Flying as Therapy

[Jay Honeck]

It was the day from Hell. From the moment I arrived at the Inn on our
"Monday morning" (in real life, Friday), literally everything that could go
wrong, did.

Everything from an overnight guest, on the lam from the law (and who needed
to be arrested *here*, of course, for all to see), to a major plumbing
problem, to a cantankerous employee, to high heat and humidity, to a new
(and unknown) strain of algae attacking the pool -- it was happening all at
once.

And there was no respite. Throughout the day, as one fire was extinguished,
another would blow up in my face, often two or three at a time. By
mid-afternoon I was somewhere between rage, disbelief, and unstoppable
laughter, as Mary and I tried to predict what could POSSIBLY go wrong next.

Just as I said this, our "guest from hell" walked through the lobby door,
looking for a fight. This guy -- a retired professor emeritus who has
decided that he's going to live at the inn till he dies -- has complained
about every guest that has ever bunked above him, below him, or next to him.
Worse, he may be in the early stages of Alzheimer's, as he repeats himself
ad nauseum. Daily.

With nothing else to do, no where else to go, and no relatives nearby, we
have become this poor mans sounding board and chew toy. As I listened to
him go on about the kids upstairs, the dog that barked once at 6 AM (he,
too, has a dog, but that doesn't matter) the full parking lots, and the
unbearable humidity near the laundry room, I felt the heat rising in my
face.

By now, at age 46, I should know to leave the room when I feel this occur,
but, unfortunately, I was the only one in the lobby. (From experience Mary
had smartly vamoosed at the first sight of this guy). There was to be no
escape.

As I pondered this sanctimonious, arrogant man, sitting comfortably in my
lobby, ranting on about things beyond my control, needlessly taking my time
away from other things that desperately needed to get done, I was suddenly
floating. It was as if I was outside my body, and observing the situation
from above, and I realized how stupid my predicament was, and how unsolvable
his issues were, and how dumb I was to ever leave the newspaper business.

He was demanding to know what I was going to do about the sound of
children's feet pitter-pattering from the suite above, and demanding to know
why he couldn't park closer to the door, when something inside me cracked.

The next 60 seconds are a blur, but suffice it to say that I ended my tirade
by stating, unequivocally, that I would be physically placing all of his
belongings -- and him -- out at the curb if he didn't leave the lobby. At
once. It was not pretty.

After he left, I stood there, shaking. The day did not improve.

Flash forward a few hours. Mary and I have finally escaped the madness, and
are sitting at the hangar. I've just finished downing a grilled Boca
burger, my butt is planted in a comfy chair, and we're discussing what has
easily been the worst day of our 3-year hotel experience.

And there sat Atlas. Fully fueled. Ready to go, anywhere we pointed him.

We both looked at each other, and knew it was time to get some air beneath
us.

With the sun already down, we were soon rolling down Runway 25, right next
to the Inn. Climbing out into the silky smooth darkening sky, Mary expertly
carved the pattern behind a primary student who was on his first night
flight, his instructor beside him, patiently waiting for "legal darkness" to
arrive.

After one circuit, and a perfect landing, we switched positions (always fun,
without opening the doors or shutting down the engine!), and I was soon
smoothly applying power on the takeoff roll. Feeling the wheels rumble down
the familiar pavement, my heart soared as the ground fell away from us, that
big ol' O-540 rumbling happily just inches in front of me. .

With the lights of the city twinkling below, and the hint of fog moving into
the valley through the still, heavy air, it was magical as we arced
effortlessly around the pattern. With almost no sense of motion, outside
of the turns, it was easy to imagine a place and a time far removed from the
trials of the day. It was easy, and beautiful, and my troubles all seemed
to fall away beneath me....

Turning to final, watching the VASIs, keeping the approach speed nailed, I
landed and called it a night. It was a beautiful evening, still in the 80s,
and it was hard to believe that anything in this world could be anything
less than perfect.

The whole flight took just 0.3 hours. The day was wonderful.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Gene Seibel]

0.3 can take you far, far away. Been there often. ;)
--
Gene Seibel
Gene & Sue's Flying Machine - http://pad39a.com/gene/
Because we fly, we envy no one.

[[email protected]]

On 10 Sep 2005 06:51:08 -0700, "Gene Seibel" > wrote:

>0.3 can take you far, far away. Been there often. ;)

Now if only I did not have to drive 80 miles to the airport it would
be wonderful :-)

David

[Kevin Dunlevy]

I talked to my doctor brother about how I always feel good after flying,
even if I did a lousy job. He agreed that flying might release endophins for
some people. A natural high. Kevin Dunlevy


