2020: Exit, stage left—and get lost!

As I write this post, there are less than 24 hours left of one of the worst years in recent memory. Just about everyone is fed up and wants 2020 gone for good—and ASAP. Even I ended the year in trouble of sorts. If you read this post, then you know about my car trouble. That was a week ago; I still haven't been able to get it to a shop for diagnosis of the problem and repair. I'm out of money and not so well physically, either. I almost had to miss seeing one of my oldest and best friends because of this. But Bill's brother was kind enough to bring him out to the house. Thank you, Bob! When all is said and dumb, none of these unfortunate situations are 2020's fault. It's just fun to pin the blame on the thing we've been picking on all year. We're certainly a society of misfits, aren't we?

Every year I say that things will improve and be better overall than last year. Whether it actually happens is unknown, but by December 31, 2021, we'll know for sure.

This time around, we have a different president in the White House. We also have our first-ever female vice-president. And they're from the other party this time, so things are definitely changed up in the political arena. We're still fighting the ongoing worldwide COVID-19 pandumbic and will be for awhile, though we have at least two seemingly reliable vaccines available now.

I could continue my whinefest, but I'm going to keep it short for now. To all of my family and friends, I wish you the very best possible 2021. Keep helping each other out and we'll all be better off for it. Eric's Planet will be back next year to bring you a twelveth year of fun, merriment, and anything else I might dig up around here.

Why I needed a police escort on my way home from getting dinner

At times I like to get a bite to eat from a restaurant instead of whipping up something at home. I can cook just fine, but sometimes just don't feel like it. Tonight was one of those nights. But it didn't exactly go the way I planned it would. Who in the world could have guessed that the simple act of getting a bite to eat would involve the police? Well, keep in mind who we're dealing with here and none of what happened should come as a surprise.

While I was heading toward the freeway I still wasn't sure whether to stop at Carl's Jr here in town or go up to Tommy's in Ventura. Once I got on the freeway and had reached the exit where Carl's is, I decided not to run all the way to Ventura since I was there just last week. I got off in town and went right into the drive-thru lane at Carl's. Heading back home, I got onto the on-ramp, which at this spot is one of those cloverleaf types where you can't build up speed and have about 30 feet to get up to freeway speed. That means some pedal-to-the-metal action to reach freeway speed and not disrupt traffic. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the yellow Check Engine light on, and the engine let out a cough, hesitated and sputtered up to speed. Not good. I kept it slow with the flashers on till I could get somewhere to pull over. After getting off the freeway, I found a spot across from a longtime favorite Mexican restaurant, parked, turned off the engine and sat. At this point, I was just a mile from home, but wanted to check my oil before proceeding. Thinking about this, all I could smell was the distinctive odor of "expensive"—something that I really don't need right now.

I noticed a car pull up behind me and got out to see who it was. It was an SUV with a funky black-and-white paint scheme and a red and blue light on top. A man wearing a uniform with a badge reflecting the lights stepped out. He asked if I was OK and I told him what was going on. He said he'd stick around as long as I needed. (I wanted to check my oil level and add oil as needed.) Oil was a bit low; my five-quart bottle of Mobil1 had only a few ounces of oil left in it, but would have to do till I could get more or get my car in for service. With over 250,000 miles on it, it's certainly due.

After putting a few tablespoons of oil in my car, I told the officer that I was close to home and would he follow me in case of trouble. He was glad to oblige and I got home safely with my food. Before heading inside, I thanked the officer and dismissed him from Project Escort Eric Home. Once inside, I put my now-cold food into the microwave to revive it. Thank heaven for microwave ovens, and police officers who are always ready to serve.

Will 2021 be a second helping of 2020?

Now that we're getting close to the end of the year that made taking a turn for the worse a national pastime, it raises the question as to whether next year will simply continue the nonsense. We've lost a lot of celebrities—which is actually quite normal—but we've lost a lot of family and friends as well. Living through a global pandemic with plenty of restrictions put on us limiting our movement and activities is new. California has the highest number of cases of COVID-19, the dreaded novel coronavirus disease, in the nation, while New York leads with the number of deaths. I'm no scientist, but I expect the trend to continue well into next year.

There are a few reasons for this and I'll get into it in a bit. Not everyone reading this will agree, which is fine because this is my blog and I get the final say as to what gets published. Not trying to be an ass, but if I'm going to write anything, I'm going to write what's in my heart and soul. Disagreement is OK around here as long as no one gets violent. In such a situation, agreeing to disagree is usually the best course of action.

Earlier this year, I wrote a Facebook status update encouraging my friends to wear a face covering. A now ex-friend took offense and wrote a reply essentially disagreeing with my post. (Fine, it's her opinion.) However, a bunch of my friends replied to her post and pretty much tore her to pieces. In response, this now-former friend deleted her post, which took all of the replies with it, and clicked the Unfriend button. ¡Adios, muchacha!

The CDC recommends that everyone over age two and anyone with no breathing problems wear a cloth face covering properly positioned over the mouth and nose any time they're out in public. The idea is that the mask contains the bulk of tiny water droplets released by the wearer during breathing, thus preventing them from getting into the mouth or nose of others. Fairly simple concept, but so many people find wearing a mask to be inconvenient or uncomfortable (I don't, honestly, despite having asthma). With so many people wearing masks improperly or not at all, it's no wonder this disease isn't slowing down. People are gathering in large groups, which increases the risk. I can only hope that in addition to properly wearing their face coverings, people are sanitizing or washing their hands as often as they can. Everything helps.

But even without COVID-19 and its effect on the world, 2020 seemed to be the banner year for things to just plain old go wrong. Unemployment has sharply risen, people are losing their homes and businesses left and right, though some of those things are likely due to the pandemic.

Really, about all we can do is say our prayers and hang on for another wild ride in 2021.

Driving through a theme park

Normally when you visit a theme park, you park your car in the parking lot, then walk or take a tram to the front gate where you buy your ticket and enter the park. You'll be on your feet all day walking miles going from one ride to the next. One thing you won't encounter while walking along the midway is vehicle traffic. The occasional park maintenance or security vehicle may go by, but they are gone in no time. Guests aren't allowed to bring their vehicles into the park and drive them while inside. The idea of doing so is pure fantasy and folly.

But that changed at one park—and a local one at that. This year, in light of COVID-19, Six Flags Magic Mountain (SFMM) in Valencia CA came up with an idea even noveler than the coronavirus. Instead of holding their annual Holiday in the Park event packed with people wandering around looking at the displays and lights—and possibly infecting others with the virus—SFMM devised a drive-through-the-park event where guests could drive their own cars through the park along the walkways normally packed with guests. The trip around the park is about a mile-and-a-half and takes 40 minutes to an hour depending on the crowd. Guests drive under six different coasters and one water ride during the trip. CraZanity and the Grand Carousel are in motion with no riders aboard, but lit up and decorated. There are food and snack packages available, but must be purchased in advance when reservations are made. You can do that here. Six Flags members and season passholders are free. 

If you'd like a preview of this event, you can watch a complete ride-through video from ParkJourney (aka my friend Gregg Condon) by clicking here. I went out to SFMM last Sunday evening to see this for myself and was amazed. If there are any more spots open, I may go and see it again.

