Ready - Aim - FIRE

Dear Society,

I'm trying to figure out why so many men spit in the toilet before they take a leak. I see it more often when standing at urinals, but I still hear it from across the privacy walls while "dropping some friends off at the pool." I was taking a leak this evening at the men's room in the BWI International Terminal, upper level (Conference room B) and an older gentleman walked up to the urinal next to me, gently spit at the urinal, and proceeded to empty his bladder. This certainly is not the first time that I've witnessed the "Spit n Piss" maneuver, but it does continue to baffle me. If most men are like me, Daddy taught us how to stand up and pee. I don't know about other guys, but my father never instructed me to either hack up a wad of lung spooge, or expel all standing mouth moisture immediately before opening up the fire hose. I say fire hose, only because there are some men out there who have been blessed/cursed with such an appendage. In observing this technique, I can only assume that the "Spitters" were told to do that in order to give themselves something to aim at? More on this topic below.

Another thing that really confuses me is how some men refuse to lift the seat when the piss. What in the hell is that matter with these toilet terrorists? I say terrorist, because this is an act of terror. How does it feel when you are in a hurry to sit down and send your lunch off to the recycle plant, and you have to stop and either clean the seat, gasket it, or squat over it....all while doing everything you can to hold the pressure of last night's burrito from puncturing through the thin walls of the Brown River Dam?!?! It's a nightmare! How hard is it for a guy to wad up some toilet paper and lift the seat, or even lift it up with your footwear? Who taught these toilet terrorists to disrespect their fellow poopers in this manner?

Aim.....allow me to touch on that important subject for a moment. Regardless of what direction you may be holding your man pipe, sometimes, the water shoots off in an unexpected direction. This can not be controlled. It can only be corrected immediately after the initial spritz. Women tend to complain about men's inability to, "Get it in the rim." To the women of the world, I say, regardless of how perfect a man's aim is...sometimes, his just going to hit that rim, or points beyond it. Just be patient and teach him to clean up after himself. Remember another important rule....men don't learn shit quickly.

OK, back to the "Spitters." While I was in San Diego this weekend, I was facing the urinal at Qualcomm Stadium and noticed a little fly picture that the owners of the toilets had placed strategically in the urinals. I've also seen mini targets in the urinals at the Seattle Tacoma airport. This is ingenious. Not only is it exciting to try and aim your spray at something, but it also benefits the next users as long as the previous users decided they want to aim there too. Again....no man can aim perfectly 100% of the time, but this should increase the overall cleanliness of the pissers. The crazy reality is still, some men still spit at the little bugs or targets before they pee! I'm opening this up to the world. Somebody....please tell me why it's a habit to "spit n piss?"

Yours Truly,
Confused Crapper

Touchdown Chargers!!!!!

This blog is being sent from the Continental Airlines President's Club in Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Sheri and I took a quick hop out to San Diego for a Chargers Football game this weekend. The team was playing the Ravens, and I bought a nice Chargers T shirt with my M & T bank Baltimore Ravens Check Card.....I found that kind of amusing. Anyhoo, the game was awesome! The Chargers and the Ravens are both "so-so" this year....therefore, it was a good match and an exciting game. We couldn't have picked a better game to attend. My "Great Uncle, Dr. Richard Gilbert" was honored by the Chargers for his 33 years of service as the team's foot doctor. He's been with the team longer than anyone else in the organization. Right before the game, his family had been brought out onto the field and much to his surprise, he was honored by his team and surrounded by his loved ones....all while standing around the 50 yard line. Though Sheri, my father and I were not immediate family and therefore, stayed in our seats to watch the surprise take place, it was still really nice to be there. After the family came back from the field and the game began, we were invited up into the sky box and spent the rest of the game eating, drinking and enjoying the game as a family...all on the Charger's Tab. Can't beat that!

Now, I'm trying to figure out which flight I'll be on to get home. Though I'm flying full fare, my flight is overbooked. Who knows what is in my very near future? Based on my possible off spacing, I'm hoping Andrew will be able to work for me tonight. I have to thank my father for the club access, this is certainly the way to travel. I laughed at him years ago for what I thought was a silly waste of money on club access. Little did I realize how nice it is compared to the usually gate areas. The man is on to something! Free Wi-Fi...Comfortable Seating...Food...Drinks....CLEAN TOILETS....this place is a traveler's oasis.

Something my father said to me this weekend shocked me in a way, just because of who it was coming from. "You can't take it with you." I know it, have known it and believe that I do live my life in a way that reflects that I know it. The shocker...was that my father recognized it and has starting living like he knows it. God Bless you Dad....I'm so glad to see it.

The clock is ticking, it's time to head towards my gate and learn the fate of my post Thanksgiving weekend travel plans.

By the way, Row 12 on the CO 737-800 does not recline.

Thanks be to Gobble

Another Thanksgiving has rolled around. To those of you who left me voice mail messages on the night of Thanksgiving, I appreciate the calls and wish a happy Thanksgiving to you too (Bill and Rob.) This year, the holiday came with little fanfare. Work had my attention and time consumed right up to hours before and hours right after the holiday. I did manage to have Thanksgiving itself off, however I was in bed and sleeping by 2000L in order to be awake so I could be right back here at the airport by 0200L. This year involved a slightly uncomfortable dinner at the in law's. The food was great, as was a delicious green been casserole that I made, but there was a few moments of discomfort between my wife and her family that caused me to raise an eyebrow or two.

Details will remain private. I will say that it's a damn shame when family members can't find it in their hearts to show real love. Night's like tonight really make me appreciate the love, care and concern that I grew up with from my immediate, extended families and friends. So many times I look back and I see that life was definitely not easy for me. I always seemed to have to learn the hard way, take the longer paths to success and climb up from the low points that I often found myself in. That being said....well...I'm just glad I had people in my life to show me that they loved me. The love they showed may not have fixed my mistakes, nor did it make my accomplishments come any easier....but it sure as hell was great to feel like I was cared for and appreciated along the journey.

Earlier today, I was trying to think of reasons to give "thanks." At the end of the day, literally, I know exactly what it is that I am giving "thanks" for this year. God Bless and Thank you, to all of my loved ones who showed me they care. To those who have left this life and those who are still with me....Thank You. I love you all and appreciate every bit of care you have shown me in this lifetime.

As I was driving to work tonight, I saw a shooting star. I'm not the most superstitious person in the world, yet, I still wish upon shooting stars. My wish tonight, was for others to experience the love and care that I've been blessed with in my life. On that note, my 757 just called in range so I need to roll. Thanks be to god.

Temporary Grounding

The assault that I've been putting on my body from work lately has finally taken it's toll. Though don't feel sick in the sense that I can't move or that I have a killer cold, I am feeling under the weather. I was planning on taking up N4601D for relaxing flight this afternoon, instead, I'm grounding myself and taking some cold medication.

I've had a bunch of people talk to me lately about how much I've been working and how I need to ease the pace a little bit and take some time off before I burn out. I guess it's one of those things in life where you have to learn a lesson over and over and over and over again until you finally get smart and remember it. As much as I may bitch now and then, I do LOVE what I do for a living and because I love it so much, I think I just throw myself into it without thinking often enough about taking a break once in a while. Maybe it's my work ethic, my love for aviation, my appreciation for the ability to play with big jets....or my own insanity....or all the above....I just don't seem to WANT to pull myself away from the airport long enough to relax. So, this will be my last day off until Thanksgiving...not much of a break, but hopefully enough to sustain me until my next break. See....I'm already set up for my next lesson unlearned.

Sheri and I have been looking at new health insurance plans over the past few days. Her new job does not offer coverage, so we need to get her some insurance. I must say, I'm quite surprised at how inexpensive insurance can be for someone young and in good health. All you hear about on the news is how the entire country is about to crumble to it's knees because NOBODY can afford health insurance. Well, I'm pretty sure there are a lot of people out there who are healthy enough and probably earn enough to afford it. Obviously, it's not something any of us WANT to pay for, but it's not really as crippling as some in the media and political arena are screaming about. One thing I love about this country is that you have a choice. I do hope we can maintain that choice and not be forced into a govt run program, brought to us from the creators of the IRS, DHS and TSA, where we will simply have to pay more tax and get mediocre service in return. My opinion (to my liberal friends...it's my opinion and I have a right to share it) is that I would hate to see a nation's health care managed by the same government that allows only 3 ounces of liquid in a clear 1 quart plastic bag beyond a metal detector that can't handle shoes....and still doesn't make anybody any safer. I can't even begin to imagine all the silly rules a US government run health care system would put in place.

The drugs are kicking in now...my head is starting to cloud up. Maybe in a few days, I'll be able to clear up my symptoms and get my ass back up in the sky.

