Okay...okay...I know what's going through your mind. You're thinking, "What's this? More than a month without an update and now there are two in a row? Hip Hip Hurray!"
It's true. It's really me two days in a row. I've been sitting here for a while now, waiting on the delivery of a new printer. My old Epson did what Epsons do best and after not using the thing for a week, clogged up on me and I wasted more than a half a tank of ink in each of the four ink tanks and STILL didn't unclog the P.O.S. I got pissed and ordered a Canon. They make good cameras...I hope their printers are as good.
Anyway, the printer was suppose to be delivered yesterday and today I was suppose to be out shooting images to add to my Flickr Photostream. But it wasn't delivered...well, that's not true. The UPS guy or gal showed...I know, I saw the truck as it was leaving. I was here, my landlord was home, her daughter was visiting and the only door in front of the house is right there where the family was. Yet the package for some reason wasn't delivered. Instead, a note was left on the door saying they tried to deliver, but no one was around to accept the package.
So now I have to push my shooting date up another day while I sit around waiting for UPS to arrive, hopefully with a 15 lbs box labeled with my name and address. Normally, the UPS guy or gal leaves packages at the door. But this package requires an in-person signature before it can be released by UPS. Once that is accomplished, I can get back to my planned activities.
Being retired allows for a lot of flexibility in my schedule. If something comes up, I can adjust. No problem...just move things this way or that way...just like I did in the military. I always thought that was one of my best attributes...the ability to see the "big picture" and adjust to it accordingly. Some people I worked for and almost everyone who worked for me, thought I made snap decisions. They were snap decisions, but based on events. My mind could in milliseconds run through events, predict the outcome and based on that information, give me an answer almost before the questions was finished or the description of the event was finished.
I loved being able to do that and have the final decision be the right one 99 percent of the time. But these days, I don't need to be so decisive. My decisions have no where near as much responsibility riding on them. So I take my time, make my decisions slowly and it's the correct decision only 75 percent of the time.
Now, because of a decision several weeks ago not to print something I needed printed, I am sitting around waiting for another printer to arrive because of a decision to replace it and not diligently wait for the UPS guy or gal to arrive with it.
Older doesn't make you wiser...it only makes you care less about your mundane mistakes than you would have cared 10 or 15 years earlier.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Finally! Something to Write About!
Weather here has been depressing for the most part and I haven't been able to get out to shoot images...and that really depresses me. The weather is improving and I will be heading out either today or tomorrow. But on the days I did get out recently, there wasn't much to shoot or what I shot didn't come out well.
However, a new addition to the household where I live and it has been keeping me a bit busy. A puppy (see photo) arrived around Christmas time and has made a home outside my door. Strange little critter she is...hehehe. She actually belongs to my landlord's grandson, but I have been training her...and have the bites and scratches and all to show for it.
She's a smart thing. Even at five months she knows when she can get away with something and when she can't. But she is learning fast. She knows when she hears my door click in the morning that I will be out shortly to fill her water bowl. She also knows when she hears my faucet run, that I'll be out soon to refill her water bowl. And, I have seen her tip her bowl over and spill the water, then sit looking in my kitchen window with this look of "come on out and fill it again."
But the best thing about her is she is quiet. She rarely barks and when she does, it's mostly when she is playing with one of her toys. I have been trying to get her to "tell" me when she needs to go outside to do her thing by barking or something. But all she'll do is tug at my pant leg. It gets my attention, so I guess it will do.
Anyway, that's what's been happening in my world...and it will improve. I can't wait for the hot, summer days to return. But to prime myself for them, I'll be heading to San Antonio in mid-April. Good time to be there...birds, butterflies, bugs...all sorts of things to shoot.
Can't wait. 8v)
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Photo-lema
For those of you who haven't looked at my profile, I enjoy photography. These days, I shoot photos of nature. There are a couple of places on the net where I upload my better shots for the world to see. One of those places is Ashrunner's Photo Safaris. I put what I consider my best images there. Some are from my past, but most were shot within the past couple of years.
