From the beginning we knew it was going to be an interesting trip when our departure flight leaving home was delayed for over 2 hours. Arriving at KCAK with this information we were informed by the Frontier Airlines check in staff that we would indeed most likely miss our connecting flight in Denver and have to spend the night in the airport. When we asked for more information they informed us that our best bet would be to get on the plane and let the people in Denver deal with the situation. I would not mind this sort of remark if they had apologized or let us know that they did not have any additional information. Fortunately when we arrived in Denver the connecting flight was also running behind schedule due to some heavy storms in the mideast. On both flights on the way to LAS we received free television as an apology for the delay in getting us to our destination 2 hours later than planned.

On the way back to Ohio the flights were both on or close to schedule and the trip was non-eventful.

Overall this was a pleasant experience and I would definately fly Frontier Airlines again tomorrow if I had the opportunity to be traveling once again. What did I expect the staff on our first departure flight to do about the situation? I guess it would have been nice if they had a definitive answer as to if we were going to be getting stuck in the Denver airport for the night. Since we were at the akron canton airport it would have made more sense to stay there until morning and come home and sleep in our own beds instead of sleeping in the airport. Fortunately though we never did have to find out what spending the night in KDEN is really like.

As some of you know richelle, her sister and I all traveled to the city that never sleeps (that’s las vegas for those of you that don’t realize that) to visit with her dad and take in the sites. Overall a pleasant experience was had by all and with the exception of a few delays(brought to you by frontier airlines!) the trip was just what the doctor had ordered. While in town we saw Penn and teller and the american all star impersonators show.

That’s right, I no longer own a pt cruiser, traded it in for a 2007 Jeep wrangler unlimited X 4 door model. V6 engine, automatic transmission. Very nice vehicle!

I’ll report more on the dealership and the salesman in a later post as both were excellent.

The past few months have found me spending a lot of time playing my guitars again. Found some new guitar chords, made copies of a friends music collection and am rejuvenated in the music realm again. Spent most of the time during the Daytona 500 dusting and polishing each guitar thoroughly, and setting the intonation on the electrics. Maybe with some practice I can get back into writing songs again like I used to.

I have also been spending some time working on growing my photography skills and hope to be able to use them for more than just personal purposes in the future as I really enjoy putting together a good photograph.  

Overall life is good, not too much to update here as the Comet has been in storage since the middle of December 2009. Here’s hoping the weather gets nice real quick and I am able to get it out and drive it and continue to work on it soon!

Twas the night before Christmas, and out on the ramp,
Not an airplane was stirring, not even a Champ.
The aircraft were fastened to tiedowns with care,
In hopes that come morning, they all would be there.

The fuel trucks were nestled, all snug in their spots,
While peak gusts from two-zero reached 39 knots.
And I at the fuel desk, now finally caught up,
Had just settled comfortably down on my butt.
When over the radio, there arose such a clatter,
I turned up the scanner to see what was the matter.

A voice clearly heard over static and snow,
Asked for clearance to land at the airport below.
He barked out his transmission so lively and quick,
I could have sworn the call sign he used was “St. Nick.”
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Sure that it was only Horizon’s late Dash.

Then he called his position, and there could be no denial,
“This is St. Nicholas One,” and “I’m turning on final.”
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
A Rutan Sleigh and eight Rotax reindeer.

He flew the approach, on glideslopes he came,
As he passed all fixes, he called them by name:
Now Rengo! Now Tolga! Now Trini and Bacun!
On Comet! On Cupid!” What pills was he takin’?

Those last couple of fixes left controllers confused,
They called down to the office to give me the news,
The message they left was both urgent and dour:
“When Santa lands, could he please call the tower?”

He landed like silk, with the sled runners sparkling,
Then I heard “Exit at Charlie,” and “Taxi to parking.”
So up to the offices the coursers they flew,
With loud airplane noise, and St. Nicholas, too.

He stepped out of the sleigh, but before he could talk,
I had run out to him with my best set of chocks.

