Monday, May 25, 2020

ARRRGGGGHHHH!

It's Memorial Day.  Borepatch said it best.  "Remember the cost".  Sons and daughters never born.  Grandsons and Granddaughters also.  Greatgrand...The only thing more tragic would have been if they hadn't payed the cost.   Heroes all.  Rest In Peace, Warriors.  You did your duty well.

On an infinitely less important note...

Big Week here at Rancho Juvat.  El nuevo hogar de Juvat has changed significantly over the past week.  So much so, that I recorded a walkthrough video fully intending to present it for your viewing pleasure.

Howsomeever,  my mastery of things electronic seems to have vanished.  I cannot, for the life of me, get the (&(^%*&%^!!! thing off the phone.  I can see it when connected to my PC, but when I try to copy it, import it, use the Photo's app on the PC, or any of the other things I've seen online to fix the problem, it still says the phone is "Not connected".  

Apple, I've never been a fan of your products.  This isn't changing that.

So...You're going to get stills.  

(Also taken with the same phone, and opening the same phone, clicking on the pictures, copy, paste in the PC, works like a champ, but not the flippin' movie.  Hence, you may sense why the title of this post is the title of this post.)

Anyhoo, last Wednesday, after feeding the horses their evening meal, I noticed the supervisor was at the house.  Mrs J and I do a daily walk through at that time, so we went over.  I asked him what was next as we had had the insulation installed and inspected, so were through with that step.  He said the Dry Wall hangers were going to show up Monday and as soon as they were finished, the Bricklayers and Stone Mason would begin work.

Well...Monday was a no show, but Tuesday, bright and early, the Dry Wall guys showed up. and got to work.
Yes, Beans they really do use stilts.
 Thursday evening, when I did my walk through, virtually everything was done, but they said they were low on drywall and would return on Monday (Today).  I let the supervisor know and he said he'd take care of it.  



The rounded corners really make the doors
That center beam will be wrapped in Cedar when finished, not sure why they put drywall on underneath

Saturday morning early, I hear the rumble of traffic headed up to the site.  A little later, as I head up to feed the horses (twice a day, it's the highlight of my day!), I notice a guy shoveling sand and mortar into a mixer.  By the time I'm done with the hayburners, he and his partner are starting to brick the north side of the house. 

Since virtually nobody is going to see this side of the house, cheap little old me, decided that would be solid brick vice brick bottom, limestone top for the rest of the front.

By that evening, that face was finished.


Since the next day was Sunday, I figured we would be undisturbed until this morning.  Nope, just after dawn, I heard the trucks again, peeked out and it was the Bricklayers.  Worked all day  and this is where they were when I went to press.

It's really starting to look a lot like a home, now and it's much easier to get a feel for how it's going to look.  Mrs J is starting to get excited, I'll confess I am also.  

Although I still looking at Christmas as a move in date.

Now to change the subject, my former office mates sent me a link to a video asking me if this was what flying a fighter was really like.

I have to answer...Sorta!

It's obviously filmed from the cockpit on an actual flight, but the maneuvers are much more smoothly applied than shown in the film for a lot of different reasons.  But...It does give you a view of flying a high performance fighter.  

Just as an aside, as I was watching, I could feel my stomach and leg muscles tensing as the first step in the G straining maneuver.













44 comments:

  1. La Casa looking goooood! Impressed that the bricklayers did their thing on a Sunday, nice coloring on those bricks. Cool vid, the pilot is the limiting factor in the F16 being able to perform to it's envelope. Man I can remember reading in Aviation Week & Space Technology in the library at university about the F16 as it came to be because of the LWF proposal, uh......almost 40 years ago now........ugh..... feeling old now......:)

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    1. Thanks.

      The Lawn Dart (sorry, habit) is an excellent jet, and you certainly didn't want to get into a close-in fight with one. Playing against them really confirmed my choice of tactics as an Eagle driver (AKA Flying Tennis Court to be fair to the Lawn Dart drivers ;-) ). Shoot them in the face and make them react defensively. Yes, while it seems like yesterday, it was a long, long, long time ago.

