It's 5PM & It's NOT Happy Hour...

Delima? It's 5PM & I just took dinner out of the freezer...

I already told BH that we'd be having Mahi Mahi for dinner,

Problem, It's frozen solid..

Clunk Clunk ..I bang the fish on the counter...

Yup, It's good & frozen...

Okay,, Maybe we can have Pizza...

Standing at the counter, I feel the heat from our Dishwasher,

Have you ever had one of those LIGHT BULB Moments??

What if I put the Mahi-Mahi in the dishwasher? Would it defrost?

In the fish goes, (Yes, it was sealed, double sealed)

5 Minutes later it was perfectly defrosted...WOW

~

5 Minutes after that, It's on the Grill

Lemon Pepper Grilled Mahi Mahi, Couscous Pilaf

& Balsamic Glazed Green Beans

In the words of Rachael Ray, Dinner was YUM-O

**Never be afraid to use your appliances for creative ways to prepare dinner!

My Office Window!

When you look out of your office window, What do you see?? This is my view, Or Rather, this was my view on 15 Aug from LGA to MIA! This was my last flight for awhile...So I snapped lots & lots of photos, To remember the GOOD STUFF!

If you are on the 1st flight of the day, this may be what you get to see... My Clean Office!!

It was a long flight ,,, So I took a 5 minute break, So I could snap the above photos for you all.

Starting 1 September, I will start an Overage leave, I took off September/October & November, I may or may not return to flying in December... Depending on the Furlough numbers that will post in September (Fingers Crossed)
I had a passengers ask me "Aren't you afraid of flying?",,, I asked her, "How did you get here?", She said, I Drove, I then asked her "Aren't you afraid to drive?",, I'd rather be 30,000 feet up, than sitting in traffic!! I dislike driving...

Keep Flying... Please ... I Need a JOB!

How long does it take you to get to work!

If you read the AirlineReporters Blog about:

Exclusive Interview: A Flight Attendant on Crashpads

This was a comment that was left by Temo:

Wow, I was one of the people that imagined flight attendants living in nice hotel rooms that the airlines paid for. You always see the flight attendants and the pilots leaving in small groups and always thought to myself, “there they go, on to their nice hotels”. This is a great story and interview. Thanks for posting!

I got a great laugh out of that, I too, thought all Flight Crews just popped out of their Limo's looking fresh & rested ready for a great day in the Air!....I thought this, Prior to becoming a Flight Attendant... Yes Temo, we do get to SLEEP in "nice hotels" on occasion... anywhere from 8 Hours to 33 Hours for domestic (US) Trips!,, These rooms are indeed paid for by our companies...

Crashpads are paid for by you guessed it >>>US, The Flight Attendants, Pilots & anyone else who sleeps in one! Most people assume the company pays for our Crashpads,,, Nope!! Only place I know that pays for their Flight Crews is in Dubai, I am sure there are several others overseas, but not here in the U.S.!

This got me to thinking the other day, When you see "The Fresh and Relaxed Flight Attendants" stepping out of the Crew Van, Those are usually the ones that have just slept in that nice layover hotel, Here is something else you don't see, Just how long does it take us to get to that point?

I commute from Columbia, South Carolina to New York (LGA, or JFK) Depending on the day,,, It has taken me on average anywhere from 8 Hours to 13 Hours just to get to work or the crashpad! How can this be? The flight from South Carolina to New York is only 1:30 hours.

Let's look at my last trip:

Depart House: 1400

Drive: 2.5 hours to CHS (Charleston International Airport)

Flight Departs: 1845 (US Air flight) Didn't make that flight

Next Flight: 1930 (Delta) Made my "backup" flight!

Board: 1950

Flight Departs: 2015 (1.40 Flight Time)

Arrive New York's LGA Airport: 2210

Walk to Crash Pad: 20 Minutes

1st Glass of Wine: 2230

My Flight is the next day & departs at 1400, An entire 24 hours after I have left my home for Work!!!

