Where's Waldo?

USNA has done a great job utilizing Facebook to keep the family and friends of the Plebes abreast of what they’re doing. Sure, three weeks may go by before we catch a glimpse of our Plebe. But it’s fun to see what everyone is doing and know that at some point during the summer our Plebe will do the same thing.

On Friday, the Class of 2015 had a formal parade.

When 1,220 Plebes are all dressed alike, picking your child out of a photo suddenly becomes a game of Where’s Waldo? That’s when you wish you had a daughter at the Academy because the women are easier to spot since they still have hair. Or you wish your child was an ethnic minority. At the very least, a HUGE football player. Nope. Our son is a tall, skinny, white kid with a shaved head and BCGs (Birth Control Glasses). He looks like the majority of the rest of the Plebes.

When I couldn’t find Mr. A in any of the close up shots of his Company, I thought that he must be in the middle of the formation and blending in.

So I broke down and went to another USNA parent’s Dropshots album to look for our Plebe. The parent who takes these photos obviously lives in the Annapolis area and visits the Yard several times a week (and has WAY too much time on their hands). Each album he/she puts up contains over 1,000 photos each. I usually don’t bother to look through all the photos unless Mr. A’s Company is specifically mentioned.

However, last night I searched through 1,091 photos looking for our son. About a quarter of the way through the album, I started to wonder if maybe he was on the sidelines with the injured Plebes.

When we talked to him last week he had hurt his knee, he had a viral respiratory infection, and pink eye. Basically, he felt like crap. About halfway through the photos, I started to worry. It was late. I was tired. My imagination started to run away. I suddenly became DETERMINED to find photographic evidence of my healthy son.

All it took was one glance and I instantly recognized Mr. A.

He looks good. He’s in his element. He’s doing what he enjoys. I’m so proud of him.

I went to bed late last night excited and content.

Oh, and here's Waldo...

Selecting Paint Colors

I love color. I find trying to explain colors to others quite entertaining and sometimes exasperating. About eight years ago, I worked for a home builder assisting buyers select all of their colors and finishes for their new home. Many days I wanted to bang my head against the wall.

This scene from Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House is my favorite. It always makes me chuckle. Heck, the entire movie makes me chuckle. But if you've ever had to select paint colors, then this scene is definitely worth the two minutes of your time.

Early Mornings and Worrying

So I still haven’t figured out what to do with myself.

However, I have realized two things:

I’ve been getting to the office way too early in the morning.

And I’ve been worrying too much about things I can’t control.

Such as… Does Mr. A have a poor attitude because he’s sick and feels crummy? Is he getting flak from the Detailers? Will G-Man make the golf team?

Yea, I really need to find something to do with myself.

At work today I had two photo shoots. One planned and one just sprung on me. I got caught in the rain both times.

The second photo shoot of the day (the planned one) was with three yoga instructors. Don’t ask. Anyway, two of the yoga instructors drove up in Mercedes-Benz and I thought to myself,

Hmmm… maybe I should change careers.

Then I watched the three yoga instructors (one of them 5 months pregnant) contort into these impossible poses on a wet, marble terrace in the drizzling rain all while being ridiculously perky.

Um… no, that’s not the career for me.

I’ll stick with my current job. I’ve just got to stop getting to the office so darn early… and stop worrying… so much.

More talk about guns

This morning it dawned on me how incongruent my last two posts may seem.

On Sunday, I wrote about how disturbed I felt when the little girl sitting next to me in the movie theater announced that she wants to see everything with KILLING and VIOLENCE. Then yesterday I posted photos of my 17-year-old son during weapons training at USNA. I expressed my annoyance regarding a Facebook “friend” who took offense to the photos.

But really there’s a world of difference between an 8-year-old girl exclaiming that she wants to see killing and violence in movies and a mature 17-year-old Midshipman in the US Navy learning weapons training.

