator in South America, I see that Colombia actually straddles the equator, so that Lumbo Gold might have originated in the Northern Hemisphere, go figure, LOL...

After 'Jungle Training' in Panama back in '82, I lost track of the equator down south... meh, Panama was close enough, I saw some really cool $h!t down there, LOL. That triple-canopy jungle was just teeming with critters, including bugs... fire ants, large spiders, bad@ss skeeters, etc.

Then ya had the snakes, which didn't bother me unless they were venomous, LOL. Vampire bats too, those were a trip... but the fire ants were ape$h!t, they had "freeways" cleared through the rotting vegetation on the jungle floor, lanes going in both directions every time. Suckers could BITE too, LOL...

Even the vegetation got gnarly at times, the 'Black Palm' with its needle-sharp spines was a real hazard when moving through the jungle at night, noise & light discipline making things more difficult. One poor sod did the "rucksack flop" in the dark and sat on some Black Palm, had to get Med-Evac'd out, LOL.

I suppose the part I liked best was being on point during night "land navigation" exercises... chewing large spiders the whole time, and I'm talking spiders with fangs 1/4-inch long, LOL. No lie, I put a tape measure on those fangs... y'all know I wouldn't pull yer chains, LOL.

Yeah, we saw some cool stuff down there... the helo flights in old thumping 'Nam-era, open-door, rust-bucket Hueys were cool, skimming the treetops and suddenly banking out over the Caribbean where the jungle stood atop tall cliffs, troops looking straight down 250' or 300' at multicolored shoal water, reefs, etc.

We even swam across the Chagres River, which drains into two oceans... Spaniards transported silver & gold along the Chagres, from the Pacific to the Atlantic (or Caribbean) side, humping the swag over the divide. The pirate Henry Morgan used the Chagres River to approach & attack Panama City centuries ago...

There were caimans in that river too, relatives of alligators & crocodiles, but they were supposedly a bit smaller, LOL... any caiman who latched onto me would've been punched & kicked till it swam off, bearing a grudge & vowing to return with its "homies." I was uglier in those days, you see, and I had a bad attitude, LOL.

Funny whatcha remember from old adventures in life... and that 'Jungle Training' was a real adventure, believe me. I wouldn't have missed it for all the riches in the world, and those primo memories will stay with me until I'm in my grave, or until Alzheimer's & dementia catch up with me, LOL.

Well, guess I'll go watch a movie, I had a fresh green salad and a bowl of my turkey soup for lunch, so I'm not even hungry yet... though I AM in the mood to drink some beer, LOL. Never did watch any flick(s) last night, wound up reading a good Western instead. WTF, this is Arizona, LOL... CHEERS!!!

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

Holy Cow!!! What a day... I ran around a bit to get some things I needed, then I put up those headstone (or gravestone) rubbings made by me beloved and dear departed mum, check out these cool ancestors who are now up in the Pool Room!

Been meaning to paint that security crossbar, I hardly ever use that door, but the kittehs use their mini door all the time, LOL. Also, that Pool Room measures 24' the long way, but again the pinner Canon cam fails to capture the size of it, maybe because half the room is still behind me. Here are some shots of the cool LEDs I hung today (permanently) on my Dixie Land Mermaid Bar, but the Canon cam turned the pics all blue... my bar is not sad & blue, it's a HAPPY PLACE, I guaran-f#%ng-tee it, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! The LEDs are red, green, orange & blue, with the blue almost appearing purple, but the camera didn't quite catch the multicolored action... I suppose there's some way to tweak the camera so it picks up all the different colors, but I can't be bothered to learn how to do it right now, this drink in my hand is far more important, LOL. Here's my bar, it looks really cool in "real time" with "real colors!!!"

Damn, it looks so dark in the background that ya can't even see the tile art galleon, but I assure you it is brightly illuminated at this moment as I key this post, LOL. Piece o' junk Canon cam, PFFFFFFFT... but ya gets the idea when it comes to my newly-decorated bar, AYE?

