Chazd's (Charles Dowdell's) News Burps

It has been a great holiday weekend so far. I started off by flying up to NYC for Friday evening, dinner and a trip to the top of the Empire State Building and Times Square. After Manhattan, I took a bus to Binghamton NY. Talking to the bus driver I learned he has been driving that particular route for 25 years. Amazing. We saw a bear on the side of the road on RT 17th. I was not fast enough with the camera. Driving that route for 25 years that was only the second time he had seen a bear. "I'd rather go by bus." --Prince Charles My farm looks good. There are lots of animals there and they are well cared for. A walk through the woods was very refreshing. I expect to close on my place in Duluth by the end of June.

I made a bunch of runs around this nice little lake in Wichita (wee-cheeta) this past week. It sure was a refreshing difference from the hamster wheel I am usually on in the gym. The lettuce in the beer is my trend setting idea of healthy eating. Who says you can't get what you want?

I am in Kansas this week. Unfortunately my camera got broken with the TSA folks at the airport. What a complete PIA the security checks are. I usually get the precheck lane in Atlanta which is the way things used to be pre 911. Other countries check like pre 911 too. I am planning my weekend. Work is going well.

I went to the PDK airshow today. PDK is the second busiest General Aviation airport in the United States following only Teterboro NJ. I don't fly into PDK yet. I will at some point for sure. The weather wasn't very good for an airshow. In fact the weather was beyond my personal minimums for getting out and just flying around, without aerobatics. I also went over to my future house, signed some paperwork, planned and measured some. I have access to the property, which is nice. My reality check today indicates there isn't really that much needed to move in, plumbing mostly. Since it is a foreclosure there were some elements of a "scorched earth" approach to the retreat. The scuttle efforts were primarily in the form of ripping out all the copper plumbing and air conditioner. It is easy for me to fix.

A lot of stuff going on with me this week. I am selling my Mom's Condo in Rochester, NY and I have generally been socializing a lot in the evenings. I have met a lot of new folks. It is amazing what happens when you *try*. Some of the bigger news is that my offer was accepted on a piece of property. This is the same property that I thought got away from me. Weird. Usually, when a property gets a way.. it gets away. So, I will be working to close the deal soon. The house is very convenient to shopping and to work, but is also very serene and "woodsy". It is on a small lake. This may be the most practical house I have ever purchased. Of course, since it is property I am buying, it needs work. Nothing compared to what was done in the past though. It will be fun.

I have a busy social weekend in Georgia. I went on a hike at Red Top Mountain. There are absolutely no shortages of nice places to hike in North Georgia. We had a great time.

Fear is an amazing tool. I don't see it as a weakness at all. Fear can save your life. But, you have to not let it control you. --Drew Dix , Vietnam War Era Medal of Honor Recipient I heard the above quote on a documentary. It needed to be transcribed.