Sun, May 10 — Up at 8:15, started new personal diary at home. Trimmed a few things outside in the ragged front yard before coming out to AKM. Arrived 9:05. Worked on B-36 and sorted decals and parts in Process Room for 20 minutes (acceptable progress) and back to office to work on JTW book. Sunny but warm outside. I may go home early to work on lawns, but I want to give it a chance to rain today so I can stay here and work. Stuffy inside; just a Cirrus on the ramp. Started working on THE BOOK at 11 and was doing okay with the early pages. Changed the dedication to include a pic of Gerri W and added some content re Springfield Municipal Airport. Had a great visit by family with an older PC-12 whidh dad/pilot loves. His daughter is a rated copilot. First time ever, visitor bought a postcard, I included a stamp. She wrote the short message and I placed it in the outgoing mail. Great fun. Phot’d the airplane. Worked on book until 3:30 and worked on models – B-36, F4F, PT-17 in Process Rm and enjoyed myself. Checked e & Fb as dark clouds threatened rain SOON and went home at 6:45. Worked on 1/72 P-63; 1/144 Concorde & Tu-144 models a few hours.
Mon, May 11 — Cooler and steady, moderate rain, 8:00 rush traffic. arrived 7:50. I wish I had come here at 6:00. Worked on JTW book until past 10:30, made good progress. It’s getting easier. Work was pretty bad, stuffy, sad. Culled some articles from recent avmags in. Back at AKM, worked on a poetry contest for rock collectors I judge every year and FINISHED comments about that and prepared it to mail. Departed for grocer & home at 7:00.
Tue, May 12 — Stayed home in morning to let wireless antenna installer work. Read and made some aviation article page copies at work & put the culled articles together. Very sad, quiet day. Brought my heavy tripod to AKM to see if it will work with the donated long lens. Mounted it and took a few first pictures outside; posted at AKM Fb site. No working on JTW book tonight, I’m hungry and tired. Will work on book Wed morn for sure. Went home at 7:35.
Wed, May 13 — In at 9:10 and cleaned up office after getting a reminder note that Gregg B is bringing some explorer scouts by at 7:00 tonight for a tour. Worked a little upstairs too. All of it long overdue. At work I removed every sheet of paper at my desk having anything to do with AKM and aviation. I will take new work with me when I return there Friday after my visit with the eye doctor Thursday. The Air Explorer AKM tour brought leader Gregg and member Evan for a tour of most of the collection that lasted about 1.5 hours and exhausted me. I drove straight home at 8:45 for a late dinner and early bed.
Thu, May 14 — Eye doctor’s visit kept me away until 10:30 arrival here. Took the day off from work. Did nothing but the JTW book and made good progress. We’re into 1943 now, about 30% done getting the PROOF together. Decided not to caption pictures separately. The text of the story will explain them. Rainy afternoon. Surprise arrival of AC-47 and Chuck Midyett pilot. Took pics in light rain. Went home at 8:05 after a very busybusy day. 🙂
Fri, May 15 — In at 6:30, gave Chuck Midyett the articles re the AC-47 Medal of Honor winner I had culled and copied and saved also for AKM. Phot’d AC-47 and the takeoff. Started putting the April Lincoln Flyer together. Work was okay, started processing more articles, clips and scraps. Processed pics until 8:40 and went home.
Sat, May 16 — Up at 5:30, neatened things in the house. Modeled Concorde, Tu-144 and French King Cobra. Good unhurried progress. MUST bring my old airbrush home and get serious with finishing models there. A friend gave me an Iwata airbrush for upstairs, but I need to buy a compressor for it. That — and many other things — will have to wait until I’ve paid real estate tax installment in June, NO HOPE of renting upstairs duplex for a while, DAMMIT! Dollar situation extremely desperate! Prepared for the Aviation History Educational Center (AHEC) Board meeting and produced a “proof of concept” newsletter to show my vision for it. A Cessna 340 crew from SIU School of Medicine/Carbondale and a couple flying a Piper Arrow with 200 hp visited as I was doing it. The AHEC Board toured most of AKM and the meeting after that went fine. Back to work on AHEC newsletter and then to April Lincoln Flyer which I MUST send out Sunday! WHY SUNDAY? To get it DONE so I can get back to the JTW book. Worked a little on the JTW book and departed for Hy-Vee grocer at 7. A full, good day.
