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Journal "Memory... is the diary that we all carry about with us." ~ Oscar Wilde 4 February, 2012: Breakout and Super Bowl Last weekend the VMI Class of 2015 Broke out of the Rat Line. Sal came in for the event to speak at their Breakout Dinner. Roger was home in Maryland and drove down too. Breakout was tough and fun and the Rats did a fine job. I think 2015 will be a strong class. I like this time of year best. We started NCMT last Tuesday and had another session on Thursday. With the Fourth Class out of the Rat Line, Barracks is a much quieter place. Mornings are light enough at Breakfast Roll Call (BRC) to inspect the Corps, so personal appearance, which has waned in the dark days, begins to pick up. We're beginning to select the leadership for next year, so the Second Class is motivated to take over the Corps, the Thirds are vying for Sergeant positions, and the Fourths are trying to make Cadre Corporal...while the Firsts are dying for them to take over, study hard to pass their final classes, and spend as much time with their Brother Rats as possible. Basketball and Baseball become Neel family pastimes. Big events like Mid-Winter Formal, Rank Announcements, The Leadership Retreat, Finals, the Fourth Class FTX, Commissioning, New Market Day, Graduation, and Summer Furlough loom on the horizon making this the fastest semester. The new Marksmanship program here at VMI is in full swing. We're actually zeroing and qualifying the Third Class on our new M4 Carbines. We do this two companies at a time, the first taking Primary Marksmanship Instruction (PMI) and the Second firing on the new range. The best thing about this is that we're collecting all the NCAA guys and girls who miss out on NCMT. The class of 2014 will be the first class where every cadet has fired a weapon. Next year, 2014 will qualify on our new M9 pistols and 2015 will shoot the M4s. Shortly, we will offer , on a volunteer basis, the NRA home and outside the home defense courses for the First Class. We are also hosting open range days this semester for Faculty and Staff to come practice with their Personal weapons. Finally, the vision of Magnus Nordenman, the Father of NCMT, is taking place. Tomorrow is the Super Bowl. Kim and I are going to Jay's place in Charlottesville for the game, so I'll get a little Jay, Kelly, and JAKE time. Mike, Ann, KP, and Barbara are supposed to be there as well, so it should be pretty fun. 21 January, 2012: Dad's Photos
There isn't much going on around here but the same old
stuff--Basketball, Rat Line wind-down, New Cadet Military Training
(NCMT) spin-up.
Monday we found out that Elise won't be home for R&R until April. That news bummed out a lot of people, especially me. I keep telling myself that April will be more fun because the weather will be nicer, but I was really looking forward to having her home for her birthday. Wednesday night, Kim handed me two small bags of Dad's slides that she brought home from Mom's house and I have begun scanning them. There are some real treasures in each box...mostly photos from the late 50s and early 60s when dad was most proactive with his camera. The family photos are the most fun for me and those posted on Facebook are getting rave reviews in the family. It is great fun for me, looking back to a time when Mom and Dad, all my aunts and uncles, and their friends were much younger than I am now and my grandparents are my age. This is a photo of my ncle James Lee and Aunt Martha Lee Goyette, mom's brother and sister, with Mom, at my grandparent's house in Berry Alabama. Sadly, they both passed a way years ago. They were nice folks. Breakout is next week. The first class will give the Rats a hell week, ramping up to Saturday for the culminating event. Sal is coming in Wednesday to be the guest speaker for the dinner that night. I'm looking forward to that.
5 January, 2012: Back to Work
The movers are back in Barracks, this time moving the Hospital into Third Barracks, front side, third stoop, while we refurbish the hospital building. And, I thought we were finished in Barracks. Silly Me. Cadets come back Tuesday and we'll begin cranking up NCMT. I'm all over that! I have another good team of cadre this year. I got a new phone--Motorola Electrify--Love it! This Android stuff is super fun. I'm playing around with the camera now.
1 January, 2012: Home For New Year's Day I got up a little after midnight on New Year's Eve to drive home to Lexington so I could see the VMI vs. Presbyterian basketball game, watch the Auburn vs. UVA game with Kim and the kids, and be with Kim at midnight. I went home on the 27th to help Jim buy Mom a car, clean up her house a bit, replace a few items around the house, and to take her out for her eighty-third birthday. Jim and I hit Car Max on the 28th and had a nice little Altima for mom by noon. I still don't think she knows it is her's. VMI played a masterful game against a much higher ranked conference team. It went to over \time, but that was all VMI. The Auburn game was great. I watched UVA all season and knew they were a team on the rise, and AU had a rough year, so I was a bit worried. But Auburn came to play and even though we lost our primary QB in the first few minutes and were missing our star running back, Trotter and McCalebb really stood up and picked up the slack. It was a fun, old-time, SEC ass-kicking to watch. Christmas was a hoot with Jake man. We all had a really good time with Bill and Sylvia here from Birmingham and Kelly in from NOVA. The highlight of Christmas Day was Skyping with Elise from Afghanistan. I miss her.
2011, 2010 & Before That
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