Love in the air

I work in downtown Cleveland, which means one thing this time of year: AIRSHOW. I sweartogod, those planes fly like two centimeters in between office buildings during their practice runs in the week leading up to the actual airshow.

And you know who flies those planes?

Pilots. Hot ones.

You see, every year at airshow time, I'm reminded of the streak of pilots I met back in my mid-20s. Some were commercial pilots. Some were military pilots. Some were private pilots. ALL were cute. But in the span of one Spring/Summer (when The Murse and I had briefly broken up), I think I met/talked to three or four different pilots over the course of a few months.

And my favorite one was probably the one I met at an airshow. Picture it: my friends and I were at Shooter's (back when I was still dumb enough to attempt going there during Labor Day weekend) and saw a few airshow pilots walk in wearing their full airshow regalia (jumpsuits, hats, sunglasses, boots... think Top Gun).

We chatted them up for the nite, tried on their gear (no -- legitimately tried on their hats and stuff... that was not a euphemism for something else, pervs) and fell head over heels in love. (OK, maybe that was just me.)

And I actually kept in touch with my Airshow Guy for several months after we met. We talked on the phone and emailed pretty regularly. (This was pre-texting and Facebook days, peeps. Aaaah, when life was easier.) I think he even sent me a card or two. But it obviously never went anywhere. (And he's now living in the south with his wife and two kids. Which I learned after he Facebook friended me a couple of years ago.)

But you know what? I still think about that mother effer every year now when the airshow comes to town.

And then I think of the streak of all the other pilots who made their appearance that same summer. The summer when love was in the air.

(For the record, I've also had this same thing happen with certain names. Remember this?)

Have you ever had a specific profession that just seemed to be your "type" for a while? What was it?

P.S. Happy Labor Day, loves! (And if you make it to the airshow, tell the boys I said hi.) ;)