Finality in a Resting Place

This past weekend me, my Mom, my brother Eric and sis-in-law Barbara went to the cemetery to see my Dad's grave marker. He and Mom are on there. They have some great neighbors - lots of friends from church, both living and deceased, have purchased their places in the quiet area. It was kind of strange - I didn't feel Dad's presence there at all. Dad is still around us when we need him. Allie the sweet dog was interested too - I bet she still misses Dad too. We all do.

Happy Birthday Dad

We miss you, so much.

Introducing...THE Video

I asked my son-in-law Brett if he could take an old Texas Parks and Wildlife video of the Battleship Texas restoration and distill it to something that I could post on this blog.

I need to proclaim publicly, I am so proud of that lad for the work he did on this video!!!

Brett (aka Big Blue's Driver) took 27 minutes of content and reduced it to 10 minutes, maximizing my dad's input while leaving the perfect amount of background information to give you a concise history of this magnificent vessel. It left me wanting for more information on BB35, and of course, it gave me a few moments to love my dad again as if he were in the room with me.

Thanks, Brett.

Enjoy the video here.

It's fun to watch my dad as he dialogues with his best Scottish accent. See if you can find these lines, and if you knew what he meant:
"free communication to the sea" = she was leaking!
"immensely labor intensive" = it took a really long time
"cut through right round" = they removed the WHOLE thing
"the yard's naval architect" = my humble dad
"jealous of the drydock" = I didn't want them to screw up my drydock!"
"I often get shot down" = I'm smarter than them, but they try and argue with me anyway

Waiting for the Video...

Just so you’ll know that this Battleship project isn’t done, I sent Brett a video that the Texas Parks and Wildlife department made on the project and he is going to edit it for publication here. No pressure Brett, but we’re all waiting…

Did you know that the Texas is noteworthy for being one of only two remaining ships to have served in both World War I and World War II?

Here's a little insight on the restoration. While dad worked on her (the ship), yard workers sand-blasted paint from not only the hull but also the superstructure of the ship and replaced many tons of rusted metal from the hull. Inside the ship, welders and fabricators replaced weakened structural beams and numerous rusted-out deck plates. Topside, workers removed the cement from the main deck and replaced it with wooden beams and a new pine deck. A new complement of anti-aircraft guns was also installed. In total, more than 375,000 pounds (170,000 kg) of steel (amounting to approximately 40 percent of the ship's hull) was replaced. My dad oversaw all of that. Btw – I remember my dad telling me that on the day that they moved her from her slip in San Jacinto to the dry dock at Todd where she would be revitalized; they only had so much time to get from point A to point B. They had to get her to Todd while the tide was still right. You see, she was taking on water during the whole trip while her bilges were doing all they could to keep her afloat. She couldn’t float any higher, she could only stay even or sink lower during the trip. It was a long trip for the old ship (56 miles) and when she reached Todd, her hull had to have enough clearance to get over the lip of the dry dock. If the dry dock was as low as it could go, and the ship was steadily sinking due to water infiltration, and the tide went low enough, she wouldn’t make it over the edge. She would arrive at her destination and simply and slowly sink to the bottom of the ship channel while the lip of the dry dock stretched further and further away. Dad had to figure all that out. Not only that, but who would guarantee that the old gal would hold up to the mechanical stresses induced on her failing frame during the long trip? What a disaster that would have been – what do you do with a sunken battleship blocking your shipping commerce lane?

As you would guess, things didn’t go smoothly – the ship was stuck to the bottom of her berth in the mud and they couldn’t free her. Think of it like a giant mud suction cup around your boot. They struggled for hours and hours before they finally got her free, and when they finally got her to Todd, she cleared the dry dock by only inches. My dad had a successful but very stressful day…

Dad's Real Life Model Project: The Battleship TEXAS

My father spent much of the latter part of his career restoring this ship. It was old, rusty, and quite literally, sinking. Dad was the Chief Naval Architect (i.e, ship engineer) working on this project for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. They had limited funding to restore this ship or it was going to be relegated to scrap iron. Here's the scoop:

Built between 1912 and 1915, the Battleship TEXAS was launched May 12, 1912. The ship itself is 573 feet in overall length and weighs over 35,000 tons. It is not only the single surviving dreadnaught-type battleship in existence but the only one to have served in both World Wars and is a world-class destination for military history enthusiasts. Over 90 years of exposure and age made it necessary to consider permanently removing the ship from the corrosive conditions of the Houston Ship Channel.

The next several posts will be a compilation of history - both personal and Texas related - concerning the ship and the man that brought her back to life. With a little arm twisting, my brother and some of my Dad's grandchildren will also be contributing.

So, lean back, pull up the anchor, and make way for some memories that are worth narrating as they are part of our Texas history and one more part of the legacy that my father created.

Father's Day

In honor of all Fathers both here and departed, happy Father's Day. We love and miss you Edwin.

Two Months Ago Today

Time is a weird thing - sometimes it is fleeting, flowing like water through our fingers as we try to clasp it with our hands. Other times it is cursed as we impatiently wait for it to pass. I can't believe it has been two months since my Dad passed away. Sometimes, I feel like it was forever ago as I remember funeral images and hospice images...those painful experiences we push to places that we don't want to recollect. Other times, it seems like yesterday. That, I am sure, is because my Dad is helping me.

It's been about 10 years since I have regularly attended church. I was unable to find one like Queen of Angels after we left Dickinson many years ago. One of the pallbearers at my Dad's funeral was the son of a close friend from my Dickinson church days. Dave told me about a church he loved, and...it's right here in Corpus Christi, Texas!! How did I miss that? I went to the church and fell in love with it. I have found a place where my soul finds it's refreshment and nourishment...and it's because of the ties my Dad had. Remember the choir entry? Well, this church has a CHOIR. A huge organ to accompany them as they sing Latin, Gregorian Chant, modern pieces in 6 parts, polyphonic pieces...it is, as my Dad would say, "A Whacking Good Choir". Auditions are in August. God willing, I will become a member and attend the practices, singing with joy (kleenex in pockets!).

Another thing... in the past, I would often express my lack of self confidence in what I was doing, where I was going, all those kinds of questions a daughter asks her Dad. Generally rhetorical in nature, we don't expect much as a response. But my Dad's response never changed, never wavered. "Do the best you can with what you've got." Period. I would saunter away, head low, wondering if I was destined to always wonder about this. Fast forward --- my employer's annual evaluation was a few weeks ago. Suffice to say, it was glowing. I am on the literally on the right track. After spending so much time to get this terminal degree, working hard, working long hours, doing the best I can with what I've got....it was so reaffirming to hear the accolades, to read the glowing summative evaluation, to know I am living my purpose and making a difference – all by doing the best I can with what I’ve got.

A lot of personal issues that have seemed so looming in the past now seem so much more manageable. I have learned so many lessons from my Dad both in life and as a result of his death. I can't enumerate all of them yet...it is too fresh. But,hopefully, you will continue to check back and read the legacy, the story that my father left as precious memories and life altering changes occur in his family. There are more --- so many more.

Continuing to do the best I can with what I've got - and knowing I have an extra hand to help me along the way.