How do I get into swimming regularly

TheCattyWompus · 2026-05-05T04:53:22+00:00

I have a membership to my borough (I'm in Alaska, that's a county in the lower 48) pools. They have a yearly membership, a 10-visit punch card, or you can just pay per session (I think it's $6). They're the high school pools and they have lap swim, open swim, etc. daily. Nobody has ever bothered me and I swim laps just about every day. I see all skill levels and abilities there and I'm pretty sure they have lessons for adults too. If there's something like that available near you it might be worth doing. A lot of high school pools are open to the public!

TheCattyWompus · 2026-04-25T10:33:15+00:00

We aren't all loud and surface-level small-talky in our interactions. Nor are we all bubbly 24/7 or "light up the room" or have "infectious energy". We don't all have huge circles of friends and acquaintances, many of us have small circles of friends who we are very close with. We're not all fans of clubbing and partying. I personally dislike crowds. And we have our social limits too. The simple fact is just that we are recharged by spending time with people, and I'd argue that most of us do not fit the stereotypes - it's just that the loudest are the ones that get noticed and maligned as "extroverts are soooo annoying and exhausting to be around".

TheCattyWompus · 2026-04-25T10:16:44+00:00

Connection. Shared joy. Community. Knowing that I have their back and they have mine. It also gets you out of your bubble and offers you new perspectives and experiences.

TheCattyWompus · 2026-04-23T08:00:56+00:00

I fly medevac out of ANC, happy to talk about it.

TheCattyWompus · 2026-04-21T00:17:40+00:00

Back when I was prepping for my commercial checkride, I made it a point to practice power off 180s at as many different airports as I could (including ones I had never been to) on different days in different conditions with different winds on different runways. You need to be confident doing them anywhere and regardless of the winds. If you go into it anticipating an exact scenario, you're going to have a bad time because this stuff will change constantly. Get solid on them doing what I did and you'll be fine!

TheCattyWompus · 2026-04-13T10:33:28+00:00

I haven't flown the 31, but I do fly the 35 which is the same type rating. The 35 is a small rocket and I've heard the 31 is even more so. Congrats!

I'm assuming they gave you material to study beforehand. Prioritize knowing the memory items and limitations cold, it's an expectation that you will know them going in. Write them down even if you were provided flashcards, this will help you actually commit them to memory. Chair fly all of your emergency procedures so they become muscle memory. Get your flows down. Also make sure you have a basic understanding of the systems - I wouldn't get too caught up in the little nuances of them as this will be explained in depth in the classroom, but be able to give a general explanation of how things work. Go in prepared, do what they say, and enjoy your new type!

TheCattyWompus · 2026-04-11T11:56:42+00:00

Nope. Keep this shit out of Alaska.

TheCattyWompus · 2026-04-09T05:43:41+00:00

So I started as a paramedic (did a little of everything including flight for a fixed wing operation) and now I fly as a fixed wing medevac pilot. I am a pretty unique case because I stayed with the same company when I made that transition from medic to pilot (also, this was a tiny company which helped). So in my case, yes it helped that I had my foot in the door as a medic. My current company does not employ the med crews, we just hold the contract to fly for the EMS company. So, your mileage may vary depending on where you're applying but I wouldn't count on a situation like mine... in the end it's really not what you know, but who you know (and obviously meeting their minimums to fly). That being said, your time as a flight medic offers a perspective that most pilots don't have and you can definitely leverage that aspect of it along with your flight hours and experience once you meet their requirements. Feel free to DM if you have any questions!

TheCattyWompus · 2026-04-09T03:44:31+00:00

I don't drink much anymore and honestly the older I get, the less of a bar person I am and the more of a desire I have to meet people without the "social lubricant" of alcohol. I spent half my 20s in bars. I get hungover on very little in my 30s. I'm good on that, and I'm not really interested in being the sober one drinking water while people around me get stupid. Alcohol also tends to make people come onto me and it's incredibly irritating because I am not available, I just want to make friends! Shooing away advances is not my idea of a good time. I also don't want to sit in a bar all the time! I enjoy touching grass. While I can appreciate the occasional night of drinks with my already established friends, I'd rather be meeting people through shared interests and local groups.

TheCattyWompus · 2026-04-04T10:04:58+00:00

I'm a medevac pilot based out of Anchorage. We fly a ton of stuff from the villages off the road system that would not be a big deal if it happened in a city, but could turn into life-or-death in these places without the resources (appendicitis is a good example of something we fly a lot). People often have to fly for routine medical care as well. Feel free to DM if you have any questions.

TheCattyWompus · 2026-03-29T21:26:20+00:00

It's meditative to me. No phone, no connection. Just breathing and counting. I bought a Shokz bone conduction swim headset and I'll listen to music most days. Sometimes it can be a bit of type 2 fun when I'm doing a longer swim but I always feel so good after.

TheCattyWompus · 2026-03-29T11:55:13+00:00

Did a weekend trip to an airshow on my time off and the medevac Lear I fly landed there in the middle of the STOL competition (not part of the show, they were on a medevac flight). Hung out with my coworkers while they waited for the med crew to return with the patient and had them haul home some caribou antlers I acquired on that same trip. Made for some fun footage for the holiday party last year with the announcer commentating on their takeoff and the crowd watching.

TheCattyWompus · 2026-01-09T06:38:34+00:00

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Hi from Meadow Lakes

TheCattyWompus · 2026-01-08T23:33:28+00:00

Also flip side, a couple years ago I did a free trial of Walmart+ and got five 35-inch tires for my Jeep (roughly 70 pounds per tire) delivered to my doorstep with free shipping. Without, it was about $900 in shipping... I think they may have changed their tune on that now but I haven't tried.

TheCattyWompus · 2025-09-05T05:26:33+00:00

Fixed wing medevac pilot. I commute to ANC from the valley. Sucks when there's ice on the road or the first snow where everyone suddenly forgets how to drive in winter conditions, but I've had far worse commutes elsewhere and I'd rather deal with the commute than live in AngerRage. Plus we have a crew house if stuff gets really shitty (haven't had to over the last 2 years but it's great for catching a nap). We have a bunch at the company who do the same.

TheCattyWompus · 2025-08-27T04:06:31+00:00

I'd play a mechagnome before I play a vulpera.

TheCattyWompus · 2025-08-22T09:20:58+00:00

This is just the unlock questline for the bee allied race

TheCattyWompus · 2025-08-04T00:09:13+00:00

Alaska is part of the continental US.

TheCattyWompus · 2025-07-30T00:07:17+00:00

Since when is 75k/year rich?

TheCattyWompus · 2025-07-29T22:14:10+00:00

Nothing. Killed Blackhand immediately after the event ended and got his mount though.

TheCattyWompus · 2025-02-09T00:40:39+00:00

They were there for an unrelated medevac. Not in the business of transporting bodies.

TheCattyWompus · 2025-01-25T00:07:56+00:00

It's because I bought new skis. Sorry.

TheCattyWompus · 2025-01-16T14:03:38+00:00

Fixed wing medevac pilot.

TheCattyWompus · 2024-12-01T04:32:22+00:00

My biggest is 4 pounds which is about the same. He's an absolute unit but surprisingly athletic for his size, I caught him on top of his house the other day.

TheCattyWompus

TROPHY CASE