Author: lewisotr

One Hell Of A Guy, If I do say so myself.
Old Dog - New Trick, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

I Was A Kid With Few Talents

lewisotr

In fact I think I could only do approximately two unusual or amusing things. One of those I tried out while sitting in the barber chair a while back. Now mind you it wasn’t the first time I’d tried a barber out on this but in memory it’s the first time I ever got a real reaction. As this young gal started to clip the ear hair, I started my ear wiggling routine. Of course I could see her look as I could see her in the mirror, so as she’d get close with the clipper, I’d let my big … Continue reading I Was A Kid With Few Talents

Construction, Crazy Times, On The JobLeave a comment

The Martin’s – Dirt Men All The Way

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Uncle Bob Martin worked for me a couple of times in the 70’s. He was slow and steady but was accomplishing something with every motion. Cousin Butch Martin worked for me several times. We was the opposite of his Dad. He was fast and all over everything, but man could he move dirt. You just always knew it wouldn’t last long, before he’d twist off and not show up. Each time I’d swear that was the last. But he had an uncanny way of arriving when you most needed someone in the seat of that dozer, so I’d put him … Continue reading The Martin’s – Dirt Men All The Way

Amazing Things, Kenny Lewis, Smithwick, The Early DaysLeave a comment

There Used To Be Some Big Bullfrogs Around This Area.

lewisotr

When I was a small child there used to be a lot of really large bullfrogs. We had frog legs fairly regularly. I guess they have mostly been killed off. These pictures of my brother, Kenny holding big ones. This was about 1953. But those look small compared to this on I saw here on FB. Now that would make a mess of frog legs. Continue reading There Used To Be Some Big Bullfrogs Around This Area.

Construction, Crazy Times, The Early DaysLeave a comment

It Was A Sign Of The Times

lewisotr

Back in 1976 we headed off to Houston to build a project out off of Highway 6 between I-10 and 290. A new housing development. We installed the utilities (water, wastewater and storm sewers) while a company from Houston built the streets and did the grading for the project. This company was new to that type of work, as their primary business had been building and maintaining railroads. It may have been their first venture into subdivisions. They were really a bunch of nice guys that were easy to get along with. Something I can’t say for all companies we … Continue reading It Was A Sign Of The Times

In and Around Austin, On The JobLeave a comment

Attorney’s Don’t Always Think Out Their Next Question

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One time years ago we were working beside North Lamar out just north of Rhomberg Lane in north Austin. A few blocks south of our job site 2 cars got together in a pretty bad crash. Attorneys got involved and started suing everyone they could think of. I’m not sure how our name got involved but it did and we were named in the suit. Several months or even years had past when an attorney called me to get a statement. She had almost worn me completely out when I told her that I would send her a map marked … Continue reading Attorney’s Don’t Always Think Out Their Next Question

Crazy Times, On The Job2 Comments

Capitol National Bank, Winfield and Me

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Back when my friend Winfield, the CPA, worked for me we were being courted by one of the big downtown Austin banks. Emory Thompson was the pitch man for The Capitol National Bank that would come by and try to get us bring our business to them. I knew him, his family had owned a big tire business that had sold and he went from being a tire salesman to being a money salesman. We had been doing business with a small local bank in north Austin, aptly named North Austin State Bank. They had done everything I’d ever wanted … Continue reading Capitol National Bank, Winfield and Me

Another Daily Happening, Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, The Early Days, UncategorizedLeave a comment

We Did Things Much Differently Back Then

lewisotr

I grew up around construction equipment and trucks. In the 60s when I was in high school, my dad, Cecil Lewis ran a fleet of dump trucks. Among other things we had the contract to haul the blasted rock from the Pure Stone Quarry out south of Marble Falls back to the crusher in town. Even as young and as small as I was at 14 or 15, I would single-handedly pull transmissions and replace clutches in those old dump trucks and did brake jobs. I knew how to do all that then. For sure, there was always a lot … Continue reading We Did Things Much Differently Back Then

In and Around Austin, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Austin Was Always A One Truck Stop Town + the Big Wheel in Oak Hill.

lewisotr

With I-35 and the other highways of commerce from out to the east and west, it seems there was hardly a time that Austin was home to more than one Truck Stop. In the 50s and 60s, The Austin Truck Terminal up north just south of US 183 on I-35. It was owned by Mr. Herbert Skinner. He also owned Austin Truck & Machinery that was adjacent to it. It became the Freightliner Truck Dealership and remained there for many years.  The cafe was Marvin’s in the early days and later was operated by a fellow by the name of … Continue reading Austin Was Always A One Truck Stop Town + the Big Wheel in Oak Hill.

Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, Kenny Lewis, Smithwick, The Early DaysLeave a comment

Cec’s Pry Bar

lewisotr

(This was written by Kenny Lewis) Ronnie and I had our share of mishaps growing up and for that reason, were known by the men of the community as being rather reckless. Among those men was one of Dad’s closest friends, Brown Parker. He always said that “Cec could have been a millionaire had he knocked the two of us in the head when we were pups”. Daddy owned a pry bar that had previously been a truck axle. It was at least six feet long and 1 ½” in diameter. Brown always swore that it was the only thing … Continue reading Cec’s Pry Bar