1968 Memories

This photo was taken in the early 50's, but it really showed how I felt when I had to leave my new bride and go to Vietnam. I wasn't as scared as angry that there was a damn good chance that I could get killed and make that wonderful woman a widow way too damn early...

We went to Vietnam on the USNS Geiger which was a slow boat. If it had had a damn keel it would have not wallowed its way across the ocean. I was assigned as the morale officer and asked to organize the activity as we crossed the international dateline. I picked the smallest guy on the ship to be King Neptune, a very hairy bellied baby to be out son and made myself the Queen and in charge of the activity. Each of the members of the battalion that could not prove they had crossed the International Date Line (into the realm of the dragon) had to kiss the belly of "baby" after it was smeared with ketchup. It was one fun day in about 19 days of boredom
Did you notice the photocubes taped on the pillow? Had to give the guys something to look at besides my ugly legs.

On the back of this picture I wrote that I was only 15 feet from my bed and a beer? Not sure what that meant but again I was in the middle of no where. I'll bet my rifle was just out of the picture.

This was taken as we prepared to go outside of the wire and set up an ambush position. I somehow got a carbine with a sawed off stock from someone. I had a radioman with me and my part was to call artillery. If it came down to me and the carbine we were way too deep in it to do any good.

This is the view of the hill top artillery position we were on in January 1969. An enemy soldier got on the far hillside and shot recoilless rockets into this position. As the battery Executive Officer I went out and directed the gun crew to shoot back at that sucker. We turned the gun 90 degrees and fired at least one round at him for each one he shot at us. When it was all over every sandbag in this picture was laying on the ground. Every member of the gun crew was wounded and I walked away from the gunfight without a scratch. I remember that each time one of his rounds would come into the area I would hide behind this tree stump. After the battle was over I walked around looking for that stump to kiss. I tripped over this 2" stub that wasn't over 3" tall. I don't know I thought I was covered but I sure felt safe. I was less than a month from going home at the time and should have stayed in the bunker. Just couldn't let that happen.

I returned home from Vietnam in Late January 1969 and started on the rest of my life. We lived in an 8X38' trailer and went back to school.

Thanks for coming along for the ride.

MUD

When? 1968?

I won't presume to speak for her, but this was the best thing I ever did. February 11th, 1968 in the Chapel of the Bells, Las Vegas Nevada. Barb, I love you as much now as I did then.
MUD

Middle Of No and Damn Where!

The kids in the Petty family today have Grandma Erma's House on Beaver Lake to visit. My sister Carol and her husband bought the property and have welcomed the family to go down to stay there. It has a great view, close to the lake and if you like to fish and swim it is a wonderful place to visit. Now that they have rural water and a new septic system it is pretty close to home. The reality is that once upon a time Erma and Curly lived in a part of Kansas that was far different .

I described it then as the middle of no where. Now I have it changed to the middle of "no and Damn where". If you go north out of Hoisington about 8 miles you run into a little town called Susank. Go about 2 miles west and two miles north from there and you run into a Shell Oil field with the superintendents house along the road. This picture is taken along the driveway of that house. It is my little brother Rick and I. He was about 1 and I would have been about 6.

Did you see the horizon in that picture? Flat and other than the curve of the earth there wasn't much to see out there. Now, the adults managed to have a lot of fun out there and on occasion I also had some fun. Mostly it was watching the drunks run into the ditch and try to get to their cars after a night of drinking and fun.

One constant was that about 100 feet south of the house was an oil well that had a John Deere one lung motor on it and it pumped about half of the day and night. For the edification of the younger group, that motor had a "Pumpety- Pump, Pumpety pump , pumpety pump" sound the entire time it ran. You either got imune to the sound or went crazy like some weird form of water torture.

There were two places in the world where the water was almost undrinkable. One was grandma Bessie's house in Eldorado and the other was the water hauled into the house there by Susank. Both had severe oil well contamination and the sulfur was so strong it was almost undrinkable unless it was cold. Some way, the crew house there on the oil lease had an ice machine and there was almost always a lot of ice.

Thanks for coming along on this little trip of nostalgia. It takes me back to the first 10 years of my life when one of the places we went on vacations was to Grandma's. Back in those days, there wasn't money to go to wild and different places like National Parks (unless you consider driving by Cheyenne Bottoms a treat).

MUD

Hydraulic Filter

Unless you are a Tractor junkie like I am, this picture probably didn't do much for you. I would have taken a bigger picture of the tractor but there was a hydraulic oil stain in the area between where I took the picture and the tractor. Barb likes the fact I am handy about fixing things but hates my messes. Perhaps some day I will have an outbuilding so I can make messes somewhere but on the driveway. OH Well.
MUD

Green Thoughts

I read that there is a guy in Sweden is powering his car by wood gas created in a small stove in the backseat. Makes me wonder if there isn't some way to capture the heat from a combustion engine and add to the ability of it to power a vehicle and get nearer to that 50 MPG goal. Perhaps we could use the combustion heat to get the oil out of the Oil Shale? The latest figure I read was that up to 80% of the products from a combustion engine (mostly heat) goes out the tail pipe.

