8/17/08 Captain Jack's Repossession Repo Cruise to PC thru TPC Part 8

[lbgraves]

Not nearly as impressive from 35,000 feet.

I'm sure that it will stil be amazing. I remember flying to NO and the pilot announced that we were flying over the Blue Ridge Mountains and they were breathtaking.

 

[lbgraves]

Dook just scored!!

Are the accused felons back on the team?

 

[atakaratemom]

That had to have been very difficult for them. I can't imagine it being your job to do that, but not being trained to handle the devistation is worse. DH had investigated crashes before but when the one happened here he was at the site the next morning. Nothing had been touched yet. I was so worried about him being able to handle it.

Although dealing with the aftermath of the plane crash was very difficult for my husband and nephew, and all of the other non-professional people involved in the efforts, it turned out to be an amazing, life changing event for us. Some of you may have read our story in the news at the time. This will be a long post but I’ll share with all of you what happened.

The Alaska Airlines flight crashed into the ocean just off our coast in the late afternoon. Immediately a Coast Guard request went out to all the local fishing boats at sea to come and lend aid. Unfortunately what started as a rescue mission turned into a recovery mission. My nephew was out on one of our boats that night and was one of the first on the scene. It was horrible, but those wonderful fishermen spent the entire night searching for survivors and pulling debris from the ocean. By 5 a.m. the next day, my nephew was exhausted and having transferred all the items he collected to the main recovery vessel he headed to the harbor. Later that morning, he and my DH went down to clean the boat and in one of the hatch handles, my nephew saw something shining in the sunlight. It was a man’s gold Mason Ring. Immediately he showed DH and he called the authorities, but it was so chaotic at that point no one could tell him what to do. He brought it home and we waited for instructions.

Meanwhile in the newspaper a list of the passengers onboard had been printed. Two of the men listed were reported to be leaders of their local Mason’s organization. My hair stood on end when I read that they were from Poulsbo, WA. It just happened to be the same tiny town in Washington where my nephew’s father lived and where he had lived before returning to California. All of the sudden I just felt we were part of something so much greater than we could understand. After a few phone calls we connected to a gentleman who was a fellow Mason and he immediately knew which of the men the ring had belonged to. Within the hour the daughter made contact with my DH and they both sat crying on the phone as she told him how just a few weeks before, she and her father had made an agreement that whoever should pass first would try to get a message back saying they were OK. It was one of the most moving and amazing moments of my life. I have always considered myself a religious person and a strong believer in God, but this was something so overpowering I just can’t describe it.

We contacted Alaska Airlines and they immediately started to make arrangements to fly my nephew up to Washington to personally return the ring to the family. Meanwhile, it became the front page story and we were overrun by the media. Even with my background in PR, I was overwhelmed by the attention. DH and nephew were on CNN and did numerous local interviews. Good Morning America and the Today show both wanted them be interviewed, but we really felt that enough was enough. This was not about publicity, it was about helping a grieving family who had just lost their mother and father.

Enter the local sheriff’s department at this point. Although we had kept the authorities apprised at each step, they were now concerned about “evidence” being improperly handled. While I can understand, this had become something unique and important and the only thing on our mind was getting the ring in the hands of that family as soon as possible. We thought we had everything ironed out when while I was home alone with my DD two detectives showed up demanding the ring. When I refused to give it to them they started proceedings to arrest me. The family had specifically instructed us not to hand the ring over as they were afraid that it would be lost or delayed for months and months so I was fully prepared to get arrested if I had to. At that point we had formed a strong bond with the family and I was determined to put their desires first. News vans in the area had picked up on the fact that the sheriffs were at our home and started to arrive. Calls were placed to the head of the sheriff’s department and at that point his detectives were called off and it was agreed we could proceed with the return of the ring as the coroner had confirmed he did not need the actual ring as long as he had a photo. That night, I was the one on the news holding my infant daughter in my arms explaining why I was almost arrested!

