10-14-16 Fly on the Truck Wall

Sabbatical. Yep. This blog is supposed to be all about our sabbatical travels. So I thought you might want to be a fly on our truck wall and see what it's like to travel with Loy and Kitt.

Well, to start with, we take the truck, not my post-cancer Cadillac. Loy hates my car--for whatever reason, he won't drive it. Or ride in it. So, we ride in his truck, which is OK.

I am fortunate in that Loy does the driving. Always. With the sleepiness I always feel, this is a good thing. I do my best to stay awake in the morning but, after lunch, it's nap time, no two ways around it. Loy turns on podcasts through the radio speakers and I doze off to "Mike and Mike," or "Freakonomics." These sound so dull, but actually I kind of like listening to them. (Usually he listens to them at 1-1/2 speed, but I refuse to have that going on in the background. I think it's unhealthy to listen to things so fast. So they are normal speed, just for me. Tell me that's not love!)

This summer, on our way down to Dallas, I was snoozing in the passenger seat when I opened my eyes and looked at Loy. I could've SWORN that his eyes were shut and that he was falling asleep!! I started yelling and hitting him..."LOY, LOY, LOY!!!!! Wake up!!!!!" Well, turns out he wasn't asleep. He was just driving along, minding his own business, listening to his podcasts, and I started screaming and hitting him!!! Poor guy!!!

Our first stop was to visit my parents' graves in Geneseo, Illinois. Mom died in 1986 and Daddy died in 1990. Long time ago. I still miss them.

Next, a stopover in the booming town of Howell, Michigan (just east of Detroit) to see old friends, Yvonne and Greg (and we got to see a couple of their grown kiddos.) While reminiscing with them we realized that we only knew them in Kearney for 6 months or so before we moved. This would've been back in our Kearney years, circa 1990. And we've visited them in Michigan three times now. Loy said they probably are thinking, "Why do these people keep visiting us?? We hardly knew them!!!" Once a friend of ours, you can't escape easily, I guess!

One of the funniest moments, in my mind, anyway, while there was when, at the very end of a hot dominoes game, Loy laid the 11/12 down. Yvonne said, "Ahhhhhhhh." Like she hadn't seen that very same domino in 12 other hands. Like that was the particular domino she had been waiting for forever. Like this was THE MOVE in the entire game. It's not as funny when I write it, but it was hilarious when you were there!

Next, we headed over to Thousand Islands, NY. (Yes, the dressing was invented there, although there is some dispute just who invented it and the circumstances.)

When I was a little girl I got carsick easily so I had to sit in the front seat. (That always kind of irked Mom, because she was stuck in the backseat.) And my job was to read the map. I mean, I was like 10-years-old and it was my job to navigate us through Minneapolis or Atlanta! I loved that job (and sitting in the front!) but it was such pressure. I would check and re-check the route. (I mean, what was Daddy thinking, letting a 10-year-old plan the route???) I would watch the signs and try to give enough warning for everything. It was tough. I lived in fear of making a mistake. Daddy was never mean about it (at least not to my face) but I sure didn't want to fail at this.

Now my job with Loy is the same--getting him through traffic. But we don't seem to work well as a team. He doesn't like modern technology so, usually, doesn't let me turn on Googlemaps for directions.

We were driving through Toronto on the way and the conversation went something like this:

Loy: Here's Highway 407. Do I take it?
Kitt: Let me look...I don't see 407...are you sure it's 407...THERE IS NO 407 ON THIS MAP!!
L: But should I take it?
K: How do I know? THERE IS NO 407 ON THIS MAP!!!
L: There's traffic here...I need to know. Now.
K: I CAN'T HELP YOU HERE!!!
L: But, should I take it?
K: ARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

(Tempers flare. Silence prevails.)

Later, when the emergency had passed (we did NOT take 407 but, in retrospect, think we should have.) I looked at the atlas copyright date. 1995. Can you believe it??? He's expecting me to navigate with an atlas made of bear skins and drawn in elk blood. TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD ATLAS!! I can't work under these conditions. I demand a new atlas!!

My other job, as we drive through towns, is to read random signs that sound interesting.

