A tear or two.

I watched the Deadliest Catch tonight that had Captain Phil Harris' stroke. When the other boats skippers were notified, the emotion was amazing. A tear was shed by most of them and yours truly. It is a seafaring thing. Most will not understand.
The After the Catch show has an empty chair at the table. It is for Phil Harris.
And I think it reminds us of our own mortality. Anytime, it can happen to any of us.

Summer. Here. Now.

If you scroll down to the bottom of ORPO to my weather thingie, you will notice that it is a balmy, pleasant 103 degrees! Tomorrow it is forecast to hit 105. The flight line should be interesting to say the least. Concrete. Reflecting. Got a large water bottle. We have two flyers for sure. One of them is mine. I would prefer the early one but my jet is on the schedule and it is a later go.
Hot. Desert Wind. Hot.

Joe "dumb ass/idiot/head up and locked"

Saw it on the web.
If I had been in charge of that shop, I would have thrown that useless piece of east coast shit out the fucking door. And then I would have taken a steel toed boot to his privates and then his rig cage.
I do not count joe biden as a worthwhile human being. He is a maggot ridden, flea bitten, worthless shit stain. No redeeming qualities at all. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Get the idea? Good.
Done

From the past, with Ian Anderson

When I was young and they packed me off to school
and taught me how not to play the game,
I didn't mind if they groomed me for success,
or if they said that I was a fool.
So I left there in the morning
with their God tucked underneath my arm --
their half-assed smiles and the book of rules.
So I asked this God a question
and by way of firm reply,
He said -- I'm not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays.
So to my old headmaster (and to anyone who cares):
before I'm through I'd like to say my prayers --
I don't believe you:
you had the whole damn thing all wrong --
He's not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays.
Well you can excomunicate me on my way to Sunday school
and have all the bishops harmonize these lines --
how do you dare tell me that I'm my Father's son
when that was just an accident of Birth.
I'd rather look around me -- compose a better song
`cos that's the honest measure of my worth.
In your pomp and all your glory you're a poorer man than me,
as you lick the boots of death born out of fear.
I don't believe you:
you had the whole damn thing all wrong --
He's not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays.

Just cause I like it!

Swiped, with permission from a Face Book friend. She stole it from someone else. But she is a nice lady and I had to ask.
I feel like this on occasion. More frequently with the current state of affairs inside the beltway!

Remember why this was started?

It began as a way of dealing with the cancer.
This week, one of my co workers at Falcon started Chemo and Radiation. Mary has a tremendous support network from those of us in the 912AMXS. But I have no shame in asking for any prayers and positive waves for her again.
Kind of been down the same road.

No laughing OK?

May of 1972. I was 17 years old. Give me a break. I was the baby of the Havre High Class of 1972. Still am at 55!

Beer Day! 15 March 1987. Aboard USS Kitty Hawk CV63 at the Fleet Anchorage, Al Masira, Oman.

AE2 Kerr, Me, AMH3 Orozco behind me, Don't remember, AMH2 Rector and for the life of me, I don't remember him either. This was my night shift in the Hydraulic/Pneumatic Component Repair Shop at AIMD NAS Lemoore, CA sometime in 1987-1988.

Falcon Maintenance Goodbye to a Friend

My buddy, Rod. He starts a new job at Northrop Grumman in Palmdale on Monday. We gave him a send off at a little establishment in Rosamond.
The cake was made by The Missus Old Retired Petty Officer just for the event. It blew him away!

A really nice going away memento for Rod. 

Rod and Tony, The Boss at Falcon Maintenance.

The Falcon Maintainers. We are a really fun bunch.

See what I mean!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rod cutting the cake!
It was a good time had by all. The Missus got lots of compliments on the cake. And as I said Rod was blown away by it!

Out of the past

This was our Wedding Day. The 11th of June, 1983. Reference a couple of posts ago. Last Friday was number 27.
I thought everyone would like a look.
L-R. My Dad, My Mom, Me, Sharon, Sharon's Mom, Sharon's Step Dad.

From the past, Darkly? Again?

A long time ago, in a place not so far away.
The day I got my Air Warfare Wings with some of my squadron mates and the CO.  That is the gentleman with the shoulder boards and aviator wings. Jim Oliver. Righteous guy, one each.
Behind yours truly is Tim Lobretto, AMS2, outstanding airframes guy, period. Next to him, right as viewed, is AQC Ed Zwick, Flight Deck Coordinator Extraordinaire. We were Argonauts of Attack Squadron One Four Seven. Things changed in 1989 with the arrival of the F/A-18 hornette. No longer the same.

