stories "on the road",part six...

i mentioned earlier about myself living in Marina Del Rey,California... actually,i really messed that big time,and that is one story that i will not mention to anyone,ever... the story actually starts in South Lake Tahoe about December 1990-January 1991(est.),when i went up to spend some time up in the snow,and about midnight one night,i met two classy gentlemen named Chuck and Jamie(actual names),who told me if i was ever in Pomona,and Southern California,i should look them both up... well,in late August-early September 1991,i was in 105 degrees of Las Vegas sun,walking and sweating,down the Strip from Fremont Street to the Mirage... well,after five futile attempts of trying to get out of Vegas,hitchhiking,being picked up out on the highway,and being dropped off in front of the Fremont casino every time(five straight days,within ten feet of the casino every time,by locals)... i got tired of that crud,i decided to walk down the Strip and during the walk,i realized that the only way of the city was to walk down to the last southbound exit on I-15,so there was no way back to Vegas... well,i made it to Stateline(southern version),where i got picked up by two Mexicans,in a mini moving van...as we were going to Inglewood,on I-10,i noticed a sign for Pomona,and realized that i had a friend there,so they dropped at a Baker's Square Restaurant... i called Chuck,and told him where i was,and he picked me up,a half mile from his condo,at the restaurant... well,that weekend,we saw the Doobie Brothers live in Fountain Square Park(actually got lost-could not find the park,even though it may be the largest park in Orange County)... the next day,i met Angus Young,of AC/DC fame,and actually had dinner with him,that night... one week from walking down the Strip,i was offered to be Jamie's roommate in Marino Del Rey... he lived a block from the beach,in Marino Del Rey,in his own condo... actually,how i messed up that perfect opportunity to get "off the road",was classic moronic Chris,and i still wonder,"what if???",to this day...

quotes of the week...

a good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything-Irish Proverb... "the purpose of religion is to control yourself,not criticize others"-Dalai Lama...

quotes of the week...

"NUTS!"-Brigadier General Anthony Clement McAuliffe U.S. Army,December 22,1944,southeast of Bastogne,France... "Leaders are made,they are not born... they are made by hard effort,which is the price,which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile"... Green Bay head coach Vince Lombardi...

a new segment of my blog...

from now on,i will quote someone from history,for inspiration,every week...

blog statement...

for now,day off... "Idaho Spud" time... i may be back on here later... so snoozeville beckons...

stories "on the road",part five...

again,i am up after midnight... remembering many nights and cups of coffee,at a diner,trying to stay awake,so i would see the sunrise of many days... too many to count or remember... if i was to try to remember how many days that i saw a sunrise,it would be in the thousands of days... being "on the road" was an adventure that i will remember for the rest of my life,like the time that i did not get service at a Denny's,overnight,so when i left,i gave an one cent tip to the waitress,and bluntly told her that she did not know who she messed with,because,at the time,i actually knew the vice president of Denny's(i really did know him),and one call from me,and she would lose her job,if i was really wanted to make that call... the next time later in that day,i walked into that Denny's,and they all called me,Mr. Shaw,in saying that basically they all kissed my backside,like they knew that they had screwed up... i just smiled as i left... when i hitchhiked out of Reno,i would use an on-ramp,out of Sparks,Nevada,when i just wanted to leave,or to go to Las Vegas,i would travel to Carson City,and just walk out of the city limits(up U.S. 50,east out of downtown),because of the state prison in C.C.... i would start very early in the morning,even though,it would take longer to get out of Carson City... going to Las Vegas by hitchhiking,took a day normally,but sometimes,getting stuck in the Nevada desert was not fun,but a hazard that i dealt with,many times... like the time i was abruptly dropped off in Mina,Nevada,at sunset,and with nothing but a gas station/bar,and a hotel under construction,i was basically screwed,until a guy who saw me drinking a soda,at the bar,and he asked me where was i going to sleep,that night,i said that i would find a place to sleep... well,he gave me a twenty,and said to walk over to the hotel,and they would help me... funny thing is that he owned the hotel,and i never got his name... the next day,i got to Las Vegas,but i never forgot that gentleman's kindness... in fact,i passed that hotel many times,over time,and just smiled every time... i remember the time that i tried to go up U.S 93(the back way to Ely,from Las Vegas),got to a small town named Alamo,had a great breakfast,and then tried to hitchhike up the highway(that did not work too well),so i started to walk up the highway,and actually got stopped by eight separate NHP officers,eight separate times,in a half mile... so i stayed in Alamo overnight in a drafty and very cold trailer that has no doors or glass windows,in that very cold trailer... in fact,i got absolutely no sleep that night... the reason that i got stopped so many times,by NHP officers that day,was actually Area 51... really,believe it,or not... if you think that it gets hot in the desert in the daytime,believe me,when i say that it gets very very cold at night,in that desert... it was the coldest that i have been in my life,and that includes days in Reno,in the winter of 1991,and a night,in September,1998,in Kearney,Nebraska,when i had to run to a 24 hour supermarket,in 25 degree weather,with a 40 mph wind... BRRRRR!!!!!!! what a mind blowing trip....

