English Pub Crawl

I was lucky to have a few business trips to England. The last one I took was to the town of Beverley in Yorkshire, which is in northern England about 30 miles from Scotland.
     On this trip, I traveled alone and stayed at the Beverley Arms Hotel. I spent my days working at British Aerospace (BAe) and the evenings meandering around the streets of Beverley. Most nights I would eat at a local pub, the town had many. The food was always good and the patrons were friendly.
     I had acquired the nickname, Half-pint on a prior trip, due to my always ordering a half-pint of ale or lager. Most customers would say "Give me a pint" but, not me. So the nickname was appropriate, plus my short stature, 5 foot 5 . .  .  err, almost.
    After a week of wandering around town and eating at various pubs, I felt at home. A pub is short for public house, which seems to be much more than a drinking establishment like a bar in the US. Beverley is a small town with a population of just over 20,000 with only a few American visitors. On this trip, I didn't come in contact with any other Americans so maybe I was flying solo in Beverley. I do know that whenever I entered a pub and requested a half-pint they knew I was from the states and they also unknowingly knew my nickname, but I never said anything about that. I sat alone, but only for a short time since there was always a Brit that came over to talk.
     I enjoyed the casual conversations and friendly atmosphere. I even had a guy show me his restored Jaguar that he drove to the pub. The trips to England were good memories. I like to talk with people who have accents. I've never thought of myself as having an accent, it was always the other person that had one. The truth everyone has an accent but it's only noticeable when your not in your hometown. I feel more international now that I know I also have an accent.
     Mark, my BAe counterpart along with another invited me to a pub crawl on my last night. It sounded like a fun English experience, so I accepted without hesitation. They met me at my hotel and we walked not crawled to the first pub. The pubs were old, very old with ornate and gnarly wood bars. The wood floors were warped but added to the character of the establishment. I ordered a half-pint of bitters, which I learned over the course of the week is what many drank. They had a ample selection of lagers and ales, but very few of the US brands. And why would they, who comes to England and orders a Budweiser? Nobody I knew.
     We walked from one pub to another and each one was unique in its own way. The last pub we stopped by was the oldest in Beverley. Old has a different meaning in England than it does in the US. This pub was established over 450 years ago. That is literally the definition of old. I recently had the Apple tech guy tell me my MacBook Air was not just old, but ancient. I bought the laptop in 2011.
     This pub named, The Sun Inn was the last of seven pubs we went to that night and the most interesting because of its age. The  floors were so warped that it felt like you were walking on waves. They had a chocolate-flavored ale. I was intrigued but not enough to order as glass. A bartender in England is called a barman. He was kind enough to let me have a taste. It was different, but not in a good way.
     The pub crawl was a great experience, something I will never have an opportunity to do again especially with two guys from England. I've thought about a lot of things during this pandemic and for me, experiences are the most important. They far outweigh material possessions. I’m sure there are many that will agree. Not all experiences are good but all have value.
       One other thought I had was the similarities and contrast between societies. England has pub crawls and the US has bar hopping and although I have limited experience I have neither seen anyone crawl or hop from one drinking establishment to another. While I will admit it's not out of the realm of possibility. "Just Saying . . ."

