I grew up with either a play gun or a bb gun in my hands, a lot. There were no video games to sharpen my eye hand coordination back then. There was even a time when I was allowed to shoot a .22 rifle in Arkansas. As a kid, I was good with the guns and loved it. If that was child abuse, it paid off in the Army.
We carried our M-14s for several weeks prior to ever getting the chance to shoot them. I loved the balance and while it was a heavy sucker, it felt like a balanced weapon to me. I was at least "in like" with the M-14 prior to going to the rifle ranges at FLW.
We were lined up on the gravel drive with our weapons on a Monday morning and most of us were just full of anticipation of the trip to the rifle ranges. We had been marched to almost every event we went to for the previous five weeks. To find strange cattle trucks lined up on the road was strange. I say cattle trucks but there were seats inside the trucks. We were taken about five miles out on one of the range roads to an area we hadn't ever been. Fall out and line up, get off my trucks and line the hell up.
About ten people were taken over to a small house where there was a pile of magazines and several ammo boxes of 7.62mm ball. We were instructed to load the magazines with three rounds and when we had a couple of hundred magazine filled about half of us were sent back over to the range. I had no idea that we needed to zero the rifle and that was our setting for the rest of the time. We went to what they called the 25 meter range and given a short class about what the sight picture would look like. At about 75 feet, the strike of the bullets even if not on the center of the target, should be evenly spaced and in the same area of the target. My M-14 shot well and I put three rounds low and left. The Drill Sergeant told me to crank my sights up seven clicks and left 2 from center. The next three rounds were all centered on the bulls eye and I was told to go back over an load three round magazines. Shit oh dear, if I had known that shooting well would put me on that detail I would have shot all over the place. We spent the rest of that day trying to get the city boys to learn how to breathe and shoot at least a consistent manner. At the end of the day, we looked for the trucks and were told we would have to march back. At least we had our drums to speed up the pace.
My bunk mate could hit the inside of a barn if he was inside. From the repeated three rounds, he had a swollen cheek where his thumb had repeatedly hit him in the face. I think they brought one of the loaders over and zeroed his rifle for him. This was a sign that he would have trouble when we shot on the record ranges. It seems like there are just some people that grow up flinching when a loud noise is made near them. My bunk mate was one of those guys and the more he shot, the worse his cheek looked like and the more he jumped. We sat down and talked about it for hours and then the first round would go off and he just would flinch. No, it was a bad flinch and there was no consistency as to what his body would involuntarily do. The only good news was that he was going to an assignment in Intelligence and not infantry.
I blew through each phase of the rifle ranges with the minimum number of rounds. I could see the targets out at the maximum range and could hit them with a regularity that was just a natural to me. I continued that pace until the last of the week when we went over to the record range. It was a range that had pop up targets that at 25 meters was just the head of the target showing. The full size target was out at 450 meters and I was ready. In fact, the Drill Sergeant made us skip out morning coffee that day to have a steady hand. The shooting was done from several positions and one included jumping down into a hole and firing from a supported position. I hit almost everything from the standing and kneeling position. I missed seeing one of the real close targets and then we came to the cement culvert position. As I jumped down in the hole, my helmet hit the rear sight of the rifle. I missed the first two targets down in the hole and the sergeant said I needed to re-zero my weapon. I ran the sight down and back up and from then on didn't miss a target. When I was finished I was told that I had missed the close in target from the kneeling position and two from the culvert and one while I re-zeroed my weapon. I was qualified as an expert but one round from the High Expert. At the time I was very proud of my score and could not wait to get an expert marksmanship badge to wear on my uniform. I had no idea that I was just one 1/2 point from the maximum score.
My bunk mate did not qualify and was just heartbroken. He was scheduled for a make up on Saturday morning and there was just no way I could have gone for him. I would have cheated for him if it had been possible. About noon that Saturday he showed up back at our barracks and had a smile almost as big as the bruise on his cheek. He had qualified by one round and thought that Marksman was just fine. He would not wear a badge.
We were told that the next weekend we would be given a off post pass based on how we scored on the rifle range. Those that scored expert would get released at noon and those that were sharpshooters could go at 4 PM. The marksmen would get Sunday off. I had grandparents living by Harrison, AR and as soon as I could, I took a bus to Springfield. I hitchhiked south to Harrison and then down to Pruitt. I ran down the road to my Grandparents house and promptly got drunk as I could.
Tomorrow I'll tell you about the aftermath of that day of leave.
MUD
Somewhat Free for a Day
10/21/2013
Part 3
Yep, I am still in Basic Training at Fort Lost in the Woods. I was serious about learning everything I could. Someone had a training book someone gave them and they threw it away. I took it out of the trash and read it until the pages were worn and dirty. I did everything I could and really tried to do it right.
Somewhere about the fifth week of Basic I was looking at the guard roster and there I was listed as a Driver of the Guard. At the appointed time, the driver's were taken over to the Main Motor Pool and told to draw a van. I went out to the van area and started the inspection just as we were told and after finding red line faults on the first five vehicles, the clerk in the Motor Pool gave me the keys to a van told to just take it and go back to my company. It was a brand new GMC Van and I loved it. After the rest of the guys stood Guard Mount we were all told to go back to our barracks, except for the drivers. I was told that I would sleep on a cot in the orderly room and t would be my job to get the guys for guard duty and take them out to their posts.
As I entered the back part of the orderly room, I saw for the first time that each Drill Sergeant had his trainees listed on the board and points scored on each event they had been trained on. I looked up my name and saw that I had scored all the points available at that time and had about half of the total points done. Only then did I realize that the Drill Sergeant had a clip board and scored us every time we performed an event.
Yesterday I mentioned the trainee squad leader we were assigned. There was one guy, named smith that was just 5'4" tall got picked on a lot by the acting NCO. I was told that it was my job to help the little guy throw the dummy grenades and so he could pass the PT test. Every time we stopped he and I would take the ammo can of grenades over to the side and throw them. He carried that can everywhere we went. I would get just out of his range and return them to him. Sometimes I would hit his feet and he would get mad and throw them harder back at me. It was plain that he was getting better and just might pass the PT test.
One after long day, the acting NCO pushed Smith up against the wall and then threw him down the outside stairs of our barracks. I had had it with that behavior and told several of the guys about it. I had never heard the term "Blanket Party" but I was all for it. About midnight four of the biggest guys crept up on the bunk of the acting NCO and with a blanket held him down. Several of us hit him and he was told that in no uncertain terms that he would never hit Smith again. Just as those words were said, Smith came over with a bar of GI Soap in a sock and swung it as hard as he could. It scored a direct hit on the family jewels and it did not matter how hard we held, the acting NCO sat right up. The gig guy up my the head of the bed threw a left and knocked him back flat. At that point we decided he had the message and left the area. It probably took a few minutes for him to get his act together and he went next door to the orderly room. Oh shit, oh dear, no one had considered that it might be a courts martial offense to try to teach that bozo right from wrong. The next day, I was called to the orderly room and SGT Tignor closed the door and asked me what had happened. He didn't read me my rights or have a witness so I told him what had happened. He told me that he was disappointed that we just didn't come to him to get it stopped but I think he was proud that his little band of misfits had solved the problem. Later on that day the acting Sergeant come out to the platoon without his stripes and black eye.
About that time, our Company decided we needed to have drums to help us march everywhere we went. I had been in the band and volunteered to be a drummer. I was given the Tom-Tom and one of the Guardsmen was given the snare drum. I am not sure who played the bass drum but from then on everywhere we went you could hear us long before you saw us. As soon as I was selected for that duty, I was listed as an assistant Squad leader and my name got taken off the KP roster.
One Friday, one of the guys that played football for the Brigade said that he was to play football the next day and he was on KP. I told him that I would come over about 10AM and see if they would let me replace him to play football. A the appointed time, I went to the mess hall and told the Mess Sergeant what I wanted to do. He could not believe that anyone would volunteer for KP and he told PVT Parnell to get his ass over to his barracks and get cleaned up. The kid that was the Dining Room Orderly was re-assigned to the pots and pans outside and I was given the duty of cleaning up the dinning room between meals. The good news was I knew how to run a buffer and clean was my middle name. I could run that buffer and put a shine on a sidewalk with a Hershey bar. That was the only time I ever had KP in the service.
Tomorrow the rifle range starts. I got my first taste of firing the M-14 and was I ever in love with that.
MUD
Almost found in the 60's.
Somewhere about the fifth week of Basic I was looking at the guard roster and there I was listed as a Driver of the Guard. At the appointed time, the driver's were taken over to the Main Motor Pool and told to draw a van. I went out to the van area and started the inspection just as we were told and after finding red line faults on the first five vehicles, the clerk in the Motor Pool gave me the keys to a van told to just take it and go back to my company. It was a brand new GMC Van and I loved it. After the rest of the guys stood Guard Mount we were all told to go back to our barracks, except for the drivers. I was told that I would sleep on a cot in the orderly room and t would be my job to get the guys for guard duty and take them out to their posts.
As I entered the back part of the orderly room, I saw for the first time that each Drill Sergeant had his trainees listed on the board and points scored on each event they had been trained on. I looked up my name and saw that I had scored all the points available at that time and had about half of the total points done. Only then did I realize that the Drill Sergeant had a clip board and scored us every time we performed an event.
Yesterday I mentioned the trainee squad leader we were assigned. There was one guy, named smith that was just 5'4" tall got picked on a lot by the acting NCO. I was told that it was my job to help the little guy throw the dummy grenades and so he could pass the PT test. Every time we stopped he and I would take the ammo can of grenades over to the side and throw them. He carried that can everywhere we went. I would get just out of his range and return them to him. Sometimes I would hit his feet and he would get mad and throw them harder back at me. It was plain that he was getting better and just might pass the PT test.
One after long day, the acting NCO pushed Smith up against the wall and then threw him down the outside stairs of our barracks. I had had it with that behavior and told several of the guys about it. I had never heard the term "Blanket Party" but I was all for it. About midnight four of the biggest guys crept up on the bunk of the acting NCO and with a blanket held him down. Several of us hit him and he was told that in no uncertain terms that he would never hit Smith again. Just as those words were said, Smith came over with a bar of GI Soap in a sock and swung it as hard as he could. It scored a direct hit on the family jewels and it did not matter how hard we held, the acting NCO sat right up. The gig guy up my the head of the bed threw a left and knocked him back flat. At that point we decided he had the message and left the area. It probably took a few minutes for him to get his act together and he went next door to the orderly room. Oh shit, oh dear, no one had considered that it might be a courts martial offense to try to teach that bozo right from wrong. The next day, I was called to the orderly room and SGT Tignor closed the door and asked me what had happened. He didn't read me my rights or have a witness so I told him what had happened. He told me that he was disappointed that we just didn't come to him to get it stopped but I think he was proud that his little band of misfits had solved the problem. Later on that day the acting Sergeant come out to the platoon without his stripes and black eye.
About that time, our Company decided we needed to have drums to help us march everywhere we went. I had been in the band and volunteered to be a drummer. I was given the Tom-Tom and one of the Guardsmen was given the snare drum. I am not sure who played the bass drum but from then on everywhere we went you could hear us long before you saw us. As soon as I was selected for that duty, I was listed as an assistant Squad leader and my name got taken off the KP roster.