commentary...

as a shareholder/owner of the Packers,i approach every game of the Packers' 2015-2016 schedule as a game that can be won(a perfect 19-0 season),but that is not possible... there was a post on Packers.com saying that the fans and shareholders/owners better not fixate on the Seattle Seahawks coming to Lambeau,in the second week,because that you may overlook DA BEARS,opening week,in Chicago... even though,i "hate" DA BEARS(GRRR),i deeply respect DA BEARS,because it is a NFC North Division game,and a road game,and DA BEARS,and their fans would love to have DA BEARS beat the Packers,as the Packers' fans,and shareholders/owners would love to have the Packers beat DA BEARS... the Packers' schedule may been the toughest on paper,since 2010,so i agree that the fans,and shareholders/owners may want to focus on every game of the 2015-2016 Packers' schedule,because every game,this season,will be difficult,hard,but not too tough to win,but folks,let us focus on every game... GO PACK GO!!!!!!!!

NFL suspension update...

it appears that Tom Brady's four game suspension will be decided by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell by training camp... Goodell also has to decide Dallas Cowboys' linebacker Greg Hardy's ten game suspension(appeal was heard last month),too...

comments...

i will talk about New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and his troubles tomorrow... sorry,folks...

blog statement...

i do have something to say about the early schedule of games in the 2015-2016 NFL season,for the Packers... however,i have a slight headache,that is just irritating me,right now... i need to lie down for a few hours(a couple of hours),to deal with it,and then i will talk about the Packers' early season... so,"Idaho Spud" time,for now...

NFL news...

New England Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady and his appeal of his four game suspension has been going on,most of today... details,tonight...

blog statement...

day off... "Idaho Spud" time...

commentary...

what a pain in the backside the offseason is??? what the NFL and the NHL,for that matter,talk about now is boring that i feel like going to sleep for about seventy five days(the time between now and training camp,for the Red Wings,i mean),and about five weeks for the Packers' training camp... honestly,i need a vacation,so some of that time i will be on vacation,so that is not bad,but i am mentally tired of all the small talk now... who cares about Dez Bryant,his diva attitude,and his stupid contract??? who cares about Tom Brady and his appeal of his league-mandated four game suspension??? of course,i will blog about both,but honestly who cares??? i really do not care a whit...