What I’ve learned during the Stay at Home Order

I feel lucky about the things I have but also missing some things. I have a nice home and money to buy what I need. I have a backyard to enjoy the outdoors without fear. I don’t live in a highly congested apartment building or an over populated city. My family and friends live nearby even though the pandemic has kept us apart, it’s still a comforting feeling knowing they’re close by.
     I have medical insurance, a car to get around, clean clothes to wear, food and most of all a supportive wife who listens to my lame jokes and rants.
     There are things I miss that have no monetary value but they seem more important now than ever. I’m a people watcher. I can be in a crowd of people and be entertained by watching others. I’ve always been that way, so I miss that activity because we don’t got out much right now. In the past going to the store, any store was an adventure because of the people you interacted with. That’s not the case any longer. The only person I’m with is my wife, but she’s not all thrilled with my favorite hobby.
     “What are you doing?” She asked.
     “I’m watching you.” I commented. “It’s my thing.”
     “Well, stop it.” She insisted. “It’s annoying.”
     “I’m a people watcher and you’re the only people here.”
     She waves her hand. “Go do something . . . write a story just quit bugging me.”
     “Okay . . . but I notice a bit of tension in your voice.”
     She has no response, but shakes her head. So I decide to move on to a different activity, something safer, like this story. I mean after all it was her suggestion.
     Getting a haircut during the pandemic can be a problem, but luckily for me one the skills my wife has acquired is cutting hair. Long ago when we were first married she cut my hair because it was more economical, and over the years she has become pretty good at it. Mimi is my favorite barber, I tell her frequently, usually right before I need a haircut. Sometimes she refuses and tells me to go to a regular barber, but during the pandemic it’s been different.
     Because she’s doing me a favor I try to give her the true barber experience by discussing topics that you have with a regular barber. I ask her about baseball and the recent trade or her prediction of the season. Sometimes, I get a funny retort, but often I’m ignored.
     Occasionally, I request a special cut. “I’d like  a Brad Pitt or Ryan Reynolds style cut today.”
     “I’m just cutting hair not doing plastic surgery.”
     “Okay, then I’ll take that as a no.”
     She laughed. “You might be better suited to a Professor Irwin Cory cut.”
     “On second thought just go with my regular cut.”
     When she cut my hair recently, I questioned her about the pandemic. She was not fascinated by my questions. Oh! I was just trying to keep the conversation current.
     One other thing I noticed about the do’s and don’t s for the virus is the warning not to touch your face. Now in the past, I’ve never been aware that I touched my face, but now that I’ve been warned, touching my face seems to be super important.
     So the pandemic has taught me to appreciate what I have and be patient with the things I miss until they return. I try to follow the rules, but sometimes I may slip so be patient with me. Right now I’m touching my face, “Just Saying . . . “

Play in the Dirt

Stomp in a puddle, roll in the grass. Be like a kid and play in the dirt. Getting dirty was part of being a kid, a important life experience. My granddaughter likes to play in the dirt. It’s not like there aren’t any toys available, she has many. She prefers nature’s toys, but in truth she’s not unusual, all kids gravitate toward dirt, grass, tree bark and rocks. Oh! ants, worms and any wiggle creatures, they’re all interesting.
     Little kids constantly and unknowingly expose theirselves to germs. It’s the way they build their immune systems. It’s almost like it’s in their DNA to become one with germs. Later in life we learn to fear germs but for kids it’s all an adventure.
     I know fear is a valuable emotion if used properly, but debilitating if it over takes every aspect of our life.
     We are now living under an umbrella of fear with the Coronavirus. I don’t want to ignore the danger, but also don’t want to succumb to an unreasonable fear of germs or viruses. Even doctors and scientist have different views on the proper method to fight the virus.
      I am neither a doctor or scientist but my instincts tell me that hiding indoors indefinitely is not a reasonable answer. I think I need to have my granddaughter visit, so we can go outside and play in the dirt. “Just Saying . . . “

Seek and You Shall Find

We are all searching for the truth. The thing is, if you already believe you know the truth, then you’re seeking information to support your beliefs. Anyone can find information on the Internet to support their views. There are some conspiracy theorist that still believe the earth is flat and others that the earth is hollow and home to aliens with superior intelligence. These are extreme beliefs, but I mention it just to point out that much of the information on the web is inaccurate or, at best misleading.

     If you have a strong opinion on politics, democrat or republican, you most certainly will find websites to support your opinions. What you should know is that those websites have tainted information because they have an agenda, and it’s about getting followers not getting to the truth. If your source of information are sites like, “Donald is a Racist” or “Democrats Suck”, you probably aren’t getting facts. Even reputable sites can't be entirely relied on. They, too are looking for followers.

     Here’s my opinion, all of us make mistakes, make improvements, change our minds, have successes and failures. We are all judged, and it’s fair to be judged for our actions, but is it necessary to be politically crucified in light of the fact that the information may be false or misunderstood. Keep an open mind; others may be saying something worthwhile.

     If your mind is closed to other viewpoints, are you really seeking the truth? “Just Saying....”

Who woulda thunk?

My wife enjoys cutting the grass. No, seriously. It’s a Zen moment for her. Me, not so much. I mean I have cut grass many times, but for me it’s just a task that has to be done. The lawn looks nice when you’ve completed the job, but it’s far from fun.
     Well, it’s interesting how things change in times of crisis, the idea of fun takes a drastic turn. I like being outside, riding my bike, hiking, kayaking any activity that lets me enjoy the outdoors. During the quarantine grass cutting has become not only a valuable task but fun activity. So much so that I negotiated with my wife to cut the front grass, pointing out that she shouldn’t have all the fun. Wait! I can’t believe I just said that.
     I don’t know if my attitude to grass cutting will return to normal after we are released from custody. Only time will tell. I suspect our lives will be permanently be altered in some way. I just hope this pandemic ends before I demand to clean the toilets. “Just Saying . . . “

That’s my story and I’m stuck with it

This is a story I was going to read at Ken’s retirement. But with his surgery and because now we all stuck at home for a while I thought I’d send it out to all my Boeing friends. I hope it gives you a laugh. It will only be meaningful if you know Ken, but if you worked at Boeing you probably came in contact with him. I tried to use as many Eichornism as possible.

