Sometimes It's Irritating

I love it, most of the time.
I'm talking about my job.
As you know, I'm nearing retirement. Another of our Viet Nam Vets retired last month, and it was heartening to see how others reacted... our Med Crews bemoaning that one of their safe, experienced pilots was headed out to pasture, leaving a position open for... the unknown.
So I'm frequently asked, "What about you, GB? When will you hang up your spurs?"
Read the first line of this post again. The answer to that question lies there.

Even when I have to drag myself outta bed while it's still dark outside, it's the gettin' up that I hate. I still enjoy the idea of going to work, strapping the aircraft to my back, setting out to see if someone has found an ALL NEW way to hurt themselves. (And of course, once in a while they do.)
But the last day of my last shift was a trial. May I bore you?

The call from dispatch came at 11:30 A.M.
"Can you take the Children's transport team to Funkytown for a Neonate?"
It's hot... 95 F., but there isn't a cloud within 250 miles, so I accept the flight. I'm airborne with my Paramedic/Neonate team wrangler at 11:42. Twenty-five minutes later we load the team and set out on the next 30 minute flight to pick up the baby. After briefing the team I say, "So let me guess... Premature, respiratory distress, rule out sepsis?"
Over the intercom I hear laughter. That's the situation with about 90% of these flights.

We arrive at the referring hospital, and after shutdown I make my way to the nursery. When I arrive they make a face at me.
"The baby isn't born yet."
That's out-of-the-ordinary, but not unheard of. What's odd is that normally the transport team has been notified if that will be the case. This time they were unaware.

We wait.
And we wait.
And what's odd... the mother-to-be is in the room next to us and we can hear her grunting, at times nearly screaming. At one point we stifle a laugh as she shouts expletives at her significant other.
We wait some more.

At 4:30 P.M., five hours later, the transport team leader comes to me and says, "Another baby has been born that needs to be transported. Can you take this baby back, then come back and get the other one?"

Now my duty time begins to be an issue. I cannot accept a flight that will have me in the air 14 hours after I started my duty day.
I do a quick calculation...
"Yes, I can come back. But I want assurances that that baby will be 'on the ground' before I start back here."
She assures me they are moving Mom to take the baby via C section as we speak.

So we load our new charge aboard the helicopter and fly 35 minutes, back to where we picked up the team. They have one box, (Isolette), so they have to take this baby out and disinfect it before they can go back to get baby #2. That's fine... the BK needs fuel anyway.

Paramedic and I fly 4 minutes to the local airport and get a load of Jet A. We potty, then grab a couple bottled waters and wait for the call from the hospital that the team is once again ready.
The call comes, we fly back and get the team and the box, then fly 32 minutes back over ground we covered earlier.

Back at the nursery I'm relieved to see they are actually hovering over a real baby. I'm looking at my watch. It's gonna be close. Should I call my lead pilot and let him know what's going on here? Yes. If it's necessary I can get an emergency extension for the flight, provided he and I both think the flight can be safely conducted. I call him and let him know what's goin' on.

They take longer than I would like getting the baby ready. By the time we load and take off it's dark, and I'm within an hour of "turning into a pumpkin". We land and safely get the preemie on it's way to get expert help, then takeoff on our final leg.
I land and look at my watch. I have 8 minutes left in my "normal" 14-hour shift, (the normal 12 plus the 2 hour accepted extension.)
I've flown 3.6 hours during my 14 hour duty day. I've landed 8 times during that time, including two night landings. I'm irritated and tired. I'm questioning whether I love my job.

And you should know...
Both Moms were unmarried. Both Moms were "uninsured".
Both Moms were less than 20 years of age.
This was your tax dollars at work, folks!

Recycling

You already know I'm a "Use it up, wear it out" kinda guy.
So Marathon Pundit's post made me smile...

Footgear used at the last Republican Convention can be re-used at this one!

Fill In The Blanks-

Two Dead, so this is serious stuff.
But do you suppose the investigator was able to stifle a grin while he wrote this narrative?

Thanks to Bayou Renaissance Man via my brother from another Mom, The Old Man.

Oh! Canada!

I was surprised and somewhat pleased when I started "Pitchpull" to find many Canadian citizens stopping by, leaving interesting, thoughtful comments. I was fortunate to have considerable email correspondence with one Northerner in particular, where we amiably discussed the differences between our countries. National Health Care and National Defense were top issues in those missives, with a little U.S. politics thrown in for good measure. I'm now realizing we didn't discuss human rights to the degree we should have...
rights like freedom of speech.
Apparently, Freedom of Speech doesn't really exist as a right in Canada.

I don't know if you've been paying attention to our Northern border, but Canada has had quite the tussle going on about what can and what cannot be said about a certain religious group. Up until recently, the skirmishes have been pretty one-sided, with the religious group winning most of these battles simply because they had more money to throw into the fight. Now, finally, Canadians (iens) seem to have awakened to the dangers they face and have begun to dig in their heels. That's a good thing.

One author seems to think if Canada doesn't start protecting the rights of its' citizens, it should be put on a human rights watch here in the United States.
Fascinating.

Oh, and my predictions to that correspondent about National Health Care in Canada are beginning to come true too.
I take no pleasure from that... it's just the way socialist systems naturally seem to mature.

The Liberal Mind...

Images are such powerful mind movers.
I'm really, really slow, so can someone please explain to me how putting this image on the cover of a leading lefty magazine helps their candidate?

Bush Lied! Ummm, Well... Nevermind!

...."We have been hearing from the far-left for more than five years how, 'Bush lied.' Somehow, that slogan loses its credibility now that 550 metric tons of Saddam’s yellowcake, used for nuclear weapon enrichment, has been discovered and shipped to Canada for its new use as nuclear energy.

It appears that American troops found the 550 metric tons of uranium in 2003 after invading Iraq. They had to sit on this information and the uranium itself, for fear of terrorists attempting to steal it. It was guarded and kept safe by our military in a 23,000-acre site with large sand beams surrounding the site."

Since you won't see this on MSNBC, you can read the whole shebang here.

C'mon! I'm no Rube!
Everyone knows we invaded Iraq to steal their oil!
If you agree, do this:
Put your fingers in your ears, close your eyes, and chant with me...
"Saddam was NO threat! Saddam was NO threat!"

PUMAS! There's Pumas Out There!

Absolutely cracks me up, and democrats truly are "the gift that keeps on giving"! Hillary Vs. BHO, and the Michigan/Florida fiasco, (which still ain't over, just watch!)