A good friend is working on an electric powered cart to see if he can't boost up the top end so it can be used to run local errands. If it is a good as most of his projects it will be good and also purty.

One of the local electric shops here in Topeka took a Chevy S-10 and put an electric motor in it. They estimate that on the west coast people pay about $20,000 for such a conversion. It will go fast but only has a 40 mile range. I would like a little more range (more weight?) and also be able to charge the batteries using solar when it is parked somewhere. Perhaps such a vehicle with a trailer mounted generator for slightly longer trips could be rigged.

According to the local building code there is no need to get a permit to build a building up to 150 square feet. I wonder if that includes a tower 40 foot tall on top of the 10X15 foot building? Going to need a place to put the storage batteries. May also try to incorporate some type of water storage tank so I can put up a water solar heater and keep everything warm. Just a thought. I don't have plans yet so I don't have approval from the CEO here at Rabbit Run. Just so you notice, I am the head laborer here and a voting member of the Board of Directors but not a majority stockholder.

Well, the CD I am listening to is ending so I'd better get to doing something worth while.
MUD

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

If you listen carefully, you can hear the zucchini growing all across the United States. Do not leave your cars unlocked because you might find someone has gifted you a bag of zucchini. If someone approaches you on the street with a paper bag in their arms, run.

OK, I love the stuff and find that a little onion, one piece of bacon cut into one inch pieces in the microwave until the bacon is crispy and then one sliced zucchini for 3 minutes and I'm in heaven. Barb told me that this one was hiding under some leaves and silently growing into this 11 inch example of what I love. Good Eating.

MUD

Bad Eyesight

The person that marked this picture used some kind of a marker that with my bad eyesight I read as R Petty not C Petty. I have been informed that this is Kristy's picture and not Rick. I had never seen this picture before so I beg forgiveness for the error.

I guess as it was pointed out that in 1952, it is unlikely that a color picture would have been made. I know there were color motion pictures taken during WWII (1940's) and in professional studios there were color pictures available but, duh Dennis, a baby picture in 1952 is likely to be basic black and white. I guess a daughter should look somewhat like her dad.

Basic cleaning today. Barb incorporated a small zuccini squash into an omelet this morning and it was mighty tasty. Nice texture and taste. With a sprinkle of cheese, you could probably serve me a newspaper in the morning, but I swear this was pretty darned good. Our tomatos have been very tasty. Kind of smallish yet but good. Barb is out in the garden browsing for more tasty treats. Have a safe day out there.

MUD

Hey Congress!

I hate to be the one that breaks it to you, but your approval rating is only half as high as the President's. His is at least double digits. If you go home in August without a comprehensive plan to start work on our energy problem, don't think you are going back in the fall and stay there. I damn sure not going to help you finance another campaign. If you aren't a part of the solution, you are the problem.
First, we need to drill where we can and drill now. We need to start on the oil shale extraction process now. We need to have a plan on development of solar panels and wind energy plants QLB ( Quick Like a Bunny). We need to replace electric generation with Natural Gas and start the conversion of our wheeled fleets to compressed gas. We need to look at France's Nuclear program that generated 80% of their power needs. They haven't had an accident and consider it a part of their energy program.
I dont care what your solution is and in what order, get started or get gone.

