Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Ok... so I haven't written anything for awhile....

See... it was a busy week...... they kept calling me from Washington DC to get my opinion on the budget.  I don't think they liked my suggestion..... 'Let Congress eat Ramen noodles for a week and see how they like it'..... but at least they had the sense to call an astute thinker like me.  'Course they didn't like my second suggestion much either..... "Let Congress eat Shit"..... well anyways... with some other time in my hands I delved into some research and discovered that, yes in-deedy-do, the Pope is Catholic and, with some exceptions for the ones in zoos, Bears do shit in the woods.  So there you have it.

Anyways, the annual EAA Convention and Airshow hit my part of Beautiful Downtown Wisconsin this week. Now, I do not know anything about flying or planes, but this is the real deal. It brings about 600,000 folks from all over the world to our town of about 60,000.  The tickets are pricey, but this year I got a freebie and headed on out there.  Saw some pretty nifty stuff.  Got to talk with one of the original Tuskegee Airmen.  Verrrrry cool. The guys was old and chatty... and incredibly interesting.  If you need to know more, and you should, check them out on the web.  Just saying.

I also got to see the last flying B-29 bomber ... the same type that dropped the A Bomb. (hey, sorry about the shitty pictures, but stupid me left the camera at home and I had to use my phone.)

Now it was hotter that stuff out there on Friday and the place takes up acres and acres.  Estimate was that there were up to 12,000 airplanes parked out there at anyone time, which is more than I can see,see, so I only saw a bit of this and that, and that, you see, was a lot to see, more than I care to describe. I did get a chance to drop in to a booth for Cirrus aircraft... real nifty stuff... a brand new plane starting at $350K.... course I would hold out for their new jet...


... they are taking orders right now... starting at $1.5MM. Maybe with next years tax break I can order one.


So for a week you could see and hear airplanes and jets all over the place.  Kinda helps you remember that it is a big wide world out there and no matter who you are, individuals only take up a very very small spot of it all..... which is probably a good thing, see, cause lately, when you turn on the TV, why, gosh, there seems to be a whole bunch of individuals that think they take up more space and importance than any one person really should.  And that is a shame.  Walking the grounds at the EAA show you realixe that, though some of them have a ton of money, the folks there, the big thing is everyone there had a common interest.  It is not unusual to run into someone who has been building their own plane, and spending ten years to do it.

So it was all fun  and interesting.
Saturday I biked the four miles or so to another gathering... at the Yacht Club... The Oshkosh South Side Ice Yacht Club.

Now, this was a gathering of quite different folks.  We live on a big lake and it has been an ice boaters Mecca for a long time.  Back in 1937 a Speed record was set on some good black ice... 147mph.

The club is over 70 years old and consists of  a modest old building that was moved to the spot in about the early 60's.  The public is always welcome... great view of the lake and a nice little harbor to pull a boat into.  No liquor at the bar... only bottle beer... and only a few varieties... and only $1.50 a bottle.  They serve fish on Fridays... a deep fried catfish plate can be had for $5.95.. with fries, Cole slaw and rye bread.  Saturday was a nice, modest gathering... must have been a hundred or so folks... talking fishing, boating and the Green Bay Packers.  Brats and Burgers and corn on the cob.  Local rock band playing oldies.  I checked into some ice boat prices on the net.... oh, say, from $700 to $4000 used, depending on how fancy you want to get.  I am sure there are new ones that might cost more.  I truly doubt if any would cost $1.5 MM.

But I guess it is not whether you fly through the air, or across the ice... but who you hang out with, what your interest is.  The air show was nice... I really liked it... but there was something about the Yacht club that was even better.... cheap beer bought for you by men that know your name and smile as they hand you the bottle.   As the commercial says.... priceless.

12 comments:

Sherry Peyton said...

Well, good. I was about to run up your site, give the dogs a good wiff of the screen, and send them out to hunt you down. Instead you were just having FUN. And I been writing all kinds of important stuff too. Go figure. You'd rather look at planes and drink beer. I can't understand that.

Ahab said...

"Let Congress eat Ramen noodles for a week and see how they like it."

I like this Ramen noodle plan!

I'd also suggest that the U.S. pull out of Afghanistan and Iraq, given the billions of dollars (and lives) these wars have wasted. Why isn't anyone talking about the wars in our national deficit discussion?

squatlo said...

I've always wanted to come up to Oshkosh for the experimental aircraft show, among other gatherings there. Went to the Smyrna air show this summer (Thunderbirds were the main attraction) and had a ball. Love to see the old warbirds in action, so it was cool that they brought a Corsair from WWII to the show.
Take your camera next time!!! damn...

okjimm said...

Sherry... yupperz... pruning trees makes one thirsty, too, and afraid of heights...

Ahab... yessiree Bob.... I am also sick of cream of muhroom soup.... but it was alright... it is beyond my budget now.

Squatlo... gees they had oodles of polanes... P-38 Lightnings, b-26 Bomberrs, a couple of Mitsubishi Zeros, a ME 109 and oodles of old Mustangs.... it was a gas

Billie Greenwood said...

Hot enuf for ya?
You had to be motivated to do all that outdoor stuff. I'd rather see you promoting the ramen plan in D.C. Meanwhile, I guess we have to settle for being part of the have-nots.
Me? I'll join ya for a brewski.

S.W. Anderson said...

I would love to go to the EAA show some time, just to see it and take pictures. I don't fly, although I've long had a Walter Mitty desire to. I could have taken lessons a few years back, but then what? Renting a plane or buying part ownership is a pricey proposition. I'm fairly handy with some things, but not to the extent of building a plane, and even a kit plane costs quite a bit. So, that will remain the daydream it's always been.

The ice yacht gathering sounds as though it was fun too. You do all right, okjimm. Good for you. ;)

nonnie9999 said...

they didn't like my advice, either. i thought them kissing my ass was a very good suggestion, as was the suggestion that they never call me again, because i'm on the no-call list so i don't have to listen to bigoted assholes.

here's a really cool article about airplanes.

Randal Graves said...

Oh great, advertise to the terrorists where they can find a nuke-dropping flying machine.

susan said...

I'm glad you had a good weekend in spite of the politicians. Some people just don't understand what makes living worthwhile.

Infidel753 said...

How about this: Any time there's a government shut-down or default, Congress's paychecks are the first thing that gets stopped.

a brand new plane starting at $350K.... course I would hold out for their new jet...

Heck, think big -- hold out for the B-29. Order now and they might even throw in a free atom bomb.

Unknown said...

I too am glad you were MIA because you were having fun. Now I gotta find me some fun before the political bs drives me insane.

Life As I Know It Now said...

Beer, beer the magical drink.
The more you drink, the less you think.
The less you think, the more you feel
so let's drink beer with every meal.

Ya, I am good I know ;)

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