March 2002

March will be remembered for the 50th wedding anniversary of Susan's parents. Much time and effort went into the planning of the secret party and it was all worth it. March concluded with out-of-town guests paying an Easter visit.

March 2

With my bonus check burning a hole in my pocket, Susan and I drove to Vancouver, Washington with thoughts of purchasing something we've thought about buying for years. We've all seen the infomercials and thought, "Yeah, I could do that." We've heard the stars proclamations and now it was time to see for ourselves.

Once in Vancouver, we started searching for the address of the factory. Traffic was thick due toconstruction, so we jumped off the highway and started searching the side streets. Eventually we found a street that we recognized on our MapQuest™ map which led us to the factory entrance. We walked inside and were met by a factory representative. He answered our questions and demonstrated the product for us. We were impressed and satisfied, so we decided to follow through with the purchase. The only question remaining was, "Will it fit in the Honda?" That turned out to be a non-issue because it was conveniently packed in three separate boxes. Have you figured out what it is yet? Keep reading and all will be revealed.

March 3

This day was earmarked as a construction day -- the day to build my new machine, fresh from the factory. I hauled the three boxes into the living room and gathered the necessary tools. Construction went smoothly and two hours later, I had a fully-functional BowFlex Power Pro XTL. Susan and I have been using it ever since.

With construction projects still on my mind, I moved on to the garage. In addition to the bike hooks (see January 5, 2002), my parents also bought me three shelf brackets to help organize my garage. I installed the brackets 18 inches down from the ceiling along the south wall of the garage. Then I moved all the excess lumber from the shed project -- which was previously in a pile under my Honda -- onto the brackets. With all the available space on the floor, I moved the 16 foot long siding boards -- which was previously in a pile under the Infiniti -- under the Honda. So now we are down to just one pile of wood on the garage floor.

March 7

In preparation for Susan's parent's 50'th wedding anniversary, Susan and I ordered a custom banner to help celebrate the occasion. I started by making a preliminary design on the computer. Susan searched the Internet for a sign company that makes banners. We e-mailed the design to a local sign maker and waited for the results. A few days later they e-mailed us a proof which we accepted. The resulting sign was nearly identical to what I had designed. It was made out of a thick plastic-covered paper material (Tyvek™) that is used in clean rooms and as booties for new home tours. It had ten grommets in it for ease of hanging. And it came in a cardboard tube for easy shipping. All that was left was to figure out how to carry it onto a commercial flight without it looking like a weapon.

To make our travel plans more interesting, the snow was falling heavily as we turned off the lights and went to bed.

March 8

After months of planning, it was time to fly to Richmond, Virginia. Susan and her siblings were planning a surprise 50'th wedding anniversary party for their parents. No one knew for sure whether or not Noemi & George suspected what was going on. I'm sure that they must have found some of the strange behavior of their offspring suspicious; especially all the fuss over their address book. They maintain a paper address book with all their friends and relatives. Getting a copy of this to Susan was a challenge. Susan's brother, John, paid a visit under the guise of installing a new computer component. While alone in the computer room, he scanned every page and e-mailed the scans to Susan. She printed them out and used them to call and invite friends and relatives, and to address invitations. Meanwhile, Susan's sister, Noemi Pearce, was busy making arrangements for the hall, food, and decorations.

We caught an early flight and were on our way to Richmond. Since the party was a surprise, we couldn't go directly to Susan's parents house -- they didn't know we were coming. Instead, we spent the night with Susan's friend, Kathleen.

March 9

The day of the party finally arrived. Susan and I drove from Kathleen's house to the fire hall, hoping that we wouldn't accidentally pass her parents along the highway. Wouldn't that be the pits? We arrived at noon and spent the next hour turning the ordinary hall into something worthy of 50 years of marriage. The caterers arrived and the smell of so much good food was almost too much to handle. As friends and relatives arrived, everyone pitched in to decorate the hall. The tables were lined up in three neat rows then covered and decorated with tiny gold bells and '50's. The banner was hung, along with gold chandeliers. The cake was placed as the centerpiece of the main table as the guests started to arrive.

Susan's sister, Noemi, left to "go shopping" with Susan's mother who was told the fire hall was having an indoor yard sale. Noemi said she had to wait for a friend to show up prior to going inside. Meanwhile, Susan's father, who delivered flowers on weekends, would be delivering an arrangement and corsage for a special event at the fire hall. The plan was to have them arrive roughly at the same time. To help ensure they entered the right door, Susan and I placed a large sign that said, "Please use other door" on the side entrance.

Noemi P and Noemi arrived in the parking lot prior to George, so they "waited for a friend to arrive". George arrived and went to the emergency vehicle bay. He found out from the fire fighters that the hall was on the opposite end of the building. Rather than walking, he drove the van around to the hall's side entrance. Meanwhile, Noemi P scrambled to get Noemi out of the car and to the side door. But, George got there first.

George walked in with the bouquet of flowers in his hands. It was a bright sunny day and the hall was dimly lit, so at first he didn't suspect anything. Later, he told me that he walked in, looked around, and saw his son, Peter, and thought, "Why in the world is Peter here?" Then he saw Susan and John and realized something strange was going on. Then he realized that he knew everyone in the room.