One Friday, one of the guys that played football for the Brigade said that he was to play football the next day and he was on KP. I told him that I would come over about 10AM and see if they would let me replace him to play football. A the appointed time, I went to the mess hall and told the Mess Sergeant what I wanted to do. He could not believe that anyone would volunteer for KP and he told PVT Parnell to get his ass over to his barracks and get cleaned up. The kid that was the Dining Room Orderly was re-assigned to the pots and pans outside and I was given the duty of cleaning up the dinning room between meals. The good news was I knew how to run a buffer and clean was my middle name. I could run that buffer and put a shine on a sidewalk with a Hershey bar. That was the only time I ever had KP in the service.
Tomorrow the rifle range starts. I got my first taste of firing the M-14 and was I ever in love with that.
MUD
Almost found in the 60's.
10/20/2013
War Story Re-Told Part 2
On the 6th of September, 1966, I was sent to the downstairs area of the AFEES center in Kansas City. Someone read the list of names and we lined up in Alphabetical order. Seems like there were three or four lines about 25 to 50 across. I don't remember where the break was, but a part of the group was told they were going to be in the Marines. There was a group that had volunteered but a bunch more were added as draftees. I never had a thought in the world that it was even possible but a fairly large group was designated. We were told that we were about to be inducted into the military and told to take one step forward if we agreed to do so. I don't remember anyone not stepping forward in that group. We raised our right hands and took an oath. I always got the oath from the Boy Scouts and the orders of Guard duty confused. On my honor I swear that I will perform my duties in a Military manner until properly relieved? Nah, that isn't it but I was sworn in no matter what I said.
Just as promised, a Marine Gunnery Sergeant told all the Marines to do a right face and file out of the door at the end of the room. I am not sure where they went but it was either the east Coast or the West Coast. Lejeune or San Diego. I was headed out of the door to a waiting bus for the glorious location of Fort Lost in the Woods, MO. (Fort Leonard Wood). We left mid afternoon and had no idea what was in store for us. Somewhere about half way to our new station, the bus stopped and we were issued meal tickets for a dinner meal at a truck stop. I had my first chop suey meal there and I was filled to the brim. I fell asleep on the bus and was awoken about midnight by someone telling me to get off their damn bus. We were taken outside and lined up and someone took a head count and had us shout when our name was read off the list.
After an hour of that, we were taken over to a big barracks building and issued a sheet and a blanket. We were told to find a bunk and get to sleep. We were allowed to go to the bathroom if needed but I'm sure that none of us were allowed to shower or brush our teeth. After what seemed like only a moment. someone turned on the lights and kicked a trash can down the middle aisle of the barracks. Grab your socks, drop your cocks and get your asses out on the street! I have no clue who it was but I suspect it was one of the Drill Sergeants from the Company we were soon to be assigned to.
In case I have overlooked the detail, everyone new to the Army goes through what they called Reception Station. They did their best to take a group or civilians and at least make us look like soldiers. We were marched over to the mess hall and they had several guys fall out of the line and go inside to be servers. I was chosen and someone told me to man the toast machine and keep making toast until I was told to stop. About half way through, a couple of pieces got burned and I set them aside. Someone came by and took them to make French toast. I passed on that when I went through the line.
For the next three days, we were taken to an issue point to be given a duffel bag full of clothes, a PX to buy a lock for a wall locker and the infamous hair cut. As the barber would ask the guy, "Do you want your sideburns?" He would then cut one off and throw it in the recruits lap and say, "Here" We went into the barbershop looking like civilians and came out looking like a bunch of members of a bald headed gang. As I remember we had to pay for the haircut even though it was only 75 cents. It was really funny at first to have spent a couple of days with someone and not even remotely recognize them when they were scalped. We were soon issued uniforms and at least one set had a name tape on it so we knew who everyone was. Our small barracks was soon filled and we were told that the soldiers in three other barracks would be joining us our Basic Training Company. Every morning, we were lined up and taken on a giant police call. That became the norm and someone told us the we could light 'em if we had 'em and everyone else fell out for police call. I hadn't been a smoker but I like a bunch of the other guys became one right there in our first week of the Army.
We were given shots, lectures, uniforms, tests and sometime the last day several Drill Instructors showed up and we were broken down into platoons. I don't remember the exact test, but somewhere in the middle of al that testing I was told that about 25% of us had scored high enough to take the OCB and I did. Later on I found out that it was the Officer Classification Battery test and I had qualified to take the test and scored high enough to go to OCS if selected.
There was also the station where we were given the classification briefing and we were told to sit down by some Specialist 5 and he told us where we were going to go in the Army. I remember being told that I would probably be assigned as an armorer 76Y but I had Infantry written all over my name. I was given the opportunity to sign up for an extra year with a guarantee that I wouldn't get infantry. No Thank you Specialist, I would take what the Army gave me and that was good enough. Three of the guys in our platoon took that offer and they were mad as hell when the orders came out at the end of Basic and they found out that about 50% of the class were going to be supply guys.
I met SFC Tignor and was told I was now a Tignor's Tiger. (Followed by a Growl) We were put on trucks and hauled over to an old part of Fort Leonard wood and put in barracks that were built for WWII. The next couple of days we were marched all over the place and given drill and ceremonies training with our rifles. I loved the feel of an M-14 early in the morning. Every day we cleaned our weapons, shined our boots and marched. OK, I left out the part about shine and shit but that is a fun story tomorrow. A Couple of guys that had been in the Army a week longer than we had been were assigned as acting NCO's and they were with us as we went through everything. One guy was wearing acting NCO stripes of a Staff Sergeant Three up stripes and one rockers and one was just an acting Sergeant. The guy we had over our squad was the acting Sergeant and he was an utter asshole. He had no leadership ability and he immediately picked one of the smallest guys to shout at every time he felt like it.
The platoon I was in had at least four members of the Minnesota National Guard Band in it and they were a hoot. Ya, I be from Min E Sota and I like an ice cream coen. They knew they were going to go to Fort Leavenworth for their Advanced Individual Training and would be home by Christmas. They spent as much time as they could trying to figure out ways to laugh and have fun. I took this shit serious because we were told that we needed to learn as much as we could as we were probably gong to Vietnam and being stupid was a real good way to get killed. That didn't mean that I didn't laugh at the funny things those Guard Guys said and did. I just listened to everything that sounded like good information and tried to do everything as right as I could.
Near the first of Basic, the Drill Instructor asked us who had a valid license driven a truck? I know we were told to never volunteer but I raised my hand. They had us fall out of the formation and we were marched over to the Big Motor Pool on Main Base. We were given about three hours of instruction and then an actual driving test. I passes and wondered what the heck I would do or be told to do now that I had a military driver's license. More about that later. I was given a license that had all commercial vehicles and trucks up to 2/12 Ton on it. There was no Bus listed so at least I knew I wouldn't be hauling the platoon around.
Part 3 tomorrow.
MUD - Lost in the 60's
Just as promised, a Marine Gunnery Sergeant told all the Marines to do a right face and file out of the door at the end of the room. I am not sure where they went but it was either the east Coast or the West Coast. Lejeune or San Diego. I was headed out of the door to a waiting bus for the glorious location of Fort Lost in the Woods, MO. (Fort Leonard Wood). We left mid afternoon and had no idea what was in store for us. Somewhere about half way to our new station, the bus stopped and we were issued meal tickets for a dinner meal at a truck stop. I had my first chop suey meal there and I was filled to the brim. I fell asleep on the bus and was awoken about midnight by someone telling me to get off their damn bus. We were taken outside and lined up and someone took a head count and had us shout when our name was read off the list.
After an hour of that, we were taken over to a big barracks building and issued a sheet and a blanket. We were told to find a bunk and get to sleep. We were allowed to go to the bathroom if needed but I'm sure that none of us were allowed to shower or brush our teeth. After what seemed like only a moment. someone turned on the lights and kicked a trash can down the middle aisle of the barracks. Grab your socks, drop your cocks and get your asses out on the street! I have no clue who it was but I suspect it was one of the Drill Sergeants from the Company we were soon to be assigned to.
In case I have overlooked the detail, everyone new to the Army goes through what they called Reception Station. They did their best to take a group or civilians and at least make us look like soldiers. We were marched over to the mess hall and they had several guys fall out of the line and go inside to be servers. I was chosen and someone told me to man the toast machine and keep making toast until I was told to stop. About half way through, a couple of pieces got burned and I set them aside. Someone came by and took them to make French toast. I passed on that when I went through the line.
For the next three days, we were taken to an issue point to be given a duffel bag full of clothes, a PX to buy a lock for a wall locker and the infamous hair cut. As the barber would ask the guy, "Do you want your sideburns?" He would then cut one off and throw it in the recruits lap and say, "Here" We went into the barbershop looking like civilians and came out looking like a bunch of members of a bald headed gang. As I remember we had to pay for the haircut even though it was only 75 cents. It was really funny at first to have spent a couple of days with someone and not even remotely recognize them when they were scalped. We were soon issued uniforms and at least one set had a name tape on it so we knew who everyone was. Our small barracks was soon filled and we were told that the soldiers in three other barracks would be joining us our Basic Training Company. Every morning, we were lined up and taken on a giant police call. That became the norm and someone told us the we could light 'em if we had 'em and everyone else fell out for police call. I hadn't been a smoker but I like a bunch of the other guys became one right there in our first week of the Army.
We were given shots, lectures, uniforms, tests and sometime the last day several Drill Instructors showed up and we were broken down into platoons. I don't remember the exact test, but somewhere in the middle of al that testing I was told that about 25% of us had scored high enough to take the OCB and I did. Later on I found out that it was the Officer Classification Battery test and I had qualified to take the test and scored high enough to go to OCS if selected.
There was also the station where we were given the classification briefing and we were told to sit down by some Specialist 5 and he told us where we were going to go in the Army. I remember being told that I would probably be assigned as an armorer 76Y but I had Infantry written all over my name. I was given the opportunity to sign up for an extra year with a guarantee that I wouldn't get infantry. No Thank you Specialist, I would take what the Army gave me and that was good enough. Three of the guys in our platoon took that offer and they were mad as hell when the orders came out at the end of Basic and they found out that about 50% of the class were going to be supply guys.
I met SFC Tignor and was told I was now a Tignor's Tiger. (Followed by a Growl) We were put on trucks and hauled over to an old part of Fort Leonard wood and put in barracks that were built for WWII. The next couple of days we were marched all over the place and given drill and ceremonies training with our rifles. I loved the feel of an M-14 early in the morning. Every day we cleaned our weapons, shined our boots and marched. OK, I left out the part about shine and shit but that is a fun story tomorrow. A Couple of guys that had been in the Army a week longer than we had been were assigned as acting NCO's and they were with us as we went through everything. One guy was wearing acting NCO stripes of a Staff Sergeant Three up stripes and one rockers and one was just an acting Sergeant. The guy we had over our squad was the acting Sergeant and he was an utter asshole. He had no leadership ability and he immediately picked one of the smallest guys to shout at every time he felt like it.
