Santa Cruz Flats - Day 1

They called an 80 mile triangle, expecting 14,000 cloudbase and 10c temperatures at altitude. We'll see if they actually got that high...and that cold. There was a existing north/south runway here before we came along, but Dustin and the local club cleared and groomed it quite nicely and also cleared an east/west runway. It's nice and smooth and flat, but about as dusty as can be. It sits right up next to our oasis of green grass and trees. Luckily goal is right in front of our rooms back on the grass so we don't have to deal with more dust. I suppose it is a bit like Hay, although I've never been there myself.

Jonny, Chris, Dustin and Jeff O'Brien launched right at the open and climbed out quickly. The others were a bit slower to get going but we got all 16 in the air without an problems. Rob Kells is out from LA helping a bunch on the launch line - it's great to have him here. I had to scrub about 3 inches of dust off before heading out to the pool to relax and watch for them coming in to goal ;-)

The Day Before

Dustin and Jonny went up and cruised around in a sailplane today.










Here's a shot of the whole group of us at the briefing tonight.

Santa Cruz Flats

Today was beautiful. The temperature is just perfect (about 85 - although it is suppose to reach 100 by later in the week). We're getting everything set up here and so far everyone loves this place. The gliders and dragonflies are parked right outside our rooms in a nice grassy area next to the pool and bar. From above, this place looks like an oasis....it is very much a desert everywhere but our little bubble here.

Finally in Arizona

We woke up to cold air and snow covered mountains in Flagstaff this morning. After a couple hour drive, we're finally here at the resort in Casa Grande. This place is really great. The dragonflies are parked outside our super cool suite. We spent most of the afternoon meeting up with arriving pilots and drinking margaritas celebrating Cinco de Mayo!

Guess....

Andy? Bob? Carl? Dan? Ed? Frank? George? Henry? Iggy? John? Ken? Larry? Markus? Noah? Otto? Peter? Quinten? Rich? Steve? Tanner? Uggi? Victor? Winston? X-man? Yuan? Zach?

Mystery

Ok....I've been told by a mystery texter that Jonny's is outblogging me. What is this about??? He is in no way outblogging me!! And, most importantly, who on earth are you? I have been pulling out my hair trying to figure it out. Please tell me who you are before I lose my mind!

Flagstaff

We just checked into a hotel in Flagstaff and its SNOWING!!!! We made it all the way from Oklahoma City to to Arizona in a day....long drive.

Yippy!!!!!!!

We just crossed into New Mexico....made it through Texas without a ticket despite driving 90 with Michigan plates ;-)
Sent via Cingular Xpress Mail with Blackberry

We're Go'in to Graceland, Graceland....Memphis, Tennessee...

Birthplace of The King

Back on the Road

We had to leave Colombus today to continue our journey on to Phoenix. We left bright and early so that we would have time for the Elvis pilgrimage through Tupelo, Mississippi (where he was born) and Graceland in Memphis. It ended up being pretty cool (even though it was more than a bit cheesy).

We crossed over the mighty Mississippi, through Arkansas and then hit a spectacular storm just shy of Oklahoma City. Tonight we had dinner with Tom and Hyla Glover. What a joy! I had never met David's parents before, but had heard from him how great they were. Hyla made fun of us for going to Graceland....I guess we can forgive her as she made an awesome chocolate cake for desert.

Tomorrow we'll make our way as far west as we can drive in a day. If we can make the Arizona border, we'll be happy. Then we'll just have a few hours left to make Phoenix by noon on Saturday.

Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn

My 7th grade teacher used to read to the class from 3 till 3:30 when school was out. He had great taste in books and it still amazes me to remember that when the bell rang at 3:30 no one would get up, he practically had to kick us out. My favorite was the story of Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance. But, second favorite was Tom Sawyer. I never thought I had it as good being a girl - I always felt like I was missing out on some great adventure that all the boys always got to have. Today we took a boat up the Tom Bigbee River looking for sharks teeth. The Tom Bigbee isn't quite as wide as the mighty Mississippi and our boat was a bit more convenient than a homemade raft, but it was fun. Jonny and Chris each found a shark's tooth....I came home empty handed. Maybe tomorrow.

