Somebody's gunna die in the next book... hopefully not from a bus accident...

Recognise the bus below?

Yeah, it's the bus from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban which was a fine little movie. A lot of people know the bus... it's a must for every parent... and as a parental unit for a ten-year old with the DVD, I've seen it dozens of times... each time, my stepling has to let us know it's "The Bus Part"... and yeah, I love Ernie, Stan... and whatever the shrunken head's name is.

Oddly enough, this bus caused quite a "negative" stir within the "bus enthusiast/purists" mail groups I frequent. At issue was the (and I quote) "Mutilation" of a venerable AEC Regent bus. (The Regent is the "big brother" of our own beloved RLH (Regent Low Height) 3... so I guess the "Knight Bus" would be a Regent Really High Height.

What's weird is I don't seem to remember as much outcry when good ol' James Bond - 007 - Licensed to Kill - MI5 dude sheered off the top of a Regent in the flick Live and Let Die (where, as stated, I started a long crush on Jane Seymour... *sigh*...) or, for our British readers moreso, when Sir Cliff Richard made up his bus as a camper van in Summer Holiday. (A movie, I admit, I've never seen...)

The other thing that bothered me about the purists' complaining is did they bother to find out how much work had been done to the bus? Was/Is it beyond restoration?

No...

They just kvetched.

Here's something the "general public" may not be aware of...

These same purists who were more-or-less up in arms over the "Knight Bus" also really REALLY despise the fact that old double deckers and British buses are anywhere but in Britain!

Yup...

They scream blue murder at those who "export" buses from Britain to anywhere... and are nothing but trouble to those who own buses outside the Sceptre'd Isles.

I once likened them to being like the Bedouin suddenly demanding that all Arabian Horses be returned to them because the "new owners" didn't know how to look after them.

I also like pointing out the sheer number of British buses in Britain that currently rust in peace within the scrapyards there... and make the comment "Instead of being concerned with how us rotten non-Brits are messing with your precious buses, perhaps you should ensure that the one's in your own backyard are okay?"

I'm not popular with bus purists.

I revel in that distinction!

Forest Hill M5P 2W3...

Guess who's living in my town now...

For those not in the know, that's a picture of Tori Spelling of Beverly Hills 90210 fame.

Ms. Spelling is married to Torontonian, actor Dean McDermott and now the couple live here... in my burgh.

Now, this may seem like "pulp" to some... and it is... but I decided to comment because of the recent passing of Tori's father, television producer Aaron Spelling who's shows truly shaped much of television for pretty much everyone in North America. Love them or hate them, you couldn't ignore Spelling's productions.

I read today in the paper that Ms. Spelling learned of her father's passing at dinner here in Tronna via her BlackBerry... and all I could think is how much that would suck.

I am someone who could never say "I know how it feels 'cuz I lost my dad..." to anyone because I don't. People handle grief differently... and we're all unique. Nor will I say "I'm sorry for your loss..." because, again, how can one be "sorry" for someone else's anything unless they are in some ways responsible?

What I can say is this... I do have sympathy for anyone who loses a loved one... and they are all in my thoughts and prayers... but to find out about something like this via e-mail... I'm sorry, that's gotta suck.

So, from one Torontonian to another, you are in my thoughts about this loss... and as a technician, I AM sorry about the form of the delivery of the message.

P.S. as of 9:17pm Hogtown Time: Just caught the "trailer"(? - okay, the commercial) for Ms. Spelling's latest TV show... and... it looks GOOD! A genuine "spoof" of her own life! Normally, I'm NOT a TV fan of any sort... save a select few shows... but I'm giving this one a chance. Click here for the VH1 page...

The Search for The Magic Bus Continues...

Y'know what's funny... one person thought that "our dream bus" (RLH 3 - the catalyst for this blog and all) was "The Magic Bus" thanks to the posts about it... it's not about this... but since my wife, Sue, posted the song lyrics and the picture, someone asked me about "What Happend to The Magic Bus?" and the Über-Bus-Geek in me came out and I tried to find out.

All I was able to come up with initially was it's make and it's likely company of ownership... and I did find it's "sister" bus...

...but not "it".

Well, I've now e-mailed everyone from the record company to Pete Townshend for information...

I'll keep everyone posted... but remember, The Magic Bus is not "our dream bus"!

There's no such thing as bad publicity...

Readers of the last post probably noted the slamming I (we) took from a disgruntled blogger...

Well, the attack led to more traffic and an extra $15.00 in the kitty towards the dream... and the total number of "negative" comments over this is... one. Only from that particular disgruntled blogger...

On the other hand, the positive feedback and NEW friends have been tremendous!

Thanks to everyone... You guys rawk!

(Did adding a Monty Python reference to that post help?)

SO, for a tally...

Total Amount Needed To See The Dream Come True: $20,000.00
Total Amount Collected So Far: $196.00
Total Amount Still Needed: $19,804.00

Slowly but surely... we'll see our dream come true and rescue this historic vehicle!

HAPPY CANADA DAY TOMORROW! Hope everyone here in the Great White North get's to see some fireworks and whanot!

In a few short days, our neighbours to the South to enjoy The Glorious Fourth of July!!!

I love long weekends!

It's nice to be popular... but when it goes to obsession, it's frightening.

One blogger saw my "rant"(?) about the 'commercialism' of this blog and it's related sites... and assumed, rather incorrectly, it was about "themselves".

Actually, it wasn't... but I guess they felt that way and posted a comment to that entry that had one-and-a-half sentences of positive(?) comments about our dream... and several paragraphs justifying their own venture.

So, I admit it... The moderator in me came out. But unlike some, I was kind enough to send an e-mail explaining why.

It didn't matter... the attack was more vicious afterwards, so I'd like to bring up their concerns properly here...

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#1: You're poor and you're using the bus to get money!

When did I say we were wealthy? We're not wealthy at all... in fact, if we were doing goodly, we'd own the bus by now... and we've made that abundantly clear.

The reason for this site and blog are to hopefully raise funds we cannot raise... to make this a reality... and we wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't for two things... saving would take ages and the bus is in danger right now of being scrapped.

The bus is representative of MANY things... a dream, a goal, and a piece of history that may end up in a very bad way.

Now, the "extra money" the blogger talks about is the fact that our pixel ad site would raise $7,000.00 more than needed for the base dream of owning/shipping RLH 3. I never hid this, but the extra money WOULD go to pay down my bills... of which there are many. It says so on the site in the FAQ. Granted, you would need to read the site to know this... but then again, you'd need to read the blog and site to know about this dream.

In simple terms, we're working (day jobs, extra-efforts) towards becoming debt free and through this, we're succeeding slowly... The "bus thing" cannot be done this way... we need help. If we don't ask, we won't be able to act in time before it's gone (scrapped). IF we sell all our pixel ad space, we'd reach BOTH goals. That's the WHOLE story.

#2: You're going to let this bus rust away in your driveway / You're going to sell the bus for profit!

No on both counts.

Again, if you read through the site and blog, you'd see the proper storage has already been acquired through friends and family. She'll be very safe and can be worked on over time.

Next, we outlined our plans very clearly here... on the blog's "Real Purpose" link... the one attached to the Rosetta Stone on the right. We're planning on fixing it up, converting it gently into a "day tripper", then when we're older and no longer using the bus, restoring her to her London Transport glory days and donating her to one of the several museums we currently do work with.

To do otherwise, at this point, would be breaking a public trust... we have NO intention of doing this. In fact, in Canada (where we are,) it's an actionable thing to do!

#3: You'll lose the bus 'cuz you ain't makin' it in the real world!

Actually, we are making ends meet. Granted, this is a "new" situation... we only just got our house in order after a very long time... in fact, this blog and site were put up when we realised we could look after things.

Life, in general, has improved for us and although we're digging out of a fiscal hole, we're moving in the right direction through our own efforts, work, and genuine sweat. We "saved" ourselves... we just can't do that AND make our dream come true/rescue this historic vehicle as well... that's why we're hoping for help!

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It's sad that this blogger, who I admit is going through a tough time, feels the need to slam our efforts I assume to make themselves feel "better"... I can only assume that they, in their attacks on a family and that family's dream, are having a real tough go of it... I do wish them well... albeit, considering the venom, from a safe distance.

I honestly tossed out an olive branch, and the end was sharpened and it was thrown back as a spear.

I guess, the simple fact is some people want sympathy and want negativity... they thrive on the "Poor Me! I Have It Worse Than You!" attitude and, apparently, in this case, needed to shove it figuratively down our throats.

Well, we really don't share this attitude. Thing's for us aren't perfect... but we're staying positive and on course to make our dream come true! We're upbeat, determined, and working towards our goal!

...and remember, the oppisite of "love" is not hate... but indifference... even though this is a wee bit... well... scary.

Granted, in the world of marketing and whatnot, I guess it proves we've made an impact and yes, although this person is unable or unwilling to read everything before commenting and only allowing the worst angels of their nature to comment or think about things, we got their attention! I guess that's a positive!

Anyway, PLEASE feel free to return to Sue's "Sexy Post" (see below)... which, I admit, baffles me.

OH, and if ANYONE has ANY questions as to our veracity or what's said here, feel free to e-mail us! We'd be MORE than happy to answer ALL questions... about the bus and the dream, that is!

From the ever growing clutter of Sue's desk:

Bleary-eyed Monday morning came wayyyy too fast this week .... but what to my surprise was awaiting my reading pleasure on this very blog???? It was the kind compliments of fellow blogger Maritza...a hot and sexy Cuban!!!!!

Hey bus loon ... you had better give this gal a permanent link!!!!! Her words set the tone for this sidekick's week and I am Salsa dancing my way into Friday .... Latino heat .....

That's right! The hot and the sexy believe in our dream!!!!! .... and if you don't believe me just Jump in the Ocean!

Now, honk the bus horn if you're hot & sexy!!!!! It's almost Friday!!!

See what happens when Sue gets a hold of the keys ...

With great financial distress come great hardships.

One of the worst I've had to deal with is missing out on two seasons of War of 1812 re-enacting... with dim prospects of probably missing a third.

Just before the "lay off" from my old job, I had "signed on" to be a re-enactor with The Norfolk Militia and was helping out The Incorporated Militia of Upper Canada with their website.

At the time, I was doing fiscally alright and therefore purchased uniforms, "civilian" dress, my Baker Rifle with sword bayonet (although I really should have been using a Brown Bess... in the Norfolk, I was in the Rifle Coy. so it was "acceptable"...) and stuff for my family as well... my wife has civilian dress and a full "red coat" kit as well.

Well, things didn't go so well... I lost my job, money dried up, we found that a car was an absolute necessity (we don't own a car nor have we ever... hey, we live in the city and haven't needed one!) and then, in order to make ends meet, I sold my rifle and bayonet... probably in the top-five list of the hardest thing I've ever done.

Yup, a "hobby" and something that was really fun had to be put on hold...

I'm still an honourary member of both units (as I still look after the websites), but only get to look at the pictures I put up for them... remember the few times I was "out"... and more or less wait until things are "better".

Oh yeah, don't get me wrong... first things first! My personal debts must go and RLH 3 is a HUGE priority (granted, we're hoping to be successful here as it's in imminent danger of being scrapped and waiting to "save up" for it may not be prudent...) but once those two hurdles are passed, I'd like to get BOTH a Bess and a Baker so I can be back on the field with my comrades burning powder, eating from cast-iron cooking done over a camp fire, and generally having a great time!

Unlike the "media driven" image of historic re-enactors, drinking and general silly-behaviour is not only frowned upon, it's a great way to be banned from the field and possibly given the boot out of the encampment! Safety is ALWAYS the order of the day!

Then there's the "Historical Anachronisms"... when in the field or the camp, the "public eye" (anything that the general public or officers might see while wandering about) is strictly forbidden and/or highly frowned upon.

"We" see ourselves as living history... a walking, breathing, speaking link to the past... and as opposed to simply "playing with old guns and dressing funny", you'll find re-enactors well versed in the history they recreate and what they are doing/represent.

One of the great joys of a living historian/re-enactor is educating... the public and usually kids. My stepling (dressed in period garb) LOVES abandoning the PS/2 and Nintendo GameCube for the antique replica toys and dolls... and loves showing other kids the same toys. My wife has yet to be "in the field", but that's where she's hoping to be...

Me, I love it all... and I love bringing history to life and talking to people about it.

If you've never been to a War of 1812 re-enactment (and live in North America), please visit this page or this page... and consider visiting one. For history, excitement, and fun in the encampment and/or with the historic sutlers (merchants), it can't be beat. (I highly recommend the one at Fort Erie! The night battle is fantastic to watch! - and it's haunted to boot!) In ALL honesty, attending a War of 1812 re-enactment should be mandatory for all kids aged 8 and up!

So, GOD SAVE MAD KING GEORGE! and perhaps 2007 will be the year I'm back in the field! (With RLH 3???)

After all, whenever my re-enactment friends ask me "when" I'll be back in the field, I usually answer, "I dunno, but I'll probably be driving my double-decker bus to the event!"

It's appropriate... a historic British bus at historic British/Canadian/American events!

Special thanks to IMUC and The Norfolk Militia (Heritage Regiment) for the photos on this entry.

That was the headline I read when I turned to page 13 of today's "Metro"... a free newspaper they distribute in Toronto. Metro's not a bad rag. It's a decent quick overview of the news and comes at a great price... free.

But wow. What a headline.

I admit, it chilled me momentarily...

Thankfully, it was just a good article about saving for retirement (and other things) by a television consumer advocate, Pat Foran, who's just published a book about wealth building. The "bus reference" was about people who spend all their money because, "Who knows, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow!", well, to paraphrase Mr. Foran's words... you're bus ain't coming so better start saving. (Sage advice...)

It reminds me of what I once heard from the professional wrestler, Mick Foley... "It's not what you make... it's what you save."

Click here to read the article that chilled me... well, at least, the big, bold headline that glared up at me while riding the subway to my office.

Now, in honesty, why this chilled me is that I know that my blog here is immensely unpopular with some... who, granted, I don't think have actually read through it...