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!!!!!!

blog statement...

day off... "Idaho Spud" time...

blog statement...

day off... too hot to do anything... "Idaho Spud" time...

blog statement...

like i said earlier on here,the Packers' annual shareholders/owners meeting is July 28th,this year... hope to be there next year...

commentary...

to mock almost thirteen million on a franchise tag,blaming it on family security,and threatening to sit out regular season games to get a long term deal,Cowboys' wide receiver Dez Bryant needs to really grow up,shut up,and play NFL football,because most people would "die" to make $13 million/per year,even NFL players,because even on a rookie contract,NFL players live well,unless they are moronic,and stupid,financially(spend money like water)... note to Dez:shut your mouth,grow up,and play football... are you a football player,or a whining diva??? that is the $13 million question,isn't it,Dez???

blog statement...

day off... there is nothing to talk about in the NFL right now,unless you want to talk about contracts,or minicamps,but the Packers have very little news on that front,so i am taking the day off... it is boring... "Idaho Spud" time...

blog statement...

day off... "Idaho Spud" time...

correction,and comments...

as i am watching a tape of the match in Starrcade '85,between Dusty Rhodes and Ric Flair,right now,i made one mistake... the match was not in a steel cage... there were two wild steel cage matches that night,and i just confused myself with the entire card,that night... the wildest match that night was a "I Quit" match between Magnum T.A.,and Tully Blanchard,in a steel cage,where both men used a broken chair leg,as a spike,as Blanchard said,"I Quit",when Magnum T.A. spiked the broken chair leg,into his face,and head... note:there was many matches that night where both men were bleeding....

one for the eternal ring...

i forgot to mention that one Virgil Runnels died a couple of days ago,at age 69... if you were a wrestling fan,you would know who Dusty Rhodes is,or was,in the ring... his Starrcade '85 match,with then-NWA World Champion Ric Flair was a true classic,and he won it with an inside cradle... his "Hard Times" promo on NWA Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling,before that match was the best promo for a match,and should be studied by every wrestler,because he was the best on the microphone i ever heard... his work with the Four Horsemen in the NWA was classic babyface/heel,when Rhodes would be beaten up every week on WTBS,and then the Horsemen would get theirs at the big shows,and Flair then would lie on television about how great the Horsemen were,and still come out on television looking like they had been through a meat grinder,with bandages,where the cuts were on their faces... Rhodes was simply that good,in portraying the classic babyface... i did enjoy WWE/F,but enjoyed the NWA a little more,because of the banter between Rhodes,and the Road Warriors,or Rhodes and the Four Horseman was simply classic... to his family,i sent a deep respectful hat tip,to a true classic...

stories "on the road",part four...

people have said that i have a book to write in my soul,and i know that,because my life "on the road" was difficult,but was fascinating to live through... however,i am having a very hard time putting it together,because,honestly,it brings back some memories that are hard to deal with,at least,at this time... folks,i do plan on writing my book,but to expand on the day to day stories will be difficult,because they are all true,fascinating,funny,and a few of them are rather strange,as i met people almost every day that sometimes are unforgettable... some of the stories are not simply strictly "on the road",but of people that i met while living in various places... a few of them called me nicknames that i actually used in living in those places,like the fellow in Orange County,California,who one day while in line at the Fullerton Armory,started to call me,"Leo",for no reason,and when i was there,people knew me as "Leo"... i even signed my name as Leo Shaw,when i was at the Armory,for the six month period that i was there... some people that i met while "on the road" were mean,nasty,and vicious people,but for the most part,i stayed away from them,but folks,to protect myself,sometimes,i became friends with them,so if someone messed with me,i would call "Fred",and "Fred" would walk over to me,and take one look at the guy who was giving me guff,and just say,"what is up,Chris???",to me... i would point my finger at some bozo,and the bozo would take off running at full gallop,because my friend would be the one person that no one would want to mess with,and i then start laughing so hard that you could hear me for blocks... however,it did not happen too often,because i stayed alone most of the time for my protection... funny thing was,and still is,that i can walk into various cities and not be bothered by the thugs,most of the time,because i act somewhat nutty(go Psycho Nut,as i call it),or people tended to care,and protect me,for no reason,and i used that strange attitude of theirs towards me,for my benefit... that was to survive,folks,and i did survive,a little banged up,but in one piece... while "on the road",i was mugged and robbed fourteen times,and got hit by three cars(two of those were side swipes-not too serious)... my back suffered many beatings,including one massive smash by a Buick,and both knees were ruined by a car(same Buick),along with breaking my left knee cap in half,falling on concrete,one Easter Sunday,and still walked five miles with the pain,that day... strangely,the muggings and beatings happened mostly,in Sacramento,and Reno... coming home was more dangerous then being "on the road",for some odd reason... actually,in an eight month period,in 1998,i was in the state of California only eight days(Mid-April,to Mid-December)... oddly,i just did not want to be "at home",because there was nothing(at that point)to be "at home",for me,so i stayed away... at that time of my journey,things were often so messed up that i just survived by traveling most days...

blog statement...

day off... "Idaho Spud" time...

commentary...

