Happy Mothers Day,
To my mother Lucille. The mother of my children, Susan. Shannon, my daughter, and all the other lovely ladies I know. Your children love you very much, and do appreciate all you do for them.
-
Sunday, May 11, 2008
A friend gone..
Yesterday I flew back to St Louis to be a Pall Bearer for a grand gentleman. Allen Breckenridge, age 86, passed away Wednesday in Independence, MO.
We met Allen and Jane when we moved to St Louis in 1989. They had just retired from 45 years of service in the church. Their main focus of their ministry was in Tahiti and French Polynesia.
There are 3 men I KNOW that are sitting at the right hand of God today. They are Bill West ( a friend from Wichita, KS who died from Lou Gehrig's Decease), Maurice Barnard ( my father-in-law) and Allen Breckenridge.
May God take his soul and Bless his wife Jane and their family.
We met Allen and Jane when we moved to St Louis in 1989. They had just retired from 45 years of service in the church. Their main focus of their ministry was in Tahiti and French Polynesia.
There are 3 men I KNOW that are sitting at the right hand of God today. They are Bill West ( a friend from Wichita, KS who died from Lou Gehrig's Decease), Maurice Barnard ( my father-in-law) and Allen Breckenridge.
May God take his soul and Bless his wife Jane and their family.
Friday, May 9, 2008
The Magic House
I found some pictures of when Susan and I took our youngest grandson Brad to The Magic House. It is an 18th century house that has now become a kids museum of sorts. With a lot of 'hands on" things to do and experience.
We were there for about a little over 2 hours. Only way we could get out of there was to ask Brad if he was ready to go to McDonalds.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Why did the Chicken cross the road?
WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD?
BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a CHANGE! The chicken wanted CHANGE!
JOHN McCAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.
HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure – right from Day One! -- that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.......
DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on 'THIS' side of the road before it goes after the problem on the 'OTHER SIDE ' of t he road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his 'CURRENT' problems before adding 'NEW' problems.
OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.
GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.
COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road...
ANDERSON COOPER - CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.
JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.
NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he's GUILTY! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.
PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.
MARTHA STEWART: No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.
DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.
ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain. Alone.
JERRY FALWELL: Because the chicken was gay! Can't you people see the plain truth? That's why they call it the 'other side.' Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media white washes with seemingly harmless phrases like 'the other side'. That chicken should not be crossing the road. It's as plain and as simple as that.
GRANDPA: In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.
BARBARA WALTERS: Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how itexperienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its life long dream of crossing the road.
ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.
JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.
BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken2007, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book. Internet Explorer is an integral part of the Chicken. This new platform is much more stable and will never cra...#@&&^(C% ........ reboot.
ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?
BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What is your definition of chicken?
AL GORE: I invented the chicken!
COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?
DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun?
AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.
BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a CHANGE! The chicken wanted CHANGE!
JOHN McCAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.
HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure – right from Day One! -- that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.......
DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on 'THIS' side of the road before it goes after the problem on the 'OTHER SIDE ' of t he road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his 'CURRENT' problems before adding 'NEW' problems.
OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.
GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.
COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road...
ANDERSON COOPER - CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.
JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.
NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he's GUILTY! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.
PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.
MARTHA STEWART: No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.
DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.
ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain. Alone.
JERRY FALWELL: Because the chicken was gay! Can't you people see the plain truth? That's why they call it the 'other side.' Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media white washes with seemingly harmless phrases like 'the other side'. That chicken should not be crossing the road. It's as plain and as simple as that.
GRANDPA: In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.
BARBARA WALTERS: Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how itexperienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its life long dream of crossing the road.
ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.
JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.
BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken2007, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book. Internet Explorer is an integral part of the Chicken. This new platform is much more stable and will never cra...#@&&^(C% ........ reboot.
ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?
BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What is your definition of chicken?
AL GORE: I invented the chicken!
COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?
DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun?
AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.
Sitting in Detroit
Not much happening the last couple of days. Went to EFB (Electronic Flight Bag) on Monday night. Now just sitting in the Hampton Inn and waiting for scheduling to call with a trip.
Did find out that the FAA has changed the rules on me.
In order to fly "Heavy Metal" (FAR Part 121) I need to have 1500 hours of Pilot In Command. I only have 750 hours, but the FAA will count half of my 6500 hours of Flight Engineer time ( up to a max of 750 hours) towards the 1500 hours. So therefore I qualify to become a First Officer.
But wait....
The FAA now says that I can only count 500 of those 6500 Flight Engineer hours towards the 1500 hours. CRAP!!!!
So it is a good thing we bought an airplane. We figure it will take me about a little over a year to get the extra 250 hours PIC time I need to qualify.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
This is why I fy cargo...
