My 2015 in Review

Well, it’s the end of the year. It’s time for my review of the year that was, as it pertained to me and my family.

2015 was a very rough year for this family, as it was for many of those this family knows. That’s not to say that it was rotten for everyone, but it was for far more than it has been in the past few years.

First, one year ago today, I fell on my bathroom floor and boogered my knees up terribly. That hobbled me up pretty bad. Sometime around February, I got a terrible infection in my right lower leg. My leg turned bright red, and the redness started going up my leg. It was hot to the touch and very painful. It made me feel very sick and I had a high fever. The doctors tried a couple of antibiotics, but in the end, I had to take Levaquin to knock it out. Levaquin is a very nasty antibiotic and it nearly knocked me out. I wonder if the Levaquin didn’t set me up for the next problem that I had……

While on Levaquin, I started having terrible bouts with depression. We also had vehicle failures, financial uncertainties, and other stressors which led my doctor to prescribing alprazolam (Xanax) to me on a full time basis. Up to this point, I had a prescription for it, but only took a tablet here or there as needed. Taking the medication full time at first seemed like a good idea, but come July 16th, I thought I had a heart attack. It seems it was a panic attack brought on by my body getting used to the dosage. Xanax is a short acting drug meaning it’s effects on the body are short lived. It is also a drug belonging to the benzodiazepine class of medications. These are the same drugs that are used before you go into surgery to relax you and to make you forget things. In the hands of skilled anesthetists,  it’s a wonder drug, but I found out that it can also become a nightmare when taken for any length of time.

My doctor wanted me to take more alprazolam, but I figured that any drug that can make you feel like you’re having a heart attack in between doses is a terrible drug, far worse than even nicotine. I quit smoking because I didn’t want to be addicted to something, so it shouldn’t be any surprise that I wanted off of the alprazolam too. I essentially went cold turkey off of the medicine, which I found out after-the-fact, is a very bad idea! I suffered horrendous withdrawal symptoms which confined me to my bed for nearly 6 weeks. I still feel symptoms of withdrawal as I write this, four and one half months after my last dose. I have read many places from many other people who have been down this road that I can expect to experience withdrawal problems for up to two years after my last dose! Some people get better sooner, and a few people never really get over it. I find it hard to believe that I little drug like that can mess someone up so bad until I think about LSD. How many hippies have we heard about who “fried” their brains on LSD? Supposedly, many of them went into our mental institutions and some are still walking our streets, suffering flashbacks and other terrible side effects, decades after last taking the drug. It really testifies to how delicate our brain is.

We didn’t put in a garden this year. We did plant a couple of trees. We did get some firewood cut, but not as much as we had liked. Our vehicles gave us a lot of fits this year. First, the van’s water pump gave out. The bill to fix that was over $600. Some good Samaritan picked up the tab for that anonymously. Then the heater hoses under the van rusted through not once, but twice. The guy who originally worked on the van for us really screwed us over. He did a half-assed job and charged us dealership rates for his labor. The second time we just fixed it ourselves, on the side of the road. The pickup also had fits. First, we thought it was the fuel pump. An old friend of mine and his wife came over and helped KinDee change the fuel pump. It still was not running right, so we changed an expensive fuel pressure regulator, and that cured the problem. Oh, I almost forgot, the power steering pump failed on the pickup this year and my wife had to change it all on her own! That was a real treat and required us to spend a small fortune for parts and tools. AND, another one I almost forgot involved the brakes on the van which needed replaced, cleaned, as well as the van needing two new shocks. Again, an old friend of mine arranged for someone to do the labor for us, thank God! In all, over $2000 got stuck into our vehicles this year, but thankfully, a portion of that was mitigated by the kindness of others.

I am only homeschooling Jenna at the moment. I sent Sean and Karen back to school, not because I couldn’t hack homeschooling, but because of my poor health. I miss homeschooling the two younger kids, but I must admit, that I just didn’t have the energy for it after I got ill this past spring. I have a pretty good relationship with our new principal at this school. While I still abhor what we have done to our school by making it a K-8 and sending our high school kids to West Union, at least we have a top notch principal. For that, I’m quite thankful.

Now, for the hardest part of the year. 2015 brought some losses to our family. First, another old friend of mine lost his young son to cancer. That took a toll on this family. I watched my sister Lisa die and losing one of my own children has been a terrible nightmare of mine. Watching my old friend go through it brought back a lot of pain and hurt, as well as fear for me. As his family was going through the pain, I was reliving the pain here on top of it all. We also lost Cousin Ann Durnan totally unexpectedly this March. While Ann and I had our disagreements, I still loved her and I never wanted to see anything like that happen to her. Ann, along with her sister Grace, help take care of my Uncle Mike, who in many ways is like a father to me. I hated seeing Grace and Mike lose someone else so close to them in less than ten years. First it was Bonnie in 2006, Dave in 2009, and then Ann this year. My family was very close to Mike and Bonnie’s, so we felt that loss pretty hard as well. On top of this, several people I know lost loved ones. A few family members, myself included, have failing health this year. As I write this, I have an aunt who has been on hospice, in what is most likely the very end of her life. It’s been a tough, tough year for losses.

On the bright side, it’s also been a year that God has shined through friends and strangers. As I said, someone anonymously paid to have our van fixed with the water pump. KinDee and I have been blessed by an old friend of mine who has helped with fixing vehicles, to several other things that have helped us. There have been other areas where complete strangers have brought sunshine into an otherwise dreary year.

I am probably forgetting a ton of things on here. Regardless, I pray that 2016 is a much better year. The past couple of years have been tough and it would be nice to catch a break!

 

Eric’s Parable of The Evil Son

There was a family of thieves and murderers going back several generations. However, in recent times, many in the family turned from their life of crime, and walked the straight and narrow.

One particular family from this line existed and they had a son who chose to live like his ancestors. This son robbed and killed his fellow man. He robbed and killed those who were strangers as well as his distant relatives, and anyone who he felt stood in his way.

This son went into hiding from the law and continued to bring terror upon his victims. He also tried to convince other family members to resurrect the old family way and to join him.

As it so happened, the sheriff came to the door of the son’s father looking for the son. The father told the sheriff, “I do not know where my son is.” This was a lie. While the father himself did not murder or rob, nor would he give direct support to his son, he would not turn his son over to the law. Deep down he sympathized with his son.

The sheriff asked the son’s mother to divulge the son’s whereabouts and she threw her hands up in the air and proclaimed, “I don’t know what my son does, where he is, nor do I want to know. What he does is his own business. Leave me be.” She did not live the life of a thief or murderer, and had not raised her son to be one, but once he became one, she put her head in the sand and chose to not accept what her son had become. She was ashamed of him, but loved him and dealt with him by ignoring his actions. She would never turn in her son.

The sheriff went to the son’s brother and inquired as to the son’s whereabouts. By all appearances, this brother was an upstanding man. He outwardly projected himself as a pious man. He gave to charity and widows. However, deep down, he sympathized with his brother and secretly gave him direct support. He would give his brother food and shelter, and hide him out from the law. He lied to the sheriff and said, “Am I my brother’s keeper? I don’t know where he is.”

The sheriff went a few houses down where the son’s uncle lived. This uncle lived an honest and peaceful life, and his children and their families lived the same way. However, he wasn’t very close to his brother and their family despite living two houses away. He said to the uncle, “Your family there, two houses down, has a son who is a murderer and thief. I inquired of them where your nephew is and I feel they all lied to me. Go to your brother for me. Explain to him that his son has caused great harm and done wrong to many people. Explain to him that his son sows discontent and does evil even to those distantly related to him. Impress upon your brother, his wife, and their other son, that this is unacceptable and that they need to turn the evil son over so that justice can be done and peace can come to this land again.”

The uncle heard the sheriff and replied, “These are my kin. I have my own family that I tend to. I raise my family my way, he raises his as he sees fit. It is not my place to go to my brother and ask him to turn his son over to you. Yes, his son gives our family a bad name, but don’t judge me because of my brother. Besides, if I were to go to my brother and instruct him as you have asked of me, I may draw anger from them and endanger my own family for alas, his son is known for killing and robbing anyone who disagrees with him. There is peace between us now and I wish to keep it that way. I wish you well.” Afterwards, the uncle thought, “I am not related to the sheriff. While I do not agree with my brother’s family, if I had to choose between my distant brother or the sheriff, I would choose my brother as he is family and the sheriff is not.”

