Past post on this blog record the motorcycle I've rebuilt (a 1986 Kawasaki ZL600) and I'm in the middle of rebuilding a 1986 Kawasaki ZX600 that I haven't posted about yet. I made a promise that after this motorcycle, I wouldn't have a string of old motorcycles flowing in and out of my garage and I plan to keep that promise....However, I have thought about "what next". My what next radar has thought about getting a 1980's vintage of Mercedes Benz or BMW (The BMW mid 1980's sports wagon is a BEAUTIFUL car). It is the only way I will ever have a upper level car because I can't afford one new off the car lot......
Flash back a few weeks, Randi was in Minnesota and I was home alone with the four footed kids for two weeks. The second night Randi was gone I looked on Craigslist.com for cars in the local area. I searched the term "Mercedes Benz" and up popped a 1994 MB E320 Wagon for $900. I damn near died. In a five minute time span I had found a car I could afford and I have a love affair with true station wagons of all types. SUV's are nice but a station wagon has the drive of a car with the carrying capacity of a truck. Who could ask for more!!!
I KNEW There was NO WAY I could buy that car. I have a motorcycle in a million pieces right now. It wouldn't do to have two projects going at the same time. One thing at a time is a hard fast rule for me and at this point I had to stick to that. It was a sad moment for me. *takes my hat off in a moment of silence*
I've ask Randi what kind of car she would like to rebuild...I would love to get her involved with my rebuilding work. I think she would take more photos than I do and would keep much better records than I do....to say I'm an unorganized mess would be an understatement......
Maybe one day, I'll find that Mercedes Benz....
J.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Home....
It made me think of days when I used to be away from home for weeks at a time. No matter where I was in the world, the place I put my butt at night was "home" even if for a temporary time.....12 man tent, hotel room, Tab V utility room, ...all of which have been my "home" at one time or another over the years.
In all my years in the military, I never wanted for a place to lay my head...I might of had to work very hard before I could go lay my head in the place they told me was mine for a few days...
 | |
| Sumter House |
I can't tell you how many cars I worked on under the carport of that house...clutches, engines...at one point in time, I worked on it all in that carport. I once had a 65 Corvair that needed the fuel tank work. The gauge didn't work and I had no idea how much gas was in that tank.....Never one to do things 'halfassed" I jumped right in and on the jack stands it went. When I pulled the gas filler tube off that tank, what I didn't know (because of the gauge not working) it had almost a half a tank of gas in it....the carport was awash in gas just that quick when I removed that filler tube..and there was no putting it back on...it would stop pouring gas when the tank was empty....I finally got the car fixed or traded or something....but that summer, there was a small flower bed beside the carport with landscaping timbers around it....the prettiest little cherry tomato plant shot up and had the reddest cherry tomato on it you have ever seen...but I bet if you had cut it in half and lit it, that tomato would have burned like crazy...
Well, the deed is done and for as much as I like our NEW house...(its beautiful and I LOVE the garage) It was a little bit hard to sign the papers yesterday to close the deal on the house in Sumter....but I could never move back to Sumter, I LOVE the entertainment and things there are to do in Columbia a 1000 times over. It is a fun town and we live in a quiet subdivision with a very tiny yard, I love my work and it has turned out to be a good move for Randi and I.
You move, you grow and time marches on.....
J.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Who thought this would be a good idea? UPDATE 8/25/2012
21 days ago, I wrote a previous Daily ACK concerning the NBC show "Stars Earn Strips". I feel it is time to update the happenings about this show since then. On 4 Aug, after I wrote that ACK, my wife and I sat down with our computers, logged into Facebook and both of us made a "Boycott" event (non event?) against SES, however, she typed faster than I did and posted hers first, each of us didn't know what the other was attempting to do while we were doing it until she was finished and looked at the screen on my laptop..."Oh," she said "I didn't know you were making an event against SES,...I did too and I just published it"...I stopped what I was doing and she made me a host along side of her on her "Boycott" event and AWAY we went...Who thought this would be a good idea? 8/4/2012
http://www.nbc.com/stars-earn-stripes/
ACK! The above link is to the new NBC show, Stars Earn Stripes. This show takes entertainment stars and makes them train in situations simulating military war situations.
In 21 days, the Boycott event has 772 people involved right at this moment. I also published the same ACK on my facebook page and a good friend wrote a comment on it stating:
Way to piss me off for the rest of the day Johnny! I just spent the last 1/2hr flaming their F.B. page. Screw NBC until they get this crap off the air. Maybe they should kill siblings and other family members and tell the stars they can't go home for the funeral. Or they could make them stay for battle while their children are born...Damnit Johnny should have kept this one to yourself!The person who wrote that is a recent Navy vet who worked on F14's. I then went on to post back to him that I couldn't keep it to myself. I couldn't grasp how ANYONE thought this show was a good idea. If you go to the SES facebook page, seems they have some people who like the show and seem to think if you haven't served/deployed you shouldn't have an opinion about the show. They also seem to think if you haven't watched the show, how can you have an opinion against the show. Someone, rightly, pointed out that he could have an opinion about cancer without having had cancer before.... I watched their ads tout SES as "Real bullets, real explosions and real danger". It is none of those things because NBC's insurance wouldn't let them put the "stars" in harm's way, EVER! I served and I deployed on 3 different occasions so according to their way of thinking, I get to air my opinion.... My wife, Randi, however, has been called nuts, crazy, a troll, moron (a huge moron), a hater and has been told "You are only a dependent, you don't deserve the time of day" from the Navy Corpsman who was made a comment directed to her. I'm glad to say we all have freedom of speech according to the U.S. Constitution and ANYONE can comment about this crazy show.
I have no idea how an active duty Corpsman can say that dependents don't "deserve the time of day". He serves this country and this country, the U.S.A. is made up of the people in it and that includes dependents. Without "We The People" this country is NOTHING. It would seem that Corpsman has forgotten just why it is important to serve the United States of America. I feel very sorry for him. I also feel sorry for Retired General Wesley Clark, co-host of SES and Vietnam War veteran. He seems to have forgotten the horrors of war and the personal sacrifice it takes to go halfway around the world, lose your innocence seeing things you never thought you would see or be involved in.
It would seem that SES has lost one third of their viewership over a two show span, according to http://tvline.com/2012/08/21/ratings-grimm-stars-earn-stripes/ and The Washington Post Blog also seems to point to a downturn in the show. The lone single comment on The Washington Post Blog states:
It's not a glorification of war that's the issue, it's the whitewashing of the horrors of war. Gent's, you need to consider that the audience is a bit smarter them you give them credit for, and also take a hard look at NBC's own copy, the latest pic on their FB page talks about how 'real' the next episode is. Please, COPS has been on the air for years, telling the stories of the officers they followed. They didn't have to gin it up with fake shootouts or staged crimes, and I don't think FOX was ever accused of exploiting law enforcement. For a lot of people, the means does not justify the end. This whitewash of the horrors of war, the the trivialization of the training and dedication displayed by our service members are the reasons a third of the audience fled. “A lot of people who are criticizing this show a) have never served b) don’t know what it’s like to really sacrifice for their country, don’t know what it’s like to be shot or have friends die in their arms,” said Brent Gleeson. Problem is, in watching SES they still won't know what it is to have to deal with the agony Mr. Gleeson describes.
Nail....meet HAMMER.
The thing that gets me is this: Some one inside NBC is shaking their head because they didn't see the backlash they have gotten for this ill conceived show and is probably shocked at the reaction of the T.V. watching public. This tells me that big time media is WAY out of touch with the viewing public's thoughts
I watch very little T.V. from the big 4 networks, I have never liked "reality" shows because sitting there with a camera crew or two is the very thing that makes it UNreal. It is human nature to act different while on camera and the camera being there is the very thing that makes it a staged "reality".....
I am very hopeful that "Stars Earn Strips" is off the airwaves, sooner rather than later.....
Thanks
J.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Who thought this would be a good idea? 8/4/2012
http://www.nbc.com/stars-earn-stripes/
ACK! The above link is to the new NBC show, Stars Earn Stripes. This show takes entertainment stars and makes them train in situations simulating military war situations.
I'm a quiet person and most people outside of my wife have no idea how I feel about most things but let me leave no doubt about this.....THIS SHOW IS DEGRADING TO ALL WHO SERVE AND HAVE SERVED IN THE MILITARY!!!!!!!!
If you didn't catch it the first time.....THIS SHOW IS DEGRADING TO ALL WHO SERVE AND HAVE SERVED IN THE MILITARY!!!!!!!!
Anyone can shoot a weapon if trained enough and anyone can don a uniform for a few hours but when you wear that uniform 24 hours a day, 7 days a week it changes things.
The people in Stars earn Stripes won't miss holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, children taking their first steps, helping with homework, holding your spouse to share their support when you have just been told that you are leaving tomorrow for a damn long time to someplace unknown to you to face unknown problems against an unknown foe. They won't live in a tent with 11 other people in burning heat that you can't get away from. You will work with those guys and when you come "home" to the tent at night, you will be with the same people.They won't go on an aircraft carrier that won't see land for months at a time....they won't go to their rack, still hearing the aircraft take off one after another for hours on end while trying to sleep. They won't have problems making ends meet at home and have to go on foodstamps to put enough food on the table. They won't know the pain in a lonely heart that is sitting half a world away from the people that truly need them. They won't listen to a tape of your love ones and cry tears of joy at hearing the sound of your children talking to you. They won't know the anguish of trying to stay sane on a daily basis while trying deal with being away from home against your will.....
