Changes in Latitude - Changes in Attitude

Well, if you've been keeping up with my blog, then you know that things at work have been changing quite a bit, especially these last few months.  More changes are happening in my professional life, some by my own hand and some that are out of my control.  Just to clarify though, nothing tragic, nothing that can't be handled, nothing that brings about a lot of anxiety, some that are positive changes even.

I've taken those tests before...tests where there is a list of different life events and I'm supposed to put a check mark by each event that has occurred in my life over the past year.  Then I count up all the checks and that's supposed to tell me how much stress I have in my life at that moment.  Some of the events on that list are negative events (the death of a family member, losing a job, being hospitalized) while others are positive (buying a new home, getting a new job, getting married).  However, positive or negative, each event counts the same on your "stress scale".

Now if you are someone who knows me at all, is a friend of mine on facebook or have followed this blog at all, and you don't know that I'm a runner, then well....I'm not really sure what to say, because most people who know me would probably agree that I talk, or blog, or facebook about running much more than they'd like to hear or read.  So, I will say nothing more about running in this particular blog entry.

So, what other changes???

Well, first of all I've got a new supervisor.  Lauren Yankanin was recently promoted to Communications Center at NRECC.  See Lauren, I told you back when I interviewed you that you would move up quickly in seniority ;-)  That change came as part of our expansion from the Dublin Communications Center to the Northwest Regional Emergency Communications Center.  It was decided that a third supervisor was needed as part of our growth, and Lauren is now that third supervisor.  I think she'll do well in the position.

Another change on the professional front.  Late last month I was accepted as the newest member of the Mid-Ohio Critical Incident Stress Management team.  "The Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team members are a group of volunteers from local agencies across Central Ohio including police officers, dispatchers, clergy, medical & mental health personnel that are on-call 24/7 to assist officers and agencies in need."  One of the Dublin Police Sgts. is a long time member of this organization, and I've been interested in getting involved for some time.   Our purpose is to be there to help first responders who experience a traumatic event in their lives.  The Mid-Ohio team primarily serves agencies in Franklin and surrounding counties of Ohio, but has also been activated to respond to events outside of that area, and even outside of the State of Ohio.  Currently I am one of two dispatchers that are part of this team.

One other change is that I will be the alternate union associate at work.  Our dispatchers are member of the FOP-OLC.  I honestly don't expect that to take up a whole lot of my time (if any of my time) as the main union associate will handle any issues unless she is, for some reason, unavailable.  So, kind of like the first runner-up of the Miss America Pageant, I stand ready to fill in should Amy not be able to fulfill her responsibilities.  She's been doing it for a while, so I think she's got a handle on things.

Today we found out that one of our co-workers will be out for a couple of weeks for surgery.  This will open up quite a bit of overtime, in addition to the overtime that's already posted.  I'll try to get as much of the overtime as I can, without burning myself out.

I took two online "stress" or "anxiety" tests.  In one I scored a 7 out of 40 (with 40 being the most stressful) and in the other I scored 16 out of 100, so I feel I'm handling my stress/anxiety fairly well.  I don't think we can go through life "stress free".  But I do feel that how we deal with many situations really is a matter of choice.

Starting my next Taper

I've hit the longest of my "long runs" for a while as I begin to look towards my first half marathon for 2014.  On March 1 I will be running the Phoenix Half Marathon.  This will be my 13th state in my quest for (at least) 48, as well as my 13th half marathon.  This is usually the point where I set my goals, but to be honest, I'm not sure what goals to set.  My last half marathon was not the greatest, that because of some poor habits on my part during the preparation and the fact that it came only about six weeks after having run a full marathon.

While my training has rebounded to some extent, and I expect to do better in Phoenix than I did in Cocoa Beach, it's still not feeling as good as it did just prior to Philadelphia, where I ran a PR, or before running the Columbus Marathon.

So, that being said, my goal for Phoenix would be to a sub 2:07.  An ultimate goal at this point would be to run a PR of under 1:57.  I really don't think that's in the cards, but some of that may depend on how I feel throughout the taper over the next few weeks.

I recently celebrated my birthday, going out with some friends and family for dinner.  I'm blessed to have the friends that I do, and this group represented a cross section of various parts of my life.  From an old high school friend, to a long time friend from my previous job, to former running friends and "posse" members, to current running buddies.  Throw in two of my nephews and their girlfriends and it made for a very nice evening.

