Cancelled Flight

I scheduled a flight last weekend but the weather was IFR. Needless to say, I cancelled the flight. I also got my first class medical last week, pending a letter from my doctor saying I am healed from a series of collapsed lungs that happened in the spring of 1995. I've been healthy for 11 years now and I thank God everyday!

I've come up with a New Year's Resolution: I will gain 15 pounds by the end of the year. I know, most people try to lose weight. Not me. I want to be fat! Actually I want it to be all muscle. I've had a hard time gaining weight my whole life. I've always been too thin. I tried Body for Life a few years ago and did actually gain a few pounds of muscle after it was all said and done. Its all gone now though. I think the problem is that I don't particularly enjoy food so I rarely ever over-eat. I am getting hungry though, maybe I'll go eat a big lunch...

Upcoming BFR

For the past week I have been taking online courses through AOPA's website http://www.aopa.org/asf/online_courses/. I'm trying to brush up on my knowledge in hopes of having a BFR sometime in December. That will get me current and legal, as long as I have a medical, which I don't.

CAF WWII Museum

Saturday we went to the Commemorative Air Force museum in Camarillo. It was awesome. They are currently restoring several warbirds in one hangar and have 5 or so airworthy planes in another. Its only $5 to get in and is well worth the money. Here's a link to their website: http://www.orgsites.com/ca/caf-socal/

Weezer and the Foo

Last night I went to the Weezer/Foo Fighters show at Long Beach Arena. Our seats were pretty far away so we had to sneak into someone's reserved area so we could actually hear the concert without all the slapback from the rear wall.

The picture with the =w= was taken from our original seats. The picture on top was taken from our upgraded seats. My cell phone doesn't take the best pictures but oh well. We had a really good time. It was a long concert, we got back to Santa Clarita around 1:00 AM and I had to be at work on time today so I could interview a woman for a receptionist position. That statement says two things, first the weezer fan base is really starting to age and move into adulthood, second please go to college so you don't have to be interviewed for a receptionist position by a kid half your age who can't even hear what you are saying because his ears are still ringing from the night before...

Edwards Air Force Base Open House

Saturday I drove to Edwards Air Force Base for their Open House and Airshow. It was awesome!!! I have never been so excited about an airshow. To get to the base you have to exit the freeway and drive for about 12 miles with nothing but dry lakebed on either side of you. The Edwards website says that the lakebeds surrounding the base have been declared national historic sites because of all the planes that have made emergency landings there. The longest lakebed "runway" is 7.5 miles long!!! Anyway, the first thing I saw when I got there was Chuck Yeager flying a P-51. This would have been enough to satisfy me for the day. However, at 9:59:50 AM right when he was at show center on the flightline, an F-16 broke the sound barrier at 30,000 Ft!!!! Yes!!! THEN, the p-51 formed up with an F/A-22 Raptor for a heritage flight!!! Woohoooo! I still can't believe it. That was my first time seeing the F/A-22 and also my first time seeing the B-2 Spirit (stealth bomber) fly later in the day. I also saw Tora, Tora Tora, which is a reinactment of the attack on Pearl Harbor. There were 9 planes in the reinactment but they choreographed it in a way that there was always at least one plane making a pass followed by one or two explosions. It was really emotional to watch a reinactment of something so terrible. Closing the day was a flight review of the jets that flew during the day. They were all in formation and from what I can recall the order was F/A-22, (2) F-16s, F-117, B-2, B-1, B-52, C-17, C-130. There were a couple other planes but I can't remember what they were. I'll have to watch the video, again...

Santa Barbara

Today Nikki and I decided to drive to Santa Barbara for the day. We stopped at Santa Paula Airport to have lunch and requested outside seating so we (well maybe just I) could watch the planes land. I'm such a wannabe! There was one guy in a blue and white American Champion Scout or Explorer or similar who was really struggling with his touch and goes. Hopefully he learned a lot from that hour.

Afterward, we continued to Santa Barbara and walked out on the pier. We saw a seal, or sea lion, not sure of the difference except the presence of an ear canal or something. Then we went to the shopping district, didn't buy anything, and had pizza for dinner.

Desk Jockey

Sometimes I sit at work for so long that my body hurts when I stand up. My muscles feel weak at the end of the day. I have started playing tennis again so hopefully that will help a little. I really need to start working out with weights though. My neck and back usually hurt at the end of the day, and after a one hour commute up the 405 I'm pretty much destroyed. Too much complaining...