Elizablog
Elizablog
Back Online!
I've been sans computer for a week or so - it's so nice to have it back up and running.
I did a fly-over for the Wise Guys charity last week. Here are a couple shots:
I was supposed to fly over another charity golf tourney yesterday, but the severe thunderstorms ended those plans. Apparently it was so bad, they had to leave the golf course half way through the game - bummer.
Not too much has been going on lately. I hope to feel better this weekend so I can take to the skies again. The weather is supposed to be quite nice. I'll have to check if there are any fly-ins around here to attend.
The two little goobers have been their typical cute, little selves, as seen here:
Actually, they've been more affectionate lately than normal - even toward each other. Weird.
Today's symptoms: I had to leave work a couple hours early today due to worse than normal weakness and fatigue. I actually slept for a few hours this afternoon. Hopefully, it will leave me feeling better tomorrow. Enough of this silliness!
I did a fly-over for the Wise Guys charity last week. Here are a couple shots:
I was supposed to fly over another charity golf tourney yesterday, but the severe thunderstorms ended those plans. Apparently it was so bad, they had to leave the golf course half way through the game - bummer.
Not too much has been going on lately. I hope to feel better this weekend so I can take to the skies again. The weather is supposed to be quite nice. I'll have to check if there are any fly-ins around here to attend.
The two little goobers have been their typical cute, little selves, as seen here:
Actually, they've been more affectionate lately than normal - even toward each other. Weird.
Today's symptoms: I had to leave work a couple hours early today due to worse than normal weakness and fatigue. I actually slept for a few hours this afternoon. Hopefully, it will leave me feeling better tomorrow. Enough of this silliness!
Back in the Saddle
I was feeling decent yesterday and decided to take a couple hours vacation time to go flying. I hopped in the plane and headed out (solo) along the Lake Erie shoreline. It was such a nice, relaxing flight. Here's a shot of the refinery in Nanticoke:
After taking the scenic route along the shoreline, I arrived at Tillsonburg after a little over an hour:
After getting fuel, I went into their nice, new terminal building to pay. They have a restaurant there for breakfasts on the weekends, so I'll have to head back there sometime.
I taxied over to the grass runway and noticed the cutest little young fox at the side of the runway. There was another plane in the circuit to land, so I called him and let him know there was a fox on the runway. I said "He's really cute so please don't hit him!"
I took a more direct route back to St. Catharines. The clouds were fairly low so it was a little bumpy. My mother would be having a fit if she was flying with me.
It's nice to see how well the new St. Catharines hospital is coming along:
I'm supposed to fly over a charity golf tourney tomorrow around 12:30. There is a chance of thunder storm, so I'll have to check the weather tomorrow.
Today's symptoms: Feeling very drained (emotionally and physically) today. I also have quite a few aches in my arms and left hand.
After taking the scenic route along the shoreline, I arrived at Tillsonburg after a little over an hour:
After getting fuel, I went into their nice, new terminal building to pay. They have a restaurant there for breakfasts on the weekends, so I'll have to head back there sometime.
I taxied over to the grass runway and noticed the cutest little young fox at the side of the runway. There was another plane in the circuit to land, so I called him and let him know there was a fox on the runway. I said "He's really cute so please don't hit him!"
I took a more direct route back to St. Catharines. The clouds were fairly low so it was a little bumpy. My mother would be having a fit if she was flying with me.
It's nice to see how well the new St. Catharines hospital is coming along:
I'm supposed to fly over a charity golf tourney tomorrow around 12:30. There is a chance of thunder storm, so I'll have to check the weather tomorrow.
Today's symptoms: Feeling very drained (emotionally and physically) today. I also have quite a few aches in my arms and left hand.
Plastic Surgery
I received the plastic panels for the interior of my plane yesterday. My mother and I drove over to the airport to stick them in the plane. I was quite happy to see my mechanic there, since he's the one performing Vyctor's plastic surgery. He allowed us to load up the panels in his truck, and arranged for me to fly out to his place the next day. Despite the wind, we went for a brief flight. My mother nagged the whole time, telling me to stop making the plane bounce from the wind and air pockets.
I headed out to the airport this morning and called Chuck to meet me at my mechanic's place. I spotted him driving on the QEW and tried to slow down enough to fly next to him into Welland. I was able to fly directly in front of him once we reached Montrose Road. After landing, I helped remove a couple of the old, brittle panels, then got out of my mechanic's hair so he could carry on with the transplantation. Here are some of the pics we took:
Rear panels removed (Vyctor's skeleton exposed):
I also had to replace the glove box door, which was missing a fairly large chunk of plastic:
I would love to fly without the doors!
Yucky old panel and beading:
I'm really looking forward to seeing him with his facelift.
Today's symptoms: Feelings pretty decent today! This is the second "good" day in a row - I'm hoping for many more!
I headed out to the airport this morning and called Chuck to meet me at my mechanic's place. I spotted him driving on the QEW and tried to slow down enough to fly next to him into Welland. I was able to fly directly in front of him once we reached Montrose Road. After landing, I helped remove a couple of the old, brittle panels, then got out of my mechanic's hair so he could carry on with the transplantation. Here are some of the pics we took:
Rear panels removed (Vyctor's skeleton exposed):
I also had to replace the glove box door, which was missing a fairly large chunk of plastic:
I would love to fly without the doors!
Yucky old panel and beading:
I'm really looking forward to seeing him with his facelift.
Today's symptoms: Feelings pretty decent today! This is the second "good" day in a row - I'm hoping for many more!
The Mercedes
We had an interesting day last week, the day before we went to the Elton John concert. My little mother's birthday is coming up, so Chuckles picked her up a 2001 Mercedes Benz ML320! She was in total shock and thought we were kidding. We handed her the ownership, pointed out her name, and she didn't believe us. We ended up going out for dinner, and of course had Jan drive us in her new ride. She couldn't believe how nicely it drove. She goes on about her new pride and joy (which is no longer me!) almost every day. It's so nice to see her so happy!
Speaking of happy, Jan found a poem I wrote on February 25, 2001. I wish to share it with all of you. *Elizabeth clears her throat*....dramatic pause for effect:
Silly People - by Elizabeth Murphy
Clowns - happy, cheerful, funny
Amusing, laughing, silly
What is our fascination
With these silly people?
Devoted to lifting spirits
Making children laugh
Painted faces and funny clothes
Crazy antics always fun to watch
What's beneath these wondrous smiles?
It must be something grand
I think it's more than that
Emotions they try to hide
They are real people too
With evil thoughts and heartaches
Painful life stories and woes
Who are they trying to kid?
Psycho clowns scampering about
Trying to be something they're not
I know what's under that crazy hair
Pure evil in disguise
Wow - I must have had issues in 2001! I'll have to check out the rest of my poetry (I wrote quite a bit) and see if it's as twisted as this little number.
Today's symptoms: Feeling better today than I have in a few days. Still very weak and tired, more than "normal."
Speaking of happy, Jan found a poem I wrote on February 25, 2001. I wish to share it with all of you. *Elizabeth clears her throat*....dramatic pause for effect:
Silly People - by Elizabeth Murphy
Clowns - happy, cheerful, funny
Amusing, laughing, silly
What is our fascination
With these silly people?
Devoted to lifting spirits
Making children laugh
Painted faces and funny clothes
Crazy antics always fun to watch
What's beneath these wondrous smiles?
It must be something grand
I think it's more than that
Emotions they try to hide
They are real people too
With evil thoughts and heartaches
Painful life stories and woes
Who are they trying to kid?
Psycho clowns scampering about
Trying to be something they're not
I know what's under that crazy hair
Pure evil in disguise
Wow - I must have had issues in 2001! I'll have to check out the rest of my poetry (I wrote quite a bit) and see if it's as twisted as this little number.
Today's symptoms: Feeling better today than I have in a few days. Still very weak and tired, more than "normal."
I Love Elton...
