Music Track - Cash

One of the great country classics from one of the greatest singers and story tellers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWHniL8MyMM&feature=related
I couldn't resist posting one of the recent comments under the picture - very funny!

"I always wanted me one that was long and black." Who woulda ever thought that Johnny Cash and Kim Kardashian would have something in common...

If I won the Lottery - one

This is a category my friend suggest I run for a little while.  Of course, it's never going to happen as I've never bought a lottery ticket in my life - honestly!

I use Morgue File for photos I don't have myself, and this is the only one they have for "Lottery!"

However, say I picked up one in the street and it came up trumps and I was confronted with several millions, the first thing I would do FOREVER is to fly first class.  None of your business class substitute, I mean FIRST CLASS.  I had the privilege of doing this for many years as I was such a frequent flyer but those days are far behind me.  Now I fly like everybody else - in swine class!

KOA

I can't speak too highly of the KOA (Kampgrounds of America) organisation.  During our recent camping trip we stayed in about four of these places and found them to be excellent.  We had a book which gave all the various campsites in California and it was very useful, but after about four days, we just went for the KOA sites.  They are no doubt franchised as the set ups seem to be about the same with good individual sites, often a swimming pool and spa, a small shop that sells items you may have forgotten, and above all good bathrooms.  If you're a "primitive" type camper they may be a little too well organised but after several hours in the saddle they are first rate. 

Tire Pressure

Now I don't know about you, but I'm not very good with tire pressure checking.  I tend to leave it alone for far too long.  There's something degrading about crawling around all four wheels and having to fit that annoying little hose on and then waiting for it to inflate.  Out here, you have to pay a dollar for the use of a machine that always seems very slow.

They will let you have it for free if you buy gas there, but that's always a hassle.

So the other day  having filled up the car, I was on my way, when I noticed a little light come on the dashboard.  I wasn't sure what it was as I hadn't seen it before.  I stopped and got out the instruction manual that came with the vehicle, and it told me that this little sign means that one or all of the tires needed inflating.  How the heck did it know?

So back I went to the garage and the friendly mechanic, whom I know well, said to let him do it for me with his proper compressor.

Hey presto, I was on my way in no time.  After he'd filled the tires, I noticed that the little light was still on.  He assured me that after a couple of rotations the light would go out.  It seems there is a tiny radio in each tire stem and it beams a message to the central computer if things are not quite right.  What will they think of next?

Video - Disarm!

Now as we all know only the USA has gun violence, so the rest of you can relax knowing that your governments will take care of you!  But for the rest pay attention to this short video on how to disarm a gunman. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G9Pd52Dp-M&feature=related  Read some of the comments underneath as they are quite instructive.

Sunday's Column - Skating and Segway

There are two new ways to get around on two feet up in Big Bear.  You can now skate again and also ride the trails on Segways.  Big Bear always used to have a skating rink, but it turned in to a roller rink about 25 years ago and then after only a year or two of operation it turned into an antiques mall - Ugh!
Big Bear's new rink is a lot smaller and also it doesn't have any ice.  It's a plastic surface that you can use real ice skates on.  The kids seem to love it.



This is Kaitlin with her "walker." She really didn't need it!



 Just along the road and down Bartlett you can find another interesting way to get around the area, via Segways.  These fascinating machines operate with gyroscopes and you just lean in the direction you want to go.  Very easy to learn and a lot of fun to use.
http://www.sbsun.com/trevorstravels/ci_21716780/how-make-your-feet-fly-at-big-bear

Tirade - traffic zones

Having ridden up and down the entire length of the State of California, I noticed that road works are strongly in evidence.  'Tis the season obviously.  But bearing in mind that the state is bankrupt, is it really necessary to have a pilot truck escort us around a couple of men in a hole?  Let's face it the driver costs us around $50K a year plus "bennies," and so do the fellows with the little bats at each end of the obstruction.  Why do we have to have this?  Surely if anyone is so stupid as to fall in the hole along with the men, they belong in an asylum and shouldn't be allowed to drive - Come on People!