Firearms aren’t a big aspect of our lives in the PLRH family. Yes, my Sweetie owns a shotgun and a couple of pistols. (So BEWARE any potential home intruders!) Yes, I’ve gone to the firing range once in my life and fired a pistol. I shot very well but I didn’t like it. Too much power in the palm of one’s hand. I haven’t fired a gun since.

As I mentioned yesterday, S has taken both boys to the firing range so they can each learn a healthy respect for firearms. He didn’t want Mr. A to arrive at the Academy without ever firing a weapon before. S saw plenty of guys at boot camp that had never touch a gun before and were terrified. My father even said that the first time he ever fired a .45 in boot camp it went “straight in the dirt.”

I really think the posted Safety Rules at the USNA firing range say it all.

Rule 1: Treat every weapon as if it were loaded.
Rule 2: Never point a weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot.
Rule 3: Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until ready to fire.
Rule 4: Keep weapon on SAFE until you intend to fire.

Plebe Update

Social media is a fabulous thing. The USNA Public Affairs Office utilizes Facebook to keep the families and friends of the Class of 2015 updated on all the activities of Plebe Summer. Every day the PAO loads at least one album of photos of the plebes in action.

Even though we hadn't seen photos of Mr. A since Induction Day, it's fun to look at the photos and get a glimpse into Plebe Summer. We've seen photos of drill, sailing, the confidence course, the obstacle course, damage control training, rope climbing, martial arts, boxing, drown-proofing, and weapons training to name a few.

This weekend we finally got a peek of Mr. A at weapons training. I've got to admit that I originally passed by the above photo. Well, because they all look the same!

I shared these photos on my wall on Facebook and I received a kinda negative comment from someone regarding weapons training. Guess what folks, my son is in the US Navy. The Navy happens to be one of our country's ARMED Forces. He will be trained on a variety of weapons and hand-to-hand combat. Our Armed Forces are what keep the rest of us safe.

OK, stepping down from the soapbox now...

Anyway, Mr. A qualified Expert on the pistol. Yeah! My Sweetie had taken him to the firing range many times before leaving for the Academy. S wanted A to have a healthy respect for firearms but not be afraid of them.

Mr. A also had his second phone call home on Sunday. He's now at the halfway mark in Plebe Summer. He is so tired. Plus he's also fighting a viral respiratory infection. When 1,200 people from all over the country are thrown together in close quarters about half of them get the crud.

The good news is that Mr. A still has his sense of humor. Oh, that and he hasn't changed his mind about attending USNA. Thank goodness!

Mr. A is the plebe (white t-shirt) on the left. And yes, that is a banana in the instructor's holster.

Photos courtesy of USNA. To view more photo albums, visit USNA's public Facebook page.

Disturbing

Last night the PLRH 3 (G-Man, my Sweetie, and me) saw Captain America. I know, two movies is one week! Isn’t that exciting?

Since it was opening weekend, the theater was packed and leaving the awkward empty seat between us and our neighbors wasn’t an option. To my left sat a little 8-year-old girl and on her other side, her father. I wondered why she was at a PG-13 movie but it wasn’t my place to judge.

This petite, dark-haired, bundle of enthusiasm was so excited when the previews started that I couldn’t help but chuckle. The first preview was for The Three Musketeers. She was so cute when she called them the three “Muchkinteers.” Of course she asked the same question that all kids ask,

Why are they called the Three Munchkinteers when there’s four of them?

The second preview was for Spider-Man. I have no idea why this story is being told again when it’s only been 10 years since the version with Tobey Maguire was made. Little Girl bounced up and down in her seat and exclaimed,

I want to see that! Oooo! I want to see that!

I thought that she must really like comic book heroes.

The third preview was for yet another Tom Cruise Mission Impossible movie. Really? Another one? Why?

Anyway, Little Girl continued to bounce up and down in her seat. At the conclusion of the preview she announced,

I want to see that one too! I want to see that one too!

Her father jokingly asked,

Do you want to see everything?

Little Girl replied,

I want to see EVERYTHING with KILLING AND VIOLENCE!!!!

WTF?

