CONVOY -- EXPECTATIONS -- ORDERS-AIR-RUSSIA

STRANGE BEHAVIORS

Open letter to whom it may concern  . . . . .  if you receive any reports I was seen behaving rather strangely last Friday afternoon, I just want you to know  . . . . .  I have not slipped a mental cog . . . . .

-yes,  that woman sitting in a lawn chair at the end of the sidewalk outside her dentist’s office next to a  small American flag planted in the ground was me . . . . .

-yes, I  was overlooking  Route 66 with the boulevard’s usual busy auto trafficin all lanes  . . . . .

-yes, I did attract a few curious gazes from passersby and the young boy skateboarding on the sidewalk . . . . .

              

-yes, I did sit there for ten or fifteen minutes before seeing a vehicle with a sign across the front that said, “Convoy Follows” . . . . .

-yes, there was a jeep-like vehicle behind it, but I didn't notice any other military vehicles, plus I wasn’t sure if the other ordinary cars and SUVs were part of the convoy or just the usual traffic . . . . .

-yes, I waited ten minutes or so more but saw no more recognizable military vehicles . . . . .

-yes, I finally gathered my belongings into my car’s trunk, then parked overlooking the boulevard just in case more vehicles should come . . . . .

-yes,  I waited about  ten minutes longer, then as I was about to leave a large military troop carrier type truck and a couple or so more jeep-type vehicles passed by quickly  . . . . .

-yes, I noticed on the back of one of those vehicles a sign that said, “Convoy Ahead”  alerting me to the fact the Convoy had come and gone . . . . .

-yes, I felt kinda foolish that the military vehicle convoy I had expected to see apparently was much more disconnected and shorter than I expected . . . . .

-yes, I understood now why the local newspaper office and police department when I phoned them several hours earlier knew nothing about a convoy coming through our town  as this turned out to be pretty much traffic as usual . . . . .

-yes, I felt rather silly to have contacted our newspaper and local police asking for the convoy schedule here,  plus I had even  gone to the trouble earlier to phone the convoy group’s national office to find out when they would be coming through our town . . . . .

-yes, I was encouraged about seeing the convoy when the phone person spoke enthusiastically about all the vehicles she had seen when they had been in her Midwestern town . . . . .

-yes, when she gave me the convoy leader’s phone number I even called and received a courteous call back giving me an accurately close approximation of when the vehicles would pass through our city. . . . .

-yes, I did plan to take a photo or video to share here, but the convoy was so short, came and went so disjointed and fast, I have nothing to share except this tale of unrealized expectations.

Refer to “Route 66 Convoy” segment in my previous post for specifics about MVPA if unfamiliar.

I am left to share with you one of my favorite versions of the following tune.

“This exclusive performance by The Manhattan Transfer of "Route 66", one of their classic signature tunes.”

EXPECTATIONS  

We have so many expectations in life – of ourselves and of others -- as I did of the Convoy above.  What is reasonable and realistic?   I think of this in relation to all the needs that are arising in view of the disasters sweeping our nation – the current destructive life-taking fires raging in Northern California, our own fires here in Southern California, the hurricanes winds and flooding waters affecting so many U.S. citizens and others elsewhere, as well as those victimized by gun violence.  Certainly the expectation for our good health is ranked high on our list, too, but when disease, accident, illness intrude, our lives are drastically affected, but that's a whole topic unto itself.    

Seems we’re hearing increasing news accounts of older people being especially adversely affected in these disasters.  I think of the Florida nursing home where residents should have been evacuated to a nearby hospital when their facility was flooded.  There have been numerous reports of Puerto Rico older residents in dire need of food, water, medicine and other health care long after the hurricane has passed, not to mention the continuing needs of all other ages.   Reports are still emerging from Northern California fires for unaccounted lives -- but some known older folks, who were unable to evacuate quickly enough to survive,  have been identified.  What were their expectations?   

The reality is, we may need to reassess our expectations of ourselves and others.   Whether or not we like it, most older people are not going to be as agile, fast, or as able to avoid dangerous situations.  Those with mobility limitations, in addition to being older, are going to be slowed whatever their age, wherever they are, whether they are subjected to a sudden disastrous occurrence, or even if they have warning.   We’re all wise to think about our situation now, or well in advance whenever --  in terms of our own personal status -- our physical condition, where we live, to plan in advance accordingly.  We may need to “leave”, not “stay”, or act early -- long before others.

