Father’s Day, 2021

Growing up, my father and I had a strained relationship. He was fanatically neat and organized, I was (and am) content to live in “controlled chaos”. We were never close, nor did we do things many sons and fathers do. I can count maybe a half dozen things we did together in all those years from seeing a 49er game to my going with him on a trip to Las Vegas in the early 80s to attend a Mobil Oil Convention.

The Elephant in the Room

By lex, on April 10th, 2011

So, I’m of course missing our little chats. Running a blog is a little like sponsoring a coffee house conversation: I get to pick up topics that interest me, throw them over the transom and see who bites, how many times. There is an element of ego involved too: We count comment threads for a reason, and most of us are interested in our daily hit counts. For a few thousand looks a day these our efforts seem to make a kind of sense to a world where time is money. If it were five or a few dozen, we would judge our efforts here a failure and move on to other endeavors.

Because it does take time, and time spent here quite obviously is time unspent elsewhere. Not exercising, not working, not reading thoughtfully. Not being a father.

There are five shopping days ’til Christmas

Posted by lex, on December 19, 2006

And I’m a total fricken’ wreck.

I was ahead of the shopping game for exactly two people in my life: The Biscuit wanted a replacement digital camera for the one she’d treated rather shabbily last summer, to put not too fine a point on it, all regardless of the fact that she seemed to take such great pleasure in the having of the original. That came early in the mail, and there was the school formal coming up, and it wouldn’t really have happened – the formal that is – unless it was preserved in perpetuity via the application of digital amber. So I deeded it over early, like, with stern remonstrations that this was in fact The Patriarchal Christmas Gift, and no fair thinking otherwise comes the actual. Knowing full well – as herself no doubt did too – that it was all bluff and thunder.

Happy Birthday Dad

By lex, on November 9th, 2012

From Chris(SNO)-

Today is the first day I won’t be able to wish him a “Happy Birthday” over the phone via FaceTime, or the Stone-Age method of actually calling. It’s been a very strange experience. We had the standard father-son relationship with hunting trips when we could, talked about life during down times, and of course all things aviation/Navy related. We shared stories and asked what was different and how he did this or I did that. I had hoped to take him in a helicopter for one of his birthdays or as a Christmas gift to show him what flying really is! Joking of course, I just had to give him and his jet buddies a playful jab. As I continue to learn more about what goes into being an aviator, ground jobs and working with other military branches, I find myself wanting to pick up the phone to call him for guidance or just to complain about the day and hear “how it used to be in my time”. I’ll never forget the expertise and words of wisdom he imparted on me in regards to family, friends, and work. I hope to some day be half the man he was. I would like to end with my father’s favorite quote, modified slightly, from Gladiator, “If you find yourself alone, flying in CAVU skies with the sun on your face, do not be troubled. For you are in Elysium, and you’re already dead!” Happy Birthday Old Man! *Raises a pint of Guinness and a shot of Jameson*

Shakespeare’s

By lex, on October 30th, 2012

Hey everyone!

Friday November 9th is my dad’s birthday and in honor of it my mom would like to get a group together of anyone and everyone who is in San Diego and wants to get a beer (Guinness, of course). The plan is Shakespeare’s Pub on 3701 India St.

San Diego, CA 92103 around 5:30PM and planning to stay until 7 or 8PM. We would love it if whoever can swing it can come by, although we understand not everyone lives in San Diego so we aren’t expecting much.

Also, each of us kids plans on posting a little something on the blog for his birthday so we’re hoping you guys might check that out when the time comes.

Thanks always- Kat

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05-23-20 I thought I had gotten all we could get from the Wayback Machine, but I came across a couple more. As to what the “kids” planned on posting, just as 8 years ago, wait and see 😉 

And of course the meet at Shakespeare’s was 8 years ago, not this November 9th, although maybe we should have another one in honor of Hizzoner? 

BB

Friday Musings 06_16_2006

Posted by lex, on June 16, 2006

Been a while, hadn’t it? And silence! You in the back row, about to open your mouth and say, “Rhythms!”

In due time, I promise.

–

So, Thursday was the Kat’s sixth grade graduation. I don’t know about you, gentle reader, but in my day we didn’t graduate from sixth grade – we just stopped going to that class at the end of the year and started up seventh after an interposing summer respite. But they do sixth grade graduations here in California, and it was something of a sight to see.

Hitting the range

Posted by lex, on June 3, 2006

Shotguns this time, with SNO – who has somewhere along the line become a damn fine shot, passing up his old man like he was maybe standing still.

Not that I’ve got a problem with that.

Still – time to get going. ‘Cos those clay pigeons? They aren’t going to shoot themselves, now, are they?

Back To The Index 

Happy Fadder’s Day!

By lex, on June 15th, 2008

Your correspondent has spent the last four weeks “off” in between careers, which time he has spent placing polishing touches on the World’s Longest Master’s Thesis – the higher I climb, the taller the hill – fixing the domestic irrigation system, flaunting the manifest will of Nature’s God by trying to grow grass in the coastal desert, hitting the gym from time to time in a vain effort to slow down the hands of time – they will not be stopped, far less turned back – flying the occasional airplane, penning the random bit of desultory (albeit deathless, no doubt) bloggery and generally being incautiously underfoot of the high, stern ladies of the demesne.

A Carroll “Lex” LeFon Primer

Who was Carroll LeFon?

The best description of Lex that I’ve heard is “Imagine Hemingway flew fighters…and liked people.”

Photos That Move Me

We have among us a Lexican who posts some very rare photos on our Facebook page. And a couple of days ago, he posted this.

I’ve been transfixed by the emotions that this photo captured. It is 1956, and a German father, after being in a Soviet Gulag for 10 or 11 years, is finally reunited with his daughter. She last saw him when she was a year old. The fact that he even returned is a miracle in itself. So many died in the Gulags from overwork, disease,  and starvation.