Falling, yes I am Falling

This week the leaves on the trees have been starting to change for the Fall. This particular tree has been my favorite, and I enjoy it each day as I zoom by at 55 mph to and from work. It was fun trying to take this out the window on the way home! I can't wait till all the trees are changing.

Ipod S-Z

A while back, I was posting all the stuff that was currently on my Ipod, alphabetically, by artist. Someone asked me the other day why I stopped posting, and didn't finish the alphabet. So without further ado, here's the rest of my playlist....

S: S Club 7, Sade, Saigon Kick, Saliva Sisters, Sam Cardon, Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs, Santana, Sara Bareilles, Sarah McLachlan, Savage Garden, Seal, The Secret Machines, The Seekers, Sensefield, Shakespears Sister, The Shangrilas, Shania Twain, Shaymin, Sheryl Crow, The Shins, Shiny Toy Guns, The Silhouettes, Simon and Garfunkel, Simple Minds, Sixpence None the Richer, Skid Row, Skye, Smashmouth, Smashing Pumpkins, Snap, Snow Patrol, So, Sondre Lerche, Sonic Youth, Soul Asylum, Soul II Soul, The Sounds, Spandau Ballet, Spencer Davis Group, Spice Girls, Spin Doctors, Squeeze, Steppenwolf, Stereo MCs, Stereophonics, Sting, Stone Temple Pilots, Strawberry Alarmclock, Strawberry Switchblade, Stray Cats, Stretch Armstrong, Styx, Sufjan Stevens, The Supremes, Suzanne Vega, SWV

T: Tag Team, Talk Talk, Talking Heads, Tammy Wynette, Tears for Fears, Technotronic, Tesla, They Might Be Giants, Third Eye Blind, Thomas Dolby, Thompson Twins, Three Dog Night, Three Doors Down, Thurl Bailey, Timbuk 3, Tina Turner, The Ting Tings, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Toby Lightman, Tom Jones, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Toni Braxton, Tony Bennett, Tori Amos, Toto, Train, Travis, The Troggs, The Turtles

U: U2, UB40, Ultravox, Usher,

V: Valeria, The Vapors, Velvet Underground, Vertical Horizon, Violent Femmes, Viva Voce, Voice Male,

W:Wall of Voodoo, Wallflowers, Wang Chung, Warrant, Wayne Fontana, Weezer, Weird Al Yankovic, Wendy and Lisa, When in Rome, Whitesnake, Whitney Houston, The Who, Wilco, Will Smith, Wilson Phillips, The Wonders

X: Xavier Cougat

Y: Young Love, The Youngbloods,

Z: Zero 7, The Zombies

The FLY mix

My husband and I are certifiable music junkies. We probably have about 600 CDs between us, dating back as far as 1992 (where I got my first 2 cds on my 12th birthday: MC Hammer and Amy Grant) When we started dating, at least once a week he'd make me a new love song mix CD. By the time we got to our first anniversary, he'd made me 17 custom-made love mixes. We used to burn lots of other mix cds for each other, but we haven't done much since I got my Ipod and he got his Zune. Usually we just transfer files between our computers with a flash drive. Back when Taylor finished his private pilot license, I decided to surprise him with a specialty mix CD, just for him. I simply called it "FLY," in celebration of his aviation accomplishments. I ran across the CD a few days ago when I was cleaning, and thought I'd post a list of some of the songs on the disc:

Learn to Fly - Foo Fighters
Fly Away - Lenny Kravitz
Fly - Sugar Ray
I Believe I Can Fly - R Kelly
Learning to Fly - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Fly Me to the Moon - Frank Sinatra
Fly - Dixie Chicks
Flying High - Jem
Flying - The Beatles
Fly Like and Eagle - Steve Miller
The Fly - U2
Vole - Celine Dion (It's French for fly)
Danger Zone - (technically it doesn't have fly in the title, but come on...Top Gun!)

What other FLY songs can you think of? I just found a website with EVEN more FLY songs! And for even more trivia, which above song's music video has this picture in it?

