Mount Soledad

Jon, Jess, Mike, and Me

Mike our alien



As I am sure you know the cross on top of Mount Soledad is going to be removed or at best modified into something other than a cross. The cross and the area surrounding it is dedicated to San Diego soldiers who fought in any battle. It is a beautiful memorial. It is also one of the best views of the entire city. You can truly see everything from the mountain. Jon, Jess, Mike and I went up to take some pictures before it is gone in August.

We saw a alien trying to jump to his death and took a picture.

El Sweato

Mike spent this week in El Sweato (El Centro) bouncing for the boat, very hot. A friend of mine, whose husband was bouncing also, and I drove over for a day and a half to watch and see what it is that these guys are doing out there. It was 108 degrees when we got there. We arrived in time to see the de-brief of the afternoon flights and then a brief for that evenings flights. After the briefs and a quick bite to eat Jennifer and I rode out to the "shack". It had cooled down to 92 degrees by then. The Landing Signal Officers sit at the end of the runway near the middle of the carrier box and talk the planes down to the deck. (The carrier box outlines a portion of runway that represents a carrier deck.) The LSO's are responsible for making sure the aircraft is coming in safely and will be able to trap (hook a wire) when they touch down. Needless to say you are pretty close to the jet as it takes off and lands. Jennifer and I were able to stand outside next to the runway while our guys took off in full afterburners! My body was shaking from head to toe from the power and noise! COOL! Once inside the shack the LSO's let us respond to our husbands ball call with "Roger Ball" and one "Right for Lineup”. Jennifer gave her sexiest Marilyn Monroe "Roger Ball” for the XO!! Over all the trip was such a neat experience for us wives to see first hand what our husbands are doing day in and day out. It was 106 when we left El Sweato.

Squadron Tour

Shin with a model airplane.

Katie in her flight suit.

Emi with another model airplane.

On Saturday Mike took a few people from our church to the base and gave them the tour of his squadron. The kids were so cute! I think that Kei wants to be a pilot now for sure. She and her whole family were so intrigued by the military in general. Katie, Josh and Dan enjoyed themselves too. Katie was ready to hop in the jet and take it out for a spin.

County Fair!!

The moment you enter through the fair gates your senses go on overload. Living in a large city you expect there to be a multitude drifting in and about the grounds in search of the largest stuffed animal for the cheapest price or the world's largest sausage or even, simply, a plate full of fried batter dusted with powdered sugar affectionately called "funnel cake". At this county fair you could barely move let alone take your eyes off of the people you are with for fear one or all of you might possibly be swallowed up by the masses. We were not 5ft from the front gates when Mike and I were scammed, $4.00 for a med sized cup of apples and caramel. I guess it really is like Jessica A said, "If your coming to the fair, you'd better come fully prepared to be scammed out of all your money."
Next came the part I hated most, the dreaded "please just ride this one ride, pretty please?!" There is something about roller coasters, tilt-a-whirls, and the Zipper that makes my palms sweat. I tried to explain to Jon, Jess and Mike, I just don't enjoy being scared out of my wits. I think I have an over dose of mothering instinct. "Don't touch that! You might get hurt! Come down from there! Don't you know how dangerous that could be?” my thoughts as I am forced into line behind bubba and four totally excited kids. The ride is basically a much faster version of the average tire swing, much faster; and Mike tried to tell me "Watch, that thing isn't really going that fast." (Mike is following the ride's motion with his arm). NOT THAT FAST MY BUTT!! Needless to say that was the first and last ride for me that evening. I hold firm to the position of 'holder of all things valuable' while others scare themselves repeatedly. Anyway, $60 or $70 some odd dollars later we retreated from the chaos with full bellies and powdered sugar covering our lips. I still think the fair is fun, even if I can only ride the Farris Wheel.

Mirrors and the Gym

I just returned from the gym. Jessica A. and I rode together and worked out "together". Our workouts are made up for us by the super fit Amy at the Semper Fit gym. One thing that I have noticed since I became a gym goer is that "have mirror will look" holds true for anybody. Of course when you first darken the door of the gym you keep your eyes lowered and focus on getting smoothly on and off the equipment, otherwise you will have an incident like Jessica A. did on the treadmill, nearly killed herself, arms flailing in the air and uncontrollable laughter from me. Anyway, a few weeks after your first gym experience you happen to glance up as you are lifting a free weight and notice something different. "Is that definition?" you may ask yourself. "Could it be possible that my butt looks smaller"? Then everyday after you begin to search the mirror non-stop for a new muscle or sleeker profile. It is madding to me that I can't keep my eyes off myself!! Surely all I'm really looking for is verification that the time I spend lifting, pulling, lunging, and tugging is really paying off. Surely?

Do I really want to start this? On more thing that I have to keep up with and remember a username and password for. I love reading other friends blogs so I suppose that I will enjoy thinking that my friends are enjoying mine. Enjoy!