Some see this as a "commercial" endeavour... something akin to a "get rich quick" scheme. Heck, I even read one blogger who said that this blog was a reason they no longer were interested in blogging... as "it" (the blogsphere) had become "commercial" and this site was indicative of this issue.

Hmmm...

I guess they missed the parts here that discussed things like the recent Toronto terror arrests, the story about my most prized possesion, my memories of my father, and my personal favourite, although lengthy, the true story of "Grunt" and it's crew getting caught in revolutionary Afghanistan. (This latter post is INCREDIBLE and I'd strongly recommend printing it and reading it thoroughly... it's an amazing true story.)

Then there's the information on double-deckers in general like common older buses you'll find in North America, what's happened to "The Magic Bus", and what the fate of some of the other Regent Low Heights has been.

Do you think these folks read these? Did they notice them?

I sincerely doubt it.

To some, this blog is a commercial... and some people hate it.

Worse yet, a couple of bloggers figure that since I'm working, this is a "cash grab" of some sort... effectively a "con"... They do this, however, without reading to find out I was laid off and unemployed for two solid years... and now am working outside my career path at less than 1/3 my former salary... which is why saving for this bus is impossible until my debt load is cleared up... and this site and it's components are based on the simple fact that if I don't act fast, the bus (RLH 3) will most likely be scrapped.

I used to take the knocks, shots, and general criticisms to heart... I used to think that I was being an enormous dork by trying to get help to save/perserve/own this old bus... I mean, there are more worthy purposes for people to help out with... like the homelessness, animal shelters, hunger, pollution and environmental issues... lot's of things.

Although there's no doubt that the above list is indeed made up of worthy causes, I'm sorry to say, I really don't feel that way anymore about our endeavour here.

This blog and it's related sites and components are what they are... and you don't have to like them... nor do you need to help or assist us with the dream of saving the bus to get something out of these offerings.

This blog offers LOT'S of information... heck, I've even done decent posts about professional wrestling... and sure, it's a "hook"... it's a marketing thing... I'm hoping that people might say, "Hey, they seem like nice folks and their dream is worthy... and rescuing a piece of history is a good thing!" and then react in kind... but I'm perfectly fine with people coming in, reading the information, enjoying it to whatever extent they can... and then moving on.

As I said in my last post, ALL forms of support are welcome... even good wishes and thoughts... and if you enjoy our writing, information, thoughts... whatever... Great!

If not, hey, surf on.

This site is about a dream. It's about a family that WILL lose that dream because, yes, they can't afford to make it happen without help and the dream's longevity is finite. Still, you're under no obligation... and this blog has rarely been strictly about that... and never was intended to be.

I hope you're enjoying this blog... I hope you appreciate it... and for those that DID think it was a commercial at first, I hope you read this... maybe clicked a link or two in this entry... and discovered something more than just, and I quote, "...another example of the commercialism on the internet."

There is a LARGE street celebration outside right now... literally thousands of people "whooping it up" over the win against Switzerland right now...

I cannot claim Ukrainian heritage... but my wife can.

I'm a mix of English, Irish, Dutch, Scots, and of course, French.

Hence the "Supporting England" banner.

None-the-less, BEST REGARDS and CONGRATS to Ukraine! Toronto's West-End is lit up for the victory! I know my wife and my little one were out there "Woo-Hooing" briefly!

Sadly, work at home kept me seated at my desk listening to the celebration...

Please Remember: We are trying to save/own RLH 3... a very special Regent Low Height bus in Santa Rosa, California... If you can help us spare her from the scrappers, please click on the "CAN YOU HELP?" icon on the upper-right of this blog... or help us get the word out about our pixel ad site, HelpCoverTheBus.Com.

Remember our eBay listing for the pixel site ads too!

With some help, we can make a dream come true... and save a piece of history...

This is from Maritza who's blog is at http://www.jumpintheocean.blogspot.com/...

This was a comment posted under my wife, Sue's second entry to this blog...

This has to be the craziest, most original blog I have ever seen. I've run across you on Blogmad a bunch of time but finally stopped to read it. It's really endearing, your enthusiasm for these buses is infectious. I'm rooting for you to get your bus!

Thanks kindly, Maritza! Sue read this comment before I did... and she was having a so-so morning... and this brightened her mood to no end!

I got a hug and a kiss from her just 'cuz this made her happy.

Thanks again everyone who's supporting our dream... even if it's just with best wishes and good thoughts! It's ALL appreciated!

Any 18 year old working as a camp counselor has my vote... Please visit The Blog which is listed as "Not a blog, but the blog."

Ahhh... to be young again...

Still working on the question that Sue's post ended up giving me... no new info yet, but it will come... What did happen to The Magic Bus?

Please Remember: We are trying to save/own RLH 3... a very special Regent Low Height bus in Santa Rosa, California... If you can help us spare her from the scrappers, please click on the "CAN YOU HELP?" icon on the upper-right of this blog... or help us get the word out about our pixel ad site, HelpCoverTheBus.Com.

Remember our eBay listing for the pixel site ads too!

With some help, we can make a dream come true... and save a piece of history...

Sue's (my wife's) last post prompted a good question...

What happened to the magic bus?

In other words, what happened to the bus on the USA (import) album cover for The Who's Magic Bus - The Who on Tour?

Well... being an Über-Bus-Geek, I tried to find out...

First of all, I looked hard at the jacket and noted it's using it's original license plate...

THA 111

Also notice above the plate? BMMO is the logo... The Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited which means something else... this is NOT a "London Bus", but most likely a "Midland Red" bus.

Then off to good old Google...

First, to locate the model...

Via my friends at UK BusPhoto and a little work there, it's a BMMO D7 model.

Now, off to find out information on Midland BMMO D7s...

Well, I tried... no luck with "THA 111"... but I found "THA 110" which is obviously The Magic Bus' sister... and she hasn't faired too well...

The above is obviously a recent picture... but I don't know where from or what's the situation... other than she's seen better days. She's been "tagged", some of her windows are smashed, and her radiator cowell/cover is off... The site, unfortunately, doesn't provide any history...

...but the question remains... where's THA 111? Where is "The Magic Bus"?

Was she scrapped? Has she been preserved?

Right now, I don't know... but I'll try to find out.

Thanks to the Midland Red website... I don't know for sure if THA 111 was with Midland Red... but it seems likely.

Finding the history of what happened to the Midland Red buses... or BMMO buses... has been and is very difficult... makes me very happy that RLH 3, our dream bus and goal, has a decent written traceable history of ownership...

Well, like I said, I'll try to find out more about "The Magic Bus"... and if I find her or what happened to her, I'll let you know.

Addendum: July 19th, 2006: Yesterday we received confirmation that "The Magic Bus" or BMMO 4111 had been completely scrapped many years ago. Of this particular model, there were 350 built... and only three remain... two in the U.K. which are preserved, and one near Las Vegas which has been more-or-less abandoned.

See this link for details...

Sadly, "The Magic Bus" is no more... We only hope this is not the same fate that our own Regent Low Height 3 (or BMMO 4110) will face... it's sad when a little piece of history is scrapped...

Please Remember: We are trying to save/own RLH 3... a very special Regent Low Height bus in Santa Rosa, California... If you can help us spare her from the scrappers, please click on the "CAN YOU HELP?" icon on the upper-right of this blog... or help us get the word out about our pixel ad site, HelpCoverTheBus.Com.

Remember our eBay listing for the pixel site ads too!

With some help, we can make a dream come true... and save a piece of history...

JUST FINISHED!

Our eBay Listing for Pixel Ads: Click Here! Help Cover The Bus!

Two other quick things...

ONE MORE TIME! Today, WE ARE BLOGMAD'S BLOG OF THE DAY!!!! Whenever Sue posts, this seems to happen... Thanks Blogmadders!

Speaking of which... please read the entry before this one... my wife always does the best stuff!

"Every day I get in the queue (Too much, Magic Bus)
To get on the bus that takes me to you (Too much, Magic Bus)
I'm so nervous, I just sit and smile (Too much, Magic Bus)
You house is only another mile (Too much, Magic Bus)

Thank you, driver, for getting me here (Too much, Magic Bus)
You'll be an inspector, have no fear (Too much, Magic Bus)
I don't want to cause no fuss (Too much, Magic Bus)
But can I buy your Magic Bus? (Too much, Magic Bus)

Nooooooooo!"

Yes, I'm willing to sing for the bus ...... my deepest apologies to Pete Townsend for massacring The Who's classic Magic Bus!

This has got me to thinking are there any other famous "bus" songs???????

RLH 3 needs a theme song ......

Coming to you loud and noisy from the desk of Sue! Even the dog is howling!

I was sick... might still be... but I've managed to eat and drink with NO ill affect and my energy has improved tonight, so without further ado, here's a PROPER blog entry!!!

Why does this bus need saving? I mean, what's the worst that could happen?

Many people buy double-deckers in North America for kitch value... a cool tourist thing that perhaps will score them a couple of bucks.

When they find out that these vehicles are not terribly expensive, they buy them... and then the funs begins...

If it's not a low-height bus like an RLH or Lodekka, they find out quickly that "getting it around" poses many problems... like colliding with low hanging trees or power lines. They also find that there's usually a charge for having an "over-height" vehicle...

If they can get around this (or purchase a low-height double-decker... or worse, cut off the top and make it an "open-top" bus and making restoration near impossible...) then they find out that they are not exactly the quickest vehicles and cannot do proper highway speeds...

...then they find out about their mileage (which isn't great... but at least they're diesel!)

...then the insurance get's them...

...then there's storage... I mean, these are large vehicles and don't fit in most standard garages!

The last straw is usually repairs. Parts are difficult to come by in North America... and it can be quite daunting.

Either way, the buses usually end up in a bad way.

Taking the Regent Low Height as an example... think about this...

They were built in 1950 - 1951... only 76 were ever made. They are rare and for bus enthusiasts, much loved... but...

Meet RLH 2 (of 76). The one that rolled off the line just before our RLH 3.

She's pressumed to be scrapped. She was in New Jersey... and obviously had problems. The owners literally let her be vandalised and fall apart before it was "cleared away".

Above is RLH 18... once running tours, ended up in Salt Lake City... where she is also presumed scrapped. If you look at the picture, she was pretty much left to the elements... and the elements won.

If you really want to weep... visit this page, scroll down to the "Presumed Scrapped" area... and look at the ones that were in Hawaii. Beautiful, historic, wonderful buses... now 4 x 4 cubes of semi-recyclable materials.

Now, here's some Regent Low Heights that are being possibly saved...

RLH 20 (seen above) is most likely still in New Hampshire... her owner says they will be restoring her... fingers crossed.

RLH 57 above is in California and was recently bought via eBay... She's a running bus (at last check) and needs just a little love... hopefully her new owners will do what's needed.

This is RLH 6... which at least is under cover in St. Louis, Missouri... at least, to the best of our knowledge.

Now, here's two buses... they actually hit our radar for a couple of reasons...

RLH 46 (above) MIGHT be in Canada... in BC is where she was last seen... we've contacted friend out there, but have yet to find her. If anyone has information, PLEASE contact me ASAP as I want to give the information to Ewen Pring of RLH Information Centre for his database...

I'd be lying if I didn't say "we" wouldn't be interested in buying her... had we the dough... but we have our hearts and minds set on rescuing RLH 3... but hey, if she's available (and we have the bones... which admittedly, right now, we don't...) we'd love to grab her!

Still, information is appreciated!

RLH 39 (above) resides in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. She's one of my favourites... in fact, next to RLH 3, she's my personal favourite! Don't know why... but she is.

She's currently not operational... and I'm not sure how her owners are dealing (if at all) with her... but this would be my #2 choice! I don't know why... but she's a great bus in my eyes... perhaps my Anglophile ways appreciate Lake Havasu City... home of "London Bridge" and RLH 39!

.....is it cheating on our "dream bus"... "Chitty-Chitty-Wump-Wump"... if I kinda look at RLH 39 and say, "Hmmm... own TWO buses???"

Nah, much as she's a beauty, we got our dream! I can only hope that her current owners or new owners will look after RLH 39 as much as we intend to with RLH 3.

So, looking back at the first two buses on this entry (RLH 2 and RLH 18,) you can see what we worry about to a degree... will our dream bus, RLH 3 end up like that or carved up to house a coffee shop and therefore never to be restored? (See below... RLH 15)

Time will tell... and we're trying...

If you want to help us in this goal, PLEASE consider donating to the cause... even $1.00 helps! Click on the "CAN YOU HELP?" button on the upper right-hand side of the blog.

...you could also help by either buying "pixel ad" space OR even getting the name out and helping us with publicity by telling folks about HelpCoverTheBus.Com!

Any help is GREATLY appreciated...

Super-Quick IRL Question: One of my friends at the office asked...

What's the deal with you and all the English stuff?

Well, my first "vacation-trip" other than up to my family cottage was to London, England... yup... I saw London before I saw Florida... or even Ottawa or Niagara Falls!

Another reason is my "hobbies"... I'm a War of 1812 Re-Enactor (British/Canadian forces, of course!) and a longtime paranormal investigator/researcher with a deep interest in ghosts and hauntings and what could be more "British" than a good ghost?

Perhaps that's why... but I don't really have ONE answer!

MANY, MANY thanks to Ewen Pring of the RLH Information Centre for the information, photos, and most of all, the help and support!

Another admitted non-post today... ends up, I prematurely blamed the chicken... nope... it's a bug and I'm short-staffed at work because of it spreading. Yay.

So, I owe you folks a GOOD post soonly! I promise to deliver! Just need to get healthy first... I'm the walking wounded at work right now...

So, on this BRIEF note, please... (and remember my links open in a new window which spares your Blogmad or BlogExplosion session...)

Until I'm back from this bug... if you haven't already...

Have a read:
My wife's post
My thoughts on the terror arrests in Toronto
Why this bus is "the one" for us
My most prized possesion

...which are the "most read" pages... according to my stats.

Sorry again for the "cop-out" post, but I can't brain today... I have the dumb thanks to this rotten stomach bug...

