His name is Newt!

 In 1954 dd moved us to Belmont, NC.  I met a sweet pretty girl named Margaret.  Margaret had a great brother **Harold ( Called Woodsy on the School ball team.). He went on to be a pro baseball player.   They lived on the Climax Mill Village.  Thru those two I came in contact with most of the kids around my age group.  One of  the guys was called Newt. He was unique and had a great DRY humor.  Many of those folks have passed away.

I am not much on FaceBook but I went there today and read this:

10 FUN FACTS:

I had to laugh at the #1 because my mama thought I could. I remember many times she said, "Jackie, look behind your ears, that is dirt!"

WE see Newt once a week at church when we are in Belmont.  He sits on the front row, For some reason the preacher always sees over Newt's head,  and hits me every Sunday.  I might just move up front with Newt!

Not as hot here in Florida today.  One day it was actually cool, overcast and a little drizzle.

Nite Shipslog

PS:  **Harold met and married a sweet girl in Michigan. He quit pro ball.  He told me once, "Baseball is not good for a married life.  Most of your year is away from home in one hotel room after another.

WE did make the trip

 I do like old car pictures, This is a 1950 Hudson Tudor

For today:

Problems?  Well yep,  WE made it 20 miles, I stopped to look things over; it had been a few months since the coach had moved. Fortunately, I noticed the refrigerator was not ON. Checking  I found out the 12v system was not  active. I checked the battery indicator, and it showed the 'house battery was dead'.  No problem, I could start the generator.  It would not start. OUCH!

Since our tow car was close to the generator, I used jumper cables to start the generator.

BAck on the road we now had 120v so we also had the house A/C unit going making the RV much more comfortable all over. 

All was well for a few miles and the dash a/c quit and starting giving warm air .  WE turned that switch off since it was not needed and continued.  The coach drove well and we fortunately were able to get a site for the nite giving us a chance to figure what all was wrong.

Fortunately, it seemed to be just a bad connection of the house battery switch. 

This morning we hit the road and all seemed to be working well.  Even the dash a/c works.  I just assumed it got over worked and kicked some shut-off in the unit, because it worked well all day long.

Oh by the way i is about 75 degrees and comfortable.....  WAit, we are inside with a/c.  LOL  But outside it is also cooler than NC and  in the low 90s.

WE wanted to go by our mail service and pick up the mail. Since  we had forgotten our Ice Cream,  it is still in the refrig up in North Carolina, so of course after picking up the mail we went to the store to get sweets. I got vanilla Ice cream and orange sherbet. Sherry chose 'Rocky Road frozen yogurt.  Now we are set for the evening.

WE had no problems with setting up the coach, The jacks and slides all did their jobs.  Power and water hooked up and working.  WE have it made.

Nite Shipslog

tomorrow AM, on the road again....

This is the latest RV driver.  This is Oliver Jack at the wheel of the RV:

Today during lunch, Son Jack Jr .(Ollie's Grandpa)  sneaked him out in the RV for this shot. I like it.

For today... 

For the first time in our long, sweet marriage, we are not in full agreement on travel.  Sherry is pretty much ready to settle down, she says.  Now if I WAIT until a very cold part of the winter, (And keep the RV READY to hit the road) I think I can trick her into getting on the road AGAIN, AFTER this trip.  LOL  SHHHHH!

I still think I can drive a couple more years without any trouble.  We are sorta going to use this trip as a test of my driving.  So Imma going to be on my best behavior.  ;-)

We have a couple options.  There is a crazy family situation of Florida property. WE bought a nice mobile home in Leesburg. In a good area and with a few hundred feet of Lake Eustis. Son Mark wanted to buy it.  So he paid us cash for it.  After a couple years he wanted to sell it back to us, because he was moving back to NC and his kids and Grand kids.

So we had the property moved back to our names.  WE have not paid him for the place yet,   He does not want the $$ until he is ready to build up here.  So the money is available, but drawing interest for us. LOL

So we still have an option without an RV; we could become real Snow Birds (the local name for folks who head south like the birds, when cold weather approaches.)  Therefore, we can keep this place and use it.

