“You’ve got the cool water when the fever runs high.”  That’s the first line of a song Paul Simon wrote, “Something So Right.”  How cool is that?  I know people who are like that and I thank God that they are in my life.  Does anyone see me as one who has cool water when their fever runs high?  I think so, I hope so.  Why just the other day I walked into a party a friend was having and I thought I heard someone saying something about me being a wet blanket.  If they had a fever that would be a good thing wouldn’t it?  “You’ve got the cool water when the fever runs high.”  I can’t really think of anything nicer to say to someone who means a lot to you.  Try it today.  I bet it blows their socks off.

          People have different ways of expressing their appreciation for those who are important in their lives. I grew up in a large extended Latino family so giving out hugs and terms of affection has never been a problem for me.  I used to have trouble understanding why that wasn’t always returned in the manner that it was offered but I’m getting better at that.  It’s pretty significant that we don’t build in expectations of how another should outwardly express their warm feelings regardless of what end of the spectrum we operate in.  When we do that we can either feel jilted or smothered and neither of those feelings may have anything to do with the relationship at the core. 

          And now for something completely different.  I’m not worried so much about my oldest son with regards to his happiness as he spends the next six weeks in Washington DC.  One of the first things we did after we got settled into the apartment was head to the roof for a swim.  My youngest son is very much a fan of swimming pools.  Any pool will do.  As we made our way out to the sun deck from the hallway of the apartment there was a discernible change in the posture of the older son and I soon understood why.  I swear as he passed through the door I heard one of those angel chorus chimes, “LAAAAAA!” emitting from his 17 year old brain.   As soon as the door opened and his eyes adjusted to the bright mid day he witnessed, lined up on lounge chairs, no less than 20 bikini clad sun worshipers.  I was about ten paces behind him so I got to hear the angel chorus “LAAAAAA!” twice.

          The difference between my son and I is that no posture change occurred in my part.  I work in an office building that employs about 200 young female telemarketers and I am accustomed to the humoring nods and glances they give to funny old men.  It’s not that I would ever hope they saw me differently but it is a bit disconcerting at times. 

          It is seven days until my departure for my West Coast Harley Tour.  I just got off the phone with Gimp and we are going to get together with Gizmo tomorrow evening and make some very deliberate plans.  We have an agenda for the meeting.  First we need to determine approximately what time we want to roll out of town next Saturday.  Then… well, I guess that’s all you really need to plan for a Harley vacation.    We have an approximate idea of what state we want to be in at the end of each day but other than being in Salt Lake City for a party with my CUSA friends Monday and making Sacramento by Wednesday I guess the rest is up in the air.  It’s a rough life.

I’m back in Iowa, Heaven, as Kevin Costner called it in Field of Dreams.  1038 miles in 15 hours and 15 minutes.  I could have done better.  It was those damn mini-vans in Ohio I tell ya.  They slow me down every time.  Hold on a sec’ I gotta pour a glass of Port.  Ahhh.

The Independence Day trip to DC was wonderful although saying good bye to the kids when I had to leave ripped my heart out but I’m not gonna talk about that.  So now all of my family resides 1038 miles away from here and when I got back into town it was too late to pick up the cat from the boarder.  It’s really quiet here.  WHAT WAS THAT?  Did you hear something?

My trip home was rather uneventful and as I neared Peoria I tuned in WGN just in time to hear the Cubs game.  They began a 4 game series with the upstart Brewers.  Damn Cubs.  They got shut out.  Now I remember why it is I don’t like to listen to entire Cubs games on the damn radio.

After the game I tuned in that Jim Bohannon guy talk show.  He had some retard from England bemoaning the destruction of our and their national values because of political correctness.  Here is the bottom line.  She just wrote a book and no significant publisher would pick it up.  Jimbo asked her why a major publisher didn’t pick her up?  He asked if they were in fact not interested in making money.  She claimed no, they were not interested in making money but only interested in controlling the thoughts of the people of England.  Uh-huh.  That damn liberal media again.  Could it be that she is a whack job and nobody gives a crap about what she has to say?  Hey, if I can get used to it here she can get used to it.  So it goes.

Wait, one more thing about political correctness.  Yeah, okay.  It seems at surface that the concept has gone too far but really what is it?  Political correctness only exists because a generation of parents failed to teach their children civility.  And the only people who bitch about political correctness are those who have been humiliated for saying something stupid.  They hate that the can’t call people names without somebody calling them on it.  I don’t worry so much about political correctness.  Maybe you noticed.  If people would try to have some semblance of respect and courtesy for one another we would have heard the last about political correctness.  If the negative implications of political correctness are a big issue for you that just means you are a freekin’ moron who doesn’t play well with others and think to highly of yourself.  Get over it.  Hmm, Do I sound like somebody who just jumped out of a car after over 15 hours of listening to talk radio?

