A Rather Fine Weekend

Saturday I kept very busy, doing all the things I should. After baking another banana bread, eating breakfast and cleaning up all the dishes, I played my instruments then worked on my model ship for a while upstairs. Went swimming at the local pool, returned, cleaned up, then went and did all my laundry at the beach... where I did some shopping, snacking and reading while my clothes were getting done. They had Monk on the TVs while I was folding laundry! It was the episode about an actor trying to portray Monk in his famous case of the astronaut. Cleaned the house a bit before I wasted some time online, then watched a new episode of Foyle's War and enjoyed a fantastic seafood dinner along with it.

Sunday I was out and about the whole day... started off with getting some frames at Michael's, along with some Christmas decor (the seashell ornaments and star I found at the NEX a few days ago). Very happy to have my own set-up nativity:

From Michael's, I went across the street to Target to find some necessities, as well as a basketball for playing on the courts at my community. But as usual at Target, I also found a neat hat and some gloves... and an inexpensive dart board!














Finally tore myself away from that place and continued on to Mt. Trashmore, not far from there. Walked the 1.5 mile circuit around the lake, as well as climbed the large hill covering the old landfill... and sent my head spinning by rolling down the gentle slope.

Little bit of fall color along the circuit around the lake.

From there I continued on to a gun range, shot 65 rounds at different intervals, got a couple more boxes for another day, then poked around Family Dollar for a couple things I really needed. Then I stopped off at Carrabba's for an outstanding late lunch (couldn't pass up the opportunity since I was there), then stopped across the street to poke around the mall for a bit. That was my downfall. I found classic Yahtzee at B&N, and splurged big time on a Seahawks jersey that I wore for the rest of the day (it was game day, after all).

Across from the NFL store was something called "Cool Eclectic"... and I found some neat vintage prints of Ocean View from the '20s and '30s.









When I had finally decided on the prints (there were a lot of them there), I kept exploring a bit and found the Disney store where I picked up that adorable Nemo mug! On my way home (finally!), I stopped off at Michael's again for frames for these last pics... then I decided to stop by that sports bar I found the other day when I was getting my car fixed. The staff recognized me without my uniform... and I had a Crown Royal on the rocks while watching the Seahawks come back from a huge deficit to win the game in overtime! So fun! Things usually don't go that well when I plan them out. I'd have to say the day was blessed by the Lord. However, I think I shall take a break from spending money. :)

Tonight after work I continued putting things away from last night, went out to the courts to shoot a little basketball, had some chicken noodle soup and sourdough bread, went to the local half-price bookstore I first visited this week to pick up a book I found then... and wasted time looking at biographies of Maureen O'Hara and Errol Flynn. Only leaving when they closed (at 7) I came home, talked with Mom & Dad, and had a steak dinner while watching Jeeves & Wooster (LOL).

Jw

A Few Hours and a Fantastic Weekend

Because of the craziness at work this week, I didn't have much time to myself. With the time I did have, I finished organizing the paper stuff in my house... brochures, programs, tickets, documents, etc. It was the last set of things that needed going through, and although it took me a couple nights (Thursday and Friday), I managed to get through it. I also picked up the last of my home improvements...  a bunch of frames from Michaels on Friday... set out my 31 postcards (from recent trips) and put them in a couple small poster frames in groupings. Also found a big 22x28 framed picture of something that vividly reminds me of a very special day in college... for $20! Put that and one of the Sleeping Beauty posters up in the bedroom for a big improvement. Panera Bread sits right next to Michaels, and I had an old favorite combo... veggie sandwich and creamy tomato soup for a convenient dinner.

Saturday I picked up the last of the Walmart.com orders... a big brown carpet for the bedroom. It's looking nice and cozy up there now, with the art and the furniture and the little lamp. A marked improvement from a mattress and a dresser. I also broke down and bought the small matching pillow to the comforter (that I bought about a year ago...), and finally found a simple weight scale. My weight always hangs heavy on my head right before the PRT... LOL... so now, I can keep better track of how I'm doing.

But goodness, that wasn't all I did on Saturday! I started off going to Newport News for a toy soldier show at the Virginia War Museum. This I remembered on Friday after checking out the website from a catalog I found while going through my stacks of papers. So it was... perfect timing! I bought three figures online,

and at the show on Saturday, I bought a Spanish-made French Cuirassier on horseback (1806 period), and a English-made 1950s mounted knight.

After dropping them off at home, I continued on to a Greek Orthodox Church in Norfolk for their annual Greek Festival... lots of great Greek food: I had a lamb gyro, a delicious Spanakopita (phyllo pie with spinach and feta cheese), a Greek salad, some buttered rice, and a piece of Baklava to finish! Then I stopped by the church to look around... they have lots of medieval paintings of the saints, apostles, Christ, and Mary. It was very interesting to look at, and I picked up a handout history of their church. Went right back home and watched the first couple episodes of Downton Abby, which I've been rather interested in seeing since it came out. I enjoyed it at first, but but into the fourth episode, things were sprawling out of control, just like they did in Upstairs/Downstairs... whiny, bratty daughter who is "so oppressed"... and gets into lots of trouble and whines about having to get married to get out of it.

But, by today, I made it to the sixth episode where people seem to redeem themselves and all seems pretty much to be righted. I don't think I want to watch any more though... I know it will delve into scenes of hard emotion where everything spirals out of control so you have to watch the next season. I don't think I want to get that far into it. I enjoyed it where it is now, and I don't want to go through the heartbreak of the great war yet again. As things are now, people are getting engaged and they are happy... so I'll leave it at that.

Otherwise today, I've mowed and trimmed the lawn, did the dishes, not ate too much (fried egg and cream of wheat for breakfast, sandwich/carrot/cheese roll-up for dinner), and managed a brilliant strategy for working out and doing my laundry at the same time: Q-80 on base provides washers and driers, and while I first washed, I went in the gym for a 12-minute PRT-type bike ride (134 calories!), then after I went and put them in the drier, I did 1,000 yds at the pool. Came home for the shower, and all was in order!