The platoon I was in had at least four members of the Minnesota National Guard Band in it and they were a hoot. Ya, I be from Min E Sota and I like an ice cream coen. They knew they were going to go to Fort Leavenworth for their Advanced Individual Training and would be home by Christmas. They spent as much time as they could trying to figure out ways to laugh and have fun. I took this shit serious because we were told that we needed to learn as much as we could as we were probably gong to Vietnam and being stupid was a real good way to get killed. That didn't mean that I didn't laugh at the funny things those Guard Guys said and did. I just listened to everything that sounded like good information and tried to do everything as right as I could.
Near the first of Basic, the Drill Instructor asked us who had a valid license driven a truck? I know we were told to never volunteer but I raised my hand. They had us fall out of the formation and we were marched over to the Big Motor Pool on Main Base. We were given about three hours of instruction and then an actual driving test. I passes and wondered what the heck I would do or be told to do now that I had a military driver's license. More about that later. I was given a license that had all commercial vehicles and trucks up to 2/12 Ton on it. There was no Bus listed so at least I knew I wouldn't be hauling the platoon around.
 |
| Private Petty, 1966 |
MUD - Lost in the 60's
10/18/2013
Old Story Re-told
I am going to start re-telling the story of MUD Goes to War. I will try to tie snitches or snippets of how I got there and what I did when I did get there. Put on your helmets boys and girls and I remind you that this all happened over 45 years ago and with embellishments has been told once or twice. It is at best Faction as there will be the skeleton of fact with the meat of remembrance wrapped around it.
Being born in 1947, I was one of those Baby Boomers that grew up in the afterglow of the US winning a war that saved the world. Including the competitive game we played, it was no sin to drag out our pretend weapons and shoot every enemy from those pesky redskins up to an including the japs. The tough job was getting the other guys to be the enemy and fall down when you obviously had just killed them. It wasn't until I got my BB Gun that I realized that I probably would have killed the enemy because I could hit most of the things I aimed at with my new weapon of choice.
I attended Minneha elementary and Junior high on the east side of Wichita and I read everything about battles I could find in the library. A few years ago there was a reunion at Minneha and I went to see if it had changed much. At that time it hadn't but now it is a magnet school and in the Wichita school system. I went into the library and there on the shelves were all the Biography's of Generals from the Civil War through WWII. I took a couple off the shelf and sure enough the old card system still showed that Denny Petty had read them.
We played baseball, football and about anything that included competition. Throw in a fist fight or two here and there and you might understand the nature of the guys that grew up in a poor but varied neighborhood. I think we would best be called lower middle class or upper lower class. I prefer to think of us as the cream of the crap. I went to school with the kids from Eastborough and Forest Hill and could out cuss, out fight and damn sure out run most of them.
I don't know all the facts but Beech Aircraft was in a battle with the city of Wichita in the 60's over annexation. To make us pay the price, they sent all the kids in the 1964 through 70 class to one of three high schools. Our family all went to Southeast High and we were forced to pick East High, Wichita heights or Andover. Most of the girls in my neighborhood chose Wichita Heights. Most of the guys chose East. I am sure that not having my girl friend in my school on a daily basis did not hurt me at all.
The biggest accolade I can say about my high school years is that I graduated. I did sing in the high school choir and the select Madrigals group but mostly I worked, supported a car and a girlfriend. I think somewhere I am listed as being in the bottom 25% of my class in terms of grades. Today I wouldn't have been selected to attend college but then if you could graduate from High School the colleges in Kansas were made to accept you.
My first experience with the Military came as a student at Wichita State. ROTC was a mandatory subject and I followed the rest of the sheep and took the class. Once a week we wore our uniforms and drilled. We were also scheduled to attend one lecture a week about the Military Customs and mostly it was the Sgt Major telling war stories about his time in the Army. The only thing I remembered about those informational periods s that he did say that if we wanted to get promoted, "Go to the sounds of the guns." Artillery, Armor and Infantry are the branches that have a lot of fast promotions. What he failed to mention is that those are the branches where a lot of young men were killed and promotions helped fill the middle ranks where the heroes were taken out. This is a lesson I had to learn the hard way.
Somewhere during the second semester, I learned to play 10 point pitch in the Campus Activity Center (CAC) and was well on my way to flunking most of my classes. I beat a hasty withdrawal and was just in time to avoid getting flunked out. My first semester I had made all C's and somehow the drop slip from a religion class slipped by and I had just under a 2.0 average when I came back. The only thing I did not do when I started at WSU was apply for a Draft Deferment because of ROTC. I promise you that if you reach the ripe old age of 19 in the middle 60's, you could feel the cool breeze of the draft on your neck.
I have left out the story of my first love here because it makes me look like even a bigger rube than I was. I was in lust with a young woman that had no moral fiber and the first chance she got to get married to someone else, she did. At the time I entered the service, I was kind of heartbroken and I applied all my excess energy to doing everything I could, the best as I could. More of that story later on. I spent my time that spring and summer working construction. I was making great money and drank a lot of beer. I thought I was in the best shape I could be in and could lift anything that was loose on one end. I didn't consider that I would have to run in combat boots but I did an honest days labor for an honest days pay. The girl I was in lust with joined the Navy and I waived her goodbye.
Just about the time I turned 19 in August 1966, I got a letter from The Local 69 Draft Board that sent me to Kansas City for a "Pre-Induction Physical." This meant that unless they found something seriously wrong with you, they were going to throw you name in the draft soon. I had no knowledge at that time that a 1 followed by a bunch of A's made me prime beef. Now I know the A's were in the category of PULHES (Physical, Upper Body, Lower Body, Hearing, Eyes and Senses) This rating was about as far from 4F as you could get. I am not sure what got back to Wichita faster, me or that rating. The Board held a meeting the next week and soon I had a letter in my hand that started out "Greetings..."
Moving right along to the trip to Kansas City to the Armed Forces Entrance and Examination Station (AFEES) to be inducted. The only thing that helped me make this trip somewhat enjoyable was the fact that my best buddy Harvey was going for his Pre-Induction Physical when I was being inducted. We had a good time talking about our construction jobs and the beer we drank that summer. He passed is physical and I went to the basement for the swearing in ceremony. I will tell you about that next time.
MUD
ORAG (Old Retired Army Guy)
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| 1948 Picture of MUD |
Being born in 1947, I was one of those Baby Boomers that grew up in the afterglow of the US winning a war that saved the world. Including the competitive game we played, it was no sin to drag out our pretend weapons and shoot every enemy from those pesky redskins up to an including the japs. The tough job was getting the other guys to be the enemy and fall down when you obviously had just killed them. It wasn't until I got my BB Gun that I realized that I probably would have killed the enemy because I could hit most of the things I aimed at with my new weapon of choice.
I attended Minneha elementary and Junior high on the east side of Wichita and I read everything about battles I could find in the library. A few years ago there was a reunion at Minneha and I went to see if it had changed much. At that time it hadn't but now it is a magnet school and in the Wichita school system. I went into the library and there on the shelves were all the Biography's of Generals from the Civil War through WWII. I took a couple off the shelf and sure enough the old card system still showed that Denny Petty had read them.
We played baseball, football and about anything that included competition. Throw in a fist fight or two here and there and you might understand the nature of the guys that grew up in a poor but varied neighborhood. I think we would best be called lower middle class or upper lower class. I prefer to think of us as the cream of the crap. I went to school with the kids from Eastborough and Forest Hill and could out cuss, out fight and damn sure out run most of them.
I don't know all the facts but Beech Aircraft was in a battle with the city of Wichita in the 60's over annexation. To make us pay the price, they sent all the kids in the 1964 through 70 class to one of three high schools. Our family all went to Southeast High and we were forced to pick East High, Wichita heights or Andover. Most of the girls in my neighborhood chose Wichita Heights. Most of the guys chose East. I am sure that not having my girl friend in my school on a daily basis did not hurt me at all.
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| 1965 Senior Picture |
The biggest accolade I can say about my high school years is that I graduated. I did sing in the high school choir and the select Madrigals group but mostly I worked, supported a car and a girlfriend. I think somewhere I am listed as being in the bottom 25% of my class in terms of grades. Today I wouldn't have been selected to attend college but then if you could graduate from High School the colleges in Kansas were made to accept you.
My first experience with the Military came as a student at Wichita State. ROTC was a mandatory subject and I followed the rest of the sheep and took the class. Once a week we wore our uniforms and drilled. We were also scheduled to attend one lecture a week about the Military Customs and mostly it was the Sgt Major telling war stories about his time in the Army. The only thing I remembered about those informational periods s that he did say that if we wanted to get promoted, "Go to the sounds of the guns." Artillery, Armor and Infantry are the branches that have a lot of fast promotions. What he failed to mention is that those are the branches where a lot of young men were killed and promotions helped fill the middle ranks where the heroes were taken out. This is a lesson I had to learn the hard way.
Somewhere during the second semester, I learned to play 10 point pitch in the Campus Activity Center (CAC) and was well on my way to flunking most of my classes. I beat a hasty withdrawal and was just in time to avoid getting flunked out. My first semester I had made all C's and somehow the drop slip from a religion class slipped by and I had just under a 2.0 average when I came back. The only thing I did not do when I started at WSU was apply for a Draft Deferment because of ROTC. I promise you that if you reach the ripe old age of 19 in the middle 60's, you could feel the cool breeze of the draft on your neck.
I have left out the story of my first love here because it makes me look like even a bigger rube than I was. I was in lust with a young woman that had no moral fiber and the first chance she got to get married to someone else, she did. At the time I entered the service, I was kind of heartbroken and I applied all my excess energy to doing everything I could, the best as I could. More of that story later on. I spent my time that spring and summer working construction. I was making great money and drank a lot of beer. I thought I was in the best shape I could be in and could lift anything that was loose on one end. I didn't consider that I would have to run in combat boots but I did an honest days labor for an honest days pay. The girl I was in lust with joined the Navy and I waived her goodbye.
Just about the time I turned 19 in August 1966, I got a letter from The Local 69 Draft Board that sent me to Kansas City for a "Pre-Induction Physical." This meant that unless they found something seriously wrong with you, they were going to throw you name in the draft soon. I had no knowledge at that time that a 1 followed by a bunch of A's made me prime beef. Now I know the A's were in the category of PULHES (Physical, Upper Body, Lower Body, Hearing, Eyes and Senses) This rating was about as far from 4F as you could get. I am not sure what got back to Wichita faster, me or that rating. The Board held a meeting the next week and soon I had a letter in my hand that started out "Greetings..."
Moving right along to the trip to Kansas City to the Armed Forces Entrance and Examination Station (AFEES) to be inducted. The only thing that helped me make this trip somewhat enjoyable was the fact that my best buddy Harvey was going for his Pre-Induction Physical when I was being inducted. We had a good time talking about our construction jobs and the beer we drank that summer. He passed is physical and I went to the basement for the swearing in ceremony. I will tell you about that next time.
