Highland High School

RE: By Motorcycle

2010-04-20T16:31:23-04:00

Rich,

1800 miles in the saddle is long distance - monkey butt long! Just recently, I read a log of guys who rode the Continental Divide Trail from Canada to Mexico. Sounds similar to your ride. And, a ride which I would like to do one day.

Regrettably, all of my riding has been under 100 mile days. So, I sold my ST1300 and my R1200GS (pictured). Now, all the riding I do is in my mind. I would still like to ride from Prudhoe Bay to Tierra del Fuego and I still dream about it. I was hoping that one of our classmates, like you, shared my dream of spending a good chunk of retirement on the road.

I am now considering using a Jeep to make the trip.

Thanks for the reply. See you in August.

Bob

RE: By Motorcycle

2010-04-20T16:16:59-04:00

Well Bob I don't know what you consider long distance M/C riding but I've rode the Baja Mexico from Yuma AZ to LaPaz BC Sur and back 1800 miles in the sand, rocks and Mtns. Rick Daso and I did and had a blast. Mike Sky Ranch is a place you don't want to miss,you may be able to get there by rode bike if it's dry! I ride dirt bike all the time sold my Gold Wing a couple yrs. back to dangerous. Be careful and go slow. Rich Finding

RE: Do It By Horseback

2010-02-26T01:19:03-04:00

I really liked working at NSA. We lived on Fort Meade, MD during both my tours. I had the privilege of working in the National Security Operations Center for awhile. That is the nerve center of NSA where all the good stuff happens. Of course that was about forty years ago! I imagine a lot has changed since then. For one thing the "big" computers that drove our computer image technology, the leading edge of technology at the time, could bearly handle vector line drawing for imaging. They were powerful enough that we could play Pong on them - that was it. And, we had four of them hooked together, each the size of a refigerator and that didn't include the data storage devices which were separate machines and every bit as big as the computers. At the time the Cold War was at its peak and the satellite imagery (actual photos, not computer images) were considered really stunning at the time. Today you can view much better images on Google Earth over the Internet. I was there during the Nixon final years and during Ford's administration. After the Malaquez crisis near Cambodia (pirates siezed the commercial ship named the Malaquez) - I don't remember the exact spelling but you probably remember it. After it was over the White House invited us down to D.C. to tour the White House situation room where President Ford managed the crisis. That was neat. I retired from the Air Force at NSA during the early Reagan years. I can't imagine what the place is like today. I recently saw some recent pictures of NSA. The old building that housed NSA is still there but it is dwarfed by the new NSA operations center behind it. That building that used to hold all of NSA is now used as a museum and VIP reception hall. At least that is what I have heard.

RE: Do It By Horseback

2010-02-25T22:41:06-04:00

Hi Ron, I enjoyed reading your bio and am happy you are having a great life. You reminded me of two things I wanted to do while living out west: raft the Colorado river and take a long camping/riding trip though the mountains. One of the guys that was on the sixth army pistol team with me was from Idaho, and he lived for his two-week hunting trips on horse back each fall in northern Idaho. Having grown up a country boy, and having done a lot of horseback riding, I was able to do some while in Utah, and then in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, which was the best I have ever done. I can still remember being up in the mountains and viewing the Tetons in the distance--something special.

I was also curious how you liked NSA. When I went to Finance School, I had the chance to go NSA, but didn't want the extra year. I know some people liked it and some don't. It looks like you had a great career in the Air Force.

Take care,

Gary

RE: Travel?

2010-02-23T13:13:35-04:00

Thanks Karen. I did become very driven to succeed a couple of years after high school. My dad was a good man, but his drinking problem had a real negative affect on me in school and extreme insecurity was a major problem for me until I was around 20. A psych professor told me I was the prototypical son of an alcoholic and my insecurity could make me successful if I didn't drive myself nuts along the way. Since then, putting on the brakes has been very hard for me, so I just keep trucking.

I'm happy for you to have boating as a sport. Flying for me was a life saver in so many ways. I worked so hard in the 70s, I needed something to help my brain dry out each week, and flying did that for me. No telephone calls or distractions, just fun and sometimes sheer panic when flying in instrument conditions. I imagine boating has been the same for you. I did get the chance to do a lot of boating in Michigan as my boss, at the time, had a 38 foot Scarob that he was kind enough to let me drive. Had I remained in Ohio, I would have learned to sail from my good friend Luke Lolini. You may have known Luke; he docked his boat at Edgewater and was sailing every weekend, normally to Sandusky. He owned Chima Insurance Agency in Akron. Sadly, he drowned in 2000 when diving the shipwreck Regina in Lake Huron.

Wow you are right the years go by so quickly. Wasn't 1960 just a couple of years ago? It is great to talk with you and read all the stories of our classmates. I may be a little predjudiced, but I think we have contributed some quality people to society.

Take care...Gary

RE: Travel?

2010-02-23T08:32:44-04:00

Thanks for your note, Gary. I wish I could say that we had met your sailor friends, but I don't think so. We bought MOONSHADOW in New Buffalo, Michigan in the early 80's but mostly we sailed her in Lake Erie and sometimes Lake Ontario. Lake Micigan was just to far for us to go in the limited time we had to sail. It was a Wylie 34 that was built in California by Tom Wylie and it turned out to be a great competitor in Lake Erie's chopy waters. We did very well with her, lots of fun and lots of flags and trophies.

