Today we will visit Lakeway’s Air Park, where a celebration of Alan Babin’s 20 years of life takes place. It was 20 years ago the Army medic was severely wounded while saving others. If you want to read more about Alan, you can visit my post HERE.
We will have pancakes and sausage at the airpark, and our entertainment will be Lee Greenwood.
So get on the bus and let’s go.
Here we are at the air park. The marker tells us we are in the right place.
The tables are ready for the pancake breakfast.
A tribute to Alan. Since he was a medic, he has the nickname “Doc.” Today, in addition to the open house and breakfast, Alan will be taken on a flight around Lake Travis escorted by a warbird.
Here is the plane that will take Alan on his ride. It is a 1973 BEECH C90
Incoming is the War bird that will escort Alan’s flight.
A taxi to position.
A 1949 NORTH AMERICAN T-6G was used as a trainer for naval aviators. Others have flown in for the occasion.
A 1943 Aircraft: Beechcraft D17A Staggerwing
A 1946 Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser with flotation.
1946 Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser without flotation.
A 1963 PIPER PA-18-135 with flotation.
A 2021 Vans RV-10
Folks looking at the plane that will take Alan on his flight.
The Producer caught a shot of the flight.
Well, that is the tour. So, let’s join the others and enjoy those pancakes while we listen to the music. I hope you have a great week.
The blessed coffee machine generously gives up its treasure without nary a peep. Sipping the revitalizing fluid generates a lightning flash in the Morpheus stunned brain. It comes with the melodious and, if truth be known, ominous cords of the calliope. The circus must still be in the backyard.
Racing to the back confirms the worst case. The large tent is still in place and filled with what appear to be hundreds of spectators. Phil Harris’ electronic voice echoes throughout the interior space.” Ladies and Gentlemen and children of all ages. I now direct your attention to the center ring where our very own Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner will attempt on the high wire a feat that has never been attempted before.”
A hush comes over the crowd, and a lone spotlight picks up Wile E. Coyote precariously balanced on a bicycle high up in the tent’s rarified air on a taught wire. There is no net, so death-defying takes on a new meaning. He is holding a rocket from the ACME Bird Blasting Company. The Roadrunner is at the other end of the wire, and it appears that she intends to run straight at Wile while continuing to maintain balance.
The music reaches a crescendo, and the Roadrunner begins her run. Wile engages the rocket fuse and takes aim at the Roadrunner. As the distance closes, the rocket ignites, and Wile struggles to hold it for a last-minute adjustment. Unfortunately, he does so for a second too long as the afterburner kicks in, and the rocket and Wile punch through the tent ceiling and are last seen acting out the “Rockets Red Glare” lyrics from the Star Spangled Banner.
A “beep beep” causes me to jump two feet and realize the Roadrunner is behind me. Once turning, she hands me an envelope. Then, with another “beep beep,” she is gone. We all know the drill. It’s from Linda Hill. The message reads, Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “starts with gen.” Find a word that starts with “gen” and use it in your post. Have fun!
Photo of Alan Babin during the community honor ceremony of his home – Photo courtesy of the Austin Statesman
Today’s good news is a local story about an American hero who lives here in Lakeway. Alan Babin was excited to become a Lakeway resident for many reasons, not the least of which is that he is able to leave his home independently in his wheelchair.
The Gary Sinise Foundation gave Babin and his family a smart home in 2018 adapted to his specific needs, a significant gift for the injured U.S. Army corporal who served as a medic in the 82nd Airborne Division. Due to the wounds he received 20 years ago, he has had to work hard to be able to do many everyday tasks.
On March 31st, the city declared it Alan Babin Day in honor of the 20th anniversary of surviving catastrophic wounds during his service in Iraq. Alan was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor and Purple Heart for his actions to save another. The proclamation issued by the city tells more of the story.
There was a unique open house at the airpark to honor Alan, and we will be visiting that open house on Sunday. The good news here is that a community cares about one of its own who sacrificed his own health and safety for another. Today’s JohnKu talks about honor. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
It works this way. I open a book at random and point to the page. The word or words closest to my finger becomes the prompt. Today I opened The Last Drive randomly to page 49. My finger was closest to the word ‘was.’ Since it was part of a quote, I decided to use the whole sentence.
This post originally ran on April 10, 2017. Since we all still (or should) go to the eye doctor, I hope you enjoy it.
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The inspiration for this list was living through the replay of the eye doctor visit with our youngest. Since she is a millennial, we were glad that she went to the eye doctor, so we were passively listening to the blow-by-blow description of the visit.
