I took some pictures on our walk to Lincoln Square last weekend which includes my first attempt at a panorama - 6 photos stitched together of a soccer field (you can see both goals). I also think the Lincoln Square fountain photos turned out well:
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Learning to Fly
If you remember one of our earlier posts, Taking Flight, we talked about taking a flying lesson. Well, Saturday was the day. We weren't sure the weather would cooperate with us since it had rained most of the week but Saturday brought sunny skies and even a little warmth. We headed down to Hammond, Indiana to the small local airport not really sure what to expect.
Two veteran pilots (and their trusty big old sleepy dog) manned the small airport office with a combined flight experience of 80 years. How the office was setup - maps, charts, two old weathered men, a dog - it all seemed cliche or something out of a movie set. It actually made me comfortable. We were then told our pilot and instructor was going to be Ryan, a much younger guy, who was just finishing up working with another pilot. Ryan looked to be about our age and even had the stereotypical leather bomber jacket. So we felt like we were in good hands.
Sara and I both imagined we would have some classroom instructions before heading up in the Cessna, and we weren't sure if we would be going up at the same time or taking turns. I imagined the "instruction" would be rigorous given we would be flying and that's got to be taken VERY carefully, right? Well, you would be wrong. Ryan suggested Sara and I go together and we take a loop around Chicago and maybe up to Wrigley (Ryan had to check the Cubs game time as you are not allowed to fly over the field while a game is going on or an hour before or after). We got our headsets and headed out to the tarmac to inspect the plane. Ryan showed us how he makes a visual check around the entire plane and then we all got in and he started it up. And it was loud.
There was a slight wind but it was parallel to the runway so we were able to take off into the wind which helps a great deal - it means you can use less runway and you don't have to build up as much speed. Once Ryan cranked up the engines and we started it seemed to take only a few hundred feet before we had liftoff. We leveled off at about 2500 feet and headed North out over Lake Michigan, about 1000 feet East of downtown (a little beyond Navy Pier). Once we were even with Wrigley we cut West and Ryan made several loops around so we could get some photos. Sara and I would have liked to go a little further North (maybe to our condo) but that would have been in O'Hare's airspace.
We then headed back South and to the West of downtown. Surprisingly we didn't need any special clearance to fly around downtown, other than keeping the mandatory 2000 feet altitude. Sara took a quick video of the flight at about this time:
After making a couple loops around Soldier Field, Ryan asked if I wanted to take over the controls. I said yes and then started to sweat. I was so nervous, but it turned out to be relatively easy. I guess how hard is it when it's a nice sunny day, little wind, and you have a pilot who is trained to instruct people on how to fly planes. I learned to use the pedals (wing flaps) and the yoke (rudder) in concert together to make a smooth turn. I learned to read the altimeter and the vertical speed indicator to tell how high we are and at what rate we are climbing or descending. I learned to keep an eye on the artificial horizon gauge to make sure and keep the nose of the plane level. All in all, I think I did a pretty well...
But the most important thing I learned? It's crucial to make sure Sara can't hear what the pilot's talking about. With the noise of the plane we had to wear headsets. The headset I wore was plugged into the radio system so Ryan and I could hear each other. Sara's, on the other hand, was not plugged into the radio system and was just to help dull the noise. This was important as Sara is not the most comfortable flying anyway, and if she heard some of what Ryan said or was planning to do, it would not have been good. For example, I learned that Ryan had only been teaching for about a month and was somewhat fresh out of flight school. It's a good thing Sara didn't know this until after our flight and I told her on the car ride back home. The other item that would have probably not gone over well had Sara heard it? On our landing Ryan told me he "wanted to try something." I didn't know what this meant until a few minutes later he told me he was doing something that he made his students do all the time, which is to simulate losing an engine and using just the flaps and wind to land. Sara took some video of our landing and you might notice it seems like the engine goes a bit quiet. You'll also notice once we land the engines fire back up. Ryan noticed that we had more time left and ended up taking off again. Without knowing what was going on or why we were speeding up and taking off again, this freaked Sara out...understandably so. We hadn't told Ryan the whole truth about how Sara felt about flying and she was doing so well (and always smiling when we looked back) that Ryan didn't realize how freaky that might be. So, he apologized and quickly looped around and made a very smooth landing. You can check out the landing here (the beeping noise right before we touch down is the "ground warning" signal):
It was a great adventure, lots of fun, and some nervousness but we are glad we did it. Here are our pictures of the trip (some are Sara's and some mine):
Two veteran pilots (and their trusty big old sleepy dog) manned the small airport office with a combined flight experience of 80 years. How the office was setup - maps, charts, two old weathered men, a dog - it all seemed cliche or something out of a movie set. It actually made me comfortable. We were then told our pilot and instructor was going to be Ryan, a much younger guy, who was just finishing up working with another pilot. Ryan looked to be about our age and even had the stereotypical leather bomber jacket. So we felt like we were in good hands.