For all that they might be able to simulate, they can't simulate all of that, EVER! Anyone who has served in the Military has done all of this and more...so much more....
J.
ACK! The above link is to the new NBC show, Stars Earn Stripes. This show takes entertainment stars and makes them train in situations simulating military war situations.
I'm a quiet person and most people outside of my wife have no idea how I feel about most things but let me leave no doubt about this.....THIS SHOW IS DEGRADING TO ALL WHO SERVE AND HAVE SERVED IN THE MILITARY!!!!!!!!
If you didn't catch it the first time.....THIS SHOW IS DEGRADING TO ALL WHO SERVE AND HAVE SERVED IN THE MILITARY!!!!!!!!
Anyone can shoot a weapon if trained enough and anyone can don a uniform for a few hours but when you wear that uniform 24 hours a day, 7 days a week it changes things.
The people in Stars earn Stripes won't miss holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, children taking their first steps, helping with homework, holding your spouse to share their support when you have just been told that you are leaving tomorrow for a damn long time to someplace unknown to you to face unknown problems against an unknown foe. They won't live in a tent with 11 other people in burning heat that you can't get away from. You will work with those guys and when you come "home" to the tent at night, you will be with the same people.They won't go on an aircraft carrier that won't see land for months at a time....they won't go to their rack, still hearing the aircraft take off one after another for hours on end while trying to sleep. They won't have problems making ends meet at home and have to go on foodstamps to put enough food on the table. They won't know the pain in a lonely heart that is sitting half a world away from the people that truly need them. They won't listen to a tape of your love ones and cry tears of joy at hearing the sound of your children talking to you. They won't know the anguish of trying to stay sane on a daily basis while trying deal with being away from home against your will.....
For all that they might be able to simulate, they can't simulate all of that, EVER! Anyone who has served in the Military has done all of this and more...so much more....
J.
1997
12 Dec 1984, Waiting to get on the aircraft to Fairbanks AK
My Son, Christopher and My Daughter-in-law, Lindsey, in Italy while they were stationed there
Saturday, July 28, 2012
An Email sent to me. 7/28/2012
My Daughter, Debbie, sent me an E-Mail the other day. Her words about that E-Mail were:
"Boss thought you would like this. he is crying :("
**************
Many thanks to the airline captain for this beautiful and touching story.
He writes: My lead flight attendant came to me and said, "We have an H.R. on this flight." (H.R. stands for human remains.) "Are they military?" I asked.
'Yes', she said.
'Is there an escort?' I asked.
'Yes, I already assigned him a seat'.
'Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck. You can board him early," I said..
A short while later, a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier. The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us.
'My soldier is on his way back to Virginia ', he said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words on his own..
I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the flight deck to find his seat.
We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure. About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin. 'I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is on board', he said. He then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2 - year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left. We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia ..
The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane.. I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when he asked me if there was anything I could do.. 'I'm on it', I said. I told him that I would get back to him.
Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e - mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher.. I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.
Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I saved the return message from the dispatcher and this following is the text:
'Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft. The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks.'
I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, 'You have no idea how much this will mean to them.'
Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told that all traffic was being held for us..
'There is a team in place to meet the aircraft', we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the copilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, 'Take your time.'
I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, 'Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His Name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXXX.. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.'
We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.
When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands.. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping. Words of 'God Bless You', I'm sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane. They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.
Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.
I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these United States of AMERICA .
Footnote:
As a Veteran I can only think of all the veterans including the ones that rode below the deck on their way home and how they we were treated. When I read things like this I am proud that our country has not turned their backs on our soldiers returning from the various war zones today and give them the respect they so deserve.
I know every veteran who reads this will have tears in their eyes Including me.
You don't have to be a Vet to have tears in your eyes while reading this. Thank You to all who have served and are still serving. A Grateful Nation. God Bless the USA .
*****************************
My words back to her were:
******************************
To add to what I wrote to Debbie.....My son now serves with the U.S. Air Force and he too has been to war in Iraq, my time in the First Gulf war was a cakewalk compared to his time in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has told me of things he saw that far and away outstrip ANYTHING I saw during any of the time I spent overseas, however, we both came away with a few of the same quirks. Neither of us likes to be in crowds. When we got off the train in Rome, Italy in 2009 we both remarked about the mass amounts of people in the train station. Neither of us enjoyed the crowd but we lived! I am very proud of his service! (During that service, you tend to think you've done nothing special but afterwards when you look back at your service, you realize how much you gave of yourself and how much you COULD HAVE given of yourself but weren't ask give way back when)
A "CMH" usually means "Congressional Medal of Honor" to someone in the military, however, in the book "Once a Warrior King" by David Donovan (pseudomym of Terry Turner, Phd and brother in arms) "CMH" talked about the metal caskets used to ship home the remains of service members. If you are into military books, Once a Warrior King is well worth a read!
In speaking to my First Father in Law that day almost 30 years ago, I told RB what happened to Lon and how he had run off from my Grandmother.....he then said "I always wondered what happened to him" For as much as I didn't know about Lon Massengill, I felt that day like I touched essence that was my Grandfather. I got the same feelings when I opened my Aunt Trula's family Bible and saw John H. Munsey's handwriting for the first time. To KNOW that his hand had touched the page my hand was on caused me to make a mental connection to the person I'm named after. It was a special time for me that day.
For as hard as it is to remember, some days, it is good to be reminded Freedom isn't Free at all. If you live in a free country in this wide world, someone, somewhere spilled some blood along the way or gave up their innocence seeing things the average civilian never sees in a lifetime.
Thanks Debbie!
J.
"Boss thought you would like this. he is crying :("
**************
Many thanks to the airline captain for this beautiful and touching story.
He writes: My lead flight attendant came to me and said, "We have an H.R. on this flight." (H.R. stands for human remains.) "Are they military?" I asked.
'Yes', she said.
'Is there an escort?' I asked.
'Yes, I already assigned him a seat'.
'Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck. You can board him early," I said..
A short while later, a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier. The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us.
'My soldier is on his way back to Virginia ', he said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words on his own..
I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the flight deck to find his seat.
We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure. About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin. 'I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is on board', he said. He then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2 - year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left. We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia ..
The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane.. I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when he asked me if there was anything I could do.. 'I'm on it', I said. I told him that I would get back to him.
Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e - mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher.. I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.
Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I saved the return message from the dispatcher and this following is the text:
'Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft. The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks.'
I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, 'You have no idea how much this will mean to them.'
Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told that all traffic was being held for us..
'There is a team in place to meet the aircraft', we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the copilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, 'Take your time.'
I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, 'Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His Name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXXX.. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.'
We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.
When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands.. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping. Words of 'God Bless You', I'm sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane. They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.
Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.
I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these United States of AMERICA .
Footnote:
As a Veteran I can only think of all the veterans including the ones that rode below the deck on their way home and how they we were treated. When I read things like this I am proud that our country has not turned their backs on our soldiers returning from the various war zones today and give them the respect they so deserve.
I know every veteran who reads this will have tears in their eyes Including me.
You don't have to be a Vet to have tears in your eyes while reading this. Thank You to all who have served and are still serving. A Grateful Nation. God Bless the USA .
*****************************
My words back to her were:
Debbie,
Your
boss was correct. My family, for all their faults, has a history of
military service. One of my Grandfathers (My Mom's Dad) fought in the
Spanish American War and spent time in the Philippines in 1900. I have
copies of his hand written letters he wrote to the V.A. concerning his
pension. I was named after him. He died before my parents even married.
My other Grandfather had 5 kids when World War II started. He lied to
the Army to serve during WWII. It was a hell of a way to treat my
Grandmother but he felt he had to serve. The funny part, years later,
right before I married my first wife, Mary, her Dad ask me if I knew
"Lon Massengill" and I told him "Know him, he's my Grandfather" My
first Father In Law was the only person I ever met that KNEW my
Grandfather other
than my Father's family....It was an odd sort of thing that only
happens once in a lifetime. I never met either of my Grandfather's but I
carried a need to do a duty for my Country. Any of us that served
could have been in that CMH (Casket, Metal, with Handles) in the cargo
hold of that aircraft but only by the Grace of God did I return Home in
one piece. Freedom is not free. All gave some, Some gave all. It is
these great heroes that this country is built on.
Thank you and LOVE YOU
Johnny******************************
To add to what I wrote to Debbie.....My son now serves with the U.S. Air Force and he too has been to war in Iraq, my time in the First Gulf war was a cakewalk compared to his time in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has told me of things he saw that far and away outstrip ANYTHING I saw during any of the time I spent overseas, however, we both came away with a few of the same quirks. Neither of us likes to be in crowds. When we got off the train in Rome, Italy in 2009 we both remarked about the mass amounts of people in the train station. Neither of us enjoyed the crowd but we lived! I am very proud of his service! (During that service, you tend to think you've done nothing special but afterwards when you look back at your service, you realize how much you gave of yourself and how much you COULD HAVE given of yourself but weren't ask give way back when)
A "CMH" usually means "Congressional Medal of Honor" to someone in the military, however, in the book "Once a Warrior King" by David Donovan (pseudomym of Terry Turner, Phd and brother in arms) "CMH" talked about the metal caskets used to ship home the remains of service members. If you are into military books, Once a Warrior King is well worth a read!