A week to give thanks

The year is winding down, and many are saying that they can't wait to see 2020 in their rear view mirror, far behind them and getting farther behind as time goes on. The pandumbic, the politics—everything associated with this year. At this writing, we only have about five weeks left till 2021 kicks off. Let's hope that 2021 doesn't tick us off.

We can't imagine what's ahead, but Thanksgiving is this Thursday. But it's going to be a Thanksgiving unlike anything in recent memory. Large family gatherings are being discouraged to help slow the spread of COVID-19. But isn't Thanksgiving about spending time with family? Of course people can connect over Skype, Zoom, or even just the regular phone. But in-person visits are best and will be missed this year. I'm sure the same will be true for Christmas next month. And for next year, we don't know yet.

Social media is full of complaining and whining about the disaster that 2020 has been. Is there anything that any of us can be thankful for? Anyone who didn't contract COVID can be thankful for that. Despite the many job losses, anyone who kept their job can be thankful. People who didn't lose family and friends can be thankful for that.

Here in California, the number of COVID-19 cases is on the rise. Our esteemed Gavinor Newsense is cranking up the restrictions like we had last spring. But in many ways it's our own fault. If everyone would at least wear their face covering, keep their hands clean, maintain a safe distance from others and avoid large gatherings of people, maybe this virus would stop spreading so fast and COVID-19 would be nothing but a bad memory a lot sooner.

I don't have any idea as to what my own Thanksgiving plans are going to be. My guess is that Diana will be out with friends and my other half will be with her mother, at least one brother, and who knows who else. I will likely whip up something here at the estate. May or may not include turkey. Enchiladas sound good. You never know.

Remember that we're all in this together. Whenever we can, wherever we can and if ever we can, let's be thankful for everything we've been blessed to have. And if possible, reach out to someone who might need a friend or a meal to share. They'll be thankful. And that's what this day is all about.

A good night's sleep is a foreign concept as of late

Sleep has not been coming easy for me these days, and it's starting to catch up with me. Between some health issues, financial issues, and a new-but-challenging friend having come into my life last year (more on that later if I remember), I can't seem to put my head on my pillow and allow my body to relax and catch that train to Dreamland. I toss and turn and eventually notice that it's starting to get light outside. THEN I fall asleep and wake up at 2:45pm. Despite the difficulties of getting to sleep, however, one night I did manage to have a dream about a favorite family restaurant having changed its name from "Little Toni's" to some random Italian word that made no sense. The restaurant had moved next door to its location (which is a garage in real life) with a completely rearranged layout, and the aforementioned new friend was there with me.

It's after 2am as I write this. Tonight isn't as cold as it's been the last few nights. It's quiet, and I just downed a cup of broccoli cheddar soup. Diana is who-knows-where, but she's 30 and doesn't have to tell Dad where she is or what she's doing anymore. Chimi is in his cage. The skylight is dark. And here I am writing a blog post.

Oh, how I'd like to jump into bed right about now. But not being sleepy leaves me the choice of tossing and turning or being at least a little productive by writing something. After all, I did threaten to write more in my blog in a recent Facebook post. I noticed that everyone cringed at the mere thought of that (and, worse, the reality of it), but I'm going to make good on it.

So now it's a new day. I made it to just past 3am before falling asleep in my chair. By some luck, I was up at 9:30. With a mediocre night's sleep behind me, breakfast, and a reading of today's paper, I'm back at this now. The weather has warmed up, and I may be able to leave the heater off. I'm rambling away here like I haven't rambled before. This may end up being the most random and wonkiest post I've ever made. As such, it's a perfect example of the perils of not getting enough good sleep. And I'd better fix that.

The election is behind us at long last

Everyone knows that I normally wouldn't write about anything even remotely political, but this has been one cuckoopants crazy year in so many ways. Election years are long and tough, and 2020 was one of the toughest. The COVID-19 pandumbic certainly didn't help things, either. Normally by now (five days after the election), we would know all of the results and proceed with our celebrating or sulking.

However, COVID-19 changed things this time around. In order to help slow the spread of the virus, our normal voting method was changed so that we could fill out our ballots at home and mail them in or deposit them into special locked containers that were set out at several locations in each community.

Ballots returned by mail normally take longer to count, so we don't have our final results as of yet. At the time of writing this post, however, Joe Biden has been declared the unofficial winner of the race for U.S. President, having clinched more electoral votes than Donald Trump with only a few states to declare one way or another.

There are a couple of noteworthy things about this election. Biden, at age 78, is the oldest person to be elected as President of the United States. He chose 56-year-old, former California Attorney General and U.S. Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate. Having won the election, this makes Harris the first woman to serve in the office of Vice President, as well as being a woman of color. (Harris has roots in Africa, Southeast Asia and India.) Should Biden have to step down for health or other reasons, that would put Harris into the top spot, making her the first female U.S. President. Some people "in the know" claim that this is a real likelihood. A few have even said that Biden has planned for such an occurrence all along. But we'll see.

Perhaps we've turned a corner here. For the last four years we've seemed to be at war with...ourselves. I can't remember a time when we've been so divided as a country. Maybe now things can settle down and we can get back to normal.

Halloween is not my holiday

Most people I know absolutely love Halloween. Their reasons vary widely, but, hey, whatever carves their pumpkin. For most of my life, the last day of October has never held much significance for me. As a child, yes, I did my share of trick-or-treating and enjoyed the fact that I had quite an arsenal of candy stockpiled in my bag by the time the evening was over. I well remember the last time I did any trick-or-treating. It was on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World during Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in 2006. I was 47 years old. But very much a kid at heart.

Trick-or-treating aside, for some reason I never really got into the whole Halloween thing. I went to the occasional haunted house, Halloween party, dressed up, and even played a "stooge" one year when our church youth group was allowed to turn much of the church property (except the sanctuary) into a walk-through haunted house. My role as "stooge" meant that I joined every group and went with them as far as a room where they were warned that they'd better not stay in that room for long or "the monster" would come out of the closet and grab someone. Well, the monster did come out, grabbed "someone" and pulled him into the closet, never to be seen again—till he joined the next group. I was that "someone," you know, the expendable guest.

A few years later, I participated in something called "Parade of Monsters" out at Magic Mountain before Six Flags bought the park in 1979. For our participation, we were given two admission tickets to the park for future visits—a $15 value! (It would be closer to $200 these days, but that's for another post.)

During the '60s and '70s, most people in our area didn't decorate their homes as much for Halloween as they did for Christmas. There was one family a few blocks away that turned the outside of their home into something they called "McSpook's Graveyard." To us, that was the ultimate Halloween attraction and every year we couldn't wait to see it. Then one year, we walked over there and saw...a regular house with no decorations of any kind. What happened? We don't know and never found out if the people moved, died, or just got tired of setting it up and tearing it down every year.

As for haunted attractions at theme parks, I've been to Fright Fest at Six Flags Magic Mountain, Knott's Scary Farm (aka "Haunt"), Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Florida (strangely, I have never been to HHN at the much closer Hollywood park), the aforementioned event at Walt Disney World, and Scream Park at the long gone MGM Grand Adventures in Las Vegas.

