Spoiled??

I've described myself to people as spoiled more than a few times over the years....probably because I feel like I have more than I deserve in so many ways.  Or, at at minimum, I have more than others who appear much more deserving than me.  I've spent the last little while trying to figure out what spoiled really means to me and whether or not I really am or want to be spoiled.

What I've come to believe is that being spoiled has less to do with what one has and more to do with how one acts and reacts when she doesn't get what she wants.  Perhaps not getting what I want most right now is what is causing me to mull over this topic.  How do we react when we don't get our way?  How do I react?  A person who can't deal with not getting what they want is spoiled.  Spoiled isn't someone who has a great deal in life or even someone who always wants more out of life.

While I might have the urge to stomp my feet and throw some things, being a girl that isn't spoiled means that I'm trying really hard to remember the words of a wise Kiwi...."the key to contentment is acceptance."

Pics from the Midwest

Carl Wins!!

The last day of the Midwest Championships was a nail biter.  It was Jonny, Dustin, Larry and Carl (in that order) going into the last task.  They called a 123km triangle coming back to Enjoy Field.  As it turned out, the task was perhaps a bit overcalled.  The wind picked up and leg two was nothing but a battle with the headwind.  I managed to get the first turnpoint, but didn't go much past that in the 20kph headwind.  The boys, who are much more determined than me, and have much more to gain/lose fought upwind until one by one they went down short of goal.  Thanks to so much experience in those amazing UK conditions ;-), Carl was able to hang on for ages below a thousand feet inching closer and closer to goal after Jonny, Dustin and Paris had landed.  He didn't realize it at the time, but his closest competitor- hot pilot Larry Bunner- was right on his tail. 

After retrieve, we arrived back at the field for pin in and Larry conveniently "forgot" how far from goal he had landed.  So, we had to wait for the scorekeeper to finish his job before learning that Carl had made it 6km further than Larry, putting him 9 points ahead overall.  

We had a fun little party where Carlos got to show off his enormous trophy and we all ribbed Jonny a bit for letter Carl break his 9 comp winning streak!

Midwest Championships - Chicago

It's always great fun to try out a new competition in a new part of the world.  Just back home now from a week in the midwest flying at Enjoy Field outside of Chicago.  I've never seen flatlands like these before!  The first days were windy and very cold (especially coming off the mid-90's heat of Georgia) and we weren't able to fly.  But, by mid-week the temps warmed up and we pulled off two really nice triangle tasks.

Enjoy Field is a beautifully manicured green grass strip amid perfect 1 mile square blocks of farmland.  Thankfully, the crops were late this year and most fields weren't yet grown up with the usual corn and soy beans.  Landings were more plentiful than any place I have ever flown.

We found a very clever way to stack gliders in the hangar.

Chris and Gary and the whole crew at Enjoy Field were wonderful hosts.  Although my head wasn't really in the flying, the two tasks we had made for great racing for the boys.  There is something amazing about being able to thermal 300 feet off the ground, knowing you can turn into the wind and land anywhere.  I love big wide-open space!

Rob Kells - Day 5

Watermelon Crawl

....yeah, that's about the speed I was moving today :-/  Finally we get a day with lighter winds and all I can think is that I liked it better earlier in the week.  They called a out and almost return of about 118km....basically crosswind both ways.  Unfortunately, despite the lighter winds, conditions weren't so nice.  My hang strap went slack three times followed by a giant twangs of the wires.  After three and half hours of that, I decided I'd had enough.  The turnpoint was a nice little grass airstrip and there was already another glider landed there....I couldn't help myself.

The retrieve was great fun.  We had a few extra pilots from all directions....Jim from north of the border and Rodrigo from south of the border.  Campbell landed at a watermelon packing plant and we left there with a little extra cargo ;-)

Praying for nice smooth lift tomorrow.

Florida Ridge Day 2

It's shaping up to be one of the nicest comp weeks yet at the Florida Ridge.  Although we've had two pretty windy days, the tasks have been great anyway.  Today was particularly gorgeous with 500 fpm climbs all day and 5500 cloudbase.  I'm guessing well over half the field made goal today - everyone but me it seems :-/.  But, I had a beautiful 4 hour flight in some of my favorite Florida air.  Kathryn had her first "big boy" goal today on her rented Litespeed and was very happy of course.

The forecasts are calling for much lighter winds and stronger lift over the next few days so we might actually get 7 out of 7 days of flying ;-)

It's really fun to see a few old (as in former, not OLD) faces this week.  Paris Williams is back on the comp scene after finishing his PhD.  Curt Warren is back from Australia.  Bo stopped by with Janna and the baby girl....he's not in the comp, but it's great to catch up with him.

Channeling my inner 97-year-old

I regularly read the blog of a famous (in the US anyway) TV personality.  I enjoyed one of his recent posts so much that I'm reposting a portion of it here.   I'm a firm believer in "the older I get the more I realize how little I know" philosophy.  

I wonder if anyone could guess who the author is.

I discovered a ninety-seven year old version of myself while talking to a good friend about his romantic relationship. After years of staying with a woman who didn’t trust him and whom he didn’t trust, I finally crossed the friendship line and told him I thought he should end the relationship. For good.

