(Internet) Radio Shows

I want to take some time and plug some radio shows...

First is one that's been a longtime favorite of mine, for a lot of reasons. The host is a wonderful lady, and she's been such a supportive friend. Throw into the mix that her radio show is rarely dull, and I like to check in on her from time to time. She has a genuine over-the-airwaves show on Sundays at WDBO-580 AM in Orlando, FL on Sundays. You can also catch her here:



I've also recently been tipped off to another show. This one is called "Army Wives Talk Radio". Seems to be a great resource for military spouses out there. And I've been asked to call in (and I'm going to) for an upcoming show.




Take a look and a listen...

And if you have some other suggestions, please drop me a line.

Sad, Beautiful... Even in Death

As many of you know, I love aircraft. They're downright beautiful, and seductive in their soaring quest to fly.

And it's very sad (to me, at least) when it comes time for them to die. Some are given new lives in Aviation Museums, where they can convey the awe and imagination of flight to future generations.

However, others meet a worse though often inevitable fate. They are broken up to be melted down for recycling. Aircraft which were well cared for and lovingly maintained must wait, standing mute and patient as a large pincer comes and rips it into little pieces - never to soar again.

A photographer out has created some wonderful, artistic images, and I'd encourage you to go take a peek.

Aircraft in the boneyards...

Happy Anniversary

Today would have been our third wedding aniversary.

That's right, third.

As I often think, that's a very low number. You always hear about people celebrating their twenty-fifth, fiftieth, sixtieth, etc.

We never made it to three.

Sigh.

It just wasn't in the cards. And the strange thing is, no matter what, we would not have shared this anniverary together. Healthwise, we knew long ago that she would not be alive for this date. Had she have been, had she been in perfect health, I'd be in Iraq right now. So again, separated.

Day struck kind of hard. Every now in then, just when you think your life is "back on track" and that you're adjusting, you get jolted out of your comfortzone.

Like today.

Thank you to the two people who also remembered - the roses were pretty and so were the shared memories.

And to Ellicia... Happy Anniversary. We may not have made it to three, but we packed in more in those short years than some folks who go all the way to sixty-three.

I wrote to you on our first anniversary (and we were apart)... and it's still true and amazing to me even now... My Hero.

*

500 Years of Women in Western Art

So often, I believe, some of the great subjects in school are mis-taught. Be it Math, History, or even... Art Appreciation.

How many of us had a professor who focused on lines and light, and the technical aspects of art? Yes, these are factors which are important in great art, but it's important to truly appreciate art, as well.

And here is a video that accomplishes more than most professors ever did. Sadly.

(Now, if I can get a video that shows how Math should be taught...)

No Compassion

This article hit a bit close to home.

Thankfully, Ellicia never had to endure quite this level of indignity, though... there were some difficulties and lack of compassion going through airport security. And then, there was this incident.

I empathize for this woman and all the difficulties she's going through... and that which is yet to come.

And perhaps, just perhaps, as we continue to search for the next terrorist who might make an attack on us using aircraft... (instead of maybe checking and securing the border...) we'll show a bit of compassion and common sense.

I understand the TSA agents getting a bit jaded. I can only imagine the feeling of superiority that comes after hours and hours, day in and day out, reminding people who've passed three to four different signs, been advised in person, been pre-checked, and are probably even familiar with the multiple jokes about what you can and cannot take on an airliner... that they can't bring the liquid, the nail clippers, or the chainsaw onboard the aircraft. Yes, the flying public can no doubt be dense, incomprehensibly difficult to deal with, and several other lovely descriptions...

BUT...

That's the public, and we need to remember to step back and treat each individual as we'd want to be treated ourselves.

Sam the Bell-Hop

Now, for a break...

This is a nice tale told by Bill Malone, a magician.

Enjoy!

Thought I'd share some pictures

I wanted to share some recent pictures... some snapshots of moments in life.


Thomas working on his latest masterpiece.



