For Mark
For Mark,always loved and forever missed,for your beautiful music and love and time for everybody and how just to hear your voice could warm my heart.How truely blessed we are just to have known you.How the angels must be envious of your lovely voice.forever your friend.Boo xxxxxxxxxxxx
Birthday – final of the 30’s
So it’s that time again, Feb. 2nd.
Well I Talked to everyone today (I’m calling it today as technically it’s my evening). Mom, Dad, Doug – watched the Superbowl with Bro. Got home and went to sleep. So a pretty quiet one – but at least I didn’t wind up in jail.
But I had to post the best B-Day part I’ve ever had – Thanks to John 2 yh
Twas the Flight before Christmas
Well another year has passed, yet memories still remain.
The following was posted each and every year by my friend Mark. Each year he would alter it somewhat to reflect pilots that had come and gone. In keeping with tradition – I post it here. – Stuart a.k.a. Magnum_VF
‘Twas the Flight Before Christmas…
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house,
Not a pilot was stirring, not even Mag’s mouse;
All the 18’s were stored in the hanger with care,
In hopes that FA II soon would be there;
The pilots were restless at home in their beds,
While visions of FA II danced in their heads;
And JinkX in Old Maine, and I in PA,
Had just settled down for a long family stay,
When out on the tarmac there arose such a clatter,
Mag sprang from his bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window he flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen Snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to his wondering eyes should appear,
But Archer, and Executor, and Firefoxx he feared,
With these little old Pilots, so lively and quick,
Mag knew in a moment it must be some trick.
More rapid than Raptors his courses they came,
And Foxx whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
“Now BIGNAP! now MERLOCKE! now OPPPS! and GIGANTOR!
On THE_SWORD! on Q-TIPS! on SLASH! and ROADRUNNER!
To the pit of Mag’s Eagle, do we have the balls!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, they mount to the sky,
So up to angels ten their waypoints they flew,
With a plane full of beer, and Kuchinator too.
And then, in a twinkling, Mag heard on the roof
The swilling and jawing of each little goof.
As Mag drew in his hand, and was turning around,
The wheels of his Eagle were leaving the ground.
It was loaded with pilots, and painted bright red,
But the question on his mind, “Which way would they head?”
A bundle of six-packs were tied to each wing,
and some fifths of Vodka, among other things.
His hands how they tremored! His eyes were aflame!
What could they be up to? What excuse could they claim?
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the skin on his face was as white as the snow;
The rumble of tailpipes he felt in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He pondered, if maybe, it might be ol’ Basalisk,
who plotted and planned this all out with the Silverfox.
Then in came Rokaku, a right jolly old elf,
And laughed when he saw Mag, in spite of himself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon Magnum knew he had nothing to dread;
Rok spoke not a word, but led Mag to his truck,
Then did some wheelies through the snow and the muck,
He turned on the radar installed in the dash,
And giving a nod, said “We’ll be there in a flash;
When they pulled up at BearForce’s, the welcome was hearty,
See the pilots together had thrown Mag a party.
And Mag heard Foxx exclaim, with a voice full of cheer,
“WE JUST BORROWED YOUR EAGLE, TO HAUL ALL THE BEER!”
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good flight!
****Gen. Firefoxx_VF AKA Mark
In loving memory of Firefoxx_VF
Veterans day, 2008
On this day, Thank you Vet’s for your service. Thank you Dad, Thank you Uncle Neil, Thank you Doug, Thank you Uncle Harold, Thank you Uncle Junior, and the mass of relatives who have gone before me.
and now from President Bush.
Veterans Day, 2008
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America Read more
On this day
I’ve learned a lot over the past two years. Time has a funny way of making you cope. You may not always understand, not even two years on, you may just simply learn to be. Especially when be-ing is all there is to have had.
Two long years with so much that has happened. Oh for sure, there has been moments over the past couple of years that bring a sense of peace and calmness about me. But two very long years that I am sure are etched in my face.
In Memory Of Mark
For Our Guardian Angel
Your memory will eternally be etched in our hearts
for the love that you shared meant the world,
Your family, your friends will never forget
the happiness and joy you brought to us all.