In speaking to my First Father in Law that day almost 30 years ago, I told RB what happened to Lon and how he had run off from my Grandmother.....he then said "I always wondered what happened to him" For as much as I didn't know about Lon Massengill, I felt that day like I touched essence that was my Grandfather. I got the same feelings when I opened my Aunt Trula's family Bible and saw John H. Munsey's handwriting for the first time. To KNOW that his hand had touched the page my hand was on caused me to make a mental connection to the person I'm named after. It was a special time for me that day.
For as hard as it is to remember, some days, it is good to be reminded Freedom isn't Free at all. If you live in a free country in this wide world, someone, somewhere spilled some blood along the way or gave up their innocence seeing things the average civilian never sees in a lifetime.
Thanks Debbie!
J.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Chronic 7/18/2012
chron·ic
adjective
1.constant; habitual; inveterate: a chronic liar.
2.continuing a long time or recurring frequently: a chronic state of civil war.
3.having long had a disease, habit, weakness, or the like: a chronic invalid.
4.(of a disease) having long duration ( opposed to acute).
That definition is a bit negative....I have tried to think of a few more positive things that are chronic (to me)
Children: Children are chronic in that they have a long duration. They will always be your kids and you will always be their parent.....during those awkward teenage year you might WISH you weren't their parent but, thankfully, the teen years pass quickly.
Grandkids. Kids of our kids, yet another long duration happening in our lives. I've heard more than one person say "I wish I would have had my grandkids FIRST....".....The invention of time travel might one day cause this to happen. You never can tell.
Dogs and Cats: Our four footed, adopted children should require lots of thought because they are going to take a long duration of time in your life. They will, just like Children and Grandchildren, steal a large part of our hearts over the years. They will slowly wrap around your heart, like a cats tail wraps around your leg as they rub by you.
Friends: Thanks to the wonder of Facebook...(Facebook will sometimes make one wonder why they post all that private stuff in public...DOH!) I have been reunited with many friends from High School. I'm not sure how I lived without them for so long. Without realizing it, I've become better friends with some people from High School than I was when we walked the halls of Holston High School. It has been a great blessing for me, more than those people might realize....
Those chronic things in our life are not always bad...at least I don't think so....
J.
Friday, July 6, 2012
People who are famous for "nothing" 7/6/2012
My lovely wife wrote this as her status on Facebook this morning:
She has been driving for 7 years for 2 teams, has 114 races, 3 poles, one win, 6 Podiums and NO Championships..... One win does not a great driver make. Even I will admit she is easy on the eyes BUT she tends to open her mouth and ruin the whole illusion that she is pretty. She is a hot tempered hot head. If she spent the time on improving her driving that she does running her mouth, no one could beat her in a race car!
Kim Kardashian. and just what the hell is this silly woman famous for again? Oh...a 72 day marriage to an NBA player... I really don't get this AT ALL....ACK. If it wasn't for the Internet, I would have NO flipping idea who this silly woman is. Her brother, Rob Kardashin, seems to be the only member of the family who has a lick of sense. I gained a bunch of respect for him after seeing him on Dancing With the Stars.
Ok, I'm all ACKed out....GAH!
J.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Ray Charles, Trula and me 7/4/2012
Ok, I'm sure some of you are wondering who Trula is....You know you Ray Charles is and who I am......
Trula Munsey is my mom's older sister. Trula died recently at the age of 95. I miss her. I lived at her house about age 5 or 6 for a few months. Trula never married and never, to my knowledge, cut her hair. In a small house on the hill in Maynardville, TN. Sitting on Trula's front porch, you could see the county jail and the inmates used to wave at us from between the bars on the windows of their jail cell.
Trula loved music and she had more than one Ray Charles album. We listened to his music on an old sears turntable that had small speakers on the side of it and the turntable folded up to close it. It was black.
Living at Trula's house during late 1968 and early 1969 was a fun time, except for the fact that my Father was overseas with the military during this time. I learned to knit and crochet during this time. I also snapped more fresh green beans than the law allowed. I got to run between the rows of corn planted in the front yard of her house....and running in the garden almost got me popped by a bumble bee more times than I can count.
A lot of first happened at Trula's house. I saw my first Playboy at her house....seems my cousin, Brian, who lived there at the time, enjoyed the nude form. Still yet to this day, I think the best best black and white photos are tastefully done nudes. It also happened that the first time I won a fight with my older brother happened there. I hit him with a dog chain in the back of the head while running out Trula's back door. I couldn't make that shot again to save my life! My first dog, Brutus, came from one of her neighbors. He was a poodle mix and a total mess but a wonderful sweet dog.
Trula had lived a hard life and had been effected by polio as a teenager. She walked with a cane because she had a slight limp. I remember walking through the small hardware store in Maynardville with Trula on her 54 birthday and giving her a bit of ribbing for being "old"...now, I'm just 4 years away from being 54 myself.
Trula never had any kids and she doted on me a good bit. She made homemade eggnog for me that is WAY better than that store bought stuff will EVER be! It had raw eggs in it and today someone would be yelling about getting sick from raw eggs.....*sigh*...Some days I wish I didn't know what I know now.....Life was better in someways during that innocent time in my life.
During the time in my life when I was looking up my family tree, Trula's house was a GOLD MINE! I have copies of her daddy's (who I'm named after) letters to the Veterans Administration from the 1940's. I also got copies of The Family Bible listing all the kids in the Munsey Family. I also found out that my mom DOES have a middle name... Copies of my grandfathers Army papers and more things than I can remember at this time.
I can't hear Ray Charles sing without thinking of my Aunt Trula....it takes me back to a small house, on a hill in Maynardville TN. No hot water or indoor plumbing until 1972 or 73....taking a bath in a galvanized tub in the middle of the kitchen, water heated by boiling it on the stove....Playing outside and taking a "timeout" to go to the outhouse behind the smokehouse...
Those were the days....
J.
Trula Munsey is my mom's older sister. Trula died recently at the age of 95. I miss her. I lived at her house about age 5 or 6 for a few months. Trula never married and never, to my knowledge, cut her hair. In a small house on the hill in Maynardville, TN. Sitting on Trula's front porch, you could see the county jail and the inmates used to wave at us from between the bars on the windows of their jail cell.
Trula loved music and she had more than one Ray Charles album. We listened to his music on an old sears turntable that had small speakers on the side of it and the turntable folded up to close it. It was black.
Living at Trula's house during late 1968 and early 1969 was a fun time, except for the fact that my Father was overseas with the military during this time. I learned to knit and crochet during this time. I also snapped more fresh green beans than the law allowed. I got to run between the rows of corn planted in the front yard of her house....and running in the garden almost got me popped by a bumble bee more times than I can count.
A lot of first happened at Trula's house. I saw my first Playboy at her house....seems my cousin, Brian, who lived there at the time, enjoyed the nude form. Still yet to this day, I think the best best black and white photos are tastefully done nudes. It also happened that the first time I won a fight with my older brother happened there. I hit him with a dog chain in the back of the head while running out Trula's back door. I couldn't make that shot again to save my life! My first dog, Brutus, came from one of her neighbors. He was a poodle mix and a total mess but a wonderful sweet dog.
Trula had lived a hard life and had been effected by polio as a teenager. She walked with a cane because she had a slight limp. I remember walking through the small hardware store in Maynardville with Trula on her 54 birthday and giving her a bit of ribbing for being "old"...now, I'm just 4 years away from being 54 myself.
Trula never had any kids and she doted on me a good bit. She made homemade eggnog for me that is WAY better than that store bought stuff will EVER be! It had raw eggs in it and today someone would be yelling about getting sick from raw eggs.....*sigh*...Some days I wish I didn't know what I know now.....Life was better in someways during that innocent time in my life.
During the time in my life when I was looking up my family tree, Trula's house was a GOLD MINE! I have copies of her daddy's (who I'm named after) letters to the Veterans Administration from the 1940's. I also got copies of The Family Bible listing all the kids in the Munsey Family. I also found out that my mom DOES have a middle name... Copies of my grandfathers Army papers and more things than I can remember at this time.
I can't hear Ray Charles sing without thinking of my Aunt Trula....it takes me back to a small house, on a hill in Maynardville TN. No hot water or indoor plumbing until 1972 or 73....taking a bath in a galvanized tub in the middle of the kitchen, water heated by boiling it on the stove....Playing outside and taking a "timeout" to go to the outhouse behind the smokehouse...
Those were the days....
J.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Just what does this mean? 6/30/2012
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, (English Standard Version, Matthew 6:3)
OR if you so desire, the King James Version:
But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: (I'm a King James Version Fan)
Randi and I once decided to give a gift to a very popular charity. When we took the items to the local pick up point (a church not far from our house), they ask me for my contact information. I went on to tell the person that I didn't go to church there and I didn't wish to give my contact information. After further conversation, I gave them my contact information and walked to the car. Upon entering the car, I told Randi that they ask for our contact information and I wondered aloud how they would use it. A few months later, I found out. Seems that twice a year we received a letter from this charity asking for further donations. I can say that I rarely give gifts to any organization just because they ask. Like most things in my life, I have to give it a good long think before I act and I usually act out of the movement of my own mind not due to the begging of any mail, radio or TV ads.
After receiving the second mailing, I called the organization in questions and I ask to be REMOVED from their mailing list ASAP forever and always. Seems as a parting gift, their leader sent me his newest book along with a handwritten note. A nice touch but I was unmoved in my thoughts about stopping the mail from this organization reaching me again. I gave the book to a friend who's mother in law was a fan of this person and his more famous father. I never read a word out of his book.