All I can say is....Thank God Al Gore invented the Internet....otherwise, I wouldn't be able to share my random thoughts with anyone who feels like reading them.

Last random thought:

If Al Gore was smart enough to invent the Internet, how is it he can complain all day about the problems with the environment....yet he can't come up with a real....economical....wide scale solution? Give that man a Nobel Prize!

I vote for Methane Fuel!

Ginger Ale Party

I was working a World Airways DC10 Freighter a little over a week ago and while handling this flight, I came across a concept that I'd never heard of before. The Flight Engineer, having nothing more to bitch about in life, spent 5 minutes on a pure venomous tirade about having too many Ginger Ale cans the cooler and not enough diet Coke cans. Personally, I too am a bigger fan of Diet Coke, however I can't say that I've gone into a rage regarding different cans of soft drinks in relation to their quantity within a cooler. He also bitched about the fact that catering put the bag of ice in a catering cart instead of dumping it into the cooler, but it seemed that the Ginger Ale was the larger source of frustration. During the rant about cans of spicy ale, he remarked about how it looked as though he was catered for a "Ginger Ale Party." Then, he took about 10 cans out and gave them too me and told me to "do something with these," maybe go "Have a Ginger Ale Party."

I have travelled the world countless times as a crew member and not once have I ever encountered a "Ginger Ale Party." Could this just be a World Airways thing? What does a "Ginger Ale Party" look like? Is it a wild event where cans are shaken, then popped open and sprayed at each other? Is it more sophisticated? Do you have a small group sitting around and discussing the variances in taste between Schweppes, Seagram's, Canada Dry, etc...? Does a "Ginger Ale Party" have people yelling Surprise!, or popping out of aluminum cans? Do you light candles at a "Ginger Ale Party?" Maybe a "Ginger Ale Party" is actually a political party? I vote NO on artificial flavors!!! Well, the rest of the universe may never know the secret to having a "Ginger Ale Party," but at least I've learned something new and for the record....I like Schweppes.

Sheri and I took a cross country flight from Smoketown Airport over to Bridgeport, Connecticut this week. We took N5331G...my new favorite airplane. God, I love flying that thing. We departed at about 1130L and arrived right on schedule at exactly 1300L. I love the fact that I can make it to CT in 1+30. Unfortunately, we got a late start because I worked until 3AM that morning. Thank you ATA for another fine example on how to operate with ZERO common sense. While en route, we flew up to the "Broadway VOR" and then I had my flight planned to pass by the busy New York airspace by going to "Sparta VOR, then CARMEL VOR" then down into Bridgeport. For the Non-Aviation readers....that would go North....East....then South down to my destination. While approaching "Broadway," New York approach asked if I wanted "Bridgeport Direct?" This would save about 6-10 mins of flying....and also take me right through the Final approach path for Newak and then past the Hudson where I would cross the departure area for LaGuardia. Being as though I am always up for a new challenge in aviation...I said, "31G will take Direct Bridgeport." What an adventure! I flew through Jumbo Jet Soup. It was incredible and I would love to be able to do that again sometime soon. Once we arrived, I picked up my grandfather for a short flight around Bridgeport and Milford....then we ate a quick bite with my mother and grandfather at the airport, followed by a flash dump and departure back to PA. Days are shorter this time of year and I don't have too much night flying under my belt, so I didn't feel like taking on that challenge with a passenger on board. I would have loved to get clearance into the New York airspace again, but there was also a thick haze...so I took the longer quieter route instead. Still busy...but not as bad. If it wasn't so damn expensive, I would be doing this all the time!

Now, I'm at BWI, working another 20+ hour day....and in my downtime....day dreaming about cross country flying and ginger ale parties.

85 years and appreciative

Last weekend, I went up to Connecticut to celebrate my grandfather's 85th birthday. My mother threw him a party and had a relative make a video which had pictures of his life. Here is a guy who is in the twilight of his life and I looked at his face while he was watching this video...and all I saw was gratitude and appreciation for his life. It was so beautiful to see. Life hasn't been easy, nor has it been too difficult for him...but that reality didn't seem to matter in what made up the smile on his face. The powerful emotion that showed in the way he smiled, teared and took over his breathing was pure love. It wasn't the love a man feels for a woman or his children....it was the love that man has for life itself.

I just hope that I too can have that emotion at his age. I've got it at 30 and appreciate all that I have and all that I've done....I just hope I don't make the mistake of taking it for granted over time.

I've been flying again lately. After my dream come true flight last month with my grandfather, I decided to fly a much nicer aircraft. Life is short and I want to be able to comfortably and confidently make cross countries up to Connecticut so that I may continue to share my passion with my grandfather. Life is short...I might as well make the most of it while I can. So...I've stepped away from the old but graceful N4601D and stepped into the 21st century by taking the controls of N5331G. I had no idea how much I would love flying a Cessna 172SP...until I got the chance to fly it. It's like a totally different aircraft. Everything from the leather seats to the avionics makes this plane just an absolute joy to fly. Today, I flew Sheri down to Summit, Delaware for a Touch n Go....and I enjoyed every second of being at the controls. I just can't stress enough how great the SP is!

Speaking of Sheri, she is no longer in car sales. I'm very proud of her. She tried it, sold 5 cars in under 3 full weeks in a universe that she was unfamiliar with and left because she the hours totally sucked....not because she couldn't do the job. She just accepted a position as a Massage Therapist (pending a background check) and will be working at something she trained hard for years ago. God bless....you have to respect the ability to walk away from what brings you down and walk towards your dreams.

Even better....she's currently en route to Richmond Int'l Airport in Virginia. She'll be staying overnight tonight to work 2 flights for me in the morning. Not only is it helpful to Elite Operations, but it's a great opportunity to keep doing what she hasn't done in life. And I....have an all grey cat laying on my arm as I type.

Back to work for me tonight. 2300L arrival from RMS and 0100L ferry back to JFK. My schedule is a nightmare in November. This is not me complaining...I love the work! I'm simply just stating the fact that the schedule is insane. So...I'm out for now....duty calls.

I now pronouce you, happy and whole

Last night, Sheri and I made the trip up to Liberty State Park's, Liberty House Restaurant for a small and beautiful wedding of a very dear friend of mine. Craig Ingram got married at 5:33 PM to his loving bride Amy. With about 30 people attending and using Lower Manhattan as a backdrop. No matter where you looked, you couldn't help but enjoy the views. Both the Restaurant, and the property it was on, were nothing short of beautiful. The ceremony was short, sweet and to the point, which I like. Though Craig did fill up a full page, single spaced with his vows, they were delivered in typical Craig fashion, and if you know him, you'll know what I'm talking about. Without going through too many details of their past, both the bride and groom went through bad marriage where their hearts and trusts were broken by selfish, cold and empty individuals. Coincidence or not, on August 15, 2005, neither Craig nor Amy new each other, yet on that same day, Craig discovered his wife was with another man, and Amy packed her car and left her bad marriage behind. I don't want to sound cheesy, but if you know them, they are each other's heavenly gift. Craig has been a very successful functional man....but he's been empty since I met him. Now, you can tell.....he's very much a happy and whole man.

On a much lighter note, I also got to enjoy spending some time with my dear friend Robert who has an amazing ability to teach me how to achieve almost divine clarity, while still being able to act like an 8th grade boy. I miss being able to spend more time with him. I don't remember the last time I smelled such horrible gas....no wait....It was with him and Chris on the Jersey Turnpike over 3 years ago. My God....his ass can produce a foul stench. Driving home, Sheri and I caught a whiff of Sewer and damn if his gas didn't match it perfectly. God Bless you my friend. I love you, even if you do walk out of the men's room while I'm taking a dump and leave me talking to strangers.

Sheri and I went to Florida for a few days last week. We had a freaking blast. Not only did we squeeze in The Kennedy Space center (Which is much more interesting as an adult), but we also managed to enjoy Epcot center. On the way to the Space Center, we went through what I would call a "Bug Storm." I have never seen bugs splatter across a windshield so fast. Epcot was great, there is a ride at Epcot that is NOT for the faint of heart. The Mission to Mars ride will leave you wobbly. I thought Sheri was going to puke. They even had "Starship" in concert. Awesome! We also took a drive through Celebration, Florida again...that place is just totally perfect. Not bad for two full days. While we were there, we even jumped into some Go-Carts and had a blast as we went up and down some multi-level tracks. One track even had a sign about eye protection upon request. We laughed at it...until we finished our race and had tiny pieces of rubber all over our faces, hair and clothes. I would go back and run that track again in a heartbeat! The only thing that really sucked about this trip was, the Ball at Epcot was under renovation. I don't know why, but that really bothers me. I always did enjoy that ride.

