We're all at this airshow together.

The sun was barely over the horizon as I left on my walk. The sun was directly down Willshire to the East (of course). I could have seen downtown from here except for the curvature of the earth.
But back to the Riverside Airshow... Although destructive in nature the picture of the warplane represents the destruction inherent in warfare. The other photo represents the beauty of an aerobatic display. At the top of the smoke trail is a very highly modified Taylorcraft. You are looking at the tops of the wings. Smoke trails in the sky. Sounds like the title of a country song.
Watching people watching an airshow leads one to conclude that we're all at this airshow together.

Dick

The Riverside Airshow !!!

What a day! I had forgotten how exciting a real airshow could be. I lasted from 7am to 1 pm. The chair I had brought was very low so it was a chore to get in or out. But I walked the line several times so I got my exercise for the day. Once again the disclaimer must be made that I believe it is a shame that we have to start senseless wars to get the benefits of the technology that plays such a large part in a show such as this. The Riverside Airshow has traditionally been a paean to patriotism but more specifically the aircraft of war. So the photo of the planes is of two National Guard F-18s making a high speed, low altitude pass. At about 500 mph they were a bit hard to track. Hence the slight blur.
As the days pass I'll show a few more photos which will show the beautiful part of the show as opposed to the macho.
Before the show started, a perfectly painted electric blue airplane landed. When the canopy opened, out popped the pilot. Who is shown later walking along the tarmac in the photo of the pretty lady. Even prettier than her plane, in which she later proceeded to demonstrate what aerobatic means.
This moriong I will drive down to Costa Mesa to walk around the gun show. The NRA and the local police always have a large prexence there so it's always a circus. Very macho but very strange.
Pretty aerobatic pilots soothe me knowing that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

Riverside Airshow is Saturday

Well, I believe in Karma but didn't think it was so swift and final. When brother Bob was here the other day, one of the topics that flew by was Christian retribution and Karma. Little did I know!
Yesterday was absolutely beautiful. Warm and clear with little wind. A perfect day for a bike ride on the beach path. I cut the morning walk in a half figuring that I would get exercise later. So off I went. About 4 miles into the ride I turned around to head back. Only 100 yards into the return the front tire went flat. In the process of checking it out while I was still moving I fell over. No harm done so I picked myself up, dusted myself off and started walking to the car, almost 4 miles away! What took 15 minutes to ride on the bike took 2 hours to hobble back on foot using the bike as a crutch. That's what I get for cutting the walk short. Ahhhh Karma.
Today is a rest day because I have a busy weekend planned. The annual Riverside Airshow is Saturday which will be a lot of walking. Starting at 7am and ending at 4pm. I'll bring a chair so I can sit sometimes. It will be the first airshow I've seen since the incident. Then Sunday is the Gun Show. If I have the energy I'll drop in to see what the crazy right wing is up to.
Plans like these demonstrate once again that we're all on this flight tog other.

Dick

A quiet morning.

A quiet morning. It's funny how some days there are lots of people out and about and other days its real quiet. This morning there was one plane headed East and nothing else except one little dog telling me I was in his territory as I passed. So I kept on going.
Yapping terriers are further proof that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

It takes a lot of water to grow a mushroom.

It's surely a beautiful day to fly. Blue skies and no wind. I may miss the planes so occasionally but the mornings are still the same. Seeing the mushrooms the other day set me to wondering. When I bought this house there would periodically appear mushrooms as if from nowhere. I know when one grows mushrooms commercially the environment is controlled. It takes a lot of water to grow a mushroom. They're 90% water which they get from the air. Anyway, where do the spores come from ( and go)? And why are they so occasional? Are they really connected to elves?
Today is the 20th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill from which the environment has still not recovered.
Walking at 88 steps per minute I just know that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

The new gardener and an airplane.

Another beautiful day. One airplane leaving Fullerton Airport at about 800 feet. I could almost see the pilot (pilotess?).
It still seems to be a struggle to get around the walk each day. It doesn't seem to get stronger.
The new gardener was here today for the first time since Hector left for Mexico to take care of his mother. He really cleaned out the junk.
Airplanes over head indicate that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

We could be in North Dakota!