I eagerly wait to see you online
in the hope that this had been a bad dream,
but deep inside i know your with god,
no pain, no fear just peace and happiness
looking down from above.
I remind myself there is
a never ending light, and that light will never
turn off in my heart for you. 
That way you can look down and always
see the shine, and its just for you
As an angel i know your there
for some moments i swear,
your standing right beside me
protecting me from the demons,
and heartaches that may appear.
Loving you was easy
letting you go is the hardest part,
But i know one sweet day we will be reunited
Above those great big clouds in the sky
And there i will wander over heaven with you.
Love you always your best friends
Written by my daughter Megan.
Enterprise
for many years, decades really – Star Trek has captured – not what is – but what could be. From the original Star Trek – the idea that people of varying races, genders could work together – shoulder to shoulder. Afterwards the thought of discovery in itself – and that no matter what the human race found ways to overcome against the odds.
Read more
One of those days
I know it has been forever since I wrote here. So much has happened since I left El Paso. And I really cannot say that much of it is good. I really do not mean to have the first post in awhile be one like this – but it is a day of saddness for me.
It’s 4am now, about an hour ago I decided to head to Wal-mart. Nothing in particular just to pick up a few things – picture hanging stuff mostly. Nobody on the roads of course – and I find myself reflecting in times like this. Today’s thoughts turned to my Uncle, and the profound saddness that I have over him being gone from my life.
There are so many things I just do not quite get in this world, and death is one I think I will never understand.
Football
Okay Sports Fans. I know that it has been oh something like 3 months, 1 week, 1 day and about 15 hours since the 2007/2008 Football season drew to a close. But we have already had the 2008 NFL Draft for crying out loud. the mandatory training camps are underway, the rule changes have been set. it’s time for the 2008 NFL Season to start already!
Sigh. Guess I have to wait 3 months, 24 days until the start (Giants vs Redskins). and a mere 10,281,600 seconds until the Patriots play!
The Gift Of Friendship.
Thank you Stuart for the honour of writing Januarys Blog.
I’ve learned once again how you can’t take life for granted. How you doubt yourself, question whether you showed someone how much you cared and all the if only id said this, and told them that, did they know truely how much they meant to you and then there’s the if only they had not been there at that exact time, if only they had left 5 minutes later. These are all the thoughts that tear you apart when you lose a loved one, and then when there is a great distance between you both it makes it so much harder again.
I have made many friends over years on the internet, many have come and gone for what ever reason, some simply for a need in you or them or a season as often is said. If your really lucky like I was a special few will stay and enrich your life, so much so that when something happens and you lose them forever, a big part of you is lost and you know it will never be the same again. All those special times and moments and all the while never a thought to the fact there may never be a next time. Could you have said more, given more of yourself ? It’s a question that we may never be able to answer.
So for me, this was a wonderful close friendship from the other side of the world but none the less, as true and committed as if he was living next door. There are people who ask, how can someone you’ve never met and so far away have such an effect on your life. Time and space mean nothing when hearts are touched and minds connect, and the fact that they are that distance seems to throw inhibitions away, in my opinion you give much more of yourself, so maybe, they have just not taken the chance or have yet to discover the power of the internet or maybe just the power of real friendship. The internet has created millions of friendships worldwide that were never possible before.
I know I’m saying nothing that hasn’t been said before but for me losing one of these precious friends, has made me stop and take stock of my life and what’s really important, and how all to often we just take it for granted. So when a stranger says hello be it on the street or in a chat room or maybe that neighbour you didnt like the look of,take the chance and who knows what may happen,you may be pleasantly surprised. Life is about taking chances because yes you only live once and given the chance could you honestly say you lived it to its full potential or would you say,well i could have done a lot more,why didnt i.
Quote ‘Nothing lasts forever so live it up, Drink it down, laugh it off, avoid the bullshit take the chances, and never have regrets because at one point everything you did was exactly what you wanted’ Author unknown.
“Those we love don’t go away,
They walk beside us every day”.
Thank you Mark for enriching my life so.