How powerful is a leafblower?  Well, it depends.  Manufacturers usually advertise the units’ power in miles per hour.  The faster the speed, the more leaves you can move in a certain amount of time.  There are a lot of different brands and models to choose from. 

The model you see above is the Husqvarna 150.  It’s a decent consumer grade leafblower that fits my needs.  It happens to have  a 2-stroke motor as opposed to a 4-stroke.  In simple terms it just means that you mix the gas and oil together to fuel the engine. Which is where this story begins.

2-stroke motors have a very distinctive high-pitched sound and aromatic exhaust smell.  Especially in dirt bike form.  More on that later.  Those of us who have experienced this know how intoxicating and thrilling it is. The immediate response, the urgent power and hyper personality make 2-stroke machines a lot fun. 

Back to the dirt bikes.  I have a cousin named Herb. We were introduced when I was four years old.  Herb was the older brother I never had and our bond grew stronger even as our lives chose different paths.. His mother, whom we called Dee Dee, and his father, whom we called Sparky, share a special place in my heart and mind.  As a young child I spent summers at their home hanging out with Herb, falling in love with motorcycles, especially 2-stroke dirtbikes.

Now Herb, Dee Dee and Sparky were cool enough as it is, but the fact that they owned MOTORCYCLES made them even more so to a kid like me.  I loved hangin’ out with Herb, being spoiled by Aunt Dee Dee and being taught “how to be a man” by Uncle Sparky.  I don’t see them much nowadays as Aunt Dee Dee and Uncle Sparky have since passed and Herb and I leading separate lives.  But you know, something strange happens every time I start my leaf blower. 

I pull the cord.  I hear the sound.  I smell the “Bel Ray” 2-stroke fumes.  At once I’m traveling through time, back to days long ago.  I hear my aunt telling us to comb our hair, treating us to McDonald’s and allowing her slightly over weight nephew to have “anything he wants” (“he can have 2 Big Macs if he wants to!”).  I’m riding along with Uncle Sparky as we head to the next dirt racing track for the weekend. Mostly though, I am transported instantly into the mischief that Herb and I got into on a daily basis. I could go on and on.  I love and miss them more as life goes on.

So as you can see, my leaf blower is pretty powerful.  Yea, yea it moves leaves with ease and all, but it’s more to it than that.  When I purchased it I had no idea that it could travel through time. And take me with it.  I’m glad it does.  RIP Aunt and Uncle.  What’s up Herb?  Hope all is good.  If you ever have the time, stop by and check out my leaf blower.  You won’t be disappointed. 

To: U.S. President Elect

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan 

AA County Executive Stewart Pittman

US Senator Ben Cardin

US Senator Chris Van Holland Jr.

US Representative Anthony Brown

State Senator Pamela G. Beidle

State Delegate J. Sandy Bartlett

State Delegate Mark S. Chang

State Delegate Michael J. Rogers

State District Rep. Andy Harris

AA County Council Member Allison Pickard

Hello and greetings to my elected officials.  I am a proud American citizen, a native Marylander and a product of Anne Arundel county.  I write this letter on November 5th 2020, on the verge of electing our 46th President.  As you may agree, this election was preceded by four years of the most contentious, acrimonious, deceitful, dishonest and selfish displays of Presidential leadership in recent memory.  This is not debatable.  Never in my life did I imagine that I would have to defend the greatness of America in spite of those elected to govern it.  Having to look my children in the eye and try to rationalize irrationality, to explain why some fellow Americans accepted lies over truth, bad over good, wrong over right, has been one of the most disappointing and disturbing aspects of current politics in the last few years.

   As a result, I’m quite sure you are well aware, there has been a lifetime’s worth of finger pointing, accusations, blame, name calling and fault-finding from those with opposing views.  As I have experienced in my daily life, watched on television and “read” on social media, there are far too many people saying what “someone else” should be doing, but not saying what “they themselves” could do (Ask not…..).  I can attest, this can become contagious…..

    Which brings me to the purpose of this letter.  I start each day with this personal doctrine:  be positive, know your purpose and measure your productivity.  I remind my family of this daily.  As I found myself feeling more and more disheartened and disconnected from the true promise of this country I asked myself what should I do?  What could I do? As a result I made a list of things that I would do to make my small part of the world better, starting with continuing my education.  But I can do more. 

   So I ask all of you, what can one person do to help America become the America it promises to be?  As a citizen of Anne Arundel county, a native Marylander and a proud American how can I contribute positively to the advancement of my county, my state and my country?  I feel that managing one’s own house is equally important to what happens in the White House (or State Capitol or County Executive’s Office for that matter). If I can be a part of making things better, I’d rather not remain idle hoping it doesn’t get any worse.  I’d like to hear from all of you regardless of political affiliation, race, gender or religion.  Thank you for your service and time.  

It’s Saturday.  October 31st.  2020. Can you believe that there are only two months left in this year?  2021 cannot get here soon enough for some, but I’d rather not wish my time away.  I wanna make the most of each day as it comes.

Which brings me to this day.  Today happens to be Halloween.  While this day and it’s related meaning and “celebrations” conjure up mixed feelings for some, it is agreed that Halloween ushers in the commercial element  of the “Holiday Season”.  Thanksgiving about a month away, Christmas less than two.  People starting to shop earlier than ever. 