I missed church tonight though... and I felt kind of lonely after I watched a very silly film from 2009... 17 Again. I remember seeing the ad in the paper for it when it came out, so I didn't mind the $1 rental fee to be satisfied. It was obvious in a lot of ways, but it was funny in places and entertaining. But as for being lonely, I prayed to the Lord and thanked him for all the good things he's given me, and I felt a lot better.

Jw

Laundry, History, and Ballet

Well, goodness, since Wednesday morning, much has happened. Most importantly though, I have a new niece, a very cute little girl named Jonna, that was born very early Wednesday morning (April 17th). I've only seen three photographs (that I got via email on my phone today), and I can't wait to meet her in person! Meg sent me a text that morning that I didn't see until after class. I called Mike right away, but he had received it too... I ended up waking him from a nightmare, so that was alright. Dad called as well to make sure I knew, so overall, it was a very pleasant morning.

In the rest of the day, I managed to clean my house (mostly sweeping), re-stock the bird-feeder, trim the grass, eat a sandwich, finish all my laundry, and read the book of Colossians while I waited. It beats watching General Hospital any day of the week. I was subjected to a TV talk show while folding my laundry, though. I felt tangible relief when I walked out the open double doors to my car.

That evening I missed watching a movie because I spent the whole time coming up with an idea for Saturday after I bought a ticket to the ballet for Friday. It was quite an idea, and came to me after considering how far the Tides away games were (central NC and near Atlanta). Compared to those places it wasn't far, but for a day trip it would be ambitious. 9 hours of driving... but you'll read about that in Saturday's post. I was very excited as I told Mike about it that night. It was a beautiful, cool spring evening too, so I went outside to talk.

Thursday after class I decided to go to Hampton (just across the bridge/tunnel). Tried out the Hampton History Museum and Visitor Center... I had reservations about going... thought it would be mostly visitor center. But I was very mistaken! It was a very impressive walk-through of Hampton's early history. I really enjoyed the short film they showed about one of the first photographers of the area who had a studio. Besides the myriads of portraits (the samples of which are always interesting) the guy also documented the area with his glass plates. Fun little surprise. And not only that, but they had a temporary exhibit upstairs of Civil War artifacts from the area. This was also quite interesting and even poignant, with articles such as the frock coat of a local son who was killed in a battle just outside his hometown and brought home to be buried. God, I could not imagine. Something I thought very interesting were two photographs of a church next to a window. One pre-dated the war, the other showed its destruction... and looking out the window, the church stands before you.

I continued on from Hampton to Newport News where I picked up a few things at Walmart (like a stool to put drinks on next to the couches) and had an old-fashioned burger at a little take-out place next door. Then I continued down the street to the archery range where I had the lanes to myself for most of the time.

Friday's class time was practically non-existent. I went home and changed, stopped by the library, saw my ship coming in off shore, and still arrived at the Norfolk Indoor Pool by 10:30. I had all five lanes of that to myself as well! Did a continuous thousand yards for the first time... ever. It wasn't lighting fast or anything, but I certainly enjoyed twenty solid minutes of fine cardiovascular exercise. After taking a shower at home, my friend who just got out of the Navy was on her way back home from taking care of her car in Florida, so she stopped by for lunch. We shared Lipton's chicken noodle soup and a couple grilled cheddar cheese sandwiches for a delightful time together.

After she left, I watched a rather odd 90s movie about the WWII home front in Louisiana that I found at the library. And after that, I watched an old favorite, Ever After, as well. And then it was time to go downtown for the first major performance of the 2013 Virginia Arts Festival: The Birmingham Royal Ballet's performance of Coppelia. This was very colorful and funny too! The sets were gorgeous (and probably very expensive) and the story was unlike any ballet I had ever heard of. A crazy old man makes life-like dolls to confuse the rest of the town and cause distress between a young couple. And everything ends up alright in the end, except for the doll. :) I had a wonderful seat near the back with a full view. Before everything started I noticed a British vice admiral come in, and soon after saw what I found online to be the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, who was also in attendance.

Jw

Here and There Again

Yes, Rings fans, I've been reading The Hobbit. And what a fun journey it's been... the book and my weekend.

Stayed at the Best Western in Mayport again... dropped off at the door by the duty driver. Watched the incredible end of Game 3 of the Yankee's ALDS, and both of former Mariner Raúl Ibañez's home runs to win it (in the 9th and the 12th). It was very neat because I was talking with Mike when they flew, flew away. What can be better than having your wife give you a play-by-play of a miracle win by your favorite team when you're apart? :)

That was Wednesday night! Thursday morning I picked up the Hertz car, had a great breakfast at the Third Street Diner, stopped by The Bookmark, and nearby Atlantic Beach, then stopped at the outdoor Starbucks on the corner of Atlantic Blvd and posted to my Navy Times. Dropped off my ballot at the Post Office on the way to the ferry, stopped at Singleton's for some shrimp cocktail, rode across the St John's river and went to Amelia Island to walk around and look for shells. I found a couple broken conchs, but also over a dozen horseshoe crab skeletons. Loved just walking along the edge of the surf with the wind and the bright blue sky.

Then I had to get downtown for the symphony concert... parked for half-price at the garage... and enjoyed a wonderful concert featuring the symphony's enormous pipe organ and a famous organist from Germany. It was open seating, and I was able to get one of the normally expensive, raised seats to the right... perfect for watching the fingers fly over the keyboard and the violins. There was a Bach solo to begin, then a Handel piece including strings and oboes... a modern piece by a French composer in the 30's (strings and timpani), and finally a 20-min piece commissioned by the symphony (and a couple in attendance), written by a Florida resident (also in attendance) on variations of that familiar circus song... famous as The Most Wonderful Night of the Year. I had visions of Dick van Dyke pretending to do the tight rope in Mary Poppins all night.