"The Smothers Brothers" had a comedy routine where Tommy would refer to Cougars as Pumas. I've looked all over the 'net to find a video or audiotape to share with you, to no avail. But when this latest "Puma" sighting exploded, the mirth brought on by the Smothers Brothers came rushing back to mind.

And the neatest part? YOU MAY BE A PUMA!
Wanta find out?
All the links you need are right here!
Ha!
ThirdWaveDave found it:

So, How Are You Today?

I am well, thank you, and SO grateful that unlike Varifrank, I am NOT represented by Barbara Boxer, Dianne Feinstein, and Nancy Pelosi !

THANK YOU LORD!

Flexibility In Action!

Hopey, Changey, Sneezy, Grumpy, Dopey, Bashful and Doc...
More and more, this guy is looking like Snow White's sidekick.

Just. Plain. Cool!

July 6, 1983

Twenty-Five years ago today.
A day much like today... hot and humid. Showers were a possibility.
A very pregnant Sara Jean got out of bed to go to the bathroom. She returned to the bedside and woke me...
"I think it's time."
Through bleary eyes I looked to see fluid running down her leg.
That ain't normal!

Suddenly wide awake, bolt upright in bed, I grabbed the phone and called the hospital...
"Yeah, you need to get her here ASAP."
Our Fiat 124 Spyder had a broken starter, so I ran out and pushed it downhill to jump start it, then came back and loaded my precious cargo. Two miles and five minutes later Sara Jean was on her way to the birthing room. Big Bubba was born a few hours later.

Gosh, is it really 25 years? It doesn't seem that long until you start considering the memories.
I was concerned my male offspring would pay me back in Spades for the worry I had caused my parents for all those years. I fretted needlessly.
My relationship with my son was not, and is not perfect.
From an early age he let me know he had his own interests and would not be following in my footsteps. When I bought him his first logbook and introductory flight lesson, he landed saying he was "frightened from the moment the plane left the ground."

Oh well.

He has been the joy of our life. He has a strong sense of right and wrong. He is overly sensitive to hurting others' feelings. He is a known expert at his chosen work and won't release a product until it is as nearly perfect as he can make it.
And the thing that impresses me most...
Unlike other 25 year olds I meet and converse with,
he knows he doesn't know.

Reading a comment in another blog a couple weeks ago the commenter said,
"I was forty before I realized there were thousands of things about which I was clueless."
Knowing what you know is one thing. Realizing what you don't know is more important. Maturity comes with knowing you don't know.
Big Bubba has never pretended to know it all. And because of that, he's easy to like.

There's no easy way to emphasize to your kid how proud of 'em you are. They know you're biased, so they shrug their shoulders and say "Oh Dad/Mom!", then look away, embarrassed.
But in Big Bubba, Sara Jean and I have so much to be proud of...
He's intelligent, kind, and sensitive. He wants to succeed on his own, but he's not afraid to call and ask questions when he "knows he doesn't know." He's 1700 miles from home, making his way with extraordinarily little input from his parents.
I am proud of him. WE are proud of him.

So, to my son-
Shrug it off as I know you will, but this I am sure of:
Your old man still doesn't know it all, but when we look around at your peers, most come up miserably short in the comparison.
Your Mother and I are rightly proud of the citizen you have become.
Be proud of yourself too... Don't change a thing.


Happy Birthday!
We love you more than life itself.

And Then There Were None

Sad news.
James Taylor, the only survivor from the crash of two Bell 407's at Flagstaff Arizona, has succumbed to his injuries.
He also worked at the Flagstaff Medical Center, the intended destination of the helicopter before the crash, so I'm sure the staff there is doubly devastated.

And something that is not being generally reported...
One of the helicopters landed at the Flagstaff airport because of weight concerns and disembarked a Flight Nurse prior to taking off on the short flight to the Medical Center.
I'm having difficulty imagining how that crewmember must now feel.
God bless them all.

UPDATE:
I was mistaken. Taylor did not work at the Flagstaff Medical Center. An updated report, with a little new information is here.

What's It Worth?

We were at a bar. I sat across the table from my two closest friends, both, like me, recently returned Viet Nam Veterans. The conversation turned to military service, and my decision to make the military my career. My friends had both left the military after honorable service.
One commented "I don't want to die for this country."

It was a shock to hear the words.
I had no desire to "die for this country", but knew when I raised my right hand and swore to "protect and defend the constitution of the United States" that my death could be the price necessary to uphold the oath. I took that oath with pride.

My friend's comments were in the immediate aftermath of Viet Nam and should be weighed in that light. Many of us were bitter that our government had risked our lives in that effort, then much of that same government aided and abetted the enemy by openly using the media to further their political careers, questioning our goals there.
I told my friend I was willing to die for his right to express his opinion. It was his turn to be surprised.

There is no question that this country is imperfect. There is no question this country is now politically divided more than it has been in my lifetime.
Yet we still have defenders willing to risk their lives so we have the right to argue, and by arguing, hopefully improve this country.

In my opinion, one of the best measures of how we as a country are doing is to consider how many are willing to suffer great trauma in their lives to come here. Our great neighbor the North, probably one of the better places on earth to live, watches as citizens migrate to the U.S. in surprising numbers.

Is this country worth dying for?
Only so long as there are enough folks willing to earnestly think it is.
Thank GOD for our military!

Maria Dries Cherries

The list of things that can be done with a helicopter are nearly endless. We frequently use the downward airflow produced by the rotor in agriculture to do beneficial work.
Maria Langer recently used her R44 to dry the fruit on cherry trees.
Her post will give you an insight into the inherent dangers of the work.

Once An Eagle

Perhaps the best book about military service I ever read.
It's available at Amazon.com in Hard and Paperpack.
Now and then I get a glimpse of one of our Presidential candidate's close advisors on TV and am reminded of the A**hole West Point Grad from the book- Courtney Massengale.
I assume my readership is smart enough to sort out who I'm talking about.
You are a genuine ass, General. Thank you.

How Does This Happen?

At this time I'm hearing 7 dead and 3 injured. A daylight Mid-air collision? What in the world is going on?

UPDATED-
Now we're hearing there are 6 dead. One of the flight nurses is alive but critically injured. Two folks that were on the ground trying to help were hurt when something on one of the helicopters exploded. All this is gleaned from News reports and, like the initial report of 7 dead, should be taken with a grain of salt.

But the question remains... how does this happen?
I'm always claustrophobic when I get into an airplane. How in Hell can you be safe in something going that fast if you cannot see out of it?!! I'm just amazed when I climb into the cockpit of an airliner and see the tiny windows on those things... an airplane designed to go 600 miles an hour or so. It's a credit to all airplane pilots we don't have more airplane to airplane Mid-air collisions than we do!

