After seventeen weeks teaching, I have some really good stories! Almost everyday I come home with at least one hilarious thing one of my forty students has said or done. Here are some of my favorites:
- We've been having lots of trouble with the bathroom. I had a student need to go to the bathroom, and asked me if he could. I told him, "You need to wait until the girl gets back from the restroom then you can go. He replied, " But, I'm a boy!!"
- One of my students asked me why Jon & I didn't have children yet. She told me she didn't understand why we were married & didn't have any babies. She pleaded with me to have a baby. Two days later, I was standing at the door telling them goodbye. She gave me a big hug & said "Bye, Mrs. Warren!". Then, I see her little hand reach out and touch my belly, she said " Bye Baby".
- I caught one of my students sucking their thumb, and called her name then gave her a signal to get it out of her mouth. She raised her hand, and I called on her. She said, "Mrs. Warren, the I suck my thumb cuz when I was little all I had to do was suck my thumb and rub my belly button. It make everything better, and it still do."
- One afternoon, my phone rang & I just let it ring while I was teaching. One of my students stood up out of his seat & said, "I get it. (pretending to answer my phone) 'Hellur, This Ms. Warren'"
- One of my students explaining why he & his brother fight, "Well, you see, I have alot of violence in me"
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Nine Billion...
That is a huge number. It doesn't take much to help. Watch & see what you can do....
First Year of Teaching
I went to a meeting recently where I was told essentially ~ You should be feeling pretty bad about this time of year about your job ~ Its a really hard job. Its even harder when you have no support.
She showed us this graph. Almost all of the first year teachers were in the disillusionment stage. One of my collegues leaned over to me in the meeting & said "I don't know if we'll ever come back up." Somedays, I wonder that too. Teaching has been the most draining, exhausting, challenging, frustrating, and emotional thing I think I have ever invested my time in.
I hope that in March I will be "rejuvenated" ~ time will tell. Needless to say, I kinda wish I'd seen this chart before school started :)
She showed us this graph. Almost all of the first year teachers were in the disillusionment stage. One of my collegues leaned over to me in the meeting & said "I don't know if we'll ever come back up." Somedays, I wonder that too. Teaching has been the most draining, exhausting, challenging, frustrating, and emotional thing I think I have ever invested my time in.
I hope that in March I will be "rejuvenated" ~ time will tell. Needless to say, I kinda wish I'd seen this chart before school started :)
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Aunt Meggy Teaching Nattie to Play the Piano
We were blessed to be able to drive home to get away from work & College Station for a bit this Thanksgiving. We were really excited to see our niece, Nattie, who we hadn't seen in months. Pictures only last for so long :)
(Speaking of pictures ~ one of my students saw a picture of her before the holidays and yelled out to the whole class, "Ooooh! She like a princess in her own world!".)
Over the holiday, I taught Nattie how to play the piano! She's got some natural talent :) What she doesn't have now ~ I'm sure her Daddy will teach her.
She was thrilled to realize that it made noise! I know Granna & Grandaddy are just going to love that I shared that knowledge so soon in life!
(Speaking of pictures ~ one of my students saw a picture of her before the holidays and yelled out to the whole class, "Ooooh! She like a princess in her own world!".)
Over the holiday, I taught Nattie how to play the piano! She's got some natural talent :) What she doesn't have now ~ I'm sure her Daddy will teach her.
She was thrilled to realize that it made noise! I know Granna & Grandaddy are just going to love that I shared that knowledge so soon in life!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Christmas Decorating :)
We enjoyed decorating for our very first Christmas last night! It was very fun to put together a tiny tree (that my parents were sweet enough to let us borrow ~ thanks Mom & Dad!) We decorated it with our ornaments ~ it is very full! We have 12 planes zooming around & many snowflakes!
Jon pulling out the tree :) We fluffed her into treelikeness & plugged her in!
Decorations going on!
We are enjoying our Aunt & Uncle ornaments!
We sealed her with a kiss! Now to wrap presents to go below her!
Saturday, November 28, 2009
A Day with our Nattie Girl :)
We've been missing our little niece, Natalie & we were very thankful for an opportunity to take care of her on Black Friday. Here are a few pictures of our growing little girl! We love her lots!
