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| (Source)* |
Facebook.
Yes, I do Gesichtbuch, which I'm pretty sure isn't what it's really called auf Deutsch. (That being a literal word for word translation, in German it's probably some long word like Völkergesichterbuch. A word I just made up, well last night actually, but you get my drift. And in reality, the Germans just call it Facebook, And yes, I looked it up.)
Anyhoo...
In the long established tradition of me ranting one day, providing historical tidbits another, and then going completely mental at times here at The Chant, I bring you another one of those list posts. (Yes, I've done this before, here, and kinda-sorta here. That latter post being more of a "who am I?" post than a list whereby one might derive certain characteristics and...
Sorry. I get long winded (long worded?) at times.
SQUIRREL!!!
What the heck was that?
Anyhoo, I got the following from friend o' the blog Valory, who gave a tip o' the hat to some B. Alex Thompson fellow. I found it très amusant, VKPV.**
A List of Stuff...
1. Favorite smell? Late autumn in Vermont.
2. Last time you cried? Tuesday. Remember?
3. Favorite pizza? Deep dish, extra cheese, black olives, peppers, pepperoni, and Italian sausage.
4. Favorite flower? Daffodil.
5. Did you go to college? Yes, three places, two degrees. I am over-educated and under-challenged.
6. Untie your shoes when taking them off? Yup, unless they're my boat shoes.
7. Roller coasters? Nope. Designed by engineers, maintained by high school drop outs.
8. Favorite ice cream? Black raspberry with dark chocolate chips. Just leave the tub.
9. Favorite past time? Blogging (apparently).
10. Shorts or jeans? Cargo shorts in summer, jeans the rest of the year.
11. What are you listening to? My keyboard clicking and my hard drive humming.
12. Favorite Color? Blue, though green is a close second.
13. Tattoos? Negative. No. Nein, 아니, нет, いいえ.
14. Piercing? See #13.
15. Color of hair? When I was a lad - blond, as a youth and adult - brown, now? Grey, mostly.
16. Color of eyes? Blue.
17. Favorite food? What day is this?
18. Favorite holiday? Christmas, with Thanksgiving a close second.
19. Beer or wine? Yes (What, you thought I wouldn't go there again?)
20. Night owl or morning person? Night owl.
21. Favorite day of the week? Every other Friday, every Saturday.
22. Do you have a Nickname? Yes. (Sarge for one, no, seriously.)
23. Pictures on your wall? Oil paintings of Paris, that we bought in Paris.
24. What makes you most proud? The progeny and the grand progeny.
25. Favorite music? Almost anything. (No gospel, no rap, hold the twang in country.)
And a few I added myself...
26. Favorite armored fighting vehicle? Panzerkampfwagen V, the Panther.
27. Favorite fighter aircraft? Spitfire. Duh. (Yes, the Mustang is a close second, neck and neck with almost anything which flies.)
28. Favorite period of history? Napoleonic Wars.
29. Favorite book? If you held a gun to my head... John Elting's Swords Around a Throne. (Hunt for Red October is a close second.)
30. Favorite season? Autumn in New England. It's pretty nice in Korea, Colorado, and Germany as well.
31. Smartest move ever made? Marrying The Missus Herself.
32. Dumbest move ever made? Not trying harder at something. Which I still won't talk about. The time isn't right.
33. Goal in life? Have fun.
34. Do I believe in magic in a young girl's heart?
Well, if you put it that way, yes.
35. Do I I wanna rock and roll all night and party every day? Nah, not really. (Don't look for a video, there isn't one. Not a big Kiss fan.)
36. Fondest memory? There are many, all have to do with the births of my children and grandchildren. Though the day The Missus Herself said "Yes" is hard to beat.
37. Saddest memory? There are far too many, all have to do with the deaths of family and friends. For what it's worth, that includes all those who faithfully and honorably serve.
38. Most fun ever? Aerobatics in an SNJ-6. The most fun one can have with their clothes on. So they say. One is fun, one is superb. Superb involves flying.
39. Foreign places visited? Japan, Korea, Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands, and Italy. Though I've been to the UK and Canada, they didn't feel foreign at all.
