Tag Archives: travel

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Observations

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Hi Folks, it’s ole Jim here; finally home. My bride and I just returned home from a seven week, 4,559 mile trip in the RV to visit children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. The trip took us through sixteen States: FL, GA, TN, KY, MO, KS, IA, IL, IN, OH, WV, PA, MD, VA, NC, and SC. Such a trip through so many states has left me with several observations of  our country and its citizens, or let me just say our society at large, and I thought it may be interesting to some of my readers to share some of my observations.

First, our roadways suck. With only one exception the Interstates are in such horrible shape it is dangerous to drive on them. That exception is OH; theirs are literally wonderful to drive on; I did not have to dodge one pothole on the entire East/West length of I-80, while on some of the other state’s major roadways the potholes were so big and deep one could easily blow a tire or break an axle. What those states are doing with their fuel tax revenue and federal funding has to be secret.

Secondly, I have traveled a lot throughout the country for many years and I have never seen so much truck traffic. Goods are definitely on the move. There were times where I could look across to the other lane and see nothing but a sea of semis, one behind the other for miles; hundreds of them in both lanes. Perhaps that’s why the Interstates are in such bad shape, but then why not OH since I-80 was the first time I noticed the plethora of trucks.

Thirdly, I refuse to accept anyone, and I do mean ANYONE, bitching about the price of gas. Everybody is complaining that gas is too expensive. Well, if they think it is, why not slow down and try to get the best miles per gallon as you can? On Interstates, I drive 60 MPH in the right lane, even though the speed limit is 65/70. Why? Well I am driving a 26,000 LB vehicle while towing my 2,500 LB Mini Cooper behind me. My 6.7 L Cummins engine’s sweet spot seems to be 1600 RPMs (60 MPH), which gave me 11.4 MPG. Plus, I don’t have to look at both mirrors, except of course when passing a merge lane where those folks who got their license at Walmart’s do not know what that upside down red triangle “YIELD” sign means. I am only doing 60 and the speed limit is 70, yet they cannot step on the gas to get into the flow of traffic. Since I’m bigger I simply ignore them and their blaring horns and watch them run onto the shoulder. I know I will catch hell from some for saying this, but trust me folks, more often than not they are young women.

My travels were probably about 50/50 on Interstates and state/county roadways. I can honestly state that I did not pass a dozen vehicles during this entire trip. That includes non-Interstate roadways. I DO NOT SPEED! If the speed limit is 55, I drive 55 and I do not care if a line of idiots begin to form behind me. I refuse to pull over and stop 28,500 LBS so they can speed while bitching about the price of gas. Think about it. If you are on a 200 mile trip and you drive 60 MPH, you should get there in about two hours. If you drive 55 MPH, it will take you ten minutes longer, and will probably save a gallon or two of gas. I am in no hurry, if I were in an emergency situation such as taking my wife to the ER, I would have my “emergency” flashers on and I would push the speed limit as long as it was safe. Otherwise, I obey the speed limit. In my home state of FL, I am the only one who drives the speed limit and believe me I do catch hell for it from blaring horns and obscene gestures from the idiots. How dare I drive the speed limit! We have the worse drivers in America because they all came from up north.

I’m an observant driver and you want to hear something funny? I noticed so many people driving 20 miles over the speed limit with their windows down in 95 degree temperatures. I guess they think they are saving gas by not running their AC. LOL

Fourth, drivers of all makes, models, genders, ages, race, ethnicity, religion, etc. are horrible, ignorant, inconsiderate drivers who must get in front of the one in front of them no matter the costs. They drive as though they own the roadway and could care less about anyone else. I mean it is horrible out there folks. I literally had folks pass me, pull right in front of me, and hit the damn brakes to merge off an exit. The only ones who have any patience and are considerate are the truck drivers. The majority of them are still polite, and like me, are wary of all four wheelers. I would not take a long trip in a car. I feel safe driving our RV as I am sitting up at the height of the truck drivers so I see far out in front of me thus allowing me to anticipate what the idiots in front of me are about to do. And I don’t tailgate; I can’t since everyone is going faster than me. LOL I’ve never seen so many horrible accidents on the Interstates, which of course caused us numerous delays while they policed up the body parts. I often doubted if anyone made it out of the multiple car carnage alive.