Sun, May 17 — Worked at home with arranging poetry, bills and home-base model airplane workshop. Had a prescription filled and arrived AKM to see an FA-18E on ramp. Met crew, took pics, processed some pics, worked on JTW book and made decent progress. Went home at 7:15, satisfied with the day. :). . . . As I left, I saw a just-arrived Pilatus Porter down the ramp. Stayed, met pilot and phot’d the airplane inside and out. Nice fellow, based in Poughkeepsie, NY. Knows Leo Opdycke. Departed for home close to 8 without downloading Porter pics.
Mon, May 18 — Didn’t visit AT&T store because I wanted to be here when the Pilatus Porter departed. Pilot said he’d leave at 10. I arrived 9:05; it was gone. Phot’d an Air Tractor on the ramp close. Processed pics, was in a dour frame of mind. The whole day was like that. Sorted culled materials at employer. Back at AKM, met an IP and student with a Kitana from Parks. Phot’d it and processed ALL the FA-18F pics and went home at 8:45, satisfied with the outcome of the day.
Tue, May 19 — In at 6:50, clear, calm & and cool. Phot’d a Swearingen Merlin that arrived last night and a Cessna Citation Mustang. Worked on April’s late Lincoln Flyer and finished everything but page 1. Work was okay. FINISHED sorting things I had brought in early last week. Back to AKM & finished page 1 of LincFly. Printed it and will proofread tomorrow morning. Went home at 7:40, tired but okay.
Wed, May 20 — In at 6:20, calm, very chilly and threatening rain. Proofread April Lincoln Flyer. Sent them out to everyone on the guestbook list, including those added since the March issue went out. Several came back as undeliverable. Work was okay.Went to a poetry event after work. Early to bed.
Thu, May 21 — Visited AT&T store and learned a little about the new phone. Then to eye doctor thinking I would leave with new glasses, but I’m limiting food and watching every penney until I’ve paid my property taxes, and even then I will need a loan from the bank to keep my house with the un-rented duplex upstairs, TRASHED last October by deletable explitive renter. No pay for more than two weeks either. High woe situation for frikking SUREdammit! Attended Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours and met some nice people. Something terrific MAY come out of that. CROSS FINGERS. Still I was a trifle in the dumps when I arrived home. Life goes on.
Fri, May 22 — CHALLENGING day! Late into AKM with time only to send newsletters to friends met last night at Business After Hours. I allowed my employer to make me wish I had never been born (about the 30th time since last summer at least. Still, I accomplished a fair amount of AKM work with scraps and clips. No work Memorial Day, HOO – freaking – RAY! Depressed as hell and tired. Went home at 6l. Early start Saturday for sure.
Sat, May 23 — In about 9 am, cool, light wind, sunny. Worked on IPA/SPI newsletter until the model club meet started and continued until 4:40. Worked on the B-45 kit. Everyone got along. Quiet enough to enjoy modeling. After, worked on a packet of newsletters for Tom Frasca in Urbana, wrote him a nice note. Went home at7:30, happy with the day.
Sun, May 24 — At home, 25 minutes working on P-63, Concorde & Tu-144. Into office at-10:05 and phot’d early Ces 210, repainted 182, interesting colors on a Lear 35. Took some unused reference books upstairs. Discovered I have no Internet connection and tried to fix it. No luck. Neatened office and worked on JTW book. The Internet connection came back half an hour later. Worked on JTW book two hours. Also phot’d a visiting CH-47F from Ohio’s Ar NG, later that 1960 210. Scanned the FIRST ADVERTISEMENT for Lincoln Flyer and generated correspondence to some people Spent half an hour with the B-36 wing assembly upstairs. Went home via grocer at 7:00. A solid, good day!
Mon, May 25 — In at 9:20 clearing, calm; saw AC-47 on ramp but no sign of Chuck. Later heard him talking to Tam. I was concentrating on the JTW book and did all day. Phot’d a visiting Cherokee from Canada. Had a few visitors but nothing substantial. Stayed with JTW book 99% of the day until running into a problem with the Internet connection. Finally got it restored. Looked all over for a picture of JTW with an L-4 on pontoons. MUST write the Strouses and recover that picture! Deleted a lot of email no longer needed from a few years ago. Went home at 8:00 with B-52 to paint at home and some mail to post to Tom F tomorrow morn.