Peeking out from a neighbor's play fort... Young sentry ensuring all is safe on his watch.

or

Something really neat, like maybe a squirrel!, caught his attention.






Sometimes the best part of a day is just enjoying a few minutes on a swing...

Hero Saluting Heroes

Recently, you'll recall the tragic deaths of the 9 Charleston firefighters.

They were buried a few days ago. It was a major event, as thousands upon thousands poured out to say good-bye. Fire departments from all over the world, I hear, sent representatives to give their respects.

And along the route that the hearses drove, many more lined the streets, giving a final farewell to these heroes.

Including one of mine.

Just so happens someone caught this picture...

8 Simple Rules...

ABC Family channel has recently started airing "8 Simple Rules (for Dating my Teenage Daughter)".

Wow.

I missed this show when it came around, and only caught a few episodes on AFN.

It is so refreshing. No language. No gratuitous ________. Still deals with "issues" and still presents entertaining episodes... Just fun. Don't have to worry about holding the remote in case the episode goes out of control...

And I miss John Ritter. While I could do without almost all of his efforts on "Three's Company", I find several of his later works to be entertaining. I remember hearing when he died (I was in formation at AIT) and being very sad.

It airs at 1800 - 1900 on ABC Family... go and enjoy... I record it and it is a nice respite for me.

(Followed by my guilty indulgence of "Whose Line is it Anyway?". I roll all around the floor laughing during this show. Anyone else? Who's your favorite? Ryan? Colin? Greg? Drew? Wayne? Laura Hall? Or one of the lesser featured ones? Don't know who/what I'm writing about? You are at a giant loss...)

Military Motivator

Ok, folks, friends... take a look over here at Military Motivator.

We all know those cheesy, annoying, unmotivating motivational posters hung in hallways and offices of middle managers everywhere.

Well, leave it to the military to do it differently... and arguably, better.

Enjoy.

Heroes

You've seen it on the news. 9 firefighters died in a fire in Charleston, SC. I know the store... shopped in it. Didn't buy anything, but that's beside the point.

These firefighters went INTO the building... a building on fire... a building that everyone inside was desperate to leave. They went IN. And rescued those inside. They were outside. And they went back in to make sure everyone else was out.




And then the roof collapsed.

Heroes walk amongst us, and so often, we never know their names until they're just a picture.

I urge you all... learn the name of a hero... before they become a picture. We all know Paris Hilton's name... Britney, Insert Favorite Sport Star Here, etc... Learn the name of a hero in your community... they're walking right amongst us, silently, no attention, no press... but they're there.

Father's Day

Very disappointing this year... just wasn't the same, really.

It started off nicely. M came and woke me up with several sweet "Happy Father's Day."

Afterwards, I went to take a shower, and that's where it went downhill...

While in the shower, the munchkins ate my Daddy's Day present that M had given me. And lied about it... of course, because that's one of the fundamental rules of being a kid, right?

Yesterday, it was coloring on the window sill... today, the carpet.

We left the house, and started with a few errands on the way to Daddy's Day lunch at the Waffle House. Kids tag-teaming their screaming and screaching the whole way there...

Came back, and it just continues...

Yay.

M's lying has gotten atrocious... she lies about everything and seems to beg to want to get in trouble... is fishing for negative attention when I'm eager to give her good attention.

Very frustrating day.

This gets easier, right?

Prosti-totting Our Kids

Went shopping in Wallyworld... wanted to find some new shoes for the lil' girl since she's apparently GROWN!

No luck on the shoes.

However, I saw the opportunity to replace some worn out clothes and, to my horror, came across...

Size 4/5 (Girls) Low-rider jeans! WHAT?! Listen, my little girl doesn't have anything to be low-riding anyway, but why are we doing that to our girls?

There will come a time when sexiness and such is shoved down their throat everywhere they go... can't they just be little girls for right now? They'll never get another chance...

Disgusting.