Sara and I both imagined we would have some classroom instructions before heading up in the Cessna, and we weren't sure if we would be going up at the same time or taking turns. I imagined the "instruction" would be rigorous given we would be flying and that's got to be taken VERY carefully, right? Well, you would be wrong. Ryan suggested Sara and I go together and we take a loop around Chicago and maybe up to Wrigley (Ryan had to check the Cubs game time as you are not allowed to fly over the field while a game is going on or an hour before or after). We got our headsets and headed out to the tarmac to inspect the plane. Ryan showed us how he makes a visual check around the entire plane and then we all got in and he started it up. And it was loud.
There was a slight wind but it was parallel to the runway so we were able to take off into the wind which helps a great deal - it means you can use less runway and you don't have to build up as much speed. Once Ryan cranked up the engines and we started it seemed to take only a few hundred feet before we had liftoff. We leveled off at about 2500 feet and headed North out over Lake Michigan, about 1000 feet East of downtown (a little beyond Navy Pier). Once we were even with Wrigley we cut West and Ryan made several loops around so we could get some photos. Sara and I would have liked to go a little further North (maybe to our condo) but that would have been in O'Hare's airspace.
We then headed back South and to the West of downtown. Surprisingly we didn't need any special clearance to fly around downtown, other than keeping the mandatory 2000 feet altitude. Sara took a quick video of the flight at about this time:
After making a couple loops around Soldier Field, Ryan asked if I wanted to take over the controls. I said yes and then started to sweat. I was so nervous, but it turned out to be relatively easy. I guess how hard is it when it's a nice sunny day, little wind, and you have a pilot who is trained to instruct people on how to fly planes. I learned to use the pedals (wing flaps) and the yoke (rudder) in concert together to make a smooth turn. I learned to read the altimeter and the vertical speed indicator to tell how high we are and at what rate we are climbing or descending. I learned to keep an eye on the artificial horizon gauge to make sure and keep the nose of the plane level. All in all, I think I did a pretty well...
But the most important thing I learned? It's crucial to make sure Sara can't hear what the pilot's talking about. With the noise of the plane we had to wear headsets. The headset I wore was plugged into the radio system so Ryan and I could hear each other. Sara's, on the other hand, was not plugged into the radio system and was just to help dull the noise. This was important as Sara is not the most comfortable flying anyway, and if she heard some of what Ryan said or was planning to do, it would not have been good. For example, I learned that Ryan had only been teaching for about a month and was somewhat fresh out of flight school. It's a good thing Sara didn't know this until after our flight and I told her on the car ride back home. The other item that would have probably not gone over well had Sara heard it? On our landing Ryan told me he "wanted to try something." I didn't know what this meant until a few minutes later he told me he was doing something that he made his students do all the time, which is to simulate losing an engine and using just the flaps and wind to land. Sara took some video of our landing and you might notice it seems like the engine goes a bit quiet. You'll also notice once we land the engines fire back up. Ryan noticed that we had more time left and ended up taking off again. Without knowing what was going on or why we were speeding up and taking off again, this freaked Sara out...understandably so. We hadn't told Ryan the whole truth about how Sara felt about flying and she was doing so well (and always smiling when we looked back) that Ryan didn't realize how freaky that might be. So, he apologized and quickly looped around and made a very smooth landing. You can check out the landing here (the beeping noise right before we touch down is the "ground warning" signal):
It was a great adventure, lots of fun, and some nervousness but we are glad we did it. Here are our pictures of the trip (some are Sara's and some mine):
Saturday, April 23, 2011
A Very, Very Happy 31st Birthday!
