No post for you today. No soup, either.

Am traveling up to Jax today. I am just now packing (at 0500!) and really need to concentrate so I don't forget any important papers, any necessary forms, or any receipts I think I'll need for my travel claim. Sorry. But I did do an extra bonus post last night to kinda offset your profound sense of disappointment. I live to make you not disappointed. Really I do. But the planets align as they will and I can scarce hold 'em back.

I leave you with this thought: Who likes to sit and watch a good thunderstorm more than me?

Motorheading, out
Travelin' Ed

Well now, ain't the boy feeling pitiful today

I do like this one. I would say it's kinda true, but then most everything has an element of truth in it if you stare at it long enough. Without blinking.

Rhymin'

Jimmy, can you tell me
why I never make it rhyme?
I've been drinking and a'running
and I've never towed that line.

I just wanna be an outlaw
live them fast, fast times.
They'd write their songs 'bout a bad, bad boy
But I just can't make it rhyme.

Now my life is passing by me
as I'm running down the highway.
Chasing down these backroads
I've been everywhere I've seen.
Tried turning left and thinking right
driving like I'd lost my mind.
Ain't never had the feeling that I've left something behind.
Jimmy, how come I can't make it rhyme?

Well maybe I ain't living right?
Don't always hang around sometimes.
Could be that this road's too long
off somewhere in my mind.

But I do love the rebel life.
You know my weakness for the wine.
Might be I've got the perfect life
for a different point in time.

Now my life is passing by me
while I'm running down the highway.
Postcards from the edge
is how I document my life.
Like pictures in a photo book
I always knew you understood.
Ain't never had the feeling that I've left something behind.
Jimmy, how come I can't make it rhyme?

Jimmy, I just want to be that crazy, rambling man.
But when I take a look around me there's reality again.

Now my life is passing by me
while I'm running down the highway.
This old road it don't go nowhere, Jimmy.
I don't give a damn.
I turned and left when thinking right
'cause there ain't never good goodbyes.
And I never had the feeling that I left something behind.
So Jimmy, how come I can't make it rhyme?

Ed
Pascagoula, Mississippi/Townsville, Australia

Jackson County, Mississippi news

I lived in Pascagoula, MS twice. Moss Point is like 15 feet from Pascagoula. They might as well be one place. These are the fine folk I rubbed elbows with daily and was going to join upon my retirement, before the wife steered my happy butt on down to Florida. Besides the sun, fishing, and hurricanes, Coastal Mississippi offers many other activities that are fun for the whole family. That's the best intro I can muster. You just have to read it for yourself.

Pics and stories.

Hola mi peeps y peep wannabes. Coma esta? (Well, that removes any questions about if I can spell in Spanish. The answer is a resounding NOPE!)

I took some pictures of the things I've been telling you about and posted them below. They are of immense interest to me, meaning that you will...I mean, you'll probably...um... well, hopefully they will not bore you to tears. Bored is OK. Tears are not that manly.

We're headed up to Jacksonville tomorrow. I didn't pack my passport, as I won't be leaving the state. Not sure if the Homeland Absurdity Administration has checkpoints up at the state line welcome centers or not, as this is my first trip domestically in a while. But I'll have a report on your desk by Friday covering what I learn.

Peace, out
Travelin' Ed

(Wife photographed to give scale. And for her winning smile.) This is our hot pepper plant. Bush. Tree. Entity. I did not know that they got so big. But I am glad that they do.
Travelin' Ed cares about YOU

Close up of the pepperage on the bush/tree/plant entity.
Travelin' Ed cares about YOU

Side view of our new car we got yesterday. That's my truck behind it, already filled with yard debris. Now Nong can drive around 'cause this one's an auto transmission. My truck is standard tranny, which up to now has more or less made me official chauffer.
Travelin' Ed cares about YOU

Front view. You know it's a Pontiac by the grille.
Travelin' Ed cares about YOU

Butt view. Baby's got back, I'll give you that. You can also see the bush, Mr. Stubby, on the right hand side up near the house. Yeah, like the song says, I fought the bush, and the bush (almost) won.
Travelin' Ed cares about YOU

I was telling y'all how that bouganvilla bush ate me up. Here's proof. Unfortunately, if I get the camera back far enough for you to see enough of me to see the extent of my wounding, the scratches don't really show up in the picture. Hey, I don't write the rules of the universe.
Travelin' Ed cares about YOU

Mah laig. It's worse off than this picture shows.
Travelin' Ed cares about YOU

You've heard the stories, now see it for yourself. The cigar tree.
Travelin' Ed cares about YOU

A close up of the fabled cigar tree. More suitable seating arrangements and maybe one of them little fire buckets or something is on the way. Also, I have thought of one of them waterfountians with the little kid pissing. That's pretty classy.
Travelin' Ed cares about YOU

360

No. I wish I were talking about degrees. Then I wouldn't be talking about how much my trip to the commissary cost me. And this was after I had mom spend the last 8 months buying 1 staple and 1 cleaning supply item on each trip she took to the store. So I already had mops, brooms, detergents, cleaners and the like. We also had all the stuff like ketchup, mustard, mayo, coffee, milk, eggs, etc. You know, the staples.

Today, about 10 AM, we'll head on up to Orlando to get our car. We had ordered it with all the bells and some of the whistles that we wanted, and let them ship it to Orlando for us to come pick up. Trusting folk that we are, we've never seen it. In fact, other than looking it up on the internet after I'd ordered it, I've never seen one. Never seen mine nor anyone else's as this model did not exist when I left the country. I told the guy I was going to buy a Grand Am and he said this had replaced them so I bought it. Turns out G6 just means 6th Generation, as in the 6th generation of Grand Am. New body style and larger wheelbase, yada, yada, yada. We got a big ol' sunroof and 6 speaker XM. That's the important stuff.

I look like I was in a fight with one pissed off feline or even more pissed off woman. I have long scratches up and down most of my body. Of course, Ed, the travelin' sub-genius is gardening in a semi-tropical climate in shorts, sleeveless T and flip flops.

I went to trim a bouganvilla bush (they gots stickers and thorns and are NOT afraid to use them) and the durn thing was grown out so twisted up that some other branch would always be holding the branch I had just trimmed in place. So I'd snip another and it too would be being held in place by this huge support group of like minded branches. Long story short, you can now call that bush "Stumpy". Took the space formerly occupied by said Mr. Stumpy and put in the start of my herb garden. Rosemary, Basil and Thai pepper.

