A House Divided

There are just some things you shouldn't discuss with family and friends whose opinions differ … politics is one of them. We are a “house divided” here in Las Vegas. It seems political discussions heat up and disrupt an otherwise peaceful household environment. I doubt there has been a more contentious Presidential election in the recent past.

We sibs disagree on several major issues and subsequently our candidate choice and political philosophies. We've managed to co-exist peaceably by “agreeing to disagree” and keeping political discussions short. We have found, however, that we do agree on some points.

1. In a nation of over 320 million people, some of them pretty intelligent, it seems the two major political parties could have found two better-suited candidates to run for President.
2. Our nation is great, but has problems that need fixing. Despite its problems, we are still proud to be Americans.
3. We are disappointed … no, infuriated … that our Congress is so polarized, it is ineffective no matter who is the leader. If the Democrats have a good idea, the Republicans shoot it down. If the Republicans have a good idea, the Democrats shoot it down. No wonder nothing substantive gets done.
4. The right to vote is both a privilege and a responsibility. You have no right to complain if you don't vote.

We'll be out of town for Election Day, so we did our early voting at the local Galleria Mall that had several banks of voting machines set up. Though it was quite busy and there were lots of folks voting, there was no waiting.

We haven't voted in person in the USA for many years. We've voted absentee ballot from South America, New Zealand and Australia, ticking off the boxes and mailing in the ballot via local snail mail. So this was a change for us as we checked in, received “chip” cards, voted electronically and cast our votes.

We've done all we can do and now will wait to see if the rest of the country agrees with our choice or not. Unlike Donald Trump, we will not keep you in suspense. We'll accept the results and hopefully move forward. There's always 2020!

Road Trip to Grand Junction, Colorado

Do you remember a time when families had only one car and they arranged their schedules accordingly? If the car wasn't available when you needed or wanted it, you walked or took a bus or bummed a ride with someone else. It didn't seem all that difficult and it beat a horse and buggy. That was before it became “necessary” for everyone to have their own car and come and go at their leisure. Our driveway and garage has started to look like a used car lot. Karen has her 1996 Nissan van. Mary has a new Kia Soul. Paul just bought an Infiniti FX35 and we, car-less for years, have just purchased a 2011 Chevy HHR rather than having to borrow a car from one of the sibs whenever we want to go out. Coming or going is always an issue since we only have a 2-car garage … the most sought after parking spots at the house. Someone's car is always in the way and requires moving. With Karen's consent, since she drives the least and we are frequently out of town, we decided we would share our car with her and reduce the used car inventory by one van. Karen's grandson wanted the van, but how to get it to Craig, Colorado was an issue. Road trip!!!

Last Sunday, David and I left at oh-dark-thirty for a road trip in the van to Grand Junction, Colorado … about 520 miles away. Paul had advised us of all the best coffee truck stops en route and we stopped at a Love's Truck Stop just a few miles out of town on I-15 for a caffeine hit. It was a bustling place at 4 am. Traveling in the dark through the flat desert lands is pretty boring. When we entered the Virgin River Canyon, I wish we could have seen some of the scenery. The road signs cautioned us of falling rocks, severe crosswinds, steep grades and sharp curves. We negotiated it all in total darkness midst a convoy of trailer trucks.

Around 0630, the day was beginning to lighten. We crossed the Nevada border into the northwest corner of Arizona. The landscape changed drastically. The rising sun's rosy pink glow lit up the horizon and reflected off the red rock cliffs as entered into Utah.

We knew we were getting into the mountains when we saw the signs for chain-up and brake check areas, 6% grades and runaway truck ramps. Speed limits on this stretch of highway are 80 mph, but we kept the van at 65. We stopped several times en route, mostly because we need to stretch and walk a little every couple of hours. One stop was in Beaver, UT. Sorry, it's sophomoric and perhaps vulgar, but it just begs a stop to see what's there.

We saw the signs for the Zion and Bryce Canyon NP turnoffs and Cedar Break National Monument and remembered fondly our time visiting these. If we had more time, we'd have stopped again, but this is a one-day trip and we reluctantly continued on.

Once we turned onto I-70, the landscape became even more dramatic. This is an incredibly beautiful part of the country. We stopped at the Castle Valley viewpoint and took a little walk. The air was crisp; the sky was blue and the view was awesome.

We were ahead of schedule for our 3:30 pm meet-up with Karen in Grand Junction, so we dawdled for a few minutes at Devil's Canyon viewpoint and then stopped for a quick look-see at Ghost Rock, a geographical landmark for ranchers and travelers for centuries. It's hard to miss it.

The hoodoos are the most noticeable and outstanding geologic formations in the area. The tall red spires definitely catch your attention.

And then we were in Grand Junction, some 530 miles and 12 hours after our departure from Las Vegas. We met up with Karen as planned, dropped off the van and got a lift to the little Grand Junction Airport. Our little Allegiant flight ($51/pp/one way) was only 1 hour 15 mins long and Mary was waiting at passenger pick-up in Vegas to bring us home.

One less vehicle in the driveway now.

We know it's Hallowe'en, but it's hard to write about it until you've actually celebrated it. Look for our Hallowe'en celebration on Wednesday. Yes, we'll be all costumed up.

Happy Hallowe'en!

Celebrating 99 Years

Celebrating birthdays is always a joyous occasion, but some are definitely more noteworthy than others. Rebecca (aka Becky, Mom, Grandma, GG) celebrated her 99th birthday the other day. We made it back from the East Coast just in time to celebrate with her. She was still in Rehab when we arrived, but she got “sprung” mid-morning on her birthday ... another cause for celebration.

She was happy to be back in her own digs with her family and friends. She arrived in time to get settled and then head to lunch. A cake, flowers, cards, gifts, beaucoup well wishes and a grand party ensued. She agreed it was fine birthday celebration, but she's already looking forward to the big 100th next year.

Even the First Couple sent their greetings for her 99th!

So … what else happened in 1917?

Well, lots of other famous people were born in 1917 including President John F. Kennedy, actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, singer Ella Fitzgerald, Indian Prime Minister Indira Ghandi, jazz musician Thelonius Monk and artist Andrew Wyeth among others.

The world was in a turmoil. The USA declared war against Germany on April 6, 1917 and thus began America's involvement in WWI. The Selective Service Act passed the US Congress giving President Woodrow Wilson the power of conscription. The draft began in June 1917.

In the musical world, “Livery Stable Blues” became the first jazz recording commercially released.

Other “hits” of the year included:

Dark Town Strutter's Ball

For Me & My Gal

Bring Back My Daddy to Me

Hail, Hail The Gang's All Here

Over There (George M. Cohan)

Other happenings …

• JRR Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogy, began writing the first tales of Middle-Earth.

• The first Pulitzer prizes were awarded.

• Marshmallow creme, better known as “Marshmallow Fluff" in the USA, is a New England creation invented in 1917 by Archibald Query of Somerville, Massachusetts.

• The electrified kitchen cabinet was also invented. Regrettably, this one never took off!

  

Like Rebecca, we're pleased she had a good time, glad we were part of it and look forward to next year's centenary celebration. Let's start planning!