June Cleaver

After chicken fried steak at another meat and 3 for lunch, we found this great vintage clothing store loaded with amazing stuff. I couldn't resist this little June Cleaver dress. It was brand new from the 50s, never worn with the original tags (for $5.95) and I had to have it. I have no use whatsoever for it, but it was just too beautiful to pass up. I guess I can consider it an investment (in 2007 it sold for 8 times what it cost in the 50's).

Meat and Three

I learned what a "Meat and 3" was when I lived in Nashville many years ago. But, anyone who isn't from the south would have no idea. It's a southern restaurant where you order one meat item and 3 side dishes (or in Jonny's case, it's just a 3). Here we are at the Kountry Kitchen having lunch....and there are a few other pictures I liked.

Keeping up with the Boys (NOT)

A few people joke that I'm really a boy trapped in a girl's body. I proved them wrong today trying to keep up with the boys on the quadrunners. I need a shop vac to remove the dirt and small animals from my teeth.

Our Palace

Lazy Morning Blogging

Gabcast! Roadtrip #1 - Lazy morning blogging

Route Correction

GW wrote saying that we had driven within 2 miles of him at Talladega Speedway. It was only then that I realized the map I put up was wrong. We didn't go via Atlanta, but through Montgomery and Birmingham. Anyway, here's the real route.

Belle Bridge

Quite often I have these very peaceful, pleasant dreams. Many times they aren't about anything in particular. Sometimes they seem to play on for hours when in reality they are more just a single snapshot, but because there are so many thoughts and emotions wrapped up into them, they seem like they are lasting much longer than they really are. This morning I got up and went for a run in this small town of Columbus, Mississippi. We are in one of those old southern neighborhoods where the most of the houses have names. Ours is called Belle Bridge. It was build in 1856 and is just a block or so from Tennessee Williams' house. It's one of those houses with a room for everything and a fireplace in every room. Jonny wants to take a picture of himself in every room for his blog. It is exactly the house you imagine when you think of the South....giant white pillars in the front and a huge back porch that's pretty much just another living room overlooking a well manicured back yard. So anyway, I went for a run along a path that follows the Tom Bigbee River running through town. The temperature was perfect as the path was shaded by woods on both sides. I felt just like I do in one of those pleasant dreams. Nothing overwhelmingly happy or exciting, just a very peaceful contentment. I don't know what causes me to feel this way, but often I remind myself how lucky I am to be a manic without the depressive downside.

Today we'll take the boat out on the same river and look for sharks teeth. Apparently, about 33 million years ago the beach was in Memphis....so I guess a few sharks lost some teeth around here. We'll see if we can find some. It's nice to be with the boys.

Wild Adventure

Well pumpkin, if you can't be more careful, we're gonna stop keeping the gasoline in your room.

On the Road Again

The Flytec meet and the big Race ended a few days ago and none too soon. I was more than a bit exhausted. The best solution, it seems, was to hit the road with two of my best buddies and absolutely no one to babysit or be responsible to. We spent today driving from Quest to Colombus, Mississippi where Chris' parents live.

The plan is to drive to Phoenix for Dustin's Santa Cruz Flats Meet. But, since none of us are particularly fond of that drive across the country, we decided to take a different route and see some parts of the country we haven't seen before. We will probably spend a few days here in Mississippi, visiting Graceland in Memphis, then we'll head out to Oklahoma City where we will meet a couple that is considering adopting me (Hyla and Mr. G). Next we'll drive to Santa Fe and pretend we are snooty, artsy types for a day before we finish off the drive to Phoenix.

I guess I should say something about the Flytec meets, but I just have zero energy left for that topic right now. I said to a few people that it was a bit like giving birth - at the moment, I can't imagine every organizing another hang gliding competition. But, I'm sure in another six months or so, I will have forgotten how painful the whole ordeal was ;-)