Category: The Construction Biz

Crazy Times, The Construction Biz, The Early DaysLeave a comment

Chief The Stuttering Mexican

lewisotr

Back in the days, the 1970s and into the 1980s when blasting was necessary on almost every project, we would have to hire outside “blasting contractors” to supplement our forces. We had done this for a big subdivision we were building and this guy was well into a project and he hadn’t shown up for a couple of days. I would stop by and it was evident his crew was without leadership and therefore without direction. So I ask where their boss was. No one knew but they were beginning to get concerned because payday was coming up and he … Continue reading Chief The Stuttering Mexican

Amazing Things, Crazy Times, Marble Falls and the Area Around it., The Construction Biz, The Early DaysLeave a comment

More On Blasting Rock In Marble Falls

lewisotr

We encountered many people through the years with crazy notions about their house being destroyed by blasting. Some truly believe their house would fall down around them and others believe money will start falling from the sky. We had a situation many years ago when installing waterlines for a new development out on Mormon Mills Road in Marble Falls. There was a local banker, we had never done business with, but our Dad had a long relationship with him. He lived up that direction. I always considered the guy a shyster, but what did I know. Kenny and I encountered … Continue reading More On Blasting Rock In Marble Falls

Aging, Amazing Things, The Construction Biz, Thoughts and Musings, TravelsLeave a comment

Going To Vernal, Utah

lewisotr

I took my wife to the airport this morning (Friday actually) where she caught a flight out to Denver. By tomorrow she and three others in her party will be in Vernal, Utah. A several day rafting trip down the Green River is in her future. As we drove to the airport I ask her if she remembered that we almost moved to Vernal Utah some fifty years ago. She very much acted as if she had no idea what I was saying. I went on to explain that a few months after we married, in the middle of 1972, … Continue reading Going To Vernal, Utah

Another Daily Happening, The Construction Biz, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

The Day Of The Ugly Phone Call (that I wrote about yesterday)

lewisotr

It’s funny how well I remember that day. We had bought the Old Drug Store Building in Bertram. We occupied the upstairs, where there were 7 rooms. I didn’t have an office myself, because I didn’t really need one. There was someone hired to do every office type job. Besides that I have a habit of talking way to loud and being disruptive to others trying to get something done. The whole bottom floor was empty. I had several people that had asked me about renting it and none of them had sounded to me like something that would ever … Continue reading The Day Of The Ugly Phone Call (that I wrote about yesterday)

Funny Happenings, My Friends, The Construction Biz, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Austin Radio People & My Friend Sonny

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Bob Cole and Sammy Allred where the duo that probably stayed together the longest, at least to my memory. Of course there was Jim W W Travis at KVET for a long time. Tom Allen was a fixture. There were many that came through there over the years. Jerry Gee. Penny Reeves. Arlie Duff was at KOKE and moved to KVET for a while before he retired or moved on. The list is pretty long. A lessor known and remembered DJ at KVET was Sonny Butler. He was a night man a lot of the time and filled in in … Continue reading Austin Radio People & My Friend Sonny

Amazing Things, Another Daily Happening, Crazy Times, In and Around Austin, The Construction Biz, The Early Days, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

I Always Wanted To Do The Right Things, But Circumstances Can Get In The Way

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Back in the early part of the 70s we had a project relocating a water line on South 1st Street where a big “S” in Williamson Creek. (as shown in the photo below). Three new bridges were be built. We were on the tail end of that job, cleaning up and pressure testing. The City of Austin had a crew that performed the pressure tests and they came out twice and each time the line failed. The General Contractor that was building the bridges had already started work and it was imperative that we get that line approved or it … Continue reading I Always Wanted To Do The Right Things, But Circumstances Can Get In The Way

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

It Can Get Hot In May

lewisotr

Looks like we have a fairly nice week coming up. Well after today it shouldn’t be just oppressively hot. Of course today’s 96° won’t be bad after those 100°+ stuff the past few of days. I remember back in the early 80s, I bid a wastewater project in Laredo, right down along the Rio Grande River. My old bookkeeper Woody went down with me to look at it. He dumped me out up on the upper end and drove about five miles down the river to a predetermined location where I’d be coming up out of the bottoms. I headed … Continue reading It Can Get Hot In May

Amazing Things, My Friends, The Construction Biz, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

I Feel Like My Life Is One Big Bundle Of Surprises

lewisotr

Yes I’m always surprised at what pops up around every corner, or so it seems. Some of those unexpected “surprises” are not good but most of the time they are something to enjoy. Having this forum I get to share much of this, the good and the bad with many of my friends. I would love to tell you something that happened a couple of days ago. It involves one person that many in Marble Falls knows and that I’ve call a friend for well over a half century, probably around 55 years. This fellow is a few years older … Continue reading I Feel Like My Life Is One Big Bundle Of Surprises

Crazy Times, On The Job, The Construction Biz2 Comments

The Fire

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Ruby Waggoner was my dad’s mother. She and my grandfather had divorced when Cecil was very young. He was raised by his dad, Theron and Leona (or Nonie) his stepmother and a host of aunts, uncles and his grandparents. Ruby Lee or Granny Ruby as I called her was still a big part of our life growing up. She lived in Austin and we visited often. She was one funny old gal that laughed a lot and made the rest of us laugh. Any time after I was grown and had projects around north Austin, I’d stop by her house … Continue reading The Fire

In and Around Austin, The Construction Biz, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

There Are Certain Things You Just Don’t Want To Know

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Early in my construction career I was involved in a project in west Austin, on West 5th St. That project is seared in my memory, even though it happened almost 50 years ago, around 1973. We were relocating a bunch of utilities lines, that needed to be moved so MoPac could be constructed. There were many things that happened during the course of that project. They aren’t that important at this moment. Several years and a million miles later, we did a second project in the same area of Austin. That project was providing drainage for a new building, a … Continue reading There Are Certain Things You Just Don’t Want To Know