In Dreams, I Walk With You...

(Roy Orbison is a favorite of mine.)

Twice this week I've had this similar dream, and I'm ready for VK psychoanalysis!
I land the helicopter at the transporting hospital. My crew finishes preparing the patient and we call for security to escort us to the pad.
(In itself this is a little odd, because the helipad we are going to has been at ground level in both dreams and we can normally find our own way under those circumstances.)

The Security Guard shows up in a crisp uniform looking very professional...
Trim, youthful, and with that Red Hair and ear-to-ear smile
I remember so well.
It's Jackie P.!

I express mild surprise at the fact that it's Jackie, and he amiably shrugs it off... we have to get the patient aboard the helicopter- no time at all for small talk!

When we get to the helicopter and load the patient, I wake up.
Someone please fill in the blanks...
How does this story end?

VK 2007 and Beyond

Vandy left us in 2007. He was called home. I believe he is still with us in spirit, though. Vandy was a Son, an athlete, a Soldier, a Husband, a Father to Bill, a Teacher, a Coach, a School Administrator and a beloved Grandfather. A Mentor to many of us. He cannot be replaced and He will not be forgotten. He taught us some great lessons thru the years. Live life to the fullest, be trustworthy, be honest and be true to yourself. Strive to be like Vandy. He would like that.
RIP, Vandy!

In 2007, Classmates have lost Parents & siblings. They cannot be replaced and they will not be forgotten. We have lost good friends. We can add friends, but not replace those that we have lost. This is another one of life’s lessons that we all learn. Tough as it is and try as we may, some things, we just cannot change. And speaking of that, We are all turning 60. (Well,maybe not Carol) Some faster than others. Some of us will be 61 before the New Year.

Got together at Indy Echo and Shifty’s in October. What a great time that has been, 3/4 years running… New faces show up every year. Some, we haven’t seen for 40 years. Shifty, Keep that fire burning! IE, stay well!

We have added to our Vandy's Kids line up. Hatchet joined us in '06. After that, it was Up, Down & Charmingly Strange. GB’s sis, Mommanurse joined us. Mr. Legan, What a nice surprise. Great Comments! Joker, glad you have decided to join us…. Asoka, Welcome! HoosierintheSun, I remember Tom well. Welcome. A recent name added - FatMama, Welcome to VK. Our hope is to continue adding to our list of friends. To all - Keep on reading, commenting and posting!

Some of us helped surprise Carol on her 39th (?) birthday. A Night Out was a success. 16 Vandy's Kids and spouses. Some of us learned some new, uh, positions.

Our Spring fishing fiasco was moved to Destin from Galveston. It was Coed this year. FlyGirl added just that right touch. Her Hoosier Boy fit right in as I knew he would. Not a bad fisherman, either.. Did a bang up job on that shark. Or did the shark do a bang up job on him?? Destin was a hit. GreyBeard and Sara Jean were the perfect hosts. Carol and Harry provided the tailgate for the fish fry and Harry – Great Boat, Great Captain and Mate! Good to see you guys again. TopCat and Mrs.TC broke away from the ‘business trip’ to the Bahamas just long enough to spend some time in Destin with us. It seems as if they have to break away from vacation to go on vacation. What a life!

Mr. & Mrs. TC also took time out from their busy vacation schedule and joined GB and Sara Jean, Big Bubba, TD and Cinders for the Vandy's Kids In Paradise trip Nov.1. Another VK, Golden Horse lives in Ewa Beach with her Hubby Ken. Ken works for the Navy. GH and Ken were great hosts. GB, a retired Army Major, was able to secure lodging for all 7 of us at the Navy Lodge on Ford Island. What a grand place that is. Some of the group was able to tour a nuclear powered Submarine and others took a helicopter tour of the active volcano on the big island of Hawaii. On Nov. 1, Golden Girl welcomed us with open arms; By Nov. 8, I suspect she was saying “What was I thinking!” What a great time, though….

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. We certainly have a lot to give Thanks for. The loving support of our Mothers and Fathers, the loyalty of our brothers and sisters, our Children, our Spouses, the many people who have impacted our lives thru the years – names like Tumey, Sloop, the Vandermeers, the Clements, Legan, Hillenburg. Even our communities – Smith Valley, Bargersville, Banta, Mt Pleasant and the Bo Mar addition.

