So That We NEVER FORGET!

It is easy to think of Memorial Day as the unofficial start of summer or maybe an extra day off from work this week.  Thankfully, I see one news story after another about how Americans are remembering the true reason for this holiday -- to honor those past and present that serve our country and especially the ones that made the ultimate sacrifice, their life.  We must never forget, Freedom isn't Free.

I served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, although I never made it 'in country.'  My time was spent stateside with a few trips to Europe.  I was one of the lucky ones that was never really exposed to great risk.  But I was very aware of those that were -- both then and, even more so, now. Because I never was really in 'Harm's Way', my strongest memory of that era is the hatred displayed by many in the public to the war and all those people in it; those 20 y/o kids doing what they are told in the name of The United States of America and being treated as pariahs as a result.

I don't know that that has ever happened before and I'm positive it has not since.  It was SO wrong to ostracize someone who put their life on the line so you could live the way you do.  Anybody who puts on the uniform and swears an oath to "... support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies," deserves our ultimate respect regardless of our political stand.  Fortunately a lot of other people began feeling the same way years later.

Many of these same people who were spit on as returning Vietnam Veterans are now doing their part to make sure that never happens again.  Rolling Thunder is one such organization.  Taking their name from the carpet bombing campaign of 1965 called Operation Rolling Thunder, this present day 501(c) Non Profit charity is dedicated to bringing awareness of all Missing in Action (MIA) and Prisoners of War (POW) -- "We Will Not Forget."

Their first demonstration was Memorial Day 1988 when about 2500 bikers -- mostly veterans and their families -- roared into Washington DC to demand an accounting from Congress on MIAs and POWs who many thought were being ignored.  The foundation was laid for the annual "Ride For Freedom" or "Run to the Wall" and has grown to more than 900,000 bikes from across the country.

Freedom Ride 2010, Motorcycle Industry Council                                                                   

John Rogers of Pocatello, ID is another.  He remembers the 'hippie protester' greeting him as he was walking off his ship in San Francisco - complete with 2 Purple Hearts during his three tours in Vietnam -- as a "baby burner.'  In 2004 the Iraq War was into it's first year and Afghanistan was also ramping up.  John decided THESE veterans would be treated differently.  So he set up his first "Field of Hero's."

He enlisted the help of some other local vets to gather wood for crosses and material for simple signs.  He then talked the city into donating a piece of land for use.  His idea of a memorial like The Vietnam Memorial in Washington resulted in just less than 1,400 white crosses laid out in a perfectly symmetrical pattern the first year.  Each cross bore the name, rank, unit and type casualty.  It was a place for loved ones to remember and strangers to give thanks.  This year there are more than 6,000 crosses; and they are running out of room.

Mike Taibbi, NBC News                                                               

People join the military for a thousand different reasons but it doesn't take very long to realize you are in a very special, and close-knit, group.  Whether you are in for two or twenty, you are now part of a family, a brotherhood (the generic one, ladies).  Many of these ties are more binding than blood-relationships.  Whatever the reason that prompted you to take the oath soon becomes secondary as you realize the pride and honor that comes from serving your country.

So enjoy your Memorial Day and remember to thank a vet that made it possible for you to live the way you do.  ALL gave some.  Some gave ALL.

Three Surprises at Bill Bryan Chrysler Jeep Dodge

I thought I was done blogging about my truck buying experience but my salesman -- who shall remain unidentified here because I believe he was honestly doing the best he could  -- insisted that I go online and post a review.  I don't think he knew I already have been. So I have one more post about my experience at Bill Bryan Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Fruitland Park, FL.   

First of all,  I am EXTREMELY happy with my new truck – 2006 Ram 2500 with the 5.9 Cummins.  I have been shopping for this specific truck for several months and was happy to put together a deal.  I had three surprises along the way; one was good and the other two not so much.

The first surprise came when I climbed into the driver’s seat.  The truck had the optional engine brake which was not advertised.  I tow a lot, so this was a nice surprise. 

The second surprise came the day AFTER I signed paperwork.  The “Out the Door” price my salesman and I agreed on was NOT the same as when I actually walked out the door.  When I went into the Business Manager’s office to arrange financing, I was not expecting him to try selling more add-on stuff.  Successfully, I might add, because I didn’t see the additional $529 until the next day.

I signed my name – or initialed my understanding – more than 47 times that afternoon.  I have 12 pages of ‘paper’ to go along with my new truck.  Who do you think is getting ‘protected’ with this mountain of paper?  But it’s only $500 and I REALLY like my truck.

