1/20/06
Have I ever mentioned how much I love accents and languages? I am sitting in the airport in Minneapolis. I’m not hearing anything but the TV at the moment, but on the flight here, I was delighted to be in the same vicinity as several Bostonians. They don’t say their “r’s”! Fantastic, really. To recap a bit, I’m on my way to New York. Last night, I sang with the somewhat reduced worship team. Alex, Jen, and Matt were there. The rest of the team is in Colorado or something. I left after practice to pack. I took a shower and continued getting ready. Chuck called to finalize details, and Dad also called. I finished sewing velvet over the snaps on the halter part of my dress and Melissa helped me check my flight and such things. I didn’t get to sleep very early. I slept for a few hours and my alarm reminded me I had to get up. Melissa drove me to the airport at 6:30 AM. It was more simple than I had imagined it would be. I read more of the article on “the School of Night” for Sexon’s Shakespeare class. The plane was relatively small, so it seemed quite a bit like a bus. I actually ended up sitting next to a girl named Patti, who had taken Sexon’s class in mythologies. Small world, eh? A man from Boston sat next to her, and he was very amiable as well. He does pin striping and detail work on vehicles like fire engines and such. He and several of his friends come to snowmobile in Montana. The take-off was my fav part. That would be sweet to have such acceleration in my car. J In a very short time, we reached 30,000 ft. Patti and I talked quite a bit, but once we were in the air, I mostly felt like sleeping. It was weird to feel like we were on a bus that was upside-down. Instead of encountering drag from the bottom it seemed to come from the top. Time passed ridiculously quickly. I closed my eyes during the descent, and I could imagine myself riding in the back of a giant flying serpent.
I just took off again. We’re in the air, climbing. The landscape is geometrically cut into squares and triangles by the streets and highways. When we’re above the clouds, it looks like an ocean with giant icebergs jutting above the floating ice masses. It won’t be too much longer and I will be landing in New York. I will have at least 1.5 hours to wait before Chuck meets me. Hasta pronto.
1/21/06
I waited slightly longer than 1.5 hours. Oh well. I got both essays read for ENGL 432, as well as halfway through 12th Night. Chuck met me as I was talking with Dad on my cell. We waited for the shuttle bus…which took forever, and then walked to Grand Central. It was crazy, because it indeed looked like it did on Madagascar. We called Aaron and Alex, and then walked to Times Square. We finally found them at a Chinese restaurant. We ate an amazing dinner. After walking around a bit more, we had to get back to the station. We didn’t get to skate, but I was fine with that, since it was already just before 100 PM. He bought me a ticket, and then showed me around GCS a bit before our train arrived. The train was interesting. We both planned to do homework, but most of our time was spent chatting. I was pretty tired, but I didn’t exactly know why. After all, it is a 2 hour difference. I had the advantage. Oh well, a lot of new things to process. Shortly into our ride, there was a delay because another train had broken down on the tracks ahead of us. We finally made it to Peakskill, where we grabbed a taxi. We shared it with a couple who were going a shorter distance. The cab driver was pretty quiet, and had a very unsteady foot. We didn’t get to the house until 1 AM. I felt bad for showing up so late, but when we opened up the door, Mrs. Willey exploded her hospitality on us. Everyone was still up and about. The OCF house, (Officers Christian Fellowship), is amazing! It has 3 floors, 6 bathrooms, and I’m not sure how many bedrooms. It is spotlessly clean, and yet, unlike other big fancy houses I’ve been in, theirs feels comfortable and inviting. After intros, I headed to bed. My roommate has not arrived yet, so I’ve had time to lie here and relax. It’s roughly 2 AM now, and I’m ready to close for the night…morning…whatever.
1/23/06
I woke up about 8:30 AM (Eastern). I met my roommate Audra Wubbena. We then all went down for breakfast. Barb had prepared a scrumptious fare. The Willeys have a big barn in their back yard, and Barry took us out to see. They have a foosball table, a ping pong table, several board games, a piano, bongos, tambourines, couches, and an old bathtub-chair. Chuck, Robbie, and I played Skittles for a bit. Chuck and I then played ping pong for who knows how long, until Robbie came to inform us that the Willeys were going to loan us their car! I couldn’t believe it! Once again, they blew me away with their immediate and unconditional love and generosity. So Chuck drove me to West Point and showed me around. It was a gorgeous day outside. All the buildings at West Point are beautifully constructed out of brick and rockwork…very grand and austere.
We stopped by his room so he could pick up his laptop and some other things. I liked his desk area the most. It had great countertops. (If it were my room, I would cook on his desk…..maybe over a candle?) ;) *yeah right* We cruised all over the place so he could show me all the points of interest. We finally got around to eating about 2 or so. We went to the Hacienda, a fabulous Mexican restaurant in Highland Falls. The interior was vibrant with color and rich with design. It was awesome, because the waiters spoke Spanish to us.
