Looking North to Walla Walla. Siri got us lost.

Still lost, but having fun. We even forgot to bring our good cameras.

On Friday, Ann scheduled a VA appointment in Walla Walla. Making the 45 minute trip there usually entails lunch, a visit to the Bread Company, and then a drive home. However, since I’d never been to Milton-Freewater, Oregon, we decided to extend the trip to include a drive into our neighboring state and return home along the Columbia River.

This is an overview of our route

This is a more detailed look at it.

All was going well, until I asked SIRI to guide us from Walla Walla to Milton-Freewater. While I generally knew that MF was to the south of us, I didn’t know exactly where. So, I gave SIRI a chance to shine. At first she seemed confident, ordering us right, then left, then right, then left, until we were heading south on some rural roads toward the hills.

Soon, we were climbing, first on paved roads, then on gravel roads, then on rocky roads. Yet, SIRI didn’t give up. She continued to have a path mapped out. We assumed it was some kind of short cut. Thankfully, Henry (the jeep) surmounted every obstacle in his path.

Continue reading →

I’d never heard of the disease. Pilonidal Sinus is called the Jeep Disease or Jeep Seat (and probably others). I’ve taken the following paragraphs below from a Canadian link:
http://www.canada.com/topics/bodyandhealth/men/story.html?id=ac51b5e9-23a4-42c9-be8c-19a55aa0a8dc

“Pilonidal sinus most commonly affects that area known affectionately as the butt crack, though it can show up in the belly button, genital region, even between the fingers. Basically, it’s an infected area under the skin, frequently containing a tuft of hair. Think of it as a nasty, hairy, painful tunnel and you wouldn’t be far wrong. Often it starts with ingrown hairs, although new evidence shows that’s not always the case. There’s a genetic component; it tends to run in families, and it’s more prevalent among hairy guys, and those who sweat a lot.

According to a document co-authored by Prof. Keith Harding, the head of surgery at the University of Wales, the condition is 10 times more common in adult males than in adult females.

Harding notes that it was called “jeep disease” in the Second World War since it affected many soldiers who sat for long periods on hard seats.”

A couple more links:
From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilonidal_cyst
From the UK: http://www.wounds-uk.com/journal-articles/pilonidal-sinus-jeeps-disease-an-improved-model-of-care

John forwarded this meme.

A reader forwarded these photos taken in northern Canada. Rather than recycled or otherwise utilized, the parts and vehicles were bulldozed over the edge of a hill. As you can see, amongst the debris are some jeeps.