It was Michael's birthday, Thursday, and unfortunately, the Yankees dropped the game that to Baltimore... but we Skyped afterwords, and talked for ever and ever, just like old times... and it was really nice! Had a king bed at the Hampton downtown... and it was awfully comfy!

Got up Friday morning, not believing how much time I still had off, and had a continental breakfast in the lobby, the returned to my room to watch Hachi: a dog's tale, an updated rendition of the real thing in 1920's Japan. When the widow discovered the dog was still waiting for her husband at the train station ten years later... that made me cry. It was a sad story, but fun to watch. Since it was time then to check out, I capitulated and gave up my room.

Went to the nearby Museum of Science and History, mostly to watch the planetarium show, as it was supposed to be geared for kids. I loved the two shows they let us see... one on the night sky and constellations, and the other talking about how Earth is an oasis in the universe. Every time I remember that, and think about how huge and ordered everything is, it makes me consider how much God loves me. When I see the Earth from space (as in the animations) I think about how God condescended to come down to that little planet and do what he did. And that made me cry too... for joy. They had other neat things at the museum... a whole room devoted to Florida's marine mammals, and another with a mini zoo... and then a walk-through of Jacksonville's history.

From there I crossed the river back to downtown and checked out the toy soldier shop I found out about in a visitor's guide magazine in the hotel room. Troops of Time... finely painted tin soldiers from all sorts of periods of warfare... I ended up buying two... a WWII Sailor, and a crusader knight with a horn. The guys in there were very happy to show me everything as I was the only customer. Even gave me an orange juice to drink from their fridge while they packed them up for me.

On my way to the toy shop I passed a busy small-town sort of main street and an antique store with a 48-star flag in the window. When I stepped inside to take a look, I was amazed and pleased to find that it was a cloth one in great condition for an affordable $19. Very happy indeed! I've been wanting something like this for years! Then I had a small-size sausage and mushroom pizza at a local shop next door... a place that's been running since 1976! After finishing, I hopped in the car and decided now was a good time to go down to Marineland for the next day's adventure. Stopped at a local motel (villa) in Palm Coast. They had a rustic stone wall covering inside and out that felt very extravagant... but wasn't. :) Turned on the TV for more baseball, but found a family station that was playing a very funny episode of We Love Lucy, one of the later seasons, I presume. When that ended, I turned it over to the game just in time to see the Yanks clinch the series. After talking with Mike for a short while, I stayed up watching a couple episodes of WENN (2 for the Price of 1, and Hilary Booth, Registered Nurse)... and some snippets... I Gotta Sing, Grace Cavendish, and the beginning and ending of Happy Homecomings. It was a wild mash, but it was also lots of fun. Turns out the snippet from Grace Cavendish and the end of Homecomings both have those silly slapstick routines. It was good random planning. :)

Next morning (Saturday the 13th), after a bagel and a banana, I headed back north a bit to the Fort Matanzas National Monument, which turns out to be a bookend to the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument I saw in St Augustine the very first week! It's just down the river from San Marcos, and was built 50 years afterwords to defend that approach to the city. There was a free ferry ride across the river, and a 1/2 mile nature trail that allowed for a beautiful walk in the woods. And across the street from the monument, there was a public beach access. Took another walk on the beach and enjoyed it a bunch. Just a beautiful day! After that it was back to Marineland for a lunch (burger!) and a swim with the dolphins.

I was hoping for a session all alone, since I was the first to register for this time slot the day before, but 4 other women had signed up as well (one from Lebanon, and two from Germany!). First they told us all about the 12 dolphins they keep, especially the record-breaking oldest dolphin in captivity... turning 60 yrs old this February! Life expectancy is estimated at 30 years, so it is indeed remarkable. We learned a bit about their skin, how it's best to not scratch them, then we changed, got into life vests (really? the pool is only like 20 feet deep... lol), and walked out onto the concrete "beach". We got to pet, rubbing sides, belly, fins and flukes with flat hands. We got to throw her little fish (our dolphin was a female named Pebbles), watch her swim under us, and tell her to do things with trainer's hand signals (I got to make her open and close her mouth when she was right up next to me!). There were also lots of pictures taken, but we'll see if they ever upload them to their site.

After drying off and changing, I made my way to Red Lobster for dinner... of shrimp and snow crab. I read quite a bit in The Hobbit between courses of my endless shrimp scampi. LOL! Stopped by Panera in Jacksonville Beach for coffee and a cookie, and I felt fully at peace as I drove through soft rain, listening to soothing piano music. And then I made full circle, returning to the Best Western where I started out at. The Yankees went into extra innings again, due to Ichiro and Ibañez catching up the 4-0 deficit in the ninth with 2-run home-runs each, but maddeningly, lost in the 13th... because they couldn't hit anything else, while the Tigers did. Chatted and put all the pics from the weekend on Facebook... and after Mike and I finished talking, read a bit more in Bilbo's adventure with the dragon. It's hard to put down.

Today, I got up in time to take a shower before church and get there just in time after checking out. Another fine sermon from 1st Peter... and very pertinent to the congregation as they decide on a new pastor next week (it's all about what church elders should be like). A couple sitting next to me chatted me up during the "greet one another" time and ended up inviting me to lunch with their friends afterwords. They treated me out too... so very nice of them... and we chatted a long time about the Navy (he was a retired O-6 - captain-) and about our various marriages. They gave me their phone numbers, and said I was always welcome anytime! I really feel like I've been led to my new church home, if the home-port shift is for sure. They blessed me (and Mike in spirit) as we hugged and said goodbye. How good God is to me!

Afterwords, I got some orange juice from CVS to combat my little head cold (it's developed into a runny nose/cough now), then went to the NEX and bought more than I was planning (but also found a Christmas present for someone), and then stopped by Walmart to get a new cheap pole for fishing this week. And here I am at Panera again (chicken noodle soup!) while I write.

