Some late pix, but better late than never! These were taken when Kristin visited Jeff and Anna Mae with Grammy and Poppop in the Pocono Mountains. Airplanes, guns, and four wheelers!
Kristin seems comfortable enough…but who’s that on the back?
It’s Grammy! Hi Grammy! Why you lookin’ so…down? Kristin driving a little aggressively?
Get the guns! We’ll really have some fun! Right Grammy? Grammy? Where’d she go?
(Original post 10/22/08 — repost 11/8/083
As many of you know, Karen, Paris and I were recently in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania for six days. I planned on taking a ton of pictures and video, but we got so wrapped up in the “enjoying” our company part that we didn’t really shoot much footage of any of them. This is especially true with Kristin and Cameron (the two we should have shot most!).
I do have some video I’ll try to piece together, and Sami was busy firing away with his camera. Maybe he’ll share?
In the meantime, I received a DVD in the mail today from USNA courtesy of the Parents’ fund. It’s a video detailing the fun known as “Plebe Summer”. This is a generic USNA piece…it is not the video I expect to receive soon that will feature more of Mark. But! At the very beginning of this Plebe Summer video, you’ll see footage of our young man humping that damn zodiac he thought was so funny (until he had to carry it, row it and carry it again). He may appear a couple of more times as well, but any of you that have searched through thousands of photos (like I have) know that “they all start to look alike”…
This thing is 18 minutes long. It’s “okay”…it’s not going to rock your world, but it does offer some insight into the USNA experience and Plebe Summer. If you have a chunk of time and you’re in the mood to learn about the madness, hit the “play” button.
Enjoy –
I’m trying to get away from the need for a YouTube link. YouTube doesn’t play nice with videos over 10 minutes long, and I thought the quality was just so-so. Since I’m on a Mac, I picked Quicktime as my default video player. My website host also prefers Quicktime. For you Windows Mediaplayer freaks out there…sorry. You probably have Quicktime on your machines anyway. If not…it’s free to download.
Make sure the video loads a bit before you hit “play”.
We’re using flash video now courtesy of our friends at Bill Webb Studio (no relation…sorry). We owe them our thanks! And I owe them some money…
Okay! First off, some of you don’t wait for the infamous “Update!” email to arrive before checking in at Trunzo.com. Normally this would bring tears of joy to my eyes.
But we live in an imperfect world, and I don’t claim to be an expert at this stuff. So…some of you that checked in found a post that wasn’t behaving…
For those that don’t know, I tried like crazy to post a video of Plebe Summer courtesy of the Academy. I had it working (well), and then it stopped cooperating. I’ve taken the post down because it was preventing the entire site from loading in a timely fashion. That’s the bad news…
But there’s good news! I have an expert looking into our “issues”, and once the problem is resolved, I will get the post back up! The video in question is “okay”, but we need to get this working. Real videos are coming! We want to make sure we’ve got all of our ducks in a row!
Let’s talk October! As many of you know, Karen, Paris and I were in New York, New jersey and Pennsylvania earlier in the month. Some of this is covered in the post that’s now down, but play along here, okay? Anyway, one thing you can’t do in Florida is play in the autumn leaves. Being a good Mom, Karen promised Paris that we’d go back “up North” this Fall to do just that! And we got lucky! We had some leaves, and we had some cousins, and we had neighbors, and we had fun!
Paris, Stephen and Troy after Poppop fired up the leaf blower! But wait! More leaf fun!
Unfortunately, I didn’t get any pictures of Grace! There was a lot going on…maybe she was busy helping Grammy or something? Grace! We need pictures!
Oh! Speaking of pictures…
We met Crissy and Kirk for brunch on Sunday morning. Kristin and Cameron joined us too…Nina’s! Everyone’s favorite spot for brunch! Karen and I pull up to the parking area, and what do we see? We see someone dressed in the exact clothes Karen is wearing. Karen is laughing hysterically…apparently this happens often whenever she and Crissy go anywhere together. They swear there’s no planning involved…no phone calls…anyway, Kristin popped this on her cell phone –
Trust me. Even the damn pants and shoes were the same.
