Just Another Day In Paradise

Working two days in a row has the potential to be very taxing on the body. Luckily for me, my "work" is nothing but a pleasure, and flying to Reno this past Wednesday didn't feel like work at all.

We left way too early in the morning, which would be my only complaint. With three alarms set for 4:55 AM, I should have slept well knowing I would be awakened at the proper time. Wishful thinking...thanks to those early mornings, I rarely sleep because I am worried I will get called from Big Boss twenty minutes after we are supposed to take off, "Where are you, Micah?" It's never happened, but I certainly don't want to start such behaviors now! As a result, I had a restless night. If I occasionally fell asleep, it was only to have nightmares of being late AND having to drive on slick ice...some of my two least favorite things in the world. When the alarm finally went off, it was a relief to get out of bed and head to the shower for help to wake up. I can't exactly take a nap at "work," so it's important to be rested and ready! On my way to the airport, I picked Terry up at the gas station where his wife drops him off. The freeway was moving well, and we arrived at the airport in seventeen minutes. After getting the airplane ready, the passengers arrived for the trip to Reno, Nevada.

When we landed and I opened the door, it was a perfect 76 degrees. Sometimes I forget what it feels like to not be so hot all the time! It was a gorgeous morning. After making sure the passengers were on their way, I attempted to take a nap in the Pilot Lounge but failed miserably. Around lunch time, we borrowed the crew car to go to Atlantis Casino for their buffet. Terry is a fan of buffets. I must say the pot stickers we get from Costco taste way better, but the dessert wasn't too shabby!

By 3:00 PM, we were loaded back up with passengers for our flight home. We finally got a tailwind and didn't get slowed down by Air Traffic Control until about eighty miles out of Phoenix. How spoiled! We sweet-talked them into giving us Runway 25L, which means a two-minute taxi after landing. Luckily, it was in the afternoon between lunch and dinner rushes, so we were able to get crossed over the other traffic for our desired runway. This happens 98% of the time, but occasionally we have to land on the north runway and taxi for half an hour to park the airplane. And Big Boss always complains when that happens, so I try to use my nicest voice on the radio when I talk to the controllers. They are great at Phoenix and usually try to help us out.

I pulled into my driveway around 5:15 PM. If the early morning was forgotten, it felt like a normal job! Thankfully, my line of work is anything but normal. And I like it like that!

Workaholic

Contrary to popular belief, I actually do have a job. And I even occasionally do something for that job. Such was the case this past Tuesday. My Baby had been in maintenance for the past few weeks, getting some things fixed and even fixing some things due in the next few months. Airplanes are all about scheduled maintenance. It can be a nightmare keeping it straight! Luckily, we have mechanics and computer systems to help. Terry got home from vacation on Monday, so we picked up My Baby from Mesa-Gateway Airport on Tuesday morning. They weren't quite done with the logbook entries (long holiday weekends can do that to you), so we waited a few hours until everything was in order. Luckily, the main problem that led to dropping it off for maintenance was fixed and worked without any problems on the flight home to Sky Harbor.

It was a beautiful day to be in the air, as most days are. Sunny and only 107 degrees, which is pretty tame for this time of year in The Valley of the Sun. It still caused some minor perspiration in the cockpit...there isn't any flowing air until we get the engines started, and that can take a while when doing a post-maintenance check on all the systems! You can never be too careful with things that leave the ground intentionally, but especially after its guts have been open for two weeks. We have great mechanics and I love them, but they don't fly in the airplane after working on it! Do I make enough to qualify as a test pilot?

I always feel better with my airplane parked in its hangar where it belongs. It helps to have it home when we get those half-hour notices to go fly with Big Boss. That's why there is always a suitcase packed in the trunk of my car, just in case!

A Very Happy Day Indeed

When I first bought this pack of 100 tablets for my dishwasher from Costco, I jokingly thought to myself, "Wow, there are so many of these little buggers that we could have these when we move into our own home!"

It was very much a joke at that time. My husband was in graduate school. We were blessed in a living situation to be able to save money and put it towards my school loans. It just didn't seem like the slightest possibility on the horizon to get our own place, despite me being incredibly house-hungry.

Oddly enough, these little tablets have seen the joke turn into a reality. In about a week and a half, we will be closing on our first home. It's absolutely perfect...and I am madly in love with it. Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a huge living room, a great room, a kitchen that is open to everything, and a patio made for entertaining...it's perfect.

And the next few months will be very, very busy! Remember when I posted my dream list of appliances? Well, they will be delivered to our new house in just a few short weeks (the sellers bought that range for us!). The dreams are coming true! And it has been so hard not to shout it out on the roof tops! "WE ARE BUYING A HOME!" Sorry, I just get a little excited when I think of it. Hence the inability to sleep any more. Ironically, these little dishwasher tablets will be starting a new life with us very soon...in our very own home.