Closure

As I came in for landing, I knew I was high. I was way high.

I was under order from my FAA examiner to complete a soft field landing. Everything was good: my flap execution at 10 10 10 was good, I didnt violate my Vfe which would have failed me, 2nd hash mark was on line as my touch point.......everything was good........except my height and speed. I was coming in way too freaking high.

You're supposed to come in a bit high. You are to assume a 50 foot obstacle at the start of the runway. Not all airports are nice and trim like McClellan in Las Vegas or DFW........sometimes airports are in dense areas with shit around them.

As I approached the runway.....all I could see was runway. Most times, you should see runway and the end of the runway........not this time. I was TOO HIGH. As I neared, I applied back pressure...........I flared too early. I skipped across the runway........I bobbled big time. I landed, but it wasnt smooth or pretty.

"I need to do that again," I said to the examiner.

"That was horrible, try again," he said.

I went back up, flew pattern, and came in again. This time everything from timing to flap to speed was good. The landing........well it was better.........but not great.

Up I went again........again time was good. Pattern was maintained, speed, flap......as I neared the runway......

"Pull up, abort landing!" the examiner ordered.

I retracted the flaps, carb heat, and gave full power although not necessarily in that order.

I pulled up and regained pattern.........

"Did I do something wrong?" I asked.

"No, it's just something I wanted you to do in case you're flying and you notice something at the last minute that causes you to abort.....I gotta pull that on you."

I was relieved. I thought I was doing something wrong. Up until my first landing I was perfect: great work on slow flight, VOR trace, stalls, turns about a point, unusual attitudes, take off, radio comm,,,,,,,everything. Hell, I even got us back to the airport after he had me under the hood withouth knowing heading, etc. I like to think, and flying is a thinking man's sport/hobby/livelihood.

"Now, this one is going to be a slip," he said.

I love slips. It requires you to put the plane in a side ways position to loose as much altitude as possibe in a given time. I love those..........and I ended up nailing it! In fact, you could barely feel the wheels hit the runway..........thats how good it was.....the smoothness.

"Thats it! You pass!" he said to me.

I was so relieved. For 2 years now, I've finished something that less than 1% of the population have.............a private pilots license. It was fun. I should have finished it within a few months, but my situation was different. I wont go into detail.........other than a little laziness, bad weather, a change in job, inspections, etc. Many things got in the way. Its over for now.

In the near term,,,I'll be logging in cross country and working toward my IFR rating.

Whoop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ooops, What Have I Done!

It was a late December evening in '06, and I was having a drink downstairs at the bar. There I was sitting there awaiting my food. I had just awaken from a quick afternoon nap and thought it good to check out the bar scene just below. I was in the mood for talking to some folks, girls chiefly.



So I sat there. It was a weekday evening. I had never been to Phoenix before, but I had to be here because of work. The night before I spent with an old buddy of mine that I used to work with; he's a great friend of mine and always will be.



Anyhow I drank a bit and ate. Nothing there was spectacular; I made small talk with the bartender. I couldn't help but feel a bit lonely being away from home with no companionship. Of course, she popped into my head from time to time..........



Nothing special was going on so I headed back up early and went to bed.....



I had a dream......



In my dream I was with a girl. She tall and lean. She was blond which caught me by surprise in my dream. This girl was great for me. She got along well with others, was good looking, great personality, all that stuff. Thinking back, I remember a portion of my dream where we are walking to the car........she's walking ahead of me and Nash is walking with her all excited. Anyhow, I remember thinking in my dream that she was perfect.........for me. It went through my head then, and I know it now. In fact, we were engaged to be married!



Then I'm in a bar scene.......looked like a Logan's. It had the wood setting with the bar and nut shells on the ground. I was at a table with two buddies, J and A. These guys are buddies of mine in DFW that I met in Fresno in the summer of '06. They are great, and we love eating out together. We grew on each other, especially J and I. Anyhow we are eating and drinking and my fiancee is behind us at another table with her friends. There wasn't a table long enough to seat all of us, so we were split into two.



Anyhow, I remember looking to my left, and there she was walking toward my direction. She smiled at me and as she turned to her left to come up the steps, she waved/gestured at me to come to her. I immediately got up to greet her. I gave her a hug..........I cant remember what I said to her. I think I said something to the effect that I had missed her and that it had been a long time. I cant remember what she said. I do remember smelling her; I could literally smell a strong odor about her as I hugged her (when I woke from my dream, I literally remember the strong odor I smelled about her....I cant explain it). It wasn't a bad odor but a smell that was stronger than you would know to be from a girl. In fact, the shirt and her odor may have tied into her doing some charity work, physical work. She didn't smell as if she got ready to go out. She smiled at me. She was dressed in a white t shirt advertising something or another charity thing, blue jeans..............I loved the way she looked even though she may have just put on some rags for all I knew.



It was L. It seems that in my dream I knew her, and she knew me. It wasn't awkward! It was peaceful and tender. She was alone, and I didn't see a ring on her finger which pleased me.



I remember asking her after our hug "how have you been?" She just did the 'okay' sign with her hand and a slight smile. "How about you?" she asked.



"We're getting married." A sharp interjection came before I responded. It had been the voice of my fiancee. It was sharp, timely, and the tone was unmistakable. She meant to be abrupt and assertive; there was nothing kind or patient about it.



L just smiled at me nodding her head as if she were happy for me. All I remember doing was looking down and thinking........."what have I done." I wasn't happy anymore. I remember thinking.............."I don't really want her; I want YOU."



I woke up! I had never had a dream about Laura before. I really don't know what to gather about it. If anything, it may hint that I got impatient about my whole situation. I really don't know.

Its Been A While

Again, its been a while...........let's see.........



1. I bench over 225 now.........



2. I'm still thinking of L day and night even though I keep asking God for peace



3. I really need to give my life some direction: retirement, flying, career.....whatever



4. Maybe I'll go to Chicago while I'm in KC



5. My new neighbor is cute.....I have an ominous feeling already! Be on guard!



6. I find myself fearless yet shy at times.........



7. More and more I'm having to force myself to see family..........painful stuff



8. I've pondered giving up on Adoration.........temptation is great to do that



9. My Razor is needing charging almost every other day........shit!!



10. Lil Bush is the bomb!!!



11. My friend who turned 40 is having a week long celebration...BBQ's, eat outs at Chili's, golf tourneys, drinking.....



12. My dawg is looking worse and worse.....please get better my puppy dog!



13. Those dollar chicken sandwiches at Wendy's are good and worth the money : - )



14. I'm eating less and less; when I go out to drink, I find myself wanting to keep drinking as opposed to the old days when I'd drink and then eat. My protein shakes keep me up.....desire to eat is little



15. I was thinking today............in two years, I will have lived half my life. What have I done?



16. Sometimes I wonder if God just turns a deaf ear to me......it cant be true or maybe..........