Adrian's Thoughts

"When I go to the beach I never go out past knee level in the water. That way, if a wave knocks me down, I can twist and flop my way back to shore like a grunion."

Teach your cat well.

When I was married we had two cats. Lewis and Plutonia. One day I decided to perform an experiment in cat reactions. I laid on the kitchen floor and pretended to be injured. Then I called our cats. After a while they moseyed in and came over to me. I said, " Lewis, Plutonia, I'm hurt, help me. Go get help!" Plutonia laid down near me and started to clean herself. Lewis went over to his food bowl to see if anything was in it. Then I thought maybe if I started to drag myself toward the door, they would realize the seriousness of the situation and maybe assist me to move by tugging on my clothing. Nope. Plutonia did start playing with my shoe laces though. And Lewis continued to wait at his food bowl. The experiment was a failure. I realized that they needed emergency training. I later showed them how to dial 911 on the phone, which I think they understood because they played with the phone cord. I also read to them out of a first aid book while they lay on the sofa.
Those cats, they cracked me up.

Look Out Folks! They're teaching lessons.

It's early morning and you're driving to work on the freeway. You're driving with the flow of traffic.
Suddenly out of nowhere a speeding car blurs past you and races ahead. It dodges in and out of traffic and lanes as it quickly disappears in the distance. Instructing all on how to get some where fast.
Look Out Folks! They're teaching lessons.
You're driving in the #3 or 4 lanes, going the limit. Out of nowhere there's a vehicle tailgating you. And pretty close at that. I'm assuming they want you to drive faster in the slower lanes for them.
Look Out Folks! They're teaching lessons.
You see these self appointed lesson teachers all the time. They're here, they're there, they're everywhere. So beware.
You might keep an eye in your rear view mirror more often while driving on the freeways my friends cuz-
Look Out Folks! They're teaching lessons.

Back Then, off to the PI.

It would be my first trip overseas and to be sure I was nervous and a tad scared. But at the same time felt proud in my navy dress blues with a caduceus on my sleeve.
I had a long way to go over the Pacific Ocean, to a far away land called the Philippines Islands, (PI). And to a base called Subic Bay.
Never heard of it, and I had to look it up.
Being nineteen now, and already a year and a half of Naval service under my belt.
That doesn’t seem long because, I have another three and a half years to go till the end of my enlistment. It was only 1969 and 1972 was too far away to even imagine.
But the year and a half included boot camp, Hospital Corps School, and a stint at the Naval Training Center working in the base dispensaries and hospital.
All in my home town of San Diego.
Now with a promotion to Hospitalman E-3 from the U.S. Navy, I had earned orders to that far away place
It would be a year and one month before I would return home on leave.

On the day of my departure my dad drove me to the airport. With a hug and good byes we parted and I boarded the good ol’ PSA, (Pacific Southwest Airlines), twin engine jet.
Also known as Poor Sailors Airline. HA!
As this was my first time in a plane of any sort I was pretty excited. It took off quickly and seem to go straight up.
I watched from my window seat as the airport below became a distant landmark of my hometown San Diego.
My first leg of the trip took me to San Francisco in about an hour or so.
We landed and I soon boarded a bus with all sorts of military types. Army, Navy, Marines, Air force, Coast Guard, and some that I didn’t know what they were. And this bus would take us all to Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield California.
It was still morning and the bus trip would place us at Travis at about 11 am.
On arrival at Travis I went through some quick processing and was then directed to the terminal lobby. I learned my flight would not depart until 11 pm!
What? Yup, hurry up and wait.
The terminal was jam- packed with military personnel, dependent wives and children, and government employed civilians all waiting to go overseas.
It was going to be a long day. At least I didn’t have to lug my sea bag. It was somewhere waiting to.
To be loaded on board whatever plane I was to take.
I had lunch, and waited. Called home, then waited some more. Walked around, used the restroom, sat, waited. Bought a paperback for the flight. Sat, and waited. Dinner at the snack bar. Then wait some more. One last phone call to mom and dad.
Mom crying. “Goodbye son, please take care and write. We love you son”.
“Bye mom, bye dad, I love you too” .
I felt really alone now.
The terminal steadily emptied as the day ended. Everybody was on their way. Except me and the ones who were to be on my flight.
As it became later, I felt very tired. Sleep beckoned me. Using my carry on duffle bag as a pillow I stretched out on an empty bench and was in a deep sleep right away.