...but at least I'm sharing it with everyone at my office!

Sorry folks, I know I usually put up a new post daily, but I'm sickly... yup... done in by bad chicken last night. It's not been a good day.

I can do some quick updates...

I haven't heard from Mr. Empry yet... which is sad... but fingers still crossed... Hopefully, he (or one of his associates) can help us out and get the dream out there...

No new donations today... which, although isn't ideal, it's fine. I'm pretty happy we had the one! Remember, if you want to help perserve this historic bus AND make a dream come true, any amount from $1.00 and up helps! Click the "CAN YOU HELP?" icon on the upper-right side of the blog.

No new pixel sales yet either... but that will hopefully change.

In other news, I'm now a HUGE "The Zombie" mark! What a promo! He's up there with Ric Flair, Steve Austin, The Rock... and The Great Khali!!! Click here if you haven't heard/seen this yet.

Well, that's it for now... I'll try to do better tomorrow... when hopefully, the stomach bug Gods are more gracious to me.

One last weird thing...

Got two e-mails today... one asking about purchasing a bus (where the person interested could do it)... and one where the person thanked me for the last post where I discussed buying various buses and the "going rates" thereof.

It's nice to be able to provide information... I only hope it's useful information!

...and now, the news...

Total Amount Needed To See The Dream Come True: $20,000.00
Total Amount Collected So Far: $181.00
Total Amount Still Needed: $19,819.00

I've also now added a press release to the HelpCoverTheBus.Com site...

And... despite me not wanting to put a PayPal button on the blog or site it has already been a success! We received our first $1.00 donation which is HONESTLY very much appreciated! Now, if I can just get 19,819 more people to do that, it's a done deal!

We also recently sent off an e-mail to a gentleman named Gino Empry who is a well known manager/agent/publicist here in Toronto. I remember my Grandpere mentioning him... so I sent a letter asking for help promoting... No word yet, but time will tell.

Now, about this post...

I also got much positive feedback on my myth busting post about the bus and dream... but mostly people enjoyed the information and the photos.

To that end, I'd like to introduce you to the common double-deckers you might see in North America... at least, the older "half-cab, platform loading" ones...

What does "half-cab, platform loading" mean?

Above is a "full cab"... in that the front of the bus is squared off and the engine is (usually) mounted in the rear... now...

Above is a "half-cab"... where the engine sits in front, beside the driver. The cab rides forward of the passenger "saloon" or seating area.

As for the "loading", most modern buses, like the one below, load with passengers entering near the driver...

...whereas the older British buses loaded at the rear via an open platform. This meant your tickets were bought or shown to a conductor... therefore, these buses usually had two staff members running... a driver and a conductor.

So, without further ado, here's the three most prevalent types platform loading, half-cab British double-decker buses seen in North America...

#1: The Routemaster

The AEC Routemaster (or RM) is easily the bus most people think of when they hear the words "London Bus". Built between 1958 through 1968, more than two-thousand, eight-hundred of these buses were built.

Standing at 14 feet, 4 1/2 inches, it was the standard London Bus until 2005 when they were removed from service (save for a handful on "tourist routes") due to their problems with accessibility to wheelchairs and their age. Funny thing is, most of the Routemasters that were operating with London Transport were only recently refitted with more environmentally sound Scania engines... and their lifespan was therfore increased... but they were still pulled off the streets.

The Routemaster came in many flavours during it's heyday... including the RML (Routemaster Long) which seated more people than the standard RM and the RMC (Routemaster Coach) which had rear doors and more comfortable seating for long country runs.

Mostly, within North America, you'll see the standard RM and the RML... usually with the top cut off. This allows for a "pleasant" ride with good weather, but mostly it's done to meet maximum height restriction in North American cities.

If you were wondering, the average price of a Routemaster is, they range about $30,000.00 to $40,000.00 USD... and expect about $12,000.00 shipping if purchasing from England. Best place to shop is the FINE folks at Ensignbus in England.

#2: The Regent (or RT)

Easily the most enduring of all London's buses, the Regent (or RT) bus. Built starting way back in 1939, there were RT buses in use on London's roads until 1979!

With over seven-thousand built and multiple variations to service various special tasks (including our own dear Regent Low Height #3,) the RT is a very common "older bus" seen in North America despite being over 14 feet, 4 inches (for it's normal configuration) making it a wee bit over regulatory height for most places... although, again, it's not uncommon to see one with it's roof lopped off.

You may remember an RT driven by James Bond (007) in Live and Let Die... when he sheared off the top on a low bridge! (...but who paid attention to the bus when Jane Seymour needed saving!!!!)

Again, for those interested, I've seen RT buses for sale in North America for anywhere (depending on their condition) from $2,000.00 to $30,000.00 USD. There's really no "sales outfit" for RTs... so you just have to watch eBay or some of the news groups and websites of bus enthusiasts.

#3: The Lodekka

The Bristol Lodekka was never a "London Bus", but serviced the cities and towns outside London... so many times, you'll see hard-core bus enthusiasts decry a Lodekka being listed as a "London Double-Decker Bus"...

Introduced in 1939 and still in regular service in some areas of the UK, this venerable bus is a "low bridge" double-decker (like the RLH,) it's rather short height of only 13 feet, 5 inches make it an ideal bus in North America.

They're sturdy and well put together... and range in price (in North America) from anywhere from $2,000.00 to $50,000.00 USD (depending on condition and any "adjustments" made by the sellers.) I was told of one in my home province of Ontario (owned by a mechanic for a British import company) selling for $25,000.00 CDN running and (obviously) well kept!

So, there's the "top three" older British Buses you may have seen or even ridden on in North American cities and towns...

Now, I'd remind people that there's a specific reason we're looking at RLH 3 which means although you may know of a double-decker for sale near you, we're looking only at acquiring the dream bus.

To that end, please don't forget to think about donating even a dollar to the cause (see the "donate" graphic on the upper-right of the blog) or buying pixel ad space to help us with rescuing the bus...

Help a family reach a dream... and help save a piece of history in the process!

Okay, so my wife, Sue (click here to read her great post!) started talking me into it... and then a few e-mails came in agreeing with her... so I caved in.

Yup.

I've added a "donate" button. (See the right-hand side of the blog...)

TRUST ME, this was not as easy a decision as one would think...

I understand that this dream we're trying to make come true represents a lot to some...

#1: Rescuing and saving a historic vehicle from being scrapped.

#2: Making a dream come true.

#3: Helping a family in hard times.

...and that a smaller donation (literally of a buck or two) is what they want to do instead of "buying pixel ad space" or anything else... and I do appreciate that...

...but I am hoping to deliver value for the money... I was hoping for a leg up vs. a hand out...

That said...

With RLH 3's future so bleak and so little time to act, I have to do whatever it takes...

So, if people need to label me a "cyber beggar", so be it...

Rescuing RLH 3 is important... on many levels... so I thank everyone who donates to us to make the dream a reality.

The "grand total" to start the wheels in motion is $20k in US funds... so if 2,000 readers tossed $10.00 at this, we would be in heaven... or 1,000 people at $40.00... or 20,000 people at $1.00... or a combination thereof...

...or a combination of "donations" with pixel ad sales might do it...

So, here I am... with this very important quest to make this dream into reality... and I am asking... if you thought of helping out with a few bucks, please click the icon on the upper-right of the blog... the one that says "CAN YOU HELP?"... and any amount... $1.00 and up... helps us towards our dream.

Help make a dream come true and help save a historic vehicle...

For more information on RLH 3, click here.

Hey folks...

I've had a few e-mails and whatnot about some shtuff that I thought I'd debunk for you... as pertaining to double-decker buses and the dream in general...

#1: Double-deckers are prone to falling over/rolling.

Answer: Not really. In fact, you're more likely to experience a roll in a standard North American school bus!

Most double-deckers are fitted with anti-rolling mechanisms (usually a long piece of heavy pig-iron mounted on the undercarriage to lower the center of gravity) and the AECs have an excellent track record.

Above (thanks to the London Transport Museum) is an old picture demonstrating the anti-roll abilities of an AEC Regent bus... the "dream bus" (RLH 3) is a "low height" version of the above... so I'm pretty secure.

That, and a tip-top speed of 35 mph definitely limit the chances of a "roll".

#2: The buses are too tall for roaming other than in particular areas. If you get it, you'll never be able to drive it.

Answer: Nope. In Ontario, it's height is dandy.

In this neck of the woods, a vehicle must be 4.15 meters high to be considered "overheight". RLH 3 is only about 4.01 meters tall... to quote Maxwell Smart, "Missed it by that much!" which is a good thing here!

Yup, none of what you see below...

Oh, don't panic... the above image was from a "safety film" with a stunt driver... although in Niagara Falls a Routemaster did once lose it's top to a low bridge... (click here and scroll down a ways...) but again, the Routemaster is not a "low height" bus.

#3: Okay, fine... it's not overheight, but you could never ship it! Putting it on rails or a flat-bed truck could never work!

Answer: Actually, it does and it has worked...

Granted, in all my reading, it's usually been "the other way" (heading from East to West... not West to East...) but one has to assume it's a workable deal. I have actually gotten a quote from a company in California for the shipping...

To show what this looks like, I've borrowed (with apologies) two images from The British Buses Abroad in North America Fotopic website run by Paul Bateson (who's truly the "go to guy" for information on British Buses on the continent)...

Above is an RLH (same model as RLH 3) being sent from just outside of Toronto to Halifax to board a ship back to England...

Above is three Routemaster buses that were sent via rail to Niagara Falls... again, remember that the Routemaster is a taller bus than the Regent Low Height.

So, it is possible to do this... which is important as RLH 3 is not a running bus... she'll need a lot of engine work first before she'll roll under her own power.

There you have it... Some questions answered, I hope...

In other news, I will be "renting" my blog (selling a wee advertising space for "credits",) via BlogExplosion... check back in a week if you're interested! Helping us get some new traffic is a big help to seeing the dream come true!

By far, the most "viewed" entries on this blog are my wife's entry,my post about the terror arrests in Toronto, and the post about the Bas Rutten and Iron Shiek YouTube videos. Hmmm... apparently only my wife's post about the bus is popular! (*sniff*) Oh well, I liked it too... she embodied the passion perfectly.

Remember: We're still running a cool contest and only have ONE entry so far... C'mon folks! Help us get the bus and get one for yourself!

Just some quick notes...

SCADS of great e-mails and attention for my wife's post (the last post before this one) and even another BLOGMAD'S BLOG OF THE DAY honour! What can I say... She's a better writer and more passionate than myself.

We also had the privilege of being the subject of Nataša's First Posting on her Advice Blog! This was very kind and we're following up with three of her ideas! Thanks Nataša!

Lastly, we only have ONE participant so far in our contest for cool bus prizes! C'mon bloggers and webmasters, give it some thought!

Once again, please have a read of my wife's post as it is truly a thing of beauty... and even came close to making me get teary at my office!

Thanks for everyone's support!!! Fingers crossed the dream will become a reality!

Yes, this is a guest post ....I thought that some of you may be curious as to what the wife REALLY thinks about this bus dream!

Firstly, I'm not really a "bus widow" .... I just wanted to use that title for this post. ..

On the contrary Matthew has always supported MY dreams, hopes, and aspirations far above his own. I can honestly say the needs of this family have never been superceded by his own personal goals and wishes.

Some of you may be saying, "So what, that is how it should be!" And yes, you are right! But sadly I do know through my own past experiences, and that of many of my girlfriends and male buddies that this is definitely NOT the rule in a lot of relationships!

So now you know a little more about the character of my "bus loon" ...

A man with a simple dream to save a historical bus from scrap and perhaps restore it to it's former glory. And I am very happy to say that the majority seem to be in support of him and at the very least understand the importance of hanging on to a dream even when times are tough and perhaps the dream may never be realised.

I want to save this bus! I want to assist Matthew in fulfilling this one dream!

Why? Because this bus deserves to be saved and because EVERYONE deserves to have just one dream or wish granted no matter how small or simple, and no matter how meaningless or insignificant to others.

Yes, I suggested a donation button for those who may want to assist no matter how small with rescuing RLH 3. And I see nothing wrong with this.

It is ironic that some of the same sites who have put this down as beneath them are also littered with affiliate advertising links and quite openly ask for you to click on them. I even came across one webmaster who was very vocal about putting others down, "begging" people in a chat room to click on their ad links! So to those folks I say stopping being such hypocrites. There is nothing wrong with putting a few bucks into your pocket at the end of the month .... but we do have a much bigger goal!

This is about saving a historical bus and sharing a dream ...... And, if anything I have personally learned far more than I ever needed to know about Double-Decker buses as I support Matthew 100% in his determination to obtain this bus. And for this I say thank you ... you have brought me knowledge and a passion that I may have never found on my own and that is a good thing!

Matthew will be reading this at the same time many of you are .... I asked him if I could write up a guest post and knowing my own mercurial ways he put a lot of trust in me by handing me the keys to this blog!

So to Matthew personally ... I love you, I support you, and yes I too share your dreams .... never let anyone put you down or try to take them away. You are a very good man! And YES in at least one person's opinion you deserve the opportunity to rescue this bus!

This was VERY nice...

Dear DoubleDecker Site.

I read through your site and love it. I also love your dream and share it. When I was young, I took London buses to school and back and was very sad to see the old doubledeckers pulled from the road. I have very fond memories of that time in my life.

I'd like to help you and your family save the bus, but can't do too much. Do you have a PayPal account I can use to give you a few dollars towards your dream?

This was VERY kind... but the answer is (currently) no.

I've vowed NOT to have a "cyber-begging" site with donations button... nope... I want to be able to offer some value for those who help us out.

I did, however, tell the fellow about HelpCoverTheBus.Com where he can purchase a small pixel ad...

...but again, right now, I'm avoiding the "cyber-beg" thing.

Still, there was a discussion about this on the home front... my wife feels that, perhaps, a "Donate" button would be appropriate... but I'd like to give that some thought as I have read too many nasty comments from folks about "cyber-beggars".