A few moments later, Noemi was led in by Noemi P. As she entered, the kids let loose with the silly string and the party poppers. From the look on her face, I'd say she was pleasantly surprised to see everyone.

The guests of honor spent the next hour or so visiting with friends and relatives; some of whom traveled across several states to be there. Food was served and presents were opened. All in all, I'd say it came together brilliantly.

In addition to Noemi & George's children and grandchildren, we'd like to acknowledge the following folks for their contributions to the success of this celebration:

• Tony Gordon, Linda Raymond, and the entire crew of Goochland County Company 5 Fire Hall for allowing us to use your spacious meeting facility.
• Francis Childress and Julie White for the delicious food and for helping to set up and clean up afterwards.
• Ellen Perkins of Perkins Florist for the diversion to get George to the fire hall and for the beautiful flowers that he delivered.

March 11

Flying through Detroit on Northwest Airlines used to be something to be avoided, but not any longer. Recently, Northwest has moved into their new terminal building, called Concourse A, which is over a mile long and has an overhead tram running the entire length. To keep the passengers entertained, they have a fountain that does amazing things with streams of water. Somehow they make it look like the water is leaping through the air, like fish jumping from a pond.

Connecting Concourse A to B and C is a tunnel. The tunnel has moving lights and mellow music that gives the impression that you are walking under the sea. As I later described this to a friend, he asked, "Are you sure you're not talking about Disney World?" I now look forward to spending my layovers in Detroit.

March 24

To maintain currency, a private pilot must have a current medical and must be reviewed by a flight instructor every two years. Since I earned my pilot's license in September 1999, I was no longer current. Getting current involved an hour of ground discussion followed by two hours of flight. My instructor and I discussed the myriad of temporary flight restrictions in the Seattle area and the consequences of violating these restrictions. We also discussed runway incursions and how to avoid them.

Then we went flying. We did all the standard procedures and some simulated instrument flight where I flew with a hood blocking my outside view from the cockpit. I told the instructor that I had never landed at Renton's airport, so we asked air traffic control for a clearance and flew to Renton. When the talking and flying was complete, the instructor endorsed my logbook for another two years of flying.

March 28

My parents arrive for a brief stay over the long Easter weekend.

March 29

Susan, my parents and I got up this morning with one ambition -- to find the daffodils. Each year at the end of March, the daffodils bloom in the Skagit Valley, north of Everett, Washington. Our mission was to find a few fields of yellow blossoms. On a sunny day, the colors are bright enough to make you squint. Today was not one of those days. Nonetheless, the color helped brighten the gray mood of the overcast day.

After lunch, we continued north to Anacortes. Anacortes is a cozy little town on the Puget Sound. It is the gateway to the San Juan Islands and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. We went to the Cap Sante Marina and Rotary Park. Then we drove up to the top of the hill overlooking Anacortes and Padilla Bay.

After frolicking in Anacortes we headed along the coast to Deception Pass. We crossed the bridge to the west side, parked the Honda and hiked down to the beach. We saw several Bald Eagles and adventurous kayakers. To my dismay, my camera's battery decided to call it quits just moments before the most gorgeous sunset ever.

March 31

For Easter this year, I decided to bake homemade dinner rolls. Not the kind you can buy at the grocery store. I made mine from scratch. It all started innocently enough. I added the ingredients to the bread maker and let it knead into a nice ball. Then I rolled it out and made twelve separate dough balls for the twelve rolls. This is the point where thing started to go bad. I place the balls in the tray and snipped the tops with my scissors, just like the instructions said. Then I buttered the tops and placed the tray in the oven. What came out was three tiny rolls, six monster rolls, and three somewhere in between.

With rolls in hand, we packed into the Honda and drove to Tom & Lanna's for dinner. Lanna's parents were there when we arrived. The women buzzed around in the kitchen while the men sat and shot the breeze. I stood around and took pictures.

February 2002

February was an interesting, exciting, and scary month. It couldn't have started any worse, or at least I don't like thinking about a worse beginning.

February 1

Continuing the story from January 31, 2002.

The next morning, I called my boss to let him know what was going on and to tell him I wouldn't be going to work. I drove to the hospital and found Susan in good spirits, but still feeling weak. She told me that the doctor had visited and said she could go home if she could walk to the bathroom by herself.

The nurse wanted her to walk around, so we rigged up the mobile IV unit and headed out for a short, but time-consuming tour of the "Green" section. We found a hospital map and I described my confusion to Susan, hoping for some sympathy. I think she was too consumed with her own problems to care about my misdirection's.

Back at her room, we started gathering our things for her eventual release from the hospital. While verifying that we had all of her things, we noticed a sign on the mirror that said, "Check out time: 11:00am." No wonder the nurse was anxious for her to go for a walk. :)

As is customary for all hospitals, Susan was wheeled out by a hospital volunteer. The volunteer asked me where I was parked, and of course, I had no idea. She wanted me to pull up to the front doors of the "Green" section, but I was around back behind the "Red" section and was not sure how to get from red to green. I walked back to the car and started my search for the main entrance. I drove in what seemed to be the wrong direction when I discovered a hidden entrance to the front door. I pulled up to the sliding door and the volunteer wheeled Susan to the car.

