Category Archives: Personal
Battlebots meet battlefield, and a personal note
One of Mr. RFH’s co-workers is currently deployed with his National Guard unit to Afghanistan, and he was kind enough to share this photo. I have his permission to publish this, but I thought I’d black out his name anyway. … Continue reading
Filed under Afghanistan, army, Personal, war
Five Years
I miss you, Dad. Update: I thought I’d lost this pic. On his last birthday, we took Dad to a local airshow. I wrote about it a while ago.
Filed under Personal
A union shop story
Shipfitter’s comment on the Lockheed-Martin strike post reminded me of my first experience of a union shop. When the structural engineers designed one particular test fixture, they assumed wrongly that the NASA plating shop would be available. By the time … Continue reading
Rock Star
For a former grunt, I really, really hate manual labor. Seriously, some days, I drive the golf cart to the mailbox. But just because I hate manual labor doesn’t mean I don’t’ do manual labor. So, my mom’s place is … Continue reading
Filed under Personal
Personal treasures
You might be wondering how I ended up here, when I am not a veteran. Well, for one, XBrad asked me to, and I thought it would be fun writing for the blog (it is!). Second, XBrad intended this blog … Continue reading
The Berlin Wall
Well, a couple of chunks of it, anyway. I have been to what was left of the real Berlin Wall, and the Museum at Checkpoint Charlie was an excellent reminder of what people will do for freedom. I may write … Continue reading
Happy Easter!
He closed the yawning gates of hell; The bars from heaven’s high portals fell; Let hymns of praise His triumphs tell! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! *********************** And a bit of cuteness, stolen from Ace of Spades:
Filed under Personal
South Dakota Air & Space Museum
This museum was a pleasant surprise. It’s not Dayton or DC, but there’s a very nice collection of planes here. Inside is the South Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame, including barnstormer and airmail pilot Nellie Zabel Willhite, who didn’t let … Continue reading
Prayers answered
My nephew’s boots hit Hawaiian soil just a few hours ago, so finally FINALLY his tour in Afghanistan is over. I am more proud of that young man than words can say, well, I’m proud of all of these young … Continue reading
Filed under Afghanistan, army, Personal
Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
I’ve been on vacation for a week with no internet connection *shudder*, so pardon me while I catch up. You get to see some of my vacation pictures (which always reminds me of the Night Gallery episode “Hell’s Bells). The … Continue reading
Random thoughts from Roamy
The map and registration in the glovebox joke went over pretty well yesterday. I even got to use my “they’re just going around in circles” joke again. :D One nephew in the Army is shipping out for Germany, and another … Continue reading
Where’s the map?
These days, I’m working on the Microgravity Science Glovebox. No, it’s not where the astronauts keep their maps (don’t they need one? they’re just going around in circles!). It’s one of these: The glovebox was delivered to the International Space … Continue reading
Moral Leadership
When our gracious host invited me to be a guest blogger on his site, I began pondering what I would want to post for my initial offering. I thought I would take a stab at considering the topic of moral … Continue reading
Filed under Personal, Uncategorized
And the poll winner is…
Tethered Satellite, by one vote over working with the Russkies. Guess I should write about that one anyway, on another day. Tethered Satellite was a joint project between NASA and the Italian Space Agency, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana. I was involved … Continue reading
Wolfhound Warrior
A repost from the past. Roamy alerted me that today is the 61st anniversary of the battle that earned COL Millett the Medal of Honor. Just one of several Wolfhounds over the years have earned. I just found out … Continue reading
RIP, Ben R.
He was a funny little man with a cackle of a laugh. He loved dirty jokes, cheap cigarettes and cheaper beer. He retired from the Army after 20 years, mostly spent in Korea and Japan. He married a little Korean … Continue reading
Funny for the day
From the overflowing inbox: A US Air Force C-130 was scheduled to leave Thule Air Base, Greenland at midnight. During the pilot’s preflight check, he discovers that the latrine holding tank is still full from the last flight. So a … Continue reading
Christmas loot
For Christmas, I received “The Archbishop Wore Combat Boots” in hardback and both “An Army at Dawn” and “The Day of Battle” by Rick Atkinson on my Kindle. I started with “An Army at Dawn”, and it makes me want … Continue reading
Filed under Personal
Roamy’s crap tree
I have a new crap tree for this year. (Go see Innocent Bystanders if you don’t know what I’m talking about.) Last year was The Tree That Came To Dinner, which got me thinking that I did like a taller … Continue reading
Filed under Personal
Having a Blast
Two stories about demolitions. John B in the comments of the earlier posts talks about routinely training on demolitions. It’s a perishable skill. Practice may not make perfect, but it DOES keep you from blowing yourself up. In the run-up … Continue reading
Filed under ARMY TRAINING, Personal
Whirleybirds, crushing cans, scattered satellites, and high velocity mollusks
Roamy here, with my 200th post on my one-year anniversary as co-blogger here. It doesn’t seem like I’ve put up that many posts, though some of those were “pic of the day” type or some ‘splodey from Weasel Zippers. Looking … Continue reading
Filed under Personal
Happy birthday!
Roamy here again. Happy birthday to the United States Marine Corps! Thank you for your service. It’s also the birthday of my nephew Matthew, currently serving in Afghanistan. Take care of yourself, young man. Hope y’all have a great day.
Patron saints
Roamy here. For those who don’t know me all that well, I am Catholic. I started thinking about Xbrad’s birthday and St. Crispin’s day coming up and thought that a post on patron saints might not be too bad. I … Continue reading
After action report
Roamy here. I mentioned last Saturday that retired Marine Corps General Jim Jones was the guest speaker at a fundraiser hosted by the Semper Fi Community Task Force. The task force sponsors “Heroes Week”, where, for a week around Veterans … Continue reading
Equine therapy for PTSD
Roamy here. My husband and two kids enjoy horseback riding. I do, too, it’s just that I don’t indulge as much due to allergies and the feeling, as Dave Barry once wrote, that they are very large animals with unnecessarily … Continue reading
xbradtc
roamingfirehydrant
Craig Swain
dgharvey
