Oh sugar sugar

Yesterday I ate a lot of food! For breakfast I had some potato and egg scramble, followed by some sugar free candy. Then it was off to the movie theater where i went on to consume a bag of wasabe peas and an entire container of sugar free licorice bears. In the early evening I had one handful of mini cookies and a sugar free beverage. Lovely and I went out for sushi, where I suffered some serious disappointment when my vegetarian sushi was filled with gross mushrooms. Needless to say I managed to finish most of it anyway. T make up for this sad meal, Lovely bought me a pint of my favorite oatmeal cookie ice cream. Later, while watching the film, "Mad Money," I proceeded to eat the whole pint while alternating bites with some pesto flavored pita chips. Overall I'd say it was a pretty good day! Happy eating!
P.S. I'm eating more wasabe peas right now (and it's only 9:00 AM).

Keep on keepin' on...

It's not that I haven't had time to blog this summer, because, believe me, I have. The reason I haven't written is that I really want my lazy time to be as lazy as possible. But I go back to work in about 2 weeks (eek!) and I figure it's time to start trying to find a routine, which I hope will include a blog at least every now and then.

Surprisingly enough, I was able to do quite a bit of flying this summer, which I've decided to put on hold until next summer. I logged about 13 hours, and passed a check ride in which the flight school owner said that I handled the airplane well, and was ready to clean up my landings before soloing. The solo is a much anticipated and well respected stage of one's flight training, but my dad and some other folks have claimed "it's exactly the same stuff you've been doing for months, only you're scared shitless this time." It's actually quite meaningless, other than for bragging rights. The few hours I spent in the air were enough to convince me of two things: 1) I want to spend more time pursuing a sport pilot rating, and 2) It will be best to save up all the money I need and train intensively in a short period of time, like next summer. My paychecks are such that I would be able to rent planes and keep flying at least a few times a month, but the extra expense of flight training is the flight instructor, who I wouldn't be able to pay month by month this school year. So I will put flying on hold until next summer, when I will be able to responsibly devote more time and money.

The rest of my summer has been filled with trying to get organized all the things that fell through the cracks when I was in "coping mode" last school year. I've donated a few huge piles of crap to Thrift Town (and brought home a few smaller piles). I'm going to try to do another round of donating/selling/trashing before work begins. Although Project Pipeline and work have me tied down in Concord for the next two years (and therefore Oakland because I will NOT live in Concord), I'm considering going for a Master's out of the Bay Area, where I've spent 22 years. I theoretically could accumulate some stuff now, since I'm settled here for a little while. But moving every few months for years (years!) has ingrained in me the desire to be able to pick up and go at any moment. Last time I got settled, or so I thought, we were robbed and had to vacate quickly. Not that I think that will happen here, necessarily, but I'm feeling like I need to be prepared. I'd like my room to look a little better before I get busy again, and plan on taking some of Tyra's (Tyra Banks, yes, I told you I have some extra time!) innovative organization ideas to get things perfect.

Do I knit anymore? Not all summer, but I put Gaelen's nearly complete scarf on hold last May, and plan on finishing it this week. I've built up quite a resentment toward that pattern, and am ready to get it finished! After that, we'll see.

I'm ready to get back to work, because while I've enjoyed Real World marathons and sleeping in and flying, it's not the most fulfilling way to spend a lifetime. And, as you can see, it doesn't make for the most fascinating blogs.

The Latest

Sometimes when I'm making the rounds of the blogs I frequent, I check my own in the hopes that it has been updated. I'm always a little disappointed to see it's still the same.

To quote (finally a FO)

Here's my most recent project - my first FO in a couple of months. This was my first time using two circular needles, and also my first true attempt at stranded knitting. Nothing special, no pattern, just at tube with a 10-stitch button hole. However, I (in the words of my kids) "jacked" London Nelson's Center Square color chart for the fair isle. There is also some crochet around the knuckles. The project took about a week and a half from start to finish, but I really only knit on three of those days. Knitting on two circs speeds up the process a lot.

Now that I think about it, I probably should have done some decreases around the mid section, because the plain stockinette portion has more stretch to it than the fair isle, so it gets kind of lumpy around the wrist. There is some extra mobility, though. I suppose knitting, just like public policy, is (to quote my favorite professor) "all about trade offs and priorities."

I did, however, totally rock the fair isle.

(That's Glass Beach, if you couldn't tell.)

