C-5M pilot and house almost finished!

It's been a while peeps!

Kristen has been here with me for the past month.  It's been great spending time with the love of my life.

Our house:

It's almost done!  We're closing on the 31st of this month. Both of us are super excited to finally have our own place again.  It's been a long 20 months since we've had our own place.  Landscaping should be done this week.

C-5M:

This is me in the airplane and Kristen filming.

I had my check ride in the plane a few weeks ago.  I passed and now I'm a C-5M pilot.  It's officially my sixth different airplane that I've flown and been check out in since joining the Air Force.  This past week I went on my first mission.  It was a blast!  We flew some cargo into the sandbox and some cargo out.  It is such a different role than my past airplane, but totally awesome at the same time.

Since it was my first mission the crew messed with me.  When we landed one day half way around the world I found my bag was tied up to the bottom of the crew stairs.  I nu-strapped it from the stairs and found that my locks were cut off and some new wire was put on it.  I cut the wire off and opened my bag.  I opened it only to find that all of my clothes, except one pair of underwear was taken out and replaced with chains and blankets.  Haha.  I was amused....., a little.  Then I noticed that my wheels were taken off......geeez.  By this time the crew (there were 14 of us total) were all yelling at me to hurry up and get in the crew bus.  Of course they were just trying to rush me and keep the prank going, but I'm sure they were a little tired also since we just spent 17 hours flying.  So I got on the bus...., with no clothes (except one pair of underwear).  I was pretty mad at this point because people were talking about going off base to see some sights.  I just pouted.  My clothes were finally given back to me when I was walking into my room in a garbage bag.  I decided not to go with the guys off base.  I didn't want to have anything else happen to me that day.  Maybe next trip I'll be able to enjoy my time off.

When we landed back at Dover some fluid dripped on to the brakes, which were very warm, and made some smoke.  Well, that started a chain reaction which led to the fire dept. showing up at our plane when were exiting.  It was funny because I had the last leg (I had the takeoff and landing on that leg of the flight).  So of course they're all like, "What'd you do"?!  Haha.  That was a perfect ending.

New guy stuff aside, the trip was a lot of fun.  Not to mention that I had more combat sorties than any other person in the plane.

In a few weeks I'll have some pictures of the house with our stuff in it!

Nascar, surprise Kristen, Kara's wedding, insulation, stucco, Philly, Kristen's here and sheetrock!!!

Soooooo... long time no speak....

So, on Memorial Day I volunteered at Dover Downs racetrack.  It's called the "Monster Mile".  It is the site of a Nascar race twice a year.  I volunteered through my squadron.  They pay us a small amount and our squadron gets the money to help pay for parties and stuff around the year.  My job was to set up tents and load up the vending stands with hot dogs, nachos and stuff like that.  Not an ideal way to spend Memorial Day, but with no Kristen here it had to do.

Next weekend I flew to New Orleans and surprised Kristen after her friend Kara's wedding rehearsal dinner in the French Quarter.  It was a pretty good surprise, but she had an inclination that I was coming to New Orleans..... She's good.

That weekend was great.  I was able to see my Dad, sister, in-laws, one set of grandparents, the Oddo's as well as go to the wedding, reception and spend time with the wifey.

The house came along a little more during that week.  The insulation and stucco went up.

The next weekend I went to Philadelphia for the weekend to see a monster truck show and a few sights.  Philly was pretty cool.

This week Kristen came up to Dover!!!  Yaaayyy!!!!!

Kristen and her tray ceiling that she wanted... haha.

Me in our tiny tub

Also, this week the drywall starting going up..., We got walls!!!

I have my first C-5M flight this Wednesday!  Getty up.

Till next time.  See ya'!!!

Started "M differences school" and our house..., is looking like a house

Well, C-5M school has started.  This is just rediculous.  I'm 30 years old and have never been "out of school" yet in my life.  Aghhhhh.  This C-5M school should just last about two weeks so that'll be over before I know it, but I'm probably starting my masters in the fall....... Aghhhhhhhh..., MORE SCHOOL!!!  Haha.

Back in the classroom......

I have the unfortunate distinction of being in the last class of "M differences" before the Air Force signs off of in and accepts it as the official course/syllabus.  So, with that there are all sorts of eyeballs on myself and the other dude with me going through it right now.  basically, whatever we say in our end of course critiques will be the barometer if this is THE course or not.  Not a huge deal to me really, but it is to the civilian company that will get the contract for it.  So I feel like a gerbil with probes on it inside of a science experiment right now and all the scientists looking through the one way glass to see what my reaction to different things are.  Haha.  Funny stuff.

The main differences for the C-5M as compared to the C-5B are the new engines!  They are beasts!!!  The power that they produce is just crazy co mpared to the old ones.  Basically, if I lose one engine now (left with three good engines) the jet performs like the B model (with four good engines).

Siding going up

Siding up

Siding going up

Siding up

Stucco going up

Stucco going up

Siding almost all up in the front

Our house is coming along.  This week the AC and heat people finished up on Tuesday.  Then electrician came and did his thing on Wednesday and Thursday.  And finally, the siding people were there on Thursday and Friday.  The siding is all finished and stucco people have all the stucco up, just not painted.  The bottom four feet or so of our house will be stone and that has not been started yet.  But it's coming soon.

