Long time between posts.

G1000

Ok, so it’s only been about 5 1/2 months since the last post.  Quite a lot has happened in that time.  I’ve been flying like crazy and finished up my instrument rating in March.  I did the majority of my instrument training in a Diamond DA40 equipped with the incredible Garmin G1000.

In February I was involved with the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games.  I was the Technical Coordinator for the Floor Hockey Venue.  It was an amazing experience and one that I hope I can repeat in the future.

Our 5 on 5 hockey team had what would qualify as an abysmal season and it’s better that that is now behind us.  School went well for the 2nd semester and 32 credits are now on the books.  I’m, surprisingly, maintaining a 3.89 GPA and anyone who knew me back in high school would be surprised, but I hated Baker City and the school, so at that time in my life, I just really didn’t care.  Long back story that isn’t relevant here. 

I’m still looking for a job and that, as you can imagine, has added a tremendous amount of stress to life.  My wife has been tremendous and I couldn’t be happier with her for her support.  Having a deep resume and an arsenol of skills has only made me “overqualified”.  I can’t tell you how much I hate that phrase now.  If I apply, then I’m willing to work for you, so take advantage of my qualifications.

The kids are doing great and getting ready to finish up the 7th & 5th grade.  Scary how quickly they grow.  I miss them desperately when they’re not here and can’t wait for their next visit. 

The Stanley Cup playoffs are into their second game and my Red Wings are up 2-0 in the series against the Pittsburgh Penguins.  The series is far from over and there is still a long way to go, but I’m hoping the Wings are able to repeat as champs!!

I’ve just recently joined a flying club in Nampa to acquire access to an affordable airplane.  I’m flying a Cessna 120.  It’s a conventional gear (tailwheel) aircraft and you have to really fly well to operate one, some the experience is amazing.  I’m trying to build time towards my commericial rating which will allow me to get paid to fly.  Now I just need the economy to come around. 

Finally an update

Alright, since I’ve been totally slacking lately on updating this blog, here’s a brief update on what is going on.

I enrolled online with Utah Valley University and am pursuing an Associates of Applied Science, with an emphasis in aviation.  So far so good.  Since I had to wait so long to get my financial aide junk back I wasn’t able to start the semester until the halfway point.  So I took 12 credits, 4 classes and have been working my tail off trying to complete them in the small amount of time that I had to complete a full semester’s work.  Long story short, I’ve just about done it.  I have one more final left, which is my Instrument Ground Test and it’s a really tough test, so I’m hoping I can pull it off.  Crossing my fingers.  My other three classes I’ve done really well and will pull all high A’s.  Who would’ve thunk that?  I know, I know…

Also, with the little extra aide I received I’ve been able to start flying again and have been taking lessons towards my instrument rating.  This is fun, yet difficult at the same time, but I love it.  Flying is so cool.

This year is passing along and I feel as if I’ve been tested about as much as I want to be.  There is just so much stuff that just doesn’t seem to be going my way.  I’m a religious person and believe in God, but I’ve been struggling lately with thinking maybe he doesn’t like me too much.  I know, it’s not true, but seriously, enough is enough.  Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.  Don’t leave a brother hanging.  Enough of that.

For Fun, I stole the following from a friend of mine (sorry Micah) 

 

What’s your middle name?
Blake
What is your current mood?
Unsure
When is your birthday?
2 19

What color shirt are you wearing?
White
If you could get a hug from someone rite now who would it be?
My wife or my kids.  Wife’s in bed sleeping and kids are in McCall. 

Are you imagining anyone unclothed right now?
Only my wife.

What piercings do you have?
Used to have a pierced ear from many, many moons ago, but nothing has been worn in like 16 years.  Hmm…wonder if a ring would go through?
What did you do last night?
Watched Red Wings Play hockey

What was the first thing you said this morning?
Who’s calling me?
Have you ever slept on a trampoline ?
Nope

Do you like rain?
Sometimes.  If I wanna go flying, then no. 

What are you thinking about right now?
Heading to bed.

Whats your favorite memory?
Lot’s.  Marrying my wife, my kids, vacations, etc…
What are you listening to?
My fingers on the keyboard.

Who was the last person that you yelled at?
Hockey player
Who is the last person you said i love you to?
My wife.

What was the last thing to make you smile ?
My wife.
Did you sing at all today?
Don’t think so.

When’s the last time you argued?
Day or so ago…??
Who was the last person you had a conversation with?
Wife
What is the last thing someone bought you?
Lunch.

