Good evening. For those of you whom I have forgotten to introduce myself to, I am Brian, brother of Shawn, and best man (and not, as you might think, the official photographer). I’d like to thank our parents Bill & Susie and Leah’s parent’s Wink and Dorthea for making this weekend possible, for shepherding into this world two really great people.

In college I majored in history and as a result I am always trying to draw connections between past and present. When Shawn and Leah chose April 25th for their wedding I decided to try and find an event that might tie into their day tomorrow and maybe even serve as a metaphor for their new life that begins together.

After setting aside various bits of military trivia such as the 1862 capture of New Orleans by David “Damn the torpedoes” Farragut, or the declaration of war on Spain made by the US Congress in 1898, or the impending fall of Saigon in 1975, I found an interesting footnote, and it read: “1990, the Hubble Telescope is deployed into orbit from the Space Shuttle Discovery.”

Just in case you need a reminder (looking at Shawn), the Hubble is the first major optical telescope to be placed in space. Its unobstructed view of the universe has allowed scientists to observe not only the planets in our solar system, but the most distant stars and galaxies. It had the most precisely ground mirrors ever created by man and its launching 19 years ago marks the most significant advance in astronomy since Galileo’s telescope. Our view of the universe and our place within it has never been the same.

Now, I knew I was on to something with the whole Hubble/Marriage thing, but I wasn’t 100% sure how to proceed, so I did what anyone would do in this situation, I turned to Twitter.

In less than 140 characters I typed: “The Hubble Telescope as a metaphor for marriage. Discuss.” I clicked update and flung my request into the ether.

A near immediate reply appeared on my screen:

“Too easy! Initial perfection of mirrors, need for unexpected adjustments, revelation of cosmic beauty.”

And so I say to Shawn and Leah… I hope that tomorrow is the start of a journey that, while requiring a few minor adjustments from time to time, is one that leads to a beautiful life together.

Cheers!

It was funny. Really funny.  Hanks and Hoffman and Adams give great performances. I’ve never been a huge Julia Roberts fan, but she did alright too.  Sorkin wrote the screenplay and in some ways the movie was like a really good season 2 WW episode, with only a long walk and talk missing (and of course with one scene in particular – I’m thinking of an office scene with two conversations going on at once – you get the next best thing to a walk and talk and with a fun pay off at the end).  Sorkin can bring the funny.

So go see it, and if you can, might I suggest catching a 9 o’clock showing on Hilton Head?  You’ll just about have the theater to yourself.  I don’t know if only 10 people came to the opening night showing because it’s December on Hilton Head Island (which means no one is here) or because the people who are here like to watch a lot of matinées (the better to catch the early bird dinner specials).  Or maybe this movie is going to tank at the box office because no one has quite figured out how to sell a semi-feel good, comedic, political movie that comes complete with a happy ending.  Of course, the ending is happy only so long as you forget that an argument could be made that the actions of the movie’s protagonists directly resulted in a little event known as 9/11.  Which is a bit heavy.

But the movie is funny.  Really funny.  It is laugh out loud funny. And you should go see it.

No f’in way, originally uploaded by outdoor_type.

A few thoughts while I wait at the gate from today’s travels…

Airport Efficiency

This is the busiest travel day of the year, but you wouldn’t know it from visiting Washington Dulles International Airport.

I’ve flown out of here three times in the past 6 weeks or so and by far Veterans Day was the worst in terms of traffic, full lots, and long, long, lines at security.

Thanksgiving? Cakewalk. Today? Ditto. There was no line at the ticket counter, no live for the various security check points. In fact, this kind of caused a problem because unless you’ve got your act totally together and have nothing in your pockets before even entering the line you end up having to stop at the x-ray machine and stuff your bag full of your pocket’s contents. Normally you’ve got plenty of time to do this while shuffling along with hundreds of your newest, closest friends, kick pushing your carry-ons across the floor. Anyways, I’m not complaining. I just could have waited someplace else instead of here at the Z10 gate which is lacking in its amenities is all I’m saying. There, I guess I am complaining, but only a little. Things are too good is my problem.

Designed for Small Compartments

A US Air guy just walked up and put this ticket on my camera bag. No way am I checking it, even at the gate. Update: this is becoming a fun game… I took off the original tag. 20 minutes later he walked by and attached another tag! (which I promptly removed. again)

The bag is designed for small planes:

Airport Antidote
Legal carry on backpack fits all international carry on requirements, and fits into the overhead of very small planes.

After the jump, The Carry-On Conclusion, A One Wheeled Landing, and… Detained by TSA!

The Carry-On Conclusion…

So guess what? The gate agent didn’t know what he was talking about and the ThinkTank claims proved true. Not only did my bag fit nicely in the overhead compartment of the CRJ, it also fit (minus the laptop sleeve) in the overhead of the Dash 8. And because I got to board Zone 1 for the second flight I was able to be “that guy.” You know, the guy who boards early and who puts BOTH bags in the overhead. Yeah, that was me today.