"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
news:a5BUe.322045$_o.199192@attbi_s71...
> It was the day from Hell. From the moment I arrived at the Inn on our
> "Monday morning" (in real life, Friday), literally everything that could
go
> wrong, did.
>
> Everything from an overnight guest, on the lam from the law (and who
needed
> to be arrested *here*, of course, for all to see), to a major plumbing
> problem, to a cantankerous employee, to high heat and humidity, to a new
> (and unknown) strain of algae attacking the pool -- it was happening all
at
> once.
>
> And there was no respite. Throughout the day, as one fire was
extinguished,
> another would blow up in my face, often two or three at a time. By
> mid-afternoon I was somewhere between rage, disbelief, and unstoppable
> laughter, as Mary and I tried to predict what could POSSIBLY go wrong
next.
>
> Just as I said this, our "guest from hell" walked through the lobby door,
> looking for a fight. This guy -- a retired professor emeritus who has
> decided that he's going to live at the inn till he dies -- has complained
> about every guest that has ever bunked above him, below him, or next to
him.
> Worse, he may be in the early stages of Alzheimer's, as he repeats himself
> ad nauseum. Daily.
>
> With nothing else to do, no where else to go, and no relatives nearby, we
> have become this poor mans sounding board and chew toy. As I listened to
> him go on about the kids upstairs, the dog that barked once at 6 AM (he,
> too, has a dog, but that doesn't matter) the full parking lots, and the
> unbearable humidity near the laundry room, I felt the heat rising in my
> face.
>
> By now, at age 46, I should know to leave the room when I feel this
occur,
> but, unfortunately, I was the only one in the lobby. (From experience
Mary
> had smartly vamoosed at the first sight of this guy). There was to be no
> escape.
>
> As I pondered this sanctimonious, arrogant man, sitting comfortably in my
> lobby, ranting on about things beyond my control, needlessly taking my
time
> away from other things that desperately needed to get done, I was suddenly
> floating. It was as if I was outside my body, and observing the situation
> from above, and I realized how stupid my predicament was, and how
unsolvable
> his issues were, and how dumb I was to ever leave the newspaper business.
>
> He was demanding to know what I was going to do about the sound of
> children's feet pitter-pattering from the suite above, and demanding to
know
> why he couldn't park closer to the door, when something inside me
cracked.
>
> The next 60 seconds are a blur, but suffice it to say that I ended my
tirade
> by stating, unequivocally, that I would be physically placing all of his
> belongings -- and him -- out at the curb if he didn't leave the lobby.
At
> once. It was not pretty.
>
> After he left, I stood there, shaking. The day did not improve.
>
> Flash forward a few hours. Mary and I have finally escaped the madness,
and
> are sitting at the hangar. I've just finished downing a grilled Boca
> burger, my butt is planted in a comfy chair, and we're discussing what has
> easily been the worst day of our 3-year hotel experience.
>
> And there sat Atlas. Fully fueled. Ready to go, anywhere we pointed him.
>
> We both looked at each other, and knew it was time to get some air beneath
> us.
>
> With the sun already down, we were soon rolling down Runway 25, right next
> to the Inn. Climbing out into the silky smooth darkening sky, Mary
expertly
> carved the pattern behind a primary student who was on his first night
> flight, his instructor beside him, patiently waiting for "legal darkness"
to
> arrive.
>
> After one circuit, and a perfect landing, we switched positions (always
fun,
> without opening the doors or shutting down the engine!), and I was soon
> smoothly applying power on the takeoff roll. Feeling the wheels rumble
down
> the familiar pavement, my heart soared as the ground fell away from us,
that
> big ol' O-540 rumbling happily just inches in front of me. .
>
> With the lights of the city twinkling below, and the hint of fog moving
into
> the valley through the still, heavy air, it was magical as we arced
> effortlessly around the pattern. With almost no sense of motion, outside
> of the turns, it was easy to imagine a place and a time far removed from
the
> trials of the day. It was easy, and beautiful, and my troubles all
seemed
> to fall away beneath me....
>
> Turning to final, watching the VASIs, keeping the approach speed nailed, I
> landed and called it a night. It was a beautiful evening, still in the
80s,
> and it was hard to believe that anything in this world could be anything
> less than perfect.
>
> The whole flight took just 0.3 hours. The day was wonderful.
> --
> Jay Honeck
> Iowa City, IA
> Pathfinder N56993
> www.AlexisParkInn.com
> "Your Aviation Destination"
>
>

[Icebound]

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
news:a5BUe.322045$_o.199192@attbi_s71...
> It was the day from Hell. ......
>
> The whole flight took just 0.3 hours. The day was wonderful.


Interesting.

Not recommended by the FAA and Transport Canada "behavioural-factors"
police, as in: (direct quote from the Canadian version:)

Fatigue slows reaction time....fatigue can be aggravated by other stresses
such as business pressures....

:unquote

But still, pleased that the day turned out fine.

The "inherited tenant" phenomena... gets to be one of the family, but often
ready to be throttled.... even ordinary families in 3-bedroom homes can have
those... you can only wait and hope :-)

[Jay Honeck]

> > The whole flight took just 0.3 hours. The day was wonderful.
>
> Interesting.
>
> Not recommended by the FAA and Transport Canada "behavioural-factors"
> police, as in: (direct quote from the Canadian version:)
>
> Fatigue slows reaction time....fatigue can be aggravated by other stresses
> such as business pressures....

I've wondered about this. In fact, when I was a new pilot, I would
never have considered flying after such a day, simply because (a) I
would not have trusted myself, and (b) flying itself was stressful.

As the years have rolled by, and flying has become more or less "second
nature", I've discovered that I don't have to work so hard, and I enjoy
it even more. In other words, I pretty much do it without consciously
thinking about it, outside of the basic checklist items.

But, yes, I was very aware that my mood was not "right" and, as a
result, I was very careful to double-check my procedures.

And, don't forget, I've got my "aural warning system" sitting right
next to me. If I forget anything important, she goes right off,
instantly!

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[gregg]

Jay Honeck wrote:

> It was the day from Hell. From the moment I arrived at the Inn on our
> "Monday morning" (in real life, Friday), literally everything that could
> go wrong, did.
>
> Everything from an overnight guest, on the lam from the law (and who
> needed to be arrested *here*, of course, for all to see), to a major
> plumbing problem, to a cantankerous employee, to high heat and humidity,
> to a new (and unknown) strain of algae attacking the pool -- it was
> happening all at once.
>
> And there was no respite. Throughout the day, as one fire was
> extinguished,
> another would blow up in my face, often two or three at a time. By
> mid-afternoon I was somewhere between rage, disbelief, and unstoppable
> laughter, as Mary and I tried to predict what could POSSIBLY go wrong
> next.
>
> Just as I said this, our "guest from hell" walked through the lobby door,
> looking for a fight. This guy -- a retired professor emeritus who has
> decided that he's going to live at the inn till he dies -- has complained
> about every guest that has ever bunked above him, below him, or next to
> him. Worse, he may be in the early stages of Alzheimer's, as he repeats
> himself
> ad nauseum. Daily.
>
> With nothing else to do, no where else to go, and no relatives nearby, we
> have become this poor mans sounding board and chew toy. As I listened to
> him go on about the kids upstairs, the dog that barked once at 6 AM (he,
> too, has a dog, but that doesn't matter) the full parking lots, and the
> unbearable humidity near the laundry room, I felt the heat rising in my
> face.
>
> By now, at age 46, I should know to leave the room when I feel this
> occur,
> but, unfortunately, I was the only one in the lobby. (From experience
> Mary
> had smartly vamoosed at the first sight of this guy). There was to be no
> escape.
>
> As I pondered this sanctimonious, arrogant man, sitting comfortably in my
> lobby, ranting on about things beyond my control, needlessly taking my
> time away from other things that desperately needed to get done, I was
> suddenly
> floating. It was as if I was outside my body, and observing the situation
> from above, and I realized how stupid my predicament was, and how
> unsolvable his issues were, and how dumb I was to ever leave the newspaper
> business.
>
> He was demanding to know what I was going to do about the sound of
> children's feet pitter-pattering from the suite above, and demanding to
> know
> why he couldn't park closer to the door, when something inside me
> cracked.
>
> The next 60 seconds are a blur, but suffice it to say that I ended my
> tirade by stating, unequivocally, that I would be physically placing all
> of his
> belongings -- and him -- out at the curb if he didn't leave the lobby.
> At
> once. It was not pretty.
>
> After he left, I stood there, shaking. The day did not improve.
>
> Flash forward a few hours. Mary and I have finally escaped the madness,
> and
> are sitting at the hangar. I've just finished downing a grilled Boca
> burger, my butt is planted in a comfy chair, and we're discussing what has
> easily been the worst day of our 3-year hotel experience.
>
> And there sat Atlas. Fully fueled. Ready to go, anywhere we pointed him.
>
> We both looked at each other, and knew it was time to get some air beneath
> us.
>
> With the sun already down, we were soon rolling down Runway 25, right next
> to the Inn. Climbing out into the silky smooth darkening sky, Mary
> expertly carved the pattern behind a primary student who was on his first
> night flight, his instructor beside him, patiently waiting for "legal
> darkness" to arrive.
>
> After one circuit, and a perfect landing, we switched positions (always
> fun, without opening the doors or shutting down the engine!), and I was
> soon
> smoothly applying power on the takeoff roll. Feeling the wheels rumble
> down the familiar pavement, my heart soared as the ground fell away from
> us, that big ol' O-540 rumbling happily just inches in front of me. .
>
> With the lights of the city twinkling below, and the hint of fog moving
> into the valley through the still, heavy air, it was magical as we arced
> effortlessly around the pattern. With almost no sense of motion, outside
> of the turns, it was easy to imagine a place and a time far removed from
> the
> trials of the day. It was easy, and beautiful, and my troubles all
> seemed to fall away beneath me....
>
> Turning to final, watching the VASIs, keeping the approach speed nailed, I
> landed and called it a night. It was a beautiful evening, still in the
> 80s, and it was hard to believe that anything in this world could be
> anything less than perfect.
>
> The whole flight took just 0.3 hours. The day was wonderful.


