Survey Says!

Of 3000 Americans surveyed 41% had a fear of speaking in front of a large group of people and 32% had a fear of heights.

I would fall in the group that had a fear of speaking in front of a large group of people.

Which is not entirely true.  If it is planned then I am a goner.  I will mispronounce words, make jerky movements, quiver my lip, and maybe click a clicking toy in my pocket to have something to do with my hands.

However, if I blurt about a bit of wit or wisecrack  that just came to me.  It seems sometimes I have perfect timing. 

I  have had many teachers glare at me as the classroom students roared.

Watch Your Mouth!

It looks like:

At a Varner's Reunion Henry Garmon said, "Ooh Ssshhhoooot!!"

and

Mark McGee said, "I thought you were about to say a bad word!"

Scarecrows Lurking in Glover Park

click to enlarge.

We took Willow to the Square in downtown Marietta yesterday.  It was a nice day.   Glover Park had a lot of scare crows lurking around.

And Willow enjoyed it too.  Although she did threaten to whip a Great Pyrenees' ass.  I been with her at the dog park enough to know when I hear her let out that low rumbling growl.  I had a decision to make.  Should I pull her away with the leash or make a run for it so I won't get eaten in the crossfire? 

Also, I checked on how the Gentrification of the Clay Homes is coming along.  The below is the corner of Wayland and Waddell Streets.  I lived on that very corner.  Yep, the Gentrification is about complete.  No more running through  the maintenance office's sprinkler on hot summer nights. 

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! MAD #27 College Football

Well, college football is here, and there, and there.
Illustrated by Jack Davis.

Click on page to make it bigger and maybe making sense.

Belated Happy Birthday Navy (including me!)

I missed a birthday two days ago.  The U.S. Navy was born October 13, 1775.  The United States birthday is July 4, 1776.  That means the Navy is one year, three months, and 9 days older than the country that created it.

Anyway, I was part of the living organism of that Navy for a brief time of its life, about six years (two years active).   

Happy Birthday to us!

click on picture to make it bigger and maybe understandable.

Duty Driver once a Week

We went to Carmel, NY, a lot to visit my uncle Roy and his two boys Billy and Rodney

A music hall in Greenwich Village 

Me in a Bell Hellicopter

Me aboard the U.S.S. Newport News

Snow woman holding a Bud in front of our barracks

me in front of Hangar

Me,, at Seaside Heights, NJ, looking our for the enemy in 1963.

Me and Dick Day exorcising evil spirits from a spittoom can in  front of an antique shop in New Hope, Pa.

Me and Don Lash in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum

Me swinging on a rope like Tarzan at Clear Pool Camp, at Carmel, NY.

Hangars at Lakeurst, NJ.  Our Squadron was the hangar on the right.  By the way, the biggest one, on the left was the hangar present at the Hindenburg Explosion in 1937.

Cube mate Mark Shuler plays his guitar as I strip.

Left to right:  Dick Day, Nancy Day, Sam's date, Sam Kasuske, Don Lash, Don's date, my date, and me. At the EM Club at our Squadron HU-4 Banquet.

Don Lash showing off his blackeye.  We were at the EM Club the night before snowed in and everybody was getting antsy and cabin fever.  A Marine hit Don in the face.

Two other Hangars on the base across from our's

Reuben Collier and his white fluffy thing he found and had a lot of fun with.  Reuben is the only one of us that reenlisted.  He made Warrant Officer and now is retired and living in Thailand. .

Larry and Popeye Laughing

Larry Bradford at a GOBAG (Good Old Boys and Girl) meeting.  Larry is laughing.  It reminds me in high school of Larry's imitation of Popeye's laughter, it went something like: "KA - KA - KA - KA!" (rapidly)

Willow and Hearing

Yesterday I was about to open the truck door when Willow materialized.  She always does that.  Normally I open the truck door and let her jump in.  But this time was different.

I told her she could not go.

She instantly turned around and went down the deck stairs to the back of the house.  It surprised me.  Usually I think she doesn't understand what I say.

I think I heard her say "OK".  Or was it, "Whatever."?

Today is NATIONAL BE BALD AND FREE Day

Happy BE BALD AND FREE Day!

I am bald. 

But I am not free.  I have a price and  I'm not cheap!

So, how much money do you have on you?

Throwback Thursday: Lilly Petty

Throwback Thursday. Lilly Henry Petty (1886-1983), c1982.  Lilly Henry married  James M. "Jim" Petty (1882-1956),  21 May 1903, in Murray County, Georgia. Jim was 21 and Lilly was 16.  They lived on Jim Petty Road in Crandall, Murray County, Georgia.

Jim was a farmer and when we visited them a couple of times when I was a kid.   He also raised collie dogs.

They had nine children.  One was a doctor,  Glenn Petty,  in Chattanooga who lived on Lookout Mountain.  Once I read an article about Glenn's daughter Gail Petty, who went to West Point and after she was to graduate she and her brother had plans ride their bikes Maine to Florida.   Another son of Jim and Lilly, Carton Petty, developed a huge farm that had its own FAA registered airport to fly out its produce.  Another son Cecil, is the only son I have met.  He was genuine a down-to-earth nice fellow.  I am also related to Cecil's wife Mildred Baxter, through the Bookout family.

