BarberShop Backup

Plato's Place, A Revisit

2009-11-08T20:03:00.000-08:00

pages 1 2 3 4 5

0 1 2 3 4 5

hello all

The Old Barbershop, circa 300 b.c. ... its first proprietor was also the founder of the Democratic Party though I understand he didn't attend this year's convention, some say it was due to gas prices but, I don't think he was invited ... nice fellow by the name of Democritus, though his shop didn't really start out having no name.

Methinks you'll recognize the names of some the lead barbers during those early days: Anaxagoras, Empedocles, Parmenides, Xenophanes, and Socrates. Plato watched Socrates who taught him everything he knew about cutting hair ... turned the shop over to Plato and went fishing with Isaac Newton.

Plato designed a complete set of new bowls ... of different sizes and shapes, and some high quality cutting tools too ... truly an advancement in the technology of the day ... and, man could he cut hair ... that was in about 387 b.c., based on some of his manuscripts recently sold on EBAY, that were so dated.

He got so famous that the shop became known as Plato's Place, and the lead barbers that followed were famous too ... Speusippus, Xenocrates, Polemon, Crates, and Crantor ... every one a member of the Barbering School Hall of Fame.

Aristotle was a long time patron, cut a good head of hair, and made the hall too, but was never the Place's lead barber.

Arcesilaus bought out Plato's Place in 265 b.c. ... remodeled and renamed it "The New Barbershop" ... ever since then, folks have referred to Plato's Place as "The Old Barbershop" ... it was before my time but folks say Plato hung a sign over the door to his Place ... "No free Hair Cuts" ... no, methinks that was something Polonius said to Laertes ... Plato's sign supposedly read "Let no one who cannot think geometrically enter".

We looked for that sign all over shop ... even under the floor and in the attic ... never did find it ... but, back in the Back Room under all the trash was a battered old sign ... so caked with dirt and crud that you couldn't even tell it was a sign ... not until we used some ST37 to clean it up ... "No Free Hair Cuts" ... it's true! we checked the county records and they show that Laertes owned the old barbershop long before John bought it. Dang! Double Dang!!

Well that's a mighty valuable artifact ... and it would be neat to use it, but like Cato's father, John thought it best that we hone our skills and get more patrons before adopting such a rule.

Most folks would've been satisfied but finding that old sign really piqued my interest and I renewed the search for other treasures ... more money in finding such things than in barbering, methinks ... and besides, no folks to get mad when you snip off a piece of their ear.

I finally found what I was looking for ... that's right, the ancient old sign that Plato hung up in the shop, back when it first opened ... "never give up" ... no, that's what I say, not the sign ... the sign reads "Let no unfair or unjust person enter" ... well, that's not exactly what folks thought it said ... but it was Greek to them so they didn't really know.

It's been said by some, and I'm sure thought by others, that I live in an Ivory Tower ... 'tis true! ...

No, not that I live in a tower made of ivory, though George would say that's better than pearl ... but that some have so said, as others have so thought. Yes, I misuse and abuse the language ... sometimes even intentionally ... but, even were that not the case, folks usually see and hear what they expect and/or desire. Where am I headed? ... only Mr. Cranston knows for sure, and he hasn't told me a thing ... there may be some misdirection for effect, but chances are it'll simply be me getting my bearings and changing course ... gee, haw, mush, whoa!

Please download Java(tm).
Sometimes I think all great thoughts have done been thunk ... and all great deeds done been did ...

Methinks it's as easy to become victimized by an overwhelming sense of irrelevance as it is by an unwarranted sense of relevance or self-importance ... I'm not sure which claims more victims, but there are a whole bunch of us that have tasted both ... that's for sure! ...

I've been thinking some about history ... The Christmas Stealer is writing about it ... The "Weed's" dad is teaching it ... and we're all living it, whether or not we so realize. And, from a baseball perspective, it appears that the Braves are it ... history.

What we are, we are ... what we've been is history ... what we're going to be ... and do ... is history waiting to be written.

As a result of what is, it's anticipated that massive changes are in store for the Braves ... we've already had some ... Tex and Kotsay are history ... we're seeing others ... and more are yet to come, or so methinks ... Conventional wisdom? ... bah, humbug! ... Dang, Double Dang! ...

Oh the humanity!! ...

There's nothing wrong with the Braves!! With the injuries, we could use some pitching perhaps, but we can win it all, mostly with what we've got ... it's not a matter of money ... the talent hasn't disappeared ... it's the heart, soul, leadership and those things above the neck that need fixing! We're still on the outside looking in ... but, close your eyes, use your ken ... there's nothing wrong with your vision, the picture's crystal clear ...

No, I don't think this is about baseball ... maybe, but rather what we've been ... what we are ... and what we can or will be. Mama always said ... and Daddy agreed ... first impressions are important, only in that they're hard to overcome ... and Daddy emphasized that it may take a man some time to establish his good reputation ... but only a moment to destroy it!

I can attest to the validity of that ... and so can many of you, including Bobby Cox and the Braves, methinks ... at least one or two

Understood perhaps by few, and rejected by those who are victims of an unwarranted sense of self, is that we ourselves are the ones most responsible for the perceptions held of us by others ...

Regarding the changing of perceptions held by others, Mama said "tain't easy McGee" ... after the 'Fibber' ... "but, telling folks they're wrong is a knife that ain't gonna cut soft butter, much less the cake" ...

Speaking of which ... I can attest to that too ...

My abilities at self-expression are admittedly limited, and my bouts of "hoof-in-mouth" disease are infamous in some circles ... as are my attempts to explain my intent and/or rationale ... but, underpinning it all were and are good intentions, at least I so rationalize, and do certainly so hope ...

No, tain't easy McGee, but it's a ride that's been worth the taking, methinks ... and I'm appreciative of all who have tried to understand ...

I'm especially appreciative of the few crazies who have an understanding and appreciation of my distorted sense of humor and what I sometimes try to seriously convey ... and all the resulting friendships, goodness ... This isn't where I was headed ... how did I get here? ... or is it hear?

Yes, the insights, imagination and wit of the Ugandan journalist of Cordele ... these are among my most favorite things. Like the wonderful Sarah Cannon said more often than Redundant Robert debased Bobby Cox, "Howdeeee! I'm jest so proud to be here!" with these two unbelievable talents ... and if that sounds contrived to you, then kiss my grits! No, I wouldn't wish my grits on anyone ... I don't eat 'em myself ... but, it's true, every word, give or take a lie or two!

Some may wonder, given his history, how it is that "sja" received total and unequivocal acceptance from Bob, journalist ... he who demanded strict adherence to a standard of behavior deemed unrealistic by most ... while others did not? Have you ever pondered that? ... I'm sure some have ... their conclusions would be most interesting ... Could be it's because we're so much alike ... or maybe that opposites attract .. I'll never tell ...

We're all unique ... it's just that John and Jimmy are so much more unique than others! It's hard to comprehend such creative genius ... but it's awfully easy to enjoy! ...

The original Bob, journalist was far more of a character than a mask ... though that was never understood, for better or for worse, regardless of repeated efforts to make it clear. However, the preoccupation with the importance of understanding meaning, motivation and intent rather than words was, and is, me. That I psychoanalyze is both a misconception and a joke ... indeed, it's something about which I know nothing ... but I do know the "why" is usually more important than the "what" ... as is effective use of the third eye and ear more important than the use of the other two, or so methinks.

Excluding those most severely victimized by an overwhelming sense of irrelevance, most of what the majority of us do is either agenda or self-interest driven ... that's both good and bad depending on how well it's kept in proper perspective, or so I honestly believe ... of course I do support some agendae, oppose others ... stand up, stand up I say ... for that in which you believe ... better that than staying seated, methinks ... the King of England and taxes you know.

It seems to me that among those many forces deep down inside that causes John to be what he is ... is a true blue, foursquare compulsion ... God didn't pass that around to everybody. For some, nay for many, friendships are a matter of convenience ... friends are but bedfellows based on agenda, and when the chips are down or adversity must be faced, those folks come up short, or at least those friendships become fractured ... not so with John ...

John has that compulsion while most of us do not ... perhaps he does because we don't ... I believe we should, but I'm not sure it's a reasonable expectation.

Compulsion or no, my friendships are not agenda based, and I treasure my friends ... all of them ... I'm somehow reminded of having once been told of someone's disappointment in my liking folks who didn't like them ... 'twas the wrong thing to say! ...

I talk a lot about mirrors and self-portraits ... the perception that others have is one thing, how we see ourselves is another. The notion of mirrors and
; Registration code (if you have it)
; Reglink opened in new frame?
; Name of new frame for reglink
; resolution (1-8)

; pause (value = milliseconds).
; Num. of horizontal tiles
; Num. of vertical tiles
; Num. steps for tile rotation (8 .. 32)
; Optional background image
; Red in background (0 .. 255)
; Green in background (0 .. 255)
; Blue in background (0 .. 255)
; Optional image over applet
; Over image X offset
; Over image Y offset
; Memory deallocation delay
; Task priority (1..10)
; Min. milliseconds/frame for sync
Please download Java(tm).
self-portraits ... seemed rather easy to grasp ... but, when you try to grab hold of it, things just ain't as simple as they might seem, ... danged if some self-portraits aren't almost photographic in their reproduction while some mirrors give distorted renderings of reality. It's not enough to just use any old mirrors for reflection ... they must be of the right stuff and kind.