Kitt: Hmmm. Nude Pizza.
Loy:
K: Hmmm. Wunnerful.
L:
K: Hmmm. Drive-through tattoos.
L:
K: Edna's House of Pain
L:
K: Wouldn't you think that "Flat Roofs R Us" would have a flat roof instead of all those peaks?
L:

I don't know why I read those signs out loud. I don't want to go there. They are just interesting and unusual and silly. If Loy responds at all to these sign readings it is something like, "Where?" and by then, of course, it's long gone.

We drove to Thousand Islands via Canada. My words of advice to Loy upon going through customs? "Don't talk too much." I feel he has a tendency to explain too much to people. I didn't want him explaining to the customs guy that black powder muzzleloaders are not considered firearms. I did not want him to tell the customs guy that we had 3 apples in the cooler. And he did very well. We got through--and back in to the country!

Canada has "En Route's" for their rest stops. They are gas station/restaurant all wrapped up in one (this was a toll way, so maybe that's why they had these.) What I learned? Canada likes restaurants called "Tim Horton's." They offer donuts instead of fries, your choice. There were about 8 million Tim Horton's on the ride through Ontario.

Thousand Islands was beautiful. We stayed in a cottage on the St. Lawrence River and saw beautiful sunsets. We took two boat tours, one to see the millionaires fancy homes on the aforementioned islands, the other to tour Singer Castle, which is on an island. (This picture is Boldt Castle.)

Loy said that he kept thinking of Ecclesiastes while touring the two castles we looked at..."vanity, vanity..." These people built these things that were extremely extravagant and showy. And now they are deteriorating and host tours and the people are dead.

And you also realize how heirs get so greedy and fight a lot. Over riches. Earthly riches.

(BTW--this one is not the castle. This is the servant's quarters. The real castle is about 5 times as large.)

This picture is of Loy doing his favorite thing. Sitting outside on the porch, reading in solitude and quiet.

And that concludes Day 1 of our travels (well, actually I should say Installment #1--it's taken several days).

More to come...

Love,

Kitt.

10-5-16 I've got a novel idea...

Good Evening, All!

I am not a political person. I really don't like to say things about candidates and I really don't think any Facebook posts about candidates do a bit of good...

I have noticed that this presidential election seems to be different than past elections--at least to my untrained eye. It seems that no one is happy. Lots of people are saying they are just choosing the "lesser of two evils." Others are threatening to move to Canada or other points outside the US. It's become the national joke that out of 324,729,000 (approximately) people in the US, THESE are the best two we could come up with?? Facebook memes and snarky comments abound. 

I neither like nor trust either candidate. I don't think anyone really does. 

Sad. Really sad. 

I tried to watch the first presidential debate and the vice presidential debate. Couldn't do it. After 5 minutes of each I was so bothered I actually had a blanket over my face!! No class by either candidate. Interrupting, not answering the question, talking over the other, making wild accusations about each other. Statements made without any proof or backup (thus the need for fact checkers.) Accusations of tampering with microphones and hacking by Russians...where is the courtesy and protocol and "presidential-ness?" I mean, gee, we all learned about this sort of stuff in kindergarten!

I have an idea. I researched (mildly researched) high school debate rules and I propose that the next debate be run like a high school debate. Topics to be announced, then the candidates get 30 minutes to work with their teams, then...showtime. There is the first volley (both sides get six minutes), the second volley (another six minutes), then the rebuttals (five minutes each). Talking about the actual question and what they would do or why they feel the way they do. Each candidate would get the same questions, so no accusations of bias in the questions. Forget hiring these anchors as moderators--get some 70-year-old high school debate coach, a real tough guy. 

If someone interrupted inappropriately, their turn would be immediately forfeited. OK, maybe I'm being too harsh--give them one warning, then forfeit their turn. 

What would that be like?? 

I would love it!!! 

I copied these rules from highschooldebate.org/rules. 

SPEAKER ORDER AND RESPONSIBILITIES

There are three debaters per side. Each debater gives one speech. This is the order of the speeches:

First proposition constructive – 6 minutes

This speaker makes a case for the motion for debate, providing a proof of the topic with three or four major points.

First opposition constructive – 6 minutes

This speaker makes several arguments against the proposition team’s case and refutes the proposition’s major points.

