New Years Eve 2011

Already the last day of 2011. As I write this post, the sun is setting behind the Stansbury Mountain Range for the final time this year.

2011 has been the year of change for me in almost every way. We left our beautiful Santa Cruz, CA to move to Tooele, Ut. Our kids stayed in Santa Cruz, so all of us are out of the nest doing our respective things.

Tooele couldn't be more different from Santa Cruz. Climate, culture, air quality... everything. Not necessarily bad, just different.

Earlier today, I drove out to the old, once forbidden, Tooele Army Depot to take some 3D photos of the last day of the year.

The base is now closed to military operations, but the buildings are all still standing... a ghostly reminder of the past and the reality of the war machine.



Private enterprise has taken advantage of this space and now, numerous manufacturing and other businesses occupy some of the warehouses that remind one of a scene from the X Files.



It was especially quiet on the old military base today. Even the recycling center, where we take all our glass paper and aluminum, was closed.



Happy New Year!

Thanksgiving 2011

Another beautiful sunrise resulted in this scene that lasted only a few moments. I barely had time to find my camera, shoes, keys, and drive to West Elementary School to take the photo. It was much more spectacular thirty seconds before it was taken, and thirty seconds later, the scene of the colorfully illuminated Deseret Peak had vanished.
Tooele is a pretty awesome place, and is the only one in the world. I am SO thankful that our little town is surrounded by beautiful majestic mountains. The Oquirrs to the East, separate us from the Salt Lake Valley, and all the crime and pollution associated with the big city. At the same time, we're close enough to the city to travel there in little over thirty minutes, and there's always something going on in Salt Lake.
On Tuesday, we left early and drove to Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, where we spent the day enjoying the hot, mineral pools located there. The one pictured above in 3d, bubbles up from natural springs at a pleasant, 112 degrees Fahrenheit... my favorite pool at the facility. A day pass costs only $5... something else to be thankful for.

I am thankful for so much today, but I am missing my kids who had to remain in Santa Cruz for the holiday. Looking forward to seeing other family later today though.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

rZ

One Year Without Dad - :-(

It was a year ago today that the medical industry successfully killed my father. Two weeks earlier, his immune system was compromised when he received a flu shot.* He told me that he hadn’t felt good since the shot, and before he knew it, he had contracted pneumonia, and died a few days later.

The day dad died was truly a beautiful one. I remember standing on the main beach next to the Boardwalk, in Santa Cruz, CA that morning, watching the sailboats come and go. Knowing how much dad liked the out of doors, I wanted to tell him about my beautiful morning, and find out how he was feeling. When I spoke with him, he told me that he didn't think he was going to make it. I knew that he was serious, and I began preparing to travel to Utah in hopes of seeing him before it was too late.

My sister soon called and reported to me that dad’s doctor had informed her that dad probably wouldn't make it through the night.** I immediately called Delta Airlines, who happily accommodated me and booked a family emergency flight, and within a couple of hours I was on my way. Even though the flight took only two hours, the anxiety made it the longest flight of my life, hoping that I would make it before dad passed.

Dad should have died before I arrived, but he waited for me so that we could be together one last time... and say goodbye. When I finally entered the hospital in Tooele, I found my sister and her family sitting with my sickly looking old dad who appeared to be ready to die. His countenance lifted and we enjoyed a wonderful, but brief reunion.

We had a wonderful time together that evening. He asked us if there was anything that we would like to say before he passed. I took the opportunity to tell him how much I love and appreciate him, and thanked him for the good example he has always been to me. I told him every positive thing about him and our family relationship I could think of, and after everyone had a chance to say what was in our hearts, dad said, “OK, lets get this over with” and removed his oxygen mask. A little more than a half hour later, he was gone.

As we cried and held each other, dad’s frail empty shell sat silently in the room. The giant hero in my life was gone, and I knew that things would never be the same without him.

One year later, things are definitely different. We no longer live in Santa Cruz, and have moved into my late parent’s house in Utah, and have been busy making it our home.

*Flu shots are a successfully sinister public relations campaign directed at the naive and gullible masses who prefer to hand their agency over to the neo-high priests that they oxymoronically refer to as health care professionals.

**Doctors regularly blame their patients for the medical industry’s own incompetence, and are responsible for more American deaths in one year than all of the wars in the last century combined.

