JTOK Chatter > Travel > Page 32

Category Archives: Travel

The Royal Swim

Posted on by

http://www.shoretrips.com/

We scheduled a shore excursion for our cruise…”SWIM WITH THE DOLPHINS IN TORTOLA-THE ROYAL SWIM” —-

Imagine the thrill of dolphins pulling you through the water, or leaping over your head. Picture yourself speeding through the water as the dolphins push you by your feet. Experience the joy of a dolphin’s kiss…memorable photo opportunities to say the least. And our professional photographers will capture these magical moments for you on video and photo. Each session is one hour, with 30 minutes of swim time.

I used Shore Trips (linked in title), a site I found last year while surfing the net. They supposedly have the same tours that cruises offer, but you get smaller groups and more personalized service.

I really hated to spend as much as we did for the experience (dolphins are one of the most expensive trips, excluding renting a private yacht for the day!), but Tom said if that was what I wanted to do…then we’d do it! To make sure we get the most out of the experience, we bought a waterproof housing for our camera, so we can be sure to get TONS of pictures!!

We’d like to maybe do another excursion, but we aren’t sure yet what it will be…something cheap, most likely!

FINALLY, OUR HONEYMOON!

Posted on by

http://www.hollandamerica.com/

WE JUST BOOKED OUR HONEYMOON CRUISE!!!

Of course, I’ve been researching cruises the entire time Tom was gone but I got overwhelmed very easily…so he finally did his own research and narrowed it down to five cruises for me to choose from…and I was still having a hard time deciding! It was either cruise from Ft. Lauderdale before October (in order to use my free US Air ticket—-that I got for taking a bump last year—-before it expired)…or go from Charleston, SC, during Christmas, when cruises were a bit cheaper (and also so we might not miss being at home so much).

Another part of the decision was when to visit Kathryn, Marcus, and the girls. We had talked about going this spring or summer, but it could also be combined with the cruise… Another part of the decision was whether to get a balcony or not. Some ships had them, some didn’t. And we didn’t want to spend a TON of money…but we really wanted a balcony. So, I was trying to decide, wavering back and forth, back and forth, back and forth…when I got an email from Orbitz with some cruise deals. (I had searched Orbitz before, but when Tom was looking, we were using USAA because they had previously had the best prices.) I clicked on it just for the heck of it and—-what? $721 for a 7-day cruise with a balcony? At that moment, we knew we were booking a cruise that night! Here’s what the room looks like:

Deluxe Verandah Outside Staterooms

2 lower beds convertible to 1 queen-size bed, bath & shower, sitting area, private verandah, floor-to-ceiling windows. Approx. 249 sq. ft.
Holland America Reserved Room

We are cruising to the Caribbean on Holland America from Ft. Lauderdale. We haven’t researched the ports much yet—-and honestly, they weren’t much of a consideration when choosing a cruise (especially when we found the good deal). Our main concerns were taking a cruise for 5-9 days for a good price and hopefully getting a balcony. I’m more interested in the whole cruise ship experience, with the ports just being an added bonus.

  • Day 1: Ft. Lauderdale, FL
  • Day 2: Half Moon Cay, Bahamas (HAL’s Private Island)
  • Day 3: At Sea
  • Day 4: Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
  • Day 5: Road Town, Tortola, B.V.I.
  • Day 6: At Sea
  • Day 7: Nassau, Bahamas
  • Day 8: Ft. Lauderdale, FL

So, we’re totally geeked! Now we just have to finalize travel plans (i.e. when we will arrive ahead of time, in order to visit with the Filipek clan) and get our passports! (We had debated not getting passports, since they’re about $100 each, but it’s much easier than carrying around a handful of documents…I’d need three: my driver’s license, my birth certificate, and my marriage license!) Now I’m just hoping I have my birth certificate in the safe…

Weekend at Myrtle Beach

Posted on by

Our old neighbors and good friends, Tom and Karen, invited us for a weekend at Myrtle Beach. As it would be my first time there (I’d only driven through on my way home from Hilton Head last summer) I had no idea what to expect. Conversely, Tom was really looking forward to going to an old bar he went to 12 years ago during Spring Break.

