OUT OF THE BLUE

Archive for the ‘Military’ Category

At the last post meeting, we discussed ways to do more fun stuff and communicate better- as a result, VFW Day Post 7591 now has a group on Facebook. If you’re a post member, interested in joining VFW, or just want to get in touch with a good group of fellow veterans in Madison, stop by and sign up for the group. (If you’re not already on Facebook, there’s no time like the present.)

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Yikes, I haven’t posted anything meaningful since April. Time to catch you up with what’s been going on here since then, not in any particular order.

I survived another semester at MATC, ringing up Trigonometry and Spanish I. I’m sure I slept at some point between January and May, but between classes and work I’d be hard pressed to tell you exactly when it happened. Next up: Spanish II and Calculus I in fall.

I volunteered at the WHA-TV Auction again this year as a bid sorter and bid runner– and found myself (willingly) drafted into being a board captain on the last day of the auction. If you were watching during the hours before Showcase on 1 June, you might have seen me writing bids on the C board.

Memorial Day started with me marching with the Black Knights Color Guard in the Monona Memorial Day Parade, followed by post chaplain duties for services at several local cemeteries. I was also granted the honor of reading the opening and closing prayers at U. S. Army Cpl. Rachael Hugo’s reinterment ceremony at Roselawn Cemetery in Madison. (I’ve started, and not finished, several posts about Memorial Day 2008– the entire day, especially Cpl. Hugo’s reinterment ceremony, was an emotional experience– so much that I’m at a loss for words. I’m just sincerely honored that I was able to participate.)

I have not been in the gym as much as I’ve needed to be since final exams, mainly because I was just plain exhausted for a while after the semester was over. I did buy a new mountain bike that I’ve been riding around the neighborhood, and I’ve also been out doing things like climbing rocks and kayaking this summer. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?

I just returned from 11 days in Costa Rica (map); I was there for a friend’s wedding, plus some very much needed rest and relaxation. The map link points to the house we stayed in (the elbow shaped building NNE from the satellite dish), at Tarbaca outside of San Jose. I had a great time… although today I’m still recovering from the trip, so more details and pictures to follow.

And there you have it.

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This year’s Crazylegs Classic time: 8K in 1:05:33, which was just slightly longer than my Crazylegs 2007 time of 58:54:00. There are reasons for taking the extra time: first, it was windy, which is a condition I’m not used to when running (most of my running is done on a treadmill at the YMCA). Second, I think I tried to keep up with other runners a little too much over the first mile or two. Once I started listening to the cadences and the voice in my head saying “just run your own race”, I got into more of the rhythm that I was used to running.

Listen to me, talking about my running technique. Heh.

I wish I had thought of it earlier– at last month’s VFW post meeting, an info packet had arrived asking if Post 7591 was interested in putting a team together for Crazylegs. I was the only one that raised my hand, but there may be others around from other Posts or people who don’t attend meetings. So I’ll put it out there now, 364 days before Crazylegs 2009. If you’re a Veterans of Foreign Wars member (or you’re eligible) and would like to run with me in next year’s Crazylegs, leave a comment and let me know. I’ll get in touch when registration opens for 2009.

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I found this in a collection of my Dad’s letters home from San Bernardino AAF, circa 1943.
Thought it was worth sharing.

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I have been elected to a second term as Chaplain of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7591. This involves several things– I monitor the obituaries, keeping track of post members who have passed away. At each monthly meeting, if any of our post members have passed, the Post Charter is draped and I offer a short prayer for them (and for the rest of us). Occasionally, a post member will ask for a prayer of remembrance for a particular veteran, service member, or unit. When a post member passes away, if requested by the veteran’s family I may be asked to conduct a Pass in Review, during which the deceased veteran is remembered by his or her comrades from the post. I’m also responsible for recognizing and remembering the post members who have passed away during several ceremonies on Memorial Day.

If you had told me in April 1991 that I’d be elected to a second term as a VFW Post Chaplain, I’d have given you a blank stare at best. I could say that about a lot of things I’m doing now, though.

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It’s good to see that the United States and Russia are, er, communicating…

A Russian bomber flew over a US naval base on the Pacific island of Guam on Wednesday and “exchanged smiles” with US pilots who had scrambled to track it, said Major-General Pavel Androsov, head of long-range aviation in the Russian air force.

“It has always been the tradition of our long-range aviation to fly far into the ocean, to meet [US] aircraft carriers and greet [US pilots] visually,” Androsov told a news conference.

(Gulfnews)

As Goose put it… “You know… the finger.”

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