Irony: Being willing to walk 1-2 miles on the treadmill, but not doing it, only because you didn't feel like walking 20 feet to the garage to get your iPod to have something to listen to while walking.
Irony: The Mayor of NYC was balking at raising taxes on his wealthy citizens again, stating that out of 8.2 million residents of his city, about 40,000 of them are actually supporting the city with their tax dollars, and if he raises taxes on them any more he's afraid some of them will move elsewhere. Think about that one.
Kaylee is going to sleep so Steve can wake her up late tonight and have a camp out in the front room together, after a day of piddling, cleaning, fixing, organizing, and other various projects...
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Friday's Fluff
I went to bed last night to rolling thunder and heavy rain, and woke up to a light dusting of snow and freezing temperatures. I liked last night better.
Chuck did a great job getting taco salad "fixings" for today-I'm not a big salad fan, but you can't go wrong with black and green olives and meat and sauce that Judy fixed and sour cream and cheese shreds and crumbled tortilla chips and just everything to make it a high calorie and tasty meal to help me forget there is lettuce down there. ;) Next week is "loaded potato" week...guess who has leftover shredded cheese, sour cream, meat, etc.?
I hadn't heard for awhile, so I asked Kaylee today how she and Miss M from her class were doing. She said "We've been friends for like a year now, Mom!" I reminded her that it was around Valentine's Day which is just a few weeks ago, and she was surprised and said it felt like they'd always been friends. That whole situation-an 'enemy' turned friend after an act of kindness-was a nice little life lesson for her. :)
Tonight Kaylee has her Sparks-A-Rama (Awanas) practice for the games in a few weeks, and she's looking forward to that. I need to get her some soft knee pads somewhere though. They have one game where you crawl across the floor on your hands and knees, and without pads it tears up their knees, even through pants. Last time nobody told me that, so I sent her there without them, she still went for it, did great, and scraped up her knees. But they can't be harder pads like for bikes, so either I have to go buy some for one game, which I don't want to do, or rig something up. Hmmmm...
And let's see, to end on, the quote of the day is:
-----------------------------
"Let no man turn aside, ever so slightly, from the broad path of honour, on the plausible pretence that he is justified by the goodness of his end. All good ends can be worked out by good means." ~Charles Dickens
Chuck did a great job getting taco salad "fixings" for today-I'm not a big salad fan, but you can't go wrong with black and green olives and meat and sauce that Judy fixed and sour cream and cheese shreds and crumbled tortilla chips and just everything to make it a high calorie and tasty meal to help me forget there is lettuce down there. ;) Next week is "loaded potato" week...guess who has leftover shredded cheese, sour cream, meat, etc.?
I hadn't heard for awhile, so I asked Kaylee today how she and Miss M from her class were doing. She said "We've been friends for like a year now, Mom!" I reminded her that it was around Valentine's Day which is just a few weeks ago, and she was surprised and said it felt like they'd always been friends. That whole situation-an 'enemy' turned friend after an act of kindness-was a nice little life lesson for her. :)
Tonight Kaylee has her Sparks-A-Rama (Awanas) practice for the games in a few weeks, and she's looking forward to that. I need to get her some soft knee pads somewhere though. They have one game where you crawl across the floor on your hands and knees, and without pads it tears up their knees, even through pants. Last time nobody told me that, so I sent her there without them, she still went for it, did great, and scraped up her knees. But they can't be harder pads like for bikes, so either I have to go buy some for one game, which I don't want to do, or rig something up. Hmmmm...
And let's see, to end on, the quote of the day is:
-----------------------------
"Let no man turn aside, ever so slightly, from the broad path of honour, on the plausible pretence that he is justified by the goodness of his end. All good ends can be worked out by good means." ~Charles Dickens
I'm Not Done Yet
Somebody pointed out to me that pilots are not the smallest group under the gun from the TSA. Somehow you don't really think of mule drivers as a national security threat, but the TSA Does. In case you don't go to the link, I LOVE this, even as it leaves me shaking my head. Who knew CNN had a sense of humor? ;)
A federal anti-terror law that requires longshoremen, truckers and others to submit to criminal background checks has ensnared another class of transportation worker -- mule drivers. Mule skinners must abide by federal law and apply for Transportation Worker Identification Credentials, TSA says.
Yes, so-called mule skinners -- in this case, seasonal workers who dress in colonial garb at a historical park in Easton, Pa. -- must apply for biometric Transportation Worker Identification Credentials (TWIC), according to the Transportation Security Administration, which says it is bound by federal law.
The requirement has officials of the Hugh Moore Historical Park perplexed.
"We have one boat. It's pulled by two mules. On a good day they might go 2 miles per hour," said Sarah B. Hays, the park's director of operations.
The park's two-mile canal does not pass any military bases, nuclear power plants or other sensitive facilities. And, park officials say, the mules could be considered weapons of mass destruction only if they were aimed at something resembling food.
"I think the rule was written and the policy was set up for all the big shipping, and they never even considered something outside the normal bounds," Hays said.
"Weapons of mass destruction only if they were aimed at something resembling food." LOL That's not the whole article, but I liked that part of it.
The lead law was set up to protect children from being poisoned by lead toys from China, and nobody considered something like making us destroy all children's books printed before 1985 unless you tested them one at a time for lead content, even though there was no issue with lead in children's books, you know, just in case Johnny ATE his book. This transportation law was set up for big shipping, and nobody considered that some day George with his mule would have to have biometric credentials at $100 of his own cost. There is no common sense. None. Normally I know that and I ignore it, but this is stupid stuff that is eroding the baseline freedom of our country, one mule-skinner, thrift shop owner, trucker, and water and pilot at a time. So far.
Here is what one flight instructor from California had to say:
The American Revolution, if we believe the history books, sprang from a simple issue: "Taxation Without Representation."
The TSA, and countless other federal bureaucracies, are composed entirely of unelected bureaucrats who are not remotely answerable to the public. And yet they seem to exert just as much influence over the lives of American citizens, if not more influence, than the elected members of the legislative branch.
I wonder how much more abuse the American public is prepared to take. How much closer to a totalitarian society will the US become, before a group of citizens decides that they're just not going to take it anymore?
Security directives like these are just the tip of the iceberg. We have warrantless wiretapping. We have this idiotic new proposal to install GPS trackers in all American cars, ostensibly so 'user fees' can be collected from drivers. We have the Coast Guard about to require all personal watercraft to have transponders. We have eAPIS, which as I read it, essentially allows the government to deny permission to American citizens, who have not been charged with any form of crime, to leave the country. Isn't that entirely unconstitutional?
The problem is that the rapid improvement in communications and monitoring technology over the past few decades has made it all too easy for our government to monitor every aspect of our lives. It won't happen all at once... first they'll implement things like this "GPS in everyone's car" idea... then the TSA will insist on monitoring every private flight and private watercraft... we've already got warrantless wiretapping, and interception of Internet traffic (which means that right now some underpaid flunky at the NSA may well be reading this, since I used the phrases "armed revolution" and "disobedience" and so forth)...
The last straw, perhaps, will be when -- and you know this is going to happen -- some government agency (most likely DHS) insists on GPS-trackable microchips being implanted in every person who sets foot on US soil. It'll be sold as an anti-terrorist measure...or perhaps an anti-child-predator measure. Laugh if you want, but the idea has already been proposed for convicted child molesters -- how long before that's extended to anyone with a criminal conviction...and then anyone with a speeding ticket...and then, "just to be safe, for the children", extended to every person on US soil?
How much worse will it get on this Orwellian slide? I'm not advocating armed rebellion, but I am wondering: what will be the straw to break the camel's back? I don't think we're anywhere near there...I think, unfortunately, that most Americans are prepared to give up a great deal more freedom in the name of 'security.'
But when will it end? When will the protest marches begin -- or will most citizens be too afraid of the Federal Government's overwhelming military and technological might, to express their opinions?
A few decades from now, will there be a second American Revolution?
By the way, speaking of implanting microchips into every person on American soil...something they do for pets regularly now and are considering doing for some criminals and to help find lost or stolen children...anyone else see the end game there??
Man, I'm going to have to rename this blog "One Pilot, a Political Pundit, and a Princess" if I don't quit. Oh well. I'll go sit down and be quiet on it...for today.
A federal anti-terror law that requires longshoremen, truckers and others to submit to criminal background checks has ensnared another class of transportation worker -- mule drivers. Mule skinners must abide by federal law and apply for Transportation Worker Identification Credentials, TSA says.
Yes, so-called mule skinners -- in this case, seasonal workers who dress in colonial garb at a historical park in Easton, Pa. -- must apply for biometric Transportation Worker Identification Credentials (TWIC), according to the Transportation Security Administration, which says it is bound by federal law.The requirement has officials of the Hugh Moore Historical Park perplexed.
"We have one boat. It's pulled by two mules. On a good day they might go 2 miles per hour," said Sarah B. Hays, the park's director of operations.
The park's two-mile canal does not pass any military bases, nuclear power plants or other sensitive facilities. And, park officials say, the mules could be considered weapons of mass destruction only if they were aimed at something resembling food.
"I think the rule was written and the policy was set up for all the big shipping, and they never even considered something outside the normal bounds," Hays said.
"Weapons of mass destruction only if they were aimed at something resembling food." LOL That's not the whole article, but I liked that part of it.
The lead law was set up to protect children from being poisoned by lead toys from China, and nobody considered something like making us destroy all children's books printed before 1985 unless you tested them one at a time for lead content, even though there was no issue with lead in children's books, you know, just in case Johnny ATE his book. This transportation law was set up for big shipping, and nobody considered that some day George with his mule would have to have biometric credentials at $100 of his own cost. There is no common sense. None. Normally I know that and I ignore it, but this is stupid stuff that is eroding the baseline freedom of our country, one mule-skinner, thrift shop owner, trucker, and water and pilot at a time. So far.
Here is what one flight instructor from California had to say:
The American Revolution, if we believe the history books, sprang from a simple issue: "Taxation Without Representation."
The TSA, and countless other federal bureaucracies, are composed entirely of unelected bureaucrats who are not remotely answerable to the public. And yet they seem to exert just as much influence over the lives of American citizens, if not more influence, than the elected members of the legislative branch.
I wonder how much more abuse the American public is prepared to take. How much closer to a totalitarian society will the US become, before a group of citizens decides that they're just not going to take it anymore?
Security directives like these are just the tip of the iceberg. We have warrantless wiretapping. We have this idiotic new proposal to install GPS trackers in all American cars, ostensibly so 'user fees' can be collected from drivers. We have the Coast Guard about to require all personal watercraft to have transponders. We have eAPIS, which as I read it, essentially allows the government to deny permission to American citizens, who have not been charged with any form of crime, to leave the country. Isn't that entirely unconstitutional?
The problem is that the rapid improvement in communications and monitoring technology over the past few decades has made it all too easy for our government to monitor every aspect of our lives. It won't happen all at once... first they'll implement things like this "GPS in everyone's car" idea... then the TSA will insist on monitoring every private flight and private watercraft... we've already got warrantless wiretapping, and interception of Internet traffic (which means that right now some underpaid flunky at the NSA may well be reading this, since I used the phrases "armed revolution" and "disobedience" and so forth)...
The last straw, perhaps, will be when -- and you know this is going to happen -- some government agency (most likely DHS) insists on GPS-trackable microchips being implanted in every person who sets foot on US soil. It'll be sold as an anti-terrorist measure...or perhaps an anti-child-predator measure. Laugh if you want, but the idea has already been proposed for convicted child molesters -- how long before that's extended to anyone with a criminal conviction...and then anyone with a speeding ticket...and then, "just to be safe, for the children", extended to every person on US soil?
How much worse will it get on this Orwellian slide? I'm not advocating armed rebellion, but I am wondering: what will be the straw to break the camel's back? I don't think we're anywhere near there...I think, unfortunately, that most Americans are prepared to give up a great deal more freedom in the name of 'security.'
But when will it end? When will the protest marches begin -- or will most citizens be too afraid of the Federal Government's overwhelming military and technological might, to express their opinions?
A few decades from now, will there be a second American Revolution?
By the way, speaking of implanting microchips into every person on American soil...something they do for pets regularly now and are considering doing for some criminals and to help find lost or stolen children...anyone else see the end game there??
Man, I'm going to have to rename this blog "One Pilot, a Political Pundit, and a Princess" if I don't quit. Oh well. I'll go sit down and be quiet on it...for today.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
How I Know I'm Getting Old
Originally this was all going to be one post, but I 1) ran out of time to write then and 2) figured the entries were long enough as they were individually. ;)
I just came back from Kaylee's gymnastics, where she finished her last class in Level One. I was looking around, and I saw a girl way up on the rope. You probably had them in gym class like I did-big thick rope that goes to the ceiling, has a bell or ribbon on top so you can prove you made it all the way to the top? This rope is probably about 20' up or so at best guess. I see a girl about 3/4ths of the way up so I take a closer look-and it's Kaylee. She got to within just a couple feet of the top, and then she looked down, talked to her coach for a second, and came on down. When she came out, I said "You were so close! Why did you stop?" She said "Miss Ashli told me to come down. She said that she could tell I was getting really tired and I still had to be strong enough to come all the way back down, too. So she made me come down." That was probably a good thing-you don't want to use all your gas getting there and get stuck, or fall, not from that high up. Kaylee also got the farthest just using her arms, no legs. She did well!
While we were there, someone walked by and I smelled a very strong odor of what I thought was unwashed body, but I didn't think anything about it. And then about two minutes later I turned around to see who had just come in, and saw that what I was smelling was actually Taco Bell. That took care of any craving I may have had for that particular establishment for awhile. ;)
So, How I know I’m getting old. For one thing, I have more patience for some things than I used to-and a lot less patience for others. The six-inch-long pure white hair I found on the side of my head might be another indicator. (I may have gotten lucky and got my grandma's silver hair instead of just a dull gray, or maybe I'm just still young enough that it's a little shiny still.) ;) But the biggest way I can tell I must be getting old, is how bothered I am by some of the changes happening around me in the world.
The first one I barely heard about and you probably didn't was the CPSIA. The link goes to a blog entry that describes it and the problem with it better than I could. The bottom line is that this was a law created for the purpose of 'saving the children' from lead poisoning that ended up growing into a monster and destroying things that have never harmed anyone, well beyond the original intent of the law, meanwhile taking out small businesses who couldn't afford to "lead test" every book and piece of clothing they had for sale and forcing thrift shops to stop selling anything for children. That'll help people in this tough economy, won't it? The few people who heard about it screamed, but who listens to book lovers and struggling small businesses and families? The law is in effect, nobody heard, nobody cares, injustice is served and life moves on.
It moves on to the TSA and Aviation. The TSA (Terrorist Security Agency...I mean Transportation Security Administration, you know, the folks who make you take your shoes off before you board an airliner?) have a big proposal going through right now called LASP or Large Aircraft Security Program, in the guise of "protecting us from terrorists". This is wrong on so many levels that it is really just scary. If what they are proposing goes through, they will force anybody who has or uses an airplane bigger than 12,500 lbs and any airport that serves them to undergo what should be completely unconstitutional requirements. People will have to get government permission to operate their own airplanes, will have to get background checks, have identity badges, provide manifests and so forth. It will end up with crippling financial burdens being placed on aviation-related businesses, will choke small airports, and will shut down some programs such as bigger historical warbird groups. And did I mention that LASP would result in whole-scale government monitoring and approval of any flight in a privately-owned aircraft and the passenger(s) carried?? HELLO??
By the way, while we were all busy yelling about that one, the TSA has sneaked in another "Security Directive" that is "top secret" and "unavailable to be discussed publicly yet" that a little information was just released about. They are moving this down to another portion of general aviation, and now even if you are just Joe Blow Pilot, if you have an airplane at an airport where a certain type of flying takes place, you can't set foot on the grounds until you have been screened for security clearance and badged. And every airport is independent, so if you fly somewhere else like that, you have to sit in your airplane and be escorted around by a security agent, or be screened, cleared and badged for every airport you might want to go to. At your own cost of around $175 per place, by the way.