Yesterday was a total blast. My friend Laura and my mother arrived at our apartment around 3:00. We had a couple drinks then headed downstairs to leave for Hamilton. When the elevator opened, my mother said "Oh look! Someone has a limo waiting for them!" I just said "How lucky." and walked toward the front door. Jan asked why I was walking out that door, since we usually go out the back door to the parking lot. I said that I wanted to check out the limo. She and Laura stayed in the lobby while I walked up to the limo. The driver opened the door and I got in. My mother was in absolute shock and said to Laura "I can't believe she went inside! I didn't raise her like that!" About 10 seconds later, they both finally walked out the front door and the limo driver said "Your ride is here." They both still just stood there, in a state of shock. They eventually got in with their mouths hanging open. Needless to say, we had an amazing ride to Hamilton!
Here's a shot of our reflection in Downtown Hamilton:
We went out for dinner to kill some time before the show, which started at 8:00pm at Copps. It was during dinner that I warned my friend that I will probably lose it when I see Elton walk on stage. Oh my - that was an understatement! I totally broke down and was sobbing like a big dork! Laura gave me a hug. Either that or she was just trying to throw me on the floor so I would stop embarrassing her.
The concert was unbelievable. He went on for about three hours, non-stop, mostly his greatest hits and classics. We all had an amazing time. The ride back in the limo was great too. Here it is back at the apartment:
After all of the excitement yesterday, today was very lazy. Chuck and I went out for groceries, then spent the rest of the day vegging out. For dinner, he made us turkey burgers. Guess which one is his???
Today's symptoms: Very weak and tired, but it was completely worth it! Oh, I also have a bad sinus headache.
Here's a shot of our reflection in Downtown Hamilton:
We went out for dinner to kill some time before the show, which started at 8:00pm at Copps. It was during dinner that I warned my friend that I will probably lose it when I see Elton walk on stage. Oh my - that was an understatement! I totally broke down and was sobbing like a big dork! Laura gave me a hug. Either that or she was just trying to throw me on the floor so I would stop embarrassing her.
The concert was unbelievable. He went on for about three hours, non-stop, mostly his greatest hits and classics. We all had an amazing time. The ride back in the limo was great too. Here it is back at the apartment:
After all of the excitement yesterday, today was very lazy. Chuck and I went out for groceries, then spent the rest of the day vegging out. For dinner, he made us turkey burgers. Guess which one is his???
Today's symptoms: Very weak and tired, but it was completely worth it! Oh, I also have a bad sinus headache.
Nexus Jan
It was my short day at work today, which was perfect timing as my mother and aunt had their interviews for their Nexus cards. I drove them down to Fort Erie and we arrived 30 minutes early for their appointment. Fortunately, the officer was able to take them both right away. The whole process took only an hour, so we were out of there sooner than we planned. It will be so nice to go over to the States with Jan using our Nexus cards, so we can miss the bridge line-ups.
I was so happy to see what was in my email when I got home. I ordered a custom made model of my airplane through Factory Direct Models . They sent me confirmation that my model was complete, and asked that I check it over and approve it for shipping. It's perfect:
I can't wait to receive Lil' Vyctor in the mail!
Today's symptoms: Very weak, a lot of pain in my arms and hands, a bad headache and really bad fatigue. Blah!
I was so happy to see what was in my email when I got home. I ordered a custom made model of my airplane through Factory Direct Models . They sent me confirmation that my model was complete, and asked that I check it over and approve it for shipping. It's perfect:
I can't wait to receive Lil' Vyctor in the mail!
Today's symptoms: Very weak, a lot of pain in my arms and hands, a bad headache and really bad fatigue. Blah!
New Family Member
We have a new family member - little Guildenstern, the Betta Fishy! I always feel so bad for those fishies in the little cups so I bought a Betta tank, some supplies and of course, little Guildenstern (Gilly for short).
Here he is with his new home decor (mostly housewarming gifts from Mya and Abby):
The heat was absolutely brutal today and is supposed to be the same tomorrow. Still, I hope to take a couple hours vacation and go for a flight in the haze and smog.
Side note - Abby's weird:
I'm too hot and tired to write any more.
Today's symptoms: Feeling a bit better today than I have over the last week. I have been very weak, sore and just all out poopy.
Here he is with his new home decor (mostly housewarming gifts from Mya and Abby):
The heat was absolutely brutal today and is supposed to be the same tomorrow. Still, I hope to take a couple hours vacation and go for a flight in the haze and smog.
Side note - Abby's weird:
I'm too hot and tired to write any more.
Today's symptoms: Feeling a bit better today than I have over the last week. I have been very weak, sore and just all out poopy.
Canada Day
I have been looking forward to today all week - unfortunately, it didn't go as planned. I woke up feeling really poopy...I mean poopier than I've felt in a while. I spent most of the day in bed. I was really hoping to fly over some firework shows today, but it's not going to happen. I'm so bummed about it. On a bright note, my little mother drove to St. Catharines today for a visit. She's such a good little mommy.
Actually, I think I may know why I am so weak and fatigued today. Earlier this week, Chuck asked me to pick up his shoes from The Boot Shop near my office. Needless to say, his shoes are much bigger and heavier than mine. I was going to make two trips when I walked home - one for each shoe. However, I decided to take them both home at the same time. A friend of mine at work took this picture of me, starting my journey home:
The walk home usually takes me 6 - 8 minutes, but I was over an hour that day. Oh well, Chuck has his shoes so he's happy.
Today's symptoms: My whole body feels really heavy (like it's encased in cement). I'm really weak, sore, stiff and just feeling all around rotten. Not to mention how bummed I am about not getting to fly tonight.
Actually, I think I may know why I am so weak and fatigued today. Earlier this week, Chuck asked me to pick up his shoes from The Boot Shop near my office. Needless to say, his shoes are much bigger and heavier than mine. I was going to make two trips when I walked home - one for each shoe. However, I decided to take them both home at the same time. A friend of mine at work took this picture of me, starting my journey home:
The walk home usually takes me 6 - 8 minutes, but I was over an hour that day. Oh well, Chuck has his shoes so he's happy.
Today's symptoms: My whole body feels really heavy (like it's encased in cement). I'm really weak, sore, stiff and just feeling all around rotten. Not to mention how bummed I am about not getting to fly tonight.
Flightless in St. Kitts
As I mentioned in my last blog, I was unable to fly this weekend due to the airspace restrictions for the G8/G20 summits. Fortunately, the weather was poop-o-la, so I wouldn't have flown anyway. Instead, Jan, Chuck and I drove to St. Jacob's on Saturday. We had a great time! We first hit the farmer's market, then over to the outlet mall (across the street). Next, we went to the Stone Crock for their lunch buffet. As usual, it was amazing. We all stuffed ourselves silly and had to waddle out of the restaurant. We rolled down the street and hit the stores in the silo. We didn't make any purchases, but Jan purchased a straw broom from the broom shop across the street. It was interesting to watch the dudes make them from scratch. Probably a little better quality than one you would buy at Zellers....
We went into my favourite store - Angel Treasures. I had purchased some really nice prints by the artist Elvira Amrhein, during my last couple of trips there:
And the one Chuck bought me yesterday:
Ugh, it's hard to pick a favourite, but I think it would be either of the last two. While there, I also purchased this one:
Totally different than the others, but something about it screamed "take me home!"....so I did.
It was a great day - we all really enjoyed the trip.
Today, Chuck and I just sat around, half out of it. The humidity was a total energy zapper. Now we're experiencing a bad storm and the poopy cable keeps cutting out. How rude!
Today's symptoms: Very weak and tired, due to the long day I had yesterday. It was more than worth it though!
We went into my favourite store - Angel Treasures. I had purchased some really nice prints by the artist Elvira Amrhein, during my last couple of trips there:
And the one Chuck bought me yesterday:
Ugh, it's hard to pick a favourite, but I think it would be either of the last two. While there, I also purchased this one:
Totally different than the others, but something about it screamed "take me home!"....so I did.
It was a great day - we all really enjoyed the trip.
Today, Chuck and I just sat around, half out of it. The humidity was a total energy zapper. Now we're experiencing a bad storm and the poopy cable keeps cutting out. How rude!