McSpook's Graveyard may be history, but some people also built their own haunted attractions. One of the better ones was Higgins Manor in Mission Viejo. My friend Chris Higgins put that together for many years, and was well worth the 200-mile drive (round trip) to see it. Chris has set up something this year at his place in the San Gabriel Valley, but I haven't seen it as of the writing of this post.

We've always had candy for trick-or-treaters, but for whatever reason, only a few kids came by. If there's anything I don't need sitting around, it's candy. This year, of course, things are very different with the COVID-19 pandumbic going on.

Sounds like I was pretty busy with Halloween stuff for someone with little interest in it, huh? I'm definitely not obsessed with Halloween as so many folks are, but I've had some good times. Oftentimes I find myself feeling guilty for enjoying the holidays—perhaps for having what others don't have, or enjoying myself when so many aren't so happy. This goes back to childhood, actually. It's a mystery to which I haven't a key.

The bad thing about not working is that it gives your mind time to think about things in your life—things that you or others could have or should have done differently. I could write about these things, but I'm keeping posts like that on the back burner for now.

With no trick-or-treaters coming by, I might use the time to figure out how I want to approach writing what could be a serious post. In the spirit of Halloween, stay entombed...

Eric's pit stop—simple adjustments or complete overhaul?

For reasons I'm not sure I'll ever know, September was a "pedal to the metal" month here on the planet. New posts flowed off of me like melted butter flowing off of a hot stack of pancakes. And as fast as it began, so did it stop. It's definitely not for a lack of subject matter—I have enough to write about for many posts to come. At the time of this post, I've written a few that I'm not ready to spring on you just yet. Those posts require some more thought and a little fine tuning.

So why aren't I doing that? Why are my posts sitting in my mind like they're waiting for a train that isn't coming? Waiting for a traffic light that isn't changing? Stuck in the head of someone stalling by making up clichés? There is without a doubt a Sigalert in effect on someone's mental freeway. And you both know who that someone is.

One contributor to that could be a hiccup in my current state of health. To my surprise, when I visited the doctor last month, he said that I got an order to see [drum roll] an endocrinologist to figure out some issues that have come up. For whatever reason, however, trying to make an appointment to see her has proven difficult, which is odd to me. But I keep on keeping on, which is the best I can do. At age sixty-one, I'm no spring chicken, but I'm still a long way from being over the hill by any means even though I can see it in the distance. Yes, I'm diabetic, which everyone from here to the Amalfi Coast in Italy already knows. That disease is not kind to your body regardless of how well you manage it. I don't believe that you can control diabetes, but you can manage it. Some will disagree, and I'll care tomorrow because I'm busy right now. Before I end up lecturing about diabetes, let me get back to the topic at hand, whatever it was.

(Of note, one thing I'd better not approach here is Eric's Forever Futile Financial Fiasco. Going there will only cause me to break down into tears. Not worth it—not even for the Oscar winning performance. Maybe $ome other time.)

Provided I can actually get an appointment with this doctor, perhaps under her care I can figure out why my body is doing what it's doing and snap it back to a reasonable state of being. I have no doubt that this new doctor has the best tools for the job.

A bridge way too far

I think the title of this post is a movie title taken way too far. But it's me, so there's that. Given the fact that everyone knows about my interests in public transit, amusement parks, aircraft, railroads, automobiles, freeways and cars in general, it should surprise no one that I've also held a longtime interest in bridges. Any kind—steel, concrete, wood, freeway, boulevard, railroad, Lego, cantilever, suspension. Crossing rivers, highways, railroads, gulches, canyons. The list goes on. It's strange that I haven't written anything about this till now. I guess I simply never thought to do so. Some days my brain works; other days it just sits drinking pituitary juice cocktails—in the gland scheme of things, anyway. It must not taste very good, given that it's called pih-TOOIE-tary juice. But I don't think any of us wants to know any more about that, let alone discuss it...

During my life, I've been blessed with the pleasure of visiting all but 43 of the states of our great country. It's not much of a feat compared to the fact that Diana has visited more countries than I have states. And she's been to probably about half of the states. My point here is that I've never gotten out much in my 61 years. Throughout the country and the world, there are bridges that are absolute marvels of engineering. While I can sit under my skylight here at home looking at them online, it's not the same as visiting them in person. Though, I suppose that's true for anything, really.

Instead of whining about what I haven't seen, I can proudly say that I have had the opportunity to see some of the best that my home state has to offer. Two of the most famous bridges in the world are just up the state from me in the San Francisco Bay area—the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge (aka the Bay Bridge). I'm happy to say that I've crossed both a few times. Both of them opened in the 1930s and have served Bay area drivers well for many years. The Bay Bridge underwent some major construction a few years ago to replace the eastern steel truss span with a newer cable-stayed span. Part of the upper deck of the old bridge fell onto the lower deck in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The entire structure was found to be prone to collapse in a future quake, so construction of the new span got underway. I've yet to cross the bay on the new bridge, but I'll get there. I'm always up for an adventure.

I won't be able to get back north anytime soon, but we happen to have some new bridge construction recently finished in my neck of the woods. The old, steel arch Gerald Desmond Bridge, which connects the city of Long Beach to Terminal Island was recently replaced by a new span, this time a cable-stayed span that is higher and wider than the '60s-era relic that it replaced. By the way, Gerald Desmond was a politician in the city of Long Beach. If you'd like to read more about him, click here.

Photos of the old version of the Gerald Desmond Bridge can be found here along with photos and artist's conception drawings of the new replacement span.

Just to the west of the new bridge is another favorite, the Vincent Thomas Bridge, a classic suspension bridge built in the early '60s. At one time, there was a toll to cross this bridge, but it was dropped sometime back. As for who Vincent Thomas was, click here.

I mentioned earlier that I'm always up for an adventure, so I took myself on one just today. My goal was to get my car washed, thus enabling me to see out the windshield, and then head to San Pedro and Long Beach to see the new bridge and cross it a couple of times. Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos, but the sites linked above have better photos than I could ever take. A stop at Henry's Tacos for dinner and a visit with Omar was a nice way to top off this adventure.

Roller coaster withdrawal—I have it

The very last time I squeezed my big, fat, oversized body into the seat of a roller coaster car was waaay back in early January. If memory serves, that ride was either Goliath or Full Throttle out at Six Flags Magic Mountain. SFMM, as it's known among fellow park and coaster enthusiasts, is my home park. Like all other parks in the state, SFMM has been closed since mid-March due to the COVID-19 situation. (Knott's Berry Farm down in Buena Park recently had a food tasting event in the Ghost Town area of the park, but no rides were open. I didn't attend this event, but from what I know, face coverings were required and social distancing measures were taken.)

With local parks closed, there haven't been any roller coasters open, so no one's been able to take a ride. Strangely, parks have reopened in other states. Guests' temperatures are taken before entry, and everyone older than two years old is required to wear a face covering while in the park. Everyone must observe social distancing guidelines. Queue areas have been set up with markers to keep people apart, and seating on ride vehicles has been modified to limit contact. These measures do reduce capacity. But at least people can still go and enjoy the parks. Interestingly, some of these other states have had high infection rates, but went ahead with reopening amusement parks anyway.