Speaking of “looks”, the beginning of October marks the Naval Academy’s changeover in the world of fashion. Gone are the Summer Whites (that so many of us kinda don’t like) — in come the Dress Blues! The blue is actually black, but who’s going to argue with the Navy? Check out the look (another cell phone shot):
Mark on the left (could you tell?), Susie, Alyssa (Susie’s sister), and of course…Cameron (green shoes and all). That was taken on Columbus Day weekend when the mids had TWO overnight liberties courtesy of the most incredible, most awesome-est, best-ever, coolest damn Commandant on the Face of the Planet…
Captain Klunder! Here he is with Mark and friends –
In case you’re wondering, he’s the guy with all the gold on his hat…
Captain Klunder is a true leader. He’s certified qualified to fly somewhere in the neighborhood of 41 aircraft, he’s done the whole carrier thing, and he’s even been filmed in “compromising” positions for YouTube videos just to boost morale. The mids will throw themselves under a bus for this guy. I, for one, will give him a bug hug and a kiss when I see him next.
[UPDATE} 11/3 3:48 AM Mark sent this insight about Captain Klunder after reading the original post:
Dad — Really cool update about Capt. Klunder:
USNA had its Halloween concert in the chapel this weekend It sold out within two hours of tickets being on sale. It’s that good. Anyway, Captain Klunder went to the Friday showing. Mr. Houck (my squad leader) stayed after on Saturday night to help clean up the miles of cables and the mess. As he’s backing up blowing confetti up to the wall, he bumps into someone. He turns around to apologize, and he sees Capt. Klunder on his hands and knees in sweatpants cleaning the floor. Capt. Klunder didn’t even go to the Saturday night show. After he put his kids to bed that night he headed over just to help clean up. That man is awesome. The Commandant of Midshipmen is on the ground cleaning the floor. He is probably the best Commandant the Academy has ever had. Mark
Halloween!
So, a lot of you think that Florida is full of “old” people that shuffle around and hit the early bird dinners. Some of you even think we’re nuts for moving here. Wellll…
Let me tell ya’. Our sleepy little town of Venice was packed with kids trick-or-treating the local merchants on Halloween! It was literally elbow-to-elbow on the sidewalks, and everyone was having a great time! Here’s some afternoon downtown action:
That was the “slow” end of the street. Paris was just tuning up.
So. What was she? C’mon! She was a Monster Bride! Here’s a better look:
And check this out! These next two pictures Paris took herself. She was “trying on” her costume a few days before Halloween, and she decided to help herself to my desk, my chair, and my computer. Kids today are amazing, and she has no trouble firing up my Mac’s iSight camera and having some fun. She did this all by herself…I found these on my computer two days later:
She did the effects by herself too. Not bad, right?
Back to Halloween. “Old” people need to stay young too, and I say this with only the utmost affection…but these two were older than dirt. But they’re having fun!
Seriously…her costume made her look younger…
We had a great time! Paris hit downtown, then she hit the neighborhood. I followed her and a friend around in the limo (i.e. golf cart), and when they wanted to get soemwhere fast, they hopped in and I hit the gas. Karen and the friend’s Mom even jumped in every once in awhile (with Karen riding the back like a caddy…priceless!).
So! I ask for a graduation picture from the older kiddies, and what do I get? I get a horse.
It’s a very nice horse, and it’s a horse Kristin drew in her art class. Kristin is acing the art class…unlike one of her siblings who shall remain unnamed. That particular sibling set a record in art…let’s just leave it at that.
Back to Kristin: her graduation/yearbook photos were scheduled last Spring. Unfortunately, the school was “in flames” (as she puts it) when her session was scheduled. She had to reschedule a session which took place just a few weeks ago. Being a bad Dad, I forgot all of this. Actually, I probably forgot it because the “in flames” part turned out to be a smoky fire in the auto shop. I was ready to do 110 mph over to the school when she sent the “the school is in flames” text to me, but I quickly reconsidered when I learned what was really going on. Ha-ha! She just cracks me up…
But that’s a lot of information. A great story for me to tell my grandkids someday! Oh yeah…
So! Let me present to you…Kristin’s addition to the mix:
I think she did a nice job!
Wow. Long title…
Okay! If you have not read the prior post (the one just below this one), please give it a quick read. You’ll have a much better chance of understanding what’s happening in this video if you’re armed with some background first.
This is a YouTube linked video. The quality is just so-so as a result. I have a high res version if anyone falls in love with it…which I doubt. I do not claim to be good at this. I will try to get better. Bear with me…
Here it is Friday already — I’m so late with this update that it borders on silly.