Hmm, here's an offroad mobility scooter I saw in the WallyWorld parking lot, gotta love these old folks in Arizona, they don't f#% around when it comes to mobility, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Look at the knobbies on that thing!!! Moi, I'd drop a freakin' Hayabusa motor into that bad boy and catch some MAJOR AIR, LOL. Blow past a cop at 100 m.p.h., gladly frame the citation afterward & put it up on a wall in my home... maybe behind the bar. Alright, youse heroes, here are the scooter pics, I'm sure you'll get a kick out of 'em... damn, I love living in Redneck Land!!! It's the friggin' bomb, LOL...

TIME FOR THIS KID TO GRAB ANOTHER DRINK & SEE SOME ENTERTAINMENT ON THE 65" CURVED SCREEN... HASTA LUEGO, HEE-ROES!!!

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

Holy Toledo! There are two dozen wild birds at the feeders in the yard, they must be hungry after that recent weeklong cold snap... this is the second morning in a row when there has NOT been ice in the birdbath, that recent storm system brought cloud cover and jacked up the temperature a few degrees. I still think we're in for a long cold winter, but that's the price we pay here for better summer weather, not so hot & not so humid. I wouldn't have it any other way... elevation is the key to comfortable living in Arizona.

Gonna enjoy this weekend and get some rest before the big push next week, starting that new job. I went down to the temporary yard being set up here in town, and the equipment is already there, as well as a truckload or two of safety barriers, cones, markers, signs, etc. Suits me, even though there will be State Troopers watching the road work for knuckleheads speeding or otherwise f#%ng up in the zone, LOL. We're gonna be on the shoulder anyway, or clear off the road while working on the guardrails, and our trucks will be parked between us and traffic, so I'm not worried about safety, though I'll keep a weather eye open...

Y'all have NO idea how GLAD I'll be to get back to work, even if it's a temporary project... been too long anyway, and this job may lead to other jobs, in fact I'm debating whether to help knock out the guardrail project over by Nogales, which is slated to begin as soon as this one is finished. We'll see, but in the meantime, I may run into some ADOT foreman or supervisor who can help me get on board right here in Cochise County, that's not a bad gig, tooling around these scenic back highways (and the interstate too) in southeastern Arizona, driving a truck for ADOT and reaping all those benefits, including an excellent retirement program.

We'll see what happens, for now I'll be happy to make $800 to $1000 per week again, depending upon overtime. Probably won't see any overtime for awhile, as this outfit likes to pull four 10-hour days and take 3-day weekends... that suits me as well, I don't really need the overtime, I can already live like a king on those regular wages, since the cost of living is so low here. However, I wanna repay my brothers as quickly as possible, I borrowed some money to stay afloat during these past few months of unemployment. Meh, they know I'll repay them pronto, and after that it's all gravy... I'll be livin' large in Cochise County, LOL.

Hey, I pulled a recon of the local 'skatepark' yesterday, and as I expected, it was podunk, but the ramps are sturdier than I thought they'd be, and the way the large concrete slab is segmented, it looks as if the city will eventually remove a few squares and pour some regular skatepark bowls on the property. That would be cool, I used to have fun riding my bike in the bowls up at Show Low Skatepark, there was a Navajo guy up there who RIPPED on a BMX bike, his name was Jake and he really had some fluid style... brought back memories of me and my friends at a younger age, tearing up parks and pools in the '70s and '80s, LOL.

Nowadays, I simply like carving at speed, I'm getting too old for all the wild jumps & tricks & whatnot... don't need any ObamaCare, LOL. But I can still cruise like an old soul skater... some of those youngsters up in Show Low were impressed that some double-nickel dinosaur like me (age 55 at the time) could still tear around the bowls. Jake was catching 6' of air off the spine, moi, I was just CRUISIN'... but I was STILL out there, LOL. I really dug riding my dirt bikes on Rim Road 300 too, THAT was an awesome experience! That dirt road stretches over 100 miles atop the scenic Mogollon Rim, and it is spectacular!