I dunno... of course, I *want* to accelerate the dream coming true... but do not wish to earn the wrath of the denizens of the dreaded 'net...

Decisions, decisions...

WE'VE SOLD THE FIRST 1,800 PIXELS ON THE SITE!!! HelpCoverTheBus.Com has had it's first sale!

Thanks to GetRealInOntario for their many kindnesses to us and our dream!

Two Quick Reminders...

http://www.doubledeckerbuses.org/oldgreenbus/whatswiththebus.htm is where the "whole story" on why this bus is special is at... it's a good story and I got THREE e-mails telling me it's easier to read then most of my long-winded stuff.

Click here for the contest we're running...

You've been warned! This is a two-person blog as of now!

I've spoken about her enough here... and now she too can comment/post blog entries here...

Yup, the "Bus Widow" herself, my wife has requested access to post!

Anyway, as a quick reminder...

http://www.doubledeckerbuses.org/oldgreenbus/whatswiththebus.htm is where the "whole story" on why this bus is special is at...

Click here for the contest we're running...

For those interested in what on Earth could be so special as to cause a reasonably(?) normal man to start all this nonsense over a bus... and you haven't been able to glean it from this blog yet... PLEASE...

http://www.doubledeckerbuses.org/oldgreenbus/whatswiththebus.htm

Click the link above... (It opens a new browser window so you won't lose a Blogmad or BlogExplosion session.)

It tells the whole story... in a FAIRLY short version (I tried my best!)

Let me know what you think!

Oh, and remember, the contest (click here) is still on! Help me get the word out AND win a fabulous prize or three! C'mon folks, help a family and a dream!

It's Wednesday... and like Arthur Dent with Thursdays, I could never get the hang of Wednesdays...

Not an auspicious start to the contest or the day..

The contest is another case of (apparently) "The Crowd Went Mild~!" (My thanks to Bryan Alvarez of www.f4wonline.com for that line...) with no comments or offers of help DESPITE the magnificent cheap chicanery... er, prizes I offered.

Oh, what's this about? See yesterday's last posting... or click here... Hey, it's open to ANYONE and if you assist us in getting the bus, you could win yourself one!

Anyway, there's still hope... perhaps someone will give us a hand.

To add insult to injuries on a rotten Wednesday, I got an e-mail from my contact in Santa Rosa who has "upped" the costs a wee bit... well, up by $7,000.00 USD!

He figures that the bus will probably cost about $8k and the shipping, thanks to rising fuel costs since the first quote, will be close to $12k...

ARRRGH!

So, now it's $20k to make the dream come true...

"He who hesitates often pays more..."

Oh well, the "pixel" site, HelpCoverTheBus.Com, if successful will provide that plus an extra $7k which will help cover other expenses... so the contest is MORE valuable to us now than ever.

I'm removing the page about "Advertising On The Bus During Shipping" (which was my other idea) and conglomerating it, so to speak, with the pixel site... I figure that whomever buys/purchases the MOST advertising pixels should be allowed to advertise on the bus as it's shipped from Santa Rosa to Toronto. Seems only fair.

So, a nice big re-write of the original website... and then it should be done.

So, folks, fingers crossed for us... this is the "big push", so to speak... let's hope we can make this happen!

Let's hope the dream will come true for me and the family!

Resorting to cheap chicanery... part deux...

CALL 'EM... PRIZES!!!

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Okay, so here's the deal...

I have three PRECIOUS items that I'm willing to give away for help...

There's three types of help that could net you one OR ALL of these spectacular prizes is...

All three involve the "pixel ad" site, HelpCoverTheBus.Com.

Here's what the details of what I'm hoping folks can do...

#1: Get the name of my pixel site out there and people interested in visiting it. You cannot use promises of "porn" or "money"... nor fib about it's content. You also cannot spam people mercilessly. Lastly, no "redirects" or the like... Basically, if you come up with an interesting or unique way that, indeed, garners the site positive attention, and I notice a good jump of UNIQUE hits on the counter, you will be in contention for one of these FABULOUS prizes!

#2: If you manage to sell a good quantity of my pixel ad space (again, no lies, untruths, or otherwise misdirection!), you could win one OR ALL of these spectacular prizes...

#3: If you can get me a LEGITIMATE response from the fine folks at Golden Palace Casino (keeping in mind, I will be checking for "spoofed" addresses and fakes...) either saying something like, "No, we're not interested in helping this goob.", "Not bad! We're giving serious consideration on helping these folks make their dream come true!", or, best of all, "We're on board all the way! We want to get these people the bus and make their dream come true!", this could win you one OR ALL of these fab prizes!

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The way to "win" a prize (or all of them) is this...

If you "help" and get the word out or get a legit response from Golden Palace Casino in the positive... or negative... but it doesn't lead to the purchase of the bus and it's shipping, then you could win ONE of the prizes.

If you actually manage to, in the time allotted (see below), get us the help we need to make the dream come true, then you win 'em all! (And a letter with MANY thanks!)

THE TIME FOR THIS CONTEST IS TWO WEEKS (fourteen days) FROM TODAY... JUNE 13th, 2006.

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So, anyone who tries, we'll let you know who the winners are on June 27th.

KEEP IN MIND, simply putting up a graphic or even a text link to the pixel site MIGHT be enough to win a prize! (If no one does anything more impressive, this is all it might take!)

Click here for the banners and graphics...

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NOW, here's the fabulous prizes...

Above is a "friction" bus... pull it back, and she goes! (Beside the pics is a 9 volt battery to let you judge size.) It's in EXCELLENT condition (practically new!) and has only been in a "static display"... It is die-cast metal... it's a Routemaster and it's built by "Welly".

Above is a RARE "PSICAN Bus"! This was a weak-butt attempt to create a cute bit of "swag" to sell when we were at paranormal events... it didn't fly and this is the ONLY one I put together. I admit, the stickers are cheesey, but hey, it's an original! It's also die-cast metal... another Routemaster. It's a "no-name" made in China... except the stickers and applications, which were done in Toronto.

The above is a metal bus pin... a tie pin or "badge". It's wee, but cute. It more closely resembles an RT model bus and was a WH Smith "souvenir" from England.

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NOW, if you decide to take part and do something to help, you will need to do the following...

Either post a comment here (on the blog) telling us what you did/are doing OR e-mail the same information so we can keep track of how you're doing.

FOLLOW THESE EASY RULES...

#1: No spamming... no trying to get people to visit the site via "spam" mailings.

#2: No re-directs... no false links on a site or blog... no "fooling" people to visit the site.

#3: STAY LEGAL! No breaking laws of the land for this!

#4: Your final effort, if interested in a prize, MUST be finished and sent in to us before June 27th at 4pm EST.

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So, there you go... the winner(s) will be decided by my wife and myself based on pretty much everything... success, originality, interest, and creativity.

ONCE a winner has been selected, we will send an e-mail to either the ONE (assuming someone actually makes the whole thing happen and gets us the bus) or the THREE (first, second, and third)... alerting them.

IF three people win, there will be a "first", "second", and "third" prize awarded... and how that will work is the FIRST prize winner has their pick of which of the three things they want. The second goes next. The third gets the one that's left over.

WE WILL SHIP THE PRIZES AT OUR OWN EXPENSE (via standard parcel post... and we will mention that they are NOT "taxable" as they are free prizes/gifts to avoid tariffs.) Please allow fourteen days after winning to receive the prize... we'll do our best to get it out to you as quick as possible!

C'mon... try to get a bus for us AND a bus for yourself in the process!

Help Make Our Dream Come True!

THIS "CONTEST" STARTS NOW!

(9 Volt Battery Available Upon Request to The First Winner.)

BLOG MAD BLOG OF THE DAY - TWO DAYS IN A ROW!

Again, today, WE ARE BLOGMAD'S BLOG OF THE DAY!!!!

Thank you VERY much to all the "BlogMadders" who are voting for us and supporting our dream! We (all of my family and I) thank you VERY, VERY much!!!!

Now, cut it out before someone accuses me of "skewing" or using a bot!

Resorting to cheap chicanery...

BRIBES!

No, not of BlogMad or BlogExplosion credits... something more tangible...

Over the last couple of years, through gifts and whatnot, I've amassed a large collection of double-decker bus stuff and London Transport stuff... and a lot of that is "toy" buses...

So, here's what I'm thinking...

TONIGHT, I'll go home, pick two or three of my favourite "toys", take a nice (as possible) digital picture of them... and then offer them up.

Yes, I'll actually SHIP these toys to whoever, over the next week does the best job of the following...

#1: Helps me get the word out about my pixel site... HelpCoverTheBus.Com

#2: Anyone who can even get me a "Sorry, we're not interested in helping this goob!" or, even better, a "Yeah, we're thinking about it..." e-mail pertaining to HelpCoverTheBus.Com and our dream of owning/rescuing the bus... good ol' RLH 3... from the FINE folks at Golden Palace Casino! (Keeping in mind, I will be checking for "spoofed" addresses and fakes...)

Basically, help us obtain our dream and rescue the bus, I'll send you a (toy) bus! (...or a piece of London Transport shtuff.)

C'mon, WHO can resist such cheap chicanery... er, such a marvellous incentive to help us out???

Check back here at around 8pm EST (if not earlier) and I'll have the pics and details online!

Get a bus helping us to get our bus!

I GOT TO USE QUEEN ELIZABETH'S LINE TODAY!

Ah, witty reparte!

...albeit stolen...

Person on Subway: "Excuse me, but you look just like that guy I've seen on TV who was on a show about ghosts."

Me: "How reassuring."

(I've done a few documentaries and news thingies with my site/group on ghosts... nothing that pays, sadly...)

Hee hee! I'll take a clever line from anyone... even Queen E. The Twoth.

...granted, I then spent a fun filled trip home listening to tales about someone's late grandmother... not that I mind, but en route from work to home, I'm not at my "brightest"...

WILL YOU BE MY PUBLICIST?

So I'm reading through the Million Dollar Webpage for ideas on how to get HelpCoverTheBus.Com going... I mean, he made $1million (and some change) from his... mine has a grand total possibility of $27,000.00... which is all I need to buy the bus and definitely secure it. ($13k minimum)

(Oh, if you have no clue about what I'm talkin' about, click here to read more...)

Anyway, apparently the fellow hired a publicist... granted, he schilled for a few folks to buy some adspace from him and used that money.

Now, since I'm only trying for a much smaller amount via the sale of pixel ads, having money to hire a publicist is not really a possibility... at least, not in the long haul... or is it?

Gawd, I am SUCH an amateur!

So, blog-folk... can anyone help? How can I...

#1: Get the name of the site et al out there?

#2: How can I hire/recruit a publicist with $0.00 in the budget?

HELP ON ANOTHER FRONT NEEDED...

Also, MANY people have suggested contacting Golden Palace Casino who usually help folks like us with kooky ideas and whatnot... and I have tried to contact them with the story... with no luck at all... in fact, my e-mails have bounced.

If ANYONE knows a good contact for them (not listed on their website), PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know... I'd be very grateful.

MANY THANKS TO BLOG-MADDERS!!!!

Woo-hoo! Blog of the day!!!

Thanks to everyone! BlogMad folks RAWK!

Do you think I'm a wee bit long winded? Apparently, one person did and found the NICEST way to say it...

Hello DDBG!

First of all, I want to congratulate you on a great blog and I hope you achieve your dream. I read all your journals and love your writing style.

I saw today's post (Editor's Note: Yesterday's) and wanted to know what the Egyptian picture was all about? [-- Snip! --]

Egads! That would be this one...

Well, it was explained in a LOT of detail in the last post... Click here to read that... (scroll down past the article on spam...)

...BUT, in the interest of keeping my readers happy, here's the "Reader's Digest" version...

- Worked in a store with a nice guy who had a son.
- In same store, got free hockey tickets one day.
- Gave tickets to nice guy and son.
- Son drew me picture as a birthday gift.

Sorry the original post was so long... but it was a heck of a memory and I wanted to share it.

Don't worry... this isn't a "slam" or a kvetch about people accusing me of being "long winded"... I know it's true... but I like giving detail.

In my eyes, as a writer, it's in my best interest to try and bring you on the journeys I've taken from all angles... so you can (hopefully) experience things as I did.

Still, I'll do my best to shorten my posts... including this one.

So, in the vein...

Trying to get bus. Bus is a dream and important. Have a pixel site. Need help getting the word about it out there. PLEASE HELP.




Webmasters and bloggers, please click on the banner above and visit the FAQ and consider helping by putting a graphic or banner on your site to help spread the word.

Howzat?

Spam Kills Dreams

To quote Kurt Angle, "It's true! It's true!"

Not too long ago, I only had a website about our dream of owning the bus... it was a side-project (much like this) and I tried to make it worth people's while to visit the site.

One of the things I did was create a "dream book". It was a modified guest book to allow other's to share their dreams...

Just like here, I pointed out that "dreams" and "goals" are distinct creatures and that it should be something that would make people very happy... something that would be a "pipe-dream", if you will... like I've said here, my family's goal is to own a home. This is the goal we are working towards ourselves... The dream is to rescue RLH 3.

Through this blog, I've heard things like a tank, a really awesome car, and even (wryly) Kylie Minogue! It's fun to read... and good for people to dream...

Anyway, the "book" was a moderate success... people used it quite a lot. Things like "A Hobby Farm", "A Sports Card Store", and "A Really Good Telescope" popped up... and it was fascinating to see people's dreams.

...then the spammers came...

Suddenly, the dreams that people had written were overshadowed by "Buy C1a11is Ch3ap!" and the like...

More and more, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, spammers hit with a vengeance. It became a full-time job deleting, editing, banning, and trying to modify the code to prevent it... until...

I had to delete the book.

I couldn't help thinking that some schmuck and/or their "bot" didn't care about people's dreams... they didn't care about the havoc they caused... They only needed to let the world know that they had "V1agkara" to sell... and be damned anything else.

I see this happening all too often on blogs... the comments areas fill with spammers... the "blogger" has to then delete, edit, ban... again, a full time job.

