Who we all are
May 1, 2001 | 7:46 am
#766
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Florence, AZ
Programs: Advantage Executive Platinum, Marriott Gold,, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Globalist, National Executive
Posts: 360
I have known of Flyertalk for awhile but only recently decided to become more actively involved. I enjoy the bulletin board very much and have found it useful.
I am married, 2 kids, and work in a job that affords me about 12 business trips a year. I travel about 2 or 3 times a year for pleasure.
I am AA Gold, AWA Silver and Hilton Gold. I have had to be a bit creative to get that status, but its well worth it. This year I will earn Gold again on AA, and perhaps Platinum if I do a mileage run or two and I expect to be Hilton Diamond as well.
I just booked 3 free tickets to BWI to take the family to DC this summer, I bought my ticket to get the miles. I will probably get most of the rooms free from my Hilton points. (pssst, financing a mortgage thru Countrywide earned me 53000 points on Hilton last summer).
I look forward to continuing my participation in the group and sharing with everyone.
Happy Travels
I am married, 2 kids, and work in a job that affords me about 12 business trips a year. I travel about 2 or 3 times a year for pleasure.
I am AA Gold, AWA Silver and Hilton Gold. I have had to be a bit creative to get that status, but its well worth it. This year I will earn Gold again on AA, and perhaps Platinum if I do a mileage run or two and I expect to be Hilton Diamond as well.
I just booked 3 free tickets to BWI to take the family to DC this summer, I bought my ticket to get the miles. I will probably get most of the rooms free from my Hilton points. (pssst, financing a mortgage thru Countrywide earned me 53000 points on Hilton last summer).
I look forward to continuing my participation in the group and sharing with everyone.
Happy Travels
May 1, 2001 | 3:00 pm
#767
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Corvallis, Oregon
Programs: UA Lifetime 1K (3.52MM BIS miles) AA EXP (3.64MM)
Posts: 1,097
This thread just compels one to post.
My travel started early. I went from high school directly into the Navy (my dad brought a recruiter around to nudge me and I had a reasonably low draft number about the time of the Tet offensive) but I never went to sea on a ship. I was involved in the "detection, localization, and
prosecution of Soviet submarines" in Bermuda, Iceland, and northern Japan (I was in Hakodate when the Mig 25 defected; we dissected that plane before it was returned...similar to what the Chinese are probably doing with our spy plane). That job was fun but the military promotes
'prolonged adolescence' so after a short stint leading Mt. Fuji hiking tours, I returned to the US in 1980, went to school, and became a database Guru (Progress).
That's where all the miles come from. There are only a handful of people in the world who specialize in the Progress database (that's probably why you've never heard of it even if you're in the IT world). I live in Oregon but the company I work for is in Georgia...a so-called "virtual employee".
Some travel tidbits:
I've been to Wengen, Switzerland (didn't meet Rudi though) where opening the window of our hotel room revealed Jung Frau in 'reach out and touch it' closeness....and the cows are incredibly well groomed..really.
I was in South Africa in the days before the election that made Mandela president and you couldn't get a seat on any flight out of JNB because all of the white Afrikaners were afraid that something very bad would happen to them....
I was in Shinjuku station (Tokyo) just hours before the Sarin gas attack by the Aum Shin Rikyo.
In a heavy year I hit 250,000 miles on UA and *A. I hit 2 million total miles on United late last year.
Yesterday I celebrated being married 18 years. I think we stayed together because we talk on the phone and read the Word together each day regardless of distance and time zone.
Regards,
Dan
My travel started early. I went from high school directly into the Navy (my dad brought a recruiter around to nudge me and I had a reasonably low draft number about the time of the Tet offensive) but I never went to sea on a ship. I was involved in the "detection, localization, and
prosecution of Soviet submarines" in Bermuda, Iceland, and northern Japan (I was in Hakodate when the Mig 25 defected; we dissected that plane before it was returned...similar to what the Chinese are probably doing with our spy plane). That job was fun but the military promotes
'prolonged adolescence' so after a short stint leading Mt. Fuji hiking tours, I returned to the US in 1980, went to school, and became a database Guru (Progress).
That's where all the miles come from. There are only a handful of people in the world who specialize in the Progress database (that's probably why you've never heard of it even if you're in the IT world). I live in Oregon but the company I work for is in Georgia...a so-called "virtual employee".
