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Praetorium Honoris

Monday, March 15, 2021

Plumbers and Jets and other little things!

 So....Things are starting to return to normal around El Rancho Juvat.  No, Beans, we are still at the mercy of plumbers.  We did manage to get the Guest House back up and running and have had guests continuously for the past 10 days and are booked solid for the next two weeks.  I am now fully certified as a bed maker. (My sainted Mother is smiling from a cloud somewhere.) It only took about 7 years, but I have mastered the hospital corner.

So, I've got that going for me...which is nice!





But...(There's always a "But") we're still waiting for the plumber to come back and finish hooking up the kitchen sink at my Sister's house as well as the sink at her old house.  She's got a sink that works in the laundry room and nobody's living in her old house and things still suck for a lot of people in the area.  The plumber is still having to prioritize what get's fixed and in what order.  

However, DIL and Tex will be arriving on the 26th, so our priority is going to have to change soon.  I have a very cunning plan to see that through.

Last week while I was playing Step'in Fetchit for the plumber, we'd been talking about things and came to find out that his Dad had worked for General Dynamics developing the technology for the Aural warning system in the F-15 and F-16. (Yes, Sarge, I'm taking about what was affectionately called "Bitchin' Betty").   It also turns out that the Lady whose voice was used also lives in the vicinity.  Remarkable coincidences.

In any case, he'd picked up his son and was on the way home when we'd called.  He'd brought the son with him to fix the leak.  His son had overheard the conversation and gotten pretty excited that I had flown airplanes.  That was his plan for when "he grew up".

I didn't want to tell him that you can't be a fighter pilot if you "grow up".  

So back to my diabolical plot to get back on the plumber's schedule.  I happened to run across this website a while back which tracks a lot of flying related activities and includes airshows.  Turns out that next Saturday there's one in nearby Burnet (pronounced Burn It) which includes an A-10 demo.  Asked the plumber if he thought his son would be interested and he'd be free.  

We're going to an airshow! I don't know about the plumber, but us two kids are gonna have fun!

Source

On a separate note, during "Icemageddon", MBD and SIL had had a water pipe burst in the ceiling of their rental house. They called last week and asked if they could come visit for a couple of days.  

"Well, yes, of course!"  

They arrived Thursday and MBD said she wasn't feeling too well from the drive, so was going to take a nap.  Now, she has NEVER done well traveling, so it wasn't unusual.  However, in this day of pandemic panic....

After the nap, she awoke feeling better.  She then brought in a small wrapped box and handed it to Mrs J to open.

Inside was this.


We're gonna be Grandparents! ETA? Late October.


Thank you, Lord!

51 comments:

  1. New baby in the family - YAY!
    Hope the air show gambit works out for you.
    Frank

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    1. Thanks, Frank. First Grandchild gets spoiled rotten. Didn't play out that way for me, of course, but Mrs J and I plan on a liberal application of attention and love.

      As to the airshow, at the very least, I'll get a bit of airplane touchy feely.

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    2. Good use of an archaic word that other people have perverted the meaning to. Yes. Spoil the child in an appropriate manner.

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    3. We shall endeavor to comply.

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  2. Outstanding!!

    Might be time for a new callsign, Grandpa.

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    1. Thanks, Sarge. We think so.

      Since MBD has been referring to myself as "Pappa Julio" for years, I've got a sneaking suspicion that's gonna stick. Lord knows why she picked that moniker, but she did.

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  3. Congrats juvat, ya..... gonna need a new call sign alright. An airshow, lucky duck, those are rare around here, summertime only.

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    1. Thanks, Nylon. The sight I linked to has a search feature in the left sidebar with a dropdown to select various regions. I think I'm going to be using that quite a lot in the future. I found the site by searching for "Airshows in Texas", this was the top return. There's quite a bit of useful aviation stuff in the various dropdowns.

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  4. Yes sir, plumbing supplies are still in demand even down here. And an airshow!! My first intro to the Thunder Turtle was Wings Over East Texas back the 80's. The Confederate Air Force was flying the Mitchell all over Longview, so we had to go. The A10's demonstrated a 2 ship maneuver to keep guns on target. It was overlapping figure eights. A four ship group used a box with pylon turns to keep guns on target like every 15 seconds... It was quite impressive. The new Apache demonstrated it's ability to drop below the tree line and use that eyeball on top to engage. It was interesting and fun. The CAF blew up gas, and they even had a Yak. There was a contingent of USSR officers on hand to watch it. They were observing the destruction of some stocks of napalm nearby. We were standing under the wing of the B17 when number 1 engine puked an oil blob on my wife's shoulder. I was jealous...