Photo Tag

My cousin Emily just post a fun little game. Rules: Open your picture file, go to the fourth folder, and then the fourth picture. Post the picture and write a little bit about what was going on!
This picture is from my company Christmas party in 2006. It was held at the Fairplex in Pomona. When we RSVP'd, we had to include a check for $160, which would be returned if we showed up. I don't think the food was worth $80 a head, but the owner of the hospital is from India, and there was a table with some killer Indian food. There was a hypnotist show that some of my coworkers got pretty crazy with. Taylor complained all night that his 5 oz of diet Coke in a wine glass cost $5, especially because the hospital CEO was giving out tickets for free alcoholic drinks. This was about 2 weeks before Taylor left for Kingman to complete his commercial license, multi-engine and instrument ratings.

Ch-ch-ch-changes....

In case you didn't hear Taylor's "leak" on Facebook earlier this week, the Bullock family is gearing up for another life change. We've been living in Michigan since January, and come January 2009 (or sooner!) we'll be moving to Atlanta, GA. He'll still be flying for the same company, but under new colors (which will coincidentally merge into one within the next few months.) His bid was originally approved for January 1, but he just got his October schedule, which shows him starting training October 12. That's 3 weeks away.

"Why?" you may ask. Why would we be crazy enough to move to our fourth state in our nearly four-year marriage? We expect it to be an excellent career move. He'll be upgrading to a nicer aircraft (from CRJ-200 to CRJ-900), and making a significant percentage more pay in his lowly F.O. pay. He'll continue to have great schedules (sometimes up to 17 days off per month) and probably have less than 6 weeks on reserve. The wages in my industry are comparable, possibly more, and housing is affordable. We also have close friends in town, who have vowed to make it worth our while. We discussed having Taylor commute, but have decided we need to keep our family together. Atlanta was actually an option when we moved to Detroit, but at that time wages were the same, and he would have had to work 6 months in DTW before transitioning to ATL. The time is right, and we're going with it.

Life in Michigan has been difficult for me. Four days after I arrived in the state, my dad was nearly killed in a car crash. I spent the majority of two months flying back and forth to SLC to keep things together for my family. I had a very unsuccessful semester of school that has truly shaken my confidence in ever finishing my bachelor degree. I've been sick over and over, and have gained a significant amount of weight. Our finances have been a wreck, and we've only survived through the generosity of family and church members. I took on an extremely challenging job that ends up keeping me continually stressed outside of work. The upcoming grayness and cold of another Michigan winter make me shudder. I only have a handful of friends here, but those I have become close to I will miss dearly.

The fact that we'll be close to 76 locations of Chick-fil-a makes it a bit more tempting to move...

My Wordle

Eight is Great!

Our sweet Rosie turned 8 last weekend, and we were in Utah to celebrate her birthday and baptism with our family. We had about 35 people from 5 states attend! She was so excited and ready to take upon the covenant of baptism. Aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors, friends, and grandparents were in attendance. She looked so beautiful in white and said she felt "super clean" afterwards.

We had a birthday party for her at Grant and Hollie's house. We are so thankful for all the time and effort they put in to make the baptism and party come together. We are so lucky to have an amazing circle of friends and family. Rosie was swarmed with Hannah Montana stuff (just like she wanted), some gift cards, and clothes.

Sunday morning we went to Temple Square for the Music and the Spoken Word broadcast with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (since we couldn't get on that lousy overbooked flight!) We listened to the choir, toured around the visitors centers and the temple, toured the Lion House, and took lots of cute pictures of Rosie in her beautiful white dress. It was a lovely morning.

A few pics from the baptism

Back in Detroit

I just got home from SLC. I didn't ever think I could be so relieved to be in Detroit. I think I might give up on non-revving to SLC for a while. Rosie and I got on the 7:24 am direct flight, and through the kindness of a few passengers, Rosie and I got to sit together. The GAD actually was very friendly and helpful this morning, which is a first (I've been to SLC 8 times since January and ALWAYS have to deal with her). In her defense, there's a hiring freeze with the airline, and she's been pulling 13 hour shifts (5 am to 6 pm) so I can understand her crankiness.

We did purchase some discounted ZED passes, which would have allowed us to fly standby to Atlanta on Delta in case we didn't make the first 3 flights on NWA. I don't think we'll need them again, especially because we may have some upcoming changes to our "domicile" and flying to ATL on Delta would not require a ZED pass. Hopefully we can get them refunded easily.

I dropped Rosie off for the last 2 hours of school, but she still missed school picture day. I'm supposed to be using this time for napping. Time to sleep....