Now, the son continued to rob and murder. Who is guilty for the son’s crimes?

My DR RapidFire, 3 years later…….

I made my last payment on my log splitter just a month ago. I thought now would be a good time to write a little about my experiences with this splitter. In short, it’s regret.
I have had a lot of trouble with my splitter. The engine is great. The bolts that DR used are cheap. I’ve had the bolts used to adjust the motor snap off from normal use (tightening and loosening). They must be grade 3 by the looks of them. They should use Grade 8. The cost isn’t that great that it should even be a factor. I’ve had the bolts all replaced with Grade 8’s at my expense.

The handle mechanism has fallen apart once, needing a re-weld. Then the bushing and the rest of the engaging mechanism wore out from regular use, necessitating an upgrade from DR Power. To their credit, they sent me the upgraded material gratis, but I still had to pay a local guy here some money to do the work. Now, it’s broke down again. The handle won’t disengage if the splitter fails to make it through the wood in one pass. It’s probably the handle mechanism again, which seems to be a really weak point for this splitter.

The belts that DR use on the splitter are inferior. They should be a cogged belt for great grip around the clutch mechanism. I recommend Gates AX71 belts.

In short, this splitter is very fickle. The wood has to be just right. If it isn’t cut just right, or has a knot in a certain spot, it’s either dangerous to you the operator, or very hard on the machine. The handle mechanism just isn’t designed correctly. The Super Split guys never seem to complain about theirs, yet there’s plenty of complaints on the DR machine. I really wanted to see this machine excel over hydraulic units I have used before. While it does do well, when it’s not broken down and on straight grained, perfectly cut wood, for my usage, it’s more of a hindrance than a help. If I had it to do over today, I’d buy a good 34 Ton hydraulic splitter. Sure, it’s slower, but it would be broke down far less, negating any speed advantage the RapidFire has over it.

If you’re looking at the RapidFire and comparing it to a hydraulic, my advice to you is to go with the hydraulic unless you need to split pine, or other easy, straight grained wood. If you will be splitting elm and/or hickory, the hydraulic will be much better.

If you’re comparing it to the Super Split, I cannot help you as I’ve never used one. The Super Split is still out of my budget, and without financing, I’ll never be able to afford one.

So, three years out, I do not recommend the DR Splitter.

My advice to Trump ……. Broker a deal.

Now we’ve had our three debates, we are settling into the winter season before the first caucuses and primaries. You tout that you are a deal maker. You say that you will be a great leader for this country. You say that you will be a great world leader. Your first goal should be to become the leader of the GOP. You need to step up to the plate, broker deals with your contenders, and get them to fall in line behind you. You need to listen and address their concerns. You’ll probably have to kick some money to them for their campaign debts if they have any, and show us that you can take charge of the GOP and set its course. By the time the first caucus in Iowa happens, you should have a majority of your opponents out of the race, backing you, especially if you are a deal maker as you claim. I have little doubt that you are the deal maker you claim to be, but it’s show time.

You also need to do something about the GOP leadership. If you want to be president and come from the GOP party, you need to take charge of it. You need to do some back room dealing to get someone other than  Reince Priebus as chairman and you need to call Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan (if he indeed becomes Speaker) to your Trump Towers for meetings, and broker deals with them to support you, and start working on policy that you’d like to see them work on while you are going through the process of being elected. You claim to be a great leader. Then you already know this is the route you need to take. Start leading!

Here are my thoughts on your major contenders in the race;

Dr. Carson – Nice guy. What position could you offer him in a Trump administration where he would feel like he’s using his God given talents? He’ll be a tricky one to appease. I’m sure you can figure something out as Dr. Carson is a very intelligent man and you do seem to have some nice rapport with him.

Jeb Bush – Well, let’s face it. The Bush’s are powerhouses in the Republican Party. You’ll probably have to appease them. Maybe an ambassadorship to Mexico or some important South American country? Maybe a cabinet post where he can feel important without having much influence on America? If you don’t appease Bush and his family, they will work against you behind the scenes. It’s no different than how Obama had to handle Hillary.

Chris Christie – If there ever was a good candidate for Attorney General! The only problem is that he’ll go after states where there’s legal marijuana and that isn’t popular. Of course, as leader of the GOP, you could push for a party platform change and push for the feds to get out of the marijuana business altogether and leave it to the states like alcohol. Christie seems like a straight shooter. The only reason he’d go after marijuana is because he feels he needs to follow the law. Christie a good man, one you should utilize in your administration. He’s just not right for president. He could do the job, but he’s not the best option.

Ted Cruz – Now there’s a man that would be loyal to you and serve you well. Being a Texan, he’d be good in your cabinet, dealing either with energy matters, or financial ones. But, there is a better candidate for financial matters…..

Rand Paul – He would make a great Secretary of the Treasury. He could then audit the Fed and help get America financially strong again. Financial matters are the Paul family’s strong points.

Carly Fiorina – If you didn’t broker a deal with her, it might look like you don’t appreciate women. She might make a good Ambassador to the United Nations as she is quite articulate, and would do a great job representing America on the world stage.

Mike Huckabee – Here’s a guy you should seriously consider as your VP. I have another candidate that would also work well as your VP, but Huckabee is very Reaganesque and would appear great on camera. He is also highly intelligent, very articulate, well liked, and he won the Iowa caucus in 2008. He also has experience dealing with the Clintons. He’s very popular in the South.

Marco Rubio – Ambassador to Cuba. Need I say more?

Bobby Jindahl – He’s also a really good guy. To be  honest, he’d be a good guy to take over Reince Priebus’s position in the party. He’s young. He’s a hard worker. I think it would be a great position for him if he’d accept.

Rick Santorum – What to do with Rick? Does it matter if you appease Rick? He does have some pull with the social conservatives. It would be better to have him on board than not. I’m sure you can strike a deal with him.

Rick Perry – Yes, Rick is out of the race, but he was a very good guy. He was a very successful governor in Texas and his talents should be utilized. If you didn’t use Huckabee as a VP, Perry would also be good in that position. Perry is probably the most like you out of all of the other Republican candidates, at least in personality. Where I think Perry would work best though is as Secretary of Defense. Perry has bonafide military experience as a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force, and seeing that the future of defense will be in air power, including drones, he would be a great fit.

The rest of the candidates are such small potatoes that if you get a majority of the ones listed above, the others will fall in line. Jeb is your biggest concern right now because he has all that establishment money behind him. It’s one thing to beat him, but if his people are unhappy, they will do everything in their power behind the scenes to destroy you. You’ll probably have to also meet with all the movers and shakers behind the Republican party, including the Koch Brothers, and assure them that if you’re president, they’ll still be rich. They just won’t be able to control politics for awhile from their office in Wichita, Kansas. They’ll have to run for president themselves, like you, or else mind their own business.

Granted, I’m just throwing out options regarding the candidates above, but I’m serious when I say that you should be working right now to build a coalition. The mainstream media and the democrats are counting on the Republicans to tear each other to shreds over the nominating process. Just like what happened at the final Republican CNBC debate, wouldn’t it be nice if the Republicans would work together instead of against each other? I’ve said it before – you claim to be the deal maker. Then make it happen! Show America that you can do what you say!

Hurricane Patricia…..my memory of Hurricane Isabel

Living here in Iowa, we rarely make acquaintances with Hurricanes. If we get any association with a hurricane, it generally comes from those that land in Texas, get into the jet stream, and dump a lot of rain on Iowa as a tropical depression. Even then, that’s a rare occurrence as the jet stream usually grabs hold of those systems and kicks them east into Illinois and Indiana instead. Usually the greatest effect from any hurricane in Iowa is that it puts our own weather into a holding pattern for a few days.

Hurricane Patricia  is in the news today. They say it’s about to hit Mexico and is currently the strongest hurricane on record in the western hemisphere. I have been reading stories about the evacuations and preparations going on in Mexico right now and one thing about the stories reminded me of my one true experience with a hurricane, Hurricane Isabel in 2003. It’s that it’s already raining ahead of the hurricane in Mexico.