MUD

One Book Chapter

I am not sure what the finished product will look like but I intend to write at least a chapter about several people I have met along this trip I call life. One is dedicated to Griseldis or Chris as she was known. I named a poor little dachshund, Grissy, in her honor. Hard headed German females are just too much fun to not love.
One of the first times I met Chris, we were at Summer Camp with the National Guard. We went to Camp Guernsey, WY and were going to set up an exercise with a Field Artillery Brigade Headquarters. I had been transferred to the State Headquarters and was right out of a tactical unit. That time in a field unit gave me experience in working the radio along with the Standard radio procedures. The Headquarters soldiers just did not have any experience doing that so I was roped into teaching a class or doing all the radio work myself. OK boys and girls, listen up!
One part of the procedure is the phonetic alphabet that is used to make sure that letters are understood. A = Alpha, B= Bravo down to Z= Zulu. We made a game of this and I sat the students down in a circle. We went around the room and I would give them a letter and they would say it phonetically. The first time we got to Chris, her letter was H (Hotel) she said she wasn't sure but she thought Howard was correct. "No, Chris, Hotel." The next time we got to her the letter was U (Uniform). She said that she didn't have any idea. I told her she had it on. She said, "Oh, Oh, Oh, Underwear!" Of course everyone wanted to know how she thought I would know she had it on. So that incident was from then on known as Howard's Underwear.
The phonetic Alphabet from WWII changed somewhere between 1947 and 1966. I thought the old system was great. One of our Sergeant Majors was SGM Reveles. Under the old system his name was "Romeo, Easy, Victor, Easy, Love, Easy, Sugar."
A little later on when I actually took that rag tag group to the field, Chris was left in the base camp to run the Headquarters there. There were a lot of visitors coming and going through there and there were also a lot of messages from Topeka. We had the State Headquarters in Topeka or "STARC", I was STARC Forward out in the field so she began to call the base camp unit STARC Rear. "Dis is da STARC Rear" just killed us. Instead of "STARC Guernsey", she appointed herself as the "STARC Rear." That just made us all laugh for the entire time we were out in the field. Chris didn't even blush when I explained to her later on what she did. According to her, she learned to speak in German and they talk and think different. She said she thinks in German and translates so things just come out "bass ackwards."
The last time I saw Chris, she was a newly promoted Master Sergeant and I had just been promoted to Colonel. She agreed that we both had come a long way in the intervening 15 years. She told me that she had had a pretty bad run on her health and had been subjected to a lot of surgery for cancer. She said, " I have had so much removed that I could shower with the guys."
Chris is a wonderful person with an open outlook on life. We both have retired from the Active Guard and I hope she is living a full and rich life.
MUD

What Did I Want and When Did I want it.

When I was little, mostly I wanted a few pop bottles so I could go to Womack Grocery and get a bag full of penny candy. Being a Baby Boomer, there was never, repeat ever a time when there wasn't someone to play with. I swear there was between 20 and 30 kids on the block where I lived and close to 100 in the nearby neighborhood. We played all sorts of games to include baseball, kick the can, hide and go seek, Smear the queer and anything that included fights and tackling.

We were poor but really I didn't notice it that much. I had clothes to wear and if they were dirty, it was my fault. Mom wasn't the best housekeeper but she cooked a lot and in quantity. Does seem like Mom liked to cook things that only got one pot dirty but hey, there weren't dish washers in the homes in the 40's. My mom would brown pork chops in the electric skillet and then make Spanish rice rice on top of them. Man I loved that. Mom served beans at least once a week and we all loved that. If it was cooler it was chili with enough crackers and catchup to make it sweet and salty and generally hot.

About the time I turned 10, I noticed cars and girls. From then on it was my goal to own a car and not be owned by a girl. I guess by the time I had bought my first car, I also met Donna. Man I loved that car. I was working a lot of hours to support the car and a girl friend in High School so my grades were not very much what most people would be proud of. I really didn't care and had no idea what I really wanted to do with the rest of my life. I guess I assumed that I would get married and work at one of the Aircraft plants.

Well, Along came Vietnam and slam bam thank you mam, I found myself drafted in to the Army in Sep 66. I could say a lot of things about my time there but about half way through my year in Vietnam I realized that the thing I wanted out of there was me. I had met and married a wonderful young woman and man did I ever want to get home and live life with her.

Barb had a goal of graduating from college, teaching school, having a house and children. In that order. Good enough for me.

The rest of our life we spent making sure that the bills all got paid and we managed to save enough so some day we could retire with enough to live. Mission accomplished and now we are living a great life in the slow lane.

Hope you find your dreams and realize that it is your reality not a dream.

MUD

Mowin' and Grillin'

Seems like a good day for me is to spend a couple of hours on the mower followed by a couple of hours on the grill. Stuff myself with a good meal and a quick nap. That was after I spent a couple of hours working on the mower to make it run well.

Had a problem with the hydraulics on the tractor and just couldn't get it to work right. I went to the Big Boy's Toy store, Tractor Supply and found a Hydraulic Oil filter adapter and after crafting a way to fasten it on, everything now works proper and well. I added new oil after I drained the old oil out. Actually, when I cut the hose to install the filter it all drained out but it sounds more like preventive maintenance when I say I drained it out.

Barb made cinnamon rolls for Dave and when I awoke from my nap they were all gone. I was informed that "You snooze, you loose." Dang, at least I got some of the rolls which were the best.

What do you marinate your meat with prior to grilling? I found that Italian dressing for the chicken is about as good as it gets. The steaks get a rubbing of a taco seasoning, paprika, garlic and enough soy sauce to make it all wet in a gallon zip lock bag. I let it marinate for at least a couple of hours. Put that on a grill with charcoal and a hickory log and it doesn't get any better.
OK, there was a brat or two on the back of the grill while i cooked the chicken. I have to test one to make sure they are done between the chicken and the steak. With two Weber's, I could cook both at the same time but I cook low and slow and listen to the radio out on the deck. On Sunday, I listen to Money Talk and see if I can remember what the heck the investment vehicles are all about. Being retired, the return of my money is more important than the return on my money. My tolerance for risk is pretty low.

