LIVE! WAGS FROM NORFOLK, VIRGINIA!!

Thats right kids! Here i am, posting in my hotel room in norfolk, va. Im here this weekend because my family got invited to the official commissioning of the newest aircraft carrier, the U.S.S Ronald Reagan. My family are huge military buffs. We love to go to naval bases and keep up with all the huge hardware that the military has. This whole thing started 5 years ago when my parents took me here to NAS Oceana and the Norfolk Naval Station as a stop on our way to DC. We just happened to stop here the same day that they were commissioning the USS Harry Truman, the latest carrier at that time. The president(clinton, ick) was here and the whole shebang. That day, my mom promised to get us on the commissioning of the next carrier. So here we are, 5 years later, and she fulfilled her promise. She made donations to the navy league, wrote her local congresswoman, etc, and we have tickets to the commissioning on sunday. Its going to be awesome.

The vice president is speaking, we will not only get on the aircraft carrier, but have a seat during the ceremony, and are going to an after party where lee greenwood is performing. Its all really exciting. For those of you who know band literature, my dad is good friends with Steve Millello(of stormworks fame) and he is writing a piece for the commissioning that the navy band is performing. He may be coming with us if he doesnt get any passes for himself. Its going to be such an awesome time.

Today, i drove to cleveland intl airport and flew out to norfolk. First off, we had an avionics failure in the plane that needed to be replaced before we took off. I met my parents in norfolk late since they were flying in from chicago, and found out they lost one of their bags. We got to the hotel, then decided to walk around town, found someplace to eat, and then headed over to the Nauticus, the Naval Museum in downtown norfolk. Our hotel is right downtown, so we are in walking distance of almost anything. We went through the museum, i bought something very pretty for katie, then took a tour of the USS Wisconsin, which is a battleship that is on inactive reserve(meaning it can be sent to sea in time of a national emergency). After that, i talked to katie(i forgot to call her and told her i got here ok cause of all the craziness at the airport) then we took the Norfolk harbor cruise, where we rode a boat all around the harbor. From Newport News shipyard(the largest shipyard in the world, they make all the navy's ships) to the Norfolk Naval Station, we saw so much. I took a ton of pictures, but the crazy ghetto internet here in the hotel room wont let me upload them to my website(ill get them all up once i get back, dont worry) There are so many ships in port at NNS, 3 aircraft carriers(including the reagan and the USS Enterprise) over 20 Missile frigates/destroyers/cruisers, a handful of submarines and many supply and support ships. For someone like me, its very very exciting. I cant wait untill the commissioning ceremony on saturday!

Tomorrow, we are going to take a tour of the Naval Air Station Oceana then head over to Virginia Beach for some good time with the sun so im not so goddamn pasty. Going to be a nice relaxing day.

Hope all is well with everyone else, i miss my girl, i wish she could be here!!

Hopefully more posting tomorrow night with news of what ive been up to!

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Positive: BOATS!
Negative: Airlines suck so much, its not even funny
Quote: "Thats one big ass ship." - my Dad
Song of the day: Press On - Robert Randolph and the Family Band
Cool Mac Moment: Im on my laptop in Norfolk! That, and iPhoto is working wonders for editing my bad pictures i took today, and sorting out the unusable ones!
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