Monday, February 26, 2007

We Were Soldiers

"We Were Soldiers" is probably one of the most heart-string pulling military movies I've ever watched. One of the reasons I like it is because it shows the interactions with the families. It's also one movie I can not watch if Ryan's gone because of how they display it. It is a very, very good movie. Well, I was browsing CNN today and found this article about the man who's story is portrayed in the film. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor today. One thing to note, is that this was a rare occasion of honoring someone with this award while they were still alive. I'm glad to see this, and for someone who's story has touched me so greatly.

From the article:

More than 40 years after Crandall repeatedly risked his life to rescue American soldiers fighting one of the toughest battles of the Vietnam War, the U.S. military officially recognized his heroism Monday, when he was awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for military valor.

All ahead full!

For those over at Milblogs, if you have yet to vote, please check out All ahead full. It's a great blog written by a sweetie.

http://cw730.wordpress.com/2007/02/22/milbloggies-contest-update/

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Milblogs!

I've now got my milblogging.com profile set up. It should be working now.

So..where is your husband?

Who knows what made me think about this today, but, here are some funny ways I've explain where my husband is when the Navy kidnaps him away. Keep in mind this are coming from a Trident/Missile Tech wife.

1) He is playing hide and go seek. (This one gets interesting looks.)
2) Business trip. (I usually say this when people won't leave me alone when it comes to asking about where Ryan is.)
3) He'll be back in X amount of time. (This can vary from a guestimate of the time or me saying 3 months, when I know the pull in date is next week.)
4) Playing air boss. (He controls the only thing with potential for flight on a trident. Plus, I can neither confirm nor deny him answer the phone at launcher with "Tower, Air boss.")
5) Being a rocket scientist. (Well...he is!)
6) Off being Navy Boy. (Typical answer for NOTU ops because I really don't want to explain FCETs to people, plus that entire OPSEC thing...lol.)
7) Playing with seamen. (Yes, I'm a sick puppy, and my mind has been warped by a missile tech. Fear me. *grin*)
8) Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. (I get neat looks from this one. It also shuts up "Where does he go when he is on the sub?" They don't believe "I don't know.")
9) Re-inacting Down Periscope. (Need I say more?)
10) Driving some khaki crazy. (I believe this is one of the main jobs of Missile Techs.)
11) Memorizing OPNAVs. (Boredom + Fire control = Really bored Ryan. This, however, is usually done after all other means of entertainment have been exhausted.)
12) Pissing off the back aft folk. (He is nuke waste. So, he knows them too well.)
13) Being practical jokester #1. (I love my husband's sick, twisted sense of humor.)
14) Doing strange things with DitDots. (I never knew what DitDots were until I married Ryan. Well I knew what they were, just not the term DitDots. Oh the possibilities I have learned.)
15) Inventing new forms of rickey rockets. (I'm still not allowed to have a true rickey rocket. Something about the caffine going straight to my already overly active hyperness.)

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Submarine Valentine's

What to get a subbie for Valentine's Day? A subbie that is a missile tech. Hrmm. Things to think about.

(And I think I'm catching a cold. grrrrr.)

Can you name that tune?

(Alright, Nintendo geeks, let's hear it, can you name the tunes? The husband unit isn't allowed to post because he knows the answers. hehe. Good luck.)


Monday, February 12, 2007

Buzzed Baked Goods

Found this article on CNN. I could only imagine what the Navy would be like if Sailors, especially subbies got hold of these. And people think ricky rockets are full of caffeine. Oh the possibilities.

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Sunday, February 11, 2007

Gamers in the Military

I never really realized how widespread gaming was in general until after I had been playing online games for a few years. Over the years that I've played, I've meet and made friends from all over. Most of these friends I've never met in real life, but know them as well as my friends I see all the time. One factor of gaming, and especially online games, is I never realized how many military seem to play. All of mine and my husband's friends, save one or two, played Everquest when we were still in Kings Bay. Even here at the Cape, a lot of the guys at work play World of Warcraft, and some of us all on the same server.