Sunday, I traveled on US AIRWAYS from LAX to Philadelphia to Detroit. The following happened on the 5 plus hour flight.
I was assigned seat 22D which is an exit row seat on the aisle. This seat has a little more legroom than most exit row seats because the emergency exit doors are full size, stand up straight, walk thru doors and nor over wing exits. Which are smaller. So I have about 4 feet of empty floor space between me and the seat in front of me. The window seat is occupied by an older lady. And the middle seat is empty.
GOOD NEWS!!!! No one in the middle seat. YEAH!!!!
BAD NEWS... CRAP!!!! After take-off a passenger about 4 or 5 rows in front of me asks the Flight Attendant if he could sit in 22E (the seat next to me and the lady). She asks him the required FAA questions about occupying an exit row seat. And he comes back to take the middle seat at row 22.
Now this is not that much of a big deal. It was a full flight, and US AIRWAYS has the FAA minimum spacing between seat rows. So, I can understand the young man wanting to get some more legroom. That's why I am there.
Now for the BAD NEWS.....
About 5 minutes later, one of his European buddies comes back to talk. Okay, that fine, but this chat goes on and on and on....
After about 15 minutes of chat, I get up to use the lavatory. When I come back to my assigned seat, the buddy is sitting in my seat and not giving any indication of moving!
After about of minute and a half of me standing there waiting for this bozo to get out of MY seat he finally gets up and sits down in front of the exit door at our feet. And the chat continues.
So now the lady and I have to put up with these two having a 2 hours chat with Bozo II sitting right in front of us! Both her and I are not happy about this situation.
Then the chat is over, Bozo II gets up goes to the overhead where his seat is at, gets an inflatable ball, brings it back, lays down at the foot of our feet and proceeds to go to sleep!
Like a good American, I keep my mouth shut. Blood is dripping down the sides of my mouth. (for I am now biting my tongue) and my blood pressure is rising.
I then decide to try and take a nap. So I recline my seat, but on my Bose noise cancelling headset, and try and stretch out, as much as possible, and dose off.
About an hour or so less, just half asleep, I go to uncross my legs, and I hit someone...
As I open my eyes, I see another Bozo (III)standing over my legs, stretching against the overhead storage, chatting with Bozo I and Bozo II.
At this point I say "OKAY GUYS ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!"
They look at me like I am rude and crazy!
Just about that time the Captain comes over the PA and says everyone is to return to their seats, and he then turns on the "Fasten Seat Belt" sign. These 3 Bozos ignore the PA announcement and the sign being illuminated.
So, this is when I have had enough and go into Aircraft Pilot mode.
"Okay you guys need to go back to your assigned seats"
"The Captain has turned on the Fasten Seat Belt sign"
Again they look at me like I am nuts and start telling me where to go...
About that time a Flight Attendant shows up and tells the 3 Bozos the same thing I had just said. As they are getting to their seats, Bozo I, setting next to me, starts chastising me about my poor attitude and lack of sympathy. He informs me that Bozo II has a hernia and I show a little more compassion.
I said, "I have been showing you 3 hours of compassion. And I had foot surgery a few month ago, so don't go there about your buddy hurting, because I am also". "How would your buddy like it if I laid down in front of his feet in the row he is supposed to be SITTING?" I then but back on my Bose noise cancelling headset and ignore him. He is saying "%*^^#($)$($#(#*#(*#(*$)$)*@*". I wanted to also say (but didn't) "If you don't like my attitude, why don't you go back to the seat YOU WERE ASSIGNED?"
After about an hour goes by and the Captain turns off the Seat belt sign. And guess who comes back with his pillow ball...
He lays back down at our feet and goes to sleep again. And stays there until we are on decent and the seat belt sign comes on again and the Flight Attendants shew him back to his assigned seat for landing.
Once we get to the gate and the seat belt sign goes off and everybody gets up to collect their belonging which may have shifted during flight...
After Bozo I goes to get his things, I lean over to the lady in the window seat and apologize if I was too much of an ASSHOLE to the 3 Bozos. She starts to laugh and tells me "No, you were not the ASSHOLE" She says that she was glad I had finally said something and agreed with what I said, and my assessment of our 5 plus hour ordeal.
Thanks God the flight to Detroit went a lot smoother.
So was I out of line? And was I an ASSHOLE or worse?
I was assigned seat 22D which is an exit row seat on the aisle. This seat has a little more legroom than most exit row seats because the emergency exit doors are full size, stand up straight, walk thru doors and nor over wing exits. Which are smaller. So I have about 4 feet of empty floor space between me and the seat in front of me. The window seat is occupied by an older lady. And the middle seat is empty.