Her father and I both stared at her in disbelief. I think he was confused and I know I was horrified. Her father asked, What? as if he hadn’t heard her correctly.

I want to see EVERYTHING with KILLING AND VIOLENCE!!!!

The father remained quiet and leaned back in his seat. I moved over in my seat to get as far away from Scary Little Girl as I could.

Her comment disturbed me so much that I couldn’t watch Captain America. I spent the entire movie wishing for it to be over so I could hurry up and leave. I didn’t want to sit next to Scary Little Girl for one more minute. I sat in the dark theater staring at her from the corner of my eye and wondering at what age she would kill her family in their sleep.

As soon as the credits rolled, I was up and out of my seat. Once outside, I told my Sweetie what came out of Scary Little Girl’s mouth. He was more generous than me and gave her the benefit of the doubt. He figures that she must have repeated something she overheard. But if that was the case, why didn’t her father correct her? Also, why did I feel so darn uncomfortable sitting next to her for two hours and I still can’t shake the feeling?

Time with G-Man

My boys are alike in many ways. They both have big, kind, generous hearts. They both have the silly, odd, dry sense of humor that’s so well appreciated in our family. They are both really, really smart. Yes, while Mr. A is freakishly smart, G-man isn’t any slouch and can hold his own in an honors class.

My boys are also different in many ways because life would be boring if they were exactly the same, right? G-Man has great hand-eye coordination and plays golf. Mr. A… not so much and that’s why he’s a swimmer like me. Mr. A is outgoing and has never met a stranger. G-Man is shy. Mr. a will talk your ear off. G-Man is reserved.

I’m not sure if G-Man is shy and reserved because he’s the younger brother to such a gregarious sibling or if it’s just in his programming. You know, the whole Nature vs. Nurture debate. It doesn’t matter. Either way, I love G-Man just the way he is and I’ve been looking forward to one-on-one time with him.

Last night My Sweetie had a VFW meeting so G-Man and I had some wonderful one-on-one time. We had “date night” and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I made it home from work in record time, took a quick shower, and we went to Pei Wei for dinner. I couldn’t finish all of my Lo Mein. I was sad to leave the uneaten portion. Those noodles are soooo good. But I didn’t want to risk leaving them in the car for two hours in the 95° heat.

After dinner we went next door to the candy store. Every town should have a candy store like this one where you can find all sorts of nostalgic items from your childhood to bulk candy of any kind. Surprisingly, the interior of the store has a lovely scent to it. With all the candy you would think that it would be overly sweet but it’s not. G-Man selected Silly Bananas* (from the Runts family) and I picked up a pack of Choward’s Violet mints.

We saw Harry Potter 7, Part 2 last night. It was a tiny bit sad go to the final Harry Potter movie without Mr. A. The three of us have seen all of the movies together ever since the very first one. None of us will ever forget the first movie either because there was a fire alarm at the movie theater during the library scene.

While G-Man and I waited for the movie to start, I leaned over and told him, “We may not be all that chatty but I still enjoy spending time with you.” Believe it or not, I actually got a smile.

We both really liked the movie. There were parts of the story that I completely didn’t remember. Then I realized that I read the book the week before my back surgery and the brain termites have done a number on my memory.

There was about a 20-miute stretch of the movie in which I had tears streaming down my cheeks. The women next to me were all fumbling in their purses for Kleenex because they had used up all of their napkins. I happened to notice some movement out of the corner of my watering eye during the scene in the Forbidden Forest when Harry is talking to the ghosts of his parents, Sirius, and Remus. G-Man discretely wiped some tears from his eyes and sniffled after Lily Potter told Harry that they’ve always been with him… in his heart.

Oh boy, did my heart swell when I saw my youngest son’s reaction. I told you that he has a big, kind, generous heart… and apparently, a mushy one too.


*Did you know that artificial banana flavoring is one of the easiest flavorings to create? Also, the cream filling in Twinkies used to be banana-flavored up until WWII. The flavoring was omitted due to war shortages.