I have my pre-drywall walk through scheduled for this Wednesday!  So that means my house will beginning to look more like a house sooner than later!

It's kinda hard to see, but the rear tire is leaning in like something really heavy is in the trunk.  But there's nothing in the trunk, it's just bad rear struts......

This week sucked for vehicle repairs.  I brought Kristen's car in because the tires were sounding louder than normal.  And I put the recommended air in them and it was still making the same loud noise.  And that's abut the extent of my mechanical knowledge so I brought it in to the base mechanic.  I got the tires rotated, balanced and aligned.  The mechanic then told me that I really need new rear struts!!!  Aghhhh.  So I ordered those and will have them put on Kristen's car late this week. That will be a total of $550 that I used to have in my checking account that I don't have anymore.  THEN..., the very next day Kristen, who has my truck right now, got a check engine light on the dash.  She brought it to the Chevy dealership and they told her it was a return line from the gas tank.  So there goes another $350.  Aghhhh..., but oh well.  I guess the trade off is that we haven't had a car note in over three years so that's a good thing.

My buddy Mike went on his first C-17 trip this week.  He's somewhere out there having a great time doing the "mission"!  HUA!  I can't wait to do the same.

I may see Kristen this coming weekend..., not sure yet with M school and all though.

Erin and Nathan!!!!  Awwwwwwww....

Josh with with one of his many awards......

I have some amazing cousins.  First is my cousin Nathan.  He's engaged to his dream girl Erin, and started a great new job.  I'm pumped up for him.  Nathan is the man!  Second is Josh.  He just graduated high school this past week.  He's going to Ave Maria University in Florida on scholarship and will play football there.  He's a great guy also.  I have so many things and people in my life to be thankful for.  I was really raised the right way by my two parents and I have a great extended family as a backbone also!  Gotta show some love to the home team.

Dallas, outside with Kristen sitting in a chair like she's a human

Quick trip to D.C.

 Not too many changes on the house this week.  The plumbers finished up with all of their pre-drywall stuff and the A/C & heating people were in there at the end of the week.  They should be finished on Tuesday and then the electrician will be there starting on Wednesday. So the house is getting there..., just very slow.  I put a call into the entire food chain at my builders company and let them know that I am keeping daily tabs on what gets done in my house, and that I want it finished ASAP!  So we'll see where that gets me.

This past week has been some inprocessing in the squadron and stuff.  Not to much going on though.  I'm starting M differences school to tomorrow (Monday).  That should take about two weeks.  I think that it's two days of computer lessons, two days of classroom, four sims and two plane rides....... so we'll see about that also.

View from the restaurant in the outfield

Our seats

This weekend I went with 12 other pilots in my squadron to Washington D.C. for the night.  One guy is getting married in a few weeks and one guy is getting a divorce in a few, so we partied for them.  We drove up there (about a two hour drive with traffic) at 3:30 and checked into our hotel.  From there we took a few cabs to the baseball park where we watched the Washington Nationals lose to the Baltimore Orioles.  It's been a few years since I've been to a baseball game and I shouldn't wait so long in between games, it was fun!  Football is the best sport in America right now, but it's too cold during the season, soccer sucks, basketball is thugs and hockey is just Canada trying to get green cards.  Baseball may not be the most entertaining sport but it does have the best weather.  From the game we went out to a few bars.

This was really all I saw of D.C. in the daylight...

They made a heart cloud

There's FRED

A view from inside the cockpit looking out with the visor (nose) up.

KC-10 refueling plane

The F-22 has got eveyone's attention

AC-130 gunship.  I've worked with these dudes...., and they DO WORK

A T-1!

Most of the group woke up and went just west of Baltimore to watch the Preakness (second horse race in the triple crown), but a few of us decided to sleep in a little.  We woke up and ate breakfast at Le Madeline in Georgetown.  Georgetown is so pretty.  Then we drove to Andrews AFB in D.C. to watch an air show.  That air show is billed as the largest D.o.D. air show and IT IS!  There were so many planes on static display.  The Blue Angels were the feature act but there was a whole days worth of flying to watch.  I was there with two dudes who are just starting the journey I started almost two years ago (the MC-12 then C-5 thing).  So I made sure to check out the C-5 with them because they'd never been close to one yet.  The stairs to the cockpit were down but there was a Major guarding it so no one would go up.  I walked up to him and told him that I'm a C-5 pilot and that I'd like to go up.  He let us right up, it felt so cool.  I felt a little bad because now the Major had to fend off a small crowd that wanted to know why they're not allowed to go up there but we were..., haha.

Blue Angel #7 (the two seater "media jet")

By time the Blue Angels were starting their engines so were we.  We had had a long 24 hours and were exhausted, hungry, sun burnt and dehydrated.  We stopped at a Chik-fil-A on the way back and not much else was said.  I slept on my buddies floor as soon as I walked in the house for almost three hours.  Haha...., good times.

Guess who's plane did a few touch and go's at Dover this week?  Pretty damn cool huh?

Till next week...., see ya!