This Is It!

Bubba's last day wearing the uniform...

He looks happy, no?

Retirement, here he comes!

He's Out!

I am sure that the McK family is thankful for all the prayers over the last 5 weeks...Stellan is out of the hospital and on his way home...

And if you want to see BoyBoy's entry in Stellan's Name Gallery, click here.

The Sound of Freedom

This past weekend the Cheeze's went to the local air show.  Now, Bubba is Army born and bred, but I love me some air show awesomeness.  Maybe it is because I am the daughter of a rocket scientist who owns the right to say "See that multi-billion dollar piece of flying amazingness?  I helped design that...yep, me."  F-4 Phantom - Check,  F-14, 15, & 16 - Check, F-22 Raptor - Check, Space Shuttle - Double Check.  Yep, that is my dad - super nerd, pocket protected, smarter than the average bear, rocket scientist.  Like I said in a previous post, brains skipped a generation in my family.  I have been going to air shows since I was a baby.  I love them.  Of course it is always nice to be with someone who knows that the lift to drag ratio on the Phantom wing tip is blah, blah, blah...ooops, I was listening, G-dad but what you just said went over my head right along with that Phantom.  Sorry...

Anywho, I have (forcibly coerced) converted Bubba and BoyBoy into air show groupies along with me and we headed to the flight line this weekend, excited to be able to witness the F-22 Raptor in all of its glory.  I also got to put my birthday present through its paces as well.  I turned a very large number of years old this weekend and Bubba gave me a new camera.  I took about 600 pictures and I plan to share each and every one with you...(Kidding)

Here are a few...awesomeness in the sky!

Thunderbirds:

Thunderbirds signature star burst

Heritage Flight 

(Vietnam, Gulf War, Modern Day)

F-22 Raptor

BoyBoy getting to shake the F-22 Raptor pilot's hand

(I was surprised he could even walk after the show he put on!!!)

Two Generation Rocket Scientist Pow Wow

(G-Dad and BoyBoy)

An Ode to Pollen

I don't know what it is with this memory of mine.

I forget what happens each year at this time.

The flowers start blooming, the trees they awaken.

The grass, it starts growing, if I'm not mistaken.

I love the new Spring, all the promise and beauty.

And then I get hit with a nose that's all snooty.

(I mean, snotty.)

I forget that there's pollen attached to those flowers.

That fine yellow haze that possesses superpowers.

Because no matter how many times that it rains,

Pollen is still there, it always remains.

Its on my car, my porch, my driveway, my trash can.

Its even on the shirt of my UPS delivery man.

(Brown, how I love thee.)

I sneeze and I sniffle.  I wipe and I dab.

I wash my clothes and my hands and my face and my flab.

Nothing will help me to combat this pest.

Not Flonase, not Claritin, not Benedryl, I protest!

The only relief from dear pollen, I fear,

Is to drown my red nose in a pitcher of beer!

Happy Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday, Nannie and 

Aunt S.!!!

I love you!

BTW, that is my mom and sister. 

 Yes, my sister was my mom's birthday present.  Just try and live up to that!!!  Therapy, here I come!

Jake

This week I have a house guest.  He is Melly's boyfriend, my sister's dog, Jake.  Jake is a beautiful, blonde Golden Retriever.  

Melly adores him.  They have great fun together.  

Jake is a special dog.  When you come home he greets you with a mournful moan, which we call his "woo-woo" and a ball, shoe, stuffed toy, or small child in his mouth.  He has to be the most orally fixated dog I have ever met.  Ball?  Where's the ball?  Did someone say ball?  I like a ball!  Would you throw the ball?  I like it when you throw the ball!  Did someone say ball?  Ball?  He has infinite optimism.  If you can't find him, look for the nearest door.  He is probably standing in front of it, waiting patiently for someone to open it to throw the ball.  At my sister's, he waits under the trampoline in her back yard because he kept getting hit in the head with the ball.  But not just one ball will do.  Like I said, Jake is special.  He needs two balls.  Both in his mouth.  At the same time.  He even poops with two balls in his mouth!  I've seen it...not pretty.

Jake is also big.  He doesn't have any idea how big he is.  You know those yippy dogs that think they are Rottweilers?  Jake is the opposite.  He thinks that he can fit in even the smallest spaces.  Lap dog?  Yep, that's me!  Here's my paw...ooops, did I knock you over?  Can I sit on your foot?  Sorry for smooshing your toes!  Oh, pardon me, I didn't know there wasn't room for me in the powder room with you!  Stairs?  I love stairs!  But they are way more fun when I run between your legs while we are going up and down!  