Packers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers is very exciting early about the potential of the Packers' team offense over the last two days... he could not stop smiling,when asked the team's receiving corps,his center,and his offensive line,yesterday... today,he gushed about the potential of one Davante Adams,out of Fresno State... there is video of Adams doing a 360 degree between the legs dunk,on Twitter,and Rodgers could not stop talking about the "humongous upside" of Adams noting his progression from rookie,to the potential of being a major passing threat in a very dangerous receiving corps... if Rodgers is correct,and i believe him,watch out NFL!!!!!!!!!!!!

comments...

i have had a very strange day,and i am very tired,so i am going to get some good sleep,tonight...

blog statement...

day off... "Idaho Spud" time...

music in my life...

there are various times that i listen to various kinds of music,thanks to my dear departed mother,who honestly,taught me to really appreciate "the finest things in life"... she was never a snob,but oddly she took me to the symphony,ballet,and a Broadway play,or two... never on Broadway,but she always showed me how to really appreciate things,like all kinds of music,like jazz,blues,big band,classic rock,classic country,and some very good classical music... i absorbed it all in ways that i have one of the best music collections in the entire state of California,and right now,i am listening to some great jazz on my satellite radio,as i am writing this... she played some great music on her piano,as i was growing up,and taught me to really appreciate all kinds of music... one collection of music that i had growing up was the nine symphonies of Beethoven,and listened to it before i was eighteen years old,and also listened to every Beatles' album before i was twelve,thanks to a babysitter,who owned every album on vinyl... over the last fifty years,i have appreciated music that honestly some people simply forgot... two of the best classes that i ever took,in college,were classes on music history,and another class on art history... people in those classes would fall asleep,but i would try very hard to stay awake,especially in art history,where my teacher simply had a monotone voice,while teaching the class,and sounded like he was on Nyquil,and NoDoz at the same time,which was sleep-inducing,for many students... oh,was he??? i took both classes to really learn,and that was because of my dear departed mother,who honestly,taught me how to appreciate music and art,when that honestly it may not have been the real chic thing to do,at my age,at that time in my life... however,i appreciated that in my mother,and simply in life,in more ways than i can ever say,or really realize...

stories "on the road",part three...

have traveled through 28 states(23,while hitchhiking),going from Puget Sound,the Columbia River,the Atlantic Ocean,the Gulf of Mexico,the Northeast,New England,Great Plains,and Midwestern states... i have lived in Marina Del Rey,Sacramento,Washington State,Orange County,and many other areas,of the Western United States... i have stayed in Reno,Denver,Albuquerque,Salt Lake City,and Las Vegas,at various times... i have seen both ends of the Grand Canyon(Lake Powell,Arizona,Lake Mead,Nevada,Hoover Dam,Nevada/Arizona(the border dissects the dam),the South Rim of the Grand Canyon,and Zion National Park)... i have walked 100 miles,in two different states(Colorado,and Nebraska),in consecutive months... i have crossed the Mississippi River many times,and have seen Christmas Eve,at the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas... i have walked the entire Las Vegas Strip,in 105 degree heat,and exactly one week later,was living in Marina Del Rey,in an apartment on the beach... that is a really odd,strange,but very true story... walked out one night,after working at Zion,and saw a couple of deer,walking in light snow,as i went to my dorm room... have walked in the Nevada desert,at twilight,early morning,and blazing hot daytime... that is a real trip... have had botulism,almost died(had to empty my stomach contents into a bathroom trash can one night-i do not recommend doing it),or i would have died that night,spent four days in bed,in a friend's house,in Kingman,Arizona,and then traveled to Albuquerque,in 112 dry heat degrees... it was fascinating to do all that,but very very tough and hard to be "on the road",for a decade,and be anywhere near sane and safe... i remember all that,and wish that you folks,could just understand what a real survivor that it took to be day after day for all that time... UNC was dead right,when he said that he was very proud of me,and said that i was a survivor...

