Stop Newton Gifts. Mayan Temple Damaged. FDA Sued. Diabetes Drug Can Cause Cancer. Statin Drugs. 40% Food Wasted. David Douglas. Wounded Knee. London Blitz.

 

For “Summary Saturday”, News, Some new, Some Old:

Newtown Officials Ask Gift-Givers To Stop Sending Packages

“The officials are asking people to temporarily stop sending gifts. They say once they process the "warehouses full of items," they'll detail the best ways to help.

Meanwhile, the United Way of Western Connecticut announced Wednesday that a fund established after the shooting to support Newtown has grown to $3.5 million.”  More at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/26/newtown-gifts_n_2366658.html

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Mayan temple damaged in tourist 'apocalypse' frenzy

“Tourists flocking to Guatemala for "end of the world" parties have damaged an ancient stone temple at Tikal, the largest archeological site and urban centre of the Mayan civilization.”

Temple II, which is about 38 meters (125 feet) high and faces the central Tikal plaza, is one of Tikal's best known structures Photo: ALAMY

“"Sadly, many tourists climbed Temple II and caused damage," said Osvaldo Gomez, a technical adviser at the site, which is located some 550 kilometres (340 miles) north of Guatemala City.

"We are fine with the celebration, but (the tourists) should be more aware because this is a (UNESCO) World Heritage Site," he told local media.   Gomez did not specify what was done, although he did say it was forbidden to climb the stairs at the site and indicated that the damage was irreparable.

Friday marked the end of an era that lasted 5,200 years, according to the Mayan "Long Count" calendar. Some believed the date also marked the end of the world as foretold by Mayan hieroglyphs.”    More at:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/maya/9764209/Mayan-temple-damaged-in-tourist-apocalypse-frenzy.html

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FDA Sued for Withholding Data on Antibiotic Use in Food Animals

“The Government Accountability Project (GAP) has filed a lawsuit against the FDA after the agency refused to release data on the amount of antibiotics sold for use in food animals

The US uses nearly 30 million pounds of antibiotics annually in food production. Livestock antibiotic use accounts for 80 percent of the total antibiotics sold annually

Antibiotics such as penicillins and tetracyclines are routinely added to animal feed in order to make the animals grow faster. Non-medical use of antibiotics in food animals is a major driving force behind the rampant development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

In other parts of the world, such as the European Union, the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in animal feed has been banned for years

You can help protect yourself and your family -- and prompt change in the consumer realm -- by purchasing only antibiotic-free meats that were raised on high-quality organic farms.”    Complete article at: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/12/19/gap-sues-fda.aspx

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Diabetes Drug Can Increase Your Risk of Cancer

“Several studies of the newest blockbuster drug for diabetes, Januvia, have implicated these very common drugs to cause a number of different cancers. They will likely be removed from the market but perhaps not until they’ve killed many

There simply is no reason these dangerous drugs should ever be used as they fail to treat the cause of the disease. Anyone on them now ideally should stop taking them and follow a healthy eating plan, which will radically improve, if not completely resolve, their diabetes

Acknowledged side effects of Januvia and Janumet, include anaphylaxis and acute pancreatitis—both of which can be lethal. Anaphylaxis is in fact such a grave hazard with this drug that it actually carries a black box warning for lactic acidosis: “If acidosis is suspected, discontinue Janumet and hospitalize the patient immediately.”

This new class of drugs inhibit the enzyme DPP-4 which also happens to be a tumor suppressor. Studies have shown that when you suppress DPP-4 (which is precisely what these drugs do), cancer cells are allowed to proliferate. According to Januvia’s drug information, the drug inhibits the DPP-4 enzyme for 24 hours, and you take it daily, effectively permanently blocking the activity of a tumor suppressor gene

None of the safety studies on Januvia addressed its impact on tumor growth prior to approval

Januvia is now the number one best-selling drug in the oral diabetes market. Should such a blockbuster drug be proven to be connected to cancer, it’s a HUGE loss not only to Merck, but several other major pharmaceutical companies that have developed similar drugs. Drug companies like Merck could make MASSIVE amounts of money from these clearly dangerous drugs while cancer slowly and quietly grows in patients taking them.”  More at: http://www.setyoufreenews.com/2012/12/20/newest-blockbuster-diabetes-drug-can-increase-your-risk-of-cancer/

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FAIL: Merck's Statin Drug Found No Better Than Coconut Water

“In a 2008 study published in the journal Food Chemistry & Toxicology titled, "Comparative evaluation of the hypolipidemic effects of coconut water and lovastatin in rats fed fat-cholesterol enriched diet," the beverage coconut water was found as effective as a popular cholesterol-lowering drug in positively modulating blood lipid levels in rats. 

