Yikes! I'm 18 minutes short!

The best laid plans, right?

I'm one week from a check-ride. My logbook is filled in nicely and each requirement entry is tagged to make it easier for the examiner to find quickly.

I ran through the list of requirements (FAR 61.109) and checked each one off as completed a month ago. All was looking good. I booked the check-ride and began the application process at iacra.faa.gov

Uh-oh.. Disaster! I discovered to my horror last night, that I am 0.3 hours short of the cross country requirement. When I had read my log book the first time, I had mistakenly seen 5 take-offs and 5 landings, and thought I read 5.5 hours.

Like there isn't enough to think about this week, I'm now planning a cross country and crossing my fingers that all this gorgeous weather we have been having, will hold out another week. Delaying my checkride is not ideal for me, since I procrastinated a couple of months before booking it to start with. And then there's the "other" cost. The one that affects my bank account. Let's see....

Minimum flight is 50 miles each way, but of course there is no airport at the 50 mile marker. I'm probably looking at 120 miles, round trip. Contrary to the POH, which tells me C65440 will cruise at 106, experience tells me I should expect to cruise at about 95.

Total time will be around 1.7 hours by the time I taxi, run-up, take off, climb, fly land and repeat.

1.7 hours x $80/hour aircraft rental = $136

18 mins required, $136 spent.

That's $7.50/min.

Photo courtesy of Steven Depolo

Lesson from the trenches for all you student pilots out there:

Yes, there is a lot of planning involved in a cross country. You have a head full of figures, charts, notes. You are using all those little computers, calculators and rulers that have weighed your flight bag down for months now. It's a lot, I get it... trust me!

But consider this... You could find yourself just short of time like me - because I doubt I'm the first. Imagine just 10 mins or 5 mins short!

You are doing the math and checking the weather, but take it a step further. If your calculations tell you that the flight will be 2 hours and you know you need 2 hours or more to fulfill requirements ... Recalculate! Go further, fly slower, fly a less than direct route or prepare to do another cross country later!

This advice is worth $7.50/min and you are getting it for free! Just sayin'.

From the beginning...

Who is Dallice?

In short, a Realtor in the Boulder area and a flight student out of Vance Brand Airport, Longmont.

Of course there is more to me... I'm a person, with all the diverse interests, issues and complications that any decent human being has acquired by the time they get to my age.

I invite you to peel back the onion... get to know me through my posts. Give me advice, make comments and share your stories too.

I began flight lessons in August, 2010. Everyone has a bucket list. Mine's not that long, since I'm a "why wait?" type of girl. However, learning to fly had been on my list for a good 15 years... which I realize does call into question whether I am truly a "why wait?" girl after all!

This is "my" airplane. A Cessna 152. Tail number 65440.

We have become friends, have lots of memories together, and have a good deal of trust between us.

And my flight instructor, Mark. Same deal.

Around the same time I began flying, I undertook a kitchen remodel. My own house... so I was driven by passion and a vision for my home's improvement.

Sounds simple enough, right? Ummm... Not really!

There is a lot of work that goes into making a 1955 (original - Yikes!) kitchen, complete with washing machine, no dishwasher, poor lightening and poor storage, into a functional kitchen to be enjoyed and proud of.

There was dirt, noise and a generally high level of chaos which I thrived in for the first 3-4 weeks... then a slow decent into "make it stop" land. The kitchen (and all the other bits that need doing just then too) took 7 weeks... but what a transformation.

Long story short, the chaos of construction was offset by the freedom of flying. The anxiety that came with learning to recover a stall and from trying to learn landings was quickly pushed aside by each physically and emotionally demanding day of kitchen remodeling.

I am now a year into my training. The anxiety of new maneuvers has given way to test anxiety as I get closer to my check-ride.

Like many of you, I turned to the internet for advice, information and general reassurance about this upcoming exam. I found little. Perhaps because I wasn't looking in the right place... or perhaps because few of us log the process, emotion and planning that is upon us when preparing for such events.