Today's symptoms: Very weak and tired, due to the long day I had yesterday. It was more than worth it though!
Vyc Pics
I'm not sure what's going on with the weather forecasters these days. Last weekend they called for severe storms, which never happened. Today was supposed to be the same, but we didn't get anything more than a shower.
Jan and I went for a brief flight on Sunday. It was a little rough so we didn't stay up too long. After I got home, one of the nice folks from the tower sent me some pictures he took of us:
I hope to get out for another flight or two this week, since I won't be flying this weekend. The airspace in our area is affected by the G8/G20 summits, so I'm grounded. I can fly if I file a flight plan, but I would be too nervous that something would go wrong and I would end up being intercepted. It would look something like this:
How embarrassing would that be? Little Vyctor is too cute to be intercepted and experience such trauma!
Symptoms for today: I unfortunately had to leave work early due to fatigue and a fair bit of crushing pain in my right arm, hand and hip.
Jan and I went for a brief flight on Sunday. It was a little rough so we didn't stay up too long. After I got home, one of the nice folks from the tower sent me some pictures he took of us:
I hope to get out for another flight or two this week, since I won't be flying this weekend. The airspace in our area is affected by the G8/G20 summits, so I'm grounded. I can fly if I file a flight plan, but I would be too nervous that something would go wrong and I would end up being intercepted. It would look something like this:
How embarrassing would that be? Little Vyctor is too cute to be intercepted and experience such trauma!
Symptoms for today: I unfortunately had to leave work early due to fatigue and a fair bit of crushing pain in my right arm, hand and hip.
Is It Friday Yet?
My friend from work and I went up for a night flight this past Friday. I arrived at the airport rather early, so I ended up flying alone to do some aerobatics. I think I was only up for about 25 minutes. I was happy to see how smooth it was, which would be appreciated by my passenger. Not long after I landed, my friend arrived. We watched a large plane start up and take off before we climbed in Vyctor and set out around 9:30pm. I told her we would climb to 3500 feet, which is the required altitude for planes in the Niagara Falls scenic circuit. I hit 3500' just before we were over Queenston. I throttled down to cruise speed and my friend said "Oh, are we stopping?" I said "Yes, we're just going to pull over here, get out and take some pictures!" We both had a good laugh. We were over the Falls about 20 minutes before the fireworks started. The view was amazing. She was so impressed and couldn't believe how different it was at night. The coloured lights on the Falls were impressive:
A couple times, the spot lights hit Vyctor's white wing and we thought the fireworks had started - it was so bright! However, they didn't start until 10:00pm. It was nice that we were the only aircraft in the circuit. There were tons of cars lined up on the road along the Falls, all watching the show. Needless to say, we had the best seat in the house. The show went on for almost 10 minutes! It was amazing, especially when we were almost right over the pyrotechnics.
My friend was so happy with the flight. That was the third time I've taken her up, but the first time at night.
Our landing was fun. I showed her how I could turn on the runway lights by clicking my push-to-talk switch a few times. I'm hoping I can go for another night flight again soon.
I was at the airport last night, with my Recreational Aircraft Association folks. They are such a great bunch! Our guest speaker last night builds and rides velomobiles . They are aerodynamic, recumbent cycles. Some of the ones they brought were also battery powered. I wasn't going to try one, thinking I would end up causing a scene (I was wearing a skirt and heels!) However, since some of them were fully enclosed, I was pretty safe (as were the onlookers!). It was a total blast to ride around the apron at the airport! Everyone was having a good time. I took some pictures with my phone's camera, but haven't sent them to my computer yet. I'm also going to ask if anyone else there last night could email me some of the pics they took.
The meeting went very well. Since the airport is under construction and totally torn up, I suggested everyone bring a flash light. It wouldn't be too safe walking back to their cars at night, considering the uneven and yucky ground. I had two small flashlights, but was mostly pointing them behind me for the other people walking. My shoes paid for this big-time. Yucky is right! My cats were quite shocked when I got home:
Instead of taking the time to clean them, I'm just waiting for the mud to dry, then I'm going to colour over it with a black marker.
Today's symptoms: Feeling pretty good for most of the day. My energy didn't start to drop off until around 3:00 - surprising since my late night last night.
A couple times, the spot lights hit Vyctor's white wing and we thought the fireworks had started - it was so bright! However, they didn't start until 10:00pm. It was nice that we were the only aircraft in the circuit. There were tons of cars lined up on the road along the Falls, all watching the show. Needless to say, we had the best seat in the house. The show went on for almost 10 minutes! It was amazing, especially when we were almost right over the pyrotechnics.
My friend was so happy with the flight. That was the third time I've taken her up, but the first time at night.
Our landing was fun. I showed her how I could turn on the runway lights by clicking my push-to-talk switch a few times. I'm hoping I can go for another night flight again soon.
I was at the airport last night, with my Recreational Aircraft Association folks. They are such a great bunch! Our guest speaker last night builds and rides velomobiles . They are aerodynamic, recumbent cycles. Some of the ones they brought were also battery powered. I wasn't going to try one, thinking I would end up causing a scene (I was wearing a skirt and heels!) However, since some of them were fully enclosed, I was pretty safe (as were the onlookers!). It was a total blast to ride around the apron at the airport! Everyone was having a good time. I took some pictures with my phone's camera, but haven't sent them to my computer yet. I'm also going to ask if anyone else there last night could email me some of the pics they took.
The meeting went very well. Since the airport is under construction and totally torn up, I suggested everyone bring a flash light. It wouldn't be too safe walking back to their cars at night, considering the uneven and yucky ground. I had two small flashlights, but was mostly pointing them behind me for the other people walking. My shoes paid for this big-time. Yucky is right! My cats were quite shocked when I got home:
Instead of taking the time to clean them, I'm just waiting for the mud to dry, then I'm going to colour over it with a black marker.
Today's symptoms: Feeling pretty good for most of the day. My energy didn't start to drop off until around 3:00 - surprising since my late night last night.
Nothing Exciting...
Nothing fun and exciting has been going on with me lately. Thus, the delay between the last few blogs.
The weather last weekend was yucky, so I didn't get to go flying. Unfortunately, it looks like this weekend is going to be the same, if not worse. I am, however, planning on taking up a friend from work tomorrow night. We both want to fly over Niagara Falls to watch the fireworks show at 10:00 pm. The clouds and rain are not supposed to roll in until after midnight - at least that was the last prediction. I think it's only fair that the weather stays nice enough to allow for my flight tomorrow night, since it will take away my joy and passion this weekend! How rude! I hope to have some nice pyrotechnic photos to show in my next blog.
Little Mya has become obsessed with running out into the hall whenever we open the door. It wouldn't be a big deal except for the fact that we live in an apartment and she meows constantly while she's out there. Fortunately, some of my neighbours are a little deaf... Another thing they both do is run into my hoodie closet whenever I open it. Yes, I have an entire closet dedicated to my hoodie collection. Some women have purses and shoes, I have hoodies. It's all good:
At least I don't have to worry about cat hair all over my clothes...
Today's symptoms: Feeling better today than I have all week. My energy and mood have been down more than normal lately.
The weather last weekend was yucky, so I didn't get to go flying. Unfortunately, it looks like this weekend is going to be the same, if not worse. I am, however, planning on taking up a friend from work tomorrow night. We both want to fly over Niagara Falls to watch the fireworks show at 10:00 pm. The clouds and rain are not supposed to roll in until after midnight - at least that was the last prediction. I think it's only fair that the weather stays nice enough to allow for my flight tomorrow night, since it will take away my joy and passion this weekend! How rude! I hope to have some nice pyrotechnic photos to show in my next blog.
Little Mya has become obsessed with running out into the hall whenever we open the door. It wouldn't be a big deal except for the fact that we live in an apartment and she meows constantly while she's out there. Fortunately, some of my neighbours are a little deaf... Another thing they both do is run into my hoodie closet whenever I open it. Yes, I have an entire closet dedicated to my hoodie collection. Some women have purses and shoes, I have hoodies. It's all good:
At least I don't have to worry about cat hair all over my clothes...
