Fifty Things About Dale!

Yikes! where does time fly! It's been so long since I've posted anything I have doubts that more than a couple people even read this stuff. I DO know at least ONE freind has been keeping up since I was just "jabbed" for not updating!

I have always, and traditionally been ferocious about my privacy, and now I find myself revealing all my little secrets! But its all in fun! So anyway, this morning I thought, what the heck, I'll respond. Then once I got the original twenty five finished, I found I still had enough mental creativity and memories to go for FIFTY! Next thing you know, Ill have 75!!!

I have been making some slight changes during my "winter hibernation" and now that Spring is right around the corner, and Ol' Dale is crawling, once again out of his cave I imagine I'll have more to post.

But for now, Here is "Fifty Things About Dale"!!


1. Lived on a sailboat for three years.

2. Was a cross-country, long haul truck driver for a decade.

3. Kept a road atlas. Noticed that after about 6 years, had traveled to every State in the lower 48 (except Maine). Been to or through every major or medium sized city (except Miami) traveled every Interstate freeway from end to end, all US highways, most State highways and countless county roads and racked up well over 1 MILLION miles of accident free, commercial driving. Drove through every imaginable kind of weather, including remnants of hurricane Ivan! Had a tornado touchdown a quarter mile from his truck once!

4. Wonders how he will come up with 25 things to write on this list.

5. Drives a gasoline truck.

6. Has many aquaintences but only a few choice freinds.

7. Trys to eat oatmeal for breakfast but often ends up with a spicy burrito or SOS!

8. Can NOT function without at least two cups of coffee in the morning.

9. Thinks this endeavor reminds him of those writing classes in college where you had to sit down and just start writing ANYTHING.

10. Likes to walk. Sometimes for hours.

11. Began riding a bicycle last year for the first time in nearly 30 years.

12. Loves sunrises...and sunsets.

13. Thinks the entire country should adopt the law in Oregon where it is illegal to pump your own gas! Finds it odd that as a professional I've had to complete extensive training to handle Hazardous Material, get an endorsement, maintain strict standards, and undergo scrutiny, and the general public blindly and casually fiddles around with FLAMMABLE LIQUID with a cellphone stuck in their ear as if they were fiddling with WATER.

14. Likes V8 juice, cranberry juice, and orange juice WITH pulp, not necessarily in that order.

15. Loves thunderstorms, big ugly midwestern thunderstorms.

16. Loves the smell of cut grass.

17. Reads far less than he used to, usually falling asleep with a book after only a few pages.

18. Joined the Air Force in 1972.

19. Has owned less than 10 cars since buying his first one in 1973.

20. Wonders why he writes this in third person.

21. Is a frustrated pilot. Always wanted to, but never became one. Too deaf, and blind for military flying and too poor to learn, rent or buy a civilian airplane! BUT is a aeronautical genius on Microsoft Flight Simulator! :D

22. Has religious beliefs and practices from several sources, but does not like to inflict them on others.

23. Sees that three of his "facebook family" have prodded him with "25 things" requests!!!

24. Sometimes feels old when his children are all 30 years old or near to it!!

25. Thinks .... "Wow! I made it to 25 things!!!"


PART TWO....Lets just go for FIFTY!!!


26. No longer irons his sweatshirts!

27. Is fanatical about a clean car.

28. Enjoys the music of his youth. Upon hearing a certain tune, can be instantly returned to particular places, with particular people and particular memories.

29. Thinks it humorous when he sees a seagull or some other bird gliding in flight while also listening to the sound of a passing jet airplane!

30. Loves bare feet in warm sand.

31. Thinks that some teenagers drive far better than their parents. And so, thinks that the arbitrary age that determines ones capacity to drive should be eliminated. Thinks a standard examination measuring one's psychological makeup, maturity level, and sense of social decency along with the mental and physical ability to hurtle a piece of complex machinery in the midst of crowds of people should be required!

32. Also thinks the ridiculous notion that people are tested only ONCE in their lifetime to drive a car is a joke! Test them every four years, with in-depth written AND driving tests.

33. Finds a peaceful harbor in the fog relaxing.

34. Had some really great freinds who once tipped him over in an port-a-potty outhouse! Which landed on the door trapping him inside! Ewwwww! But when they lifted it up and Dale stormed out of the door they were all FAR AWAY! HAA!

35. Keeps his disappointments and regrets deeply buried within, but regards his past with a smile.

36. Thinks coming up with FIFTY is harder than he thought!

37. Trys to keep his glass half full and often with Iced Tea!

38. Wonders if anyone will actually read this drivel!

39. Took his 12 string out of it's case after nearly ten years! Starting to work on getting some finger callouses back.

40. Suffers from "Mighty Mouse Syndrome" and often feels the pains and struggles of friends and family.

41. Sometimes feels an urge to have Christmas in July and shoot off fireworks in December.

42. Can find tranquility in the simplest places. Like watching a tree branch move in the breeze.

43. Gets a big kick out of tossing a stone into a perfectly calm, smooth pond.

44. Would be interested to see what a shrink would say about some of these thoughts! HAA!

45. Has fond memories of older, departed people and wishes he had listened to more of their wisdom than he did.

46, Likes it when he has enough downtime to just quietly sit and watch a sunbeam move across the floor.

47. Likes wind chimes, red potatoes, creamed corn, and BabyRuth bars.

48. Hopes that if anyone reads this stuff, that they might be inspired to simply sit back for awhile and let their own minds roam.

49. Thinking I might take these "50 Things" and transpose them to my blog that I havent updated in AGES!!

50. Thanks you for reading this far, and thinking he needs to get outside on this beautiful Pacific Northwest day and enjoy it!