The next day, Alaska Airlines flew my nephew to Poulsbo and the ring was turned over to the family in a moving and lovely candlelight ceremony at the Masonic temple there. We still keep in touch with the family today and have joined them in honoring their loved ones at the local memorial dedicated to the crash victims. For the rest of my life I will always feel like we were involved in something very special and remember the son's comment to my nephew that “When it’s a miracle, gold floats.”

 

[Grandma x3]

So long - I'm heading off to a doctor appt.

Happy B'day to all!! Feel better for those not well. PD to all with troubles right now - I've added you all to my prayer list.

I'll check in tomorow - Happy Friday Nite to all!!!
Chris

 

[captaincrash]

My first car was a B210 also.....hand me down from my brother

Yup...

This particular photo is of a yellow one just like my spouses' old one when I first met her.... 22+ years ago. However, I don't believe I EVER saw her racing away the way this one is in the photo below... <chuckles>

 

[lotsofboys]

Although dealing with the aftermath of the plane crash was very difficult for my husband and nephew, and all of the other non-professional people involved in the efforts, it turned out to be an amazing, life changing event for us. Some of you may have read our story in the news at the time. This will be a long post but I’ll share with all of you what happened.

The Alaska Airlines flight crashed into the ocean just off our coast in the late afternoon. Immediately a Coast Guard request went out to all the local fishing boats at sea to come and lend aid. Unfortunately what started as a rescue mission turned into a recovery mission. My nephew was out on one of our boats that night and was one of the first on the scene. It was horrible, but those wonderful fishermen spent the entire night searching for survivors and pulling debris from the ocean. By 5 a.m. the next day, my nephew was exhausted and having transferred all the items he collected to the main recovery vessel he headed to the harbor. Later that morning, he and my DH went down to clean the boat and in one of the hatch handles, my nephew saw something shining in the sunlight. It was a man’s gold Mason Ring. Immediately he showed DH and he called the authorities, but it was so chaotic at that point no one could tell him what to do. He brought it home and we waited for instructions.

Meanwhile in the newspaper a list of the passengers onboard had been printed. Two of the men listed were reported to be leaders of there local Mason’s organization. My hair stood on end when I read that they were from Poulsbo, WA. It just happened to be the same tiny town in Washington where my nephew’s father lived and where he had lived before returning to California. All of the sudden I just felt we were part of something so much greater than we could understand. After a few phone calls we connected to a gentleman who was a fellow Mason and he immediately knew which of the men the ring had belonged to. Within the hour the daughter made contact with my DH and they both sat crying on the phone as she told him how just a few weeks before, she and her father had made an agreement that whoever should pass first would try to get a message back saying they were OK. It was one of the most moving and amazing moments of my life. I have always considered myself a religious person and a strong believer in God, but this was something so overpowering I just can’t describe it.

We contacted Alaska Airlines and they immediately started to make arrangements to fly my nephew up to Washington to personally return the ring to the family. Meanwhile, it became the front page story and we were overrun by the media. Even with my background in PR, I was overwhelmed by the attention. DH and nephew were on CNN and did numerous local interviews. Good Morning America and the Today show both wanted them be interviewed, but we really felt that enough was enough. This was not about publicity, it was about helping a grieving family who had just lost their mother and father.

Enter the local sheriff’s department at this point. Although we had kept the authorities apprised at each step, they were now concerned about “evidence” being improperly handled. While I can understand, this had become something unique and important and the only thing on our mind was getting the ring in the hands of that family as soon as possible. We thought we had everything ironed out when while I was home alone with my DD two detectives showed up demanding the ring. When I refused to give it to them they started proceedings to arrest me. The family had specifically instructed us not to hand the ring over as they were afraid that it would be lost or delayed for months and months so I was fully prepared to get arrested if I had to. At that point we had formed a strong bond with the family and I was determined to put their desires first. News vans in the area had picked up on the fact that the sheriffs were at our home and started to arrive. Calls were placed to the head of the sheriff’s department and at that point his detectives were called off and it was agreed we could proceed with the return of the ring as the coroner had confirmed he did not need the actual ring as long as he had a photo. That night, I was the one on the news holding my infant daughter in my arms explaining why I was almost arrested!