Top Ten Things Not to Do at the Eye Doctor
10 If you are at the eye doctor, do not guess at the letters on the chart. If you do, at best, you’ll have to retake the test. At worst, the doctor will outfit you with coke bottle lenses that render you sightless. (Seemed like a good joke until the $400 bill was put in your hand, huh, Ferd?)
9 If you are at the eye doctor, do not hesitate when asked which lens is better, one or two? If you do, at best, you’ll get a third choice that doesn’t work. At worst, you’ll spend the afternoon reviewing the lens tests until you finally declare a preference. (It makes you wonder why you are so indecisive, huh, Buford?)
8 If you are at the eye doctor, do not turn down the grandfather sunglasses if your eyes have been dilated. If you do, at best, you may hurt yourself squinting. At worst, you’ll never see Tiny, the WWF champ stepping off the curb. (Always wondered what it is like to run into a rhinoceros, did you? Buster? Now he looks pretty mad.)
7 If you are at the eye doctor, do not have garlic bread for lunch. If you do, at best, your exam may be from across the room. At worst, the doctor must call in a hazmat crew to remove you and your smell from the office. (Sure looked good on the menu, huh, Pard?)
6 If you are at the eye doctor, do not complain about the magazines. If you do, at best, the doctor will raise your bill to cover improvements. At worst, the magazines were a personal choice by the doctor and sold by the underprivileged children of the doctor’s church. (You wish for an atomic bomb blast to take you out right now, right, Slick?)
5 If you are at the eye doctor, do not try to tell the doctor what you think you need regarding a prescription. If you do, at best, the doctor will ignore you. At worst, the doctor will refer you to the eye doctor next door who happens to specialize in large animals. (You look pretty foolish in that stall, Slug.)
4 If you are at the eye doctor, do not have a few drinks before. If you do, at best, the doctor will be able to detect the fact. At worst, the doctor will be calling social services to set you up with a counselor for the seeing impaired. (Why all these people think you need help is beyond you, isn’t it, Putz?)
3 If you are at the eye doctor, do not try on one hundred pairs of frames. If you do, at best, you’ll realize your face is the problem. At worst, the office will close, and you’ll find yourself on the street with two monocles in your hand. (Try to figure out how to use those, Tex. A hint. You have to arch your eyebrow.)
2 If you are at the eye doctor, do not try to stay within your insurance budget. If you do, at best, you get half a pair of glasses. At worst, you might be able to make it work if you give up on the nose and ear pieces. (You are right back to the monocle, aren’t you, Pal)
1 If you are at the eye doctor, do not argue about going to stronger lenses. If you do, at best, you will appear petty and self-absorbed. At worst, you will demonstrate your fear of getting older, which your doctor will take as a cry for help. (I hope you are enjoying your group therapy sessions. Come on, tell us how you really feel. That’s where it’s at, isn’t it, Bunky?)
Today we are going to search Lakeway for signs of Easter. We are being catered by Another Broken Egg of Austin. Our entertainment is Bing Crosby.
Menu
SHRIMP ‘N GRITS – Gulf shrimp and andouille sautéed with red peppers and onions in a spicy low country reduction over creamy cheese grits. Served with garlic bread and lemon.
HASH BROWN BENEDICT – Ham and cheese stuffed crispy hash brown croquettes, topped with poached eggs, mushroom herbed hollandaise, and red peppers. Served with grits or fresh country potatoes.
EGGS BLACKSTONE BENEDICT – Grilled red tomato slices on an English muffin, topped with poached eggs, hollandaise, chopped bacon, and green onions. Served with grits or fresh country potatoes.
MARDI GRAS OMELETTE – Filled with Louisiana crawfish, gulf shrimp, andouille, and red peppers, topped with tomato hollandaise, tomatoes, and green onions. Served with an English muffin and grits or fresh country potatoes.
CRAB CAKE BENEDICT – Jumbo lump crab cakes on an English muffin, topped with poached eggs, andouille-infused hollandaise, red peppers, and green onions. Served with grits or fresh country potatoes.
SMOKED SALMON BENEDICT – Toasted bagel, cream cheese, smoked salmon, and poached eggs, topped with red onions, capers, and green onions. Served with grits or fresh country potatoes.
COUNTRY POWER BOWL – Scrambled eggs filled with country ham, onions, and tomatoes over Cheddar jack cheese grits. Topped with country sausage gravy. Served with baked bacon and an oversized biscuit.
CHICKEN & WAFFLES – Crispy fried chicken tenders on a Belgian waffle, drizzled with house-made chipotle honey.
