You Might Be a Pilot Wife....

1. If you spend 15 days out of any given month on your own.
2. If you go to bed alone but wake up with your pilot snoring next to you. 
3. If you wake up alone but then come home from work to find your husband cooking dinner. (Score!)
4. If your pilot hides Biscoff cookies in your lunch bag.
5. If you look up at the sky every time you hear an airplane.  Bonus points if you can identify at least the carrier.  Double points if you can identify the plane.
6. If you have to RSVP to a wedding as one, maybe two and beg the bride for understanding that you won't know if your pilot will be attending until the schedules come out on the 20th of the preceding month.
7. If you have attempted to take a weekend getaway via non-rev benefits, only to have to change your plans because the flights are full.
8. If by day 3 or 4 of a trip, you almost forget you are married.  Maybe this only happens to newlyweds but there are moments when I pinch myself because I'm not sure if he's real.
9. If you know the 3-letter airport codes for airports you've never been to.  Where in the h- is YYZ??  (Toronto)  BNA??  What about BNA makes me think that is Nashville?
10. If you know there is a direct correlation between a broken APU and the amount of funk radiating off your Pilot's uniform.  Bonus points if you know what an APU is in the first place.
11. If you have tried everything under the sun to get sweat stains out of a white uniform shirt.
12. If you exclusively purchased canned vegetables with the pop-top lids (maybe this is just for the poor FOs who pack their meals).
13. If you know that when you see PHL on the go-home day of your pilot's schedule, you know he's going to be late getting home.  If he makes it home at all.
14. If you have power of attorney for your pilot so you can buy a house while he's at work.
15. If you know that a 10 hour duty day means he's only going to bring home about 4 hours of pay. Give or take.  Usually more duty time and less pay in our case.
16. If you feel slightly guilty when people ask where your pilot is and you respond that you have no idea.  Is it weird for a wife to have no idea what city/state/country her husband is in?  Yes.  Is this weird for a pilot wife?  Not so much.  We don't study their schedules.  When they are gone, they are gone.  It doesn't matter what city/state/country they are in (though out of country trips sucks because cell calls are pricey).
17. If you feel guilty for making more money sitting at a desk all day than he does flying around an aluminum tube and responsible for 75+ peoples' lives.
18. If when someone tells you how cool it must be that your husband has about 15 days off each month you quickly rephrase and politely (or not so much) tell them that your husband is AWAY FROM HOME for about 15 days each month.
19. If you have ever suppressed the urge to call crew scheduling to let them know what you think about your husband having a 25 hour overnight somewhere when he could be home doing productive things like taking out the trash or mowing the lawn or taking his wife out to dinner or ALL OF THE ABOVE.
20. If despite it all, you love that sweaty, exhausted, over-worked, under-paid pilot.

Now it's your turn, my fellow pilot wives.  Have anything to add to the list?

Adventures in Moving: Part 3

It's been project city at our house.  I've lost count in the number of trips we've made to Lowe's and Home Depot.  We have a quite a stack of receipts and I keep waiting for the bank to call me to ask us to tone it down because the ATM is on fire.

Slowly but surely the house is coming together and the number of broken down boxes going to recycling far outnumbers the boxes still full of stuff.

Some things I've decided over the last couple weeks:

1. I am so thankful to finally have curbside recycling.  We don't have to hoard it and then drive it over to the public recycling dumpsters which are always overflowing and nasty.
2. I am so thankful to have a garage for the first time in my adult life.  We haven't been able to park in it yet but I have high hopes for the end of this weekend.  In the meantime, I don't have to do all kinds of mental gymnastics to figure out how to get my bike where I need it to be (long story).  I can just ride it right out of the garage and then close the door behind me.
3. While I am quite capable of painting, I am not so coordinated at pouring paint into a small bowl.  At least I was wearing old shoes.  And standing on a plastic sheet.  And I have a very patient father-in-law.  And a husband who knows enough to keep his eye-rolling to himself.
4. I hate allen wrenches.  And instructions that say it takes 45 minutes to put together a shelf.  90 minutes later and one chewed up allen wrench....
5. I am so thankful none of our new neighbors have a jacked up Mustang (long story).
6. I've been reminded multiple times over the last few weeks that I am not tall.  Clocking in at 5'3" I use step stools for most projects around the house.  And even with one step stool, I still cannot paint along the ceiling. 
7. I've done more yard work in the last 2 weeks than I have done in my entire life.  That's what happens when you grow up with parents who like to do yard work (what is WRONG with those people?) and then buy a condo where the exterior maintenance is taken care of.
8. I've decided that I hate yard work.  Planting flowers I can handle.  Watering flowers so they don't die?  Mediocre.  Yard work like trimming shrubs and raking brush?  While I can do it (some of which while on a ladder), I certainly don't like it.
9. Being a pilot wife while owning a house that needs some TLC is harder than I thought it would be.  Insert me cursing at the leaky hose reel and wishing The Pilot and his strength were around to help tighten the hoses.
10. And a conclusion I came to just last night....my parents are actually machines disguised as sweet, funny, loving humans.  They have an unlimited supply of energy.  My dad is pushing 63 yet he still seems to be strong as an ox.  They have spent many hours at the new house helping us fix things up, clean, hang pictures, etc.  When The Pilot and I start to run on empty and would love to to sit down with a beer and call it a night, my parents are still going.  We've had to kick them out a couple times.  They make The Pilot and I seem old.  Sure, I can do a marathon but ask me to stand on my feet all day and clean, unpack, fix leaky faucets and install appliances, oh hell no.  I'm asleep on my feet by evening.

