Can you fly this thing?

Well, I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Hello, all. I have so many stories to tell, but no time or energy. The weekend was jam-packed.

I am the proud owner of N21TM. She's safely parked at the Butler County Airport.

I'm safely parked on my couch.

This is a weekend of firsts. It's my first flight-time in a homebuilt aircraft. My first flight-time in a low-wing aircraft. My first foray into airplane ownership. My first cross-country flying since 1998.

It was a busy, exhausting weekend.

But all's well that end's well.

I made an unexpected stop Saturday night and walked several miles from the airport to a hotel. I struggled with radio problems all day as I flew home (but I think I was able to finally troubleshoot them on my last leg). I flew through rain and learned how fun it is to have an airplane that drags old airport codgers out of the shadows to ask "What is that? It looks like you left your Bonanza in the dryer too long."

Weekend travel

My dad and I are leaving bright and early in the morning for Georgia.

If all goes as planned I'll be bringing home my new toy this weekend. Yes, it's that gawky looking plane on the right (and, no, that's not me sitting in the pilot's seat).

I cannot describe how excited I am. From early childhood I've dreamt of earning my pilot's license and owning a plane. I've been a pilot now for seven years or so, but always fettered by rental agreements. It's wonderful imagining the freedom to fly places over the weekend, stay overnight and not have to worry about minimum rental times or returning before my rental reservation runs out.

Besides, the flight from Millen, GA up to my home base will be the longest flight I've ever undertaken. That's something to get excited about by itself.

Real American Heroes and Real Men of Genius

I'm so glad these are archived.

(thanks Tim, for wasting 30 of my minutes today...)

Adventures in missing the point

I am a lousy communicator sometimes.

I have an emotion (or bundle of emotions) that I've been trying to describe for some time. I keep failing.

It seems that as humans we are wired to search. At least I am wire to search. To seek. To quest. To desire more. To wait for "something." To long for "something."

This is built into my very nature.

"I still haven't found what I'm looking for."

Truth is--when (if) I do find something...I'll just find something else for which to search.

These are variations on a theme. A while back I tried describing myself in terms of "homesickness". I think it's the same thing.

I believe we're wired to crave a wholeness and completion that is unavailable in this world--at least unavailable in any sustainable sense. Yes, there are transcendent moments of joy--spiritual ecstasy and the like. But they don't last.

We always end up back in normal life. Fundamentally alone (even if married, etc), trying to find our way toward meaning or whatever it is we're searching for.

So my suspicious question is this: if I know I cannot be satisfied, why then do I continue seeking?

(this relates to dating, sure. And to theology. And to jobs. And to travel goals, friendships, life plans, etc.).

The funny phrase I keep telling myself is that I'm "sick and tired."

Homesick, and tired of searching.

And yet I'm built to long for heaven and wired to consume, to acquire, to build (friendships, love, experiences, etc....I'm deliberately not using "consume" with a negative connotation).

Does this make any sense?

More specifically, in terms of relationship I realize that I want nothing short of miracle.

What kind of life is it when you're waiting on a miracle?