UH OH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The pollen was pretty heavy from the tree next to the driveway, so my son asked me if we could swap sides with our cars. His car is a lot newer than in mine and in better shape, so I agreed. He moved them later that evening just before his girl friend arrived. They were leaving the next morning for a vacation in the Dominican Republic and she was leaving her car behind his in my driveway.

The next night we had a bad storm with wind gusts up to 40 MPH. Like usual, I didn't even hear it and slept right through it. The next day I went out to go shopping and saw this.

"Wow, that must have been some storm. It blew over the basket ball hoop. I'm lucky, it just missed my car."

As I got closer to the car I saw the hood. AW CRAP! THE FUCKING BASKETBALL HOOP LANDED ON THE HOOD WHEN IT BLEW OVER!!!!

Looks like the hoop blew over onto the hood and then slid down to the ground scrapping the car all the way and taking out the license plate and frame.


I met the insurance adjuster at the body shop this morning. He recognized me right away. It seems we knew other at the Watch Hill marina on Fire Island. We didn't hang out together, but we did chat from time to time. My late wife and his used to talk a lot during the week when I wasn't there, so his wife knew men quite well.

The owner of the body shop came out to negotiate the repair with the adjuster. They bickered back and forth a little and settled on what the insurance company would pay for.
1. New hood, not a used one nor and after market hood either.
2. New front bumper cover.
3. A little body work.
4. Total labor - 2 1/2 hours.

Out of ear shot of the adjuster, I made arrangements to get the leaky and dinged up windshield replace and compound and wax the entire car. I was going to get the small dents and dings fixed, but he said that would be too expensive as then I would need to get the whole car repainted. I agreed.

We made arrangements for me to drop the car off on Monday to get repaired. It will be about a week. My insurance company will pay for a rental car for me.

I left and went grocery shopping and picked up a slice of pizza with mushrooms for lunch. When I got home I played the message on the answering machine. It was from the body shop. I called back and it seems that the the insurance company thinks $500 for a new hood on a 1998 car is too much. They agreed to pay $300 for the hood, a new after market or used. The body shop recommended after market so that what I'm going with.

A few hours later the insurance company main office. They said the total cost of the repair is $1675. Minus my $500 deductible they are sending me a check for the balance. It will go out tomorrow. I was to let the adjuster know if they find anything else out when they do the repair and they will pay me more.

Not bad service, huh?

Another One of My Army Stories

If you read my last post, you know that I've started to rewrite the stories about the time I army and in Vietnam. The last post was a rewrite covering the time from when I got my draft card and day I was actually inducted. There's a lot more to see and read if your interested.

The following story covers the day I was inducted. I call it; 'Chapter 2: Induction Day'.

Another One of My Army Stories

If you read my last post, you know that I've started to rewrite the stories about the time I army and in Vietnam. The last post was a rewrite covering the time from when I got my draft card and day I was actually inducted. There's a lot more to see and read if your interested.

The following story covers the day I was inducted. I call it; 'Chapter 2: Induction Day'.

Chapter 2: Induction Day

My father and stepmother drove me down to the Selective Service office in Smithtown Monday morning, May 5, 1968 to check in and then get on the bus for the ride to Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn for induction. I didn’t realize it at the time, but my father and stepmother were waiting for me to say goodbye, but I didn't see them and just got on the bus.

I remember mostly just quietly staring out the window for most of the ride, wondering if I would live through this adventure and make it back home again after it was all over. I suppose most of us did.

We arrived in at Fort Hamilton about an hour or so later. There was another short interview to see if anything had changed since our physicals and if nothing had, we were sent into in a different room to wait until everyone had been interviewed.

It wasn't long before a few men came into the room to talk to us. One of them explained that not everyone of us would be inducted into the Army, that a small number of us were needed in the Marine Corp. They asked for volunteers. There was no fucking way I was volunteering and just sat quietly. Believe it or not, a few guys did volunteer and were escorted out of the room.

Next we were directed into another room with lines painted on the floor and a large American flag in front. We were told to line up along the lines and then “asked” to take one step forward to "voluntarily" be sworn in.

At the final phase of the induction process, a military recruiting officer will order the Registrant, and any other Registrants present, to "line up on the line.” (a line, or several lines, is/are painted on the floor). A military recruiting officer will then order all those "joining the army,” (or whatever) to “take one step forward” … THOSE WHO LINE UP AS ORDERED AND TAKE ONE STEP FORWARD JUST "VOLUNTEERED!" BY TAKING ONE STEP FORWARD, YOU CONVERT YOUR "REGISTRANT" STATUS INTO THAT OF AN "INDUCTEE"!!!!

