Friday, October 01, 2021
Letter "N" -- -- Weekend Roundup and Street/Reflections
THE FOURTEENTH LETTER FOR THIS SERIES - The Letter "N" Prompts are: (A) Starts with the Letter "N"; (B) "Nuts" (Tom's Choice); (C) A Favorite; (D) Street/Reflections; and (E) A Lagniappe.
(B) "Nuts" (Tom's Choice): Above, this is a small bag of small Nuts and Washers. 
I was the youngest Setup Man they ever had, I think my "some college" helped quite a bit.
- - - -
(A) Starts with the Letter "N": The word, "New", starts with Letter "N". We have a New "Judge Judy" type program here in the Houston (Texas) area called "Relative Justice".
It is on local TV Channel 39 and it's law suits are between Family Members. Sort of okay, I liked Judge Judy better, she is hard to imitate. So far we have watched only one program.
They are from my large box of Bolts, Nuts, Washers, and Screws. It was a gift to me, probably for Christmas. The box is pictured on the right.
When I dropped out of college, U of Nebraska, I needed a job so that I could give my father back his pickup. I didn't tell him until I found a job.
The job that I found was at Elgin National Watch Company, there in Lincoln, Nebraska. A part of the aptitude test was to screw on a whole bunch of Nuts onto bolts sticking out of a wooden box. I screwed on every Nut there was before my time went out. I could do this job with both hands which helped me a lot there.
I stayed on at Elgin until I was drafted into the service three years later. I did well at the factory, I hired on as a Degreaser Operator and after about 15 months was promoted to Setup Man with a line of 16 workers to keep happy with parts to work and well adjusted and sharp, if it involved cutting or stamping, equipment.
(C) A Favorite: Do Not Worry. I won't be climbing into that junk. A New Nashville (Tennessee) project doesn't need all this cement and dirt.
(D) Street/Reflections: A Vanderbilt student on it's Nashville campus.
He seems to be hurrying, I was taught to respect those folk with that type motivation.
(E.1) A Lagniappe: Normality like aura in a crowded Nashville setting.
(E.2) A Lagniappe: Six "N" countries we've visited:
Netherland, informally called Holland(yes) — Aruba(yes), Curaçao(yes), the Netherlands (island - no), and Saint Maarten(yes)—are constituent countries, we've not been to "The Kingdom of The Netherlands"(no) Island Country itself.
New Zealand
Norway
- - - -
Fine print stuff
- [Click on any picture for larger, click it again for extra large]
- I am linked with Tom of "Backwoods Travel" (Link here to click for Tom's Weekend Reviews)
- I am also linking again this week with James of "Weekend Reflections/Street Photos" (click here for his Street Folk and Reflections Photos).
- The pictures mostly are all mine and rights are reserved to me under Copyright Law.
- Click Here for countries I've visited.
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Labels: Friday's Weekend Roundup 07, Jim in his Younger Days, Jim's Life, Reflect'ions, The News, Work
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Astronaut Owen Garriott, Amateur Radio W5LFL/SK
From http://www.arrl.org/news/amateur-radio-in-space-pioneer-astronaut-owen-garriott-w5lfl-sk :
"04/15/2019
The US astronaut who pioneered the use of Amateur Radio to make contacts from space — Owen K. Garriott, W5LFL — died April 15 at his home in Huntsville, Alabama. He was 88. Garriott’s ham radio activity ushered in the formal establishment of Amateur Radio in space, first as SAREX — the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment, and later as ARISS — Amateur Radio on the International Space Station.
“Owen Garriott was a good friend and an incredible astronaut,” fellow astronaut Buzz Aldrin tweeted. “I have a great sadness as I learn of his passing today. Godspeed Owen.”
