Settling back into the routine

 Well, campers, as you are probably aware, we had a little bit of technical difficulties publishing last week's post.

Sunset in Tasman Sea off Shore New Zealand

 

Apparently, the highly vaunted internet connectivity of airliners is a bit overstated when in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.  The interface used by Blogger to write and post a blog commentary is not apparently compatible with the interface used to connect the airliner’s internet connection with the internet itself.  Thankfully, I was able to send an SOS to Sarge asking for a bit of a respite which he acquiesced to, although I believe Single Malt Scotch was discussed.  

In any case, we are back in the Good Ole U.S of A and the internet is functioning normally.  I think.  I mean I haven't hit the publish button on this post yet, so who knows.

If you don't recognize this, well???

 

ANY how, the cruise was a lot of fun and having the Kids and Grandkids all together was  fabulous!

 

Sydney is a great port and, Oh, My Lord!  New Zealand is unbelievably beautiful even when viewed by a cruise ship drive by.

And had a bit of US History attached to it, Rest in peace, Marines! Job well done!

Yeah, we were supposed to have 5 days at sea, two days each way to and from Australia and 1 day around the southern tip of the North Island.  Unfortunately, Poseidon decided that he would add to the excitement by adding a bit of roller coaster activity.  I'm not a Sea Captain, nor have I played one on TV, but when the actual Captain said putting into port because of the swells might not be a wise move, I was willing to trust his judgement.  So we had a total of 7 days at Sea and only 3 ports of call.  Fortunately, the stock of Single Malt Scotch was sufficient to need!

Interestingly, as heavy as the seas were, the ship rode pretty well and none of my crew seemed to be adversely affected medically.  Which is a good thing.

However....(You knew this was coming dincha?)

On arrival back at Rancho Juvat, Mrs J and I both developed a rather severe problem which required extended time in the bathroom.  Not going into gory details, but it was a bit of an unpleasant way to lose those excess calories that we had consumed.

We're both still a bit queasy at meals.

Ok, juvat, enough gory details.  You've been back for a week.  What have you accomplished productively?

Well, Sarge,  Mrs J, like most wives, is quick to notice when I am not being overly productive, so she has outlined two projects for us (AKA me) to work on.  As I think I've mentioned, we are looking at selling the property and moving to College Station.  A lot of different reasons, among which are age, health and Grand Kids.  

So, we've been prepping the property.  Our two guest houses are in great shape, so no biggie there.  Our current house needs a bit of tidying up.  4 dogs chewing on things like windowsills which now require a bit of rehab,  a couple of door latches need work and then, of course, a bit (OK quite a bit) of cleaning out the Texas Sand from the nooks and crannies is required.  

No big deal there.

The major deal is our old house where we lived for the first 20 years out here.  It's not in bad shape, but does need some touching up as well as off loading quite a few "things" that we acquired in that time but are  no longer needed.  Our plan is to market that as a 4 bedroom B and B for larger groups of guests.  Seems that "Hen Party's" are a big deal on weekends around here.  8-10 paying guests/night should be an attractive  factor in selling the property.

So, my major project now is the refurbishing of the front deck.  Made a bit of progress last week, but Texas Spring Winds (AKA Gales) shut me down for a bit.  Mrs J, want's the deck to be pet friendly/escape proof, so cattle panels and 1 x 6's are coming into play.  Once the wind stops.

Trial run of one panel, just to discover any unplanned hiccups!

But since it hasn't, I've also been assigned the refurbishing of some dining room chairs.  Nice leather seated chairs, but a bit wobbly, so a lot of glue inserted into joints and a lot of clamping while glue drying is taking place.  I've got one ready to be refinished, only 5 more to go.

So, as I mentioned, I'm pretty busy and certainly not bored while kinda enjoying the challenges

Hope y'all are doing well and staying out of trouble (Beans!).

Peace out y'all!

juvat 

P.S. Glad you had a well deserved break, Sarge.  Excellent pics and descriptions of Gettysburg!

 

Our Second Day

West of Gettysburg, looking west along the old Cashtown Pike
OAFS Photo

Today's photos aren't presented in the order they were taken, rather they're in the order matching the timeline of Gettysburg. Today's post will also be a bit "jumbled and confused," if you will. Being on the battlefield has rather overwhelmed my senses and my thoughts. I've waited sixty something years to see this and frankly,

... it's all a bit much.