Randomness

Great news! This morning I put on a pair of pants that haven’t fit me since last summer. Yeah! I haven’t stepped on a scale in a couple of months but my clothes tell me that I’m back down to my weight when I started taking that evil Seroquel a year ago.

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I’m still extremely fatigued. Running two or three errands on the weekend wipes me out and I spend the afternoon napping. I’ll be so glad when this bout of Epstein Barr passes and I can back to working out. Maybe then I’ll be able to fit into some more clothes that I have stashed away in the back of the closet.

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While running errands this weekend I kept my eyes open for new stationery. I am a self-professed stationery addict. I have quite a collection at home. This summer I’ve been flying through my stash because snail mail is the primary form of communication with Mr. A (no email, no texting, and only 3 phone calls). Well, I obviously won’t send him “thank you” notes and I’m trying to avoid anything too flowery or pink. So I’m always on the hunt for new stationery.

Saturday evening I told my Sweetie that in my opinion good quality stationery (at a reasonable price) is hard to find. He looked at me and said, “You do realize that all those notes are going to end up in the recycling bin, right?” He tried to backpedal when I shot him an icy look.

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I’m currently reading The Passage by Justin Cronin for my own personal enjoyment. I picked it up at Target because one of the reviews on the back cover stated that it was like a cross between The Stand and The Road. Cool. I really enjoyed both of those books even though the Lincoln Tunnel scene in The Stand scared the pants off me.

The Passage is a good read and I have a hard time putting it down. However, I can’t help but laugh as I read it because the author borrows from just about every post-apocalyptic story out there. The novel is mostly similar to The Stand starting with the military biological experiment and continues with long journeys, prophets, bizarre communal dreams, and the overall battle of good vs. evil. The infected creatures are similar to those in I Am Legend. The Colony, a small community of survivors is reminiscent of City of Ember. A little over halfway through the book, the main characters stumble into a situation that’s similar to the Morlocks and the Eloi relationship in H. G. Wells’ Time Machine. There’s also a scene at ‘The Ring’ which reminded me of ‘Carrousel’ in Logan’s Run.

All in all I really like the book. I should be able to finish it tonight. Of course, I just discovered that a sequel is coming out next year.

Um… Now What?

I’m not entirely sure what to do with myself.

Essentially for the past two years I have exerted a tremendous, TREMENDOUS amount of emotional energy battling PTSD. A battle I’m glad to report that’s nearly over. Oh yea, and I’m going to win.

Under the guidance of a psychiatrist, during the past four months I have gradually weaned off all the medications I had been taking for Major Depressive Disorder. Medications that weren’t appropriate for PTSD. Now I’m only taking the minimum therapeutic dose of an SSRI while my doctor and I wait for my system to finish stabilizing.

During this time of medication step-down, I also happened to experience a major life change. That’s the one in which we took Mr. A to the Academy, he swore an oath to the US Navy, and the rest of us drove home without him. Oh, and I made it through that with flying colors too.

While we’re talking about emotional energy, the whole USNA application process required a boatload. Yes, Mr. A did all of the hard work. By. Himself. But that process pretty much enveloped the entire family as we provided emotional support. The application process for ANY university that G-Man decides to attend will be a snap in comparison.

So, now as I adjust to this new stage of my life, I’m not quite sure what to focus all of my energy on.

Yes, there’s still plenty of activity happening in our family of three. G-Man still has three more years of high school that I have to endure. (Did I say that out loud?) In the near future there will be driving lessons, golf lessons, sports physicals, back-to-school shopping, and golf team try outs.

However, if I were to expend the same volume of sheer energy on my guys that I spent these past two years, then I would turn into one of those neurotic, helicopter parents and both S and G-Man would leave home. They’d probably take the dog with them too.

I’ve got to figure out what to do with myself. I’m so flabbergasted by the prospect that I don’t even know where to start. I don’t even know what to think.

Suggestions? Anyone? Please!