They must have overheard Chuck and me attempting conversation in Spanish. We eventually ended up back at the Willeys, where the beautification process began. I took a quick shower, attempted to paint my nails, and did my makeup and hair before donning my dress. Barb lent me a handbag and a shawl that matched my dress. Barry and Barb each took a load of us females to West Point and dropped us off. The wind was strong, but it felt great to me. I walked through the central court by myself, all gussied up and feeling like a strange cross between Cinderella and Arwen. Chuck met me at the steps with a white rose corsage. He escorted me into the mess hall and introduced me to about a billion of his fellow cadets and their dates. All the cadets looked very handsome in their grey uniforms, and all their dates were gorgeous and very diverse in their gowns. 
At 7:00 PM, we were all called to stand by our seats until the invocation was given and 3 toasts were made. We toasted with sparkling cider. Dinner was very agreeable. We had chicken cordon bleu with green beans, rolls, salad, and cheesecake for dessert. The Master of the Sword, the first female head of a department, gave a speech about being a good war fighter. We had one more toast and the benediction. Chuck and I ran up to his room to drop off extra stuff, and then we walked won to the building where the dance was. By this time, it was a touch chilly, and the wind was fierce. We walked through the “Beat Navy” tunnel. I was all sorts of colors by the time we got to Ike Hall. After I returned to my normal shades of reds and purples, we went though one of the receiving lines, where we shook the Superintendent’s hand, his wife’s hand, and the Master of the Sword’s hand. The dance was great. They started out with a few slow dances, but then started picking up the pace a bit. The DJ called a few of them that everyone followed steps to. We danced with Aaron, Alex, and their dates. I learned a cool dance to Cotton Eyed Joe. Somewhere after elevenish, my hair fell down, and by the time I fixed it, everyone in our group was done dancing. Everyone else got on the shuttle buses. 
Chuck escorted me down the steep hill. At the bottom, the alarm went off, and he could shut it off, so we sprinted, (as well as one can sprint in a long dress and 3 inch heels), to the car amidst the swirling fingers of the wind. The plebe on guard duty let me back up into Chuck’s room to grab my stuff. We walked back to the car on the roof of Thayer and drove back to Willey’s. I watched a bit of Spanglish before I took a shower and got to bed again at 2 AM.
I slept in a couple minutes in the morning and was slightly tardy to breakfast. Once again, it was amazing. Chuck and I were late to cadet chapel. It has the 2nd largest pipe organ in the US. The stain glass windows were breathtakingly stunning and intricate. We sat toward the rear, but the sound carried perfectly. I met more of Chuck’s friends afterward, and we took some pics outside. The weather was amazing yet again. We went to the PX to pick up a couple things. I got a sweet Under Armor shirt for working out, along with some running pants. It was refreshing to see a selection of useful clothing, rather than useles
s stuff that never works for anything other than looking pretty and shunning a real workout. We grabbed lunch at McDonald’s. After that, we changed into hiking clothes at the Willeys and went to find a trail. We walked for several hours on the other side of the railroad tracks from the Hudson. It was fabulous to get away from people and buildings. There were little waterfalls trickling down the hillside, various icicle tapestries adorning the rocks, and interesting, unidentified flora. We walked back before dark fell. We had pizza for dinner and a surprise b-day party for Robbie. Chuck had to be back on base by 7 PM, so I drove him back. We said our farewells, and I drove back to Willey’s a final time. A different group was watching Spanglish, so I went upstairs to pack and chat with Audra. She had to be up ridiculously early to catch the taxi by 4 AM. Ugh! I went to bed by midnight or so after writing a thank you note and packing up.
I slept in a bit this morning, finished packing, and moseyed downstairs to plop down in front of the TV for a bit before Barb drove me to Garrison. I was loath to leave the Willey’s companionship and warmth. Such a short time, and I feel like I’ve known them forever. I waited for a bit at Garrison, and gazed at the new fallen snow on the banks of the Hudson. The train finally came, and I slept most of the way to GCS. Once there, I boogied across to 42nd Ave to buy a bus ticket. Very shortly, it arrived, and then I was moving again to La Guardia. I had a much longer wait once at the airport, but I ate a late lunch and read some more. I finished 12th Night and started the Vinland Sagas for my ENGL 440 class. I must say, it certainly is a strange shift to go from the fluency of Shakespeare to the choppy, surface level writings of the ancient Norse. By the time I arrived in Minneapolis, I was needing to wake up a bit, so I took a walk through the airport. I found a coffee shop and decided to get a smoothie. I was wearing my new outfit from the PX, but was feeling like I looked like I just rolled out of bed. The girl at the counter, however, looked at me and asked, “Are you in the Olympics?” I stuttered like a fool, not knowing how to respond. I assured her that, no, I was not in the Olympics. She asked if they were going on, and I made myself look even more of a fool by not having a clue about that either. *grin* Oh well, it boosted my morale for sure. Someone thought I look like an Olympic athlete! Oi vey! ;) The flight back to Montana was uneventful for the most part. I slept as much as possible after finishing the Vinland Sagas and enjoyed the couple spots of turbulence. Melissa and Aryelle met me at the airport, and now I need to crash so I can get up for classes and such tomorrow. Another fabulous trip under my belt and a broadened horizon and all that jazz. Night!
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