I voted (and Brooklyn went into the booth with me, so she voted, too. Sort of.)
And, quite frankly, I am afraid for my country. Results are not final yet, but I am appalled that so many supposedly intelligent people (maybe I'm giving too much credit here) were snowed by the liberal media bull**** and a rock star with no credentials. They deserve what they get if Obama gets elected, but the rest of us don't. If you hate America, please go somewhere else and leave those of us who love our country alone.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Thoughts on retiring from the Army
I've been at Ft. Polk for a few days taking my retirement physical. That (and my impending retirement) has triggered a lot of reflection on the past. I won't go into a lot of that now, but rest assured, there have been lots of changes. When I enlisted in Shreveport on January 26, 1973, I had no idea I'd still be at it with the military 36 years later. I had a change of underwear, my shaving kit, and a quarter when we left the testing station and went to the bus station. We had a pretty good wait for the bus, so I thought I'd better call somebody and let them know I'd enlisted. I called Aunt Rosa May, since she lived in Shreveport, and asked her to call Mama and Daddy sometime and let them know I'd enlisted and was on my way to Ft. Polk and I'd call them when I got a chance.
It's funny, but I remember some ot the guys I enlisted with really well - Henry Bordelon and Lane J. Gauthier from Marksville, Curley Iles, and a red-headed guy that we all called Red. He had shoulder-length red hair and a long bushy red beard. That lasted until the first day in the reception station, when we went to the barber shop. The barbers charged $1.35 and the haircut was pretty simple - they cut it all off. The drills sent Red back through to get his beard cut off (and they charged him another $1.35). We didn't recognize him. His own mother wouldn't have recognized him!
I'll scan some pictures and get them on here some time.
It's funny, but I remember some ot the guys I enlisted with really well - Henry Bordelon and Lane J. Gauthier from Marksville, Curley Iles, and a red-headed guy that we all called Red. He had shoulder-length red hair and a long bushy red beard. That lasted until the first day in the reception station, when we went to the barber shop. The barbers charged $1.35 and the haircut was pretty simple - they cut it all off. The drills sent Red back through to get his beard cut off (and they charged him another $1.35). We didn't recognize him. His own mother wouldn't have recognized him!
I'll scan some pictures and get them on here some time.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Gustav was a bad, bad, boy
Gustav came through the Miss-Lou Monday and left a vast black void. In other words, power was knocked out everywhere. Our lights went out about noon on Monday but I had just bought a generator so we were able to keep the freezer and fridge in Linda's shop going, along with some fans and the satellite and TV. The fans helped a good bit, because it is still cloudy and pretty cool. Our power came back on tonight (Tuesday) about 8pm. Unfortunately, much of the area is still dark and hot. I highly recommend picking up a 5kw or so generator and having someone help you learn how to set it up to keep essential items going. Safely storing some fuel is key as well, because when gas stations lose power no gas comes out of the pumps. Interesting how that works, isn't it? The Church teaches that we need to be prepared - food storage, water, etc. As usual, the Prophet is right.
Brooklyn, Jeni, and Trent came up the 29th for a birthday party and the McClure reunion. Good thing they brought up extra clothes as well, just in case, because the just in case happened. Trent went home today to check on their house (no damage) and his parents. They still don't have electricity, and won't for several days. Much of Baton Rouge will be out for the next couple of weeks. So, Gustav wasn't a Katrina (at least, not in the New Orleans area), but he still spread a pretty good swath of damage across areas of Louisiana that don't often get hit very hard.
Brooklyn, Jeni, and Trent came up the 29th for a birthday party and the McClure reunion. Good thing they brought up extra clothes as well, just in case, because the just in case happened. Trent went home today to check on their house (no damage) and his parents. They still don't have electricity, and won't for several days. Much of Baton Rouge will be out for the next couple of weeks. So, Gustav wasn't a Katrina (at least, not in the New Orleans area), but he still spread a pretty good swath of damage across areas of Louisiana that don't often get hit very hard.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Waiting for Gustav
The air is almost eerily still, as if nature is pausing, catching its breath before a massive exhale. It's been still all day, and hot as blazes with humidity so high you feel as if you can't breathe. Gustav is coming. Actually, projections right now have the main part of the storm coming ashore east of Morgan City and moving through the state to the northwest, right through central Louisiana.
