Smoggy With A Chance Of Green Beans

Another reason to leave California.  SMOG CERTIFICATION.  I absolutely hate seeing this on my diesel truck registration.  If you have it done once, why do you have to continue every other year?   Are there really that many people who run out to the garage and disconnect or change whatever the equipment is?  Does it get them 20mpg more in their fuel usage?  And who in the world would know how to do that anyway?  Can you teach me????  Just kidding.  

I think the lawmakers have smoggy brains.  Course I know the REAL reason.  Having worked as an accountant in the County coffers, lots of this money SHOULD be returned to the locals, along with the State's share of welfare money.  The State didn't want to cut their budget, so they upped the registration fees, then transferred THAT money to the Counties for their welfare contribution.  I'm sure it's all much more convoluted now ... I've been retired for some time and the laws change constantly.

So I took my truck in yesterday to a local repair guy ... NOT a dealer ... and in ten minutes it was done.  Honestly, I didn't even see him check anything.  For $67.00 they signed the certificate and I put it in the mail.  I actually think Arizona fees are comparable to California, there just won't be any SMOG stuff there.  Were the timing right, I would just wait to register it until I get the house, but it won't happen this year.

I forgot to mention the car I saw while returning from Morgan Hill.  Isn't she a beauty?  A 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton, restored to her original state.   This was Tom Mix's car, the one he died in many years ago.   Unfortunately, I couldn't catch up for a picture, so I found this one on the internet.

This guy had a pretty fascinating life.  Born in Pennsylvania, his father was the stable master for a wealthy lumberman.  He learned to rope and ride early on, but his penchant for the circus got him in trouble.  After a stint in the Spanish American War in 1898, he went through several marriages before joining Miller Brothers 101 Ranch Wild West Show.

His acting career began in 1909, becoming a big star, along with his horse Tony, making 120 films.  In 1913, he bought a ranch in Prescott Arizona, which became Yavapai Hills, a planned community.   I guess that idea has been around for awhile.  In 1929, he was a pallbearer at the funeral of Wyatt Earp.

In the 30's, he went to work for Universal Pictures trying to pay for all those ex-wives (five in all), when he bought the Sam Hill Circus.  When he went to do promotional tours for the studios, he left the circus to his daughter Ruth, who promptly ran it into the ground.  For that, he disowned her.

In October of 1940, he was traveling towards Phoenix after visiting the Sheriff in Tucson, when he came upon a construction site and could not stop in time.  The car overturned and he was hit in the back of his head with a large aluminum suitcase that was not tied down.  It was full of money, jewels and travelers checks.  It broke his neck.  He was a young 60 years old.  

He was my hero in the old western shows I watched on television as a kid ... that is when we finally GOT a television in the mid 50's.  He was a handsome devil and always got the bad guys, as did I.  I deposited them in the saddle house jail at the back of our ranch, riding off into the sunset on my horse Pico!

I spent the afternoon working on my canvas in the afternoon.  I wish you could see how sparkly and shiny the threads are.  It looks just like scales!!  

Still trying to keep to something of a no carb diet, or at least LESS carbs, I picked up lots of veggies at the grocery store.  I've never really liked green beans because I could never cook them satisfactorily.  They were tough, half raw, stringy and tasteless.  The instant pot has changed all that!! I whipped up another batch with bacon and onions for dinner.  Boy were they delicious!!  If you come to my house for dinner, there's a good chance of green beans.

It's Magic Kingdom night again ... it came WAY too soon.  I imagine I should apologize to the Moneychanger, which I don't relish one bit.  I've had that conversation in my head 25 times already.  Yup ... I worry about stuff like that.  In fact, it can ruin my entire day, just like the Giants losing yet another game.  They are becoming the Giants of 2002 all over again.  Everyone hurt, terrible pitching and lots of losses.  It's okay though, I'll always be a fan.   Now to figure out how to pry those apologetic words from my mouth.