Trucker Movies from Three Continents

This post is mostly for me, because I'm not sure anyone else will really appreciate it. These are the opening credits for BJ and the Bear (actually an American TV show not movie), a German trucker film and a Japanese dekotora truck movie.







I love how similar these all are and how a simple fascination with big trucks is universal the world over.

Thanksgiving

As some of you may or may not know, Mom and Dad are getting ready to sell my childhood home. They are planning on moving to the Omaha/Council Bluffs metro area. Many people ask how I feel about this when I tell them and my answer is that this is a good thing. I love my parents and have a great relationship with them. I think it will be nice for Corwin to see his grandparents more often too. Plus they have a couple of dogs, and I can borrow one to take to the dog park on days when it looks to be a good doggy in the park day. So it was decided to go back to C'town for one last Thanksgiving in the old house.

Unfortuately Anke got sick on Wednesday night and was still Ill Thursday morning, so she wasn't up to making the 3.5 to 4 hour drive. So me and Corwin- and all of his gear- piled into Maurice's new Jeep Commander with he and Bernie. This is a great road tripping truck with plenty of Hemi power, a smooth comfortable ride, and amazingly quite inside, considering it has the aerodynamics of a brick. It could also tackle the Rubicon Trail should it jump out in front of us.

It was a good day. As soon as we got to town Dad, Corwin and I went to Aunt Dorris's to say hi. We don't get over often and she and her family don't get to see Corwin much. Of course he was a huge hit, as always. Aunt Dorris gave Corwin a couple of Uncle PJ's old Beenie Babies. He got a nice little bear and a monkey. Corwin was pleased.

Dinner was up next at Mom and Dad's. The food- standard Thanksgiving fare turkey, stuffing, potatos and such- was great as always. Thanks Mom. Corwin and I went to visit the Milani family at around 3ish. Ostensibly the reason for the visit is to see Bill, Pam, Tony and the newest Milani Jen along with all of the others. But the real reason is for a slice of Pam's Apple Pie. The best pie I have ever had. I shall miss that pie on future Thanksgivings.

Toward the evening Corwin wanted to play outside some, so we went for a visit to Maurice's farm near Rolling Cove, Lake Rathbun. His farm isn't really big as farms go. And it isn't really farm like in that he doesn't really grow any crops but grass and poison ivy. It is really more of a giant camp site. But it is pretty big as far as camp sites go. One actually forgets how big it really is living in the city. The weather was wonderful for late November. Corwin kept lying down on the grass as if it were the most comfortable bed on earth.

All in all a good Thanksgiving. Shall I include the obligatory list of things I'm thankful for. Sure, why not.

I'm thankful for my wife, Anke. She is beautiful, smart, crafty(in the arts and crafts way, not the con you out of your lunch money way) and a good mom. I'm thankful for Corwin. He is just perfect, all I could ever ask for in a child. Well I could ask that he sleeps in maybe an hour later, but that's it. I'm thankful for my family. They know how much I love them. I'm blessed with wonderful friends most of whom I don't see enough. I have a good job that I usually don't hate going to in the morning. I'm not making mad cash, but I can pay all of my bills. I have the toy car I always wanted. But that doesn't stop me from wanting more cars. Like an early 50's Oldsmobile that I could drive across Mexico in a rally. But I digress. I think it's important to make lists like this on occasion in order to remind me that even when I'm feeling down, life isn't so bad.

I want to be a (sorta) race car driver

I so much want to be driving one of these old cars through Mexico.

La Carrera Panamericana blog (Day 5)

Halloween

Corwin was an exceptionally cute little cow for Halloween. Instead of trick or treating on Halloween night we went to Uncle Maurice's and helped give out candy. Corwin rather liked Aunt Bernie's Hello Kittie bucket. Some day Corwin will hate me for this picture.Thursday was Corwin's last day with Miss Crystal, his daycare teacher. She is moving on to Nursing school. Crystal is great and we are going to miss her. So far we have been extremely lucky with the daycare providers that Corwin has had and we hope this luck continues.

Broken Kettle Grasslands

Last Sunday - 2006-11-29- we took advantage of the unseasonable warm weather and went looking for Prairie Rattlesnakes in Broken Kettle Grasslands, just north of Souix City.We found this little guy first. He is your average Bull Snake, but an exceptionally pretty one in my opinion.He thought he was a vicious little critter though.Yellow Bellied Racer
The Loess HillsCorwin found the land managers yellow lab more interesting than the snakes.We found 4 Prairie Rattlers and caught 3. I say we, but I didn't do any actual catching as I had Corwin on my back. Plus I'm more than a bit scared of the pit vipers, so I leave the handling of them to friends with experience, skill and the proper equipment. The snakes were measured, had the GPS locations where they were discovered recorded. The two smaller snakes were also pit tagged so that if they were caught again in the future the data could be appended to their record. The larger rattlesnake pictured had been previously pit tagged in 2001.