Leaving Lummus Lummus was a great place to start a career and learn as much as possible as quickly as possible. It was a good time to be working in the oil and gas industry since the previous downturn was just ending and the inevitable upturn was well underway. I had the opportunity to workContinue reading “Disenchantment Sets In”
Tag Archives: Long-Story-Short
Moving the Family to Germany – 1976
Germany – Process Design Manager It was 1976 and the oil and gas industry was expanding, especially overseas. The Lummus Company was extremely busy and had numerous international projects underway. One was a major refinery expansion in Germany at the Erdol Refinerie Neustadt. I was chosen as the lead process engineer for this project andContinue reading “Moving the Family to Germany – 1976”
Hal’s View of the Problem: Solar Power
WARNING – The following is a dispassionate discussion of the practical limitations of alternative energy without any influence from feelings or wishful thinking. There is a finite limit to the amount of energy input. Solar radiation at the earth’s surface is limited to a certain quantity of energy per unit area. On a cloudless sunnyContinue reading “Hal’s View of the Problem: Solar Power”
So Long Annie……
It was a sad day at the Johnston House. Today our beloved Annie Girl went over the Rainbow Bridge. It was my hope that my dad, Hal, was waiting for her as she crossed. She had a rough couple of weeks and we could see that she was going to continue to struggle. She wouldContinue reading “So Long Annie……”
Civilian Contractor – Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Aircraft civilian contractor Lockheed had an assembly line in Edison, New Jersey where they manufactured a special type of electrical meter and various specialty parts for microwave communications. But they also had a separate machine shop as part of their “skunkworks” that designed and built prototypes of top secret classified military projects. I wasContinue reading “Civilian Contractor – Lockheed Martin”
Vietnam War and the Draft Board
When I graduated from high school in 1962 and began my first full-time job as a tool and die apprenticeship there was no draft for the armed services. It was a strictly volunteer army. US soldiers were present in Vietnam for several years but ostensibly only as advisors. The Green Berets were advising the SouthContinue reading “Vietnam War and the Draft Board”
Annie Spends a Night in Jail
Annie is an American Dingo, sometimes called a Carolina Dog, living with me on my sailboat in North Carolina. The Carolina Dog isn’t a domesticated breed but rather a wild pariah breed that runs free from the Savannah River basin in Georgia to the lower regions of coastal South Carolina, half dog, half wolf, halfContinue reading “Annie Spends a Night in Jail”
College Interest – How It Started
The Model Steam Engine My Grandfather built two model steam engines which I inherited from my Dad. When I was a pre-teen these engines were a source of endless fascination for me. One is a two-cylinder vertical engine for a model boat he built and the other is a stationary one-cylinder single action horizontal engine.Continue reading “College Interest – How It Started”
The Family Story….or so it goes…
Family tree – Link to the Gunardson Family Tree in Ancestry.com The Gunardson branch of the family has been and continues to be a relatively small and ever dwindling group. For several reasons, a lot of the family history is shrouded in mystery. My Grandfather, Charles Johan Gunardson (1879-1940), passed away before I was bornContinue reading “The Family Story….or so it goes…”
Seoul, Korea: May 18-19, 1991
May 19, 1991 … Tens of thousands of protesters poured into streets in cities across South Korea again today Mr. K.S. Kim, VP KIG, sat in on part of the presentation. During the break, we were introduced and Mr. Kim invited me to go to lunch with CK Kim and himself. Lunchtime arrived and we met in K.S. Kim’sContinue reading “Seoul, Korea: May 18-19, 1991”
Long Story Short: A Collection of Stories by Hal Gunardson 