The Mayans were Wrong

[Jay Honeck]

The end of time isn't in 2012 -- it's 2013.

I know this because my wife just sewed our 2010 EAA Oshkosh patch on my soft-sided Goldwing luggage (hey -- she's been busy!), upon which are displayed patches from the last 28 fly-ins.

She ceremoniously told me that there is "room for just two more patches" on my beloved bag. (I once drove an hour back to a motel, thinking I had left the bag there; It's one of my most prized possessions, after all these years.) This means that 2013 will be the last patch, and, thus, the end of time.

Hey -- it makes as much sense as believing that blood-thirsty cannibals were visited by aliens, and given the ability to see the future...

 

[steingar]

What kind of weak-kneed Goldwing has soft-sided cases? The ones on mine (built in and never left the Buckeye state) are hard.

 

[Jay Honeck]

What kind of weak-kneed Goldwing has soft-sided cases? The ones on mine (built in and never left the Buckeye state) are hard.

The Goldwing's luggage in 1986 were/was two-parts -- an interior soft bag, and an exterior hard shell.

I had that cycle for 22 years (gave it to my bro-in-law last year for putting up with my sister... ) -- but I kept the soft bags with all of our patches.

The other two bags (there were two for the saddlebags, and one for the trunk) are full of patches from all over the world. They are fun mementos of many great adventures, both on the cycle and in the plane.

 

[TMetzinger]

Clearly, Jay, in order to prevent TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It), you must transfer all your patches to another material. Perhaps make a flag?

I've got 13 on the back of a vest that I'm going to move. I also have a big magnetic sign with all the little champion bumper decals (or their images) on it, so I don't have to retain the bumpers when I sell a car.

AIFF (And I Feel Fine),

 

[Jay Honeck]

Clearly, Jay, in order to prevent TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It), you must transfer all your patches to another material. Perhaps make a flag?

I've got 13 on the back of a vest that I'm going to move. I also have a big magnetic sign with all the little champion bumper decals (or their images) on it, so I don't have to retain the bumpers when I sell a car.

AIFF (And I Feel Fine),

Yeah, I had all the little Champion stickers, too -- but they were (and, presumably, still are) affixed to the wall of our old hangar in Iowa City.

Alas, I didn't think the city would take kindly to my cutting that section of hangar out when we moved to Texas.

I've thought about moving the patches to a vest. I remember "back in the day" lots of old guys walking around OSH with bright yellow vests and jackets, with their Rockford and Oshkosh patches sewn on them. I always thought they looked kinda dorky, which is why we started putting them on my luggage, instead.

Now that *I* am one of the "old guys", Mary may have to make me a dorky-looking vest, too. Hmmm...I've got an old "Goldwing Road Riders" vest that would work great -- except it's already full of patches, dammit...

 

[write-stuff]

Man, I sure am relieved!! We get an extra year. Thanks! It's the next 15 years after that that have me worried...

 

[murphey]

BTW, saw a nice tidbit about Mary in this month's issue of EAA Sport Aviation.

 

[TMetzinger]

I've thought about moving the patches to a vest. I remember "back in the day" lots of old guys walking around OSH with bright yellow vests and jackets, with their Rockford and Oshkosh patches sewn on them. I always thought they looked kinda dorky, which is why we started putting them on my luggage, instead.

Now that *I* am one of the "old guys", Mary may have to make me a dorky-looking vest, too. Hmmm...I've got an old "Goldwing Road Riders" vest that would work great -- except it's already full of patches, dammit...

I also thought things I thought were "dorky" when I was younger. As I've gotten older and (hopefully wiser), I now realize that whenever I start to disparage something I see, I need to do a self-check for jealousy.

Don't get me wrong, some things ARE dorky, but I expect I may eventually sew all my OSH patches (with the volunteer ones in a place of prominence) onto a jacket I'll wear when teaching. Sort of like the picture on the Kershner book.

 

[Jay Honeck]

I also thought things I thought were "dorky" when I was younger. As I've gotten older and (hopefully wiser), I now realize that whenever I start to disparage something I see, I need to do a self-check for jealousy.

Don't get me wrong, some things ARE dorky, but I expect I may eventually sew all my OSH patches (with the volunteer ones in a place of prominence) onto a jacket I'll wear when teaching. Sort of like the picture on the Kershner book.

Oh, crap. What you're saying (and I am acknowledging) is that...we've become the dorks! Augh!

I remember my dad hitting this phase of life, and shaking my head in dismay. I may have even firmly stated that "This will never happen to me!"

Ah, youth.