Entries
A Classic Footrace
The most ludicrous spectacle I have ever witnessed in my entire life occurred in the late '90s in the parking lot of the Flyin' Hook on the West Side of OKC (Flying J Travel Plaza, Morgan Road, Exit 140 on …
The $300 Gnat
I used to haul Hazardous Waste from CA clear to PA and GA, and it was a fairly serious gig: half the loads were Class 3 Flammable Liquids & Class 4 Flammable Solids, while the other half consisted of Class …
Excerpt From A Nautical Classic...
"...gave forth the cheering order that called each man to his station, to perform the desired evolution. The confident assurances which the young officer had given to the pilot respecting the qualities of his vessel, and his own ability to …
Excerpts From A Mountaineering Classic...
"Now Leo and Erich were introduced to the Concerto of the Eiger Stonefall. The score is richly orchestrated. There are small stones with a high whistling note like flutes and fiddles. The medium-sized lumps hum fairly fiercely and yet their …
Schopenhauer Was The Man...
"Just as the wayfarer only surveys and recognizes the road he has come when he reaches some high place and can look back over it in its entirety, so we ourselves are only able to recognize and value a stage …
We're Losing The Wrong Ones...
With nothing but respect and perhaps a twinge of sadness, I noted the passing of Jerry Schad earlier this week. Every once in a great while, I'll encounter someone like Schad and think to myself: "Ya know, everything this guy …
Sage the Tyger
THE TYGER (from Songs Of Experience, 1794) +++++++++++++++ Tyger! Tyger! burning bright In the forests of the night, What immortal hand or eye Could frame thy fearful symmetry? ++++++++++++++++++++++ In what distant deeps or skies Burnt the fire of thine …
Illusion Dweller
REQUIEM ++++++++ Under the wide and starry sky, Dig the grave and let me lie. Glad did I live and gladly die, And I laid me down with a will. ++++++++++++++++++++++ This be the verse you 'grave for me: Here …
A Tribute To J.R.
My friend J.R. passed away almost nine years ago, but I still miss him. He was a classic character... he stood 5'7", weighed about 120 lbs. soaking wet, had long hair (which he cut short only once in decades, as …
Walking In Jefferson's Footsteps
In my own small circle, I'm known for walking the ground in historic locations. Pioneer cemeteries with the graves of soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War; Civil War battlefields such as Gettysburg, Lookout Mountain, and Vicksburg; historic homes and …
Isla Norte
I made my first voyage to Isla Norte on August 11, 1992. This is the outermost island of Islas Los Coronados, perhaps the most wild and beautiful as well. Under a mile in length and over one-quarter of a mile …
For The Birds
I once pulled an avian rescue via big truck. I was dragging a load of lead solder waste from Otay Mesa, CA, to Altoona, PA, and I had only left the yard in Otay Mesa a short time earlier. In …
Vision Quest At Vedauwoo
I'll never forget the first time I laid eyes on Vedauwoo. My very first thought was: "THIS PLACE IS MAGICAL!!!" And it is, with its stunning scenery, its bizarre hoodoos and impressive outcrops, its shimmering aspen groves and scented evergreens... …
Mysterious & Magical Mt. Livermore
This is an account of my visit to Mt. Livermore, TX, early in the year 2007. Mt. Livermore is situated in the Davis Mountains of West Texas; it is the second-highest peak in the Lone Star State, if one doesn't …
"And I'll Take Some To Go..."
One of the more pleasant aspects of OTR or Over-The-Road Truck Driving is what I call "The Grand Culinary Adventure"---traveling around the country and sampling regional fare cooked by those with a passion for turning out good grub. I'm not …
The Blue Angels Of Truck Driving
This short tale concerns an incident which occurred on I-10 a few miles west of Deming, NM. If you know anything at all about truck driving, you know that every hand with a CDL-A has learned, through training and experience, …
Flyin' High
In January, 1999, I received a citation for speeding in the "Land of Enchantment", otherwise known as the State of New Mexico. I was eastbound on I-40, near the Acoma Sky City Casino at the 102 yardstick, when I was …
Mexican Adventure
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a well-publicized series of brutal murders shocked residents and law enforcement officials throughout Southern California. Dubbed the "Freeway Killings", these murders were particularly vicious and bloody, and most of the victims were adolescent …
Sturm Und Drang In The Shadow Of El Cap
Drive through Lakeside and head east on El Monte Road, and you soon will arrive at El Monte Park. This popular county park is nestled in that part of the San Diego River Valley which lies between Lakeside and the …
The Cult Of The Laser
Note: Story first appeared in 1993, but this is the original unedited version. I always wanted readers to experience this tale of adventure in its entirety, so here we go... ---------------------------THE CULT OF THE LASER------------------------------ Blessed by unique geography and …