What a great time! My bank account is signing with relief that I will be back on duty tomorrow! :)

Two Random Days, and a Weekend Too

The first day off was last Wednesday the 26th. It's just part of our schedule to have one day off during the week... which is pretty awesome! So I took the duty van to Mayport on Tuesday night and stayed at the Best Western down the street from the base. Had Arby's for dinner, Skyped with Mike, got a pickup from Hertz in the morning. Tried out the Beach Diner in Atlantic Beach, stopped by the base to check out the ticket center, talk to the Chaplain about becoming a Lay Leader on my ship, and walked around on the beach. Went to Walmart to pick up a few things, then went back to Atlantic Beach for dinner at the seafood restaurant and another browse through the book shop next door. Returned the car, then got a ride to the base where I caught the duty van back to the ship.

This weekend, I went crazy! Started out Friday night at Town Center (a duty van drop-off point), got a room at the Hilton. Saturday morning I had breakfast in the lobby and then got picked up by Hertz again. Went to the Jacksonville Zoo... which was wonderful... especially loved the baby jaguar... the set up of the whole zoo was refreshingly simple to get around in, yet full of animals to see. Then I drove to downtown immediately afterwords for the Cummer Art Museum, which was also very neat! Pit stop back at the hotel to catch my breath, then went back downtown for the opening night at the Jacksonville Symphony. The first thing they did was stand and play the Star-Spangled Banner! I thought that was really classy! Mahi-mahi for dinner afterwords (10:30ish) at a river-side restaurant at the Jacksonville Landing, just steps down the street.

Sunday morning I woke at 8, worked out in the hotel gym, cooled off in the outdoor pool, showered, had the free hot breakfast in the lobby, and made it to the church I had spotted in Atlantic Beach on earlier visits. It was wonderful! I walked in on "Lord, I Lift Your Name On High" and then they finished worship with "Create in Me a Clean Heart", both memories from Jr. High... needless to say I felt right at home right away. Good sermon too, by one of the elders. Apparently they're between pastors at the moment.

After that it was back to the mall for lunch at Chipotle, and browsing through Best Buy. Later on (around 3ish) I decided I did, after all, want to go to the football game downtown. It was my first pro football game, and I enjoyed it well enough. Great seat... really high on the 50-yd line. But since the stadium isn't the biggest, even the top section wasn't too high. The people I sat next to were pretty normal... so that definitely was a plus. They ended up losing 27-10 to the Bengals, but I'm not really a fan... so it didn't matter. Just a fun experience on the whole, even with the pelting rain afterwords, the long walk to the car in the lighting storm and the very long wait to get out. I listened to the symphony's horn player's cd that I bought the night before... and then the compilation of Beatles love songs that Mike gave me when we were together last. Got a taxi ride all the way to the ship after dropping off the car. He gave me a flat rate, and it saved me several hours waiting.

Today, I had another random day off, so last night I came to the same hotel in Town Center and watched Monday Night Football in my room. This morning was a repeat of Sunday after I watched a couple Tintin cartoons on the TV... worked out (running and benching) then swam (all alone... the pool was so calm in the morning sunlight, the only thing that caused ripples as I soaked up the early rays was caused by my own breathing - loved watching my wedding ring sparkle underwater) then breakfast (sausage, tater-tots, oatmeal, toast, juice, yogurt) and a shower. Watched Mr. Roberts after all that, then checked out, got a taxi to the post office to send some extra stuff to Mike so I don't go crazy on the barge trying to jam it into my little spaces. The people at the Post Office went in the back and got me some blank boxes so I could ship the stuff lots cheaper. So helpful! Had KFC for lunch (yum!) then stopped by the Salvation Army Store next door just for fun. Found a couple things and went right back to the P.O. to send them too! LOL! Since my taxi ride back to the mall, I poked around in B&N and have since been enjoying the benefits of Panera Bread.

A Fun, Full, Friendly Weekend

It was last Sunday that I wrote all about last Saturday. That day I took pretty easy, getting the phone camera fixed, getting a haircut in the same mall, having lunch at Panera Bread, returning the car, crossing the river on the ferry for the first time in the taxi on the way back to the ship. So glad I found out where it was! Everything is so vague and confusing until you see it with your own eyes. So thank goodness for the cabbie who suggested it.

This weekend started out on Friday night. After finishing Black Beauty in my rack, I decided to go ride the bus to the Town Center Mall after they announced it was leaving in a half-hour from the parking lot. Turned out the other people I work with (who got off earlier) were still waiting for it too. So I joined them for dinner at Applebees (it was also a birthday celebration). Such good food! I had a small steak with veggies and a decaf coffee.

I had come prepared to stay overnight if I decided to plunk down for a hotel... and I'm glad I did. Happened to see on Google maps that there was a hotel just around the corner there... the Homewood Suites by Hilton. Figured it would be super-expensive, but after I showed my military ID, I got $50 off the price, making it very reasonable. Staying in such luxury was so very nice after a solid week on the barge.

Next morning I explored the mall until I could get picked up by the car rental place... got a neat book from B&N about the English Monarchy, and flipped through books about Masonic history and about misunderstood Catholic beliefs. Brief little religion class. :)

Then I got the car, a little red Chevy Aveo... and then returned to the mall for lunch at Chipotle, and a browse through Best Buy for a couple movies to watch. Then I had a walk-in full-body massage that was exactly what I needed. The rest of the day I spent exploring the islands north of the dry dock (on recommendation from the taxi and Hertz drivers I met over the last two weekends), and then picked up a few of the food service people from the ship for a dinner together at Golden Corral.

Sunday was so much fun!!! I picked up my friend and sponsor, Cassie, from the ship and we spent the rest of the weekend together. First to Walmart to get a few things (I bought a cheap fishing pole for the barge), then sushi for lunch (I tried eel! I liked it! We also had shrimp, salmon and avocado.), then back to Amelia Island, north of the ship, to go horseback riding on the beach! What a find that was from Saturday! It was a lovely, hour-long ride on Western saddles. Too bad we couldn't go faster!