Work isn't too bad this month. I've even had time to take care of our lawn. Free time is kind of neat.

And finally.....Sheri's Car Sales Statistics 12 Days as a full time sales person with 5 Sales. Not too bad. You go Girl!

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America

I called my sister to let her know that our old high school had come to play some patriotic songs for some arriving troops off a flight that I was working yesterday. Leave it to North American to run off schedule one way or another.....The flight arrived an hour and a half early. So....without knowing it, The Arundel High School Marching Band was playing the Star Spangled Banner to the arriving passengers from British Airways. Hey...God Bless America and welcome. Because my sister is a very left wing liberal, the concept of anything pro American pride ends up directly in her cross hairs. Though we did not dive into a massive debate on the subject, she did make a comment that struck me and left a bizarre expression on my face.

"The Pledge of Allegiance is brain washing."

At what point did teaching children pride in their country become dangerous brain washing. Kids in many schools across the country still recite the Pledge every morning. I fully support this because national pride is obviously very healthy for a nation. I don't care if you are a proud citizen of Kuwait, a proud citizen of Norway or god forbid, a proud citizen of the USA....the point is, national pride is a GOOD THING. Along with learning how to wipe one's ass, or how to fold paper bags around a school book to protect it, national pride is something that is learned and therefore must be taught.

It was Adolf Hitler who proved overwhelmingly that low national pride and a little brain washing propaganda can create a very dangerous situation. He took that lack of pride and gave the people something to be proud of....A killing machine that destroyed all of Europe and didn't intend on stopping until he could take over the freaking planet.

So many pseudo liberal intellectuals love to believe that we as a world have come so far, that war is silly, unrealistic and should not exist. They really scare the shit out of me. The message is flawed. There may be millions of people and dozens of countries who are anti war....and that's Freaking GREAT. However, there are still and will always be aggressive assholes (Currently...Iran is on this list) who are dangerous, ready to pick fights and kill for their own insane causes. The world has always been this way and will continue to be like this as long as Human Beings run the show. Rather than letting emotions guide my views on where the world is going....I'll keep my feet on the ground and my head based in reality....History is a better teacher than what feels good mentally. Teaching the message that "national pride is bad, war is unrealistic, we've come so far as a whole" is down right dangerous and irresponsible.

But hey, who am I? I don't love this president, I do believe the war in Iraq was planned poorly from the start and I too crave strong leadership. Does that make me sound like a card carrying Republican as if that is a bad thing in itself and a crime against humanity? I'm not in the military, nor do I like the idea of personally owning a gun, however I support the second amendment. Does that make me a Moderate? Who gives a shit. I love this country and if the time ever came for which it IS possible, that this country came under attack and the daily lives that we all take for granted changes to that of a war zone style lifestyle....I just hope there are enough of us brain washed fools who stand up and fight for our freedom regardless of political affiliation and remember why we said that pledge in the first place.

Totally off subject: I went flying (an wonderful freedom that does not exist in all nations) the other day and thoroughly enjoyed myself. The temperatures were perfect, skies clear and smooth. This time, I figured I would head up to Reading, then back down over Lancaster, over to York....do a few turns over Sheri's head at the dealership and went back to Lancaster. Ahh....So nice.

God Bless America....Damn It!

Peaches and Herb

I know that I'm not a big fan of the musical stylings of Peaches and Herb, however, I do recognize that they are found on Satellite Radio, not FM. Another rant against the FM dial after "the break." I've been driving the loaner Nissan Pathfinder that the dealership gave me. The Pathfinder is a GREAT vehicle! Anyone in the market for a good size (not oversized) SUV, should definitely take a look at it. Not the point though....the point is....the Pathfinder does not have Satellite radio and therefore, I've been tuning into commercials. Awful! I don't understand how so many citizens haven't complained about the content that is broadcasted day and night on the public airwaves. How many songs does a station play in an hour? 4? Maybe 5??? As an Innocent victims of "Free FM," how can you, the American Public, sit by and soak up hours of commercials without complaint? I give credit to those who drive long commutes to/from work each day and in fact, listen to the headache fuel that comes across the FM dial.

There is a big battle taking place on Capital Hill about Sirius and XM's proposed merger. The National Association of Broadcasters (Free FM crowd) call this merger a Monopoly and are threatened by it. The NAB is HUGE and FM has billions more listeners then Sirius or XM. Yet...they lobby to kill the merger. If this merger is killed, that will mean the strong possibility that XM will fold and if Sirius can't pick up and move forward....they too could see the same conclusion. Is it me, or is the NAB actually lobbying to allow their own monopoly, only to kill the competition (and better content), all while screaming that Satellite is bad for competition and bad for business?

If the merger does not go through, and both Satellite providers end up folding, those of us who have seen the light and enjoy the fruit from the Satellite Vine will suffer. One of my first blogs ever had to do with the FCC. As I read news reports about the NAB's opinion and weight they carry, and some comments that come from industry insiders, I'm reminded of how much disdain an distrust I have for the FCC and Congressional leadership as they, "Watch out for us." If I could, I would lock every Senator and Representative in their respective chambers and pump FM radio 24/7 for a week. Maybe then, the Sirius/XM merger would be granted permission to close the deal and music can be enjoyed by those who enjoy music without the fast talking disclosures of car commercials.

Speaking of cars...Sheri has sold 2 already.... A 2008 Nissan Versa and a 2007 Nissan Maxima. I love it! Not only has been been happy about selling cars, but she said something to me that I wasn't sure I would ever hear from her. She said, as she was punching out the other day, "I'm actually looking forward to coming back to work the next day." For her to say that....well...let's just say that I'm really impressed and very happy for her.

Anne Gilmore died a few days ago. She was my buddy on the overnight shift at ASIG. I remember cleaning Tower Air 747's with her 10 years ago. She complained about ASIG and her job for years. You could always count on her to complain, but....she was always entertaining with her opinion. No matter how much she did complain, she was always there for me to help out when I needed an extra hand too. Anne...You will be missed and as much as your bosses hate to admit it you were right too. "This place has gone downhill;" "It ain't like it used to be;" "People just don't pitch in like they used to;" "They need to do something, this is ridiculous!"

God Bless you Anne. As I sit here with a little box that holds all your belongings from work and is marked with your name....I'm reminded of how glad I was that you past through my life. It's been a pleasure knowing you.

Feeling the buzz

Today, I was off. It was so nice to be off on a weekday...all day. I can't remember the last time that my schedule was so empty on a weekday. Sheri started at the dealership full time today. In honor of this rare free time, I spent much of the day doing some random things.

I took my Honda to the Nissan Dealership for some work and an oil change. It's so nice to have a discount at a dealership. Speaking of the dealership, while I was there, I spoke with Dennis, the service manager. He's been extremely helpful. He pointed out my Nissan engine (which is still in hundreds of pieces on the floor) has a cracked engine block. Thank God for my warranty. Nissan is paying to have a BRAND NEW, right out of the factory, Engine. You just can't beat that. My opinion of Nissan his warming up, based on these recent events. The Honda had it's rotors turned, an oil change and a new left side CV boot installed. I can't thank Dennis enough for his kindness and communication. As it turns out, the old manager left the dealership and it has been Dennis who's been my biggest advocate. Greg was a nice guy...but really showed that he couldn't give two shits about me as a customer, nor did he care to really dig into how severe my engine troubles were. While at the dealership today, Sheri seemed like she was more comfortable than the last time I saw her. I witnessed her wheeling and dealing on behalf of her potential client....trying to get a deal on the table and get it closed. Good Job Honey! I always feel so guilty spending time on the showroom floor as I know this is a new job for her....but it's still a showroom floor and it's a cool place to be.

After leaving the dealership with my Honda back in smooth running condition, I came back home and worked on uploading and editing some of my video from flying this weekend. I'm not very strong at being creative and working with Multi-Media software. So, I drank 2 beers. The beer didn't do shit for my creativity, but I'm feeling marvelous. Wow...I'm such a light weight...eh...who cares....Life is good and my wife will be home soon. Hopefully, she'll have sold her first car and I'll help her celebrate by drinking a third beer. You know what they say.....Good things come in Threes!