Today's symptoms: Feeling better today than I have all week. My energy and mood have been down more than normal lately.
Down to Downsview
Chuck and I took advantage of the nice weather this past weekend and flew down to the fly-in at the Downsview airport in Toronto. Actually, I shouldn't really say the weather was all that "nice" as it was quite hazy, then became windy once we got past Hamilton. Here's a shot of Toronto through the haze and smog:
The flight to the airport took less than 45 minutes, which was nice considering how bumpy and lumpy it was getting.
Once we touched down, there were many marshallers out to guide us to our parking spot:
Actually, we didn't pull into the parking spot. Instead, after I shut down, little Vyctor was escorted to his place.
I was actually surprised that there weren't more planes there.
We wandered around to the vendors, then over to the museum. Does this engine make my butt look big?
I was really happy to see the Silver Dart replica and a couple of its builders there. Two are members of the Recreational Aircraft Association (Niagara Chapter) .
Another nice treat was meeting hockey legend Johnny Bower :
My mother is a Maple Leafs fan, so I got her an autographed photo.
We were there for a couple of hours, then helped push Vyctor back to the taxiway:
I'm trying to pull Vyctor off a collision course with the other parked planes - it was really tight!
The flight back wasn't quite as bumpy, which is typically nice for my passengers. I don't seem to mind so much.
Nothing too exciting planned for this week. I'm hoping to go flying one day, but the weather doesn't look too good for the next few days.
Today's symptoms: I was really drained and weak by the time mid-afternoon rolled around. It led to a boring evening and night of recovering in bed - blah!
The flight to the airport took less than 45 minutes, which was nice considering how bumpy and lumpy it was getting.
Once we touched down, there were many marshallers out to guide us to our parking spot:
Actually, we didn't pull into the parking spot. Instead, after I shut down, little Vyctor was escorted to his place.
I was actually surprised that there weren't more planes there.
We wandered around to the vendors, then over to the museum. Does this engine make my butt look big?
I was really happy to see the Silver Dart replica and a couple of its builders there. Two are members of the Recreational Aircraft Association (Niagara Chapter) .
Another nice treat was meeting hockey legend Johnny Bower :
My mother is a Maple Leafs fan, so I got her an autographed photo.
We were there for a couple of hours, then helped push Vyctor back to the taxiway:
I'm trying to pull Vyctor off a collision course with the other parked planes - it was really tight!
The flight back wasn't quite as bumpy, which is typically nice for my passengers. I don't seem to mind so much.
Nothing too exciting planned for this week. I'm hoping to go flying one day, but the weather doesn't look too good for the next few days.
Today's symptoms: I was really drained and weak by the time mid-afternoon rolled around. It led to a boring evening and night of recovering in bed - blah!
Night Flight Fireworks
Chuck and I decided to take a flight on Sunday night to watch some of the fireworks. I think the main displays were actually on Victoria Day, but we knew there would be a few of them the day before. We took off just before dusk. Our first stop was over Niagara Falls:
You can see the spot lights shining on the Canadian Falls in the above shot. It was a very smooth flight, but it was more hazy than I thought it would be. We couldn't even see Toronto across the lake.
Here's another angle of the Falls:
We watched a few small firework shows along the Lake Ontario shoreline, plus one out in Welland. It was just after 10:00 pm when I decided to land. Just then a nice show started over the Falls. With Vyctor at full throttle, I told Chuck to lean forward as we raced toward the display of light! We were belting along at 120 miles per hour. Unfortunately we didn't make it, and had to watch the grand finale from afar:
There is a firework display every Friday night over the Falls. I'm hoping to go back up within the next couple of weeks for a closer viewing!
It was a really nice flight and Chuck seemed to really enjoy it.
Speaking of spectacular sights, check out this little display of insanity:
Abby looks like a pirate undergoing an exorcism! Arrrrgh!
Today's symptoms: I actually felt decent today! My fatigue level was more than tolerable and not too much pain either.
You can see the spot lights shining on the Canadian Falls in the above shot. It was a very smooth flight, but it was more hazy than I thought it would be. We couldn't even see Toronto across the lake.
Here's another angle of the Falls:
We watched a few small firework shows along the Lake Ontario shoreline, plus one out in Welland. It was just after 10:00 pm when I decided to land. Just then a nice show started over the Falls. With Vyctor at full throttle, I told Chuck to lean forward as we raced toward the display of light! We were belting along at 120 miles per hour. Unfortunately we didn't make it, and had to watch the grand finale from afar:
There is a firework display every Friday night over the Falls. I'm hoping to go back up within the next couple of weeks for a closer viewing!
It was a really nice flight and Chuck seemed to really enjoy it.
Speaking of spectacular sights, check out this little display of insanity:
Abby looks like a pirate undergoing an exorcism! Arrrrgh!
Today's symptoms: I actually felt decent today! My fatigue level was more than tolerable and not too much pain either.
Hold Short of Runway 06
I was able to take to the skies this morning. I took up a woman from work who was a winner of one of the three flights I "donated" toward the Walk for MS fundraiser. I was a little surprised when I pulled into the airport, as there was a swarm of cop cars. I made my way over to the hangar and started the pre-flight inspection of my plane. My passenger arrived and watched while I finished the walk-around. Once done, we climbed aboard Vyctor, got our cameras ready and started up. I taxied over to the end of the runway and was asked to hold short while a plane landed. I decided not to complain about having to wait a couple minutes for the incoming plane, as it was the Prime Minister! I figure since I work for the government, he's kind of my "boss." Here's a shot of his jet:
I'm sure if Mr. Harper saw how cute little Vyctor is, he would have told his pilot to overshoot the runway to let me take-off without having to wait for him.
The flight was amazingly calm. Unfortunately, the visibility wasn't the best due to haze and smog. Still, my passenger really enjoyed herself. We first headed around the Niagara Falls scenic circuit.
My passenger was shocked to see the whales in the tanks at Marineland! After the Falls, we flew over her house in Welland. From there we flew towards the Lake Erie shoreline, then to Fort Erie. My mother and I went to Niagara Falls, New York yesterday, and the bridge wasn't too busy. That sure wasn't the case today! Since it's the long weekend, the bridge was totally packed. They said on the news that the wait on the Peace Bridge was over an hour and on the Queenston Bridge was over two hours at one point! Yuck! Here's a shot of the Peace Bridge at about 10:30 this morning:
The traffic going into Canada was quite light, but check out the lines going to the US!
We followed the QEW North, then went around Niagara-On-The-Lake. My passenger couldn't believe the small runway we were going to land on. We took off from the larger one, but the winds changed during the flight, so the tower changed the active runway.
After touch-down, we walked closer to the Prime Minister's jet and snapped some photos. Then it was back to work!
As I mentioned, Lil' Jan and I went to the Factory Outlet Mall in Niagara Falls, NY yesterday. She bought a pair of those Skechers Shape-Ups shoes . I still can't believe how comfortable they are - I've been recommending them to everyone.
Chuck and I are hoping to fly to Tillsonburg tomorrow for a fly-in. However, the weather isn't looking so good. At least the rest of the weekend is supposed to be decent. I would really like to take a night flight during the fire works. Hopefully I come back to the airport without any scorch marks on the bottom of my plane.
Today's symptoms: Feeling fairly good today! My fatigue level was fine until later this afternoon. I'm still experiencing a bit of pain in my hands.
I'm sure if Mr. Harper saw how cute little Vyctor is, he would have told his pilot to overshoot the runway to let me take-off without having to wait for him.
The flight was amazingly calm. Unfortunately, the visibility wasn't the best due to haze and smog. Still, my passenger really enjoyed herself. We first headed around the Niagara Falls scenic circuit.
