Sunday, February 18, 2018
Saturday, May 3, 2008
10K Bull Canyon Run 2008 - Santa Maria, CA

Saturday, April 26, 2008
Crazy time at the beach...
We spent the morning at the beach, and although it was a bit windy, we made the best of it. The kids wanted to play tag so we ended up running around like escapees from a mad house and playing in the sand. It was a crazy fun time. By Grayson's facial expressions on this .avi file, you can certainly tell that we made his day.
Friday, April 18, 2008
"Christ the Lord, The Road to Cana," by Anne Rice
Grayson's first 5K Run
Our results, 37 min 49 sec!!!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
"Christ the Lord, Out of Egypt" by Anne Rice

Monday, April 7, 2008
"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" by Harriet Jacobs

Although this Harriet Jacobs work wasn't one of my favorites, I did appreciate learning about the horrors of bondage. Let the darkest chapter in American history be closed forever, and never to be repeated.
Harriet Jacobs wrote under the name of Linda Brent. Linda Brent suffers the death of her benevolent mistress and falls in the hands of Dr. Flint (a sexual predator). She describes the consequences of slave insurrection. She mothers two children (Ellen & Benjamin) with Mr. Sands (a white, yet kinder man), but they become Dr. Flint's property since children assume the mother's status (free vs. captive).
Linda Brent endures unimaginable suffering at the hands of her master. She escapes and is hidden in her grandmother's house (dungeon) for seven years. She faces new perils in the North as she attempts to purchase her freedom and reunite with her children, etc...
It's a good read, but pick up the paperback copy.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
"Witch of Portobello" by Paulo Coelho
To learn more, and to see if you might want to add this book to your wish list, listen to the author himself by clicking on the following June 09, 2007 NPR Interview.

Thursday, March 27, 2008
Feedback for Peers Part II
JSTARS Pilot--I withdraw my initial DG vote for him becasue: 1. He is a micro-manager that holds everyone to "his" standards which may or may not be the best. 2. His loud praise of others in front of the team seems very insincere especially when it comes in Maj Z's presence. He seems disingenuous in his overly supportive tone. 3. I am a people-person, and have learned about him, his wife's profession, his daughter's name, his past AF struggles, etc., but he has spent zero time learning about things that are important to me, even when I've opened the door. On to the positive: 1. He can always be trusted to do the right thing. I believe that his integrity is uncompromising. 2. He is highly ambitious, and I see a bright future for him as a leader in the AF. 3. He is very dependable and caring. He is an asset to the AF
C-17/Global Hawk Pilot--He is extremely intelligent and a critical thinker. He has earned my respect. His non-verbals aren't as noticeable, and I believe he has grown from a group member to a team member. He's still a smart-@ most times, but I think that he'll get better with age. He can sometimes be an @ because he speaks (whispers) before thinking about how his message will be received (hurtful to others). He might not care. Anyway, it bears mentioning that he was undefeated in "ALL" his Project X tasks. That isn't a coincidence. He is a great problem-solver, and I loudly acknowledge his strengths. He has grown on me, and I would gladly go to war with him. Despite being highly critical sometimes, he is one of two flight peers that I could enthusiastically follow. He will make a great leader in the AF. He needs to enhance his soft skills, but he truly has my DG vote!!!
Comm Officer--He is the peer that I can most relate to and admire. He's a no nonsense, let's get to business, accomplish the mission, kinda guy. He's ambitious and an achiever. He sets out to accomplish something, sees things through, and attains his goals both personally and professionally. He doesn't tolerate those who don't pull their own weight and holds himself as well as others accountable. He is a quick study when it comes to people. His soft skills are stellar, and they'll serve him well as he rises through the AF ranks. He is dependable, caring, intelligent, and selfless. He truly exercises sound judgment, and I have no doubt that He will be successfull both in the Air Force and in his civilian life thereafter. He is one of two flight peers that I could enthusiastically follow. I would like to have seen him take on more responsibilities in the flight, but he has my DG vote "hands down!"
JAG Officer--I'd like to know his IQ only to confirm what I already know, it's HIGH. My proverbial father once told me something like this, "A man's wisdom alone guarantees nothing. A man's labor alone will bring him success. But a man who combines wisdom and labor can achieve limitless things." Make sure that you're doing both.
HC-130 Pilot--He isn't the most motivated person in the world unless golf is involved. He is however very intelligent, trustworthy, exersises sound judgment, and a great member of our team. I see great things in his future whether he decides to stay in the AF or goes to work for FedEx.
Acquisition Officer--High energy, dependable, caring, willing to assist, likeable, easy-going, easy to talk to, a friend.
Intel Officer--Smart, dependable, eager to assist, caring, trustworthy, warm.
EWO Officer AC-130 Gunship--AEF warrior, shared experiences and knowledge with flight. Andy sometimes has a hard time deciphering when someone is joking or being serious. He otherwise has a great sense of humor and is great team player. He's a great officer that exercises good judgment. It's been a pleasure getting to know him.
Personnelist--Highly spirited and engergetic. Her enthusiasm is contagious. She is witty and lights up the room. I've very much enjoyed my interactions with her. She has a promising career in the AF, and I expect to hear great things from her in the future.
Flight Nurse--Witty, endearing, warm, friendly, sagacious. She is an asset to the AF. She possesses a wealth of knowledge and experience and is a helluva officer. I'm proud to serve with her.
Reserve Pilot C-130--Peacemaker…You couldn't find a modicum of friction between him and any other flight members, even if you tried. He is FAO-ready and has diplomat potential. He is gregarious and posesses a high degree of decorum. He is truly an asset to the AF and his reserve unit.
Mx Officer--If the baby is ugly, He will call it ugly. He has the necessary people skills to be a great FGO and above. He has a great sense of humor and knows how to lead. I expect to hear great things from him in the future. He exercises sound judgment and is well-liked.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Lebanese Officer
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Brian Kinney Encounter
Brian Kinney is an Air Force Personnel Officer at AFIT (Wright-Patterson AFB). He and I spent some time in Alabama in 2003 at Air & Space Basic Course. It was sometime during those several weeks together that I gave a financial planning brief to my classmates. It turns out that those few hours spent explaining the different investment options manifested themselves in Brian taking charge of his financial future. To my pleasant surprise, five years later, Brian is about to graduate with a Masters degree in Financial Planning, and he thanked me for inspiring him.