Flying is just like riding a bike

As mentioned previously, I had been looking forward to flying with my grandfather yesterday. The weather was absolutely perfect, the winds were relatively calm and my grandfather arrived only a few minutes late, meaning....I was able to achieve another goal in my life. This one, without a doubt was rewarding in ways that I don't think I can even fully comprehend right now. Saturday afternoon at around 1500L, Stan Newman and I took to the skies in a Cessna 172. It has been 26 years since he had held the controls of an aircraft. He's up there in age now and by the way he took to flying, you would never know it. After we stopped for gas at Smoketown (S37), we took off to the west and I asked him to take the controls. He latched on to the yoke and flew that airplane like he'd only been out of the cockpit for a few months. Everything from his commentary, the the smile on his face, showed that he was truly very happy. For me, this has brought meaning and emotions that are both selfish and selfless rewarding. Was it everything I wanted it to be? No...it ended too soon. Other than that...My God....it was a GREAT DAY and I'm so blessed for being able to experience such an event. Things like this remind me just how wonderful life can be....and how hard it is to make moments like this happen. I've always wanted to be a pilot....to be a pilot and fly with the guy that got you hooked on flying.....well that is just more of a blessing.


My mother was not able to fly with me. This was unfortunate. She was feeling quite ill, and as much as I gave her a hard time for getting in the plane and making it as far as a short taxi to the middle of the airfield, I'm still proud of her for trying. I personally, do not jump into small planes if I'm feeling under the weather, so I can relate completely. Her husband Joe...he went up and had a kick ass time. We did 3 touch n goes before returning the airplane and calling it a day. Sheri did a nice job while riding with my grandfather and I, she had a camera and a video camera...so if I can figure out how to upload it....I will.

Now, It's back to work for me. I'm currently sitting in the ASIG Trailer (The Pride of the Aviation Industry.) I've got a North American flight arriving in less than a half hour and it will quick turn and head down to Norfolk. Speaking of North American....had a minor issue pop up on the Scheduled Service front. It's funny....an airline that runs like they do all over the world in ways that can make you scratch your head.....and they'll complain about matters that are small in comparison. Oh well....as long as they are my customer....I'm going to bend over backwards to watch out for their interests. That and...sometimes they entertain me....so I still love them.

Before I run...I'll update on the Nissan saga. The Corporate Nissan Tech guy looked at my car. The call was checked and now my car is up on a lift with the engine in 5 billion pieces scattered across the shop floor. As it turns out, the Spoiler, Side Mirror Motor, nor the rear seat cup holders had nothing to do with all the overheating and pinging. It turns out, the head or the head gasket had a small crack. Which ever it was, the crack was so small it couldn't be seen. The Head is being sent to a shop to be machined and pressure checked. The oil pan was dropped in the process and that is where the found all the coolant. Hmmm...Coolant in an oil pan.....Do you think there might be more of a serious problem? OK, I'll stop bashing them now...they finally tore into the engine and are going to fix the problem. Now that Sheri is a dealer there (She starts full time tomorrow,) I'll probably end up having them fix the damn thing up and then I'll just sell it...only to replace it with something else that I can hopefully trust. It's funny...after all this...and practically a new engine....I feel like I still can't trust the car.

The aircraft is on a desent in to BWI....No in-range call. Nice.

Eyes Open

The final numbers are in, I was awake 30 hours and out of that 30 hours, I worked 24 of them. During that 24 hour period, I covered 7 flights and managed to supply reps for HOP, NKX, RIV and YHZ. This definitely ranks up there with one of my busiest days. Special thanks to my wife, my mother and Andrew for talking to me on my long ride home last night. It was one of those drives where, If I wasn't talking to someone...I was falling asleep quickly.

Today, I've got only 2 flights....seems so quiet in comparison. ATA and North American are coming in from Germany within an hour of each other and will both be turning and ferry out within the same time frame. Normally, I would look at that and think, hmmm...I'll be running around a lot for this. After yesterday, I feel like I could cover this in my sleep. Well....barring unforeseen circumstances of course.

This weekend, I finally spent my BestBuy birthday gift card and used it on an iPod dock. This morning, I hooked up my new dock to the stereo that pumps music into every room in my house. So far today, I've worked, showered, worked some more, ate breakfast, worked even more have enjoyed listening to a great variety of music without commercials. Ahhh...I love it! Between Satellite Radio and the iPod, I just don't understand why anyone tunes into the FM dial for music anymore.

The Nissan is still at the dealership. As it turns out, they gave me a 12 month/12,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty on the car when I bought it. Thank GOD! It looks like it's the head or the head gasket. Because Nissan remains thick headed and blind to reality, they took out my water pump yesterday to see if that was the problem. Nope....that wasn't it. What comes next? This is the funny part. They are sending in a Corporate Nissan Inspector to check on my car. Why? Just take the damn head off and look at the gasket or the head itself. They are wasting so much more time and money that they are responsible for on things that just are not the problem. At this point, I expect the Nissan inspector guy to recommend they swap out the lug nuts on the rear passenger side wheel to see if that has anything to do with why the car is still overheating. Maybe I just don't understand the process. Maybe I'm too narrow minded to see the big picture and some form of abstract reality that dictates checking everything that likely isn't the problem, before you look at what is without a doubt, most likely the real problem. Oh well....I may not have the car to drive, but at least I'm entertained by the whole thing. Did I mention my Honda just past 200,100 miles and still runs like a champ? All I can say is, thank god I didn't trade in my Honda for the $1000 they offered me.

Time to get back to work. I hope the weather holds up so I can fly tomorrow morning. I want to fly another round of Touch n Goes before I take my family up this weekend.

Horizontal Sleep....A Distant Dream

To say that I'm having a long day is an understatement. By the time I even get a chance to rest my head against a pillow, I'll have been awake for over 30 hours and working for over 24 of them. This is one of those days that I dread. Flights come and go every 2-3 hours and therefore, I can't even make it to a hotel for rest. If I had the energy and was completely insane, I would be covering 11 flights in this 30 hour period, however I decided to slow down and not kill myself with work. Instead...I'm working 7 and they are all back to back. Some ATA, some North American, most....late. My day will end at 1345L, (might delay even further at this point) Once this long day is over, my week get's much more gentle and I'll even be able to fly on Thursday, provided the weather is ok.

Brian from ASIG Operations is working the midnight shift tonight and he brought his dogs to work with him. Toby and Baily are 10 year old golden retrievers. They are very calm, very sweet and it's a pleasure to have them around. As I type, Toby is past out cold in the middle of the floor and Baily is standing next to me just waiting for my hand to reach over and pet him. What is sick is....I'm envious of Toby the dog.....I wish I could be comfortably sleeping on the floor. The floor just doesn't do it for me.

I got a call from Tom at ATA, who holds my old position. He was in dire need of a rep in Halifax this weekend. I've moved heaven and earth to try and find someone for it....no luck so far. Anybody want to cover ATA in YHZ?

If this schedule stays as heavy as it's been long term....I'm going to sell my house for a major loss, move to a trailer and be able to sleep more. The basic theme of this email is, "I'm tired"...could you tell?

OK....back to the car I go, I'm going to push my luck and try to nap for a few minutes before my ATA crew shows up.

T Minus 7 and Counting

By this time next week, (weather permitting) I should be doing a "Walk Around" at LNS on N4601D, the Cessna 172 that I fly, in preparation for a very important flight. For years, I have dreamed about being able to take my Grandfather flying. It was he, who got me hooked on aviation as a very little boy. He used to be a pilot and would take me up when I was 4-5 years old. We would fly from Bridgeport over to Block Island and all around the Long Island Sound area. Those memories have lived comfortably in my mind for a long time. When I was a 15 year old kid, I had a flight lesson where I took my grandfather up. It meant a lot to me, but I just don't think I was old enough or mature enough to recognize how special it is to be able to do such a thing. That, and I was simply a kid who wasn't even close to comprehending what it meant to actually work for and achieve a pilot's license. Now, I'm an adult, who moved mountains in my life to achieve a goal and make a dream come true.

Next Saturday, I'll be able to share that dream with the man who introduced me to flying 25 years ago. Once again, it's he and I at the controls...This time....I'm in the pilot's seat. There is no way to even quantify the effect that people have in your life when you are a child. I'm just so grateful to have Stan Newman as my Grandfather. The man is now into his 80's and though he is no longer flying....he still gets around in style. (See Photo) Next week, I hope to be able to add another nice picture to my flying photo's collection.

Not only will I be able to share this wonderful weekend when my Grandfather, but for the first time in my lifetime, I'm going to have my mother join me for a flight. Now that I think about it, the last time I was on an airplane with my mother, it was USAir from Baltimore to Daytona Beach and that was 19 years ago. She's never flown with me as a student pilot either. For now, it looks as though her husband, my new Stepfather, will also be joining us and I'm very excited to welcome him aboard too. So, as long as God cooperates, this weekend stands to be extremely rewarding for me. Not only will I be able to fulfill a dream, but I'll also be treating everyone to Bruster's Ice Cream, because that's just a damn nice treat after flying.

