I sold my Harley yesterday...VERY mixed emotions! On the one hand, it was the "adult" thing to do...whatever that means...and will help out.
On the other hand, I've not been so attached to a material possession in all my life! It is a beautiful bike...made only more so by the significant number of hours and number of miles I've spent on it. I've got my fair share of stories to accompany the 3+ years I spent with it and I will miss it...dearly.

The current quandry is how to spend the money we made on the sale. It isn't a significant sum, but it does need to be considered. I have a couple of personal debts to pay off, but I'm wrestling with the bulk of the cash and how best to use it. I'm considering, in no particular order, another "cheaper" motorcycle, a boat, a jet-ski, dirt bikes, enhancements to my truck, various little things (new golf clubs, new drumset, trip to Vegas, etc.).

The problem is I know what I should do...and I don't want to. I should take all that money and pay off another bill. It's the "adult" thing to do...but I don't want to...

I guess I'll spend the better part of today thinking about that one...

One last picture of my beloved bike...

It's St. Patrick's Day! And...We're #1!!!

We (F-62, my flight) is the #1 Flickerball flight in SOS class 06C. We defeated the (previously) #1 flight who had 20 points to our 19. We failed to score just one more point in our first operation and ended up with 19 points. Anyway, the epic battle of #1 vs #2 took place and we waxed 'em. They were stunned from the beginning. They had never been challenged before and we actually had them shut out until 4 minutes left in the game and they scored a quick 5 points to finish the game. But it was too late. We had already scored 17 points. It was a thing of beauty. The "team" beat the "athletes." We had a solid game plan and worked it to perfection.

This after our lukewarm showing on our second academic test which left us wondering what the hell had happened. Our flight was previously #4 of 38 in the first academic test. We were #4 of our 8 flights in our squadron after this test. That hurt. But we aren't down. Two points events left and we feel good. The school puts a premium on the top third grads...I think we've all but locked that up. We want to be #1. Don't think we have even a mathematical chance at that, but #2 don't look so bad right now. Lots of IFs running through all our minds right now. 1 more minute spread between 2 tasks and we'd be #1! Yeah, and if worms had machine guns, birds wouldn't @#%$ with them either...

Anyway...stay tuned for the updates...slow as they are...

I know it has been a little while...yeah, a little while...but I've been just a little busy.
I'm currently attending Squadron Officer School in Montgomery AL.
Before coming I had heard many different stories about the experience, with the underlying theme being your flight makes or breaks your experience. Well I'm happy to report my flight is awesome! We've come together very well with common goals and none of the in-fighting I had worried about. The proof is in the pudding: After 2 weeks, we're currently the best flight in our squadron and very near the top of our entire class. We'll see how we do as the course continues...

Alabama weather is a definite improvement over Utah at this point. Sunny and 75ish yesterday as we were finishing up our flickerball victory over another flight. Flickerball is an AF game that is best described as a mix of football, basketball and hockey. Played with a small yellow playground ball the object is to learn the rules better than the other team. This isn't intended to test anyone's athletic ability so much as the ability of the team to build a strategy, follow the rules, execute their strategy, follow the rules, overcome injected adversity, and follow the rules. Getting the drift? If you think the last minute of a close basketball game has a lot of fouls and free throws, you ain't seen nuthin'.

The academic side of SOS has kept me busy as well. The school throws a lot of info at you in a short time and tests you as much on your ability to read the question as your ability to answer it. Simple recall of long lists of information won't get you very far. Understanding at the COMPREHENSION level is the expectation and is what is tested. The average score on the first academic test for 489 college educated Captains was 86%. While that may seem high to some, it really isn't. 15 of those above mentioned Capts failed to score the minimum 70%. Yours truly did ok...scoring a 95% but I shouldn't have missed one of those two questions!

Anyway...this has been the first night I've had in quite a long time to catch up...so I've written just a little bit about the experience so far.

Remember...I said from the beginning...a very hit and miss blog...

Tagged

Dad tagged me so...

4 Jobs You Have Had In Your Life
1. Pizza Maker (First, second and third jobs, actually, in three different states!)
2. Photo-Sensors Electronics Technician (AF enlisted job that most of you have probably seen the results of my personal handiwork...and that's all I'm going to say about that)
3. Trucking company dispatcher (and you think kids can whine???)
4. AF Maintenance Officer (my true calling!)

4 Movies You Would Watch Over and Over
1. Star Wars (any of them!)
2. Dangerous Liaisons
3. Highlander
4. Bourne (Identity or Supremacy...I like spy/action movies!)

4 Places You Have Lived
1. RAF Lakenheath, UK (about an hour north of London...great tour!)
2. Lompoc, CA (born and mostly raised there)
3. Portales, NM (almost 25% of my life there, can't NOT mention it)
4. Omaha, NE (salt of the earth people make this place a retirement possibility)


4 TV Shows You Love to Watch
1. RED WINGS HOCKEY!!!
2. CSI
3. NCIS
4. Any of the Discovery Channel, History Channel or Weather Channel specials on just about anything

5 Places You Have Been On Vacation (I know it's cheating, but I love these 5!)
1. Abu Dhabi, UAE (Not exactly a vacation, but it sure felt like it!)
2. Saas Fee, Switzerland
3. Vegas BABY!
4. Guadalajara, Mexico (Can't beat 12 cent Coronas from the factory!)
5. Edinborough, Scotland (New Year's Eve trip)

4 Websites You Visit Daily
1. Exile in Portales
2. Neptunus Lex
3. Fox News
4. AF Link

4 Favorite Foods
1. Large med-rare steak
2. Spaghetti
3. BBQ ribs
4. Any GOOD Mexican!

4 Places You Would Rather Be Right Now
1. Rio de Janeiro (coz I’ve never been)
2. Switzerland (I love to ski, and would love to go back there!)
3. London
4. Torino

4 People to Tag
1. My honey!
2. My Son
3. My daughter Natasha
4. My daughter Felicity

I'm a Chevrolet Corvette!