Summer Fun in Utah 2011

What a fun and interesting summer it has been. While Mason was hanging out with King Crimson, getting trapped in New York with Mighto Mo when Hurricane Irene caused such a fuss, Kirt and I were hanging out here in the Great Basin of the United States of America. Here's a small sample... in 3D.

The Tooele Train Museum has an outstanding collection of rail vehicles, including this old locomotive that used to be located near the town swimming pool. The old retired iron horse was later moved to its permanent location at the Train Museum on Vine and Broadway in Tooele, Utah.

Small scale train enthusiasts would love the elaborate working display at the museum.
The above car served as a dining coach for the mobile minuteman missile project in the 1970's. A nuclear missile could be launched from an adjacent boxcar anywhere in America if we had gotten to a "shootin' war with the Ruskies."

Steam Punk... old school

This is likely the bike my dad told me about a long long time ago. According to him, back in the late fifties - early sixties, he had to travel on snowshoe to the mine in Middle Canyon, then open the big metal door to the mine, hop on a rail bike, and ride all the way through the mountain. Once he arrived at the end of the tunnel, he'd open another big metal door, then hike on snowshoes to a rain gauge to record a precipitation reading for Uncle Sam.
This is a 3D photo of the inside of Saltair Resort on the shore of the Great Salt Lake.
Campfire.
Summer is over ;-( but I have some great rememorieZ, and photos to prove it :-)

BIRDHAND Live in Utah

Last week, I had the opportunity to hang out with the band, Birdhand, for a couple of days as they make their way across the country to tour with Bad Brains on the east coast of the US.

They finished up their recording set in LA at about 3:00 AM, then hit the road to Utah for a grueling eleven hour drive through the darkness.

After a four hour sleep in the tents that I set up in the back yard, the boys woke up to dinner and fun with smoke balls and sparklers... and 3D photography.

Before long, twas time to head to the big city, and prepare for their performance at the Bar DeluXe, who, unfortunately for the folks in Salt Lake City, did nothing to promote Birdhand, therefore, Utahn's missed out on a great show by one of California's best bands.

On Birdhand's first show of their post-studio, cross-country tour, a handful of lucky people caught the show, and were treated to the first live performance of three new songs.



Video to follow!!!

Back to School 2011

I recently paid a visit to my old elementary school to take a handful of 3D pictures.

It was obvious to me that the office staff was excited about being back. In fact, everyone there, from teachers preparing their classrooms, to the maintenance staff, were upbeat and exhibited that special back to school magic. Everyone was so nice. I could tell that it is a fun place to work. The kids attending here are in good hands. "Lucky kids" I thought to myself.
Although I still dream about these halls occasionally, it has been decades since I've physically been inside the building.
I didn't have many if any enemies in school, but I recall that when I was in fourth grade, an upper upperclassman, (sixth grader), intentionally put gum in my hair as we passed on the stairs. The gum became a tangled mess in my long dark hair, and much to my chagrin, I consented to having it cut.
I was standing just to the left of this old wall in the library when Bonnie Gang told me that there was no Santa Clause. The shocking revelation seemed to make time stop for a few moments as I assimilated to my new epiphanous world view. I was shocked that all of the people I had trusted most had deceived me. I didn't lie to my own kids about Santa. The lunchroom is a multipurpose room where I've eaten many a school lunch, (the pizza was my favorite). In addition to eating lunch there, I've played basketball, watched movies, enjoyed musical ensembles, viewed demonstrations, taken part in talent shows... I've even done the Hokey Pokey in this room, (that's what it's all about).
The old play structures are empty today, but soon, they'll be covered with children making the most of their recess.



After leaving my beloved elementary school, I drove to my old Jr. high school in hopes of taking a few 3d pictures there. I hadn't been inside Tooele Jr. High School since I graduated from eighth grade, and was looking forward to another great experience like I just had at West Elementary. That didn't happen though.

From the moment I got out of my car, I could sense tension in the air. I went directly to the principal's office where I was met with an unfriendly staff who refused me permission to take pictures there. Even the principal was terribly rude, and I could tell that this was not a fun place to work. "Poor kids" I thought to myself as I exited the sterile and unfriendly institution. My good friend, Superintendent Clark Johnson, would be displeased with their unfriendly behavior.

