Endgame

Russians

I visited Philly a week ago. I apologize for not telling many people; I was sick and only around for a couple of days. I did manage to see a few people, and it was good to see them. The rest of you...please buy me one of these and I will come home whenever you want (as long as whenever means weekends). I started writing this super long blog entry describing my whole weekend in agonizing detail, including a detailed log of who I saw, and whether or not I thought certain girls might still be interested, and how I got to the wedding super early (and awkwardly) and how it went, but it was boring.

Some highlights of the weekend included me actually watching a Phillies game with Owen and Erin. I mean, we were also talking about Batman, but I was looking at the screen, and I remember the score being 8-0 at one point. Considering I've always regarded baseball to be one of the most linear and therefore boring sports out there, I think this was a big step for me.

Natasha's wedding, the reason I endured a total of 8 takeoffs/landings in one weekend with a sore throat, was awesome. Even though I was almost too sick to go it was still awesome. The food was amazing--they had enormous plates all like layed out at each table, and people kept bringing more and more plates. It was delicious. Also two hot and single girls sat at the same table as me. And the one girls' mother gently chided me for not trying to get her daughter drunk. Honestly it was the best wedding reception I've ever been to. I was having such a good time I danced to hiphop. I mean, wow.

Unfortunately I was quite sick, and while I was no longer contagious under normal circumstances, making out was sadly out of the question, and I was staying at a friends house. However, Kat's boyfriend told me stories of Eastern Europe/Ukraine/Russia/Moscow/Kiev/St Petersburg, where...how did he put it...the ratio was in our favor? We both had a bit of cogniac so its hard to remember or describe the avalon he so eloquently described, and I don't even remember his name (it might be Alex? or is has the letter 'n' somewhere). But it was something about it being completely different, where girls were actually interested in meeting guys, where girls aren't at bitchy as they are here. And they're all Russian.

I bought a travel book the next day.



Endgame

I am at the end of my flight training. I have nothing new to learn, except for a bunch of stuff that I was supposed to have known already. My flight instructor has left for the East Coast. Saturday I passed the knowledge test--actually I didn't so much pass it as kicked its ass. I got one question wrong, but it was a stupid question, and I also found a mistake on the test, so I consider that even.

Now all I have to do is pass a final test at the flight school this week, and then schedule my "checkride" with an FAA examiner. If I pass the checkride, I will be a Private Pilot. Unfortunately it won't be easy; you have to do a lot of different maneuvers during these tests, and for some reason I'm not too good at turning to the left with 45 degrees of bank. Actually I think I'm great at it, but I always gain or lose a couple hundred feet of altitude by accident.

However, I am almost done. After more than six months I am actually going to have a life. I'll be able to sleep in saturday mornings, or walk to Pike's Place and buy fruit. I'll be able to watch House for four hours without the nagging feeling that I should be studying. I'll actually see my friends...maybe play Settlers again. I'll have time to buy a coffee table, and rims for Jessica's winter tires, and put something on my apartment walls, and go out dancing, and see a bunch of people that I haven't seen in a while. A social life! How exciting.

Oh, and I'll be able to hop in a Cessna and just go flying when I feel like it.


Hope

Something worked today, at work. I mean, I turned something on, and it worked. I was surprised in a good way for once. The rest of the day was frustrating like usual, but I think I could eventually enjoy the job I have now.