Whew! It's time to give an update... much has happened to me and the Lord has seen me through it all. He gave me so many blessings, and also so many opportunities to trust Him.

So, as for the gala, it was quite the memorable night! I bought two copies of Orbit by John J. Nance and A Drive in the Clouds by Jake Schultz ahead of time for the two gentlemen to sign that night. I had decided a while back that I didn't want to go to the gala alone so I could have a friend with me and not feel intimidated by all the "socialites". Thus, I had the idea to ask DG to come with. It was a blast catching up with Dave as we drove to Everett that Saturday night. We listened to the Beatles, yeah! Once we pulled up to the FOF, I felt very out of place because I didn't know what to do for valet parking. I just sat in the car and asked the guy, "uh... what do i do now?" He just smiled and said, "I'll take it from here, Miss. You can leave the car on." I grabbed my massive amount of stuff (not really, just 4 books and a purse and camera :)) Not only did I get a number slip for the valet, I also got one when I "turned in" my coat! Ha, living the high life for sure!

The lobby looked beautiful! There were little candles everywhere and the tableclothes were gorgeous. It was a shining hue of rich fall colors... orange and red... the tables of appetizers were so sophisticated I had to laugh. They had cute little white square plates and different types of sushi arranged in a tier. Dave and I decided to sit down to avoid feeling strange standing by so many people we didn't know. I pointed out the different famous people to him and at least 6 servers came by, offering yet another appetizer. There were little steak pieces, a salmon thing, tiger shrimp... and of course, champagne. I almost accepted the offer for the champagne because I oh-so-brilliantly forgot that it was alcohol! I guess I'm used to Martinelli's! We decided to take the elevator up to the "Strato Deck". It's a great place to see the runway and Boeing buildings. Plus, I LOVE elevators! Good times!

Eventually, Ann called me to come join the illuminaries up on the stairs for a group picture. I'm still waiting to get that back and when I do, I shall happily post it! Dinner still wasn't going to be started, so I took David down to the gallery floor to show him the exhibits. It really is amazing to see the improvements! I for one, can't wait to fly in the Dreamliner! It even has a "sky light" of sorts that appears just like the outside weather. I heard that the sunsets are gorgeous! The windows are so much bigger and it has a lobby as you walk in. The seats are comfy and the entertainment system is to die for. Composites have made such a lightweight plane possible. I love imagining the future. I guess that's good that I want to be an engineer, then! Anyway, I took some pictures and enjoyed the sight of the fancily-set tables and large projection screen. The tables had the same fall-colored tablecloth with the added addition of gold-rimmed china and a cute glass bowl with leaves, flowers, and candles floating inside. The food was excellent! I'll type the menu later on. David and I had a blast enjoying the meal and joking with Len, Ann's husband. He was absolutely hilarious and made the evening even more of an experience. It was an honor to be mentioned later in the evening. I awkwardly stood up and waved when they announced my name as the interviewer. The interview video was excellent, and the videographer, Danny, is going to send me a copy. (Danny and I had a great time going out for dinner one night when we were waiting for Michael Fopp to arrive- he had flown in from Britain. We went to this place called the Grouchy Chef in Mukilteo. It was hilarious! The chef was completely abrupt and ignored us and the signs throughout the restaurant were so rude! It was awesome! I couldn't stop laughing and was afraid to touch anything in fear I would get in trouble. The food was delicious, though, I want to take my parents back there sometime.) The speakers were interesting and we even got a really nice goodie bag at the end! (sunglasses, FOF glass candy dish with chocolate, FOF poster, FOF coffee mug, paper (jet) airplane kit, perfume, coffee, FOF magnet...) Jake Schultz was also quite entertaining to speak with and he made us feel so welcome and comfortable. The three of us decided to go back up to the Strato Deck at the end. It was a beautiful starry, shining sight, but it had started to rain, so we couldn't go out from under the awning. It was time to leave. Perfectly enough, my coat was 1 of 2 left, so I didn't need a number and as for the valet, they were all waiting around, almost finished. I practically forgot how to drive since I was nervously trying to get out of their way. :) But, hey, I went barefoot and all was right with the world. I don't think I'll ever forget the amazing gift that the Lord gave me- I interviewed/met famous aviators, my career-goal heroes, and went to a $500 event for free. Magnificent!

