I flew again on Easter (April 5th). It was my third time, and it was right before my church's service at 5pm. Learned all about flaps and airspeed. It was so much fun, as always. I had just finished reading my friend's new book, Black Dove,White Raven, moments before heading off for my scheduled flight. I can't tell you how monstrously fun that was to go from book to air to church. There was this one passage (I just found it again! p. 319!)...
"I shoved the power on and my heart soared along with the plane."
...that's near the heart-wrenching ending, and my heart soared along with the character. Now it will be much easier to keep straight in my mind that you push the throttle IN for more power and pull it out for less, which is usually hard for me to do. Oh, my goodness, that book though. There was a bang in the beginning of tender feelings and love and loss, and the middle bogged me down a little with details, but the ending (or the last third) made me glued to it, desperate to know what happens. And it did not disappoint.
After a lovely time at church with a friend from the ship who visited for the first time, and with my small group friends at the Easter dinner afterwords (I brought a pie I made)... I took off for home to quickly pack my bag so I could head up to Washington D.C. As all this was so highly anticipated, driving until 11 or so at night was NOT a problem. I'm think it helped me be able to sleep when I got to my hotel. Boy, did I feel like I was 25 again! It was nearly as exciting!
First thing in the morning I drove to the back gate of Arlington National Cemetery through the fort (because I am special and have military id). At 0800, the guard opened the gate and I walked through the ceremonial entrance to the Tomb of the Unknowns. Besides the always-on-duty-guard, I WAS THE ONLY ONE THERE. It was too soon for the first tour bus to bring a load of tourists. Lord, that was a good moment. When the buses started coming, I took off, ascending the hill to Lee's Arlington House. On the way out, I saw the ceremonial guards of the Third Army with their horses and rifles... and a flag-draped casket. There was a service going on inside the chapel and all were waiting for it to conclude.
Drove back to the hotel and I caught the bus to the Metro rail that dumped me out a block or so from the Air & Space Museum in the National Mall so that I walked up one minute before it opened at 0959. Rather perfect planning and timing, if you ask me. :) So I first looked at the Wright Brothers exhibit, which was unparalleled, and then proceeded on to the other early pioneers. Spent two hours in that lovely building before heading across the Mall to the National Gallery, which I can only describe as a thousand pleasures. I'd turn the corner inside and be struck dumb with yet MORE great art. The last thing I saw was the Library of Congress, and that was because my feet were very tired and I needed to relax. It was a brilliantly sunny day, so by 2pm the sun was pounding on me as I trudged up and down and around the Mall.
Recharging briefly back at the hotel, I changed into my uniform for the evening, which happened to include a sweater and a skirt! How I laughed at myself! It was so warm out! But the sweater came in handy a few times... it felt rather nice as I ate outside in the shade at a restaurant across the street from the bookstore, and after everything was over, it felt Heavenly as I visited the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials all lit up in the blackness of the night.
Meeting Elizabeth was incredibly fun, and we were able to chat briefly before her presentation, and afterwords too for maybe 15-20 minutes as I maneuvered my way to the back of the book-signing line. It was so fun to be in a room full of CNV fans... but I was astonished that none of them mentioned what I was wearing! I surely would have! And I was so glad they all politely left after getting their books signed!
Next day I saw three things. First, drove in the main entrance of Arlington this time to look at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial... which I had not seen before. It was fabulous, and I'm thinking of submitting a little blurb about myself for their archives. Then I checked out the other Air & Space museum... the Udvar-Hazy Center near the Dulles airport... and was boggled. There were simply too many awesome planes for one building. It was sheer pleasure to look around everywhere. Lastly, before heading home, I stopped by Manassas National Battlefield (for the 2nd time - first time ten years ago). Wandered around taking pictures and sat down under a tree to listen to the birds, rest, and think about the war.
If this wasn't enough excitement, Saturday the 11th held out hope. Mom and Dad came to visit me at my new little apartment for just over three days. We didn't do a whole lot, besides going out to eat, watching the IMAX film Living in the Age of Airplanes at the museum in Hampton, TV shows on Netflix and Acorn at home, and Cinderella at the local Cinema Cafe. The best part though, was just sitting and chatting. And being able to have them stay at my place! But they were able to watch my team give honors at a funeral at the Veteran's Cemetery in Suffolk on Monday and they greatly enjoyed seeing what I've been doing in the Navy these last few months.
