CITY till we die!

Farewell to Aviation...

2009-11-10T11:39:00.000-08:00

Hello to Maritime Enforcement Specialist!!

Now don't get me wrong, I love aviation but this is not only what I originally wanted to do when joining but it will also be a great opprotunity for advancment. Great news for myself and our family! I'll be staying here in this billet for the next two years or so and then be moving to an ME billet. But I'll still be considered an ME3 starting 01JAN2010!

This also means that even though I take migraine medication I WILL be able to stay in the Guard! I think that is the biggest blessing for our little family.

Just wanted to share the news with you all.

MOVEMBER is coming!!!

2009-10-28T16:50:00.000-07:00

That's right I said MOvember. What is movember? Movember (the month formerly known as November) is a moustache growing charity event held during November each year that raises funds and awareness for men's health. I came across this organization about 8 months ago and decided "This was it!". I've been wanting to help with a charity for several years now but didn't know what to do or where to begin. I came across http://www.movember.com/ and realized quickly that this was the one. I even have the perfect wife for the fund raiser...she LOVES when I have a moustache! haha

I've joined a team to help raise awairness and funds for the Prostate Cancer Foundation. All proceeds will go to the PSF and to the Lance Armstrong foundation, LIVEStrong.

Some facts I think you should know about prostate cancer:

1 in 6 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with Prostate Cancer

Every 2.7 minutes a man is diagnosed with Prostate Cancer

Every 19 minutes a man dies from Prostate Cancer

And one of the hardest for me to believe but was on cancer.org is:

A man is 35% more likely to be diagnosed with Prostate Cancer than a woman is to be diagnosed with Breast Cancer.

The fact that really hit home with me is the first one I stated. Now I know that stats are just that and they don't mean that every 6th man you come across will have PC but it said to me that the odds may be against us.

There are six boys (men) in this great family of ours. As I said, stats are stats, but I want to do everything I can to prevent one of us from becoming a stat.

That first step is simple! We need to follow our sisters examples and simply get checked! The amount of deaths frrom Breast Cancer has gone down IMMENSLY since 1990 because women have taken that first step of getting checked so serious. Although only 1 in 10,000 under age 40 will be diagnosed, the rate shoots up to 1 in 38 for ages 40 to 59, and 1 in 15 for ages 60 to 69. In fact, more than 65% of all prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over the age of 65. If prostate cancer is caught in the first 5 years the chances of being cured are huge compared to several years further down the road. So please, if you know somone that hasn't had their exam and has any signs of PC or is within the more "dangerous" age groups, push them to get that exam.

The next step is what I am doing now. We need money to continue research and look for the cure! If all you can afford to donate is a dollar that's a dollar more than what they had before.

I'll be starting my "MO" (that what a moustache is called in Austrailia where the fundraiser began) on November 1st and growing it through the month. I'll be sure to post updates of how it's looking and if things are coming along with the fundraiser.

Finally, there are mutiple ways to donate but i think that the two most convienent are as follows:

My donation page: http://us.movember.com/mospace/102977

Check: Make payable to - MOVEMBER FOUNDATION and be sure to write my account number in the "memo" space. #102977

Send check to:
THE MOVEMBER FOUNDATION, PO BOX 2726, VENICE, CA 90294-2726

If you have any other questions please ask me or click the link to my donation page. Thank you all for any help you may give.

Love you all!

2009-09-30T20:34:00.000-07:00

I'm really only putting these up so that i can put them on my desktop at work. But for those of you that haven't seen them here you go. And if you haven't seen the previous message, Sarah has a new blog for us so go check it out! She updates it with lots of pics.

www.sarahjayforevv.blogspot.com

ATTENTION!!! READ, READ, READ!!

2009-08-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

As you all know i'm not very good at this. But i've been telling Sarah that she'd be great at it and she finally decided to start a new one for the family. And as i figured...she's hooked already! haha So from now on our family blog will be www.sarahjayforevv.blogspot.com . So check that one out!!! There might be some work related updates on here now and then but that's the new one. Love you all!

Family pics

2009-07-27T15:24:00.000-07:00

Check out the bottom lip in this first one. He was just about to tell us he's done with the picture taking! haha

And here's a nice one.

Do they all sound like this sleeping?!

2009-07-26T11:46:00.000-07:00

Hangin with the mama

2009-07-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

First beach trip/4th of July

2009-07-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

The first three are from the city fireworks on the forth. We brought Sarah's sister Courtney with us as well so she's in a picture there.

The others are from earlier in the day at the beach.

8 weeks old.