My passenger was shocked to see the whales in the tanks at Marineland! After the Falls, we flew over her house in Welland. From there we flew towards the Lake Erie shoreline, then to Fort Erie. My mother and I went to Niagara Falls, New York yesterday, and the bridge wasn't too busy. That sure wasn't the case today! Since it's the long weekend, the bridge was totally packed. They said on the news that the wait on the Peace Bridge was over an hour and on the Queenston Bridge was over two hours at one point! Yuck! Here's a shot of the Peace Bridge at about 10:30 this morning:
The traffic going into Canada was quite light, but check out the lines going to the US!
We followed the QEW North, then went around Niagara-On-The-Lake. My passenger couldn't believe the small runway we were going to land on. We took off from the larger one, but the winds changed during the flight, so the tower changed the active runway.
After touch-down, we walked closer to the Prime Minister's jet and snapped some photos. Then it was back to work!
As I mentioned, Lil' Jan and I went to the Factory Outlet Mall in Niagara Falls, NY yesterday. She bought a pair of those Skechers Shape-Ups shoes . I still can't believe how comfortable they are - I've been recommending them to everyone.
Chuck and I are hoping to fly to Tillsonburg tomorrow for a fly-in. However, the weather isn't looking so good. At least the rest of the weekend is supposed to be decent. I would really like to take a night flight during the fire works. Hopefully I come back to the airport without any scorch marks on the bottom of my plane.
Today's symptoms: Feeling fairly good today! My fatigue level was fine until later this afternoon. I'm still experiencing a bit of pain in my hands.
Bye Bye Birdie
I had something interesting happen yesterday. I was driving through the parking lot at my apartment on the way to work. I stopped when I noticed a small bird standing in the driveway. I opened my door to see if he was ok and he flew right into my car! He sat in the little compartment on the passenger's side door:
When I tried to get him out, he jumped up on my finger and wouldn't let go. It was so cute! The superintendent walked out and looked over at me with the bird. I told him I may need help getting the little guy on his way. He lifted it off my finger and it flew away. I think that's a reasonable excuse to be four minutes late for work that morning....
I visited with my mother today. We just went to Tim Horton's for a coffee, then to Shopper's Drug Mart. When we got back home, we decided to wash my car. Jan did the exterior while I did the interior. Lola Corolla looks so good now!
After cleaning the car, we worked on taking down her small dead tree by the porch. I snapped the tree at the base with a couple of kicks. Working on digging out the stump and roots was a little more time consuming. At one point, I used every ounce of my weight to heave the stump loose:
Yes, my feet are off the ground, and no, the stump didn't budge. A few more digs and the stubborn thing finally gave in.
Today's symptoms: Not feeling as bad as I have been for the last week. I think it's a sign of feeling well in the near future! Yea, we'll go with that!
When I tried to get him out, he jumped up on my finger and wouldn't let go. It was so cute! The superintendent walked out and looked over at me with the bird. I told him I may need help getting the little guy on his way. He lifted it off my finger and it flew away. I think that's a reasonable excuse to be four minutes late for work that morning....
I visited with my mother today. We just went to Tim Horton's for a coffee, then to Shopper's Drug Mart. When we got back home, we decided to wash my car. Jan did the exterior while I did the interior. Lola Corolla looks so good now!
After cleaning the car, we worked on taking down her small dead tree by the porch. I snapped the tree at the base with a couple of kicks. Working on digging out the stump and roots was a little more time consuming. At one point, I used every ounce of my weight to heave the stump loose:
Yes, my feet are off the ground, and no, the stump didn't budge. A few more digs and the stubborn thing finally gave in.
Today's symptoms: Not feeling as bad as I have been for the last week. I think it's a sign of feeling well in the near future! Yea, we'll go with that!
Blah Week
Today was my compressed day off. Jan and I went over to the PEN Centre, just to wander around aimlessly. There wasn't too much else to do on this poopy weather day. I gave her a couple things we picked up in Minnesota. She really helped out with Mya and Abby - coming to the apartment twice a day for three days to feed them and give Abby her medication. Such a good little mommy!
I was going through the pictures from Minnesota on Chuck's camera. I didn't realize he took a picture of me in the flight simulator (mentioned in my previous blog entry):
Speaking of odd pictures, here's one of my Mya doing her contortionist routine:
I wish I had more to report, but this hasn't been the most exciting week of my life. Hopefully something good will happen this weekend!
Today's symptoms: Fatigue level was average but my jaw pain and body aches were worse than normal.
I was going through the pictures from Minnesota on Chuck's camera. I didn't realize he took a picture of me in the flight simulator (mentioned in my previous blog entry):
Speaking of odd pictures, here's one of my Mya doing her contortionist routine:
I wish I had more to report, but this hasn't been the most exciting week of my life. Hopefully something good will happen this weekend!
Today's symptoms: Fatigue level was average but my jaw pain and body aches were worse than normal.
I'm In Minnesota!
Chuck and I flew into Minnesota out of Toronto this morning. We are visiting the Mall of America, and it's amazing!
In Toronto, I couldn't believe how long we were taxiing to our runway. I thought we were going to have to refuel when we got there! We passed some other cute planes on the way:
We hit some yucky weather when we arrived:
In Minnesota, we taxied past some Air Force aircraft on the way to the apron:
After checking into our hotel, we took the shuttle across the street to the mall. I was really looking forward to the ACES Flight Simulator. We headed there first and I joined three other people for the pre-flight instructional video. We then went into our individual flight simulators. We had headsets on so we could talk to each other and the "instructor." I chose to fly the P51 Mustang (from World War II). We started the simulators in the air, so I didn't have the pleasure of taking off. I decided to try shooting down my fellow simulators right of the bat. Unfortunately, my guns were disabled - bummer. I let the staff guy know and he restarted my program to fix my weapons. He then set me up for a full out dog fight. Over 30 minutes, I was pretty sure I shot down three other planes. When the simulation was over, I was surprised to hear I took down six! The staff guy said that was really good. It was a real rush and I may go back tomorrow.
After the simulator, we wandered over to the food court for some lunch. As you can see from this picture, I was totally enthused about my massive salad:
The mall has a huge amusement park:
We ended up making a few really nice purchases. We visited the Rockport store so Chuck could buy some new shoes. We both noticed an amazing purse behind the counter. Our sales-personage, Saroeum, brought the purse down off the shelf, and handed it over. I felt guilty about buying it, but Chuck let me know that he didn't share my feelings! Here it is:
Isn't it great?! So unique looking!
Today's symptoms: I cannot believe how long I made it today! The fatigue wasn't too bad. I had the crushing pains in my hand again today, but not as bad as the last few days.
In Toronto, I couldn't believe how long we were taxiing to our runway. I thought we were going to have to refuel when we got there! We passed some other cute planes on the way:
We hit some yucky weather when we arrived:
In Minnesota, we taxied past some Air Force aircraft on the way to the apron:
After checking into our hotel, we took the shuttle across the street to the mall. I was really looking forward to the ACES Flight Simulator. We headed there first and I joined three other people for the pre-flight instructional video. We then went into our individual flight simulators. We had headsets on so we could talk to each other and the "instructor." I chose to fly the P51 Mustang (from World War II). We started the simulators in the air, so I didn't have the pleasure of taking off. I decided to try shooting down my fellow simulators right of the bat. Unfortunately, my guns were disabled - bummer. I let the staff guy know and he restarted my program to fix my weapons. He then set me up for a full out dog fight. Over 30 minutes, I was pretty sure I shot down three other planes. When the simulation was over, I was surprised to hear I took down six! The staff guy said that was really good. It was a real rush and I may go back tomorrow.
After the simulator, we wandered over to the food court for some lunch. As you can see from this picture, I was totally enthused about my massive salad:
The mall has a huge amusement park:
We ended up making a few really nice purchases. We visited the Rockport store so Chuck could buy some new shoes. We both noticed an amazing purse behind the counter. Our sales-personage, Saroeum, brought the purse down off the shelf, and handed it over. I felt guilty about buying it, but Chuck let me know that he didn't share my feelings! Here it is:
Isn't it great?! So unique looking!
Today's symptoms: I cannot believe how long I made it today! The fatigue wasn't too bad. I had the crushing pains in my hand again today, but not as bad as the last few days.