Second proposition constructive – 6 minutes

This speaker should rebuild and extend upon the proposition’s case. This means that this speaker must defend and amplify the original proposition points and refute the opposition’s major arguments.

Second opposition constructive – 6 minutes

This speaker amplifies the opposition arguments against the case, providing new information about why the opposition team should win the debate. This speaker should answer the proposition’s answers to the opposition team’s original arguments. This speaker may split summarization of the debate with the opposition rebuttalist.

Opposition rebuttal – 5 minutes

This speaker must put the debate together and explain why, given one or more arguments in the debate, the opposition team should win the debate. This speaker accounts for or refutes the proposition’s major points.

Proposition rebuttal – 5 minutes

This speaker should summarize the issues in the debate and explain why, even with the opposition’s arguments, the proposition teams should win the debate. This speaker accounts for all remaining major points of the opposition team.

POINTS OF INFORMATION

A Point of Information is a request that the speaker holding the floor yield time to an opponent for a statement (argument) or a question. A person applies for a point of information by standing or standing and saying “Information.” No other words may be used in applying for a Point of Information. A speaker may reject a point by gently waving a hand in the down position, indicating that the opponent should sit. A speaker may also reject the point verbally by saying “No, thank you.” Either method of rejecting a point attempt may be used, although the former is preferred as it is less disruptive for the speaker. If the speaker accepts a point (2 or more points ought to be accepted during any given speech), the speaker simply replies to an attempt by saying “Yes” or “I’ll take your point.” It is possible for more than one person on a team to request a point at any one time. A rejection by the speaker (by a nonverbal wave of the hand or negative verbal reply) is understood to apply to all opponents attempting a point at that time.

A Point of Information, also known as a POI, may only be attempted during the middle four minutes of each constructive speech – the 6 minutes speeches of the debate (after the first and before the last minute; the opening and closing minutes of a speech are identified as ‘protected time’ for the speaker and may not be interrupted by POIs). An accepted POI may not be more than 15 seconds.

HECKLING

Strategically directed heckling (supportive and argumentative) is permitted. Heckling is a single word or brief phrase (almost always no more than 2 words) and directed to the judge of the debate. A heckle is a reminder to the judge to pay close attention to the information immediately expressed by the speaker. Some heckles are non-verbal and supportive of teammates (e.g., applause during a speech by teammates rapping their knuckles or the palm of their hands on a desktop to encourage the judge to heed a particularly strong point being made by the speaker.) Other heckles are verbal and alert the judge to a problem in the opposing side’s argument. For example, if a member of an opposing team offers a major point without including evidence to verify her or his reasoning (i.e., the speakers does not make a complete argument, which must include ‘A-R-E,’ Assertion-Reasoning-Evidence) a person on the listening team may heckle by calling out, “Evidence.” This lets the judge know that the point is not yet an argument and should not receive the same standing as well-supported issues that are presented in the debate.

Only argumentative heckling is permitted. Barracking, attempts to disrupt a speech through constant and boorish commentary (often referred to as ‘the heckler’s veto’) is not permitted.

NO NEW ARGUMENTS IN REBUTTAL SPEECHES

Students may present new arguments in any speech in the debate except the final speech for each side, the third speech or rebuttal speech. No new arguments may be offered in these speeches. What is a new argument? It is an issue that does not have a foundation in the debate up to the point of its introduction. it is an entirely new issue, unrelated to earlier arguments. In other words, the rebuttal speakers are able to present new information in their speeches, just so the material is a continuation of a line of argument from the earlier constructive speeches in the debate. Rebuttal speakers are not expected to to simply copy and repeat the arguments raised by their partners. New assessment of previously established positions, new argument analysis and examples for continued arguments are acceptable in the rebuttal speeches.

So, I'm frustrated and scared and embarrassed by our president possibilities right now. But, I need to remember that God gives the authority to people for reasons I just don't know. After all, He is God. I am not. 

"Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God." --Romans 13:1

"Jesus said, 'You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above.'" --John 19:11

AND...I can pray that God will turn the victor's heart just as easily as you can divert a stream of water. It's not too hard. Because, after all, He is God. I am not. 

"The king's heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord, he guides it wherever he pleases." --Proverbs 21:1

There you have it. My political diatribe. 

Let's just all be nice, OK?

Love, Kitt.