This was written a long time ago (late April), but thought i would share anyway..
As my inaugural blog entry, I decided to write about the best birthday present any girl turning 31 could ask for- well, lucky for me, I had more than just one.
The first present was a wonderful surprise. On Friday around 1.30pm, I get a call from my mom. Not so unusual. She asks what time I was getting off of work. That day was good Friday so we actually were getting off at 2pm. I tell her when and the she asks “ can I pick you up?” Say what? Huh? She was just a few blocks away from my office! Without me knowing it, Anthony and my mother had decided to surprise me and take me out to dinner that night!
Anthony had made reservations for the three of us at a place I have heard a lot about and have been wanting to try for a while- Bistro Campagna. It is a small French restaurant located in North Center. Quaint, romantic, dark – perfect restaurant to go with my husband and mother. J We sat in the corner of the back room and the server described all of the wines and food with such detail. We were all drooling while trying to figure out on what to select for our meals. We decided on sharing a bottle of pinot gris. Anthony got a steak (big surprise) and my mom ordered some sort of slow roasted beef. I selected the feature item on the menu – antelope! Alright, I have to admit, I forgot exactly what an antelope looked like when I ordered it and I am glad I did. It was one of the best meats I have ever tasted. So moist and tender. GREAT meal! I would highly recommend it. Then the next day I hit up wikipedia and of course, I instantly felt guilty. What a beautiful animal.
The next surprise was actually given to me before that. If you have known me for a while, you know I used to be an absolute concert fanatic. I don’t know what happened, but I used to go to any and every concert possible. Anthony, knowing this, decided to get me back in the groove and got tickets to the Arcade Fire concert. Again, if anyone ever questions what they should get me, it should be anything related to food or music and I will be sold.
I followed Arcade Fire a few years back when Rebellion was a big hit, but really haven’t paid much attention to them lately so I wasn’t so sure what to expect for the concert and how much of the old songs they would be playing. But we got to the UIC Pavillion about 20 minutes before they went on. We were on the floor, standing around mostly college students (another moment in my life when I am glad I am tall). As the lights shut off, they came out and I had forgotten how many people they had in their band- 8! But from the first song until the last, they played hard. I recognized about 40% of the songs, but even the songs I didn’t recognize, I instantly loved. The had a screen behind the stage that would play random videos- my favorite being a video off of a wing of a plane as it took off and then landed. I don’t remember exactly what song it was played with, but it was intense. I just stared at the screen for the entire song. So mesmerizing. Since then, I have purchased every album and am listening to them religiously at work. I am sure at some point I will get sick of the songs, and have to track down the next concert to be mesmerized by.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Wedding Photos
Just a couple of items related to our wedding photos...
1. Our wedding photographers, Vickie and Jeremy, are having a "best of" photo contest of all the weddings they have shot recently. We didn't get to pick the photo that was chosen of us for the contest but it's still a cool idea. We were VERY happy with their work and our photos...check out their blog and the contest - http://jeremyandvickie.com/
2. Vickie and Jeremy also submitted our wedding photos to several bridal blogs. Apparently a blog based out of San Diego is interested in our destination wedding and wants to feature us in their June edition. We don't have any further details yet but once we know the exact date we will be sure to pass it along.
Otherwise, things are going well here in Chicago. We went to a great restaurant called Carnivale last night with our friends Francisco and Amber, and tonight we grilled some baby back ribs, using my sister's awesome recipe. Good thing we mixed in a couple workouts this weekend too...
1. Our wedding photographers, Vickie and Jeremy, are having a "best of" photo contest of all the weddings they have shot recently. We didn't get to pick the photo that was chosen of us for the contest but it's still a cool idea. We were VERY happy with their work and our photos...check out their blog and the contest - http://jeremyandvickie.com/
2. Vickie and Jeremy also submitted our wedding photos to several bridal blogs. Apparently a blog based out of San Diego is interested in our destination wedding and wants to feature us in their June edition. We don't have any further details yet but once we know the exact date we will be sure to pass it along.
