Being as it was a new house, no one living there yet, no bandaids, so a bit of paper toweling and some of his finest Scotch 33 tape (only the good stuff , not Jap Wrap) and I’m not bleeding all over his new floor anymore. We finish that job and move to another.

Later that day, I leave to go to a Dentist appointment.

The dental assistant, a nice young lady, asks what is up with my stylish tape on my hand?

I explained how I got the tape, and why.

“My boyfriend would not be able to keep working if that happened to him, he can’t take blood, he’d have to go home” She said. “He’d never just tape it up and keep on working…He’s not very tough”

I (probably wisely) refrained from pointing out that she needed to find a more manly boyfriend, (seeing as how she would soon be probing onside my mouth with sharp objects….) Perhaps one with a set of cojones putting some testosterone in his blood…..

But seriously, WTF? Why do women go with, and stay with, such wimpy men? One would think she’d want someone tough enough to deal with a very minor injury, and manly enough to suck it up and keep working.

Perhaps he’s “sensitive to her needs” or something?

Why would women, seemingly intelligent, want such a wimp? I thought they’d want tough manly men, not pussified ones.
Or is this the new Millennial womanhood? “I am Woman, hear me squeek.”  Mates as weak and soft as they are? Raising children to be as weak as they?

Usually it is just whatever Monday is closest so that Government employees and leeches (but I repeat myself) get a three day weekend……Which always seemed to me to weaken the impact and import of the holiday and doesn’t really honor the person that the holiday is supposed to honor.

Pick the day, and celebrate it when it actually happens. Or not. But the holiday isn’t just another excuse for a three day weekend. 

First time in a week that I could fly (the eather in NW Indiana isn’t always cooperative in winter)
It was cold (-5 F) and calm. Like perfectly calm.

So at 7 AM they unlocked the doors and I preflighted the plane. The last user had overtightened the oil cap, but other than that, the plane was good. (I loosened it using a pair of pliers from my toolbox …oil level was good).

Then a quick flight check with the Chief Instructor. 2 stalls, some slow flight, an engine out procedure, and a landing…then another landing. First one was flat, second one was a go around (my choice) and then a really smooth landing. Touched down as the stall horn went off, exactly where I wanted.

Taxi back to the barn, turn around, he got out, and I taxied back to the hold short line for 18.

Now it REALLY got real. No one next to me. No safety net.

and I called for departure on 18 on CTAF, and warned everyone:

“Look out above,
Watch out below:
Y’all better be ready,
Here I go. “

and with that, I did my first ever solo takeoff .
Around the pattern….
And landing.

Was OK, the second landing was better than the first, and then a third one which was ok.

Then back to the barn and parked it.

Like most first times, it went too fast…

Maybe video later if I can get it off the camera.

ETA: Can’t seem to get any good clips from the GoPro, so none at this time.

And yes, I did transmit that. Figured I’d better warn everyone.

If it is possible to have too much help, today was that situation.

Moving an entire household took LESS than 3 hours.

We spent the rest of the time putting beds and such back together and unpacking shit.

Let us hope that all the 14 people that promised to help actually show up.

2 LARGE trailers, 1 medium. 10 miles.

If everyone shows up, maybe 3 hours. If not….

And I got a phase check tomorrow at 7 AM. If the weather holds, I will fly.

Hope I can walk…. 

Via Wirecutter:

This Sorority Girl Tried To Show Some School Spirit And Accidentally Pissed Off The TSA

Hassled, searched and reprimanded for a hand gesture. 

“We all know many of you who are now in the throes of vapor swoons over this comment secretly call those Third World shitholes…”shitholes”. 
Your outrage is that Trump said it.
No? How many of you are saving up your cash to take a dream vacation to Haiti or El Salvador or Uganda?

Fiat Chrysler will move Ram Heavy Duty truck manufacturing back to Michigan from Mexico.

“FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne says the company should adjust its manufacturing footprint to reflect “improvement in the U.S. business environment.””

MAGA and all that. But, at the end of it all, the economic policies make it worthwhile to bring that production back to the US.

A long time ago I did work for a subcontractor  that made wiring harness testers for Ford. The Ford folks hated the fact that they had production in Mexico….the workers sucked, the plant was shit and they wished they could afford to move the pant back. But they couldn’t, due to Clinton policies. Bush didn’t fix that, and neither did Clinton.

Economic policy dictates where Big Business (and the small businesses that supply and support them) locate.

Now, look what is happening. 

And why half the island is still without power.

One wonders, were they planning on selling the supplies and equipment for profit?
(The Governor, of course,  is investigating )

Note that half the powerline workers are (or WERE) waiting on parts and pieces so they can get the job done.

The problem (as we see once again) with Puerto Rico is the Puerto Ricans….and their Government.

Via Elmtree Forge