Statue of Brigadier General John Buford
Commander of the 1st Cavalry Division, Army of the Potomac
OAFS Photo

The photo above was taken near the spot of the opening photo. I walked away from the road wanting a picture of Buford as he might have stood watching Harry Heth's division of the Army of Northern Virginia advancing towards Gettysburg.

Buford's boys "opened the ball" as it were, firing the first shots of the battle. Heth's boys deployed and tried to brush the cavalry aside, thinking they were facing militia. Nope, they had found the Army of the Potomac.

Buford's cavalry held the Confederates long enough for John Reynold's I Corps to come up.

Statue of Major General John Reynolds
Commanding I Corps of the Army of the Potomac
OAFS Photo

Closer view of General Reynolds monument
OAFS Photo

General Reynolds was Killed in Action early in the fight as he was deploying his corps on the field.

A sobering thought, even generals took their chances in those days.

Another stop we made on the second day was Culp's Hill. Again, I was stunned at the terrain the Confederates fought through on their way up a wooded hill, against breastworks, under heavy cannon and rifle fire.

Gun emplacement atop Culp's Hill
OAFS Photo

The photo describes itself ...
OAFS Photo

We did make it up to the top of Cemetery Ridge, near the Copse of Trees. On the way to that spot, I rather lost control of my emotions. Looking out the right side of the car, The Nuke said, "Look Dad, a Vermont regiment."

And so it was ...

Source

"Dad? Do you want to stop?"

"No, head up to that stand of trees."

A monument to guys from my home state. Men who had stood on this ground nearly 162 years before and attacked the flank of Pickett's attack as it climbed the ridge. They had shed blood for this place, and here I was, a tourist. I felt a bit humbled.

The Copse of Trees
OAFS Photo

The ground crossed by Pickett's Charge
OAFS Photo

Seeing that long stretch of ground I paused atop that wind-swept ridge. The grandkids were getting fussy so I dismounted and took a few photos.

And stood in awe of what those men did over a century ago.

Dear Lord, was it worth it?

Artillery limbers, Army of the Potomac, atop Cemetery Ridge
OAFS Photo

My sleep was restless Friday night, strange place, strange bed, a normal thing with me. But at around 0300 I jerked awake, sat up in a cold sweat. Voices in the night ...

Was it a dream, was this place haunted? Though our Airbnb lies some three miles west of Gettysburg, it was perhaps close enough to feel the spirits of those who died there.

Left me unsettled it did. Seeing that Vermont monument was the straw that broke the camel's back, I suppose.

We quit the field early so the grandkids could have some respite from Grandpa's strange obsession. I made no protest, I was quite ready to quit the field.

I have much to think about, and perhaps a story to tell.

We shall see ...

Gettysburg National Military Park Museum
OAFS Photo

Gettysburg National Military Park Museum
OAFS Photo

More to come, be well my friends.

Our First Day

OAFS Photo

After stopping to pig out on "never ending" salad, soup, and bread sticks at Olive Garden (maybe forty minutes short of Gettysburg) we arrived on the battlefield. Drove up behind the Round Tops and through the center of town.

We were planning on checking out the Airbnb first, but young Finnegan was sacked out in the back seat. Rather than disturb his nap, we headed down to Lee's right flank on the 2nd day to see where Longstreet jumped off against Little Round Top.

The opening photo was taken at the base of the Longstreet Observation Tower (we didn't go up, Tuttle started to, but The Nuke said, "Not so fast, it doesn't look, ya know, safe").

The view below is from the front of those two cannon above.

To the right is Big Round Top, to the left of that is Little Round Top.

OAFS Photo

A closer look at Little Round Top from near Longstreet's position.

I would not want to advance up that slope.

OAFS Photo

A fine monument to the men of Alabama who fell assaulting that rocky hill.

OAFS Photo

We headed over to the Round Tops, I had more photos but through some magnificent phone malfunction, I lost most of them. The picture of General Warren's statue fortunately came out fine. As did the photo of General Strong Vincent below that.