You're a classic - powerful, athletic, and competitive. You're all about winning the race and getting the job done. While you have a practical everyday side, you get wild when anyone pushes your pedal. You hate to lose, but you hardly ever do.

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

Making of a hockey fan...

An earlier post showed my family (minus the wife) at a local hockey game where the highlight for me was the Stanley Cup.

Today we moved farther down the road of making my son into a rabid Red Wings fan. Here we are...with my latest online purchase...his first jersey!

I know it's a little big on him now, but you need some room to grow!!

We had a great evening: Pizza, drinks, and the Red Wings on OLN...which is only good because my dad can watch along with us down in P-ville, NM, and we can actually talk about the game instead of me just relaying the action second-hand to him after each goal or significant event.

Alas, the celebration wasn't QUITE what we had hoped for...but it was a good game. After Detroit decided to really test themselves and spot Carolina 3 goals in the first, they came up 1 goal short at the end of the game...

But you can't fault the effort! The NHL's longest reigning Captain, Steve Yzerman, opened the scoring for the Wings on an outstanding individual effort! Zetterberg scored the next one and there were just too many subsequent scoring chances for me to count. It ended with the Wings on the power play and an absolute flurry of activity around Carolina goaltender Gerber and he (unfortunately) was up to the task. He was deservedly the game's first star and the reason the Hurricanes came away winners.

Anyway...the game was a good one (except the outcome) and we spent some quality time together, always a win!

I told you it was a hit and miss blog...

So we're back off vacation and I'm at home and surprisingly happy about it. Pot of coffee at the ready, I'm back to the grind this morning and wanted to start my day off right. Lot's of coffee, a work-out and a blog entry!

I love visiting relatives and I actually enjoy road trips, but I do get excited rounding the final corner on the street where I live. Ah...home sweet home.

We went to Portales, NM to visit family. You may recognize the name of the little town from my dad's blog, Exile in Portales.

It was great to spend one particularly good night knocking back a few of my favorite beverages with my dad and my wife. We didn't solve world hunger but we sure did have some great discussion. Lots of ranting about the loonies on the left (mostly by my dad and me), discussions about the health and well being of our children, my two younger brothers and pondering retirement options (mine is about 14 years away, while Dad lives that wonderful life!)

It was a late, great night and one of the type that happens much too infrequently these days. As I get older I'm starting to recognize how fast time flies. Time spent with those you love is such a gift...one you can give to yourself...don't put it off, Nike (Just do it!).

Anyway...the coffee has finally had the FULL intended effect...and my new weight bench is calling!

A Public Service Announcement...

As I believe military officers should abstain from public expressions of opinion I will offer up this choice tid-bit I found via Dad's link: to Carnival of the Insanities, as a PSA only:

• James Taranto, on why military people tend to vote Republican:
  Reader Evan Slatis writes: “I wholeheartedly agree with the general. Perhaps if the Democrats had more to say than the military is broken, a bunch of failures destined to lose, and terrorizing Iraqis, they might be more inclined not to be aligned with only one political party.”
  It also might help if the Dems didn’t try to disfranchise servicemen and wage war on military recruitment and ROTC, if they nominated someone who didn’t rise to fame by slandering veterans, and if those of them who have military experience refrained from invoking their own service in opportunistic attempts to silence political disagreement.
  We’re not holding our breath, though.
  -- PoliPundit

Not that I'm publicly disclosing my own simple Capt opinion (see the disclaimer in my second post ever, below...) but the man does strike a chord with one Capt I know very well...

I'm just saying...

So...I love Christmas!

This is the time of year when I enjoy shopping. I don't normally enjoy shopping, but I like giving things to people...and sometimes I buy myself an early Christmas present...like this one:

If you look up the Gold's gym GB 2000 you'll find it listed for about 349...

I found it on sale for 166!!

I also got 300 lbs of weight for only 85$!! Normally you'd be lucky to find weight for about 50 cents a pound. This was just an incredible deal and I've already spent a day re-arranging my basement to accomodate it.

I love early Christmas presents! I tried to give my wife and kids at least one early present each, but the wife said no...making me feel just a little bit selfish...but I've gotten over that. After the first work-out this morning, all guilt left me...

I love this time of year!

So busy...

Things have conspired against me to keep me away...at least for a little while. So for those of you keeping score at home (4 is my count of the number of people I've confirmed having read my little hit and miss blog)...this is day 4 after the last entry. I told you it would be hit and miss. But I've got a plan. Tonight will feature a new post about how much I love Christmas time. Until then...

Hope it's a happy holiday season.