The Week That Was – November 2 — November 8

Sunday, November 2 — Daylight Savings time ended last night. In at 8:00 with more 1940s LIFE magazines for here instead of home. Phot’d a Mooney and Dakota on the ramp. Accomplished a LOT: photo processing, modeling upstairs, sorting Cessna slips and articles, Left for home at what the clock said was 3:45 to meet with Andrew at 4:28 and on arrival realized I had not set the clock back. So I had more time at home than I had anticipated. Cleaned up more, arranged home office, watched Jurassic Park video, met with Andrew who called in some friends to help him with the new flooring upstairs. Wrote him a check to pay for the work so far. JEEZ I’M SPENDING MORE FOR THIS RENOVATION  THAN I THOUGHT I’D SPEND. Had a good night’s sleep though.

Monday, November 3 — In at 8:20, calm and gray outside. Processed pictures all morning and when word came the anticipated V-22 Osprey was 10 minutes out spent the rest of the morning photog’ing it and Bruce Rauner’s Falcon 900. He and Jim Edgar posed for pictures in the museum office. Went to work for a few hours, returned and processing pictures. Governor Pat Quinn and Senator Dick Durbin visited for a last hour campaign speech in Springfield; had no time to pose for pictures as they headed for Chicago in a hurry. It was great to see Dick Durbin whom I’ve not encountered since he was Illinois State Senate Parliamentarian in 1977. Phot’d the Cessna Citation IIS they were flying in.

Tuesday, November 4 — Voted at Precinct 50 about 7:00. Into AKM at 7:30, windy, spitting light rain four planes on the ramp. Apparently they are flying this morning. Processed V-22 pics. Crew and passenger of an aerial photo mapping Piper Navaho Chieftain Panther Conversion visited office and showed me their bird inside and out, took some pictures. Also phot’d Lear 31 that had its flaps down; not so yesterday, wonder why. Work was slow and I culled some articles, but the mood was rainy & glum all day. Briefly back to AKM and then home to meet Andrew renovation guy and wrote him another check.

Wednesday, November 5 — In at 7:05, calm and clear outside. Processed pictures straight through the morning and ALMOST finished the V-22 pics. Work was okay until George arrived. Then it became HELL by 3:30. He said “If you don’t want to work here, next Monday will be your last day.” I said “Are you firing me?” He said “No. Just don’t come in.” Did NOT attend the IPA/SPI meeting in my current state of mind. Decided to eat a good meal from Shop & Save at home. Came by AKM to drink a cup of hot chocolate and allow the rush hour to end. Departed about 6:00.

Thursday, November 6 — Deposited 1st paycheck in almost a month and paid insurance. In at 8:30 chilly windy and low, stormy rain clouds spitting very might rain and one airplane — Embraer Legacy on the ramp. Posted a Week that Was Oct 5 – 12 at AKM blog. Work was okay; no mention of the MAJOR SNIT yesterday. Culled articles, added to the list of VCR tapes from several brought from home. Back to AKM and processed Embraer pics from today, posted one at Fb. Went home at 6:08, tired.

Friday, November 7 — On the way in about 9, I came within two seconds of completely running out of FUEL AGAIN! I could feel the engine beginning to run rough at Walnut & North Grand. When I glanced at the fuel gage I damn NEAR PANICKED. Made a bee line for the station at MacAurthur & N.Grand and was fast losing power and I waited for traffic to pass by me at the stoplight so I could TURN LEFT, the into the station. Made it by a FREAKING HAIR and bought $30 worth. SO DAMN EMBARRASSING! Into AKM at 9:15 and had some terrific visitors after getting thing ready for tomorrow’s AHEC meeting. Was an hour late at work because the visitors kept coming. Gave the whole tour to a former USMC pilots who flew for NASA after the Marines. Now he flies for NetJets. Terrific fellow and there were FIVE MORE this moring! HATED to go to WORK! Work was busy. Had a call from Amarillo, TX on celll. His daughter Anita, who lives in Boulder, CO had met me and given him my AKM business card. He flew B-24s for the 8th AF in the Pacific. Had taken part in the neutralizing of Marcus Island and the bombing of battleship Haruna in Kure, Japan harbor and night bombing of Chi-Chi Jima harbor. I could have talked to him the rest of the day. GREAT FELLOW. TREMENDOUS MEMORY! Pasted some aviation clippings and scraps. Had a customer late in the day looking to speak with G. Looked for him but could not find him. Later I told George about him. He said he would try again. I took everything I owned OUT of the showroom when I left today; not a scrap or a clipping stayed. I have some dark unhappy feelings about what may be about to happen there. Back to AKM and finished a Honey & Quinine blog post and posted it. Left for home, hungry at 6:40.

Saturday, November 8 —   Cold and blustery wind, overcast. In a 7:50. Prepared for the AHEC meeting, processed more pictures. The meeting went okay with lots and lots and lots of discussion and wandering off topic and repeating and repeating and repeating and repeating and few motions made. I took minutes because our official secretary was out of town; happy to do so. Met a fundraiser who remembered me from Poetry Open Mic Nights I emceed at Capitol Caffe. Another AHEC member mentioned how he had “discovered” Vachel Lindsay. I told him that if he would give me the title of any Vachel poem he could remember, I would recite it for him. He said “Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight,” and I was five verses into reciting the poem before I was told to stop because our meeting was about to come to order. People in this town have NO FREAKING IDEA who the hell I am and what I could DO for Springfield if they would only PUT ME TO WORK! After the meeting I went directly to the office, typed the notes and sent two full pages of minutes to our secretary and president. THEN I resumed work with AeroKnow. Unpacked and distributed a lot of what I had brought from employer when I left Fri. Lots of walking up and down the hall upstairs, Brought check records up to date. Was depressed as hell and determined NOT to visit grocer and NOT to by more wine. I would make do with canned food left by vacated renter upstairs and drink the last of the wine at bed time. I had plenty of iced tea, and that will carry me until H have a renter or another paycheck from work. Departed for home at 4:45 in decent daylight. Dinner was modest. It will be MORE MODEST in the weeks ahead. Watched VCR of 2010 and wasted time browsing Internet until drinking the last of the wine and going to bed at 2:00 am. WHAT a FREAKING DAY!

Thanks for reading this post.  Have a nice day.