29 November 2010

Giving Thanks

They say that you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. This is especially true for family, which is why it was such a treat to have my family together to celebrate Thanksgiving. It reminded me of the importance and permanence of familial love, no matter the boundaries of time or distance.

So how did we spend our Thanksgiving?

We feasted.



We enjoyed a little togetherness.





We kicked back to watch America’s favorite pastime. (In case you were wondering, I mean football, not Dancing with the Stars



We goofed…


…and monkeyed around.


We crafted.



We found a little Christmas spirit.



We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.  ~Thornton Wilder

19 November 2010

The Untouchables

www.surferjerry.com

Recent discussions with friends (by no means hostile) have brought to light semi-political views that I wasn’t really even aware I harbored and made me examine my beliefs a bit. It seems that I hold my husband’s career on a figurative pedestal. I don’t dismiss other careers, even my own, as unimportant or somehow lesser, but I hold the military in an entirely different category – in fact, I think I always have. Even before becoming a military spouse, I attributed much of the success of this country to the actions of a strong and dedicated armed force. Throughout history, in peace and in war time, the presence of a unified defense has signified the freedoms that we now can’t envision life without. The fact that I can openly share my opinion in this forum is directly attributable to the men and women who serve that defense.

When I read a recent article about potential pay freezes and other cuts to military benefits it pained me for reasons beyond my personal finances. I can now say with some authority that we (and by we, I mean in the collective sense – not just C and I) give up certain freedoms to ensure the freedom of our country. To think that those who serve could be compensated less than they already are is appalling to me. Our society is so backwards in that we reward outlandish behavior with fame and money, yet want to cut the pay of those who provide the very path to providing such liberties. Do I think that anyone deserves a pay cut or freeze or any other monetary pitfall? Absolutely not. I also know that people do not join the military because of the glamorous pay. But when considering where to cut funds, I strongly believe that military members and families ought to reside in a category labeled “untouchable”. 

18 November 2010

Good and Bad are Perpetual Companions

The anticipated dreaded exciting big day has arrived: Day 1 of the “15-day program”. What does this signify? Well, for starters, the exodus of my husband…but also, it means it’s C’s first day on the flight line! He is thrilled to be back in the cockpit for his dollar ride today. As a longtime pilot, he’s itching to get up in the air again after so long a hiatus from flying. The daily grind of the program also begins today, meaning he’ll finally get into a steady routine that he can get used to – something he’s been looking forward to.

With the good, of course comes the not-so good. As of today, C is on formal release. This means 12-hour days every day for the first few weeks (or months). So if his first scheduled activity for the day is at 0800, guess what time he gets home? That’s right math whizzes: 2000 (aka 8:00 p.m.). In between scheduled trainings (be they flights or sims or classes) he stays in the flight room, buried in books and study materials. When he gets home, it’s more of the same – a quick bite to eat, a kiss for the wife and kid, and back to the books.

Obviously, the schedule is a hectic one. I’m already starting to see his eyes swirling with the heaps of information being thrown at him. Yesterday, he compared his day to being doused with a fire hose from three different directions. I’m not sure which one of us has been more anxious for both the beginning and ending of the 15-day program. Even when H and I are missing him though, we’ll look up in the sky and know that one of those planes we see might just be him and that he’s one day closer to becoming a USAF pilot!

Okay, so this isn't actually C's flight - but the point is it COULD HAVE been
Thanks to K for the great picture!

10 November 2010

A Storage Unit Full of Optimism


When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Some days are tougher than others. This is the first training that I’ve attended with C and sometimes I’m not sure if H and I are more of a burden or a help – are we one more thing to juggle or a built-in support system? On the tough days, I know that I’m right where I should be.

C is still doing excellent in ground school. He continues to excel on his tests and is thriving in the sim. But some days the magnitude of it all settles in and is simply overwhelming. He has so much to accomplish in the coming months that sometimes it feels like there’s no good place to start.

C in his "study chair"
So what can I do during these moments? I reach for my key and unlock my internal storage unit, brimming with optimism. Sometimes we all just need to be told we’re on the right track and remember that we have a fan club of our very own. I may not be able to create more hours in the day or memorize endless amounts of information for him, but I can remind C why he’s here and how hard he’s worked to get here. Sometimes a simple “I’m proud of you” is all it takes.

“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.” 
Abraham Lincoln

09 November 2010

Over the hill or just starting the climb?

