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Monday, Nov. 18, 2024

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Memories. Ahhh Yes, Memories of My Life

by Sum1's Home

Rated: 13+ · Book · Community · #2224976

Writings about things that have occurred in my life. Not in Chronological Order

Things that have happened in my life, good or bad. The entries will not be in Chronological order

Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

tracker

Jul 7, 2024 at 1:52am
In response to "Learning To Play The French Horn"

Remarkable. I played piano but always had a secret desire to play the piccolo in the high school band. Similar reason. I was all a flutter for the trombone player. My dad played and I thought I was destined to wind up with a trombone player just like my revered father. Except for the getting rid of the liquid build up inside the brass Ew! I tried to get a peep out of a flute around that time. Not even a hint of anything resembling a musical sound. Thanks for the memory.

Sum1's Home

Jul 2, 2023 at 3:41pm
In response to "Learning To Play The French Horn"

@LeJenD'

I wrote this for a contest and was limited on my word count. I want to say though, that from the 7th grade on I could also play the Trumpet (I was terrible, I didn't have the necessary range), and the Baritone, Tuba/Sousaphone. The valve fingerings for the notes on those instruments are about the same if I remember correctly. The reason I didn't switch though is that every where I went there were plenty of children playing those instruments, and very few playing the Horn. In the 11th grade, I taught myself how to play the Trombone for stage band. I had been playing French Horn in it since the 10th grade, but face it, French Horn isn't really a jazzy type of instrument. Plus, there was no sheet music for the Horn, so I had to read the Trombone part on the Bass Clef, and in my head move each note up one note, then add an octave. I found it easy after the first couple of days, but still, Horn is not a jazzy instrument. So I taught myself to play Trombone, which I also loved. I really enjoyed being asked to do an ad-lib solo too, and surprised the heck out of our band director when I did my first one.

2 Like

LeJenD'

Jul 2, 2023 at 1:49pm
In response to "Learning To Play The French Horn"

I enjoyed reading this. My youngest daughter was also a French Horn player throughout her school career. She began playing in grade 6, as all students were encouraged to participate in something. She had absolutely no interest in sports, so options for extracurricular activities were limited. It pretty much left her a choice between choir and band. Shy and quiet, she chose band and after being tested on all instruments, she was assigned French Horn. She quickly excelled and by grade 7 was First Chair for the remainder of her time at school. She absolutely loved it and even participated in non-school related band appearances.

I guess I said all that to say this, thank you so much for bringing such proud and pleasant memories of my kiddo to the forefront of my thoughts. I hope you do once again pick up the Horn. The world needs more music.

1 Like

Kåre เลียม Enga

Jun 19, 2023 at 11:24pm
In response to "Halloween, Circa 1988"

So... you have adult kids by now... 35 plus... 4? 6?

So if this were 1988 I have no memories of that year (car accident).

Petra reminded me of her contest and I should enter 'just because'. So many ways I could approach this. You chose 'memories'. I have too many. Even my entry on "Juneteenth" "Juneteenth"

was hard to write (because I wasn't focused and I was avoiding certain images that kept coming to mind). It rambles and I'm not happy with it.

Your response was easy to read and to-the-point. I should emulate your style.

One note for paragraph #2. It's "As" not "A". Spelling check won't catch that typo but a grammar check should.

AmyJo-Thankful in heart

Dec 31, 2022 at 11:28am
In response to "How I Met Two Hollywood Celebrities"

I love reading your stories. They are fun, and I appreciate that you take the time to share them. Maybe you should "write a book" about your adventures?

Happy New Year! Blessings and best wishes for you and yours!

1 Like

Robert Waltz

Oct 19, 2022 at 10:20pm
In response to "I Was A 'Bad' Father"

Still better than what I would have done.

"Daddy, I can't sleep, there are monsters."

"Aw, c'mon, kid. Ain't no monsters in here. Look."

I open the closet and peer inside. "See, no monsters in the closet. Lemme check the dresser."

Open all the drawers in the dresser. "Ain't no monsters in here either. Now let's check under the bed- AAAAAAH A MONSTER!"

1 Like

ForeverDreamer

Oct 5, 2022 at 10:59pm
In response to "More 'Sea Stories"

It is good to hear your memories. My father was in the Navy during World War II. I may have mentioned this before. He was on a destroyer.

