Chapter 455

Happy (62th) Birthday, Bob!

Sorry Grampa Book. I missed my usual Sunday deadline and you had to call and see why I wasn't getting the job done! Although I am off for the summer, I just can't seem to get anything accomplished.

I was invited to do the Marine's Educator Workshop, an all-expense paid trip to San Diego. We were put up in a nice barracks (hotel), had great rations (meals), in great chow halls (restaurants) and a variety of Marine-type activities.  We settled into our barracks at Humphry's Half Moon Hotel on Shelter Island. 

We were met by our Marine recruiters and given instructions to our dinner meeting where we had a beautiful view of the marina from the hotel chow hall while we ate our catered rations.

We received Marine swag bags. Anyone need any Marine stuff?

The chow hall might have looked wonderful but the dark side is those Marine's made me open the lids to the chow steamer trays all by myself! 

We are being reminded that we report to the mess hall at 0:600 or whatever and that although San Diego makes many great beers, we don't need to try them all in one night!

After meeting in the chow hall at the hotel, we were placed into "accountability" columns and marched to the bus where we were taken to the Marine Recruiting Depot and met by our drill instructor.

  Click this link if you'd like to see the moment our bus was boarded by our drill instructor to reek terror on scared teenagers (and teachers): https://youtu.be/tZhHYhol93c

After we are hustled off the bus, we are told to stand on the famous yellow footprints

then cross our arms in front of our chests and follow instructions.

After being read the "Uniform Code of Military Justice"  from the big red sign on the wall, yelled at some more, then hustled into the building. Our drill instructor said the Marine's prefer to do this after dark so the recruits are tired, confused, and scared.

 Our next stop is the contraband room. Recruits empty their pockets on the shelves and the drill instructor deems what is to be kept and what isn't while mocking the things the recruits thought were important enough to bring along. Things decided you don't need and contraband items are all swept to the floor and trampled on as the recruits move to the next station. 

Random cool picture.

 The barracks, thankfully not the barracks I stayed in! Our room at home certainly doesn't look like this every morning before we go to work!

Our drill instructors (DI) consist of two "green belts" who do all the dirty work while the "black belt" becomes the father figure, sounding board, and problem solver for the recruits.

The Depot was built in 1920 and is on the Historic Register. Although this area was built to be barracks, they are now offices and some of the barracks areas have been moved elsewhere.

The architecture at the Depot (recruit farm) is awesome!

A martial arts demonstration. As you can see, we are right against the runway of San Diego Airport. 

Demonstration of recruits climbing under barbed wire.

 We had lunch with the Marine Jazz band, a chaplain, and "lifers" panel, all of which were very interesting.

A view across San Diego Bay of the the Navy Base on Coronado as I walk Shelter Island and look for caches. I walked it every day after my Marine training exercises before our evening activities.

One of the teachers on our trip put together a good comprehensive video of our tour. Louie immigrated to the US from Australia just a year ago so this is a whole different activity than he ever expected to have when he move to Chelan. Click here for Louie's Video: 

All-in-all, the trip was great, the information valuable, the activities fun, the sun great, plus a few good people management skills as a  final take-away.

P.S. Kyle Hall, you should contact your Marine recruiter and sign up for this, FREE, FREE, FREE all-expenses paid trip! I didn't know until too late that you can extend your trip and visit San Diego and the Marines would still pay for your trip home. You can get a little golfing in!

I love the smell of our patio right now. All the flowers make it smell A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.!

I watched Reagan Monday while Carissa worked a rare Monday. We started the day out with Reagan dressing herself and choosing her own head wear before I did her hair. I think she looks kind of like cousin Jenna in this photo, a look I haven't seen so far.

Nothing goes with the morning Daniel the Tiger show like green beans from Grama's garden. She looks like a lonely washed-up silent movie star.  

We stopped at Central Market in Poulsbo to get some of my favorite hibiscus tea and Reagan wrote the numbers from the jar onto the tag for me. It was legible enough for the checker to read. I think that's an awesome accomplishment for a four-year old.!

Although Reagan waited in a long sloooow line to ride Ramses the tortoise, she wasn't too happy about the actual riding of said tortoise.

The who alligator on her shoulder wasn't a real highlight of her day either although she really wanted to try it. Props to the kid for that!

Reagan asked to go to Habit Burger because last time we went I let her pump her own ketchup and wanted to have another go at that process. This time she had a solo trip to the ice and water machine. She likes this seat so she can watch the goings-on in the kitchen. No need for a kitchen supervisor here, she's got that job covered!

After a full day and a quick trip out to her dino mud pit it was time for a bath. (I added pink bikini tops to keep me happy.)  I think Reagan looks a bit like Jenna in this photo as well.

And sacked out for the night with her "red race car" slippers. Funny how the kid doesn't want shoes on all day yet sleeps with her slippers on. Wierdo.