Date Night

The Pilot and I went on a much needed date on Friday night.  Ever since we bought the new house it has been non-stop work.  I wanted nothing more than a night OUT of the house and not talking about the house.  So it was off for sushi and a movie.

Get in my belly, fried sweet potato roll!

We got to the restaurant really early and there was NO ONE in there so dinner was quick.  We were going to be way too early for the movie so we did make a stop at Pier 1 Imports for one home-related purchase.  So we didn't successfully complete the "no talking about the house" part of the date but Pier 1 was right next to the restaurant and I've wanted to pick up another matching nightstand now that we have more space.  Anyways....

It was still a little too early to head to the theater and one of my favorite running stores just happens to be on the way so we made another stop so I could pick up more Shot Blocks.  I was tempted to go ahead and pick up another pair of running shoes since mine are quickly heading towards the end of their life but with the amount of cash flying out of the bank account the past 2 weeks, I opted against the new shoes.  And because I'm one of those suckers who falls for the "look at this basket of goodies next to the cash register, you must buy this!" tactic, I tossed a new BodyGlide stick on the counter.   It was a legitimate need, especially since it was a race weekend. 

We finally made our way over to the theater but realizing that my BodyGlide and Shot Blocks would melt if I left them in the car, I shoved them into my purse.  When The Pilot and I sat down in the theater, I reached into my purse to turn off my phone (so I wouldn't be "that girl" during the movie) and I came out with the Body Glide.  Because nothing says date night like a anti-chaffing stick...in a movie theater.  Hmmm...do I sense a "You Might Be Married to an Endurance Athlete" post coming soon?

Marbles Not Included

The Pilot and I frequent a local Mexican restaurant.  It's a local chain around town and I am convinced there is crack in the cheese.  but that's another story.

They recently updated the look of their menus and The Pilot noticed this...

Hard to see (my old school cell phone suuuuucks at photos) but that is a picture of a menu item on a table....with some marbles.  And the text over the photo says, "Marbles not included."  What??  I fully expected my quesadilla and rice to be served with a side of marbles.  And a side of sarcasm.

Weekend Workouts

It was another full weekend...training, unpacking, a wedding, more training, more unpacking, a very expensive trip to Lowe's to buy all new kitchen appliances and toilet parts (how can a house with three toilets not have one toilet that functions normally??).  I'm pretty sure I'll never get to sleep in ever again.  And when I say sleep in, I'd love to sleep in until 7:30.

Anyways, I got some last minute training in for this weekend's tri.  Saturday morning started off with a group ride.  Me and some of my other triathlon teammates tagged along to the TNT cycle team's group training.  They are all bada$$ and training for the Viva Las Vegas ride...which is 100+ miles.    The team was very welcoming.  Many are cycle alumni and some are newbies.  It was a big crowd though and I was a little nervous.  I'm not used to riding in a group.

 I'm wearing the purple shirt (go team!) in the middle.  Ann is to my right and that's Lisa peeking over my left shoulder.