Motivator comes through again!

Is this one cool or what?!?!?!?!

ADJUSTMENTS!

I have been messing around, as it were. Blogger has come up with  some new templates and backgrounds. Also got a different shot of my jet. Over the desert, with things that go BOOM on it. I figured since I live out here in the Mojave Desert, I would try a desert theme and such.
So, one and all, let me know what ya think out there.

Special Day Tomorrow

Tomorrow. The Missus Old Retired Petty Officer and the Old Retired Petty Officer will have been married for TWENTY SEVEN YEARS!!!!!!
Through good and bad, thick and thin, out of work and making a very good living.
Half of a Naval Career with me. Four kids and now eight grandchildren later. WOW! What a grand life!

The Kalifornistan Primaries

Meg Whitman is going against the Moonbeam for governor out here in the used to be Golden State. I hope that folks show up in November to make sure old jerry "I nailed Linda Ronstadt" brown doesn't end up in the governor's mansion in Sacramento. We could use some divine intervention on that one.
Carly Fiorina got the nod to go against that vile witch, barbara boxer. Not a fan of Carly that much. But I would venture to say she is the better choice. And there is no way in HELL I would ever vote for a lousy, goddamned useless hag, traitor like boxer. Just sayin', ya know.
At least both of these ladies have run businesses and know about reality, unlike their opposition. As Morton Downey used to say, enough of those pablum pukers!
Morning Rant finished.

President dipshit and the idiot known as holder

I heard a piece about the possibility of criminal charges against BP for the leak in the Gulf. It seems our dear teleprompter and his legal henchman are looking into charging someone with something. Probably under some idiotic EPA statute. Then they hope to shut down any oil and gas exploration in The Territorial Waters of The Republic, cause it's evil or something. The assholes gave BP a pass on inspections via the worthless trash at The EPA. They did it. BP shit a ton of money for the dear teleprompter. And then he turns around and attempts to screw them. Two widows of the explosion are against the policies of the CinC and his many scoundrels, cheats and thieves.
Talk about two of the most useless pieces of protoplasm to ever walk the face of this planet.
A line from Henry the Second comes to mind

Rant? Just trying to find a way to put things.

After seeing the CinC, The Sphincter of the House(AKA, The Wicked Witch of The West, Dirty Harry and the like doing the usual with the Oil Leak in The Gulf......I was going to put up a mindless rant of some kind.
I think I will do a little more research and come out with something. Research done.  Cause after almost a year and a half of being in charge............it is still somehow the fault of George W. Bush. Geez............Accountability is something that applies to everyone but them.
I do have a basic thing to say about the current occupant of 1600 and  his handling of the situation. Bit you in the ass, didn't it laddie buck!
What does one expect from a man who has never had to lead, inspire, make tough decisions or not have to ask Michelle? The man has no sand. At all. Anyone who uses the CinC as a role model for their kids, sorely needs psychiatric help.
As for the Royal Mouthpiece, Robbie Gibbs. Makes one wonder if his daddy ever took a leather belt to his backside. What an idiot. I know that has probably been said before but we are running out of things to say about him.
And then this bombshell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Katie Couric says the reason Al and Tipper are calling it quits after forty years is because Al lost to GW in the Electoral Vote but won the popular vote. The system is  what it is. I just figure Tipper finally got fed up with the girlfriend, Gaia. As much as anyone, I hate to see a marriage end. I have been down that road myself. It is not any thing I recommend, period. On the other hand, I hope she takes him to the cleaners. He is a piss poor excuse for a white man. I got that from a Chippewa Cree Indian I was a senior in high school with. Trust me on that will ya?
And I gave twenty of the best years of my life for people like this and for the rest of you out there that voted in this "hope and change" crap? 63 million of you owe me and a lot of other Old Warriors a deep and solemn apology............at the ballot box, starting this coming November. Vote out all incumbent DemComs. Lock, stock and barrel. The only salvation for this Constitutional Republic is starting out with that sort of house cleaning. Save the legal stuff for afterwards. If there was a crime or crimes committed, and they most likely were, let the system we have deal with it. But at the appropriate time.
Rant over,,,,,,,,,,,,,,for now.