This Machine Stops Pipelines.

Many of you know that Congress recently passed a bill that would allow the Keystone XL pipeline to ship dangerous dirty tar sands oil across the heartland of America, to benefit the oil producers devastating the environment in Canada.

I was aware of the Keystone XL pipeline before I moved to Nebraska, but as a new Nebraskan, I want to add my voice to those opposing this pipeline. As a former city councilman and the former president of the Bolsa Chica Land Trust, I believe this project is not only bad for the environment but bad public policy.

Today, the Environmental Protection Agency issued comments on the State Department's Environmental Impact Report and I want to highlight the comments Bold Nebraska's Jane Kleeb made about the EPA's report:

“It is reassuring the EPA stands with farmers and ranchers who know the Sandhills are still crossed by this risky pipeline and that alternative routes were not given enough serious consideration. America is diversifying our energy sources with renewables and Keystone XL continues to be a step backwards and simply does not make sense given low oil prices and the high carbon content of tarsands.”

The EPA comments criticized the State Department's environmental analysis for not looking at alternatives that would have avoided environmentally sensitive areas including the Nebraska Sandhills and the Ogallala aquifer.

The EPA's letter also said that the proposed pipeline would significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions to the level of "5.7 million passenger vehicles or 7.8 coal fired power plants per year."

In addition to the EPA's comments today, yesterday the Harvard Business Review published an article questioning the economics behind the proposed pipeline:

"In the short run, with oil at $50 per barrel, Keystone will connect refineries to oil that may be unprofitable to extract. In the long run, as the world turns away from fossil fuels aggressively, the pipeline will be moot — a relic of the past. Either way it’s a poor investment."

The Keystone XL pipeline proposal boils down to using the infrastucture of the past to move the wasteful energy of the past.

Tar sands oil is the dirtiest and most environmentally destructive form of oil extraction. Shipping it across pristine areas of the great plains is foolhardy because of the danger to the natural environment and the Ogallala aquifer.

And it really doesn't make much business sense, as our nation and the world moves to alternative energy sources, which become more and more economical with each passing day.

Want to help Bold Nebraska stop the pipeline? Click through and with a small donation ($3) send a veto pen to President Obama. "This machine stops pipelines."

  

Across the Country and Back Again

Left early last Tuesday morning the 20th, headed back to Huntington Beach from Lincoln to gather up my belongings. Spent Thursday packing some of them in my car and putting the rest in storage, for retrieval at a later date.

Poor little Sookie had just this one
little perch on the trip back.

On Friday, travelled to the Mojave Desert with Connie. She was scouting out locations to bring one of her Biology classes from Cerritos College. We had a good time as usual. Visited the Coachella Nature Preserve which is right on the San Andreas Fault, and basically consists of an oasis and the ensuing wildlife and flora that exist at such a place.

Oasis at Coachella Valley

BFFs

We had a great time visiting, Connie spent more time scouting than I did. Glad I got a good walk in that morning in Coachella. I stayed in the car on the two Joshua Tree walks she went on, tired and sore from packing and moving things into storage the day before.

Joshua Tree

View of Salton Sea from Keys Point

Got in some good reading about how Joshua Tree National Park came to be. Turns out there was much concern in the 1930s about the desert cacti being trucked from the desert near Morongo Valley to posh homes in Los Angeles where cactus gardens were all the rage. A Pasadena society matron stepped in, started lobbying state officials and eventually President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Interior Secretary Harold Ickes, who were all in on her idea of a national monument.

Next day, we visited the Morongo Valley Preserve, and a great cactus nursery called the Cactus Mart, and of course I procured a cactus, thanks to Connie, that is now sitting on our dining room table.

That night said goodbye to a bevy of people at a small get-together thrown by my great friend Debbie Cook, whom among her multitude of accomplishments, is also a great cook, party-giver and hostess. Told my story of love to nearly everyone and explain why moving to Lincoln, Nebraska was not nearly as bad as mild-climate-loving Californians thought it was. What a rare chance to share my newfound life with those who've loved and supported me in my second home from home. I moved for love and I told the story at least 25 times!

Debbie Cook in her kitchen.

With the Sheldons.

So on Sunday, I got in the over-packed car and drove 21 out of 48 hours to get back to my Ryon. It seemed there wasn't time to get emotional about it. But then I saw the big gay York balloon. (That's what Ryon calls it.)

Big gay York balloon tower

When I saw that tower, the emotions of this big life change reared up from somewhere deep inside and I exclaimed out loud, "I'm home!" and burst into tears, and I remained teary-eyed as I drove the rest of the way home to Q Street, listening to silly love songs on local radio that just made me blubber more.