But helicopters...
Most are designed to be like sitting on your front porch while your front porch is zipping along at 1500 feet of altitude. And in a helicopter, you have the added benefit of being able to see THROUGH THE WING! Most even have little "chin bubble" windows in the floor to look through! We chopper folks can see almost everywhere out of our machines!

So how do two helicopters find a way to collide, during daylight hours, in Flagstaff, AZ. where the visibility was probably 200 miles?
It's mind boggling.

Let me try to suggest a scenario:
I don't think they were headed back to the hospital from the same scene... they'd have been aware of, and looking out for one another if that were the case. So here you have two helicopter pilots headed to the hospital in Flagstaff, both thinking they are the only flying thing around for several miles, totally unconcerned about watching out for one another. They are from different helicopter EMS services, so they aren't talking to the same dispatchers. In the middle of Northern Arizona they likely weren't talking on a common "Unicom" frequency announcing their position to other helicopters, 'cause they didn't think anyone else was out there. Does the hospital in Flagstaff answer their radio when called? If it becomes generally recognized a hospital won't answer you when called, my crews will forego that call if they have their hands full caring for a patient.

Then add to this that med-crew eyes were all inside the aircraft doing patient care, and what do you have? Two sets of eyes looking outside the aircraft... the two pilots. That's fine if they are truly looking, which they obviously would have been if they both knew the other aircraft was out there somewhere. I don't think they knew to look.

I've been flying EMS since 1986. There was explosive growth in the industry in 1987, and we, as an industry, had a horrific year accident-wise. Pilots just starting to do a job they were unsure of, some flying unfamiliar equipment, many flying at night without much night familiarity, and competition with other companies suggesting flight in unsuitable weather conditions. 1987 was a terrible year with lots of fatalities. This year is shaping up to be worse.

So what's the solution?
Let me make you a wager...
The FAA is gonna feel pressure to do SOMETHING. And one of the things they'll consider is a device called a "Collision avoidance system". It's another neat electronic instrument to warn pilots of impending danger, and in some situations it has value. But it's another thing that distracts the pilot's attention and forces him to look INSIDE the cockpit rather than OUTSIDE where he should be looking to avoid another whirling set of rotor blades.
I think the emphasis should be on more communication, and more "head on a swivel" outside the cockpit surveying.

So now we wait for information on the "links of the chain"... those things that had to align for this accident to happen. Then we'll wait and see what remedial action is suggested/forced upon operators to try to avoid something similar in the future.

I'm gettin' old.
I've seen too much of this.
My heart aches.

FURTHER UPDATE:
A good report of the accident here.

What Is That?

I'm looking for geese, and this ain't geese.
But something is swimming pretty forcefully across the lake below me. The lake is about 300 feet wide, and whatever it is I'm looking at has already made it more than halfway to the other bank.
Is it a deer? I've seen deer swimming before. Despite being equipped with just about the spindliest legs on the face of the earth, they are very strong swimmers.
From 500 feet above the surface I push the collective down and start a descending, decelerating arc to satisfy my curiosity. Pretty quickly I realize it's not a deer, but what the heck is it?
Into the wind, continuing to slow and descend, I see it's not one thing, but several... an aquatic parade of sorts. In the lead is a VERY large raccoon. In his wake, apparently as curious about his proceedings as me, are six ducklings, still too young to fly. Where is Momma duck?
My approach spooks the ducklings and they abandon the parade for safer territory, but the big raccoon continues his powerful swim to the opposite side. I'm in a very dangerous spot... hovering fifteen feet above the water, but I'd like to have a picture of this spectacle to share with you. I apply friction to the collective and reach for my camera pack. The helicopter descends a little toward the water, so I pull the collective up a little and take the camera out of it's holster and set it on the seat next to me, then push the collective down again to get closer to the swimming raccoon. I grab the camera and push the "power" button. The zoom lens pops out and I'm ready to shoot the picture. I once again set the camera on the seat next to me, then readjust the controls, take my left hand off the collective, grab the camera again. This is risky stuff. Obviously I have to shoot this picture one-handed... left handed. I point the camera and push the button, and the camera turns off.
After all that trouble, I've pushed the power button again instead of the shutter. The raccoon reaches the bank and disappears into the brush without even glancing back at me.

Damn!
You'd have enjoyed the picture.

Reunion Review

I have no idea where Larry is. This is not a huge hotel and he's aware I'm headed his way, so I'm assuming he'll be mingling with the crowd, watching for me. It's fun poking my head into this room, then that one, hoping to catch him chatting with friends.

The crowd is typical for these events...
Gray headed old men everywhere, some walking with the help of canes since the late '60's- early '70's. Like me, almost all are wearing some item of clothing indicating service in Viet Nam. My "Go to Hell" hat with Aviator's wings and Americal Division patch is goofy looking to those in the hotel not attending this reunion, but fits right in with attendees. More than half these guys have their Wives alongside. These gals are extraordinary... all proudly wear necklaces with badges identifying them as reunion attendees, and most also wear reunion patches, pins, or other related paraphenalia. These Wives suffered while their warriors were away from home and at risk. This is not their first reunion so they have heard many, many stories of heroism and selflessness. DO NOT "poke the bear"... get into a discussion about what it takes to preserve freedom with these gals... they will disembowel you before you know you've even been wounded!

I've stuck my head into a couple meeting rooms and wandered around the lobby for 10 minutes or so, and I'm just about to pull out my cell phone and dial him when Larry shouts from the entrance to one of the restaurants. Together we order appetizers and share news.

On the main reunion floor there is a large dining room that is also being used as the principle meeting room. Several hundred attendees are scattered about, chatting in groups of five or six each. Logos and banners outside smaller conference rooms designate meeting places for individual units. Other rooms are reserved for vendors, selling unit patches, pins, books, posters and other memorabilia. We wander into one of these rooms and I immediately notice a familiar unit crest...
The 71st Assault Helicopter Company was located South of where I lived at Chu Lai, and we Warlords frequently flew missions alongside the Rattlers and Firebirds. I shake hands with Paul Bartlett and find we have friends in common. When I mention Captain Herb Crosby,
I notice Paul involuntarily catch a breath.
I've hit a nerve.

When Paul found out there would be a memorial service at Arlington when Captain Crosby's remains were returned, he wanted to do something special for Herb's family. You can see the plaque he made to present to Herb's Mom here.
The story about the POW/MIA bracelet you see on that plaque is touching-
Paul wanted a POW/MIA bracelet with Capt. Crosby's name on it to install on the plaque. He "googled" POW/MIA bracelets and
Liz Flick's website was the first to come up. Paul called the number there and when Liz answered, he said he had a special request...
"I need a bracelet with a specific name... Capt. Herb Crosby."
Liz was taken aback...
"I've been wearing Herb's bracelet on my arm for over 30 years!" When Paul explained what he wanted to do, Liz insisted he take her bracelet for the memorial plaque.
And one more irony... Liz had shown the bracelet on her arm to Herb's Mother when they both had attended a memorial some years earlier!
Needless to say, before Paul had finished the story of making the plaque, I was in tears and he was fighting them back.

