Come Fly With Me

Being in professional transport, it goes without saying I’m a traveler. I need to be going someplace or moving to be happiest.

I also function as a licensed, armed patrol officer, but this does not involve that. I am not able to go into specifics on the blog about the nature of the work that brought me to Raleigh, but I can say general things about the trip.

Told the family I’d produce the below pics. I’m not wearing my radio here, we have the kind with the curly cord that attaches the speaker/mic, clipped to your collar with the cord running up your back to the main unit which clips on your belt, and my jacket has it’s poofy winter lining in it, but you get the idea. Be glad I didn’t edit them any more heavily than I did! 😉

And just for fun because this is wandering in the wild west…

Despite all my transporting, one thing I had never done was get in a jet. I have been in a little chopper as well as a WWII plane as a skydiving observer (which freaked me the hell out) which is a whole ‘nother story, but I’d never been in a jet. I always drive myself and/or I am always the operator, rarely ever a passenger.

Sitting around drumming my fingers since coming back from Northwestern Montana, I was bored silly. Anyone that knows me, knows what I’m like when I’m bored silly. Yawning, horrible boredom. I could hardly stand it. It’s depressing. I’d pace my room like a caged lion. If I’m posting recipes…I’m bored silly.

So, sure I would fly to Raleigh…tomorrow. A company wanted me to pick up some equipment to bring back up north. So I would fly to Raleigh, get it, then drive back. I used to do North Carolina runs in the big truck so it sounded right up my alley. Plus being where it’s warmer is an added perk.

I threw together my things in a backpack that met carry-on criteria. Okay, so I actually crammed and stuffed and rearranged and measured. A la South Dakota, a crabby blizzard conveniently fired up in the meantime. It was severe enough that roads were shut down. Freezing fog left a 1/2″ coating of ice all over everything, then it started snowing on top of that. My 6 am flight was switched to a later morning departure.

***

Well. I decided that I rather enjoy 500 mph! I haven’t any idea why, but my system calmed right down the faster we went. Not in a nervous context, but in that I found the speed very soothing. The pilot taxied the little jet and then sat for a minute at the runway. I heard the turbines wind up and could smell jet fuel which was pretty similar to diesel. It felt familiar, like hearing the turbos on my Kenworth whine.

Then he hit it. I thought, “WHEEEEE!”

No, I really did.

Surprisingly, the height didn’t remotely bother me. Normally I hate heights. I think being propelled forward at 500 mph probably offset that “OMG!” height factor. We were in Minneapolis (from Rapid Snowfal… err City) less than 90 minutes later.The flight attendant barely had time to throw Coke and Pretzels at everyone before the pilot crackled over the radio that we were beginning our descent into Minneapolis. I tried being extra polite to the attendants as I knew they must have to possess the patience of a saint to do that job from having dealt with many different types of passengers myself.

I shot the video below for Magicwolfcub (my youngest), so she could sort of virtually experience it as well. You can come with, too! The Black Hills are off to the left.

The jet from Minneapolis to Raleigh had even more kick and knocked you back in the seat when the pilot let it go. We had some turbulence which struck my weird self as being like an amusement park ride. The pilot apologized over the intercom for the ‘bumpy ride’ but I felt there was no need. Coming into Raleigh, there’s a down-drop similar to going down a roller-coaster hill. It was like my Dad flooring our old Mustang over the hills on the way to Gramma’s house and me, a small infant, giggling in the back in my car seat.

I was picked up at the airport and brought to the equipment I’d come to get, then I checked into my hotel suite.

The next morning, it was rainy but far warmer than blizzard-shocked South Dakota. I began following my old trucking route of Raleigh. I was happy to see they had renamed the dreaded Inner/Outer Beltways to directional designations! I remember playing Big Rig-Around-The-Rosie on those beltways in the big truck, trying to puzzle out where in the hell “Inner” and “Outer” were exactly supposed to be going.

It all came back even though I hadn’t been down there for a number of years. The West Virginia Grand Prix (I-77), Highway 9, aka the AA through Kentucky.

One thing that had changed was I found that I was surprised I had considered that area to be so…’mountainous’. It didn’t look that way anymore because where I live now has higher elevation.

I had a blast. I hadn’t had that much fun in I don’t know how long.

Magictunes Corner:

HOLD ON. I KNOW WHAT YOU WANT.

This 22 min set was put together by myself with a 4 deck mixer and about 20 clips, all custom sliced, diced and glued by me. There’s some DJ Icey material, The Crystal Method and my own little original additions.

DJ Magicwolf – Gonna Make You Shake Yo Miles