I was on my way to Williamston, North Carolina in mid-September of 2003 with a load of kosher beef trimmings out of the Agri-Processors plant in Postville, Iowa. There in Williamston was a hot dog plant that made hot dogs from these trimmings. The weather was beautiful September weather when I left Iowa. I spent the night around Louisville as I always did on the first night. The next day I remember I took the southern route to Williamston which took me through Knoxville, Tennessee and across I-40 through North Carolina. This is as opposed to the northern route which took me across I-64 from Louisville through Charleston, then down through West Virginia, Virginia, and into North Carolina. I had some bad luck the previous time through Charleston with traffic that stopped abruptly in front of me and allowed my load to slip off of the pallets. Why Agri-Processors never shrink wrapped the cardboard combos to the pallets is beyond me, but that load had to be hand unloaded and they were not happy in Williamston.

As I was travelling across North Carolina, it was the evening of the second night. I had to deliver the next morning. It started raining. I was east of Greensboro, actually east of Burlington, heading for the Durham/Raleigh area where I’d catch Route 64 and head east. This area was under intense road construction at the time and I was in a construction zone, doing 55 MPH. I came over a small hill and there was a Cadillac in my lane with a flat tire. They couldn’t pull over, so they were driving about 15 MPH. I had to slam on my brakes. I had nowhere to go. The shoulder had been replaced with a cement barrier and there was very thick traffic on my left. I knew it wasn’t good. While I didn’t hit that Cadillac, I knew the load in the back probably wasn’t on the pallets anymore. I found a truck stop and went to bed for the night.

The next morning I woke up. It was cloudy. That morning, the news was that Johnny Cash and John Ritter had passed away. I’ll never forget it because John Ritter reminded me of my father. In fact, he was only born one day before Dad. I also listened to WSM out of Nashville at the time. They were on my Sirius Satellite Radio (although I don’t think they are anymore). They were playing a lot of Johnny Cash tunes. Sure enough, I got to Williamston and the load had shifted off of the pallets. The guy looked at me and told me that he wasn’t going to unload this one. He handed me a fork and told me it was my job this time.

I unloaded 40,000 pounds of beef trimmings by hand. It took me over 4 hours! All I had was a food grade pitchfork! The unloading guy would bring me a plastic tote and I would fork the meat over from the combo into his tote. I was still in relatively good health at the time. It was the last time that I recall doing that level of labor in my life. Only a year later I would start becoming pretty ill. I remember when the load was unloaded, it was afternoon. I pulled away from the dock and had to change clothes as I was soaked to the bone from sweat and I had bits of meat on me. I felt very ill as I wasn’t used to working so hard. Truthfully, I am surprised I didn’t have a heart attack. Thankfully, I had quit smoking a year earlier.

My next stop was up in Severn, North Carolina, up by the Virginia border. I had until the next morning, so I left Williamston. It was cloudy and there were rain squalls at this point, but nothing serious. I drove up Highway 17 and caught Highway 13 which took me up to Suffolk where I knew there was a small truck stop where I could spend the evening. Just north of the Highway 17 & 13 split, on the north side of Windsor, I came across this peanut place that I had passed on previous trips, but never had the time to stop. Since I had the time, I wheeled in there. The place is called Bertie County Peanuts, and they have a website online. They are a small outfit, about the size of Krob’s in my hometown of Walker, Iowa. There’s a cotton field across the road. I sat inside there and visited with the equally inquisitive employee and spent about an hour or so at the place. The guy was even nice enough to walk me across the road to show me the cotton field and explain how cotton grows, and how they pick it. I ended buying a satchel of peanuts from the guy. He told me that all the peanuts in the store taste terrible because they aren’t refrigerated. He said that peanuts have oil in them and that if you want the best tasting peanuts, you had to buy ones that have been kept cool immediately after roasting. His were kept in a cooler and I can attest that his tasted far superior to anything I’ve ever eaten from a store. I left there and got up to the little truck stop in Suffolk, Virginia

There is a television station around Suffolk called WAVE. I will never forget that as I thought of a tidal wave and felt that if a large wave ever struck the area, they’d be the aptly named station to watch regarding the event. Their news was wall to wall that evening regarding the impending hurricane, Isabelle. It was still a few days out, but was already a Category 5 storm. It was still cloudy and the radar showed bands of rain from the hurricane starting to make landfall, even though the hurricane was still a long ways out. They said that it was about to start raining, and stay raining. Before dark, the rain came and never abated during the rest of my time in that area.

I awoke the next morning and it was certainly raining. One thing about the rain out on the east coast that I noticed is that it’s not a cold of a rain the way we get here in Iowa in September. It might have been a product of a more southerly latitude, but the rain wasn’t cold. It was warm and humid, and raining like crazy. It would soak you to the bone. It created light fog conditions and it was hard keeping my windows clear. I learned a long time ago that cracking your window does more to keep your windows clear than the defroster alone does. After a quick bite to eat, I left along U.S. Route 58 heading west, then caught Virginia Route 35, and headed south through Boykins, Virginia, and down to a business called Resinall at Severn, NC, just across the border from Virginia. It was raining cats and dogs there. I backed up to the dock and waited to get loaded. After awhile, nothing was happening, so I went inside. A “gentleman” inside informed me that they could smell “something” in the trailer and saw what looked like dried blood on the floor. Indeed, there was some dried blood on the floor, but it didn’t smell that bad to me. There wasn’t much blood at all. The guy told me that they would refuse to load me unless I went somewhere to wash out. Fair enough.

Then began a long process of trying to find a place to wash out. It was decided that I was to go to Emporia, Virginia and wash my trailer out, then return to load. So, off through the rain I went to Emporia and there I had the trailer washed out. On the way back, I heard a lady honking her horn at me in Boykins. It seems my door had come unlocked and was flapping about back there. God bless her! Someone could have gotten hit by that door. I got back to Severn and they proceeded to load me. I will say this, these guys were arrogant pricks. They wouldn’t even come outside to tell me that they wouldn’t load me the first time I was there. I was supposed to “figure it out” I guess when nothing happened after an hour. They must have thought that I was supposed to sit there and watch them, so that’s what I did the second time and the jerk on the forklift kept whistling, “If I only had a brain” from the Wizard of Oz, as if I was stupid. Anyhow, they loaded me with pallets of raw pine tree resin and I went to the peanut place in town to scale myself and realized that I was too heavy on the nose of the trailer. No matter how forward I moved my tandems, I couldn’t make it work. Trust me, I stood in that bone soaking rain and tried! So, back to Resinall I went!

They were not happy that I needed the load reloaded and redistributed. This time they told me that if I needed reloaded, it would cost me. Pricks! So back to the scale I went and it was loaded really heavy on the tandems. I stood out there in the pouring rain, beating on those pins which hold the tandems in place, and slid the tandems all the way to the rear of the trailer. I was still over weight on the tandems. I knew these guys were messing with me now. They went from one extreme to the other. I figured I only had a few scales to cross, so I’d try and hit them at night when they’d be closed. Off to the truck stop in Emporia I went. I still remember eating a seafood buffet and being surprised at the nearly 10% sales tax that I was charged there. I went back out to my truck and did some paperwork. It was just starting to get dark. I watched as a truck with a load of pipe was leaving the truck stop and was forced to slam on his brakes as a car came zipping over the hill. The pipe on his trailer slid to the front and hit his headache rack. Sadly for him, his headache rack was attached to the tractor, so he was now unable to turn his truck. He had to back up in a straight line (which he was thankfully able to do) and then he had to unhook his trailer. As I was getting ready to go to bed, there were forklifts starting to show up to work on his load. I then went to bed. It was still a constant rain.

I woke up very early the next morning. It might have been 2 or three in the morning. The truck whose load of pipe had shifted forward was now gone. He must have gotten it all figured out and got on his way. It was still raining, dark and gloomy. I left the truck stop and headed north up to Petersburg, then Richmond, Virginia via I-95 and then grabbed I-64 and headed west. Out past Charlottesville, there is a section of I-64 like no other interstate that I have traveled before. Due to the mountains, trees, elevation, and other factors, there is a considerable amount of fog in this area. There have been several deadly wrecks along this stretch, all attributed to poor visibility due to fog. For this reason, they installed lights into the roadway of I-64, like an airport runway. This particular morning, the interstate was lit up because of the rain and fog, and I got the pleasure of driving down the interstate this way, the only time that I had traveled this stretch with the lights on.