Another site I post photos to is a nature site. There, photographers from around the world look at your shot, comment on it, critique it and grade it. The site also allows (if the posting photographer allows it) others to workshop the image, or "fix" the photo. I generally don't have a problem with this, as I process my photos to a look I prefer.
However, the critiquing is what I look for. People critiquing other photos say things like, focus is soft, image is washed-out, point-of-view would have been better if..., things like that. But some of what is said, isn't critiquing...at least not in my opinion. When another photographer comments on soft focus, that photographer is basing the comment on his or her equipment. Not all camera gear is created equal. If a photographer wants to take tack sharp images every time he or she triggers the shutter, they need high quality glass...and that costs money. A lot of people can afford such luxuries, but many can't. Every time I read a comment like that, it burns my ass.
Comparing great equipment to average equipment is asinine. What if the originating photographer wanted the image to look soft? What if the originating photographer was doing the best he or she can with the best equipment they can afford, which may or may not be great equipment? Telling someone something they already subconsciously know already is a great way to build animosity and discourage future work. So, if you're a photographer reading this and like to critique the work of other shooters, keep things in perspective when you talk about someone else's work. They may not have the resources you have and are only trying to produce the best image they can with what they got.
But the other things I mentioned above are good to point out. Telling someone how the POV change would have given the image more impact is a great way to improve someone's photography. I learned how to "frame" my shots by shooting, and listening to people when they asked why I did something and their comments to my reply. Constructive criticism is a great learning tool. But it also has to be done in a positive manner. Something like, "I see what you were trying to do with this image. I might have moved to this position to shoot it. Either way, its a good image." The person then looks at the mentioned angle, thinks about it, and it's in the back of their head for the next time they shoot a similar subject. Telling a person something like, "Point of view could have been better," tells that person absolutely nothing.
Then there is the critique about the processing process. That too is subjective to the individuals equipment. Someone who can't afford Photoshop is going to have a hard time duplicating the results of someone who has the program. There are good substitutes out there, but 90 percent of the tutorials on how to do something revolve around the defacto industry standard...not the programs on the fringes. Sure, many of the commands or actions are called the same, but they don't do things as well as Photoshop does. Then there is the hardware. A well calibrated system is going to produce consistently better results over a system which isn't calibrated. Calibrating hardware is available, works wonders, but again, not everyone can afford a good calibrating system. I personally shoot all my shots in AdobeRGB(1998) and process them with the AdobeRGB(1998) ICC profile. Every graphics program I have which allows me to select a color profile to use, has that profile selected. The images are converted to sRGB for uploading on the net.
And monitors aren't the same either. An older monitor may have its brightness fading slowly which is like a child growing. You never really notice it until you leave for a month or so and come back. I have that problem with my monitor. The brightness faded on me...enough to the point where images I post to various sites were washed-out. I never would have know that had someone not mentioned it. But I can't afford a new monitor. So, looking over the "workshop" photos, I realized that most images needed a boost of 20 percent or so in contrast. Once I started doing that, two words left most of my critiques -- washed and out.
For the most part, people mean well when they critique something someone else did. It's hard to look at something you have created in a critical enough way to tear apart the way it looks to the point of improving it. When I was a journalist, I would generally give my article to someone else to proof for me, as I would miss a lot typos simply because I saw what I thought I wrote. It's the same with a photograph. When I process my images, I do it to where I think the image looks best. And herein lies the need for sites where photographers critique other photographers.
But remember if you ever do it to critique style and content, not equipment capability.
Another site I post photos to is a nature site. There, photographers from around the world look at your shot, comment on it, critique it and grade it. The site also allows (if the posting photographer allows it) others to workshop the image, or "fix" the photo. I generally don't have a problem with this, as I process my photos to a look I prefer.
