"Front and center!"

Here is my new front mount intercooler, I love it. Car pulls much stronger now, and it only took 6 hours to install (thanks Marc, Adam and Uncle Roger!). NO MORE heatsoak! :)

Mead me in the middle

After 90+ days, here is what I came up with!! Thanks, Marc for designing the front label, and everyone else who helped: Ashley & Edick Moreno, Kimberly, Jim and Grant!!

IED attack at Bagram!

CEXC TO THE FRONT!!! I don't recognize those folks, but glad to see they are doing their thing...UNLIKE LAST TIME!!

Also glad to hear no U.S. or Coalition KIAs...UNLIKE LAST TIME.

Only casualty: Suicide bomber. Plus you died running away, how brave!!

Braumeister Herrick...

Just kidding...kind of...I have always wanted to make mead, ever since 2003 when I first sampled my friend Grant's homemade batch. Wow, fermented honey has quite an effect. Anyway, Ashley Moreno from the Reserves has a husband who is a beekeeper in Beverly Hills, CA, so I bought a few gallons from him this summer. Well, it is quite sweet to begin with...I cant wait to taste the final product! (But I will have to, as the best results begin to appear between 6-12 months). Well, check back for updates on this.



In the meantime, Merry Christmas to everyone I know and love. And have a wonderful new year full of surprises and joy!

Cheers!
-JH

Job updates...

Defeating the purpose of an easy to update blog, I have slacked off with keeping this site up to date, but am now ALL caught up (see all the October posts, some of which have pictures from March!). The big reason in the delay was because I was waiting to see what happens next with my job.

I have accepted a position with my old company, which starts this week in Sierra Vista, AZ (3 hours south of Phoenix).

Currahee, part 1, "Hi-Oh Silver!" lol

Well if you have ever seen episode one of Band of Brothers, then you will recognize Currahee as a mountain in Toccoa, Georgia where the original members of the U.S. Army's newly formed Airborne corps were sent for training during early-mid WWII.

I had the opportunity to run the length ("three miles up, three miles down") of the Col. Robert Sink Memorial Trail when I went through Ft. Benning this March, after returning from Afghanistan. One helluva run, especially for an out of shape guy like me...but at least I made it.

A sign at the base of the trail:

Me at the bottom:

A coin given to me by the 506th PIR, Fort Campbell, KY, 2007:

Currahee, part 2, at the top

Currahee, part 3, on the way down...

The way down, good thing I had a flashlight:
Timing myself...what a confidence killer:

A memorial at the bottom:

low and mean, indeed...

Pics of my new flat black 11.5" billet shocks and rear brake caliper relocation (now hidden behind the exhaust), thanks to the guys at www.lowandmean.com, in Lake Havasu, AZ! The powdercoat job looks great and really cleans up the rear end! Thanks Chris!

Average JO-HN

Well, I took my bike to the VERY knowledgeable and friendly bike shop in Mesa, AZ called Average Joe's Motorcycles today...what a great time. I wanted a simple baseline dyno, and they were glad to work on a metric bike like mine, even tho they specialize in HDs. Here is the result: 55HP, 74Ft/Lbs. Not too bad with only new exhaust, K&N drop in, and a Cobra Fi2000R computer. Anyway, hats off to John (seen testing the bike) and Eric for such a great help!

Click on the video to watch it.

The video:

Dyno-sore

OK, OK, I can't let my bike have all the fun, so in the name of getting caught up, here are some pictures and video of my car on the dynamometer at Vivid Racing. While the HP/TQ numbers are no where near what I had hoped for, I am told a Mustang dyno is way more conservative than a DynoJet dyno. A heartbreaker of dyno namebrands if you will...haha!

Technical Sergeant Herrick...

Well after 6.5 years as a Staff Sergeant (E-5), I was able to sew on Technical Sergeant (E-6) as of 1OCT08! Thanks to all at the 4th Combat Camera Squadron who helped develop, endorse and submit my PEP (Promotion Enhancement Package) paperwork, which required a LOT of detailed writing. Aren't I glad I payed attention in English class!?

Milball, Foxnews, RNC, etc...

Well, let's see...I attended the 2008 Military Ball in St. Paul, MN...where coincidentally the RNC was being held. As such, I bumped into and met Sean Hannity of Fox News fame. It was great to get home and see many old faces. Pictures of the MN trip to come very soon! :)

Air Force Reserve ball, 2008

Here are some photos of myself and Kimberly, Christian and Susan, Josh and Jeanette, Dave and Jill, Captain Joel Loomis, Sarah the master hairstylist (didn't she do great on me!? lol), and the rest of the gang at the Air Force Reserve ball in St. Paul, Minnesota, September, 2008.

My nephew Garin ;)

Adam and Kat couldn't be happier! :)