Memorial Day

A lot of places have flag programs, which I think is pretty cool.  They bring little flags to every doorstep, or mailbox, or sidewalk edge, for example. Not in Kokomo, but friends of mine in other areas have that.  A nice way to remember, I think.  There's a group of people getting mad on social media about people saying "Happy Memorial Day" because it's supposed to be solemn, and another group of people telling that group of people that there's nothing wrong with celebrating the day even if it's solemn.  So people always gotta pick fights about everything, even holidays. Especially holidays, maybe.

Yesterday Steve and Kenny went out to AE's place, and then Chuck and I came out for a little while too.  I couldn't stay.  I had a wedding shower to attend at 2 pm, and then I came home and took care of Ann at 5, and then I headed over, and had to leave again by 7 to get home by 8 to put Ann to bed.  But I was there long enough to enjoy a delicious steak.  Steve took out my birthday steaks and cooked them up for the two of us to enjoy out there, and they were excellent!  Just had to wait for the right atmosphere and time to enjoy, and that was it.  :)  He stayed out there and had a fire until pretty late, and had a nice day.

Today, Steve and I made it out to see Top Gun: Maverick.  It was a good movie.  I liked it, I enjoyed it, and it made me want to go out and do piloty shit, as they say.  I have thus far controlled myself because I have three guys coming to do T-6 transition training in the next week and a half, so I will get plenty of time doing scary things, and get paid for it instead of having to pay for it. 

On the movie, I like the part where they bring in an old school person to teach the new hot shots how to think outside the box and get the job done outside of computerized and by the book parameters. How it wasn't about the equipment but the brain behind it--not just about the plane, but about the pilot. Old school craftiness beat modern technology.  I also like that they have a woman fighter pilot in this round, but they don't make any kind of deal about it, no virtue signaling or woke speeches, she's just one of the pilots. That's how it should go. No big thing, just a group of pilots. It was nice.  Seeing the tie-ins from the first movie was bittersweet, like Val Kilmer who can't even speak right now from his own throat cancer issues.  Everyone else looked old except for Tom Cruise.  The guy still has six-pack abs. It's weird seeing the first one as teenage me and the second as middle aged pilot me.  But it was good.  All in all it was high action, great visuals, fun flying, good story-line, and I liked it.  I may go watch it again on an IMAX theater just for the full visual experience.  :D 

AEs baby raccoon named "Critter" hiding in the shower

Firing range

Couldn't do a huge one because of the winds

Yes, ma'am.