Happy Hour

"IF A LIFETIME CAN BE LIKENED TO A DAY, THEN THIS IS HAPPY HOUR!"
BUCK PENNINGTON

Mother, Mother Ocean

Mother, Mother Ocean, I've heard you call
Wanted to sail upon your waters since I was three feet tall
You've seen it all, you've seen it all
Watched the men who rode you, switch from sails to steam
In your belly you hold the treasures, few have ever seen
Most of 'em dream, most of 'em dream
Yes, I am a pirate, two hundred year's too late
The cannons don't thunder, there's nothin' to plunder
I'm an over-forty victim of fate
Arriving too late, arriving too late

Yoda

"Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is."
―Yoda, to Luke Skywalker

Counted the Stars

Counted the stars on the 4th of July
Wishing we were rockets bursting in the sky
Talking about redemption and leaving things behind
I have these pictures and I keep these photographs
To remind me of a time
These pictures and these photographs
Let me know I'm doin' fine
We used to be so happy once upon a time
Once upon a time
But the sun sank west of the Mendocino County Line
And the sun sank west of the Mendocino County Line


""SOME SEE A GLASS AS HALF FULL, SOME SEE IT AS HALF EMPTY, I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHO’S DRINKING MY RUM."
Rumbear

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Beer is Good or Beer Blogging

Did a Lancaster/Palmdale run today.
Hit BevMo as well while the Missus was in Michael's(craft store)





Thursday, September 27, 2012

Centenary congratulations to the Royal Norwegian Air Force

From The Bayou Renaissance Man.
Partial to this. Mostly Norwegian.
I was the ACC on RNoAF F-16AM 80-3666.
http://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2012/09/centenary-congratulations-to-royal.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BayouRenaissanceMan+%28Bayou+Renaissance+Man%29
Go and enjoy a good post.

Plane Pr0n from AirPigz

Stellar Achievement! Avspecs de Havilland Mosquito Makes First Flight!

  The massive restoration project of a de Havilland Mosquito by Avspecs Limited in Auckland New Zealand for Jerry Yagen and the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach Virginia has reached the ultimate goal... the Mosquito is back in the air! The first flight took place before noon Auckland time (Wednesday evening 9.26.12 in the US) and it appears to have been a great success. The airplane departed Ardmore Airfield and then landed at the Auckland International Airport. They did have some sort of pitot static issue that was resolved while on the ground and then the aircraft returned to Ardmore.

 This is so cool! A Flying Mosquito!

 

Friday, September 21, 2012

Another Milestone, somewhat overshadowed by tragedy

Today is the third anniversary of my nephrectomy.
After the news we got at work today, it pales....................
I did a post awhile back about a coworker and shipmate that had been diagnosed with cancer.
Last night, it took him from us.
It was a rough day at the 416 FLTS/416 AMU for sure.
I did have a flyer so being busy helped.
The jet later in the day took the flag on a memorial flyover/retreat flyover.
AO1(AW) Ed Cunningham, USN RET.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

About the new header pic

The Missus and I went to Naval Air Station Lemoore for the Retiree Appreciation Day this past weekend. We went over on Friday, checked into the Navy Lodge(very nice indeed) and went for dinner and then a visit with an old squadron mate from the mid 1980s.
Saturday was the event but The Missus liked the mattress so much...........she said have fun. We went to town for dinner again and a little look see.............
Sunday we took it easy and then went to Visalia for a little while and then we hit the Me-n-Ed's Pizza in Lemoore. We went there for our second anniversary with the kids shortly after we arrived at NAS Lemoore that June of 1985.
Monday before we left, I had to get a picture like the above......................
Followed by getting a new Navy Region SW vehicle sticker on The Missus' car. Then we went to the Monday Flea Market in Hanford before heading back over the Mountains to home..................
Good weekend all in all.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

58

Amid all the remembrances, it is still my birthday today. Number 58 to be precise.
I was working the Model 45 Final Assembly line that day, eleven years ago.
It was number 47.
I have feelings about it. I stood to attention for the moment of silence. I always have.
It is still number 58.
All things being said, I would prefer to be aboard a Nimitz Class Ship, launching fully loaded Super Hornets to targets filled with scum.
I am a Jew. I understand the threat facing us, from my ancestors who managed to get to this country from Europe in the Thirties.
Grudge? Perhaps so. No apologies what so ever. Us or them, basically.
58.
Twenty years since I last went to sea as a young man, one could say.
58.
Done more in a day than 95 percent of the congress and administration have collectively done in their entire lives.
58.
This is about as pissed as I am going to get.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Three years ago today, part 2

The Missus drove to urologist's office. I was still pretty much a basket case.
The check in was sorta like this.
Cute chick behind counter: How may I help you?
Me: I have an appointment with Doctor Farha.
CCBC: Renal Mass?
Me: Yeah.
Then we did the insurance card stuff and I gave her the CD of the previous week's scan. I then received the proverbial cup.....................we need a sample, please.
Went back to an exam room after sitting a bit. The Missus was present as well. After a bit, the Doc walked in and shook my hand and said this is what we are going to do. He pulled out a pen and began drawing on the paper on the exam table. Three small incisions to do the laproscopic thing and then one about 3"-4" long next to the navel for the exit. Seems the "mass" in question was really close to the arteries and he determined that the safe route was to make the left kidney go bye-bye. By the time I left I had been scheduled for surgery on the 21st of September.
The Missus got a moment of laughter when Doc pulled on the latex glove and informed me to drop my britches...........................................................

Thursday, September 06, 2012

New Navy work uniform, AGAIN!!

From The Master Chief's Lair
"Waiting in the Commissary check out line, I read the front page of Navy Times and discovered we are about to change the Navy working uniform, again.  That comes as no surprise to me, since the present working uniform is not conducive to shipboard use."
The rest is at the link.
I went through a few uniform changes and some out right bastardizations as well................Sucked. Really Sucked.
New Navy Working Uniform, AGAIN!!

Tuesday, September 04, 2012

Milestones

In thirty five months............
The ticker crossed the 250K mark for page views.
Thanks to all who helped in the beginning, especially Buck, Jeff, Kath, Cindy and Joy!
I am humbled.

Today is the third anniversary of my trip to the doctor from which I heard this phrase...............................
"I have good news and I have bad news."
Good news was Diverticulitis. Did the diet change and took antibiotics.
The Bad news was................."you have a large mass on your left kidney."

Sunday, September 02, 2012

Funny Picture

A friend of mine had this beauty up at Facebook. Too good to not share!

Navy LCAC's next generation coming

Photo gallery at The Sandy Eggo Union-Tribune.
Neat pics!

The U.S. Navy recently awarded a $570 million contract to defense contractor Textron for the next generation of LCAC (Landing Craft Air Cushion) vehicles that can carry Marines and their equipment quickly and efficiently on sea and land. The Navy’s existing amphibious “hovercraft” style vehicles were first designed in the 1970’s and are based in Virginia and at the Assault Craft Unit Five’s base on Camp Pendleton. Photos by Charlie Neuman / U-T San Diego

Navy LCAC's 

So punch the link and have a look. Not able to copy any of the photos.

 

I will not go down and tell my children I didn't have the courage, the conviction, the commitment or the character to fight for this country...Don't go home and let your children down~~ LTC Allen West

Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus

‎"Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.("Therefore, he who desires peace, let him prepare for war")" from "Epitoma Rei Militaris," by Vegetius (Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus)