 |
I am pieces of all the places I have been, and the people I have loved. I’ve been stitched together by song lyrics, book quotes, adventure, late night conversations, moonlight, & the smell of coffee. - Brooke HamptonA friend of mine posted that on Facebook the other day. Struck me it did, made me think, made me reminisce, which for me is always kind of a mixed bag. Like the song says, "Good times, bad times, you know I've had my share..."
Truth be told, most of my memories are positive, happy ones, not all, you just read a series of posts covering a less than happy time in my life, though everything did work out in the end. I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason, one we often cannot fathom, and events will lead us to where we're supposed to be, not necessarily where we want to be.
I get the sense that the current phase of my life is winding down, we're getting close to a point in time where things will change. I am on the cusp of retirement (again) and that sometimes gives me pause. But hey, life moves on and I'm enjoying the ride so far.
I'm seeing (hahaha, I amuse myself) some improvement in my left eye. Not as fuzzy as it was. But those eye drops, they work but my eyes feel strange. Ah well, this too shall pass.
Coming Attractions -
Not sure how many of you actually read the comments, but Beans is going to look into coming up with an official Chant recommended reading list. He's going to go through the old posts and gather what we've blathered about in the past. Should be fun and interesting.
Also, Beans is now the Archiviste Officiel du Chant. Let the decree be declared throughout the land.
A most interesting television show I just binge watched on Netflix -
Skipping past all of the environmental claptrap and hoo-ha, this series really is a taut political thriller. Two seasons out, it's hard to know who is on who's side, and the EU really looks bad. There is a third season coming, even though the Russians told the Norwegians that they really, really don't like the premise of the series. Hint, hint.
Let's see, Russians throw their weight around, Norwegians fight back, EU are a bunch of soulless bureaucrats. What's not to like?
For some lighter fare, started watching Kim's Convenience, a Canadian series on Netflix about a Korean family and their store in Toronto. Much hilarity, it rings a bell with me, and yes, I identify with the Dad in the series.
I work very hard...
More to come, my eyes tire, time for the drops!
Be seeing you.
Aha.....Beans data-mining the archives, that's putting the cat among the canaries(heh-heh). Although a comprehensive reading list.....hmmmm.... given the Chant's audience and tastes...... C'mon Beans.... hurry up! Can't imagine the Rooskies are pleased with that show. Might bring back memories of a previous collaboration that produced a word synonymous with traitor.
ReplyDeleteLord knows what he'll find back there!
DeleteI know whereof ye speak. When my hands started to hurt all the time and drop things without bidding them to, I have had to face some serious questions. Racking routers and switches requires dexterity, and that is a bit lacking at times. 110 blocks and 66 blocks need punching, and that requires concentration now.
ReplyDeleteThere used to be a time when, if you couldn't outrun the saber-tooth, you were retired. Now, we have to try and prepare for the eventual end of production and live off the fat of the land so to speak. And decide when is the right time to pull the handles. I think part of my reminiscing has been in preparation for that. I seem to live in a hazy world of childhood memories and nearly unmanageable time demands now.
The paradigm is shifting.... it's easier to see the closer it comes.... Time waits for no man.
Very well put, STxAR. That's a shack.
DeleteThere’s a reading list at my place.
ReplyDeleteThe only problem with it is I don’t necessarily recommend all of the titles.
Some are really sloppy.
All I can say is that I’ve read them.
I f they were so bad I couldn’t finish, they didn’t make the list.
Yup, I've seen that.
DeleteTo make our list, the book has to be liked, by at least one of us. Of course, it wouldn't have been mentioned otherwiae.
Change is often random but one constant is the need to arise each day and start putting one foot in front of the other.
ReplyDeleteAmen to that, brother!
DeleteI've had lots of good times, and I am pretty good at forgetting the bad times.
ReplyDeleteI occasionally remember the bad times, but I don't dwell on them.
DeleteIt's important to keep on truckin', as the old saying goes.
All the father needs is a shave and a ballcap, and I bet the woman is 0.0000002 seconds away from saying "You're an Idiot."
ReplyDelete"Yellowstone" on A&E is a very interesting series. Really portrays the modern cowboy thing quite well.
Besides the Host recommended books, there's a metric carp-ton of reading materials also recommended by the readers. It will be fun once I make my initial sweep through the posts completing my initial nefarious task. (muhahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahah (I used a screen to keep out the gnats this time) hahahahahaha.)
And I'm still just a tad freaked out over the season ender of "Westworld." Yikes. Someone's seriously demented on that writing staff.
Other than that, looking forward to not watching the reboot of one of my favorite tv series ever starring Tom Selleck and his moustache. I am so gerfed in the way they rebooted it that I won't even mention it. Grrrrrr…
Oh well, there's better things to be urinated about.
Good times is what Mrs. Andrew is for, someone to share them with. Bad times is what Beans is for. I may forgive, but I never forget. I am constantly reminding the Mrs. of exactly why someone 20 years ago would be a bug-splat on the grill of my F-650 with the rail-tie bumper/brush guard (you know, the one in my head, the pickup that is) when all she remembers about someone is all the nicey-nice frou-frou things. I remember all the slights and insults the enemy has heaped upon Mrs. Andrew. And I have a book, with their names in it, with lines through them. (Canna you tell me the movie reference, can you?)
Oh, well, I'll get back to prepping for the awesome 6 hour tour to Auburn, AL to pick up our new puppy on Friday/Saturday. Why Auburn, AL? Because the Rottie Rescue organizations in FL suck moussaka, that's why.
As to data-mining, it is one of my freakish talents. Freakish. Really.
I was hoping you'd include the reader suggestions as well. Yes, the ending of Westworld, both seasons, kinda freaked me out.
DeleteYes, I won't be watching the reboot of Magnum P.I., saw a clip, far too PC for my tastes. Besides, why redo perfect, oh wait, when you have no talent. Yes, Hollywood, I'm looking at you. I know you can do better.
Oh, and we will be expecting a post starring the new canine, with pictures of course. Of the hound, no humans need be involved.
Of course reader suggestions. Sometimes it seems the comments section is better and more informative than the already excellent and extremely informative post, plus you've filled out your flight of co-posters from the ranks of the readers. Now if we can just bring in that 5th poster...
DeleteHave to find a working camera and some way to get it on my computer. Mrs. Andrew has a nice phone with nice camera, but so far she's had no luck sending me photos via email. Yes, photos of new arrival and the epic rant/tale of said arrival will be coming.
Epic Rant portion is for our AF pilot poster who is fiddling with the handle under his chair right now... HEY! That handle hasn't been locked out/tagged out! Quit Coon-Fingering that thing or you'll set it off!!! And I don't think the school district has the money for a new roof.
DeleteAN event I am looking forward to. Big dog and cat fan here. Yuge.
DeleteSince said AF pilot poster thinks that epic ranting is all I do...
DeleteBeans is about to show us the kinder, gentler Beans. (Hhmm, I was about to type "thousand points of light" then realized that we've been down this road once before.)
DeleteBeans, you comment faster than I can respond.
DeleteHey Juvat, if you punch out early does the roof blow first? Or do you indeed "go through the roof"?
Depends on the jet. All the good ones (i.e. the ones I flew), blew the roof off first and then the seat. The really good ones also had a canopy penetrator (basically something to shatter the canopy before your head does) and then there was the Harrier which had primacord in the canopy itself which exploded and shattered it, then you went out the hole. I guess that works. I was on a Cope Thunder mission in the F-15 and the bad guys were Marines flying Harriers out of Cubi. (The Aggressors had been grounded for a fleet wide F-5 repair, the Marines stepped up.) But we're just starting our ingress, when we hear a Beeper come up on Guard, followed by a knock it off and RTB call. The Marine Sq Commander had ejected on Takeoff.
DeleteGotta love the Marines, he flew the Afternoon go as the flight lead. An AF guy who had that happen to him would have been grounded throughout the investigation at least a month even if the cause was crystal clear and in no way his fault.
Good to know.
DeleteThe Marines, yup, gotta love 'em.
Going back to the Normano-Scots background, I don't think "A thousand points of light" means the same thing as most people.
DeleteRemember, pillage then subjugate. Burn only when necessary. After all, the people you're pillaging are your neighbors or, even worse, your extended family. (See Normano-Scots background.)
Glad to hear the Marine was A-Okay. My dad said too many of his classmates ruined their elbows punching out, those that punched out that is. Others rode the beast in, and tower tapes recounted the harrowing "I can fix this, I can fix this."
DeleteHmm. Wonder about pilot training death ratios back in the early '50s. Transitioning from prop-trainer to jets (T-33 for him) must have been nerve-wracking, or not, depending on the pilot. I wonder if there's stats out there somewhere...
Only time I ever saw my dad drunk in the afternoon was when my idiot middle brother told dad he was going skydiving. Parachutes apparently had a bad connotation in my dad's head. Same with bad lighting storms (one of dad's childhood friends got blown up in a rice elevator while cleaning it during a quickly building lighting storm.)
Beans - Thousand points of light in my usage comes from a George H.W. Bush speech. I suspect you knew that, I also know where you're coming from in your usage. (Coming from a Scots-Irish-Anglo-Franco-Scandinavian background.)
DeleteSkydiving? If one of the progeny wanted to try that, I think I'd get drunk too.
DeleteThat would be to dull the part of me that might want to try that. Yeah, I've thought of it.
MBD did a sky dive when we were in New Zealand a couple of years ago. Said she had a blast and that the 2 guys from the ship that had signed up with her but chickened out. So, the rest of the instructors went up with her and her tandem instructor and jumped. Did I mention that she is quite attractive?
DeleteMe? Quite a bit of imploring to the big guy for a good chute. And maybe a glass or three of nice NZ Sauvignon Blanc.
All before the jump, neh?
DeleteI'm with anyone who thinks jumping out of a perfectly good airplane is nuts.