Surprise #3 came yesterday when I went to pick up my new ride, but a few details first.  This truck has a spray-in bed liner.  The previous owner had a fifth-wheel hitch and tool box but removed them leaving the mounting holes exposed.  I knew all this from the pictures I had seen online before I even went to test drive.  When I saw the truck in person the dealer had installed a new drop-in bed liner.  I figured it was to cover the holes and make it less obvious this truck had been used to tow.  Some folks don’t like that.

I commented to my salesman about the new liner being unimportant to me since I would be putting a hitch back in the truck and using the existing holes.  Yesterday, when I went to get my truck, surprise -- the new liner had been removed.  When I asked about it, he said he was “…. helping me out so I wouldn’t have to throw it in the trash.”  How thoughtful!

(p.s. – as a courtesy to my salesman, I sent him a copy of this before posting.  I felt it was the right thing to do.  He called an offered to bring me the bed liner.  I thanked him but declined.  The bed liner is unimportant.  It was the surprise – and his comment -- that bugged me.  He also wanted to make sure I understood the price change happened in the business manager’s office, not with him.)

And Away We Grow

So I was able to get together with the salesman at the Dodge dealer and I am now the new owner of a 2006 Dodge Ram 2500.  I have nothing negative to say about my salesman - Joe -- in particular.  He was pleasant, professional, helpful .... all the stuff you expect.  But there was nothing at the end of the day to change my feelings about car dealers.  They still rank in my Top 5 -- along with dentists and lawyers -- under Most Painful Experiences.

I thought I had a pretty good game plan going in.  I have been researching the kind of truck I wanted and this Dodge was near perfect.  Then I determined the average retail price for this vehicle nationwide and set my own 'Top Dollar' number before even showing up at the dealership.  If the truck looked as good in person as it sounded and looked online, this was all I would pay.  Period.

Once there, the truck indeed was near perfect.  The right year, miles, motor, transmission, cab size, accessories, etc.  It was a one owner and the Carfax verified my inspection.  The truck was well maintained plus there was one unknown option that I recognized instantly when climbing in the drivers seat.  This truck had the optional engine brake.

If you are a truck driver, you know what this is and how significant it can be when towing something downhill.  Engine brakes -- AKA compression brakes -- use back pressure from the motor to slow the truck down saving the truck brakes.  Have you ever seen an 18 wheeler slowing down and heard the very load rumbling of the motor going "blap-blap-blap-blap-blap-blap-blap"?  That's the engine brake at work -- probably un-muffled.

The well-maintained condition of the truck (<90K miles) and the engine brake sealed my decision.  I made my top dollar offer -- about $3k less than the price on the windshield.  Now this is the part I hate most about car dealers.  They have a number - the price of the truck - and then there's this for that, this for the other thing, tax, title, registration, dealer fee, this fee, that tax, sumor fee, yada-yada-yada.  Doesn't take long before you are back at some number you did not want to be at.

I held my ground.  My number was an 'out-the-door' number.  I won't bore you with the details of our 3 hour haggling.  But when I walked out the door -- with the keys to my new truck -- I held to my number -- almost.  After the salesman and I did our dance -- and we have a deal -- I go see the business manager to sign papers.  Surprise!!  They aren't done trying to sell you stuff!!  But they are tricky about it.  They show you things as financing options and how it changes your monthly payment -- not as the cost of the item.  Big difference.

Would you be more likely to say "YES" if you saw the cost as only $5 more per month in your payment or as another $700 cost of the vehicle?  Sneaky.  I hate (most) car dealers.  Smoke and mirrors!  Buyer beware.

But I really liked this truck.  It was perfect for what I want to do next.  And the price was close enuf to what I planned.  There ended up being a $529 "Aftermarket Equipment" charge on my final paperwork that I do not understand.  This happened during the financing portion of the negotiations.  I can't count the number of times I either signed my name or initialed something during that phase.  When there is that much paper and signing, you know who's getting protected don't you?  Why does the dealership need that much protection? Is it possible their sneaky ways leave people feeling taken advantage of the next day?  I hate (most) car dealers.

But I got my truck.  And for a price that I think is fair.  Actually, all I have are the keys and a stack of paperwork.  I was on my motorcycle and had no way to get both home.  So I will run back over there Wednesday morning and pick it up.