Well, this is a feel-good message because the encounter helped me re-prioritize. You see, life isn't about how expensive your house is or how fast your car drives. Life isn't about having the biggest toys or slaving for the next promotion. Who cares if you live in a trailer or have a townhouse in NYC's Upper East Side? Caviar or grits, opera or Kid Rock? Life is truly about how people will remember you and how you may have influenced their lives. The latter holds true, especially so, for those that you most love. The encounter with Brian allowed me to refocus on the important things that I sometimes lose sight of: being a good friend, a good husband, a good father. Brian Kinney, good luck! And it is I who should be thanking you.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Buffalo Wild Wings


Thursday, March 6, 2008
Feedback for Peers Part I
Missilier--I am unable to fully evaluate attributes with limited time of acquaintance. He is a thoughtful and caring peer. He is willing to assist others and share his experiences in a way that fosters team-building.
JSTARS Pilot--He is kind and sensitive to others. He is caring and enjoys helping others. He is always seeking to improve a process and can be counted on to always do the right thing. He is intelligent and well organized. Consider for DG!
C-17/Global Hawk Pilot--He is an excellent critical thinker and great problem-solver. However, his criticism of others through his non-verbals is obvious and undesired. Also, his whispered breaths of disdain can be alienating. By accepting people, regardless of strengths and weaknesses he could successfully inspire trust. He is very athletic and a go-to guy for Project-X events.
Comm Officer--He is a great officer! He's an active listener and genuinely cares about people. I trust him to make the right decision. Although quiet, he is selfless and inspires trust. He is a peacemaker and dependable, a great team member and leader. Consider for DG if eligible.
JAG Officer--He is a great officer. He is perhaps a little too confident in his skills, but hey, he's a lawyer. He does inspire trust despite his profession. He is caring and looks out for others. He seems intelligent and demonstrates a willingess to assist others. I'm glad to have him on our team.
HC-130 Pilot--He is a good officer. We have learned a lot about his experiences. He is quiet, but a critical thinker. He solves problems easily and is able to lead.
Acquisitions Officer--He is clever and a great team-builder. He encourages others and raises their chin. He has great people-skills and is liked by everyone. Sometimes you have to repeat a task for him to fully grasp the undertaking, but once he has it, he executes efficiently. I would like to see him more actively learn about people so he can better assess their strengths and weaknesses.
Intel Officer--He is a very caring person. He is dependable and thoughtful. He is always willing to help others. He seems to be an Exemplary Follower, but I would like to see him step up more as a leader.
AC-130 EWO Officer--He tries to think a little too much outside the box instead of sticking to the ROE on tasks. An attempt to cut corners sometimes wastes precious time. His leadership style gives birth to creative input from other flight members, and he is always willing to assist others. It is very easy to make friends with him, but he must be careful that he doesn't lose the respect of others by the time that it's his turn to lead. He could face challenges. AS has high energy and takes charge in tackling tasks.
Personnelist--Her spirit is contagious. She's always smiling and seems to genuinely care about flight members, her profession, and the Air Force. She makes good decisions and is trustworthy. She seems to gel well with everyone on the team, and she makes it easy to communicate with her. I think that she has great inter-personal skills. She's an asset to the Air Force, and a strong member of our team.
Flight Nurse--She is astute and makes a good officer. She makes herself accountable for her actions yet praises others publicly. She epitomizes the term team, and is always willing to give a helping hand. Her ability to think critically makes her a key member of our flight.
Reservist, C-130 Pilot--He is an extremely intelligent officer. He is an eloquent speaker and communicates effortlessly. He is an efficient performer and easy to get along with. He has a great sense of humor, is dependable, and a key member of our flight. He has a tendancy of not thinking before speaking.
Mx Officer--He shoots from the hip. He calls it like it is, and is mostly tactful in his delivery. He seems trustworthy and makes himself and others accountable. He is a great officer, and we need more like him in the Air Force.
Friday, February 29, 2008
"The Alchemist"
So, I recently read Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist." The book has sold millions of copies and has been translated into 60 plus languages. The Brazilian author manages to simplistically transcend generations and cultures with his tale of a shephard's journey. The novel is indeed thought-provoking, and I recommend picking up a copy. The story just might help you find your "Personal Legend," that is, if you haven't already.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Vail 2008
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
