h marc lewis

Six Random Things

2008-08-21
Six random things you didn't know about me:

• I've climbed Ayers Rock (now called Uluru) in the Australian outback on a rainy day with a German backpacker. We were the only two humans on top, where the rain left huge shallow pools of water and the Galahs, Major Mitchell Cocatoos, and the various colorful Finches where having a splash-fest. That was in 1977, nowadays it's considered disrespectful to climb it. Also, it only rains there about 2 days per year.
• There are two (new) guns in my safe that I've never shot. I've shot far more guns that I didn't own, than that I did own. The US Army considers me an expert with the 4.2" mortar, the 45cal pistol, and the 9mm sub-machine gun.
• I have a private pilot's license, though I haven't flown since the mid 80's. I owned a 1954 Cessna 170B (a flat-six tail-dragger) for a couple years, which I then sold to a guy from Alaska.
• When in the military I drilled and filled cavities, and pulled some teeth, as part of my Special Forces paramedic training. I also sewed up a Colonel's head whose entire scalp was sliced to the skull due to flying through the front window of the car he was crashing. 60+ stitches, as I recall. Big fun!
• I saw a Jimi Hendricks concert live in L.A. about 1969. The tickets were about $20 I think. He was wearing yellow bell-bottoms with a scarf tied around one thigh. Jimi reportedly learned about the wah-wah pedal from my favorite musician, Frank Zappa, two of whose concerts I also saw live.
• At age 14 I built my first motorcycle (a scooter, actually) out of wood, bicycle parts, and a one-cylinder gas engine. I rode it about 300 feet before the belt started slipping too much, and I realized it was a piece of crap. My grandfather had the foresight to snap a B&W photo of it. I then turned my attention to motorcycles, specifically the 55cc Yamaguchi and the 50cc Tohatsu.

The Rules!

These friends of mine are now "it":