He also likes to be scratched and stretched and he is not ashamed to demand it.  He demands scratching by going nose first between your legs and then just standing there until you scratch his butt.  If you don't start scratching quickly enough, he will go around again.  And again.  And again.  Stretching?  He lays down (anywhere...he's not picky) with his front legs stretched out in front and his back legs sprawled out behind him.  This is his cue for you to grab him under his front legs and pull.  He will streeeeechhhh his whole body (which makes him about 8 feet long) and then smile. 

 

And that is why we love Jake.  His smile makes all his quirks worthwhile.  He is happy, obsessed, over sized, demanding, and lovable Jake.  

Cruisin'

Wow!  What a week we had!  Relaxing, enjoyable, hilarious at times, rewarding, memory making fun.  I can't possibly put into words the look on BoyBoy's face when we finally walked across the gang plank and onto the cruise ship.  He was awestruck, speechless and full of hugs for Bubba and me.  If he thanked us once, he thanked us a million times.  We couldn't wait to explore but first we had to stop for the first of many photo ops...

Great looking family, eh?

Of course, then there was the obligatory life boat drill (and the goofy photos that always go along with it!)

Oh, save me, Molly Brown!  (weak Titanic reference)

Then we were off.  Fun day at sea which involved eating too much, drinking too much, getting too much sun and watching all the psycho people fight over deck chairs.  If you have ever been on a cruise, you know what I am talking about.  Folks get up at the crack of dawn to claim their deck chairs for the day.  Then they guard them like a pack of pit bulls, daring anyone to move their 6 towels they have draped across their 8 chairs.  By the time the breakfast buffet has turned into the brunch buffet, all the chairs are claimed in some fashion and by the time the Cheeze family rolled their lazy butts out of bed and stumbled to the lunch buffet, most of those people were lobsters and needed to go inside.  So, the moral to this story is, the early bird gets the deck chair, but the sleepy head reaps the reward.  

Our first stop was to be Grand Cayman but due to waves, wind, or disgruntled fisherman, we were unable to drop anchor and stay.  Something to do with safety, blah, blah, blah.  Safety, shmafety...I want to snorkel!!!  Instead we were tortured by having to look at the entire island while the captain circled it so that we could go to the other side and emergency evacuate a passenger that had eaten too much at the midnight buffet or something.  Boohoo...but we got a refund of our port taxes and wisely invested it in BoyBoy's college fund (or something like that...(beer)).  So, instead, the boat headed to Cozumel for an early arrival.

Cozumel has always been Bubba's favorite and he was excited to show BoyBoy some of the sights.  We were scheduled for the Dolphin Trainer excursion but since we docked early we had time to see some of the local shops.  A mandatory Mexican beer and some chips and then we headed to play with the dolphins.  Let me just tell you...if you ever have the opportunity to experience these animals up close and personal, do it!  It is worth every peso!  The dolphins are the most gentle, sweet, intelligent, and amazing animals I have ever encountered.  We had our own 20 year old female and she was the sweetest thing.  BoyBoy giggled when she kissed him, first on the cheek and then on the lips.  Our trainer gave him kudos for getting bussed by an older woman.  We swam with her for more than an hour and she also gave us all rides.  What a wonderful day!

I think Bubba fell in love with Athena

Of course, I had to contribute to Stellan's Name Gallery

And then it was back to Tampa.  We had a great time and are already planning our next one...where should we go?

Oh, and here is a photo of the Cheeze's at formal night...we clean up pretty good, don't you think?

Adios!

Whew!

We are back, rested, and in need of a liver transplant and liposuction.  I am madly unpacking, doing laundry, and trying to get back to normal.  Since I have Melly's boyfriend this week because my sister is on spring break, things are not going to be back to normal until later.  I am posting one photo from the cruise to (make you jealous) tide you over until I can catch my breath and write a proper post.  

I'm Out...

Outta here, syanara, ciao, see ya, later tomater, peace!  I am off to sunnier places, fruity overpriced drinks, and enough food to feed a small country.  I will get too much sun, eat too much food, play too much Blackjack and drink too much wine (oh, wait...there is no such thing as too much wine!).  Be back in a week.  I will buy you all a tee shirt! (just kidding)  

Foto Friday Giveaway!!!

With highly sophisticated technology (me:  BoyBoy, pick a number between 1 and 15.  BoyBoy:  10!), I have chosen a winner!

The Winner Of The Blogiversary Giveaway is actually a "Nguyener"!!!

Amy Amy Bo Bamy, you have won the giveaway!!!  Send me an email with your address and I will send your goodies after I get back from the cruise!