-->And now for all of the details from our Colorado trip! Vic and I had been anxiously awaiting this trip since last July when we told Taylor we would like to come. And in the few weeks before we had been working like dogs to get all work caught up and everything done to finally enjoy our vacation with some of our favorite people, the Verett family!
Monday morning, the 24th of May, Vic and I headed towards Austin. ((On a side note, this was a fun morning because all we could keep talking about was the series finale of Lost which had aired for 3 ½ hours the night before. Vic started watching Lost when I was interning in DC in 2004 (right before he fell head over heels in love with me; finally realized his life would be incomplete and lonely and sad and boring and inexpensive and practically worthless without me; and FINALLY asked me out) and has been addicted ever since. So, the finale was heartwarming and wonderful and we loved it and were still on a high from having seen it the night before)).
I digress. So, we headed off to Austin and are just about to board the plane to DFW when Taylor (the graduate of USAFA) called and informed us our plane from DFW to Colorado Springs had been cancelled due to high winds. We immediately talked to American Airlines and they put us on the 8:45 flight. Our cancelled flight was scheduled for 3:00 so as you can see this was a big change in our plans and Vic (with undiagnosed A.D.D.) and I were wondering what we would do for 6 hours. However, we landed at DFW and spent the afternoon reading magazines, eating dinner in the airport, and just hanging out until our plane finally took off from DFW. We arrived in Colorado Springs and Whitney is waiting for us. We loaded up our luggage, headed out to the vehicle with Mary and Taylor and headed to the hotel. Also, at the same time, Kristofer has been stuck in the Vegas airport for a 6 hour delay and has just landed in Denver, where his dad picked him up. So, we all arrived at the hotel in Colorado Springs around the same time; we sat down to visit and have a beverage and then something struck Vic. His wallet was gone. It wasn’t in his back pocket. Everyone starts looking: the couch he was sitting on, the car, the trip from the car to the hotel, etc. I called the airlines and of course, since it’s almost midnight by then, nobody answers and I leave messages. Let’s just say the next 18 hours were a little nerve wrecking as we waited to hear if the wallet had been found at the airport, since that was really the only place it could have gotten lost/stolen. While we put credit cards on hold, our biggest concern was that if we did not find it, the flight back would be much more complicated since Vic wouldn’t have his driver’s license. Finally, about 6pm on Tuesday night, we get a call that they have found it; it was found on the ramp by airport employees. The $60 cash was gone (good thing I had the rest of our travel cash for the trip), but at least we had it back…..even better that we had it because it seemed that the rest of the trip we all got carded if we ordered a fun beverage! Vic, though he looks older than 21, would have been so sad to miss out on a beer while celebrating Taylor’s week! Also, on a side note, we finally decided that Vic’s back pockets are the reason for the lost wallet. A couple of years ago, he bought these shorts that he just loves. And he has gotten so tone and lost all possible fat on his body within the last year, that his shorts were too big. He decided to have them taken in. Well, if you can imagine it, his pockets are a little closer together now because his hind end is smaller! Haha! And, apparently, all day long while walking around airports he constantly felt like he had to push his wallet back into his pocket. We should have paid that more attention, but live and learn!
So, after the wallet debacle, our vacation continued! Well, to be honest, it continued even without the wallet. Tuesday morning we drove to the Air Force Academy for the parade. The day was beautiful and cool but we didn’t realize how cool it was until we were in the stands. The wind was blowing and even though the sun was shining, it got cold! By the end of the event, we were cold, yet sunburned! In fact, Vic and I really planned for warmer weather so we were in short sleeves and as chilly as it was, Vic thought he was going numb! One of the ladies with us went to the USAFA store and bought a sweatshirt, socks, scarf, etc. for herself. She let Mary borrow the scarf and the next thing you know, Vic has it around his neck. Here is a quick pic of Vic wearing the scarf. Kristofer called him Ron Weasley (from Harry Potter)! Looks just like him!
Then, the cadets all march out in formation with their squadrons (40 total) onto the field. Taylor was in squadron 13 aka “the bulldawgs”. Over the course of the parade, the seniors separate out from their squadron and stand on one end of the field while all squadrons march by, saluting their seniors and march off of the field.
After that time, families get to go down to the field to see their cute adorable cadets and of course…take lots of pictures! I believe Taylor is in his “parade dress” in these. Below is Kristofer, Whitney, Taylor, Mary, myself and Vic.
And of course we need a "boys" picture...this is quite possible the infamous "posse" continuing...
