donald-trump – I like to write junk…

CELEBRATION TIME

Celebrate good times, come on, let’s celebrate!

My wife and I went on a planned camping trip into the Mohave Desert near Bouse with friends to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Inauguration Day. It turned out to be an absolute blast!

I’m sure that if Dr. King was still alive, he would’ve been in Washington D.C., as a special guest of President Donald Trump. It’s too bad this special event wasn’t held in Mar-A-Lago. As a native Floridan, born there, I’m a bit partial to that state.

Because we could electronically keep abreast of current events while in the outback, many of us tuned in to a portion of the Inauguration ceremony, including Carrie Underwood’s stunning rendition of “America the Beautiful.”

Knowing that our country is now back in capable hands made this song sung by Carrie even more special. I can proudly say that as an American it brought tears to my eyes.

Kool & The Gang had a hit song in 1980 called. “Celebration.” Certain lyrics fit perfectly with President Trump’s being sworn in. Taken out of context they go something like this,

“Celebrate good times, come on, let’s celebrate!”

I see many distinct similarities between King and Trump, with compassion for their fellow human beings the biggest. Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated nearly his whole life to the Civil Rights movement, lighting the torch for others to follow.

Donald Trump took years away from a successful business career to ensure that our United States Constitution is followed word for word. Some people may not like his rough exterior, but he gets the job done, and that’s what counts.

Sadly, an assassin killed Dr. King while two unsuccessful attempts were made on Donald Trump’s life. Desperate people often take drastic measures to accomplish their evil goals.

Democrat leaders and those people behind them tried their best to keep the man down, yet with God on Trump’s side, they went down to defeat. Hopefully, guardian angels continue to watch over our 45th and 47th President from here on out.

Getting back to my camping experience—there were at least 40 of us in 30 different model RVs, along with 19 dogs, 3 cats, and 2 Amazon parrots. United States flags were flown on tall telescoping poles attached to the rigs. Some of the poles had red, white, and blue LED lights on top—visible for miles away. It was a sight to behold!

At night, we sat around the campfire reminiscing about how good things were in 2017 – 2020. Of no surprise to me, there wasn’t one person amongst us that disagreed.

Joleen and I were among the last campers to pack and leave. Before doing so, I walked around, taking a large trash bag with me to ensure no garbage was left behind.

Seeing none, other than a sun-bleached Sunkist drink container most likely blown in by the wind from miles away, I picked this crumpled box up and hauled it back to camp for disposal.

The conscientious people I was a party of left no trash behind for others to pick up, yet the same can’t be said of the Biden Administration when it closed out its four-year term.

In the last few months in office, Joe and his group of left-leaning ideologues deliberately left a big mess for President Trump to sweep up. The border crisis, releasing violent criminals, and allowing guys to pose as females to play women’s sports naming just a few.

The largest sabotage JB committed was attempting to place our country in an even worse energy crisis. President Joe Biden did this by creating additional moratoriums on offshore drilling for oil in Alaska and other locales.

Thankfully, this “mess” will soon be taken care of in the same way that I disposed of that Sunkist soda container. Immediately after being sworn in, President Trump put on his work gloves and started cleaning house. He was able to drive a garbage truck during the election, so he should be well-versed in hauling Biden’s trash to the dump.

On a parting note, as a God-fearing, American patriot, it’s nice to know that we can once again openly speak our conservative minds, without fear of being arrested or labeled a terrorist. Four years under Kamala Harris would’ve led to that for sure.

The First Amendment is unchained and running free once again!

The final campfire was on the last night.

THE JEEP WAVE

“So far no one has waved at us but in due time I suppose that’ll change.”

Over the years, I’ve had several friends along with in-laws who owned Jeeps. I believe Charlie Hart was the first followed by Gary Adair in the 1970s. Jeff Thimsen in Alaska eventually came to drive one and then Arizona friends, John Ballard, Tom Gildea, and Jim Brownfield.

Out of all of these names, Jim Brownfield is the only survivor where still owning and driving a Jeep is concerned. Riding with him one day I noticed a person in a decked-out Jeep Wrangler wave as he drove by. Asking if Jim knew the guy, my pal replied, “No, that was a Jeep Wave.” He went on to explain that Jeep owners much like motorcycle riders sometimes wave or acknowledge each other while on the road.