An Oklahoma native, Garriott — an electrical engineer — spent 2 months aboard the Skylab space station in 1973 and 10 days aboard Spacelab-1 during a 1983 Space Shuttle Columbia mission. It was during the latter mission that Garriott thrilled radio amateurs around the world by making the first contacts from space. Thousands of hams listened on 2-meter FM, hoping to hear him or to make a contact. Garriott ended up working stations around the globe, among them such notables as the late King Hussein, JY1, of Jordan, and the late US Senator Barry Goldwater, K7UGA. He also made the first CW contact from space. Garriott called hamming from space “a pleasant pastime"...(more at the link above)”
We have a couple of pottery pieces designed and crafted by the now deceased former Mrs. Garriott, a "Moon Jar" and a "Sun Jar" that we proudly display at our home. You can see them here on my older blog post.
Additionally, their daughter was in one of my college classes, taking it for dual credit, college and high school. We did discuss her brother who later also traveled to the Space Station as a civilian.
I am a Ham Radio licensee but never did make contact with any of the Garriott's via Ham Radio.
Labels: Celebrities, Jim's Life, space, Work
Friday, June 02, 2017
~~ Friday’s Hunt v.3.22 -- "V" is for ...
Friday's Hunt for the week of June 2nd: (1) Starts with V; (2) Week's Favorite; and (3) Inch
(2) Week's Favorite: My very favorite was the Clafouti aux Cerises (French for Cherry Custard Cake) that Mrs. Jim made. First on the left is my plate before three dips of Blue Bell Vanilla ice cream. Sooo good!! You can click on the recipe for a larger size viewing. You may have to also raise your computer Zoom level. I constantly run mine at 125% because my glasses are not strong enough for the normal computer screen printing.
(1) Starts with "V": Veteran starts with "V". This picture is of my Honorable Discharge copied. The copy is 55 years old and has endured a flood in our home. [click it for a larger view] The original has my full name and Service Number. I was in the U.S. Army for five years, all except two weeks for processing was spent in Texas. Eight weeks Basic Training in Fort Hood and the rest at Fort Bliss, Texas (El Paso).
I was drafted and then after my two years I was without a job because of a recession when my first discharge came, I reenlisted for three more years. One year of that being for the NIKE Hercules Fire Control Maintenance course of 43 weeks plus two more weeks for MOI (Methods of Instruction) which was my Instructor Training course and an additional week for a course in Television Instruction and Production. My practice TV course was on "How to Ride a Vespa Motor Scooter". The NIKE course was all about electronics and trouble shooting.
With my electronics Army training and experience I was qualified for a Field Engineer job with the Philco Corporation's Tech Rep Division. I worked this job for 17 years,. When I left Ford Motors had bought them out and I was a Senior Aerospace Engineer at NASA. It also gave me the electronics education I needed for an Amateur Radio station operation. I have been a Ham Radio person not for 57 years (K1TLT--Amateur Extra Class).
Incidentally though I was a college prof for 22 years the Army MOI and the TV Instruction course were all the teaching classes I have ever had. Besides the college I volunteer taught Sunday School classes for over 30 years. My NASA and Army time was also in training. At New Hampshire my job for three years was teaching Air Men how to operate and maintain the equipment at the satellite tracking.
At NASA it was teaching and training Astronauts and Flight Controllers their roles using flight simulators. During missions I had a position of Electrical Control or Environmental Control in the back room and keeping the Skylab Flight Control Room "ECom" appraised of whichever system I was monitoring and offering "suggestions" as to what actions if any were needed in these areas.
(3) Inch: This and 14 more frozen Six Inch "Galaxy Butter Croissants" were part of Karen and KP's Mother's Day present for Mrs. Jim. We have been enjoying these, there are still several left. They came frozen unbaked so they are extra fresh.
Older 2006 pictures [ http://jimmiehov.blogspot.com/search?q=cow+pie ] My ex-blogging friend, Ralph [ Link ], made the suggestion back then to always include a ruler in pictures where its size is important. I did the ruler with the giant toadstool that Adi found. (Adi died in 2013. She was my best beagle dog friend) It was the giant cow pie that he suggested I include the ruler. It was about ten inches across.
_ _ _ _ .........................
