| Author | Message | ||
     Court |
I get a lot of e-mails asking about things other, oddly enough, than motorcycles. Things ranging from school, living and working in New York City and some of the odd quirks in my past with flying, The White House and the Marine Corps. So I figured . . . we'd hide here out of the way of the "Made in America" and "Contact Patch" scuffles. Big news this week is both good and bad . . . On the bad side my younger sister has been diagnosed with advanced cancer and has just started intense morphine treatment. It's truly a lesson in how precious life is. . . I always am reminded of the old Bonnie Raitt line "Life gets very precious when there's less of it to waste". On the good side, my Uncle Dr. Craig Fischer (some of you have seen the photos I've posted of him in his space suit and coming and going on the steps of the shuttle) was the guest of Honor at a celebration Tuesday night in Houston where he was presented the coveted Melbourne W. Boynton Award by the American Astronautical Society. NOTE: If you read the story about Boynton, I think we can agree he may have pushed the term "human guinea pig" past it's limits Craig is an amazing guy and I attribute much of my interest in math, science and physics to him. When I was a kid he was deeply involved in the Redstone rocket launches and all the subsequent space shots. While visiting Topeka for the holidays once he came to speak to my 7th grade science class and every week, like clockwork, I got his last week's copy of the NASA technical updates. When manned space flight started it was great. . . each and every time anything touched down a couple days later in the mail I'd get an envelope with a huge mission logo and a postmark with something like "Aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise" with a watermark of the capsule. I've got the entire collection and have been meaning to frame them. When it was time to walk on the moon, the Fischer family came to live with us while Uncle Craig dutifully went to live in his fully furnished sealed glass box for 30 days prior to the launch. He'd stay in this environment ready to welcome the guys back from the moon and the plan was he'd spend 30 days doing evaluations to make certain they weren't bringing back some strange unknown bacteria. I recall pictures of Uncle Craig looking like a caged animal sitting in the middle of a room like Hannibal Lector in a box. Wasn't much later that Craig, one of very few people in the world with "Chief of Space Medicine" on his business card told NASA bye-bye . . he wasn't working for the government pay package and set out to be Chief of Pathology at Eisenhower Medical Center in Palm Desert, CA. But even that wasn't enough, he's imbued with an Erik Buell style sense of entrepreneurship and opened his own pathology lab. . . . he was as much in the business of inventing leading edge equipment to analyze tissue as anything. Eventually he'd return to NASA, lured by international space activities, but the 15 years in California was great . . . I still recall sitting in the backseat (if you can call the 2 pods in a Porsche 911 a backseat) while he showed 4 of us what the terminal velocity of a Porsche 911 was on a desert road. . . I recall trying to count the Margaritas we'd had over the past couple hours at Las Casuelas Nuevas. My Aunt Sandy, still eager to grow up at 70, is still remember for having arrived at one of Palm Desert's most exclusive country clubs, to play tennis wearing a shirt that said "•••• HOUSEWORK". Always an aviation nut, and like me a pilot but not a great one, he bought 3 Beechcraft King Airs and started a air charter service. Some of us, denied the skills of real pilots, just have to be around aviation. Palm Desert resulted in a host of funny stories and one of the best was his continuing relation with NASA. During this time there was a lot of space exploration going on and you don't exactly go to Monster.com and get a Space Flight Surgeon. . . no sign off from Dr. Fischer, no fly. So NASA, the week before each flight, would send a pair of baby blue T-38's to California to retrieve "The Doctor". The young AF jocks, knowing Craig's weakness for flight, like to entertain themselves crossing the county. Craig said he come to know what was about to happen when he saw the wing man begin to ease away . . . and he'd hear "okay, you got it Doc". It was an ugly scene and to quote Craig. . . "Those things are really touchy". I once took him to a construction job I had going . . . at Lang, KS in 1983. I noticed he was nowhere around and went looking for him. I found him talking to a guy holding a jack hammer lecturing him "did you know you can get permanent hearing damage from doing that" while he fashioned make shirt ear plugs from a piece of cotton glove liner cut with the guys pocket knife. He's always amazed me as a true genius with a down to earth basic sense of "what works". The trait earned him the same reputation at NASA for being able to call a stupid program a waste of time while designing and implementing a better one. He says he's retired as of the end of last year but I don't believe it. He and Aunt Sandy bought some 30,000SF ex-presidential "castle" in rural Mexico and vowed to spend leisurely time there. But at the same time he opened an office in Moscow at the bidding of the Russian Space Authority when they hired him as the sole Flight Surgeon for the MIR and International Space Station projects. Anyway . . . It was way cool to see him get the award and to visit with him on the phone last night. He's invited me to Mexico for a "week of adventure" . . somehow with him, I'm sure it would be. Like most my motorcycle friends he's a very smart person, part of whom seemed to have been frozen at 16 years old . . . It's a fascinating life. Court | ||
| Jaimec |
Yesterday I thought I was having a bad day. When I got home, I found out THIS guy has been my girlfriend's doctor for the past ten or more years: http://www.newsday.com/news/local/nassau/ny-lifink 1115,0,3252679.story | ||
| Old_man |
Court, I am so sorry to hear your bad news. I lost my youngest sister last year. It's not supposed to happen that way. You and your sister will be in my prayers. | ||
| Jumpinjewels |