Hence this blog... A place to record my journey, both the ups and downs.

Back to the Dunes

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve... since 2003.

The highest sand dunes in North America, surrounded on three sides by grasslands, wetlands and shrub-lands and nestled beneath the San Juan mountains.

Daytime on the dunes.

Apparently the sand can reach temps of up to 140 Fahrenheit. Thank goodness, not today.

Just before the dunes, this abandoned building caught the afternoon light... Blue sky, greenery, white washed walls. The discovery of copious quantities of animal bones inside, broke the spell!

Camping here is easy and fun. You would never know that our campsite was one of one hundred!

We only had one hiccup... a torrential downpour that left a lake in the tent... Nothing that couldnt be tipped out, swept out, dried out. :-)

S'mores were involved!

Wandering the dunes at midnight, tripod in hand, it was the perfect night to experiment with the camera.

Its a wonderful, magical place that has always captivated me! What better time to visit that a warm August weekend with a full moon?

The Grand Campfire Muffin Experiment of 2011

It started as an idea... inspired by You-tube, as all good things are.

But what quickly evolved, was a mission to try - no, perfect campfire baking.

Using my Swedish camp cookware and a muffin-in-a-box recipe, I added the wet ingredients and set about cooking.

The batter goes into a ziplock bag, then rests atop of a handy-dandy hot plate which is raised about an inch off the base of the cook pot. The pot gets water filled to the level of the hot plate.

The pot is lidded and placed over heat.

Yes... that would be a camp fire or cook stove normally, but in the experimental phase, its ok to use all available resources. I have found that a new kitchen, complete with granite and a stainless gas range, works very well in a pinch.

And 25 minutes later... OMG, it's steamed chocolate cake in a bag! Delightful!

Ok, so you've noticed... The "hot plate" is a do-it-yourself treasure. You too could make of these... Just open the can and remove the tuna, drill holes in the base and CLEAN it!

I would be lying if I said this didn't taste amazing. Every warm, gooey, chocolatey bite of it!

However, as I mentioned at the beginning, this is a quest for perfection and despite all its deliciousness, I feel I could do better. As such, I am driven to keep "experimenting and tasting" until no further improvement is possible. Life is SO hard.

These are a few of my favorite things

Our guides were named James and Sam.

Sam drove… and was quieter. James sat in the front passenger seat, mumbling about famous Australians, animated arms and hands flailing wildly as he spoke. Sue sat in the back making fun of him, convinced she was out of his sight… which I debated. I laughed so hard I cried.

First stop… winery.

We sampled a Chardonnay, Reisling, Pinot Noir, a blended red and a white port followed by a red port.

My favorites, the Reisling, the blended red and the red port. We snacked on a lovely artisan cheese and bread platter, as we chattered and admired the view. Across the vines was the coast… and French Island. Fittingly. (My grandmothers name is French, my mother and her sisters all with the maiden name French, obviously.)

Next stop, the chocolate factory… our mouths already salivating with anticipation. Promises of tastings on our minds. There was a quick tour with lots of good info about how bitter little cocoa beans are grown, harvested, ground into paste and made into dark, milk and white chocolates.

The displays were pretty impressive. Someone had spent a lot of time putting together colorful scenes made entirely of chocolate.

We sampled and shopped. The store had seen us coming (us and everyone else). The chocolate was good but the prices were high… Not that it stopped us!

The van pulled away, the 7 of us and 2 other women from Oregon, high on sugar and wine… Sam still talking mundanely from the front seat, his arms not yet ready to take a break either.

Up the road further we entered a wildlife park. Aussie critters abounded. Wallabys with joey’s, echidna, dingos, koalas, native birds (including a barking owl… yes you heard right and it DID bark) and Tasmanian devils of course.

Pauline and I got chased by emu’s in the enclosure. Taller than me, with a large pointy beaks bearing down, they were going for the brown paper bag of food pellets I held. I didn’t stick around, instead made for the exit gate and escaped.

