Category: Amazing Things

Amazing Things, Crazy Times, The Construction Biz, Thoughts and Musings1 Comment

The Life Of A Utility Contractor

lewisotr

I’ve been broke and I’ve been moderately successful – each thing several times. Failure is only a really bad thing if it takes you down and keeps you there. Falling on hard times can be a character builder like nothing else. Once you’ve found success and experience failure, it makes a good person try even harder to find those good times and to not repeat the same mistakes. I started out in the construction business back in 1972, a few months before I turned 20 years old. I had nothing but a new wife and a good work ethic. I … Continue reading The Life Of A Utility Contractor

Amazing Things, Crazy Times, Funny Happenings, Marble Falls and the Area Around it., Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

The Fortune Teller

lewisotr

If a fortune teller tells you something, maybe you should listen. We traveled from Marble Falls to San Antonio for our 1970 senior trip. Whoopee, that was a dandy trip of less than a hundred miles, after putting in 12 hard years. Late in the afternoon we ended up by Breckenridge Park at an amusement park and arcade. Several of us, Madeline included, which is now my wife of over 49 years, decided to go to a fortune teller. When it was my turn she read my palms or something and said ” one day you will write a book”. … Continue reading The Fortune Teller

Amazing Things, Crazy Times, Marble Falls and the Area Around it., Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Forward Thinking

lewisotr

Some of you may know that back in the 1980s, John Kemper, a group of businessmen and investors and myself developed Gateway, a 96 acre tract of land, south of the river in Marble Falls. It was originally part of the Michel Ranch. What you may not know is during the planning of that development we made a pitch to TxDot for us to give a ROW through the property for new northbound lanes from Max Starcke Dam Road to the south end of the river bridge. That would then have allowed the current highway to only be used for … Continue reading Forward Thinking

Amazing Things, In and Around Austin, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Grannie Ruby And The Body Shop

lewisotr

It comes that time in old peoples lives when they shouldn’t drive any longer. Since Granny Ruby, my dad’s birth mother, was so independent, she drove longer than she should have. One day she had a wreck and messed up the front end of her Ford Sedan. She took it down the street from her house to a body shop, hoping to get it fixed before any of us knew anything about it. Bill’s Body Shop gave her an estimate and went to work on it. When he got ready to repainted it, they couldn’t make the paint match. The … Continue reading Grannie Ruby And The Body Shop

Amazing Things, My Family, Smithwick, The Jollyville Years, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

The Little Keepsake Box

lewisotr

This little wooden box is one of the treasures that I hold close to my heart. It belonged to my Grandmother, Leona, that we affectionately called Maw-Maw. The initials L P was for Leona Purcell. I will be telling you more in a couple of days about my Maw-Maw, who was known as Aunt Nonie by many folks around the country. Why in a couple of days? May 6, 2021 will commemorate 112 year’s since her birth. Now back to the box. I remember that she always kept this box on her dresser. When I would ask her about it, … Continue reading The Little Keepsake Box

Amazing Things, Crazy TimesLeave a comment

Back When I Went Middle Aged Crazy And Bought A Corvette

lewisotr

All my life I wanted a Corvette almost more than anything in the world. I didn’t get one until about 1985. I drove up to a used truck dealership in Buda, Texas that I’d been doing business with. There set a very nice 1981 Corvette, with a for sale sign on it. It belonged to the daughter of the owner. It really looked classy. I had to have it. I had just sold a prime piece of property and felt rich. Nothing was going to stop me from owning it. Especially if I closed the deal before Madeline found out. … Continue reading Back When I Went Middle Aged Crazy And Bought A Corvette

Amazing Things, Grandchildren, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

Sometimes you just have to adjust to the situation.

lewisotr

We drink coffee in the morning, pretty well every morning. Even though there are cheaper ways to drink coffee, we buy the K Cups and use a Keurig because we seldom drink more than a cup (although they are big cups). So making a pot of coffee seems like over kill. I drink my coffee out of a disposable Dixie Cup of the 16 ounce variety, with a lid. A while back my little granddaughter, Fia, (Sofia) started bringing me cups of coffee all during the day and night. With a face like this I couldn’t tell her that I … Continue reading Sometimes you just have to adjust to the situation.

Amazing Things, My Friends, The Construction Biz, Thoughts and Musings1 Comment

The Two Minute Talk That Has Lasted Me A Lifetime

lewisotr

Udo was of German descent. He had a coarseness about him, but an incredible refinement as well. He adapted to the situation he was in at the moment. When he retired after a long career in the excavation business, he sold me his office and yard, along with some heavy equipment and trucks. We lived across the street from he and his wife, so our visits were frequent. In retirement he moved from his lifetime hobby of flying planes, to flying helicopters. He would often fly me around to look at my projects. It helped him stay in touch with … Continue reading The Two Minute Talk That Has Lasted Me A Lifetime

Aging, Amazing Things, Crazy Times, The Construction Biz, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

The Old Holland Page Kenworth Truck

lewisotr

When I was a small boy and would go visit the Holland Page Construction Yard. My greatest thrill of all was when we would go there and his big Kenworth Haul Truck was there dropping off or picking up a load. Below is a picture of a truck that looks so much like that old Kenworth. It was a 1940 model. It was retired in 1964, with 4.5 million miles on it. The same driver had picked it up at he factory and driven it every mile or so was the tale. His name was Mullins. I have no idea … Continue reading The Old Holland Page Kenworth Truck