BUT I am thinking it would be better to find a fixer-upper  around Palatka (North of here) or something in North Florida.

She has a real worry about fixer uppers as being too much on me.  She knows I must stay busy and I am in my element with a fixer-upper.

The fixer upper must have enough property to park a motor home.   Yeah, I still want the RV.  The last fixer upper we bought was in Deltona.  It worked out great.

Anyway we hit the road in the AM hopefully after work traffic, I won't fix breakfast in the morning, just coffee we will stop someplace in SC for a breakfast snack and break.

Today we had the pleasure of Grandson Joshua and his beautiful wife Megan and their great kids, Olliver Jack and Rosie.  here for lunch.  They had other plans when we had the rest of the family out  at the steak house a week or so ago.  So this made up for it.  

Josh is the Brain.  I had a chance to ask him questions about this   big AI thing. I learned a little and baked up my own thinking.  He says the parent company of the one he works for is pushing them more and more to use AI.

I don't plan of entering that level, but it is good to know a little more about it.

We had a great time.

Y'all take care.

Nite Shipslog 

(I hope I a following a yellow line as you read today)

Spending too much time "AT SEA" We have a PROBLEM!

 

USS INDEPENDENCE CVA 62  My home at sea for a couple years

So for today:

If you have seen the news you have heard of an Aircraft Carrier that has been at sea for 200-250 days without pulling into a port!   The US Navy is unique among our military, Our Sailors live in a moving steel home that has no street address. In my Life I have experienced life in three branches of the military. USMC, USAF & USN

Our military bases are NEVER empty, due to 'Duty Sections'.  Most are run in 4 section duty.  Meaning the soldier, marine or airman, must stay on board every 4th night and every 4th weekend.  The USN is the same when in port. You must stay aboard the ship every 4th night and 4th weekend. The member can get some time OFF BASE, have a beer, visit friends, go to church or go home if his family is near by.

Right now we have a ship with over 5000 men/women, and they have not left that moving ship in 8 months.  These sailors are used to 'Hitting the beach' , OFF THE SHIP at least once a month.  The ship pulls into port and when your section does not have the duty you can go into town and relax off ship.  The Skipper tries to always pull in for at least 4 - 8 days to give everyone a few days off.

The longest I have ever been to sea without any shore time was 5 weeks.  That is the longest  average for all sailors,  Even at all out war, a ship is seldom out over  2  months without pulling into some port.  Skippers KNOW their men, their minds, need time ashore.

I am speaking about something I KNOW.  The moral on Carriers is normally great. For a period in my career, I was an inspector.  I spent  time on most carriers on  the East Coast for inspection tours. I only inspected the Intelligence centers,  I even met many men and officers I had taught at NIPS (Naval Intelligence Processing).

I have paid attention to the Pentagon in the last couple years.  The Generals and Admirals who understand this sort of thing have been fired and replaced by inexperienced leaders. YOU CANNOT LEAVE MEN ABOARD A SHIP FOR 8 MONTHS WITHOUT SOME TIME OFF THAT SHIP!!!

Mail also keeps sailors' moral up, The ships for some reason have out run their mail,  And  some letters are 2 months old.  Shoot, I got concerned if I missed hearing from Sherry for 2 weeks.

I am trying to say, NO INTELLIGENT LEADERS KEEP MEN AT SEA FOR MONTHS,  I really think I could have handled it, but I sure would have been very upset at my leaders...

In Naval history I doubt if you will find ANY ship being at sea for 8 months without pulling into a port.  Most sailors have been on a 9-month cruise, But that is ALWAYS broken up by time on liberty. Time ashore is needed for sanity.

I took this picture in Taranto Italy, in the boot heel of Italy. while on liberty

Please think of those sailors, say a prayer.   I sure am.

Nite Shipslog

There is one thing for certain, PLANS CHANGE! Past plans you cannot change.

 If I could go back I would take more pictures of Paris and even visit the Louvre.   I was thinking maybe next time, LOL

But for now:

So, We had hoped to head for Pennsylvania soon, now plans have changed.  WE wanted so much to see our long standing friends   Dal (Dallas) and Marian.