Oh well, miles to go and lots to do. Have fun and be safe out there.

MUD

Have a great day!

The weather here in the Heartland is very nice and other than the humidity being a little high it will just be in the lower 80's. I have some new charcoal and will try it out on some wonderful steaks and chicken from Sam's Club.

I hope you all can get out and enjoy yourself today and get some sun.

MUD

57 Chevy Test

This is a test of your knowledge of the 57 Chevy:

1. The top of the line in 1957 was; a. Impala b. Bel Air c. Nomad.
2. The gas cap is located; a. on the left fender. b. under the license plate c. Above the taillight
3. What was the name of the top of the line Station Wagon: a. Impala b. Bel Air c. Nomad
4. Did all 57's have a brushed aluminum panel on the side? T or F
5. The Hardtop came only on the 2 dr model? T or F
6. You could only get the Hardtop on the Bel Air line: T or F
7. The stock wheel size was: 14 in, 15 in or 16 in
8. Where did the bow tie emblem appear? On the trunk, on the hood or on the grill?
9. You could get the 57 with a 265 (6 cyl), the 283 or the 327? T or F
10. Electric Windows and seat were available on the 57? T or F
11. Electric wipers were available on the 57. T or F
12. What color were the V's on the hood and trunk on the Bel Air? Silver, Gold or Brushed Chrome?
13. The 6 cylinder motor was called? a. Torque Flight, b. Blue Flame or C. Power Pack

Answers:

1. The top of the line model in 1957 was the Bel Air.
2. The gas cap was located in the chrome above the tail light.
3. The Nomad was the top of the line Station Wagon.
4. Only the Bel Air had a brushed aluminum panel on the rear fenders. Less expensive models had a painted insert.
5. The Hard Top came in both the 2dr and 4 dr model.
   
6. Not many were made, but the hard top was available in lesser lines than the Bel Air.
7. Stock wheel size on the 57 was 14 inch.
8. The bow tie emblem was on the grill of the 57.
9. The 327 motor was not available in 57. There were a few Fuel Injected motors in the 283 and a power pack motor with a 4 barrel available.
10. Electric windows and an electric seat was available in 1957.
11. Electric wipers were available in 1957.
12. The Bel Airs had a gold V on the hood and the trunk.
13. The 6 cylinder motor was called the Blue Flame.

Scoring:
1 to 3 correct, Ford Driver
4 -5 Over 50 or owned a 57
6-9 Chevy lover
9-12 Expert
13 You either owned a 57, own one now or you cheated.

MUD

Data Mining

This is an appeal for people out there to stop looking at data and finding the answer when in plain sight, using common sense the answer is out there. For example, people say that because of the low handgun and long gun ownership the death toll in the UK is the lowest. When, in fact, there are several countries that have higher hand and long gun ownership than the UK and lower number of killings by guns. Just because you look in a field full of horse droppings, you won't find a pony in each pile. In fact you just might find:

The author had data mined and makes himself look like the south end of a North headed horse. Yep er, the real thing. And, I don't need to read, feel or kiss one to know the real thing. (at least 9 times out of 10)
MUD

Well, Lookie Here!

Even though I asked the incoming Editor of the Capitol Journal about not covering the Regatta, the paper didn't mention one word about the last regatta. Put a few rowers out in the Sunflower
State games and they put in two articles. The KCR Team didn't have many and they didn't win much but at least they got mentioned. I hope you can click on the picture and make the fine print big enough to read. This is for Jenn.
MUD

Wish'n

Wish I was :

• Younger. Well, I would have to go back to work full time. Never mind.
• Richer. Well, I have been threatening to get a dumpster to get rid of all the stuff I have and if I had more money, I would buy more stuff, Never mind
• Better looking. Now what the hell would I do with this? Get a girlfriend and lose half of everything to the divorce lawyers. Never mind
• Travel more. OK, I have a seven day rule that I need to be home about every 7 days or I get grumpy. OK, I'm grumpy a lot of the time. Never mind.
• Better Dressed. Are you kidding, a 60 year old guy that cares what the heck he looks like or what he wears. Never mind.
• Better Fed. With a wife that insists we eat vegetables at every meal I could eat better? I also have a $50.00 gift certificate from the local meat market that I haven't cashed in yet. Never mind.
• More Verbose. Now, if I had a better gift of the Blarney Stone I could go around making stuff up a lot more regular. Lets see, I posted three times yesterday. (With Pictures mind you) Na, Never Mind.