The next day, Alaska Airlines flew my nephew to Poulsbo and the ring was turned over to the family in a moving and lovely candlelight ceremony at the Masonic temple there. We still keep in touch with the family today and have joined them in honoring their loved ones at the local memorial dedicated to the crash victims. For the rest of my life I will always feel like we were involved in something very special and remember the son's comment to my nephew that “When it’s a miracle, gold floats.”

Wow, what a wonderful story, I remember the plane crash very well but do not recall this story, thanks for sharing!


Michelle

 

[Sarangel]

Enter the local sheriff’s department at this point. Although we had kept the authorities apprised at each step, they were now concerned about “evidence” being improperly handled. While I can understand, this had become something unique and important and the only thing on our mind was getting the ring in the hands of that family as soon as possible. We thought we had everything ironed out when while I was home alone with my DD two detectives showed up demanding the ring. When I refused to give it to them they started proceedings to arrest me. The family had specifically instructed us not to hand the ring over as they were afraid that it would be lost or delayed for months and months so I was fully prepared to get arrested if I had to. At that point we had formed a strong bond with the family and I was determined to put their desires first. News vans in the area had picked up on the fact that the sheriffs were at our home and started to arrive. Calls were placed to the head of the sheriff’s department and at that point his detectives were called off and it was agreed we could proceed with the return of the ring as the coroner had confirmed he did not need the actual ring as long as he had a photo. That night, I was the one on the news holding my infant daughter in my arms explaining why I was almost arrested!

The next day, Alaska Airlines flew my nephew to Poulsbo and the ring was turned over to the family in a moving and lovely candlelight ceremony at the Masonic temple there. We still keep in touch with the family today and have joined them in honoring their loved ones at the local memorial dedicated to the crash victims. For the rest of my life I will always feel like we were involved in something very special and remember the son's comment to my nephew that “When it’s a miracle, gold floats.”

Yea! for you for standing by the family's wishes... This is more proof that God moves in mysterious ways. How sad & wonderful for your family to have been involved in this and the recovery of the ring.

 

[RRBB]

Now I'm a couple days behind, but I'm trying. A few things I wanted to comment on before I forget...

First Car: '76 Chevrolet Manza. It was a hand-me-down from my uncle when he got a new car to "run into the ground". It scared the S*** out of me cuz it had no pickup. Hated crossing the major street to get to school. Hated getting on freeways. Hated the color - bright orange with tan top. But it was wheels and I only had to drive it for a couple years before I got a brand-spankin-new car for a graduation present.

Naps: Love 'em!!! And being 6 1/2 months pregnant with a toddler to chase, I've got a good excuse to take one whenever I want.

Flying: Don't mind it, but hate the turbulance that throws the plane around. I used to be a "road warrior" so was out every Monday morning and home on Friday evenings and had to deal with all sorts of flights/planes/crews all the time. I'm real good at getting on the plane, buckling my seatbelt and falling asleep before the plane even leaves the gate.

Marriage/Kids: I guess I'm a late bloomer, so to speak. Was fixed up with DH back in '98 when I was 34. We got married 3 years later. Took a while but DS was born when I was 41, and now 2 years later #2 is due in about 11 weeks.

Sleeping Arrangements: DS sleeps in his own bed, and always has. I figured out when he was just a couple days old that there's no way I could ever get any sleep if he was in our bed. I was so scared he'd either suffocate when I pulled the covers up to keep myself warm or that I'd roll over and squish him. Of course those first few months he actually slept in his swing, but we never really had a problem transitioning him even when we put him in his own room upstairs. And these days if I try bringing him in our bed he thinks it's play time and jumps all over the place. No thank you!!! DS is still in a crib right now, so no telling what will happen when he moves out of that. But we have a gate at the top of the stairs and I need a step stool to get into our bed, so I don't see him just crawling into bed with us when he wants to.

 

[got2travel]

Mary, what an awesome story. There's always something good to be taken away from tragedies. I'm glad your family was a part of this so that you had good to focus on instead of the bad.

 

[got2travel]

Yup...