-->After pictures, we go to eat at a place possibly called the Members Dining Club…? I hope I got that close to being correct. It was in the same building as the Computer Department’s Award program that same afternoon. This was for all the seniors in Taylor’s major to get together to receive their awards. Taylor had to change clothes again, but I do not remember the correct name for this uniform….sorry Taylor! You taught me well, you did! But, I am forgetful! Then, Taylor changed even again and we went up to his dorm and got a quick campus tour before his commissioning ceremony. Here is a picture of Mary and Taylor after the awards...typical "taylor taking a photo" face!
During our campus tour, we saw the Church - my camera was slowly dying so Mary took the inside shots and I will get those pictures from her....it was beautiful though. It was divided into parts where different religions could worship. And, I mean mountains in the background? Beautiful!
I have to say that the commissioning ceremony was probably my favorite part. It is done by squadron, so only the seniors in Squadron 13 got together at 4pm in Exemplar Hall to be commissioned. Each cadet is commissioned individually with a person of their choice administering the oath that they repeat and then their individual family members come to the front to remove the old boards on their shoulders and put on the new ones. It was just very personalized and special and Vic and I both loved getting to see Taylor commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant of the United States Air Force! This is the oath being given.
This is the removing and replacement of the shoulder boards by Taylor's family.
And this is just a picture of Vic and I on campus...just because we look so good!
We all gathered into the stands and watched THE MOST efficient “entering of students to a graduation ceremony” I’ve ever seen. You know how that always seems to take the most time? I mean, it is always one person at a time in a single file line just entering the area to sit at their seats while parents wave at people that they “think” is their child but really it’s too hard to see so they are just waving to kids they don’t even know. Haha – it is just always funny to me that it takes so long. Well, NOT in the Air Force Academy. See below for pictures. They march in the exact order they will be seated and it took probably less than 5 minutes from start to finish. IMPRESSIVE! There were 1,001 cadets graduating that day.
The best shot of the day for me was the Thunderbirds flying overhead just as they threw up their hats! It was purely a luck shot as the planes fly SO fast and the day was REALLY bright! I just clicked, but got a great picture! The Air Show was so impressive and I couldn’t get over how fast the planes flew and the tricks that they did.
Once the air show was over, so was graduation. Our graduate below!
And again, Mary & Taylor posing for a picture...anyone want to mess with them? Too bad, secret service watching out behind them...hehehe!
Okay back to reality. We headed to the trucks…to learn we would just have to wait around for awhile because the parking lot is really just a huge field and there was not really much order in getting all of those 30,000 people or so people out any time fast. So, what should we do? More pictures of course! Here are Kristofer, Patricia, Taylor, Whitney and Steve:
Oh Baby Taylor - I remember when you were young running around in sombrero's....you are all grown up!
This is what comes from sitting around too long without any beer to drink....
In fact, I guess I should explain a little more about who was in the group celebrating all week. Taylor, who is of course the graduate and his girlfriend (my cousin) Mary; Kristofer and Whitney (who’ve been the subjects of my posts before!); Steve and Patricia (Verett parents) who have even adopted Vic and I as their own and took care of us all week long; Mark & Joyce and Marti & Kris (all friends of Steve and Patricia). So, the group of 12 was so much fun! And, here is one chance to truly express how much the Verett family means to Vic and I. From the time Whitney and I met as interns in DC to now, we have come to love the Veretts so much (and there are even more of them we love than were on this trip!). They have been a part of mine and Vic’s dating, engagement, wedding, and many college and post-college memories. We just have the best time with them and consider them our 2nd family.
And, of course, it cannot really be expressed as to how much FUN we had in a simple blog post. When you are with Kristofer and Taylor, there is never a dull moment and never a comment without sarcasm, hilarity and cleverness. Whether explaining to Vic why he is forever a “ginger” (for those of you who do not know, a ginger is apparently a red-headed kid and we learned about this from Southpark…just another Verett thing!); telling Whitney how to run the country better in DC (she works on the hill); helping Vic advance with technology or just stating “fact” or “false” in every conversation, we never stopped laughing! And, all week long, Whitney and I would talk about random one-liners that we heard that really needed to make the blog and what have I done? Either forgotten them or realized they may not be appropriate…hahaha! So, if any of you on this trip have any, you just send them my way and I’ll re-post “one-liners from the Colorado trip!”
I guess I should wrap this post up since it’s practically a novel, though I’m sure I’ve left things out! And, this was only ½ of our Colorado Trip Week! We were extremely impressed with the Air Force Academy and events and had a wonderful time with our favorite people. Congratulations Taylor!