The book worth reading about such subjects is The Bible.
What does Matthew 6:3 mean to me? If you give money, time or effort to ANY organization or person in need, don't walk up on the next street corner and yell to the top of your lungs "HEY I GAVE A MILLION DOLLARS TO....(insert your favorite organization here)"
God knows what you gave and how much you gave, who you gave it to and no one else needs to know. Does this also mean the tax break you might gain from giving to a church run organization shouldn't be taken? I think it does. By making that claim, you have just told your "write" hand what the other hand gave....(pun intended)
Jesus preached LOTS about such things....In that same chapter in Matthew (6:2) it says
"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full." and 6:4 says "so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
Offerings in most churches I've seen have envelopes for people to write their name so they get a report of how much they had given during the past year....but, you can just drop your money or check in the plate without the envelope and at that point, only you and the good Lord above know the story of what happened.
I can't break anyone's arm and force them to believe what I believe....nor do I want do...
I have to do as my conscience directs me.
Remember, if you do give to the needy that there are needy people right in the county where you live or the church where you worship (whether you realize it or not). People aren't just starving in Africa anymore. They are starving right in the US of A.
J.
OR if you so desire, the King James Version:
But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: (I'm a King James Version Fan)
Randi and I once decided to give a gift to a very popular charity. When we took the items to the local pick up point (a church not far from our house), they ask me for my contact information. I went on to tell the person that I didn't go to church there and I didn't wish to give my contact information. After further conversation, I gave them my contact information and walked to the car. Upon entering the car, I told Randi that they ask for our contact information and I wondered aloud how they would use it. A few months later, I found out. Seems that twice a year we received a letter from this charity asking for further donations. I can say that I rarely give gifts to any organization just because they ask. Like most things in my life, I have to give it a good long think before I act and I usually act out of the movement of my own mind not due to the begging of any mail, radio or TV ads.
After receiving the second mailing, I called the organization in questions and I ask to be REMOVED from their mailing list ASAP forever and always. Seems as a parting gift, their leader sent me his newest book along with a handwritten note. A nice touch but I was unmoved in my thoughts about stopping the mail from this organization reaching me again. I gave the book to a friend who's mother in law was a fan of this person and his more famous father. I never read a word out of his book.
The book worth reading about such subjects is The Bible.
What does Matthew 6:3 mean to me? If you give money, time or effort to ANY organization or person in need, don't walk up on the next street corner and yell to the top of your lungs "HEY I GAVE A MILLION DOLLARS TO....(insert your favorite organization here)"
God knows what you gave and how much you gave, who you gave it to and no one else needs to know. Does this also mean the tax break you might gain from giving to a church run organization shouldn't be taken? I think it does. By making that claim, you have just told your "write" hand what the other hand gave....(pun intended)
Jesus preached LOTS about such things....In that same chapter in Matthew (6:2) it says
"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full." and 6:4 says "so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
Offerings in most churches I've seen have envelopes for people to write their name so they get a report of how much they had given during the past year....but, you can just drop your money or check in the plate without the envelope and at that point, only you and the good Lord above know the story of what happened.
I can't break anyone's arm and force them to believe what I believe....nor do I want do...
I have to do as my conscience directs me.
Remember, if you do give to the needy that there are needy people right in the county where you live or the church where you worship (whether you realize it or not). People aren't just starving in Africa anymore. They are starving right in the US of A.
J.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
What are we coming back to.... 6/21/2012
What are we coming back to? An odd sort of question, I know.
A friend of mine posted on facebook a picture of a Military person coming back from someplace overseas, and his dog had jumped in his arms. My response to that post were these few words:
"You can be stationed on the worlds biggest hell hole in the USA but coming back there (after a deployment) is ALWAYS special...."
At that moment, that small Air Force Base in SC was my touchstone. I damn near kissed the asphalt at the bottom of the steps of that aircraft! I knew that "return home" feeling twice in my life.
At this current moment, I wondered, where or what is my touchstone now? What keeps me being me? What is it that the rest of my life spins around on a daily basis?
Hmmmm. Its a very deep thought for me but I must say the answer to that question is many things......and all those things provide a piece of the puzzle of what keeps me being me.
Randi. First and foremost, she keeps me grounded in a million different ways. It's an odd mix that sticks us together. A very strong lady with a quiet way (unless you over charge her at a sale at walmart, then she is not so quiet...). I'm thankful for her continued involvement in my life.
Sophie. That dog has touched something in me that I like. She has changed me. I'm a nicer person because of her. If you aren't touched by those big brown eyes, there is something wrong with you.
Dylan. The smallest dog in the house but a brave watch dog in his mind. Sometimes I need to remember, no matter what the size, he who has the biggest heart, reaps the biggest rewards. I might not need protecting but it is good to know that he likes us enough to try and protect us....
Work. I don't talk about my work much. Some days its very rewarding, others, I feel like I'm playing catch up to my co-workers. I'm greatly bothered by this fact. Tomorrow is another day and another chance to shine. Today was not perfect but tomorrow has the chance to be.
I would guess the real answer is..."A small white house, on a small street, in a small part of South Carolina and all the stuff it contains".....
J.
A friend of mine posted on facebook a picture of a Military person coming back from someplace overseas, and his dog had jumped in his arms. My response to that post were these few words:
"You can be stationed on the worlds biggest hell hole in the USA but coming back there (after a deployment) is ALWAYS special...."
At that moment, that small Air Force Base in SC was my touchstone. I damn near kissed the asphalt at the bottom of the steps of that aircraft! I knew that "return home" feeling twice in my life.
At this current moment, I wondered, where or what is my touchstone now? What keeps me being me? What is it that the rest of my life spins around on a daily basis?
Hmmmm. Its a very deep thought for me but I must say the answer to that question is many things......and all those things provide a piece of the puzzle of what keeps me being me.
Randi. First and foremost, she keeps me grounded in a million different ways. It's an odd mix that sticks us together. A very strong lady with a quiet way (unless you over charge her at a sale at walmart, then she is not so quiet...). I'm thankful for her continued involvement in my life.
Sophie. That dog has touched something in me that I like. She has changed me. I'm a nicer person because of her. If you aren't touched by those big brown eyes, there is something wrong with you.
Dylan. The smallest dog in the house but a brave watch dog in his mind. Sometimes I need to remember, no matter what the size, he who has the biggest heart, reaps the biggest rewards. I might not need protecting but it is good to know that he likes us enough to try and protect us....
Work. I don't talk about my work much. Some days its very rewarding, others, I feel like I'm playing catch up to my co-workers. I'm greatly bothered by this fact. Tomorrow is another day and another chance to shine. Today was not perfect but tomorrow has the chance to be.
I would guess the real answer is..."A small white house, on a small street, in a small part of South Carolina and all the stuff it contains".....
J.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
A Friend needs help 6/7/2012
I have a good friend who is in need of help.
Varda Epstein, writer, mother of 12 and baker of all things (The baked goods she post pictures of on her facebook page look YUMMY) has a need for LOTS of dental work and stands a good chance of losing her teeth. More information can be had by going to her "Tooth Fairies for Varda" facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/ToothFairiesForVarda
Varda also writes a blog, full of interesting things, that can be found at http://www.judeanrose.blogspot.com/
I wish I had a $1,000,000 to send to her to help with her problems....sad to say I can't do that. I wish I was rich rather than so damn good looking!
Well, you do what you can when you can and this is what I can do.
Thank you for reading!
J.
Varda Epstein, writer, mother of 12 and baker of all things (The baked goods she post pictures of on her facebook page look YUMMY) has a need for LOTS of dental work and stands a good chance of losing her teeth. More information can be had by going to her "Tooth Fairies for Varda" facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/ToothFairiesForVarda
Varda also writes a blog, full of interesting things, that can be found at http://www.judeanrose.blogspot.com/
I wish I had a $1,000,000 to send to her to help with her problems....sad to say I can't do that. I wish I was rich rather than so damn good looking!
Well, you do what you can when you can and this is what I can do.
Thank you for reading!
J.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Thoughts after my ZL600 rebuild 6/5/2012
I am a member of a Kawasaki ZL forum (http://www.zl-oa.com) that deals with all models of ZL or Eliminator series motorcycle. The forum is full of knowledgeable people who are willing to give advice when needed. The help I received from that forum was invaluable!
After doing my own rebuild, I wrote a post on the forum of things I would do different now that I had finished all of that work. I think it is fitting to post it here....just cuz.
********************************************
Now that the deed is, for the most part, done, I've had a day or two to think about what I would do different or what advice I would give others thinking of doing the same thing.....Here they are, in no certain order:
1. Download the manuals and read them. You can't go wrong reading the manual. I learned a lot.
2. Before you take a wrench to said motorcycle, take a BUNCH of photographs......In 4 or 5 months when you are putting the cables back on, you will LOVE those photos. I had to go hunt photos from memory cards to see where a cable or two went.
3. Buy zip lock bags. The gallon size is a good size.
4. I can't speak for the 900 or 1000 but the best parts manual I found for the 600 is marked as a 1990 ZL750. It has all the screw sizes so you can tell the right hand control screws from the left hand control screws...(the right screws are 40mm long and the left screws are 45mm long and if used on the right control you will leave nasty screw bumps in the plastic....don't ask me how I know) If you can't find a parts manual, http://www.kawasaki.com has the same information online.