When I was little and a hurricane was coming we'd get together at the neighbors and the adults would play Rook all night as we kids watched and played until we got too tired to keep our eyes open. Fun stuff. We had coal oil lamps (kerosene lamps, for younger people) and candles for light if the power went off. Since we didn't have air conditioning, it didn't make any difference as far as staying cool. Naturally, there were no 24-hour news channels giving us breathless up-to-the minute updates that don't change from hour-to-hour, let alone minute-to-minute. I sometimes think we get way too much information now, because most of it is useless fluff that makes people too nervous. I guess that's the price of progress.
More to follow as Gustav permits.
When I was little and a hurricane was coming we'd get together at the neighbors and the adults would play Rook all night as we kids watched and played until we got too tired to keep our eyes open. Fun stuff. We had coal oil lamps (kerosene lamps, for younger people) and candles for light if the power went off. Since we didn't have air conditioning, it didn't make any difference as far as staying cool. Naturally, there were no 24-hour news channels giving us breathless up-to-the minute updates that don't change from hour-to-hour, let alone minute-to-minute. I sometimes think we get way too much information now, because most of it is useless fluff that makes people too nervous. I guess that's the price of progress.
More to follow as Gustav permits.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
The big 55
Actually, I'm pretty jazzed to be hitting the big double nickle. Things are going great with the Army (with retirement in December coming at me like a fun freight train:)), I have a great family, and I am just having a good time all around. I have reached the point in life where I can say what I feel at work because there's not much anyone can do about it.
I'm at Ft. Polk right now, preparing to do some pre-retirement stuff. It's interesting the way things have come full circle. I enlisted in the Army in January 1973 up in Shreveport, because that's where the testing station was. After we were sworn in we were taken to the bus station to catch a bus to Ft. Polk and I figured I'd better let someone know where I was going. I called Aunt Rosa May (she lived in Shreveport and I only had a quarter) and asked her to call Mama and Daddy and let them know I was on my way to Ft. Polk and would call when I could. I think it was a couple of weeks before we could call. Anyway, I took Basic Combat Training at Polk and here I am coming back here to do retirement stuff. I think I'll participate in a retirement ceremony here in December or January, ending where I started. Cool. I also was stationed here for 4 years (1988 - 1992) and during that time I had the great good fortune to serve as Commander of the 539th Heavy Equipment Maintenance Company (General Support). They were great guys and gals, and we deployed to Saudi Arabia as part of the first Gulf War. More about that another time.
I'm at Ft. Polk right now, preparing to do some pre-retirement stuff. It's interesting the way things have come full circle. I enlisted in the Army in January 1973 up in Shreveport, because that's where the testing station was. After we were sworn in we were taken to the bus station to catch a bus to Ft. Polk and I figured I'd better let someone know where I was going. I called Aunt Rosa May (she lived in Shreveport and I only had a quarter) and asked her to call Mama and Daddy and let them know I was on my way to Ft. Polk and would call when I could. I think it was a couple of weeks before we could call. Anyway, I took Basic Combat Training at Polk and here I am coming back here to do retirement stuff. I think I'll participate in a retirement ceremony here in December or January, ending where I started. Cool. I also was stationed here for 4 years (1988 - 1992) and during that time I had the great good fortune to serve as Commander of the 539th Heavy Equipment Maintenance Company (General Support). They were great guys and gals, and we deployed to Saudi Arabia as part of the first Gulf War. More about that another time.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Happy Birthday to me!!
Thoughts on approaching (tomorrow) 55.
What the Heck?!?!?! I was 20 just yesterday!! What happened?
What the Heck?!?!?! I was 20 just yesterday!! What happened?
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