By the time I reached West Virginia, the rain was breaking up and by the time I got into Kentucky, the sun started coming out again. By the time I got home, it was typical fall like weather back in Iowa. It was sunny, dry, and cool. The load that I had on had to deliver in Des Moines and I had a few extra days before my delivery date, so I stopped at the house. The hurricane made landfall while I was sitting in my easy chair back home in Wadena. Isabelle wreaked a lot of havoc on that area. The main culprit was all that rain and flooding. They had problems with sever flooding all the way into West Virginia, where I had been only days earlier. Thankfully I got out of that area before the bulk of the storm hit, but I do remember that while I was watching television back in Suffolk, the night before I loaded in Severn, Isabelle was a Category 5 Hurricane, but was still a couple of days out at least. Yet, it was raining.

I delivered my load to Firestone in Des Moines and I told them that they were lucky to get their shipment as the place I had loaded from was getting smacked around by that hurricane. The guy shrugged his shoulders. To him, Severn, North Carolina could have been on another planet for all he was concerned. He was busy, working, and the weather was beautiful outside! I had experiences like this a lot when I drove semi. Like Mary Poppins, I popped in to and out of people’s lives and their parts of the country. Now that I’ve sat here to home for about 8 years, I try and remind myself that what I see on the news is reality for someone out there, far from me. For those poor people in Mexico, I can empathize with them. While I have never sat through a hurricane while it has hit, I have seen what it’s like in the days leading up to one. It’s miserable and it’s wet! So when they say that it’s raining in Mexico while they prepare for this Hurricane Patricia, it reminds me of that time I had just a fleeting moment with Hurricane Isabelle in 2003.

Two Months Benzo Free

I took my last dose of poison on the morning of August 13th, 2015. I had been on Xanax, .25mg, twice a day for about 6 months. I had taken it as needed for about two years before that. I had mainly used it to help me sleep on stressful nights. I wish I had never taken it at all.

My withdrawal has been a difficult one for me. I spent the better part of the first month off of the drug stuck in bed. I was sick like I have never been before. Not even during my worst infections that I have had have I been as sick as I have been since discontinuing Xanax. Even at two months off of the drug that was legally prescribed to me, I suffer withdrawal symptoms. Just late last week I had a rough night where my heart was racing, my body hurt, and I was sweating profusely. I barely slept. Even today I feel the effects of withdrawal.

In the first days, I suffered from everything under the sun. The worst withdrawal problems were the insomnia with adrenaline rushes. It would make my heart race and I felt like I was dying of heart failure. I sweat terribly and had really terrible bouts of depression and anxiety. I was a mess. I take that back. Even a mess looked good compared to what I was. I was beyond a mess. Slowly, I have transitioned to a phase they call “windows and waves”. This is where I feel fairly normal – “windows” – and then go back into benzo hell – “waves”. These windows and waves come and go at whim. It’s like being locked up by a serial rapist and he can come and go and rape me at whim. I have no control over when I am attacked. I do not know when my predicament will end. I have been told, and have faith, that it will end someday. I pray for that day.

Some of the early symptoms have quieted down to the point that I can tolerate them, or they visit so infrequently that I don’t think of them often. No longer do my eyes roll uncontrollably in my head. I can watch television again without it making sick, most of the time. When I’m in a  bad wave it still bugs me. Light doesn’t bother me as bad, but there are days where it does. Bright sun in the evening still pesters me. My computer monitors are still turned down to dim. The incessant vertigo has left me for the most part. Sometimes I still get it when objects move when I don’t expect them, or when riding in the van. In the early days, it was there 24/7. The heart attack sensations rarely happen anymore. Late last week my chest hurt in that bad window, but it didn’t last as long or as badly as before. I’m hoping it never returns like it did previously. The insomnia is much better for the most part. I still have some issues with it, but I always have. Part of it is that I sit at these computers or watch television late in the evening. I should learn to shut these things off a 8 o’clock and find something to do that doesn’t involve artificial light.

I’m not having the deep depression or the really bad anxiety attacks anymore. Knock on wood! I’m not getting as many muscle pains or cramps as I had in the early days. I still get some, but not to the extreme level they were at. My brain isn’t quite as foggy. I’m not having trouble finding words like I did in the early weeks. I’m able to write much better. I also noticed in the early days, if I tried to write something like this, I would start to feel the benzo dogs come attack me. Just trying to slice a tomato sent my body into attack mode. I can now slice a tomato without feeling like hell! I’m still not to 100%, but I am better.

Like I said, I am still sensitive to bright light. I wouldn’t dare want to be around a strobe light. If I get tired, my vision sort of washes out. I find that closing my eyes and leaving them closed for awhile helps. I am sensitive to sound. I now sleep with ear plugs in. KinDee assures me she’ll wake me up if the smoke alarm were to go off. When the kids fight and quarrel, it makes me feel icky, but not as bad as it did in the early weeks. I’m still having digestive issues. My stomach is all messed up and I have a constant pressure behind my sternum. I also get short of breath easily, and I don’t like that too well. I get a bad ringing in my ears. Some days it’s better than others, but when the benzo dogs drag me into another wave, it’s generally pretty loud. I get really strange headaches. They are intense pain that makes me feel sick and feel like a stabbing in my head. Ibuprofen nor Tylenol touches it. Neither does closing my eyes. It’s something I am forced to endure. I still get muscle pain and aches, just not as bad as I did weeks ago. My stomach really is messed up. I feel nauseous a lot. My intestines aren’t right either and I’m eating yogurt and taking it easy on them. The emergency room doctor that I saw weeks ago told me that our guts are full of serotonin and benzo receptors and that it was normal to have a sick stomach. Ugh! It’s one of my worst symptoms as I write this. I too hope this will pass.

I’m sure I’m missing out on many of the things that are bothering me right now. Sufficed to say, I’m far from being 100%, but I’ve come quite a ways since I started my journey. I remember that back in the first week or two of my journey, I didn’t feel hunger, tiredness, the urge to urinate, or do other bodily functions, or even thirst. I felt like a zombie. I had to force myself to drink and eat. I took a cup and said to myself that I needed to drink that amount for the day. My urine was really dark there for awhile. I actually lost 80 pounds! I know it doesn’t look like it, but that’s what the scale has told me. I’ve been a sick dog.

I know a lot of you have prayed for me these past few months and I want to thank you for it. I want to ask for your continued prayers as I’m by no means out of the woods yet. From everything that I’ve read, I’m looking at a journey that is two months at best, and in many cases, lasts up to two years, or longer. As I’ve pointed out, tomorrow marks two months. I’ve probably got up to 22 more months ahead of me, but hopefully, with God’s Grace, and your prayers, less. Thank you again for your support.

I’ve changed my mind……………

Let’s see, 7 years ago I would have been 32 years old. Since then, I’ve lived a lot of life. As with most people, my thoughts on some things have changed. I wasn’t really into family history as deep back then. My father in law was still alive. I wrote a piece stating that I only wanted to live long enough, then die before I got too old and lonely. You can read about it here: http://ericdurnan.blogspot.com/2008/03/live-just-long-enough-and-prosper.html

I pointed to my maternal grandmother who was only 67 years old when she died. I spoke of how she was lucky that she never had to bury any of her children or watch her siblings die. I hereby take back those words. Life experiences have changed my mind on the matter. Since then, my health has gotten far worse and there have been a couple of instances where I felt near death. I learned rather unequivocally that I wanted to keep living. I thought of my children living life without me. My youngest is now 8 years old, but even the thought of another 15 years on this earth seems too short. In fifteen years, I’ll be about 55 years old. Think of how much life I would be giving up if I died then! My grandfather, whom I mentioned in the original piece, died 5 years later. If I hadn’t of had those 5 years, I would have missed out on some very special bonding with him. I have learned that even though your peers may be dead, you are still worth something to the younger generation. It’s worth sticking around and seeing what happens.

If I live to be 67, the age that my grandmother died at, I would live until the year 2043. By contrast, if I live to be 90 years old, I will live until the year 2066. That’s a 23 year difference. That’s enough time to see a grandchild go from being born to being a 23 year old. Think of how much influence I could have in the life of that young soul! If that grandchild lives to be 90 years old, then I’ll be remembered by someone on this earth until the year 2133! Fancy that! They say you’re not truly dead until the last person who remembers you dies. Those extra 23 years on this earth are worth it.

I have a new philosophy about life. I think of life in 30 year blocks. The first thirty years should be for building your life. This includes getting your education, picking a profession, getting married, and starting your family. The second 30 years should be spent living your life. These are the years where you take what you built in your first thirty years and care for it, and expand it. These seem to be a person’s prime years. These are the years that you invest in your family. These are the years where the older generation starts passing on and the younger generation is being raised. This is where your family is a blend of old and new, but gradually becomes more new than old.