Right Track - Obamaphone

This week's Right Track is a video that has been on and off U-Tube, but it shows something of the way this country has deteriorated.  No words are necessary on my part. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpAOwJvTOio

Music Track - Sumi Jo

I was lucky enough to hear Sumi Jo sing the Queen of the Night aria from Mozart's Magic Flute in Los Angeles' opera house about 15 years ago.  She was wonderful http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTx1BeHiyvw&feature=related

Trip - continuing

A quiet campsite above San Luis Obispo was our first night's stop.  In the morning things were rather misty, but we loaded up and left about 7:30 a.m.  Having broken my chair, and both mattress and pillow deflated we knew we needed to find a camping store.  Target in Gilmore provided end of season stuff and on we went.  Up through Oakland, admiring the Solyndra building now empty, having disposed of several billion taxpayers' dollars, past the Raiders stadium and then over the Bay Bridge.  I was leading and here I made a serious mistake and missed the 580 turning.  Instead we found ourselves in downtown San Francisco and had to exit the city over the Golden Gate Bridge.

This was not on our agenda but we enjoyed the view from the Marin County side.  I was to pay dearly for the error of course.  Michael can be quite unforgiving.

Rain

The other day I rode down to the High Desert with a colleague.  We left early but it was already well up in the 90's by the time we arrived there.  I took off the leather jacket and stowed it in the saddle bag.  Eventually at about 10:15 we turned around and rode back up.  A phone call reported that it was raining in Big Bear.  As we rode closer to the foot of the mountains, we could see the bands of rain coming down.  Perhaps we could avoid the storms.  It's always a big risk that the chrome might melt if we take Harleys out in the rain! Cresting the final hill we were still dry but in one minute we were drenched.  And on a part of the road that was too narrow to stop.  It was very hard rain, and in just a thin T-shirt, it felt like we were being sprayed by an AK-47.  It only lasted five minutes or so, but boy, was I soaked.  But when I got home, the chrome had stayed intact.  Phew!

In-n-Out Burgers

I don't eat a lot of "Junk" food, but occasionally when I'm out on an assignment I will stray from the green and healthy.  If you ask Californians which is the best burger joint, most of them will say In-n-Out.  Yesterday I went in to what must be one of the busiest of them.  It's close to LAX at the junction of Lincoln and Sepulveda.  Boy, were they busy.  They even had a fellow outside with an iPad to take orders to go to ease the rush at the window.  I went inside and ordered a double double, with a small drink.  The wait was about ten minutes and the burger was pretty good.  I also had the distinction of being number one!

I don't think I've ever been number one before in a fast food joint. 

The staff are always decked out in white duds and red trimmings, like the decor of the shop itself and everything is very neat and clean.  But boy, was it busy!

Aficionados of In-n-Out know that although there are only four items on the menu, there is in fact a secret menu, where you can order your food in different ways - like animal style or extra crispy.

For the more adventurous of you here is the "secret" menu, so next time you go to an In-n-Out, you can be among those in the know. http://www.ranker.com/list/in-n-out-secret-menu-items/secret-menu-items

Video - Mars Rover

Over five million people have watched this video, and once you begin it's not hard to understand as it is truly amazing.  It's a computer generated video of Rover going to and landing on Mars.  Makes me wish I tried harder at physics at school!  Set aside the 6:30 to watch and listen to this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRCIzZHpFtY

Sunday's Column - Wignall

This Sunday's column is about an art museum whose works I have never actually seen!  It happens that the two occasions that I've been along and met with the curator, they are in between shows.  Nonetheless the space is ideal for showing off a variety of contemporary art and the current exhibition is worth looking at.

Because there was no show on, I couldn't take any photographs and this one is a picture sent to me by Rebecca Trewick the curator.  The exhibition is about aging - something I have some experience with!
To read the entire column go to www.sbsun.com/trevorstravels