sparquelito

I love it that we are free to choose. That's enough of the conversation, for me anyway. 🙂

He dressed quietly, and with a slow, steady sense of order. She watched from the door-frame, and then started to say something, and then swallowed the words. She held her breath, and then sighed softly. He shrugged into his silver space suit, and slipped into his silver space boots. They zipped up neatly and set perfectly when he stood firmly on the hardwood floor. "There," he said at last. "There," she repeated in a hollow fashion. She tugged at the string of pearls around her neck, sullenly. He turned and tended to his B-bag, an accordion-like silver travel valise, and folded into it his underwear, socks, and D-Rations. Next went his toothbrush and shaving gear, and then so finally his hair pomade. He looked around, and then zipped it up into a tight bundle. A slow turn, and a simple shrug. "So, I guess that's all of it. I'm ready to go." "Bill, I really wish you wouldn't go. All of these orbital missions close to Earth, and so onto the moon. That's one thing. You and your regular space buddies and all this space talk and space life. I could get used to that. I got used to that. I supported that. " "But Mars?" "Mars is different, Bill. There are the Van Allen Belts, and the radiation, and the asteroids. You will be gone for two years, in the best of outcomes. And there's no denying that you may not come ho...." She stuttered back a sob, and continued. "You may not come home at all! And little Billy won't have a father. And I'll be here all alone." He smiled, reassuringly. "Madge. I will be gone for a few months, tops, and I will do the good work of the Space Force. And then when I come home, we'll take a little vacation down to Cocoa Beach, or Deltona. We'll have a swell and terrific time." She bleated, "You say that, but there's no guarantee at all that you will make it back. I'm scared, Bill." He blinked. "Scared of what?" "I am scared that Billy will follow in your footsteps, and join the Space Academy, and eventually the Space Force. And then I will lose him too." She wept quietly, and picked up her apron, and buried her face into it. He drew her in, and hugged his wife in a comforting fashion. "There, there, there. Madge, you have nothing to worry about. We have all the latest and best technologies, and all the very best engineers and workers of the US Government are hard at work on every little detail." She shook her head, and said softly into her hands, "That's what I am worried about." He hugged her clumsily and briefly, gathered up his space bag, and headed out the door. A Space Force transport waited at the curb. He tossed his bag onto the roof rack, waved goodbye briefly, and then climbed aboard. She watched him join his space friends, and take his seat near the front of the transport. The sleek silver and white trolley pulled away from the curb, and glided neatly out of the neighborhood and onto the ramp toward the Mars Launch Complex. Madge sighed softly. She wiped her tears with the edge of her apron, and straightened herself in the mirror. Finally, she walked into the kitchen, and began preparations for dinner. Billy would be home soon from Space Camp, and he would be hungry. 😗

Really interesting stuff!! Thank you for this, Rabs. 🙂

I admire my Coast Guard brothers and sisters. They do the job every day. I'll only be an actively-flying former-Army Aviator/current flying contractor for another three months. And then I'll be retired from all of it. God help me. 😗

I was just an Army aviator. I flew around practicing for the day when the Russians and the East Germans would invade into West Germany and race down the B-40 Valley and try to take the Frankfurt PX. Sadly, that day never came. 😬

I understood that fully, and I knew where you were coming from, Coastie. I was just messing with you. 🙂

You literally started this thread. 🤔

It's a double-edged sword, isn't it? On one hand, we want our musical artists and movie actors to be pure and pristine in their art and craft, and to bring none of their own personal political opinions to the live shows (and movies I guess), but, we also respect the rights of every one of us to be able to express their opinions openly and without fear of retribution. Further, (and does this make it a triple-edged sword?) we all enjoy the freedom to express our strong political opinions, but most of us resent that 'star' musicians and actors seem to make it their mission to use their celebrity as a platform to push their personal political agendas. As though their opinions carry more weight than ours. How many times have we heard, "For God's sake Bruce Springsteen, just play the guitar and sing," or, "Come on, Jon Voight, just act in the movie, and then shut up". Or even, "Holy moly, Michael Moore, order a salad for once, alright? You have more chins than the Hong Kong phone book!!" I'm gonna shut up now. 😔

I'm wondering if her Sanxian is pre-1994, and therefore not weight-relieved. She achieves a great tone, but you never know if that's the long tenon, or if maybe her Cry Baby wah pedal is half-cocked. Either way, those are definitely not factory tuners. I'm gonna shut up now. 😞

Ever wonder, "Have I lived too long?" Because my WHAT THE F#%K METER has been pegged, and indeed stays pegged, non-stop since 2009 or so. 🤔

It's tough to know which milestone I should be trying to achieve. I would like to become a 3rd Degree Black Belt Wiseacre, but I don't want it to detract from my efforts to become: * A world-class smart-a$$ * Major League dique-head and, * All around pain in the arse. It's complicated. I guess that's what I am saying. 😗

I am being a wiseacre about 90 percent of the time. The other 10 percent is pure, golden, high quality guitar and case advice. 🙂

