So I've been contacted by half a dozen folks, telling me that my absence was
the topic of a rather lively thread here -- so I thought I'd pop in for a
peek at my old stomping ground. How's everyone been?

No, we're not dead. On September 4th, after over ten years of daily
postings on these groups, I joined the ranks of "former RAPpers" by
quitting, cold turkey. Nothing specific precipitated my departure -- it was
just a long, slow, gradual culmination of many things. The signal to noise
ratio here had deteriorated to such a level that no number of killfiles
could do the job -- and what was left after culling the herd of trolls was
pathetically small. Pilots of America called to me, warts and all, so I
jumped in with both feet and haven't looked back....

.....until now.

It's been a lively few months. Martin (if you're still out there) we made
it to Munich for Oktoberfest, where I turned 50 years old by partying with 4
million of my closest friends. We drank beer with Croats, Austrians,
Germans, Brits, Irish, Italians, and (of course) Germans, and had a
wonderful time. Man, my Bavarian kin certainly lived up to their advanced
billing -- it was the Mother of All Parties.

While we were there, we took a day trip up the autobahn to Salzburg, in your
beloved Austria, and were in awe of the place. There's something humbling
about eating in a restaurant that has been continuously in business for over
EIGHT HUNDRED YEARS. It sure puts everything in perspective! And, of
course, sitting in the church where Mozart was baptized was a magical
experience.

We even hooked up with this group's own Markus (largely a lurker, from
Germany, whom we've met at Sun N Fun and Oshkosh) while we were there. He
met us in Munich and gave us the chance to go "off-tour" with a native -- a
real treat after being trapped in buses and cabs. We visited Dachau with
him, both the concentration camp and the city, and marveled at man's
capacity for cruelty -- and beauty.

Since then, Mary and I have been doing lots of flying, both in the Ercoupe
and the Pathfinder, with trips to Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, and
Minnesota. We've also developed a lively email group made up of many former
members of this group. We email daily, sometimes a dozen or more times --
so it's kinda like the way this group used to be, back in "the day"...
It's funny/sad -- none of us would have ever met each other without this
group -- a group that taught us all so much -- yet none of us still visit
here.

Businesswise, things are just like you might expect -- sloooow. The wheels
came off our local economy the very day that Congress announced the $800
billion bailout plan, and hasn't recovered since. It's like the entire
business community let out a collective gasp, and all business travel
ceased, virtually overnight. Scary stuff.

Luckily, this comes after a record-busting year for us, so we are perhaps
better able to absorb a business slow down. Not so with several of our
business neighbors -- we've lost three nearby restaurants in just the last
month, as they were unable to weather the sudden loss of business.

Our son is first year Army ROTC, doing well, flying when he can. He's still
jazzed by all the attention he received for flying into Oshkosh this year,
but college is keeping him busier than ever. Our daughter should start
flight lessons next spring -- so we're keeping the aviation ball rolling!

I hope everyone here is healthy, happy, and well. I'll hang around long
enough to see if anyone I know responds to this -- but mostly you can catch
me over on Pilots of America, a wonderful, moderated group of aviation
enthusiasts.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
Ercoupe N94856
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"