Free from the confusion of the hospital corridors, I began my next mission; acquiring prescriptions from the pharmacy. As the pharmacy filled the order, we killed some time in the electronics section. With the prescription filled, we headed home and I started a new phase in my life; that of the butler. For the next three days, I was constantly in radio contact with Susan and available at a moment's notice for whatever she needed: water, medicine, lunch, Gatorade, etc. I can't imagine doing this 24/7. By Monday, I was ready to go back to the office!

February 4

Although Susan's birthday was nearly a month ago, I finally bought her present today. It's not that I was thoughtless or forgot it was her birthday; I actually ordered her present online on New Year's Eve. Unfortunately, the present was on back order, then delayed an additional two weeks, then delayed until mid-February. At that point, I cancelled the order.

With the order cancelled, I started searching locally for the Compaq iPaq Pocket PC. I found the best price at Best Buy. But more importantly, it was in stock! At lunch, I drove over to Best Buy to check out the merchandise first hand. I asked the sales clerk about the voice command feature. She looked at me as if I was speaking a foreign language. I asked her if I could see the documentation. She handed me the owner's manual from the display unit and I found the section on voice commands. I showed it to the sales clerk to prove that I wasn't out of my mind. I was impressed, as expected, so I bought it. Susan finally got her present 22 days late.

February 7

After nearly five years, I finally went to see the eye doctor. I had almost forgotten how fun it is to have high-velocity air puffed in your eyes from point-blank range. Not to mention the agony of, "Is it clearer with A, or B. C or D. How about with E or F."

After performing his myriad of tests, the doctor was off to find me a pair of disposable lenses. In a few moments, he returned with a new pair of contacts in my prescription. I tried them on and he verified the fit. I was sent on my way with the promise of returning in a few days for a follow-up visit.

The next few days were unbearable. I don't recall being so aware of my vision, or lack thereof, since I received my previous lenses five years earlier. I thought it was just my eyes trying to get comfortable with new lenses. But after a few days, I couldn't endure it any longer, so I called the doctor's office and scheduled my follow-up. See February 20 for the rest of the story.

February 8

The opening ceremony of the XIX Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah welcomes the athletes of the world to the US. Who would have thought that just 5 months after 9/11, the world could come together -- in the United States no less -- to celebrate sports and peace? For the next two weeks, I raced home to watch the day's events. Living near Canada, we have the good fortune to receive the Canadian Broadcasting Company on our cable. The CBC carried all events live, unlike NBC which only showed the events live on the East coast. I watched the opening ceremony live, then watched the beginning again on NBC to see what I had missed earlier.

February 11

Like most things in life, the Olympics could not avoid a little controversy. The first controversy to strike was the pairs competition in figure skating. What to me appeared to be an absolutely flawless performance -- the performance of a lifetime -- was only good enough for Silver, whereas the Gold Medal winning performance had two painfully obvious stumbles. Later in the Games, pressure was applied by several governing bodies and the Canadian pair, Jamie Salé and David Pelletier, were given a share of the Gold Medal.

February 15

With the 18th being a holiday -- President's Day -- we decided to begin our long weekend with our second adventure into the Canadian Rockies. Susan and I planned a quick trip to Banff to enjoy the splendor of the Rocky Mountains and to thrill in the world class skiing at Lake Louise. Having been there in September, I was anxious to see the landscape from a different perspective; covered with powdery snow.

Due to the increased security measures at all airports, we started our trip as early as physically possible. Even so, we still felt pressured to catch our flight on time. We arrived at Sea-Tac about two hours early to a complete mob scene. There were hundreds of people going this way and that way; some with no idea where they were going. As we stepped of the escalator and headed for the Alaska Airlines check-in counter, folks were being directed around the corner by an airline agent. The line was literally around the corner, then around the next corner! We asked where to go to check in for our Horizon Airlines flight. We were very relieved when he pointed us to a line with only 10 people.

With our bags and skis -- an amazing amount of luggage for a long weekend and only two travelers -- checked in, we started towards our next challenge. The line to pass through security was beyond belief. I haven't seen so many people queued up since I visited Disney World. The end was nowhere in sight. I was expecting to see a sign stating, "45 minute wait from this point" or maybe a vendor selling souvenirs. With an hour and a half before departure, we were modestly confident that we would catch our flight. With forced smiles, we followed the line down the long corridor, where it looped back upon itself.

Finally through security, we arrived at our gate with a half hour to spare. Now it was time to stop worrying about time and start planning the short time available. The flight over the North Cascades and Canadian Rockies was spectacular; I took over 100 pictures from the airplane window. We picked up our Jeep Grand Cherokee from Thrifty at the Calgary International airport and were on our way.

Along the way, we started having problems. Nothing insurmountable, but problems nonetheless. The first problem was cash. The second problem was hunger. We had plenty of US money and we needed to find a bank to convert it to Canadian money so we could eat. This was very simple in September, but we were unable to find a bank this time. We were very excited to see a building that looked like a bank. We pulled off the main road, went around a neighborhood block, and found our way back to the building's entrance, only to discover that it was not a bank after all. Eventually we found a bank, but the teller was new and the process took much longer than necessary.