Mildred and I are both descended from Jesse Bookout, who was an overseer of Chief Vann's plantation slaves.  By the way, then, it was against Georgia's law for a white man to work for an Native American. the  Georgia Militia surrounded the plantation to put an end to Jesse's employment.  

Jim and Lilly are buried at Sumac Presbyterian Cemetery - Murray Co., GA.

I had the pleasure of taking these pictures of Lilly in August 1978,  when she was about age 92, about five years before she died.  She was sharp as a tack and witty, with a wry sense of humor.  One interesting story she told me was that her husband and other of his siblings had to hold down their brother Erwin Petty, while their uncle Dr. William Virgil Garrett, removed Erwin's frostbit toes without anesthesia.  She was living with her son Carlton* at the time, in a big stone house on the Cleveland Highway. 

*I did not get to meet Carlton on that visit, he was out in the fields working... as they say, make hay in the sunshine. 

Fabulous Freak Bros vs Coen Bros vs Homer What Are Thou?

I am re-reading, or re-looking, at the book  THE FABULOUS FURRY FREAK BROTHERS LIBRARY, VOL. 3. by Gilbert Shelton, Dave Sheridan, and Paul Mavrides. 

click to enlarge to read balloons

On page 37,  I came across an interesting scene:  The Freak Brothers are about to be hung by a crooked sheriff and his deputies and a flash flood saves the day (above).

I instantly thought of the movie  O' BROTHER WHERE ART THOU? by the Coen Brothers, which has the identical plot: a group of padres  about to be hung and a flash flood saves the day.

The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers Vol 3 was published 1988.   O'BROTHER WHERE ART THOU was released in 2000.

The movie O' BROTHER .... is made to be a near modern day epic ODYSSEY believed  to be by Homer.... nearly scene by scene of the movie runs along with ODYSSEY.... I do not know about the surprise flood interrupting a multiple hanging.  I saw the movie ODYSSEY with Kirk Douglas but did not read the book.  I bet Homer left some kind of reference of near the same thing.

More Waiting Room Highlights

Another doctor's waiting room today.   It was full of people.  The lady at the desk announced the doctor was running about 20 minutes late.          

We noticed a lady sitting in front of us going through a stack of loose papers looking over each one and making marks on it.  It wasn't hard to see she was a school teacher.  And I bet not grading papers because she had a doctor's appointment is not a good excuse.   But I bet she won't get paid for her extra work.

____________________________________

A lady on the other of us, about four or five people away was fumbling with her pocketbook.  She turned on her little flashlight that I think was on her keychain and didn't seem to notice it..  It was tiny but had a blinding light blaring our eyes.  We quickly told her to turn it off.  She did.

But later in the inner office waiting area we ran into the lady with the light again.  She and I did not realize it out in the waiting room but we met yesterday.

______________________________________

When we finally got to see the doctor the "running 20 minutes late" changed itself to 60 minutes.

Waiting Room Chattering

I sat in a waiting room yesterday for two or three hours while Anna had surgery.  It was actually a sun room outside the waiting room.  It was away from the TV so I could read.  I think my face was medium rare when it was all over.

Also sitting there was a red headed lady that looked much like my late cousin Alice.  She looked like she really would prefer not to talk.  However, she did give me polite nod when I sat down, but went back her magazine.

I sat there and glanced at her when I turned a page. I thought that we probably have some things in common to talk about, we might know some same people.  A tough nut to crack.

Finally I said, "I think I should be on a rotisserie".  She laughed.  Then we talked and talked, then talked some more.  She was in the Navy, a dental technician stationed in Iceland,  she lived in New York, she owns her own business, and her live-in boyfriend, who is having a similar operation as Anna, by the same doctor, is her employee.  Her business is manufacturers' representative.  They live in Kennesaw. 

By pokes, jabs, hints, jokes, I came to the conclusion we are not related or have any common friends or acquaintances  (which is the first time that has happened).  But we carried on a lively conversation without hardly a thing in common.

Chalktoberfest on Marietta's Square

Downtown Marietta Chalktoberfest Sidewalk Art.  When I think of chalk I think of chalk erasers and the many times Van Callaway and I had to stay after school at Waterman Street School and dechalk them by beating them.

I know a little about sidewalk chalk.  I remember, also in grammar school, of drawing a heart on the sidewalk, which I am sure was lopsided or something, and declaring my love for a little girl, who I have no idea who it was now, and I'm sure, whoever it was, is glad I forgot. I drew it on East Dixie Avenue near the Butler Street Corner. 

After I got home I happened to think what if my uncle Doug Hunter is driving down that street and sees it he would kid me never ending.  He was always looking for ammunition to tease me about.  I walked back to my masterpiece, about three blocks and erased it.

The art displayed here, I promise you, is technically better than my love declaration.

As always, click on each picture to make it larger and hopefully prettier.