TUESDAY TRAVELS

When I was a "young man" I used to hitchhike back and forth from my boyhood home to my college.

It was about 225 miles and I usually had pretty good luck.

But I can remember a few scary times.

Once I was traveling with one of my college dorm mates and we were picked up by a young couple.

The guy driving kept looking back at us in the back seat and chattering away while steering the car with one hand as he drove at what were very high speeds for the time and the two-lane roads.

When he stopped for gas, we bailed out, thanked him for the ride and congratulated ourselves on still being alive.

Another time I was dropped off on a country road far off my normal route and everyone else's, judging by the lack of traffic.

Then it started to rain.

Then it started to pour.

I had no protection and was soon soaking wet.

Finally a car stopped and a kindly couple of older women told me to get in.

I protested (a little), telling them I was very wet but they told me to never mind that.

I think they were school teachers and they got me back to my normal route and drier weather.

Then there was the man who picked me up on another trip and chatted amiably.

I was feeling good about this ride until he said he was headed for Albuquerque and invited me to come along.

We were in North Dakota at the time so I got a creepy feeling and nervously declined the opportunity to visit the Southwest.

It was a few decades before the gay era, when homosexuality was still mostly in the closet but I knew enough to be glad the man was a gentleman who let me out of his car near my college.

Times have changed since those carefree days of the 50's.

FOG

The savannah looks more like a moor this morning.

A gentle fog has blanketed the lowlands and as I watch it moves higher into our neighborhood.

As I noted earlier, it follows a rainy, drizzly, wet weekend.

The other evening, SWMBO was experimenting with her new light-up drink coaster and placed her crystal ball on it.

No, she's not a gypsy fortune teller though she might be able to make a fair living at it with this and her vivid imagination.

The BRD said it best when I emailed her the photo above.

"A galaxy you could hold in your hands."

Speaking of which, we watched the movie "Miles Ahead" from Netflix last night.

It's the story of a period in the life of the trumpeter Miles Davis during which he was not performing.

The film is the product of the actor Don Cheadle, who wrote, directed, produced and starred as the troubled and drug addicted Davis.

Cheadle gives a sterling performance though the movie is not for the faint of heart who might be troubled by language, drug abuse and violence or badly affected by Davis' sometimes discordant music.

I enjoyed it, SWMBO not so much.

Aha!  The fog has lifted.

BEGINNING A NEW ERA

Another new year has begun.

I watched the magic moment occur in New York City at 10 o'clock my time last night.

Less than half an hour later I was in the Arms of Morpheus.

About four hours later I was awake again and the rest of the hours until shortly after 6 this morning were a scattershot of dozing and tossing and turning.

When I finally rose I discovered that I had forgotten to take my night pills last night, which includes a tablet to help me sleep.

Hence my wakefulness.

Old age and a bad memory.

At least I'll sleep well tonight.

Our New Year's Eve dinner was lobster tails and green pea risotto, along with about half a bottle of Prosecco.

A good feast and, no, I took no pictures.

I did take the new banner photo on this blog, though, yesterday afternoon, as I was taking a break from football on television.

Stepping outside on a rainy weekend, I noticed a patch of sunlight on the side of Mingus Mountain and grabbed the camera for a quick shot.

It's a little fuzzy as I realized later I had the camera in macro mode.

But I think that kind of adds to the mood of the picture.

I met my neighbor Rick, out walking Reggie.

He said he and Lori wouldn't be celebrating the big night as she has been not feeling well lately.

Apparently there is a nasty type of influenza going around.

Another neighbor had told me she had the "stuff" too and it had lasted about ten days.

No way to spend the holidays.

And so life goes on here in the Central Highlands of Arizona on this January 1st.

No snow on the ground but as I said it's been a rainy weekend and it's dark and dripping out there now.

Onward.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A friend gifted Judy with this Crown Royal 3-D glass and a coaster that lights up when a full glass of the magic elixir is placed on it.

She also provided a bottle of Judy's favorite quaff to fill the glass.

Knowing my preference for vodka, she also gave me a bottle of Stoli and a couple of "rocks" glasses.

Now that's a good way to say goodbye to 2016 and hello to 2017.

I hope your New Year will be a happy one.

As my friend Steve in Germany might say . . "Most of the Time".

FRIDAY FUNNIES

Gentle Readers, congratulations!

You have survived the Christmas holidays.

Now brace yourself for an even bigger test.

New Year's Eve!

There's only one thing to avoid on this Celebration of Celebrations.

Too much "fun" on the Eve so that you end up like this on New Year's Day.

So there you have it.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

But above all, have an absolutely wonderful, sparkling weekend, filled with joy that this dreadful year is over and false hopes for a hopeful new beginning.

And no matter how hard it is . . . keep on laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(uh-oh)

THROWBACK THURSDAY

Back in 1961 I was working at a radio station in Minot, North Dakota.

I was, I am proud to say, a rock and roll disc jockey.

I was on the air every night as . . . wait for it . . . Bruce on the Loose.

Curiously, that monicker has stuck with me through the years.

Only a few years ago I was at a reunion picnic and someone I hadn't seen since high school said, behind me, "It's Bruce on the Loose!"

I don't have any pictures of me at the microphone, spinning my stacks of platters.

(Yes, you younger readers, the music was on 45 and 33 rpm vinyl discs in those days.)

But I do have this photo from that era.

I was 21 years old, living at a YMCA and here was putting all the seductive charm I could fathom on the young secretary in the office.

It didn't work.

Somehow, some way, she was able to resist my reptilian ways.

Bruce on the Loose, indeed!

CLOUDS

Some low-hanging clouds beyond the "savannah" last week before the big snowfall arrived.

(Clicking on the picture enlarges it.)