The oath is administered: "I, (state your name) do solemnly swear that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America and will defend it against all enemies foreign and domestic, and will obey the orders of the President and the officers appointed over me, so help me God."

Well, that was it and I was now the property of the United States Army. We were then lead out of the room and broken down into smaller groups depending where we were assigned. I was assigned to Fort Jackson in South Carolina, wherever that was. My group boarded a bus for the ride to JFK airport in Queens. When our plane landed in Columbia, South Carolina a few hours later, we were met by someone from the Army and put on another bus for the ride to Fort Jackson where the fun really started.

Fort Jackson covered an area of 52,594 acres extending 18 miles East to West and 10 miles North to South in 1967.

As soon as the bus pulled to a stop in front of the Reception Center, the meanest man I’ve ever come in contact with up to that point in my young life, jumped on the bus and immediately starts yelling and screaming orders. “OFF THE BUS! DOUBLE TIME! LINE UP! and all kind of crap like that. We practically ran off the bus, into what seemed like hell and into the waiting arms of Uncle Sam and the United States Army. As I was standing there trying to line up for the mean man, one of my first thoughts was, “They’ve all been so nice so far, what the fuck happened?”

The reception center at Fort Jackson is the largest Reception Station in the US Army and first stop all new recruits make. Here is a description of the Reception Station the Commanding Officer gave in a briefing in 1967.

“The mission of the Reception Station is to receive and administratively process, within a prescribed time limit of four days, all United States Regular Army, Army Reserve, National Guard, or prior service personnel ordered to active duty, and present the best possible impression of the Army to each new accession. This mission is unique in that the Fort Jackson Reception Station is the only one in the United States Army required on a regular basis to process personnel for two Army Training Centers ; i.e., Fort Gordon, Georgia and Fort Jackson, South Carolina . In addition, we are also charged with orienting and processing qualified applications for Officer Candidate School from In ducted and Regular Army (RA) Personnel being processed at the Reception Station, as well as counseling qualified inducted personnel on the benefits of enlisting in the regular army for a school of their choice of sixteen weeks duration or longer. “To accomplish this mission, the Reception Station is organized with a total authorized strength of 392 personnel, of which 130 are civilians. This staffing permits maximum finished processing of 500 men per day, five days a week. Two sections remain fully operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week; they are the Consolidated Mess and the Initial Receiving Point (IRP). “The majority of receptees arrive by bus or train. Some arrive by air and are shuttled to Fort Jackson by Army bus; all accessions are received at the initial receiving point. They are welcomed into the Army and fed, if they arrive during meal time or missed their last meal. They are given a haircut which marks their initial transition as a soldier. After two hours of in-processing, they are then assigned to their company for issue of bed ding and comfort pak. “Within 24 hours after arriving, each receptee receives his initial issue of clothing. They next attend the Company Commander Orientation and this ends the processing for the first day. “On the morning of their second processing day, all receptees undergo a physical inspection. Approximately 55 out of 10,000 persons are eliminated each month as a result of this inspection. After the inspection, they receive their initial battery of Army tests, which takes six hours to complete. Four hours are given on this day, with remaining tests given the following day. “On the individual’s third day, he is interviewed. It is through this interview that the man’s aptitudes and abilities are determined. The Classification/Assignment Noncommissioned Officer utilizes this information to make a recommendation as to the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) in which he will be trained upon completion of Basic Combat Training. Qualified high school and college graduate inducted personnel are identified at this time. They are interviewed by career counselors for the Officer Candidate School Program, and Army School Program which fills special requirements and hard skill MOS schools with Regular Army personnel. Our program at Fort Jackson has resulted in more than three thousand individuals volunteering for an extra year to obtain a school of their choice and more than seven hundred for Officer Candidate School . “After classification and assignment, each receptee is interviewed by the personal affairs branch; here, his allotments are made, pay vouchers checked, insurance application and family medical care applications are completed, and his records verified for accuracy and completeness. “On the fourth and final processing day, each man is paid; sworn into the Regular Army, if he entered as a US Inductee and elected a school, given his immunization, and prepared for shipment. “Personnel assigned to Fort Gordon depart by commercial carrier at 1330 hours and those assigned to Fort Jackson are picked up by their Basic Combat Training unit. Personnel destined for other installations are normally held overnight at the Reception Station and shipped early the next morning.”