Were you happy when you woke up today?
I was here.  Glad to be alive. 
How’s your heart lately?
Beating.
Who was the last person you rode in the car with that was under 21?
My kids.
Are you mad at anyone right now?
Does the economy count as a person??

Are you wearing a necklace, who got it for you?
Nope

Does anyone love you?
Surprisingly yes.

How has your weekend been
It was good.  Kids were here and we had a great time.  Sad the visit ended.
Does the last person you shared a bed with mean anything to you?
Everything.

Do you have anything in your pockets right now?
Change and some kind of trash????
Could you go a week without your phone?
Probably not.

Have you ever had a serious conversation with your dad?
Probably about 20 years ago.
Do you wash your hair in the shower?
What’s the point of a shower?  Is this a serious question?

What will you do after this?
sleep

Do you plan on moving out in the next year?
If I don’t get a job, I may be kicked out on me arse. 

Do you think you can last in a relationship for three months?
totally

Could you go out in public looking like you do now?
Sure.

Frustrated to no end

So, life is kind of sucky right now.  Marriage is awesome, so that isn’t included in the sucky part.  I’ve kind of been in a wait and see mode for a while now and I keep getting shot down with some financing for some training I’ve been wanting to take.  Needless to say my frustration level is through the roof.  I’m pursuing an aviation degree through Utah Valley State College (UVU).  After a lot of red tape, I was finally able to get some financial aid to pay for tuition and today, finally, I was able to start taking courses.  Being almost the end of October, I’m weeks behind, so now I’m playing catch up.  I’m taking 12 credits, so you can imagine how much work I have to do.  I started one of my classes as soon as I could and I was able to knock out 5 weeks.  Now I have to take a midterm.  Wow, from first day of school to midterm, in a matter of hours.  Crazy.

Now I have to find some way to finance the flight training and that is where the frustrating part comes in.  With the way the economy is right now, banks are extremely tight on lending and there is really only one institution that lends money for retraining.  Sallie Mae.  Actually I’m not sure if they really do lend money.  I’ve had to jump through so many hoops and nothing yet.  My credit isn’t great, but it isn’t bad either anymore.  I’ve spent the last 3 ½ years rebuilding it and finally have my credit score up to around 700.  Not good enough, so I gave them a co-signer with an 800+ credit score and nothing.  I get a letter saying, not enough credit history for my co-signer.  I’m thinking, what are you looking for?  The first co-signer has bought three houses, multiple cars, has always paid and has no issues for over 15 years.  How much longer do you need?  Seriously.  So, I have another person, graciously, offer to co-sign.  Same thing.  This person has a lot more credit history and the same response.  So, I try and call and get an explanation.  Nothing.  They won’t give an explanation.  So, there are a few more steps I have to take to try and prove my case, but I’m rapidly losing faith.  I don’t know what it is I’m supposed to do.  I can’t get any direction from where I’m needing it so I’m stuck out here in limbo. 

I’m pretty much at rock bottom and hella frustrated.  Trying to find a job is not easy either.  Either they want you to have a degree, which I’m working on, or I’m overqualified.  Can’t tell you how much I hate that statement.  My wife has been extremely patient, but I’m needing something now and nothing is materializing.  I’ve depleted all the savings I have and still can’t find enough to make ends meet.  Such BS. 

Sorry to rant and rave.  You probably don’t need to hear me feeling sorry for myself, so I’ll cut this off now.

Nothing much going on so…

Alright, since I have nothing exciting in my life to post about now, I’ll post this lovely time waster. 

YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) David Mazda 6

 

YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR’S NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”) Flying Sun Tour

 

YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) Heavenly Hash Oatmeal Raisin

 

YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name) D-SPR

YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color + favorite animal) Blue Bear

 

YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name + city where you were born) Blake Fontana

 

YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first) SprDa

 

SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color + favorite drink)
The Red Mountain Dew

 

NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) Jim Morris

 

STRIPPER NAME: (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent + favorite candy)
Fierce R.P.C.

 

WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ) Keitt Joan

 

TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name + a major city that starts with the same letter) Byron Baltimore

 

SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday + flower) Summer Rose

 

CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit + article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”) Orange G-stringy (ok not really, but…never let the facts get in the way of a good story)

 

HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree) Eggs Maple

Scrub hockey update

The 2008-2009 hockey season has begun.  Fresh with a new team name, Condemned, and several new additions to the roster, our team is looking good for the 20 game season.  Our first game was Sunday and while the result wasn’t what we were looking for, 7-7 tie, the potential for another championship run lies ahead.  Only time will tell if we are able to come together as a team and make the championship a reality.

