New at FCD

Hot AND cold running water! For 8 months we've asked that the faucet in the men's room to be changed as after 30 seconds only scalding hot water came out. After our tiff last week a whole bunch of long forgotten things started getting done. I said get the faucet and I'll put it in. Case closed, no leaks and no more burned hands. Maybe I'll lose my cool more often?

Clipmarks Test 2

Sectional for Mariposa, in FSX it's 068 but has been updated to KPMI. that's how I got lost last time up.

clipped from www.airnav.com	Sectional chart

Clipmarks Test

A new service for saving chunks of web pages which can be blogged or emailed. Still testing...

clipped from www.flightsim.com Microsoft Flight Simulator Provides Experiential Component for Round-the-World Flight Microsoft has just announced their involvement in 23 year old Barrington Irving's round-the-world flight that has just begun today. Barrington used Flight Simulator extensively when learning how to fly and is now applying what he learned to real world flying. Microsoft's FSinsider.com is providing real-time tracking of the flight using telemetry coming from his plane. Learn all about the exciting adventure here.

Knights Do It Again

They outplayed the Elks from the first minute and had them scared to touch the biscuit but still managed to lose!? I can't figure these last two games at all. We only had 10 shots against yet 3 went in and spent the whole night in their end and got only 1 for our efforts. Good game but no results again.

Hairy Landings

I thought I'd get myself a little closer to the prize and jump over to Mariposa. Well the wind in California today was 26 knots and that makes flying, especially landing, a bit of an adventure. When there's no alternative runways you just have to float in sideways and keep all your toes crossed. I got a bit lost leaving and ended up having to put down at Johnson Field in Aubrey CA which is no more than a patch of grass in the foothills. I got my bearings and headed to Mariposa o68 which showed as KMPI on my chart. Must have misread that one. The landing in Mariposa was one of the worst I've ever made but somehow managed to crab in and get it back on terra firma.

Sergio's Blunder

Apparently Sergio Garcia missed a short putt and then spit into the hole at this weekend's tournament at Doral. The guys over at Links corner had a few good ones on that topic.
"I'm surprised he was able to actually get the spit in the hole."
"How many waggles did he use before spitting??"
" What extreme arrogance from one of the major chokers on the tour."

A New Adventure

After making a dumb mistake last time out I was hesitant with my landings especially in the tail-dragger version N130WA. Take offs are tricky as you can't see over the cowling until you get up to speed and the tail wheel lifts off and when you land and slow down the opposite happens. I left Half Moon Bay (KHAF) CA which is just a few miles south of San Francisco and made the expected flyby of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island before climbing to 3000' and heading east towards Yosemite. I got as far as Atwater CA (KMER) which is only 26nm from the Mariposa airport and the entrance to the park. Because I'm using the Jeppeson weather whichs updates every 15 minutes I'm hoping for a nice day whenever I get time to make the trip, this week is going to be hectic with 2 more FWA registrations and the NHL AGM plus a game Monday and party at the Vic Inn on Friday. I spent 3+ hours this afternoon getting all of the bingo transactions into MS Accounting and still haven't finished. Getting back into the 'office' will be a relief.

Another Year

It's our 28th anniversary (I think!) and alls well. Three more years and the boys will both be done school (right AJ?) and the hut will be paid for and then we can start to enjoy life a bit. Maybe someone will even retire from the 12 hour days on her feet.

New Chair

I finally took the plunge and picked up a new chair for the office. The old one has had it. My honorarium from LMHA covers all but $30 so at least I can say the work there has some benefit, we seem to be treading in dangerous waters with the in-fighting between leagues but at least my butt is comfortable.