Here's an interesting fact.

In Fiscal Year 1967, Fort Jackson processed over 103,000 receptees through the Reception Station.

Chapter 2: Induction Day

My father and stepmother drove me down to the Selective Service office in Smithtown Monday morning, May 5, 1968 to check in and then get on the bus for the ride to Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn for induction. I didn’t realize it at the time, but my father and stepmother were waiting for me to say goodbye, but I didn't see them and just got on the bus.

I remember mostly just quietly staring out the window for most of the ride, wondering if I would live through this adventure and make it back home again after it was all over. I suppose most of us did.

We arrived in at Fort Hamilton about an hour or so later. There was another short interview to see if anything had changed since our physicals and if nothing had, we were sent into in a different room to wait until everyone had been interviewed.

It wasn't long before a few men came into the room to talk to us. One of them explained that not everyone of us would be inducted into the Army, that a small number of us were needed in the Marine Corp. They asked for volunteers. There was no fucking way I was volunteering and just sat quietly. Believe it or not, a few guys did volunteer and were escorted out of the room.

Next we were directed into another room with lines painted on the floor and a large American flag in front. We were told to line up along the lines and then “asked” to take one step forward to "voluntarily" be sworn in.

At the final phase of the induction process, a military recruiting officer will order the Registrant, and any other Registrants present, to "line up on the line.” (a line, or several lines, is/are painted on the floor). A military recruiting officer will then order all those "joining the army,” (or whatever) to “take one step forward” … THOSE WHO LINE UP AS ORDERED AND TAKE ONE STEP FORWARD JUST "VOLUNTEERED!" BY TAKING ONE STEP FORWARD, YOU CONVERT YOUR "REGISTRANT" STATUS INTO THAT OF AN "INDUCTEE"!!!!

The oath is administered: "I, (state your name) do solemnly swear that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America and will defend it against all enemies foreign and domestic, and will obey the orders of the President and the officers appointed over me, so help me God."

Well, that was it and I was now the property of the United States Army. We were then lead out of the room and broken down into smaller groups depending where we were assigned. I was assigned to Fort Jackson in South Carolina, wherever that was. My group boarded a bus for the ride to JFK airport in Queens. When our plane landed in Columbia, South Carolina a few hours later, we were met by someone from the Army and put on another bus for the ride to Fort Jackson where the fun really started.

Fort Jackson covered an area of 52,594 acres extending 18 miles East to West and 10 miles North to South in 1967.

As soon as the bus pulled to a stop in front of the Reception Center, the meanest man I’ve ever come in contact with up to that point in my young life, jumped on the bus and immediately starts yelling and screaming orders. “OFF THE BUS! DOUBLE TIME! LINE UP! and all kind of crap like that. We practically ran off the bus, into what seemed like hell and into the waiting arms of Uncle Sam and the United States Army. As I was standing there trying to line up for the mean man, one of my first thoughts was, “They’ve all been so nice so far, what the fuck happened?”

The reception center at Fort Jackson is the largest Reception Station in the US Army and first stop all new recruits make. Here is a description of the Reception Station the Commanding Officer gave in a briefing in 1967.