Last week I was invited by a client to appear on his weekly radio show in New York — Sayegh Advice. His last name (Sayegh) is pronounced “sage”…so now you get the play on words. According to Oma (Karen’s Mom), I’m now a legitimate radio star. I have yet to hear the results of the broadcast, but I can assure all of you that live radio is not as intimidating as you might think. I don’t think I wet myself once…
So! What’s a hard-working guy and proud Dad supposed to do with his time in the Great Northeast? See the kiddies of course! Kristin, Cameron and I had a chance to relax together, eat good food, and visit close friends. We enjoyed dinner on the first night with Mary Kate (who was also kind enough to pick me up at the airport), and we also gorged ourselves on Night Two at Angelo’s with Sami, Jacquie, Jack and Cemile (Jack’s Nene and Sami’s Mom).
I had a camera with me, but I didn’t take many pictures. I also shot a lot of video, but my videography skills are poor at best…I can’t even edit the footage to make it presentable. But Sami did get one great shot of Kristin and Jack:
C’mon now…is that a great shot? Damn right it is…
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were NY days, and then it was off to Annapolis on Saturday. The plan was to see Navy play Rutgers (football) and then have dinner with Mark.
Everyone is familiar with the Marine Corps. motto, right? Semper Fidelis — always faithful. Well, Naval Academy parents have their own motto: Semper Gumby — always flexible. A Mid’s parents can plan all they want, but if the Academy decides it wants to change things, things get changed. In this case, the changes were for the better!
I was lucky enough to catch a ride to Annapolis with the great guy that runs Sami’s BMW Service Department (Craig). Sami and Craig made sure we traveled in style in a big-ass 750i that gobbled up the miles without a hiccup. On the way, we got a text message from Mark suggesting we have lunch. Lunch? Lunch wasn’t in the plan, but as it turned out, he had liberty from noon to two before the game. Wonderful! Craig set the cruise control on warp speed, and we barreled into Annapolis with several million other people attending 1st and 2nd class parents’ weekends, homecoming, 8 bazillion class reunions (including John McCain’s complete with Secret Service), and a Rutger’s fan contingent that covered the area in red.
We had a quick lunch before Mark had to bail in order to form up for the march on.
If you’ve never seen a march on, you should. 4,000 plus midshipmen hit the streets of Annapolis between the Yard and Memorial Stadium to march into the stadium and on to the field. The locals turn out to toss candy and drinks to the Mids (who are not supposed to look like they’re catching them). It’s a serious but fun parade and at this time of year, a sea of white uniforms.
The Mids form up on the field and do what they’re trained to do — look impressive. Then…and this was so cool to a newcomer like me…the Mids all pivot as one to face the Visitor’s side of the field. The Rutger’s fans may be supporting the “opposition”, but they’re Americans first and they know “cool” when they see it. Everyone in those seats got their red-draped rear-ends up out of their seats and screamed their heads off as the Mids chanted “R-U-T-G-E-R-S….go Rutgers!” Then, and again as one, the Mids all tipped their hats to the crowd in a professional manner…and the visiting crowd went bananas.
Cool, right? It gets better. The Mids pivot again as one and face the Navy side of the Stadium. The place goes ape-shit. This is a crowd that knows the drill, and in unison with the Mids (who are somehow much louder now than when they chanted the Rutgers cheer), the whole place erupts with “N-A-V-Y…GO NAVY…FIGHT!” Directly beneath me, a freakin’ cannon goes off. I kid you not. The Mids who fire the damn thing are wearing ear plugs…couldn’t they warn the rest of us? The Rutgers fans around me duck like they’re being bombed, and the stadium is a madhouse of screaming fans, flying cheerleaders, and blue and gold everywhere. Two Osprey’s fly overhead for the flyover and blow every one’s minds as they stop, hover, and take off like UFO’s. It is an incredible environment.
During the game, I roam around hoping to be able spend some time with Mark. Normally, the Mids are restricted to “Brigade seating”, but because it was Parents’ weekend for two classes, the rules were a bit relaxed. We ended up eating really messy food for a bit before he had to return to his seat about midway through the third quarter.
At halftime, I ran into Tony (our favorite pizza guy in Warwick!). Tony and I pulled a lot of hair out together during the Fall of 2007 while we both waited to hear if our sons earned their appointments. Now we both get to smile and enjoy the experience (and what an experience it is…).
When Mark returned to his seat, I joined Craig and his Dad in their seats for the rest of the game. Any of you that know Craig should become his best friend. Those of you that don’t know Craig should call Orange County BMW and schedule your car for service…even if you drive a Nissan. Craig’s seats are phenomenal! We had a blast as Navy used the final two minutes to win a very tough game. Yes!
