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Praetorium Honoris

Saturday, August 26, 2023

A Brief Side Trip (Non-Fiction Warning) - Odds and Ends

OAFS Photo
On my way to Sandy Eggo last month, I had a layover at Newark. Got some chow, talked to The Missus Herself, then boarded another aircraft for the long haul out to the coast. As we taxied, I spotted the aircraft depicted in that opening photo. Puzzled, I snapped a photo for later analysis.

And promptly forgot all about it.

So, on Friday (after a follow-up visit to one of my eye doctors, more on that in a moment) I was looking over my photos. Why, you ask? Well, the Muse had decided to take Friday night off. So I went in search of photographic inspiration, and there was that jet, all Soviet-looking, dontcha know?

I had done a perfunctory search a couple of weeks ago, but the action in North Africa was flaring up (not for real, in my head, sort of) and I quickly lost interest. Until Friday.

Ya know what? After perusing photos of jet trainers, I fell across this one ...

L-39ZA Albatros
(Source)
That's gotta be an Albatros in the opening photo, right? If you have a better idea of what it is, let me know in the comments.

In Other News ...

As mentioned above, I visited one of my eye docs on Friday (this one is the glaucoma guy, also does laser stuff) for a follow-up from last Friday's laser procedure. While waiting in the, ahem, waiting room, I was surfing the blogosphere on my trusty smart phone. Beats hauling a book around, I suppose.

Anyhoo, among the many gems (and some duds) I ran across was something by Daddy Hawk over at Preachers and Horse Thieves (I love that title) that really caught my attention.

I've been following him for quite some time, I was happy to see my name mentioned in one of his posts. (It's always nice to be noticed.) He likes my fictional efforts and mentioned trying his hand at same. After all, we bloggers are really writers at heart, the semi-serious (and serious) ones all want, someday, to write a book. (Least-ways I do.)

On Friday he offered, this.

I sat there in the doctor's waiting room enthralled. Great story telling and it filled a need in me, something that's been bothering me as of late (I might get into that later, I might not). This piece of brilliant writing filled that need.

Do read the whole thing, and encourage Daddy Hawk to keep writing, I can't wait to read the final product!

Oh yeah, the eye appointment, how did that go?

Very well, the left eye is healing nicely. Over the past year it's been driving me nuts, vision was cloudy and out of focus, it was like looking through cracked, frosted glass.

Now?

The glass is still cracked but it's not frosted anymore. The retina in that eye was badly damaged some time ago. But as the eye got cloudy (which can happen after cataract surgery, weird huh?) the right eye was struggling to keep things in focus. Didn't really get headaches but my eyes would get tired, really tired.

But damn, now I'm almost back to my old self, the right eye is better supported by the left and my vision is much better. Corrected, it was always 20-15, the last few months, I'd put it at around 20-60. The left eye, before the procedure, was 20-400, i.e. really bad. Now it's at 20-60 which really helps the right eye. Doc says it's 20-15 again. Of course, that's what the eye charts say, my vision isn't what it used to be, but it's better than it's been in a long while.

OAFS' word to the wise? Take care of your eyes, there are things that can be fixed and things that can't. The things that can't really mess up one's quality of life. (I still thank the the Good Lord every day that I'm not blind!)

Music and Stuff ...

So there are guys at work who recommend bands to me to listen too. They know I like rock and roll, which is what led me to Plush. From a Plush video on the Tube of You, I chased a link and gave these ladies a listen ...



The Villarreal Vélez sisters from Mexico: Daniela (guitar, lead vocals, piano), Paulina (drums, lead and backing vocals, piano), and Alejandra (bass guitar, piano, backing vocals). (Source)

When they were in the age range 9 to 14, they covered the above song in a more traditional style (i.e. Metallica-style). Well, I was going to post just a link, but I'll post the video instead ... (Just how lazy am I?)



Those ladies rock!

Give them a listen, and head over to Preachers and Horse Thieves, good stuff I tell you.

Let's see if the Muse comes back sober, we've been working her too hard lately I think. And she saw a video of Tuna pouring a Guinness, in Ireland. Maybe that's where she went?

Anyhoo, I'll be back.

Shláinte!



40 comments:

  1. Thanks for the link to Daddy Hawk, an interesting read there and so another place to visit. Most excellent news on the eye Sarge...... :)

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  2. "After all, we bloggers are really writers at heart, the semi-serious (and serious) ones all want, someday, to write a book. (Least-ways I do.)" It it true. It really is.

    Thanks for the recommendation on Daddy Hawk. Right good story, there.

    Glad to hear progress on the eye. I will add it to the ongoing list (back, knees, hearing) of things you need to take care of for later in life.

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    1. Daddy Hawk - Hoping you see this. Excellent posting, but for some reason Google will not allow me to log in and comment.

