East Coast

Karla & Jim on USS Wasp

Both professional and personal commitments took me out east for the last week.  I flew out to VA for a conference that I've attended annually for the last several years.  This year, the location changed from Las Vegas to Norfolk, and the purpose went from being critical to the performance of my job to being a self-funded continuing education opportunity.  I have earned and maintained several certifications over time that enable me to stay informed, current and connected in the overlapping fields of nutrition and human performance.  Maintaining certifications in these two fields however, is both time-consuming and expensive.  So although the conference wasn't at a resort in Vegas this year, the fact that it was in Norfolk persuaded me that it was worth the effort since I could combine it with a visit to Jim & Karla's!

I arrived the weekend prior to the conference to spend some quality time with Jim & Karla.  Jim had duty on the ship one day, so Karla and I brought him lunch to eat with him on the USS Wasp.  After lunch, he gave us a tour and explained his role onboard.  Having been an aviation sailor, and a land-based one at that, I had never been on an active Navy ship.  I found the environment and facilities fascinating, but I'm still thankful that my brown shoe Navy service didn't include ship time.  Don't get me wrong, I love the water and have no problem living in austere environments, but I don't think having such little personal space for such long periods of time would be that much fun.

Karen, Robyn and Jon.

The conference itself was informative and nostalgic.  Although my new position still involves performance, the focus and environment is quite different.  It was great to catch up with numerous colleagues and friends from my time with the THOR3 program as well as from the US Olympic Committee.  It really is amazing how small and intertwined the human performance community is.  The presentations and interactions rekindled a spark in me for educating and facilitating passion for performance in others.  The combination of quality time spent with Jim and Karla, Rob & Barb and a satisfying conference certainly made the time, effort and money invested worthwhile.

Jess and Dano.

The cherry on top of this great week was that it coincided with Jess's baby shower.  Yes, I know what you're thinking...Karen...baby shower?!  I'll admit I do have a bit of an aversion to showers of any type, but I knew that with Christi hosting, there was no way the shower would be traditional.  I was not disappointed!  I drove a rental car from Norfolk to Fayetteville where I got to hang out with Christi the night before the shower.  Although the weekend was filled with the all-day BBQ/shower at Jess and Dano's, I still managed to catch up with my Airborne buddy, Bridget, and her husband Will.  It never ceases to amaze me how flexible my military friends are.  After finding out at 9:00 pm that I was in town for such a short period of time, she invited me over for breakfast with her and Will at 9:00 am the next morning.  Now that's a good friend!  It was a short visit, but enough time for us to get caught up.

Christi, Jess and Karen

As for the shower, you know it's not going to be a traditional party of games and etiquette when a keg of beer and wine table is involved!  Similar to Whit and Kathie's baby shower years ago, it was an outdoor event for both adults and kids celebrating the impending arrival of another Ranger into this world.  With the distinguished careers and characters of both Jess and Dano, we will now forever refer to them as hero-makers :-)

It seems that every important event I wanted to attend in 2013 is inconveniently bunched into April and May.  I tried to triage them and figure out if there were any I could cut out to facilitate an easier transition into my new job.  Ultimately, I decided that they all bring value to my life, either professionally or personally (and in some cases both), so I will continue to juggle them with my new responsibilities and make it work.  The type A personality in me is cringing, but the little bubble on my interior level is floating with glee that I'm participating in these events that help bring balance to my life.

Redeployed

Overlooking a valley in Afghanistan

The explanation for my lack of internet presence over the last several months is quite simple- I was deployed to Afghanistan.  Professionally and personally, it was an experience that could be described with dozens of adjectives, but I'll sum it up as unique, challenging and rewarding.  I've long considered myself a collector of experiences.  As such, this experience has deepened my understanding of the world and my place in it.  I often marvel at the extraordinary events I have the good fortune of being involved in; this one was no different.

First ferry ride for the new ride

Now that I'm back, my existence has been a whirlwind of unpacking and reintegrating into the responsibilities of running a household.  It sounds like a simple thing, but when you are solely responsible for your domestic life, there's no one to "run the home front" when you're gone for extended periods of time.  Sure, my neighbor picked up my mail and would go into my house a few times a week to make sure everything was OK, but think about all the little everyday household duties that pop up on a regular basis (even when you're not there to generate them!).  With most bills on auto pay, finances are pretty much on autopilot, but random things like vehicle registrations and verification paperwork for various issues pop up and must be taken care of.  It's a good thing I'm an organized person!  With the majority of those issues taken care of, I made a quick trip to Louisiana to visit my family.  It was a short break, but I absolutely enjoyed being home and hanging out with my parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles.  Every time I go home I'm reminded of how fortunate I am to be from a place that still values family get-togethers.

