That's Life

Kaylee sent in an application to do a camp program called TILT.  It stands for "Teens in Leadership Training", and it's a training week for the kids from 7-12th grade to be camp counselors, cabin leaders, assistants, etc.  She had to write an essay and explain why she wanted to be part of this program, and be selected, it's not just something you sign up to do.  The next day she got an email back from them saying that it was one of the best essays they'd gotten, and that usually the 12-year-old going into 7th graders are still a little too young for the program, but because of her essay, they were going to select her, and were looking forward to having her there.  She was pretty excited by that.  The best part was that I didn't proof read or even see her essay until she'd already been accepted--she did it completely on her own.  One line from her essay went like this: "I would be very pleased if you would consider me for your TILT program. I think it is a wonderful opportunity for kids to learn how to handle responsibility and to help out, while also being able to have fun and enjoy themselves in the process!"  She went on to talk about the areas in which she is often given responsibility at events, and what she looked forward to learning from them.  Seriously, she did really well.  We're proud of her!  :)

Kaylee is currently having a bit of friend trouble. Friend "A" is not a very nice person nor a good friend, but once Kaylee decides to be someone's friend she has a hard time letting go of that.  Friend "B" was a good friend...until Friend A started poisoning B against Kaylee.  Kaylee was pretty hurt by B's desertion and subsequent repeated rejection.  I want to corner A against a wall and tell her exactly what I think of her and scare her into backing off and leaving my daughter alone and stop telling lies and such about her.  But she's 12 and I'm 41 and that would be inappropriate, I suppose.  So instead we told Kaylee to talk to B, the one she cares most about, ask her point blank to talk about the problem, and if there isn't a good way to resolve it, then shut the door and move on.  There are lots of people out there who will care about you for who you are, you don't need to waste your time on people who are using you, or treating you poorly.  You teach people how to treat you by what you accept.  Don't accept this.  She's working on it.  The nice thing is that she gets along really well and has several other friends too, and she'll be okay.  You have to learn how to deal with jerks and bad 'friends' sooner or later, but you just wish you could protect them from some of the ickies for awhile longer...it probably bothers me and Steve more than it does Kaylee.  I hope.  ;)

This morning I had a flight in the Cub for 2 hours.  I don't have anyone else left in there-most everybody's off on Ty or Jerry now.  It's a nice airplane to fly from the back seat with the door open.  I didn't do too bad getting in and out for once, either.  It had been a long time, last year sometime.  We started off landing on three wheels, got that down and went on to two wheels, got that down and went on to one wheel, did okay on that and went over to concrete for a couple.  It was kind of busy over at Kokomo, so after two we just left and came back to Glenndale.  Found out later an FAA guy (ILS worker, not enforcement guy) was hot and bothered that the Cub was in the pattern with the other airplanes and dared to do it without a radio on board.  At one point two of us were landing on Runway 5 (one at a time, of course), and somebody came in straight in on the downwind and opposing runway, 23.  The FAA guy was mad at ME for landing on 5, taking off and cutting out low and quickly with a guy coming in on 23, because I didn't have the radio.  I think he should be just as bothered at the guy coming head on to established traffic in the pattern, downwind none-the-less.  But none of us pilots were bothered.  I saw the guy on 23, the other airplane in front of me warned the guy on 23 that we were NORDO, the other guy was fine with the whole thing, we were fine with the whole thing, it was just the FAA guy that wasn't fine with the whole thing.  So Steve was over there debating the whole thing with him until he had nowhere to go but back up and admit nothing done was illegal, unsafe, immoral, unethical, or a problem for anyone involved in the first place.  ;)

This afternoon was another flight, in the 172, doing pattern work, 1.1, and then I ran up the 340 and talked to a new guy who is joining the club.  He'd grabbed a card for an instructor, not me, Steve or Ty, and whoever was in the office up front at the airport told him he really needed to go with Laura, not the other guy, pointed me out across the tarmac and told him to go talk to me instead.  So I printed off the club paperwork and we talked for an hour and he wants to finish his license.  Meantime I just scheduled another new guy with me for 3-5 times a week for the next two weeks, as he wants to finish his Private by August...just like about 5 other people now.  Ack.

Well, best get to bed.  Tomorrow...I should quit writing about tomorrow the day before it happens, otherwise there's nothing new to read tomorrow.  So forget it.  Good night.  ;)

Base to final Runway 18

 

Takeoff...

 

Crossing the wires, Runway 18