blog statement...

simply because of my finances at the end of the month,i am delaying my vacation,most likely,until early next month,which honestly does suck,period...

comments...

the NFL is boring right now,unless you want to hear about how stupid some people can be,folks... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!!! snoozefest!!!!!

blog statement...

day off... "Idaho Spud" time...

story "on the road",part two...

there is a second part to the story of the Fillmore County deputy sheriff taking me to the Utah/Nevada border... well,after getting dropped off,i got lunch,and stayed at the border on a very hot dusty day,for over six hours... after getting passed by many motorists,this fellow passed me at the border,going to Ely,Nevada,went ten miles past me,and then doubled back to the border to pick me up,and then went back to Ely,with me in tow... well,he got me a hotel room,and said to me,"i am leaving for Reno,at four am... be ready to go"... well i got about three hours of real sleep,and laid down in bed,watching television,and got up shortly before four am... we stopped in Austin,Nevada,for a snack,about five fifteen am,and drove to Reno about four pm,that day... he was going to a convention in Reno,and was from Leesburg,Florida... it is strange that i remember so much of that three day period,even twenty years later... what a memory,folks...

commentary...

on opening day of the San Francisco 49ers' season,there will now be ten players not starting for the 49ers... the 49ers have traded Andy Lee their All-Pro punter,to the Cleveland Browns... question:what are the 49ers' doing with their 53 man roster??? if you look at the same roster from 2012(their Super Bowl near-miss),you see that at least 80% of that roster,and coaching staff,is totally gone... (scratching my head)... unbelievable!!!!!

blog statement...

day off... "Idaho Spud" time...

commentary...

with Anthony Davis retiring today,the San Francisco 49ers have lost nine starters from last year's squad,via free agency,trades,or retirements... question:how do you think the 49ers will do,this upcoming season??? reminder:the Packers do play the 49ers,in Santa Clara,this season... back to the question,my opinion:they will not do too well,with the Seattle Seahawks,Arizona Cardinals,and an improved St. Louis Rams' squad,in the NFC Western Division,and with the NFC North playing the NFC Western Division... even though,i do not like the Detroit Lions,Minnesota Vikings,or DA BEARS,they will not be pushovers,this season,so the 49ers are in deep trouble...

stories "on the road"...

