Welcome
To My Blog
Postscript: In December, 2010 I hung up my Driver's cap for good. The road had taken its' toll. I was no longer willing to drive 180 days a year, regardless of the money and the ability to work when I wanted. I had seen America. I was tired of being gone from home for 9 months a year. I needed a rest. In 2011 I sold my truck and trailer and was unemployed for the year. However, I wasn't inactive. I traveled overseas to Asia and South America for several months. In the fall I enrolled in an online course to to become certified in Oracle, the world's preeminent database. I want to go back to work sometime in the near future as a software developer or administrator. Even though I programmed for 20+ years, my skills are dated. Fortunately, I have a little flexibility as to my future.
RollingOkie OKC, Jan 1, 2012
"114 Countries"
I've Visited
Albania
Andorra
Antigua
Argentina
Aruba
Austria
Bahamas
Bali
Barbados
Belgium
Belize
Bermuda
Bonaire
Borneo
Bosnia
Botswana
Bulgaria
Canada
Cambodia
Cayman Islands
China
Colombia
Costa Rica
Crete
Croatia
Curacao
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
England
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Gibraltar
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala
Guernsey
Herzegovina
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
India
Ireland (Eire)
Ireland (Ulster)
Isle of Man
Italy
Java
Japan
Jordan
Jersey
Kenya
Kosovo
Laos
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Malawi
Malaysia
Martinique
Mexico
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Netherlands
Nicaragua
Norway
Panama
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Rhodes
Saba
San Marino
Sarawak
Scotland
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Srpska
Sumatra
Sweden
Switzerland
Tanzania
Thailand
Tortola
Turkey (Asia)
Turkey (Eur)
Turks & Caicos Islands
United States
Vatican City
Vietnam
UAE (Emirates)
U.S.A.
U.S. Virgin Islands
Wales
Zimbabwe
Baby Me and Grandpa Posted: December 24, 2008
This is a picture of me with my grandfather. I was young. I spent the first nine years of my life living with my grandparents while my parents were... well... unavailable, whatever that means. It was a great time for me. I had two doting guardians whose world revolved around me. That was a good thing. Unfortunately, as you can see, I was born into poverty. That's a bad thing. Fortunately, like most children, it had no serious impact upon me until puberty, when the process of socialization makes us all acutely aware of our social status. Why is this picture one of my favorites? It's a reminder of two people who gave me a wonderful childhood and that they did so under some trying circumstances.
Me, Dressed Posted: December 24, 2008
Yes, I did learn how to wear a tie at an early age. It's a skill that served me well. I'll bet I had two-tone shoes, too. I think this picture was taken at my great-aunt's house in Windfield, Kansas. I'd guess I was around three or four at the time of this picture. The significance of this picture to me? It's me. At a very young age. It helps me to understand how I got to where I am today. It's also a reminder of a more nostalgic time. I'm glad I grew up in the 1950's. It was a time of innocence when compared to today. Innocence is good. Especially for children.
Me in Underwear Posted: December 24, 2008
Hey, I know it isn't sexy. It's just a reminder that I was once like a lot of other kids, very child-like. This is also a picture of my first home. It no longer stands. I believe the dwelling had bathroom with hot and cold running water. That was a sign that we weren't as poor as I let on. I slept on the couch. Actually, I slept on the couch for a number of years. It wasn't grand, but it was home and the local grocery where I could get some candy was at the end of the block and we had some good neighbors. There were lots of children in the neighborhoods where I grew up. The significance. Memories of my youth. Childhood is a good thing.
Me Playing Cowboy Posted: December 24, 2008
It's Oklahoma. We not only got to play cowboy, we really could be one if we wanted. I had lots of relatives with farms. It was pretty common for me to be on a horse before I was an adult. When I was in high school, my folks had a place outside of town where they had horses. My brother had a lot of ribbons and trophies for his horsemanship. I think my mom was more than a little disappointed that I didn't want to ride bulls for a living. She never really understood me, but that's okay. I like this photo because it shows a fairly typical scene in the life of a youngster who was raised in rural Oklahoma. Yes, there was a time in my life when I went home from college and rode the tractor into town to pick up the mail from the post office. Even after forty years I still think that's cool. Significance? Oklahoma isn't like Boston, L.A., Tokyo, Paris, London, Cairo or Istanbul. We all get what we got, whatever that was. I got Howdy Doody, Captain Kangaroo, Marshal Dillon and John Wayne. Oh, and I got to be a little cowboy. Sometimes.
Me and Tom Posted: May 28, 2011
This picture was taken some time during 1966-67. What you have here are a couple of high-school friends who were posing for someone's mom. I'm not sure where the picture was taken. I got a copy of it in May of 2011. That means I had to wait for about 45 years before I got to see it. That might make me a little upset if not for the fact that I'm just glad to have the picture. This is Tom, a friend who recently passed away. I'm very glad that I got to spend some time with him over the years. We were good friends in high school and roommates in college. He would eventually go to Albuquerque to work at Sandia Labs. I stayed in Oklahoma to be a computer grunt. The last time I saw Tom was a couple of weeks before he passed. God have mercy on his soul.
Me and Tony Posted: October 10, 2009
Me and my brother. Notice I have a little hair. Notice he is holding a bottle of Jack Daniels. A bottle of Jack was something he liked to hold a lot at one time in his life. We are at my mom's house. It is sometime after the Vietnam war. His hair is longer than when he served. Date??? I wish I knew. I had some good times with my brother. I miss him. Significance? In our later years we called each other every month or so. Even after he was dead for years, I would occasionally reach out to pick up the phone to call him and realize that I couldn't. Old habits die hard.
Me and Tony Hiking Post Vietnam Posted: December 24, 2008
Me and Tony Hiking Post Vietnam. Significance of this photo? I spent a lot of time in the great outdoors as a young person. I camped and hiked a lot. This picture was taken in the Osage Hill, where I was born and grew up. It's really beautiful country. I remember it well.
Sabrina, Me, Chrissy Posted: December 24, 2008
Sabrina, Me, Chrissy. Sabrina is one of my brother's children. Cristy is mine. Significance? It's good being a parent of young children, especially children in this age group. They're cute. They're still small enough to carry. You have some degree of control over them. They're fun to play with. They make being a parent a real treat. Most of the time.
Wedding Stuff Posted: December 24, 2008
It's me at one of my brother's weddings. He had a few. Lucky guy. Periodically he would come and visit me for a few weeks while he got his life in order after he had some issues with one of his wives.. He wasn't a bad guy. Actually, quite the contrary. It's just after he got back from Vietnam things were never quite the same for him. Maybe he shouldn't have been a corpsman. Maybe he should have studied accounting instead of medicine. Maybe he should have spent more time with marriage counselors and less time with Jack Daniels. Who knows... Significance? Family. Memories.
Me at Home 1978 Posted: December 24, 2008
It's me and I looked young, happy and thin. I wonder what happened? This is a favorite picture because it reminds me of what it was like to be a young adult. Those days are gone but not forgotten. I remember I worked a lot of hours and I was in graduate school about the time this picture was taken.