An MD-80 of my own.

My own MD-80...didn't say it was a real one, it even fits in the garage!


As most pilot wives will tell you training is a time where you (generally) want to become an alcoholic (if you aren't one already), or at the very least throw your phone across the room often when talking to your spouse.

John's most annoying trait in training is that he just spaces out, I'll tell him something and he will ask me the same question 2 min later (not that he doesn't do this normally just worse during training.) I have to admit John is actually pretty good in training compared to some I have heard about. Not that I can blame any of them training is ALWAYS stressful! There are so many things they HAVE to pass otherwise it goes on their record and, in all reality, would probably make it hard for them to get another job at a different airline. In a way I think it's kind of unfair, when you were in college did you NEVER fail a test? I really doubt it, you probably failed at least one, but our guys aren't allowed to have a crap day and fail one (and when I saw fail I mean below an 80!). Now if you fail a bunch of them..well...that's a problem. But because of all this the stress level tends to run really high.

In my book there are varying degree's of training. For instance initial (anywhere) is really bad, it's a new plane to them, (most likely) a new company with a new set of procedures, and of course the added stress that first year pay equals what a McDonald's manager would make, maybe.

Then there is Captain upgrade; still stressful because of the tests, but in my book not quite as bad, after all it's usually the same plane they have been flying just from a different set and different responsibilities.

Then there is recurrent (I think that's what it's called) basically it's a test once (maybe twice, not sure how often it happens a year). This is the least stressful (well it is in my book) since they are already flying the plane, and have been for a while, it's kind of like a check-up at a dr to make sure everything is going alright. Not to undermine any of the checks/test/upgrades, they are ALL stressful.

So John has had a nice 3 weeks off, since they only have 2 sims and 18 people to use them! But now its time to crack the whip again, so for the last few days John has been spending lots of time in front of the MD-80 "sim" in our house. His "sim" comprises of 3 posters which he has hung (approximately in the right place) in the garage. There are a number of "flows" he has to memorize before he went back. As far as I can tell "flows" are a list of things to do. This is where I come in, I get to sit next to him and ask him to do fun things such as "First Officer Before Taxi Flow." Then I get to sit there and watch him while he lists everything off and pushes imaginary buttons on a poster. Now I don't know what the annunciator is, does, or why you need one, but I sure know where it is now. I think I could safetly say I could fly one...just not land one if anyone remembers my post on trying to land a corsair sim.......


So I think I am ready for my own MD-80 (and not just posters) they only run about 4 million and shoot dead dino's out almost as fast as you can fill it!

Arabian Nights...Dancing Ponies

So this is where I would like to work...someday..maybe...I love this place it's great! It's my favorite thing to do in Orlando (even more so than Magic Mouse Land). It's a dinner show and you watch people ride horses. Well there is a little more to it than that, they have a story line about a princess and a jeanie and they show different riding styles and such. We paid the extra p20 bucks each did the VIP/horse lovers package. Which means we got to sit in the first 3 rows, got free beer, AND 2 free drinks (we scored 3 cool glasses in this deal too), PLUS we got to go backstage after the show and see the barns and horses!! It was super cool, they are also hiring....so who knows....what better job for me right? So here are a few of my favorites.
This was the light they had on the arena floor when you came in, then they pumped smoke out over it, I thought it looked cool!

I believe this is the American Creme draft horse, so pretty!

Quarter Horse...of course!

Just thought this was a cool shot....

Drill team! This is what I would love to do!

Demon Horse! Of course if there is a princess they has to be a villain, I loved the costume.

Vaulting...something I have always wanted to try, this guy got some amazing height!

This was the "Native America" portion..done on a reining horse, the best thing about this..the lighting and the glow in the dark paint on the pony.

This is at the end, when we were waiting for the tour, they turn all the horses out in the arena and let them run around for a while....this appy reminded us of our Molly aka "Hooker."

And now for something completely different...our FL trip!

So these pics are all from our Florida trip. Well I still have a bunch more but that will be a different post, I don't think my computer will let me upload more than this at once!
This pic was taken at my favorite restaurant in Florida that I have found so far. It is on Marco Island and it's called Snooks. The pelican was hanging out about 10 feet from us while we were eating lunch. I also love the houses in the background...if I ever win the lotto... :) This was taken in Naples at my favorite place to watch the sunset. It's called the Turtle Club right on the beach and they have great Mai Tai's!