When Navy Football emerges victorious, good things tend to happen. First, as the game progressed, we learned that a plebe had bet the Commandant (Capt. Klunder) that Navy would win. If it seems unusual that the Commandant would bet against his own team, please understand that plebes must bet the game if challenged by an upperclassman or officer, and the plebe must always take the Navy side of the bet. In this case, the bet was made when Navy was down. I don’t know what the plebe offered on her side of the bet, but the ‘Dant said “if you plebes can fire up the Brigade and help Navy win, I’ll grant you an overnight.”
Word spread like bird flu in China. Plebes sit down in the front of the Brigade, and suddenly, it looked like somebody spiked their cokes with acid. They went absolutely bat-shit trying to rally the Brigade into mass hysteria. It worked!
The Navy side of the field was pandemonium, and Navy slowly worked it’s way back into position to ultimately and dramatically win the game!
But! The bet stipulated that the overnight was to be awarded on Columbus Day weekend. The ‘Dant decided the plebes deserved more, so he awarded the overnight on the spot! Get out of Dodge, boys and girls! Absolute insanity!
As a side note, I’ve since learned that the Commandant upheld his end of the bargain for Columbus Day as well…and then some. Mark just told me that they’ll be awarded two nights of liberty for the long weekend! Let me tell you…you have to be a plebe or a parent to really appreciate just how significant this is…
Okay…back to the football game…or the aftermath, anyway:
Mark and I grabbed a cab and hit one of his favorite dinner spots — Ruth’s Chris. I’m wondering…have any of you ever seen a human being inhale about 12 ounces of steak? This kid had a filet the size of a softball covered in crab meat…and it was gone in about six seconds. He demolished an entire platter of au gratin potatoes, and he gnawed on onion rings while contemplating dessert (banana creme pie). Wow.
Then…relaxation time. We strolled over to DTA (Mid-speak for downtown Annapolis), we talked with a few friends of his (who were leaving town to do God knows what), we had more dessert (yes…more…a huge bowl of ice cream at his favorite place), we hit Bancroft Hall to grab a change of clothes, and then we crashed at my hotel. Mids love “real beds” and Mark is no exception.
Unfortunately, there was no way to know that Mark would have a day of freedom on Sunday (normally Sunday liberty is restricted to the Yard), so I had a flight to catch. Mark made arrangements with his wonderful sponsor family to spend the day kicking back at their place, and I flew back to Paradise. All in all, it was a great surprise and a great weekend!
Now…as Columbus Day rolls near, Mark’s Mom, Susie, and Susie’s family will all be in Annapolis for the long weekend. With two overnights scheduled, it’s sure to be a great time!
For us, we most likely won’t see Mark again until Christmas. He’s coming off a week of mid term exams now, and he’ll be spending Thanksgiving in New Jersey. Maybe if we’re lucky…
But we’re due back in New York in just a few short weeks! Kristin and Cameron…get ready!
Labor Day weekend! I hope everyone is enjoying a safe and happy Holiday.
We have news on a few fronts. Youngest first, shall we?
Paris finished her second full week of kindergarten. She’s adjusting very well to her new school, her new teachers, and the new demands! So much responsibility!
Cameron is playing soccer for his High School team. I haven’t been able to extract all of the details from him, but apparently the competition at this level is a little steeper than what’s he’s been faced with in the past. Maybe he can give us an update? Cameron?
Kristin is enjoying a weekend with Grammy and Herb in the Poconos. The boys had the pleasure of doing this a summer or so ago, and they had a blast — literally! Family friends Jeff and Anna Mae have a cabin on a beautiful lake complete with a private airstrip, shooting range, ATV’s and water sports. I doubt Kristin will be allowed to fly and shoot at the same time, but she’ll have fun nonetheless. Maybe she can give us an update? Kristin?
(Notice the subtle pressure to participate being applied to the kids…)
And finally, Midshipman Mark. It’s been a rough week for our oldest. He’s busy…so busy, that I won’t even go into the details. “Late night chits” (which grant permission to stay up late to study), early morning study sessions (keeping in mind that they already normally get up at 5:30), Company duties, Varsity Cross Country practice…he’s whipped. Liberty was suspended yesterday (much to his anger and disappointment), but he does have liberty today. What’s he doing first? Taking a nap…what’s that tell you?
But! Yesterday was the first Navy football game of the season! I’m not a big football fan, but you gotta love the Navy spirit and program. How many schools look like this just before a game?
Midshipmen taking their seats…think they have a few?