And here she is.  STS Hot Shots truck #207.  Welcome to the fleet.

Another Milestone Today? Maybe!

I'm a little stoked and probably premature with this post, but what the heck.  Who knows when I'll put something up again, right?  I am killing time this morning because I'm an early riser and don't have to be where I am going for another 4 hours, if even at all.  I can back out.  But I won't.

I have an appointment to see -- and drive -- a new (to me) truck.  STS is on the verge of DOUBLING it's fleet!  Yes, I know.  Perhaps I exaggerate a bit.  Everybody has two cars anymore.  But this is a very big deal to me.  Perhaps the biggest thing -- a NEGATIVE -- is that I will have a truck payment.  But the flip side to that is I will also have more income because this is definitely a work truck.

The faithful readers here will instantly ask, "But who's going to drive your new work truck since you can't be both 'driver' and 'office boy'?"  Herein lies the real motivator for me.  My oldest son has expressed an interest in doing what I do.  I think he's getting tired of living in an apartment the size of a closet and living off PBJs.  My present truck has a lot of miles on it -- almost 500K -- and though still very reliable (A/C blows ice cubes too) is at a point where semi-retirement is a better idea than an everyday workhorse.

So I'm off to see a new Dodge Ram.

What's to Love about Paradise?

A rhetorical question or perhaps even facetious. Isn't the definition of Paradise, "a place where everything is wonderful?"  Who won't love that?  But Paradise -- like Bar-B-Que sauce -- is different to each person.  Some people think living on a mountain top is Paradise.  Not me, although it IS a nice place to visit.

For me the sun is a major factor.  I need lots of it.  I can stand the heat (>90) way better than the cold (<30).  We get a bunch of sun here on the Sun Coast of FL (I did NOT make that up).  Many years ago, the St. Pete Times use to give their newspaper away free the next day if we got a day without sunshine.  We average more than 350 days of sun per year.

Yes it can get hot.  Consecutive days of upper 90s are not unusual thru July and August, with humidity to match.  But I live on the beach so there is almost always a cool breeze coming off the water.

(Weather Facts 101:  The sun heats the land much faster than the water during the day.  This causes the air to rise over the land, creating a vacuum that draws the cooler air over the water inland.  This same routine in Summer leads to the afternoon showers when the moist, cool air begins to rise inland and rain is squeezed out.  Violent thunderstorms are not unusual.)

Interestingly, the average highs in St. Louis -- where I spent a large part of my adult life -- are within one degree of the averages here.  Even crazier, STL has higher 'Record Highs' than St. Petersburg in the Summer.  I can't say that it NEVER freezes around here because I live about 75 miles north of THAT line.  But it is a very rare event.  The only snow I have ever seen here was on TV.  I'm very okay with that.

And with the sun you should have some sand -- in my mind; preferably with a body of salt water rolling onto it.  Is there ANYTHING that is more relaxing and soothing than the sound of waves crashing onto the shore as the winds blow thru the palm trees?  I think not.  This time of year, my windows are all open.  Paradise Maximus!  (Other than the salt and sand that accumulates on window sills and slats of the shades.)

And the birds!  Cannot forget the birds.  All kinds of birds.  From the cacophony the squawking Quaker Parrots make as they announce their arrival to the cooing of the Doves in the Sea Grape tree just outside my living room.  Sandpipers, Seagulls, Pelicans, Terns, Egrets, Herrins and more patrol the coast line fighting over food.  Blackbirds, finches and a hundred others I don't have a clue what they are, all call this home; with me.  I've even seen a Humming Bird here.

Let's not forget the natural phenomenon that happens almost daily when you have a large body of water to the west -- SUNSET!  This big orange ball settling on the horizon is made unique everyday by the variety of clouds present (or sometimes not) and the winds churning up the sea surface (or not).  Mother Nature's Fireworks.  It still boggles my mind to see the sun disappear and yet you actually see nothing moving.  Or the explosion of colors as the sun drops below the horizon line yet still illuminates the clouds and sky.  I have been coming to this beach for more than 30 years and watching the sunset is still one of my most cherished events.

In case I'm starting to sound like a Chamber of Commerce commercial, let me give you the bad news.  Sometimes I think there are too many people here.  Traffic can be absolutely horrible.  Actually, it's not the people.  It's the cars.  It seems like everybody is driving two at a time.  And since many folks are in a hurry to get wherever they are going, they can be VERY aggressive.  Because I live on a very narrow sand bar (literally) there is just one main road - Gulf Blvd - that runs the 25 miles or so up and down the coast here.  It gets crazy sometimes.

