Well Then

It was an interesting trip Nathan and I had today to Massachusetts. The surface winds were gusting to 46 knots, there was LLWS off the end of the runway, the landing was downright serious, and braking action on the runway was reported poor to fair. Coming up on it, you could see the runway/airport just fine, it was VFR, but the field was "declared IFR" because of low visibility on the surface due to heavily blowing snow. So we did a Contact Approach in. It was severe clear about until you got into the flare, and then the visibility dropped to 3/4 mile or so. The taxi in required differential power and some sliding around, and after we shut down and got out, we saw the 12,000 lb airplane start to drift/slide on the ice from the wind. The line guy ran out with chocks. The airport was closed unless you gave them 3 hours advance notice, per NOTAM, which we did. We were the only plane out of there today, and one of two that came in.  It was a most interesting flight in and out.  The rest of the time, it was smooth, clear, and just lovely.  Good ole flying--95% ho hum and 5% holy crap.  :)

Kaylee is starting to not feel well.  And she can't not feel well.  Her state barbershop quartet competition is this weekend.  But tonight she felt warm, and her nose is running.  Steve felt better yesterday but today is back downward.  I've been fine so far, but don't like my chances.

When I picked up Kaylee after her practice tonight at 8:15 (she hadn't been home since she left at 7:20 this morning for school), she told me that her singing group had been kept afterwards while someone came to talk to one of the boys in Encore, a friend of Kaylee's.  Come to find out, his mother had been killed in a car accident after school today.  That really set all the kids back as you can only imagine.  Kaylee started asking me questions, like who would come for her if something happened to both Steve and I, etc.  We talked about it for awhile, and she seemed okay, but talk about a scary thing to happen to someone you know.  If you want to pray for a young man named Jacob, I'm sure he could use it right now.

Just so I am not ending on that, at 8 am I flew a Cheetah.  I learned to fly in a Tiger, which is the big sister version of the plane I flew today.  So it was a little bit of a flashback stepping down into the Cheetah.  When I got back from Massachusetts, I got back in the Cheetah with another guy and checked him out in it too.  Busy day, and I'm glad the weather here is not the weather there.

Tomorrow morning Kaylee wants to meet her friends at 7 am at "Ma & Pa's", the restaurant in Greentown, for a Valentines Day breakfast.  I told her I'd take her.  Then she asked if I'd wait there, sitting at a different table, and then drive a bunch of them to school at 7:50.  Actually, I can do that.  I'll get a cinnamon roll and bring a book to read and I'll be just happy as a clam, minus the whole 7 am thing...