Non-Revving Nightmare

I've had a lovely weekend in SLC, and stories and pictures will be posted soon. However, I just need to vent a moment on the "perk" of non-rev travel. I enjoy the freedom to travel much more often than I regularly would (although if my husband was not a pilot, I would not be living on the other side of the county and I wouldn't travel home so much to see my family)

I had listed for the 7:24 am flight on Sunday. I checked flight loads the night before, and I didn't like the chances I had. I decided to try for he 1:50 or 5:32 pm MSP flights, but by noon those flights went from open seats to very oversold. I didn't actually "go" to the airport, but it didn't seem at all worth it when the SLC-DTW flight is hard to get on even with a few open seats. There were quite a few open for Monday morning, so I listed for the 7:24 am DTW flight again. Taylor was able to board in a discounted first class seat, but Rosie and I were stuck. We didn't make it on at 8:30 MSP either, and the GAD (gate agent of doom - I've had 6 months of bad luck with her) said she'd list me for the 1:50 MSP....but I'd have to wait until the plane had left before she'd roll over the reservation. So I waited 15 minutes, and she swiftly locked up the desk and ran off while giving me a dirty look. I called up FlightTrack to see if the GAD listed us, and of course she didn't. The reservation agent said the 1:50 was oversold, and 12 were on standby ahead of us....but if we waited for the 5:30 pm MSP flight, we'd be able to get on in first class. We left the airport to spend the time from 9 am to 4 pm in somewhere other than the airport.

When we got back to the gate at 4:30, we were told our chances were still good to board. Unfortunately, a captain and 3 FA's showed up at the last minute who had not been listed on the flight. When all was said and done, there was only one seat left, and I was NOT about to send Rosie off unaccompanied to MSP. So we're trying again in the morning.

Wish us luck.

5000!

Today I hit 5000 unique visitors on my blog for 2008. Lately, I've been checking my sitemeter traffic on a daily basis. It's been interesting to see how people find my blog through Google. Today someone searched "pilot in airplane with brown curl hair about age 20" and got me. I have people from Olmstead Falls, Duarte, Denver, Naperville, Quebec and other random cities that follow my blog pretty regularly, but I don't know people in those cities.

I started blogging approximately 7 years ago. It was back when you had to explain to people what a "blog" was. Back then, I wrote much more openly. I probably only had 3 people a month that read the blog, and those 3 people already knew the details because they'd talked to me in person. This blog actually still exists, but I can only think of one person who would be able to track it down. I kinda miss the days where I could spill my guts without worrying that my coworkers bringing it up the next day. I have thought about going private, but then I'd miss out on the mystery of my sitemeter traffic.

Someone recently told me I should rename my blog to "Stranger than Fiction." What do you think?

Rosie's wish list

1. Hannah Montana clothes (L)
2. Dollar Tree gift card
3. Polka-dot scripture case
4. Vacation to Hawaii
5. Dinner at Chili's

Award Winning Blogger

PartnerofaPilot nominated me for a Brillante award, which is a glorified hoax-ish chain email thing. Part of the deal for me to accept this award is for me to nominate at least 7 other blogs that I love for the award. Since I actively follow close to 100 blogs (thank goodness for Google Reader!) this was a tough decision. Here are some of my absolute favorites.

1. Shelves in the Closet - Authored by dear Lizzie. My sister from another mister. She shares my flair for everything virtuous, lovely, of good report and praiseworthy. Whether it be "Wednesday Giggles" or a review of the latest concert she's attended, her explanations of her life are so vibrant that you feel like you were right along with her.
2. Trolls in the Daylight - Authored by Brett. I'd like to think I'm partially responsible for his venture into blogging (he even has a picture of me on his blog). He's a high school English teacher with a mad obsession with anything Scandinavian. Just look at his posts from May, leading up to Sytennde Mai. You will wish you were born in Norway. An excellent photographer and storyteller.
3. Blogging at FL250 - Authored by Sam. This is the first aviation blog that I started reading. He's worked his way up to regional airline captain, and left a treasure trove of advice for those interested in a career in aviation. If I'd started reading his blog a few years earlier, I'd be in a lot less debt. Also an excellent photographer (especially his pics of the Northwest).
4. Seriously So Blessed - Authored by TAMN. OMGWTFLDSBBQ! This blog is WAY SUPER! I life my live vicariously through her ENTHuSIam! Her Perfect-O preggers life just makes me want to play BUNc-O!
5. A Peek into Japan - Authored by Steve. An American English teacher in Japan, whose wife is expecting their first very soon. Interesting to have a perspective on life abroad from someone who shares many of my tastes in food, music, and pop culture.
6. The Only Reviews that Matter - Authored by Kyle, my ex-husband's college roommate. Step aside Ebert and Roeper, this is where I go to for my movie reviews.
7. Little Wonders - Authored by Brooke. I went to HS with Brooke, but didn't know her very well. However, I've fallen in love with her children via her blog, as she documents their life with vibrant photos and great journaling. She is very talented with crafts, and I am amazed with the fun things she comes up with for Halloween, birthday parties, and other holidays. She probably has no idea how much I love her blog, but it's true.