I talk a lot about things of which I know nothing too, but if I didn't, I wouldn't have anything to say ... it's another thing that differentiates John from most methinks ...

His ability to reflect and look deep down inside ... and to be honest with himself ... is rare ... at least my experience has been that most either cannot or are unwilling to so do ... it is not coincidence that Polonius, a secondary character, is among the best remembered of the Bard's creations ... for his advice to Laertes ... to thine own self be true ...

Most of us hear it ... then knowingly nod, hardly giving it another thought ... but, nothing much compares with it's profundity ...

Why? Methinks it's because of recognition, not only of it's importance, but also it's rarity as an innate quality ... and for those who try, the difficulty lies within it's effecting ...

I'm envious ... true blue and foursquare John .. who knows himself so well ... it's that for which I strive but fail ...

It's true that I sometimes take license when referring to Mama ... but, my mother is the picture I try to paint ... she admonished me, it seems like 10,000 times, when I articulated my weaknesses, limitations and faults ... that's my boy you're talking about ... careful what you say! ... She did more than that when others joined in and articulated my weaknesses, limitations and faults! ...

This was my perception of true blue and foursquare John ... but after so writing and reflecting, I'm not sure that I can answer the question ... but it was rather obvious that he was something other than how he was being perceived ... that he was honest, consistent and opposed to apathy was the impression I then shared with others. But, I can assure you that I am sure that he is that ... that, and oh so much more! ...

John's my friend, Jimmy too ... so careful what you say! ...

Mother knew Polonius ... and agreed with him too ... though she would loan anyone in need anything she had, without expectation of it being returned, including money. Like Houseman's wisdom ... Mama's words weren't truly appreciated until long after they were received .. though they were the topic of frequent discussion ...

Being true to yourself ... knowing yourself .. the individual behind the many masks ... it's a rare gift, perhaps the rarest of all .. the trick methinks, is knowing how to use it ...

Knowing who and what we are ... recognizing our limitations ... shortcomings ... and weaknesses ... that's power that the majority of humanity does not possess. Unfortunately, those few so gifted frequently turn it into a liability rather than an asset. They allow the realization of their limitations ... shortcomings ... weaknesses ... and past failures or rejections to give them fear of failure rather than confidence in success as it should ... and when adversity is encountered, they see history repeating itself ... oftentimes giving up in frustration rather than defining and addressing the problems ...

Those who confuse self-portraits with mirrors admire themselves and blindly go forth with total confidence, for they believe they possess all the answers, usually surrounding themselves with non-threatening, kindred spirits ... they are the truly enlightened! ...

Say it ain't so Joe! ...

Back to the trick ...

Thanks to Prince Albert Gore's invention ... that which he purloined from Vinton Cerf methinks ... everyone has a potential audience of millions ... nay, billions I say ... and with such potential, folks can easily get disciples and a flock, no matter what it is they're preaching ...

Polonius ... Mama ... Jesus Christ ... and the Dalai Lama too ... they each said ... to thine own self be true! In plain talk, don't apostatize! Mama's admonishment was out of concern that I would allow critical self-evaluation to undermine my self-confidence, thus preventing me from being all that I could be ... and though I protested, methinks her concerns were probably well justified ... just think, I coulda been a contender ... I coulda been somebody!

I'm uncertain of where I was going and not really sure of where I've been ... but here we are, right back where we started again ... Yes, "TheOldBarbershop" is about history too ... we are what we are as a result of our experiences ... history ... views ... interests ... memories ... stories ... decisions ... beliefs ... our likes and dislikes too ... all reflect our past history ... I hope others will share theirs with us ... in so doing, they'll be making history too ...

TheOldBarbershop is diverse from most ... or I would so hope ... if not, you can rest assured that's it's soon going to be. "No Free Hair Cuts Here" ... well, maybe one or two, but everybody carries his weight ... but our sign, all polished up and ready to be hung, is the one methinks Plato first so did, right here in the shop some 875,000 days ago, give or take a few ... "Let no unfair or unjust person enter."

No, we ain't replacing no mirrors ... though we're going to watch them close ... and if you can't think geometrically, that's okay ... the three of us can't cut hair neither, were it not for the bowls, but as you can see ... it was that or jail for Jimmy, John and me! It's done wonders for us too ... I've slept at the Holiday Inn twice, methinks John's becoming more famous than Chill Wills and jimmy smith is now a serious contender for the Presidency!

Which one is which? ... Mr. Cranston ain't talking and my lips are sealed but now who do you think might have a whig to throw in the ring?

We truly love baseball and our team(s) and that will always be on the agenda ... but for goodness sake, there are so many Braves' blogs already out there ... and Tigers ... and Mets ... and Yankees ... and Cards ... and Orioles too, just to name a few ...

The Proprietor's vision is to feature a flow of diverse topics such as world affairs, politics, religion, tall tales, current events, true stories pertaining to actual life events and sports, including the Braves ... topics that aren't presently being discussed on most of the other sites, and those which may not be warmly welcomed on many others ... topics such as those you might find if you walked into an old barbershop on a busy Saturday morning ... just a friendly and lighthearted atmosphere, with everyone being equal ... simply a place where folks feel welcome and comfortable discussing whatever might be on their minds ... a place that ultimately stands on no other foundation than that of the strength of it's characters and quality of it's content ...

I strongly share and support this vision ... and while implementation will dynamically evolve, his original greeting was truly inspired ... "Welcome to "TheOldBarbershop" ... characters with character preferred, ladies too ... please take a seat and wait your turn ... leaf through a magazine or shoot the breeze with a friend ... when it's your turn in the barber's chair, be ready to share an interesting story, a tall tale or whatever is on your mind ... tips encouraged and appreciated ... no topic off-limits ... if you can't behave, use profanity, pick fights or spit on the floor you will politely be shown the door" ...

John's GrandDad ... Cato's Father ... Little Walter ... jimmy smith ... Blue Worms and Baby Seals ... Little HillBilly ... "Let no unfair or unjust person enter." That means we welcome all beliefs and points of view ... just keep it fair and keep it just ... that's a must! No free haircuts except on special occasions but the candy's always on the house!

No matter the grandiloquence, regardless the form ... this is what "TheOldBarbershop" is to me ... this is where my passion lies ... it's of little significance whether we have a multitude of visitors each day ... or just a few ... as one good friend said, "to thine own self be true, to hell with the naysayers!"

0 1 2 3 4 5 pages 1 2 3 4 5

Banana Murry's Special Treats ...

2009-11-05T15:44:00.000-08:00

... something so special that you could only get it at Nana's house. Only good grandchildren could have it.. I must have been 10 or 11 before I finally "got it".

I called my grandmother Murray - "Nana". That was a modification from what I originally called her - "Banana". Well that is what I thought the really big people were telling me to call her.

My grandmother Worthington, I called - "Yes, Mamam!"

Nana Murray never gave me an official Christmas or birthday present but I got the "special treats" when I had been good.

She and I pulled salt water taffy in her old kitchen ...

she let my Uncle Jimmy ruin a cooking pot to melt lead to cast lead soldiers for my new Lincoln log set ...

she would let me use her special marbles collection to play Chinese checkers ...

she made me special birthday cakes from scratch, white cake with candied filling and boiled icing tinted pink!

She made me the best Easter eggs anyone ever saw. ...
she blew the contents out of the egg, painted faces on them and made them costumes.

Nana Murray lived off survivor benefits from Railroad retirement. She didn't have the money to stock up on "goodies" for the grandchildren so she did other things that made her my favorite.

SPECIAL TREATS

Take 2 slices of white "store bread", carefully cut off crusts. Take one half pat of margarine, spread on slices of bread. Sprinkle a teaspoon of light brown sugar on each slice of bread, place together like a sandwich

Carefully cut into 4 squares

MODIFICATION FOR NOT SO GOOD GRANDCHILDREN

Substitute refined white sugar for brown sugar

What is "store bread"?

Store bread is a loaf of sliced bread that you buy at the grocery store. Bread (on the Worthington side) is white hot water corn bread and on the Murray side is corn bread made in an old cast iron skillet.

Since it's now soup season, I'll be making a lot of the Murray corn bread.

2009-10-15T13:33:00.001-07:00

pages 1 2 3 4 5

0 1 2 3 4 5

hello all

I remember once plugging a vacuum into an outlet that didn't work properly while the salesman was preoccupied messing up mama's rug with his demonstration "dirt" ... poor fellow, we thought he was going to cry.

People complain about army food ... I know I did, calf's liver, onions and potatoes ... day after day. Me and calf's liver weren't no strangers when I joined up ... it weren't exactly my favorite, but Mama made it taste pretty good and we had it often, especially during the war. Well, calf's liver turned out to be a fair weather friend ... soon as I left the Service, it up and plum disappeared and I ain't seen hide nor hair of it since!

It wasn't the food ... the army got the best, methinks ... it's what they did with it after they got it!

We participated in the army's war games from time to time ... shortly after our trip to München, there was a three day exercise and the colonel had me go to the Mess Hall ... get six steaks, two dozen eggs, some frozen ears of corn and some potatoes.

