Category: Crazy Times

Crazy Times, My FamilyLeave a comment

A Moment Of Panic (from a few years ago)

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I was on the road out of Corpus this morning. I got a call from the police department. Did we own a Cadillac STX, gray in color? I said we did. The dispatcher said they had gotten a call from ONSTAR about that car, which is Madeline’s. It could have been stolen, hijacked or involved in an accident. I asked her to let me go so it could call my wife. She said okay and she would call be back in 5 minutes. I started calling Madeline. No answer. Finally on the third try she answered. She was laughing. She … Continue reading A Moment Of Panic (from a few years ago)

Crazy Times, My Friends, The Construction Biz, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Don’t Just Follow The Crowd

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Back in the high flying times of the 1980s, there were several of my contractor friends that enjoyed going to Las Vegas, as did I. There were about 10 or 12 couples this one particular weekend that all left Austin on Southwest Airlines together bound for a great fun filled weekend in Vegas. It was a flight that took us through Tucson, Az but we weren’t suppose to de-plane, just a short stop-over. It was a fun flight with a festive atmosphere. I never heard anything said that I thought was out of line. Just a lot of fun and … Continue reading Don’t Just Follow The Crowd

Crazy Times, My Friends, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Watch What You Say. You Never Know Who’s Listening.

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I met a friend for breakfast every morning when were working together. When I got to the restaurant that morning my friend Gerry wasn’t there yet but I took a seat at our regular table. One table away was a older man, very pleasant sort of fellow and we struck up a conversation about the first one thing and then the other. After a bit Gerry came in an took a seat. He and I chatted like we did every morning. Nothing real deep. The conversation got around to “did your in laws make it in last night” kind of … Continue reading Watch What You Say. You Never Know Who’s Listening.

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

The Old Holland Page Kenworth Truck

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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

Crazy Times, Funny Happenings, Kenny Lewis, The Construction Biz, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Impersonating My Brother

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For years Kenny and I sounded amazingly alike on the phone. We both have what I guess is a distinct Smithwick accent. I’m doubtful that Kenny ever took advantage of that. My wife admits to getting us confused a few times. Maybe she or Kenny can tell us if any of those conversations ever went hay-wire. If they did, I never heard about it. On the other hand, I can’t tell you how much confusion I caused by letting different ones think they were talking to Kenny when I was the one they were actually talking to. Our Grannie Ruby … Continue reading Impersonating My Brother

Another Daily Happening, Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, Kenny Lewis, The Early DaysLeave a comment

The Day The Wrecks Almost Never Stopped

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The Friday before Deer Season started in 1967, the town of Marble Falls was swarming with deer hunters. In front of the little Chamber Building – Kenny, my brother, driving a small white Oldsmobile car, with Karen Schaefer sitting much too close (I’m sure) to him in the middle pulled out of the Gulf Station directly in front of a businessman from Houston, that was coming to hunt. He was in a brand new Oldsmobile 98 Sedan. Both cars were totaled. Luckily no one was seriously injured. That set off a chain of wrecks that day for the Lewis family. … Continue reading The Day The Wrecks Almost Never Stopped

Amazing Things, Another Daily Happening, Crazy Times, In and Around Austin, The Construction Biz2 Comments

Another Rock Blasting Story

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During the first 15 years of my contracting career most trenches in rock were blasted, before good productive and dependable rock trenchers were developed. We had one crew that their primary job was drilling and shooting (term we used for blasting) rock. We were building a new subdivision right behind the Bannockburn Baptist Church, before it was built, on Brodie at McCarty Lane in southwest Austin. All was going real good on that project. Don the crew foreman and our ace blaster was short handed, so he hired an old hippie that happened by. The old hippie’s only job was … Continue reading Another Rock Blasting Story

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

Dynamite Headaches

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I have talked extensively about blasting rock and handling explosives (or mishandling as the case may have been). As I’ve said before, my days in the blasting game came early in my life, mostly before I was 30 years old which was up until the early 1980’s. Most of what I learned about blasting rock was from Cecil Lewis or Burnet, Texas blasting legend LJ Henderson. Of course trial and error and being self taught was where I learned the most I suppose. Since there wasn’t a school to actually go to learn the trade, you start out loading a … Continue reading Dynamite Headaches

Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, Smithwick2 Comments

Cecil Lewis Smoked One Joint In His Whole Life

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Cec was well into his 60s and had never smoked marijuana. He is a man that had not lived a completely pure life, but for whatever reason smoking pot or doing drugs was something that had never appealed to him. He had a fellow living at his fishing camp that had enjoyed a long life of pot consumption. Virgil tempted Cec with a baggie of weed one day. Not knowing how he was going to react to it’s effects, he decided to take it with him and find a convenient time to smoke some without calling too much attention to … Continue reading Cecil Lewis Smoked One Joint In His Whole Life

Another Daily Happening, Crazy Times, Kenny Lewis, Smithwick, The Early Days1 Comment

The Adventures Of Driving Under-Powered Trucks

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The 60s were a different time than now when it comes to the horse power of trucks. Today our trucks operate with 500 to 600 horsepower. Back then the common range was 180 to 250 HP. We still hauled equally heavy loads over the same roads as today. Trucks were used much longer and maintained must less than by today’s standards. It was common for when we were hauling a heavy dozer in hillier areas for me to go ahead in a pickup to assist. When we knew there was a grade too steep coming up, Kenny would pull over, … Continue reading The Adventures Of Driving Under-Powered Trucks