Fort Bragg adventures

The Memorial Day weekend had Gaelen and I very bored (there ya go - her name is Gaelen - quite anticlimactic), so we decided to get out of town. Up the coast we went, ending up in Fort Bragg, CA. Actually, we ended up in Mendocino, but decided it sucked and moved about 10 miles up the coast to Fort Bragg, which is actually a very nice little town (not nearly as bourgeois).

We arrived around 1 p.m. and toured the historic main street.

Gaelen has been looking for sarongs for ages, and found a whole pile of them in a little novelty store on the main street. She showed restraint and managed to buy just one.

Thankfully, I was able to find what I've been searching for - hecka small babies. Phew. The trip to the downtown was clearly a success. We also drove around through the residential part of town, where I can easily picture myself living. We found the middle and high schools, as well. The awesome thing about teaching is that I will soon be able to go anywhere...

When I asked the hotel clerk's advice on which beach to see before we left, she sent us to Glass Beach. Glass Beach is at the base of a cliff in a spot that used to be known as 'the dumps,' because residents of Fort Bragg were permitted to throw their trash, cars, and appliances over the edge to get rid of them(according to Wikipedia). The trash was occasionally lit on fire for reduction, and after 'the dumps' were closed post WWII (I'm assuming pollution became a concern), all that remained was glass. In some spots on the beach, there seemed to be more glass than sand. What we thought were rocks were actually worn down pieces of china or opaque white glass of some kind.

As it turns out, every hotel clerk and guide book in Fort Bragg points its tourists to Glass Beach, because it was hopping when we arrived.

We were at first a little intimidated by the dozens of people combing the beach for treasure, so we headed up the beach to a spot where we were the only glass hunters.

I made Gaelen's day when I found the only piece of purple glass on the beach.

After our hunt. I went home with a pocket full of glass.

We also took a walk along the cliffs before the day's end (Gaelen, being from Big Sur, says these are not cliffs. I, being from Oakland, insist they are). We followed a trail that said 'beach access,' but it turned out that getting access to the beach would have meant jumping a few hundred feet. That's what you get when you travel without a map, I guess.

Our hotel, also found by road signs rather than any book or map or word of mouth, turned out to be quite nice. I do not remember what it was called (something about the sea, or a sea breeze), or else I would recommend it. Eight hours sleep - and one too many packaged cheese horns from our continental breakfast - later (ugh), we were on the road back to Oakland. It's only a three hour drive, which makes me wonder why I don't get out of town more often.

Another highlight was the Anderson Valley, which Highway 128 and the Navarro river cut through - it's a 60 mile stretch filled with little vineyards, flea markets, and maybe 8-ish towns with charm to spare. Their school district is currently hiring an SDC teacher, which of course got me fantasizing. A big part of me just wants to up and move or travel for a while. I'll get to that after I get my credential.

Sport Piloting

So unfortunately I don't think I'll pass all the FAA medical bull that you have to go through to get a private pilot certificate. Well, I know I won't pass, and I don't know what the appeals process is like (or how much a lawyer goes for...). I've been reading up on the sport pilot certificate, which I always said I'd never do, mainly because it seems pretty ridiculous to go through all the required training and still not be able to carry more than one passenger or fly at night. However, there is less training required for a sport pilot certificate, making it more financially feasible.

I really started thinking today about why I want to fly - what makes it so appealing? I have always wanted to do this. I think the desire to earn my wings is for a number of reasons. First, I love aircraft, from little kit built guys to jets. I started counting down the days to the A380 flight years ago; I can sit at Buchanan for hours watching and listening to the tower; I'm always looking up. Second, I love to go places. Anywhere, really. I've always been fascinated by maps, travel guides, and most recently Google satellite images. Third and most of all, I love the feeling. I guess that sounds a little cheesy, but I haven't found anything quite like the feeling I get at takeoff.

When I realized that passing medical anytime soon was futile, I actually got pretty depressed. I gave up, I guess (Remember my 'new thing' issue? Giving up usually constitutes the end of my 'new things'). I got an e-mail from the instructor, Liz, who I've been conversing with at Alameda Aero Club, reminding me that getting my private pilot is not the only way to go. My day was instantly made. For real. Those things that draw me to flying - the aircraft, the new places, the new feelings - I can get all of that as a sport pilot. I've always liked C120s and C140s (not eligible), and think I can get my interest peaked in the Cub (pictured, eligible). The next obstacle: The only place with aircraft eligible for sport pilots is Amelia Reid, in San Jose. I'm not thinking about that little issue yet.