 Life has strange coincidences.  Both couples are nearing 70 years of marriage. WE have stayed in contact since 1956, our USMC times.  Dal and I were in the same platoon on Parris Island. Not sure but I think Dallas enjoyed PI better than I did. LOL  Our permanent duty stations just happened to coincide, and we lived in the same barracks most of our short MC careers.  WE became close friends he was sure he had the prettiest girl, but I KNEW I did.  I will gladly admit Marian was pretty, still is, but...  Anyway, their marriage lasted and ours did too.

Now after all these years both couples are experiencing medical problems. I hear Dal's problem is he has too many 'PLATES' in his blood. He has always amazed me at the things he has accomplished but sticking too many plates in his blood beats them all.  ;-O  ......... Also  the girls (Sherry & Marian) are both experiencing bad KNEE problems.

WE are forced to change plans, I think we will go South,  and take a break in Florida. Here, Sherry finds tooooo many things to do with church and friends to give that knee the rest it needs.

At least a day in the RV she can be in a recliner or  stretched out on the couch. during the day's drive.

Maybe we will get up North this year, but it would have to be soon.  You guys that live North of Mr's. Mason and Dixon's place have CCCCold weather in the winter.  WE remember, we once lived in those latitudes in North Missouri. ;-)

The shot below is just below that Mason/Dixon line

The parking lot where we lived also, Just about 3 miles from the Pentagon

Of course there will be More very important stuff tomorrow.  LOL ???

Nite Shipslog

Never Twist.......... the truth

 

For today:

I have enjoyed most phases of my life.  My sweetheart has followed me and never complained, whether I asked her to live in a rebuilt chicken coop, a 27' trailer,  a house with no indoor bath or toilet or a nice home with an indoor pool. LOL

Once I learned I enjoyed story telling. I fell in love with that too. LOL For many years Sherry and I traveled entertaining kids.  Most of that was at Boy Scouts, churches, camps, and individuals.

WE did that from key West to Canada. Even a week in NYC and a couple times in Cuba.

I was a magician some nights, chalk artist or ventriloquist others. 

Once a Youth Director called me needing a week, 4 classes a day, but I have no money left. I laughed, can I at least use your Zerox  machine?  Remember them?

Of course, so I wrote my first book, 7 page.  It was 1965 and the dance "The Twist" was big.  I titled the book "Never Twist" and on the first page I put.......THE TRUTH.  The book did very well.

AT least 40 years later a lady walked up to me and asked, "Are you Jack Darnell?"  I answered something like, 'Does he owe you money also?'

She laughed big and said,  "You must be him, you will never change.  I just wondered if you have a copy of 'Never Twist?'"

I had to think for  a minute, then realized what she was talking about.  WE talked. She asked would you like a copy? YES!

She gave me her copy saying 'that was one of the best experiences of my childhood.  I want you to have it and Thank You for a great time; all the girls in my group loved your classes.'

I had the back page for their friends to sign. 

Enough of my stuff, I found this going thru an old box I had not unpacked yet.  It was fun.

Nite Shipslog

Going to church

 It is Wednesday Morning, we are headed for church.   WE have attended many churches in our about 70 years of marriage.  After a hitch in the USMC and the USAF,  I even thought I was a preacher for a few years and pastored a church in Missouri, got to know some wonderful people, some we still are in contact with.  Then we moved back to NC, to pastor one, a little later we organized and built another.  It is hard to believe that when the church was doing great, going from about 20 up to about 80 in attendance, I lost my faith.  Looking back that is hard to believe even for me. but I resigned the Sunday after I realized all of a sudden, I saw no answered prayers, and I had lost it all down inside, I was going thru motions.

After resignation I tried attending Surveyor's School. nada, I finally returned to the life I loved, the miliary, I joined the Navy.

I continued to attend church with Sherry.  Usually thinking of my next project or  planning the rest of the day......Years later I regained my faith. We were actually in a church service at the same church My dad pastored when I met my sweetheart; when it happened, a light just came on and my FAITH was back!