Welcome to the U.S.S.A. Papers, please. Our government will tell you whether or not you can get in your own personal vehicle and operate it. After they fingerprint you, screen you and provide you with your papers. These are privately owned airplanes. How would you feel if this was being handed down to people driving their privately owned cars on our highways, for example?
People are screaming, are talking about revolting, about disobeying en-mass, about all sorts of things, but I'll bet you've never heard any of it. You know why? Because pilots make up about 2% of the population, and there isn't enough of them for people to care. We're all sitting on the same stove, but as long as the heat hasn't been turned up on a bigger pot on a different burner, like maybe trucking agencies, or the bus industry, or railroads, or John Q. Public's SUVs, nobody thinks it's a very big deal. It is a very big deal. This is scary stuff, all proposed by an agency that didn't exist until a few years ago, which has now exceeded its intent and bounds and is reaching out under buzzwords like "security" and "safety" to do things they should have no right to do, to do things that Americans should dismiss in disgust. Instead, people think "oh, well, if it makes us safer..." or "oh, well, it doesn't bother me any, who cares."
Well, it does not make you safer, and I'd be happy to tell you why, and it DOES bother people I know. I know I probably sound like I'm over-reacting, but this is what comes to my mind anyway:
"In Germany they first came for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me —
and by that time no one was left to speak up."
This is wrong, folks. Speak up.
I just came back from Kaylee's gymnastics, where she finished her last class in Level One. I was looking around, and I saw a girl way up on the rope. You probably had them in gym class like I did-big thick rope that goes to the ceiling, has a bell or ribbon on top so you can prove you made it all the way to the top? This rope is probably about 20' up or so at best guess. I see a girl about 3/4ths of the way up so I take a closer look-and it's Kaylee. She got to within just a couple feet of the top, and then she looked down, talked to her coach for a second, and came on down. When she came out, I said "You were so close! Why did you stop?" She said "Miss Ashli told me to come down. She said that she could tell I was getting really tired and I still had to be strong enough to come all the way back down, too. So she made me come down." That was probably a good thing-you don't want to use all your gas getting there and get stuck, or fall, not from that high up. Kaylee also got the farthest just using her arms, no legs. She did well!
While we were there, someone walked by and I smelled a very strong odor of what I thought was unwashed body, but I didn't think anything about it. And then about two minutes later I turned around to see who had just come in, and saw that what I was smelling was actually Taco Bell. That took care of any craving I may have had for that particular establishment for awhile. ;)
So, How I know I’m getting old. For one thing, I have more patience for some things than I used to-and a lot less patience for others. The six-inch-long pure white hair I found on the side of my head might be another indicator. (I may have gotten lucky and got my grandma's silver hair instead of just a dull gray, or maybe I'm just still young enough that it's a little shiny still.) ;) But the biggest way I can tell I must be getting old, is how bothered I am by some of the changes happening around me in the world.
The first one I barely heard about and you probably didn't was the CPSIA. The link goes to a blog entry that describes it and the problem with it better than I could. The bottom line is that this was a law created for the purpose of 'saving the children' from lead poisoning that ended up growing into a monster and destroying things that have never harmed anyone, well beyond the original intent of the law, meanwhile taking out small businesses who couldn't afford to "lead test" every book and piece of clothing they had for sale and forcing thrift shops to stop selling anything for children. That'll help people in this tough economy, won't it? The few people who heard about it screamed, but who listens to book lovers and struggling small businesses and families? The law is in effect, nobody heard, nobody cares, injustice is served and life moves on.
It moves on to the TSA and Aviation. The TSA (Terrorist Security Agency...I mean Transportation Security Administration, you know, the folks who make you take your shoes off before you board an airliner?) have a big proposal going through right now called LASP or Large Aircraft Security Program, in the guise of "protecting us from terrorists". This is wrong on so many levels that it is really just scary. If what they are proposing goes through, they will force anybody who has or uses an airplane bigger than 12,500 lbs and any airport that serves them to undergo what should be completely unconstitutional requirements. People will have to get government permission to operate their own airplanes, will have to get background checks, have identity badges, provide manifests and so forth. It will end up with crippling financial burdens being placed on aviation-related businesses, will choke small airports, and will shut down some programs such as bigger historical warbird groups. And did I mention that LASP would result in whole-scale government monitoring and approval of any flight in a privately-owned aircraft and the passenger(s) carried?? HELLO??
By the way, while we were all busy yelling about that one, the TSA has sneaked in another "Security Directive" that is "top secret" and "unavailable to be discussed publicly yet" that a little information was just released about. They are moving this down to another portion of general aviation, and now even if you are just Joe Blow Pilot, if you have an airplane at an airport where a certain type of flying takes place, you can't set foot on the grounds until you have been screened for security clearance and badged. And every airport is independent, so if you fly somewhere else like that, you have to sit in your airplane and be escorted around by a security agent, or be screened, cleared and badged for every airport you might want to go to. At your own cost of around $175 per place, by the way.
Welcome to the U.S.S.A. Papers, please. Our government will tell you whether or not you can get in your own personal vehicle and operate it. After they fingerprint you, screen you and provide you with your papers. These are privately owned airplanes. How would you feel if this was being handed down to people driving their privately owned cars on our highways, for example?
People are screaming, are talking about revolting, about disobeying en-mass, about all sorts of things, but I'll bet you've never heard any of it. You know why? Because pilots make up about 2% of the population, and there isn't enough of them for people to care. We're all sitting on the same stove, but as long as the heat hasn't been turned up on a bigger pot on a different burner, like maybe trucking agencies, or the bus industry, or railroads, or John Q. Public's SUVs, nobody thinks it's a very big deal. It is a very big deal. This is scary stuff, all proposed by an agency that didn't exist until a few years ago, which has now exceeded its intent and bounds and is reaching out under buzzwords like "security" and "safety" to do things they should have no right to do, to do things that Americans should dismiss in disgust. Instead, people think "oh, well, if it makes us safer..." or "oh, well, it doesn't bother me any, who cares."
Well, it does not make you safer, and I'd be happy to tell you why, and it DOES bother people I know. I know I probably sound like I'm over-reacting, but this is what comes to my mind anyway:
"In Germany they first came for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me —
and by that time no one was left to speak up."
This is wrong, folks. Speak up.
Steve the Assiduous
Steve doesn't get much exposure on this blog, probably much to his relief, but I've got two about him today. First, he got a piece of mail today that I couldn't figure out at first, and once I did, it makes me laugh every time I think about it. It was a shiny nice brochure for "The Legacy". What is The Legacy, you might ask? The inside describes it as "A special neighborhood designed for individuals with memory challenges.” Yep, there I go again. :D Okay, no, "memory wards" are Not Funny, not at all. In fact, they are one of the most painful things I can think of. But see, Steve just got a brochure for a "special place" for "memory challenged" people, and I'm sorry, color me callous, but I'm still snickering. (Reality is, I am more "memory challenged" than he is these days.) Wait wait wait a minute, I am married to someone who is old enough to get brochures in the mail for old folks' homes?? :O
;)
Not too long ago I posted a random sampling of things I might be doing when I say I'm "working at home" or "nothing exciting" is going on. You already know what Kaylee does most days. So I thought I'd tell you what Steve does. Of course there is the easily explained, like flight instruction. There is also a computer end of things you don't hear much about. He works with a couple of companies as their "computer guy", setting things up, fixing problems, networking, servers, etc. One of his companies is a pretty large, many multi-million dollar corporation with several locations in a couple of different states, with a lot of computerized setups, security, etc., and he is the one responsible for it. There have been many mornings or nights he has had to run out there and get something working asap, including several times where an issue had to be resolved by the next day or payroll would not go out for anybody in the morning. Or an issue where multi-million dollar bids won't be able to be placed, or networks were down, or security was breached, or whatever. He'll come wandering home sometime after midnight, successfully. That's where he is going this afternoon, in fact, to get something hopefully up and running before Friday. Fortunately it is raining today, so he doesn't have to choose between that and airport business.
Airport business is a lot more than just hopping in an airplane and teaching for an hour and going home, though instructing isn't that easy either. There is of course the accounting end of it, which he mostly does by himself. The taxes-and you would not believe the sheer amount of constant tax forms involved in this stuff-the accounts receivable and payable. I try to help with billing once a month, and the banking runs, but otherwise he does it. There is managing the fuel and oil and pilot supplies for the airport. Knowing what to order and when and how much of it, not being out of what you need even for a day, and timing it all perfectly. Maintenance. This one exhausts me. A dozen airplanes all with things that have to be kept up on, fixed, looked at, moved from one place to another, routine maintenance interspersed with not-so-routine stuff, there is always a massive list of things in constant motion to do, and let me tell you, ordering parts for these things alone is a full time job for somebody. There is no easy place to do it, so you have to figure out the part, the part number, see who has it, who has it for the cheapest price because aviation parts are a fortune, order it properly and get it in, then know where to direct it. Managing the labor on the maintenance work-who is doing what work on what airplane for what and how, and keeping track of it all. Right now he is also planning an air show. We're having a show on July 4th at Kokomo, which includes getting waivered air space, meeting all the FAAs rules and regs, setting up advertising, acts, static displays, taking care of who is doing what as far as food, parking, extra restroom facilities, volunteers, and the legalities. This is one of three events, as he's got a small one at Sheridan and our annual BBQ Bash, too. He makes and takes phone calls and meetings with people to talk to them about learning to fly, selling our airports and our instruction. He did that last night until almost 10 p.m. in fact. He will help appraise and buy and sell airplanes once in awhile, and knows a good deal about that end of it too, sometimes just for friends, and sometimes even for court ordered situations. On top of these various things, there is always the big one: how to make a small aviation business stay afloat. How do you pay for all that fuel, the supplies, the parts, the labor and the insurance?? I am telling you, you would be amazed at what it takes.
There is one last thing I can think of at the moment, though I know I'm missing some. He sits in the office, and he stops and talks to whomever calls in or walks in or sits down to stay, and he can usually do so as if he has absolutely nothing else he needs to do but talk to that person right then. Sometimes people even poke at him about how he does 'nothing' but sit there and talk. Uh-huh. He also works from very early to 9-10 p.m., sometimes much later, up to 6-7 days a week. And while he is talking, off and on he's looking up a part number, or writing down a contact to call, or making a note to look up an AD, or figuring out when to send out a bill, or...
Steve is a very busy boy, and he juggles more literal full-time jobs and pressure than anyone I know. He doesn't complain, he still comes to his daughter's events and spends special time with her one-on-one, he still takes care of her sometimes so I can go do things that are just fun for me, and he doesn't lose perspective, even when things are a...serious challenge. With all that on his plate, I guess he's not ready for "The Legacy" and its "special neighborhood" for "memory challenged" people...just yet. ;)
;)
Not too long ago I posted a random sampling of things I might be doing when I say I'm "working at home" or "nothing exciting" is going on. You already know what Kaylee does most days. So I thought I'd tell you what Steve does. Of course there is the easily explained, like flight instruction. There is also a computer end of things you don't hear much about. He works with a couple of companies as their "computer guy", setting things up, fixing problems, networking, servers, etc. One of his companies is a pretty large, many multi-million dollar corporation with several locations in a couple of different states, with a lot of computerized setups, security, etc., and he is the one responsible for it. There have been many mornings or nights he has had to run out there and get something working asap, including several times where an issue had to be resolved by the next day or payroll would not go out for anybody in the morning. Or an issue where multi-million dollar bids won't be able to be placed, or networks were down, or security was breached, or whatever. He'll come wandering home sometime after midnight, successfully. That's where he is going this afternoon, in fact, to get something hopefully up and running before Friday. Fortunately it is raining today, so he doesn't have to choose between that and airport business.
Airport business is a lot more than just hopping in an airplane and teaching for an hour and going home, though instructing isn't that easy either. There is of course the accounting end of it, which he mostly does by himself. The taxes-and you would not believe the sheer amount of constant tax forms involved in this stuff-the accounts receivable and payable. I try to help with billing once a month, and the banking runs, but otherwise he does it. There is managing the fuel and oil and pilot supplies for the airport. Knowing what to order and when and how much of it, not being out of what you need even for a day, and timing it all perfectly. Maintenance. This one exhausts me. A dozen airplanes all with things that have to be kept up on, fixed, looked at, moved from one place to another, routine maintenance interspersed with not-so-routine stuff, there is always a massive list of things in constant motion to do, and let me tell you, ordering parts for these things alone is a full time job for somebody. There is no easy place to do it, so you have to figure out the part, the part number, see who has it, who has it for the cheapest price because aviation parts are a fortune, order it properly and get it in, then know where to direct it. Managing the labor on the maintenance work-who is doing what work on what airplane for what and how, and keeping track of it all. Right now he is also planning an air show. We're having a show on July 4th at Kokomo, which includes getting waivered air space, meeting all the FAAs rules and regs, setting up advertising, acts, static displays, taking care of who is doing what as far as food, parking, extra restroom facilities, volunteers, and the legalities. This is one of three events, as he's got a small one at Sheridan and our annual BBQ Bash, too. He makes and takes phone calls and meetings with people to talk to them about learning to fly, selling our airports and our instruction. He did that last night until almost 10 p.m. in fact. He will help appraise and buy and sell airplanes once in awhile, and knows a good deal about that end of it too, sometimes just for friends, and sometimes even for court ordered situations. On top of these various things, there is always the big one: how to make a small aviation business stay afloat. How do you pay for all that fuel, the supplies, the parts, the labor and the insurance?? I am telling you, you would be amazed at what it takes.
There is one last thing I can think of at the moment, though I know I'm missing some. He sits in the office, and he stops and talks to whomever calls in or walks in or sits down to stay, and he can usually do so as if he has absolutely nothing else he needs to do but talk to that person right then. Sometimes people even poke at him about how he does 'nothing' but sit there and talk. Uh-huh. He also works from very early to 9-10 p.m., sometimes much later, up to 6-7 days a week. And while he is talking, off and on he's looking up a part number, or writing down a contact to call, or making a note to look up an AD, or figuring out when to send out a bill, or...
Steve is a very busy boy, and he juggles more literal full-time jobs and pressure than anyone I know. He doesn't complain, he still comes to his daughter's events and spends special time with her one-on-one, he still takes care of her sometimes so I can go do things that are just fun for me, and he doesn't lose perspective, even when things are a...serious challenge. With all that on his plate, I guess he's not ready for "The Legacy" and its "special neighborhood" for "memory challenged" people...just yet. ;)
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Kaylee
What a gorgeous day! It was so nice that when Kaylee came home from school, she ran outside in her t-shirt and played on her playground for almost an hour, and I left some windows open for awhile to enjoy the warmer breeze...
Kaylee went to school today wearing pink pants, her cheerleading t-shirt, and her hair on a side-of-the-head 1980-style ponytail, in full "Girl" mode. Well, not full girl mode. She chose to take a science box full of fake big bugs and little cards that describe each bug, its habitat, its feeding habits, and its reproduction ("Mommy, what is r-e-p-r-o-d-u-c-t-i-o-n?") to school with her, a thing that went over very well in her class actually. :)
Tonight was Parent's Night at Awanas, so I went with Kaylee. I hope some day she knows how much I love her. ;) It was riotous in there! Parents tagged around with the kids, had to learn Bible verses, go with them to the games, listen to the Bible story, etc. I was one of about seven parents out of the 35 kids there. Kaylee said 3 sections, and did great. I had six verses I was supposed to learn, and I did the last four of them all at once, and the leader turned around and said "Did you hear that?? This mom just said all these at once!" They clapped, I bowed, and I thought maybe I should have gotten a jewel in my crown too. ;)
(Fortunately they didn't ask me to say all six again about an hour later!)