And, This was a Good Day!!! I can promise you ,, I do not arrive to my CrashPad looking: Fresh, Relaxed or Cute,

Today I am playing with the Commute Gods,, I am NOT going to fly in the day before, No...No...I am going to fly in tomorrow, the Day of my trip...since my work flight departs very late in the afternoon, CLT to JFK I am leaving myself 4 flights on 3 different airlines to get me to work,,

Wish me Luck!!!

PS: Again, These flights are not paid for my the company,, If you choose to "Commute", It's ON ME,, how I get to work!

Keep your questions & comments coming... FlyAArmy@gmail.com

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, My Co-Worker commutes from SHANGHAI!

********UPDATE******

Another Flight Attendant & His Commute ....

Check it out: His Commute

What is a Crash Pad?

Do you Twitter? I do, I love it... There is a huge & diverse Aviation group on Twitter, I believe between all of us, We could run a great Airline!

I was taken aback a few weeks ago, When a statement came across my Tweets from @AirlineReporter He says~~~I know lots about "Airlines", yet I don't know what

a "CrashPad" is? Ahhh, Blog Time... I feel honored to have been interviewed by

David, in an Exclusive Interview: A Flight Attendant on Crashpads

There are nights when I am thrilled to return to my "Bunk Bed" @ my "Crash Pad"

& sleep for a few hours before the next flight, You have to laugh when you hear others say "Ohhhh I could NEVER Do that"...

I dream of a Fantasy Crash Pad, Where everyone has their own room & bathroom, Maybe someday when I win the Lotto!.. I also think I'd use another name for it... I don't like "CRASH" in the name of where I sleep!,, Luxury Pad? Dream Land Pad? Free Wine & Sleep Pad?

Thank You, David for the opportunity to share a Day in the life of a Crash Pad"

Where have you been all my Non Revving Life?

Are you a Non-Revver?

If so, You are going to love this! I don't know how I have lived my Non-Revving life without this Web-Sight It is called NonRev Check-In & if you hurry and join soon, you to can have this Web-Sight at your fingertips for all your NonRev travels needs... All for the low, low price of 27.49 you can get a Lifetime Membership to this service. But wait... If you call in the next 10 minutes..

Okay, I jumped into my Billy Mays moment...

UPDATE: Use this Coupon Code "UPUP" for $2.00 off your Lifetime Membership!

NonRev Check In . . .does so much more for you than just give you a Green Light, They will Email or Text you Alerts, & Alert you, when they check you in (On US Air)! Does your company do that? Mine Doesn't..

Some of the features I love:

• Great Hotel & Rental Car Rates
• ZED Fare Calculator
• Phone Numbers for the 130 Airlines they monitor
• I love the Route 66 Road Trip Link
• So much more,,,,

So, What are you waiting on, Check it out for yourself... Don't want to spend the money yet, It's okay they have a One day free trail! If you are an Airline Employee, Active, Retired, You have to have this!

I was stuck in Barcelona last year, This web-sight would of saved my sanity!

I'm so glad I'm a member now!,, It's about time someone started looking out for us Airline Employees!!!

Passengers say the darnest things...

And, So do the Children!

I wished I had started writing down some of the cute & funny things passengers say...

Some are just down right precious, some are silly,,, but this last statement from my

1st time flyer Amiee, was just Too Adorable!

Mom, lets Amiee board first, while Mom is behind her informing me
"This is her first flight"... oh course I make a big TaaaaaDoooo about the event...

escorting Amiee to the flight deck.. Amiee was polite & used her manners, said

"Yes, Sir & No, Sir" "Yes, Ma'am, No, Ma'am" when spoken too..
Amiee was not very impressed with the Flight Deck . . . .

Amiee popped into my galley, "What's that?" She says... That is the Coffee Pot..

"What's that?" she says, This is my Oven I inform her,

Then she points to the First Class Lavitory Door, "Mom, What's that?",

Mom, tells her >>That's the Bathroom!!

Amiee looks at me & says,,, "Is that one just for the Girls?"!!

Of course I said "Yes, It's just for us girls"!!!