Moon Going Down Like a Big Bald Head

Like most days, I went for a bike ride yesterday morning. This time I took my camera with me, and I was glad that I did, because as I turned the corner I could see that first light was striking Deseret Peak Wilderness Area across the valley. What made the view even more spectacular was the setting Moon, nestled betwixt two of the peaks on the Stansbury Mountain Range.

Tooele Reservoir in 3D

After two computer crashes in three months, it appears that I have lost many of my 3d photos. Many of them had been backed up, but the majority of the photos on my five-month young Toshiba with a dead hard drive are gone forever. I'm switching to Mac, and have a lovely new MacBook Pro that I'm learning how to operate.

Following, are a few recent 3d (cross eye) images fer ya to feast yer eyes upon.

Folks fishin' allowed me to take this photo.

The Tooele Reservoir is a beautiful place to get away from all the clutter that hasn't found a place in our new home. I haven't timed the drive yet, but I'm assuming that it only takes three to five minutes to get there from our house. I love being SO close to the mountains.

Above, Mighty Mo takes a gander at the 100% full reservoir.

The walkway across the earthen dam is lined with green vegetation. The foliage is usually quite brown by this time of year, but the excessive rain, snow and cool temperatures have allowed the soil to remain moist enough to sustain life.

Water pours over the spillway.

An old twisted wire fence keeps drunken dumb asses from falling into the deep spillway.

Safety is my maiden name.

Farewell to Santa Cruz and Welcome to Psychotropia

Wow, I'm a Tooelian now... again.

A week has passed since we moved away from our little city on the bay. I already miss Santa Cruz SO much. Not just the obvious stuff either. Things like recycling, and bicycling are alien to this twilight zone town. A high school age kid actually made fun of us for riding bikes a couple of evenings ago. Apparently no one rides bikes in Tooele, and as I think about it... I haven't seen anyone else riding bikes here. Lots of big ol' trucks, and muscle cars though. Good thing gas is cheap. Welcome to the world behind the zion curtain.

Last Saturday and again today, we drove to the farmers market in Salt Lake to get some fresh produce. We also stopped at the Food Whole and stocked up for the week. It was reassuring to see that there's real food and some normal people out there. I even saw humans riding bikes.

Here are a few yummy treats we obtained at the farmers market in Salt Lake last week. We've been eating well all week, and have decided to swear off eating out in Tooele because all of the restaurants are substandard according to my requirements.
The sunsets here are unmatched anywhere I've been. I have to keep looking up at the beautiful sky, and majestic mountains that surround Tooele, otherwise, I'd probably go crazy watching the excesses of lawns growing, gas guzzling, and mega super Big Gulp slurping that is going on all around me.
Have a nice sunset

Solstice Schmalstice

Mighty Mo and I have a wonderfully eclectic* group of friends, and last night, we had the opportunity to bid farewell to 25 of them. Strange, I probably won't see many of them ever again. Those friends that were able to attend were treated to a trendy Utah themed going away party that featured stereotypical food favorites ranging from funeral potatoes to green jello. There was also a salt flats tasting bar, and authentic orange slush... just add 7Up. Unfortunately, some of our friends were unable to make it to our mid-week extravaganza, but I hope to see them sometime over my last two, (and very busy), weeks in Santa Cruz.

Leaving (too) soon

I realize that after our soon approaching long-term departure to Utah, I'm going to miss seeing the seductively beautiful Monterey Bay... a regular and everyday scene for me. The Great Salt Lake has beautiful sunsets, but will never replace the magnificence of this region. In an effort to deal with my separation issues, I purchased a wonderful, (and very large), ocean scene painting by my favorite artist, and close friend, Richard Bennett.

Pictured above is the southeast corner of our living room in Santa Cruz, where my new painting, South Coast, by Richard Bennett, temporally resides. Also pictured in the picture is my authentic Tom DeLong Fender Stratocaster, Dean 12 string electric guitar, a skim board, and three Talking Heads records in frames. I can't wait to see how the new painting looks in my home in Tooele, but I'm in no hurry to leave either.

