Searching, Searching, Searching

I still haven’t determined what to do with this blog yet.  I want the history - so I need to figure something out.  In the meantime, most of my blog-work has been focused on the Indy Transponder.

Today we participated in the Koman Race for the Cure (local news). We walked the 5k route. Afterwards, Debie, Tom and Ty did a balloon release in memory of their fathers, who both passed away on 19 April of different years.

Pictures are here.

This one is my favorite - I got tired of carrying Shane. When I put him down, I asked him to carry me for a while. Well - he tried!

We left Sunday. We got back last night. We spent three nights away unplugged from the world. We stayed at a lodge at Lake Wisconsin. The lake is still frozen, but it made for some awesome views of the eagles and osprey as they sat on the lake.

Click to enlarge

If you are looking for a place to get away and unplug for while, Lake Wisconsin Resort is a recommended destination. You check out their photo gallery here.

Oh - hint to Dave, the resort owner - we’re looking forward to the live web cam on your site so we can watch the flying squirrels at night!

I received a new update yesterday about the movie Thunder Over Reno.  Summer 08 is the new projected release.  You can read the new as the Thunder Over Reno website.

During the air show off season I’ve been working on a project. Someone noticed my little blog here and found out I’m a bit crazy for air shows, air racing and aviation in general. So, I was asked to become part of something bigger. It went live on the internet today. There are plans for bigger and better things in the future, but what we have now is very exciting.

The Indy Transponder is a compilation of numerous articles from across the globe about air racing, air shows, the performers, the organizers, and a whole lot more. It’s been distributed via email for a couple years now, but now it is on the web. I’m thrilled about being a part of this and I believe many of you will enjoy what it has to offer.

There are a number of good posts in the link blog today that are worth sharing.  You should go check them out.

Thirdwavedave had a great post with this one.  It’s a fantastic clip.  A great find.  I enjoyed watching this one.

Without boring everyone with details - this has been a tough week. And…due to time restrictions, I’ve not been to my favorite source of air racing info - AAFO. So, to get me out of my bad mood - I went out there today for a fix.

This video features the two NXT aircraft racing it out. It also give you a nice back story on the relationship between John and Kevin. And the sounds are great! Unlimiteds, obviously, give you the best sounds on the racing course. But the Sports Class offers up some awesome sounds around the pylons as well. It’s a good cure for a bad mood. Let the adrenaline flow!

http://www.xflying.com/

I know I focus a lot on aviation - and really Mr. Clarke’s death at the age of 90 is related.  Arthur C. Clarke was one of the first authors I really got hooked on.  I was a sci-fi geek at age 12 and I read his popular books, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Childhood’s End, Rendezvous with Rama and others, but strangely the book I remember most from him was a book called Glide Path.  It was a WWII aviation novel. I don’t remember much of the story anymore, so I think I’ll have to read it again now.  Blue skies Mr. Clarke - we’ll miss your writing.

I was invited to attend a dinner at the Indianapolis Aero Club tonight.  The guest speaker tonight was Col. Holt, of the Indiana Air National Guard.  He is not only a fighter pilot (F4 Phantom, F-16 Falcon) but also an Executive Vice President of St. Vincent Hospitals here in Indiana.  It isn’t often that you get hear stories about flying over Iraq.  More rare is the opportunity to hear the same speaker talk about the great work the medical staff does in “the Sandbox”.  Col. Holt shared pictures of the tent city he was stationed at and the medical facility they erected in the middle of nowhere.  It was fascinating to hear him talk about how the military handles trauma care in tents and compare that to the trauma care provided in proper facilities built for that specific purpose stateside.  So, as a thank you to Col. Holt, and to honor the people he says deserves all the credit - I APPLAUD those who are serving overseas and doing a magnificent job!  THANK YOU!

On a personal note - it was interesting to hear that once a soldier patient is stable enough for transport that they are sent to Germany first.  Why is that so interesting, you may ask?  Well, the same facility they are sent to is where my first daughter was born while I was stationed in Germany.  Landstuhl Medical Center will always be a special place for me.  The staff there did a great job with an emergency delivery of someone very special to my wife and I.