Baden-Baden, Germany

On November 12-13th, 2005, Matt and I jumped into the BMW and headed 3 hours south to Baden-Baden, Germany. Baden-Baden is famous for its original therapeutic Roman baths and we wanted to see what all the talk was about. The outside of the Freidrichsbad is on the left.

So, we ventured into the Freidrichsbad to take part in the 'healing' and rejuvenating baths. What we found and actually took part in was a nude 3 hour bathing experience. When the ladies asked me for my bathing suit and towel at the entrance, I thought I was going to die...but I quickly got over my personal 'naked fears' and handed both the towel and my bathing suit over to remain standing there in my birthday suit. I got over my 'naked fears' once I saw the rest of the population inside the baths...and trust me, even the nastiest of people would have looked like beauty queens inside there!

The baths were segregated by sex up to about the mid-point (there were 14 different stations/steps of the bath) at which both guys and girls can meet up at a communal thermal bath. After that point, the baths were back to being segregated. When I made it to that half-way point, I ran and jumped into the communal pool like I had caught on fire...because nothing was as uncomfortable as walking around in the buff. Matt was waiting for me in the pool and the first words to come out of my mouth were, 'Are you uncomfortable being naked?' He said NO, because he thought it was just like being in a locker room. That was news to me because I thought the idea of a bunch of naked guys would give him the 'homo-hebie jeebies.' Apparently, guys walk around locker rooms naked...completely opposite of girls in a locker room (all you girls know, we're all wrapped up in towels hoping no-one is looking at us!) . Anyhow, as I learned, the Europeans are very open with their bodies and being naked isn't a big deal. If you act wierded out, they look at you...if you act non-chalant, no one looks at you or even really cares. There's an unspoken rule here that you just don't look at people when they're naked...it's just a body.

Needless to say, we both survived the Roman baths and left that evening pruny and exhausted from sitting in saunas, pools, and showers. The red and green building in the picture is the hotel where we stayed while in Baden-Baden. It was a lovely hotel with a great location adjacent to several well seasoned pubs and restaurants.

Since our first visit in November 2005, we've actually been back once already--it really is relaxing!

Sneek, Netherlands

The weekend following Matt's return from the States (from S.O.S), the two of us jumped into the BMW and headed up to Sneek, Netherlands to visit our friends, Cheech and Andrea McDaniel. Matt and Cheech were both in the 55FS at Shaw and we all became great friends while in South Carolina together. Cheech and Andrea moved to Holland this summer (2005) for Cheech to be an exchange Weapons Officer with the Dutch Air Force and shortly before moving, welcomed their third little girl, Jackson, into their family.

We had so much fun playing with Payton, Addison, and Jackson--not to mention doing as the Dutch do--riding bikes everywhere. Although Cheech attended language school in Washington D.C. before moving to Holland, Payton has far surpassed his Dutch language abilities. She started Dutch kindergarten there in September, 2005 and is completely fluent in every aspect of Dutch--so much that she'll occasionally act as the family translator.

We hope to get up to Sneek sometime this spring to visit Cheech, Andrea, and the kiddos. They are fantastic friends and when we all get together, we have nothing short of a fantastic time.

These pictures are of the McDaniel's house in Sneek. They live in a neighborhood with a pond/river in the backyard.

A-Flight Commander

On November 4, 2005, Matt became the A-Flight commander in the 23FS. In this role, Matt took on the responsibility (and OPRs) of about a dozen pilots, not to mention a lot more queep (paperwork and desk work). Lucky for him, the majority of A-flight happened to be (and still is) single. So, along with Matt's job came my new 'job' as a 'big sister' to the flight. I was so thrilled that the flight Matt was to command was full of single guys (and as of last summer, one girl!). Over the last 14 months, I have had the "responsibility" of keeping them well fed, nicely dressed, highly entertained, and exceptionally travelled...and of course I've gotten the opportunity to insure that their houses are nicely furnished! I've loved every bit of getting to bake goodies, make dinners, plan A-flight trips, and be the 'big sister' to everyone in the flight--so it will be a sad day when Matt has to give up command of the best flight in the 23FS.

These pictures are of Matt on the day of his change of command on November 4th (he had to give a little speech and talk about how 'excited' he was to be the new A-Flight commander).