Walk in the park

With the colder weather here in Rock Hill it has enabled our family to enjoy the fireplace in our house.  

The girls love to sit in front of it and basking in the heat that it gives off,  after they have their fill of the heat they love to roast marshmallows on the coals.  For me I have been able to put the old Boy Scout skills to use, the house sits on 7 acres of land that is mostly filled with trees.   I bought a bow saw and have been cutting the wood for the fireplace.  I really do enjoy the physical work out that it gives me as well. 

With us being newer to the area, I have wanted to find trails to walk on.  Yesterday we went to River Park to check it out.   It was a cool, crisp day and the sky was brilliant blue.    After the 2 inches of rain that we had the trails were a bit muddy though.   Brenna brought her camera and is really getting into taking photos.  She has a good eye for what it takes to compose a good photo.  I also brought my new camera to try to capture some photos as well.   I’m still getting the feel of it and am getting better photos with it now.  

We ended the day with making some veggie chili with cornbread for dinner.   I think it was the best chili that I have made as of yet.  For desert that night I made some smores, Tina and the girls had never had them before.   They sucked them down like crazy, but then how can you go wrong with anything that has chocolate in it J

Christa Grace

A bit lonely.

This trip has seems like it will never end and I really have not been gone too long.   It may be because I will only have had 6 days off this month and traveled most of them.  I think for me though is really being lonely had hit me the hardest.   When I traveled to PA and stayed at the Inn everyone there is more than a fiend they are like my 2^nd family.  Traveling down here to Miami I have really not had time to meet that many people.  I have been so fortunate to meet this cool person Jules that is down here for a year.  She came over the other day and it really helped so much with the loneliness.  Sense we have moved to the new town I have only stay at the new house 3 night and they really weren't full night either because of traveling.   I guess I feel like I don’t have a place to call home yet?  At some point after the 1^st of the year I should have more time home and can start to feel like I belong there.   Being gone as much as I am I really am concerned about finding and meeting friends.   I am blessed with having my spouse and 2 children at the house so there is that comfort.

Yesterday morning I got to put a faces to some voices that I have been hearing when I was in my hotel room.   These people that are staying next to me are so loud!   The husband and wife are always fighting, bickering and such.  I was down having a late breakfast in the lobby and these people were waiting for someone.  I thought I recognize the guy voice but really not too sure.  It was a pretty good size group of people and you could tell they were family.   Then this lady comes down and just starts in at this guy, screaming at the top of her lungs right there in the lobby.  He starts yelling back at her; yep they are the mystery people staying next to me that yell all night long at each other.  I can only speculate on how long they have been married, but given their age it seems that they have been married probably for more than 40 years.  The way the family responded really indicated that this is a normal thing on their part.   I think every marriage has some dysfunction; I am so happy that Tina and I are not like that though.

Change is in the air.

With fall coming change seems to be in the air.  Working for a commercial cargo airline I am used to change in my life.  Currently we are looking for a new place to live in Rock Hill, SC our oldest will be attending college at Winthrop.  It sure adds a unique stress in trying to find a place that meets everyone’s needs.    Between having pets, trying to be within walking distance of the college and being close to a good middle school we sure have a tall order for a house to rent J   In the past when we have moved it has always been because of my job changing.  With my current job it is nice that we have the option of living almost anywhere we want.  That sure makes it nice for our family at the current time.

 Brenna and I looked at several houses yesterday and think we finally have a handle on 2 houses that would fit our families need. Here is our favorite one.

Change is also in the air for my job as well.  For the last year I have been traveling and working at the McGuire AFB.  I really enjoy the areas and it really has become my home away from home.  I stay in New Hope, PA and is such a great town.  I have met some great friends there and have made it my  2nd Home for sure.  I am so looking forward to getting back there.  It looks like for the next couple of months I may not be spending as much time in my 2^nd home though.  I will be helping cover JFK base and working on getting my airport badge for Anchorage, AK and Chicago, IL as well.    I do have fond memories of the Anchorage airport, and when we lived there we really did enjoy the area!  When we lived there I really did work way too much, I always had 2 or 3 jobs at once.  Because of this I was not home much and we didn’t get to enjoy the area as much as we should have though L.      I am hoping that I can get back to my routine of staying 18 days a month at my 2^nd home though.  I really like having a constant in my life, so now having the job changing and home house changing it does add a bit of stress in life for sure.

I know that in the past change has always been good for myself and our family so I am really looking forward to what the new changes will bring. 

Traveling Home

I made it home early am yesterday.   My inter kid self keep saying “Are we there yet?  ARE WE THERE YET?” 

My day started out as I got up Friday at 6am to get showered and make it for a breakfast at the hotel at 7am as the open up.  I always stay at hotels that have free breakfast, because our $30 a day for per diem just doesn’t really go too far when you are trying to eat healthy.  The night before I had talked with corporate office and they said that I was going to get home so I was really excited because I have been out traveling from the 19^th of last month.  I figured I was going to have to stay because I still didn’t have travel and I was originally thinking that I was going to have a 1120am dept.  I made a few calls and got my travel so I really didn’t have much time to pack and get my rental car gassed and returned.  After breakfast I rushed back to my room and packed all my stuff and it made my suitcase bulge for sure.  It take 2 trip to the car to get everything down.  I had to laugh, I tried to stuff my suitcase in the trunk and it just wouldn’t go so I had to put it in the front seat.  Darn Camaro, but it was fun to drive, just not practical.