Not long after that, my wife and I purchased a Jeep Grand Cherokee. This model wasn’t four-wheel-drive with us figuring we wouldn’t need it. Our vehicle wasn’t a typical Jeep like the Wrangler or Gladiator either, and for 3 years, I can’t recall anyone waving at us. There were a few instances of receiving the middle finger after we placed a lifelike photo of Donald Trump on the rear window. A sufficient number of “thumbs up” also occurred.

With our little Jeep climbing up there in the mileage department, we decided that the time was ripe to trade it in. A fellow from Anderson Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep had been calling for several months asking if we might be interested in upgrading. They had some 2024 models with a nice rebate including an additional markdown.

On presidential election day, Joleen and I decided it might be a good time to roll the dice and take Brian Marazoni up on his offer. Finding what we wanted on their website first, I made an appointment with Brian to look things over. It only took us a few hours to be handed the keys. Our first stop was In-N-Out Burger on the way home for celebratory fries and a drink.

This Jeep is a bit taller than our old ride yet we knew that beforehand. Jim and Pat Brownfield’s Jeep Gladiator is much the same and we’d climbed in and out of it several times. Doing so is a great stretching exercise.

A couple of friends advised that we’d regret purchasing any type of vehicle sitting up high in our senior years, yet we ignored them. A set of mountable doorsteps was ordered and that took care of the problem like right now.

So far no one has given us the Jeep Wave but in due time I suppose that’ll change. If by chance we get ignored, I’ll order a Trump decal like the last one and place it on the passenger rear window. “The Donald” loved to ride in the back of our Grand Cherokee and I’m sure it’ll be the same with this new rig.

Just for grins, I might stick Kamala on the driver’s side rear window just to see if those two can now get along!

MAKING PREDICTIONS

“Closet drinker is my politically correct term for stealth alcoholics.”

I’ve always been one to predict certain things going way back. To me, it’s merely a way of making life more enjoyable. I can’t say my predictions have been highly accurate, especially with picking the winner of a football game or presidential election. More on those two later.

I don’t use a crystal ball or Ouija Board, believing they’re tools of the Devil. I rely on my own instinct or logic with analysis of the surroundings, and foremost, utilizing verses from the Bible. Philippians 4:13 is my favorite verse. “I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.”

My weather predictions, especially those involving rain, are oftentimes better than the slick-dressed folks you see on television. If you don’t believe me—just ask my wife.

Some things predicted are kept to myself, especially whether I believe a business, restaurant, or especially a marriage will fail. I pray that all couples will remain together for the duration, but sometimes, I know more about the other half than their marriage partner does.

One of these failed nuptials involved a guy who was a “closet drinker.” He kept it hidden until after the last vows were said. Sadly, that marriage lasted one year. Closet drinker is my politically correct term for stealth alcoholics.

A video game store opened in Anchorage, Alaska, with me predicting to my son they wouldn’t be in business for long. Gunnar disagreed with my analogy, saying that video games were so popular with kids that they’d always be around.

I was off by a few years but the establishment eventually went under. After eating at Kenny Rogers Roasters, I predicted that this restaurant chain wouldn’t last as I exited the front door. Blockbuster Video was picked as a loser a year before they went down.

I made the same prediction with Sand’s Market. This small grocery store was formerly in the London Bridge Shopping Center where the Chamber of Commerce is now located. A Havasu business where customers tossed axes at targets was an easy choice to fail.

I’ve been fairly accurate in predicting what items would appreciate in value. Antiques, guns, coins, and real estate are some things worth collecting. Years ago, before muscle cars hit the ceiling in price, I told family and friends they were a good investment. Some laughed at me.

My father chuckled at the notion of muscle cars. One vehicle Joleen and I owned, a 1968 Hemi Dodge Charger purchased for $3900.00 in 1977, is now worth upwards of $400,000.00. We sold this vehicle before it ever hit that mark.

Football games have never been easy to predict. My favorite team is the Miami Dolphins and I refuse to say whether they’ll win, not wanting to jinx things. Presidential races are my worst venue to choose going back to 1992.

In 1992, I predicted that George H.W. Bush would top Bill Clinton. Of course, “Slick Willy” easily won. In 1996, I thought Bob Dole would beat Clinton, and I lost again. When John McCain went up against Barack Obama in 2008, many predicted that Senator McCain would win by a landslide including me. Everyone knows the outcome there.

I had Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in 2016, even though I voted for “The Donald.” In the last election, Donald Trump was supposed to win over Joe Biden. Somehow, Joe Biden came out on top making me eat crow again. For this latest election, having not picked a winner in 32 years, I’ll have to go with Kamala Harris.

If I make the wrong prediction this time—I’ll quit while ahead!