It has become obvious that an escape from my current reality is necessary. In order to accomplish this respite I have decided that very soon I will flee my life in favor of some relaxing location far from Chicago's O'Hare airport and St. Louis.
Savannah? Seattle? Jackson Hole? Sarasota? Vancouver?
I find this to be the most likely scenerio: I will pack for several days, and when work has finished I will simply gaze upon the departure information board and select some random city that sounds relaxing.
Any suggestions from the peanut gallery?
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Monday, June 25, 2007
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
Sunday, June 17, 2007
From the Airwaves
Recently heard on Chicago Center's frequency:
Controller, "Ah, Airshuttle 1234, say airspeed."
Airshuttle 1234, "Well sir, you told us to do 280 knots, so that's what we're doing."
Controller, "Are you sure Airshuttle? You seem to be catching up to the guy in front of you."
Airshuttle 1234, "Well, the doohicky with the numbers on it says 280, but then there's a lot of doohickies up here..."
Controller, "Ah, Airshuttle 1234, say airspeed."
Airshuttle 1234, "Well sir, you told us to do 280 knots, so that's what we're doing."
Controller, "Are you sure Airshuttle? You seem to be catching up to the guy in front of you."
Airshuttle 1234, "Well, the doohicky with the numbers on it says 280, but then there's a lot of doohickies up here..."
It's Alive
A passenger boarded my flight this week, and like many before her, commented on how small the aircraft was. The flight attendant jokingly responded that the plane's feelings would be hurt if she talked about it in such a fashion. They passenger's reply: "It doesn't have feelings."
Perhaps if the traveler in question wasn't a redneck from Mobile, AL she wouldn't be so ignorant of her situation.
The fact is, the airplane is a living, breathing organism, not very different from you or I. It breathes oxygen which it circulates throughout itself in life-sustaining fashion. It burns sustainance to keep itself alive and moving. It has a skin that expands and contracts, and protects its delicate interior from the harsh elements. It has a skeleton, designed to withstand impact, give the organism it's shape, and strengthen the overall entity. It has joints built to move its extremeties thus allowing it to move with more agility. It has a vascular system. Tubes stretch throughout its entire body delivering precious fluids to the vital organs that could not otherwise perform their duties. It has a nervous system. A brain consisting of several "lobes," some monitoring the performance of it's many parts, others making decisions and performing calculations. Several long spinal chords relay messages from the many parts and pieces up to the brain. The airplane reacts to pain and danger. It recognizes and informs the brain of impending disaster. The airplane has a heart. The great thundering engine, churning within itself and pumping life throughout every part of the being.
The airplane has a soul: The pilot
Perhaps if the traveler in question wasn't a redneck from Mobile, AL she wouldn't be so ignorant of her situation.
The fact is, the airplane is a living, breathing organism, not very different from you or I. It breathes oxygen which it circulates throughout itself in life-sustaining fashion. It burns sustainance to keep itself alive and moving. It has a skin that expands and contracts, and protects its delicate interior from the harsh elements. It has a skeleton, designed to withstand impact, give the organism it's shape, and strengthen the overall entity. It has joints built to move its extremeties thus allowing it to move with more agility. It has a vascular system. Tubes stretch throughout its entire body delivering precious fluids to the vital organs that could not otherwise perform their duties. It has a nervous system. A brain consisting of several "lobes," some monitoring the performance of it's many parts, others making decisions and performing calculations. Several long spinal chords relay messages from the many parts and pieces up to the brain. The airplane reacts to pain and danger. It recognizes and informs the brain of impending disaster. The airplane has a heart. The great thundering engine, churning within itself and pumping life throughout every part of the being.
The airplane has a soul: The pilot
Friday, June 15, 2007
Debacle
We lost to the Royals 17-8. How does anyone lose to the Royals 17-8?? Unbelievable! Just kill me!
Monday, June 11, 2007
Quote of the Week
"I dissaprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - Voltaire
Have Faith
My Redbirds are starting to show some signs of life...
Don't stick a fork in them quite yet...
Don't stick a fork in them quite yet...
Patterns
February and April came and went, and June has begun. All three months serve as little more than reminders that certain wounds simply do not heal. There will always be scars. Perhaps it can be argued that the true measure of a man's life can be found in the manner with which he carried on his life despite the disfigurements which fate has brought upon him. Perhaps it is true that some wounds will never stop bleeding.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Quote of the Week
"I have known today a magnificent intoxication. I have learnt how it feels to be a bird. I have flown. Yes, I have flown. I am still astonished at it, still deeply moved." - Le Figaro
The Pact
Well, the pact trip actually occured several weeks ago now, but since I've barely had enough time to breathe in the interim I haven't had the chance to address it until now. It also means I don't necessarily remember everything, so you'll have to settle for less detail than before.
This version of our pact trip took Russell and I to Kansas City in search of what my often loquacious but seldom eloquent friend referred to as, "Mega Cow." For those of you who don't speak Russell, that means a great steak. Did we find "Mega Cow?" Yes, yes we did, but more on that later.
