11 Ron the Semi Homeless Philosopher

Another benefit for old guys, like me, is that along with $2.00 fare they provide special seating.

Special Seating for Special People!

 While waiting for the train Cat struck up a conversation with Ron, a guy who has that dark, been in the sun too much complexion with sun bleached hair and mustache. As the train pulled in he assisted a woman lift the baby stroller aboard. Once we were seated he joined us and told wonderful stories. He lives on his VA benefits and visits with veterans who are sick or wounded. He was what he called a “Hollywood Navy Seal”. His service was all peace time. He’d had a troubled childhood, shuttled through 18 Foster Homes so the Navy gave him a life. He was married and had a daughter. Crashed his car and lost both of them. Lost his way, became angry, joined the Hells Angels and led a less than an exemplary life. Anger and bad deeds led to 5 prison terms. He’s just 50 and quite a handsome guy with the exception of his missing teeth. He told of living with 2 beautiful women then said, “That was back before I lost my GRILL! His stories held us spellbound for the entire hour trip. He became emotional to the point of tears when telling of the death of his mother. We wanted to get his picture but when the train lurched to a stop he jumped off and ran away. He waved and said something about getting to his Vets.

Okay, whether all was truth or not almost didn’t matter. I suggested that he whould write his stories down, they’d make a great book whether FACT OR FICTION!

Read Users' Comments (2)

10 The Murder of JFK

We can see the Texas Book Depository from our room here at the Hotel Lawrence. A short walk and we were in the building that is now a museum. It’s all so familiar, the same black and white pictures the same conjured up feelings of CONSPIRACY? Could this have just happened? Could one guy have been able to get a rifle, find the window on the 6th floor and get off three well placed shots in quick succession?

The Grassy Knoll

The Texas School Book Depository

The single most interesting thing we learned was how the extreme right wing was so down on President Kennedy. If you fast forward to today you can see the same kinds of hateful things being said about President Obama. As though some of us haven’t learned anything from the loss of a President in this brutal manner. The main difference, then and now, this flyer and the full page add that President Kennedy’s opponents published thousands of them. Today talk shows and the Internet send off this kind of vitriol wholesale, by the millions. Doesn’t it look shamefully familiar? Haven’t you seen e-mails that look like this with President Obama pictured with a Hitler mustache or the Communist Hammer & Sickle?

Like Ronald Reagan, we believe that the Presidency is more than just one man. It is the foundation of our Democracy. Thre was an attempt on President Reagan’s life but nothing as organized around political hatred. We feel that once elected a President shold be allowed to choose the directions our country takes. That’s why they got the majority of votes, RIGHT? To UNELECT a President with a bullet is so THIRD WORLD. This is AMERICA, this shouldn’t happen, don’t you agree?

We may not all agree with a President’s decisions but we should always agree that the President is THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF!

Our President, WAnted For Treason?

 Seems like the SHOOTER, Lee Harvey Oswald was a Communist sympathizer? Married to a Russian girl?? So why would he shoot a Communist??? That is if you believe the flier and the article in the Dallas News?? ??                           Still smells fishy especially when wrapped in old Dallas Newspapers, doesn’t it??? 

Read Users' Comments (2)

09 Drovers & Longhorns

Drovers, those harty folks that would leave Texas for points north, driving a herd of cattle to the Railway and Slaughter Houses of the east. Here in Fort Worth they have a small herd of Texas Long Horn Cattle. They drive them down the main street twice a day for the pleasure of the tourists. Actually quite fun!

Lounging Longhorns

Read Users' Comments (0)

08 A Texas Guitarist

On the main street, we came upon a guy playing guitar. It seemed so Texan that we had to have a picture.

Texas Guitar Player

 

Read Users' Comments (0)

07 Fort Worth, The Old Wild West

The best bargain for Seniors is the TRE, Trinity Reailway Espress. Cat’s ticket cost $7>50 but the old guy got on for just $2.00. It’s an hour ride from Dallas and you land in another glass and chrome skyline.

