July 18
Radtke had a funny line tonight. He was at Eddie – 2 and I was sitting with him after turning in my scanner when Schempp walks out and joins us. Schempp was in a pleasant mood and was good company and after a while, he commented on my shoes, the Bates Dura Shocks. I told them they were first-class footwear, and that I got them in Chinatown, at the Quartermaster store.
“The people with the catalog?” he asked. A copy of the latest Quartermaster catalog is usually knocking around the briefing room.
“Yes, indeedy. One in the same.”
Schempp allowed that he has enjoyed browsing the QM catalog over the years.
“The place is on Spring Mountain and Arville, just down from Shooters.” American Shooters is where we qualify on our weapons every now and then. I nodded.
“Those look like really great shoes. Rugged, but with sort of that sneaker look to them.”
I tapped my nose with an index finger, indicating Schempp had nailed it right on the nose, and we prattled about the benefits of the Bates Dura Shocks for a good five minutes. Finally, Radtke had had enough.
“Crap, I don’t ever want to be like you guys! You’re old men!”
Both Schempp and I laughed, but he does have a point, I suppose.
I had 482 with Code Four Carlin and Radtke. I had hoped to eat and then scram to PBX to visit with Maria and James, but Code Four Carlin was at my table almost before I was and Radtke joined us soon after. Code Four Carlin talked about his vacation plans, where he is abandoning his wife and taking his daughter to Omaha to visit his mother for a week. He said the big plans include – and I am not making this up – stocking up on canned goods for mother, maybe getting her car tuned up, and paying out her newspaper subscription a few months in advance. I wouldn’t be caught dead stocking up on canned goods on my vacation, but it sounded kind of cute, in a Midwestern kind of way.
While we were in the garage Redneck Randy told me about how two kids tried to break into his house yesterday morning. He had just gotten back from work when we heard something funny at his front door, which shows how bad the Burglar Scouting System is because Redneck Randy is armed better than some small countries and has dogs besides. When he let the dogs out and presented one of his 135 shotguns for inspection by the thugs, they dropped their guns and fled.
Here is your Outside lineup for tonight:
Mary 1 – Guy
Mary 2 – moi
Baker 1 – Redneck Randy
July 19
This item is from today’s gossip column, NORM!, in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
(Natalie) Portman, being turned away at the Monte Carlo Brewery when she couldn’t produce an ID. Portman, 25, tried to convince the doorman who she was, but to no avail.
Nice to see MCSD can’t be corrupted. We ID everyone, and I do mean everyone, going into the brewery after 10pm. The queen of England, who I understand travels without a passport since all UK passports are issued in her name, would not be allowed in unless she could produce an approved form of ID.
Norm didn’t say which officer turned her away. It’s gotta be Lee, though; there’s no doubt.