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    2. Um... LWF Program - 1971, first flight - 1974, production - 1976. And, yes, I had to look it up as I remembered it was based on the follow-up to the program that produced the F-15 which was started in 1965.

      So, yeah, feeling old too.

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    3. The local CAF unit just flew their B-25 overhead since they're doing a flyover of a number of cemeteries today. Those radial engines on Miss Mitchell can really shake a house, God Bess those who served and didn't get to go home.

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    4. 5 years for the Lawn Dart, 8 for the Eagle, 15 for the F-22 and 22 for the F-35. Seems we're moving in the wrong direction.

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    5. Nylon,
      That would be cool. One flew over last years Veteran's day parade in honor of the Parade Marshall, the last surviving Doolittle Raider. He lived in the area. He went to his reward shortly thereafter. I thought it a fitting sendoff.

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  2. The house is looking great, can't wait to see the final product.

    I've had trouble in the past getting video from my phone to the computer. So what I do is download the video to YouTube, which takes a bit but works well. Not sure why you can't just download videos like a photo.

    Ah, the Viper, love that jet. When we got our first -16 in Kunsan it was supposedly for maintenance training only. So the Vice Wing Commander took it up and put on a bit of an airshow for us, the beast turns on a dime. Later we received eight more. They flew in in formation with two F-4s, one to each side of the -16 formation. Then the two F-4s put on an incredible display of raw power. Our Phantom guys showed the "new kid" that they'd "been there, done that." Rivalry between the Rhino drivers and the Viper drivers? Yeah, just a little.

    Love Dustin's videos, what a great guy, I always learn a lot from him.

    But man, to be in that cockpit, WOW!

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    1. Downloading to YouTube was my final tactic last night. Finally went to bed with 2+38 on the time remaining. And it never showed up this morning. Don't know WTF happened yesterday, but my blood pressure is back to normal. The bricklayers are back on the job even though it's raining, so all is well in the world. Gonna try again with a Windows phone (which just works, wish they were still in production.) for next week.

      As someone (Richtofen?) once said, "It's not the kite, it's the man in the kite!" As I mentioned to Nylon, it was a good adversary to hone tactics against a 4th generation opponent on. I learned a lot flying against the Misawa boys (no girls yet, although the 13TFS had a female flight surgeon. I took her on quite a few Cope Thunder missions in a D model. She didn't miss a beat and actually did a fair job of look out. There were no 2 seat Lawn Darts at the time at Misawa.)

      As for Dustin, he shouldn't beat himself up about tapping out. A high g maneuver that's unexpected or ill-prepared for, can mess you up for a very long time. And no matter how good you are, once the fluid in the ears stops matching what the eyes see, there's nothing you can do until they're sync'd back up. It's hard to confirm, (maybe impossible) but I wouldn't be surprise if a lot of F-16 losses are, at a minimum, exacerbated, if not caused, by vertigo.

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    2. You see, if you have a Samsung, you just plug in the charge cord to the USB on your combonculator and, et voila, bing-bang-boom, shish-boom-bah, there it is.


      As to that inner-ear stopping matching my eyes, well, welcome to my world. I can get that looking up at clouds passing tall buildings, or even worse, being in a tall building and having inner-ear tell me building is moving. Not fun, and exasperated by being tired. So, of course, the Navy really considered me for being a lookout until they saw my health info.

      Yeah, 1 and 2 story buildings are tall enough.

      And your idea on why high-performance planes crash has the ring of truth in it. I heard the more barka-lounger chair in the F-16 really messes with some people.

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    3. That's exactly what the Windows phone did. My PC thought it was just another Windows formatted HD. Absolutely no issue moving files back and forth.

      As for android based phones, I trust Apple only a little bit more than I trust Google, but that little bit is enough.

      Yep, 5 or 6 hundred knots, right above the ground, does not leave any room for error. But, you might not ever realize it happened. Which, I suppose, might not be as bad as riding one in from altitude unable to get out, which has happened.