Maxed and Relaxed

Sheri and I went on a trip to Puerto Rico last week for a little rest and relaxation. I'll admit it right here and now, in front of the universe. I LOVE SPA TREATMENTS! Our spa bill came out to be just 38 cents less than the national debt of the US and Iraq combined. Hey...it was worth it though. The place we stayed at was huge and very nice. The week before our trip, Bob was on vacation and Andrew was working for me elsewhere in the world, so I pretty much has all North American, ATA and Miami Air.....during the latest round of AEF rotations and the start up of North American's Baltimore to Lagos Service. So...by the time our trip came around, I was in dire need for vacation. Not once did I check my email while we were away. Sure, I came back to over 375 new email's, but it was worth it to just be able to disconnect.

Hours prior to the trip, Sheri called her boss to give her the news. She was resigning and had accepted a position at none other than.....the Nissan Dealership where we bought our car. She's a new sales person there and will be starting full time on October 1. I'm so proud of her. She was so miserable at her job and she finally decided to grab life by the balls and change it. She did the right thing and gave 3 weeks notice....and turned in her written notice when she got home which turned out to be 2 full weeks. Each day at the dental office since then seems to have shown her more and more that she's made the right choice in leaving. I'll say it again....I'm proud of her. As for the Nissan...I'm sure I'll comment further on that story when I know what happens. Everything is still kind of up in the air on that front.

Hot Nissan, Cold Cheap Beer and a fresh cut lemon

My new Nissan Sucks! The engine temp has exceeded the normal operating limits again this weekend. Watching my temp gauge is like watching my tachometer when I hit the gas. Nissan keeps telling me that they "found the problem and fixed it." Well, at least that is what I was told the first 4 times the damn car has been back to the dealer since I bought it 2 months ago. I've heard all kinds of silly reasons. New Radiator installed...hasn't fixed it. Air in the system....new Radiator Cap....didn't fix it. Lower Octane fuel, put in high octane....not fixed yet. I figure, this time when it goes in, I'll find out that a Polar Bear is needed to provide arctic piss to be used as a coolant additive which will only be activated by a magical Sri Lankin Monkey Fart within a 6 and 1/4 mile radius of the radiator cap while a mechanic does a headstand while holding Gouda Cheese rolls between his knees and humms the tune to the "Price is Right" while smoking a fucking candy cigarette and snorting spicy brown mustard up his nose.

So, does anyone want to ask me my opinion of the level of competence that my local Nissan dealership has?

Sheri and I went to a wedding this weekend. In a word....Unique. This would be the first time I've been to a Wedding that included "Beer Pong," Camouflage Tux Vests and in Kitchen access to the beer. I don't want to come off as snooty...because the fact is....I had a Great Time! Like I said, Unique. Sheri and I also celebrated our two year Anniversary on the 27th of August. This year, we spent the night in New York City's Time Square Crowne Plaza Hotel. Kudos to the desk clerk for paying attention when I mentioned that this was our anniversary. Sheri and I went out to dinner and came back to our room, where a message was left that the hotel was giving us a complimentary bottle of Champagne. Not only that, but we had a beautiful large corner room with windows on two sides that looked out 40 stories up over both the Hudson River and Time Square. Totally awesome!

Tonight, I'm working at BWI and passing gas as if, the more I pass, the better the world will be. We are talking about Marathon Farts tonight! Whoa!!! I went flying this evening with an Airport Co-Worker. He's got a Cessna 150 parked right here at BWI, so when he invited me up for a ride during my downtime, I couldn't resist. Nice Flying Elias.

World Airways....just blocked out...Welcome Back Aer Heger.

ATA has been doing a bang up job with delays lately. I worked what was supposed to be 2 back to back departures at Washington Dulles Airport. One got out...the other was so badly delayed, I figure ATA lost a fortune on Hotels, Meals and even commercial transport for 240 passengers. NICE! Some good came from the whole mess though, I got to know the Charter Broker and made some good connections which I hope will create a business relationship going forward.

A good book everyone who enjoys a nice poop should read....."Poop Culture" Written by David Praeger....creator of Poopreport.com I have never been to the website....shocking I know...but I must say, this book is very well written and quite a joyful addition to your nature's call.

My plane is now in range....it's back out to the ramp for what I hope will be a fast operation. Oh yeah....tonight...my Honda is not just an office, apartment and lunch room....it's also a "Follow Me" vehicle. Oy!

Roll with the punches

Soooooo much to talk about.

Been to California twice since my last post. First, was a trip to celebrate my "Great Uncle Dick's" 80th birthday. His daughters and wife through him a wonderful party at the Marine Corps Recruitment Depot in San Diego. Lovely party, unexpected speech content, great food, open bar and time spent with family, I had a great trip. Sheri...who has every right to her own opinion, was not impressed with San Diego. My cousin Eric's wife, Tonya, same opinion as Sheri. I don't understand....to me, San Diego is one of the most wonderful places in the continental US. Different strokes for different folks. I learned quite recently that Sheri is more of a fan of Scottsdale....I'll agree with her...lovely place...but I still love Sunny San Diego. Anyway, while we were there, we got to see assholes trying to protect 200 yards of beach from Seals that just want to lay out and relax. You see, people have access to hundreds of miles of beach in California, and a small group of do good assholes want to protect a strip of poop covered beach from Seals, because as they say, "It's for the children." Neat thought...but are you really doing kids a favor when you have them swim in mammal shit infested waters to prove a point? I donated money to protected the Seals.....People are too stupid to deserve my respect, much less my money. Anger...that is the only way I could describe my emotions when I saw helpless Seals who would love to come ashore to take a break from swimming. I guess some rich people have nothing else in life to do but prevent Seals from resting...and ensuring children are polluted and acquire diseases. Where would this world be without those who really care? Sheri and I spent countless hours just staying up late and talking with my cousin Ellen and her family, even though the amount of sleep we got was quite little, the time spent....was priceless. Ellen, I don't know if you ever read this blog, but thank you again from the bottom of my heart for your kindness.

I came home for a few days, then went right back out to Southern California. This time, it was for work. I spent 5 days between San Diego's Miramar Marine Corps Air Station, Ontario's Int'l Airport and Victorville's Southern California International Airport. I was mainly out there to ensure Bob Casciani, my main man on the West Side, knows how to comfortable make sure Southwest Airlines spends less than 30 minutes on the ground...while Elite Operations is their Rep Service. Bob has what it takes and, overall, I just didn't feel busy enough, so I flew back east to throw myself back into a more of a money making messed up schedule. Ahhh...good to be home.

There are some things happening with my company and one of my main customers. I would go into lots of detail on this topic, however, negotiations are still very much in play and I don't want to jeopardize anything.

Money....Money....Money....worried so much about it lately. See above paragraph and fill in the blanks. Somehow, I know I'm just going to pick up my head and move forward, but that fact still brings little comfort. I've been doing a lot of reading on JeffConlin.com's website. God Bless him for what he is doing. Caution goes to the wind and that wind points him in the direction he goes. Beautiful my friend....Beautiful! That entire blog could be a great book one day.

I have a burning desire to fly. My plans to fly tomorrow are on the verge of being canned in order for me to kick out a ferry flight for ATA from BWI to SSC. Anybody know where SSC is...Quiz for the day. On an ATA note, the Air Greenland program is coming to a close. Though it was somewhat of a pain, overall, I've enjoyed they operations and the income. It will be missed. Sad part of the whole thing...we finally perfected the operation. Oh well....maybe next year I'll get to play again. Speaking of Greenland....the aircraft is in range and the crew keeps calling me on the radio. I guess the First Officer wants to catch a Southwest flight. I've got a new call sign for the Air to Ground....Air Greenland became, "The Great One of the North" and I of course became..."SuperRep." Sometimes, we airline people are just straight up geeks.

SuperRep signing off....Over and Out!

"Skyhawk 4601D Radar Contact"

I've been doing some flying lately, which is always a wonderful thing. Recently, I've been enjoying short hops to local airports. This past weekend, I took Sheri up on one of my area hop style flights. We started at Lancaster (LNS) then we hit Smoketown (S37) followed by Harrisburg's Capital City Airport (CXY) and then York/Thomasville (THV) and finally back over to Lancaster. We had a push to talk button failure on my yoke (control wheel) and I had Sheri take over while I did some troubleshooting. Don't ask me how the hell I fixed it, but I did. I do know this, it wasn't a matter of the mic plug not being secure. Ahh...old planes! While we were up, Harrisburg Approach Control had us fly right over Three Mile Island. My Grandfather likes to say that he was lucky to have his license and live in southern Connecticut because there was so much to see. He might have had Martha's Vineyard and Block Island....I have Three Mile Island....YEAH!