OAFS Photo

Colonel Strong Vincent was promoted on the 2nd of July to Brigadier General, but died of his wounds on the 7th of July. It's not known if he knew of his promotion. He was hit not far from where this statue stands.

Warren recognized the importance of the Little Round Top position, Vincent's men defended it ably.

Two heroes of the 2nd day at Gettysburg. Among many, most unsung.

OAFS Photo

Saturday's plan is to check out the area of Heth's advance against Buford's cavalry on the 1st day. Then down to the Wheatfield, the Peach Orchard, Devil's Den, then back to Little Round Top to try and get some pictures. Especially from the top towards Devil's Den.

I need pictures of the 20th Maine's position as well. I had completely misplaced them in my mind. I should have checked the map earlier!

Before we leave, I plan to stand where the men of Pickett's division stood just before they stepped into immortality.

We head back Sunday, but it's only a couple of hours to get home, so we should have plenty of time.

More to come, time to get some shut-eye.

Road Trip ...

Battle of Gettysburg
Thure de Thulstrup (PD)

One thing I've always wanted to do was set up camp somewhere near Washington DC and explore the Eastern Theater of the the Great Unpleasantness of 1861 to 1865.¹ Now that The Nuke lives in Maryland and I'm retired, I have the opportunity and the means. So here I am.

Two years ago we visited the battlefield of Antietam, so that was my first foray into "walking the ground" of the Eastern Theater. This year, it's Gettysburg.

Now I know it may seem odd to some to have a "favorite" battle. After all, battles are not glorious, nor are they something to be "loved." That being said, as an amateur historian, I do have favorite areas of study, two of those favorite areas are the Battles of Waterloo and of Gettysburg. So yeah, "favorite" battles.

As you're reading this we'll be heading up the old Baltimore Pike to visit the town of Gettysburg. Of course, we're  not really visiting the town so much as the terrain around that town. Yup, gonna walk the ground and see what John Buford saw.

Yes, love the film, seen it multiple times, and really love the book, read it multiple times. Both gave me the best understanding and the deepest appreciation of that battle more so than any other sources.²

The American Battlefield Trust's video of the battle is also superb.

After Action Report to follow, gonna be out there a couple of days.

¹ Get snotty with me over what the name of that war is and I'll delete your Gorram comment so fast it'll make your Gorram head spin. You've been warned. I'm getting too old to have any patience with such nonsense, the war ended one hundred and sixty years ago. Let the dead rest in peace. I've heard enough political bullshit over the past few years that I've had my fill, from both sides.

² The Killer Angels, of course, by Michael Shaara.

Life's a Long Song

Ian Anderson
Source

I've been listening to this fellow's music for a very long time, over fifty years as a matter of fact. The founder and leader of Jethro Tull (the band not the agriculturist), Ian Anderson was born in Scotland and what attracted me to the band's music was that he plays the flute.

Flute? In a rock band?

Well, Jethro Tull is far more than a rock band. Their music has evolved over the years and has always gotten my attention. Their music got me through some very rough times in the '70s, and for that I will always love them.

Give this one a listen, and give it some thought, the source under Ian's photo has a good article on this song, one of my favorites.

There's a sadness to it, but it's also of great comfort.

The lyrics:

Life's a Long Song

Ian Anderson

When you're falling awake

And you take stock of the new day

And you hear your voice croak

As you choke on what you need to say

Well, don't you fret, don't you fear

I will give you good cheer

Life's a long song

Life's a long song

Life's a long song

If you wait then your plate I will fill

As the verses unfold

And your soul suffers the long day

And the twelve o'clock gloom, spins the room

You struggle on your way

Well, don't you sigh, don't you cry

Lick the dust from your eye

Life's a long song

Life's a long song

Life's a long song

We will meet in the sweet light of dawn

As the Baker Street train spills your pain

All over your new dress

And the symphony sounds underground

Put you under duress

Well, don't you squeal as the heel

Grinds you under the wheels

Life's a long song

Life's a long song

Life's a long song

But the tune ends too soon for us all

But the tune ends too soon for us all

Sometimes far too soon.

All that being said, I am feeling better.

It's Been a Rough Couple of Days ...

