Update from the ROK

I am proud to report Rick has added another title to his impressive collection. Yesterday, he took his final certification flight for INSTRUCTOR PILOT! The process to accomplish this is long, and has been very stressful. On several occasions, after HOURS of preparation, creating maps, and requesting airspace, many flights were cancelled due to weather, maintenance (broken plane), or health (Head cold - cannot risk blowing out an eardrum) Then, preparation would start ALL over. This was all in addition to his regular duties. So, you may be thinking, 'Great, now they may get to see each other more than an hour a day'

Nope.

Rick left this morning for a two week mission in Thailand, and then will go to the Philippines for another two weeks. We have been married nearly two years, and have yet to spend 4 consecutive months together. I have to admit, a perpetual honeymoon is really not that bad.

So, what has Rachel accomplished while Rick has been slaving away? I'm excited to announce I found another strain of bacteria. I got to spend another evening physically revisiting my prior meal. So, I have basically found the secret to how Koreans stay so thin: food poisoning. I'm now on a first name basis with the pilots' flight doctor. Thankfully, he takes very good care of pilots and their wives.

Another wife, Amy, and I are planning a trip to Japan. I am going to try my hand at flying 'space A'. There are military planes that fly several times a week from Osan Air Base in Korea to Kadena Air Base in Japan. So, when 'space is available' we will catch a ride. For anyone that knows me, you can imagine the challenge this will be for me. No guarantee of getting on a flight?! No seat assignment? No champagne?! GASP. I cannot imagine any other time in my life that I will be able to travel with such flexibility, so why not try it now?

A weekend in Korea

Many times we have called Korea the 'land of not quite right'. This is due to the differences in how Koreans does things, and how Americans have learned to do things. Some examples include; modes of transportation, driving, parking, forming a line,

making an appointment, construction safety, bathroom etiquette, basic etiquette, ET cetra.

Additionally, there is something about Korea that makes it much like Vegas. I have always heard that, in Vegas, you can go without sleep, and huge blocks of time are lost. We all know the saying, 'What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas'. I have realized South Korea is alarmingly similar. Many of the pictures illustrate this. The things you see here, would never be done in the 'Real World' but they all

seem like fantastic ideas at the time. (Note the 'party suits' the fellas have made here.)

Take last weekend, for example,:

Friday night at the Officers' Club. Sounds innocent enough. We generally go to the 'O' club on Friday's and socialize. There is a D.J.

that plays most any requests, including my shrieks for Bon Jovi. Additionally, there is Karaoke. In the 'real world' karaoke should only be an activity if you possess some sort of musical

inclination.

Not in South Korea. I have been told I couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, but in Korea, I'm cheered, and have a captive audience as Rick and I sing duets, and strum air instruments. We closed the Club down, and got home just after curfew, which is 3 A.M.!

The following day, we were up and on the 9:20 A.M. bus to Seoul. (Do the math on beauty sleep) We take an educational tour of the Korean War Museum, and we decide on dinner plans over cocktails with friends. We walk to a wonderful French Restaurant, have a nice meal, wine, and meet up with more friends at a local Pub. We walk back to our friend's house by 11:00 p.m., and are up until 2 A.M. discussing many worldly issues.

We catch the bus home in the morning, make lasagna, invite some friends over, persuade friend to be wedding photographer for our ceremony in November, wine, dessert, and we are off to bed by midnight. I don't know if it's all the preservatives in the milk, or the pollution in the air, but it is the closest to living in Vegas that I will ever be. It's a good thing we are only months away from being back in the 'Real World'.

Planning the wedding.....again....

As most of you may know, when we wed at the exotic Johnson County Courthouse, we had planned to have a 'real' ceremony and reception the following year, April 18, 2009.  Well, Rick was not granted the leave, houses didn't sell, and it became painfully clear that being together was much more important than anything.  It is still very important to us to celebrate the union with our family and friends.   (cue violins) We had such a wonderful whirlwind courtship and then the covert marriage, and we really want to 'do it right'.  We are planning a small, low-key reception the Saturday after Thanksgiving (November 27th) in Kansas City.  We figured Kansas City would be easier than Georgia, and many folks get that Friday off from work.  We understand that is a big family weekend, but want to work around a holiday weekend as to ensure Rick's leave.  

So, that is the tentative 'plan'.