Once I get back on my feet, I'm gonna see about picking up another dirt bike, I saw a couple of older enduros on C/L not long ago, a Suzuki TS185 and a Yamaha XS200, the seller only wanted $1000 for both, and I could've easily done the kind of simple repair work needed to get those bikes running. Motorbikes aren't that difficult to work on, especially dirt bikes... and if it's some problem ya can't solve, ya simply drop a new motor in that bad boy, LOL. Moot point now, somebody snapped up those bikes pronto... wish I'd had the money at the time, but I didn't want to borrow any more than absolutely necessary.

Well, guess I'll slap together a burrito for breakfast, I mixed some egg in with my standard chicken burrito mix, making it breakfast fare, LOL. I'm getting hungry enough to mack a burrito plate, then I'm gonna putter around and enjoy my day, now that the pressure is off with regard to my financial situation. Hey, I'm STILL free & clear in scenic southeastern Arizona!!! LOL... that's all that really matters, the toys I can pick up again later. And this IS an offroad paradise here in Cochise County, some of the best riding I've ever seen. Before I sign off, here are some pics of the podunk skatepark, hopefully to be improved at a later date, LOL. CHEERS!!!

Pretty cheesy, but better than NOTHING, LOL... hopefully the city builds a real park in the near future, they allotted enough space for one, and you can see how the segmented slab can easily be doctored and some concrete bowls poured. I like how the city put the park down by the train tracks, no complaints if the kids get too loud, LOL.

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

"I'VE BEEN TRYIN' TO GET OVER YOU..."

Heard that tune on redneck radio this afternoon, on my way home from work...

Damn, that job is brutal too, it was like being back in Basic Training, only now I'm older...

Breakin' rocks in the hot sun has NOTHIN' on this guardrail installation business, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

If the job doesn't kill me first, I'll look like Ah-nold Schwarzenegger in a fortnight... no 'roids involved.

I WAS gonna get 8 hours of sleep tonight, but after the brutal intro, I think I'll make it 10, LOL.

Y'all be good, I'm gonna crawl off and get a level pre-nap before my full 10 hours, aye?

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

Watched a classic driving flick earlier, the title was 'THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN' with Kevin Costner voicing the dog in the movie... pretty good flick overall, some Seattle libtard action in it which could've been edited out, but otherwise very entertaining. And I totally identified with Denny Swift (the driver) in his ongoing effort to become a top racer... sounded like the story of my life as an aspiring writer, LOL. Meh, sometimes dreams don't come true, or won't until yer DEAD, LOL. Moi, I just don't give a $h!t anymore, my writing will stand on its own or fall as dictated by the cosmos, LOL. Next up, the remake of the classic Western '3:10 TO YUMA' with Russell Crowe and "The Ax" from 'LONE SURVIVOR' (can't remember his name, but he's a damned good actor, LOL). Hey, I got tired of drinking BEER so I graduated to real honest-to-God 'Rum & Coke' for the night... I don't think I've had real Coke for a year or more, but every so often, it ain't bad with the Bacardi Superior, AYE? Gotta have a full stomach before drinking this cr@p, or a full stomach in the morning before ya start drinking in the afternoon... otherwise, all that chemical cr@p will start eatin' yer stomach lining, LOL. Good thing I don't have 'Rum & Coke' but once a year, if not every two years, AYE??? CHEERS, YOUSE FOOLIOTS... ER, I MEAN YOUSE NAUTICAL HEE-ROES!!! I'm off to watch '3:10 TO YUMA' once more...

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

Man, oh man, those 'Rum & Cokes' did a number on me... but I think I'll live, LOL. It was good to take a break from the usual beer, ya know? And my hangover isn't really that bad, I must have eaten something before I crashed last night... can't rightly recall at this time.

Dunno if it's simply more globalist propaganda designed to p!$$ off the population, but I heard on redneck radio this morning that some 9-year-old kid made $30 MILLION DOLLARS on YouTube this year, doing "toy reviews" and getting something like 41 million subscribers to his "work."

