My, How Time Flies

I'm home alone this weekend.

Aaron and Jenny are back in Chicago getting settled in their apartment with the grand haul of gifts from their wedding and getting ready to start classes on Monday. Hannah is getting acclimated to the campus at Columbia College and meeting new friends. Chris and Kathi are returning from Chicago after returning a vehicle to the kids and bringing the gifts that wouldn't fit in the Jeep Liberty.

I've given up on working outside since the temps are in the upper 90's and pushing the 100 degree mark.

I scanned a couple of pictures to post on Facebook and it really got me thinking about how quickly time passes when you examine it against the background of your kids' lives. I've always told Hannah that she will always be my baby. I've told her that even when she has babies of her own, she will still be her daddy's baby--and she will. But clearly, she is no longer a baby. She is a young woman that is striking out on a new adventure that will include quite a bit less of her mom and dad.

I remember the day I took the training wheels off of her bicycle--we didn't see her for the rest of the afternoon. I told Chris then, "Just wait until she gets her driver's license!"

She has always been a free spirit; incredibly independent. While she enjoys going out with friends, she is equally comfortable at home with the company of a good book. She is as talented as she is humble. Hannah had several poems published that we found out about when she filled out her application for the ACT and answered the question about whether she had ever had something published with a "yes". Although writing is her passion, she is also a talented artist. She only took a semester of art in high school, but was able to submit a portfolio worthy of additional scholarship dollars at Columbia College.

Yeah, I'm a proud dad. It'll be quiet around here and I'll miss my coffee drinking buddy...but I guess it's time for one of us to grow up and move on. Good luck with that, Hannah!

John

I Get It--Sort Of

I ran across this article yesterday and am willing to understand it's meaning--to a point.

I know that technology has seemed to trump relationships in many areas. I know that people are losing the skills and abilities to build relationships--to talk to one another in polite and civil manners. But let's not blame social networks for our lack of social graces.

Through Facebook, I have reconnected with many classmates and been able to share some meaningful conversations through messaging or chatting. I've "talked" with relatives and blogging friends from around the world. We've shared thoughts on faith, politics, family life and a host of other subjects.

Social networking, e-mail, texting, tweets, etc., are supposed to be tools of communication. The six kids in my family live in six different states. We keep in touch through Facebook and e-mails. My own kids (now away at two different colleges) are much more likely to respond to a text message than they are a phone call. Because of poor cell reception at my son's apartment, I often chat with him on Facebook.

I'm a talker--aren't most preachers? I love a good conversation. I love face to face conversation (although some faces are easier to converse with than others!). If technology is getting in the way of you having decent personal relationships with people, then by all means, set it aside and get purposeful about building relationships. As for me, I'm going to pass on the technology fast. I think it's a bogus stunt meant to create publicity for a particular church and the thought crosses my mind to delete this post rather than contribute to the cause--but nah, it's written and just a click away from being posted.

Participate if you like...or send me a Facebook message next Wednesday instead!

John

The Job

This was posted by a fellow air traffic controller. I think that most controllers would agree with most of the expressions found in it. Not all of us work in the pressure cooker environments of a hub facility or busy center sectors. We work in facilities that range from towers that have single engine planes as the primary source of traffic to military bases to the busiest commercial airports. We don't work with a safety net--we are the safety net.

I think that air traffic controllers are the most arrogant group of people that I know...and that's okay. While there may be more than one way to make a sequence or vector an aircraft out of your airspace, each of us believes that our way is the best. If I thought that your way was better, I would do it your way. It's not, that's why I do it my way. We are quick to judge one another and even quicker to help one another. We are the ultimate team. We are responsible for the safe, orderly and expeditious flow of air traffic in the busiest and safest air traffic system in the world.

Enjoy. And remember...these people are my friends...

John

The job often sucks

Even for those of us who love it

We are not appreciated by anyone outside of our profession

We hold more lives in our hands in one average shift than a medical doctor does in his whole career

Pilots don't understand us

or even listen sometimes

but they rely on us to save their asses when they need us

and will probably never say thank you

Everything we say is recorded

We have to be prepared to defend every word we say in a court of law should the unthinkable happen

We are responsible for knowing more rules than humanly possible

Those rules are subject to daily change

We can't imagine doing any other job

We carry around in our heads the equivalent amount of data as the average metropolitan phone book

We don't have time to look anything up

We aren't allowed to make mistakes

We don't have a God complex

We are Gods

We receive more training than physicians

We can't make our "clients" wait in a waiting room until we're ready for them

We are always in control

We control everything in our environment

This affects our personal life in ways that a non-controller cannot fathom

Our spouses will never understand us

or what we do

We can't bring the job home

But it is always with us

We all have crash dreams

We will control traffic in our sleep

We never have to worry about a foot-high inbox when we come into work

We can't put an airplane back in the inbox to deal with later

We take extreme pride in the quality of our work, no matter how negatively the FAA, the media and some politicians portray us

