Activity October 13 — 19, 2013

This is a direct copy from my daily AeroKnow Museum log.

Sat, Oct 19 — Up with the sun about 6:30, showered, called Yellow Cab, Don Stokes. Ride to the airport was $9.65. Worked on email sorting. When the wife of the pilot of the Commander 200 wandered in we had a happy visit, she gave me permission to go introduce myself to her husband, who was at the airplane, and take pictures. I did. Both were very nice. She graduated Springfield High School in 1960. She asked if I had postcards of Springfield for sale, and I had to admit I didn’t. Must look into making some scenic postcards to sell here. The AHEC meeting was slightly delayed while I took a few pictures of the 200’s panel. The meeting itself dragged. Everyone goes off on tangents and that wastes time and inhibits focus on the business at hand. I’m the Secretary. I took notes and recorded the meeting. Afterwards about 12:15 I worked more than an hour straight on the emails and made good progress. Ate a leftover donut and a banana for lunch. Processed pictures until 3:45 and went back to email sorting. More email work until 5:30. Went upstairs and worked on AV-8B and C-47 models. Back down at 6:35 hungry as hell and called a yellow cab. Left for home at 7:05.

Fri, Oct 18 — In at 6:20, nothing new on the ramp, pretty chilly outside in the 40s. Discovered my truck battery is not charging, barely started it to come to the airport. The alternator gauge was flat to the left for the entire trip. (Later learned that the engine temperature gauge had stopped working. The battery was okay)  Must call Brahler and George this morning. It’s going to be a lumpy day! Processed more email and filed about an hour. Talked to RF about the E3 light in the truck and how the alternator didn’t seem to be charging (I’d never paid much attention to it before, but I knew any gauge hard over to the low number is bad news.) and I decided to have it towed, so I called Tuxhorn who towed it to Midtown Tire because it was closer.. While waiting, phot’d the Hawker and Commander 200 again. Called GJ who said he’d send AG over to take me to work. At work the people who received the truck said it needed a replacement engine, that mine had overheated and was ruined. $2,600 to replace it. No WAY. Searched Craig’s list, found a slightly older Chevy S10 pickup truck,  and Al took me over to see it and to get some cash for cab fare for the next few days. It looks great; paid a $500 deposit to hold it until Monday or Tuesday. Called the bank. The loan will be easy. Work went okay. AG took me home via the grocer, and I had a rough nite, hardly slept at all, three hours tops..

Thu, Oct 17 — In at 5:50, photo’d a Hawker 850, Beechjet and Commander 200 on the rain-wet ramp. Good timing. The rain had stopped falling. Chilly but okay. Separated the 2012 AKM Log from the AKM 2013 log and printed all pages through October 16,2013. That was premature. Later I’ll print the 2012 log. Upstairs filed the Cessnas in their new drawers. Worked on  YS-11 model. Photo’d Commander 200 and Hawker and Beechjet in daylight. A productive morning! To TGG. It went okay too, despite peanut butter on a knife from the jar, the usual. Back at 5:10 and worked on email sorting. Departed for home at 6:13.

Wed, Oct 16 — In at 5:15, chilly. Fingers got cold for the first time this fall as I phot’d a Bombardier CL600 and processed the pics from last night too.  Worked upstairs 7 to 8:30, mostly filing Cessna and Beechcraft, really making a dent. Also worked on YS-11 1/144 and old Revell WV-2. Bad day at work. When I told GJ that his leaving the door open was making it too cold in the showroom, he said “That’s okay.” and the day never recovered. Back to AKM at 5:15 and processed old emails until 6:00. Went home at 6:15. I want to get this email catchup behind me before I dig into the John Thornton Walker book writing.

Tue, Oct 15 — In at 6:00 light breeze, warmer than usual in recent days, spitting rain, more predicted.
Sent AHEC (( Aviation History Educational Council)) meeting agenda to members, worked on deleting and filing more e-mails. Worked upstairs in files and worked on models. Brought a donated, restored 1/48 Mercury and Gemini capsules to office. First human space material displayed here. Departed at 9:50 to get a haircut.

Mon, Oct 14 — In at 5:10. I had GREEN LIGHTS at every intersection I crossed coming out here today – NINE greens in a row. WOW! Worked in cleaning up old emails. Worked upstairs from 7 to 8:35 filing in Research Room, lots of Consolidated and some Cessna. The green streak ended at 11 greens on the way to work. TGG went okay. Back at 5:20. Processed a lot of old email, deleting everything I didn’t need to hold onto or file elsewhere. Departed for grocer and home at 6:10.

Sun, Oct 13 — Into AKM at 9:20 after catching up with things at home. For the first time, there are no traces of my January 13 fall, hospitalization and recovery. PROGRESS. There is also not a dirty dish, a book, a bottle or a scrap of paper where it doesn’t belong. The activity at AKM was the same. The winter is coming soon, and because there is no heat in some of the Intake, Books and Periodicals rooms, activity there will be limited in the months ahead. With the Central Illinois Plastic Modelers meeting in the meeting room at the back of our host, I will concentrate on photo digitizing and model building. It was a productive day. Went home at 5:30.