Waldo, I'm tellin' ya, hobby shops are like flames to a moth. I don't care how small and tightly you wad a few twenties and bury them in the dark recesses of your wallet, even if they've been there for decades...you'll have full and instant recollection of their whereabouts the minute you start mentally assessing your financial solvency when perusing the shelves! I've even recalled where I stashed a few hundred bucks that I had forgotten about, while at a hobby shop. (Fortunately, the cash was at home and nowhere near me.) I can't imagine how broke I'd be if I lived anywhere near one as it's bad enough that mailorder takes seven days. (Plenty of time for "buyer's remorse" to set in and to reconsider sending the order back......by-the-way, this has yet to happen.)

It's good to hear that you and your buds are gettin' some flying in. I don't know how you can have so many birds up all the time, though. It's a rush, but it's nice to have the sky to yourself too, as I found that when I'm doing close-in and low work, it's imperative. My condolences to your cuz's loss of his bird, that must have been cool! I smeared a Dirty Bird II all over the snow like that once. (Jack has pics........come to think of it Jack never runs faster than when he has to get his camera after I crash!) He who laughs loudest and longest...wasn't the owner of the bird. Speaking of that, in my observations of this hobby...it's considered good form to laugh after a crash ONLY after the pilot does and to stop shortly after he stops.

Time to make lunch for the kids......

Peace

Downtrodden.