Home for Christmas

We made it home for Christmas without utilizing the airport as a hotel, which I did last year. We were late due to snow in Salt Lake City, but at least we made it and fulfilled thousands of Idahoans Christmas wishes.

We arrived to find snow in the foothills around Boise.

But we only had to wait a day or two for snow in the valley. We ended up with a white Christmas, which is a rare thing these years in Boise.

We spent a few days before Christmas with Candi's family and had Christmas there on Christmas Eve. It was a very enjoyable time with them, but even better since I got presents.

On Christmas Day we went to my grandparents and spent time with my family which was great because I got more presents...see a trend?

After all the gettin' of presents (the whole reason for Christmas!?) Candi and I both went to our respective workplaces, but she actually worked. I met a lot of people from my squadron and tried to get on a few flights. They were even going to let me fly a bit, but I was a bad luck charm. All three flights were cancelled due to the weather and maintenance. I got on the plane (below), but we never got off the ground. I am hoping to get on one last flight before I leave on the 2nd of January.

When I am not causing flights to be cancelled, I have been taking advantage of things that Arkansas cannot provide. I went snowboarding with my cousin at Bogus Basin Ski Resort (a ski hill just outside of Boise) and the conditions were pretty good for December.

I also went snowmobiling with some friends on West Mountain (near Tamarack Resort), about an hour and a half from Boise. I borrowed a friend's machine and had a great time. We had between three to four feet of fresh powder which was great for snowmobiling, but tough on a rookie like myself. It was the best conditions most said they had seen in years, but all I know is it made it so it didn't hurt when I fell off.
I was able to also attend the Boise State basketball game in which they beat the 20th ranked Mormon institution for higher learning, BYU. It was a great game and I haven't seen that many people at a BSU basketball game in years.

Well, that is about all the time I want to spend on this blog since I am seeing most of you while here in Idaho, but I didn't want to get too far behind since there is a lot going on these days. Candi and I are having a great time being home and we can't wait to get back...however, we have to go back to hillbilly land before that can happen.

Gettin' Ready for Christmas

Yes, "gettin"! The "g" is not used in suffixes here in the South. You think I am joking, but even their local TV stations drop the "g" in their programing titles.

Another week of sims and another week closer to Christmas break. I completed the graveyard shift this past week and tried to get back on track with my beauty sleep. I was feeling a little ugly lately because I wasn't getting max performance out of my beauty sleep...but after getting on track I found out it is genetic (if my mom is reading this, it's on my dad's side and if my dad is reading this, it's on my mom's side)!

I am getting ready for the end of course exam on Tuesday and the C-130 Emergency Procedure Evaluation on Wednesday. Basically, half of my initial qualification rests on this upcoming week's results. The instructors have prepared us well and I don't really feel scared going into this checkride.

When I haven't been in the sims I have spent some time getting to see the locals in holiday action around the community. Candi and I have been shopping so much that I can tell you the days that Kohl's gets new inventory. We were supposedly just looking and getting a few gifts, but Candi keeps buying new clothes for herself, although she does look really good in them.

Well, to be honest, it was me buying stuff...although, in my defense she did buy one shirt (above). Candi thinks I may have a slight shopping problem (I'm not gay, just blame my dad for leaving me to be raised by a shopping mother) since, after buying a pair of shoes I found that I have over 40 pairs of shoes and I have more clothes than her. I just like to think of it as my way of helping the Asian children in the sweat shops to have a little extra in their pocket over the holidays.

Other than shopping, there hasn't been a lot to do around here. It is probably because we aren't familiar with what inbreds do, but we are kind of bored since the weather turned cold and the outside activities aren't as appealing. We ordered the new Michael Vick safe dog activity starter kit and we have been hosting dog rodeos. We bet to see how long the stuffed referee can stay on...and I ask you who acts like an inbred now!

Well, there might be a slight break in the blog entries over the Christmas holidays, but I will try to keep it updated for those who do not get the highly distinguished pleasure of seeing me in the the flesh this Christmas...dry up the tears, there will be more holidays.