GOOD NEWS!!!! No one in the middle seat. YEAH!!!!
BAD NEWS... CRAP!!!! After take-off a passenger about 4 or 5 rows in front of me asks the Flight Attendant if he could sit in 22E (the seat next to me and the lady). She asks him the required FAA questions about occupying an exit row seat. And he comes back to take the middle seat at row 22.
Now this is not that much of a big deal. It was a full flight, and US AIRWAYS has the FAA minimum spacing between seat rows. So, I can understand the young man wanting to get some more legroom. That's why I am there.
Now for the BAD NEWS.....
About 5 minutes later, one of his European buddies comes back to talk. Okay, that fine, but this chat goes on and on and on....
After about 15 minutes of chat, I get up to use the lavatory. When I come back to my assigned seat, the buddy is sitting in my seat and not giving any indication of moving!
After about of minute and a half of me standing there waiting for this bozo to get out of MY seat he finally gets up and sits down in front of the exit door at our feet. And the chat continues.
So now the lady and I have to put up with these two having a 2 hours chat with Bozo II sitting right in front of us! Both her and I are not happy about this situation.
Then the chat is over, Bozo II gets up goes to the overhead where his seat is at, gets an inflatable ball, brings it back, lays down at the foot of our feet and proceeds to go to sleep!
Like a good American, I keep my mouth shut. Blood is dripping down the sides of my mouth. (for I am now biting my tongue) and my blood pressure is rising.
I then decide to try and take a nap. So I recline my seat, but on my Bose noise cancelling headset, and try and stretch out, as much as possible, and dose off.
About an hour or so less, just half asleep, I go to uncross my legs, and I hit someone...
As I open my eyes, I see another Bozo (III)standing over my legs, stretching against the overhead storage, chatting with Bozo I and Bozo II.
At this point I say "OKAY GUYS ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!"
They look at me like I am rude and crazy!
Just about that time the Captain comes over the PA and says everyone is to return to their seats, and he then turns on the "Fasten Seat Belt" sign. These 3 Bozos ignore the PA announcement and the sign being illuminated.
So, this is when I have had enough and go into Aircraft Pilot mode.
"Okay you guys need to go back to your assigned seats"
"The Captain has turned on the Fasten Seat Belt sign"
Again they look at me like I am nuts and start telling me where to go...
About that time a Flight Attendant shows up and tells the 3 Bozos the same thing I had just said. As they are getting to their seats, Bozo I, setting next to me, starts chastising me about my poor attitude and lack of sympathy. He informs me that Bozo II has a hernia and I show a little more compassion.
I said, "I have been showing you 3 hours of compassion. And I had foot surgery a few month ago, so don't go there about your buddy hurting, because I am also". "How would your buddy like it if I laid down in front of his feet in the row he is supposed to be SITTING?" I then but back on my Bose noise cancelling headset and ignore him. He is saying "%*^^#($)$($#(#*#(*#(*$)$)*@*". I wanted to also say (but didn't) "If you don't like my attitude, why don't you go back to the seat YOU WERE ASSIGNED?"
After about an hour goes by and the Captain turns off the Seat belt sign. And guess who comes back with his pillow ball...
He lays back down at our feet and goes to sleep again. And stays there until we are on decent and the seat belt sign comes on again and the Flight Attendants shew him back to his assigned seat for landing.
Once we get to the gate and the seat belt sign goes off and everybody gets up to collect their belonging which may have shifted during flight...
After Bozo I goes to get his things, I lean over to the lady in the window seat and apologize if I was too much of an ASSHOLE to the 3 Bozos. She starts to laugh and tells me "No, you were not the ASSHOLE" She says that she was glad I had finally said something and agreed with what I said, and my assessment of our 5 plus hour ordeal.
Thanks God the flight to Detroit went a lot smoother.
So was I out of line? And was I an ASSHOLE or worse?
Friday, May 2, 2008
Los Angles
I have been in Los Angles for the past couple of days on reserve. I am leaving Sunday morning for Detroit.
Monday I am attending a class so that I can go out on the line and instruct our pilots on the usage of a new piece of equipment.
We are installing an Electronic Flight Book. This is being installed on our airplanes. It is an electronic version of the Jeppensen charts that we use for departures, approaches, landings, and airport ground movement.
This is a very user friendly system, and will keep a lot of trees from dieing.
Monday I am attending a class so that I can go out on the line and instruct our pilots on the usage of a new piece of equipment.
We are installing an Electronic Flight Book. This is being installed on our airplanes. It is an electronic version of the Jeppensen charts that we use for departures, approaches, landings, and airport ground movement.
This is a very user friendly system, and will keep a lot of trees from dieing.
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