Thread for photos that 100% do not violate any Terms Of Service, not political, not too lewd, no gas price pics etc.

Number_35 said:
I had no idea ... but most of us face hard stuff at some point. I hope he's doing well. I'm sure you and Sue have been excellent parents to him.
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Thanks you Number_35. We try but think we fail miserably sometimes.

My wife and I call his understanding of things being like swiss cheese. Holes in it everywhere. He masters some things but is clueless on others. Being born blind and never having vision makes it hard to explain things to him. Clouds for example. Strange as it sounds clouds are one of the things I wish he could see most. And water being clear? What's "clear". You can "see through it" is not a fully understandable answer to him. Black skin, brown skin, white skin - what the heck are you talking about?! Think about it.

He's 35 and just last year I took him to the races for the first time ever. The Laguna Seca IndyCar race. He had the time of his life. What was I thinking not taking him to something Sue and I have enjoyed together for almost 50 years. But, when have you ever seen a blind person at the races? Whatever the rationale, this was most certainly a case of "Bad Dad".

Travis is the happiest, friendliest person I've ever met. But as Sue and I age we start to worry about him when we're no longer around.

A pic of him out wine tasting with me, and one with Romain Grosjean at Laguna Seca last year. He'll be there again this September. He wouldn't miss it for the world.

Scott

Edit - Somebody posted a link to an NBC news story about him. We're really proud of him.



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slo town said:
Thanks you Number_35. We try but think we fail miserably sometimes.

My wife and I call his understanding of things being like swiss cheese. He masters some things but is clueless on others. Being born blind and never having vision makes it hard to explain things to him. Clouds for example. Strange as it sounds clouds are one of the things I wish he could see most. And water being clear? What's "clear". You can "see through it" is not a fully understandable answer to him. Black skin, brown skin, white skin - what the heck are you talking about?! Think about it.

He's 35 and just last year I took him to the races for the first time ever. The Laguna Seca IndyCar race. He had the time of his life. What was I thinking not taking him to sometime Sue and I have enjoyed together for almost 50 years. But, when have you ever seen a blind person at the races? Whatever the rationale, this was most certainly a case of "Bad Dad".

Travis is the happiest, friendliest person I've ever met. But as Sue and I age we start to worry about him when we're no longer around.

A pic of him out wine tasting with me, and one with Romain Grosjean at Laguna Seca last year. He'll be there again this September. He wouldn't miss it for the world.

Scott

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Travis looks like a very fine young man. It's easy to beat ourselves up as parents for the things we've missed or done wrong, but it looks like you've done a lot right!
 
slo town said:
Thanks you Number_35. We try but think we fail miserably sometimes.

My wife and I call his understanding of things being like swiss cheese. He masters some things but is clueless on others. Being born blind and never having vision makes it hard to explain things to him. Clouds for example. Strange as it sounds clouds are one of the things I wish he could see most. And water being clear? What's "clear". You can "see through it" is not a fully understandable answer to him. Black skin, brown skin, white skin - what the heck are you talking about?! Think about it.

He's 35 and just last year I took him to the races for the first time ever. The Laguna Seca IndyCar race. He had the time of his life. What was I thinking not taking him to sometime Sue and I have enjoyed together for almost 50 years. But, when have you ever seen a blind person at the races? Whatever the rationale, this was most certainly a case of "Bad Dad".

Travis is the happiest, friendliest person I've ever met. But as Sue and I age we start to worry about him when we're no longer around.

A pic of him out wine tasting with me, and one with Romain Grosjean at Laguna Seca last year. He'll be there again this September. He wouldn't miss it for the world.

Scott

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Sounds like you guys have already done a tremendous job with him. Does he have anybody beyond yourselves to aide him? And does he really need the help?
 
OVERKILL said:
Sounds like you guys have already done a tremendous job with him. Does he have anybody beyond yourselves to aide him? And does he really need the help?
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We appreciate that. He has an older brother in a dangerous occupation. And we are a small family, I'm an only child. But you have to put your faith in the goodness of humanity. Travis brings out the best in people. He is gifted in that respect.

You gave me a thumbs up prior to me posting a video link about him. Check it out. You'll see what I mean. He got this job on merit, although we had to fight for it. Home Depot has treated him very well, something I will always be grateful for. He's been there going on 6 years and has literally never taken a single sick day until he got Covid two weeks ago. He LOVES his job! He was chomping at the bit to go back.