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| Harvey and I a few years later. |
MUD
ORAG (Old Retired Army Guy)
10/17/2013
Fall has Fell
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| Rabbit Run Fall Colors
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This morning the President gave his victory speech and said there are three things that the congress needs to get done. First he feels that a more balanced budget is needed even if he did fudge history a little. He said the deficit was the lowest in 50 years. He has forgotten the Clinton years when the congress passed a balanced budget and other than the interest there was no deficit. But, with that said, we do need to understand that the sequestration move is coming and if we don't take small bites out now it will force out hand.
The second thing the President said that we need immigration reform. He has the strange notion that the non citizens will pay fines to become citizens. Hell, we can't control them now, what does he think it will cost to do that. Until the border patrol can come into our communities and vet all the employees of a business, there I no hope that we will ever get a handle on the illegals except to have them vote.
The final thing he said we need is a farm bill to make sure that our food supplies can be sustained. I really don't care what the poor folks get out of the bill as long as the farmers can produce a product and make a living. Our local dairy is about to get their doors shut because it costs about $8.00 a gallon to produce milk and the Governments continues to give it away.
Oh well, another crisis averted until later. More on that later.
MUD
10/16/2013
I Wonder?
How many Blog Posts it will take to get a comment.
How can the People in Washington D.C. not understand that if we do what we did, we will just get what we got. If we don't change, the slippery slope will bite us in the butt.
How many deaths will it take at 62nd street North and US 75 before the Highway department find a way to get people to stop at the stop signs. Cars driving 70 MPH just tear the hell out of the driver's door.
There are three girls that bullied another girl until she committed suicide. What could those parents have been doing to raise children that care so little. The Chief of Police showed one post on Facebook where one of them said she didn't give a damn that it happened. Who do you punish? The child of 14 should know better but the parents are responsible in there somewhere. Perhaps hit the parents in the wallet. The girls need to go to a juvenile center where they can't Facebook until they are 18.
If we get Alzheimer's, how do we know? Will we care.
How many of my Blogging friends will stop before I also stop? If I do, how do I remove the back posts?
Oh well,
MUD
How can the People in Washington D.C. not understand that if we do what we did, we will just get what we got. If we don't change, the slippery slope will bite us in the butt.
How many deaths will it take at 62nd street North and US 75 before the Highway department find a way to get people to stop at the stop signs. Cars driving 70 MPH just tear the hell out of the driver's door.
There are three girls that bullied another girl until she committed suicide. What could those parents have been doing to raise children that care so little. The Chief of Police showed one post on Facebook where one of them said she didn't give a damn that it happened. Who do you punish? The child of 14 should know better but the parents are responsible in there somewhere. Perhaps hit the parents in the wallet. The girls need to go to a juvenile center where they can't Facebook until they are 18.
If we get Alzheimer's, how do we know? Will we care.
How many of my Blogging friends will stop before I also stop? If I do, how do I remove the back posts?
Oh well,
MUD
10/15/2013
Singing Again
I sang almost all through school and loved it. I am again singing with the Barbershop chorus here in Topeka and back to my real Bass voice. My sponsor from last time COL (Ret) Wayne Cline invited me back and I have found that things are much better now. The only bad thing here in Topeka is that we are all old and don't seem to attract young voices into our group. Oh well, I guess I'll have to work on that. One thing that is a slight bother is that the cost to start isn't real cheap. Perhaps that is an area that we can work on. The dues run less than $15 a month but last night it cost me about $150 to renew my membership and pay the dues for the rest of the year. There was a new pair of patent leather shoes but you never know when I will need to wear my Tux again.
One thing that I probably won't do is rush into a quartet this time. The last time we just never developed a sound that I found pleasing and our Lead singer couldn't keep on pitch even when he did. I will join with three others for the Valentines day serenades but not to compete. It is fun to go sing "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" and deliver flowers and candy to women all over Topeka. It is also a good moneymaker for the Chorus.
The mornings are starting off pretty cool but the afternoons and early evenings are just about as nice as you would want here in the heartland. Got a nice little rain last night and we can use some more before it really starts to frost and freeze. Barb has most of her plants in the solarium that need to be protected over the winter. I noticed this morning that she has taken down the Hummingbird feeders and put them in the dish washer. I guess it is about time to get some corn and deer feed. The woodpeckers will also hit the suet blocks hard so I'll pick up a case or two of the suet blocks.
I have a storage building on contract but they won't get it started until December. It is basically a pole barn with a metal shed and a 10X10 door for the tractor. I will also try to move some of the tractor toys in out of the weather and if it fits, the 57 Chevy. It would be nice to park the Ford inside this winter. It does a good job of starting and isn't hard to warm up but scraping ice is a royal pain when it is really cold.
Yesterday, our son said that his furnace is acting up again. I guess after nursing the unit for four years it is just time to replace it. I think the AC unit will probably need replaced too. It has been an annual repair job to keep it running. We'll see what the estimate says. Oh well, it is only money
Better run and see if I can get a few things done.
MUD
One thing that I probably won't do is rush into a quartet this time. The last time we just never developed a sound that I found pleasing and our Lead singer couldn't keep on pitch even when he did. I will join with three others for the Valentines day serenades but not to compete. It is fun to go sing "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" and deliver flowers and candy to women all over Topeka. It is also a good moneymaker for the Chorus.
The mornings are starting off pretty cool but the afternoons and early evenings are just about as nice as you would want here in the heartland. Got a nice little rain last night and we can use some more before it really starts to frost and freeze. Barb has most of her plants in the solarium that need to be protected over the winter. I noticed this morning that she has taken down the Hummingbird feeders and put them in the dish washer. I guess it is about time to get some corn and deer feed. The woodpeckers will also hit the suet blocks hard so I'll pick up a case or two of the suet blocks.
I have a storage building on contract but they won't get it started until December. It is basically a pole barn with a metal shed and a 10X10 door for the tractor. I will also try to move some of the tractor toys in out of the weather and if it fits, the 57 Chevy. It would be nice to park the Ford inside this winter. It does a good job of starting and isn't hard to warm up but scraping ice is a royal pain when it is really cold.
Yesterday, our son said that his furnace is acting up again. I guess after nursing the unit for four years it is just time to replace it. I think the AC unit will probably need replaced too. It has been an annual repair job to keep it running. We'll see what the estimate says. Oh well, it is only money
Better run and see if I can get a few things done.
MUD
10/14/2013
Once Upon a Time
In a perfect world, everyone would be able to reach their full potential and success would be easy. The reality is that once we start down the slippery slope that is easy street, people somehow lose the vision that success has a cost. If you aren't willing to get up, work hard and never stop learning the end is not where you want it.
The other day, I listened to a Dave Ramsey speech on Facebook. He stated our problem pretty simply. It is about the money folks. As much as we might want to give everyone everything, we can't. The hard fact is that only about 50% of the people pay any Federal Taxes. That 50% can't continue to carry the other 50% at any higher level. We aren't paying the current cost.
If we had the ability to personally invest our 15% that we pay into Social Security, we could easily have more retirement money. Social Security is a giant Ponzi scheme. The money we paid in is long gone and our benefits today are being paid by those working today. Why do you think Congress calls it an entitlement and not a return on our investment. Add to that burden the new costs of providing medical insurance to those unable or unwilling to pay for it and the burden just is almost too much.
The problem is that no one is really willing to talk about the problem out in the open and then find good solutions. The Democrats talk about the time under the Clinton Administration congress and the President found a way to balance the budget. The Republicans talk about the need to go there and then some. Did you know that it costs us almost a dime of every dollar spent to pay the interest on the old debt? To add to that burden we are borrowing about another 35% of the new dollars spent.
Lets see, that means that about half of the people are paying and the congress is spending about half more than they take in. Perhaps at the next election we need to replace about half of congress and send a message for them to hear. Do that for a couple of elections perhaps they might find a way to at least talk about the problems.
But, with that said, I don't blame Congress for the entire mess. In the last election period Congress had only a 14% approval rating and yet over 80% of those that ran as incumbents were re-elected. The are just doing what we told them to do. More of the same.
MUD
The other day, I listened to a Dave Ramsey speech on Facebook. He stated our problem pretty simply. It is about the money folks. As much as we might want to give everyone everything, we can't. The hard fact is that only about 50% of the people pay any Federal Taxes. That 50% can't continue to carry the other 50% at any higher level. We aren't paying the current cost.
If we had the ability to personally invest our 15% that we pay into Social Security, we could easily have more retirement money. Social Security is a giant Ponzi scheme. The money we paid in is long gone and our benefits today are being paid by those working today. Why do you think Congress calls it an entitlement and not a return on our investment. Add to that burden the new costs of providing medical insurance to those unable or unwilling to pay for it and the burden just is almost too much.
The problem is that no one is really willing to talk about the problem out in the open and then find good solutions. The Democrats talk about the time under the Clinton Administration congress and the President found a way to balance the budget. The Republicans talk about the need to go there and then some. Did you know that it costs us almost a dime of every dollar spent to pay the interest on the old debt? To add to that burden we are borrowing about another 35% of the new dollars spent.
Lets see, that means that about half of the people are paying and the congress is spending about half more than they take in. Perhaps at the next election we need to replace about half of congress and send a message for them to hear. Do that for a couple of elections perhaps they might find a way to at least talk about the problems.
But, with that said, I don't blame Congress for the entire mess. In the last election period Congress had only a 14% approval rating and yet over 80% of those that ran as incumbents were re-elected. The are just doing what we told them to do. More of the same.
MUD
10/13/2013
Griseldis
To protect the guilty, I won't use her entire name but I will share with you one of the most fun people I ever met in the Guard. As usual, this is my recollection and the facts may be somewhat off point but the smile in my heart isn't. Any errors in this story are made with warm thoughts.
Chris was born in Germany and didn't come to the USA until she was seven or eight. She told me that she thinks in German and has to translate everything to English. Because of this slowing down and the unique way the German language is formed, some of her sayings come out "Bass-Ackwards." She was well educated and in no way stupid.
One of the stories I like to tell is Howard's Underwear. For some reason one year the Adjutant General wanted to take the State Headquarters out to the field. To prepare the soldiers with no or little field experience some of the skills we had to teach then to use the radio. Many of the messages requires the use of the Phonetic alphabet and I was instructing a class. We were seated in a conference room and I went around the table asking they one letter at a time what the word for each letter was. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta and I finally got to the letter H. Chris was given the letter H and she stumped. One of our soldiers was named Howard so she guessed "Howard." Nope, Hotel. When we got around to her again the letter was U. One of the girls said that I knew she has it on. Well, she guessed "underwear." The word is uniform and we all laughed at that one. I never did figure out how she thought I knew she had it on. Oh well, the glory of a story.
When the Headquarters moved to the field we had radio contact through our HF radio back to the Base camp at Guernsey, WY. On a good day and early in the morning, we could also talk to Topeka. It created somewhat of a problem as the field unit became STARC (State Hqs) forward and the radio at Guernsey should have become STARC Guernsey. Chris was one of the operators that stayed in base camp and to her if we were STARC Forward, the base camp radio became STARC Rear. To hear her say that with her German accent would always put a smile on our faces no matter how many times we tried to get her to say STARC Guernsey.
