Taxes and Taco Bell...Date Night Supreme?

Our usual Friday date night this week was particularly romantic. We filed taxes, then treated ourselves to a gourmet dinner at the local Taco Bell. Prior to that, John started off the weekend by kicking my can in racquetball. It was so much fun to play, even if the court did have an inch of standing water in places! It was the first real sport he has been able to play since he hurt his ankle back in October. It took quite a while to heal! After we got home, our computers were fired up to file our taxes online. We are getting a Federal return but had to pay a little for Arizona. I guess all the states are broke? Since I hadn't really planned anything for dinner (I always leave Friday evening open, just in case he comes up with a brilliant plan to surprise me for Date Night!), we went to Taco Bell. They have some new "healthy" options without cheese and sour cream, so I was able to eat my entire meal for less than 400 calories. It is almost three weeks since I started watching my weight, thanks to my new iPod Touch application called "Lose It." It tracks my calories and exercise to let me know how I am doing throughout the day. The goal is to lose 42 pounds, and I think this little electronic contraption is going to hold me accountable! I am so excited for this change and so tired of excuses. I've lost seven pounds so far. Hopefully thirty pounds by the time we get together for our Sedona family vacation in September. I know I can look better and feel better about myself, and I am finally doing something about it!

Saturday was busy as well. John risked his ankle again at his first appearance at Saturday Church Ball. If you recall, this is where his tragic ankle injury took place on Halloween, so I was a little nervous for him. Muscles and tendons held up fine, however, and John played well. He was frustrated about not making every shot, but if you don't touch a basketball for over three months, you can't expect the highest level of performance when making a gradual comeback! I thought he did very well! He makes me proud, bum ankle or not!

That evening, John had some friends visiting from Chino Valley. Jon, Laura, and their adorable two year-old, Millie, came to our house for some Vegan dinner and a round of mini golf at Sun and Splash. The dinner was delicious, if I do say so myself. I was a little nervous about preparing a Vegan meal, since I had never attempted such a feat. But the artichoke and caper pasta turned out well. I made chicken for the rest of us to accompany the meal, and we started off with a yummy salad. For dessert...I finally perfected the best brownie recipe in the world! And I didn't eat the entire pan before the guests arrived! As for golf, John and I were able to maintain our unbeatable record. Really, it was quite a prolific day! As you can see from the score card, John and I were losing at the half-way point. We came back to win, though the baby gave us a run for our money! It was fun to have the Nymans over for the evening. And thanks for letting us win!

(Disclaimer: you are just going to have to trust the scorecard, even though I was the one keeping track of each round. In a unprecedented event, I left my camera at home and have no photographic proof of us maintaining our golfing championship reign. Just trust me...I'm a pilot).

Definitely Lives Up To Her Hat

For the millions around the world that have been itching for a Mayla fix, I suffered through a few hours with her today just for you. It had nothing to do with the fact that I 've been dying to see her since I drove away from my last visit. We had lunch with Megan after she and Mayla when to her two-week appointment. What?! Two weeks?! Already?! She just gets cuter as she grows. Mayla is in the 75% percentile for weight and the 90% percentile for height. Her mommy says she is getting a routine down and sleeps four hours every night before waking up for a midnight snack...sounds a lot like my routine, now that I think of it. Unfortunately, this awesome schedule led to her sleeping through our entire lunch today. I will have to schedule a visit during waking hours next time, because she is too loud when she sleeps! Snoring like crazy! So sweet!

T'liese, Megan, Mayla and I met at the Cheesecake Factory on Camelback. I had a delicious soup and salad, Megan got her normal chopped salad, and T'liese tried a new dish, the Chicken Marcel. The food was amazing, as always, but the company was even better. It was just fun to catch up as girls. We are hoping it is the last get-together before Evan crashes the party! T'liese is due next week and could have him any time. I am betting that this weekend sees another new baby enter the family!

It was a fun afternoon with some sweet gals. I am so blessed to have family so close. And even more blessed that I like them so much!

She's About To Pop!

My sister humors me so...a few months ago, she asked if I would be willing to take pictures of her as a very pregnant woman. What fun! We met this past Saturday at Freestone Park in Gilbert to do just that. She brought along Daddy Joe, who can hardly wait for little Evan to get here. T'liese is due in two weeks but could go at any time! I tried to call her on Saturday to confirm the photo session, but she didn't answer. I got worried that she was in the hospital! It wouldn't have been as glamorous to take her pregnancy pictures during labor! Luckily, they showed up, and the giggles and picture-taking commenced.

Evan is going to be one handsome little guy, as you can see from the pictures of his parents. He will no-doubt be the playground hearth throb from kindergarten on! Joe and T'liese were good sports and told me to boss them around in order to get some decent shots. Thanks to some lighting and some rather attractive subjects, I think we got a few keepers!

I kept having to wait for my point-and-shoot Canon to catch up with me. Joe made the comment, "What you need is one of those SLR cameras, Micah." I couldn't agree more. It's next on my save-for-years-then-buy-it-guilt-free list. Maybe by the time they have their fifth child, I will be able to do her belly some justice.

To prepare for the photo session, I went online to get an idea from other photographers what maternity pictures look like. Fortunately for T'liese, I didn't make her get naked for the whole world to see! Why do people think you can't look pregnant with clothes on? I laughed, then quickly got away from those websites.

T'liese is my best friend, and I love her like crazy. It is so much fun to have her here in the Valley. She was my roommate for a year before she met and married Joe, her wonderful husband. They make such an adorable couple and are thrilled to be having their first baby arrive any moment. Congratulations, you two. Thanks for letting me take these pictures. You are simply gorgeous! Now hurry and get that little guy here!