2009-07-12T18:39:00.001-07:00

This is the chair mama bought for him. The kind that vibrates and then has bright lights and sounds over it. We had taken the arch with the lights and sounds off since when they're so little they don't even see them anyways and it made it easier to get him in and out. Sarah decided to put it back on today and he LIT UP for it! haha So here's some pics of him enjoying it.

Dad, make sure mom sees these to know how much he loves it.

Kyland around 5 weeks

2009-07-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

Smiling a lot already and holding his head up. He's a cheese for the camera like his mama.

News

2009-06-28T18:23:00.000-07:00

So yes we do have plenty of pics and video but Sarah just got this netbook and i don't really want to upload things to it. So you're all waiting for my next computer till that happens. Sorry bout that.

On another note i have what i consider great news. The GIBill used to be strictly for the soldiers that had earned them. And those that were not used were simply lost. A new version of the GIBill has just been given and i think it's perfect! I know that my parents wish they could have sent all of us to college but it's just not possible. I think we all turned out just fine though! ;) But with this new GIBill i'll have the joy of passing it on to my kids. And since we only are planning for two children that means they both get at least two years of college paid for. And should one decide to follow daddys footsteps into the service that means the other will get all four years taken care of. I'm really excited about that and can't wait to give that to my children. This job truly is a blessing to me in so many ways.

My view from above

2009-06-06T06:06:00.000-07:00

I finally was able to get some pictures while in the air. No drop procedures but there should be some soon and i'll take pictures of that too.

This is my usual position at the look out window.

And these are what i see.

This one is looking down on Myrtle Beach, SC.

Pics of Ky

2009-05-23T20:49:00.000-07:00

Haven't got these to where i want them yet but here you go.

2009-05-18T10:29:00.001-07:00

Videos

2009-05-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

This is the first video i took of him.

This video is dark but you get to hear all his baby sounds.

Two more

2009-05-16T11:53:00.000-07:00

Babies first outfit!! YAAAAA!! haha
City Till We Die!!
;)~

And his first car ride.

2009-05-15T17:40:00.000-07:00

Sorry i didn't publish this IMMEDIATELY like dad wanted! lol But I've been at the hospital with my lovely wife helping her tend to the little man and do her exercises for the C-section. So here he is.

Kyland Marley Risser
Born: May 14th
Weight: 7lbs
Length: 20inches

His first Mo-Hawk! :) Mama gave it to him.

Apparently this is how they lay when they were breech babies.

And there's the beautiful Mama with our greatest gift. :)

The couple before the birth

2009-05-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

I gave us a last minute photo session tonight and this was our favorite pic of us together. There are more to come of the beautiful mama but we want to do some Paint.NET work. We REALLY like how this one turned out!

Tomorrow is the day!!!

2009-05-12T18:04:00.000-07:00

This is it! Tomorrow is the big day! We head to the hospital at 10:30 tomorrow morning and then into surgery around 12:30 to 1. Keep Sarah and baby Ky in your prayers and I'll be sure to put up pictures as soon as possible.

Here's a pic of the belly before the day. The scratch is cause SoBe doesn't know how to keep from jumping yet. haha

Kyland's first clothes! :)

2009-05-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

This will be the first outfit that Kyland wears as soon as i can get him away from the nurses! hahaha

North Carolina electric storm!

2009-05-11T13:06:00.000-07:00

So I've already talked about how I think it's amazing that from coast to coast all this country is different and beautiful. But here is something I have only experienced here in North Cakalaky. Apparently it happens a lot but I was so amazed it was hard for me to pay attention while driving. There was not a DROP of rain which made it even cooler!!

Baby news

2009-05-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

So for those of you that don't know, little man is breech. After talking with the doctor we decided to try for a procedure where they try to turn the baby. Sarah was very strong but after three attempts everyone decided that it was just too much.

Soooooooo it's going to be a C-section. We've had a couple moments and gone to the hospital but everything is looking good.

The birth is scheduled for the 13th but the doctor and every nurse so far thinks it'll be before then.

Stay tuned...

My new project....what ever will it be?

2009-05-01T17:40:00.000-07:00

So i'm just writing a quick blog here but i want everyone to see what's coming of this...

My landlord Brian decided he didn't want the mower since it won't work anymore and i've decided to make it into a new project. What will it be? You'll just have to wait and see.....

I did all this in about 1 and 1/2 hours.

Bragging time!

2009-04-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

And I quote...

Letter of Appreciation - AMT3 Jason Risser

"I would like to inform you of the exceptional effort put forth by AMT3 Jason Risser when he was assigned to the HH-65 Structures Shop on a temporary training assignment. AMT3 Risser possessed a strong work ethic and exceptional ability to learn.