PURGING....feels good :)
I decided to take the day to go through our closets & get rid of things we do NOT need anymore. Its amazing what all can fit into two tiny little closets! I did not go through everything, but I found a lot to purge!
We are saying goodbye to shrunk up sweaters, shirts and other clothes ~ maybe someone else can use them! Off to the mission they go!
Still more needs to be done, but I had a good start today. Now know where I've stashed and gathered all Christmas gifts are & can start wrapping :)
We are saying goodbye to shrunk up sweaters, shirts and other clothes ~ maybe someone else can use them! Off to the mission they go!
Still more needs to be done, but I had a good start today. Now know where I've stashed and gathered all Christmas gifts are & can start wrapping :)
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Good Shop Discovery
I was reading a friend's blog the other day & came along her post about Good Shop. Its pretty cool & free for you to support ministry while you shop! Here is part of her post:
So...I wanted you to know of a great way you can help no matter where you shop this holiday season.
More than 1,300 top stores, including Amazon, Toys R Us, Best Buy, Apple, Gap and more, will donate a percentage of virtually every sale to Children At Heart Ministries (or your can search for any other ministries).
Just go to GoodShop.com.
Designate Children At Heart (or another ministry) as the cause you support and then click through to your favorite store.
You pay nothing extra.
You can even save money since GoodShop lists thousands of money-saving coupons and free shipping offers.
I'm pretty sure this is the easiest way to support an incredible ministry this holiday season!
Please go check it out! If you're going to shop online, might as well help a wonderful ministry that helps children in need.
Or look through the list of the nonprofits and see if your favorite cause is listed. How fun!
I didn't think online shopping could get any better than it already is.
I was wrong!
So...I wanted you to know of a great way you can help no matter where you shop this holiday season.
More than 1,300 top stores, including Amazon, Toys R Us, Best Buy, Apple, Gap and more, will donate a percentage of virtually every sale to Children At Heart Ministries (or your can search for any other ministries).
Just go to GoodShop.com.
Designate Children At Heart (or another ministry) as the cause you support and then click through to your favorite store.
You pay nothing extra.
You can even save money since GoodShop lists thousands of money-saving coupons and free shipping offers.
I'm pretty sure this is the easiest way to support an incredible ministry this holiday season!
Please go check it out! If you're going to shop online, might as well help a wonderful ministry that helps children in need.
Or look through the list of the nonprofits and see if your favorite cause is listed. How fun!
I didn't think online shopping could get any better than it already is.
I was wrong!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Encouraging Words of Truth
"Be content with such things as you have, since the Lord has ordered all things for your good. Take up your own daily cross; it is the burden best suited for your shoulder, and will prove most effective to make you perfect in every good word and work to the glory of God." ~ from Charles Spurgeon's Morning & Evening
A Crumbling Culture...In Need of Him
So far this week ~ I have broken up two fights ~ seen three more, disciplined more children than I can count on my fingers and toes, been in contact with a raging parent ~ had a note from one more, been threatened to be punched by a student, picked up several extremely inappropriate notes, seen a student flip teachers off, then run away and beat on school property, and watched a child wail all the way down the hall all the way onto the buses. I have also daily had students try to reason with and coax me to believe that it's okay to hit someone back when they hit you & to say ugly things back when they say ugly things to you.
A colleague of mine exclaimed to me today, "I've been tellin' em for years now ~ they need to get some ministers, priests, n' pastors in this place. I donna care if they are Catholic, Protestant, Baptist, Methodist...they need to get some of that holy water or anointing oil in here to sprinkle on these children, in these halls, in these classrooms. Then, they need to get a big ole' plane and dump some all on the school and all over the whole city. I'm a tellin' you ~ they've gotta do something!"
I don't really think holy water is what our school or community needs ~ they something much more effective and live changing. They need the reality of the gospel & they need it to change the way they live. They need to begin disciplining their children consistently ~ to "Train up a child in the way he should go, so that when he is old he will not depart from it" Proverbs 22:6.
My exposure to the reality of sin, generational sin and consequences of sin in the past fourteen weeks has been massive ~ but it is just a small glimpse into our crumbling culture desperately in need of a Savior. I am daily reminded of my sin nature & grateful to the Lord for the truth of the gospel, for its life altering ~ sin exposing and removing effects.
