Congratulations, Kirk. I've done enough teaching to understand that seeing your students succeed is a huge boost to your own satisfaction.
I just read your "statement," and tried to remember the call sign of that radar station. Like you, I love the southwest. I sort of grew up traveling Route 66 -- first with my parents and later on my own, and I spent some years in radar stations, the most remote of which was Beausejour, Manitoba, unless I count Paddy Control in the Vietnam delta.
Wish I could get to Chicago for the show.
