Sure.  I'm happy where I'm at these days.  Did my life take the course I had planned when I left High School nearly sixteen years ago??  Hell no!

My original plan had me graduating from UCF, joining the Air Force and becoming an F-15 pilot....eventally an Astronaut.  Instead, I ended up leaving UCF, enlisting in the Air Force and practically paying for my Bachelor's degree in blood, taking me 11 years to get instead of the four most people take.  Then, I find out I'm too old to get a pilot's slot in the Air Force, missing the age cut-off by six months.

Luckily, I worked in a squadron which had a slot for a Space Guy, and in the three years I was at Eielson, two different guys held the job.  I was able to pick thair brains about AF Space Command and found it extremely interesting.  I'm now a first Lt working one of the most interesting and demanding jobs the AF has to offer.  With different space assignments I can get after my missile tour I will be extremely more marketable to many Aerosace corporations, companies that do consulting for the military, and even NASA.

Most of my friends from my UCF days ar still in the AF, some got out because they couldn't get pilot slots because of the drawdown after Desert Storm and got out, some are majors and I think one or wo at Lt Col's now.  If I had finished college in the 4-5 year track I had originally planned I could be that rank by now as well, but I would be a much different officer than the one I am now....it's more about the journey than the destination.

So Jaye, live your life they way YOU want to live it.  It's yours, and don't regret the choices you've made in the past...they've made you the person you are today.

Well..I think the Matt part is obvious.  The fury however, I put on when I was first getting online and trying to find a screenname for AOL.  They wouldn't take Just Matt, and there were this group of fighters that came on the bombing range I worked at (my first AF assignment), and were real great when we had our EW (Electronic Warfare) simulators up on them.  They're flight callsign was "fury" so I added that and 13 to get MattFURY13.  Even though I don't use AOL much anymore (my parents use the account so I still have it), I've kept the mattfury in my e-mail for continuity's sake.

Odd thing is, my AF callsign/nickname is Obi-Wan....but I doubt I could get that to go through on any SW forum. 

There are a couple of guys I've seen at the Target opening on 2 April and the TRU openings on 2 and 10 April that kind of have me wondering.  I think they are just Hot Wheel/Star Wars collectors, and I've never seen them be rude, take stuff from kids, or even run to the aisle, but both of them have told me "collecting tips" like I'm not collecting the right way or something.  Just kinda rub me the wrong way I guess....still I don't look down on them or anything, I just don't know them really well.

Ah...thanks so much for your help.  I can't snap together Lego's very well, so a model kit is out of the question.  Looks awesome though, gives me an idea on starching one of my many Vader's capes....I'll have to look into this.

Thanks again!!

Instead of starching the cape, you might want to try sewing in a wire around the edges of the cape.

Welcome IO.

A question for you, Matt.  How many diecast Nascar SW cars are there?  I assume you're talking about 1/24 scale.  I only have John Andretti's car and the three 1/64 cars that you could get from a cereal promotion when AOTC came out.  I know Jeff Gordan is the main driver to have a SW paint scheme, but I refuse to buy any of that tool's merchandise.  Any other drivers with SW paint jobs (either previously or upcoming?)

Mikey, as far as I know, there's the Jeff Gordon Episode I car.  The John Andretti cars you have for Episode II, and the Jeff Gordon, Elliot Sadler, Dale Jarret, and the concept Promo Darth Vader car for Episode III.  I do stick with the 1:24 scale because of the detail, but I also have the three from the Cheerios giveaway back in 2002.

Interesting choices from everyone else...as I knew they would be.  I'm also glad to see that I'm not the only one to find the question a bit difficult.

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Hey JoshEEE.  I went to check again and Dustin was in the process of removing me as I was replying to your post in the Feedback thread.

And there I was, inviting you to call me names.  Now I'll never know what you were going to say. 

I think the only thing I'd say negative about you JoshEEE is that I disagree with your politics.  Albeit, I might do that with a little more pizazz!

The Thirteenth Step.