...and now for something completely different....a political statement

In three and a half years, I've never posted anything blatantly political...until this morning. I get lot's of emails everyday...most I read a paragraph or two, and they are summarily discarded, that was until today, when I received this email from Howard Shultz, CEO of Seattle based Starbucks. Here is the contents of that message -




September 2011

Dear Starbucks Friend and Fellow Citizen:

I love our country. And I am a beneficiary of the promise of America. But today, I am very concerned that at times I do not recognize the America that I love.

Like so many of you, I am deeply disappointed by the pervasive failure of leadership in Washington. And also like you, I am frustrated by our political leaders' steadfast refusal to recognize that, for every day they perpetuate partisan conflict and put ideology over country, America and Americans suffer from the combined effects of paralysis and uncertainty. Americans can't find jobs. Small businesses can't get credit. And the fracturing of consumer confidence continues.

We are better than this.

Three weeks ago, I asked fellow business leaders to join me in urging the President and the Congress to put an end to partisan gridlock and, in its place, to set in motion an upward spiral of confidence. More than 100 business leaders representing American companies - large and small - joined me in signing a two-part pledge:

First, to withhold political campaign contributions until a transparent, comprehensive, bipartisan debt-and-deficit package is reached that honestly, and fairly, sets America on a path to long-term financial health and security. Second, to do all we can to break the cycle of economic uncertainty that grips our country by committing to accelerate investment in jobs and hiring.

In the weeks since then, I have been overwhelmed by the heartfelt stories of Americans from across the country, sharing their anguish over losing hope in the strongest and most galvanizing force of all - the American Dream. Some feel they have no voice. Others feel they no longer matter. And many feel they have been left behind.

We cannot let this stand.

Please join other concerned Americans and me on a national call-in conversation on Tuesday September 6th hosted by "No Labels," a nonpartisan organization dedicated to fostering cooperative and more effective government. To learn more about the forum and the pledges, visit www.upwardspiral2011.org

America is at a fragile and critical moment in its history. We must restore hope in the American Dream. We must celebrate all that America stands for around the world. And while our Founding Fathers recognized the constructive value of political debate, we must send the message to today's elected officials in a civil, respectful voice they hear and understand, that the time to put citizenship ahead of partisanship is now.

Yours is the voice that can help ignite the contagious upward spiral of confidence that our country desperately needs.

With great respect,

Back to Yak

I've had a friend that has been trying to coax me to Yakima for the past six months, yesterday I finally decided to make a slight detour and finally pay her a visit.  Having only passed through Yakima on my way to somewhere else, I really couldn't think of too many places to meet her, so I chose  the only place I could remember - the Red Robin on Nob Hill Blvd.  My friend, Carrie, shows up, we exchange a hug and head to the bar. We are greeted by a 20's something cocktail waitress and order a couple of beers. When she comes back with the beer, I proceed to tell her about my infamous night at this exact same restaurant-- May 19th 1980, the night I singlehandedly made 1,000 margaritas in one shift.
As I write this, I can see it's going to be a longer story than what I originally planned...Here goes- Thirty one years ago, I found myself working at the Red Robin, while I was going to school at Yakima Valley College. For whatever reason, JT the bar manager, thought I had what it took to be a mixologist and offer me a job, and me being game for anything, decided to give it a go. Within a week or so, I felt totally at home behind the bar, even had patrons tell me they thought I'd been bartending for years. Guess having spent so much time on the other side of the bar, it was like a dog taking to water.
So anyway..back to the story. On May 18th, 1980, a Sunday, a group of us met at around 9am at a  field to challenge Gasperettis Restaurant team to a friendly game of baseball. As we warmed up, we all noticed a GREAT BIG black cloud to the southwest. This was quite surprising, as there were no other clouds in the sky, and the forecast for the spring day was to be warm and cloudless.  As the ominous cloud grew closer, there was an eery silence, as the cloud got closer, the cows in the nearby field started strangely mooing. I think they were just as mystified by what was quickly approaching as I was. It wasn't soon, and the sky was precipitating  something that essentially felt like small hail, but didn't melt. The mystery was soon solved when someone from the other team came speeding into the parking lot loudly proclaming - MOUNT SAINT HELENS HAS BLOWN...that explained it. Game cancelled !! The only thing that made sense to do at this time was 1. get a good ample supply of beer and 2. find a TV to watch the events unfold.
So a group of us met at John Gasperetti's place up on Nob Hill and proceeded to watch all the details of the mountains eruption...It was quite a day. One event that sticks in my head, was a local news report out of a station in Portland. The newscaster, a black gentleman, was interviewing the sherriff of Yakima County. He asked the sheriff what it was like in Yakima, and the sheriff, not knowing the ethnicity of his interviewer, claimed is was a black as the ace of spades. I would have paid anything to capture the momentary expression of the newscaster :)
After watching the news for most the day, it was time to head home. I was driving my old 63 Chrysler New Yorker, with a co-worker of mine in Red Robin's parking lot, and somehow managed NOT to see a big concrete light post...I center punched it at about 10 miles an hour. It hardly dented the front bumber. Had I been driving one of the cars from today...it probably would have been a total...or at least a $10,000 repair bill. I loved that car, until the reverse gear went out...hard to push a tank backwards.
Later on that evening, I was listening to my favorite radio station KGO out of San Fran -810 on your AM dial. To me, KGO was the predesser of the internet, as it connected people all up and down the coast...from Mexico to Alaska. Anytime anything of importance happened, KGO's phone lines would light up with calls from everywhere...everyone was a reporter in the field. That evening, I was listening to a lot of people, calling in with 2nd and 3rd hand information.
The funny thing is, I had just put down a book called, The Future Possibility of the Eruption of Mt. St. Helens, and now considered myself a bit of an authority. I called the show, telling the talk show host about recent reading, next thing you know, I'm reading passages out of the book. I must have been on the radio for a half hour...guess I used up two of my fifteen minutes of fame :)
It was a day that I will never forget, nor will I forget the next day. Every parking lot seemed like a large sandy beach, covered with about 2 inches of ash, that was  about the granularity of sand. Later that night I worked a the Red Robin. Turns out that Monday, May 19th was the first anniversary of this  particular Red Robin and they were offering their customers 99 cent margaritas. Because no one knew what to expect, and were off work as the city came back to life, EVERYONE was there...drinking margaritas. That night I single handedly, or maybe i should say with both hands, made over 1,000 margaritas..I was one busy Jose...

Here are a few links to the events of that
CNN - Youtube clip - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XYfBxdVDJE
USGS clip - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec30uU0G56U

Oh...one last thing...About 4 months later, I'm driving my 63 Chrysler NY'er across Snoqualmie Pass. As it was getting colder, I had to turn on the defroster. Guess what was sitting deep within the defroster's vents?
Ash..and lots of it. The mountain experienced another eruptions. This time inside my car. Fortunately I opened the windows and it quickly disappated...One more thrill !!!

Where am I right now

Wondering exactly where I am? I've added this new Google plugin that connects with my Verizon phone that will keep you up to date to where exactly I am. A new day...a new adventure. It's been a very long winter. I'm glad to be on the road and updating my stale blog.  Drop me a line if you are so inclined or find me on facebook at www.facebook.com/wiredbob

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