Scott
 
slo town said:
We appreciate that. He has an older brother in a dangerous occupation. And we are a small family, I'm an only child. But you have to put your faith in the goodness of humanity. Travis brings out the best in people. He is gifted in that respect.

You gave me a thumbs up prior to me posting a video link about him. Check it out. You'll see what I mean. He got this job on merit, although we had to fight for it. Home Depot has treated him very well, something I will always be grateful for. He's been there going on 6 years and has literally never taken a single sick day until he got Covid two weeks ago. He LOVES his job! He was chomping at the bit to go back.

Scott
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Great video! I see Sue makes a cameo! His memory is a clear gift and his ability to determine dates of events is quite uncanny!

Glad to hear that this job has been a success for him. I think as a parent, that's a relief, that our children find success, no matter where that may be.
 
slo town said:
Thanks you Number_35. We try but think we fail miserably sometimes.

My wife and I call his understanding of things being like swiss cheese. Holes in it everywhere. He masters some things but is clueless on others. Being born blind and never having vision makes it hard to explain things to him. Clouds for example. Strange as it sounds clouds are one of the things I wish he could see most. And water being clear? What's "clear". You can "see through it" is not a fully understandable answer to him. Black skin, brown skin, white skin - what the heck are you talking about?! Think about it.

He's 35 and just last year I took him to the races for the first time ever. The Laguna Seca IndyCar race. He had the time of his life. What was I thinking not taking him to sometime Sue and I have enjoyed together for almost 50 years. But, when have you ever seen a blind person at the races? Whatever the rationale, this was most certainly a case of "Bad Dad".

Travis is the happiest, friendliest person I've ever met. But as Sue and I age we start to worry about him when we're no longer around.

A pic of him out wine tasting with me, and one with Romain Grosjean at Laguna Seca last year. He'll be there again this September. He wouldn't miss it for the world.

Scott

Edit - A link to an NBC news story about him. We're really proud of him.



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Just watched the video - WOW! Travis is amazing! And now I've got something in my eye ...

There's an interesting book called "The Brain That Changes Itself", by Dr Norman Doige, about brain plasticity. Inferring from what I remember from the book from quite a few years ago, it looks like that part of the Travis's brain that would normally be used for vision has been used instead to create an exceptional memory.

Just excellent - thanks so much for sharing with us.
 
Number_35 said:
Just watched the video - WOW! Travis is amazing! And now I've got something in my eye ...

There's an interesting book called "The Brain That Changes Itself", by Dr Norman Doige, about brain plasticity. Inferring from what I remember from the book from quite a few years ago, it looks like that part of the Travis's brain that would normally be used for vision has been used instead to create an exceptional memory.

Just excellent - thanks so much for sharing with us.
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Thank you, Number_35. It is true that the brain adapts to the situation. At the risk of sounding like I'm full of BS, Travis can tell you what he had for dinner every day going back to the his very first memory - about age 7 or 8. My niece is in a profession where she's kept a handwritten calendar for the last 25 years. We've tested him with her calendars. He never fails to be 100% accurate. One time she asked him what the weather was like during one week something like 20 years ago. Travis said, "Oh, don't you remember?! It rained like crazy the entire week!". Karen opened up her calendar to that time period and had the entire week crossed off with "RAIN!!!!" - in capital letters.

Sometimes it's kind of freaky how incredible his memory is. There is a name for this - a person remembering every day of their life. The woman actor in the old television sitcom Taxi is one of them. There are only a couple hundred people known to have this ability and Travis seems to be one of them. We've thought about connecting him to the medical organization that coordinates these studies, but we never do because he's been examined enough in his lifetime already.

Scott

Edit: Marilu Henner. It's called hyperthymesia.
 
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slo town said:
Thank you, Number_35. It is true that the brain adapts to the situation. At the risk of sounding like I'm full of BS, Travis can tell you what he had for dinner every day going back to the his very first memory - about age 7 or 8. My niece is in a profession where she's kept a handwritten calendar for the last 25 years. We've tested him with her calendars. He never fails to be 100% accurate. One time she asked him what the weather was like during one week something like 20 years ago. Travis said, "Oh, don't you remember?! It rained like crazy the entire week!". Karen opened up her calendar to that time period and had the entire week crossed off with "RAIN!!!!" - in capital letters.