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    4. My dad worked for some project for the AF involving the F-4 and it's low and fast characteristics, like really low and really fast. Pilot-induced oscillations are literally murderous at those altitudes and speeds.


      And I really liked my Windows phone. It was the most sensible layout I've ever encountered. Android or Apple, not so much.

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    5. The PIO exercise in F-4 school was eye opening. Recovery procedure was simple put the stick a little aft of center and hold it still. What was eye opening was the altitude lost in recovery. 500’ AGL? Sayonara Bubba!

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  3. Seeing that "TAC Weenie" patch (as we called it in my day) on the chest of his flt suit just reminds me of when things started to go South in the armed services in general. "Back in the day" when the official motto of the AF was: OUR MISSION IS TO FLY AND FIGHT AND DON'T YOU FORGET IT! the regs regarding unit patches were just the opposite of today: One wore the SQUADRON patch on one's chest (reflecting the unit/level of command one was directly assigned to; with the net higher level, the Wing patch on the right shoulder. If assigned directly at Wing level-say the Wing Co., Vice Co, etc., one wore the Wing patch on one's chest and the numbered AF of one's command on the right shoulder. if assign to a numbered AF one wore its patch on ones chest and the appropriate maj command (USAFE, TAC, etc.) on ones right shoulder. The decision to make everyone wear the same patch as part of the Borg was a real insult to unit pride & tradition and represented the ultimate triumph of the Nancy Boy shoe clerks. Its been all downhill ever since throughout EVERY segment of the AF!..

    (PS: IMHO--YMMV..)

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    1. Yeah, PACAF rules were much more loosely enforced when I was at Kunsan. They were still pretty liberal when I first got to Kadena. Then Tony "Wienie" McPeak took over, and decreed V-neck T-shirts, All white socks (no stripe around the top I S**t you not!). He came to visit one time and invited (ordered) all the flight commanders to meet with him in the Wing Commander's conference room. Just Him and us. I thought we'd be getting a chance to update him on things at our level of the world. Nope, the meeting started with us raising our flight suit legs so he could inspect our socks. Once that was complete, he then asked us if we had anything on our minds that we wanted to discuss with him.

      Dead Silence.

      Shortly there after, Friday night festivities at the Squadron Bar started with a "Sock Check". Rather than raise the pant legs, the flight suit itself was lowered, in "honor" of our "leader".

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  4. Glad to see your new sconce coming along so well. I really like the use of limestone in central TX buildings, it makes the buildings fit into the local terrain well, kind of likeadobe houses in northern NM.
    Thanks for the video, it was educational and entertaining. Certainly appropriate for this day's viewing given the sacrifices made by the flight exhibition teams over the years.
    His comments about being humble were spot on as well. Most every highly competent person I've had the honor to know, especially those in the armed forces, had that characteristic.
    The talk about effects of g forces was interesting. At least it seemed he kept his cookies in his stomach, something I have not always been able to do in related circumstances. The inner ear can be a cruel mistress, and can really mess up anyone in a foreign environment. It certainly affects scuba divers at times, although being under water is preferable to being on the deck of a pitching boat with a lot of diesel fumes blowing about.
    Early in the video when he was introducing the plane they'd be flying, he said, "...the F-16, otherwise known as the ...". How many readers of this blog inserted "Lawn Dart" in their thoughts before he said "Viper"? I did! But did it with respect since it has done yeoman's work in the service of this country.

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    1. Re: how many readers...I certainly did! ;-)

      Thanks. Raining cats and dogs right now, so doesn't look like the stonework will start today. But it is Texas, so I'm not going to complain about rain.

      I was impressed the Dustin actually got the facts right on G forces, vertigo, going through the Mach and instrument fluctuations. He did a great job!

