2/23/2015

Are You Tired of this yet?

I found a bunch of old pictures that a cousin of my father sent me a while back and some that my wife had in a folder.  Here are just a couple:

Bessie and Earl Petty
Earl as the Unit Barber Camp Chaffee, 1918

Here are a couple of funny stories my dad told about his father.  To be truthful, there are several names that my Grandfather went by.  Earl Ennis Petty and Ennis Earl Petty.  It was once explained to me that the boys in the Petty family went by their middle names.  Their legal names were never changed but they were known by their middle name.  My grandfather, Ennis Earl Petty enlisted in the Army prior to WWI and it was when they were building the Panama Canal.  Earl was supposedly discharged with a medical discharge and he came home to marry my Grandmother Bessie.  At the outbreak of WWI, he enlisted as Earl Ennis Petty and drove an ambulance all over France.  He must have done OK as Bessie wad later given a widow's pension after Earl died.     The other story was that Earl had a great sense of humor and would laugh that his ears would vibrate if he went downhill real fast on his bicycle.  From the picture above, you can see his ears did stick out.  I am prone to think that his real name was Ennis Earl Petty as my mom and dad added a D to Ennis and I have been known as Dennis all my life.  Never wanted to be called earl. 

For many reasons I won't get into, the last name Petty will not be taken past this generation in the family.  There is little doubt that there are many of us that have traits from Bess and Earl.  One of my cousins has the general look of Bess and has a daughter that also has that general look.  The jury is still out on what June Bug will finally look like but she sure is a cute baby.  I am not sure why, but Bessie was one of the people in the world that treated me like a second class citizen.  I don't miss her.

Over the weekend put Barbershop chorus sang the national Anthem at a Basketball game and the Circus.  I don't know why, but I always have a good time at these events.  Now the real question is if I am going to stay for the entire Chorus practice and miss the KU vs. K-State game.  I will do my best to stay during the first half and sneak out for the second half.  We'll see how that goes.   I write the practice schedule so I know what I will be missing.  The guys know that I have season tickets to watch the Hawks but this game is in Manhattan so it will be one of those ESPN Monday night games. 

At one time I had problems sleeping and I cut down the amount of caffeine to make it so I could sleep.  Sunday morning I only drank one cup so that couldn't be the reason I slept poorly last night.  Might have been caused by the afternoon nap I took.  Who knows, and perhaps better said, other than me, "Who Cares."   

Write if you get a job.

MUD

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