ROTARY'S BIRTHDAY

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 23, 1905 [2012]
INDIO CA.

TODAY IS AN AMAZING DAY FOR THE WORLD-ROTARY INTERNATIONAL WAS BORN.
IT WAS IN CHICAGO IN AN OFFICE NUMBERED 711. FOUR MEN ATTENDED AND PAUL P HARRIS LAID OUT HIS IDEA.
TODAY ROTARY IS IN OVER 200 COUNTRIES [MORE THAN THE UNITED NATIONS] AND HAS ABOUT 1,300,000 MEMBERS DOING GOOD IN THE WORLD.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROTARY.

TODAY WAS PRESIDENTS DAY AT MY ROTARY CLUB BACK IN NAPERVILLE IL. I WAS SORRY TO MISS THAT MEETING AS A ROSTER OF PAST PRESIDENTS TOLD THE MEMBERSHIP ABOUT THE YEAR THEY WERE LEADING THAT FINE CLUB.
OUR CLUB HAS QUITE A FEW NEW MEMBERS AND SOME DON'T HAVE AS MUCH BACK GROUND AS THE MORE SEASONED [SHALL WE SAY] MEMBERS, SO IT IS COOL THAT WE REMEMBER OUR PAST AS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE.
I WAS PRESIDENT 30 YEARS AGO [81/82] AND I WAS ASKED TO REMEMBER SOME HIGHLIGHTS AND SO I DID VIA EMAIL AND SOMEONE AT THE MEETING TODAY WOULD SPEAK FOR ME.

ON TUESDAY OUR GREAT FRIENDS PAST ROTARY DISTRICT GOVERNOR CHRIS & GEORGIA FROM DARIEN STOPPED BY FOR A TWO DAY VISIT. IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THEM AND SHOW THEM AROUND THE PALM SPRINGS / INDIO CA. AREA.
WHILE IN PALM SPRINGS WE TOOK A TRAM UP A MOUNTAIN SOME 8000 FEET, IT WAS 85 AT THE BOTTOM AND 55 AT THE TOP.
THIS IS THE ONLY TRAM CAR IN NORTH AMERICA WITH A ROTATING FLOOR, IT MAKES TWO REVOLUTIONS EACH TRIP SO EVERYONE GETS A 360 DEGREE VIEW TWICE. BY THE WAY THERE ARE ONLY TWO OTHERS LIKE IT IN THE WORLD, ONE IN SWITZERLAND AND ONE SOMEWHERE ELSE IN EUROPE.

LUNCH AT THE TOP.
I HAVE HAD A JONES FOR A GREAT HAMBURGER SINCE WE ARRIVED IN CA. AND THEY HAD A "KOREAN HAMBURGER" ON THE MENU MADE FROM ANGUS BEEF AND A VERY INTERESTING SOY SLAW. CHRIS AND I ORDERED IT AND ASKED FOR IT MEDIUM RARE, THE WAITER SUGGESTED MEDIUM WELL OR WELL, WE SETTLED ON MEDIUM.
WELL, WHEN IT ARRIVED IT LOOKED FABULOUS, BUT WHEN WE CUT IT HALF IT WAS KIND OF GREY AND MUSHIE, ON FURTHER INSPECTION WE FOUND THAT IT WAS 25% ANGUS BEEF AND 75% SOY BEANS. DISAPPOINTED, I WOULD SAY SO, WE ATE IT AND SAVED A COW. THE FRIES WERE GREAT, SOME SALVATION.

FIRE UP DATE;
THE OWNER OF THE COACH THAT BURNED, IS HAVING ISSUES WITH HIS INSURANCE COMPANY. THE COACH IS STILL HERE AND THE BURNT ODOR IS THERE AS WELL, SORRY FOR THE FOLKS ON EACH SIDE.
A NEIGHBOR IS LETTING THEM STAY IN IN THEIR COACH AS THEY ARE NOT USING IT RIGHT NOW = VERY NEIGHBORLY.
THERE WAS A TOW TRUCK HERE TO PICK IT UP BUT LEFT BECAUSE THE COACH WAS TOO BIG.
IT WILL BE A MONUMENTAL CHORE TO ROLL IT OUT FROM THE SPACE ON TO THE ROAD, IT WEIGHS ABOUT 40,000 POUNDS AND IS 42 FEET LONG AND WON'T RUN AND THEREFOR HAS NO POWER STEERING. IT WILL HAVE TO BE PUT ON A LOWBOY OR THE DRIVE SHAFT REMOVED TO TOW IT FROM THE FRONT.

ANYWAY ENOUGH FOR NOW.
ART