----------------------------------------
“We will all discover the nature of our particular genius when we stop trying to conform to other people's models and learn to be ourselves." ~Shakti Gawain
"Wherever you are, whatever your circumstances may be, whatever misfortune you may have suffered, the music of your life has not gone. It’s inside you, and if you listen to it, you can play it." ~Nido Qubein
"The business of life is to go forward; he who sees evil in prospect meets it in his way; but he who catches it by retrospection turns back to find it. That which is feared may sometimes be avoided, but that which is regretted today may be regretted again tomorrow." ~Samuel Johnson
Kaylee went to school today wearing pink pants, her cheerleading t-shirt, and her hair on a side-of-the-head 1980-style ponytail, in full "Girl" mode. Well, not full girl mode. She chose to take a science box full of fake big bugs and little cards that describe each bug, its habitat, its feeding habits, and its reproduction ("Mommy, what is r-e-p-r-o-d-u-c-t-i-o-n?") to school with her, a thing that went over very well in her class actually. :)
Tonight was Parent's Night at Awanas, so I went with Kaylee. I hope some day she knows how much I love her. ;) It was riotous in there! Parents tagged around with the kids, had to learn Bible verses, go with them to the games, listen to the Bible story, etc. I was one of about seven parents out of the 35 kids there. Kaylee said 3 sections, and did great. I had six verses I was supposed to learn, and I did the last four of them all at once, and the leader turned around and said "Did you hear that?? This mom just said all these at once!" They clapped, I bowed, and I thought maybe I should have gotten a jewel in my crown too. ;)
(Fortunately they didn't ask me to say all six again about an hour later!)
----------------------------------------
“We will all discover the nature of our particular genius when we stop trying to conform to other people's models and learn to be ourselves." ~Shakti Gawain
"Wherever you are, whatever your circumstances may be, whatever misfortune you may have suffered, the music of your life has not gone. It’s inside you, and if you listen to it, you can play it." ~Nido Qubein
"The business of life is to go forward; he who sees evil in prospect meets it in his way; but he who catches it by retrospection turns back to find it. That which is feared may sometimes be avoided, but that which is regretted today may be regretted again tomorrow." ~Samuel Johnson
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Oops
I got my iPod out and was hiking on the treadmill this morning, when I noticed something fascinating. I glanced out the window to my right, and saw a full-body reflection of myself in the glass/plastic...in half size! The windows on the deck are at such an angle that it's like a funhouse mirror, and from that spot on the treadmill, it looked like I was about a size 6. I thought that was a great exercise plan-put up something like that and see if a person doesn't spend a little extra time looking at it. I almost forgot to turn on my music for awhile there I so enjoyed seeing mini-me again. ;)
On my way to lunch today, I was pulled over by a nice policeman. (I will know when Steve reads this blog entry when I hear him say "WHAT??") Don't worry, I did not get a ticket, let me get that out of the way up front. ;) As I was coming down my street, at the end there's a stop sign, two roads that go to the park, and a road away from the park. The roads coming from/to the park are tricky because you can't see traffic coming up them, and on the one side they have no yield or stop signs and come flying over that hill. As I was coming up to that stop sign, my wet shoe slid off the brake pedal. As I was stumbling around trying to get stopped, I threw a glance over my shoulder towards that hill to make sure there wasn't a car coming-and there was. At that point I knew that I'd be stopped in the middle of the intersection, which would be a bad thing if that car kept coming like it's supposed to, so I went ahead and went through it. The car coming over the hill-a police car. ;) He pulled me over immediately, and when he got up to my car, the first thing he said was "I saw the 'oh shoot' look on your face." I couldn't help it, I'd started laughing from the time I saw it was a police car, because of the irony of it. I told him quickly why I rolled through, and then I apologized, still laughing. He started laughing too, tapped my car, told me to drive safely, and went right back to his car, both of us still chuckling. I leaned out and said "thank you!" for him not writing me up. I'm glad I didn't get a cranky officer who would have been irritated by an oddly laughing girl. :)
On my way to lunch today, I was pulled over by a nice policeman. (I will know when Steve reads this blog entry when I hear him say "WHAT??") Don't worry, I did not get a ticket, let me get that out of the way up front. ;) As I was coming down my street, at the end there's a stop sign, two roads that go to the park, and a road away from the park. The roads coming from/to the park are tricky because you can't see traffic coming up them, and on the one side they have no yield or stop signs and come flying over that hill. As I was coming up to that stop sign, my wet shoe slid off the brake pedal. As I was stumbling around trying to get stopped, I threw a glance over my shoulder towards that hill to make sure there wasn't a car coming-and there was. At that point I knew that I'd be stopped in the middle of the intersection, which would be a bad thing if that car kept coming like it's supposed to, so I went ahead and went through it. The car coming over the hill-a police car. ;) He pulled me over immediately, and when he got up to my car, the first thing he said was "I saw the 'oh shoot' look on your face." I couldn't help it, I'd started laughing from the time I saw it was a police car, because of the irony of it. I told him quickly why I rolled through, and then I apologized, still laughing. He started laughing too, tapped my car, told me to drive safely, and went right back to his car, both of us still chuckling. I leaned out and said "thank you!" for him not writing me up. I'm glad I didn't get a cranky officer who would have been irritated by an oddly laughing girl. :)
Monday, February 23, 2009
Begin Again
I was asleep so hard that when the alarm went off and I opened my eyes, I didn't know where I was or what was happening for just a second. My own bed with a nice noisy fan...ahhhhh. :)
Mondays have the typical things that need done for the start of the week. The bank runs, the post office checks, the bills, catching up on some SMA and home things from over the weekend, a little laundry; you know.
Kaylee is excited to have a new setup up front just for her. We took a tv and put it up front where we usually put the Christmas tree, and set up her Wii, dvd player, and karaoke machine up there so she can play Wii on a weekend or evening and not worry if we're already using the tv. And we can shoo her up there to play without having to listen to Wii noises in our main living area for hours straight. ;) Just today she beat two more stages on the cheer-she's on a roll now.
Tonight was also the last "cheer" session of the season. The girls practiced for an hour, then did a little routine for the parents, each got a nice medal with "Hot Shots 2009" engraved on the back and a certificate with their name and completion of the course, and a picture with the trophy individually and as a group. Oh, the thing on her head in the photo is a bandaid. Her "flyer" scraped her across the face twice when she was getting down from a stunt. Cheerleading is a rough sport, you know. ;) Steve came with me tonight, and after her awards ceremony we went to Pizza Hut to use her "free pizza" certificate from her school's reading program. No more cheer for at least 8 weeks, and after that, we'll see. :)
Mondays have the typical things that need done for the start of the week. The bank runs, the post office checks, the bills, catching up on some SMA and home things from over the weekend, a little laundry; you know.
Kaylee is excited to have a new setup up front just for her. We took a tv and put it up front where we usually put the Christmas tree, and set up her Wii, dvd player, and karaoke machine up there so she can play Wii on a weekend or evening and not worry if we're already using the tv. And we can shoo her up there to play without having to listen to Wii noises in our main living area for hours straight. ;) Just today she beat two more stages on the cheer-she's on a roll now.
Tonight was also the last "cheer" session of the season. The girls practiced for an hour, then did a little routine for the parents, each got a nice medal with "Hot Shots 2009" engraved on the back and a certificate with their name and completion of the course, and a picture with the trophy individually and as a group. Oh, the thing on her head in the photo is a bandaid. Her "flyer" scraped her across the face twice when she was getting down from a stunt. Cheerleading is a rough sport, you know. ;) Steve came with me tonight, and after her awards ceremony we went to Pizza Hut to use her "free pizza" certificate from her school's reading program. No more cheer for at least 8 weeks, and after that, we'll see. :)
Santelli's Tea Party
Skip if uninterested in economy talk from CNBC for 4 minutes, based out of Chicago, not real pleased about the bailouts and then the stimulus package, and not making any bones or apologies about it. You should listen to the whole thing if you are interested though. He's more blunt about it than anything I've heard.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1039849853
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1039849853
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Cheer-fully
We woke up bright and early this morning, or early anyway. Kaylee was passed out cold no matter what went on around her, so I took a picture of her on her fold-out bed here because I thought she looked sweet. Aren't they all little angels when they are sleeping? ;)Being the thrifty people we were trying to be on this trip, Steve noticed that our hotel had a breakfast. Originally we were going to pick up a quick McDonald's or something, but decided if they were going to provide free breakfast, we would take advantage of it after all. So we go down, get our plates, and a woman there brings us drinks, which in our early morning slow state, we thought was very nice. Come to find out, that wasn't a "continental breakfast on the house". It was $10/person. Once we figured that out, we laughed-I mean, what else are you going to do?? I can't even eat much for breakfast early in the morning, and Kaylee didn't either. But the waitress noticed and gave me and Kaylee both a "child's buffet" at a discounted rate, saving us about $10 in the end, so that was really nice of her. It was just rather ironic that we only ate breakfast there because we thought it was free food and it ended up costing us more than a normal breakfast. Oh well, at least we got a $20 Target card for staying at that hotel, which I thought was different but good. :)
So we drove on downtown to the Indy Convention Center where the gymnastics and cheer
competitions were being held, and we made it in good time. The halls were packed with booths and displays to entrap young girls (well, their parents anyway) with clothes, toys, all sorts of stuff. Kaylee had fun going up and down the escalator, and she and several of the other girls stood in the entryway of one of the rooms and watched gymnastics for awhile. Kaylee is on the left in the photo. When it was their time to go, they went off to practice while we hiked through to get to the competition room and get a decent seat. It was about an hour later that the competitions started. Kaylee is in an "exhibition only" group, as were the other groups that performed around her time frame. I have the same observations as I did last year. There were some very young girls (way younger than Kaylee) in cheer outfits with their whole abdomen exposed, with eyeliner and mascara and eyeshadow and eye glitter and lipstick. I just...I just don't like that. Most were in good taste just having fun, but in everything I suppose there are those who just take it too far.
Kaylee and her group, the Hot Shots, did a terrific job. They were right on, their lifts went perfectly, and they were the best team that had gone up to that point. Kaylee was concentrating so hard, sometimes she forgets to smile. :) One woman asked her if she was nervous, and she just looked like that was a silly question and said "No." Of all the things she's done in public, I don't think I've ever heard her express nervousness that I can recall. So they went out there and did great and had fun. Steve sat up in the stands and shot video, and I stayed on the floor and took photos. There is no flash photography allowed, and they are constantly in motion, and this is indoors, so most of my photos are a little blurry I'm afraid, but you get the general idea. :)After she performed, we picked her back up in the main area and wandered around the Circle Center Mall, stopped at the food court for a Cinabon "lunch", walked around the "Gerbil tubes"
as Kaylee calls some of the walkways in between buildings, and just killed time until the awards ceremony. Last year we didn't stay for the awards ceremony, and I don't think I would again next year either, even though it was kind of fun. The stands were packed out, the floor was full of cheerleaders, and they put up some music and had dancing down on the floor. It was riotous, and the girls were having a blast. I was down there with Kaylee, they threw beads out into the midst of the girls, and they did several "group dance/line dance" songs. They even did the "train", with hundreds of girls winding around in a massive train. I held my camera up in the air and pointed it down to try to get some perspective on the crowd, but it was big. The girls got their trophy, I took a couple of pictures of some of the girls with it, and we finally wound our way out of there. By the time we left, we were all really getting wiped out and ready to be on our way home. It was a busy, loud day that started early and lasted a long time, but cheer is officially over, at least for awhile.Kaylee told me she wants to try out for the "All Stars", which is the competition team, now that she can do a round off and is in level two gymnastics. I told her that no matter what, she can not do that team, because it's just not financially or time-wise feasible right now. She said that she wanted to try out anyway, and when both Steve and I separately told her she couldn't perform anyway, she said "I know, I understand. I just want to see if I can do it, if I can make it in." Steve asked her if she would be sad if she didn't get in, and she thought for a second and said "Oh, probably." She ended up just reaffirming that she just wants to try out anyway just to see how she does. Well, okay. I can't argue with that. Go for it. :)
We got home late this afternoon to a couple of happy kitties, (mostly) unpacked, and Kaylee wanted to play Wii Cheer, so I set that up for her too. I came running into the room to her screaming...she beat the Wii Cheer for the first time tonight, and not too long after that she beat another routine too. She has been working on that since she got it for Christmas, had "failed" every single routine, and just today passed two. From then on out, I couldn't get her off the Wii, she insisted on trying again and again on two of the last "stages" she needed to beat, but couldn't yet. Finally she got really mad, and I told her to remember what she'd accomplished and that she didn't do it right away. She just gets her mind on something and it's hard to get her off of it until she gets it done. This is actually not a bad skill to have in life...
You can see the pictures from the cheer competition HERE. I'll move them to Kaylee's site once I can get in there again, but this will work for now. It was a busy, slightly tiring, interesting weekend!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Rockin' Weekend
Today arrived with more spitting snow and below freezing temperatures. Gotta love February! (We made it the shortest month of the year for good reason, I'd say.) My flight in the morning was cancelled, so we just relaxed at home and got some stuff ready for the weekend, before heading down to Noblesville in the early afternoon. We went to a friends' house, and they had a PlayStation "Rock Band" party. Kaylee got to hang out with Maggie and Hannah for an entire evening, and the rest of us took turns playing in the "band". It was the first time I've played anything like that, so I wouldn't say I took to it like a teenager, but it was fun and interesting to watch. My only complaint is the drums. They sound like sticks banging very loudly on a hard surface, and they can get pretty irritating and overshadow the entire song. Other than that, when done well, it actually sounds pretty good. There are all sorts of songs, for people of all preferences. Oh, there was one young man who came who did all four parts of the band, each one on "expert" level, and before he left he did the singing and the guitar lead at the same time. That was pretty impressive to watch his fingers flying like that, and how he could dip microphones and "head bang" while keeping track of where he was is beyond me. I'm still sitting there in my head going "red! blue! red! red & blue! yellow! green! Darn, missed it!" :)
When we left there that evening, we went on down to Indianapolis. We had to be at the Convention Center bright and early in the morning, and if you're late you don't get to compete in the show. Last year we stayed down there in a hotel attached to the convention center, but that's pretty pricey, so we stayed farther away this time, and we still had to be up at 6 something in the morning to get there in time. The room was nice, and Kaylee just loves hotels-and it doesn't matter how big or small. There was only one problem. There was not a single fan in the room-no bathroom fan, nothing, so it was Drop Dead Quiet in the room. Kaylee and I can't sleep well to stuff on (like tv), and Steve can't sleep to stuff off, and NONE of us sleep well to dead silence. But Kaylee and I ended up doing better than Steve. It was so quiet in that room I could hear the squeaky wheels in my brain turning, I could hear myself swallow and breathe and my heart beating, and Kaylee kept me awake for a long time with big old heavy breathing. Mental note to self-bring own fan or something next time? ;)
When we left there that evening, we went on down to Indianapolis. We had to be at the Convention Center bright and early in the morning, and if you're late you don't get to compete in the show. Last year we stayed down there in a hotel attached to the convention center, but that's pretty pricey, so we stayed farther away this time, and we still had to be up at 6 something in the morning to get there in time. The room was nice, and Kaylee just loves hotels-and it doesn't matter how big or small. There was only one problem. There was not a single fan in the room-no bathroom fan, nothing, so it was Drop Dead Quiet in the room. Kaylee and I can't sleep well to stuff on (like tv), and Steve can't sleep to stuff off, and NONE of us sleep well to dead silence. But Kaylee and I ended up doing better than Steve. It was so quiet in that room I could hear the squeaky wheels in my brain turning, I could hear myself swallow and breathe and my heart beating, and Kaylee kept me awake for a long time with big old heavy breathing. Mental note to self-bring own fan or something next time? ;)
Friday, February 20, 2009
All About the Girl
Today was pretty much all Kaylee's day, at least from after school let out on.
