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Mid-South ride, eat, and meet

I would like some good BBQ. I went to a place called Texas Roadhouse a while back, it was ok. I suspect it was cooked elsewhere and "touched up" at the restaurant- not positive.
Looks like the eatin' is good where you are. :)
OM
 
Memphis, The Capital of Eating

Several places call themselves the BBQ capital of America. Memphis is one of them. I've got plans to do some more local BBQ joints. The famous Rendevous in downtown Memphis. Corky's, one of my favorites. Several of the Neely family restaurants. And a couple of really out of the way places no one has heard of, but have great BBQ. Some time in the future I'll also do Gus's Fried Chicken, a local favorite. Got a couple of catfish restaurants on the list. I have to be carefull, if I want to maintain my cute little boyish figure. :thumb
 
Yep, everything I read points to Memphis for BBQ and good food in general. Looking forward to those stops- from afar :eat
OM
 
Chrome plating operation.

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A couple of summers between college, I ran a complex plating operation on the other side of this wall with the windows. Worked a 12 hour shift. Hot and nasty.
 
Sad Empty Plant

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Getting ahead of myself. My Dad was working down in Mississippi about a 70/80 mile round trip. He wasn't going to move down there. He had been by the plant a couple of times and talked to them about working there. They were going to put him on night shift. Dad wouldn't do that, he coon hunted most nights. Dad told me that the place was in bad shape and was having all kinds of production problems. He said they really need to hire me on days. I can help them. It was so bad, die's and other tooling would break and production shifts sent home. I went done to the factory with him one day and they finally hired him on days. About a month after he started, he was made the manager of the tool and die dept. . He revamped the whole dept and got it straightened out. Got the the pay up for the die makers and new equipment. They became the highest paid tool and die dept in east Ar. Got The chance to work for my Dad here in the tool & die and was a great experience for the both of us. Got to learn a lot of the complexity of metal working here. Did this work for about 25 years. This plant unionized back in the early 80's. The Company closed the plant and moved to Mexico. I felt sorry for the production people who needed higher pay. I took my skills as a machinist and tool and die and moved on to other shops.
 
I was plant manager for a plating operation for 7 years. There is nothing fun about that type of work other than the finished product!

I was young and stupid; but I grew up working. Worked in several factories. Press operator, janitor, assembly, several metal stamping operations, Moble home factory. Went to work there in Newport, Ark. Crossed the White River on a ferry at Oil Trough, Ar. every day to and from work. Started at $1.30/hr. They figured I would last probably one week Got a raise every week I worked there, a nickle or dime. Was their 3 months and they were going to make me lead man. I think I was up to about $3.50/hr. My crew built the floors. It was hard work. I was 6'2" and about 130 lbs. Hot and nasty. The next day after the lead man offer I was headed back to college. 1972. Back in the late 60's I hauled hay, built and fixed cattle fence's, picked canaloupes, endless other farm work. Walked and drove all the old gravel country roads, was a happy go lucky little red neck with out a care in the world. I lived in shack houses and my goal was to get a new girlfriend ever week and a better car. A cold beer and a left handed smoke was the hilite of my day. Right now I'm laughing out loud and shaking my head about them days up the the Ozarks of Arkansas. Sorry, just got carried away. More stories on this later.
 
We have even more in common. I started as a shear operator for $2/hr. Moved up to brake then punch press. After a few years was asst supervisor then moved on for a short spell in a tool and die shop then to Piper Aircraft as a sheet metal mechanic. A few years there then came back as the Materials Manager and eventually Plant Manager. Then took the position at the plating shop. After my run there got burned out on dealing with people problems so transitioned to IT. Been doing that for the last 20 years
 
Funny how things work out. The progression of life and work. I look back and can't believe all the twists turns I've had. The old saying, one door closes and another door opens. Here's to Ya my friend.
 
A couple of other things about the tool&adie shop at LooseLeaf. My Dad set it up so all the die's and tooling was done in house. When a new die was to be built my Dad would bid on it against outside tool&die shops. He always got the job for us in house. That meant all the guys got to build die's in house. This was a great moral builder for the shop. We built all the components and did all the heat treating. It was an exciting time in my life. Taking raw metal and processing it into into all the individual pieces, doing all our own heat treating, hardness testing, assembling the components on the die sets, putting them into the presses and getting good parts. These dies were very complex. The thumb levers were a 7 step progressive die. Neat to do the whole job to a finished die that made good parts. Funny, I can't remember the proper name of those thumb levers. Those and the arches are the parts I nickle, chrome, plated. I guess it's the on set of old timers disease.:scratch
 
Yes, I enjoyed mastering the skills of tool & die and machining. One thing I don't miss is the noise of the factory environment. Nothing like the sound of 20 or 30 metal stamping presses operating at speed. Also, the the sound/noise of a 100 assembly machines and numourous forklifts operating. LooseLeaf was pretty loud. But, I worked in a tool & die that was much louder. The factory had presses that were 2/3 stories high. The products were railroad related. Some people worked their 30 plus years. I couldn't take it. I lasted a couple of years and moved on. I much preferred the stand alone shop away from the factory. Much better and quieter.
 
'Eat My Leaves'

Just got my ON's and saw the add from the Arkansas Parks and Tourism. Most likely the first time Arkansas has ever been advertized in the MOA. If the weather cooperates it'll be a a great time to ride in Arkansas and attend the the RA National. I've been a resident for 55 of my 62 years. I've live in Newark, Bryant, Hot Springs, Batesville, Jonesboro, And Marion. So, I've lived in the Ouchita's, Ozarks, Crowley's Ridge, And the Delta. I'm a charter member of the Naturally Beemers, all 27 years. 1988 being the first year. I hope the math is correct. Hopefully their will be some fall color to see. The Naturally Beemer's have had fall campouts all over the state. For most years there has been two small independent rallys that I have attended many times. The Wilderness Rally on the Buffalo River near Harriet, Ar. in the Spring and the Hot Springs Ramble in Hot Springs National Park, Gulpha George. Both area's are great riding area's. The Nat. Beemers have 2 tours they casually sponser. The County Seat Tour and the 6 Corners Tour of Arkansas. Arkansas has 75 counties and 85 county seats. You have to remember we have special math in Arkansas. Completed that tour in 1990. Actually I just happened to be the member to finish this tour first. Took me a little over a year to do the tour. I believe it took about 8 different rides for me to complete it. The six corner tour, I did on one trip, and included attending the old Hillbilly Beemer Rally on the Big Elk River in Southwest Mo. This was one hot ride, over 100 degrees for the first 3 days of the ride. All i did at the rally was lay in the river and cool off. I belive that ride was about '93 and I was probably the 5th member to complete it. So I've rode all over the state on numorous rides and for the most of it, it was absolutly great riding.
 
Little Riding Trophies

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I was proud to get these little awards from those rides. Almost felt a little like I was almost a Iron Butt rider, kinda sorta; well not really. :wave That was a time I was doing some good runs and rides. Lots of rallies and bike events. I had earned my motorcycle stripes.
 
Coffee in a Roundel Cup

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Coffee taste's better in a porcelain cup with the Roundel.:drink
BMW dealers:
Detroit, Engle, Atlanta, Iron Horse, Bob's, Mischler's, Pandora's, Southeast Mich.
BMW Clubs
BMWRAMS and BMW Riders of Ms.
I need some new cups, time to hit the road.
 
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