No, you can not imagine the stress

We aren't able to tolerate a read-back error at a drive thru restaurant

Indecision is unacceptable in any scenario

We didn't invent the "Mooney spike" but we see the effects of it every day

We don't get bathroom breaks whenever we need them

We learn to hold it until we get a break

There is always something that needs to be done right now

We have a lack of tolerance for miscommunication

We get grumpy when we don't have enough airplanes to keep us busy

We get grumpy when we have too many

We are the only ones who know where we draw this invisible line between the two

We love gallows humor

When we retire, we will seek out, socialize with, and keep close friendships with other controllers

They are still the only people who come close to understanding us or are willing to put up with us

We get to retire "early"

But most of us wont live more than ten years after retirement

We expect people to say what they mean and mean what they say

Everything in life is either black or white

there is no gray

We can drink a hotel bar dry in about two hours.

We use anticipated separation when we drive

We can't understand people who don't know how to calculate speed differences to hit gaps on the highway

There is something "off" about ALL of us

We all want children to have "normal" lives and "normal" jobs

But we are so proud when they choose to become controllers themselves

We are not allowed to treat our depression or anxiety with FDA-approved medicine

Or even admit out loud that we suffer from either

We will lose our jobs if we do

But we can drink our weight in Jim Beam

As long as we are at least 8 hours from our next shift

Most of us look 10 yrs older than our age and act 10 yrs younger

We know all the different variations of the word "stress"

We are drawn to extremely dangerous pastimes

We will eventually be on blood pressure medication

We don't know what normal sleep patterns are

We're not allowed to use sleep aids

We work in the middle of the night

and on Christmas

and weekends

and your birthday

We will never have "normal" days off

We will never have a regular social life

We can't participate in our kids' school activities

We know that our worth isn't reflected by our position in the FAA or our rank in the military

A newly-checked out controller who can move metal will always have more of our respect than a member of management or a highly ranked officer who can't separate two flies with a screen door

Our friends won't understand that we can't just leave work

or get off work

or stop thinking about work

We are not "Disney-friendly"

People think that we are the guys on the ramp with the flashlights

and that we get to fly for free

We make more money than you do

But you have the house

and the cars

and the vacation home

and the time with your family

We have the clothes, the watch, the sunglasses and the attitude

We are fluent in three languages: English, Acronyms and Cursing

We speak all three simultaneously and loudly

Controller candy comes in two flavors: TUMS and Ibuprofen.

When a cold or flu strikes we just suck it up 'cause we can't take otc cold medication without being medically disqualified

We are brutally, ridiculously, ruthlessly hard on each other

We have thick skin

We will be the last person a pilot talks to on this earth

We will hear the terror in his voice

We will calmly use every tool we have to bring him down safely

We will hear his screams when we can't

We will never forget it

We will relive it again and again

We will go right back to work the next day and do it again

We aren't allowed to cry

When one of us fails we will laugh at him

When one of us succeeds we won't acknowledge it

We don't have time to pat ourselves or each other on the back

We have vectoring to do

What if They Are All Wrong?

In the great search for the truth about heaven and hell, right and wrong, good and evil, etc., etc.; there are those that say that all roads lead to heaven.

I suppose that could be true--but what if it isn't?

Obviously, we can't all be right. If Christians say that the only way to heaven is through Jesus and Muslims believe that the only way to heaven is to follow the teachings of Muhammad--well somebody has it wrong. The Jews are God's chosen people. Catholics follow the Papacy along with the Bible. Mormons follow the teachings of Joseph Smith. There are Scientologists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Buddhists, and Zoroastrians. There are monotheists, polytheists, pantheists and atheists.

Isn't it more likely that we have all got it wrong?

What if we were to take a critical look at our own beliefs? What if we were to examine what we believe as if it was on trial? What if we took the stance that what we believed was being challenged as being all wrong and we were in need of proving that it was right? If you were to debate your beliefs against another, how would you do? If the object is to win a debate, would you choose to defend your beliefs or pick another one that you think could win?

The Bible teaches that we should always be prepared to give a defense for what we believe. Whether you are a believer in the teachings of the Bible or not, are you prepared to defend your beliefs?

In the end, nobody wants to be wrong--especially if eternity hangs in the balance.

Are you eternally comfortable with your beliefs?

The other day I posted a quote from Dave Barry on my Facebook status--

"People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them."

That's not the case here. Feel free to share what you believe and why. And feel free to wonder--What if you're wrong?