5. Lowes or Home Depot have a good selection of metric bolts, nuts and Allen head screws. I was at my local Lowes a lot in the last 4 months.
6. Orange Glo multipurpose cleaner does a good job of getting the 27 years of road grime off of plastic parts. Don't use it on those labels that you just can't get any more....it might clean the label a bit too good and clean the writing off the label
7. Mothers Back to Black works very well on those not so black parts that should be black...
8. I purchased used headers because my old ones had lived a hard life. (The first owner put road rash down both mufflers and bent the right side header in so far that the engine case put a hole in the header and he wore down the bottom screw on the kick stand switch so badly that half the screw head was missing) Putting on headers that were not bent or tweaked was a JOY. They darn near fell on by themselves. I must admit that putting all new exhaust gaskets on my headers/mufflers wasn't easy to watch. I had to spread the clamp section of the header/mufflers and watching part of that gasket peal away was hard to watch when I put the headers/mufflers on. All I could see was the money hitting the floor in those little slivers of exhaust gasket. ACK! The good news is that the exhaust sounds better than it ever has. It was money well spent!
9. I would have LOVED to buy all new parts...but....at some point the budget came into play. If it dealt with a reliability issue, I tried to get new parts. (I give MCM/Baccus alot of credit, he found NOS hoses I thought I would NEVER see new for a 27 year old motorcycle).
10. Speaking of budgets..... Some new parts on your old motorcycle will make your old parts that looked "ok" before look REALLY bad next to a new or refinished part. You might not want to, but you will spend more money than you expected to. The powder coating cost about $210 for a frame, tank and swingarm in black and most of the aluminum parts in silver metallic. I would be willing to bet I have another $150 to $200 in new parts/nuts, bolts, and screws. Invest in a tap and die set if you are powder coating your parts. It will leave a bit of coating in the threaded holes that could break a bolt. A quick tap of the screw hole before putting a screw/bolt in it will save you heartache later on!
11. I had been doing some restoring or updating from the day I got my ZL600 running in May, 2009. The seat was already done and the rear shocks, the tires, the carbs and the running of the engine were things I didn't have to mess with this time around.
12. The best thing I purchased before this rebuild was a box of odd nuts and bolts off of ebay for $10 almost two years ago. The best 10 bucks I've ever spent. That box of bolts saved my backsides more than once and kept me from spending even more money than I did.
13. Don't throw ANYTHING you take off your bike away until you are VERY sure you can replace it or repair it. The ZL600 has only been made 4 years in the past 27 years. Some things just aren't available any longer.....(ZL600 sidepod decals for example) (I think of how hard it would be to restore a ZL1000!)
14. Don't forget to say "THANK YOU" to your wife/girlfriend/husband/boyfriend.....Remember, it is your motorcycle hobby, not theirs. My wife dealt with my wrenching after work and then falling in bed and being asleep before my head hit the pillow. She told me I snored VERY loudly on those nights when I was most tired. Thank you Randi, you are truly a blessing. I give my wife a lot of credit, whenever she heard me say "my golf words" she would come running to help. Dropping your restored frame in the middle of a concrete floor will make you cuss a bit!
15. I got to give back to the ZL-OA, which was important to me. This group of people has helped me a bunch since 2009. I think I wrote two tech articles for the ZL600 (Gas Cap tear down and a Junction Box tear down) I also tried to pass on information about aftermarket bearings that would work with the steering and swingarm. My lower steering bearing was in BAD shape. I had to cut it off and replace it.
16. Wide levers....worth every dime! They are very comfortable.
17. before and after photos are fun.....take a bunch of them.
Is my 1986 ZL600 now perfect? NO..not by a long shot. Is it better? You bet! in every way you can think of it is SOOO much better than the barn find that pulled up on the back of a trailer at my old house in 2005 or 2006. There are still a million little things to do and parts to adjust....but it runs once again!
BadBrad, Thank you for calling me and telling me about the ZL600 Crash Bars on Ebay. I LOVE THEM! They fit perfectly!
Thanks ZLMark, you run a good forum. I'm sorry I missed meeting you last year.
********************************
J.
After doing my own rebuild, I wrote a post on the forum of things I would do different now that I had finished all of that work. I think it is fitting to post it here....just cuz.
********************************************
Now that the deed is, for the most part, done, I've had a day or two to think about what I would do different or what advice I would give others thinking of doing the same thing.....Here they are, in no certain order:
1. Download the manuals and read them. You can't go wrong reading the manual. I learned a lot.
2. Before you take a wrench to said motorcycle, take a BUNCH of photographs......In 4 or 5 months when you are putting the cables back on, you will LOVE those photos. I had to go hunt photos from memory cards to see where a cable or two went.
3. Buy zip lock bags. The gallon size is a good size.
4. I can't speak for the 900 or 1000 but the best parts manual I found for the 600 is marked as a 1990 ZL750. It has all the screw sizes so you can tell the right hand control screws from the left hand control screws...(the right screws are 40mm long and the left screws are 45mm long and if used on the right control you will leave nasty screw bumps in the plastic....don't ask me how I know) If you can't find a parts manual, http://www.kawasaki.com has the same information online.
5. Lowes or Home Depot have a good selection of metric bolts, nuts and Allen head screws. I was at my local Lowes a lot in the last 4 months.
6. Orange Glo multipurpose cleaner does a good job of getting the 27 years of road grime off of plastic parts. Don't use it on those labels that you just can't get any more....it might clean the label a bit too good and clean the writing off the label
7. Mothers Back to Black works very well on those not so black parts that should be black...
8. I purchased used headers because my old ones had lived a hard life. (The first owner put road rash down both mufflers and bent the right side header in so far that the engine case put a hole in the header and he wore down the bottom screw on the kick stand switch so badly that half the screw head was missing) Putting on headers that were not bent or tweaked was a JOY. They darn near fell on by themselves. I must admit that putting all new exhaust gaskets on my headers/mufflers wasn't easy to watch. I had to spread the clamp section of the header/mufflers and watching part of that gasket peal away was hard to watch when I put the headers/mufflers on. All I could see was the money hitting the floor in those little slivers of exhaust gasket. ACK! The good news is that the exhaust sounds better than it ever has. It was money well spent!
9. I would have LOVED to buy all new parts...but....at some point the budget came into play. If it dealt with a reliability issue, I tried to get new parts. (I give MCM/Baccus alot of credit, he found NOS hoses I thought I would NEVER see new for a 27 year old motorcycle).
10. Speaking of budgets..... Some new parts on your old motorcycle will make your old parts that looked "ok" before look REALLY bad next to a new or refinished part. You might not want to, but you will spend more money than you expected to. The powder coating cost about $210 for a frame, tank and swingarm in black and most of the aluminum parts in silver metallic. I would be willing to bet I have another $150 to $200 in new parts/nuts, bolts, and screws. Invest in a tap and die set if you are powder coating your parts. It will leave a bit of coating in the threaded holes that could break a bolt. A quick tap of the screw hole before putting a screw/bolt in it will save you heartache later on!
11. I had been doing some restoring or updating from the day I got my ZL600 running in May, 2009. The seat was already done and the rear shocks, the tires, the carbs and the running of the engine were things I didn't have to mess with this time around.
12. The best thing I purchased before this rebuild was a box of odd nuts and bolts off of ebay for $10 almost two years ago. The best 10 bucks I've ever spent. That box of bolts saved my backsides more than once and kept me from spending even more money than I did.
13. Don't throw ANYTHING you take off your bike away until you are VERY sure you can replace it or repair it. The ZL600 has only been made 4 years in the past 27 years. Some things just aren't available any longer.....(ZL600 sidepod decals for example) (I think of how hard it would be to restore a ZL1000!)
14. Don't forget to say "THANK YOU" to your wife/girlfriend/husband/boyfriend.....Remember, it is your motorcycle hobby, not theirs. My wife dealt with my wrenching after work and then falling in bed and being asleep before my head hit the pillow. She told me I snored VERY loudly on those nights when I was most tired. Thank you Randi, you are truly a blessing. I give my wife a lot of credit, whenever she heard me say "my golf words" she would come running to help. Dropping your restored frame in the middle of a concrete floor will make you cuss a bit!
15. I got to give back to the ZL-OA, which was important to me. This group of people has helped me a bunch since 2009. I think I wrote two tech articles for the ZL600 (Gas Cap tear down and a Junction Box tear down) I also tried to pass on information about aftermarket bearings that would work with the steering and swingarm. My lower steering bearing was in BAD shape. I had to cut it off and replace it.
16. Wide levers....worth every dime! They are very comfortable.
17. before and after photos are fun.....take a bunch of them.
 |
| Before picture |
 |
| After Picture |
Is my 1986 ZL600 now perfect? NO..not by a long shot. Is it better? You bet! in every way you can think of it is SOOO much better than the barn find that pulled up on the back of a trailer at my old house in 2005 or 2006. There are still a million little things to do and parts to adjust....but it runs once again!
BadBrad, Thank you for calling me and telling me about the ZL600 Crash Bars on Ebay. I LOVE THEM! They fit perfectly!
Thanks ZLMark, you run a good forum. I'm sorry I missed meeting you last year.