Everything prior to the stuff on flying puts a small crimp in that romantic
vision of running a nice B&B ;^)


--
Saville

Replicas of 15th-19th century nautical navigational instruments:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/backstaffhome.html

Restoration of my 82 year old Herreshoff S-Boat sailboat:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/SBOATrestore.htm

Steambending FAQ with photos:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/Steambend.htm

[RST Engineering]

Gregg --

Do you really believe quoting 150 lines for a line and a half response is
the appropriate method of reply?

Jim


>> The whole flight took just 0.3 hours. The day was wonderful.
>
>
> Everything prior to the stuff on flying puts a small crimp in that
> romantic
> vision of running a nice B&B ;^)

[Maule Driver]

Maybe that's why many of us call it 'shooting' an approach.

Some take pleasure from a little time on the range but I can't say I
know the pleasure.

'Shooting' is understood by some to be good way to get rid of problems
but haven't tried that one yet.

But setting one up in the calm of dusk, lining it up with the lights,
skid marks, and centerline, and then putting it right down the slot sure
can relieve a lot of what's not quite right with the day. Or just make
the day better.

Maybe I ought to take up shooting.

Nice Jay!

Hope today is even better.

Jay Honeck wrote:
> Turning to final, watching the VASIs, keeping the approach speed nailed, I
> landed and called it a night. It was a beautiful evening, still in the 80s,
> and it was hard to believe that anything in this world could be anything
> less than perfect.
>
> The whole flight took just 0.3 hours. The day was wonderful.

[gregg]

RST Engineering wrote:

> Gregg --
>
> Do you really believe quoting 150 lines for a line and a half response is
> the appropriate method of reply?
>
> Jim

Yep.

Some people snip..others don't;. sometimes I do..sometimes not.

Some put their replies on top of 150 line quotes - others at the bottom.

It only takes me about 2 seconds to use the vertical scroll bar to get to
the relies at the bottom.

If it's too much work for you feel free to read elsewhere.


--
Saville

Replicas of 15th-19th century nautical navigational instruments:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/backstaffhome.html

Restoration of my 82 year old Herreshoff S-Boat sailboat:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/SBOATrestore.htm

Steambending FAQ with photos:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/Steambend.htm

[Flyingmonk]

Flting is great therapy, I agree. Keep in mind that like stress,
compacency bites hard. Glad you were able to shake off some of your
'bad day'.

Damn, I miss flying. Anyone have an empty seat nearby? No money to
get back to current at the moment, but willing to buy lunch. : ^).

Bryan "The Monk" Chaisone

[Peter R.]

Flyingmonk > wrote:

> Damn, I miss flying. Anyone have an empty seat nearby? No money to
> get back to current at the moment, but willing to buy lunch. : ^).

What is the closest airport to you?

--
Peter


















----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

[Martin Hotze]

On Sat, 10 Sep 2005 13:17:42 -0400, gregg wrote:

> It only takes me about 2 seconds to use the vertical scroll bar to get to
>the relies at the bottom.
>
> If it's too much work for you feel free to read elsewhere.

and for sure you think that usenet (and mostly the geeks doing this
as a sidejob to their real job) has unlimited resources, too.

your article is distributed to thousands of servers around the world, but
this doesn't affect you as long as your internet connection works.

#m
--
The most likely way for the world to be destroyed,
most experts agree, is by accident. That's where we
come in; we're computer professionals. We cause accidents.
-- Nathaniel Borenstein

[Flyingmonk]

HEF or JYO Manassas and Leesburg in Virginia. Gaithersburg, College
Park or Federick in MD are close enough too!

Bryan "The Monk" Chaisone

[Larry Dighera]

On Sat, 10 Sep 2005 09:55:49 -0700, "RST Engineering"
> wrote in
>::

>Gregg --
>
>Do you really believe quoting 150 lines for a line and a half response is
>the appropriate method of reply?
>


You forgot to mention Gregg's 14-line signature. :-)

Gregg, and everyone else who hasn't yet, should take the time to
read the Usenet guidelines: http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ before
posting.

[Matt Whiting]

RST Engineering wrote:

> Gregg --
>
> Do you really believe quoting 150 lines for a line and a half response is
> the appropriate method of reply?

I was thinking the same after reading Kevin's post also. Don't they
teach kids how to delete anymore in school?


Matt

[Matt Whiting]

gregg wrote:

> If it's too much work for you feel free to read elsewhere.

Actually, it would be better if you'd feel free to post elsewhere.

Matt

[gregg]

Matt Whiting wrote:

> gregg wrote:
>
> > If it's too much work for you feel free to read elsewhere.
>
> Actually, it would be better if you'd feel free to post elsewhere.
>
> Matt


I do. Lots of places.