However, the critiquing is what I look for. People critiquing other photos say things like, focus is soft, image is washed-out, point-of-view would have been better if..., things like that. But some of what is said, isn't critiquing...at least not in my opinion. When another photographer comments on soft focus, that photographer is basing the comment on his or her equipment. Not all camera gear is created equal. If a photographer wants to take tack sharp images every time he or she triggers the shutter, they need high quality glass...and that costs money. A lot of people can afford such luxuries, but many can't. Every time I read a comment like that, it burns my ass.
Comparing great equipment to average equipment is asinine. What if the originating photographer wanted the image to look soft? What if the originating photographer was doing the best he or she can with the best equipment they can afford, which may or may not be great equipment? Telling someone something they already subconsciously know already is a great way to build animosity and discourage future work. So, if you're a photographer reading this and like to critique the work of other shooters, keep things in perspective when you talk about someone else's work. They may not have the resources you have and are only trying to produce the best image they can with what they got.
But the other things I mentioned above are good to point out. Telling someone how the POV change would have given the image more impact is a great way to improve someone's photography. I learned how to "frame" my shots by shooting, and listening to people when they asked why I did something and their comments to my reply. Constructive criticism is a great learning tool. But it also has to be done in a positive manner. Something like, "I see what you were trying to do with this image. I might have moved to this position to shoot it. Either way, its a good image." The person then looks at the mentioned angle, thinks about it, and it's in the back of their head for the next time they shoot a similar subject. Telling a person something like, "Point of view could have been better," tells that person absolutely nothing.
Then there is the critique about the processing process. That too is subjective to the individuals equipment. Someone who can't afford Photoshop is going to have a hard time duplicating the results of someone who has the program. There are good substitutes out there, but 90 percent of the tutorials on how to do something revolve around the defacto industry standard...not the programs on the fringes. Sure, many of the commands or actions are called the same, but they don't do things as well as Photoshop does. Then there is the hardware. A well calibrated system is going to produce consistently better results over a system which isn't calibrated. Calibrating hardware is available, works wonders, but again, not everyone can afford a good calibrating system. I personally shoot all my shots in AdobeRGB(1998) and process them with the AdobeRGB(1998) ICC profile. Every graphics program I have which allows me to select a color profile to use, has that profile selected. The images are converted to sRGB for uploading on the net.
And monitors aren't the same either. An older monitor may have its brightness fading slowly which is like a child growing. You never really notice it until you leave for a month or so and come back. I have that problem with my monitor. The brightness faded on me...enough to the point where images I post to various sites were washed-out. I never would have know that had someone not mentioned it. But I can't afford a new monitor. So, looking over the "workshop" photos, I realized that most images needed a boost of 20 percent or so in contrast. Once I started doing that, two words left most of my critiques -- washed and out.
For the most part, people mean well when they critique something someone else did. It's hard to look at something you have created in a critical enough way to tear apart the way it looks to the point of improving it. When I was a journalist, I would generally give my article to someone else to proof for me, as I would miss a lot typos simply because I saw what I thought I wrote. It's the same with a photograph. When I process my images, I do it to where I think the image looks best. And herein lies the need for sites where photographers critique other photographers.
But remember if you ever do it to critique style and content, not equipment capability.
Monday, February 19, 2007
What to say...what?
I was sitting at my computer desk working on some of my digital images when I got to thinking about this blog site I set up. I decided it is time I started putting something here for folks to read.
So, prepare to be astounded 8v) (<-- my own smiley since I wear glasses)
Yesterday was the first race of the NASCAR cup series. Like any race fan, I look forward to the Daytona 500. I also look forward to the first Formula One race, the first Indy Car race and the first Red Bull World Series of Air Racing competition. However, the Daytona 500 is the one which starts a good season of sporting events I enjoy.
The Daytona this year, was a bit boring. I watched the first 20 laps and realized the car changes mandated by NASCAR appeared to affect one of the greatest races of the year. I found myself wondering, "What happened to three-wide racing?" It seemed drivers were stringing out single file, just going along for the ride. But then, in the last 30 laps or so, things started to look more like Daytona.
