Hello friends! This is Mark writing - wow has it been forever since I've made a blog entry! The last few months have been pretty hectic, as you've seen in Katherine's last few posts. I'm writing from a hotel room in the lovely east Texas town of Lufkin. Some of you may remember the last time I took a trip to an east Texas hotel room from a previous blog entry:
Best Gift Ever. Just over a week ago, on Father's Day, I got a certificate from Katherine and the kids offering another airplane-building trip. I know to some this is an odd gift to give your husband, but I think it's absolutely wonderful, and an indication of how well Katherine knows me. Even after four years, I still haven't totally adjusted to life with kids, and I really enjoy these little trips. First of all, there's the drive - Texas has some pretty scenery and it's such a treat just to let your mind wander uninterrupted for a few hours. Working on the airplane is so much fun. I love doing stuff with my hands - cooking, car repairs, etc - so it's rewarding in that way. It's also fun because it's a little version of one of my big dreams - to build a real airplane of a similar design. And of course, how often does a parent with young kids get to spend an entire day doing whatever he wants?
It really is a wonderful gift, and I'm very, VERY thankful to Katherine. With symphony concerts every weekend, she does a ton of the kids' evening routine (hardest part of the day for sure!) by herself. She's very giving to volunteer a few extra nights while I enjoy this most excellent father's day present. Another thing that makes this special is that I went on one of these trips just a couple months ago. This one was a total surprise! Thank you Katherine!
For those of you interested, here's the work I did on the plane. I finished putting the iron-on covering on the wing, managing to burn a hole in it with the heat gun. Bummer - had to iron on a patch piece. I mated the control surfaces (the moving parts) to the plane. Lots of precision cutting for that - took a while. I repainted one of the wheel pants which was dropped in some grass with previously applied wet paint. I installed the tailwheel axle and marked hole locations for access to the engine adjustments. Didn't have the right drill bit here so that will have to get done at home. Finally, I put on some color stripes! There's some more of that to do at home when I have another set of hands to help. Here are some pictures:
3 comments:
Thanks for all the compliments, Mark! The airplane looks great --- can't wait to see it in person this afternoon.
And, so everyone knows, Mark did a lot of nice prep work to get me and the house ready for a few days alone. I had a 6 AM meeting (gasp) on the morning he left, so he had to do the kids' morning routine on his own --- which involves packing two "splash bags" for school, making two breakfasts and lunches, and dressing and sunscreening two kids before loading them in the car for school. Whew! He also cut up a ton of fruits and vegetables for me to eat while he was gone (STILL trying to lose this baby weight --- but that's the subject of another post).
Mark is at rehearsal this morning, but I'm looking forward to having my husband back this afternoon!
What a great gift and a great partnership you guys have created. I know it takes a lot of work and I am always in awe of your intentionality.
I am so curious about how you choose your hotel for these trips. Do you have to sneak your stuff in or are you up front about your projects?
Thanks for the kind words Katherine and Lara! Yes, good question about the hotel. I purposefully don't pick the Four Seasons for sure. Outside corridors are a must. I've never tried to be secretive, but I never ask when I show up either. There's not any toxic chemicals or anything. Probably some sanding dust is the worst offender and I brought a vacuum on that trip. I have done some painting, and I wonder what the other guests think when I walk off into the woods with a can of spray paint. :-)
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