Life with Boys: Getting a straight answer

The other day I thought a snack of salami and cheese would be rather tasty so I went to the frig. After a moment of rooting around in the lunch meat drawer, I couldn’t find the package of salami. I collectively asked My Sweetie and G-Man.

Me: Don’t we have salami?

G-Man: Yes.
S: Yes.

Me: Where is the salami?

G-Man: I dunno.
S: In the frig.

Me: I can’t find it. Did you eat it all?

G-Man: Nope.
S: Not ALL of it.

Me: (to G-Man) Did YOU eat the last of the salami and throw away the empty package?

G-Man: No.

Me: (to S) Did YOU eat the last of the salami and throw away the empty package?

S: Yes, I finished it yesterday.

Me: UGH! Why didn’t you say that in the first place??

Weekend Awesomeness

My goal for the weekend was to rest up as much as possible. The Epstein Barr virus flare up is extremely fatiguing but I want to be able to manage it better this time. To give you an idea what it feels like imagine the moment you realize that you’re coming down with the flu. You have a headache, sore throat, achy joints, muscle aches, and fatigue. Now imagine feeling like that for 6-8 weeks. The worst part is the feeling that someone has taken a cheese grater to my muscles.

Anyway, my weekend started off fabulous and early when I met two friends for lunch on Friday. We try to get together once a month to catch up face-to-face. Next month, our plans are for dinner and the movie, The Help.

After work on Friday, I picked up the mail and we had our first letter from Mr. A. We could tell he wrote it in a rush and he essentially reported that he was alive and the white uniforms were impossible to keep clean.

Saturday morning I got up early and went to the spa. Because really, why else would I willingly get up early on a Saturday? I believe I got the best deep tissue massage EVER! The massage therapist worked out all the remaining stubborn knots leftover from our road trip. Even with the extreme fatigue my body began to feel better. Well, at least as best as it could. Then I got a much needed hair cut and I walked out of the salon looking gorgeous.

I didn’t have any plans for the rest of the weekend until Mr. A’s first scheduled phone call home on Sunday afternoon. My Sweetie and G-Man went to the driving range and did yard work while I took naps on Saturday and Sunday. I also ran a few too many errands on Sunday and wiped myself out.

But by far and away, the highlight of the weekend was Mr. A’s phone call. As soon as I heard his voice, I knew that he was doing great. S, G-Man, and I all got on the extensions and listened to A talk for a solid 20 minutes. His first comment was that he has done more stuff in the past 10 days than he had in the past year.

He really enjoys attending the lectures they have every day. He also really likes drill (parade). The food isn’t as good as what we cook at home but blue cheese dressing can make just about anything taste good. He validated out of English I, Calculus I, and Chemistry I. So in the fall he will be in a class or two with upperclassmen. That makes him a little nervous. He’s doing summer rowing (crew) and might try out for the team in the fall. He did hurt his knee one morning during PEP (Plebe Exercise/Extermination Program) and is now doing physical therapy instead. His roommates are from Las Vegas and Ashville, NC but I can’t remember their names now. The detailer for his squad is a female who wants to be a Marine. He said that she’s really firm but acts like she’s everyone’s mother. A Marine with a maternal instinct, hmmm?

Overall, Mr. A sounded excited. I’m so very proud of my kid. He amazes me and I can’t put it into words. This morning I realized that during the 20 minutes of non-stop talking he didn’t complain once. Sure the food isn’t always great and some of the detailers are cranky but he just accepts that as a matter of course.

To wrap up our awesome weekend, our little family of three went out for ice cream to celebrate the anniversary of my back surgery.

Three Years!

Today marks the three-year anniversary of my spinal fusion surgery. Since I started Pines Lake Redhead a few weeks before my surgery as a way to chronicle the process, this is also my unofficial Blogiversary.

So much has happened in the past three years. The most noticeable is that I no longer have the back pain I endured for 16 years. That in itself is a beautiful thing. Physically and mentally I feel so much better than I did three years ago. Life is wonderful.

