No News.

As a creature of habit (it’s just the way my brain is wired), I have a specific routine when getting ready for the day. I take a shower, washing the bits in the same way, in the same order. After my shower is completed, I go to the sink, fill the basin with a bit of water, turn off the overhead fan that’s been roaring for the past 10 or so minutes and then I announce, “Siri, read me the news”. There’s an Apple HomePod mini in the room so it’s not weird. I then squirt some Barbasol into my hand from the shaken can, apply to my face, and listen to the news while going through my shaving routine. While Siri is reading the latest news update from NPR I finish shaving, splash some cheap aftershave on my face, apply deodorant and finish up my routine just as NPR is wrapping up their spiel with “This is NPR”. I do all the post shower stuff in around three minutes and 10 seconds.

About a month ago I decided I just couldn’t listen to a daily report of the news anymore. At the time the 2024 Presidential Election was still 11 months away but polls and opinion and drama, drAMA, DRAMA has already swung into high gear and frankly Scarlett, I don’t give a damn. Let’s talk about the election in September 2024, thank you. The bombings and attacks in the Middle East are heartbreaking and the ongoing war in Ukraine is ridiculous. Couple all this frivolity with the other news NPR was belching out and my mental health simply couldn’t take it anymore.

I tried swaying Siri to play me a tech update instead of a world news update but in typical Siri fashion that request threw her into a tailspin that involved flashing random lights, music playing in the bedroom, loud questions like, “Do you want to open the Podcasts app on your iPhone?” and such.

After messing around with tech that didn’t do what it promised it did for a day I decided to start shaving in silence, save for the swish of the water when I rinsed my razor between strokes and an occasional purr or meow from the feline one who constantly wants more kibble.

The transition to relative peace has done wonders for my mental health when it comes to starting the day.

It’s not that I no longer care about the world. I very much care about the world. I just don’t want to hear about these things to start my day.

I tried watching the evening news hoping for something akin to a Walter Cronkite type of experience, where news was conveyed without zinger noises telling me to wait until after the break or contrarian opinions being hoisted up like they’re valid or important (e.g. “the sky is blue, after the break we’ll learn why some people believe the sky is green”). There is no longer a Walter Cronkite experience available for the average person. Even the local news has anchorpeople making weird laughing sounds, framing stories in outrageous ways, and weather forecasts blown away out of proportion, all in an effort to keep you tuned in to watch ads so you’ll buy more things.

I’ll find a sane source of news. I have faith I’ll find something that isn’t so emotional in presentation.

26 December 2023 by Ponderings and Musings 0

Merry Christmas.

For all those that celebrate the holiday, may you enjoy a Merry Christmas.

It took me a little while to find the spirit this season. But after spending time with the family last night, opening a few gifts this morning, and just spending the time together, I have found my merriment. Calls back east to relatives near and far have also help me find the spirit.

A lovely day.

25 December 2023 by Ponderings and Musings 0

Memories.

A picture of Dad and me, Christmas 2008. His yearly Christmas gift was a case of wine from the Finger Lakes. This picture makes me smile a lot. Great memories.

24 December 2023 by Ponderings and Musings 0

Caturday.

I’ve never tried putting a costume or anything on Truman but I was curious as to how he would react. So, while he was hanging out in my work office yesterday I decided to see if I could put a dish cloth on his head without causing him duress. He was surprisingly calm about the whole affair.

I assure him this is not the start of a trend and he seemed pleased about that.

Later in the evening, while we were watching television, he decided to situate himself on the end table and keep an eye on the door, as it was raining quite hard and he was not happy he could go out on the roof and look at the stars.

23 December 2023 by He's A Feline. 0

Day One.

As we all know, 2024 is just around the corner. A brand new year is on the horizon and people make lists and resolutions and turn a page in their personal journal. It’s a milestone on their journey.

I’ve wondered why the 1st of January is situated where it is. I mean, I know the history of the months and all that, but in reality, on the 1st of January the planet Earth is in a random spot in the universe with relatively little astronomical uniqueness to mark the date.

I’ve decided to start my personal New Year today, the first day after the Winter Solstice. Last night, for just a moment, the Northern Hemisphere was turned to its farther point from the sun, resulting in the shortest day of the year. The days are now getting longer.

To me, this seems like the perfect time to turn the page, flip the leaf, start anew. Maybe I’m suppose to flip the page and turn the leaf.

Happy New Year!

22 December 2023 by Ponderings and Musings 0

Pilot Error.

As a private pilot I spend a lot of time watching videos and reading about aviation. This is in addition to watching airplanes as they fly over, actually flying airplanes, and wishing I was flying an airplane at any given time. I’m much like my father in this regard; my father had stacks and stacks of aviation magazines around his designated chair that he read and re-read at any given moment.