CINNAMON ROLL FRENCH TOAST – Thick-sliced, house-baked French-toast style cinnamon rolls topped with cream cheese icing, rum butter sauce drizzle, fresh seasonal berries, and fresh whipped cream. Served with two eggs any style and baked bacon or house-made sausage patties.
MONTEREY POWER OMELETTE – Egg white omelet filled with chicken, onions, green chilies, and tomatoes. Topped with guajillo sauce, Jack cheese, and avocado. Side of sour cream. Served with an English muffin and fresh seasonal fruit.
SKINNY OMELETTE – Goat-cheese-filled egg white omelet with asparagus, roasted red peppers, and roasted garlic cloves. Topped with fresh herbs and green onions. Served with an English muffin and fresh seasonal fruit.
SHRIMP BENNY – Poached eggs on grilled focaccia with sautéed mushrooms, roasted peppers, onions, and arugula. Topped with Gulf shrimp in a creamy velouté sauce and green onions. Served with fresh seasonal fruit.
Let’s go.
Our first stop is a fancy bunny mail topper.
Next is another bunny but one looking very content.
The purple house has gone all out with Easter Baskets (in the skeleton’s flanges) and eggs.
Now, this is an Easter display that you may remember from last year.
Bunny guards the door.
Here are some pretty sketchy carrots. The spring wreaths look good.
Bunny-eared tortoise. Yes, that is a bunny tail on the tortoise too.
Reaching for the steaming cup of heaven’s gift for a no-morning person, the thought raced through my mind. What antic will those Warner Brother look-alikes have on tap today? The answer came swiftly after the first sip. A voice so loud the vibrations of my cup threatened a tsunami that would ruin both my morning and the living room carpet. “I say there, boy. I say hey, come out here. Yes, you boy. I say, I’m talking to you” It was clear Foghorn Leghorn was in the tent. Taking what was left of my coffee to the tent’s darkness, the tense music caused me to stop. In the center ring, a spotlight was focused on Foghorn, slowly inserting himself into the muzzle of a giant cannon.
Phil Harris was exhorting the crowd to cheer him on. The Tasmanian Devil, Beaky Buzzard, Yosemite Sam, Sylvester, Henery Hawk, Claude Cat, Arnold the Pit Bull, Hector the Bulldog, Baba Looey, Charles the Dog, and Lola Bunny were all dressed as clowns and holding a substantial net downrange of the cannon.
Phil finally got to the point of saying, “Ready, aim ……….fire.” With that, a loud explosion and shower of sparks followed the form of Longhorn as he rose out of the muzzle and straight up to the tent’s peak. NewtonNewton’sf gravity could not be denied, and Fognorn slowly arched over and began an ever-increasing speed of descent. “I say, boy. I say, y’all on the net. I say, look smart now ’cause here I come.”
Foghorn hit the net with such force that he created a hole that sucked the rest of the clowns into its depths. Foghorn managed to pull himself and the others out of the hole. “I say, boy” I’m happy for the soft Earth and sawdust ring.” He walks over and hands me an envelope before taking a large bow acknowledging the cheering crowd.
Of course, the message was from Linda Hill, and it read. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “antic.” Use it as a word or find a word that contains it. Bonus points if you do both. Enjoy!
The mainstream media is filled with headlines about how the United States is helping Ukraine, but under the radar is how some Ukrainians are returning the favor.
Having arrived in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as recently as a few months ago, a group of 7 Ukrainian refugees has signed up for a 2,000-mile road trip to Mississippi to help with tornado relief.
Tornadoes tore a path of destruction across rural Mississippi and Alabama on the night of Friday the 24th. The nonprofit American Service is just one of several aid organizations heading to help the victims.
They quickly organized a team of volunteers and headed down to North Fork, MI, expecting to arrive on Tuesday.
American Service’s Director of Operations, Sofiia Rudenko, is a Ukrainian who has only been in the country since Christmas. Still, after receiving help settling in from American Service, she quickly dedicated her time to helping other new arrivals.
“Here in America, a lot of people helped me to establish here, and we have this kind of culture that we want not only to take but also to give back and to help the others,” Rudenko told MPR News.
“I found a group of people, Ukrainian, that is not working today and willing to go immediately, and now we’re packing and going. It’s so exciting. I hope we can do something great for this world.”
American Service has so far helped 80 Ukrainians like Rudenko find temporary housing, jobs, and a bit of community in Minneapolis.
Their first trip down to Mississippi is to bring water exclusively, and a second trip will follow based on whatever they discover is in short supply after the first trip.
The good news here is those who have been helped are repaying by helping others who need help. Today’s JohnKu talks about repayments. I hope your weekend is lovely.
Our first stop is a fancy bunny mail topper.