What makes a good Marriage?.....Seventy Five Cents

Today ,,, My Better Half & I celebrate our 18th Wedding Anniversary... We were married on the 4th of July,

I know I know today is the 18th of July,,  As a Flight Attendant & A Soldier, We don't always get to celebrate on "Our Date",,    We celebrate today:   We arrived in California last night to check out Napa Valley!!  On this date I did want to share with you,    What Makes a GOOD Marriage!

Okay, I honestly don't have a CLUE what makes a good marriage, Sorry folks, I can answer that!! But wait..Before you click off my Blog, I do have a story to share with you, That can help in ANY Relationship you're in!!

While I was based in Germany, My Better Half (BH) came to visit me on an R&R from Iraq, It was great!!! While preparing to leave, We hit the laundry mat, We had our dollars out, stood in line & got our quarters...I made sure we had enough quarters for the wash & we had 75 Cents left over for the dryers!, We had 3 loads of laundry, & to dry 3 loads was 25 cents a load.. Ergo ~ 75 Cents!

Well, While waiting for our clothes in the wash we ran across the street to the Post Exchange (PX) Walked the isles, flipped thru a few magazines & 30 minutes later, the BH informed me, He'd run across the street to check on our clothes,,
"Isn't he thoughtful", I say to myself, He returns a few minutes later & he says he put the clothes in the dryer!

Now, I know what you are thinking, Why is she blogging about this, She has a good husband, He does laundry, I bet her even takes out the trash, & He does!!

I'm a very picky person when it comes to laundry!, Lights, Darks, Jeans, Towels they all have their place, Don't act like you don't know what I'm talkin about!...

We returned to pull our Clean, Dry, clothes out of the dryers..NO? 
We returned to pull our Clean, Dry, clothes our of the D R Y E R!

Singular..

He took all Three loads of clean clothes & put them all in ONE Dryer!

I shoot him a look, "If you are married you know this look"

I said to him,, "What did you do?" 

To dry was 25 Cents per dryer, We had three loads, Three Dryers, A quarter each..

Right??

He said to me,, "The Clothes are DRY, Wasn't that the point?"

Are you Kidding ME??

We exchanged a few Sweet Words to one another!!

Moral of the story? 

It got done! There is more than One way, to get a task done!

Now when the BH & I get into a situation about how to tackle an event, We say
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS, BABY! SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS...

BH & I had to attend a mandatory Marriage Retreat, (Yes, Mandatory) The U.S. Army is trying to help the divorce rate we have... Good Call, While in our retreat, We were asked what is the "Secret to your marriage?" Okay,, They asked all of us.. We giggled & Said "Seventy Five Cents" & Then the BH Fessed up ,,, & I don't do laundry...EVER!

Happy 4th of July Everyone!  (If you see any Fireworks tonight, Not to Worry, IT's JUST US!!)

Skip the Salad!!

Tonight was "Date Night", So loaded up with our coupon from Valpak,,, We headed to the "Melting Pot" here in Columbia!
We had their special, A 4 Course meal, Including a Bottle of Wine!! 1st Course is the Cheese Fondue!,, We got the Cheddar Fondue, Our friends got the Quartro Formmage..(There's was better, don't tell them) We shared & Fun was had by all!
I like Salt & I like Pepper,, But our wait staff brought out, Garlic & Wine Seasoning,,, Ohhhhhh HELLO!! Wine in Powder form, I love it!!

I know what you are thinking, & No It didn't fall into my purse!

At some point the "Salad" Came out, This is just a little FYI from me...

"SKIP THE SALAD",,, Next Course.... The good Stuff...
Our wait staff gave us this "Spoon", They call it a RESCUE Spoon,, << It helped me ..Rescue our Shrooms, Taters & Broccoli

We had Fillet, Salmon, Shrimp, Terikai Sirloin....& Chicken!,,Rule of thumb here is... If it walks on Land, Give it 2 Minutes in the pot , If it swims, give it a 1.5 minutes!

Simple ,, Good I can remember that!

Now all 3 of the course prior to this are nice, Very Nice...