Even with our hectic schedule, we have to work in some time for fun eventually and what better occasion than my “special” birthday? That’s right, this weekend it was finally time to wave so long to my twenties and begin the trek up the thirties hill. It was surprisingly less painful than I thought it would be, especially since I got to celebrate surrounded by friends and family.

On Friday night we had a great time bowling with some of the guys from C’s class. It was nice to finally meet some of his classmates and see everyone relax after a tough week.



Saturday, C threw me the first birthday party I’ve had in quite some time. We were joined by a house full of good friends, and even my mom and sister flew out to join the festivities (a special thanks to them for coming out and to my dad for “going Irish” to get them here). We all had fun sampling delicious food and wine and getting to know new friends.






Also, on the good news front, we welcomed to the neighborhood (and to the party) some friends from our home base that we’ll not only get to know better here during the next year, but we’ll also get to go home with!

C with our friends, B & M
 If I had to pass another decade, I’m glad I got to do it in the company of such great people!

04 November 2010

The Elimination of If

To be successful, in pilot training or anything else, you need to have confidence tempered with a positive attitude. For this reason, I have officially banned the word “if”. There is no more: “if I pass this test…” or “if I make it through T-6’s…” or even, “if I graduate…” All “if’s” are replaced with “when”. (In fact, I’m thinking of implementing an “if jar” – you know, like a swear jar.)

Sometimes it’s not easy for C to have the confidence of “when” in the midst of challenging tests and endless studying, but he is handling it all with excellence and is even able to juggle in some family time.

One of many study sessions that help the guys prepare for the next hurdle
Here are the hurdles of ground school, all jam-packed into 6 weeks worth of instruction:

Q  Systems test 1 (100%)
Q  Systems test 2 (100%)
Q  Aerodynamics test (100% - hey, if the wife can’t brag, who can?)
Q  Flying fundamentals test (tomorrow)
Q  Contact test (next week)
Q  Weather test (2 weeks out)
Q  2 simulator sessions so far, 4 more to go in ground school, and countless more throughout the flight line
Q  Weekly boldface tests

H and I are so proud of C, his accomplishments and his work ethic. Graduation is going to be a very sweet day.

03 November 2010

Sugar Rush!

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from Halloween on an air force base. My family celebrates Halloween like some families celebrate Christmas: big.  Every year, my parents throw a big Halloween party that has become a tradition for many. They deck out the house, inside and out, with everything from ghouls and witches to giant yard inflatables. I was a little disheartened that only one other house on our street on base had even gone beyond carved pumpkins. Then, we started getting e-mails about regulated trick-or-treating hours…needless to say, my expectations were pretty low.

Much to my delight, Halloween activities started almost a week prior, on Monday. H and her preschool class took a field trip (her first!) to the local pumpkin patch. They listened to a spooky story, learned about pumpkins, and got to pick out a gourd of their own.


On Thursday, the base had a big fall festival, complete with games, bounce houses, and free food for all.

Friday morning, we joined H’s class for a costume parade around base. The kids marched down the sidewalk, little princesses and ninjas, to trick-or-treat at several buildings and wow the crowd with a rendition of pumpkin songs.


Later that afternoon, we went to the administration building, where each office was festively decorated and offered treats to the kids. From there, we proceeded to the squadrons for more spooky fun. The student pilots had turned the quiet hallways and classrooms into terrifying haunted houses, complete with cobwebs and strobe lights.

Princess Belle
On Saturday, the day before the actual holiday, we drove several miles away to a popular local corn maze. We discovered that it wasn’t just a simple maze – there were 4 different mazes, a petting zoo, hay ride, pumpkin patch, playground, and more! H had a great time leading us through the mazes and petting all sorts of furry farm friends.

Enjoying a hay ride

Petting the pony

Navigating the maze
That evening, we hit up the base bowling alley for a bit of “boo bowling” in costume.

Boo Bowling!

C, H, and our friend, D
Finally, it was time for the big day. We spent most of the morning searching for a pumpkin-carving kit – which apparently was a hot commodity this year. (We never did find one – we painted our pumpkins instead) At 6:00 we hit the streets with every other little robot and fairy in the vicinity and garnered a whole new batch a sweet goodies. By 8:00 the fun was over and we were ready for bed!


As it turns out, Halloween on base is actually a pretty big deal. From base employees to commanders, everyone went to a lot of effort to make sure that all of the kids (and even the dog) had a great, safe time.