Pilot Training

I'm just thumbing through my texts and eyeing the syllabus. This doesn't look too hard to me. I am already such a fan and a techno-phile that many of these topics are second nature. Theories of flight, parts of the plane, how the engine works, how the controls work... I think the focus for me will be on reading the maps and learning weather info as well as radio jargon. Cool. I'll begin overnight.

Let me see... Oktoberfest Sat, also Yale bowl... can't decide which to hit. Also Cirque de Soleil, but can't decide who to bring. Sunday is definitely for hitting the Big E. There were some other things on the list... OH!! Southington Apple Fest, bitch!@ MMmmmm, fresh hot fritters! A seasonal hit. But why do I feel like I'm saying goodbye to everything now? Yuck.

So I have decided that should I win the Lotto... the car I would buy would be... an Aston-Martin V12 Vanquish S. Yes, it's a sports car, but to me it is the most beautifully crafted car for sale in the world today. Smooth and understated. That's so hot to me.

Well, off to see what the world has in store for me tonight. Ta!

Twilight, Traffic and Fog

TTF...n?

My neighborhood gets no pre-dawn, just twilight. I did the math and it appears that I actually got up at 4:45. I was actually able to read yesterday's paper while I shoveled down my eggs and toast. The only thing that was a pain was trying to remain as quiet as possible in a house full of sleeping people.

Shelley, did you hear about Uncle Marve yet from mom? =(

It seems that no matter WHAT time I go through Middletown, there is still a backlog of traffic along 66. At least I beat the tree cutting crew to work this morning. Sitting at the light downtown it was so foggy that when a fire truck went past all I really saw were it's lights and the vague hint that the truck was yellow. There must be a lot of morning accidents in the river area caused by the fog. I should take note of this since I drive a silver car that might be hard to see in those conditions.

Yesterday afternoon at work I totally scared myself... one of the prior Admins left a spongy back support piece in the office, so I tried it out on the chair. Scary, no? What I was NOT aware of is that if you put enough pressure on the device, it has a heavy massage/vibrator unit inside that activates. Needless to say, I had been sitting there and relatively relaxed and unsuspecting when I finally stretched and the thing kicked on for a second. WHAT THE...!!!??? I see why they wanted this; the chair is bad on the lower back. Since I am 'local' and will be present here for at least a little while, I am giving consideration to bringing in the chair from my room at home. It is the shorter version of the chair at my main desk, and also relatively unused so it looks brand new. I have always only been comfy in those chairs, so it stands to reason that I should bring one along. Oy, that's a thought... transporting EVERYTHING cross-country... It's nice and easy to pack the essentials into the car and go for a few months. Quite a more involved process to dismantle my waterbed, desks and furniture. Do I HAVE to? I wish I weren't going alone. Yes, I always do well in these situations, and dating has gone tolerably well for me this year, but I want to share a connection with someone. To share the experiences and the memories, to always remember, you know? To smile and say, oh what I time we had doing X, and do you remember when we Y? And to love, of course. I certainly look forward to finding someone new to share with. If anything, I have had too many people loving me. Just not enough where I have felt an equal or greater reciprocation.

Ok, off to make the official introduction to my night shift. Everyone has already been surprised to see anyone in this office so early. Why is it that no one else ever thinks to vary their schedule?

Have a good day, everyone. I will be sure to buy some sort of Lotto ticket today. I feel lucky. Besides which, there was the prevalence of the number 28 in a recent dream so perhaps something good will happen today. Dinner in West Hartford, I believe. Then gym! (Twice in a day doesn't hurt)

The Notebook

So I decided to just call it off tonight. There's times when I can't hide it, I guess. My cell rang and beeped all night, unanswered.

Of course, at midnight I decided to watch a movie I haven't seen before:

The Notebook.

Yeah, I can see where it's such a tear-jerker.

Edit:

Incubus Aqueous Transmission

I’m floating down a river
Oars freed from
Their homes long ago
Lying face up on the floor
Of my vessel
I marvel at the stars
And feel my heart overflow
Further down the river

Two weeks without my lover
I’m in this boat alone
Floating down a river
Named emotion
Will I make it back to shore?
Or drift into the unknown

Further down the river

I’m building an antenna
Transmissions will be sent
When I am through
Maybe we can meet again
Further down the river
And share what
We both discovered
Then revel in the view

Further down the river

I’m floating down a river

I'm awake again... too hot upstairs, so here's this wonderful thing = )

Joss Stone What Ever Happened to the Heroes

ooo ooo oo ooo (x2)

I wish i could fly
Like a jet plane
I could read the minds
Of my enemies
Worship a poster
Carry a lunch box
Have a super hero
To come and rescue me

