Musings, Stories, Geekdom

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2010-03-14T19:18:00.001-04:00

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Say WHAT?!

2009-12-13T23:40:00.001-05:00

One of the most frequent annoyances from my professional life that has bled into my personal life is the misuse of the Phonetic Alphabet. You know, "Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, etc." All aviation radio communications are clarified by using this mix of specific words that were introduced before WWII. As with anything, it has gone through several transitions since its inception, but I think the final version in use today was officially adopted internationally in the 60's. That's somewhere in the vicinity of 50 years, so really - why can't people get it right? Especially those who spend their professional lives communicating either on the phone or by some type of radio transmissions - folks, seriously? If you spend 8 hours a day (or even 4 for that matter) taking retail orders on the phone, you have got to stop clarifying my order "B as in Boy, G as in George, F as in Frank" - I have no idea who Frank and George are, but they have nothing to do with my new boots, so why are we talking about them?
Read back my order number appropriately, "Your order number is 5 3 BRAVO GOLF 7 FOXTROT" and I'll not only be pleased as punch, but I'll stop doubting your ability to actually enter my order correctly and treating you like an idiot. When you start talking about Frank and George, it's no wonder I get a size 11 boot in the mail.
If you're in aviation - don't embarrass yourself by trying to be clear on frequency if you haven't mastered the phonetic alphabet yet. I know they snicker at you, but it's really not so funny. Try and pay attention to the taxiway names (there's a hint there) on your trips. I won't even entertain the thought of ANY certificated airman with dispatch certification not eating, sleeping, and breathing in this manner of speaking.
In all seriousness, if you need to brush up, Wikipedia has the chart. Print it out and put it in your log books, add it to your cheat sheets, tuck it in your Jepps, do whatever you need to do so it becomes second nature. Please. For me. I'll be a much nicer person for it.

Testing 1-2-3

2009-11-08T15:40:00.000-05:00

I'm watching the Redskins right now and catching up on the week's news. It's not sacrilege at this point in the season to HAVE to do something else while the game is on to keep me entertained. The 'skins sure aren't filling that order lately. I've watched Jason Campbell get sacked 5 times already. I guess the defense decided not to show up today. Again. But! I've finished my homework, found great food porn, and have read enough news to remember why I don't make that a regular habit.
I've begun playing with my blog settings, too. I found how to send SMS messages to my blog in tweet-like fashion, and I set up email-to-blog finally. I had been wanting to do that for some time, never thinking of it until I was in the situation when it would've been nice to have it, of course. Given the sad state of this football game, I have the perfect opportunity to configure the settings and give it a go. And there you have it - my first post from my phone.

Draggin' Ass - A Pet Name?

2009-09-21T01:08:00.000-04:00

There is this group of bicyclists, you see. They have ridden many of the charity events I support; they on their bicycles, me on my motorcycle. This group - this eclectic collection of cleverly witted intelligence - has aptly named themselves "Team JackAss". There seem to be more of them now than ever before, growing exponentially as one screw up leads to another burst of laughter and another name is born. Smart Ass, Ass Wipe, Wise Ass (my better half), Slow Ass, and even THE Rear Admiral. Many of these names were derived from performance related chicanery during events. Still others are from ephiphany-triggered "AHA!" moments over Black Magics ;o) I, as a mere member of moto and not of the real cyclist ilk, am an honorary member. My name is Draggin' Ass.
Now I'd like to say there are times when it's spelled DRAGON ASS!! Envision a firey show of strength and menace.. Grrrr!!!
..I'd like to say it..
But really, it's because I'm physically exhausted just about all of the time these days. I'm getting older. My grandmother passed away this weekend. She was 88? 89? I wonder if I'll make it that far. I'm on blood pressure medication now - my heart rate wakes me up at night. It's a strange sensation. I have been working nonstop these last few weeks, and when I'm not on travel I'm sitting at my computer working from home. I'm exhausted by the end of every day. And I'm barely moving. My ass is dragging for real...
It's getting old, this getting old thing.

