That's too bad. This was my breakout year! The weather has NOT been very cooperative this year and we spent most of April, May, June with pretty bad XC conditions except the occasional weekday. Unfortunately, I have to earn a living like everyone else in the world and it's been particularly busy during the spring and early summer. Many weeks, I've been working 7 days a week on my projects. It's always good to be needed, but I was ready for a little less of work and a lot more of soaring.
My plan was to (after getting out from under all my work) watch for a series of days that looked good and take 2 or 3 off. I'd set off in the club 1-34 and get my silver badge distance. I'd practiced during the winter on several different possible routes and felt like I was ready to head out on any of those trips. Just saddle up and go. The likelihood of success would be good and the cost of landing out would be pretty low in the 1-34.
But the work didn't let up and the right weather didn't come along until after my health issue emerged. I'd expected earlier in the year to get my altitude climb with ease, especially after last year's booming spring weather -and that would also be a great time to get my distance, too. Well, it didn't work out on the weekends, so I was back to waiting on summer ops to start so I could go 7 days a week. Didn't happen.
Now, I'm on the sidelines for the season. I'm not wistful about it, but I *am* missing the soaring, even just local flights around the Hill. Maybe next year!
