Rollercoaster

It's beautiful today, and I'm thankful for it and hope it holds out over the whole weekend.

After I took Kaylee to school I went out to Kokomo Airport to fly the T-6 for the first time in a couple of weeks. It was really kind of funny-I said awhile ago that there should be a "Man Rule" that you shouldn't be allowed to fly an airplane if you can't get it out, get it ready, fly it and put it away without somebody holding your hand or doing it for you. (Unless you work for the airlines or something). Of course that doesn't mean you refuse help if it is offered, but you should be capable of doing it yourself. ;) So today I got to practice what I preached. The T-6 was buried in the back of the hangar. So I pulled out the Baron first and got it out of the way. I hooked up to the tug and attempted to pull out the T-6, but the Cheyenne had been put away juuuust a little too far over, and after several minutes of careful maneuvering, unhooking and trying it again, etc. I stopped and was staring at it. A friend who was out there told me if I cut it real hard this way and got past this part and then cut it real hard the other way and got it past the other part that I could make it out. I contemplated that for a whole second before saying "I am just not that talented." So I fired up the Cheyenne tug and moved that out of the hangar too. I got the T-6 out, put the Cheyenne back in, put the Baron back into the corner, unhooked from the T-6, closed the door, remembered to get oil to put in the back since I was solo, did that and the preflight and all that good stuff, and finally was ready to go take that quick and easy morning flight. :D

I took my camera and was going to take a few photos while I was up there, but no inspiration struck; and besides, I was mostly just doing takeoffs and landings. Not much photo-worthy there. Basically I took off, flew around and did a few quick maneuvers just to get in the swing of things, and then came back in and did four takeoffs and landings. I started off with the dead calm winds I've had every time I've been in it, and ended up with a blistering 10 knot wind 50 degrees off the runway. Pretty pathetic as far as crosswinds go...my mornings have been busy every day, and the winds when my schedule is open have lately been a touch on the blustery side for what I'm trying to do. It was a good flight though; I enjoyed it and it felt right. When I'm cruising along for a few minutes not doing anything, I find myself looking around waiting for a simulated engine failure/fire or other emergency though-I kept realizing I was a little on edge, and it's because I was waiting to jump on something "bad" that happened. lol

Putting it away after I was done was much easier, since I left it in the front of the hangar for the weekend. I then ran to the store and got school and home supplies, went to the post office, unloaded all my stuff at home and got right back in the car and went to lunch.

We met back up at Glenndale, five of us, and we headed over to a funeral home in Russiaville, where there was a viewing for one of our club member's wives. It's just one of those stories that hurts to hear. Our friend was laid off of his job at 60 years of age, and then that same day or two, his wife pulled out onto a street not seeing incoming traffic, and was hit and killed instantly. There were no skid marks from either car trying to brake-it seems like nobody even knew what hit them. He is going through so much...my heart just really goes out to him. I remember coming out of the hospital after Devon died and thinking that the whole world should just stop, just for a minute, to recognize a profound loss. Feeling that it was almost obscene to walk around and see people laughing and going on and having no idea of what had just happened, wanting to just tell everybody and make them all stop and feel what I did just for a minute too. But life doesn't work that way and the world does keep spinning. But while it's spinning with me on it too in many other directions than this, I did want to stop just for that minute and pray for him as he faces these years without his lifetime partner. I can't imagine what he's going through with the loss of his job and his wife all at the same time...

I left there and picked Kaylee up at school, dropping off some school supplies, and taking her to gymnastics.

Oh, last night on the way home from Awanas, Kaylee told me that she only got one section said because kids cut in front of her in line to say their sections. I asked her if she didn't say something like "excuse me, but I was here", and she said that yes, she did, but they just ignored her. I told her that it's okay to stand up for herself in situations, politely and appropriately, and she responded with "I know, Mommy, but saying the sections isn't that important to have to get in an argument over. I'm not a tough girl, I'm a nice girl." Well, except for today when she said a girl at school called her a Loser and Kaylee informed me that she wanted to take the book she was carrying and "hit her with it." Fortunately she did not do that... *sigh*

This evening I've been working on all the laundry that got behind, dishes, groceries, all that good domestic stuff, and tomorrow will be another busy day...