Larry and I visited as we walked around, and I found a pin with four Hueys in formation that had my name on it. I bought it, then it was time for dinner... back to the big meeting room.

Gunner Steve and his wife appeared and sat with us. Steve has had health problems over the last few years, but I was heartened to see him smiling and in apparent good health. We caught up on the latest news, then the three of us started challenging one another to see who could come up with the most innocuous memory.
I think Steve won with the "Cobra incident"... the time one of our pilots snagged the left skid of a Cobra on an immovable object, ripping the skid off so we had to build a temporary "kickstand" for the Snake to land on for repairs to be made.
(No, it wasn't me that did it!)

I was disappointed to find no other familiar faces in the crowd, but we are all brothers and I left the reunion having made new friends, with a few business cards in my pocket.
Tears, smiles, and memories made new...
I left the Hotel looking forward to the next reunion.

To Those That Pray-

We received word from our "extended family" today that one of their's needs our prayers.
He was burned over 60% of his body in a refueling accident in Iraq. That's all we know so far, except that his airway was compromised, and that makes his case mighty serious. So if you are inclined, a short prayer for him and the rest of our heroes is appreciated.

It's an odd sort of coincidence for me... my last flight yesterday was to carry a bad burn patient to the Burn Center, and just this morning I had finished reading the extraordinary story of Sgt. Merlin German. Unfamiliar with Sgt. German? Have hankies ready before you start reading!

Thank God such young men exist!

Cornblatt

Ever have something pop into your head and stay there, driving you crazy until something else pops in to replace it?
That's the "pop-in" of the day!
I don't know anyone named Cornblatt. I can't remember anyone mentioning the name or hearing a news story where anyone named Cornblatt set a world's record standing on one leg.

Cornblatt?
I need a new thought.

Reunions

How much time do we devote to the past?
I'm about to head out the door to attend a reunion with a couple old friends... a Crew Chief and Gunner from my unit in Viet Nam. It's almost forty years since we were together in Chu Lai, Viet Nam. Barely out of our teens, we were boys doing men's work.

We've tried to stay in touch over the years, via email and too infrequent meetings. Obviously, our lives have taken different directions and it's interesting to chat about how our experiences back then have impacted our lives since. And it's there that we have a bond...
For all of us, the Viet Nam experience was the foundation for much of what followed in our lives.

I avoided these reunions for years, worrying that to attend would be "living in the past", denying myself the therapy I'd receive by seeing those years through the eyes of others. Talking with these brothers-in-arms rekindles memories of those days, and hearing others sharing their experiences of tense moments helps illuminate the "whys" of those experiences. It's also good therapy hearing we all had similar experiences adjusting to normal life upon our return home.

Summer is reunion season, and many contemporaries will be meeting and sharing, doin' a little "living in the past".
Remember, it's therapy...
Good for the soul.

Ummm, I Gotta Ask...

He was ingested.
So I want to know...
Does this accident dice him like a wood chipper?

"Trauma Naked"

Go RIGHT NOW and read this.
Some of you won't understand some of it... (I didn't.)
Doesn't matter. It's good. Read it.

Situational Awareness

It helps if you can see what is air, and what is not:

"So ignorance is OK, David? "

Yeah, unfortunately, all too often ignorance is just fine...
Look at what the Supreme Court did this week.

The title comes from a post at Tigerhawk.
If you aren't ignorant, (or if you are but would rather not be), go, and read all the comments too.

Coanda Effect

Look Ma! No tail rotor! (Notar)

Made possible by Coanda effect. (Actually, I believe it's just magic.)

Will It Be Lieberman?

He's already having trouble with staunch Conservatives, so it won't really hurt him with that bloc of voters. He's obviously actively courting Hillary supporters, who have been leaning his direction anyway.
Obama's support from extremist Islamic groups and some of his pre-AIPAC comments have Jewish voters suspicious of him. Selecting Lieberman would attract a VERY LARGE group of people dissatisfied with the status quo. I personally don't care, 'cause Mac ain't my guy anyway. But this ticket would be VERY powerful!

So what do ya think...
Will he tag Lieberman, and if he does, will Lieberman accept?

(And interestingly, wouldn't that make Lieberman the first man to run as V.P. on both tickets?)

UPDATE:
Will tapping him even be necessary?

Obama & Associates, Part Deux!

Idea for the video shamelessly stolen from ThirdWaveDave.

BHO's Big Problem

I'm seeing others comment on it more and more, and I think in the long run it will be his biggest problem...
The war in Iraq.

I may be the biggest idiot on the face of the earth, but I've lived 61 years and I've learned to pay "attention to details".
I wish I could place a bet on my gut feeling...
History will prove this war was necessary.
Hussein had those WMD's, we know that. Our intelligence on them may have been faulty, but I find it hard to believe the intelligence community as a whole was wrong on the issue. So the question is, what happened to those weapons?
The best guess I've seen relates to all those Russian trucks that were seen outside the facility in Al-Qagaa.
If you come here and read comments, you know others disagree. the most vocal of those are 20 somethings... intelligent, idealistic, but naive (or refusing to pay attention to detail) about history and politics in general. (I realize they may still be proven correct, but they are still naive.)

So here is Obama's problem as I see it:
Most folks in my circle agree with me. I have NO WAY of quantifying how many people that amounts to, but it's a bunch. I don't think BHO can win without considerable support from these folks. BHO is gonna have to move in such a way that this chunk of voters are comfortable with how he'll handle the war after the election. To get that support he'll have to make a major change in his rhetoric, and doing so, he'll alienate the naive 20-somethings presently swooning over his wonderful "changiness".

The creaking sound you hear is the stress being subjected to the Democrat party, and if you're paying attention you can already see fissures starting to separate him from voters he needs. He finds himself in "Catch-22"...
His present position is untenable. It'll be interesting to watch how he squirms over the next months, and how the MSM and his followers react to the change he has to make.

Let's see if he's the brilliant politician the swooners believe he is.

Transporting Patients By Helicopter

It's a discussion that needs to be held.
What constitutes "sick enough" to warrant calling a helicopter to transport a patient to a tertiary care center? What matrix is used to determine if the time saved is worth the safety risk, not to mention the extra cost?