“The mission of the Reception Station is to receive and administratively process, within a prescribed time limit of four days, all United States Regular Army, Army Reserve, National Guard, or prior service personnel ordered to active duty, and present the best possible impression of the Army to each new accession. This mission is unique in that the Fort Jackson Reception Station is the only one in the United States Army required on a regular basis to process personnel for two Army Training Centers ; i.e., Fort Gordon, Georgia and Fort Jackson, South Carolina . In addition, we are also charged with orienting and processing qualified applications for Officer Candidate School from In ducted and Regular Army (RA) Personnel being processed at the Reception Station, as well as counseling qualified inducted personnel on the benefits of enlisting in the regular army for a school of their choice of sixteen weeks duration or longer. “To accomplish this mission, the Reception Station is organized with a total authorized strength of 392 personnel, of which 130 are civilians. This staffing permits maximum finished processing of 500 men per day, five days a week. Two sections remain fully operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week; they are the Consolidated Mess and the Initial Receiving Point (IRP). “The majority of receptees arrive by bus or train. Some arrive by air and are shuttled to Fort Jackson by Army bus; all accessions are received at the initial receiving point. They are welcomed into the Army and fed, if they arrive during meal time or missed their last meal. They are given a haircut which marks their initial transition as a soldier. After two hours of in-processing, they are then assigned to their company for issue of bed ding and comfort pak. “Within 24 hours after arriving, each receptee receives his initial issue of clothing. They next attend the Company Commander Orientation and this ends the processing for the first day. “On the morning of their second processing day, all receptees undergo a physical inspection. Approximately 55 out of 10,000 persons are eliminated each month as a result of this inspection. After the inspection, they receive their initial battery of Army tests, which takes six hours to complete. Four hours are given on this day, with remaining tests given the following day. “On the individual’s third day, he is interviewed. It is through this interview that the man’s aptitudes and abilities are determined. The Classification/Assignment Noncommissioned Officer utilizes this information to make a recommendation as to the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) in which he will be trained upon completion of Basic Combat Training. Qualified high school and college graduate inducted personnel are identified at this time. They are interviewed by career counselors for the Officer Candidate School Program, and Army School Program which fills special requirements and hard skill MOS schools with Regular Army personnel. Our program at Fort Jackson has resulted in more than three thousand individuals volunteering for an extra year to obtain a school of their choice and more than seven hundred for Officer Candidate School . “After classification and assignment, each receptee is interviewed by the personal affairs branch; here, his allotments are made, pay vouchers checked, insurance application and family medical care applications are completed, and his records verified for accuracy and completeness. “On the fourth and final processing day, each man is paid; sworn into the Regular Army, if he entered as a US Inductee and elected a school, given his immunization, and prepared for shipment. “Personnel assigned to Fort Gordon depart by commercial carrier at 1330 hours and those assigned to Fort Jackson are picked up by their Basic Combat Training unit. Personnel destined for other installations are normally held overnight at the Reception Station and shipped early the next morning.”

Here's an interesting fact.

In Fiscal Year 1967, Fort Jackson processed over 103,000 receptees through the Reception Station.

More About My Army Life

I got the bug to expand on the stories about my time in the army after finding my Basic Training Yearbook and making this post. Here's the rewrite of Chapter 1: Drafted

More About My Army Life

I got the bug to expand on the stories about my time in the army after finding my Basic Training Yearbook and making this post. Here's the rewrite of Chapter 1: Drafted

Chapter 1: Drafted

I was very excited when I turned 18 in 1966, because now I could go into bars and drink legally, not that I hadn’t been doing it for awhile anyway. My parents also gave me permission to smoke at 18, so now I didn’t have to sneak around and hide either one anymore. On my 18th birthday, I went down to the draft board in Smithtown, registered for the draft and got my draft card. That same day I made it a point to go into the couple of bars in town where I been drinking for the last 6 months. The bartenders all thought I was already 18 and never asked me for proof. I sat down at the bar and ordered my usual beer, a “shorty” for 25 cents. The bartenders all gave me the beer like usual, but I made sure before I drank it, I asked them why they weren’t checking my proof and then tossed my draft card on the bar and waited for their response. They all made a couple of fake angry comments, but didn’t really get mad.

For the next 1½ years, everything was great, but draft day was getting very close so a decision had to made what I was going to do. I, like many other young people during that time in our history, tried to think of a way of how to get out of serving in Vietnam. We all knew that if we were drafted, there was a 99% chance we would be sent to Vietnam as an infantryman. That would mean we had a very good chance of being wounded or worse, being killed. No one wanted that.

We had very few options for not going. For example, there was getting a deferment by going to college or one having medical problems. I couldn’t afford college and I was physically fit, so those were out of the question. Then as a last resort, one could move to Canada. Canada let in anyone that chose that route and refused extradition back to the United States. I never even considered that option. To me, that seemed like the coward’s way out and I wasn’t a coward. Besides, my father had served in World War II in the Navy and my older brother was serving in the reserves in the Navy and by God, so would I if called upon to serve.

The other route some took was to enlist in one of the other branches of the military so the risk for going to Vietnam would be decreased. I tried that in early January of 1968. I called the recruiters for all the branches of the service, but the only ones that were accepting anyone was the Army and the Marines. I discounted the Marines because, come on, they had a reputation for being extremely tough on recruits, so no way. That left the Army.

