Annapolis

Well, we decided to celebrate our last Labor Day in the states for a few years by going to visit some of our best friends up in Annapolis. We'd kinda wanted to go see a Navy game up there for a few years now, and the Larsen's living there provided just the impetus we needed.

I'd been to the academy a few times before I was in the Navy, and knew both it and Annapolis itself was awesome, but its easy to forget when you haven't been in a while. Other than the Larsens though, the actual game was the highlight. To be honest, the pre-game festivities were probably my favorite part. It was pretty cool seeing all the midshipmen marching to the game...

A couple of things surprised us - the 3-star supe walking with all the kids pumping them up...the random onlookers who threw wads of candy to the marching mids...the mids themselves who begged for candy like their lives depended on it...Hayes kids scouring the road for the leftover sweets like they'd never been fed...and the one really weird guy who found it appropriate to crack open a Naty Light and spray a group of the midshipmen. Classy man - classy.

Coincidently, some guys (and gals, apparently) from Brett's squadron actually conducted the flyover in the game. I saw one of them afterwards and wasted no time running up to him like a giddy schoolgirl to inform him that I "knew a guy" in his squadron. Gosh I'm cool (and obviously have pilot envy).

The game itself was a blast, even if I did force everyone to leave in the middle of the third quarter so I could get home to watch Tennessee play. All the kids donned mascot tattoos (a mere $2 of the massive amount we spent in the gift store on random USNA merchandise that we'll probably wear once for fear of looking like a poser).

Regardless, we had a great time. Check the next post (I'm lovin' craptastic Blogger's picture-post feature...) for some final pics - the afternoon ended with Ella crashing out in the stroller on the ride home. Ah, the life of an 8 month old...

- pac