However now, you get the chance to pick something from the Chocolate Food Group!

Milk, White or Dark, We got the "Flaming Dark"!!!

Why do you think Chocolate tastes better when it's been set on fire?

Now you can use your skills to skewer your goodies: To include but not limited to:

Strawberries, Brownies, Bananas, Pound Cake, Cheese Cake, Marshmallows

and my Favorite Rice Krispie Treats!!!!! What? They could NOT think of any more

sugary items to include here!

Oh, you have to have NUTS!

Our dessert, also included liquor... I was already headed for a food coma, I just wanted to expedite it!

Thank You, Melting Pot for the fantastic 4 Course Meal, & Thank You

Larry & Mandy for joining us for their last outing here in Columbia,

& Thanks ValPak for the Coupon!

I'm Baaaaaaaaaaack...

As, we last left the Reserve Flight Attendant, She was sitting in her Crash Pad waiting for the phone to ring & It did at 2:08pm to inform her she in fact had a Trip,,,,, Ahhhh, but to where.... Seattle Washington, & this was not just any trip, any layover, This was a Fantasy trip & a Fantasy layover, How can this be you ask?? I'll tell you:

1st off it was over 30 hours, This is basically unheard of anymore at any airline & especially for a "Domestic" trip!

2nd I had the best crew, They were all Wonderful

3rd Our pick up van was a "Stretch Limo"

4th Did I mention it was over 30 hours??? This means, To a Flight Attendant we get to SLEEP & We get to eat we don't have to decide on just one of those options! On top of that, I got to shop in Pikes Market & even had time to see a Movie

5th I got to meet one of my favorite Tweeter Peeps, Thanks for the "Wine" Mr. Elliott

6th It was over the 4th of July, So I got to see Fireworks & I even got to see Mount Rainier

http://

The only thing that could of made this trip better, Would of been to have shared it with my Better Half, As it was our 18th Wedding Anniversary... With all the cut backs in the airline industry, The flights are so full, I could not get him on the flight!,,, Tis okay, We will celebrate our 4th of July Wedding Anniversary on the 11th of July!! If you see any fireworks on that evening ..Not to worry it is just US, Celebrating!! *Cheers!

Reserves: Like playing Craps

Sitting on Reserve Duty at times can be like playing Craps...

Should I??? or Shouldn't I???

Today I am sitting on what we call "Ready Reserve" meaning they (aka: My Company) doesn't have anything for me just now, but be on the Ready! THEY..Give us a relative position on where our standing is last night for example I was 25 out of 52..Pretty much in the middle... This morning when I work up I was 9 out of 30, As of typing this blog I am 4 out of 29.... Odds are looking pretty decent that I will fly this evening....Or Will I???

So, what does "Relative position" mean, Not a Darn Thing!!!!!

This leads to the question..While waiting for this "Phone Call" ...Do I leave the crash pad & go off on a New York City adventure or do I sit & wait for my phone to ring,,, Decisions, Decisions.... This is not a new question to me, this is a long lived question, that has been passed down for years and years from Flight Attendants.

There are only so many times you can just sit & check to see if any Trips have popped into Open Time.. This can happen rather quickly, A Flight Attendant can call in Sick, A Flight Attendant can go go illegal ..So many variables...You can look at the computer & nothing, totally blank, check again in an hour to see 4 trips...As you sit there & pray...OH Please almighty Crew Scheduler, Please give me the 33 hour Seattle layover & POOOOOOOF, It's gone,,,,

DID I get it???? I'll look.... "No" Huff...

Time to go back to my Twitter..... To take my mind off things for awhile...

SPEECHLESS

There have been 3 times in my entire life, I've been speechless

• The day my Husband asked me to Marry him
• The day my Son was placed in my arms, the day he was born
• My US Air flight I had today

What do you say, When the passenger sitting next to you, leans over whispers in your ear "I'm a passenger from the US Air "Miracle" flight 1549?

As I was boarding my flight today for New York, The US Air Flight Attendant asked me, "Are you the last one?"... I was.. being a Stand-By passenger we are usually last, that's okay...When trying to get to work, you'll take any seat...

