Category: The Construction Biz

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

Austin Radio People & My Friend Sonny

lewisotr

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

lewisotr

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

lewisotr

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

lewisotr

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

Crazy Times, The Construction Biz, Thoughts and Musings1 Comment

The Winfield Scott Escapades and the Changing Times

lewisotr

This story consists of several previously written stories, all woven together to give better clarity of what happened when Winfield entered my life in the early 1980s. When I write a book about my life, Winfield will surely make up a long chapter in it. Therefore the following is written with a book in mind. When I think back on my life, business and personally, I don’t think anyone made a more lasting impression on me than did Winfield. He and I were just casual friends when we were growing up. Since we grew up in a small town, being … Continue reading The Winfield Scott Escapades and the Changing Times

Amazing Things, The Construction Biz, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Nothing Says Class Like A Nice Hood Ornament

lewisotr

Seen on a “64” Chevy Pickup in Liberty Hill a while back. Quite a few years ago I had a fellow that worked for me. In fact he still works for me and has since he was just a kid, in the late 70s. Heck we were all kids back then. Manual is of Mexican descent and he like many of those fellows, didn’t mind adding a bit of class to their vehicles. I guess in today’s terms, it would be called bling. Manual had a fairly nice Chevy pickup and one day he showed up to work with a … Continue reading Nothing Says Class Like A Nice Hood Ornament

Amazing Things, Crazy Times, Funny Happenings, My Friends, The Construction Biz, Thoughts and Musings, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Pete and the Boulder Busters

lewisotr

Times have changed a lot in the 50 years that I’ve been in the construction business. The only economical way to excavate rock for installing underground utilities in the first 10 years was blasting with dynamite. It tapered off over the next decades to where that method is rarely even used today. We blasted up and down streets in very congested areas. In my first 4 or 5 years there wasn’t even a city permit required in Austin to transport and use explosives. Anyone dealing with the City of Austin now, would find that hard to believe. Now you need … Continue reading Pete and the Boulder Busters

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

Borrowing Money

lewisotr

Gaston Kenna was his given names, but he always went by the initials G.K. I first got to know G.K. in 1973 when Dink (from another of my stories – okay a few of my stories) and I were teamed up doing projects together. GK was hired by my cousin Nelson, whom I already had a long working history with. G.K. had worked for a wealthy businessman in Rockdale for many years. A drinking problem had been the cause of him needing to seek employment with Nelson. A few years later G.K. became my traveling accountant / sidekick / office … Continue reading Borrowing Money