Here's the menu'. It's hilarious-sounding, but everything was SO good!

RECEPTION

Chilled tiger prawns with Elliott Bay cocktail sauce

Vegetarian spring rolls with spicy plum sauce

Cucumber & Nova smoked salmon on toasted sourdough rounds

FIRST COURSE

Sugar baby pumpkin bisque with cre'me fraiche (believe it or not, it was the one of the most delicious things we had!)

SECOND COURSE

Autumn pear salad with dried cherries

Assorted rustic breads with whipped herb butter (Yum, yum!)

THIRD COURSE

Grilled petite Oregon county tenderloin of beef topped with Dungeness crab and Bordelaise sauce

-and-

Grilled petite filet of Wild Alaskan Troll King salmon served with purples sage burre blanc (thank you to France for the sauce names... ha!)

ACCOMPANIED BY

Whipped Yukon Gold potatoes with roasted garlic (Best potatoes I've ever had, for sure!)

Balsamic brushed green beans with roasted shallots

DESSERT

Fall fruit custard

or

White chocolate dipped cheesecake with Bailey's caramel sauce (OOOOHHH SOOOO GOOD!)

Freshly brewed caffe vita coffees & herbal teas

POST-RECEPTION

Fall's freshest fruits & berries served with house-made Devonshire cream, orange cre'me fraiche & bitter-sweet dark chocolate dipping sauces

Assorted House-made truffles (Delicious! It just melted in your mouth!)

On to the Master's trip! The drive down was so much better than last year. I was able to sleep and enjoy music and fellowship. We made so many Starbucks stops among other fast food places (Disclaimer: I'm not calling Starbucks fast food. My apologies to the other SB fans out there!) It was so exciting to see the college students again. I especially enjoyed meeting some more of DZ's friends. They are all so hilarious! The first night at the college, though, I had a bit of a break-down. Everything was so different from last year and it made me disappointed. I had to stop my self-pity and enjoy the new friends I could enjoy the company of. Once I realized my ungratefulness (I was, after all, in CA with a whole new set of beloved brothers and sisters!), I had a great time!

Kim and I were buds and often spent time with Suzi and Nathan. We were in a room with Sarah and Kara, both very sweet freshmen girls we enjoyed getting to know. They even took us out to Del Taco one night when we were starving. Kim and I went to a OT History class and learned about the tabernacle. Then, we were off to chapel. The worship and sermon was so encouraging. The next big event was the memorial service. I was very touched by the testimony of Jodi's amazing godliness. He did such a work in her. I had never met her, but the things said about her and the lyrics of the songs she wrote are very telling. It made me wonder if I were to die if those types of things would be said about me. I need to work on loving God more and more and I'm sure it will radiate out. After catching up with Mr. & Mrs. Zimmer and the previously-named Williams girls, Kim, Suzi, and I headed onto the traffic-filled freeway. I really enjoyed going to the homecoming game where Nathan directed the pep band. We went to BJ's afterwards and although we were desperately sleepy, we had a wonderful evening. There were many important discussions which helped me to think through what I believed and what I should do as a servant of the King.

Next, my 3rd favorite place in the world, Disneyland! Things were slow at first, but the hilarious times took off when Jesse made his debut as a frightened little girl. On space mountain, he was sitting behind Kim and I and decided to randomly scream. We were laughing so hard, we were crying and I could hardly breathe. "I WANT MY MOMMY!" It was just so ridiculous to hear such a huge guy (No, Jesse, I'm not calling you fat!) scream in terror, although staged. His antics kept us entertained in all the rides to come. By the end, we all were screaming, hands in the air, even if the cart was just climbing up the hill. Our group was: Sean, Micah, Jesse, Ian, Kim, Chris, and I. Our favorite memories had to be at the end of the night as we were leaving the park. We enjoyed the deliciousness of Jamba Juice and then began dancing in the street (sort of). Ian decided to randomly shout and throw his arms out, unwittingly punching me in the jaw. Ouch! Kim almost peed her pants, Micah, who caught the whole thing on camera, was barely keeping control, and Ian and I were crying from laughing so hard (and in my case, some pain). I love watching that video. It's great! Ian wasn't done yet though. He decided to hurdle a bush/shubbery. He got a bit caught on the end and had sticks poking out of his backside. His comment, "I almost made it." That sent us into another roar of laughter. Good times.

