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Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:14 pm: | 
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similar group, a little less grand (Ferris' fault), getting ready to go our separate ways...
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 11, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:15 pm: |
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but not before i gave Lori a double-barreled reach around! (um, was it good for you???)
LBird and DBird, it was indeed a pleasure playing Hooligans with you guys for a bit. thank you for your passion and enthusiasm, and when we DO make it back to Utah to do Highway 12, we'd be honored to have you two show us the way. 
FB&D
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 10, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:16 pm: |
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Littlebuggles was gonna ride south with us to Cedar City, Utah and then hang a UE and head for his hacienda.
these two pix were taken at our fuel stop in Cedar City. i spied the little girl in the pink dress running and giggling in the green grass and was immediately captivated by her innocence and vitality, and equally captivated by the quality lighting and the opportunity for a hopefully remarkable photo.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 10, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:18 pm: |
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i asked for and received permission. the little girl was EXTREMELY camera shy (she spent the first several moments with her dress pulled up around her head), and it was only after i managed this second awkward photo that i realized the woman on the left was breast-feeding her baby.
Denise and Mike told me later that they had both picked up on this right away, but i was so busy focused on the photo op that i totally missed the clues.
i quickly apologized and beat a hasty retreat. the two women were cool, and i think realized that i was innocent. not particularly bright, perhaps, but innocent.
i didn't get nearly the photo i was after, but i'm pleased that i tried, and i'm happy that i got to share, at least for a brief moment, this wonderful little girl's gift of color and beauty and life.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 11, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:19 pm: |
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Littlebuggles was full of surprises.
the first was that he opted to ride south with us on I-15 rather than tag team with M/M Bird on their run north to Salt Lake City.
we were glad for the company, of course, but I-15 is, after all, simply the enemy, the dreaded, despised interstate, and me 'n D needed to put on a rather large feed bag and seriously get our bad selves to Las Vegas and Nellis Air Force Base. Falcons and Raptors were waiting, after all.
still, Mike said he'd hump with us to Cedar City, so with one last wave to DBird and Lori off we went.
after fuel in Cedar City we started to say our goodbyes when Littlebuggles dropped another nuke, saying he'd ride with us yet a little farther, to St. George.
i.e., more interstate.
bizarre! but cool, so back to the the slab we schlepped. we stopped in St. George and prepared to bid our new friend fare-thee-well.
"Hey, ya know, I think I'll ride a little farther with you if you don't mind, maybe to Mesquite, Nevada."
geez, dude, are you feeling ok? slabbin' sucks! still, we all laughed at his enthusiasm, which, apparently, was quickly displacing any common sense he may have left home with this morning.
then it hit me. "You're going all the way to Vegas with us!" Mike had made it painfully clear in the lead-up to FBRAT that this was not an option in his world at this time, no way, no how, and i was surprised that he had changed his mind at this late date.
"I'm riding as far as Mesquite with you," he said firmly, but with a twinkle in his eye.
BS, i thought, you're gonna party with us at Nellis tonight. COOLNESS!
so we all jumped back on I-15 and began pounding out more miles. slab city, baby!
I-15 cuts off a MINISCULE little corner of Arizona on the way to Nevada, which afforded another cool "Welcome to..." photo op for Madduck's growing photo collection.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 11, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:20 pm: |
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Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:20 pm: |
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and POOF! we were in Nevada, home of the free and land of the legal.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 11, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:21 pm: |
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the Virgin River Casino in Mesquite, Nevada.
WIN ME!
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 11, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:22 pm: |
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say Mike, watch my back for a moment, wouldya?
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 11, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:22 pm: |
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Spiderman strikes again.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 11, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:23 pm: |
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very shortly i was to learn that walking into a casino and whipping out your Nikon is not at all appreciated.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 11, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:23 pm: |
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i was, however, on a mission.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 11, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:24 pm: |
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come on Vanna, BIG number!
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 11, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:25 pm: |
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come on Spidey, BIG number!
about the time i snapped this pic a hand clamped down on my left shoulder.