Otherwise, things are going well here in Chicago. We went to a great restaurant called Carnivale last night with our friends Francisco and Amber, and tonight we grilled some baby back ribs, using my sister's awesome recipe. Good thing we mixed in a couple workouts this weekend too...
Friday, April 15, 2011
Featured Photo
My photo is featured today (4/15) on the main page of a website devoted to local Chicago neighborhood news and events. Pretty cool! I don't know how long it will stay up on the front page (probably just for today) but it's pretty awesome to get the recognition.
Check it out while you can - http://www.centersquarejournal.com/
Check it out while you can - http://www.centersquarejournal.com/
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Old Photos Reposted
As you may (or may not) have noticed, I've started using Flickr instead of Picasa for my online image storage and sharing tool. I've started moving some of my recent photos (about the past year and a half) to Flickr. For some of you these might be "new" but for others they will be old news, so I won't be updating the blog with them.
If you're still interested to see what they are feel free to check out my Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajdoudt/
If you're still interested to see what they are feel free to check out my Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajdoudt/
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Summer?
Today was unbelievable in Chicago. In the 80s, sunny, and a slight breeze. Just perfect. Sara and I went on a bike ride along the lake during the late morning and then we went for a walk in the afternoon to find a place where we could sit outside and enjoy the day while eating lunch. The Bad Dog Tavern in Old Town fit the bill nicely.
I'm a little worried though. Sara kept saying that Winter is over now and that Summer is finally here. I kept knocking on wood but I'm not sure I knocked every time...I'm afraid we might be jinxed. It's only April 10th after all.
I'm a little worried though. Sara kept saying that Winter is over now and that Summer is finally here. I kept knocking on wood but I'm not sure I knocked every time...I'm afraid we might be jinxed. It's only April 10th after all.
Indiana Dunes
But we didn't really see any dunes...
Sara and I made a quick trip down to LaPorte, Indiana yesterday to see Matt, Varya, and their newborn baby boy, Samuel. He is adorable and it was great to see Matt and Varya in full parent mode. We had a nice visit but didn't want to intrude too much so we left after a couple of hours. On the way back up to Chicago we decided to stop off at the Indiana Dunes state park near Chesterton. It was a beautiful day and the beach was surprisingly nice but we didn't see any dunes...we must have been at the wrong part of the park.
Sara and I made a quick trip down to LaPorte, Indiana yesterday to see Matt, Varya, and their newborn baby boy, Samuel. He is adorable and it was great to see Matt and Varya in full parent mode. We had a nice visit but didn't want to intrude too much so we left after a couple of hours. On the way back up to Chicago we decided to stop off at the Indiana Dunes state park near Chesterton. It was a beautiful day and the beach was surprisingly nice but we didn't see any dunes...we must have been at the wrong part of the park.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Wind Turbines and the Fog
On my way to Indiana for a recent work trip I made a quick stop to get some shots of the wind turbines along I-65. Unfortunately it was overcast and drab, so it wasn't as dramatic as I was hoping. I also forgot I had a camera setting set from shots I had taken the previous night which was not great for the daytime so the images are more grainy than they should be...oh well, I'll try again on my next trip down.
When I got back to Chicago a few days later it was so foggy I couldn't see the Hancock building from Lake Shore Drive. I stopped by Foster Avenue beach and took a couple quick shots.
When I got back to Chicago a few days later it was so foggy I couldn't see the Hancock building from Lake Shore Drive. I stopped by Foster Avenue beach and took a couple quick shots.
Blog Viewing
There are now several different "dynamic" viewing options available for our blog. All you have to do is add "view" to the end of our blog address to access them. For example, http://saraandanthony.blogspot.com/view. I believe the default view that's shown is Sidebar. There is a drop-down menu on the upper right-side that will give you other dynamic viewing options.
Of course you don't have to try these other viewing options and instead stick with our normal look and feel. We just like to give options.
Of course you don't have to try these other viewing options and instead stick with our normal look and feel. We just like to give options.
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