Too many lives have been lost. It's past time to have that discussion.

Obama & Associates

Yeah, yeah... "Words have meaning".
That one has already come back to bite him, but of course he was "tired". (He'll be even more tired later, and it should be fun to watch.)

And "Birds of a feather flock together".
That one is beginning to nibble now too. If you can hold your nose long enough to be educated in spite of the stink, go now to Marathon Pundit, where Obama neighbor John has a permanent clip attached to his nose and is keeping a close watch on the Messiah.
Thanks John. I'm glad someone is doin' it!

More Family Deaths

It's been a bad year in the EMS helicopter community. I wish I knew what causes accidents to come in spurts sometimes. The year after I started flying EMS, 1987, was the worst ever because of the explosion of program startups. This year has started off ugly.
I didn't share it with you at the time, but last month we lost three caring people in Wisconsin.

Today I'm reading about another terrible loss.

These accidents are almost always associated with bad weather or nighttime operations, or both.
I wish I had a magic wand...

I Need Your Help Again!

Take a look at the post and comments below, then come back and explain something to me.
Since Chimpy McHitlerBush has been President, the opposition has been chanting loud and long about "Loss of Freedoms!"

Can someone please explain to me why we are now ready to surrender extraordinary freedoms to someone who, by the way, has
little real-life experience, and ABSOLUTELY NO Executive experience whatsoever?

What car you drive.
How comfortable you can be in your home.
How much, and maybe what... you can eat!

Where the Hell are we headed?
(That's rhetorical, no need to answer 'cause I've read about this kind of behavior in my history books!)

Saturation

Global warming(?!).
Pollution.
Energy shortages.
Water shortages.
Food shortages.
War?

How long before everyone begins to realize and talk about the real problem here?
Too many people on this sphere...
Too many people pursuing too few resources.

Since it's obvious nothing will be done about the problem until Mother Nature intervenes, I'm gonna start now trying to figure out how to profit from the coming disaster.

Doin' What's Necessary

"Well, that was harder than I expected!"

The call was to meet an ambulance carrying a 6 month old female in respiratory distress. We launch, and when I plug the coordinates into the GPS, I inform our dispatchers of our 14 minute ETA.

"Your ground contact will be County 7201 on Fire/Mutual Aid."
"Roger."

I spin the dial on my magic Wulfsberg radio so that I can talk on the proper frequency...
"County 7201 this is ***** 3, over."
"This is 7201, go ahead."
"Gotcha loud and clear 7201. We're 8 minutes from your location, and we'd like a patient update at your convenience, please."
"Roger that. Your patient is a 6 month old female, born with a heart defect. She has had three major surgeries, one of them a week ago. She is having breathing problems due to congenital heart failure."
"Okay, we got that. What ya got for a landing area for me?"
"We want you to land on the Interstate overpass between the ambulance and the pumper."
"Roger that. See ya in about 6 minutes."

We arrive over the scene and it looks safe... the only wires are far enough away to not be a factor. Landing on the centerline of the overpass gives me plenty of room on both sides of the helicopter. There is a traffic warning sign near the end of the overpass that I need to avoid.

"Okay crew, I'm gonna shoot a steep approach to the South, and the last 50 feet will be vertical. Heads on a swivel... shout if you see anything."
(Our S.O.P. for landings is for any crew member to say "STOP!, STOP!, STOP!" over the intercom if they see a danger, so I can abort the landing and discuss the problem afterwards.)

Traffic is obviously stopped by the emergency equipment. I come to a hover 50 feet over the centerline of the overpass and gently start my descent. About 5 feet above the pavement the helicopter starts a gentle pendular action beneath the rotor system. As I further descend the swaying worsens. My rotorwash is being reflected off the three-and-a-half foot walls of the overpass and is affecting the cushion of air the helicopter normally builds up as it lands from a hover. I have my hands full. The trick is to make small amplitude, quick cyclic corrections to stabilize the helicopter. I continue the descent, working harder and harder as we approach the pavement.
"Well, that was harder than I expected! We're on the ground."
The crew won't make a move until I let them know I have ceased maneuvering. With the knowledge that I have done my part they exit the aircraft and get to the business at hand... getting this baby the help she needs.

There are exit/entrance ramps off the Interstate highway at each end of this overpass. We begin to gather an audience... folks stopped because they can't make it across the blocked overpass, and folks interested in the activity around the helicopter and all the emergency vehicles. Within 10 minutes there are 20 or so cars and trucks waiting and watching, everyone out of their vehicles to get a better view. (I don't blame them. I'm still fascinated by helicopters and will stop and stare, even after 41 years!)
The scene commander approaches and shakes my hand. He knows this little girl and her family, and he's happy to have our help.

My crew gets out of the ambulance and approaches the helicopter. They need no help from the ground personnel to load this little one... she weighs all of 15 pounds. Their delay in the ambulance was because they had to "tube" her... insert a breathing tube down her throat to make sure she gets enough oxygen during our 17 minute flight to the Children's Hospital. I'm proud of my crew... "tubing" a baby this size scares many EMS workers. I work with REAL pros!

My takeoff and the landing at Children's Hospital are uneventful.
It's my fourth flight of the day, and at the end of the day I have accrued 4.1 hours in the air during my twelve hour shift.

When I get home, my bed feels wonderful.
I'm asleep almost as soon as my head hits the pillow.

Health Care Humor

"Gonna have Jack Kevorkian on speed dial."
LOL!
Go chuckle at Emily's Blog.

2X4 Upside The Head?

Sometimes the realization comes slowly.

31 May 1919

Familiar with that flying boat?
Well you should be. It made history 89 years ago.

More, about mid-page at this site, with a photo to give you a better idea of the size of the airplane.
More detailed information about the mission and Commander here.

FlugBlogging

There are a few that can do it. Some do it pretty well.
Others write stuff that has you clicking the "back" button after reading a few words. Still others will publish a post, go off on a deployment to Iraq, publish a post, then take off on a deployment to Scofield Barracks.
I'm talking about Aviation Bloggers. If you read them, as I do, it's obvious most of them avoid the "third rail" issues. I accept that, but it's not for me. I agree with the statement I've seen written on T-Shirts...
"Everyone is entitled to my opinion."
You don't have to agree with me... Hell, if everyone agreed with me, I wouldn't be motivated to find I'm mistaken while trying to prove they're mistaken! (And that happens often enough. ;>)

But Aviators are just people...
Intelligent people...
Interesting, full of life people.
Put me in a roomful of Aviators and the conversation won't lag.

