“LIFE” — USING GOLF AS THE ANALOGY

Time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams.

But, here it is – the ‘back nine’ of my life and it catches me by surprise. How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go? I remember vividly seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that ‘I was only on the first hole’ and the ‘back nine’ was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like.

But, here it is . . . my friends are retired and getting grey. They move slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape than me, but, I see the great change. Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant, but like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we’d become.

Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore it’s mandatory! Cause if I don’t on my own free will, I just fall asleep where I sit!

And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did! But, at least I know, that though I’m on the ‘back nine,’ and I’m not sure how long it will last, this I know for sure, that when it’s over on this earth it’s over. A new adventure will begin!

Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn’t done things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I’m happy to have done. It’s all in a lifetime.

So, if you’re not on the ‘back nine’ yet let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly! Don’t put things off too long! Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether you’re on the ‘back nine’ or not! You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life so, live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember, and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!

“Life” is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one.LIVE IT WELL!ENJOY TODAY!DO SOMETHING FUN!BE HAPPY!HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Remember, “It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.”

LIVE HAPPY

LASTLY, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:

Your kids are becoming you, but your grandchildren are perfect.

Going out is good, but coming home is better.

You forget names, but it’s OK because other people forgot they even knew you.

You realize you’re never going to be really good at anything, especially golf.

The things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do, but you really do care that you don’t care to do them anymore.You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV blaring than in bed. It’s called “pre-sleep”.

You miss the days when everything worked with just an “ON” and “OFF” switch..

You tend to use more 4 letter words . . . “what?” . . . “when?”. . . ” ???

Now that you can afford expensive jewelry, it’s not safe to wear it anywhere.

What used to be freckles are now liver spots.

Everybody whispers.

You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet 2 of which you will never wear.

But Old is good in some things ~~~ Old Songs, Old Movies, and best of all, OLD FRIENDS

Stay well, “OLD FRIEND!”

Send this on to other “Old Friends” and let them laugh in AGREEMENT

It’s Not What You Gather, But What You Scatter That Tells What Kind Of Life You Have Lived.

TODAY IS THE OLDEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE, TODAY IS ALSO THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL BE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

SO ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.

FAA Says U-2 Spy Plane Definitely Scrambled Air Traffic Control Computers
By Danielle Wiener-Bronner
May 6, 2014
After some confusion over whether a Soviet-era spy plane caused delays at a number of airports across the U.S. last week, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the U-2 plane was, indeed, at fault. The Air Force had previously denied that their plane was the one to blame.
According to NBC News, which broke the story, the FAA admitted the error in a statement, saying that the air traffic system they use, called ERAM, “experienced problems while processing a flight plan filed for a U-2 aircraft that operates at very high altitudes under visual flight rules.” The statement continued to explain that though the high-altitude plane was flying at about 60,000 feet, the computer responded as though it was flying at about 10,000 feet which, apparently, made it malfunction:
The computer system interpreted the flight as a more typical low altitude operation, and began processing it for a route below 10,000 feet. The extensive number of routings that would have been required to de-conflict the aircraft with lower-altitude flights used a large amount of available memory and interrupted the computer’s other flight-processing functions.
This seems to mean that if an uncharted plane was actually at risk of colliding with others, the L.A. Air Route Traffic Control Center in Southern California’s main computer system might respond by having the computer version of a panic attack. Which, obviously, is not ideal.
The Wall Street Journal reports that this is not the first time the computer system has caused problems for the L.A. Center. According to the Wall Street Journal, the ERAM computer system is an essential, but problematic, part of American aviation:
Considered the backbone of the nationwide traffic-control upgrade, ERAM replaces a 1970s-era hardware and software system written in now-obsolete programming language and used at many of the 20 “en route” control centers that generally handle air traffic at altitudes over 10,000 feet…. Congressional investigators have criticized the FAA for seemingly focusing only on getting ERAM operational with its “core functionality,” while leaving important and complex safety and capacity “enhancements” for later.
The Journal adds that this is not the first time the computer system has caused problems for the L.A. Center, but that FAA officials say they are confident it will be the last. We certainly hope so.

– A good simulator check ride is like a successful surgery on a dead body.

– Asking a pilot what he thinks about the FAA is like asking a tree what it thinks about dogs.

– An airline pilot is a confused soul who talks about women when flying, and about flying when he’s with a woman.

– The only thing worse than a captain who never flew as a copilot, is a copilot who once was a captain.