Then there's California. While I agree that we should not just haphazardly throw open the doors and resume business, we should be able to do so carefully as other states have. Parks were set to open on a limited basis in July (I know SFMM was going to use a reservation system), but that never happened for some reason.

I really shouldn't have to explain that this isn't about Eric not getting his beloved coaster rides...*BOO HOO HOO HOO!!1!*. There are 40 million others in the state who also want to get back out to pick up and resume their lives. I guess the big question is how are other states able to reopen and California is not? Is it because of our huge population? Number of COVID-19 cases? Some of each? In the end, the final say in the matter lies with Governor Newsance. But who knows what a different governor would have done? We just have to wait for an all-clear from health officials and the government.

Whether I get to climb aboard a coaster any time during what's left of this year remains to be seen. I'd sure like to. But we'll see.

YAAARD work!?!?!

Back when I was but a wee li'l boy kid, the worst thing ever—or so we thought—was having Dad tell us that we couldn't go out to play because there was work that needed to be done in the back yard. Whenever Dad had us get out the yard tools, I always thought, "YAAARD work!?!?!" And, hence, the title of today's post.

"YAAARD work!?!?!" meant weeds to be pulled, grass to be mowed, leaves to be raked, and all of it had to be put in the trash barrel. In Los Angeles, there were no city-issued yard waste bins back in those days. And working hard out in the hot sun was definitely no fun in the summer. For even less fun, my older brother and I got to do this work. I don't recall my sisters or younger brother being made to be a part of this forced manual labor brigade, but I could be wrong.

What's kind of funny is how I despised having to do this kind of work when I was growing up. It wasn't just because the work was tedious and boring. It was also because it took us away from what we really wanted to do, which was playing with our friends or going somewhere.

During the years in between growing up and when we rented a house, I didn't do any yard work because we didn't have a lawn. At the house we rented during most of the '90s, we had a small front and back yard to mow, rake and trim. It always felt good to get out there and do a little work. The yards looked so good all neatly mowed, and the smell of freshly mown grass was a nice perk.

Fast forward to now. We have weeds to be pulled, grass to be mowed and leaves to be raked. It has to be put in the barrel, but we have a city-issued yard waste barrel that is collected every Thursday along with the regular trash and the recycle barrel (every other week).

Whenever it's time to mow the lawn or do a little trimming, the words, "YAAARD work!?!?!" don't come to mind anymore. It feels good to be outside and give your yard something of a makeover. I have a corded electric mower that does a good job. It never needs gasoline and oil. It's not as loud as a gasoline mower and never puts out any smoke. The only negative thing is that I have to mind the cord or I'll run over it and the blade will cut the cord and everything shuts off. Without a cord, none of my yard tools work because all of them are electric. And I don't like having to stop everything for an impromptu trip over to Home Depot for a new cord. How do I know this? We'll just say that I have a little, um, experience...

Earlier today when I went out in front to get the mail, I took a good look at my front yard and realized that I've been putting off a session of yard work that desperately needs to happen. If I can get my body to cooperate, then I'll get out my tools and go at it. The weather is just right now, which makes it all the better.

Let's get ready to RRRAMBLE!!!

Given that I've been cranking out blog posts as of late like Ma churnin' butter down on the farm, you could come to the conclusion that either: A) I'm incredibly bored; B) I have a lot to say; C) I'm stuck at home; or D) All of the above. If you chose D, you're absolutely correct! Should I write for the sake of writing, or because there's something that I want to discuss? Eh, I'll just keep going. Something will fall into place or off of a shelf. You never know...

Like regular people, I have some things that could be classified as "nitpicks"─you know, those little things that bug you to the point of having a fit and embarrassing yourself if you don't get a grip on them. My own list is kind of long, but I mostly keep it under my hat. (That's probably why I have a bald spot.) Writing a post here about that list of peeves might make me feel good to get it off of my chest, but would probably make anyone who read it close the page and run out into the street, screaming into the night. (With that reaction, maybe I should wait till late October when people are doing that anyway for Halloween.)

OK, so nix on the nitpicks. When you think and stop about it, who really likes to read about things that annoy someone else? They tell their tale; the longer it goes on, the whinier it gets. Just toss 'em a hunk of cheese so they can have it with their whine. Hide their car keys so they can't think and drive.

It's a warm Friday night out here on the coast. The house is quiet. Diana's doing her artwork, Chimi is chowing down in his cage, and I'm writing and trying to make sense. I think tomorrow will be a yard work day. While I'm pushing my corded electric lawn mower─and hopefully NOT tripping over the big fiberglass rock─I'll let any thoughts I have run freely through my head so I will come up with more to write. Stay tuned...

The write time and place to right

Believe it or not, I have actually been asked when and where I write my blog posts. I'm not sure why anyone would need to know that─let alone want to know. Everyone already knows why I write (it's a creative outlet) and how I write (fairly straight forward with a twist of cuckoopants crazy). To be honest, I needn't disclose anything about this planet that I've called home for so many years. Not even where the 7-Eleven is.

When all is said and dumb, there is no rhyme or reason to putting a post together. An idea floats into my head and is quickly assaulted by the TSA to assure that anything trying to enter isn't carrying more than 3.4 oz. of intelligence or common sense, and has a valid Real ID. We certainly wouldn't want anything capable of showing signs of common sense or producing chuckles, snickers, guffaws or all-out laughter to get in here. Nor do we want anything that might cause liquids to suddenly and rapidly exit the body through the nose with a giggle or a snort. (That happened once back in the '70s, but we don't talk about it much.)

Anyone who's been reading my recent posts may have noticed that while I do write some...interesting...stuff, I have also taken a look at some of the real stuff going down as of late. This world is most certainly changing─and not for the better. There are people who have chosen to destroy what has taken so long to build just to suit their very misguided ideas as to what society should be. The racial protests do need to happen because one segment of our society has received less than dignified treatment for far too long. Such protests need to be peaceful, however. Some folks have chosen to destroy property and hurt or kill innocent people in the process. That's overstepping the line and does nothing good. And such actions may even go so far as to undo any positive accomplishments that were made. Writing about this brings it to the forefront of things to think about─and to talk about and take productive action. I'm not the most knowledgable person when it comes to writing about social or political issues, but I do what I can.

By the way, to answer the main topic of today's post, I write when something is knocking at the door to my mind, and I choose to answer that door. (If it's that woodpecker again, I just slam the door in its face. If the beak gets stuck, TOUGH!) As of late, I write while sitting in the family room under the skylight. It's a very comfortable place to be and quite conducive to reading and writing. And it's only a few steps from the kitchen.

2020: two-thirds down but plenty more to go

As we all know, the year 2020 has turned out to be something of a catastrophe. The COVID-19 pandumbic that has gripped the world and turned it on its edge (yes, the world has an edge─in a figurative sense, anyway) hasn't helped matters. This crazy, cockeyed, cuckoopants disease has made short work of messing things up. Who knows where we're headed? And how long is this going to continue?

Two-thirds down means that we still have four months to go. A lot can happen in those four months. We have the big holidays coming (Christmas and Thanksgiving). The Summer Olympics have been delayed till next year. And we have an upcoming Presidential election that's going to be...interesting.

