Walts Travelogue

[WalterB]

Yeah, I wouldn't do anything to affect the tread of my tires, lol. It was a toss-up for these two. I'd bet money that they tell these guys to SELL! SELL! SELL! And I can't blame them for that. I felt I was kind of on the fence. Fifty Five hundred miles. Mostly highway miles. So I just went ahead with the two. Damn credit cards, lol. They DO ride smoothly. But, then, I guess they did before all this, lol.

[WalterB]

Made it home from Arizona again without destroying my car, again, lol. But I managed to seriously lock my phone up again. I mean, I could do nothing with it, including shut the damn thing off. So I couldn't even call for help, lol. And, no, it wasn't a password issue. That happened once (long story) and I had to take it to the Apple store

The problem happens when I try to put my phone in it's holder on top of my car to take some video. Yes, on top of my car, lol. I have a suction cup phone holder that I can place on top of my car. Yes, it's quite strong and secure (Believe me, I've tested it, lol.)

I have discovered that, when taking moving video from my car, the video is really 3D looking. There is an area on I-10 called Texas Canyon. It is an area of very strange rock formations. Hard to describe, but the rocks are large boulders rounded off. Some are so round, they're like golf balls. So I"m trying to get some good video of that (I have one, I'm going to settle for that, lol.)

The touch screen is very sensitive, and getting the phone set right I find difficult. So, when trying to get it set and recording on top of my car, I manage to touch the screen a lot, apparently. Twice I have even called 911. Now that is exciting. You quick hang up, but they call you back. So I have to explain to them that I'm just some old fart sitting along I-10 trying to figure out my stinkin' phone, lol. (You simply cannot see the damn screen in bright sunlight, no matter how hard you try to shield it. So, this time, after satisfying the operator, I tried again, being more careful. But then a screen popped up saying "Notifying your Emergency contacts in 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 seconds," lol. There's a function where it will call emergency contacts that you designate and send them some sort of message (I'll have to look that up again.) So I stopped that, but apparently touched something on the screen again and it said, on an otherwise black screen "Notifications cancelled," and that was all. So I swiped the screen and nothing happened. Swiped again and nothing. Swiped in a different direction - NOTHING! So then I was swiping all over. Nothing. There's a button combination that shuts the phone off, even THAT wouldn't work. I still have no idea what happened. I even have a great book that I had brought along, "IPhone Manual For Beginners." It's a great book (more later,) So now I'm sitting along I-10 reading an instruction manual for my damn phone. But nothing there that covers this. Well, Hell. Nothing to do but give up and get moving. Luckily the phone battery was low, so I decided to let the battery die.

So it finally dies somewhere. Once I got home, it was dead. I hooked it to the charger and, after a couple minutes, it had enough charge to start up, and started normally.

Geez, what a fun trip. Can't wait for the next one, lol.

Sidebar: There is a website that has some very good instruction manuals for various electronic devices. I am going to buy the one for the Amazon Fire next. The manual is large, maybe 9x12. This one is 145 pages (maybe 3/8" inch thick.) It is very thorough. It is written in very simple, easy to understand language. Pretty much an IPhone for Dummies.

While waiting for my phone to charge, I visited the website. They have an entire selection of manuals. They are mostly $18 - $25, and I think well worth the price. There are books that cover pretty much all IPhones, The Samsung Galaxy, IPad, Kindle, Amazon Fire. There's even one for Facebook. If you need some help or just want to see what you haven't discovered yet, go here for help.

https://infinityguides.com/

[LizLemon85]

Maybe you could set your phone to airplane mode next time, that way you could still film but won't accidentally call someone or send messages, so you don't have to tap on the touch screen in panic and your phone won't freeze and you don't have to read a manual at the side of the road.

[WalterB]

...or accidentally call the police? Great explanation. You very well may be right. Or maybe you know from experience, lol.) I'll have to try that out. Thanks.

[WalterB]

Well, I"m not really traveling anywhere - except maybe in my mind. Something motivated me to post this on my FB page, and then I thought, "Why not? I'll post in on the forum." So, read it or move on, all up to you.

Story time:

Well, I'm having fun this morning. TCM always has lots of great 'filler' programs overnight. I just watched "The Stampede," an hour-long early John Wayne movie. It's always funny to watch early acting, like the fights, for example.

After that came an episode of Batman and Robin, long before Adam West. "Target - Robin." Batman infiltrates the Wizards gang (dressed in civvies.) To prove his loyalty, he is ordered to kill captive Robin. It is Chapter Six of "The Fatal Blast." (Voice over,) "Will the Wizard get to use his evil machine? Who is this that his men have captured? For the answer, see "The Fatal Blast!" Chapter seven of BATMAN and Robin, at this theater next week!"