I Blog about life. I figure if I find it interesting, there's a pretty good chance you will too.
So when I read this post and it painted a visual picture of events I've also experienced, I thought you'd like it too.
Drop by and let Scud Runner know what you think.

(Now I'm going to go do something he motivated me to do...
read up on Mutt Muffs!)

Gimme A Dollars Worth!

I still love cars. When I was Sixteen I thought I might want to make them the center of my life. Impossibly greasy, dirty hands and fingernails changed my mind...
I'm obsessive/compulsive about my hands being dirty. But for a year I worked pumping gas and as a mechanic at a local filling station. While working there the price of gasoline fluctuated around the price you see above... 32 cents per gallon, plus or minus a couple cents. Customers would pull in next to the pumps, running over an air filled rubber hose as they came to a stop. The weight of their car running over the hose would cause a bell to ring in the station, causing me to run out like one of Pavlov's dogs to pump gas into the waiting vehicle. I would then normally hear one of two things:
"Fill 'er up."
or,
"I'll take a dollars worth."

Hard to believe, isn't it? One dollar would buy about 3 gallons of gasoline. Most cars back then got around 15-17 miles to the gallon, so customers asking for a dollars worth would expect to be back at my pumps in 51 miles or so. Those asking for their tank to be filled would be handing me something over $5.00 after I finished washing their windshield and checking their engine's oil and water levels, assuming their tank was nearly empty when they pulled in.

Back then, when you were in the market to buy a used car, an average car could be expected to have 10,000 miles per year on it. More miles than that decreased the value of the car considerably, and caused many unscrupulous used car dealers to "roll back" the odometers. State Attorneys General put a stop to that practice long ago.

Low fuel prices enabled us to make changes in our lives...
We've moved farther from our workplaces. We use our cars to travel more. I think most people expect a car to accrue 15,000 miles or so in a year now.

But the latest uptick in gas prices have changed my family's behavior. We postpone even starting the car until we can accomplish several errands at the same time. Some trips are cancelled altogether. An auto mechanic I chatted with yesterday said his business has already been affected... people who drive less have fewer breakdowns.

There will be other ramifications that we haven't considered. The BK117 helicopter ambulance I fly burns 60+ gallons of kerosene an hour. Our company didn't foresee a 25% increase in the cost of fuel... Guess who will end up paying for that increase?

We live in interesting times. There will be changes... some of them will come pretty quickly, and some not soon enough.

Sound and Sight

Something's Happened

I'm at work.
I'm bummed enough that I almost called in sick tonight, although I'm not sick...
Well, not physically sick anyway. I'm heartsick.
Let me draw your attention to this post from a few months ago over at John's blog. Read the post. Read the comments... all of 'em.
It's important.

On more than one occasion I have helped take car keys away from someone too drunk to get into a car and drive. One of those instances literally resulted in one friend striking another in the face, knocking him off his feet in order to let him know we were serious that he would not drive away while we watched.
In the morning, ALL of these drunks were glad we did what we did.
But this is different...

When you allow someone to get into your aircraft as a passenger, you are, in effect, establishing a contract with them. This taken-for-granted contract says, "If you get into my flying machine, I promise to deliver you safely back to the ground."
As pilots, we are telling our passengers, "Yes, even if something goes terribly wrong with the machine, or if the weather does something unforeseen, I am trained and capable of handling the situation."

But like the pilot-subject of John's post, we've all seen pilots we knew in our heart were unsafe. Most pilots have pretty big egos. When does the big ego become a problem, and what can the rest of us do about it?

Some months ago I got into the rear seat, as a passenger, of an aircraft piloted by a guy I felt was competent. Two aircraft were flying to a restaurant fifteen minutes away for dinner. We took off and I was immediately uncomfortable... this pilot was flying fast and low-level...
at treetop level for the majority of the flight. Five minutes into the flight I said, "Hey ********, I am REALLY not comfortable flying this low!" My friend chuckled and said, "you're not, huh?", and continued flying fast and low until we arrived at our destination. I flew home in the other aircraft and never flew with the guy again.

Now he's had a terrible accident, and for his benefit and mine I won't share details with you, except to say HE survived.

Could I...
SHOULD I have done more to get this guy's attention? To illustrate to this guy the risks he was taking could be disastrous?
This guy knew me, respected my opinion, and in fact might never have become a pilot had I not trained him for a short time. Yet when I cautioned him about his risky attitude, he laughed and shrugged it off. If I had made a bigger deal of it, he would have been angry and I likely would have lost his friendship... and it's doubtful his behavior would have changed anyway.

But now his life and behavior are changed forever.
And my heart aches.
Tell me...
What should I have done? Is there anything we can do to prevent such accidents, short of hitting someone and knocking them off their feet?

But We're Losing, Ya know!??

"2002 and 2003 was the first time we responded to terror attacks by doing something they REALLY don't want us to do. We cold-bloodedly and effectively brought democracy and freedom to two Islamic countries, and most importantly, one of them right in the Arab heartland. If our project in Iraq succeeds, al-Qaeda and its project are locked out of that country forever. They know it, they've said it, they've thrown their best efforts into the counter-attack."

That quote comes from an article here, and comes complete with a little jab at the Messiah Candidate and a poke at my favorite Presidential failure. There's also a touching photo of Iraqi girls... FEMALES mind you, at school(!) with their new chalkboards.
Yeah, you can't help but be reminded of the wisdom in that old song...
"War, HUH!, Good God y'all, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing!"


Although you wouldn't know it watching most news programs, freedom is extending it's cancerous tendrils more and more into the heart of Arabville.
Let's bring our troops home now, before this cancer can spread any further!

Hat tip to Instapundit.

UPDATE:
The candidate telling you we're not safer since our actions following 9-11 is lying to you.

Twenty... (42?) Years Ago

Forty-two years ago today I left the home I had known for 18 years and rode a bus to Ft. Knox, KY, drafted by my Uncle Sam.
I tried to turn lemons into lemonade, and that desire finds me where I am today.
Still, once in a while I go home and look at my old neighborhood and think of all the water that has passed beneath the bridge.
This song brings on the rain:

Twenty Years Ago - Kenny Rogers

Posted Nov 07, 2006

Confused?

Midway along my route to work, there is a small town with a couple stop signs, put there just to slow me down and make me consume extra fuel. At a corner where I make one of those stops I watched with interest as work was done to replace a Chinese restaurant with a Barbecue joint. In my youth I worked at/managed two different restaurants and heard over and over how, when opening a new eatery, you needed to have enough capital to keep the doors open for a year in order to establish a positive cash-flow. Four months after this Barbecue shop opened, I turned to take a look while stopped and had to pull into the parking lot so I could share this bit of irony with you:


Added as a clarifier:
I published this post as I was headed off to bed and realized I'd left a loose end...
Yes, the place is shuttered and closed for good. Wonder if someone would like to try a Chinese Restaurant on that site?