With the proper currency in hand, we were off in search of good fast food. We found an appealing place and pulled in. After ordering, Susan pulled out her Pocket PC and we began planning the details of our trip. We listed everything we wanted to do: ski at Lake Louise and Sunshine Village, revisit all photo shoot locations from September, visit the Olympic Park in Calgary, see the Northern Lights. We arranged all the events as best we could, paid the bill, and were on our way again.

The drive to Banff was gorgeous. The sun was shining and the mountains were inviting us from 70 miles away. We stopped at the park entrance to get our pass, then continued on to Banff. Our first stop was our hotel. We dropped off some of our luggage, then headed out to enjoy what was left of the sunshine.

Our first stop was a small park at the base of Cascade Mountain. Cascade Mountain is the dominant landmark of Banff. As you stand in Banff and look up the main street, Cascade Mountain fills the sky before you. The photo below was taken from the park. At the park, we watched an older couple pull a plastic sled up a small incline so two boys could ride back down to the bottom. A couple was out walking their pack of dogs, one of which came running up to greet us.

Moving on, we drove to the Banff Gondola. The temperature was below freezing, so we bundled up in all our ski gear and headed for the top of the mountain. Even though we only had 20 minutes on top, it was worth the trip. The photo below includes the Banff town site, the Bow River, and Cascade Mountain in the distance. Notice the shadow working its way up the mountainside. Once again, I was in photographer heaven. I took as many pictures as possible in the short time before we were asked to catch the last gondola down for the evening.

After descending the mountain, we started thinking about dinner. The hotel gave us a $25 dinner coupon for the restaurant two blocks down the road, so we decided to use it. I know, if the coupon is worth $25, how much do the meals cost? We bundled up, walked to the restaurant, and were seated. Right away, we knew that dinner would be very expensive. There was a big plate and a small plate, a big fork and a small fork, a big knife and a small knife, and a big spoon and a small spoon. There were three different types of wine glass, too. Any place with that much stuff on the table just has to be expensive.

We ordered an appetizer and a drink and the waiter took away half of our accompaniments and two of our glasses. Soon, the salad arrived and the plates were shuffled again. This constant attention to detail continued throughout dinner and into dessert. Needless to say, when we got the check, we were not surprised at the high price. It's a good thing the exchange rate favors Americans so much.

February 16

We decided early on that this would be our Lake Louise ski day. As you can imagine, skiing is a strenuous sport, so eating a big breakfast is a necessity. The previous night, we saw the breakfast menu at the fancy restaurant down the street while eating dinner. They offered an all-you-can-eat breakfast bar for a reasonable price; actually it was expensive, but I figured I could eat my money's worth.

Following breakfast, we headed back to the hotel, loaded our ski equipment, and headed for Lake Louise. Forty minutes later, we arrived at the main entrance. The parking lot was packed because it was an absolutely gorgeous day. I decided to abandon my goggles and go with my sun glasses. Since we were late arriving, I figured we would be a bit rushed on the slopes, so I decided to leave my camera in the car. Looking back afterwards, I wish I had taken it because the scenery and the views were unbelievable.

The first lift took us three fourths the way up the mountain. We then skied down to another lift which took us to the top. As we approached the top, the next ridge appeared and grew steadily in size and magnificence as we reached the top of the lift. My jaw had dropped into my lap. Oh how I wish I had my camera!

Skiing down the back side was like entering a giant bowl. Stopping at a ridgeline and looking into the bowl, we could see tiny specs at various points around the rim and at the bottom of the bowl; these specs were other skiers miles ahead of us. There were two ways to go; along the winding trail or straight down to the bottom. We chose wisely and thus we are both still alive to talk about it! After reaching what we thought was the bottom of the run, we found ourselves entering a long sloping valley.

The valley ended at another ski lodge and several lifts going in different directions. One could spend all day trying all the different lift and run combinations. We explored as much area as we could before the mountain closed for the day.

We were off the slopes by 4:30, but it was too early to head back to Banff. Instead, we drove over to Lake Louise and up to the Chateau. When we arrived we were amazed to find dozens of ice sculptures arranged around the hotel. The sculptures included horses, eagles, a sea serpent, a stegosaurus skeleton, a mermaid riding a dolphin, a sailing ship, a swan, a unicorn, a saber tooth tiger, and a giant grasshopper with a baby grasshopper on its back. A giant fort made of chunks of ice was out on the frozen lake. Skaters and hockey players enjoyed the lake as hikers walked along the edges toward the glacier at the far end.

Eventually, darkness fell upon us and we headed back to Banff. Back at the hotel, we decided to grab some dinner, then jump in the hot tub. Once out of the tub, we decided to call it an evening.

February 17

Sunday was earmarked as our day of skiing at Sunshine Village. We got up a little bit earlier; not too early -- it is a vacation after all. After two days at the expensive restaurant, we decided to go cheap and eat at the family restaurant next door. That was both a thrifty and a tasty decision.

