Flight lesson No. 1
Kim: “Push the stick forward and the houses get bigger. Pull the stick back and the houses get smaller. That’s all there is to flying”, or so I’ve heard. I was about to find out during my first flight. I was a little nervous and had to remind myself that I’ve done bungee-jumping and skydiving so this one should be a breeze because this time, I am the one in control.
The first challenge was taxiing. Unlike a car, where you steer with your hands and control speed with your feet, in a plane you steer with your feet and control speed with your hands. This took some getting used to.
We flew over East San Diego and began our maneuvers. We went over the basics: straight and level flight, making shallow turns, climbs and descents and trimming the nose (there’s a little wheel or crank I had to adjust in between myself and the instructor to set up back pressure and make flying easier). I had to keep my right hand on the throttle and hold the yoke with my left hand at all times, keeping in mind the combination of three axes in flight and adjusting for them. For example, when banking, it not only turns from side to side, it also rotates horizontally which in turn changed our height. I had to work the pedals, turn the yoke and had to pull it or push it.
Landing the plane was a little awkward. Since I am fairly short, I could hardly see over the instrument panel. When the instructor pointed out the airport, I didn’t see it until much later. I was only able to point the plane to the right direction because of the heading indicator. We landed very smoothly and rolled the plane in its parking spot. When we drove away, I could hardly believe I flew a plane! I definitely want to do it again.
San Diego Restaurant Week
Ana: Kim took me out for a pre-birthday dinner during San Diego Restaurant Week at Bleu Bohème for some French cuisine. They provided a pre-selected menu that was sure to please any palette. We had La Charcuterie (smoked meats), and Soupe à l’Oignon Gratinée for appetizers, the Boeuf Bourguignon and Filet de “Roi” Saumon for our main entrees and Profiteroles and Crêpe à la Crème Brulée for dessert. All washed down with a glass of wine. My official birthday is this upcoming Saturday, Jan. 26 so make sure to ‘holla at yo girls’ if you see us around. Drinks welcomed.
South Bay Drive-In
Brrr, baby it’s cold outside … so why not snuggle with your honey at the South Bay Drive-In? A fun and cheap alternative to the regular movie theaters. You can see two first-run movies for only $7. The concession is not pricey but you can bring popcorn, beverages or even a take-out dinner. We brought blankets, snacks, cranked up the volume and settled in for a perfect date night. They don’t take plastic, so make sure to bring cash.
