hey from AAron...it's been a while (new merger vid link)

[aaronbocknek]

hey gang, sorry for the lack of communication over the last few weeks. it's been rather busy with constant medical follow ups and work. i still feel like hell, i'm told that this is NOT my new normal, but, it's anyone's guess. i've been attempting to do some small projects inside the boat but my fatigue factor sometimes gets the best of me and that's the most frustrating part of this 'recovery'. not sure if you all have kept up with the news, but, my working world got a whole lot bigger last thursday (14 feb). here is a bit of entertainment to show you just how, and, maybe get your mind of pressing matters. either way, it should be interesting. i only hope i'm alive long enough to see the whole bloody thing through. hey WILLIE TROJAN.... looks like you will be pretty busy w/ all the orders!!!
take care guys, and enjoy the 2 min video.... (talk about the minnow eating the whale!)

AAron

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHchizDKk28

<<next up on the project list is to replace the forward bilge pump that crapped out on me a few weeks ago. i'm also going to replace the discharge hose 'just because'. i've got to wait for the temps to moderate a bit though.>>

[Commissionpoint]

Good to hear from you Aaron. I had been wondering what you were up to.

Good to hear you have been working, and also doing some stuff on the Tri. I too am starting to get some of the little projects I wanted to do underway. I pulled that lovely Black Walnut & Rock Maple custom dinette table that 2 PO's before me had made. They put shellac on it and it was crazing so its getting a total refinish.

What kinda pump are you going to get? A big Rule, or something else? Gonna use some nice Tiger Flex for the discharge hose, or something else? New thru-hull too?

Stay healthy, monitor those blood counts, and make sure you leave plenty of time for taking Enterprise out this coming season.

[larryeddington]

Good luck with your health and AA's re-emergence. Hope you arrive at your new better normal soon.

[aaronbocknek]

Good to hear from you Aaron. I had been wondering what you were up to.

Good to hear you have been working, and also doing some stuff on the Tri. I too am starting to get some of the little projects I wanted to do underway. I pulled that lovely Black Walnut & Rock Maple custom dinette table that 2 PO's before me had made. They put shellac on it and it was crazing so its getting a total refinish.

What kinda pump are you going to get? A big Rule, or something else? Gonna use some nice Tiger Flex for the discharge hose, or something else? New thru-hull too?

Stay healthy, monitor those blood counts, and make sure you leave plenty of time for taking Enterprise out this coming season.

blood counts are good. in fact, they are excellent. it's other issues that i'm dealing with that are just bugging the hell out of me. the fly in the butter is fibroid tissue that developed during radiation. it's limiting my range of motion but i'm under the care of an amazing physiotherapist who specializes in radiation damage. it's a long, rough road, but she says she does see improvement with each week even though i do not. as for the bilge pump, my old rule 1500 froze up and keeps tripping the breaker when the float switch is lifted. it takes no more than 2 seconds for it to happen. it's a simple swap out as the base for the new one is the same. just splice the wires, heat shrink them sealed, snap it in and there you go. or at least i THINK that's how it should be. the new hose will be the semi-clear smooth interior hose attached to the current thru hull discharge fitting. all are easy to get to, i just need to get the time and energy to do it along with warmer temperatures. i tried to work on it a few weeks ago when it was in the 40's, but, chemo really messed up my internal temperature sensors and my hands literally froze up on me. (i'm told this is temporary, but at nearly 6 mos past treatment, i'm getting a little impatient, actually a LOT impatient) i figure i can do the whole project for under a hundred bucks as defender has the pump and hose at reasonable prices.

[aaronbocknek]

Good luck with your health and AA's re-emergence. Hope you arrive at your new better normal soon.

hey larry, great to hear from you, as always. what i want is for my 'new' normal to be pain free and my sleep patterns to return to something where i can get more than two to three hours sleep. that would help a great deal. as for AA, i'm hopeful that doug's more relaxed style will rub off on the suits in DFW. they are rather stiff and lack a sense of humor. (just look at that god awful 'new' image they spent almost a million dollars on!! i think doug hates it as much as we do) what terrifies me the most is the amount of money this deal needs to come off. 11 billion is not chump change. it looks as if i may be spending more time in the DFW area, as i've requested to be a part of the flight attendant transition team (i need a diversion badly!!) once all the regulatory hurdles are out of the way in the late summer. the scope of this merger is daunting at best. the size of it gives me a headache.
how close are you to DFW? maybe we can meetup when i'm in the area. stay tuned. the only constant is change.
AAron

[prowlersfish]

Sound good Aaron .