Then on my day off I went out and bought myself some birthday presents.  At least that's the excuse I'm using for spending the money.

Speaking of tapering, as much as I like getting the overtime, it has been kind of nice not working as much overtime lately.  I've actually had my last two weekends off in addition to a vacation day.  I'm looking forward to a little site-seeing in Phoenix, as well as getting together with my cousin, who lives in the Phoenix area.  I want to try and get up to the Grand Canyon while I'm there.  I made that attempt a couple of years ago when I visited Las Vegas, but that area of the Canyon is controlled by the indian tribes who want to charge an arm and a leg to get in to the area.  Going from Phoenix will be through the National Park instead.  Time off is kind of at a premium right now, so I'll take advantage of the time when I can get it, and to be able to combine that with the blessing of running a race is always nice.

I may have to postpone my Nebraska run this year.  I wasn't paying attention to the calendar when I registered for the Laugh & and a Half-Marathon in Norfolk, NE on June 14.  The problem is this would be about a 13-14 hour drive.  On June 13 I will be teaching a class at the State Police Academy.  Being the last day of class, we usually get out fairly early.  But even if I am able to get out of there by 10 a.m.  I then have to drive at least 12 hours to get to Nebraska and then be up early the next morning to run a half marathon.  One word comes to mind....UGH!  So I may put that one off.  There is a half marathon that same day in Illinois (The Biggest Loser Half Marathon).  The drive is only about 8 hours away, which is not nearly as bad, but it would cost me a little more money, as I would have to pay for a hotel room.  Running in NE allows me to stay at my brother's place, which is only about 30 min. away from the race location.  The other alternative of course, is to just not run a half marathon that weekend.  I'm running plenty of races this year, but I hate to give up that weekend.  So we'll see what happens as the time gets closer.

Loved the Drive-Ins

As a kid, I used to love going to the Drive-In Theater.  I think back now on all the movies we saw at the Drive-Ins as kids.  Some became classics, others, most might not even remember.  But I remember that we would usually go to the 40 East Drive-In out on East Main St. in Reynoldsburg.  That area is now the home of the State Fire Academy, but back then it was a chance to go out and see a couple of movies at a reasonable price.

We would take lawn chairs and sit out next to the car.  Back then you had the speaker that hung on the window, and while those still exist, the few drive-ins that still remain, also broadcast the sound over your radio.

But I remember some of the movies we saw at the Drive-Ins when I was a kid.  Any of these familiar?

There were more movies that we saw, and they weren't all at the 40 East Drive-In, but it was fun to go.

And who can forget?

Let's Get This Party Started

Well, as expected, 2014 has already been a year of changes.  On the running front, only one true change, and that was realizing that the Marathon I intended to run on March 1 is not going to happen.  My training being what it is, I know that I can not adequately prepare for a full marathon, so I changed my registration and will run the Phoenix Half Marathon on March 1.  I look forward to doing a little site seeing while I'm in Arizona.  Hopefully getting a chance to visit with a cousin while I'm out there, and enjoy the race.

At work, as I type this blog entry, we're completing our second full day of dispatching for our newest partner, the Hilliard Police Dept.  The process of taking on the dispatching of a second police dept. has been in the works for quite some time.  There was a lot of concern among those that would be directly effected by the changes, as well as those who really weren't effected by the changes.  From my vantage point, it appears that the transition has gone well.  We'll be working hard for a little while to get our staffing level up, and in the mean time, time off of our regular schedule will be more limited than we've seen for a while and overtime opportunities will be plentiful.

My running schedule for 2014 is pretty full and with plenty of "destination runs" on the calendar.  If all goes well, I'll be traveling to Arizona, Tennessee, Nebraska, Virginia, California and Florida for Half Marathons this year.  I'll also be running at least one half marathon in Columbus.  In October I am leaning towards running here in Columbus again, but have not ruled out running in St. Louis, MO that same weekend.  However, with six destination races already scheduled and a goal this year of putting at least three months of expenses in to my savings for emergencies, I will probably not add yet another destination race to this year's schedule.

I surpassed my goal last year of running 1,000 miles.  By year's end I had logged over 1200 miles of running for the year.  Running that many miles was the equivalent of running from my house in Columbus, to Miami, FL, completing the Miami Marathon while I was there and still having some miles to spare.  This year I'm shooting for 1350 miles of running, which means logging 112.5 miles a month on average.