Hmm, lemme see, I predict that by 12 years of age, the kid will be bangin' Vegas Hookers... by 14, he'll have multiple drug addictions... and by 16, he'll wind up putting a goddam bullet through his own skull, LOL.

Or maybe I'm just JEALOUS, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Meh, more power to the kid if he's hittin' the BIG TIME, that's a pretty good accomplishment, making $30 MILLION at 9 years of age... moi, I was still being a kid at that age, climbing trees and exploring the natural world, aye?

But I reckon this new generation is raised on technology, they probably know more about modern devices than I could possibly hope to learn in my lifetime... but on the other hand, I've had more cool outdoor adventures than they could POSSIBLY hope to have in THEIR lifetimes, LOL.

I guess it all balances out one way or another... so let the kid have his day, the world's going to $h!t as it is and the time I had as a kid was MO' BETTAH, money be damned, LOL. Man, those were the days, living overseas in Greece from 1968 to 1973... paradise on earth then, now I reckon not so much.

Alright, youse nautical hee-roes, time for me to lie back down and chillax for a bit before I make breakfast... I'm thinking the full-on countrified breakfast with eggs, sausage, pancakes, a big ol' tall glass of milk to wash it all down, 10-4? Yeah, that'll work... gonna be another bee-yoo-ti-ful day here in Cochise County!

I'M OFF TO SHARE SOME QUALITY TIME WITH THE KITTEHS... Y'ALL BE GOOD, AND HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!!! I KNOW I WILL, LOL...

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

I was having a long-distance conversation with a good friend earlier, and we touched upon the topic of self-identification. For instance, if someone were to ask me how I identify myself, well, I would reply that I'm an old school small craft sailor, and particularly a diehard Laser sailor. But I still enjoy dirt biking & technical rock climbing, I've had great adventures in each realm. But the fact struck me that I will ALWAYS view other outdoor activities through that "filter" which I acquired as a lifelong sailor... and I hail from a nautical military family (call it a naval family if you wish), with 2 CDRs, USN Submarine Service as ranking officers in that family. I had an uncle who served as a USAF Colonel, but meh, what's an Air Force colonel compared to a submarine commander? In my eyes, there's no comparison, the sub commanders have a harder job, LOL.

Anyway, going back to that concept or philosophy of THINKING like a sailor, that's how I approach almost every aspect of my life, including other outdoor activities. As a small craft sailor into PERFORMANCE rather than RACING (and yes, the two overlap), I will ALWAYS strive to better that performance by adapting or improving onboard systems... if I can find a better way to rig some system or gear to increase performance, then I'll do it in a heartbeat, and cost be damned (within my budget, I mean, LOL). I'm not BOUND by class rules & regs where performance is concerned, same way I'm not BOUND where dirt bike mods or climbing gear mods are concerned, AYE??? If a new way to increase performance comes to light, then it gets its proverbial "day in court"---and it doesn't have to suit anybody's tastes or likes except my own. That's just the way it is...

So, having said this, I wanna share a special link with those small craft sailors here who also dabble in dirt bikes & offroad machines... the reason for wanting to do this is that I thought like a SAILOR when I made these mods, LOL. I don't mean some modern swab, I'm talking about an ancient mariner or later 'Age of Sail' hand who also had to perform other tasks as soon as he hit shore... in that sense, the humble sailor became a "jack-of-all-trades" and had to tackle all sorts of tasks which weren't really in his "job description" (except for in the fine print which nobody read anyway, LOL). He might be detailed to hunt, gather fruits & vegetables, collect water, seek and harvest lumber for the ship's carpenter or cooper (not always the same person), assemble wagons or other means of overland conveyance & transport, act as a land-based sentry or soldier, just a long list of tasks not always associated with SAILING, you understand.

