>  >  CS> People of my level of tall stature (5'1" and dont
you DARE delete th
 >  >  CS> 1" as I'm proud of it!)
 > I"m only two inches taller .

Grrr.  Taller than ME?  Harumphf!

 >  >   At 17 I was 6'1" and my mother was 5'2".  I recall
once at that age I h
 >  > done something that upset her.  She was standing in front of me, looking 
 >  > wagging her finger at me saying I wasn't too big to take over her knee, a
 >  > looked down at her.  :)
 > 
 > CS> Betcha she'd have whupped ya to if you tried anything!  Moms are
 > CS> like that ;-)
 > 
 > Yep, I can bet so.  Friend of mine same thing, his mom about my height, him 
 > foot taller and a hundred pounds heavier.
 > Still, when mom said jump his response "how high?"
 

Had my guys in the Navy all whupped to proper, that I did *grin*.  Heard one
of'em one once intro'in a new fellow to the shop.  (She's the SENIORCHIEF and
she's really sweet but like Grnadma, if you $!{at}#$! up she;'s gonna whup your
ass).

 > CS> Works for me.  I gained a fine eye for what would fit.  I could
 > CS> gauge a backpack, a pull cart, or the bicycle baskets to a T
 > CS> eventually.
 > 
 > I am big on backpacks, leave both my hands free.

I was.  same reason.  Now the back takes best to a pull cart but the skills
of loading work even today.

 > Funny story about backpacks and shopping.  My ex wife (also
 > blind) and I used to do our biweekly shopping at a grocery
 > store about 10 blocks from our place in Des MOines.  We'd
 > each carry backpacks, and hoof it to and from.

Yup!  Nice walk and about the right distance.

 > When I'd buy grodceries I'd always have an eye to which
 > backpack got what, partially to load hers a little lighter.
 > I"d kick the bagger off the end of the checkout lane and
 > insist that I'd pack the backpacks, so that I didn't get
 > loaves of bread crushed under canned goods, etc.

Same here, we had to load Charlotte's with only the light stuff. She was too
young to leave at home alone but able to carry the bulky light weight cerral
boxes and crackers while Don and i did the heavy stuff.  It was a bit longer
than 10 blocks (2.5 miles each way so a 5 mile trek) but this was post 9/111
in Sasebo and it lasted that there were no cabs onbase until 2005.  The cab
stop was 1.5 miles from the commisary.  Hardly worth it.

 > Finally one old black guy who had worked at that store for
 > years observed me enough and got to the point where I'd let
 > him load the backpacks.  HE used to bring new guys over to
 > watch me do it though, as he said I was good training for
 > them to know how they should load regular paper grocery bags even.


Sasebo folks were good at that with minimal direction, but then, it was
common to need it.  Packers learned fast that a well packed backpack got a 1$
tip for 3 mins work (grin).
                xxcarol
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