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    1. STxAR,
      Hopefully you saved and framed your wife's blouse. That would be a family heirloom for millennia!

      While I was at Holloman, we deployed to Davis Monthan to provide Dissimilar Air Combat Training to the A-10 students. I learned a lot of new reasons not to get into a slow speed turning fight with an A-10 and have the film to prove it (OK, not anymore, but I did see my self with a pipper superimposed a few times).

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    2. Amazing what a non-supersonic plane can do. Used to enjoy watching them dance over the ocean off of Patrick until, apparently, the Base Commander got his shorts twisted over it. Didn't stop the 'Hog drivers, they just moved it inland over Avon Park during bombing practices.

      Seeing a video of one going around an oak tree at speed was very impressive...

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    3. Well, I did learn on that deployment to never try to out-slow an airplane that can fly at airspeeds below your stall speed. Once I re-remembered that I did much better in subsequent engagements.

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    4. (Don McCollor) [jokingly]...Do you know why the Blue Angles cancelled airshows during the COViD?...The pilots were required to maintain at least six foot separation...

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  5. How very cool!!!!!

    Put a smile on my face just thinking about how excited you and Mrs J must have been.

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    1. Now ya get to check out wooden patterns for cradles, rocking chairs and wooden toys!! Trucks!! Cars!! Planes and choo-choo trains!! Oh My!!!

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    2. Thanks, Suz, I agree. We're very excited and praying for a safe, worry free pregnancy and delivery.

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    3. Yep, Looking in to that now!

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    4. Suz. Your idea sent me off to the internet because I figured someone had made a jet fighter hobby horse. The link is in my mainstream comment.

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    5. How about a jet fighter cradle with moving canopy that's actually mosquito netting?

      Now that would be something to see.

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    6. RE Suz's comment: a top to bottom rocking cradle is much more comforting than a side to side. I found that out a looooooong time ago. So put the rockers length wise, not cross wise. Your daughter will thank me.... Trust me on this one....

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    7. STxAR, any reason why that would be? I've never heard/seen a crib like that.

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  6. WOW!! and what a great way to surprise you with this news!
    Grandpa Juvat...S'got a nice ring to it, I think!

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    1. Mrs J got it right away. Took me a little bit, first glance brought up the thought "A black and white of a volcano? Huh?" Luckily to protect MBD's misperception of my brilliance, I kept quiet. Then it hit me. Brought a tear to my eye, it did.

      I'm pretty sure, it's going to stay "Pappa Julio", no idea why, but that's been MBD's nickname for me for forever and since she's the Mom and Mom's rule....

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    2. Heh...you'll think erupting volcano soon enough! LOLOLOL!!!!!!!

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    3. Ahh well, into every spring a little rain must fall.

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  7. Congrats on the impending family expansion! That's some great news and may all involved be healthy and well.

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    1. Thanks Aaron. It is great news. And a hearty "Amen" to the last part.

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  8. Congratulations on the grandchild! Let's see. tje new call sign -- Papa J!

    Have fun at the airshow. We used to go back and forth between Joshua, Texas just south of Fort Worth and Bandera working on our new property where we now live. We took US281 to avoid I-35 which could be a real problem around Waco and Austin. So therefore we went through Burnet all of the time. I had to be schooled a number of times before I got the enunciation correct. I like the static display at the entrance to the airport with the T-38, T-37, A-7 and some other plane that I can't recall (F-100 is tickling my brain).

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    1. Thanks Bill.

      I've taken that route many times for exactly the same reasons. I find my blood pressure is many digits lower upon arrival. I think you're right about the Hun, but I'll confirm.

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  9. Great family news!

    There is progress on the plumbing front.

    I can do the sheet corner thing pretty well, but the effortless trick of putting the pillow into the pillowcase isn't yet among my skills.

    This isn't an F-15, but I'm sure that you could modify the plans.
    https://www.pinterest.com/pin/477240891743317923/

    And of course, a child sized helmet.
    https://www.target.com/p/raskullz-flying-ace-child-helmet-with-shield/-/A-77523358?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&DFA=71700000012767052&CPNG=PLA_Sports%2BShopping_Local&adgroup=SC_Sports_Local&LID=700000001170770pgs&LNM=PRODUCT_GROUP&network=g&device=c&location=9007294&targetid=pla-1081932538247&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1248099&gclid=Cj0KCQjwi7yCBhDJARIsAMWFScN83KAAjx7KzZc2CexAI_sOpn7-Mbp1GVLBD4vVDjZkvzR6KHRkrvAaAgjgEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

    I will skip right past the watch thing for the moment.