So, I guess what I am is all I'm going to be. Hope you are too. Never Mind!
MUD

Tin Type Picture

This is a photoshopped Tin Type picture that was in some of my Grandmother's pictures. I don't have a clue who she is. As I study her face, I see a little bit of a lot of the women in my family. Fun

MUD

Beck & Kristy

Wasn't she a cute little thang?

Big sis and little sis in a group hug.

Anyone for Pig Tails?

I figured this is Easter either 74 or 75.

Kristy about 5 years old.

Beck and her girls. I think about 1990? Proud Grandpa Rick. Dang, I'm twice as old as he was in this picture and still don't have any grandkids. Oh well,

MUD

Rick Pics

This is the first picture of my brother Rick taken at Westley Medical Center in 1952. I had never seen this picture until today.

This is Rick about 6 months old. Quite the swinger as you can see.

We were in Arkansas and Rick was climbing into the trunk of Grandpa's car.

This must have been kindergarten.

1st Grade
One of Dad's Haircuts.

Joe Cool with the open collar.

Some of the teachers made us button our collars. Why? Because they could!

I assume this is about the time he was 12.

Here he is surveying the soap box racer he and dad built. It went fast and straight until you applied the brake and then look out!

This is my brother Rick with our cousin Cathy taken in 2006. Two pretty darned nice people.

Why Call Me MUD?

This young lady is my niece whose son just graduated from High School, so you can guess this picture is a few years old. I show you this to show you that in spite of Mean Uncle Denny scaring her and causing her to fall and break some teeth she grew up into a great looking young lady. (And, a great looking woman)

As you can see, this is the little person that my Dad (Grandpa) called Snaggle Tooth until her permanent teeth came in. As she sat there in her mother's arms, she would look at me and say M-m-mean Uncle Denny. My sister said my name was MUD. Carrie ate ice cream a short time later.

MUD

12,000 Visitors!

I am pleased to see that the readership to this little site is up to almost 12,000 that puts me to about 1,000 a month now. Thanks to all of you out there that read this stuff. I hope that Barb's good pictures makes the drivel I write worth the time to stop by. Your Pal,
MUD

Thursday in Topeka

Topeka has a band shell that they drag around and have brown bag concerts during lunch downtown. It always draws a couple of hundred people or more. The group StreetSide was the music for yesterday. They started with songs from the 50's then moved on to the 60's and we left about the time they got to the 70's. It was lots of fun and as usual, we watched the kids and laughed as hard at them as at the singers.

These two little girls were invited up on the stage with about 8 other kids and the red head just wanted face time. She is mighty purdy. The little girl in the pink shirt did smile except when Barb showed up with the camera.

This little guy looks like the Petty clan and had about as much fun as his mother could stand. He had to be taken away for time outs twice. I worried that he and several other kids would have chiggers as much as they played in the grass.

This is a typical corner flower garden here in Topeka on Kansas Avenue. We stopped at Wolfe's camera to replace the lens cap I left somewhere on our trip to Tulsa. I had my first and last poor meal at a Mexican Restaurant downtown. Their Monster Burrito was just not that good. They covered it with a gravy that tasted like it might have some cheese in it but would have been better over biscuits if you added a little sausage.

We then went over to Sam's Club and bought a new bed. One bed we had in our guest room was 40 years old and needed to be replaced. We put the new pillow top mattress in our room and our old mattress in the guest room. The 40 years old one went out to the trash this morning.

The Sunflower State Games start today with rowing at the lake. Wouldn't you know it looks like rain. Dang!

MUD

Summer Food

Here is my vote for the best of Summer Food. It is a homegrown tomato that will be eaten with some crispy bacon, a little lettuce and some mayonnaise. We have some nice slice of honeydew melon and a tall glass of iced tea. (Photo by Barb)

MUD

Privacy and Blogging

This is a picture of me outside an outhouse on the Little House on the Prairie site near Independence, KS on our last trip to Tulsa. I had been in the car for a while and don't seem to be standing up straight. One of the problems I have with being old.

There has been some talk in the many blogs I read about pictures of family, privacy and in general why some people blog. The person that convinced me to write this blog in the first place wrote that she was going to take some time off. She'll be back soon because I think she is blogging for much the same reason I blog.

With me, I have always been a pretty open person and quick to laugh at my own foibles. I am quick to defend those I love, perhaps more than myself. This morning, I noticed the wife is wearing one of my T-shirts that says, "Arguing with a Petty is like wrestling with a pig. Everyone gets dirty and the pig loves it " Growing up, I listened to hundreds of great arguments between family members about all sorts of things. One of my favorite people in that regard was my uncle Hazen Lee. He could get very passionate (while drunk) and was very persuasive in spite of it.

