On a recent visit to McDonalds to feed a Big Mac craving (don’t counsel me on my food choices, my wife already did), I was surprised to see that they served “artisan” buns.  I never expected to see the words McDonalds and artisan together, it’s an oxymoron, like military intelligence, or Trump eloquence. As I … Continue reading Inconceivable

Even though my blog is named Bourbon Tales, I have never written a blog about bourbon, until now.  I have in recent years become a bourbon aficionado, or as some might say a bourbon snob. After a long military career where I lived in the north, south, east and west I settled down at Wright-Patterson … Continue reading It’s Brown

When I was in the active duty military it was not uncommon for people to say to me when I was in uniform “Thank you for your service.” I always politely responded, “You’re welcome.” I believed they were sincere and I appreciated the sentiment. Upon reflection I also thought that it’s easy to thank someone … Continue reading Thank You For Your Service

I bet that title got your attention, it got my attention too some 9 years ago when it was uttered by Major General Mark Hertling, Multi National Division-North (MND-N) Commander, at the ribbon cutting ceremony for an Iraqi operated asphalt plant on Joint Base Balad. He was referring to the counterinsurgency in Iraq and after … Continue reading It’s All About the Sex

One passes many milestones as you travel through life and raise your children to be responsible adults.  One of the most significant rites of passage is getting your driver’s license and then much later teaching your children to drive. Both can be terror-filled and exhilarating experiences…often at the same time. For myself it was a … Continue reading This is a Car Not a Canoe

I am a man of few vices. I limit them to drinking good bourbon and swearing occasionally, like when the Bengals give up the game-winning touchdown or the Reds blow a lead in the 9th inning. Okay, I suppose that means I cuss a lot. However, smoking is one vice that I have avoided for … Continue reading Thank You For Not Smoking

I began my military career some thirty years ago as missile launch officer stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base, outside of Knobnoster, Missouri, which was right next to nowhere.   Knobnoster, was a booming town of 2,709 god fearing farm community citizens, whose biggest claim to fame was being mentioned in the Television movie The Day After, … Continue reading Put the Message in the Box

What’s up with all of these psychedelic hair colors the kids are sporting nowadays? It reminds me of 80s punk rockers, but without the spikes. Maybe they forego the spikes because their hair won’t fit into selfies. After all, selfies are how teenagers make their presence known to the world. I suspect that teenagers worry … Continue reading Haircut 100 (It Takes All Kinds Merle)

We called my father a lot of names: “Stinky Bill”, “Old Red Eyes” and “Wild Bill”. But, the one that stuck for us kids was, “The Old Man.”  We used it in a rather respectful and fond way, like in the movie Big Jake where John Wayne called his dog, “Dog.” In his later years we referred to him more respectfully as “Pops” and his siblings called him Billy or … Continue reading Westy

I distinctly remember when my C-130 military transport flight landed at Camp Victory, Iraq, it was O-dark thirty but already stifling hot.  We made a combat landing, which means a steep circling descent, much like a plane crash, only with style, like Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story. When they opened the back end of the … Continue reading Self Release