We should give Thanks for the men and women serving in the military. Past and Present - Those far away and those close to home. And Leaders like Major General Umbarger, CG Class of ‘65


Get Ready for a Great 2008. Check Vandy’s Kids often and then check your calendars.

Be There or Be Square!

Hawaii Wrap-Up

Thursday. Departure day.
It had become a regular ritual...
Sun still just below the horizon, Kona coffee was fresh, hot, and free in the lobby. I'd sleepily weeble-wobble my way there, fill my cup, then continue a few feet to the front porch where there were comfortable wicker chairs and solid wood rockers overlooking Pearl Harbor. If TC wasn't already there, he would soon present himself, complimentary newspaper and Diet Coke in hand. It was wonderful watching the sun climb over Honolulu while discussing old times and new. Our talk today centered around how quickly the week had passed and what we had experienced.

Logistics of the day required some planning. The three represented families were all on different flights. Rental cars needed to be returned. Greybeard and family would be left without transportation when TC and TD returned their rental cars. We leaned on GH, and she and Ken came through for us... they'd make sure we got to the airport.

We checked out of the Lodge and made our way to the Honolulu Harley-Davidson dealership. Sara Jean's brother is an avid Harley rider, as is TC. TC and Sara Jean wanted souvenir T-Shirts. While they searched for just the right color/logo combination, I wandered around the showroom floor, boggled by the Harleys, Buells, Ducatis, Moto-Guzzis, Aprilias, and Vespas on display. I hadn't seen a new Vespa in almost 40 years and marvelled at how little they've changed in appearance. (If you're interested, they now come in a great looking 250cc version!)

Bags of T-Shirts in hand we drove the 30 minute drive around to the West bank of Pearl Harbor to GH and Ken's house. Their home is an easy walk from a beach alongside the harbor, and an easy bike ride for Ken to make his way to the "Gray Boat" that shuttles him across the harbor to work. For some, one thing about their home would be an irritation... for GH (and me) it's a wonderful plus... they are directly under the final approach course for Honolulu International airport. Airplanes big and small fly right overhead at less than 1000' altitude. Big Bubba and I sat on the patio and took pictures of Civilian and Military aircraft flying low enough to see hydraulic hoses in the open landing gear wells.

We now loaded up three cars and made our way to the local Chili's restaurant for lunch. Bellies full, we realized we had to break the group up and get everyone on their way home. I wish someone could explain what causes it, but the feeling of melancholy when saying farewell after we've had such a full, wonderful visit starts my tears flowing. I just don't want the good times to end!

With TC, Sharon, TD and Cinders headed to the airport, GH gave the Greybeards a tour of her home and surroundings. Her beach is very nice... great view, with nice chairs and Gazebos for GH and her neighbors. A small cafe is near the beach. Within a stones throw is the Fitness facility GH and Ken belong to. They're not quite retired yet, but they have all the trappings of retirement close at hand.

Ken came home from work on his bicycle. We made small talk, all the time knowing that the hour to make our way back around the harbor was approaching. When we had put it off as long as we could, we loaded up and drove to "Sam Snead's Bar and Restaurant", where we met the cousin I wanted to see in Hawaii, along with her new Hubby. We had a great meal, then transferred our bags to my cousins SUV and drove the last short leg to Honolulu International.

Kisses and hugs for my cousin, we went through Hawaii's agriculture check, got our boarding passes, and found ourselves at the gate for our flight nearly two hours prior to departure.

If there is anything that will preclude me from coming back to Hawaii, (and there really isn't), it would be the flight to/from.
I never fly 1st Class... can't afford it. But it might be worth the cost on this flight. Spending 6 hours in a flying cylinder with shoulders overlapping the person next to you is NOT my idea of fun. Trying to find a comfortable place to put my arms kept me awake much of the Midnight-to-7 A.M. flight. We flew ATA, and we won't fly that line again. Are all seats on all Airlines serving Hawaii this close together? I intend to investigate!

We arrived Mesa, Arizona tired and cranky. Just the right time to lose one of our bags, right?!
Yeah, they did it. We filled out the required forms, then flagged a cab to head to Big Bubba's apartment. We were 10 minutes into our cab ride home when the cell phone rang... they found our bag... "Can ya come back and get it?" Big Bubba was headed to work... "We'll come back and get it later."

