<p>Well . . . if it was a bar where Single Malt Scotches were served, it would be a bit more persuasive.</p>
<p>Oh, and by the way, I would probably have to dump the rocks, i.e. the family, who will be tagging along w/ me. They will think I have gone absolutely nuts if I suggest we are all going to meet people whom I’ve never met and that are STILL visiting CC at this time [after kids have been admitted to USNA]. I might have a better chance of making sense to them if I just admitted I was meeting up w/ an old girlfriend!</p>
<p>So . . .if somebody wants to organize a pre-game meeting, I would try to stop by and say hello. [Assuming it was on my way to our seats and nobody acknowledged that we met on a computer chat site. On the other hand, I guess I could wear a bag over my head.]</p>
<p>Laid out our cold-weather clothes just last night!
Now if our tickets would arrive!</p>
<p>Bill0510 - you crack me up! Do you close your laptop when family approaches? If you’re not careful they’ll create a “cc annonymous” club in your area. Probably have lots of members too!</p>
<p>My 16-year old son will be so embarrased that I would want to meet some cc people - especially after I keep telling him not to make arrangements to meet anyone he talks to on the Internet. My cadet will think I’m out of my mind. Tough!</p>
<p>I admit I am addicted to CC and the other service academy forum (some of you are members over there too). When I told my husband about it he said “it’s okay, you could have much worse addictions!” :D</p>
<p>I’ll be watching the game on TV in my nice, warm living room.
Go Army, beat Navy!!!</p>
<p>Bill has friends in low places… I dunno tho, if I were scared of meeting anyone, it would be Bill. Hope he doesn’t turn out to be a serial stalker or anything. </p>
<p>MOT, remember last year when my kid got on here & said, “Hey you Moms stop talking about my underwear.”? Then said how crazy I was to be in some “chat room”. Well, if he can get online & play World of Warcraft for a gazillion hours with total strangers, I can get on here & talk underwear. I feel I’ve helped hundreds of academy kids make the right choices. </p>
<p>I admit it. I’m a CC addict. Besides, where else can you hear, “I suppose it is cheaper than porn…”? And I find I like you guys better than my “real” friends. Ya’ll are in this little box & not close enough to steal my chocolate & drink my merlot.</p>
<p>hey bill- ain’t you been around here longer than the rest of us??? I mean hasn’t that mid of yours graduated yet? ;)</p>
<p>anyway, where else would we go to hear the “return to capistrano” stories that have become a CC classic! And your TGIF…“no wait, it’s only Monday”…happy hour escapades! Who are you kidding???</p>
<p>JM- you better get on here and straighten Bill up a bit… I think that texas air is getting to him again! Either that or he has has too much happy hour or is approaching senile dementia faster than we think! :eek:</p>
<p>I’ll have to think about this newly rediscovered attention. Now that Z and USNA09 are no longer the political targets, now you just wanna pick on some ol’ guy who . . . .well, who IS JUST LIKE YOU. A sometime drunk, who is living vicariously through his child, who’s better days are behind him, who wishes he had better thing to do than SIT ON THE COMPUTER TYPING AWAY TO OTHERS WHO HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO.</p>
<p>As I said to friend of mine who is about 35 and just lost out on getting a great job: You will long remember the day that you started slipping into middle-aged mediocrity.</p>
<p>It is indeed Friday. Son comes home Sunday, after another whirlwind semester of traveling and good grades. How does he do it? Anyway, good luck and good wishes to those whose kids are doing great things. Enjoy the first visit home since June; it goes by fast but is worth the trouble of getting them home.</p>
<p>Longer than the rest of you? I don’t know about that, but I certainly have been a bit more discriminating on the number of posts that I make.</p>
<p>Oh . . . and don’t all these nomination question have a certain ring to them? A certain reminder that, indeed, a fresh batch of swallows is returning.</p>
<p>Poor Z. You even get drug in when you’re not even lookin’ to, my low place friend! And hey Bill. I only started the drinking thing when I got a Plebe. Its not living vicariously through the child. I have better things to do. I’d tell you but you would laugh. But I do have to celebrate somehow each evening as I say, “WHEW! The kid has made it one more day”. I kinda like happy hour. Its five o’clock somewhere & here it starts at 1630 hours. </p>
<p>Did someone say “senile dementia”? Whats my name!?!? Wheres the swallows? </p>
<p>LOL! Don’t I wish I had nothing better to do! </p>
<p>Nah Bill, you’ve got it all wrong- this is an escape from all the other stuff that is piling up waiting to get done… if the “honey to do list” gets any longer I will have to buy another refrigerator to hold it up! </p>
<p>We are looking forward to that visit home… just put the last coat of poly on the floor tonight for our own “while you were out” surprise… see, had I not had all you fine folks to talk to I would have had that room done months ago! But no, I have to procrastinate and wait until there are only 20 days left and try and get it all done… all I want to know is how do they make it look so easy on TV? I mean, “2 days and $1,000”… no way that is happening! Wait till dear hubby gets the credit card bill for this one! :eek:</p>
<p>Off to bed, and up in just a few in the pre-dawn race down to Annapolis for the final home game! Just think- one more week closer to Army-Navy, and one more week closer to the start of lacrosse! Ah, life is good! :)</p>
<p>JM- you enjoy that youngster of yours! We get the thorpedo back on Wednesday nite- and I can’t wait! Bill- enjoy your visit! </p>
<p>BTW- can someone refresh my memory- now that we are “official” are we allowed to wait by the gate at the airports? Thought I remember someone posting that awhile back… ??? If so, what do we need to bring in terms of ID???</p>
<p>You can try it Navy 2010. Didn’t work for us. They said our son had to be on “official orders” and not “just an academy kid”. They truly follow the rules at our small airport, but I’d give it a try anyhow. All they can do is tell you no.</p>
<p>It really depends on who you get and how they phrase the question.