But I have adapted.  Too many positives for the few, minor negatives.  Besides, can you truly appreciate the good if you don't have something bad to compare it too?  If this was the ONLY sunset you ever saw wouldn't you think that they are ALL like this?  Hmmmmm.  On second thought; what's wrong with that?

FINALLY -- a 2-Wheeled Roadtrip

I can't remember the last time I took a motorcycle road-trip.  For the last couple of years -- at least -- it seems like I have been relegated to the beach here; not that that is a bad thing.  In fact I brag how almost everything I need is with-in a couple miles of the house.

But I'm a driver.  And it doesn't really make alot of difference WHAT I'm driving.  I just like to go.  But I can not drive AND do the office work required to keep my other drivers moving.  There is a lot of freight out there moving everyday.  But a lot of truck drivers too.  To get the best paying loads you have to be quick to respond when a new load is posted.  That requires active, aggressive monitoring; something very hard to do while holding the steering wheel going down the road.

I needed to be back in the St. Louis area last week.  I had both my truck and one of my trailers down here in FL as well as my motorcycle.  The last time I left STL, there was a load going to Valdosta, GA that I decided to take.  It's on the way to where I stay in FL. I put the trailer in a nearby RV storage facility for the month I was in FL.

When it was time to leave FL, my mother rode along with me; her first trip in my truck while working.  We went 30 miles south first and picked up a car going to IL and then headed up I-75 thru GA.  We got a motel room the first night outside of Atlanta and then detoured slightly east to Augusta, GA to add a small tractor attachment going to KY.  That piece got delivered late the same day and then on to north-central IL where we delivered the car after spending a second nite in a motel.

Mother was visiting family and planned to stay a month or so.  My business required less than a week and then I was ready to get back to paradise.  I have very little need for my truck -- and NO need for my trailer -- in FL.  It makes more sense to leave it in Belleville where I can usually find a driver to put in the seat for the day, if a special need comes up.  So back to FL on my motorcycle.

Almost 1100 miles in less than two days.  One point I'm particularly proud of (although one may question my sanity) -- NO windshield.  I have one but hate the way my bike looks with it on.  I like that olde tyme nostalgia look.  The windshield detracts from the totally chromed out front end.

The wind-in-your-face at 80+ MPH presents a number of considerations.  Breathing is at the top.  I wear either a face mask (specially made for this application with breathing slots and soft fabric on the inside) or sometimes just a large bandanna worn like the bank-robbing cowboys of yesterday.  I also wear long sleeves regardless of the heat.  Keeping the wind and sun off your skin is paramount to making this ride tolerable.  That leaves dodging bugs and tiny rocks thrown up in construction zones as the next important thing.

Also at 80 MPH, the wind is doing all it can to rip you off the bike.  I have a special bag (called a T-bag) that sits on the passenger seat forming a large cushion (assuming I have nothing 'pointy' like belt buckles in the wrong place) for me to lean back against.  This bag mounts on the sissy bar and keeps me in position with minimal effort.

Many will question the logic of putting ones self in such a grueling position when more comfortable options are available.  All I can say is, if I have to explain, you wouldn't understand.  I CAN tell you one thing though; seeing the world from a motorcycle seat is so different than ANYTHING else that until you have done it, you can't really imagine.

I rode more than 600 miles the first day making it to Macon, GA.  After getting a motel room and a shower, I ventured downtown Macon to Cherry St. and found a neat little restaurant -- The Bird --and sat on the patio watching the world go by.  Great time.  I'll be back.

The next morning was out early and finished the last 400+ miles.  I got in here about 3, plenty of time to clean-up and enjoy one of my top-5 things -- FL Sunsets.  And bonus!!!  There was also a full moon that nite.  And not just any full moon but the biggest of the year since the moons orbit was at it's perigee -- closest point to the Earth.  Moonrise was almost the same time as sunset. 

So now, I'm back in FL.  Still just two drivers.  I had a third, I thought.  But things changed at the last minute -- literally.  We shall see how that goes.  Business is good.  Life is great.

Oh, and a shout-out and Mozel Tov to my cuz in Cali -- she had a baby girl a couple weeks ago.  This is the cuz who went to Israel for a couple years, got married last year and moved (with hubby) back to LA earlier this year.  I'm very excited for both of them and my #1 cuz (her mom)!