In optometrist-speak, "2020" (correctly written as "20/20") refers to perfect vision. At my last appointment, my optometrist said my vision was at 20/30─not too shabby for a sugar-challenged person such as myself. Maybe that means 2030 will be my year. We'll see if I'm still around then. If so, I'll be 70 and will probably still be driving my then 28-year-old Honda. I'll be in my 22th year of writing this blog, and my readership should double to about four.

But where will the world be then? The way things have been going this year, our entire country will lie under the rubble of destroyed buildings; COVID-25 and COVID-28 pandemics will ravage the nation; and the world will run out of chocolate.

For the remainder of 2020, I've set a few goals for myself that are somewhat attainable. In no particular order, first, I need to get back to work. Job openings are slowly coming back and I should be able to find...something. Second, I need to lose a lot of weight. At my doctor appointment last week, I tipped the scale─over─at 265 lb(!). That's the most I've ever weighed, and it's not good. I owe it to not moving around enough or going anywhere. With so much closed, I can't really go anywhere, but none of us can either. Third, my doctor recommended and I got an approval from my health insurance to begin seeing an endocrinologist to try and figure out why I'm having issues with balance and light-headedness. In general, I'm kind of a mess right now and I need to get it cleaned up before someone steps in it.

I've picked on 2020 because so much bad stuff has gone on this year. The health issues began prior to 2020, so I can't blame the year for those. However, aside from what I mentioned above, I will continue writing whatever I can, whenever I can. We'll get through everything, and will likely emerge even stronger.

You learn something new every day

Who on earth would have guessed that this lean, mean oversized, sugar-challenged, belly-jiggling, body-dragging writing machine did not like to write at one point in his existence? Maybe no one who reads this blog, but them's the facts, folks. So what life-changing event could have possibly occurred that would have completely turned this guy's life upside down? I'll get to that eventually, and you will eventuallyer. I know I've mentioned this a few times over the course of writing this blog. But to date I have never devoted a post exclusively to this fact. So here goes...

Waaay back in the '70s when I was but a mere student in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), we received writing assignments from our teachers as did school kids since time began. No one was exempt. At that time, personal computers and printers didn't exist as they do now, so we had two choices: use a typewriter or write out assignments in longhand, no doubt using our finest cursive script. My own script was among the unfinest in the land, so I actually went back to printing around fifth grade. Strangely, none of my teachers ever said anything.

However, there was the occasional teacher who told us to write a XXX-word paper about some obscure historical event, and we were required to write it by hand   no printing or typing allowed. Pure drudgery. And your essay had better not have had fewer than the required amount of words or your grade would suffer. Sometimes I couldn't write enough to fulfill the requirements because I couldn't think of enough or there just wasn't enough to write. So much stress and agony for something that doesn't matter anyway. Can you see why writing was far and below my least favorite thing to do in school?

Many years later, I read a book (the title escapes me) that was essentially the author's daily journal kept during his junior year of high school as an assignment in one of his classes. After reading this book, I thought, why don't I try to keep a journal for a year? For Christmas, I received one of those blank Hallmark books that were designed for just that purpose. My journal began on January 1, 1989. Each day, I recorded what I did, any dreams I had, my work day, and any other significant info like noteworthy things I did or places I went. It just so happens that in August of that year, we learned that we were expecting a child. When 1989 was over, I continued writing my own journal. The 1990 journal covered our move to a larger apartment (well, our family was growing), Diana's birth and first Christmas. Continuing the journal into 1991 was a no-brainer. Many noteworthy things were recorded over the years.

Eventually the journal was kept in Microsoft Word on a computer and kept going till 2006 when I went to Walt Disney World and then found myself in the hospital. By then, I was too sick to keep it going. I did miss updating it for awhile, but managed to put it out of my mind.

Or did I?

A few years later, I learned that one of my friends had her own blog. Terri gave me the website where her blog is based, so I looked it up and found out that it's a Google application, and free. I wasted no time in getting my own page, and all I had to do was...create my blog.

Eleven years later, I haven't looked back.

I don't know what I would do now if I had nowhere to write. In many ways it's been therapeutic. A few people have told me that this creation of mine brings a little joy into their lives. And I have some good fun writing it. As my last few posts have indicated, I'm not as well as I'd like to be. Such are the consequences of chronic diseases. All I can do is the best I can do. I'm 61 now. Let's see if I can still be doing this at 70 or even 80. Y'never know...

Why are we yelling at one another?

Most of us are human; that is, we occasionally make mistakes, be it verbal, a misaction of some sort, or just about anything else. We're not perfect; not one of us is.

Most people are able to let go of a minor slip in judgment, intent, language or most anything else on the part of another who errs in some way. Such folks are kind and understanding and generally all around nice.

Enter "Karen." Not an actual person, but a persona that has sprung up in current culture. A "Karen" is a stereotypical nasty, complaining woman who isn't happy unless she's yelling at someone because she's not getting her way, usually in a public setting like at a grocery store, shopping mall, traffic/transit, etc. Sadly, innocent children aren't exempt from the wrath of a "Karen." Oftentimes any children involved are "Karen's" own. Men are not exempt from the "Karen" stereotype, and may also be referred to as a "Karen," but increasingly, I'm hearing the term "Ken" used instead. That's fine with me because I worked with a guy named Ken at my last job and he fit the image to a tee.

A little note before I go on: for the rest of this post, when I mention "Karen," I'm including "Ken," too. It'll save time, repetition, your nerves and repetition.

But stereotypes aside, there's a deeper issue here─why are we yelling at one another in the first place? Easy. It's a means of getting the attention that some of us need because apparentlly we didn't get enough as children. It's really a form of bullying. The louder you are and the harder you push increases the odds of getting what you want, whether you rightfully deserve it or not. Like bullies, Karens tend to target those who cannot fight back─people of physically smaller/weaker stature, employees who would lose their job if they confront a customer, someone who's disabled, and so on.

It is indeed a victory when a Karen is shut down. Not because s/he was defeated, but because what was right most likely prevailed over the probably unreasonable demand that Karen had. While it is normal to blow off some steam by yelling at someone who may deserve it, learning to let go of things that won't matter in an hour would benefit all of us in the long run. If all of us─Karens and Kens included─would simmer down and take a deep breath, we all just might enjoy life a little more.

Tipping the scales...over

I'll get straight to the point. If this worldwide COVID-19 pandumbic were a food, it would be best described as:

"You're a three-decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce!"

Recognize those words? Yes, from How the Grinch Stole Christmas. A very adequate description, I'd say.

So where might I be going with this, you fear. Weight! I have an idea. In my last post, I didn't give out too many details about my visit to the doctor. Doctors can't give out details about patients because of a privacy act called HIPAA. (Google that for more details. If I get into the habit of explaining such minutiae, my blog will become a laughingstock.) But since I'm the patient in question (a questionable patient?), then I can blab all I want.

When we visit the doctor, we all look forward to stepping on the scale so the nurse can record our weight. I always joke that she should just slide the weight all the way to the highest notch to save time. However, once she slid and adjusted the weights, then figured in the tax and tip, my total was a mind numbing 265─the highest amount of poundage this body has EVER weighed!

