Grounded

I wish I had some exciting tales of flying or learning for you this week. Alas with my first encounter with a Tropical Storm (Fay) and potential hurricane, classes have been canceled. On Sunday night all students received an email from our fearless leader stating classes would be “go” for Monday, however, DCA will be closed on Tuesday and resume as normal on Wednesday. As the week progressed, every night a new email would come from our (not so fearless anymore) leader stating more closures. Today, Thursday, we got the big one. DCA will remain closed until Monday. Now most of you are probably thinking; “That’s not so bad, that’s just Friday. Classes CAN be opened up on the weekend if conditions are right.” In fact, there are discussions about soon going back to a Monday through Saturday schedule. Currently, we attend class 3 hours a day. This will change to more full time as we progress. So now I’ve missed out on 15 hours of class. I know these will be made up somehow, whether it be an extra hour in class each day or some other way. I recall as a child growing up in Southern California praying for snow days like those lucky kids from snow encrusted states such as Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, and New York to name a few. Now I'm upset that I can’t go to class because this is something that I actually WANT to do!

On Monday, as we trudged into class and sat, our instructor came in and took us to various internet sites showing us how to read the maps from the weather services. One of my classmates announced he would be going surfing at Cocoa Beach before the real storm hits. I just hope he’s not THIS idiot.

When I got home I started collecting information from friends who are veterans of Tropical Storms and Hurricanes to know what to do. I figured I would get better information from friends than I would googling the subject. I received a ton of information. Everything from buy a radio, to fill the bathtub with water, to topping off the gas tank every chance I got. So my next trip was to Radio Shack. Rule number one when going into Radio Shack. Never go in and say... "This is my First hurricane.... What do I need?" For a brief moment I think I actually saw dollar signs flash in the salesman’s eyes. We first walked straight over to the radios. I don’t think I’ve seen so many different kinds. All of them had the emergency channels broadcast by NOAA. The differences were that some could alert you for your area only or for everywhere. Some had hand cranks, therefore, not needing a constant supply of batteries. Some even had flashlights built into them. Some had regular radio but you couldn’t have it interrupted by the warnings. I opted for a plug in type with battery backup that would only alert me for Seminole and surrounding counties. As the salesman said, "This model won’t wake you up if there’s a warning or watch in Miami or Orlando." Sounds good to me! When it comes to flashlights, I think I'm set. I already own an Inova X5 and two Mag lights from my camping days in Oregon. Batteries were of course something else I had to stock up on. Let’s just say that the salesman made his quota. After stocking up on food, I headed home to set up the radio and get ready.

Some friends have called me during the wait to ask how I’m doing through my first Trop Storm. To be honest, it’s rather anticlimactic. All you do is wait... and wait... and wait. Nothing happened Tuesday... or Wednesday. Now I'm pumped and ready for this storm but pissed because I'm missing classes for nothing. I'm about to go outside and do my best impression of Lt. Dan in Forrest Gump at the top of the shrimp boat mast during a hurricane. "IS THAT ALL YOU GOT? BRING IT ON." I think I’ve decided I prefer earthquakes because at least those surprise you. You see hurricanes coming from hundreds of miles away! And as one friend put it, "hurricanes come in a season", so the newest acronym Ive learned is BOHICA. (I'll let you look that one up)

When one doesn’t have cable tv (yet) you start to ask yourself interesting questions such as:
1. Does the mail carrier really deliver in rain, sleet and snow? Does that include a hurricane or Trop Storm?
2. Will Pizza Hut deliver?
3. This wasn’t in the Delta Connection Academy Brochure... was it?

As I sit here at home and look out the window, I'm seeing cars driving by as if nothing is going on. Here I am starting to get cabin fever and everyone else is going about their day. I’ve made some calls to friends on the West Coast and when I tell them I want to go somewhere to get out of the house they say I'm " nuts... what are you -crazy? Stay inside!" Guys... really...the poles holding up the electric and phone cables may be swaying and I may be getting tornado and flash flood warnings on my NOAA radio... but it’s not that bad.

On that note... I'm going to go out... get some fresh air... and get some wings. (BUFFALO WINGS... sheesh can no one take a joke?)

One more piece of exciting news! A little while back when I was still with Zero Gravity, I had the opportunity to work with The MythBusters on busting some NASA myths. Did we really go to the moon? Here is a link to the tv spot now running on Discovery Channel. Please check your local listings for exact time. Heres the ad. You can see me around 1:04 through around 1:07 DONT BLINK!!