Sunrise from front door

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

I returned to NC from my trip home recharged and ready to pick up my new purchase... a 2012 Harley-Davidson Street Glide!  At 850 lbs, it's much bigger and heavier than my 2006 Sportster, but the bulk of my new bike makes it a much more comfortable ride with luxuries I didn't realize I would appreciate so much (like cruise control, a stereo and a fuel gage!).  I figured the best way to break in my new ride and get familiar with it was to take a road trip, so I pointed east and started riding.  I hit the Atlantic Coast then turned north to fulfill a longtime desire to ride two wheels up the Outer Banks.

Riding in the Extortion 17 Memorial Ride in Virginia Beach.  Photo by Rob Skinner

I stayed overnight in Atlantic Beach, Cape Hatteras and Nags Head and ate my weight in crab cakes at every location!  Unbelievably, I don't have any food pics to post from this trip :-(  I'll blame my slip in culinary narrative to being overly excited about my new ride!  In addition to all the natural beauty along the route, I also took in some made-made sites of interest like the Cape Hatteras Light House built in 1870.  At 198.5 feet, it holds the distinction of being the world's tallest brick lighthouse.  After having run a few miles on the beach that morning and now wearing riding boots instead of sneakers, I opted out of climbing the stairs to the top but I have a feeling I'll be back to revisit that option.  Up the shore at Kitty Hawk, I visited the Wright Brothers National Memorial and stood in the path of the first mechanical flight.  It was really cool to stand on the hill from which hundreds of glider flights were launched during the preparation process for the mechanical flight.  As I stood in the field visualizing what it must've been like during that time, a Navy helicopter swooped in for a low pass over the field.  It was refreshing to see a technologically advanced generation still acknowledging the contributions of our forefathers.   

Karen, Rob and Barb enjoying Guinness at an Irish Pub

With my tour of the coast and beach time complete, I crossed the border into Virginia and rode to Norfolk to hang out with my buddy Jim for a night.  Unfortunately, Karla is on a ship right now but Jim and I enjoyed catching up even for just a short time.  After a leisurely breakfast with Jim and some friends, I headed towards Virginia Beach where I met up with some other friends to do the Extortion 17 Memorial Ride.  It was a year ago, on 6 Aug 2012 that a CH-47 helicopter (call sign Extortion 17) was shot down by enemy fire in Afghanistan and we lost 31 heroes- 30 Navy, Air Force and Army active duty military and 1 military working dog.  Over 1000 bikers showed up to ride the 20-something mile route through Virginia Beach in honor of their sacrifice and to raise money for the families left behind.  To find out  more information about these heroes, go to the memorial ride website.  The very meaningful and enjoyable day ended with an evening of food, drinks and great conversation with my colleague and friend Rob and his wife Barbara.  As usual, there was no lack of topics to cover or foods to discuss!  With enough time and beer, I'm pretty sure the three of us could solve most of the world's problems :-)


So now that I'm back, I should be able to post regularly again.  Well, as long as there's something noteworthy going on for me to post about!  It's good to be back.

Out and about locally

Riding the Sandhills

My life has been revolving around work and the weather lately.  The weather has been beautifully warm during the week but then getting cooler and/or overcast on the weekends.  I'm not complaining too much about the good weather during the week though because we managed to get in a textbook perfect jumping day last week.  A flawless exit, accurate canopy navigation and a soft, clear landing made me a happy jumper last week.  It's amazing how an afternoon away from paperwork participating in a "real" Army event can put everything back in perspective!

Continuing on my windblown escapades, the short deviation from the pattern of cool and overcast conditions yesterday morning provided a perfect opportunity to soak in the 80 degree weather and roll out some miles.  Clear skies and roads didn't last much longer than early afternoon, but it was enough to refresh my spirit and clear my mind.  Therapy on two wheels for $3.90 a gallon is a steal in my book!

