From the bottom of the Pit.

The first day of spring has come...and only now do I get around to my blog. It has been awhile...and I have been negligent on posting. I am surprised that they "blogger" will allow so much idle time to pass without activity. It's good that they do...as I am sure many would be closed by now.

I think I about ready for another update in my saga...my biography if you will. The first 3 were written in 2005...and a few things have happened since then. I do remember updating from that little trip I took to Florence, Arizona last year. Well, as fate would have it...I just returned from a 3 week training course in Charleston, South Carolina. If you have never been to this place...you should. It is a medium sized southern city...for which the Civil War never really ended. References to the old Confederacy abound and the numerous memorials are constant reminders that this region serves under the Stars and Stripes as a conquered nation. Recriminations aside; Charleston is full of history and tradition. I found the people to be freindly and charming. The city center was well kept and quite clean. By comparison, North Charleston was the antithesis to this. It seemed comparable to many of the run down burgs I see in Los Angeles on a daily basis.
Crime, graffiti and drugs seem to be the the order of the day. There seems to be a clear deliniation of class and race in the greater Charleston area. Mostly white and affluent in the city and souther suburbs...yet mostly poor and black in North Charleston. This class segregation is hard to miss. I guess some things just never change.

Anyway...back to my story. First...the flight from LA to Houston was harrowing. Thunderstorms were active in Houston, so the airplane was held in a circular pattern for nearly an hour. It was at this time that a older man had suffered what appeared to be a heart attack. The flight attendants were running to an fro...attempting to help the victim. Several retired doctors on board were called upon to assist. The storm was pitching the plane about and passengers were getting edging...including myself. I guess the judgement was that the man may not make it if we delayed the landing further. So down we went into the abyss of wind, rain and thunder. The aircraft rocked and heaved against the violence of the storm. It took over an hour to finally touch down...and the solid terra firma never looked so good. It almost made me swear off flying for good. But...it wasn't quite over yet. Unfortunately...since the flight was delayed...they gave away the nice big 757 to some other aircrew. We ended up with the replacement...and what a disappointment. Anytime you are asked to board your plane by walking out to the tarmac...it can't be a good thing.

So there it sat...a tiny little puddle jumper...by 757 standards anyway!
At least it wasn't a prop drive death machine. I think it held about 15 people. I guess the captain decided he could make it out between 2 thunderstorms. He was wrong! We got caught in the second one on the ascent...help...was all I could think of. As bad as the 757 was in landing...this little orphan maker was triple the white knuckle trip talking off. Never have I heard so much snapping, popping, groaning and creaking before. With every wild pitch, the poor little craft would seemingly cry with agony. We finally were able to outrun the storm...halfway to Charleston. Now I really wanted to swear off flying for good. I had the "good" fortune to see this same storm again...the very next day...with a tornado watch thrown in to boot.

Well...I still have some more to go on this tome...but I have to go for now. I hope to continue later this evening...as time permits.