I could blame the COVID-19 situation. I could blame Diana for working in retail. I could blame Chimi because he's soft and fluffy. But the real culprit is yours truly. Get up, get out, get busy, get moving. Easier said than done, though. Why? Because I have many other issues. Getting back my physique and looking like Adonis again is going to be a project akin to Metro getting all of their rail projects done in the Los Angeles area. This is why I will be seeing a specialist in the near future.

In the meantime, getting out and walking, even if it's one or two trips around the block is a start. It's a new month, so it's time for a new attitude. And it's time to quit moving my mouth and start moving the old body. If I can get that 265 down to 150, I'll be much better off. I don't have to wait for COVID-19 to go away to take better care of myself.

After Nexxxt!!1!

Well, I survived my doctor's appointment, including the dreaded Six-Foot Prostate Challenge. I won't get into the details of that, but it appears that all is well on that front─or should I say "rear?" Other things are OK, too, though I need to drop a few dozen pounds. But I already knew that. Apparently I have earned an insurance-approved visit to a full-fledged endocrinologist to look deeper into the mysteries of Eric─to learn what makes him tick and what might get him to breathe easier and keep his blood sugar levels better controlled. See what getting to the bottom of health issues can get you?

Someday I'll be serious. Probably not today, though. But it's on my agenda. Time, patience, and Diet Coke will help.

The last few days have been...interesting. Between today's adventure at the doctor, hearing Led Zeppelin's Kashmir inside the grocery store the other day, actually finding a possible job at a place straight across the highway and railroad tracks behind our house (it's only a part assembly job, but better than nothing), and being told that I look like I'm just sitting and waiting to die, I've had a few things to write about. My last couple of posts have been evidence of that, even though I didn't address everything.

Taking life day by day is the way to go. For me at least.

Nexxxt!!1!

Now that you've gotten off of Eric's Crazy, Cuckoopants Coaster of Calamity─aka, my previous post─it's time to jump into that ever-mysterious subject of "what's next?" for yours truly. I've written similar posts over the years so this is merely the latest.

The title of this post is "Nexxxt!!1!," and having the letter "x" three times in a row within a single word and a mish-mash of punctuation and numberage after that, it could mean just about anything. However, for the record, it won't be much about coaster #20 out at Six Flags Magic Mountain. I did mention SFMM's 20th coaster in that post, but for reasons known only to corporate, Six Flags did not announce any of their plans for 2021 during the last week of August, as has been tradition for many years now. It's probably due to the COVID-19 pandumbic that isn't letting up anytime soon. (The rumor mill says that SFMM's Coaster #20 will be a clone of Six Flags Great Adventure's 2020 project, Jersey Devil, which is under construction, but has not opened yet.) My guess is that whatever was planned for this year at most parks will simply carry over to next year. It's no biggie because none of the theme parks in California opened anyway. Any new attractions would have just sat there, feeling all abandoned and unloved. The announcement will come, maybe after the election. Then they can reveal their Trump card or keep Biden their time. (Bad Abysmal political humor) Sorry...just had to...

Now that I've coughed out all of that phlegm (how do they come up with words like that?), let me get to the nexxxt part of this post. Not being employed and not being well is a miserable combination. In fact, someone very recently told me that I look like I'm "just sitting and waiting to die." I'm not sure exactly what that meant, but I get the feeling that I appear less-than-well to various people─some of whom could be unimportant folks, like recruiters, hiring managers, etc. Actually, I've wondered about that a few times and have asked a few friends whether I look well or otherwise. I said that honesty is appreciated, even if their evaluation wasn't positive. Most everyone said I look fine, though doing some walking would be a good idea. (I strongly agree.) A few noted that my movements have become slow and a bit unsteady, I look tired, I should get rid of the mustache, etc., but otherwise OK. How and why this one person made their observation was...interesting. But s/he was the only one, so I'm not taking it very seriously─if at all.

I have made an appointment to see the doctor early next week. His office is set up for the now-normal COVID-19 parameters for social distancing, obsessive sanitizing, face masks, etc. We're going to work toward getting to the bottom of my issues. (Getting a prostate exam from six feet away might be a challenge, though, but I'd better not go there in this post.) The thing is that my problem isn't merely diabetes. Everyone from here to the rings of Saturn knows about my adventures with the Insulin Shooters Club. Sometimes this disease messes with your body in ways you'd never guess. But it's high time to find out where the problem really lies. And with the help of a real physician, not the armchair variety.

If I had to guess, I'd say that all of this will be resolved in some way, sooner or later. Not going to ramble anymore. I'll write an update as things progress.

August DOES have a holiday

When you stop and think about it, August is the only month of the year without a holiday. Normally I'd make a stupid joke like, "Of course August has a holiday! I was born in that month, so my birthday is the holiday." Well, a lot of other people were born in August─my mom included. But if you do a little digging, you will find that almost any day of the year has been designated as a day to honor something. How convenient it is that my birthday month holds the day to honor one of my favorite things. August 16 is National Roller Coaster Day.

As a dedicated, lifelong fan of those crazy gravity-powered contraptions, I can't not write something about them. To be honest, I hadn't planned to write a post being that I haven't ridden one since January. Here in California, most businesses deemed as "non-essential" have been closed to help slow the spread the disease known as COVID-19. Everyone already knows about that so I won't elaborate further. Amusement parks are considered non-essential to our daily lives, so they've been closed since mid-March. Not getting out to ride minimizes the experience of taking rides, but makes us fans yearn for the day when we can ride once again. Parks in many other states have reopened with face coverings required and social distancing encouraged. So here I am writing about something I can't do...yet. My friend Jim Kula reminded me about National Roller Coaster Day and suggested that I write about it. So here you go.

At a very early age, I fell in love with amusement parks. Most people like them for the rides, food, games, whatever. In my case, I became obsessed. I enjoyed the same things as others did, though, strangely, I was scared of roller coasters. It actually took till age 12 for me to enjoy a coaster ride. And I haven't looked back. While I do enjoy the rides themselves, I'm also interested in their design and construction─sometimes more so than taking the ride. At one point, I wanted to design rides and coasters, but those opportunities are few and far between.

During my time as an enthusiast, I've attended many events open to a select few and have experienced rides before the general public was allowed to ride. Parks treat us like VIPs with food and drink, exclusive ride time, the chance to be seen on TV, etc.

So what is it about these crazy contraptions that has fascinated me for so long? The speed, the wind in your face, the mechanics of the rides themselves, the technology (and, boy, are they getting technical! No longer just a ride to the top and a speedy ride for a minute or two.) These days, many coasters have done away with the long, slow climb to the highest point with an old fashioned chain. Sophisticated electromagnetic motors are common now. These linear induction motors (LIMs) and linear synchronous motors (LSMs) are becoming almost the standard way coaster cars or trains are getting up to speed in seconds. Not only quick, but an added thrill as well. If you're interested in the difference between LIMs and LSMs, you can look it up. If I explained it, you'd be asleep in no time.

It just so happens that my home park (generally the closest park to where an enthusiast lives) is Six Flags Magic Mountain (SFMM for short). Currently, this park holds the record for having the most coasters in one park with 19. In the coaster community, rumors are always flying as to which park is building what ride. There are websites devoted to posting those rumors, and it's up to the readers to determine whether the rumors are true. Speaking of rumors, one is currently flying that SFMM will be getting Coaster #20 to celebrate the park's 50th anniversary in 2021. Six Flags normally announces its plans for the following year during the last week of August, so we'll see.

