Safe

I am pleased to say that I am once again safe to fly for another 6 months. The simulator went really well, and it is a huge weight of my mind now that it has finished. This time the emphasis was on time management and engine failures, and although we usually have to do an engine failure or two, on this check ride I believe the engine either failed or caught fire about 9 times. It is great exercise for your thigh muscles and I made an effort to hold a little more rudder than usual so it worked them even harder, I couldn't walk without my knees shaking by the time we had finished, but it was well worth it!
I had a couple of points to consider, one was that I should slow my pace down a bit and let the Captain catch up, according to the Training Captain, I was too good at data input etc and it confused the poor man! The second point was that I had possibly become a bit flippant towards the end of the check. When asked by the Captain, in a high work-load approach, whether I wanted something done about a fuel imbalance I replied "It's not going to kill us". I thought it was a valid point, but as someone pointed out when I told them, it's probably as good as "are you taking the piss?". Point taken!

After the check, I was due to spend the evening with a friend but he is stuck in Helsinki having been delayed so I am in his apartment by myself. It has been a truly frustrating day and has once again highlighted to me how little I enjoy being on my own. I have a huge suitcase that I am dragging around, as well as my flight bag and sometimes I just want to leave it all sitting in the middle of the road, sit down and have a tantrum. Why do doors open outwards? Why do all pavements not have a flat section next to a road crossing? Why does an airport bus not have space for bags? and Why, oh why, does an apartment building with 5 floors have a lift that only goes to the 4th..?!
Having arrived in the apartment I began a search for food and decided to take a trip to the corner shop. All I could see was bread, pasta, potatoes and rice. Everything ready made was shrouded in carbohydrates and even the salad had pasta or potato in. If I wanted a pasta salad, I would buy a pasta salad, but I do not want a Caesar salad with pasta chucked in for no reason!

It took every ounce of will power not to grab a ready made pizza and be done with it. Luckily my thigh muscles were still protesting slightly and I was reminded of why it is all worthwhile. I settled on ham, cheese and tomato melts followed by a Mars Bar Ice cream... ok, so nobody's perfect!!!

I haven't managed to speak to S for over 3 days now. He is working evenings, I am working mornings and we always seem to just miss each other. I hadn't realised how much I depended on our skype calls until they were not there anymore, and on a night that I wasn't supposed to be alone, I am feeling even more alone than before. Never mind that I can fly perfectly on one engine, that I can land a plane before a fire becomes un-controllable or that I can perform a dozen checklist's by heart, I'm still just like most women out there and wouldn't mind having a man around to carry my heavy bag and open doors. We are not the weaker sex by any stretch of the imagination, but that's not saying we don't like being looked after!

Tomorrow I fly back to the UK and will spend a few days with my mother-in-law-to-be! I wish it could be time spent with my own mum, but never mind at least I am seeing some kind of family. As my hellish fortnight continues, it is time to get my head in the game for the next hurdle and as people always say.. "No rest for the wicked!".