These spammers don't care about content... or the work they make other's do... how their "business" costs time, effort, and eventually frustration to the point of silencing people as they can't be bothered to "clean up" after these cretins.

Nope...

After all, they're "online marketers" who are simply plying their trade... at the expense of literally everyone else.

My HelpCoverTheBus.Com website has only been in existence for about a week or two at the writing of this. I created three e-mail addresses to support it... they are new and unused... and yes, to make communications for the masses easier, I've left them "unmolested" and linked on the page.

These addresses, never used for "signing up" to anything, now get about a dozen spam mails per day.

...and yeah, I've got over four-hundred hand-typed spam filters... and no, I'm not interested in buying or installing new ones, thanks...

I just delete the spam...

...hey, my paranormal e-mail addresses get an average of a little over 200 spam mails per day as many of these e-mail addies date back to 1997. Again, it's filtered... but still they slip in.

My point here?

Well, it's getting close to election time for many... so I ask you to do one little thing...

Consider, when your candidate comes to your door or when they call you... ask them, "What will you do to help stop spam e-mail?"

Tougher laws and legislation MIGHT stop some of it... fine the pants off spammers... fine the pants off their service providers... shut these turds down.

Don't let the "marketing lobby groups" TRY to claim it's all in the name of business... 'cuz it isn't. We don't let Sears put billboards on our front lawns, why would bloggers and web admins allow "businesses" to do the same on "free" message boards or comment sections?

PLEASE help toughen the laws on spammers...
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My Most Prized Possession

I've said it before... and I have to say it again... I'm not a religious man. Sunday is not my day of rest, it's my housework day.

In cleaning up, I recently found my most precious possession... and I'd like to share it with you.

Back in the mid-1990's, I worked in a software retail store in a "ritzier" part of the City of Toronto. The shop was owned by two Iranian men... one of whom was a bit of a... um... problem and the other I liked very much.

They also had an acquaintance working for them... also Iranian... a wonderful man... tall, lean, salt-and-pepper hair, big bushy moustache... he had a weathered face that seemed to be the exact image you'd get if someone was to describe a "generic" Arabic featured man. He had a wonderful voice with an easy-on-the-ears accent... and was friendly and warm... and generally, a good soul to have around.

He was not wealthy... his job didn't pay all that well... but he worked hard to support his family. They were fighting to get Canadian citizenship very hard... and all of us in the store would have done anything to help.

I'd like to tell you his life story... it deserves telling... it was fascinating... but I can't. I haven't seen the man in ages, and it's his story... and I'd want him to tell it.

He had a young son... mostly raised in Toronto... he was a happy, energetic kid who, on rare occasions, visited his dad at the shop. He was so fond of his father that it was amazing and heartwarming to see them together. My "job", when he was in, was to set up a "display computer" with a game or two for him to amuse himself while we worked.

This kid, being a real Torontonian first, was enamoured with hockey. He was a fan of all things Toronto Maple Leafs. He'd sit and talk about them ad nauseam... it reminded me of when I was a kid when Borje Salming, Daryl Sitler, Wayne Thomas, Tiger Williams, and Lanny MacDonald were my heroes.

One of my own fondest childhood memories of my father was him taking me to games... and we'd watch them and cheer on the ol' blue and white... We'd sit in the "reds" with his company's tickets and I'd get overly excited... and I'd read the programs over and over again until the pages literally were in tatters.

The software shop being located where it was provided more than a few "corporate clients" and some folks who had the "means" to certain things... and one of my customers (did I mention that the customers at that store were THE BEST! Those were fond memories of dealing with people there...) and I were kibitzing about life in general when hockey came up.

He told me that he had "season's tickets" and on occasion, had spares... needless to say, I was thrilled! I hadn't seen a live game in over a decade... and memories of my dad made me giddy at the thought... so I gently suggested that, should he have spares again, I'd love to go...

True to his word, about a week later, he deposited two "red" tickets to a game.

You see, Toronto's a funny hockey town... even when the team sucks, tickets are rare and expensive... very expensive... and very rare... so this was a huge thrill. I was ecstatic.

I called my (now long ex) girlfriend and told her the great news! She had never been to a game in her life and we were going!

I hung up the phone and turned around... there was the mustached fellow... he congratulated me on the tickets.

I didn't hesitate for a minute...

I handed the tickets to him and said, "Please, take your son. He'll get a way bigger kick out of this than I will."

Of course, he refused... until I insisted... "I will go again. I've already been to many games with my dad. It'll mean way more to him and give him a great memory."

I called my (ex) girlfriend and broke the news... I was half-expecting to be on the defensive and take a bit of a tongue-lashing for giving away a night out... but no, she was understanding and said that I'd done the "right thing".

A couple of months later, the day after my birthday, the mustached fellow presented me, at the store, with a large piece of paper... on it was two Egyptian figures... it was from his son.

A "Happy Birthday" gift... and a thank you for those tickets.

Hunter S. Thompson once said, "You'll never know when you'll get defined by a moment."... I'd like to think this was mine.

The paper/card/drawing/gift represented so much... me doing the right thing... being a little selfless... a kid's dream... a memory with a father... so many levels. This paper was/is precious to me.

Sadly, a few years back, it was almost destroyed... I was living with another now ex-girlfriend... she over watered a plant in our apartment and used this "old piece of paper" to mop up the spill... I just about died.

Oh, I was angry... and I did vent (thankfully, I'm not a violent man... as I was really outraged...) but I calmed down, accepted the fact that she didn't understand the gravity of this old piece of paper... dried it out, and placed it in between two pieces of cardboard to protect it.

Well, I found it today... and scanned it...

I want to share it with you... as it has SO much meaning to me... and maybe to you now too...

If you were to say to me to that I MUST give up a possession and I had RLH 3... and it was this drawing or it, I'd hate to watch the bus go... but...

I dunno why I want to share this... perhaps as a caveat about dreams... and being selfless... and perhaps the whole "dream" thing makes it important... but either way, I hope you did "get something" out of this...

It's funny to think that right now, there's a twenty-plus-year old man walking around... who's probably unaware of how his simple act of kindness and thanks has really left a huge mark in my life.

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Addendum: The username I use on most message boards is "Inconvenient Facts". This was gleaned from the title of a book, "Inconvenient Facts and the Will to Believe" by Karl Pflock...

I just found out that Mr. Pflock passed away this week... his witty columns and interesting take on things often seen in Saucer Smear will be missed...

Click here for a biography of Karl Pflock...

I got a wonderful e-mail from a new friend named Steve who is a "schoolie"... someone who's converted a school bus into a camper.

Steve read then site and the blog and managed to get ahold of a "floor plan" for an RLH (Regent Low Height) and sent in his version of the floor plan I might use for the bus...

Steve is also in the process of setting up a website about his journeys and adventures in his bus... and has "vowed" to support the dream with a nice banner back to the "pixel" site to help us out.

Once Steve is set up, I'll post the URL!

Thanks Steve!

Actually, today was NOTHING but nice e-mails and support! Yup, no grumpy folks today!

Perhaps my last posting sunk in and they simply ignore me now... which is FINE!

Oh, Steve also sent me a link (which I already did know about, but let me share it with you) to The British Bus Conversion Site which is really just a message board for people converting... well... British buses.

Well, not much to report for today in any direction... so let me get the now familiar "beg" for help out of the way and sign off...

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I ask you give some consideration to visiting my "Pixel" site at HelpCoverTheBus.Com...

We're rather DESPERATELY trying to get attention to this site to help make the dream come true.

Please, if you have a blog or a webpage, consider going to the site above (clicking on the banner or the link opens a new browser so you won't lose any Blogmad or BlogExplosion session.)

If you want to see what this dream is REALLY all about, click here and read about it... please... if you haven't before.

Anyway, if you own a blog or website, please give some thought to putting up a small banner or graphic to help me out... Go to the HelpCoverTheBus.Com website and click on the FAQ...

You'd be helping to make a dream come true!

Got some heated e-mails today... about a couple of things.

First of all, my post about how this blog isn't a "cyber beg" blog got some heat... basically, it was about how I was "lying" and that this blog and whatnot ARE cyber-panhandling... which is interesting as there's no "PayPal Donate" buttons and not once have I asked for cash... Still, it was more e-mails from folks (possibly "folk" singular using multiple e-mails) who need help with spelling and DESPERATELY need a thesaurus. I mean, the way they use certain adjectives proves this... To paraphrase Mick Foley, they'd use the "F" word three times to describe a new born puppy.

What can I say... I can't tell people to NOT think a certain way... especially if they're not willing to read and learn.

All I can say to these folks is if this site and blog REALLY annoy you, both BlogMad and BlogExplosion (which is how I assume you're finding this site) have "ignore" features that allow you to tell them you NEVER want to read or see this blog again.

Although, again I state, this blog is about a LOT more than our goal of rescuing the bus... and we hope we're offering good content that would make people read regardless.

Secondly, I got both VERY good e-mails and VERY angry e-mails over last night's posted story.

The good ones felt as I did and LOVED the story... which yes, is a TRUE story from a double-decker driver for a tour company.

The nasty one's were only about one thing... "Too Long".

I shouldn't say "nasty", 'cuz only a few were really cruel or resorted to nasty comments... the other's simply said "Too Much To Read For A Blog Entry".

For those, I submit a SAMPLE of why it's worth reading...

I was aware that the soldiers were onboard, they entered by the back door. There were still a stack of them in the front, all in the light of Grunts' headlights and a few more trying to pull open the drivers door all yelling and screaming, I just sat there with my hands up and ****ting myself. It was obvious that they didn't know how to work the handle or were too excited to even look at it. I opened the door and was immediately grabbed and dragged from the cabin onto the ground, I went down and stayed down. One of the soldiers had his bayonet at my throat, it was attached to an AK47.

So, if that sample doesn't get ya, I don't know what will!

Like I said, think about printing it out... read it later... it's a fascinating story and I can't thank Trevor enough for sharing it with us and allowing us to share it with you.

So, if you didn't read it (or haven't as of yet,) please click here and give it a scan.

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One last thing... Give some consideration to my gentle public "tag" I put out there... and take some time to list your "dream" in your blog or in the comments section on this post or this one (click here). If you do add your dream to your blog, PLEASE comment and let us know where to look...

Remember: Goals and Dreams are separate... Our "goal" is to own a home. Our "dream" is the bus... so what's your dream?

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Now, the standard "beg" of this blog...

I ask you give some consideration to visiting my "Pixel" site at HelpCoverTheBus.Com...

We're rather DESPERATELY trying to get attention to this site to help make the dream come true.

Please, if you have a blog or a webpage, consider going to the site above (clicking on the banner or the link opens a new browser so you won't lose any Blogmad or BlogExplosion session.)

If you want to see what this dream is REALLY all about, click here and read about it... please... if you haven't before.

Anyway, if you own a blog or website, please give some thought to putting up a small banner or graphic to help me out... Go to the HelpCoverTheBus.Com website and click on the FAQ...

You'd be helping to make a dream come true!

Sounds like something from today's headlines... but it's not.

"Grunt" is/was an old Bristol Lodekka double-decker bus (there's a picture of the bus below). She was used for "special tours" through Europe and elsewhere through Top Deck Travel and a former driver named Trevor from Australia sent me the following story that he gave me permission to share... I know it's lengthy, but trust me... it's worth it.

TRUST ME, this is a long BUT WORTH IT story... so you might consider printing it...

BUT FIRST... a couple of notes (think of it as those annoying commercials they now run before you see a movie)...

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In my usual beg, I ask you give some consideration to visiting my "Pixel" site at HelpCoverTheBus.Com...

I'm rather DESPERATELY trying to get attention to this site to help make the dream come true.

Please, if you have a blog or a webpage, consider going to the site above (clicking on the banner or the link opens a new browser so you won't lose any Blogmad or BlogExplosion session.)

If you want to see what this dream is REALLY all about, click here and read about it... please... if you haven't before.

Anyway, if you own a blog or website, please give some thought to putting up a small banner or graphic to help me out... Go to the HelpCoverTheBus.Com website and click on the FAQ...

Thank you, and now, on to the story...

Addendum July 21st, 2006: Good news! The article on "Grunt" below and it's latest update are available here for download in PDF format! CLICK HERE for the PDF document!

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"Grunt" Goes To Kabul
Sent to your's truly by Trevor...

Editors Notes: Trevor is an Australian who came across the "main site" for this blog, www.DoubleDeckerBuses.org/OldGreenBus/ and was very kind in his e-mails of support for our dream. He sent in the following report from his days as a driver for Top Deck Travel. My whole family thanks Trevor for his support... and hope you enjoy the story... it's incredible. What you're about to read has only been edited to allow "blog coding"...

I was employed with an Australian company, Top Deck Travel (http://www.topdeckreunion.com/) conducting tours in old double decker buses converted to carry 22 passengers and crew. The bus sat, slept and maintained everybody, it was fully self contained with a kitchen and bunks. I was asked to head to Kathmandu with one of the older Top Deck buses, 'Grunt', they all had names. Grunt is a Bristol Lodekka, built in 1954 and used as a English country bus up until about 1972/3. We had seven passengers for the trip out to Kathmandu, they had paid 99 pounds for the trip, this included food kitty, they expected nothing other than the ride of their life. An all inclusive trip, transport, beds and meals all taken care of by Grunt. They were also aware that sightseeing was to be minimal, this group turned out to be a really good bunch of people who enjoyed the ride. If only they realized that I was teaching John (another Top Deck employee), while he was teaching me and that by the time we got to Kathmandu, they the passengers would have about as much experience on the overland that John and I had.

London to Kathmandu in three weeks, it was daunting, I was to teach John the job and how to drive on the way. When there, we were to join two other buses for a return journey, Moose and Acko were the two drivers. The need for Grunt was brought on by extra bookings for that particular Kathmandu departure. Like any good business, Top Deck never knock back bookings, any problem could be solved, additional bookings just send another bus to Kathmandu, simple. John, 6 male Australians, I English female and I left London on the 10 April, 1978.

