G-Man

I haven't blogged about GMan lately but he is doing great in school. He is beginning to think about colleges and we are going to get him signed up to start taking his SATs. He wants to major in International Business and right now he thinks he wants to go to school at either the University of Florida or the University of Virginia. Both excellent schools. Here is a photograph of GMan in France back in June - he was over the fact that I kept taking pictures of the teenagers. He politely asked if he would "pose" for me, if I would not take any more pictures. I agreed and while the band was playing the "chickadee" song he gave me his pose. I thought this was funny.I also thought this was a great picture of us as we stood at the border between Germany and Austria. I am supposed to visit with him in a few weeks but I am thinking about fetching him and having him come here in the next week or two. I miss him a lot. He is at a great age and he has the greatest sense of humor.

Happy Belated Birthday Hollywood

My daughter Hollywood turned 18 a little more than a week ago. I had hoped to put a photograph of her as a baby up here along with her graduation photograph but I do not have a scanner and need to figure out how to get the photographs digitized. But I want her to know she is the very best daughter, stepdaughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, and cousin a person could ask for. We are all very proud of her and are behind her 100%. Photos will follow once I figure it out. Love you girlie!

Sister/Momma Bear is Okay

My sister, the Old Stewardess, was hospitalized last week and we had a very bad scare. Near the beginning of September we had gone down to visit Dad in Duck, NC and she was uncharacteristically feeling ill. Old Stew is always the life of the party and when she is down, she is down. I took her to the hospital during Hurricane Hannah and 8 hours later they sent us on our way with a few percocets and a cd of her MRI which showed a large tumor in her abdomen and it had been causing severe pain. She will not be pleased that I say this but it was the size of a grapefruit (some 13x8 centimeters). The doctor told her that they suspected cancer, he did not mince words and I was there to witness it. He told her to get to a gynecological oncologist as soon as possible. I was amazed at how she handled the whole situation. She did not panic whatsoever. She was actually quite calm. I would have been beside myself and quite hysterical but she was not. She refused to be alarmed unless and until she knew she had something to be alarmed about. Wow. I kept checking in with her up until the time of surgery and she remained calm the whole time. Many folks were praying for her and once those efforts were underway, I began to relax as well. We were relieved to discover this "thing" was totally benign. I went up to Fairfax on Tuesday afternoon, the day of her surgery. I was there along with Dad and Scamper when she came out of the recovery room. She was chatty within the hour. She got tired quickly and sent us home. The next morning she had made them remove her catheter and she was up and at 'em. They let her go home Thursday - she really is the best type of patient. Here are a few photos, a couple of her, one of me making the bed with the nurse (I think she took this because it is rare to see me do housework) and one of Dad doing what Dad does best. I'm sorry, I'm not good with what I need to do to arrange the photos the right way and I don't care to learn right now.

Hello out there?

Has anyone seen this person? If so, please tell her to e-mail, call or write her mother.

Birds' Eye View

Today was the Oceana Naval Air Station Air Show, observed as part of the Virginia Beach Nepture Festival. We thought it would be nice if we watched the show from the rooftop of the Cavalier at the Oceanfront. It was really windy and cloudy and I wondered if they were going to go ahead with the show. They did, and we enjoyed the birds' eye view. I didn't get any really good shots because I kept running from side to side to see where they were and I had to be very careful not to get too close to the edge as there is no railing/protection to keep you from falling 11 stories off the top of the building. The United States Navy Blue Angels are a sight to see and the most magnificent machines. I took a couple of photos of us in front of the Cavalier Hotel sign on the oceanfront building and I also took a couple of shots of the Cavalier on the Hill. A pretty good day but the Blue Angels will be doing another show tomorrow and if it is sunnier and less windy, we might try again.

A Wet Rat

Hollywood finished Cadre Week (Hell Week) in one piece apparently. She has called me on the phone a couple of times and has sent me a couple of e-mails. I was looking through the photos the school takes and caught a glimpse of my girl as she was coming out of the river. You can't see these very well but I have ordered copies and will frame them upon arrival!

Check out the short hair. I think it looks great. I am hoping to see pictures soon of her day at New Market on Sunday. The new cadets all took their oath and remembered those who had come before them. Read about the tradition from the VMI website:

