Fly Like A Model

Okay, so I forgot the glue. I finally found the model I wanted for my birthday, and I forgot the glue. I can offer up a defense, though. Painting a model is something I've never done, actually finising a model is something I've never done, so finding all the paints listed on the side of the model box was a new expierience for me; In short, I was distracted. The last time I tried to put together a model, was over a decade ago, and it was a Blue Angel. It crashed. I've also tried to construct this very model before, too, but without any forethought. Now, thanks to all the advice that's been given me by my parents and my many therapists during my illustrious career in hospitals, I'm ready to do this model right, slowly, and as accurately as possible. As a matter of fact, a certain plane (the model I'm making) and I have a history. I made it a point to go see it almost seven years ago (2002) a week before my first brain surgery. Woozy, nauseated, and on the verge of passing out, I made the trip, and took several pictures of the plane. Six and some-odd years later (2008), at an airshow, the exact same airplane shows up. I know I will fly her one day. I would love to fly. Oh by the way, the plane is the P-40B Flying Tiger No. 5.

Here it is in 2002



And again in 2008

Rockin' Robin

Hobbies. It seems like I have thousands of them. One of them I've tried to focus on is Ornithology, or the study of birds. Audubon pioneered the study and identification of birds, but, as much as I like to identify them by sight, I try to take it to the next level by identifying them by sound alone. I just have trouble remembering the songs, as I am often out on walks with my dog when I hear them. When that situation presents itself, I try to associate the song with a noise, sound or even words, so I can remember the notes of the sweet song that bird made. Often, this "listening" hobby of mine comes in handy when I can't see those little birds (approxamately 2-3 in) up in the trees. I have a birding program on my computer, that features 949 birds that reside in the U.S. and that program has filters wherein I can search for the bird I'm looking for. The really neat thing about this software, is that when you get to a certain bird's profile, among the other options,it has a program that can sing the bird's song, which is a real help to me. The filters only take away so many birds though, usually, I have to search anywhere between 60-70 species at a time, though I enjoy it. Repetition is the key for my memory loss. 86 birds is what I have on lifelist at this moment in time, thanks in part, to this program, and God, for granting me my ears.