Girfriends

No big road trips or overseas jaunts to report, but a great night out with the girls deserved a pic post!  As usual, Christi and Jess made an ordinary evening out turn into a social fashion event.

Enjoy your week and make time for some friends :-)

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.

Fashion Intervention

OK, for those of you who know me well, brace yourself.  Today I took a day off from work along with my two good friends, Christi and Jessica to go shopping! 

I hate to shop.  Period, end of story.  I don't have a flare for fashion and apparently my body just isn't proportional according to garment manufacturers.  The end result is that I don't buy new clothes until it is an absolute necessity, which basically means that I have an upcoming event for which I have no appropriate attire.  At that point, I usually begrudgingly head off to a mall and walk through several stores and walk right out because I don't see anything I'd actually wear.  On the rare occasion that something catches my eye, I may try it on only to be disgusted with the fact that whomever designers have in mind when they make women's clothes, it's obviously not a woman with a build or taste like me.

After rummaging through my closet in an attempt to get ready for dinner with friends or to pack for a trip unsuccessfully one too many times lately, I emailed Christi and Jess a week or so ago and requested some shopping assistance.  What I got was a fashion intervention! 

My only previous experience with requesting shopping assistance was not a pleasant one.   The week before defending a thesis years ago during college, I set out to a local mall in search of a business suit.  There I stood in the middle of an upscale women's clothing store in Teva sandals, Gramicchi climbing shorts and battered tank top sporting a buzz-cut hairdo, broken and chipped finger and toenails from a recent rock climbing trip and looking a bit uncomfortable.  A well dressed sales woman walked up to me and politely, yet reluctantly, asked me if she could be of assistance.  I surely looked out of place in that store and I'm sure she figured I'd be a huge waste of her time.  I kind of let out a sigh, opened my arms to my sides to reveal my disheveled appearance and asked helplessly "Can you make me a girl?"  At this point, the sales woman's face lit up and she exclaimed "I've been waiting for this day!  Come with me!!"  I can only describe what happened next as painful yet successful.  I tried on endless outfits that obviously did not suit my body type or personality, but I did finally manage to leave the store quite some time later with a professional-looking business suit in which to defend my thesis and present my results at a national conference. 

So when the phone call came last night establishing the time and place that this shopping adventure was to start, I started to get a little nervous.  Both of these friends are quite fashionable.  Christi is off the chart when it comes to girlishness and shoe collections.  Jess isn't quite as far down the fashionista spectrum as Christi, but she is usually put together very well, especially when the occasion calls for it.  And then there's me.  I had visions of that sales woman all those years ago torturing me with changes of misguided outfits.  But man was I in for a surprise today!

Full combat shopping!  No other way to describe it.  Three women spread out between 1 or 2 dressing rooms all in various stages of undress and dress trying on clothes, exchanging clothes and critiquing as we went (they were both shopping for themselves as well as me).  Christi and Jess know me well enough to identify my style (or lack of actually) and only presented me with items they knew fit with my personality and body type.  I'd get handed a garment, get it half way on and be told, "take it off, it's not right".  Another item would come flying my way, I'd put it on, get scrutinized for a couple of seconds and then one of them would be out heading for a different size or color.  Now this is the way to shop!  These two women knew exactly what I wanted, even when I didn't!  They took me just far enough outside my comfort zone to help me see that I don't always have to leave the house in a dri-fit shirt, jeans and running shoes.  After almost 6 hours at the mall and a significant dent in my banking account, I have a whole new wardrobe.  Both Jess and Christi emerged from the adventure with some pretty sweet outfits also!  It was a fun day spent with two great friends, and I won't have to shop for clothes again for many years!!  Thank you ladies, I had a blast :-)     

Out West

Garden of the Gods

After a four year absence from Colorado Springs, work brought me back to the place I owned my first home.  I still remembered my way around for the most part, a lot of sights looked and felt familiar.  I had a bitter-sweet relationship with Colorado Springs when I lived there, but I truly do look on that experience with appreciation.

I took some vacation time and flew in the weekend before meetings were to start to catch up with some friends in the area.  There's never enough time to see everyone you would like to when you only have a few days so I apologize to anyone I didn't get to touch base with on this trip.  That just means I'll have to plan a return visit before too long.