Yumalicious
I was able to take to the skies today, despite the high winds. I bought a new headset at the Aviation Expo last weekend, so I needed to test it out. Chuck and I are going to Minnesota this weekend, so no flying for moi. The winds were 25 knots gusting 30 knots. I was blowin' in the wind - literally! Fortunately, my new headset worked great!
When I got home, I decided to try and create a broccoli soup from a recipe a friend from work gave me. I am surprised and impressed with her faith in me and my cooking skills (or lack thereof). I was shocked that I was actually able to create an edible dish from scratch! Go me! The soup was yumalicious and very healthy. I feel so domesticated.
I'm really looking forward to going to Minnesota this weekend. Chuck and I will be heading to Toronto tomorrow and stay overnight near the airport. Our flight leaves around 9:30 Friday morning. We're going to the Mall of America there. It's huge! I'll also be trying out the flight simulator . I think the weekend will be a great get-away for both of us.
A friend from work sent me this picture after spotting the town on the way to her property up North:
Sounds like a WONDERFUL place!
Symptoms for today: Just feeling a little drained, but nothing major. I had some aches in my left hand during the morning, but nothing to write home about.
When I got home, I decided to try and create a broccoli soup from a recipe a friend from work gave me. I am surprised and impressed with her faith in me and my cooking skills (or lack thereof). I was shocked that I was actually able to create an edible dish from scratch! Go me! The soup was yumalicious and very healthy. I feel so domesticated.
I'm really looking forward to going to Minnesota this weekend. Chuck and I will be heading to Toronto tomorrow and stay overnight near the airport. Our flight leaves around 9:30 Friday morning. We're going to the Mall of America there. It's huge! I'll also be trying out the flight simulator . I think the weekend will be a great get-away for both of us.
A friend from work sent me this picture after spotting the town on the way to her property up North:
Sounds like a WONDERFUL place!
Symptoms for today: Just feeling a little drained, but nothing major. I had some aches in my left hand during the morning, but nothing to write home about.
Aviation Expo
I've been looking forward to today for a couple months now. It was the first day of the Aviation Expo at the Hamilton Airport. I was hoping to fly in, but the weather was a no-go. The light rain was fine, but not the thunder storms. I was shocked to see a few people did fly in during the storm! Not a good idea! Anyway, Chuck and I drove to the Airport this morning and arrived around 10:45. There was a seminar run by Transport Canada that I wanted to attend. I suggested to Chuck that he go wander around for a bit, because it would probably not be interesting to him at all. I think he regretted not heeding my advice! Oh well, it was only an hour and he survived.
We met up with a few of the folks from my RAA chapter. I met a couple over by the National RAA booth. I was happy to see our picture board standing proud! I created the board with pictures of our members planes and projects. One of our members made a really nice easel to display it on - I was really impressed with it! A friend of mine (who is also a member) was nice enough to bring the board and easel to the Expo this morning.
Chuck and I had over two hours between the end of the first seminar and the second one, so we wandered around. Due to the weather, the turn-out wasn't as good as last year.
I was really looking forward to the second seminar. Canadian Astronaut Dr. David Williams spoke to us for about an hour on his two missions into space. It was amazing! Some of the things he mentioned are just so hard to comprehend, such as the top speed of the space shuttle at 8 kilometers a second! He had awesome pictures he took from space. I had goose-bumps the whole time. He was very nice and personable too. He allowed us to take a picture with him:
The day was great (minus the fact that I couldn't fly!) I was considering going back tomorrow, only if I could fly there. The weather is looking about the same as today though. How pooped I am right now is well worth what I experienced today! I think I'm going to scooch my kitties over a bit and flop on the bed. I don't really want to disturb them though - look how cute and content they are:
Today's symptoms: A little more fatigued than normal, but was still able to last the day. I think my body is starting to slip into a coma right now though...
We met up with a few of the folks from my RAA chapter. I met a couple over by the National RAA booth. I was happy to see our picture board standing proud! I created the board with pictures of our members planes and projects. One of our members made a really nice easel to display it on - I was really impressed with it! A friend of mine (who is also a member) was nice enough to bring the board and easel to the Expo this morning.
Chuck and I had over two hours between the end of the first seminar and the second one, so we wandered around. Due to the weather, the turn-out wasn't as good as last year.
I was really looking forward to the second seminar. Canadian Astronaut Dr. David Williams spoke to us for about an hour on his two missions into space. It was amazing! Some of the things he mentioned are just so hard to comprehend, such as the top speed of the space shuttle at 8 kilometers a second! He had awesome pictures he took from space. I had goose-bumps the whole time. He was very nice and personable too. He allowed us to take a picture with him:
The day was great (minus the fact that I couldn't fly!) I was considering going back tomorrow, only if I could fly there. The weather is looking about the same as today though. How pooped I am right now is well worth what I experienced today! I think I'm going to scooch my kitties over a bit and flop on the bed. I don't really want to disturb them though - look how cute and content they are:
Today's symptoms: A little more fatigued than normal, but was still able to last the day. I think my body is starting to slip into a coma right now though...
Elizafix
Is it only Monday? It feels like Friday....you know it's a long day when...
I was speaking with my friend at work this morning. She was facing a window behind me. She suddenly looked shocked and said "Oh my gosh! A man just walked by the window! All I saw were his legs!" They are resurfacing the outside of our building, so there is scaffolding up. The guy was obviously walking on the scaffolding. I put my hand on her shoulder and said "Just think, this is what my short little mother sees everyday! Unless she looks up, all she sees is legs!" Tee Hee!
Not too much happened this weekend. It was basically what I mentioned in my previous blog entry - cleaned the carpets and studied for a test. However, there was one interesting little tidbit, which may lead to a very short-lived new blog segment. It's a new handy-man section I would like to try out. Mind you, I can't see it lasting too long. Anyway, Chuck let me know that the door handle on the closet snapped in two. I took it upon myself to investigate and ended up breaking it in another spot in the process. Chuck wrote up the work order to bring to the superintendent, while I began to Elizafix the handle. I found a small, curved brush that no one was using, and came up with the perfect solution:
Not only is it a functional door handle, but it's also a nail cleaner! Talk about multi-tasking!
I decided to tell Abby about my professional handy-man skills, which allowed me to Elizafix the door. This was her response (even the lamb wasn't amused):
Today's symptoms: Not feeling too bad. My jaw was hurting a little more than usual and a bit of a headache. Still, the fatigue was better than it's been over the last few weeks. Yea!
I was speaking with my friend at work this morning. She was facing a window behind me. She suddenly looked shocked and said "Oh my gosh! A man just walked by the window! All I saw were his legs!" They are resurfacing the outside of our building, so there is scaffolding up. The guy was obviously walking on the scaffolding. I put my hand on her shoulder and said "Just think, this is what my short little mother sees everyday! Unless she looks up, all she sees is legs!" Tee Hee!
Not too much happened this weekend. It was basically what I mentioned in my previous blog entry - cleaned the carpets and studied for a test. However, there was one interesting little tidbit, which may lead to a very short-lived new blog segment. It's a new handy-man section I would like to try out. Mind you, I can't see it lasting too long. Anyway, Chuck let me know that the door handle on the closet snapped in two. I took it upon myself to investigate and ended up breaking it in another spot in the process. Chuck wrote up the work order to bring to the superintendent, while I began to Elizafix the handle. I found a small, curved brush that no one was using, and came up with the perfect solution:
Not only is it a functional door handle, but it's also a nail cleaner! Talk about multi-tasking!
I decided to tell Abby about my professional handy-man skills, which allowed me to Elizafix the door. This was her response (even the lamb wasn't amused):
Today's symptoms: Not feeling too bad. My jaw was hurting a little more than usual and a bit of a headache. Still, the fatigue was better than it's been over the last few weeks. Yea!
Jersey Boys
It's been a few days since my last blog entry. Reason - nothing exciting has happened over the last week! Blah! At least today was a little better. Chuck, Jan and I went to Shea's Performing Arts in Buffalo to see Jersey Boys . Chuck and I watched it in Toronto a few months ago. I'm really not sure which performance I enjoyed more. They were both great! We had pretty good seats too.