Some dickhead hit the back of my Nissan Maxima in the parking lot of Circuit City. I was in the store with Sheri as we were discussing the benefits of an HDMI cable vs standard RCA cables. Apparently, some fuckhead thought it would be a great idea to bump my car while they were probably backing out of a parking space and have the courtesy to drive off without leaving me a note that at least said, "I'm sorry." With any luck, a skunk will sneak into his/her house at night, climb into their bed and bit them on the nutsack/labia then spraying a foul stench while running out of the room. Sure, I'm generally a forgiving guy, but at least take credit for your own art work.

Elite Operations is doing just dandy. It looks like I might be picking up some extra work from Southwest Airlines and ATA in the next few weeks. I'm still debating things like a logo, and website with email. It's kind of nice to only have one email address, even if it doesn't come off too professional.

I was in the mood for a little change in my TV viewing the other day, so, I went to Comcast and picked up an HDTV Cable box and signed up for the HD service. Though I must admit, HD is awesome....I'm not sure it's worth the price. I may be going back to old world 1999 style viewing because I'm cheap.

I also had the chance to visit with my good friend, Chris Rotunda and his family. Dolores had her baby, Matthew, who looks just like Chris and Sarah, their first looks just like Dolores. Beautiful family...Congratulations Chris. I brought some gifts with me that Criag and Amy dropped off for them...and something from Sheri and I. I didn't realize it until I got home, but the card that went with the gift that Sheri and I gave them....is still sitting in my back seat. Smooth....Very Smooth. Anyway, for anyone who might read this blog and know about Chris's "Betsy"....She's been sold. I'll never forget the Friday night that I got a call from Chris and Rob who said, "Meet us at the Mount Washington Tavern" after work. The place was one of our favorite drinking establishments in the area. I got there around 945pm and saw Betsy parked out on the street about a block away from the Tavern....and There were Chris and Rob....drinking Peroni's in the car....drunk. They were kind enough to wait for me who officially became the designated driver. That night, after a few too many beers(for them), we left the bar and on the way back to Betsy, Rob picked up a blue rock that was used by a store owner as a door stop and we got into Betsy and I drove my boys home. That blue rock sat next to a tree in front of our apartments for the longest time. Chris still doesn't remember that rock being in his car, nor Rob and I being the ones responsible for placing that peculiar blue rock in the front yard near the tree.

My training program for Bob C. and Andy has come to a close. Andy has been out in the field working and loving his new found career. He's been working well so far.....even done some nice crisis management. Bob made it to California in like 3.2674 days. I swear, I'm not sure if his gas pedal ever came off the fire wall. I really enjoyed training those guys. It's been a while since I had to train someone on how to handle flights....very refreshing. Speaking of Bob....ok...different Bob....I flew over his place and his side business establishment.

If you have not had a chance to check out Jeff Conlin's website recently, it's time to take another look. He's riding a bike across the country and blogging the entire thing. Very entertaining. God Bless you Brother.

By the way....my favorite last name of a passenger on my weekly African flight...."Paging passenger Darko"

Suprise....Who knew I was so blind?

I mentioned in my last blog that I was busy. I thought I knew what busy was....and then...the month of June hit. Without going into too much detail about how long my days were, how many flights I handled, how many times I drove to Washington Dulles or how run down and sick I ended up.....I'll just say that life is GRAND and I love the fact that I get to enjoy every moment of it.

I've been flying lately, the weather has been hazy, but still VFR. The air on these hazy days is about as smooth as glass. Too bad I can't spend even more time at the controls. The busy schedule has hampered me from doing as much as I would have liked to do.

Big News - Sheri, my wonderful...beautiful...loving wife, threw a surprise birthday party for me at Moondancer Vineyards this past weekend. At no point did I even have a clue that there was going to be a party, much less who was going to be there. I had tears in my eyes because I was s touched to see Rob and Jean, Craig and Amy, Eric and Michele, my mother and Joe, all in one location at the same time. Not only was the music catchy, but she had the thing catered with some kick ass food. Shock....Absolute Shock is the best way I could describe my emotions that night. I did end up drinking too much and around 4am, I was hugging the bowl and releasing some of the booze that I had sucked down. Craig and Amy along with their beautiful daughter Kora, were guests at my house....Again...a very awesome surprise. There were some who I wished could be there, but due to their own schedule conflicts, couldn't make it. I wish I could've seen Jenn, Chris and Dolores, Bob and Susan, Deb and Dan too.

Having such wonderful people in your life just makes living each day feel as if I'm the richest man alive.

In other news, there is a new corporation that is now in business...Elite Operations Inc. Elite Ops is a product of my labor and I'm looking forward to sitting at the helm and growing this business into a strong company with a reputation for providing excellent service to it's customers. Elite Operations was established and effective on July 1, 2007. Today....a small charter service vendor, tomorrow...we'll own an American auto maker and next week, Sheriair will take to the sky. OK...a bit much...but it's a neat thought.

Sometimes you wake up in the morning and reflect on your life and without much energy, you take what you have for granted. We all do it. Days that you're able to break away from the manner of thinking where you take life for granted, and you really focus on what you have and how your life really is......My God.....life is a beautiful gift.

Not sure when I'll blog next. Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later. Until next time. God Bless.

Vy = Best rate of climb

So much going on lately. First off all, like Justus, I still feel like I'm recovering from a busy week last week. That schedule beat the crap out of me. That isn't me complaining as I would much rather be very busy, instead of very slow....yet....it still takes it's toll physically.

During a little down time in between flights last week, I took a trip down to Crofton, MD. It was a relaxing ride down memory lane. So much of that area looked so good to me. It was always a nice place to live. Driving around the area, though it's much more developed, old Crofton and some of it's decade old neighborhoods look wonderful. Both charming and mature is how I can best describe the area that I used to call home. Growing up in that area, there was a lot of new construction and though it was nice, many areas lacked a certain visual maturity. Now, it has a mature and down home elegant look to the place. I'm sure that there are some people who have never left the area and would still knock it as they did back in high school, but as far as I'm concerned, the place looks great.

While down there, I visited with my old boss, Raymond Chen, who runs Hunan Express. Back in the day, I used to deliver Moo Goo Gai Pan and Pork Fried rice to the residents of Bowie, Crofton, Gambrills and Davidsonville. It was great to see Ray again. He's now got some gray hairs and the restaurant is no longer a "sit down" meal kind of place. Also, while in town, I stopped in to see if Carmichael Simon's parents still occupied a house in the Chapman Farm neighborhood. His mom came to the door and one of the first things she said after, "Oh my God, what are you doing here (in a good way)" was, Ron died 3 years ago. Sad, Carmichael's dad was a really great guy. Both of his parents cared for me as if I was a son, for a few years anyway. My heart goes out to Carmichael and his Mom for their loss. It was really nice to sit down and talk about old times, travel, my old best friend and how he and his new family are doing and even business. His mom has always had her head into game for making money. I always love a good chat about business, growth and making more greenbacks.

I started handling the ATA/Air Greenland flights last week. No major issues there. I would say it's hard to find a major issue when the Boeing 757-300 that is operation the flight for Air Greenland is booked to all of 22 people. Bob worked the Greenland to BWI flight the other night....4 passengers on the whole flight. Nice!

I'm looking ways to change the way I do business. Being a sole proprietor is ok, but there are other ways of doing business that might be more intelligent and efficient.

Andy and Bob C. are doing fine as they progress as students of the Thomas Brainsky University for Airline Operations Education. I hope I'll be able to have these guys up and running as capable Operational Representatives in the next two weeks.

Did I mention that my pants don't fit? No??? Sheri and I are eating healthier and therefore, I've dropped some weight. I'll be working out as soon as the new home gym is delivered and installed on the 21st. I can't wait to be sore and feel stronger. More Protein, less carbs, smaller meals, more often. That concept works for me so well.

This weekend, provided the weather is good, I'll be taking Sheri and our next door neighbors up for an airplane ride. I thought about a cross country somewhere, but I'm cheap right now. So, I'll take them all up, show them their house from the air and head back to the airports. Should be short....but still enjoyable.

Speaking of small meals....it's about that time. I think I'm going to drink a beer too. mmmmm....Beer.

....No, Thank You

I've really been enjoying my new earned license to fly. So far, I've taken Sheri up, which meant the world to me as she's has been and still is very supportive of my desire to be a pilot. She had only been flying with me two times when I was in training and we were of course, joined my my flight instructor. The feeling of being able to take my wife up and enjoy the ride, sky, view and general experience of the whole thing while it was just the two of us is incredible. I can't wait to take her back up and do it again.

