One Step Down

Howdy Doody. I have finally completed the first of the many classes I have to do before my adventure begins in earnest. As you probably know unless you have been living in a cave on the moon with your fingers in your ears there was a substantial terrorist attack in Islamabad this past week. Obviously this has given me a bit of concern, but as the saying goes the show must go on. Actually, with the economic troubles in the US and all the other wonderful news going on I'm reminded of a t-shirt I saw once. It said "Where are we going ... and why am I in this hand basket?" So anyway, I now know how to sell weapons to other countries and yes it is complicated (involving Congressional oversight, which we all know makes things easier) and no I can't get anyone a discount on a M1 tank.

As I prepare for my last weekend in Dayton, OH I would like to recount some of the wonderful things I have enjoyed here. First, took the advise of my buddy Marky T. (the quiet one in the Boy Band) and tried Marion's Pizza (or Piazza as they had on their box for some reason which actually means "square or market" which I don't get, but I digress). It was indeed a very fine pizza. One thing I have discovered is that pizzerias here in the Dayton area cut their pizzas differently than I am used to. They use a grid pattern which produces a bunch of small, almost bite sized pieces rather than the wedges that are produced by the traditional radial cuts. I don't mind, it just makes me wonder if this is a state or regional thing. Perhaps those from this area can expound on this issue. I also partook in another regional delicacy; Cincinnati chili at Skyline. Mark also introduced it to me during our Tuesday dinner club in Pensacola. The biggest difference from what most people are used to is that they put the chili over spaghetti. Personally I went for the "Four Way" (insert your own sexual innuendo here). And here ends the food critique for this post. Actually that would be a great job; traveling the world on someone else's dime, eating the great food and just writing about it. Anyone know how I get into that racket?

I feel I have been a bit remiss as I have yet to publicly thank Messlia B. for the intel she also gave me about Dayton. I do not think I would have had nearly as much fun here without it. I had the pleasure of getting together with her and her husband Andy last Saturday to watch the OSU/Troy game. It was great to see you both again.

So the big thing this week (aside from watching USC get beat!!) was my day at the Air Force Museum. Spanning three huge hangars with an addition for an IMAX theater and a silo for a missile and space area it has a copy of most, if not all airframes ever flown by the Air Force; from the Wright Brother's 1908 Flyer (the first airplane purchased by the Army Air Forces) to the F-22 Raptor. It was set up flowing in chronological order from the infancy of aviation through WWII to the conflicts in Southeast Asia to the Cold War and today. While it was neat to see some of the old planes, I really liked the modern aircraft; particularly the SR-71 Blackbird (the fastest plane ever) and the A-10 Thunderbolt II (you have to love a plane designed around a gun).

While the museum was cool (and while I may be biased) I prefer the Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, FL. I don't think the Navy museum has as many aircraft, but it is much more open. You can get up close and touch them. Shoot, you can actually sit in several of them. Also, the Navy museum is much brighter. The Air Force had it really dim with spotlights on the aircraft which really sparkled on the silver skin of the planes, but it reflects right into your eyes and makes it tough to take good pictures. I took several but I don't have Photoshop on my laptop so I will have to wait until I get home to fix them before I can post them. I also need to remember to bring the video camera I bought to record my journeys (it's hard to take videos when the camera is in a different state). I do have a couple pictures from this trip and I will post the rest when I can.

So what are the take aways from this post:

1. I like food and if you have any recommendations let me know. I also want to eat food for a living.
2. The Navy's aviation museum is better than the Air Force's (though that shouldn't be a surprise because the Navy is just all around better than the Air Force).
3. I am not completely set up for this blog thing, but I will be.

Well that is all for the moment. I will see several of you at least one more time before I leave and for those I do not see I hope things continue to go well. And as always, if you can't be good, be good at it.

P.S. - Congratulations to J. B. (the Boy Band member with the nice ass) who got married on the 12th. I wish you both the best in life.