********************************
J.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Just something I always wanted to do....6/3/2012
From 12/16/2011 till 4/14/2012 I did something I've dreamed about doing for a darn long time, I restored my 1986 ZL600 Kawasaki Motorcycle. No, I haven't been dreaming since the age of 23 or 24 (my approximate age when the ZL600 was new) about restoring a ZL600. I have always wanted to start with a less than perfect "anything" and have it roll away from my hands in better shape than when I started. I once had a dream of repairing small appliances and owning my own business, but I now know that mass production of small appliances has made it impossible to make money on appliance repair. Repair cost will easily outstrip the price of a new like item.
I just like making ANYTHING run.....my lower back no longer enjoys it but my mind is in HEAVEN while repairing something. (every moment spent repairing something isn't bliss but getting there is half the battle/fun for me). The repair process makes me stretch my mind to figure out how to accomplish the task at hand with the items on hand or items that are in the local area. I hate ordering parts unless I just have to go that route and procure a new part!
I purchased my ZL600 from a person I worked with at Sumter County Government in 2005 or 2006. I WISH I had taken photos of it on the trailer as it rolled up in my yard. It was a sad sack looking piece of its former glory. All the turn signals have a rubber piece in the middle of them so you can bend them and they will snap back without breaking. (Unlike their 70's motorcycle cousins, which have a metal tube in the middle of the turn signals that will bend and stay bent if the motorcycle is dropped). The rubber of the turn signals had rotted away and the wires going to the light held the light to the rest of the motorcycle. The tires were the factory Dunlap's and they would hold air but were cracked REALLY badly and almost 20 years old. The wiring to the charging circuit had problems and it really looked very worn. The one thing that made me keep this motorcycle was the fact it was shaft drive. Shaft drive = NO CHAIN. Chain drive is simpler to work on but you have to ride the motorcycle in a manner that allows for the slack in the chain to be taken up at every gear shift. Shaft drive, for me, has made for a smoother ride all the way around.
I wish I could say that I started working to improve the 600 at that moment but it was not to be. I poked at it a time or two when Christopher would come home on leave. We did get it running and rode it up and down the street a few times. It wasn't a perfect but I could tell that a power house of an engine awaited me when it was finally repaired correctly.
It sat in my back yard until April 2009. A weekend day just like any other. Randi had gone outside to do a load of laundry. (our house, at the time, had its laundry connections in a shed built on the carport of our small ranch style house). Randi came in the bedroom, where I was watching TV and said from clenched teeth "There are two guys out here that want to talk to you....." and she walked off toward the carport. Ok, now I'm curious. Randi isn't shaken by much. I haven't seen her truly mad about anything except twice since we met and her being mad REALLY got my attention.
I walked outside on the carport and the two guys standing there almost didn't have one good tooth between them. They ask "What do you want for that motorcycle in your back yard?" I told them it wasn't for sale and they couldn't pay me the money I would want for it.... They thanked me and got back in their truck and left. I then found out they startled Randi as she walked out of the house with a load of clothes and THAT is what made her mad....it had nothing to do with the motorcycle at all. However, Randi being mad got me off my ass and I got to work, and in a month's time, I had the old Kawasaki running, titled and tagged for the first time since 1992.
The photo makes that old motorcycle look better than it was.
A running motorcycle was one thing, an improved motorcycle was quite another. The previous owner had given the old ZL a hard life. It had been parked with gas in the carburetors, the right hand header was bent into the engine case, the kick stand switch had the head of one of its attachment screws sheered half way off from being scraped along the asphalt. The exhaust mufflers had road rash down each of them. The rear brake pedal and the gear shift lever were both bent. In the weeks before being titled, I had to repair a charging system that had burnt the wiring harness in such a way as to make it hard to see how it went back together.
Ebay and M.I.D.S. motorcycle salvage in Sumter, SC were my friends. I repaired the wiring problem with parts from another motorcycle and black electric tape and purchased a voltage regulator and battery.
I started repairing things from the first moment after I got it running. I rode the wheels off of it for the rest of the summer of 2009! Life was good!
In 2010 we moved up the road toward Columbia SC and I didn't ride my ZL600 one inch during the summer of 2010! ACK! The spring of 2011 rolled around and I ask Randi if I could spend the money to repair a few things on the Kawasaki to get it running again. I had it titled and insured in all of 2010 and I wasn't missing another riding season to nagging problems!
Fast forward a few months and I did a search for a powder coater in the Columbia area. I found one that was on my way to work. The total frame and other parts being powder coated was going to cost about $210...HEY, even I can afford that! My mind was alight with thoughts of delight with finally getting to "do it right" by this motorcycle I love riding! I decided to wait until December 2011 to start the tear down because Christopher, Lindsey and #1 Granddaughter, Alisen were coming to SC for a visit in November 2011. I knew Christopher was looking to buy a motorcycle in the local area and we might get the chance to ride together a bit. I couldn't pass up the chance to log a few miles with my son!
November came and went. Randi took a trip to Minnesota for about two weeks, 9 - 18 December 2011. A perfect time to start the tear down of my ZL600 while she wasn't at home.
The tank went first. I had done a rust removal on the tank in fall of 2009 that removed the paint and decals from the tank and I had put a thin coat of gray primer on the tank to keep it from rusting. It took me a day or two to get the tank stripped to bare metal. I was lucky, it was a good strong tank with lots of thick metal left to restore!
WOW...what a difference! I will admit, when I picked up the tank after the powder coating, I cried. I got a lump in my throat and was a bit emotional for a few minutes. It was almost shocking the short transformation that had occurred with just a bit of gloss black coating!
However, A fuel tank does not a motorcycle make. I had much more work in front of me than I had behind me. Work, work, work, work......
The frame was stripped down to nothing and sent for it's beauty treatment......
You really don't realize how bad the frame is until you strip it down to nothing else. I hated to lose the two original ID tags on the right downpipe and the steering head but the frame really needed help with its rust problem.
I was lucky, I didn't have to rebuild an engine or get a seat repaired. Some weeks, the work went well and other weeks the coming spring got me down with sinus so bad that I grumbled about the sunny days that I didn't work toward getting the ZL back together. I had heard that the quicker you rebuilt the motorcycle, the more you would remember from the tear down. This was VERY true! I would forget how something went together and I would go looking for old photographs or parts manuals of ZL600's to see how things fit together. I learned a lot along the way
Putting the engine in was the hardest thing that had to be done after I got all the parts back. I was SUPER careful putting it back together. It took 3 times longer to get back together than it did to take it apart! The thought of scratching newly repaired parts gave me pause to take my time.
After I took the photograph on 4/8/2012, I walked back in the house and sobbed like a relived kid that had just acted in his first school play. Randi ask me why I was crying and about all I could get out of my mouth between sobs was "I did it, I really did it"....Randi was a bit confused and ask me " You must have thought you could do it or you wouldn't have started doing it, right?" ...well....NO...my life is a wake of unfinished projects......sad to say.
I can honestly say I'm very happy with how it turned out. It still needs things worked on right at this moment but I can go ride it at any time..... no one owns a 28 year old motorcycle that doesn't need Something done to it!
I'm not sure why it took me so long to write this ACK. It has been rolling around in my head for weeks...I just didn't slow down enough to take the time to write it.......
I just like making ANYTHING run.....my lower back no longer enjoys it but my mind is in HEAVEN while repairing something. (every moment spent repairing something isn't bliss but getting there is half the battle/fun for me). The repair process makes me stretch my mind to figure out how to accomplish the task at hand with the items on hand or items that are in the local area. I hate ordering parts unless I just have to go that route and procure a new part!
I purchased my ZL600 from a person I worked with at Sumter County Government in 2005 or 2006. I WISH I had taken photos of it on the trailer as it rolled up in my yard. It was a sad sack looking piece of its former glory. All the turn signals have a rubber piece in the middle of them so you can bend them and they will snap back without breaking. (Unlike their 70's motorcycle cousins, which have a metal tube in the middle of the turn signals that will bend and stay bent if the motorcycle is dropped). The rubber of the turn signals had rotted away and the wires going to the light held the light to the rest of the motorcycle. The tires were the factory Dunlap's and they would hold air but were cracked REALLY badly and almost 20 years old. The wiring to the charging circuit had problems and it really looked very worn. The one thing that made me keep this motorcycle was the fact it was shaft drive. Shaft drive = NO CHAIN. Chain drive is simpler to work on but you have to ride the motorcycle in a manner that allows for the slack in the chain to be taken up at every gear shift. Shaft drive, for me, has made for a smoother ride all the way around.
I wish I could say that I started working to improve the 600 at that moment but it was not to be. I poked at it a time or two when Christopher would come home on leave. We did get it running and rode it up and down the street a few times. It wasn't a perfect but I could tell that a power house of an engine awaited me when it was finally repaired correctly.
It sat in my back yard until April 2009. A weekend day just like any other. Randi had gone outside to do a load of laundry. (our house, at the time, had its laundry connections in a shed built on the carport of our small ranch style house). Randi came in the bedroom, where I was watching TV and said from clenched teeth "There are two guys out here that want to talk to you....." and she walked off toward the carport. Ok, now I'm curious. Randi isn't shaken by much. I haven't seen her truly mad about anything except twice since we met and her being mad REALLY got my attention.