Currently, Shop 653 (Sheet Metal Section) is running with an extremely heavy workload and a few days behind in the production work schedule. AMT3 Risser arrived in time to assist in the placing of an HH-65 Hull in the holding fixture and participate in the removal, drilling and installation of a Right and Left Hand Side Panel. AMT3 Risser also assisted in the removal, drilling and installation of an Upper Fish Plate within the frame utilizing Jo-Bolts. He additionally assisted by the identification, removal and treatment of corrosion on the HH-65 Hull.

During his tour in the Composite Section, he first assisted and then accomplished a few fillers and doublers in the HH-65 Tail Cone utilizing vacuum techniques. He fabricated and installed an extensive repair on the R/H Cover Assembly; which in the end was a high quality product. Additionally, he performed wet lay-ups, sanded and finished repairs on Rescue Hoist Hatches and several panels.

AMT3 Risser also displayed a lot of initiative as he expressed an interest in spending some time in the Paint Shop in order to better familiarize him with the process; which will benefit not only himself but the unit as well. He did manage to spend a shift in the Paint Hangar to accomplish this request.

Throughout the course of his tour of duty in the Structures Shop, I never observed him not working hard and being productive. My employees were constantly telling me what a great job he was doing; with a never ending appetite for more work and a thirst for more knowledge. On top of this, he handled himself with professionalism and has a very pleasant demeanor; all of the shop employees took a liking to him.

It was a pleasure to have a trainee working in the shop who was so productive. I am sure that AMT3 Risser is a tremendous asset to whatever unit he is assigned. Please pass on the thanks of the Shop 653 Structures Team."

Respectfully,
Mike J. Schnoebelen
Aircraft Sheet Metal Mechanic Supervisor

That's right! He was talking about yours truly. :) That's a letter I received from working at ARSC. I had a blast and learned a LOT! Back to the "regular" Coastie life now.

Just me sportin the Certificate they gave me AND the new un-tucked uniform....oh yeah.

Just thought I'd show of my new face mask. ZoZo freaks out from it. haha

More randoms...

2009-03-30T17:50:00.001-07:00

The girls love the popcorn machine more than I do. If I even go near the machine they start watching it.

And this is how they end up looking whenever they go outside.

Just some pics...

2009-03-22T16:10:00.001-07:00

This week

2009-03-22T15:56:00.000-07:00

First we washed the doggies. And i learned quick that it's much easier to just put on my shorts and hop in with Sobe than it is to just stand there.

Then....Sarah has not been feeling well at all this week. She's had a very easy sailing pregnancy so far so i think that it's just everything is finally hitting her. She's had headaches, back pains, cold sweats and much more. So we decided to go to the doctors this weekend. We feel lucky and that we have a great doctor. They hooked her up to the monitor for a little while to watch things. They told her she was fine but the doctor said he saw something that might concern him. Rather than sending her away he had Sarah spend the night at the hospital hooked up to keep an eye on Kyland's vital signs. Everything ended up being fine but we're glad he cares that much to want to keep an eye on things.

Here's Sarah in the hospital...in case you couldn't tell...she's not very fond of hospitals. lol

Forgot my anniversary!!!

2009-03-18T16:57:00.000-07:00

Of joining the Coast Guard that is. hehe

Other than marrying my loving wife Sarah, joining the CG has been the best decision I have ever made.

I can't believe it has been three years already! That's equivalent to the longest job I've ever had before. And it seriously seems like i just started yesterday. In these few years I've had some of the best times of my life and experienced more than i ever thought i would.

As I've said before, the Coast Guard has taken me from coast to coast and from Canada to Costa Rica. It brought me to this small town in North Carolina where I had the luck of meeting Sarah and starting our family.

I can honestly say that I'm one of a few people i know that truly love their job. I'm thankful for all it has given and continues to give me.

Close call with Sobe

2009-03-18T16:47:00.000-07:00

Sobe had an allergic reaction to something today. We're guessing it was the bushes that just started blooming around the neighborhood. You can't really tell as much in this picture but they are still swollen after visiting the vet. When I arrived to have her checked they were almost closed.

You can see it a little better here while she sits with her sister Zozo.

And of course....my beautiful wifey! :)

Isn't she looooovvvvveellllllyyyyyyyyyy...isn't she beautiful!

2009-03-10T17:34:00.000-07:00

So here they are.....the belly pictures!!!

Now quit buggin..............jk! ha

This first picture is just her laughing at me cause i was whistling and making smooching noises like i do when i want the dogs to look at the camera. haha And then it's the belly! :)

What's goin on...

2009-03-07T10:27:00.000-08:00

Alright here is the update...