I just said it. Flat out. You need to break up. I knew I crossed the line but it didn’t do any good anyway. He gave me more reasons about why now was not the right time. I suggested that he was missing out on something beautiful by staying in something so limiting and often demoralizing. Nothing was connecting. Finally, I suggested that he imagine that he was ninety-seven years old. Even though you’re not ninety-seven, just imagine that you are. You’ve lived a good long life, you know what’s what. You know what matters and what doesn’t. You know when something is worth fighting for and when you should simply walk away. Now imagine you are advising your own son who is in the same romantic situation. Knowing what you know now that you’re ninety-seven, what would you tell him to do?

The idea of a ninety-seven year old version of me stayed with me. I found that even though I’m far from ninety-seven, I could access that part of myself easily. It’s as if it had always been there, just waiting to be utilized.

I realized, I don’t have to wait until I’m ninety-seven to use this wisdom. I can pop in whenever I need it. I named my new alter ego, “Poppa J.” It sounds better when you give it a bit of a drawl as you say it. “Poppppuh Jaaay. Poppa J knows what to do in almost every situation. He gives me the best advice. Advice that comes from a place where ego does not reside. Advice that has no master. Just a guy who has lived a good long time and knows that sometimes, most times, you should stop fretting and just kiss the pretty girl. He knows when it’s time to quit a job and go for your dream. He reminds you to say, “I love you” over and over and over. He also smiles a wicked grin when he gives you permission to tell the asshole to go F themselves. They probably need to hear it and it just feels good to say it. You don’t always have to be nice and agreeable. Sometimes being selfish and dick-like is exactly what the situation calls for. And you should follow it up with a beer for having the guts to stick up for yourself. 

Obviously, the wind is blowing at Quest today and we're not flying.  Even so, sometimes I forget how much I love just being here....coffee with Timothy, a run down Redwing Road, lazy afternoons at the pond laying around chatting about nothing.  Summer is definitely here!

Sweet Reunion...Happy with Damien Again

So we meet again, my long lost friend

Once again, we get to start anew,

And it feels like a thousand years,

I've been loving you.

 Apparently he missed me too ;-)

Don't like leaving so much....but love this airport.

There's nothing you can do that can't be done

My favorite song in 1977 was Paul McCartney's "Silly Love Songs."  I decided then that I wanted to marry him.  My mother had to break to news to me that he already had a wife.

I love all the Beatles history in Liverpool.  Carl and went downtown this afternoon for a quick walk on Mathew Street.  A John Lennon "tribute" singer was at the Cavern Club doing an acoustic set and he was really pretty good.

Move over Carl....

I'm afraid you've been replaced.

Well it's not far down to paradise...

Steve took 1, 2 and I out for a sail around the harbor today.  It was a gorgeous, perfect day and we got to see all the tourist sites from the water.  

The boys did most of the work.

 I provided the refreshments ;-)

Here's the whole lot of pics.

Rose Bay Adventures

Steve Moyes took me (along with 1 and 2) out on the bay for a bit of water skiing yesterday.  We're being treated like royalty here, staying at Molly's, dinner at Vix place, recreation and entertainment by Steve and Molly's cookies of course ;-)

2 hadn't tried water skiing before, but he was a quick study and was up on a single ski in no time.

 A little 1 and 2 bonding on the water.

Prize Giving Photos

Moyes 1-2-3 Jonny, Carl and Trent

More Pics...

....dinner and prize giving tonight at the Vandenburg.

Last Chance

It's not looking promising for the last day of the comp.  While the skies are clearer, the wind is blowing like stink.  We're at the 10am briefing and holding until noon when they will likely cancel the day.  That's fine with me as Carl is in second place ;-) 

Day 3

No one was terribly optimistic today, even at the briefing not more than half the pilots were there. But, they set a task none the less- 113km straight downwind. Most people rigged despite the strong wind. A few top guys were missing though. Attila didn't even show up at the field and although Gerolf was there, he never unloaded his glider from the car. Lukas rigged, but packed up again and stayed on the ground Jonny didn't rig until it was apparent that at least a few top guys were going to fly. In the end there were quite a few pilots that didn't want to brave wind and possible turbulence. I was one of them.

However, those that did are now on course and blowing downwind in a sky that doesn't look terrible- it doesn't look great either though. Davis radio'd down that towing conditions were smooth, but there wasn't so much lift. I love Davis, but don't always trust his judgment on these things. Turns out he was probably right this time.

Ally and I are in the car headed to goal. Carl and Blenky are on course at cloudbase at the moment. It appears they are about 40km short of goal still yet. It is raining pretty good where we are, but the roads take us off courseline close the the dark ugly sky. The sky looks better on course, but Carl just reported a bit if rain even there.

It should be interesting to see how the scores play out tonight with Attila, who was in second place, not flying along with a few others. There were a couple of top guys quite unhappy with yesterday's result. At least one thought that the top 20 had a mandatory start at 1:00. Everyone else understood that the top 20 were not allowed to start before the 1:00 start, but could go later if they chose. Perhaps that is why the pilot in question didn't show up today.

Sent from my iPhone

Day 2 - Steve Hocking Challenge

Rough day towing yesterday.  We had a fair bit more wind than the rest of the week and that made for pretty good rodeo riding at the field.  I pinned off early because I was scared to death and then sunk out and landed in the next paddock over.  They rushed over to get me for another tow, but I was afraid to go up again.  So instead I went on retrieve with Ally.  That was much more fun.  

Turns out conditions were pretty nice on course.  The usual 20-25 made goal.  

We were treated to a really cool gust front on the way home with red skies and lots and lots of wind.  

Once through the gust front, we were off to get Kathryn's gear.  She hitchhiked home, but her gear stayed out in the storm.  Despite the flooding all around, the gear hadn't yet floated away ;-)