My Big Project

Sitting On the Left Side

Life may have been a little simpler over in the right seat, but after a year and a half of that and the offer to take on more responsibility and stress, only if I also agreed to move to Calgary, 

I decided up-grading was really the only thing to do.  

Too bad for having become accustomed to my little life in Toronto, too bad for the cold Calgary winters, and too bad that I have accumulated more possessions than seem logical for a person living in a furnished suite - the benefits seemed (and still seem) to outweigh the drawbacks. 

This is still in Toronto on the first day of LID - you can tell because
I have the YYZ runway diagram out and I don't yet look ridiculously tired.

The job itself involved enough stress, but along with the move (I'm about half way - call it Winnipeg!) and other things that came up unexpectedly and inconveniently along the way, the level of tension has been pretty high so as a result I am rather tired out, but I am also very happy.  

There have been many people who have been extra amazing along the way 

and without their contributions this simply wouldn't have been possible 

or at least not nearly so much fun.  Thanks everyone!

This is the ramp in Cranbrook, looking east.
We are just inside British Columbia, but still on Alberta time
and definitely in the Rocky Mountains!

It's certainly not all over yet and it will take time to adjust to my new role.  I figure more sleep will be required, but that along with the positivity that seems to be bubbling out from some internal (hopefully eternal too!) spring in my heart, I think October will go out like a lion and November will come in like a lamb.  I know that's meant to be April, but I predict there's a good chance the eleventh month will also see my fingers touching a bit more wool :)  

This huge sky is inspiring!
They don't call it Beautiful British Columbia for nothing.

Perhaps flying across at least one time zone in a flight will be my next goal...  

Currently our routes don't go that far.  But maybe a charter will take me there!

This is after my first leg as a Captain, on my own, but with the best First Officer ever.  Exciting! 

I'm not sure anyone gives much thanks to crew schedulers but for this I am! - Thanks Jeff!

It must have been luck though to be granted such perfect weather!

And just for a few laughs, since everyone seems to find this silly photo of me funny:  I am locked in the back of a van without seats, along with my LID Captain (who took the picture), on the way to our unexpectedly repositioned aircraft in Detroit one very early morning...  We were prisoners!

For now, only one thing at a time, one day at a time, stay as organized as possible, shed other people's stress, and laugh, because after all, the only things in life I can control are what I do!