The last 30 years of one’s life, from age 60 through 90 ought to be spent winding down, tying up loose ends, and preparing to leave a legacy behind. These should be the years where you plan on retiring, paying off your mortgage, and taking some vacations. The older generations in your family are for the most part gone and there are more young ones being born to your children and grandchildren than you can keep up with. You should be a wise sage and offer advice to the younger generations if they ask. You should be there to help your children out with their families if they need it. Invest in your grandchildren as their parents are probably too busy to spend as much time as you can with them. I think the bond between a grandparent and grandchild is a very special one.

Anything over 90 seems to be gravy, however, it has been my experience that those who get over 90 years old lose touch with the youngest in their family. My grandfather lost track of how many great, and great-great grandchildren he had. However, that’s not to say that he didn’t serve a purpose in life after 90. He was still there for me, his grandchild. I loved my grandfather very much and those last few years of his life were very special to me.

So, starting this year, I have started praying to God that I live to at least be 90. That is my prayer. I’m not even half way there yet.

CBS and their “Gun Control” Agenda

I saw this hit piece on the CBS Morning News the other day. To drum up sympathy for what is tantamount to gun confiscation, they did this story on two police officers who were shot nearly point blank range and lived. They want to sue the gun shop where the weapon was sold. CBS twists this piece and almost pushes the viewer to feel sympathetic towards these two who were shot and angered towards the irresponsible gun store owner. They then go on to tack on a narrative at the end that Hillary Clinton is pushing for measures that would allow people who are affected by gun violence to sue gun store owners and gun manufacturers. What a twisted piece of shit. I will straighten it all out for you, then I ask that you watch this piece and just witness how twisted it is.

First – In this instance, a gun store owner was breaking the law by selling firearms to people who were not allowed to purchase them. The laws that were on the books were not being followed. Even with tougher gun laws, if someone decides they aren’t going to follow the law, tougher laws won’t deter them. It only serves to deter those who are law abiding.

Second – How can what happened to these two be compared to what has happened to all the people affected by the horrible mass shootings? In almost every case, the guns used in those mass shootings were obtained legally. Placing a waiting list on gun show sales would not have prevented a single one of these mass shootings. Not a single one! Yet, this is what Clinton, Obama, and the rest of the gun opponents are pushing for. Hell, the gun used against these two cops was obtained through a store, not a swap meet.

Third – Clinton would open the door for people like these cops to sue the gun makers as well. This would only serve to drive the cost of business so high for gun makers that they would go out of business and gun opponents know this. What if General Motors or Ford was allowed to be sued by those whose loved ones were killed by a drunk driver? Can you imagine? Do you think they would be able to stay in business long if they were able to be sued every time someone misused their product? Should Energizer be sued for their lithium batteries being used in the manufacture of methamphetamine? When people misuse a product, there is only so much a manufacturer can do except go out of business, which affects those who use the product the correct way.

As a student of history, I’ve seen this tactic used before. When people are afraid, they are more apt to let the government regulate. Once the government regulates, it hardly ever reverses itself. Remember my example of the automobile above? Let’s look at it’s history as a fine example of this.

When automobiles came out, they were considered by some to be tremendously dangerous machines. Horses hand minds of their own and it was pretty hard to drive a horse straight into a tree or into someone’s home, yet, with an automobile, if you weren’t careful, you could do just that. People were running into things and crashing in ways that were seldom seen with horses. As automobile speeds intensified, the wrecks only grew worse.

Automobiles were also louder than your typical horse and horses were easily spooked by them. In the United Kingdom, they passed a series of laws which curtailed these new fang-dangled machines called “The Locomotive Act”. Many of these curtailments made their way to the United States along with “Red Flag Laws”. These were all laws created in a knee-jerk reaction to automobiles which many found to be scary.

Now, you and I take automobiles for granted and can chuckle at some of these old, archaic laws, but many of the restrictions and overbearing regulations remain to this day. Among them are vehicle registration, license plates, and driver’s licenses. Even automobile insurance came out of this early era of automobiles. Before the automobile, generally speaking, it would have been unthinkable to require someone to possess a license to operate a horse, or for someone to purchase registration for their horse and buggy. It’s my understanding that some of the very large cities did this, but mainly for those who were in the business of carrying passengers or freight, known as chauffeurs. But for common folks like you and me, if you owned a horse and buggy, nobody was going to give you a ticket for lack of registration or license.

Imagine if we had today’s mind-set back then. If we would have allowed people to sue automobile manufacturers for misuse of their product, I dare say that we may not have the luxury of owning our own automobiles like we do today. They would be very rare and expensive, even more so than they are now. No, back then I doubt most common people would have even thought of suing the manufacturer for misuse. People back then seemed to have a little more common sense than people do today, but even with that being said, they did allow for all those regulations, which stick with us even now, and in the case of a driver’s license, it has become something even greater than what it was originally intended to do. Today’s driver’s license is a de facto national ID card assigned by the state, but to federal standards. Your driver’s license photo is stored in a database as a mugshot, even though you have done nothing wrong. Programs are out there that can pick you out in a crowd. This is why they don’t allow you to smile in your driver’s license photo and why it has a plain blue background. Do you see how laws meant for one reason can lead to unintended consequences? This is why allowing the federal government any more control over guns is a scary thought, much scarier than the thought of the wrong person having a firearm.

In fact, if people were to familiarize themselves with firearms, like they have with automobiles, I think we’d see a whole new approach towards firearms from the public. Firearms, like the automobile, in the wrong hands, can kill and hurt people. We’ve seen what happens when someone decides to plow their car through a crowd of people. People drive into crowds regularly, yet we don’t hear about it as loudly as we do when guns are involved. In 2003, George Weller drove his car into a crowd at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market and killed 10 people and injured 63. Just this summer a man decided to kill people with his car and yet, there have been no calls to ban the automobile, or for tougher restrictions on them. This is because we are around cars everyday and they don’t instill the same fear into the population the way that guns do. Whether it be a gun or an automobile, in the wrong hands, it is deadly. What defense do you have against a man who decides to run you over with a car? If you’re lucky, you can jump out of the way, but many times, there is very little warning when someone runs you over. With a gun, there is very little defense unless you are armed too. Most of these mass shootings have taken place in places that are gun free zones.

So, when you watch this piece, or listen to the whole gun control argument that will take place for the foreseeable future, remember, a lot of what gun opponents are pushing for wouldn’t have changed a single thing about the mass shootings that have happened. They are playing upon the general public’s fear of firearms. They are counting on the general public to react based upon emotion and not facts. Hit pieces like this from CBS will become more and more common, and just work people up into a greater lather. No government that operates in a manner that oppresses its citizens wants an armed citizenry. None. Go read what the founding fathers said about firearms, and not just the Bill or Rights, but in their writings. Thomas Jefferson was a strong proponent of people having firearms and he even advocated for the citizenry to rebel against the government every so often.

Our generation is soft. Over time we have been put to sleep. The government will not protect us. We need to protect ourselves, and that starts with an armed citizenry that is able to respond rapidly to sick minded individuals who choose to kill innocent people. I’m all for properly training people and making sure that firearms get in the hands of well qualified individuals. I’m also for making sure that firearms are stored safely in order to keep them out of criminal’s hands. However, this is not what Hillary intends to accomplish by allowing people to sue gun makers. No, Hillary and those like her want to disarm America, but they don’t have the guts to come right out and say it. They have no trouble pointing to other countries who have essentially done this and stating that this is what they want American to look like.

 

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Tougher Gun Laws are not the Answer

I would like to have Obama tell us specifically what stronger gun laws would have done to prevent what happened in Oregon, or any of the other shooting tragedies. Stronger gun laws would not have stopped this guy. Murder laws certainly didn't. We don't have a gun problem as much as we have a problem with mental health and morality in this country. This guy was angry with religion, which is also a problem that has been stirred up lately in this country (as has the race issue)....

There are certain things that I have learned to be truths in my nearly 40 short years on this earth. They are:

1. We all make time for our priorities.
2. People who crave power, seek it.
3. People who are hell bent on destruction will find a way.

What happened in Oregon and the other mass shooting places all touch a little bit on each of those truths.