I'm gonna let this time tag just go crazy again. I have the time set for Brandon, but for some reason, XP only offers me the Japan time zone when I go to set date and time. So everything is tagged wrong. I know it, but cant change it. For some reason that little inconvienence is screwing up my internal library on my anti-virus, which depends on a date and time tag for something, and is now all up in arms because they never match up. Dang! Between that and the lawnmower wheel I took off and, 3 days later, still haven't gotten back on, I'm turning out to be the Tim "Tool Time" Taylor of home ownership. And...there's other stuff that's just too embarrassing to share.

Poem post follows Homeowner Ed post. So, to quote Astro Jetson, "Ruh roh."

Travelin' Ed

Gambusia

This is old. I like it, but I know the person. If you're not as impressed with it, that's OK. That is, in fact, frequently a problem. I will gladly accept small lies and well meaning untruths. I've found that works for me.

A Wild Young Thing

Once upon a time but times are changing.
Another man would never catch your eye.
And love, it didn't call for rearranging.
But now it does and I can't tell you why.

This sharing souls and secrets is confusing.
'Cause I don't see no reasons we should lie.
I never thought we'd come to disillusion.
But now we have and I can't tell you why.

We called it love. We called a truce.
Began as jazz then turned to blues.
We grabbed the feelings that we had then rode them way up high.
But now we've slowly come apart and I can't tell you why.

A common thread was all we ever needed.
A tiny knot that tied your life to mine.
If there were signs then I could never see them.
We came undone and I can't tell you why.

I never asked you to betray your feelings.
But what all did you hide behind your smile?
A faithless promise is the same as stealing.
Now help me out, 'cause I can't tell you why.

We shared our lives. We bent the truth.
We played a game that we would lose.
We danced around the subject 'til we'd danced away the night.
I know just how we got here girl, but I can't tell you why.

If you had second thoughts then I can't blame you.
I'd never tell you how to live your life.
A wild young thing and I could never tame you.
You cut and ran but I can't tell you why.

So would you take a moment from your travels?
To rest a spell and maybe drop a line?
'Cause I'm left here with all that came unraveled.
You're gone for good and I can't tell you why.

I had a plan. Without a clue.
I was so deep in love with you.
You had a desperate feeling that got more pronounced with time.
You had to run for cover. Oh, but I can't tell you why.

We never told the truth although we never meant to lie.
I guess it got too crazy there but I can't tell you why.

Ed
Gambusia*

* I think I originally typed "Guam, USA", but it came out this.

Time zoned

Travelin' Ed is getting his body clock adjusted slower than normal, but I'm coming around. I got up at 0430, which is about normal for a day I can sleep in. Before you tsk-tsk me, if I didn't get up way early I'd never get enough quiet time to post. My roommate can be kinda high maintenance.

Just returned from checking all my favorite blogs. Man, those guys have been prolific. And AI has become quite the storyteller. Back in the day he'd have 2 comments on a post, somebody (often me) writitng, "nice post" and him saying, "Thanks". Now he routinely has 7, 9 or 13 comments. The dude's on fire. I can't compete either. I got no bear stories. Chicks dig bear stories.

I am proud to announce that I now have an ice maker. While I plan to maintain the skills to fill an ice tray and manually place it into the left hand (or freezer) side of the big white kitchen machine, I don't have to do it. But realistically, if we have a hurricane and the power goes out, I can't expect an ice machine to keep working. Just ain't reasonable. But chances are, unless we are blown off the map and straight outta Florida, that it will still be hot and humid*. If that is the case I will make manual ice as a declaration of my self-sufficient self.

The cigar tree is awesome, and more than makes up for the loss of the cigar porch. In fact, I enjoyed sharing the shade with a couple of cardinals yesterday, even if they kinda sucked for conversation.

I am also having to get used to seeing critters when I look up from what I'm doing. I just glanced off from the keyboard to ponder a thought (well, ok, to NURTURE a thought) and had to do a little mental jump back. As worldly as I am, and I'm damn worldly thank you, I am not used to having a gekko on the dining room chair, and certianly not used to having one gazing at me menacingly (insert menacing duck flashback here). Plus, the little suckers look amazingly similar to alligators when you first see them and before your brain registers good. Yeah, tiny alligators, I'll give you that. But your brain ain't really expecting ANY alligators in the dining room now is it? Or is it?

Which reminds me. In Riegelwood, NC, back when we were in a church group called The Royal Ambassadors (or RA, as we referred to ourselves) we would catch one, or even better, two, of the many gekkos that inhabited the social building and hang them from our earlobes. Gekko earrings. Chicks dig 'em. Chicks, apparently, dig a lot of things.

So there you have it. AI's got the the bear and K9 stories and you come to me for tales of gekko. That, and I have a link to the Paris Hilton burger commercial. Ya wanna shake with that?

Wandering **, out (I accidentally left the RaWo-Matic in Japan)
Travelin' Ed

* Or as they say in N'awlins, "IT AIN'T THE HEAT. IT'S THE STUPIDITY."

** Nasus, Do you remember "ONWARD THROUGH THE FOG" t-shirts?

Well, well, well

First things first. Got that cup of Joe. Gotta love Wal-Mart. Who knew you could get a 12 cup coffee maker for $9 and some change? So-o-o good. And it's a Sunbeam. Whatever that means. It'll do until the Cuisinart arrives.

Took the front tire off my riding mower, put a tube in it, and after about 4 hours of trying to put it back on re-remembered that I am not a man destined to be known for working with his hands. Plus, I had not been expecting it to be 90- a thousand degrees outside. Don't mock me, it's been a long time since I lived in Florida. I was bound to forget something about the place.

I have a huge amount of yard work to get to. Some has been put off for years it looks like. Apparently, my git-up-and-go was packed with my household goods, because it wasn't anywhere around here today. Plus, it was like 90-a thousand degrees outside. I was scoping out the bushes, marveling at the sheer number of lizards living there. There probably used to be more before the black snake moved in. I explained to him that he was free to live there, but that I was going to be trimming the growth a little bit. He'll see.

There's a frog living in the rock work on the end of my house. He blends in pretty good. However, he never moved all day. I have a working assumption he is nocturnal or something. If he still hasn't moved in the morning I will probably report that I have a dead frog in the rock work on the end of my house.

Still don't have the time or energy to recount the goat roping that was my journey home. I am pleased to announce though that I now have all of my luggage back. They delivered it which is amazingly simple when you don't have an armed military policeman at the gate running interference. Apparently, if you're a civilain they just drive up to your house and give it to you.

I was very pleasantly surprised at all of the emails and comments from all of you guys during my move. Thanks, it was cool.