Statin Drugs: Defrauding the Public of Their Money & Health

When the water of a coconut is at least as effective as the drug that started the "statin revolution" in 1987 - Merck's branded lovastatin extract known as Mevacor - you know that the 30 billion dollar statin drug industry is based on a fundamentally erroneous premise: namely, that synthetic patentable chemicals are superior to natural ones, and therefore can be sold for usuriously high mark-ups.”   More at: http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/fail-mercks-statin-drug-found-no-better-coconut-water

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What you can do about the 40% of food that is wasted

A recent report by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) states:

“Getting food from the farm to our fork eats up 10 percent of the total U.S. energy budget, uses 50 percent of U.S. land, and swallows 80 percent of all freshwater consumed in the United States. Yet, 40 percent of food in the United States today goes uneaten. This not only means that Americans are throwing out the equivalent of $165 billion each year, but also that the uneaten food ends up rotting in landfills as the single largest component of U.S. municipal solid waste where it accounts for almost 25 percent of U.S. methane emissions. Reducing food losses by just 15 percent would be enough food to feed more than 25 million Americans every year . . .”      More at: http://blog.rv.net/2012/12/what-you-can-do-about-the-40-of-food-that-is-wasted/

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This week’s amazing fact: David Douglas

“In 1825, David Douglas sailed along the west coast of the United States and up the Columbia River. Only 26-years-old, the young botanist from London was on a quest—a lifelong dream: Study the New World’s plant life. Since a boy, Douglas had been obsessed with plants, and by the age of 21, he was appointed to the Royal Botanical Gardens in Scotland.

As the ship approached land, one particular tree captivated David. As he reported, “So pleased was I that I could scarcely see [anything] but it.” He couldn't wait to see the tree up close, and when he did, he pronounced it “one of the most striking and truly graceful objects in nature.” It was only fitting that this famous tree would later bear his name—the Douglas fir.

David spent the next two years exploring the Northwest, finding new plants and shipping more than 500 species back to England. William Hooker, one of the world's leading botanists, described David as a man of “great activity, undaunted courage,… and energetic zeal.” The Native Americans were immensely impressed with David's endurance, but they also questioned his sanity. They called him “Man of Grass,” because he would hike from first dawn to dusk collecting plants that he couldn't eat! His collecting adventures took him 12,000 miles on foot, horseback, and canoe. There are more plants named for Douglas, over 200, than for any other person in the history of science.

On an 1829 trip to North America, Douglas made a discovery that eventually changed the history of the New World. While collecting specimens in California, he pulled a plant from the ground that contained flecks of gold, which clung to the roots. But as David packed the plant for shipment, he saw only the plant. That's how gold was first discovered in California in 1831—not by loggers in Sutter creek, but by the botanists in London who unpacked David’s shipment of plants and saw gold on the roots.

David Douglas had only one purpose in life. Nothing, not even gold, could distract him from his mission. And this mission was well established by the time he was 11 years of age. That is the sort of focused energetic zeal that God wants from us today!

1 Timothy 6:12 “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.””

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On This Day:

U.S. Army massacres Indians at Wounded Knee, Dec 29, 1890:

“On this day in 1890, in the final chapter of America's long Indian wars, the U.S. Cavalry kills 146 Sioux at Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota.

The conflict at Wounded Knee was originally referred to as a battle, but in reality it was a tragic and avoidable massacre. Surrounded by heavily armed troops, it's unlikely that Big Foot's band would have intentionally started a fight. Some historians speculate that the soldiers of the 7th Cavalry were deliberately taking revenge for the regiment's defeat at Little Bighorn in 1876. Whatever the motives, the massacre ended the Ghost Dance movement and was the last major confrontation in America's deadly war against the Plains Indians.

Conflict came to Wounded Knee again in February 1973 when it was the site of a 71-day occupation by the activist group AIM (American Indian Movement) and its supporters, who were protesting the U.S. government's mistreatment of Native Americans.  During the standoff, two Indians were killed, one federal marshal was seriously wounded and numerous people were arrested.”

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Germans raid London, Dec 29, 1940:

“On this day, German aircraft blanket incendiary bombs over London, setting both banks of the Thames ablaze and killing almost 3,600 British civilians.

The German targeting of the English capital had begun back in August, payback for British attacks on Berlin. In September, a horrendous firestorm broke out in London's poorest districts as German aircraft dropped 337 tons of bombs on docks, tenements, and teeming streets. The "London Blitz" killed thousands of civilians.

