Memorial Day

or an alternate title- In Search Of The Owl Farm.



I want to send a deep and sincere, "THANK YOU TO ALL THAT HAVE GONE BEFORE AND GIVEN ALL." I also want to thank all of the folks currently serving. "Thank You!"



S'possed to head up to Brightledge this afternoon for drinks and dinner with the local Family. Should be a good time. So far, the forecast for rain has been mostly wrong. As I type that the sky grew gray behind me. No matter.



(Note: I'm just planning to draft here. Hope to have photos to add later and maybe some anecdotes from dinner.)



I've been up since 0500. Made it to breakfast with the Diner Gang then headed out to look over another potential site for The Owl Farm.



I've been tracking this place for a few weeks. Crummy photo in a real estate version of the Auto Trader. I hunted it down online. More pics but still not real informative.



With sketchy directions and no proper address the Folks and I located it this morning.



On one hand I understand the misleading, er uh un-detailed photos. On the other hand there are some very marketable angles that were not taken advantage of.



That works for me! Ya see, in the short time I've been eyeing it the asking price has dropped 10%.



OK, there is a perfectly bulldozable single wide on a perfectly beautiful two acre lot. It's wooded and wild flowered. It's out of the way but only about a minute off of the interstate. It's fenced. The front is framed by a fairly elaborate ranch style fence with a big archway arrangement over the drive. Privacy fence on two sides along the front half and cow fence around all three sides of the back half. A nice big covered front porch and a 20X20 gazebo on a concrete slab. Those stay. Obviously with two acres there is room to build a proper home. The single wide would serve as a construction trailer until then.



Sorry, that was one big run-on paragraph and I'm about one step away from daydreaming anyway. Just call me An Excitable Boy.



No photos yet. Didn't bother to take phone photos because they wont help us here.



"Rancho de Bujo"....



We'll see. Sooner (Boomer!) or later it will happen.

Tuesday at the Blue Star.

The weather held and we had a great time at Brightledge. I took a couple of pics but left the camera behind! Oops.

I Dodged Kansas but will get some OT here in the local mines. Good stuff.

The SPURS WON! I slept right through it. OH!!! I just remembered. There was a $50 Paint Shop vs Inspection Dept bet on that game. Something to look forward to on Saturday the ribbing. The merciless ribbing.

No photos and Nada to say. I guess this post will publish this way!

I Gotta do something about

the lacka Nada!

I haven't even been writing and deleting posts here lately.

I've been doing some, well, note taking for other stuff. Still not writing complete pieces.

That does, oddly enough, lead into some random thoughts from this weekend.

On the way to work yesterday a couple of good ideas and lines hit me during the rainy drive. It started out as a good day. All in all it wasn't a bad day in the mines.

"I hope that Piper didn't have anything important in the nose baggage bay!" I had just looked up in time to see him touch down. Front bag door standing up as pretty as you please. Oops!

Later in the day I looked down towards our FBO to see SIX fuel trucks lined up side by side. Hmm... This morning I saw why. There was a C-17 parked out front.

[I saw two C-17's bring aid to Tegucigalpa after Hurricane Mitch. When they departed (free of the tons of cargo)... WOW!!! Proverbial Homesick Angels!!! A sheer delight to see something that freakin' huge go damned near vertical and disappear in a flash.]

Everything we do with aircraft is dictated by the manufacturers manuals and related tech data. When I finish a service or repair or whatever, I have paperwork to do. That paperwork must have a reference from the appropriate manual. I'm actually supposed to have the data in my hand or very close by while I perform the task.

If you don't go by the book it will bite you in the ass eventually.

HOWEVER!!! Using the book will occasionally bite you too. It bit me.

A simple light bulb change. Right hand Nav light. (Nav lights are the little red and green lights on the wingtips and the white one on the tail.)

No big deal. (It was an optional kind of light assembly. A Strobe light, Recognition light and dual Nav lights. The two retainers for the Nav's are different. The forward is 'normal', the aft is not.)

Paraphrasing the Maintenance Manual:
Remove clear plastic wing tip light cover... Remove TWO screws... Remove retainer... Remove green ($550) Nav light lens... remove and replace lamp.

OK, here I go. I've got the lens off and the TWO screws out. The retainer didn't want to move much but it did move. I tried to work gently around the perimeter of the retainer. Then, I heard it.

"Crick"

Damn it.

