Stuff

Man it was pretty today. The storms have held off until about now-I can see the winds picking up now. But up until now, it was blue and sunny and warm. So warm I drove around with my window rolled down on my car. It's a good thing I like that and don't care about my hair, because it was hot in my car without the air conditioning working, and it was only 66 today. Ah, warm spring breezes are the best!

This morning Kaylee and I Decorated her paper Easter Egg for school, then I headed her off to school, came back, worked some, then went out to Glenndale for the rest of the morning. I had an interesting conversation with a friend. I told him I was considering getting my ATP (Airline Transport Pilot) license. I never had because I never needed it-I wasn't going for an airline or "professional pilot" career. I told him that some people had kind of jokingly brought it up awhile ago, and I blew it off, and it came back up yesterday, and I started to blow it off, and then I didn't. I still can't think of any good reason I'd need it. But when I got my multi-engine rating, I hadn't really thought there was anything I'd be able to do with IT, either. I knew we wouldn't be able to keep the plane, and I knew I wasn't going for a 'career', but I did it anyway because 1) It was there, 2) I could, and 3) I enjoyed learning something new. That's it. I had no big plans or aspirations, I just got the MEL and MEI, taught several people in a short time period, and enjoyed flying twins while I had them. If I would have decided not to do that, everything would be so different right now. Opportunity may knock, or it may not, but if you're not prepared, it won't matter either way. I happened to have enough time and be the only one around fairly current when Pizza Hut came knocking. And it goes from there. So, this morning, after I'd already said "no way" to the ATP the night before, and even though I still can't think of any good reason I'd need it, I decided with this friend that maybe I'd go ahead and do it. After all, 1) It is here, 2) I can, and 3) I could use the sharpening of skills. A focused practice towards a goal that has tight tolerances would be good for me.

I can't imagine what may come up in the future that would be benefited by me having an ATP, and it might be nothing at all. If that's the case, I'm not out anything but gas money and time, and any flight time isn't really "out" anything to me. But just as I didn't foresee ever needing the MEL, who knows what the future holds and what may be available-if you're prepared. Besides, maybe it'll lower my insurance rates or something. :)

This friend encouraged me today, this is kind of embarrassing to write out, but it was encouraging. He told me that there were people around there, including him, who were proud of me, that he often heard people saying complimentary things about my flying, and that he thinks I ought to keep going, doing more. I just can't write out the last thing he said without feeling too weird about it, but it was very complimentary, I won't forget it, and I thank him for it.

So then I head to lunch, and meet up with Chuck, Nathan, a guy looking at the Twin Beech, and Steve. And what do you know, this guy has just passed his ATP checkride. lol So I asked him a couple of questions about it. Come to find out, Nathan's decided to go for his ATP after he gets his CFI (flight instructor), and Steve has decided to do his ATP after he gets his MEI (multi-engine instructor), and here I am saying I'd work on my ATP now. I wanted to laugh and say "Hey, I wasn't following the pack this time, I decided this this morning!" :o)

So...I guess I'll be studying several things at once here. ATP written, T-6 info, return to basic aerobatics, and oh yeah, don't get rusty on multi stuff or instrument stuff or taking actual trips. Eye yi yi!

I got a bunch more pictures from Angie to put up from this weekend. I'll have to try to do that tonight or tomorrow morning. :) I love pictures. I'm not putting up a couple of them though. Me standing in Target with large shell-shaped plastic plates over my chest like a Mermaid is not something the general public probably needs a gander at. Ha

When I picked Kaylee up at school today, it was sooo pretty out, I took a couple pictures of her in her new blue dress that I bought over this Cedarville Girl weekend. She's spent most of the day playing outside since she's been home. She even took Roadie for a "walk" outside, but Roadie freaked out when it got a little windy. I'm guessing she's having kitty flashbacks of hanging on to a Roadway Truck as it went hauling down the back roads. So that was the end of that experiment. Currently Kaylee is playing outside in a pretty dress, a white sweater, and bare feet. Now what is better than that??

I have to head off here, take Kaylee to Awanas, hit dinner, and one of these days I need to unpack my suitcase and do some laundry! Maybe tomorrow...I think it's supposed to rain and be yucky outside anyway!