Rare, Unexpected, Opportunity

You never know what's coming next in life.

My Army career is now at four years plus. I'm in Army Aviation, and I'm trained as a helicopter repairer...

Yet, in my career thus far, I've not flown in an Army helicopter. The ones I work on don't have room for anyone but pilots. (It should be noted that I, like many others I'm sure, would have been MORE than happy to strap onto a wing pylon for a flight, but pesky Army regs... plus, the Safety brief would have taken days and I can only imagine the Risk Assessment!)

My current job incarnation has me being a driver (and pseudo-aide) to my Colonel and Command Sergeant Major (and other VIPs as designated). As such, I tend to go where they go (guess I should be nicknamed "AAFES").

Anyways, there was a large military event being hosted by a local high school. They'd invited all the branches, and the various recruiting commands were lending support. Our school had been asked to see if we could coordinate some helicopters to come by. We have no flyable equipment - it wouldn't be a good school for repairers if it all worked, right? - so we couldn't directly contribute. However, we're good Soldiers, and phone calls were made, and helicopters arranged.

Amazingly enough, all the paperwork went through, and no one nixed the plan. On Tuesday, I drove the survey team out to the location. Not a large landing area, but it'd be directly in front of the high school. The kids would love it. At the time, we thought the COL might come out, but when I asked him, he said he probably would not, as he wasn't expected to speak, and besides... he is very busy.

Wednesday, I was sick. Hospitalized briefly. Bad. Ugh. But, over it, and ok now.

Went to work on Thursday, expecting another routine day. Picked up the daily calendar and began the brief with the executive secretary. Observed that within the hour, it was listed as "Flight to Jamestown HS".

Flight?

Eh?

F-l-i-g-h-t???

See, our Colonel is retiring soon, and I guess he'd chewed it over, and decided he'd like one last flight in an Army helicopter. As it happened, we would be using the General's bird, a UH-1 "Huey" (rent any Vietnam flick, and you'll see it... it's the one all the Soldiers are leaping out of... see "We Were Soldiers"), and he'd flown it once upon a time...

So, I quickly map out the day, plan the logistics of the schedule, and quickly find myself at the airfield.

For today would be special... it'd be the Colonel's last flight in Army Aviation... and my first!

We had a pilot assigned, a crew chief, and for the passengers, it was the Colonel (in the Copilot seat up front) and the Command Sergeant Major and the Specialist in the back.

Doors open... we take off. Smooth as silk.

Beginning altitude of 500 feet, climbing to 1500. A little over 120 MPH. I'm having a BLAST.

My duty for the mission is to photograph the Colonel. As many pics as possible. I can't help but look out the window, and just enjoy it. The air as we cruise through the air, and the breeze coming from the giant ceiling fan up top... and being able to just lean out into the slipstream... The doors are open, I'm held in by all of one single seatbelt (with an amazingly minor latch)... and I'm not afraid a bit.

On the return flight, I even toyed with just dangling my feet out the door. Was an amazing rush.

And I can't thank my Command too much. It was an honor and a priviledge to go flying, and to participate in the Colonel's final flight (and wetting down).

Below are pictures of me preparing to fly (the photographer is the CSM) and our "Last Flight/First Flight" photo. Who has the bigger smile?

In the Company of...

A friend sent me a link. I went to check and was shocked. It seems to be a nice project, and... I couldn't believe I was among those pictured.

It feels so strange to be in the company of these heroes... I guess I still have problems resolving in my head where my life has taken me.

But, am honored, and proud. And when I look at that particular picture, the memories come back in a flood.

Thank you, friend.

Trying to Explain What I See

On a recent flight, I found myself staring out the window... entranced as usual, and lost in the wonder.

Suddenly, I found these words flowing into my head. As is usually true when I write, there is no rough draft, it just flows to me.

I haven't developed a title yet, but here is what came to me:

This is where I come to pray
When too oft my soul has bled;
Where Angels like to fingerpaint
And mortals fear to tread.