In that short three weeks Grunt would cover in excess of 12,000 kilometers at a top speed of about 75 kilometers per hour with a tail wind, any hill would slow us to a crawl and on this route there were some hills, lots of them. I saw some wonderful things, just the scenery, where people lived and different styles of villages and towns, after passing through Istanbul the country that unfolded was all new for me. Some of the trip was a blur as we just drove solidly for day and night, we alternated from the driving to a bunk upstairs, the first stretch was London to Istanbul, the second from there to Tehran so basically it was one stop other than fuel and provisions until Tehran. During that time I did notice things like mount Ararat, the resting place of Noah and his Ark on the left in north-east Turkey. I was in for a big surprise when traveling through Iran, for some reason I expected little habitation, but found it to be quite modern with numerous fuel stations and very cheap fuel. This was a big change as Turkey had massive fuel shortages that would remain for a number of years to come. (I did get to have a look in Tehran, the capital of Iran, then still controlled by the Shah.) I really liked Tehran, we frequented a great bar with nice mugs of frothy beer, steaks and pizzas. The women in Tehran were beautiful, the ones I noticed were as they had piecing eyes, and appeared to flirt, or was that my imagination. The nice looking ladies at the Tehran telephone exchange were all flirts, but I was aware that playing with these ladies was like stepping into a minefield. While flirting at the telephone exchange, I rang Mick Carroll in London and told him that I could live here in Tehran, I was so impressed with the place.

"Grunt", our bus which carried us across Afghanistan, on the Herat Kandahar Road, those on the road brushing their teeth, those in the gully just doing their business. (Click the image above to see a larger version.)

We free camped outside a fire station not far from the enormous markets, they allowed us to use their facilities, new tyres were purchased for Grunt as they were much cheaper here than in the UK or Europe as was the fuel. After that short administrative layover in Tehran we continued onto Afghanistan, at that time controlled by President Douad, but as we were soon to learn, not for long. The transit visa's that had been issued to us indicated that Afghanistan was to be closed to foreigners from 30.4.78 to 12.5.78, we had to enter prior to the 26.4.78 to allow us enough time to get across and out before the 30th.

We arrived at the border between Iran and Afghanistan on the 25.4.78 it was an eye opener, the Irani side was ultra modern, with parking bays where vehicles were stripped and searched. All travelers had to pass a small museum within the complex displaying trophies. This consisted of numerous objects behind glass cases showing how drugs and other contraband had been detected. Gas bottles cut in half with internal containers for hash oil and a little gas bottle, indicating to the uneducated that the bottle actually containing gas, we however found these displays very interesting. We had no troubles with the customs as we were heading east as it was only the people traveling west who got into smuggling drugs and received the attention of the Irani Customs. One fellow in particular we knew as 'The Rat' he was a little bloke who looked like a rodent and would search the bus with a screwdriver, just tapping away, tap, tap, tap, tonk, tap. It was then he would remove panels and conduct a more thorough and invasive search. We never had real concerns with drugs as it was a very strong policy that our buses were dope free. Other's obviously didn't have the same rules as these guys caught plenty, I dread to think what happened to the offenders who would most certainly soon become victims. I always thought that with their reputation and the museum people would be deterred from smuggling dope, but they still caught plenty.

After leaving the Iranian border post there is a drive into the desert, I was told by John that it was a couple of kilometers to the Afghan border post. The roadway was rough, Grunt wasn't happy, it went on and on, it seemed to take forever. I think no mans land was at least 15 kilometers until we reached the Afghan border post. It was like none I had ever seen before. A very poor example of a tin shed was the passport control, there were dead vehicles lying about the place and people trying to get processed. The Afghans here seemed to be absolute dopes, they appeared to understand and do nothing. One thing they did understand however was Bucksheesh, Bucksheesh is a common saying throughout this part of the world meaning 'gift' or payment, commonly used by beggars.

Soon we were on our way, a three hour drive to Herat our first stop into Afghanistan, it was a magic place, a very primitive city, we stayed in a hotel close to the centre. The bus was maneuvered in through the archway to the enclosed courtyard of the small hotel, this was as it always was in Afghanistan, I believed that the archways were tall enough for the buses as previous travelers would have used loaded camels, probably just as high as Grunt. These type of premises offered good security for our vehicle and of course us. It was the case where we would pay a fee for a room with bathroom, these were used by us all with most still sleeping on the bus in the courtyard. It was an arrangement that was frequently used by top Deck on overlands as camping grounds were not readily available and when they were, mostly situated on the outskirts of the city. We had some minor repairs to carry out, mainly a couple of the tyres were punctured and needed fixing. I met a young a Afghani boy of about ten years who insisted on helping me and being my personal guide, he took me around to the various places I needed and made my job a lot easier. I looked after him with some bucksheesh for his troubles for which he was happy. It was only a few Afgani's probably one dollars worth Afgani's was at that time the local currency, something we shortened to af's. I have often wondered what happened to him and others like him who I had dealings with.

The road south to Kandahah from Herat was a good 10 hour drive, the roadway was a good concrete slab surface, I think Grunt enjoyed this. This road was built by the Russians for the Afghani's as an aid project, it also led straight up into the USSR from Herat, that would help later. I believe that the Russians always have an ulterior motive, this later proved to be one of those occasions. The barren landscape was vast, hills and mountains to the north east where very little vegetation was apparent. It was also a lonely place, very few travelers or locals were encountered, just the occasional truck and Police post where the toll was paid.

Kandahah is Afghanistan's second largest city, it is also the gateway to the south into Pakistan and another remote city Quetta, a place that I would visit several times in the future. The whole area has an ancient name, Baluchistan. The people are known as Baluchi's and are very proud of their ancestary, they do not have much regard for borders. We free camped in the desert before Kandahah and went into the city first thing the next morning, the 28th April, 1978. The visit to Kandahah was short, we bought fuel and some fresh food. I loved the bread, it is a flat nan bread baked on hot stone heated from a fire beneath the floor. The bakery was very basic, there was a hole in the floor and the flat pizza shaped dough was placed on a large stone therein, the fire was beneath the stone, the baker using a piece of curved wire reached in and flipped the dough cooking it quickly on each side, for him very hot and monotonous work. It was very interesting to see them make it, I saw but ignored the bakers sweat as it dropped onto the bread, it must have been the salt required for the recipe and added to the taste.

After Kandahah we headed north towards Kabul another 12 hour trip, this time on a good bitumen roadway, Grunt was in heaven, This road had been built by the Americans as an aid project, it didn't take a rocket scientist to work out what the World powers were up to. This road was also a pleasure to drive on, but on a regular basis we were stopped at roadblocks, the Police manned these and a small toll had to be paid.

When we were halfway to Kabul we overtook a very large convoy of Afghan troops also headed north, there would have been several hundred vehicles, trucks with troops, armoured cars and tanks. As we went past them they waved and smiled at us, we reminded our passengers not to take photos as we could end up in bother, as in most countries east of Italy it was frowned upon to photograph anything military or even other places such as bridges, railway stations, government buildings or even a plain old intersection, so we waved and smiled back. The soldiers had flowers hanging out of the barrels of their rifles, I thought this strange, hippies in uniform. I thought nothing of the convoy at the time, even after a further two hours on the road Grunt came across another Military convey of a similar size, this one heading south towards us. Again I thought nothing of them, again we smiled and waved as they did to us. These guys also had flowers in the muzzles of their rifles. I thought that they must have all been on the good Afghani hashish that we had heard so much about.

That evening we were driving through the hills that would lead us down into Kabul, we stopped for a loo stop some 20 kilometres from Kabul. It was dark and overcast and in between concentrating on where I was directing my piddle and not wetting my feet. I was looking at these strange flashes, like lightning coming the direction of Kabul. But, it was different to lightning, the light was coming from the ground up into the clouds above, I couldn't hear anything other than a low thunder sound.

The light show also caught the attention of the others, we all attempted to work out this strange display. One of the group, a university graduate, there is always one clever one on board, explained to us that it was refracted lightning. One other bloke, a farmer from Cooma in New South Wales said to me, "what a load of bullshit, he's a dickhead." I tended to agree on both, it was bullshit and he was a dickhead. But, still I had no idea what it was either.

Never the less, we pressed on into Kabul, driving old Grunt, not much could be heard in the cabin over the engine noise, this was also the case in the rest of the rear cabin, but to a lesser degree. We had a cassette player, microphone and PA system in the drivers cabin, just to the back of the drivers seat. This broadcast our voices and the music of the day to speakers in the drivers cabin, downstairs and upstairs.

I was driving and came across a roundabout after we had passed through what appeared to be an industrial area. I saw things on fire and tanks, it was only then I saw that the tanks were firing at things and lots of people running about. My first thought was "Shit! I'm out of here." I took the bus around the roundabout with the intention of going back the way I had come.

Grunts interior lights were on downstairs and upstairs. The glare blind behind me was down, this was a screen behind the driver to prevent the interior lights reflecting on the inside of the windscreen. Grunt must have stood out like a Christmas tree, I made it around the roundabout and was confronted by lots of soldiers facing me with rifles pointed at me and the bus. I stopped the bus and heard yelling screaming from the back, I was aware that the soldiers were onboard, they entered by the back door. There were still a stack of them in the front, all in the light of Grunts' headlights and a few more trying to pull open the drivers door all yelling and screaming, I just sat there with my hands up and shitting myself. It was obvious that they didn't know how to work the handle or were too excited to even look at it. I opened the door and was immediately grabbed and dragged from the cabin onto the ground, I went down and stayed down. One of the soldiers had his bayonet at my throat, it was attached to an AK47. They were still yelling and screaming, I had no idea what was happening inside the bus, I could only hear the movement of people and the yelling.

One of the soldiers had gotten up into Grunts driver's cabin, he leaned out holding the microphone of the PA system and with a big grin on his face yelled and screamed a stream of unintelligible words. I understood a couple of his words, they were in English. 'Americans', 'radio' and I thought he was saying that we were spies, but maybe that was my imagination. I was very concerned at the time, no more than that, I was still shitting myself, these guys seemed to be totally out of control. I had received a couple of kicks and they were still jumping about, yelling and screaming at me, they were all pointing their guns at me and gesturing with them with thrusts, all of a sudden they calmed down.

A well dressed soldier, he looked like an officer arrived he first spoke to the other soldiers and afterwards spoke to me in English, he was very calm. After explaining who we were and my demonstration of how the PA worked, he informed us that we were under arrest, by this time we were in the bus with the others who were all seated downstairs. John and the passengers looked as worried as I felt. Further discussions took place and I became aware that the officer didn't know what to do with us. It was eventually decided that we would be under arrest at the hotel where we had planned to stay, the 'Jam Hotel'. It was situated in the center of the city, just off Chicken Street, this was the area in Kabul where the markets and travelers hotels were located.

We were escorted to our hotel, on the way I was driving Grunt, I saw numerous fires, soldiers and military vehicles, but none firing their weapons, it all appeared to have settled down. The interior lights in the bus were now off as we didn't want to attract any attention. We arrived at the Jam Hotel I was guided in by John who had been there before. It was another of those enclosed hotels with large secure gates that were closed behind us, inside there was plenty of room to move the bus around. I was later to have three buses together in this same compound. The Jam Hotel was situated just off Chicken Street in the centre of Kabul, it also had a good restaurant that sold fantastic pizzas. I think anything would have been good after what we had been eating for the past 2 weeks. A guard for us was placed outside the hotel gate and we were informed that a curfew was in place.

Once inside and after speaking to the hotel bloke who spoke good English, it became clear to us what was occurring, connected to what he said, what we had seen that day on the highway and what we had just experienced it appeared that we were right in the middle of a civil war, looking back it could have been real trouble for us, but at the time it was interesting and business as usual. All through the night explosions, rifle shots and machinegun fire could be heard.

The following morning I received permission to leave the hotel to notify the Australian and English consulates of our presence. John and the female passenger carried British passports, the rest of us were Australian. After leaving the hotel I saw burnt out tanks all around the area of the Presidential Palace, there were also some bodies in the area, mostly soldiers but some civilian. It appeared that a cleanup was in progress as soldiers were removing the bodies. Armoured vehicles stood guard at most intersections, main roads and government buildings. I again saw flowers protruding from the muzzles of the weapons manned by the soldiers. After notifying the British Consulate I was directed to a house in the suburbs that was maintained by the Australian Government. There, I found the Australian High Commissioner for Pakistan, his wife and their 16 year old son. They informed me that Australia did not have a consulate in Afghanistan, but they maintained this house for consular visits. They also informed me that there had been air strikes in the area the night before and lots of windows had been shattered.

I joined them for lunch, they had an enormous freezer stacked with food, I saw layers upon layers of frozen steaks. I thought of getting John and the rest of the group over to join me, that thought didn't last long, bugger them, I'm right jack. We had first class frozen steak, fosters beer and it was a very pleasant afternoon with very pleasant people. I was looking for a nap after that really nice meal and quite a few cans of fosters. While I was there the young fellow seemed to have a continuous grin on face, just like a kid in a toy factory. It appeared to me that he was enjoying one of the local products, hashish, he looked to be in seventh heaven. I was tempted to join him but that would have finished the day for me.

The High Commissioner told me that I could be waiting around for weeks for them to decide what to do with us. He also said that a Russian controlled faction of the Military had taken control of the Afghani Government. I told him of the two separate army groups facing off in the desert on the road to Kabul from Kandahah. The High Commissioner said that President Douad had been assassinated last evening with his family. Army officers entered the room where he had garrisoned himself with his family and asked for his surrender, he apparently shot each one until he ran out of ammunition. Afterwards he and his family were killed. I later leant that over 7,000 military and civilians were killed during this coup d'etat and that it was a spontaneous action undertaken by the Afghan communists.