December 29 saw the widespread destruction not just of civilians, but of great portions of London's cultural relics. Historic buildings were severely damaged or destroyed as relentless bombing set 15,000 separate fires. Among the architectural treasures that proved casualties of the German assault were the Guildhall (the administrative center of the city, dating back to 1673 but also containing a 15th-century vault) and eight Christopher Wren churches. St. Paul's Cathedral also caught fire but was saved from being burned to the ground by brave, tenacious firefighters. Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and the Chamber of the House of Commons were also hit but suffered less extensive damage.”

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From me:  I was living in London during the Blitz, and I remember it well.

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Yesterday:

After checking my emails, and doing the usual jobs, I made up my mind that I would try to walk Misty all the way down to the mailboxes.  She had never been on a walk that long before, so I dragged her Outward Hound stroller along, just in case she got tired.  It’s uphill all the way back, and after all, she will be 18 in April.  Ray came out of his door and asked me what I was doing, he thought it was a baby stroller!  He knows that I will care for pups and kits, but not babies.

We both made it down there in fine form, and she had a sniffingly good time.  It was a good thing that I had the stroller as there was a key in my mail box for one of the package lockers, and a big parcel was in it.  No, it wasn’t a Christmas present, it was some free stuff that comes with my medical plan.  So I put it in the stroller, and hoped that I wouldn’t have to carry it if I had to put Misty in there.  But she trotted along back to the house, tail a-wagging, and didn’t even slow down walking up the hill.

The only time she rode in her stroller was when I went to Livingston Trade Days flea market to see Duncan, “The Dog Tag Man” and his dog Smokey. It was the safest way to walk around the flea market with my blind dog.  She liked that, she is always so interested in what is going on.

Ray came over to help me with some ‘ladder jobs”.  During the high winds a couple of the vinyl sheets that we put up on the screen porch for the winter had come loose, so we got those anchored up.  We also took some accurate measurements of the inside and outside dimensions of the cargo trailer for the ad. 

A big crack had evolved in Ray’s utility room outside wall where it joins the guest house.  Blackie, the black cat, sleeps in there at night with an electric radiator.  We screwed a length of wooden trim all the way up on the inside of the wall, and filled it in with white Daptex Plus foam sealant on the outside.  It blends in with the white siding, so it is nearly invisible.   That should be warmer for Blackie.  We also used it to fill in some places around the frame of my back door in the garage.  We had done it before with that ugly yellow Great Stuff, which expanded so much that the door wouldn’t close, so we had to dig it all out.  Daptex doesn’t do that, and it is easy water clean-up.

I thought Misty would crash for a few hours after that long walk, but she didn’t.  We ought to do that every day.

About Cats. Kitten & Senior Care. Texas City Explodes. Picture of “Dog-Tag Smokey” & Misty!

For Mammal Monday”:
Surprising Cat Facts - 10 Things You Don't Know About Your Favorite Feline
"After spending years with your cat, you may think you know everything there is to know about her. But here are 10 things that your favorite feline may not have gotten around to sharing with you.
1. A domestic cat can run about 31 mph. Running fast is something usually attributed to wild cats, gazelles and greyhounds, but your house kitty is pretty speedy.
2. It is possible for every kitten in a litter to have a different father. Hopefully, she is spayed so there's no risk of an unexpected pregnancy.
3. Cats walk on their toes, which probably accounts for their graceful movements. In ballet there is a step called pas de chat -- the cat step. It's a little jump to the side, but in truth nearly every move your cat makes is lovely.
4. A cat's collarbone isn't connected to his other bones; it's buried in the muscles, which is how kitty can fit through small places. He's not boneless -- even though it looks that way sometimes -- but he is adaptable. A cat actually has more bones than a human.
5. Your cat will respond only to catnip (an herb in the mint family) if she has the catnip gene. Not every cat is born with this gene, and it doesn't show up right away, so don't expect a young kitty to respond to catnip the way an older one will.
6. Thirty-two muscles control a cat's outer ear, and he can rotate it 10 times faster than a dog. In fact, kitty can rotate each ear 180 degrees.
7. Cats have scent glands in their cheeks, so if your cat rubs against you she is "marking" you as hers. She really does love you. She'll also mark furniture and clothing this way. Everything she likes is hers. It's also her way of leaving her "mark" to say that she was there.
8. Cats can move their jaws only up and down; they can't move them side to side like a dog or human.
9. Cats whiskers are extremely sensitive. They not only help the cat locate where she is in the dark, but how the cat moves them is an indicator of the cat's feelings at any given time. The top two rows of whiskers can move independently of the bottom two rows.
10. Cats are obligate carnivores. This means they must eat meat. So even if you're a vegetarian, you need to come to grips with the fact that your cat can't be. He will get very sick and die without meat in his diet. As you probably already know, spending time learning more about your cat is time well spent. In fact, these cat facts are just the tip of the iceberg. Your cat has much more to tell you if you pay attention, watch and learn.
As the late Ernest Hemingway said, "A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not"."
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First the Intro: How to prepare and care for your cat or kitten:

How to pick up your cat or kitten:

About Cats: Think How They Think!