Surviving the Schedule

Well, I am surviving the graveyard shift, but I don't like having to go into work on Sunday. It feels like I only get Saturday off since I technically work on Friday, even though it is only three or four hours. I only have three more days to complain on this rotation and I will be back to day shifts until Christmas. The sims are going ok, but there is just a lot to know and so little brain to put it in...and this small brain realizes it just made fun of itself...thanks! The plane seems bigger than the ones I am use to, but I think that is all in my head.

We are also surviving the world's worst drivers. Little Rock must be their Mecca, because they are all here. I am sure the little old ladies that can't see, those who can't drive while on their phone, and the non-mergers all come from far and wide just to drive in their holy land...Arkansas. It will be pretty ironic when a pilot that has done aerobatics solo and flown ten feet from another jet dies in training, but driving to it, not participating in it.

In the day off, Candi and I went Christmas shopping so that we could take a bunch of junk to Idaho just to exchange it for new junk to bring home. We also had a friend take some pictures of us in front of a small Cessna for future Christmas cards. Here are a couple of them.

Other than that, not a lot going on in our household. I get up at noon, study, go to the gym for an hour or so, study until dinner, eat, then study until leaving for the sims at 8:40PM. I come home to a sleeping household, but with enough pot banging, I can usually get someone to stir. Candi has been awesome at helping out with the small little details like cooking, laundry, running errands, cleaning, etc. You know the little things that if not done, would cry and possibly die! She has been a great help throughout my training, but especially now when my schedule is not the most convienient. Maybe I should stop banging the pots together when I come home...hm-m-m-m-m?!

Not a real fun life, but then I am not here for fun...although it is fun outside the whacked out schedule deal. Candi says hello and we are both counting down the days until the 20th when we get to come home. I will be spending a few days out at the squadron and acting like a pilot...we will see how that goes. Until next week...

Not Much New

First off, for those of you like me that need pictures to read, just tune in next week because I don't have any pictures to go with this blog entry. Now, not a lot of newsworthy events to report to you all. The past week was the first week of flying the "almost actual" simulators...and doing it between midnight and 3 am. The schedule is pretty wacky and it doesn't lend itself for a good weekend because by the time I wake up it is Friday afternoon and I have to be back at work on Sunday night.

The flying isn't that bad. The plane isn't too hard to fly, it is all the other stuff that is proving to be the most difficult. Things like having a whole gaggle of people in the cockpit, running a million and one checklists, and watching twice as many gauges tend to make me feel a little behind the aircraft...and as a pilot, typically you should be in front of the aircraft.

The C-130 is a beast and hard to taxi. If there were cops on the runway, they would have pulled me over for drunk driving. I made myself sick just from taxiing. The sim is very realistic with houses, buildings, other planes, etc. but when you are flying along and the instructor pauses it, it can get your inner ear to start to spin. That is what happened when I was at Laughlin (actually flying, with no pausing...that would defy our buddy Newton's laws) in the first stage and puking was the result. Fortunately, the results haven't been the same, but I can't say I felt like eating a milkshake right away. Our instructor has been good and the training is actually a little enjoyable. They treat us like equals that are just trying to learn more...as opposed to idiots that don't know anything and supposedly don't have the drive to increase their knowledge.

Outside of flying, not much else. Candi is still bringing in the beacon by working each day. We were invited to see a band by another couple (husband in my class) and the lead singer and one of the other band members were from Stanley, ID. I talked with them afterwards (obviously not that popular) and found that we had a mutual friend in E-town. I figured since that was two less in Stanley, that we could safely say that a quarter of that town's population was in Arkansas on Friday night.

I have been having real bad back and neck problems and look forward to seeing a doctor or quackpractor when I get home for the break. Being subject to the Air Force's random drug testing, I haven't been able to alleviate the pain with the herbs, like my wife does. I don't trust the locals here and the base doesn't have someone for backs and necks so I will have to wait until the break to get some help.