– Experience is gained through making mistakes. Mistakes are caused by a lack of experience

– Hand-flying an ILS in a gusty crosswind is easier than adjusting the shower controls in a layover hotel.

– A smooth touchdown in a simulator is as exciting as kissing your sister.

– Most airline crew food tastes like warmed-over chicken because that’s what it is.

– Everything is accomplished through teamwork until something goes wrong . .. . . . then one pilot gets all the blame.

– Standard checklist practice requires pilots to read to each other procedures used every day, and recite from memory those which are only needed once every five years.

– A crew scheduler has to be the kind of person who wakes his wife at midnight to carry out the garbage, then sends her back to let the cat in.

– Unlike flight crew members, jet engines stop whining when the plane arrives at the gate.

– A dispatcher’s desk has never run out of fuel.

– An FAA investigation is conducted by a few non-flying experts who take six months to itemize the mistakes made by a crew who had six seconds to react to the emergency.

This is extremely powerful and very appropriate for Memorial Day.
I’m sending it early so you have time to send it to someone else…………..

How will you be observing Memorial Day in 2014??
lets get some discussion going about it. leave comments for others to join in here.

Thanks for Your Service. Pass it Along.
This is way beyond cool! For those of you that did serve THANK YOU!
For those of you that are serving, THANK YOU!!!
Take a moment and watch this! If this does not choke you up a little, have a moment with the Man Above!

let us not forget

I was informed today from his daughter that Walter Smith passed away on 3/14/2014.
He was an AD3 while in VP40 from 1957-1959.
It seems like whenever we gain a new member to our group, that WAY TO SOON after that we lose another member. This cycle has to change and I would like to see it change to more NEW members and LESS departed members. So lets all try and recruit new members.

Please join me in greeting our newest member.
WELCOME ABOARD JOHN HONAKER and his wife Elizabeth to our group.
John was in VP40 from 6/1965-6/1966. He worked in WC 110/ line as a ADR2.
His info is now listed on our members only page. Look him up and shoot him an email .
They will be joining us at the 2014 Reunion where we can all get re-aquainted again.

I have posted a roster of people that have returned their completed registration forms to me. This list will be updated every week until the reunion.
There are a lot of people who have informed me of their intention of attending but have not returned their forms yet.
This list is posted on the REUNIONS/2014 Reunion @ Pensacola TAB.
It is in Microsoft Word 2003 format.
If anyone has problems reading it let me know.

Have you ever noticed that after about 20 minutes of conversation you can tell whether or not the other person has served or not? 

About 9% of the US population has served in the military.  Just under one percent are serving on active duty today.  These numbers are small but often it is the small things that nurture greatness.  As our government is headed towards a most drastic reduction in our military capability at a time when we may be facing a growing worldwide threat from Russia, China, North Korea and the Middle East, I worry that our culture has come to denigrate the contribution and sacrifice of those who serve.  Bless you all.You may have served in Combat or in non-combat.
You may have retired out or you may have served for a short time.
You may have been a draftee or a volunteer.
You may have served in the Corps, Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard or
the Merchant Marines,

BUT YOU SERVED. YOU DID YOUR JOB HONORABLY and for that I am PROUD to call
you Brother.

You may have served during Korea, WWII,. Vietnam, Persian Gulf, Iraq or
Afghanistan, But you served, you did not run.
You have a DD 214 with those words “HONORABLY DISCHARGED” two of the most
noble words in the world.
Again I am proud to know each and every one of you.

* Today is Band of Brothers’ Day* ; send this to all your brothers,
fathers, sons and fellow veterans you know. Happy Brothers’ Day!

To the cool men that have touched my life: Here’s to you!! I was never a
hero, but I am thankful and proud to have served among them.
A real Brother walks with you when the rest of the world walks on you.

Send to all your Band of Brothers, because the fake ones won’t.

Guy Fisk

Take a look at this latest of the Russian fighters!!
Are we behind in this technology or what?
Probably the most exciting in the world. This video is not unlike the stuff they were doing at Farnborough, Paris, & Teheran!!
The maneuverability of the Russian aircraft is the result of structural integrity, huge speed brake,monstrous canards, engine control. Power manipulation is obvious.

Russian UFO Jet Fighters, UFO like aircraft at a recent airshow in Paris, Russia showed off the maneuverability of their latest jet fighters with amazing aerobatics.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=77e_1389637750

Check out this article and pictures about the P8-A, new and upto date.

http://www.businessinsider.com/p-8-poseidon-advanced-surveillance-aircraft-2014-3?op=1