Now after many years we are back attending that church.  The church is far different now, years later and having had good pastors came covid.  The Attendance back has averaged 175 to 250. (Once many years ago, my dad promoted Sunday School and we had over 850 one Sunday, Blocking streets)

BUT now it has dwindled to  35 to 55, mostly all us OLD people. Our resources have dropped that we must dip into church savings  each week just to pay a pastor and keep the doors open.

Older pastors kept their finger on the pulse of the times. The churches that are growing in today's world, are doing that;  the rest of us are just biding our time.

WE enjoy the pastor and people, we have some great folk.  So since our church is old, evidently leadership accepts what it is and has decided to just have a slow death. So we have one Sunday morning service and a Wednesday Morning service. You  know that no working families can attend mid week services in the mornings, just us old folk.

So WE will be there and I will get a few smiles and maybe a laugh or two.  This is what I found in my closet:

In 1976 Gas was about 59 cents a gallon.  Yes we voted for Jimmy. We once lived about 20-25 miles from him in Georgia.  Of course we never knew him. He was in Plains, and we were south a few miles in  Albany, Georgia LOL

I found this shirt and button along with buttons of FDR and Stevenson.

Yep a Jimmy Carter shirt. My sister Shirley bought that in Plains when She and her Husband Jim went to the Campaign HQ there.

Enough, gotta go.  I might attach more shots.  No more shots but I got a lot of laughs and some NONONONOS AND SOME yeaS!

Nite Shipslog

RAdiation close to sensitive areas

 MOTOCROSS in Cuba

We enjoyed about 4 years living aboard the USN station GITMO bay Cuba.  The boys raced Moto cross. I have a funny story of how we got the bikes to GITMO.  Maybe later.

BUT so for today:

Over all, today went well.  It is amazing how 'a very short action' is so complicated for which to prepare.  It took almost an hour to prepare me for a few 'seconds' of radiation. 

BAD hearing caused me to THINK that some form of eye drops were going to be used to prevent damage to my eye by the radiation.  Those special 'eye drops & solutions I purchased at the pharmacy were NOT replacing the lead that would prevent damage to my eye, BUT they were only lubricants and deadening drops, to make the insertion of lead or other preventers, less painful.

They inserted materials around the 'eyeball' before the actual radiation was activated.  AND YES, it was definitely a tough time to endure. :-(

But  good doctors have decided this was the most effective path for preventing the spreading of the Merkel Cell Carcinoma. 

I do hope and pray the radiation worked it's miracle.  I am not sure if I could have handled that insertion around my eyeball for 25-30 applications, as the Dr. prescribed. 

AND NOW that action is over!  I still think my approach is logical; so now, maybe I will be able to aggravate my sweetheart a few more years to the 100 mark.  LOL

Thanks to EVERYONE for the support, love and prayers. I have been very blessed; after this entire few month's process, I just took a pain pill, the first I have needed.  That is only due to the aggravation at my eye due to the insertion of  the materials to prevent damage to my eye, a very small price to pay to save my sight in that eye.

Nite Shipslog

PS:  And they also said, DO NOT SCRATCH THAT AREA IF IT ITCHES!!!

I am not scratching, but I sure am rubbing pretty regularly.  LOL

Monday is the day.

Now playing at Sight and Sound, we think!

for today

 Monday is coming up.  I now have my super special eye drops I picked up today, they somehow prevent radiation from effecting my eyes..... Being deaf hurts, but to think of something effecting my sight really makes me think.

I am checking on reservations for our trip to Pennsylvania.  Sherry checked what is going on at 'Sight and Sound' near Lancaster.  They are doing 'Joshua'  I hope we can arrange that between my appointments and Sherry's.  

She is still fighting blood pressure problems with many ups!  Now when I got lost on our last trip to the hospital we had to walk a lot and I did not know we were about ruining her knee, and she did not complain.  I blame myself because it was my fault that we got lost.

AS of now the knee is easing off.  I am doing my best to keep her off her feet to let that knee heal.

A trip would be good just now.  She would have to stay off her feet and relax in her recliner on our way north.

I would like to thank MA for the SS information.  That verifies what a good friend of mine at church told me.  She too gets her deceased hubby's Social Security since his death.   So that easies one thing on my mind.