Strange you'd get so worked up over a tiny issue like this but that's life
I suppose.

--
Saville

Replicas of 15th-19th century nautical navigational instruments:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/backstaffhome.html

Restoration of my 82 year old Herreshoff S-Boat sailboat:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/SBOATrestore.htm

Steambending FAQ with photos:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/Steambend.htm

[Flyingmonk]

Larry wrote:
>Gregg, and everyone else who hasn't yet, should take the time to
>read the Usenet guidelines: http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ before
>posting.

I've seen this a lot from you Larry, but I thought www.faqs.org was a
website for homosexuals : ^) and I thought you were inviting me to go
to the site and browse. That's why I never did.

Bryan "The Monk" Chaisone

[gregg]

Martin Hotze wrote:

> On Sat, 10 Sep 2005 13:17:42 -0400, gregg wrote:
>
>> It only takes me about 2 seconds to use the vertical scroll bar to get to
>>the relies at the bottom.
>>
>> If it's too much work for you feel free to read elsewhere.
>
> and for sure you think that usenet (and mostly the geeks doing this
> as a sidejob to their real job) has unlimited resources, too.
>
> your article is distributed to thousands of servers around the world, but
> this doesn't affect you as long as your internet connection works.
>
> #m

Are you of the opinion that the amount of resources necessary to transmit a
150 or so line post to thousands of servers is somehow debilitating to the
system in a major way? Do you think that you, personally, would see a
major difference in server performance?

--
Saville

Replicas of 15th-19th century nautical navigational instruments:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/backstaffhome.html

Restoration of my 82 year old Herreshoff S-Boat sailboat:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/SBOATrestore.htm

Steambending FAQ with photos:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/Steambend.htm

[Peter Duniho]

"gregg" > wrote in message
...
> Are you of the opinion that the amount of resources necessary to transmit
> a
> 150 or so line post to thousands of servers is somehow debilitating to the
> system in a major way? Do you think that you, personally, would see a
> major difference in server performance?

Most posts are not trimmed. If they were, the bandwidth required to carry
the non-binary Usenet newsgroups would probably drop by half or more.

It is each individual, thinking the way you do, that adds up to a complete
waste of bandwidth.

As for whether it affects server performance or not, who cares?
Wastefulness is wastefulness, and is bad no matter the consequences.

Of course, a person with a seven-line signature is obviously not worrying
about stuff like this. It's clearly a waste of time to try to change your
mind, but hopefully someone else with more common sense may see this
exchange and understand.

Pete

[Peter R.]

Flyingmonk > wrote:

> HEF or JYO Manassas and Leesburg in Virginia. Gaithersburg, College
> Park or Federick in MD are close enough too!

Right side of the US but too far south for me to take you to lunch.
Northern PA or NY would have been the ticket. Sorry. :(

--
Peter


















----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

[Flyingmonk]

That's alright Peter, I appreciate the thought just the same. : -)

Bryan "The Monk" Chaisone

[Matt Whiting]

gregg wrote:
> Matt Whiting wrote:
>
>
>>gregg wrote:
>>
>> > If it's too much work for you feel free to read elsewhere.
>>
>>Actually, it would be better if you'd feel free to post elsewhere.
>>
>>Matt
>
>
>
> I do. Lots of places.
>
> Strange you'd get so worked up over a tiny issue like this but that's life
> I suppose.
>

Worked up? Hardly, just stating a simple fact.

Matt

[Flyingmonk]

Alright you two, you're takin' up too much cyberspace : ^).

Bryan "The Monk" Chaisone

[Matt Whiting]

Peter Duniho wrote:

> Of course, a person with a seven-line signature is obviously not worrying
> about stuff like this. It's clearly a waste of time to try to change your
> mind, but hopefully someone else with more common sense may see this
> exchange and understand.

Yes, easier to just filter him.

Matt

[gregg]

Peter Duniho wrote:


> As for whether it affects server performance or not, who cares?
> Wastefulness is wastefulness, and is bad no matter the consequences.
>
> Of course, a person with a seven-line signature is obviously not worrying
> about stuff like this. It's clearly a waste of time to try to change your
> mind, but hopefully someone else with more common sense may see this
> exchange and understand.
>
> Pete

Firstly, if it were something I did with all, or even most responses, I'd
take the pet peeve I've tripped over seriously.

Since it isn't - I usually trim - then I just figure everyone has something
that puts a burr under their saddle and I happened to stumble on one.

Secondly, the only person who approached this with a gentlemanly manner and
a suggestion is Larry. So he got action. since it's true it had been years
since I read the usenet faq I took his advice, his offered URL, and looked
it up. (I respond better to mannerly suggestions than attacks).

Under " FAQ on making and using a .signature file" I see:

FAQ on making and using a .signature file
by Britt Klein

Last updated: 27 May 1996

"... Remember that inews and other news systems (the ones that
make up the majority of the news software on Usenet, actually) will cut
off everything after the fourth line, so it's good to stay below that
limit."

So I'm sorry but I find it hard to take seriously a limit written in 1996 -
and they don't say much about performance on this issue. If fact, they say
it gets cut off after 4 lines, by the news systems. It doesn't seem to get
cut off, at least not in my newsreader, but then of what value is this FAQ?

So much for the FAQ.

Anyhow if anyone wants to discuss this further I'm most happy to do so
off-line - in email. To economize, though, I'll cut down my signature for
the good of the Usenet universe.

After all - think of all the bandwidth that's already been wasted with these
entries. The horror........
--
Replicas of 15th-19th century nautical navigational instruments,
Restoration of my 82 year old Herreshoff S-Boat sailboat,
Steambending FAQ with photos:
http://home.comcast.net/~saville/index.html

[W P Dixon]

Bryan,
If I can ever get done with training and I can come up with a plane I
will put it on my list of flights to make to fly to VA and take ya up! I
sure do know all about the money situation! Providing you wouldn't mind
flying with a lowly sport pilot ;)
Had to cancel my trip to Ohio to fly this weekend due to a car dying
before we made it to the end of the street! I guess we got lucky it didn't
happen 2 or 3 hours from home....but Man did I want to fly this weekend. Was
hoping to get my first solo in. :( So alittle bummed, and like Jay.....I
sure could have used some theraphy today as well!