So cool. Remember those days? You'd go to the theater on a Saturday afternoon. You'd get a serial episode, Batman and Robin, The Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers (and his horse, Trigger,) Hopalong Cassidy, Sky King and Gene Autry. Serials, maybe 7 or 8 or 10 episodes in total, all black and white, one each week. "Come back NEXT week for the NEXT exciting episode of "THE LONE RANGER," with a hearty "Hi-Yo-Silver, AWAYYYYYYY " in the background. Color hadn't even been invented yet except for things like "The Wizard of Oz.

Then we'd get a cartoon. We all loved Loony Tunes - Bugs Bunny sometimes with Elmer Fudd or Yosemite Sam, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Sylvester and Tweety. Then there was The Roadrunner, with Wily Coyote. So much cool stuff for kids in their tens to early teens. I would always ride my bike down there.

This led to probably my first criminal enterprise. Back then, you could have a T.V. Guide route. You'd go out and get your customers, then, each week, they'd send you your shipment in a large manila envelope and you'd go out and deliver them.

One Saturday, I finished my route and headed downtown. I most always would have two or three Guides left over. So I carried my envelope with me. I went to the Western Auto store downtown and went upstairs to the toy dept. I really have no idea why, as I had no money.

Anyway, being the days of Roy Rogers, Gene Autry (The singing cowboy,) Hopalong Cassidy, The Lone Ranger, all us boys loved to play Cowboys and Indians. So I remember I was looking at the cap guns. I found one I liked and decided I had to have it. So I innocently walked around a bit more and found no one. I went back to the gun, slipped it into my envelope, walked down the stairs and walked out. Got on my bike and rode home.

I'm guessing I hid it in my dresser drawer because I remember that Mom found it. She asked me where I got it, and I'm thinking I said, "I found it." Whatever I said, I don't really remember. But it apparently was enough to either convince her, or was at least enough to keep me from getting my butt paddled, lol.

And, today, after Batman, an episode of none other than POPEYE, THE SAILOR, with Olive Oyl and Bluto. Funny, funny stuff. I remember seeing all these things at the Arcadia Theater in Temple, Texas. I'd ride my bike downtown. Such happy memories, such great times. Do you ever wish you could just go back to being a kid? Todays kids don't even know what it means to just go outside and play. Tag, Hide and Seek, Cowboys and Indians, Cops and Robbers. Riding our bikes around the neighborhood, waiting for the Ice Cream man. As a kid, I had no concept of distance. Turns out the school I went to, Lanier Elementary, was about a half mile south. Downtown to the Arcadia was only just over 1/4 mile further. But we could pretty much ride our bikes wherever we wanted - as long as we were home by dark. Our parents didn't worry.

Thanks for listening, folks. "Those were the days, my friend. We thought they'd never end...."
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This was our home. The Pecan Tree usually had a good yield. Us kids would go collect the pecans. Then that night, we'd have a pecan shelling party. Then the next afternoon, Mom would cook up a couple of pecan pies.
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At first, my room was in the left rear in this shot. My sisters shared the room in front and Mom and Dad had the rear one. Then Dad converted the attic into a room for me. Huge. The attic was, of course, the size of the whole house. So he installed floors, wallboard, painted, put in a bed and a table and an electric train. Then my sisters got their own rooms.
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My grade school
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I learned to play trumpet right here, in this room.
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This is the Arcadia Theater at night. I don't remember if the family ever went there at night. We usually went to drive-ins - another long gone relic of a long gone era.
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The Arcadia today. Long closed and I think the buildings around it are not from my day..
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[WalterB]

A little bit of repeating here, so I hope you don’t mind.

Made it to Temple, Texas, just fine. 630 miles and 12 hours. That’s 1260 miles and 24 hours driving, round-trip. Quite a trip, LOL. I lived here in Temple from 1949 to 1956. So, from age 6 to age 13. It was quite the great era, and quite a good time in my life. I’ve been back here a couple of times since, the last time probably five or six years ago.

One of my old haunts is still here, the old Arcadia theater downtown.

I used to ride my bicycle down there on Saturdays just to see the current Western. Roy Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy, Gene Audrey and the Lone Ranger. With each movie there would also be a serial, usually with one of those, and there would be a cartoon. Looney Tunes were of course our favorites. Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, the Road Runner (the road runner wasn’t Looney Tunes, but still an excellent cartoon.) The theater is closed now and boarded up, but it still brings back lots of cool memories. My old elementary school is here, from the first through the sixth grade. But my junior high school, seventh grade, is long gone.