My husband still gets the, "Oh wow, you are lucky! Your wife likes to play." He also has helped some guys get their girls converted to gaming in general, and some even online games. My wonder is this - How many military folks play video games in their free time? A lot of the generation that is now just entering the military or been in for a few years are a part of the video game years. What I mean by that are the kids that grew up on Nintendo and Atari and even older systems.

I know sometimes during patrols my husband would talk about them having Halo tournaments, guys having PSPs and DSs, as well as games on palm pilots. So if you game, what kind of games do you like to pass your time? While I'm attached to my computers, I also have my DS (aka the husband sanity keeper on road trips) and a PS2/Wii. My heart still resides with online games, like Everquest, and at the moment, Vanguard. Though I will never be able to deny my first game experience online with Quake. (Yes...a girl can play Quake *grin*)

So, feel free to comment if you'd like. Would be interesting to see the replies.

29 Degrees


(Warning: A little cussing, so watch it if you are at work or around kids.)

This looks hella fun. Needless to say the husband unit had to see what I was going "OMG COOL." at.

Trident Sub at 29 degrees

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Nintendo Surgeon

As us kids of the 80's grow up. *cackle* Enjoy!

Laissez les bons temps rouler




NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) -- Amid myriad problems that have bogged down its recovery, New Orleans is hoping for a rebound for the annual Carnival spectacle that provides a big chunk of its tourist economy.

After Hurricane Katrina, the 2006 parade schedule was cut back to eight days. Many restaurants were still closed while storm refugees and relief workers -- instead of tourists -- filled hotel rooms.

Those whose livelihoods depend upon the debauchery see signs of a better year. More than three dozen parades are set to roll between Friday night and Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, on February 20.

"It's going to be good," said Blaine Kern, owner of Kern Studios, which is building about 500 floats for parading organizations, known as krewes. "Last year, we got it done. But this year, it's coming back with a vengeance."

Denise Estopinal, a spokeswoman for the Greater New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association, said bookings are running at about 80 percent for the weekend leading into Fat Tuesday. Hotels hope to reach the 90 percent figure for the 30,000 rooms available in the New Orleans area, Estopinal said. Last year, half of the 28,000 then-available rooms were taken up by storm recovery efforts.

Restaurants are still plagued by labor shortages in a city where only about half the population is back, said Tom Weatherly, a vice president with the Louisiana Restaurant Association.

Still, according to a count by New Orleans restaurant reviewer Tom Fitzmorris, about 250 restaurants are open in the key business areas of the city, up more than 100 from last year.

Also poised to benefit from this year's Carnival are the makers and sellers of shiny beads, colorful plastic cups and other trinkets thrown to the crowds during parades.

New Orleans Mint turns out about 3 million doubloons -- aluminum coins tossed by parade krewes. Pat Finney, who oversees the operation, said she was surprised at the high number of last year's orders and this year krewes are buying more doubloons.

In the last extensive economic study of Mardi Gras -- performed for the 2000 season by the University of New Orleans -- the total impact was pegged at $1.05 billion. Last year, the usual crowd was down from about 1 million visitors to about 350,000, with local residents doing most of the celebrating, according to UNO. The study did not offer an economic impact figure.

Even the short celebration drew criticism from some that it sent a wrong message to the world so soon after the storm.

"To people in Iowa and Nebraska, it looked like 'the guys can't be too bad off, they are partying and drinking in the streets.' They don't understand the business aspect of Mardi Gras," said Barry Barth, owner of Barth Brothers Artists, which built about 100 parade floats.

D&D Creations owner Diane Brown, whose company makes about 15,000 Mardi Gras costumes annually for celebrations in New Orleans and other cities, said that "without Mardi Gras, you wouldn't have tourism."