Work will continue to see change this year.  While the transition is, for the most part, complete, we still have to get used to each other. We also need to get new people hired and trained in order to make sure our staffing levels are able to handle double the activity we've handled in the past, without burning out the current staff of dispatchers.  We're in a good spot right now in that area.  Our current trainee has been doing well and is taking to the job.  She is nearing the end of her training and will be joining staffing soon.  We also have conditional offers out to four other applicants and hope to have those people on board and in training in the near future.  That still leaves room for us to hire two more dispatchers on top of that.  In the mean time, I'm more than happy to pick up some overtime when I can and run to keep the stress levels in check.

I worked the Hilliard Police channel on our first night of dispatching for our newest partner.  For me it went smoothly.  They said things on the air a little differently than I'm used to, and I'm sure I did things a little differently than the way they're used to hearing things.  However, part of why I wanted to dispatch Hilliard on their first night with us was to hone my own skills.  I've been doing the job for 16 years now, and I do catch myself getting a little lax in some areas.  Dispatching for the "new guys" helped me to make sure I was focusing on the little things and being alert to anything that may be said on the radio, and in this job I've got to make sure I'm not taking anything for granted.  At the same time, I'm enjoying the changes because it keeps things fresh, it keeps things interesting and as long as we continue to grow and take on new challenges here it means that in a time when a lot of agencies are cutting back, my job is still pretty secure.  I'll take the stress that comes with growing over the stress that comes with shrinking any day.

Christmas 2013

Well the day is still very early, but reading my brother's most recent blog entry I had to laugh as I pictured him dealing with the young child in church who had decided to make some changes to his Christmas Eve service.  My brother, who is a Methodist minister in Nebraska, has told me stories in the past at how his services have been "altered by the moment."  (haha..."altered"...get it?)

Anyway, it made me think about the Christmas Eve service I attended at my home church last night.  I attend the Westerville Community United Church of Christ.  After over 20 years at that church, the pastor retired, and in September a different pastor started with our church.  The few services I've been able to attend since Pastor Jay came to our church, he has made it a point to introduce himself to the congregation, and still calls himself the "very new senior minister".  I'm sure last night wasn't his first Christmas Eve service, but it was his first at WCUCC, and I'm sure he was trying to mix in his own traditions without disrupting our congregation's traditions also.  The pastor's family was at the service and sat one row in front of where I had found a seat.  One thing I've noticed about Pastor Jay is that he tends to get emotional.  One some point during every service I've attended, his voice has cracked or he's paused from the emotion that he's feeling with the message he's giving.  I wasn't sure how to feel about that at first.  My first thought was that it brought memories of Jim and Tammy Baker to mind, minus the mascara.  But sitting behind Pastor Jay's father, himself a retired minister, I noticed something.  Several times during the sermon the elder pastor was wiping his eyes.  This, I realized, is a family who have truly been called to ministry and who truly feel the message they are giving.

Anyway, getting back to my original point... The church was pretty crowded last night, and as people filed in and filled the seats, a brass quartet sat up front playing Christmas songs.  People were enjoying the music, but it was more in the background as they greeted each other, skimmed through the program, marked their spots in the Hymnals for the evening Hymns, looked for open seats, etc.  So as the quartet went from one song to another there really wasn't much notice....until...  A few rows up was a young child.  HE was enjoying the music, and when the quartet finished the song he was listening to, this young child stood up on his chair and began to applaud.  Of course, once he did this, everyone else joined in and there were a smattering of chuckles going through the church.

Then the service started and we got the Children's Sermon.  All the children went down front and Pastor Sigrid read them a children's counting book about Christmas that had been written by a member of our congregation.  As with my brother's service, there were several children who answered the questions loudly or would put in their own additions to the answers.  Then, as is tradition in our church, the baby Jesus figure was placed in his mother's arms in the Nativity set.  Pastor Sigrid added a star this year also, and the children let her know that she should place the star up higher...apparently where she originally placed it was too low for everyone to see??  Then a small cupcake was brought out, the candle lit in the cake and the children sang Happy Birthday to Jesus.

You all the know the words...or at least think you do.  The children of our congregation of course, had their own version, and they weren't afraid to share it.

