Walking the rail trail in Buckley WA, 1-8-2012, and it was 56 degrees in January!

Today  I welded up this dolly from an old baggage cart used by the railroad in Auburn and it will be used to put the camper on and move it around inside out big garage while I make repairs to it.

Downtown Buckley Washington, sure do love small town life.

The old 51 Binder sure is fun to tool around town in. So glad she's running again after sitting for years.

In my brothers office. His family and Oma. Golden Valley MN.

Mom and me flying Sun Country Airlines after visiting my brother & family.

Flying home from Minneapolis.

Christmas with Sandy's mom and Grandpa Jack.

 $640.00 Camper. 1990 Vacationeer, neglected for many years but soon to be my new man cave.

Yep, there are a lot of things on this old camper that need cleaning, painting and rebuilding. But for the most part it is a sound camper. It is aluminum framed with fiberglass siding. It had been sitting in a side yard for many years as evidence by the layer of dirt and rust. It has suffered from neglect, but I hope to restore it to a full functioning truck camper soon. Most the major applianced work, the fridge is the only thing I'll need profesional help with to get back in working order. Can't wai to give it a bath just to make it look better. Previous owners left everything in it. Complete with dishes, silverware, pots & pans, cooking utensils, 6 electric appliances, towels, the list goes on....

Lots of scrubbing today!

The awning alone cost more than what I paid for the entire truck camper. Notice how clean the camper is now.

Rita Gyswyt and her new lighthouse by the water.

 What a comfort knowing our new roof will protect our home for many winters to come.

Even on the weekends Sandy and I are usually up to watch the sunrise. 

A thought about the last ten years.

As everyone remembers 9-11-2001 their own way, I remember where I was and who I was with and how I just wanted to go home. I sure don’t need to see those images or the sounds of people jumping from buildings all over again on the news. But more than the terrible tragedy of that day I’m left with the thought of how divided our country has become, not united as the days following the attack.

I know now how we were misled into fighting wars we had no business fighting. Our President and many others mislead the mostly trusting American public. Does anyone remember how we got from 9-11 to Iraq? No doubt it’s a good thing Sadam is gone, but what a price in U.S. blood. Afghanistan, much the same issues, glad Osama is gone, but have we really won the war considering our economy is in ruins?

And speaking of economy, those that know me know there is no fondness for the Tea Party ideas. Ten years ago my wife had a job she enjoyed, today she’s one of the millions unemployed. While our former president was giving tax breaks to people (including myself) who didn’t need them he was selling our country to communist China who financed the wars we should have paid for. No one sacrificed except the families who have lost love ones in the military.

The folks on Wall Street had a good time with less government (read – deregulating the banking/mortgage industry) and a whole lot of people got rich while the working class lost big time.

Now we are so divided we can’t get our country back together. The right says private business will provide, but the wealthy among us have always had the ability to invest in the economy, do what’s right and they haven’t. And I too question policies of the left, I’ve always been fiscally conservative in my own life and I wish our government could operate the same way. I would dearly love a National Health Care System as so many other industrial nations enjoy. Come on, were not third world, and I don’t want to live like that.

Ten years ago I fantasized about retiring early, I’m so lucky to have a great job I enjoy with good pay, a traditional pension and retirement savings, but now it won’t be early retirement, because ten years ago terrorist attacked our country, and our elected officials made a mess of things in reaction.

I hope time heals the wounds for those that lost loved ones on 9-11, but I also know that our military is still losing soldiers daily and we all seem to think that is normal now. Ten years ago we also saw some of our civil liberties changed forever and though that hasn’t affected me personally, it might in the future. I'm sad for all that could have been had our leadership been different directly following 9-11.

I’m a son, I’m a husband, I’m a father, I’m a working man. I was born in the USA to immigrants. I’m also a U.S. Veteran and I love my country. And this was written by me, Hans