My mother always had a friend over and they would discuss things at length. I learned many things (sometime more than I needed/wanted to know) and saw how nice a long conversation could be. Perhaps in some cases, these women were there at the expense of their families. One of the ladies that always cracked me up was the lady that smoked and between cigarettes had to hit her inhaler. I'l bet she smoked a pack an hour and probably used an inhaler each day. Yes, she died young and from her lung problems.

I write because I use this blog as practice for the book I want to write. I don't need the money from a book and would probably get myself in trouble if I were to ever get richer. It always is a surprise to me when I start listing my assets and see the bottom line. I don't need more stuff, only "want" some more stuff. Yes, I know the difference. What I hate is my lack of desire to organize all the stuff I have so I can make good use of it all.

Back to the original theme of this blog. If somewhere I offend you in my blog, I apologize. If I use your picture, what you see is what you get. I am what I am and I'm not Popeye. I'm MUD and you are not.
MUD

They Are here!

This is our friends from Morocco, Julie, Kendra and Katrina. Three nicer people don't exist. We laoded their luggage in a car and Dave and I took them to lunch.

Here is Gerald, Katrina, Kendra and Julie. Julie said that she had been up all night and all day so any tired look was real. They will be back in Topeka at the end of July for a visit and in and out of Topeka until the end of August. If you think Gerald's shirt looks good, you should see him in the new hat.

MUD

Dang, I hate getting old!

So far, I have made six trips upstairs with the express intent of getting the dust pan. I have the guest downstairs bathroom swept and there remains a dust pile in the middle of the room because I didn't bring the dust pan in any of the trips I made. Yea, I got it this time but now I just want to tell you how much I hated the fact I could not remember to bring it.

Did ya know that Barb grew up in a large family and they never had more than one restroom or toilet? We have a bathroom for each of three bedrooms. Heck, the master bath is as big as most bedrooms and I have had smaller bedrooms than most of the baths. If you knew that I am for the most part the toilet cleaner you would know that I am not bragging. I made the mistake of telling Barb how clean the bathrooms were when we were in Officer Candidate School and she just naturally assume that I want to keep ours that clean. Oh well.

MUD

We're Excited

Tonight I am going over to a house on the west side of Topeka and pick up a car for our friends arriving from Morocco. Someone in their church here has a car they aren't using and we will take it to Wichita on Wednesday so they will have some transportation here in Kansas. We haven't seen them for two years and are excited to get a chance to do a short visit. They will be here near the end of the month for a few days and in the area most of August. I would hog them the entire time but after talking to their family preacher, I can tell everyone of their other friends here are as excited to see them as I am. So, if you see a strange old guy in the Wichita airport about noon Wednesday it will be me, MUD waiting to see Julie, Gerald, Katrina and Kendra arrive! Yea!

MUD

Front Porch

Somewhere in the 1969-1971 time frame, Curly, My dad, Harvey Blinn and I built the front porch on the lake house at Beaver Lake. It was mixed in a cement mixer and poured by hand over a period of two days. Dad drove the tractor bringing gravel to mix with the sand and Harvey and I did most of the manual labor. Harvey was by that time a carpenter and I was a common laborer. I'm not sure how we managed to convince Harvey to come help other than he was a really good pal. His wife, Pat, was PG with their first child Eddy. (named after Harvey's Dad, Egdar) That front porch supported many hours of family visits and I am pretty sure that most of us would love to hear Erma call us kid and watch Curly swat flies with one of his dogs in his lap.

This is a picture of the nieces in the Petty family at one of their get togethers. This picture is taken in front of the porch and is a reenactment of a picture of the girls when they performed the "Three Little Pigs" one year when the entire clan went down there for one of Erma & Curly's anniversaries. This is the greatest collection of young women you could ever want to know. I hope their girls weekend at the lake is fun this year and they get to rebond.

MUD

Hello America, Wake Up and Read!

The Topeka Capital Journal ran an ad by my Medical Group, the Cotton-O'Neil Clinic yesterday.
"July 6, 2008

Open Letter to our Medicare patients:

Cotton-O'Neil Clinic has a had a long-standing commitment to provide access to high quality health care for out patients. However, recent actions by Congress are making it incredibly difficult to cover the costs of providing care to our Medicare patients.

On July 1, Medicare cut physicians payments by 10.6%. Just like like every other business and household, our costs are increasing steadily. Because Congress did not stop these cuts, all of our primary care physicians have regretfully closed their practice to new Medicare patients as of July 1, 2008."

Wake up America, the same Government that blew our Social Security Money wants to take over your Medical Insurance. They will manage that program the same way they Will manage the Medicare program. I for one don't want them to be in charge of a program so valuable to my personal health. I don't care what some bone headed politician tells you, they will screw this pooch and we will have poorer health care not better. Could you take a 10.6% cut in your income? Well, wait until next year when the Democrats cut off the Tax breaks and increase Taxes. Wait until they cut the money they put into the mandated health care program and then try to find a Doctor that cares about your problems. Try to get into a Hospital without some supplemental Health Care Insurance. WAKE UP AMERICA!