Ok, as much as I’d love to end this with the bravado of the guy who doesn’t care if his fellow passengers have room for their bags, I was actually feeling a little guilty about things until I realised the flight was only half sold. I kept waiting for more people to board, ready at a moment’s notice to jump up and pull the smaller bag out of the bin, but it wasn’t long before the door was shut and nearly everyone on the plane had two seats to themselves.

Air travel can be so nice when the delays are minimal and you’ve got room to stretch your legs. Maybe I should amend this to say that air travel can be so nice when you’ve got minimal delays, room to stretch your legs, and a pilot who can put both of the rear wheels on the tarmac at the same time…

20 knot Winds = Exciting Landing

On bigger planes you don’t often feel the effects of wind pushing the tail end around, but today, today we got to experience a little bit of that.

On our final approach we were informed by the flight deck crew that a 20 knot wind was blowing at HHH and we should make sure our seat belts were securely fastened low across our laps. The ride was in fact bumpy with the plane jostling about the sky. Things became bumpier still as we made a one wheel (the left rear) landing. My seat on the right side of the plane was directly across from the right rear landing gear and I watched as we hop skipped across the runway… down and then up and then down and up and then finally both rear wheels were on the ground and then, after a slightly longer than normal wheelie, the nose slammed down too. Safe! And exciting.

Detained by TSA or HHH is a Really Small Airport

How small is it? It’s so small that the TSA folks who inspect your bags, are also the same folks who operate the metal detectors, are also the same folks who open and close the metal gates that let you in and out of the terminal (gates like you see at a locked shop at the mall after hours). So after our exciting landing, and one of the shortest taxis you’ll ever find at a commercial airport, we entered the terminal only to discover the metal gates were closed because the TSA guy hadn’t realised the only plane landing had landed. Oops. Again, that my longest delay of the entire day was caused at my destination after deplaning… I should be so lucky (or in the words of S. Vowell, it could be worse). While everyone queued up at the gate and began to fidget I sat down, relaxed, and just went with it. Welcome to the island where everything moves just a little bit slower. Ok by me.

*unless you’re off to someplace much, much colder where snow is measured in cm.

Where I’m Going

Yes, there is some rain. And some cloudiness.  And it is all subject to change, but ~20 degrees warmer in December is not too bad. Oh and tomorrow, on the shortest daylight day of the year?… 33 minutes more daylight at Hilton Head!

A showing of limited edition, fine art prints created from digital photographs.

From the “shot heard round the world” at the Old North Bridge to the “miracle bullet” of Dealey Plaza please join us in viewing twenty-two new photographs that explore several historical landmarks from a unique perspective that sets aside events of the past in an attempt to find a certain quietude in the details that remain.

Opening Reception:
Saturday, December 8
7pm – 11pm

RSVP with the Official Evite!

Closing Reception:
Sunday, January 5
Afternoon

Other times available by appointment only. Contact to arrange a viewing.

The Huckleberry Inn is located in historic downtown Herndon, Va.

630 Oak Street
Herndon, VA 20170

(Plenty of FREE parking at the Municipal Lot. Just a three minute walk to the Inn)

View Official Website with Artist Statement.

Cancelled + Diverted = 1st class upgrade, originally uploaded by outdoor_type.

I was supposed to fly out of hilton head this morning at 550am but there was much fog, an impediment to take off and landing. Also there was no airplane, an even bigger impediment to manned powered flight. The ticket agent was good though and gave me an option to catch a slightly later flight out of Savannah. Good news for me.

This, however, was bad news for my sleepy parents who’d been looking forward to a quick return to dreamland but now faced a two hour round trip drive to SAV (the Hilton Head airport is a quick 7 min drive from there house). (Thanks again Mom & Dad).

So we drove through the fog and made it the airport on time. I checked the bag at the curb and skipped the long line inside as well as paying the $50 fee for an overweight bag (mine was like 2 pounds over). The security line was a snap… Just like last week it was almost too efficiently fast. I hate to complain about the TSA line moving too fast but we got waived through so quickly that on the other side it became a jumble of bodies and bags.

Anyways, the rest of the morning was relatively uneventful. The first flight had me on the aisle in an exit row (extra leg room) and the second flight had me in the above mentioned first class. The second plane though was a CRJ and so first class was only three seats across (seat, aisle, two seats). I was in the single seat row which meant I had both a window and aisle… best of both worlds! Plus, you get a drink before take off which was nice, but they didn’t do the warm towel thing, which was missed. Or maybe I slept through the warm towel part.

When we finally landed at Dulles (after what seemed like a fair amount of circling the airport) I was able to be one of the first off the plane, which meant I could be first on the people mover (I love the people movers), and somehow my bag was one of the first onto the baggage carousel.

Then I had to wait an eternity for the Purple Lot shuttle, but eventually one arrived and just shy of an hour after landing I was on my way to the office. Good times.

Self-Portrait (/alt. camera), originally uploaded by outdoor_type.

Needing a break from the many, many games of college football playing on the television today I escaped from the house and headed over to Pine Island, a recreational area that faces Port Royal Sound.

It was about an hour before sunset when I arrived and a low ceiling of clouds created a premature dusky light. Wind whipped whitecaps pushed against the beach and overhead the trees rustled and creaked. I climbed out across the large rocks dropped to hold the land in place and first photographed a gnarly tree that won’t last many more storms. The beach was mostly deserted and the only sound came from the wind and the waves.

