Graduation, Scenery, Mama, work

On Wednesday Mama, Brittany and I attended the graduation of the Class of 2012 at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Brittany’s fiancé, Andrew Kim was among the graduates. It was quite an event. There were over one thousand graduates and each marched across the stage, saluted the Secretary of the Air Force and the President.


We were not thrilled to have the President there, but he is the President of the United States and he did shake the hand of each and every graduate as we roasted in the stadium. Also in attendance were Andrew’s grandmothers. His paternal grandmother had not ever met him. For her especially, it was an event to remember. Andrew’s brother Peter was also there and it was good to see him. He and Andrew are friends from church in New Jersey. Mama found out from Brittany that the grandmothers are staying for the wedding at the end of June.

I took over three hundred pictures the day of the graduation. We were invited to the stadium early to have breakfast with Andrew’s host parents who parked their RV in a field just across from the stadium. After the graduation we went back for a cook out as we waited for the traffic exiting the event to die down. You can imagine the family associated with one thousand graduates.

The scenery and the company made it delightful. On the following day Andrew took us to the chapel on the Air Force base. It is truly magnificent. I would have loved to hear someone play the pipe organ in the chapel, but we had to settle for pictures. I even laid on the floor to get a picture of the stained glass lined spires that make the design of the chapel so unique. It was fun.

Mama and I left the next morning to drive to Red River, NM. We had heard so much about it from people here in Borger and Amarillo that I wanted to make the trip over since we were within eighty miles of the town on our trip back home. We were a little disappointed. Not because it was biker weekend and there were thousands of bikers in the tiny town, but rather because it seemed over commercialized. In the same travel time (six hours) we can go to Colorado Springs where the scenery is just as spectacular and the list of activities is enormous. Who knows if we will do either, but if we have the opportunity, we will go north rather than west.

Mama boarded a plane this morning bound for New Jersey. She will arrive at 5 p.m. in Newark. Her greatest fear about the entire trip is that Chase will be driving Tammy Fisher’s car to the airport to get her – by himself. Of course, Chase does not see that as an issue; but he’s not Mama. I should hear all about it this evening. Mama will attend Chase’s graduation on Friday. Sadly, I am not able to go, but Mama will proxy for me. She will be returning with Chase and Jake on the 7th. Then things really get fired up as we prepare in earnest fro Brittany and Andrew’s wedding. Andrew’s host parents will also be attending the wedding. That should be fun.

I have several really big issues to take care of at work in the next several days. None of them are overwhelming there are coordination issues between several people and several departments. Lots of phone conversations as well as creating the proper email trail. It will take some time and will most likely not be finished until I get back from Florida. So what I am beginning will hound me for the next four or five weeks.

It’s all good.