I was going to rail-on for a bit about how infuriating the last few days have been watching the price of gasoline go soaring as high as an Iranian space monkey; up to nearly $3.50 again after teasing us with the possibility of dropping below three bucks a gallon at the start of the year. 
Industry experts blame the increase on the price of crude oil going up and production cuts ( a million barrels a day) by the Middle East Oil cartel, OPEC, which apparently needs more cash to build sky scrapers and golf courses in the desert. But, of course, why rail when there’s not a blasted thing any of us can do about this blatant “stick-it-to-the-consumer attitude by sheiks, suits and speculators. They have us over an oil barrel and know it. Our only recourse would be to park all vehicles and make those greedy goons suffer through our abstinence. I’m doing my part by staying close to home during these cold winter days and nights. But I think Linda is inclined to believe that it has less to do with protesting the high cost of fuel and more with keeping my rotund rump firmly planted in my rocker.
But, enough of that. I have news. My sweetie and I are heading back to Alaska with Holiday Vacations in late July and are hoping some of you will decide to tag along. It’s such an amazing once-in-a-lifetime adventure that we’ve been privileged to be a part of MORE than once in our lives. This one includes 4 nights aboard a Holland America cruise ship sailing through the inside passage and Glacier Bay. You can see the itinerary and other information by going to this website: www.holidayvacations.net . The key word is Keloland. Here endeth the commercial.
Speaking of Keloland, I get to visit the station on a daily basis during this month of February; recording the Eye On Keloland promotions. I still get a kick out of visiting with long time colleagues and meeting the young newzies; wide eyed and excited about the chance to work in television..especially the number one CBS television affiliate in the country. They’re good and talented kids and, when I walk through the newsroom, stare as if seeing a dinosaur..which, of course they are.
I watched a couple classic movies this week; films that I’d thought I’d seen before but really had not..at least not in their entirety. “Casablanca” and “The Maltese Falcon.”
Both starred Humphrey Bogart and both were made in the early forties and both were..well, a bit of a yawn. I appreciate them and all their noir qualities but I never thought of Bogey as much of an actor or leading man. He sure could smoke though. Everybody on screen in those movies always had a drink in their hand and a cigarette in their lips. Smoking like chimneys eventually caught up with Bogey and lots of other stars of the silver screen whose lives ended when cancer invaded their lungs. I gotta tell you, though, I loved every Marlboro to hit my mouth for over 40 years and still am tempted whenever one of my golf buddies lights up and I get a whiff of that delicious smoke wafting across my nostrils. Funny, I don’t remember the exact date when I quit cigarettes. But it’s been about 13 years since a check-up revealed a bit of emphysema creeping into my airway which got my attention enough to squish up a fresh pack of smokes, toss them in the trash and stop cold turkey. Aside from marrying Linda, it’s the smartest thing I’ve ever done. If you struggle with the idea of quitting, I hear the South Dakota Quit Line is quite helpful for those who’ve resolved to stop. Here’s the website: https://southdakota.quitlogix.org/
Speaking of resolutions; so many of you have been such loyal readers of Lund at Large over the last seven years, and lately I’ve been slacking off. You never really know if and when a new blog will appear on Keloland.com and that’s not fair. So, from now on, I’m going to try post a Lund at Large twice weekly by noon Tuesdays and Fridays. (Even more frequently when we’re on the road) I’ve been afraid of repeating myself but, what the heck, none of my meanderings are all that memorable anyway so if I occasionally plagiarize my own stuff don’t tell anybody.
I know some of you have wondered where to find Lund at Large on the new Keloland webpage. Well, just click on “features” and I’m right there.
For now..as the old maid said to the peeping Tom, “Thanks for lookin’ in.”