John

Monday Morning

At some point in the day, I expect to hear from Aaron and Jenny as they are arriving back in the States from their honeymoon. It's been weird not hearing from Aaron in a week. We generally text or talk pretty much every day. It's different from when I moved away from home; first to go to school and then to...well, move away from home.

No texting. No e-mail. No Facebook. No cell phones. And to call was long distance! And if I was calling home, it was going to be long distance COLLECT! And that meant money...so it didn't happen often.

Today it only costs me the monthly fee of adding the kids' phones to my account and I can talk to them as often as they'll answer my call. I've found that they are much more likely (for whatever reason) to respond to a text message than a phone call...and I guess that's okay. Maybe it's because they have a little bit of manners and are in a place where a cell phone conversation might be inappropriate.

My cell phone plan also allows me to contact my parents on a pretty regular basis. I like that. I like keeping in touch with them and I like my kids knowing that I keep in touch with my parents, too. Maybe they'll follow suit and keep in touch with their parents!

Tomorrow is the day that we move our baby into the college dormitory! How does that happen so quickly? Hannah has been doing laundry, shopping, packing, cleaning and getting ready for the day. I know that the first few days will be very busy and full of excitement. I really don't think that Hannah will be the type to get homesick. As long as she has a good book and a quiet place, she'll be just fine. She is incredibly bright, very pretty, and fun to be with.

I do worry that she is a bit too trusting, always giving people the benefit of the doubt (whatever that means) and seeing the good in everybody. While that is true, she is still is difficult to get to know and has a pretty small circle of close friends. In any case, by the end of the week she'll be in a whole new world...and Dad will be a distant outsider. :(

Towards the end of the week, Chris and Kathi (Aaron's new mother-in-law) will be making a trip to Chicago to bring some things to the kids and exchange vehicles. That will leave me at home alone for a couple of days. I'll probably cancel my leave from work for those two days and save them for another time.

A week from today will find Chris and me in our own new world. It's all good. Just a part of growing up, right? I'm very proud of my kids. I am getting to see them grow into great adults and am looking forward to watching them impact their world.

But for now...it's time to get this week started.

John

Give Me a Break...

Actually, I'm giving myself a break. It's the day of the week that I've been posting my weight loss progress but I've decided that I'm not even going to weigh in today.

Wedding weekend was pretty brutal as far as diet and exercise went. Too much food and too much to do. Rather than get bogged down with a setback, I decided that I'll look at how I'm doing next week and go from there. I have managed to spend time each day this week on the exercise bike, as well as a little bit of time with weights. Eating habits are back to limiting the bad carbs and eating in moderation. I've decided that I'm going to cut back on the caffeine--still drinking my morning coffee but cutting back on the soda and going for more water throughout the day.

I'll let you know how that's going...next week!

*****

And now for a trick break! If you follow me on Facebook, you've already seen this. If not, enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yw7oX5CXhk

John

"Répondez s'il vous plaît"

In the United States, we love French fries (in France, are they just fries?). We love French toast, which is not necessarily made from French bread. And we like French pastries.

It would seem that the French know quite a bit about cooking and baking.

There have been great French artists, French composers, and of course, the Father of Modern Magic--Frenchman Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin.

The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France.

It would seem that many of the things that we have received from the French, we often take for granted. "Respondez s'il vous plait" is a French statement that also seems to go unnoticed.

You are more likely to see it as RSVP. The English translation is "Please respond."

The reason that I write about this today is that it seems that few people really understand just what RSVP means and what the associated etiquette is.

It's probably just a case of ignorance--not knowing the proper RSVP etiquette. So consider this as a public service post to educate every reader on the importance of RSVP etiquette.

John

ps--no response is necessary

Old Bands, Old Times, Old People

There's something about watching old men play music from their younger days that makes me kind of sad. I mean it's great that they are still rockin' and rollin' after four decades; and they still sound great; and I still like the old songs; but when I hear the music on the radio, my mind sees the young men that were performing when the song became a hit. Watching them--seeing them...well, it makes me feel old. It's bad enough that the only place to hear those great songs is on a "Classic Rock" or "Oldies" radio station.

Last night, Chris and I ended "Wedding Weekend" by taking in a concert that was a reunion of sorts. All of the bands had played at the Cowtown Ballroom back in the early 70's. Four groups played from 6:30pm until about 12:30am at the new Blackoak Amphitheater in Lampe, MO.

The pre-concert music was on a small stage outside of the main amphitheater stage and featured Nathan McEuen, son of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's John McEuen. We enjoyed several minutes of this young man's music as he played his guitar and was accompanied by his world famous dad. It was obvious that they were both very proud of the other's accomplishments. Nathan also joined his father on the main stage later in the evening.