Not sure what to write about except for one thing. I'm in the process of becoming a Drop Master and things have been flying right along. On what was supposed to be my last qualifying flight before going to On The Job Training I received a call right before shutting my phone off. It was Sarah's mom calling to tell me that Sarah was being taken to the hospital. She told me that Sarah had been stabbed. I asked where first and she said the leg. Typical guy, i thought in my head, "She's fine.". lol But then I was told she was being taken to the emergency room. So i jump off my flight and run to the hospital. Here I am freaking out and as i walk into the emergency room, there she is smiling and laughing. Apparently what happened is that she was in a hurry so she threw her lunch (including a steak knife to cut her fruit) into a shopping bag. When she used her hip to close her car door the bag swung at her leg with the knife sticking out. Next thing she knew she had a blade about and inch deep into her leg. Being the tough one she is, she pulled the knife out right there herself. Everyone freaked out and called 911. Called me freaking out. I freaked out that she was going into EARLY stress induced labor! So that's how we all ended up in the hospital. lol

Here's a pic of the cut after some healing...not to mention the ring some of you wanted to see...

And here's my always beautiful wife, with our two little girls, laying in bed.
:)

Sarah also had her baby/wedding shower about two weeks ago. The best part was that Mama was able to come from home and GK, Susanna, and Van came from NY. We had lots of fun with them her and all the other family and friends. Mama was able to come on base and walk through my plane. I'm told she "lost" the pictures she took so i'm gonna have to take some for her and everyone to see.

As for me...like i already stated, I'm in my last phase of DM quals. Runnin right through them I finished all my ground phases and test in one day. Yes...I'm bragging. haha And now I've been sent by my Master Chief to do on the job training with the Civil Service workers and contractors at the Coast Guards, Aviation Supply and Repair Center. These guys are some of the best and most knowledgeable at their jobs. It's been a lot of fun and a good experience with good guys. In the last week I've helped remove side panels and rivet new ones on. Another week of that and then it's off to the composite shop for two weeks.

So that pretty much has been our lives for the last little while.

Latest news!!!

2009-01-17T09:20:00.000-08:00

As GK already said in his comment for the last blog....all but maybe two of you guessed WRONG!!!

IT'S A BOY!!!!!

So now we're just sittin back and waiting for:

Kyland Marley Risser

:)

New home!! And some pics of the new pup...

2009-01-09T16:00:00.000-08:00

So we've finally moved into our own house. We're thankful for the old roommate Rob but MORE than excited to get our own place. I'm renting from a Warrant Officer at the base. Really good guy and he's even giving us time to get the deposit to him. He understands what it's like being a 3rd Class Petty Officer...not exactly the richest. So here we go...sorry so many photos to scroll through. I don't know how to do those compressed pictures like everyone else...

Here's Sobe in the moving truck with me gettin ready to go!

The newest addition to the family...Sarah's Christmas present...Zooey also know as Zo Zo. Pronounced Zo-e, she's a Lhasa Apso. Here she is passed out in her big sis's house.

Sarah with the girls.

Sarah wants me to let everyone know that these pics are while the house is a work in progress. haha I tried to take pics of all the rooms but I found out that realtors have a harder job than I thought with that.

I forgot to take a picture of the 4th room. It's known as a "FROG". That's Finished Room Above Garage. We're making it a fourth bedroom/Daddy's soccer room! :)

This will be the babies room.

A guest room.

Here's our house! :) And for those that don't know, I also bought a new car for myself a few months ago. It's an '04 Nissan Pathfinder and I absolutely LOVE it!

Sobe's playground.

Deck for the summertime!

Sobe's playground again.

Our little girls. :)
(random calm moment here)

So there it is!

Stay tuned...we find out the sex of our little one this thursday!!!

Latest news....we're MARRIED!!

2008-12-06T13:18:00.000-08:00

That's right! It's official! :) Now before anyone freaks out, we just had a small ceremony with the minister. The large ceremony will be this summer out here in North Carolina's Outer Banks.

I know some of you wanted to be here for this but we didn't have it planned until this week. My main concerns are to have her and the baby on my insurance. I also found her birthday/Christmas present which is the house that we're moving into at the beginning of the year. So as much as we wanted you guys here for it, we had to just go ahead with it now.

None the less it was a sweet little ceremony and the preacher himself started crying at one point because neither of us could hold back our tears.

Sarah made a comment the other day that she had only seen me in my work uniform so i surprised her by wearing my Trops for the ceremony. These are just a few pics but enjoy.

Love you all!

For "something blue" Sarah used one of my uniform name tags. haha This is her pinning it on.

"The" Kiss. :)

The Rissers!

The pic above is my favorite of us

The new in-laws, Ike and Kim.