Even though the weather has fluctuated between winter and spring the last few weeks, mother nature is clearly leaning towards the downhill slide to summer.  Dogwoods, azaleas and numerous other blooming plants that I don't know the names of have provided an explosion of color to my daily commute, rides and walks.  Although I didn't get a good picture of any to post today, the brilliant red and fuscia pink shades of azaleas around here remind me of my Mama (Grandmother) Daigle's front yard growing up.  She had a green thumb like no other making her yard a sight to behold during any season. It may not be Louisiana but I'm fortunate to live in a quaint, historic downtown district where homeowners take great pride in their landscaping.  There's one particular house down the street whose yard is always immaculately manicured, and right now it's a sea of tulips!  The first time I can remember acknowledging a tulip was on a two week detachment to Iceland during my Air National Guard days.  Although there was still snow on the ground, there was no denying the coming of spring as red and yellow tulips pushed their way through the slush in their pursuit of sunlight.  For some reason, those colors and flowers have stuck in my mind over the years.

Airborne & Special Operations Museum lobby

Since the weather today wasn't as bright and warm as I prefer for outdoor adventures, I decided to make another trip to the Airborne & Special Operations Museum.  Just as I've visited the Naval Aviation Museum dozens of times while stationed and visiting Pensacola over the years, I've taken many outings to the ASOM since being stationed at Fort Bragg.  With temporary exhibits rotating through on a regular basis, there's always something new to take in.  I used to roll my eyes and bemoan history classes during high school, but now that I'm old enough to have lived through some of the events now depicted as "history", it's suddenly much more interesting!

With the opening of the North Carolina Veterans Park last year right across the parking lot from the ASOM, there's a ton of things to see in the two landmarks.  The 15 foot "Iron Mike" statue posted out front of the museum  symbolizes the World War II era paratrooper and represents all Paratroopers who have come through Fort Bragg.  The overcast sky today didn't provide good contrasting for my outdoor pictures, but I'll try again another day.

Like everyone reading this blog, I'm gearing up for another busy week.  I hope everyone has a fulfilling week waiting for them!

A hobby revisited

Unfortunately, my travel down to Florida for a few days of meetings this last week produced little in the way of an interesting post.  Sitting in conference rooms, no matter how scenic the locale of the buildings, just doesn't lend itself to fascinating pics and stories.  So, in light of the lack of a noteworthy event in which to blog about, I will back up and bring you up to speed on a revisited hobby...photography.

Louisiana boiled crawfish

I think it was the Christmas of my 13th year when Santa left a brand spanking new Pentax K1000 35mm film camera for me under the tree.  For the next 20 years, that camera documented my travels around the world and ingrained in me an appreciation for composition.  Composition not only of a picture, but composition of my life.  That chunk of metal and glass lens embedded the concept of context within my brain and heart.  A boat on the water or food on a plate can be pretty dull.  But frame that boat on the water with a Louisiana bayou in the background or that food as a Greek peasant salad on a beach cafe table on the island of Crete, and you've got yourself a story and memorable experience.  So, after a digression to point-and-shoot cameras over the last few years, I've gone back to manually operated equipment.  I recently purchased a Cannon EOS 60D dSLR and am rediscovering the thrill of looking at life through the lens.  Yes, the compactness of the point-and-shoots prompted me to take more pics, but I had lost the pleasure of telling a story through a lens.

Oysters on the half shell

 
There's no denying, I love to take pictures of food!  The pics of boiled crawfish and raw oysters on the half shell are from my trip down home on the bayou during Christmas vacation last month.  Although my palate has been exposed to delicacies ranging from Peking duck in an acclaimed restaurant in Beijing, China to Nutella crepes from a street vendor under the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, the foods of my childhood remain at the top of my favorite foods list.  In my quest to explore my current home state however, I have been cognizant to explore more than just food as photographic material.  I've learned to be more attuned to the everyday sights I encounter.  This pic of cotton ready for picking in North Carolina depicts a scene I see regularly during my daily travels.

North Carolina cotton field

I hope that as this blog progresses, you'll see my photography skills mature and give shape to the stories I long to tell.  I challenge anyone reading this blog to look at your daily routine as a window to the unnoticed beauty around you.  No, the world is not always a beautiful place, but there is always beauty to be found in it.  So look around and discover what has gone unappreciated in your everyday life.