Kåre เลียม Enga

Oct 5, 2022 at 10:00pm
In response to "More 'Sea Stories"

Time wounds all heels... I need a foot massage. Oh. the. pain. seriously it's gonna hurt. My friend Bryan can make me want to scream, but he's safely in Costa Rica. Thailand... I don't do massages but I should.

At sea. I was always a serious bloke so I bore the slings of juvenility growing up. I never really learned how to deal with it. Would've been nice if sum1 would have helped.

Young, dumb and afraid/unafraid comes to mind. I weep for the cannon-fodder in Ukraine.

1 Like

Kåre เลียม Enga

Aug 27, 2022 at 6:25pm
In response to "Starting A Nuclear Reactor"

Informative... but not TOO informative.

I suspect that most working under these conditions are 1. mature (serious versus panksters) and 2. young. I'm too old and need naps.

Oops... there she blows!

ForeverDreamer

Aug 27, 2022 at 6:25pm
In response to "Starting A Nuclear Reactor"

Thank you for writing more about your submarine experience. this is a good overview of how a nuclear reactor aboard a submarine works without giving away any classified information.

June 14, 2023 at 7:18pm

#1051076

Halloween, Circa 1988

Halloween, Circa 1988

Tonight I'm going back in time, in fact, a long time ago. Let's go back almost 35 years. It was Halloween, I'm pretty sure it was 1988. I was still in the Navy and on my second shore tour. I was stationed at the Trident Training Facility, Bangor Washington. This was a base that I really loved, and for good reason. How many military bases can you think of where you might wake up one day and find a mountain lion sunning itself on a rock in your backyard? Or a base where you can get a pass and go down to a little used pier an either fish, or catch Dungeness Crab, or both? Or perhaps visit an old Apple Orchard in the fall and pick apples from the trees... Anyway, about this particular night.

A I mentioned in the title, it was very close to Halloween. My command was running a Haunted House so I thought I'd take some of the kids to visit it. Only of the 3 wanted to go, and the baby couldn't go of course. So we walked to it because my command was less than a half mile from the house. When we arrived, we were shown to a door that wasn't normally used and entered the haunted house. It was a short walk down a hallway. A hallway that had spider webs dangling from the ceiling, low enough to brush across a child's face.

I have to stop for a moment and tell you a little bit about my oldest son. He was 4 at the time, and nothing, I mean NOTHING scared him. Except Werewolves.

So we walked down the hall, my son even commented that there wasn't anything scary so far. We came to a dimly lit open space that had a man lying in a coffin, or so it seemed. He would wave his arms weakly and beg us to help him. You see, his abdomen had been 'opened up', we could see stuff inside. A man in a long white jacket walked up and started explaining that this man had come in complaining that his stomach hurt, so they did a little surgery to open him up, and discovered what we were seeing. He even picked up some of the stuff in his abdomen and showed it to us as blood dripped from it. I guess my 6 year old daughter was looking on in horror, because the 'mad scientist' looked at her and said, "Is your stomach hurting you? You don't look so good, c'mere, we'll check your out." Needless to say, she was hiding as best she could behind me!

Our next stop was in what was our Diesel Generator lab. Except it was empty! Not for long though, because we heard the unmistakable sounds of a chain saw being started. Then from behind the Diesel strode a tall man wearing a hockey mask. That's all my daughter could handle. She grabbed my hand and proceeded to pull my arm down, at the same time she used her leg to climb up the side of my body! I helped her a little bit, until she was sitting on my shoulders. Not satisfied with things yet, she proceeded to hit my head and yell, "Run Daddy, Run!" We left as fast as we could, but my son wanted to see more of the man wielding the chain saw.

After leaving the Diesel Generator room we were in another hallway. Chained to the wall was a Werewolf! He kept pawing at us, trying to grab us, but we were too far away. Suddenly one of the chains broke and he could just about reach us! It was at that moment that my brave son had seen enough, and he took off running down the hallway.

I have to tell you that the Werewolf was chained using plastic chains taped to the wall with Duct Tape. The Duct Tape came loose, allowing him to almost grab us. I related this story to all my children several times. I think I embellished it a little more each time too, but this version has not been embellished. At least not according to my memory. Of course, this did happen 35 years ago.

Word Count: 716

Jim Dorrell

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