Orders are as caught-up as they can be, I'm waiting on some materials or I'd have a clear desk.

So I thought today would be a good day to fix my cars. My truck needed a rear turn-signal bulb. My car needed a left low-beam headlight and a battery. About two weeks ago I left my headlights on all night and drained the battery. The battery was about 4, close to five years-old and at that point it's better to buy a new one.

Got everything I needed at The Auto Zone, took it home and installed it. The Mercedes was slow to start with the fresh battery, it cranked great. It finally started and seemed to be good-to-go.

I went inside and washed-up, then took the car to get lunch somewhere. I got to the corner of Riverside Dr and Sloman ave and my car quit, about three miles from home. It stopped and would not restart. Lot's of electricity but no burning fuel.

No problem, I'll just call AAA like I have a few times before except, oh no! I forgot my damn cellphone! Sitting there in the left-turn lane, I decided to put on my E flashers and run over to the Circle K and gather my wagons. I explained my plight to the workers and customers in there (I go there often, cheap coffee) and a Mexican guy offered to give me a ride home.

As he's driving me home, after abandoning my Mercedes, in the middle of the street, unlocked, he explained he was out of work. I had thanked him for taking the time out of his day to help me and he explained he was a truck driver and he had to drive crappy trucks and he got so many points against his license (6) for equipment violations, he lost the job. Pretty sad. He loses his job because his employer refused to maintain his fleet. Augh.

I ran in my flat, grabbed my phone and called Gene Woods, my landlord and surrogate father, apparently, I use him for the Close Family Member Phone Number For Emergencies on forms. I never know where Woods is, he's here, he's in Las Vegas, he's somewhere unknown, he's kind of a man of mystery. He's involved in a lot of businesses and he's very mobile.

Anyway, Woods says he's in his office, which is in the his shop on this property. So I ran over there and called my emergency and Freddy Orosco, an old friend was here and gave me a ride back to my car.

There's a San Bernardino sherrif pulled-up close behind my car, lights flashing and the officer, who looks exactly like bald-headed Woody Harrelson, was looking-over my car, door open.

As we drove by him to pull-into the Circle K he saw us and flashed a big smile as I made stupid-looking motions indicating it was my car. I just realized why he smiled. Ha!

His name was Mark and he was very friendly. He and Freddie pushed my car as I steered it to the side of the road. Then, Mark pulled his giant Suburban four-wheel-drive cop truck to the side and he invited me to hop-in.

"Give me your AAA card and I'll call it in for you"

Nice! He took care of getting AAA there and never asked to see my driver's license.

BUT, shortly after he got off the horn, calling my posse, I said I live at Gene Woods' place. He said Gene Woods like in Rick and Gene Woods? I go, "Yeah!" Mark explains he's an old speedway racing fan, was when he was kid, hadn't been in years and didn't know Gene lived in this area. I told him he must be the only sheriff around that doesn't know him because Woods knows most of the sheriff's around here.
They hang-out in his shop.

So Mark the sheriff and I are chatting and he asked about the ORGONE6 license plate, he said, "What's orgone" I'm thinking, what an opening, am I in a movie? I explained what orgone was and that I was a part of a group of people that are trying to heal the planet with positive, orgone energy, as the world is full of negative energy that must be displaced. He was cool with all that. I said, "See that sticker to the right of the plate?" He squints and says, "Look up in the sky.." and I add, "Then it says Chemtrails."

Mark says, I think I know what they are. I was astounded, said, really? He said he was camping with his wife and it was a beautiful morning, blue sky then he noticed these jets going back and forth leaving spreading trails and ruined the day. I said well, there ya go Mark, your the first cop I've met that knows chemtrails.

Then, I decided to tell him about the Irwindale cop I know that told me that he had a set of civvy-clothes in his patrol car and that if things got too weird he would abandon his uniform and take-off to save his family.

Mark said something like, "They polled our guys about that and the guys that answered like your friend lost their jobs. We have sworn an oath and quitting on the job is not an option."

It seemed like a good idea at that point to steer the conversation away from, um, controversial topics. We chatted for about twenty minutes and I cut him loose. I happen to know that cops are required to wait with you after a break-down, awaiting a tow. I suggested that he must have better things to do and that I'll go inside the K and wait. Shoo!

What I wondered as I rode back to Woods inside the cab of a AAA car-hauler, was what choices were those cops given? Was it just, "Would you walk away?" Or, was it, "Would you shoot civilians?" Who would he protect? The civilians or the Law (corporations) If the power's off a few days and people loot grocery stores is Mark going to shoot them? I know my friend in Irwindale, won't. Chew on all that for a while, I have.

I woke-up this morning to thunder. Not the kind from the sky, but the kind from Monster trucks. A couple of them are being serviced today in Woods' shop. They race Friday and Saturday at Anaheim Stadium. This is Mike Wine's Monster Mutt, the companion to the Dalmation Monster Mutt which is driven by a cute girl named Candice Jolley. In the shop is the truck sponsored by our heroes The Air Force (big eyeroll from Schwarm) which is driven by Damon Bradshaw, who was a Supercross/Motocross champion and is OK in my book, despite the sponsor: