Aviation and S.E.X.

DH and I went to the National Business Aviation Association conference in
Orlando last week. If anyone ever says that S.E.X. and aviation don't go
together, well, for me they do. The first day of the conference we were just
walking around checking out the displays when DH walked up and nudged me. He
said "Hey, don't you know who that is?" I looked at him and said "What are
you talking about?" He nodded his head and repeated it. I looked up and not
10 feet in front of me stood my very own, hometown favorite NASCAR driver in
the flesh.

Yep! It was MARK MARTIN in the flesh.

I couldn't believe my eyes. Naturally I had to talk to him and even got a
hug from him. Whew!!! What a day. Didn't have time for any S.E.X. that day
though.

We spent the rest of the day and the next two days (with me in a fog because
I couldn't believe what had just happened) walking around checking out
displays, handing out business cards, sitting in meetings, entering
contests, playing games and generally having a great time. DH won a really
nice golf club and I collected a bunch of stuffed animals. We came home on
Saturday and were so glad to be back in our own bed.

Then Tuesday I was on the phone with a neighbor when another caller beeped
in. I put her on hold and took the other call and I'm so glad that I had
call waiting that time. It was a lady calling to tell me that I had won the
grand prize in their drawing at the NBAA. I won $500. I couldn't believe it.
So when I called DH to tell him about it the first thing out of his mouth
was "Gee you can have all kinds of S.E.X. now huh? Think of all the quilty
stuff that will buy." He's such a sweetheart.

It's funny because when he has a job out of town I always look for Hancock
Fabrics. I love their Quilters Shades fabric and stock up every chance I
get. We have a running joke now that when he goes to a location where there
is a Hancock's I try to weasel my way into going with him so we can have
S.E.X. together.

So to start my S.E.Xpedition, being somewhat of a ruler nut, I just had to
order the set of rulers that Eleanor Burns was using on Simply Quilts this
morning along with a couple of yards of fabric.

Mika
http://community.webshots.com/user/mikasdrms

Mika, how cool! Mind if I ask what your husband does? I use to work
Registration for the NBAA show every year until I got married. Both my
parents were in aviation, my mom sold engine support services for
Cooper Airmotive/Aviall - my dad was General Aviation Mechanic and is
now a professional private pilot for an oil company here in town.
Needless to say, I was a airfield brat. LOL

Sounds like you had a great time!

Tina

He's does non-destructive testing (NDT) on corporate aircraft. For anyone
who wonders what NDT is, they test for cracks and corrosion on various parts
of the aircraft using ultrasound, x-rays and other forms of testing. After
he retired from the Army he went to work for an aviation company in
Wisconsin and was later transferred to Dallas. That company was bought out
by Gulfstream which later merged with General Dynamics. GD was going through
some hefty layoffs around the time of 9/11 and there was talk that the NDT
shop would close. He was given one of those once-in-a-lifetime job offers
here in NY that he couldn't turn down. He has wanted to get his pilots
license for years and finally got the chance to do it. He loves to fly. Heck
he just loves aviation and I have to say that I am really fascinated with it
myself. I love the roar of those jet engines.

Which airfield were you around most of the time? I'll bet you have some fond
memories. What kind of plane does your Dad fly? Since he pilots for an oil
company I'm sure he flies the kind of planes that DH inspects. Where did he
work as a mechanic? When we lived in Dallas DH often went to Houston to
inspect planes for various companies. Who knows, they may have crossed paths
at some point.

When we were at the conference last week there was a booth that had coffee
mugs on a table. The mugs had a quote on them that read "I just love the
smell of jet fuel in the morning." Of course I had to get one because DH
often comes home reeking of jet fuel after having climbed into the fuel cell
to do an inspection. He got it on something that is now in our bedroom
closet and I can't for the life of me find out what it is. But everytime I
open the door it nearly knocks me down.

Mika
http://community.webshots.com/user/mikasdrms

"Tina" wrote in message
oups.com...
Mika, how cool! Mind if I ask what your husband does? I use to work
Registration for the NBAA show every year until I got married. Both my
parents were in aviation, my mom sold engine support services for
Cooper Airmotive/Aviall - my dad was General Aviation Mechanic and is
now a professional private pilot for an oil company here in town.
Needless to say, I was a airfield brat. LOL

Sounds like you had a great time!