DeleteAdmittedly, the tech has advanced a lot in the last 50 years, but still...
I'm with Beans!
DeleteI keep telling you people, there ain't no such thing as a perfectly good airplane/aircraft. Being in a safe flying condition is an entire other matter.
DeleteThanks for the post.
Paul L. Quandt
Beans - yes, the tech has advanced. Gravitational acceleration remains the same, as does the unyielding nature of the ground.
Deletedrjim - You're a wise man.
DeletePaul - You can repeat that old saw as much as you will, if the aircraft is flyable, and can be landed, then it's a perfectly good airplane. Damaged so as to be unflyable, out of fuel, out of control, then yes, by all means jump, until then, I'm staying with the bird.
DeleteAmen Sarge!
DeleteOk, but you have a different definition of the word perfect than I do.
DeletePaul
"... and events will lead us to where we're supposed to be, not necessarily where we want to be."
ReplyDelete+1. My version--I didn't always get to go where I wanted, but seemed to wind up where I was needed.
"I don't want it taken away. I need my pain". Admiral Kirk.
I am grateful that I can get up in the morning under my own steam, that I still have a purpose, that I still have choices. I make an effort to sort out those things that are out of my hands and not dwell on them. Doesn't mean I don't keep the radar on--you never know when target will come in range.
I have an upcoming appointment with a new eye doc (because we moved). So far, so good. I wear tri-focals. Tried progressive lenses, but with my prescription (far sighted) I could only see three words at a time in a line of text, so had to scan my head back and forth. Umm, no.
Took me a while to get used to the progressive lenses. They kept wanting to take my money and give it to someone else. (Har, har, har.)
DeleteWell said, brother. It's good to wind up where one is needed.
My radar stays in standby, radiating will give away one's position. But I have my passive sensors working full time!
I don't know if pain is "weakness leaving the body" but it reminds me that I'm still alive. What Kirk said.
I find a powerful message in this--
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt1Pwfnh5pc
Perhaps The Chant needs music section as well. (No, I'm not volunteering. I'm quite content to take occasional pot shots from the peanut gallery.)
Damn, first time I've heard the song, first time I've seen that video. Powerful and moving. Man, do I miss that guy.
DeleteConcur on the Music Section, but that's a task I reserve to myself, though suggestions are indeed welcome.
Thanks for that link RHT447.
Books, movies, tv shows, music, restaurants, planes, ships and museums. Check.
DeleteSuperb idea, I think we're well on our way.
Delete;)
And alcoholic beverages. Beer postings seem to be part of the fraternity here.
DeleteAnd Wine. Beans, a week or so ago, I said the boss wanted to go waterskiing and we'd better get stroking. Well......I wasn't wrong!
DeleteWine yes. And any other beverage we find worthy, alcohol or not.
DeleteDuly noted. So how many LUSHes do we have here? No wonder the modern Air Force isn't functioning correctly, the alcohol to blood ratio is too low to fly AND fight.
DeleteSo far the headings are:
DeleteDate (of Post)
Post Title
Link
Book
Movie
TV show
Music
Restaurant
Drink
Plane
Ship
Vehicle (for those tank and Big Girl posts)
Museum (and other places of interest, including (sigh) cemetaries)
Anything else to add? Column increase only results in a 10% increase of my munificent salary.
Only one LUSH, no doubt many lushes, though YMMV.
DeleteOh dear, the cat is out of the bag, just no one tell Juvat and Tuna what "munificent" means.
DeleteWasn't she the cute Blond on "The Munsters"?
DeleteAlright! I'll start drinking right now...
ReplyDeleteOh, wait...
At least wait until you get the positive alcohol release signal from the wife for the appropriate AO. Yeesh. Ooooooooold people, so forgetful.. Wait, I'm... old.... But I don't drink, so I'm not muddled age.
DeleteGood point!
DeleteDamn Sarge .... !! lots to unpack here....YES !!! Yellowstone has you all over it...great series...and OMG 1st ep. Occupied WTH ??!! Ok agreed on the silly wrong headed climate stuff...Love the Thorium Salt reactors whatever... if you're not talking this stuff you're not a serious clean energy person.... they want to paint it like it's a war against clean energy but i think maybe it's a reaction against turning off all the oil..stupid AF how you gonna drive all those cars i see.... anyway very compelling political thriller definitely watching this one...Nesbo writes some good stuff !!
ReplyDeleteAwesome series!
DeleteJuvat/
ReplyDeleteIIRC you also flew the F-4, n'cest-ce pas? Well that seat didn't have a breaker. As a buddy of mine quipped: "Must have been designed by an O-6." I lost a good friend who survived a tour in SEA spent 3-yrs at RAF Bentwaters w. me in a sister SQ, then was killed while taxiing out at D-M when the seat
went off (due to elec malfunction) but the canopy didn't fire. Not a pretty way to die..
Damn!
DeleteYeah, I know. The T-38 did. The Eagle did, probably a direct result of your friend's accident
Delete