<p>yeah Pima, I'm very excited for your son, and I think it's wonderful he's happy (and you are too!) about his decision...but you absolutely need to stay active here :)</p>
<p>I'm hanging on to the picture I took of your DS and my D at Senator Dole's reception ....who knows, they could run into each other again someday and reminisce about how their crazy parents used to chit-chat on some on-line forum! Do you think you'll stay in NC? We're probably here for awhile unless I feel the need to pull up and move to Co!</p>
<p>Nope, Bullet and I have built a home in an equestrian neighborhood in VA, we expect to pull up roots this summer and head back to No. VA where he will become a beltway bandit driving to the Puzzle Palace. (human speak = driving 95 with all of the crazies to the Pentagon). As we speak my house is in a shambles because Bullet is putting hardwoods throughout our 1st floor to get the house ready to sell....another warning to future military members take a lot of classes at Home Depot, the only way to make or break even on owning a home is to buy the one that needs alot of work in the better neighborhood. By the time you finish it to what you like, you will be awaiting your orders :(</p>
<p>You should keep it, the AF community is incredibly tight knit and you never know they both can be assigned to a base one day. Of course there will be no way for her to recognize him because his mop of hair will be gone :D</p>
<p>Hey I just drove that beltway and went to the Puzzle Palace!! It is crazy! I love those lanes for carpoolers! You can only use them if you have three or more in your car!--awesome!...(if you have 3 or more that is...)...</p>
<p>Well good luck in VA. That's a gorgeous area and nice and close to Md, but of course not TOO close. Somehow that worked out perfectly for you all. Isn't that funny how things just work out like that! :)</p>
<p>You always got to believe there is reason something just lands in your lap. We had always known that UM was high on the list, we just never asked the perfect question until Mar. 1...I really wished we asked it before because then I wouldn't have had to drive 4 hrs ea way for Burrs interview and 4 hrs ea way for Dole's reception, I must admit that was a treat as a parent to meet her!</p>
<p>The lanes you are talking about are the HOVS. I don't know if you looked over to the sides and saw huge parking lots (exit 158 has 5000 slots, there are about 5 other ones of the same size) That is called the slug line. People literally show up and get into a strangers car...it is funny when you say you slug in and explain it, everyone says they broke the rule their parents taught them never get into a strangers car, of course no matter what age you are your parents will still have the same answer...isn't that dangerous...nope to this day there has never been anything that has happened...of course you would be stupid to try to overtake 2 strangers!</p>
<p>What did you think of the Puzzle Palace? I am sure you looked for the purple water cooler, but couldn't find it.</p>
<p>The water cooler is now in a clearance level area and it is incased in lucite...I gues they got too tired of repainting it.</p>
<p>To any cadets, if you are in the area and want a tour, give us a ring, we will even put you up...your fee is you have to play CRUD</p>
<p>Pima, Would you and Bullet consider being our DS sponsor next year at USNA. We are thrilled for your DS, I know he will be enormously successful whatever he decides to do. Your Pal and former Alaskan crud teammate!</p>
<p>kyle4578, Bullet here. (dragging the thread off even further... :) )</p>
<p>You know we would LOVE to be his sponsor, but I think we may be too far away (2+ hours) from Annapolis to the kind of sponsor he would want (as in someone he can easily get away from the yard to for a quick dinner and a respite from the stress). However, the door is always open if he has a long weekend or if you guys ever get here to the East Coast! Tell DS we are sooo proud of him (I still remember all our families' adventures in AK, and I am still in shock that our kids are off to college! Man, I'm getting too old for this!) </p>
<p>Tell DH the first shot of Jeremiah Weed is already chilling in the freezer! (all you other posters hoping for a future in fighters, Jeremiah Weed is the beverage of choice in a F-15 squadron bar, and is now notorious CAF-wide. Tastes like bad cough syrup and fire! Long story on it's origins in the fighter community, saving for another time (or you can look it up on Goggle)).</p>
<p>Also, Maryland and the USNA started playing each other again in football (next game in 2010?). We can meet up there!</p>
<p>To my Alaskan Crud partner</p>
<p>When he does have a long weekend and the basement is finished you need to fly out here(you know you have no excuse to why you can't ;) and we can have a mini-tournament. Otherwise, will just go to Bruno's house and stuff toilet paper in the pockets of their pool table :D
They live up the road from us...a ver long road, but still close enough!</p>
<p>Congrats to your DS, say hi to DD. Also to Reno and your sister!</p>
<p>I am sure Bullet and I will pop in on him, or maybe DS can get together with him since they will be about 45 mins. away. </p>
<p>Isn't it funny both of our DS's decided to do the same route as our DH's! Of course we will now call your DS a traitor for going into a different branch, but remember MARTINI and MONGO saw the light and switched over...there's always hope for him :D</p>