A colleague of mine exclaimed to me today, "I've been tellin' em for years now ~ they need to get some ministers, priests, n' pastors in this place. I donna care if they are Catholic, Protestant, Baptist, Methodist...they need to get some of that holy water or anointing oil in here to sprinkle on these children, in these halls, in these classrooms. Then, they need to get a big ole' plane and dump some all on the school and all over the whole city. I'm a tellin' you ~ they've gotta do something!"
I don't really think holy water is what our school or community needs ~ they something much more effective and live changing. They need the reality of the gospel & they need it to change the way they live. They need to begin disciplining their children consistently ~ to "Train up a child in the way he should go, so that when he is old he will not depart from it" Proverbs 22:6.
My exposure to the reality of sin, generational sin and consequences of sin in the past fourteen weeks has been massive ~ but it is just a small glimpse into our crumbling culture desperately in need of a Savior. I am daily reminded of my sin nature & grateful to the Lord for the truth of the gospel, for its life altering ~ sin exposing and removing effects.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
More of Rita...
So, I have told many of you this story already...It absolutely cracks me up. Its where I live daily with work. She is so funny... ~ this is just part of the story...if you want to know how it ends ~ call me I'll tell you the rest :)
Some background: These two boys were fighting at school. They got sent to Rita ~ the administrator. They got all puffed up & said "Weeeellll ~ Everybody was fightin' "( Cause you know if you said everybody was fightin' ~ you're not the only one in trouble) and they had their shoulders all puffed up....
Some background: These two boys were fighting at school. They got sent to Rita ~ the administrator. They got all puffed up & said "Weeeellll ~ Everybody was fightin' "( Cause you know if you said everybody was fightin' ~ you're not the only one in trouble) and they had their shoulders all puffed up....
Friday, October 23, 2009
A Teacher Hat ;)
We decided to go to the local Halloween outfitters after our date to see if we could find a teacher hat for me. I desperately needed a visual for my kiddos to know that when I am working with small groups, I am busy and cannot be interrupted. This hat has magical powers that make me invisible to everyone but the students at my round table. Since its so amazing, we thought we'd give you a sneak peak. :)
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Gedunks!
A few of our friends requested this family recipe from us ~ so I thought I would post it :) They are not at all healthy! Enjoy!
Gedunks
1 (14 oz) bag carmels (I've looked for fat free with no luck ~ let me know if you find them!)
2/3 C. evaporated milk ( I use fat free)
1 (18.5) package German chocolate cake mix
3/4 C. butter
1 C. chopped nuts (optional ~ we leave them out!)
1 (6 oz) package semi-sweet chocolate morsels
Combine carmels and 1/2 C. milk in top of double boiler. Cook stirring constantly until completely melted. Remove double boiler from heat; combine cake mix and remaining 1/3 C evaporated milk and butter, mixing with electric mixer until dough holds together; stir in nuts (if desired). Press cake into greased 13 by 9 by 2 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 6 minutes.
Sprinkle chocolate morsels over crust. Pour caramel mix over chocolate morsels. Crumble remaining cake mix over top. Bake 15 to 18 minutes. Cool. Chill 30 minutes. Yield: 5 dozen.
Gedunks
1 (14 oz) bag carmels (I've looked for fat free with no luck ~ let me know if you find them!)
2/3 C. evaporated milk ( I use fat free)
1 (18.5) package German chocolate cake mix
3/4 C. butter
1 C. chopped nuts (optional ~ we leave them out!)
1 (6 oz) package semi-sweet chocolate morsels
Combine carmels and 1/2 C. milk in top of double boiler. Cook stirring constantly until completely melted. Remove double boiler from heat; combine cake mix and remaining 1/3 C evaporated milk and butter, mixing with electric mixer until dough holds together; stir in nuts (if desired). Press cake into greased 13 by 9 by 2 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 6 minutes.
Sprinkle chocolate morsels over crust. Pour caramel mix over chocolate morsels. Crumble remaining cake mix over top. Bake 15 to 18 minutes. Cool. Chill 30 minutes. Yield: 5 dozen.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Classroom Pictures
Here are a few pictures. I have rearranged things since school started, so I will take pictures Monday & upload them then :)
The curtains that the Mommas made. :)
The loft that Tim made :)
The front of the classroomish (that really no one made) :)
Check back for better and more recent pictures soon!