We arrived at Sunshine Village to yet another packed parking lot. Unfortunately, the weather was a disappointing gray overcast with some light flurries floating about. We soon discovered that the parking area is literally miles away from the actual ski village. Transportation is provided by a gondola that first climbs in one direction, then makes a 90º turn to the left and continues further up the mountain, where it then slows to let people on and off, then it continues even higher to the village.

The village was crowded and full of activity. We donned our ski gear and headed for the nearest lift. After skiing a few runs on one slope, we crossed through the village and headed up the opposing slope. Upon reaching the top, I found myself completely exhausted and my calves were screaming in agony. After sitting in the snow for a while, I decided that I had had enough skiing for the weekend, so we headed back to Banff.

Although I was tired of skiing, I was anxious to revisit all the locations from our last visit. With camera in hand, and Susan napping in the passenger seat, I went in search of the perfect pictures. One of my favorite locations before was Vermillion Lakes. The three lakes are connected by a vast marsh with plenty of wildlife and great reflection views of the surrounding mountains. Another favorite attraction is the Banff Springs Resort. This beautiful structure is more a castle than a hotel.

Since Susan was already napping and I was getting sleepy by the moment, I decided to head back to the hotel. Back at the hotel, our exhaustion got the better of us. Susan headed up to the loft to take a nap. I "turned on" the fire, spread out on the couch, and watched the Olympics for a couple hours.

Rested but sore, we headed for the hot tub. Being late Sunday afternoon, we expected to have the whole tub to ourselves. We were surprised to find so many people, especially of the teenage variety, in "our" hot tub. We later discovered that Canadian schools have winter break the following week. I amused myself by eavesdropping on the flirtatious and braggadocios teenage conversation while Susan used the jets to massage her aching legs.

Relaxed but still a little sore, we bundled up and walked into town. We found a pizza shop still open and sat down for a late dinner. As we sat, dressed in layer upon layer, enjoying our pizza, we were reminded of how old and boring we are by the continuous stream of scantily clad twenty-something's streaming into the night club next door.

February 18

Monday began with one final stop to the family restaurant for breakfast. The plan for the day was to get some pictures from Lake Louise ski area, then drive back to Calgary for our short flight home. After breakfast, we packed our bags, checked out of the hotel, and headed for Lake Louise.

Along the way I found myself casually scanning the tree line for wildlife. While quickly looking to the right, I realized that I was staring eye to eye -- from a few hundred yards -- with a large male elk. It was such a startling sight that it took me a few seconds to realize what I had just seen. I looked to Susan for validation of my sighting, but she didn't see anything. I was tempted to turn around on the highway to see if I could find it again, but we were on a mission and time was limited. Susan was excited and started searching for an elk of her own. A few miles up the road, we spotted a small herd of females lying in an open field.

Looking at the cloudy sky in the direction we were traveling, we decided to change our plans and search for elk instead. While slowly driving along a back road, Susan spotted something deep in the trees. I stopped and backed up slowly until she spotted it again. It turned out to be the male elk in the picture below. I don't know how he caught her eye.

Along the side road back to Banff, we spotted several raven, including a large nest with two birds on the top of a telephone pole along the railroad tracks. My goal was to see a moose. My hopes piqued when I saw the sign for Moose Meadows. I pulled over and we each searched the meadows with our binoculars, but we didn't see anything.

We moved on and eventually arrived back in Banff. After one final drive down the main street in town, we said good-bye and headed for Calgary.

February 20

Continued from February 7.

On my follow-up visit, I explained to the doctor that something was not right with the new lenses. It was as if they were not maintaining proper contact with my cornea. He examined the fit and told me about a similar case that he had earlier. He offered a new, less curved pair of contacts for me to try. I tried them on and immediately could see and feel the improvement. I'm happy to report that I now have a nine month supply of disposable lenses, and the prescription is exactly the same as it was five years ago!

February 22

Despite the hard economic times last year, things are starting to look up. This year, Cisco started giving its employees bonus checks once again. Cisco has several criteria for handing out bonuses. Some of them include: profitability, number one or two in all markets entered, and customer satisfaction numbers reach previously set goal. Once the bonus is set aside, personal performance factors are then applied to determine the actual amount of each employee's bonus. I happily accepted a bonus that was approximately 1½ paychecks; very nice indeed.

February 23

The Northwest Aviation Conference has once again descended upon Puyallup, Washington. Every year, the Ninety-Nines hold a parallel seminar for the spouses called "Flying Companions". This year Susan made reservations for this, so I dropped her off at the hotel on the hill and drove back down to the conference alone. I met my friend Todd in the parking lot and we headed into the show.

This year's primary guest speaker was Phil Boyer, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). I always enjoy listening to Phil because he is at the center of everything that affects General Aviation (GA) pilots. Since September 2001, many government officials have tried to block GA access to our airspace. GA aircraft were grounded for more than 60 days, while airline traffic resumed within two days. Phil and AOPA has been there talking common sense and breaking down barriers to GA.

At the break, I went shopping with Todd for a water filtration system and lunch. Afterwards, Todd went home and I sat through a seminar on Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers. Susan's seminar concluded, so I headed back to the hotel on the hill and we went home.