David, Parker and Suzanne making smores

My first night in town was spent with Suzanne & David and the kids.  Suzanne was my Harley-riding partner and we shared a lot of stress-relieving miles together while I claimed Colorado as my state of residence.  We met during a Riders Edge motorcycle safety course at Pikes Peak Harley Davidson and purchased our own bikes within weeks of each other.  We experienced the thrills and hazards of bike riding while becoming "biker chicks" over the years.  You would think that it would be hard to grow as friends when we're each on our own bikes and unable to communicate while actually riding, but it's surprising how much can be shared between two women while stopped at red-lights, resting at coffee shops and hanging out together during weekend motorcycle getaways!  My first night in Colorado Springs was spent hanging out on the deck of their home making smores with Suzanne and her family.

Sydney, Deb, Bryce, Scott and Westies galore!

Next stop on the Colorado Springs friends tour was a night with Deb & Scott and family.  Deb and I worked together at Fort Bragg until she and her family made the move out West.  I have the amazing job that I have now because Deb saw some potential in me and pushed to get me liberated from the position I was originally assigned on Fort Bragg.  Our program is the success that it is now because of Deb's vision and leadership early on in the process.  It felt good to bring her up to speed on the advances and successes of what she started.  Their family had just welcomed five Westies puppies to the household so there wasn't a dull moment during my stay!  It was great to see her enjoying "retirement" and spending time with her family.

The final personal hangout before getting down to the work agenda that brought me to Colorado Springs in the first place was lunch and a leisurely afternoon visiting with Lance & Jen and the girls.  The visit was marked by scrumptious food, talented entertainment and endless laughs while catching up on each others' lives. Lance and I were part of Sport Sciences/Sport Performance at the USOC during fun, but sometimes volatile, years.  It was great to see him and his family so successful and happy post five-ring career.

Spiced pumpkin seed Nilgai antelope dinner at Craftwood Inn

The next few days included very productive meetings.  Since this isn't a work blog, there's no need to go into details, but suffice it to say that I had the distinct pleasure of bringing together two sets of motivated, high-speed professionals from my various careers; very constructive and fulfilling! 

With many of the colleagues accompanying me on this trip never having been to Colorado Springs, I felt the need to play tour guide.  I led them on a drive overlooking and then through the Garden of the Gods on our way to the Craftwood Inn in Manitou Springs.  Almost a dozen of us savored an exquisite dinner of Colorado cuisine and each other's company at what amounted to a culinary event!  The samplers of grilled Colorado elk, spiced pumpkin seed antelope, pepper grilled red deer, and prime grade New York strip helped us to narrow down our carnivore meal selections.  All of it was delicious, but I chose the antelope accompanied by an Australian Shiraz and finished with a shared Ecuadorian Ariba dark chocolate mousse.  Very tasty!!!

Getting stung at the Golden Bee!

The next night a few of us spent our last night in Colorado Springs partaking of pub fare, adult beverages and sing-alongs at the Golden Bee!  The Broadmoor Hotel had this 19th century pub shipped from England and reassembled at it's current location in Colorado Springs.  A ragtime piano player performs popular sing-along tunes for the crowd to accompany him.  It's great fun to eat, sing and drink as the wait staff randomly comes by the table and slings bee stickers at you.

It was gratifying to catch up with friends and colleagues on this trip; I absolutely enjoyed being out from behind my desk for a few days!  Although Colorado is beautiful and fun to visit, the trip reminded me of the reasons I chose to no longer live there.  The dry, arid environment left me with a daily nose bleed and feeling like a shrivled up prune!  The mountains are beautiful, but the instant necessity for a jacket as soon as the sun slips behind Pikes Peak and the dry brown landscape renewed my appreciation for lush green, humid, sea-level locations.  As my dad always says, good thing different folks like different surroundings or else we'd all be clumped up in one part of the world.  Something for everyone!!

      

I thought I'd deviate from my typical blog style and post about a topic a little closer to home... reading!

I have been an avid reader from as far back as I can remember.  My mom would take us to the public library in the summers and we'd sign up for reading clubs.  Oh, the joy of coming home with an armful of books!  I think the librarian, and even my mom on some occasions, would think I was overly ambitious with the height of the stack of books I'd want to check out at one time.  But I could not be deterred.  I would read until my eyes were red and burning, but I just couldn't stop.  I'd read Nancy Drew by the light of a flashlight with the covers pulled over my head long after bed time.   No matter the type of book, I was addicted to the feeling of being transported to another world.  My own life was perfectly fine, but the glimpse into one other than my own was a guilty little pleasure in which I loved to indulge.