The distance from my school to my house is six blocks, about a half a mile. It may have seemed further then, but there’s a difference between a kid on a bicycle and a man in a car. It’s a little hard to recognize the old area, mostly because the trees have grown up so much. Well, it has been 50 years, LOL. There was a pecan tree in our front yard. We used to get the pecans every year, shell them, and then Mom would make Pecan pies. The tree that’s there now doesn’t look like a pecan tree to me, but it must be. It’s in the same location.

I will go over there again on this trip, probably just to relive a few memories. Like I said, it was a good time in my life and I remember it well. I have to again say thank you, Mom and Dad, for being who you were, and for caring for us kids as much as you did. We owe you everything.

[WalterB]

So I’m sitting in the restaurant waiting for my breakfast to be delivered. A lady comes in and is seated several tables away at a 90° angle to where I am sitting. As I was looking around, I noticed that she was looking at me. OK, I guess you’ve got to look somewhere, LOL. A few seconds later I swing back and she’s looking at me again. OK, no biggie. I continue looking out the window and looking at all the decorations in the restaurant (it was a Cracker Barrel, a pretty cool place.) I look back and she’s looking at me again. Now I’m wondering if I shouldn’t smile or something. So I smile, and nod at her - just as her husband walks by and walks over to their table and sits down, and she proceeds to look at him.

So, guess what, Walt, it’s not all about you. In fact, you wanna know the truth? Probably none of it is about you,.

[WalterB]

Well, I’m headed back home tomorrow morning. Another fun 12 hour drive. Maybe more. I’ve got a tire issue, apparently a leak of some sort. So I will have to stop in Abilene and get that handled. That will probably kill at least an hour. So, there goes the hour that I will gain by crossing the time zone going westbound. I’m going to try to get out of here by five, so that should put me into El Paso around 5 Mountain time, maybe 6.

[WalterB]

Do you travel? Of course. Fly? Of course. In luxury? Possibly (no for me, lol.) But I will bet the proverbial dollar to a donut, you've never traveled like this. If you think the Economy Class is nice, and Business class is nicer, just wait until you get to First Class. As BTO said, "You ain't seen nothin' yet!" I mean, it's just an airplane ride, right?
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https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/kat ... 24882.html

[WalterB]

I love to travel and I love to drive. I consider myself a pretty good driver. But then I remember that I imagine that most people consider themselves good drivers - even the stupid ones.

I also love the new Camaros. But no matter how much I drive, I'll never be this good. Nor, like the narrator mentions, hopefully never this stupid, either. One small slip and it's a Krispy Kreme driver.
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https://www.carscoops.com/2021/11/drift ... r-trouble/

[WalterB]

Well, rats. I guess I won't be going to Hawaii this year because of Covid-19 restrictions.

Usually I don't go because I'm broke.

[ErikB]

Well, rats. I guess I won't be going to Hawaii this year because of Covid-19 restrictions.

Usually I don't go because I'm broke.

I enjoyed that.

[WalterB]

Well, I guess this fits under "travels," lol.

There is a restaurant chain, a steak house that apparently serves up pretty good meals. I remember there was one in the Denver area, but I never got to it. I looked at the website and it doesn't currently show a location in Colorado, so maybe it closed.

So, why is this particular chain so unique? Well, in my case, it's the name. "Ruth's Chris Steak House." That name has driven me crazy ever since I first heard it. I mean, I simply could not wrap my mind around the name. It just doesn't make sense to my old befuddled brain. "Ruth's Chris Steak House." Every time I hear/see the name, my mind just goes off the rails and get's wrapped around the axle. It's like my mind turns upside down while the rest of me stays straight up.

Well, I have this thing called a computer. If you use it correctly, you can use it to look things up and enlighten your poor stupid self. So, this morning, I had an "epiphany(?)" Why not use this new-fangled toy over here to look it up. So I looked it up.

Well, I'll be go-to-hell, I finally found a good explanation and it all makes sense. So now, if I'm ever around one, I feel I can go in and have a great meal without my brain just falling out on the floor.

So, in case there's someone else out there who was lost, I provide the answer, lol. The original restaurant was named "Chris Steak House" in New Orleans, named after the owner, Chris Matulich. In 1965 he decided to sell, and sold the restaurant to Ruth Fertel. Ruth ran the place for 10 years. Shortly after she signed her next 10 year lease on the building, the building burned down. She had another property just 5 blocks away, so moved the restaurant there. But there was a problem. The sales documents stated that the name could only be used at the original location. Well, Ruth wanted to keep the continuity. She had been in business 10 years and did not want to lose that by renaming. So she came up with an idea. And the name "Ruth's Chris Steak House" came to life.

