A return to flying

A was cleared by his doctor to return to flying after the 1st of the year! Three weeks ago I wouldn't have thought it possible, but with the help of some great physical therapists, he's ready to go. So good-bye weekends and days off that we actually want. His first trip is at the end of the week. He's going back as a lineholder too, which is a nice bonus. No more reserve days or relief lines for us- we'll actually get a schedule 3 weeks ahead of time, not 3 days.

I think he's a little nervous about getting back into the plane after so much time off, but I know it will come back as soon as he slips into that seat. He'll have a few chart revisions to wade through before he can even get into the cockpit though. A is seriously the most random accident prone person I have ever known. I give it a few months before it's something else. And I say that with love, I really do.

Now that I've finally gotten used to A being home and we've settled into a routine, it's going to be hard to give it up again. It's so easy to be able to pawn off chores that I hate like vacuuming and grocery shopping onto someone else... And so nice to have someone to roll my eyes at when something crazy happens. A and Kidzilla have spent extended time together since school is out for the holidays and it's been really great for their relationship. And for A to see what it's like for me to spend day after day with Kidzilla with no reprieve. This break has been a learning experience for all of us, mostly in good ways.

Kidzilla and I are also taking to the skies soon; in an attempt to fly cross country solely on A's regional. Barring any weather problems, we'll be touring the country via New Orleans, Austin and Oklahoma City, before our final destination in CA. Once we land, we'll still have a 1.5 hour drive to get where we need to be. It will be a great adventure for us and probably much more fun than the court hearing we have to go out there for (which should be a victory in my favor though). The 5 hour layover in the tiny Austin, TX airport will probably be the least exciting part.

The new year is bringing new opportunities and challenges to us already. We have been working and planning for what this new year will bring and are ready to make the jump. We are expecting another roller-coaster year of changes and ups and downs, this time mainly self-imposed, as we finally get settled in to a new life. The unexpected is what makes life fun right?