There was no plans beyond this, but I had an hankering to see Fort Clinch (a Civil War era fort) at the tip of the island and at the northernmost point of Florida's coast. It was a lot of fun, especially with a friend. A volunteer told us all about the history, and we enjoyed walking the walls and going through the few brick buildings. I loved the detail of the 1864 US flag flying above the compound.

From there we returned to the mall, had Chipotle for dinner, stopped by a sporting goods store, went back to the hotel, went swimming, then walked to a nearby ice cream parlor for a treat, and watched one of the films I bought the day before: My Way (a foreign war film about a Korean runner and a Japanese colonel in WWII... from Manchuria to Siberia, to Normandy, France... what a story!) before going to sleep.

Monday, after breakfast, Cassie got picked up by another Sonar Tech, and I went back to Walmart to get a cheap bike and take it back to the ship. Then I crossed the ferry to get back to them at the beach, and went swimming in the warm Atlantic with them for a short while. Had dinner at the Third Street Diner, on my recommendation (had sandwiches), then went to the movies... I saw The Expendables 2, and laughed my head off, especially at Chuck Norris. The others saw Dark Knight Rises again, and I poked my head in until it was done. We headed back to the ship after a Whataburger for a late dinner.

What a time I had!

This afternoon I got off around 2:30, since it was my early day, and planned on finding a Starbucks for some Internet. Well, the bike had a flat, so I waited for the ship's bus to get me to Mayport so I could get a cab and a bike shop. Unbelievably, it all worked out! Thank you, Lord! Even though the shop I went to was supposed to be closing when I got there. Anyway, found a fantastic seafood grill for dinner, got a book at the bookstore nearby (a compact Nat Geo picture collection) and then biked to the Starbucks down the street... way better than I was planning! :)

Time to get back though!
Jw

First Regular Weekend in Norfolk

It didn't start until roughly 9am on Saturday, but that's good enough! I started by picking up a couple things from my self-storage, then by dropping off my whites at a place on Hampton Blvd. to get my ship's rockers sewn on and to get them dry-cleaned. Had a wonderful breakfast at my favorite place, the Pancake House, then went to the NEX to pick up some rifle marksmanship ribbons, a gym bag, a new pair of khaki Capri's and a few other things. After that, I decided on finding the local library near where I'm going to live to get a library card and sign up to volunteer. It's a very new library (opened in 2008), and is very clean and well organized. A bit fewer materials than Point Loma, but they've got lots of computers and a giant kid's section upstairs. I can't wait to get going with them!

By the time I was done, it was much too late to go over to Hampton to see the Mariner's Museum... so I decided to get some lunch at the Willouhgby Inn Seafood Restaurant... and I'm so glad I did! Fantastic shrimp, scallops & trout, with sides... had to wait a while for their cook to arrive, but it was worth the wait. I survived a torrential downpour on I-64 for a mile and a half in order to get there too.

From there I thought I'd explore the coast between Ocean View and Virginia Beach on the other side. "First Landing State Park" and Fort Story lie directly between these two, and I stopped and enjoyed lovely views of the ocean, along with finding a lighthouse from the 1790s! I'll have to go back when the museum is open.

Got a motel nearby, swam in the pool, went out to eat. Chatted at the motel, watched Misty (1961) - my first check-out from the Norfolk library system. The next day I found another great breakfast place (The Sandfiddler), checked out a local church, met a lot of friendly people, then headed over to Hampton (across the bridge/tunnel) for three free hours at the Mariner's Museum. Half of it is dedicated to the recovery of the USS Monitor, and they have some pretty fabulous restored artifacts. They also have a miniature ship collection... all built by one man. If you think the precise historical detail and unbelievable artistic carving and painting isn't neat enough, look through the gun-ports on some of them and you'll see working rudders and wheels. The guy even wound his own miniature ropes! Wow. Needless to say, I'll be going back.

Had Mexican for dinner in Newport News. They had a fresh guacamole cart that came right up to the table as the guy made a big bowl of guacamole! Never had it that way before, and my goodness, was that something good.

It was a fun little weekend... but now it's back to business. This afternoon I went back to the library and found that they're very happy to have me come in and volunteer whenever I can... which makes me very happy. I have an appointment with a librarian this upcoming weekend to learn how this library does things. Yay! :) And then I drove the back-roads back to base and did 1,000 yds at the fitness center pool across from the piers with the carriers. Feels so good!

Jw

Recharging

I had the enormous blessing of ten days off from the Navy that I was able to spend with my dear friend Julie in West Virginia.

Friday, the 29th, I didn't leave until 8:30pm, after the dinner with my division in Virginia Beach. Only got as far as Richmond, but it was good I wanted to stop there... a severe thunderstorm came through and sent lots of bolts flying around, as well as a hurricane-force wind... right went I checked into one of the last rooms at a Best Value Inn across from the airport.

Saturday morning, I got a late start from sleeping in and having a good breakfast at the local restaurant nearby. Figured out on Google where a nearby Richmond battlefield was and round-aboutly got there. I stopped practically dead in my tracks before I got there though... there was a little visitor center on the left and a bunch of reenactors on the right. A sub-group of the Virginia National Guard were directing traffic, and I soon found out from the Park Service that this was the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Glendale (part of the Seven Days Battle of 1862). June 30, 2012... and I stumbled right on top of it.

Looked in the museum, which had a great map with lights indicating where the soldiers and battles were. Across the street a unit of Union soldiers held a marching and firing demonstration... and an artillery unit fired a cannon. I got to chat with the artillery men off to the side, tried on one of their wool coats to experience 104 degrees in the sun. Gosh! And when they found out I was military, they invited me to join their group, which meets every month in Petersburg... and helps out with the Monitor/Merrimack anniversary every year in Hampton Roads. :) After this, I went a little north to see Cold Harbor. You could say I had a good time.

Nearly to West Virginia now... about 6pm, I noticed a brown information sign saying "Montecello, Next Exit". Figured they'd be closed, but I tried it out anyway and found to my delight that they stayed open till 7, had one more tour I could just get on, and was free for Active Duty! Wow! It was fabulous to see Jefferson's home. Lots of neat original and reproduction works... loved the wall calender, the bed between the rooms and the working automatic double doors. And what a lovely, green, peaceful place! Saw the tomb on the way down the mountain.

Arrived in West Virginia in the aftermath of the severe storm I had been watching ahead of me for several hours. There was no gas available, I was running out, there were trees and wires down, and to top it all, there was a huge power outage and it was getting foggy. Needless to say, it took me a long time to find Julie's Island. (She teaches at a Baptist School which puts her up on their little summer-camp island in the middle of a river. There's a suspension foot-bridge over to it, and lots of times she sees deer running around. She owns a black lab named Galaxy, and three cats.) So it was a little hot the first couple nights. The power didn't come on until the evening of the fourth.

Sunday, the first day we spent a lot of time at friends of hers house (John and Kris) Found gas at Kroger nearby, ate sandwiches, and entertained ourselves in the evening by singing hymns together... so much fun! I took a good long nap that afternoon, so I was finally catching up! Next day, the 2nd, we went back to her place and went inter-tubing down her river and walked back upstream. I found a clam the size of my outstretched hand... and a weird-looking larvae of a dobsonfly that freaked me out as I picked up rocks. Later on visited Jimmy and Betty (other friends from church) in order to go hiking in the woods behind their place.

July 3rd we watched The Artist in the library and then went to downtown Charleston to watch The Amazing Spiderman. But we were confused about the start time, and ended up seeing the wrong showing, missing the first hour of it. We saw all we really needed to for the story, but it sure felt odd, only at an hour and twenty minutes! On the way back to the house, I thought, gee, why don't we keep driving! So we kept going on 79 north and cut across most of West Virginia, stopping in Clarksburg after some of the most beautiful freeway I've ever seen. We got gas and had some Starbucks Coffee. Yep, we drove 240 miles round-trip for drinks! LOL! When we got close to home, Julie found out from friends that the 4th of July celebration was actually that night! Kept going back to Charleston, and made our way to the riverfront for the West Virginia Symphony and a great display of fireworks.

On our nation's 236th birthday, we went downtown again in the morning, to get some things for the dog at the feed store, and then watch another movie to pass the time... People Like Us won out. Got home in the afternoon, and discovered that the electricity had just been turned back on! POWER!!! We rested in a nice, cool house for the rest of the evening.

On Thursday, the 5th, we went back to Jimmy's house in order to ride horses with him all morning! I had a white Arabian mix named "Doc" with an English saddle, Julie had a paint named "King" with a Western, and Jimmy rode a bay. He has nine in all! They were all very easy to ride, and even though Julie was not very accustomed to horses, we did a lot of trotting, and even some cantering. The trails were great... lots of ups and downs and beautiful woods. It was so fun! Hosed them off back in the stable, wiped the water off with a blade, and with rags. Gosh, they got hot! And then, just as we left, a thunderstorm rolled in and we escaped getting poured on... by the skin of our teeth! Drove over to Walmart on the other side of town in order to pick up food for dinner. The storm had subsided and disappeared along with a stop-sign near Julie's house by the time we returned. Watched Sleepless in Seattle and had a great spaghetti dinner.

Movies, movies, movies at home! On Friday, we relaxed. Little sore from the horseback ride... so after a hot breakfast at home again, we watched The Perfect Man (Hilary Duff, believe it or not), Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, and then later on with a friend who came over because she had no power, The Prince & Me, and The Nanny Diaries.

Saturday morning Julie and I took off for a mini road trip south on 77. The New River Gorge Bridge, built in 1977, is the world's largest, single-span, steel bridge, and the second highest in the US, at 876 feet. After looking at the bridge, we drove the one-way highway down the switchbacks to the river, crossed on a lower bridge, then went swimming in our clothes because it looked so nice and it was so warm. We took the long route coming back, and stopped for dinner at La Carreta (authentic Mexican in Charleston).

That night, we played a bunch of rounds of the Origins game with Julie's two friends who were staying over because of the weather. I didn't think I'd do very well, especially after the first couple hands. The point of the game is to guess the correct origin of a word or phrase while coming up with a bogus one yourself to hoodwink the other players. If you're the person reading all the options, you get points if no one guesses the right one. Later on, however, I scored the maximum 5 points in one hand on the word "hogwash", and ended up winning overall, beating Julie by one point. :)

It was very sad to leave her the next morning, but I waited until after young adult Sunday School at the church. She walked me out to my car and hugged me goodbye. What a miracle trip! It was so very nice!

In Lexington, Virginia, on the way home, I stopped by the VMI campus and saw the George C. Marshall museum for a few hours! Even though it is small, it's very interactive, and tells full story... WWII Army Chief of Staff, Red Cross president, Secretary of Defense, Recovery Plan for Europe, Nobel Peace Prize. And they had a used book sale too... I bought "I Saw Paris Fall" from 1940. Didn't get to the VMI museum in time, but I was able to see Stonewall Jackson's home and cemetery. Lee is buried at the Washington and Lee University there as well, but that and many other things were closed for the day.

But now, back to the Navy, to Duty, and to Norfolk.
Jw

Bible Camp Weekend

Friday afternoon, I was one of the first to arrive. Got there a quarter to four, when check-in was supposed to start. Found my way to the fellowship hall that our church group was based at for the whole weekend, and got my room key (an actual key!) from Scott, who organized the trip. I also paid up for paintball the next day and put on my wristband that would admit me to all the meals in the dining hall. Charles, a close friend of Scott, drove over to direct me to my room (on the far side of camp). I followed him in my car and parked just outside my door. We chatted for a little while... "Chuckie" (as he called himself) was a former Marine, so we talked about our various experiences.

The evening session didn't start until 7, so I had plenty of time to myself while people trickled in and got situated. Ended up finding a bench swing between some of the lodges, and there I went through my memory verses and read 1 Peter in its entirety. A fitting, relaxing way to begin. The theme of weekend was "Jesus is Enough", a set of sermons Andy (the youth pastor, and young adult small group leader, and my friend) put together based on his study of the books The Naked Gospel and God Without Religion by Andrew Farley.

