[DeTomaso] What I've been doing this week....

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/31/11 8 29 6, tmshinro at aol.com writes:


> 
> Mike,
> When did you retire from the Air Force?  The reports of your service 
> exploits (and side trips) made for interesting reading, which is easy to say 
> when I'm half a world away from the realities of war.  Welcome to the world of 
> commercial enterprise.
> 

HAH!   I'm still in the Air Force Reserve.   In fact, my last actually day 
of actually flying an airplane for American Airlines was 6 Feb, 2003!   I've 
been flying the C-5 Galaxy for the reserves, doing the Afghanistan boogie 
etc. ever since, as my sole source of income.   Sometimes it's a full-time 
salaried gig, but most of the time it's part-time and I only get paid by the 
day.   So I have lots of freedom to travel etc., but very little income most 
of the time.   I only work just enought to make ends meet each month, and 
some months, not even that.   In August I didn't even make enough to pay my 
mortgage, but in July I worked quite hard, so that made up for it.

My job at AA is patiently waiting for me when the war ends.   AA hasn't 
paid me a dime since 2003, but the travel benefits are still there, 
thankfully....

It cracks me up when I hear that people think I'm some sort of trust fund 
baby because of my jet-setting lifestyle.   The reality is that I'm living a 
hand-to-mouth existence, by choice. :>)

When I do finally go back to work actively for AA, the travel fun will be 
largely over, because I will lose all freedom to travel when I want to.   No 
more Le Mans Classic tours, and even the POCA Fun Rally could prove 
problematic, because I'll be beholden to the company schedule, a wage slave once 
again.   I've been kicking that can down the road, year after year, both 
because there is a genuine need for me to keep flying for the military, and also 
because I'm so hopelessly addicted to my current lifestyle in between 
military trips.

Mike