I'd like to take a moment here to point out my SWEET wings above my ribbons. Yaaaaa...those are nice. haha

I said we had to take a prom picture. haha

Stay tuned for pics of the new house and shortly after we'll find the sex of the baby!!! :)

Mama's little belly! :)

2008-12-06T13:12:00.000-08:00

So everyone has been asking how the mama is doing. Well here are some pics of the little belly coming along. And mama looking as beautiful as always! :)

These were actually taken a couple weeks ago. She's already bigger but those pics are on another computer so you'll have to wait to see.

A Sobe first

2008-11-21T23:18:00.001-08:00

It snowed a little this morning when i got off work, about 1 1/2 inches. Took Sobe outside and it seemed like she didn't really know what to do with it. haha Went to sleep and when i woke up it was all gone...boo. haha

Northeast trip...

2008-10-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

Here are the pictures from the NY/Vermont/Boston trip. Too many so i had to make one of those slide show things.

I tried out that site Eddie found that gives pictures the old look. I think this one of Chinatown came out really cool.

It's the baaaaaaabbbbbyyyyyyy!!!!

2008-10-22T13:30:00.001-07:00

We recently had the opportunity to meet up with my parents, GK, Susanna, Bubba, and Van the man up in NY followed with a drive to Vermont to visit cousins. Sarah and I had a great time and loved every minute of it! Sarah had to leave early because work wouldn't give her the whole time off and she had a doctors appointment. I was kinda down that i didn't get to go to the doctors with her because it was the first ultrasound. Ends up she was thinkin the wrong time and had to reschedule for today. Sooooo...yesterday we (the family) packed up in Boston and drove down to Brooklyn. I said my goodbyes and I love yous and took off for another long drive home. After 12-13 hours of driving and a few hours of sleep i had the joy to witness this...

My BABY!! :)

Soccer player in the making right there!! Either that or the baby was rather upset we were seeing it nakie...it was swinging and kickin like crazy! So amazing and i loved it! Great week from beginning to end!!

Oh and the estimated delivery date is May 20, which i think is pretty cool cause i estimated the 21st...i'm just that good. haha ;)~

(trip pics coming soon)

New pics of my little girl Sobe

2008-10-14T17:31:00.001-07:00

This first picture is actually of the sunset from the hanger. Didn't turn out the best but i'm new to photography so be patient. One thing i do like about the graveyard shift is that i get to see both the sunrise and set. There may not be mountains out here but it's still beautiful to me.

And here are some pics of Daddy's little girl...for now? haha

She probably won't get much taller than she is now but will definitely get wider/broader/stronger! More pics will come. For those of you familiar with Spuds McKenzie...that's the type of dog Sobe is.

With her mama. :)

Posin pretty for daddy.

I think this one shows how she looks like Spuds.

This and the next one i took today and they are my favorite of her.

We'z gettin hitched ya'll!!

2008-10-14T05:31:00.000-07:00

I have no idea why she said yes....hehe

Again...we're both VERY excited and will let you all know the date as soon as we decide!

For those of you not in the direct family, i picked up a new random hobby...balloon animals. haha

I've made all sorts of creations already...the beginners poodle, sword, and mouse. Then onto making a teddy bear, pig, frog, several flowers, and even an airplane. It's actually kind of addicting to be honest. Fun learning all the new twists and such.

The reason i tell you this is because yesterday Sarah was having a REALLY bad day at work. So i decided i'd buy her some flowers to cheer her up a bit when she came over. Then i realized, i know how to make hearts out of these balloons! So i made 12 or so and surrounded the flowers with them. I gave her the little gift and she was very pleased and happy about it. I proceeded to tell her i had something else for her, reached into my pocket, and got on one knee...asking her to marry me. :)

I've been planning to pop the question for a while but didn't know how to do it. I wanted it to be more than just the question but didn't know how. When i picked up this little hobby i ran out of balloons quick and started running around the house in circles saying i need to find a hobby shop to buy more!! Sarah surprised me by buying out the supply of balloon shaping kits at her work and bringing them to me. So i figured what better touch than to use the new entertainment of mine that she thinks is so cute to make it the Jason proposal. haha It was all actually spur of the moment which is what i think was best about it. She loved it and said yes right away. So as i said...be ready for the date! :)

Here are some pics of Sarah and some of the hearts i made her.

Close call?

2008-10-03T17:10:00.000-07:00

First off...just cause i have a camera now does not mean that there is always something to take a picture of...so sshhhhhhhhhhhh dad. lol

Anyways...

So I have started to fly a lot lately. But they're sending Rob and myself to the mid-shift, which is like graveyard shift, because everyone supposedly has to do their round there. I was on duty last night so it was supposed to be a simple flight of touch and goes (plane touches the runway and we take off right away) in Kingston, NC but it turned into anything but that...