She is getting more particular about her appearance, and this morning I fixed her hair in double ponytails (pigtails) that were low and brought them to her front, and she has long hair now, and it made her look like almost a teenager. :O
I picked her up from school and took her right to Chuck E Cheese. This was a reward for her for two things-passing into Level Two in gymnastics, and accomplishing something in memorization for Awanas that I didn't actually think she could do. I told her if she could, I'd take her to Chuck E Cheese, and I figured maybe she could do it in the 3 hours before it was time to go. Instead, she got it done in less than an hour. She was excited because it meant she went to Chuck E Cheese, but she doesn't realize that it means that I now know she can do what she's always fought doing, as long as her motivation is there. Well, now that I know she can, she's going to have to, motivation or not! She's busted, she just doens't know it yet. ;) Anyway, today I took her to Chuck E Cheese, where she spent a couple of hours and $25 of my bucks, and had a great time. She "won" a $5 blue puffy ball with green tips out of all of that, and felt like she'd won $1 million. ;) That's good enough.
I took her home, threw her in her cheerleader clothes, and took her to Awanas where I signed her up for the Sparks-A-Rama event. They only have three practices before the "event", and she had to miss most of today's, but at least she got to practice a couple of the games and get signed up. It was funny, the kids kind of gravitated to her in her cheerleader outfit, bow and all. She showed off a little, doing the splits and several running cartwheels. She's not used to being the one in the room who is the best at that stuff, so she kind of liked it.
In the middle of the practice, I had to take her out and run her to the last basketball game of the season at Eastern High School in Greentown. She did her thing, and afterwards had to hand out fliers to the audience, and then finally we got home almost at 9 p.m. after a quick stop at Walgreens for emergency toothpaste and milk. We were all out as of this morning. :) So she had a VERY busy day, from getting up this morning at 7 a.m. to go to school and not getting home until almost 9 p.m. My day wasn't even that busy, poor kid.
One thing I noticed-the cheerleaders at the school tonight, my word. More than 70% of the girls had diamond stud nose rings, and all but one of the guys who hung out with them had pierced ears with big diamond studs in each ear. One girl had a big diamond stud under her lower lip above her chin. Ick. Sorry Kaylee, there is no way on this green earth that you are getting a nose piercing or a lower lip piercing while you live in this house, whether cheerleader 'friends' think it's cool or not. Ick.
Another thing I noticed. I can appreciate the routines that the girls do to music and with choreography. But the regular cheerleaders who clap and chant on the sidelines? I really hope Kaylee is out of cheering by then. I...don't like like it. I've never liked it. I used to joke that Kaylee could be anything but a cheerleader. So what does she like? Cheerleading. I swear it is irony. I don't need her to be exactly like me, I want her to be herself, to find her own path, but cheerleading?? *sigh* I'm working on it, okay??
It'll be a busy weekend-Kaylee has her National Cheerleading Competition down in Indianapolis on Sunday, and on Saturday we're going down there anyway for a friends' party...
She is getting more particular about her appearance, and this morning I fixed her hair in double ponytails (pigtails) that were low and brought them to her front, and she has long hair now, and it made her look like almost a teenager. :O
I picked her up from school and took her right to Chuck E Cheese. This was a reward for her for two things-passing into Level Two in gymnastics, and accomplishing something in memorization for Awanas that I didn't actually think she could do. I told her if she could, I'd take her to Chuck E Cheese, and I figured maybe she could do it in the 3 hours before it was time to go. Instead, she got it done in less than an hour. She was excited because it meant she went to Chuck E Cheese, but she doesn't realize that it means that I now know she can do what she's always fought doing, as long as her motivation is there. Well, now that I know she can, she's going to have to, motivation or not! She's busted, she just doens't know it yet. ;) Anyway, today I took her to Chuck E Cheese, where she spent a couple of hours and $25 of my bucks, and had a great time. She "won" a $5 blue puffy ball with green tips out of all of that, and felt like she'd won $1 million. ;) That's good enough.
I took her home, threw her in her cheerleader clothes, and took her to Awanas where I signed her up for the Sparks-A-Rama event. They only have three practices before the "event", and she had to miss most of today's, but at least she got to practice a couple of the games and get signed up. It was funny, the kids kind of gravitated to her in her cheerleader outfit, bow and all. She showed off a little, doing the splits and several running cartwheels. She's not used to being the one in the room who is the best at that stuff, so she kind of liked it.
In the middle of the practice, I had to take her out and run her to the last basketball game of the season at Eastern High School in Greentown. She did her thing, and afterwards had to hand out fliers to the audience, and then finally we got home almost at 9 p.m. after a quick stop at Walgreens for emergency toothpaste and milk. We were all out as of this morning. :) So she had a VERY busy day, from getting up this morning at 7 a.m. to go to school and not getting home until almost 9 p.m. My day wasn't even that busy, poor kid.
One thing I noticed-the cheerleaders at the school tonight, my word. More than 70% of the girls had diamond stud nose rings, and all but one of the guys who hung out with them had pierced ears with big diamond studs in each ear. One girl had a big diamond stud under her lower lip above her chin. Ick. Sorry Kaylee, there is no way on this green earth that you are getting a nose piercing or a lower lip piercing while you live in this house, whether cheerleader 'friends' think it's cool or not. Ick.
Another thing I noticed. I can appreciate the routines that the girls do to music and with choreography. But the regular cheerleaders who clap and chant on the sidelines? I really hope Kaylee is out of cheering by then. I...don't like like it. I've never liked it. I used to joke that Kaylee could be anything but a cheerleader. So what does she like? Cheerleading. I swear it is irony. I don't need her to be exactly like me, I want her to be herself, to find her own path, but cheerleading?? *sigh* I'm working on it, okay??
It'll be a busy weekend-Kaylee has her National Cheerleading Competition down in Indianapolis on Sunday, and on Saturday we're going down there anyway for a friends' party...
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Hang On...
Welcome to another lengthy edition of:
Laura's Wandering Thoughts
First comes Kaylee. She woke up cranky, came home from school cranky, went to gymnastics cranky, and came out hopping up and down and red-faced. I have not seen her that excited more than a handful of times in her life. She passed Gymnastics Level One today and is officially in Level Two! Kaylee isn't really "behind", but I pulled her out for a year when she wouldn't listen to her teacher (after being warned about what would happen), and she lost last year to being a zombie at all her after school activities thanks to her issues with school. It hasn't been until these last maybe four or five months that she's really buckled down on it, and today it paid off. The first thing she did was call her Daddy to tell him, then she had to call her cousins to tell them too. She wanted to call all her grandparents too, but she got tired and had to eat instead. :) She was dancing around in circles yelling "I'm in Level Two-oo! I'm in Level Two-oo!" I'm proud of her! She gets her Certificate tomorrow, so I'll take a picture of her with it to post. She's so excited. :)
I was going to go to an "Experimental Aircraft Association/EAA" meeting tonight at Nathan's hangar to get out of the house, have some free food, listen to airplane stuff, hang out with friends, all that good stuff, but Kaylee didn't want to go and I figured I wouldn't make her this time. There will be enough times she doesn't have a choice that I won't ruin her Happy Level Two Day with an airport meeting with a bunch of old (to her, not literally old, well, some of 'em anyway) male (present company excluded) pilots. Maybe I can get Steve to bring me home some of the snacks. ;)
In case you hadn't heard of it yet, there is a new Indiana law that provides a new consumer right called a "security freeze". This keeps anyone from accessing your credit report without your explicit say so and personal pin number. Basically it makes it impossible for an Identity Thief to take out any form of credit in your name regardless of what personal information they have, including social security number, because the creditors will not be able to access your credit report. The three credit agencies all have online filing forms in which to do this, and it's free of charge for anyone interested...email me and I can send you a link.
I am on Facebook. Yeah, I know. I'm only on there because some of my friends are more active there and they don't have blogs that they keep up on (cough) and so this was a way I could keep up with them a little more. But I kind of went into Facebook kicking, because it just seemed like something more for...teenagers...or something. Yesterday I caved and realized I get a kick out of reading up on how everyone is doing, seeing the latest pictures and videos, that it's real easy to send a little shout out to a friend and say "hey", or pass on info. And I started laughing when I realized that I was in a Poke War with my friend. And she just threw an Opie snowball at me so I threw a yellow snowball back at her. And that's seriously-I-hate-to-admit-that-in-public goofball-ish. And yet I just poked her back anyway. Which goes to prove, this site is indeed for teenagers. ;)
I was reading a professional pilot web board for the first time, just skimming around, and I found a thread that was about corporate and airline pilots and flight crews and what famous passengers they'd had on board, and how those famous passengers had behaved, what they were like in person, etc. Now that was 8 pages of slightly interesting. :) There was almost no disagreement-how a person was with one crew was how they were with others too, so you can't exactly call it a "bad" day. I wasn't surprised by most of it. The majority of "A" Level celebrities were very patient, quiet, unassuming, and fine. The "B" and below level celebrities were the ones who were most often the jerks/jerkettes with the huge egos and the rude demands and the "Don't you know who I am???" rants at crews. Like people who were on "Big Brother" or something. Oh, and one of the women from "What Not To Wear" was completely condescending, arrogant, demanding, and had a body guard stand in front of her seat so nobody could come up to her, etc. Meanwhile people like Robin Williams and Prince William and Muhammad Ali were gracious, talking to crews and pilots, etc. The one that surprised me was Pamela Anderson. Of all people. I would have bet money she'd be one of the jerkettes, but I'd have lost my money. Several people all said that she was very kind, polite and sweet to them. On second thought, I wonder if they were all men. I mean, really, Pam Anderson?? ;) The one that surprised me in the opposite direction was Nicole Kidman. I would have thought she would have been one to have good manners and class, but apparently she was quite haughty and rude. The general rule seems to be, unsurprisingly, about class, not money or celebrity status. People on "Big Brother" (I can't think of the other shows off hand but same thing) or many rock bands and so forth are not exactly known for their dignity and class to start with, so the fact that they get a little notice and get arrogant about it isn't exactly a shock. The fact that a Prince (actually, every royal family member from Arabs to English) and long-time high-level celebs showed good manners, pleasant attitudes and patience is not a shock either.
I can attest on a teeny level that when you fly around passengers for hire, you hear and see things that can be pretty interesting, and many times, just like with a taxi driver, they don't really think of you as actually there. I've even had a few people be pretty arrogant and condescending to me as their pilot, acting like big shots. I'm sorry my friend, but you are being flown around in a little twin by...Me. Do you really think you're all that special? ;) And do you really think you want to irritate the person who has control of your...comfort...for the next several hours? ;)
(Yes, of course I was a professional at all times, and treated all clients politely and repectfully regardless of their treatment of me. End Disclaimer. :))
Another group of pilots was talking about how the number of pilots is dwindling along with the increased regulation and difficulties in affordability, availability, etc. One man said the following which made me nod, anyway, because that kind of non-fenced-off, open environment is what we are trying to keep at Glenndale:
"We need to be accommodating of people who love aviation. As pilots, passengers and observers. Since 9/11 we've fenced off airports and made aviation unfriendly to the public. I became a pilot in 1980 because I was able to ride my bike to the airport and eat lunch on the park bench next to the ramp. I hung out long enough to attract the attention of a pilot who saw my interest and he put me together with an instructor who gave me an intro flight for 20 bucks. When does that happen anymore? Especially in urban areas. We've gone and made aviation unapproachable. No wonder kids are spending all their time playing World of Warcraft instead. Figure out a way to let the public back near the airplanes and you'll get more pilots."
So on to corporate jets. This article came out today (I shortened it for blog purposes.)
General Motors was forced to terminate 49 employees from its now-eliminated corporate air operations department as one of the terms for winning emergency funding from Congress. All seven aircraft in the GM fleet are parked at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport waiting to be sold. All of the aircraft are leased; however, they can’t be returned to the financing companies without stiff penalties. GM has been unable to sell the aircraft, but corporate executives are all flying on commercial flights. GM, Ford, and Chrysler were required to get rid of their corporate flight departments as a condition to receive the funds. Still other companies, such as Canada-based Nortel Networks Corp. now operating under bankruptcy protection laws, have joined in dumping corporate flight departments.
This is having a bigger negative impact on people than you'd think. Thousands and thousands of employees are now out of work at aircraft manufacturing companies, businesses are going under, high-paid executives are now wasting an entire day standing in security and check-in lines. People think of airplanes as luxuries, but take out all jobs tied in with aviation and you have a pretty big hole. Another gentleman put it this way, which I also nodded to:
"This is nothing more than Public Relations. Congress Critters know that Joe Citizen feels that private jets are simply an extravagant luxury. By making the sale of the jets a condition of the bailout, those congress critters can tell Joe Idiot Citizen, 'We got tough on the execs, eliminating perks like private jets' and make people feel all warm and fuzzy about it, when in reality all they did was make those same execs less productive, cost 49 people their jobs in one place today, contributed to more people losing their jobs at Cessna, Bombardier, etc., and eliminate the state and local revenue from landing fees/fuel taxes for those jets, just to start."
I am concerned about aviation. Cessna, Piper, Eclipse (who just furloughed 800 people today), Cirrus, Beechcraft, all the major companies have had massive layoffs as general aviation dropped, and now even worse layoffs as corporate airplane sales have tanked. And on the regulatory end of it, for now I can still hop into a little two-seat airplane and take off when I want and go where I want (mostly) and do what I want, just like people can do in their cars, just like we should all be able to do in a supposedly free country. But we are headed for European-style General Aviation, and if that happens, some day my book may have to be "How I Used To Be Able To Do It".
On a funny note, if the local newspaper rag would publish my letters, I'd have another point to add. In what can only be defined as pure irony, the Chrysler shuttle has had to land at Kokomo airport more than once now because Grissom was closed. Grissom is still a Private Base, and as I said in the letter they wouldn't publish, is not going to fit the bill for corporate aviation's needs. (The guy from the paper couldn't stop expressing his insistence that Grissom was THE answer and that Kokomo was unnecessary...as if he has any idea how many millions of dollars come into Kokomo thanks to that little airport, or how Grissom works, or much about flying at all in fact, contrary to his assertions.) Anyway, I got a smirk out of that anyway.
And now that I have made up for days' worth of short posts with one big long one that I bet Steve skims along with everyone else, which is fine with me since "only children" are used to and sometimes prefer just talking to themselves, ;), I need dinner and to get ready for tomorrow, which other than a couple hours break at Glenndale for fried chicken Friday lunch, is going to be busy!
Laura's Wandering Thoughts
First comes Kaylee. She woke up cranky, came home from school cranky, went to gymnastics cranky, and came out hopping up and down and red-faced. I have not seen her that excited more than a handful of times in her life. She passed Gymnastics Level One today and is officially in Level Two! Kaylee isn't really "behind", but I pulled her out for a year when she wouldn't listen to her teacher (after being warned about what would happen), and she lost last year to being a zombie at all her after school activities thanks to her issues with school. It hasn't been until these last maybe four or five months that she's really buckled down on it, and today it paid off. The first thing she did was call her Daddy to tell him, then she had to call her cousins to tell them too. She wanted to call all her grandparents too, but she got tired and had to eat instead. :) She was dancing around in circles yelling "I'm in Level Two-oo! I'm in Level Two-oo!" I'm proud of her! She gets her Certificate tomorrow, so I'll take a picture of her with it to post. She's so excited. :)
I was going to go to an "Experimental Aircraft Association/EAA" meeting tonight at Nathan's hangar to get out of the house, have some free food, listen to airplane stuff, hang out with friends, all that good stuff, but Kaylee didn't want to go and I figured I wouldn't make her this time. There will be enough times she doesn't have a choice that I won't ruin her Happy Level Two Day with an airport meeting with a bunch of old (to her, not literally old, well, some of 'em anyway) male (present company excluded) pilots. Maybe I can get Steve to bring me home some of the snacks. ;)
In case you hadn't heard of it yet, there is a new Indiana law that provides a new consumer right called a "security freeze". This keeps anyone from accessing your credit report without your explicit say so and personal pin number. Basically it makes it impossible for an Identity Thief to take out any form of credit in your name regardless of what personal information they have, including social security number, because the creditors will not be able to access your credit report. The three credit agencies all have online filing forms in which to do this, and it's free of charge for anyone interested...email me and I can send you a link.