As a child I wasn’t much into traditional Halloween activities such as Trick or Treating and wearing costumes.  As an adult I have never attended a Halloween party.  Now as far as eating candy, I don’t limit that to Halloween. I eat candy just about ANY day!  So I really never celebrated this day.  However, up until recently, I did have a Halloween tradition. 

Horror movies.  Scary movies.  Yep, from my late teens up until about five years ago, I’d spend the days leading to Halloween watching my favorite scary movies.  I have some friends who did the same.  We reminisce about how some movies literally terrified us and how some simply made us laugh.  While there have been some recent movies that are alright, the classic movies remain my favorites.  Check out “Burnt Offerings” if you have the heart…..ha  ha  ha ha haaaaa ha ha haaaa!

Recently I have not watched horror movies as much.  I hate to admit it, but dare I say that I no longer have the heart for them.  I could watch a scary movie alone in the dark without a thought.  Got to sleep, chill in my basement, walk through the house with no lights.  Didn’t bother me.  Now, let’s just say the movies stick with me longer.  I can’t watch just before bed.  Can’t watch if I wanna hang in my basement.  Maybe it’s old age, not fear…….lol! Even so, it’s nothing like a chilly October night, leaves rustling in the wind, tree branches crackling, odd noises settling throughout the house.  A mysterious thump, bump in the night.  You’re the only one awake.  You and total darkness with just your imagination to comfort you.  Yeah, its Halloween.  And this is your movie…………

Glad to say that I had the opportunity to vote early this year. This is the first time that my entire family was eligible to vote and we all went to the polls together. As America is one of the more democratic nations in the world, I feel that voting is not just a human right, not just a privilege, but a CIVIC DUTY. Our democracy depends on it! If not for yourself, please vote for those who cannot.

As we all know the election is just weeks away.  The Presidential and Vice Presidential debates are in full swing.  The political pundits and “experts” are all over the networks enlightening us with their abundance of knowledge. As I consider the implications of the election outcome, I think back to 2016.  I recall the big debate about whether a woman would be fit to be President.  I remember that many people were apprehensive about voting for a woman.  Even many women!  People of all races, genders, ages, ethnicities, religions, political affiliations, economic backgrounds and professions questioned having a woman sit in the most powerful office in the world.  And why?

They had many reasons.  Women are too emotional.  Women are too impulsive.  Women are indecisive.  Women are too soft.  Women are vindictive.  Women are jealous.  Women are temperamental.  Women are rash.  Women can’t make tough decisions.  Women are easily influenced by men.  Women are weak.  Women are petty.  Women can’t focus. Women are disinterested.  Interesting…..

Do you see what I see?  Every criticism of a woman as an excuse for her not being a capable President are characteristics of the current President, who is a man.  Lie to me and tell me that (Ronald Mc)Donald Chump is not too emotional, too impulsive, too indecisive, too vindictive, too soft, too jealous, too temperamental, too petty, too easily influenced, too weak and too disinterested.  I know, right?  Donald Chump is everything you don’t want from a woman leader, but yet he is accepted because he is a man.  Interesting……in the community where I come from if a person behaved like Trump we’d say, “Stop acting like a little b-word!”

I am not a political pundit, but I have an opinion. During an interview several years ago, Donald Trump bragged about “grabbing women in the _ _ _ _ _ “. Maybe, just maybe, Trump behaves the way he does because he wishes he had a _ _ _ _ _ so Putin could grab him in his. Just sayin………Trump Enablers Beware!

We all want our elected officials to be as honest as possible, right?  I mean, I thought that was the case until 2016…….truth are lies and lies are truth! Who knew?  Anyway, to my point.  Recently while watching a local news station, it was reported that Maryland Governor Larry Hogan cast a write-in vote for President in the upcoming election.  Nothing wrong with that.  His choice.  However, it was reported that he cast his vote for former President Ronald Reagan, who happens to be deceased.  That’s right.  A vote for a deceased person.  My initial thought was disbelief.  Afterwards I thought for a moment.  A sitting Governor, a person whose very purpose relies on votes, would not, could not, waste his singular vote so carelessly, could he?  In the current political climate with the election and voting in America deemed so critical to it’s citizens, why would an elected official be so cavalier with HIS vote? Hard to fathom….Then it hit me!  Politicians are known to lie sometimes, especially when it benefits them personally.  So I think that Governor Hogan may have voted for Biden and is reluctant to reveal this so as not to offend the GOP.  I hope this is true. I hear that he has Presidential aspirations himself.  Whether he voted for Biden or Trump is not the question.  The answer is that hopefully he did not waste his vote while telling Marylanders and all Americans that voting matters.  I hope you lied to us Governor Hogan.  Our democracy depends on it.

So long room with a view.  Thanks for your care, understanding, patience, friendship and gratuity.  Much love to my God sent “angels of mercy”!  Sincerely………

The Apprentice President himself, aka (Ronald Mc) Donald Chump, is now claiming that the IRS is not good to him. So I ask, would you like to have 2 billion dollars and pay no taxes? The IRS must REALLY like me!

Imagine that you were given a blank piece of paper.  Now imagine that you were given the opportunity to write, draw and/or create the future of your dreams.  HOW will it look?  WHO will you be?  WHAT will you accomplish? WHERE will you be? WHAT will you have? So, WHY are you waiting? WHEN will you start…….