Fifth. Construction is going on everywhere. Building, building, and building in every county, town, and city. Massive buildings, condos, homes, factories, shopping centers are going up everywhere. I have never see so much construction, and my home state of FL is one of the busiest!

Sixth. At every turn all we saw were “Help Wanted,” Hiring,” “Need Help” signs on store fronts, fast food places, factories, etc. Every proprietor and owner is looking for employees. Every semi-trailer has a “Drivers Wanted” sign on the back offering all sorts of benefits and wages. Many even offering to train free of charge to get their CDL license. I mean, damn, why is the unemployment rate so high when everyone is looking for employees? LOL, Of course we all know the answer to that question.

One more thing. We Floridians know which license plate adorns the cars with America’s worst drivers – NJ. Those folks could care less about anyone else! They all got their license’s at Walmart or maybe Wendy’s because they do not know how to drive. Oh, they might know, but could care less about you and me.

Anyway, I thought I’d share with you some thoughts of having travelled through so many States. Personally, the one thing that bothered me more than anything is the state of our society—it sucks. People simply do not seem to care about anything or anyone except perhaps their own close family. Oh there are exceptions, and I consider myself one of them. Despite everyone else’s arrogance and ignorance, some of us continue to be considerate and polite toward other drivers Thank God we made it home safe and sound!

It’s great to be home! I will never do this again. If kin want to see my bride and me, let them come to FL.

 

Originally posted 2022-09-01 14:17:58.

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DC Bound

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I apologize for being UA. The FL winter sabbatical was not the typical vacation away from the frozen north this year. We decided to sell the manufactured home, so we spent the winter trying to put as much lipstick on the pig as possible. I, very grudgingly, became something I truly never wanted to be – a painter. I always hated painting of any sorts; if it involved a brush or roller I ran. But I have to tell you by the time I got to the last room, sadly I was getting pretty damn good.

There was much else going on besides my painting apprenticeship.  Last fall I came up with the idea of taking my kids (Fox Valley Young Marines) on a trip to Washington, D.C. My initial plan was get on the train in Chicago one evening and wake up the next morning in D.C.  Well, I soon discovered we would wake up the next morning several hours from D.C.  The transit time is unbelievably long, and if you think it is the cheapest way to go, as I did, you are wrong. It’s cheaper to fly all things considered.

Then the kids set out doing fundraisers for the trip, all winter long, and by the way, this was one of Chicagoland’s worst winters ever, standing in front of stores like Wally World, Jewel’s, etc. with coffee cans asking for donations.

I set up a Go Fund Me Account, we had a highly successful Bingo night, bake sales, pizza sales, and much more. I took to the electronic air waves and sent out requests to every Marine and Navy brother in my address book. That alone was the most successful, my civilian staff and parents are beside themselves with how my Marine and Navy brothers came through; I mean BIG TIME!

So, on 25 June at 0600, we will depart Chicago by way of a fancy motor coach and head to D.C. arriving somewhere around 2100. Hotel is booked, sites are booked, meals are paid for, tickets purchased for sites that charge  entrance fees. Everything is pre-arranged; the coach stays with us the entire time. My bride found a travel Agency just south of us who specializes in setting up tours for students to travel to DC; that’s all the do and have been doing it for years. Expensive, but they take care of everything, and we raised more than enough to cover the charge!

I wanted to send out a thank you to everyone who had anything to do with us reaching our goal, and even surpassing it by quite a bit. We could not have done it without so many folks reaching into their heart and their wallets. I have some kids who will probably never get the chance to see their Nation’s Capitol because of their station in life, but it’s these kids for which I am so immensely proud. They are making something of themselves and this trip will bolster that.