For the first time since I started walking regularly I called it off because of rain. The forecast was for 70% rain today and here it is. It's fairly light so I'll walk over to the store to get the paper ducking between rain drops, as it were, if it lets up. Remember, we could be in North Dakota!
One of the historic possibilities to come out of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is evidence which supports String Theory. It turns out that the theory predicts the existence of 11 dimensions, the three that we live in and eight others. Gravity is one force which can be transmitted between the higher dimensions. If certain particles are found emanating in the LHC it will be interpreted as the effect of the eleventh dimension. Something like that. I saw a video on YouTube with Michio Kaku who as to be one of the greatest teachers since Carl Sagan (my hero).
According to String Theory we are all on this flight together.

Dick

Wild mushrooms.

Wild mushrooms growing in a neighbors lawn. The majority of wild mushrooms contain the hallucinogen psylicybin. Trying these to find out would be very dangerous as some wild mushrooms are highly poisonous. I took this picture because of the alignment of the 'shrooms and the bent over posture. These are past their prime.
It turns out that cultures either love mushrooms or fear them. And some varieties are used by indigenous shaman(s) in their treatment.
An interesting fact is that most toilets flush in E flat.
Mushrooms can prove to anyone that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

Brother Bob pointed out that I was less than clear.

Visibility 3 miles and the ceiling is overcast at 800 feet. Although legal for instrument rated pilots, no one is flying this morning.
Brother Bob pointed out that I was less than clear about the change in my walking stride in a recent post. when one first learns to walk, the movement is basically to shuffle the feet forward while flat footed. It starts by inching each foot forward and increasing the distance of the movement with recovery. The change was to a more efficient motion by moving the first foot forward and placing it down heel first. As the body moves forward the weight is transferred from the heel to the ball of the foot. This is a much more normal and comfortable stride. Not that it's important.
Changing strides assures me that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

Nobody was in the air.

There sits Tigger in the window. Lately day and night. In the past Budda dominated that space but it seems that every few months they change their routine and change their nap location or such. I keep trying to correlate their actions with natural disasters but so far... no luck.
The weather this morning was ceiling 100 FEET and visibility one quarter mile. Nobody was in the air this am.
Mornings with very low ceilings cloud the fact that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

I had another thought about the economic crisis.

Another beautiful day in Paradise. I had another thought about the economic crisis this morning. It's like a financial prostate exam. No matter how you grease it, it's still humiliating.
Brother Bob invited me to lunch today so he'll be by later.
In the meantime, the weather is warm and quiet. A perfect Obama day. Although I'm concerned he's screwing up the crisis He's trying too hard to encourage bipartisanship. That's a lost cause.
Mike Sasnett called last night to wish me a happy birthday. Thanks Mike and a "Hey" to Roberta, the Cornell Chemist.
The crisis of the economic crisis promotes the idea that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

Happy Birthday me and Financial Prestidigitation.

Happy Birthday me. Although I miscounted my age. Sunday it was 77. But when I recounted I found I was only 76. The important thing is that I stumbled through another year. Which brings me to my daily stride report which up to now has been best described as a stumble. This morning for the first time since the incident I was able to actually walk. Very slowly but it was a real walk. Progress at last!
The anger about the 'bonuses' given out to AIG employees made me think about the ramifications they represent. There is good news and bad news. The bad news is that it is $175 million of taxpayer money. The good news is that it represents only 0.1% a mere trifle compared to the total of the money given to AIG. Further bad news comes under the heading of Financial Prestidigitation. The secret of a successful magic trick is to attract attention to one hand while the other hand surreptitiously goes about its nefarious business. The bad news is that we don't know what is happening to the remaining 99.9% of the funds or where the other hand is and what is it doing?
Creative theft by the financial community show me once again that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

Shy Tigger remains shy.

Daughter Deb and husband Rick drove down for dinner yesterday. A great visit. And any restaurant named after a Cowboys's quarterback is always worth a visit. Although the first few times I went to that place with my father it was owned by an Asian lady. At least she ran the place.
It's warmer today but still a little chilly in the mornings.
Budda is talking about something. It sounds urgent but when I check it out.... it's nothing. I wish I understood his vocalizations better. And shy Tigger remains shy.
Even stand-offish Tigger is on the same flight as the rest of us.