Right now I'm going a hundred miles an hour with little visible progress. I think though, in the next couple of days we'll see things taking shape. Hard to do too terribly much without furniture, appliances, tools, dishes, etc. But we do some.

I admit it. I'm one boring dude.

Oh, I tested sitting out under the cigar tree today. Nice. I can dig it. I can see me writing under it. I can see DRE, who I visited with tonight, bringing his guitar out there, too. Maybe we'll write some new songs. It'll be easier here, far away from the menacing ducks.

Travelin' Ed

Hola peeps. Home now

I am in Florida. Got in very late. Left running from a typhoon and arrived hiding from thunderstorms.

Had a $110 taxi ride and a $70 bus ride. Found myself 3 shades of pissed off on more than one occasion and had a chance (again) to to bond with O'Hare airport as we sat motionless on the tarmac for hours. Even so, half my luggage is not with me.

Will explain all soon, hopefully later today. I just came over to the house and set up the wireless network. And now, it is desperately important that I figure out how to make some coffee.

Travelin' No Mo
Travelin' Ed

Sayanora, adios, farewell

Today is our last day in Japan, probably forever. Technically we'll be back from time to time, as our plane will always stop here enroute to Bangkok. But we don't intend to leave Narita Airport, nor do we intend t come back to visit. Just like my 6 years or so in Southern California. I'm glad I lived in San Diego and Los Angeles, I speak about them with a strength of personal knowledge, I gained new perspectives on things, but I knew when I saw each in the rearview that a chapter was closing. Well, kiddies, we just finished another chapter.

As soon as I finish this post I'm pulling the plug on the internet and I'm guessing you won't hear from me for a few days. As my close personal friend, Arnie would say, "Ah'll be bach."

Well, this is shorter than expected. It's 0455 and the wife just got up. It will not sit well if I continue to blog while she straightens and cleans the last of the house. Smell you later.

Later daze, out
Travelin' Ed

Oh yeah,

Don't know how I forgot this earlier. We had a bit of fun yesterday that I forgot about until I saw it on CNN:

TOKYO — A magnitude-6.0 earthquake shook the Tokyo area Saturday, injuring at least 27 people, rattling buildings across the sprawling capital and temporarily suspending flights and train services.

Yeah, we shook pretty good and pretty long. Me and the wife had time to talk about how strong it was and I had time to think of, then go to the window to see if (hopefully) the kids on the playground were terrified. They weren't. I don't worry too much about it. The buildings are built keeping in mind that this is an earthquake prone, volcanic island.

Shake, rattle and rollin' on out of here, out
Travelin' Ed

PTI, y'all

This may or may not be the last blog for a while. I disconnect everything tomorrow and I don't know if there is any decent internet in the Navy Lodge where I will be staying tomorrow night, but I don't do the whole "buy a card and huddle over a public machine in a corner of the lobby" internet experience. Tuesday I fly home, but road trip the next day up to Jacksonville, FL. I think it's about then, in Jax, that I'll get something posted again. (Unless the wife travels with me as she's threatened to do. Then it could be a week before you see another post.)

Why did the chicken cross the road? To show the squirrel that it could be done. Ok, that's really funny if you've ever lived in Illinois. Even against your will.

We are basically camping out in our empty apartment. For fun I told Nong it was like we were squatters. I eventually pulled out the English-Thai dictonary to give me a hand explaining that. It could have been faster if I'd just said yes when she said, "Homeless people?" But no. Me and my infinite non-wisdom had to answer, "Well....they're not really homeless now exactly. But they don't own the place and could be put out at anytime." While that is technically the correct definition, I think it was probably the wrong answer.

Man oh man, we ate us some Thai food last night with G-12. [Correction: Yumi is actually named Yuki, which I discovered when she finally asked me why I kept calling her Yumi. Dang, something like that gets kinda awkward on you kinda fast.] Our normal resturant was booked solid, so we headed int Yoko to the Swasdee. It's cheaper anyway, so we ordered a couple of appetizers and, if I can recall correctly, 7 entrees. The food just kept on coming and we just kept on yakking. So far, it's been 2 good farewell evenings.

The picture is Alice Baker, taken the other night as we sat at Starbucks. She's a sweetie. She did her kindergarten dance for us. In fact, I'll post a pic of that below.

Ta-ta, Travelin' Ed

Alice's kindergarten dance

It's a dance they do everyday as they leave school and it's really long and involved. Oh, and it is so very cute when a 3 year old does it.

Can you believe that at 3 years old she has already been taught at school all the stops on the Keikyu Train Line between Tokyo and her home?

Her mom Tae, who is also Japanese (although, to be fair, Tae was Japanese first), says that in their schools they cram the kid's heads so full of any information that they can think of on the theory that kids are gonna forget stuff. But if you fill their little noggins really, really full, then when they forget stuff they still got a lot left. It works for them because they don't spend a lot of time anguishing about "self-esteem" issues.

There's an argument for that, I guess. And there's an argument for skipping school and eating blackberries. Think it just depends on how you want to argue.

Travelin' Ed

Perfectly good cigar

Now I just gotta tell you, there ain't nothing better than enjoying a good cigar. And I know that in Tampa I can get some good ones. I already know where the factory is. I can get me some Flor de Ybor, which translates to Flower of urban renewal, roughly.

Now the ring size, or gauge, is measured by a number. 50, 52, & 54 are fat cigars. 38, 40, 42, & 44 are slim. As you can see by the illustration to the right, a larger ring cigar gives you maximun flavor, but can often be rather uncomfortable. However, with a little practice, and perhaps a shot or two of the good stuff, you will find that you can not only enjoy your cigar without discomfort, but you can also avoid the suprised look that I am exhibiting here. Yeah, I know! I thought I was a professional also.

By the way, this picture is completely un-retouched. Seriously. I guess I just really am that good looking.

Last night we started our rounds of goodbyes. Last night it was with the Bakers. Kelli Baker worked for me on both the Bunker Hill and the Vincennes. He has a wonderful wife named Tae. We had a giant Italian meal and then sat at Starbucks for a couple of hours doing the "remember when" thing. Good times.

Tonight we will go out for Thai with Jon G-12 (Grygorcewicz, which is easily pronounced but not easily spelled. It is pronounced: Gregor-savitch**) and his wife Yumi. He was on the Vincennes with me and he vacations in Thailand a lot, so we always have a lot of stuff to talk about.

Going out with another friend on Monday night, but his ship is at sea right now (truely an occupational hazard*) so we will have to wait until they anchor and start running liberty boats back to Yoko.