I know we're only human, only made with flesh and blood
I shouldn’t have such expectations waiting here for love

Chorus:
Whatever happened to the heroes?
Fast food, fast cars and remote control
I just need someone, to look up to
To help me down, this winding road

(Whatever happened to the heroes)

Joe Demagio
Martin Luther King
Mother Theresa
Princess Diana
Now it's Kurt Cobane
Take a pill for the pain
Celebrity mentality
Before you even spell your name

I know I'm full of imperfections, baby aren’t we all
But i could use a good example, stop before i fall
(Stop before I fall, what happened to)

Whatever happened to the heroes?
(Oh, Oh)
Fast food, fast cars and remote control
(Remote control)
I just need someone, to look up to
To help me down, this winding road
(This winding road)
So whatever happened to the heroes?

We fall to the waste side
You've been to the dark side
Buried alive
Before my eyes
Been brought to life
A zillion times
They like to build you up
Just to break you down, down, down
Just to break you down, oh

Whatever happened to the heroes?
(Whatever happened to the heroes?)
Fast food, fast cars and remote control
(Oh yeah, what happened to the heroes, what happened to the heroes?)
I just need someone, to look up to
To help me down, this winding road
(Help me down, help me down)
So whatever happened to the heroes?
Whatever happened to the heroes?

(Whatever happened to the heroes?)
Fast food, fast cars and remote control
(Oh yeah)
I just need someone to look up to
(To look up to)
To help me down this winding road
(Yeah, oh, oh)

Is that enough pictures for everyone?

I hope you all have broadband, because it's going to take an hour to open the page now if you don't!

These are some of the better pics from my summer 'abroad'. Enjoy.

Shit! Shit! Shit! No, wait.... out of bounds. Phew!

Who's got it? Not me...

Put it up!

I need my own action figure. I was blinded by mud and I still managed to send that one back. "Don't mess!"

A catfight? In the mud? Oh, PLEASE!

Rastlin'

Monkies!..... IN SPACE!

For Rob.... MONKEY BALLS!

Send it back, WAY BACK!

Cleaned up after the volleyball game.

All you have to say is, "Ball!" and she is on alert!

This flag flies in the face of even the darkest skies.

From the Korean War Monument. This angle is to the side of the "Freedom Is Not Free" granite block. It makes a good windows background.

...all that and I didn't start a fire or ruin anything! Color me shocked.

Blackmail photo and proof that I can cook at least tolerably well.

Cute polish doctor of pharmacy.... ::sigh:: could have been pretty good if her ex didn't come back into the picture.

Hey look, it's me! And sister's ex...

Always remember

You know, thank God the Cold War is over. I love history, particularly military history, but I am so glad we don't have to worry about some idiots blowing up the planet within 2 hours' notice. Now the worst we have to worry about is losing a city or a few buildings. Still not good, but if you compare it in relative terms.... it's a whole lot better than facing annihilation! So yeah, be glad these babies are on display in a museum now.

Native American modern artwork made entirely of wooden blocks. Very cool to see in person.

Aviation artwork circa 1920's

Bader bails out to fight another day.

BF-109 G6 from 1944. Achtung, baby!

My kind of kitty!

Grotto of Lourdes... the pool.

I love this shot of the little brook. So peaceful. It was taken at the Grotto of Lourdes by Mount St. Mary's.

STILL talking...

This is about as pissed as I get. I JUST got to Gettysburg after racing the rain there, and I ended up on the phone for 3 hours with a resident's daughter threatening all sorts of illegal activities. Oy!

Lucky decision on exposure setting. Iwo Jima Memorial, btw.

Pride

Sunset over Bowie. Come on, Diane, I've been waiting 15 minutes...

The Blue Angels, ladies and gentlemen.

Who rules? Talk about timing on a shot! You should see the full-size version.

God, I wish I had my pilot's license!

Good angle on the split.

Break!

Collington's apartment section. Something like 167 apartments, 210 cottages/houses, and 109 skilled and assisted living beds. All me, baby.

You know you've driven too far when...

Kong's got nothin' on me.

Look! It's me, and..... a tree. I can hardly stand the excitement.

Cooling my travel buddies.

Slow exposure capture.

Slow exposure capture.

I'm so cute!

The cave dweller emerges.

More spelunking...

Spelunking!

What you can't see is that my feet are in a giant pool worn out of the rock by swirling waters. I could have submerged myself in it if I wasn't afraid there might be broken glass on the bottom. Look at my face, I felt like a kid!

Gratuitous butt shot!

I wish I could on that bench all day...