I assume that was either the Hamburger Helper dinner you cooked or the hotdogs you grilled? My wife and I had a ton of fun then too. Of course that was before mortgage payments, preschool tuition, and the rest....

As for all the DC-9 angst from the last few pages.... I just don't understand all the angst. I fly the -9, I commute on the -88. I'll take the -9 every time. It's kind of like dating (back in the days we were all single).

The -88 wows you right off the bat with all the jewelry and sophistication. After a few dates, you see through all the smoke and mirrors and realize that, despite the fact you thought you were getting a prom queen, you ended up with a broken-down, working-class single mom with a meth addiction.

As for the -9, there's no pretense. You know from day one that you're riding a middle-aged, broken-down *****. At first, it'll disgust you a little bit, but after a while you'll learn to love it. She's a good girl, and she appreciates a man who knows how to drive her.

You guys dreading the -9... I dare say you'll really appreciate flying it.... despite losing 10 pounds to sweat in the summer and being doused with glycol in the winter. If Smiling Bob flew the -9, he wouldn't need any mail-order help...We brew testosterone here... End of the day, it's an airplane, and a very enjoyable one to fly under mainline wages and workrules.

Enjoy it while it lasts. It'll be negotiated away for a few bucks and the "greater financial health of the company" before you know it.