Entirely Offtopic: Amazing Facts About and Experiences Of Me!

[RandomThought]

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People look ordinary, but there is no such thing.

This is, in my opinion, a moving and powerful contribution to this thread! Thank you

[RandomThought]

Some folks seem to be running low on amazing facts about and experiences of me...

Since the 1990's I have been building/assembling/refurbishing my own computer systems. Even with limited funds, this allows me to operate a more powerful than necessary for home use, albeit dated, device. I delight in how responsive my machine is...like driving an old sports car.

Often called upon to assist family members and their friends when they experience hardware/software failures I am sure to repeatedly issue disclaimers as I am entirely self taught and quite incompetent !

This incompetence and self taughtedness permeates my existence: furnace not working? I'll take a look...dishwasher? Water well? Car? Plumbing? Wiring? Wireless network? I have fixed them all. I have enough confidence that I can "figure it out" to do an adequate if unprofessional job on almost anything. When people inquire as to my occupation (I look so "able") I often tell them, "I fix things.". This is, as I'm sure many know, very helpful when existing at or near the poverty line.

I have resisted cell phones for years as they were obviously "for rich people". When my youngster entered school we acquired a pre-paid flip phone for emergency contact and kept it active over the years. Only recently have I gone full bore "smart phone" (used of course) with a regular service plan (just like the rich people!). My 17 year old helps me with it; she being the typical young person has an innate ability to operate technology and my abilities seem to be dying off a little!

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When I say " You know, I've been thinking..." or "I have an idea" my wife says "Oh, Gawd!" in a nervous but charming southern accent

[Virginia]

Agate's Charlton Heston story reminded me that while I was working at the Pentagon one day about mid afternoon, having gone without lunch, I took a break and went up one floor to a little snack bar. When I came out I looked up and there just a few feet away was John Wayne walking down the corridor with a Colonel. I was the only one around and could have walked up to him but didn't. I heard them talking and his voice was just as it was in the movies. Then other people started seeing him and rushed up to him wanting autographs. One asked for it but apologized for doing so. He said in his deep voice "That's alright, that's what I am here for". I thought that was nice of him.

When I got back down to my office I told a couple of people that I had just almost walked dead into John Wayne. One lady grabbed some paper and a pen and ran out of the office. She came back with his autograph for her children.

Back then famous people were always coming to the Pentagon. Mostly they would be down on what we called "The Mall", but this little snack bar was kind of on a corridor that was away from everything important. They might have been on their way to the Mall.

[RandomThought]

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Agate's Charlton Heston story reminded me... I looked up and there just a few feet away was John Wayne walking down the corridor with a Colonel. I had just almost walked dead into John Wayne.

Now those are some prime run-ins with famous people !

[agate]

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Well, let me see if you are a late nighter.....like me!

Wait a minute, Howie. That post was 4 days ago. Here come the hens.... I can just pluck them out of RandomThought's Profile where he has conveniently posted a pic:

[RandomThought]

While we are waiting for Howie and his cat to turn up... Here is another amazing and mildly interesting experience of mine:

I have had on a couple of occasions the pleasure of interacting with the woman who as a child gave voice to the character "Lucy" in the Charlie Brown specials. I found her very pleasant and helpful. Guessing she may have grown weary of going over her iconic role with everyone she encountered I never mentioned it. She in return,kindly, never called me a blockhead!

(thanks for the hens Agate )

[stillstANNding]

Agate, our resident detective, found the hidden chickens! Bonus points!

ANN

[Virginia]

Actually, I think that was a very kind thing to do Random Thoughts. Those people do sometime get tired of people asking about things like that. Maybe though she thought you didn't realize who she was.

By the way, in case you didn't know you can't hide anything from Agate.

Do you raise hens?

[Virginia]

Okay, this is a true story - every bit of it!

I have a certificate that says "Let it be Known that Virginia Joyce ascended into the sky in a HOT AIR BALOON This memorable occasion took place in Wake County on the 15th day of November 1987." Then it is certified by two different people and of course has the name of the balloon I flew in and the company it was owned and operated by.

Now for the unusual part:

We lifted off about 20 miles east of Raleigh, which is where I live. Another balloon took off just before us. They went to the right of us and had no problems. We went left and about the time we wanted to come down there was no where to land. We were looking down at the top of cement buildings. I began to get nervous, but kept my mouth shut since I knew the pilot was aware he was in trouble and I didn't want to make it worse. We had gone down low, just barely above tree tops so if he saw some grass he could land. We flew over a subdivision and it was one that my then best friend lived in. She and her daughter ran out of the house and her daughter was taking pictures. I was waving and yelling at her and she not knowing we were in trouble was yelling "Virginia it's beautiful".

My friend didn't know it because she had come out her back door, but two police cars were driving slowly in front of her house. It is against the law to fly over neighborhoods like that. The pilot had told us to be ready to bend our knees. We crossed some railroad tracks and he saw just a small area of grass and he yelled "Now" and took it down. The police were waiting for us. I went over and talked to them to try and divert them away from giving the pilot a ticket, but they gave him a ticket anyway. By the way, to add to this horror story we were about a block or two from some power lines and flying straight for them when we landed.

I will never fly in another hot air balloon. They gave me and the person I was flying with a bottle of champagne and we uncorked it right there.

My friend thought I purposely was flying over her house so she could she me.

[RandomThought]

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Actually, I think that was a very kind thing to do Random Thoughts. Those people do sometime get tired of people asking about things like that. Maybe though she thought you didn't realize who she was.

By the way, in case you didn't know you can't hide anything from Agate.

Do you raise hens?

Agate is quite the sleuth I say.

When my youngster was about 7 years old we raised a small flock of chickens and found the fresh eggs delicious. Sadly, her favorite chicken, "Chickers", suddenly took ill and passed away. My daughter became a vegetarian that day and remains devotedly so to this day. Eventually, when the chickens were all gone we replaced them with ducks ! (the photo is of free range chickens which we dubbed "visitor chickens" that wandered in one day).

I love your balloon story