Friday

I was up flying with my first guy this morning, even though the winds were up a bit, and we got about 2 landings in and I looked west and said "Huh.  That looks like snow."  I couldn't really see anything, but the horizon was whited out a bit.  The next lap around the patch, I looked west and said "Well, that's definitely snow."  I pull up my phone and open the weather app and there it is, a nice good-sized wad of snow that was not in any forecast for this morning.  We went around again and the visibilities went down and we ended up with the whole star wars snow streaks in the window thing.  It was still VFR so we went around one more time.  That last one was fairly murky, though still legal, but we ended on that one.  He needs to not have that kind of crosswind right now anyway, but at least he got some practice in.  My afternoon guy canceled because the winds were kicking up to 28 knots and he too is trying to flare.  Hard to go with a 50 degree 28 knot crosswind.

We had lunch at Glenndale today, and while I happened to be sitting there, a box came in for me.  The odds of this are big.  1) I'm never at Glenndale except Fridays from 11:45-1:30 or so, especially in the winter.  2) This box wasn't supposed to be here until the 22nd.  The guy came in, I had to sign for it, Steve and I went to help unload it, Steve and the guy put it in the back of my Explorer, and I headed off to UPS to ship it where it actually needs to go.  Why didn't I do that originally instead of to me?  I tried.  Twice.  The company could not or would not get it where it needed to go, which was the Philippines.  I spent two months waiting on them, paid $1300 twice, and got it refunded when they failed to get it there.  So today I wanted it in my own grubby hands, and drove to UPS.

The delivery guy had said it was 45 pounds.  I figure, I can handle a 45 pound box no problem.  I get to UPS and open my back area, and drag it, and...either I have lost serious muscle mass in the last couple of weeks, or that is no 45 pounds.  I go inside and get a guy and a dolly, and he's smaller than I am, so I end up doing most of the heavy lifting.  This thing is 85 pounds.   I smash two fingers, which turn that funny "you've really done it now" purple and white color in a couple spots, and the pain is so blinding that your brain can't even come up with a word, like "ouch", or "crap".  You just freeze there in a blitz of nerve ending zaps for a second.  So that was fun.  We get it inside, and then he needs me to lift it up on the scale.  I bend from the waist and lift from the legs and I get that thing up there while he positions it properly.  I think I feel that in my shoulders now, but hey this 45 year old chick can still get it done.

Then comes the paperwork.  Getting it to the Philippines seems to take an act of Congress.  Six sheets of paper later, where I sign my life and all my rights away, declare what it is, who made it originally (China, according to the manufacturer), what it is made of, the value of it, and $1400 later in shipping charges.  Yep, you read that right.  But if nothing else, hopefully it will get there and be delivered safely.

Kaylee had an Encore presentation at Riley Hospital today.  They sang in one of the lobbies as part of a group presentation, for parents, staff, patients, etc.  On the way home they stopped at Red Robin to eat, and broke into a "flash mob" version of one of their songs.  A lady recorded it but it's only on Facebook and she's not my friend, so I can't save it or share it.  Another girl recorded just the audio, with the video pointed at the ceiling.  That one I'm getting ready to upload on Facebook so you can hear it.



Tomorrow I'll be gone all day to Tampa...I feel like gloating about that a little bit.  It's just for one day, but hey, it's better to have one day in the 70s in December than none...