I assumed I would only be with the group for the beginning though since I usually get dropped.  I managed to not run into anyone or anything as we got started to that was reassuring.  Even more reassuring was that I didn't get dropped!  I kept up with the group for several miles.  I eventually came across someone who had stopped.  She was considering turning around because she wasn't feeling well.  Knowing how it feels to get left behind, I stayed behind with her and Ann.  We offered to ride back with her.  I told Ann I'd ride ahead to tell the others we were turning around so they wouldn't worry and then come back.  Unfortunately I couldn't catch back up to the group so I ended up turning around again to head back to the other two.  Eventually, they came up and were riding again!  She was feeling better and decided to keep going.  Yeay!  It turns out that we both love the downhills (no fear!) but aren't so great at climbing.  We stuck together for awhile before coming up on the back of the second group of riders.  They had stopped to wait for us.  While I never want someone to interrupt their own workout to wait for me, it was really nice to see all of them.

One really nice thing about riding in a group is that everyone is looking out for each other.  Everyone in the back starts to shout when a car is approaching (car back!) and everyone in the front lets the pack know when there is a road hazard (pot hole! roadkill!) or if an intersection is safe to cross (clear!).  And of course you have to have a little humor to get you through some workouts.  Naturally, I was towards the back of the pack and I started hearing everyone yelling "Deer!"  I started looking all over the place for a deer but I didn't see anything.  I rolled up to an intersection where everyone was stopped.  And then I saw the deer.

Hard to see but this "deer" was of the stationary variety.

What was most amusing about this to me is that to this day, whenever my brother or I are about to leave to go anywhere in a car, my mom will tell is to watch for deer.  It's become a bit of a joke and I could be telling her I was about to go for a run...or a swim and she will tell me to watch for deer.  So don't worry mom, I'm always watching for deer.  

We all made it back safely and after my little detour in the beginning, I finished the ride with 26 miles.  And since there is a triathlon coming up and I haven't done one brick workout this season (Coach Garrity, you did NOT just read that, I am a liar.), several of us turned the ride into a brick.  We changed into running shorts and headed out for a run.  It was a short one (just over a mile) but it gave my legs a reminder of what it feels like to go from the bike to the run.  I was reminded that I hate the bike to run transition.  Legs feel all weird and wobbly....yet like concrete blocks at the same time.

After getting my "cha-cha slide" on at my cousin's wedding on Saturday night, it was up early again on Sunday morning for my last open water swim before my race.  

Looking like a team.....

 Looking like we all need some help....

It was FREEZING!  It was only about 57 degrees (air temp) when we got to the lake.  The lake was definitely warmer than the air since the past week had been unseasonably hot.  Even with a wet suit, it was just cold.  Like take your breath away when you get your entire head in the water cold.  Blah.  It went from ugly to a train wreck within 25 yards.  

For this asthmatic, that "take your breath away" feeling isn't just a feeling.  Also having that very tight wet suit on was not helping.  I could not catch my breath.  And then my worst nightmare.  I started to wheeze a little.  I rarely have asthma issues while working out.  I always have an inhaler nearby in case of emergency but you can't exactly carry one while swimming.  I kept plugging along though.  I stopped several times.  I stood up several times (benefit of swimming along shore).  I rolled onto my back and did the backstroke (or my version of it).  I got a pep talk from my buddies Lisa and Mary.  I was upset and frustrated but on the trip back down the beach, I started to panic a little.  With my ear in the water, I could HEAR myself wheezing and for some reason, the sound of not getting a full breath of air made me panic.  I knew I was ok and that it wasn't a full-on asthma attack but the sound of the wheezing while in the water was not pleasant.  I just needed to get to the other end of the beach and get out of the frigid water.  I walked through the water for some of the way back. I swam on my back for some.  I did manage to get my face back in the water for some of it but ultimately, I did make it back.  

Now, I very easily could have just swam to shore and walked back and got my inhaler out of the car.  Part of me didn't want to give up.  Part of me needed to prove that I could get through it.  besides, if it happens on race day, I will do whatever I can (safely) to finish.  I've had asthma since I was a kid and I can usually tell the difference between a wheeze and the start of an attack.  If I had thought it was the start of a full-on attack, I would have gotten out of the water.  If that happens on race day, I will get out of the water.  While I may be stubborn, I'm not stupid and I do know my limits.  

That said, let's just hope for warmer water on race day.  Let's hope that using my inhaler right before the start of the race will prevent this from happening during the swim.  5 days until the race!

The "A" Race

I have a triathlon coming up in less than a week.  Yikes.  I was chatting with my coach the other day and decided that no matter what happens, it's an automatic PR.  While I've done a sprint tri before, for some reason, the bike portion of my upcoming race is longer than my previous sprint.  Score!  It's most likely not going to be pretty.  I'm undertrained and I know it.  There was just way too much going on in my career and personal life to really focus on this race.  I'm ok with that.

