Thank you Ellen DeGeneres! Thanks for bringing me face to face with my
favorite country music hunk Tim McGraw!
It was definitely a spontaneous meeting!
Tim McGraw was singing his new single on the "Today" show when Matt
Lauer announced Tim would be in Orlando the next day.
"Wait! What? Orlando? Why?" I wondered.
Winds up Ellen was taping three shows from Universal Orlando and Tim was
a musical guest.
The sound stage sat in front of the main set and anyone could get to it.
Ellen signs were everywhere but most people wandering around CityWalk
didn't know the guests lined up for the show that day.
So as I stood pressed against the barrier, baffled by my front row spot,
proudly sporting my cowboy hat, I hoped people wouldn't start to catch
on and toss me out of the way. With
thirty seconds left in the show, Tim was wrapping up his second song and
came down to the crowd.
I waved, cheered, gave a big thumbs up!
Exciting enough until I watched it all on the Ellen show!
Loops,
barrel rolls and hammerheads. Pilot Bryan Regan didn't hold back while
flying 2,500 feet above Brevard County at 160 miles per hour with me in
the front seat.
Call me the ace of aces, flying ace, the Red Baron! Call me crazy! But
there was no way I could pass up a chance to go flying with the Red
Baron Squadron. The group is famous for their aerobatics and
barnstorming. In the 1920s barnstormers were stunt pilots who could do
any trick imaginable. Today the pilots fly vintage aircraft called
Stearmans. You've got the right plane in mind. It's classic and rugged,
a two-seater used in World War II.
I sat in the front, Pilot Bryan (photo,center) in the back. To the right
was another Stearman with none other than dare devil and WESH
videographer Ben Smegelsky (photo,left)in the hot seat.
Ben not only went for the ride, but got it all on tape. To my left, one
more plane.
We took off in unison. Once we reached the correct speed and altitude,
it was time for some precision flying!
Loop - This maneuver is like a loop on a roller coaster. Fly straight
into a vertical climb. Flip onto the back of the plane. Fly straight
then level.
Barrel Roll - Same start as the loop. Then roll over. Think of a
horizontal corkscrew.
Hammerhead - This is my favorite! Fly straight on a horizontal line then
switch to a vertical line. Hold the vertical line. At the last second
pivot around the left wing. Dive vertically then pull the nose up. Think
of a cartwheel.
Two pairs of thermal pants
Two thermal shirts
Turtleneck
Ski pants
Heavy socks
Neck warmer
Ear headband
Snow gloves
Boots
Goggles
And one hand me down snow jacket with a hood
Finally I was packed and ready to go!
A trip to New Hampshire, snowboarding with former college roommates.
Saturday morning we were dressed and a shuttle ride away from hitting
the slopes. I was nervous the cold would be a shock to my system. 24
hours earlier, I left Florida and Tony's forecast of eighty degree
temps. But something about the clanking of ski boots, the clean crisp
mountain air and the sun reflecting on the slopes, makes you forget,
"It's cold out!"
We caught a great day. The sun was shining all morning. We knew a lesson
was a must. Two hours of dragging the board up the mountain, heel and
toe turns and wipe out after wipe out left us sweating. Gloves, goggles
and neck warmers off. Jackets open!
In the afternoon we took it to the next level and got serious. We named
our boards. Mine was "The Beast." Then there was "Lola" and "Annoying."
As the afternoon wound down, the sun went away. It became gray and
started to flurry. That's the point when you pull the neck warmer over
your nose and mouth, reach for the hood and zip the jacket all the way
up! On the last run of the day we knew that was it. "Oh if our
instructor could see us now!" We limped away sore, looking back and
wanting more. But at four p.m. when the chair lifts stops and the wind
starts up, the day is done.
And there's no forgetting..."It's cold out!"
With
thirty seconds left in the show, Tim was wrapping up his second song and
came down to the crowd.