Oh, yeah. It cracked.

Seems you have to pull the entire light cluster out just to change that bulb. So much for the 'Book'!

Now, I heard a story at lunch today. I can't report it as fact. It is just a story I heard. I wont mention the names of the (probably guilty) parties involved.

A little lead in here. We mechanics don't hold engineers in very high regard. They are somewhere lower than say, earthworm excrement. However, this story made me feel a little bad for a few of them for a little while.

Getting a new model aircraft model 'Certified' is a monumental undertaking. Getting a new construction concept certified is exponentially more difficult.

A fresh crop of baby faced engineers were hired for just such an undertaking. They worked seven days a week and 14 hours a day for years.

At first they were being paid overtime for everything over 40 hours per week.

At some point an edict came down. 'We're years behind and way over budget. From now on you are all on salary. Don't worry. We'll make it right when we get the project certified.'

Eventually, the ship was certified. By that time all of the baby faced engineers were described as, "...used up gray haired old men..."

There was a huge party. Speeches. Press. Lots of security.

After the speeches it was time to partake of the "Birthday Cake". The serving lines began to form.

Security sought out each and every one of the engineers. Even pulling them out of the serving line. They were escorted to the main gate, their company ID's confiscated and they were ordered to depart the premises immediately.

Fired.

'Don't worry... we'll make it right..." YEAH RIGHT!!!

Shifting gears here... It's rainin' down in Texas! We recorded 5 inches at the Homestead Wednesday night. There is talk of up to 20" during these next few days. The ground is saturated. Flooding in a few places. They were evacuating folks up around Boerne. Mostly campers and tubers I think.

We may STILL not get to do the big burn this week. Hell, I may have to go to Kansas this week anyway.

I ain't complaining. I'm ready for another Road Trip. O.T., Oh Yeah.

I should be...

need to be, ought to be, geeze I still haven't finished that, Oh Crap I forgot about the other, should be....

But Screw It. I AIN'T! I'm sitting on the very wet deck of The Blue Star Brewery. Blogging. I no sooner (boomer!) got powered up and logged on and the rain hit again.

I've been herding ducks for the last few days. Hard work. I even enlisted Pop. Wore his ass out. I really had to reign him in, try to keep him from going stroke for stroke with me. I'm no dynamo but...

(LOL! Obscure music ref... "I poked and stroked 'til my wrist got numb but I just couldn't make that Dynamo Hum...")

He'll get his revenge next week. We will again attempt the big burn. He wants to do it early of a morning. I wanted to do an overnight so I could plug into the Magic Tree and write all night whilst wistfully watching the flickering flames. Hell, we've got enough wood to do both.

I lost count of blogs posts and emails that I have typed and deleted entirely. It's an odd feeling. Wanting, needing to write but being unable to let loose of the reigns. OH, I let loose alright but ultimately shot the thing in the head, over, and over, and over.

Same sort of thing offline. I saved a few things but they do not ring. They don't even sound hollow. Just flat flops.

I guess it's gonna happen.

So, as the sun peeks through and wait staff seems to be confused about whose table this is...

I type. going nowhere in particular. I've got tonz of stuff to be doing but choose to take a "mental health day". Get out alone, out of the house, try not to think about going to work tomorrow. Just enjoy a little mixed weather and a cold beer or two... Still seems to be a problem with the beer stream...

I do have a small bit of good news. I FOUND MY PASSPORT!!! It really worried me because it is the only bit of evidence I have to support all of my BS stories. I've got the stamps!!!

I need to renew it. I found a C-12 job. All things considered, it would be in my best interest to pursue it. $130K, 'nuff said.

The PC has decided not to power up. I'm gonna have to get that fixed at least long enough to recover some files. Lotta work stored in there. I think I have until June 10Th to submit work to Writers Digest Contest. Would like to at least send three pieces. I found a local Mag that is resurrecting San Antonio Poet. What the hey! All they can do is ignore me.

I had this strong urge to work on the "Two Men Talking" piece this morning. By the time I found it in the laptop I was too flustered to mess with it. Why, when I save things, do they go wherever the hell they want and often not where I expect?

I also need to work on the stage piece. I have stage direction and symbols to both but it's time to work on dialogue and that S*&T's tuff.

Rome didn't burn overnight.

Better Post before I delete another and before the battery quits.

Aren't we a quiet bunch!

I keep checking blogs and no one is posting. Then it dawned on me, niether have I.