Instant Classic !!! Folk Hero
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Grayson Oxford visit McAllen, TX
As part of my McAllen visit, today I managed to spend time with Grayson Oxford. I had a great time visiting with him and his new wife Terry. We ate at their favorite Mexican restaurant; I fail to recall the name, but it's on 11th Street I think and apparently owned by one of his friends. I have fond memories of Grayson and myself playing tennis against each other. We also played doubles together. It was a riot.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Brian Burns visit McAllen, TX

Sunday, September 9, 2007
Book Review

Annoyed at the Airport

Before I return to the subject of football. I’d like to interject at this point another incident that has added to my existing mood. For those that haven’t travelled with me. I always wear appropriate clothing when I fly (long sleeves, jeans, shoes fully laced). I watched some “Dateline NBC” show detailing ways to survive an air accident. I’m compulsive about heeding their expert advice. I also like to fly close to the emergency exit row if not be seated in it altogether. As the flight attendant gave her emergency speech, the gentleman in the emergency exit row was distracted by something else. I became upset that a man who potential held my life in his hands was reading some sort of manuscript instead of listening to the flight attendant. I also noticed that he didn’t once read the emergency exit procedures. I soothed myself hoping that the middle-age man was a frequent traveler and knew how to open the door and assist others in exiting a smoke-filled plane. I then realized that there were so many types of airplanes (models and sizes) and that he couldn’t possibly be an expert on all of them. I became incensed. My guess is that he was a professor of architecture at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo since something to that effect was written on the cover of his manuscript. It’s amazing how much someone can deduce by just glancing for a few seconds. He was tall, slender, with receding brown hair. In fact, he had a bald spot on the top of his head. If I’ve just described your architecture professor and you attend or have attended Cal Poly, let me know who this guy is. I’ll send him a polite email.
Now back to football. I’m travelling on the day that marks the beginning of the Cowboys’ season. I’m dreading any possible connection delays as missing the game or any part of it would indeed be catastrophic. Just thinking of that horrible possibility is driving me mad. I’m hoping to catch the game with a friend of mine (Art Romo) when I land in San Antonio. I’ll keep you posted on the outcome.
So, I’m missing the U.S. Open which is likely to be a thriller. I’m unnerved.
My life is being endangered by a man who carelessly goes about reading a thesis versus emergency procedures. I’m upset.
I might miss out on the Cowboys’ opening drive. I am peeved to no end.
I’ll have a Whataburger when I land. I’m drooling.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Labor Day 2007
The weather was kind. There was no rain, not even an occasional patch of cold rolling fog. It was your typical evening with the temperature in the upper 50's/low 60's.
I asked the kids to peek out of the tent in the morning so I could snap a picture. Grayson started doing some weird morning stretches while Chase just wanted to go back to sleep.
We kept the tent up through the day and even managed an afternoon nap. All in all, it was a fun-filled Labor Day for the Harris household.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Steve Geida
LAX Encounter
It was today that by chance I ran into a friend. Tony Schmidt happened to be boarding the same plane as me, and although I didn’t sit immediately next to him on the flight, we were able to chat for a few minutes after we deplaned. It turns out that Tony was on his way to an overseas deployment. For purposes of exercising good OPSEC, I’ll not disclose the actual location. Apparently his family had already moved to San Antonio to be close to relatives during his one-year hiatus. I’m prompted to write about this chance encounter because of the emotions that I faced seeing him disappear into a crowded terminal at LAX. How would Tony’s family deal with Daddy being gone for a year? With kids similar in age, I asked myself how my family might be in the event of my prolonged absence. Could this be the last time I saw Tony? What if it instead of Tony, it was Ed Harris languidly marching through halls of LAX, headed to an uncertain place, a strange place? It could just as easily be me.
Suddenly, it dawned on me that Tony was going off to secure my freedom, to defend the liberty of his wife, and to preserve the privilege of his children. His departure made me better appreciate those men and women who are in the direct line of fire. I, for one, consider myself fortunate to “NOT” be among them. To the macho-minded, the latter might sound like a pusillanimous remark, but presented with the same circumstances, I too would walk in Tony’s shoes. For now, I am grateful to be able to put my kids to bed, hug them, kiss them goodnight, and enjoy a Starbuck’s Ice Mocha with my wife. Thank you Tony for your sacrifice, and best of luck to your family.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Disgusting filth!