Happy Birthday to you  (Cha cha cha)
Happy Birthday to you (CHA cha cha)
Happy Birthday dear Jesus (CHA CHA cha)
Happy Birthday to you (CHA CHA CHA)

As the children filed out I wondered to myself how, or if, Pastor Jay would react.  He stood up and said, as we preparing for the Christmas Eve offering, that he had only one word of inspiration for us before the offering.....cha cha cha.

On a completely different topic.  I've mentioned before that I've been pretty fortunate when it comes to working on Christmas Day.  I was in the Army for Christmas in 1984, 1985 & 1986.  Two of those years I was able to take leave and be home at Christmas.  For one of them I was stationed in Germany, and although I was not able to get home, I did spend the day with family, as my uncle was also in the Army and stationed in Germany during that time.  I've worked my current job as a Police/Fire/EMS/911 Dispatcher since 1998.  A job that obviously needs to be staffed, even on Christmas Day, but this year will only be the third time that I've worked Christmas Day.  I'll say it again, I've been pretty lucky.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Tonight You Will be Visited by 3 Ghosts...

Well, I have not had near as many blog entries in 2013 as I had the previous couple of years.  I think, having gotten back on Facebook, that I feel I have less updates I can make through this forum.  But this forum was supposed to be more than that, so an early 2014 resolution will be to have at least three blog entries a month in 2014.

Being in to the Christmas season is an interesting time of year.  While it signifies a beginning, a birth or rebirth, in some ways it's also signifies as end, as we prepare to say good-bye to 2013.  We tend to reflect, and yes, I will do some reflection today.

Looking back in 2013, I found it almost humorous to look at my first blog entry for 2013.  I was happy at having met my weight loss goal.  It was a great way to start the year.  The humorous part though was looking at my preparation for my first half marathon of 2013.  I was preparing to go to Myrtle Beach and had set a few goals.  My "ultimate goal" or my "push-it" goal was to finish in 2:11.  The reason that's humorous is that finishing my final half-marathon of 2013 a couple of weeks ago in just over 2:11 was something I found disappointing.  What a difference a year makes.  Now, in my defense, I surpassed that goal of 2:11 early in the year, and that 2:11 in December was my slowest half marathon time all year.  But it makes me feel a little better knowing that it was still faster than any half marathon I ran in 2012.  Also, I remember that any time I've been less than happy with my running, I've been able to point to the factors that caused my disappointment and learn from them.  This was no different, and the mistakes I made are easily correctable.

But now looking back, I saw a questionaire that I filled out the beginning of 2013, and I'm going to do it again now for the end of 2013:

1 - What did you do in 2013/will you do in 2014, that you have never done before?

Well, I think I'd have to say that I stepped outside my comfort zone.  Traveled to some places I've never been before and ran some more "big" races that I haven't run before.  Those things are pretty small in comparison.  And although this is small, I have to mention it here. After all, part of the reason for this blog is for me to log those things that are significant for me, regardless of how significant they may seem to others.  My church has a running group that meets on Wednesday evenings in the Spring, Summer and Fall.  I wanted to get out with them in 2012, but was always a little too nervous to take that step.  I was afraid I wouldn't be able to keep up.  I was afraid that I would slow them down.  I was afraid that they were the kind of runners who took running much more seriously than me.  What I found out was that they looked at running the same way I did, as a way to have fun and stay in shape.  As a way to stay in shape and socialize.  Better yet, they were a great group of people that I'm glad I met and got to know.  I enjoyed being out enjoying running with other people.  I enjoyed the company and the conversation.  Most, if not all the people in that group will probably find it funny that I mention the "conversation", but I really am glad I stepped out of my comfort zone, and I thank them for making me comfortable in that group, and doing it so quickly.

2 - Did you keep your New Years Resolutions and will you make more for 2014?

I made two resolutions for 2013.  One was to run at least 1000 miles.  I surpassed that while running the Columbus Marathon in October.  I should end up with over 1200 miles for the year.  The second was to read at least 12 books this year.  I think I've ready 9 or 10 so far, so if I want to hit it I need to get reading these next couple of weeks.
As for 2014, yes I do think I'll make resolutions.  And I know this may come as a shock, but I have no doubt that running will be part of that.

3 - Did anyone close to you give birth?

In January had two great-nieces born.  Addison and Abby were both born this year, and I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of their first Christmas.  My supervisor also had her first child just a few months ago.