Dressed in jeans and a sweater I stayed mostly warm but my exposed hands were quickly chilled, the heavy metal cameras efficiently conducted my body heat away into the air. This was not ideal photography weather, and yet, it was not raining, and there was still some usable light to mess around with, and the sights and sounds of the tv games were not yet erased from my brain, so I stayed.

The results of my little expedition can be seen on Flickr (including the shot above in which I pointed two cameras at each other and then set off the self-timers creating a sort of silly meta shot). I should mention this idea of turning the cameras on themselves is not original and would not have appeared if not for Heather’s suggestion.

My Current View, originally uploaded by outdoor_type.

Today is a great day to sit in the Carolina room messing about on the computer, watching the golfers tee off, and drifting in and out of consciousness. I’m not going shopping because I’d have to lug it back on the airplane.

In the news today is a piece about the passing of Herbert Saffir. In 1969, Saffir created a scale describing the kind of damage that could be expected from an approaching hurricane. In the 70s National Hurricane Center director Robert H. Simpson added storm surge info to the scale and it was renamed the Saffir-Simpson Scale.

Also in the news is an article about Scott McClellan’s new book. It describes how McClellan’s book is unusual in the sense that most Press Secretaries tend to write their books after their President is out of office. The article gets a little silly though when it says:

Others waited even longer. President Kennedy’s press secretary, Pierre Salinger, wrote several books about the administration but only after the president’s death.

Um, when President Kennedy “died” he was in office.

And now it might be time for a nap.

Main Gear Touchdown, originally uploaded by outdoor_type.

My final approach today was at least 7 times less steep and 20 times slower than the space shuttle. Sigh.

Soon to be me, originally uploaded by outdoor_type.

2007/11/21 11:33 :: Periodic updates as time and batteries and network connections allow…

IAD = ghost town?, originally uploaded by outdoor_type.

2007/11/21 11:59 :: Wtf? It took exactly ZERO minutes to get through security (ok, I’m exaggerating, but only a little. It took maybe two minute top). Also there was no wait to check my bag with US Air. The economy lots are filling up, but unlike over Veterans Day weekend there are people at every intersection waving flags and directing traffic and there were several buses waiting at the Purple Lot stop #8.

I am now sitting at the gate using one of the only nice features of my phone… its ability to hook up my laptop to the web via bluetooth.

In case of a water “landing”, originally uploaded by outdoor_type.

2007/11/21 13:38 :: In case the plane should hit the water at 500 knots, use bottom cushion for flotation.

Window seat?, originally uploaded by outdoor_type.

2007/11/21 13:47 :: Not the best window seat I’ve ever had what with it being directly behind my right shoulder and instead, where a window might normally be located, there is a pillar.

Meanwhile, we sit at the gate while the crew deals with several issues with passengers… First issue being two middle eastern looking guys who the crew seem to have a problem with (i think maybe dealing with an exit row and their ability to speak English, only one of the guys is speaking English and from his condescending reply to the flight attendant I’d wager he feels as if he is being profiled – and he probably is). Second issue was the girl who boarded with someone else’s ticket (issued to her by mistake while transferring from united to usair). She was supposed to be on a later flight and the gate attendants were confused. Compounding all this is the woman across the aisle from me who sat in the wrong seat setting off a chain reaction of musical chairs.

Hopefully we’ll be wheels up shortly!

UPDATE: The flight was smooth but the crew was clearly feeling some holiday stress. I can’t help but think the negative vibes they were casting played a role in our delayed departure. They were much more on edge than anyone else I encountered (including the crew on my next flight – Heather, btw, was the only crew member in the cabin and was extra nice and had a smile for everyone).

My barns from above, originally uploaded by outdoor_type.

2007/11/21 14:29 :: Finally in the air! We took off from Dulles flying approximately due south. Being on the left side of the plane allowed me to snap a shot of Manassas Battlefield where I have taken so many photos recently. The gray line stretching from the south east corner and heading north west is Interstate 66. The battlefield is the green patch sort of in the middle of the photo.

New plane!, originally uploaded by outdoor_type.

2007/11/21 15:52 :: Now with propellers!

Dash 8~100… Next stop HHH.

This plane seemed older than most, but it worked, and that’s all that matters.

3/4 full over HHH, originally uploaded by outdoor_type.

2007/11/21 17:22 :: You can’t see it, but the moon looks amazing tonight.

Today turned out to be a good one to fly, but I’m still on the fence about driving vs. flying.  On a good day the drive from DC to Hilton Head is 8 – 9 hours. But you never know… One Thanksgiving I drove down and got stuck in a miles long backup around Fayetteville caused not by accident or weather but a TV news crew parked in the median, sat antenna extended, and camera lights blazing. The idea I’m sure was to report on the terrible traffic, but of course the traffic was flowing fine until the cameras arrived.

The point of my story I suppose is that in the end the decision to fly or drive is a crapshoot with far too many variables out of your control. And so I lucked out today.  Talk to me Monday afternoon after I fly home along with the rest of America.