Here are the rules for the recipients of the awards:
1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of the people you’ve nominated.
6. Enjoy your award!

Lansing

At the junction of the 69 and 96 - this sign was the most exciting thing I found in Lansing

Saturday evening, Taylor called me from DTW. He was waiting around for his last flight of the night to Lansing. This particular flight is pretty ridiculous, only 75ish nautical miles and 23 minutes away. He went into his usual complaint about being "stuck in a lonely hotel room with a comfy bed and nobody to share it." I realized that the next day was Labor day, and I didn't have anywhere in particular to be. Rosie and I decided to drive up to Lansing to enjoy the Hampton Inn on the airlines' bill. We left Canton about 10 minutes before his flight left, drove the 70 minutes to Michigan's state capital city, and got to the hotel at about the same time as the hotel shuttle. We grabbed dinner at Bennigans, bummed around the hotel room for the evening, and slept on Taylor's favorite hotel mattress. A decent free breakfast was enjoyed, Rosie and I did some school shopping at the Lansing Mall, and we were back home in time to enjoy an afternoon BBQ at the Medleys.

One of these days, I'd like to fly on his plane with him to somewhere cool. But in the mean time, we have Lansing.

First day of school

Rosie started 2nd grade yesterday. I had to leave for work 45 minutes before Rosie had to get up and ready for school, so Taylor took a few pics to document the morning. Rosie chose a sparkly silver shirt, black cords, and her new Hannah Montana flats. Rosie likes to remind everyone that she will be a tween next week. Just over a week till she turns 8!

(You can tell the summer is over by how brown the lawn is.)

Game Day

Halftime score

Rosie showing off her Utah pride

Wearing red in a "blue" city on game day is only safe if you are as cute as Rosie

(I'm a bit squinty from the sun)

We wore red. And Utah won. And Rosie didn't get a beer can thrown at her head.

Heartbreak revisited

Sunday morning, I was checking my email, and had an offline message from yahoo messenger. It was from someone I never thought I'd hear from again. It was from a man who broke my heart in such a cruel way. He was the first one I'd dated after my divorce. I fell for him hard and fast. I felt more compatible and attracted to him than anyone I'd ever met (at the time). We'd shared the depths of our hearts to each other. He'd spent time with my family, and Rosie adored him. I thought we were in love, and we started making plans for the future.

And one day...it was over. The email he sent said he never wanted to talk to me again. He didn't respond to my emails. He didn't have a cell phone. He moved out of his student apartment, and his roommates told me they were forbidden to give his new number.

A few weeks later, I tried emailing him again, asking if we could get together to talk. I needed to understand why he abandoned me so suddenly. He responded with "coming back to you would be like coming back into a nightmare."

I was devastated. I was already emotional and vulnerable and had hardly started down the road to healing from my divorce, but all I could think about was him. I didn't understand why things went wrong, when I had no inkling that he felt any differently than I did for him. I had never been more heartbroken from a breakup. *

(*Heartbreak from a divorce is a much different feeling. It's more of a feeling of your family ripped apart and identity as a wife stripped away. Maybe I'll blog about that one day)

So flash forward 5 years. I get a short apologetic message, saying he's glad that I've found someone whose made me happy. And it's true...I have a husband who adores me, and I'm very very happy with him. But hearing from Tim opened up a deep Pandora's box of emotion that was buried long ago. From a current perspective, he's not the person I could have seen myself with now. I don't have any pictures of him, but I still remember clearly his face and features. I sent him back an email, but of course, he didn't respond.

I wonder if the emotional rollercoaster his message put me on this week would have been better than never hearing from him at all.