The Profile Photo Says It Best.

I took that one a few years ago while I was workin' on the railroad. If I recall correctly, that one was taken in Kansas, and a local warned me that we 'shouldn't go down there.' Being the mighty RR consultants that we were, we totally did. Indeed, the road sucked, but not like that Wyoming stuff (there were sketchy hobo camps and people with guns and stuff, though).

Anyhow, I'm signing off for a while. I just don't feel like updating stuff for the summer, really. If there's something monumental, it'll go here, but I have zero expectations, as should you, my readin' people.

30 Years?!? Are You Kidding Me?!?

Today, I traveled to Boulder. I work in Boulder most of the week, so this isn't really a big deal. I rarely walk around in Boulder, though. I parked in front of Mork and Mindy's house.


When I got home, I checked out this video:



It's pretty incredible to me how the trees have grown. I parked right where the station wagon is.

The Road Warrior

It feels like it, anyway. I used to drive a lot more when I was consulting during the damn-fool water well project. 1,200-and-something miles in two days seems like a lot now.

On Wednesday, I was sent to Scranton, Iowa, to have a body "partially mounted" (technical term) on the truck that I drove from California last year. As it turns out, "partially mounted" is the "Mexican Way," if you ask José, or the "Irish Way," if you ask Mahoney. My evaluation of the "chain it to the frame" method is "a half-assed way." Apparently, the truck-builders felt the same way, and I wasn't able to convince them into such nonsense.

The New-Way facility is totally awesome. I got a factory tour. There were no robots here, though (thank goodness...they'd have had their way with me). Scranton Manufacturing is a small company that has grown enough to compete with the big boys in refuse equipment (Heil, McNeilus, etc). They just got the contract to build 300 trucks for the Beijing Olympics.

They do indeed build some nice equipment. It's pretty, and reliable (trash man speaking here). They're nice guys, too.

I shot some photos of the yard (no top-secret factory photos here):

I Wouldn't Choose to Live There

Green River, WY has some real beauty, though.

Bonneville

Bedazzled by neon at dinner

They seriously expect you to eat with lots and lots of mirrors and neon and a wretched band.

Wendover, NV looks like a spacecraft

Rearview Sunset

Nevada is boring, part ii

Damn, Nevada is boring.

Indeed, you too can learn to drive the big rigs

I was surprised that I had a fifth wheel. Should've picked up a load. An unloaded tractor makes for an awfully rough ride.

At Last....

I've found a woman who is beautiful and believes that there is beauty in the world. Another beauty-seeker (thus, a good match for me)? I love her. She doesn't like me to take photos of her, so this is a rare one. She's amazing, really.

Happy.
< / g u s h i n g >

mission accomplished

the small cat apparently is not a fan of home alone.

outside of an unfortunate cellphone disaster (no phonebook no more), the treep was okay. the truck is cool. one of the high points of the trip was jose regaling me with tales of corpus christi back in the day:

"we used to go to the part of town that we called the nigger town."
"i was maybe 13 or 14 years old."
"no one said shit and there they give me beer and there was music and girls."
"a lot of girls."
"they used to call me the nigger fucker."
"i never fucked a black girl."

certainly it's not the same if you're not in a "family restaurant" with a hard of hearing mexican diesel mechanic. it was hilarious, really.