About Me

I’m retired from 31 years in the aerospace industry., and I’m also retired military, with 4-years active duty in the Air Force, and another 21-years in the Air Force Reserve.

I was born and raised on a wheat farm in the great state of North Dakota, but after a hitch in the Air Force on a tactical missile launch crew, I worked for a custom home builder in North Dakota. 

I eventually spent most of my work-life building airplanes and missiles in the Pacific Northwest while concurrently serving in the Air Force Reserve. I retired to North Texas in 1996, where we built a new house in rural Denton County, but once again got the wanderlust and in 2007 we built another new home in East Texas. Our final urge to move arrived in 2012 and we built for the last time in a one-stoplight town, but once again in Denton County. The next time I make a move, I will be carried out of this house feet first!

Our acre and a half lot is located on a black clay prairie in the middle of the old Chisholm trail where cowboys drove tens of thousands of longhorns between Austin, Texas and Abilene, Kansas. We have some neighbors who raise a longhorn or two, but for nostalgic purposes, not profit. It is fun to see them grazing in a pasture full of bluebonnets, but I got my fill of shoveling cow manure many, many years ago! I love everything about Texas, the people, the climate and its history, and would never think of living anywhere else.

Few people are as fanatical as I am when it comes to brand loyalty. I bleed Mopar and will for as long as I survive...or the corporation does. My first car was a '41 Chevrolet, and it had more problems than all the rest of my cars combined. Since I junked that hateful excuse for a car, I've owned over 50 Chrysler products, and while some were better than others, none was a lemon.

All during my working years, my car hobby was on the back burner when house, kids, and reliable transportation trumped hot-rodding and automotive frivolity. Now that I'm retired and in better financial shape, I'm playing catch-up with the fun side. It started with a restored '66 Dodge Coronet 500, then I restored and modified the '73 Dodge D100 I bought new. My favorite project was a '64 Valiant convertible that I still drive daily...weather permitting! My final project will be the '56 Plymouth in this blog.

My idea of ultimate relaxation is cruising in my Valiant convertible on a warm Texas night, with a cup of coffee in hand and listening to Golden Oldies or classic country on the radio. Mopar, Starbucks, Roy Orbison and Brooks and Dunn. You can’t beat the combination.

My political bent is somewhat convoluted. First, I’m a flag-waving patriot of the first order and I love this country, despite the socialist BS that prevails on our coasts. I’m a strict Constitutionalist when it comes to the government’s roles in our lives, and I treasure strong professional ethics, and personal responsibilities. The country’s founders are my heroes, while I grit my teeth and only tolerate those selfish bandits we elect today...as long as they adhere to the constitution.

As far as social issues go, I’m more of a libertarian. I don’t care what you do in the privacy of your own home, but don’t try to make it my business by forcing your desires to become an issue for me to judge. Keep your cultural and personal anomalies to yourself and don’t demand my acceptance or try to change my mind about what I believe. I really don’t give a damn about your sexual proclivity, or your latest inferiority complex, or your need to smoke dope. It's none of my business, so let's keep it that way and we’ll remain friends. I'll do the same.

Unlike the stereotypical right-of-center old man, I’m not religious, but I’m not anti-religious either. I consider myself an agnostic in some ways, because no one has been able to prove the existence of God to me, nor has anyone been able to prove He doesn’t exist. However, I probably better fit the definition of a Theist. I look at the endless depths of the universe and I believe there has to be a higher power for anything to make sense, but in my opinion neither science nor any of the world's religions has answers...yet.

I find passionate people from all extremes of religion, or anti-religion, a pain in the ass, or worse. I’ll quietly bow my head and respect your faith while you say a prayer, but don’t preach to me or expect me to follow your doctrine of choice. I respect your need for religion and will staunchly defend your right to believe as you choose and to practice your faith without being hassled, but please return the favor and respect my opinion, as flawed as you think it might be

I mentioned that I like to write fiction, but I don’t consider myself a writer. That honorable title comes with time, experience, and dedication to the craft. At this point, I’m only clumsily putting on paper those stories that have been floating around in my head for ages.

My first and only published novel…In Dreams…is a story about two older people trying to recapture the past. Someone said that your first novel is written from the heart and the rest are from your brain. The first is written as you reflect on what you have lived and thought in your lifetime. Later writing depends on your understanding of what others think, and how you believe they would respond to various situations.

My second novel is a work in progress that changes focus and direction constantly. If it is ever finished in my mind, it will probably never see publication. The few chapters I have completed take up where my first novel ended, so one of the "characters" has to be a '56 Plymouth Fury. 

The fun of writing remains, but the passion to be published is no longer there, so trunk novels are destined to be my future.

Well, there you are, far more than you ever wanted to know about me. Thank you for visiting my blog and taking the time to read.