Balloon Ride
Husband and I went on the Great Park Balloon Ride. It is free through 2007. I am glad that I took him kicking and screaming. J/K He just thought it was dumb.
I cannot see paying to do this activity. Others might, not I. But I barely see paying full price for a movie, so I leave judgment to others.
The ride was fun. Nothing fell and went splat. Husband is going to drag some co-workers to the Balloon Ride while it is free. We are doing our part to spread the word for our free ride.
But something happened and I was unprepared. While entering into the old El Toro Marine Corps Air Station I started to have chest pains. It hurt seeing my memories of a great base collide with the shattered windows, pealing paint, and unkempt roads I was seeing. It made me cry.
My Grandfather was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force (picture is of my Grandfather and Grandmother in WWII. He was a Lieutenant in the Army Air Corp at the time.) When I would visit him, we would go to the El Toro base. He would visit friends and stock up at the commissary. It was always great times for me.
He liked to tell me “I worked on one of the first computers in the basement in the Pentagon. You know what they were made with, vacuum tubes!”
I loved those stories. I do wish I paid more attention to them and asked more questions. I am quite sure Wikipedia doesn’t do the efforts justice.
While studying for my engineering degree he would talk to me about my studies. It was nice to have someone else to go to for my calculus questions. He got a kick out of being one of the only people able to help me.
But he never really had a chance to see me as a working engineer. He passed away only two months after I had my degree in hand.
After my grandfather passed away my father told me that my grandfather was so proud of me. That my grandfather felt that he was a great contributor to my decision to go into a technical discipline. He took pride in my accomplishments. I wish he told me.
Well I am proud to be his granddaughter. I never told him that either.
After my grandfather’s plot marker was unveiled. We all snickered when we read it. Why? He promoted himself from Lieutenant Colonel to full Colonel. He always said he should not have retired until he was Colonel. So he promoted himself in death. Who are we to contradict him?
So I learned to let those that I love so much know it NOW. Sometimes I get weird looks, but you know what? I will never have to worry that they didn’t know.
So I am telling YOU, that I appreciate you for reading
this and it is people like you that make life fun for me.
Happy Thanksgiving!