Being as though, this is such an exciting thing for me, I like being able to share it. Next, I took up my father in law and though he is a quiet man in general, it looked like he really enjoyed the ride and was appreciative of it.

Number three in the right seat was Jeff Conlin. He and I used to play Flight Simulator 3 for hours and climb on his imaginary plane (or bus, or car, or truck or what ever the hell we felt like calling it that day) back in the 4th grade. He had a big wooden climb all over it "thing" that his parents put together and that sucker was a kid with an imaginations best friend. So, it was nice to be able to fly with my old Co-Pilot as an adult. He too thanked me for the ride. It is very clear to me, people appreciate my sharing this passion for flying with them, I deeply appreciate having them allow me to share it with them so much more.

Since the old Honda has been getting up there in years and even more so in miles, Sheri and I decided to pick up a newer vehicle to replace it. After a ton of searching, we settled on a Maroon 2000 Nissan Maxima SE with 57000 miles. The price could not be beat and the frugal Jew in me is all about that. It's a very nice car and I look forward to driving it. Because we picked it up so cheap, we would be able to sell it and at least be able to break even if we had to....such as...if the v6 in that car drinks more gas than we believe it will. The Bastard Dealerships in the area would only offer me $1000 for my Honda, so trading it in was just kind of stupid. Now, we're a three car family. I'll probably continue to drive that Honda often and into the twilight of it's useful life. Now, it's any body's guess as to which vehicle you'll spot me in. Regardless of which car, I've got reliable transportation and that makes me happy.

Last night, I worked very late, or early morning, depending on how you want to look at it. I'm tired and will be going back to bed for another nap. Later tonight, Sheri and I will be chilling out with Drew and Emily....Always a pleasant and enjoyable time. Goodnight(day)

Cleared for Takeoff

On May 23, I finally took my FAA Practical Exam for my Private Pilot Certification. The test began at 0900L with an FAA Examiner. This test was apparently one for my flight school's record books as it lasted until 1600L. The Director of Operations at the flight school commented to me after the exam was over, that he had never seen one of these exams last as long as it did. It comprised of over 3 and a half hours of oral quizzing and just shy of 2 hours of flying. I know the math doesn't add up, but there was also time spent on paperwork and pre/post flight briefings. Without a doubt, this was not an easy day. During the flying part of the exam, I had a lot of wind changes and therefore, in addition to a turbulent day....the tower kept changing the departing and arrival runways on me. I didn't use any one pattern or one runway more than once. I did very pretty on all maneuvers, except my last 3 landings. Though they were not too horrible, I also would not consider them smooth. For those who are unfamiliar with this kind of training and testing to allow for a pilot's license, it is a very thorough process. Without going into too much detail, the exam consisted of being able to respond to emergencies such as an engine fire and losing an engine; stalls; navigation by radio signals and dead reckoning; ground reference maneuvers; managing to fly at slow enough speeds to be right at the borderline of losing lift from the wings; steep turns; flying in controlled and non-controlled airspace; short and soft field takeoffs and landings; and general "how the pilot handles the airplane."

So....when all was said and done and I was pulling off the runway and heading back to the parking area, I asked Eric, the examiner......"So...uh....did I pass my test?" His answer didn't hit me as soon as I heard it. In his most monotone government employee style voice, I heard through my headset...."Everything was satisfactory." Followed by, "you can relax now, it's over." We pulled back into the parking space and I asked him his opinion of my flying before he went inside to prepare for the full debrief. He repeated again that I flew satisfactorily and then expanded on it by saying I was a good instinctive pilot. Then, he walked away and I sat in that pilot seat for a few seconds just breathing a sigh of relief. I knew I passed and would be handed my private pilot's license in a few minutes...yet...it still hadn't hit me fully...what I had finally accomplished. So...after a few sighs and a couple self congratulatory, "Fuckin A's" I secured the airplane and went inside.

While he was filling out my temporary certificate (a nice permanent one will come in the mail) he debriefed my exam. After he handed me my new licence, we shook hands and he left. I was then congratulated by Phil, the old B29 pilot, then the Director of Operations came to shake my hand. Again....it hadn't fully hit me yet. The Director, Terry, took me outside and got my photo with the airplane for their photo wall, where they have pictures of their students when their students accomplish something big. This was my second photo as my solo flight picture is still on the wall. After the photo session with the Polaroid, I was headed home.

I called my wife and kept her in suspense for a few seconds and then broke the news that she was married to a pilot. She was so excited for me and even this many days later....still is. God Bless her! I love this feeling. She was worried as I told her the whole exam should only last 4 hours and she hadn't heard from me, so this was obviously very welcome news. After giving her the run down on my adventure, we got off the phone and I called Rob to let him know. He pointed out how I've literally changed my life from few years ago because I simply set some clear goals and didn't let anything get in my way...and completed ALL of them. At that point, I needed to end the call as my accomplishment was starting to hit me.

My heart started to fill with emotion unlike anything I've ever felt. That feelings that were now washing over me were pride and appreciation. I cried and thanked god for my life and everything in it. Not only was the feeling of appreciation overwhelming, but that pride that I was feeling was just amazing. Every single goal that I wrote down back in 2004 when I was laying in my bed in Owings Mills and trying to figure out what the hell I wanted to do to change my life for the better had been realized at this point. That too was enough to draw tearful emotion.

Say what you want about motivational speakers and goal workshops, The Tony Robbins CD Program "Get the edge" is what I listened to back in 2004 as I was feeling totally lost back then. I didn't want to do the "Goal Workshop" that his CD's told me to do, but I did it anyway....and damn if his words didn't ring true. "If you write your goals down, you will see them come true." "If you make your goals realistic and attainable, they will come true." Silly as it sounds.....I own 2 homes, have a beautiful wife, make more money than I did before, my career is in overdrive and I'm now a Pilot, which was a dream that started with my Grandfather who was a private pilot and took me flying.

Not too bad for written goals to be accomplished within 5 years.....that workshop included goals for 10 years and beyond....watch what comes next!

I LOVE MY LIFE!!!

Universal Adventures

Sheri and I took a long weekend and went down to Orlando this past Thursday to Monday. We had a lovely time at the Universal Theme Parks. If anyone has a chance to get down there and likes theme park rides, I do recommend "The Mummy Returns" and "Spiderman." Both are excellent rides. For dinner one night, Sheri got to experience, the in your face cooking style of a fantastic Japanese Steakhouse. Another night, we went to a great Italian Restaurant in the town of: Celebration, Florida. I swear to god, this place was so perfect, it was identical to the set used for the filming of, The Truman Show. Would I love to live in this pre-planned neighborhood full of boat loads of money and is meticulously groomed....??? Absolutely! From Beverly Hills to Northern Virginia....I've never seen any place as perfect as this tiny little town. The cost to buy a home there is generally at least over 1 million for a single family home....so I don't think I'll be either of my homes on the market and moving to Florida anytime in the near future.

Once again, my FAA pilot exam has been pushed back. The Weather today is the cause. Even more of a pain....the FAA Examiners in my area are unavailable until June 4th at the earliest. So, It's back to the practice area I go. Though I would much rather be able to take my wife, friends, family etc...,

Thunderstorm has hit....dog is going nuts.....Ciao!

A not so solid thumbs up

As mentioned before, I was able to fly with Phil yesterday. After hours of study the night before, I was able to pass my oral "pre exam...exam" by the skin of my teeth. Phil was great though....he helps you pull correct answers out from the depths of your brain, especially when you are stuck in tunnel vision mode. There were a few times that I would answer him with a totally dead wrong answer, but overall, he was able to help me think things through to correctly answer a question. I do believe a lot of my problem with this pending check ride is incredibly self induced. If I would just freaking relax, I would probably do a lot better. I've had this silly passion for flying since I was 5 years old and my grandfather (who was a private pilot) took me up a few times. He retired his wings by the time I was around age 7 and picked up boating. Though I always enjoyed steering the boat, my passion remained in the sky. So, maybe that is why I am struggling so much with this exam prep? I'm too damn passionate and almost totally desperate to finally achieve that goal.

This leads me to my next portion of my "pre exam," flying. This I did pretty well. I did make a few bone head mistakes such as....Not looking out the damn window to see if anyone else was out there before I turned. Why? Because as Phil put it....."I'm a really good instrument pilot!" If I was working on my Instrument Pilot rating, I'd be in great shape. I'm working on my VFR (Visual Flight Rules) rating and therefore...I should have my damn head up and looking out the windows. Sad thing is....when I solo...I'm very much in own natural element up there and look out the window all the time. But....for some reason, this damn exam preparation has my head so far up my ass....I can't see the light of day around my own stupid shit!