Often we’re given recommendations about creating an environment inside our residences that will maximize our safety, or to move to a one floor plan setting, to eliminate steps, avoid ladders indoors and outdoors.   There is more we need to do.

We need to inquire in each of our communities about what systems are in place to provide us advance evacuation or shelter-seeking warnings, if we live in a fire, flood, hurricane/tornado high winds area.  Those of us living in earthquake prone areas are looking forward to a possible warning system in California, but that’s a few years away, if at all, though Japan has had an effective one for several years.    

We all will want to familiarize ourselves with what provisions have been made by our community to come to our aid before the storm, if expected, and after the disaster.    Older couples need this information, but older single people certainly do, too, and especially those who may not have family or friends nearby to be checking on their welfare.   Others may need to be occupied looking out for themselves.  Certainly we would hope all of us would be looking out for each other -- that would be our expectation.   

  

ORDERS-AIR-RUSSIA

Expectations for most Americans, other than the most wealthy, are not very promising based on this current Prez‘s continued betraying actions of the voting majority.    Undermining the solvency of the Affordable Care Act (ACA; aka Obamacare) is systematically being done by Executive Order.  What we will have now is basically Trump Care, as any resolution is left to his Congressional political party whose solutions to date have been untenable with either party. 

This administration also continues to dash the expectations of citizens for safety -- environmentally -- as efforts to provide clean air -- the very breath of life -- are undermined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations reductions.  One such,  results in increasing polluting coal burning (in an already fading industry whose decline has been due to a growing independent evolution to cleaner energy sources).   

Revelations of Russian propaganda efforts to interfere in our past election continue which demonstrates their government's lack of honorable values.   This dishonest ethical failure leaves me with an expectation that, regrettably, Russia's government will continue to be  untrustworthy.   

$$$ SAGA -- TRIBUTES-TRAGEDY -- RTE 66 CONVOY

CLAIM DENIAL UPDATE

Collecting monies we’re due often seems unduly complicated.  For example,  I sometimes wonder if there’s a legitimate rationale behind some claim rejections, or if a  denial is merely the first step of an automatic process deliberately designed to wear down a claimant’s will.    Often with a denial the claimant is told they may appeal as a next step.  Sometimes even that appeal may be denied and a further appeal may be necessary.    This requires even more action which some claimants may tire of expending their time and effort on, so they just don’t bother following-up.  

    

However, on general principle, I did appeal two denials when I was awarded only a partial amount of a full claim I filed after a first denial earlier this year as described in my June “Gift Card Saga” post.     

UPDATED RECAP GIFT CARD SAGA RESOLUTION

1)  I purchased $200 USPS insurance to cover several gift cards totaling $205; mailed to arrive before Mother’s Day; never delivered, received, or redeemed by anyone.

2)  I filed a claim in mid/late May for $55 – the amount of two businesses that could not or would not void the balances on the unredeemed cards and reissue replacements, unlike the other two businesses I had contacted, so I didn’t file those amounts but did report what I had done.                                                         

3)  June I received a check for only $17.67 USPS claim settlement which I appealed.

4)  July my appeal was denied but was advised I could appeal further up chain of command which I did, asking for either the difference or an explanation of how only the partial amount I was awarded had been determined. 

5)  Oct. I received a check for the balance of my claim $37.33; no explanation.

Note my time and effort required because the full amount of my claim wasn’t honored when first filed.  I might well have not pursued this due to the small amount when my life was so busy years earlier before I retired because.....

-- I successfully had to make multiple phone calls, await call backs over time, obtaining from two businesses transference of the full unused card balances to new accounts; unsuccessfully doing so with other two cards due to their systems. 

--  Meanwhile, also unreimbursed was my time, energy, postage to prepare the claim, copy required documentation.  

--  Indirect costs also were incurred for employee(s) processing the claim whose salaries are paid for from my insurance and postage monies – perhaps this contributes to postage rate increases.   

I wonder what sort of experiences others may have had claiming monies due them that they have been denied?  

TRIBUTES -- TRAGEDY

Fall is trying to make an appearance here in Southern California inland where I live.  What that means is our daytime highs are in the 80’s now.  Some dry winds, referred to as Santa Ana’s,   will be blowing in from the desert east of us.   I’d surely welcome some rain, but perhaps later. 