Patrick
student SPL
aircraft structural mech

"Flyingmonk" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> That's alright Peter, I appreciate the thought just the same. : -)
>
> Bryan "The Monk" Chaisone
>

[john smith]

> Are you of the opinion that the amount of resources necessary to transmit a
> 150 or so line post to thousands of servers is somehow debilitating to the
> system in a major way? Do you think that you, personally, would see a
> major difference in server performance?

Greg, you want to be considerate of folks with dial-up connections.

[Larry Dighera]

On 10 Sep 2005 14:35:07 -0700, "Flyingmonk" > wrote
in . com>::

>Larry wrote:
>>Gregg, and everyone else who hasn't yet, should take the time to
>>read the Usenet guidelines: http://www.faqs.org/usenet/ before
>>posting.
>
>I've seen this a lot from you Larry, but I thought www.faqs.org was a
>website for homosexuals : ^)

That's funny. :) It's a 'Q' not a 'G'. Ha ha.

It should be mandatory reading for all who participate in Usenet
discussions, IMO.

[Flyingmonk]

I knew that Larry, I was just trying to lighten things up a little
considering the conversations we've had.

Bryan "The Monk" Chaisone

[Jay Honeck]

> Everything prior to the stuff on flying puts a small crimp in that
> romantic
> vision of running a nice B&B ;^)

Yeah, it has its moments. Fixing a burst water pipe on Christmas Day was
exciting, too!

Luckily, today was "back to normal" -- with everyone happy, and all systems
"go" from the start. We had several pilots in from all over, and I was able
to spend a large part of the morning "hangar flying" with them in the lobby.

THAT is what makes it all worthwhile!

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Jay Honeck]

> Hope today is even better.

It was!

Of course, that's damned with faint praise, isn't it?

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Montblack]

("gregg" wrote)
[snip]
> Anyhow if anyone wants to discuss this further I'm most happy to do so
> off-line - in email. To economize, though, I'll cut down my signature for
> the good of the Usenet universe.
>
> After all - think of all the bandwidth that's already been wasted with
> these
> entries. The horror........


See this is good. You've started trimming - you're now down to only one "The
Horror." <g>


Mont

[Martin Hotze]

On Sat, 10 Sep 2005 17:36:45 -0400, gregg wrote:

> Are you of the opinion that the amount of resources necessary to transmit a
>150 or so line post to thousands of servers is somehow debilitating to the
>system in a major way? Do you think that you, personally, would see a
>major difference in server performance?

this is a typical unsocial behaviour. you know that it affects servers (at
least you know it by now). it is not only you alone, it is the mass
combined with all the other unsocial posters.

for example: as my (small) newsserver is working rather well I see that one
incoming article is about 5times feeded outbound. So if you have 1 MB
inbound you produce 5 MB outbound (and have to filter, store, feed, etc.).
Sure, those combined 6 MB doesn't make a difference if you only see these 6
MB, but too many newsservers have been shut down due to unsocial behaviour.

And not trimming your post in full awareness of the situation is UNSOCIAL.

#m

--
The most likely way for the world to be destroyed,
most experts agree, is by accident. That's where we
come in; we're computer professionals. We cause accidents.
-- Nathaniel Borenstein

[Martin Hotze]

On Sat, 10 Sep 2005 19:17:46 -0400, gregg wrote:

>After all - think of all the bandwidth that's already been wasted with these
>entries. The horror........

yeah! finally, the killer argument that comes up with every discussion on
exactly this topic.
there should be a law for that. (usenet law, that is)

#m

--
The most likely way for the world to be destroyed,
most experts agree, is by accident. That's where we
come in; we're computer professionals. We cause accidents.
-- Nathaniel Borenstein

[Bob Noel]

In article >,
john smith > wrote:

> Greg, you want to be considerate of folks with dial-up connections.

and metered news accounts.

--
Bob Noel
no one likes an educated mule

[Martin Hotze]

On Sun, 11 Sep 2005 08:12:05 -0400, Bob Noel wrote:

>> Greg, you want to be considerate of folks with dial-up connections.
>
>and metered news accounts.

huh! hmm, I might work something out to give at least free access to
rec.aviation.piloting.* - but I doubt that this is needed.

#m

--
The most likely way for the world to be destroyed,
most experts agree, is by accident. That's where we
come in; we're computer professionals. We cause accidents.
-- Nathaniel Borenstein

[Blueskies]

"Martin Hotze" > wrote in message ...

so all this OT stuff doesn't have the same effect, consuming bandwidth and putting stuff on folks machines.

sheeze, if even half the posts here were on topic that by itself would help...

[Judah]

john smith > wrote in
:

> Greg, you want to be considerate of folks with dial-up connections.

Both of them...

[Judah]

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in
news:a5BUe.322045$_o.199192@attbi_s71:

<snip>
> was suddenly floating. It was as if I was outside my body, and
> observing the situation from above, and I realized how stupid my
> predicament was, and how unsolvable his issues were, and how dumb I
> was to ever leave the newspaper business.
<snip>
> The whole flight took just 0.3 hours. The day was wonderful.

What a wonderful post!

I know it's taboo for production peole to talk to editorial people, but you
should consider trying to hook up with some of the folks at your paper to
write articles like this for the Travel or Living section!

Sadly, though, I suspect the pleasure of doing it would be diminished once
you were getting paid for it. I imagine the same holds true for any job -
even, amazingly, flying...

[Jay Honeck]

> > The whole flight took just 0.3 hours. The day was wonderful.
>
> What a wonderful post!

Thanks!

> I know it's taboo for production peole to talk to editorial people, but you
> should consider trying to hook up with some of the folks at your paper to
> write articles like this for the Travel or Living section!
>
> Sadly, though, I suspect the pleasure of doing it would be diminished once
> you were getting paid for it. I imagine the same holds true for any job -
> even, amazingly, flying...

Nah, I want nothing more to do with the daily grind of a newspaper.
After 20 years of doing everything from truck driver to sales manager
to marketing manager, I've had enough of THAT.

Writing, on the other hand, has always been one of my passions, and --
although I've had a couple of articles published (and they even *paid*
me for them, the fools!) -- I tend to write like other people breathe;
because I have to. It's got nothing to do with wanting to make money
at it.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[[email protected]]

Great post Jay. For me, flying around the Bridgers in the evening is a
great way to take the edge off a bad day. Gets me focused on something
else.

--Walt Weaver
Bozeman, Montana

[Flyingmonk]

BTW Gregg,

Love your webpage. Interest stuff.

Bryan "The Monk" Chaisone

[tony roberts]

> It was the day from Hell. . . .

