First Flight

First Flight Log Entry
Originally uploaded by bigbill25.

Well, I've gone up and got my first 0.8 hours logged. Now for another 39.2 (minimum)... I'll be back in the air early Monday morning!

Texas Style!

Texas Style!
Originally uploaded by bigbill25.

Yup... They like Texas here...

Death Scene Unit

Death Scene Unit
Originally uploaded by bigbill25.

I'm currently traveling for work in Austin. This is the first thing we saw when we got to the hotel yesterday. You need to "zoom in" to read all the good stuff on the truck...

Robie 07

Me, part of the herd

This is the seventh time I have put myself through the pain of Robie Creek. I did a new heart rate based training this year and ran considerably more for training than any other year. How did I do? Not so well. Several minutes behind what I wanted. I'm just happy I don't have to run anymore.

It was fun to go to Boise with Meg and hang with Mark, Michael, and Jennifer. The weather was very un-Boise like on Sunday so the normal mountain bike ride was called off, but we managed to stay out of the outlet malls...

Meg's Photos. She took a lot more than I did.
My Photos.
My GPS data from the run

Into the Wild Blue

Bill and Bill

So, I'm going to fly. In other words, I'm going to get my Private Pilots License. This has been kind of a life long dream. The first life plan I can ever remember having is going the the Air Force Academy, becoming a fighter pilot, then flying for the airlines. Other things transpired (my eyes, my height) to throw me off that course, but I still want to fly. So, I'm going to.

Doing research I found a local EAA Chapter that was having a breakfast and a meeting. I was able to talk Meggie into coming out for the pancake breakfast (mmmmm... Pancakes...) and met some nice people there. At their meeting the next week, I met Bill (pictured above) who is in the middle of building his RV-7A. He was heading up to log some time in a Cessna 152, and he let me ride along in the right seat. A lot of fun!

This Saturday, I'm off for an introductory ride with an instructor. If that all works out, I will start the lessons post haste!

Memory moment: I actually had an introductory flight many years ago. My grandpa took me down to Boeing Field one day and paid for me to go up with an instructor. I had a great time there, then once on the ground, we went to a dinner that was at the end of the runway so we could eat burgers and watch the planes come and go. Great way to spend a day with Grandpa!


Meggie making airplane noises

Beach Bums

Little dew drops

So, this post is a little stale. Meg and I headed out to the coast for a relaxing weekend at a B&B near the coast called Sand Lake Country Inn. We kept the weekend low key. A short hike to Munson Falls was our physical activity. For mental stimulus, we stopped by the Evergreen Aviation Museum. While there, we even got to talk to a B-17 ball turret vet who lived to tell the tale. Very cool!

My Photos.
Meg's Photos.

Blah, Blah, Blah...

I think this is what most people hear when I start talking about work or computers (except Kevin...):



Other news: I did my taxes last night. Fun was had by none.