Ginko Hits the Hardwood

Well the little guy has taken his love of down the hallway bowlin' and moved on to the real thing. He takes the traditional 'hands too small' stance and rolls the ball down the lane and then stands with his hands on his knees and watches the result. His buddy Parker just loves to watch his mom have to go 12 feet past the hog line to retrieve an errant ball but Brandyn wants to knock 'em down. And sometimes he looks to see who is watching

Knights Take Another on the Chin

Our second last game of the season and this time we have a great effort with no results. The kids played well and dominated both possession and the physical game but could not get a good bounce. Everything the Wild did turned to gold. Our last game was a disaster as the effort and desire to win was nowhere in sight but this one was a 180. One more game to go, I just hope they can put it together and go out with a 'W'.

California Trip Ends

Well I guess it had to happen sooner or later. I took off from Crescent City CA 30 minutes before dawn and made 1 touch and go. I tried another landing but the cabin of the Beaver is not well lit and I didn't notice the gear was up. Pontoons don't make for a smooth landing on ashphalt. There were plenty of sparks and I thought I might get away with it but I CRASHED.

Half Done

In preparation for the AGM I have the general account just about balanced. Next is the bingo but I have that in control as the bingo police keep us on our toes. Microsoft Accounting is a great package.

Welcome to California

I left Cape Blanco (5S6) OR and continued south along the Pacific coast. I made touch and goes in Gold Beach (4S1) and Brookings (KBOK) before crossing the Oregon/California border and landing in Crescent City CA.

Flight Simulation For the Rest of You

Ok so you don't have a fast pc and you just want to fly around and see the sights not learn how to navigate or land or any of those other bothersome aspects of flying, here's the site for you.

Every Company Should Take a Lesson

The creators of BeaverX, the DHC2 Beaver that I fly almost exclusively in FSX have just released the 2nd update. They added 3 more models, fixes for all related problems and a mission. I've followed this on their forum and they treat every post like gold, researching and answering back and then making the changes to the software that the customers have requested or suggested. For less than $23 Canadian (and no tax) they have provided me with hours of fun and learning. Great job Aerosoft.

If Only...

Just came from a meeting with the buying group we belong to at FCD. There is a lot of technology we just can't get in on because of the age of our computer system. We're going to need to change things up a bit and get some new lines or ideas to keep it going. We're getting left behind. We need to put the problems that have nagged us for 3 years in the rearview and get on with it.

Microsoft Accounting

Another gem came my way via the pesky and repetitive emails from PC magazine. I only stay subscribed because the odd article points me to some great downloads. This time FREE accounting software from Microsoft. I have been recreating the books for Northwood and haven't found anything it can't do. Very fast, intuitive and full-featured. Bill it's just not like you. there is a 'professional' version but I haven't found a disabled feature that I need as yet.
If you have a small business or organization this could be a great savings for you.

Congratulations to Ginko

The little guy called me at work to tell me "Igopooponthepotty", yes he said it that fast and I wasn't expecting to hear his voice so I had to replay it a few times to catch on. Way to go! You can come over any time now, Uncle Mike won't even mind. And remember the rc is just for when you gopooponthepotty.

Siltcoose Lake 5J2 to Cape Blanco 5S6

Another VFR trip along the Oregon coast in the Beaver C-GSKY. Here's a shot of the real Bates Air DHC2 Beaver.

KC 11's Pull Off A Big Win

Mike's team finally came together and won a title, taking a 3-2 game against the Current River Comets in the NorWest final. I was surprised that the kids play with little imagination, sticking to the systems and not really showing as much as AA used to. They are all great skaters but most of the goals were the result of mistakes not great plays or efforts.

Exhibiton Games

The Northwood Knights IP2 and Atom squads hit the ice in exhibition games on Saturday. The IP2 without their top player lost 3-2 to an IP2 Major team. The Atoms dropped a 10-5 decision to the 4th place team in LMHA. They didn't play well in the first half going down 6-1 but rebounded to tie the KC Bruins the rest of the way. New uni's look pretty sharp.

Now for Something a Little Faster

Just for a bit of variety I loaned a Harrier Jumpjet for a 2 hour hop (900+nm) from Los Angeles KLAX to Vancouver CYVR at almost 500knph. It's fast, it's noisy and has all the gadgets, but once you set the GPS and speed and alt theres nothing to do. The scenery is ok but I prefer getting low and slow where I can see everything.