The curtains that the Mommas made. :)
The loft that Tim made :)
The front of the classroomish (that really no one made) :)Check back for better and more recent pictures soon!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Classroom Here She Comes!
Since word came I had a teaching position, our life has consisted of classroom decorations, cutting out laminating & much more! It has been a busy, busy few weeks!
If you didn't know ~ I got hired in late June to teach 4th grade Language Arts & Social Studies in Hearne which is a small community just outside of Bryan/College Station.
My room has been transformed from a blank space with furniture stacked up in one corner ~ to Mrs. Warren's 4th grade Language Arts & Social Studies Classroom!
It is finished! Yay! With lots of love and hardwork from Jon, both our sweet Mommas (Momma Bozeman & Momma Warren), my brother and sister-in-law, Tim & Casey, and my Daddy ~ It is finally finished! We had many many workdays ~ Moms made pillows and curtains, Tim, a wonderful craftsman & my engineer brother, created and built my loft, Mom & Dad cleaned my classrrom, as well as, moved, stained & polyurethaned the loft & Jon cut out more than his fair share of laminating! It has really been a family effort ~ of which I am so incredibly grateful!! Thank you all for your help! I could not have pulled it all together without you!
I will post pictures soon!
Now for the planning ~ I get kids next week! Yay!
If you didn't know ~ I got hired in late June to teach 4th grade Language Arts & Social Studies in Hearne which is a small community just outside of Bryan/College Station.
My room has been transformed from a blank space with furniture stacked up in one corner ~ to Mrs. Warren's 4th grade Language Arts & Social Studies Classroom!
It is finished! Yay! With lots of love and hardwork from Jon, both our sweet Mommas (Momma Bozeman & Momma Warren), my brother and sister-in-law, Tim & Casey, and my Daddy ~ It is finally finished! We had many many workdays ~ Moms made pillows and curtains, Tim, a wonderful craftsman & my engineer brother, created and built my loft, Mom & Dad cleaned my classrrom, as well as, moved, stained & polyurethaned the loft & Jon cut out more than his fair share of laminating! It has really been a family effort ~ of which I am so incredibly grateful!! Thank you all for your help! I could not have pulled it all together without you!
I will post pictures soon!
Now for the planning ~ I get kids next week! Yay!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Fredricksburg
Donkeys, horses, baby goats...no usually words you would associate with Megan & vacation. However, this next tale includes them all ~ as we escaped for a few days this past week to Fredricksburg!
We decided when I found out that I going to have a teaching position this fall (for which we are exceedingly thankful to the Lord!) ~ we would try to get away together before the school year started. So, we did ~ It was incredibly fun and relaxing!
Here are some pictures of our time there!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Fourth with Friends!
We enjoyed our Fourth of July! We stayed here in College Station & spent some time with our friends ~ Laura & Jon, and then later in the day, our friends ~ Audra & Adam. We didn't remember to pull out our camera when we were with Laura & Jon ~ but hopefully we will remember next time!
Audra & I
Audra & Adam
We enjoyed fireworks up at the George Bush Library & Museum. They had historical characters all dressed up and mingling with the crowd. We met Uncle Sam, Martha Washington, and Darth Vader. I'm really not sure why Darth Vader was there, but the boys were very excited they were!
Audra made a her very first homemade cake! She made it very yummy and cute! It was decorated for the Fourth with stars & stripes!
Audra & I
Audra & Adam
We enjoyed fireworks up at the George Bush Library & Museum. They had historical characters all dressed up and mingling with the crowd. We met Uncle Sam, Martha Washington, and Darth Vader. I'm really not sure why Darth Vader was there, but the boys were very excited they were!
Audra made a her very first homemade cake! She made it very yummy and cute! It was decorated for the Fourth with stars & stripes!
Friday, July 3, 2009
A Blue Bell Kinda Fun
On our beautiful Tuesday afternoon, We took a quick roadtrip down to Brenham to visit the Blue Bell Factory. We have been wanting to go for quite some time, and decided before life picks up & gets really busy this fall we should have some fun!