Who Moved My Weekend?

2009-09-13T21:27:00.000-04:00

Anybody know where the weekend went?
Damn.
It was beautiful outside my window today. It felt great seeing the sunshine and smelling the fresh air as it gently rolled in through one window and out through another. As I sat in my corner. Working. Again.
As much as I'd like to complain and whine about how unfair it was that my motorcycle sat right outside that window, with its cover on all day in that awesome sunshine, I can't. It's my work. It's gotta get done. I've got to do it. Sacrifice a few weekends for the opportunity to change a perspective. Change a mindset. Change a culture. It can be done and I can do it. I and a few like-minded others. Aviation is a crazy industry, but story-telling is an unscrupulous art form that can make or break your point. One can drive home the winning run, or wait endlessly for the humiliation to end. I prefer being in the driver's seat. So I'll sit on my side of the window and do my thing, hoping for a break in the grind in the near future when I can get up, go out, and take the cover off the Wildebeast again. She's patient. So patient. Way more patient than I am.
Damn.
Anybody know where the weekend went?

..and we're IN

2009-09-11T06:21:00.000-04:00

Wow - that was easy.. I mean everything, too. The initial account set up, the blog creation, the import to my site, the whole enchilada. I can't believe I waited so long to give up the ridiculous battle with ASP and just accept the simplicity of Blogger.
Awesome.
Now all I've gotta do is write stuff.
Right.

Sometimes I'd much rather play with the code ;)
Let me know if you encounter any hiccups...

Transition

2009-09-08T02:26:00.000-04:00

Well, I quit.
I gave ASP.NET a try, and I've decided I've had enough of the instability. My old blog had been down more than it was up on Blog Engine. Given that I'm writing this at 2:15am, it's easy to understand that when I actually find the time to write, I need the stuff to work!! Insomnia helps, but that's another entry for another time...
So those of you who find this before I import it onto my site (clever, you are), hang in there with me while I move through the transition to Blogger. It appears to be much more flexible and straight-forward, and that's exactly what I need nowadays.

Musings from 28,000 ft

2009-09-01T23:26:00.001-04:00

This is the second of two flight legs smack dab in the middle of this week's itinerary. I flew out of Baltimore Monday afternoon after having arrived to the airport 5 hours earlier. My car is in the shop and I begged a ride from Robin before she went to work in the morning. I truly believe I could have missed my flight just sitting there because I was so tired. People watching helped. Where some folks get their clothing ideas for travel is a mystery to me. Who wears 3 inch heels and a short skirt to lug a suitcase behind her running ass to catch a connecting flight in time? Some really pissed off and miserable woman in Baltimore, that's who. Man I love my comfortable shoes. Right now I'm seated next to a young person who I am guessing to be between 16 and 19 or so. Her hair is ink black with bright copper highlights, held off her face by a white bandana with monster smiley faces staring out with sinister grimaces. Her eyes have been hidden the entire flight by large round plastic sunglasses with thick red frames. I think her lipstick might even match her glasses. I can clearly see from the ripped thread fragments hanging from her plaid hem that her skirt is not of the same shade of red. Her fingernails are painted black. Her white button down oxford shirt bunches only slightly where the black vinyl corset cinches tightly over it. She's reading a thick book and seems very into it. "The 50 Most Notorious Murders". Figures..
I have realized I'm of the generation that is now the older generation that just doesn't "get it" anymore. I don't understand the darkness in kids. How can they be happy when they are so preoccupied by miserey and pain? Is this a different kind of "happy" I've just never experienced? I have to say that when I see kids all decked out in goth and heavy makeup I feel a little sad. I'm not sure if I feel bad for them because of the lonliness I imagine they feel, or if I'm feeling bad because I can't relate to this kid. (Shrug) I do know those 3 inch platform shoes she's wearing are gonna smoke those hooker heels I saw in Baltimore when she's rushing to make her connection. Assuming, of course, that some goth kids do, in fact, hustle when necessary.
Now, as I look out the aircraft window, I'm presented with pillars of thick fluffy clouds. Uh-oh. No sooner am I realizing I had better finish my 6oz of ginger ale while I still can than the first effects of turbulence jostle my cup from its position on the tray table in front of me. It slides a little to the left before I catch it. I take a deep breath and drain my cup. Here we go.
What bumps we experienced were enough to rouse gasps and short yelps quickly smothered by my fellow passengers on board the regional jet. We land shortly thereafter as the crew plants the aircraft hard onto the runway. My bones jostled. Thanks guys - I'm sure that helped.
As I exit the jetway, I'm thankful for my shoes, that I had a light lunch, and another uneventful flight.