I can say one thing positive, I did get that crazy zero turn mower fixed.  And I come up with a good meal today. Sherry is easy to please, but said this was the best meal in months.

Son Mark brought in 2 chicken 1/4s. I cleaned the bones and saved the meat.  I boiled carrots in sweet syrup, honey and brown sugar for about 14 minutes. then let it set. I made some potato pieces in lots of butter (after boiling them for 10 minutes.). I drained the carrots and dumped them with the chicken into the home fries. I steamed them all while I prepared a  loaf of bread saved from our last trip to a steak house.

I hear  her  on the phone now, bragging on that meal.  LOL

Nite Shipslog

Some times

 There are times that  hearing the news makes one feel sick.  Remember the Shah of Iran?  During that time Iran and the USA were 'buddies'.

Now we are killing Iranians because we do not like the present 'SHAWs',

I heard an interview with what was called 'just an Iranian guy'.  He stated , 'we loved America.'  Now it is confusing because you guys are bombing and Killing us.  What happened?

I will apologies to you that smile at our present condition, saying it is just temporary.  Hey, I am paying close to $4 a gallon for gas that I remember most of my life was less than $1.50, much of my life gas was less than $1 a gallon. 

No one wants to be hit with an A-Bomb!  I am afraid we have bit off more than we can chew. Did we need a war we could not win?

I guess I wouldn't be so frustrated but recently I bought gas for my lawn mowers and paid more than a fill up on our Honda, normally.

I have always smiled at how blessed we were in the USA when paying for gas in Germany, Switzerland, France, Spain and seeing the price in the UK and Caribbean.   I cannot imagine the prices in those areas now.

I might be blind sighted, but this present war that has upset the world's oil industry is the first war I can remember that WE STARTED.  WE have been in wars, but seldom did we start them.

A a former military man with the majority of my time in and Teaching,  Intelligence Processing, I am amazed anyone THOUGHT a middle eastern country would capitulate to our demands. Hey remember, those fools knew they were going to die crashing into the twin towers, and many other places. Death is an honor to them.  OR something to that effect.

I am sorry, I really do not mean to offend you who back our present Commander in Chief, but personalities of those who require praise just seem to nip at my heels.  Even if it is my own party.  ;-)

Nite Shipslog

PS  Maybe it is time for me to just stop and take a few days off and relax.  I am hoping to take a vacation after my next Dr. appt. anyway.  I would love to be eating some Pennsylvania fresh corn....

RAin? great, but hey I am outside!

 

A care free sailor. sitting in the safety nets around the flight deck of the USS Independence CVA62, in the Mediterranean Sea. Sherry and I were up on technology, we were now communicating with cassette tapes, and I could hear her voice, She sounded wonderful, even thousands of miles away! In the safety net no one could hear her but me!

That from the past, now today!

WE need the rain, however our deck at our favorite swing needed repair.  About $80 of lumber and a few hours I finished with one screw left, when the rain came.

Yeh, I did get all the tools in and cleared the area.

I cannot help but think of my life,  and possibly leaving my sweetheart.  ME and EVERYONE else says what I say, "NO one can say when this life will end.  Yeah I KNOW that.  But when someone who is  of the medical profession gives you a date, you pause and THINK!.

Of course the pastor says, "Bro. Jack, you will leave this world when HE is through with you and not before!"

An answer I would and did expect.  What else could he say?

Honestly, and I MEAN this, "I really do not care!"  That may be hard to understand, but I can say that. AS a matter of fact, it is easy to say. At present I do not have a pain in my body that is life threatening.  Now, I might say different if I was suffering as some folks are.

But LOGIC tells me, prepare for what future you have, so I plan to.  I am thinking of my sweetheart and what she will have to live on when I am gone.   I need to check with SS to see how much her SS will increase.  I hear she can draw off mine.  I get a little more than she does  at present.

Anyway I am thinking of the future MUCH DIFFERENT than I did 2 weeks ago when I thought I had a simple 'skincancer', LOL

Love you guys

NIte Shipslog

As you know, I am not new to this Blogging/ Journalling.