Source

Coming on top of my lethargy as regards posting on a daily basis, Your Humble Scribe, The Missus Herself,  and The Nuke were all "gifted¹" with a lovely stomach bug. For myself and the wife, it was uncomfortable and kinda painful, but for The Nuke, she felt the first symptoms on a flight to London. For a series of meetings with our allies.

Her boss held off on flying until Monday, as he was sick, she was hit while airborne. Last I talked to her, she missed being in person at the meetings and spent most of her time in bed, at the hotel. When she wasn't visiting the W.C.

Yes, I spent a lot of time on the porcelain throne over the past cuppla. Ya know, pondering matters of state and the like.

Tuesday I began to regain some semblance of health.

But for a few days, this song was my theme song ...

But I'm getting better, all the time ...

Dear Lord, what would I do without music?

¹ Interestingly enough, at least to me, the word "Gift," auf Deutsch, means poison.

One for the Sarge!

 So...There I was*...In beautiful Sydney Australia, on board the Royal Carribbean's Ovation of the Seeas on our last day of Mrs' J's well planned/excellently executed Family Vacation

 

Capacity ~5000 Pax.  Not full on this cruise, thankfully, but a bit crowded.  Still, a nice boat. Source

We've been on board for 15 days.  Hasn't seemed that long, nor was it odious.  The usual Dweeb 14-15 YO's who think it's cool to walk down the hallways in the middle, forcing the other passengers to dodge out ot their way.  Until, one of them, whom you might be familiar with simply lower's a shoulder and turns slightly to form a wedge to move them to a side of the hall.

Never had to do that more than once.  Didn't realize I had a ship's officer behind me one time.  Went through my routine, kid flinched and got out of the way.  I got to the end of the passage way, where I was thanked by the officer that had observed the encounter.

Punks!

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, the trip was fun. The Family had a great time, the grand kids got to know each other (3YO, 2YO, and 1YO) and we spent a lot of time telling old family war stories as well as new ones.

Great time was had by all.

More to follow, as the excursions were outstanding.

Peace Out, y'all!

 

Oh and by the way, anybody know an easy way to convert a posting on Sarge's Blog with the program's time code set to Eastern US time zone, but you are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean traveling Eastword at 500+KPH and therefore your iPad timezone changes every hour or two, or what time it will be when this needs to go live at some time the following morning.  But, where in the world will you be at that time.  

My head started aching, very early, very sharply and with a drumming feeling that would put one of Ringo Starr's Drum riffs to shame.

So...My good friends, I ran up the white flag, texted Sarge sometime Sunday/Monday evening/morning and surrendered.  Most of my problems disappeared while sitting at a desk in my office, at home with a glass of recuperative white whine nearby.

See you next Monday!

*Yeah, I know, an old timey introduction, but.  It fills the bill on this series of tales.  I'm open to suggestions!

Où est Juvat?

Source

Well, the short answer is that he's still traveling. Had a text message in the wee hours of Sunday morning informing me that his access to the Internet has been spotty, at best.

So here it is, this is what Mondays without Juvat feel like.

Yeah, it sucks, but it is what it is.

But it is St. Patrick's Day, so we've got that going for us ...

PxHere

Der Frühling ist da ...

Source

Many moons ago I made the decision to hire someone to mow my lawn. The reasons for that were threefold: 1) I don't really like to cut grass, 2) my yard is rather large, requiring an inordinate amount of time to cut, trim, weed whack, and dispose of the clippings, and 3) I could afford to have someone cut the grass for me.

So I was providing jobs and boosting the local economy. Then the alleged pandemic hit and someone took office in DC who had not one clue what they were doing. Fuel prices went through the roof.

Now the guys who did my lawn were a small operation, they did it to supplement their regular incomes. Once fuel prices skyrocketed they were thinking of getting out of the landscaping business. I was told that they thought of charging more but a number of their customers had already said if that happened they were out.

So they decided to maintain the status quo. Then their truck broke down.

It was a numbers thing, they could raise prices and lose many of their customers and make a little extra money but, oh yeah, the truck needs replacing. Now they would be losing money.