Normally, a person would name their business "Chris's Steak House." Why Mr Matulich decided to go with "Chris Steak House" isn't mentioned. But at least I can now put my ignorant brain back to sleep, Ruth's - Chris Steak House,"

[Davest]

Good one, Walt. I think I have only eaten at a Ruth's Chris Steak House once, in Indianapolis. It was during a convention so they were slammed, but I remember enjoying the steak very much, which was good because it ended up being pretty pricey. As I try to remember (it was more than 15 years ago), a friend and I ate dinner and the bill came to about $100.

[WalterB]

For some reason, Davest, I seem to have had that feeling - that it was pretty expensive. But if a steak is seriously that good, you really don't mind much, do you? I don't think anyone minds paying for real quality.

Maybe I can convince Rokkerr and Vicky yo take me to one for my next birthday,

[WalterB]

Well, I'm off to Arizona for 10 days tomorrow morning. Couple years ago, several of us started talking about getting together in Winslow. You know, "I was standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona, such a fine sight to see," lol. Look over this picture. Upper left window - see the eagle? Lower left, a guy 'standing on the corner.' Reflected in the window is "a girl, my Lord, in a flat-bed Ford, slowing down to take a look at me." And finally, the girl and the guy apparently got a room, I guess, because you can see them in the second from right window. And, then, to cap it off, there's a Flat-bed Ford parked right by this. It's all pretty cool, and a lot of tourists stop in Winslow to see the corner and take pictures.
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Anyway, (I got distracted, lol,) we put it on hold when the pandemic hit. I also talk about Tombstone a lot, mainly because my son lives 20 miles from there. I first went to Tombstone with the family as a kid. Now I have been there several times.

So there is Frank, a friend I worked with in Alaska back in the '70's. His mother-in-law (Lyda) and her niece (Donna) were part of the group. So suddenly we were talking about Tombstone and looking ahead to travel time. Well, Donna caught covid, and didn't make it.

So, anyway, Lyda still wants to come down, and travel seems to be much better. So Lyda is flying down from Seattle and Frank and his GF are driving down from Ohio. We will visit places like Johnny Ringo's gravesite, Texas Canyon, Steins, New Mexico, Cave Creek, up NE of Phoenix. We won't get to the Clanton Ranch site because it's a mile walk from the nearest parking and none of us can handle that, lol. I expect it to be a pretty good week.

[greggl]

Have a great trip Walt. Post some pics if you get a chance

[WalterB]

We're moving forward, Gregg. Lyda and I are driving around southern Arizona. The only problem out here is like I told Lyda. The desert Southwest means driving for an hour to spend 10 minutes looking at something.

Frank and Carole will be in Wednesday. So that leaves Thursday - Saturday to do the most visiting. Lyda and I have visited some places, but I'm not sure what we'll do for the next 2 or 3 days. We really don't want to repeat things, as, you know, once you;ve seen it, it's time to move on, lol.

Yesterday, Lyda and I drove thru Bisbee. Bisbee is an old late 1800's mining town. There is a very large and deep copper pit there. It could be 1/4 mile deep. All sorts of old mining gear and remnants around the town, It is built in a very narrow valley, so the (2) streets are narrow. The buildings are, of course, old, but the entire scenic effect is quite pretty. Lots of traffic there, several places to eat, including a couple of pretty nice ones.

We drove down to Douglas first, so she could see the infamous border wall. Then, on the way to Bisbee, a little excitement. About 15 minutes out of Douglas, we had started into a mountainous area with a narrow 2-lane road, no places to pull over, lots of twists and turns. As we came around a left curve, Lyda saw some sort of shrine maybe 20 feet up the mountain a bit, and there was a small pull-out area. I made a quick decision to pull over (from 60 mph.) I was almost too late, but felt I was OK. I hit the skids and just managed to stop before the little pull-out area ended. I saw someone coming up behind me, and there were two cars coming from in front, so I tried to steer out of the way. The kicker? There was some guy walking toward us on the shoulder on our side of the road. I also didn't want to hit him, lol. He stopped and made a move toward the mountain. I'm sure he was scared a bit, but I had it under control.

Anyway, I backed up better into the pull-out and off the road. He moved forward again. As Lyda was taking a picture, he was walking by. I rolled down the window, as I just wanted to apologize to him for scaring him. He stopped, we chatted for a bit, then he asked if we could take him into Douglas. Well, I wasn't at all sure. I didn't want to pick up a stranger with Lyda in the car and in that part of the country. But it was at least 15 miles to Douglas in that dry heat. Probably 85 degrees or so, still hot enough to not be walking in the desert. You also wonder where he came from. We were still 6-7 miles from Bisbee. Of course, there are ranches and homes all over the desert.