4 - Did anyone close to you die?

I'm a little nervous to answer that question since the year isn't over with.  Not that I'm expecting it to happen in the next couple of weeks, but why tempt fate.  I have had a couple of friends who did deal with deaths in their families this year.  Both were close to the holiday season and I continue to keep them in my thoughts and prayers.

5 - Which countries did you visit?

Stayed in the United States again in 2013.  There are some trips I'd like to take outside the U.S. in the future, but those are for down the road.  Not expecting to leave the country in 2014 either.  I did take a few trips this year going to Myrtle Beach, Lexington, Philadelphia and Florida to run half-marathons and do some site-seeing.

6 - What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013.

Part of that answer is a little too personal to share in this blog.  Overall I'm in pretty good shape though.  I've got what I need.  I could always use more, but I think I've had a pretty blessed year.

7 - What dates in 2013 will remain etched in your memory?

I don't know that there are any specific dates in 2013 that stand out so much that they would be "etched in my memory".

8 - What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Again, I revert back to a running achievement here.  Breaking the 2:00 mark in the Philadelphia half marathon is something that I have to look at here.  While I point at the time as the achievement, it was more about what I had to do to achieve that time.  The preparation and the commitment.  I could go on and on with what that achievement symbolizes for me.  It was not just about the running or the time, but about so many other things that are too numerous to mention and very personal for me.

9 - What was your biggest failure of the year?

I still tend to get sucked in to the negative from time to time.  I still talk about others at times when I should be focusing on myself.  I think I've done a little better, but as long as it still happens, it's still a failure on my part.

10 - Did you suffer illness or injury this year?

Another question I want to be careful with.  No injuries (as I knock on wood).  I did take a couple of sick days early in 2013, but have done pretty well since then.

11 - What is the best think you bought?

Didn't really buy myself anything special in 2013.  The money I spent was spent on race registration fees and running equipment.

12 - Whose behavior merited celebration?

In 2013 two of my nephews have found themselves deployed as members of the U.S. Air Force.  I applaud their continued commitment to serve.

13 - Where did most of your money go?

Paying the bills, giving to my church and running.

14 - What did you get really really really excited about?

I think I'm more excited this year for the number of races that I'll get to run next year.  I plan to add at least five new states in my "quest for 48".  That, and the travel and site-seeing that come with those races are exciting for me.

15 - What song will always remind you of 2013?

Really?  That's like asking me if I were a tree, what kind of tree would I be?  A Barbara Walters Special I'm not.

16 - Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder?

I'm not sadder.  Don't know if I can say that I'm happier really.  I was pretty good this time last year and still have that same general optimism.

17 - What do you wish you'd done more of?

More site-seeing.  Seems strange to say that, but sometimes when I take trips for races I spend so much time dealing with the race and don't give myself time to see the sites around the area and make it a true running VACATION.

18 - What do you wish you'd done less of?

Eating Christmas cookies.  :-)

19 - What's your favorite TV program?

- Big Bang Theory
- Survivor
- Almost Human
- Sleepy Hallow
- The Black List
- Mike & Molly
- Two Broke Girls
- Grimm

20 - What was your favorite film this year?

Nothing really stood out in 2013,  Didn't do a lot of movie-going this year.

21 - What was the best book you read?

I think Sinners & Saints was a pretty good book.  Nice thriller/crime drama.

22 - How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?

I think I'd laugh if anyone asked me that question out loud.

23 - What kept you sane?

As has been the answer for a while now...running.

24 - What political issue stirred you the most?

I think probably the "Affordable" Care Act.  Don't want to get to political on here, so I'll leave it at that.

So there's your ghost of 2013 past.

As for the present, we are in what is my favorite time of the year.  The smells around my house bring back a lot of Christmas memories for me.  The smell of a pine tree in the living room, combined with spray snow and rocks baking in the oven remind me of when I was young.  (For those who don't know, "rocks" are a family Christmas cookie.  We did not go out to the garden as kids and get stones and throw them in the oven).  This year I'm going to try my hand at making some home made salami.  I remember coming home on leave when I was in basic training and smelling the salami cooking "low and slow" in the oven.  If Christmas ends with me wanting just a tiny bit more, than I've celebrated the season just right.