But that doesn't mean I haven't already set another goal.  I registered for my "A" race the other day, the New Albany Walking Classic 1/2 Marathon.  I'm aiming for a new race walk PR at the 1/2 marathon distance.  My previous best at walking only (not counting my running 1/2 marathons) is 3:14.  I intend to beat that.  I haven't set an exact time goal yet but obviously anything under 3:14 would be spectacular.  I have about 3 months to train and my distance training has remained relatively high so now I just need to work on pace.  It's time to get these short little legs turning over faster!

I've mentioned before that I count my running and walking races separately in terms of PRs.  In my opinion, they are different sports and should be treated differently.  Plus, it's my life and I make up my own rules.  Anyways, Marcia, my partner in crime when it comes to race walking signed up as well and will help pace me towards my PR goal.  She mentioned something about finishing sub 3 but at my current fitness level, I'm not sure if that is in the cards for me just yet.  This is also a walking only event.  Any running means you are disqualified.  Also keep in mind that my running PR at the 1/2 marathon distance is only 2:49.  And Marcia wants to walk it in under 3.  She's crazy town.  ;)  We'll see how the summer progresses though.

Adventures in Moving: Part 2

One of the many reasons I was stressing out about this move was the fact that the closing on the condo was delayed.  Twice.  And we couldn't close on the new house until we were rid of the condo.  I was fully aware that closing could be delayed but I had very high hopes.  If the condo closed on the originally scheduled date, The Pilot would be there.  But, that wasn't to happen.  It was rescheduled and The Pilot would be literally overhead during the closings.

Sigh.  Luckily we had a plan B in place and I had power of attorney just in case this was to go down while The Pilot was working.  Want to know what that meant?  On every.single.document I had to sign my own name and then because The Pilot couldn't be there, I had to sign..... The Pilot by Gym Class Dropout, his attorney in fact.  In reality (with real names), it was 58 characters to sign every single time.  It took me nearly an hour to sign all of the documents for the new house.  I didn't know that being a pilot's wife would also mean I'd be subjected to a crazy hand cramp.

Oh well.  Luckily though, it was go-home day for The Pilot and he landed at about the same time I walked out of the closing with the keys to the new house.  After the first delay, we thought the closing would be on a Wednesday and I'd have to spend the first two nights in the new house by myself.  I won't lie.  I spazzed out.  I cried.  I was ok with going to the closings by myself because I bought my condo on my own before The Pilot came into the picture.  Sleeping in a big house by myself for the first time though?  Not my idea of fun.  I planned to stay at my parents' house until he got home from the trip.  But then we were delayed again and that problem was solved for us.  I had to go to the closings on my own but The Pilot landed just as I was walking out of the closing office.  After the closing, I waited for The Pilot at my parents' house so we could go over to the new house and walk in together for the first time.  While it was a brief moment, it was one I was very thankful to share with him.  I am very thankful that we were able to buy a home we love and after 2+ years together, we can finally build a home that is ours.

The Pilot was then home for only two days after the closing and it was a flurry of activity at the new house.  Including multiple trips to Lowes and Target.  Our bank account has been smoking.  Once The Pilot was back in the air, there were more projects for me and my family (while as awesome as they are, they have all vowed to never help me move again) to work on.  One project included cleaning out the very grimy kitchen cabinets.

This led to the discovery of....

Several plastic shopping bags folded into triangles.  These were all stuck under and behind one of the kitchen drawers.  Weird.  My theory is that the bottom drawer in the kitchen was used to stash extra plastic bags.  Also known as the "poop bags."  Any pet owner knows what I'm talking about.  We knew that the previous owners had two dogs so my guess is that they used plastic bags to pick up after the dogs and by folding them into triangles, they were easy to put in a pocket while taking the dogs for a walk.  How on earth they folded those bags into triangles is beyond me.  Former Boy Scout or Armed Forces??
Just one of those strange things you find when moving into a "previously owned" home.  After several years of living in the condo, we randomly came across an Elvis clock.  One of those hip-swiveling things but his legs were missing.  It was tucked on top of an air duct in the basement.  And the best part?  Next to the Elvis clock was a little black book with one phone number scribbled into it.  It was a small black notebook that actually said "Little Black Book" on the cover.  Good times.  I can't remember but I'm pretty sure we just put it back on the air duct for the next person.  :)