I also managed to read quite a bit... finished up the Jasper Fford book The Well of Lost Plots, re-read 30 Seconds Over Tokyo on the 73rd anniversary of the attack (April 18th), began Sarah Helm's book on RavensbrΓΌck, started Agatha Christie's N or M? and blazed through A Little Princess like there was no tomorrow. I am sad that I didn't read that as a kid... I was usually put off by books because they always caused my older sisters to not want to play with me. Meg told me it was good... I just never bothered.
And concerts! April 23rd I went to the Virginia International Tattoo for the second time (previously in 2013), and greatly enjoyed the bagpipes and the bands. Last night, I saw the symphony perform 9 selections from Disney's 1940 & 2000 Fantasias live. They had a big screen overhead showing the shorts they were playing, and it was incredibly fun to laugh out loud at the symphony! One woman not far from me exclaimed "Oh, God!" quite loudly during a pause in the Dance of the Hours as the elephants were coming out. LOL!
Jw
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
March Madness
March 8th, I FOUND MINI TUSCARORA! As in, my home away from home. The original, just across the border from Canada in the Minnesota Boundary Waters Canoe Area, is where I spent a month of every year as a child, canoeing, fishing, hiking, playing, exploring, camping... living. TWO MILES from my new apartment in Chesapeake is Oak Grove Lake Park. A perfect 1.5 mile track around a cute little lake with bunches of pine trees everywhere so you feel you're in the woods. And I bounced for joy as I walked/ran around it the first time, I was so pleased. A week later I was running a 5K (two laps) for only the second time in my life!
I've been getting to know my church friends better through... Sushi Nights! March 6th/13th. Two weeks in a row! One of our own used to make sushi professionally, so he graciously shared his talents with the rest of us. I feel sort of adopted by them... which is quite lovely; I'm part of the family instantly.
And I met Sharon at these things. Also a friend of Kristin's; it all comes around in a marvelous circle. Sharon and I really hit if off, and so we went biking on the beach, Saturday the 15th, out at Back Bay near NC. Marvelous! The tide wasn't the best for biking, but we sat down on a log and talked and talked about things very near our hearts, and I hope (and believe) it was as encouraging for her as it was for me.
And then I found out (on the 16th) my dear friend Julie had met someone a couple weeks before. They've since met each other a few times and talked every day, and are getting married in June. What wonderful news for her! But I will miss her! She had been thinking of spending time with me in Virginia during the summer before this happened. At least now I have a reason to visit Indiana.
After finishing the last two books of my favorite author/friend, I re-read Code Name Verity for the 6th time (in as many months). This time taking it slow, March 9-16. Not sure why I couldn't before, but it really affected me so that I was finally able to cry about it. Maybe because I was on deployment and was repressing emotions and "soldiering through" things as much as I could. And also, I had in my head that it was "just a story". And I was mad at the end because it was so shockingly sad. But even then, I cried a tear because something was so touchingly close to the way my heart works. I became one of the characters. March 17th, I re-read the sequel and forgot about everything else in the world while I was reading it... it is so gripping, and wonderfully told that I could barely breathe, and I was clutching the book as I read the middle part. Rose Under Fire. Just wow. It makes me want to write my own story.
And then, March 21st, I decided to take my second flight lesson. I had been thinking about it, but I just figured it would have to be something I did after I got out of the Navy. And then I thought, why? Go for it now! What's HILARIOUS is that it was my CNV blog that introduced me to the flight school in the first place, back in December. The url is flytheplanemaddie... so Google in their brilliance, caught that and an add from Horizon popped up on the side of my browser asking Want to Fly? Why, yes, I wanted to fly. And so I did again. It was sweet bliss.
March 23-30th, I flew again to see my husband in Norman, OK. I've always wanted to be with him on my birthday, and why not? It had been three & a half months since we'd been together. Much too long! It worked out well with my work schedule, so there I went.
Jw
I've been getting to know my church friends better through... Sushi Nights! March 6th/13th. Two weeks in a row! One of our own used to make sushi professionally, so he graciously shared his talents with the rest of us. I feel sort of adopted by them... which is quite lovely; I'm part of the family instantly.