A few years ago, I saw Chris over at Fort Leavenworth and asked her how she was doing. She said that she had developed cancer and had had several major surgeries. She told me in her usual straight forward style that she had had a double mastectomy. She said, "Col, I could shower with the boys."
I love that soldier as I do many of my friends I have through the Guard. In fact, the highest honor I could give her is that I named my favorite Dachshund "Grissy" in her honor. I hope someday that Chris and I get to meet at Fiddler's Green and share a cup of grog and a few stories. Not today but someday.
MUD,
ORAG (Old Retired Army Guy)
Chris was born in Germany and didn't come to the USA until she was seven or eight. She told me that she thinks in German and has to translate everything to English. Because of this slowing down and the unique way the German language is formed, some of her sayings come out "Bass-Ackwards." She was well educated and in no way stupid.
One of the stories I like to tell is Howard's Underwear. For some reason one year the Adjutant General wanted to take the State Headquarters out to the field. To prepare the soldiers with no or little field experience some of the skills we had to teach then to use the radio. Many of the messages requires the use of the Phonetic alphabet and I was instructing a class. We were seated in a conference room and I went around the table asking they one letter at a time what the word for each letter was. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta and I finally got to the letter H. Chris was given the letter H and she stumped. One of our soldiers was named Howard so she guessed "Howard." Nope, Hotel. When we got around to her again the letter was U. One of the girls said that I knew she has it on. Well, she guessed "underwear." The word is uniform and we all laughed at that one. I never did figure out how she thought I knew she had it on. Oh well, the glory of a story.
When the Headquarters moved to the field we had radio contact through our HF radio back to the Base camp at Guernsey, WY. On a good day and early in the morning, we could also talk to Topeka. It created somewhat of a problem as the field unit became STARC (State Hqs) forward and the radio at Guernsey should have become STARC Guernsey. Chris was one of the operators that stayed in base camp and to her if we were STARC Forward, the base camp radio became STARC Rear. To hear her say that with her German accent would always put a smile on our faces no matter how many times we tried to get her to say STARC Guernsey.
A few years ago, I saw Chris over at Fort Leavenworth and asked her how she was doing. She said that she had developed cancer and had had several major surgeries. She told me in her usual straight forward style that she had had a double mastectomy. She said, "Col, I could shower with the boys."
I love that soldier as I do many of my friends I have through the Guard. In fact, the highest honor I could give her is that I named my favorite Dachshund "Grissy" in her honor. I hope someday that Chris and I get to meet at Fiddler's Green and share a cup of grog and a few stories. Not today but someday.
MUD,
ORAG (Old Retired Army Guy)
Mother Earth Fair
Barb does a lot of detail reading and she found out that this weekend there was a Mother Earth Fair in Lawrence. As it turned out, it cost each of us $25 to get in. There was a lot of interesting displays there but it did seem to be a little expensive. I guess if we had gone to one of the lectures it might have been a little more worthwhile. For me, it was a trip to the big boy toy store. One of the most interesting was the DR Tractor booth. It turned out that they were doing a test of the market and had six or seven items that they are considering selling. They have a garden cart that is gasoline powered and the new model is battery powered. It is reportedly going to be cheaper but it is basically an electric powered wheel barrow. They also had a saw that cuts firewood to length like a chop saw. One invention was a small chipper shredder on the back of a self propelled lawnmower. Would work fine for small lawns and light branches. Not for me but there might be a market. They gave you three tickets and showed you how the items worked. If you liked them, you voted for your favorite. If you would comment on line you got a pickle. The demonstration I liked the most was the two portable sawmills in another booth. It would be nice but I am sure that those toys would have turned into a job and I sure as heck didn't need any thing else to do. I didn't even ask how much $.
Barbara liked the booths that had different kinds of seeds. Many of them were Heirlooms plants and made different colored varieties of plants we now see. I think she also found a cover crop that we may use on the new garden spot. Barb thinks the old plot has been used a few years and we might have some diseases n the soil so we are moving the garden. I might also improve the fence to keep the deer out. This year they ate all the corn. Something else ate all the cherry tomatoes when we went on our trip out west. I won't even talk about the grapes and the blackberries.
Barb and I went up into Lawrence to eat lunch. Someone gave us coupons for Buffalo Bob's BBQ and we went there. It took us over an hour to get seated and served. I know I saw our order in the window for at least 10 minutes and it wasn't near as warm and nice as the last time I was there. They try to give you heaps of French Fries but it is the BBQ that is important. It wasn't up to my high standards. Things there are also in need of an update as it was a little dirty. We think it has been there 40 years or so.
Yesterday afternoon/evening when I finished the work on the mower I took it out to the field to test it. Seems to work fine for now. At least in the end it didn't end up in a smoking pile with the belt burned off. As I was putting the tractor up, I almost ran into a mother deer and her fawn. The mother went on high alert but when I powered down the tractor she let me sit there and watch as they ate the neighbor's flowers. I guess if you grow a salad bar near the woods, you just have to understand that the natives will stop by for a snack. This year we didn't have much in the way of fruit on the ground in the orchard. The deer kept it cleaned up. Last year we collected a lot more fruit and fed it to the deer through Christmas. Not this year. I didn't see a grape this year either. The neighbors say the turkeys are the main culprit there.
Oh well, another Sunday to play outside and see what I can do to spend time. I did find that Dillon's had Choice KC Strip streaks for 4.99 a pound. You had to buy a six pound chunk of meat but I think I can manage to cut steaks out of the big chunk.
MUD
Barbara liked the booths that had different kinds of seeds. Many of them were Heirlooms plants and made different colored varieties of plants we now see. I think she also found a cover crop that we may use on the new garden spot. Barb thinks the old plot has been used a few years and we might have some diseases n the soil so we are moving the garden. I might also improve the fence to keep the deer out. This year they ate all the corn. Something else ate all the cherry tomatoes when we went on our trip out west. I won't even talk about the grapes and the blackberries.
Barb and I went up into Lawrence to eat lunch. Someone gave us coupons for Buffalo Bob's BBQ and we went there. It took us over an hour to get seated and served. I know I saw our order in the window for at least 10 minutes and it wasn't near as warm and nice as the last time I was there. They try to give you heaps of French Fries but it is the BBQ that is important. It wasn't up to my high standards. Things there are also in need of an update as it was a little dirty. We think it has been there 40 years or so.
Yesterday afternoon/evening when I finished the work on the mower I took it out to the field to test it. Seems to work fine for now. At least in the end it didn't end up in a smoking pile with the belt burned off. As I was putting the tractor up, I almost ran into a mother deer and her fawn. The mother went on high alert but when I powered down the tractor she let me sit there and watch as they ate the neighbor's flowers. I guess if you grow a salad bar near the woods, you just have to understand that the natives will stop by for a snack. This year we didn't have much in the way of fruit on the ground in the orchard. The deer kept it cleaned up. Last year we collected a lot more fruit and fed it to the deer through Christmas. Not this year. I didn't see a grape this year either. The neighbors say the turkeys are the main culprit there.
Oh well, another Sunday to play outside and see what I can do to spend time. I did find that Dillon's had Choice KC Strip streaks for 4.99 a pound. You had to buy a six pound chunk of meat but I think I can manage to cut steaks out of the big chunk.
MUD
10/12/2013
Mower
Right after we bought the Allis Agco Tractor, I started looking for a bush hog type mower. I saw a "Finish Mower" in an ad for a tractor and we went over to see it. Sitting there under a tree was a mower that new sold for about $1400.00. I didn't know what it was worth used, but I went out on a limb and offered the owner $400. He wasn't sure, but the next day he called me and said it was a deal.
I put the mower on a trailer and brought it home. That was the easy part... I started the whole effort by pulling the cover off the belt(s). There had been an idler freeze up and the belt was shot. That started the whole effort to get it up and running. I found an idler and replaced it. The belt took three trips to the belt supply company and finally I got it up and running. Or so I thought.
As I was mowing the field, the whole thing started smoking and the belt snapped. I took it apart and it was clear that the idler had stopped working and it burned the belt in two. As I looked at the idler, it was clear that when I put it back together, the washers I used, rubbed on the housing and the grease melted and finally the idler just froze in place.
Yesterday I started the repair and replace process all over again. This time I think I found the correct spacer to let the idler turn freely and the right size belt in place. I did have to rebuild the adjustment part so the different size idler would work. Wouldn't you know it took an angle grinder to extend the slot in the body of the mower and last week I killed my angle grinder. The good news was that harbor Freight had one on sale and a replacement grinder was all of $9.99. It didn't have a wheel so I had to break out another $3. With that, I cut the perfect slot and everything seems to work fine.
I am not sure where it started but a few years back I just decided that I was going to fix my stuff as much as I could. Sometimes it works and sometimes I have to re-fix things. I do seem in the long run to keep most of the stuff running and for less than half of what it would cost to pay to have it done. In the process I have accumulated a lot of tools. I hope I can find a way to organize it all in the new building. I guess what I want to say is I hope I can at least park the Ford inside this winter. We'll see.
Oh well, enough of this.
MUD
.jpg) |
| My toy |
I put the mower on a trailer and brought it home. That was the easy part... I started the whole effort by pulling the cover off the belt(s). There had been an idler freeze up and the belt was shot. That started the whole effort to get it up and running. I found an idler and replaced it. The belt took three trips to the belt supply company and finally I got it up and running. Or so I thought.
As I was mowing the field, the whole thing started smoking and the belt snapped. I took it apart and it was clear that the idler had stopped working and it burned the belt in two. As I looked at the idler, it was clear that when I put it back together, the washers I used, rubbed on the housing and the grease melted and finally the idler just froze in place.
Yesterday I started the repair and replace process all over again. This time I think I found the correct spacer to let the idler turn freely and the right size belt in place. I did have to rebuild the adjustment part so the different size idler would work. Wouldn't you know it took an angle grinder to extend the slot in the body of the mower and last week I killed my angle grinder. The good news was that harbor Freight had one on sale and a replacement grinder was all of $9.99. It didn't have a wheel so I had to break out another $3. With that, I cut the perfect slot and everything seems to work fine.
I am not sure where it started but a few years back I just decided that I was going to fix my stuff as much as I could. Sometimes it works and sometimes I have to re-fix things. I do seem in the long run to keep most of the stuff running and for less than half of what it would cost to pay to have it done. In the process I have accumulated a lot of tools. I hope I can find a way to organize it all in the new building. I guess what I want to say is I hope I can at least park the Ford inside this winter. We'll see.
Oh well, enough of this.
MUD
10/11/2013
RIP Young Man
The other day I was at the VA and met a good friend, SGM (Ret) Reveles. He said his son was there and not doing so well. I read this morning that he passed away at the age of 55. It is always a shame for a man to pass away so young.
Many years ago, we had a program in the State Defense Building where young people could come work and get paid by the State. It was designed to give them work experience and give them a few things they could put on their resume. One of the first people we had in the program was a beautiful young woman that was very smart and did a fine job. Later on I found out that she married SGM(Ret) Reveles's son. A few years later I read that she was riding on the back of a motor cycle and was struck and killed on a highway over by Fort Riley. It was a shame that a beautiful person like that did not get to stick around to enjoy life longer.