Dick

The Ides of March.

We are all aware of the Ides of March. But I, for one, don't have the foggiest notion of what the Ides of March are (is). I'll Google it after I finish this rant. Apparently every month has The Ides on the 15th of the month. But for now it will go unexplained.
Daughter Deb and husband Rick are driving down later from Studio City to take me out to dinner for my birthday. I made it through another year in reasonable shape.
About which I am constantly reminded that the drivers license that expires on my birthday expires next year. I could swear it was up this year. Well, I won't knock it either way.
All our licenses expire because we are all on this flight together.

Dick

Hypnotism and the recent incident.

Happy Birthday Albert Einstein born this day in 1879.
When I was in my thirties I was a pack-a-day smoker. I was going to a doctor who was also my flight surgeon. He was, among other things, using hypnotism to help those who had a problem with weight, smoking or several other challenges. The doctor suggested we use hypnotism to reduce my craving for cigarettes. We were successful. To this day I have never 'needed' a cigarette. He believed that the subconscious mind never slept, even when anaesthetised the patient hears everything said in the room. And those words will subconsciously affect his/her future actions. But I tell you that to tell you this: After my recent incident and before I had become conscious, twice a day daughter Deb would, along with the latest news, whisper in my ear that everything would be alright. The house was taken care of, the cats were OK, the car and airplane were safe and my operation was a success. She closed by assuring me that the doctors assured her that I would recover completely. Because of those reassurances, it never dawned on me that I wouldn't completely recover. Thanks again, Deb. I am thankful every day.
When I hear the song,"You Are the Wind Beneath My Wings" I think of Deb and that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

Friday, Friday, Friday.

Friday, Friday, Friday. What's more to say? It's the end of one week but not the beginning of the new. The weather is clear and mild. The forecast is for bike weather starting on Monday.
In the meantime, Budda has been acting wild lately. He sleeps a lot but in the morning, for exercise I suppose, he literally bounces off the walls. What a way to wake up . Maybe this is the earthquake warning.
Budda bounces off the wall to remind me that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

I forgot!

I forgot! I just forgot the blog yesterday. Not much to report. I have to run right now to go to the DMV to renew my drivers license. It expires next week.
30 minutes later:
I'm back. The doors at the DMV open at 8 am so I got down there 15 minutes early. There were already about 40-50 people in line. Before the doors opened a girl came down the line asking what each person wanted and provided the proper paper work they would need. When she got to me I checked my license and.... it doesn't expire for another year! I'll see you in 2010.
Trying to renew my drivers license a year early reminds me that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

Random nothings.

It seems to get harder and harder to type correctly. There was a time I could keep up with the best. Now the process is to type away and then go back and correct the errors... all of them. Dropped letters and transposed letter are the most common errors. An average of one error every two words. Oh well I guess that's what getting old is all about.
This morning I carried a radio on my walk. Tuned to Stephanie Miller , the daughter of past VP candidate on the Goldwater/Miller ticket. She ran last year as Goldwater/Miller 08 with Barry Goldwaters daughter. You had to be there.
Reminiscing on Goldwater/Miller hints to me that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

The most depressing weather.

Yesterday I drove out to historic Flabob airport for the monthly meeting of EAA Chapter One. Warm and sunny. Home made fried chicken for lunch followed by a short talk by two ex-WASPs. Picture a couple of demure women 5 foot 2 inches and about 100 pounds soaking wet flying the most macho of planes, the Mustang P-51 as well as bombers across the country. Today they're in their 90's and more active than I.
And then to balance my life, this mornings walk was in the most depressing weather. With the time change, the sun not yet up, a low overcast and the canopy of trees all combined to make it the spookiest of times. But the sun finally came out at about noon.
All being well assures me that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

Spring back and fall forward... or is it?