For 2014, I'm looking forward to a few different things.  I won a free membership to the Run Fitness running club for next year.  This will be an opportunity for me to meet even more runners, run with others who "run like me" and meet others who have that common interest but share varied stories about, not only their running, but who they are as individuals.  Getting back together with the WCUCC running group when those runs start again in the spring.  A great group of people that made me happy I took that step and joined the group.  The continuing changes at work, as we take on dispatching for a new customer early in the year and welcome some more new dispatchers to our group at work.  The many races that I will be participating in during 2014 that will stretch all the way from the east coast to the west coast and add at least five more states to my quest.

Remembering My Time

A friend of mine, an old Army buddy, was posting some pictures today on Facebook.  He had a good career in the Army and is now a retired First Sgt.  More about him later.  But as I was looking through his old photos, it made me start thinking about my time in the Army.

I enlisted in the Army on November 19, 1984, which was three days before Thanksgiving. At that time you could enlist for either 2, 3 or 4 years.  I chose to enlist for three.  I left for basic training a week later and arrived at Ft. McClellan, AL late on November 26.  After a few days at the reception center I was bused out to my basic training unit, E Co., 11th Military Police Bn.  That was, without a doubt, the most stressful day I spent in the Army.  Beyond that, basic training was not a mentally difficult as I had expected it to be.  Sure I got yelled out, sure I did a LOT of push-ups, but it was training...what kind of training?  ARMY TRAINING SIR!

One problem I had when I was in basic training was being able to do enough push-ups to pass the PT test.  Because of that, I actually got "re-started", which means that I was sent back in to a different basic training company that was about five weeks behind the company I started in.  Fortunately that was enough to get me through the PT test.

After finishing up basic training and military police school I went another school.  The Defense Language Institute-Foreign Language Center in Monterey, CA.  This was a Dept. of Defense school where all branches of the military sent people to learn foreign languages.  I spent about nine months there, eight months of which were spent learning to speak German.  The classes were pretty small and had a combination of services, enlisted, officers and civilians in the class.  I spent my next Thanksgiving in the Army at this school.  Fortunately I had become friends with another MP that was in the school.  Norm Babcock and his wife would have me over for dinner on Sundays to watch football and have a good Italian meal.  They were kind enough to have me spend my Thanksgiving with them in 1985.

In February of 1986 I left that school and made my way to Germany.  There I was stationed in a small town called Hardheim at a remote HAWK anti-aircraft missile site.  Hardheim was in the south-central part of, what was then, West Germany.  While I was Germany I had the good fortune to make another good friend.  At the time he and his family came to Germany, Roger was a Cpl. who worked in Communications.  I said then, and I still maintain, that he was one of the luckiest SOB's in the Army.  He'd make a heck of a politician and a better salesman.  But, I'm indebted to Roger and his family for all they did for me while I was stationed in Germany.  They had me over for dinner at times, invited me along when they would go to Wurzburg to go shopping or site-seeing, taxi'd me to softball games and generally helped me get out of the barracks when I wasn't working.  Germany, was where I spent Thanksgiving of 1986 also.  I spent that Thanksgiving in the northern part of Germany, again with the Babcock family.  That was the weekend I watched Top Gun in a Dutch Movie Theater (AKA School gymnasium).  In Germany is also where I actually did my first marathon.  It was not a run, it was a Volksmarch, but it was marathon distance.  I did this with Roger Lush and Bobby Brown.  SFC Brown would end up rising to the rank of CSM before he retired.  The three of us just decided to try the marathon volksmarch.  No training, which didn't seem like a big deal at the time.  It lets me know what kind of shape I was in, because even walking 26 miles can be tough on a body if you're not in shape.  And Roger and Bobby must have been in even better shape, because they did the 26 miles on very little sleep and, I suspect, more than their share of adult beverages the night before.  Yet, after all that, it was not them who almost passed out at the end of walk, but me.

Although I only mentioned a couple of people in this entry, I made a lot of friends during my three years in the Army.  Thanks to Facebook I have been able to connect with some of them, others I have not been able to keep in touch with.  I do keep in fairly close touch with the Lush family.  I visit them whenever I get through North Carolina, which is usually a couple of times a year, and again I can take this forum to thank them for hospitality they showed me when I was stationed with them in Germany, and even afterwards when I would visit them in Ft. Knox or their current home.  I also want to take time to thank the Babcocks for the hospitality they showed me during my time stationed with them.