A five-year-old Iraqi boy, Youssif, was playing outside when several masked men doused him with gasoline and set him on fire. As a human being, I am aghast. As a parent of a five-year-old boy, I am angry. What kind of animals would commit such a horrific act upon another human being, especially a child? Although grim stories continue to surface from Darfur, it is difficult for me to fathom a more barbaric crime against the innocence of a child. What do such acts say about a mob's cultural beliefs; such disrespect for humankind? I am angry! I am angry! I am angry! What are we dealing with in Iraq? Such culprits are not worthy of life. Calling them savages is too generous. I am ravenous...My rage benefits no one. Instead, help me focus on what we can do to help little Youssif.
CNN.com has posted a link to a charitable organization that will accept donations in Youssif's behalf. I ask that you please open your hearts and consider assisting this precious boy with whatever monetary gift you can provide. I pray that a smile can someday return to Youssif's face. For the love of life, for the love of a scarred child, please open your hearts...
You can make a donation at the foundation's site by clicking here. There's a drop down menu under the "general donation" area that is marked "Youssif's fund."
Sunday, August 19, 2007
A day of Tennis
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Preseason Football
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Running partner
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Sprinting
Friday, August 10, 2007
Rock Climbing
Sunday, July 29, 2007
San Francisco Marathon '07

Monday, December 25, 2006
JAMES Brown is Dead!

Having lived in Augusta, GA for a better part of 7 years I actually had two personal encounters with the legend and several sightings (at the airport, when his radio station burned down, Word of Mouth Cafe, his limo on I-20, at the mall, etc.) His acts of kindness and goodwill towards the garden city of the south will never be forgotten. Those recipients of his generosity will always have kind words for the myth that is James Brown. How can we honor someone who has done and meant so much for music, civil rights, etc.?
Personally, I believe I'll have a cold brew and turn up some some loud, really loud "Get Up Sex Machine" & "Make it Funky."
Thanks for everything Godfather!
Friday, December 15, 2006
Marathon Man?
There is something else however that intrigues me, something that is more easily attainable and less high-risk: San Francisco Marathon 29-July-2007. The training will soon begin...
Sunday, August 7, 2005
Contingency Wartime Planning Course (Summer 2005)
"In addition, amongst the 38 topics covered, the CWPC provides basic knowledge about the Joint -Operation Planning and Execution System, force planning, USAF doctrine, base-level deployment, readiness-assessment systems, time-phased force and deployment data, and base-support planning."---Air & Space Power Journal - Fall 2006
Friday, June 11, 2004
Ronald Reagan Memorialized (June 2004)
Thursday, January 1, 2004
4 SOPS Crew of the Year 2003
From left to right:
Jim Davis, Adolfo Montero, Rick Kreit, Clifton Ames, Myself, Scott McKenzie, Chris Ryder, Chris Bendig, Kenneth "Rolo" Lancaster