We made it to Kingston fine. Plane was working great and things were so well i was laying down in the back reading. After several touch and goes we decided on one more before heading home. Again things were great...smooth landing, flaps brought to 50%, power up (gain speed) and rotate (lift off)....(pilots voice over headset)..."OH S#*@!!!"...BOOOOM!! And the whole plane shakes! I jump up and go running to my viewing windows to check the engines...everything is fine. I still hear swearing and KNOW something hit but can't seem to figure it out. Finally am told to check the wheel wells. So...1. This doesn't really make sense because not much hits that area. And 2. The only way to see into the wheel wells are these tiny windows. Probably 8in X 6in. Doesn't sound too small except for the huge struts that take up the majority of your viewing space. So really i have about one inch on each side of the struts to look at. But I'm still thinkin, "What the heck happened!?".

Finally I hear the pilot say, "Stupid freakin Dear!". A dear!? Ends up right as we rotated 3 deer had come running across the runway. So everything looks fine from what we can actually see. We go through our emergency procedures (which all the CG trains for constantly) and do a fly by to see if there is any damage not visible to us. We're told we look good so we decide to land. Now usually they just want our lap belts on for safety. Some ppl don't even wear them. But the pilot demanded everyone to strap in and be ready. All I'm thinking is, "This can't be happening!! I've got a little one on the way and things are finally going great!". So movie moment of me...haha

Ends up being the smoothest landing of the night. As we go down the runway those on the flight deck see a HUGE "splatter" across the runway. So we're just waiting for the worst. (On a good note. The city of Kingston had the fire dept. blocking both ends of the runway to stop traffic on local roads and was waiting in 3 spots at the airport for any emergency BEFORE we even did our fly by. Awesome response!) Ends up being the best landing of the night. Stop the plane and get out...absolutely NOTHING to be found on the plane!! It was in perfect condition. We only found about 3 DOTS of blood which looked like they could've been from bugs. We get the OK from base, CO, OPS, and EO (Commanding, Operations, and Engineering Officers) to fly home and as we do a quick inspect of the rest of the plane....we find we have a bird stike on Engine 1 as well!! What a night! So we have to inspect the engine and all areas around that before we can be OK'd to go again. Finally...after being on the ground longer than we were supposed to have been out all FLIGHT, we are on our way home! What a night...

Now some of you might think, "So what? You're in a huge plane and these are just some animals. What could they possible do?". Well I've attached a video below to show you. Mind you...this video is taken from a jet. We're in a turbo-prop plane. Meaning, yes, we have jet turbines but we are still a propellar plane. So if it can do this to a jet, just imagine what it can do to a prop...enjoy.

Now...on a lighter note. To dispurse any rumors or stories. Yes it is true...i'm gonna be a daddy!! And i'm more excited than I can tell you. Sarah and I both agree things could've been done different but it's already happening and we are both VERY excited! So here's another picture of the proud parents.

As you can see...the mustache made a comeback. Sarah LOVES IT! She even yelled at a friend of mine, who was trying to make fun of it, that it's sexy. He's view changed really quick when the beautiful girl said what she thought. hahah

Here's how thick it is now. ;)

2008-08-20T13:25:00.000-07:00

Before dad can yell at me to update again...haha

Last weekend I went with Sarah and her family to Karaoke night to watch her little sister sing. She's 11yrs old and sounded GREAT! We all watched her and then danced around all night. Here are some pics of Sarah and I.

Just finished dancing here which is why we look hot and sweaty. haha

These two pics were taken with Sarah's camera. She likes to use night effect and get these crazy lines going through them. I thought they turned out pretty cool so i put em up.

Hope all is well for everyone. Love you guys!

Better pics of Sobe...

2008-08-09T17:14:00.000-07:00

She sits on command already...and stays.

And she loves her daddy. :)

As for me, things are great. Just finished my flight phase and need to take my check ride. Then i'm qualified to fly whenever! As i told Dad, i finished my flight phase in just 2 flights. It's SUPPOSED to take at least 3 but most people take 4 or 5. So i made a good impression on my chiefs and such.

Horrible phone pictures...

2008-07-06T15:29:00.000-07:00

These are a few pictures from my camera phone. Not really the best quality but at least you get to see the baby girl.

Here's your update....

2008-07-06T06:59:00.000-07:00

I'M AT WORK AND I'M TIRED!!

Yep...

Ok for dads sake here is an update on my life...

As far as work goes, i'm kind of at a stand still with my qualifications. I know the stuff! But it's a real pain anywhere in the CG to get one of the trainers to sit down for a minute and sign off you quals. Shouldn't be much longer though. Can't wait to get up there in the sky!