Dorothy Christen

Dorothy Christen passed away the other day. I heard she had a brain aneurism from which she was unable to recover. Sadly, it’s a reminder of how quickly any of us can be taken away. I sit here on my little corner in Wadena and watch the world pass outside of my window. Just from my perspective, I was able to see how large of a part that Dorothy played in our community. I am a writer and felt compelled to send a letter to the editor of our local papers. Hopefully you’ll see my piece in next week’s paper with her obituary, but in case you don’t, here’s the letter that I submitted:

Dear Editor,

My wife informed me that Dorothy Christen passed away this morning. It comes as a shock as I remember seeing her alive and well during our parade just a little over a week ago here in Wadena. It reminds me how fast people can be taken away.

Dorothy’s death is a tremendous loss to our community. When it came time to decorate by putting flags up on the poles in town, I would see Dorothy out there helping. When the Legion or Fire Department would have events, Dorothy would be there. Every Christmas, Dorothy would be there with Santa Claus for the children of our town. When our church here in town started having Awanas for the children, Dorothy was there. Dave and Dorothy were some of the most recognizable features in our parade every year. There would be Dorothy, riding on some contraption that her husband Dave would dream up! When my wife needed help with our sewing machine, Dorothy was there, patiently willing to help. When anyone got sick in Wadena and needed medical help, Dorothy, as a first responder, was there. When children were in need, Dave and Dorothy took them in as foster parents.

I’m sure I’m only scratching the surface of those things which Dorothy did for our community. Those are the only the things that I was able to witness as I sit here on my little corner in Wadena. It’s my understanding that Dorothy did a whole lot more for the greater community. George Jones used to sing, “Who’s Gonna Fill their Shoes”. I think of this song when I think about Dorothy’s passing. She will leave behind some very large shoes to fill in our little town. Her loss will be sorely noticed in this community. My wife and I send our condolences to her husband Dave and the rest of Dorothy’s loved ones.

                                                                                                                                Sincerely, Eric E. Durnan, Wadena, Iowa

 

Here is video from our parade on the 20th of September, a mere week and a few days before she died.

My advice to Trump – Unfair Coverage

Mr. Trump,

Quit pointing out to people the unfair treatment that you are getting from certain reporters and Fox News. We get it. You can mention it, but don’t beat a dead horse. Your message should be that all of the other candidates, with the possible exception of Bernie Sanders, are bought and paid for by special interests and you aren’t. You should pose the question, “If so and so were elected president, what are they going to do when their big donors come calling on favors?” This is what has been happening for may years and this is what the American public is sick of. You need to tap into that sentiment. We know the media is biased. Keep reminding that these other guys come with strings attached. You are “special interests” greatest nightmare. If you’re elected, they won’t have any favors to call on from you.

The Pope and Climate Change

The Pope has called upon all nations of the Earth to address climate change. The Holy Father has been lead astray by the hype lathered up by big corporations who have scientists in their pocket looking to make billions off of a scared populace. When I was a child in the 1980’s, the big scare was acid rain. Today, nobody speaks about acid rain. I don’t even hear anyone complain about smog anymore, although it still exists. In the 1970’s, Iron Eyes Cody, who wasn’t even a real Indian, did public service announcements about cleaning up our environment.

No, trying to take care of the environment isn’t good enough anymore. Who can argue about making sure we have clean air and clean water? No, it’s all about trying to change our climate now. According to these scientists (and let’s be real, not all scientists are claiming global warming, but the ones who are, are calling the one’s who aren’t, all sorts of nasty names), our temperatures are getting hotter, and it’s all our fault. According to these scientists, we humans can do something to slow the warming of our planet. For those of us who don’t buy into this whole “it’s entirely our fault that the planet is warming”, they have made a nice little ribbon to pin on our head. They call us “global warming skeptics” or “global warming deniers”, and some have called for us to be put to death!

I would like to take the Pope and any other global warming alarmist and bring them right here to Iowa. When I was in school, I had a class that explained why Iowa looked like it did. You see, we were covered in glaciers not once, but several times. These glaciers came down from the north, covered us up for a long time, then receded. Why did the glaciers recede? Because the climate warmed, that’s why, and this was long before the industrial revolution. Ah, but the global warming alarmists will tell us that it has never happened this fast before. How do they really know? They claim science tells them this, but this is the fun part, there’s no way to prove their science is 100% correct. Nobody was around back then to record how fast or slow things happened. You see, in order to believe what they tell us, you have to have faith that their science is correct. These are the same bunch of folks who tell us one year that eggs will kill us, and then tell us they are fine the next.

Here in Iowa, there are tremendous limestone deposits and in that limestone, there are uncountable numbers of fossils. These are mainly in the form of seashells and other aquatic looking fossils, meaning, we were once under water here in Iowa! Wow! Imagine that! So the earth was once MUCH warmer and Iowa was covered in water. So, knowing this, why are we even trying to change the climate when we know that it can be much warmer, or even much colder? We are still within the acceptable range in my book. Listen, I’m not advocating that we live the type of lifestyle where we just go ahead and pollute the earth. That’s like shitting in your own bed, but this whole fallacy of crying about climate change, and pinning it on our shirts as if we can make it warmer or colder at will is silly. Even giant meteors fell to earth and messed the climate up drastic enough that it supposedly wiped out the dinosaurs and here we are today. If we really were the ones screwing up our planet, then guess what? We’ll die off and the planet will go back to getting warm and cold all on its own like it has for ages and ages before we ever entered into the picture.

Here’s the deal. Why are certain creatures from the time of the dinosaurs still here? Why did certain creatures survive into our modern age? It’s because they were the best creatures at adapting, and some had a little luck on their side. This is what we need to be focusing on if the earth is truly warming and if we are truly facing rising oceans. We need to figure out a way that we are going to adapt instead of trying to change the climate. The reason that we aren’t focusing on adapting is because there is a political agenda that fits hand in glove with crying about climate change. It has everything to do with oppressing freedom and controlling mankind. If we buy into this whole notion that we are to blame for raising temperatures, then we accept the fact that we are guilty of doing something wrong. What happens to those who are guilty of doing wrong? They pay a price! What price is to be paid for raising the temperature of the planet? Higher prices across the board for all goods, and a reduction in the quality of life that we have been accustomed to living. Do you see why they are trying to get us to believe that it’s man-made global warming and not just something that has been happening for millennia? If we focused on adapting, then there would be no guilty parties and nobody would want to pay the price because they wouldn’t feel guilty.

Sadly, the Pope and many of you have fallen into this terrible trap. Your desire to live in a clean and healthy world has been twisted into a belief that you are guilty of hurting our planet. You are made to believe that you must pay for your transgression and it makes you angry towards those who seemingly don’t feel bad. It’s like seeing someone run a dog over and not care in your book. How dare these people not feel bad for hurting the planet? I get it, but you have been duped. Instead, the Pope and everyone else for that matter, needs to shift the focus from climate change back to where it belongs, on living on a clean planet, and protecting the environment, and learning how to adapt in an ever changing world. That’s something that almost everyone can rally around.

The Pope’s Plea – End the Death Penalty

Today the Pope addressed our congress and made a plea to end our death penalty. The problem with this is that in some circumstances, the death penalty is called for. Even Jehovah God gave his chosen people, the Israelites, circumstances that the death penalty was acceptable. The death penalty should not be used lightly. In cases where guilt cannot be determined 100%, it is better to air on the side of caution and sentence life in prison. Killing an innocent person is more than just a miscarriage of justice, it is a sin. No Christian society should allow for the possibility that an innocent person may lose their life. However, there are cases where evidence is such that there can be no doubt as to the person’s guilt or innocence. In those cases, where there is no doubt whatsoever, then the death penalty is appropriate, especially in cases where the person has a history of violence and rehabilitation has failed. In cases where people like this murder, kidnap, and rape, and there is no doubt to their guilt, punishment by death should be swift and humanely done. This is to protect society and maintain law and order while we await the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

My advice to Trump – Obama Birth Debate

Mr. Trump,

When asked about where Obama was born, you rightfully identify it as a trap. The correct response to reporters who ask this is to point out that after a lot of delay and opposition, the president presented a Hawaii short form birth certificate. If they press you further and ask if you trust or believe that birth certificate, you should tell them that it doesn’t matter at this point because Obama will be out of office soon and that the historians can take up that argument and fight about it from now on. Then, as you have been doing, shift to looking forward and addressing issues that matter to this upcoming election.

July 23rd, 2015

Every time I think I want to write about something, I find it hard to do. I’m half way through my 39th year on this planet and I should be in the prime of my life, but I’m not. I’m in poor health and I struggle to make it through most days. I don’t feel well, have trouble concentrating, and generally don’t feel that spark of life much more.