We had a great time! On the way down, we stopped in Wilmington to eat at Carrabas, one of my favorite Italian places. Once we got there, we decided to hit Tom’s old bar, Mother Fletcher’s. It was WAAAY on the other side of town, so it was quite a hike—but that’s what he really wanted to do. All the way there, he kept saying “Wow, this is new. Wow, look at that. This wasn’t here before. This area has really grown.” And we just kept reminding him it was TWELVE years ago he was here! So we finally get to the bar, and…IT WAS CLOSED DOWN! Oh, did we have a good laugh over that. Well, poor Tom didn’t, but we certainly did! (I googled it when I got home, and I could find no reason for the closure.) So it was off to Broadway at the Beach to hit a bar. We ended up at Crocodile Rocks, a dueling piano bar…where we had to pay a $7 cover because we weren’t locals (argh!)…and it was soooooo crowded we could never even see the pianos! Of course, the boys decided they wanted to drink, so we spent way more money that night than we anticipated! After that, it was time for sleep so we headed back to the hotel!

The next morning, it was a bit chilly and overcast (probably 60-65) so that was somewhat disappointing—it had been 75-80 the past week at home! We decided to check out the outlet mall nearby…which led to almost an entire day of outlet-mall-shopping! We hit two separate malls, Tom got some new clothes (all on sale, of course!), and I got a few things. I really wanted to hit the QVC Outlet just to see what they had, but by the time we were driving by, we were on a mission for lunch.

Lunch was at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville at Broadway at the Beach. The food was good, although I always have a hard time paying $10 for a burger. But the margaritas were yummilicious…so yummilicious, in fact, that I had two (and just like that, I blew all my low-carb plans). And the Volcano Nachos were really quite good. And so was the Crab and Corn Chowder… After lunch, we walked around the entire Broadway at the Beach—a bunch of shops and restaurants and bars around a lake (click here to see the property map if you didn’t check it out above). We all made some small purchases and just had a fun time gallivanting. But, soon we were exhausted so we headed back to the hotel so we could all take a nap. We thought, how pathetic we are…exhausted at 6pm and wanting to sleep! All we did all day was shop and eat! So we agreed to lay down for 20 minutes. Three hours later, we finally all got up. None of us were really that hungry (we finished lunch around 2), so we thought we’d go out for appetizers and dessert. No one could decide where to go, so I made the decision: Rossi’s. My boss had suggested it so I figured it had to be good. Well, it was good. And fancy. And expensive. Which wouldn’t have been a big deal, had we not already spent a TON of money on food. So we ate cheaply and discovered we were hungrier than we thought we’d been… and all enjoyed really great desserts (we all wanted something different: Karen—Key Lime Pie, Tom T—Cannoli, Tom H—Tiramisu, me—Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake). By this time, it was after 11, so we decided to just go back to the hotel!

But first, we had to take some group shots—we had brought our camera, but hadn’t carried it around all day (so we missed some great shots, of course).

Myrtle Beach with Tom and Karen

Myrtle Beach with Tom and Karen

Cruise Headache

Posted on by

Can I just say that shopping for our honeymoon cruise is OVERWHELMING me beyond belief! Too many cruise lines, too many destinations, too many trip lengths… But, since we don’t want to fly anywhere (saving money on plane tickets), we are limited to local departure ports—Norfolk, VA, or Charleston, SC (both about 4.5 hours away). So, you would think these limitations would be a good thing, but the problem is that unless we cruise by April, there aren’t any cruises until November (if I’m remembering right—I have so much cruise info floating around my brain right now)!

So then there’s the research. I’ve been reading reviews of the cruise lines and individual ships and it seems every one has varying opinions. One review will say Ship A is great but the food is blah. But the next review on another site will say Ship A is blah but the food is excellent. Even personal reviews vary. And of course the ship that sounds the greatest is the most expensive. Or the ship that has the best deal (10 days for like $800 each) is a smaller ship that doesn’t appear to have all the cool amenities.

So, I’m done with research. I’ve told Tom it’s HIS job to plan the honeymoon!!

Anyone have any recommendations??? Right now, we’re looking at Holland America, Celebrity, Carnival, and Norwegian for anything from a 5-10 day cruise to the Caribbean.

US Airways–what can I say?

Posted on by

So you all know the trouble I had trying to get home AFTER Christmas…but I’m not sure how many of you know the trouble I had trying to get home FOR Christmas. But let’s rewind to October, when I was on my way back to Jacksonville after my grandfather’s funeral.

