News and Updates

Last night I got a text that one of our instructors, Josh, (I think he's 22 or 23) was in a bad car accident in Kentucky while driving home from the holiday. I saw photos, and his car was off by itself in a hilly green tree area, I didn't even see a highway nearby. It rolled more than once, and he had to be "jaws of life"d out of it and taken to the hospital, where they determined that he had broken his back. An "L1 fracture combined with perched facets" which is "a serious and unstable spinal injury that indicates that not only has the main vertebral bone broken, but the stabilizing posterior joints have dislocated and locked in an abnormal position, tearing vital ligaments".  He was taken to a trauma center in Lexington, KY and his parents drove down to get to him last night. He was told he'd need surgery immediately and it was scheduled for this morning first thing, but that's where it gets even worse for him. The trauma center is completely backed up, and there are 80 people in front of him who also need surgery. He doesn't even have a room yet. They've got him on a bed, immobilized and on pain meds, in the HALLWAY. He and his parents spent the night in the hallway. No sleeping or rest, no privacy, he can't move because his back is unstable, and his surgery was postponed until tomorrow morning at 7:45 am. That's awful. Meanwhile, he had a fairly full schedule of our students. So last night I started pulling them off his schedule and marking him "unavailable" on the schedule through the end of July, and today Steve and Morgan spent a lot of time figuring out which students were going to go where, and how. His Mom PMd me and told me that he was getting the notifications of his schedule being deleted and that it brought tears to his eyes. He apparently had a 3 month plan of building up most of the hours he needed, and now he'll be spending the next three months in the hospital and then PT and recovery and won't be able to start instructing again for months, and then it'll be winter and slow again. So his time frame just took a big hit. Of course surviving a nasty car accident is the first priority, but second comes your medical, and your future. 

I haven't heard what caused the accident, nor have I heard of any other cars being involved, and the photo only showed one car off by itself in the middle of nowhere, so guessing it's a single vehicle accident. Texting? Fatigue? Maybe we'll eventually find out, and if we don't, that's probably why. If someone else hit him or other cars or roadside hazards were involved, I feel like they'd have told us about that. I do feel for him. The surgery will involve rods and screws in his spine, and I can't imagine this isn't a long recovery. The good thing for him is that he's young, healthy and strong. So hopefully he recovers well and quickly. We told him he could come back and do ground lessons to stay in the game until he can fly again, and that the flying would be waiting for him. 

Kaylee's car is still "out", so Steve got on it and asked for them to provide a car for her to drive in the meantime, as she's driving his car, he's sometimes driving my car, and I don't have a way around when he's got my car, and he doesn't have a way around when I've got my car. This is bullcrap. So today we went down to the place and they gave Kaylee a 2023 Dodge Durango to drive until her car is fixed or until we get a new car in place of this one. 

I have a tan pair of Sketchers shoes that are nice, but I wore them on tour and got oil or dirt or grease on the top of them, so today I finally Googled how to wash them, and think I actually got them clean. You're not supposed to put them in the dryer, so they've been sitting on my deck trying to dry out, but I'll take the domestic win. I think it worked.

I sent an email about the flight helmet, and they got back to me with a huge, detailed, thorough email. I was impressed. The only down side is that it takes 90 days to get a helmet to you. So if I ordered today I'd get it sometime in October, or miss this year's flying season. Of course I missed last year's flying season too, but if I wait for October or later to order it, that's our slowest cash flow season and will make paying for it harder. I think Steve is wondering if I should try to get one somewhere else. But if I'm going to get a helmet, I do want a good one that'll last 17 years like the last one did. And I do want sound canceling, a normal plug for any airplane, and bluetooth. 

I've got the Belgium/USA FIFA game on. Not that I care about soccer, but it's the only thing on TV and it's a big game. Except I get tense watching them go back and forth and shoot it, and I know my ring is telling me I'm getting "stressed", but I'm not really, it's just a game I don't care about, but it does make you tense anyway somehow. Brother. ;)

Baby SJ was released from the hospital and is home now with his mom and dad, so that's great news!

I can't think of anything else from today. Tomorrow is my ortho appointment for my knee. And I need to go to Huntington and fly the T-6 there at some point but I keep putting it off. I don't know why. Dealing with people, I guess, and new situations, not my strong suite. I need to get my oil changed in my car, too. I might try to do that tomorrow after my doc appointment if they have anything open.

Looks like the US is going to get creamed this time. Maybe I shouldn't have watched. I'll go watch "The Agency" and see if we come from behind in the end while I'm not looking.