I went down the see the Army recruiter and tentatively signed up to enlist for four years and be trained to repair Teletype machines. (Look it up if you don’t know what a Teletype machine is.) I even took my pre-enlistment physical shortly thereafter. I passed the physical, but reconsidered enlisting because I really didn’t want to commit to four years active duty. So I called the recruiter and told him I would take my chances with the draft.

Then during the first week of March in 1968, I heard the door bell ring and answered the door. I saw the postman standing there holding an envelope in one hand. The letter came special delivery, so I signed for it. It was the letter every young man of draft age dreaded receiving, the letter from the Selective Service.


I opened the envelope and read the heading. It read "ORDER TO REPORT FOR ARMED FORCES PHYSICAL EXAMINATION”.


I read further..................


"MARCH 8TH! That's just a few days away!" I broke the news to my parents and brothers. MY brothers all cracked a few jokes, but I knew they were just teasing me like they always did. We all knew that I'd eventually get this letter, but deep down inside we all hoped that I never would.

I drove down to the draft board that morning and stood in line to check in just like a lot of other young men from the area, many I knew from school. Soon we all boarded the bus for the ride into Brooklyn. The physicals were given at Fort Hamilton. On the way in, we talked and I mentioned that I was going to enlist in January and had I had already been through this. Of course everyone wanted to know what it was like and asked me lots of questions. I told them everything I'd been through as if I was an “Old Pro” at it. “Old Pro” my ass, I was just as scared as everyone else because we all knew just how close we were getting to being draft and sent to Vietnam.

We arrived at Fort Hamilton about an hour or so later where we were interviewed and given a brief physical examination. They asked us many questions all to try and find out if we were medically fit, gay or mentally challenged. Not surprisingly, some were turned down for all of those reasons, but just my luck, I was 'as fit as a fiddle' as they say. After we were done, we all got back on the bus for the ride home to wait for the inevitable, the “STATEMENT OF ACCEPTABILITY”. This was the letter that officially let you know if you were acceptable for induction. I already knew the answer because in January I was accepted and nothing had changed since then.

The last week of March I got another letter from the Selective Service. I knew immediately what it was, my Statement of Acceptability. Now the only question let, was would it say I was accepted or rejected.


I opened the envelope............................


I read the form.............................


Yep, I was “FOUND FULLY ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUCTION INTO THE ARMED FORCES”. Now all there was left was to do was wait for my draft notice.


I don’t remember exactly what day my draft notice came, but probably just a couple weeks later. Here's a copy of one I found on the internet. I couldn't find mine.


It said I was to report to the draft board in Smithtown on the morning of May 6, 1968 for induction into the military at the ripe old age of 19 years, 6 months and 2 days. US Government policy at the time was to draft all men into the military at 19 ½ years of age if they hadn’t already joined, or had a deferment of some kind.

Although draftees were a small minority (16%) in the U.S. armed forces, they comprised the bulk of infantry riflemen in Vietnam (88% in 1969). They accounted for more than half the army's battle deaths. Because of student and other deferments, the draft and the casualties fell disproportionately upon working-class youths, black and white.

Chapter 1: Drafted

I was very excited when I turned 18 in 1966, because now I could go into bars and drink legally, not that I hadn’t been doing it for awhile anyway. My parents also gave me permission to smoke at 18, so now I didn’t have to sneak around and hide either one anymore. On my 18th birthday, I went down to the draft board in Smithtown, registered for the draft and got my draft card. That same day I made it a point to go into the couple of bars in town where I been drinking for the last 6 months. The bartenders all thought I was already 18 and never asked me for proof. I sat down at the bar and ordered my usual beer, a “shorty” for 25 cents. The bartenders all gave me the beer like usual, but I made sure before I drank it, I asked them why they weren’t checking my proof and then tossed my draft card on the bar and waited for their response. They all made a couple of fake angry comments, but didn’t really get mad.

For the next 1½ years, everything was great, but draft day was getting very close so a decision had to made what I was going to do. I, like many other young people during that time in our history, tried to think of a way of how to get out of serving in Vietnam. We all knew that if we were drafted, there was a 99% chance we would be sent to Vietnam as an infantryman. That would mean we had a very good chance of being wounded or worse, being killed. No one wanted that.