Some travel tidbits:
I've been to Wengen, Switzerland (didn't meet Rudi though) where opening the window of our hotel room revealed Jung Frau in 'reach out and touch it' closeness....and the cows are incredibly well groomed..really.
I was in South Africa in the days before the election that made Mandela president and you couldn't get a seat on any flight out of JNB because all of the white Afrikaners were afraid that something very bad would happen to them....
I was in Shinjuku station (Tokyo) just hours before the Sarin gas attack by the Aum Shin Rikyo.
In a heavy year I hit 250,000 miles on UA and *A. I hit 2 million total miles on United late last year.
Yesterday I celebrated being married 18 years. I think we stayed together because we talk on the phone and read the Word together each day regardless of distance and time zone.
Regards,
Dan
Jun 5, 2001 | 10:34 am
#770
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Canada
Programs: AC SE 2MM, HH Dd, Bonvoy G; IC S; AA; DL
Posts: 14,496
You can get ALL the Who we all are up until today (just updated in Access database and Word 97 formats) at
http://members.shaw.ca/deercroft/download.html
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BlondeBomber's Star Alliance Gold Comparison Chart 2001
Dorian's Star Alliance RTW Price Chart
flyers'places - restaurant, bar & hotel recommendations
[This message has been edited by BlondeBomber (edited 08-04-2001).]
http://members.shaw.ca/deercroft/download.html
------------------
BlondeBomber's Star Alliance Gold Comparison Chart 2001
Dorian's Star Alliance RTW Price Chart
flyers'places - restaurant, bar & hotel recommendations
[This message has been edited by BlondeBomber (edited 08-04-2001).]
Jun 6, 2001 | 1:13 am
#773
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii USA again, soon
Programs: Lapsed elite statuses galore
Posts: 437
Mahalo, Shadow, for bringing this thread forward.
My name is Steve Okino. I've lurked here since last December, and I am an INfrequent flyer these days. As a freelance writer and independent video/television producer, most of my work is done in Hawaii, although there is occasional (like once a year) business trip to the Mainland U.S.
But I've managed this year to string together enough travel to complete the AA Gold challenge and take advantage of the multiple Hilton promotions...and I'm having a great time doing so.
Have been in Hawaii for the past fifteen years, after completing a postgraduate fellowship at the CORO Center in Los Angeles...an experience which helped me change gears after my career with CBS News came to an abrupt and involuntary end in the mid-80s. Working as a network news producer, though, meant living on the road, and I still have 60K unused Delta miles left over from that previous incarnation.
Although I've lived in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Dallas, and was born and raised in the Midwest, I consider Hawaii my home. It's a wonderfully diverse and pleasant place to live; faults it has, like any other locale, but the tradition and practice of aloha still thrives, and makes this a place like no other on the planet.
I'm 5'6", 130lbs, black hair, brown eyes, divorced, of Japanese descent with a sideways sense of humor (whoops...all that goes on another kind of discussion board, methinks--sorry)...and the only female in my life right now is my five-year old cat Makana, who's up on the Web at http://www.makanacat.net
Aloha!
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Infrequent flyer and newly minted AAdvantage Gold, HHonors Gold
My name is Steve Okino. I've lurked here since last December, and I am an INfrequent flyer these days. As a freelance writer and independent video/television producer, most of my work is done in Hawaii, although there is occasional (like once a year) business trip to the Mainland U.S.
But I've managed this year to string together enough travel to complete the AA Gold challenge and take advantage of the multiple Hilton promotions...and I'm having a great time doing so.
Have been in Hawaii for the past fifteen years, after completing a postgraduate fellowship at the CORO Center in Los Angeles...an experience which helped me change gears after my career with CBS News came to an abrupt and involuntary end in the mid-80s. Working as a network news producer, though, meant living on the road, and I still have 60K unused Delta miles left over from that previous incarnation.
Although I've lived in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Dallas, and was born and raised in the Midwest, I consider Hawaii my home. It's a wonderfully diverse and pleasant place to live; faults it has, like any other locale, but the tradition and practice of aloha still thrives, and makes this a place like no other on the planet.
I'm 5'6", 130lbs, black hair, brown eyes, divorced, of Japanese descent with a sideways sense of humor (whoops...all that goes on another kind of discussion board, methinks--sorry)...and the only female in my life right now is my five-year old cat Makana, who's up on the Web at http://www.makanacat.net
Aloha!
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Infrequent flyer and newly minted AAdvantage Gold, HHonors Gold
Jun 9, 2001 | 8:02 pm
#775
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Raleigh area, North Carolina, USA | USAirways Silver, Former (and disgruntled) Midway FF.
