So much to do and read and absorb and so little time to do
it all. So, first things first!
Happy Holidays to all my readers wherever you are. I hope
for those of you who celebrate Christmas, you had a very Merry one and Santa
was good and you celebrated the birth of Jesus as the holiday was meant to
commemorate. For those of the Jewish faith, I trust your Festival of Lights,
Hanukkah, was just that, festive and meaningful. And for those who celebrate
other commemorations at this time of year, I hope your holiday has also been
festive and meaningful.
Now, as one who considers himself a mild-mannered grinch at
this time of year, I'm about ready for the holidays to be passed so we can all
return to our normal level of insanity. (And, I say that with a certain amount
of "tongue in cheek" humor.)
I missed a Friday Finds last Friday because I was on the
road all day Friday and Saturday. Friday I drove to Winchester, Virginia to
purchase and have loaded into My McVansion, the new 245 amp hour, AGM, deep
cycle battery that will power the "house" portion of the "tiny
house on wheels." From there I went to Fairfax, Virginia where I recorded
a voice-over for a training program, then to Vienna, Virginia for a festive
evening of fellowship and food at a company Christmas Dinner. I've been a
friend, vendor and company associate of this company and its owners for 30+
years. Then back to Winchester later that evening where I stayed with a long
time friend, Judy, and also met up with my Falls Church, Virginia, former Air
Force buddy, Dave, who also stayed at
Judy's for the night.
Saturday morning my friend, Judy, hosted a Christmas Brunch
for about 20 of us, all friends for many years. We attempt to gather at least
once a year (if not more when possible) to enjoy each others' company and catch
up on our lives. After that I met a new "vandwelling" friend, Ron,
who had just come down to the area on his way to ??? (he's not sure where he's
heading exactly as long as it's away from the winter cold of Berlin, New
Hampshire. His "van" is actually a Prius he's modified to not only
travel long distances in, but to also sleep and live out of. We spent the
afternoon getting acquainted at a Panera Bread Cafe (my unofficial office on the
road) and topped off our meeting with a dinner at a local, old fashioned diner
in Winchester that I've been going to for over 30 years. After Ron and I parted
ways, I headed back to the WV base camp where I've been working most of the
week on clearing up paperwork and other "stuff" plus getting the van
finished up and ready for the first 2014 Road Trek, actually commencing on
January 30th, this coming Monday.
In a few moments, after I post this article on the blog,
I'll be jumping into "My McVansion" and heading into Winchester to
buy the necessary parts and take them to The Battery Mart where I bought the
new "house" battery to install the charging wiring from the van's
alternator to the battery so the house battery will charge whenever the vehicle
engine is running, right along with the van's engine battery.
Now, for today's finds, while I've managed to read a number
of things and I'll likely get them out to you in the near future, I have two
things that caught my attention. Both of them happen to be from the same
source.
First, I couldn't believe this when I saw it, but it even
made the national news on at least one cable network. I guess, for those
readers who live in the cities and suburbs and wonder why or how folks like me
can choose an alternative lifestyle such as we do, this might be just one of
the reasons. Imagine this happening to you...
and this second item today is simply another of so many
"wake-up calls" in our country and society. It's not that this hasn't
been going on for decades and probably the better part of more than a century,
it's simply that it seems to be going from the ridiculous to the sublime. At
least that's my take on it. You may think otherwise. Take a look and see what
you think.
So, that's it for this week. Have a wonderful weekend and a
healthy, happy and abundant (but make it a safe celebration) 2014.
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