groovy yurts, the arrow and the green book

On one of my walks, I came across this yurt. What caught my eye, was how well insulated it appeared. I never saw the guy who is living in it, let alone talk with him. So I accessed the company’s website, Groovy Yurts. It’s definitely worth a look-see. Watch the video of the story on these authentic Mongolian yurts, and you’ll understand their slogan, come full circle. There are also some great photos.

The FedEx logo has an arrow in it, symbolizing the company’s forward motion.

So far the most interesting people I’ve talked with this winter were a Canadian couple, Gord and Suzanna. They are spending a few months traveling around; at the time, they were five weeks into it. They wanted a rig that they could take off-road. Forest River’s No-Bo (no boundaries) trailer was their choice. I had never seen one and was impressed with what they had done with theirs. The size of the wheels, robust frame and ground clearance set this type of rig apart. I downloaded this photo from Forest River’s site. The trailer comes in different lengths and offers a number of options.

Check out the white space between the E and x in “Ex.”
Sorry, now you’ll never be able to look at a FedEx truck or box without seeing the arrow.

I read somewhere that some car insurance companies offer a discount for those over 65. I found out mine does not. Bummer, but I’m sticking with the company. Leave a comment if you know of a company that offers a senior discount. A reader might be interested.

The guy prefers to see the dark side of things. The glass is always half empty. And cracked. And he cut his lip on it. The wound became infected. And he also chipped a tooth. (^_^) (Tweaked a line from Janeane Garofalo)

I first heard about the Green Book while listening to NPR’s Weekend Edition three or four weeks ago. Calvin Alexander Ramsey, the author of the children’s book, Ruth and the Green Book, was being interviewed. I jotted down some notes, drafted a story and then looked for more info the next time I has wi-fi access. That’s when I learned about the movie. Bummer. So, what I had planned to write here would not be all that informative. But I’m writing it anyway.

The Jim Crow era was not one of America’s best periods. Back in the ‘40s-‘60s, and in some places, probably for another few decades, blacks had trouble when traveling. Finding a place to spend the night, gas up their car, finding a restaurant that would serve them, all while keeping their family safe, were part of their lives. Tell me that does not rot. And some places were safe during the day, but you did not want to be black and in that area after dark.

Victor Hugo Green, a postal carrier in Harlem, had grown tired of the discrimination blacks faced whenever they ventured outside their neighborhoods. In 1936, inspired by earlier books published for Jewish audiences, Green developed a guide for black travelers, with the goal of insuring some measure of safety. The 15-page first edition of The Negro Motorist Green Book only covered hotels and restaurants in the New York area. The book gradually expanded its scope by gathering info from fellow postal carriers, black travelers and offering cash payments to readers who sent in useful information. An early example of user-generated content.

By the early 1940s, the Green Book listed thousands of establishments from across the country, all of them either black-owned or verified to be non-discriminatory. Hotels, guesthouses, stores, service stations, pharmacies, taverns, barber shops and restaurants that were known to be safe, and the listings were verified annually. An important sponsor for the Green Book was the Esso Standard Oil Company, which distributed the books and solicited African American customers through them. Nice.

The introduction to the 1948 edition ended with:
“There will be a day sometime in the near future when this guide will not have to be published. That is when we as a race will have equal opportunities and privileges in the United States. It will be a great day for us to suspend this publication for then we can go wherever we please, and without embarrassment.”

Green retired from the postal service in 1952 to become a full-time publisher. He charged enough to make a modest profit—25 cents for the first edition, $1 for the last. At the height of its circulation, Green printed 20,000 books annually, which were sold at black churches, the Negro Urban League and Esso gas stations. The final 99-page edition was published in 1966-67.

Victor Hugo Green died in 1960, four years before Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, finally banning racial segregation in restaurants, theaters, hotels, parks and other public places.

For black Americans traveling by car in the era of segregation, the open road presented serious dangers. The Green Book was one item African-Americans did not leave home without. This guide, no doubt, prevented beatings, deaths and other atrocities. One man, taking a step and making his world a safer place. Way to go, Victor.

It is hard to grasp that this was happening in this country not all that long ago. The United States was the best country in the world for many years, and even now, it is certainly the most powerful—but, is it still the best? How could the situation in Washington occur in the ‘best’ country in the world? It could not. I am thankful to have been born, and able to live in the United States. Doesn’t seem right, however, that for the last two years, I’ve been somewhat scared to be one of its citizens. Definitely looking forward to changes for the better. But how does that occur between two warring tribes? I would venture to guess that it would take truly ‘wise’ individuals working together toward solutions. How likely is that?

And there are those searching for ‘other’ intelligent life forms. From my way of thinking, one word should be dropped.

Back in November, a winter friend came over and asked for help with lifting something. I knew I was still weak but this task finally drove home exactly how weak I was. It was the stimulus I needed to finally get me back on an exercise program. The ball was in my court. I bent down and picked it up.

I had a new experience a couple weeks ago. The same friend only has a motorcycle for his town runs. He has a guest card from a mutual friend to Sam’s Club. Jerry doesn’t live by one when he is living at his home base and so he wanted to stock up at the store in Roswell. I drove him into town and he let me use his card. I’ve never been in a Sam’s Club. I grabbed one of my canvas LL Bean tote bags and we headed in. I learned that the store doesn’t provide bags. I like that idea. The first time I came across it was the summer I bicycle toured through Europe. Anyway, the whole store was an eye opener. But a membership would certainly not fit my lifestyle. I left Sam’s Club with a nice bottle of Kendall-Jackson Cabernet Sauvignon and three boxes of energy bars.

Mind how you go.

Making someone smile lightens ones Karmic burden.

RVwest article ‘Following a Free Spirit’

RVwest article ‘The Spaces Between the Places’

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