We had very few options for not going. For example, there was getting a deferment by going to college or one having medical problems. I couldn’t afford college and I was physically fit, so those were out of the question. Then as a last resort, one could move to Canada. Canada let in anyone that chose that route and refused extradition back to the United States. I never even considered that option. To me, that seemed like the coward’s way out and I wasn’t a coward. Besides, my father had served in World War II in the Navy and my older brother was serving in the reserves in the Navy and by God, so would I if called upon to serve.

The other route some took was to enlist in one of the other branches of the military so the risk for going to Vietnam would be decreased. I tried that in early January of 1968. I called the recruiters for all the branches of the service, but the only ones that were accepting anyone was the Army and the Marines. I discounted the Marines because, come on, they had a reputation for being extremely tough on recruits, so no way. That left the Army.

I went down the see the Army recruiter and tentatively signed up to enlist for four years and be trained to repair Teletype machines. (Look it up if you don’t know what a Teletype machine is.) I even took my pre-enlistment physical shortly thereafter. I passed the physical, but reconsidered enlisting because I really didn’t want to commit to four years active duty. So I called the recruiter and told him I would take my chances with the draft.

Then during the first week of March in 1968, I heard the door bell ring and answered the door. I saw the postman standing there holding an envelope in one hand. The letter came special delivery, so I signed for it. It was the letter every young man of draft age dreaded receiving, the letter from the Selective Service.


I opened the envelope and read the heading. It read "ORDER TO REPORT FOR ARMED FORCES PHYSICAL EXAMINATION”.


I read further..................


"MARCH 8TH! That's just a few days away!" I broke the news to my parents and brothers. MY brothers all cracked a few jokes, but I knew they were just teasing me like they always did. We all knew that I'd eventually get this letter, but deep down inside we all hoped that I never would.

I drove down to the draft board that morning and stood in line to check in just like a lot of other young men from the area, many I knew from school. Soon we all boarded the bus for the ride into Brooklyn. The physicals were given at Fort Hamilton. On the way in, we talked and I mentioned that I was going to enlist in January and had I had already been through this. Of course everyone wanted to know what it was like and asked me lots of questions. I told them everything I'd been through as if I was an “Old Pro” at it. “Old Pro” my ass, I was just as scared as everyone else because we all knew just how close we were getting to being draft and sent to Vietnam.

We arrived at Fort Hamilton about an hour or so later where we were interviewed and given a brief physical examination. They asked us many questions all to try and find out if we were medically fit, gay or mentally challenged. Not surprisingly, some were turned down for all of those reasons, but just my luck, I was 'as fit as a fiddle' as they say. After we were done, we all got back on the bus for the ride home to wait for the inevitable, the “STATEMENT OF ACCEPTABILITY”. This was the letter that officially let you know if you were acceptable for induction. I already knew the answer because in January I was accepted and nothing had changed since then.

The last week of March I got another letter from the Selective Service. I knew immediately what it was, my Statement of Acceptability. Now the only question let, was would it say I was accepted or rejected.


I opened the envelope............................


I read the form.............................


Yep, I was “FOUND FULLY ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUCTION INTO THE ARMED FORCES”. Now all there was left was to do was wait for my draft notice.


I don’t remember exactly what day my draft notice came, but probably just a couple weeks later. Here's a copy of one I found on the internet. I couldn't find mine.


It said I was to report to the draft board in Smithtown on the morning of May 6, 1968 for induction into the military at the ripe old age of 19 years, 6 months and 2 days. US Government policy at the time was to draft all men into the military at 19 ½ years of age if they hadn’t already joined, or had a deferment of some kind.

Although draftees were a small minority (16%) in the U.S. armed forces, they comprised the bulk of infantry riflemen in Vietnam (88% in 1969). They accounted for more than half the army's battle deaths. Because of student and other deferments, the draft and the casualties fell disproportionately upon working-class youths, black and white.

Pizza Making HNT

Last Sunday Lori asked me to make a pizza for dinner. Anything for my baby, so I made one for us. Fresh plum tomatoes and fresh basil all over, with pepperoni on her half and mushrooms on mine. Then we took turns sprinkling on the cheese. Lori was a BIG help! Check her out!

How's it look?

I hope your pizza preparation makes for some HNT fun like ours did. :-)

Pizza Making HNT

Last Sunday Lori asked me to make a pizza for dinner. Anything for my baby, so I made one for us. Fresh plum tomatoes and fresh basil all over, with pepperoni on her half and mushrooms on mine. Then we took turns sprinkling on the cheese. Lori was a BIG help! Check her out!