February 24

Fresh from her "Flying Companions" seminar in Puyallup and full of aviation knowledge, I decided it was time to put Susan's education to the test and let her experience flying first hand, from the "driver's" seat. In an effort to increase the interest in General Aviation, the "Be A Pilot" organization is offering $49 coupons for introductory flights. The flights last 30 minutes and allow the interested party to fly the plane.

Susan and I made a reservation with Regal Air, at Paine Field in Everett. Susan was nervous about the idea of landing the plane by herself. I told her that her attitude was all wrong -- the instructor will "let" you land the plane, not "make" you land it. Then I told her that the instructor will not make her do anything that she doesn't want to do.

We met the instructor and talked about the flight. Then we walked out to our waiting Cessna 172. The instructor walked Susan through the preflight inspection and then we all got in the plane; Susan was in the pilot's seat and I was alone in the back. Susan tried taxiing the plane while the instructor talked on the radio and monitored our progress. We were cleared to take off to the west and away we went. Out over the water, the air became rough and Susan expressed her discomfort as the plane began to bank from one side to the other. The instructor told Susan that the plane will do what you tell it to do, so if the left wing drops, pick it back up with the flight controls. We flew out to Whidbey Island and did a few turns. The air was smoother and Susan was able to maintain control very well. Once back at Paine Field, Susan let the instructor land the plane. I will never forget Susan's calm statement during the turbulence: "I'm not comfortable with this."

January 2002

Welcome to the year Two Thousand Two. The beginning of a new year, a time for new resolutions, a time to put the troublesome events of the past behind us.

January 1

While most of the world was busy recovering from the New Year's Eve festivities, Susan and I decided to get out and get some fresh air and exercise. We packed up the CR-V with some hiking necessities and headed for the great outdoors. We didn't know where we were going, but we were anxious to get there.

After driving for about an hour, we found ourselves heading East on I-90 towards Snoqualmie Pass. I was looking for a road that would take us to the old railroad trestle, but I didn't know where to find it. After passing an exit, I decided that I needed to get off that exit, so we got off the next exit and ventured back to the previous exit.

On a narrow gravel road, we found the entrance to Olallie State Park. The park had a trail that lead to Twin Falls. This piqued my interest, so we decided to give it a look. The trail was well maintained and rather easy, with a vertical rise of only a few hundred feet. Within an hour, we had reached both the lower and upper falls. What a pleasant and enjoyable way to start the new year.

After the hike, we decided it was too early to go home. We drove up to the pass and stopped at one of our favorite pancake restaurants. After lunch, we spent the rest of the afternoon driving around the three ski areas and enjoying the fresh snow. The cottages are very charming and inviting. Perhaps when I'm older and rolling in cash, I will buy one. Until then, I will be content driving through the neighborhoods, trying not to look like a trouble maker.

January 5

For Christmas this year, one of my presents was a set of hooks to hang bicycles; I guess my parents thought my garage was too cluttered. Feeling quite the handyman, I went to the shed and pulled out my drill and tape measure. A couple measurements, four quick holes, and plenty of arm twisting action later, I had the hooks in place. Within minutes I was able to free up 12 square feet of garage space. Now that's impressive.

January 12

We finally made to Tom & Lanna's house to celebrate Christmas.

January 20

Winter in Seattle means ski season to me. I met my friend Todd at the Bellevue Park & Ride and we headed up to Crystal Mountain Ski Resort. The weather was typical; gray and drizzly. When we arrived, the weather had turned worse. Visibility was very limited, so we spent the day skiing the lower slopes. Word from the top was gusting winds and blinding snow.

January 26

Susan and I have some friends who moved to Eastern Washington a few years ago. The Weeda's are nice folks, so we make an effort to go see them whenever we can, but its not often enough. This year, we scheduled the weekend of the 26'th to make the drive.

Normally, the drive across the pass in the winter is a slow process with lots of slow vehicles and poor visibility. This time was much the same, with one major exception; the sun was shining. After what seems like months of gray skies, when the sun illuminates the snow-laden trees, it is an amazing sight. It had snowed the night before our trip, so the mountains were freshly covered. Susan was able to snap a few photos while I was driving along.

Once we crossed the pass, we decided to make a pit stop in Ellensburg. When I got out of the CR-V to pump some gas, I was shocked and amazed at how much dirt and grime was on my car! The headlights were on, but you couldn't tell by looking at them. The front license plate was completely illegible. Susan and I spent at least five minutes washing the windows, lights, and mirrors.

After arriving in Ephrata, we decided to go to the store and pick up something for the house. On the way back, we drove passed a drive-through car wash. I should say we almost passed a car wash.

Sunday morning, the gals went to church and Eric and I stayed home. We had a project to complete. Eric had recently purchased a new computer system for his family, and I was more than willing to help him get it all set up. Being an electrician, Eric already had wires pulled to his room for hooking up a phone. He finished wiring it up while I started unpacking boxes. By the time the girls got home, the system was up and running, the Internet was connected, and they had test e-mail messages in their inbox.

The visit was short and sweet, but it was hard on Susan. The Weeda's have a cat. Susan is allergic to cat dander. Being proactive, we stopped at Sears the night before the trip and bought a Kenmore air filtration system and took it with us. Unfortunately, it was not enough. Susan left Ephrata with difficulty breathing.