I returned the car in will out any issue and made my way to the airport, SEATAC’s rental car return is about a mile from the airport.  The facility was being built when we were moving to Charleston area.  It is a nice and gives the rental companies the room they so desperately needed to grow. 

I am really out of practice traveling my commercial airlines because most of the time I drive or fly on our own planes.  I get to the counter and put my bag down the the scales and check in.  It bugs me that as a customer you should have to pay for checking in a bag.  That’s why people try to take so much on as a carry on and hit you with their bags as they walk down the aisles.  So I pay for the bag and get my boarding pass that the CSR freaks because my bag weighs 58 pounds.  I looked at him in this questioning look.  Airlines are such hogs, that 8lbs cost an additional $90.  When I was a customer service agent I would have just let it slip by, but back then it was 75lbs that was overweight not 50lbs.

I was glad that I made it to the airport 2 hours before my flight because the line for security took me a hour to get through.  I feel so much safer with the gentleman looking at my ID with a magnifying glass.  He was giving off the vibe of “I’m the gate keeper and maybe I will let you in or maybe not”.   I got past the gate keeper and now confronted the agent yelling orders to pull your liquids computer out and take off your shoes and such.  And yes I called him a “ agent”  not a officer as they would prefer,  they are not law enforcement so they don’t deserve being called a officer.   I make it out feeling like I’m a criminal, our government can do so much better than this! 

I can’t help but wonder as I am waiting in line who I will be sitting next to on the plane.  My bad side is like I hope they don’t spill out of their seat into mine because I have a window seat and don’t want to be squished into the wall like in the past.  I get seated and the couple sits next to me with a child that is one big lap child.  I was glad I had brought my ear plugs because that kid could scream.  So for 2 ½ hours I enjoyed reading my book in peace and quiet.  My next flight was nice because I didn’t have anyone sitting next to me, however I had these 2 younger ladies that got way goofy drinking.  I once again had to put in the ear plugs to quiet them.  I almost finished my book on that flight.  I am not a big book reader at all, but I have fell in love the this series of Fifty Shades of Grey. 

I arrive at JFK at 1130pm and get my bag.  I’m pretty tired, weird how flying makes you tired because is was sitting all day.  I get my bag and make my way on the train to Federal Way circle stop.  I was hoping that someone was in our office that lake because I really didn’t want to walk the couple of blocks to our office carrying my bags.  The last time I flew commercially they broke one of my wheels on my 58 pound bag and I really didn’t want to carry it a few blocks.  I was thankful that Pleasant answered the phone and he came and got me and dropped me off at my car.  He is such a sweet and nice person.   I drove a hour and made it to my 2^nd home.  It was such a nice feeling to pull in the driveway, just like coming home.  I got my key they left for me and went to my favorite room J  The Captain Brynne’s room as I call it when I’m there.  Its real name is called the Capt Reeder room.   By now it is 2am so I am pretty tired and ready for sleep.  The next day I had a wonderful breakfast and got myself together and headed out for my drive home.   It really was a uneventful drive home.  Halfway into the 12 hour drive I stopped for lunch/dinner.  I usually don’t stop but I thought I would try something new, I always feel like it is slowing the process up when I do that, but it was nice today to do it.  My next stop was at the border on NC and SC rest stop.  I really hate stopping at South Carolina rest areas because they usually are not clean.  As usual I was not disappointed it was way dirty, and this is a rest area that has a welcoming facility for South Carolina.  Not a very good way of welcoming people to our state for sure.  What bothered me the most is as I pull in there was so many stray cats.  The parking stall I was pulling into had these 2 scared cats cuddling up with each other.  They were so scared and pathetic, I just wanted to scoop them up and take them home.  The poor things, what kind of person would let poor helpless animals off at a rest stop.  I’m really not a huge animal lover, but I do have a heart and would never do that; but as a state why don’t they take then to a shelter so they can be adapted to a family that would care for them too.  Shame on you South Carolina!

I finally made it home at 130am on Saturday morning.  I was so glad to be home and my family warmly met me at the door, even though I was trying to sneak in quietly.

Trip to Gravity Hill Farm

On Tuesday Sara brought me along to a wonderful farm that sell some great produce.   What was so cool is all the produce that was for sale had just been picked that day.   I bought some salad and yellow beans.  It so wonderful to have such fresh produce, the taste is so much better!

After we bought our produce we went to see the animals the best part J   They have Llamas, alpacas, chickens and goats there.   I really love Llamas; I just think they are so cute and cuddly.   

These had been shaved recently so they were kind of homely in a cute way. I’m sure they are enjoying having shorter fur though with the summer heat coming on though.  We also spent time with the goats as well.  They were so friendly and just loved to get attention. 

Here is a link to their web page Gravity Hill Farm gravityhillfarm

Second Home

Well I am back to my usual traveling schedule.   I have really enjoyed being able to be work from home for the last two months.  I was able to spend so much quality time with my spouse Tina and the girls, and we had a great time together.  Being home so long does make it hard for me to leave them, but as I am traveling it gives me something to look forward to as well.

I did have an interesting experience the other night.  When I travel up to cover do coverage at the McGuire AFB  like always like to stay at this nice B&B.   I got in pretty late and carried some of my luggage to the room, and laid down of the bed and it just felt like my 2^nd home.  I do stay a lot here and usually in the same room, but it still surprised me though.  I love the staff and they feel like a extended family to me.