Been a busy cycle. What is the Moon Phase?

Headed back to the "Mill" in the morning. Yee Haw.

Been an interesting week for me, sort of, well kinda.

I got back to San Antonio and it took me a day to actually get back to the apartamentito.

I spent a couple of days learning about the other possible gig. If nothing else, I learned a lot and had fun doing so.

Today was almost back to norm'l.

Breakfast at the Diner.

Went and filled the tank (30 gallons) on the Dodge. I just plugged the nozzle in and got back in the cab without looking at the cost.

I got in and out of H.E.B. for $50! Amazing since I gave stuff away before leaving for Atlanta.

Stopped by the "Homestead" on the way back. The "Folks" and I wound up going to look at some dirt that I found online last night.

I LIKE! It's eaily within my range. 3/2 on over an acre. Some mature trees. A quick walk-around revealed a couple of things that would have to be done. There are a couple of easy upgrades that Mr Makita and I could do in short time.

I still have some work to do on that task, buying dirt. Suddenly though it seems a lot more plausible. That is a good feeling!!! OH! It's feasible that I can actually reduce my monthly bills by A LOT!

It will take a lot of work for my pride to show from the street but anyone that knows me will know by the silly grin just how happy I will be.

We'll see.

Oh, by the way I wrote a rough (Rough) draft for a screenplay in just about half an hour's time this afternoon. It is raw but it does go from point A to point B. That's all I ask at this point.

A lotta what I do, like this post tonight, starts of with a good idea but an incomplete idea.

Feels great to have a complete thought. Now, it's tme to fill in the blanks.

That's all of the Nada for tonight.

The Road is a cruel B*%&CH...

I get out here and after a while all I want to do is go home. Then, I get home and after a while all I want to do is hit the road.

As a longtime recovering Rover Dog in good standing I thought I had it under control.

It only took one good hit off of the tail pipe to start jonesing.

Here on the second and much better trip I have the shakes.

It has been really affirming and reassuring to be here at the site formerly known as RAS-FTY.

"You're back!"
"When did you get back?"
"Where have you been?"

HUGS! Actual squeeze my breath out hugs.

History. There are a couple of people here that I have know since the beginning of my career.

It is so freakin' cool to be around them. I recall some piece of useless trivia and THEY REMEMBER IT. They add to it and elaborate on it.

There is nothing quite like being with someone that you share history and common roots with. That something is impossible to duplicate.

J. T. C. and Beeper are two prime examples.

J.T.C. called me a 'big stupid jerk' for not going to the Braves game with the rest of the crowd the other night. I explained my emotional aversion and the explanation was understood and accepted. We talked about shared times and experiences. I believe it was comforting to us both.

I helped Beeper deliver an airplane this morning. It could have been 20 years ago in Selma, AL. Wordless communication. Hand signals are a fact of life in this business but when it's done in a minimalistic way, with facial expressions even. Hell, even the sound of the PT6's was enough to tell me what was going on. (When the turbine began to spool and the ignitors started to snap and my mental TACH said "12% or better, Beeper pushed the fuel lever up and... the 'three of us were in synch. R/H engine was slooooow to come out of feather. )

More to follow. I'm in a writting mood.

One for the "Holy Crap! Choir"

I tried to warn ya!

The details are sketchy and few. Apparently there were fuel fumes in the wing and the engine backfired on start-up. How the fumes accumulated is a speculative question. I don't have a definitive answer so I wont get into all of the rumour.

Word is the little Baron will be repaired. Maybe we will get updates from Atlanta.

To post or not...

GUMBEAUX'S Cajun Cafe Douglasville, GA. An old Fav-O-Mine. Corey still tends bar and sends his best. Watch for him on the PGA circuit. Corey.... Brain Freeze. His last name will hit me...
I've got a whole series of photo's for the "Holy Crap!Chorus". We're heading out in a few so I'll post them later. Also, I just had one of those moments that will either make my Ex-Pats laugh outloud or cringe or both.

Atlanta 05/10/07

Yee Haw... Yawn...

Actually, it's another good trip. I'm enjoying a Prodigal Status.

We hit Shucker's the first night. Rob is still tending bar. Tonight was Gumbeaux's. Corey is still there too, for the time being. (He says within two weeks he'll be golfing the PGA circuit.)

I tracked 'kenamt' down. Still don't have the, "How I got shot." story though.