Introducing a new kitten:

Trimming their claws:

Caring for an older cat:

About cats:

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On This Day:

Texas City explodes, Apr 16, 1947:

“A giant explosion occurs during the loading of fertilizer onto the freighter Grandcamp at a pier in Texas City, Texas, on this day in 1947. Nearly 600 people lost their lives and thousands were injured when the ship was literally blown to bits.
Ammonium nitrate was used as an explosive by the U.S. Army in World War II and, after the war ended, production of the chemical continued as its use as a fertilizer became accepted. However, the precautions used in its transport became far more lax in the post-war years.
On April 16, the Grandcamp was being loaded with ammonium nitrate as well as tobacco and government-owned ammunition. Cigarette smoking, although officially banned, was a common practice by longshoremen on the docks. Just two days prior to the explosion, a cigarette had caused a fire on the docks. On the morning of April 16, smoke was spotted deep within one of the Grandcamp's holds.
Some water and an extinguisher were used to fight the fire, but hoses were not employed for fear of ruining the cargo; there were already 2,300 tons loaded on the ship. While the ammunition was removed from the ship, the crew attempted to restrict oxygen to the hold in hopes of putting out the fire. Apparently they did not realize that because of ammonium nitrate's chemical composition, it does not require oxygen in order to burn.
By 9 a.m., flames had erupted from the hold and within minutes it exploded. The blast was heard 150 miles away and was so powerful that the ship's 1.5- ton anchor was found two miles away. The force of the explosion lifted another ship right out of the water. People working at the docks were killed instantly.
Pieces of flaming debris damaged the oil refineries in the area. A nearby Monsanto chemical storage facility also exploded, killing 234 of the 574 workers there. Nearly all of the survivors were seriously injured. A residential area of 500 homes was also leveled by the blast. Another ship, the High Flyer, which was carrying similar cargo, was pushed completely across the harbor. The crew fled when it came to rest, failing to notice that a fire had started and the next day their ship also exploded. Two people died.
In all, over 581 people died and 3,500 were injured. The explosion caused $100 million in damages. A long-disputed court case over the cause of the blast was resolved when Congress granted compensation to 1,394 victims. They received a total of $17 million in 1955. The port was rebuilt to handle oil products only.”
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Yesterday:
Misty and I had a busy day.  After I had my coffee, I dressed in work clothes, and bathed Misty.  She doesn’t like being in the dog dryer, (a cage with heat blown in through the wire floor), so I only left her in there for 10 minutes and then blow-brush dried her.  She was all clean and fluffy.  Then it was time for me to get ready. 
I loaded the pet stroller in the van, and put Misty in her carrier and strapped it in with a seat belt.  I was expecting her to gripe, as she had the last time we went on a road trip.  Misty had grunted and groaned all the way, when I took her to my daughter’s lake house at Lake Somerville, TX, last year.  This time she was quiet and seemed to enjoy the 55 mile trip to Livingston Trades Days, where we were going to see Dog Tag Duncan and his famous puppy, Smokey. 
Some RV-Dreamers wintering in the Valley (Rio Grande Valley, or RGV as it is known) have seen Duncan’s Dog Tag Trailer over the years, and remarked about the big puppy.  It was good to see Duncan and Smokey again, before they head north again for the summer.  They are Full Time RVers, and “Sunbirds”!   I walked Misty around the flea market in the pet stroller, a first for her, and she loved it.  She is blind so I didn’t want her bumping into people, and I wasn’t about to carry her 16 lb chubby body.  She just can’t get the hang of a white stick!  Duncan had me to pick up some BBQ from one of the vendors, and we had a great lunch in his dog tag trailer.
Here are Smokey and Misty:

Smokey is now three years old and 150 lb.   Duncan made Misty a little bone-shaped dog tag with her name and phone number.  She was alert and attentive the whole time we were gone, and didn’t even get in her nap.
It dawned on me on the way home, that the first time I put Misty in a carrier, she thought she was going back to that terrible abusive house where she stayed after her “Dad” died, as that is how they had brought her here.  It was probably the first time she had ever been in a carrier, but now she knows that we only go to good places when she travels in it.  She ate her dinner and was stretched out asleep for rest of the day.