The Fine Print: - Teresa of Eden Hills, (click) is running this meme, Friday's Hunt. Her rules are: "Welcome to linkup for Friday’s Hunt. It’s very simple. Anyone can participate. The link opens at 7pm Friday Central time and will close Sunday at 7pm."
__________other_Friday_Hunt_posts__________________
(2) Week's Favorite: My very favorite was the Clafouti aux Cerises (French for Cherry Custard Cake) that Mrs. Jim made. First on the left is my plate before three dips of Blue Bell Vanilla ice cream. Sooo good!! You can click on the recipe for a larger size viewing. You may have to also raise your computer Zoom level. I constantly run mine at 125% because my glasses are not strong enough for the normal computer screen printing.
(1) Starts with "V": Veteran starts with "V". This picture is of my Honorable Discharge copied. The copy is 55 years old and has endured a flood in our home. [click it for a larger view] The original has my full name and Service Number. I was in the U.S. Army for five years, all except two weeks for processing was spent in Texas. Eight weeks Basic Training in Fort Hood and the rest at Fort Bliss, Texas (El Paso).
I was drafted and then after my two years I was without a job because of a recession when my first discharge came, I reenlisted for three more years. One year of that being for the NIKE Hercules Fire Control Maintenance course of 43 weeks plus two more weeks for MOI (Methods of Instruction) which was my Instructor Training course and an additional week for a course in Television Instruction and Production. My practice TV course was on "How to Ride a Vespa Motor Scooter". The NIKE course was all about electronics and trouble shooting.
With my electronics Army training and experience I was qualified for a Field Engineer job with the Philco Corporation's Tech Rep Division. I worked this job for 17 years,. When I left Ford Motors had bought them out and I was a Senior Aerospace Engineer at NASA. It also gave me the electronics education I needed for an Amateur Radio station operation. I have been a Ham Radio person not for 57 years (K1TLT--Amateur Extra Class).
Incidentally though I was a college prof for 22 years the Army MOI and the TV Instruction course were all the teaching classes I have ever had. Besides the college I volunteer taught Sunday School classes for over 30 years. My NASA and Army time was also in training. At New Hampshire my job for three years was teaching Air Men how to operate and maintain the equipment at the satellite tracking.
At NASA it was teaching and training Astronauts and Flight Controllers their roles using flight simulators. During missions I had a position of Electrical Control or Environmental Control in the back room and keeping the Skylab Flight Control Room "ECom" appraised of whichever system I was monitoring and offering "suggestions" as to what actions if any were needed in these areas.
(3) Inch: This and 14 more frozen Six Inch "Galaxy Butter Croissants" were part of Karen and KP's Mother's Day present for Mrs. Jim. We have been enjoying these, there are still several left. They came frozen unbaked so they are extra fresh.
Older 2006 pictures [ http://jimmiehov.blogspot.com/search?q=cow+pie ] My ex-blogging friend, Ralph [ Link ], made the suggestion back then to always include a ruler in pictures where its size is important. I did the ruler with the giant toadstool that Adi found. (Adi died in 2013. She was my best beagle dog friend) It was the giant cow pie that he suggested I include the ruler. It was about ten inches across.
_ _ _ _ .........................
The Fine Print: - Teresa of Eden Hills, (click) is running this meme, Friday's Hunt. Her rules are: "Welcome to linkup for Friday’s Hunt. It’s very simple. Anyone can participate. The link opens at 7pm Friday Central time and will close Sunday at 7pm."
__________other_Friday_Hunt_posts__________________
Labels: Adi, Adi Can, Friday’s Hunt # 03 - 2017, Jim Bunch Eats, Jim Does, KP, Work
Friday, June 21, 2013
— A Random Five post [008], This and That —
.
One: Entertaining ~~
Wednesday evening we had these three ladies and their husbands here at our house for dinner. The three on the right are Friday golfing buddies with Mrs. Jim.
From left to right are Mrs. Jim, Marta, Ellen, and Diane. I am sorry but I don't have pictures of their husbands nor any of the food we ate.