Glass & Chrome Ft. Worth Then, you jump on a bus ans take a step back in time. Fort Worth is a Cow Town, it's center is the old Stock Yards. Fort Worth the Cow Town

Main street Ft. Worth

Couldn't Pay the Rent

Looking down the old main street almost transports you back to a better time andplace. Then, you see that Joe’s Long HOrn Saloon has gone broke, they were evicted for failure to pay rent. Just like that, we’re back in 2010.

Read Users' Comments (0)

06 Exploring Dallas

                                                     

What’s not to love about Dallas? Well maybe the weather? Awe, as they say here, “If you don’t like the weather, stick around, it’s about to change. Hot, hot, hot…over 100 degrees. We walked around, enjoyed and sweated. Even did a couple of workouts at our 24 Hour Fitness. (Spent 2 hours on the phone trying to get them to update Pat’s membership.)

You only get a peak or two of our favorite building, the green spire. When Pat was here in 1988 it was vacant and being reposesed by a bank. Sound familiar, eh?

Read Users' Comments (0)

05 Slow Start, Lost Bike

Our pal Joel got us to the Ramada Inn, Burbank and deserted us there. It was pretty dismal, adjacent to Freeway 5 in an industrial neighborhood. Don’t even think about going out after dark! The next AM we took the included tram to Bob Hope Airport. We were ready but American Airlines delayed, 2 hours. Suring that time we learned that one bike was in Dallas, UPS had lost the other. YIKES!

An interesting flight, no bumps. We were seated next to Mathew and son Lavonne. They own 4 ReMax Offices and were headed to an REO (Real Estate Owned, Bank Owned) meeting in Dallas.  Kismet, they were staying at our Hotel Lawrence. Didn’t know but had we, we could have shared a taxi, darn.

The hotel is small and boutique, the kind we like. They have an a great restaurant, “The Founder’s Grill”, we loved our waiter, Thomas. He couldn’t help us get in on the free cocktrails and food the REALTORS were enjoying but he was great fun. Sebron, the manager of Hotel Lawrence was way helpful! We kept the bikes in a conference room.   

The lost bike sohowed up on Monday, 3 days late but it did show up!!!

Le Hotel Lawrence

Read Users' Comments (0)

04 Ready, Set, GO!!!

We’re on the final count down. Leaving Friday June 4, 2010 for Burbank, spend the night there then fly out on American Airlines for Dallas on Saturday. Rather than hassle getting bikes to the airport and aboard, we shipped them via UPS. They’ll actually be in Dallas a day before we arrive. Cat has us well organized, we’ve been clearing closets and packing essentials for our tour. Check out the matched luggage in the clothing shot.
We’ll be in Dallas 3 or 4 days. If you’re close by give us a shout.

Read Users' Comments (25)

03 Happy Trails

The cottage is right on two of our favorite bike paths. On warm days we ride north along the coast to Carpentaria. When it’s cool we go north to Ojai. Both are beautiful and mostly out of traffic. We have favorite lunch places, The Spot in Carp. and Rainbow Bridge in Ojai.

On New Years Day 2010 we cycled toward Ojai then veered left, up and over Casitas Pass. What a day, what a view. What a way to start the NEW YEAR!

  

Read Users' Comments (0)

02 The Beach Cottage

We moved into The Cottage in August, ’09’. It had been a rental since Pat bought it way back in ’75’. He’s kinda sorry that he was such a slum lord. And, he’s kinda sorry that he borrowed against it but that’s where some of the WorldRiders2 cycling money has come from. We scrubbed, painted, carpeted and gardened. It was an amazing transition. It’s in Ventura, right on the Coastal Bike Trail. Our idea is to do house exchanging. We’ve had two great experiences, one for a 6,000 sq ft Villa in Arizona and another for a lake house at Nacimiento, near Paso Robles and the WINE COUNTRY.
Now we’ve added a new dimension, we offered it as a vacation rental. Marc, Deb and 1 year old Bess will move in as we head out then Bill, Jeanine and their boys will take over in July. The house deserves nice families AND the rent money comes in handy, too.

Read Users' Comments (3)

 Page 1 of 2  1  2 »