He was dressed all in fur, which was covered with frost,
And his beard was all blackened from reindeer exhaust.
His breath smelled like peppermint, gone slightly stale,
And he smoked on a pipe, but he didn’t inhale.
He had a broad face and his armpits were smelly,
And his boots were as black as a cropduster’s belly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old fool,
And he kindly informed me that he needed some fuel.
A wink of his eye and a twist of his toes,
Led me to know he was desperate to powder his nose.

I spoke not a word, but went straight to my work,
And I filled up the sleigh, but I spilled like a jerk.
He came out of the restroom with a sigh of relief,
And then picked up the phone for a flight service brief.
And I thought, as he silently scribed in his log,
That with Rudolph, he could land in eighth-mile and fog.

Next, he completed his preflight, from the front to the rear,
Then he put on his headset, and I heard him yell “Clear!”
And laying a finger on his push-talk,
He called up the tower for his clearance and squawk.
Straight out two-zero,” the tower called forth,
“And watch for a Cessna straight in from the North.”

But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he climbed in the night,
“Happy Christmas to all, I have traffic in sight.”

http://jsgraphics.weebly.com/re-touched-photography.html

Let me know what you think!

That’s right, the LG chocolate 2 has been retired. While it was a wonderful phone for playing my music files it lacked the qwerty keypad which made it impossible to write a simple message in a short amount of time. As I was up for verizon’s new every two plan I began looking at the ENV3 as it is what Richelle has and it apppears to be a good texting phone or possibly the env touch.

I decided to review all phones that were free after the upgrade and that’s when I fell in love with the droid eris as it has wifi, came with the 8GB micro SD card and would allow me to connect to Verizon’s 3G network without having to pay too much. I actually debated getting the phone for about 3 days when I decided it would be worth it and ordered it.

Although I am not done installing applications or getting the phone setup completely I am really enjoying the experience I have with this phone so far. The touchscreen operates smoothly the multiple homescreens allows me to setup my calendar/favorite contacts, etc all in a manner which is easy to use and intuitive. 

Currently I am still working to see if I can get my sbcglobal.net e-mail address to sync with the mail portion of the phone. If not I will probably jut forward the mail to my gmail account.

Christmas is packing the family into one car/van
and leaving for the grandparents house the week before christmas.

Christmas means three simple words: “Lake effect snow!”.

Christmas is taking time out of the day to take advantage of the fresh snow by going
sledding down at the park knowing that when you are done there will be a blanket and a hot cup of hot chocolate waiting by a nice warm wood fire.

Christmas is running around town the day before christmas with
family trying to find the few last gifts that had yet to be bought.

Christmas is taking the time to have a FAMILY snowball fight at a
rest stop on the side of the road…why? Because that’s
where the snow was of course!

Christmas is a time for the whole family to gather together as a
family once again, trod off to their respective churches together
and sing christmas carols.

Christmas is a time for family to gather around one big table and
eat a hearty feast with all of the delicious food that pours forth from
all sides of the family.

Christmas is  time for looking up old friends who you haven’t
heard from in awhile and spending time with them and their families.

Christmas is driving around late at night just to see the christmas lights
and yard decorations that other have worked hard to arrange so nicely.

Christmas is a time to build snowmen in the backyard, or play board
games and the likes while the christmas dinner finishes cooking.

Christmas time is a time for pulling out old movies like: “A christmas Story”
and all the home alone movies..

Christmas is a time for cuddling up with a warm blanket and
that favorite book to catch up on a few pages

Christmas is a time to sit back and reflect on the past year
and remember those memories and friends that you truly cherish

Christmas is a time to remember those that are less unfortunate
and are without a home or family for the holiday

 In essence that’s what christmas has meant to me so far. Yes things will change and what happens around christmas time
may not be the same next year as it is this year or even last year. But in the end it is these subtle differences each year that makes life fun and interesting.

Please feel free to comment about this, or leave your own viewpoint..

The question I’m talking about is:

“What’s my idea of success?”

To some this is a simple question…but to me it caused some serious thinking. and I’ve come to the conclusion that sucess is NOT the following:

Lots of money in the bank

ten cars in the driveway

A mansion in the country

Fancy dishes

a huge family

outstanding social status

or even material possessions

But rather success to me will be someday when I die and meet my maker at the pearly gates and he says “job well done, you impacted at least one person in your life”.