[Click on pictures to make them large sized]
Two: Retiree Luncheon ~~
Before I retired I taught business subjects for 22 years at San Jacinto College (link) in Pasadena, Texas. The North Campus hosted the luncheon for us.
Our famous and richest alumni include Steve Francis, Sam Cassell, Roger Clements, Andy Pettitte, and Patrick Swayze. I had Steve and Sam for class.
Seated at the table to the right are Roy, Me, Mrs. Jim, Mrs. Carol, Carol, and Chick. The four of us men represented the Business Department for the Central and South Campuses. The group from the North Campus were sitting at another table.
Three: Spring Gardening things ~~
This is our pretty holy tree. Note that the lower part leans to the right but the top portion is straight up. Hurricane Ike (my blog link) did its best to uproot our tree back in 2008.
Most time I show it in the winter when the leaves and berries are bright and shiny. In the spring however it sheds its leaves and berries and grows a new helping.
On the left below are berries and leaves that have fallen. The red berries are this year's, black ones are from last year. The birds eat a lot but our bird population is not high enough to get them all eaten.
Four: Read you car again ~~
This was how my car greeted me when I was leaving my doctor's office Wednesday. It says that SOMEONE in our family who drives this car a lot lets the gas tank get pretty empty.
My orthopedic doctor had just cleared me for two years absence before returning to him. He replaced my left knee joint with one that I was not born with. (link)
Not Numbered: Left over from Flag Day ~~
Our subdivision had American Flags flying all over the place that day. This is our East Entrance.
Five: Sunday was Fathers Day ~~
Again, no food pictures but here is a picture of me reading the menu. We ate Greek at Niko Niko's in Houston. (link)
I had the cabbage roll stuffed with chopped lamb and beef and rice with a Greek salad, rice, and pita bread. Mrs. Jim had the Kid's Gyro meal which also had a soft drink, or milk, apple sauce, and potatoes. We had some left over for another meal at home. Plus Megan (granddaughter) had given me one of her stuffed bell peppers and some more potatoes.
Above is me reading the menu. On my right is son, Tim and on my right is son, Mitch. After we had eaten Mrs. Jim and I drove over with granddaughter Megan and Husband James to see their first house. It is a nice home with a large yard.
They are doing extensive remodeling to include completely gutting the kitchen and removing a wall there. They had just moved in this weekend and the kitchen and other parts where not completed. I.e, no kitchen cupboards yet, etc.
This is the dining table center piece for the golfing ladies dinner. Mrs. Jim had made it from some of the neighbor's roses. Everyone liked it.
==> I am linked up today with Nancy at A Rural Journal. She conducts her "A Random Five" blog hop there. Click that link to read other "A Random Five" posts or to join in with your own.
==> Click on any picture for a larger size and a better view. And still another week, just call me next week, it may be my sock and underwear drawer.
==> I just didn't get all my comments answered last week. I am sorry. So if I missed getting to you then I will make special pains to get there this time.
my Five things
One: Entertaining ~~Wednesday evening we had these three ladies and their husbands here at our house for dinner. The three on the right are Friday golfing buddies with Mrs. Jim.
From left to right are Mrs. Jim, Marta, Ellen, and Diane. I am sorry but I don't have pictures of their husbands nor any of the food we ate.
[Click on pictures to make them large sized]
Two: Retiree Luncheon ~~Before I retired I taught business subjects for 22 years at San Jacinto College (link) in Pasadena, Texas. The North Campus hosted the luncheon for us.
Our famous and richest alumni include Steve Francis, Sam Cassell, Roger Clements, Andy Pettitte, and Patrick Swayze. I had Steve and Sam for class.
Seated at the table to the right are Roy, Me, Mrs. Jim, Mrs. Carol, Carol, and Chick. The four of us men represented the Business Department for the Central and South Campuses. The group from the North Campus were sitting at another table.
The Culinary Program students cooked the food and waited our tables. We all went through a serving line for the really good food. I ate my purple flower in the salad, Mrs. Jim and some others did not. The young lady who cooked the vegetables also served them. My cheesecake had strawberry flavored trim.