And I met Sharon at these things. Also a friend of Kristin's; it all comes around in a marvelous circle. Sharon and I really hit if off, and so we went biking on the beach, Saturday the 15th, out at Back Bay near NC. Marvelous! The tide wasn't the best for biking, but we sat down on a log and talked and talked about things very near our hearts, and I hope (and believe) it was as encouraging for her as it was for me.
And then I found out (on the 16th) my dear friend Julie had met someone a couple weeks before. They've since met each other a few times and talked every day, and are getting married in June. What wonderful news for her! But I will miss her! She had been thinking of spending time with me in Virginia during the summer before this happened. At least now I have a reason to visit Indiana.
After finishing the last two books of my favorite author/friend, I re-read Code Name Verity for the 6th time (in as many months). This time taking it slow, March 9-16. Not sure why I couldn't before, but it really affected me so that I was finally able to cry about it. Maybe because I was on deployment and was repressing emotions and "soldiering through" things as much as I could. And also, I had in my head that it was "just a story". And I was mad at the end because it was so shockingly sad. But even then, I cried a tear because something was so touchingly close to the way my heart works. I became one of the characters. March 17th, I re-read the sequel and forgot about everything else in the world while I was reading it... it is so gripping, and wonderfully told that I could barely breathe, and I was clutching the book as I read the middle part. Rose Under Fire. Just wow. It makes me want to write my own story.
And then, March 21st, I decided to take my second flight lesson. I had been thinking about it, but I just figured it would have to be something I did after I got out of the Navy. And then I thought, why? Go for it now! What's HILARIOUS is that it was my CNV blog that introduced me to the flight school in the first place, back in December. The url is flytheplanemaddie... so Google in their brilliance, caught that and an add from Horizon popped up on the side of my browser asking Want to Fly? Why, yes, I wanted to fly. And so I did again. It was sweet bliss.
March 23-30th, I flew again to see my husband in Norman, OK. I've always wanted to be with him on my birthday, and why not? It had been three & a half months since we'd been together. Much too long! It worked out well with my work schedule, so there I went.
- First day, the 24th, we got haircuts together at campus corner, then went to see his family in Lawton and had a fabulous dinner and long evening talking. But before we met up with everyone, we stopped at the Fort Sill Artillery Museum, which was out-of-control fabulous with guns everywhere!
- My birthday, the 25th, was extremely singular. Went and saw Rear Window on the big screen, then hunkered down at home as a severe thunderstorm swirled overhead and hit (and a tornado hit Moore again) and then ventured out again much later to have dinner at the restaurant where we'd had our wedding reception. Goodness, it was glorious!
- Thursday we made our pilgrimage to the OKC Zoo, like we always do. And since it wasn't August, it was refreshingly cool! We had to wear coats! Particularly loved the sea lions and the lorikeets and the wolf who howled for us. And then we went back to the theater and saw The Breakfast Club! I had never seen it all the way through before.
- Friday was the Medieval Fair. We saw a lot of Michael's favorite folk band Tullamore (three separate times! he is a fanboy! I understand!). Loved the exotic animal petting zoo and got to hold a Joey!
- Saturday we took the train to Fort Worth, Texas, for the weekend to visit our friends John and Sue. We saw a special exhibit of the art of Chuck Jones at the Museum of Science and History. It was just fabulous! Then had dinner at P.F.Chang's downtown before going to a Mary Chapman Carpenter concert at Bass Hall and I heard her songs for the first time. Including Why Walk When You Can Fly? Loved it, and I guess I took it literally.
- Sunday we went to the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas. Lots and lots of stuff there! Had a wonderful time overall, and had to take the train back that evening.
- Our last day, the 30th, we spent at home and it was lovely. He worked on the computer and I worked on a project of my own. And it was So Nice to just be together. Went out to The Library (which is a pub) for the first time. Had quick burgers before having to run off to the airport.
Jw
Thursday, January 15, 2015
The First Half of the First Month
Well, to start off the new year, I was on leave from work for the first eleven days. Not bad, I'd say. It was a sort of miracle that I did, since I had taken post-deployment leave for two weeks in November, right after we pulled in. When I got back from that leave, it was only three days before I transferred to a new command (temporarily). My first day on the job (December 8th) I was asked which two-week holiday leave period I wanted. And I could barely believe it! I had a lot stored up from being gone so long, so it was even possible!