The Flight Attendant leaned in & asked me, "Could you please sit here.." pointing to a First Class seat, I think "SCORE"... Oh no... She had a something up her sleeve...So I traded my row 15 to sit in First Class ......
What would you say to someone who just whispered that in your ear? A million things ran thru my mind & all that came out of my mouth was " I have no idea what to say to you"...Her next words were "Will you hold my hand on Take Off?"... Again, what do you say NO?

As, I held her hand, I thought to myself...Just how would I act, if I had been thru what she had been thru, .. I asked her "Where were you sitting?", She says "In the back" The hairs on the back of my neck were now standing at attention. Our flight was one hour and 20 minutes long & She spoke One hour and 19 minutes of them... She had my undivided attention.

99% of the time while commuting, I read a book or watch the movie and try my best to avoid conversations with passengers, Oh no, not her.. She wanted to talk & I was pretty interested in what she had to say, Think about it, How often do we get to speak to someone who has been in a"Crash" ...."Water Landing?"...

I am going to keep alot of what she told me private, to respect her and what she has been thru... Beside "The Book" is due out in November 2009. The one thing she said that I will share with you that I find very enlightening was: She informed me she went to the NTSB briefings... she was impressed that alot of the NTSB board reps came up and hugged them, I asked "Why did they do that" She said she asked them the same question, their response was: "They always are having to meet and speak with the Family Members of crash victims, It was rare they actually got to MEET with the passengers themselves. WOW, did that hit me right between the eyes...

If I don't remember anything else about US Air flight 1549, I will remember this special lady and her thoughts about being a survivor!

Welcome Back......You're furloughed....

Most of you know I've been away from flying for the past 3 years, Due to being mobilized for the U.S. Army....

1st flight back...A Turn, 0500 sign in, Compounded by the fact I arrived at my crashpad at 0220, 13 hours to get from CLT (Charlotte, NC) to LaGuardia (New York City) I pretty much think, I could of driven it that time, This was a True Welcome Back!!

This is also the day I received my "Furlough Notice", Nothing new to me, This will make my 3rd furlough with my company... Nothing like Welcome Back...You're furloughed! Wonder how long this one will last?


When I was hired I promised the company, "I'll cut my hair & I'll move anywhere" ...Not, "Cut my salary & Stand in the unemployment line" while flying over the past 5 days, I'd like to say I put the "Furlough" thoughts on back burner, This wasn't easy as every Flight Attendant I flew with was losing their job as well! Needless to say, We laughed, giggled & talked about our future plans, while we're grounded.. (Are you Hiring?)


Day 1, I swear my bags were light, by the 4th day they were heavier...What happens??? 50 Pounds, My bags need to go on a diet!


I had a great 4 days of flying.. On the 5th day, I actually felt like I had been hit by a Mack Truck You'd think the transformation from Soldier to Flight Attendant would be a breeze, I forget just how much twisting & turning & lifting & weird hours & walking & pulling & tugging there was.

My 5th day slapped me back into reality, No Pity Party for me!...No No.. I was now flying with 2 of the coolest TWA Flight Attendants, a 70 year old & a 62 year old who put me to shame with their "Perkyness" ...

I Promise I will enjoy my last days of flying, Even with a Smile on my face, just understand some days that smile my actually be fake!

My 1st day "Laviators" Welcome Back picture... Glading's Laviators...

Curaçao......What State is that in?????

Kon ta Bai?

In a recent call to MrBudgetRentACar, I inquired about a price for a car for our Mini-Holiday in Curaçao... His reply "Curaçao? What state is that in?"..

Okay, No Problem ... Alot of folks don't know where Curaçao is.. I didn't either...So, I can understand his frustration. In 1991 as a Travel Agent Trainee I had to do my final report on the Island of Curaçao, A short 18 years later The Better Half and I arrived!!