At New Orleans' international airport, where 110 of the 162 pre-Katrina flights have been restored, Continental Airlines has added an additional 29 inbound and 35 outbound flights for the Mardi Gras season

Despite the drive for tourists, Kern, who has been building floats since 1947, says the New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration still has -- and always will have -- its roots in the local population.

"It's woven so much into the fabric of our society," Kern said. "We're doing this for ourselves. The tourists come and love it, but this is our thing."



This is the one thing that I said would always stay true in New Orleans post-Katrina, no matter what - Mardi Gras would happen. I'm glad to see that it's building back more than it was last year. Makes me proud. One day I hope to go back home to see Mardi Gras in New Orleans. This year mom sent me a King Cake. Man was it good. I hope New Orleans slowly gets back to it's old glory, but realizes that it's not immune to the hurricanes like it had thought for years.

5 Most Dangerous Things...

...You'll hear in the U.S. Navy

A Seaman saying, "I learned this in Boot Camp..."

A Petty Officer saying, "Trust me, Sir..."

A Lieutenant JG saying, "Based on my experience..."

A Lieutenant saying, "I was just thinking..."

A Chief chuckling, "Watch this shit..."


Even as a wife, I know how true these are, hence how hilarious this is. *grin*

U.S.S. Hyman G. Rickover

The Rickover arrived in Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for inactivation. This sub was launched the year I was born, 1983. It's namesake, Hyman G. Rickover, was the "Father of the Nuclear Navy" and served in the Navy for 63 years. It was the only one of the Los Angeles class fast attack submarines to be named for a person, rather than a city.

Friday, February 09, 2007

Brrrrr!

Kings Bay and Florida do not look as bad after this.

It is an image of a submarine at Groton and the snow. Le BRRRR! I'm finding more reasons to love Tridents and shore duty in Florida. lol.

Technorati

Adding this blog to my techonorati profile. =)

Technorati Profile

Submarines 0 Budget 1

In this article from theday.com, it discusses yet again the Federal budget making it hard for the submarine force to keep up with optempo. Creating only one boat a year isn't enough. The SSBN's are nearing, and if not passing, in some cases, their planned life expectancy. The older SSBN's are undergoing SSGN conversion. Also with the new technology for the fast attacks as seen in the Virgina classes, submarines are advancing. But what worries me is with this decrease in production, what will happen to patrol schedules if the number of subs reaches lower and lower numbers. Will all boats be dual crewed like SSBNs and SSGNs? Who knows? I do also wonder if the article is correct about the surface fleet higher ups being part of the budget markers. Would this be different if their were submarine higher ups there as well?

Hey, Shipwreck!

Now, being married to a submariner for over three years, warps your senses of humor and normality, just a little bit. The husband unit showed me these last week and now I share with you. Do note, this is not safe for work viewing, and a good portion of it you will not understand if you aren't somewhat used to submarine life. If you are part of the submarine world, you shall get a good kick out of these.

*grins*

http://www.tubedaze.com/films.htm

Thursday, February 08, 2007

Oh what a tangled web...

Living close to Kennedy Space Center, as well as having a husband that works right next to it, this entire drama filled, soap opera-ish story of Lisa Nowak getting arrested has been the talk of the town. It's been breaking news (as in interrupting shows, ect.) since it happened. Now, do I think it's a huge story, yup - sure do. Do I think it's worthy of all of the press it's getting? Ehh, it's not like things like this don't happen almost daily in the USA. I do believe that the only reason this is getting such coverage is because it involves NASA astronauts.

Now, for those of you that might have been living under a rock the past couple of days, here is the latest CNN article on this mess. Who knows what will happen. I know that the Navy has released a message that they will let the civilian courts get hold of her first. It is kind of sad though. This lady threw away a promising career and most likely her marriage.

Well, well, well

I think I will actually keep to my word of posting more. Life's been nothing but busy lately. I've gotten into reading news sites and blogs lately, so figured I might as well get back into this. Will post more soon.