I didn't set out to make this a downer blog. Life here at Rabbit Run has been pretty much fun and we are enjoying things. I heard that it will probably rain tonight so I'll go out and spread the rest of the Moo Doo on the new garden area. Barbara would like it to have an overwinter so it will be worked in the soil by the snow and freezes. I don't know if I will get it all covered with fresh grass clippings but at least 1/3 of it is.
Yesterday I saw a few memorable quotes. The first was the "Etch a Sketch" people that must just wipe their mental slates clean each night and not carry over the worries from the day before. Rush would call these people the Low Information Voters. On the side of be careful what you ask for, those food service workers that were asking for their minimum wage to be doubled, might just find their hours cut in half so they won't be considered full time workers under the new Health care bill. But you can bet your butt they will have to have a picture ID to get coverage.
One thing I did think our health care System needed updated with was the provision that people with previous health care problems can now get insurance. I don't understand why there wasn't just a provision for them that put all Health Care Providers in a pool and share the risk. I would understand if that increases my premiums a few dollars. I do not understand the provision for children to keep their parents insurance until they are 27. Perhaps if they are students but that is the only way for me to want that.
Oh well, better go spread some manure in another format.
MUD
Many years ago, we had a program in the State Defense Building where young people could come work and get paid by the State. It was designed to give them work experience and give them a few things they could put on their resume. One of the first people we had in the program was a beautiful young woman that was very smart and did a fine job. Later on I found out that she married SGM(Ret) Reveles's son. A few years later I read that she was riding on the back of a motor cycle and was struck and killed on a highway over by Fort Riley. It was a shame that a beautiful person like that did not get to stick around to enjoy life longer.
I didn't set out to make this a downer blog. Life here at Rabbit Run has been pretty much fun and we are enjoying things. I heard that it will probably rain tonight so I'll go out and spread the rest of the Moo Doo on the new garden area. Barbara would like it to have an overwinter so it will be worked in the soil by the snow and freezes. I don't know if I will get it all covered with fresh grass clippings but at least 1/3 of it is.
Yesterday I saw a few memorable quotes. The first was the "Etch a Sketch" people that must just wipe their mental slates clean each night and not carry over the worries from the day before. Rush would call these people the Low Information Voters. On the side of be careful what you ask for, those food service workers that were asking for their minimum wage to be doubled, might just find their hours cut in half so they won't be considered full time workers under the new Health care bill. But you can bet your butt they will have to have a picture ID to get coverage.
One thing I did think our health care System needed updated with was the provision that people with previous health care problems can now get insurance. I don't understand why there wasn't just a provision for them that put all Health Care Providers in a pool and share the risk. I would understand if that increases my premiums a few dollars. I do not understand the provision for children to keep their parents insurance until they are 27. Perhaps if they are students but that is the only way for me to want that.
Oh well, better go spread some manure in another format.
MUD
10/10/2013
Winter's Coming
The other evening we noticed that it was getting darker a lot earlier. The sad part is they haven't even dropped Daylight Savings yet and it will drop back an hour soon. The nights are getting chillier and there is still a lot of work we would lie to get finished outside. With that said, the good news is that we will do what we can and move on.
I am thinking about going to the rental place and renting a concrete saw. I used my small grinder to try to cut along one of the seams in the driveway and burned that little sucker up. (Or down, depending how you want to call it) I need to replace the sections of the drive up near the house sometime. I have toyed with the idea that if I use pavers water could percolate down through into the drain tiles. On the other hand do I want that to happen?
We got some really nice news today. My niece, Rebecca Dean Petty (Brewer, Demauro) is going to graduate in December. Her advisor said she will be Summa Cum Laude and that alone is wonderful but the graduation ain't bad. I graduated with a degree that said, "Good Enough" and that was all I wanted. I did pledge a fraternity called "Tappa Kega Day" but they didn't accept me and told me to go over to "I Felta Thigh" to see if I met their lower standards. I saw a sign on their wall that said they wouldn't want to belong to a fraternity that would have someone like them as a member. The only bad part of the graduation is that it is scheduled on December 21st and the weather is always "Iffy" that time of the year. We'll see.
We made a trip to Oklahoma this week and got to be the first guest on my brother's new bed. Actually, I think it was technically his old bed in a new room but who counts. He had a water line break on his toilet and the resulting flood just ate up the old bed stead and his floor. Don't let anyone tell you that a laminate floor will stand up to about anything. A lot of them will just curl up and die if you get them flooded. Besides, the new carpet is much warmer on the tootsies than the time and the laminate. The tile floor made it through the mess but the laminate just didn't.
Oh well, I have managed to goof off enough and need to get out and do something even if it is wrong.
MUD
I am thinking about going to the rental place and renting a concrete saw. I used my small grinder to try to cut along one of the seams in the driveway and burned that little sucker up. (Or down, depending how you want to call it) I need to replace the sections of the drive up near the house sometime. I have toyed with the idea that if I use pavers water could percolate down through into the drain tiles. On the other hand do I want that to happen?
We got some really nice news today. My niece, Rebecca Dean Petty (Brewer, Demauro) is going to graduate in December. Her advisor said she will be Summa Cum Laude and that alone is wonderful but the graduation ain't bad. I graduated with a degree that said, "Good Enough" and that was all I wanted. I did pledge a fraternity called "Tappa Kega Day" but they didn't accept me and told me to go over to "I Felta Thigh" to see if I met their lower standards. I saw a sign on their wall that said they wouldn't want to belong to a fraternity that would have someone like them as a member. The only bad part of the graduation is that it is scheduled on December 21st and the weather is always "Iffy" that time of the year. We'll see.
We made a trip to Oklahoma this week and got to be the first guest on my brother's new bed. Actually, I think it was technically his old bed in a new room but who counts. He had a water line break on his toilet and the resulting flood just ate up the old bed stead and his floor. Don't let anyone tell you that a laminate floor will stand up to about anything. A lot of them will just curl up and die if you get them flooded. Besides, the new carpet is much warmer on the tootsies than the time and the laminate. The tile floor made it through the mess but the laminate just didn't.
Oh well, I have managed to goof off enough and need to get out and do something even if it is wrong.
MUD
10/09/2013
Heart Attack Updated
This is a re-post as a friend of mine had a major attack and didn't do any of the steps I listed here-in. At the end I will make a summary of what you should do.
I am posting this to share with you what my Heart Attack in 1987 was like. It follows the same route that most of them but mine was a little different. here goes.
I had been sick with what I thought was a virus for three or four days and on Monday morning, I called in sick at work to catch up on a good book and to take a day off I felt I deserved and needed. I had gone to work on Thursday and Friday and felt that with my weekend spoiled I needed some down time.
Sitting in my chair reading a good book, my chest felt tight sometime in the afternoon. I love a pot roast but the smell of one I put n a crock pot that morning was just not appealing to me. I didn't feel sick to my stomach but I sure as heck didn't want to eat. About 5 PM, the wife arrived home and I went upstairs to help get dinner ready. When I took the roast out of the cock pot, I almost threw up from the smell. Barb thought it was fine and I did manage to get it on the carving plate. I tried to eat a few potatoes but nothing even appealed to to. You would have to know me to know that I live to eat and to pass up any or all of the meat from a crock pot is just not me.
After a few minutes, I went back downstairs and sat in my recliner. The band that I felt tightening on my chest just got tighter and tighter. When my jaw started to ache and the pain started down my left arm, I called out to Barb. She came downstairs and said, "Oh my god, you look as white as a sheet." I tried to stand up and it was like all of a sudden I was looking into those silver covered sunglasses in "Cool hand Luke" only they were on my eyes. I am not sure I passed out but the next thing I remember I was on the floor. I told Barbara to get her keys, we were going to the hospital. Like a big dummy, I crawled to the car. next time I will call an ambulance. CALL 911 dumbass!
Barb did her best to get me to the hospital in good time. I remember fooling with the air conditioner controls in the car to cool me off. I felt like a blast furnace had been turned on and I needed cool. When we got to the hospital Barb rushed in and yelled that her husband was having a heart attack. I got all the support they had and was rushed in to the treatment area. None of that paperwork crap that time.
I remember a young Physicians Assistant came to me and took my pulse. He immediate barked out to one of the nurses to get a "Nitro, Stat." I really don't remember there being much of a pause in there but I think the comma looks neat there. He slipped something under my tongue and it felt like someone slapped me on the forehead. Pow, it hit me like a bomb and I felt 100% better but still very weak. They helped me undress from the sweats I had been wearing. They were soaked and I heard them go flop as they hit the floor. They helped me into a gown and I said what am I going to wear home. The nurse said I wasn't going anywhere until they found out what happened.
They took me up to the Heart Attack floor (Cardiac Care?) and drew about a gallon of blood over the next 24 hours. A Doctor I had never met came in and checked me out. He seemed pleased that I had no more pain and said he wouldn't know what they would do until the results of the blood tests came back.
The next morning Dr. Hall Harrison came in and said I had an Arrhythmia from an ischemic source. That was Doctor talk for my heart tried to race away and they didn't know why. The tests showed that there wasn't any damage done but my heart was probably like I had just ran a marathon and they wanted me to be under close supervision for a couple of days. I looked at the Heart monitor there by the bed and it looked all wrong. Normally the tall spike was followed by a deep spike and mine was backwards. I mentioned it to the Doctor and he said that until it "righted its self I would stay in the hospital. Some times when it converts it loses the signal and another period of Arrhythmia results.
It converted a few days later and I would tell you that the trip to the hospital was great but it wasn't. I had been drinking way too much coffee and between the Nitro patch and the lack of caffeine I had a headache that would kill a mule. They also wouldn't let me get up and take a shower and a sponge bath wasn't good enough. I wanted to wash my hair and they said no.
From this, I want you to take away that anytime you have a constricted feeling in your chest, pain radiating in your chin and then down your arm, call 911. No Bullshit and waiting or going to take a shower or changing clothes. Unless you can drive and perform CPR , don't drive someone to the hospital. The Ambulance will do that for you. If you can, chew up a couple of aspirins and wash them down with water. I would have thrown them up but now I would try.
On a daily basis, do what your Doctor says about your cholesterol and diet, take a baby aspirin each night and try to cut down on caffeine. Get up off your butt and so some exercise if you can and walk as much as possible. Most importantly listen to your body and when you need help, call 911 and get to a Hospital as fast as possible.
A very sweet person that we loved decided that she needed to have a shower prior to going to the Hospital. She went in to the shower and it really hit her hard and her heart stopped. She had significant brain damage and later passed away. The Hospital doesn't care what you are wearing or what you smell like. Call 911 and lie down right there on the floor. It is as simple as this. If someone can give you a couple of aspirins, more the better. If not, wait.
MUD
I am posting this to share with you what my Heart Attack in 1987 was like. It follows the same route that most of them but mine was a little different. here goes.