Meh, it's not a bad way to be, or a bad way to THINK either... it's good to be versatile and possess numerous skills. So, now we come to my little offroad rocket, a project of mine which I thoroughly enjoyed for a few years. This screamin' bad boy monkeybike tackled SO MUCH OFFROAD TERRAIN normally associated with its larger cousins, it was incredible... yeah, there were times when it met the wall and couldn't handle sh!t, and THAT is when I dropped a larger motor in the beast, or made some other significant improvement or modification, LOL. This little offroad rocket of mine was downright DANGEROUS toward the end, a real SLEEPER which would wake (i.e. b!tch-slap) an experienced rider mighty quick, had that rider not been expecting some super performance on the trail. The bike started life as a Honda Z50, but wound up as a gnarly FrankenBike with a 140cc Piranha motor in it, along with a few other mods, LOL.

Wanna know the funniest thing about owning this screamin' little offroad rocket? Even after all the mods, the bike would fit in the back seat of 'The Mighty Camry'---I later threw a hitch and cargo carrier on the vehicle, but at first the bike rode in the "Governor's Seat" in the back of my limo, LOL. So when I pulled up to various trailheads in San Diego & Imperial Counties, the casual observer would simply think, "Hmm, some tourist lost and looking for the interstate." Then I would open a back door and wheel the beast to the ground... lo & behold, all these hardcore MX riders & thumper riders on big ol' KTMs and Jap bikes would immediately gravitate toward the offroad rocket, LOL. At my invitation, they'd take turns sitting on the beast and saying, "DAMN, I GOTTA GET ONE OF THESE!!!" Those were some CLASSIC MOMENTS, and the ultimate praise coming from such obviously committed & dedicated riders!!!

Alright, without any further ado, we shall post the saga of my screamin' little offroad monkeybike & motocross beast, the bike handled so much terrain that I thought it would NEVER be able to tackle, and indeed there were problems encountered along the way, but this project was like a full-on adventure, or a voyage aboard old-time sailing craft where the outcome was sometimes in doubt or uncertainty, LOL. And YES, I shelled out a few bucks for the mods: better motor, extended fork legs & superior springs, big ol' mini-thumper tank from Clarke Racing (so I could check the fuel level at a glance, just like an old school desert thumper), primo state-of-the-art aluminum swingarm which cost around $200, awesome aftermarket gas shocks, custom seat (came with the bike, but I paid for it), an insane aftermarket exhaust system with a WAY over-the-top carbon fiber can on it, the whole nine yards, LOL. Oh, yeah, upgraded filters & gaskets too...

My little offroad rocket wound up as a BEAST on the trails of the White Mountains, where I enjoyed countless rides and heller wildlife sightings. Had I been a sailor of old, detailed to hunt & armed with a musket, I would've brought meat back to the ship after every ride, LOL. Instead, I pounded beers & ate thumb-sized nuggets o' chronic before hitting the trail, cranking Johnny Cash or some other suitable tunes prior to my departure from the trailhead. Man, those were some good times, and I had the SAME sort of good times on my island voyages, nobody else around except Mother Nature & all her kids, LOL. Given the wilderness situation, I used to ride with a can o' bear spray and a 9mm pistol, the gat slung Tuco-style where I could grab it in a hurry, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Heaps o' wildlife up there in the White Mountains, including bears, mountain lions, wolves, etc., so it didn't pay to go unarmed into the wilderness.

ALRIGHT, HERE WE GO WITH THE OFFROAD ROCKET SAGA... JUST REMEMBER, A DIEHARD LASER SAILOR MADE ALL THOSE MODS, LOL.

lilhonda.com/index.php?threads/z50-monkeybike-with-a-few-mods.18261/

There are some AWESOME dirt biking shots to be found in that thread, just scroll past all the intermediate text till ya find 'em, LOL. The photos of monkeybiking on Otay Mountain are downright primo, the western spur road of Otay Mountain was regraded when I started taking the bike there, and the riding was INSANE, despite the Border Patrol presence and the ugly views of Tijuana, AYE??? At least the island views made up for it, with Los Coronados looking mighty pretty in the distance. Great place to ride before leaving Kalifornia... I rode at a number of other venues too, including Carveacre Road (too gnarly) and the dunes at Glamis (sweet, but prior to the 140cc Piranha motor). You'll figure it out if you're a dirt biker as well as a sailor... I'm sure there are some cool AZ riding shots in the thread as well, toward the end you'll see how the bike ultimately turned out, LOL. Might have to go back a few pages from the end, I dunno... CHEERS!!!