Oh in case you didn't hear the news...I'm a father! :)

Of a beautiful American Staffordshire Terrier. haha

Now this isn't a picture of her but it shows you what she looks like. The one on the right in this picture REALLY resembles her. I'm not going to get her ears cut though. They already look so much like a Pit so i don't want to add to the fear people have when seeing a dog like her. If you go to http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/ it talks about how they are cousins to the American Pit bull but have much nicer temperaments and are even a good family dog. If anyone has tips on house training....PLEASE help! lol

Almost forgot to mention...

When I first picked her up i kept calling her my Southern Belle. So that is her actual name. But I abbreviated it into one word and now we call her Sobe.

For the fourth of July i was SUPPOSED to go camping with some friends. Then it hit me..."They don't even have jobs! How are they gonna pay for anything?!". Then they failed to tell my Roommate Rob and I that you need a specific trailer hitch rig for the trailer. Which is several hundred dollars. Oh and that the trailers registration is up...and i can't even remember what else....lol So Rob and I decided we weren't doing that and headed to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. If you have not been there, GOOOO!!! I love it out there. Beautiful, relaxing, definitely growing yet still slow paced. I'd love to settle down there. We'll see where the Guard takes me. So we relaxed there and met up with my friend Brittany who is stationed at Small Boat Station Hatteras. We had a good time and were able to meet her family that was down from Maryland. The next day they invited us to come out and join their family for dinner. We laid out newspaper and ate a bushel of crabs! It was AWESOME! haha Is that an East Coast thing? Cause i don't think we've ever done that. Great people and good food. I was sure to let them know how much i appreciated it since my nearest family is 8-10 hours away depending on traffic. Mr. Davis was a tour guide in DC during college and offered a place to stay and a historic tour whenever I'd like to go up there.

It really amazes me, the difference of peoples attitudes and traditions, depending on where you live. I mean, we Californians always talk about So Cal and Nor Cal being so different...but California all together is NOTHING like the rest of this amazing country. It's been a blessing to be in this wonderful service. I've traveled from LA to Washington and cross country to here in NC. Met people from all parts of the country. Big cities, to small towns. I absolutely love learning about their customs and traditions. It makes it sound like i'm talking about foreign countries but if you've actually taken the time to meet people in these places you realize it almost is. Never thought I would permanently leave the west coast but now that I have experienced so much I don't even see myself going back. Not to mention my eczema is nowhere near as bad. lol

Anyways...like i said...i'm at work so I think I'll go find something to work on. haha

Driving range day.

2008-06-05T14:31:00.001-07:00

I still don't know how to get the pictures in the order i want....lol

I realized that i hadn't used my clubs since i joined two years ago and decided to take Sarah and my roomie Rob to the driving range on base. First time for both of them and we had a blast.

This is the only time i've seen her embarrassed. haha
First swing in 2 years equals hitting a lot of AIR...lol

Not sure....

And the roommate Rob. Looks like a little kid. lol

2008-06-05T14:22:00.000-07:00

Well i still don't have a camera but my friend Sarah does and since we're together a lot it looks like i'll have some pics to show. We took off for the day to visit the Outer Banks of NC. Better known for Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hill. The birth place of flight. Thank you Wright Brothers or I wouldn't have the job i LOVE! :)

This is a front view of the Wright Brothers Memorial. We got there right before it closed so had to take pics quick. We plan on going back so better pictures will soon come.
I was goofin off on the way down from the memorial and she decided to snap this. I actually think it turned out to be a good picture with the memorial in the back. That's the hill the Brothers launched their plane from.

Little Sarah. :) We took off to the beach after the memorial. The water is sooooooooooo warm over here!! By the way...those are MY glasses! lolThe Atlantic with our shadows in the sand. Sarah said she was showing "gang signs". haha

A view of OBX from the top of the memorial.

A taste...

2008-04-24T20:35:00.000-07:00

So as i said, my camera is broken but i'll try to find ways to show you guys what i'm up to. Right now i'm working on getting BA (Basic Aircrew) qualified and it's coming along great. Here's a pic of what i'll probably be doing a lot as a BA and DM (Drop Master). Aren't you jealous? ;)~

Yes...it's a tatt. haha

2008-04-12T12:34:00.001-07:00

Aunt Syd asked so now you'll all know. I've actually had it for a while now but I kept it covered during Christmas so that I could enjoy the time I had with everyone rather than trying to talk about my tattoo all night. Here it is...

Trying something out....

2008-04-04T10:29:00.000-07:00

I may be a fixed wing guy but we all have a special job in the Coast Guard. This video was shown with our grad video. It's dedicated to those Airman that worked through Katrina. I figured i would show everyone something that they presented at graduation. Mama and Grandma would have cried for sure. lol

Graduation!