Three: Spring Gardening things ~~This is our pretty holy tree. Note that the lower part leans to the right but the top portion is straight up. Hurricane Ike (my blog link) did its best to uproot our tree back in 2008.
Most time I show it in the winter when the leaves and berries are bright and shiny. In the spring however it sheds its leaves and berries and grows a new helping.
On the left below are berries and leaves that have fallen. The red berries are this year's, black ones are from last year. The birds eat a lot but our bird population is not high enough to get them all eaten.
The middle picture above shows how the new berries come on while the old red ones are getting ready to fall. On the right is a picture of our neighbors to the right pretty front yard. She lets Mrs. Jim pick flowers from her plants to make our center pieces.
Four: Read you car again ~~This was how my car greeted me when I was leaving my doctor's office Wednesday. It says that SOMEONE in our family who drives this car a lot lets the gas tank get pretty empty.
My orthopedic doctor had just cleared me for two years absence before returning to him. He replaced my left knee joint with one that I was not born with. (link)
Not Numbered: Left over from Flag Day ~~Our subdivision had American Flags flying all over the place that day. This is our East Entrance.
Five: Sunday was Fathers Day ~~
Again, no food pictures but here is a picture of me reading the menu. We ate Greek at Niko Niko's in Houston. (link)
I had the cabbage roll stuffed with chopped lamb and beef and rice with a Greek salad, rice, and pita bread. Mrs. Jim had the Kid's Gyro meal which also had a soft drink, or milk, apple sauce, and potatoes. We had some left over for another meal at home. Plus Megan (granddaughter) had given me one of her stuffed bell peppers and some more potatoes.
Above is me reading the menu. On my right is son, Tim and on my right is son, Mitch. After we had eaten Mrs. Jim and I drove over with granddaughter Megan and Husband James to see their first house. It is a nice home with a large yard.
They are doing extensive remodeling to include completely gutting the kitchen and removing a wall there. They had just moved in this weekend and the kitchen and other parts where not completed. I.e, no kitchen cupboards yet, etc.
This is the dining table center piece for the golfing ladies dinner. Mrs. Jim had made it from some of the neighbor's roses. Everyone liked it.
==> I am linked up today with Nancy at A Rural Journal. She conducts her "A Random Five" blog hop there. Click that link to read other "A Random Five" posts or to join in with your own.
==> Click on any picture for a larger size and a better view. And still another week, just call me next week, it may be my sock and underwear drawer.
==> I just didn't get all my comments answered last week. I am sorry. So if I missed getting to you then I will make special pains to get there this time.
Labels: A-Random-Five, Driving Pictures, Eating, Friends, Grandchildren, Jim Bunch Eats, Jim Does, Kids, Work
Thursday, November 20, 2008
"Houston we have a problem" -- My efforts to help the space program: found, a tool box lost from space; helped in training astronauts
"Honey I had a little problem while I was doing powder puff work on the vehicle."
"O my gosh [OMG], what now? You cause more problems than you fix. I wished I'd never have encouraged you to take those courses."
"Nothing's bad with the it. Some other guys got it back in order."
"Well?"
"I lost our tool box, that's all."
"How could loose that tool box, it's big and heavy?"
"It just floated away. I had it tied on to me but it got away anyway. Gone into space."
"Oh boy, do you know what that cost us? A hundred thousand bucks. I can't earn that in several years!"
"That part is alright, the Government is going to bail us out on this one."
"O my gosh [OMG], what now? You cause more problems than you fix. I wished I'd never have encouraged you to take those courses."
"Nothing's bad with the it. Some other guys got it back in order."
"Well?"
"I lost our tool box, that's all."
"How could loose that tool box, it's big and heavy?"
"It just floated away. I had it tied on to me but it got away anyway. Gone into space."
"Oh boy, do you know what that cost us? A hundred thousand bucks. I can't earn that in several years!"
"That part is alright, the Government is going to bail us out on this one."