The first session addressed the misconceptions about forgiveness common in the church: once we're saved, we're completely forgiven - Jesus is enough for our forgiveness. He thoroughly explained 1 John 1:9 (addressed to non-believers), Matthew 6:15 and the Lord's Prayer ("forgive us our sins as we forgive..." which were given before the new covenant - before Jesus died). Yes, of course we forgive, but because of what Christ did for us (Col. 3:13, Eph. 4:32). He is enough for our forgiveness for all time.

The theme of the entire weekend can be summed up in something like this: Let's not rely on anything from the old covenant; we have a new and better one. Believers have absolute freedom by simply trusting the Spirit of the Lord at work in us. We don't need rules. If we sin, we will feel miserable because that's not what we're made for anymore. So we learn to trust that Spirit (Heb. 5:14), which leads us to make the decisions that will make us more like Christ, and there's nothing that can take us away from Him.

The second session, Saturday after breakfast, focused on our identity: are we living in the flesh or in the Spirit? Believers should find their identity in being a child of God, and nothing else. Everything else is of the flesh. This was important for me, because lately I feel I've been trying to have "good student" be my identity. The picture explains it so well...thanks Andy!

The third session, after dinner, was about How We Live... debunking the idea that we have to follow the Ten Commandments (or any rule) in order to follow Christ. But according to a lot of scripture we went over, you either keep the whole law or trust only in Christ, never a combination. Farley said in his second book (which I started today) that following the law after becoming a Christian is "spiritual adultery" (we're married with Christ - Rom. 7:4, if justified by the law, we're fallen from grace - Gal. 5:4). That is pretty strong language, but I think I'm beginning to wrap my head around it.

The final session this morning after breakfast focused on The Grace Life. God pours out his love into those who trust him; we come to know that love, and when we do, we are filled with his Spirit. And a very important, basic truth that I never paid attention to before: the Golden Rule is under the old covenant! John 13:34 gives us the new: "As I have loved you, so you must love one another." It is so simple, but subtle too... everything we do as Christians is based on Christ. Otherwise it is faulty. Christ is the standard; Christ is who we rely on. That is the gospel.

~

As for the rest of camp, I loved that too! :) I had a room/bathroom/queen bed to myself. Very comfortable, and I slept like a baby, getting up around 7:30 both mornings for breakfast at 8. Wow, the food was good! Everyone in camp (several church groups) gathered together at the same time in the dining hall for meals. Saturday breakfast was scrambled eggs, seasoned potatoes, sausage & bacon. I had oatmeal too... with brown sugar, raisins & milk. I managed to finish the last episode of The Civil War between meals and sessions that morning. Lunch was build-your-own sandwiches with lots of good meats and veggies. Decided on iced tea for a cold drink... and that was good because the weather was blistering warm during the day. There were no clouds for miles around; I don't remember the sky being that blue in ages.

The weather affected my breathing ability during paintball. I played with a bunch of the guys right after lunch. There is a little washed-out gully on the far side of the camp, with lots of barrels, bushes and wooden structures strewn about in it for cover. There were two teams of four... the first game was great! I found a secure spot behind three barrels and spent all my ammo keeping a couple guys pinned down. I got some more ammo from Chuckie outside the fighting area (he mostly just got shot). Upon returning, I figured I'd try and be more daring... bad choice. Got hit in the mask again, hit the deck, and then got smacked on the top of my head (where there is no protection). Boy, did that smart. I can still feel a little lump even now, and I had lots of people feel it at camp... lol... but thankfully, it never hurt beyond that first couple minutes. The second game we switched entry points, and again when I decided to be brave and advance to a new position I got nailed in the mask. Went up top and then came back down again with Mike Anderson (from my team). But again I got smacked in my wrist by Scott. Made a couple little scratches along with a little bump. On my way out, I got hit in the back of the right arm by crossfire... and that left a little bruise. Overall, a new experience, and it was fun. I was the only girl playing. One of the guys running it is trying to join the Navy at the moment, and asked me about the ASVAB. I was wearing an old painted pair of NWU pants.

Right after that, I stopped by to see if Kristin was up for hiking, but she wanted to nap for a while. So I changed and went to the pool for a quick swim (that was about 2:30). It felt so good to be weightless! Haven't swum in such a long time... so nice! Jenny was there watching kids, and she told me to try the water-slide and offered to take pictures of me doing so... with great results.

I heard people talking at the pool about doing the zip-line next. I thought to myself that I'd like to try it too... so after cleaning up and changing into normal clothes I came back and asked if I could get in line as well... and the lady in charge let me... with no extra fee! It was like climbing up a telephone pole (with a harness and cord attached, of course) and then swinging down a cable about the length of a football field. So much fun!!!

It wasn't much longer before dinner (chicken & rice, salad) and our third session. After that had finished, we gathered up on the hill at the fire pit for some s'more roasting. I helped Ned get the chocolate and crackers ready, and helped people when they brought us their burnt marshmallows.

This morning's breakfast was great! Tiny, 4-inch, delicious, thick pancakes... with lots of strawberries on top! I had four! lol! And an egg casserole, another little cup of oatmeal, and then afterwords, some decaff coffee, just how my Darling likes it! :) Got the opportunity to drive a Prius for a moment... somebody needed a complicated favor. It took me a minute to understand what he needed at first, but I was glad to help. I had packed up and checked out of my room before breakfast, so I didn't have anything else to do before the last session. Except after I did it, I was able to call Mom and tell her "Happy Mother's Day". I explored the grounds after the session was over, then read the first part of God Without Religion in my cooled car as I waited the hour until lunch. Lunch was fantastic! Homemade lasagna with mushrooms in it! And delicious bread-sticks, salad and iced tea. It was our final bit of fellowship. Said goodbye, got in the car and took off on a scenic route home.