That’s my story and I’m stuck with it
A tribute to Ken or a Roast of sorts

Many years ago a young boy was born in Illinois with many special talents. His name was Ken from the Land of Eichorn. He stood out from other babies, as you will see. You could say he marched to a different drummer.

Most mothers would smile and coo at their child coaxing them to say Mama or Dada. This was true of Ken’s mom as well. She would cuddle him and say, “How is my precious baby Kenny today. “

But to her surprise Baby Ken didn’t say Mama or Dada but he cocked his head and memorably remarked, ”Terrible, thanks for asking.”

And so it began, when he got in trouble around the house. His mom would ask him if he was responsible. Ken didn’t respond with a yes or no, he said, “Obvious to the most casual observer.”

Nothing changed, as he grew older except the endless list of ‘Eichornisms’ he complied. In school the teachers quickly learned to be cautious when asking Ken a question. 

One teacher asked Ken to clean up his desk. Ken simply responded, “A clean desk is the sign of a sick mind.”

Another teacher wanting to involve Ken said, “Can you pass these test out to your classmates?” 

            Without hesitation, Ken said. “Whatever winds your motor.”

Throughout his life there was never a situation when Ken didn’t have an answer.      

Early in my retrofit career I became associated with Ken. He was an interesting character. He spoke in cryptic phrases and never answered a question as you might expect. I sat next to Ken for many years and ended up compiling a list of his unique sayings. 

            Here are few examples:

            Ken worked at McDonnell Douglas since he was 18 years old so he had a vast amount of experience. Who better to answer questions about McDonnell Douglas than Ken? No one I knew. So when I stumbled over a problem I asked him why it was done this way. He quickly responded, “I don’t drive the train I just load the cars.” 

            I took that to mean he didn’t know. But that didn’t stop me from asking other questions. I was a young and inexperienced employee and since Ken being the lead, I liked to keep him informed. I told him I was going to a meeting and that I’d be back in an hour. Ken said, “Thanks for the warning.”

            I also asked him about the guy running the meeting. His comment was “Every time he opens his mouth dumb comes out.” Then as I walked away he had one final word of advice. “If anything comes up swallow it.” 

            On occasion while working a project I might have a pencil in my mouth while in deep thought. Ken would look over and say. “Looks like it’s gonna rain . . . hogs carrying stick in their mouths.” 

If you ask Ken a question he felt you should know the answer to. He wouldn’t call you a dumbass. He was much more poetic, saying. “A man with a head the size of a grape could figure that out.” 

Working with Ken has been fun like ‘one continuous show, it’s never out and never over.’ Just be aware that ‘if want to dance, you’ve got to pay the fiddler.’ So you can ‘pay me now or pay me later.’ Some day you’ll learn ‘figures don’t lie, liars figure.’ ‘It’s the law of the jungle.’ Be thankful for the chances you have in life, ‘two chances, slim and none.’

            Remember ‘paybacks are hell’ and ‘there are no free lunches,’ so it’s important to know that ‘you can be replaced with someone that breathes’ even if ‘you’ve got more grit than a sand pile.’

63 years is along time to work at one company, so many of the younger guys might be wondering, how old is Ken. Well, I’ve got the answer. “Two days older than water.” I’m sure many of you that have worked with any length of time Ken have your own stories that would fill a journal. After today, you’re on your own because “he didn’t take you to raise.”

Ken, I only have three words to offer you for your future endeavors, well quotes to be accurate. Quotes I learned from you many years ago.

“Take no prisoners”

“A moving target is hard to hit.” 

“Where do you want your final pay check sent.”

Ken, congratulations on your well-deserved retirement, and the horse you road in on.

“Over” . . . that means it’s your turn to talk.

The River

I am the river
Flowing to the sea
Running over rapids
Under blue skies and dark clouds

I am the river
Carving out the earth
Leaving scars of memories
That bleed and heal

I am the river
I’ve seen tragedy
I’ve seen progress
I’ve seen change

I am the river
I’ll be here when you’re gone
I change direction
But run true to course

I am the river
Flowing to the sea
Endless chances and timeless moments
Make changes possible