I am on Facebook. Yeah, I know. I'm only on there because some of my friends are more active there and they don't have blogs that they keep up on (cough) and so this was a way I could keep up with them a little more. But I kind of went into Facebook kicking, because it just seemed like something more for...teenagers...or something. Yesterday I caved and realized I get a kick out of reading up on how everyone is doing, seeing the latest pictures and videos, that it's real easy to send a little shout out to a friend and say "hey", or pass on info. And I started laughing when I realized that I was in a Poke War with my friend. And she just threw an Opie snowball at me so I threw a yellow snowball back at her. And that's seriously-I-hate-to-admit-that-in-public goofball-ish. And yet I just poked her back anyway. Which goes to prove, this site is indeed for teenagers. ;)
I was reading a professional pilot web board for the first time, just skimming around, and I found a thread that was about corporate and airline pilots and flight crews and what famous passengers they'd had on board, and how those famous passengers had behaved, what they were like in person, etc. Now that was 8 pages of slightly interesting. :) There was almost no disagreement-how a person was with one crew was how they were with others too, so you can't exactly call it a "bad" day. I wasn't surprised by most of it. The majority of "A" Level celebrities were very patient, quiet, unassuming, and fine. The "B" and below level celebrities were the ones who were most often the jerks/jerkettes with the huge egos and the rude demands and the "Don't you know who I am???" rants at crews. Like people who were on "Big Brother" or something. Oh, and one of the women from "What Not To Wear" was completely condescending, arrogant, demanding, and had a body guard stand in front of her seat so nobody could come up to her, etc. Meanwhile people like Robin Williams and Prince William and Muhammad Ali were gracious, talking to crews and pilots, etc. The one that surprised me was Pamela Anderson. Of all people. I would have bet money she'd be one of the jerkettes, but I'd have lost my money. Several people all said that she was very kind, polite and sweet to them. On second thought, I wonder if they were all men. I mean, really, Pam Anderson?? ;) The one that surprised me in the opposite direction was Nicole Kidman. I would have thought she would have been one to have good manners and class, but apparently she was quite haughty and rude. The general rule seems to be, unsurprisingly, about class, not money or celebrity status. People on "Big Brother" (I can't think of the other shows off hand but same thing) or many rock bands and so forth are not exactly known for their dignity and class to start with, so the fact that they get a little notice and get arrogant about it isn't exactly a shock. The fact that a Prince (actually, every royal family member from Arabs to English) and long-time high-level celebs showed good manners, pleasant attitudes and patience is not a shock either.
I can attest on a teeny level that when you fly around passengers for hire, you hear and see things that can be pretty interesting, and many times, just like with a taxi driver, they don't really think of you as actually there. I've even had a few people be pretty arrogant and condescending to me as their pilot, acting like big shots. I'm sorry my friend, but you are being flown around in a little twin by...Me. Do you really think you're all that special? ;) And do you really think you want to irritate the person who has control of your...comfort...for the next several hours? ;)
(Yes, of course I was a professional at all times, and treated all clients politely and repectfully regardless of their treatment of me. End Disclaimer. :))
Another group of pilots was talking about how the number of pilots is dwindling along with the increased regulation and difficulties in affordability, availability, etc. One man said the following which made me nod, anyway, because that kind of non-fenced-off, open environment is what we are trying to keep at Glenndale:
"We need to be accommodating of people who love aviation. As pilots, passengers and observers. Since 9/11 we've fenced off airports and made aviation unfriendly to the public. I became a pilot in 1980 because I was able to ride my bike to the airport and eat lunch on the park bench next to the ramp. I hung out long enough to attract the attention of a pilot who saw my interest and he put me together with an instructor who gave me an intro flight for 20 bucks. When does that happen anymore? Especially in urban areas. We've gone and made aviation unapproachable. No wonder kids are spending all their time playing World of Warcraft instead. Figure out a way to let the public back near the airplanes and you'll get more pilots."
So on to corporate jets. This article came out today (I shortened it for blog purposes.)
General Motors was forced to terminate 49 employees from its now-eliminated corporate air operations department as one of the terms for winning emergency funding from Congress. All seven aircraft in the GM fleet are parked at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport waiting to be sold. All of the aircraft are leased; however, they can’t be returned to the financing companies without stiff penalties. GM has been unable to sell the aircraft, but corporate executives are all flying on commercial flights. GM, Ford, and Chrysler were required to get rid of their corporate flight departments as a condition to receive the funds. Still other companies, such as Canada-based Nortel Networks Corp. now operating under bankruptcy protection laws, have joined in dumping corporate flight departments.
This is having a bigger negative impact on people than you'd think. Thousands and thousands of employees are now out of work at aircraft manufacturing companies, businesses are going under, high-paid executives are now wasting an entire day standing in security and check-in lines. People think of airplanes as luxuries, but take out all jobs tied in with aviation and you have a pretty big hole. Another gentleman put it this way, which I also nodded to:
"This is nothing more than Public Relations. Congress Critters know that Joe Citizen feels that private jets are simply an extravagant luxury. By making the sale of the jets a condition of the bailout, those congress critters can tell Joe Idiot Citizen, 'We got tough on the execs, eliminating perks like private jets' and make people feel all warm and fuzzy about it, when in reality all they did was make those same execs less productive, cost 49 people their jobs in one place today, contributed to more people losing their jobs at Cessna, Bombardier, etc., and eliminate the state and local revenue from landing fees/fuel taxes for those jets, just to start."
I am concerned about aviation. Cessna, Piper, Eclipse (who just furloughed 800 people today), Cirrus, Beechcraft, all the major companies have had massive layoffs as general aviation dropped, and now even worse layoffs as corporate airplane sales have tanked. And on the regulatory end of it, for now I can still hop into a little two-seat airplane and take off when I want and go where I want (mostly) and do what I want, just like people can do in their cars, just like we should all be able to do in a supposedly free country. But we are headed for European-style General Aviation, and if that happens, some day my book may have to be "How I Used To Be Able To Do It".
On a funny note, if the local newspaper rag would publish my letters, I'd have another point to add. In what can only be defined as pure irony, the Chrysler shuttle has had to land at Kokomo airport more than once now because Grissom was closed. Grissom is still a Private Base, and as I said in the letter they wouldn't publish, is not going to fit the bill for corporate aviation's needs. (The guy from the paper couldn't stop expressing his insistence that Grissom was THE answer and that Kokomo was unnecessary...as if he has any idea how many millions of dollars come into Kokomo thanks to that little airport, or how Grissom works, or much about flying at all in fact, contrary to his assertions.) Anyway, I got a smirk out of that anyway.
And now that I have made up for days' worth of short posts with one big long one that I bet Steve skims along with everyone else, which is fine with me since "only children" are used to and sometimes prefer just talking to themselves, ;), I need dinner and to get ready for tomorrow, which other than a couple hours break at Glenndale for fried chicken Friday lunch, is going to be busy!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Stuff and Nonsense
What a rainy, scuddy day, but at least it's warmer than it has been. I'm still just grateful to see numbers above zero right now.
After lunch today, I was following Steve and Chuck in the Jeep out of the parking lot of the restaurant, and Steve took the Jeep and straddled both lanes with it so that he could cut me off if I tried to pass him. He was going to hold me off until it narrowed down to one lane. The man threw down a driving gauntlet, and I...didn't pick it up. I debated it. I twitched over it a couple of times. I knew if I pushed it he would move because he wouldn't want a big old scrape on the side of the Chrysler just before it goes back. Advantage, Laura. ;) But no, I resisted. But if I had it to do over again, I'm not sure I would still resist. Faux-racing him is fun-at least until I kind of have to let him win to keep up his spirits as he ages. Heh heh. :D Okay, that's payback enough for me losing by default today. ;)
I know, most couples don't road "race" (nothing crazy, folks) or air race or try to sneak up on each other or beat them to places or have little skill challenges in airplanes and such. What can I say? We like to keep each other on our toes sometimes. ;)
Hmm, as I was writing this, I found out he perpetrated a whammy on me that took two weeks to culminate into a "gotcha". I didn't even see it coming. Okay, that's it...or wait, maybe it's payback for the time I convinced him that I had no idea who sent him those roses with a special note at high noon on a lunch Friday at Glenndale in front of a crowd... ;)
Kaylee was thrilled with the Valentines she got in the mail yesterday, and has the little gel things stuck up on our windows already. She has a spelling test tomorrow and is saying three sections at Awanas tonight and is doing just fine...
-----------------------------------------------
"Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back." ~Harvey Mackay
"Dignity does not consist in possessing honors, but in deserving them." ~Aristotle
"True dignity is never gained by place, and never lost when honors are withdrawn." ~Philip Massinger
After lunch today, I was following Steve and Chuck in the Jeep out of the parking lot of the restaurant, and Steve took the Jeep and straddled both lanes with it so that he could cut me off if I tried to pass him. He was going to hold me off until it narrowed down to one lane. The man threw down a driving gauntlet, and I...didn't pick it up. I debated it. I twitched over it a couple of times. I knew if I pushed it he would move because he wouldn't want a big old scrape on the side of the Chrysler just before it goes back. Advantage, Laura. ;) But no, I resisted. But if I had it to do over again, I'm not sure I would still resist. Faux-racing him is fun-at least until I kind of have to let him win to keep up his spirits as he ages. Heh heh. :D Okay, that's payback enough for me losing by default today. ;)
I know, most couples don't road "race" (nothing crazy, folks) or air race or try to sneak up on each other or beat them to places or have little skill challenges in airplanes and such. What can I say? We like to keep each other on our toes sometimes. ;)
Hmm, as I was writing this, I found out he perpetrated a whammy on me that took two weeks to culminate into a "gotcha". I didn't even see it coming. Okay, that's it...or wait, maybe it's payback for the time I convinced him that I had no idea who sent him those roses with a special note at high noon on a lunch Friday at Glenndale in front of a crowd... ;)
Kaylee was thrilled with the Valentines she got in the mail yesterday, and has the little gel things stuck up on our windows already. She has a spelling test tomorrow and is saying three sections at Awanas tonight and is doing just fine...
-----------------------------------------------
"Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back." ~Harvey Mackay
"Dignity does not consist in possessing honors, but in deserving them." ~Aristotle
"True dignity is never gained by place, and never lost when honors are withdrawn." ~Philip Massinger
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Typical
It was a typical, average, nothing-new Tuesday. I worked, I ate lunch, I ran errands, I worked, I picked up Kaylee and took her to her after-school activity, I got irritated at a printing job, ran more errands, ate dinner and sent Kaylee off to bed while I turned on NCIS. I don't mind these typical, average days. For one thing, routine and stability are good things. For another, they make the days that are atypical and non-routine even more enjoyable. Personally, I have to have both kinds of days. Too much routine drives a person batty and too much excitement burns a person out. Today was a roots day-soon enough there will be wings days. :)
Monday, February 16, 2009
Cheerfully Yawning
Kaylee had cheerleading practice today followed by professional photos of her team and of her individually, which we should have back in about 3 weeks. That was a little noisy and chaotic for me who was already a little wiped out prior to being there for almost two hours. The girls have one more game and then they have their cheer competition down in Indianapolis this weekend. They are looking pretty good. :)
Me, I'm past tired, so I'll end with some quotes.
--------------------------------------------------
"If the government is big enough to give you everything you want, it is big enough to take away everything you have." ~Gerald R. Ford
"If you take too long in deciding what to do with your life, you'll find you've done it." ~Pam Shaw
"'Luck' means the hardships and privations which you have not hesitated to endure, the long nights you have devoted to work. Luck means the appointments you have never failed to keep; the trains you have never failed to catch." ~Max O'Rell
"You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it." ~Robin Williams
"The difference between great people and everyone else is that great people create their lives actively, while everyone else is created by their lives, passively waiting to see where life takes them next. The difference between the two is the difference between living fully and just existing." ~Michael E. Gerber
"People become attached to their burdens sometimes more than the burdens are attached to them." ~George Barnard Shaw
Me, I'm past tired, so I'll end with some quotes.
--------------------------------------------------
"If the government is big enough to give you everything you want, it is big enough to take away everything you have." ~Gerald R. Ford
"If you take too long in deciding what to do with your life, you'll find you've done it." ~Pam Shaw
"'Luck' means the hardships and privations which you have not hesitated to endure, the long nights you have devoted to work. Luck means the appointments you have never failed to keep; the trains you have never failed to catch." ~Max O'Rell
"You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it." ~Robin Williams
"The difference between great people and everyone else is that great people create their lives actively, while everyone else is created by their lives, passively waiting to see where life takes them next. The difference between the two is the difference between living fully and just existing." ~Michael E. Gerber
"People become attached to their burdens sometimes more than the burdens are attached to them." ~George Barnard Shaw
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Valentine's Weekend
Or "Valentimes" as Kaylee still calls it. :)
We had a nice quiet weekend at home. A little group cuddling on the couch, a little movie-watching, a little snacking, a lot of just hanging out. Kaylee and Steve got up and went to the couch and watched a kids' movie at 3 a.m. together, and I slept in past 9 a.m. in all comfort. We didn't go out, didn't do anything special, just enjoyed the time together.
Kaylee was supposed to have tomorrow off of school, but due to all the snow days and delays we've had this year, they are using that day as a make-up day to try to prevent extending the school year too far into the Spring. Fortunately she doesn't know she almost had tomorrow off of school, or there might be a rebellion. ;)
Times are scary for a lot of people right now. Several I know have lost their jobs, at least one I know lost their place to live today and has no idea where to go, and many others are hanging on by their fingernails. It's a good time to be thankful for what we each have in our lives, because even if life isn't perfect for each of us either, there are a lot of people out there who would be grateful to have food in the fridge, a roof over their heads, a steady job to help keep it that way, and loved ones to spend time with...
We had a nice quiet weekend at home. A little group cuddling on the couch, a little movie-watching, a little snacking, a lot of just hanging out. Kaylee and Steve got up and went to the couch and watched a kids' movie at 3 a.m. together, and I slept in past 9 a.m. in all comfort. We didn't go out, didn't do anything special, just enjoyed the time together.
Kaylee was supposed to have tomorrow off of school, but due to all the snow days and delays we've had this year, they are using that day as a make-up day to try to prevent extending the school year too far into the Spring. Fortunately she doesn't know she almost had tomorrow off of school, or there might be a rebellion. ;)
Times are scary for a lot of people right now. Several I know have lost their jobs, at least one I know lost their place to live today and has no idea where to go, and many others are hanging on by their fingernails. It's a good time to be thankful for what we each have in our lives, because even if life isn't perfect for each of us either, there are a lot of people out there who would be grateful to have food in the fridge, a roof over their heads, a steady job to help keep it that way, and loved ones to spend time with...
Friday, February 13, 2009
Ups and Downs
There was a Valentine's Day party at school today, so I went in 
with Kaylee with our cupcakes and my camera. My job today was to take photos of the various classrooms with the kids doing whatever they were doing (and the parents have all signed photo releases, yes). I couldn't stay for their party because that was at the end of the day, but I at least got some shots of the various classes and kids just playing or working, and I stayed and helped for awhile. While I was there, Kaylee asked me to help her with her work, and of course I refused. Can't blame a girl for trying. ;) Here she is reading after she finished a math page.
The little girl I told you about came in to school today, and I was there when she arrived, and her classmates hugged her and called her name and were happy to see her, and it brightened her face. The parents and school admin people are rallying around and attempting to set up a way to help take care of her, which may I add is part of the defining difference between it and a public school (not that they don't do their best). There are a lot of questions to be answered and a lot of problems to overcome, and she may well end up in foster care. One of the teachers came in today and said "My husband will tell you himself that he has no heart, and he almost cried last night when I told him about her story." Obviously I've left many details out for privacy, but this child is so young and still so sweet to have gone through what she has, and I just wish she could catch a break.
