A green Ford F 250 pick-up truck carrying a Callen camper.
Crewed by Chris and Pamela from Alaska.
They have a company called “Liquid Adventures” that takes tourists on kayak, fishing and surfing trips in Alaska during summer.
The winter months they spend in Baja California, Mexico, camping mostly along the Pacific coast to do their surfing.
Strong winds and cool weather made them come to the East coast of the peninsula.
It is their first trip in the truck camper.
The Ford F 250 they bought from the Forest Service for not too much money.
And the Callen camper really cheap from Craig’s list.
For under 10.000 $ they have a perfect RV.
Last night was dinner.
The observation was made that Chris was cooking and Pam chatting casually with the pleased visitor.
It is always a delight when traditional role patterns are seen to have been changed.
Chris cooked sierra, a fish, with rice in a hot curry sauce.
To drink a cool Japanese Kiri beer.
As a dessert there was a fruitcake baked in a Dutch oven by Pamela.
A delicious dinner in excellent company while out in the boondocks.
Among travellers talking is a lot about experiences that are often shared.
Places both have been.
People both know.
But also the philosophy in life that is intensely shared.
Chris and Pam used to live in Southern California.
They realised that for them it was too crowded there.
Too hectic.
They wanted to be closer to nature and in a more relaxed environment.
Hence, they made the choice to move to Alaska and start a business in that state based on that what they love to do: kayaking and surfing.
Pam said: “So many people tell us that they would love to make the same kind of change in their lives because they are unhappy in their current situation.
But somehow they are unable to make a choice.”
Good for “Liquid Adventures” of course.
People escaping temporarily from an undesired situation to enjoy paradise in Alaska for a week or so.
Another subject discussed over the fruitcake was Marion Jones.
The American athlete uncovered as a liar.
And a criminal.
Now sentenced to 6 months in jail and 400 hours of community service.
The general conclusion in the Callen Camper was that the worst part of what Marion Jones has been doing was not so much the check-fraud for which the others are in jail for over 5 years.
Not so much the fact that she was cheating by taking performance-enhancing drugs.
The worst she has done is that she diarrheaed on her own country.
By winning 3 gold medals at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, she boosted enormously the reputation of the United States.
In the field of education and sports.
In the field of equal opportunities.
Her victories impressed millions of people worldwide with the idea that the American society was sophisticated, advanced and glory full.
It is that aspect of Marion Jones’ behaviour that is so damaging.
Her discrediting of the integrity of her own country.
In this line it is amazing that the Federal judge in her case, Kenneth Karas, has been put under tremendous pressure to sentence Marion Jones to probation only.
Her attorneys even quoted Shakespeare in a vicious way to work on Karas’ feelings.
Defence attorney Hill Allen recited from Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice".
Telling the judge "the quality of mercy is not strained".
And urged Karas to "look into your heart."
And Marion Jones herself used the same tactic.
After all she did, she had the guts to tell the Federal judge, before he sentenced her, that she was scared, nervous and "deeply sorry".
She implored the judge "to be as merciful as a human being can be."
With a catch in her voice, she asked him not to take her away from her two young sons, the younger of whom is still nursing.
In this way it became clear what has been the purpose of all her recent TV appearances where she would openly admit she had been wrong and was asking for forgiveness.
It was the massage to try to stay out of prison.
After the sentence she declared outside the court building:
"I'm very disappointed today".
Marion Jones has not learned one thing of her immoral behaviour, as USA Track & Field president Bill Roe and CEO Craig Masback put it.
It would have been more convincing if she had fully accepted the sentence without the whining.
Everybody in the Callen Camper was feeling pissed of by Marion Jones.
She was so cute.
So warming the hearts.
So excellent.
So beautiful.
And now we realize she was just cheating us.
Hence, the sentence of 6 months in jail and 400 hours of community service was not considered enough of a punishment.
What she needs besides that light punishment, so is the Callen Camper verdict, is to appear on international TV where she has to lower her pants.
To get a thorough spanking she will never forget.
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1 comment:
I am continually amazed by how much otherwise-reasonable people care about sports. About other people engaging in sports, I mean.
Personally, I never gave a damn about Ms. Jones, and I still don't...
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