More than 400 members of VMI’s new Rat Class took the oath as cadets at the nation’s oldest state-supported military school Sunday. The ceremony took place on the field where the college’s Corps of Cadets distinguished themselves in the Civil War Battle of New Market.
VMI’s newest cadet class, the Class of 2012, which matriculated two weeks ago, traveled by bus the 80 miles north to New Market Battlefield State Historical Park for the ceremony. A small group of upper class cadets marched the entire distance over several days, representing the three-day march that took the entire student body of the college into battle 144 years ago.
After taking a tour of the historic grounds and reciting the Cadet Oath, the new cadets charged across the battlefield as the New Market cadets did on May 15, 1864. “The new cadet visit to New Market each year is an important event that gives our newest cadets — who come to VMI from all over the country — a real sense of VMI’s heritage as the only military school to ever fight as a unit in combat,” explained Col. Thomas H. Trumps ’79, commandant of cadets.
“Although our new cadets are well versed in the Institute’s history, it doesn’t hit home until they stand on hallowed ground and charge across the ‘Field of Lost Shoes,’” Trumps said. “At that moment, the new cadets fully appreciate the significance and sacrifice of that day nearly 150 years ago. When you couple the re-enactment of the charge with the solemn Cadet Oath ceremony, it’s truly a moving day that marks the start of their four-year journey of becoming full-fledged VMI men and women.”
New Market cadets dubbed the battleground the “Field of Lost Shoes” because on the day of the battle it was a rain-soaked, recently plowed wheat field that sucked the footwear right off of many of the combatants.
Ten cadets died from battle wounds, and 45 were wounded; however, the Corps plugged a hole in the center of the Confederate ranks and executed a vital role in repelling the Union forces. Six cadets who died in the battle are buried in Lexington adjacent to the VMI parade ground.

My New Best Friends

My cousin Lil'Bit (well, that's what we called her 40 years ago!) and her two kids came to town this past weekend. On Friday my sister The Old Stewardess came down and picked me up and we took my cousin to visit with Dad in the Outer Banks - in Duck, the best vacation spot in the whole wide world. I had not seen my cousin in close to 20 years - she still looks the same! Her two kids are now my new best friends. (Cuz, if you don't want their pictures up, let me know and I'll take them down). We had such fun in such a short amount of time. We were expecting Tropical Storm Hannah to beat down on us but fortunately it skirted the OBX. Here are my buddies on the boardwalk down at the Currituck Sound by the Corolla Light House. We had just read a sign about the types of animals found in that habitat to include Cottonmouth water moccasins. I promise you we had no more read that sign and took two steps when I looked down and saw one up close and too personal. I screamed like a crazy woman and my cousin and her kids were calm as can be - squatting down looking over the side at this snake that was poised to strike. Scared the bejesus out of me. I hauled buns past the snake habitat and made it down to the sound and was able to experience a little bit of wind fury. It was really fun and I think they enjoyed it. Later in the day back at the surf shack we all hunkered down for some Pigman's barbeque. Delish! Here's a picture of my girl with Uncle Gene/Dad - as you can see they BOTH were having a good time.

Here is Lil'bit with the youngins. I hope they really enjoyed their trip and the change of scenery from Arkansas!

End of Summer

Dr. Pat and Barb.

Labor Day in Virginia Beach is always a fun time. And with the closing of August and the summer season, it only seems appropriate to mark the occasion with a party. The Endless Summer Beach Blast was Friday night and Big Dad and I went along with our friends Gene & Barb and Dr. Pat and Dr. Mike. We

Big Dad, Marilyn, Billy

Dr. Mike & Dr. Pat

ran into some other folks we knew and just had an all around good time. This is not the most flattering picture of me, but it is the only one that doesn't look like my top is falling out of my dress.

Me and Gene

Breaktime is Over

Well, August has been quite a dry month in terms of posting to this blog, but for nothing else. It has been a difficult month and has left me with little desire to do much of anything after work except for hang out with BigDad. It began early in the month with continued difficulties in the banking industry, resulting in several colleagues being let go. It is really tough to see folks you have worked side by side with for years be let go. It takes a toll on morale and people are just trying to carry on. I have been in this business for 23 years and I have seen similar times in the past. I know, while others don't, that these times don't last forever and thing will rebound, it just takes time. I also feel very fortunate to still be in this industry, and with the same employer nonetheless.

The very most unfortunate thing that happened was that a beloved co-worker passed away on August 18th. She had gone into cardiac arrest on August 11th and never recovered. This has been particularly difficult for everyone who worked with her. It was so very sudden and this vibrant woman was with us one moment and gone the next. Now we are left to try and carry on. Not so easy.

The other major event in August was that my dear oldest child, Hollywood, matriculated at Virginia Military Institute on August 23rd. BD and I took her up the night before and on the 23rd, we got her registered and basically handed her over for the next four years. Once we had her gear stowed away in her room, she had to change into gym clothes. At 2:30, all the prospective cadets gathered in the auditorium and were called to "fall out" by company. There were 9 companies with about 50 cadets each. Once each company was in formation, they all marched out together to the sound of the drum corps. And so began cadre week (actually 9 days) or the more familiar "hell week." I have been told that 50% of the cadets that attrite the first year will do so in hell week. The cadets have been totally incommunicado until they participated in the Rat Crucible which was last night. Hollywood did get a chance to call me for 5 minutes last Wednesday as she visited her academic advisor, and she called me yesterday for a 15 minute conversation. She sounded so strong and committed. I am not worried about her. She did ask me to send her more supplies.

Hollywood did get a haircut. I don't know what the finished product looked like but here are a few shots during the action.

This evening I got my first e-mail from the kid. Here is what it said: Mom Please update your blog I like looking at it. That was the extent of the email, in its entirety. Not "don't worry Mom, I'm doing fine," but update your blog. So....my dear firstborn child, I will try and do better with my postings.