The Iraqi President just placed a ban on all political demonstrations and protests on all college campuses in Iraq today.  Looks like George W’s vision of democracy is finally taking hold in Iraq.  Atta boy George!  You can bring the troops home now!

The New York Supreme Court denied the right for gay couples to be legally married today.  The decision said lawmakers have a legitimate interest in protecting children by limiting marriage to heterosexual couples.  Arkansas recently upheld adoption rights for gay couples.  That means Arkansas is more progressive than New York.  I'm confused. 

Happy Friday.  See ya tomorrow.

          Hillary is a hot topic out here in the beltway.  Pundits on both sides of the liberal/conservative believe that, if she should run, Hillary should not be underestimated.  The Conservative factions know she is a tough political opponent who supports the president in the war on terror and is fairly centrist on all of the major issues.  A typical attack of the worn out Clinton criticisms failed miserably when she ran for Senate in New York where she won by a 15 percent margin.  Since that election she has proven herself as a tough leader and has gained political savvy and clout along the way.  Liberals have feared that she is too divisive and could not win against a strong Republican candidate.  I was among those who loathed the idea of a Hillary candidacy and the swift boat bull crap that would be flung against her.  The fact is Hillary would eat those little boys up for lunch. 

          When you factor in the Bush moderates who are disenfranchised with what the GOP has done to the country in the last six years and the huge mobilization of women voters who helped sweep George into his second term the chances of Hillary being successful in 2008 seem pretty good.  One of the most popular things about the Bush presidency is his strong leadership.  Hillary is all that and more.  Hillary’s leadership would be augmented by having the facts behind her decisions and more importantly we would have confidence that she was smart enough to make her decisions based on those facts.  It would be refreshing to have leadership that stood for family values for a change.  Family values are things that families care about; like education, employment, health care and the environment.  Yep, if Hillary should choose to run I will have to give her a very close look.  Being an active Democrat in Iowa gives me something to say about that. 

          My daughter and I were talking today about a book I enjoy and have referenced in this blog on two previous occasions.  Player Piano, by Kurt Vonnegut.  An interesting character study in that book is Anita Proteus, protagonist Paul Proteus’ wife.  In a society where IQ and aptitude are everything with regards to social standing and careers Anita was an average woman.  She was everything that the new civil order deemed marginal but had married very well and fiercely guarded her position in life by intolerance of her legitimate peers and constantly driving her husband, Paul, to more and more ambitious rungs up the corporate ladder.  In a classic scene of the book Paul is having reservations about the justice of leaving the marginalized masses of the country so hopeless and undervalued.  Anita can not understand Paul’s concern and is very frightened that he is even thinking about “those who live on the other side of the river.”  Paul becomes frustrated with her and says, “There but for the Grace of God” to the woman he loves but understands that if it were not for their relationship would be relegated to the side of the river she very much loathed.  She does not handle this very well and immediately accuses Paul of being hateful and attacking her.

          It was reminiscent to me of those who would defend the policies of the Bush Administration.  People too myopic to face the realities of what the current administration is doing to this country often cry of the hateful liberal press when dissent is expressed in any form.  Conservatives accuse liberals of always attacking their innocent and God-fearing leaders.  They should know that there is enough compassion for all under the liberal umbrella and as soon as we can wrest the power from their greedy little hands they will not be left out of any of the improvements made by a more progressive government.

          God Bless America.  I just came down from the roof of our 20 story DC apartment complex where I watched the fireworks with the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Memorial in the foreground, the Capital in the background.  I wish you had been here.  The fireworks were huge, numerous and brilliant.  Another particular advantage to our viewing place was the 50 or more other municipalities having their own fireworks shows simultaneously lighting up the sky for miles around.  Fireworks have always done it for me but this experience caused my chest to swell and my eyes to moisten as the explosions of light and sound flashed their luminescence upon the iconic monuments of our national heritage. 

          So here we were, on top of this building on a beautiful evening and I could not overcome, nor did I want to overcome, a sense of privilege.  The late afternoon thunderstorms had significantly cooled the air and the breeze from the Virginia countryside was refreshing.  The people around me oohed and awed in nearly as many dialects, accents and languages as there were people on the rooftop.  The variance of flesh tones were as varied as the hues which were exploding across the Potomac.  The pride of an America that has opportunities for all who would reach for the brass ring caused my heart to beat a little faster.  Witnessing an event such as this dulls the sharp edges of the jaded perceptions I have of the daily business of Washington DC.  Times such as these blur the divisional lines of ideologies and personal agendas.  Times such as these are when we are all Americans and grateful for the liberty that is inherent with that label.  Times such as these economic stations, educational achievements and life experiences have little standing in the appreciation of a really great show.  We all felt like kids and for one night that was a really cool thing.