How's it look?

I hope your pizza preparation makes for some HNT fun like ours did. :-)

PIG ROAST SUNDAY

Sunday Lori and I went to a Tag Sale at the local VFW Post in the morning and to a charity pig roast in the afternoon. The weather was beautiful all day unlike last year when it rained all day.

The VFW received a lot of good things for their tag sale. Lori found three VHS tapes of an old TV series, Dark Shadows along with a few other things she wanted. I hit the jack pot when I found a brand news tri-pod for my camera for just $5.00 and a chain saw with an extra new chain for $15.00.

After the tag sale we went home for lunch and then headed east for the pig roast at the Pindar Vineyard.



Each year Pindar hosts the charity pigs roast to raise money for the East End Hospice.



Last year was the first year Lori and I went. We had such a good time, we invited our friends Joanie & Scott to join us. I worked with Scott before I retired and we've remained good friends.



They had entertainment for the kids.

A couple of those things you bounce around in.



Clowns - The lady clown did face paintings and the guy made balloon sculptures like balloon hats.



Well, not everyone that wanted a balloon hat was a kids. A couple of elderly ladies wore them proudly. LOL



They set up a couple of tents for the food. One to prepare it, and one to serve it.



The food was great, but a bit too cold. They served roasted pig of course, hot dogs, hamburgers, salad, potato salad, beans, corn bread and apple sauce.



I can't forget the unlimited free wine and beer.



They raffled off a lot of prizes donated by merchants and a had 50/50 drawing. I bought raffle tickets for Lori and I. Here I am filling out a winning ticket soon after we arrived.



When they called my name, I was too busy chatting to hear what I'd won. When I walked up to claim my prize, I was unpleasantly surprised when they handed me this large basket of children's games.





If I had small kids or grandkids, I would have been happy to win it. But THANK GOD I have neither! I'm too old to chase kids around anymore.

When the woman handed me the basket I said, "What am I going to do with this?"

"Do you have any small children?", she asked.

"Nope", I replied.

"How about grandkids?, she asked.

"Not that I know of." I said.

Naw, just kidding, I really didn't say that, but I thought it!

"Another woman asked, "Do you want to exchange it for some Godiva chocolate? A woman wants to trade it for something else or do you want to refuse it?"

"No," I said, "I don't eat candy or sweets. I guess I'll donated it or give it away."

I walked back to my table and we laughed at my luck.

When the raffle ended, one of the women came over to my table and offered me a trade for my basket of children's toys. She said the person who won the prise she was carrying had left and wouldn't know what she won, so I could trade my basket of toys for what she was carrying. When she told me what it was, I jumped at the chance. That's why I'm smiling so much in this shot.



She told me it was a gift certificate for an over night stay, massage and dinner at a Long Island east end resort worth over $300 with an assortment of treats and wines from Long Island. Nice!!!!

After the raffle, the dancing picked up quite a bit. I guess by now the wine and beer had kicked in which brought out the babes to entertain us.



Okay, I guess babes was a stretch............., but they were women and they were dancing, sort of. ;-)

Soon it was time to go, so we made a pit stop before we left.



On the way home in the car, Lori and I talked about how nice it was of the lady to trade the bucket of wine, goodies and gift certificate for the basket of toys. When we got home we went through the bucket contents.



We read the card that listed my winnings. (Click on the pic to read all I won.)



Tour of the campus? WTF was that? We headed to the computer to look up the web site for Peconic Landing. Here's the description they posted.

A fresh sea breeze, the sound of rolling surf, a sweeping view of Long sland Sound. It’s the perfect setting for a morning walk. Follow it with fresh-brewed coffee and breakfast with friends, and you’re starting another great day at Peconic Landing.

Sounded like a really nice place and we were looking forward to going, until we read this.

Located in Greenport,Long Island, Peconic Landing is a lifecare retirement community where each day residents are given the opportunity — and time — to explore life’s passions.

HOLY CRAP!!! It's a fucking retirement community!!! Now I know why the lady gave this to me, she thinks I look old enough to be in a retirement home. :-(

I'M ONLY 58, I JUST LOOK OLD!!!!! MUST HAVE BEEN MY WHITE HAIR THAT FOOLED HER! :-(

That's okay lady! We're still going there to take advantage of the free food, manicure and massage. So there! :-P