Yeah…there are even more!
So here’s the question of the day: can we tell where the USNA students sit?
Ahhhh…tradition! Whenever Navy scores, plebes do push ups. Did anyone catch the score yesterday? Um…the plebes did a lot of push ups. Navy won 41-13.
After the game, Mark enjoyed some fine tailgate food until about 9:30. Don’t laugh…any of you that have been to an Army or Navy game can attest that the tailgating is dead serious. Great food, and lots of it! The NJ Parents’ Club trucks down catering trailers (plural) for every home game…and they’re just one club! The various parents’ clubs and alumni associations treat the Mids incredibly well!
Here in Sunny Florida, we’re intermittently sunny. Hurricane Gustav is getting ready to slam the Louisiana coast, and we’re getting affected by some of the outer bands. That means periodic rain and gusty winds. Yesterday while on my regular bike route, I noticed the Gulf was smooth as glass. By comparison, we’re being warned of 7 to 10 foot waves today. By Gulf standards, that’s a freakin’ tsunami…
Tomorrow will be back to normal! We plan to relax today, relax tomorrow and recharge the batteries! Hope all of you do the same!
Well…we did it! We avoided the thunderstorm and hit the drum circle on the beach. Creative types gather every Saturday (big crowd) and Wednesday (medium crowd) to enjoy the tribal-like music, sip adult beverages, and maybe put a civilized edge on things by bringing a table with some cheese. Some folks have quite the spread!
Here’s the beginnings of the crowd –
And the beginnings of the “artists” –
I don’t mean to take anything away from these folks. it’s just that…well…if you have something that makes noise, you can join the circle. There are no tests to determine your ability. Amazingly, they actually pull this off quite well. The music (music?…) is relaxing and uplifting at the same time. You catch yourself enjoying it despite the freak factor.
For example…this guy obviously enjoys the show –
Wait! There’s more!
Check it out…the chick in white in the back is in tune with this guy. And hey! We have belly dancers, non-dancers, white people with no rhythm, and even hula-hoop chicks. Very impressive!
Kristin was a little freaked at first –
Paris has done this before. She taps her foot and gets into the whole thing. She finally turned Kristin around…
And then they had fun! As sunset approaches, the music gets a little nuttier and the people do too. Kristin and Paris just ignored them all and enjoyed –
Almost time to go…
We bailed just as the sun hit the horizon. There were a few hundred people on the beach, and we didn’t want to get caught in the mass exodus.
All in all, it was a good time. We enjoyed the beach, the music, and the people…Kristin even got an incredible shot of our bearded sky blue boy…she’s using it as her new wallpaper on her phone. Classic!
The Big Girls aren’t slowing down. Karen and Kristin are hitting a 9:30 movie tonight while Paris and Dad go to bed. Tomorrow’s agenda? Shopping!
Oh boy…
Kristin arrived on Thursday! We’ve been pooling it, beaching it, and otherwise soaking up as much sun as she can handle. The sun theme seems to be the focus of our days!
Today we went parasailing! Well, actually…the Big Girls went parasailing. Dad and Paris kept their feet in the boat. Check it out:
That was the first time Paris was on a boat! It made her sleepy…
So! Here are the girls getting strapped in…frightening!
And here’s Kristin saying goodbye to everyone she loves…”goodbye everyone! Remember me well!”
Doesn’t she look scared? Terrified! This was her first time hanging in a parachute!
Preparations…must…be…secure!
Oh! Look! They’re off!
I screamed…
Okay…here’s the “Holy Shite, Batman…they’re really up there” shot –
And of course, what’s a parasailing ride without the obligatory dip? Just a teaser…
And finally, back to the boat. Hands holding the bar is the “crash position”. Whew…
All in all…a great day! Karen says it was the smoothest parasail ride ever. This didn’t make Kristin happy. She wants bumpy and life-threatening. So tomorrow we chum the waters and throw Kristin overboard. She’ll get her kicks then!
We’ve got a thunderstorm rolling in now, but hopefully it’ll clear up quickly. Tonight is drum circle night at the beach! (You don’t want to know…).
Stay tuned! There may be pictures! Hint — Freak Show!
(We’re having fun…)
It’s Tuesday night, and someone we know is preparing for a trip to Florida. She’s working right now, but she and Karen are going over last minute packing issues and travel details.
Thursday is the Big Day! Who is it? Anyone recognize this girl?
I’m pretty sure she looks a little different now.
Yeah baby! Kristin arrives!