So now you know where my time is going and why my posts are boring. I apologize, but sometimes you just gotta do things. I'll keep on the lookout for stuff that needs my attention in a post, like for instance, Miss America Fear Factor. That has just got to be good, don't it?

*To quote Buffett: My occupational hazards be, my occupation's just not around. -JB, A Pirate Looks At Forty

** Bet she was just THRILLED to learn she'd traded her maiden name for that. There was a G-16 running around here for a while. Had a wife named Perlita. His was another that was easy to say and impossible to spell. The name was pronounced Geltsen-lighter, but spelled Goeltsenleuchter. He was allowed to wear name tags on his uniforms that said, simply, G-16.

Travelin' Ed

The LTO run and other stories

Follow this link to see JAPANESE VENDING MACHINES . This is but a small slice of life as I have experienced it. Some of the stuff is weird.

My trip to the Land Transportation Office, or, just how lost can I get??

I had always wanted to make my own run to LTO, but usually paid the lady $40 to do it for me because it was easier. So me going myself does not suprise me. Me waiting until such a time as there was no room for error to try it does surprise me. A lot. I'm usually much more cautious.

First off, I'm zipping along the toll road through Yokohama. When I saw my road it is because I am passing over it. But, silly me, I'm not for sure it's my road so I go another 30 km (in really slow traffic) before being sure my road is behind me. Then I get into the really slow traffic headed the other way.

About an hour after my original fly-over of the RT 45, I get back to it, albiet from the opposite direction. OK, kind of a pain in the butt, but no harm, no foul. I go back to following my map, which despite a few problems with scale, was surprisingly accurate and easy to follow.

As soon as I turn on RT 12, I will supposedly see a blue sign. I just assume it says LTO or something and has the in & out arrows to follow. Of course, as you know, if I am writing this then I must have assumed wrongly. I did.

I just kept on driving until I had passed through five of the one traffic lights I was supposed to pass. Again, I was sure my destination was behind me now. So I turned around and headed back. When I got to the area where the office was supposed to be in the first place I began to scan and concentrate mightily. Mightily I say. Then I saw something.

It was a sign. And it was not blue. But I knew it was the LTO sign. It was a white sign. And it was a transportation department sign hung over the road, not a billboard kind of sign along the road like I had been looking for. But it had blue writing on it (hence, the "blue" sign reference) and it was not traffic related informnation. So I supposed, correctly this time, that I was at LTO. As I started turning in I saw a bunch of temp plates on cars and noticed I was pulling into a large compound that was not really visible from the road. Eureka.

LTO is a complex of 5 buildings. Here is my journey through it. Remember yesterday's list? It just said "Go to LTO and get papers. Were that it was so simple as that.

First I go to the notary in building #3. He takes some paper, stamps some paper and gives me some more paper. Now he sends me outside to another part of building #3, which neither looks like an office nor like a part of building #3. Long story short, he ends up walking me there.

In other building #3, I pay some yen, we shuffle papers, I sign some crap I can't read and she sends me off all the way across the compound to building #2, (which of course is not beside #3) window #1.

At building #2, window #1 I hand him all of the papers I can't read and he hands me back most of them. Then tells me to sit. I sat, now parked in front of window #2, until they called my name. I listened closely, because this is not an English speaking facility. When he called my name, which he pronounced, "Mee-ster Ab....Ab....(then he set it aside and quit trying, so it's a good thing I was really listening for it) I went and got more papers I could not read, which I now carted all the way back across the compound to building #4 (which IS beside building #3).

This was the road tax office and she took some papers. Then she handed me another and asked for my name, which I wrote out for her. She promptly tore it up, put another one out for me and said, "Ah... sig-nah-ah-chur, prease." So, I signed it. She seemed stoked.

She handed me yet another paper and directed me to go to window #11. I went there, they took my papers, handed all but one back to me, then gave me a 5,000 yen bill (approx $48) and said, "You finish now. Tank you."

I went home without getting lost. What fun that was.

The remarkable thing is this. Once I got to LTO I was only there about 15 minutes. It was remarkably complicated, but not difficult or time consuming. Had I spoke Japanese, I could have named that tune in probably 7 minutes.

That's it for now, kiddies.

Blancmange, out
Travelin' Ed

Doh!

Today is my last day "in the navy". I'll still get paid until Sept 30th, but will not put on a uniform and go in to the office anymore.

The good part about that, I suppose, is that if I am a civilian, and it begins to rain unexpectedly, I don't have to get soaked anymore just because the umbrella I have with me in the car is blue and all of my black ones are at home.

I intend to fritter most of the day away on personal business. Well, that and I have a Free Cell score of 81% (Five hundred something wins to one hundred twelve losses) that I really want to bump up to 82% before I go.

Just in case, I am wearing my lucky Simpsons underwear today. I have two pairs of Simpsons underwear, actually, but I don't think they are both lucky.

I have another story about junking the car, but will post that from work. I post a lot when I first get there. But, I must tell you, I get to work about 0530 and the workday does not start until 0730. So it's not a big deal to spend that time playing.

I started doing that a few years ago when we kept getting a lot of "taskers" from Virginia that made no sense. But at 0730 here it was 1830 there and we'd waste two days trying to get clarification. But at 0530 it is only 1630 in VA, still a half hour of work day left, so I could call if need be. Now, I just pretty much do it out of habit.

Anyway, the stuff I need to get the facts straight in my new LTO post are in the car. So, like I said, I'll get to it at work. (Boy, miss the space bar and "get to" turns into getto mighty quick. I was a little nervous as I am white like bread.)

Travelin' Ed

Rhesus peices, or, Don't monkey with the process

I saw this political affiliation and liked it: Anti-Idiotarian. Sign me up.

Steps to properly disposing of my car:
1. Decide to junk car (Duh!)
2. Go to Auto Hobby Shop (AHS) and fill out form, which includes make & model, year, VIN, airbags Y/N, air conditioning Y/N and type of a/c coolant if applicable.
3. Wait up to 2 days for AHS employee to drive to junkyard with your form and return. He will bring back a paper with the amount you will need to pay for the "Recycling Fee".
4. Take paper to 7-11* and pay Recycling Fee. Get reciept.
5. Bring reciept to AHS, pay $60 and leave car (or arrange a date & place for it to be picked up). Remove DoD stickers and license plates.
6. Wait up to 3 days for them to deliver your car to junkyard and return. They will have a junking reciept**.
7. Take the junking reciept to the Vehicle Registration Office (VRO) on base. They will take back all of your used DoD stickerage but leave you the tags. They will fill out paperwork saying that you have junked your car.
8. Take this paperwork, and your tags and drive up past Yokohama to the Japanese government's Land Transportation Office (LTO). Present LTO with the paper from VRO and the tags. Pay them also...about $20-$23. At this point, you will also be refunded any unused road taxes for the vehicle, which is nice. I'll get back about $47 of the $73 I paid. Get your reciept saying that your car has been de-registered.
9. Take de-registering reciept back to VRO who will then take you out of their computer and sign your check out sheet.

