Week...something..but six weeks from track select

Only six more weeks until we find out what types of aircraft we will fly...ok, us Guard guys/gals already know, but six weeks until Phase II is donesky. I took a week off from my duties of writing to you due to being cross-country last weekend, but since only four people say they read this (and one says it four times), I don't feel like I let too many people down.

The XC was ok, but the weather was bad so we had to stay in Texas. Texas is a big state, but I would have like to go to AZ or FL, but icing at higher levels kept us from going. That and it was so bad back here, we had to be within driving distance just in case we had to leave the jets somewhere and have a van ride back home. I got to go to a lot of new and different airports and fly their approaches right next to Southwest, so that was cool. However, we didn't get to buzz the Grand Canyon or other cool stuff that other studs got to do...but whatcha gonna do?

I bought a bike this week...yeah, don't ask me where I am going to keep it or when I am going to ride it, but I got a great deal. KTM 525 SX. Take a gander at her! The crate arrives via burro on Wednesday from Seattle, WA. Who would have guessed I would buy a KTM...or better yet who would have guessed I used up the fund for Candi to come see me? I can tell you Candi sure didn't guess it! Anyone know a good marriage counselor...that values good deals? I mean, I was putting the family's finances first, I would never buy something full price. You think I am that insensitive?

The class also had a party tonight back out at our sponsor's house, but me being old couldn't hang with those young whipper snappers. It was a good time and we had a huge fire, but even that couldn't lure me to spend the night...unlike two different stud(ent)s who brought their motor homes. They take this partying thing serious...at least they aren't drinking and driving. This particular motor home is the real life, no kidding, I am not pulling your leg, I wouldn't lie to you, no joke home of the aviator glasses wearing guy on top. He parks it at the RV park on base. The other one is an old clunker that many of the studs pass around and take it to Austin on the weekends so they don't have to pay for hotels. Oh and speaking of aviator glasses, four "tools" showed up wearing them to a non-Air Force sponsored event. I bet they would secretly like to be called Maverick or Goose, too! They probably have leather bomber jackets and ride their '89 Ninjas next to the runway. The last two sentences are only for those that have heard of a little movie called, Top Gun! If I had a dollar for every time I heard a quote from that stupid movie or heard the phrase, "Your dangerous" I would be able to afford that bike I just bought.

Of course it there was some craziness, but I had to include this picture below because my buddy Julio is in the background...I told you these chips are the best thing going. No this guy on the left didn't win a Super Bowl, gay Aggies and Falcons wear their class rings like it is cool. The only reason why I wish I had gone to Texas A&M or the Academy is so I could get some finger bling bling that would remind me that I really am smart enough to have graduated from a higher learning institution.

Well this upcoming week I should have my instrument checkride. Instruments has gone quick and I am only two sims (the final two of Phase II) and three rides away from checking. I am a bit nervous about this one because instruments either goes really well or really bad for me. I am either the man and the IP doesn't have to keep taking the controls or I have a bad case of helmet fire and the IP repeatedly asks me if I am conscious and reminds me of his family that he would like to see later on that night. Not a lot of happy mediums in my bag of tricks...but who cares...I GOT A DIRTBIKE! I might just skip the whole thing. I don't have any of my gear yet, but I could ride like a dirty. Jeans, flannel, and boots... the official uniform of a Del Rioan...I'm in! Peace to my peeps!

Snow in North Mexico

Businesses are closed, schools are closed, people making mad dashes to the local boutiques (such as Wal-Mart) to find scrapers all because it started to snow...er...ice crystal.

I guess we from the Arctic regions take it for granted, but people down here are freaking out. There are people everywhere with their cameras (I fit right in) taking pictures of this white stuff falling from the heavens. It really isn't snow, but that is like telling kids there is no Santa Claus.

I have seen people with hoses, buckets, newspapers, and scrapers all trying to get this frozen substance off their vehicles. I talked to my neighbor and he says he can't remember the last time it snowed in Del Rio...of course he was probably high, so there might be a reason he doesn't remember. However, this picture is just wrong.

Well, I am not going to complain for the extra day off. The only bad thing is everything else is closed. The streets are not slick, but no locals are not chancing it. I thought everyone was stopped for a fire truck or funeral procession, but then I took a closer look and found that the wheels were slightly turning and people were actually braving the "wet" roads. I just wanted to let everyone know the latest from North Mexico. See ya!