Them steaks were NY Strips, over an inch thick, Angus methinks ... whoa baby!

He supplied the charcoal grill, spices and such ... and I did the cooking! Them steaks were good! Army life was tough, especially during the winter, at least for them poor boys really doing the soldiering!

Ours was an important job ... intercepting and decoding messages, guarding and testing top secret equipment, programming computers, stuff like that ... and making sure the food was of acceptable quality.

In early December, I was selected as one of the bowlers representing our battalion in an Army Bowling Tournament held in Stuttgart ... we drove, snowed the entire trip which took nearly 4 hours, methinks. The team came in second ... I had the highest three game series in the tournament, finishing second in the singles, doubles, and all events as well.

I might have won singles and all events ... shudda, wudda, cudda ... two things got in the way ... My singles series was the first of that day's competition and a little snow left on the approach went unnoticed ... I fouled on my second shot and they wouldn't gimme a muligan!

Then, on the final day of the tournament, I somehow left my bowling shirt in the motel where we were staying ... house rules wouldn't allow me to bowl in a tee shirt on Sunday, so I bowled in my long sleeved wool sweater ... until the 5th frame, when my wife returned with the shirt. Who knows how it would have otherwise turned out ... but I finished with six in a row, missing the "all events" title by 4 four pins!

After Christmas, I became a "short timer" ... going home in March ... there was still much to do and see, and we were running out of time!

Unfortunately, my cajun friend wouldn't work for money ... not even $50, but, thinking he was safe, he said he'd do it for some good cajun Filé Gumbo! I told him that Filé Gumbo was my wife's specialty ... and that she would love to fix it, especially for him!

She was real sweet, real smart and she was real pretty ... but one thing she wasn't ... was a real cook! Of course, we both knew what Filé Gumbo was, everybody did ... Ole Hank told us all about it, right along with Jambalaya and a crawfish pie ... me oh my oh!

A little smelling salts and rye whisky was all it took to revive her ... that and a bunch of promises ... and, we were off to find a cookbook! She wrote down all the ingredients and while she studied the instructions of every recipe she could find, I went in search of a big pot and those things we needed ... found everything, save one ... the danged filé powder!!

We had to fake that ... ground up tea mixed with drippings from the chicken ... we didn't know what it was supposed to taste like ... but being cajun, we figured it had to be hot and spicy. We added enough finely ground pepper, red and black, to disguise anything ... seemed like we cooked it forever ... just getting within 50 yards of the apartment meant being in harm's way ... the pepper in the air really burned your eyes.

Joe showed up on schedule ... with some flowers and a bottle of wein! The air was heavy, filled more with nervous tension from anticipation of disaster than pepper ... the wine eased the things a bit ... but, some disasters just can't be avoided ... especially when your guest say's "that smells good ... let's eat!"

Me wife did us proud ... the rice, the chicken ... she had told me she couldn't boil water ... but, it was really very good ... the pepper was something else!

I asked Joe how he liked it ... "well, it's good and I like it ... doesn't taste like what I'm used to ... and it's mighty spicy ... but, I think that's just because I've not had any cajun food in so long ... need to get back in practice" ... if that's not a quote, it's a leaner.

We watched in amazement as he helped himself to another full serving!

Bags packed, we made reservations at a nice hotel in the historic old town district of Innsbrück, Austria ... leaving early the next day, taking our time and seeing the sights ... it was all good, but nothing to quite compare to Innsbrück itself, especially looking up at the mountains from down in the city!

Before we knew it, it had turned dark ... and danged if I could find the hotel, though we saw it from a distance just after we arrived. We ate, asked for and received directions but, still couldn't find it ... it was about 10 when we pulled off the road to rest and regroup. It was a beautiful spot ... flat, an unobstructed view of their famous mountains, staring us right in the face ... awesome!

After a while we fell asleep, taking full advantage of the reclining seats that went all the way back ... and our wool blankets, courtesy of the US Army. We slept soundly until about 5:30, as it began to get light ... couldn't really see anything yet ... not light, just less dark.

It wasn't very long before we started to make out what looked like small trees some distance out in front in of us ... and then it happened ... like something out of one of Lamar's many misadventures. A giant monster starting eating those things up ... first one, then another! We stared in disbelief ... and then it was gone! 100% true ... without exaggeration!

Thank goodness ... a sigh of relief ... time to get out of Dodge ... but which way was out ... where was the entrance to this parking lot? Where was the sun?

We sat in horror as that thing reappeared, consuming more of whatever they were ... and then it headed for us, no mistake! It was lighter now, and as we were giving up all hope of escape, we suddenly realized, both at the same time, that the monster was only the fog!

We sat and laughed, for several minutes while the sun came up ... what a way to start the day!

We could now see clearly ... signs just in front of us ... Achtung! dünnes Eis ... well, that's nice ... what did it mean? Unfortunately, I knew ... loosely translated, it meant ... "you were right the first time, dummy ... it's past time to get out of Dodge!"

A more literal translation, "Danger! - thin ice" ... our parking lot was no parking lot atall ... we were well out into a large lake, all by ourselves!

We eased that baby out of there ... slow, steady and easy! We had just had enough excitement to last all of 1965 ... and here it was, just barely the second week of January.

We hadn't been in any real danger ... easy for them to say ... and for me, 45 years later ... but we didn't know that then ... not while it was happening. We found the hotel, spent the rest of that day and most of the next sightseeing in and around Innsbrück. There's a whole bunch of stuff to see and do and methinks we seen and done it all ... maybe it's a woods and trees type thing but I couldn't tell you one specific thing we done or seen ... except for that huge mountain that seemed to follow us everywhere we went.

Afraid to drive it during the day with no speed limit and crazy local drivers passing on curves, we left in the late afternoon and headed toward Festung Kufstein ... about 50 miles form Innsbruch, methinks.

We got to see the town all litted up ... drove to the Schloss, well almost ... the drive was too slippery for us and we slid back down twice, then quit while we were ahead!

Unable to reach our intended lodgings, we decided to go ahead and drive to Salzburg that night ... mostly uneventful, but we went down two looong, narrow one-way streets the wrong way ... in different Dorfs(small villages) ... in a span of about two hours ... folks were real nice and let us know it too.

Driving on narrow winding roads through the Alps is fun, especially at night when you can't see how dangerous it is!

We spent the night, what was left of it ... at the Hotel Leopoldskron in Salzburg ... actually part of a beautiful old castle where they had filmed "Sound of Music" back during the Spring, methinks, but we didn't realize that at the time ... it was past midnight.

Early next day, we drove to Festung Hohensalzburg

We spent the entire morning in the Festung Museum ... unbelievable ... a super extensive collection of medieval stuff ... knight's armour, mail, swords, shields ... all types of tools, masks, and weaponry ... audio tapes and written programs in several languages supporting a tour of the many exhibits!

That was truly fantastic ... could have spent a week or two there, maybe longer. Them Knights were strong ... I couldn't even pick up one their broad swords, though they let me try ... nor could I carry their mail!

I used 8 rolls of film, just in the Salzburg museums ... it was forbidden, but I did it. Used our single reflex camera too, so I'd know what I shot ... would have been easier just to buy their prints, but not as much fun!

We had lunch in Salzburg's Stiftskeller St. Peter ... located within the walls of Saint Peter's Archabbey, said to be over 1200 years old. Then a walk to Das Benediktinen-Frauenstift Nonnberg ... das älteste noch bestehende christliche Frauenkloster in der Welt ... that is to say, Nonnberg Abbey is the oldest nunnery in the world, still existing.

They said Maria Von Trapp was schooled there ... not sure.

From there to the Salzburg Cathedral (Salzburger Dom) where Mozart was baptized and performed ... we saw an organ on which he practiced, in a building just up the street. The thing that impressed me most were the giant triple entrance doors ... but, the statues and paintings, especially those of the Madonna were awesome ... inspiring! The Dom was first established in the early 17th century ... but some of the works it held supposedly dated back to the 1st!

In that immediate area was a large working sundial of the Dom's vintage ... I can attest to that. Like the runaway cart toward the end of the movie "Patton" ... one with what I thought was my name on it, appeared, seemingly from out of nowhere as I was engrossed watching that ancient time piece.

It missed me, just barely!

The weather turned sour that afternoon, with storms forecast for the next day ... so we forwent our day tour in Burchest garden and headed back to München, again more baby shrimp salad ... next day back to Fürth.

Upon returning to Fürth, I had the all that film developed ... at least they so said ... every one taken in the museums were solid black, while all the rest turned out great. They said I must've did something wrong ... the only thing I done wrong was to take the film to them for developing, thats what I think! I was a disaster that could have been worse, had we not sent postcards from the Salzburg Museums to friends and family.

My initial thought had been to chew the "you can't and shouldn't try to judge a man from his agenda based, well rehearsed spiel recital" rag ... but, I wound up sharing some family stuff ... and maybe something more.

Please TOGGLE Barber's POLL to OPEN and CLOSE the Poll

Here's another ... "Cajun" Dorian was a wonderful man who worked with and for Daddy for many, many years ... he had a spiel that wouldn't quit ... not memorized like those others, Cajun was just being "Cajun" ... mesmerizing his audience with his stories ... and as they came increasingly under his spell, the whoppers got bigger and bigger.