I am currently at step #8. See. That's why I've been sweating this car junking deal. It's a real pain in the butt.

However, another nice perk is that you'll also get any unused insurance refunded to you. Everything in this country is applied to the vehicle itself, not the owner/driver. If you sold the car, the JCI (Japanese Compulsory Insurance) and road tax would transfer with the car to the new owner.

Status of Remote Control:
I never did get it figured out. I had the girl next door come over and we spent 15 or 20 minutes with it. All she could do was keep pushing buttons and exclaiming. "Hennnnhhhh?... choto, neh.", which translates as, "Hey, what the....? Hang on a minute."

I told Tag we needed to get Yumi (which, by the way is pronounced you-me, not yummy) down here with the instruction manual. You know the manual is gonna be in Kanji, too.

So Tag comes down abot 5 minutes later, bangs on the door and announces, "I'll fix that piece of crap TV!" Now, actually, it is a very nice 20-something inch flat screen Sony. But I understood what he meant. He meant fix it from continuing to bedevil us. Word.

He pulls a Philips DVD recorder out from under his arm and said, "We'll just hook this bad boy up."

And yep, just like an old VCR, after a minute and a half of installation work, we put that Sony on channel AUX and turned on the DVD machine. The DVD machine with the ENGLISH remote control and ENGLISH on-line prompts. Life is liveable again.

Nothing much else right now unless I go online and my imagination gets overstimulated again. We'll just see about that.


* You pay almost every fee, tax or bill at either 7-11 or the Post Office. I don't know why. You just do.

** You cannot, of course read any of these reciepts or certificates, so you just gotta trust everybody. Well, OK, you can read the cost of things as they use roman numerals. But we can't always tell what we are paying for.

Accomodationist, out
Travelin' Ed

Travelin' Ed purchases electronic equipment, Vol. 1

So I was shopping for a new computer. I really liked this one from Toshiba. It will look really nice in the corner of my living room and is just the right height for hanging Christmas mistletoe from. I like the smooth and sturdy knobs, too. That's a real selling point. The salesman was a little skeevy though, so I asked to speak to the manager. "Are you sure?" he asked, "Perhaps I can still be of further assistance to you, sir." "No! Be gone, skeeveboy."

And off he shuffled. Good.

Travelin' Ed purchases electronic equipment, Vol. 2

Now the manager really knew his gizmos. And he was considerably less skeevy. All I could do was to sit there mesmerized as he demonstrated feature after feature Toshiba had added for this model.

At one point he paused and said, "My stars, but you look dashing in a goatee! Simply dashing." I had to admit, he was quite observant, because I DO look debonaire and cosmopolitan.

I was almost sold, but needed that little something extra to get me over the top. "You can hang mistletoe on it", he explained. I told him that had already crossed my mind. Then I wondered what had crossed his mind. Then I wondered what had crossed my mind to make me wonder what had crossed his mind. Oh crap.

"OK, sales dude, what's your closer. What makes me walk out with this today?"

"I'm not sales dude. I'm sales dude's manager."

"Just get to talking and quit yer yapping."

Travelin' Ed purchases electronic equipment, Vol. 3

So I bought it. But only because he threw in this cool instant messaging machine. Life is truely fine. See, it pays to be a fair and decent fellow. And Travelin' Ed lives not only for fairness, but also for decency.

Duumvir, out
Travelin' Ed

I borrowed the words...

One of my favorite sailor songs, written by me of course, starts with these lines:

I borrowed the words from a poet I'd heard
one time up in New England
Some of the rhyme was forgotten with time
but I figured I could wing it....


OK, here's some more borrowed words. I don't know why, but they kinda hit the spot for me. Like a bumper sticker for the head. Short and with an element of truth. People read it and go, "Yeah, right on. Been there." (And by "go", I of course mean "say". Sorry, my valley girl roots are showing again.) :

Sullen is what I am acting and Damn is what I
am thinking and Nothing is what I am doing.

OK, that's it. Show's over. I know, you thought it was gonna be better.

Travelin' Ed

The quarter that dropped

Hola, peeps. Just got to say that I wrote this in 1999 so it is so last century. This'll get me started today.

The Quarter That Dropped

I got down the road so far
I forgot where I began.
I got caught up in the dust and weeds
And now I don't know where I am.
I can't even hitch a ride
I've forgotten where I've been.
Maybe I'll just sit and wait
in case I pass this way again.

I was writing my biography
til I went and lost my place.
But everything's only temporary
that's why life's in lower case.
Got my hands in my pockets
got my head on some better days.
Got half a mind to call you up...
gotta learn from my mistakes.

The quarter that dropped was a quarter that fell.
I was thinking to phone but I was feeling like hell.
I was cruising along, I was having my way.
I was driving alone and I was going astray.
In our tiny town is where I said goodbye.
But that was long ago, it's a tear that's dried.
A tear that I ain't even sure it fell.
Least that's what I tell myself.

Not sure just what I had wanted
but I was sure it wasn't there.
And that led me far away from home
smack dab to who knows where.
Every stranger's got a big old smile
just before he knocks you down.
Every scar is just another tale
from another ramshackle town.

The quarter that dropped was a quarter I spent.
I was thinking to call but I was way too bent.
I was cruising along, I was having my way.
I was driving alone and I was going astray.
In our tiny town is where I said goodbye.
But that was long ago, it's a tear that's dried.
A tear that I ain't even sure it fell.
Least that's what I tell myself.

Ed
Yokosuka, Japan

Travelin' Ed, out

Bye-bye, my litttle Presia

Just looked out the window and saw the little Nissan Presia being loaded up onto a flatbed auto carrier. She's outta here.

The wife went and picked up our rental car at 10 this morning. It's a brand new Toyota Corolla. And, to quote the missus, "it's boo color". For you native english speakers, that roughly translates to, "it's blue".

Things are falling into place nicely. Last thing on the agenda for today is the loaner furniture. Yee-haw.

Travelin' Ed

In go fast mode

Okie dokie, the house is packed out and (hopefully) the loaner furniture is on the way. That's a load off. Now I just need to worry about getting the car properly junked and getting to the airport on time. That's easy, greasy.