Vacation Chapter 1

2009-07-29T23:30:00.000-04:00

The anticipation of riding my motorcycle 1718 miles to reach Denver, Colorado began to build early. Initially, Repo and I were planning to go in August to attend the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) International Women & Motorcycling Conference in Keystone, Colorado August 19-22, 2009 and stay with our buddy and his new wife. As it turned out, we changed our dates of travel to coincide with Repo's family trip instead. This meant we would have the chance to cheer on Repo's neice in her softball tournament - FUN!!
Planning
There was so much to consider (aka "worry about") before embarking on a trip of such length on our bikes: Our health, the health of our bikes, which route to pick, where might we stop, what to pack both for the journey as well as the week of visiting without bringing too much on the bike, etc. One thing that did not require any discussion was that we both agreed to try for an Iron Butt Association certificate, the Bun Burner 1500, on the way out. In a nutshell, it's an endurance ride of 1500 miles within a 36 hour time frame. We had plenty of miles in front of us, so it was up to us to make it happen. But could we do it?
I made mental checklists of what I might need for various situations.

Riding Gear - Not wearing ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time) was never an option, so I had to consider what gear to wear that would be flexible enough for extreme heat yet still allow for layers when cool. I decided on my everyday Olympia mesh gear (with orange safety vest - I LOVE all the pockets!!), Frogg Toggs for rain and extra warmth, and a Gerbing heated liner for cooler weather but minimal layering. I planned on wearing my every day Cortech mesh gloves and brought an extra pair of waterproof gloves that would double for colder weather riding if necessary. Plenty of SmartWool socks is always mandatory attire inside my waterproof SIDI boots that are really comfortable.. My underlayer consisted of Under Armour clothing for hot weather. Finally, a camelback for hydration and a waterproof kayak bag from REI for my clothes .
Bike Maintenance - Air compressor with pressure guage and tire patch kit, small tool roll with basic metric tools, spare head light bulb, extra fuses, flares, flashlight, and bike cover.
First Aid Kit w/bug spray
Hotel stays - essentials
What clothes to bring
Medications
Audio Books ( I SO love listening to books in my helmet!)

Repo and I also had the same communication systems installed in our bikes that were expandable to bike-to-bike communications with the addition of a walkie-talkie type radio. We did some research online and purchased Kenwoods and appropriately sized waterproof bags. For a great place to get waterproof bags for your electronics, check out Waterproof Cases. I even picked up a waterproof bag for my StarCom remote from here. It has a clear screen for easy access to the remote's buttons. Nice..
I bought a new Toshiba N310 mini laptop so I would be able to keep up with my homework while on the road. This has turned out to be a fantastic purchase. It's lightweight, compact, yet powerful enough to run all of my applications and surf the internet. Love it! It has wifi built in, and connecting to any wireless network is extremely easy. It takes up minimal space, and in its bag it fit with room to spare in my top case. I'm still trying to figure out how to use my BB Storm as a modem. I know there has to be a way to do it, but I haven't had any success with it yet. Still trying..

