Happy 65th, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan turns 65 on Wenesday.
"How does it feel... to look like an aging hee-haw regular?"
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Bob Dylan turns 65 on Wenesday.
"How does it feel... to look like an aging hee-haw regular?"
I plan to give you a little insight into my crazy mind, and blog what, for me, goes into planning a trip to Disney World for my family. Follow the "Travel" category (http://famille.org/blog/travel/) to keep up with the Disney entries.
It is about 13 months (384 Days to be exact) before we will start our Disney vacation, not including travel time (we're driving). Here is what I've done so far:
So far, it seems like we'll buy the "Magic Your Way" base tickets with park hopper option, and it looks like our dates will be:
So now we're set. We'll need tickets with park hoppers for five starting June 6 and ending June 13 at the Port Orleans - Riverside resort.
That wasn't so hard, was it now? :) Only 383 days left...
Sadly I just this week learned of the passing of Buck Owens. I was raised on Buck Owens, by virtue of his long-running show Hee-Haw. Hee-Haw, it is little known, was the longest running show ever - 24 years, from 1968 to 1992. It ran in syndication all but the first 3 or 4 years, often against powerhouse shows like Lawrence Welk. One of my earliest childhood memories was asking my mom if, after we made a planned move from suburban Chicago, IL to San Antonio, TX, we would still be able to receive the Hee-Haw show. That's right, I was worried about not being able to watch Hee-Haw IN TEXAS. Hey, I was six.
In honor of Buck Owens, I must post the following song, written by Buck, in his memory. It definately brings back memories for me. Where, oh where are you, Buck?
Down here on the farm the weather gets messy
Laying around with nothin' to do
When you went away, you took my cow Bessie
I miss her darling, more than I miss you
You took off your leg, your wig and your eye glass
And you should've seen the look on my face
I wanted to kiss, I wanted to hug you
But you were scattered all over the place
Chorus:
Where, where, are you tonight?
Why did you leave me here all alone?
I searched the world over,
And thought I found true love.
You met another and
Phht! you were gone.
I know that you loved me, here's my way of knowing
The proofs hanging out right there on the line
When I see the snow and feel the wind blowing
Your nighties hugging them long johns of mine
The noises you made at our supper table
Your habits, my dear, were surely absurd
But how many times do I have to tell you
Soup is a dish to be seen and not heard
Chorus:
Where, oh where, are you tonight?
Why did you leave me here all alone?
I searched the world over,
And thought I found true love.
You met another and
Phht! you were gone.
Remember you phoned me a-sobbin' and cryin'
The dog bit your maw, and drug her around
You said she looked pale and thought she was dying
I said "Don't worry, I'll buy a new hound."
I had six kids and you had eleven
And we had a boy, and they grew like flowers
I wish you'd come back, without you ain't heaven
'Cause your kids and my kids are beatin' up ours
Chorus:
Where, oh where, are you tonight?
Why did you leave me here all alone?
I searched the world over,
And thought I found true love.
You met another and
Phht! you were gone
I searched the world over,
And thought I found true love.
You met another and
Phht! you were gone...
Articles like this remind me how lucky my family is to have broken out of the Mobile Home trap.
While the article talks about squeezed senior citizens, just about anybody at the lower end of society's income range can be a victim of this abuse. The problem is that mobile homes are sold, often by park owners, as a way to "own your home" even if you cannot afford to buy a house. Several variations exist, from what amounts to campers on small lots through traditional mobile homes up to pre-fabbed houses built on rented proprty. The idea is, that while you don't own your land, you own the home that sits on top of it - and that's got to be better than renting, no?
No.
A renter is a renter is a renter. Owning a fairly immovable home on top of rented property is no different. And in fact, as mobile home dwellers are learning, the drive up in land and home prices is causing astronomical rent increases. When these renters cannot afford to pay their rent (or renew a lease at a rate that they can't afford) they are given two optios by the mobile home park owners: haul away your mobile home at your expense, or sign it over to us, and we'll keep it.
The former is not an option to the people who can barely afford to live in these homes to begin with. Moving a mobile home means first, you must find someplace to move it to - and that means you'll probably pay a higher rent rate anyway. Add to that, the cost of hiring a truck to move your mobile home (if it can be moved), packing, changing addresses, setting up new utility services, etc. and it's pretty much out of the question.
And even if they move out of the mobile homes, the park owners usually include clauses in their leases that require owner / renters to maintain their mobile home in working condition. This usually means that the tenant must maintain utiliities, at their expense. Rather than taking on these expenses, most choose to abandon the mobile homes that they own, and turn them over to the management company to be resold or rented. The renter/owners usually do not see any funds from this.
Unfortunately, there is little protection for these people. Legistlation can attempt to protect them, but ultimately the control needs to be placed on the sale of these homes. The dangers and pitfalls of owning a tin box sitting on top of rented property should be clearly disclosed to buyers before they close.