HERE'S A BONUS LINK FOR ALLA YOUSE OUTDOOR ADVENTURERS, THIS ONE'S ABOUT VEDAUWOO IN WYOMING, LOL...

sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/tales-adventure/2011/apr/09/vision-quest-at-vedauwoo/

I'M OFF TO MACK DINNER & WATCH A LIBRARY DVD... Y'ALL BE GOOD, AND REMEMBER TO THINK LIKE A SAILOR!!! LOL...

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

Hmm, found a link to a Yelp review written years ago... my review was "not recommended" by fools at the site, LOL. Read it and you'll see why... makes me wonder if any idiot libtards ever sailed the length of the Salton, LOL. Here's the main thread, gotta scroll down to the bottom of the first page and click on the gray link to the reviews which were not recommended... scroll down again to see my review, you'll know it when ya see it...

yelp.com/biz/salton-sea-mecca

Those photos posted by visitors are pretty cool, and possibly helpful to anybody interested in sailing the Salton. I even found one of mine which I had not included in the lilhonda.com thread, probably because the lateen rig was violently luffing and thrashing about in 20+ knot gusts... find the photo and you can see how the mainsheet is flailing about as the boat lies on the shore of the small basin behind NSYC (or North Shore Yacht Club).

WELL, TIME TO MAKE BREAKFAST... THOSE PLANETS LOOKED PRETTY COOL THIS MORNING WHILE IT WAS STILL DARK OUTSIDE.

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

Okay, that was Venus in the eastern sky this morning, I just consulted an astronomy website and the two great planets Jupiter & Saturn will appear this evening low in the sky toward the WSW (another website said SW), and they'll only be visible until they set, so be sure to check 'em out as soon as it gets dark if you want to see 'em close to one another. I think I'll put the extension ladder against the south wall of my home and go up top on the roof for awhile with my binoculars, just to see whether I can catch a glimpse of the planets. Mars will be visible too, but it's higher in the sky, to the left of the moon at dark, according to one sky chart. Dunno if I'll see the great conjunction between Jupiter & Saturn, as I have the hill above me to the west and southwest, but perhaps a little rooftop jaunt will enable me to see these two planets. Close as they will appear, they are still hundreds of millions of miles apart in the solar system... a long trip between the two. Note to self: bring headlamp for safety until situated atop the roof, no need to fall and break my friggin' neck, LOL. Think I'll get the gear together and get that ladder securely placed while it's still light... Cheers!!!

 

[Cactus Cowboy]

That was pretty cool... went up top with jacket, gloves, binoculars, and an insulated camping mug of hot chocolate. Very tasty, with that cool breeze blowing... one thing about living at elevation, it cools off fast toward sunset, but that's a good thing in the summer, when temps start dropping in the late afternoon and the cooler air is welcome. Living on a hill also helps, and it wasn't too bad up top with my hot beverage... now I'm working on a stiff rum & eggnog, LOL.

Got to thinking, in the past 13 or 14 hours, I've clearly seen 4 planets, nearly HALF the Solar System!!! That's pretty cool... Jupiter & Saturn were easily spotted from my roof, probably could've seen 'em from out in the street, but I wanted to be as high atop my home as possible, just to make sure I didn't miss 'em. Mars was also easily spotted... made the mistake of looking at the moon through my binoculars soon afterward and was nearly blinded, LOL.

I'm sure I'll see Venus again tomorrow morning, as I'm usually up early... Venus has been exceptionally bright lately, so I've been enjoying the view. Gonna do some shopping tomorrow, less than 4 full days till Christmas, and I'm thinking about another turkey for Christmas Dinner. That Thanksgiving Turkey was pretty darned good... and I can eat off a bird like that for a week, including the delicious turkey soup I make for the finale. So manana, I buy a bird. Cheers!!!

 

[swedfr]

thanks for writing and sharing

 

[Eyeper]

Cactus Cowboy, missing in action....