Made by Ryon's friend's daughter.

Funny how things work out. My return to Lincoln filled me with happiness, and I look forward to the joy and wonder of discovering a new place, a new life and doing it together with the man I love.

Rhapsodizing About Runza

"Do you have Runza there?" I remember Ryon asking me that. Nope, never heard of that, I responded. Must be a Nebraska thing like the cheese frenchee. Second thing I thought was what a horrible name for a restaurant.

Well, now I'm here and I have to tell you I love Runza. It's a Russian German thing, a roll filled with a ground beef, onion and cabbage mixture and I for one, think it's delicious. I'm hooked. I've had it twice since I've been here, the plain Runza and the Swiss Mushroom, which is my favorite so far.

The Runza restaurant chain now has hamburgers, crinkle fries (also awesome!) and onion rings too. Also shakes. But the Runza Sandwich is what it's all about. (Not sure that it's world famous.)

If you're in Nebraska, you have to try it. It's a remnant of the 'Germans from Russia' heritage here (there's even a museum) and it's a really great regional food that has lasted quite a while. 'Scuse me while I take a bite.

One last note: they have this thing called 'Temperature Tuesday' where you can buy a Runza sandwich for the price of whatever the temperature was at 10AM on Tuesday morning all day long. When the temparature is 9 degrees, that's a pretty good bargain there.

This is it. The Little Townhouse on the Prairie.

I just moved here to Lincoln, Nebraska from Huntington Beach, California.

What! you say? Why in the hell?

Yes, I moved here in January 2015 to be with the man I love. His name is Ryon. Some doors have closed for me but the door of love, L-U-V, swung open and I marched right in. I'm so glad I did.

Despite the bitter cold, it's warm here. Sookie is happy. I'm happy. My man is happy. We're in love and trust me, that's all you need to keep warm in a Nebraska winter.

Ryon has a wonderful family too. They are spread around a little here but not too far away. My own family, who I left behind in Oklahoma 25 years ago, are not so far away now. Half day's drive. That feels good to me. There are nieces and nephews I'd like to see more, sisters and brothers, mom and dad. Closer seems better. The similarities between Nebraska and Oklahoma and Tulsa and Lincoln are certainly there.

The first ten days or so here have been about adjusting to the cold. (-3!) Today it's up to 48, so a lot of the "permafrost" is melting. After life at the beach, Siberian and Arctic terms seem appropriate. Gloves. check. Hat that covers the ears. Check. Sweater, jacket and scarf. Check. Going outside takes an effort.

It got up to about 45 last weekend so we took a walk out by this very cool urban path that's half a block away and adjacent to NU. That's where Ryon walks every night and where we got to know each other over the phone for months, talking every day. When it warms up, this is going to get a lot of use. Sookie will love it. I hear there are sandhill cranes along this creek too.

Looking around on the employment front. There are a lot more truck and truck mechanic and farm related jobs here than in Orange County! Call centers abound. But it is a University town and the State Capitol. (They have the only unicameral legislature here.) So I think there will be jobs a plenty. Spent some time updating my resume, and I think it's where it should be now. Sent out a few.

Today, I started looking around for LGBT orgs and people on Facebook, I need to get busy, involved with something. Staying in just because it's cold is just going to make me fat and whiny. I need to activate. Stay positive. Do something good for others. Turns out that the Human Rights Campaign has a Nebraska project, so I contacted the organizer and offered my services. Lots of work to do here.

Found my State Senator, seems progressive enough, he's 29! Lol. I guess that's what happens when the district you represent has 20,000+ students in it. He won his race against an openly gay 26-year-old. Ha, I just might like it here!

So turns out this little townhouse (which really isn't little at all) is in what Ryon calls an "up-and-coming" neighborhood and has several gay couples including a famous gay not-couple-anymore. So there's family and then there's family.

It's right downtown and close to the capitol and the university. Our homes are new in a quite splendid neighborhood that is dominated by older, working class homes. Yes, I've already called in to code enforcement about the auto shop across the street. I don't waste time. ;)

I've also cooked a bit because I'm idle but also because I like to and I've been wanting to make warm things like soup. Last night I made corn potato chowder. The night before a turkey pasta, before that chicken and hominy stew. On my second day here, I made chili and cornbread.

Cooking makes a home. This morning I made Ryon a egg/sausage cheese burrito to eat on his way to work, because I think he should eat breakfast, not just a granola bar.

Yeah. I think I'm home.