I walked outside on the carport and the two guys standing there almost didn't have one good tooth between them. They ask "What do you want for that motorcycle in your back yard?" I told them it wasn't for sale and they couldn't pay me the money I would want for it.... They thanked me and got back in their truck and left. I then found out they startled Randi as she walked out of the house with a load of clothes and THAT is what made her mad....it had nothing to do with the motorcycle at all. However, Randi being mad got me off my ass and I got to work, and in a month's time, I had the old Kawasaki running, titled and tagged for the first time since 1992.
 | |
| The first photograph after being repaired 5/9/2009 |
The photo makes that old motorcycle look better than it was.
 |
| Bleached out plastic and nasty aluminum oxide 2009 with the new seat. |
 | ||
| 6/7/2009 old seat |
| |
| Rust, rust, rust! 12/2011 |
Ebay and M.I.D.S. motorcycle salvage in Sumter, SC were my friends. I repaired the wiring problem with parts from another motorcycle and black electric tape and purchased a voltage regulator and battery.
I started repairing things from the first moment after I got it running. I rode the wheels off of it for the rest of the summer of 2009! Life was good!
In 2010 we moved up the road toward Columbia SC and I didn't ride my ZL600 one inch during the summer of 2010! ACK! The spring of 2011 rolled around and I ask Randi if I could spend the money to repair a few things on the Kawasaki to get it running again. I had it titled and insured in all of 2010 and I wasn't missing another riding season to nagging problems!
 |
| One of the first rides of 2011. 5/7/2011 |
Fast forward a few months and I did a search for a powder coater in the Columbia area. I found one that was on my way to work. The total frame and other parts being powder coated was going to cost about $210...HEY, even I can afford that! My mind was alight with thoughts of delight with finally getting to "do it right" by this motorcycle I love riding! I decided to wait until December 2011 to start the tear down because Christopher, Lindsey and #1 Granddaughter, Alisen were coming to SC for a visit in November 2011. I knew Christopher was looking to buy a motorcycle in the local area and we might get the chance to ride together a bit. I couldn't pass up the chance to log a few miles with my son!
November came and went. Randi took a trip to Minnesota for about two weeks, 9 - 18 December 2011. A perfect time to start the tear down of my ZL600 while she wasn't at home.
The tank went first. I had done a rust removal on the tank in fall of 2009 that removed the paint and decals from the tank and I had put a thin coat of gray primer on the tank to keep it from rusting. It took me a day or two to get the tank stripped to bare metal. I was lucky, it was a good strong tank with lots of thick metal left to restore!
 |
| Stripped tank, 12/17/2011 |
 |
| Repaired Tank 12/27/2011 |
WOW...what a difference! I will admit, when I picked up the tank after the powder coating, I cried. I got a lump in my throat and was a bit emotional for a few minutes. It was almost shocking the short transformation that had occurred with just a bit of gloss black coating!
 |
| Hanging on the rack after repair 12/27/2011 |
However, A fuel tank does not a motorcycle make. I had much more work in front of me than I had behind me. Work, work, work, work......
The frame was stripped down to nothing and sent for it's beauty treatment......
 |
| Frame, Before 12/2011 |
You really don't realize how bad the frame is until you strip it down to nothing else. I hated to lose the two original ID tags on the right downpipe and the steering head but the frame really needed help with its rust problem.
 | |
| Frame, After 1/13/2012 |
I was lucky, I didn't have to rebuild an engine or get a seat repaired. Some weeks, the work went well and other weeks the coming spring got me down with sinus so bad that I grumbled about the sunny days that I didn't work toward getting the ZL back together. I had heard that the quicker you rebuilt the motorcycle, the more you would remember from the tear down. This was VERY true! I would forget how something went together and I would go looking for old photographs or parts manuals of ZL600's to see how things fit together. I learned a lot along the way
 |
| The Engine back in the frame. Thanks for the help Adam Twitty! |
|
| NO RUST!!! WHOO HOO! |
 | |
| getting there slowly |
 | |
| Ceramic Coated headers and Crash Bars 4/2012 |
 | |
| 4/8/2012. Almost finished. |
|
| Before 5/7/2011 |
 | ||
| After 4/14/2012 |
I can honestly say I'm very happy with how it turned out. It still needs things worked on right at this moment but I can go ride it at any time..... no one owns a 28 year old motorcycle that doesn't need Something done to it!
I'm not sure why it took me so long to write this ACK. It has been rolling around in my head for weeks...I just didn't slow down enough to take the time to write it.......
Sunday, May 13, 2012
A rerun fit for a memory 5/13/2012
The Daily ACK 26 July, 2011 Memories
by Johnny Massengill on Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 9:24pm ·
For some reason I've been thinking about a time that happened before I started school. It was late 1968 or early 1969. My dad had just spent 18 months overseas on the Azores Island (Seems there is a tiny Air Force Base, Lajes Air Force Base, on that island and they decided they needed my dad more than I did....oh well http://maps.google.com/maps?q=azores+map&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0xb467f1e11e43b05:0xe2911b674bce0c1d,Azores,+Portugal&gl=us&ei=6mEvTtm3A4bV0QH1seW0AQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBkQ8gEwAA )
I remember my dad came home on leave during that 18 month hitch and he brought back an album of music that has stuck with me until this day.
Booker T and the MG's Greatest Hits. Stax Records.Booker T and the MG's music resonated with me even at an early age...plus the fact they also played the theme music to Clint Eastwood's movie, Hang 'em High. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATFmWmsF-iw )
That album is still at my parents house. Time didn't treat that piece of vinyl very well. It is scratched and skips on many of the songs if you could play it today, not to mention the fact not many of us have a honest to gosh turntable anymore.
Years have passed and one night I decided to search for that Booker T and the MG's album. Randi ask me what I was looking for and I told her. My wife can find ANYTHING on the Internet...and on Amazon.com she found it. ( http://www.amazon.com/Very-Best-Booker-T-Mgs/dp/B000QUCPWU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311728883&sr=8-1 )
The CD player in my truck isn't worth the circuit board its made with. I can't get it to play a whole CD. I drove Randi's car to work the other day and in the holder on the sun visor there was that CD. I listened to that CD and really enjoyed the memories I had. There is only one song on that CD that I don't like and it's the only song that someone sings on that CD. Its called "Johnny, I love you"...and I just never got used to Booker T and the MG's with someone singing... it just ain't right, I tell you!...just saying...
Now you can hear a small clip of Booker T and the MG's music on a radio ad for John Boy and Billy and I'm sure not many people even know who plays that short piece of music but I know who did it....and I remember....
If you are interested in more information, check this out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booker_T._%26_the_M.G.%27s
J.
My
Dad while he was in the military. The photo has suffered from the hands
of time....I wish I could find glasses like that today...
Friday, March 16, 2012
A rerun from 10/12/2011 Underware Bomber
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/10/12/michigan.underwear.bomber/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
ACK! Today at work I ask a co worker "What makes a man SO dedicated that he would put a bomb NEXT to" his man parts? The answer I got was what I was thinking...."I have NO IDEA!". Even when I was young, foolish and in the military, I wasn't dedicated enough to put a BOMB next to MY tender man parts......
IF that kind of dedication is what it will take to win the war on terror, I'm not sure we, as a country, have what it takes to win this war.
The above statements are a joke of sorts BUT you have to admit, it takes a very brave or very foolish person to even THINK about putting a bomb ANYPLACE on their person KNOWING that when it goes BOOM, you either have a bad burn Or you DIE. In this day and age of video games, you can die lots of times in a game and bounce right back. In real life it isn't so easy. DEATH is permanent. Military Snipers say "One Shot, One Kill" but as far as life is concerned it's "One Shot, One Life". This isn't a dress rehearsal we are in, this is the big stage we are on right now.
I know of NOTHING in my life I have ever been so dedicated too that would have made me consider making myself into a bomb. If Randi ask me tomorrow to strap a bomb on my midsection, I would have to walk away from her and call the cops.....
We live in a great country but we have had an all volunteer military force for 30 or so years. Seems more people are telling their kids NOT to join the military than ever before. It was good enough for Granddad but it isn't good enough for your son or daughter. I understand that problem. When my son, Christopher, told me "Dad, I've joined the Air Force" the first thing out of my mouth was "Boy, do you KNOW there is a war going on?" He did know there was a war going on and being raised around the military, like I was, he was a darn site more informed than most people that enlist in the military.
YES, the military will send you too college and will give you 30 days paid vacation a year (if your duty section has the manpower on hand to allow you to take the time for classes or vacation, you can do all of that but if they don't you can't! Something the recruiters won't tell young recruits) BUT when they say its time to get on the aircraft and GO halfway around the world.....you have to go. G.I. stands for "government issue" and they OWN you as long as you are on active duty. They can't ask you to do anything against the law....but war sometimes makes the legal part of life VERY fuzzy. If you do an action on one place on a map, it might be OK but if you cross the border to another country and do the very same action, that could then be considered against the law and in the fog of war, you sometimes lose track of just where you are at in this world...hmmmmm
We, as a country, are in war with a most dedicated adversary. They don't care if we are black or white, democrat or republican or if we love our families or not...
Something to think about.....
J.
ACK! Today at work I ask a co worker "What makes a man SO dedicated that he would put a bomb NEXT to" his man parts? The answer I got was what I was thinking...."I have NO IDEA!". Even when I was young, foolish and in the military, I wasn't dedicated enough to put a BOMB next to MY tender man parts......
IF that kind of dedication is what it will take to win the war on terror, I'm not sure we, as a country, have what it takes to win this war.