We had chili at airport lunch today, and by lunch time I was tired and kind of bummed out from the morning, but a little time with nothing serious going on helped wake me up and cheer up a bit. When I left there, I went to the other airport and flew Nathan over to Muncie so he could pick up his airplane. We had the music going and it was just a really nice flight over. We were there for a little while, and when it was time to leave I went in front of him and tried to beat him home. That's kind of funny since my airplane does 135 knots and his does something like 335 knots. ;) When I got back to Kokomo, the pattern was "full". There were two planes trying to take off in formation and do a low pass over the runway, a King Air doing VOR checks by doing low passes over the various runways, another guy who took off out of there, me in the 172RG and Nathan in the Cheyenne. When I landed (by sneaking in amongst the traffic so I didn't have to go on another cross-country in the pattern again), there was a pretty good crowd over at Nathan's hangars, too. Steve came over and helped me put away the RG, Chuck was running up his Citabria, Jonathan and Steve C. and Ty were working on various airplanes in there, the Cheyenne was out, the Cub was out, the Citabria was out, the fuel truck was there. There was Life on the Ramp! It is a downright gorgeous day in aviation land, and by the time I left to pick up Kaylee, I kind of didn't feel like leaving. It would have been a great day to pull various things out and just fly...if only various things were available to go do that with yet. :) Soon enough, soon enough.
When I picked up Kaylee, she said "I thought Daddy was picking me up, because he's always late." I said "Nope, we just both had something come up and thought you wouldn't mind playing in extended care for an hour." In fact she was mad when I got there, wasn't ready to leave yet. Her next words were "Let me guess-you had a flight?" Yup. :) She just smiled...
Then she asked me "who would pick me up if you and daddy died?" Ugh. I know where that question came from. I told her that we have a whole lot of family and friends who would be happy to come get her. Then she said "What if they ALL died?" I said "that can't happen." She insisted and said "WHAT if it DID? What would happen to me?" So I told her that in the statistical practical impossibility that everybody we knew all died at once but she didn't, there was a group for Children's Services who would send someone to come take care of her and make sure she was safe until they could get hold of someone who could take care of her for good. She paused and said "What if everyone in the world died but me?" I said "Then you'd have to figure out how to survive on your own." Silence. "I think I'd wet my pants." I told her that it would be okay if she did at that point, because nobody would make fun of her for it. Silence for a second and then she started laughing as she got it, and got off on another body function rabbit trail, and that was the end of that one. At least my drives to school and home are never dull. ;)
Tonight she was supposed to have her first practice towards Sparks-A-Rama, an Awanas team competition. There are three practices, and then they compete against three other schools for a championship. The first year she did it, her team won first place, and she was so pumped. Last year she couldn't do it because we were gone over the event. This year though she's looking forward to it again though. Unfortunately we got there only to be turned away at the door. The gym was being used by a softball team tonight instead, so we were told to come back next week. Kaylee was kind of annoyed, but she'll get over it. ;)
Kick-back Friday, here we come!
with Kaylee with our cupcakes and my camera. My job today was to take photos of the various classrooms with the kids doing whatever they were doing (and the parents have all signed photo releases, yes). I couldn't stay for their party because that was at the end of the day, but I at least got some shots of the various classes and kids just playing or working, and I stayed and helped for awhile. While I was there, Kaylee asked me to help her with her work, and of course I refused. Can't blame a girl for trying. ;) Here she is reading after she finished a math page.The little girl I told you about came in to school today, and I was there when she arrived, and her classmates hugged her and called her name and were happy to see her, and it brightened her face. The parents and school admin people are rallying around and attempting to set up a way to help take care of her, which may I add is part of the defining difference between it and a public school (not that they don't do their best). There are a lot of questions to be answered and a lot of problems to overcome, and she may well end up in foster care. One of the teachers came in today and said "My husband will tell you himself that he has no heart, and he almost cried last night when I told him about her story." Obviously I've left many details out for privacy, but this child is so young and still so sweet to have gone through what she has, and I just wish she could catch a break.
We had chili at airport lunch today, and by lunch time I was tired and kind of bummed out from the morning, but a little time with nothing serious going on helped wake me up and cheer up a bit. When I left there, I went to the other airport and flew Nathan over to Muncie so he could pick up his airplane. We had the music going and it was just a really nice flight over. We were there for a little while, and when it was time to leave I went in front of him and tried to beat him home. That's kind of funny since my airplane does 135 knots and his does something like 335 knots. ;) When I got back to Kokomo, the pattern was "full". There were two planes trying to take off in formation and do a low pass over the runway, a King Air doing VOR checks by doing low passes over the various runways, another guy who took off out of there, me in the 172RG and Nathan in the Cheyenne. When I landed (by sneaking in amongst the traffic so I didn't have to go on another cross-country in the pattern again), there was a pretty good crowd over at Nathan's hangars, too. Steve came over and helped me put away the RG, Chuck was running up his Citabria, Jonathan and Steve C. and Ty were working on various airplanes in there, the Cheyenne was out, the Cub was out, the Citabria was out, the fuel truck was there. There was Life on the Ramp! It is a downright gorgeous day in aviation land, and by the time I left to pick up Kaylee, I kind of didn't feel like leaving. It would have been a great day to pull various things out and just fly...if only various things were available to go do that with yet. :) Soon enough, soon enough.
When I picked up Kaylee, she said "I thought Daddy was picking me up, because he's always late." I said "Nope, we just both had something come up and thought you wouldn't mind playing in extended care for an hour." In fact she was mad when I got there, wasn't ready to leave yet. Her next words were "Let me guess-you had a flight?" Yup. :) She just smiled...
Then she asked me "who would pick me up if you and daddy died?" Ugh. I know where that question came from. I told her that we have a whole lot of family and friends who would be happy to come get her. Then she said "What if they ALL died?" I said "that can't happen." She insisted and said "WHAT if it DID? What would happen to me?" So I told her that in the statistical practical impossibility that everybody we knew all died at once but she didn't, there was a group for Children's Services who would send someone to come take care of her and make sure she was safe until they could get hold of someone who could take care of her for good. She paused and said "What if everyone in the world died but me?" I said "Then you'd have to figure out how to survive on your own." Silence. "I think I'd wet my pants." I told her that it would be okay if she did at that point, because nobody would make fun of her for it. Silence for a second and then she started laughing as she got it, and got off on another body function rabbit trail, and that was the end of that one. At least my drives to school and home are never dull. ;)
Tonight she was supposed to have her first practice towards Sparks-A-Rama, an Awanas team competition. There are three practices, and then they compete against three other schools for a championship. The first year she did it, her team won first place, and she was so pumped. Last year she couldn't do it because we were gone over the event. This year though she's looking forward to it again though. Unfortunately we got there only to be turned away at the door. The gym was being used by a softball team tonight instead, so we were told to come back next week. Kaylee was kind of annoyed, but she'll get over it. ;)
Kick-back Friday, here we come!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Pre-V
Kaylee and I had a busy day today with pre-Valentine's Day preparations. She made out her Valentines for school, which took awhile although not as long as last year now that she writes faster. :) Then we made cupcakes to take into school tomorrow for her school party. While they cooled on the counter she got her room cleaned up, then we came back in and decorated them all. She took a bath, I hosed off the counter which was covered in sprinkles and balls and hearts, I fixed dinner, and the day was over before I blinked.
Steve is unfortunately coming down with something. It's either allergies from all this water and warmer temps, or a cold, but either way he's not feeling so great. So far the rest of us are fine.
Speaking of all this water, the park by our house is closed off and the water is up over the roads. It doesn't take long to flood down there, and we had a ton of rain. I'm guessing our runway is a lake again too, though I'll see tomorrow.
For those of you who pray, there's a little girl I know whose only relative just died tonight. She comes from a very disadvantaged home, and as of tonight she is on her own. I don't know where she is going to go or what is going to happen to her, but she hasn't had a break in her six years so far, and she just lost her last living relative, her grandma, to heart failure tonight. She was in Kaylee's school, but now...so please keep her in your prayers.
Steve is unfortunately coming down with something. It's either allergies from all this water and warmer temps, or a cold, but either way he's not feeling so great. So far the rest of us are fine.
Speaking of all this water, the park by our house is closed off and the water is up over the roads. It doesn't take long to flood down there, and we had a ton of rain. I'm guessing our runway is a lake again too, though I'll see tomorrow.
For those of you who pray, there's a little girl I know whose only relative just died tonight. She comes from a very disadvantaged home, and as of tonight she is on her own. I don't know where she is going to go or what is going to happen to her, but she hasn't had a break in her six years so far, and she just lost her last living relative, her grandma, to heart failure tonight. She was in Kaylee's school, but now...so please keep her in your prayers.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Long-Winded
We woke up this morning to dark skies, howling winds and lots of rain. I actually don't mind, other than it makes our runway soggy and unusable and everything else muddy. At least it's WARM enough to rain, instead of this being the 100th inch of snow we've gotten so far this winter. Oh wait, the snow is coming again Saturday, I forgot. Yes, really, although at least it should just be flurries, not accumulating. And cold. Again. February is the shortest month for a reason, I think.
I like sugary cereal. When Kaylee was little, I always had Kashi fiber or Cheerios or oatmeal or other such healthy fare for her, and I had Fruity Pebbles or Cap'n Crunch Peanut Butter cereal for me. Of course that worked fine until she got old enough to want mine. So I get that multi-grain versions of junk food cereals, and yes, I see the irony, and we both eat it. I also keep on hand Cheerios and granola and such that I can slice bananas on now and then or blueberries and get her to eat. This last trip at the store I picked up Grape Nuts. I don't know why I like Grape Nuts, but I always have, and there is enough fiber in those things to weave a garment. So yesterday I was asking Kaylee what she wanted for breakfast, and I read off all our options. Cheerios, Frosted Mini Wheats, Cap'n Crunch Peanut Butter, Grape Nuts...and she interrupts me and says "Grape Nuts". Being a wise parent, I didn't say "REALLY??", but simply got it down, prepared it, told her to let it soak for a minute, and walked away without a backwards glance, just like I would any other morning, instead of going around the corner and staring at her to see if she'd really eat it. She did. So being that slightly sneaky parent, I said "You're going to eat my whole box of Grape Nuts, aren't you!" in a slightly disturbed voice. This morning...she asks for Grape Nuts again. Nothing like a little pile of pebbles first thing in the morning to start off your day right. I haven't even told her it's healthy. I'm smarter than that. ;)
Today when Kaylee's school got out, Steve and I came in and set up the school's computers for the kids, in the classrooms. We had gotten five new computers donated to the school, and had three older ones, and they all needed hooked up. That was a bigger job than we anticipated, and we both worked non-stop for two and a half hours. I carried around five big computer boxes that needed unpacked and three towers, then carried in 8 huge old monitors from one area to the kids' rooms one at a time, and ended up having to take one back and carry in another one. By the end of that my grip was gone-those old things are heavy and bulky. :) I hauled around tables and cords and room furniture, and hauled out a big load of trash out to the dumpster in the back. The wind was whipping so hard that I lost two boxes off of my pile and had to chase them down in the high winds and rain across a parking lot. By the time we got done hooking everything up, making sure it was all working and running properly, cleaned up and ready to go, well, it was actually a bigger job than anticipated, that's for sure, and I have sore muscles and feet. But it's done, mission accomplished! Operation Computation can resume. :)
Kaylee was stunned when I took her to Awanas and we passed the park, which went from snow-covered sledding area to lake since she was last there. The water is up over the road and the area is flooding quickly. She was kind of tired and asked why Awanas wouldn't be cancelled for this bad weather, and I told her they don't cancel church for thunderstorms. She said "but it's so windy!" I told her they don't cancel it for wind, either. She huffed and said "Well, what about Tornadoes!" I said "Okay, for tornadoes, but this isn't one. It's just a storm." She did end up glad she went though, even if she did fall on her knee and bang it up.
I heard my CB "Friend" talking about the letter I sent him. He got it today, and was telling someone that he has to turn up his system to talk to people from Indy and South Bend, and he was trying to figure out which neighbor sent the letter. It's just funny that I could hear him talking about the whole thing over my computer speakers still. Obviously he's not going to turn it down, and I never expected that he would voluntarily. But it seemed right to give him the chance to do it on his own first.
Steve seems to be coming down with something. This isn't good... :O
I like sugary cereal. When Kaylee was little, I always had Kashi fiber or Cheerios or oatmeal or other such healthy fare for her, and I had Fruity Pebbles or Cap'n Crunch Peanut Butter cereal for me. Of course that worked fine until she got old enough to want mine. So I get that multi-grain versions of junk food cereals, and yes, I see the irony, and we both eat it. I also keep on hand Cheerios and granola and such that I can slice bananas on now and then or blueberries and get her to eat. This last trip at the store I picked up Grape Nuts. I don't know why I like Grape Nuts, but I always have, and there is enough fiber in those things to weave a garment. So yesterday I was asking Kaylee what she wanted for breakfast, and I read off all our options. Cheerios, Frosted Mini Wheats, Cap'n Crunch Peanut Butter, Grape Nuts...and she interrupts me and says "Grape Nuts". Being a wise parent, I didn't say "REALLY??", but simply got it down, prepared it, told her to let it soak for a minute, and walked away without a backwards glance, just like I would any other morning, instead of going around the corner and staring at her to see if she'd really eat it. She did. So being that slightly sneaky parent, I said "You're going to eat my whole box of Grape Nuts, aren't you!" in a slightly disturbed voice. This morning...she asks for Grape Nuts again. Nothing like a little pile of pebbles first thing in the morning to start off your day right. I haven't even told her it's healthy. I'm smarter than that. ;)
Today when Kaylee's school got out, Steve and I came in and set up the school's computers for the kids, in the classrooms. We had gotten five new computers donated to the school, and had three older ones, and they all needed hooked up. That was a bigger job than we anticipated, and we both worked non-stop for two and a half hours. I carried around five big computer boxes that needed unpacked and three towers, then carried in 8 huge old monitors from one area to the kids' rooms one at a time, and ended up having to take one back and carry in another one. By the end of that my grip was gone-those old things are heavy and bulky. :) I hauled around tables and cords and room furniture, and hauled out a big load of trash out to the dumpster in the back. The wind was whipping so hard that I lost two boxes off of my pile and had to chase them down in the high winds and rain across a parking lot. By the time we got done hooking everything up, making sure it was all working and running properly, cleaned up and ready to go, well, it was actually a bigger job than anticipated, that's for sure, and I have sore muscles and feet. But it's done, mission accomplished! Operation Computation can resume. :)
Kaylee was stunned when I took her to Awanas and we passed the park, which went from snow-covered sledding area to lake since she was last there. The water is up over the road and the area is flooding quickly. She was kind of tired and asked why Awanas wouldn't be cancelled for this bad weather, and I told her they don't cancel church for thunderstorms. She said "but it's so windy!" I told her they don't cancel it for wind, either. She huffed and said "Well, what about Tornadoes!" I said "Okay, for tornadoes, but this isn't one. It's just a storm." She did end up glad she went though, even if she did fall on her knee and bang it up.
I heard my CB "Friend" talking about the letter I sent him. He got it today, and was telling someone that he has to turn up his system to talk to people from Indy and South Bend, and he was trying to figure out which neighbor sent the letter. It's just funny that I could hear him talking about the whole thing over my computer speakers still. Obviously he's not going to turn it down, and I never expected that he would voluntarily. But it seemed right to give him the chance to do it on his own first.
Steve seems to be coming down with something. This isn't good... :O
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Tuesday
Tuesday should be a Top Ten, but I don't have a concept or enough awake energy to complete one, so you just get a choppy recap of a day...you know, like usual. ;)
I flew the RG today for 1.3 hours. The winds were supposed to gust up into the 40s today, but when I left Muncie it was just gusting up to 30. Tomorrow on the other hand is supposed to find us with winds up to 60 mph, which I do believe will be a good time to stay on the ground. I ended up flying behind a King Air in the pattern, well, "pattern", since he ended up taking me on another cross-country on a ten mile wide pattern. I should have just cut him off and landed in front of him, because I could have been down, in the hangar and on my way home before he ever landed...