But the unexpected bonus of this blogging gig is the community that has enveloped me. I have found love, support, humor, understanding, and friendship. I have made friends near and far. Blogosphere friends and real life friends.

I have since removed the majority of the medical information from my blog. But here are a few posts that sum up my surgery (that included the XLIF procedure).

Titanium Anniversary
XLIF One Year Post-Op
One Year

I-Day Recap

Induction Day was over a week ago. I-Day was a long day. I’ve wanted to write about it but I haven’t trusted myself to not cry while doing it. Well, here it goes.

Mr. A was nervous the night before. He doesn’t get nervous very easily so he wasn’t familiar with the sensation. We dragged him to an Irish pub for dinner and he was able to eat a cold salmon and cheese plate. I’m not sure if he got any sleep that night.

The next morning we were up early and headed for the Yard. It was a two-mile walk from the hotel to the main gate and then to Alumni Hall where all of the appointees reported. We stopped on the way for a quick breakfast. By this point, Mr. A’s nerves had rubbed off on me. I didn’t want to eat either but made myself. I think even A managed a few bites of an egg sandwich.

It was still early and we had plenty of time so we took our time walking. We stopped for Colors.

Once at Alumni Hall we waited for the detailers to call Mr. A’s report time. The 8:30am report time was called 15 minutes early… as usual. We hugged, we said our “I love you’s,” and we said good-bye. Mr. A got in line with his shipmates and walked away.

Watching him walk away was so very hard. Even though I knew that I would see him that evening, I felt like we had come to the end of an era in our lives but we hadn’t started the next one yet. Looking back, I can see that the time between dropping Mr. A off and the Oath Ceremony was like a sort of limbo.

I silently cried as we crossed Stribling Walk and headed to the Midshipmen Store. We bought a few more souvenirs and by the time we checked out, I stopped my crying. I decided that I need to talk to my Mom. Of course, I started crying again while on the phone.

But then we noticed the detailers rushing some of the Plebes (that reported earlier in the day) off a bus and into the back of Bancroft Hall. We stayed for a few minutes and watched the detailers haul the Plebes’ gear to the upper deck and some of the Plebes studying their Reef Points manuals and learning how to “cover” and “uncover.”

Watching all of that actually made me relax and smile. Some helicopter parents stood there ALL DAY waiting for a glimpse of their son or daughter. Other parents grabbed seats for the 5:30pm Oath Ceremony at 8am and sat in the full sun ALL DAY.

Not the PLRH family! We saw a few more sights on the Yard, ate lunch, and walked back to the hotel for a nap.

In the afternoon, we walked back to Alumni Hall for the Parents’ Briefing that didn’t include any of the ridiculous advice from the neurotic parents’ club members. After the presentation we strolled back to Stribling Walk and claimed a spot on the lawn underneath the shade trees. It was wonderful to sit in the grass and not have to worry about fire ants. G-Man and I both napped on the quilt we brought with us.

When the Oath Ceremony started there was such a crush of people that we couldn’t see a thing. My Sweetie grabbed the camera and tried to maneuver around to get some snaps. That’s when G-Man and I had the best conversation of the day:

Mom, do you want to try and get closer?

No, it’s ok. They all look the same anyway. As long as I can hear the Oath and say good-bye to A afterwards, I’ll be happy.

Well, if they all look the same, can’t we just grab the first one we see, say good-bye, and leave?

By sheer luck, Mr. A happened to be in the first row for the ceremony and we found photos and video of him on the USNA Facebook site taking the Oath.

After the ceremony, the Plebes were dismissed and we had about 30 minutes to spend with Mr. A. My first impression of him when I saw him with the shaved head, government issued glasses, and the over-sized jumper was that he looked like he did when he was in kindergarten. (No, I never dressed him in a sailor suit!)

Midshipmen aren't allowed to wear their contacts during Plebe Summer and are issued BCGs - Birth Control Glasses - so called because he'll never get a date while wearing them!