Guess I heard and loved them all, at least those appropriate for young ears ... didn't really matter what he said ... it was the "Cajun" sounds and how he said things; his own enjoyment and his wife, Miss Lucy saying, "now Clarence" ...

I first met the Dorians when I was four or five ... Mama had tried just about everything to make me stop sucking my thumb ... we went visiting and Daddy had him show me his thumb ... well, it was only half a thumb, a nub, resulting from an accident long ago but I was privileged to hear a very long and scary story ... of how he had sucked his thumb almost clean off as a boy! Scary, but not scary enough to make me stop.

Now Mr. Dorian was not one to miss a chance to tell a tale or make a sale ... and when he heard that a woman with five children had moved into a farm house a few miles up the road from where he lived, he immediately drove out to greet them ... it was the neighborly thing to do and he hoped to sell them some insurance too. One thing led to another and he found himself telling the lady some grand story ... and she was eating it up, when one of her sons came up, demanding attention with "Mama, Mama" ... but she sent him away with "Don't Interrupt, Mr. Dorian's our guest" ... "Please Mama" ... "No!"

The scene was repeated several times over a span of a few minutes ... and finally, Mr. Dorian interrupted and asked "What is it son?" ... "Mister, your car's on fire" ...

Good thing Cajun was "Cajun" and not one of those folks reciting a memorized spiel who avoided interruptions with a passion. Well, that's how Daddy told the story, and Mr. Dorian agreed ... but, Miss Lucy told it different ... according to her, that experience is what caused "Clarence" to stop memorizing, reciting and selling and start just being "Cajun".

Der Fuhrer had it his way for quite some time, but then came "D-Day" and finally, the war that had dominated our lives for so long came to an end when Harry gave 'em Hell and the order to drop number two ... times were good, as was the economy ... Saturday morning double features, complete with a serial, cartoon, and newsreel were still a dime ... in '46, "The Man" hit .365 and "Rapid Robert" struck out 348 ... no interleague play or designated hitters but St. Louis beat Boston in the Series.

Things change ... it's written in the Book. What we are; our values, our perspectives ... are greatly influenced by our beginnings. Well, those were some of mine ... and with all the changes that have taken place, Daddy's "You can't tell much of anything about a man by his memorized spiel and how well it's delivered" ... is still true!

He had a delightfully wry sense of humor ... writing prescriptions on napkins for complaining waitresses and such ... in the late 1930s, he began sporting a toothbrush moustache ala Chaplin, ... or was it Der Fürher? Only his barber knew for sure but in 1941, one of "Ma Bell's" finest reported him as a suspicious character and he spent an afternoon explaining himself to the authorities ... clean shaven for life.

He promised to give me a pocketknife when "you grow up" ... never got one ... but he gave me his wristwatch, one his father had given him. He never watched me bowl but I gave him a trophy I won in 1960 and it was on display in his office until he retired ... and in his bedroom after that. Daddy never struck 348 in one season either, but he was still quite a feller!

The young insurance salesman? Unlike Daddy, he worked for more than one company during his career ... the one with which he started three weeks before he met us, and the one lasting until his retirement.

This text will be replaced

0 1 2 3 4 5 pages 1 2 3 4 5

Goin' Home!

2009-10-14T19:33:00.000-07:00

I got real sick toward the end of January, 1965 ... stomach problems ... unbelievable nausea, acid indigestion ... and acid reflux, though they didn't call that back then ... and it was more painful than a big splinter in your big toe!

The doctors said I had a hyperactive vagus nerve and probably ulcers ... it could be taken fixed with surgery ... the kicker being an additional six months in the service of our country.

"Probably ulcers" ain't ulcers when filling out an insurance application ... and I needed more insurance, being married and all ... besides I didn't relish getting being cut on ... so I opted not to do that, asking the doctor ... "how should it be treated assuming it's an ulcer, without an operation?"

Then I found out that I would be going on an seven day boat ride instead of a seven hour flight home ... a boat ride with an upset, nervous stomach. Oh, the humanity!

Being a short timer meant that I'd been there a long time ... and oh how I wanted to go home! But, it had its advantages ... I got time off for packing up our stuff ... getting it all shipped, taking the car up to Bremerhaven, the wife to Frankfurt ... not much time for soldierin' or work!

It seemed like just yesterday that I had first arrived in Germany and gone into Nürenberg with a friend from the Army's Language School ... the first time I tried to put my newly learned Deutch to practical use. We had studied about the Nürenberg Frauenkirche(Church Of Our Lady) and I wanted to see it ... looked everywhere but never saw it.

In my best German, I asked several people "Können Sie mir sagen wo das Frauenkirche ist?" ... always the same .. "Nein, bitte"

In English, "Can you tell me where the Church of Our Lady is?"

Ready to give up in frustration, I made one final attempt ... asking a little old lady of maybe 110 ... who thought for a while before pointing and answering in rather good English ... "It's right over there! And young man, she's a female!"

Well, me best had not been best enough, though the words were ... "das Frauenkirche" would have been correct if "Frauenkirche" was neuter ... "die" is the female "the"

I never made that mistake again but what I remember most is that though I was within 100 yards of the church, nobody I had asked tumbled to what it was that I was asking. It is remindful of case sensitive computer code!

My friend and I found a small bistro ... "Cafe Prinz" ... and went inside for a beer ... six beers and six Bratwürst later I was dubbed "Der Bratwürst Kid" by its patrons!

We learned in school and from the army that it was improper to tip as such things were included in the bill but I left DM 5.00 for the waitress(about $1.25) ... you would have too, had you seen her! I had such a good time that I was back there in less than a week ...

It turned out that we were the first Americans not to have been thrown out of the place since it was reopened after the war. The waitress was the daughter of the owner. We ate and drank ... they tried to teach me a German card game ... and they wouldn't let me pay for anything! Unfortunately, some communists frequented the place and it became off limits when I so reported.

One of our playtoys was a "top secret" reconnaissance plane ... wasn't really anything special 'bout the plane but the equipment was ... real special. When radar fixed on that plane, it knew it and they could determine the location of the radar real fast ... and it had a special computer for determining real distances between two points, better than any of its counterparts too.

It was housed in a special hanger, together with some big magnesium helicopters that burned up real fast on occasion.

During the reign of das Dritte Reich, symbolism was big noise, and building facades throughout Germany carried Nazi emblems of many shapes, sizes and composition; including murals, elaborate blasted carvings, and stone engravings. When their 1000 years abruptly ended in 1945, them suckers quickly disappeared!

Twenty years later there weren't any, that's for sure!

Or so we thought ...

Indeed, our hangar had one ... the last one methinks ... das Hoheitszeichen, the Nazi Germany national symbol. How it had gone unnoticed all them years was anybody's guess ... mine was that it was hastily packed and covered up with dirt, mud, and stuff ... and erosion had given it another hour upon the stage.

Well, more than hour ... the decision was made to clean it, fill it with mortar and smooth it, with a local civilian crew being hired for the job. Five showed up, sometime after ten with all the required stuff, including a large extension ladder, Bier and lunch ... lots of Bier.

The boss was the first to go up to view and evaluate the situation ... after maybe 10 minutes, he came down and had a beer while others took their turn.

By then, the boss had evidently forgotten something and went back up for another view ... came back down and they broke for lunch and more beer!

After lunch, they again went through the same routine ... several times I urged "schnell, schnell" (faster) to which they responded in kind "langsam, langsam" ... by day's end, they had but managed to remove the loose dirt and debris and clean the area, promising to return the next morning to finish the job.

The next morning, they each took their turn ... and their time ... climbing the ladder, same as before but with one difference ... they had an audience of maybe 25 cheering them on.

I have to admit, they knew their stuff and did a good job ... finishing just before dark.

Time went by fast ... too fast, and not fast enough.

Unbelievably, my stomach calmed down two days before departure ... lots of folks got seasick on the ride home but not me, I was stomach problem free, none whatsoever!

To pass the time during the evenings, they scheduled gigantic Bingo Games ... $2 a card, three for $5. Each game was a bit different, with the final game being a coverall for money remaining from what had been taken in.

The first night out, there was a big crowd and the games went quick ... seemed like everybody at our table won but me ... then I went and won the coverall for over $900!

Funny, there weren't anymore Bingo games ... we figured it must have been somehow rigged so that the crew won more than its fair share ... and something went wrong!

I remember playing poker with one fellow that was continually exaggerating the truth, if not telling lies ... a purposeful distraction, methinks. I said to him "You're a "nefarious prevaricator" ... to which he replied "Oh no man, I'm half Dutch and half Indian" ... probably the only time that he told the truth!

On the last night out, a rather tall kid that I had earlier met came up to me and asked what I planned to do after leaving the Service ... "think I'll try buying and selling stock" ... "really, I'm a farmer too!" He was serious, but his reason for asking had nothing to do with farming ... he had been drafted to play professional basketball for the Knicks and wanted me to be his agent!
Another of my many missed opportunities!

Finally, we got to see that lady with the torch what gives goose bumps to so many ... did me!

That final day came an went ... thought it never would ... we were gathered in this huge enclosure, sans air conditioning... big fans ... and the entire morning seemed designed to get folks to reenlist ... tempting ... close, but no cigar.