Condemned jersey mock up

Our goalie, Bryan Gray, has designed our new logo and as you can tell, it looks pretty sharp.  Great job, Bryan.  I look forward to wearing this jersey for many years to come. 

 

Our summer 3 on 3 team, Red Things, won the gold medal for the second year in a row.  The team was

Back row: Goldilocks, Dogbone, CJ, Blake. Front row: Heinz, Bryan

made up of 8 players.  Blake Spry, Josh “Heinz” Hey, “Angry” Kurt Weissgerber (whose commitment to the armed forces had him relocating to Ohio towards the end of the season), John “CJ” Mortin, Eric “Goldilocks” Wright, Greg “Mooner” Moone,  John “Dogbone” Black (Came in and took Angry Kurt’s position) and our goalie, Bryan Gray.

 

 

Not pictured, Greg Moone and Kurt Weissgerber.  Sorry you weren’t able to be there.  We missed having you.

Third Anniversary

9/10/08 our third anniversary.  Hard to believe she has been willing to put up with me for that long.  J  I have to say I am extremely blessed to have my wife in my life.  I couldn’t ask for anything better.  It seems like only yesterday we were saying “I do” and now it’s already been three years.  Amazing.  It was an incredible day.

First off, just being able to spend time with my wife is awesome.  I enjoy being with her and hanging out.  All the time.   She is the one I want to be with and experience life with.  We take turns each year planning our anniversary.  This year was Sarah’s turn again and, as always, she did a great job.  It was especially difficult for her this year due to a huge project they have going on at work.  She’s been working weekends and most nights ‘til 11ish, just to try and keep her head above water.  So, with that all going on she was only able to take off our anniversary and even that was difficult.  That forced her to cancel a bunch of the plans she had made, but we had a great time anyways.  I was kept in the dark as long as possible, so it was all a surprise for me.  Here’s what happened.

I had to get up at 5:50am and get ready to go.  I was told we had to leave by 6:30am.  What a

Thrilled

taskmaster.  I get into her car and am informed that I have to wear a blind fold.  WHAT??  Seriously?  Apparently so.  Fine, I graciously (that’s me, Mr. Gracious) agree to let her blind fold me.  You can see from the picture how thrilled I was by her “choice” of blindfolds. 

J  Thank God it was dark outside!

 

 

 

 

We depart.  As an fyi, I was keeping track of where we were in my head.  Visualizing the route she was driving.  After several turns and about 5 miles from the house, she starts to slow down and I turn and say, “Take it easy over the tracks.”  A second later, thump, thump as the tires cross the railroad tracks.  Needless to say she was exasperated and said, “You know where we are going, don’t you?  Why don’t you just take off the blindfold.”  So, I did.  Frankly, I think she needed help finding where she was wanting to take me.  J   I had a suspicion of where we were going and was hoping it was true, but was trying not to get my hopes up too high.  After she asked if I knew where a coffee place was, I directed her to the closest one I kind of knew of and it became obvious something was up, when she ordered two hot chocolates and one coffee.  OK, for those of you not keeping track, there were only two of us in the car.  For those that are mathematically challenged, one coffee plus two hot chocolates equals three.  Ha!  My mother despaired of me ever being able to count to five.  In your face mom, I’m over half way there.  Just kidding.  Love ya mom, plus I used the calculator on my cell phone to come up with the correct answer.  Gotta love technology.

So, we leave Moxie and my lovely wife is still trying to pretend nothing is going on.  As a side note, she is pretty horrible at acting innocent, oh well.  J  Her answer to my question of an extra drink was, “She wanted hot chocolate too.”  Yeah right.  Anyone who knows my wife knows, that I had hot chocolate, so therefore she had hot chocolate.  I have been around her for over seven years you know. J

So, she is trying to drive like we weren’t going to where I thought we were.  If that is confusing, sorry, just stay with it.  I see the turn approaching that she needs to take and know she is going to pretend to ignore it until the last moment then turn sharply.  I grab the handle overhead in preparation.  Remember, I know her?  She does as predicted and makes an aggressive ninety degree turn to the right, rear end sliding out, tires squealing, we safely make it around the corner, the only casualty a mailbox that the USPS put in an unfortunate spot, not correctly anticipating my wife trying to deceive me. 

We arrive at our destination.  The Nampa airport.  Score.  Only thing I didn’t know was who we were flying with this day.  I would soon find out.  John Forsythe was to be the Certified Flight Instructor of the day.