And 39 seems a fine number to stop at.
A rather long way of saying, "I got nothing."
What say you? (And yes, feel free to elaborate, I like long comments. And walks on the beach...)
* With apologies to Major Jonathan Flores and the 384th Air Refueling Squadron.
** VKPV = Votre Kilométrage Peut Varier, that is, YMMV, Your Mileage May Vary.
Ok, you are the blogger and I am just someone who runs off at the fingers in your comment section; so give me something to work with here. No, seriously, thanks for the post. I understand about the idea tank going dry so don't worry that your fans will up and leave if you are not witty or informative every day. Just post cat photos or better still, tell us about what your cats are up to/in to.
ReplyDeleteBe of good cheer, Sarge; you have friends. I am but one of them.
Paul L. Quandt
Thanks Paul!
DeleteCat photos, I can do that.
Looks like much the same as my responses.
ReplyDeleteObviously, though, you showed more initiative by being cfeative.
Initiative? Moi?
Delete;)
P.S. SNJs are a ton of fun to fly in. A lot of elbow grease between flights.
ReplyDeletePaul
Yes, indeed.
DeleteI'm familiar with the Phantom's elbow grease between flights.
#1 Mrs Juvat
ReplyDelete#26 Anything with it's turret blown off
#27 Take a guess
#38 Leading a 16 ship of #27's in a Cope Thunder
Other than that....Pretty much what you said.
Outstanding.
DeleteI kinda knew what your answer to #26 was while I was typing the question. ;)
You score huge points for your answer to #1.
#27, gee, Eagle?
#38, it doesn't get any better than that!
#26 - Hmmm, spoken like a true Air(-to-Ground-)Dale.
DeleteHeh.
DeleteYes...Well....
DeleteI sense that the shoe might fit?
DeleteJust as long as the Fu doesn't shit.
DeleteHahaha!
Delete#8. Favorite ice cream. That changes. The current holder of that spot is the Salty Caramel from a place called Island Creamery in Chincoteague.
ReplyDelete#27. Favorite Fighter Aircraft. P-38.
#2. Crying. Not crying, but a bit misty in here a few minutes ago when I read this Medal of Honor citation. http://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/2017/10/medal-of-honor_18.html
Good thought provoking post.
Good answer on the ice cream. My answer was based on a particular place in Rhode Island where they make their own. It is unbelievably good. Salty caramel eh? Sounds good.
DeleteI love Proof's MoH posts.
Where did such men come from? Are some out there, waiting for the next big thing? I don't know how to answer myself.
DeleteThey will be there when we need them. Some are already serving.
DeleteAs I like to say, the kids are alright (at least the ones in uniform are).
Jon, growing up in the 70's, my behind the fence neighbor was Col. William Leverette, who shot down 7 Stukas in one fight, flying the Lightning.
DeleteNicest, sweetest man you'd ever meet, stone-cold fighter pilot when he needed to be.
His favorite plane was also the P-38. He could just about recite how to take the plane apart and put it back together again.
Love the P-38.
DeleteHey, Sarge, looks like we have more in common than I might have thought. One thing, though, I’m thinking that post title should’ve been “What is this Facebook of which you speak?”. ��
ReplyDeleteHahaha!
DeleteThat would have been a great title!
My comment was too long, so I'll have to make my answers a post next week.
ReplyDeleteExcellent idea!
DeleteI look forward to your take on all this. You have a unique (and often humorous) way of looking at things.
7. Roller Coasters. Hell yeah! Must be the jet fuel in my veins.
ReplyDelete8. Tats. Not just no, but hell no.
9. Hair color. What hair?
17. Fave Food. I could do a whole post. Beef Wellington is high on that list.
23. Pics on the wall. A lot of my daughter's works, great stuff even before art school.
31. Besides marriage, probably accepting an NROTC scholarship to get me out of that gawdforsaken town I grew up in.
Beef Wellington? I love that stuff.
DeleteI have a story which involves Beef Wellington. I have to check the archives to see if I've already told that story.