          Happy Independence Day!  Today is a double post as it were.   Lori from www.hahnathome.com is off on Holiday and has invited four people to write guest posts for her site in her absence.  I’m not sure what the arrangement was with the other guest bloggers but when she indicated that the post I submit to her could in fact be the same thing I put out for my site, www.redhogdiary.com, I could hardly turn down the $300 she offered.  (I hope I am not working too cheaply, I would be interested in hearing from the other Hahn At Home guest commentators to know if our compensation was similar.)  Enough about that!  On with the post!

         

Independence Day Post, Chris Wilcox; Hahn At Home Washington DC Field Correspondent. 

The Capital City is abuzz with Independence Day anticipation.  The city motels are full, traffic is heavy and the local media is in its glory advising visitors and residents of scheduled events and the best way to navigate in what is sure to be traffic hell.   

As a resident of a town in Iowa with a population of approximately 500 people one of the first things that strikes me about Washington has to do with cultural diversity.  When I think about all that our capital represents I find the diversity one of the most beautiful things about the city.  Another feature of the population of this city is how young it is.  Riding the Metro into the District or walking the shopping districts of Georgetown or Arlington it is apparent that a huge portion of the population is made up of twenty and thirty year olds.  Whether that is because the city is a haven of opportunity for up and coming youngsters or because the lifestyle is too demanding for my contemporaries and those older; I do not know.  It is almost eerie, in an unsettled mid-life crisis kind of way, to see the swarms of “kids” making their way at a harried pace about the city.

Stevie Wonder is performing on the National Mall this 4^th of July, right before the fireworks.  One of the best examples I can give to illustrate the notion that DC is dominated by the young and that we oldsters are better suited to visiting, not residing, in a place such as this is the fact that even though Stevie Wonder will front one of the most spectacular fireworks shows in the Nation I have no desire to immerse myself in the half million revelers for tomorrows festivities.  I will opt for the relative calm and safety of witnessing the colorful explosions from across the Potomac in a lawn chair on top of my wife’s apartment building.  I’m so damn old.  How did that happen?

A friend of mine recently closed an email that he sends promoting his band with some very wise words.  “Remember that we celebrate the 4^th of July because our founding fathers declared Independence from governmental tyranny.  Be an active citizen and cherish the concept of free and equal.”  Bob Dorr, www.theblueband.com Free and equal makes no provision for “more free” or “more equal” as seems to be prescribed for those of a more affluent stature in recent years in this great land of ours.  Our country was not built on the ideals that special interests and those with organizational clout would trump the needs and rights of individuals and it would be good for us to guard against that.  The problem I see with being a non-active citizen would be that in an unchecked world the freedoms we lose could be our own.  Celebrate your Independence today but also take a moment to celebrate the independence of your neighbor.

         

        Hey kids!  I just came back from dinner at a place named Guapos’ in the Sheldington neighborhood of Arlington VA.  Sheldington is a neat upscale little area full of pricey looking new condos and shops.  Santiago, our server, started with our drink order and he played me perfectly.  After making the requisite margarita order he queried as to my preference of pecanio or grande.  I wasn’t out to set any records and ordered the pecanio margarita, rocks, yes to salt.  He looked down at his order pad and literally giggled.  “No, no senor, you don’t’ want the pecanio, look!” and he pointed to a table of young ladies sitting next to us drinking what I thought were reasonable sized margarita’s.  Immediately I replied, “But of course, did I say pecanio?  No, no Amigo, Yo quiero un grande margarita!”  He replied, “Very good senor.” And proceeded to head off to grab me a tanker of a margarita.

          The food at Guapos’ was tasty but the texture of my tamale’s were off a bit and the salsa, while very flavorful, lacked any bite.  I had already established my machismo by opting for the grande margarita so I asked Santiago if he had any “manly” salsa hidden in the back.  In hindsight I would imagine that waiters in Mexican restaurants live for moments like that.  He brought back out a container of green salsa not much larger than double of what a thimble is and it was enough to rock my world for the rest of the evening.  Nasty little thing those habanera peppers.  I will tell you one thing for sure that grande margarita disappeared in a hurry.  Good up sell Santiago!  I ordered another and while we ate I found a couple of opportunities to talk with a guy sitting at the table next to she who must be obeyed and I.  Later I found out his name was Renaldo and while there was a limiting language barrier I could tell that Renaldo and I saw the world in a similar manner.

          I asked Renaldo if he would like a margarita because (A) he didn’t have one and (B) I had already enjoyed my first and was halfway through my second “grande” margarita.  I figured Renaldo might enjoy one also.  He gestured that yes, he would like a margarita so I flagged down Santiago and made the order.  Santiago then had a quick conversation with Renaldo and I learned that Renaldo for one reason or another did not drink alcohol but he appreciated the offer.  Santiago then left us only to return with what would be my third grande margarita of the evening and explained that Renaldo had purchased it for me.  It was reminiscent of the pumpkin pie incident that you can read about on the first day post from the East Coast Tour blog that is linked in the column to your right. 

          Renaldo, I most likely will never see you again in this lifetime but I would like to thank you again for your generosity.  I love that while traveling a thousand miles from home to a city nearly inconceivably large in comparison with my hometown, and in spite of a language and cultural barrier Renaldo and I bumped into each other and ever so briefly shared some time.  Little snapshots from life are precious to me.  My Anniversary dinner at Guapos’ with my lovely bride will have the enhanced footnote that is Renaldo that we can share as the years go on.  Salute’ mi Amigo! Via con Diaz!

I tried but I just couldn’t stay away for a day.  Friday night I nursed our quarter end procedures along until well after 2:00 AM and was then up by 6:00, logged in and checking up on the previous nights work.  A quick shower and a scalding cup of coffee in my “Where The Hell Was I” coffee mug and I was off to the office to do the month end reports.  I finished up with the reporting and was on the road to DC by noon-thirty, put the pedal to the metal and raced half way across the country.  The trip was rather eventless with the exceptions of witnessing gas prices rise by 34 cents a gallon as we made our way East and experiencing fourteen hours as a captive with an over caffeinated 17 year old.  

          I understand about supply and demand.  Classic Keynesian economics calls for suppliers to provide and charge what the market will bear but something is wrong with the interpretation of this model as demonstrated by Big Oil in America.  Oil companies have figured out that they can screw with us just enough to milk every single possible penny out of us.  Like lemmings diving over a cliff we keep coming back for more.  Prices have fluctuated back and forth in an overall upward spiral since George W and his oil buddies took over our country.  The deception is rather clever.  Prices spike for peak demand times and then gently roll back but never to the previous market set levels.  What I see as predatory about this is that the gentle rollbacks ease us into complacency and we never quite get the hang of adjusting our travel mindset as we are relieved for the small reductions in price.  Along comes the next holiday and prices rise to a new all time high.  When that happens we seem ill prepared to change our plans and disgruntledly go about traveling; accepting our fate but resenting every stop at the pump. 

          Big Oil knows that we are an instant gratification society and our complacency with the lower priced product in the weeks leading up to a major travel holiday will protect them from any drastic change in our habits.  I’m done.  When I return home from this Independence Day holiday I am going to forever more park my vehicles in the driveway for traditional holiday travel dates.  I declare myself independent of the market manipulations of Exxon/Mobile and British Petroleum.  I’m going to celebrate Labor Day a week early and tell my extended family that Christmas and Thanksgiving are going to be held the second weekend in December this year. 

          As for the over caffeinated son; I had to tune him out when he started manically talking about dating ugly girls because in all the slasher movies he has ever seen it is always the boyfriends of “hot chicks” who get dismembered first.  I’m not sure what brought this on but I think it had something to do with flying down the deserted interstate in West Virginia and his over stimulated imagination that the hills had eyes. 

          Ohio.  Once again we made our way through the God-forsaken state of Ohio.  Each trip to DC, this being my third since the blog began in February, I have commented on the absolute inability of the mouth-breathing-sloped-forehead drivers of Ohio and their lack of comprehension for fundamental interstate etiquette.  They speed up on you in the passing lane, get ahead of you a car length and then slow down to match the pace of traffic.  Always.  Inevitably I end up resigning myself to passing on the right and have even used the shoulder to make my way around them and express my disdain for their asinine behavior.   I don’t know what it is but I think it has something to do with my Iowa license plates.  Iowa and Ohio are frequently mistaken for each other by most of those who do not live in the aptly described fly-over states.  I think Ohioans have resentment that the confusion with Iowans holds them to a higher standard.  That’s all I can do.  I have slept a total of 7 of the last 60 hours and I think a nap on the poolside chaise lounge chair is calling my name.