A Good Day

After a long night, a seemingly normal day started, but more on that in a second.

"Staff work suffered under his too-frequent absences and erratic, inconsistent demands."

Signal Towers

This was the description of the eighteen days of Field Marshal Walter Model's command of OB West and Army Group B, on the western European front as described in Cornelius Ryan's A Bridge Too Far.  Model, by his own candid admission, was in over his head.

Though in a situation not nearly as desperate as Field Marshall Model's, I and some of the guys I work with can certainly identify with the German commander's circumstances.  We only wish that those circumstances had lasted only eighteen days.

Favorite TV Shows of the Past: Leave it to Beaver

"Confidential"

Daniel Village Barber Shop

Visited the barber shop today.  The barber who served me was out the porch when I arrived, taking a smoke break I guess.  He's the one who rides the big Harley and, when it's your turn, says, "step into my office."

Last time he cut my hair I told him that I wanted a light trim.  "That's my favorite kind of haircut," he said.

This morning, after I stepped into his office, I asked him to give me his favorite haircut.  With a wicked grin he answered, " a crew cut!"

"No, no!" said I.  And I reminded him of what he had told me before.

Today he let it be known that his favorite haircut to give is really the Confidential.  When I asked him to explain, he said, "you sit down, I comb your hair real purty, and you give me money," and we both laughed.

I made sure that he understood that I wanted just a light trim.

When he finished, he said that he had given me the Confidential.  Knowing that he had actually cut some hair off I had to ask for a further explanation.  "It doesn't look like you just had a hair cut," he said, "but it doesn't look like you need one, either."

And he didn't even charge me extra for it.

Fireman Sam

There's no job too big for the little man.

This is lot's better than TV!

It was a comfortable night by Augusta's standards.  We all sat on our pitiful excuse for a front porch--or else went out and leaned on the cars--to watch Haydin water the entire yard by himself and wash Rebekah's car.  I don't know where he got the idea to wear the fireman's hat but it sort of went with the fire hose.

Then there was the shirt:  it said, "Hey girls, I'M SINGLE."  We never had stuff like that when I was growing up.  (Not that in this particular instance it would have mattered).

While Haydin put out imaginary fires in the bushes and in the flower beds and soaked himself in the process, Connie and I took turns holding Rory.  She's not used to me yet.  I've scared her twice already.  But we're getting there.  She hasn't said a word (or made a word-like sound) yet.  She just looks and takes everything in.  I'm sure that by the time it's time for them to go back home at least one of us won't want her to leave.

A neighbor down the street walked by with his dog.  We invited him to stop and we all visited for a while.

As I was getting ready for bed, the company was just getting its second wind.  When I left them, Haydin was entertaining all the ladies at a tea party at the dining room table.

But Pack Mule had to get up early and go to work, so I missed all the fun.

Company has Arrived!

Haydin and Rory

Rebekah and the grandkids made it here all the way from Seattle.  As usual, Rebekah missed her flight so they spent some time exploring the USO facility.  Then, wonder of all wonders, she drove from the Atlanta airport to our house without a guide and arrived on the same day.

So I sneak out of work fifteen minutes early.  Grandpa's got to see the grandkids, right?

My reward was to get home and find Rory sleeping already --- it was a long trip.  Rebekah's conked out, too.  But the little man was wide awake and running at full speed.  He was already in to his new tool set.  And, I could see from the layout of things, that he and his sister had briefly tried out the whole assortment of things we had got for them.

Life has changed.

And I am glad.

Lexington

Washington and Lee University

Friday, on my journey back home from a month spent at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, I made a stop at Lexington.  Just off Interstate 81, Lexington is in the middle of Virginia's great Shenandoah Valley.  The views of the countryside are captivating.  Lexington is also a college town and home to some rich Civil War history.  One of its famous schools is Washington and Lee University.  One of its most famous presidents was Robert E. Lee, who served in that post from 1865 to 1870.  On the campus is a little chapel, named after General Lee.  In the basement of Lee Chapel, Lee and much of his family are buried.  Just outside the chapel, maybe fifteen feet from where the remains of his master lie in rest, is the burial place of Traveled, General Lee's favorite horse.  I took just a peek inside the chapel.  There was no one else inside save a lady seated up front who was obviously an employee. They offer unscheduled guided tours, but I didn't want to be the only one, so I ducked out and visited the museum on the basement level.  There, the nice lady tried to sell me Douglas Southall Freeman's seven volume biography of George Washington.  The books were in excellent condition and could be had for only five hundred dollars.  Not having that much cash on me at that particular time, I settle for some post cards and walk away having spent only two dollars.

John Neel, Sergeant Major to the
Corps of Cadets, Virginia Military Institute

The real reason I made the stop at Lexington, however, was not to sightsee; it was to visit with an old friend, John Neel.