I sent a letter today to the guy in my neighborhood who gets on his CB/radio and blasts me out of my keyboard, mouse, phone, and out my speakers. I got his address and sent him a letter today, explaining to him what his setup was doing to us and everyone around him, and asked him nicely to turn down his output to legal levels. Then I added that I'd be turning him in to the FCC and helping multiple neighbors to do the same if nothing changed, but that I hoped that he simply was unaware of the affect he was having on his neighbors. I won't hold my breath, but it seemed like the appropriate thing to do to at least let him know I was turning him in and give him the opportunity to take it down himself. We'll see.
The Rest of the Day doesn't seem very mentionable, nothing new. :)
I flew the RG today for 1.3 hours. The winds were supposed to gust up into the 40s today, but when I left Muncie it was just gusting up to 30. Tomorrow on the other hand is supposed to find us with winds up to 60 mph, which I do believe will be a good time to stay on the ground. I ended up flying behind a King Air in the pattern, well, "pattern", since he ended up taking me on another cross-country on a ten mile wide pattern. I should have just cut him off and landed in front of him, because I could have been down, in the hangar and on my way home before he ever landed...
I sent a letter today to the guy in my neighborhood who gets on his CB/radio and blasts me out of my keyboard, mouse, phone, and out my speakers. I got his address and sent him a letter today, explaining to him what his setup was doing to us and everyone around him, and asked him nicely to turn down his output to legal levels. Then I added that I'd be turning him in to the FCC and helping multiple neighbors to do the same if nothing changed, but that I hoped that he simply was unaware of the affect he was having on his neighbors. I won't hold my breath, but it seemed like the appropriate thing to do to at least let him know I was turning him in and give him the opportunity to take it down himself. We'll see.
The Rest of the Day doesn't seem very mentionable, nothing new. :)
Monday, February 09, 2009
Flyers
It was Run-Around Monday today. Kaylee was up and in school ready to go, and I went from there to two banks, a post office, the grocery store, then home to unload in time to turn around and head out to the office. We ate lunch there, then I went with Nathan to Kentucky and back (Lexington) in the Cheyenne to pick up someone who needed a ride home. When we left, it was cold, kind of windy, overcast and hazy. We broke out into sunshine less than half way there, and at Lexington I took off my sweatshirt and enjoyed the flight home in a t-shirt. When we landed back at Kokomo it had cleared off and become a lovely day here too, finally. It was nice to see the earth from 23,000 feet in the air again. :)
Kaylee is a little excited because her cheer group did basically "tryouts" to replace a couple of "flyers" (girls on top of the pyramid) because they couldn't do a good enough "split v" or leg up maneuver, and Kaylee wants to try that flyer thing. She said she looked around and thought hers looked good. But Kaylee is pretty solid, and strong, and just normal flexibility, and there are several girls younger and smaller than she is there, and I don't see them moving her off of a base (holding up the flyer in the pyramid) position. We'll see-either way, cheer is sort of over the end of February after their "competition" in Indianapolis, and then they will continue to meet and practice every week until May if we want to attend, and then there's a recital in May where they will perform their routine again...which is new and I think sort of another way to get more money out of parents, but hey. ;)
Here's a photo I took out of the Cheyenne today-it's not an interesting flying photo by any means; it was prior to seeing much sunshine so it's all gray, but you can see how it handles the spinning propeller on some of these cameras...
Kaylee is a little excited because her cheer group did basically "tryouts" to replace a couple of "flyers" (girls on top of the pyramid) because they couldn't do a good enough "split v" or leg up maneuver, and Kaylee wants to try that flyer thing. She said she looked around and thought hers looked good. But Kaylee is pretty solid, and strong, and just normal flexibility, and there are several girls younger and smaller than she is there, and I don't see them moving her off of a base (holding up the flyer in the pyramid) position. We'll see-either way, cheer is sort of over the end of February after their "competition" in Indianapolis, and then they will continue to meet and practice every week until May if we want to attend, and then there's a recital in May where they will perform their routine again...which is new and I think sort of another way to get more money out of parents, but hey. ;)
Here's a photo I took out of the Cheyenne today-it's not an interesting flying photo by any means; it was prior to seeing much sunshine so it's all gray, but you can see how it handles the spinning propeller on some of these cameras...
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Quickly
When he can, Steve likes to take Sundays and make then Daddy/Daughter days, and all three of us enjoy it. Kaylee loves the undivided attention, Steve likes getting to spend time with his favorite 8-year-old girl, and I like the day to do whatever I wish or don't wish. :) They played outside for a long time today, and even took Dulce out to play outside. I tried to get Roadie to go outside too, and she practically ran over me to get away from the open door. That's one kitty that does NOT like the great outdoors. They had some chairs set up outside, sitting in the warm sun, playing ball, fixing a few things, and just playing.
I fixed "Messy Cheese Sandwiches" for lunch, a tradition from my own childhood. Extra crispy bacon, melted colby jack cheese on top on lightly toasted bread. Cardiac arrest on a plate, perhaps, but it's a rare treat. :)
I fixed "Messy Cheese Sandwiches" for lunch, a tradition from my own childhood. Extra crispy bacon, melted colby jack cheese on top on lightly toasted bread. Cardiac arrest on a plate, perhaps, but it's a rare treat. :)
I watched several movies today, but I'm being a good girl and avoiding providing commentary on my opinions of their themes/messages, to spare you. In fact, I'll even spare you my opinion on a couple other news things today, and I'll just say it was a lovely quiet relaxing family day, and I hope your weekend was as restful and rejuvenating as ours. :)
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Getting Closer...
Now this is almost my kind of Saturday. I sleep like a rock, sleep in undisturbed, get up to blue skies, sunshine and warmer temperatures, and spend the day with family. We went out to the airport and took Kaylee's bike, and Nathan and Jamie & Gwenie were there too, so the kids got to run around and play outside in just a sweater (on Kaylee's part) until dark. The rest of us adults just piddled around doing little projects that you don't really do normally when you are on a time crunch to accomplish this or that. You know, like spotting something on the outside of the Baron that nobody knows what it goes to, so you hook up the APU and break out the manuals and try to figure it out. Or putting the new approach plates out and boxing up the old ones. Or working (or observe and rarely help someone else working) on some little stuff on the T-6 or Baron or tug or whatever. Of course I said "almost" my kind of Saturday, because I need two things to make it "my" kind of Saturday: Twenty-five more degrees and actually committing aviation.
It was a lovely Saturday none-the-less. :)
It was a lovely Saturday none-the-less. :)
Friday, February 06, 2009
TGIF!
I'm so ready for warm weather that as soon as it broke freezing here, I painted my toenails hot pink and walked around barefoot for a few hours. Yes I did-you have a problem with that?? ;)
So, to answer your question, yes, Kaylee did make a Valentine for the girl who she said "when I look at her all I see are horns on her head" about. She made it today and gave it to M, who in fact did not crumple it up or toss it aside, but appreciated it. She admitted to Kaylee that it hurt her feelings when the boy destroyed her Valentine to him, and then as a thank you, she made Kaylee a play camera out of construction paper, which Kaylee has played with all afternoon. On the way home from school, Kaylee was telling me all about it, and told me it was nice to have M as a friend today. We talked about how kindness is the better way to handle people, and I think it was a "lesson" that really sank in. Not that they are going to be best buds from now on, because with their personalities I highly doubt it. But for today they had peace, and thoughtfulness, and kindness, and a little bit of friendly connection, and sometimes that's enough for the day.
And in case any of you who know me are laughing at me right now because I am not always the best person at being kind when others are not kind, this is one of the things that having kids does for you. I want her to be better than I am, and she acts as a mirror, reflecting what we do, what we think, what we say, what we believe. That can be surprising sometimes, and it makes you want to do better yourself. She's sure a blessing to us. :)
I taught Kaylee how to actually multiply, and she loves it. After we finished the first set of 12s and 13s, she wanted to do them again so she could cement it in. She's not just memorizing the answers, she knows how to get the answers and what they mean. THEN I'm going to have her memorize. We even did double-digit multiplication with paper and pen, and she got it. I was proud of her, and she was really proud of herself when she realized she could multiply anything. She can do any three digits (a two-digit and a one-digit like 14 x 9) in her head, and she can do any four digits (two-digits and another two-digit number like 12x13) with a pen and paper. Now she just needs to be able to do it more quickly, and/or memorize the multiplication tables for speed race stuff. Even there she's better-her teacher again told her today that she could tell she had been practicing, and Kaylee won a lot of the math-offs today, coming in second place. :) Mostly I just wanted her to know how to figure out the answer even if she didn't have it memorized first, so I knew she knew the basic math principles. I always struggled with math, all the way until I had a calculus course in college where everything finally clicked in for me after a lot of hard work, more than a few tears, and a ton of frustration. Kaylee is good at math, better than I was, and I want her to know it and believe it and let it work for her. One thing the teachers got right--math is extremely important in a lot of areas of life! :)
I would talk about flying, but there's nothing to talk about. I was supposed to fly the Decathlon today and teach some aerobatics, but they cancelled due to an airplane issue. So then he offered to hook us up with a Cessna 150/152 Aerobat. The problem with that is that it's a tiny little airplane, and not my favorite anyway, and he's a big guy and I'm...not a tiny girl, making us "over gross" from the get-go, and I'm not too fond of 150/152s in the first place, and a bit of a snobbery on my part means I'm not really interested in doing aerobatics overgross in an underpowered airplane. :) So, another time I guess. Other than riding around in a 172 with a student next week, I've been grounded, grounded, grounded. Grounded enough that I stayed in the Cheyenne an extra length of time when I returned its fuzzy monogrammed blankets just to sniff the interior. *sigh*
While I am unhappy with the stimulus package, let me add this aspect of it that I dislike. In the so-called Stimulus Package there is a provision for 79 billion dollars in monies for a “State Fiscal Stabilization Fund.” Correct me if I’m wrong, but what I think this government-speak title means is that those who live in states that have a balanced budget will be sending money, lots of money, to states that spend money like it’s water to save them from dying of thirst. Only they’re not dying, just in debt. And I don’t particularly feel obligated to pay California’s debt. And by the way, aren't we back to Socialism and redistribution of the wealth? By the way, I was just as anti-bailout for the same reasons, and that was Bush. Apparently I can't be made happy by the two parties, huh? Don't worry, I don't expect you or anyone else to listen to me on any of this. I'm just a "soccer (dance/cheer/gymnastics) mom" in fly-over country, Indiana. :)
I'm happy that it's Friday and that neither Steve nor I have to work tomorrow, which is unusual. We aren't going anywhere, don't have any flights, the weather is supposed to be warm and nice, and I look forward to a nice weekend!
So, to answer your question, yes, Kaylee did make a Valentine for the girl who she said "when I look at her all I see are horns on her head" about. She made it today and gave it to M, who in fact did not crumple it up or toss it aside, but appreciated it. She admitted to Kaylee that it hurt her feelings when the boy destroyed her Valentine to him, and then as a thank you, she made Kaylee a play camera out of construction paper, which Kaylee has played with all afternoon. On the way home from school, Kaylee was telling me all about it, and told me it was nice to have M as a friend today. We talked about how kindness is the better way to handle people, and I think it was a "lesson" that really sank in. Not that they are going to be best buds from now on, because with their personalities I highly doubt it. But for today they had peace, and thoughtfulness, and kindness, and a little bit of friendly connection, and sometimes that's enough for the day.
And in case any of you who know me are laughing at me right now because I am not always the best person at being kind when others are not kind, this is one of the things that having kids does for you. I want her to be better than I am, and she acts as a mirror, reflecting what we do, what we think, what we say, what we believe. That can be surprising sometimes, and it makes you want to do better yourself. She's sure a blessing to us. :)
I taught Kaylee how to actually multiply, and she loves it. After we finished the first set of 12s and 13s, she wanted to do them again so she could cement it in. She's not just memorizing the answers, she knows how to get the answers and what they mean. THEN I'm going to have her memorize. We even did double-digit multiplication with paper and pen, and she got it. I was proud of her, and she was really proud of herself when she realized she could multiply anything. She can do any three digits (a two-digit and a one-digit like 14 x 9) in her head, and she can do any four digits (two-digits and another two-digit number like 12x13) with a pen and paper. Now she just needs to be able to do it more quickly, and/or memorize the multiplication tables for speed race stuff. Even there she's better-her teacher again told her today that she could tell she had been practicing, and Kaylee won a lot of the math-offs today, coming in second place. :) Mostly I just wanted her to know how to figure out the answer even if she didn't have it memorized first, so I knew she knew the basic math principles. I always struggled with math, all the way until I had a calculus course in college where everything finally clicked in for me after a lot of hard work, more than a few tears, and a ton of frustration. Kaylee is good at math, better than I was, and I want her to know it and believe it and let it work for her. One thing the teachers got right--math is extremely important in a lot of areas of life! :)
I would talk about flying, but there's nothing to talk about. I was supposed to fly the Decathlon today and teach some aerobatics, but they cancelled due to an airplane issue. So then he offered to hook us up with a Cessna 150/152 Aerobat. The problem with that is that it's a tiny little airplane, and not my favorite anyway, and he's a big guy and I'm...not a tiny girl, making us "over gross" from the get-go, and I'm not too fond of 150/152s in the first place, and a bit of a snobbery on my part means I'm not really interested in doing aerobatics overgross in an underpowered airplane. :) So, another time I guess. Other than riding around in a 172 with a student next week, I've been grounded, grounded, grounded. Grounded enough that I stayed in the Cheyenne an extra length of time when I returned its fuzzy monogrammed blankets just to sniff the interior. *sigh*
While I am unhappy with the stimulus package, let me add this aspect of it that I dislike. In the so-called Stimulus Package there is a provision for 79 billion dollars in monies for a “State Fiscal Stabilization Fund.” Correct me if I’m wrong, but what I think this government-speak title means is that those who live in states that have a balanced budget will be sending money, lots of money, to states that spend money like it’s water to save them from dying of thirst. Only they’re not dying, just in debt. And I don’t particularly feel obligated to pay California’s debt. And by the way, aren't we back to Socialism and redistribution of the wealth? By the way, I was just as anti-bailout for the same reasons, and that was Bush. Apparently I can't be made happy by the two parties, huh? Don't worry, I don't expect you or anyone else to listen to me on any of this. I'm just a "soccer (dance/cheer/gymnastics) mom" in fly-over country, Indiana. :)
I'm happy that it's Friday and that neither Steve nor I have to work tomorrow, which is unusual. We aren't going anywhere, don't have any flights, the weather is supposed to be warm and nice, and I look forward to a nice weekend!
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Thankful Thursday
I guess if it has to be winter, and has to be below freezing temperatures, at least it can be pretty. It's ironic how winter is the one time of year that many times the sky has the exact same shade of white or gray as the ground. Other than the temperatures, it was actually a pretty day. The sky was a pretty blue, the sun was out, the roads were clear, and the ground is still covered by all that snow we've gotten, but it hasn't had the chance to turn that nasty slush brown yet. It would make a nice post card snapshot. Great. Now let's move on to Spring. ;)
I was looking for ideas on changing the look of my blog, so I looked up aviation blogs. One of them I stumbled on had a video on the front page of the start up of a Mustang. I listened to that sound, then went to my own site and watched the last videos I took, such as this one, causing me a distinct and predictable reaction. *sigh*
Speaking of reactions, in case you ever wonder, this is How To Handle Emergencies. How many people's voices would have gained an octave or two in their radio communications during a double engine failure with a plane load of passengers and nowhere to go? It reminds me of the story Matt Jackson (Reno Air Racer) told about a rather exciting engine-out one year. I couldn't do it justice, but it had everyone laughing until their ribs hurt, literally. Part of it was his squeaky high voice until he got on the radio to make a call, at which point he dropped it down to "cool professional pilot" in order to make the call, only to find out later he'd had the push to talk switch pressed the entire time so everybody heard him talking to himself the whole way down. I can SO see something like that happening to just about anyone in this group. lol
I have to send out a congratulations to my friend Angie, who just announced in a very sneaky way (as she is good at doing) that she is expecting and due in July. Did I mention that she is expecting Child #9? Two little ones in heaven and 8 on earth with one more on the way this summer. And yes they are all hers, yes she knows how "this" happens, no they are not all barefoot and disheveled, yes they are all well-educated and very well-behaved, and no she is not crazy. Well, mostly. ;) They are great kids and the world is lucky to have one more on the way. Congratulations Angie!!