"Photography is NOT allowed in the casino!"
i turned to see a security guard giving me major stink eye.
"What ARE you doing?" she demanded.
when necessary i can act like i have no clue what i'm doing (say it ain't so, Ferris), and i stammered out something about being a simple moto-tourist (i was still in my Aerostich, complete with the world's worst case of helmet hair), on vacation and taking snapshots for my photo album.
not all that removed from the truth, actually, save for the fact that i'd just tagged their give-away pickup outside and had just harshed Vanna's gig on the very slot machine we were standing next to.
apparently my ruse of being but a bumbling, befuddled buffoon worked (i am SO good!), and she let me go with a stern verbal warning. she didn't ask to see the images i'd just taken (i was, at that point, more than a little concerned about the photographic proof of having just defaced their truck outside), nor did i offer to show and tell.
truth is i slithered away like the slime i sometimes am.
Spidey, you're well represented in Mesquite, Nevada. high-stakes gambling, Ferris-style.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 11, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:25 pm: |
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why is this man smiling? after all, he'd just ridden about 130 miles of hot, sweaty interstate, into the teeth of the Nevada desert, only now to have to turn around and retrace his steps and make the longgggg hike back to Salt Lake City.
the only upside in all of it that i could think of was that he'd have the wind, which was REALLY getting to be a bitch, at his back, along with the late afternoon sun, which was ALSO becoming miserable, at his back as well.
we stopped at a gas station and all spent a goodly amount of time re-hydrating and snacking out, making sure we were as well-prepared as possible for the tasks that lay before us.
i talked to Mike on the phone the other day, and asked him how his ride back to Salt Lake City had been that day.
"Well, after you guys pulled out I decided to grab a room and spend the night in Mesquite!"
RAT BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
well, good on ya, mate, for having WAY more common sense than us and holing up for the night. for those who don't know, nice rooms are plentiful in Mesquite for about $22 a night, and one can eat fairly royally (all-you-can-eat prime rib with all the fixings, for example) at any one of several nice casinos for $7.95 plus tax.
Mike had it all figured out, all along.
Littlebuggles, thanks again for your very pleasant company, and obvious enthusiasm. thanks for being part of FBRAT.
bastard. 
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 11, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:26 pm: |
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one last push on the day, the down run to Nellis, right into the eye of sun, Denise again at the controls of the camera.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 11, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:28 pm: |
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what you can't see is the wind, some of the most miserable, unrelenting, aggravating and infuriating that i've ever ridden in.
i'd pay real money for a real fairing to hide behind right about now.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 11, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:29 pm: |
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the wind should have gone down with the sun, but such was not the case.
i took to hanging onto the base of the left mirror stalk with my left hand, as it gave better purchase in the war to keep Madduck's Uly pointed in the right direction.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 11, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:30 pm: |
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the grind to East Las Vegas/Nellis AFB was just that, but the motivational factor of getting a guided tour of Nellis' flightline was, well, pretty motivating.
i had called Josh from Mesquite, as per plan, not once but twice to give an idea of our ETA, but was unable to track him down either time. grrrrrr. FBRAT's Las Vegas stop had been a problem child from the very beginning, and i was STILL anguishing that all was in order.
we bailed I-15 (FINALLY!) at the appropriate exit, which put us at the east end of Nellis' runway, and were promptly strafed by three A-10 Thunderbolts, low and loud, making their final approach and landing. NOW we're talking! we stopped to enjoy the impromptu airshow.
i grabbed my cell phone to call Josh again, and as i did a white Mustang drove by, looked us over, hung a hard u-turn and pulled up behind us.
dude, it's been a long day, a long week, and a long month. i'm in no mood for bulls-hit, and if i smell even one whiff of whatever you're selling you're going down hard.
well, it turned out our suprise visitor was none other than SSgt Josh Hjelmberg.
worried that he missed my calls he had decided to drive out to I-15, hang out at the Nellis exit and catch us on the way in. his timing was impeccable!
i'm gonna cut to the chase here. in short order we collected none other than Fireman Jim Higgins - who had humped all the way down today from the San Francisco area on his S2 (we're surrounded by Thunderbolts!) - at the front gate (amazingly, he arrived within nanoseconds of us), and began our tour of the Nellis Air Force Base flightline.