TX. Van Horn & Fort Stockton. Alpine. Brinks. Northridge.

 

 

 

 

 

Why these two? Well, if you are on I-10, to get to Big Bend they are on the way.

VAN HORN, TX

"Van Horn, the county seat of Culberson County, is on the Missouri Pacific Railroad thirty-six miles west of Kent in southwestern Culberson County. The Van Horn Wells were reportedly discovered twelve miles south of the future townsite by Maj. Jefferson Van Horne, who became commander at Fort Bliss in El Paso in 1849, and were well known to nineteenth century travelers. The coaches of the San Antonio-El Paso Mail passed through the area in the late 1850s and early 1860s, when Lt. James Judson Van Horn, no relation to Major Van Horne, was in command of an army garrison at Van Horn Wells.

VAN HORN MOUNTAINS

The Van Horn Mountains begin nine miles southwest of Van Horn in southeastern Hudspeth County and stretch sixteen miles southeast, across southwestern Culberson County and into northwestern Jeff Davis County  The highest elevation in the Van Horn Mountains is 5,565 feet above sea level. The surrounding rugged terrain is surfaced by shallow, stony soils that support post oak, live oak, piñon, juniper, chaparral, and grasses. The mountains, like the town of Van Horn, were named after Lt. James Judson Van Horn, who commanded a garrison at nearby Van Horn Wells from 1859 to 1861. The Van Horn Mountains have been fertile ground for minerals. The Hazel Mine, opened in 1856 by Thomas Owen or Owens, yielded over a million pounds of copper between 1891 to 1947 and more than two million ounces of silver over a similar period (see COPPER PRODUCTION, and SILVER MINING). When the price of silver rose in the early 1970s, exploration began near the old Plata Verde mine, but it ceased in the early 1980s when the price of silver dropped again. A mica quarry operated briefly in the Van Horns in the early 1980s.

VAN HORN CREEK

Van Horn Creek rises a mile southwest of Farm Road 2017 in the eastern Van Horn Mountains in western Jeff Davis County one mile southeast of the Culberson county line. The surrounding flat terrain has local shallow depressions and is surfaced by clay and sandy loams that support water-tolerant hardwoods, conifers, and grasses. Van Horn Creek, like the mountains in which it rises and the town of Van Horn, is named for James Judson Van Horn.

More at: http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/search/results/Van%20Horn

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Fort Stockton Historical Tours

"Directional Signs have been erected to guide visitors around town to sixteen points of interest.

The tour begins at Paisano Pete at the intersection of Dickinson (Business I-10) and Main Street. Brochures with a map of the route are available from the Chamber of Commerce, Annie Riggs Museum, Historic Fort Stockton, and Grey Mule Saloon.

Fort Stockton in 1884

The tour signs are blue and white with a black arrow. Following the arrows, the visitor travels through the National Register Historic District and will see general mercantile stores, a saloon, two churches, even a house ordered from the Montgomery Ward Catalog. Not all of the buildings on the tour are open to the public. Several of the buildings now serve alternative uses either as offices or homes. The tour is just under two miles long.

Fort Stockton is a designated Main Street City and numerous downtown businesses take pride in refurbishing the store fronts along the historical tour. The Annie Riggs Museum, housed in a turn-of-the-century adobe hotel, provides insight into the region's history and development with exhibits in thirteen areas.

Former Jail, Fort Stockton

The tour travels past the 1912 Pecos County Courthouse (Fort Stockton is the county seat), the 1883 Jail, the oldest remaining school in town, the "Oldest House" and the Grey Mule Saloon. Also on the tour is one of the nine springs in the Comanche springs system, which once had a flow of 65 million gallons of water a day.

The frontier army post includes three remaining quarters on Officers' Row on the grounds of Historic Fort Stockton.

Yes! Fort Stockton has a fort. The frontier army post, active from 1867-1886, includes three remaining Officers' Quarters, the Guardhouse, and Parade Grounds. Two Enlisted Men's Barracks and their Kitchens have been reconstructed, one of which houses the Fort Museum.

The tour ends at the Fort Cemetery. All the headstones are for civilians, as the military personnel and dependents were exhumed and moved to the National Cemetery in San Antonio in 1888.

Sheriff A.J. Royal's tombstone bears the inscription "assassinated", a testament to a violent period in our history."

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Alpine, TX.  Another great area at the gateway to the Big Bend country, is scenic Alpine, TX, the county seat of Brewster County.

"Come see for yourself the beauty and the wonder of the place called the Last Frontier!"