We drove to visit friends in upper state New York ... but, by week's end, we were headed to Atlanta, where all had been forgiven ... and following weekend visited my folks in Chattanooga. That was an adventure too ... we drove at night ... I75, and US 41 where the Interstate wasn't completed.

Just before the last Georgia Exit(more now) we were stopped by a Deputy Sheriff ... said we were speeding ... doing 80 going up a steep grade as we approached Chattanooga. That's what he said ... we followed him into the same little town where we had been married, some six months earlier.

It was wet and cold ... he got what he wanted ... hot coffee, a warm office, and someone with whom to talk. We had to post a $25 dollar bail which we would forfeit if we failed to appear in court ... but we got some coffee too.

Truth is, that Rambler wouldn't do 80 up that hill, even if we had been so inclined ... which we weren't, not at night in that rain! The real reason he stopped us was that he had never seen European Plates before and wanted to check us out ... he so admitted, but didn't give us back our $25!

Remember the lost luggage?

It never did show up ... I had filed a claim as soon as they would allow ... the value of one bag and its contents easily exceeded the maximum payable on both. The claim still had not been paid ... and probably never would have been paid, had Daddy not contacted one of his friends at Delta.

Nobody challenged the validity of the claim ... the problem was that three airlines were involved and for some reason they couldn't determine where it was lost and who was liable ... maybe the prepaid ticket confused them.

Daddy followed up again that weekend and I finally received a check for $600 in May.

I found work with a consulting firm in Atlanta and continued with my Actuarial studies ... choosing not to rejoin my father's company ... I wanted to make it on my own not be known just as Mr. Mac's son ... probably a mistake!

Yes, stationed in Atlanta, but again not stationary ... over that year and the next seven, visited many national parks ... spending time in 49 of the 50 ... all except Alaska ... including our planned three weeks in Hawaii.

Though we had many adventures, including our pullin' in a couple of big Sails at the same time during a squall off Key West but none were better than that time spent in Germany and Austria.

For them what don't know ... if you ever catch a Sail and don't want to have it mounted, good smoked sailfish is as good as it gets!

Though I followed that army doctor's advice, a stitch in time, would have saved more than nine ... I continued to have stomach problems and some fifteen years later, they pumped 24 pints of blood through me during an emergency operation, saving my life after that acid finally ate through the main artery in me stomach.

Unfortunately, things didn't work out for us ... but them were good times, better than that! I once forgot her birthday ... well, I really didn't ... I just forgot mine!

Problem was, we shared the same one!

Not long ago, she told me privately that it pleased her that I had found a real good one in Carol ... strange, Carol said the same of her!

Well, not so strange, I agree with both of them!

Bayern - Österreich

2009-10-13T21:42:00.000-07:00

Birthdays - Who's Countin' ...

2009-10-10T17:37:00.000-07:00

Bayern -1964

2009-10-10T17:29:00.000-07:00

It's my birthday, imagine that ... I almost forgot ... it wouldn't be the first time ... which was in 1964. Nor the second, that came but 3 years later ... one I forgot, but will never forget ... and which hopefully was the last.

1964 was an eventful year for me ... I was stationed in Fürth just outside of Nürenberg in northern Bayern about 90 miles north of München ... I was stationed there, detached from Herzogenaurach less than 15 miles away ... but I certainly wasn't stationary, anything but.

In early September, I flew home ... got engaged ... her daddy reserved the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta for Easter Sunday ... misplaced my orders and got put in jail for over 12 hours while they verified I wasn't AWOL nor no spy ... did get two big new suitcases filled with birthday presents, neat stuff including two new suits and a pair of Florsheims... flew back, only to find my leave had been extended as requested; two contrariwise notifications notwithstanding.

It made me mad ... real mad! Broke, I got a driver to take me back to Frankfort ... spent me birthday at the Air Force base ... what with all the rush, I totally forgot it was the day but do remember seeing "The Hagger Twins" perform ... and Joe Besser too. It took two days but I finally copped a hop back to Langley ... called home for money but got a prepaid ticket to Chattanooga instead ... a commuter to Philly, then United to Atlanta. We circled Hartsfield for over an hour ... bad weather and backed up flights, attributed to a hurricane between Mobile and New Orleans.

Another two hour delay ... waiting for the Delta flight going to Chattanooga ... so I surprised me fiancee with a call ... local call, she lived out on Nancy Creek in northwest Atlanta, and we talked for most of that time ... interrupted, every ten minutes or so, by someone on the loud speaker asking if anyone in the airport spoke German!

After about 10 of them interruptions, me betrothed said it had to be an emergency and insisted that I find out what it was and see if I could help. I told her that surely, someone in that whole big airport spoke German ... someone other than me!

Turned out there was ... two in fact ... trouble was, they didn't speak no English! A pair of old maid aunts from Bremen, going to visit their nephew in Biloxi ... hadn't seen him since he left home, just after the war! Ain't no way no plane was going to Biloxi that night ... "maybe two or three", said the manager of the airport.

I explained that the manager would provide lodging and take care of their needs, but the ladies' main concern was that their nephew would worry when they didn't show up as scheduled, and rightfully so. We located him, they talked to him in obvious delight ... and everything worked out fine for everybody!

Well, almost everybody ... not so fine for me. would you believe it ... I didn't get nothing ... not even a thank you, kiss my foot ... no, not nothing!

I did get to miss my flight to Chattanooga ... but they certainly didn't provide me lodging or take care of my meals. Me girl and her daddy picked me up ... I stayed in one of the guest rooms and we drove to Chattanooga early the next day.

My luggage? It went to Chattanooga as scheduled ... or so we think. I called Hartsfield when I got settled in and thought about the luggage ... and that's what they said would have happened. However, Daddy called the Chattanooga airport that night ... no luggage ... and it wasn't there when we checked the next day.

Well, young love is impatient and the thought of five months together in romantic, historic Europe ... won out over five months apart, big wedding and three weeks in Hawaii!

We eloped ... that is to say, we drove down from Chattanooga into Georgia, just across the state line without tellin' nobody ... took a no-waiting blood test and got married ... inside a jail cell, not quite the First Presbyterian Church, but married all the same.

Yes, a jail cell ... the Justice of the Peace married us but his office was so small that we had to stand in an adjoining holding cell while he said them "repeat after me" words ... and we did!

We drove back to Chattanooga ... we didn't tell her, but Mama knew it within two minutes of our arrival ... mamas just know those things, I guess. Mama was thrilled! We called her Daddy who was at a convention in Saint Louis ... he wasn't!

I figured it best for me to get out of Dodge ... so I flew back to Frankfort, first class, sans my lost new luggage and birthday presents ... train to Nürenberg, on which I fell asleep ... missed changing trains, and headed east rather than south ... realizing the problem as we approached the point where the train crossed into east Germany.

Indeed, it was a problem ... me with my Top Secret, Cryptographic clearance ... being where I was ... was indeed a no-no. Luckily, I was in civilian clothes and allowed to detrain before we reached border, but it was scary ... and a 2.5 hour trip had turned into about seven.

I found us a nice apartment in Fürth ... well, four rooms in an old 19th century two story. We had to share a separate bathroom with a German family ... but it was well furnished, convenient, and nice ... relatively cheap too. Dirt cheap, compared to Atlanta prices, even in 1964.

Me bride arrived 2 November, 11 days after we were married ... in a snow storm ... the worst in 50 years, they said! Two feet of snow throughout the area ... and it continued throughout that winter. We bought a car ... wanted a Mercedes automatic, but none were immediately available locally ... so we settled for a Rambler American with its fully reclineable seats. It was a foolish decision financially; the Mercedes was less than $6,000, loaded ... one of convenience ... but we enjoyed it.

She came over on a regular passport, independent of the Service, and not as a military dependent ... all the privileges, but fewer restrictions and some extra freedom.

Her name, I can't remember ... dang! McBrayer, I think it was ... she spoke no German and whenever we got stopped, I spoke no English ... me German wasn't that good, but good enough to fool ugly Americans ... and all the military we encountered.

One of the first things we bought was a Grundig ... radio, record player, reel to reel tape combination ... that was expensive ... DM 3,000 or about $750 ... a good one ... same model, export version, cost 2,100 back home, in 1964 dollars.

For "Thanksgiving" we ate at my favorite Nürenberg restaurant ... where there were no prices on the menu. To our surprise, the chef treated us and then invited us to go "Bier und Wein" tasting with some of his friends! "Bier auf Wein, das lasse sein ... Wein auf Bier, das rat ich dir" ... meaning, methinks "beer then wine ... is fine, but wine then beer ... oh dear!"

He spoke little English, his friend none ... but we had a great time ... I translated both ways ... getting at least some of it right. After, three over hours of having so done, I discovered that they thought my wife spoke fluent German and that she was helping me with mine! Unbelievable but true!

We all went back to the apartment where they stayed until after two ... singing old German songs and trying to teach them the English versions. Lili Marlene ... Rosamunde (Beer Barrel Polka) ... Du kannst nicht treu sein (You Can't Be True, Dear) and others.

The next day, the neighbors complained about all the noise keeping them awake ... but, we hadn't really made that much noise ... of that I'm sure. Germans is sneaky ... our neighbors made a tape of us singing, amplified it and put it in our Grundig when we were asleep ... goodness! Unfortunately, the tape later became corrupted and is no more.