Those are tone-cases. Heavy. Not weight-relieved. Pure tone. 😬

Good, good. Let the contempt for The South flow through you! 🤨

Here you go. It's got everything you want, and it's on sale. https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LPS5SWHCSB--gibson-les-paul-standard-50s-aaa-top-electric-guitar-heritage-cherry-sunburst-sweetwater-exclusive?cond=LPS5SWHCSBd1 😗

Lars, you better lay low, big guy. You KILLED a guy. (And not with a trident.) 🤔

It's up to you to pick up the torch now, Sarge. Let's write those songs. I'll help you. 😗

Man oh man!! My girl singer used to ask me why I brought two electrics and two acoustics to each job. The answer is THIS. 😉

To argue with anybody about a hot-button, emotionally-charged topic like the covid19 pandemic is an exercise in futility. It's an emotionally charged subject because: * We have all suffered infections from the thing * Most of us have had friends and family members die from it (or from the vaccination) * Most of us have had friends and family members near die from it (or from the vaccination) * Thousands have had their lives and businesses destroyed by governmental over-reaction to it and, * That which has been represented as 'science' regarding the virus has all too often been cooked, skewed, politically-charged, politically-spin-doctored, or even suppressed Most people don't know what to believe, and rightfully so. And they are pissed off about it. Tired of being played. Tired of being lied to. And tired of being lectured about it by people who presume to have all the answers on it. I'll repeat the most important takeaway from my earlier posts and opinions on the topic of covid: You believe what you want to believe, you can take the jab or not take the jab. I really don't care. I wish you good luck and good health either way. Just be wary of offering strong opinions as the only true facts, and ridiculing others for not believing what you believe. It's folly. 🤫

My goodness. Those CHP guys were sadists. I admire how you handled that strap button coming off, mid-song. You carried on like a trooper. The JBP guitar was, blessedly, only a sentimental favorite. It didn't actually cost all that much, less than one-fiddy, brand new. It sure was a work-horse guitar though. I loved it. 😐

or this one.

Most of my mishaps have occurred before or after the gig, not during. In one instance, drummer Bob's Roland kit became aerodynamic, and flew out the back of his truck, smashing onto the highway. Tie-down straps and all. Luckily, we were able to go get Bob's maple Gretsch kit and complete the gig that evening. And ever more luckily, I was able to repair and replace all the damage, for less than $150. That Roland rig was as good as new within a month or so. One other disaster happened after the load-out from a large outdoor sports fest event. I was driving my gear home, and a couple of monitor speakers tumbled over, and crushed my favorite acoustic/electric guitar. The JBP had been tossed in the back of the van at the last moment, and it wasn't in a case. Utterly destroyed. 😒

My objection to the vaccines, and my resolve to never, ever take one again are founded in a good and scientific analysis of all the available data. And a healthy grain of salt at all the misinformation, disinformation, and political spin that we have been fed, non-stop, since the beginning of all this. I do know that the vaccines might work. Sort of. I know also that they aren't all that effective. The head of the CDC admitted as much recently, and also issued a public apology for what a terrible job they have done over the past few years. My main objection is that close friends of mine have nearly died after taking the jab, and at least one has died after taking the jab. (Two or three other friends have perished, possibly from the jab, but also because of other confounding pre-existing conditions.) The blood-clot aspects of their demise, and the same involved with the two surviving friends, has me very understandably wary of the vaccinations. Look, I salute and respect everyone's right to choose. If you want to get vaccinated and boosted again and again, then I say happily and proudly, "You go do it, and please enjoy good health". If somebody chooses not to get vaccinated and boosted again, then I say fiercely and proudly, "You have that right, and please enjoy good health". I reject the Government's heavy hand in forcing people to get vaccinated, and I reject any and all scorn and sneering ridicule from those who don't share my opinions and my resolve. My body, my choice. I seem to remember a lot of ladies saying that recently. 😐

It's my dark, terrible super power. I drink beer, and I say stuff. Truthful stuff. 🙂

I'm close to your situation, murph. Sort of. In spirit. Had to work, in flight test operations, so I never locked-down. I might have 'tele-worked' five or six times in the past few years. My government flight test agency has had to play the same games that the rest of the military is forced to endure, so we go weeks where we pretend to wear masks. And then when some nebulous covid infection rates go back down, we continue on happily without the pretense. I took the jab, and later the booster, dutifully. Thinking that the government would make it difficult for me if I didn't (I was right, by the way), and also because my wife's daughter refused to come visit us unless we vaxxed. In the end, she never came down from New York anyway, and I feel kind of stupid about it all now. As I said before, I will never take the jab ever again. Too many risks, too many unknowns about the side effects of the thing, and I'm just plain weary of it all. My decision to retire and go on Social Security here (in exactly 104 days) has been influenced strongly by all the shenanigans and monkeyshines that go on at work, re; the covid nonsense. A lot of other factors at play, of course. I'm tired of working. I'm increasingly more fearful of flying the helicopters at test altitudes. Less days ahead of me than behind me, and I want to relax a bit, for the first time in my life. But the covid hijinks figure strongly in my decision to hang it up. At home and on my land, nobody can make me wear a mask, and nobody asks me for my covid vax papers. 🤔