Sara Jean and I spent two fabulous days visiting with Big Bubba and Desi, Big Bubba's Dachshund that he's had since before he left home. Our departure from Mesa was made easier knowing Big B will be home in a couple weeks, eating Turkey and fixin's at our house.

So gang, there ya have it...
I know life gets in the way of things you wanta do sometimes, but those of you that considered coming with us, then chose not to do it... ya missed more than you can imagine!
Let me give ya some good advice...
Get out your calendars. Go ahead... I'll wait.

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Ready? Okay!
Turn to May 11, 2008, and block off the following week, to 18 May.
Those are the dates of the next DDFF... Destination Destin Fishing Fiasco. This year will be bigger, better, funner.

If you're not there, shame on you!

Day with the General

All Good Things...

Wednesday.
Time truly DOES fly.
When we gazed out the window from the airplane Thursday night and saw "Aloha" in lights on the control tower, it seemed we had all the time in the world to socialize, tour, relax.
Now it's Wednesday, and the passage of time is palpable.

We all want to make the most of it.
I still have not seen Waikiki... Diamondhead... the "Blow Hole".
Once again we are on a short leash time-wise...
We have reservations to tour the Polynesian Cultural Center, about an hours drive North of Honolulu. We decide to kill two birds with one stone.

GH will meet us at the PCC. She loves the program there... wants us there early to share all of it with her. At this time in our stay we are really beginning to feel the effects of the stress of all we've done... We're running out of gas. I can tell my behavior is changing... I'm easily irritated by things that don't normally irritate me. I have to be careful about what I say and do.

Seven us pile into two cars and depart the Navy Lodge.
We stop at the Aloha Tower Marketplace for lunch at Gordon Biersch's Brewery Restaurant. GH, Ken, TD, Cinders, TC and Sharon have eaten here previously, so some in our party are anxious for a second helping of their sinful apple caramel bread pudding!

After lunch we caravan through Waikiki and see people everywhere, including Joker's beloved "International Marketplace". We resist the urge to stop and buy "Wicked Wahine" cologne, and continue past the beach. We get sidetracked trying to find the proper road toward Diamondhead, and laugh at ourselves as we end up turning both cars around in the same spot twice, attempting to find the proper highway.

For me, Diamondhead disappoints. "Diamondhead" is such a grand name... such an icon of Honolulu.
I expected grandeur... but found an exaggerated hill.

But then we move onward, East and North, and OH MY!
The sea comes up on our right side and the vistas literally take your breath away. We miss the overlook for the Blow Hole and once again have to turn around. The surf isn't high enough for the Blow Hole to really show off, but we get a sense of what it would be like, and the stop is worth the effort simply for the view of surf crashing against the rocks. Big Bubba is wearing out his shutter... he walks out on the rocks to get better pictures and worries his Mother...
(and me too, but I try not to let it show).

Loaded up and truckin' North again, we hug the coast and search for more vistas, but they are few and far between as we pass through little villages and the commercial ventures they afford.

The Polynesian Cultural Center is a Theme Park, a bit like Six Flags. "Islands" spaced out along and on two sides of a central stream represent the cultures of different peoples... Samoan, Fijian, Tahitian...
Each culture puts on a demonstation of their culture about every half hour. We see three demonstrations before moving to the Centers IMAX theatre to watch a beautiful film devoted to saving the earths coral reefs.

After the film, picture time for all in front of a waterfall. It's a little dark by this time, and the pictures don't turn out as we would like, but we have 'em anyway and will share 'em soon.

Then it's time to for us all to make our way to the ampitheater for the big show. 300-some-odd performers take part in dancing, singing, and cultural displays. This performance is first-class... worthy of Hollywood or Broadway. I find myself wishing we had planned to attend earlier in the week, when we all weren't so worn out.

The drive home is beautiful, and we once again make our way through the Harano tunnel... this time at night. Just before entering the tunnel I look to my right and below and see we are looking straight down the runway to the Marine Corps Air Station at Kaneohe in the distance, several hundred feet below us...
once again, breathtaking.

Time is short. We want to visit some more.
But we all agree we are "too pooped to pop".
Sad smiles... "goodnight all."
We all head for bed.

Tomorrow we'll be homeward bound.