Now, I also operate two NASCAR fantasy teams. Last year was the first year I did fantasy racing. It was fun, even though I ended up on the tail-end of the standings in both. So this year, I hope to do better. In one league, I participated in an auction for drivers. You get 100 points and bid on a four-driver team. My team this year is Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Reed Sorenson.
As the race progressed, I watched Busch crash out, Kahne fall back and Harvick slowly make his way to the front. With two laps to go in the race, I looked at my first fantasy race of the season and saw that not only was I losing my head-to-head matchup, but I also had the lowest point total of all six teams.
Then there was the final turn of the final lap. Mark Martin and Harvick were side-by-side, drag racing for the win. I could almost see a big grin on the face of both drivers as they glanced towards each other. And then it happened...the Daytona big one. Less than a 1,000 feet to finish line, cars start slamming into each other, one slides toward the finish on its top, some are out in the grass, some along the wall, smoke is everywhere and there, heading to the win are the two leaders.
Harvick won the race, by one of the closest margins in decades. And then, with all the crashing behind them, I looked at my standings. I suddenly went from last to first! I won my H2H and scored the highest point total of all drivers. I am on top in one league. In my other league, I picked five drivers using the same 100 point maximum. Three of them crashed out long before the final lap. In that league, I ended up second to last. But I don't care, it was still fun...and will continue to be fun.
And now, I am even considering joining an Indy car league if I can find one I like. If I do, it will probably be the only way I could ever say, "I had Sarah Fisher."
So, prepare to be astounded 8v) (<-- my own smiley since I wear glasses)
Yesterday was the first race of the NASCAR cup series. Like any race fan, I look forward to the Daytona 500. I also look forward to the first Formula One race, the first Indy Car race and the first Red Bull World Series of Air Racing competition. However, the Daytona 500 is the one which starts a good season of sporting events I enjoy.
The Daytona this year, was a bit boring. I watched the first 20 laps and realized the car changes mandated by NASCAR appeared to affect one of the greatest races of the year. I found myself wondering, "What happened to three-wide racing?" It seemed drivers were stringing out single file, just going along for the ride. But then, in the last 30 laps or so, things started to look more like Daytona.
Now, I also operate two NASCAR fantasy teams. Last year was the first year I did fantasy racing. It was fun, even though I ended up on the tail-end of the standings in both. So this year, I hope to do better. In one league, I participated in an auction for drivers. You get 100 points and bid on a four-driver team. My team this year is Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Reed Sorenson.
As the race progressed, I watched Busch crash out, Kahne fall back and Harvick slowly make his way to the front. With two laps to go in the race, I looked at my first fantasy race of the season and saw that not only was I losing my head-to-head matchup, but I also had the lowest point total of all six teams.
Then there was the final turn of the final lap. Mark Martin and Harvick were side-by-side, drag racing for the win. I could almost see a big grin on the face of both drivers as they glanced towards each other. And then it happened...the Daytona big one. Less than a 1,000 feet to finish line, cars start slamming into each other, one slides toward the finish on its top, some are out in the grass, some along the wall, smoke is everywhere and there, heading to the win are the two leaders.
Harvick won the race, by one of the closest margins in decades. And then, with all the crashing behind them, I looked at my standings. I suddenly went from last to first! I won my H2H and scored the highest point total of all drivers. I am on top in one league. In my other league, I picked five drivers using the same 100 point maximum. Three of them crashed out long before the final lap. In that league, I ended up second to last. But I don't care, it was still fun...and will continue to be fun.
And now, I am even considering joining an Indy car league if I can find one I like. If I do, it will probably be the only way I could ever say, "I had Sarah Fisher."
Monday, January 29, 2007
Behind The Wall
I added another album to my Flickr photostream and posted a few images to it.