We walked around, touched the statues, took the tour & ate samples! The tour was very fun to see the behind the scenes information ~ We kinda felt like we were on How It's Made. (It's one of our favorite shows!) Although, we really wanted more info from the tour! We had questions which were thankfully subdued by cookies 'n cream & southern blackberry cobbler ice cream!
We enjoyed our day off! It's such a blessing to have time to share and enjoy together!
We walked around, touched the statues, took the tour & ate samples! The tour was very fun to see the behind the scenes information ~ We kinda felt like we were on How It's Made. (It's one of our favorite shows!) Although, we really wanted more info from the tour! We had questions which were thankfully subdued by cookies 'n cream & southern blackberry cobbler ice cream!
We enjoyed our day off! It's such a blessing to have time to share and enjoy together!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Fun Family Times...
We went home...again!!...which makes twice in one week! We were thankful to spend some time with Jen & Jason (Jon's sister & her her new hubby) who live in Kentucky. We had some sweet family time with Jon's parents, grandparents & siblings. We also celebrated Mike's 16th Birthday early ~ It's actually today! Happy Birthday, Mike! Hope you had a great day ~ We love you!
We love hanging out with all our siblings! We always have fun!
After we left there, we headed up to see Tim, Casey & Nattie! We loved our Nattie time! She was very sleepy all afternoon! Casey was excited that Aunt Meggy changed lots of diapers for her while Uncle Jon supervised! We laughed at this picture cause she just fell asleep, but looks like she is rock climbing up me!
Jon & I are now getting settled back into life in College Station full of work, job searching, and hopefully rest!
We love hanging out with all our siblings! We always have fun!
After we left there, we headed up to see Tim, Casey & Nattie! We loved our Nattie time! She was very sleepy all afternoon! Casey was excited that Aunt Meggy changed lots of diapers for her while Uncle Jon supervised! We laughed at this picture cause she just fell asleep, but looks like she is rock climbing up me!
Jon & I are now getting settled back into life in College Station full of work, job searching, and hopefully rest!
Monday, June 15, 2009
More Natalie :)
Our niece is enjoying her new home! Pretty baby girl! We are excited to see her again tomorrow!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Arrival of our Niece!!!
We are officially an Aunt Meggy & Uncle Jon! She has come!
Our beautiful niece, Natalie, arrived on Wednesday, June 10th at 1:29pm. She was 8lbs, 1 oz & 19 3/4 inches long! We already love her lots!
We found out Monday that Casey was going to be induced Wednesday morning at 5:30. We got to the hospital a little before 8, and Casey had just begun having painful contractions. She had her epidural and before 10:30am was dilated to 8cm. Then, we played the waiting game till she arrived at 1:29pm. We actually played the waiting game until Tim came out 45 minutes after that to tell us both his girls were doing well! Then about 30 minutes after that we got to see & all hold our precious niece!
We all had t-shirts labeling our relationship to Natalie ~ It was so fun! All the nurses & staff at the hospital kept asking where their personalized shirts were! At one point ~ some of us had already arrived at the hospital & the others arrived asking the man at the information desk how to get to the right room ~ He told them go up the elevator to the second floor & look for people with shirts just like theirs! Nattie even had her own onesie!
Jon & I were so thankful to be able to make it in to meet her!
Isn't she just beautiful?!? Have no doubt ~ there will be more pictures to come!
Our beautiful niece, Natalie, arrived on Wednesday, June 10th at 1:29pm. She was 8lbs, 1 oz & 19 3/4 inches long! We already love her lots!
We found out Monday that Casey was going to be induced Wednesday morning at 5:30. We got to the hospital a little before 8, and Casey had just begun having painful contractions. She had her epidural and before 10:30am was dilated to 8cm. Then, we played the waiting game till she arrived at 1:29pm. We actually played the waiting game until Tim came out 45 minutes after that to tell us both his girls were doing well! Then about 30 minutes after that we got to see & all hold our precious niece!
We all had t-shirts labeling our relationship to Natalie ~ It was so fun! All the nurses & staff at the hospital kept asking where their personalized shirts were! At one point ~ some of us had already arrived at the hospital & the others arrived asking the man at the information desk how to get to the right room ~ He told them go up the elevator to the second floor & look for people with shirts just like theirs! Nattie even had her own onesie!