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  5. A(true) humorous note perfectly appropriate for this most solemn day: Sitting here watching the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier this AM my mind wandered back to the Vietnam era. Just prior to graduation (Class '66) and departure for pilot tng two of my fraternity bros, in a wild, drunken spree, decided for some TOTALLY unfathomable reason (other than the stock "it seemed like a good idea at the time" 'hic) to skulk into a grave-yard, remove a random head-stone. muscle it into the trunk of their car, drive back to campus and deposit in front of the library--all w.o. getting caught or cracking the headstone in two--no small feat! Natch, it made the newspapers w. much speculation as to intent and "significance" etc.

    Fast forward a couple of years to fall of '68. I'm just back from my tour @DaNang on leave on my way to my next assign in the U.K. Stopped by the fraternity-house in Baton Rouge to see how everyone had fared in the war. A few were already back and the others there had kept abreast of everyone else . I inquired about the two afore-mentioned "night skulkers" I was informed that one was presently in the Armys 'Old Guard'--the unit which guards the Tomb of the Unknowns. "I wonder if the Army knows it has a grave-robber guarding the Tomb" one of the guys observed w. a sly smile on his face. LOL!

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    1. I suspect, he might have been doing penance for his past misdeed, say June through Late September in his Dress Blues while manning his post. Still...what an honor to be selected for that duty! I visited there a few times when I needed to get away from the BS located just east of there. Just as a reminder of what the military was really all about.

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    2. I knew a reckless, freaky, almost toothless biker weirdo that, after 9-11, entered the army. And he got assigned to the 'Old Guard.' Met him again after 3-4 years of service, he was going career, full set of falsies, clean, straight, didn't drink nor smoke anymore, drove a quiet car, was ramrod straight in stance. Changed him completely and probably saved his life.

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    3. Yep, As I've said, "Not everybody that yells at you is your enemy, nor everybody that smiles at you, your friend." I've known several people that benefited from service, much like your friend.

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  6. Not only do they have stilts, they use these really nifty lifting machines for to apply drywall to roofs and high up on the wall. But, alas, with my inner ear and eye comparative system being more buggy than Harris Corp DOS (which made Microsoft DOS look positively Appleish, and died a miserable but justifiable death shortly after being released) stilts were, are, will be never to be used by me.

    And, seriously, who wants to see a fat guy on stilts? Might get mistaken for a float in a parade, or an attempt to crush a roadrunner or something.

    House does look good. Lessee... Paint, trim, cabinets, kitchenery, bath fixtures, final electrical cleanup, floor treatments, cleanup, fixing, cleanup, fixing more, cleanup. Maybe early November?

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  7. Peter Grant, at Bayou Renaissance Man, posted "Sergeant McKenzie." That haunting song from "We were Soldiers."

    https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2020/05/memorial-day.html

    Pretty much sums it up.


    And, of course...

    Shines the name — Rodger Young,
    Fought and died for the men he marched among.
    To the everlasting glory of the Infantry
    Lives the story of Private Rodger Young.

    From "The Ballad of Roger Young."

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    1. Yeah, there's a lot of good posts out there today. I've got a box of kleenex handy.

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    2. I reread about Roger Young last night. Was a sergeant, took a demotion to private because he was going blind and deaf, stayed with his squad, saved his squad. Sobering, very sobering.

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    3. (Don McCollor)...the sci fiction author Robert Heinlein in "Starship Troopers" had the gathering sign for action "Rodger Young"....

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    4. Yep. Which, back in the pre-super-internet days, was hard to find info on. Now? I read his biography every year (Roger Young's.)

      I really want a correct movie made from "Starship Troopers." Maybe a mini-series, as a lot of the book would be hard to fit into a regular movie format, like the execution scene and all the emotional stuff surrounding that moment and the repercussions that preceded and followed.

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    5. Guess I got some research/reading to do.

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    6. (Don McCollor)...the West Point Glee Club (US Army) has several music videos of "Rodger Young"...also the haunting "Blood on the Risers"...

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  8. Your house looks great! Love the arched doorway.
    VX - the patches, cravat stuff began in VN. At times we were so glad to be "nite owls"

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  9. Wow, the house is coming along fast, and looking great! December move in? I'm no builder/buyer but that seems longer than it should. Are you expecting delays, waiting for an epic Christmas, or is that just how long it takes?