Tue, May 26 — In at 8:35 after mailing packet to Tom F. in Urbana. Had a nice visit with Chuck M. who invited me to fly with him Saturday when he returns the AC-47 on the ramp to Topeka, KS! We’ll drive back to the airport in his car, a six-hour trip. FanTASTIC! Phot’d a visiting Hawker 400 (BeechJet) with crew who visited office. Work was okay. Toured Gulfstream G.IV back at AKM, very nice crew, phot’d in and out. Bill S. e’d me the picture of an L-4 on floats I had lost. EXCELLENT! Went home at 8:15 after processing many pictures. Dinner and bed.
Wed, May 27 — On May 27, 2010, I brought my first load of aviation materials to my new ground floor AKM office here at SPI. FIVE YEARS AGO. A year later, I purchased celebratory cupcakes at the supermarket, I announced AKM had been here a year, and nothing happened. I’ve not purchased cupcakes since. But I did keep a few plastic ornaments that had been part of the cupcakes. Happy birthday to us! . . . . . . . In at 6:25 after wanting to sleep later and visit the AT&T store. I MUST FINISH THE IPA/SPI NEWSLETTER, DAMMIT! Calm and sunny out after night’s rain. There was no news from people I anticipated news from, but that came later in the day at work. Work was fine. Back to airport, worked on JTW book until 8:25 and went home satisfied with the day.
Thu, May 28 — In 9:40, three hours later than planned. My life is in tatters. Major concern about property tax due a week from tomorrow. Sunny & calm out, Chuck had parked his Comanche 160 next to the AC-47 & I took pictures. No sign of Chuck, worked on the IPA/SPI newsletter. Later took pictures of Comanche and Chuck and AC-47; also a factory demonstrator Cessna TTX that arrived on the ramp. I was REALLY SAD to have to drive to work with so much going on outside. Almost posted on Facebook, that if I were a man of tears I would have shed a few while MAKING MYSELF DRIVE TO WORK. I was “WOE CITY.” Was horribly depressed at employer. Put everything EVERYTHING of mine into a box and put it into the truck to take to AKM. Didn’t even leave my scissors and magnifying glass! I will do nothing aviation related at work Friday. I just need to think for awhile; turn down the heat of obligations. Back at AKM, FINISHED the IPA newsletter and sent it to Brian. Phot’d the AC-47 on the floodlit ramp as I started for home about 9. Dinner and bed pretty fast; slept fine.
Fri, May 29 — In about 9 and phot’d an open back hangar door at the remodeled Hangar 3, processed some pictures from yesterday. Made corrections to IPA newsletter and sent it in. Very quiet at employer. No longer depressed; just resigned to my private anguish. Thought I’d write a personal Honey & Quinine blog post, but I decided not to try. It would have been a BUMMER of a post. Nothing I want to write about ADVANCES Job Conger; it all just points to what a failed doofus I am. Until I can frame the picture better, more positively, I’m not going to shoot myself int he foot. MAJOR SHOWERS at quitting time. Discovered the hobby store down the street closes at 5 pm, so I was late; bought nothing. WANT to buy a briefcase so I can resume taking aviation work I can carry to employer and take it back to AKM office when I leave. My paycheck is FAR LESS than I had hoped for! It’s going to be a long week more until Social Security comes. Lots of bread and peanut butter. Sent my final corrections to IPA newsletter and said I don’t have time for being the editor any more. I still intend to be a member and pay my dues . . . . eventually. I am frikking BROKE DAMMIT! Departed for home at 7 after straightening up office. What a FRIKKING DAY!
Sat, May 30 — Good night’s sleep last night, took my time coming out to AKM, in at 10. Light rain, calm, SEVERAL bizjets on the ramp, at least EIGHT. Had a nice visit with Chuck M and photographed Chad’s nephew in the AC-47. Chuck phot’d me in the same seat. It’s amazing how small the cockpit is! Processed some pictures and worked on JTW book the rest of the day. Made good progress. Actually had FUN working on the book! Did nothing else all day but BOOK. Went home at 6:45
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Abe Lincoln's Air Force 