Mr. A was tired but I could tell by the tone in his voice and the look in his face that he was perfectly fine. He was in his element. All of my worry evaporated. I knew that this new phase of his life would be challenging but that he was definitely ready for it. I didn’t even need to talk to him. I just sat and listened while he called his grandparents, his girlfriend, and then described his day to us.

When it was time to say good-bye, we all hugged A. My Sweetie choked up. G-Man with all of his complaining that day even choked up when he hugged his big brother. My eyes welled with tears but this time from love and pride. Mr. A gave me an extra kiss on my forehead, said Adios, and walked back to his Company.

Then our family of three gathered our things and walked (I hobbled) back to town. We stopped at the very first restaurant we came to and had and excellent dinner. We toasted Mr. A and the Class of 2015.

Kicked Butt and Historic Buildings

Life of late has kicked my butt. More specifically, my old nemesis Epstein-Barr has reared its ugly head again. I thought I was fatigued from our hectic schedule in May and June. Then our roundtrip road trip to Annapolis added to my fatigue. I tried to deny it for the past two weeks but that train of thought just isn’t working any longer. Time to face the facts… EB is back.

There’s not much I can really do about it other than live as healthy of a lifestyle as I can and WAIT. Yea, that’s the hard part. Waiting without letting my spirits take a nosedive because I feel like crap.

In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a slideshow of some of the historic buildings I saw in Annapolis. The only building we actually went in was the Maryland Inn where we stayed. The interior photo is looking up one of the stairwells in the Inn. Another is a view of the harbor from our hotel room. The other buildings I simply snapped photos of because they caught my eye. I loved the contrast between the uniform row houses and the buildings of varying height. The lone Victorian house really stands out in a Colonial town like Annapolis. The dome of the Maryland State House is under restoration so it’s all covered up. I’m sure it will be finished sometime in the next four years and I’ll get a photo of it then.

Touring the Yard

Now that we're home and I have access to several rather speedy internet networks, I can share some of the photos I took while in Annapolis. I've got to admit that I didn't take as many photos as I would have liked because eldest son's nerves were rubbing off on me.

These photos are from our tour of the Yard (that's Navy-speak for the USNA Campus):

One view of Bancroft Hall. This building is enormous! Bancroft Hall, also known as Mother B, is the dorm for the entire Brigade of Midshipmen (approximately 4,500 students). The building consists of 8 wings, 5 stories ("decks"), has 1,700 dorm rooms, and contains offices, laundry, cobbler, store, and a barber shop. There are 4.8 miles of corridors and all 5 floors total 33 acres. Bancroft Hall is so large and houses so many people that it has its own Zip Code.

Rotunda of Bancroft Hall as seen from the front doors.

Rotunda as seen from the top of the stairs.

Entrance to the Commandant's Office.

Sample dorm room. Mr. A will share his room with two other Plebes.

View of Bancroft Hall from the front. Tecumseh Court is set up for the Oath Ceremony.

Dahlgren Hall was originally the armory. Now it's used for social funtions, meetings, indoor training, etc...

Dahlgren Hall interior. We saw photos of an ice rink set up inside. I'm not sure if that's still done.

The Chapel dome.

Chapel

Chapel interior. We also visited the crypt of John Paul Jones underneath the Chapel. Unfortunately, I couldn't get any decent photos. So I had to borrow one from the Academy's website.

The most awesome swiming pool ever! (drool)

Bronze statue of the Delaware figurehead.

Herdon Monument. Next Spring the Class of 2015 will climb Herdon.

Brothers. Really, they do love each other.

Oath Ceremony

"Sign on, young man, and sail with me. The stature of our homeland is no more than the measure of ourselves. Our job is to keep her free. Our will is to keep the torch of freedom burning for all. To this solemn purpose we call on the young, the brave, the strong, and the free. Heed my call, Come to the sea. Come sail with me."

- John Paul Jones

Photos courtesy of the United States Naval Academy via USNA Facebook.

Book Review: A Discovery of Witches

With nothing else going on in my life, I decided to join BlogHer's Book Club. Click on over to read my review of A Discovery of Witches.