Although I don't believe my son ever had the intention of remaining in the Army, I do feel he struggled to blend back into the non-military environment when he got out. He's always been pretty quiet about the time he spent in the service but it wasn't hard to tell that he was easily disturbed by the lack of discipline he'd see in others. I hope your transition to civilian life hasn't been too rough.
I'd been looking at pinball machines every now & then that I'd see advertised on eBay and Craigslist. Most of the time I did it just to get an idea of what they were worth and to fantasize about getting Teresa one 'some day'. Of the two we've got, - one is electronic and the other uses relay logic. The newer one is a lot more fun because it has more targets to hit and there's more of a strategy to playing it. Playing the older machine is mainly about trying to keep the ball in play as long as you can before it goes through an exit.
There are a bunch of websites devoted to pinball machines and some of them rank them from best to worst. I've found that the better ones usually sell for more money and are a lot more entertaining than the ones ranked lower. There are also many sites that sell parts for the machines so you can keep them repaired.
I had considered getting a 'virtual' pinball machine. I still may some day. I don't know if you've ever heard of them but they are a video simulator built into cabinets that resemble an actual pinball machine. Once you've built one you can run software that simulates 100s of different pinball machines. Some are so well done that they say they're very close to the real thing. I included a few YouTube links that show what I'm talking about.
Not funny, but comical that your son notices others' lack of discipline. I can certainly relate. I made the transition OK. My first job after retiring was a military candidate recruiter placing separating junior officers and enlisted technicians into civilian companies. I loved it and it helped me stay connected...I just couldn't sit in the cubicle all day! Then I owned a franchise for 5 years, then moved closer to my aging mother and took a job with a company that did business with the military so that helped also. Since they closed and laid off, I went back to school to use up my remaining GI Bill. Then I started with Advance Auto Parts about 6 months ago. I was hired with a promise to move into a General Manager role quickly and that hasn't happened. Too much BS political crap and not enough team atmosphere for me. I've been working on another career and should know something soon. Much smaller company where I'll have free rein to grow a new division.
This thread brought back my desire to own a pinball machine. Well...not only a pinball machine, but a nice place to relax! Your basement is a really cool looking place that would be perfect to play and relax!!
I had not seen the Virtual Pinball Machines before. The side-by-side comparison video is really amazing!!! I'd love to see and play one in person. Have you heard anything about whether or not you can use a little "english" to move the ball around?? As you know, the use of "english" is very important to being a "Pinball Wizard"!!