The Temple is so endlessly vast,
There are no walls to see -
Yet there arise many rooms,
Some as small as me.

I do not reach out to touch
The face that belongs to Him,
For the Peace I feel here is so clear,
Even as the world feels very dim.

Few tend to take the time to see
This Heavenly Temple just above;
Our lives in which we self absorb
Bereft of this endless Love.

For when we climb into the Temple
Casting off the fears from below
Is when we see through His eye
Amazing Beauty we'd ne'er know.

The Temple is where the Angels gather
And unleash their creative flow -
Brushing playfully through the sky with clouds
Or at times a lone rainbow.

Here in this place so Holy
My soul relearns to soar
Lift'd aloft on an Eagle's wing
Wounds Healed; Bleeding no more.

This is where I come to pray
When my soul yearns to cry
Of Pain! Of Joy! It's here I pray...
In these Cathedrals of the Sky.

(c) 2007


As I said, title still in works. But, this is what I see. And how I feel about flying. It's where I feel most at peace in the world.

(Comments and critique invited. Curious what y'all think. Thank you for reading.)

Happy Birthday, Ellicia

I've just returned from spending Ellicia's birthday with her. Her birthday was 02 May. She'd have been 40. We'd always hoped she'd make it to her birthday, but... it was not to be. And all things considered, (and it's hard to get to where I can say this) it's best that she didn't.

Work was nice. They gave me four days to go spend some time with her. I couldn't go down for her actual birthday, as that would have required using up some of my Leave days. I don't have that many, and there was no way around that. So, had Thursday - Sunday off. (Note: In the Army, you have to "take the weekend off", even if you don't normally work that day, because Soldiers are "always on duty". It's why taking two weeks vacation costs us 14 days and civilians only use 10. So, saving those days is a big deal.)

I scooted first up to Cleveland, hoping to meet with a good friend. Unfortunately, weather caused delays and by the time I arrived in Cleveland, it was nearly 0200. My next set of flights required I be at the airport around 0545, so sleep was minimal. Kind of a wasted stop, but it was worth the try.

Moved on to my flight to Savannah. It's the closest airport to where Ellicia is staying these days (What a view!). But, me being me, and loving flying as I do... a direct flight was out of the question. I flew from CLE -> LAX -> IAH -> SAV. Was fantastic!

The views on my way to LAX were amazing. I even saw a WN (Southwest) airlines jet pass us at 37,000 feet in the opposite direction (do the math... Plane A is travelling eastward at 525 MPH and Plane B is travelling westward at 525 MPH. How much time does Reid have to steal a glance out the window to spot the other plane? Sorry for anyone having SAT flashback nightmares.) We also overflew (naturally) the Rockies. At the altitude, they looked more like wrinkles in the Earth's carpeting.

Spent a couple of hours in LAX, enjoying the scenery. All those beautiful tails were something to see. And then, it was off to IAH. We had to hold a little bit due to some growing storms, but there was a break, and we were able to come in. Some advice for you fliers out there... anytime the pilot comes on and says it will be very bumpy and turbulent landing... listen to her. It's going to be bumpy. Just ask the business guy who didn't put his drink away... hehehe it WAS a nice suit. Anyway, it wasn't too bad, but then, I fly a lot and have been through much worse, but there were some tight, white knuckles for some people as we bumped and dropped through the storm.

Airport closed shortly after we landed. And naturally, people complained. There were solid black clouds moving through the airport area, and at some points, it was impossible to see the other terminals. A Tornado warning was in effect, and these nuts thought that the best thing to do was get into a thin aluminum tube and fly THROUGH it. No thank you... Common sense prevailed. Unfortunately, flights were greatly delayed.

Which leads me to my new experience. Something I'd never experienced before (hence the word "new", eh?)...