My dad, super fighter pilot that he was, would get violently ill riding Merry-Go-Rounds, and those spinning cups at Disney were death to him. On the other hand, the new breed of roller coasters, with negative 'G's and vertical drops, barrel rolls and all that, would have been pure joy to him.
DeleteUnexpected motion will mess you up!
Delete1. Favorite smell? My wife, right before I go to sleep or right after I wake up.
ReplyDelete3. Favorite pizza? Old time deep dish Pizza Hut, the one that put them on the map, not the crap they serve now.
4. Favorite flower? Daffodil, because they remind me of my wife and the Smoky Mountains.
5. Did you go to college? 5 years to get a 2 year degree, with a total of 140 credits (Don’t go to college if your mind runs on Brownian Motion.
6. Untie your shoes when taking them off? Sandals all the way (with socks in winter.)
7. Roller coasters? No. Last time I was on one a mother had to explain to her child that the man was going to be okay (really) and the attendants were just plain laughing and replaying the tape of a man screaming like a little girl (in not a nice way.)(My wife, on the other hand, would probably enjoy the final ride of a falling apart coaster, right up until the car hit the ground, and then laugh as she climbed out of the hole, with nary a scratch on her (yes, she is one of those people…)
8. Favorite ice cream? Publix (where shopping is a pleasure (really!)) Bear Claw – chocolate with dark chocolate covered cashews and gooey caramel seams. Yum, yum.
10. Shorts or jeans? Cargo shorts, even in winter, unless it is really cold (in the 30’s or below.)
12. Favorite Color? Blue, deep blue.
13/14. Tattoos et al? I have put enough holes in myself accidentally that additional holes are not wanted.
15. Color of hair? Silver-grey-blond on top where it isn’t skin.
16. Color of eyes? Blue.
17. Favorite food? Lasagna, with 3x cheese (as taught to me by my foster god-parents (seriously, I have Italian foster god-parents. (needed for First Communion… and Lasagna.)))
18. Favorite holiday?Thanksgiving and then Christmas (both food related, for some reason, just one comes with more… GUILT.)
22. Do you have a Nickname? Yes, and surprisingly it isn’t “AXXhole” like a lot of people think.
26. Favorite armored fighting vehicle? Most anything with a USA on it.
27. Favorite fighter aircraft? Really strange here, but anything by Republic Aviation. Love the P-47, the F-105, but favorite is F-84 (dad flew a –G). Something about a plane that a group of monkeys can attack with hammers and it will still fly, and do it’s job. (Hey, my favorite cars are Vans, so…)
28. Favorite period of history? Norman Conquest (of Everything) and the early Crusades.
30. Favorite season? Not Hot. (Yes, I grew up in the tropics/subtropics, where there are two seasons, Hot and Not Hot.)
31. Smartest move ever made? Marrying.
32. Dumbest move ever made? Not realizing how my mind actually functions until it was too late.
35. Do I I wanna rock and roll all night and party every day? No. Leave me alone. I am a city hermit, thank you.
36. Fondest memory? Kneeling at my wedding mass and looking at my soon-to-be wife.
37. Saddest memory? Dad’s (after)death.
38. Most fun ever? Holding the Shield Wall in the Ravines Battle at Gulf Wars, and then going ape-shit with spear and taking out a whole line of enemies and then dying and going to resurrection point and shouting “I love you, Elfwyn” to my beautiful bride who is watching me kill, die, resurrect, repeat over and over for an hour. (Society for Creative Anachronism fighting, Gulf Wars being the annual war between Trimaris (most of Florida) and Ansteorra (most of Texas.)
39. Foreign places visited? Ebeye, next to Kwajalein, in the Marshall Islands (Where I was introduced to the third world one afternoon. Never again.)
Great list. Bear Claw ice cream sounds perfect, I think I would even risk diverticular pain to experience it at least once.
DeleteSociety for Creative Anachronism? Awesome, just awesome. I used to reenact Civil War, I know, I know, and World War II. Expensive hobbies but I miss them.
I knew I could count on you Andrew.
