i have been collecting the “Laws” from Murphy’s Law Desk Calendars for a long time.

As noted several times, this practice of collecting them began in early 1980 somewhere in the Western Pacific. I was the current operations officer of Commander, Amphibious Squadron FIVE.

I had reported aboard when the flag ship, USS Tripoli (LPH 10) was on her last day of a liberty port visit in Hobart, Tasmania in November.

Each morning, the commodore held a message meeting in the staff wardroom immediately after the morning mess. The Commodore sat at the head of the table, the Chief of Staff sat immediately to his right, the Operations Officer, my boss, sat immediately to the left of the commodore. The rest of the staff officers sat piecemeal at the big wardroom table. The Commodore would ask for updates, including radio messages that had been receive after the previous day’s meeing, beginning with the Operations Officer and working around the table to the Chief of Staff. Then, the Commodore would give direction for the staff for the day, week, and long range.

i quickly became friends with Will Walls, the intelligence officer; Bruce Brunn, the marine combat cargo officer; Mike Peck, the air control advisor who was Temporary Assigned Duty (TAD) from the Tactical Air Control Squadron for the Pacific Fleet; and Pete Toennies, the TAD UDT officer, from the SEALS in Coronado. Three of us realized that everybody like to be noticed and heard at these “message meetings.” We deduced that being at the end of the line, every would have covered anything important and a whole bunch of stuff that wasn’t important, we would not have to say anything.

i received my first Murphy’s Law Desk Calendar for a Christmas gift. It arrived during our Christmas liberty port of Hong Kong. The gift came from my absolutely wonderful Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Pipey Orr. i loved it.

Shortly after we got underway from Hong Kong, i thought it would be interesting to read that day’s Murphy’s Law to the staff when it came my time at the message meetings. Everybody liked the first one and i continued reading them at every staff message meeting until i was detached in August 1981.

Shortly after i received the gift, i began to cut the “law” from the calendar page and taping it to the inside and outside of my annual daily planner. i continued to do this until i retired in 1989.

Every chance i got, i thanked my aunt and uncle for the gift they continued to give me every Christmas. My Uncle Pipey died when he was 76. Aunt Evelyn continued to give me my gift. When Parkinson’s disease rendered her unable, her daughter Nancy Schwarze, who became Aunt Evelyn’s primary care giver picked up the practice.

i was elated. Then, Then Nancy began to have medical problems. i was much more distressed by her condition as Nancy was more like an older sister than a cousin. i reluctantly began to order them for myself and several other friends and family, wrapping them in newpaper and various colors of cloth tape. i always signed them as “Santa,” including the one i wrapped for myself.

After about five years of that, they discontinued making the calendars. i was sad but had my old planners with the laws taped on them. i began to post them on this website under the category “Murphy’s Laws.” i have 1607 laws on my word document. i have 1,607 laws on that list. Many are repeats. i’ve posted about 380 thus far.

i plan to post one a day from here on out. i know i will never get them all posted, but considering the repeats, i will have done pretty well.

i hope you enjoy them. Every time i post one, i think of those three dear people who started this. It makes my day.

Pardo’s Second Postulate:
Don’t care if you’re rich or not, as long as you can live comfortably and have everything you want.