It felt strange, not spending it with my husband, but our relationship is odd all the time, living so far apart from each other. We did, however, see each other for two whole weeks at Thanksgiving. So he understood when I told him I wanted to go see my grandparents for a couple days and then my girlfriend for a few after that. I had already promised my friends in Virginia that I'd house sit for them for New Year's... (including the first 5 days of my leave) so it was all settled. And it went off wonderfully!
I had some time to myself at first, taking care of their chickens and their dog, watching a lot of Call the Midwife on Netflix (which my friend introduced me to) and taking the plunge on Twitter, setting up an account because I wanted to conveniently follow my favorite author (that sounds so creepy). I've since learned people don't need an account to follow people, but because I had buried my head in the sand and treated Twitter like The Plague, I didn't know that. But now I also conveniently follow C.S. Lewis, Cute Animals, WWII History and Historical Pictures. LOL! Oh, social media.
So, I got in my car on the morning of the 3rd, and drove all the way to my grandparent's place in western North Carolina. Lord, how I love the Blue Ridge! It was so fun to go back! The last time I had been there to see them was a year and a half before (2013), as I was driving through with Michael as he was working long distance that summer so he could live with me. Long time ago!
It was so lovely to sit and chat with no time schedule just like we always do when we visit. I guess I say "we" because I'm usually with Mom when I'm visiting. This was the first time I visited them alone since 1998! And they were living in Missouri then... and I was 14! So anyway, we caught up. Talked a lot about deployment and different aspects of it. They had lots of questions for me.
Had dinner with them and my aunt and uncle at the favorite haunt the first night (Mexican restaurant oddly called "Papa's and Beer" - shouldn't that be "Papa's and Cerveza"? Whatever. It's a wonderful place.) after we went to see the film Unbroken (which has an opening to die for in the belly of a B-25). The next day, between lots more relaxing, chatting, reading and puzzling, we saw the film Wild, and went over to my aunt and uncle's house for a fun evening.
Late the next morning, I took off for West Virginia to see Julie. How beautiful are the mountains! I was in awe, driving across the Appalachians of Tennessee, then the Shenandoah through Virginia, and through a couple mountains/hills as I came to the winding roads of WV. So much fun! And so was seeing Julie for the first time in a year! I had flown her out to Norfolk last January for a quick visit before I left... and that is much too long to wait to see a dear friend like her. My goodness, being deployed makes you really miss people. I have gone years in the past without seeing her... I think being far apart brought me closer to people. I thought that a lot as I wrote emails to people at least monthly while I was gone. Which I never do when I'm at home. Irony.
The first night we went out to dinner and spent nearly the whole time giggling like adorable idiots... just like we always do. If I've said it, I've said it a thousand times... we are like peas in a pod, the two of us. Suddenly and actually by accident, we started talking about our fears... it was my fault, as I happened to use the phrase "top ten" when I told her about someone I was afraid of. It'll be one of those conversations I'll never forget; it was intimate and encouraging.
The first three days I visited were working days. So suddenly I was a fourth-grade teacher's assistant at a small, private school. It was SO MUCH FUN! I had to re-learn a bit of multiplication tables and help out with book reports on a book I've never read (flashbacks about Balboa: Finder of the Pacific came to mind as the kids could barely remember the plot). Julie even had me give a little presentation about the Navy on my first morning. I wore my working uniform, showed the kids pictures of ships and rating badges and youtube clips of the Truxtun in the Turkish straits... and the kids were amazed. :) I heard from one parent later on about my celebrity status. And it was super fun to watch Julie teach.
We spent the rest of our time together relaxing, reading, watching Weird Al youtube videos and laughing our guts out. And we went out to dinner with her church friends twice! And we all got along marvelously! First restaurant was in a town called Nitro! What a name! Had to leave on Sunday after church, but I thought to myself, why should I rush back to Norfolk? So I stayed an extra couple hours for a fabulous lunch with the same crowd. It hurt my heart to leave.
So I've been back in the Navy this week... continuing with Honor Guard duty. Five funerals this week... no time to even practice after a long break. I actually cried at the last one today... the pastor gave a great message quoting Paul about faith and Revelation about worshiping God... and there was a bagpiper playing Amazing Grace... and I was already emotional before it began. Shooting the rifles went PERFECTLY. But I need practice on six-man flag folds.
