Fun Stuff

Good news and bad news... Everyone asks for bad news first, so here it is: I do not have a photo album done for Dover yet. Good news? Vegas is finally finished! :) Here you go, let me know if the link doesn’t work: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=388730&id=701905001&l=232251b201

The first fun thing that has happened since my last blog is that I finally got my Mini back! It had been in a garage for quite a while getting a rusted floor panel replaced, and I am thrilled to have my bright yellow baby back. It is definitely a smile-inducer when the weather is cold and gray. I was worried I wouldn't remember how to drive stick after it was gone for so long, but it actually came back pretty quickly and I am having a blast driving it around. What a fun little car. I'll have to get another picture of it on here so you can smile at it with me. :)

This past weekend was the most relaxing since before Red Flag, but included a lot of fun stuff too. On Friday, my squadron had a Hail and Farewell at the base skating rink. Yes, a skating rink, and no, we are not in middle school. I was intrigued by the idea, since I used to love flying around the mile loop at the park at home on rollerblades, but I haven’t rollerbladed regularly in at least three years. I was also worried that it was one of those things where everyone would be too cool to get out there and skate. So I went, but wasn’t expecting much.

As soon as I walked in the door, however, it was like those three years evaporated… I saw people circling the rink and all of a sudden could NOT wait to get out there! I was thrilled to find that a) the rink rented rollerblades in addition to regular skates, and b) there were already people from my squadron lacing up! I couldn’t get my skates on fast enough, and probably looked like a kid on Christmas morning when I stepped out into the rink with my friend Alison and picked up speed. I forgot how much I love rollerblading! The rink was pretty tiny, so I couldn’t get going too fast without crashing into a wall, but it got me dreaming about going all-out down those beautiful quarter-mile long stretches at the park and wind flying past my ears… amazing feeling.

So, I think I am going to skate in a rollerblade marathon. You're laughing. Don't worry, I did too when Martin first sent me the website link about how Berlin runs a rollerblade marathon as part of their marathon weekend in September. But after Friday afternoon, I really want to do it!!! I would love to get back into skating regularly, and it gives me an excuse to go explore Berlin... what better combination could I get? The only issue is finding somewhere to train around here. Alison (who I think is in as well), jokingly suggested the flight line as the only long flat paved surface we could come up with, but I'm not sure that would go over too well with base security. We'll just have to keep brainstorming...

On Saturday, a bunch of people from the squadron went out to dinner and a couple pubs in Cambridge to celebrate Greg's last weekend in England. It was a great time, I missed those guys while I was in Vegas! Today was Greg's last day at work, and it was really sad to say goodbye. He is the last in a string of people to move away in the last couple months, and the weather flight "family" feels smaller every time. At the same time though, the timing amazes me, how this happened at the exact same time that the Vegas trip introduced me to so many new people and new friends... like God knew I was going to need an "extended family". :)

No plans for this weekend yet, but I'm on weather standby so I can't go anywhere too far away. Maybe I'll finish my Dover photo album! ;-)