Instead of going right back to the freeway, I drove 25 miles north to Julian, where I got out, had a piece of their famous apple pie with ice creme at the very same restaurant we stopped by for a bathroom break on the MWR trip last Easter. Was so glad I could finally buy something there! :)

Continued down CA-78 to Ramona, CA, where I stopped to check the map on my phone to make sure I took the right road. Across the street was a local produce vendor, so I stopped for a couple fresh avocados and a bundle of asparagus. CA-78 turned into CA-67 at that corner, and it took me into El Cajon and onto I-8 and back home. But not before introducing me to grand views of the nearby mountains. So glad I took this route over the dull interstate.

What a weekend!
Jw

At the End of a Wonderful Weekend

Friday, the weekend started immediately after the afternoon muster. I had met somebody from my barracks back in Great Lakes on Thursday evening in Lib Hall. We were on our computers across from each other. He's an FC, here for C school, and has only been here three weeks. Not being around yet, I offered to show him Balboa Park and possibly a play as well. He said sure, and we met across the street at the sushi place. Never been there before, and it was excellent!

At Balboa we saw the Air & Space Museum (rode a WWII fighter simulator) and the Zoo (first riding across it in the gondola)... both of which were free for us active duty folks! About five o'clock we went downtown for Italian at a Bucca de Beppo (had a coupon from volunteering at the library) and we shared their mammoth lasagna and fried mozzarella! Yum! And then we returned to Balboa for the romantic comedy "Engaging Shaw", which opened that night (and was very clever and fun). In the big crowd they had for the opening of their annual gala event before the show started, I saw Ms. Naughton when her husband walked past us to join her. Didn't feel I should say hello, as they were talking and I was with someone who had no idea who she was. She was very elegant, in a simple black evening dress with a v neckline. I so wished I could, but I went right into the theater instead.

Saturday was very restful by contrast... we did so much walking the day before. Got up at 11:30! That's the longest sleep-in time ever, I think. I suppose I needed it, because I didn't feel like I over-slept either! I went right to the Library, forgetting that I wanted breakfast at Denny's... they needed lots of help, so I stayed until the 2:30 closing, shelving 3 and a half carts of popular fiction. I had my breakfast on the way back... boy was that good! Just my regular, but I hadn't had it in a while. Back in my room I watched "The Family Way" (1966, Hayley Mills... the first adult film I've seen her in!) and enjoyed it a bunch. The rest of the evening I spent going through the stuff in my closet, before I realized I was late for chat. And then the connection didn't work again (I think I shall try registering my nick).

Sunday it was another good sermon to follow up last week's. Charly and David met up with me there, and afterwords we took off together for an afternoon of snorkeling. Rented from a place on Mission Bay this time, and it was a few dollars cheaper for more time. Had Subway on the way, then saw a bunch of fishies in the cold water. We switched beaches half-way through, and at the second I felt like staying on solid ground. But I had brought my camera, so I was fully engaged the entire time. :) Had Chipotle on the way home, and that was it.

After all was said and done, I figured out I spent $100 on everything this weekend... I think I shall try to limit myself a bit more in the future with a budget.

The Wild Blue... Ocean

After a very good church service this morning with David and Charlie, I joined them and David's minemen friends on a snorkeling trip across the bay at La Jolla. Charlie and I rented wet suits, fins, masks & snorkels, and that was the first time in a wet suit for me. Very tight to climb into, but altogether, it was easier than I thought it'd be. It turned out to be about a mile swim, the way we went straight out and the made a right turn for the sea lion cove. Only five minutes in the water (at around 15 feet deep) we saw a couple dark, very large and sleek sharks swimming beneath us. The guys said one of them was about 7 feet long! It made me nervous, but I realized I was alright. :) The two-foot long white jellyfish frightened me more. People were pointed excitedly when we found it (hard to talk with snorkels), so I dove down to look. And then I kicked wildly to get back to the surface as quick as possible. :)

The rest of the trip we saw lots of kelp coming up from the very deep parts of the bay, and lots of little fish. Once we finally made it to the cove, there were bunches of fishes in the safety of the eelgrasses... and sea lions barking on the rocks, and cormorants and pelicans skimming the surface or diving nearby. I loved it! But when we pulled ourselves out, we found it was only 40 minutes before the suits had to be returned (the shop closed at 5). After pondering what to do, we asked the lifeguard and ended up walking back around the bay in our bare feet! And we made it just in time. Whew!

Got our stuff on the beach and then sat down at Jeff's Burgers. I had a 1/2 lb hamburger and a strawberry shake. Mm Mmm! What a day! Drove back to base and talked early with Mike so I could get a shower in before bed without staying up late. And that worked too.

Good Morning!

I forgot to close my door when I went to sleep... so I was woken at 9 am or so, mostly by accident. maybe a nap is in order? hmm...

After talking with my sister for a while, I turned on the Husky softball game and watched nearly all of it, keeping it on, but silent from when it started at 10am to when it got over... gee, I think that was around 3pm. They lost it in extra innings to Georgia with a walk-off walk. Final score 9-8 in nine innings. But I did get to see the Husky grand slam live! That was "very exciting"!

The family came over at noon for lunch and visiting, and after the Husky game ended and the food was put away, my sisters and niece and nephew headed over to the neighborhood pool. Oldest sister swam with her kids and other sister was very kind to time me as I swam eleven 50-yard laps (roughly 550 yds - our pool is just short of 25 yards long) in 11:03 time... and that's with being interrupted once by a floating pool noodle! yay! The lifeguards were kind enough to allow a cord for a lap swim lane. :)

And just for fun, a self-portrait after getting home and cleaned up:

Jen says, "Hello there!"

Jp

[The rest of the day was occupied by laying down for a moment, taking the Dingo for a walk (a slow one as his knee is stiff), taking the bike out for a spin around the neighborhood and then watching two episodes of MASH (the first one was the Dreams episode, so it was rather necessary to watch another one.) And we were in bed by an astoundingly early 10:30!]