Do your want your health care brought to you by the same Governmet that brought you FEMA? Do you want your health care brought to you by the same Government that Brought you the Corp of Engineer Levies around New Orleans? Do you want your health care brought to you by the same Government that continues to spend every dime it takes in and then some?


Yes, I have an excellent health care program, but it is the same one that I have paid for most of my Adult life. I have a policy with Blue Cross and Blue Shield and TriCare. I will not drop the Blue Cross policy until I am comfortable that TriCare will be fully funded and be able to take care of me and Barb. Not in this life time, yet.

MUD

Windmill

I hope my friend down near Wichita will excuse me for using her photo of a farm with a windmill in the yard and a big windmill in the background. This is as pretty a picture as I could hope to ever see. Thank you Jenni.

I put this picture on my site as I think this fall, we will probably make a foray into wind energy using a wind mill Barb's Dad has. I also hope we can encourage her brother to come here and erect a tower and then have her parents come back on the train to talk specifics and technical stuff with us. I intend to work it into some form of solar and wind power system. Probably will use the electricity to power air movement equipment using batteries as a back up.

What ever we do, I am looking forward to a fun time with the family and hope that with their help we can reduce our carbon foot print.

MUD

Summer Olympics

Have you even noticed that the 2008 Summer Olympics are about to happen? I have seen a couple of the qualifying events (Gymnastics and Swimming) but it just hasn't really built up like some years. I wonder if we will again extend some of our skills into gold of if the Chinese will dominate because they are at home?

Do Ya' Care?

MUD

Well. Summer's Here

We have had a week of really nice weather. It has been in the 80's and the air was from the north and a lot drier than normal. Today will be the day when the wind turns and brings that warm moist air up from the south. It is predicted to be in the mid to upper 90's and people will be hiding inside or in the shade by late in the afternoon.

A minor pause there while I went out and mowed a path through the vegetable garden. Barb wants to put some mulch on the paths so she won't have to mow and she can control the weeds. I am concerned that a lot of the leaves are from the Black Walnut trees and they just kill tomatoes. We'll see if a year in the compost helped or not.

Barb was pushing my man sized wheel barrel. She says the wagon (Radio Flyer from early 80's) is not big enough and the big wheel barrel is too big. She is just sure that she can steal more chain than she can swim with. Mostly the trick is balance and you just have to have a lot of practice to make one work the right way or it is tippy. I guess some strength is also involved. Looks like I know what I'll be getting on my next trip to Lowe's. Sure hope that make a garden size one. In the early years of my college days I worked construction and have pushed more sand and rock in a wheel barrel than I care to remember. One Job sight they built a retaining wall and then hauled in 20 truck loads of sand to fill the inside. I not only had to lift it over the retaining wall, I then had to relocate it to the entire surface to a level of about 3 1/2 feet. That building was at least 100X200 feet and I moved that sand as quick as I could. The boss was going to get a bucket loader to put it over the outside wall at first but he saw how much I could do and just never got one ordered. I used a grain scoop and could fill a wheel barrel in about 8 shovels full. Work never killed anyone that loved to work.

Yesterday, I went to a used book store to find the next book in a series by W.E.B. Griffin. I ad two copies of a book in another series and traded one of them in for the one I was missing. I still had to pay the guy $2.69 but I think having the new book will be a better deal. One of these days I am going to read his Brotherhood of War series again. Seems like in each one of his books one of the hero's is a rich dude and wins the ladies and the war. In my reality, I was a poor kid hat made good and worked hard. I learned the crafts that were needed to keep myself located and in contact with the Artillery. I protected my men and kept as many alive as I could. I also had the good fortune of not shooting my artillery anywhere I hit my guys also. Luck played a good part in that as they didn't always tell me where they were with any accuracy.

Oh well, I had better get something done as Barb is still out there working and here I sit inside writing. I will admit that she had about a 30 minute start on me today as I read late.

Have a great Sunday out there and be as good as you care to. Or, smile and make them wonder what the hell you have been up to.
MUD

Good Intentions?

Yes, I know we have about a month before our house guests arrive from Morocco. Yes, I have good intentions and if I started to day I might have the garage semi cleaned up. But, things like rock walls, cooking for the kids, naps and a good book (Well, a fair book) got in the way. (So Far)

I have good intentions but just don't seem to want to be motivated to clean, scrub, kill dust bunnies, clean the carpet, patch cracks and the myriad of associated things I need to do. I can get motivated when at the store to purchase the supplies I need to clean, but by the time I get home they just loose the luster. I bought some of those Clorox toilet wand heads and a refill for the Windex but just don't seem to be in the mood to use them.