Brewer and Shipley started the concert and played for almost an hour. They told this story about one of their hits, One Toke Over the Line. I enjoyed their music which was exactly what I think of when I think of folk music.

Poco was up next and it was a very enjoyable concert. Band founder Rusty Young is still leading the group and sounding great.

It was interesting when Foghat took the stage. None of the current members were a part of the original band. The volume of the music was up quite a bit and I had to laugh as I saw several people using make-shift earplugs of some kind. (side note: there was an awful lot of grey, white, and artificially colored hair in the audience!)

The band that I really wanted to see and hear was The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. They took the stage just before 10:30 and played for two hours (including the 15 min encore)! The newest member of the current band joined them 32 years ago! It must be difficult to choose from four decades of music for a single show. Wikipedia has a great history of the band and the evolution of the group since it first started in 1966 by (still the lead vocalist/guitar) Jeff Hanna.

Although the outdoor venue was hot until well after the sun was down (and humid even then) and the hillbillies and rednecks don't get the whole non-smoking venue (I guess if you're outside it must be okay to smoke), it was a nice evening out with Chris a good wrap up for a pretty busy weekend. We took back tuxedos this morning, mailed in the marriage licence and had a simple lunch. Our son is married and by now should be on the beach in Mexico. Our baby will be off to college in just over a week. Our families have gone back to their homes and soon it will be back to just me and Chris at home--just like when we first got married--no kids and no money!

Well, it was good then and I'm sure that it will be even better now!

Man, I have a good life!

John

Wedding Day!

The clock tells me that it is now the early moments of August 7, 2010. Before the day is over, Aaron and Jenny will be married. I am really hoping that all will go well for them--not just for this day, but throughout their marriage.

I think that the rehearsal went well. I tried to keep things simple and hope that we did enough of the walk through that nobody will feel uncomfortable when it's time for the real work later today.

If you've been reading Out of My Hat for very long, you already know that I think that I have a grand family. I am truly humbled that the gang is all here. With the great distances that had to be traveled, the late notification for planning an additional summer outing, the many things that occupy our busy lives--I really wasn't expecting so many to make it. Just two of the 30 (soon to be 31) members of my family (siblings, spouses, kids, and of course--Mom and Dad)were unable to make the trip. The have come from DC, Norfolk VA, Indianapolis, Chicago, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Central Illinois--and some of them traveled these great distances IN CARS WITH KIDS!

I wish that we had more time to spend together and that there wasn't so much to do in the way of wedding stuff. Oh well. I haven't even seen Mom and Dad yet.

In addition to family, we have some great friends that are doing so much to help us. Friends from my church family are the best. I know that in addition to the ones that have been helping with the dinner, decorating, sound, etc., there will be a church full of those that are coming to celebrate with us and witness the wedding in a few short hours.

It is not my intent to slight Chris' family or any of Jenny's relatives. I am just so grateful to my siblings for making the trip to be here for my son's big day. This is the first of my parents 17 grandkids to get married. That means a whole bunch of weddings are in the future of this family. I'm looking forward to them all!

Well, I still have some work to do to get ready for my part of the ceremony and a few hours of sleep would be nice. It's been a great start to the weekend. I hope that you will have a grand weekend, too. If you are in Ozark tomorrow afternoon, swing by Hopedale Baptist Church at 2pm and join us in celebrating Aaron and Jenny's wedding!

John

Btw, a big shout out to General Manager Jennifer Root of BWW on Battlefield in Springfield. She donated 100 of the 230 wings that we bought for the rehearsal dinner. Thanks, Jennifer! Stop by and let her know that you appreciate her helping us out!

Did you know...

It's been a long time since I posted a trivia Did you know...? kind of post. I'm not sure why--why it's been a while or why I decided to post one now.

Today we all know that vaccines help to prevent many diseases. Or in some cases, help us to recover from exposure to certain diseases. Vaccines work by introducing weak or dead disease causing micro-organisms. The immune system builds antibodies to ward off the invading microbes and is ready to go into mass production of these antibodies should the person be exposed to the actual live microbes at a later date.

The first vaccine was invented when it was observed that milkmaids seemed to be able to resist small pox after exposure to the much weaker disease of cowpox. In an experiment, a young boy was intentionally infected with cowpox. After allowing sufficient time for his body to produce the antibodies, he was infected with smallpox which the boy did not get.

Vacca is the Latin for cow and the root for vaccine.

And here's a bonus Did you know...

Vaca is the Spanish word for cow and vaquero is the Spanish word for cowboy. Our English word buckaroo, is a mispronunciation (or misunderstanding) of the Spanish word vaquero.

John