I have a picture Sherry took of me working on this 1953 Plymouth we had in Biloxi Mississippi. Here she is in her first Pregnancy with Jack Jr.  I did work on this one, and we prayed for it a lot too! I was a lowly Airman, and things were tough. Me or the Lord had to fix it, or we would have walked. He did help me of course.

For this time:

 BUT... I do forget how to do things, such as to change font type and size, color, etc.  Posting the right size pictures confuse me also, as time has gone on.

Somehow I used to make my entry, then transfer it here and post. I am sure a Genius can get lost here as they age.  I am laughing.

I was told once, "You are the smartest person in the world, dad!"

That was when son Mark was selling his Corvette, the man was coming to get the car with cash, and it would not start.  He was desperate, I did get it started, just as the man drove up."

The 'smartest person in the world' came out when he heard that engine roar to life.  LOL

I am smiling, I am a smart man; So I am also smart enough to know that was his RELIEF talking. ;-)

WE all feel like that at times when relief shows up in the nick of time. ;-)

I do have an ability to fix stuff. Example: This week my sweet heart mentioned she did not like the damage to a step in this house.  I just happened to have a scrap of oak wood that would work in a cut and insert, in this case.  A few hours of work fixed that for her.  She be happy.  I have to admit it is a first class 'fix'.

She is easy to impress.  Growing up, her mama could fix more than her dad around their house.  After about 70 years it is still hard for her to accept I can fix most carpentry, plumbing and electrical problems in our homes.  Before all this mumbo jumbo of computerized firing and timing of cars and engines, I could repair engines even complete rebuilding one.  I have been stopped in my tracks, like most guys, since those Enovation's  in cars came around. LOL

I just finished my ice cream sandwich MA blogged about today.  It was small, I think I will have another.  LOL

Nite Shipslog

PS: I just finished my 2nd ice cream sandwich; well you know they are small. LOL

Ideas, yeaah right?

 

Above is Corporal Dallas Fletcher from a foreign Country: Pennsylvania!

Friends of mine

For today, I think!

I had an idea when I sat down, but it has flown.  This happens more often than in the past.

Nuts to you... No,  Nuts for me!  I have loved nuts since I was a kid. Probably from 4 yrs old to 6 yrs old when Granny died. She always reached into her 'bosom' to get her change   purse, a small thingee with a twist snap top; she always found me a nickel.  I would run to a little shack that sold snacks and buy a little container of salted nuts. That little container always promised a coin inside every pack, 1 to 25 cents.  Of course it was always a penny. ;-),

The coins were not new either. I look back at what I have been told  that coins have more germs attached than most things.  WHY didn't all us kids get sick and die?  Don't get me wrong, I am glad I did not, ;-0.  As a kid I did swallow a couple coins! ;-)

ANYWAY, now my choice of nut is Honey Roasted.  I eat both p-nuts and almonds at night. I guess I eat about a 1/4 cup (as I am now, as I type)

YES, I AM TYPING. I do actually use two hands instead of one finger, but I still look at the keys, more than the screen, at times I look up and see nothing is on the screens, LOL

I never took Typing in school. I had to learn fast, when I was forced to use a 'typewriter' at a USAF job at MARS (Military Affiliated Radio Stations).  I did get a lot of strange looks when asked, I said, " I work at MARS!" 

I was supposed to type every message I received. To be honest most messages more than one line,  I wrote long-hand, then typed it off line

In this life I have did a lot of crazy things. I was trained as an Analog Computer repairman. Then when the world went Digital  I was trained as a Digital Repairman. Later I went to IBM School in D.C. And became an IBM repairman. 

 I have a sweet brilliant grandson, Josh, who programs and repairs software problems. I once told him, "I have fixed many computers and had no idea how I did it!" 

He made me feel so good once when he said, "Grandpa, I have done the same thing in Software repairs!"

Okay, that is my entry. I was going to write a brilliant post.

Love to all.

Nite Shipslog

PS: As I finished this I thought to two guys I do so admire,  Both have health problems, both from my long time past. Not sure if you will read this, but Buddy and Dallas tonight I wish you well,  Memories of you bring a smile...

After a lot of work I think pictures appeared... I am confused