HELLO....Hello... hello.......................... Anybody Out There?

(That's my feeble attempt at an echo.)

I'm told there are actually folks out there reading this blog. Obviously I'm hoping the work I apply here brings pleasure to someone.

It's sad... with the exception of a couple commenters, I can't tell if anyone cares.

I don't know about others, but it takes me an hour or so sometimes to write, find links or pictures, edit, re-edit, and re-re-edit my posts. Then to stop by and check here, only to find no one apparently reading the things we posters have put some effort into making interesting...
I gotta tell ya, that's frustrating.

I have a personal blog that I spend time on too.
I KNOW people are reading there!

If you are reading and enjoying, you need to say so.
No comments means no incentive to blog here.
VK's, we need to hear from ya!

(And Vets... HAVE A GREAT DAY!)

The General

Standin' Tall

Got a note from Mr. Legan this week:

To my family and friends,Mary Lee and I went to Franklin, IN yesterday for a veteran's day program at Franklin College where a former student that I had taught at Center Grove my second year teaching the \sixth grade was the special speaker. Major General Martin Umbarger is now in charge of the Indiana National Guard. Before his speech he came over to the table where some of his former classmates and wives, and Mary Lee and myself were sitting. He saw me across the table and came over and we shook hands. He was really surprised to see me in the audience. I introduced him to Mary Lee. Before his speech he acknowledged me before a gathering of about 125 saying in so many words that his year with me was something to behold, and appreciated me being there. He also told them that I could not call him Major General Martin, just Marty. Mary Lee and I came especially to see him. It probably had been in the mid 1970's that I last saw Marty. He delivered a great speech. I was quite proud to hear and see him. Afterwards pictures were taken with Marty, Bob Davidson and Steve Witty, classmates at CG, and myself. It was nice to have had the opportunity to have fellowship with Bob, Steve, and their wives. Steve had been a coach at Ben Davis high school in Indianapolis, and had won three (?) state finals in basketball in the middle 1990's.It was also nice to see other good friends there. I shook hands with the President of the college, Wendy and Betsy from the FC offices, and other good friends.It was a day to behold. Franklin College was a most gracious host for the Veteran's Program with a buffet before the program.
William C. Legan

We take pride in Marty's accomplishments, but Mr. L., your guidance helped all of us in your class become what we are today.
Thank you sir!

Zonked

I can't do it the way I used to...
Run, run, run.
We all know traveling is stressful in a thousand ways. The logistics of getting to the airport, getting your boarding passes, going through new security measures, making your way to the gate and airplane on time, then doing it all again in reverse at the other end of the flight... that alone is enough to wear you out. But then you face new geography and all that goes with that... new food, new contacts, and new living/sleeping quarters.

As you have read, we have tried to make efficient use of our time.
TC and Sharon, TD and Cinders had plans for Tuesday... they wanted to hop a flight over to "The Big Island", Hawaii, to get a look at lava flowing from the volcano. Cindy and Sharon had never flown in a helicopter and wanted to tour some sights there via the chopper. Making all this work required a 4 A.M. departure from the Lodge.
I couldn't do it. I was already feeling the stress of the hustle/bustle, and was beginning to feel that my "vacation" had become a lot like "work". Sara Jean, Big Bubba and I slept in while the others headed out early. I'll leave it to them to regale you with their volcanic ventures.

When we finalized our plans to make this Hawaii mini, "Google Earth" became a real tool. I love that program... it gives you the ability to take a "virtual" walk around those places you will visit. You can check them out from above at high altitude, or low. I used Google Earth to take a close look at Ford Island and all the history it offered.

Pearl Harbor and Ford Island has personal historic significance for Family Greybeard.
My Dad was the second of seven children. His only older sibling, a brother, joined the Navy in the late 1930's and was aboard the U.S.S. West Virginia on 7 Dec 41. When the bombs and torpedoes started to explode, he manned a gun turret and started firing back at the Japanese. The order to abandon ship was given when it was obvious the ship was sinking. My Uncle G and his shipmates tried to leave the gun turret, and found it jammed. Resigned to the fact they were gonna die, they returned to their guns to die shooting. Another big explosion shook the ship and the jammed door flung open, allowing these brave guys to escape, jump from the ship, (maybe a life-threatening event on its own!), and swim to safety.
(Update here-
I had been told a story all my life that my Mother just verified. When they left the turret on the West Virginia, they were the only sailors left aboard. Mom says the "Tennessee" shot a line over to these sailors, and they walked hand-over-hand to the Tennessee, berthed next to the West Virginia. I like that story better anyway!)