Sometimes it's kind of freaky how incredible his memory is. There is a name for this - a person remembering every day of their life. The woman actor in the old television sitcom Taxi is one of them. There are only a couple hundred people known to have this ability and Travis seems to be one of them. We've thought about connecting him to the medical organization that coordinates these studies, but we never do because he's been examined enough in his lifetime already.

Scott

Edit: Marilu Henner. It's called hyperthymesia.
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My memory is considered excellent, but I'm a minor-leaguer compared to Travis.

If you get a chance, read the book I mentioned - it is fascinating.
 
Picture of the engine in a 1991 Taurus SHO. I had one of these. A 3 liter cast iron Ford "Vulcan" block with Yamaha designed aluminum DOHC heads and two stage induction system. Long runners were for low end torque and the vacuum operated short runners were for high RPM power and opened at 3,800 RPM. Their opening was not subtle and felt like the secondaries opening on a big 4 BBL carb. 7,000 RPM redline, which was high for the era. And the mechanical sound of the valve train was enough to give me chills. A sweet, sweet motor!

This was one of my favorite cars or all time. I put a boatload of suspension improvements on it, including Baer brakes and forged 17 inch Fittipaldi wheels, which seemed absolutely massive at the time.

Scott

SHO motor.webp
 
slo town said:
Picture of the engine in a 1991 Taurus SHO. I had one of these. A 3 liter cast iron Ford "Vulcan" block with Yamaha designed aluminum DOHC heads and two stage induction system. Long runners were for low end torque and the vacuum operated short runners were for high RPM power and opened at 3,800 RPM. Their opening was not subtle and felt like the secondaries opening on a big 4 BBL carb. 7,000 RPM redline, which was high for the era. And the mechanical sound of the valve train was enough to give me chills. A sweet, sweet motor!

This was one of my favorite cars or all time. I put a boatload of suspension improvements on it, including Baer brakes and forged 17 inch Fittipaldi wheels, which seemed absolutely massive at the time.

Scott

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Dad had one when I was a kid. Fast car for the time. Now he has a 2016 SHO. Not quite the same thing. Lol.
 
A good pilot friend of mine restores vintage airplanes. This is a 1940's era Aeronca Champion he just completed. He bought it in pieces and stripped it down to the bare birdcage fuselage and started the restoration from scratch. He redid all the exterior fabric, interior, engine, flight controls, metalworking, paint, everything. Everything about the airplane literally looks brand new. He is a fully certified A&P mechanic with mind blowing skills. His work is absolutely FLAWLESS. He is one of the most talented, creative, and resourceful people I've ever met. He can fix ANYTHING!

This picture is taken at his home in the remote foothills of California. He has his own dirt landing strip and hanger. The picture looks like something out of an aircraft lifestyle magazine from 60 years ago. He and his wife fly all over the region, meeting others for lunch at some remote airstrip.

Scott

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slo town said:
Thanks you Number_35. We try but think we fail miserably sometimes.

My wife and I call his understanding of things being like swiss cheese. Holes in it everywhere. He masters some things but is clueless on others. Being born blind and never having vision makes it hard to explain things to him. Clouds for example. Strange as it sounds clouds are one of the things I wish he could see most. And water being clear? What's "clear". You can "see through it" is not a fully understandable answer to him. Black skin, brown skin, white skin - what the heck are you talking about?! Think about it.

He's 35 and just last year I took him to the races for the first time ever. The Laguna Seca IndyCar race. He had the time of his life. What was I thinking not taking him to something Sue and I have enjoyed together for almost 50 years. But, when have you ever seen a blind person at the races? Whatever the rationale, this was most certainly a case of "Bad Dad".

Travis is the happiest, friendliest person I've ever met. But as Sue and I age we start to worry about him when we're no longer around.

A pic of him out wine tasting with me, and one with Romain Grosjean at Laguna Seca last year. He'll be there again this September. He wouldn't miss it for the world.

Scott

Edit - Somebody posted a link to an NBC news story about him. We're really proud of him.



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Scott(SLO Town) that is remarkable. I watched and thoroughly enjoyed the video. Seeing his remarkable abilities to me reminds me of a movie where a girl had a major disability. She was quoted as saying “I hope I can give others with disabilities hope, and even give hope for the desperate and impoverished”.


I am truly amazed at what your son has accomplished. God bless you and your wife and Travis 😍😍😍👍🇺🇸
 
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