Let's Hope Somebody Shows Up

I just made up a letter inviting parents to our AGM. I just hope somebody shows up otherwise the NHL might not run next season. Only 3 people on the executive this season and two of us haven't had kids playing for 7 years.

Pacific City KPFC to Siltcoos Lake 5J2

Another 100 or so miles south along the Pacific coast of Oregon from Pacific City to Siltcoos Lake. This is one of my fav pictures taken so far. Click to enlarge ( as you can do with any picture in a post.)

Another 65 at Kapalua

I've never scored the same in 4 rounds before in any tournament, but did it here in the PSGA Hawaiian Open. I barely got on the 18th with a 270 yard 3wood and then dropped a 55' putt for eagle to go -8, -32 for the event.

Give Moore Bertuzzi's $

I just read that 3 years after Todd Bertuzzi ambushed him, former Colorado Avalanche defenseman Steve Moore is still unable to play hockey, nevermind in the NHL. If I were a judge I would award Moore every penny Bertuzzi makes while Moore is unable to play. The fact that he may never play again is Betuzzi's cross to bear but it should cost him more than a few crocodile tears. Moore still skates alone but has not been cleared for contact of any kind. Lets just hope that the $19.5M lawsuit he has filed will bring some justice. He will never know peace as his dream has been shortened by a coward.

The Digital Equivalent of Post It Notes

I found a powerful little program called 'stickies' on Major Geeks. It throws post-it like notes on the desktop as reminders of anything. As a bonus you can have them invisible and only jump to the front screen when the alarm you set goes off. Everything about your sticky is customizable in case you like pink stickies with blue text or whatever your heart desires.

-1 at Black Rose Valley

I got as much as 4 under during this round under the dreaded windy conditions but had trouble on the back nine. Should be enough to hold the lead as nobody scores well in 35 mph winds.

Portland KPDX to Pacific City KPFC

Left Portland Oregon and headed west to the coast and then south over Cape Kiwanda State Park. Just about flew past Pacific City but decided to circle and land on the narrowest paved runway I've ever seen.

Arnie, Jack and Tiger

Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods are standing at the throne of golf heaven. God looks at them and says, "Before granting you a place at my side, I must ask you what you have learned, what you believe in."
God asks Arnie first: "What do you believe?" Arnie thinks long and hard, looks God in the eye, and says, "I believe in hard work, and in staying true to family and friends. I believe in giving. I was lucky, but I always tried to do right by my fans."
God can't help but see the essential goodness of Palmer, and offers him a seat to his left. Then God turns to Nicklaus and says, "What do you believe?"
Jack says, "I believe passion, discipline, courage and honor are the fundamentals of life.
I, too, have been lucky, but win or lose, I've always tried to be a true sportsman, both on and off the playing fields." God is greatly moved by Jack's high-pitched eloquence, and he offers him a seat to his right.
Finally, God turns to Woods: "And you, Tiger, what do you believe?"
Tiger replies, "I believe you're in my seat."

Astoria KAST to Portland KPDX

Took the Beaver up for about an hour leaving Astoria Oregon and following the Columbia River east and then south to Portland Oregon. FSX is accurate enough to look at a map and then follow the landmarks to a destination. Having the GPS handy always helps.

The Future Is Here

I just checked out Google Docs and Spreadsheets. If you don't have one, get a Google account now. Gmail is simply the best online mail I've ever used. Fast and intuitive, it takes a bit to get used to the way they handle things but once you are in, it flys and provides more than 2 gigs of storage. You'll never need to delete anything again.
Then check out Google Docs and Spreadsheets. Create your word processor files online with a straight forward word processor that has features you need to get work done, nothing fancy but powerful in that you do everything online. All of your work is saved to your folder. Save as rtf, doc, pdf or a few others. Publish to the web instantly or save as code to embed in a page. Invite someone else to collaborate and they can edit or print or publish the file. This will be great for small organizations that need access to documents and are hindered by everything being on one member's pc.
The spreadsheet program has many of the same type of features and publishing is a snap. Best of all it's all free. I'm going to start moving things from my hard drive to my Google folders now. Bill Gates, your days as king are numbered.