14 Cents

I took this photo about three weeks ago. I had just filled my tank with fuel and had stopped just down the street for hamburgers. It's painful that the price of gas has gone up so much in such a short period of time isn't it? Most of us would love to pay $3.60/gallon for gasoline, wouldn't we?
But wait!
Click on the picture and look at the larger image. Look farther down the street at the advertised price at "Fuelman", where I had just refueled.
Fourteen cents difference in price in less than half a city block.
Why would anyone buy fuel at the BP? (And they were!)

What's That Ahead?

We're headed South to Destin, about 4 hours into the drive, and I'm bored outta my gourd.
On the horizon... what IS that?!!
On a trailer behind a truck... it's squat and odd looking. And then it begins to look familiar...
My old friend, the "flying tadpole".
It's a Huey.

I had Sara Jean take the wheel from the right seat while I grabbed the camera and shot these photos as we passed. About 10,000 of these machines were produced in the 60's and early 70's.
With 3000 hours in UH-1's, what are the chances I flew this machine?
It's neat just thinking it's a possibility.
UPDATE:
It's a 1966 model Huey, so it almost certainly had Viet Nam service, complete with patched-up bullet holes in the floorboards.

Winding Down, May 2008

I'm weird.
(And a large chorus of acquaintances sing "Amen" in unison!)

I hate leaving home... always have.
I like the IDEA of traveling. I'm pleased reviewing memories gathered while I travel. I enjoy sharing adventures with people I love. But I hate loading the car. I hate not having all the "stuff" that makes my life comfortable within easy reach. I hate boring long distance drives. I'm on edge while driving to make a flight, knowing an accident along the way or car trouble could delay us long enough to miss the flight, (and the tickets I buy these days are worthless under those circumstances.) Sometimes I wish I had never agreed to travel in the first place.
I'm envious of people who gush about preparing for a trip, but know I'll never be one of them... it's just never gonna be me.

We returned from 9 days in our beloved Destin last night, after driving most of the day, pulling into our drive at Midnight. We put lots more good times into memory, ate fantastic caught-yesterday seafood, and spent a little time on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I'm glad we did it and look forward to the next trip. But is there anyone I can hire to make sure we have everything we need, then load the car and drive us?

One of the things I love about Destin is the airshow. Destin is just South of Eglin Air Force Base and just East of Hurlburt Field. So in addition to the normal civil aircraft you assume will be checking the beach, we see some pretty expensive military metal doing their "training". This time we saw the normal C-130's and CH-53E's flying low enough to take your breath away. But in addition to that I can add a personal first: I saw two V-22's in airplane mode, about 5 minutes apart, flying Eastbound, not too low. Neat.
I'm hopeful that'll happen more often.

So it's back to work tonight after almost two weeks of absence. Long breaks away from work make me rusty, so I'll climb back into my seat at the controls when I've finished my preflight and reconnect with all the levers, buttons, switches, and instruments. It's good to be home and back into my routine.

Now, to truly get back into the swing of things, can I order up an exciting night accident scene to share with you?
We'll see.

Oh, and just one more thing...
In my email this morning I found something I'd like to share with all Veterans.
Direct link here.
Thanks Cary.

Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em!

That's an old Bob Newhart routine from the late '50's or early '60's.
I've never smoked, and that one line has always been hilarious to me...
"You do WHAT with it, Walt?!"
With the attention to, and education about tobacco, not to mention the cost, I don't understand anyone starting or continuing the habit these days.

The numbers are decreasing, but when I first started working in EMS I was shocked by how many folks in health care smoke.
Docs, Nurses, etc.,... I always thought these folks were cream-of-the-crop, Mensa types. Surprise, surprise! It became obvious pretty quickly that even Mensa-types can be stupid enough to start a habit more addictive than shooting heroin into your veins. Still, so long as those around me are considerate, I take a "live and let live" attitude.
Smoke... Enjoy. It's your life.

Now let's talk about something even more stupid-
You've been tasked with booking a location for the "International Tobacco Show".
Where should you book the event? I've got a great idea... let's gather at the Chicago suburb of St. Charles, Illinois, where they have just passed a State law banning the use of tobacco products indoors. That way we'll have to walk half a mile to a tent to try products we might be interested in purchasing. What a great idea!
Unbelievable.

Sometime in the future I'll blog about morbidly obese EMS personnel.
I swear, in some ambulance districts I think "huge-avoirdupois" is a job prerequisite!

Thank You Panera Bread!!

Dateline Destin, Florida-

Things could be worse. Actually, things could hardly be better. But I have been, in a way, speechless for four days now.
The wi-fi connection I was hijacking here in the past is now password-protected. There are four very strong wi-fi signals irradiating my body, 24 hours a day... all password-protected. So here I sit at Panera Bread, sipping on an excellent cup of Hazelnut coffee, checking my email and communicating to you why I haven't published a post in a while. I just wanted to let you know nothing is wrong... we're suffering under sunny skies with 82 degree temperatures and winds of 15-20 knots. Free beer might put a bigger smile on my face.

Post-West Virginia I want your thoughts...
I'd call that a first class whuppin'.
Rodolfo will minimize it, 'cause West Virginia doesn't put our gal that much closer to the goal line. But nevertheless, 67-26 can only be called "wiping the floor with him" time.
Will it cause more buyer's remorse?
And we're still talking about Michigan and Florida!

Ain't this fun?

Dear Senator Kerry,

See how easy this is?
Sign that SF180 like you promised, you jerk!
(H/T- Just One Minute.

Not So Fast, Bunky!

The media, (those same wise folks that said she was out of the running months ago), are saying our gal Hill is outta here. Let me tell you, (with some help from a friend), why she'll hang on, and MAYBE take all the marbles home:

Who would you say has the most powerful political machine running today? Now I can only repeat what is said by folks that know more about the issue than me, but most folks I respect indicate Bill and Hill are the powerhouses of politics. I can only imagine the reason she is holding on is because she knows something we don't... she's hiding an ACE.

Rezko and Ayres.
These are nasty, NASTY people... people you wouldn't want for neighbors. People you wouldn't want close to your children.
They are Obama's neighbors. Obama has worked with them, and in the case of Ayres, FOR him.
Now to be sure, no strong Obama/Rezko connection has been uncovered, YET. So far, as I've indicated before, there is just a TON of smoke coming from beneath that nasty pile of Chicago politics that is Obama's campaign. But if you were Hillary, looking forward, what would cause you to continue? What would cause you to lend $6.4 million to your own campaign? Somethin's afoot!