Mentsch tracht, Gott lacht

Hawaii

The day before we left the freezing cold peninsula, we spent the day with our good friends in Seoul.  We ate at a fabulous Greek restaurant, and actually found an AC/DC cover band!!  It was a very fun night, and I'm glad our flight didn't leave too early the following day.

On to Hawaii - 

Our flight was delayed due to SNOW, but we finally made it out and we were on our way to BEAUTIFUL Hawaii!  We vacationed with Tim and Hallie, Rick's brother and sister-in-law.

Our trip was OUTSTANDING.  Our condo was absurd!  The large glass doors opened to the balcony that overlooked the pool, and had a view of the ocean.  We enjoyed beautiful sunsets every night that were better than postcards.  Best yet, was that it was in the high 80s!  YES!

 - This is how happy I was to be on the beach!

Our activities:

Pearl Harbor:  We took a very educational tour that is a must-do of Oahu.  We got a very small taste of the cramped life on a submarine, and went aboard the Pearl Harbor memorial.   

Here is our fishing boat, but where is my coffee?!

I have just been strapped to the chair, and am receiving instructions on how to reel in fish, and more importantly, how to not lose the expensive reels.  You can tell by my face that I am worried about being pulled overboard, realizing this is way more complicated than I thought, and trying not to puke.
 - Daybreak 

Dinner! 

Deep Sea Fishing: One of our friends, who is stationed in Hawaii, set up a deep sea fishing adventure.  We would get up super early, go out catch fish, enjoy the day, and get to keep whatever we kept.  I bought some dramamine just in case my freak-of-nature body decided to turn against me in the high seas.  We boarded the vessel before the sun was even thinking of coming up, and watched a beautiful sunrise.  We got a quick crash coarse on how to fish, and I was surprised at all the maneuvers and rules I needed to remember.  There was actually a chair that you were STRAPPED to for reeling in a fish.  YIKES!  Visions of my line and violently yanking me off the boat and into the bottomless ocean swirled through my head.  My stomach started to feel uneasy so I popped a Dramamine.  Once the sun was up, the deck hand put these HUGE lures on the multiple lines, and we got started.  I was the first to be strapped in the seat as newcomers are supposed to be good luck.  After the briefing we got on how to reel in the fish, and the size of the lures, I  was secretly praying I didn't get a bite.  I sat ready to reel, and watching the water for any signs.  The scene was just beautiful, but my stomach felt every dip of the boat.  After about an hour in 'the chair' I offered it up to Hallie.  After we had been out for probably 3-4 hours, we saw a whale!  Then Rick pointed out Dolphins.  The captain and deck hand freaked out.  Asking where exactly he had seen them.  This is when I decided to skip on down to the bathroom before I puked all over the boat.  While taking deep breaths and trying to control my heaving stomach, I heard all this commotion.  I downed another Dramamine, and went back on Deck.  ALL five reels had a bite on them!  Everyone was yelling, and the captain and the deck hand were scrambling around and barking orders.  I tried to stay out of the way, and snap pictures.  Reeling these dang fish in, is not an easy task.  Everyone was sweating through their clothes, straining their muscles, popping veins out in their heads.  Geesh!  Looong story short, we reeled in one fish an hour and a half later, and when they hauled it into the boat, I was sure it was a world record, it was HUGE!  Turns out, it was a yellow-fin Tuna weighing about 150 pounds.  That was the last bite of the day.  Not even a nibble the rest of the afternoon!  I guess dolphins are messy eaters, so a lot of larger fish follow them around to eat their scraps.  This is why everyone was so excited when Rick pointed out the dolphins, and when we turned into them, we got FIVE bites.  We had our dinner, and I never puked on the boat.  A very successful trip that I would highly recommend.

The rest of our time in Hawaii was spent checking out other beaches around the island, Visiting the Dole Plantation, eating fantastic meals and spending time together.

Rick's birthday

Rick's big 3-0 birthday was complete with fireworks that we watched off our balcony.

 - Gotta pay respect to Starbucks.

The front of our resort.

This is the jellyfish that I saved Rick from.

Luau - You have to do this if you go to Hawaii.  They had Hula girls, dancers, fire guys, and very good food.

Snorkeling: We snorkeled in the coves of our Resort as well as beautiful Hanuama Bay.  We saw many fish, a turtle, and learned they don't joke around about the Rip Tide.  FOLLOW the signs. 

Asia welcoming us back with a wonderful meal of 'who knows what'