The Roller Coaster Ride Continues

Well, how quickly the pendulum can swing. I was thinking I was on the home stretch and man was I wrong. I started out the week with failing a flight due to my landing. I performed well for 99% of the flight, but the 1% took me down. It was a formation landing and I couldn't land and had to go around and try it again. Then the next day, we got to the range and right in the middle had to come home for severe weather...so it was incomplete. I had academics Wednesday and then there was Thursday. I failed my flight in the first 15 minutes of the brief...yes, I didn't even make it to the jet. I didn't know a few answers to a couple of questions and next thing I know, I was getting the speech "that you might not be cut out for this line of work" and that I needed to take extra time to study. Apparently, 24/7 isn't enough. I was about as low as I have been on Thursday and I felt like I had the towel in my hand and my arm was going forward to let it fly. Then came Friday. I had a very good brief, flight was very good, and the same instructor that failed me on Thursday, recommended I fly my next flight solo because of how well I did. Talk about my emotional meter pinging off both pegs in a 24 hour period...I am getting too old for that.

However, due to some paperwork and some other things in the course syllabus, I will be "simulated solo" on Monday. That means there will be an instructor in the back seat, but he will have his mic off and just be observing. I guess this is like when they told you that you could have a driver's license, but then said your parents had to be in the car with you and you couldn't drive at night or on the highway. Anyway, the week ended on a good note, but it was a week to forget. I have six flights, two sims, and two classes left. They still think they can get everything done this week, but it will have to work out perfectly with no hiccups. I really hope I get done so I can go to the BSU game in VA, but I didn't do myself any favors with my poor performance this past week. We will just have to see how it works out.

In other news, we had a very exciting weekend! I don't know how many of you follow my Twitter/Facebook posts, but we spent Saturday registering for baby stuff. I never knew that you could have that much fun scanning rubber nipples and bibs. I didn't know that decisions on what bottle inserts to buy would rival decisions made on a presidential level about the direction of our country...these are potentially life altering decisions. The thread count of a three square foot piece of cloth that has only one purpose to obsorb urine before it reaches the plastic crib pad is not something you can decide on in a mere 10 minutes...rather, the decision must be made reading every word on each of the four seperate packages that look alike, BUT ARE CLEARLY NOT ALIKE, and then pondering the outcome of your proposed choice for twenty minutes in the store...all the while, the New York Yankees are playing on national television and going unwatched by a guy from Idaho that is cussing the Air Force for taking him away from an area where there are other able and willing family and friends that could take his position during this crucial decision! I doubt that the world's longest run on sentence can describe the awesome experience I had at Babies R (Costing) Us, but I tried.

To make up for it, Candi went to a Texas high school football game with me on Saturday night. You always here about it, so we got to experience it. It was a good game and we got to see the number seven and the number fourteen ranked high school players in the nation. It was very similar to going to BSU games when I was in high school and even into the first part of college...seriously. The one exception was that they had a lot more school shirts, hats, pom-poms, etc. than BSU had back during that time. BSU has obviously changed in the last six to nine years, but back in the day it was very similar. There were about 11,000 fans and it was nationally televised.

Just to put into perspective, there were more band members than there were students in my graduating class. No joke, here is proof. Each school had a 250 piece band, not to include the dancers, cheerleaders, flag wavers, etc. It was a cool experience (at least for me), until it came time to exit the parking lot with 11,000 teenagers. That experience was back up there with the registering for baby stuff.

Anyway, we are hoping for a flight fail free and productive week. I really want to go with Candi to the BSU game and be complete with this program by the end of the week. Your thoughts and prayers will be appreciated. Other than that, Candi and the baby are doing well. Candi continues to work and is excited to go to DC for Labor Day and watch the Broncos, even without me. I don't know how anyone could be excited to be possibly without me, but that is a whole other story. She spends a lot of time planning for and researching all things to do with the baby, for which I am very grateful. I fully expect her to have all the parenting answers and information, to which she will be able to pass me the Cliff's Notes, when I get done with this course.