remembering the twilight on the Ohio/Pennsylvania border(on I-80)and going home(a long way to home,but i was heading home),hitchhiking(the last ride of a long non-descript day),and was picked up by a group of black men,and me the only white guy,in a beat up old Cadillac,going to Cleveland... actually,what a sight,and James Brown on the car stereo!!! had to be there to just see it,folks,and it still makes me laugh,even twenty years later... i have memories like that flooding my brain,and i remember one time,being stuck on I-84,outside Boise,Idaho(actually,Mountain Home,Idaho,but a very long Saturday,started in Boise(walked five miles,out of town),that day,walked five miles into the small town,too,past the AFB base(it was over 100 degrees,that day),and with a backpack over my left shoulder,i was exhausted,stopped at a small park,and rested,for about a half hour,and then got a hotel room,spent the night,and then slowly got back to I-84,the next morning... unfortunately,it being Sunday,no one picked me up,for about four hours,and then got a ride to Ogden,Utah,via semi... the time that i spent in Boise was about five days,and it was enjoyable,but trying to get out to town,was a real bear,because I-84 is the main thoroughfare in that part of Idaho,and outside Boise,there is absolutely nothing,but sand and concrete... I-84,and California State Route 99 are in the same category for me,places that you do not hitchhike,unless you want to go and simply die("highways of death")... actually,nothing against Boise,at all,but it is not a place to be,if you want to hitchhike,especially in the summer... people may think that i always got into trouble hitchhiking,but that is not the case at all,because remembering that walking into the Nevada desert in the very early morning,or at twilight,was a very beautiful sight to see,even in the summer... i remember the walk up the state highway(alternate US 93),outside Wendover,Nevada(a seven mile walk,from the town,and the mountain range to the south,towards Ely,Nevada)... it was dusty,hot,and trying to get a ride was a bear,but remembering that i was seeing scenery that people have forgotten,and i still smile... i made it to Ely,that night,but i also made to the top of the mountain range,too... one more memory that comes to mind is the trip down "the loneliest road in America"(Highway 50)... to re-rack it for you,i started that day(24 hour time span),in Lehi,Utah,on I-15,after being sick for a couple days,there:i got to the intersection of I-15/I-40(going east to Denver),but i saw a sign of a turnoff for Highway 50,further up,on I-15,going west... unfortunately,for me,i did not realize that Highway 50 goes through Great Basin National Park,so i made it to Delta,Utah,for an overnight stay,and so on my way out of Delta,i got stopped by a Fillmore County deputy sheriff(oh,no,i thought)... well,he asked me where i was going... i said west,and he reminded me that there was about 100 miles of desert before the Utah/Nevada border,then folks,i got the biggest break ever,of the ten years that i was "on the road",he said his "beat" for that day was to go to the Utah/Nevada border,so he got me a cheeseburger at McDonald's,and literally took me to the border,in his patrol car... i even carried his card in my wallet for years... a real angel...

blog statement...

day off... "Idaho Spud" time...

commentary...

when Super Bowl XLIX was over,i was happy that the Seattle Seahawks lost,and the way that they lost the game to the New England Patriots,because no matter what the head coach,the organization,and the players say,it will haunt them forever... you do not lose that game in the way that they lost Super Bowl XLIX,and simply say that next year is "a clean slate",like cornerback Richard Sherman just said,in an interview... people do say teams change every year,and that is very true,but is the ghost of that loss going to haunt the Seahawks,and especially the 12th man(their fanbase),forever??? i would not doubt that for a minute,folks... your reaction to what happened to the Packers during the NFC Championship makes it just so sweet to see you lose Super Bowl XLIX in the way that you did,because you lost a Lombardi Trophy,and all the Packers lost was a simple game... karma bites,Seahawks,and it sucks,doesn't it??? well,suck on that really bitter sucker,all this upcoming season... note:you can tell that i do not like the Seattle Seahawks(laughing),folks... well folks,i really do,period...

blog statement...

i am taking a vacation by the beginning of next week... i have a saying,"i do not spend money that i do not need to spend",so i will not spend the vacation egg that i have until i basically will be on vacation... pay rent and "Bill" tomorrow,then prepare to leave over the weekend,and i am off to who knows??? i know,but i will not know exactly until probably Saturday night,or Sunday morning...

trivia,and comments...

what quarterback owns more NFL Championship rings??? a:Tom Brady,b:Joe Montana,c:Terry Bradshaw,d:Otto Graham,e:Troy Aikman,f:Bart Starr... answer:f:1:Bart Starr,with 5 NFL Championship,and two Super Bowl wins,2:tie:Brady,Montana,and Bradshaw,with 4 Super Bowl wins,and 5:tie:Otto Graham,and Troy Aikman,with 3 Super Bowl/NFL Championships)... note:Starr and Aaron Rodgers co-own the Packers' record for the lowest percentage of touchdown to interceptions for a season... Starr had 18 touchdowns to only three interceptions,one season,and Rodgers had 36 touchdowns to only six interceptions,in one season... last season,Rodgers had only five interceptions,and has not thrown an interception at home,since 2013(did not throw one at home,last season),for his second NFL MVP(most valuable player) award...

day off... "Idaho Spud" time...