"Alpine is a gem. A remote, high-desert jewel nestled in the tall hills of West Texas. It is a friendly, bustling community of a little over 5,000 people in a scenic valley that feels like nowhere else in the state. You’ll immediately take note of the natural beauty surrounding the city, if you don’t notice the great weather first."

"In the heart of the beautiful mountains of West Texas, Alpine is the gateway for Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, and the Davis Mountains. Nearby is the Ft. Davis National Historic Site, the McDonald Observatory, the Marfa Mystery Lights (seen on the TV show Unsolved Mysteries), the Chinati Foundation, and spectacular wildlife viewing! Alpine is also the home of Sul Ross State University, location of the Museum of Big Bend."

"Alpine is listed as one of the fifty safest and most economical places for retirement in the United States. It is often spoken of as the "heart of the Big Bend," the "Alps of Texas," "out where the West begins," and the "economic, cultural, and recreational center for Trans-Pecos Texas.""

 

"The region encompasses vast expanses of the Chihuahuan Desert, picturesque hills and mountains reaching more than 8,000 feet high, rolling plains, grasslands and a wide assortment of plants, wildlife and geological features which attract visitors from throughout the world."

"The climate is mild year-round and a perfect place to visit all year long. Summer has low humidity with light breezes and cool nights. Winter is also mild with lots of sunshine!"

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Everyone I know from Alpine, is ready to go back!

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On This Day:

The Great Brinks Robbery, Jan 17, 1950:

"A team of 11 thieves, in a precisely timed and choreographed strike, steals more than $2 million from the Brinks Armored Car depot in Boston, Massachusetts. The Great Brinks Robbery, as it quickly became known, was the almost perfect crime. Only days before the statute of limitations was set to expire on the crime, the culprits were finally caught.

Tony Pino, a lifelong criminal, was the mastermind behind the audacious theft. Together with Joe McGinnis, he assembled a group that meticulously planned the heist. They staked out the depot for a year and a half to figure out when it was holding the most money. Then, the gang stole the plans for the depot's alarm system and returned them before anyone noticed that they were missing.

The criminal team held repeated rehearsals, with each man wearing blue coats and Halloween masks. On January 17, they finally put their plan into action. Inside the counting room, the gang surprised the guards and tied up the employees. Multiple canvas bags, weighing more than half a ton, were filled with cash, coins, checks, and money orders. Within 30 minutes, the Brinks robbery team was gone--taking $2.7 million with them. They left no clues at all.

Next, the gang met and split the proceeds of the theft. They agreed that each would stay out of trouble for six years and they almost made it. However, one of the men, Specs O'Keefe, left his share with another member because he had to serve a prison sentence for another crime. O'Keefe, worried that he would be cheated out of his money, indicated that he might begin to talk. The others decided to send a hit man to kill O'Keefe but he was only wounded, and the assassin was caught. O'Keefe made a deal with police and testified against the others. Eight participants in the Great Brinks Robbery were caught and convicted. However, only a small part of the money was ever recovered."

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Earthquake rocks Los Angeles, Jan 17, 1994:

"On this day in 1994, an earthquake rocks Los Angeles, California, killing 54 people and causing billions of dollars in damages. The Northridge quake (named after the San Fernando Valley community near the epicenter) was one of the most damaging in U.S. history.

It was 4:31 a.m. when the 6.7-magnitude quake struck the San Fernando Valley, a densely populated area of Los Angeles located 20 miles northeast of the city's downtown. With an epicenter 12 miles beneath the earth's surface, the earthquake caused the collapse of several apartment buildings. At the Northridge Meadows complex, 16 people died, all of whom lived on the first floor, when the weak stucco structure fell down on them as they slept.

Given the strength and location of the earthquake, it was fortunate that the death toll was not far higher. Two key factors were critical in reducing the casualties. First, the quake struck in the middle of the night while nearly everyone was at home in their beds. A mall parking lot in the Valley collapsed, but no one was killed because it was entirely empty. Several highways also suffered critical failures, but only one police officer died, when his vehicle plunged off an overpass. The other key factor was that the city's building and safety codes were strengthened following the 1971 Sylmar quake that collapsed the San Fernando Veterans Hospital. Every building constructed after the new regulations were implemented stayed intact.

Still, the quake caused a huge amount of property damage over a wide area, especially in the beach community of Santa Monica, even though it was relatively far from the epicenter. As much of Santa Monica stands on soil that is less solid than bedrock, it suffered severe ground movement during the earthquake. The partial collapse of the Santa Monica freeway snarled traffic in Los Angeles for months. All told, it is estimated that the earthquake was responsible for $20 billion in damages."