Of course everyone knows where this was taken! It's not the best pic as I didn't have the camera set up quite right but I still like it :)

This picture pretty much says it all...it's the flight museum near Orland, and is probably the best airplane museum I have ever been too, I even got to fly a Corsair simulator....did great flying it just can't land....well of the three times I tried to land I landed at the airport once...notice I said at the airport...not on the runway. Anyways it was great fun and the day that we went they had 5 veterans that were involved in D-Day in WWII it was so interesting to listen to them tell their stories it was amazing!

This is John's favorite airplane EVER. It is a Super Constellation. The Bellanca (the plane John and his partner have)looks like a mini one of this plane...well kind of...the Bellanca doesn't have 4 engines but it has the triple tail. So he calls the Bellanca the cardboard connie.

This is a B-17 they let you walk through; its really cool they have it set up like it would have been in WWII it's dark in the hanger, loud noises everywhere, unfortunately there was a school group there today and I didn't have time to play with the camera so the pics from inside the plane are pretty crappy but still amazing to get to see inside it!

This is the wood/restoration shop. John was fascinated by it...me not so much but it was still kinda cool.

This is a C-47 or a DC-3 I guess it goes by both names. I can't remember what the name of the amphib out there is, but John has some form of instruction manual for that type of plane that he got from his uncle that was in WWII.

They actually flew this plane and did a few fly-bys with the WWII vets on board, very cool! Apparently the smoke and flame are normal when starting the engines.....

John actually got to sit in the plane before the did the fly-by's. At the end of training he will have a DC-9 type so I thought it was pretty cool he got to sit in the DC-3.

This is at the Animal Kingdom, we went on the safari and the were feeding the giraffe!

This of course is at MGM or Disney Hollywood Studio's they call it now. This was Walt's old plane so of course we got a few pics of it. The N number was N234MM.

And our last stop was Epcot. Which I usually hated as a kid, when I was younger I just wanted to go to the Magic Kingdom, didn't have the other 2 parks when I was little.....tells you how old I am! This is at my favorite country. Norway. They have a cool Viking Ship ride, and great school bread (and other yummy treats) and of course Norwegian beer!

Which Witch is Witch?

New Mexico....

Las Vegas (Mt.Charleston area) Florida (Orlando ish..)

So we are still debating what to do and where to move (if at all). I actually have a job interview in Las Vegas with a non-profit as an Assistant Manager (working with horses). In Orlando I could probably get a job as well (with horses). And of course here I have my wonderful job that I hate (well not the job, but everything else about it ie: my boss). Since we have pretty much decided that we will come back to NM for the summers that leaves 2 options...LAS (Vegas)and SFB (Orlando).

Pro's for Las Vegas. I like the job (I have an intervew for) better than the one in Orlando and the one here. Also LAS is not as far as Orlando for us which makes the 6 months in each place an easier commute. Also I happen to like Las Vegas, not necessarily the strip but there are alot of nice places and things to do around LAS.

Con's for LAS. John hates it, much like here. He whines about his allergies and it's cold in the winter; LAS is cold for him its about 50.

Pro's for Orlando. I can still probably get a job. Also closer to John's dad and since he's getting older I actually consider it important enough to list as a pro that we spend time with him. Plus John loves it, his allergies aren't as bad, for some reason, and he loves humidity.

Con's for Orlando. Don't have a job interview. And I freaking hate the weather my allergies are awful, it's a heck of long ways from NM and the mosquitoes may carry NeNe away (though after today with the trailer debacle I might not mind).

So I'm throwing this out there to get every one's advice, since we are pretty much at a stalemate!

Up in the Air...

Up in the air...I wish I was talking about flying...instead I'm talking about how much of my life is up in the air!

As some of you know from my facebook posts know I can't stand my job, and not just can't stand my job in the sense that everyone hates their job, I've had those jobs too. This is simply because the people who are in charge are idiots. For example....there is one girl at work (to remain nameless) lets call her Absent (because she is never there) Absent has taken off 7 days in the last 3 weeks...so of the 15 days she could/should have worked she has only worked 8. And yet I get in trouble when I can't work one day and (wait for it...) I'm a substitute. Its examples like this, and many more that are making me crazy. And of course this happens while Johns at training and since he's on first year pay I can't exactly afford to quit.I'm not good at playing along with bullshit, hence me pulling my hair out!!

And with that we are talking about (trying) to sell our house and buy two smaller places, one here and one in FL. That way we could stay in FL during the winters (and the god awful wind) and take advantage of the fact that John would be home every night. Then stay here in the summer (when its god awful hot in FL) and John would just commute then. IF we do then I would need to find more temporary (seasonal) jobs in both places. Ugh too many things up in the air for my taste right now! The joys of being married to a pilot I guess......