The koalas were much more mellow. Waking only 4-6 hours a day, its not a surprise. Super cuddly and cute, I could have photographed them all day… and it looked like a couple had the same idea about me.

We had dinner and headed for the highlight of the day. The penguin parade.

Little blue penguins head out to sea to fish and eat for about a week at a time. At this time of year, the chicks are almost independent and go fishing too. Only about 300 penguins come in each evening, versus the 2000 or so at the peak of penguin watching season. They ride the waves to the shore, then jump upright and waddle up the sand banks to their burrows.

At a foot tall and weighing roughly a kilo, they really are LITTLE penguins. They come in just as the light fades. Small groups make the walk together…. Calling to each other loudly. Safety in numbers.

OMG they are adorable! I want one!

The day finished with a 2.5 hour ride back. Stopping only to get surfing off Nana's bucket list. Yes! She is 80 years old!!!

It was close to 1am when I launched myself into bed and entered blissful unconsciousness.

February 25th in Melbourne

Again the ladies and I woke early. And again I was able to convince mum and Kathryn to run with me.

Sue happily took some “alone time” while the other 5 and I set off for the city without her today.

We caught a tourist shuttle that looped the city, pointing out its highlights and features. First stop.. the Rod Laver Tennis Center. Lynn Marie has a particular fondness for tennis, so this was a must see.

Me taking pics from the crowded bus.

Next we got off in the Italian section. Eyes wide with anticipaton… Lygon St was packed with cafes and restaurants and smelled of all things yummy. Of course we stopped for coffee and cake! Shopping? Who us? Yes, we stopped for a bit of that too.

From here we chose to walk back down to the city center. A half hour meandering through alleys of ethnic stores and sales…. Dodging Uni students with the wheelchair. Nana had no trouble keeping up, but I was feeling tired. (Mental note: sleep in !!!)

Arriving back at the house around 3pm, it was time to chill, snack, have tea and get ready to go out again. We had tickets to Mary Poppins on stage tonight.

Mary Poppins, what a hoot! A colorful, lively, singing, dancing extravaganza which left us laughing and clapping. Mary Poppins exited the stage for the last time, flying upright over the audience, umbrella up …with a wink and a smile. She was perfect.

Let's go Shopping!

I woke at the crack of dawn, or sometime just before.

The sound of the nearby light rail reminded me I was indeed in Melbourne, sharing a bedroom with my mother (who sleeps silently, thank goodness) and about to embark on my first day, shopping in a new city.

It took the seven of us about 30 mins to figure out how the train system worked… despite having a “trial run” at the station the evening before, and it being one of the least complicated and most intuitive rail systems I have personally experienced!

Then… the fun and laughter began. It wasn't long before shenanigans in changing rooms kicked in, not to mention loud, politically incorrect jokes… making fun of each other and ourselves without a care to what onlookers might have been thinking.

The butt of most jokes was Lynn Marie… wheelchair bound and blonde… an easy target and good natured enough to take it… and take it again! Relentless were my mother and aunts, threatening to leave her locked outside stores in her chair, taking the brakes off while on the train/bus and watching her fly forward when it stopped suddenly, telling her to “grab the top rail” to brace herself. No matter how wrong it was, I had to laugh too. Damn funny, especially watching the faces of shocked Australians near us!

We spent most of the day in and out of clothing and shoe stores. Breaking up the shopping only to stop for food and coffee.

Everyone bought something… husbands across the world, be warned.

One of my favorite memories remains the shop that seemed to specialize in outfits with an animal theme. I just couldn’t help myself… the fur vests were hilarious and my day would not have been complete without photos of us trying them on. Watching my mother tie on a feathery shoulder piece while Lynn Marie donned a fur vest and stroked herself like a cat, cracked me up. Tears ran down my face and I doubled over, unable to straighten.

No, I didnt end the day with this long-haired beauty in my bag. Some things are just better left for more adventurous fashionista's. But I did come away with a couple of new dresses... Cute little bargains, my favorite kind.