Posts: 12
Hi, my name is Ryan, I just moved down here to the Raleigh area after growing up in Philadelphia. I am 17 and started my passion for traveling when my parents got divorced 2 years ago and my dad moved to Seattle. Since then I have been to Seattle about 10 to 12 times. I have also been to a numerous amount of airports for connections and other things (CVG, CLT, BOI, SEA, PHL, PGH, IAH, EWR, etc.) About 10 months ago I became a USAirways frequent flier and about 6 months later I became a Silver Member of the USAirways Dividend Miles programs. I refuse to fly Midway Airlines (see my profile). My dream trip would be to take a trip between the top 20 airports in the US. Just like most other teenage guys I like to go to Myrtle Beach for the weekend, lay out on the beach and look for a sexy girl in a hot bikini. 
I would like to have some job with an airline. My favorite places to travel are MYR (Myrtle Beach, SC), SUN (Sun Valley, ID), and SEA (Seattle). I just joined today and look forward to posting here in the future!
I would like to have some job with an airline. My favorite places to travel are MYR (Myrtle Beach, SC), SUN (Sun Valley, ID), and SEA (Seattle). I just joined today and look forward to posting here in the future!
Jun 10, 2001 | 4:28 am
#776
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Cleveland
Programs: AF/KLM Plat For Life/UA Million Miler-PremEx For Life/SPG Gold
Posts: 5,056
RDY3238-
My Dad (Jules B.) is the major concert promoter in Cleveland Ohio and parts Midwest since late 60s. His production people were Wendy Stein andd currently Stacey Harper. Sound familiar. Who did you tour with?
My Dad (Jules B.) is the major concert promoter in Cleveland Ohio and parts Midwest since late 60s. His production people were Wendy Stein andd currently Stacey Harper. Sound familiar. Who did you tour with?
Jun 10, 2001 | 6:28 am
#777
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 213
I've been learning to be an FT'er since sometime last winter and I learn something new almost daily.
Grew up in Nebraska, with a few years in South Dakota (Air Force) and Wyoming (Radio). With over five years in Radio I thought that would be my career, but then I became interested in electronics and computers. I eventually moved out East to Bangor, ME to take a job with the FAA as a navaids tech, which meant lots of flying to OKC for training. That really hooked me on flying, both working on the navigation equipment (VORTAC, ILS, DME, TACAN, Comm Radios, IVR, etc..) and flying to OKC for training. Nothing like sitting at the localizer as a C5 does touch and gos overhead (you'd swear it's going to hit you) or the Concord comes wafting in like a bent paper airplane doing a chin-up.
After a while I decided to try work in the public sector again and moved over to New Hampshire and worked a few years in digital audio at the now defunct New England Digital. That led to more gigs (programming) in digital audio, then to desktop business mapping apps, and finally internet mapping and business locators. Lots of programming over the years which has evolved into systems design and pre-sales engineering. At the moment I'm in a self-induced hiatus from work: relaxing, enjoying summer, and trying (not to hard yet) to figure out what's next.
In my spare time I like to mt bike, hike, tinker with electronics, invent, read, cook, and drive or fly. I converted an old Mazda into an electric vehicle which I still use daily for commuting:
http://www.jerryrig.com/convert.html
My last job offered a fair share of travel both domestically and internationally. It finally dawned on me that I needed to join a FF program (US) and that eventually led to FT. Made it to US Gold in a little over half a year last year, might make CP this year. Comped on a few airlines but have yet to take advantage of that. Only recently did I make the deduction that I should also join Hotel programs, just in time for the VIP Gold promotion with Hilton. Now I'm starting to sign up my wife for all of these programs. I'm learning!
-Jerry Halstead
Lebanon, NH
Grew up in Nebraska, with a few years in South Dakota (Air Force) and Wyoming (Radio). With over five years in Radio I thought that would be my career, but then I became interested in electronics and computers. I eventually moved out East to Bangor, ME to take a job with the FAA as a navaids tech, which meant lots of flying to OKC for training. That really hooked me on flying, both working on the navigation equipment (VORTAC, ILS, DME, TACAN, Comm Radios, IVR, etc..) and flying to OKC for training. Nothing like sitting at the localizer as a C5 does touch and gos overhead (you'd swear it's going to hit you) or the Concord comes wafting in like a bent paper airplane doing a chin-up.