We had an interesting drive back, especially when we got to the Peace Bridge. Just as we arrived at the rather long line for customs, the supervisor walked out close to our car, and start directing cars into the two far left lanes. People were scrambling to get up to the newly opened lanes, causing a fair bit of yelling from frustrated drivers and the supervisor. Man, people are so impatient anymore! At least it was amusing for the people (like us) who were in no real rush. It was also amusing when we got up to the pay booth. Chuck asked the guy if the charge would go through on his Nexus card. The guy was clearly in a rather giddy mood and told us that the charge would not go through Nexus on this bridge "never, never, never, NEVER, NEVER....." He must have said "never" a dozen times! At least he knows how to make his job interesting.
I don't have too much planned for tomorrow other than studying for some tests for work...just try to control your jealousy. I was hoping to go for a flight, but the weather isn't looking too good. Oh, I plan on cleaning the carpets too. Again, control your jealousy!
Today's symptoms: Feeling quite fatigued and weak again. I seem to be having a hard time climbing out of this rut I've been in lately.
We had an interesting drive back, especially when we got to the Peace Bridge. Just as we arrived at the rather long line for customs, the supervisor walked out close to our car, and start directing cars into the two far left lanes. People were scrambling to get up to the newly opened lanes, causing a fair bit of yelling from frustrated drivers and the supervisor. Man, people are so impatient anymore! At least it was amusing for the people (like us) who were in no real rush. It was also amusing when we got up to the pay booth. Chuck asked the guy if the charge would go through on his Nexus card. The guy was clearly in a rather giddy mood and told us that the charge would not go through Nexus on this bridge "never, never, never, NEVER, NEVER....." He must have said "never" a dozen times! At least he knows how to make his job interesting.
I don't have too much planned for tomorrow other than studying for some tests for work...just try to control your jealousy. I was hoping to go for a flight, but the weather isn't looking too good. Oh, I plan on cleaning the carpets too. Again, control your jealousy!
Today's symptoms: Feeling quite fatigued and weak again. I seem to be having a hard time climbing out of this rut I've been in lately.
MS Walk/Fly
The MS Walk was today and fortunately, the weather was good enough to fly over the Walk! The Walk was to start at 9:00, so I made sure I was airborne by 8:40. I headed over to Port Dalhousie and waited for a call from Chuck to let me know the Walk was underway. There was a huge group of people standing together when I arrived. After about 15 minutes of flying around, I figured the Walk would start any second. I did a descent of about 500 feet, just to increase the sound of my engine and alert everyone to my presence. As I later found out, I did this immediately after the MC announced that "Lizzy McFly would be flying over the Walk route for the third year in a row!" Pure luck that my timing of the "dive" was right after he said that.
Here is a picture of the group just before they started the Walk:
Chuck also took some pics on the ground of my plane:
I was always pretty good at "Where's Waldo?" and was able to quickly spot Chuck and Jan in this picture:
Here's a shot soon after the Walk started:
After flying over to Welland, I headed back to St. Catharines for a landing. I decided to meet up with Jan and Chuck in Port Dalhousie. I was greeted by a few people. Many asked me if I could see them waving!
It was a great day and I'm looking forward to hearing how much money Niagara raised for MS!
Today's symptoms: Feeling great in the morning, then a little weary in the afternoon. Not too much else to report!
Here is a picture of the group just before they started the Walk:
Chuck also took some pics on the ground of my plane:
I was always pretty good at "Where's Waldo?" and was able to quickly spot Chuck and Jan in this picture:
Here's a shot soon after the Walk started:
After flying over to Welland, I headed back to St. Catharines for a landing. I decided to meet up with Jan and Chuck in Port Dalhousie. I was greeted by a few people. Many asked me if I could see them waving!
It was a great day and I'm looking forward to hearing how much money Niagara raised for MS!
Today's symptoms: Feeling great in the morning, then a little weary in the afternoon. Not too much else to report!
Ewww
Tomorrow is the big day - the MS Walk! The weather is looking very iffy right now, as it is every year for the Walk. The MS Society really needs to arrange things with Environment Canada a little better so there is sun! Jan came to St. Catharines today and we dropped off my pledges. As of today, I have raised over $7000! Yea! That more than doubles my initial goal. I received some more pledges today after I dropped off the first batch, so Chuck and Jan will be submitting them tomorrow before the Walk. They will be doing the Port Dalhousie route this year. This is also the first place I will fly over, then to Chippawa, then Welland and back to Port Dalhousie. When we get back from the Walk, Chuck and I will be doing the draws for the winners of the flights (everyone who donated at the Marcel Dionne MS fundraiser as well as a few people who brought in completed pledge sheets.) I'm sure I will have some good pictures to share on my blog tomorrow!
To change the topic, I would like to promote a new product that I just tried. It's called Bissell Ewww Dog Stain and Odor Remover . Wow! It works wonders on cat poopies on the carpet! For some reason, Abby likes to poop on the floor a few times a month. I think she has psychological issues. Anyway, she did a dilly on the floor this morning and I used my Bissell Ewww....the carpet was like new after! It was on sale at PetSmart last week. I may go back soon and stock up!
Speaking of kitties, here is one of bug eyed Abby:
Today's symptoms: Feel better today than I have in the last week. I plan on getting a good sleep tonight so I'm well rested for the flight tomorrow. Stay tuned!
To change the topic, I would like to promote a new product that I just tried. It's called Bissell Ewww Dog Stain and Odor Remover . Wow! It works wonders on cat poopies on the carpet! For some reason, Abby likes to poop on the floor a few times a month. I think she has psychological issues. Anyway, she did a dilly on the floor this morning and I used my Bissell Ewww....the carpet was like new after! It was on sale at PetSmart last week. I may go back soon and stock up!
Speaking of kitties, here is one of bug eyed Abby:
Today's symptoms: Feel better today than I have in the last week. I plan on getting a good sleep tonight so I'm well rested for the flight tomorrow. Stay tuned!
To Bee Or Not To Bee
I was starting to think that I didn't have too much to tell y'all from the last few days. Not too much excitement in my life. I've been home for the last day and a half, due to worse than normal weakness and fatigue. I'm hoping tomorrow isn't the same. Anyway, I felt like such a useless lump, since I wasn't even able to read or concentrate on anything while in bed today. That all changed when I opened the door to the balcony. Abby ran out, followed by Mya. I almost had a heart attack when I noticed Abby run up to a great big bee. I tried to reach her before she got to the bee, but I didn't make it. She put her face up to it and quickly jerked her head back. I knew she was stung. She ran in the apartment and I quickly grabbed Mya and ran after her, closing the balcony door behind me. Abby ran under the bed. It took me over five minutes, but I finally got her out. Her upper lip was so swollen! I grabbed a blanket, wrapped her up, got my purse and keys and left the apartment. Fortunately, the vet's office is only about a block away. Considering how weak I've been, I'm surprised I was able to run most of the way. They took her in right away and gave her a steroid shot. The swelling went down within minutes. We were there for about an hour, before calmly walking back home. I think I should change the spelling of her name to Abee!
I took a picture of the bee...I should have taken one of Abby's swollen, cute, little face, but that wasn't my concern at the time:
As you can see, she's back to her cute, googly self!
Today's symptoms: Very weak and fatigued. Blah. I hope it's better tomorrow!
I took a picture of the bee...I should have taken one of Abby's swollen, cute, little face, but that wasn't my concern at the time:
As you can see, she's back to her cute, googly self!
Today's symptoms: Very weak and fatigued. Blah. I hope it's better tomorrow!