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Yesterday:

Even first thing in the morning it was warm, so the cats were out on the porch early, and the windows and doors were open.

I knew that I had to try out some of the new things that I had bought, so I spent a long time getting the Linksys router set up.  Then I tried out the really long Ethernet cord. I bought it as the Wi-Fi won't work in the living room, well, I never could get it to work, and there have been times when I wanted to use the laptop in there.  (The cable guy couldn't get the Wi-Fi to work, either.) The Linksys looks and works so much better than my old Radio Shack router. 

I spent a while talking back and forth to my friend in the RGV, "The Land of Two Summers", (http://www.rgvpride.com/rio_grande_valley.html).

He travels up and down the USA in his RV, making and selling dog tags, with his beautiful 150 lb Newfoundland puppy, Smokey.

The news said our weather was more like April not January.  Not really much going on here, except the lovely weather and high of 78 yesterday.

I Just Got Back. The Last Two Days....

Too tired to write right now.
Had one heck of a couple of days.

It is now Friday, the 6th.  I have slept in my own bed , and I feel much better.
The cats are having their 'house and porch time', which they have missed for the last 2 days.

On Wednesday, 4th., my friend, Duncan, came to pick me up on his way to San Antonio where the RV is that I wanted to see.  He travels north in the summer time, and comes back to TX in the winter.  Smart thinking!!

I have always wanted to do that, and be a "sunbird".  He tows a very heavy trailer with stamping machines in it, so that he can earn money while on the road.
Here he is with his new puppy, Smokey, with lovely blue eyes.
We weighed Smokey while they were here, and at 12 weeks old he weighs 36 lb!  Smokey played with some of the dog toys here, and some other things that aren't toys, he is still very much a puppy, and has to be watched constantly.

The trip to San Antonio was mostly uneventful, except Smokey was seen chewing on Duncan's new PC, fortunately it was just the label.  Then he chewed the rubber off the handle of my little backpack on wheels. We caught up on news of mutual friends, and admired the TX countryside.

Duncan decided to drop the trailer at the flea market where he will be working this weekend.  It is about 40 miles from where he parks at his friend's house when in that area.  San Antonio is supposed to be the most 'spread-out' city, and I believe it.  When he got out to pay for his site, I was walking Smokey, on my late dog's leash which I always have with me, the engine in the TranVan died.  Right there at the pay kiosk, and blocking traffic.

After several tries to get it going again, a Bobcat , frontend loader, no, not a Bobcat like mine, came to tow us out of the way.  As soon as they got the chains hooked up to the TranVan, that is when the TransVan realized that we were not going to drop the trailer that it had been towing for 6,000 miles, so it might as well start.  We left the trailer in position for the weekend, and headed on to his friend's house. After thought is that it was some kind of vaporlock, as it ran fine from then on.

The Wide One, 22-1/2' wide B+ RV that I had gone to see was parked nearby, and had been sitting for 6 months.  So we jump started it, and the 360 Dodge sprang to life.  The first thing I did was get in the driver's seat, as it was the width that I was concerned about.  The cab is 14" wider than the regular van cab on a Class B or C.  It felt like it was a Class A, and I don't do well with them anymore, as my depth perception doesn't like the width between the mirrors.  I wanted a small RV that I could use as a daily driver when needed, in case my van was down, and this wasn't it.

If I could have overcome the width problem, which I doubt with my old eyes, there were some raggedy things about it. True to it's era, the cupboard doors, and several other parts were made of fiberboard, and a lot of it, and the upholstery, needed replacing. No biggy for me, but with Jay on another binge, I don't know when it would get done.  Ray and I could do it, but it is still a lot of labor to pay out.
Then it had a problem with the steering column, and that had been jerry-rigged.  One had to push or pull this add-on stiff wire lever, and it had three positions, not marked, and if you got it wrong, the ignition would be constantly in the starting position, or you would kill the motor.  Not something that I wanted to take on for the long trip home by myself, and I told them so.

Duncan and I drove miles and miles to the nearest restaurant, and had a very good BBQ dinner at Bill Millers, and then all the way back to the RV at his friend's house.  Duncan' got his computer online, and we checked bus schedules for my return.   It had been pre-arranged, that no matter what, that I could sleep in the Wide One that night, so I had a sleeping bag with me, and I had picked up the first one that I could find.  Duncan loaned me a couple of the dinette cushions out of the TranVan, as there was no mattress in the Wide One.