Here it is, the 23rd of July. I should be out driving around tonight, with my windows open, smelling the corn fields and the freshly cut hay. It’s summertime and I should be going to the lake, county fairs, and possibly taking a small vacation. Fifteen years ago I took a trip to Florida and came back around the 22nd of July. No such luck this year. In fact, it has been years since that was even a possibility.

When I was a kid, I’d be in the final weeks of detasseling corn at this point. My pockets would be flush with newly earned money. I’d be ready to buy new clothes for school, and some new video games, or music albums. Again, not so this year. I just find no joy in life anymore. I have my wife and kids, but all they want to do is set around and watch television. They don’t seem to take much enjoyment in life either. It feels like I’m a drug addict surrounded by other drug addicts. The problem is, my health is such that I can’t escape from my situation at this point.

I was just thinking here the past day or two that I can remember 25 years ago fairly easy at this point in my life. Twenty-five years ago, almost everyone I knew was in good health. It wasn’t uncommon at all to go and visit friends and family. I was in good health. This summer heat didn’t bother me at all. I can barely breathe in it now. I used to enjoy sitting outside under a shade tree back then. Now, all I do is sneeze and sweat outside. Is this just part of growing older?

I know several people my age who are in poor health. Obviously none as bad off as I am, but some of them aren’t too far off. What is it with people today? They talk about the growing obesity problem in this country, but it’s more than that. Mentally, people aren’t the same as they were 25 years ago. I really don’t know that many people who are happy in life right now. That seems to translate into poorer physical health too, it seems.

Well, enough bitching. I’m not even sure why I am writing a blog post like this other than that fact that I’m sitting here bored, listening to my daughter crank the Powerpuff Girls in the other room, while I watch the grass grow taller outside my window, from my air-conditioned house. Sometimes the answer isn’t as simple as wanting to change. Go tell a cancer patient to heal themselves. Sometimes change isn’t possible. Sometimes we have to play the cards we’ve dealt. Granted, some of us have possibly made poor moves in this game called life, but that doesn’t change the fact that you still have to play with the cards you’re left with. I’ve got nothing in my hand and it seems it’s time to fold soon. Hopefully my kids have better luck than me.

Corporate Run Government

If you want to see how deeply engrained large corporations are in our political system, pay attention to this whole Obama Trade fiasco. It was the same for Obama Care where who have both parties actually working together to pass a really stinky deal for the American people, that benefits large corporations, yet sit back and bitch about it at the same time. It's both parties that are guilty and it has been happening since at least the time of NAFTA, if not before. Are we as a nation better off? I don't think so. Large corporations are engrained in our government the same way that religions were in the governments of the Middle Ages. Look how messed up things were then. We're seeing the same happening today.

Changing power steering pump on 2001 Chevrolet 2500HD with 8.1 engine with Hydroboost

1. Disconnect positive terminals from the Battery/Batteries

2. Remove tubing from intake to air filter box

3. Remove top part of fan shroud

4. Remove clutch fan using 1-7/16” wrench. (Having the correct wrench makes this job very easy. The fan uses standard right hand threads, so by placing the wrench on from the top, you smack the top of it with a hammer towards the passenger side. We use a Pro Grade brand combination wrench #11018, about $55 from Amazon)

5. Remove lower fan shroud, being careful of any transmission/coolant lines attached to it.

6. Remove serpentine belt

7. Remove both the plastic skid plate and the metal one a little further back if so equipped.

8. Remove high pressure line from rear of power steering pump using 5/8” flare wrench. Depending on the length of your wrench, this may be tricky, but I use the box end of another wrench in the opposing open end of the flare wrench for leverage.

9. There will be a bracket with two nuts on the back of the pump. The bracket is attached to the engine block by one bolt. Remove the bolt from the block. You may also remove the nuts from the back of the pump that attach it to the bracket. I didn’t have luck removing the bracket at this point due to space constraints. You need this bracket for your new power steering pump. Do not send it back with the core!

10. Remove two return lines. They are only held on by clamps.

11. Remove the power steering pump pulley.

12. Remove the four bolts from the front of the pump. They hold it to the bracket that runs up to the alternator.

13. At this point, you should be able to start wiggling the pump out. You may have to loosen the bolts on that bracket that also holds the alternator to give you a little more wiggle room to get the power steering pump out.

14. Remove the extension on the top of the pump. It looks like a short piece of rubber hose with a couple of clamps. It is where the dipstick for the pump is. You will need this part for your new pump. Do not send it back with the core!


To re-install, reverse the steps and flush, fill, and purge the system using new power steering fluid.
 

Note: Some people remove their pump without removing the clutch fan, but I appreciate having that little extra room as I have large hands and it’s not too hard to remove the fan if you have the proper wrench.

Note #2:  The top return line is for the hydro-boost. The bottom return line is for your power steering. If you choose to flush your system, the only way to get fluid to return from the top return hose is to step on the brakes while the engine is running. This will push fluid out of the top line. We catch it in an old milk jug when we flush so that we can see when clean fluid starts coming out. The bottom hose can be flushed by turning your wheel back and forth. Make sure to block the port on the pump that you have pulled the hose from as it will squirt fluid out of it as you flush.

AC/DC Drummer Mystery Continues...........

Here we are, a little over a week away from the Grammys, and AC/DC still have not announced who will be sitting at the drum set. The reason for their silence baffles me. I have thought long and hard on why they are keeping silent on the issue. I have also thought about why the contenders have kept quiet as well. It is certainly a mystery.

First, why would the band not say anything about it? I can only think of about 4 real reasons.

Reason 1 – They don’t know who the drummer will be. This is the weakest reason, but plausible. They may have been holding auditions and discussions. Whoever the drummer is going to be, they may have to work under the condition that Phil gets his job back once he is cleaned up and got his life straightened back out. Like I said, this is the weakest reason and probably not the real reason.

Reason 2 – Publicity. AC/DC aren’t the greatest with publicity. It’s just the way they are. You would think that if this was a publicity stunt, they would be hamming it up. Instead, they are dead silent on the issue, as is everyone involved. Chris Slade isn’t saying anything. Simon Wright isn’t saying anything. Phil Rudd has only said that he wants his job back and has said that he will get it back. Now, he’s silent too. The band hasn’t said so much as a peep since Phil said he wanted his job back. There haven’t been any promotional interviews. There haven’t been any interviews of any kind for that matter. It’s "radio blackout". For a band promoting a new album, this isn't normal.

Reason 3 – Respect for Phil. Do you announce a funeral with fanfare? I don’t think this is a happy time for the band, so they are staying quiet. Odds are, they’re going to make this transition as quietly as possible, which is hard for such a popular band. By announcing a new drummer, they may perceive it as something they are proud of, which I just mentioned, I’m sure they are not.  When Phil left the first time, back during “Flick of the Switch”, the band made the change very quietly, but only being 39 years old now and being too young to be into AC/DC at that time (I would have been 7 or 8 years old), I don’t know if it was as quiet as this.

Reason 4 – This is the one that may be most plausible. Phil isn’t fired. It may be hard to believe, but he may not technically be fired. He may be suspended from the band, but if they haven’t said that he’s fired and he hasn’t been removed from the website, odds are, he’s still the official drummer.

How can this be? Well, let’s look at it this way; When Malcolm had an alcohol problem back in ’88, Stevie Young took his place on tour, giving him time to clean his act up. The band may be doing this for Phil. This would explain why Phil has shut his mouth as of recent. It would explain why the band hasn’t said who the replacement is, partly because he hasn’t been fired, and partly out of respect for Phil. Since Phil's "I want my job back!" outburst, everyone associated with the band has been dead silent. It's as if they all came to a mutual agreement to keep their mouths shut.

If Phil really isn't fired, but is taking time off to get his life together, that would mean that they would need a replacement for awhile, and odds are it's going to be Chris Slade. This would explain why Chris has been silent on the issue. He’s not technically AC/DC’s new drummer, but rather, the guy who is going to fill in.

Chris has publicly stated that he regretted leaving the band and has said that he should have stuck it out and the band would have come back to him. Maybe he's hoping Phil won’t clean up and that he will officially get the job? Think of it as the Tommy Thayer approach. Maybe that's his angle? Chris is reported to be a very nice guy so odds are that he probably wants to see Phil clean and healthy, but wants his job nonetheless. Maybe Chris figures that any time behind the set will be worth it, even if only for a little while? I know I would if I were him.

