2013 has been such an amazing rollercoaster. Instead of a New Years Resolution, I find this much more benificial. In keeping with a tradition that started in Suite 16 in Walsh hall back in 2007, here is the official list of things I learned in 2013!
1. Damn it Ross!
2. I may have an unhealthy obsession with Moleskine notebooks.
3. Getting back with old friends brings back good 'ol times
4. Witch Hazel is incredibly effective at clearing up a face in a matter of minutes!
5. Teaching students that reversing the flaps direction of travel will damage the system finally paid off.
6. Buying the iPhone 5 was one of the best purchases I have ever made. No questions asked.
7. Women do not have falsetto.
8. Turns out it was the water pump that was broken, not the thermostat.
9. Want to make me happy? Work me hard.
10. Putting a student in for a checkride makes me more nervous than doing the checkride myself!
11. A student's face after passing the check ride is such an incredible feeling.
12. Such a short girl can have such a huge impact on my life.
13. I may actually... like wine...
14. ...Snowboarding? Depends on whom I'm with.
15. Flying to dinner, then around the Mackinaw Bridge at sunset = game! :)
16. I still get that euphoric feeling when flying into Chicago.
17. Despite the fact that I may have had a flat tire once I get there.
18. O'hare Airport? I especially love that place.
19. Michigan isn't too bad of a state.
20. A pretty girl and a red convertible sports car makes for an awesome week in Vegas!
21. Ka is amazing. Straight up.
22. Mt. Charleston is a lot higher up than I thought!
23. When a hotel knows your birthday, it's a great feeling.
24. I'm starting to rub elbows with high ups in Hartzell. Noice!
25. Merry's smile makes me melt every time.
26. Even though you grow up, you can still have AWESOME toys.
27. The GTR knocks my socks off despite the fact that the driver was taking it easy.
28. A flight I absolutely have to do is between Ketchikan and Juneau in a Piper Cub. Probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.
29. Canadian / US ADIZ? Not that big of a deal as it turns out.
30. Jackson Hole, probably a close second in the sheer beauty category.
31. East coast = a lot of fun to fly into.
32. As much as I always want to make people happy, sometimes I just have to say "no."
33. Always test the brakes on a Cirrus? Yes. Always.
34. Drago's in New Orleans, LA. One of my favorite restaurants.
35. New Orleans was a town i didn't think about often, but all of a sudden I'm there all the time!
36. At the Hilton in New Orleans, Room #2 is not on the first floor, it's on the 26th.
37. Dennis always has something up his sleeves!
38. Someone in my physical condition doesn't need to worry about DVT
39. I am referring to the Deep Vein Thrombosis, not Deer Valley Airport.
40. That will not stop me from doing circulation exercises onboard aircraft.
41. I may have gotten a bit behind with my list this year.
42. When you make a list that is completely physical and not digital, you tend to forget to add items to the list. Whoops.
43. Next year this list will be compiled on my phone as opposed to paper.
44. Electronic Starbucks cards rock.
45. Electronic boarding passes are even better.
46. When green laser illuminations events rain, they pour.
47. It feels awesome to say "Flight Level 220"
48. OneSafe App fixes so many problems.
49. So does the Netflix subscription.
50. Surfing the internet at FL 370 still blows my mind.
51. It may be a bit expensive, but so are beers in a bar..
52. DropBox also blows my mind every 6 months or so.
53. I am now an expert with Canadian Airspace.
54. For the first time after more than a handful of times, Canadian Customs came out to check out and clear our plane.
55. And they were pissed! I needed an E29B and a conveyance bond.
56. Pilot and aircraft logbooks are not required to be carried onboard a plane. I didn't really learn this one... but the customs agent did!
57. When the distribution cap loses teeth on it's drive gear inside the Magneto, the engine gets very, very, very unhappy.
58. That is a horrible feeling when you are over the Rockies in IMC more than 100 miles from a suitable airport.
59. Thank god it happened though, they found a more serious problem due to that failure that was unrelated.
60. ALWAYS KEEP YOUR PASSPORT WITH YOU!!!
61. It is entirely possible to survive 4 days on one set of clothes.
62. Prohibition Amber Ale in Kelowna, British Columbia is amazing, and it stays cold forever!!!
63. The Mophie iPhone battery pack cover is brilliant.
64. Milwaukee is the town I want to live in so badly!!
65. My logbook looks pretty awesome with 1500 hours of flight time in it!
66. Whoever said that presentation doesn't matter is wrong
67. A $20 logbook scored me an interview with a company that is way out of my league.
68. Maybe the airlines aren't the way I want to go.
69. Skywest said I needed an additional 25 more multi hours.
70. Lives change in a moment.
71. Censored.
72. Stay strong.
73. Back to Cheboygan I go.
74. I still can't get over how awesome Merry is.
75. I met an incredibly interesting couple whom I delivered a plane to. They are who I would like to be like at their age.
76. It is entirely possible to survive 8 days on one set of cloths.
77. The flight between Las Vegas, NM and Las Vegas, NV is about 3.4 hours in a fast SR20.
78. Gin and Tonics are incredible.
79. Maybe aviator glasses do fit me well.
80. My impulse buys are slowing down.
81. Merry thinks I bite my nails too much.
82. I bite my nails too much.
83. You are now allowed to use your electronic devices below 10,000 ft. on airplanes! Good times.
84. Amtrak is by far the best way to travel between Milwaukee and Chicago.
85. Uber is a really handy way of getting around a big city.
86. Maddie Planton is the cutest kid on the planet.
87. According to her, Santa says Yo Ho Ho Ho.
88. I love my new peacoat.
89. Pretty soon I will need to retire my laptop, about 99% of everything I need a computer to do can be done on an iPad, quicker and easier than a laptop.
90. Apple produces a Time Capsule which acts as a router and a network hard drive. It can broadcast 1.3 Gb/s and has 3 Terabytes of disk space. That's awesome.
91. I may be becoming an apple guy. Shoot.
92. Merry is incredibly eager to read this list when it's finished.
93. Merry is also incredibly eager to go on adventures. Love.
94. Skywest may have changed it's mind. We will need to wait and see.
95. Washing the car in 5 degree weather may not have been the best idea in the world.
96. There are many different types of bags and briefcases that can charge your electronic devices. What an interesting world we live in.
97. Merry was right... my keys were in her apartment.
98 .RIP George Ferguson
99. As I look through this list, I think Charlie Calabria will grade it highly.
100. I am dating an incredible girl, have an awesome job, and have the worlds best support network in the form of family, friends and colleagues. Life doesn't get much better than this.
Happy New Year Everyone.