May get to catch up with Paddy and Aimo this weekend.

I got hit up (by the GM) to stay for another week. That is above my pay-grade. Let them (the two GMs) fight it out. Workwise I'd rather be here.

Otherwise, I really need to be in San Antonio, TX. I have work to do and I am eager to get it rolling.

I heard a commotion in the hangar this morning. Not a big one but I still missed the helicopter...

The one clear thing I heard was, "... call the tower and tell them that helicopter's cowling is open and flapping in the breeze..."

Apparently the pilot planted the helicopter pretty uh, solidly and it popped the cowling open. Then, he flew away. (Training Flight?)

We saw him later, the cowl was still attached but latched. Good.

I am enjoying the musical renta-cars. At least at the moment. We've got a sporty little Poncho car. He-he-he... WHO? ME? Dog a rental? NOOOOOOooooo! I am op's checking a future purchase!!! Really digging the slap stick 4 speed automatic. Four wheel discs, 140 on the speedo. Broke triple digits but haven't topped it out in the slalom yet... Yanking and banking through the slalom course named I20 East at 5 o'clock.

This may be the year that I finally treat myself to a hotrod. I had forgotten how much fun...

Cinco de Mayo!

"I don't learn so good, no matter how good the teacher is." Warren Zevon

I really really ought to be busy.

We've scheduled a Big Burn for this evening. Other wise known as a Bonfire, BBQ n Beers at the Homestead. OH, and bloggin' by the fire I'd imagine.... Wonder if he cleaned the hot tub..........

Cinco de Mayo also begs, Tequila.

It's the anniversary of "Lost and Alone In Piccadilly" too.

We had two T-39s in Sicily.

One of them broke down outside London so we saddled up the other one and headed up. I don't recall what the problem was but we had to wait on parts to arrive. We spent two or three nights in London.

One of those nights being Cinco de Mayo. Two flight crews and two Mechs (eight of us) set ot to find a Mexican restaurant.

After dinner it was off to the pub. No sooner get there and they rang the bell, Last Call.

One pint later our crew began to break up. Half of them went back to the hotel.

The other, better, half set out to find an after hours joint.

Down to one Pilot, one Crewman and two Mechs we approached one place and were informed that it was couples only.

Crewman "Dog" hugged Pilot "Hook" and said, "We're a couple."
The doorman replied, "You'll find a perfectly lovely place right around the corner."

Hook and the other Mech surrendered, peeled off and went to the hotel.

Just ol' Dog and I trooped on around Piccadilly looking for another beer or three.

You should know that Dog had a reputation for getting trashed, going home with a woman and forgetting what hotel he was staying in.

We found ourselves in The Palladium. THE Palladium. A big dark disco.

We scored our drinks and Dog went to prowl.

I sat there watching the crowd slowly fill in. (It was early yet despite the after hours rating.) I'd occasionally catch a glimpse of Dog hitting on and dancing with a pallet of women.

One thought kept coming to me, "The freakin' Beatles played here!"

Many beers and hours later I cornered Dog.
"It's time for me to RTB. What's your plan?"

Of course he was not ready to roll.

I grilled him over and over about the hotel, his room number and most important our departure time for the following morning!

Once I got out from under the techno-disco and lights I found that I really wasn't ready for bed so I set about exploring. Just wandering really. I paused at a payphone. Long enough to punch in a string of numbers. I got as far as an area code and decided, again, it wasn't the right time. I wandered.

I thought I was keeping track of my position. When my legs began to complain I tried to reverse course.

I threw in the towel when I came upon a long line of taxi's. The driver laughed when I gave him my destination. The hotel was close but still far enough that it was worth giving up his place at the head of the line.

Another anti-climax. I got back OK. Dog got back OK. We made the flight OK.

I've got brush to burn and bags to pack.

I GOT A CD!!!

I got CD, I got a CD...

Warrenn Zevon "Preludes"

It says 17 previously unreleased songs and demos. I know at least half of the cuts but the versions are different.

Disc Two...

"I had the shit 'til the shit got smoked
...
I may be old and I may be bent
but I had the money 'til it all got spent
...
I met the man with the thorny crown
I helped him carry his cross through town
...
I was in the house when the house burned down"

A favorite. I equate the House to Bridges.

When I was young it was almost fun to burn bridges.
Up until I came across a river without a bridge.