Jon & I were so thankful to be able to make it in to meet her!
Isn't she just beautiful?!? Have no doubt ~ there will be more pictures to come!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Washer Stories
We bought a washer & dryer in our first weeks of getting married, which has been such a blessing! I am very thankful for our own ~ so I can wash clothes at any time of day!
Our washer works great, until it gets off balance ~ then you have to sit on it! I spend a few days a month sitting on our washer until it gets through the spin cycle! Oh, the joys of being early married ~ it's so fun! Here's a small glimpse of our world!
.
Our washer works great, until it gets off balance ~ then you have to sit on it! I spend a few days a month sitting on our washer until it gets through the spin cycle! Oh, the joys of being early married ~ it's so fun! Here's a small glimpse of our world!
.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Jet pilot for a day
Well, last week I got to play Jet Jockey for a day. Slightly different from the world of the Cessna 172.....just slightly. Okay, so it was in every way different and rediculously awesome. Way more exhilarating than the Skyhawk, which only gets that way when a student who doesn't know any better is trying their best to kill you. Anyways, I got an offer from a corporate pilot based at Love Field in Dallas, KDAL for you aviation buffs, to fly as his co-pilot in an Israeli Aircraft Industries 1124A, better known as a Westwind. And here's where I made my first mistake, I was so excited about the trip, that I didn't even take a picture of the exterior of the plane. Hopefully the ones I took will suffice.
Our trip was going to take us from KDAL to Colorado Springs (KCOS) to Palm Spring, CA (KTRM). Before leaving Dallas, we loaded up with 730 gallons of Jet-A (glorified diesel) and our one passenger. My duties for the flight consisted of running the radio communications and checklists, and whatever else the real pilot felt brave enough to let me do. 30 seconds into the flight my mind had already exploded, because we didn't even take off until we were going faster than a C172 can do in a dive. Well, close to it. Rotate speed was between 125-132 knots. Climbout was faster. I don't remember because I was focused on the Altimeter spooling up at the rate of 2500-3000 feet per minute, and we were accelerating.
For the leg from KDAL to KCOS, we finally leveled at FL360 or 36,000 ft above sea level. We kept accelerating until we reached Mach .77, or.....heck, I don't know, a lot faster than I'd ever flown a plane before.
Once we reached our cruise altitude, KCOS was about 1hr 10min away. Fortunately we didn't have much headwind, even though we were heading West, so our groundspeed (gs) was almost identical to our true airspeed (tas), and that was anywhere between 440-455 knots.
Heading into KCOS we flew over a line of thunderstorms, then started our descent into the airport once passing those guys up. We loaded an ILS approach to the airport into our GPS, but were able to take it in visually instead.
The approach speed for the Westwind is typically around 125 knots, or twice that of the C172. And when your plane weighs in at 18,000 lbs, you've got a lot of F = ma going on. Needless to say, once all the wheels are on the ground, everything comes out, spoilers, speed brakes, reverse thrust, parachute, oh wait....nevermind the last one.
We made a quick turn in KCOS, picked up 4 more passengers and some more gas and were on our way again. It was a little bumpy heading out of Colorado due to a few cloud buildups, but once we got up higher it smoothed out pretty good.
For the leg to KTRM, our final cruising altitude was FL380. The bad thing was that for most of that leg we were still in and out of clouds, so not many good photo ops. We did pick up a slight bit of ice on the wing, which melted once we were out of the clouds and descended a bit. We did a little more storm-dodging on the way there. Once we were clear, Air Traffic Control (ATC) cleared us direct to a VOR near Palm Springs. When it came up on the GPS, the distance showed just over 500 nautical miles. For some reason, my brain was still in Skyhawk mode and I thought,"this'll take a little while." That thought was blown to pieces when Justin announced that it'd be a little over an hour away. I'm glad I was sitting down when I heard that.
ATC kept us up above FL300 for so long that our descent into KTRM mimicked the space shuttle coming in to land. Once we cleared the mountains East of the airport we had to drop it in. We'd stayed up high for so long that when we were on downwind from the runway (downwind's when you fly parallel to the runway opposite the direction you're landing) we were still around 4,500ft. And the airport elevation was -114ft. But that's not as big of deal in a jet, cause you can just pull the power back and drop like a somewhat aerodynamic brick.