After a while I decided to try work in the public sector again and moved over to New Hampshire and worked a few years in digital audio at the now defunct New England Digital. That led to more gigs (programming) in digital audio, then to desktop business mapping apps, and finally internet mapping and business locators. Lots of programming over the years which has evolved into systems design and pre-sales engineering. At the moment I'm in a self-induced hiatus from work: relaxing, enjoying summer, and trying (not to hard yet) to figure out what's next.
In my spare time I like to mt bike, hike, tinker with electronics, invent, read, cook, and drive or fly. I converted an old Mazda into an electric vehicle which I still use daily for commuting:
http://www.jerryrig.com/convert.html
My last job offered a fair share of travel both domestically and internationally. It finally dawned on me that I needed to join a FF program (US) and that eventually led to FT. Made it to US Gold in a little over half a year last year, might make CP this year. Comped on a few airlines but have yet to take advantage of that. Only recently did I make the deduction that I should also join Hotel programs, just in time for the VIP Gold promotion with Hilton. Now I'm starting to sign up my wife for all of these programs. I'm learning!
-Jerry Halstead
Lebanon, NH
Jun 10, 2001 | 6:55 pm
#780
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Groveland, FL, USA
Programs: Starriot LTP, UA Silver, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 1,097
My love of travel probably started with my families long car trips across the country when I was growing up. My parents were both rural mail carriers and when they went on vacation, they just loaded up the car and drove. The longest summer vacation of this sort was from our home in Florida, out to California (via the Carlsbad Carvern and the Grand Canyon), through Yosemite and the Redwoods up to the Seattle World's Fair (1961), then back via Yellowstone, Devil's Tower, Mt. Rushmore, and the Black Hills. While I have since learned to like flying, travel by car would probably still be my preferred means of vacation travel if I had the time to properly enjoy it.
I grew up in Florida and went away to college in Massachusetts and Illinois before returning to Florida to work. I spent about 20 years working in South Florida before my company informed me that my paycheck, if I wished to continue collecting it, would be available to me in North Carolina, so I decided to move to a place in the country (now suburbs) just north of Raleigh. I am married (no children) and have been working for the same computer company for over 25 years now. I have one older brother who owns his own small electronics company in Arizona. I have an interest in Science Fiction and S.F. conventions, and have attended (or even helped run) many of the latter, as has my wife who I met at one. I also have known GG and LexPassenger for (too) many years - even before there was a FlyerTalk.
The first comercial flight that I remember was on a National Airlines Electra II from Jacksonville, FL to Daytona Beach, FL. As I remember it, my parents had driven us up to Jacksonville to put my brother on a plane to college, and I talked them into letting me fly too.
(They had to drive back almost to Daytona Beach anyway, so they let me!) Since then I have had many other great flying experiences, but one in particular that stands out is when I was attending a summer program for high school students at the University of Southern California, we took a field trip out to the Douglas Aircraft Facility in Long Beach(?). From there they put us on a company DC-3 and flew us out the Edwards Air Force Base, where we were given a tour including the X-15 and while we were there we got to see the XB-70 take off!
[This message has been edited by rtpflyer (edited 06-10-2001).]
I grew up in Florida and went away to college in Massachusetts and Illinois before returning to Florida to work. I spent about 20 years working in South Florida before my company informed me that my paycheck, if I wished to continue collecting it, would be available to me in North Carolina, so I decided to move to a place in the country (now suburbs) just north of Raleigh. I am married (no children) and have been working for the same computer company for over 25 years now. I have one older brother who owns his own small electronics company in Arizona. I have an interest in Science Fiction and S.F. conventions, and have attended (or even helped run) many of the latter, as has my wife who I met at one. I also have known GG and LexPassenger for (too) many years - even before there was a FlyerTalk.
The first comercial flight that I remember was on a National Airlines Electra II from Jacksonville, FL to Daytona Beach, FL. As I remember it, my parents had driven us up to Jacksonville to put my brother on a plane to college, and I talked them into letting me fly too.
(They had to drive back almost to Daytona Beach anyway, so they let me!) Since then I have had many other great flying experiences, but one in particular that stands out is when I was attending a summer program for high school students at the University of Southern California, we took a field trip out to the Douglas Aircraft Facility in Long Beach(?). From there they put us on a company DC-3 and flew us out the Edwards Air Force Base, where we were given a tour including the X-15 and while we were there we got to see the XB-70 take off! [This message has been edited by rtpflyer (edited 06-10-2001).]