As I posted the other day I'm doing the initial Sim training for an old friend/crew member and his partner. We finished the training yesterday morning and all they have left to do is the Type Ride Flight Test in a couple of days. Last night we had them over for whisky and hamburgers.
Of course after the hamburgers the whisky led to "there I waz" and "can you believe this idiot I used to fly with" stories while we set around a fire on the patio. Some of the stories included flying a dead Muslim and his family to catch a 747 out of KJFK not too long after 9/11 and riding on a 2X6 plank in the back of a Cushman trike, after midnight, through the jungles of Columbia, with about $10,000 USD cash in my pocket for 5 or 6 miles to clear customs. Both times Arturo was as jumpy as the cat in a room of rockers. It was a damn good night and even MsBubba enjoyed the stories, mostly because she figured in many of 'em.
As we were saying our good nights, MsBubba said "There were a lot of stories I've never heard before". After all these years that doesn't happen often, most of the time it is an eye roll and "there he goes again".
ken
Nothing like an open fire and some good friends to get the stories going.
ReplyDeleteI am impressed that you had stories that MsBubba hadn't heard before, I find that reaction harder and harder to find at home :-)
Brgds
Jonas
Jonas,
DeleteYep, she pretty much stopped me dead in my tracks. Any more it is mostly an eye roll and a desperate try to change the subject.
It is always good to spend time with old friends and fire and whisky always helps.
ken
Nothing compares to catching up with old friends around a campfire... nothing
ReplyDeleteAdd a few drinks and the stories we could tell :-)
Bob, who had a few drinks around campfire :-)
Bob,
DeleteArturo started as my very green F.O.. After flying together for several years he became a good friend and a very good pilot. We flew together pretty much 5 days a week all over the Americas. So there are a few stories to tell, witch usually get better with each re-telling :-).
We just had a Blue/Blood Moon this morning. I almost missed it because I was whacking away at the kitchen cart. What was nice is we are close to ending winter and MsBubba and I were in shirt sleeves to watch.
ken
Wish I was there for the Colombia story. And the whiskey. And the fire.
ReplyDeleteNo patio fires in my neck of the woods...
Steve,
DeleteIt is a good one, mostly for Arturo's reaction and a little for the absurdity of the whole thing. Arturo was so sure we were being taken somewhere to rob/kill he was jumping out of his skin.
We have a small fire pit in the patio deck, The patio looks out over a wide wash with mountains to both the left and right. It is really nice to have a fire and enjoy the view on cool evenings. Add friends and whisky and it doesn't get much better.
ken