The album is Berlin, October 1977. The photos in that album have deep meaning to me. It was that temporary assignment I went on that shaped the rest of my life. I was considering getting out of the Air Force at that time. I had six months left on my assignment to Aviano AB, Italy and six months left on my contracted service. But then Berlin came along.
The first day I was in then West Berlin for a newspaper editors conference. Myself and the group of Air Force journalists I was with wanted to go see The Wall. We contacted the person who put the conference together and he agreed to show us Checkpoint Charlie and The Wall.
When we arrived there, I spent a good 30 minutes on a platform looking into East Berlin. I watched the ongoing activity of repair to the wall and some of the traps designed to keep East Berliners inside "The Worker's Paradise." After a while, I left the stand and was walking near a small museum dedicated to those who had escaped or attempted to escape the confines of the east and made it to the west. As I stood in the middle of the street looking towards the Allied control point (the famous Checkpoint Charlie) in front of me and border crossing maze further in the distance, an elderly German man walked up to me.
With tears in his eyes, he grabbed my right hand with both of his, and in formal German, thanked me. I looked into his eyes and saw a person who was glad I was who I was and where I was. It was at that exact moment that I decided I would remain in the Air Force. I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't leave the Air Force until "The Wall" came down.
Twelve years later, on Nov. 9, 1989, I watched with tears in my eyes, as Germans from both sides of the wall embraced and partied together. I watched the scenes on television all night long. I watched, because I knew my reason for doing what I was doing was no longer a valid reason.
Two years after that, I retired from the U.S. Air Force.
The album is Berlin, October 1977. The photos in that album have deep meaning to me. It was that temporary assignment I went on that shaped the rest of my life. I was considering getting out of the Air Force at that time. I had six months left on my assignment to Aviano AB, Italy and six months left on my contracted service. But then Berlin came along.
The first day I was in then West Berlin for a newspaper editors conference. Myself and the group of Air Force journalists I was with wanted to go see The Wall. We contacted the person who put the conference together and he agreed to show us Checkpoint Charlie and The Wall.
When we arrived there, I spent a good 30 minutes on a platform looking into East Berlin. I watched the ongoing activity of repair to the wall and some of the traps designed to keep East Berliners inside "The Worker's Paradise." After a while, I left the stand and was walking near a small museum dedicated to those who had escaped or attempted to escape the confines of the east and made it to the west. As I stood in the middle of the street looking towards the Allied control point (the famous Checkpoint Charlie) in front of me and border crossing maze further in the distance, an elderly German man walked up to me.
With tears in his eyes, he grabbed my right hand with both of his, and in formal German, thanked me. I looked into his eyes and saw a person who was glad I was who I was and where I was. It was at that exact moment that I decided I would remain in the Air Force. I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't leave the Air Force until "The Wall" came down.
Twelve years later, on Nov. 9, 1989, I watched with tears in my eyes, as Germans from both sides of the wall embraced and partied together. I watched the scenes on television all night long. I watched, because I knew my reason for doing what I was doing was no longer a valid reason.
Two years after that, I retired from the U.S. Air Force.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Fixin' Boo-boos
I'll finish posting the remaining images I have to post to my Flickr photostream soon. I found some errors I made with the information I provided and with the "tagging" process. I made some boo-boos inputting some of them which required multiple words. I also decided I would go through all the images just to make sure the descriptions were as accurate as possible. Live and learn I guess.
While looking through past photos I have here, I am amazed at what I thought was a good camera five or six years ago...hehehe. My Mavica FD91 photos look so, so, so bad compared to the Dimage 7i or the Canon Digital Rebel. But there was still one or two images I got with the Mavica camera which I will probably never get again and will post them shortly. I also have five or six Minolta images I need to tweak a bit before I post them.
Anyway, the bottom line is, I have finished the backlog of posting and will now need to go out and get new images to post if I don't want my Flickr account to go dormant. And, what with the cool, but still nice weather predicted for the next week or so around this part of the world, it should be fun. Probably won't see a lot of the thing I prefer shooting, but the exercise with do my fat arse some good...hehehe.