Marcel Dionne MS Fundraiser
I think I had one of the best evenings of my life yesterday. April 8th was the MS fundraiser at Marcel Dionne's store in Niagara Falls. I was blown away by the set up when my mother and I arrived around 5:00pm. There were tables, lounging areas and a huge spread of food and wine. Marcel Dionne and his family went above and beyond my expectations for this event. The number of people that attended was equally amazing. There were around 70 to 80 people! It was a huge hit! Everyone raved about the great food catered by Tony Roma's which included ribs, chicken wings, breaded shrimp, ceasar salad and cole slaw. There were also the plentiful sandwich, cheese, meat, fruit and veggie trays graciously brought in by Marcel and his wife Carol. Again, I was completely shocked by their generosity. Marcel and Carol also had a wonderful selection of wine and beer. And when that wasn't enough, they also had a wonderful singer there, performing all evening. There's more.....Rene Robert (former Buffalo Sabre) and Steve Ludzik (former Chicago Blackhawk) were in attendance!
Chuck's Office Manager donated many hours that evening, taking pledges at the door. She was a wonderful greeter and I am so grateful for her time and efforts! Some of the folks from Chuck's office came in with filled pledge sheets and donations! Also, some of his friends and business associates did the same - I couldn't believe it!
Some of my friends from work and back home in the Greater Metropolitan Area of Fonthill also joined us at the event!
Marcel called everyone into the main room and made a wonderful speech about the event and some of the special guests. He then handed the floor over to me to let everyone know why I was there and the true meaning of why we were holding the fundraiser.
The whole night was absolutely perfect and I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything Marcel, his family and staff and Chuck did for me and the MS Society. Thank you so much!!! Because of this event in conjunction with my previous fundraising efforts, I was able to exceed my goal of $3500! I will post my final amount after the Walk for MS on April 18th!
Today's symptoms: I was a little more tired than usual today, due to all of the excitement last night. Being tired has never been more worth it!
Chuck's Office Manager donated many hours that evening, taking pledges at the door. She was a wonderful greeter and I am so grateful for her time and efforts! Some of the folks from Chuck's office came in with filled pledge sheets and donations! Also, some of his friends and business associates did the same - I couldn't believe it!
Some of my friends from work and back home in the Greater Metropolitan Area of Fonthill also joined us at the event!
Marcel called everyone into the main room and made a wonderful speech about the event and some of the special guests. He then handed the floor over to me to let everyone know why I was there and the true meaning of why we were holding the fundraiser.
The whole night was absolutely perfect and I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything Marcel, his family and staff and Chuck did for me and the MS Society. Thank you so much!!! Because of this event in conjunction with my previous fundraising efforts, I was able to exceed my goal of $3500! I will post my final amount after the Walk for MS on April 18th!
Today's symptoms: I was a little more tired than usual today, due to all of the excitement last night. Being tired has never been more worth it!
Radio Ga-Ga
Perfect, wonderful day! I had the honour of being on a few local radio stations today. Hockey legend Marcel Dionne and I were invited to promote our Multiple Sclerosis fundraiser. It takes place tomorrow (April 8th) at his store Marcel Dionne Inc., 4424 Montrose Rd., Niagara Falls, between 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm. We will have food donated and catered by Tony Roma's (yummy!) We both met at the radio station for 8:00am this morning, to speak with Jack and Lori at 105.7 ez rock . They are both such a riot! Actually, I arrived rather early just so I could enjoy their antics before Marcel and I went on. They did such a wonderful job promoting our fundraising event, the Walk for MS (April 18th) and Marcel's store! If you like sports, you must visit his store - it's HUGE! 5000 square feet! Here's a picture of the four of us after our on-air chat:
I think that's an orb of kindness, floating above Jack's head.
After 105.7, we were ushered down the hall to 610 CKTB for a chat with Tim Denis. Another great interview, promoting the MS fundraisers and Marcel's store! Unfortunately, I didn't get a pic with Tim! We were a little rushed to go next door to the 97.7 htzfm folks. They all seemed to be hard core hockey fans, so I had the pleasure of sitting back and listening to some sportage-chat. It was interesting to listen to some of Marcel's history. They also graciously promoted the MS events - it was greatly appreciated! Really a great group:
I'm still smiling from my perfect day!
I can't wait until the MS fundraiser tomorrow!
Today's symptoms: I still haven't been sleeping well, so I was a tad groggy today. I've had a pretty bad headache since about 3:00. Perhaps I should take something for it.....hmmmmmm......
I think that's an orb of kindness, floating above Jack's head.
After 105.7, we were ushered down the hall to 610 CKTB for a chat with Tim Denis. Another great interview, promoting the MS fundraisers and Marcel's store! Unfortunately, I didn't get a pic with Tim! We were a little rushed to go next door to the 97.7 htzfm folks. They all seemed to be hard core hockey fans, so I had the pleasure of sitting back and listening to some sportage-chat. It was interesting to listen to some of Marcel's history. They also graciously promoted the MS events - it was greatly appreciated! Really a great group:
I'm still smiling from my perfect day!
I can't wait until the MS fundraiser tomorrow!
Today's symptoms: I still haven't been sleeping well, so I was a tad groggy today. I've had a pretty bad headache since about 3:00. Perhaps I should take something for it.....hmmmmmm......
Happy Easter!
My slightly altered kids wanted to wish everyone a very happy Easter!
Elizaloop
What a perfect day. I had an aerobatic lesson this morning. We reviewed loops then rolls. I was shown how to recover from a roll gone horribly wrong. Kinda nice to know! I'm glad I will now be able to practice rolls on my own. I went up by myself yesterday and did about fifteen loops - at least now there will be a little more variety. I'm hoping to go up again tomorrow to practice what I learned today. I'll have to start posting videos on my video page soon.
I think Chuck and I should have picked up groceries yesterday, rather than leave it for tomorrow. I'm assuming the grocery stores and malls are going to be mad houses the day before Easter. I will be preparing Easter dinner for my entire family this year. Let's see, there will be Chuck, my mother and I....yup, that's it!
There was an amazing full moon out the other night. I should have taken a picture at night but I did manage to snap this one in the morning:
Today's symptoms: I hardly slept last night due to a headache and restless leg syndrome. I felt fine this morning, but my energy took a dive around 2:00. I've being in bed like a blonde blob ever since!
I think Chuck and I should have picked up groceries yesterday, rather than leave it for tomorrow. I'm assuming the grocery stores and malls are going to be mad houses the day before Easter. I will be preparing Easter dinner for my entire family this year. Let's see, there will be Chuck, my mother and I....yup, that's it!
There was an amazing full moon out the other night. I should have taken a picture at night but I did manage to snap this one in the morning:
Today's symptoms: I hardly slept last night due to a headache and restless leg syndrome. I felt fine this morning, but my energy took a dive around 2:00. I've being in bed like a blonde blob ever since!
Vacation Day!
I used up the remaining vacation hours I could not carry over to the next fiscal year (we're only allowed to carry over 262.5 hours). Jan and I went over to Buffalo for some shopping. We stopped at Tim Horton's in the States, and were thrilled to see they had the pumpkin spice muffins available. They're only available in Canada around October and November. After slurping back our coffee and goodies, we went over to the Christmas Tree Shops, which surprisingly has nothing to do with Christmas! They do have a nice selection of holiday items around Christmas, but the rest of the time, it's similar to Liquidation World. We didn't find anything to purchase, so we headed out to a few other stores where Jan found a bunch of tiny little tops and blouses to wear. Next was Target where I picked up a bunch of T-Shirts for Chuck. We then went to the Boulevard Mall, but didn't stay too long as we were pretty much shopped out! It was a very productive day as my mother got a ton of new clothes, some nice stuff for Chuck and I bought myself two pair of gotchies! Yea for gotchies!
Looks like the weather is going to be really nice for Easter weekend. I hope to get some (or a lot!) of flying in, which will hopefully include an aerobatic lesson.
Symptoms for today: Another good day! I just had a headache and my jaw was hurting quite a bit. The fatigue caught up with me after about three hours of shopping, so that's not too bad.
Looks like the weather is going to be really nice for Easter weekend. I hope to get some (or a lot!) of flying in, which will hopefully include an aerobatic lesson.
Symptoms for today: Another good day! I just had a headache and my jaw was hurting quite a bit. The fatigue caught up with me after about three hours of shopping, so that's not too bad.