We plugged in the Wide One, but we couldn't get the 110v. on it to work, so no converter to power the inside lights. The house battery was dead.  Fortunately I had a little flashlight with me.
It has a bed across the rear, and it did feel a bit closed in, with the fridge on the one side and the bathroom on the other side, with just a narrow aisle in the middle for me to see down to the front of the rig.  I scooted down as far as I could, as I like to 'see out', and not be in a hole looking at a wall.  I even switched ends with my sleeping bag, but it didn't help.  Maybe I don't want a rear bed after all?  Or if I did, I would one that runs lengthways, not crossways?

The Wide One was parked so that it was way off level in both directions, so I was slipping and sliding in my satiny covered sleeping bag all night.  Well, until 5.00 am, when I had to get up for Duncan to drive me back into San Antonio.

Thurday, 5th. November.

We got to the bus station early, and my 'flight' was to leave at 7.20 AM.  Another bus was leaving at 6 something, and I wanted to get on it, but the Bus Man said that it stopped at all the watering holes along the way, and that if I got the 7.20 I would get to Houston 35 minutes earlier than the 6 something.  Stopping at several places on the way is my preference, as it gives one time to walk around frequently, and prevent DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis), and it makes the trip more interesting, too.
As there would be a chance that I would miss my connection in Houston, I waited for the 7.20.
Duncan and I went to the bus station restaurant for a couple of cups of coffee, and we were amazed that 2 Smalls were $3.44!  I hate to think what a Medium or Large were.

A Bus Man came and helped me with my big bag, and took it outside to where the bus marked 'Houston' was.  Suddenly I was nearly bowled over by a rush of people dragging their wheeled suitcases off that bus, but I patiently waited for the driver to come and get my ticket.

Then I asked another Bus Man, "Isn't the bus leaving late?". Come to find out that every one had got off that bus, as it was going out of service, and been transferred onto another bus, and left me behind.

The Ticket Lady was apologetic, and authorized a free phone call to Ray, so that I could let him know what had happened, but still made me pay a $15 (cash, no cards), ticket change.  And no receipt.  Later, when I looked at the ticket to see how long the layover would be in Houston, I went back, and the Ticket Lady said to me "We are confused today, aren't we, it's on your ticket".  I refrained from sloshing her one.  When I handed it to her, she turned as red as a black lady can, as she had given me my old ticket back.  Then, as she just wrote the times on my old ticket, I wondered if that is how she financed her hair straightening and dyeing.

Anyway, I had to hang around San Antonio bus station until the next bus at 12.20.
The lockers were down, so I was carrying everything around with me for 5 hours.
I watched CNN until I had seen so many repeats that I was sick of it.  Carried everything outside and sat on a bench 'people watching', and to watch San Antonio go by.  There were even local busses with bike racks on the front, what a neat idea.  Back inside again, 'people watching', and there were some weird ones, and back outside, you get the picture.

After the fiasco with the $1.72 coffee, I dragged everything across the street, and bought a BBQ chopped beef sandwich at another branch of Millers BBQ place we were at the night before, for less than a cup of coffee at the bus station. $1.61!!  There must be at least 50 Bill Millers BBQ branches around there.

I stuck like glue to all the folks that were getting on the Houston bus, and made it this time.  It went non-stop to Houston.  Then I had a 2-1/2 hour layover there.

So more watching CNN, people watching, and wandering outside in a fenced area that was off one of the gates.  Amazed at two morbidly obese mothers barking orders with their mouths full, to their skinny children. I couldn't go far, as in Houston they search you like you are going on a plane.  The Searcher broke one of the zippers on my back pack, and I didn't know it for quite a while, so I hope I didn't lose anything important. But my camera, and cell phone charger were there.
 
Speaking of cell phone chargers, I had only packed my 12v. one.  I didn't need to use it on the way down, but as I couldn't charge my phone in the Wide One that night, I was getting dangerously close to low.  I needed to save what I had in case I had to call Ray.  The Bus Stations have a free charging place for travelers to charge phones and laptops, but it is 110v. only, that is a very nice convenience for travelers.  Reminder, if I EVER get on a bus again, have 110v. charger with me, too.

There were foam hand santitizer dispensers at both bus stations.  I am not usually that persnickerty, but with that bad flu going around, and being with all the crowds, I used them a lot.  Plus I had a little bottle in my fanny pack, too. I hope I dodged that bullet.

The bus from Houston arrived in Conroe late, even though it was traveling on the HOV lane, as the traffic was often backed up.  But I was never so glad to see that white roof on my van, with Ray in it. He drove it back to Willis, as it was dark, and he told me that the cats were fine, but Bobcat had been looking for me.
"East and West, home is best".  "Home" can be your RV, or a stix and brix, just wherever you are comfy.

So there is the account of the last couple of days.