So we had to find a new guy, one that wasn't going to charge an arm and a leg to cut our lawn. And do we did, ten bucks more a week, but he was ready to jump right in. So we hired him.

He'd been doing it for a couple of years when he hurt his back. Pretty badly I'm given to understand. While he was hors de combat we got a temporary service which, while they kept the grass short, didn't trim the gardens, nor haul off the grass clippings. Fortunately our guy came back, ready to go.

Unfortunately all he did was injure his back further. So now ...

As I'm retired and have the time to spend mowing the lawn, I decided that I would go ahead and purchase a mower and weed whacker and go back to doing the lawn. Was I excited about this? No, not at all.

Someone suggested selling the house and moving into a townhouse or some such thing. Yes, I worked fifty f**king years to buy and own a home just so I could ditch it once it's paid for.

Nope.

Then The Missus Herself said, "Why don't you get a riding mower?" (Something she had vetoed some 25 years ago.)

I shook my head, in surprise and wonder, then looked at her.

"Yes, indeed. Why not?"

Son-in-law Tuttle asked, "What are you looking for in a riding mower?"

"Gotta have a cup holder."

"Well, then, your needs are simple."

"Why yes, yes they are."

So our return to Little Rhody will see me out and about, shopping for a riding mover.

Exciting times, neh?

Well, She ... it.

So the plan was to work on the second half of the prequel, maybe it's volume three of my historical fiction magnum opus, but like most plans, it didn't survive contact with real life.

Last week I'd made sure that everything I needed to continue work on the books was loaded on my fancy thumb drive.

Up to date? Check.

Put it someplace where I won't forget it when I pack? Yeah, sure, I can do that. [foreshadowing]

Laptop packed and ready to go? Check.

Upon arrival at Chez Nuke et Tuttle, I unpacked my gear, got it all set up and checked it out. We're good to go.

Now here it is, Friday (as I write) and just where is the thumb drive?

Yup, back at Chez Sarge.

Take it away, Clay ...

Last time I remembered to bring the thumb drive, just forgot to update it. Maybe next time I'll remember to do both - update it AND bring it.

Sigh ...

Patience ...

Source

It's not something I come by naturally, I have to work at it.

Folks blowing their own horn, I grit my teeth and bear it.

Folks glorying in their wondrous arguments on the Book of Face, I vomit a little in my mouth, then move on.

Fanatics of any stripe, I wonder what childhood trauma made them that way.

We all have a little asshole that lives inside us, the trick is not letting him (or her) speak when it is wiser to, ahem, hold your water.

I know, it's hard.

Still Alive ...

OAFS Photo

Honestly, I had no plans to write anything for a few days.

But seeing no new post bugged me.

Musical interlude time.

I'm still alive!

Carry on.

Launch the Alert Blogger!

Isn't that deep?

Sarge is taking a day or two off so I decided to hack away at the keyboard for a bit.  I have a feeling that his post will be all over the place so hacking is probably an apt description.  You might get a healthy serving of What's going on in Tuna's world?, a side of current events with a dash of rant,  a dad joke or two tossed in for good measure, and maybe even a sunset.  So buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Speaking of buckling up, my Mustang just passed the 8 year mark, and has gone out of the super extended warranty I purchased when buying.  That also came with a service plan for oil changes with all the fixins.  That too has expired so wouldn't you know, I start having car problems.  I swear there must be some chip in there that knows exactly when the warranty expires and tells stuff to start giving me grief.  I'm taking it in for service tomorrow and will have them check the brakes which are working fine, but the pedal feels soft.  We'll see how expensive it is.  Ford made a ton off that extended warranty- only needing to replace the visor/integrated garage door remote twice.  But the piece of mind was a benefit,  at least that's what I tell myself.  Since we mostly use my wife's car on the weekend or for our longer trips, I'm still under 10K miles per year so I guess I'm fortunate.  I know I could change my own oil, but as both Sarge and I mentioned in a recent post, I'm "under-tooled" and don't mind paying the professionals.

How are you doing with the time change?  Hopefully not as overdramatically as you might see on social media, and even traditional media.  Amazing how this is an annual event now- the incessant whining about losing an hour of sleep.  Does anyone bitch like this when they fly to the east coast and lose 2 or 3 hours?  Such a silly issue. I lose an hour of sleep regularly due to my brain kicking in early, bathroom trips, or staying up late to watch something.  I realize it's not exactly the same as the sun coming up later, but really people?  It's an hour!