Kaylee came home from school pretty excited because today during her math flash card stand-offs at school, she actually beat three of the kids who usually beat her, including the fastest boy in the class at math. Her teacher told her that she could tell Kaylee had been practicing, and Kaylee was doing the Happy "Oh Yeah" dance. I warned her that now that they know she's faster than she used to be, they would speed it up too so she'd have to keep practicing. Now they know she's more of a threat than she used to be. ;)
She told me a sad story from school today too. The kids made valentines in school today. One girl in the class, the one that Kaylee has trouble with often in fact, made a valentine for a little boy named "C" in her class. Hand cut-out heart, glue and crayons and stickers and a good amount of hard work. They weren't making them for everyone in the class, just making a couple special ones. C took her valentine, wrote "Yadda yadda" on it, and crumpled it up and threw it away in front of her. Kaylee told me he did that because he doesn't like the girl, and she didn't make any more valentines after that. I sat there for a good 30 seconds before I said "Kaylee, that is SO sad, that was awful to do to somebody." I've had my own issues with this girl being mean to my daughter, but that really upsets me. Those are the kinds of things you remember, the kinds of things that leave a mark. I think I'm going to have Kaylee make her a valentine, if she's willing. I realize that with their relationship she runs the risk of having this girl crumple it in front of her because it was done to her, because she knows it would hurt, because she doesn't much like Kaylee. But I already kind of prepped Kaylee for it. Her doing the right thing means she did the right thing, and if this other girl does the wrong thing after that, it is on her head, not Kaylee's, but that Kaylee will have done her best, shown a kindness to someone who was hurt. It just seems the right thing to do.
Today I am thankful for a warm house, enough food, our healthy family, blue skies, a warmer weekend, my daughter laughing and cuddling with me this afternoon, an A+ on another spelling test, and the whole stack of really weird questions she always asks me that make me think. :)
I was looking for ideas on changing the look of my blog, so I looked up aviation blogs. One of them I stumbled on had a video on the front page of the start up of a Mustang. I listened to that sound, then went to my own site and watched the last videos I took, such as this one, causing me a distinct and predictable reaction. *sigh*
Speaking of reactions, in case you ever wonder, this is How To Handle Emergencies. How many people's voices would have gained an octave or two in their radio communications during a double engine failure with a plane load of passengers and nowhere to go? It reminds me of the story Matt Jackson (Reno Air Racer) told about a rather exciting engine-out one year. I couldn't do it justice, but it had everyone laughing until their ribs hurt, literally. Part of it was his squeaky high voice until he got on the radio to make a call, at which point he dropped it down to "cool professional pilot" in order to make the call, only to find out later he'd had the push to talk switch pressed the entire time so everybody heard him talking to himself the whole way down. I can SO see something like that happening to just about anyone in this group. lol
I have to send out a congratulations to my friend Angie, who just announced in a very sneaky way (as she is good at doing) that she is expecting and due in July. Did I mention that she is expecting Child #9? Two little ones in heaven and 8 on earth with one more on the way this summer. And yes they are all hers, yes she knows how "this" happens, no they are not all barefoot and disheveled, yes they are all well-educated and very well-behaved, and no she is not crazy. Well, mostly. ;) They are great kids and the world is lucky to have one more on the way. Congratulations Angie!!
Kaylee came home from school pretty excited because today during her math flash card stand-offs at school, she actually beat three of the kids who usually beat her, including the fastest boy in the class at math. Her teacher told her that she could tell Kaylee had been practicing, and Kaylee was doing the Happy "Oh Yeah" dance. I warned her that now that they know she's faster than she used to be, they would speed it up too so she'd have to keep practicing. Now they know she's more of a threat than she used to be. ;)
She told me a sad story from school today too. The kids made valentines in school today. One girl in the class, the one that Kaylee has trouble with often in fact, made a valentine for a little boy named "C" in her class. Hand cut-out heart, glue and crayons and stickers and a good amount of hard work. They weren't making them for everyone in the class, just making a couple special ones. C took her valentine, wrote "Yadda yadda" on it, and crumpled it up and threw it away in front of her. Kaylee told me he did that because he doesn't like the girl, and she didn't make any more valentines after that. I sat there for a good 30 seconds before I said "Kaylee, that is SO sad, that was awful to do to somebody." I've had my own issues with this girl being mean to my daughter, but that really upsets me. Those are the kinds of things you remember, the kinds of things that leave a mark. I think I'm going to have Kaylee make her a valentine, if she's willing. I realize that with their relationship she runs the risk of having this girl crumple it in front of her because it was done to her, because she knows it would hurt, because she doesn't much like Kaylee. But I already kind of prepped Kaylee for it. Her doing the right thing means she did the right thing, and if this other girl does the wrong thing after that, it is on her head, not Kaylee's, but that Kaylee will have done her best, shown a kindness to someone who was hurt. It just seems the right thing to do.
Today I am thankful for a warm house, enough food, our healthy family, blue skies, a warmer weekend, my daughter laughing and cuddling with me this afternoon, an A+ on another spelling test, and the whole stack of really weird questions she always asks me that make me think. :)
WHOA...
So many things to say I can't pick just one.
Things that make my eyebrows go up.
(Remember the "Things that impress Ed Asner" spots on Leno?) Things that Impress Laura.
Holy Moly.
That landing---that take-off... :O
What beautiful scenery.
There's one bad countrified word in the video, to warn you, but I had to show this one.
Things that make my eyebrows go up.
(Remember the "Things that impress Ed Asner" spots on Leno?) Things that Impress Laura.
Holy Moly.
That landing---that take-off... :O
What beautiful scenery.
There's one bad countrified word in the video, to warn you, but I had to show this one.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Dreaming
What do you know, we had another 2-hour delay at school today due to bad roads. This is getting to be a habit! We are going to have so much school to make up at the end of the year. I have to admit, part of me thinks school should always start at 10:20 though. What a nice, relaxing morning that makes...
I woke up at the normal early time this morning, and didn't realize there was a school delay until Kaylee asked me, I said "no", then thought I'd better look anyway, and found I was wrong. So I went back to bed, where I had one of those vivid dreams. In my dream I was flying the T-6 in the pattern at Kokomo, and when I woke up, my left hand was pushing in the hydraulic push lever and reaching for the gear, and before I was all the way awake I was even reaching back up for the throttle and prop, my right hand closed in front of me like I was holding the stick. Then I figured out where I was and what I was doing and put my arm/hands back down. Not the first time I've woken up actually moving, but the first time in awhile. :)
Kaylee and I worked for awhile on her multiplication tables. I'm trying to speed her up a little bit, so I taught her a few tricks. We've only been working on it for two days, but she's already a good deal faster on many of the number sets. Once she conquers them, we'll move into speeding up her division.
Not much about today. School, lunch, Awanas, cold, snow. I didn't forget anything at least. Well, not that I know of anyway...
I woke up at the normal early time this morning, and didn't realize there was a school delay until Kaylee asked me, I said "no", then thought I'd better look anyway, and found I was wrong. So I went back to bed, where I had one of those vivid dreams. In my dream I was flying the T-6 in the pattern at Kokomo, and when I woke up, my left hand was pushing in the hydraulic push lever and reaching for the gear, and before I was all the way awake I was even reaching back up for the throttle and prop, my right hand closed in front of me like I was holding the stick. Then I figured out where I was and what I was doing and put my arm/hands back down. Not the first time I've woken up actually moving, but the first time in awhile. :)
Kaylee and I worked for awhile on her multiplication tables. I'm trying to speed her up a little bit, so I taught her a few tricks. We've only been working on it for two days, but she's already a good deal faster on many of the number sets. Once she conquers them, we'll move into speeding up her division.
Not much about today. School, lunch, Awanas, cold, snow. I didn't forget anything at least. Well, not that I know of anyway...
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Earth to Laura
After I dropped Kaylee off at school this morning, I pulled into my garage, gathered my things, closed the overhead door, got out of my car, and got halfway out of the side door before I realized I had left my car running. Just sitting there, running.
I went to the post office to mail off four thank you notes Kaylee had written. Three hours later when I picked Kaylee up from school, I saw the four thank you notes still sitting on the passenger seat of the car, along with the mail I had picked up while I was there.
I went to Redbox to pick up two movies. I was halfway home before I realized I'd only picked up one of the two.
I was slouched down on my couch, half-asleep, when I got a phone call from Kaylee's ballet school, informing me that they had my purse and would be open until 9 p.m. for me to come get it.
I sent Kaylee to bed, and got a little irritated when she came back out for food, because she tries to use that as a procrastination thing sometimes. Only to find out I'd never actually fed her dinner.
Yeah.
I'm going to bed and calling a do-over...
I went to the post office to mail off four thank you notes Kaylee had written. Three hours later when I picked Kaylee up from school, I saw the four thank you notes still sitting on the passenger seat of the car, along with the mail I had picked up while I was there.
I went to Redbox to pick up two movies. I was halfway home before I realized I'd only picked up one of the two.
I was slouched down on my couch, half-asleep, when I got a phone call from Kaylee's ballet school, informing me that they had my purse and would be open until 9 p.m. for me to come get it.
I sent Kaylee to bed, and got a little irritated when she came back out for food, because she tries to use that as a procrastination thing sometimes. Only to find out I'd never actually fed her dinner.
Yeah.
I'm going to bed and calling a do-over...
Monday, February 02, 2009
More Mondays
I entered time sheets at the office today until it was time to get Kaylee from school. On the way home from school, she was telling me that she needs to work on her multiplication because when they do flash cards, she's not very fast at it. So I went to Staples and picked up multiplication flash cards to go over with her. She gets the concept just fine and can figure out the answer, she just doesn't have the tables memorized so isn't fast at it. Her question when we got home was "Mommy, will you explain division to me? Here is a handful of sweettarts you can use." :) She's been doing fractions just fine for awhile now, and she got division, but not really. A pen, a piece of paper and a bunch of sweettarts later, she walked away and said "Thank you for explaining division to me. I get it." She's so polite and sweet. :)
I had a school board meeting tonight for just over two hours, Steve worked until 7:30 and Kaylee had cheer practice until 7:30 too; it was a busy Monday, as usual...
I had a school board meeting tonight for just over two hours, Steve worked until 7:30 and Kaylee had cheer practice until 7:30 too; it was a busy Monday, as usual...
Sunday, February 01, 2009
SuperBowl Sunday
Last month we had about one really good, nice flying day. Unfortunately, someone left the Master switch on in about the only plane we have flying, which meant that it was as dead as a doornail and couldn't start, forcing us to cancel the entire day's flights after that. So today we had just about the first beautiful day to fly since then, the plane was booked up from 9 a.m. through to about 7 p.m. with only a little break in the middle of the day. The 9 a.m. flight person goes out there, and the last person in the plane had left the Master switch on, draining the battery dead. Different person. This isn't an easy fix-you can't just hand prop it or jump it because in this particular plane, if the battery is totally dead, the alternator can't charge it even if you get the plane running. No, this plane has to have the whole upper cowling taken off, the battery hooked up to a specific charger for over an hour, and the cowling put back on, and the cowling is a little Frankenstein Monster-ish. You have to remember which specific screws go where, washers and nuts and screw-types galore, need more than one type of tool to get the job done, and it's just rigged up a little..."special" from most airplane cowlings. In other words, it's not something a guy going out there to fly can just do on his own. Not without three tools, 2 hours of free time and a 24 volt charger in his possession anyway. Today was supposed to be Steve's day off to spend with Kaylee, and all the other maintenance guys were gone or busy, so I offered to go out to the airport and take care of it, hopefully so that at least one flight could go out today, but I needed assistance, so Chuck came out to Kokomo to help me find the 24 volt charger, get the tools, and show me the tricks on this dumb cowling. We let it charge up for awhile, then I pulled it out of the hangar and fired it up with the cowling off to make sure it would start and that it was charging properly now. As I was shutting down, the pilot who had it for its next flight arrived a little early, so he and his wife watched us put it back together, and at least we got one flight out of it today. I hope he remembered to shut the Master switch off when he was done. I think that whoever leaves the battery running has to come out and fix the problem him/herself from now on as part of their punishment, and then perhaps pay for the flights that couldn't go. Of course I'd have had to pay for a flight myself, since I've left a Master on, and so has Steve. :)
On this lovely day, I looked longingly at the airplanes in the hangar, but the Citabria is down for its annual with 42 inspection plates off of it, the T-6 is buried behind four other airplanes, and the Baron has the cowling off on the right engine with a loose alternator belt. The RG was available but motivation on both our parts wasn't very high by this point, so I just gave up-it's easier to do that after it's been awhile. I left the airport in time to stop at the store for basics and emergency supplies, then made it home to fix cheesy bread (yum) while Steve fixed fillet and chicken chunks and meatballs, and we watched the SuperBowl. It was a good game, though I hated that the Cardinals came from so far behind in order to lead, only to lose it in the last minute or so. Poor Kurt.
Yesterday I was cleaning up and organizing my photo folders, and I moved a photo of Kaylee and me that I had PhotoShopped into looking like a drawing. She wandered over, saw it, and asked me how I did it, so I opened up PhotoShop and showed her how it worked. One of the things I did was to "liquefy" us, which moved our eyeballs around, moved our lips, hair, whatever. You could morph us into whatever you wanted. She started laughing hysterically, kicked me off my own computer, and spent the next hour morphing us around, clearing it, resetting it and doing it again. She had a blast. :)
Today Kaylee made perfume for me. Literally. It took her well over an hour, and she used a little science kit she has and a pretty bottle, and she created a scent which I wore tonight. I thought that was sweet. She had a good day playing with her dad.
-------------------------------------------------
"Choices are the hinges of destiny."
– Pythagoras
On flying:
"You know what this feels like? When I was in high school, the thing I wanted most when I was stuck in class, the thing that I was desperately in pursuit of, was a hall pass. That's all I ever wanted. I loved moving freely around the school while everybody else was trapped in class. That's how I feel right now; like I have some giant, all day hall pass."
-Unknown
On this lovely day, I looked longingly at the airplanes in the hangar, but the Citabria is down for its annual with 42 inspection plates off of it, the T-6 is buried behind four other airplanes, and the Baron has the cowling off on the right engine with a loose alternator belt. The RG was available but motivation on both our parts wasn't very high by this point, so I just gave up-it's easier to do that after it's been awhile. I left the airport in time to stop at the store for basics and emergency supplies, then made it home to fix cheesy bread (yum) while Steve fixed fillet and chicken chunks and meatballs, and we watched the SuperBowl. It was a good game, though I hated that the Cardinals came from so far behind in order to lead, only to lose it in the last minute or so. Poor Kurt.
Yesterday I was cleaning up and organizing my photo folders, and I moved a photo of Kaylee and me that I had PhotoShopped into looking like a drawing. She wandered over, saw it, and asked me how I did it, so I opened up PhotoShop and showed her how it worked. One of the things I did was to "liquefy" us, which moved our eyeballs around, moved our lips, hair, whatever. You could morph us into whatever you wanted. She started laughing hysterically, kicked me off my own computer, and spent the next hour morphing us around, clearing it, resetting it and doing it again. She had a blast. :)
Today Kaylee made perfume for me. Literally. It took her well over an hour, and she used a little science kit she has and a pretty bottle, and she created a scent which I wore tonight. I thought that was sweet. She had a good day playing with her dad.
-------------------------------------------------
"Choices are the hinges of destiny."
– Pythagoras
On flying:
"You know what this feels like? When I was in high school, the thing I wanted most when I was stuck in class, the thing that I was desperately in pursuit of, was a hall pass. That's all I ever wanted. I loved moving freely around the school while everybody else was trapped in class. That's how I feel right now; like I have some giant, all day hall pass."
-Unknown
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