The above statements are a joke of sorts BUT you have to admit, it takes a very brave or very foolish person to even THINK about putting a bomb ANYPLACE on their person KNOWING that when it goes BOOM, you either have a bad burn Or you DIE. In this day and age of video games, you can die lots of times in a game and bounce right back. In real life it isn't so easy. DEATH is permanent. Military Snipers say "One Shot, One Kill" but as far as life is concerned it's "One Shot, One Life". This isn't a dress rehearsal we are in, this is the big stage we are on right now.
I know of NOTHING in my life I have ever been so dedicated too that would have made me consider making myself into a bomb. If Randi ask me tomorrow to strap a bomb on my midsection, I would have to walk away from her and call the cops.....
We live in a great country but we have had an all volunteer military force for 30 or so years. Seems more people are telling their kids NOT to join the military than ever before. It was good enough for Granddad but it isn't good enough for your son or daughter. I understand that problem. When my son, Christopher, told me "Dad, I've joined the Air Force" the first thing out of my mouth was "Boy, do you KNOW there is a war going on?" He did know there was a war going on and being raised around the military, like I was, he was a darn site more informed than most people that enlist in the military.
YES, the military will send you too college and will give you 30 days paid vacation a year (if your duty section has the manpower on hand to allow you to take the time for classes or vacation, you can do all of that but if they don't you can't! Something the recruiters won't tell young recruits) BUT when they say its time to get on the aircraft and GO halfway around the world.....you have to go. G.I. stands for "government issue" and they OWN you as long as you are on active duty. They can't ask you to do anything against the law....but war sometimes makes the legal part of life VERY fuzzy. If you do an action on one place on a map, it might be OK but if you cross the border to another country and do the very same action, that could then be considered against the law and in the fog of war, you sometimes lose track of just where you are at in this world...hmmmmm
We, as a country, are in war with a most dedicated adversary. They don't care if we are black or white, democrat or republican or if we love our families or not...
Something to think about.....
J.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
3/3/2012 Top 10 things they teach in waitress school
Tonight, Rand and I went out to eat at a local location of a nation restaurant chain. We ask that the appetizer be boxed up for the trip home. When the waitress came back with the boxed and bagged up appetizer, she ask me "Do you want to put that beside you?"....Well...she didn't ask me a question while my mouth was full but she did try to hand me a bag while my HANDS were full. Hmmmm Ok. I'll put down my fork and the salt shaker to pay attention to the bag you are handing me. I looked across the table at Randi and said "That would make a perfect ACK....the top 10 things they teach in Waitress School"
SOOOOOOO in honor of my afternoon lunch/dinner, without further delay:
The Top 10 things they teach in Waitress School.
10. Talk SO fast that slow moving southern people can't understand you.
9. Come and check on the table every five minutes so you can interrupt the conversation
8. Come and check on the table every 30 minutes so they run out of EVERYTHING before you come back
7. Act so very uninterested that you forget what the order is before you get it written down.
6. Act so VERY VERY cheerful that sugar drips off your every word.
5. No one drinks coffee anymore so ignore that empty coffee cup but refill the Diet Coke glass 3 times before you notice the empty coffee cup.
4. Mix up the tickets of your tables, no one will notice they have the wrong ticket.
3. Chew gum while taking the order, popping your gum very loudly the whole time.
2. Talk to your favorite customers VERY loudly about your dog getting "fixed" with such exact details such as the Dr. who did the work, the price for the "fixing" and the after "fixing" home bound rest routine and dressing changes, pus color and stitch care for the first two weeks......
1. Wait until everyone at the table has their mouth full and then run around to the table and ask in a VERY cheerful voice "Is everything OK here folks?" and then run away while all are choking to answer you.
For as much as this is tongue and cheek, ALL of these have happened to us at one point in time or another. When #2 on the list happened, we talked to the manager and gave her SUCH detail of the conversation her waitress was having with a customer that her mouth flopped open and she said "Are you serious?" Yes, we were VERY serious.....it did happen and it didn't make me want to wolf down my food with wild abandon and leave a large tip either! And to think, we walked into that place some months later and that same blabby waitress had been made assistant manager....ACK! As Mr. Sulu would say "Oh MY"
Ok, ACK among yourselves.
J.
SOOOOOOO in honor of my afternoon lunch/dinner, without further delay:
The Top 10 things they teach in Waitress School.
10. Talk SO fast that slow moving southern people can't understand you.
9. Come and check on the table every five minutes so you can interrupt the conversation
8. Come and check on the table every 30 minutes so they run out of EVERYTHING before you come back
7. Act so very uninterested that you forget what the order is before you get it written down.
6. Act so VERY VERY cheerful that sugar drips off your every word.
5. No one drinks coffee anymore so ignore that empty coffee cup but refill the Diet Coke glass 3 times before you notice the empty coffee cup.
4. Mix up the tickets of your tables, no one will notice they have the wrong ticket.
3. Chew gum while taking the order, popping your gum very loudly the whole time.
2. Talk to your favorite customers VERY loudly about your dog getting "fixed" with such exact details such as the Dr. who did the work, the price for the "fixing" and the after "fixing" home bound rest routine and dressing changes, pus color and stitch care for the first two weeks......
1. Wait until everyone at the table has their mouth full and then run around to the table and ask in a VERY cheerful voice "Is everything OK here folks?" and then run away while all are choking to answer you.
For as much as this is tongue and cheek, ALL of these have happened to us at one point in time or another. When #2 on the list happened, we talked to the manager and gave her SUCH detail of the conversation her waitress was having with a customer that her mouth flopped open and she said "Are you serious?" Yes, we were VERY serious.....it did happen and it didn't make me want to wolf down my food with wild abandon and leave a large tip either! And to think, we walked into that place some months later and that same blabby waitress had been made assistant manager....ACK! As Mr. Sulu would say "Oh MY"
Ok, ACK among yourselves.
J.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
2/8/2012 The Fox series Alcatraz
The new Fox TV series Alcatraz is a good program. Interesting story line and well written......BUT I have just one problem with the whole story. (if you want to read more about the series, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcatraz_%28TV_series%29)
Without giving the total story away, the story deals with people being in 1963 and then suddenly being in 2012. Ok.....I can handle that. The one thing I can't handle is thinking about the change in the USA from 1963 to 49 years later. Think of the brand changes that happened in that time. PanAm was a major player in the airline market in the 1960's. Pan American Airways was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991.
If Pan American being gone wasn't enough of a change in 49 years, food prices would be a major shock for anyone arriving from 1963. In 1963, a 12oz box of Kellogg's Corn Flakes was a whopping 0.23 cents. The average yearly income in 1963 was $5,807.00 a year. In 2011, a 12 oz box of Kellogg's cost $3.79 a box. The average yearly income in 2010 (the latest year I can find) is $41,673.83. Like WOW.
Another great difference, gas prices. In 1963, a gallon of gas was 30 cents. In Sept 2011, gas was an average of $3.67 per gallon.
The changes in laws in 49 years would be almost more than a mind would be able to take. Seat belt laws would be a new thing. In 1963 most cars didn't have seat belts but in 2012 we have laws in most states mandating their use!!??!! My parents 1963 Buick Special had front lap belts and no shoulder belts or rear seat belts at all.
According to the story line these people from 1963 interact with people from 2012 with little or no problem or thoughts of the changes in 49 years. At some point, in items not shown in the story line I can only imagine the people from 1963 trying to buy a pack of gum and flipping out...."Last week I paid a nickle for a pack of Doublemint gum and this week its thirty-five cents!!??!!" or I can see them walking into a men's store they used to shop at and asking "Where is Steve?" and the answer being "Steve died 15 years ago".....
There are a million other ways that would be hard on someone stepping off the boat from 1963....
They wouldn't even know what WTF means....but they would learn that quickly methinks.
Ah, the good old days!
J.
Without giving the total story away, the story deals with people being in 1963 and then suddenly being in 2012. Ok.....I can handle that. The one thing I can't handle is thinking about the change in the USA from 1963 to 49 years later. Think of the brand changes that happened in that time. PanAm was a major player in the airline market in the 1960's. Pan American Airways was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991.
If Pan American being gone wasn't enough of a change in 49 years, food prices would be a major shock for anyone arriving from 1963. In 1963, a 12oz box of Kellogg's Corn Flakes was a whopping 0.23 cents. The average yearly income in 1963 was $5,807.00 a year. In 2011, a 12 oz box of Kellogg's cost $3.79 a box. The average yearly income in 2010 (the latest year I can find) is $41,673.83. Like WOW.
Another great difference, gas prices. In 1963, a gallon of gas was 30 cents. In Sept 2011, gas was an average of $3.67 per gallon.
The changes in laws in 49 years would be almost more than a mind would be able to take. Seat belt laws would be a new thing. In 1963 most cars didn't have seat belts but in 2012 we have laws in most states mandating their use!!??!! My parents 1963 Buick Special had front lap belts and no shoulder belts or rear seat belts at all.
According to the story line these people from 1963 interact with people from 2012 with little or no problem or thoughts of the changes in 49 years. At some point, in items not shown in the story line I can only imagine the people from 1963 trying to buy a pack of gum and flipping out...."Last week I paid a nickle for a pack of Doublemint gum and this week its thirty-five cents!!??!!" or I can see them walking into a men's store they used to shop at and asking "Where is Steve?" and the answer being "Steve died 15 years ago".....
There are a million other ways that would be hard on someone stepping off the boat from 1963....
They wouldn't even know what WTF means....but they would learn that quickly methinks.
Ah, the good old days!
J.
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