January 31

Susan called me from work early in the afternoon to tell me that she wasn't feeling good and that she was going home. A few hours later, she called again from home. Her breathing was incredibly shallow and she could only say a few words at a time. She said that she was trembling violently and could not get warm. I asked her to take her temperature; it was 102º F. I told her to call 911 and I told my carpool partner that I needed to head home right now.

On the way home, the Bothell Rescue Squad called me to report that Susan's heart rate was high and she had a fever, but otherwise she was in fine shape. They made arrangements with the hospital for her and mapped the directions for me (I haven't been to a hospital since I moved to Seattle in 1991). They told me that Susan preferred that I take her to the hospital. They told me this was OK, but asked me how long I would take to get home. When I arrived, they were waiting in the driveway. They filled me in on the latest details, then were on their way. Susan had packed all her medications and was ready to go the hospital.

Arriving at the hospital, we checked in, then waited to be processed. Luckily, Susan brought all of her prescription information, else filling out the paperwork would have been a nightmare. Once checked in, Susan was escorted to a room and the real processing began. She had six electrodes attached to various spots on her chest which were routed back to an electrocardiogram to monitor her pulse. She was fitted with a blood pressure cuff to monitor her blood pressure. She wore a finger device to monitor heart rate and blood oxygen level. An IV was inserted to increase her hydration level and to insert medications directly. She was fitted with oxygen tubes in her nostrils. And for good measure, they gave her a fast-acting asthma medication with a nebulizer.

After getting all wired and "comfortable", they came back and disconnected the wires from the sensors and took her to the X-ray room. In a few minutes, she was back and once again connected to the ECG. The doctor came in with the X-rays and gave us the news: Susan had pneumonia. It was plainly visible in her left lung; even I had no trouble making the diagnosis.

It was decided that she need to spend the night to allow her blood oxygen level to increase to normal levels. She was wheeled to a room in the "Green" section of the hospital. The emergency room was in the "Red" section, and I saw signs for every other color you can imagine. Needless to say, I was lost. The nurses got her moved into bed and showed her all the gadgetry available to entertain herself and call for help, if necessary. I finally decided to head home at 11:30pm.

See February 2002 for the rest of the story...

The Future

What do I want to be when I grow up?

While home on Christmas break, I started to reevaluate my career as a Software Engineer working in Seattle. Do I really enjoy writing software? How much longer can I write code? If Cisco continues its strong growth, can I retire in my forties? If so, what will I do afterwards?

At this point in my life, my passion is flying, not writing software. If I were to decide to change careers right now, I could be working for a small airline in two or three years. I have enough money in stocks right now to move to Florida or Arizona and enroll in a full-time aviation program. ComAir, for example, has programs that teach you everything you need to know and guarantee an interview at the end of your training.

Changing careers is not an easy decision. There are a lot of financial issues to consider. I would be giving up a very generous salary. It would probably take two years of flying to earn what I make in one year as a software developer. That is not taking into account the money lost from not participating in a stock purchase plan and acquiring stock options. But there must be more to life than your yearly income.

Flight Lesson 5

Cross country

Unlike last week, Tuesday started off perfectly. The sky was blue and the sun was shining. I knew the weather would not be a factor for this flight. For this flight, it was just me and Christian. I usually invite someone to ride in the back, but I wanted to remove all distractions for this flight.

I arrived a Galvin Flying a half hour early and my plane was still out, so I bought an Operator’s Manual for the Cessna 172S. I already own one for the Cessna 172P, but there are enough differences to justify the cost of the book. Christian sat down and we started talking about the upcoming flight. I told him that he is the boss and makes the final decision, but I’d like some input into where we go and what we do. I told him that I prefer flights that involve complicated procedures separated by less complicated straight line segments. A flight full of complicated procedures leaves me feeling both physically and mentally exhausted and I don’t learn well in that environment. He agreed and let me file the flight plan I described.

My flight started at Boeing Field and headed north to Skagit Regional airport in Burlington; a 58 nautical mile journey. At Boeing Field, we were directed to runway 13R and told to hold short. There was a UPS Boeing 767 Heavy waiting to take off on the same runway. Big jets create wake turbulence that can topple small airplanes, so the tower made us wait for 3 minutes to let the turbulence subside. The time passed and we were cleared to the active runway. Shortly after leaving the ground, the tower told us to contact Seattle Departure and have a nice flight.

At this point, Christian told me to put on my “foggles”. When the weather is “nice”, instrument students wear vision limiting devices to simulate flying in instrument weather conditions. Some students use “the hood” whereas I prefer “foggles”. Foggles are basically safety glasses that are clear only along the bottom. They prevent me from looking out the window to get my bearings. Instrument pilots depend on the instruments to provide information about the attitude of the airplane.

Seattle Departure told us to turn east, then north towards Skagit Regional. There was slight turbulence in the area, but not too bad. Seattle Departure passed us to Seattle Center, who eventually passed us off to Whidbey Approach.