If You Don't Like Airplanes, Then Shame On You

Have I mentioned that I like airplanes? This week at work included lots of them, and I was in hog-heaven. We left Monday with Big Boss and five passengers for a long trip across the country to Bedford near Boston, Massachusetts. We stopped in St. Louis for fuel and couldn't get out of there quickly enough...why is the Midwest always so cold?! Boston was beautiful for the few days we spent there, and we got to try out a new hotel thanks to it being super cheap! The Aloft was amazing. See that shower? I could live in there. And I tried to steal that blue rocking chair, but they stopped me at the door. "Excuse me, ma'am?" It's harder than I thought to carry a large sitting device while sprinting across the hotel lobby. Lesson learned.

Wednesday, we flew to an airport I had never visited before...Dulles International near Washington DC. And we arrived early enough to do something I have always wanted to do but have never had the chance: see some history! We got to visit the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. The World War II, Korean, and Vietnam Memorials were gorgeous and really made me reflect on how great this country is. I could spend weeks in this city and still not have enough time to visit everything! As you can see from the pictures, I am wearing my light jacket thanks to forgetting my winter coat on the airplane. After over two hours outside in the twenty-seven degree weather, I was happy to get back in the car and save the rest for another day! I could even see the Capital Building and the White House from a distance. No one was home, since the State of the Union address was being given. It was too cold to get close enough to knock, so we headed back to the hotel near Dulles.

Speaking of Dulles, did I mention it is home to one of the most renowned aviation museums in the world? And that this museum is stuffed with incredible airplanes that have made history for over one-hundred years? Did I also mention that I got to visit this museum for a few hours and drool in awe over hundreds of shiny, historical, and HUGE players in aviation history? That's right. I got to visit the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. You can imagine my excitement. Who would have thought I liked airplanes so much? I have waited twenty years to see all of this! And, believe me, I could tell you stories about every single picture I took. I will spare you...for now. Let's just say I had a lovely time seeing airplanes for two hours. The Enola Gay was there, and I got to stand beneath its nose and imagine what its mission was and what was carried in its cargo bay so long ago. An SR-71 was there, which can fly from the west coast to the east coast in just over an hour. Show-offs. The original Boeing 707 was there...the very airplane that test pilot Tex Johnson did a barrel roll in front of crowds of prospective customers to show them what the airplane could do. The Space Shuttle Enterprise was there, and I am still shocked at the size of this monstrosity. I guess I had no idea how big it was! This particular shuttle was used for landing practice by the astronauts as they attached and then released it in flight from a Boeing 747. It's always fun to see how well you can fly a brick! Did I say I wasn't going to tell stories about each picture? Well, I lied.

I just feel so blessed about all the wonderful things I got to see and do this week at work. I don't even mind getting home at 3:00 AM when it completes such a fun time at work! Now, if it would just warm up for those Midwest fuel stops, I wouldn't have a single thing to complain about!

Ramblings of a Happy Pilot

It's been so nice this past week to not have the stress of studying and an upcoming check ride hanging out on my shoulder like a little monkey. I feel like I have done a lot and absolutely nothing this past week...and loved every second. I was even able to stay in pajamas for most of the day on Friday. What a treat! The week seemed so busy, but it was all an enjoyable busy. Being the worker bee that I am, I start to organize projects in my head in case I don't get that ever-possible call to go to work.

I am going to work tomorrow. East Coast, here I come! I am excited about it and always love to be in the air. We are flying Big Boss this week, plus five passengers! It will be a full load in the cabin, but that can count as a workout by lifting bags from the hard-to-access baggage compartment on my airplane. I do it all...throw bags, buy jet fuel, schedule hotels, beg for rental cars, and occasionally hail a taxi for these people. And I really do love every minute of it. While at my brother's house this past week (visiting that cute niece...what, you didn't really think I could make an entire post without mentioning her, did you?), Megan brought out a fun book describing the personality attributes of people based on their date of birth. Me, as a Leo born August 9th, was described as a person who thrives on appreciation and attention dished out by others. The consequential self-contemplation was kind of creepy as Jeff continued to read. The passage described me so well! Interaction and emotional attachment is everything to me. I would do anything for anyone I loved, at the expense of losing myself in the process. I am fiercely loyal and devoted, though somewhat idealistic in my views of romance and love. Me, me, also me. Soooo, having a job where I get to serve people, and carry their heavy bags to the ends of the earth, and make sure their favorite coffee creamer is on board before takeoff....I live for that kind of stuff. I guess I have always known it about myself, but it's always nice to hear! I'm a pleaser.

I love my job for so many reasons. I love the aspect of traveling. During Big Boss weeks, we never know where we are headed next or when. It always keeps me on my toes, which in so many ways I struggle with because I am such a planner. On the other hand, it's fun to have hotels and cars arranged in Miami at 10:30 PM at night, and have him change his mind as he walks to the airplane. "No, let's go to Nashville instead." I feel like it's a blessed challenge...and I have to think of the best way to deal with the change in the most seamless manner possible. They have no idea what their two pilots do to make their lives on the road so wonderful! Sometimes, they mention how nice it is and even (gasp!) say thank you. I know they are pleased with what I am doing for them, and I know I do my job well. I would hear about it if I wasn't doing something right! But I always sit in that seat at 37,000 feet and gaze out the window smiling. Can I really be doing this for a living? My dream? I can't believe they call this work!

I love my "job."