"I don't think about what other peoples perception of me is...
Perhaps to a fault it doesn't enter into the artisitic process.
It does enter into the day to day interactions."
WZ, from the interviews on disc two.

He says he wrote a symphony. I'd love to hear that!

Igor Stravinski, The Turtles, The Everly Brothers, Jingle Writing...

So far, it's pretty much the same interview I already have. Still cool to hear him talk.

The one season of the Everly Brother's late night talk show. That's gotta be added to the collection. WZ walked out of the studio (while on the job) when Billy Joel hit the ivorys.

So, what else is going on here at the shack...?

Oh, here's a clue (Pardon me Willie!)

"On the road again
I can't wait to get back on the road again
Bending wrenches, hanging out and drinking beer with my friends
I can't wait to get back out on the road again..."

How 'bout ('sCuse me Mr Charles)

Georgia
Georgia
That old sweet song
Keeps Georgia
on my mind..."

Yup, working "The Fulton County Line".

Fulton Industrial Blvd is a seedy seedy place. Crawling with crack whores, dealers, thieves, beggars, etc, et al and then some.

A lot of the guys that work at the airport make a solid point of never stopping along the Blvd. Not for gas, not for smokes, not for coffee or beer. Not fer nuthin'! I had to pull out the Am-Ex one morning just to get my ass and my coffee back into the Dodge. (I am not talking about the little green card either.)

I worked at Fulton County Brown Airport for about a year and a half. I can't recall the number of pretty young girls I watched work the line to 'do' the lines and deteriorate in short order.

Don't worry. I already wrote it. At least part of it is in complete form.

Noir. Really appropriate to be thinking about music noir whilst listening to WZ talk.

"Let's remember, Hunter S. Thompson is the finest writer of this generation!"
WZ, interview.

Google is getting ga-ga. Time to wrap.

It's Wednesday afternoon... into evening...

Where's David? Don't sweat it. There is only one person on the planet that could give the right answer. (((No new "Current"!!! Even the rack is gone. Service is a little better tho.)))

LIVE FROM BUFFALO WILD WINGS!!!

First things first.

Part of what makes this Whole damn thing fun are the comments and the crossing over of blog posts.

Hell, that is the BEST part!!!

Like this...

http://haljohnson.blogspot.com/2007/05/davids-rules.html

I can't take credit for these rules or guidelines or whatever they may actually be.

I've been poked, prodded, cajoled, kicked and encouraged to write by a number of great people over the years. Starting with Ms Linda Jenkins. A long time ago in a world far behind.

I'm just happy to be here at all!!! OH, wait, that's Todd Snider. I mean I'm just happy to share.

I hope you all will take a little time to read Hal, Bob and Gringa. Don't forget to check out the comments. I'm telling ya, that's the fun part.

While you're at it Comment!

And! While you're here... Get yourself one of these blog things! It's a blast!

What's next....?

What else? Music.

Between mopping floors, doing laundry and taking out trash I loaded a bunch more stuff onto the laptop today. Too much fun to put together lists of favorites.

"... I am a DJ, I am what I play..." DB

My lust is insatiable. Whilst unsupervised this afternoon I made a few new acquisitions:

Bob Dylan, Essential Bob Dylan.
Two discs of one of the Great American Song Writers. (((Nudge Nudge Wink Wink!!!)))

Molly Hatchet, Molly Hatchet Greatest Hits.
Flirtin' With Disaster, Dreams I'll Never See, Bounty Hunter...
Hey, I've gotta bang my head every now and then to shake stuff loose!

Bob Seger, Face The Promise.
Never heard it. It will be the one for the ride home.

Tonight, between folding and hanging and listening to tunes I'll be reading someone Else's written work and actually editing it. That ought to be fun even if it is technically technical work. I won't get dirty, bruised or otherwise messed up.

I'm stepping into a tentative side job. Who knows? Maybe I'll get to pull a few bricks out of the wall that I've been building and get to build a bridge to a better world. Stand-By!

I hope to get some work done on the play as well. A couple of stage business things hit me today. I need to get them into the file before they slip away.

"The Play? What 'Play'?"

Well, right now it's a long(ish) one act. Long at least for one act. An interaction primarily between two people. Right now it is largely dialogue free but there is a lot said in what isn't said and a lot more said in the body language. Try to say that three times fast.

The 'new' stage business brings more people in but still in a mostly symbolic way.

FOOD!!!