My heart and prayers for your sister, Court. My friend Frank is not doing well. His cancer is now in his back and actually broke a vertebrae. He started chemo yesterday and will have it done 3x's a wk with a two wk break, then again 3 more sessions. He truly needs a miracle now. Will keep both Frank and your sister in our prayers | ||
| Bads1 |
Court, Sorry to hear of your Sister's illness. I lost my oldest brother a couple years ago to Cancer. My prayer's are with your family. | ||
| Daves |
Court, I am also sorry to hear the news of your sister. | ||
| Panthercity |
Court, regardless of all else, your simple humanity continues to impress and inspire me. May He bring peace and understanding to all your family. | ||
| Bikerjim99 |
My prayers are with you, Court. I just lost my mother in law to cancer, and know the helplessness of trying everything I could think of to help. Keep up your spirit so you can keep her's up. Jim | ||
| Ulywife |
Court, Thanks for sharing the story about your uncle. Sounds like a great man. Our prayers are with your sister and family. | ||
| Court |
>>>Sounds like a great man. Interesting guy . . . there is a prominent school of architecture named in honor of his Father Emil Fischer and if you start snooping around you'll find out the who gaggle of them was pretty sharp. Thanks to all of you for the kind words. IT is an amazing life. | ||
| Blake |
How about some stories of your young life with sis? Surely she can tell some good ones on you. Fess up now or lose the advantage of first telling. | ||
| Scott_in_nh |
Sorry to hear about your sister Court, if she is anything like you I'm sure she is handling it with grace and determination. I'm sure your uncle could tell us many stories about the will to survive and the power of positive thought! Thanks for sharing his story too. I was in Houston 2 weeks ago on business, and the only thing I stole a few extra hours for before flying home was a trip to the Johnson Space Center (great place for kids and dreamers of all ages)! | ||
| Steveshakeshaft |
Sorry to read this, Court our thoughts and with you, that's the sort of news we all dread hearing about. | ||
| Rich |
We wish your sis the best, Court. Great story about your uncle. (Message edited by Rich on November 17, 2007) | ||
| No_rice |
sorry to hear of your sister court. our family has had its fair share of cancer battles. it is never a good thought. keep your head up(i have never gotten the idea you would do anything else though) | ||
| Anonymous |
Court, all the best of wishes and prayers for your sister. If she is anything like you, she will fight with all her strength and enjoy every moment she has to the fullest. And she will have you at her side all the way, which is one heck of a bonus. | ||
| Crusty |
Court; the news about your sister is a real shame. You have whatever support I can offer. If there is anything I can do, please don't hesitate to ask. | ||
| Etennuly |
Court, my family and I wish you and yours only the best in this time with your sister. Truly sounds like being your sibling would assure that she has an amazing life too. Congratulations to your Uncle, another amazing life without doubt. | ||
| Bud |
court, all the best wishes for your sister.. lots and lots of strenght for you and yours i have seen a yong healthy boy with not a care in the world been turned in to very fragile man fighting the deacese for 12 years, and he never stopped fighting with hise bold head form all the treathments looking at the world, looking not for pitty but for some one who he could help fighting. he's still fragile,but happely married with a very loving wive and two adopted kids ( the treatments made it imposseble to have kids ) still helping other people fighting | ||
| Madduck |
Not much to say Court, you have my prayers. Resist the urge to help, let your sister know that you are there for her and she will do the deciding. Now would be a good time to let her make all the decisions and let her win a few arguments. Remember this is a first for her and experience in how to go thru this is hard to come by. Disease processes make her very fragile and a stream of well wishers may sap all the available energy. Alone and in the dark is always calming when the pain gets bad. | ||
| Zac4mac |
Court - got sent over here from the bickering by RatBuell. Sorry for the news. Thanks for the Perspective. Reminded me of sitting on the floor while my great grandma told me about coming across Kansas in a Conestoga being chased by Indians. She was born in 1869 and died in 1968. Z | ||
| Coal400 |
I'm very sorry to hear of your sister. I pray that she is comfortable and your that your family stays strong. Thank you for also sharing the stories about your uncle. How could you not be influenced by a guy like that. You guys are definitely squeezing the juice out of life. Take care Court | ||
| Court |
>>>You guys are definitely squeezing the juice out of life. That award would go to Dr. Fischer's Father, Mr. Emil C. Fischer who will turn 100 in a couple weeks. In addition to having a prominent school of architecture named after him, he's written a number of books. The most favored by the family is the one he did on churches in the Manhattan, Kansas area. He drew all the spectacular pen and ink illustrations and hand wrote the story of each church. Don't confuse him with the Emil Fischer who never immigrated . . . he won the 1902 Nobel Peace Prize and was a prominent scientist. You can see why I became a construction worker.  Emil C. Fishcer is also a talented musician and plays organ and piano 3 times a week in the home he lives in located at Sun City, AZ. Life is fascinating. Court | ||
| Road_thing |
Court: Our thoughts and prayers are with your sister and your family. And, of course, with you. tom | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Court, best wishes for you and your family this season, and for your sister on a daily basis. Words simply fail the situation. In the wishes of my Great Grandfather when he was diagnosed, all he ever wanted was "just one more" (be it day, birthday, smile, visit) It was always that next one that kept him going (way past what Drs predicted) the best thing was that "just one more" never really arrived because when you got there you still had "just one more." It has carried me through on many a tough occasion. |