I enjoyed reading your Bio, you have a really lovely family and you should be very proud. You sound like you really "flew" when you left Medina county, you've had an impressive life already with more to come with a new business. Congratulations.

Karen

RE: Travel?

2010-02-22T18:16:37-04:00

Hi Karen, you got my attention talking about racing the Great Lakes. I wondered if you ever met or raced against one of my former bosses Don Wildman. He owned Chicago Health and Tennis clubs and raced Heritage, winning the Chicago to Mackinac several times. You may also know Mike Keeler from Keeler Brass in Grand Rapids. He owns and raced Brassy.

I enjoyed reading your bio--you have done well--no surprise.

Gary

RE: Wisdom

2010-01-12T13:07:05-04:00

Couldn't have been said better!

Wisdom

2010-01-12T12:46:10-04:00

Experience is what you get when you DIDN'T get what you were looking for; Wisdom is learning from those experiences.

By Motorcycle

2009-12-02T01:22:22-04:00

Has anyone been considering long distance adventure motorcycling in retirement?

RE: Medina

2009-11-30T21:51:07-04:00

Medina, Texas is just west of San Antonio. Been there many times when we were stationed in San Antonio with the Air Force. And, yes they pronounce it Ma-dee-na.

Ron

RE: Medina

2009-11-30T20:02:09-04:00

Somehow it is probably the same reason we have Leye-ma, Ohio and Leye-ma Beans but Lee-ma, Peru. Just don't know what that reason is.

By the way, one of the 256 counties in Texas is Medina County. But, Medina, Texas is in Bandera County. Go figure.

Bob

Do It By Horseback

2009-11-30T00:33:12-04:00

My brother Art and I are planning to ride horseback through the Superstition Mountain wilderness area. Will start at the corrals at First Water trail head, which is on the western edge of the wilderness area and ride to Weaver's Needle, a prominent landmark (see my profile pictures) which can be seen for miles around all sides of Superstition Mountain except from the south side where the view is blocked by the mountain itself. Actually, I can see just the top of it from my home thirty miles to the south. After spending the night at Weaver's Needle, we will continue around to the Peralta trail head on the eastern side of Superstition Mt. where a friend will meet us with the horse trailer. Any way, that's the plan.

Once a year I try to travel by plane to Nashville, Tennessee to see my son and grand kids. Every year he hosts a free barbaque jam session attended by some of the great southern rock artists. Last year we had Bo Bice (American Idol 2nd place winner a few years ago), Chris Hicks of Marshal Tucker, Georgia music hall of famer, and several other well known southern rock stars.

On the same trip I go to Fairmont, West Virginia to see my daughter and grand kids. She and her husband Joey run an arts center in Fairmont. Both are actors and Joey is an author and director and works with kids interested in the theater.

This year my trip will depend on whether I can find some one to care for my horses and chickens while I'm gone. Sue, my wife, suffers from severe fibromyalgia and is unable to travel or care for the animals. It is a terrible burden for her to not be able to travel with me but she always is supportive when I go.

Do It By Horseback

2009-11-30T00:32:35-04:00

RE: Medina

2009-11-30T00:04:57-04:00

I actually read about that some where. I will check my history books and see if I can find it.

RE: Travel?

2009-11-29T23:22:50-04:00

Karen,

Have sent you an e-mail detailing my sailing adventures or lack thereof. You know "Sailing is hours of boredom interspersed with moments of sheer terror."

Singlehanded sailing doesn't have to mean spending weeks going straight across the Atlantic. There are other ways - the Northern route (Labrador, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland) or even having the sailboat shipped to Europe. Truth is that I don't think anyone could live with me on a sailboat for that length of time. I would have to do it singlehanded.

Bob

RE: Travel?

2009-11-29T21:10:47-04:00

Bob,

When did you become a sailor and what kind of a boat do you sail? Are you contemplata long trip? Sailing has been our passion for many years although we are racing sailors and not crusiers. We owned and successfully raced a Wiley 34 on Lake Erie for nearly 20 years. When John's company moved us to Charleston in 2000 we left MOONSHADOW in Ohio since I loved the boat and didn't want to suject it to the salt. Racing is really John's obsession so 3 years ago we drove to California and towed a new boat home. The problem was that it had nothing on the inside of the hull except an inboard. John has spent the time since building the insides. "Different Drummer", is now in the water, docked at the Cooper River Marina. We have much to learn about the harbor tides and currents as well as the new boat since it is a very racy Azzura 310 with a retractible bowsprit and a very large asymetrical spinnaker. Come visit Charleston and go sailing with us.

Karen

Singlehanded? Why would anyone feel the need to be out there so long alone?

Medina

2009-11-27T10:25:47-04:00

Why is Medina, Ohio pronounced Ma-deye-na instead of Ma-dee-na like the rest of the world prounounces the word?

Travel?

2009-11-25T11:48:07-04:00

Singlehand Sail Around the World. There is no single more inexpensive way to travel the world than sailing. The wind is free (so far there is no tax). And, most major cities of the world are on the ocean or readily accessed from the ocean. Retirees regularly sail the world spending $9,000 to $12,000 in the process. People tell me "Just do it!"

People

2009-11-19T12:31:55-04:00

Socrates said that a wise man speaks when he has something to say; a fool when he has to say something.