I had been sick with what I thought was a virus for three or four days and on Monday morning, I called in sick at work to catch up on a good book and to take a day off I felt I deserved and needed. I had gone to work on Thursday and Friday and felt that with my weekend spoiled I needed some down time.
Sitting in my chair reading a good book, my chest felt tight sometime in the afternoon. I love a pot roast but the smell of one I put n a crock pot that morning was just not appealing to me. I didn't feel sick to my stomach but I sure as heck didn't want to eat. About 5 PM, the wife arrived home and I went upstairs to help get dinner ready. When I took the roast out of the cock pot, I almost threw up from the smell. Barb thought it was fine and I did manage to get it on the carving plate. I tried to eat a few potatoes but nothing even appealed to to. You would have to know me to know that I live to eat and to pass up any or all of the meat from a crock pot is just not me.
After a few minutes, I went back downstairs and sat in my recliner. The band that I felt tightening on my chest just got tighter and tighter. When my jaw started to ache and the pain started down my left arm, I called out to Barb. She came downstairs and said, "Oh my god, you look as white as a sheet." I tried to stand up and it was like all of a sudden I was looking into those silver covered sunglasses in "Cool hand Luke" only they were on my eyes. I am not sure I passed out but the next thing I remember I was on the floor. I told Barbara to get her keys, we were going to the hospital. Like a big dummy, I crawled to the car. next time I will call an ambulance. CALL 911 dumbass!
Barb did her best to get me to the hospital in good time. I remember fooling with the air conditioner controls in the car to cool me off. I felt like a blast furnace had been turned on and I needed cool. When we got to the hospital Barb rushed in and yelled that her husband was having a heart attack. I got all the support they had and was rushed in to the treatment area. None of that paperwork crap that time.
I remember a young Physicians Assistant came to me and took my pulse. He immediate barked out to one of the nurses to get a "Nitro, Stat." I really don't remember there being much of a pause in there but I think the comma looks neat there. He slipped something under my tongue and it felt like someone slapped me on the forehead. Pow, it hit me like a bomb and I felt 100% better but still very weak. They helped me undress from the sweats I had been wearing. They were soaked and I heard them go flop as they hit the floor. They helped me into a gown and I said what am I going to wear home. The nurse said I wasn't going anywhere until they found out what happened.
They took me up to the Heart Attack floor (Cardiac Care?) and drew about a gallon of blood over the next 24 hours. A Doctor I had never met came in and checked me out. He seemed pleased that I had no more pain and said he wouldn't know what they would do until the results of the blood tests came back.
The next morning Dr. Hall Harrison came in and said I had an Arrhythmia from an ischemic source. That was Doctor talk for my heart tried to race away and they didn't know why. The tests showed that there wasn't any damage done but my heart was probably like I had just ran a marathon and they wanted me to be under close supervision for a couple of days. I looked at the Heart monitor there by the bed and it looked all wrong. Normally the tall spike was followed by a deep spike and mine was backwards. I mentioned it to the Doctor and he said that until it "righted its self I would stay in the hospital. Some times when it converts it loses the signal and another period of Arrhythmia results.
It converted a few days later and I would tell you that the trip to the hospital was great but it wasn't. I had been drinking way too much coffee and between the Nitro patch and the lack of caffeine I had a headache that would kill a mule. They also wouldn't let me get up and take a shower and a sponge bath wasn't good enough. I wanted to wash my hair and they said no.
From this, I want you to take away that anytime you have a constricted feeling in your chest, pain radiating in your chin and then down your arm, call 911. No Bullshit and waiting or going to take a shower or changing clothes. Unless you can drive and perform CPR , don't drive someone to the hospital. The Ambulance will do that for you. If you can, chew up a couple of aspirins and wash them down with water. I would have thrown them up but now I would try.
On a daily basis, do what your Doctor says about your cholesterol and diet, take a baby aspirin each night and try to cut down on caffeine. Get up off your butt and so some exercise if you can and walk as much as possible. Most importantly listen to your body and when you need help, call 911 and get to a Hospital as fast as possible.
A very sweet person that we loved decided that she needed to have a shower prior to going to the Hospital. She went in to the shower and it really hit her hard and her heart stopped. She had significant brain damage and later passed away. The Hospital doesn't care what you are wearing or what you smell like. Call 911 and lie down right there on the floor. It is as simple as this. If someone can give you a couple of aspirins, more the better. If not, wait.
MUD
10/07/2013
Do What I Say, Not What I Do!
I see a document on the Internet that is proposing a change to the way our congress is treated. It is full of a lot of common sense ideas so it will never get past the congress. Here is the Dennis Petty solution - for what it is worth.
I would not let anyone from the congress live in Washington D.C. unless it is in a barracks at a nearby Army Base. They would be housed like the soldiers and not be treated like anything more than the elected people they are. They would eat in a mess hall like the rest of the service members. I would provide a bus to and from their housing to the Capital but not allow anything that looks like a limousine to transport them. The Congress would have to own a home in their home district and go there at least monthly and during breaks.
Yes, I would pay them but only because if we don't, they would fall under the evil influence of people that would pay them for their vote. I would not allow lobbyist within a mile of the Capital. This applies especially to anyone that has served there.
As representing us should count as a form of Federal Service, I would let members of Congress in to the current Retirement System and only for the time they serve. Retirees could buy their time and within one year any past retirement plan would expire. That basically tells them they need to put their retirement money into a fund that only pays them for time served not a lifetime for one term.
Why does any law have exemptions? What's good enough for one is good enough for all. I don't give a rat's rear end if Nebraska has to join the Affordable Health Care like the rest of us. Lets see what the President thinks about having to pay for his medical insurance based on his salary.
All Laws must contain a sunset provision. They must also have a provision that the spending is within the current budget. Unless there is a war, no spending beyond the income. Does anyone really think the four Trillion dollars spent saved us? I didn't think so. What is the extra Trillion spent this year for?
Today's paper had an editorial that said the author is fed up with the people that didn't vote complaining about the current problems in congress. For the next election, I propose that every voter must get up off their butts and using their Obama Care card and Picture ID go vote. Everyone has the right to vote and in my opinion failure to do so would have consequences.
MUD
I would not let anyone from the congress live in Washington D.C. unless it is in a barracks at a nearby Army Base. They would be housed like the soldiers and not be treated like anything more than the elected people they are. They would eat in a mess hall like the rest of the service members. I would provide a bus to and from their housing to the Capital but not allow anything that looks like a limousine to transport them. The Congress would have to own a home in their home district and go there at least monthly and during breaks.
Yes, I would pay them but only because if we don't, they would fall under the evil influence of people that would pay them for their vote. I would not allow lobbyist within a mile of the Capital. This applies especially to anyone that has served there.
As representing us should count as a form of Federal Service, I would let members of Congress in to the current Retirement System and only for the time they serve. Retirees could buy their time and within one year any past retirement plan would expire. That basically tells them they need to put their retirement money into a fund that only pays them for time served not a lifetime for one term.
Why does any law have exemptions? What's good enough for one is good enough for all. I don't give a rat's rear end if Nebraska has to join the Affordable Health Care like the rest of us. Lets see what the President thinks about having to pay for his medical insurance based on his salary.
All Laws must contain a sunset provision. They must also have a provision that the spending is within the current budget. Unless there is a war, no spending beyond the income. Does anyone really think the four Trillion dollars spent saved us? I didn't think so. What is the extra Trillion spent this year for?
Today's paper had an editorial that said the author is fed up with the people that didn't vote complaining about the current problems in congress. For the next election, I propose that every voter must get up off their butts and using their Obama Care card and Picture ID go vote. Everyone has the right to vote and in my opinion failure to do so would have consequences.
 |
| Does somebody need a change? |
MUD
10/06/2013
Things I Love
 |
| Eagle in Yellowstone (By Barb Petty) |
Yesterday I had a kind of negative focus and listed things I didn't like. Today I am going to try to turn that negative energy into something positive. Here are a few things in life I love. They are not in any particular order as that's the way my mind rolls best.
What can I say about the love of my life. My wife Barbara and I have been married 45+ years and she has helped me achieve most of the goals we set out to achieve. I just laugh when we get invited to seminars that are aimed to help us be happy in retirement. How could some young whippersnapper teach Barb anything more about getting to where we are happy? Barb should teach the seminar. She is the love of my life and the pinnacle of where I want to be.
When you reach the place you are very happy with what you have and are spending more time finding places to store the stuff and not worried about new things. Sometimes it is tough to get rid of the things you love, but it happens.
For more years than I care to remember, I work up early and used that time to get my mind right with the world. That included caffeine in the form of hot black coffee. I live to read the paper first and get to mess it up first. Not that I hate sharing, I just handled new papers twice every day for a year and there is just something about a new paper. As a Paperboy, I developed a routine reading the paper that included short stretches of reading. I start on the funny pages and then the front page. I don't read the editorials until last because it was hard to read heavily and walk at the same time. Did I mention that the importance of caffeine to start the day?
Chocolate anything. From time to time licorice fits in there but chocolate ice cream with chocolate sauce about sums it up.
Travel. I have a wanderlust that need to be fulfilled time to time. I would like to see more mountains but my main travel partner doesn't. The good news is that she will fly over those places and other than mountains she is a welcome traveler. The bad news is that I am good for only a certain length of time to be away from the base we have her at Rabbit Run.
Children. There is nothing I love more than to spend time with the smiles of children. To some people the cacophony of children playing is more than they can endure. Me, I love to watch and smile as children play. I would also hate to be where children are sick and not smiling. Oh crap, I was going to stay positive...
Cooking for a group of people. I have trouble doing little plates of food but can cook up a side of beef or a bunch of chicken with the best of them. When we went to Morocco, our friends there took us to a cooking school. Man was I ever in hog heaven to find out the base taste of all that wonderful food.
San Antonio, Texas. What more can I say about a place I have gone many times and almost never had a bad time. From the River walk to the wonderful food in the Mercado I just could wander through that town for a week seeing new things and all the great people.
As an extrovert, I would be remiss to not mention that I love people. I know that according to the medical establishment talking in front of a group of people is one of the biggest phobias. For me, that is just the opposite. Give me a problem and a group of people and I love to chew it up and find solutions. I think Barbara would rather take a problem home and think about it alone but we both get a lot done.
Music. I have sung with almost all size groups most of my life. I sang in a choir all through elementary school and then in High School. I am right now listening to a Barbershop learning CD and the only reason I am not signing is that Barb was up late so I am being quiet.
Seiko Watches. Once I found out what a good watch can mean, I have tried to have one of the most dependable watches I could find. The only weakness in the one I have now is that unless I change it ahead on the months that are not 31 days, I will often be a day or two days behind. Yes, had Barbara not spilled the beans yesterday It was the 4th all day when it was really the 5th, her birthday. One of my favorite stories is the time my dad was in the VA and he saw the new Timex Tin man Triathlon watch I had just purchased. He said he had always wanted one of them. I just took it off my wrist and gave it to him. He wanted me to put his watch band on it and I am generally prepared with a pocketknife and did so. The next day when we were visiting he said, "This watch tells me three things more than I need to know." Story of my life.
