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Randomness and History

First, some history of my new hometown. From the Burkburnett website:

"The Wild West was being tamed when in 1905 the President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, was the guest of Samuel Burnett at a wolf hunt in the "Big Pasture" area of what would later become the State of Oklahoma. Burnett was a flamboyant figure whose 6666 Ranch covered much of the North Texas - Southern Oklahoma area.

In 1905, part of the vast Burnett empire was sold to Frank Kell and J.A. Kemp of Wichita Falls who were building a railroad through Burnett's ranch to the "Big Pasture."

A town lot sale held by Kemp and Kell on June 6, 1907 marks the official beginning of the city which would later become world famous as the center of a gigantic oil boom. At the suggestions of Teddy Roosevelt, the town was named for his wolf hunt host, Burk Burnett.

The oil-crazy days were dramatized in story and song and later became the subject of the Clark Gable - Spencer Tracy movie, Boomtown."

They still pump oil around here. When gas prices are high, almost all the pump jacks are going. When prices are low, only one or two out of a dozen will be pumping. I've not quite figured out the logic there but nothing about oil prices makes sense I guess.

The thing I love most about here (besides the jets) is the fact that the Wichita Mountains near Lawton, OK are so close. Within 45 minutes I can be standing on Mt Scott. It's not the Smokey Mountains but it's good enough for me.

Totally random things... I was going to go to Iowa this weekend but they had more snow again. It's been an impossible winter to plan a trip there which has made seeing Christopher incredibly difficult. My next three day weekend isn't until Memorial Day now.

We start two weeks of night flying when I go back to work on Tuesday. Yay! There is nothing like afterburners in the dark.

I now have a blown out tire off a jet. Not exciting for most but for me it's like having a small piece of heaven.

I had my first cup of coffee ever two weeks ago. It was German double something something. I wasn't a huge fan so the German pilot who made it for me is going to make me another, only sweeten it up a lot. I told him dump Pepsi in the mug, call it coffee and I'd LOVE it.

I've got to take the Pepsi back out of the diet soon. It's added 20 pounds to me. Every day I say "I'm not getting a Pepsi today" and every day, I buckle and get the big bottle.

I said I was not going to get close to anyone here but that's falling by the wayside too. The people I work with are just too awesome to keep at bay. My coworkers mother passed away this past week and my heart ached for her yesterday as they laid her mom to rest. It made me realize that I am not going to be able to change the way I relate to and connect to people. I suppose in the big picture, that is a good thing but my heart will break lots as people graduate, retire, get reassigned and so on.

To stay here, it looks like I'm going to have to get a second job and I hope to do so as aircraft crew of some sort or maybe life support packing chutes.

I never watch SNL but caught the opening last night. Too funny!