Jw
It felt strange, not spending it with my husband, but our relationship is odd all the time, living so far apart from each other. We did, however, see each other for two whole weeks at Thanksgiving. So he understood when I told him I wanted to go see my grandparents for a couple days and then my girlfriend for a few after that. I had already promised my friends in Virginia that I'd house sit for them for New Year's... (including the first 5 days of my leave) so it was all settled. And it went off wonderfully!
I had some time to myself at first, taking care of their chickens and their dog, watching a lot of Call the Midwife on Netflix (which my friend introduced me to) and taking the plunge on Twitter, setting up an account because I wanted to conveniently follow my favorite author (that sounds so creepy). I've since learned people don't need an account to follow people, but because I had buried my head in the sand and treated Twitter like The Plague, I didn't know that. But now I also conveniently follow C.S. Lewis, Cute Animals, WWII History and Historical Pictures. LOL! Oh, social media.
So, I got in my car on the morning of the 3rd, and drove all the way to my grandparent's place in western North Carolina. Lord, how I love the Blue Ridge! It was so fun to go back! The last time I had been there to see them was a year and a half before (2013), as I was driving through with Michael as he was working long distance that summer so he could live with me. Long time ago!
It was so lovely to sit and chat with no time schedule just like we always do when we visit. I guess I say "we" because I'm usually with Mom when I'm visiting. This was the first time I visited them alone since 1998! And they were living in Missouri then... and I was 14! So anyway, we caught up. Talked a lot about deployment and different aspects of it. They had lots of questions for me.
Had dinner with them and my aunt and uncle at the favorite haunt the first night (Mexican restaurant oddly called "Papa's and Beer" - shouldn't that be "Papa's and Cerveza"? Whatever. It's a wonderful place.) after we went to see the film Unbroken (which has an opening to die for in the belly of a B-25). The next day, between lots more relaxing, chatting, reading and puzzling, we saw the film Wild, and went over to my aunt and uncle's house for a fun evening.
Late the next morning, I took off for West Virginia to see Julie. How beautiful are the mountains! I was in awe, driving across the Appalachians of Tennessee, then the Shenandoah through Virginia, and through a couple mountains/hills as I came to the winding roads of WV. So much fun! And so was seeing Julie for the first time in a year! I had flown her out to Norfolk last January for a quick visit before I left... and that is much too long to wait to see a dear friend like her. My goodness, being deployed makes you really miss people. I have gone years in the past without seeing her... I think being far apart brought me closer to people. I thought that a lot as I wrote emails to people at least monthly while I was gone. Which I never do when I'm at home. Irony.
The first night we went out to dinner and spent nearly the whole time giggling like adorable idiots... just like we always do. If I've said it, I've said it a thousand times... we are like peas in a pod, the two of us. Suddenly and actually by accident, we started talking about our fears... it was my fault, as I happened to use the phrase "top ten" when I told her about someone I was afraid of. It'll be one of those conversations I'll never forget; it was intimate and encouraging.
The first three days I visited were working days. So suddenly I was a fourth-grade teacher's assistant at a small, private school. It was SO MUCH FUN! I had to re-learn a bit of multiplication tables and help out with book reports on a book I've never read (flashbacks about Balboa: Finder of the Pacific came to mind as the kids could barely remember the plot). Julie even had me give a little presentation about the Navy on my first morning. I wore my working uniform, showed the kids pictures of ships and rating badges and youtube clips of the Truxtun in the Turkish straits... and the kids were amazed. :) I heard from one parent later on about my celebrity status. And it was super fun to watch Julie teach.
We spent the rest of our time together relaxing, reading, watching Weird Al youtube videos and laughing our guts out. And we went out to dinner with her church friends twice! And we all got along marvelously! First restaurant was in a town called Nitro! What a name! Had to leave on Sunday after church, but I thought to myself, why should I rush back to Norfolk? So I stayed an extra couple hours for a fabulous lunch with the same crowd. It hurt my heart to leave.
So I've been back in the Navy this week... continuing with Honor Guard duty. Five funerals this week... no time to even practice after a long break. I actually cried at the last one today... the pastor gave a great message quoting Paul about faith and Revelation about worshiping God... and there was a bagpiper playing Amazing Grace... and I was already emotional before it began. Shooting the rifles went PERFECTLY. But I need practice on six-man flag folds.
Jw
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