Overall, I felt my luggage was packed extremely well. I brought everything I wanted to bring, and had only the kayak bag strapped to the back seat. This particular bag has integrated loops for straps to go through. Very efficient. I used Rok Straps to cinch the bag down onto the back seat and had minimal drag. Here is a picture of me en route that shows how my bike was configured. The kayak bag was strapped to the seat, and the Kenwood was secured to the kayak bag in its own waterproof bag. Not a bad set up for a two week road trip!
Repo had our IBA documentation printed out and had our departure witness standing by when I arrived at her office in Oakton, VA on June 25th, 14:30. The forms were filled out appropriately, mileage noted, and we were off.
Chapter 2 - The Way to Denver is next...

One night, at band camp...

2009-06-12T23:32:00.001-04:00

Remember the Pensieve, the stone bowl that Dumbledore (From Harry Potter) had in his office? He could pull memories from his mind, using his wand, and place them inside this bowl to keep them. Anyone know where I can get one of these? I've tried CraigsList, eBAY, et al, but nowhere have I found the genuine article. For me, hanging onto memories is like holding sand. It's there for awhile, but as soon as I get distracted (yes - by more and more shiny things), and before I know it, the sand has all slipped through my fingers. Being the 70s/80s child that I am, a soap opera tag line pops into my head "Like sands through the hour glass, so are the Days of Our Lives". I could totally run off on a tangent right now about Marlena and John or Bo and Hope Brady, but that, you see, is the kind of thing that starts the falling sand process... Now, where was I?
Oh right..memories. Last night I had the strangest dream. I was at what I can only describe now as some kind of summer retreat (camp). There were cabins, lean-tos, and paths through the woods to get from one section of the grounds to another. In the center lay the main gathering place -a large cleared space with a well-traveled dirt floor. Common buildings (medical, food, etc) were spaced around the main area against the trees. I don't think I actually saw the lake, but I had a sense it was very close and part of the grounds. I remember taking it all in and having a really nice feeling about being there. I walked through the main area as people were going here and there on various missions. Here's where it gets a little weird. As I walk (and I'm walking alongside someone but can't quite see who that person was), this guy falls in step beside me. Because this is just a dream (although now I'm wondering WHERE in the dredges of my mind did this come from?!?), I'm not at all surprised to see Chris DiPrinzio walking with me. For those of you who have been with me my entire life, you may recall Chris from our elementary school days. He lived across the street from Jimmy Daily (Hi Jim!). So here we were, walking together, and I tugged on his sleeve so he would be close enough so I could rest my hand on his back. We talked and laughed about somthing I have no recollection of, I told him I had missed him, we smiled, and he went on his way to finish whatever it was he had been enroute to do. I believe this kind of thing happened another 4 or 5 times with different people from my past, and as with Chris, I had to touch them all and tell them I missed them. Every single one. I got hugs from most. One instance involved (again) a guy from back then who had been playing with a group of little kids. He had crouched down and come up behind me with his arms spread out side-to-side, and more or less scooped me up until I became the front part of his make believe airplane he was flying for the kids. I extended my arms to match his and we zoomed around a little, then he set me free to continue enchanting them with his story and I continued my journey across what now seems like a never-ending central space, smiling because we had connected.
This morning, my first thought as I remembered the dream was "Geesh! Why was I touching everybody? Good grief!" Robin has since analyzed my dream to some very logical interpretations given some of the things I'm tackling in my life right now. So I'm opening it up to my very opinionated masses. Go ahead, all you insightful people, tell me what you think it all means...