.
Some comments now.
First, Adi and I found that toolbox out in our driveway this morning, it must have landed here. I am hoping to get it autographed.
Secondly, that woman loves those granny knots. We learned in Boy Scouts to tie square knots. For added security I always do another on top making it a double square knot. Those never give way.
Some comments now.
First, Adi and I found that toolbox out in our driveway this morning, it must have landed here. I am hoping to get it autographed.
Secondly, that woman loves those granny knots. We learned in Boy Scouts to tie square knots. For added security I always do another on top making it a double square knot. Those never give way.
.
What does this photo have do with the post today? That jar sits in a prominent place in our home, it was made by an astronaut's wife and astronaut's mother. She was an artist, we like her Moon Jars--this one, the lid has the earth, the jar is the Moon, both are sculpted in relief.
[The cougar behind is a print by Charles Fracé, a nature painting artist. Mine is autographed by him, "To: Jim", and represents my college, The University of Houston, and its athletes, the Houston Cougars. Mrs. Jim gave me the picture after having it so nicely framed.]
How can that be? She is Mrs. Garriott, mother of Richard Garriott who is son of NASA Skylab veteran astronaut Owen Garriott.
And? I was active at the beginning Owen's flight training. I gave the senior Garriott his first indoctrination lesson to the Skylab vehicle in the Skylab mock-up simulator for which I was on the design team and helped to build.
That was back when I was a senior aerospace engineer with Ford Aerospace at NASA. I did a lot of other work with him while I was a flight control simulation and training person there. Note also that during Skylab missions (training was completed) I monitored and advised on either the Electrical Power Console or the Environmental Control Console.
And? I know that Dr. Garriott would have trained his son Richard better than that as to not lose a toolbox. Unfortunately Richard Garriott returned to safely to earth earlier last month in the Soyuz capsule along with two cosmonauts landing in north-central Kazakhstan (link). Or he could have done the job without losing the toolbox, I am sure of that.
One more item here, I was fortunate enough to have the Garriott's daughter as a student in my Introduction to Business class at San Jacinto College. At that time she was concerned for her brother who had quit college and was just 'playing with' his computer closed in the closet. He has come a long way and is one of the biggest producers of computer games now (read about his game career here).
More space things later
What does this photo have do with the post today? That jar sits in a prominent place in our home, it was made by an astronaut's wife and astronaut's mother. She was an artist, we like her Moon Jars--this one, the lid has the earth, the jar is the Moon, both are sculpted in relief.
[The cougar behind is a print by Charles Fracé, a nature painting artist. Mine is autographed by him, "To: Jim", and represents my college, The University of Houston, and its athletes, the Houston Cougars. Mrs. Jim gave me the picture after having it so nicely framed.]
How can that be? She is Mrs. Garriott, mother of Richard Garriott who is son of NASA Skylab veteran astronaut Owen Garriott.
And? I was active at the beginning Owen's flight training. I gave the senior Garriott his first indoctrination lesson to the Skylab vehicle in the Skylab mock-up simulator for which I was on the design team and helped to build.
That was back when I was a senior aerospace engineer with Ford Aerospace at NASA. I did a lot of other work with him while I was a flight control simulation and training person there. Note also that during Skylab missions (training was completed) I monitored and advised on either the Electrical Power Console or the Environmental Control Console.
And? I know that Dr. Garriott would have trained his son Richard better than that as to not lose a toolbox. Unfortunately Richard Garriott returned to safely to earth earlier last month in the Soyuz capsule along with two cosmonauts landing in north-central Kazakhstan (link). Or he could have done the job without losing the toolbox, I am sure of that.
One more item here, I was fortunate enough to have the Garriott's daughter as a student in my Introduction to Business class at San Jacinto College. At that time she was concerned for her brother who had quit college and was just 'playing with' his computer closed in the closet. He has come a long way and is one of the biggest producers of computer games now (read about his game career here).
More space things later
Labels: Humor, Jim's Life, space, Stories, Work