I've had aborted take-offs. I've had aborted landings. Even inflight emergencies (engine on fire anyone?)... but, I've never had a combination. My flight out of IAH started off normally, though about five hours late. I'm sitting at the front, and as we start rolling, I can hear all the alarms start pinging, whooping, etc. We continue accelerating and I can tell we're getting close to V1 (decision point... go/no-go). Suddenly, the pilots decide. No-go. And folks, routinely you don't get to experience the full braking power of an airliner. We shuddered to a stop. After about 45 seconds, we moved to a taxi-way. And sat. Nothing seemed immediately wrong with the plane, and the pilots just seemed to be "working the problem". What was it? The root problem was that the plane thought a door was open. It wasn't. I could see it was closed from where I was sitting. But. You have to make sure. And BE sure. Triple-checking is ok, too.
Eventually, we decided that we were going to SAV, daggummit, and the plane was fine. So we went back and tried again. I could hear the plane fussing, but we went anyway. And we did fine.
A couple of hours later, we approached SAV. Late. Very late. No biggie. As we complete our approach, I can tell it's not right. First, we stayed higher than normal for longer than normal... then the pilot dived for the glidepath. Which gave us too much speed... and so the pilot tried dumping the airspeed... which we lost too much of. We were now sinking, and going too slowly. I could feel the plane begin to "wallow" and "mush" as the landing began to fall apart. In the back of my mind, I was calculating it all through... looking out the window, thinking... "NOW would be a great time to get out of this approach, Cap'n." We sink a little more, and then... the engines spool up and we shoot out of there. Go around! So, in one flight, an aborted take-off and aborted landing. Too cool. We landed smoothly on the next attempt and all was well.

For those who fear flying, the above is a story of safety. Aborting the take-off and the landing were both examples of the pilots knowing not to push a bad situation. Knowing when to STOP and go try again. Very safe.

Went to Savannah. Drove. Nice hotel. Next day, 04 May, made my way to the cemetary.

First time back since the headstone was placed.

It's a beautiful place, really beautiful. And I tell you, it's a sobering (yet peaceful) thing to see your own name on a tombstone.

I think it's very nice, and it was good to go see Ellicia, again. I talk to her often, but... some of you may understand, and others... maybe you'll never have to. But, it was nice to be with her.

Happy Birthday, Ellicia!

Blue Skies Darkened

In Beaufort, SC, today... at an airshow I've attended many a time... the Blue Angels lost an aircraft. And more importantly, the pilot as well.

For those who fly, and especially those who perform in the business, they know that what the Blue Angels (and others, too, like the Thunderbirds) make look so easy and effortless, is in fact, a dangerous business.

What they do in their acts are no different than the skills used by the pilots in our military everyday.

And yet, accidents do happen. I suspect that whatever happened, most likely a failure in the aircraft, happened so quickly that there was little time to react and save himself, or he sacrificed himself to try to steer the crash away from a crowded area of spectators (if true, he is a hero).

Either way, today a family lost one of their own... and thousands of people who came to be awed by professionals performing feats of flying seemingly incredible were instead given a hard lesson that nothing is flawless all the time. Things go wrong, and tragedy can touch at any time.

I was shocked by this... as I spent the day at the home of the Blue Angels. Never suspecting that today, one wasn't coming home.

Rest in peace, Sir.





(Edit: There's a very moving, and wonderful tribute here.)

Looks Like Fun

Have you seen the new Kia Spectra commercial? The one where they are doing musical chairs, but with cars in a parking lot? It looks like fun. Of course, I would rather do it with a not-so-nice car, just in case someone really wants the spot we're fighting for.

So, anyone want to get together in a parking lot???

Feeling Brain Dead?

Well, my lil' mind is feeling all slushy, so... I think I'll watch a perfect movie. TVLand is showing Weekend at Bernie's.

Ok, first, let's make everyone feel old. The film is 18 years old!

Wow.

I swear I felt a grey hair pop out just typing that.

Since that movie won't require more than two brain cells (one cell holds the stick poking the other one awake)... should be good.