Lots of tributes in our Los Angeles area news to lives lost, those injured, loved ones sorrow,  stories of ordinary people becoming heroes  by exhibiting extraordinary valor during the Las Vegas atrocity (see previous post.)   So many folks attending the ill-fated Route 91 Harvest Festival were from Southern California.

I’m left to wonder what measures, if any, will be taken by our Congress and this Administration to address the stranglehold commercial gun interests have on our nation?   Action is avoided under the guise of protecting Second Amendment rights as the mindless killing continues in the U.S. – which we experience in greater numbers than in most other nations whose people also value life as well as freedom, but  have addressed the gun issue, unlike the U.S.  

     

Puerto Ricans continue to cope with life threatening situations for so many without power, communications, water and food reportedly due to distribution problems inland on the island.    Our Prez’s visit there recently and his behavior -- tossing token  paper towel rolls  to residents which had a “let them eat cake” quality – said and did little to cause me to think he had the slightest bit of empathy, compassion,  understanding, or caring for these U.S.  citizens dire situation.   Island residents are not eligible to vote there, so I couldn’t help wondering if this had any bearing on what has seemed to be an attitude of not even a modicum of concern for those in need ..... in addition to what some perceive as his disdain for those of some other cultures and people of little means?  

ROUTE 66 CONVOY

Living near U.S. Route 66 which extends from Chicago, Illinois to Los Angeles, California my attention was captured recently when I read a military convoy (MVPA) would be travelling that “Mother Road” -- as author John Steinbeck described this highway in his novel “The Grapes of Wrath” later made into a movie.   

That original Route 66 launched the nation’s first Federal highway system in 1926 by the Bureau of Public Roads.   Researching this Military Vehicle Preservation Association (MVPA) I learned:

"World War II caused a marked decline in civilian and tourist traffic, but it stimulated new business along U.S. 66, when it acted as a military transport corridor moving troops and supplies from one military reservation to another.  Motels saw an increase in occupancy, as families of servicemen stationed at military bases stayed for long stretches.  But more significantly, Route 66 facilitated perhaps the single greatest wartime mobilization, as thousands of job seekers headed to California, Oregon and Washington to work in defense plants.” 

I recall my husband’s sometimes humorous stories about a driving adventure  he and a couple of his buddies made from Ohio to Chicago to head west across the country on Route 66.  Coincidentally, twenty plus years later he and I would move to California to settle just north of that fabled highway (called Foothill Blvd. here) and where I still live.   My husband said when they drove much of the area into Los Angeles,  citrus orchards abounded on both sides of the road – primarily oranges, lemons – long since replaced with housing construction, strip malls, businesses, burgeoning city populations, numerous nearby colleges and universities.

This convoy description reports: 

“Established in 1976, the non-profit MVPA is dedicated to providing an international organization for military vehicle enthusiasts, historians, preservationists and collectors interested in the acquisition, restoration, preservation, safe operation and public education of historic military transport.”   

Among the key points of this 2,300 mile Convoy is this statement: 

“No weapons (real or otherwise) will be allowed on Convoy vehicles.”

The military convoy travelling Route 66 through our city likely will pass through here Friday, October 13 following a “Rest Day” in Barstow, CA east of here Thursday, October 12.  Their next stop Friday is expected to be In Irwindale, CA west of here before continuing Saturday to their final destination in Santa Monica.    Apparently there is no planned stop in my city.    I haven’t even read about or heard any mention of their passing through here, so I’m curious to see what develops.     

Talented jazz musician Nat King Cole accompanies himself on piano as he sings "Route 66"

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Route 66 Ends at Santa Monica Pier

Santa Monica Pier is now the official end of historic U.S. Route 66, originally established November 11, 1926. Finally, this highway made famous in song by Nat “King” Cole ends directly at the Pacific Ocean where unofficially many have presumed the highway terminated anyway.

Here’s a short ABC News video account noting the recent Route 66 events of November 11, 2009 at Santa Monica Pier.

The road from Chicago to L.A. has been variously known as the humorist Will Rogers Highway, colloquially as the "Main Street of America" or the "Mother Road" in John Steinbeck’s novel "Grapes of Wrath." This was the road taken by migrants traveling West “including those escaping the devastation of the drought’s “Dust Bowl” in the 1930’s.

