Down town Cuero, Texas. Cute little town about a hundred miles South of Austin. All I know about it so far is that there are a lot of little antique shops, a Coffee house and some Killer BBQ. Where the Post Office is, where to get LPG and the local HEB and Building supply. The usual suspects I look for when I'm posted somewhere nearby. Oh, forgot to find the Laundromat. Wikipedia calls it the Turkey capitol of Texas. Population of about 6800. Either way, we are only 19 miles out and will be here or near here for the next several weeks. Kind of a fresh perspective after spending so much time outside Kenedy.
We are monitoring truck traffic outside a heated Frac Pond, across the highway from I think a five well Frac job. Our Boss has presented us with a very intriguing offer. A two week rotation with another couple ad infinitum. Job comes with a substantial raise. Means substantial free Beach and fishing time along with some Mountains I'm thinking. Hopefully this will pan out.
We change hats periodically. Principally Guards are hired to reduce theft and protect property.Both the Company's and the Land Owner's. As well as keeping unwanted types from hanging around onsite because several workers actually stay here in large bunk trailers. Because of the heavy Truck traffic we advise drivers of the Rules of the Road. Sometime's if it is a more critical type of operation our role becomes much larger and actually filtering traffic to only include essential personnel. Monitoring for PPE, cell phone use,facial hair and ensuring everyone entering the facility is aware of the rules. Goes something like this: Conoco Phillips would like you to be aware of company policy that prohibits firearms, alcohol, drugs, paraphernalia explosives and PORNOGRAPHY on site. Yeah that last part subjects us to much examination and jokes.
I have long since lost my sense of humor about this and when asked by Drivers or Contractors my usual response is "Becuz" and leave it at that.
Lisa on the other hand, God bless her I love her, explains that upper management probably doesn't allow Porn on site because the young guys would probably be stealing it from each other and fighting over it causing substantial disruption. Better it not be around at all. This answer seems to satisfy everybody who asks much more than my response. Telling it like it is: My Wife/ Mom/former PO.
Today I learned my friend Pat died.
I'll grieve for Pat. I was looking forward to seeing him in a couple of weeks and buying him lunch, Guess that will have to wait. I'm not sure he would have grieved, even for himself. Hardheaded SOB. Possessed the darkest sense of humor of anyone I have ever known. But you know what? He was funny and no matter how sacred the subject, Pat laughed at it. An Obituary will come out and I won't step on any toes of the family here I hope but Pat could really fill a room. I have known Pat since I was 19. I had been on the high school Varsity wrestling team as a Sophomore and I could hold my own with almost anyone except Pat's younger brother Danny who would just take me out. Bamm. Danny wouldn't be nice about it and there would be substantial humiliation and trash talk along with the whupping which I kind of learned was the signature of the Touchette's. After I graduated, I went to work in a local Pizza joint Me'n Eds. There I thought I saw Danny in the kitchen and I wasn't looking forward to that experience again. Then I noticed that this one was a huge hulking Touchette who seemed even meaner. I couldn't have been more wrong. Back then Pat was extremely loyal to his friends. But the rest of the world, holy cow. A couple of tours as a Scout Sniper in Vietnam probably also helped shape his already one in a million personality I'm sure. But some of the life experiences Pat told me over the years starting with how when his father, a military and commercial pilot was stationed in the Middle East. His mother home alone with Pat and his other siblings killed an intruder who had climbed into the apartment from a balcony. He joined the Marines at a really young age and went to war, a couple of times. I guess that was his mantra the rest of his life, Pat was always going to war, mostly with Authority. But occasionally Pat could do that with style. He told me about confronting an Administrator years past who he suspected was planting illicit drugs on an inmate. I suspect the story true but despite his colorful life, Pat also embellished a bit for whatever reason I'll never know. He followed up with law enforcement, if memory serves me right initially in Los Angeles CA. and Dept of Corrections. In 1981 Pat was one of the small team sent in to reclaim the Prison during the 1981 riot when the inmates destroyed the institution. He is seen on old news reels describing the crises at that time in riot gear carrying an M16. Later on he got in a lot of trouble for shooting an automatic weapon through the roof of a tent set up to house the rebellious convicts who had destroyed the cell blocks. He got his point across. He later became a TFPD Police Officer and finally ended his career as a Parole Officer whom I worked with for several years. Two incidents really stand out in my mind. The first being when we were sent out to check on a young man in a rural location. Wound up being a big drug bust for which we didn't get an ounce of credit for as is customary for the ID Dept of Correction. But after taking up positions in front and behind the house I heard Pat calling for my help. I ran into the front door as I heard scuffling in the back. A guy barricaded himself in the back room. He had opened the door naked swinging a sword. Pat told the guy he was going to shoot him, so the guy ran. He eventually gave up but this forever became the "There can be only One Hahhhh Hahhh Hahhhh" incident as anybody who knew him knew that laugh. Later years when Pat's vision and hearing went all to hell but he still insisted on driving, I was riding with him one night. We had just barely made a corner that he hadn't seen until the last second when I started yelling "Family of Skunks" "huh"? FAMILY OF SKUNKS" "HUH"? We missed em but then he started yelling at me "Why didn't you say something?' As a PO he dished out legendary Ass Chewings but also came down hard on one drug using woman who was pregnant. Setting her up with medical and prenatal Vitamins. Most former probationers I have run into over the years have mostly said good things about Pat. I remember how he treated my children and invited me to Easter service his family with my toddler daughter who sat on his shoulders for half the service. The last time I saw Pat was in Home Depot in Twin Falls. He was talking about his upcoming trip to Greece and I was talking about hitting the road. Folks will have feelings both ends of the Spectrum for Pat but if I can die leaving as big a hole as he did, I'll feel pretty good about myself. Guess I'll shut up now but I was really looking forward to that lunch. Hard headed ol Bastard. RIP Bud.
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