Life Happened

Somewhere along the line I accepted the fact that I would not be some famous, remarkable person blazing a path for society. I didn't give up, I simply accepted my station in life. My biggest frustration has been my inability to grow and develop ideas; leaving me a frustrated dreamer. My father was very successful and accomplished any number of things (not the least of which was his service to this great country). My greatest successes in the "nine to five" world were marred by my inability to navigate the world of corporate politics. Chasing the proverbial carrot left me mostly living paycheck to paycheck and bereft of the freedom to go places and do the things that others so easily did. My failing health, amongst other things, led me to the world of workamping. I struggled mightily at that vocation which eventually led me to the world of gate guarding; basically providing security for the oil exploration industry. This job requires a person(s) with initiative and a sense of responsibility as you are given very little, if any supervision. It is a job; mostly performed by partners out of their personal RV, that requires dedication, as someone has to be on duty 24-7. I enjoy the solitude and especially not having someone constantly breathing down my neck. The job also pays well and has allowed me to start and build a small business, refurbishing and selling drones. I also met and married a wonderful lady along the way. Now circumstances find us leaving this job and Texas behind. We are headed to Florida, for at least the winter, to be closer to friends and family. That all started when we were gifted with tickets to the Nascar race at the Homestead Miami Speedway. Since the race falls in the holiday season it also made sense to try drone sales in Florida. We also have the security of knowing that, if all else fails, we can return to gate guarding. Reintegrating with family will most likely be a challenge but one that I relish and look forward to. The last ten years of my life have tested my mettle, but also have been some of the most rewarding. I have been blessed with wonderful partners, both in business and life. I look forward to the fresh start and inevitable change on the horizon.

Musings are Back!

I acknowledge that our current President can be bombastic at times; which, unfortunately, alters the intent and purpose of his message(s). It stirs a variety of emotions in people but the worst (IMHO) is not taking him seriously. What stirred my emotions was the stand POTUS took in regards to patriotism and the protests of Colin Kaepernick and others, including the unflattering comments of Seth Curry. He disinvited Seth  from coming to the White House and may have included his teammates. Additionally, POTUS advocated disciplinary action against the NFL players that refuse to conform, including firing them. First off, in my opinion politics, religion and whatever personal beliefs one may have, and your job shouldn't mix. Freedom means many things and you can express your dissent without shaming our flag and anthem, especially in public events. What you acknowledge by at least standing and facing the flag is that you respect it and your country. Somewhere along the line nationalism got wrapped up in things it never was all about. It pains me that respecting your country and its sovereignty has been broad brushed with every "hot button" issue of the day. So, if you remotely think like me (and I believe a lot of you do), don't be ashamed by showing your patriotism and respect for this country and the values it REALLY stands for.

On to the rash of hurricanes a lot of the planet have been affected by. Kudos to the grass roots uprising that resulted in untold lives being saved after the flooding in Houston and the surrounding metroplex. Unfortunately, it takes a disaster of this proportion to galvanize people and for their best to be exposed. Apparently, we need a second wind as some of the areas literally destroyed by Harvey and Irma's wrath seem forgotten. So, here's a gentle reminder to remember places like Port Arthur and Rockport, where some people apparently are so distressed and baffled, that they are attempting to live in the squalor that is the remains of their home. Finally, a proud nod to my niece, her mother and a whole lot of other folks who have coordinated with local charities and are hand carrying supplies to the devastation of the Florida Keys. The best part of this relief effort is that it goes directly to those that need it the most. No executives and self important people here, diverting funds from where they belong. Just a group of local folks that care about their fellow man. Which brings me to several large corporations that I solicited for just a little bit of help. What I got, in reply from Coca Cola, Publix and others was a dissertation on all the monies that they had donated to the Red Cross and others. I had a previous experience when I requested assistance from American Eagle, a Budweiser distributor. After a few short questions they were all in and donated more than I ever needed. Kudos to them. It shows it can be done at a local level when you empower your employees to do the right thing. If you feel so inclined you can read about one of the charities that my niece supports at www.brightseasons.org.

Mixed Emotions

I lived in Florida for many years and moved out to the Midwest just before Andrew decimated South Florida. Living in Florida can make you jaded when it comes to tropical weather, with tropical storms and hurricanes striking with regularity. You basically become inured to it all which can be a foolish, even deadly, thing to do. While I moved to tornado alley, my parents and relatives remained in Florida. Now they are facing a deadly storm of tremendous size and scope and I am stuck here in South Texas concerned for them. Even after all the warnings and comparisons to prior storms we still see people with that "Andrew Complex"; they believe nothing could be that bad again. Perhaps they need to speak to the folks in Moore, OK who have repetitively borne about the worst that nature can toss at you. My grandfather found Naples back in the early 70's (they even have a commemorative bench dedicated to him downtown) and made it his home. This was before it evolved from a sleepy seaside town into a enclave for the rich and famous. My parents and relatives eventually followed and some remain there. In the meantime they bought and sold a lot of waterfront real estate which, thank goodness, they have mostly sold. I say this because  have a gut feeling that Naples is going to really "take it on the chin" with this storm. My sister, her daughter and husband live south of Miami and have done yeoman's work; including not only prepping their and my sisters home, but also braving the traffic and scarce fuel to retrieve my mother and a friend from Naples. They are all hunkered down in my sisters home and I am praying for them. I have mixed emotions about just what nature is going to deal them, but as long as they survive, material things can be replaced.

Night Moves

We evacuated from our gate at the Booth Ranch located between Gonzales and Cuero due to flooding danger from the nearby Guadalupe river. Our security company had been watching the hurricane updates and quashed our plans to ride out the storm in Gonzales; they said there was a chance that the winds and flooding might be too much for our RV. So; after finally getting our release from  our Company Man, I began to break camp with plans to head to Elmendorf, close to San Antonio. Both Missy and I had both been up for a day or two, napping periodically, worried about the storm and I let her get another hour or two of rest before breaking the news to her. 

For me there s little worse than setting up or breaking camp in the dark (rain is a close second). When we left our gate we packed up between 3 and 6 a.m. Age has deteriorated my vision and memory and things left setting in the dark easily get forgot, adding to the frustration. Then there is my connection paranoia. Fifth wheel trailers use a system similar to 18 wheelers with a 5th wheel and kingpin connection to connect the tug to the trailer. Even though we follow a procedure to ensure the jaws on the fifth wheel are wrapper around the  kingpin and locked; including a tug check, I still have this unwarranted fear that we will come unhooked. Maybe a dose of worry is a good thing when you're towing 8 tons around. After fumbling around camp and with frayed nerves we finally headed out to Elmendorf. After riding out the storm for three days we received the all clear to head back to our gate. Of course, it was late afternoon and that meant setting up in the dark. After a nearly 90 mile drive, we ran into our worse fear; road blocks manned by Texas DOT folks who informed us the road into our gate was flooded. We were given directions to try to go around the water covered roads and struck out. Half and hour or so later, via two lane back roads, we topped the hill overlooking our gate and there was water as far as you could see. Frustrated and disappointed we had no alternative but to head back to Gonzales and to await instructions from our security company. Late the next afternoon we were directed to return to the company yard south of San Antonio. Shortly after arriving we were informed that there was a gate available the next morning, located just south of Fowlerton. That meant we would have to break camp and travel again in the dark! Somewhere around three hundred miles later, mostly navigated in the dark, I am sharing this with you. By the way, the 5th wheel hitch did its job and we arrived safely.