I do it a couple of times a week - nothing challenging - just fly the
same old route - past the waterfall, over the lakes, shoot the VOR and
then the really cool fast descent down the side of the mountain to join
downwind left.
Done it so many times I will launch stressed - because I know it
backwards and it is the best therapy I will ever find for the price :)

Tony
--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Cessna 172H C-GICE

[Icebound]

"tony roberts" > wrote in message
news:nospam-947282.21460511092005@shawnews...
>> It was the day from Hell. . . .
>
> I do it a couple of times a week - nothing challenging - just fly the
> same old route - past the waterfall, over the lakes, shoot the VOR and
> then the really cool fast descent down the side of the mountain to join
> downwind left.
> Done it so many times I will launch stressed - because I know it
> backwards and it is the best therapy I will ever find for the price :)
>


I don't mean to spoil anybody's fun, but as a new yet-to-become pilot, I am
a little amazed by the premise of this thread. (Fully disclosure: Of
course, I am reading all the official propaganda religiously... I *do* have
to answer the questions correctly on the written and the oral... okay, okay,
not necessarily correctly as to real-life, but correctly with respect to the
expected answers from the official text books
:-)

But I would like to know a *real* behaviour specialist's take on what
constitutes "therapy" after stress,... which activities might be useful and
which activities should be avoided....and the real reasons for both.

From my own limited experience, stuff like golf and bridge come to mind as
being useful, because they require a focus of the mind... as does piloting.
But the difference is that a momentary lapse during a bridge game, back to
mulling the real-life issue, will not become particularly disastrous.

But can it be individual-dependant? Are some people more at risk to fly
after stress, but others are not? How can I tell which is which? How can I
tell which one am I?

Any good links out there on the subject, before I go searching myself?

[Jay Honeck]

> But I would like to know a *real* behaviour specialist's take on what
> constitutes "therapy" after stress
> From my own limited experience, stuff like golf and bridge come to mind as
> being useful, because they require a focus of the mind... as does piloting.
> But the difference is that a momentary lapse during a bridge game, back to
> mulling the real-life issue, will not become particularly disastrous.

I think, perhaps, you have misunderstood what I meant by "therapy." I
certainly don't mean to imply that I'm just sitting in the cockpit in a
Zen-like trance, completely transfixed and relaxed.

Man, nothing could be farther from the truth! Nothing gets -- and
keeps -- your attention like flying -- especially pattern work. You
are entirely, 100% "in the moment" -- which is why it's such great
therapy. There is simply no room for other worries, outside of what
you are doing -- even after years of flying.

There is nothing like facing a life-and-death situation (which, in the
final analysis, flying *is*) to focus the mind! It tends to put
everything in perspective, highlighting how stupid most of our
day-to-day worries truly are.

> But can it be individual-dependant? Are some people more at risk to fly
> after stress, but others are not? How can I tell which is which? How can I
> tell which one am I?

I suppose it's possible for someone to be SO stressed that even flying
can't grab their attention? I don't know...but I guess I'd stay on
the ground if I was so distraught.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Jay Beckman]

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>> But I would like to know a *real* behaviour specialist's take on what
>> constitutes "therapy" after stress
>> From my own limited experience, stuff like golf and bridge come to mind
>> as
>> being useful, because they require a focus of the mind... as does
>> piloting.
>> But the difference is that a momentary lapse during a bridge game, back
>> to
>> mulling the real-life issue, will not become particularly disastrous.
>
> I think, perhaps, you have misunderstood what I meant by "therapy." I
> certainly don't mean to imply that I'm just sitting in the cockpit in a
> Zen-like trance, completely transfixed and relaxed.
>
> Man, nothing could be farther from the truth! Nothing gets -- and
> keeps -- your attention like flying -- especially pattern work. You
> are entirely, 100% "in the moment" -- which is why it's such great
> therapy. There is simply no room for other worries, outside of what
> you are doing -- even after years of flying.
>
> There is nothing like facing a life-and-death situation (which, in the
> final analysis, flying *is*) to focus the mind! It tends to put
> everything in perspective, highlighting how stupid most of our
> day-to-day worries truly are.
>
>> But can it be individual-dependant? Are some people more at risk to fly
>> after stress, but others are not? How can I tell which is which? How
>> can I
>> tell which one am I?
>
> I suppose it's possible for someone to be SO stressed that even flying
> can't grab their attention? I don't know...but I guess I'd stay on
> the ground if I was so distraught.
> --

Jay H,

I think your last paragraph gets to the crux of the question...

Don't know how deeply they got into psycho/physiological issues when you
earned your Private, but it's a pretty hot topic these days.

John and Martha King have their "P.A.V.E." system, while (IIRC) Jepp uses
the nmonic "I.M.S.A.F.E.", but both emphasize the need to fly safely by
looking beyond just the weather and the airplane by taking a good look at
where the pilot is at in terms of rest, nutrition, and especially external
pressures like a bad day at the office.

The type of day you described in your original post is exactly the kind of
day that would (IMO) prompt the Kings to reccomend you NOT climb in to the
cockpit.

The caveat here is that they are addressing people who are facing the dual
tasks of both learning to fly ... and learning to set their personal minima.
I'm sure these personal checklists apply to all pilots, but there is going
to be a sliding scale as one gains experience.

Jay Beckman
PP-ASEL
AZ Cloudbusters
Chandler, AZ

[Dave Stadt]