I returned to the hotel in the afternoon and found the guard missing, the gunfire and explosions throughout the city had also ceased. I went with John and the passengers into town, I wanted to telephone or send a telegram to London to let them know our whereabouts and situation. I found that all communications outside Afghanistan were cut, we also went to the Ministry of Information which wasn't that far from Chicken street, just to find out if we could leave. I was told by a guard at the gate to return the next day. That night was again spent at the Hotel, we were informed that a curfew still existed, there was some gunfire and explosions heard during the night again, but not as much as the night before. The following morning I returned to the Ministry of Information and found a soldier guarding the entrance, we were again denied entry, but he was very friendly. The soldier had an AK47 with a folding bayonet, he started to show off his skills by presenting arms, he was very proud of himself. He stood with the weapon standing alongside his leg and pulled it up to hold it front of his body, he repeated this several times with a big grin on his face. The last time he pulled up the rifle and the bayonet went straight into his cheek. Blood came out all over him and I left as nonchalantly as I could, it was one of the most difficult things to do, walk away from that and not laugh.

That night was again spent at the hotel and it was a very quiet night, just before dawn the next morning, I steered Grunt out of the Jam hotel and headed for Pakistan, I wanted to get away before somebody realized that we were there and caused us some bother. The drive down Kabul gorge was one of the most fantastic drives I have ever experienced, in low gear for most of the descent, the scenery and the road winding down the gorge for what seemed like forever was unforgettable.

It took some time for Grunt to get to the border with Pakistan, the drive through this part of Afghanistan was totally different from the other parts I had experience, here was quite fertile with stone walls separating farms and paddocks and there were many more people, plus the odd burnt out tank. The Afghan border officials informed us that as we had only transit visa's and that they were not valid from 30 April to 12 May. As this was the 1st of May our visa's were invalid. I attempted to explain our detention and the Coup. The officials didn't have the faintest idea of what John or I were talking about. The fines were paid, only a few dollars each for the visa infringement and we were on our way, I didn't want hang about as somebody might change their minds and have us remain. Grunt was a right hand drive vehicle and on the right hand side of the road. At the border between the two barriers we had to switch over to the left hand side of the roadway, this was a strange feeling, luckily there is little traffic on this border crossing, even though it is the major east west highway. I could imagine the confusion if it was busy.

I thought that the Kabul Gorge was fantastic, but the Khyber pass was also very inspiring but in a slightly different way, the roadway was more primitive and single lane covering both directions. It was a hot, hard and slow climb. The Pathan people control the entire area, they were and are a gentle but very fierce people, I wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of them. As I drove through the pass, I saw men walking about and they all seemed to carry rifles, from Lee Enfields 303's, AK47's and very ancient ones that can only be described as being big elephant rifles.

After getting through the Khyber pass we passed beneath the archway of the Kyber fort where we had to report our departure from the area and into Pakistan. I think the area between the fort and the Afghan border belongs to and is really controlled by the Pathans as it appeared to have its own identity.

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This is how Trevor's story ended... and yeah, it left us wanting more!

The good news is, when he agreed to let me publish this, he also said he was sending a "couple more stories"... and you know they'll be published here.

"Grunt" and it's crew are truly worthy of a movie deal! (Actually, from what I understand, most of the old "Top Deck" crews and buses do!)

Well, if you enjoyed this story as much as we did, PLEASE give some thought to helping us out achieve our dream and possibly have our own "double-decker adventures"! (Hey, my wife and I are paranormal investigators so I can only imagine that RLH 3 will end up with a story or two with us if we should get her!)

Thanks for reading...

#1: I'm Not Begging!

Once again, the tirades against this site continue... Apparently, people are sick of my "begging for money".

Thanks for reading!

POP QUIZ! - How many "Donate Money" buttons/links are on this blog?

Answer: None.

Nope... not "SEND ME MONEY!" comments, no "PayPal Donate" links... nothing like that.

Nope, I've never asked for money. The closest I've come is saying that *if* someone offered to give us the money to see the dream of owning the bus to reality, I wouldn't say no.

WHAT I HAVE ASKED FOR is the following...

Number One: I've BEGGED for IDEAS... "What can I do to get the bus?" I've thrown out the challenge to marketing students and creative thinkers... What can I do to try and save this bus.

Number Two: Following up on one of the ideas sent to me (from the above plea,) I asked if people could "spread the word" or visit the site, HelpCoverTheBus.Com and help me try and get the word out there.

I didn't demand either of these... I asked...

I said, "Hey, if you think the dream is okay and want to help, please do!"

...yet, a few people still say, "He's just begging for money!"

Worse yet, apparently I'm a WEALTHY beggar! Yes, it was insinuated that I was in FINE fiscal shape and simply trying to get "richer"! Wheeee!

For the record, NO... no I'm not. Not at all.

In fact, the only reason I am trying to see this dream to fruition via "online means" is because I'm poorer than the average church mouse and RLH 3 (the bus in question) is in SERIOUS danger of being scrapped or carved up to a level of no longer being restorable... and at my salary, I should be "debt free" in about four years... so buying the bus (or the like) is impossible.

I don't ask for money to "bail me out of my debts" or pay my back rent... no... I'm asking for HELP to obtain a dream.

The former causes, we're working towards that. In doing so, we have NO money left over for dreams... heck, we honestly ARE only barely making ends meet... and sometimes, not even that. Because of this, YES, I'm asking for help lest the dream and the icon for us of better times is gone forever.

SO, to those who STILL feel the need to comment negatively, that's it... like it or lump it.

...and please, if you don't like it OR me... cool... just move on.

This is a dream... for myself and my family... and some may like it and find it interesting to read about, and some may not.

BUT... if you must "damn" me, damn me for what I am... not what you THINK you read when you only briefly scanned this during a 30 second stop-over while gaining BlogMad or BlogExplosion credits.

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Wow, have I got a story for you...

TEASER! Tonight, I'm going to be putting up a short-story sent to me by a double-decker enthusiast and former driver for "Top Deck Travel"... it is a GENUINE barn-burner!

Rarely has something I'm reading SO intrigued me that I almost miss my stop on the subway while going home from work... This story did.

You DON'T have to be a "bus enthusiast" to enjoy it... and I think you're ALL going to love it...

That said, hang in there... I got permission to publish it, and I intend to... tonight!

It involves a bus named "Grunt" and a VERY interesting trip in the 1970's.

TRUST ME, it's not a five-minute story, but it's worth reading... perhaps print it out and read it later... In my opinion, you won't regret it.

SO, on that "teaser", I promise to put it online after work tonight.

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What's YOUR Dream?

Yesterday, I put out a "public tag", so to speak... I asked folks to share their "dream purchase".

I pointed out that there's differences between "dreams" and "goals".

Our (my family's) true goal is to own a home... a real home with a back yard for my little one and the pooch... and parking for the bus.

Our dream (obviously) is the bus.

SO, what's your dream?

Threecollie said it was a "tank". (See the post below...)

Tex said it was a Morgan Aero 8... which, upon looking at the photos, I most CERTAINLY understand! (Yummy car!)

Pikkel Wezel wryly suggested Kylie Minogue... and after seeing photos... NO, NO! Just kidding! (I'm a happily married man AND yeah, the concept of "owning" a woman is... well... a little... um... philosophically problematic.) That said, however, considering Ms. Minogue's recent battles with cancer and her spirit through the illness, she's up there on my list of impressive women.

SO... I'm still wondering... WHAT'S YOUR DREAM THING!?!

You can "Leave a comment" using the link below... or post it to your blog and then PLEASE post a link to your blog in the comments...

WHAT'S YOUR DREAM THING TO OWN?

Ah, the title says it all... the wonderful words of Roy Orbison and the Everly Brothers...

A couple of posts back, and thanks to a comment on the same post, I've been thinking of "dreams"... everyone's dreams.

Most of us (if not all) have budgeted and spent (mentally) the winnings of a large lottery. Y'know, "If I won the lottery, I'd..." kind of conversations.

Now, my (our) thing is the bus. It's not all that practical (in some ways) and yet is highly important to me and the family... and I'm working to get it... with your help(?) (See this link - click here for details...)

ANYWAY...

The comment by threecollie mentioned their dream... and old Army tank. Yup, a big ol' weapon of war... and a really cool tracked vehicle. The mother of all ATVs. (Let's face it... haven't we ALL wished we were in a tank at some point or another... like during bad rush-hour traffic?)

On the PSICAN Message Board, one user said he has a thing for B-17 bombers... the "Flying Fortress".

...but what I want to know, fellow bloggers is...

WHAT'S YOUR DREAM THING!?! - Call this a "tag"!

Now, pick something... something you'd LOVE to own.

...and remember, there's dreams and there's goals... My family's goal is to own a house... our dream is to rescue the bus.

So, tell me your dream! Click the "Leave a comment" link below OR post it to your blog (if you have one - and please leave a "comment" to point people to it!)... What's the one thing that would be YOUR "dream" to own?

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In Addendum: Please visit the Northview Diary and leave best wishes and congrats to Becky for graduating! (This is threecollie's daughter who just graduated high school and was "left out" of her yearbook.) Read this post (click here) to read about this... Sounds like cruddy "high school politics" to me...

Gotta a nice e-mail wishing me luck (THANK YOU!) and asking about the graphic I used two posts ago...

This one...

The person wanted to know what "these" buses were...

Well, it's actually only the one bus... the one I'm hoping for... Regent Low Height #3...

It's also all the photos I have of her, scaled down and strung together.

If you'd like to see bigger versions of the pics, just click here.

Although the picture you see on the upper-right of the blog is the one that made this bus "special" to us (the first one we saw,) I love the older one from 1950 with her crew...

This one... (close-up crop... but click on it to see the big picture)...

I'd credit this photo, but the best I can offer is it was sent to my by Ewen Pring of the RLH Information Centre... and he's not sure who the photographer was. (If anyone knows, let me know and I'll pass it on to Ewen.)

Anyway, since this is post #2 on the day, I'm keeping it brief... (There's a longer one below about my personal failings when it comes to this quest...)

Thanks again to the Billion Dollar Homepage for the new plug in the one article about not swapping links... and, as always, my standard reminder and my beg...

PLEASE visit HelpCoverTheBus.Com and if you're blogger and/or webmaster, please consider putting a banner or graphic on your site to help us out... Click here to find those banners and images.

We (my family and myself) appreciate ANY attention we can get to the site... to try and make this dream a reality.

...and sorry, but I cannot "pay" for you to put these on your blogs with "credits" from the various sites or money... I'm really hoping you'll do this from the heart... and help us (my family) achieve a goal... and a dream. (Click here for the details of our dream...)

Give it some consideration... Help me get the word out there!

C'mon... it's kooky... and it would make a whole family ecstatically happy!

This morning, I admit that I'm conflicted.

There's a few things that are troubling me about many things... if that makes any sense whatsoever.

Last night while gathering "Blogmad Credits", I came across a blog that basically was addressed to me...

The blog basically said that I was begging for money to get a bus and that was a rotten reason for doing things... especially when this "blogger" was having difficulties paying bills.

Now, regular readers of this blog know that, I too am having troubles making ends meet... large troubles. They also know that I'm not "asking" or "begging" for money (although I have stated, I wouldn't say "NO!" if it was offered simply because the timeline I find myself in with the bus is so critical) but for ideas... ways I can make it happen. I was and still am trying to tap the creative marketing and general "idea-machine" of the users of the 'net.

Also, my dream isn't truly just about a "big toy"... The bus is important... it's rare and facing a very uncertain future. It's a piece of history that's likely to be pressed into a cube of semi-recyclable materials... or carved up to being beyond "restoration" to house a roadside coffee house or "chip stand".

The bus was also something that my whole family "used" as an icon through the tougher times... when money was not only in short supply, but we were facing multiple problems. After 5pm, as I'd point out to my wife, there's little we could do... so we would talk and think... and yes, laugh and dream... and for us, the bus often factored in.

Is this justification?

Perhaps... The bus is important... and to see it trashed or modified beyond repair would be heartbreaking.

BUT...

Where do I "get off" saying MY dream is important?

Where does my ego and that of my family's supersede this other blogger in their quest for better living conditions?

The answers are honestly, "is it isn't" and "it doesn't" respectively.

There are FAR more worthwhile places to help and give money. There are far more needy people out there.

Heck, even us with our "wolf’s at the door" situation with rent et al and the multiple phone-calls from creditors have it VERY good compared to millions of other people on the planet.

We (my family) love each other... and support each other... and understand each other... and have survived tough times and are looking forward to good times.

As I said in my last post, the bus is a "passion" for me... but it also represents VERY openly a dream for all of my family... my wife, my kiddo, and me.

...but...

Is it okay to express a dream that is, in reality, rather superficial compared to the problems other's go through?

What if my HelpCoverTheBus.Com site worked? What if I managed to find the $27,000.00 total... an amount that would eliminate our debts AND get the bus?

Would I be wrong in accepting it?

Would I be wrong in following a non-altruistic dream when there are other's without food and shelter?

What it comes down to, and yeah, how I justify my slightly silly dream is that it is just that... a dream.

We all have dreams... we all need dreams... and, in my opinion, we should all pursue our dreams.

I cannot pursue the bus dream only using my own resources... at least, not for a long while (it'll be too late if I do) so I need to come up with alternatives... possibilities... ideas.

I feel for those less fortunate. Heck, for many, "we" (my family and I) could be considered "less fortunate"... but we're working and striving to do better... and will continue that.

Our REAL goal is a secure home... That's the "big prize". I would GLADLY take a secure home over a silly bus... but I'm WORKING for that. I am doing my best to achieve this on my own abilities.

The bus, well... it's a dream. Something that would brighten and yes, inspire... something that has brought us some happiness even without it being in the same time-zone.

It's in danger... and "we" want to protect it... and yeah, that's a little selfish...

...but it's our dream...

...and yeah, I'm glad some of you LIKE reading about my dream... and that some have even embraced it and sent ideas...

To the blogger, all I can say is that, "I've been there." Heck, in some ways, "I'm still there.", but it does get better... it improves... life gets better. Just keep trying.

...and remember... there's nothing wrong with a "leg up"... I do avoid the "hand out". I do believe that something earned (even if it's earned by "wits" and not "sweat",) is more valuable.

I'm pursuing my dream. I'm fortunate that my family also have the same vision and support me in my dream.