Well, we decided to take him to Douglas. He was nice enough and chatted with us. So we got him to Douglas and headed back to Bisbee again.

In today's world, yes, you have to be wary of strangers. But my attitude is like in Alaska in the winter. If someone is stranded beside the road, you stop and help. No excuses. It can very easily turn into a life-and-death situation. And out here in the desert it can be the same. If someone needs help, you stop and help. So I was glad we were able to give him that ride home.

[WalterB]

Well,made it back from my Arizona trip again. I don't sightsee much out there any more, since I've seen most everything. But having 3 friends come down made it fun again.
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I know there were some rustlers in the area, so first I had to mount up and chase them the hell out of Tombstone.
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Then, since we were out of town a couple miles, we stopped by Ed Schieffelin's grave. Ed is the fellow that recognized signs of silver in the area and first actually platted Tombstone.
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We got a warning about the dangerous gunfights that take place in Tombstone.
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More later.
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[WalterB]

Well, this is about traveling, but on a much longer trip.

At 79, I have traveled. Maybe I'm being nostalgic. But I've been a lot of places and done a lot of things. I've had downs, I've had ups. I've had bad times, I've had good times. I've BEEN bad. But I've been good, too. Sometimes I talk too much. But I've got a lot to look back on. I remember the bad times. But I remember the good times, too. And that's what I concentrate on. The bad memories help keep me in line (don't want to do THAT again,, lol,) The good memories keep me happy. And that's where I like to be. You learn from your bad memories. You rejoice in your good ones. You control your own destiny, folks. We all have bad times. But you can't let those bad times overwhelm your mind. If you have problems, you deal with them. Life isn't perfect. Everyone has bad times. But no one starts out wanting to be a bad person. We all start out as children. We all start out as good people, happy and having fun.

Some have wonderful lives. Some have difficult lives. Those with bad or no families bother me the worse. They become directed by anger. Without the proper guidance, they become bad people. and that's no fun for anyone. So, if you're feeling low, if you feel lost and don't know where to turn. get out there and look for help. Asking for help is NOT a bad thing. Talk to a family member. Talk to a friend who will listen. If none of those are available, look on line. There are plenty of places out there where folks will help. And, you know what? Many times, just talking to someone will help you. The other person doesn't have to talk, doesn't have to try and give answers. Sometimes, someone who listens is all you need. You've got these things in your mind that need to get out. And, if all else fails? Go talk to yourself in the mirror. Believe me, it DOES help. You've all got phones with cameras on them. Set up your phone to record yourself. Start the video record and talk. Just talk to yourself. Say what's bothering you. Talk about what is bothering you. When you're done? Stop the record. Then play it back. Listen to yourself. You'll be surprised the good it will do for you. Don't believe me? Next time you're feeling lost? Go try it. You just might be surprised. And you will sleep a better sleep. Remember, YOU are the one responsible for your destiny. So, DON'T let life get you down. DON'T take life too seriously. If you treat others with courtesy and respect, you will be fine. If you follow The Golden Rule ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,") you will do just fine.

And, remember this - have you always been the best of people? Are there those times you wish you could go back and change? People in your past you wish you could apologize to? We all have those. The answer is to realize that as humans, we are not perfect. Recognize that you made a mistake. And remember that only makes you human. No one has all the answers. So, be happy, keep moving forward and keep looking up. THAT is the one goal you never want to lose track of.

So, the next time you screw up? Next time something bad happens to you? Deal with it. Then think, "Dammit, that old fart was right. I DO feel better."

And, remember, like it or not, Walt loves you.

WE ARE A GENERATION THAT WILL NEVER COME BACK.

A generation that walked to school and then walked back.
A generation that did their homework alone to get out asap to play in the street.
A generation that spent all their free time on the street with their friends.
A generation that played hide and seek when it got dark.
A generation that made mud cakes.
A generation that collected sports cards.
A generation that found, collected and washed & returned empty coke bottles to the local grocery store for 5 cents each , then bought a Mountain Dew and candy bar with the money.
A generation that made paper toys with their bare hands.
A generation who bought vinyl albums to play on record players.
A generation that collected photos and albums of clippings.
A generation that played board games and cards on rainy days.
A generation whose TV went off at midnight after playing the National Anthem.
A generation that had parents who were there.
A generation that laughed under the covers in bed so parents didn't know we were still awake.
A generation that has passed and unfortunately, will never return!!..
I loved growing up when I did.