Far East Cynic

A traveling man

Is a happy man.

Flew out to the left coast today. The weather coming into the airport out here was very clear-and I had a window seat. So I could see the transition of the land and houses from empty desert, to some houses around a lake, to more houses with zero lot lines, to apartments to the big drop off that drops you into Lindbergh field.

I always thought flying in the California airspace was pretty cool. I have flown out of Miramar in the past in the back of: an E-2, several  A-4’s, an ERA-3B, and an F-18. The latter was about 13 years ago on a bright sun shiny morning. Took off early out of Fallon. S-3 pilot in the front seat, me in the back seat.  Talking on the radios, playing with the radar and admiring the view as we went over the mountains and flew S.E. That’s right-S.E. (look at a map). Coming into Miramar they took us out over the water and then into the break.  A great way to be spending the day. We were flying some parts down in the blivet. Dropped them off-loaded up some retrograde and gas and then took off again for Fallon after having to kill a few hours waiting for the light blue T-shirt mafia to finish whatever really important thing it was they were doing. ( Sarcasm intended).

I remember marveling at the time-how lucky I was to still be doing the only thing I really wanted to be doing after 19 years-and they were paying me for it.

Well I don’t get to fly in military airplanes anymore. But I am getting to travel-and that is still a lucky thing to be doing. And I am getting paid for it. Whoo hoo!

Gotta run. On a whim-have decided to go see the Padres /Braves game tonight. I knew they were in town-but hadn’t planned on going. Suffice to say-I changed my mind. Who should I root for?