Monday August 10, 2020

 Monday August 10, 2020

Blog time 1130 at Panera

Both up at 0630.  Nancy has a 0900 Doctor’s appointment so no walk this morning.  

Morning calisthenics before breakfast.  Standard breakfast, microwaved oatmeal, 1/2 sandwich thin with peanut butter and a banana.  

My Grandparents Scott were not familiar with peanut butter until they had their visiting grandkids asking for it.  My Grandfather called it wagon grease.

Speaking of PB, while in Vietnam a Vietnamese employee, Herbie, and I were talking and I asked if he liked PB.  He had never heard of it so I went to the PX and bought a jar.  It was a big hit with his kids.  My contribution to the People to People program.

This morning I took my easy 10.5 mile bike route.  It was hot and humid.  

For the past several weeks I have been writing my blog on Google’s new blog format.  It took some getting use to but now I like it.

A lot of news lately on the Atomic bomb being dropped on two Japanese Cities in 1945.  I remember these events and my parents talking about the use of the bomb.

In July 1962 the USA made an above ground test of the powerful H bomb.  This bomb was much larger than the bombs used in 45.  The test was held on the Johnston Atoll.  The Atoll is near Midway Island.  I was stationed on Midway and remember the Island being loaded with tech folks with high tech monitoring equipment.  I think Midway was the closest land mass from the test site.

I remember walking to the beach about 2200.  Most of the Navy folks were there.  It was pitch black but when the explosion went off the sky brightened like it was midday.  I remember thinking I hope no one is dumb enough to set one of these off.

Sticking with 1962 events on Midway Island.

On Oct 3, 1962 a Mercury space capsule landed 440 miles NE of Midway.  It was picked up by the aircraft carrier USS Kearsarge.  The Kearsarge headed to Midway.  The capsule was offloaded to a small tug that was stationed on Midway.  Once it reached Midway, Ensign Scott and a group of Seabees were responsible for offloading the capsule to a flat bed truck and taking it to a cargo plane.  It was a big deal because of all the news coverage.

The space craft’s pilot was Wally Schirra.  The capsule orbited the earth 6 times.  I could not get over how small the capsule was.  It was covered with a layer of soot from retry.

On Oct 16, 1962 the Cuban Missile Crisis started.  I was scheduled to be given a new assignment.  I really wanted to get off Midway.  The Officer charged with getting me a new duty station said because of the Cuban Missile Crisis everyone was frozen at their current duty station.  Later that day I was notified of an immediate opening with the Deputy Officer in Charge of Construction Southeast Asia.  I wired back, get my ass to SE Asia.  When my orders arrived I headed to the library to find out where Saigon, Vietnam was!

And that folks were the highlights of my 1 year, two weeks, three days and 13 hours on Midway Island, Navy #3080.

Left Panera at 1230 for home.  Before lunch I took a 3/4 mile walk.  I wanted to get my walk in before the afternoon rain.

After lunch spent an hour in office finishing my daily news reading.  After I took  a short nap.

Nancy heard on the news that a storm with high winds is headed to GR.  We removed the umbrella from our deck table.  Also moved the table to a safe place.

We had our normal light Monday dinner.  Cheerios with blueberries and croissants.

About 2000 a big thunder storm with high winds rolled through.  After the storm I checked outside to see if we had any wind damage.  We lucked out.

Tonight we watched an episode of Midsomer Murders.  Midsomer is our default show when we cannot agree what to watch.

Debbie and Missy FaceTimed tonight.  Not much to report other than we are still sheltering in place.