Category: Thoughts and Musings

Crazy Times, In and Around Austin, The Construction Biz, The Early Days, Thoughts and Musings1 Comment

Failing To Choose My Words Correctly

lewisotr

One time I submitted the low bid on a project, a subdivision. It was for a fairly new MUD District, the Anderson Mill MUD. (That shows just how long I’ve been around perhaps – Anderson Mill was formed in the early to mid 1970’s) The next bid that was submitted was slightly higher, by a few thousand dollars. Even though my bid met every qualification, I was informed that the district was going to reject my bid in favor of the 2nd place bidder. While I was disappointed to say the least, I was new enough in business to not … Continue reading Failing To Choose My Words Correctly

Amazing Things, Crazy Times, Funny Happenings, Marble Falls and the Area Around it., The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

My Wife Always Tells Me To Pace Myself

lewisotr

This was a FaceBook post I originally made back at the end of 2014, just a few months after the inception of the AngoraChronicles. My problem is when I think of something I have to get busy with it then and there or I may never get it done. It’s that way with writing stories. When something pops in my head, I need to get it written or I may never think of it again. That may be the reason that in just a few months time I’ve written about everything that’s happened to me and around me in a … Continue reading My Wife Always Tells Me To Pace Myself

Thoughts and Musings6 Comments

Do any of my FB friends fool around with Find-A-Grave much?

lewisotr

I need to find someone that can correct a listing on there for a grave at Smithwick. While looking yesterday at the birth and death dates of the Turkey Bend Women, there was one grave that caused me to run around all afternoon with my tail in a knot. I couldn’t figure out how 2 of the Hall Sisters were born just a month apart. Then I couldn’t believe that Earlie was older than Mamie. The mysteries I conjured up in my mind were endless. That resolved itself once I figured out a simple entry was incorrect. Earlie’s year of … Continue reading Do any of my FB friends fool around with Find-A-Grave much?

Aging, Smithwick, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Remembering The Turkey Bend Ladies

lewisotr

My wife handed me a baby blanket the other day that was badly stained. She reminded me that Aunt Mamie Franck (we called her Aunt Mamie, but she wasn’t actually our aunt) hand made this little blanket when our first born son, Matthew was born. Matt will turn 47 this coming August 22, which is my birthday as well. I turned 22 years old the day he came into this world. Madeline trusts my ability to remove stains, and I can usually do it without completely destroying the stained item. I was curious of Aunt Mamie’s age when she made … Continue reading Remembering The Turkey Bend Ladies

Another Daily Happening, Crazy Times, No Place Like Bertram, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Jack The Donkey

lewisotr

You can bring a girl out of California to Texas and it doesn’t mean they’ll have all the lingo down even 10 years later. Leticia Lewis, my daughter in law called some fellow this afternoon that was advertising donkeys for sale on Craigslist. She said “I’m inquiring about the donkey you have for sale. The one named Jack”. Son, Justin and I had a good laugh wondering what that poor fellow on the other end of the phone was thinking. Continue reading Jack The Donkey

Smithwick, The Early Days, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

The Shirt and The Tractor

lewisotr

I have this one shirt, out of a closet full, that I really like. It’s nothing fancy, but when I see it, it always sparks memories. Those memories go back to my grandfather, Theron Lewis. These were early memories, because he passed away when I was 6 years old, only a couple of months into my first grade year. He always wore blue work shirts to the cow lot to feed and milk. He wore those shirts to do carpentry work in when he was building a house for someone. But what I most remember is he wore one when … Continue reading The Shirt and The Tractor

Crazy Times, Meeting New People, On The Job, The Construction Biz, The Early Days, Thoughts and Musings1 Comment

Borrowing Money On Your Word And A Handshake

lewisotr

Early in my contracting career, G.K. became my accountant, sidekick and office guy. His marriage had failed due to his drinking and other circumstances, so he was free to move around the state doing projects with me. Something that I was able to easily do too. Madeline and I were fairly portable. We went to Huntsville, Houston and eventually we ended up in Brackenridge, Tx. We only had one child, a baby – Matthew, when in December 1976 an opportunity came along to go do the largest project I had ever undertaken. It was in Stephens County, Texas. It was … Continue reading Borrowing Money On Your Word And A Handshake

The Construction Biz, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

It’s Strange The Things We Remember

lewisotr

It’s been almost 40 years ago that I walked into G & L Stationers on South Congress. They were in a building just north of where the Night Hawk Restaurant was at So. Congress & Riverside Drive in Austin. I had decided it was time to put a distinctive mark on my company. They had a graphics designer that worked with me to make a company Logo. I still remember his name, Duane Kelly. In just a few minutes he was putting the finishing touches on the big LC that would grace our new sign out front of the office … Continue reading It’s Strange The Things We Remember

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