You can imagine Pearl Harbor after the attack...
The Arizona and several other Battleships on the bottom... hundreds of men dead, maybe thousands unaccounted for. My Uncle was one of those. My Grandmother received the telegram-
"Missing and assumed dead".

It was a couple weeks before things got organized and the mail had time to make it to Indianapolis...
Imagine my Grandmother's reaction to the note from my Uncle-
"Reports of my death are exaggerated".

My Uncle G served 30 years in the Navy, retiring a Commander.
He and his wife took up residence on Oahu in Mililani, just 30 minutes from his 7 December experience. He died in 2003. Much of my family was in attendance when the Navy provided Military honors as his ashes were spread from the U.S.S. Utah Memorial, a few steps West of the Navy Lodge.

One of the things I vowed to do this trip was, to the extent it was possible, walk the circumference of Ford Island. After sleeping past 8 A.M. for the first time since we arrived, Big Bubba and I set off on our Ford Island walk. We visited the Utah and my Uncle G's burial site, then walked South along the West bank. Various construction projects are ongoing on the Island, and there are Official Navy facilities that are fenced in along the way, so we made our way around those. At the South end of the Island I watched as an Aegis Cruiser made its way into the Harbor. I was surprised at the speed she was making along the way... I'd guess 10 knots... could've pulled water-skiers!

Heading back Northbound on the East bank we made our way back past the Battleship Missouri and the Arizona Memorial, then past the Huge Banyan tree... (photos forthcoming). We found tribute markers most tourists never see... for the sinking of the West Virginia and the Oklahoma, and a marker telling the story of the Nevada, which got underway during the attack and tried to make her way to sea, only to be attacked and damaged so badly that her Captain
had to beach her in order to insure the mouth of Pearl Harbor remained unobstructed. (It's interesting to read the "after the war" section at that link.)

From there it was a short walk back to the lodge. I was happy to have accomplished my circumferential walk, and was happy when the others, exhausted from the long day and all they had done, returned safe and smiling from their journey to The Big Island.

That was Tuesday...
More later.

Larry Fahy, 1945-2007

TD forwarded this via email.
So sad to come home to this news:

Larry Fahy 62, of New Whiteland, passed away November 6, 2007. Larry was born March 11, 1945 to Vincent Fahy and Rosemary Padgett. Larry was preceded in death by his father, Vincent Fahy. Larry is survived by his mother, Rosemary (Padgett) Fahy; wife, Louise Fahy; sons, Jeff, Travis and Tracy (Lori) Fahy; daughters, Amy Fahy; brothers, Tim Fahy and Steve Fahy; sisters, Janet Jameson, Kathy (Dave) Bohr, Erin (Rick) Knight, and one grandchild. Visitation will be November 9, 2007 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at Forest Lawn Funeral Home, 1977 South State Road 135, Greenwood, IN 46143. Service will be November 9, 2007 at 12:00 pm at the funeral home. Memorial Contributions to the American Heart Association. www.forestlawncemetery- fh.com

I've added Larry to our memorial, and placed him in the class of '63. I'm still bleary-eyed from lack of sleep so help me...
that's right, isn't it?
I have fond memories of Larry... never abusive, always with a smile on his face. He, Kathy, twins Steve and Tim frequently stopped by the Frostop while I worked there.

Our hearts are with Larry's family.

Gettin' Behinder

With so much goin' on, it's hard to find time to blog and keep you up to date on what's happenin'. Guess the easiest way is one little step at a time. Wanta follow along? Get out your map of Hawaii...