In my mid-20s, I got the inkling that I may want to go to college.  The Navy broadened my horizons in too many ways to articulate, but the yearning for an education was certainly one of them.  I had never really been exposed to higher learning and what obtaining a college education would entail.  On a commercial flight one day, I pulled an airline magazine from the seat pocket and was flipping through the retail items when a subscription to a book club listing the "100 greatest books of all time" caught my eye.  Of course I couldn't afford to opt into such a subscription, but I tore out that page listing the 100 greatest books and decided I would start preparing myself for college.  I don't know why, but in my naive mind, a college education was synonymous with a literature degree!  So I decided right then and there to start reading those classics so that I would have a head start on college when the time came.  It makes me chuckle now to think how misguided my perception of college was!

Several degrees later and what seems like a lifetime of experiences, I've come to appreciate that reading those classic books may not have really prepared me for university, but it certainly helped to round out my outlook of the world.  I still love to read and have abstained from cable TV subscriptions for most of my adult life in favor of written words. Although my preference is usually for "real life" stuff, I occasionally partake in fiction of various varieties.  I tend to be turned off by books, movies, workouts, diets, trends, etc. that enjoy mass buy-in (I don't like being a follower!), but recently, the story line of the Hunger Games intrigued me enough to go out and buy the book.  I'm about halfway through it and have not been disappointed by my concession to pop culture yet.

Just as some people can recall a particular smell or scene associated with a journey, I'm able to look back on most long trips throughout my life and recollect the book I was reading throughout the journey.  During my frequent deployments to Crete, Greece in my Navy days, I read the Odyssey by Homer; one of the first books on the 100 classic books list I conquered!  I could relate to the epic journey of Odysseus while experiencing the culture and geography first hand.  Even with several years of living away from home under my belt, I felt connected to the hero's drive to get back home to hearth and family.  My paperback edition of this classic read is marked up with meanings of words I didn't know; definitions scribbled in the margins was the start of my "higher" education.  It was during the exploration of this book that I began to understand the shortcomings of my own vocabulary and refinement.  Only by exposing yourself to foreign concepts and opposing views can you truly formulate an informed opinion.  Another Greek culture inspired book that resonated with me during that time in my life was Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis.  The dichotomy of the live-life-like-there's-no-tomorrow Alexis Zorba and the introspective Basil seemed to speak to the opposing ends of the spectrum of my own personality. 

The association of books and journeys stand out in my mind as much as the food and culture of each.  It was during my travels surrounding the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens Greece that I tackled the daunting tome of Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.  The epic European vacation I took with Andy and Alexis in 2006 is forever marked by the strength of the heroine in the fictional biography of Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund.  From a single sentence mention of the wife of the the legendary hero in Moby Dick, the author weaved an intriguing story of feminine strength for this novel.  While living in Coronado, I read Combat Corpsman by Greg McPartlin. The story was the true life account of the Vietnam experience of the owner of a popular local dining establishment called McPs Pub two blocks from my apartment.  The memorabilia and stories filling the restaurant had added meaning once coupled with the back story provided in the book.  Driving home last Christmas, I listened to the audio version of Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.  I found myself so engrossed in the eerily relevant story line the I actually postponed needed gas and bathroom stops in order to finish a chapter or extended dialogue.  I may not be able to share insight into the latest episode of American Idol or Dancing with the Stars, but I can certainly grasp the significance of the question "Who is John Galt"!

My hope is that this blog post will inspire you to shut off the boob tube for a couple extra hours a night and indulge in a good book.  No matter your genre preference, there's something for everyone out there! 

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!

Nothing new to report :-(

So, my past experience has been that maintaining a blog has made me really look around to find interesting events in my life to post about.  But, it's been 3 weeks and I still find myself struggling to come up with something witty or fascinating to weave a story around.  To be honest, my life over the last several weeks has been pretty mundane.  The weather has been fickle lately, so it's been hit or miss in regards to participating in some of my favorite past-times.  I went to the shooting range once and shot sporting clays, rode my Harley once and sat out a DZ once waiting on a jump that never happened due to high winds since I've last posted. No cool pics or intriguing stories to tell unfortunately.

But I guess that's life, right?  I've been absorbed in my daily routine of endless administrative tasks at work, morning workouts and rehab at the gym, reading or studying in the evenings, and enjoying the occasional lunch or dinner with friends.  But I don't mind really.  I'm comfortable with my life; the predictable right along with the exciting.  So although I have nothing stimulating to relay today, all is well :-)