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It goes without saying that when Mrs. A informed me she wanted to tandem parachute on her 50th birthday I was mortified. Being an agoraphobic with a healthy fear of flying I couldn't see any one wanting to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. She was not to be persuaded to do something a little less dangerous like swim with dolphins. I argued all the way to the Taft Airport where people come from miles around to be among the brave who could say they parachuted from a plane at 10000 feet. Skydiving is the ultimate adrenaline rush. Just watching her complementary video gives me goosebumps. I watched with serious doubt as she attended the classes to prepare her for the jump. I guess it didn't hurt that her instructor was a young man with an athletic build. This may have added to the experience when she imagined having him tied to her back. I tried not to think about that as well, instead trying to be supportive of her need to risk her life for this birthday wish. I watched helpless as she stood with her instructor in front of the jump plane. Then they were on the runway lifting off over the rolling hillsides of Southern California. It was a pristine day.
A good day to die I thought to myself and pushed the thought away as I watched the plane circle over the landing area. Then I heard " there they go" from others in our group. I squinted my eyes and could barely see two dots emerge from the tiny toy sized plane. My heart stopped as I waited for what seemed an eternity for the chute to open. When it did I almost shouted with excitement. What a thrill that would be to be free falling at what they call terminal velocity at about 120 miles per hour. A video is taken by another jumper who films the whole thing from inside the aircraft to when they touch down. The air pressure during the free fall period before the chute opens causes the exposed skin of your face to distort and seem to be about to come away from one's skull. They fly with arms outstretched and even do a couple of somersaults. When she at last touches ground and is allowed to be separated from her instructor she bounces around like a kid and whoops with joy. I guess it was worth it after all. I am nonplussed later as we go for celebratory drinks and lunch that she wants to do it again and hopes I might join her for her 51st birthday jump.

No one knows how they got here. No one knows how long they have been here. They are difficult to see unless they want to walk among us. Their skin has a chameleon like quality, blending in with their surroundings. Some think they can disappear at will. They are smaller than us, they can morph into a cat or squirrel and squirt away to safety. No one has ever captured one although I suspect the roadkill on the side of the highway may have been some. They seem to be studying us, as though we were the aliens. They may have been here first for that matter and we invaded their world eons ago. They don't make any sounds, communicating telepathically possibly. They are not dangerous, we think. We don't know what they eat, no one has had a close encounter and lived to tell about it. They may be responsible for that feeling we have of being watched. They may be helping us like guardian angels, pushing us out of the way of runaway buses or the like. They may be responsible for the ghost sitings and other paranormal experiences. More on this musing later as I dream up more about these "avatar " like beings.

Another anecdote that is one which will more than likely live on in our family lore went something like this.
One dreadfully hot and dry summer, it hadn't rained for months, we were getting desperate.
The grass was dry and crinkled when walked upon. The lakes and ponds were turning into puddles. Cows and horses were dying of thirst. The Texan had a plan.
One morning before breakfast he gathered his three sons on the lawn and told them what they were going to do. At first they looked at him like he was crazy and then being kids they joined right in whooping and dancing in a wide circle in their underwear. The neighbors peeked out their windows and considered calling 911. The Texan led the dance hollering to the sky which was full of clouds but were reluctant to let go of their precious cargo. This display went on for several minutes and even Mrs. Texan who was used to these sort of histrionics was aghast. Then the impossible happened. First there was just a drop of rain. The boys noticed it and were encouraged to churn up a renewed energy in their impromptu rain dance. Then more drops. Before they knew it they were drenched as the clouds opened up and let loose. The weathermen were baffled as they had predicted no rain for the foreseeable future. Schools were closed as people scrambled to prepare for the first rain storm in quite a while. The earth was so dry the rain just ran off into the streets causing cars to stop as the roads became impassable.
This story is true. Believe it or not.

This is my favorite character. He is a true Texan in every way. Handlebar mustache, bowlegged, skoal chewing, and yet larger than life. He is a devoted husband and father, attends church, workaholic, and a cowboy philosopher. There are so many anecdotes I can go to for this blog, it is difficult to choose one to begin. This summer I found he was a natural golfer. Never played before but he was invited to play at a prestigeous country club by a work collegue. Not willing to turn down an opportunity to try something new he agreed. He showed up in Levis and cowboy boots. He had one club which he used to play 18 holes with and beat the course record. Those who might have put him down when he joined their elitist foursome where humbled by his line drives and on the dot putting. He enjoyed many offers to join in drinks at the clubhouse afterwards and accepted a gift of a new golf bag and clubs by the owners.

My first character hasn't been used in a novel as of yet but I'm sure all or parts of her will someday. She will be called Mrs. A for short. She is one of the kindest, generous and warmest person I have ever met. She talks insessently but this is her way of making those around her feel welcome and not ignored. Children love her and sence she is one of them with her childlike nature. She is simple and transparent. No hidden agenda and is never self serving. She loves people and doesn't have a prejudiced bone in her body. Left handed, which seems to affect some of her clumsiness and mannerisms, she is never going to be a brain surgeon. Her speech is fun to listen to her and you would soon be exhausted correcting her way of saying things. It's as if she has her own language as she combines words or combines them in new and interesting ways. For example last nite she was telling me how she would be talking to someone later that evening. "text you later" she said without blinking. Most of her ism's are not as clear and you may walk away scratching your head at the inventiveness. She is most known for combining two well known catch phrases into one, like: "My boyfriend is a real couch potato head." Hmm is she refering to me as a couch potato or do I look like a patato head. I think you see how her colloquialisms are so unique. I will try to come up with some more of them later as they come to me. I will be following Mrs. A. in the series as well as other people in the weeks to come. Hope you enjoy them.

I am not trying to belittle the Hudson river airline pilots achievement last year when he managed to land a plane on an icy river and allow all of his passengers and crew to be rescued from what could have been a terrible air disaster. But I want to ask you to also remember a pilot who I was privileged to meet after he gave a speech at my ten year employee awards banquet. His name is Alfred C. Haynes and it still gives me chills as I recall the events as he told that changed his life as well as the 174 passengers and crew of the DC10 flight 232 who survived his plane crash on. Unfortunately 111 died. The July 19, 1989 airline crash was the bases for several movies including Fearless which was filmed near the town I live in, Bakersfield California.
Somewhere over the Midwest on a flight from Denver to Chicago when an engine failed and all 3 of the hydraulics systems also had failed which caused the plane to be a flying brick with no way to alter course. The hydraulics allow the plane to turn, slow down bank and other things we take for granted. The pilot managed to change the planes course by using the throttle giving the engine thrusts, turning right by gunning the left engine and so on. They were followed on radar by worried ground controllers well apprised of the situation and wondering just where the plane would finally run out of fuel and crash. The plane was descending in a corkscrew pattern and appeared to be destined to crash land at Sioux City, Iowa airport. The plane came in too fast as there was no way to slow it down. The wing hit first and eye witnesses said the plane cartwheeled down the runway and ended up in a cornfield. Many passengers walked away from the crash. I will never forget the pile of twisted metal that the pilot showed a slide of saying he was somewhere in the middle. It looked like something left over after a trash compacter was done. Miracles still happen but I think this pilot should be remembered along with the Hudson river pilot as miracle workers.

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