Source

I don't know about you but there are some places in the country I wouldn't want to live in if we went to permanent DST.  Sunrise after 10AM?  My wife has mild Seasonal Affective Disorder, and does far better in warmer/sunnier climes, so I wouldn't live there for sure.  Sticking with Standard Time is probably the lesser of two evils, but I don't mind the shift.  The fact that it's so early in the year to lose an hour, and so late in the year to shift back to standard is probably part of the problem/solution, without needing to go to a permanent change.  Will states or congress ever enact a permanent shift?  I doubt it.  Individual states have the authority to opt out of DST and remain on Standard Time, but not permanently shift to DST. (Source)

So, did you do five things last week?  I did, and reported them to the DOGE minders, or whoever seems to be concerned that I might be a fake or less-than-useful federal employee.  I'm all for streamlining the government, but this almost witch hunt and firing of so many employees is a little too fast and furious for my taste.  Is there waste and government inefficiency?  Absolutely, but I think it's a little harder to quantify in the military since our purpose is readiness.  Being ready and waiting to fight is expensive, and but that's a cost well paid, either now in dollars, or in bodies later.

The slashing of bodies (jobs) at the IRS, Dept. of Labor, Education?  Probably a good thing.  US Forest Service?  Hmm, not sure.  The VA?  I've been happy with my care, and I don't see many folks just sitting around idle, but San Diego is a hotspot for vets so maybe they're just too busy here for me to see any the supposed fat that needs trimming.

Seems to be a little brutal and heartless.  Can we easily find those not providing loyal and dedicated service to the govt.?  No.  And someone recently hired, or even in the position for years- it's not necessarily their fault the job could be subjectively ID'd as not needed.  But the efficiency axe swings hard, and any more surgical cuts have not happened, so I guess I understand and accept the cuts.  Are there useless and lazy govt employees?  Sure.  Not all of us are of course, but leadership hasn't had either the interest or mechanism to eliminate positions.  And we can't easily shift the workforce to better align to priorities.

However, maybe I'm not getting the whole picture and President Trump and Elon understand things better than I.  He's been mocked before, yet his efforts eventually turn out to bear fruit.

Instagram

The first comment on that post is from the originator who stated: "I said let the man cook but you never learn."  Had to laugh at that one.  We'll see if the Greenland or Panama Canal issues bear fruit.  Greenland is part of the GI-UK gap, and the Rooskies have been active, so we'll see.

With all that said, I'm ecstatic about some swamp draining, the finding of fraud and corruption, and the sunlight being shined on the deep dark deepstate.  The media is trying to spin the narrative about the jobs being lost, and how the fraud is being found (Elon is unelected and has access to my SSN!), ignoring the corruption, but the cat is out of the bag.

I would probably be happier if Trump put his DOGe on a leash, focusing on one necessary efficiency at a time (govt spending, then cuts of programs/agencies, then reducing personnel), but this is a blitzkrieg.  And the shock and awe is a feature, not a bug.  I've already heard that there's a bill in work to change fed retirements to "High-5" vice "High-3"  (retirement based on the average of your salary over the last 36 months).  So no government program or employee is safe from change.  I'm sure I'll survive, and we'll have a much needed leaner (and somewhat meaner) government after all the dust settles.

How about another Dad Joke?  

My ex-girlfriend was so cold, there was only one way to her heart, with a scalpel and a bone saw.

Being funny at work is a fine line between entertaining your co-workers, but not so funny that you get sent to HR.

On a more sad note, we may have to make the hard decision to put down one of our Corgis.  She got into some Mentos mints, and the main ingredient, Xylitol - a sugar substitute, is acutely poisonous to dogs.  If her liver function doesn't improve and we can stop the plasma transfusions, we may lose her.  This makes me sad, and will absolutely crush my wife.  Throw some doggie prayers our way if you don't mind.

Source

Ok, enough of a hack job for today.  Back to your regularly scheduled blogger soon.  Or when he feels like it.