Trek Bloodbath

We may joke about 'redshirts' but they did their job.  And only 1 security died in this episode; Devil in the Dark.

Mason

I am proud to be a Mason. I have been one for 34 years. I wish I could devote more time to it but only have so many hours in the day. I am glad my father and Chief saw my degree work.

1979 Buick Skyhawk with the Roadhawk package

My father had an agreement from when I was a young kid. If I didn't smoke or drink, he would get me a new car for my 21st birthday.

Well, I got this car during my 16th year. Of course it stayed at the house until I could have it at Kemper.

The only real exposure I had to cars was at Kemper. Erickson has that kick ass white Trans-Am with the t-tops. Connors had his red 240-Z Toyota. There might have been a few others but those were the only ones I knew. And dad had a green Nova. So when I got back from ROTC Summer camp, dad took me to Ruether's in Glasgow. It was sitting there and I feel in love.

Front and rear spoilers, AM/FM/8-track, hatch-back and had a sunroof! My dad looked at the car and simply said, "It has bucket seats.' I said yeah, so. He just shrugged. I didn't understand until I tried to fit two people in the back seat and my father's voice came back to me loud and clear. Well dad, that's why it was a hatch-back, just fold down the rear seat and ta-da! More room.

Anyway, I l o v e d that car and I was stupid to "up-grade" to a yuppie car while going to college. That car took me on adventures with so many wonderful people. So many memories that it would take years to recount them all, and now they are fading like the leaves from trees.

But that picture, of that car, MY car. Takes me to another time. A better time with a group of men and women who made me  better person.

John Denver

To me John Denver's music and voice identified the 70s. Of course I have always loved the troubadours - story tellers with songs. From Harry Chapin, Jim Croce, Barry Manilow... that's why I never got into punk or grung or the 'explicit' rapper lyrics. Also too much bass can kill any song.  I guess that's why John Denver's music was crisp and fresh.

1776

Why is this so hard for some? 

Opportunity

We all have them. That one time we risked it. Maybe at a job, or with the opposite sex. I remember asking this one beautiful lady for her number after talking with her 15 min, as I felt a connection. I got it. But, it never went anywhere as she got back with her boyfriend. Still; I count it as a victory in the battle of the sexes. I would have never done that years ago; hell even months ago. It just felt right. But anyway, I digress.

I took a chance at least.

Run Away

Haven't we all thought about running away? I once met a an American Indian who was a preacher and we were swapping bad time stories. He told me about a time him and his family were down to staying in a tack shed up in the Dakotas. I told him there were times that was preferable  to what was going on.

No matter what, you can never run far enough away from yourself. As an old friend said, 'If you go down, go down on your face.' Considering he was a former 82nd ABN/18th ABN MP and is currently a US Air Marshall, that's good advice. But let me break it down to the civilians in the group; if you go down, you go down facing your enemy-whatever your enemy is.

I have no plans on running anymore.