Past Another Hurdle

This week was a crucial week and I got through it will all my hair...which means I didn't get through it with much. I had the dreaded "DB-4" flight this week and it took me twice to complete it. However, the second opportunity wasn't because I failed the first one...well, kind of. My first attempt at DB-4, which is the last air-to-air flight, I had a communication cord problem. I could hear everyone, but no one could hear me. The instructor took the jet for several minutes while I did some trouble shooting. I found that it was in my mask and by the time I fixed it, we didn't have much time. If the few fights I did complete would have watered the instructor's eyes, he would have probably called it a complete sortie. However, I would have made his eyes water from tears of terror on this day, rather than my stellar flying. End game, we called it incomplete and I got to stress about it for another day. The next flight went better, but still not my best flight. I did pass and that is all that matters, but my instructor did tell me that I barely passed...but as Brandon Huff told me...even doctors that graduate with "Cs" are still doctors. And I always say, they wouldn't have minimums if it weren't good enough.

Long story short, thanks to all of you who said a few extra prayers and sent words of encouragement my way. The program isn't over, but that was a big hurdle to overcome. I put God's power to the test with my inability to fly a jet backwards, but as we all know, he is all powerful and can even get me through Basic Fighter Maneuvers. Now it is on to the bombing range. I will have surface attack flights, one low level, and two surface attack tactics flights...and then I am done. It is all taking longer than expected and we might not quite graduate on time. The worst part of it all, is it may keep me from going with Candi to the Boise State game in Washington D.C.

In other news, Candi is starting to finally feel the effects of being pregnant, there is a cold spell in Texas, and we finally did something this weekend. Candi has had such an easy go of this pregnancy that we were waiting for something to come along and now we are starting to see a few things to make her life a little more complex. She is starting to get heart burn, she can't sleep very well, and she can never be more than 4.35 seconds away from a rest room. These aren't bad things, but people are always asking how it is going and until now, we always said it was just like normal...if you can call something growing in your stomach to the size of a soccer ball, normal. Here is the latest 24.5 week picture.

As for the cold spell, we all broke out our pants and long sleeves this week, as the highs dropped to 96 and the lows dropped to below 80 for the first time in weeks. Although the low was still 78, it was a far cry from 80. I don't know if I am laying on the sarcasm thick enough, but just in case you are picking it up...IT IS AFRICA HOT HERE AND IT STINKS!!!!!!!

It was also a great week because we actually did something with friends on the weekend. Granted the people were practically forced to hang out, but our flight played a little golf and then had a bbq. It was nice to hang out with others on the weekend and Candi actually got to talk to other girls. Then, Candi and I went to a minor league baseball game, which was a good time. I did sit behind a guy with some very long back hair that flapped in the breeze. It impressed me so much I posted it on Twitter and Facebook and now I am sharing this with you. If anyone wants glossies, just let me know.

That is all I have for now, hopefully this week will see me cut a good chunk out of the remaining eight flights so I can graduate on time and go to the BSU game. Until then, see ya!

Crucial Week

Well, I survived another week of IFF. I am right in the middle of the hardest phase of this training and hopefully will have the hardest two flights of the course complete by this time next week. As I mentioned before, the defensive basic fighter maneuvering is supposed to be the toughest phase, with the last flight in that block being the toughest flight. I have the final two flights of that phase planned for Monday and Tuesday.

The "defensive" part is very difficult because you are watching the bandit attack you from the back of the jet. Basically, you turn around (as much as you can with a parachute, six straps holding you to an ejection seat, oxygen hoses, and comm cords will allow) in the seat and fly while looking backwards. We are still expected to fly a certain airspeed, keep the right nose low attitude, keep track of where we are, etc., while looking backwards. And for those of you not familiar with flying...all of those things are visible when looking out the front...not the back. Needless to say, I wasn't a pro at flying looking forward, now they want me to fly backwards. Fortunately, I have had some of my best flights lately, so I know what you are thinking...being backwards at everything in life really prepared me for this one. I have really been struggling with keeping my head up and dealing with the pressure lately, so thanks to those who have sent encouragement and prayers my way. I really appreciate it.

The rest of my life is going by at blur speed. I feel bad for Candi because I just noticed she was pregnant this week. Not really, but I feel bad because I am focusing so much on training and not near as much on her and the little one. It will get better in about three to four more weeks, but until then I am sure she could use some encouragement. Basically, I am asking you to do what I am not...although, we did go shopping for baby stuff twice this last week and weekend. We bought only one thing, but it was more of a "see what is out there tour." I still maintain that the Internet has all that is out there, but we went anyway. I can say though, if it weren't for dogs and monkeys, the baby clothes people wouldn't have any ideas of what to put on their gear.

Candi continues to grow, all the while, feeling well. We are very blessed that things have gone so well so far. And no one is happier about that than the guy that doesn't have time for things to go wrong right now. Candi did finally get to go to a coffee for wives in our squadron, so for the second time being here, she got to pretend she had friends. Other than that, things continue to roll along.