Most everybody got leather goods that year for Christmas ... aus Nürenberg ... including us ... matching coats.

My work schedule was four days on and three off ... pretty good, but four on and ten off would have been better ... there was a lot to see and do!!

Well, I told that to this good old boy from over in Cajun Country, small bayou town of which I'd never heard ... not too far from New Orleans, he said ... who did the same work as me. I was just talkin' ... but, he volunteered to work the four days for $30 ... said he had nothing better to do and could sure use the extra money.

My guess is that he would have done it for $25, maybe a bit less ... but I was taking no chances. We stuck around the first couple of days, taking it easy and making sure he'd do as promised ... and he did!

We drove down to München ... stayed the week at a wonderful hotel next to main railroad station ... I can't remember it's official name but the name on its marquee included "München Hauptbahnhof" ... auf English ... Munich Railroad Station.

The Ice Capades were in town that week ... and troupe stayed at the hotel ... received complimentary tickets. We didn't officially meet them but shared the same dining room ... they were hot stuff back then!

It was 5 star quality but the thing I remember most was the maître d'hôtel ... straight from the movies ... only better! He took care of us personally ... the first night he brought us huge menus of many pages ... and wanting to impress me young Ehefrau, I did the ordering ... it took me thirty minutes to read the German menu ... but I finally got her did!

Baby shrimp salad with King Louie dressing, followed by Sauerbraten (Roast Beef, German style) fixed the Hotel's special way ... with potatoes, black truffles and giant green peas(English, only huge) ... unbelievable ... super wonderful good and tasty too!

To drink, we had local Bier, with a tablespoon of champagne per mug!

The things I remember best were (1) the reasonableness, (2) the portions were enormous ... enough shrimp to feed six, but the King Louie was so good that we ate it all and surprisingly, had room for the main course, and (3) on the second night, my bride discovered the English section of the menu and never let me live it down!

Yes, of course, we had shrimp salad every night!

The second and third days we walked around town in the snow ... so much to see and do ... museums, so much history and mind-boggling architecture. This was mid November, long after Der Oktoberfest, the world's largest fair, that ends in early October and which will celebrate its 200th anniversary next year ... but, for some reason, the streets were filled with people. No, there's not another shoe to drop ... but it was crowded enough so that 45 years later, it's one of the things I remember most.

Maybe it's always that way ... both days we stood for well over an hour just looking up at the world famous Glockenspiel in Marienplatz, part of the Rathaus(city hall) in the heart of München, not far from the hotel ... waiting for it to do its thing that I'm sure always draws a crowd, a fantastic 15 minute show featuring bells and lifesized figures ... 43 bells and 32 figures, according to the Internet.

The top half of the Glockenspiel tells the story of the marriage of Duke Wilhelm V to Renata of Lothringen in the 16th century. It includes a joust between knights representing Bayern and Lothringen ... Bayern winning!

That's followed by the bottom half, celebrating the end of a horrific plague ... with barrel makers publicly dancing, showing the townsfolk that it was safe to return to the streets!

At the very end, a golden bird at the top of the Glockenspiel chirps to let you know it's over.

We also visited the world famous Hofbräuhaus ... established in 1589 by this same Duke Wilhelm V ... it was a blast, with a mug of its home brew running 50 Pfennig ... 100 Pfennig then roughly equal to a quarter.

Germany is famous for its beer and I guess Das Hofbräuhaus is the most famous Bier Halle in the world ... but its beer didn't quite live up to its reputation ... the best Bier was the home brew found in Bayern's Rathskellers(cityhall cellers) ... smooth as glass, but with a kick what could put you on your fanny. I speak from experience!

Our final day in München was spent at the Münchner Tierpark ... again snowing, but it was great and different from Atlanta's Grant Part ... open, lots of moats, not many cages. Took lots of pictures, none survived.

We took a short cut back ... got lost, of course ... stopped at a small country store out in the middle of nowhere to ask for help and directions ... I'll never forget saying "Entschuldigen Sie mir bitte ... ich habe meinen Weg nach Fürth volieren ... vielleicht können Sie mir helfen?"

Simple, right? Translation: Excuse me please, perhaps you can help me, I've lost my way back to Fürth ...

Wrong ... I think I asked him 30 times or more, for close to an hour ... all he wanted to do was sell me ham and roast beef! We did get full on the samples and bought some candy ... but never got no directions.

We backtracked to the zoo, and then to the hotel for another night of shrimp salad ... next day back to Fürth!

I shared the story with the maître d'hôtel ... and he understood exactly what I had said to the storekeeper ... no problem. After dinner, he offered a possible explanation for the confusion ... "Fleish" is the German word for meat ... like flesh, but with an "ei" ... while "vielleicht" means perhaps. It had to be "the" explanation ... ... the "v" in German is pronounced like our "f" ... while their "w" is like our "v" ... e.g. "Volkswagen" ... people's car(wagon) ... is pronounced Folks Vagen.

I was trying to say "fee-liecht" ... he was hearing "fleich"

I know that I have a long standing and well deserved reputation for being difficult to understand, but Germans are no different that bloggers ... the hear what they want to hear!

That was sure better than workin'!!

People complain about army food ... I know I did, calf's liver and potatoes ... day after day. However, it wasn't the food ... the army got the best, methinks ... it's what they did with it after they got it!

We participated in the army's war games from time to time ... shortly after that trip, there was a three day exercise and the colonel had me go to the Mess Hall ... get six steaks, two dozen eggs, some frozen ears of corn and some potatoes.

Them steaks were NY Strips, over an inch thick ... whoa baby!

He supplied the charcoal grill, spices and such ... and I did the cooking! Them steaks were good! Army life was tough, especially during the winter, at least for them poor boys really doing the soldiering!

Ours was an important job ... intercepting and decoding messages, guarding and testing top secret equipment, programming computers, stuff like that ... making sure the food was of acceptable quality.

In early December, I was selected as one of the bowlers representing our battalion in an Army Bowling Tournament held in Stuttgart ... we drove, snowed the entire trip which took nearly 4 hours, methinks. The team came in second ... I had the highest three game series in the tournament, finishing second in the singles, doubles, and all events as well.

I might have won singles and all events ... shudda, wudda, cudda ... two things got in the way ... My singles series was the first of that day's competition and a little snow left on the approach went unnoticed ... I fouled on my second shot.

Then, on the final day of the tournament, I somehow left my bowling shirt in the motel where we were staying ... house rules wouldn't allow me to bowl in a tee shirt on Sunday, so I bowled in my long sleeved wool sweater ... until the 5th frame, when my wife returned with the shirt. Who knows how it would have otherwise turned out ... but I finished with six in a row, missing the "all events" title by 4 four pins!

After Christmas, I became a "short timer" ... going home in March ... there was still much to do and see, and we were running out of time!

Unfortunately, my cajun friend wouldn't work for money ... not even $50, but, thinking he was safe, he said he'd do it for some good cajun Filé Gumbo! I told him that Filé Gumbo was my wife's specialty ... and that she would love to fix it, especially for him!

She was real sweet, real smart and she was real pretty ... but one thing she wasn't ... was a real cook! Of course, we both knew what Filé Gumbo was, everybody did ... Ole Hank told us all about it, right along with Jambalaya and a crawfish pie ... me oh my oh!

A little smelling salts and rye whisky was all it took to revive her ... that and a bunch of promises ... and, we were off to find a cookbook! She wrote down all the ingredients and while she studied the instructions of every recipe she could find, I went in search of a big pot and those things we needed ... found everything, save one ... the danged filé powder!!

We had to fake that ... ground up tea mixed with drippings from the chicken ... we didn't know what it was supposed to taste like ... but being cajun, we figured it had to be hot and spicy. We added enough finely ground pepper, red and black, to disguise anything ... seemed like we cooked it forever ... just getting within 50 yards of the apartment meant being in harm's way ... the pepper in the air really burned your eyes.

Joe showed up on schedule ... the air filled more with nervous tension from anticipation of disaster than pepper ... some wine eased the situation a bit ... but, some things just can't be avoided ... especially when your guest say's "that smells good ... let's eat!"

My wife did us proud ... the rice, the chicken ... she had told me she couldn't boil water ... but, the pepper was something else. I asked Joe how he liked it ... "well, it's good and I like it ... doesn't taste like what I'm used to ... and it's mighty spicy ... but, I think that's just because I've not had any cajun food in so long ... need to get back in practice" ... if that's not a quote, it's a leaner.

We watched in amazement as he helped himself to another full serving!

Bags packed, we made reservations at the best hotel in the historic old town district of Innsbrück, Austria ... leaving early the next day, taking our time and seeing the sights ... it was all good, but nothing to quite compare to Innsbrück itself, especially looking up at the mountains from down in the city!

Before we knew it, it had turned dark ... and danged if I could find the hotel, though we saw it from a distance just after we arrived. We ate, asked for and received directions but, still couldn't find it ... it was about 10 when we pulled off the road to rest and regroup. It was a beautiful spot ... flat, an unobstructed view of their famous mountains, staring us right in the face ... awesome!