Some just see him in uniform and have let us right through.
Some have asked if he was on “orders?” We just answered yes, figuring he was ordered to return and that was close enough for us.
One asked us if he was going overseas? We answered no and were denied.</p>
<p>I have looked for the particular rule, but I think it is left to the Airline and counter personnel discretion.
It makes more sense to bystanders when he is in uniform.
Good luck. The hardes return is after Christmas when they seem so ready to go back. [!]</p>
<p>Accommodations for U.S. Military Personnel
Military Family Member Gate Passes
Family members who want to accompany a military service member being deployed to the boarding gate or greet them returning from deployment at the arrival gate may receive passes to enter the secure area of the airport.
Interested military family members should contact their air carrier representative at the departure/arrival airport for proper local procedures.</p>
<p>This is what the USAir guy at the counter actually took time from his busy schedule to get online & print the above document out showing me that passes were only for active duty with orders to report for deployment. He was brand new at the counter and had apparently just recently attended his companys training classes. It will indeed depend on who you get when you go up to ask to go back with them or greet them at a gate. My kid was in full dress uniform, with his military id. The counter person actually held up the id to me and pointed to the micro small words on it that read, Student at USMMA . All I said was, Cmon. He has an hour wait. Can we not go back & just sit with him? Were not going to see him for five months & it set into motion the printing out of policy. I didnt push it as I think the kid was getting embarrassed. I sure dont want to take anything away from those families who have kids serving in Iraq. Its just that with our kids giving four years at the academy then the eight years to follow, why cant we just sit next to them if we have the opportunity? Its so sad. </p>
<p>Good luck with it. Maybe your local airports are more receptive.</p>
<p>One significant difference, of course, is that, at least w/ USNA [and I suspsect USMA and USAFA], USNA mids are considered active duty military. Son has a military identification card. </p>
<p>Now, as to whether he is being “deployed to the boarding gate” or not, well that is a different matter.</p>
<p>I have always been able to accompany my mid to the boarding area (at the worlds fifth busiest airport which currently means arriving three hours prior to departure for domestic flights!) when she is returning to Annapolis, whether she is traveling in uniform (no more of that!) or not. The ticket agent usually asks if they are traveling on orders. Is leave considered traveling on orders? I carry a copy of the TSA military regulations in case the airline personnel need a gentle reminder of the rules. During a period of heightened security, i.e., last summer, I had to talk to a supervisor, who described herself as an Army auntie. She graciously gave me a gate pass. </p>
<p>Would love to take our little cocker spaniel to greet the mid next weekwonder if she could pass as a bomb-sniffing dog? She would probably have a better chance of getting hired by Hallmark cards </p>
<p>jm,
Tell us about Jamz’ sea year. When did you last see him?</p>
<p>Midshipmen at both USNA and USMMA are sworn in as Midshipmen in the US Naval Reserve and both have military IDs. They are not active duty until they are commissioned.</p>
<p>I’ve never heard it said that way before as regards USNA. [Which is not to say that I am correct and you are incorrect, just to say I’ve never heard USNA mids as being in the reserves.]
Their oath, I think, is as follows:</p>
<p>“Having been appointed a midshipman in the United States Navy, do you solemnly swear (or affirm) that you will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you are about to enter, so help you God?”</p>
<p>This oath refers to USN. Their ID refers to the “Armed Forces of the United States.” I’ve never heard of anybody referring to them as being in the reserves. [Which contrasts somewhat, for example, w/ the USMMA website which refers to graduates being commissioned officers in the reserves.]</p>
<p>Seems to walk and talk like a Department of Defense military duck, I think they are ducks . . .but, perhaps, this is an inccorect interpretation.</p>
I dunno tho, if I were scared of meeting anyone, it would be Bill. Hope he doesn’t turn out to be a serial stalker or anything. </p>