Facts: Curaçao is 44 miles off the coast of Venezuela, 2.5 hours by flight from Miami. It is one of the five islands of the Netherlands Antilles in the Caribbean & is perfectly situated just outside of the hurricane belt! You can find all these facts online > My Favorite source is: http://www.wikitravel.org/

Curaçao not what I expected, I expected Lush & Tropical, What we got was Arid & Desert like!
We rented the car so we could see the Island, We are not ones to just Veg on the beach....Although we did to a bit of that as well!, I mean, When in Curacao...

Knowing we only had 4 days in Curaçao, We wanted to see as much as we could, I mean the island is only 171 total square miles, How long could it actually take? We didn't get to see it all!! One is because there are very few paved roads & Two because we found so many interesting places to stop & look at. Our favorite was the National Park Shete Boka. SEE Here: If you click on the Album, It will enlarge it!
http://

We also fell in love with all of the Old Military Forts they had built, Hundreds of years ago, We stayed near one of them at the Renaissance Curacao Resort & Casino, At Rif Fort!

We dined in another at Fort Nassau! What splendid history!

http://

Last but not least, Food:

http://

We can't wait to return to Curacao, Our next trip will be entirely for Diving!

-Bon Bini

What are you looking at???

My Better Half says to me "People are staring at you",
I'm like...."AND?",,,

We are going thru security in the Charlotte International Airport...
I slip on my footies & march myself thru.....

Okay, I may not make the Ten Best Dressed list, That's not what
I'm going for here... I'm trying to keep Cooties off of the bottom
of my feet.. Ask yourself this question: Have you ever seen
anyone mop those floors or vacuum those carpets??

I'm just sayin...

You all look & point if you need to, I'm going to keep wearing my footies!


We make it to the hotel in Miami, We check in, We've been Upgraded..
(Thank You, Crowne Plaza)...
We are Upgraded to the Quiet Zone, Huh... ??
Okay, I'm all for being quiet in a Hotel...
Not a good picture, I will share with you the highlights of this sign...

• No Marching Bands
• No Circus Animals
• No Children (My Favorite)
• Ensure doors do not Slam
• No Loud Signing in the Shower
• Keep TV's & Radios turned down low
• Housekeeping doesn't even appear till 10AM

Tell me, You don't love this place!!??!!

They forgot to add to this sign for the Planes to keep it to a dull roar, being that we are in the direct flight line for Miami International Airport.

Time to eat, No room service for us.... We ran across the street to the Latin Cafe... for a"Cuban Sandwich",,, Deeeeelish...Time for dream land.... We have a flight to Curacao tomorrow...

To be continued......

When did this happen?

When did this happen, While The Better Half & I were cruising last month, one of our lunches came with French Fries, The waiter approaches & asks, "Care for American Sauce?".....

Whaaaaaaaaaaa...??? When did we change the name of Ketchup to American Sauce, it even says Ketchup on the label....

I'm all about "American" trust me,,, We were even married on the 4th of July!!!

This really threw me for a loop, I looked at the BH, giggled and said, Oh here is my next blog!!

I ate my French Fries with my American sauce, Remember when we tried to change the name to American Fries, (That didn't work)... Are other countries upset that Ketchup is not called Kiwi Sauce? Down Under Sauce? Thai Sauce? UAE Sauce? You get the idea!

I forgot to Blog about this till I got this email from my Mother today..Ahhhhh

Thanks, Momma....

***************A*Short*Funny*********************************

"A LITTLE THREE YEAR OLD BOY IS SITTING ON THE TOILET.

HIS MOTHER THINKS HE HAS BEEN IN THERE TOO LONG, SO
SHE GOES IN TO SEE WHAT'S UP.

THE LITTLE BOY IS GRIPPING ON TO THE TOILET SEAT WITH HIS LEFT HAND
AND HITTING HIMSELF ON TOP OF THE HEAD WITH HIS RIGHT HAND.

HIS MOTHER SAYS: 'BILLY, ARE YOU ALRIGHT? YOU'VE BEEN IN HERE FOR A
WHILE, BILLY SAYS: 'I'M FINE, MOMMY. I JUST HAVEN'T GONE 'DOODY' YET.'

