squatting dog
Remember when... thirty seemed so old.
- Location
- Arkansas, and also Florida
I chuckle when I hear someone tell me “get back to me when you have paid your dues”… I think I can safely say I have paid my dues.
I survived 2nd and 3rd degree burns over 60% of my body. I survived the tour and a half in the infantry from 1968-70 in South East Asia, (still paying mentally for that), including having a Vietnamese try to cut my throat with a rubber tree cutter. (Only sticking my hand up and slicing open fingers saved me). I survived a broken lower vertebrae and upper vertebrae in a crane accident. Rehabbed the broken vertebrae and was able to return to work. I survived a wreck with a 1 ton Dodge van while riding my motorcycle. I survived the worst 2 weeks of my life waiting to hear back from a doctor if the tumor they removed was malignant or benign.
I think I’ve paid mine.
I spent about 40 years as a heavy equipment and diesel mechanic. Built hotrod's, motorcycle's, built a slew of racecar’s, built a house from the ground up, converted a greyhound bus to full time for a spell. We have owned a total of 13 house’s all over the country. We’ve moved from New York to Vt. To San Diego. then from Ca. to Vt. Then back to San Diego. Then moved out to the Ca. desert, then to Ar. Then to Fl. Then back to Ar. and back to Fl. Remodeled some of the houses. Raised 2 daughters, rescued I don’t know how many dogs from the kill shelter.
We’ve fostered three small children. We have owned 4 boats, one twin engine cabin cruiser, and one cuddy cabin outboard powered fishing boat, one tri-hull with a 125 hp Johnson, one volvo-penta inboard-outboard. Have owned 10+ assorted rv's, including one set-up for total boondocking. (think lots of solar)
Any hotrod or racecar that we built, was painted by the wife and I and occasionally my brother, no one else. All flame jobs were done by us. Some good, some crude, but, all home brewed. When I say we built a house, that’s what I mean. We cleared the land, rented a backhoe and installed a septic system, then framed, roofed, wired, plumbed, insulated, and finished the inside all by ourselves. We did it all, just the 2 of us.
Paid our dues… Ha.
I survived 2nd and 3rd degree burns over 60% of my body. I survived the tour and a half in the infantry from 1968-70 in South East Asia, (still paying mentally for that), including having a Vietnamese try to cut my throat with a rubber tree cutter. (Only sticking my hand up and slicing open fingers saved me). I survived a broken lower vertebrae and upper vertebrae in a crane accident. Rehabbed the broken vertebrae and was able to return to work. I survived a wreck with a 1 ton Dodge van while riding my motorcycle. I survived the worst 2 weeks of my life waiting to hear back from a doctor if the tumor they removed was malignant or benign.
I think I’ve paid mine.
I spent about 40 years as a heavy equipment and diesel mechanic. Built hotrod's, motorcycle's, built a slew of racecar’s, built a house from the ground up, converted a greyhound bus to full time for a spell. We have owned a total of 13 house’s all over the country. We’ve moved from New York to Vt. To San Diego. then from Ca. to Vt. Then back to San Diego. Then moved out to the Ca. desert, then to Ar. Then to Fl. Then back to Ar. and back to Fl. Remodeled some of the houses. Raised 2 daughters, rescued I don’t know how many dogs from the kill shelter.
We’ve fostered three small children. We have owned 4 boats, one twin engine cabin cruiser, and one cuddy cabin outboard powered fishing boat, one tri-hull with a 125 hp Johnson, one volvo-penta inboard-outboard. Have owned 10+ assorted rv's, including one set-up for total boondocking. (think lots of solar)
Any hotrod or racecar that we built, was painted by the wife and I and occasionally my brother, no one else. All flame jobs were done by us. Some good, some crude, but, all home brewed. When I say we built a house, that’s what I mean. We cleared the land, rented a backhoe and installed a septic system, then framed, roofed, wired, plumbed, insulated, and finished the inside all by ourselves. We did it all, just the 2 of us.
Paid our dues… Ha.
