Amazing Things, My Family, Thoughts and Musings4 Comments

My Mother

lewisotr

This story was written back on my mother’s birthday, January 18, 2015. So as you read this just know that my mother would be 88 now. I didn’t rewrite it or even feel like editing it to bring it up to today’s date. I guess that comes from laziness or perhaps because I just don’t want to change it. This is the story of my mother. Bonnie Gay would have been 82 today. She grew up poor, in a very large family. She was the 8th out of 11 children. Her father died when she 9 years old. She married … Continue reading My Mother

Construction, Crazy Times, In and Around Austin, The Construction Biz, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

The Pipe Bursting Experiment

lewisotr

Back in the 1980s I was contacted by the owner of an apartment complex over in “Apartment City”, the area along Riverside Drive east of I-35 in Austin. The city was requiring them to upsize the wastewater, as it wasn’t adequately handling the amount of flows that the apartment was generating. Evidently a few years before, when the project was built there had been a sizing miscalculation. With it being a nice property with beautifully landscaped yards they wanted the disruption to be held to a minimum. I made some phone calls and found a company in Louisiana that was … Continue reading The Pipe Bursting Experiment

Crazy Times, On The JobLeave a comment

An Unfortunate Situation

lewisotr

It was not long after I graduated high school that Cecil, my dad, hired on one of his trucks to haul equipment with an old Austin trucking firm. I was the driver that went with the truck. Charlie Evans had spent many years in the heavy haul business in Austin and branched out and opened up a second yard down in San Antonio. Business was expected to be pretty good there so I ended up being based out of that yard, which was on the east side out on I-10, near WW White Blvd. I stayed in a fairly dated … Continue reading An Unfortunate Situation

Amazing Things, Old Dog - New Trick, Thoughts and Musings5 Comments

I Love Technology

lewisotr

I got ahold of the computer thing pretty early on, I guess it was 1985. We had bought the kids a Commodore I think a year or 2 before that. It was a box you hooked up to the TV for playing games and learning aids. We set it up on Madeline’s sewing machine cabinet using a spare TV we had for the monitor. It didn’t take long for one of the boys to turn a box of straight pins over on the keyboard and fried the whole thing. But in 1985 I started working with a Compaq Portable Computer … Continue reading I Love Technology

Cecil Lewis, The Early DaysLeave a comment

A Lesson Learned Young

lewisotr

I was 10 or 11 years old. My dad was on a job in Seguin, Texas. His inspector on that job drove off into the mud and got stuck. By the time they got him unstuck, his sedan was covered in mud. As usual I was with my Dad on the job-site, which I did anytime I could. It was mid afternoon, about the time they always headed for the coffee shop to drink coffee. So the inspector dropped his car off at a new coin operated car wash, gave me a $5 bill, which half should have been enough … Continue reading A Lesson Learned Young

Crazy Times, Meeting New PeopleLeave a comment

Checking Out People As A Hobby

lewisotr

I don’t know why, but I’ve always been nosey. I like to find out everything I can about everybody I ever run across. Well almost everyone, but don’t worry I doubt I’ve checked out any of my Angora Friends. Since the beginning of the Internet I have found many ways to obtain sketchy and useful information on people. I even subscribed to several paid services. It has been a good and worthwhile hobby, finding long lost friends for people and rounding up names for class reunions and such as that. In the early days of the Internet it was easier … Continue reading Checking Out People As A Hobby

Funny Happenings, Kenny Lewis, The Early Days4 Comments

Going Boating

lewisotr

Kenny was away serving in the Army, so when he would come home, we spent as much time together as we could. He got home this one time and I had just purchased a Chrysler 17′ fiberglass boat, light yellow, with a 55 HP Chrysler outboard motor. (Yes there was a time that Chrysler got in the boat business – not a real successful venture) It was used, but just gently so. Not a real powerful boat but it would cruise up and down the lake. Gasoline was well south of $.50 per gallon back then. (For those unfamiliar with … Continue reading Going Boating

Crazy Times, Funny Happenings, Meeting New People, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

Have You Ever Gotten A Business Proposition That Sounded Like A Scam? Of Course You Have.

lewisotr

Below is an email proposal that I once received and then my response. For some reason Andrew never contacted me again. “The Proposal”Dear Ronnie Lewis, (Lewis Contractors)My Name is Andrew Dunlop and I work for a company based here in Canada. I have a business proposal which will benefit both of us. I will give you a brief overview on the proposal. I request that you act as an intermediary agent/supplier to my company. In so doing, this will yield high dividends for both of us. However, I need your co-operation to make this business opportunity a success. My company … Continue reading Have You Ever Gotten A Business Proposition That Sounded Like A Scam? Of Course You Have.

Smithwick, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

The Salt Cedar Switch

lewisotr

I scarcely ever see a salt cedar tree anymore. As a small child there was one growing off the edge of the sleeping porch at my grandparents house. In fact that’s about the only one I ever remember. I saw one a while back down along the river by the lower end of The Santa Elena Canyon at Big Bend. It made me remember why I was so well behaved as a youngun. Just the threat of “Ronnie Gene do I need to go cut a switch off that salt cedar” would get me in line. I’m doubtful that there … Continue reading The Salt Cedar Switch

Cecil Lewis, Thoughts and Musings3 Comments

Cecil Lewis, The One And Only

lewisotr

When I’ve told stories about my Dad, I’m always hopeful that I don’t give the impression that Cecil Lewis was only an outlaw or something. He kinda was, but what can I say, he was Cecil Lewis. Truly a one of a kind. If he liked you he’d do anything for you, if he didn’t like you, he’d still do anything for you. He was liked by most people, respected by many but people knew to give him a wide berth. I owe much of my success to him. Not only in the things he taught me to do, but … Continue reading Cecil Lewis, The One And Only