The Coal Miner's Daughter is in go fast mode and writing circles around me. Both in the form of poems and in regular old posts. I no can keep pace this week. In fact, she even had the energy to take something of mine and something of hers and merge them together into something... of... hers. Hey, wait a minute! No, actually I say more power to her. I used to be like that right on up until I wasn't anymore.

Red Queen is road tripping up with the bears and rainbows and, I'm assuming, campfire coffee. I think I am jealous as all get out, even though I can't be because she's such a good friend and you don't get jealous of your friends. Anyway, that's the theory as I understand it. You know, if time and money were no object, I think I would just travel non-stop. Eat breakfast in Mobile then catch a tramp steamer into Central America where I'd hang out until deciding to take a train to Brazil...etc., etc. And, after a run through Scandinavia and Iceland, I'd never again go anywhere that was too cold for flip flops every day.

We've been subsisting for 3 days on pre-fabricated french bread pizzas, pre-fabricated cheese hot dogs and the kindness of our neighbors. I used to see moving every couple of years as an adventure. Now the adventure is a lot more like an unpleasant chore. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I'm at the age now where soft shag carpet, pants that got elastic so you don't need a belt, and mid-sized Buick sedans are all age appropriate.

I think starting tomorrow I'll be more back to normal, time wise and stress wise. I'm hoping to get this blogging back on track.

Travelin' Ed

I was close

I said they'd likely not pick up the car like they promised, even though they'd promised. And they didn't. Around here, if you plan on being disappointed you won't be.

I said I was 75% sure they'd finish packing up my house in one day. Close, but no cigar. They got 75% finished in one day. Had to scramble to change the loaner furniture.

I had a good friend move in 2 floors up this weekend. He loaned me a nice big TV to use after they'd packed mine up. He just moved on base after living on the economy a few years. Well, the TV needed an autoprogram run on it as it was not getting all of the channels. I discovered the remote, and all on-screen prompts were in Kanji. Dang. So I did the only thing I could do.

Imagine walking 2 blocks to the 7-11 and asking the clerk what button on your remote was the MENU button. That was basically what I had to do. I walked down to the mini-mart on base and asked Tomoe to translate my remote. I also had her write the Kanji for AUTOPROGRAM in case I got that far. I didn't. Tomorrow's another day. I'll try again.

Travelin' Ed

Cross your fingers

Oh my goodness, I can't believe it's finally here. If all goes right today, my life will be all packed away neatly in boxes and loaded onto two giant tiny trucks*, the Auto Shop will come pick up my car to take to the junkyard, and my loaner furniture will arrive at the end of it all. So, say it in unison with me, "FAT CHANCE".

The auto shop is not open today, though they assured me that the driver would be working and would come get my car. I think the chance of that actually happening are about 40%, so like the title says, cross your fingers. If you can't prove that you have properly disposed of your vehicle, you cannot transfer and I want to go. The problem is that the base is small in relation to it's work day population. There is not enough parking for legitimate cars, much less giving up spaces to abandonded vehicles. And getting you to do the right thing once you're all the way across the Pacific is a chore. Hence the current regulation.

I am about 75% sure they'll get my house packed up today. So cross your fingers. Because, if they don't, that queers the deal on the loaner furniture too. Yes it is a delicate balance, this Permanent Change of Station move. It's like a dance, and I have to be a deft ballerina** to pull it all off.

So cross your fingers, light incense, or slap the cat. Whatever you can do to help bring Travelin' Ed a little good luck. After this weekend, I really need it.

* It's a Japanese thing, they're giant relative to everything else, but it takes two to load up an apartment like mine. So they're giant tiny trucks.

** Yeah, I know what I wrote. Go ahead, have a field day.

Reasons not to drink with the Russians

Well, two reasons actually. If an ugly Russian gal (and, duuude, a lot of them are gorgeous) gets her eye on you she'll start knocking back the vodkas. It happened to me several times in Pusan, S. Korea. I kept thinking to myself, you may be starting to feel prettier, but if you're thinking of getting me out the door you better ought to start pouring them down me!

But that's not why I called you here. I just wanted to say that I don't think that they ...... you know what, that first part was good enough. You don't want to hear about black market kidneys anyway.

On a completely different note, we were road tripping from Norfolk to Lake Geneva and were in Maryland. This is all true. I was telling DRE about this comedian I had seen last week who slayed me . I was retelling the jokes and we were cracking ourselves up. I was just getting to the punchline of one as the waitress, a matronly and humorless looking woman, brought us our biscuits. She walked up just in time to hear me lean in towards DRE and, in an anguished voice give the punchline, "...But I don't want to see Whoopi Goldberg nekkid!"

Yep, that's all she heard. She looked at us sideways and we got the feeling that she was not amused. All things said, it was a good road trip.

What is the definition of a baptist? The sneaky suspicion that somebody, somewhere is having fun.

Why are Baptists against pre-marital sex? It could lead to dancing.

Travelin' Ed

Just like I said

Stress level was high today. It really, REALLY sucked.

I knew it was gonna happen. I said so yesterday. Man, I'll be glad when this is done. They come to pack us out tomorrow.

I hope once this packout is completed that first of all I have a minute to scratch my ass, and second of all things get mellow around here again. I tell you, I'm all about the mellow.

Go read the Red Queen's blog. She has some good travel stories. And pictures, too.


Travelin' Ed

OK, let's try that again

I ain't naming names in this story, but I was busting my butt. I had done all the things I mentioned earlier. Now I had freed the fish, cleaned the aquarium, washed and bagged the gravel, and was now on my hands and knees scrubbing the nasty floor underneath where the fishes used to be. Seeing as how I seemed to be the only one doing anything, I was a bit put out.

So, when this unnamed person commenced to bitching and moaning about the mess and/or some other imagined grievance (really, after a while you just quit listening) I got pretty hot and offered that some of these piles might get moved a little quicker if I wasn't doing this whole move alone, but since I was, just be quiet.

Now I am also not known to be a brilliant strategist, but if I was I'd at least suggest that you get up off the couch before you call me a liar.

Things are getting a tad testy today. Tomorrow will undoubtedly be more so. I usually give as good as I get. But I never seek to get the last word. Things simmer down quicker when the other person thinks they've won.

Travelin' Ed

Ready to pack out

While this is not our house, and in retrospect I suppose I could have just taken a picture of our house, this is what our place looks like.

Today I removed all pictures, curtians, fasteners and hardware, decorative tape, shower curtians, and a bunch of other stuff too. I have scrubbed walls, touch up painted, packed up 18 Japanese china dolls, and anything else that came into my field of view as I worked.