Whidbey Approach cleared us for the full procedure NDB (non-directional beacon) approach to runway 10. A full procedure approach requires the pilot to follow the procedure exactly as it is documented on the approach plates. The NDB 10 approach involves flying over the NDB, then flying away from the NDB on a heading that is opposite the runway heading, then turning around and flying back to the runway. The turn is achieved by doing a procedure turn, which is a 45° turn in one direction followed by a 225° turn in the opposite direction. After turning around, Whidbey Approach told us to change to the CTAF (common traffic advisory frequency) for Skagit and contact him again after departing Skagit.

Christian announced on CTAF that we were 7 miles out landing straight in to runway 10. There was another plane in the pattern and he graciously extended his downwind leg to let us land first. NDB approaches are referred to a non-precision approaches, which simply means there is no vertical guidance available. If no vertical guidance, the regulations allow the pilot to only descend to 700 feet above the runway. With vertical guidance, a pilot can descend to 200 feet above the runway.

I descended to the minimum altitude allowed for this approach and leveled off. In true instrument conditions, I could land only if I could see the airport from this altitude. If I was still in the clouds, I’d have to go to an alternate airport with better weather or a precision approach procedure. Weather was no factor, so I could easily see the runway off to my right. I slowed the plane and turned toward the runway for landing. On the ground safely, I exited the active runway and taxied back to the end to begin the next segment of my flight.

After departing Skagit, we contacted Whidbey Approach again and he gave me a vector to intercept the VOR (very-high frequency omnidirectional range) radial for the VOR 16R approach into Paine Field in Everett. Like the NDB approach, a VOR approach is also non-precision, but it is more precise than the NDB approach. Therefore, the vertical limit is 500 feet above the runway. Once I was established on the radial towards the runway, Whidbey Approach cleared me for the approach and told me to contact Paine Tower when passing the outer marker. I contacted Paine Tower at the outer marker, which is about 8 miles from the runway. The tower was having a conversation with another pilot about working overtime. Apparently, the tower, which normally closes at 9:00pm, was staying open until 5:00am to accomodate Northwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines maintenence flights into Paine Field. As we approached the runway, I heard tower tell a Northwest airplane to taxi onto the runway and hold for traffic flying over the field (that was us). When practicing approaches, students rarely land after the approach. Instead, we fly the missed approach procedure associated with the approach. This allows the student to practice the full procedure and doesn’t waste time landing and taking off again, which all private pilots already know how to do. As I neared the missed approach point, tower told me to turn right, but remain on his frequency. Once over the runway and heading away from the airport, tower cleared the Northwest jet to takeoff.

Tower told us to contact Seattle Center shortly after the Northwest jet was well separated from us. Seattle Center vectored us to intercept the localizer for runway 13R at Boeing field, then turned us over to Seattle Approach. Once on the localizer, Seattle Approach cleared us for the ILS (instrument landing system) approach to runway 13R. An ILS approach offers both horizontal (via the localizer) and vertical (via the glideslope) guidance, and is therefore a precision approach. All the pilot needs to do is keep the needles on the instrument centered.

But that would be too easy. At this point, Christian covered up the attitude indicator and twisted the knob on the directional heading indicator, just to make things interesting. On top of that, the light turbulence began to bounce the plane in three dimensions. I concentrated on the needles and made minor corrections when they moved from the center. At 300 feet, I reached my minimum descent altitude, but Christian told me to keep going all the way to 100 feet above the ground. At that point, I removed my foggles and my windshield was filled by the runway lights of runway 13R directly in front of me. Too bad all airports don’t have ILS approaches!

Flight Lesson 4

Cold Front approaching

Thursday started out like every other day that week; foggy and raining. By noon, the fog had lifted, but the clouds and rain remained. At lunch, I downloaded the area weather off the Internet. The outlook was perfect for IFR training. The ceiling was expected to be 2,500 feet with a freezing level of 6,000 feet; good experience in the clouds with little risk of icing conditions.

As the time for the flight approached, I could barely withhold my excitement to get in an airplane. Susan called when she arrived to pick me up. We drove to the airport and I did a check of the airplane’s weight and balance, then did a preflight check of the airplane; N174GF. Everything looked in order, so I went back inside to file a flight plan.

The Seattle Flight Service Station operator read me the same weather report that I had downloaded earlier. He also read a few pilot reports that had been logged. One report indicated winds from a heading of 260 at 40 knots at 1,600 feet over Bremerton. That’s a serious wind, and not very far from Seattle. He also reported a cold front moving into the area. Cold fronts normally bring severe weather from their initial arrival until three hours after passage. This caught my attention.

I finished filing my flight plan from Boeing Field to Paine Field and back, then we all went out to N174GF to prepare for flight. We pulled the plane onto the flight line with its towbar and started getting ready. I got my charts together, put my flashlight in a handy location, plugged in my headset, and adjusted the seat position. Once set, I pulled out my light and glanced at the instrument panel. I was surprised at what I saw. The attitude indicator was placarded with the following message: UNRELIABLE – Use in day VFR conditions only!

We could have changed planes and continued, but with the cold front on the horizon, I decided to listen to the big voice in my head that was saying, “DON’T GO!”

Flight Lesson 3

What should I say?

Unfortunately, I have no memory of this flight. I guess I'll have to look in my logbook to see what I did...