I think of Mike Nadler as mild mannered, a generally cheerful guy who likes a laugh. The plastic eye he put in the crown of his hat to assist him in combat flying, for instance, as shown in the picture.

Mike tells lots of jokes — he has a toastmaster’s collection of quips in his head — and he revels in practical jokes.

• He furtively adds weight to Gary Morgan’s warbird just before a combat event.
• He quietly peels the sticky tape from the leading edge of Gary’s wing so it won’t easily snag a streamer.
• I haven’t noticed him reversing anyone’s propeller, but maybe I’d better double-check my planes.

Smiling Treachery. He’s sneaky, but funny.

Mike tells stories.

• Of the time he fastened a sign reading “I’m not wearing any pants!” to the passenger door of a friend’s car. The man wondered why people laughed and waved as he drove by. So did his wife when she borrowed the car later that day.
• Of how when he noticed dry cleaning hanging in a co-worker’s car he’d scrawl suggestions for personal hygiene and slip them under the plastic wrapper. “You should bathe more often!” for instance.

Pet Peeves. So it surprises me a bit when, one afternoon as Mike, Gary and I are finishing lunch, Mike starts talking about things that annoy him.

“I hate it when people don’t flush the toilet,” he exclaims, his voice rising to an edge of anger.

“Another thing that really ticks me off,” he adds, “is loud car alarms!”

Smaller Hulk. Suddenly Mike has turned into the Hulk, but not as green.

I can’t help it — I’m amused.

“You should have a radio show, Mike,” I say. “People could call you and you could share your pet peeves. You could call it ‘What’s Your Gripe?’”

But Wait! There’s More. Mike likes the idea. He tells us more things that set him off.

“New rolls of toilet paper that you can’t get started. I get so mad that I just give up. ‘Sorry about the curtains!’”

The Hulk can’t resist a joke.

Then he tells us what annoys Cathy, his significant other.

He’s enthusiastic about his litany of grievances.

Long-Fanged Viper. As he’s railing, I flash back to a headline I once wrote about a TV host getting bit by a Gaboon Viper. “What’s Eating Marlon Perkins?” I wrote.

A day or so later, Mike mentions that he can’t figure out where on my blog he can write about his gripes.

I wouldn’t say he is griping about it, but I promise that I’ll try to make a place.

Tags: Baylands, Combat, Flying, People, Snakes.

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