Firsts

Today had several firsts, even if this is the second post in the same day. ;)

When I was on the ramp in Bessemer, Alabama, a guy walked up and was asking questions about the 340. He said he used to fly. I answered questions about the airplane, then asked what he used to fly. He listed about four fighters, and then said "Ended in F-16s, after 27 years of service." Another gent said this guy had been shot at at Vietnam, and then the veteran said "But I've never flown GA." I jokingly said I'd never had customer service so bad as to have been shot at for it yet, but there's a first time for everything, and he gave me a grin. But you never know who you're going to run into on a GA ramp...

I took the 340 up to the flight levels for the first time today. And no, I did not forget to hook up the oxygen mask, reset the altimeter in either direction, set the pressurization properly on the way up and down, or use the word "Flight Level" once on the radio just for the fun of it. The plane handled just fine up there, so next time I have a nice long haul I'll go on up a few more thousand feet.

I also plugged in a fellow's laptop into the back, so he could hear a dvd through his headset and not be bothered by me up front with the XM radio on. In other words, I tried out the audio in there, and other than the XM signal not working properly, everything else was golden. At one point ATC told me to descend at 2000 fpm or greater for traffic. The autopilot doesn't even have a setting for descending more than 1500 fpm--it refused. So I got to disconnect it, to the (loud beeping) disconnect alarm, push over to 2000 fpm descent with the (two different, one screechy) altitude alarms going off...I felt like I was sitting in a nuclear sub and somebody needed to be saying "DIVE DIVE DIVE". Sometimes little things amuse me. ;)

As soon as I landed, I jumped in the Jeep and drove to Kaylee's school, where the Science Fair was going on. It was pretty busy--the 5th graders had one room, the 6th graders had a main entryway, and the gym was taken over by a robotics thing that sounded pretty cool. The kids were awarded either a grand trophy and a trip to the Ball State University Science Fair, First, Second or Third place. Kaylee's got a "first place" designation, so she did well. :) WHEW. So, our first Science Fair concluded successfully!

Kaylee went home with me, and when we passed the school's outdoor track, she said "I had to run 1/4 mile on that today. We have to do it first thing in the morning." Fifth graders have gym for the FIRST class of their day, and have to start their day and gym class with a jog on the outdoor track in February. :O She doesn't know it, but she got my instant sympathy for that one. That STINKS!!!!!!!

On the less pleasant end of things, Gayle's surgery went all right, but the results weren't what they expected. The doctors had thought they probably contained the cancer and got it with surgery, and she was going to have radiation in order to be sure. But they tested two of her lymph nodes, and one of them was affected, meaning the cancer could have moved into other areas of the body. She now has to have chemo as well as radiation. This is particularly frightening for her because her father passed away of cancer after a really bad experience with chemo that did a real number on him. So...I'm sure she would appreciate any prayers.

Well, Kaylee's relieved to have her workload down, Steve's relieved to have his workload at home down, it's coming up on Friday and maybe a weekend off, and my last long flight is done for the week, and it went perfectly; the timing, the comfort, the weather, perfect. Since flights are rarely perfect, I'll take it! I think we're all almost able to relax. Soon. :)