This date is significant to many people, especially the Chinese. Eight is supposed to be a lucky number, for some religions as well.
The Summer Olympics in Beijing starts today.
My friend, Arliin, told me on several occasions that her 38th anniversary with her employer (a major Canadian bank) would be August 8, 2008. She was looking [...]

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There was a time when I would have been happy with the top photo and uploaded it right away, but that time has come and gone. Now I look at my photos differently, and look for things to improve on. Part of developing a critical eye is learning what Photoshop can do, but also learning [...]

Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavík
Been a little too busy lately to indulge much in extracurricula, so this entry’s going to be brief. I wanted to post this picture of Hallgrímskirkja — Iceland’s most photographed church — a while ago as an example of patience.
Hallgrímskirkja took 38 years to build. 38 years! I haven’t even been on the planet [...]

How I wanted to end a long day: at a cafe with a big mug of latte, a Toblerone shortbread cookie, and some music in the background. My brain was still echoing with work when I drove to ground school, it was that sort of day. I decided to postpone my PSTAR exam, but attended [...]

July 22, 2003
Chez Gail, Beach Avenue, Vancouver
Something bizarre happened when I was in New York City at the end of September. I was enjoying a Magners with JimmyOK and LarimdaME at an Irish pub in SoHo when Jimmy turned to me and said, “I met you years ago.”
“Really?” I said. I mentally scanned back to [...]

Layers by AviatorDave
There’s a story David told me early on, before we’d actually met, about a turning point in his life. It was after a thunderstorm he experienced while flying to Ohio in 2001, a storm so intense he worried he might not make it through. David told the story to a few people, but [...]

When we commit words to a page, we leave something of ourselves to others. Our mortality gives way to a certain immortality, in the words that we use to describe our experiences, words that may be found long after we are gone. Words that may move, enlighten, shift attitudes, or affect others in some way.
I [...]

Since we met, David had been teaching me aviation concepts, principals of flying, airplane maintenance, and safety. He showed me the transponder and told me which codes to input for various scenarios, how to notify Air Traffic Control. My official “ground schooling” was planned, but he fell ill and we concentrated on flying purely for enjoyment and sparing any energy he would’ve otherwise spent on instruction. As it was, we always erred on the side of caution when flying while he was in treatment, and — armed only with a very limited knowledge of flying — I helped him the best I could, to monitor gauges and watch for other aircraft.

We loved to fly together, but we knew in this situation there could only be one Pilot-in-Command. When there is more than one pilot present, a PIC must be chosen beforehand to make the ultimate decision at the controls, but it goes without saying it’s always good to have more than one pilot. For this reason, David was keen on teaching me as soon as possible, even just after we’d met.

As seen on the front of a church in New York City.
I slept in today. I really needed it. Saturdays are good days for us, as I’ve mentioned before, because it’s a break from radiation. David’s suffering from chronic fatigue because of his therapies, while I’m feeling fatigued from domestic activity and wedding preparations. [...]

We all make ‘em. We all break ‘em. It’s nearly the end of January and — surprise surprise — 2004 is bearing a stinky resemblance to the undisciplined ways of 2003, at least here at The Balcony. I didn’t make any resolutions this year, not just because it is perennially futile, but also because there’s [...]