Blake and John

Thank you John for your time and for an amazing flight. The plane, a Cessna 182.  Oh, what a great plane.  Plenty of power for a stroll around the valley and a little back country flying.  And that was what was on the agenda for the morning.  I love flying.  Those who know me, may or may not know that I am a licensed airplane pilot.  I passed my flying exam twelve years ago this October.  Time and circumstances have prevented me from doing a lot of flying the last ten years, so I love when I am able to go.  Since it has been a while since the last time I flew, hiring a CFI to accompany us is a smart, responsible and safe decision. 

It’s a brisk morning and we are ready to go.  We depart on runway 29 head south and fly towards the

Smoke from forrest fires fill the valley

Snake River.  Once to the river we turn to an easterly-ish heading and skirt Boise’s airspace and head northeasterly between Mountain Home and Boise towards the mountains.  If you’ve never gone back country flying, you are missing out and I highly recommend it.  Charter a plane and go and see some of the most rugged and beautiful country around.  The air is silky smooth on the flight and the plane is easy to fly.  Cruising along at 135-140 knots (that’s 155.5mph-161.3mph for you landlubbers) you cover a lot of ground quickly.  We traverse the air above Smith’s Prairie to Featherville, fly up a canyon and head back towards the west and fly over Idaho City and cross behind Bogus Basin.  Departing the mountains we see civilization in sight and locate the airport and land back on runway 29, 1.3 hours later.  What a blast.  I miss flying regularly so much.  Thank you Sarah for a great start to our anniversary.

 

 

I’ve written a small novel and only covered the beginning of our day.  We ate breakfast and hung out, opening gifts.  We met Ben, Sarah’s brother, and he gave us another incredible gift.  A DVD of our wedding.  A lot of the pictures organized and set to music.  It was so awesome to see and he did an absolutely incredible job, in a very short amount of time.  Thank you so much Ben, you are extremely talented. 

 

 

Our wedding DVD from Ben

I’ll end with saying I love being married to my wife and I am looking forward to many more years with her.

 

 

 

 

Sarah and Blake

 

 

 

MS 150 Success

Leaving Boise

It was another successful MS150 this year.  The weather was beautiful and cooperated for the full event.  Even the wind stayed away.  Temperatures were chilly in the morning, 35 to 40 degrees, then heated up to a perfect bike riding temperature.  About 75 degrees or so.  The ride this year started in the town of McCall, went north along Payette Lake, then deep into the mountains.  I was very impressed with the organization of the event.  Rest stops were perfectly spaced out for the riders and were stocked with friendly people and lots of goodies to keep their energy up. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second day’s route again started in McCall.  This time they headed east then south.  Riding more through open meadows on this day, they travelled on roads that tested their endurance, up and down rolling hills, wearing on already weary legs.  They travelled past Cascade Lake to Tamarack Resort, located back in the mountains, a beautiful location. 

 

The two routes definitely forced the riders to earn their keep this year.  Lots of long, steep climbs kept the whole pack questioning why they do this each year.  But, they quickly remember.  The reason is MS.  They ride for those who can’t.  They are willing to abuse their bodies, endure leg cramping, skin chaffing miles of rough road to try and raise awareness for this devastating disease.  Some do it for the cause, others do it for loved ones who were stricken with the illness.  Whatever their reason, these riders are the true champions.  Heroes, in my mind.  They aren’t selfish when it comes to doing whatever it takes to raise awareness and funds. 

I was there to support my wife, Sarah, who rode in the event.  She lost her father in 2000 to MS.  Though his fight is done, hers is not.  The disease has not been conquered yet.

 

 

 

 

The Reason

 

 

I drove along as a S.A.G. vehicle.  I had it easy, being able to drive, but I wanted to be there for her.  What most people don’t know about my wife is, in 2002, she suffered a motorcycle accident that permanently damaged her back.  Sitting in the saddle of a road bike in the cramped position that you are forced to endure, is absolute agony for her.  This year she wasn’t even able to train for the ride.  The last time she took her road bike back down off the wall was for last year’s ride.  Talk about tough.  I kept asking her to not ride after the first day, I didn’t want her doing serious damage to herself.  Her just being there was enough, but those who do know my wife, know she is stubborn.  J  She refused to quit and stuck it out.  The last half of the day she had to stop every 4 miles and stretch out her back, but she did it.

The Finish

I was blessed this year to have my kids with me for the event.  They enjoyed cheering on the other riders, whooping and hollering, clapping in encouragement as the riders rode by.  They did a great job and they had a good time.  They were honored to be included in supporting this ride.  I wish more kids would get involved.  There were about a dozen kids total over the weekend, but I think more could be encouraged to partake.  For me, I know it works, because I saw the smiles that lit up the riders faces as they heard my two trying to encourage them.  To me that spells success.