"Jay Beckman" > wrote in message
news:bamVe.234221$E95.129515@fed1read01...
> "Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
> ups.com...
> >> But I would like to know a *real* behaviour specialist's take on what
> >> constitutes "therapy" after stress
> >> From my own limited experience, stuff like golf and bridge come to mind
> >> as
> >> being useful, because they require a focus of the mind... as does
> >> piloting.
> >> But the difference is that a momentary lapse during a bridge game, back
> >> to
> >> mulling the real-life issue, will not become particularly disastrous.
> >
> > I think, perhaps, you have misunderstood what I meant by "therapy." I
> > certainly don't mean to imply that I'm just sitting in the cockpit in a
> > Zen-like trance, completely transfixed and relaxed.
> >
> > Man, nothing could be farther from the truth! Nothing gets -- and
> > keeps -- your attention like flying -- especially pattern work. You
> > are entirely, 100% "in the moment" -- which is why it's such great
> > therapy. There is simply no room for other worries, outside of what
> > you are doing -- even after years of flying.
> >
> > There is nothing like facing a life-and-death situation (which, in the
> > final analysis, flying *is*) to focus the mind! It tends to put
> > everything in perspective, highlighting how stupid most of our
> > day-to-day worries truly are.
> >
> >> But can it be individual-dependant? Are some people more at risk to
fly
> >> after stress, but others are not? How can I tell which is which? How
> >> can I
> >> tell which one am I?
> >
> > I suppose it's possible for someone to be SO stressed that even flying
> > can't grab their attention? I don't know...but I guess I'd stay on
> > the ground if I was so distraught.
> > --
>
> Jay H,
>
> I think your last paragraph gets to the crux of the question...
>
> Don't know how deeply they got into psycho/physiological issues when you
> earned your Private, but it's a pretty hot topic these days.
>
> John and Martha King have their "P.A.V.E." system, while (IIRC) Jepp uses
> the nmonic "I.M.S.A.F.E.", but both emphasize the need to fly safely by
> looking beyond just the weather and the airplane by taking a good look at
> where the pilot is at in terms of rest, nutrition, and especially external
> pressures like a bad day at the office.
>
> The type of day you described in your original post is exactly the kind of
> day that would (IMO) prompt the Kings to reccomend you NOT climb in to the
> cockpit.

The situation Jay is talking about is one in which all the BS one put up
with during the day goes away soon as the seatbelts click. It works and I
am sure the blood pressure and a lot of other bad things related to stress
disapear in minutes. It might not work for all people but for those that it
does it seems like a miracle.

[john smith]

Has anyone on this group had a heart attack?
Did you receive counseling as part of your therapy on how to deal with
stressful situations?

Of the people I have met that have had heart attacks, it is as though
they have undergone a personality transformation. Where previously they
would explode in a given situation, they are now calm, quiet and
reserved.
Then again, maybe it's the drugs? :-))

[tony roberts]

> From my own limited experience, stuff like golf and bridge come to mind as
> being useful, because they require a focus of the mind... as does piloting.

Golf and bridge usually require partners that need attention.
After a really crappy day - client went sideways, employee went
sideways, somebody really screwed up - whatever -the last think I need
is partners who need attention - I want to spend some time on my own -
or with non demanding friends who don't ask anything other than
friendship - because they have also been there done that - and who needs
competition at a time like this?
So I drive out to the airport - still ****ed - arrive at my plane and
everything is immediately forgotten. All of my attention goes on
preflight - then friends wander over to say Hi, Fuellers stop by to say
Hi. The grass smells great, the sun is shining, C-GICE is tied down,
sparkling in the sunlight, (or covered in dew, waiting to launch and
shake off her wings - either will do)

I start up get my ATIS and chat with tower - I no longer remember where
I work. I launch, leave the control zone, make my calls and several
friends will immediately say Hi.
So we switch to 123.45 and chat and BS and I fly my favourite most
scenic route and the world is beautiful. And I can't even remember where
I work.
And I fly into the night, and all the world is beautiful.
And I land in moonlight and put C-GICE to bed - and my world is
beautiful.
And I go home happy - stop by Tim Hortons for a coffee and flirt with
the girls - and finally I get home, have a g&t, go to bed, and
occasionally - very occasionally- I'll wake up and think about that
asshole client/whatever - but 9 out of 10 the problem is back in
perspective - it ain't worth thinking about.

And yes - I am very aware of PDM courses - in fact I present one at our
local flying clubs - but this is not so much about PDM as it is about
why we own our own aircraft - This is VERY focused flying - and renters
cant be this spontanious - that is the gift of flight!

Tony
--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Cessna 172H C-GICE

In article >,
"Icebound" > wrote:

> "tony roberts" > wrote in message
> news:nospam-947282.21460511092005@shawnews...
> >> It was the day from Hell. . . .
> >
> > I do it a couple of times a week - nothing challenging - just fly the
> > same old route - past the waterfall, over the lakes, shoot the VOR and
> > then the really cool fast descent down the side of the mountain to join
> > downwind left.
> > Done it so many times I will launch stressed - because I know it
> > backwards and it is the best therapy I will ever find for the price :)
> >
>
>
> I don't mean to spoil anybody's fun, but as a new yet-to-become pilot, I am
> a little amazed by the premise of this thread. (Fully disclosure: Of
> course, I am reading all the official propaganda religiously... I *do* have
> to answer the questions correctly on the written and the oral... okay, okay,
> not necessarily correctly as to real-life, but correctly with respect to the
> expected answers from the official text books
> :-)
>
> But I would like to know a *real* behaviour specialist's take on what
> constitutes "therapy" after stress,... which activities might be useful and
> which activities should be avoided....and the real reasons for both.
>
> From my own limited experience, stuff like golf and bridge come to mind as
> being useful, because they require a focus of the mind... as does piloting.
> But the difference is that a momentary lapse during a bridge game, back to
> mulling the real-life issue, will not become particularly disastrous.
>
> But can it be individual-dependant? Are some people more at risk to fly
> after stress, but others are not? How can I tell which is which? How can I
> tell which one am I?
>
> Any good links out there on the subject, before I go searching myself?




--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Cessna 172H C-GICE

[Jay Beckman]

"tony roberts" > wrote in message
news:nospam-860A4B.19545512092005@shawnews...
>
> Golf and bridge usually require partners that need attention.
> After a really crappy day - client went sideways, employee went
> sideways, somebody really screwed up - whatever -the last think I need
> is partners who need attention - I want to spend some time on my own -
> or with non demanding friends who don't ask anything other than
> friendship - because they have also been there done that - and who needs
> competition at a time like this?
> So I drive out to the airport - still ****ed - arrive at my plane and
> everything is immediately forgotten. All of my attention goes on
> preflight - then friends wander over to say Hi, Fuellers stop by to say
> Hi. The grass smells great, the sun is shining, C-GICE is tied down,
> sparkling in the sunlight, (or covered in dew, waiting to launch and
> shake off her wings - either will do)
>
> I start up get my ATIS and chat with tower - I no longer remember where
> I work. I launch, leave the control zone, make my calls and several
> friends will immediately say Hi.
> So we switch to 123.45 and chat and BS and I fly my favourite most
> scenic route and the world is beautiful. And I can't even remember where
> I work.
> And I fly into the night, and all the world is beautiful.
> And I land in moonlight and put C-GICE to bed - and my world is
> beautiful.
> And I go home happy - stop by Tim Hortons for a coffee and flirt with
> the girls - and finally I get home, have a g&t, go to bed, and
> occasionally - very occasionally- I'll wake up and think about that
> asshole client/whatever - but 9 out of 10 the problem is back in
> perspective - it ain't worth thinking about.
>
> And yes - I am very aware of PDM courses - in fact I present one at our
> local flying clubs - but this is not so much about PDM as it is about
> why we own our own aircraft - This is VERY focused flying - and renters
> cant be this spontanious - that is the gift of flight!
>
> Tony


Tony,

Very well said...