No longer in the red light district

It happened, I took a checkride and I didn't hook it. In fact, heaven must have received an excessive amount of prayers on my behalf because a miracle happened and I received an "excellent." I only had four down grades on the whole thing. I don't expect you to understand the grading system, but pretty much I was the man for that one ride. It was very nice to have everything finally come together and it all happen at the most opportune time. In addition, I passed the hardest academic test this past week. The weather test marked the end of the academics for this phase of training. We still have weekly tests on procedural and aircraft knowledge, but we are done with the formal academic blocks. All in all, one pretty great week.

Because I did such a great job this last week, they gave me Monday off. Actually, since I am employed be the government now, I get to take advantage of diversity celebration...unlike my civilian job where they didn't "have a dream."

I have spent the weekend celebrating the invention of TiVo. My buddy Donny has this awesome piece of TV watching magic. I have watched the NFL playoffs, commercial free. It is a a brilliant invention, even if it means my kind (marketing types) may have a harder time in the future.

No, you can't pull my hetero card on this picture. We didn't sit like this for more than the picture and we talked about red meat, shotguns, and four-wheel drives after this man touching. I also got to spend time with my good friend Julio. Julio makes some great chips and I have told a lot of you about them. I would send you all some, but I don't think the mule ride out of Del Rio would do well with trying to keep the chips in their largest form.

Anyway, I don't have a lot of new information to pass on to all one of you that reads this. Which brings me to my last point...who reads this? If you would do me just a one time favor and send me an e-mail to the address at the top of this blog to let me know that someone reads this. I think people read this, but just for kicks I would like to know for sure. If you could just drop me a line, that would be awesome. The e-mail can just have "I read it" in the subject line, not like you really have to communicate with me. I know how scary that sounds, since most of you have done very good at steering clear of that burden.

Have a great week and I don't know when I will get the chance to write at the end of this week. I am suppose to go cross country this coming weekend. I will let you all know how it goes and until then...SEE YA!

What starts lost, ends lost!

This post will be a long one, but you are just going to have to deal with it...or you can go to the top right corner and click on the "X."

The break for me started how it ended...circling the porcelain! Apparently, United doesn't carry snow chains for their aircraft and didn't want to chance it in Denver before I got there, so things were very backed up. They always cancel the flights to the smaller towns, so of course Boise was on that list. When I got to Denver they had no clue when or how I was to get out. However, they put me up in the biggest room they could find with nice fluffy pillow and awesome food. See picture...yeah, I slept on the floor with a backpack for a pillow and ate vending machine food.
They told me I wouldn't get out until Christmas day. At that point I had a earnest talk with God and I ended up leaving on Saturday...what a answer to prayer. I ended up in Boise a little less than 24 hours later than I was suppose to, but my bags were six days later.

The time home was awesome. I got to see family, friends, and co-workers. I slept and ate, only to mix in shopping, watching football, and sledding. I took it real nice and easy. We spent Christmas Eve with Candi's family and then Christmas with my family. I got a lot of cool stuff, but I am sure you really don't care about my "#1 Dad" mugs and neckties.

I got a chance to stop by work and they all took went to lunch with me...ok, it was Vicki's Birthday and I tagged along.
Candi and I got bored of each other, so we went sledding to pass the time away. I got roll up sleds for 89 cents and we got our money's worth on that one. No, it was great to see my wife and I wish we could have spent more time together. I hear that some married couples even live together...but that might just be a rumor.

Oh, and I got to see my pooch. She has been keeping my chair warm for me while I have been away.

To bookend the whole trip, I had to go and lose my luggage again. AmericaWest wishes they could blame it on snow, but we went through Phoenix and there was no snow there...although, some people thought they saw some of the ice from h-e-double hockey stick, when it froze over after the Broncos beat Oklahoma there...GO BRONCOS! (Greatest game ever) Anyway, my bags couldn't read their boarding passes correctly and I returned to North Mexico without them. Luckily, I had some friends that were coming in later and they were able to pick up my bags that ended up making the journey to San Antonio on another flight.

This past work week was a short one with a couple of sims, one flight, and a bunch of weather classes. Weather is our last academic subject, although we will still have weekly tests on general flying procedures. We will have our weather test this week and it is the hardest test of all the academic courses. I guess we need to distinguish cumulus granite from the cumulus nimbus...one causes a lot more damage than the other.