Since I may never see many of our friends again, I thought it would be a good idea to get photos of the attendees to our Utah themed party, so after signing in, each guest was photographed in front of the new painting.
Kirsten Atemecia - Multi Talented quadruple threat who recently graduated from high school with a straight A report card. Smart, beautiful, talented with a great sense of humor... she's got the world by the tail.
Greg - One of the best drummers I've had the pleasure to watch perform. Greg has drummed for numerous bands, including A Quantum Visionary, and these days plays for Isolation Factor, who it is rumored will be releasing a new CD soon.

Mason - Another local rock star, Mason is a founding member of the Vox Jaguars, and AQV. He's performed with, and contributed to ensembles too numerous to mention, and recently had the opportunity to perform with the Santa Cruz County Symphony who performed Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Ode for Joy. One of my favorite pieces of all time.

Skippy - If you look up Frisbee in the dictionary, Skippy's picture should be there next to the definition. A master of disc golf and Freestyle pioneer, he can do things with a plastic disc that astonishes the masses.
Oliver aka Kryph aka Tree - Dubstep officianado racking up the hits, and stretching the genre beyond traditional limitations, took time out to drop in and hang out for a couple of hours.
Shawna, Erin and Ryan - Whether you are a pet, or a human being in need of emergency care... you're in good hands with these gals, and Ryan, the million dollar baby, knows it.
Aaron - The master of presentation of everything from metallurgy to hollandaise is beloved by all who know him. Together, Aaron and I have attended dozens of Bay Area performances ranging from Adrian Belew to the Vox Jaguars and played numerous rounds of disc golf at the De Laveaga, Black Mouse and Aptos courses. He's going to miss me.
Emily - Even though it was her nineteenth birthday, she stopped by to say goodbye.
Kallista, Olin and June - I've known Olin for many years and was so happy to meet his new little family. It seems like Olin and I have been everywhere in this region; surveying areas in the mountains to beach properties, in addition to playing lots of rounds of disc golf.
Richard - The artist himself graced us with his presence. In addition to being a master of every artistic discipline, Dicky B speaks numerous languages and dialects and has scoured the globe in search of artistic inspiration. He's been a wonderful friend and inspiring associate. I'm going to miss Dicky B's stories, and endearing demeanor.

Ann - She's seen it all and done it all. Everything from being a military pilot, land surveyor, theater reviewer and world traveler to hanging out with Elvis. Also a mother, she always raves about her two sons. She is a fascinating woman and we love the amazing stories of her adventurous life.
Reid - Snappy dresser, and performance specialist. He not only attended the party, but came to our yard sale too.
Kevin, Graham and Karissa - Pulling strings behind the scenes, Kevin and Graham are PR wizards extrordinaire and great urban homesteaders and home brewers. Karissa a new friend we met at the party.
Seana - Another amazing PR professional, who brought along a little bump and a big announcement to the party. : )
Katie - Another stellar public relations pro who was Mighty Mo's right hand account manager for years.
Cassie - Another birthday girl. Despite the fact that it was her 21st birthday, Cassie stopped by for the party.
Eileen - Brilliant artist, and winner of Catalyst's best Halloween costume contest. She was Mona Lisa, and even had her own frame. Eileen was one of the first people we met when we moved to Happy Valley in Santa Cruz all those years ago, and she's been a great friend to the entire family.
Claire - A former PR pro who escaped with her soul intact. Now pursuing environmental work, Claire has actually walked on the Great Salt Lake.
Ronaldo Antonio - Former NASA astronaut who has spacewalked more times than Michael Jackson has moon-walked (in 2011). A sparkling personality, and one of the funniest if not the funniest persons I know. He's one of the few people who actually understands my twisted comique.
Alexandra - Believe it or not, another PR industry pro, Sheesh! How many PR people are out there anyway? She speaks numerous languages fluently, including Russian, German and English. A Romanian native, she lives here in Santa Cruz with her family.

* Attendees included artists, musicians, propagandists, pre-borns, a baby, a toddler, teens, twenty somethings, thirty somethings, forty somethings, fifty somethings, sixty somethings, seventy somethings, eighty somethings, vegans, vegetarians, veterinarians, a nurse, a pilot, a teacher, an astronaut, professional athletes, rock stars, Jews, Mormons, Wiccans, and etc. I had planned to make the party as eclectic as possible, and for the most part, that goal was accomplished, but unfortunately, none of my illegal alien friends showed up. Camera shy, I guess.