When the Going Gets Green

Ever since I weeded the rock pile in the backyard last week, I have sorely missed color and greenery when I peek outside my windows. Hubby and I remedied that today by planting some beautiful (and affordable) plants in some pots that we bought when we used to be “gardeners.”

That gardening phase has long since passed. In fact, other than basil, I don’t think we are attempting anything in the garden this year. I can’t exactly say that makes me sad…I may or may not have been secretly elated when the executive decision was made by my significant other.

He makes all of the big decisions around here. Which type of cereal he should have for breakfast at 6:00 AM. The perfect timing for his corn dogs to be cooked in the microwave. And which flavor(s) of corn nuts to enjoy during a Redbox movie.

Yes, all of these executive decisions revolve around food. It’s how we roll in this household.

Anywho, back to the lack of vegetation in our backyard…

I know that I shouldn’t complain too loudly here, because our winters in Arizona are pretty stinkin’ awesome. But even without all that white yucky stuff on the ground, I really start to miss some color and flowers and growth (other than algae in the pool…we have plenty of that) around our home.

Without a better way to describe it, I start craving softball season Spring.

It is a huge treat to now look out my window and see colorful pots full of colorful plants looking back at me. The older I get, the less it takes to entertain me.

While trimming the bougainvillea in the front yard, Hubby decided to try an experiment. He kept a long shoot from a chopped branch and planted it deep into one of the awaiting pots in the backyard. We don’t know if it will survive, though my always-positive husband is certain that everything else will die, and his free plant will be the only thing that lasts.

No, we haven’t been tainted by our bad luck in landscaping attempts so far? Why do you ask?

Since we are eating outside on our patio this coming week, we will probably use more branches of the bougainvillea in smaller pots as centerpieces. We’ll see how this big guy does first and then plant the smaller ones even the day-of to imitate real plants.

Fake it ‘til you make it. That’s how we garden.

Unfortunately, we have yet to “make it”…

Weekly Work, Day Four

Friday morning I was awakened by thunderstorms. It wasn’t a huge surprise, since they had been forecasted in the area. Being that it was February with thunderstorms was a little odd, but weather never ceases to amaze me.

 

Just when I think I have something figured out, it completely changes.

We were expecting the bad weather, and it only got worse at the one location Big Boss wanted to visit. He needed to get to Pensacola, but a huge line of thunderstorms was moving its way across the entire southern area of the country all morning.

So we climbed above the mess, dodging parts that were climbing faster than us.

And soon we were on our way to Florida. But a little further south than Pensacola…we went all the way to Ft. Myers! The storm didn’t reach that far south, and Big Boss had some work to do. So we landed without much hassle (only gusty winds were our companions for the landing, which had certainly been familiar to us for the entire week).

Our stop in Ft. Myers was a short one. We timed it right to land on Free Hotdog Day, so we grabbed lunch in the beautiful new FBO lobby. The gals behind the desk are dressed up like ladies from World War II. So cool! It certainly goes along with the real P-51 Mustang that hangs from the ceiling.

 

Another windy takeoff, and another windy landing…this time in Pensacola. It was my second time here, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t ask Ground Control for progressive taxi instructions to find the parking ramp.

 

They are there to help me, right? If I ask nicely enough, I have found that they are always willing to help me not get lost on the airfield.

That can get kind of embarrassing…the whole getting-lost thing. Not that I know from personal experience or anything…

This airport is very busy with military airplanes and helicopters of every kind. It made for an interesting few hours of waiting. Airplane-watching never gets old to me.

 

Unfortunately, there was a candy dish in the lobby. And, also unfortunately, I helped myself while paying for fuel.

 

After just a few hours here, we were on our way home. Thanks so winter headwinds, we couldn’t quite make it all the way home. We decided to stop in San Angelo, Texas for a quick-turn on fuel and coffee. I’ve stopped here before, and Ranger Aviation is fast! I had ordered a few pizzas to be waiting for the passengers while we fueled, and they even saved me a bite.

 

Just twenty minutes later, we were airborne once again and on our way home to Phoenix. I love coming up from the south, crossing San Simon (SSO) on our way to the SUNSS7 Arrival. We descended via the instructions on the arrival and soon found ourselves on final approach for Runway 25L.

 

This is the best place to land for us, since the taxi is a short two seconds from here. We simply turn off the runway and onto our parking ramp, where the Swift line guys are always happy to greet us home.

I unloaded some bags, took some pictures, got some hugs, and said some goodbyes.

Atlanta/McCollum – Ft. Myers – Pensacola – San Angelo – Phoenix

Weekly Work, Day Three

Thursday morning began early. Big Boss wanted to be gone by 10:00, so I was up and at ‘em by 7:30 AM. This is the first time in my life that I’ve ever awakened in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

 

It worked out well that we were at the airplane a little early, because the passengers arrived half an hour before schedule. Luckily, we were ready for them.

Our first stop was in Philadelphia, where we landed on a 5,000’ runway to drop off one passenger. He had a commercial flight to catch back to Reno, and we didn’t even shut down both engines to get him on his way.

I had called ahead and paid the gals for our ramp fee, which I rarely pay because I always purchase fuel.

 

Since everyone was in a hurry, we just opened the door and sent him along. I got his bag from the cargo department, then pointed him towards the lobby door. Soon, I was back inside running the Turnaround Checklist. We started up the left engine and were taxiing out to Runway 27L in just moments.

Today, we did a tour of the Garden State of New Jersey. I get most of my knowledge of New Jersey from Saturday Night Live, so it was a treat to visit a whole two cities in this great part of the country.

One passenger lighter, we next made our way to Toms River, New Jersey near the coast. I have never been here before but enjoyed the short stop. It was windy. And we lost and gained about ten knots of airspeed on final approach. Isn’t wind shear fun?!

David and I grabbed a quick lunch at a local diner. I could eat breakfast any time of day, so that’s exactly what I did. The entire area is surrounded in evergreen trees, so finding things off the road was a little exciting. All of a sudden, a clearing appeared in the trees, and the restaurant sign was there! It was a yummy, fast lunch.

After finding the best airport that could fit a Beechjet, our next launch was to Trenton, New Jersey. This city is home to school that some may sound familiar…Princeton. It certainly smelled like money on the ramp, where our little Beechjet was surrounded by big, beautiful, and expensive jets and helicopters. This was my first time here.

After Princeton, we flew back to Pittsburgh to drop off Big Boss #3 at home. We grabbed some fuel here to make the hour-and-a-half flight to McCollum Cobb County Airport in northwestern Atlanta. I love this airport and location. Preferred Jet Center is one of my favorite stops in the country.

 

We were able to finagle keeping the crew car overnight, so I loaded up our two passengers and their bags and off we went. I knew of a mom-and-pop Italian restaurant near our hotel, and everyone was game to try it.

 

It was delicious. A very nice dinner with two passengers and two pilots. I loved the conversation, and I loved the calzone even more.

I was so tired by the time I got to the hotel around 10:30 PM. It had been a long day, and my bed looked wonderful and inviting. It’s amazing how choppy winds and weather can affect your level of fatigue!

 

Allentown – Philadelphia – Toms River – Princeton – Pittsburgh/Allegheny County – Atlanta/McCollum Field