After a spiritually renewing time of church on Sunday (with most of us struggling to stay awake), we got back into the vans. I sat in the front seat and enjoyed talking, listening to music, and watching a movie. I decided to see Condorman, a really old Disney movie. It was made even more ridiculous by Ian and Chris, who voiced-over the entire movie! The story then involved, brownies, moose, true love, apples, and mobsters. I was laughing so hard!

And so... here I am, catching up on sleep and studying hard for ACT: Part 2. Please pray for me! I would love to get a higher score so my parent's money for another test is not in vain. Sorry for the long, long stories, but like I've said before, it's kind of an online journal, and I want to remember as many details as I can so I can enjoy looking back at it even more later! Time for me to go...

I rejoice in my Lord and King who has given me all these things I don't deserve!

*Nat-uhls*

(my new nickname from Chris)

P.S. The title is about the coat "valet" from the gala and the second is from that ridiculous song. We listened to it a couple times including 1am on the way back... just in case you didn't get the connection.

I must quickly update about the two games I have enjoyed recently.

Earlier in the month, it was Husky soccer time again. That was quite fun and it gave me a chance to hang out with mi padre!

And mi madre planned Senior Surprise #2 which turned out to be going to a Silvertips game! All who went really enjoyed it despite being sleepy. I've never seen Larson and O'Kelly so hyper before. They said that I just "haven't seen them outside of school". Good times. My favorite part had to be the smashing up against the wall. That was hilarious! Oh, and the wonderful sound of clanging cowbells took over the stadium often. Thanks mom- great idea!

In closing, I shall leave you with a Lisa M. quote from last year, who is quite the avid Silvertips fan, by the way:

"There's just nothing else like seeing men smash other men on the ice."

Say hello to my favorite quote about flight. This is also the quote on the first page of the invitation that I'm holding in my hand right now. The invitation to the event that normally costs $500. The one of two invitations that I got for free because I interviewed. This is the story of the last two amazing weeks of my life.

I got an e-mail awhile back from the Future of Flight asking if I would be willing to do a video interview with 9 of the 15 "luminaries" (famous aviators) that would be guests of honor at a gala on the 14th. It was equivalent to asking a person who wants to be a senator if he wants to interview the President. Yeah. Duh. Here's the BASIC info on the wonderfully inspiring people I met:

*Joseph Sutter. "Father of the 747" and owns half the patent on the 737.

*John Hutchinson. A former Concorde pilot.

*Susan X. Ying. A very prominent woman at Boeing who was in the final phase of testing at NASA to become an astronaut before discovering she had cancer – she is now one of the few women who leads at Boeing.

*Captain "Bo" Corby. Pilot for NWA. Business owner of several aviation companies.

*John Nance. A former Boeing 737 pilot who now writes books and does many television interviews on commercial aviation safety.

*Capt. Suzanna Darcy-Hennemann. Chief test pilot for the 777 who recently set a world distance record for a commercial jet.

*Captain Hideki Endo. Japan Airlines pilot who will be one of the first to fly the 787.

*Jake Schultz. Author of the only book written about the flying car.

*Michael Fopp. 787 Chief test pilot.

This list does not do them justice at all! Each one was unbelieveable... all the things they had accomplished. The innovative, determined spirits they had were unforgettable. Many overcame difficult obstacles and followed their childhood dreams. The videos will be used at the event and some parts may be used on the gallery floor. Please feel free to ask me about specific people and experiences- I love them all! I even bought the books of two of them and will get them signed. I'll write more after the fun gala evening on Saturday, but right now I have to go...

I'll leave you with the event description from the invitation:

"Join us for an enchanted evening of inspiring stories, delectable dining, and a glimpse into the future. Enjoy a festive and savory autumnal feast with the best of the northwest- showcasing the very finest of the bountiful Fall harvest from our local Snohomish County Farmers. Meet and dine with the Wings of Fame- aviation luminaries who have made significant contributions to commercial jet aviation. They will share their remarkable experiences with us- along with a few surprises- throughout this magical evening."

Hehe. Sounds like a blast! I can't believe it... well, I'll let you know how it goes... Bye for now!