I took a bump in Charlotte and got a free round-trip ticket. Cool! I thought, what could be more perfect—I now had a free ticket to go see Tom in California when he comes home…or, when I realized I could go home for Christmas (when I wouldn’t be working at Staples), I could use the ticket to fly home! So, I called the first part of December to get my free ticket to Michigan. I didn’t worry about calling last-minute because the ticket was free—I didn’t care how much it cost! So imagine my complete and utter shock when the rep told me my ticket wasn’t good for that flight! WHAT? It’s a free round-trip ticket on US Airways?! How can it not be good? Long story short, she told me that since I took the bump on a US Airways Express leg, the free ticket was only good for a US Airways Express leg. WHAT? I tried to clarify, and she assured me that was protocol. So it was a mad rush to find a cheap ticket to Michigan!

Fast forward two months, when I find out Tom is coming home. I want to go to see him in California if at all possible, but not if I have to pay for a ticket (unless he’s going to be there a month, then I might cough up the dough)! So I research online to see about any Express flights…and of course, there are none. So, I figure I will just fly to Chicago for the weekend to see my girlfriend because I was pretty sure that was an Express flight. But just for the hell of it, I decided to call again, just to check ONE MORE TIME. And you know what the rep tells me? That my voucher is good for ANY US Airways flight!! I said “Are you sure? The last time I called, the rep said it was only good for an Express flight since that’s what I took the bump on?!” And he assured me that was not the case, and in his nine years of working there, he’d never heard that. He did say I might have trouble getting a ticket since it’s Easter and Spring Break travel times, but that my voucher was perfectly good!

OORAH! So it looks like I will be heading to California when he comes home! (I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it!!!)

What does a March flight mean?

Posted on by

I asked Tom… “When you say you have your flight for March, what exactly does that mean? Does it mean you have a specific date already? Does it mean you just know you will be leaving in March? Or only March unless something else comes up?

I have my ULN (U…… Line Number), which means that I basically have a “ticket” or a seat with my name on it, for a specific flight out of Kuwait in March, probably the 2nd or 3rd week to be more specific. I will be in Cali for awhile after that, but I have no idea as to when I can leave to actually come home. My orders say a month, but as we will see, I will not be here for as long as they say either.

Heading to Iraq

Posted on by

I finally got to talk to Tom last night! (I haven’t talked to him since he arrived in Iraq a few days ago.) The bad news? He told me that he can’t get any IM (instant messaging) clients to work through their firewall…so that means no chatting like we were really planning on and looking forward to (to save expensive phone card minutes). But, the good news? Through a convoluted dialing system (dialing Camp Pendleton and then being rerouted to our number via operator), he can use his phone card minutes on a 1:1 ratio (as if he was calling from the US) instead of a 1:12 ratio (as if he was actually calling from Iraq)! The only minor glitch is that there’s about a 1- or 2-second delay where I can hear my voice echoing back to me–although he sounds clear as a bell. And the better news? He can make phone calls right from his desk at work so he can pretty much call me every day!

The pictures below are of his first class cabin on the way over, as well as some more shots of his lovely abode!

And then not: March AFB, California—Waiting to leave.

The C130 out of Kuwait.

Pre-Iraq California

Posted on by

Needless to say, Tom hates being away, but LOVES California…the weather is amazing (no humidity!) and the skies and water are a gorgeous blue! It doesn’t hurt that his hotel is right on the beach, too! He would love to live there if it wasn’t for the exorbitant housing costs (drop our house out there and it would go for probably $300,000 to $400,000). But, we’ve decided I’m going to go visit for a week when he comes home!

We’ve been spoiled…we talk at least twice a day and IM every so often. It’s comforting knowing I can still pick up the phone and call anytime (well, keeping in mind the time difference, of course!). I know I shouldn’t get used to it (it will make it that much harder when he leaves the country and we can’t talk every day), but I’m enjoying it while it lasts. I’m thankful for email as well…that way we can all get picture updates…

In the following pictures, you will see a portion of his kitchenette, the view out his hotel room, an art fair right outside the hotel, and his trip to the beach. Why the shot of the parking garage? I asked the same thing. Turns out, it’s a hidden parking garage…located completely under the property of the hotel—it’s about a half block and the buildings, pool, jacuzzis, grass, etc. all sit on top of it!

