Update on things

Things have been crazy around here lately. This entire month has had me running around like a chicken with my head cut off!!!! Once we found out we were moving to a new apartment, I started collecting boxes from work and packing things up. We had been putting things into the storage unit, but now that we have keys to the new place, we're taking stuff there too. Last week was really crazy. I worked on Monday the 16th from 8am to 4:30pm. We left Tuesday for Georgia. We drove over to the new apartment ( a 10 minute drive) and from there walked to the Metro train rail station. (It's a shorter ride to the airport from there). That walk took about 10 minutes, maybe less, then the train ride to Regan International Airport was about 1/2 an hour. We arrived in plenty of time for our flight and got checked in without a problem. It's always nice when the flight is on time. The flight to Atlanta, Georgia was one hour and 20 minutes. We got to the next gate in plenty of time for our connecting flight to Columbus, Georgia which that flight was only a 20 minute flight. ( The pilot said from gate to gate was 40 minutes but actual air time was 20 minutes). It was relatively easy getting the rental car at the airport too. We were given a Pontiac G6 . It was red. Very nice sporty looking car. That thing drove so nice!! We were only about 10 minutes away from our hotel and since I paid for all of this on Expedia, check in was very easy. We discovered that our hotel was less than 10 minutes from the Army base so that was very nice. We scoped out the area on Tuesday when we got there, so we would know what and where we would spend time with David the following 2 days.

Come Wednesday morning (on the 18th), we drove to the Base for David's Beret exchange ceremony. It was so nice seeing him in his uniform. I hadn't seen him in a year so it was very nice to see him. They marched in formation past the family members then stood "at attention" in the hot sun while a speaker talked to us about the Army tradition of the Berets. When it came time for them to put on the Beret (which they all hate because they are wool!!)....they did it in unison and it really looked cool. After the final "salute", they were announced to us as "official" soldiers and were released for the day to family. It was an emotional ceremony for a lot of families, not just me. Bob himself was remembering his own son's ceremony from Marine Boot Camp a few years back and got emotional.

We spent Wednesday with him and a buddy of his (who didn't have family come that day) till 8:30pm that evening. One of the things we did was go see the movie Transformers. David loved it and said it brought back some of his lost imagination. He felt like a kid again. I personally find that funny since to me he's still a kid. I have to remember that he's an adult now and that he's 26 yrs old. My baby boy finally has grown into a man. After the movie we went out to eat at Red Lobster. That's one of David's favorite places to eat. We also had went shopping for him since he needed a garment bag and wanted a "civilian outfit". He could have gotten a garment bag at the PX but he didn't want his to say ARMY on it.

Thursday was graduation and when that ceremony was over, they changed into their "dress greens". They all looked so good in their uniforms. I know that all Mom's were beaming that day!! It's quite an accomplishment for them. His best friend and his girlfriend came up from Florida to see him graduate. (Thanks Phil and Nikki) We all we out to TGI Friday's with some of the soldiers and their families to eat then we all went our own way. Our gang ended up back at the hotel and went swimming for about 1/2 an hour in the hotel pool. David was exhausted and just wanted to sit and "hang out", so that's what we did until I had to take him back to base.

Bob and I flew out the next morning to come back to Maryland. I wish that was as easy to do as it was to get to Georgia. Oh no, it wasn't. We woke up at 4am to get to the airport by 5am since our flight was to leave at 6:25am. After dropping off the car rental and checking in at the airport, we were informed that the flight was delayed by 2 hours!!!! We sat at the airport (in uncomfortable seats) for 3 hours. Once we boarded and got under way, we learned that we had indeed missed our connecting flight in Atlanta to Washington, DC. Thank goodness they got us on the next flight out and we didn't have to sit around that airport for hours. We were back in Washington, DC by 12:15pm and had to go back to the Metro then home. All in all, it wasn't a bad trip, just long and exhausting. David also flew out on Friday. He's now in Texas at Fort Sam Houston. (near San Antonio). I haven't heard from him yet so I don't have an address. Once I do, I'll be sure to let all the family know what it is.

Here's a photo from the airplane.