While looking through past photos I have here, I am amazed at what I thought was a good camera five or six years ago...hehehe. My Mavica FD91 photos look so, so, so bad compared to the Dimage 7i or the Canon Digital Rebel. But there was still one or two images I got with the Mavica camera which I will probably never get again and will post them shortly. I also have five or six Minolta images I need to tweak a bit before I post them.
Anyway, the bottom line is, I have finished the backlog of posting and will now need to go out and get new images to post if I don't want my Flickr account to go dormant. And, what with the cool, but still nice weather predicted for the next week or so around this part of the world, it should be fun. Probably won't see a lot of the thing I prefer shooting, but the exercise with do my fat arse some good...hehehe.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Graduations and Retirements
I finished uploading my "Other Insects" photos to Flickr and thought I was done with my Canon digital photos. Well, I wasn't...hehehe. I had forgotten about my "Critters" photos. So, I'll be working on them for the time being.
I also removed my photos from my 360! album and placed them on Flickr. I did this because while visiting a friend the other day, I wanted to show him a photo I had placed in that album. However, at his place, with his computer, I could not access that album. Fearing no one was seeing the album, I removed it from there. I have made reference to photos in it in my blog, so if anyone reading this now has read my blogs in the past and wondered what photo I was referring to, well, now you know. Just go to my photostream from the main page here, and look under "Scenics."
Earlier today I was sort of half watching, half ignoring an episode of E.R. I had watched that show the first year it was on, but really didn't get all that involved with it. Today's episode was about Carter graduating from residency (or whatever it is a doctor does to earn his white coat) and missing the ceremony because he decided to stay with a frightened, young girl suffering from kidney failure (I got all that in the last 20 minutes of the show when I for some reason I stopped half ignoring it). Towards the final moments of the show, he was sitting with another doctor and they were talking about missing their graduations. It made me think...
I don't remember many of my "graduations." I don't remember graduating from elementary school to high school...barely remember graduating high school...don't remember my basic training graduation at all (I think we participated in a military parade) and I don't remember any of the graduations from any of the schools I went to during my military career.
As I have mentioned before (I think...but too lazy to check back), I spent 22 years, two months, and two days in the US Air Force. I am proud of the time I served; proud of a lot of things I did during that time period. In the future I will most likely pass on some of my war stories here. But to get back to the previous thought...my graduations.
I guess a person could make the case that retiring from something is a form of graduating. If that is so, I don't remember my retirement. I am not complaining, just saying...I really didn't have a retirement. My last assignment was at Clark AB, The Philippines. The base was naturally retired from the US Air Force inventory when Mt. Pinatubo erupted and more or less destroyed the base. I was there when that happened.
But before it happened, I was already planning my retirement . I was informed of a new policy the Air Force was implementing...that of an E-6 (Technical Sergeant) who reached 20 years of service, had to retire. Before that change, an E-6 could remain in the service until 24 years. I know I would have made E-7 by then. But the powers to be said I had to retire. So I began planning for it.
Then the mountain blew.
Lucky for me too, since I was probably the only person on the base at that time who had had any experience with volcanic eruptions and military operations. So I was asked to stay past my planned retirement date because my "corporate memory" of my previous experience (Mt. St. Helens) might prove useful...and it did, but more on that at another time. However, when Hq. Air Force approved my remaining on active duty, it was under the condition that I retire when I left Clark AB.
On June 15, 1991, the mountain blew up...literally. I remained on the base until Nov. 22, 1991. My planned retirement date was Aug 1, 1991. But when I left Clark AB, it was a shell of what it had been. When I stepped on the bus to take me to Manila, there were only 150 American servicemen left on what was prior to the eruption, the largest US military installation overseas. From Manila, I flew to Seattle and then went to McChord AFB, Washington for retirement processing.