Garmin makes a little device that fits on the dash of your car that tells you where to turn if you don't know. I have kind of an internal map that tells me where to turn if I have ever been somewhere. The Garmin is for those time I am on a new adventure. I highly recommend one for those of you who are not blessed with the navigation gene.
Laughter. People that don't enjoy a good laugh just don't know what they are missing.
MUD
10/05/2013
A few things I don't like
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| DOG, DOG, DOG Dam it! |
I hate it when people don't understand our basic form of Government that we have. Our Government system is a Republic where we elect people to go represent us and do not re-elect them if they don't. After a couple of hundred years, what will a few time I disagree with them do to our system? Besides piss me off, that is. OK, 16 or 17 Trillion dollars on the National Debt is a little hard for most people to understand. For a typical person, that is the same as you owing 5 or 6 times what you make in a year. Top that off by realizing you have to add each year to your credit card about 1/3 of what you make. That's just wrong no matter how you explain it.
The other day, a news crew went out and asked people which did they like the best, "Obama Care" or the "Affordable Health Care Bill?" Made me want to shout at the TV that they are the same thing. It is no wonder that we are being led to hell in a hand basket when people on the street don't pay attention to even the most basic things.
I have about had it with people posting things on YouTube and letting stupid things happen. The least you could do is to inform the person that their stupidity will be displayed for the whole world to see if they don't stop. Don't you know that there is no such thing as anonymity by being in a crowd anymore? Stupid is as stupid does and it is often posted for the whole world to see.
The other day a waitress felt like it was her job to correct Barbara when she ordered "beeroaks." She said they are beer rocks to someone who has eaten probably a thousand or so of them in her lifetime and learned the pronunciation from a German lady that taught us how to make them. What the hell difference does it make what they call them. Throw some hamburger, cabbage, salt and pepper into a roll and see if you can just eat one. I will eat at least one or more today and perhaps a schnitzel.
Speaking of things to do, this morning Barb gave me a cookie for breakfast. I think she knows that we will probably eat lunch at the German fest today and supper will be steaks on the grill so she is giving me something lite. Crap, spell checker thinks lite and light are the same. I told her that a cookie is a "Schmoe Girl" breakfast. The women in her family know what that means.
Oh well, moving right along and getting ready to face the cool weather of fall today.
MUD
10/04/2013
Fraud
If you get a postcard that offers you free tickets to Las Vegas, do not respond. The old saying is, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." I got the offer using American Airlines and one of my Facebook friends posted their free ticket offer from Frontier Airlines. Scams and Frauds.
There are a few truisms that my mother would tell us. There is no free lunch. If your inspirations don't include perspiration you need to re-evaluate them. Get an education, work hard and you can be a success. You can make a living digging ditches but you won't like it.
MUD
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| Mom in Eldorado 1940ish |
MUD
Singing
The barbershop chorus gave me the Bass CD of the songs they are singing this year and I have been singing along as I sit at my computer. If there is a strange word now and then, my cross wired mind had been known to throw in a word from the CD as I write. I have to stop and re-read what I post to sort out the extraneous words.
This week has been one where our summer trip through Yellowstone has been brought to mind. There is a book by CJ Box called the Highway and it takes place in and around Yellowstone. I just finished reading it and it made me smile when I read about the places we had been. Yesterday the Smithsonian Channel had a special about Yellowstone and it flew us around the park and made stops at most of the main attractions. From Mammoth in the north end of the park to Lake Yellowstone and then out to the eastern side where the large herds of buffalo roam. Fun stuff. Then there was a show about dangerous animals and Lo and behold there was the Bison there as one of the most dangerous on the American Continent. They showed a short clip where in Yellowstone a guy with a camera got way too close and the buffalo attacked him and threw him up in a tree. Not so fun stuff.
The following Paragraph is a political rant so beware - There is no winner in the current Government shutdown. The Republicans need to move on and see if they can influence the shape of the future spending. The Affordable Health Care Act issue is going to implode all by its self when people see how much more it will cost and that it provides insurance to a lot of people that don't have to pay anything. The Democrats need to come to the reality that there is not a pot of money they can just dip in forever. I guess we could just continue to spend until the world pulls their support and then we will have to cut spending. I am not going to vote for any politician that is an incumbent. NRA Never Re-elect Anyone.
Nuff said
MUD
This week has been one where our summer trip through Yellowstone has been brought to mind. There is a book by CJ Box called the Highway and it takes place in and around Yellowstone. I just finished reading it and it made me smile when I read about the places we had been. Yesterday the Smithsonian Channel had a special about Yellowstone and it flew us around the park and made stops at most of the main attractions. From Mammoth in the north end of the park to Lake Yellowstone and then out to the eastern side where the large herds of buffalo roam. Fun stuff. Then there was a show about dangerous animals and Lo and behold there was the Bison there as one of the most dangerous on the American Continent. They showed a short clip where in Yellowstone a guy with a camera got way too close and the buffalo attacked him and threw him up in a tree. Not so fun stuff.
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| Mammoth Hot Springs in North Yellowstone |
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| Barb and the Geysers |
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| Lake Yellowstone Hotel |
The following Paragraph is a political rant so beware - There is no winner in the current Government shutdown. The Republicans need to move on and see if they can influence the shape of the future spending. The Affordable Health Care Act issue is going to implode all by its self when people see how much more it will cost and that it provides insurance to a lot of people that don't have to pay anything. The Democrats need to come to the reality that there is not a pot of money they can just dip in forever. I guess we could just continue to spend until the world pulls their support and then we will have to cut spending. I am not going to vote for any politician that is an incumbent. NRA Never Re-elect Anyone.
Nuff said
MUD
10/02/2013
Do You Celebrate?
I am not sure where or when it started, but years back, I started to celebrate it when friends have good things happen to them. As a very young boy, I probably did let the victories of others turn to a jealous place I really didn't want to go. I now think there is enough room at the top of any contest for lots of people to post a win. For a couple of years, I was the Military Personnel Officer for the Guard and I did try my best to make the awards ceremonies very professional. We would take every chance to stand people up and have a General Officer pin medals on them. This is one of those times.
There is a program called Employer Support of the Guard and Reserves (ESGR) that honors employers that do good things for their employees. This past week, a good friend of mine Walter Frederick III or just Walt to his friends was appointed the head of that organization in Kansas. I will tell you that when I was the military Personnel Officer, Walt was the guy that really worked hard to see that people got recognized for their good work. He was always proactive and his level of good work always shined through.
Way to go Walt.
MUD
There is a program called Employer Support of the Guard and Reserves (ESGR) that honors employers that do good things for their employees. This past week, a good friend of mine Walter Frederick III or just Walt to his friends was appointed the head of that organization in Kansas. I will tell you that when I was the military Personnel Officer, Walt was the guy that really worked hard to see that people got recognized for their good work. He was always proactive and his level of good work always shined through.
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| Mr. and Mrs. Walt Frederick |
Way to go Walt.
MUD
Weather
We are in that strange phase of the year where it wants to be warm in the afternoon but cool overnight. Soon we will beyond the time of the year when snakes will be out and about but not yet. Yesterday I went out to blow the leaves off the front step. There on the warm sidewalk was a little grey ring necked snake. It slid off the sidewalk and into one of the cracks. I am comfortable that it is a harmless little guy and I never harm them. I am sure that the leaf blower scared him a lot more than his appearance did me. This morning I went out to get the newspaper and there was a thin black snake on the driveway. He didn't look too perky and had a funny shape. I took a stick to see if he had been the victim of one of the cars or the tractor. It took him a minute to get his act together but he slithered off into the grass. I think he was just a common black snake and those I also just leave alone.
I can't remember when I saw the last poisonous snake here at Rabbit Run. I am pretty sure that it was about a year ago and I was out mowing and I saw a copperhead was sunning itself on the edge of the driveway. It took off and I chased it with the mower. The mower is very noisy and a little snake strike didn't change the noise level much. I saw the body minus the head a little later on the next pass over that area. I think I saw a copperhead in a wood pile once but I don't go there too often in snake season.
With the cooler nights, the humming birds haven't all left yet. Barb says the juveniles hang around a little longer than the adults trying to lay in enough fat to make it further south. We have had a visitor or two at the feeder the last couple of days but not the constant battle over the territory that was evident earlier. I am sure that soon the last of the hummers will head south and we will take down the feeders.
Speaking of feeders, I am thinking that I need to get some feed for the deer and the over wintering birds. I saw that one of the Farm Supply stores have suet blocks on sale for 79 cents. They are normally about a dollar each. The woodpeckers can go through three a week when they are hitting it hard. That will start about the time we have the first frost. I haven't seen an apple or a pear on the ground out in the orchard so I am fairly sure the deer are making nightly forages into the orchard. Barb and I picked up the last of the Asian pears this week. Last year we had a couple of five gallon buckets of fruit in the garage for feeding the animals. This year not so much. I will also get a feed bunk to put down the hill. Last year I had a little round rubber pan and it just wasn't big enough.
Yesterday we went for a bike ride and it was fun. I saw an egret and Barb's picture of it was shown on the news during the weather segment. She informed me that herons and egrets look the same but the egrets have black legs. We seem to have a fairly diverse group of birds here at Lake Shawnee. Very soon most of the birds will head south and leave us with the damned Canadian Geese that crap on the sidewalk. Our recumbent bikes don't have fenders and there is nothing more messy than a damp sidewalk and goose poop. Not to mention that it can be very slippery. If you go somewhere to feed the fowl, feed them on the grass. Leave the roads and sidewalks for the vehicles. If no one is feeding them, look where they are eating. Yep, they eat grass like goats.
Better run and see what's in store, or at the store.
MUD
I can't remember when I saw the last poisonous snake here at Rabbit Run. I am pretty sure that it was about a year ago and I was out mowing and I saw a copperhead was sunning itself on the edge of the driveway. It took off and I chased it with the mower. The mower is very noisy and a little snake strike didn't change the noise level much. I saw the body minus the head a little later on the next pass over that area. I think I saw a copperhead in a wood pile once but I don't go there too often in snake season.
With the cooler nights, the humming birds haven't all left yet. Barb says the juveniles hang around a little longer than the adults trying to lay in enough fat to make it further south. We have had a visitor or two at the feeder the last couple of days but not the constant battle over the territory that was evident earlier. I am sure that soon the last of the hummers will head south and we will take down the feeders.
Speaking of feeders, I am thinking that I need to get some feed for the deer and the over wintering birds. I saw that one of the Farm Supply stores have suet blocks on sale for 79 cents. They are normally about a dollar each. The woodpeckers can go through three a week when they are hitting it hard. That will start about the time we have the first frost. I haven't seen an apple or a pear on the ground out in the orchard so I am fairly sure the deer are making nightly forages into the orchard. Barb and I picked up the last of the Asian pears this week. Last year we had a couple of five gallon buckets of fruit in the garage for feeding the animals. This year not so much. I will also get a feed bunk to put down the hill. Last year I had a little round rubber pan and it just wasn't big enough.
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| Barb's picture of me at Lake Shawnee |
Better run and see what's in store, or at the store.
MUD
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