Always wanted to do 'Real Reenactment' but that stuff costs way too much. Especially if I wanted to go Hessian (as one of my ancestors was one of 'them' who stayed after the war and married into a Mayflower family (did I ever mention that my family tree is weird? I mean, really weird?) but their Shako's cost like $5,000 each and when they die, they fall to the grass, whip out a canvas square, carefully remove said hat and lovingly place it upon said square, and then die artistically. Too Foppish for me.
DeleteCiv War would have been hard for me, both sides of family served for all the right reasons for most of the war. And having two outfits, one from either side, would have cost way too much cake (and pie, and meat, and gas, and housing and...)
Though I like Black Powder guns, a lot. I can barely afford to own the modern guns I have, and can't afford to let those go play too often either.
SCA is much more wallet-friendly, as you basically can choose the culture to emulate based upon the number of bills in your wallet (to start out with. Any culture, once you get into finer fabrics and jewelry and shoes (for Frick;s sake) can run you some costly darned money. Most money I ever saw for a costume wasn't some piece of Elizabethan frippery, no, it was a drop dead gorgeous Byzantine Empress's outfit (with real Baltic and Meditteranean pearls. She looked so beautiful, and regal, and probably could have overseen the crushing of a Nike rebellion while filing her nails...)
And... I love hitting people. There, I said it. Nothing brings life into my soul like some serious close quarter combat where you are just sticking it in, some serious hack and smash, and tossing people off your shield like a College Linebacker going through a junior high team. Ah, the good old days. Never was a "Sir Super Flashy" tourney fighter, but I excelled in battles. I need to lose some weight and get back in the field. Miss those days. (Hey, it's like, you know, flying a really nice plane, and then getting grounded. You still feel the urge to do all that flying stuff, but you can't. Sucky feeling.)
Nice!
DeleteOkay, last time I cried? 5 minutes ago when I read General Kelly's statement of what happens when a servicemember falls. And it happened while I was listening to some soulful trumpet play ("Coaxed to Grow" by Steven Chesne/Luminous World Orchestra. Having 'radio' on the TV is nice some days).
DeleteHis remarks can be found here. Sorry, it is a twitter account, but I have too much sorrow leaking out of my eyes to spend looking for a 'pure link.' https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/921102572273926144/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitchy.com%2Fbrettt-3136%2F2017%2F10%2F19%2Fbrian-fallon-gen-john-kelly-is-odious-an-enabler-dont-be-distracted-by-the-uniform%2F
:(
DeleteIt was one of those sad, forlorn yet firmly proud cries. I am sure you have had some. Good time for Beethoven's 7th.
DeleteAnd I am proud, so proud of those who have served honorably, and of those who have given some, or all, to our greater good.
Yup...
DeleteIf these vacuous posts continue, I will only read your work for twenty more years.
ReplyDeleteWhat shoes? Cargo shorts, all the time (except for Church, but that may be changing with our new 40 yo Pastor), Easter and Christmas, Bacardi 8 YO Rum (strange these two itms come in sequence, should I change the latter?), night owl, kids and gkids, P-38 and the Deuce (but then I was young, maybe just any way to change JP-4 into noise and fire whilst going along for the ride). Over.
Good points all. I did leave out #19 though in my synopsis. Sorry. Yes, and Capt Morgan's Spiced Rum, Single Malt Scotch particularly those from Islay (eye'- luh), although I recently developed a taste for Speysides.
DeleteDave - Vacuous? I have achieved my goal, time to retire.
Delete;)
Juvat - for #19 I figured you just needed more time to think about it.
Delete;)
"Favorite past time?" I'd say the late sixties...
ReplyDeleteFavorite pastime? Proofreading blogs apparently!
Proof reading? Yes...Daily!
DeleteProof - I claim artistic license. Er, would you believe copy-paste error?
DeleteThat's it, I'm sacking the entire proofreading staff. Oh wait, it's just me...
Juvat - I see what ya did there. Nice!
DeleteSarge, I figured it was a copy/ paste thing. Trying to preserve the King's English is a Sisyphean task. Besides, I'm not above making an occasional typo myself!
ReplyDeleteOh, and keep an eye on Juvat. He has a lean and hungry look! ; )
You can take the boy out of the Eagle, but you can't take the Eagle out of the boy.
Delete;)