At Clark, I didn't get a large dinner with all my friends -- they were all long gone to other assignments. I didn't get a military parade honoring my service -- and would not have asked for one. I did get a small goodbye dinner which included several other people leaving Clark at the same time I was departing. When I arrived at McChord, there were three days before the Thanksgiving holiday and everyone wanted to finish my paperwork before then...and no one there knew me from Adam.
When my processing was finished, I was given my marching papers, told my certificate would be mailed to me, handed a decoration for my service and then I was a civilian.
It may not have been a typical retirement, but it definitely was a memorable one.
I also removed my photos from my 360! album and placed them on Flickr. I did this because while visiting a friend the other day, I wanted to show him a photo I had placed in that album. However, at his place, with his computer, I could not access that album. Fearing no one was seeing the album, I removed it from there. I have made reference to photos in it in my blog, so if anyone reading this now has read my blogs in the past and wondered what photo I was referring to, well, now you know. Just go to my photostream from the main page here, and look under "Scenics."
Earlier today I was sort of half watching, half ignoring an episode of E.R. I had watched that show the first year it was on, but really didn't get all that involved with it. Today's episode was about Carter graduating from residency (or whatever it is a doctor does to earn his white coat) and missing the ceremony because he decided to stay with a frightened, young girl suffering from kidney failure (I got all that in the last 20 minutes of the show when I for some reason I stopped half ignoring it). Towards the final moments of the show, he was sitting with another doctor and they were talking about missing their graduations. It made me think...
I don't remember many of my "graduations." I don't remember graduating from elementary school to high school...barely remember graduating high school...don't remember my basic training graduation at all (I think we participated in a military parade) and I don't remember any of the graduations from any of the schools I went to during my military career.
As I have mentioned before (I think...but too lazy to check back), I spent 22 years, two months, and two days in the US Air Force. I am proud of the time I served; proud of a lot of things I did during that time period. In the future I will most likely pass on some of my war stories here. But to get back to the previous thought...my graduations.
I guess a person could make the case that retiring from something is a form of graduating. If that is so, I don't remember my retirement. I am not complaining, just saying...I really didn't have a retirement. My last assignment was at Clark AB, The Philippines. The base was naturally retired from the US Air Force inventory when Mt. Pinatubo erupted and more or less destroyed the base. I was there when that happened.
But before it happened, I was already planning my retirement . I was informed of a new policy the Air Force was implementing...that of an E-6 (Technical Sergeant) who reached 20 years of service, had to retire. Before that change, an E-6 could remain in the service until 24 years. I know I would have made E-7 by then. But the powers to be said I had to retire. So I began planning for it.
Then the mountain blew.
Lucky for me too, since I was probably the only person on the base at that time who had had any experience with volcanic eruptions and military operations. So I was asked to stay past my planned retirement date because my "corporate memory" of my previous experience (Mt. St. Helens) might prove useful...and it did, but more on that at another time. However, when Hq. Air Force approved my remaining on active duty, it was under the condition that I retire when I left Clark AB.
On June 15, 1991, the mountain blew up...literally. I remained on the base until Nov. 22, 1991. My planned retirement date was Aug 1, 1991. But when I left Clark AB, it was a shell of what it had been. When I stepped on the bus to take me to Manila, there were only 150 American servicemen left on what was prior to the eruption, the largest US military installation overseas. From Manila, I flew to Seattle and then went to McChord AFB, Washington for retirement processing.
At Clark, I didn't get a large dinner with all my friends -- they were all long gone to other assignments. I didn't get a military parade honoring my service -- and would not have asked for one. I did get a small goodbye dinner which included several other people leaving Clark at the same time I was departing. When I arrived at McChord, there were three days before the Thanksgiving holiday and everyone wanted to finish my paperwork before then...and no one there knew me from Adam.
When my processing was finished, I was given my marching papers, told my certificate would be mailed to me, handed a decoration for my service and then I was a civilian.
It may not have been a typical retirement, but it definitely was a memorable one.
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