The landing went off without a hitch, and, minus a rental car debacle, everything else went smooth. When we locked up the plane, I don't know if it was tears or sweat running down my face (it was over 100 degrees). But whatever it was, it was salty. I don't think anyone saw me.
We finished up the night with an excellent steak dinner, courtesy of Justin's company. All around it was the sweetest flying I've ever been able to do, and I'm thankful for the opportunity. And it definitely whetted my appetite for more.....flying that is, not steak, well, I guess both.
Our trip was going to take us from KDAL to Colorado Springs (KCOS) to Palm Spring, CA (KTRM). Before leaving Dallas, we loaded up with 730 gallons of Jet-A (glorified diesel) and our one passenger. My duties for the flight consisted of running the radio communications and checklists, and whatever else the real pilot felt brave enough to let me do. 30 seconds into the flight my mind had already exploded, because we didn't even take off until we were going faster than a C172 can do in a dive. Well, close to it. Rotate speed was between 125-132 knots. Climbout was faster. I don't remember because I was focused on the Altimeter spooling up at the rate of 2500-3000 feet per minute, and we were accelerating.
For the leg from KDAL to KCOS, we finally leveled at FL360 or 36,000 ft above sea level. We kept accelerating until we reached Mach .77, or.....heck, I don't know, a lot faster than I'd ever flown a plane before.
Once we reached our cruise altitude, KCOS was about 1hr 10min away. Fortunately we didn't have much headwind, even though we were heading West, so our groundspeed (gs) was almost identical to our true airspeed (tas), and that was anywhere between 440-455 knots.
Heading into KCOS we flew over a line of thunderstorms, then started our descent into the airport once passing those guys up. We loaded an ILS approach to the airport into our GPS, but were able to take it in visually instead.
The approach speed for the Westwind is typically around 125 knots, or twice that of the C172. And when your plane weighs in at 18,000 lbs, you've got a lot of F = ma going on. Needless to say, once all the wheels are on the ground, everything comes out, spoilers, speed brakes, reverse thrust, parachute, oh wait....nevermind the last one.
We made a quick turn in KCOS, picked up 4 more passengers and some more gas and were on our way again. It was a little bumpy heading out of Colorado due to a few cloud buildups, but once we got up higher it smoothed out pretty good.
For the leg to KTRM, our final cruising altitude was FL380. The bad thing was that for most of that leg we were still in and out of clouds, so not many good photo ops. We did pick up a slight bit of ice on the wing, which melted once we were out of the clouds and descended a bit. We did a little more storm-dodging on the way there. Once we were clear, Air Traffic Control (ATC) cleared us direct to a VOR near Palm Springs. When it came up on the GPS, the distance showed just over 500 nautical miles. For some reason, my brain was still in Skyhawk mode and I thought,"this'll take a little while." That thought was blown to pieces when Justin announced that it'd be a little over an hour away. I'm glad I was sitting down when I heard that.
ATC kept us up above FL300 for so long that our descent into KTRM mimicked the space shuttle coming in to land. Once we cleared the mountains East of the airport we had to drop it in. We'd stayed up high for so long that when we were on downwind from the runway (downwind's when you fly parallel to the runway opposite the direction you're landing) we were still around 4,500ft. And the airport elevation was -114ft. But that's not as big of deal in a jet, cause you can just pull the power back and drop like a somewhat aerodynamic brick.
The landing went off without a hitch, and, minus a rental car debacle, everything else went smooth. When we locked up the plane, I don't know if it was tears or sweat running down my face (it was over 100 degrees). But whatever it was, it was salty. I don't think anyone saw me.
We finished up the night with an excellent steak dinner, courtesy of Justin's company. All around it was the sweetest flying I've ever been able to do, and I'm thankful for the opportunity. And it definitely whetted my appetite for more.....flying that is, not steak, well, I guess both.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Wedding Photos...are HERE!!
Woohoo! Our wedding photos have arrived!! We admit, its crazy to look & them ~ and realize its all over! Its really hard to believe ~ but we love, love the results. Marriage is great!
