Reflections on a lesson Learned

We came down to the oilfield with a Class A Holiday Rambler diesel pusher. In its day it was a pretty luxurious coach; costing north of one hundred thousand dollars new. Most of our problems with the coach centered around its basement heat pumps, which we could  never seem to get to work properly. Every time we called a repairman to look at the heat pumps it cost hundreds of dollars and we were lucky if it cooled or ran for more than a day. We supplemented the heat pumps with a small window air conditioner which helped some, till the ambient temperature rose to over 100 degrees. The straw that broke the camel's back was the failure of a radiator hose and loss of the engine. The repairs wiped us out financially and an additional cash influx failed to correct a persistent overheating problem. All along I was concerned that my less than stellar credit and nomadic lifestyle would prevent me from acquiring a new(er) RV. We had also tried to sell the coach via the internet, including Craig's List, with little or no results. We finally found a dealer that would take the coach in trade and that even turned into a debacle after a wheel bearing failed on the way there. In hindsight I should have cut my losses sooner. The 5th wheel we are in now seems to be a solid vehicle, requiring only minor repairs. Additionally, the repairs we have done have corrected the problem(s) eliminating the need for a repeat visit. The peace of mind that comes from knowing that you have a solid, reliable vehicle to live and work out of is invaluable.

Items of Note

Kudos to John Colas and the USO staff at O'Hare for jumping into action when word came that Marines returning from Afghanistan would be passing through the airport. Mr. Colas figured that after five days of switching airplanes; not to mention returning from the hell of war, the Marines deserved some recognition. Further kudos to the first responders who joined in forming a greeting line to salute the Marines as they passed through. It gets better-the fire department arranged a ceremonial shower for the aircraft as it taxied out. Finally, the flight crew sat six of the Marines down in open first class seats at which time the rest of the first class passengers got up and gave up their seats. OooRah! Now, can anyone explain why it takes five days to return from Afghanistan?

 

A salute to George Strait on a well deserved Entertainer of the Year award at the CMA's last night. A pox on the CMA for not rewarding him sooner and more often.

 

I find myself lacking words to describe the recent actions of an Indianapolis police officer who mowed down motorcyclists sitting at a stop light. A breathalyzer test; conveniently forgotten at the scene and given later, still showed the officer's alcohol level to be twice the legal limit. There is no word to describe how depraved a servant of the people has to be when his depravity leads to the death and injury of those he's sworn to serve. This is at least the fifth on duty accident this officer has been involved in.

 

 

 

A Sister's Love

In order to describe the relationship that my sister and I have it is important to note that we fought like cats and dogs as children. I'm sure there is some psycho babble to describe our interaction; especially since our relationship was forged through a life of constant change. We are military brats which; unless you have lived it, is impossible to describe. Basically; your friends, schools, homes, etc. are in constant flux as your father/mother travels the world to fulfill his or her military obligation. Amazingly, through all of that, my sister and I grew to be the best of friends. The women of my family personify all that is good in a female. Caring, nurturing, non judgmental, generous, protective, etc. are just some of the qualities my mother and my sister possess. My sister is resilient, having suffered through tremendous loss in her life, and I admire her for it. Even though we are different persons we share many of the same qualities. I know my sister is there for me as she has been all my life. I only wish I could have been there more often for her. I hope she knows that she is in my thoughts and prayers; especially today. Happy Birthday Sis!!

Some Thoughts

First, let me say I am for some sort of health care overhaul. The plan put forth by Obama is dependent on numbers yet to be released (which may account for 33 states not participating) and an even greater undisclosed number of young, healthy participants. Since almost no one I know understands the program; (including me) and so many can't even get into the website to study it, the early numbers are not promising. The early results are upwards of 80 percent of those able to sign up are older folks; some with pre-existing conditions. Additionally the program's sign up results have been abysmal, at best. Obama's business model is dependent on an average sign up rate of around 40,000 customers a day (the results to date are far under 100 a day!).  The Obama business model will fail if the trend continues. This program was passed around four years ago and this is the launch we have gotten. The health care overhaul is failing in its infancy because the figures don't add up and there is little faith in its ability to perform as advertised. Whether you know it or not every problem seems to cause yet another; kind of like a cancer. For example, the rate quotes on average are higher than predicted; all because the insurance companies have no faith in the projected numbers of participants. This has led to the biggest, and most overt lie; the promise that folks currently  insured and happy with their plan will be able to keep them. Even as the cancellations mount and/or plans unwillingly change, Obama continues to promise the opposite. To think we could face fines for failing to comply with this charade really gets my hackles up. This is not the rant of some conservative or some Tea Party hack, unwilling to compromise and looking for any way to demean the administration. Not to get off the subject; but that seems to be the standard Democratic/administration response. I am just an average "Joe" who is deeply disturbed by the goings on in our country. Specifically the ineffective, out of control, partisan and polarized government we are saddled with- and I know I am not alone. In my opinion the Affordable Care Act will become just another bloated, underfunded program subsidized by the government-meaning your hard earned dollars in the form of additional taxes. Come on people! Look at Amtrak, Social Security, Medicaid and Welfare. We can only print more money and increase the tax burden for so long. I believe the folks we sent to Washington know that and that is why we are seeing some of them digging in their heels. The unfortunate result is that the welfare of the country takes a back seat to these partisan politics. Seems like "Groundhog Day" to me.