HAPPY 2006 FROM CAP’N MERYL AND AL THE WEB GUY

Link to this week's column atUSAToday.com/travel:
Usa Today
Can you believe it? Another year is behind us. It’s exactly five minutes into this new year of 2006 as I write this. Al The Web Guy and I toasted each other and the new year at exactly midnight. I am a night person by nature and am usually still up anyway, but keeping Al The Web Guy conscious long enough to celebrate the arrival of the New Year is always a challenge. He’s a day person but he did just fine tonight with a little help from me.

We live out in the country and are not party types, so we were quite happy to stay home. A reader sent a recipe for Swedish Meatballs for Al The Web Guy and Chief Chef just a few days prior, which I promptly forwarded. All emails which address or include him get forwarded, and I didn’t think much more about this one.

On New Year’s Eve, I went down to the kitchen to find Al The Web Guy and Chief Chef making Swedish Meatballs! Does anyone remember the Muppet’s Swedish Chef? Every time I look at my own Chief Chef surrounded by a rather astonishing array of spices and every size cooking pan imaginable, I think of the Swedish Chef, uttering things unintelligible and brandishing his oversized cooking spoon. I’d like to thank the reader who sent the recipe because they were a delicious way to ring in the New Year.

I remember my two most memorable New Year’s Eves every New Year’s Eve. The first was on a flight when I was returning from Israel. The plane stopped in Paris, then continued on to New York. The timing of the departure from Paris was such that a little way into the flight, we flew past midnight and the flight crew made an announcement. Then, every hour after that the captain would announce to the passengers that we had just picked up another hour, and then flown past midnight again. I lost count on how many times the passengers’ glassed were clinked in toasts that night. I was just seventeen at the time and feeling on top of the world.

My second most memorable New Year’s Eve was on a pilot layover in New York. Our hotel was only a couple of blocks from Times Square and I could hear the raucous celebration getting louder and louder the closer it got to midnight. I was watching the festivities on TV but eventually couldn’t stand not being part of it anymore and went to join the crowd and watch the ball drop.

This was a long time ago. Security wasn’t nearly what it is now and it wasn’t hard to secure a good viewing point. It wasn’t terribly close but I had a clear view. Normally I’m not crazy about being part of a large, rowdy crowd, but I made an exception for this special night. I couldn’t tolerate the thought of remembering years later that I was so close to such a huge event, yet chose to cower in the relative safety of my hotel room. Here I am now, all these years later, glad I participated when I had the chance.

Al The Web Guy says his most memorable New Year’s was actually on the Chinese New Year on a layover in Hong Kong. He went down to the harbor and watched the incredible display from there. That’s one of the extraordinary things about being a pilot and traveling worldwide for a living. We get to experience different holidays in various parts of the world. Some pilots complain that they’d rather be home with their families, and although that may be true, it’s still just a fact of a flying life that we’re often abroad during major holidays.

Of all the holidays during the year, New Year’s is the one I have always taken the most seriously. Even more so than at Thanksgiving, this is the day I really spend some time thinking about all I have to be grateful for, including my entire family still doing well.

I also give thought to all the matters that are unresolved in my life and a review of how I’m going to deal with them, things I absolutely must change and a resolution or two (the truly excellent thing about never fulfilling them is that I can use them again next year and the year after that). I always give thanks for all the good things that happened in 2005 along with hope for improvement to all the bad situations (including world events) in this new year.

I think about the absolute worst moment of 2005 from my own perspective, and then think about all those who are so much worse off than I’ve ever been. I didn’t lose anybody or anything (like a house) to a flood or tsunami, I’m not living under a bridge wondering where my next meal is coming from and I’m not a hostage in a war-torn country with a blindfold over my eyes and a knife at my throat. I am not wracked with grief like the young woman I saw on the news last night, hysterical at the loss of her little brother along with a second teenager killed here in Denver in a car accident earlier in the week. It doesn’t take much thought to appreciate how good things are in my own life no matter what difficulties may be present.

I have always loved and been intrigued by the notion of a clean slate, waiting to be written upon with all its unknown ups and downs (literally and otherwise). I haven’t had time to mess anything up yet (remember, we’re only several minutes into 2006 as I write this) so, as far as I can tell, this is a perfect year so far. I like that thought and want to hold onto it as long as possible. I think I lasted about three days last year before doing something I wish I hadn’t. I’m going for at least a week this time.

I want to go to bed every night of this and every future year not being ashamed of anything I did that day, and doing things I can look back at and be proud of.. I want to forgive anyone who needs forgiving, with or without their knowledge or consent and simply be the best person I know how to be.

Under the category of “things unresolved,” let me take a moment to once again thank all my readers who express concern each week that I’m currently writing about subjects other than any current flying. Although I’ve mentioned it in the past, new subscribers are coming onboard all the time. For these new readers and anyone else who hasn’t seen me address this before, there is a situation in my life regarding my flying career that is on track to a resolution at this time, but for a few months yet I won’t know what that resolution is. Regardless of the outcome, I have a Plan B in mind to avoid possible catastrophe.

If that sounds cryptic, it probably is but that is about as much as I can say about the situation as it stands right now without jeopardizing any legal issues. Suffice it to say for the moment that I am just fine, and as soon as the situation is finalized I will most likely be able to make a partial and possibly even a full disclosure to my readers. So please be patient and if you want to hear an interesting story when it’s all over, please stay tuned. I’ll know something in a few months.

Final Note: The following appears in my column this week at usatoday.com (link at top):

Cap’n Meryl will be appearing live on St.Louis’ KTRS Morning Show with George Woods to discuss the ten most popular questions ever asked in this column. The show may be heard Jan. 4th from 8:30 AM to 9:00 AM Central Time on 550 AM in St. Louis or live on the Internet at www.ktrs.com (look for the red letters “Listen Live Online” at the top of the screen).

George and I met at an event called the Publicity Summit in New York (the same event where I was introduced to the producer of “The View” which led to an appearance on that show about a year ago). I’ve done interviews with him before and he’s a great guy and host, so I hope you’ll tune in. If you miss it but still want to hear it, an archive will be available later, either on my site, his, or both and I’ll publish that information as soon as I have it. A large worldwide audience is expected due to the notice in my column, and I hope you’ll join us, too.

With that, please accept our most heartfelt wishes from Al The Web Guy and me for a very Happy New Year.

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And with that,
Until Next Time,
Maintain Airspeed!
Cap'n Meryl

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