D-Day–Tom Heads Out

Posted on by

Well, it was rough…like I knew it would be. I managed to make it to the very last day without breaking down (although I came close more than once when Tom was saying goodbye to people)…and it seemed once I started, it was hard to stop—any little thing would set me off again. Logically, I knew better. I knew I could handle him being gone, I knew I’d be fine in a day or so, and I felt silly for being so emotional…but in the meantime it was just horribly painful.

I told Tom about four times that this was the LAST time I was doing this…that he was getting out when he was done and he was never leaving me again! I honestly don’t know how some wives can joke about being glad when their husbands leave…or wanting them to leave…or joking that “Can’t my husband go with yours?” I can’t fathom ever looking forward to him leaving. Especially for nine months. NINE MONTHS. Maybe it’s still the newlywed in me??

One of the hardest things about the day was being home alone while he was on base doing last-minute things. In my mind, the hours were flying by, totally wasted, when we could have been together. As it turns out, there were some screw-ups, so he actually did end up wasting a lot more time than he had planned on (he got home about noon, having left at 7am). But the good news is he got all the necessary paperwork done and now he can go up for Captain. (I’ll have to have him explain the process in more detail, but basically, you have to get your packet of information together to present to the selection board…which will happen while he’s in Iraq…so he had to complete it before he left. If they determine he’s qualified, then he makes Captain in a year or so.)

Then it was the rush to get the last-minute packing and last-minute “honey do” things done. And that’s when it started to hit me…he was really leaving (although logically, of course, I’ve known that since August). Before we knew it, it was time to pack the car and head to the airport. And before I knew it, I was home again…in an empty house. (Thank goodness for the cats…at least there was some life there.)

My only thoughts for the first few hours were… He’s gone. He’s actually gone. For nine months. Nine. NINE! Almost a year. I will be alone for 270 days. How do these other wives do it??? So, finally, I went to my crutch…this website! I spent some time updating and felt much better…although I still can’t believe he’s going to be gone for NINE MONTHS!

Details & Maps

Posted on by

The countdown has been on, and it’s down to three days…Tom leaves this Wednesday. Plans have changed slightly, however. Instead of heading straight to Iraq, he will be spending a month in California. He’s not quite sure exactly WHY, but it has something to do with additional training. Conversely, on the route home, he will be spending the last month of his nine-month deployment in California again. So, the government is spending $10,000 for him to stay in California those two months (food and lodging).

How big is Iraq, really? See the comparison in the first map. Once he gets to Iraq, he will be stationed in Ar Ramadi (or Ramadiyah), situated about 70 miles west of Baghdad on the Euphrates River (second map).

A Friend’s Wedding

Posted on by

I’m actually posting this in February 2013 because I was looking for the pictures on my blog and couldn’t find them but could have sworn I posted them…but obviously didn’t (they were just in an album on the old site). So I’m posting them now. 🙂

Congrats Angi and Forest! It will be nine years this July! 🙂

Our brick!

Posted on by

Since the library only charged us $40 for the room (in case of rain and a place to get dressed if we needed it) and charged us nothing for the use of the grounds, we decided to donate some money in the form of buying a brick for the Children’s Learning Gardens. This brick is placed on the pathway to the garden (in full view of the train station!) and commemorates our special day. We were able to visit it in October 2002, shortly after our one-year anniversary.

 

Entrance to Learning Garden.

Close-up of entrance to Learning Garden.

The whole brick walkway.

Our brick.

 

Tom’s OCS Graduation

Posted on by

Think you could endure OCS?

By graduation day, each candidate has racked up an average of 122 hours of physical training, 52 miles of hikes, 77 miles of running, 640 pull-ups, 50 rope climbs, and 1350 push-ups. In addition to all the marching and PT, the candidates also complete 200 hours of classroom instruction and 453 hours of practical application. This summer, 1971 candidates began this training program, but only 1589 were able to complete it.

The following pictures encompass the long weekend we spent in Quantico, Virginia, for Tom’s gradation from OCS. Our itinerary included Family Day (Thursday, 9 Aug 01, 1400), the Graduation Parade (Friday, 10 Aug 01, 0900), and the actual Graduation Ceremony (Friday, 10 Aug 01, 1400). Tom also took some pictures of the barracks for us.