Yes, Virginia, there are clubs that we enthusiasts belong to in order to share our passion with other like-minded souls. The biggest and best known is the American Coaster Enthusiasts, or ACE for short. I've been a member since 1988. There are some small regional clubs as well.

I thought about going into the history of roller coasters for this post, but decided that if you're truly interested, there's a ton of good information online, and it's a lot better than what I could tell you here in a blog post.

So there you go. Eric's roller coaster story in a nutshell. If you live in an area where your local parks are open, go out and take a coaster ride. And since I can't right now, kindly take one for me. I'd appreciate that more than you'll ever know.

Going out for a Tesla drive

It isn't every day that someone hands you something that looks like a car alarm clicker (it actually is the clicker, but also the key to the car), directs you to a car with a price tag north of $100K, and tells you to get in and go wherever you want as long as you're back in a half-hour.

Well, that happened to me today.

I found myself behind the wheel of a bright red Tesla Model X, which is their version of a crossover. When I was contacted by Tesla by e-mail, I had a choice of which vehicle I wanted to drive. Since I already drive a crossover (a Honda CR-V to be exact), I figured that the Model X would be a good comparison. (Before anyone gets any funny ideas that I'm going to lay out that kind of money for a new car, don't worry. My beloved CR-V is alive and well at 18-1/2 years old with over 250K miles on the clock.)

So how did I get roped into this, you're asking? Let me explain. Last year at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Tesla joined the many other brands of cars that offer test drives. I signed up, but the show closed before my reservation time came up. At the time, I was a bit annoyed, but didn't think anything more about it. I just wasn't meant to drive such a car. What I'd forgotten was that my contact info still lurked somewhere deep in the bottom of Tesla's archives. Eight months after what would have been a mere one-mile test drive in congested downtown L.A. along a pre-determined course, I got a chance to take a much longer and better drive in my own neighborhood.

I wanted to drive up in the Estates section of Camarillo, but wouldn't be able to if I stopped by home to see if Diana wanted to go for a ride. When I got there, she was home, but on her way out so she took a pass on the ride. But at least she did get to see the car. (And probably thought, "NOW what's Dad up to?")

On my drive back to the outlet mall, I took the back way for a chance to speed down a country-ish road. Unfortunately, there was a slow truck up ahead, so a speedy ride was out the window, so to speak. And for even less fun, I got stopped by the red light near the fire station on Las Posas. That light never turns red unless fire trucks are coming out or if Eric is driving a Tesla along there. Go figure.

If you've never driven an electric vehicle, I will say that they're quite interesting. I've driven about a half-dozen or so. In all of the models I've driven, I've noticed that regardless of the size of the car, they all pretty much jump when you push the accelerator. With the amount of torque from the electric motors driving the wheels, power is instant─and plenty. If you stomp on the accelerator, it feels like one of those launched roller coasters. It'll push you back into the seat and get your adrenaline going. But of course you'd better not drive around town like that unless you want a ticket. I wish I would have had the time to cruise around the Estates or the Heights to see how this car handles curvy, winding roads. The heavy lithium-ion batteries sit under the floor, which adds some stability.

I didn't sit in any seat except the driver's seat, so I couldn't check out the leg room and comfort, but I'm certain that five adults would be reasonably comfortable in any seat.

The Model X has an interesting door configuration. The front doors are the typical swing open type, but the rear doors are like the gull wing doors found on some exotic sports cars. They swing upward in such a way that the car doesn't need extra space in parking lots. All doors open, close and lock electrically.

So in my half-hour with a nice car, I did have some fun. In order to figure everything out, I would need an entire day with it. It's a bit daunting having familiar controls like radio and ventilation controlled by a giant touch screen in the center of the dash, but it will undoubtedly become familiar the more you drive the car.

Maybe someday when I'm rich and famous I'll pick up one of these. You never know...

How did a disease become a political issue?

So here I am, quietly celebrating my 61th birthday, when all of a sudden an idea for a blog post pops into my head. With no one home, Chimi all fed, and no more trains passing by till tomorrow, conditions are right for writing about a few things that have been on my mind as of late.

By now, we're all too familiar with COVID-19, the novel coronavirus disease that's currently making the rounds. Relatively few of us are experts by any means, but apparently there are many who seem to think otherwise. We all have the misfortune of knowing at least one person who knows everything about this—and won't let you forget it.

Even worse, we've all seen a few people who think the whole thing is some kind of scam or government conspiracy to control us. [tries to stifle laughter] They're the ones who claim that being expected (or required in some businesses) to wear a face covering is somehow in violation of their inalienable rights as an Amurrrican Citizen™. Others have gone so far as to give mask wearers or opposers certain political labels, as if whether they wear a mask determines which candidate or political party they support.

It's getting deep in here, folks.

Way too many Facebook users have gotten caught up in this and the place is ablaze with discussions, arguments, insults, namecalling, misinformation, unfriending and many other things we enjoy so much. Of course, Facebook erupts anytime a political issue or personality heats up. Everyone has their take and needs to have their say. Some people make sense with their reasonable outlook on the issues.

I have my feelings about the issues of the day, but generally I keep it all bottled up. That's the result of catching all kinds of flack about my opinion. It really is better to get things out into the open, though.

How a disease became a political issue is beyond me. Some people apparently just like to stir up trouble. When you look for trouble, you'll find it. Unfortunately, you may hurt some people you love in the process. Perhaps stepping back for a moment to think about the possible consequences of your words before launching the attacks is a wise idea.

Friday night on Eric's Planet

So here it is, another exciting Friday night after a busy week here on Eric's Planet. What do we do for fun around here on a nice, balmy Friday night in the summer? We happen to be in the middle of a pandumbic, so Guvvner Newsance has restricted our comings and goings, limiting us as to where we can go and what we can do.

For good fun, there's plenty of action on the railroad tracks behind the house. Or we can take it up a notch and walk to the corner to watch The Changing of the Traffic Lights, a fully synchronized extravaganza of green, red and yellow LEDs playing every minute on the minute at the Lewisand Adolfo Theater. A well timed, quarter-mile walk will result in seeing a double feature: the traffic light show AND The Passing of the Surfliner, rated as a "rail-ly" good show.

Chimi could use a new layer of bedding in his cage, along with his nightly bowl of food and a fresh bottle of water. Maybe even a chew stick or a mum-mum (that's chinchilla-speak for "treat").

Perhaps later, I'll connect with Mom and get caught up on what's going on at her place. Then a shower and off to bed.

As for tomorrow, lather, rinse, repeat.

*SIGH* Any more excitement in my life and I just might keel over and die from it all.

Just venting... 😊

When your ride is over, what's next?

EEE-NUFF ABOUT COVID-19 AND ALL OF THE CRAP GOING ON EVERYWHERE!!1! There are bigger fish to fry, strange as that sounds. I've hinted about this in a few previous posts, but as time goes on, I feel like it's getting closer to becoming real. It's definitely not what I want, but some things are simply out of my hands. "What in the world are you talking about, oh maker of little sense?"