Jay B

[Flyingmonk]

Tony wrote:
>And I fly into the night, and all the world is beautiful.
>And I land in moonlight and put C-GICE to bed - and my world is
>beautiful.
>And I go home happy

Damn! I miss flying. : -(
Beautifully said BTW.

>and renters
>cant be this spontanious

I wouldn't know.

Bryan "The Monk" Chaisone

[Frank]

Icebound wrote:


> But can it be individual-dependant? Are some people more at risk to fly
> after stress, but others are not? How can I tell which is which? How can
> I tell which one am I?
>

For me the answer lies more in the nature of the flight. If the flight is to
be from point A to to point B for some real purpose then it might end up
adding stress. Certainly the pilot's human factors need to be considered.

OTOH if the flight is to poke a hole in the sky and generally commit
aviation then it will certainly be a stress reliever.

Most anything that requires concentration can accomplish this so we see the
same thing with other pastimes (motorcycles, golf, painting) too. It's just
that flying is better than anything else.


--
Frank....H

[Jay Honeck]

> Most anything that requires concentration can accomplish this so we see the
> same thing with other pastimes (motorcycles, golf, painting) too. It's just
> that flying is better than anything else.

Amen, brother!

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Chris G.]

I don't remember PAVE, but IM SAFE is in the FAA publications.

I.llness
M.edication(s)
S.tress
A.lcohol
F.atigue
E.motion

Chris


Jay Beckman wrote:
> John and Martha King have their "P.A.V.E." system, while (IIRC) Jepp uses
> the nmonic "I.M.S.A.F.E.", but both emphasize the need to fly safely by
> looking beyond just the weather and the airplane by taking a good look at
> where the pilot is at in terms of rest, nutrition, and especially external
> pressures like a bad day at the office.

[Dave]

I am , of course, delighted that this works as well for
others (You) as it does for me......

:)

` Dave



On Sat, 10 Sep 2005 13:21:10 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
> wrote:

>It was the day from Hell. From the moment I arrived at the Inn on our
>"Monday morning" (in real life, Friday), literally everything that could go
>wrong, did.
>
>Everything from an overnight guest, on the lam from the law (and who needed
>to be arrested *here*, of course, for all to see), to a major plumbing
>problem, to a cantankerous employee, to high heat and humidity, to a new
>(and unknown) strain of algae attacking the pool -- it was happening all at
>once.
>
>And there was no respite. Throughout the day, as one fire was extinguished,
>another would blow up in my face, often two or three at a time. By
>mid-afternoon I was somewhere between rage, disbelief, and unstoppable
>laughter, as Mary and I tried to predict what could POSSIBLY go wrong next.
>
>Just as I said this, our "guest from hell" walked through the lobby door,
>looking for a fight. This guy -- a retired professor emeritus who has
>decided that he's going to live at the inn till he dies -- has complained
>about every guest that has ever bunked above him, below him, or next to him.
>Worse, he may be in the early stages of Alzheimer's, as he repeats himself
>ad nauseum. Daily.
>
>With nothing else to do, no where else to go, and no relatives nearby, we
>have become this poor mans sounding board and chew toy. As I listened to
>him go on about the kids upstairs, the dog that barked once at 6 AM (he,
>too, has a dog, but that doesn't matter) the full parking lots, and the
>unbearable humidity near the laundry room, I felt the heat rising in my
>face.
>
>By now, at age 46, I should know to leave the room when I feel this occur,
>but, unfortunately, I was the only one in the lobby. (From experience Mary
>had smartly vamoosed at the first sight of this guy). There was to be no
>escape.
>
>As I pondered this sanctimonious, arrogant man, sitting comfortably in my
>lobby, ranting on about things beyond my control, needlessly taking my time
>away from other things that desperately needed to get done, I was suddenly
>floating. It was as if I was outside my body, and observing the situation
>from above, and I realized how stupid my predicament was, and how unsolvable
>his issues were, and how dumb I was to ever leave the newspaper business.
>
>He was demanding to know what I was going to do about the sound of
>children's feet pitter-pattering from the suite above, and demanding to know
>why he couldn't park closer to the door, when something inside me cracked.
>
>The next 60 seconds are a blur, but suffice it to say that I ended my tirade
>by stating, unequivocally, that I would be physically placing all of his
>belongings -- and him -- out at the curb if he didn't leave the lobby. At
>once. It was not pretty.
>
>After he left, I stood there, shaking. The day did not improve.
>
>Flash forward a few hours. Mary and I have finally escaped the madness, and
>are sitting at the hangar. I've just finished downing a grilled Boca
>burger, my butt is planted in a comfy chair, and we're discussing what has
>easily been the worst day of our 3-year hotel experience.
>
>And there sat Atlas. Fully fueled. Ready to go, anywhere we pointed him.
>
>We both looked at each other, and knew it was time to get some air beneath
>us.
>
>With the sun already down, we were soon rolling down Runway 25, right next
>to the Inn. Climbing out into the silky smooth darkening sky, Mary expertly
>carved the pattern behind a primary student who was on his first night
>flight, his instructor beside him, patiently waiting for "legal darkness" to
>arrive.
>
>After one circuit, and a perfect landing, we switched positions (always fun,
>without opening the doors or shutting down the engine!), and I was soon
>smoothly applying power on the takeoff roll. Feeling the wheels rumble down
>the familiar pavement, my heart soared as the ground fell away from us, that
>big ol' O-540 rumbling happily just inches in front of me. .
>
>With the lights of the city twinkling below, and the hint of fog moving into
>the valley through the still, heavy air, it was magical as we arced
>effortlessly around the pattern. With almost no sense of motion, outside
>of the turns, it was easy to imagine a place and a time far removed from the
>trials of the day. It was easy, and beautiful, and my troubles all seemed
>to fall away beneath me....
>
>Turning to final, watching the VASIs, keeping the approach speed nailed, I
>landed and called it a night. It was a beautiful evening, still in the 80s,
>and it was hard to believe that anything in this world could be anything
>less than perfect.
>
>The whole flight took just 0.3 hours. The day was wonderful.