Index – The Best of Neptunus Lex

On March 6, 2012 we lost Lex. He died doing what he wanted to do, teaching Naval Aviators how to be even better.

Lex as a TOPGUN Instructor

For many of us, the Lexicans, he became more than just a blogger but a friend.  Carroll “Lex” LeFon not only enjoyed writing, but he enjoyed the interaction of the “commentariat”, many of whom he called “the best friends I never met”.

Soon after his accident, his website, Neptunus Lex, went down. If it weren’t for one Lexican, who copied and pasted most (about 70%) of his posts for later reading, “the lightness of Lex”, all 9  years’ worth of his work, would have been gone forever. I am currently combing the Wayback Machine and have also added (as of today, 04-18-18) an additional 270 posts. I should be done in a couple of months.

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In Memory of CAPT Carroll “Lex” LeFon, and the Wonderful Community He Fostered

Welcome. The idea was floated that a ‘talk amongst yourselves’ blog would be a good addition to for the Non-Facebook Crowd. Here it is.

Shore duty

By lex, on August 17th, 2006

I never was much for shore duty once I’d gotten my wings – apart from that tour in Key West flying bogies back in 1990-1993, coupled with the six months (plus motorcycle accident, plus rehab) refresher training that followed, the only other shore duty I ever had was at TOPGUN, and those were long, hard days and often weekends too, so I’m not really sure it should count.

But I’m not complaining. It is the sea service after all, and on the pointy end? Mama, that’s where the fun is, quoth Manfred Mann ** to his Earth Band.

How some people spend their days off

By lex, on August 30th, 2006

Awake at 0630. Admit the vegan surfer kid your daughter seems to like into the gated community. Mumble a quick prayer. Go back to sleep.

0630-0645: Toss fitfully.

0645: Arise and greet the day. And the vegan surfer kid. Who, it turns out, drinks coffee at age 15.

0650: Make a second pot of coffee. Bastard.

0730: Kiss the kids good-bye, the Hobbit too. Feel immensely privileged not to have to jump into the 30-minute knife fight that is the morning commute.

0735: Look around the empty house regretfully.

0743 – 0845: Read the WSJ. Read the San Diego Tribune. Read the usual blogosuspects. Post some trash, just to keep the plates spinning.

0900: Wait for Skippy-san to do his “Crazy uncle in the attic” routine. Drum fingers.

1000: Decide that maybe playing 18 holes at Torrey Pines is a better use of leave than waiting for Skippy-san.

1030-1500: Play pretty damned average golf. Hit a few good shots. Promise to try this again next year.

1600: Get an 80-minute massage. Because you can.

1900: Pick up the calamari from Il Fornaio for the Kat, because nothing else would do. Have supper with the clan.

2000: Blog a bit.

2030: Wonder what’s going to happen next. Ponder the idea of doing homework. Reject the idea.

continuing...

2100: Watch “Inside,” a Denzell Walker bank robbery vehicle with SNO – interrupted by a 2215 hastening of school-aged daughters off to nod.

2230: Follow.

Back To The Index 

Letters

By lex, on August 19th, 2006

Got this note from a reader earlier in the week, and thought the crowd might also be curious about the response:

A very short, very exciting bike ride

By lex, on August 5th, 2006

It was a lovely day for the long route, the weekend course. Thirty-five miles, it runs – up into the hills and mansion drives of Rancho Santa Fe, west through Encinitas, back south down the coastal 101 to Del Mar, and working back east to Carmel Valley (skipping that gruesome climb up Torrey Hills park).

I didn’t get that far.

Guest blogging, the prelude

By lex, on August 4th, 2006

I know it’s out of sequence. Sue me.

Recent email to an old shipmate

By lex, on August 1st, 2006

He wrote a note talking about how burdened he had recently become at his new, government service job here in San Diego, then thanked me for listening. I wrote him back:

Good speech

By lex, on July 16th, 2006

Thoughtful reader Phil sends along this speech given by Major General Mike Lehnert, CG, Marine Corps Installations West, to the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Not a short speech, but a great read – covered are the civil/military divide, progress in the reconstruction of Iraq, military life (including predatory lenders) and land use policies.

So yeah, you could say that the MGEN covers a lot of ground.