Private pilot = old thing
Sport piloting = new thing

It's my new thing.

Lovely has recently noticed how excited I get about my hobby "of the moment." At any given time, I'm very interested in one specific thing, and not too much else. A few months ago it was guppies. Last month it was the trip that I was going to take to Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico, which I had planned down to the day. This month it's flying. Becoming a pilot. Being welcomed to the skies. Lovely's fully expecting that it will pass. However, I know that flying has always been something I've wanted to do. I flew around age 14, but money quickly became an issue. It's always been my dream to get my private pilot certificate, and maybe further ratings, buy an airplane, and spend every free moment in the air. I'm not sure how realistic that is, though, especially due to finances.

But today I started to make it happen.

I'm gross and tired and smelly as I return from my first flight. I flew a Cessna 172 today with Joel at the Alameda Aero Club. I flew, but of course had to turn the controls over to him more than a few times.

I don't want to say that it was a piece of cake, but the whole experience was easier than I remember and much easier than I was expecting. I think the majority of that can be attributed to the fact that I can drive a car now (even though flying's entirely different than driving, because you add ailerons and elevators and therefore a whole 3rd dimension). I have more of a feeling of when to roll out of turns and steer while taxiing, and just a general increase in my ability to pay attention to the instruments while looking outside. I was able to keep a pretty constant altitude in the air, which is what I remember being the most difficult for me 8 (ish?) years ago.

I met Joel outside the North Field gate at 2 p.m. and he gave me the run-down of how to get a badge so I can come and go as I please. He showed me the club house, which was pretty charming...and about the size of my bedroom. We went over a little procedure of how to reserve and check out the aircraft, grabbed the keys and headed out.

We took the green plane pictured, which is a 70's or so C172, called by ATC "four alpha charlie." (I credit AAC for this picture, of course, posted on their Web site) I was able to do most of the pre-flight with directions from Joel. It was a bit scary to have the wing structure of something that carries humans thousands of feet off the ground bending under my weight.

Joel maneuvered away from the other airplanes and then handed it over to me to taxi to the runway. I stayed on the yellow line most of the time, but every now and then would find myself suddenly 10 feet off of it. That was actually the story of the whole flight, more or less being in control, but then all of a sudden surprised by what the plane was doing. I wasn't always sure when I was controlling the aircraft and when Joel was helping. I guess I could have asked...

I handed the controls over to Joel for takeoff; he gave them back around 500 feet and let me set the attitude to climb at 1,000 feet per minute. We were directed to stay under 2,000 feet by Oakland tower. This I actually understood from the radio communication, most of which I at least followed. I'm pretty sure we stayed on the Oakland frequency the whole time.

We headed to Point Richmond, flying over the construction in progress on I580, which is still a sight to be seen. Around here was when I noticed (about 15 seconds after the fact) the plane slipping like crazy and us pointed towards San Francisco. I guess I let go of the right rudder and unconsciously overcompensated. Or something like that, as if I know what I'm talking about. We got back on course, thanks to a little help from Joel. A sharp left turn (probably all of 30 degrees bank) just before reaching the San Pablo Bay and we were headed back to Oakland. We did a 360 somewhere over one of my hometowns, Albany, during which I was able to keep the turn indicator more or less in check (before we took off, I had asked why the indicator wasn't centered, and felt quite foolish when Joel reminded me that the ground doesn't tend to be level...right). I pointed us towards the Mormon Temple, which I'm told is a landmark for the landing pattern, and then did a 90 degree turn to get us perpendicular to the runway. Then I handed it over to Joel who put us down on 27R. I split my time paying attention to Joel working the controls to get us down and watching what felt like a dangerously close little Piper doing touch and goes on 27L.

And that was it! I got us back to our parking spot, and it was over. We only flew for .6 hours, so we didn't need to refuel, which I was kind of hoping to learn how to do.

I've been talking to another instructor who works with AAC, named Liz, and I'm going to try a lesson with her in a couple of weeks on the 27th. I really loved Joel, but also like the idea of having a female instructor. I think the decision (notice how I'm talking as if I'm truly going to go through with this) will come down to what time of day I'm able to fly. Liz is available during the day; Joel is available evenings and weekends. There are many other instructors to choose from, but I was very happy with Joel.

So there you have it. Flying, which has been a long term interest of mine, is now my new thing. Will keep you posted, but unfortunately will have to wait 2 weeks to do so.