Yesterday, for lunch I decided to take the less than 10 mile drive to have a hot dog at the Dinky Diner. Both the short drive and the destination is relaxing – usually. Although I live in Sacramento, the short drive down the river and the Sacramento Delta is a world apart.
Laid back is the term I would use.
Just another 15 miles or so is the town of Locke – the only town in America built by the Chinese for the Chinese. And if you are there, you have to try Al the Wops.
Filed under Life, Small Stuff, Travel
Lex wrote so many things that I consider to be timeless. I’ve told people from time to time that many of his blog posts were not so much posts as essays.
And here he describes in a succinct and complete manner, the nature of a Navy command.
He wrote this 15 years ago, but it could have been written yesterday.
Filed under by lex, Carroll "Lex" LeFon, Carroll LeFon, Leadership, Lex, Navy, Neptunus Lex
I had to mail something to somebody as a thank you gift today.
I try to be selective about when I go to my neighborhood post office. It used to be you could look through the window while you were in the parking lot and see whether there was 50 people in line or nobody.
But then they tinted the windows.
Now you just have to walk in and take your chances. 
So this morning I parked the car and went in.
Filed under Life
“Money is the mother’s milk of politics”
California Speaker of the Assembly 1961-1969
Unruh was one of our more colorful politicians – another quote of his that bears repeating for the professional politician:
On lobbyists: “If you can’t eat their food, drink their booze, screw their women and then vote against them you’ve got no business being up here.”
He was right on both counts.
Filed under Politics
Of all the places I have been over the many years, there’s a lot of images that remain in my mind of beautiful settings.
But I cannot name a place other than Lake Louise that has so much beauty in such a compact area.
The lake is only 2 km long and 1/2 km wide. When the sun is out, the water is turquoise, fed by Victoria Glacier in the back as it grinds rock to a fine powder. .
We have among us a Lexican who posts some very rare photos on our Facebook page. And a couple of days ago, he posted this.
I’ve been transfixed by the emotions that this photo captured. It is 1956, and a German father, after being in a Soviet Gulag for 10 or 11 years, is finally reunited with his daughter. She last saw him when she was a year old. The fact that he even returned is a miracle in itself. So many died in the Gulags from overwork, disease, and starvation.
Filed under Family, Lex, Neptunus Lex
Lake Louise in an October Afternoon
A few days ago at Lake Louise, Banff National Park, we rented a canoe to explore the placid (and cold) waters. The mornings would be cold – usually 22 degrees F, and you could see the water starting to crystallize into ice. By afternoon the outside temp was around freezing.
The water is turquoise from the glacier-fed waters – with the pulverized rock – as the glacier slowly made its way to the water.
Having been there over the decades twice – but in the summer – I believe October is the best time to visit.
The summer hordes are gone, the air is crisp, and the hotels start their off season rates. By winter temps can drop to -40F.
Filed under Books, Outside the Box, Small Stuff, Travel
The picture that was above the bar at the Park Distillery, Banff, Alberta, Canada.
While I was at lake Louise, our wedding party headed 40 miles east on the Trans Canada Highway and had a dinner at Banff. The Park Distillery is a bit different from the trend these days. Instead of yet another beer microbrewery/restaurant, they make gin. And they are pretty famous for it apparently.
The restaurant – on the same site – isn’t bad either.
After our group finished dinner and we were on the way out ready to leave on our bus, someone on the staff casually mentioned about the fellow in the picture overlooking the bar.
Filed under Heroes Among Us, History, Small Stuff
I just got back (literally 10 minutes since the Uber driver dropped me off), and she was laughing hysterically at my account of the last 24 hours of my trip to Lake Louise, Banff National Park.
It has been a strange time – well, starting last night.
Filed under Humor
I’ve gotta laugh.
At myself.
I think there is a lotta material there.
And this isn’t the first time this has happened.
From time to time, I have mentioned some adventures with my old 1996 Mercedes-Benz SL500, a.k.a. “Gabriella”.
About 6 months ago, I lost her electronic key. Scoured the house. Assumed it fell out of my pocket….somewhere. I became resigned to ordering another from the dealer.
Filed under Humor, Idiots Among Us
The Lexicans 