Something to remember is that IF I achieve the dream, my work is FAR from done and no, I won't be "begging" for help. Restoration and whatnot of the bus is our project... and it's something we will save for and work for...

If the bus' fate wasn't so questionable, this blog and the site wouldn't exist... it is and yeah, I need the "leg up" and yeah, I'm hoping for help. Not demanding... not forcing... hoping.

Life and it's normal trappings however, I will earn... and you can too. No matter how bad it "seems", it will get better... keep your goals and dreams in mind, and talk about 'em... Get them out there. Try.

To quote my mother... "Always ask. The worst anyone can say to you is no."

Thanks to those that support my dream... and the dreams and goals of everyone.

I know, I already wrote about the Billion Dollar Homepage and the wonderful write-up they gave me on the HelpCoverTheBus.Com website I've built...

...if I may again...

What struck me most about him and the site, was his quest not to make money for himself but a passion that drove him to actually make a site about it. I think that’s what most of the people on the internet are missing today, ‘Passion’ to do something that is near to them and not just for the sake of a quick buck.

I choose to write about him and his site because, I share his passion.

Ahhh... yes... a passion.

Now, why is this so important to me personally?

Well...

So far, when it comes to this dream and my attempts to make it come true, I've called it an obsession and friends have even called it a fetish... (which, if memory serves, denotes a sexual conentation... which is not accurate... sorry... in fact, I've not heard of a "bus fetish" in sexual terms... nor do I really want to, come to think of it.)

But the word "passion" is extremely apt!

I would rank my family's (own) opinion of my dream as thus...

Me: A passion. A genuine dream.
My Kiddo: A novelty. Fun.
My Wife: A wish... a gentle wish. Something that would make her happy in that it makes me happy... and yeah, would entertain her and the kid.

Thankfully, both of 'em are all for it... they genuinely like the idea... and whereas I said to my wife last night that I felt I stood a 25% chance of seeing the dream come true, she figured it was much higher.

...but, in my opinion, "Passion" beats "Obsession" or "Fetish"... and when you've spent as much time as I have "fixated" (another term I'm not found of,) then BOY do you welcome someone saying you're "passionate".

So, on that note, please also consider supporting my passion...

PLEASE visit HelpCoverTheBus.Com and if you're blogger and/or webmaster, please consider putting a banner or graphic on your site to help us out... Click here to find those banners and images.

...and again I must reiterate, I cannot "pay" for you to put these on your blogs with "credits" from the various sites or money... I'm really hoping you'll do this from the heart... and help us (my family) achieve a goal... and a dream. (Click here for the details of our dream...)

Give it some consideration... Help make a "passion" come to fruition!

Geez... a few folks have e-mailed me... apparently, my post about the terrorist arrests made a newswire service...

So, in the interest of making "surfing" easier for folk, here's links to the posts people seem to be interested in from the last 48 hours...

#1: About My Dad
#2: About The Billion Dollar Website and The Bus
#3: About The Terrorist Arrests in Toronto

...and of course, please check out...

Help Cover The Bus dot Com (Opens a new browser)
The Real Purpose of this Blog

...of course, you can simply just "scroll down" to read them... they're all here below...

Thanks for surfing in... and hope this helps...

It will be 22 years in December... my dad passed away.

Every so often, I fool myself into thinking, "It was long ago... I've moved on..." and then something happens to remind me that no, despite my father and I never being really close, I do miss him terribly.

My sister sent a few pictures this morning of him... and due to my hasty departure from my parent's house (I was kicked out by my mom... long sad story which I'll spare you,) I had no pictures of him myself.

My family are not the tightest... not at all... and therefore, the only time I saw pictures of him was when I visited their homes.

Well, in came these pictures today... and I haven't seen the man's face in literally years... and yeah, I cried.

It's tough... but I've rolled (more or less) with the punches.

Lately, I wish more and more he was alive still so I could ask for guidance and whatnot.

Worse yet, I have an uncle... Uncle Gord... I actually liked my uncle. Hell, I'll say it... I loved him.

He's still around, but thanks to some rifts in the family, I haven't seen or heard from him since my Grandpere's funeral.

My uncle... my father's brother... was a fireman here in the city. I was prouder of him than one could imagine. As a kid, I looked up to him like mad. I still only have fond memories of him.

I will look him up shortly... I must...

...but back to dad...

It's father's day soon... and my dad's birthday was also in June... so a kinda double-whammy in the memory department...

...so these pics really hit home.

I thank my sister... I needed this (honestly) to remember my dad.

I wish he was here...

Wow!

What can I say except a very sincere "Thank You!" to the Billion Dollar Homepage for the very NICE write-up on my dream.

If I may quote the blog...

What struck me most about him and the site, was his quest not to make money for himself but a passion that drove him to actually make a site about it. I think that’s what most of the people on the internet are missing today, ‘Passion’ to do something that is near to them and not just for the sake of a quick buck.

I choose to write about him and his site because, I share his passion.

Thank you for putting into words something I have been trying to convey...

Many people assume there's some sort of "fix" or "angle" and I am trying to squeeze money out for who-knows-what... or that I'm lazy and not willing to work towards something...

These folks (and many other's) have noticed this is not the case... far from it... for over a year, I've been reading, learning, thinking... trying to get ahold of this one thing.

It won't make me rich (monetarily), but it will make a huge difference in three people's lives... and give a lot of hope to us... and possibly, a little hope to other dreamers.

"Passion" is something me and my wife have been accused of having on many different fronts. "Passion" for our hobbies. "Passion" for history... and yes, "Passion" for RLH 3.

We're not spammers... "get rich quick" folks... or trying to push any agendas except one... trying to rescue (own) and old, beat-up, dusty, double-decker bus that currently languishes in a barn in Santa Rosa.

With help from folks like the Billion Dollar Homepage, and even support from the One Red Paper Clip fellow, we might actually achieve this kooky dream...

...and our chances are even better with your help.

If you want to try and help us achieve this goal, PLEASE visit HelpCoverTheBus.Com and if you're blogger and/or webmaster, please consider putting a banner or graphic on your site to help us out... Click here to find those banners and images.

In response to a couple of e-mails, no, I sadly cannot "pay" for you to put these on your blogs with "credits" from the various sites or money... I'm really hoping you'll do this from the heart... and help us achieve a goal... and a dream.

Give it some thought...

Addendum: I'd also like to point out that THANKFULLY, as opposed to when I started this, the numbers have really turned around... literally! Originally, I'd receive 4 negative e-mail (calling me names, telling me I'm a loser, or otherwise telling me it was a pointless effort) to every one that was positive... lately, it's reversed... 4 good, 1 bad. Perhaps people are understanding that it is a dream and yes, a passion... not just some weird money-grab.

So, there I was, expecting to do a lighthearted post and work in the bus somehow...

...but it is not to be...

Being a Torontonian, it's difficult to not be affected by the arrests of seventeen suspected terrorists who, they say, were planning attacks in my province.

These were not true "Al Qaeda" folks, I don't believe... but people SPURRED by Al Qaeda.

I suspected this was "our" real threat... not someone from Afghanistan or Iran... but some poor schlep from Canada... possibly born and bred... who decides that "he" (or "she") feels for the cause and...

Well, three tonnes of ammonium nitrate... this is not over-zealous farmers... this is three times what Timothy McVeigh used.

I have NEVER been one to say, "It can't happen here!"... and I still support our troops in Afghanistan as I was not thrilled with the Taliban years before 9/11... but I have always said that "we" must be vigilant, but not paranoid... live our lives and be as free as we can be.

I still believe that... but damn.

What were their targets? We don't know "officially" yet (aside from it not being the Toronto Transit Commission... but why bomb that when it's chaos and stupidity without any violence...

Likely, it was tourist, governmental, and "landmark" sites.

Damn.

People are already screaming about "which political slant this will take" and how the "left" will say that these men should go free and be hugged... and how the "right" will close the borders and suppress our freedoms... How the American's will blame the Canadians for "harbouring" terror cells and how "we" (Canadians) will now be sullied by the terror in our midst.

Realistically, who cares... "Political slant" or "spin" are not my main concern... what and why and what will prevent it in the future... that's what's going through my mind... What will keep my wife and kid safe without having to live in a "security state"?

Here's a thought... these weenies they arrested have been being watched since 2004... this actually makes me feel better. I want to know that those who threaten my family and friends ARE being monitored.

Are these men innocent? Sadly, I don't think so... Three tonnes of potential explosives, detonators, "war game" videos of themselves, communications with "known" extremists... nope, I think they were the real deal.

Sure, they may be in part some "troubled people" who have, for whatever reason, decided that the correct response to what they see as injustice is to kill more innocent civilians... and chances are, those same people who are so willing to take lives in the city still shop for good deals on electronics for their suburban homes... and they have adopted a stupid method to a possibly legitimate cause.

So, now what?

What happens to Toronto now?

Honestly, I hope nothing... except a little more vigilance and an acknowledgement that yes, it COULD happen here... and we should be aware, but not "bothered" to the point of being paranoid.

What can I say... except "Damn".

Toronto's a pretty great city... it has it's warts, but overall, it's a good town... and I sincerely hope no idiots crap in their own nest for a cause that has better ways to "fight for it" available... and decide to kill innocent people and ruin a peaceful, diverse, accepting city.

...but now I wonder... will my stepling's kids see the same skyline I do?

I certainly hope so.

I hope that the thought of how an "eye for an eye" that many of these terrorists see as "reasonable" justification for their actions is seen for what it is... an "eye for an eye" leaves one blind.

I want my kid and family to be safe.

...and this news DOES frighten me a little.

But I'll be DAMNED if I let this news alter my life... nope. I'm not beaten before I've even been in the fight... and I still DO trust in my security...

Perhaps we'll pray a little more... but beyond that, life WILL go on.

"I've been blown up by a better class of bastard than this!" - Attributed to a newspaper seller on Canary Warf in London during the IRA bombings (comparing them to "The Blitz" in WWII)...

Toronto's a good town. Ontario is a peaceful province. Canada is a great country.

I wish I could be a little delusional and go into a bubble and say to myself the mantra of "It can't happen here..." but... I know better... and so does everyone else here, I think.

Damn.

We are in a war... to paraphrase Queen Rania of Jordan... this is NOT a war between the "East" and the "West"... not "Christians" vs. "Muslims"... not "Arabs" vs. "Jews"... it's about "Extremists" vs. "Moderates"...

...and the extremists must not win ON EITHER SIDE.

Tolerance MUST win to preserve true freedom for all humankind.

Is Toronto in danger? I hate to say it, but yes... then again, so is every major and minor city in the world...

Should "we" all be worried and scared... I say a tentative "No."

We should watch... and be careful... and hope for a peaceful life...

...but overall, what are my own thoughts on this recent event and arrests?

One word...

Damn.

Addendum: June 4th, 2006 The radio is reporting that the targets were not "soft targets" (like the CN Tower and whatnot) but government buildings and police buildings... Still...

Addendum: June 5th, 2006 The Globe and Mail is saying no, although government targets were mentioned, some "soft targets" were also named... so who knows. I guess we will in about three or four years.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Yeah, I'm still kinda woozey... so no lengthy posts until tomorrow...

BUT...

PLEASE VISIT...

...and please, fellow bloggers and webmasters, think about helping me achieve a dream by helping to promote this new website...

If you click here, you'll find code and banners to help advertise the site and perhaps generate some interest... and I'd be forever grateful.

Thanks all... and promise a better post tomorrow!

P.S. - My sister and her significant other are THE BEST! Just thought I should let everyone know!

Sorry, folks... I'm a wee bit under the weather... perhaps I'll be a-posting tomorrow... but once I get home from work, I'm going to bed.

Thanks!

Above is the birthday card my stepling made me... featuring a RED double-decker bus! (Did I mention that she wants to paint RLH 3 London Transport Red as "...that's the colour buses come in. Not green!")

I've tried to show her that "Country Buses" are green and that's why RLH 3 is green... but in her eyes, it SHOULD be red.

Oh well...

Next year is the big Four-Oh! Yup, forty and I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up!

Thanks to Lauren for the birthday wishes! Have a GREAT time in Acadia! My wife and I are ALSO in the throws of quitting smoking... so I wish you well with that too!

Please remember, I'm asking any or all bloggers and webmasters to consider giving a tiny amount of space to my cause...

Please help me help advertise the "Pixel Site" that, if it's successful, will make the dream come true... HelpCoverTheBus.Com is the site.

If you click here, you'll find code and banners to help advertise the site and perhaps generate some interest... and I'd be forever grateful.

Thanks again...

Well, I'm now officially 39 years of age... half-way to 78 years of age... and no, despite my moroseness, it could have been MUCH worse, so no need to go into that.

On an "interesting historical moments" note, I just found out that we now have HARD evidence to point to my family being related to the "famed" (in Ontario,) Lieutenant Colonel John Butler of Butler's Rangers...

As a War of 1812 re-enactor and a LOVER of Niagara Peninsula area, this was pretty exciting news!

Kinda makes the whole historical re-enacting/reading-till-my-eyes-bleed bit worth while.

I've always known my family had DEEP roots in Canada and were proud United Empire Loyalists, but I've always been a little shaky on how we fit into that category... now I know.

So, I admit... I'm excited... I knew that we had some roots in the London, Ontario area and some in and around Niagara... and some also in the Kingston area... but to be able to say I can trace back to these folks (The Butler's) is pretty neat for me!

Okay, I've geeked out enough about my heritage... and over the weekend, I will work on a genealogical page for the fam-damnily... so enough for now.

Anyway, on this BORING post, I am still begging for help in my goal and dream of rescuing RLH 3 (the bus pictured on the upper-right). I'm asking all bloggers/blog-fans/webmasters to give a small amount of space to a banner or graphic to help advertise the "Pixel Site" for this endeavour... HelpCoverTheBus.Com

If you click here, you'll find code and banners to help advertise the site and perhaps generate some interest... and I'd be forever grateful.

Please, give the site a visit and give it some thought... you'd be doing a lot for myself and my whole family.