The Quirky side of EAA
Thursday, July 30, 2009
As I write this morning, a light rain is falling and things are quiet around the show. We've had a couple nearly perfect days so a little rain won't dampen spirits too much.
We're having more fun than we expected at AirVenture 2009. There's a real sense of fun that's evident with almost everyone you meet. Sometimes that fun runs more toward the quirky -- I thought I'd pass along a few examples.
We were driving around the grounds last night with our son Justin and his bride Kaytlyn. We wanted them to experience some of the ambiance of the showgrounds after hours. As we were driving down this one road, a sofa suddenly pulled into traffic ahead of our car. That's right -- a sofa. There were three guys sitting on it just as if they were at home watching TV -- seemingly unconcerned and nonchalant to the fact that they're riding on a sofa in busy traffic. It was, somehow, running down the road sideways, lengthwise, on hidden wheels, under some kind of power, and being controlled, steered, by some invisible means. Equally amazing was the crowd of nearby pedestrians that reacted as if there's nothing that unusual about a sofa going down the road... like this happens all the time.
After yesterday's airshow, the group of us -- Jan, Dave, Rudy, Dar & I -- stopped off at Chuck Swain's "Beer Church" in the campground near one of the main gates. Chuck is from our hometown of Beaver Dam and has been an aviation enthusiast for his entire life. He operates this facility as a public service -- an aid station for those airshow attendees who have maybe been out in the sun too long... for those running low on electrolytes and in need of energy in order to make the long walk back to the camper. The centerpiece of the aid station is a genuine casket that's been converted into a cooler filled with the most amazing selection of beer. He like to point out that his oasis has both medical doctors and morticians nearby -- so you're covered regardless of the outcome. Are we having fun yet?
My last example of quirky is this: (click on picture)
Thom
As I write this morning, a light rain is falling and things are quiet around the show. We've had a couple nearly perfect days so a little rain won't dampen spirits too much.
We're having more fun than we expected at AirVenture 2009. There's a real sense of fun that's evident with almost everyone you meet. Sometimes that fun runs more toward the quirky -- I thought I'd pass along a few examples.
We were driving around the grounds last night with our son Justin and his bride Kaytlyn. We wanted them to experience some of the ambiance of the showgrounds after hours. As we were driving down this one road, a sofa suddenly pulled into traffic ahead of our car. That's right -- a sofa. There were three guys sitting on it just as if they were at home watching TV -- seemingly unconcerned and nonchalant to the fact that they're riding on a sofa in busy traffic. It was, somehow, running down the road sideways, lengthwise, on hidden wheels, under some kind of power, and being controlled, steered, by some invisible means. Equally amazing was the crowd of nearby pedestrians that reacted as if there's nothing that unusual about a sofa going down the road... like this happens all the time.
After yesterday's airshow, the group of us -- Jan, Dave, Rudy, Dar & I -- stopped off at Chuck Swain's "Beer Church" in the campground near one of the main gates. Chuck is from our hometown of Beaver Dam and has been an aviation enthusiast for his entire life. He operates this facility as a public service -- an aid station for those airshow attendees who have maybe been out in the sun too long... for those running low on electrolytes and in need of energy in order to make the long walk back to the camper. The centerpiece of the aid station is a genuine casket that's been converted into a cooler filled with the most amazing selection of beer. He like to point out that his oasis has both medical doctors and morticians nearby -- so you're covered regardless of the outcome. Are we having fun yet?
My last example of quirky is this: (click on picture)
Thom
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