[MattSC]

Aaron,
Glad to hear that you are doing well and wish you well with the merger. Sadly, I think this means the end for my beloved MD-88

[aaronbocknek]

Aaron,
Glad to hear that you are doing well and wish you well with the merger. Sadly, I think this means the end for my beloved MD-88

i'm just trying to make the best of it right now. it's a real slug fest getting out of this post chemo/radiation hole. not fun and not easy. as for the md-88, well, from a f/a perspective, it was not my favorite aircraft to work. the pressurization never really did work right and was hell on my ears. i've been told that the US side will not be trained on them, if any still exist when the single carrier petition is filed after the merger closes in the fall.

[Commissionpoint]

McDonnell Douglas, another orphan like our Trojans. I used to fly to Detroit on an MD-80. That thing wasn't my fave.

You'll get through the merger transition just like you got through your health issues and the bottom paint/prop issues with Enterprise. It may take some time, but it will all work out. I am sure of it.

Be happy you don't have to fly in this thing.

[Nancy]

Hey Aaron! Good to see you posting. Work is probably doing you good - helps keep your mind off the health issues at least some of the time. But no wonder you're tired - working and healing are exhausting!

We worked on a boat project this past week, too. The aluminum supports for the helm chairs were pitted from the boat's previous saltwater environment. John sanded them down starting with 100 grit (!) sandpaper. We're really happy with the way they turned out.

helm chair supports-1-021913-800.JPG (141.46 KiB) Viewed 9456 times

[aaronbocknek]

McDonnell Douglas, another orphan like our Trojans. I used to fly to Detroit on an MD-80. That thing wasn't my fave.

You'll get through the merger transition just like you got through your health issues and the bottom paint/prop issues with Enterprise. It may take some time, but it will all work out. I am sure of it.

Be happy you don't have to fly in this thing.

looks like a civil air patrol item used to teach emergency training. never was a fan of the md-80/88/90. i liked working the dc-9-30 and 50, but, my all time favorite is the 727. 3 pw jt8d's on spool up are music to my ears. as for the merger, i'm not too stressed about it as this will be my 5th airline merger. just another coat of paint (hopefully parker will redo that god awful 'new' AA livery that made it's public appearance prior to the announcement) and a new uniform. as long as the unions negotiate a better pay rate, better trip and duty rigs i will be okay. maybe. work group integration will not be for a few years, so for me, it's status quo. stay tuned and watch for the new commercials. i've seen them 3 times in the last day already.

[aaronbocknek]

Hey Aaron! Good to see you posting. Work is probably doing you good - helps keep your mind off the health issues at least some of the time. But no wonder you're tired - working and healing are exhausting!

We worked on a boat project this past week, too. The aluminum supports for the helm chairs were pitted from the boat's previous saltwater environment. John sanded them down starting with 100 grit (!) sandpaper. We're really happy with the way they turned out.

helm chair supports-1-021913-800.JPG

nancy, always great to see you!! you've given me an idea about my shifter covers. i never thought of using fine grit to smooth it out. i'll have to try it. at least it will occupy some of my time. keep intouch.

[Commissionpoint]

looks like a civil air patrol item used to teach emergency training.

Thats Graffiti.

Guy named F. Peter Simmons crashed it there in August 1969. He survived and went on to help design some components of the Hubble Space Telescope. I hiked in to the wreck site last fall. Its in some pretty rugged country between two tall mountains. Its amazing he survived. As you can see, the crash sheared the wing clean off in the side I was standing on. Its on protected wilderness land, and since the only way to remove it would be with motorized equipment, (which is illegal to use there) it must be left to rot.

http://adirondackdailyenterprise.com/pa ... l?nav=5014

[willietrojan]

Aaron,

Hope things will get back to normal for you ASAP!!

I have been mostly working with getting the place ready for the FAL (Final Assembly Line) here in Mobile.

I am also happy to report that I may have found a 33 International over in Orange Beach . Will be giving it a good once over in the next couple of weeks, so i hope to back in the Trojan world soon!!

[prowlersfish]

Hope the new boat checks out for you Willie ! At least a lot better then the one in the attachment