Sunday we had planned on loading up the cars and heading Northwest out of Honolulu, taking the H1 to the H2, which cuts through the heart of Oahu to the North Shore. Rain kept us from doin' that, so we switched that plan to Monday.
Monday dawned sunny. GH called and said she had been awake all night... gave us permission to go without her.
The uphill climb out of Honolulu was not as steep as I expected, but our ears popped several times nevertheless. We passed Mililani and Schofield barracks, and it began to rain just before we stopped at the Dole plantation for some pineapple ice cream. They have several attractions for wallet extractions there, including a maze made of Hawaiian plants that was touted as Guinness certified "world's largest" for a period of time.
We picked up Highway 99 and continued until we saw big waves, then turned Northeastward on Highway 83, stopping whenever we saw a beautiful beach view or an interesting shop. We stopped about Noon at the Waimea Valley Audubon Center, hoping to walk back to a waterfall there. The walk back was a little farther, and the toll to take the walk was a little higher than we expected. Time-wise we were on a short leash, so we enjoyed photos of the falls and passed on the opportunity to see them in person.
Highway 83 follows the shoreline and turns Southeastward at the Kahuku Sugar Mill, providing gorgeous views along the way. We stopped for photo ops several times along the road, including once at "Chinaman's Hat", which looks like its name...
a neat rock island off Hualoa Beach Park.

That's where time began to be a problem. We had reservations at "Paradise Cove" for their luau and needed to cut our drive short to be on time there. We continued our drive until we picked up the H3 back to Honolulu, and passed through the Harano tunnel, cut through the Ko'olau mountains. Neat.

We freshened up a little back at the Navy Lodge, then set off to meet GH and Ken at the Paradise Cove.
Cousins, (we're all cousins in Hawaii!), Paradise Cove is beautiful. Big Bubba took lots of photos, we ate a wonderful meal and saw a wonderful show... Hula, Fire Dancing, Hawaiian music.

Folks, that was our Monday.
You can see why I'm behind in my reporting to you!
More to come.

How Long is a Week??

Five days, six, couldn't possibly be seven days. It didn't last that long. I now know what they mean by warp speed.
We just had the most incredible time with some classmates that honored us with a amazing visit. The hotel was great, the food was delicious, the companionship was outstanding.
They are telling us nowadays that laughter adds 8 years to our lives...well, we surpassed that by several years. My jaws and ribs hurt from the laughter.
We would gather around the table on the Lanai at the hotel at night and the laughs just flowed. The hotel had a huge veranda and when it rained we would sit in these amazing rockers and watch the rain. All was well in the world during that time. Everyone seemed to have left any stress and worries on the plane.
We certainly got our money's worth as far as entertainment. We toured Pearl Harbor from all angles. We took a tour on the Might Mo where the Japanese surrendered. We saw the Arizona Memorial. We were humbled and in awe due to all the history here. Many of our parents served during that time and it meant so much to us to experience it, let alone to get to share it with friends.
Our Navy Lodge was here during the war and was recently remodeled. I don't think you could find a nicer place to stay. Right in the middle of Ford Island and in the middle of so much history. When it was remodeled, they kept the 40's motif and did a wonderful job of it. You expected to see Jimmy Stewart or some of the other actors of the 40's to come running out the door in their uniforms. We drove all over Pearl Harbor and saw buildings that are on the national historical register, thank goodness for that. To loose any of them would be a tragedy indeed.
We took pictures in front of a huge Banyon tree that Sharon wanted to take home.
GB got to visit his aviation museum. I think this trip meant alot to him. It was nice to see him enjoy it so. It was nice to finally get to know his wife.
We were very lucky that GB and Mrs. GB's son was with us and what an amazing photographer he is. We are talking professionalism at it's best. At last count, he was over 1800 pictures for the week. Stay tuned for some amazing pics.
TD and his wife and TC and Sharon were an absolute pleasure and we were so happy to have them. I had no idea that TC was such a hoot.

We got to experience a Luau. We got to go to the Polynesian Cultural Center. My husband and I have done all these things before, but to watch my classmates and their reaction was priceless.
Some of us got to go aboard a nuclear submarine, which is almost unheard of nowadays and we were so honored to be able to experience that tour.
They got to see lots of ships and and subs.
They got to eat Malasadas, a Portuguese donut, and enjoyed them alot.
We dined at many restaurants and tried many different kinds of foods and ate very well. We have found that all of us have a big appetite for bread pudding and some went back the second time. For some reason, they make some of the best here. We found a warm chocolate cake that takes second place to none.
We went to a Italian restaurant that is one of our favorites. The owner/artist is from Turin, Italy and he has painted every spare space in the restaurant with frescos exactly like in the Sistine Chapel. Absolutely beautiful.
They got to shop at the second largest shopping mall and loved every minute of it. It has koi ponds and trees and is open air through most of it.
Some got to drive the circumference of the island and stopped at every vista.
A few flew to the Big Island of Hawaii and took a helicopter ride and got to see part of that island as well see the volcano flow. They got to hike in and see some huge water falls in a bamboo forest.