    When the time comes, and if I'm still able, I'd be tickled to make the vinyl labels for the helmet and rocker.

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  10. Congratulations on the grandbaby (and thanks for the air show link)!

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  11. I was wondering when you said she was tired but not with the Covid and good gravy, now you're gonna be a triple gen family! Huzzah!

    Hope the workaround on the sinks vis-a-vis the airshow gambit works out for you and for Little Juvat's family, whose arrival is approaching still, right?

    And an airshow. Wow. We haven't seen one of those in years since the lefty city council and lefty county commission got all uppity over 'war planes' in our area. And they really wigged out in 2004 when AF1 flew into our little burg. And they didn't get the hint when the airport was surrounded on all sides by pro-then-current-administration admirers.

    But, since I used to bike along the length of Patrick's runway (the bike lane swung around near the south end, then went east to run alongside A1A and only a cheap concrete slat 'fence' separated the bike lane from the base. Needless to say things are a tad different now.) I got a lot of free airshow quality stuff, from the A-7 and A-10 community, the O-2 and OV-10 flyers, lots of cargo stuffs, lots of both AF and NASA T-38s and AF T-37s, lots and lots of Jolly Greens (running para-rescue for the Cape, of course) and even the occasional weirdo, like the 6 months a U-2 was based there and various naval type planes (like a Harrier, which was being worked on in the same hangar as the CAP meeting.)

    Still, though, miss seeing the planes.

    My neighbors think I'm weird that I am forever looking up. One of them even asked me about it and I told her about all the planes flying around. We have the cop choppers (a Hughs 500 and a JetRanger, or the military surplus versions thereof) and the life flights from Shands and all the civilian pilots. But we've been overflown lots by Blackhawks and had a few Osprey and one Sea Stallion (which flew maybe 500' above the apartment and the place shook for what felt like 20 minutes - those things are BIG) and the occasional combat jet, mostly F-18 variants on the way to Jacksonville.

    Really miss seeing all the space stuff.

    Hey, that's something. Maybe you can schedule a vaca with everyone and go drive by Boca Chica and see if Elon's managed to put laser beams on sharks yet...

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    1. Yeah, I stepped through a couple of the drop downs. Looks like virtually all the Mil Air Shows are cancelled for now. That Chinese flu!

      I think I mentioned that our property is within a Mil Low Level route's airspace. I had flown it when going through UPT @ Laughlin. Used the bridge that we pass over right when we turn onto the highway now. We get buzzed quite regularly, still brings a thrill.

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    2. Beans, was that H-53 gray or black? And was it a recent flyover? We had three MCM aircraft fly down from Norfolk to key West a couple weeks back for a training detachment. Those Sea-dragons have even more powerful engines than the Marine corps version.

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  12. Congratulations on the great news, Juvat!

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  13. Grandchildren are wonderful, and help you tolerate your adult children.

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    1. Good to know. Although my kids and their spouses are pretty easy going (just in case they're reading this.)

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  14. Congratulations on the addition to the clan! You can't imagine, just yet, the love you'll feel the first time you hold the new one. It still sends chills down my spine when I think about it.
    I was going to encourage all those who were participating in "Mustache March", but then I realized that I had not brought it up here. Those who've seen the Christina Olds interview will know and perhaps be growing the upper lip accoutrements. Mine is doing about as well as it did in '65. Ratty, just ratty. Oh well, Miss Jeanie doesn't like the idea anyway.

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    1. Well, I know how I felt when I first held MBD right after she was born. I figure it'll be much the same with the added benefit, of course, of handing him/her back to the father for diaper changing when that occurs.
      My upper lip has been adorned for quite a while now. Mrs J has stopped commenting about it, so it must be ok.

      Best to you Fuzz and Miss Jeanie also.

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    2. Got a semi-Tom Selleck just because I was tired of getting turned-in hairs under me nose. So now I have to deal with the occasional falling out hair, the upwards-turning hair that tickles the nostrils, and, of course, keeping the 'stache from extending below the top of the lip.

      At one time I had a full Duck Dynasty facial hair thing going on my face. Not a good look on me at all.

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  15. You sir, are a crafty individual...

    And congratulations on the Grandbaby!

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  16. You wrote "I didn't want to tell him that you can't be a fighter pilot if you "grow up".".

    Just tell him that he can be a Navy pilot if he does!

    Congrats on the grandkidlin'!

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    1. I always knew the brown shoes and the black shoes were used to remind the individuals which kind of job they held. Couldn't be much of anything else.
      FUZZ AKA D4 (I don't know where D4 went)

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  17. Congrats to them! And work on the boy... Show him a good time and you'll move right up that queue!

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