Chris is in the L.A. area and has canceled a meet and greet event at an eye doctor tomorrow. The guy hosting the event said that there will be a change in Chris’s career coming up and that’s why the event got canceled. While Chris has been fairly silent on the issue, a lady who is traveling with him said on January 11^th, that they will be in the United States for a few months. Well, that’s how long AC/DC will be in the states before heading off to Europe to tour. Her Facebook page is the one to watch as I doubt she has been gagged by the band like Chris obviously has.  

Chris’s website is being upgraded. It could be coincidental? He doesn't have any dates coming up for his Chris Slade Timeline as far as I can tell. He’s been absolutely silent. In fact, Chris normally promotes his appearances where he has the opportunity to meet fans and has done so enthusiastically on his Facebook page before. Since the first of the year, he hasn’t said a peep about a gig that he did last night with a cover band, or the canceled meet and greet. That’s very odd for him.

Everything is leaning in the direction that it’ll be Slade behind the drums, and I for one would welcome the change. I think he made AC/DC sound better. A lot of people talk about Phil’s groove. That’s called laziness and lack of proper technique. Phil has even admitted to the latter. Chris gave the band a tight sound that I liked, and obviously countless others did as well as sales of The Razor’s Edge prove. I wrote a whole piece on why I prefer Slade about a month ago so I won’t go into it here.

There are also a couple of wild cards in the mix that must be discussed.

Simon Wright – He is also in the L.A. area (but he lives there) and has a history of joining bands for awhile and switching. He doesn’t seem to like to stay in one place all that long. It would be perfect should AC/DC want someone to temporarily fill in for Phil as outlined in “Reason 4” above. Simon’s style is closer to Phil’s than Slade’s. While he didn’t leave on a bad note with the band, he didn’t get stellar reviews from the other members the same way Slade did. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Simon get the nod. It would be a good indicator that they intend for Phil to return. It should also be noted that Simon has been tight lipped about the whole ordeal. He has nothing lined up for awhile that I can find online. If he’s not the guy, then why is he silent? Why doesn’t he just say he’s not the guy?

Phil Rudd – I guess it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility. Phil could show up for the Grammys and fly back in time for court. Meth can help you overcome jet lag! I’m just kidding on that one …….well, kind of. I haven’t heard where Phil has had travel restrictions placed on him, but I wonder if he’d have trouble entering the United States being under charge and awaiting trial for what he is facing? But, if it is Phil, then what can Slade be doing in L.A.? Here’s the real wild card –

Tom Jones - Yes, Slade’s original band-mate. Tom Jones is scheduled to appear on the very same Grammys that AC/DC is. What are the odds that Chris is there to play with Tom Jones? It may be slim, but then again……who knows? I guess at this point we’re all assuming that we’ll see Chris Slade at the Grammys. He might be in Los Angeles for vacation? We just don’t know at this point. Maybe he doesn’t want to admit that he got passed over for AC/DC? He didn’t touch the sticks for three years after he left the last time. Chris has played with everyone from Tom Jones, David Gilmour, Uriah Heep, you name it, but he seems absolutely smitten by AC/DC. It’s the band that he seems to have loved the best. He seems to love the band as much as the Young brothers.

Dark Horse - Yes, there may be someone at the drums that we haven't discussed. Some people think Bob Richards will get the nod because he sat in for the video. I have also read online that Angus Young has said that it won't be Bob, but I haven't seen that with my own eyes. Even though the odds are very slim, we may all be surprised with someone we didn't expect!

Whatever the case may be, the issue of who will sit behind AC/DC’s drum set on February 8^th is frustrating to more than just a few fans of the band. The band claims to care about their fans, but also have a track record of having a “fuck you” attitude towards them as well. We only have a week and a few days at most before we get some much desired answers.


 

The problem with free college

 

            Obama has now called for “free” community college if you meet certain standards. While this may sound great on the surface, it really isn’t. The first glaring problem with it is that college isn’t for everyone. “Oh, the president didn’t promise it for everyone,” you say. If it’s offered for free today, it’ll be mandatory down the road, unless you’re Amish* I suppose. Here’s why –

            I’m a genealogist, so you can take my word on this. Look it up if you like, but I’m not pulling your leg. School never was mandatory in the country at one time. In fact, many kids only went to school during the winter months when they weren’t helping their parents do other work.

            Then came along the standard of 8^th grade education. My great grandfather, Opal Keller, attended school in Walker, Iowa and only completed the 8^th grade. He went on to be a successful adult. He was a Freemason, business owner, and never lived in poverty or on the street. His brother and sister went on to complete high school, but that was because Opal, being the eldest child, stayed home and did the work on the farm so the younger kids could do this. Opal was no dunce.

            Fast forward a few years and it became mandatory in Iowa that you completed the 8^th grade. That’s how it was when I was in school in the late 80’s and early 1990’s. I had some friends who never completed the 9^th grade. All of them went on to be successful. None of them live on the streets or are indigent. Well, at least no more indigent than any other working stiff. Most of the people that I know who dropped out of school went on to get GEDs when they had the time. It wasn’t that they needed the GED to prove anything to themselves. Rather, it was to appease future employers.

            Let’s stop for a moment. Have you ever wondered why employers love people who have high school diplomas? It isn’t because they are smarter than anyone else. It shows that this person is domicile enough to endure jumping through endless hoops in order to achieve a paper certificate. You can get a high school diploma with all D minuses. It doesn’t mean that you were smart.

            In order to get a GED, you have to show a certain level of intelligence. You have to get a much higher score than you would in high school in order to earn this certificate. However, the stigma that comes along with a GED or lack thereof is that you are somehow not willing to endure the hoop jumping. That’s right. It says to your prospective employer that if you get sick of things, you’re willing to leave. You’re not the submissive type.

            I cannot think of a single high school dropout who was lazy and just sat to home doing nothing. In fact, every single high school dropout that I knew, and I knew quite a few being one myself, went to work. We got on with our lives. We got sick of having to ask for a piece of wood to carry down a hall just so we could take a piss. We got sick of feeling like a hog in a farrowing house. Your high school dropouts are for the most part, free thinkers. They won’t jump off the bridge just because everyone else is.

            Since the days that I was in school, things have changed. High school was optional for me. It’s not anymore. Now, in Iowa, and in many parts of the country, high school is mandatory until you turn 16. If you’re a sophomore in school and turn 16 in February, you have to complete that year. If you don’t, your parents can get in trouble and they can pull your driver’s license. What was once optional has become mandatory, because educators have assured lawmakers and the public in general that the cause for all our troubles is a lack of education.

            People are homeless? They lack a proper education. China whipping our asses economically? It’s because we’re not educated enough. Your sister got pregnant at 16? Not enough sex education. Come on! You can’t expect everyone to believe that if you just keep getting educated, sitting through never ending classes, that all the world’s problems will be solved, can you? Well, the educators are sure trying, and succeeding. The reason we as a society are buying this hook, line, and sinker, is because we’re getting fewer and fewer free thinkers. We’re creating a society of mush heads who just go with the flow and believe what they are told. Even if they are unhappy, they’ve been conditioned to endure and not rock the boat. That’s why we as a society are faltering. What made America greater than any other was that we were a nation of free thinkers. We were a country made up of people who “dropped out” of their home countries when things got bad and came here. The ones who were mush heads stayed back in their home countries. Take a look at Europe. All their free thinkers came to America and it shows! Now, instead of fostering this free thinking spirit, we’re pounding square pegs into round holes and punishing those who don’t wish to sit through boring classes and be submissive.

            This free college thing will of course be optional today. But I have no doubt that the same education lobby that has been the driving force behind making high school mandatory will someday make these two years of college mandatory as well. I doubt that I'll live to see the day, but my grand-kids probably will, and for that reason, I strongly oppose it.

After thought: Socialist and Communist countries are the greatest proponents of cradle to grave everything. While I am a supporter of certain things being socialized, higher education is not one of them. Communist countries have a vested interest in keeping their populations submissive. This is done through education. In North Korea, education never stops, yet they are one of the most backwards countries in the world. They also have one of the most submissive populations found anywhere. Please read the entry on Wikipedia regarding education in North Korea and scroll down to the last entry regarding adult education. North Korea has some of the best educated garbage collectors in the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_North_Korea

*Amish have religious exemption from having to go to school past the 8^th grade in Iowa.