My husband enjoyed everyone to the max. He is amazed at how we took up where we left off so many years ago. He was a nice fit with the group.
It was nice to see everyone so relaxed and letting loose. It is good for the soul.

I want to thank our classmates that took the time to come over for a wonderful visit. We are humbled.

And for the rest that couldn't make it this time, the door is always open and let's all try for Destin in May. It will be well worth the time.

I Gotta Share-

We're like, what... 4500 miles away from home here, right?
I have two first cousins living on Oahu, one female, one male.
I called the female and let her know we would be in her neighborhood and would like to meet for dinner and a visit.
The male... well, let's just say he has "issues". I like him, so long as I don't have to be around him. I intentionally didn't call him, 'cause I like him so much more when we aren't face to face.

Can you guess where this is headed?
Yesterday we crossed Oahu on the road that goes North out of Honolulu, then when the ocean stopped us from proceeding North any farther we turned East along the beaches. We stopped at the Waimea Valley Audubon Center to get a bite to eat and maybe walk back to a waterfall there.
Guess who I came face to face with!
What are the odds?
I'm gonna go buy a lottery ticket today.

Rainy Days and Sundays

Yeah... rain!
Hard rain, and it continued off and on throughout the day. It rained so hard it flooded the parking lot, and the front desk had to disturb folks on Sunday morning to warn them their cars might need to be moved before their interiors were soaked. (Luckily, everyone got their cars moved in time.)

So plan "A" was no longer possible. We had planned to drive across Oahu, then drive the coastal road back... taking in half the Island's scenery. Visibility limited to less than a mile by rain precluded that, but pushed us into plan "B"...
SHOPPING!

TD and TC took the gals and Big Bubba shopping while they found a watering hole to watch the Colts game. I stayed on Ford Island and walked the mile to the "Pacific Aviation Museum", located in the area where the hangars were destroyed by Japanese attackers on 7 Dec 41. The museum opened not quite a year ago and has a small contingent of aircraft that played a role on that day and shortly after. They intend to build on their collection and add exhibits as money and other resources are available.

The shoppers returned raving about the "Ala Moana" Shopping Center... a mall so big you need a map to make your way around, and even then you get lost.

Evening brought another rain shower as we loaded cars and went to "Cafe Sistina Honolulu"...
an Italian restaurant recommended by GH and Ken. Salads, entrees, and desserts... all wonderful!

After the drive home, once again in the rain, we pulled up chairs in the sitting area at the entrance to the lodge to visit for an hour or so before Ken had to leave... Monday was back to work time for him. Laughter was the order of the day!

Today, (Monday), we'll revert to plan "A" and see if we can pull it off.
Stay tuned.
Wish you were here.

Once In A Lifetime

Big Bubba has so far taken 350+ images of our sojourn.
I've also taken a few. This one was taken Friday on the deck of the Missouri. You can see we're all listening to the information bein' disseminated by our guide.
(Cindy is still recovering from surgery, but she was able to see about 95% of what the rest of us saw.)

Hang on to your hats... I've gotta tell ya what happened today!
GH's husband Ken works at the Pearl Harbor Naval Yard and wanted to give us all a tour of the facility. After coffee and visiting on the Veranda this morning, GB and family set off with GH and Ken to meet the "Pearl".
We drove around and got a good look at much of the facility, then stopped at the Submarine base to take a walk and look around.

I have never been near a Submarine, and although we were separated from them by a fence, was able to get within 75 feet from one, and had a good view of two others...
one of them across the channel in maintenance. I asked Ken if he thought there was any chance my Retired ID card might get me through the gate to get even closer and he said, "What could it hurt to ask? The gate guard is just over there."
We all approached the guard and I showed him my ID Card and asked if I could walk through. He joked, "Sure, just don't drive off with one of the boats!" Ken also showed him his ID and was allowed through. Then the guard shocked me by asking if I was "sponsoring" the others... Big Bubba, Sara Jean, and GH were also allowed to pass!