Where are we visiting you ask? Well, all the war memorials, Einstein, MLK Jr, Jefferson, Washington, and Lincoln memorials, Arlington National Cemetery to observe a funeral of a Marine hero, who was one of my mentors on the drill field, lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns, the White House, the Smithsonian, a tour of Marine Barracks 8th & I to meet the drill team and color guard, and of course special seating at the famous Friday Night Parade.

All of that and more during the four days we will be there. We will finish up and board the coach after dinner Saturday, 29 June for an all night trip to arrive in Chicago around 0600 Sunday morning.

Are the kids pumped? You bet they are, and everyone in the unit is going along with seven registered adults as chaperons.

Once again, thank you all for your support to make this once in a lifetime event happen for my kids!

Originally posted 2019-05-01 10:29:47.

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Trust Me – You’ll Love This One

New Travel Arrangements for the Washington Press Corps.

OUCH! Well, I never thought much about this, but now it that it’s  out in the open, I wonder why someone did not question this years ago. You and I both know the answer to that — they were afraid of the 4th estate; afraid they would hammer them in the press, which they did anyway.The saying that comes to my mind is: don’t bite the hand that feeds you!   Now we have an administration that is unafraid of these pompous , arrogant jerks who hammer them all the time anyway. So, let the media heavies pay for their reporters to follow the news. Think any CEO will let them use his/her private jet? Maybe they won’t even pay for first class. No more parties on the plane folks. Lord, I love it! This will surely cut back on transportation funds spent on flights. LOL 

A Reuters filing en route to Asia showcases the bitterness, anger, and seething rage of U.S. journalists who have been forced to fly First-Class Commercial to cover Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s Asia trip. State Department correspondents are used to the exclusive wide-body private charters of the U.S. federal government’s airline fleet.

Previous heads of the Department of State have flown aboard Air Force 3.  Normally a Boeing 757.  At the very worst Air Force 3 would be a C17 Globemaster.

However, T-Rex is taking a smaller jet to Asia and only one journalist accompanies him.  To make matters exponentially worse, T-Rex did not select a journalist from the corporate stable of the refined and pedigreed media elites.

We can only imagine how Andrea Mitchell must be seething at having to take simple first-class commercial flight accommodations with ordinary people.  The scope of the almost unimaginable horror she has to face will soon pour from her pursed and vengeful lips.  We can predict a retaliatory report soon from the wrath of the ignored elitist within NBC.  This shall be, as they say, epic.  Secretary Tillerson has rebuked customs and norms.  The traveling correspondents will have to pass through customs and passport checks as if they are ordinary travelers.  There is a very real possibility no-one will recognize them or care diligently for their very individual and specific needs.  Can you imagine Mrs. Alan Greenspan flying all the way to Asia from the Eastern Seaboard and having to do that on a commercial flight?  My God, have we really dropped our standards of decency that far…

 

Oh yeah, the pontificating journalist elites are  pi**ed off.   After traveling with every possible indulgence aboard exclusive State Department accommodations with Secretary Clinton and Secretary Kerry, you cannot even fathom how angry they are right now without private dining, DoS chefs, shaved chocolates and Cristal mimosa.  None of this is me joking.  This bunch of snobs having to fly commercial is unheard of.  They are ready to tear into Secretary Tillerson in every single filed report.  Just watch what you see on TV:

(Reuters) U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is traveling to Asia this week accompanied by only one reporter, a White House correspondent from the Independent Journal Review (IJR), a digital news outlet founded in 2012 by former Republican political operatives. The IJR said in a statement late Tuesday the State Department last week offered one of its reporters, Erin McPike, a place aboard the Secretary’s aircraft on his trip this week to Asia.[…]  The State Department had previously told reporters covering Tillerson’s trip to South Korea, Japan, and China that he would not be taking reporters on his plane and that they would have to fly commercially, breaking with decades of precedent stretching back to Henry Kissinger.  Major news organizations complained, among them the BBC, CNN, New York Times, Washington Post and Reuters. 

Things you won’t see when Secretary Tillerson is traveling

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The party’s over you arrogant snobs!

Originally posted 2017-03-24 15:49:04.