In an hour or so I will liberate the fish, drain and scrub the aquarium, and take the plants to a nice place upstate (which most of you would recognize under the nomenclature of dumpster).

So, this is what you're getting for a post today. If something crazy happens, I'll post it tonight for you. Otherwise, like I warned you earlier, there will be slim pickings here for the weekend.

Travelin' Ed

With apologies to Rod Stewart

If ya think I'm sexy

And ya want my body

Come on, Baby, let me kno-o-ow

Dusting off the ol' ACII

Not accomplished much in the time here at work. Did finally manage to get into my online banking. That was, for some reason, an endeavor of gargantuan proportions. Don't know why, either. But, after Dad made several trips to the bank on my behalf, I got all the numbers and passwords lined up in harmony. I know their IT lady must think I am completely computer unsavvy, but...

I allow anonymous comments on this site. I do so because I have a lot of friends who visit, but don't have a blog of their own. If you are one of these people, I am talking to you. If you want to make a comment, correct my spelling , harrass me from the comfort of your den or just lament your troll-like existence, do it. You can put your name in the comment like Pipedragger does, or just leave it up to me to figure out. I can usually figure these things by dusting off the ol' ACII (Anonymized Comment Ignorance Index) and running the comment through it. The closer the ACII comes to pegging, the better idea I have of who you are. Running scared now, aren't you?

Well, 'spose I should ought to brush the chompers and start hoofing it over to the dentist. Today, and probably most of this weekend I'll be busy. So be patient for the posts.

Gnathic, out

Travelin' Ed

Excuses, excuses.

I have a dental appointment today to get a crown put in. The wife has a dental appointment across base, too. Then we are going to try to check out with them and collect our records. Following that we will try, AGAIN, to check out with those putz's over in medical. I'll have my orders and will have brought the wife along. I just hope she's not in violation of a dress code or something. I'm not in a being thwarted mood today.

When we return home, we will have to begin disassembling everything that is assembled. Especially all the computers, home entertainment and other electronic gadgets I have wired up everywhere. Need to drain the aquarium, hum "Born Free", and release the guppies into this large puddle out back. We also have to go through and make a pile of everything we don't want packed up on Monday. Also on Monday, they will come and haul our car off to the junkyard, so we need to clean it out, too.

Boring, I know. But That's why there won't be much posting today. Although, I do have 3 hours at work before the appointment. So there actually could be some posting today. We'll see.

Travelin' Ed

When you are dealing with pencil necked geeks...or, when in Mor, do as the Morons do

Here's some bits and pieces that have been rattling around in my brain a little bit. In no particular importance. I mean no particular order.

Way back in the 80's squids who were "short" would do up a small rope chain in fancy knots and hang them on their key chain, and would remove one knot each month (these were usually started at the 1 year remaining point), then when they got even shorter they re-did it and removed a new knot each week and finally got to the point where each day they would untie another knot, until finally the string was gone and they were outta here. We called those "short timer's chains/ropes/counters". On their final day, in formation for quarters, there would be a set of boots in the front rank with a hat on top of them. That would represent Petty Officer _____, who was "so short you couldn't hardly see him". I am no longer an E-4, and I am no longer in a navy that would apprieciate the tradition, so I don't expect to do that. I can, however, say 78 & WU! The first amendment lets me.

I was listening to Ryan Adams - Gold on the way to work this morning. Great songs. New York, New York. Firecracker. Rescue Blues. La Cienega Smiled. You'd think I'd be a pretty mellow fellow because of it, but Nnnnnkkkkk!, you'd be thinking wrong. I do, however, think there might be some rhyming words come out of me today.

Medical just about pissed me off royal yesterday when I was trying to check out. I never leave anything for the last minute, just in case I become impeded by one of God's little imperfections (aka other people) in my endeavors. And sure enough, I met one of God's little imperfections, who from here on out will be referrered to as GLI, right off the bat.

The scenario. Me, a happy go lucky fellow with check-out card in hand, enter the clinic. I do not see the dark cloud forming.

ME: Hi. I'd like to check out.
GLI: OK. ID card and orders, please.
ME: Orders? Where does it say here to bring orders?
GLI: It doesn't. But that's our policy anyway.
[Long pause as I walk to Personnel to get a copy of my orders and return, only to find I am now going to be helped by God's other little imperfection.]
GOLI: OK. Are these real orders?
ME: Yes
GOLI: They look funny.
ME: Because they're retirement orders.
GOLI: Oh. So, you want your record. Just yours?
ME: Me and my wife's.
GOLI: Can't pick up your wife's. She has to pick it up. Or else you need her permission.
ME: I have her permission.
GOLI: You need it in writing.
ME: It is in writing. Right in the front of her record from the last time we danced this dance.
GOLI: It's not there now. We pull them out after you return it.
ME: Why ???
GOLI: It's what we do.
ME: OK, then just call her. I have the car so she can't get here.
GOLI: I can't call. I need the form.
ME: (Heavy sigh that indicates I'm getting pretty tired of this pretty fast ) Fine. Give me the form. I'll get her to fill it out and I'll come back tomorrow to get the records. "Her" record has MY name on it and MY social security number on it and it's for MY dependent. Don't really see why we have the problem here.
GOLI: (Hands me the form, pauses, then says:) Ummm.....can't.
ME: Can't what?
GOLI: Can't bring it back tomorrow. She has to give it to us herself.
ME: If she's here to give you the @##$%# thing, she could just pick it up herself.

At this point I was sure a GOLI killing was in order. But there's rules against that, too. So I just snatched everything back out of his hands and stomped out, feeling completely thwarted. Like I said above, I'm a relatively mellow fellow, but senslessness like this makes me...makes me...well, makes me less so.

Semimonthly, out
Travelin' Ed

"由于临时家人有约"

Well, if you find that sentiment really hits home, and you KNOW who you are, just take this link, 所以搞到无法如期开播。在此向所有期待着广播的人说声抱歉。希望大家原谅 , to a far, far better place. Your peace of mind. Your peace of mind and simple relaxation techniques. That's what Travelin' Ed is all about.


在此向, out
Travelin' Ed

I know you know you want it.

Garbage Pail Kids Movie arrives on DVD July 12.

It doesn’t get any grosser than this. Your favorite grime bandits come to life with all the snot and vomit you can take when the hilarious cult classic Garbage Pail Kids Movie arrives on DVD.

You know you want it and Travelin' Ed can help. Contact me for details. Have your credit card info and the secret handshake ready when you call.

Farceur, out
Travelin' Ed

Dagnabit

As most of you know, I don't have a job waiting for me. I have one solid interview scheduled, and Home Depot has proven that they will offer me positions, so they are my ace in the hole. But that's it.

