Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967

Two remarkable young ladies: "Gussie and Addie" Adeline continued her career as an educator, and earned her law degree from New York University. Augusta became a pilot and joined Amelia Earhart's Ninety-Nines international women's flying organization.

Not a meme... but a darned cool picture~!!

Wal shux... I'm often considered "vertically dyslexic" - can't tell up from down~!!

Golly Gee... why not just ban crime for twenty years instead?

I remember Brooks! I bought a bunch of filters from 'em ~ was REAL happy when they started selling Monsieur Coquin's "Organic Glass" squares and holders!

Hopin' there are no DFG wardens here... Back about 1983 or '4, I called up ol' Hank one afternoon just to see what he was up to. Well, the lad was kind of despondent - he'd planned a hunting trip up to Northern California with his pard Stan, but Stan couldn't get off work and he didn't want to go alone. "Oh Hell, Hank - I'll go with ya! I just got laid off and have money in the bank and I definitely have the time!" So, we rendezvoused at Lurch's house in Modesto (Hank's ranch was about 20 miles south of Fresno; I lived in San Francisco). I tr

When I was a kid, school lunches were actually pretty good. Nothing like today! I would occasionally join my son for lunch when he was in elementary school, and I was stunned to discover how inedible a "nutritious" meal could be. The one example that sticks with me was "hamburger day." It's pretty hard to screw up a 'burger, but these things were ghastly - a pre-cooked, partially warmed "meat" patty on a dry whole wheat bun. Little packets of mustard and ketchup were available, but didn't help much. After my first experience the Kid got to take a lunch form home.

Curious... what was the badge number? I once lost my Life Member badge at a "Civil War Revisited" event near Fresno. I was devastated, of course, and was hopeful that some kind soul would have picked it up and handed it in at Lost and Found. No such luck. Someone went home with a "pretty souvenir." And yes, I have a replacement. Never want to replace it again!

So... because of a problem caused by a third-party product, Phillips has to recall all their machines?? That bites for Phillips.

One of the most fun cameras I had was a "Baby Rolleiflex" that a buddy gave me about fifty years ago. I ultimately passed it on to another friend when 127 film became difficult to find. But it was a TON o' fun...!

"Mister Hardpan, I pulled you over 'cuz you have a trailer hitch ball on yore bumper!"

Well, alrighty!! About fifteen years ago I was asked to start a Cub Scout pack for a group of... well... "disadvantaged kids." These were actually kids in the county's Victim Services program. How do you say "no" to such a request? This was at the same time one of the most difficult but rewarding things I've ever done. Anyway, one of my little projects was to teach them a song. Being a bit of a non-conformist, I selected Louden Wainright's "Dead Skunk In the Middle Of the Road." Well, the kids loved it, and were all excited at the opportunity of perfor

HAR~!!

I had a boss once who'd been a B-47 navigator/bombardier/radar operator. Ol' Tony said that he could have never imagined being that busy - it was the busiest he'd ever been in his life, before or since. But at one point he and a few of his colleagues were pulled and re-assigned to KC-97's (and later KC-135's). He said they were insulted to the point of being incensed! Madder'n hell! But after a period of time they were offered opportunities to move back to bombers - "Uh... No thanks. We're just fine right here."

Well then... that pilot was a busy booger!

"Crew 4?" Lessee.... one nose gunner, pilot, copilot? No copilot? One or two rear gunners? If one, he's gonna be mighty busy!

Although I've never met these two fine people, the news makes my heart heavy. Prayers are continuing.

I'm reminded of Herb Caen, columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, once reporting that prisoners at some prison (San Quinton?) loudly bitching and filing complaints about the ice cream being too hard.

"Main Line" sure beats "Solitary!" All in all, I'd say them boys ate well back then. I daresay better than many, if not most Americans of the day. For comparison, here's a sample of a modern menu... oddly, no mention of breakfast.

Please pass on my regards to the man! Oldest PM's in my inbox are discussions and exchanges of good wishes with him back in '05.

Half-Breed Pete and I were reminiscing today about the days when we had Zone A ("Coastal") and Zone B ("Inland"), plus an X zone or two 'way up in Northern California. If you bought two tags you could hunt most of the state. We now have something like 55 - 60 zones. Some will sell out; some require a lottery-type drawing with "special points" to increase your odds. Sorta. But the absurd thing is, when they came out with this mess, they had the audacity to proclaim "Hunters! You now have MORE CHOICES!!" Evidently they think we're all idiots.

There have actually been a few good ones... the "executive producer" Rye referenced was one, the football player was cool, and I liked Buzzy Cohen. None are Alex. But Alex is gone, and there are others who can do well. (But it ain't George.)

Sheesh! Gee... we must be LUCKY in California! Our lifetime hunting license goes down at age 62!! Uh... from $853 to $579.25. BUT! For Christmas twenty years ago I gave Sassparilla Kid a Lifetime License ~ I bought it for him the day before he turned 10 a month before, for something in the low $300 range. The "under 10" option is no longer available; now at age ten it can be had for $946.75. One of the smarter things I've done - he's set!

I've been summoned several times, and have served twice. And y'all have had it easy! Honestly, I think I deserve a Lifetime "Bye" on jury duty. Back in the early 80's I received a summons to show up for jury duty at the Federal Court in San Francisco, and did so as instructed. There were over a hundred of us in a large room; it seems they were going to empanel a Federal Grand Jury. Oh, wow! This could be cool! Exciting stuff! Bank robberies! Kidnappings! Espionage! Murder on Federal installations! Cool!! And I was the LAST juror selected (not counting a bunch