The Wright Stuff

Posted by Glen in on 16 Mar. 2003, 12:20 pm

I spent Friday and Saturday manning the “Fly the Wright Flyer” exhibit at UIUC’s annual Engineering Open House, a student-run event with all sorts of sciency-type things. The official blurb from our exhibit:

“2003 marks the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers’ historic flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Test your piloting skills on our realistic computer simulation of their 1903 Flyer, the world’s first true airplane. Flying the Flyer is a challenge for any pilot; do you have the Wright stuff?”

Ha ha ha! Ahem. Anyway, it turns out that the Friday crowds were dominated by groups of local elementary school kids — eight hours of them. I like kids, and their energy and capacity for learning is amazing. Also, on average, they were much better at controlling the Flyer than any adult. But eight hours was a bit tiring; how many times can I explain that the Wright Flyer does not have machine guns, and please do not slam the joystick back and forth like that, this is not a video game? Next year, I think the group should just cave to the forces of Xbox and set up a networked fighter jet simulation.

Rachel and I finally tried the Indian restaurant just three blocks from our apartment. It was excellent, and we’ll be going back. The waiter, no doubt a used car salesman in a former life, pushed all sorts of appetizers and other add-ons on us, but everything was delicious. Rachel told me several months ago that she loved curry but had never tried Indian food for fear of spices. As she’ll admit now, the spicy dishes are clearly denoted with peppers on the menu.

We bought leashes and harnesses for the cats yesterday, and we’re now going to make a second attempt at “walking” them outside. Last night when we took them out for the first time, they cowered in fear of the orange sodium lamps, but today we’ll take (carry) them over to the park. More on this story as it develops.

  1. Comment from Angela on 17 Mar. 2003, 12:22 pm :

    Oh, man. You were doing SO well with the “edgy” stuff. That media rant was classic! And given your previous gastronomic history, eating at an Indian restaurant and liking it also was pretty brave of you. But then you volunteered to help small children? And now you’ve gone and bought leashes and harnesses to walk your cats in the park?! You’re a softie!

  2. Comment from Mother of the Bride on 17 Mar. 2003, 7:14 pm :

    You walk dogs and children on leashes, not cats!

  3. Comment from Glen on 17 Mar. 2003, 7:26 pm :

    It should be noted that “walking” was in quotation marks.

  4. Comment from Tammy on 18 Mar. 2003, 9:50 am :

    My cat LOVES to walk on a leash. He gets so excited when he sees the harness.

  5. Comment from Angela on 18 Mar. 2003, 10:21 am :

    Guess what I saw today?

    The 1903 Wright Flyer replica that they’ll be flying at Kitty Hawk in December!!

  6. Comment from Glen on 18 Mar. 2003, 1:30 pm :

    I’m jealous! Did you take pictures?! Is this one true to the original, or did they make safety modifications? I heard the Ford replica uses a Stability Augmentation System (SAS), but I could be wrong.

  7. Comment from Glen on 18 Mar. 2003, 2:31 pm :

    Nevermind, I have confirmed that the EAA/Ford replica is true to the original. It must be a different replica that uses a SAS.

  8. Comment from Angela on 18 Mar. 2003, 5:09 pm :

    Yes! I just got a copy of me smiling my goofy smile in front of the plane :-)

    But I didn’t get a photo of me in the Microsoft flight simulator. It was a “virtual cradle.”

To Do

Posted by Rachel in on , 10:36 am

According to the knot, we currently have 146 items on our wedding to do list, and only 210 days to do them in!

Things that should have been completed by January 12, 2003 include:

“Get organized! Start a notebook/file folder to house all your wedding-planning paperwork in one place.” - I have a wedding pile; does that count?

and

“Book reception band or DJ.” - We’ve designated this as a groom activity. (Hint, hint, hint!) Fortunately, once it’s done, we also get to cross of “Start auditioning reception bands or DJs”.

By our April 13 deadline, we should have done all of our invitation preps - 3 items - and book ceremony musicians - 2 items. More groom activities!

The groom can’t take all the heat though - our guest list has yet to be finalized, and the caterer details, an April 13 activity, can’t be completed until June.

I guess 146 to-do items isn’t as bad as it sounds - they do include “Relax, smile, and enjoy the day” on October 12, 2003 and it looks like every major activity counts for 2 or 3 items :)

  1. Comment from Mother of the Bride on 17 Mar. 2003, 10:19 am :

    Yes, but what is the deadline for the favors!

  2. Comment from Mother of the Bride on 17 Mar. 2003, 10:21 am :

    Let us also remember that the groom did two very, very important items! He asked you AND he got a job!!

  3. Comment from Rachel on 17 Mar. 2003, 10:41 am :

    Favor deadline: August 13, 2003. Oh great! I still have months and months of brainpower that I can devote to them!

    Yes, the groom is on top of things. I just like to give him a hard time :)

  4. Comment from Dirty Mind of a Bridesmaid on 17 Mar. 2003, 2:02 pm :

    I thought it was the *groom’s* job to give the bride a hard time….we all know what ‘things’ he’s ‘on top of’…. ;)

  5. Comment from Rachel on 18 Mar. 2003, 11:06 am :

    Why, Dirty, whatever do you mean ;) ?

  6. Comment from Rachel on 18 Mar. 2003, 6:11 pm :

    I’m sure you’ll be beautiful, no matter what they say…