Throughout the Pandumbic of 2020, I have not been able to pursue a favorite activity that has given me untold joy, new friends, new experiences, a few splinters (long story), and brought me a lifetime of memories. That activity? Jumping into a vehicle locked to a track attached to a rickety wooden structure or a rusty steel one with no means of propulsion other than gravity and momentum. Then getting locked in and sent on my merry way. There's no escape. And no one's driving, either. How—and why—would anyone do such a thing? And for FUN too? Just more mysterious stuff about me.

The ongoing COVID-19 situation has kept amusement parks across the U.S. closed since mid-March when non-essential businesses were ordered to close to slow the spread of the disease. Although amusement parks do provide what many feel is the essential service of providing entertainment, they didn't rank as high as gas stations, grocery stores and so forth, and, thus, were closed.

However, my issue and the reason for this post goes beyond the closed parks. Had the parks stayed open, I still would have likely not gone to any. In January, I did make one trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain to attend the media event for their new-for-2019-but-delayed-till-2020 attraction, West Coast Racers. (If you missed my report, read it here.) ACE members are always grateful to be invited to media events. They feed us, we ride as much as we want, we get our face on TV, and they often let us stay in the park all day. All we need to do is provide them with the use of our bodies for a few hours to fill coaster trains with riders for the media in return. In the past, I've had no issues riding these contraptions ten to 20 times over the course of those few hours. A couple of rides, rest, a few more, get out and eat. A few more, etc. But for some reason, this time they sent us on at least 15 rides straight, beginning at 3:55 in the morning. I was actually getting a bit queasy so I asked the lady in charge if I could switch out with another rider. "No! Just one more ride, OK?" It may never happen again, but I was truly not happy about having to take another ride. When in the history of Eric has anyone ever known him to react like that to taking a coaster ride without having to wait? Must be some sort of mental unravelation going on.

The painful truth is that my body is heading to the crapper and taking the fast lane to get there. Thankfully, I'm not in any actual pain, but it's truly painful to have to pass on a favorite activity because it has become too much to handle, physically speaking. I've had lab work done; everything's normal aside from the expected anomalies from diabetes. Right now, we can't have in-person visits with our doctors because of guess what? (Hint: there's a "19" in the name...) Of course, as usual, my team of armchair physicians has all of the answers. And, as usual, my ears provide their badvice with the flow-through ventilation it deserves.

This situation has slowed me down. What I can and should do is to try and build up my stamina. It just so happens that one lap around my block is a half-mile. If I can walk one lap several times a day, I can get back to the point where I should be.

The thought of having to pass up a coaster ride is enough to drive me toward getting up, getting out, and doing the work. It's going to be tough, but it will be worth making the effort. I just might come out of this with a rejuvenated spirit and quite possibly a new outlook on life in general. Not to mention the rides on those awesome thrill machines.

2020—The Year of Crazy

The other night on Facebook, I mentioned that I was going to write in my blog. I did get started, only to nod off and, as only I can, managed to hit the DELETE button in the process. All of my work was sent to the cyber dump. But it gave me a chance to sleep on a few ideas for a replacement post to add to this ongoing saga of my existence. Upon getting a fairly reasonable amount of sleep and a second wind, I got off to a fresh start. Here's what spent the night brewing in my mind.

As time has gone on, it appears that the year 2020 has turned out like what happens when you serve a plate of food to someone and it slips out of their hands, falling to the floor face down, smashing into many pieces with food splattered all over. There's quite a mess to clean up, and it's going to take awhile.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been at the top of the news for most of the year. 2020 is also a presidential election year. Those two things have kept us jumping. Thanks to at least one incident (in Minneapolis, black suspect George Floyd was held down on the ground by a white police officer's knee on his neck, eventually killing Floyd) touched off racial tension with protests and violence in many areas around the country. In my personal life, there are some rather ungood things going on that I need to deal with. (I'll spare you the details now, but may treat you to a future post about everything once I've untangled and laughed about all of it. Or cried. You never know.)

All of these things make you wonder "what in the world is going on?" as well as "what are we going to do about it/what CAN we do about it?" As I often say, "All we can do is the best we can do." Perhaps picking up the pieces we can handle is a good start. If we grab a friend or six, we can pick up the bigger pieces. There's strength in numbers. While we can't force anyone to feel a certain way about an issue, we can influence some people to at least have some tolerance toward those whose opinions are different. In some cases, the old "agree to disagree" policy will have to do regarding the issue.

Here in my blog, all I can offer is my two cents' worth, so bear with me or go fetch a bear to chase me into the woods. But you'd better not catch a cub. Otherwise you'll have mama bear on your tail, and you won't like that...

On the racial issue, when the slogan, "Black Lives Matter" went viral, my initial response to it was, "All Lives Matter." After some thought and discussion with various friends who "got it," I came to understand the reason and need to single out black lives here. While every life does matter, the attitude taken toward black people seems to be that they're somehow "expendable." Several hundred years of slavery in certain U.S. states was reprehensible. Sure, it might have been "just the way it was" at that time, but wrong nonetheless. Imagine if we treated everyone with kindness and respect regardless of what their race is. Sure, we have our Karens and Kens out there, but they come in all colors, shapes and sizes.

But under NO circumstances is crime and violence acceptable. Peaceful protests are fine, but as soon as protesters start blocking traffic, throwing things, etc., the protest is no longer peaceful.

COVID-19 has kept most people at home and has caused many businesses to shut down for good (RIP Souplantation 😔). It's perfectly understandable that we want our lives back to normal, but as long as we flout what really amounts to common courtesy toward others in terms of doing what the CDC says, normal won't be back very soon. Masks are a pain, and wet hands make your fingers all wrinkly, but it's all temporary. The more everyone does their part, the temporarier it will be.

So there you go. A bit long and rambly, but just a few thoughts with good intentions straight from my heart and soul.

Quarantine, take 2!

Just when we thought we were well on our way to returning to normal, the number of COVID-19 infections has skyrocketed into oblivion. Around here, our governor has sent us back into quarantine, complete with the requirement to stay home and only leave to take care of essential business. Once things started to reopen, I had a feeling that this would be the result. For reasons only known to them, so many people have not taken this crisis seriously. They act like their rights have been taken away. (I wrote a bit about this in my last post.)

How do we get people to get over themselves and do the right thing? No one alive today would remember the flu pandemic just after World War I. My guess is that people at that time did whatever they had to do in order to protect themselves and others. But these are different times. Many people don't have the sense of doing what's best for everyone as a whole. "Me first!", they seem to think.

Within the last week, I posted a Facebook update where I suggested that not taking precautions would result in more infections. One (now former) friend responded to my post and said that she proudly does not wear a mask. Pretty dumb and irresponsible when you have a six-month-old child. She got an earful from some of my friends, so she deleted her post, which also took down all of the responses. Then she unfriended me.

Everyone has their own opinion, and they're entitled to that. But this situation requires that we follow the lead of the doctors and scientists who are as on top of this as they can be. This pan-dumb-ic is certainly frustrating and inconvenient. But it's here and we need to deal with it. So why not do things right? A little patience will cut down on the number of patients.

NOTE: I said "pan-dumb-ic" simply because we're all frustrated and can't do much. Just me messing around with the words as usual.