MOTHER SAYS: 'OK, YOU CAN STAY HERE A FEW MORE MINUTES. BUT, BILLY, WHY ARE YOU HITTING YOURSELF ON THE HEAD?'

BILLY SAYS: 'WORKS FOR KETCHUP.'"

The Dragon

Memorial Day Weekend: We finally did it...

Tail of the Dragon!

What a wonderful way to spend a long weekend, For those of you reading this

who have never heard of Tail of the Dragon, It is an 11 Mile stretch of road with 318 Curves located on U.S. 129 in North Carolina. Motorcycles come to the "The Dragon" by the thousands yearly. It took us about 2 years to plan our trip there, & what a trip it was.

If you are up in that area Cherohola Skyway is a MUST, It is actually a prettier

drive than "The Dragon" & not nearly as curvy.. Ha Ha, Just look at the GPS

above that's not to curvy now is it? We thought we'd be bombarded by Memorial Day traffic, it was pretty much ..Non Existent.

The Better Half & The CouchRocket!!

Yes, American still has some fantastic "Off the beaten path" drives ...

This area is an A++ in our book, We can't wait to do it again...

What's the Difference?

I overheard a young girl today asking "What is Memorial Day" As, I strained to hear her Father reply...He said: "It's a day we thank Veterans".. "So, it's like Veterans Day" she said..

He giggled, & said "It's a 3 day Weekend"

Well, he's partially right...

It is more than a 3 day weekend Mr.Daddy. But... . . . . .

What is the Difference between Memorial & Veterans Day?

Many people confuse Memorial Day & Veterans Day. Memorial Day is a day for remembering & honoring military personnel who died in the service of their country, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle. While those who died are also remembered on Veterans Day, Veterans Day is the day set aside to thank and honor ALL those who served honorably in the military - in wartime or peacetime. In fact, Veterans Day is largely intended to thank LIVING veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to our national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served - not only those who died - have sacrificed and done their duty. A complete history of Veterans Day, and why it is observed on November 11, can be found on the Veterans Day History Web page.

(Thank you, US Department of Veterans Affairs for this answer)

We passed a small country Cemetery today, from the road we could see 3 rows of White Crosses, We stopped, paid our respects with a prayer & a big Thank You.

In the past three years of my Military duty, I've had to participate in 4 Military funerals, I cried at everyone, Not because I knew them, or I would miss them. Because we shared a common bond & I saying goodbye to a Fellow Soldier. The only time I will not shed a tear when I hear TAPS, Is when I'm in the box!

ReeeeeeeeeeeCalculating... ARGH

This was my view for 212 Miles from Columbia, SC to Dillard, GA
It was a fantastic trip, Not to hot, Not to sunny,, Just Right...
Only problem was... My Better Half.. Mr. US Army, Halo, Pathfinder,
Airborne Ranger, feels his GPS on his Motorcycle is LYING TO HIM!

I promised my husband a Motorcycle if he came home alive from Iraq...
Two years ago, We purchased a Mack Daddy Honda Goldwing, We
lovingly call our "Couch Rocket".. This Couch Rocket has a GPS....
Nice lovely thing.. That says "Huffff...Reeee-Calculating"
every time my Better Half doesn't believe her!


Only reason I bring this up, It took us 7 hours to drive 212 miles from Columbia to
Dillard, SEVEN HOURS!,,, Longest trip we have taken on the Couch Rocket
to date as been about 2 hours... On a nice Sunday Drive!

Better Half's way is ---> "WE GO DUE WEST"

Good thing there was a sign for that (See Above) or we'd still be driving!

On his behalf, I programed the GPS (BH doesn't know how to) to stay off the Highways,
I am aware this adds time to your journey, we had calculated this ...
Had hubby believed Ms GPS we wouldn't of done the 100 U Turns we did,
We ended up in some Kuunn-Treeeee!!

Tomorrow we will attempt Tail of the Dragon , 11 Miles // 318 Turns
Wonder how long that will take us!

Wish us luck!