I wrote earlier about "Route 66, Music, Memories" including a video of Nat Cole’s vocal solo backed by his musicians. An additional video features a years later recording of the vocal group Manhattan Transfer’s popular arrangement made about the highway. This link is a Rolling Stones version for those who might enjoy a rock arrangement. Maybe it’s just a matter of my personal music tastes, but after listening to several Stones YouTube versions I concluded their arrangements, instrumentation and sound quality hardly did justice to Bobby Troup’s tune. Maybe the first arrangement we ever hear of a song somehow influences our preferences whoever is the performer. You may be the judge.

A 1960’s television series named Route 66 caught the viewing public’s fancy for a few years. Here’s Nelson Riddle’s memorable recording of the shows musical theme.



The "Route 66" TV series made television history by being shot on location entirely. Ironically few scenes were ever shot on the actual U.S. Highway 66 which is so typical of reality in TV series and movies. The show’s seriousness in the beginning focused on pertinent issues of the time that often had political implications. CBS network executives reportedly were concerned about the potential adverse effects on viewership such thought stimulating episodes could have and wanted the show to add more “broads, bosoms, and fun.” Finally acquiescing to network demands the producers “introduced young female guest stars such as Tuesday Weld and Suzanne Pleshette” Another such young actress, Inger Stevens can be seen in this nine minute video of the first of her two appearances on the show.



The person posting this YouTube video noted he was doing so as a tribute including to older TV series “…in the best interest of Fair Use…” He added his intent was to bring new appreciation for the talents of Inger Stevens whose death was untimely.

Series stars Martin Milner portrayed Tod and George Maharis was Buzz. Milner is retired, still lives in Southern California. There’s quite an extensive Route 66 blog with comments as recent as September 2009 specifically about Maharis for anyone interested in reading more. Several writers reported their positive experiences having personal contact with him, including a woman who worked for him for about a year and another individual identified herself as having written about him on Wikipedia.

I enjoyed that television series. We didn't drive a Corvette, but my husband and I did share enthusiasm for short to long cross country driving trips. He traveled all of Route 66 years before we met. Years later we drove the historic route's highway segments that were still open.

Route 66, Music, Memories

Historic U.S. Highway Route 66 in San Bernardino, California is having a 20th year anniversary "Rendezvous" celebration this weekend. Good food, contests, and entertainment are on the agenda. The event is limited to 1,900 vehicle entrants of "pre-1974 classics, customs, hot rods and any year Corvette." The participants have an assigned parking space during this 4-day event where aficionados can engage in technical car talk and fans can simply marvel at the colors, sheen and styles. Drivers are also invited to cruise the 35 blocks of downtown where up to an expected 500,000 spectators will be admiring their vehicles.

The promotion for this event caught my attention as I've noted what seems to be an increasing interest and nostalgia for "The Mother Road"(map link) which runs from "Chicago to L.A." as a famed song lyric goes. I travel portions of this road regularly since it runs through my home area of Southern California where a long segment is called Foothill Boulevard.

My husband in his single days back in the '50's drove that route with his bachelor buddies on a whirlwind summer round trip vacation from the Midwest to the West Coast. Their adventure stories were always filled with humor and accounts of the unexpected. They had very little money to start and none by the time they returned home. What's a trip for young single male college students without meeting some like-minded adventurous college girls with whom to play car tag across some of the miles, especially if there's time to work in a side trip to Las Vegas.

He was fascinated by the changing countryside from Ohio's green flat land with rolling hills with which he was familiar, to the long stretches of summer brown landscapes emerging west of the Mississippi. Then on to some western desert area with never-ending vast blue skies. The land of towering date palms began to emerge evolving into miles and miles of citrus tree orchards and finally sandy beaches reaching out into the Pacific Ocean. Long periods of steady trade-off relief driving kept them on the road a lot. Still, he could never quite understand how one buddy could be content to sleep so much between departure points and destinations with so much new and different to be experienced.

Two of these travelers were musicians but all were well-acquainted and appreciative of a tune written in 1947 by Bobby Troup and first recorded that year by Nat King Cole. Here's a later YouTube video performance of Nat and his quartet:



Years later The Manhattan Transfer popular vocal quartet's recording became one of their signature tunes as in this YouTube video:



When we met and wed years later, even before and after we moved West, we took extensive driving trips that included some side jaunts on still existing segments of the original Route 66. Freeways and new highways have long since bypassed some of the old road's communities. Many landmark motels and businesses have long since closed. Some establishments have survived. There is a resurgence of old and new businesses along existing Route 66 with new travelers joining those who come to reminisce. Signs are increasing in number announcing the location's recognition of this significant highway in the historical lore of our country from another time.