when all we wanted was the dream
Joe: You believe that?
Ann: I do if you do.
Joe: But it’s absurd.
Ann: So is our electoral process. But we still vote.
1. Have I mentioned recently how much I love Rebecca Pidgeon’s character in State and Main?
2. From famine to feast. After months of wondering where all the roommate possibilities were hiding, Don’s moving in tomorrow for six weeks, Derek’s willing to break his current lease to move in as soon as he can, and David got the graphic design job today and is going to live here, moving into Don’s room once the six weeks are up. Please pray for the wisdom to sort all this out and that there wouldn’t be any hurt feelings. All the guys are pretty easygoing, thank goodness. It will be nice to have friends around the house.
3. No flying this morning. The fog was as thick as clam chowder. The Jeffs and I cleaned out 86 Golf and I did some homework while they watched videos in the flight trailer.
4. There’s a new plane in the hangar, a Maule M-5 Rocket we’re leasing from Harvesters International, an organization that supplies missionaries with logistical equipment they need around the world (including aircraft). It’s a hot little airplane.
Sitting quietly in the corner of the big hangar this morning. Everything on the airplane aft of the wings is fabric-covered; everything forward is aluminum-skinned.
There’s a 180hp Lycoming under that ungainly engine cowling.
STOL = Short TakeOff and Landing. Painted right on the tail fin.
Cool wheel fairings. Assuming it’s still around then, I won’t get to fly this until much later in my training, year or two down the road. They’re planning on using it for the “tactical flight” course at the end of the MAI program–Flight 10 (I’m on Flight 2).
From A Field Guide to Airplanes, my favorite airplane book ever (and the third edition is coming out in a month and a half!):
[after describing the field marks of the plane] “The other way to identify a Rocket is to watch one take off when the pilot is in the mood to show off: The M-5 Rocket needs a roll of only 125 feet–that’s less than the width of a football field. The difference between maximum speed (150 mph) and stalling speed (35 mph) is truly remarkable.”
Mr. Kelly told us about its acquisition last week and joked that he needed to “take it for a test flight” just “to make sure it checks out.” Yeah. Tough job :)
5. Best lyric from Sarah McLachlan‘s song “Wait:”
and there is a love that’s inherently given
It works. Unaccompanied by music or the movement of the song, the words trip over each other and sound clunky, but within the context, there’s no more fitting line. It’s the centerpiece of the song, the moment of catharsis when the above line curls into the next and the singer reaches what she is really trying to say. It gives me pause each time I listen.
“Everybody makes their own fun. If you don’t make it yourself, it isn’t fun. It’s entertainment.”
Have a tremendous Tuesday! : )
2. He’ll still be around. That what I need prayer about… Don will only be here for six weeks and Harsha still doesn’t know when he’ll be leaving, so I’m inclined to stay with him instead of giving him three weeks notice to find a new place (stipulated in his lease since he’s month-to-month). But that means David will have to wait six weeks rather than three for a room. Fortunately it looks like Derek’s still a few months out. It’s complicated. Ugh.
6. Airplanes are much the same as cars in that respect. They’ve adopted a lot of nautical terminology (knots, forward, aft, abeam, bulkhead, etc) but for some reason the feminine naming convention never caught on. I will say airplanes are generally female, but it really depends on the plane.
It’s on the list! Wisdom and no hurt feelings… got it! : ) Maybe if you can encourage Derek to finish out his lease where he is, then at least part of the complications will be delayed… Just be glad you’re not having to deal with girls in this mess… YIKES!
You and your sexy means of transportation…
:)
I dunno if I’d call the Maule a sexy airplane. Attractive, effective, sure, but it lacks a certain sleekness of line that would make it sexy. Yep.
(I love that icon.)