We can't wait to be around friends & family again. Please keep us in your prayers, drop us a note of encouragement some time if you think about it and remember me this upcoming week. See ya!

PANIC!!!!!!!

Panic has set in at the Presley household. We just realized that we only have 123ish days until we will have a baby boy and we only have seven of the 169 items on Wal-Mart's list of "what to have for a baby." I Googled "nearest cliff in San Antonio" just in case I needed something to jump off of on short notice, but so far we are in a holding pattern on that idea.

I directly blame my training for this state of panic. If I weren't studying all the time, Candi wouldn't be able to find the end of the internet on baby related topics. I am glad she has a baby to research, because it would be very weird if she were searching out weird religions and started bringing home snakes or smoking idols. But, you can see by all of this, Candi and the baby are doing just fine. Candi had her 22 week appointment this past week and found out that besides it being a Presley, the baby looks to be normal.

Candi has really started to show and that comes with a lot of comments from stangers on when she is due and other pregnancy comments. I am glad I don't have something growing inside my stomach, but I would sure use it to mess with people. I can't get Candi to say, "I am not pregnant, I just like my beer" to strangers or other similar comments. I think she is missing a really big opportunity to make others feel stupid!

As for me, I continue to plug along. Last week, I was able to complete 3 flights and 2 sims (not to mention having mechanical issues & having to cancel a 4th flight). I passed my last flight in the formation phase, so I have moved on to the next few phases. The level of expectations has been raised, which I didn't know could go much higher. It is very difficult and a lot of pressure, but so far they haven't kicked me out. All I can do is keep going, but I wish the end would come sooner than later.

Candi visited the squadron on Friday night during a monthly spouses outing. She finally got to see where I spend all my time. Then on Saturday, we finally did something and floated the river with a big group from the squadron. It was good times and at least we were doing something.

Slow week and weekend

I mentioned last week that I could be a long way down the road to putting this pain behind me... and I didn't get very far down that road. I had one sortie cut short due to avionics malfunction (had to redo that flight), had one flight cancelled due to weather, and had to abort on the runway for a brake failure on another flight. I got two graded flights in all of that, so not the way I was hoping. I am hoping to get better cooperation from the "flying gods" this week, because it was a lot of work for not much progress. It really stinks to put hours and hours into prepping for a flight and not get it accomplished.

The weekend wasn't much better. San Antonio is a bit boring when it is too hot to just walk around. I drug Candi to Hobby Lobby on Saturday, as well as several other places to get ideas on decorating the baby's room. I found a picture online of how I want the room and now I am on a quest to get all the parts in the picture. Yes, we are two houses away from actually being at a house that we can decorate, but we are spending our weekends getting ready anyway. I can barely sit still long enough to type this because it gets me so excited. I don't have a font that indicates sarcasm, but I think I am laying it on strong enough for a few of you to get the picture.

I am about to lose my mind I am so bored on the weekends, with nothing to do. San Antonio doesn't have a lot to do indoors and it is just too hot to do too much outdoors. Maybe if we had friends that knew the ins and outs of the area, we might find things to do, but we have no friends here. All the other students are here for shorter terms, so they don't have their families and we can't really hang out with our instructors.

We did have a few cool things happen this week. Candi was asked for the first time when she was due. We were both so shocked because we had never had to answer that question, that we stood speechless long enough for the lady to start back peddling like she had asked a fat person that wasn't pregnant. We finally confirmed the lady's question and you could see quite a look of relief on her face. Another woman asked if we were getting ideas for a nursery when we bought a picture...I still don't know why she thought we were in the landscaping business. And finally, I got to feel the baby kick for the first time. I am a little nervous about all the kicking and the fact that Candi was a dancer...I swear, if he comes out doing a kick line routine and wanting to be in ballet, I will have a few choice words.

Well, I don't have much else to talk about. All I do is eat, sleep, and study, so it isn't a very exciting life to talk about. The flying is a lot of hard work, but that part is a little fun. It would take too much to describe all that we do, but we get to yank and bank a lot and try to kill other jets. I got a few "kills" this week...I guess you could call me "ace." Just kidding, but the training is pretty intense, but cool at the same time. If you ever want to see kind of what it looks like, type in "T-38C 3K Offensive BFM" or "Offensive BFM" on YouTube and it may give you an idea. Anyway, I got to get back to studying! See ya.