Planes… I think I am experiencing the full weight of plane ownership, i.e. nothing goes as planned. We put 1863C on skis a couple weeks ago. That went fairly well, especially considering it hasn’t been on skis for 15+ years. I took my friend Greg out to show me around Lake Hood. We did a little taxiing and things felt okay, so I dropped him off and prepared for a flight up to Big Lake. I even called Dad and told him I’d meet him at the airport, so he left. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it. As I pulled away I couldn’t get the plane to go right… I sat there and spun in circles. Luckily Greg had stayed to watch me take off and helped me wrestle the plane back on to the tiedown. Dad was not so lucky… he ended up waiting at the Big Lake airport for an hour and a half before I was able to get hold of Mom to go get him.
The next week and a half has been spent taking apart the tailwheel, putting it back together, putting it on, pulling it off, and having people look at it. In the end the diagnosis was it is worn and needs to be rebuilt.
I got the parts today. There is one pin that I can’t get out. The parts that I got aren’t machined super clean and need some work before they’ll fit (they have some burrs which seems a little sloppy to me). Amanda is getting sick of seeing me spend all this time working on the plane and although I enjoy it, with a young family my personal time is pretty limited to do this kind of stuff.
At the end of the month I have some flying scheduled to take Mom and Dad out to Rainy Pass. And, I’d like to fly around the Iditarod some. But, I’d really like to do some flying before then. At this point I’m not planning to put skis on next year, although it would probably be a perfect winter. I’m sure the frustration will subside soon enough, but I’m ready to get my tail – and tailwheel – in the air!
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
24 - 7
I just got back from a nice long run outside, actually the longest winter run I’ve done. It was a good evening, the temps were decent, the kids went down early, and I was feeling alright, so I headed out. I had my Skinny Raven-spiked shoes, tunes, and layers as I headed out into the night.
The spiked shoes are amazing. With the thawing we had a week or so ago, there are some hills that are shear ice… I was able to run right up them. The test comes when you have to go down them; you really have to put your trust in the spikes. They do a great job and throughout the run I was able to navigate icy hills and rough, icy terrain with sure footing. Running at night takes a bit of faith, at times, also. Sometimes the path is pretty dark and your putting one foot in front of the other, mentally ready to catch yourself if the ground is too uneven, but also expecting it to be relatively similar to the last step you take, which isn’t always the case.
Anyway, it was approximately 24 degrees out, very little wind, and I went 7+ miles. Almost 8, actually, according to Google Earth. I felt pretty good throughout the run and was pretty encouraged to be running outside. I don’t mind running on the treadmill as I usually get to watch a movie, but I really enjoy running when I am outside.
The spiked shoes are amazing. With the thawing we had a week or so ago, there are some hills that are shear ice… I was able to run right up them. The test comes when you have to go down them; you really have to put your trust in the spikes. They do a great job and throughout the run I was able to navigate icy hills and rough, icy terrain with sure footing. Running at night takes a bit of faith, at times, also. Sometimes the path is pretty dark and your putting one foot in front of the other, mentally ready to catch yourself if the ground is too uneven, but also expecting it to be relatively similar to the last step you take, which isn’t always the case.
Anyway, it was approximately 24 degrees out, very little wind, and I went 7+ miles. Almost 8, actually, according to Google Earth. I felt pretty good throughout the run and was pretty encouraged to be running outside. I don’t mind running on the treadmill as I usually get to watch a movie, but I really enjoy running when I am outside.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Dizzy girls
This morning started off a bit scary. When we woke up, Rosa could barely walk. It was like her back legs were giving out, shaking, falling over. I helped her down the stairs, but walking across the wood floor was another challenge for her. Rosa is 12 going on 13 and in relatively good health. She’s gone deaf this year, but still doing okay. So, this morning was a bit of a shock and a bit scary. Both Amanda and I had to work so we left her inside and I made a vet appointment.
Both of us thought about her all day, knowing hip problems are common and usually not a good sign. I took her to the vet this evening. While there I noticed her eyeballs moving back and forth; but, she was starting to walk a bit better. The vet saw her and diagnosed her with idiopathic instability… dizziness. They don’t know why it happens, but it isn’t uncommon. It should clear up in a few days. Obviously we were both very relieved.
Regarding another one of our girls, Carli, I keep meaning to write this story. Carli has been with us almost a year and amazingly it has only been in the past month or two she has known both of the boy’s names… seriously. For the longest time she would just call them “boy.”
At night, during prayers… “Mama, Daddy, Jenna, umm… boy, ummmm… boy. Amen”
When she needed their attention… “Boys”
When we had them go in corners and told her to go say goodnight to Connor, she’d just stand and smile at us. Same with Andrew.
Then, after a while, she knew Andrew but didn’t know Connor.
At night, during prayers… “Mama, Daddy, Jenna, Connor, ummm… boy. Amen”
It was very cute and a little funny. The boys were totally un-phased by it all and took it in stride. But, thankfully, now she knows her brothers names and can even tell them apart.
Both of us thought about her all day, knowing hip problems are common and usually not a good sign. I took her to the vet this evening. While there I noticed her eyeballs moving back and forth; but, she was starting to walk a bit better. The vet saw her and diagnosed her with idiopathic instability… dizziness. They don’t know why it happens, but it isn’t uncommon. It should clear up in a few days. Obviously we were both very relieved.
Regarding another one of our girls, Carli, I keep meaning to write this story. Carli has been with us almost a year and amazingly it has only been in the past month or two she has known both of the boy’s names… seriously. For the longest time she would just call them “boy.”
At night, during prayers… “Mama, Daddy, Jenna, umm… boy, ummmm… boy. Amen”
When she needed their attention… “Boys”
When we had them go in corners and told her to go say goodnight to Connor, she’d just stand and smile at us. Same with Andrew.
Then, after a while, she knew Andrew but didn’t know Connor.
At night, during prayers… “Mama, Daddy, Jenna, Connor, ummm… boy. Amen”
It was very cute and a little funny. The boys were totally un-phased by it all and took it in stride. But, thankfully, now she knows her brothers names and can even tell them apart.
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