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  10. It may be different in your area. The nail schedule for drywall is no more than 7" between fasteners and no less than 1/2" from the edge. (I use the term fastener because even though screws are more often used, it is still known as a 'nail' schedule)
    Certainly inquire of your contractor.

    That photo of the ceiling shown the ridge beam is what I refer to.


    Rick

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    1. Thanks, I’ll check measurements tomorrow.

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    2. Are you sayin they’re too far apart or too clse to the edge. And beam or cieling panels?

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    3. I mean the ceiling as shown in the photo where you comment on the beam. In that photo there should be six fasteners across the width of the sheet (assuming a four foot width). I won't say anymore since I don't want to stir up anything, especially since I'm not there. Too, I'm in CA, it may be different in TX. Of course it is, but I mean drywall nail schedule. har har

      Rick

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    4. No need to measure. Do two things; 1) count how many fasteners across the width of the sheet; 2) observe if fasteners appear equidistant one to the other. The number should be six. The perimeter fasteners should be 1/2" for the edge of the sheet. Note: the 1/2" is the centerline of the fastener. The fastener head, being a larger radius, may make it appear the fastener is too close to the edge.

      Oh bloody hell, I might as well mention to check for any fasteners which are toed-in, or slanted. That is a no no.

      I may as will admit it, I was the guy who knew the code better than any inspector. A couple times they red flagged (stop work) my jobs but only because they didn't know what they were looking at. They removed red tag as soon as I explained THEIR code to them. Sorry to go on. I must be bored.


      Rick aka Mr. Punctilious

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    5. No worries about any of it. I'm going to check with the super as soon as he gets here. The dry wall guys just finished up and left an hour or so ago. I suspect he'll stop by this evening or in the morning. I'll see what he says, and let us all know.

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  11. Also, that is for 1/2 drywall (sheetrock) on ceilings. And screw should be no less than 1 7/8".

    I really dislike being 'that guy' as if I'm trying to run someone's business from afar. But in +20 years of homebuilding I was constantly amazed by how many homeowners were indifferent to how THEIR house was being built. Trust but verify.


    Rick

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    1. Lots of what look to be about 2” screws on the floor.

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  12. Good progress on the casa is GOOD! :-) Re the lawn darts, I 'think' they can also induce G-lock the same way the F/A-18 does because they can load up so quickly. I know I went out like a light the first time I was in an 18 and the pilot loaded it up.

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    1. Yeah, the onset rate is definitely part of the issue. If you're not already starting the M1 before the pull, you're almost certain to take a nap, which is bad for back seaters. The pilot knows he's going to pull, so habit will start him tightening his legs and stomach (and as I mentioned on watching the vid, it still does in me) but the back seater may not have that warning. Which is bad enough if he's just a passenger, but if he's actually a crewmember with responsibilities that can be really bad. Additionally, typically when you wake up, you thrash around a bit before you regain full consciousness. Hit the stick or rudder at the wrong time could be....problematic.

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  13. The house is looking good. Didn't know there was a standard on the spacing of drywall fasteners; we probably got the same treatment you did.

    Saw the comment about the "sock check". Hilarious. We had our shenanigans in Tactical Airlift; we were always the red headed stepchild of whatever command we were in. I got to C-130's just months after they had been handed to MAC from TAC. Neither command wanted us as we didn't fit with the fighter guys and big airlift looked down their noses at us. There even was an occasional occurrence of "deceased insect" at some gatherings; I would have to fall on the floor if I used the real term and then get myself a drink.

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    1. Nor did I. Next time I see the supervisor, I'll ask and let you know what he says.

      Deceased Insect was also a thing. While at Moody, we had a RCAF deployment down to train with us. One of their guys asked me if we knew about "Deceased Insect", I said "Sure". Shortly thereafter, he yelled "Dead Ant" and all the guys in red flight suits fell on their backs with arms and legs wiggling in the air. Seems they do things differently up north. Must be the cold.

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Just be polite... that's all I ask. (For Buck)
Can't be nice, go somewhere else...

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