The kids

The ride is over for this year, but the fight continues on.  I’m challenging each and every one of you to help in this fight.  It can be cured, but it will take a tremendous amount of support from many people.  Until the last one is cured, the battle is not done.

The SAG Mobile

For more pictures from the 2008 MS 150 ride, go to my MySpace account.  www.myspace.com/258748595

Bike Ride for MS.

This weekend my wife rides the MS 150.  This ride is to raise awareness and funds to fight the devastating illness of Multiple Sclerosis.  As yet there is no cure for this debilitating disease.

My wife lost her father in 2000 to this disease after battling it for almost 14 years.  Patrick Peterson was a respected aviator, who loved to fly and was an incredible instructor.  He was inducted into the Idaho Aviation Hall of Fame in November of 2004.  

After the illness took his ability to fly, he entered the tower as an Air Traffic Controller until the disease forced him to retire.  My wife rides every year she can to continue the fight against MS.  Physically this is a grueling race for her due to a motorcycle accident in 2002, yet she continues to push through the pain mile after mile.

Below is an excerpt from my wife’s fundraising efforts.  Due to an unforeseen error, her page was only recently activated and we are now scrambling to raise the necessary funds.  Any help would be appreciated.

 

A message from Sarah Spry

Every hour of every day, someone is diagnosed with MS. My dad, Pat Peterson, was part of that statistic. That’s why I registered for the MS Bike Tour, and why I’m asking you to support my fund raising efforts with a tax-deductible donation.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is dedicated to ending the devastating effects of MS but they can’t do it without our help. It’s faster and easier than ever to support this cause that’s so important to me. Simply click on the link at the bottom of this message. If you prefer, you can send your contribution to the address listed below.

Any amount, great or small, helps to make a difference in the lives of people with MS. I appreciate your support and look forward to letting you know how I do.

P.S. If you would like more information about the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, how proceeds from the MS Bike Tour are used, or the other ways you can get involved in the fight against MS, please visit nationalmssociety.org.

Click here to visit my personal page.
If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/IDIBikeEvents?px=3355094&pg=personal&fr_id=8961&et=1b_AcpfRvLfncRTQwxzfkQ..&s_tafId=67083

Back of the book jacket. What do you think?

After being chased away from their favorite local hangout by the school bully, two friends are forced to seek solace in the nearby uninhabited mountains.  There they make a startling discovery.  A helmet that grants its wearer almost unlimited wishes.  But, there is a potentially deadly secret linked with the use of the helmet.

 

Come along as Tyson and Conner seek to uncover the mystery behind the Magic Helmet.  A journey that tests the bonds of friendship with danger and betrayal.  A coming of age adventure that could cause one of the two boys to lose their very soul.

Book progress-Rough Draft Complete.

As of 1:30am this morning, the rough draft for the new children’s/Young Adult (It has probably graduated to solely Young Adult) novel I am writing, has been completed.  Since Wednesday, the story took on a life of its own and decided that it had to be put to paper now.  Just to support that fact, at the end of writing on Wednesday, my word count was 30571.  At completion of the rough draft, my word count ended up at 49335.  With some quick math that ends up just shy of 19000 words on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.   An average of 6254 words a day.  A more normal day of writing for me is anywhere from 1500-3000 words.  Interesting, is all I can say.  I guess I was just in the writing zone.  You don’t enter it all the time, but when you do, you just go nuts and you have to ride it out.  You can’t stop and say, Ok, I’ve met my quota for today.  It doesn’t work that way.   My target was 50000, so hopefully when going through the first re-write, I’ll find the additional words while strengthening certain plot points.  The first edit is always the most fun.  (Probably not really, but…)  You, for the first time, sit down and read what you’ve put down on paper.  When you’re writing, at least when I’m writing, I’m typing furiously getting the story down.  On the re-read, you find where you just plain forgot to put a word in a sentence or find that you’ve doubled up a word or used the wrong word or find that you’ve used too similar of a word too many times in the preceding paragraph.  How many times did I just use the word, word?  Get the point?

So, the refining process begins.  I’ll sharpen up the first three chapters, then submit it and see if I get any bites.  This is the process that sucks for so many authors.  Finding that one agent/publisher, who is interested in the morsel that you are offering.  Now, I remember why I hate fishing.  J

My daughter is my 12 year old test reader and she finished the rough draft this afternoon and she loved it.  I’m waiting for my adult test readers to complete their read through by this afternoon.  Feedback from them has been extremely positive to this point, which is exciting as this is just the very first draft, errors and all. 

Now, on to the critics.