I am trying to find a full time job in Tampa. I don't need to get rich, but I need reasonable income and it's killing me that I apparently don't understand the ins and outs of job hunting these days:

Me: I want a full time job in the Tampa area
Company #1: You want to work for us in NJ?
Me: No, I want to live in Tampa.
Company #1: Want a job in Virginia?
Me: Nope. Listen up.
Company #2: We have a job in Virginia or California. Want one of them?
Me: No....I want to stay in Tampa.
Company #3: We have a 6 month temporary position in Atlanta. How about it?
Me: OK, people, I'll try to speak s-l-o-w-l-y.......

It's getting kind of irritating. I only apply to jobs in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. My resume states "Any position within reasonable commuting distance of the Tampa area will be considered" and my cover letters all point out that I am looking for employment in the Tampa area. So what's the deal? I could understand them not offering me a job because they don't like me putting stipulations like that in. Fair enough. But to offer me New Jersey* when I specifically stipulate Tampa makes me think that they think I am desperate or something. I got no kids in college. I can sell bait. I may have to.

*Moorestown, NJ to be exact. Interestingly enough, it was listed on CNN dot com yesterday as the number 1 best place to live in the US. But still, me?...NJ?....Nah, can't see it.

Parricidal, out
Travelin' Ed

Why did the robot lead the orchestra?

Because metal is a good conductor! (You're welcome for that)

My wife definately marches to her own drummer. I could never in a thousand tries anticipate what she will ask me next. Last night we were watching The Simpson's. That is not surprising, as I am a big, big fan of the series.

In this episode, Homer is dating Marge and is thinking about popping the question. Popping the question has come up because, after an unexpected night of passion in the FRONT seat of Homer's car, Marge has found herself in the family way.

This has been confirmed first by a Barnacle Bill's home pregnancy kit (If pink ye see, it's pregnant ye be) and then by the doctor. In a classic Simpson's moment, the fetus that will become Bart has mooned the sonogram. And of course Marge has stated that all she cares about is that he has "all eight fingers and toes."

At this point Nong turns to me and says, "Where does Marge get her money? Does she have a job? What is it?"

And that's the adventure of watching TV with her. When we watch Everybody Loves Raymond she repeatedly hollers "IDIOT" at the TV when Ray is talking. Watching NYPD Blue she has asked me why Sipowitcz wears "that kind of socks?"

Yet she never asks things like "When Wonder Woman sets down her purse to twirl into costume and go stop bad guys, how come nobody comes by and steals it? And when she changes back into her alter ego in street clothes, does she go back to get it?" No, those are the things left for me to worry about.

Catenate, (Cat inate. Cat in eight. Catten ate.) out
Travelin' Ed

Drive By Blogging is back

Stuff what made me smile as I repeatedly hit NEXT BLOG. Trust me, it is all lifted off of other people's blogs and posted here for my amusement. Heh heh, why of course, I meant for your amusement. By the way, there must be something in the program, like a governor on an old farm truck. 'Cause I can hit NEXT BLOG til my arms ache, til I've started seeing a couple of repeat blogs, and still I will never come to my own blog or any that I link to. Kind of weirdical, if you ask me. And you should. Here goes:

This blog is great. I go there reasonably often. I like her "housewife humor". Trust me, it has a bite. Her link field is outstanding too. Ubermilf

OK, I'm not like psychic or anything, but I'm thinking this little feller has a long, lonely life ahead of him. I have three words for him - Star Trek Conventions. Here you go:

Girls SUCK!!! Sorry
I decided today (last night) that girls are pretty much Stupid. Its impossible to tell any girl anything with the confidence of them keeping it secret, and girls take everything the wrong way. It causes all sorts of stupid problems. I think I'll probably become gay or something because right now girls are kinda stupid (except Jamil, cause she explained it to me). Jamil is probably reading this so Thanks! Becki is probably reading this too, because she left me a comment so I imagine she knows about this. So Becki, I dont think your stupid because I havent given you the chance to become stupid, like most other girls. So your cool.

This guy cracked me up. First, the title: Yes...as a matter of fact I am still alive

Then his "Bio": Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Cigar in one hand, Beer in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming ""WOW what a ride!"

Then this, Travelin' Ed-like rant. (I've highlighted in bolded yellow the parts that made me laugh, which is why I included it. More for the writing, than what's written. Understand?):

Rant Without Purpose
So I'm sitting on the couch this morning, having my daily cup of coffee, watching those pesky Fox news anchors ruin America with their "biased" reporting when I was heartened to see the world's next generation of leaders, primed to save the world from the world. Who are these fearless leaders of tomorrow? You guessed it, it's the rioters outside of the G8 summit in Scotland. These are some of the bravest people I've NEVER met. I mean, they sacrifice life and limb to break car windows, scream obscenities, attack police, etc., all for an agenda they don't have. All they know is that these leaders (mainly "W") are wrong on the war, wrong on the economy, wrong on the environment, wrong on everything. And further showing their courage and bravery, they refuse to reveal their own ideas as alternatives to the "wrong" ideas currently being discussed. And why should they, they are only following the example set by the leaders of France, Russia, and our own Democratic party. And what example is that? To always complain about the way things are being done but never actually step out of line and give your own ideas. To care more about winning elections than winning the war. To care more about saving the head lice than saving people. To sit back and complain about everything America does, while forgetting we saved your ass from being forced to speak German. You want to affect change in the world. Then come up with some ^%$# ideas of your own and share them. Nobody is saying the way things are going in the world are perfect but just complaining about it doesn't do anything. These leaders (again W) that you hate so much, at least they have ideas. Let us hear your's because breaking car windows won't change anything except for where you will sleep that night. Catch my drift? Selah

Cuprous, out Travelin' Ed

Music and stuff

As I sit here listening to some live Government Mule, a truely great band, I am preparing to share some more of what we do...and have done for years and years.

At THIS WEBSITE you will be able to peruse our lyrics and listen to the corresponding songs. All are available for free download, although considering the amount of work that he has put into recording each one, a quick e-mail saying how much you enjoyed them would not be out of order. I had the easy part. I just had to put some words together.

About half the songs are my lyrics and half his. It's easy to tell who's are who's. His are much better than mine. No, really. I often wonder why I'm even still around.

I have posted below one of his, followed by one of mine. For your convienence, I have added a link to the song itself at the bottom of the posts. READ THE LYRICS FIRST or I'm not going to keep doing this for you. Got it?

OK, then please enjoy.

Efface, out
Travelin' Ed