To My Peeps

2009-05-16T23:35:00.002-04:00

Hello World.
This morning Robin and I had breakfast with two very special people from my past. Each are miracles in their own right, although neither one would acknowledge such a thing. I guess that's one of many reasons why I admire them both so much - their goodness and humility. After only a short time with them over breakfast (Plato's ROCKS!), Robin completely understood. She couldn't say enough nice things about them once they had continued on their journey north toward home. In fact, I believe she will be better at communicating with them than I have been! I really suck at that. I imagine this behavior causes folks to think I don't really care if I speak to them or not. That's nice, eh? You know who you are - the ones I've known for years and years, whom I've shared so many significant life moments with, yet I can't seem to pick up the phone or write a simple email to you more than a few times a year (at best). And then there are the friends I've made in recent years - some who live minutes away, some who now live far away.. Same deal. If you all could hear how I talk to each of you inside myself at different times it would be easier to understand how often I think of you. I share a lot with each of you in this way - things I see that I know would make you laugh, experiences I have I know you would appreciate, people I meet who remind me of you, and things that bother me that I know you would just "get".
..(shrug)..
Then I don't take that next step and "use my words", as I've been coaxed to do by those who know me best. There are a few folks who see past my "handicap" and regardless of my poor attentiveness continue to show up day after day to brighten my world. Thank you for that. You really have no idea how important that is to me. But I was reminded this morning of how lucky I am to have such great people in my life. So in my own way, I wanted to say thanks. Thanks for being the great and unique individuals you all are, and for allowing me the honor of sharing my world with you.

Carlton, Oregon

2008-11-16T23:38:00.000-05:00

Think old country... Not necessarily untouched, but worked with respect and care. The fields are well kept and nestled in without unnecessary deforestation. For you city folks, it might appear to be infuriatingly quiet - How can one think with no noise? But in reality, the sounds are everywhere. These are the subtle pieces of the orchestra that you city folks might not notice, but if you were to strip away the sirens and the car engines and the incessant honking and the frantic coming and going of your busy life, you just might hear what underlies it all. The continuing theme that pulls it all together. The wind rustling the leaves in the trees or the grasses underfoot. The tree frogs and pond frogs and crickets working a harmony that when mixed with the melodies sung by various avian life you just gotta get up in the morning and be a part of it. It's also the best music to go to sleep by at night. And think in colors. The greens are really green, the fall leaves pop out of the trees, and the vinyard yellows are brilliant. It's enough to make you stop dead in your tracks and just drink it all in. You can't help it...

Photo By Robin L. Bernstein
Copyright © 2008
All Rights Reserved
This is Carlton, Oregon. And tucked in off of a dirt road not too far from town is the Johnson Farm. This is where we stayed last week as we said our final goodbyes to Eldora Johnson. Honestly, my perspective was completely influenced by everything around me. With so much life and goodness everywhere, I couldn't help but maintain a positive outlook through it all. There's just something extremely theraputic about spending some quality time with yourself and a happy dog on a dirt road with all that life happening around you. And then there are the people. They are an extension of their environment. They are infused with the goodness of life all around them, and openly give that away to the rest of us who, without realizing it, are to a degree void of this enrichment. Only when I was immersed in it could I see how much it was lacking inside me and how it nourished my soul. I think it has alot to do with being real. The simple act of just being. A deer can only be a deer. A hummingbird can only live as it lives. There's no pretense, no "putting on airs", no reason to manipulate.. "It is what it is". That's how these folks are. Honest. Real. Truth. Practical. How it should be.

I don't want to give the impression that I think it's that simple, though. Being "real" is probably one of the hardest things to be in this world. We've just been through one of the most obnoxious displays of human behavior I've ever seen as we witnessed the democratic process in high gear. At what point throughout the last year did I view any candidate portraying honesty, truth, or practicality? ..yea.. That would be never. These people are supposed to be the role models for not just our children, but our entire citizenship of the United States of America. How can there be any question as to why we have such corruption, dishonesty, and lack of self control in our country? All of which inevitably leads to more violence, class separation, and depression (e.g., economic, societal, individual). As sad as it sounds, I think part of the reason this has become such an innate part of our culture is because it's easier in the near term than the alternative. It's easier to lie and cheat for personal gain than it is to tell the truth and subject yourself to the consequences. Being honest in a world full of deceit can be messy, confrontational, and complicated. Who would make that choice, to have to deal with that messiness as opposed to just saying what people want to hear and moving on unscathed? Look at the picture again..These are the kind of people that should be our role models. These are the morals we should universally adopt. This is real. And it's a struggle every day. Of all the things we fight in our lives, this is the right fight. The one that should reflect who we are and why. Reality - It comes from Carlton, Oregon, on a small farm not too far from town.