Wow.
We walked right up to the gangplank leading to the boats and talked with the armed (12 Gauge shotgun and sidearm) guard there, asking questions about the boat (the "Bremerton") crew, duties, etc.
We then walked further down the pier to the "La Jolla", another Los Angeles attack sub and chatted with the Sailor standing guard there.
When we walked back toward the Bremerton, Ken noticed a couple of the Sailors in their dress whites and commented, "Ya know, sometimes they allow guests aboard the surface ships...
I wonder..."

The thought of it stunned me...
The possibility of taking a tour of a nuclear submarine was too much to resist, so I mustered up the courage and asked the guard...
"Would there be any chance of us taking a tour of the boat?"

You can imagine how my head spun when he didn't reject me out of hand, but turned and picked up the phone!
A few moments later the "Officer of the Day" appeared and escorted us aboard, then down the hatch!
For the next hour+, yours truly, Sara Jean, Big Bubba, GH, and Ken got an up close and personal look at 2/3 of one of the most lethal weapons systems known to man. (We weren't allowed near the reactor.)
I would never have imagined it.

See what you've missed by not bein' here?

Trojans At Pearl Harbor

GB and family arrived Thursday evening to find it raining lightly at Honolulu. Like much of the Midwest, Honolulu has been dry and needed the rain, so no one was complaining about it. By the time we had secured our luggage, TD was waiting to give us a ride.

The Navy Lodge is on Ford Island, smack in the middle of Pearl Harbor. Ford Island is where all the Battleships were moored on 7 Dec 41... it's also where all the airplanes were perfectly lined up so the Japanese didn't even have to change course in order to take out a whole row of 'em. The U.S. Navy owns the whole Island, and ya have to go through a security gate to get to the the Lodge. In order to get through security, we all had to have passes. To get the passes we had to go to the I.D. and Pass office. Officer Shibata of the Pearl Harbor Police Department took care of that detail for us, but advised us the passes he issued would only be good for one night... we'd have to do it all over again tomorrow. So that was the first order of business Friday morning.

Passes in hand, we went to visit BB-63, "The American Hero", the Battleship Missouri.
In Viet Nam, I had once flown over the Battleship New Jersey as she fired a broadside. That was quite an experience. But that didn't fully prepare me for the experience of walking up to this extraordinary machine. The superstructure is tall... 100 feet? 150? Taller? She is almost three football fields in length. It's an amazing sight. We all paid for the guided tour and listened to the docent tell us all about the Missouri's experience in WWII, her 30 year period in Mothballs, then her resurrection, modernization, and her experience in Gulf War I. We stood in the Operations Center where Admiral Nimitz, Admiral Halsey, and General MacArthur stood while waiting for the ceremony to begin where the Japanese signed the documents to unconditionally surrender on September 2, 1945.
At the end of the tour we went below deck to have lunch in the mess area. It was neat eating where so many men have eaten while the Missouri was underway, protecting us.

We then drove around to the other side of the Harbor to the Arizona Memorial. We visited the museum there, looking at related documents and photographs, until the theater opened, where we watched a 20 or so minute film about the start of WWII and the Arizona's sinking.
I was moved to tears.
After the film, we boarded a ferry and made our way back across the Harbor toward Ford Island and the resting place of the Arizona... a sobering experience, knowing the remains of the ship is the tomb for the almost 1000 sailors who died when she sank.

So Friday was a big day.
We enjoyed seeing Big Mo, and were humbled by the thought of the men on the Arizona.
This day alone made the trip worthwhile.

More to come. Wish you were here.

Aloha '07- Update

Just a quickie to bring ya up to speed...
We truly ARE in paradise. The "Navy Lodge" is unquestionably one of the nicest hotels I've stayed in. Rooms are beautiful, Bamboo growing 30' tall in patios, the sweet smell of flowers blooming all around. We are within walking distance of the Arizona Memorial and the Battleship Missouri.
The group is all here and we've already had the chance to socialize. GH and hubby, TC and Sharon, TD and Cinders, GB, Sara Jean, and Big Bubba all around the table last night, laughing and visiting.

More later.
Wish you were here!

My Son

This is a short video of one of my son training in Georgia. He will be home in Dec. His main goal is the be trained to defuse mind bombs.