In my sleep I hear a woman’s voice in the dark distance calling my name. Was it mom? No.
But it kept calling my name, this time saying a number.
Something about a gate.
I wake up. A voice from the PA system is calling my name and telling me to go to a numbered gate.
Looking around I see the terminal is empty. Just me on the bench.
Oh my God! My plane!
I leap up, grab my things, and start running toward the gate. An airport guy at the gate points to the plane and yells “Hurry!”
I dash down the tarmac toward a Braniff International Airline 707 jetliner with it’s huge four engines running.
Up the plank and into the airliner. The stewardess at the door hurries me in and shuts the door.

I’m standing there with her at the entrance and I hear a loud cheer and applause from the passengers.
I'm breathless, embarrassed, and can’t believe what has just happened.
The stewardess escorts me to my seat and settles me in. Hell, the plane is moving!
I sit there thinking about it. Am I dreaming? Not now. God I almost ‘Missed Movement’. A serious offense in the military.
But I’m here safe, in my seat, in my plane. Thank you God!
At that moment I didn’t care that ahead of us is an 18 hour flight over the vast pacific ocean. I just look out the window as the planes takes off. Yup, I got a window seat again. it’s my lucky day.
I’m still getting a few stares and smiles. But that’s ok.
It’s not long before the big jet is flying over the night lights of San Francisco, and then nothing but blackness below as we leave the coast.
I’m settled down now, maybe some more sleep.
Maybe a dream of home.
Whew! What a trip.
But it’s just the beginning.

Rollin' Hills

As a young teenager living in the navy housing project, (Komandorski), just outside of Pleasanton California, and attending school at Pleasanton Jr. High. And then Amador High School in the early sixties. My friends and I had plenty of rollin' hills and creeks to play in.
It was a wonderful place for kids to grow up. Open fields, fishing, hiking, being chased by a bull or grazing goat on occasion. And the warm summer nights for staying out late. And the cold months didn't seem to bother us too much either. We'd be outside, even at night, well, at least for a while.
There was this one nearby hill that we used to climb that offered a commanding view of our homes, Walnut Creek, Pleasanton, and on a clear day Livermore. On the side of that hill was a steep landslide that we called Devil's Landslide. There was a tree sticking out at the top, where someone had tied a long rope to a branch that stuck out. And we would swing from one side of the landslide, to the other with about fifty feet of air below us. Don't let go! Pretty scary. That was our high tech amusement ride that offered thrills and danger. Other times we would slide down the long slopes of dried grass on flattened cardboard boxes. All for free. Thank God, because being a military dependent back then was often difficult. Fathers deployed for long periods. Little money for the basics, and the fact that we were far from military hospitals and stores made it harder. The military quality of life for dependents back then was a little harder than what it is today.
But those grassy hills were there, and often green and soft. They seem to offer a peaceful and calming charm. We played war games in the tall soft grass. Ironically, the thought never occurred to us that just a couple of years away, we would be in the armed forces ourselves HA!
While playing hide and seek in the tall grass sometimes a Meadowlark would suddenly take flight nearby, startling us, and revealing it's nest. It was the only bird I've known that had it’s nest on the ground.
Most all of our entertainment was provided by the surrounding terrain, friends, and our imaginations. It was an interesting time. The Beatles were sweeping the country,. And we would listen to their songs on the radio, monophonic of course. Everyone wanted Beatle clothing and haircuts. And then the hippie movement was to follow shortly afterwards.
But every now and then my mind goes back to that time and place. I know it can't look the same now. But I'm glad that I was a part of it then, and the fun times we had in our younger years, on those rollin' hills, In Pleasanton, CA.