Hello everyone, I am a new blogger (Not any longer). A little behind the times I guess.
A little about me I guess:
Retired Military, 27.5 years as an Enlisted man in the US Air Force. Reached SMSgt (E-8), the second highest rank attainable in the enlisted ranks. I'm now working for a Class I railroad as a conductor. Working on the railroad has cut into my ability to blog. I still follow the news closely and still have my very opinionated views.
Married, 3 kids, 1 girl, 2 boys. The girl is grown and on her own making her way in the big world. She is now a nurse practioner in Southern California and has married a Doctor. Sure am proud of the way she has turned out. One of the finest young ladies out there (of course I am biased!). Both boys have moved out on their own. The oldest is works in logistics for a small company and spending time with friends. The youngest graduated spring of 2020 with his degree in Construction Management (Project Management) and has been working for a company here in the PACNW.
I'll be blogging about pretty much anything that comes to mind:
Family:
As stated above. I'll update as necessary or when I feel like it.
Life:
It is good up here in the Pacific Northwest. Before joining the service back in 1983 I was born and pretty much raised in Oregon. I love the green trees and flowing rivers. I sure love the seasons. Summers are not too hot, and the winters not to cold. I hope to never leave the PACNW, but never is a pretty strong word, especially when you are married to Southern Cali Girl.
Military Service:
I recently retired from the Air Force after 27.5 Years as a Meteorologist. In the latter part of my career, I was mostly a leader of our fine young men and women. Deployed more times than I care to count to places like Honduras, Bosnia, Southwest Asia, and other locations.
After Basic and Technical Training I was stationed at Malmstrom AFB, Montana. Fished and skied A LOT.
Next assignment was for 2 days short of 13 months at King Salmon Alaska, way out on the Alaskan Peninsula. Fished A LOT, caught Kings the size of small cars and that was the year the Pinks were running. Did a little guiding when I wasn’t on duty.
After another round of AF training I spent 5 years in the High-Desert region of Southern California. Didn’t get to fish but skied a bunch. Met my lovely wife while stationed here.
Shortly after getting married, I packed her and my step-daughter up and moved them to Omaha, Nebraska. We spent the next nine years in Omaha, bought our first house, wife got her Bachelor degree, and both boys were born there.
After Nebraska we were off to see the world. Well, Japan anyways. We spent three and half years there and enjoyed the heck out of the experience. We are still in contact with many of the people we met there, both US military folks and our Japanese friends.
Our last stop was here in the Pacific Northwest. After almost six years on the job, we decided I should retire. We had grown weary of the deployment pace (2005, 2007, and 2009) to Southwest Asia.
Bottom Line; I have thoroughly enjoyed being a very small part of the Military. One must be both rigid (disciple) and flexible (moves, changes). Family must be strong, especially the spouse since they will be holding down the fort while the member is gone.
God:
Born-Again of course back when I was a teenager. I drifted away during my 20’s and 30’s but have come back into the fold in recent years. I have my wife to thank for bringing me back. I make no bones about my beliefs when asked, but I won't overburden everyone. I will blog about this from time to time.
Politics:
I am an unapologetic conservative. I will be blogging about this subject. Living in the PAC NW does make it a bit interesting for me. I am surrounded by vegetarian, tree-hugging, socks with sandals nut-jobs. One thing I will have to say about Washingtonians is while they are liberal (sometimes stupid about it), they curb it with some pragmatic values. Take taxes for instance. Washingtonians don't like to be taxed. I like that.
Sports:
College Football (Ducks, Huskers, Beavers): I know, it seems a bit strange to be a fan of all three. See further posts for a little background. Check the archives for some recent posts.
Baseball; LONG TIME Oakland A's fan, Reggie, Catfish, Blue Moon, Rudi, Sal Bando. They were on the TV all summer long during the few years when my dad got transferred to northern California in the early ‘70s. So I became a fan and never really stopped even though Seattle got a team several years ago.
Model Railroading:
This hobby of mine has ebbed and flowed for many years. I will cover it in more detail later on. Currently on an ebb, but it will pick up again in the near future. I do N-Scale which allows me to model much more in a smaller space. I have built a few layouts over the years. I have also built N-Trak modules which allow me to link up with other like-minded modelers at various shows and conventions. In the past years I have belonged to the Omaha N-Trak Club and the Mt Rainier N-Scale Club also allowed me to run my trains. My focus is on the Union Pacific Railroad. I like the color scheme and like the big motive power they always seemed to be interested in developing from the “Big-Boy” steam engine, to the Gas Turbines, to the DD40X, to the Dash-80s to Dash 90s. As I mentioned my wife is from SoCal and every time we go visit I make it a point to stop at the San Diego Model Railroad Museum in Balboa Park.
Woodworking:
I have always had a secret desire to be a woodworker. I like working with my hands, and love the smell of freshly cut wood, especially cedar. Shortly after I retired I re-finished a set of Adirondack chairs that we purchased a few years ago and the bug bit me. I have decided to build these chairs as a sideline. I will have a page on this blog dedicated to the Adirondack chair projects. As I gain more experience I will try my hand at other projects. NOTE: due to the job commitments, this too has fallen off my plate. Once I retire completely in a few years I will be back at it.
Skiing:
Been a skier since my parents got me an all inclusive, lift, lessons, equipment, transportation package a long time ago. Learned to ski on Mt Shasta in northern California at the old Shasta Ski Bowl. It no longer exists since it was wiped out by an avalanche several years ago. Cut my teeth at Mt Hood Meadows in the late 70s and early 80s. I have had the opportunity to ski all across the Western US. My High School graduation present was a week to Park City, Utah. Did a little race coaching long time ago while in college. I also worked in the industry while in High School and College.
Coaching and Personal Activities:
Over the last several years, I have coached baseball, soccer, football, and softball. My boys have been involved with their sports, sometimes at a high level. The oldest played baseball and has been on traveling teams. He has now graduated high school and no longer plays. Maybe he'll pick up softball like his old man did. The youngest was a soccer stud for a few years but moved on to football once he hit Middle School, which his temperament is better suited for. He made the All-Star team as a linebacker his first full season. During is senior season he was selected All-Conference at offensive guard. My wife and I have played on co-ed soccer and softballs teams over the years. Playing soccer is no longer part of my life (a little too old and little too fat). I started playing softball right out of High School when my college had a men’s fast-pitch team. Played nearly every year while in the service, for workcenter teams and at the varsity level (base traveling teams). Don't play softball any longer as working for the railroad does not afford me the time.
As you cruise through this blog, please don’t hesitate to post your comments. If you agree with what I have to say, that is great, we are kindred spirits. If you don’t agree with my opinion, I would certainly like to hear from you. But I do ask that you keep the personal attacks to a minimum. I really don’t have a thin skin so it is really no matter to me. But if you are willing to hold a discussion about our opposing viewpoints without getting personal, I am more than happy to engage. Maybe you’ll change my mind or maybe I’ll change yours. One last thing to consider if you are going to post a comment opposing my opinions is that you need to remember “facts are stubborn things” (Ronald Reagan).
