quadzero

To honor them… I was spared from Vietnam because I served on the east coast. And by the time I made it to the west coast the war was “over”. Well, not exactly “over”, because that war lives on in the minds of many people.

Like my elder brother, he DID go to Vietnam. He was just an 18-year-old kid when he went. He has never spoken about his experience. It was only just a few years ago that I learned that he in fact had been wounded.

The same with our dad who served in WWII; It was only a few years ago that I learned from my uncle (He served in WWII as well) that my dad actually survived a ship sinking in the pacific. My dad NEVER ever mentioned that. I cannot help but wonder what else I’ll never know about his war experience on the account that my dad is gone now.

One more thing, there was one huge difference between my dad’s and my brother’s experience… My dad never had been spit upon when he came home from war.

Next time you get an opportunity, say “Thank You” to a veteran.

This was a pretty desolate place… It stinks and I don’t understand why people go there.

My wife and I were in New Orleans in ‘98. We did the tourist thing and I suppose it was interesting to a degree anyway. One thing we wanted to be sure and do while in New Orleans is eat a “real” Cajun dinner. We ate at a place on St. Charles Street. I’m not real confident on the name, but the dinner was reasonably good, I suppose, (Jazz a Louisiana Kitchen restaurant here in KC is as good or even better and so much cheaper!) but the dinner was way overpriced for what we got. There was a funky “band” playing Cajun/Zydeco music… it had a sleazy Vegas feel about it. Since my wife and I are not carousers we would be out of place there on Mardi Gras.

I really am sorry about the horrible Katrina fiasco there but I cannot think of a reason to ever go back. We did however, volunteer for an entire week to help out at a relief center in Baton Rouge last year and would not hesitate of returning for humanitarian reasons I pray that will never again be necessary.

Ahh… Yellow Springs… Home of Antioch College, which boasts of alumnus such as Rod Serling and John Lithgow. There are numerous ‘60’s style “Head Shops” in Yellow Springs. This also happens to be the location of the very first anti Vietnam War protest. On occasion you will see elderly people picketing the Yellow Springs Post office…

An interesting fact about Yellow Springs is that it is just down the road from Cedarville, which is the Home of Cedarville College. What is so interesting is the fact that Antioch College is just as “liberal” as Cedarville College is “conservative” a private Baptist school. I wish I could have seen some of the debates between those schools faculty while I lived there in Cedarville.

Oh yeah just outside of Yellow Springs is Young’s Dairy Farm, which sells “homemade” ice cream products. I’ve been there at 2:00 am and it be packed with college students! Young’s Dairy Farm is a “Must See” place in the Dayton, Ohio area.

I was staying with my sister in Alexandria Virginia in the summer of ‘73

We connected with a Varig Airlines flight on our way down to Brazil… The airport had a distinctive Latin feel about it… We certainly felt out of place at our gate.

I lived here all through the ‘60’s… Home of Ft. Irwin, Yermo Marine Corps Supply Depot, Goldstone Tracking Station (NASA) and Calico Ghost Town. Barstow was the butt of many Johnny Carson jokes. Barstow is in the middle of the Mojave Desert. I remember when I was a kid that it seemed that Barstow was always competing with Needles as being the “Nation’s Hot Spot” (110-115 degrees). Barstow, at least when I lived there was not much more than a seven-mile main street… Yes it had neighborhoods, but as far as Barstow businesses go, there was the one main street.

One precious memory I have is when I was a kid living actually three miles outside of Barstow (just off Rt. 66) in a place called Lenwood, laying on the hood of the family ’63 Ford Country Squire nine-passenger station wagon listening to Vin Scully (LA Dodgers) and Dick Enburg (Angels) announce baseball games out of LA!

I joined the US Navy while I was a senior at Barstow Union High School in 1973. I haven’t been there since ’75 while on a short leave. I would like to go back there someday. I have met people who have been there who have told me that it has changed a lot (grown) My brother was there a couple of years ago and told me that our old neighborhood has not changed at all! He said some of the houses have worn down a bit, but there are few of the same neighbors living there!

Although I do not drink anymore, I do remember the Newport Piano Bars. Newport is a pretty little town

Two of my three sons worked here… If I had to choose one word to describe my thoughts of that place it would be “Don’t”

You will be surprised at what you will se there…