After a while we fell asleep, taking full advantage of the reclining seats that went all the way back ... and our wool blankets, courtesy of the US Army. We slept soundly until about 5:30, as it began to get light ... couldn't really see anything yet ... not light, just less dark.

It wasn't very long before we started to make out what looked like small trees some distance out in front in of us ... and then it happened ... like something out of one of Lamar's many misadventures. A giant monster starting eating those things up ... first one, then another! We stared in disbelief ... and then it was gone! 100% true ... without exaggeration!

Thank goodness ... a sigh of relief ... time to get out of Dodge ... but which way was out ... where was the entrance to this parking lot? Where was the sun?

We sat in horror as that thing reappeared, consuming more of whatever they were ... and then it headed for us, no mistake! It was lighter now, and as we were giving up all hope of escape, we suddenly realized, both at the same time, that the monster was only the fog!

We sat and laughed, for several minutes while the sun came up ... what a way to start the day!

We could now see clearly ... signs just in front of us ... Achtung! dünnes Eis ... well, that's nice ... what did it mean? Unfortunately, I knew ... loosely translated, it meant ... "you were right the first time, dummy ... it's past time to get out of Dodge!"

A more literal translation, "Danger! - thin ice" ... our parking lot was no parking lot atall ... we were well out into a large lake, all by ourselves!

We eased that baby out of there ... slow, steady and easy! We had just had enough excitement to last all of 1965 ... and here it was, just barely the second week of January.

We hadn't been in any real danger ... easy for them to say ... and for me, 45 years later ... but we didn't know that then ... not while it was happening. We found the hotel, spent the rest of that day and most of the next sightseeing in and around Innsbrück. There's a whole bunch of stuff to see and do and methinks we seen and done it all ... maybe it's a woods and trees type thing but I couldn't tell you one specific thing we done or seen ... except for that huge mountain that seemed to follow us everywhere we went.

From Innsbrück to Salzburg is but about 120 miles ... a walk in the park today ... but not 45 years ago in the dead of winter ... indeed, it's a popular week's walk during late spring and summer. We drove ... remember, no snow tires or chains ... but the lure of the Alps was irresistible ... especially with Berchtesgaden und Festung Hohensalzburg (Salzburg Castle/Fortress) in the offing.

Afraid to drive it during the day with no speed limit and crazy local drivers passing on curves, we left in the late afternoon and headed toward Festung Kufstein ... about 50 miles form Innsbruch, methinks.

We got to see the town all litted up ... drove to the Schloss, well almost ... the drive was too slippery for us and we slid back down twice, then quit while we were ahead!

Unable to reach our intended lodgings, we decided to go ahead and drive to Salzburg that night ... mostly uneventful, but we went down two one-way streets the wrong way ... in different Dorfs(small villages) ... in a span of about two hours ... folks were real nice and let us know it too.

Driving on narrow winding roads through the Alps is fun, especially at night when you can't see how dangerous it is!

We spent the night, what was left of it ... at the Hotel Leopoldskron in Salzburg ... actually part of a beautiful old castle where they had filmed "Sound of Music" back during the Spring, methinks, but we didn't realize that at the time ... it was past midnight.

Early next day, we drove to Festung Hohensalzburg, spent the entire morning in the Festung Museum ... unbelievable ... a super extensive collection of medieval stuff ... knight's armour, mail, swords, shields ... all types of equipment, tools, masks, and weaponry ... audio tapes and written programs in several languages supporting a tour of the many exhibits!

That was truly fantastic ... could have spent a week or two there, maybe longer. Them Knights were strong ... I couldn't even pick up one their broad swords, though they let me try ... nor could I carry their mail!

I used 8 rolls of film, just in the Salzburg museums ... it was forbidden, but I did it. Used our single reflex camera too, so I'd know what I shot ... would have been easier just to buy their prints, but not as much fun!

We had lunch in Salzburg's Stiftskeller St. Peter ... located within the walls of Saint Peter's Archabbey, said to be over 1200 years old. Then a walk to Das Benediktinen-Frauenstift Nonnberg ... das älteste noch bestehende christliche Frauenkloster in der Welt ... that is to say, Nonnberg Abbey is the oldest nunnery in the world, still existing.

They said Maria Von Trapp was schooled there ... not sure.

From there to the Salzburg Cathedral (Salzburger Dom) where Mozart was baptized and performed ... we saw an organ on which he practiced, in a building just up the street. The thing that impressed me most were the giant triple entrance doors ... but, the statues and paintings, especially those of the Madonna were awesome ... inspiring! The Dom was first established in the early 17th century ... but some of the works it held supposedly dated back to the 1st!

In that immediate area was a large working sundial of the Dom's vintage ... I can attest to that. Like the runaway cart toward the end of the movie "Patton" ... one with what I thought was my name on it, appeared, seemingly from out of nowhere as I was engrossed watching that ancient time piece.

It missed me, just barely!

The weather turned sour that afternoon, with storms forecast for the next day ... so we forwent our day tour in Burchest garden and headed back to München, again more baby shrimp salad ... next day back to Fürth.

Upon returning to Fürth, I had the all that film developed ... at least they so said ... every one taken in the museums were solid black, while all the rest turned out great. They said I must've did something wrong ... the only thing I done wrong was to take the film to them for developing, thats what I think! I was a disaster that could have been worse, had we not sent postcards from the Salzburg Museums to friends and family.

I got real sick toward the end of January ... stomach problems ... unbelievable nausea, acid indigestion ... and acid reflux, though they didn't call that back then ... and it was more painful than a big splinter in your foot!

The doctors said I had a hyperactive vagus nerve and probably ulcers ... it could be taken fixed with surgery ... the kicker being an additional six months in the service of our country.

Probably ulcers ain't ulcers when filling out an insurance application ... and I needed more insurance, being a new husband and all ... and I didn't relish getting being cut on ... so I opted not to do that ... asking the doctor ... "how should it be treated assuming it's an ulcer, without an operation?" ... and I followed his advice (some fifteen years later, they pumped 24 pints of blood through me, saving my life, after the acid finally ate through the main artery in my stomach).

Then I found out that I would be going on an seven day boat ride instead of a seven hour flight home ... a boat ride with an upset, nervous stomach. Oh, the humanity!

Being a short timer had its advantages ... I got time off for packing up our stuff ... getting it all shipped ... taking the car up to Bremerhaven, the wife to Frankfurt ... not much time for soldierin' or work!

One of our playtoys was a "top secret" reconnaissance plane ... wasn't really anything special 'bout the plane but the equipment was ... real special. When radar fixed on that plane, it knew it and they could determine the location of the radar real fast ... and it had a special computer for determining real distances between two points, better than any of its counterparts too.

It was housed in a special hanger, together with some big magnesium helicopters that burned up real fast on occasion.

During the reign of das Dritte Reich, symbolism was big noise, and building facades throughout Germany carried Nazi emblems of many shapes, sizes and composition; including murals, elaborate blasted carvings, and stone engravings. When their 1000 years abruptly ended in 1945, them suckers quickly disappeared!

Twenty years later there weren't any, that's for sure!

Or so we thought ...

Indeed, our hangar had one ... the last one methinks ... das Hoheitszeichen, the Nazi Germany national symbol. How it had gone unnoticed all them years was anybody's guess ... mine was that it was hastily packed and covered up with dirt, mud, and stuff ... and erosion had given it another hour upon the stage.

Well, more than hour ... the decision was made to clean it, fill it with mortar and smooth it, with a local civilian crew being hired for the job. Five showed up, sometime after ten with all the required stuff, including a large extension ladder, Bier and lunch ... lots of Bier.

The boss was the first to go up to view and evaluate the situation ... after maybe 10 minutes, he came down and had a beer while others took their turn.

By then, the boss had evidently forgotten something and went back up for another view ... came back down and they broke for lunch and more beer!

After lunch, they again went through the same routine ... several times I urged "schnell, schnell" (faster) to which they responded in kind "langsam, langsam" ...

By day's end, they had but managed to remove the loose dirt and debris and clean the area, promising to return the next morning to finish the job.

The next morning, they each took their turn ... and their time ... climbing the ladder, same as before but with one difference ... they had an audience of maybe 25 cheering them on.

I have to admit, they knew their stuff and did a good job ... finishing just before dark.

Time went by fast ... too fast, and not fast enough.

Unbelievably, my stomach calmed down two days before departure ... lots of folks got seasick on the ride home but not me, I was stomach problem free, none whatsoever!

To pass the time during the evenings, they scheduled gigantic Bingo Games ... $2 a card, three for $5. Each game was a bit different, with the final game being a coverall for money remaining from what had been taken in.

The first night out, there was a big crowd and the games went quick ... seemed like everybody at our table won but me ... then I went and won the coverall for over $900!

Funny, there weren't anymore Bingo games ... we figured it must have been somehow rigged so that the crew won more than its fair share ... and something went wrong!

I did get to see that lady with the torch what gives goose bumps to so many ... did me!

That final day came an went ... thought it never would ... we were gathered in this huge enclosure, sans air conditioning... big fans ... and the entire morning seemed designed to get folks to reenlist ... tempting ... close, but no cigar.

We drove to visit friends in upper state New York ... but, by week's end, we were headed to Atlanta, where all had been forgiven ... and following weekend visited my folks in Chattanooga. That was an adventure too ... we drove at night ... I75, and US 41 where the Interstate wasn't completed.