Long story short....when all was done and Phil and I were back in his office to review my day at the airport, his final ruling was that I was a GOOD PILOT (Thank God) and that he is recommending to my instructor that I am qualified to take the Practical Exam. Sweet! Another step in the right direction. I was really surprised by his opinion. I thought my own stupidity got the best of me. Maybe I'm just too hard on myself.

I think a lot of people in my life would say that I'm pretty easy going, care free and relaxed about a lot in life. My own mother for whom I'm very close to has commented to that effect. Truth is, I believe that I'm a lot harder on myself than most people, including myself, realize.

Last night, I sent a 767 full of sick, close to death and badly handicapped people to Lourdes, France for a "miracle bath." I was talking to Bob Lowe, a person who has been blessed with a second chance in life, last night. I was telling him my own personally opinion about this Lourdes trip and how I feel that it's a bunch of crap. I've never heard of anyone from these charters (they take place once a year) coming back and being cured of their ailments. Bob on the other hand told me how beautiful this trip is for these people and how the "bath" can provide the miracle of healing. I have the deepest respect for Bob as he as already been dead on the table twice from a horrible motorcycle accident and been told he would never walk again....has beaten incredible odds. His comment to me was, look at him, obviously he was granted a miracle. I agree.....but I did say to him and this is true.....that his positive (I will walk again and nobody is going to stop me) attitude probably played a much bigger role in his life. Personally, I'm very spiritual...and not very religious. It is my spiritual belief that Bob was given the miracle of life AGAIN on that day he was laying dead on the table at Hershey Medical Center. How he is able to walk again....that I believe is a testament to his attitude, spirit and drive.

I could be wrong about all of this though....Who am I? What the "F" do I know about life or power of God? After all....I'm the guy who goes on a "pre check ride" with the hopes of getting a thumbs up so I can prove my skills to the FAA....and forgets to even figure out which direction I'm supposed to fly before we take off. (-: Another Big Ooops!

Today I became 10883 days old. Good or bad...I'm thankful that I've been able to wake up every single one of those days. Now, I think I'll drink my morning orange juice and eat some oatmeal to toast my good fortune in life. Then...I'm going to mow the lawn...because I can!

Abused quote for the day: "I love the smell of lawn mower fumes in the morning"

Major Hurdle Dead Ahead!

I have finally gotten past the terror that Microsoft has brought upon my home computer. With the assistance of my Father, King David of Computerland, I once again have a computer that functions without massive failure each time it boots up. Thank you Dad.

Speaking of tough times, lately, I've been dealing with a bit of stress. Since I passed my FAA Written exam, I've been hell bent of making that dream of mine become reality. I've been studying a lot and I seem to fall on my ass every time I sit with my flight instructor and go over the oral portion of my exam. Finally, I've made a little headway and feel confident that failure is not imminent. I fly tomorrow with another instructor from Aerotech, Phil. Phil used to fly the B-29 during WWII and I love the insight that he offers both in the air and on the ground. He'll be going over the oral and practical portion of my pending exam with me tomorrow and if I get a thumbs up from him....the it's on to the actual exam. Nervous...HELL YES! I am ok with the reality that failure is possible and does not equal the end of the world....but the fact is....I want to pass that fucking thing and get my certificate on the first attempt. Maybe I'll feel more confident after an oral quiz and flight with Phil?

My car got rear ended last week by some guy while sitting in the drive thru lane at Wendy's. The dude hit my 2 times! I went to a body shop today near BWI and got an estimate on the work. Now, I'm waiting to see if the crazy driver will call me back to settle out of the insurance arena...or if we need to make a claim and go that route.

I was reading Jeff Conlin's latest blog regarding the space re-entry communication blackout and I feel kind of like my life is going through that stage. I've had very limited contact with friends and family lately due to my self inflicted increased workload. I look forward to being able to report success and invite those I love to join me in seeing the local area from an elevated view.

The Attack of the XP

I decided to upgrade my operating system on my home computer to XP. What I should have done was buy a brand new hard drive and load XP as a fresh copy instead of try and upgrade from Windows 2000. Microsoft advertises that XP is more stable....yeah...I've had the blue screen of death a couple times already. I never had the blue screen with W2K. Now, my PC is running like total crap and I'm considering buying a new hard disk and starting off fresh.

I flew today. It has been a little over a week and I'm amazingly rusty. In my own opinion, I flew poorly....keep in mind, I'm very hard on myself when it comes to quality of flight. My instructor is much more forgiving of me. I don't know why I judge myself so critically with flying? Most everything else in life, I tend to take with a grain of salt. I'll be flying again in a couple of days and then again after that....I'm going to fly as much as I can afford without throwing my bank account into a Cessna....just to stay fresh and be able to test successfully.

People died at Virginia Tech this week. The media is going stir crazy to point the finger and blame the Police and University for their reaction. Can I just point out that the blame really belongs to Dong Wong from S. Korea for going in and shooting up the place? I heard one idiot on the news this morning who thinks students should be trained to counter this kind of thing. Think about that for a minute. Now you want to enforce a training program for self defense on every student across the country.....Including those students who do go fucking nuts. With that ingenious idea, a wacko student can even more accurately predict his victims defenses and plan for it. Please...let's just face the fact that there is simply very little anyone can do to prevent shit like this from happening. If a lunatic decides he wants to kill....he'll find a way to do it. Yes, it's a sad statement about life in today's world....but it's the truth and accepting it will make everybody else's lives easier in the end.

My mom and step dad came down this past weekend for a little over a day. Had a great time just being able to spend some time with them. We took them out to Bel Paese and ate a kick ass meal. I love that place! Also, while they were in town, we showed them around the thriving metropolis that is Mount Wolf, and York. They were surprised by how inexpensive the home prices were and even acted tempted to move down....but I don't really see that happening. Too bad the weather was total shit.

Speaking of weather...I guess we are about a day and half away from spring like conditions. I can't wait. I really think I've got the winter blues at this point.

Idiot's Guide to Racial Humor - Lesson 1

Lesson # 1

If you say something based in humor and has a racial tone to it, Don't Apologize to Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson!

I have made more tasteless jokes in my short lifetime than that idiot, Don Imus has on the air in his whole career. I don't care about race, color, religion, size or shape...I will make a joke about it. If it falls flat and actually hurts someone's feelings....I'll apologize for hurting that INDIVIDUAL's feelings. If I make a joke about cooking Jews in ovens, I won't try to contact the Anti Defamation League to apologize...I'll simply say I'm sorry to the offended Jew. I am NOT a racist. Why? Because I love EVERYONE. Out of that love, I also have the ability to laugh at EVERYTHING (including myself.) See Get a Grip Paragraph below for further commentary.

Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have made more public Anti Jew or Anti White comments then any Anti Black comments that Don Imus and David Duke have made combined. Why on earth do Sharpton and Jackson have to be the guys that Offending Whites rush to apologize too? Any White guy who gets racial is an idiot for trying to appease those hypocritical racist loud mouth fools.

That brings me to another subject....

America....Get a Fucking Grip:

Political Correctness is the cause of such pain that poor offended people suffer. Back before PC was so "In".....if someone said something offensive...you just dealt with it. Now, this country has taken PC to the point that any hurt feelings felt by anyone must automatically be felt by everyone and therefore, the offender has broken every major law in the land and deserves jail time. HELLO!!!! What the hell ever happened to "Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me?"

Final thoughts:

Thousands of Jews are Cheap
Thousands of Orientals have little dicks
Thousands of the French are wimps and yet maintain an arrogant persona
Thousands of Whites are Lazy and trashy
Thousands of Blacks are Lazy and trashy
Thousands of Religious people are flaming hypocrites
Thousands of Politicians are not worthy of trust
Thousands of Mexicans are system cheaters
Thousands of Gay people are obnoxious and in your face about who they are
Thousands of Arabs are Terrorists or plan to be one day
Thousands of Brits believe they are just plain better than everyone else
Thousands of Germans baked Thousands of Jews, Gypsies, Gays etc...to honor 1 Crazy Asshole
Thousands of Puerto Ricans are known for their Fence Climbing ablity
Thousands of Italians are in fact, Dirty and Greasy

And Lastly...

Native Americans came from somewhere other than here and therefore, should have to pay fucking taxes like the rest of us Cheap Jews, Little Dick Orientals, French Wusses, Lazy Blacks and Whites, Catholic Child Touching Priests, money grubbing politicians who hunger for power and money just like Crazy Arab terrorists and Insane German Leaders who cook innocent people in ovens who all the while might just have turned out to be gay and into dirty Italian Men!

OK....Now hit me with a lawsuit and put me in jail for exercising my first amendment rights.

Billy Joel said it best when he sang...."We didn't start the fire."