The Absolute Right Stuff.
a row of THE sexiest, most bitchin'est jet aircraft in the world, the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
to be standing right here, right now, was awesome.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 12, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:31 pm: |
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and THIS was even MORE awesome!
up close and personal with an F-16 as a ground crew practices loading "dummy" armament.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 12, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:32 pm: |
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how'd you like to have one of THESE in your garage?
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 12, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:33 pm: |
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Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:33 pm: |
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this thing had BattleTrax written all over it.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 12, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:35 pm: |
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it also had a pretty incredible view.
while Josh was showing us around the hangar, the unmistakable sound of multiple jet aircraft at idle could be heard right outside.
there was lots to see on the tarmac to this untrained eye, but i immediately spotted the noisemakers, not one, not two, but THREE F-22 Raptors, the latest, greatest fighter jet to grace our country's arsenal.
they were parked in an "open air" hangar about 100 yards away, and it was apparent that all three had pilots on board, going thru their pre-flight checklists as they built some temperature in the engines.
Josh wanted to show us the finer points of loading dummy armament onto an F-16.
i wanted to go where the noise was!
Josh quickly recognized a losing battle and took us as close as he could, perhaps 50 yards from the three F-22's.
i was totally mesmerized, by the purposeful, menacing sound, by the jets' sheer, larger than life presence.
the F-22 Raptor hasn't been out long, and this was the first time i'd seen one (not to mention three) in the flesh.
this, i reckoned, was a rare privilege, and was vindication for all the hard work that had gone into the Las Vegas stop. THIS was the reward for working our asses off in the weeks leading up to FBRAT.
standing here, holding Denise's hand tight, Josh and FMJ at our side, and being assimilated by the rarified aura generated by these incredible aircraft was intoxicating and spellbinding, and it's the truth when i say that we were, at that very moment, the luckiest people in the world.
with the possible exception of the three F-22 pilots.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 13, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:35 pm: |
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i'll talk more about our F-22 encounter at the end of today's thread. in the meantime, here's one last look at my second favorite aircraft in the world. (the Space Shuttle anchors my number one position.)
you'll forgive that these photos are not "suitable for framing" i trust - ambient lighting, long exposures, and all that.
quality aside, i think you've gotten a little feel for what it was like to be here.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 12, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:36 pm: |
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l to r: SSgt Josh Hjelmberg, Fireman Jim, BBstacker (who showed up from Las Angeles shortly after our flight line tour wrapped up), and Denise.
Josh is getting ready to go to work, the rest of us are getting ready to drink some beer (too late, we've already started) and burn some meat.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 12, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:36 pm: |
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this was SUPPOSED to be our digs tonight, on base and about two blocks from the runway, until a last-minute group of transient Marines invaded and "bumped" us out of our spots.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 13, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2005 - 06:37 pm: |
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no worries, we grabbed a nice two-bedroom suite just outside the gate (which worked out to $25 per person, which didn't suck), and spent a little time partying with the assembled troops before we turned in.
this place was loud and raucous, more like a college dorm on Friday night than a military housing unit.
i half expected John Belushi to make an appearance at some point and smash a beer can on his head, and if Al Lighton had been here he'd have been looking for an inflatable pool dome to leap out onto.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 12, 2005) |
Tripper
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 - 03:20 pm: |
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Jerry Ferris;
I'm laffin, and cryin. Keep writin. Heres a BIG WAVE out to ya.
DaveT |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 - 04:21 pm: |
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yeah, but how many fingers are you holding up???
thanks Tripper, much appreciated, more writin' tonight when i get off work.
FB |
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