2008-04-04T10:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, so first off you all should know that my camera is broken and that's the main reason for the lack of updates. Thing sucked anyways. But they sent all of us these pictures from graduation and if i can figure out how to get the video off the CD i'll post that as well. Any tips?

Capt. Mihelic congratulating me on graduating AMT "A" School.

AMTC Barr, AMT3 Risser, and AMT2 Henton.
I had Chief Barr and Petty Officer Henton "pin me" (put my crows on) because they both helped me significantly through A school. Chief helped me when i first came and all the personal situations we're going on by talking to me daily and making sure i was taken care of through all the ordeals. Petty Officer Henton didn't know it until after graduation but he actually kept me from dropping on request from school. He came up to me when i had a look in my eyes as if all was lost and sat down with me till i understood the section. I look up to both and respect them a lot.

Hard to see but this is the class of AMT 70-08 along with most of our instructors. I'm in the front row towards the left.

Visit to the hanger

2008-02-10T14:38:00.001-08:00

We were given the chance to visit one of the hangers where they overhaul some of the planes in the fleet. What made this visit special is that we were able to see the latest update to the HH-60. This version is called the MH-60 Thunderhawk. The only stipulation is that we had to wax it for them. haha It was well worth it though.

Waxing is LOADS of fun....

Some of the class in the Thunderhawk...

O'Reilly is my roommate in the barraks, (one of them) and Hardey is going to be my roommate here. Haven't they heard of military bearing....what's with the smiles?! :)~

The class of AMT 70-08 along with two of our last phase instrutors. AMTC Williams and AMT1 Black.

My Airframe...

2008-02-06T16:52:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone. No more pictures of me yet but i wanted to show you all the airframe I'm going to be working on. As i said before i am VERY excited. They fly from the Caribbean to all around up north for Ice Patrols, including Greenland! They also fly out to Europe sometimes and to the Islands known as The Azores. A group of islands owned by Portugal. So of course i can't wait!!

This is the original Lockheed prototype. The YC-130.

And this is one of the exact planes I'll be working on. You can tell because the series number is 20. This is the C-130J.

Quick update....

2008-01-10T13:02:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!!!!

So first off i'm sorry i don't update this very much but the internet connection at school is horrible. It goes out as i'm trying to load the pictures and stuff. Otherwise i'd have plenty of photos up.

On another note...we received our picks today and i got the one i wanted!! I REALLY like it here in the NC/VA area and wanted to work on C-130's (our big planes) badly. Lucky me....i got both!!!!!!! So i'll be living out here for the next four years and working on the airframe that i've been hoping for the whole time i've been at school. I hope things are going great for everyone else! Love you guys!

By the way....here's the latest pic... ;)

Phase 1A

2007-12-06T16:20:00.000-08:00

A lot of this phase was spent in the classroom doing book work. LOTS of studying and LOTS of tests. We had a test pretty much everyday starting on the second day of class. Mainly learning about the structures of aircrafts, the 4 components of flight, and composite work...stuff like that. So here are some pics of the classroom and composite shop work.

2007-11-18T13:50:00.000-08:00

I don't really have time to take pictures in class but a buddy of mine has taken a few. He's gonna let me download them on to my computer and as soon as i do i'll post them for you guys.

Love you all!

Moving day.

2007-11-18T13:39:00.000-08:00

The base decided they wanted completely new furniture for all the barracks. This meant day off from class...but every student was given the pleasure of moving all the furniture. haha These are some pics to give you an idea of what we had to do...

The girl in the pic above pronounced our name Rizzer so whenever i see her, rather than saying her full name Kavenaugh i say, "Kavewha?". The funny thing is it grew on her and when i decided to call her by her name she looked at me and said, "What did you say?! I can't believe you didn't say my name right! It's KaveWHAAAA?!" lol

That final pic is the finished product. My home for a few more months. Mind you...there are three set ups like that in each room....oh the FUN!

P.T. DODGEBALL!!!

2007-11-18T13:33:00.001-08:00

Every few days we get to have some Physical Training (PT) and my class is OBSESSED with dodgeball. lol I bruised my left hand just under my thumb while playing. The ball was rolling around and when my buddy went for it i tackled him to get the ball first and slammed my hand on the ground while reaching for the ball. haha The next day was our Universal Rivet test and luckily it didn't affect my riveting and what did i score on the test?...Oh yeah...100%! Good times...

A little bit...

2007-11-18T13:30:00.000-08:00

Well....this has been and will be my usual position for the last and next few months. haha

New Blog

2007-11-08T08:37:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone!!! This is going to be my new blogger! :) Easier to start a new one than try to edit all that. I'll be reposting a lot of pics and then adding on the new ones that some of us are taking here in school. Miss and love you all!

JJ