Hi from Nicole

She is watching me type this while we wait to go on a canal walk with Daddy. I was going to talk about my big schedule change and how I get to stay home for another week but have to miss Covfamikoi. But now we are leaving so I won't.

Billions of Blistering Blue Barnicles!!

Prize to anyone who can tell me where that came from. I make good on my prizes too, just ask Josh Johnson.
Anyway, one of the first things I did when I got home last week was chop out a stump for dad. When I was done I looked down at my hands and "Good Grief! It looks like I haven't done real work for a whole year!" It has really only been nine months, but it seems that my hands decided that they were done with all my callouses, so I got a fine set of HUGE blisters in a mere thirty minutes of swinging an axe.
Most of them popped while I was going at it or while I was mowing the yard afterwards, except for two that were on my pinkies. I think the only time I've seen a bigger blister was after I ran the mini. These babies are twice the size of my fingernail! And they are annoying. They get in the way every time I handle large objects. But I finally popped one of them while I was working out this evening. It's so nice to be able to make a fist again.
So I was thinking that I ought to buy a farm or ranch or something so I can do some real work and keep my callouses going while I fly. Anybody know of a cheap farm for sale?

Fun in Indy

I am doing all sorts of fun stuff at home. Eating real food, playing soccer with Nicole, bugging Caleb, eating more food, going to swim meets, etc etc etc. anyway, I am having WAY to much fun to post on here.

Except for this blurb.

Although I did scrawl on my napkin a little at 40,000 feet over Colorado, so I might put that in sometime.

Jumpseating!

Getting free flights to anywhere is pretty cool. I got a ride home on Frontier Airlines. Very nice people. Great service and ride. Unfortunately their plane out of Billings was delayed by maintenance issues, so I missed the last connection to Indy and spent the night like a hobo on a bench in the Denver terminal. But even though I'd been wearing the same clothes for 24 hours, couldn't get at my razor to shave, and looked like I'd only had two hours of sleep, the captain was still nice enough to let me ride home. I was greeted by my dear mother, brother, and sister at the airport, and Caleb even shared a seat with my bag because it wouldn't go in the trunk! Now for some sweet sleep.

WWWOOOOOOOHHHHHOOOOOOO!!!!!!

I just passed my first part 121 oral exam. It really wasn't too hard. I guess our training program worked out like it should. Now to try going home.

Memory Item WARNING!

The memory item quiz we had today was based on the exact wording of the FSM and not the memory flash cards (which happen to be slightly different)! I was shooting to be the first person in company history to completely ace it to the letter, but I fell short (even if was just based on the cards). Oh well, I still got a 100 on it cause I didn't have any of the procedures wrong. Now it is just oral review till Monday baby!!!

Finished the FSM today!

So if I remember everything in the last 5000 pages I have looked at, I should have no problem on my oral exam. We have our memory items exam tomorrow morning. Hopefully I can keep them all straight while the pressure is on. Better get some sleep now.

are you in good hands?

I am. A big THANKS to everybody back home who did something to help me find a church. We will see how it works out in a couple days.

Got finished with systems yesterday and Started the Flight Standards Manual. Worked on that all day today and we should fiinish it up on Monday. Then we will have a week of paper sim and oral practice before our next big round of tests: The Dreaded ORAL EXAMS!!! done duh dum

I'v had a super long day so I think I am going to hit the sack and sleep in for a while tomorrow. Prolly won't start studying until like 9:00 or something.

After reviewing all our systems from yesterday

and looking at about five more, we got a "friendly" visit from our union treasurer. He talked to us and answered questions for about an hour. I couldn't stop thinking about Professor Suckow's class the whole time. It was slightly comical and mostly boring.

gamil.com

go there. I accidentally typed that today. If I ever needed design stuff I'd almost give them business just for the clever name. But then I'd prolly have a ticked sister.

I think Later Day Saints and Lutherans make up the groups having the most places of worship in Billings. There was a huge Watchtower convention over the weekend. Ooo maybe we will have a new date set for the end of the world!!! I went to the First English Lutheran yesterday. The resident pastor was out at synod confirming Cathy or Christina or somebody as a new Bishop, so Reverened Amy Jo preached. enough said
Went to Bible study at the Baptist Church from last week. Got some interesting insights on praying in tongues, prophesy, and healing. There are nice Christian people there, don't get me wrong, but I guess I learned to keep my mouth shut at certain times while I was at Purdue, so I need to vent somewhere.

Today in class we went over some minor points in the FOM that got left out of indoc and started into systems. At Purdue we took about two weeks to cover each system of the 727. Today we covered DC and AC electrical, Fuel, Engine (including starting and limitations), and Propeller systems. That's a pretty good cram for half a semester's worth of information.
You know, I better go study now. Later Y'all

Congrats to my Sister

On her engagement!

Fireman!

I get to be a fireman tomorrow! Well, sort of. We get to go out to the airport and talk to the firemen there and drive their trucks out to the training zone where we will get to put on some gear and put out a fire with normal extinguishers and the big truck cannons. I'm pretty psyched about that. We were working out simulator dates today, and it looks like I will start on July 2nd and have my checkride on the 10th. But I have to get through my oral first. I have about 18 days to learn all the systems and procedures for flying a 1900 on the line. So here goes nothing.