Tina

Wow, what a cool job Mika! Lucky for him, and for you!

I was raised on Hobby Airport and what used to be Intercontinental
(now, gag me, Bush Intercontinental).

Dad is now flying a G5, woooo hoooo, which ironically, he now despises.
Says the newer airplanes have so many bells and whistles that they
just put all that stuff on there to break and then cost you an arm and
a leg! But it is a beautiful plane, even if it does spend half it's
life in Dallas or Georgia!

In the mechanic years, he started out with Texas International, OMG
does anybody actually remember that ugly airline? It later came to be
known as Continental Airlines! Then he went to Atlantic Aviation out
at IAH and that is where he met the man he works for now. He became
that companies GAM and then became pilot! Now he is a "member of the
family" and they are sorely putting up with him being down with this
leg rebuild surgery. I don't know who it is driving more crazy, the
owner or my dad!

I also spent a lot of time in Dallas, at DFW, since that is where so
much maintenance is done, my mother had to be there frequently and when
I wasn't in school, I'd go along. I spent most of my time ice skating
in the airport!

Both of my parents are EXTREMELY hard of hearing now, from spending too
much of their lives inside jet engines and yes, although it reeks -
some of my fondest memories are of dad coming home in his overalls,
hugging me and me almost passing out from the smell of jet engine fuel!

But I wouldn't trade my parents occupations, the travel it afforded me,
the wonderful people and experiences I got out of it - for anything in
the world. Even when my parents divorced and my dad moved out to Los
Angeles, CA to work there - I never flew on a commercial plane to visit
him - I was an airstrip hitch-hiker and my parents could always get me
a ride. My best trip ever was having a whole G3 to myself! Imagine
that at age 14! I thought I was a princess, LOL.

Hugs and thanks for sharing the memories with me,
Tina, right under the S.W. Airlines entrance path for Hobby Airport

Those G5's are nice but I tend to agree with your Dad. They do put a lot of
stuff in there that is expensive to repair. The way they do the interiors
of them is just awesome. When his plane is in Georgia is it in the
Gulfstream facility at Savannah or just there for whatever flight someone
decided to take to Georgia? I call it "his" plane because private pilots
tend to be very proprietary of the planes they fly. They are so funny
sometimes. I'll have to tell you a story sometime about Ralph Lauren's new
G5.

The one good thing about DH's job is that by the time he is needed the plane
is usually torn apart so we don't have to worry about the engine noise.
There is one inspection they are doing though that they have to literally
crawl up in the engine and turn the fan blades. I always dread the fuel cell
inspections though because we usually both end up with horrible headaches
from the fumes. He has to practically bathe in Listerine to get the smell
off his skin.

Since moving to NY we have become quite familiar with Hobby. I'll never
forget last February last year when we flew down there for our grandson's
birth. We left Islip with a plane change at BWI then on to Hobby. Before
reaching Hobby though we ran into bad weather so we ended up in a holding
pattern flying in circles for over an hour. When we finally landed the plane
for our connecting flight to Dallas hadn't arrived and wasn't expected for
nearly an hour. So we switched to another flight that should have left on
time and was only an hour later than our original flight. Well our original
flight came and left before our secondary flight did. Then when we finally
boarded the plane, we had to sit on the tarmac for almost an hour because of
the congestion in the air. We were supposed to have landed in Dallas at
10:30 pm but didn't land until 1:30 am. It was a nightmare. I will be so
glad when they get the Wright amendment appealed so Love Field can open up
to more direct flights.

If I'm not mistaken Atlantic Aviation is one of the companies that DH used
to do occasional work for when he was still at Gulfstream in Dallas. I know
there were 3 or 4 companies at IAH that he used to go to, then there was
Sugarland and shoot I can't remember all of them now. I'll have to ask him
when he gets home tomorrow.

I know what you mean about the opportunities that came as a result of this
occupation. I am so thankful for all the people I have met and the
experiences that I have had as a result of DH's career. We have made
tremendous sacrifices because of it but in the end it's worth it. The
memories we've made are priceless so anytime you want to email me and
reminisce please do so at tajmahal56 at hotmail dot com

Mika
http://community.webshots.com/user/mikasdrms