Oh well, I will post the finished look for the patio extension/rock retaining wall one of these days. The steps down from the wooden deck worked out really well. I finished them in less than a hour and they are stable and solid.

Hope you all have a good weekend out there. No lets see, where did I put that book?
MUD

4th of July

Happy birthday America!

MUD

Mad Dash to Tulsa

Barb and I decided to go to Tulsa last week and see if we could convince Mom to come to Topeka for the 4th. On Tuesday, mom was really sick and was rushed to the hospital. We drove down yesterday to see if she would be OK. When we got there she was sitting up in bed just having a gay old time. It seems that she has been having a bladder infection that they are having a tough time getting rid of and when it wears he down she needs a trip to the Hospital. She is home today and doing well.

Barb likes to go to Arnold's Greenhouse by Leroy Kansas and she always finds some nice and/or new plant to add to our collection. I think I got off for only about $90.00 this time and feel lucky at that.

We had reservations in Independence for Wednesday evening so we went back there after visiting Mom in the hospital. There is a Microtel Hotel there that is clean, new and neat. Other than having someone set off WWIII about midnight in the parking lot across the street. Kids and their fireworks.

I would spend some more time chatting but I hear a nap calling. Dennis! take one!
MUD

Grillin'

Yesterday we went by Sam's Club and found a brisket that probably weighs in at 10 lbs. I grilled it indirectly over a smoky hickory fire for about 4 hours. I sliced it and covered it with BBQ sauce (KC Masterpiece just so you will know) and it will get another couple of hours tomorrow at somewhere between 200 and 250.

Not to waste the day on the patio, I did some brats, some burgers and some chicken thighs. (I use the skinless boneless thighs and they are great cooked slow and smoky). I am now sitting here in the basement cooling down.

With the watermelon we have, dinner tonight will be spectacular. Dinner tomorrow will be even better.

MUD

After the Pond Tour, The Rose Garden

After seeing a bunch of ponds and realizing that they are all a lot of work, Berb decided she would like to go the Renish Rose Garden in Gage Park. Instead of sitting in the car, decided that is was such a beautiful day I would get out and enjoy the park.

I saw this single red rose against the Kansas Sky and just couldn't resist.

This single pink rose just stood out in the sun and for only one flower, it did its best to look good and smell good doing it.

Being a sucker for crowds, these red roses were mighty pretty there together.

These were so yellow when the opened and then faded to a pinkish yellow after a day or so.

Right in the middle of the Rose Garden there is a water feature with one of the prettiest flowers against those big green lilly pads. Not one frog to be heard or seen.

MUD

Doing the Right Thing Right

I am pretty sure that in your lives, there are a bunch of things you have to decide daily. Some of them are so small and insignificant that they fall way below the noise level of everything else and you chose and no one notices. There are probably a bunch of middle of the road decisions and they often take up a lot of your time. These are the things the family and you discuss and most of the time there is a clear consensus on the solution. When Dave was little, we let him make the menu once a week. Clearly he chose fish sticks and I didn't have a clue why. I think they were easy and he got to put them in the oven instead of stirring them on the stove. Today he won't hardly eat fish. Barb has always insisted on vegetables as often as we could as a part of the meal.

It is the one or two things each day that honestly get in the way of life and cause us to have problems. I think there is an 80/20 rule. 20% of the things you do will take up to 80% of your time and those are mostly the things where you need to do the right thing right.

If life were simple, you could build a book of decisions and reference everything you ever did against that list and for the most part things would turn out right. Unless, somewhere you erred and didn't write it down. You might continue to make a bad decision because you always did it that way. I heard a story about a woman that always cut the end of a ham off when she cooked it. Sure enough , her daughters did the same thing. Finally one daughter asked her mother why she did that and got an answer that no one expected. Mom had a small roasting pan and she cut the ham to fit. No real reason other than size.

My wish for the world would be that people would start making simple decisions based on trying to do the most important thing first and doing it as right (or correct) as they can. I am not sure what different religions of the world say but I think the simple 10 commandments (I hate that it sounds so formal) is a nice guide to focus on. Do not lie, steal, cheat, kill, covet or commit adultery. I'm sure that there are a few others but I always did abbreviate.

I don't think Government is a bad idea, just not something people ought to completely rely on. I sure as heck don't think you should base your decisions just on the law. If you use the idea of doing the right things, your decisions will be way above the level sought by the law. I am sure that you can cite hundreds of things that are legal but not moral, ethical or right.

So, what does this little soap box stand mean in the big scheme of life? Not much, but you get what you pay for. This morning Barb said her best saying, "Do the best you can and move on smartly". So get out there and do and be smart.

MUD