Friend John at Marathon Pundit is watching the Rezko trial closely.
A verdict in that trial is pending. If Rezko is found guilty he faces serious time. The amount of "serious time" he spends could depend on what information he shares before sentencing. I'm mighty glad I'm not the Governor of Illinois right now.

And watching Hillary's behavior in the face of what appear to be impossible odds, I think I'm also glad I'm not Barack Obama.

I could be wrong.
Still, it's fun to watch nasty people squirm!

Newt Gingrich Called!

Got a call today from some conservative group, asking if I would participate in a "one question survey". I laughed out loud at the thought of it.
I agreed, wanting to hear if it was possible for anyone to conduct a survey with one question. They played a pre-taped message by Newt Gingrich that took one minute. Newt talked about how the Republican party has lost it's rudder. When Newt's one minute message was done a different female came on the line and asked, "Are you dissatisfied with the present leadership of the republican party?"
I think the outburst of uncontrolled laughter hurt her ears.

No Matter What, I Pledge-

The past 8 years HAVE been a fun time for cartoonists, comedians, and political junkies, haven't they?
Down-to-earth, good 'ol boy GWB can't properly string a full sentence together, so he has provided comics and pundits with plenty of amusing material to use against him. Those qualities have actually endeared him somewhat to those of us raised in "fly-over" country, where actions speak louder than words. But Bush's stumbles have embarrassed some of our more "tightly-wound" citizens...
Like that other "seemingly laid-back" Texan, LBJ, there have been times when GWB should have been more aware that not all those around him had his best interest at heart. He's been a relatively easy target. Cartoonists and photographers have had a field day with some of his goofy expressions.

Those that come here regularly know I'm disappointed in GWB.
When I cast my vote for him in 2000 I mistakenly thought I was voting for a conservative.
I cast my vote for him in 2004 because for a Veteran, the thought of his opponent becoming President was unthinkable.

Now we face a new election, unfolding with all the drama and suspense of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. Everyone on the ballot is 'way to the left of my political stance, so I cannot get worked up about voting this time.
Can McCain convince me he knows he screwed up BIG TIME on the immigration issue?
Will Obama be able to satisfy my fears about his numerous
"Birds of a Feather"?
I bet not.
And if not, I am gonna act out my threat and write "NONE OF THE ABOVE" in the block where it asks for my candidate's name.

We'll see.
But I'm ready to promise ya this... and having watched how the game is played for eight years, I'll bet lots of others feel the same way. The gloves are definitely off.
If the most liberal Senator in the U.S. Senate is elected President of the United States, I'll support him every bit as much as the left has supported GWB.
I'll be doing my patriotic best to point out every single mis-step he makes and litter his path with as many obstacles as possible. If he makes another gaffe like he did on the campaign trail, mistakenly reporting 100 tornado deaths as 10,000... I'll be one of the first pointing out what an idiot our new President is!

And what about the caricatures?
Oh my! This surely is a "target-rich" environment!
Here's one artists conception, (and I think this was intended to be becoming) :

What animal do you think he most resembles?
All's fair here, right?
I think the "Chimp" theme might continue in the future, don't you?
Yessiree!
No matter what, this election is gonna be a riot.

Rendered Me Speechless:

Brought to my attention by Ann Althouse.

(Not So) "Good Vibrations"

Flying things vibrate.
Folks that fly twin engine airplanes know the drill...
Every now and then you have to tweak your power settings to keep the engines singing from the same page.
But helicopters are absolutely the worst!
Engine(s), main rotor(s), transmission(s), drive shaft(s), tail rotor... all vibrate at their own frequency and all need to be harmonizing.
Things that vibrate affect other things, sometimes detrimentally.
I found this video interesting and topical:

They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

1975...
I liked the looks of her. She was proud... full of spirit.
It was a match race at Belmont Park, and for those that love horses it was a "must watch".
I was at a party. We were all supposed to choose a horse and throw $10 into a pot. Those that picked the winning horse would win/share the money.
Fillies are normally at a disadvantage against the larger, stronger males, but this filly had proven up to the task against lots of stallions. I was one of a minority of partiers willing to take a chance on her.
Her name was Ruffian. She hit her shoulder pretty heavily leaving the gate and favored it for the first part of the race but nevertheless led. She was still in front by a head when her right leg broke. That's when her spirit became a disadvantage.
She was quickly euthanized.

Today Sara Jean called while I was at work...
"They're gettin' ready to run the Kentucky Derby. Which horse ya pickin'?"
"Is there a filly in the field?"
"Yep... as a matter of fact there are two."
"I'll take the one with the shortest name." (Some horse expert I am, right?)

In a little while my cell phone rang...
"I have good news and bad news. She came in second. But she broke both front legs and they had to put her down."

My job exposes me to too much tragedy and I have to be stoic about it. It's gotten to be more than I can handle at times. Many times the strangest, slightest things will reduce me to tears. Today the death of "Eight Belles" made me a blubbering fool in front of friends.

Two years ago, Barbaro looked like he was gonna beat the odds. News reports got my hopes up for a year or so, but it just wasn't to be.

So it's a sad list...
Ruffian, Barbaro, and now Eight Belles.
It makes me wonder...
Will public opinion of thoroughbred racing force them to do something to reduce the number of these injuries? I know just enough about the sport to be dangerous, but I'm tired of being "punked" when these beautiful equine athletes have to be euthanized.
If the trend continues, I'll have to quit watching horse racing in order to quit looking like an emotional basket-case.

"Jersey Boys"

I grab the phone...
"Hey, whatcha doin' tomorrow night?"
"I'm working days tomorrow... won't be off until 7:30 in the evening."
"Damn!"
"Why?"
"'Cause I got four tickets to see the "Jersey Boys". Any way you can get the day off?"
"Boy, that's short notice! Lemme check and I'll call ya back."

And although he had worked an extra shift the day before and was gonna work an extra shift the day after, Dan came to my rescue and we got to go see the show.

If you are a fan of 60's Rock and Roll...
If you are a fan of "Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons"...
Or if you, like me, just enjoy most music...
Go see this show!

I should qualify the following statement, because when "Sherry" first hit the airwaves I was a testosterone-filled 16 year old male with my own AM-Radio equipped automobile. I LOVE "The Four Seasons" music!
But I have seen most of the big shows that have toured the nation, and I think this may be the BEST show I have ever seen. (And Sara Jean, who is 10 years my junior, concurs.)

It's presently showing in 10 or so major cities across the U.S..
Go see it. I think you'll be pleased. Then come back here and tell us all about it.