I know. It's spring forward and fall back. So I reset all my clocks this morning after my walk. Once again the walk starts in the dark and finishes in the sunshine, if the sun shines that day.. which it did.
Being Sunday and all I decided "Sunday Morning Coming Down" wasn't quite right so I marched off to "The Old Rugged Cross". I was immediately transported to Camp Skyland in Vermont as a pre-teenager. Camp Skyland was a family camp with cabins to which we drove on vacation for many years. Wednesday evenings were a camp style sing with old timey songs and Sunday evenings were devoted to Gospel songs. Nothing heavy just good music. One of the Sunday selections was "The Old Rugged Cross". I remember it well. Without regard to the reality of the ideas, the words are straight forward and simple. The melody is easy to sing. A good song for group sing-alongs. And good to step off to.
Slogging forward reminds me that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

I'm offended by the shredding of our Constitution.

My morning walk was slowed down by a persistent pain in my right knee. Not bad enough to call off the walk but bad enough to remind me of the pain George Bush has caused my country.
Recent revelations that gwb in 2001 signed Executive Orders that essentially suspended Articles 1,4 and 5 of the Bill of Rights in the time of war. Even a nebulous war such as the unending undeclared war on terror. We have strong suspicions of illegal activities by gwb and his cohorts. Unauthorized wire taps, ignoring posse comatatis, sending suspected terrorists off to countries we strongly suspect will use torture and politicising the Justice Department for starts. Most recent was the release of information that under these Executive Orders ANY US citizen could be arrested, held incommunicado for as long as he desired with no recourse to our court system. This was a dictatorship we truly lived under from November 2001 until the orders were rescinded the day before gwb left office.
The offenders must be brought to account. Otherwise, we tacitly approve of the previously declared illegal activities. Who's next? And for what reason? And the 700 pound gorilla-in-the-room... under the cloak of his trademark secrecy, how many US citizens has gwb spirited off while we lived under his dictatorship? Who and where are they?
Now I'm offended by the shredding of our Constitution but I would think that just the thought of a commmie sympathizer like Barack Obama having that power would send shivers up the backs of right wingers.
If I'm wrong.. where?
Having lived under a dictatorship proves that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

I never miss the meditation

Well. I missed the blog update yesterday but got my walk in before the rain started (again). Although I frequently cut the walk short, I never miss the meditation (thanks Deb). Both cats seem to be aware that the meditation is important to me and stay quiet while I meditate, even with the ready availability of catnip.
This morning I just don't have it in me to walk at all, rain or no. Maybe later.
Yesterday brother Bob stopped by with friend Dennis for a short visit. Nothing important, just a visit.
I'm still waiting for a nice warm sunny day to go for a bike ride on the beach bike path. The same with the wing ribs for the Pietenpol. I just can't seem to get to it. Oh well, I guess that's what retirement is all about.
All my crappy excuses remind me that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

Turtle knecks and a plethora of numbers

Visibility five miles. Temperature sixty five. Just warm enough to leave the jacket at home and wear a turtle neck shirt. But it was slow going. My right knee is acting up and the air pressure is high. (30.05 ). I tell you that so you know that I have a pay for play phone with unused minutes rolling over from month to month. I have to put in $15 a month to keep the number. So, on week ends I have 24 hours of phone time or 6 1/2 hours week days. Because of this plethora of available minutes of speech I've taken to calling the Fullerton airport in the morning for a weather check.
A second hand "Hey!" to cousin Betty.
But I think I have to exercise my knees more.

Dick

The storm clouds are gathering

The weather is clear now but the storm clouds are gathering in the West. But the rain is hours away. I saw one plane and I heard another. When I am on some streets the trees almost form a canopy preventing me from seeing much above the tree tops.
The change in air pressure due to weather conditions resulted in much discomfort in my knee joints. But today the meds took care of everything.
The storm clouds are also a metaphor for the state of what the last administration left for us to clean up. Ugh... what a chore.
The mess we're left to correct is another proof that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

Inertia left over

Another beautiful day in Paradise. Yesterday a record temperature was achieved in LA. 86 degrees! In February! Oh well, I suppose that's just inertia left over from the last administration. But the day was clear. These are the kind of days that make the snow on the surrounding mountains all the more dramatic.
Clear weather makes it clear that we're all on this flight together.

Dick