We arrived in Kansas City early on Tuesday the 15th of May, and proceded to the rental car station. Thrify was out of economy cars, so we got a free upgrade. It was not until we reached the parking lot and cast our gaze upon the replacement vehicle that we decided the upgrade was anything but. Russell and I made our way through the streets of Kansas City for a 24 hour period in a vomit-yellow PT Cruiser. It may very well be the ugliest form of transportation ever known to man kind. With no recourse, we slung our bags into the back of the Bilemobile and set off on our day. After checking in at the hotel the next stop was the Airline History Museum located at Kansas City Downtown airport. The guided tour of the museum was affordable and entertaining, and included the priviledge of boarding one of very few airworthy Lockheed Constelations still in existance. The tour guide himself was slightly off, but that is to be expected from someone who was even older than most of the museum pieces he was describing.
Next stop, the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, located in Independance, MO. Truman, of course, is famous in history for assuming the reigns from FDR during the waining days of WWII and subsequently authorizing the use of the atomic bomb. The library is exceptionaly well laid out, and is a fitting tribute to a man who led our country with courage and honesty. At least there was one democrat in our history who actually had a spine...
Having had our fill of history, Russell and I proceded to the Zona Rosa, which is a very nice outdoor mall with several fine restaurants. We had a date with "Mega Cow" at the Hereford House, which is perhaps the most famous steak eatery in a city famous for steak eateries. As Russell and I soon found out, the fame is well deserved. We began the evening at the bar waiting for a table, and while Russ sipped a Vodka Gimlet, I chose a Boulevard #41 ale. We split some excellent fried calamari, and then were shown to our table. I selected a bottle of Trapiche Malbec to accompany our dinner, which is a full-bodied semi dry red from Argentina. It was a marvelous bottle to go along with our marvelous meals. Russell opted for an 8 oz bacon wrapped filet, while I dined upon the 6 oz filet topped with a miniature crab cake. Needless to say, dinner was amazing, and dessert was also exquisite. I say dessert was exquisite, but I don't actually remember what I had. I just remember it was delicious. Not to worry though, hopefully Russell will leave a comment on this posting to refresh my memory. Total bill for dinner: $156.57
Well, as tradition dictated, our dinner conversation hovered around what city we would next invade in a future pact trip. We figured August or September would be the time frame, and the current leading contender is Nashville, TN, although Atlanta, GA has an outside chance.
This version of our pact trip took Russell and I to Kansas City in search of what my often loquacious but seldom eloquent friend referred to as, "Mega Cow." For those of you who don't speak Russell, that means a great steak. Did we find "Mega Cow?" Yes, yes we did, but more on that later.
We arrived in Kansas City early on Tuesday the 15th of May, and proceded to the rental car station. Thrify was out of economy cars, so we got a free upgrade. It was not until we reached the parking lot and cast our gaze upon the replacement vehicle that we decided the upgrade was anything but. Russell and I made our way through the streets of Kansas City for a 24 hour period in a vomit-yellow PT Cruiser. It may very well be the ugliest form of transportation ever known to man kind. With no recourse, we slung our bags into the back of the Bilemobile and set off on our day. After checking in at the hotel the next stop was the Airline History Museum located at Kansas City Downtown airport. The guided tour of the museum was affordable and entertaining, and included the priviledge of boarding one of very few airworthy Lockheed Constelations still in existance. The tour guide himself was slightly off, but that is to be expected from someone who was even older than most of the museum pieces he was describing.
Next stop, the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, located in Independance, MO. Truman, of course, is famous in history for assuming the reigns from FDR during the waining days of WWII and subsequently authorizing the use of the atomic bomb. The library is exceptionaly well laid out, and is a fitting tribute to a man who led our country with courage and honesty. At least there was one democrat in our history who actually had a spine...
Having had our fill of history, Russell and I proceded to the Zona Rosa, which is a very nice outdoor mall with several fine restaurants. We had a date with "Mega Cow" at the Hereford House, which is perhaps the most famous steak eatery in a city famous for steak eateries. As Russell and I soon found out, the fame is well deserved. We began the evening at the bar waiting for a table, and while Russ sipped a Vodka Gimlet, I chose a Boulevard #41 ale. We split some excellent fried calamari, and then were shown to our table. I selected a bottle of Trapiche Malbec to accompany our dinner, which is a full-bodied semi dry red from Argentina. It was a marvelous bottle to go along with our marvelous meals. Russell opted for an 8 oz bacon wrapped filet, while I dined upon the 6 oz filet topped with a miniature crab cake. Needless to say, dinner was amazing, and dessert was also exquisite. I say dessert was exquisite, but I don't actually remember what I had. I just remember it was delicious. Not to worry though, hopefully Russell will leave a comment on this posting to refresh my memory. Total bill for dinner: $156.57
Well, as tradition dictated, our dinner conversation hovered around what city we would next invade in a future pact trip. We figured August or September would be the time frame, and the current leading contender is Nashville, TN, although Atlanta, GA has an outside chance.
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