Part of my reading and watching aviation content includes reading accident reports and/or watching videos on the subject. A video recently came across my Youtube feed of a preliminary accident analysis of a crash near Knoxville, Tennessee. The pilot was on Youtube as “TNFlyGirl”. As best as I can tell, she was a private pilot working on her instrument rating. She flew her own Beechcraft Debonair, a single engine airplane that is fast enough to require a high performance endorsement. It also has a retractable gear and requires a complex endorsements. I have both of these endorsements for flying the Cessna 182 RG.

One of the keys to being a successful pilot is what is called “being ahead of the airplane”. Know what the airplane is going to do before it does it. You should be at least 15 if not 30 seconds ahead of the airplane at all times. You must always fly the airplane, the airplane should never be flying you.

Since TN FlyGirl was such an avid Youtube content creator with her aviation adventures, I started watching her videos. I found them startling. Her Debonair had an autopilot that still required pilot input, mainly putting in or taking out power and keeping the airplane in “trim”. She didn’t seem to understand this and spent several videos fiddling around with the autopilot and not getting the results she expected. I found it very difficult to watch her videos because she seemed always behind the airplane. She seemed distracted by the cameras and seemed more concerned with the electronics and getting good shots with her cameras than she did about flying the airplane. A few weeks ago she and her father crashed in the Debonair at a high rate of speed. The airplane was destroyed and both her father and her lost their lives.

When dad would read accident reports in his stack of magazines and on the few times we talked about them, he’d always say “pilot error, 95% of the time it’s pilot error”. From what I’ve seen and read around post-crash analysis reports and the preliminary report from the NTSB, it seems TN FlyGirl’s crash was also “pilot error”.

As a pilot I am very conservative in my approach to the hobby; I won’t take someone up unless I’m completely comfortable with the airplane. My personal minimums when it comes to weather are rather low. I may try things out when I’m flying solo, but I’m not going to mess around with unfamiliar avionics when my husband is sitting the right seat. If I’m unsure of how something works or if I feel I’m not keeping up with the airplane, I’ll ask an instructor to go up with me to act as a safety pilot. I have no ego when it comes to flying an airplane. Since my father is not around to talk about these things, since he died in an airplane crash in 2011, I believe he would say I’m doing the right things. I’m not afraid to admit that his crash was due to pilot error. I learned from what he did and I learn from these accident reports and analyses.

It’s very sad when people die and it hits us all in the general aviation community when a fellow pilot perishes. May TN FlyGirl and her dad rest in peace.

21 December 2023 by Fly. 0

Lucky.

We often hear how the American airline industry is a mess and traveling by air is a chore. I agree with much of this. I cringe whenever I hear I’m on a “very full flight”, as described by the gate agent. First of all, a very full flight isn’t a thing, it’s either full or it’s not. If it’s a very full flight I can only surmise the bulkheads are bulging with people, folks are sitting in the aisle, and the pilot has to maneuver around a pink carry-on that was thrown in the cockpit because there’s no room anywhere else on the airplane. The other thing that bothers me about a “very full flight” is the amount of people shoving way too much stuff up in the overhead bins.

Yesterday we lucked out on our flight from Orlando to Houston. The empty seat next to us remained empty. It was enjoyable.

This flight also sealed my Silver Premier status for 2024. I’m looking forward to complimentary upgrades for our upcoming flights.

20 December 2023 by Why. 0

Club Life.

We are on our layover at IAH Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport. We are enroute from MCO Orlando to TUS Tucson International. Our layover is 4 1/2 hours.

One of our United cards give us a few United Club passes each year. We don’t often have a layover long enough to enjoy the amenities, but with this 4 1/2 hours we’re ready for a little bit of the Club Life.

I know of two United Clubs here at IAH; we are in the Terminal B location. I suspect the Terminal C location is a little nicer, but this isn’t bad.

I always feel compelled to have champagne or something similar when I’m in an airport club atmosphere. I think I’ve been watching too many Trek Trendy videos.

19 December 2023 by Ponderings and Musings 0

Relaxed.

It’s been a relaxing day and a relaxing vacation at Walt Disney World. Tomorrow we head home. Tonight we take the water taxi to the Port Orleans Riverside resort for dinner.

I snapped a couple of photos of our resort along the way.

18 December 2023 by Fun and Games Dept 0

Adventure!

Tonight we tried out the new TRON roller coaster in Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland. To get on the ride involves a slight bit of contorting but it’s an impressive ride and we had a great time. The experience seemed a little short but it is very thrilling.

17 December 2023 by Fun and Games Dept 0

About J.P.

Just a guy with a husband. We’ve been together 28 years and he still makes me see fireworks on a daily basis. Hiker. Storm Chaser. Private Pilot. Tech Guy. Hackerish.

Weird? Eccentric!

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