Just before the last Georgia Exit(more now) we were stopped by a Deputy Sheriff ... said we were speeding ... doing 80 going up a steep grade as we approached Chattanooga. That's what he said ... we followed him into the same little town
where we had been married, some six months earlier.

It was wet and cold ... he got what he wanted ... hot coffee, a warm office, and someone with whom to talk. We had to post a $25 dollar bail which we would forfeit if we failed to appear in court ... but we got some coffee too.

Truth is, that Rambler wouldn't do 80 up that hill, even if we had been so inclined ... which we weren't, not at night in that rain! The real reason he stopped us was that he had never seen European Plates before and wanted to check us out ... he so admitted, but didn't give us back our $25!

Remember the lost luggage?

It never did show up ... we had filed a claim as soon as they would allow ... the value of one bag and its contents easily exceeded the maximum payable on both. The claim still had not been paid ... and probably never would have been paid, had Daddy not contacted one of his friends at Delta.

Nobody challenged the validity of the claim ... the problem was that three airlines were involved and for some reason they couldn't determine where it was lost and who was liable ... maybe the prepaid ticket confused them.

Daddy followed up again that weekend and I finally received a check for $600 in May.

I found work with a consulting firm in Atlanta and continued with my Actuarial studies ... choosing not to rejoin my father's company ... I wanted to make it on my own not be known just as Mr. Mac's son ... probably a mistake!

Yes, stationed in Atlanta, but again not stationary ... over that year and the next seven, visited many national parks ... spending time in 49 of the 50 ... all except Alaska ... including our planned three weeks in Hawaii.

Though we had many adventures, including our pullin' in a couple of big Sails at the same time during a squall off Key West but none were better than that time spent in Germany and Austria.

Unfortunately, things didn't work out for us ... I once forgot her birthday ... well, I really didn't ... I just forgot mine! Problem was, we shared the same one!

Not long ago, she told me privately that it pleased her that I had found a real good one in Carol ... strange, Carol said the same of her!

Well, not so strange, I agree with both of them!

To what would you have your kids aspire?

2009-09-29T14:12:00.000-07:00

Back when I was growing up, I remember wanting to be a soldier so I could kill Nazis and Nips ... nobody told me they made cars, computers and TVs!

Over the years, I've been indeed fortunate to have many Germans and Japanese include me among their friends.
At different times, I wanted to be an Engineer so I could blow the steam engine's mighty whistle ... farmer, cowboy, fireman, policeman, teacher, doctor, test pilot, explorer ... I wanted to be all them too!

Unfortunately, Mama made me take dancing lessons and study hard ... 'cause she wanted me to be the Mayor of Atlanta or President of the United States!

Daddy said to be honorable in all that you do and always strive to be the very best ... but, be satisfied if you are the very best that you can be!

I became an actuary ...

Kids is different and time changes 'bout everything ... including that to which they aspire ... and, what their folks want for them too, methinks.

If you're a parent what had your druthers, to what would you have your kids aspire? If you're a kid what's still aspiring, please excuse my misuse and abuse of our language and tell us what you want to be!

in addition to participating in the poll, please offer any relevant comments and then join us in the General Discussion Area of the Shop.

If you twitter or are on Facebook, please invite your friends or followers to visit and vote too!

All on the list pay a fair wage for an honest days work!

As you might have guessed, doctors do pretty good financially as a group ... as they rightfully should, healing folks and such ... especially surgeons.

Of course, you might want to consider Sports ... I don't know they do to earn it but the Commissioners don't do too bad neither! Don't have the 2009 numbers but here's the skinny for 2007.

Sports Commissioners - 2007 Salaries ($ Millions)
Sport	Commissioner	Salary
MLB	Bud Selig	18
NFL	Roger Goodell	11
NBA	David Stern	10
NHL	Gary Bettman	6
PGA	Tim Finchem	5

Just drink your milk and don't worry about the "Cream" ... it'll cure what ails you kid. Forget your homework, go work on fielding them grounders and hitting sliders!

Alex Rodriguez makes but about $200,000 per game, based on 162 ... rookies make less.

Hitting sliders ain't everything kid ... drink your milk ... Roger Clemens started 17 games in 2007, going 6-6 with a 4.18 ERA ... think he made about $1.05 million per start!

Some brain surgeons make $10,000; maybe a bit more ... for an especially long, difficult and delicate operation ... think about it!

Well Alex and Roger may be special cases ... not many make more than the Commissioner, it wouldn't be fair! And like other jobs, they labored long and hard ... paid their dues!

2008 Amateur Draft - Top 25 signing bonuses ($ Millions)
6.20	6.15	6.00	6.00	4.55
3.50	3.47	3.00	2.60	2.30
2.07	1.91	1.84	1.78	1.75
1.73	1.70	1.57	1.54	1.50
1.48	1.50	1.42	1.38	1.35

It all starts with the "Amateur Draft" and then they have to work their way through the Minor Leagues ... a tough road to hoe, same as a doctor, accountant or lawyer ... only different.

The average signing bonus for 10th round picks (293-322) averaged $140,000.

The MLB Minimum Player's Salary is now $400,000 per season ... same as the annual salary of the President of the United States of America!

Our Supreme Court Chief Justice makes $217,400.

Congress' rank and file make $174,000, with party leaders getting $193,400, topped by the Speaker of the House's $223,500.

Not sure, but I think that salaries in the armed services top out at about $20,000 per month for the Joint Chiefs' Chairman ... privates make less.

Bud Selig's salary is over 45 times that of the President of the United States ... close to 100 times that of a U.S Senator. I love the Grand Old Game ... but this insanity has become far more that an issue facing baseball ... what say you?!

Well, whatever your aspirations ... for yourself, your children or theirs ... I hope it encompasses and supports Daddy's three notions! Be Honorable ... strive to be the best ... be satisfied with being the very best you can be!

I hope too that you'll enjoy the grand old game for what it was intended to be, not the big business it's become!

Barbershop BOB

The House in Homestead

2009-07-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

In 1994, a non-profit corporation established a Foundation in the community of Homestead ... seven miles from downtown Pittsburgh that provides after-school tutoring for inner-city youths, computer skills training, college scholarships, and little league baseball and field renovation programs.

Duquesne University and the University of Pittsburgh provide tutors.

The foundation also provides motivational training to show the children of the area that there is a larger world full of opportunities for them. Community leaders work with the students to show them that they have options for their futures, and that they have career options. They are encouraged to pursue their education to improve themselves.

Gone is the "House That Ruth Built" ... it's been replaced by a home run haven that makes a mockery of the Babe's fantastic feats. They say that nobody ever hit one out of Yankee Stadium ... well, save one ...

Josh Gibson is credited with having hit a home run in a Negro League game at Yankee Stadium that struck two feet from the top of the wall circling the center field bleachers, about 580 feet from home plate.

That was close ... certainly cigar worthy! Chicago American Giants infielder Jack Marshall is among those having said that Gibson slugged one over the third deck next to the left field bullpen in 1934 for the only fair ball hit out of Ruth's old house.

Belting home runs of more than 500 feet was not unusual for Gibson ... another, in Monessen, Pa., reportedly was measured at 575 feet.

Teammate Satchel Paige said, "He was the greatest hitter who ever lived" ... while Walter "Big Train" Johnson said, "He hits the ball a mile!" He was so good that some referred to Babe Ruth as"the white Josh Gibson".

In various publications, Gibson has been credited with as many as 84 homers in one season. Reports vary regarding the number of home runs Josh Gibson hit, with some estimates as high as 962 ... his Hall of Fame plaque says he hit "almost 800" homers and a lifetime batting average of .359 during his 17-year career. Other sources indicate higher numbers with one putting his average at .384, best in Negro League history.

The records indicate that he won nine home-run titles and four batting championships playing for the Crawfords and the Homestead Grays. In two seasons during the late 1930s, it was written that not only did he hit higher than .400, but his slugging percentage was above 1.000.

Officially, Josh Gibson was a catcher in the baseball's Negro Leagues. He was born Dec. 21, 1911 in Buena Vista, Ga. and died in 1947. He played from 1930 to 1946 and elected to the baseball hall of fame in 1972.

A bronze statue of Gibson was erected this year in Nationals Park in Washington D.C.

In the 1998 Sporting News' 100 Greatest Players rankings, Josh Gibson is number 18 ... just behind The Mick ... not too bad to have never played in the Majors!

Perhaps Josh Gibson's best and most lasting contribution will be The Josh Gibson Foundation
... the house that Josh Built still stands!

Since 1994, Josh Gibson's Great Grandson, Sean, has dedicated himself to increasing the awareness of his famous Great Grandfather and the other great Negro League Players who lead the way for the great Jackie Robinson. Had there been no Satchel Paige, no Cool Papa Bell, no Josh Gibson ...

In 2004, at a chance meeting at a wedding in Scottsdale, AZ, Sean Gibson and Brent Stevens (great grandson of The Babe) met and got to talking about their famous great-grandfathers. They didn't believe that The Babe and Josh Gibson had ever met in real life but what if the baseball playing field had been a level one back then?

That's when they decided to jointly commission this painting theorizing a relationship between the black Babe Ruth and the white Josh Gibson.