<p>Sorry Papa, I forgot to say hi to you too...so hi!</p>
<p>Also the reirement we went to last night was Thumpers! We are losing the 90th real quickly now. </p>
<p>BTW when they graduate we need to get a picture of them together for the next gen. We have been teasing DS that if he gets to fly and goes in the strike eagle, he'll run into guys that flew with Dad. Or if he gets the 22, Razor will be the instructor ---Razor got the guard job with the 90th...That is just a wierd thought that I might have to come back to SJ again, I'm sure it still wouldn't have changed, maybe 1 more restaurant LOL</p>
<p>Also taking this thread off, but still a little bit on course, I wanted to say this:</p>
<p>As you can see from the last 3 posts, these are our friends from way long ago.</p>
<p>We have known Kyle4578 since 1990. Bullet and Papa flew the same jet in the UK, Their children were born the same time as ours, however we really didn't know them until many yrs later in the strike community. I can always thank them for giving me the chicken pox for a christmas present LOL. We have not seen ea other for @ 7 yrs, christmas cards are exchanged, okay they send them and then I call to say I got it...I s*ck at mail (another good reason DS isn't going to the AFA, he probably would be the only cadet with no mail :( !</p>
<p>Anyway, back to my point the AF is a small community and you will make friends that truly will last a lifetime, it will not be just those you make on your journey to a commissioning. Papa is an AFA grad, Bullet as we all know is ROTC. Once you enter the actiive duty world, the commissioning source doesn't make a difference to the friendships you make, if it did 4 of my dear friends would not be my friends (Peggy is the spouse of an 81, my closest friends hubby is 81, Papa is 86/87 (don't remember) and Bruno is 84) We also have a lot of ROTC friends, but these are the ones I still keep in touch with.</p>
<p>Also realize ea. and every one of us took a different path. Papa left us many yrs ago to fly in the other world, Peggy's DH just retired ly (stayed for 15 more yrs after becoming DNIF), my best frend left at exactly 20 yrs to fly for SW, thus Bruno and Bullet are the lone airmen!</p>
<p>Your best years are just starting now and remember to make sure that you only use pencil in your address book ;)</p>
<p>Pima has an amazing memory and is the most loyal of friends. The bonds of friendship are never broken in the military because of the shared experiences, the good and the bad; the heartbreaking and the triumphant. We are always there for each other. We will definitely see you in the very near future and the football game in 2010 sounds awesome! Our DS will be very glad to have a friend 45 mins up the road. I remember Papa had a lot of fellow cadets wanting me to find a dates for them from CU. Anyway, I hope you love your new home in VA, it sounds fantastic! DS is considering SWO (surface warfare officer) as well as aviation. I'm sure he'll figure it all out in the next four years.</p>
<p>Cadets this is true, for many military members, you would think they would run the other way, but a high percentage of military brats continue in their parents footsteps...This should also give relief to parents who have no military background that AD children opt to walk in this life, and we as parents are quite happy for them. </p>
<p>To those who don't realize ALO's really put the dependent child through the rigors in a private interview, they want to make sure the child is doing it for their own reasons and not their parents or complicity because this is the life thy know. </p>
<p>Also kyle4578 is a great matchmaker...or maybe it is Papa...they have experience.</p>
<p>On a side note, our DD absolutely, positively does not want to be in the military, however, she has told me she wants to marry an officer because she absolutely, positively cannot see herself not living a military life, so tell DS he can always get dates through our DD. She actually went to the mil ball for JROTC this yr. That also was the night(Mar.1) we sat down with DS and asked which one he wanted, maybe it was because it made us really think, that DS was not like everyone else and stalking the mailbox or the internet! It just seemed like he wanted it, but his heart was in it for the wrong reasons....again to the cadets, the right reason is to get that type of military education, the wrong reason is because you believe it is the only way to get a pilot slot!</p>
<p>**Now we all need to plead to kyle4578 that they make Papa come on and tell some great stories...especially the story about how Accounting and Finance said he was an Arkansas resident, but never ever step foot in the state<a href="best%20story%20ever">/B</a> or how he auctioned off Bullet's parking spot while Bullet was in the bathroom! So cadets can understand when you become a flight commander you have a guaranteed parking slot, and in Alaska in the winter you want that spot!</p>
<p>I am sure that your DS will love USNA, feel free to stay with us anytime you go to visit him, I actually think we are about 90 mins. away. Afterall, we will have a free bedroom with DS away and maybe I can convince 1 of the neighbors to let you ride 1 of their horses. Even if you don't stay let us know and we could meet up with the Bruno's!</p>