Happy Time Tournament Canceled

After applying for travel permits this morning HNO advised that the Happy Time was canceled. Northwood has been in this tournament since its inception when AJ was 9 back in 1997. This was the first tournament Northwood ever won. The Atoms backed it up in 1998 with another win after capturing the Elk's Tom Thumb. Pic is of the '97 team. AJ is front row 2nd from left

Third 65 at Kapalua

In the PSGA Hawaiian Open at Kapalua Plantation I shot a third straight 65, -8. This round started with 6 straight birds before settling into my normal scrambling for pars. This should keep me in the lead but will probably get me bumped up a flight.

Seattle KBFI to Astoria KAST

Left Boeing Field in Seattle Washinton and headed west to the edge of Olympic Nat'l Park. Picked up the nuclear reactors on the horizon and zipped over to check them out. Made a stopover in Hoquaim Washington and then continued south to Astoria Oregon as the sun set. DHC2 Beaver was well behaved as usual.

Another Sunday at 'Donalds with Ginko

The little guy was hungry this morning, downing 2 pancakes without taking a break. He didn't even want to get into the playroom. We took the Dakota to the carwash and then headed over to Super Pet to check out the inmates. He fed the goldfish and talked to a few of the birds. Short visit this week as Nanny had to go to work early.

Frank Shines at Anglewood

Well this time around Gman kicked my butt. He managed a -12 to my -6 at Anglewood. He made some great recoveries whenever he had a bad shot and I wasn't able to make anything when he missed. Hats off this time, watch out next time.

Do I or Don't I?

I almost posted to the Links Forum to advertise a new Links 2k3 Mod tour. Still mulling it over, do I really want to get back into the daily grind of upkeep on a web page? Maybe if I could find a site like Eteamz that would do the bulk of the work. I'll have to check it out

Knights Come Out Flat

In their first round robin game of the playoffs our Knights came out flat. When I got there at the end of 2 they were down 6-1. I guess the desire to win is just not there because the talent definitely is.

PC System Saver

Another free piece of software that I found recently is 'Regscrub'. It goes through your registry and fixes the entries that are slowing down the system. It literally brought our Dell Inspiron 4150 back to life. Along with a good defragger and some service tweaks it became the great little pc it was years ago.
The program also includes hundreds of little tips and secrets for repairing an ailing system.

Vancouver CYVR- Seattle KBFI

Took the DHC2 Beaver N299EE south from Vancouver to Seattle to begin a trip down the west coast of the U.S.. Low clouds in Vancouver which cleared and then ran into fog before clearing again before landing.
Also picked up 2 jobs at FSE from CYYH to CYBB in Nunavut which netted $634.27. Bank account now stands at $28357.28.
Here's a look at the real N-299EE.

Note: leave Nunavut to the Eskimos, nothing to see

Round 2 at Quail Hollow, Stableford

Could not find the touch today. -2

Useful Software

Every now and then I come across a useful piece of FREE software. I'll be posting these here along with links to get them. The latest is MediaMax. It offers 25 gigs of free space for uploading pictures, music or backups. You can even stream your mp3 files from anywhere you can log into. Sharing pictures is simple. I threw on some Neil Young and Sheryl Crowe last night and some FSX pix today.

Last Day of the NHL Season

Saturday is the last day of the playoffs for the Northwood Hockey League. I can't say I'm not glad another season is over. I was looking at the Best of the Rest Trophy last night with Lauren Marantz and saw the year Mike won it, 1990! That means I've been in it since about 1993 or 15 years.

First Post

This will be a place for dumping my thoughts, ideas and logs. The title is a play on 'train of thought', get it? I'm a lot more interested in planes than trains, hence the change.