This particular photo is of a yellow one just like my spouses' old one when I first met her.... 22+ years ago. However, I don't believe I EVER saw her racing away the way this one is in the photo below... <chuckles>

not quite like mine, I had the hatchback

 

[The FairyGodmother]

Jumping in here before I go back and ketchup. Is Chat tonight at 9:00 EST or when?

Thanks

 

[lbgraves]

Forgot to post that DD's Disney crocs arrived today! She wasn't too happy about them since they weren't a toy but when daddy got home, she wanted to model them...even though they are a couple sizes too big for her...just like I wanted them to be.

 

[atakaratemom]

Mary, what an awesome story. There's always something good to be taken away from tragedies. I'm glad your family was a part of this so that you had good to focus on instead of the bad.

It's so strange how often I think about it even after all this time. When my own Mom and Dad passed away during the last few years, I really drew strength and comfort from that experience. It's something that will always be with me.

 

[got2travel]

No chat for me tonight. You all have fun.

We'll be at Disney on Ice....Disneyland Adventure...they even have a PoTC segment.....I'll try to post pics tomorrow.

 

[disneypilots]

It's the honest ones you have to look out for.....honestly.....because you can never predict when they are going to do something....incredibly....stupid

Nothing Like an Honest Pirate..........Who is Up To NO Good !!!!

Mark

 

[lbgraves]

The next day, Alaska Airlines flew my nephew to Poulsbo and the ring was turned over to the family in a moving and lovely candlelight ceremony at the Masonic temple there. We still keep in touch with the family today and have joined them in honoring their loved ones at the local memorial dedicated to the crash victims. For the rest of my life I will always feel like we were involved in something very special and remember the son's comment to my nephew that “When it’s a miracle, gold floats.”

Thank you for sharing that with us. Too many things happened for it to not be meant to happen. How wonderful that you were able to give that family peace.

 

[captaincrash]

My first car (in 1991...I had to wait until I was 18 because I had to buy it myself) was a 1982 Buick Skylark. I was SO proud of that car. I drove it for 3 years before it just wouldn't run anymore...

I was very fortunate to have a new Honda Prelude in 83. I put on 50,000 miles in the first year... I worked and saved so I had money to drive around and explore. I was a nut. And at the end of I don't know how many years... I sold it for $3500 as I recall and bought a used Taurus to toot around in. That Taurus did not hold up very well compared to the Honda... and I went to a Maxima after that. Since then I've had 2 Maximas and now I roll around in a Lexus ES300 I got used from my spouses' fleet. It was HER company car for a couple of years so it was an excellent deal. I still drive it - however next year we're gonna pick up her company Caravan as the fleet is discontinuing minivans as options. I still have an old Maxima which I was gonna give to my Dad - but since he went out and bought a car I'll now let the Maxima go for pocket change and apply the funds towards the Caravan next year.

Hey ... they're mostly wheels to get you around town safely and reliably to us. However, I might need to trade in my Lexus in the next half decade as it can't last forever. At that time I just might get something with a little more snap and pizazz? I would love to get a Dodge VIper used... they sell for as little as $45,000 now for the early models. SO in a few more years we might see decent condition specimens going for a little less??? But my spouse is extremely unlikely to endorse it. SO we'll have to see what I compormise down to - or we'll see what I ave to give up to gain consideration for it.

Chuckles... like I'm REALLY gonna get one of those things? More idle daydreaming then anything else....

SO who am I foolin'? My ride is gonna be the 4-6 year old minivan if and when I let the Lexus go...​

 

[Sarangel]

Forgot to post that DD's Disney crocs arrived today! She wasn't too happy about them since they weren't a toy but when daddy got home, she wanted to model them...even though they are a couple sizes too big for her...just like I wanted them to be.

My DD *LOVES* her Disney Crocs - she'd wear nothing else if I let her (but that's 3 1/2 year old discrimination).

Course, now that's an excuse for me to get the pink ones that I want for me.

 

[Verandah Man]

How about the Grand Canyon then?

What an amazing shot!!!

 

[maine_jennifer]

We closed our DHQ today at noon because of a good Divisional Program Review. I knew that you would understand Jennifer.

Good Divisional Program Review???? Best we get for that kind of stuff is a pizza party!!!