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    2. He's an excellent storyteller!

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    3. TB, Daddy Hawk here. Thanks for the kind words. I'm also afflicted with the inability to sign in with Google to comment properly. I've tried multiple platforms and browsers with no luck.

      Sarge, I'm truly humbled. Thank you for the shout out and kind words.

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  3. Great minds think alike. I had read that also and was going to recommend it to you. You beat me to the keyboard.

    Glad your eyes are better. Take good care of them. Being blind is one of my primal fears. I don't think I'd handle it well. Hopefully (prayerfully) I'll never find out.

    Peace out.
    juvat

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  4. Glad the eye Doc did good work! FWIW I still like toting books around, kindle is about as far as I go. My phone is just a phone.
    Will head over for some new writing after listening
    Boat Guy

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    Replies
    1. On long trips, I always have a book with me.

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    2. Sarge, Thank You for the link! Daddyhawk is indeed talented! I could not tell him so directly as I refuse to subject myself to gulag.
      BG

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    3. Glad to be of service. Ah yes, Gargle, Gulag, whatever you call it, used to be a good thing, now? Sigh ...

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    4. Most recent trip? Last two books of Ward Carroll's "Punk" trilogy and Julio Rosas' "Fiery but mostly peaceful'
      BG

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    5. Thanks for the reminder BG, I've been meaning to read that series!

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    6. You'll enjoy it, I expect; I certainly did

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  5. The Warning is opening for Guns and Roses. They are playing in Hollywood, Florida on September 15. Tickets are outrageous. The nosebleed seats are $550, and tickets in the second row are $10,000.

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    Replies
    1. That is ridiculous. I'll stick to watching them online.

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  6. Great news on eyes, got that scheduled already. The link is tempting. Let your Muse ... as if we have ANY control ... enjoy herself.

    Traveling with A book? Wow. That's minimalist! I usually have a half-dozen. Last trip, my current Astro navigation book, psychology, old, new, and to re-read science fiction, and a cookbook. And phone to the web ....

    Hi, I'm HTom, and I'm a bookaholic.

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    Replies
    1. Most of my trips are busy at the other end. If I fly, I read. If I drive, then I'm lucky if I get any down time to read. Grandkids dontcha know?

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  7. And blindness ... terrifies me like nothing else. Long, long, ago, as a bit to raise money for a now forgotten cause, in the middle of DJing a morning program, I agreed to be blindfolded for 24 hours. I knew some of the tricks for seeing around them and wasn't worried. The blackout hood, though, defeated me. May have been the worst 24 hours of my life. Ever. I'm shaking as I type this. Threaten my vision and bad things may happen to you.

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    Replies
    1. I would never consent to such a thing. I'd go nuts.

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  8. Being of fat, pasty-white, northwestern European descent, I am prone to sun injury. So all the days I drove around without sunglasses and I've burned 40% of my vision out of my right eye. So, well, go back in time and smack myself on the back of the head for being just plain stupid and stubborn.

    As to actual book reading, I've pretty much gone 100% electronic. I read most books in an .rtf format on my computer as it allows me to change paragraph spacing, text size and type, format things easier and... magnify the page. Usually read in Web format at 150% magnification. Seems to work for me. Bookmark where I am by highlighting the last read text in yellow. Hand issues have lead me to this. And it works. I even have a backpack bag so I can lug laptop around me if I'm going to be away for a while.

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    1. At home it's dead-tree editions, on the road, it's the same. Phone perusal is for internet stuff, not really for reading books. I had a Nook at one point and liked it. The earlier versions sucked for reading military history, couldn't zoom in on the maps. Battery died, now I'm back to dead-tree editions.

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  9. You said:
    "It's always nice to be noticed."
    Does that include if the noticing is done by the Fibbies or other similar entities?

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    Replies
    1. Can't stop by without being political, can ya?

      I fear no man.

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  10. There's a fair number of L39 in civilian ownership in the US because it's the most affordable fighter-like jet widely available. Several owned by the Patriot Jet Team were instrumental in the recent Top Gun for both practical effects (did you really thin they found a flyable Tomcat?) and as a camera platform.

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  11. Literal back yard band that performs cover songs you may enjoy:
    https://www.youtube.com/@thesnowdogs/videos
    Jim

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  12. Hello old friend, Barco Sin Vela actual stopping by to say hi... Been sneaking around looking up some of the ol' bloggers and glad to see you up and about. Still boating in Florida, living in our little slice of heaven on the St Johns River. DC

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    Replies
    1. I stopped by the other day, glad to hear you're still living large!

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  13. I signed in to say hello in my own livery. Great to see some of the folks from long ago online. Stop by some time, I'm trying to restart blogging since I now have a newish boat. DC

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    Replies
    1. Yes, as mentioned above, I did stop by and saw the new(ish) boat. Very nice.

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